Hong Kong: Flight cancellations a concern: CE

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive John Lee has expressed concern over flight cancellations by Cathay Pacific, and said the Government will liaise with the aviation industry to ensure that Hong Kongs capacity is rebuilt as soon as possible.



Mr Lee made his remarks ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, in response to media enquiries about the airliners decision to cancel some of its flights in January and February.



He said: As regards Cathay Pacific cancelling flights over a short period of time, causing inconvenience and also loss to some passengers, of course, we are very concerned.



Hong Kong, of course, has the mission of ensuring Hong Kong will be a strong aviation hub in this region. So, the whole aviation capacity is important, and I understand that because of COVID-19 there are challenges that we need to overcome.



So, we will be in contact with the people in the aviation industry, particularly Cathay Pacific, to ensure that the aviation capacity is rebuilt as quickly as possible.



The Chief Executive added that the Government will work with the airlines management to ensure that top-quality services are provided to passengers.



I think it is the basic service requirement for airlines to provide satisfactory service to passengers, he said. I do think that companies in the aviation industry in Hong Kong have that mission and have that goal close to their hearts, but we need greater efforts, both short-term and long-term.

The Transport & Logistics Bureau will be in contact with the management of Cathay Pacific to indicate our goals, and see how we can work together to ensure the best services are provided to passengers.

This story has been published on: 2024-01-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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The last time Nivardo De La Torre and his father-in-law, Mario Garcia, saw Matthew Reum, first responders had just extricated him from his crushed pickup truck along Salt Creek underneath Interstate 94 and were taking him to a waiting helicopter to be transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

De La Torre, 31, of Portage, and Garcia, 60, of Hobart, decided to go fishing on Dec. 26 and stick close to home. Thats when they found Reum, trapped in his pickup truck for six days and subsisting on rain water, and called 911 to get help.

Monday, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, the two good Samaritans spent more than two hours catching up in a private meeting with Reum, who a hospital spokesperson said Monday evening has been upgraded to good condition after the partial amputation of his left leg a day after his rescue. Reum, 27, of Mishawaka, is in inpatient rehab at the hospital.

Mario Garcia, left, and Nivardo De La Torre, right, pose with Matthew Reum on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Garcia and De La Torre rescued Reum from his overturned pickup truck on Dec. 26, 2023.

Its an emotional thing, Garcia said Tuesday by phone, adding Reum exchanged hugs and left-handed handshakes  his right hand is bandaged because it was injured in the crash  when they were reunited.

It was a little overwhelming at first just seeing him do so good, said De La Torre, also speaking by phone on Tuesday, adding the experience was nerve-wracking.

Had De La Torre and Garcia not been walking Salt Creek to go fishing the afternoon of Dec. 26, this incident more than likely would have had a different outcome, Sgt Glen Fifield, public information officer for Indiana State Polices Lowell Post, said in a release after Reum was found.

Garcia and De La Torre were glad they got the chance to meet with Reum under less stressful circumstances at the hospital.

We just expressed how happy we were to help him out and he was thankful we were there when he desperately needed it, De La Torre said.

Reum, Garcia said, has undergone an extreme change since they last saw him almost two weeks ago and appears to be well taken care of at the hospital.

I have a feeling he wouldnt have lasted another night trapped in his pickup truck, Garcia said, adding Reum was shaking when he and De La Torre found him. The two were surprised to find him alive.

Garcia and De La Torre wanted to meet with Reum, Garcia said, but had to wait until Reum was further recovered from the amputation and his other injuries.

Hes OK with the situation but no one is happy losing a limb, Garcia said. Hes alive and hes going to be able to be with us for a long time to come.

Matthew Reum

Reum, Garcia said, was in very good spirits and was thankful for everyone who took part in his rescue, as well as those who have offered support on his gofundme page, which had raised more than $100,000 by Tuesday afternoon.

Reums recovery is going to be tough, Garcia said, adding he and De La Torre discussed that with him.

De La Torre agreed about Reums attitude post-surgery, and said Reum wants to move forward.

Its a barrier he has to step over in life, he said.

In a one-minute video posted to his Facebook page Sunday, Reum said he got a shower over the weekend, which is why my hair looks amazing, and was learning how to get around.

I have learned how to walk again and with a walker, he said. Right now the most challenging thing for me is going up a stair or a curb and you know, going up a ramp. At 27, I never thought it would be challenging for me to do that but it is.

In two videos posted Jan. 4, Reum expressed gratitude to everyone who has helped and supported him since he was found and rescued, and provided an update of his medical condition and his hope to someday soon move into a wheelchair-accessible apartment.

He admitted in the videos the challenges he faces as he recovers from his extensive injuries but, as those who met with him at the hospital can attest, he continues to remain upbeat.

Its a new day for us to practice things were not good at, Reum said, tongue in cheek, at the end of his video Sunday.

Reum also met privately on Monday with several members of the Portage Fire Department who came to his aid, according to the hospital, including Portage Fire Chief Chris Crail, Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Durak, Battalion Chief Ross Steffel and Master Firefighter/Paramedic Jordan Bucy.

Portage Fire Chief Chris Crail, Firefighter/Paramedic Michael Durak, Battalion Chief Ross Steffel, Master Firefighter/Paramedic Jordan Bucy pose with Matthew Reum on Jan. 8, 2024, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

Crail, who was on the scene the day of the rescue as a battalion chief in the days before he was named fire chief, said he and the other first responders met with Reum for about half an hour.

I know how some of the guys were really interested in seeing him given how miraculous it was, Crail said. We dont get this level of exposure or closure for a lot of the calls we go on.

Meeting with Reum, Crail said, was a good experience for everybody.

For me, it was pretty cool to see how good he was doing after this, particularly how traumatic Reums experience has been, Crail said, adding Reum was appreciative of the effort from the good Samaritans and first responders.

He was appreciative of his second chance or new lease on life, however you want to put it.

Reum graduated from an apprenticeship with Boilermaker Local 455 in Tennessee in 2015 and transferred to the Local 374 in Hobart two years ago, Brad Sievers, business manager for Local 374, has said.

Reum was a welder, among many other things, and a very good asset to his trade, according to Sievers.

Garcia talked for about half an hour with Reums father by phone.

He was very grateful we found him, Garcia said.

Reum invited Garcia and De La Torre to go fishing on property owned by his dad, and Garcia invited Reum over for a big cowboy steak.

We want to remain friends, Garcia said.

Garcia is hopeful someone will take their experience to heart.

I hope theres enough humble people out there that if they see someone needs help, they help them, Garcia said.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com
Top U.S. and Chinese defense officials met face-to-face at the Pentagon Monday and Tuesday for the first time since January 2020, a renewal of what had been a yearly meeting to discuss operations and other military-to-military contacts.

The meeting comes amid a slight thaw in relations between Washington and Beijing, which had seen months go by without any contacts between military or political leaders, heightening fears of a confrontation between the two military and economic powerhouses.

The talks were led by the Pentagons Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase and Maj. Gen. Song Yanchao, deputy director of Chinas Central Military Commission's office for international military cooperation.

During the two days of talks the two sides discussed defense relations and the U.S. side highlighted the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication, according to a readout provided by DOD spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners.

The U.S. side also reiterated the U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows and addressed repeated PRC harassment against lawfully operating Philippine vessels in the South China Sea as well as Washingtons commitment to its decadeslong Taiwan policy.

The Chinese delegations visit to Washington follows the meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in California in November, followed in December by Chair of the Joint Chiefs Gen. CQ Browns conversation with his counterpart, People's Liberation Army Gen. Liu Zhenli.

The once-yearly meetings, known as the U.S.-PRC Defense Policy Coordination Talks, were held virtually in 2021 but were canceled in 2023 by China in protest of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis August 2022 trip to Taiwan. China shut down all talks between military officials after that visit, and launched its largest live-fire drills in decades, including launching a missile over the island.

These are deputy-level policy discussions between DOD officials and counterparts from the PRC, about the US-PRC defense relationship, a senior defense official told reporters in a briefing before the meetings. They are an opportunity for us to be frank and candid with the PRC about how we see the relationship and any concerns that we have. The official was granted anonymity in order to discuss sensitive internal issues.

The lack of communication between military leaders from the two countries stoked fears of military miscalculation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is flexing its naval muscles in the South China Sea, sending ships to harass the Philippine navy, and fighter planes to trail and buzz American surveillance planes in the region.

The bottom line is that we're going to keep working to open the lines of communication because they're important for preventing competition from veering into conflict, the defense official said.
MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in flight after taking off from US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, as a person looks on towards the military base from Kakazutakadai Park in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture (AFP via Getty Images)

A US Navy officer has been sentenced to two years in jail for providing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer, the US Justice Department said.

Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, received at least $14,866 in bribe in exchange for secret military information from the Chinese intelligence officer during his service at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

He pleaded guilty on October 2023 for one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe.

Zhao was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Monday and fined $5,500.

Zhao passed sensitive information, including plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Indo-Pacific theatre, operational orders and electrical diagrams and blueprints for ground and air radar systems in Okinawa, Japan among several other documents.

Mr Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military, said assistant attorney general Matthew G Olsen.

He added that the Justice Department is committed to combating the Chinese governments efforts to undermine our nations security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts.

US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma seen from Kakazutakadai Park in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture (AFP via Getty Images)

He received the payments in 14 transactions between August 2021 and at least May 2023.

He entered restricted military and naval installations to collect and record" information, the justice department said, adding that he used "sophisticated encrypted communication methods" to transmit the information.

He used to destroy evidence of his communication and concealed his relationship with a Chinese spy.

Zhao is a US citizen who was born in China after immigrating to the US in 2009. He enlisted in the navy five years after he became a citizen in 2012.

Another US Navy member, Jinchao Wei, 22, was arrested around the same time as Zhao in late August and charged with spying for the Chinese agents. Mr Wei, who served on the assault ship the USS Essex, is accused of handing dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing operations of US ships to Chinese intelligence.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the details of Zhaos cases and accused the US government of hyping up espionage cases.
Taiwans Ministry of National Defense (MND) apologized to an already jittery populace for sending out an air raid alert stating a Chinese missile was passing over the island Tuesday. The object was actually a rocket launch for a satellite, but due to an improper translation, the English version of the alert misidentified it.

The alert, three days ahead of a pivotal presidential and parliamentary election, came as China is increasing balloon flights over the island . It raised additional concerns that Beijing was trying to exert influence over an island it considers a breakaway province it threatens to retake by force.

The incident took place shortly after 3 p.m. local time after an unannounced satellite launch by China.

The trajectory unexpectedly flew over and went exoatmospheric when the vehicle was above Taiwans southern airspace, the MND said in a tweet. The air raid alert system was activated in the form of text messages to inform the public. The default English message was not revised and therefore incorrectly stated the launch vehicle as missile. The MND extends an apology for any confusion this may have caused.

After the launch, Chinas official Xinhua news agency said a satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) was sent into space by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. local time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The misidentified Taiwanese alert raised anew concerns that Beijing was seeking to exert undue influence over the island nation of 23 million.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was giving a press conference to dozens of foreign reporters Tuesday as the shrill alert sounded on mobile phones in the room, Reuters reported. He described the launch as part of a pattern of harassment towards Taiwan, like the recent cases of Chinese balloons spotted over the island .

"All these kinds of tactics are classified as grey-zone activities, (and) continue to remind the people here in Taiwan that there is a danger of war between Taiwan and China," he told reporters. "With these kinds of threats against Taiwan I think we should be clear-eyed, we should not be provoked."

It is worth noting that Chinese ballistic missiles, which can have similar flight profiles as space launch rockets, at least early on, are a top threat to Taiwan and allied interests throughout the entire region and could rain down on targets during the opening stages of a conflict.

As we reported yesterday , China appears to be ratcheting up the scale of its balloon flights in the skies over Taiwan.

For the past month, the MND has reported instances of Chinese balloons flying over the highly strategic Taiwan Strait. They were initially sporadic flights and remained off the coast. However, there has been a recent surge in activity, with balloons now passing over Taiwan itself.

The MND said it detected three Chinese balloons over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday and claimed all three flew over the so-called Median Line in the Strait , with one reported to have crossed the southernmost tip of the island. That followed a situation Saturday when the MND announced two Chinese balloons had been detected in the previous 24 hours, with one briefly flying over the northern-most tip of Taiwan.

You can see those warnings from the MND below.

The Median Line serves as a de-facto boundary between Taiwan and the mainland. While crossing the median line is not an uncommon occurrence, as we have discussed in the past , the regularity of such flights, mainly by crewed aircraft and drones, continues to cause concerns. Beijing does not acknowledge the existence of the Median Line.

The increase in balloon flyovers comes as the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft have dramatically increased the number of flights over the past two years into Taiwans self-created Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Thats a large swath of airspace that covers the island and reaches far into the mainland. There were 110 such sorties in November 2023, a more than four-fold increase from July 2021, according to figures reported by NPR .

PLA aircraft and warships in the Taiwan Strait, and increasingly around the island itself serve as a near-continuous reminder of the scale of the threat that the island faces were Beijing to launch a military operation against it. So too have short-range ballistic missile launches over the island.

A screencap from an official PLA video showing the launch of a DF-15 short-range ballistic missile, purportedly from the Aug. 4, 2022 exercise. PLA

In the air, these activities have ranged from large-scale maneuvers by PLA aircraft around Taiwan, including training drills with the live firing of missiles and other weapons and even a virtual blockade, down to incursions by small drones over Taiwans outlying islands, some of which have been shot down .

All this has caused tensions to mount, with the false alert becoming a campaign issue on Tuesday.

Taiwan outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen was at a campaign event for her Democratic People's Party (DPP) in the southern city of Kaohsiung. She looked at a mobile phone and said "this is a satellite, not a missile - don't worry," Reuters reported , citing the official Central News Agency.

Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang Party (KMT) criticized the alert, saying it had misled the public.

Whether this false alarm plays a role in Saturday's election that pits the independence-minded DPP against the more reconciliatory KMT remains to be seen.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
In Beijing, the Temple of Heaven has stood for centuries, silently standing in testament to Chinese people's awe of the divine and their sacrificial custom to the heaven in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties  a custom that actually has a much longer history.

Ancient Chinese people believed that "the great things in a country are its sacrificial and military affairs", as stated in Zuo Zhuan (The Commentary of Zuo), the first detailed historical annal in China, dating back to the 4th century BC.

Our understanding of ancient Chinese people's sacrificial rites has been enhanced thanks to the archaeological work taking place at the Xiazhan site in Baoji, Shaanxi province, since 2020. The dig has been carried out by the National Museum of China and the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, among others. The latest discoveries were announced at a news conference in December held by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

More than 1,400 sacrificial relics have been found at the site, which covers an area of 230,000 square meters. Archaeologists have excavated 99 pits that date from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), and exhibited clear differences between them. The site is believed to be mizhi, a sacrificial site established by Duke Xuan of Qin state (ruler of the state over 675-664 BC) in 672 BC.

According to You Fuxiang, a researcher at the National Museum of China, the pits in the site mainly have three shapes, namely long-strip, rectangular and cave forms.

At the center of the site, there is an area where building materials are stacked, covering about 2,000 sq m. Various sacrificial pits are distributed around it.

The first one, a long strip, located on the eastern side of the site, dates back to the middle stage of the Spring and Autumn Period. Such pits range in length from about 10 to 100 meters, and often have the remains of cattle that were used as sacrificial offerings, the heads of which point northward.

The rectangular pits, located at the west of the site and dating from the late Spring and Autumn Period to the Western Han Dynasty, contain mainly three types of remains, animals, chariots and model chariots.

The largest of them is 8.7 meters long and 7.9 meters wide, and has a depth of more than 12 meters. It fell victim to robbers, but archaeologists suggest that it would fit four chariots, based on its size.

Some chariot-related artifacts unearthed are similar to those discovered from the Tomb No 1 of the Duke of Qin in Baoji, where Duke Jing of the Qin state (ruler of the state over 576-537 BC) was buried. This means that some pits were contemporaneous with the tomb, says You.

"From the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC-AD 220) dynasties, the chariot pits gradually shrank. The life-size chariots were later replaced by models. Moreover, jade artifacts like figures, arch-shaped items known as huang and various cylindrical cong, as well as arrowheads, began to be put in the chariot and it became a custom," says You.

Pits of the third type were from the Warring States Period to the Western Han Dynasty. They often contained model chariots.

A large number of gold, jade and bronze chariots from the Spring and Autumn Period, jade artifacts, bronze chariots and crossbows, arrowheads, coins and architectural items from the Qin and Han dynasties have also been found at the site.

"Many of the gold and jade artifacts are distinctively Qin-style, like gold tigers and birds, or have Qin-featured patterns, like that of a snake," says You.

The Chinese character mi can be seen when two pottery pieces unearthed from the site are pieced together. Based on historical records, and the character, archaeologists infer that the area is indeed mizhi, one of the five sacrificial sites near Yongcheng, one of the capitals of the Qin state in what is now Baoji.

The five places were jointly called yongwuzhi (five sacrificial places in the Yongcheng area), and were used to worship five mythical rulers who symbolize heaven. They were built one by one from the Spring and Autumn Period, and officially became a collective entity at the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty and functioned until its end.

Mizhi is the only one of the five sites of which there was a clear record of its specific location: to the south of the Weihe River. The site's location fits with this record, according to You.

Since 2015, an archaeological team started to carry out studies on the five sacrificial sites. Archaeologists have found four sacrificial sites in Baoji and excavated three of them, namely Xuechi, Wushan and Xiazhan, and suggest that they were all constituent parts of yongwuzhi.

The Xiazhan site is 21.8 kilometers from Yongcheng city ruins, 35 km from the Xuechi site, and 59 km from the Wushan dig.

Some chariot pits at Xiazhan are similar to those from the Xuechi and Wushan sites, says You.

"With the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, yongwuzhi upgraded from the sacrificial sites of a vassal state to places to worship heaven as a country, showing the development of China's traditional ritual culture," says You.

He adds that the custom was inherited by the Western Han Dynasty later.

When scholars conduct archaeological studies on settlement sites or city ruins of the Qin and Han dynasties, capitals, tombs and sacrificial sites are the three major elements they pay attention to.

That means the importance of sacrificial sites is not second to capitals or tombs, says Jiao Nanfeng, a researcher at the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology.

Most of the sacrificial sites of the Qin and Western Han dynasties recorded in historical literature have been found, forming a complete sacrificial system of that time, Jiao says.

"So far, we have learned that the Qin people's sacrificial system mainly consisted of three types, one to worship ancestors, like the Majiazhuang ancestral temple ruins in the central area of Yongcheng city ruins, one to worship heaven like yongwuzhi and the last to worship mountains and rivers," says Jiao.

"Yongwuzhi, represented by the Xiazhan site, was an important stage for rituals that worshipped heaven in ancient China," he adds.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, from 141 to 87 BC, the status of Yongcheng and yongwuzhi gradually declined. And yongwuzhi was totally replaced by temples of heaven and earth in Chang'an, the capital at the time in what is now Xi'an, Shaanxi province, at the end of the Western Han Dynasty.

According to Jiao, although yongwuzhi ceased to function then, the content, form and central connotations of the sites remained and, in many facets, were developed during later dynasties, shown by the function of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, where Ming and Qing emperors regularly went to worship heaven and pray for rain and a good harvest.
Florida Surgeon Gen. Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, left, seen with Gov. Ron DeSantis, is recommending against anyone receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, even as cases surge nationwide. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

It used to be fairly easy to dismiss Florida's surgeon general, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, as a clownish anti-vaccine quack posing a danger mostly to residents of his home state.

That has become harder to do as time goes on, as Ladapo has moved from promoting useless treatments for COVID-19, such as the drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, to waging an ever-expanding fact-free campaign against the leading COVID vaccines.

This month, Ladapo established a new low for himself. In a public advisory issued Wednesday by the Florida Department of Health, he declared the vaccines "not appropriate for use in human beings" and counseled doctors to steer patients to other treatments. He explicitly called for a "halt in the use of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines."

Scaring people unnecessarily like this has been hard to watch. ... It is hard to believe that Dr. Ladapo actually issued that statement.

Vaccine authority Paul Offit

For several reasons, this advisory ranks as the single most dangerous statement by a government health agency since the start of the pandemic, if not for all time.

First and foremost, it's based on a claim in a paper co-authored by known anti-vaccine activists that was almost instantaneously debunked upon its publication in October.

Then there's the public health context: As COVID infections have been surging coast to coast, advisories from public health authorities to resume masking and take other protective measures, such as making sure you're up to date on vaccinations, are almost invisible.

Even more worrisome, the incidence of other vaccine-preventable diseases may be rising. As many as nine cases of measles have been reported in Philadelphia, some associated with an infection started at a daycare center with a family that violated quarantine rules.

Among the victims, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, are "an infant who was too young to get vaccinated, an unvaccinated older child and the older childs unvaccinated parent."

Read more: Column: Measles is again on the march across the world, thanks to anti-vaxxers such as RFK Jr.

Nine cases may not sound like a lot  41 were reported nationwide in 2023  but they could be a harbinger of worse to come, in clusters in which anti-vaccine propaganda has taken hold.

Finally, one must consider the source. Despite his state post and a tenured position as a professor of medicine at the University of Florida  courtesy of his patron Ron DeSantis, the extremist anti-vaccine Republican governor  Ladapo has zero credibility within the medical establishment. Taking medical advice from Ladapo makes about as much sense as taking investment advice from Sam Bankman-Fried or your view of academic integrity from Christopher Rufo.

Ladapo has become a card-carrying member of the anti-vaccine mafia. Just before Christmas, he appeared on a podcast hosted by anti-vax agitator Del Bigtree, who stirs up his audiences with hysterical rants against vaccines and who was recently appointed communications director for the presidential campaign of notorious anti-vax figure Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Last January, a faculty committee at the University of Florida medical school found that Ladapo engaged in careless, irregular and contentious" research practices that may have violated university rules. The committee referred its findings to the university's research integrity officer, but that officer ruled that since the behavior at issue was performed in Ladapo's role as surgeon general, not as a UF professor, he had no grounds to take action.

The accusations pertained to Ladapo's recommendation that males aged 18 to 39 avoid the mRNA vaccines. He claimed that research indicated that for men in that age group, the vaccines presented a heightened risk of cardiac-related death.

In fact, the research indicated no such thing; rather, it showed that the risk of cardiac death from the vaccines was statistically nonexistent and, in any case, was lower than the risk of cardiac death resulting from catching COVID-19. In fact, Ladapo had personally edited the state-sponsored analysis he cited in his recommendation to remove language in earlier drafts stating that there was "little suggestion of any [cardiac] effect immediately following vaccination."

The Food and Drug Administration has been pushing back against Ladapo's fire hose of misinformation and disinformation for the better part of a year. Last March, the agency informed him by letter that "overstating the risks, or emphasizing the risks without acknowledging the overwhelming benefits" of the vaccines  as Ladapo had done in his cardiac death warning  "puts people at risk of death or serious illness that could have been prevented by timely vaccination."

That brings us to Ladapo's latest adventure in medical quackery, his claim that no one should take the mRNA vaccines. Let's take a look.

Read more: Column: Does Ron DeSantis even believe his dangerous B.S. about COVID vaccines?

Ladapo's advice is based on what he says is research that the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA COVID vaccines contain fragments of DNA that are injected into human cells, which they can contaminate and turn into cancer cells.

In a Dec. 6 letter to the FDA and in the Florida Department of Health advisory, Ladapo raised "concerns regarding nucleic acid contaminants in the approved ... vaccines, particularly in the presence of lipid nanoparticle complexes, and Simian Virus 40 (SV40) promoter/enhancer DNA. ... The presence of SV40 promoter/enhancer DNA may also pose a unique and heightened risk of DNA integration into human cells."

Followers of anti-vaccine propaganda will find familiar features in this statement. For one thing, it sounds science-y as hell, filled to bursting with abstruse terms and jargon. One would have to be an expert in the field to identify it as total balderdash. The statement also bristles with scary references to DNA contamination and cancer and to "billions of fragments [of DNA] per dose."

The same goes for Ladapo's hand-wringing in his statements about the FDA's 2007 standards for DNA in vaccines and his implication that the COVID vaccines violate those standards.

Fortunately, scientific and medical professionals have weighed in. One is Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Offit explains that it's true that "small amounts of fragmented DNA" are injected into the body with the vaccines.

It's also irrelevant. For those fragments to affect your DNA, he explains, "things would have to occur, all of which are for the most part impossible."

The human cell has a panoply of mechanisms to destroy foreign DNA. Even if the fragments managed to penetrate the cell nucleus, which can't happen, they would have to cut up the existing DNA, which would require a mechanism the fragments don't have.

"So the chance that DNA could affect your DNA is zero," Offit said in a video interview with Medpage Today.

As for the Florida statement's scary references to DNA contamination and cancer and to "billions of fragments [of DNA] per dose," the vaccines don't contaminate patients' DNA, the fragments have no cancer-causing abilities, and that "billions" is, in the context of the vaccines, an incredibly tiny number.

Read more: Column: Sorry, Joe Rogan: Scientists should never 'debate' anti-vaccine quacks. Here's why

The research paper on which Ladapo based his intimation that the vaccines breach the FDA's DNA contamination standard is self-refuting. The paper, which was based on an analysis of 24 vials of the mRNA vaccines, actually found that in all cases the fragments were well below the concentration limits set by the FDA.

The FDA, in responding to Ladapo's Dec. 6 letter, told him that studies of the vaccines showed "no evidence" that the shots damaged recipients' DNA and that the experience of "hundreds of millions of individuals" who received the vaccines "indicate no evidence indicative of genotoxicity."

On the other hand, "the challenge we continue to face is the ongoing proliferation of misinformation and disinformation about these vaccines which results in vaccine hesitancy that lowers vaccine uptake," the FDA lectured Ladapo. "Given the dramatic reduction in the risk of death, hospitalization and serious illness afforded by the vaccines, lower vaccine uptake is contributing to the continued death and serious illness toll of COVID-19."

In the words of the veteran pseudoscience debunker David Gorski, disinformation like Ladapo's output is "not about science. It's about fear-mongering about vaccines."

Ladapo's words and actions have surely contributed to his state's pathetic performance in getting its citizens vaccinated against COVID. With 11.6% of its population fully vaccinated with a booster as of last May, Florida had a rate among the lowest in the nation. (California's rate was 20.6%.) Among those 65 and older  purportedly the population that Florida strives to protect  only 31.2% were fully vaccinated. (California: 48.3%.)

Florida's death rate from COVID of 375 per 100,000 people is among the worst in the country. (California: 283.) You can ignore the defense that the difference is due to Florida's relatively older population; states with even older median ages have done much better: Vermont (170), New Hampshire (245) and Maine (252). The difference is the indifference of Ladapo and DeSantis to their own residents' health.

Ladapo's colleagues in science and medicine face the challenge of understanding what drives someone with Ladapo's credentials  a Harvard education and a stint on the medical faculty at UCLA  to descend so deeply into professional irresponsibility.

"It is hard to believe that Dr. Ladapo actually issued that statement," Offit said of Ladapo's advice to avoid the vaccines. "Scaring people unnecessarily like this has been hard to watch."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The House Freedom Caucus is largely right about debt and deficits. Some members might be staggering hypocrites, given that they had little problem with Donald Trumps spending when he was president. Theyre also right that the budget deal worked out between Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a middle finger to the forces that orchestrated the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

The primary stated reason McCarthy had to go  over the objections of 96% of the GOP caucus  was that he agreed to a budget deal that relied on Democratic votes and exceeded spending caps that had been agreed on earlier. The Johnson-Schumer deal  which, if enacted, would prevent a looming government shutdown  pretty much does the same thing.

Outraged , the House Freedom Caucus condemned the deal : Republicans promised millions of voters that we would fight to change the status quo and it is long past time to deliver. The deal, they declared, is a fiscal calamity.

And theyre right.

Read more: Column: Nikki Haley's slavery gaffe is a rare misstep from a good politician

But all of that is beside the point. Im a big believer in the power of arguments in a democracy, but the simple fact is that arguments within Congress matter less than the raw numbers behind who is making the arguments.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt entered office, Democrats had huge majorities in the House: 313 seats to the GOPs 117. In the Senate, Democrats had 59 seats, the GOP 36. In the next Congress, Democrats had 70 seats in the Senate and 322 in the House. History gives FDR the lions share of the credit  or, in my ideological backwater, the blame  for the New Deal. But the simple fact is that little of it would have been possible without these super-majorities in Congress, which included many Republicans who were pro-New Deal . When you can afford to lose a dozen senators of your own party and nearly 100 representatives in the House on a given piece of legislation, its relatively easy to get your way. Thats simply how our system works.

Apparently, the House Freedom Caucus doesnt get this, even though many of its members love to sing the praises of the founders and the constitutional framework they gave us.

Read more: Column: 2023 was the year I started believing in the horseshoe theory of politics

Not only does the GOP not control the Senate or the White House, it barely controls the House. When Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) leaves Congress this month, the Republicans will have only a two-seat majority (and really just a one-seat majority, because Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana will be away from Washington until next month because of medical treatment). And contrary to what House Freedom Caucus members shout on cable TV, you cant dictate policy outcomes just because youre angry  or right.

Arguments still matter, but the argument Republicans need to win is at the ballot box. It doesnt matter that House Freedom Caucus members are in safe seats and won their elections. They need Republicans in competitive seats, and lots of them, to win. Thats because millions of Americans elected Democrats to oppose Republican policies. The idea that a weak House speaker with a tiny and sharply divided majority can simply overpower the Senate and the White House is childish nonsense.

But childish nonsense is all the rage on the right these days. Indeed, many of the Republicans demanding results that Johnson is powerless to achieve are the problem. They spend much of their time behaving in ways that make it harder for Republicans to win elections in competitive districts. Johnson himself did the same thing in 2020, when he pushed an unconstitutional and factually dishonest effort on behalf of Trumps scheme to overturn the election. Such efforts cost the GOP winnable races in 2022. Johnsons reward? They made him speaker.

Republicans would be fools to oust Johnson for this deal  which doesnt mean they wont. Replacing a speaker for not being able to do things he cannot do is like replacing your dog for refusing to play the piano. Your next dog will struggle at "Chopsticks" too.

Republican firebrands have always loved to denounce the perfidy of RINOs  Republicans in Name Only  who dont vote for hard-line conservative policies. RINO is an even dumber epithet today, because it now means a Republican insufficiently loyal to Trump.

Either way, if the GOP wants to achieve a fraction of the things it claims to want, it'll need a lot more RINOs to win elections. And that will require that Republicans end their childishness.

@JonahDispatch

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Former President Trump's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of the Colorado Supreme Court's decision disqualifying him from the ballot. (Jon Elswick / Associated Press)

More than any U.S. Supreme Court case in decades, former President Trumps appeal of the Colorado decision disqualifying him from the states primary ballot combines huge political moment with a scarcity of guiding law. For the court, which announced last week that it would hear the case on a warp-speed schedule, that is a precarious combination that exposes it to accusations of political bias.

So how will the court rule? I think it will be loath to permit a patchwork result in which Trump appears on the ballot in some states but not in others. To avoid such a patchwork, a majority of the justices is likely to reverse the Colorado Supreme Courts ruling that Trump engaged in insurrection and is therefore ineligible for office under the 14th Amendment. And the court will probably do so in a way that also prevents other states from removing the former president from the ballot.

Read more: Litman: A seismic Colorado court decision just upended Trump's campaign. Here's what comes next

As the court arguably has in other landmark decisions, it may well act politically in the sense that it will be most concerned about the practical result. That's different from saying that the decision will break down along party lines. A nakedly partisan outcome akin to the Bush vs. Gore opinion would be a disaster for the courts already diminished reputation.

The majority could well consist of those most likely to share Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.s concern for the courts standing and hesitation to intrude on the election. Such a majority would be more likely to include justices open to institutionalist arguments, such as Elena Kagan and Brett M. Kavanaugh, than far-right rebels Samuel J. Alito Jr. and Clarence Thomas. That kind of coalition might favor a rationale that is less than pristine but serves broader social and political goals.

An early sign of such a consensus is the court's unanimous order accepting the case and setting an expedited timetable, with oral argument scheduled in a month. The later the court acts, the more intrusive and controversial its role will be.

Read more: Litman: Trump called the latest 14th Amendment ruling a 'victory.' He couldn't be more wrong

The court also preserved maximum flexibility in taking the case. Instead of considering the limited legal questions presented by the Colorado Republican Party or the challengers to Trumps qualification for the ballot, the justices accepted Trumps broader question. That means that any of the seven or so bases for reversal set out in Trumps petition are fair game.

Its difficult at this point to imagine the court upholding the Colorado opinion and thereby also allowing each state to make its own determination as to whether the Republican front-runner appears on the ballot. I dont think such an arrangement would be unconstitutional, but it would be an ugly outcome that would be laid directly at the courts feet.

The Constitution does accord a significant role to the states in electing the president, so much so that the winner of the national popular vote has lost two of the last six elections. I dont think the framers would have been bothered by the prospect of different states having different candidates on their presidential ballots. But they didnt anticipate a national two-party system either.

In 2024, the social, cultural and political fact is that the presidential election is a fully national contest that will play out according to quaint and obscure state rules. For one of the two major-party candidates to be missing from some state ballots and not others could encourage even more Americans to refuse to recognize the elections legitimacy. I think the court would regard that as abhorrent.

Moreover, it would be virtually impossible for the court to devise a one-size-fits-all solution that bans Trump from the ballot in every state. The court is not a fact-finding body, and this case doesnt begin to present the sort of record from which it could conclude that Trump engaged in insurrection under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The justices could find that Colorados determination was not in error under federal law, but thats a far cry from ensuring the same result in every other state.

Thats why a majority of the justices is more likely to reverse the Colorado Supreme Court under a principle of federal law that also shuts down parallel efforts to remove Trump from the ballot in Maine , Massachusetts , Illinois and other states.

Trumps petition provides the justices with several means of doing so, from finding fault with the Colorado courts definition of insurrection to determining that the president is not an officer of the United States. All these means of reversing the Colorado decision have significant flaws. But given the political, legal and practical considerations before the court, I believe it will settle on one of them to avoid even messier consequences.

Harry Litman is the host of the Talking Feds podcast. @harrylitman

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) warned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland that if he doesnt hold Hunter Biden, the presidents son, to the same level as Republicans who were held in contempt of Congress, he could face impeachment.

With respect to Merrick Garland, look, we know how hes treated two Republicans that were held in contempt of Congress, Comer told Newsmaxs Chris Salcedo on Monday. Now, hes going to have an opportunity to hold the same type of justice with a Democrat that disavowed a lawful subpoena.

Salcedo asked Comer if Garland would further his grounds for impeachment if Hunter Biden was not treated the same as Peter Navarro, an economic adviser to former President Trump who was convicted of contempt of Congress in September, in part for failing to appear for a deposition.

Comer responded with, I think so.

On Monday, the committee released text of a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to appear for a closed-door deposition, which is part of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

The Oversight and House Judiciary panels are set to hold markups Wednesday to consider the contempt of Congress resolution, which Comer and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) vowed to move forward with after Hunter Biden failed to appear for a deposition on Dec. 13.

The presidents son said he would appear at a public hearing, and his legal team said a closed-door testimony would be misrepresented by House Republicans. House Republicans said the public format was not enough for the investigation, and a closed-door testimony was standard.

House Republicans impeachment inquiry into President Biden is examining Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings and the Department of Justices handling of a tax crime investigation into the presidents son. Both Hunter Biden and the president have denied President Biden was involved in any wrongdoing.

Comers recent comments drew criticism from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) as Congress heads toward another government shutdown deadline.

We are 10 days from a government shutdown. What are Republicans focused on? Threatening to impeach AG Garland because Hunter Biden agreed to testify publicly under oath in front of Congress instead of doing a closed door deposition, Lieu posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. House Republicans are not serious people.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
You are here: China

In 2023, 253 police officers died in the line of duty in China, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

The ministry told a press conference that 164 auxiliary police officers died at their posts during the year.

In addition, 4,565 police officers and 3,311 auxiliary police officers suffered injuries while performing their duties.

China will mark its fourth national police day on Wednesday.
LANSING  A Michigan millionaire politician who calls himself the "quality guru" is facing a raft of corporate lawsuits over a massive medical data breach.

The suits, including one filed Friday in federal court in Detroit, have been brought against Perry Johnson & Associates Inc., a health care consulting and medical transcription firm.

Michigan businessman and politician Perry Johnson

The company is registered in Nevada but has offices in Troy at the world headquarters of Perry Johnson Inc.  the firm headed by Perry Johnson, of Bloomfield Hills, who ran unsuccessfully as a 2022 Republican candidate for governor of Michigan and as a 2024 candidate for president. Johnson said during a Friday taping of the WKAR-TV public affairs program "Off the Record" that he is still interested in becoming governor of Michigan.

Johnson, who spent more than $20 million of his own money on the two bids for elected office, campaigned as a "quality guru," but was one of several candidates kicked off the Michigan primary ballot after election officials found large numbers of forged signatures in his nominating petitions. Criminal charges are pending against principals of firms hired to collect signatures for Johnson and others.

Now, a privately held company that bears Johnson's name has been targeted in a cyberattack that has compromised the medical and other personal data of close to 10 million people around the U.S., according to The HIPAA Journal, an online publication that specializes in news related to the federal health privacy law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The proposed class-action filed in Detroit on behalf of a New York woman, alleges the breach was the result of the company's "failure to secure and safeguard (her) and millions of other individuals' personal identifying information." The company failed to "implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices," the suit alleges. It says the Perry Johnson & Associates servers that were breached are located in Michigan and it makes claims for negligence and unjust enrichment.

Elizabeth Giannone, a spokeswoman for Johnson, said Tuesday he has no comment on the data breach or the lawsuits "at this time." The receptionist at the Nevada office of Perry Johnson & Associates directed questions to an email address, but there was no response to an email sent Monday. A message left for Johnson Monday at his Troy office was not returned. Perry Johnson & Associates was among the Johnson companies featured in a 2022 Bridge Michigan feature about Johnson, during his campaign for governor.

Several other lawsuits were filed earlier, in Nevada and elsewhere, records show. Johnson is not named personally as a defendant in the lawsuits.

Perry Johnson & Associates discovered the data breach in July but did not report it to the federal government until November, according to statements from the company.

The breach affected Northwell Health, which is New York's largest health system, as well as medical facilities in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio. No medical facilities in Michigan have been connected to the breach.

The company said in a November news release that compromised information could include names, addresses, dates of birth, medical record numbers, hospital account numbers, admission diagnoses, dates/times of service, Social Security numbers, insurance information, and medical and clinical information such as diagnostic testing results. No credit card information, bank account information, or usernames and passwords were part of the data breach, the company said.

The release said the company confirmed there was unauthorized access to its network from March 27 to May 2 of last year. The company notified its clients about the breach in July before notifying the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Nov. 2, the release said.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Perry Johnson company sued over massive medical data breach
A Concord man will receive a $25 million settlement after serving nearly 44 years in prison for a crime he said he didnt commit.

Ronnie Long, 68, was convicted of raping the widow of a Cannon Mills executive in 1976 by an all-white jury in Concord. Potentially exculpatory evidence was either intentionally withheld from his defense team or disappeared, and there was a tampered pool of potential jurors, according to Pfeiffer Rudolf Attorneys at Law.

In August 2020, Longs conviction was overturned. In December of that year, he received a Pardon of Innocence from Gov. Roy Cooper.

[CLICK HERE to read Ronnie Longs pardon]

On Jan. 8, 2024, the city of Concord agreed to pay Long $22 million and issued a public apology acknowledging the grave pain endured by Long and his family because of wrongdoing by the Concord Police Department and the city of Concord.

While reaching this agreement, the Concord City Council sent the following statement to Long and his attorneys:

We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends, and our community. Mr. Long suffered the extraordinary loss of his freedom and a substantial portion of his life because of this conviction. He wrongly served 44 years, 3 months, and 17 days in prison for a crime he did not commit. While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long all that was taken from him, through this agreement, we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility. We are hopeful this can begin the healing process for Mr. Long and our community, and that together we can move forward while learning valuable lessons and ensuring nothing like this ever happens again.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

He also received $3 million from the State Bureau of Investigation due to the SBIs role in hiding evidence from Long and his legal team that proved his innocence.

His total financial compensation will total $25 million, which is the largest wrongful conviction settlement in North Carolina history, as well as one of the largest wrongful conviction settlements nationwide, according to Pfeiffer Rudolf Attorneys at Law.

Channel 9 was there in 2020 as he walked free after the charges were dismissed.

Im disappointed, really, in a system thats supposed to be about right and wrong, he said in 2020.

His attorney, Sonya Pfeiffer, said the real question is what went right versus what went wrong.

What went wrong at the beginning is we had corrupt police officers who were willing to not only cut corners but to hide evidence, to lose evidence, Pfeiffer told Channel 9s Hannah Goetz on Tuesday.

Pfeiffer said it was a fight to get the settlement, but what mattered more to Long was the citys public apology acknowledging errors in judgement and willful misconduct by previous city employees.

Long received that apology in person from the mayor, city attorney, and city manager.

To look somebody in the eye, sit across a table and say Im sorry for what happened -- I think for Ronnie, it was such a long time coming that its impossible to describe the sense of relief that he felt and feels from that, Pfeiffer said.

Jamie Lau, an advocate for those wrongfully convicted and supervising attorney with the Duke Law School, has been working with Long since 2015, and he says apologies like this are extremely rare.

[I] dont know of any case that has a municipality coming out with such a strong, accepting some responsibility, apologize for the harms caused, not just to Ronnie but his family, the community at large, said Lau.

Lau did point out that theres been no apology from the prosecutors office. Goetz reached out to the district attorney on Tuesday but didnt receive a response.

Pfeiffer said she applauds the citys effort but she isnt sure when Long will feel justice.

I think its hard to say that justice has been done when so much was taken from Ronnie and Ronnies family, Pfeiffer said. I think he can continue to seek peace. And I hope that in the rest of his days, he feels as though justice has been done.

Longs legal team also issued a statement following the settlement, saying:

This result speaks to the magnitude of injustice that occurred in Mr. Longs case, said Chris Olson, one of Longs attorneys. Ronnie Long not only has his and his familys name restored, but he has also exposed the unconscionable conduct that led to his wrongful conviction and received a full acknowledgment and apology from the city for the misconduct of its own. That apology goes a long way in helping Mr. Long heal.

VIDEO: Ronnie Longs first meal after spending 44 years in prison




















FILE - Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi waves to his supporters after casting his ballot inside a polling station during the presidential elections in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Congos constitutional court has upheld the results of last months election that declared President Felix Tshisekedi the winner, rejecting a petition to annul the vote. The court called a petition by opposition candidate, Theodore Ngoy to redo the vote unfounded. Ngoy, who finished with less than 1% of the vote, was the only candidate to file an appeal. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

KINSHASA, Congo (AP)  Congo's constitutional court on Tuesday upheld the results of last month's election that declared President Felix Tshisekedi the winner, rejecting a petition by an opposition candidate to annul the vote.

Mr. Tshisekedi Tshilombo Felix Antoine has been elected president of (Congo) by a majority of votes cast, said Judge Kamuleta Badibanga Dieudonne, president of the constitutional court.

The court called a petition by opposition candidate Theodore Ngoy to redo the vote unfounded. Ngoy, who finished with less than 1% of the vote, was the only candidate to file an appeal.

Tshisekedi will be sworn in at the end of January.

About 18 million people cast ballots in the election, which had a turnout of more than a 40%, according to the election commission.

Tshisekedi won reelection with more than 70% of the vote as opposition candidates and their supporters questioned the validity of the results.

The vote was mired with logistical problems. Many polling stations were late in opening or didn't open at all. Some lacked materials, and many voter cards had smudged ink that made them illegible.

Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and theres little confidence among many Congolese in the countrys institutions. Before the results were announced last month, opposition candidates, including frontrunner Moise Katumbi, said they rejected the results and called on the population to mobilize.

In a statement earlier this month Katumbi accused the electoral commission of planning chaos in order to keep the regime in power and called on the head of the commission to resign.

His resignation is not negotiable for, more than anyone else, he has mismanaged the all electoral process which ended up being nothing but a sham of elections, said Katumbi.

Neither he or other opposition candidates filed an appeal with the constitutional court, saying they didn't believe it would rule independently.

____

Follow APs Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
The close confidant of Pope Francis is already under fire after his department gave permission for the blessing of same-sex couples - NATACHA PISARENKO/AP

Conservatives in the Catholic Church have reacted with fury after it emerged that Pope Franciss head of doctrine wrote a book in which he described orgasms in graphic terms and characterised women as insatiable.

Traditionalists were offended by the sexually explicit tone of the book, and have used it as an opportunity to castigate the Pope and the liberal direction of his papacy, as the Catholic world clashes on issues such as celibacy for priests, divorce and homosexual people within the Church.

The book, entitled The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality, was written by Victor Manuel Fernandez, a close confidant of Pope Francis.

The Pope appointed him prefect of the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the department that oversees doctrinal issues and the successor to the notorious Roman Inquisition, in July.

Fernandez, who is now a cardinal, wrote the book back in 1998 and it is now out-of-print.

The book, written in Spanish, is a discourse on the nature of mystical and sensual encounters with God but also contains graphic descriptions of orgasms and a discussion of sexual satisfaction and pornography.

In describing female orgasms, Cardinal Fernandez described women as being often insatiable, saying they may crave more.

He wrote that the average man, in contrast, normally releases himself well...and remains satisfied and exhausted.

He quoted a 15th century theologian, who wrote: Praise be to Allah, who establishes penises as hard and straight as spears to wage war on vaginas.

The Pope appointed Cardinal Fernandez in July - @TUCHOFERNANDEZ/X (formerly Twitter)

Messa in Latino, a traditionalist Italian Catholic website, described the book as truly scandalous as well as blasphemous.

Caminante Wanderer, a conservative Catholic blog based in the Popes home country of Argentina, described the book as imprudent and sinful.

The Wanderer, a conservative Catholic newspaper in the US, called for the Pope to sack Cardinal Fernandez and described his book as a perverse work that is beyond pornographic.

Work of the devil

How did this man Cardinal Fernandez end up as head of the (Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith? Even the slightest vetting of this man would disqualify him for most jobs .

If this is not grounds for immediate removal of Cardinal Fernandez from his post at the Doctrine of the Faith and the repeal of the the document Fiducia Supplicans  this pontificate along with our Church will be heading further into the abyss, The Wanderer wrote in an editorial.

In response to the controversy, Cardinal Fernandez said he wrote the book when he was a young priest.

I certainly would not write (it) now, he told Crux, an American Catholic website.

Prior to the latest revelations, he had caused a stir in Catholic circles with the revelation that he wrote another sexually-themed book entitled Heal Me With Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing.

Neither of the books were disclosed by the Vatican when it provided a list of publications written by Cardinal Fernandez when Pope Francis promoted him to the new job in July.

Fernandez is already in the sights of conservatives after his department last month gave permission for Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples as part of the more open approach towards homosexual people adopted by Pope Francis since he was elected in 2013.

The announcement has provoked a furious backlash from archbishops and bishops in more conservative Catholic countries, from Africa and Latin America to Eastern Europe.

Robert Sarah, a cardinal from Guinea and the former head of the Vaticans office for liturgy, described the declaration as the work of the devil and heresy.

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A bill that would amend the Kentucky constitution to allow for the state to help fund non-public education was filed Tuesday by Rep. Josh Calloway, R-Irvington.

The amendment, House Bill 208, marks the first proposal filed to advance the school choice movement in Kentuckys goal of allowing state money to help fund charter schools and private school enrollment.

It would amend Section 183 of the Kentucky constitution in a way that requires the legislature to provide for a portion of the educational costs for parents of students outside of (the) common school system.

Amendments to the Kentucky Constitution require passage by three-fifths of each legislative body to make the statewide ballot in even-numbered years.

The amendment is then made final if a majority of Kentucky voters approve it.

Calloways amendment comes partially in response to state courts dealing blows to major initiatives by school choice advocates.

In late 2022, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously struck down a bill that would have created a privately funded needs-based assistance program to cover educational expenses for families that would have been offset by tax credits.

Last month, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd struck down a law that would have set up a funding mechanism for charter schools in the state.

The original text of Section 183 of the state constitution dictates that the General Assembly shall provide for and oversee an efficient system of common schools throughout the state.

Calloways amendment changes the document to ensure that Section 183, as well as other sections of the Kentucky Constitution related to education  many of which were cited in the Kentucky Supreme Courts opinion as well as Shepherds do not hinder such efforts.

Sections 184 to 189 of this Constitution shall not prevent, nor require a further referendum for, any provision for the educational costs of students outside of the system of common schools for parents of limited financial means, as determined by law, so long as no such funds are taken directly from the common school fund, the amendment reads.

Legislative leaders have signaled repeatedly that they intend to pass such an amendment this session to make the General Election ballot this November.

In 2022, both GOP-sponsored amendments  including an anti-abortion amendment  failed at the ballot.

Last year, Calloway filed a similar bill but it did not receive a committee hearing. This years version of the bill has an additional portion that orients the amendment toward parents of limited financial means.

We want everybody to benefit from it, but we also want to make sure that the people that cannot currently afford educational freedom for their children, that it hits them first and targets them first, Calloway said.

In a statement responding to Calloways bill, the House Democratic caucus said that Kentucky students already have a variety of options and that constitution should not change on thise score.

We strongly believe in the current constitutional requirement that says only public schools can receive public tax dollars. That provision has served us well for more than 130 years, and we believe it should remain unchanged for at least another 130. Our public schools, the students they teach and those who have dedicated their careers to them deserve the General Assemblys full attention and resources, not another effort to undermine them.

No constitutional amendment bills passed the legislature last year, and a maximum of four are allowed on the ballot per even-numbered year.

In an interview after the legislative session ended Tuesday, House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, said he needed to review the bill before knowing whether or not it would be the chosen vehicle for House Republicans to amend the constitution in a pro-school choice way.

Amendments to the Kentucky Constitution require passage by three-fifths of each legislative body to make the statewide ballot in even-numbered years.

The amendment is then made final if a majority of Kentucky voters approve it.
ST. LOUIS  Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-St. Louis) requests a federal investigation over the abrupt closure of the Northview Village Nursing Home in St. Louis.

The nursing home shut down on Dec. 15. State and local officials moved in quickly to move 170 residents to other regional facilities. Workers were left out of a job and without an expected pay check.

Police: Online cult members vanish from St. Louis area without a trace

Bush joined several former Northview workers and members of the Service Employees International Union for a rally Monday in wake of the closure. She says the closure endangered residents and upended the lives of its staff.

Bush also sent a letter to Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, over the closure, seeking answers as to whether the facilitys closure violated federal law.

This appalling treatment of residents, residents families, and staff is deeply concerning and warrants further investigation, said Bush in the letter.

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Bush wants investigators to determine whether Healthcare Accounting Services, a Missouri-based organization linked to the facility, adequately took measures for the safety and protection of residents and whether the facility followed proper procedures in the discharge of employees.

There are some other concerns lingering after the facilitys closure. Thieves have apparently broken into the closed nursing home grounds, and one man remains unaccounted for after the transfer of residents.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
A corporate landlord raised the rent for 1,900 homes in California by too much and broke the law in doing so, according to a lawsuit filed by the states Department of Justice.

Now Invitation Homes, which oversees about 12,000 rental homes in California, has agreed to settle the case for more than $3.7 million, California Attorney General Rob Bontas office announced in a Jan. 8 news release.

From October 2019 through December 2022, tenants living in rentals owned by Invitation Homes saw their rents increase by more than what is allowed under two state laws  the California Tenant Protection Act and Californias price-gouging law, according to the lawsuit.

Some tenants rent rose by more than 10% after proclamations of state emergencies were issued, a complaint says. This violates the price-gouging law.

Fires, winter storms, droughts, a heat wave, Tropical Storm Kay and an earthquake in Humboldt County prompted state emergency proclamations between 2020 and 2022. No proclamations were listed for 2019 by the state governors Office of Emergency Services.

As part of the proposed settlement, Invitations Home has refunded or credited tenants more than $1.68 million, according to the attorney generals office. This accounts for the extra rent that was paid and 5% interest.

The corporation will also pay $2.04 million in civil money penalties, the office announced.

Californians are facing a housing crisis of epic proportion, Bonta said in the news release. California has laws in place to protect tenants from sudden, large rent increases, and landlords need to be diligent in ensuring that they abide by those laws.

By agreeing to settle the case, Invitation Homes does not admit or deny wrongdoing, according to a stipulated judgment signed by both parties Jan. 4 and filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

We are pleased to reach an expeditious and mutually favorable agreement on this matter with the California Department of Justice, an Invitation Homes spokesperson told McClatchy News on Jan. 9. We continue to stand proud of our overall business, and in this case, our transparency, timely cooperation, and active engagement with the Department.

Notably, this matter highlights the companys proactive audits and self-directed remediation, much of which occurred prior to receiving any inquiry from the California Department of Justice, the spokesperson said.

When Invitation Homes realized some of the issues involving rent increases, it promptly provided remediation to affected tenants, Bontas office said.

The company describes itself as the nations largest home leasing company and owns nearly 80,000 homes in the U.S.

More on the laws protecting California tenants

The California Tenant Protection Act was established in 2019 to protect tenants from certain rent increases.

According to the law, property owners cannot raise the gross rental rate for a dwelling or unit more than 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, as defined, or 10%, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for the immediately preceding 12 months, subject to specified conditions.

As for Californias price gouging law, cities and counties may have more stringent rent caps that landlords must follow, the attorney generals office said.

Invitation Homes must adjust its rental rates for Californians as part of actions its required to take under the proposed settlement.

Any rent increases proposed by the company must be reviewed to ensure it complies with state laws, according to the attorney generals office.

In the U.S., California ranks second for the states with the highest average monthly rent with an average of $1,958, according to a November 2023 Forbes report citing August 2023 rental market data from Apartment List. Hawaii ranked as number one.

Rent nationwide began to skyrocket in 2021 after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and peaked in July 2022, CNN Business reported in June. At the time of the report, rent decreased since July 2022 but was nearly 25% higher than rent in 2019.

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Former Florida state Rep. Joe Gibbons sat in the library of the Faith Community Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, trying to convince its pastor to quit promoting rooftop solar.

With a lobbyists charm, Gibbons told the Rev. Nelson Johnson that rooftop solar, which allows customers to generate their own renewable electricity, was bad for people of color. Gibbons argued that it creates an imbalance in which those without solar panels end up subsidizing those who have them, Johnson recalled in an interview with Floodlight.

Johnson, a civil rights stalwart who was stabbed by a member of the Ku Klux Klan in 1979, had trouble believing him.

It felt like he was an employee of Duke, Johnson said of Gibbons, referencing his states power company.

At the time Gibbons met Johnson in 2015, Duke Energy was opposing a state bill that would have allowed anyone to install solar panels and sell electricity directly to consumers. Johnson was at the center of a legal battle over just such a third-party solar project planned for his church.

Gibbons wasnt a Duke employee  not directly anyway. He founded a tax-exempt group called the Energy Equity Alliance; little information about its finances are available. But it was closely aligned  through two board members and Gibbons wife, Ava Parker  with NetCommunications, a Black-owned consulting firm. That year, NetCommunications was paid $750,000 by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), a powerful utility trade group to which Duke belongs, for consulting. Duke did not respond to requests for comment.

Gibbons denied receiving funding from any utility in an interview with Floodlight and Capital B. But tax records and leaked internal documents confirm that a separate tax-exempt group he founded in 2018 received $2.8 million from a network of tax-exempt groups controlled by power company consultants. He later declined to answer specific questions about his industry ties.

Johnson wasnt the only Black leader Gibbons pitched, according to recordings of his public statements. More than two dozen Black civil rights leaders in the Southeast have been high-value targets in power companies battle for market dominance, courted and at times even co-opted by the industry, according to an investigation by Floodlight and Capital B.

The multibillion-dollar power companies use Black support to divert attention from the environmental harms that spew from their fossil fuel plants, the investigation found, harms which disproportionately fall on Black communities. One civil rights leader received power company cash as he built support for its attempted takeover of a smaller municipal utility in Florida. Another fought state oversight in Alabama that could have lowered electric bills and federal oversight that could have restricted emissions and pollution from coal burning power plants.

Some civil rights and faith leaders will sell you out because theyll sell anything  theyll sell sea water, said the Rev. Michael Malcom, executive director of the environmental justice organization Alabama Interfaith Power & Light in Birmingham.

But there are others who are earnest and trying to survive  and it causes them to make some bad decisions. And there is a whole nother group that is just ignorant to the idea [of environmental justice] and will sell you out due to that ignorance.

How valuable was this tie between Southern utility companies and civil rights groups? In 2018, Alabama Power was paying a contractor nearly $1.5 million a year to, among other things, provide ongoing direct relations with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights group founded by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., according to a leaked copy of the contract.

Stealth effort targets renewable energy

The Southern Christian Leadership Council national headquarters building in Atlanta is just blocks from the birthplace and memorial of the organizations co-founder, Martin Luther King Jr. SCLCs current leader, Charles Steele Jr. has received money from entities controlled by Matrix LLC, a firm that has been employed by energy giants Southern Co. and NextEra Energy LLC. (Kristi E. Swartz/Floodlight)

Gibbons 2015 conversation with Johnson was part of a broader campaign implemented by trade group EEI to slow technologies such as rooftop solar.

Edison Electric Institute spokesperson Brian Reil defended his organizations actions, saying they are aimed at protecting low-income ratepayers.

EEI has no issue with rooftop solar, Reil said in a written statement. EEI has an issue with poorly designed  policies that overcompensate private rooftop solar system owners at the expense of other customers.



He cited a new study by the National Academy of Sciences which found that the price of electricity remains relatively stable when the adoption of rooftop solar panels is low  currently just 1% nationwide and below 5% in all but four states  but it may rise as participation rates grow.



Consultants working for the powerful industry trade group were behind the formation of Gibbons organization.

On a leaked 2014 EEI conference call, an employee of consulting firm NetCommunications teased a forthcoming report to be published by the Energy Equity Alliance, a tax-exempt group that appears to not have been incorporated yet. The group was formed a month later in Florida with Gibbons as its director. During his four years at its helm, Gibbons lobbied for restrictions on rooftop solar in South Carolina, rallied Black federal legislators against the technology, and traveled the country educating ministers and civil rights leaders about rooftop solar.

And in 2018, Gibbons was working with Floridians for Affordable Reliable Energy, the tax-exempt group that got $2.8 million from groups operated by Alabama-based power company consultants Matrix LLC. In that effort, Gibbons whipped up opposition among Florida civil rights groups to a ballot initiative that would have introduced competition into Floridas monopoly energy markets.

Floridians for Affordable Reliable Energy filed a friend of the court brief with the Florida Supreme Court arguing the measure would significantly increase electricity costs for seniors, low income households, minority communities, average citizens and small businesses in Florida.

Several chapters of The Urban League, a civil rights group, also signed on with Gibbons. Richard Danford, the president of Jacksonvilles Urban League chapter, says Gibbons was instrumental in securing funding for the chapter when it was struggling in 2019. The court ultimately struck the amendment down, finding its language confusing.

In a terse interview, Gibbons confirmed he did some energy stuff and got involved with different advocacy groups. And he says he still stands by the utility-aligned policies he advocated.

Utilities tap consulting companies

The joint investigation found that since at least 2009, consulting companies have worked on behalf of major power companies seeking to influence Black leaders and their organizations. They worked primarily through 501(c) 4 organizations, tax-exempt groups that are allowed to engage in political activity.

Two of the nations largest power companies, NextEra Energy and Southern Company, employed Matrix LLC, whose tactics included secretly funneling money to news sites that attacked clean energy proponents, surveilling a journalist who wrote critically about FPL and employing a corporate operative posing as a reporter to rattle political opponents.

Matrixs founder, Joe Perkins, has maintained that its former CEO, Jeff Pitts, was a rogue employee who performed much of the work without Perkins knowledge. In court filings, Pitts has alleged that his boss was aware and has accused Perkins of wrongdoing. Neither responded to multiple requests for comment.

Entities controlled by Matrix paid $115,000 to Charles Steele Jr, the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and about $170,000 to Rev. Deves Toon, national field director for the National Action Network (NAN), according to verified internal Matrix documents and tax records.

The SCLC was a desegregation pioneer in the South and active in the first protests against environmental racism. NAN, founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, spotlights violence faced by people of color. In 2023, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the leader of the Environmental Protection Agency spoke at NAN events.

In an interview last year, Steele confirmed one payment from Matrix but categorized it as a contribution for civil rights work. Neither he nor his organization responded to additional questions. Toon did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

As he received the payments, NANs Toon built support for NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Lights attempted takeover of a smaller public utility in Florida. His actions on behalf of Matrix have prompted questions from the FBI, according to two people interviewed by investigators, the news outlets joint investigation found. NextEra Energy did not respond to requests for comment.

Steele, the SCLC head, fought state utility oversight in Alabama. And he advocated for less federal oversight that could have restricted emissions from Alabama Powers coal-burning power plants and pollution from its toxic coal-ash ponds.

We spread money all over the Southeast

Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning speaks at the companys annual investor day in Georgia in 2018. (Kristi E. Swartz/Floodlight)

Former Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning, who stepped down from the role this spring, confirmed in a May interview with Floodlight that the company at the time was still working with Matrix and with civil rights groups including the SCLC. The company did not respond to later requests for comment.

Theres a real business reason why we do this, he said, claiming a mutual benefit for the company and the civil rights groups.

In an earlier interview with Floodlight, Fanning said the companys related charitable foundations used their $600 million in assets to spread money all over the Southeast.  we make it a point to be invested in the communities.

At least one venerable civil rights organization  the NAACP  urged its local chapters to stop taking power company money in 2020 after an internal struggle sparked by donations from Florida Power & Light. But big dollar corporate sponsorship can be hard to resist as such donations are hard to come by for social justice nonprofits, according to an analysis by CauseIQ, which provides information to companies that fund the nonprofit sector.

Power company money and attention helps to fill the financial void many civil rights groups experience, and in turn, gives utilities a trusted community leader to advocate for them on lucrative policy positions, according to interviews with a dozen Black political operatives, community organizers and consultants.

David Pellow, director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara, says the payments represent the cold, hard, brutal facts that power companies need to maintain (public) support for what theyre doing.

A really effective way of controlling the narrative in favor of utilities, Pellow said, has been buying off people in communities who have a vested interest in fighting those companies.

Jasmen Rogers, a Black political strategist in Florida, says the money exchange lays bare the sometimes difficult concessions Black leaders make to help fund their work.

If Black folks are finding that they cant get funding from other, better places as easily as other people, how do we reconcile that? she said.

Esther Calhoun of Uniontown, Alabama, says she is leery of civil rights groups and leaders who take money from utility companies.

Calhoun says she often has to choose between her electric bill, medicine or food. Alabama residents spend more on electric bills than any other state.

Its gotten to be where if youre on a fixed income, there aint no way you can pay, said the 60-year-old, whose monthly utility bill for her small mobile home is $220.

For a time, Calhoun also had to battle a defamation lawsuit filed by the operators of a toxic coal ash dump at a local landfill. The parties settled in 2017, with the landfill operators agreeing to enact better pollution controls.

When civil rights groups take money from industry, she said in an interview, They dont speak out, and they end up being on the other side of what they originally said  thats what corruption gets you.

Opposition fades as utility support grows

In the past, the SCLC pushed back against Alabama Power, boycotting it for supporting apartheid-era South Africa in 1965. In the early 80s, the group led the nations burgeoning environmental justice movement.

But by the early 2000s, SCLC was in turmoil, facing bankruptcy and internal discord. Steele assumed the presidency 20 years ago, attracting corporate donors. Among them was Georgia Power  Alabama Powers affiliate  which helped raise $2 million for a new SCLC office.

Five years later, Steele left to become a consultant. He co-founded Working People for Fair Energy, a tax-exempt group, alongside a Matrix employee, according to tax and divorce records.

The group fought regulations on toxic coal ash, a waste product caused by coal-burning power plants. In 2010, Steele received $105,000 from the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy (PACE), a Matrix-controlled tax-exempt group that helped power companies fight rooftop solar.

In 2012, Steele returned as SCLC president. Over the next five years, he opposed rooftop solar expansion in Arizona, resisted lowering Alabama utility bills, and criticized a federal plan to reduce power plant greenhouse gas emissions.

My job was to make money for the organization (SCLC), Steele said in an interview with Floodlight in July 2022.

Perkins, the Matrix founder, told Floodlight in a July 2022 written statement that the assertion that Matrix had deployed groups to advocate for certain positions or that these were front groups for Matrix is untrue and offensive. But it was Perkins himself who, as of 2018, was earning nearly $1.5 million a year from Alabama Power to maintain the companys relationship with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and for other services.

As of 2022, Alabama Power continued to financially support the SCLC. A corporate relations officer for the company spoke at the SCLC annual gala that year. I want to say thank you, thank you to Dr. Steele for allowing us to be partners, she said.

Takeover bid sparks federal inquiry

Angie Nixon remembers the December evening in 2017 when some 20 residents from Jacksonville, Floridas Black neighborhoods convened at a community center to express frustration over rates charged by the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), their municipal utility.

The meeting was organized by a group called Fix JEA Now, where she was a director. Toon, national field director for Sharptons NAN, was its leader.

Fix JEA Now blamed the municipal utility for buying a stake in a nearby nuclear power station, resulting in higher prices for customers and valuable dollars flushed down the drain, according to its defunct website.

But Nixon says she was unaware of Toons agenda. By February 2018, he was calling for the sale of the municipal utility to Florida Power & Light, according to email messages shared by Nixon. Nixon, who is now a state representative, was for fixing the municipal power company  but not privatizing it, which could have raised rates. She says she felt duped and quit.



While running Fix JEA now, Toon received about $170,000 from Matrix. He also offered a sitting Jacksonville City Commissioner who was a likely no vote on the utility sale a $250,000 job with a tax-exempt group run by Matrix, according to reporting from the Orlando Sentinel.

Garret Dennis, the commissioner, said Toon made the job offer through Dwight Brisbane, who worked for Fix JEA Now. Dennis remembers becoming suspicious after researching the tax-exempt group, named Grow United, and finding little information available.



The episode prompted inquiries from the FBI, which interviewed both men in 2022, specifically asking Brisbane about his connections to Matrix. The FBI declined to comment. The sale of JEA was ultimately voted down by Jacksonvilles commissioners.



Brisbane says his motives for working at the organization were driven by concern for the community. In February of this year, the utility passed a 175% increase to its basic monthly charge and recently proposed another to pay for service improvements and stabilize its debt.

It falls on deaf ears, man, nobody cares, said Brisbane. Those who have to pay for it are like my mom, whos 75 years old  and on a fixed income, or disabled people.

Floodlight is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powerful interests stalling climate action. Capital B is a local-national nonprofit news organization that centers Black voices, audience needs and experiences, and partners with the communities it serves.

The post What Corruption Gets You: How Utility Companies Bought Support in the Black South appeared first on Capital B News.
Two people died in a 120-degree home after they said their heater wasnt keeping the house warm enough, according to South Carolina authorities.

The Spartanburg County coroner has identified them as 84-year-old Joan Littlejohn and 82-year-old Glennwood Fowler.

Family told police they were at the home Jan. 3 to look at the heater after the couple said their home was getting too cold, an officer with the Spartanburg Police Department wrote in an incident report.

The couples children told police both the heater and hot water heater appeared to be out, then they fiddled with the hot water heater and a light came back on. They left the home, but three days went by without hearing from their parents, police said.

1,000-degree heater

Spartanburg police conducted a wellness check at the home the evening of Jan. 6.

First responders entered the home through a window into the bedroom and found the man and woman dead. The man was lying on the bed, and the woman was slouched over in a chair.

When a medic tried to take the couples temperatures, they exceeded the thermometers highest measurement of 106 degrees, police said.

The fire department was called to assist, and they recorded the homes temperature at 120 degrees, Brad Hall with the Spartanburg Fire Department told McClatchy News.

Even with the cold air blowing through the house after first responders arrived, Hall said he was about to start sweating from the heat.

Once fire officials determined carbon monoxide levels were safe, firefighters tried to figure out why the home was so hot if there was no immediate evidence of fire.

They entered the basement, where the heaters were kept.

One firefighter stated the heater was so hot it looked as if the basement was currently on fire, the responding officer wrote in the police report.

The fire department used thermal imaging cameras and found the heater was about 1,000 degrees, Hall told McClatchy News.

Realizing the heater wasnt actually on fire, they disconnected it, and a paramedic called the coroners office, police said.

Hall couldnt speculate about how exactly the heater reached such a high temperature, but a malfunction could be at fault.

We did not note foul play to the bodies on scene but are concerned with why the temperature was so high, coroner Rusty Clevenger said in his report Jan. 8. We followed through with Forensic exams this morning that will require more testing. CO2 is one test as it was mentioned in the police report. We will continue to investigate.

Spartanburg is about 90 miles northwest of Columbia.

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A Missouri couple was shocked to find out the lottery prize they won was much bigger than what they expected.

The couple played Show Me Cash in Versailles and realized they won, a Jan. 9 Missouri Lottery news release said.

We thought it was $30,000 and were happy with that! they told lottery officials.

But they had actually won a lot more.

When they went to the lottery headquarters, they were shocked to find out they actually won the $130,000 jackpot, according to the lottery.

It was a good surprise, they said.

Show Me Cash is drawn daily and the jackpots start at $50,000 and grow until won. The couples winning numbers on Dec. 15 were 2, 3, 8, 25 and 38.

Versailles is about 170 miles west of St. Louis.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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Michigan's redistricting commission must redraw metro Detroit state House districts ruled unconstitutional by early February, a three-judge panel ordered Monday. The order comes as the candidate filing deadline for the August primary election for the state House looms and the panel aims to have new maps in place in time.

The panel said it plans to issue a more detailed scheduling order soon. But for now, it said that the commission must publish its proposed redrawn state House maps and put them forward for public comment by Feb. 2. The filing deadline for state House candidates seeking placement on the Aug. 6 primary ballot is April 23.

Late last year, the panel ruled that 13 state legislative districts  seven in the state House and six in the state Senate  violate the U.S. Constitution because Michigan's redistricting commission drew them based on race.

The group of metro Detroit voters who sued the commission in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan also alleged that the commission violated the federal Voting Rights Act by drawing maps that diminish Black voters' opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. The court did not weigh in on the alleged Voting Rights Act violations.

On Monday, the panel denied the commission's request to suspend the court's order barring use of the current state legislative maps in future elections. The redistricting commission plans to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the redraw as it appeals the lower court's ruling against the group's maps.

The panel said that the redistricting commission is unlikely to succeed in arguing that drawing district lines based on race was necessary in Detroit in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The panel called "that view implausible" because the commission didn't have the necessary election data to show how Black-preferred candidates would fare in Democratic primary contests in the majority-Black city. "Detroit area politics rise and fall in the Democratic partys primary elections because Democrats almost always prevail in the general elections," the panel's order states.

While the panel's order Monday did not set a date for redrawing the state Senate maps it struck down, it said it will reject plaintiffs' request to hold special Senate elections in the invalidated districts. One of the judges on the panel  U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Kethledge  raised concerns during a court hearing last Friday that special elections would deny any voters drawn out of the invalidated districts a chance to vote for their senator that will represent them.

The next Michigan Senate elections will take place in 2026.

Michigan redistricting: Who gets the pen? Judges weigh who draws new metro Detroit districts as clock ticks.

The panel was silent Monday on what role a potential court-appointed special master could play in the redrawing process. Judges previously floated the possibility a court-appointed special master could draw new districts at the same time Michigan's citizen-led redistricting commission attempts to redraw the lines.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan redistricting commission given Feb. 2 deadline
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer introduces Apple's latest product, the iPhone, during his keynote speech at Macworld in San Francisco on January 9, 2007. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- On this day in history:

In 1768, Philip Astley, regarded as the "father of the modern circus," staged the first event in an open field at what is now the Waterloo area of London.

In 1788, Connecticut became the fifth U.S. state.

In 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union, becoming a founding member of the Confederate States of America.

In 1916, the Ottoman Empire claimed victory in the Battle of Gallipoli following the evacuation of Allied forces from the peninsula.

In 1945, in World War II, U.S. troops landed on the Philippine island of Luzon, beginning a battle that would rage on for eight months.

In 1947, Elizabeth Short, more commonly known as the Black Dahlia, disappears. Her body was found six days later. To this day, the investigation into her death remains unsolved.

File Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Police Department

In 1951, the U.N. headquarters opened in New York.

In 1972, the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth was gutted by fire while docked in Hong Kong.

In 1982, Angelo Buono Jr., one of the so-called Hillside Stranglers, was sentenced to life in prison. He and his cousin Kenneth Bianchi raped, tortured and killed 10 women in Los Angeles from 1977-78.

In 1996, rebels in the Russian republic of Chechnya overran the town of Kizlyar and took 2,000 hostages at a hospital and in nearby homes.

In 2005, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip elected Mahmoud Abbas their new president. He succeeded the late Yasser Arafat.

In 2007, the world changed when Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone.

In 2007, Venezuelan stock prices fell almost 19 percent -- the biggest drop on record -- and its currency lost almost one-third of its value after President Hugo Chavez pledged to nationalize the country's utilities.

File Photo by Anatoli Zhdanov/UPI

In 2011, an Iran Air Boeing 727 with 105 people aboard crashed shortly before it was scheduled to land in northwestern Iran. Authorities said there were 50 survivors.

In 2014, as part of an agreement to end a political deadlock, Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh resigned to let a caretaker government oversee the next elections. Mehdi Jomaa, the minister of industry, became acting PM. The formal handover in power took place Jan. 29, 2014.

In 2020, the earliest known U.S. death linked to the novel coronavirus took place in Kansas. The case wasn't identified, though, until mid-2021, when the victim's doctor amended their death certificate based on a review of the case. The first reported death in the United States didn't happen until Feb. 29.

In 2021, an Indonesian plane carrying 62 people crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all on board.
Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the criminal election interference case against former President Trump, was the victim of swatting on Sunday night, according to D.C. police.

Police received a false report of a shooting at a home linked to Chutkan in public records and responded at about 10 p.m. Sunday, The Associated Press reported. Officers quickly determined that no shooting had actually occurred.

It was unclear if the home is Chutkans residence or if she was there at the time.

Chutkan is the latest victim in a string of high-profile swatting incidents in recent weeks, attacks that consist of false threats to police meant to elicit a law enforcement response that could put the victim in danger.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) are among recent victims, as well as Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who determined last month that Trump should be kept off the states primary ballot, has also been targeted.

Last Wednesday, half a dozen state Capitols received similar bomb threats or other threats that resulted in police responses and evacuations.

Attorney General Merrick Garland denounced the spike in threats on Friday.

These threats of violence are unacceptable, he said. They threaten the fabric of our democracy.

Its not the first time Chutkan has been threatened. In August, a Texas woman was arrested after she made death threats towards Chutkan and a Democratic congresswoman.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Since 1993, The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing campaign has raised funds from readers to support Arizona nonprofits.

Friday, Jan. 12, is the deadline for nonprofits that provide camps and other summer activities for Maricopa County youth to apply for a grant from the Summer Youth Program Fund.

Apply for a grant at azfoundation.org/nonprofits/grant-opportunities.

Out-of-town overnights in the mountains or in-town educational activities can be a stretch for many struggling families. It can be tough to pay for basic tuition, much less transportation and supplies.

In 2007, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and the Arizona Community Foundation decided to help by creating the Summer Youth Program Fund. The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing campaign, one of several additional local funders, supported the effort with a $15,000 grant last year.

The fund typically distributes grants to organizations that sponsor summer activities in Maricopa County and around the state. In most cases, the money is distributed as scholarships to 5- to 18-year-old campers who couldn't otherwise afford it.

DONATE HERE: Make a donation to Season for Sharing here

Priority is given to organizations that:

Serve disadvantaged youth from neighborhoods with limited access to organized activities.

Serve youth with disabilities or special health needs.

Exhibit a stable history of community support, outreach and partnerships.

Demonstrate ability to increase the number of youth served.

Provide age-appropriate, enriching activities and education components.

Identify areas to improve program quality and increase positive impact to participants.

Establish realistic outcomes for the program participants.

Collaborate among fellow grant seekers.

Grant applications for the Summer Youth Program Fund are accepted the day after Thanksgiving through the second week of January. Look for the application form at azfoundation.org.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Deadline soon for summer grants supported by Season for Sharing
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Utah roads were far less deadly in 2023, seeing the lowest number of deaths on Utah roads since 2019, according to new data released by the Utah Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety.

Over the last year, the two departments focused on returning the back to the basics campaign in an attempt to promote public safety on Utah roads. The campaign reminded drivers to buckle up, use blinkers, watch for pedestrians and avoid speeding.

The campaign seemed to have worked positively as deaths significantly dropped by 12.5% in 2023 from 2022  279 deaths down from 319. Overall, deaths involving motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists dropped year-over-year in Utah, reaching early-pandemic lows despite an increase in road travel.

Year-over-year fatalities on Utah roads since 2019 (Courtesy: Department of Public Safety)

DPS Commissioner said that while officials want to celebrate and continue with the improvements theyve seen, they have another elephant in the room.

We want to address the road rage issue weve seen this past year, said Anderson.

While continuing with their back-to-basics campaign, UDOT and DPS will be launching a new campaign that will tackle road rage and promote safer driving habits and a culture of mutual respect among Utah drivers.

According to Utah fatality data, 23 people died on Utah roadways in 2023 due to aggressive-related incidents, including reckless driving and road rage. Another 91 died due to speeding.

This is crazy stuff: Texas visitors stuck in Utah snow for hours during rescue

All of us can reduce road rage by using calming exercises like deep breathing, counting to 10 and reframing negative events to keep our cool, said Huntsman Mental Health Institute Quality Improvement and Training Manager Amanda McNab. Practicing these before you hit the road can keep you and everyone else safe.

McNab suggested calling the 988 crisis support line, using the SafeUT app, or seeking counseling for those who feel like they need help with anger or anxiety.

UDOT and DPS said anyone who feels like theyve been wronged should follow ABCs to end road rage:

A: Avoid retaliation

B: Breathe

C: Carry on

If you do find yourself in a road rage situation, officials say to avoid eye contact with the other party and keep a safe distance. If you feel unsafe or threatened, leave the roadway and park in a public place and call 911.

As we enter the new year, we strongly urge everyone to drive safely, remembering that when you enter a car, you should be calm, focused and alert, said UDOT Safety Outreach Administrator Kristen Hoschouser. We encourage Utahns to actively promote road safety by being mindful of your behavior behind the wheel.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A record $22 million will be paid out to a man who was wrongfully convicted in a 1976 case and ended up serving more than 44 years due to the results in the case, officials with the City of Concord announced on Tuesday.

The City of Concord acknowledges and accepts responsibility for the significant errors in judgment and willful misconduct by previous city employees that led to Longs wrongful conviction and imprisonment.

Ronnie Long was released from prison three years ago after serving 44 years for a crime he did not commit. His conviction was vacated following his release.

Longs legal team released the following statement on Tuesday. While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long and his family all that was taken from them, through this agreement we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility. We are hopeful this can begin the healing process for Mr. Long and our community, and that together we can move forward while learning valuable lessons and ensuring nothing like this ever happens again.

MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS

Continuing coverage on Ronnie Longs case

Among those named in a lawsuit were multiple Concord officers as well as the police chief.

Longs convictions were not merely the result of mistake, negligence, or incompetence, the lawsuit stated. They were the direct result of the intentional and/or reckless misconduct of members of the Concord Police Department.

This was the largest settlement by the city to date, city officials later confirmed with Queen City News.

Long, who is Black, was 20 years old when he was accused of raping a woman, who is white. Longs attorneys have said that more than 40 fingerprints collected from the scene were never shared and did not match Longs. Semen samples also were never disclosed to the defense and later disappeared.

The state initially awarded Long just $750,000 in compensation. Longs attorney, Duke University law professor Jamie Lau, said the amount was inadequate for people who were imprisoned for decades.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigns in Clinton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A co-defendant in former U.S. President Donald Trump's Georgia 2020 election interference case on Monday accused Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and the case's special prosecutor of engaging in "an improper, clandestine personal relationship."

The accusation came in a filing by co-defendant Michael Roman, who is seeking to have his indictment dismissed.

The document, citing sources, alleges a romantic relationship between Willis and the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, and says Willis contracted Wade without the required approval by the county.

"Sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed Willis and Wade had an ongoing, personal and romantic relationship during the pendency of Wade's divorce proceedings."

The 127-page filing also alleges that the pair profited "significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers," adding that Wade has been paid $653,881 as of December 2023.

"Accordingly, the district attorney and the special prosecutor have violated laws regulating the use of public monies, suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest, and have violated their oaths of office under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct and should be disqualified from prosecuting this matter," the filing said.

A spokesperson for the Fulton County District Attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Willis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ABC News, citing a spokesman, reported that the office would "respond through appropriate court filings."

Roman is one of 19 defendants charged with racketeering, which is used to target members of organized crime groups and carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, and other charges in Georgia in August.

The charges, which were brought by Willis, stem from Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Washington  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized to treat an infection that was related to earlier surgery for prostate cancer, his doctors said in a statement released by the Pentagon on Tuesday.

The statement from officials at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center provides new details about Austin's hospitalization amid a growing controversy over the Pentagon's failure to notify the White House and Congress about his condition for several days.

The prostate cancer was detected early last month and Austin underwent a "minimally invasive procedure" on Dec. 22 to treat and cure the cancer, according to the officials. He was placed under general anesthesia and "recovered uneventfully" from the surgery, the statement said. The cancer "was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent," the officials said.

Officials did not provide further details on the specifics of the procedure. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook noted, "When you take out the entire prostate, it is a major operation," despite the Pentagon and officials from Walter Reed calling the procedure "elective" and "minimally invasive."

While at home on Jan. 1, Austin began experiencing "nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain" and was readmitted to Walter Reed, according to the statement. He was found to have a urinary tract infection and was transferred to the ICU the next day, where further testing revealed abdominal fluid that was obstructing his small intestine. Doctors placed a tube through his nose to drain his stomach.

LaPook said Austin's complications were "unusual."

"Usually these surgeries, they are big operations, but people recover very well and generally without any kind of a complication like this," LaPook added.

Austin's doctors said he "has progressed steadily throughout his stay. His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process. During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia."

The controversy

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a joint press conference with Israel's defence minister in Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2023. / Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

The Pentagon did not tell the White House, lawmakers or Austin's second in command about his Jan. 1 hospitalization for several days, prompting a growing chorus of criticism as more information has emerged.

Several Pentagon officials, including Austin's chief of staff and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, learned Austin had been hospitalized the next day, on Jan. 2, according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed some of Austin's duties that day but was not told that he was hospitalized until Jan. 4, when she was in Puerto Rico.

Austin's chief of staff informed the White House about Austin's hospitalization that same day, and the Senate Armed Services Committee learned about it one day later, on Jan. 5.

The delay in notifying officials was partly due to Austin's chief of staff being sick with the flu, Ryder said Monday.



When pressed by reporters on why the chief of staff, even if sick, was unable to make notifications sooner, Ryder replied, "I'm offering you the facts as we have them, in terms of an explanation of how this happened and also the fact that we will review our procedures and look at how we can do better in the future."

The secrecy over Austin's condition has prompted calls for his firing or resignation.



"It's a little crazy that we effectively lost track of arguably the second most important person in the government, which is the secretary of defense," Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio said Tuesday. "So I think it reflects really poorly on the White House. It reflects very poorly on the leadership, the Department of Defense. And if this isn't cause for resignation, and actually finding somebody who can do the job, I don't know what is."

GOP Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday night he was launching an investigation into Austin's failure to disclose the hospitalization. In letters to Austin, Hicks and Austin's chief of staff, Rogers asked for a detailed accounting  including documents and communications  of how the situation unfolded and actions taken related to Austin's responsibilities while he was hospitalized.

Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, suggested there would be a hearing soon on the matter. Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the chairman of the committee, said Monday in a statement that "this lack of disclosure must never happen again."

President Biden has said he has full confidence in Austin, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that remains the case during a press briefing on Tuesday. Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden learned of Austin's prostate cancer diagnosis on Tuesday morning.

The White House and Pentagon are reviewing their notification processes and procedures for when a Cabinet secretary falls ill.

In a memo to Cabinet secretaries obtained by CBS News, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients outlined interim procedures for agencies to follow until new guidelines are established.

The procedures include notifying the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff when authority is delegated, or anticipated to be delegated. The delegation of authority should be documented in writing when it's in effect, the memo said.

"Agencies should ensure that delegations are issued when a Cabinet Member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable," the memo said.

The memo was first reported by The New York Times.

David Martin, Alan He and Nancy Cordes contributed to this report..

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NEW YORK  Democrat Tom Suozzi Monday called progressive critics of Israel clueless as he pushes for Jewish support in the special election battle for the Long Island seat once held by disgraced ex-Rep. George Santos.

The moderate former congressman pitched himself as a strong supporter of the Jewish state within the Democratic Party amid Israels increasingly controversial war against Hamas in Gaza.

Theyre clueless. They dont understand what a serious threat this is to not only Israel and Jews throughout the world, but to America and our allies, Suozzi told Politico. Theyre just not educated about the issues.

Suozzi journeyed to Israel recently and visited some of the villages that were attacked by terrorists on Oct. 7.

He came away offering even stronger support for Israel, a key issue in the Feb. 13 election in which his opponent is Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Ethiopian-Israeli immigrant who served in the Israeli Defense Forces.

You need in Congress strong, outspoken, unequivocal, pro-Israel voices. Thats what I am, he said.

Suozzi urged voters to prioritize expanding the ranks of pro-Israel Democrats to counter progressive critics.

If you care about Israel and you want bipartisan support for Israel to continue into the future, you need strong, outspoken pro-Israel Democrats, Suozzi said.

He touted a Monday endorsement from the well-funded Democratic Majority for Israel advocacy group.

Suozzi represented most of the NY-03 district for three terms before giving up the seat to mount an ill-fated campaign run for governor.

That move opened the door to Santos to flip the swing district for Republicans.

Santos, who admitted making up most of his life story, is awaiting trial on federal fraud and campaign finance charges. He became the first lawmaker since the Civil War to be expelled from Congress without being convicted of a crime.

Pilip is expected to make her bond to Israel a key issue in the district which includes large Jewish communities on the North Shore.

A political newcomer, Pilip recently won an impressive reelection to a second term as a Nassau County legislator representing a chunk of the NY-03 district.

Suozzi is considered a formidable political force but Republicans have been on a roll on Long Island, sweeping all four congressional seats in the 2022 midterms and racking up victories in local elections last year.

_____
MANCHESTER, N.H.  President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have at least one thing in common  they both haven't debated challengers for their party's 2024 nomination.

But it likely wont matter for either frontrunner in upcoming primaries and caucuses.

Biden didn't participate Monday in the first Democratic primary debate of the 2024 season, hosted in New Hampshire by New England College. The event came just two weeks before the states historic, first-in-the-nation primary contest.

Longshot candidates Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., instead took the stage, touting nearly identical platforms on issues to a crowd of about 200 tuned-in voters and high school students.

Some attendees said Bidens absence loomed large during the debate.

It's kind of giving Donald Trump vibes because Donald Trump hasn't gone to any of the Republican debates, Hannah Lowell, a 19-year-old from Laconia, New Hampshire, said of Bidens absence in the hotel ballroom where the event was held.

Biden chose to skip the New Hampshire primary set for this month due to a dispute over the states place on the Democratic primary calendar. Even if he wanted to participate in the Monday debate, the president wouldn't have been able to attend because the rules mandated all participants be on the New Hampshire Democratic ballot.

But the president is still favored to win the Granite State contest, via a write-in effort, and the Democratic presidential nomination later this year. A Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll conducted in mid-December found 50% of Democrats planned to write in Bidens name.

But the crowd of voters who turned out Monday to watch his Democratic rivals compete viewed the president's absence as a form of self-disqualification. They split over whether to support the incumbent leader, mirroring the wide-ranging sentiments of liberal-leaning voters across the country.

The Biden backers

A large chunk of Democrats in New Hampshire support Bidens reelection bid  even though the president angered some voters when he supported an effort to strip New Hampshire of its first-in-nation primary status and then decided not to appear on the ballot.

Sitting near a group of middle school students at the debate, Gale Taylor, 68, told USA TODAY she was still angry about the presidents decision.

Biden last year backed an effort by national Democrats to push New Hampshires contest later in the 2024 cycle, despite a state law mandating that it hold the first primary. Because of the dispute, the national party threatened any candidates who appeared on the Granite State ballot with penalties, and Biden opted against it.

It really hurt. It's almost like a form of voter suppression, Taylor, a retired IBM employee from Concord, said of the move to not count New Hampshires delegates. Even so, she is still planning to write-in Bidens name come Jan. 23, citing his experience and accomplishments in office.

I got beyond it, Taylor said. I decided I need to support him.

Granite State Write-In, a group backing Biden, says it has organized several thousand voters just like Taylor who plan to print the presidents name on their ballot in the upcoming election. Its hoping to convince more voters to back the president through local Democratic groups.

The Democratic defectors

Nevertheless, another group of liberal-leaning voters say they don't feel obligated to support Biden after he decided not to appear on the New Hampshire ballot.

Hella Ross, 69, said she saw Bidens decision to snub New Hampshire as an opportunity to fulfill what she views as a more pressing responsibility: keeping Trump from winning his partys nomination.

Ross, who met Taylor during an election event over the summer and accompanied her to the debate on Monday, dropped her Democratic Party affiliation in the fall so she could vote in the states Republican primary.

I'm going to be voting for Nikki Haley because I think she's best positioned to keep him from becoming the nominee, the Rochester resident told USA TODAY. I'll be a registered Republican for the first time in my life. Its going to be so uncomfortable. But it's desperate times right now, Im just taking a desperate measure.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate on Dec. 6, 2023. The two will be the only candidates ate the fifth GOP debate on Jan. 10, 2024

Shes not alone. USA TODAY found that about 4% of Democrats changed their party affiliation before an October deadline last year.

For Ross, the decision is only temporary. She ultimately plans to vote for the Democratic nominee in the general election.

The youth vote

Several young voters at the debate told USA TODAY they were leaning toward supporting Bidens primary challengers who appeared onstage.

Avery Opland, 20, told USA TODAY that she had long planned to write in Bidens name. Then came his response to the Israel-Hamas war.

I understand but I don't approve of his stance on military support for Israel, Opland, a political science major at Plymouth State University said. She explained she was disappointed Biden hasn't backed a cease-fire in the war.

You think he would want to be a humanitarian, Opland said, adding that she also was hoping to support a younger candidate. I felt like there was a consensus among the party that he'd be like a one-term president after Trump and then pass it on to a younger generation.

She said she's leaning towards voting for Williamson in the primary but wants to learn more about Phillips after watching his debate performance.

The Saint Anselm poll from December showed Phillips with 10% support and Williamson with 7%. Neither are likely to beat Biden, but their candidacies could further reveal his weaknesses among Democratic voters like Opland.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NH debate stage without Biden sparks 'Trump vibes' for some voters
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is calling for answers on what exactly happened surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins secret hospitalization, after the White House was left in the dark about his condition for more than three days.

Reed has spoken to Austin but still has lingering questions about his absence, which included a stint in the intensive care unit (ICU).

The Democratic chair of the Armed Services panel is open to holding a hearing on Austins absence, which Republicans are demanding.

Reed said a hearing could also explore whether reforms need to be made to ensure clear lines of command and communication are in place should the Pentagons chief fall ill or become incapacitated again.

We have to answer a great many questions, not just specifically about the secretary but also about the process and whether there can be improvements made in the process of notification and clear lines of command. So I wouldnt exclude a hearing at this point, Reed told The Hill.

I think the first thing we have to do is establish from Secretary Austin and others involved what exactly happened, he said.

Reed said he spoke to Austin but said the conversation was focused on Austin taking full responsibility for the episode and the secretarys return to duty.

More of a call to indicate that, as he did, he took responsibility. Second, hes back at work. And, three, hes trying to get as well as quickly as he can, the Rhode Island senator explained.

Reed had said Monday he was tracking the situation closely.

I wish Secretary Austin a speedy and complete recovery. I remain concerned that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care. He is taking responsibility for the situation, but this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department, he added.

Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, called on Reed on Monday to hold a hearing on the matter, and raised concern that Austins failure to provide wider notification of his absence may have violated the law.

I think we should have a quick hearing about this and to find out to what extent the department has ignored the statutory requirement to inform other senior government officials of the Defense secretarys hospitalization, he said.

Wicker expressed concern that military officials have argued that its not unusual for the secretary of Defense to transfer command authority to another person on a temporary basis.

Were told today that this happens  this sort of transfer of power happens frequently, he said. If thats the case, then this is one of several instances and merely the first one weve heard about then it does become very serious.

Wicker said failure to inform other senior government officials of a temporary absence may violate the law.

The statutory requirement is not a suggestion. Its a statutory requirement, and theres a reason for that, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Democrats announced Tuesday that they are spending at least $35 million this election cycle to "persuade and mobilize" Latino, Black, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian voters to help the party win control of the U.S. House in November.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told NBC News in advance of the announcement that the planned 2024 spending would surpass the $30 million spent on those groups of voters in the 2022 midterm elections and other previous cycles.

The DCCC, which is tasked with financing and helping Democrats win House elections, has dubbed the effort "Power the People" (with Power standing for persuade, organize, welcome, educate and reach).

The investment and work associated with the program honors our commitment to the multiethnic coalition that our fragile democracy depends on, Missayr Boker, DCCC deputy executive director for campaigns, said in a news release. While extremist Republicans continue to lie, cheat and suppress the vote of people of color in order to win elections, Democrats understand that democracy is strengthened when everyones voice is heard.

Democrats have long been able to count on winning larger percentages of Latino, Black, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian voters. But the GOP has sliced into those voter shares in recent elections, largely in Latino and Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities. Some recent polls have also found waning enthusiasm among Black voters for President Joe Biden's campaign.

It certainly is encouraging that they are making the hard commitment now, said Matt Angle, a Democratic strategist in Texas, where Hispanics now outnumber white residents.

"You cant expect to realize the benefit of your base voters unless you invest in them  you have to earn that over and over again," he said.

The DCCC said some of the money has already been spent, including for the first time to research and survey where voters are going to get their information. Latinos spend a lot of time on YouTube, for example, said Jose Munoz, a DCCC spokesman.

Obviously we are going to do smart, targeted outreach to understand nuances not just between groups, but between different regions and localized by district. For example, what may speak to and resonate with Latinos in Florida is different from those in the Central Valley of California, Munoz said.

According to Munoz, some congressional districts have more than one sizable population group the party is aiming to mobilize.

In Nevada's 1st Congressional District, which includes Las Vegas, for example, 30% of voters are Hispanic, 10% are Black and 9% are Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

In California's 45th Congressional District, which includes Irvine and Mission Viejo, 39% of the population is AAPI and 31% is Latino, according to analysis by Census Reporter.

Other spending areas will include:

Conducting in-depth research and polling within the different communities to understand voters' priorities.

Creating media that reaches people in their language of choice  including Spanglish  and for different social platforms.

Organizing with local leaders and community members to register, rally and connect voters and build connections between local and national organizations.

Providing information on voting laws, options and any changes that may make voting harder, as well as building up trust in voting by mail in places where it's offered.

Tracking and countering disinformation spread through social and traditional media and aimed at particular communities. This work will include In It Together, an expansion of the Juntos (Together) tool that Democrats used in the last last election cycle to counter false and misleading information. "In It Together" will provide shareable content and resources that will be available in English, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

"The historic investments from the DCCC are a commitment to expand our coalition," Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said in a statement. Chu chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the first LGBTQ immigrant elected to Congress, stated he was proud to be part of a party that understands the importance of engaging folks from all backgrounds.

Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., a DCCC recruitment vice chair and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said that the "holistic approach to reach communities of color through voter protection and education, paid media, and organizing demonstrates a commitment to meeting voters wherever they are."

Angle said the DCCC faces hard decisions on how to divide up its spending among groups and whats the best use of the next available dollar. Not everyone is going to agree with the decisions, but making a firm decision early on this level of spending is a positive development, he said.

Its acknowledging theres almost no competitive district in the country that doesnt require a coalition to be built in order for a Democrat to win, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A migrant jailed for cannabis farming has escaped deportation because it would have breached his wifes human rights had the couple been forced to choose between moving to Albania or splitting up, an immigration court has ruled.

Judges decided that it would be unduly harsh for the Filipino wife of convicted drug producer Gazmend Jaupaj to be separated from him or forced to move to Albania with him should he be deported.

It rejected the Home Offices decision to deport Jaupaj, 38, on the grounds that doing so would be a breach of the couples human rights. Article eight of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) stipulates that everyone has a right to respect for their private and family life.

The effect of [Jaupajs] deportation upon his wife would be unduly harsh. It is not a realistic option to expect her to relocate to Albania, and separation from her husband is likely to cause real harm to her mental health, the tribunals ruling stated.

Jaupaj entered the UK illegally on Sept 1 2012 and met his wife in February 2018. They married on April 17 2021.

He cultivated 600 marijuana plants in village house

A month later he was arrested on suspicion of drug offences after police found he was cultivating 600 marijuana plants in a house in the Leicestershire village of Thurmaston.

Jaupaj, his brother, Naim, and a third man had attracted the attention of their electricity supplier because the propertys meter had been bypassed. Police officers called to investigate on Tuesday May 19 could not initially gain access to the house because it had a heavily fortified door.

However, neighbours drew their attention to two men on the roof of the property and officers managed to get inside it and detain the three men. They also found 600 marijuana plants, capable of producing about 33kg (72.6lbs) of cannabis with a street value of up to 1 million.

Officers also found a 15kg consignment that had been vacuum packed ready to be taken away. That would have had a street value of some 500,000.

Jaupaj was jailed for two years for producing a controlled drug. A subsequent deportation order made on Sept 13 was challenged by his lawyers.

Wifes mental health would suffer if he were deported to Albania

The tribunal was told his wife had no family in the UK, suffered from mental ill-health and was on medication. Her claims were supported by sick notes and a social worker said the deportation of her husband would cause a relapse in her mental health.

Jaupajs lawyers said she did not speak Albanian and it would be difficult for her to integrate in Albanian society. They added that she was settled in the UK, was an active member of her church and had a well-paid job and her primary source of support was her husband, the lawyers added.

The Home Office has appealed the case and it is being reconsidered by a first-tier tribunal. Home Office lawyers argued that the original tribunal had failed to provide evidence to support its claim that deportation would be unduly harsh and had not explained why the woman could not be supported by specialist mental health services in the UK.

It follows disclosures by The Telegraph that a migrant jailed for cannabis farming escaped deportation because he claimed he could no longer speak his native language and an Albanian crime boss was allowed to remain in the UK despite being jailed for smuggling 8 million of his gangs profits out of the country in suitcases.

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.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard spent most of her life being forced by her mother to pretend she was suffering from chronic illness. To escape the abuse, Gypsy persuaded her then-boyfriend, Nicolas Godejohn, to kill her mother, Clauddine Dee Dee Blanchard in 2015.

Dee Dee tricked doctors, family and friends into believing Gypsy was chronically ill  suffering from leukemia, asthma, muscular dystrophy, vision and hearing impairments, seizure, and other chronic conditions, per ABC News. Despite being perfectly healthy, Gypsy was forced to use a wheelchair and a feeding tube and to keep her head shaved to mimic the effects of cancer treatment.

She underwent several unnecessary surgeries such as having her salivary glands behind her neck removed. To this day, it has left me with the side effects of having to clear my throat all the time, Gypsy told People last week.

To keep the deception going, Dee Dee fabricated Gypsys birth certificate so she would be seen as younger and went to at least 150 doctors over the years, per ABC News. When Gypsy asked questions about her health, Dee Dee allegedly responded with lies.

I would voice concerns, being like, I really dont feel like I need this, and she would get really, really upset with me and start manipulating me, Gypsy told People last week.

Obviously I knew that I could walk and didnt need a feeding tube, but everything else was a really big confusion for me, she says, citing her epilepsy diagnosis: Whenever Id question it my mother would say Id had a seizure the night before and didnt remember. There was always an excuse.

For her role in Dee Dees murder, Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years in prison. After serving 85% of her sentence, Gypsy, now 32, was granted parole and released from prison on Dec. 28, per The Associated Press. She has hopes of being an advocate for those in abusive relationships.

I want to make sure that people in abusive relationships do not resort to murder, Gypsy told People. It may seem like every avenue is closed off but there is always another way. Do anything, but dont take this course of action.

Here is an in-depth timeline of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is born healthy

July 27, 1991: Gypsy Rose Blanchard is born in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, per People. Her parents, Clauddine Dee Dee Blanchard and Rod Blanchard, separate shortly before her birth.

During the first few years of her life, Gypsy was growing like a normal child. But by the time she was a toddler, Dee Dee  who worked as a nurses aide  began claiming her daughter was sick.

Dee Dee was saying that (Gypsy) was sick, had problems sleeping, epilepsy, and it just progressed from there, Rod Blanchard told ABC News in 2018. All the visits, Dee Dee had to be there the whole time. Something never felt right about it. Dee Dee was so controlling.

By the time Gypsy was 8, her mother claimed Gypsy was suffering from leukemia, paralyzed, muscular dystrophy, Gypsy was also using a wheelchair and now had a feeding tube, Rod Blanchard told ABC News.

August 2005: Hurricane Katrina rips through Slidell, Louisiana, destroying the Blanchard home. Gypsy and her mother eventually relocate to Springfield, Missouri, where Habitat for Humanity built them a small, wheelchair-accessible home, per CBS News.

Dee Dee claims all of Gypsys medical records were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, including her birth certificate, per People. This makes way for Dee Dee to lie about Gypsys real age and medical history.

By now, the media has shared Gypsys story  making her into something of a local celebrity. The community rallies around the Blanchards, showering them with gifts, cash donations, concerts, celebrity meet-and-greets and a trip to Disney World from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, per ABC News.

2007 and 2009: In 2007, one of Gypsys former physicians, Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein, claims he saw red flags when he examined Gypsy for muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. There was nothing there to support either. That kind of made me very suspicious, Flasterstein told ABC News.

Flasterstein says his concerns grew when he told Dee Dee that Gypsys former diagnoses were wrong. The mother was not happy with that, Flasterstein said. She left the office in a storm and told my nurses that I dont know what Im talking about and that shes not coming back.

I believe that the mother suffers from Munchausen by proxy, Flasterstein wrote in a letter to Gypsys primary care physician, per ABC News. At the time, he did not believe he had enough evidence to alert Child Protective Services.

According to a police report obtained by ABC News, a different doctor contacted authorities in 2009, saying he could not find any symptoms that support what Dee Dee alleges to be wrong with her daughter.

February 2011: For the first and only time, Gypsy tries to escape her mothers home, per USA Today. After getting caught, Gypsy claims she was severely punished by her mother.

She physically chained me to the bed and put bells on the doors and told  anybody that I probably wouldve trusted that I was going through a phase and to tell her if I was doing anything behind her back, Gypsy told ABC News in 2018.

October 2012: Without her mothers knowledge, Gypsy creates an online dating profile and begins messaging Nicholas Godejohn.

For multiple years, Gypsy and Godejohn maintained a romantic relationship through video chats and online messaging  all behind Dee Dees back.

Their conversations on the Christian dating app ranged from PG-rated fairy tale declarations of love to X-rated messages, according to WFLA News.

October 2014: Gypsy forms a friendship with her neighbor, Aleah Woodmansee, whom she would chat with online via a secret Facebook account. As Gypsys relationship with Godejohn escalates, she begins confiding in Woodmansee, per USA Today.

She would show interest in like different boys and try to ask me advice on like, you know, How do you approach them? How do you like kiss a boy? Woodmansee told ABC News. Gypsy just wanted to be a regular teen.

As Woodmansee recalled, Dee Dee did not approve of her conversations with Gypsy and took to destroying Gypsys phone and computer to prevent them from talking online.

She was talking about this new guy that she was now in love with, and that they had met on a Christian dating site and that they were already planning on naming their children after him, Woodmansee recalled in an interview with ABC News. Honestly, what I was thinking whenever I saw these messages, is that these were just like fantasies and dreams and nothing like this would ever really take place.

March 2015: Gypsy and Godejohn devise a plan to meet in person for the first time at a movie theater in Springfield, Missouri. The couple hope that if Dee Dee could meet Godejohn in person, she would give her approval, per Springfield News-Leader.

Dee Dee and Gypsy make plans to see Disneys new Cinderella movie. The couple meet at the theater  Gypsy dressed as Cinderella and Godejohn as Prince Charming.

When Dee Dee is finally introduced to Godejohn, she does not approve of the relationship, per ABC News.

She got jealous, because I was spending a little too much attention on him, and she had ordered me to stay away from him. And needless to say, that was a very long argument that lasted a couple weeks, Gypsy told ABC News.

It was at this point Gypsy decided she wanted her mother dead. It was not because I hated her. It was because I wanted to escape her, she told ABC News.

Dee Dee is found murdered

June 9, 2015: On the day of the murder, Godejohn travels back to Missouri, where he checks into a local motel and waits for Gypsy to tell him Dee Dee is asleep, per ABC News. Godejohn then meets Gypsy at home.

Gypsy provides Godejohn with a knife, duct tape and gloves, according to her 2018 testimony, per Springfield News-Leader. While Godejohn killed Dee Dee, Gypsy says she hid in the bathroom with her hands over her ears.

I honestly thought he would end up not doing it, Gypsy told ABC News in 2018.

Godejohn stabs Dee Dee 17 times, per USA Today. The couple then goes back to Godejohns motel room.

I felt horrible about it. When me and her were in the hotel room ... she kept on telling me, Stop crying, stop crying. Theres no reason, reason to cry. It was my idea, it wasnt yours, Godejohn told ABC News in an exclusive interview from jail. (Gypsy) comforted me about it. I prayed once I got here. I tried to get her mothers soul to forgive me.

June 14, 2015: Through her Dee Gyp Blancharde Facebook account, Gypsy posts: That (expletive) is dead! Concerned Facebook friends alert the police.

Police find Dee Dee, 48, in her home that evening with fatal stab wounds, per NewsNation. Gypsy is missing, her three wheelchairs left in the home.

Now (that) is about when I panicked. We had never, ever, ever seen Gypsy not in a wheelchair, Kim Blanchard  a family friend  told ABC News.

June 15, 2015: Police track the previous Facebook posts to Godejohns home in Wisconsin, where Gypsy and Godejohn are arrested, per USA Today.

Gypsy later revealed she wrote the post in hopes someone would find her mothers body. I couldnt stand the thought of her just there because what happens if it would have taken months to find her, so I wanted her found so she could have a proper burial, per ABC News.

Gypsy pleads guilty to murder

July 5, 2016: As part of a plea agreement with Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson, Gypsy pleads guilty to second-degree murder, per Springfield News-Leader. Gypsy is sentenced to 10 years in prison  the minimum sentence for second-degree murder. She did not have to stand trial.

When you look at this case, its a murder. And its a first-degree murder, Patterson said, per Springfield News-Leader. But its also one of the most extraordinary and unusual cases we have seen.

The prison that I was living in before, with my mom, its, like, I couldnt walk. I couldnt eat. I couldnt have friends. I couldnt go outside, you know, and play with friends or anything, Gypsy told ABC News in 2018. Over here, I feel like Im freer in prison, than with living with my mom. Because now, Im allowed to  just live like a normal woman.

Nov. 15, 2018: Gypsy testifies during Godejohns murder trial.

In the weeks prior to the murder, Gypsy testifies she started having doubts but then things were getting more and more physically abusive at home. The hitting was more. The starving was more, Gypsy says in court, per the New York Post.

Gypsy says the murder was her idea and that she planned the majority of it, reports Springfield News-Leader. I talked him into it, she says of Godejohn.

When asked why she didnt murder Dee Dee herself, Gypsy claims it was because she was too squeamish. I dont like blood. I dont like the sight of blood, Gypsy says from the stand, per Springfield News-Leader.

Gypsy never considered going to the police due to fear of her mothers retaliation. I didnt think anyone would believe me, she tells the court, per the New York Post. I thought they would eventually tell my mom and make my home life even worse for me. I feared my mom more than I feared anyone else.

Nov. 16, 2018: A jury finds Godejohn guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Dee Dee Blanchard, per Springfield News-Leader.

Feb. 22, 2019: Godejohn is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, per Springfield News-Leader.

I was blindly in love, Godejohn told the judge during the sentencing hearing, per Springfield News-Leader.

March 20, 2019: Hulu releases The Act, a limited series starring Patricia Arquette as Dee Dee and Joey King as Gypsy.

In a statement to Bustle, Gypsy said, I feel it is very unfair and unprofessional that producers and co-producer Michelle Dean has used my actual name and story without my consent, and the life rights to do so.

April 2019: Family friend Fancy Marcelli reveals to People that Gypsy is engaged. Marcelli says the couple met as pen pals and dated for a year and a half before their engagement.

They are very happy, Macelli told People. You can hear excitement in her voice.

It is understood their engagement was eventually called off.

June 2022: Gypsy and Ryan Scott Anderson get married, per Springfield News-Leader.

The couple begins exchanging emails in May 2020 after Anderson reaches out to Gypsy. Due to the pandemic, the couple does not meet in person until July 2021, reports People.

Our prison wedding was just something to where we can make our vows to each other. It was something that meant something to us, Gypsy told People of her 2022 wedding.

Dec. 27, 2023: Ahead of her release from prison, Gypsy reveals she regrets her mothers murder in an interview with People. Nobody will ever hear me say Im glad shes dead or Im proud of what I did. I regret it every single day, Gypsy tells the magazine.

If I had another chance to redo everything, I dont know if I would go back to when I was a child and tell my aunts and uncles that Im not sick and mommy makes me sick, Gypsy tells People.

Gypsy is released from prison

Dec. 28, 2023: After serving 85% of her prison sentence, Gypsy is released from Chillicothe Correctional Center on parole, per The Associated Press.

Ahead of her release, Gypsy told People, Im ready for freedom. Im ready to expand and I think that goes for every facet of my life.

Related

Dec. 29, 2023: Gypsy posts her First selfie of freedom! on Instagram  solidifying her newfound stardom.

The post has garnered more than 6.4 million likes and attracted comments from nearly 240,000 users.

Dec. 31, 2023: In a video posted to Instagram and TikTok, Gypsy addresses the public, thanking people for the massive amount of support she has received since her release.

Its nice to be home. Im back home in Louisiana, enjoying a beautiful day outside and Ive got a lot of great things happening really soon, she says and mentions her Lifetime docuseries.

Gypsy says she is looking forward to spending New Years Eve with her husband and family. Were looking to ring in the new year together. Its going to be really awesome to have some family time after so long, she says.
REYNOLDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD)  A man from Arizona was hospitalized after a rollover crash in Reynolds Township, deputies say.

It happened just before 6 p.m. Monday on US-131 by the off-ramp to West Howard City-Edmore Road, or M-82, according to the Montcalm County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies say a Dodge Ram pickup truck was heading north on US-131 when it left the roadway to the right. The truck then hit an embankment and rolled several times, ultimately coming to rest on the passenger side.

The driver, a 55-year-old man from Benson, Arizona, had to be rescued from the truck, according to the sheriffs office. He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Deputies say a witness reported seeing the truck driving erratically before the crash happened. The driver did not seem to be wearing a seatbelt, according to the sheriffs office, and alcohol is believed to have played a role.

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The crash remains under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A domestic incident in Hollywood early Sunday morning turned into a standoff between SWAT deputies and a barricaded suspect in Weston, ending with deputies shooting at the suspect as he tried to flee, officials said.

Valdemar Milto, 48, of Weston, was taken to a hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds after an armed encounter between him and Broward Sheriffs deputies, the Sheriffs Office said in a news release Sunday night. Two deputies shot at Milto.

The domestic incident in Hollywood, which the Sheriffs Office did not provide details about, was reported shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday but happened earlier that morning, according to the news release. They identified the victim only as an adult woman.

A Hollywood Police spokesperson did not return an email seeking information about the domestic incident Monday evening.

The call led authorities to a home in the 16000 block of Opal Creek Drive in Weston, where two children lived. Deputies went to the home to check on the children, the Sheriffs Office said, and an adult man, later identified as Milto, barricaded himself inside while armed.

After SWAT deputies and Sheriffs Office negotiators were at the scene communicating with the man, he came out of the home with a weapon and got into a car, the Sheriffs Office said. The release did not specify how long the standoff lasted or what type of weapon Milto had.

Investigators say an armed encounter occurred between the subject and the deputies forcing the deputies to discharge their weapons, the release said.

The man then kept driving, crashed into a tree and attempted to run away but was detained by deputies. The two children were not injured, the release said.

The deputies who shot at the suspect will be on administrative assignment as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates, as is customary. The Sheriffs Office said no one else was injured.

The Sheriffs Office did not provide further information Monday about Miltos condition or the circumstances of the shooting.

As of Monday evening, Milto had not been booked into the jail. Broward County court records show he is facing one count of aggravated battery stemming from the domestic incident in Hollywood. He does not have a prior criminal record in Broward County, according to court records.
A ninth lawsuit alleging discrimination has been filed against Wyandotte Countys publicly-owned utility.

Lisa Casey, who is Black and has been employed by the Board of Public Utilities since 1994, filed the latest federal lawsuit on Friday, alleging she was passed over for a job and denied other opportunities given to white coworkers.

The BPU faces several ongoing lawsuits alleging race and disability discrimination. Last year, lawsuits against the BPU were filed by an employee who alleged a coworker used the n-word, another employee who said a supervisor made racist and sexist comments and an employee alleging disability discrimination.

Five other employees in 2022 similarly sued the Unified Government, which owns the utility company, alleging they faced racial discrimination from colleagues, hostile work environments created by supervisors or targeted investigations.

Casey began as a plant relief operator and has been a service dispatcher since 2012.

In June 2022, she applied for two openings, a scheduling position and a storeroom position. According to Caseys lawsuit, she turned down an interview for the latter due to an interview for the scheduling job.

The scheduling job was awarded to the spouse of the interim chief operating officer, the lawsuit said.

Over the course of her employment, Plaintiff has witnessed and been victim to differential treatment between minorities and Caucasian employees, the lawsuit said, including being denied overtime opportunities that were given to white coworkers.

When Casey made complaints, she faced retaliation, the lawsuit said.

Unified Government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Caseys lawsuit.
Its a Dispatch Politics takeover with Mike, Andrew, and David (Drucker) offering up some pre-game analysis ahead of the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses. Will Nikki Haley take second place after Donald Trump in New Hampshire? Was President Joe Bidens Valley Forge speech a sneak peek at his campaign? And will Vivek Ramaswamy ever shut up? Kevin will host to help them sort it all out.

Grab a drink (or a few), get your questions ready, and join us at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube for this weeks Dispatch Live.

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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A teenager who is facing charges in the hit-and-run death of another teenager in South-Central El Paso last week told police officers conflicting stories and told police he had been in a fight at a bar and then later changed his story to say he had been assaulted at a gas station.

Thats according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

1 teen dead, another arrested after early morning crash along Border Highway

Ruger Garrett Clark, 18, is facing a charge of intoxication manslaughter and collision involving death.

Police say Clark is responsible for the hit-and-run crash that killed 17-year-old Anahi Karla Leanos at about 1:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 5 along the Border Highway at Fonseca in South-Central El Paso.

Police say that Leanos car broke down and when she pulled over to the emergency lane, she was struck by Clark, who subsequently fled and was later arrested by police at Alameda and Yarbrough.

According to court documents obtained by KTSM, Clark initially told police he had been involved in a fight at the Little Bit of Texas bar. He also told police at one point that he had been assaulted at a gas station.

Clark also reportedly told police that a friend of his was driving his pickup truck so they could get away from the assault. But he didnt know his friends last name or address, according to documents.

Clark also denied that he or his friend had been in a crash, according to court documents.

Police said that Clark had an X on his hand indicating he had been at a club, had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, an odor of alcohol on his breath and cuts on his face that appeared to be more consistent with a collision than an assault, police said.

Officers also noticed that Clarks vehicle had part of another vehicle wedged in its front grill, according to court documents.

Police noticed other damage to Clarks vehicle that indicated he had been in a crash.

A separate court document stated that Clarks blood-alcohol level tested at 0.124 and then later at 0.120.

The initial news release from police said that Clark took items from the victims car. Neither court document obtained by KTSM had any information about that.

Here is a statement provided by attorney Justin Underwood, who is representing Clark:

While I understand the need for Press Releases to be issued, I am concerned with the truthfulness of what was reported in this instance. The information was inaccurate from the first words on the initial release. It reported that Mr. Clark was 17 years old when, in fact, he is 18. I understand that may seem minor, but the same press release also indicates that Mr. Clark took things from the young womans vehicle. Neither of the affidavits, which we are in possession of and are of public record, indicate anything like that at all. I have also personally reviewed the Court record which also confirmed to us that there was not a single mention of anything being taken from her vehicle as being included in any part of any information it reviewed when making its decision. I have no idea where the PIO obtained information contrary to what is contained in the sworn police affidavit. It brings into question the veracity of anything and everything that was contained in the release. I would suggest anyone reading this press release treat it as suspect at best.

There is also misinformation about the PR bond. It has been put out to the public that Mr. Clark was just released on his own recognizance. That is absolutely factually inaccurate. The bonds were $175,000 surety/cash bonds total, in addition to a 10,000 PR bond implemented by the Jail Magistrate Court. The PR component requires alcohol monitoring, curfews, portable interlock devices, regular reporting to a PR officer, and any other conditions the court deems appropriate. If a person violates any of the conditions of the PR bond, they can be re-arrested. People who dont have a PR bond are not under any supervision while their case is pending. Implementing a PR bond guarantees supervision over an accused while their case is pending. It is done in addition to any financial obligation that is owed to the surety bond. Bonding companies also regularly require real property to be placed as collateral when posting bonds that are this high.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
As the Sacramento City Council prepares to decide Tuesday night whether to grant City Manager Howard Chan an additional six weeks vacation, the proposal has curiously shifted from when the council illegally approved the package last month.

Unlike a December proposal that would have allowed Chan to cash in his extra vacation time, now he would be required to be on vacation and away from city hall for those six weeks.

Opinion

The meaningless change remains tone-deaf to the basic point: As the city faces a worsening fiscal deficit that will require leadership by example, it is wrong for the city manager to ask for more time off than any other employee. And It would be wrong for the city council to approve it.

Chan already is the highest-paid city manager in California. Now he wants to be the city manager most absent from his job?

The city council has to rehear this matter because the December vote was illegal. Contrary to state law, the city held a special meeting requiring scant 24-hour notice on a matter relating to executive compensation. The council, at the time, voted to grant all charter officers (including the city clerk and city attorney) 5% raises and an additional 240 hours of vacation leave for Chan. After Bee reporter Theresa Clift asked about the legality of the special meeting, another one was scheduled for Tuesday.

That Chans vacation proposal has shifted reflects a potential change of heart by some council members. One council member who voted to approve all that vacation, Sean Loloee of District 2, has since resigned due to a federal indictment on various employment infractions relating to his grocery store businesses. That would mean Chan needs all five remaining supporters on the council to get all that vacation. Those supporters are Caity Maple, Lisa Kaplan, Eric Guerra, Rick Jennings and Karina Talamantes.

Ten weeks of vacation for a public employee is bordering on a gift of public funds. Under the proposal, Chan would be allowed to cash in the four weeks he accrues as a veteran employee. But this doesnt matter  asking for that much leave is spectacularly poor judgment, both from him and the council members who have gone along with it.

Sadly, Chan seems determined to press the issue and make his council members look out of touch with our fiscal reality and basic common sense. Voting no (or abstaining) is a public slight of a city manager who works hard at his job. But, sadly, hes asked for it. He has simply pushed too hard to improve his compensation with his unique managerial power over each council member. He has both diminished himself and the council in the process.

Either he or the council should do the right thing Tuesday night. Public employees dont get 10 weeks of paid vacation for sound public reasons.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Five defendants and two co-defendants from California, Washington, and Oregon were sentenced on Monday for a series of drug trafficking and firearm offenses, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

Federal prosecutors also say they used social media to sell drugs.

According to court documents, a nine-month investigation into a drug-trafficking organization operating in California and trafficking drugs to Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington revealed that 28-year-old Juan Alejandro Comparan-Guzman of Kerman and 32-year-old Ann-Marie Louis of Carnation WA, along with 11 others, were involved in trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl-laced counterfeit OxyContin pills, and heroin.

Officials say approximately 7 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 137 pounds of methamphetamine, and over 34000 pills containing fentanyl were seized, as well as $142,000 in cash.

The DOJ says Juan was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Rita was sentenced to four years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.

According to the DOJ, a Fresno man was also sentenced on Monday for illegally possessing a firearm in connection with selling fentanyl.

According to court documents, 22-year-old Armando Chavez of Fresno sold counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl on Snapchat, a social media platform. After a nonfatal overdose was reported, federal law enforcement agents working in an undercover capacity contacted Chavez and ordered oxycodone pills from him. He agreed to sell the pills and drove to a predetermined meeting location.

Once he arrived, the DOJ said Chavez and his car were searched, and law enforcement found approximately 100 fentanyl pills. Agents then executed a federal search warrant at his residence, and they found over 13000 fentanyl pills inside his bedroom that were packaged for distribution, as well as a loaded handgun.

According to the DOJ, he was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The DOJ says an Orosi man and an Oregon man were also sentenced on Monday for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of California (EDCA) and Oregon.

According to court documents, 34-year-old Adrian Arredondo Alvarado of Orosi was the main target of a lengthy federal investigation into a drug trafficking ring. During the investigation, Alvarado was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine and marijuana distributor as well as a marijuana cultivator.

The DOJ says Alvarado negotiated and then supplied over 5 kilograms of methamphetamine to 35-year-old Ivan Vasquez, who traveled from Oregon into the EDCA to obtain that methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others in Oregon. Alvarado directed other co-defendants to go to Southern California to obtain the drugs and another to collect Vasquezs drug payment. Alvarado was growing a substantial amount of marijuana.

Officials say during a search of Alvarados home, officers seized a stolen handgun, ammunition, and half a kilogram of marijuana. On the other properties that Alvarado used for marijuana cultivation, officers found over 400 marijuana plants, nine firearms, and several hundred kilograms of processed marijuana.

According to the DOJ, Alvarado was sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, while Vasquez was sentenced to five years and three months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

The DOJ says co-defendant Alexis Melchor-Guzman, 30, of Orosi, was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and co-defendant Adrian Lopez, 39, of Orange Cove was sentenced to one year in prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com.
 Flash

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud met Monday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the kingdom's oasis city of Al-Ula to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and bilateral relations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the Saudi crown prince stressed the importance of stopping the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and intensifying humanitarian action, the report said.

He also underscored the need to work to create conditions for restoring stability and a peace process to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace, it added.

Blinken is on his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, which has led to escalating tensions across the region.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken held a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, in which the two sides also stressed the importance of avoiding the expansion of the conflict in the region and finding a clear solution toward regional stability.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Blinken said he had discussed the Middle East's future with regional leaders and reached agreements on a few objectives in their meetings.

"We agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability," he said.

The Saudi crown prince and Blinken also exchanged views on bilateral relations, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Another spate of court documents was unsealed Monday in the rolling disclosure of files connected to convicted trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking operation. Right-wingers jumped on salacious accusations against former President Bill Clinton, while failing to mention those against former President Donald Trump, whose alleged "sexual proclivities" are also detailed in the filing.

Several media outlets, including Sky News, the New York Post and The Guardian, ran stories following Monday's unsealing reporting that a witness claimed in a series of emails that Epstein had "sex tapes" of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson, many of them also mentioning in the body of the article that Trump had also been accused of appearing in those videos. The witness, alleged Epstein victim Sarah Ransome, later recanted her claims.

According to The Messenger, Ransome allegedly wrote that her friend had sex with Trump on "regular occasions" at Epstein's mansion, and recalled meeting her for coffee once before she was scheduled to meet them both at the Manhattan townhouse.

She confided in me about her casual 'friendship' with Donald. Mr. Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her 'pert nipples, Ransome wrote, according to the court filing.

Donald Trump liked flicking and sucking her nipples until they were raw. One evening when we were showering together she showed me her nipples. They looked incredibly painful as they were red and swollen and I remember wincing when I looked at them, the email allegedly reads.

A spokesperson for Trump said that the claims were baseless.

These baseless accusations have been fully retracted because they are simply false and have no merit, Steven Cheung said in a statement.

Ransome, according to Rolling Stone, had claimed to have these materials on multiple occasions, writing in another instance, "[M]y friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion. I eventually managed to persuade her to send me some of the video footage which she kept, implicating all three men  I have backed up the footage on several USB sticks and have securely sent them to various different locations throughout Europe."

All have denied any wrongdoing, with Branson dubbing the claims "invented" and "baseless."

In other messages Ransome claimed the CIA had hacked her emails and that Special Agents Forces Men sent directly by Hilary [sic] Clinton herself" visited her, also promising to leak damaging images and footage to WikiLeaks to derail both Clinton and Trump's 2016 presidential campaigns.

The document detailing the alleged tapes shows that the legal team of attorney and Epstein associate Alan Dershowitz, whom Ransome had claimed in an affidavit Epstein instructed her to have sex with, pursued a removal of the "confidentiality designation" on the emails, seeking to undermine Ransome's credibility by showing her "inflammatory, salacious, and defamatory testimony concerning [Dershowitz] and others is false."

Ransome later retracted the allegations in a separate email to journalist Maureen Callahan, writing that she had to step away from the story because of "bad things" that could result, court records showed, per The Messenger.

I have spoken to my family at some length this morning and I would like to retract everything I have said to you and walk away from this, Ransome allegedly wrote in October 2016.

I shouldn't have contacted you and I'm sorry I wasted your time. It's not worth coming forward and I will never be heard anyhow and only bad things will happen as a consequence of me going public and I know this to be true, she allegedly added.

When interviewed for a New Yorker article on Dershowitz in 2019, Ransome also walked back the allegations.

In the fall of 2016, she had suggested to the New York Post that she had sex tapes of half a dozen prominent people, including Bill Clinton and Donald Trump  but couldnt provide the tapes when asked, reporter Connie Bruck wrote, adding, (Ransome told me that she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behavior, and to make him believe that she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me.)

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

In their rush to publicize the details of the new batch of documents, conservative influencers neglected to note Ransome's retractions and often left out Trump's inclusion in the filing.

Right-wing conspiracy theorists and misinformation pushers, including Chuck Castello and Laura Loomer, jumped on the reports. Loomer wrote, "BILL CLINTON PEDO SEX TAPE," while A QAnon-affiliated X user posted an unfounded claim that "the FBI covered this up" after receiving payouts from the Clinton Foundation, according to Rolling Stone.

Donald Trump Jr. also latched onto the accusations, writing on X/Twitter Monday afternoon, "This seems like a big deal if true why has nothing been done about it?" over a headline that read, "Breaking News: Court documents allege Jeffrey Epstein recorded sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Sir Richard Branson," but excluding Trump's name.

This seems like a big deal and if true why has nothing been done about it?



Breaking News: Court documents allege Jeffrey Epstein recorded sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Sir Richard Branson.  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 8, 2024

Liberals, Rolling Stone notes, largely highlighted the claims in the same document that Trump Sr. sexually abused an underage girl, with the Independent writing that Donald Trumps alleged sexual proclivities were graphically detailed in new Epstein documents" and Newsweek dubbing Monday's documents the "Worst One for Trump Yet."

The released documents so far have largely outlined details and names already widely known to be linked to Epstein after years of interconnected legal battles. But the right-wing media furor over their unsealing presses on, according to Rolling Stone, as they hold "out hope that the newly unsealed Epstein documents can land prominent Democrats in deep trouble and somehow shake up the 2024 race."

Independent presidential candidate and avid conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a Monday campaign email echoed a previous call for a "total and complete release of the Epstein Files," despite revealing in the same December, Fox News interview that he made the initial demand during that he and his family had flown on Epstein's private jet twice in the 1990s.

Trump has been accused of misconduct several other times over the years. In 2020 ABC News reported that [a]t least 18 women have accused Donald Trump of varying inappropriate behavior," including claims of "sexual harassment or sexual assault. All but two came forward with their accusations before or during his first bid for the White House.

The former president was found liable for sexually abusing journalist E. Jean Carroll early last year.

The alleged emails were part of a settled defamation civil suit brought by alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in 2015 against Maxwell. A federal appeals court judge ordered the documents to be unsealed after the Miami Herald pursued their release.

Epstein died in a jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in U.S. District Court. His death was later ruled a suicide. Maxwell was convicted on five counts pertaining to sex trafficking and sentenced to years in prison.
 Flash

The International Institute on Ageing, United Nations - Malta (INIA) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) online with China's Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM) to foster collaboration in the field of ageing training.

According to the MoU, the two sides will work together to establish a training center of the INIA in Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province.

At the signing ceremony, INIA Director Marvin Formosa expressed optimism about the partnership, highlighting the institute's longstanding amicable relationship with China and its established collaborations with various Chinese governmental organizations and research institutions.

He said that the INIA has trained a large number of management professionals and staff in China.

Peng Xin, vice principal of the HUCM, said that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a unique effect and role in chronic disease rehabilitation, care, nursing, and health preservation of the aged. Peng outlined the collaborative goals of enhancing research and training exchanges, underscoring the commitment to promoting TCM's contribution to the research of aging and dementia diseases.

The INIA, an international institute on aging inaugurated by the United Nations and the Government of Malta in 1988, provides multidisciplinary education and training related to ageing, while also acting as a catalyst for the exchange of information concerning aging welfare.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in October 2023 the global demographic shift towards an aging population, where the number of individuals aged over 60 is expected to double by 2050, reaching nearly 2.1 billion.
Decatur police are looking for the driver of a red Toyota sedan that they say was involved in an accident this morning involving a child pedestrian.

According to the Decatur Police Department, around 8:40 a.m., officers went to the Commerce Drive and West Howard Avenue intersection after receiving reports of an accident with a pedestrian involved.

When they got there, they learned a red Toyota sedan was driving west on West Howard Avenue when the driver drove through a red light at the intersection.

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As a result, the car hit a child walking in the crosswalk and the driver left the scene.

Police said the child was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The child has not been identified.

Anyone with information about the drivers identity or the vehicle is asked to call Decatur police at 404-373-6551.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Several drones struck "facilities of a fuel and energy complex" in Russias Oryol region on the afternoon of Jan. 9, the regional governor, Andrey Klychkov, claimed on Telegram.

According to Russian pro-Kremlin media outlet Mash, a Ukrainian kamikaze drone allegedly hit the Orelnefteprodukt oil depot, and another drone struck the building of a local energy provider, Oryolenergo.

Three people were reportedly injured, and two of them refused hospitalization, Klychkov said. First responders are working on the scene.

Later, Klychkov claimed that the third drone fell on a non-residential building near the village of Malaya Sakhanka near Oryol. No casualties were reported.

The Kyiv Independent couldnt verify any of the claims above.

Klychkov attributed the attack to Ukraine, while Kyiv hasnt claimed responsibility. Ukrainian authorities rarely comment on attacks inside Russia.

Explosions were reported on Jan. 8 at a railway track by an oil depot on the outskirts of the Russian city of Nizhny Tagil.

A fire erupted in a substation in Moscow on Jan. 4, causing electricity and heating outages in dozens of multi-story buildings, a few days after Russian attacks against Kyiv Oblast left 260,000 Ukrainian citizens temporarily without power.

Russia began intensifying its attacks against Ukraine's cities and critical infrastructure as the temperatures dropped at the end of 2023, mirroring its strategy from last year.

Over the winter of 2022-2023, Russia engaged in a persistent campaign to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure, causing large-scale outages and damage to the grid.

As the cold weather season began and Ukraine prepared itself for a likely repeat of the strategy, Zelensky said in late October that this year, Ukraine would "not only defend itself but also respond" to Russia's "terrorist attacks" on critical infrastructure.

Read also: Ukrainian energy company on Russias attacks on infrastructure: No system in the world has faced the same

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The mother of a 4-year-old Indiana boy duct-taped, tortured and beat to death over potty training has been sentenced to more than four decades in prison in connection to his brutal slaying and for abusing another one of her children.

Mary Yoder, 28, pleaded guilty in August to felony neglect of a dependent in the death of her son, Judah Morgan, LaPorte County Circuit Court records show.

Authorities said the abuse and killing took place in the familys home near Kingsford Heights, a small town in Union Township, south of Lake Michigan and about 30 miles southwest of South Bend.

The boy died on in October 2021, after being duct-taped in a basement and ultimately starved, court records show.

According to prosecutors, Yoder did nothing to stop the ongoing torture and abuse Judah received by his father, 30-year-old Alan Morgan, who Indiana Department of Corrections records show is serving a 70-year prison sentence for his son's killing after previously pleading guilty to charges including murder in the case.

He was sentenced on Nov. 29, according to the prison records.

Eric Miller, director of the Indiana Department of Child Services, prepares to answer questions during a court hearing on Sept. 25, 2023, pertaining to documents in case involving the torture and death of 4-year-old boy Judah Morgan. His mother was sentenced to 42 years in prison in connection to his slaying on Jan. 5, 2024.

Officials say they killed 3,600 eagles: Judge issues warrant for man accused of killing the protected birds

A second child abused

In August  the same day Yoder appeared before a judge and pleaded guilty in connection to Judah's death  she also also pleaded guilty to a separate felony domestic battery charge for abusing another one of her children in 2022.

Prosecutors said that incident took place when the child was 23 months old.

During a hearing Friday, Judge Thomas Alevizos sentenced Yoder to 42 years in prison for both felony charges.

Naked and covered in a blanket with bruises all over his body

The La Porte Sheriff's Office reported deputies responded to the family's home on Oct. 11, 2021, for a report of an unconscious child. According to officials, Yoder called 911 and said Morgan lost his temper and hurt the boy.

At the home, investigators found Judah in a bedroom, WRTV reported, "naked and covered in a blanket with bruises all over his body and on his face and head."

He was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's office reported, and an autopsy conducted the next day found the boy died as a result of a homicide.

After his death, Yoder told investigators the boy was sent to the basement about three times a week as punishment, "for not being potty-trained like his other three siblings in the house."

'No real justice'

The boy, the outlet reported, spent the first four years of his life with his foster parents until the Indiana Department of Child Services gave custody back to his parents.

"Ultimately, there is no real justice for Judah, but we pray for some sense of it," the outlet reported Jenna Hullett, the boy's former foster mother, said during Friday's court hearing. "The only solace we have is knowing that Judah is no longer suffering."

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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: Mary Yoder sentenced to 42 years in killing of son Judah Morgan, age 4
Semafor Signals

Insights from The New Yorker, BBC, and Rest of World

The News

Duolingo, the popular language-learning app known for its green owl mascot, is cutting about 10% of its contractor workforce as it replaces some human labor with artificial intelligence.

We just no longer need as many people to do the type of work some of these contractors were doing, a spokesperson told Bloomberg. The company confirmed the cuts to Semafor, saying that humans will still review AI outputs for accuracy, and that it would be an oversimplification to say that AI is the sole reason for the reduction in jobs.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Duolingo is no stranger to AI

Source: The New Yorker

Duolingo has been experimenting with AI for years. It began using a model developed by ChatGPT maker OpenAI in 2020 to generate reading comprehension questions. Last year, it launched more features with OpenAIs upgraded tech. For now, at least, its not going to be zero humans, the companys founder, Luis von Ahn, told The New Yorker last year. But he said he believed computers could eventually become better teachers than humans, who he argued are just hard to deal with. You need a lot of human tutors, and theyre kind of hard to use, and we cant get them for free. And I really want people to be able to learn for free.

Cuts continue debate about AI impact on jobs

Sources: Forbes, Washington Post, Semafor

Since the generative AI boom began in late 2022, labor leaders have worried about negative impacts the technology could have on jobs. Microsoft recently announced a partnership with the union AFL-CIO focused on the ways AI will change workforces. The tech giants president has acknowledged that AI could displace jobs and eliminate tasks considered drudgery. So far, freelancers and contractors like those let go at Duolingo have been most at risk of seeing their jobs fully eliminated, while blue collar and retail workers  like Walmart store associates  are more likely to see AI integrated into their existing roles.

Duolingo sparks debate over whether AI can replace human teachers

Sources: BBC, Rest of World

Translation tech has vastly improved in recent years, but some Duolingo users argue that AI cant fully replace human knowledge when it comes to language training, especially for dialects with distinct nuances. A slate of new language-learning apps are using open source code to build AI tools, and amateurs around the world have experimented with them to improve their skills, the BBC reported. But those chatbots still make errors, and the quality typically degrades for less common and non-European languages. There are also other drawbacks: One professor in the Czech Republic told the broadcaster that an AI chatbot teaching her students English sometimes asked for sexy pictures. And U.S. immigration officials use of AI translation to process asylum claims has also sparked concerns over mistranslations.
Cynthia McClain-Hill, center, hugs a co-worker after stepping down as president of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power during a board meeting on Tuesday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Political veteran Cynthia McClain-Hill announced Tuesday that she is stepping down as president of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners following ethics-related complaints involving her and growing tensions over the utility's leadership.

McClain-Hill made the announcement at Tuesday's board meeting, saying that it had been a "distinct honor, privilege and pleasure to serve" the public and that she will depart the board.

The Times on Friday reported on criticism leveled against McClain-Hill and then-DWP commission President Mel Levine over a private phone call the pair had in 2019 with two cybersecurity executives to walk them through the utilitys plans to award their company a new contract.

The citys ethics law bars commissioners from privately reviewing contracts with vendors. Both Levine and McClain-Hill said the call was proper. The five-member DWP board oversees the department and carries out the policies of the mayor.

Read more: DWP board members held private contract talks with vendor, prompting ethics questions

McClain-Hill, who previously served on the city's police commission and has sat on an array of state and city commissions, was also a target of a lawsuit in October by four former and current DWP employees alleging retaliation. She has denied wrongdoing in connection with the suit.

She was appointed to the volunteer board by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2018 and has served as its president since 2020. She's leaving the DWP  the largest municipal water and power utility in the nation  at a crucial moment as it strives to meet its environmental goals.

Also, the utility's top executive, General Manager Martin Adams, will retire in March.

McClain-Hill was a forceful leader at the utility, challenging DWP policies and supporting protections for workers. She worked on an array of environmental and governance issues and spearheaded efforts to make the utility's workforce more diverse.

At the same time, she clashed with Adams and questioned his management of the department. That fraught relationship helped fuel divisions among the staff.

It remains to be seen whether Mayor Karen Bass will choose a manager favored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 18, which represents thousands of DWP workers.

Dozens of IBEW members went to Tuesday's meeting to support McClain-Hill and held white signs that thanked her. "President Cynthia McClain-Hill Change Maker for the Working Class" read one message. She received a standing ovation. Environmental and community leaders also thanked McClain-Hill at the meeting.

The DWP's next general manager will play a key role in determining whether Los Angeles reaches 100% climate-friendly energy by 2035, the ambitious goal set by Garcetti and endorsed by Bass. Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory say it's possible, but city officials have big hurdles to overcome, such as making sure they can keep the lights on without burning natural gas, a fossil fuel, at four local power plants.

Environmentalists want to make sure Adams' replacement is committed to getting fossil fuels off the power grid by 2035. IBEW members staff the local gas plants and have fought to keep them open.

The next general manager will also be forced to grapple with growing water shortages, as global warming leads to less water supply overall and worsens California's historic swings between drought and flood.

Bass' office declined to respond to questions from The Times when a message circulated over the weekend among top IBEW executives, urging its members to come out and support McClain-Hill at her final board meeting Tuesday.

Bass spokesperson DeMarcus Finnell said in a statement Tuesday night that McClain-Hill submitted her resignation on Wednesday. Cynthia leaves a long legacy of work in areas impacting climate justice, workers rights, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at LADWP, he said.

In the lawsuit targeting McClain-Hill, one employee alleged that DWP staff and a DWP contractor worked together to purposely mislabel an invoice sent to the utility so McClain-Hill could receive free food and beverages at an April conference in Beverly Hills hosted by the contractor.

Internal emails among DWP staff discussing the invoice and conference were filed in a separate State Bar complaint filed last month by onetime attorney and DWP consultant Paul Paradis, raising more questions. The complaint by Paradis, who became an FBI informant after admitting his role in a bribery scheme, also detailed how McClain-Hill received a $700-a-night hotel room while attending a conference in Dubai.

McClain-Hill told The Times the handling of the invoice and her acceptance of the hotel room were proper. Accenture, the contractor that hosted the Beverly Hills conference, declined to comment.

A DWP spokesperson told The Times that DWP staff asked Accenture to calculate the costs of the conference as a DWP-related business expense. The DWP declined to answer other questions about the invoice.

McClain-Hill declined to speak with The Times on Tuesday.

During McClain-Hill's time at the utility, the commission board added professional staff, whom she used to help carry out her priorities. She worked long hours, treating her position like a full-time job rather than a volunteer advisor.

In her final meeting on Tuesday, she highlighted several accomplishments, including launching a program to mentor DWP's female workforce.

This accomplishment on behalf of our women on the front line in labor, and in our department's professional ranks, shall remain one of my proudest achievements, McClain-Hill said.

Times staff writer Sammy Roth contributed to this report.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dusk settles over the Coachella Valley as workers toil in the fields in August. Laborers work in the evening to avoid triple-digit temperatures during the day. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

An astonishing seven consecutive months of record-breaking warmth have culminated in a grim milestone for humanity: 2023 was, officially, Earth's hottest year on record.

That assessment, announced Tuesday by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service , follows a year in which extreme heat smothered multiple continents simultaneously, pushed ocean temperatures to alarming highs and spurred dire warnings about the worsening effects of climate change.

"2023 was an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes," read a statement from Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus. "Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1 degree Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period. Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years."

With a global average temperature of 58.96 degrees, last year was about 0.31 of a degree warmer than the previous hottest year on record, 2016, according to data from Copernicus. December was also the warmest on record globally, as were all the months from June through November.

Official record-keeping of global temperatures began in 1850, or shortly after the end of the Industrial Revolution. Analysis of those records reveal that 2023 was 2.67 degrees warmer than the preindustrial period  or just shy of the 2.7-degree limit (1.5 degrees Celsius) established under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, an internationally recognized tipping point for the worst effects of climate change.

Nearly half the days last year reached at least 2.7 degrees over preindustrial levels, Burgess said.

While global average temperature is an abstract concept for many people  nobody actually lives in a climate that is constantly 59 degrees  the effects of extreme heat were felt by the vast majority of Earth's inhabitants last year.

In July  Earth's hottest month on record  81% of people on the planet experienced soaring temperatures made more likely by climate change, according to an analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that reports on the effects of climate change. Heat waves roiled parts of China, Europe, North Africa, South America and South Asia.

That same month, Phoenix experienced 31 consecutive days of temperatures of 110 degrees or hotter  conditions so stifling that airplanes were grounded and sidewalks caused second-degree burns.

Off the coast of Florida, the Atlantic soared to 101 degrees  the temperature of a hot tub.

And in Death Valley, the mercury skyrocketed to 128 degrees , a near world record.

Experts say much of the heat was supercharged by the June arrival of El Nino , a climate pattern associated with warmer global temperatures.

Read more: The L.A. Times investigation into extreme heat's deadly toll

Still, the primary cause of increasing global temperatures remains human-caused climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions. The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2010.

"We know for sure that the two main reasons 2023 was warm were an El Nino event on top of long-term climate change," said Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist with Berkeley Earth. "The long-term warming is the basis on which any of these records are set, necessarily."

The latest El Nino arrived on the heels of a rare three consecutive years of La Nina , its cooler counterpart, which may have had a masking effect on the heat, Hausfather said.

"When you flip from temperatures being suppressed to temperatures being enhanced, you might see a bigger effect this year than, say, comparable El Nino events where you went from neutral conditions," he said.

Read more: A warm, wet El Nino winter is in store for California and much of the U.S.

There are other variables that may have contributed to 2023's runaway warmth, including the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in the South Pacific the year prior, which shot record amounts of heat-trapping water vapor into the stratosphere.

Reductions in aerosol emissions have also contributed about a tenth of a degree of warming over the last two decades, as sulfate and other aerosols in the atmosphere can reflect sunlight away from the Earth, Hausfather said.

Additionally, solar activity is ramping up as part of an 11-year oscillation known as the solar cycle, which periodically heightens the amount of energy reaching Earth from the sun and may have contributed a couple hundredths of a degree of warming last year.

Yet 2023's heat came as a surprise even to some scientists. Historical patterns indicate that global temperatures reach peak warmth in the year after El Nino's arrival, as was the case in 2016 and 2020, the two previous hottest years on record.

That means there is a chance 2024 could be even hotter.

"I'd still probably give sightly better than even odds of 2024 being warmer," Hausfather said. "It's going to be up there, but it's less clear-cut because 2023 was so weird."

Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said similarly in a post on X that there is a 55% chance of another record-warm year in 2024 because of the ongoing El Nino event, but that less confidence is warranted "given the exceptional nature of 2023."

The year was so exceptional that dozens of records were broken, according to Copernicus. June through August marked the Northern Hemisphere's hottest summer on record, while sea surface temperatures remained persistently and unusually high, reaching record levels from April through December. Marine heat waves struck parts of the Mediterranean, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, North Pacific and North Atlantic.

Last year also saw Antarctic sea ice extents reach record lows for the time of year in eight months, including all-time daily and monthly lows in February. Arctic sea ice ranked among the four lowest on record at its peak in March.

Read more: Earth surpasses critical 2-degree warming threshold, European climate officials say

"The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilization developed," read a statement from Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus. "This has profound consequences for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavors. If we want to successfully manage our climate risk portfolio, we need to urgently decarbonize our economy whilst using climate data and knowledge to prepare for the future."

Despite such warnings, greenhouse gas emissions continued to soar in 2023. Carbon dioxide concentrations climbed to a record 419 parts per million  2.4 parts per million higher than in 2022, according to Copernicus. Methane concentrations rose to a record 1,902 parts per billion  11 parts per billion higher than the year prior  although methane's rate of increase was lower than in the last three years.

Experts say the changing climate is exacerbating extreme events across the globe, including worsening heat waves , floods , droughts and wildfires . In 2023, the United States alone experienced a record 28 weather and climate disasters where damage estimates reached or exceeded $1 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .

The average annual temperature of the contiguous U.S. last year was 54.4 degrees, or 2.4 degrees above the 20th century average, ranking as the fifth warmest on record, NOAA officials said in a separate report released Tuesday.

Despite the records, Buontempo said current trajectories indicate that in a few years, 2023 may well be remembered as a cold year.

"Our cities, our roads, our monuments, our farms  in practice, all human activities  never had to cope with a climate this warm," he told reporters Tuesday. "There were simply no cities, no books, agriculture, or domesticated animals on this planet last time the temperature was so high. This calls for a fundamental rethink of the way in which we assess our environmental risk, as our history is no longer a good proxy for the unprecedented climate we are already experiencing."

The data make it clear the 1.5-degree Celsius benchmark is slipping away. In fact, the planet briefly surpassed 2 degrees Celsius of warming globally  the upper limit of the Paris agreement  for the first time ever on Nov. 17 and 18 , according to data from Copernicus.

That same month, world leaders gathered in Dubai for COP28, an annual United Nations climate conference, where nearly 200 countries agreed for the first time to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels .

Hausfather said hope is still warranted as these and other efforts can make a difference, but "we should be cautious as we push the Earth further and further from the climate that it's had for the past few million years."

"If we want to minimize the risks to both ourselves and future generations, we need to get our act together and start more rapidly reducing emissions," he said. "It's probably too late at this point to limit warming to 1.5 degrees without passing it along the way. But we certainly have a good chance, if we speed up the energy transition, to limit warming below 2 degrees."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Marvel and Hulu are bringing the heat with Echo, the newest series from Marvel Studios and the first under the Marvel Spotlight banner.

The R-rated series (also a first for the studio) brings Maya Lopez from the world of Hawkeye into her own story, as she reconnects with those from her past and faces her demons. Blavitys Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum spoke with the cast and crew about what fans can expect from the series starring the MCUs first deaf and Native American lead character.

Alaqua Cox, who played the titular character, described the series as intense.

Its so action-packed with a lot of Indigenous and deaf perspectives as well, she said via a sign language interpreter. You know that theres those moments where theres no sound that happens and I like that we added that from the deaf perspective, of course because Im a deaf character played by a deaf individual, so its nice to have the audience be able to experience those deaf things in our world that we experience.

Executive producer Richie Palmer also gave more insight into what it means for Echo to be the first series under the Marvel Spotlight banner. He said that the banner will allow the studio to tell stories that might not immediately fall under the MCU brand.

Maya Lopez is a relatively obscure character from the comicswhen telling a story Maya Lopez origins on-screen, we wanted to honor all those things about her origins and her character in the comics, and in doing so, it doesnt tonally [fit within the MCU], he said. It doesnt immediately have to be in the same world of Avengers and giant CG aliens flying around New York City, but this is a character that grew up in that world, so we just wanted to honor and say that this is a show that anyone can tune in and enjoy.

Series director Sydney Freeland talked about how important representation was for this series, both in front of and behind the camera.

Representation wasnt a maybe for us, it was a must. Speaking for myself, I come from multiple marginalized communities. I dont try for representation when I wake up in the morning; when I walk down the street, thats just who I am, she said. What that meant is that we try to have deaf representation both in front of and behind the camera, Indigenous representation both in front of and behind the camera. Having the resources of something at the Marvel scale allowed us to lean into the authenticity of both of those aspects.

Devery Jacobs plays Bonnie, who she described as being so close to Maya that they could be sisters. Jacobs said that the series is a benchmark for Native American storytelling in television.

I think that having this show being about the Choctaw Nation and Indigenous community members and Maya Lopez being the first deaf and Native American anti-herois a marker for all of our communities, they said. Theres such a status when seeing Marvel filmsI know I was so emotional watching Black Panther for the first time and I remember people asking the question, Is this how it feels for white audiences every time they see a white superhero? I think that for us when there are so few projects that are reflective of our experiences, specifically for Native American and Indigenous folks, whenever we see one of us on screen, it feels like, Yeah, Im a part of that. I think weve all been waiting for that opportunity to see Native American people in the MCU. The fact that we get to be a part of this project is special.

Chaske Spencer, who plays Uncle Henry, the leader of the Oklahoma branch of Wilson Fisks (Vincent DOnofrio) crime syndicate, said that the series is a step in the right direction.

What I love about Echo is the themes of a great story, he said. Everybody can relate to family, everyone can relate to all these emotions and whats going on with Maya and the community. I like that its relatable.

All eight episodes of Echo are now streaming on Hulu.
QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a state of emergency for 60 days a day after the country's most-wanted prisoner disappeared from the jail where he was being held.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The state of emergency and surrounding events are among the first big security tests for Noboa, a young businessman who took office in November promising to crack down on soaring levels of violence in the South American country.

KEY QUOTES

"I have just signed a state of emergency decree so that the Armed Forces have all the political and legal support for their actions," said Noboa.

"The time is over when drug trafficking convicts, hitmen and organized crime dictate to the government what to do."

CONTEXT

Ecuador's prison agency said there were "incidents" on Monday at six of the country's overcrowded prisons, where clashes between rival gangs are frequent and have left more than 400 prisoners dead since 2021.

On Sunday, Adolfo Macias, leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, disappeared from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence.

WHAT'S NEXT

The state of emergency deploys the military onto the streets and into prisons, while setting a national nighttime curfew.

Previous governments have resorted in recent years to states of emergency in efforts boost security, but without major results.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Editing by Sandra Maler)
 Flash

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday strongly condemned Israel's assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, denouncing it as a "despicable terrorist operation."

Nasser Kanaani made the remarks in a statement, reacting to the killing of Wissam Hassan Tawil, a high-level commander from Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, and another Hezbollah member, Adham Cherri, earlier on Monday by an Israeli drone attack targeting their car in the village of Khirbet Selm.

The spokesman warned the international community and the United Nations about the consequences of Israel's "blatant and adventurist bids to widen the scopes of the regional conflict," saying "Israel's war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank are concurrent with its violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria" and its "flagrant resorting to organized terrorism has posed a danger to regional and international peace and security."

He stressed that Israel and its supporters were no doubt responsible for the consequences of such "terrorist and adventurist moves."
(Bloomberg) -- President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a 60-day state of emergency after one of Ecuadors most notorious drug lords escaped prison and renewed rioting broke out at other penitentiaries across the Andean nation.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The state of emergency includes a partial nightly curfew amid a manhunt of more than 3,000 police officers and soldiers to recapture Adolfo Macias, the head of the Los Choneros crime gang, after prison guards on Sunday noticed his absence from a penitentiary in Guayaquil.

These narco-terrorists want to intimidate us and think that well give in to their demands, Noboa said in a video distributed on social networks. The drug lords escape is an embarrassing development for the new administration that took office in November promising to control a crime wave that has turned Ecuador into one of Latin Americas most dangerous countries.

Fito, as Macias is commonly known, likely escaped after he was warned of his impending transfer to a more secure facility, Ecuador government spokesman Roberto Izurieta told local TV station Teleamazonas early Monday.

The saga is the latest indication that Ecuadors prison system has completely failed, Izurieta said. Prosecutors accused two prison guards of having aided Fito in his escape. Riots were reported at six other facilities across the country, with an unspecified number of prison guards taken hostage by inmates, according to the nations prison service.

The escape came just days before Noboas expected unveiling of a plan to reform the prison system, which has experienced a rash of deadly riots in recent years.

Ecuadorean officials have blamed the problems on increased efforts to combat drug trafficking and organizing crime, as they have struggled to control outbreaks of violence that have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 inmates since early 2020.

Noboa, a 36-year-old heir to a banana fortune who won election in October, attended an emergency security meeting late Sunday in Guayaquil but has yet to comment on the incident. He pledged to build offshore prisons for dangerous criminals during last years campaign, and the reform plan will include a new maximum security facility in the sparsely-populated Amazon province of Pastaza, Izurieta said.

Read More: Murder, Cocaine and Tears: Ecuador Confronts a Perilous Descent

The prison problems have occurred alongside a broader surge in violence that ranked as voters top concern during the election. Ecuadors murder rate hit 46.5 per 100,000 people last year, nearly twice the previous record set in 2022 and eight times its 2018 level.

In December, Prosecutor General Diana Salazar warned that drug gangs would respond to a large-scale probe of corruption in the judiciary with increased violence.

(Recasts headline, first through third paragraphs with state of emergency)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Germany, within the framework of the European Union, plays a role in achieving peace in the Middle East, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said on Tuesday at a meeting with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.

There can be cooperation between Cairo and Berlin to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish appropriate frameworks to achieve stability and peace in the region, he said.

Shoukri stressed the need to achieve stability in the Palestinian Territories of Gaza and the West Bank, deal with the issue of hostages and humanitarian protests in the Gaza Strip, and put an end to Israeli settler encroachment.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  An El Paso man was arrested in Miami on Monday, Jan. 8 after allegedly stalking world-renowned celebrity Shakira, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

Court documents state Daniel John Valtier, 56, took to social media earlier this month, stating that he was married to the celebrity and would eventually open a business with her.

Daniel John Valtier, 56. Mugshot courtesy: Miami Dade County Corrections.

Valtier also said in the social media post that he knew and had a relationship with the celebritys children and provided their names.

Valtier also sent packages to the celebritys residence which included wine bottles, chocolates and toys, according to court documents.

Court documents state Valtier made the social media posts between Dec. 30, 2023, and Jan. 2, 2024.

The celebrity and her security team advised Valtier to stop sending gifts and to also stop posting false information on social media regarding their marital status and other details related to the celebritys personal life, according to court documents.

On Wednesday, Jan. 3, a security director working for the celebrity, discovered a social media post from Valtier that showed he was traveling to Miami, Florida, to visit the celebritys residence.

On Monday, Jan. 8, Valtier arrived at the residence just before 1 a.m., and the same security director recognized him and called Miami Beach Police Department for assistance, according to court documents.

Valtier was subsequently arrested and charged for stalking.

Valtier was also charged with vehicle intent to defraud after refusing to pay the taxicab driver that drove him to the celebritys residence, according to court documents.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
An El Paso woman filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons, claiming she was repeatedly raped by prison employees as she served her prison sentence.

April Lacey filed the federal lawsuit Dec. 27, claiming she was repeatedly sexually abused by a prison employee while at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Fort Worth, Texas.

El Pasoan April Lacey filed a lawsuit Dec. 27, 2023, against the Federal Bureau of Prisons claiming she was repeatedly raped by a prison employee as she served her prison term at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Fort Worth, Texas.

"I have nightmares, panic attacks, anxiety related to that," Lacey said. "It's the legal system. These people work for the federal government and they didn't protect me, so it's taken me a long time to feel safe. I still have nightmares and I'm still working through the trauma."

Lacey was sentenced to the medical center because she was battling cancer at the time, Lacey's attorney Randall Cowen said. Attorneys Regina Powers and David Rankin also are representing Lacey.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons and former Federal Medical Center Carswell correctional recreation specialist Marerllis Nix are defendants in the lawsuit.

Federal Bureau of Prisons officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"For privacy, safety, and security reasons, the Federal Bureau of Prisons does not comment on matters related to pending litigation, ongoing legal proceedings, or ongoing investigations," a spokesman said in an email.

Nix, who resigned from his position in 2021, could not be reached for comment. No attorney is listed in federal court records for Nix.

More: Man wounded in road rage shooting on Loop 375 freeway in far East El Paso

While the lawsuit states Lacey was sexually abused by two prison employees, Nix is the only one named as a defendant in the lawsuit. No criminal charges have been filed against Nix, Lacey's attorneys said.

The El Paso Times doesn't name victims of sexual assaults but is using Lacey's name since she wants her story to be told to protect other female inmates who are vulnerable to being sexually abused.

"It's not right for the staff to prey on us," Lacey said. "Being raped was not part of my sentence. I am still living with the pain today. I've found the courage to speak about it and file this lawsuit because I don't want this to keep happening to women at Carswell. I hope someone will protect them."

Lacey was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2013 on a federal gun charge, federal court records show. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was released from prison in August 2022.

The lawsuit does not state any specific monetary relief Lacey is seeking. It asks for a jury to decide on what compensation Lacey should receive.

Prison officials allegedly knew of sexual abuse

Lacey was first raped by a prison employee in 2015, the lawsuit states. She was then allegedly sexually assaulted by Nix twice between December 2020 and January 2021, she claims.

The alleged rape by Nix was when Lacey was sick with COVID-19 and being kept in isolation, the lawsuit states. Nix was supervising Lacey and about 30 other women inmates.

The lawsuit claims Nix told Lacey "she was a 'convict,' and 'convicts' keep their mouth shut."

Nix allegedly was "taking advantage of the power and authority conferred on him, and with express or implicit threat of retaliation if she reported the conduct," the lawsuit states.

More: Back so soon: Socorro man with long arrest string back in El Paso jail

Lacey said she feared further assaults and retaliation if she reported it. The lawsuit adds Federal Bureau of Prisons leaders and staff at the prison knew of the alleged sexual assaults involving Lacey and other women but have taken no action to prevent further incidents.

"I was there to pay my debt to society and I wasn't protected by Carswell or the BOP," Lacey said. "I was repeatedly raped and abused, and I wasn't protected."

Sexual assault by prison employees is a growing concern across the nation, Powers said.

"This is not an isolated problem," Powers said. "This is not isolated to one correctional staff being responsible. This is an institutional failure. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has systemic and rampant sexual abuse in women's prisons. It's their duty to protect the women in custody and instead, many of them are subjecting women to sexual violence and abuse."

The goal of Lacey's lawsuit is to shine a light on sexual abuses suffered by women in prisons across the country, Rankin said.

"It's just tragic to keep hearing these stories again and again and again all across our nation. There's no possibility that the Bureau of Prisons isn't aware of these issues ... the continuing failure of the United States government to actually systemically address this and keep prisoners safe is appalling. People are sentenced to do their time. They need to be able to be kept safe. But the Bureau of Prisons is apparently just incapable of doing that."

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso woman sues federal prison for alleged repeated sexual assaults
The saying goes that elections are about the future, meaning that voters have short memories and tilt toward self-interested pragmatism. Winning candidates build coalitions around whats next, not what happened before.

And thats true enough. The past does matter, but typically as something to be left behind. Enough of that, now onto something else.

The 2024 election has been unusually focused on the past. Both major party frontrunners are fixated on the 2020 election and its aftermath. One warns that his likely opponent will repeat his constitutional abuses if given the chance. Conveniently for the incumbent, the object of the warning basically agrees with the premise. President Joe Biden says the past will repeat itself if former President Donald Trump is returned to power and Trump says, Yes, and 

The sanctity of democracy isnt exactly a stirring argument to convince self-interested pragmatists, especially those wholike many Americansalready have dim views about the fairness and functionality of our system. As much as painfully earned wisdom forbids the statement it couldnt get any worse, rallying people to a tattered banner is a hard thing to do.

Democrats, understanding that, have also been trying to make arguments about the future, both positive and negative.

Under pressure from former President Barack Obama and other party leaders, the Biden campaign is trying to make a stronger case to the political and economic middle, notably with the elevation of Mitch Landrieu, New Orleans-mayor-turned-infrastructure czar, to be a top talker for the president. Landrieu, a favorite of moderate Dems, will have the task of selling Biden as an engine for more projects like the much-lauded bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Biden is also trying to deny House Republicans a scorched earth fight, quickly coming to terms on the outlines of a spending deal, even as GOP leaders plow ahead with Bidens impeachment, that of one of his Cabinet secretaries, and contempt proceedings against Bidens son.

Lots of congressional Democrats would no doubt like to have seen the president take a more bellicose posture on a government shutdown, but Biden needs to show Landrieu-like moderation and avoid the economic consequences of a lengthy shutdown battle in an election year. Plus, its a safe bet that fratricidal Republicanstheir majority now down to twowill mostly defeat themselves.

The negative argument from Democrats about the future hinges on convincing voters that a Trump restoration wouldnt be a return to the old model, but a new, scarier version. In this telling, Trump, embittered by his defeat and now in absolute control of a Republican Party purged of dissenters, would be free to seek revenge against his enemies and impose radical new policies. Again, here, Trump is obliging the incumbent by basically agreeing with the premise. Enthusiastically, even.

Similarly, Republicans negative vision of the future is centered on Bidens greatest vulnerability, his age and feebleness. In this version, Biden, like Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, is being propped up by his puppeteers and will soon die, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris in charge. This reinforces Bidens infirmity and is a rebuttal to Bidens outreach to the middle: Just you wait until they have another term and the radical left will take the reins.

So we can expect the 2024 election to be typical in that it will offer a conflict of visions about the past and future, even if those visions are dark ones. But what about the present?

To a degree maybe not seen since the 1960s, the campaign will be about elections themselves. Then, it was voting rights for black Americans; now, it will be about the casting and counting of votesabout the process itself.

The Supreme Court will soon consider whether state officials can bar Trump from office for his efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in 2021. Republicans, tired of being on the receiving end of jeremiads about being a threat to democracy, have embraced enthusiastically, at least for the time being, the idea of people power.

But we are only at the beginning of a long battle over who votes and how, and the reliability of results. The first skirmish will take place six days hence when Iowa Republicans go to caucus.

They will do so at 1,670 precinct locations ranging in size from a recreation room with a dozen or so voters to a convention center with 700 souls milling around. Temperatures will probably be well below zero outside when folks gather at 7 p.m. CT and face the first controversy: Who will be allowed in.

Party rules hold that while the caucuses are just for Republicans, party switchers can make the change that night, and unregistered voters can sign up at the scene. An all-volunteer team spread out across 99 counties will have to process the petitioners and resolve their own disputes.

Then after speeches from campaign representatives, in most places voters will be given only blank slips of paper on which to record their preferences which are then interpreted and tallied, precinct by precinct. All told, the process can take three hours or more. Then the state party tabulates the results and, sometime late in the night, declares a winner. Gee, what could go wrong? If Trump underperforms by any significant margin, which would mean getting a plurality of the vote rather than an outright majority, things will surely get ugly.

Both parties believe strongly that the other is anti-democratic, but even within their own ranks, the war is on over what real disenfranchisement looks like. And as Republicans plunge into a primary fight of still unknown duration, it seems certain that, at least to some degree, Trump will be rehearsing his general election claims about a rigged system and massive fraud.

Biden is already in that fight, framing the contest as one between democracy and semi-fascism, and we can expect the fight to play out endlessly in courtrooms, state legislatures, and eventually, Congress. The two parties are already engaged in a bare-knuckle fight over the process of elections, and things are only getting started. Both sides will emphatically claim that the other is trying to usher in dictatorship and usurp the will of the people.

Our system will be sorely tested. And those volunteers and civil servants who make the whole thing run will be under sustained attack, starting in frigid Iowa. The pressure will come mostly from Trump and his supporters, but Democrats will array themselves against the system, too, with claims of disenfranchisement or in opposition to rules established by the other side.

Save a prayer for the men and women who from Monday night in Iowa until January 6, 2025, will have to endure it and find the calm and courage to do their work anyway.

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.
The City of Elk Grove is hosting a community breakfast this holiday weekend to commemorate the life and sacrifices of Martin Luther King Jr.

The city partnered with other community groups including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Committee and Cosumnes Community Services District, among others, to bring residents together for food, fellowship and enlightenment celebrating Kings impact on the world, observing his life and legacy.

The slogan for the sold-out event is, Power plus love equals justice.

One of the event organizers is Elk Grove City Councilman Rod Brewer, who was recently appointed as vice mayor. He wants people to join him, the City of Elk Grove and Cosumnes Community Services District in honoring King.

Take this opportunity to honor Dr. Kings legacy and support his vision of creating a more equitable and inclusive world, Brewer said. The event features guest speakers, musical performances, activities and a delicious breakfast.

Brewer, one of the originators of the event in 2019, said its the first time Elk Grove will host the event since 2020. The gathering was previously canceled after 2020 and four years later, its making its anticipated return.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Breakfast will begin at The Center at District56 at 8 a.m. Saturday, featuring breakfast prepared by Sacramento chef Derris Mosley of Our Place Event Space and Kitchen.

As of Monday, seats to the breakfast were sold out, according to the events Eventbrite webpage.
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Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag of the joint Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations speaks to media reporters after briefing Security Council members at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 4, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Dutch diplomat and politician Sigrid Kaag began her assignment on Monday as the United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, a UN spokeswoman said.

"She will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza," said Florencia Soto Nino, an associate spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Ms. Kaag has also received the mandate to establish a UN mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through states which are not party to the conflict."

After meeting with the secretary-general, Soto Nino said Kaag goes to Washington later in the week for meetings before traveling to the region.

The spokeswoman said Kaag will start her post in Amman in Jordan with a view to moving to Egypt and later to Gaza.

A veteran Dutch politician and diplomat specializing in the Middle East, she will be supported by the UN Office for Project Services.

In announcing Kaag's appointment last month, the United Nations said Kaag brings a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs and diplomacy. Most recently, she served as the Dutch government's first deputy prime minister and first female minister of finance.

From 2015 to 2017, she was the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, and from 2013 to 2015, she was the special coordinator of the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN mission in Syria. Kaag served as assistant secretary-general with the UN Development Programme from 2010 to 2013.

Among her degrees, Kaag holds a Master of Arts in Middle East studies and a Master of Philosophy in international relations. She speaks Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Arabic.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY)  There could be new electric vehicle charging stations coming to the Tar Heel State.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has published a map of the proposed locations for new charging stations. Businesses will be able to apply for a federal fund provided through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI).

The build out of the electric vehicle charging stations will help our state advance clean transportation and be a great economic opportunity for businesses of all sizes, said Paula Hemmer, NCDOTs Statewide Initiative senior engineer. The map gives businesses an opportunity to determine where it would be economically feasible to build and operate EV charging stations. There are a lot of things to consider like whether a site is easily accessible to all travelers and a sites proximity to amenities like restaurants and hotels.

The map, along with a notice, was released to North Carolina businesses in late December to give ample time to plan if they will utilize the NEVI funds. Businesses will have until February to apply for the funds.

According to NCDOT, NEVI has provided $109 million to develop the network along interstates, major highways and in communities. The funds will be used to reimburse businesses for project costs.

The installation of EV charging stations will be split up into two phases. Phase 1 will install DC Fast Chargers, which can charge an electric vehicle in about 20 minutes, along interstates and major highways. Phase 2 will add community-based DC Fast Chargers as well as Level 2 chargers that can take up to 4-8 hours to charge a vehicle.

NCOT has identified 11 locations for phase 1 of the project in order to fill the gaps where fewer EV charging stations currently exist.

In order for a charging station to be built under phase 1, the locations must meet the following criteria under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:

Deployed every 50 miles along the alternative fuel corridor (highways and interstates)

1 mile or less from an alternative fuel corridor

Built charging system ports that are capable of providing 150 kilowatts of direct current to four vehicles simultaneously

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Installed so they comply with local permitting and zoning requirements

Keep up to date with the latest news on WAVY.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
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The Israeli military announced that it assassinated a Hamas commander in Syria on Monday, saying the Hamas official was in charge of rocket attacks against Israel.

"We eliminated Hassan Akasha in Beit Jann town in (southern) Syria. He was a key figure responsible for Hamas' rocket launches from Syrian territory toward Israel in recent weeks," the military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a press conference.

The army said in a separate statement that it "will not allow terrorism from Syrian territory and hold Syria responsible for all activity emanating from its territory."

The killing came amid the ongoing deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas, which takes place mainly in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Monday, Israel reportedly killed Wissam Hassan Tawil, a senior commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, in Lebanon. Israel did not comment on the incident.
Sharon McNutt hands the ballots to an official to be counted at a caucus site on Monday, Feb 1, 2016, in Silver City, Iowa. | Dave Weaver, Associated Press

This article was first published in the On the Trail 2024 newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday and Friday mornings here. To submit a question to next weeks Friday Mailbag, email onthetrail@deseretnews.com.

Good morning and welcome to On the Trail 2024, the Deseret News campaign newsletter. Im Samuel Benson, Deserets national political correspondent.

3 things to know this week

The first votes of the 2024 election cycle will be cast on Monday, when Iowa Republicans participate in their caucuses. (More on that below.) This week will be chock-full of events leading up to voting  a Nikki Haley town hall on Fox News Monday night, a Ron DeSantis one Tuesday night (4 p.m. MST), and a Haley-DeSantis CNN debate Wednesday (7 p.m. CST). My colleague Jennifer Graham interviewed one of the Fox town hall co-moderators here, and I head to Des Moines tomorrow, where Ill bring you coverage on the ground. Follow along on our website, Twitter, Instagram, or this newsletter. Saturday was the three-year anniversary of Jan. 6, and President Joe Biden delivered several speeches over the weekend denouncing former President Donald Trumps role in the Jan. 6 riots. (Trump is) sacrifice democracy to put himself in power, Biden said. But some, like Sen. Mitt Romney, view the threat to democracy pitch as a bust to voters: Biden needs fresh material, a new attack, rather than kicking a dead political horse. Read more here. Did God create Trump to save America? Thats what a new video claims, which Trump himself posted to Truth Social. The video says God made Trump as a shepherd to mankind who wont ever leave nor forsake them, and it comes on the heels of a new poll that shows most Republicans view Trump as a person of faith; even so, I spoke to several Iowa pastors who saw the video as blasphemous. Read more here.

The Big Idea

The Iowa caucuses, explained

For one day, the eyes of the entire American political universe will rest squarely on Iowa, the Midwestern flyover state. The winner of Iowas caucuses just might determine the next president  or, perhaps more likely, a poor performance could kill a candidates hopes. Why? Tradition.

Iowas first-in-the-nation status began as an accident. It started in 1972, when the Iowa Democratic Party set its caucus date earlier than any other state, a result of its complex voting process  precinct meetings, then county conventions, then the state convention  and slow-moving mimeograph machines that would need time to print ballots for each. The Iowa Republican Party followed suit in 1976, and the tradition stuck: Iowa became the first state to vote in each presidential election.

But Democrats moved away from Iowa this cycle, saying the state is not representative of the country (Iowa is mostly white and rural). Republicans stuck around, though, and on Monday, they officially kick off the 2024 election.

The process goes something like this: Every city has designated precinct locations, based on voters home addresses  a church, a high school, a living room  and participants are to arrive at 7 p.m. sharp. The caucuses are open to Republicans only, though voters are allowed to change their party affiliation or register to vote on site.

The word caucus is believed to come from the Algonquian word for counsel, meaning a meeting of Indigenous tribal leaders. In the same vein, the Iowa caucuses are treated like neighborhood meetings, where voters gather and talk about why they support certain candidates. The candidates may send surrogates to deliver speeches on their behalf, and after the speeches conclude, each voter fills out a secret ballot.

There is no mail-in or absentee voting; to participate in the Republican caucus, voters must go in person.

You dont get a week or a month to vote, Drew Klein, the director of Americans For Prosperity-Iowa, said. You dont even get a day to vote. You have to show up at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15. And in snowy, frigid Iowa, Klein notes, there are no weather delays. (Current forecasts for Monday show a daily high temperature of 5 degrees Fahrenheit; by 7 p.m., it will likely be sub-zero.)

Related

In a state with just under 3 million residents and over 700,000 registered Republicans, the standing record of caucus-night participants is 180,000. In 2016, Dubuque County  one of Iowas 10 most populous counties, out of 99  was decided by 27 votes. In 2012, Romney was declared the statewide winner on election night by an eight-vote margin; later, a recount deemed Rick Santorum the victor, by 34 votes.

Those razor-thin margins go far in selecting the eventual Republican nominee. Since 1976, when Republicans first held their first-in-the-nation caucus, a presidential candidate has never finished worse than third place in Iowa and gone on to win the party nomination.

To Iowa Republicans, hosting the first-in-the-nation caucus is a responsibility and an opportunity.

Iowans are pretty responsible people, because theyre rural people, Pastor Bill Tvedt of Oskaloosa, Iowa said. All your cattle die if you dont get up and feed them at 3 a.m. So they know what responsibility is.

What Im reading

Haleys donors are a group of people who can buy anything. Except, perhaps, the Republican nomination for president. Nikki Haley is testing the limits of big money in GOP presidential politics (Natalie Allison, POLITICO)

A visual, county-by-county peek into Republicans differing approaches to winning over as many Iowa voters as possible. Inside the GOP candidates strategies in Iowa (Sophia Cai and Alex Thompson, Axios)

Iowa evangelicals were once skeptical of the former president. Now they are among his strongest supporters. How Trump Captured Iowas Religious Right (Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker)

One last thing  a reminder to follow our new On the Trail 2024 Instagram account!

Have a question for the Friday mailbag? Drop me a line at onthetrail@deseretnews.com, or reply to this email.

See you on the trail.

Editors Note: The Deseret News is committed to covering issues of substance in the 2024 presidential race from its unique perspective and editorial values. Our team of political reporters will bring you in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Find our complete coverage of the election here.
MIAMI  A U.S. veteran who plotted to overthrow Venezuelas president is proudly standing with a former Venezuelan army general who pleaded guilty in New York on terrorism charges, describing his would-be comrade-in-arms as a patriot and dedicated family man worthy of a reduced prison sentence.

Former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau had stayed mostly silent since a ragtag cadre of Venezuelan military deserters he helped clandestinely train in Colombia carried out a cross-border raid in 2020 seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro. Dubbed Operation Gideon, the raid never stood a chance and two of Goudreaus fellow Green Beret veterans were quickly arrested, while eight Venezuelans were killed.

Goudreau, 47, resurfaced this week to stand with Cliver Alcala, the rebellious Venezuelan military officer who would be his most trusted aide in the harebrained scheme. The retired Venezuelan army general is set to be sentenced Jan. 18 on two counts of providing support for a Colombian rebel army designated terrorist group by the U.S. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

This image provided by the U.S. Department of Justice shows a reward poster for Cliver Alcala-Cordones that was released on March 26, 2020, as part of a federal indictment charging him and others in a conspiracy stretching back two decades to convert Venezuela into a launch pad for flooding the U.S. with cocaine. (Department of Justice via AP, File)

Goudreau, in a letter filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, recounted how he came to admire his fellow soldier, living with Alcala and his family in a spartan apartment in northern Colombia. While he makes no mention of their covert coup plans, he described how the two would pool funds to buy rice and other food staples for those in need, tracing Alcala's sense of service to the example set by his grandmother, who raised him after he lost his parents, and two decades as a military officer in some of the most remote corners of Venezuela.

Most soldiers feel the need to be of service, and I know that Cliver always sought to assist those in need, Goudreau wrote in the one-page letter to Judge Alvin Hellerstein urging a reduced sentence. He had been dedicated to providing whatever little extra he had to give to others.

Goudreaus public appeal for leniency stems from his involvement in the bizarre plot highlighted in a 2020 investigation by The Associated Press which blew the lid on jungle camps where Alcala, going by the nom de guerre Julius Cesar, was training a few dozen desperate Venezuelan military deserters to oust Maduro.

The AP never found any evidence of direct U.S. government involvement despite Goudreaus constant knocking on doors of the Trump White House and inking of deals with Maduros opponents to muster support for what came to be known as the Bay of Piglets, in reference to the far better planned but similarly botched 1961 invasion of Fidel Castros Cuba.

Alcala's crimes pre-date his fight for Venezuelas democracy.

He was arrested in March 2020 as part of a sprawling federal indictment charging him alongside Maduro  who he was by then plotting against  and others in a sprawling conspiracy stretching back two decades to convert Venezuela into a launchpad for flooding the U.S. with cocaine. Earlier, in 2011, he was sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly supplying the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia with surface-to-air missiles and protection when he commanded troops along the shared 1,400-mile border separating the two countries.

As part of plea negotiations, prosecutors dropped the charges of drug trafficking, which Alcala strenuously denied. Instead he pleaded guilty to providing weapons and material support to a designated terrorist group, a still serious but lesser charge that his attorneys argued was the outcome of his loyalty to his one-time mentor and boss, the late Hugo Chavez.

General Alcala never raised any arms directly against the United States or acted in any way against the ideals or citizens of this country, his attorney, Cesar de Castro, wrote in a sentencing memo filed late Monday. The conduct underlying his guilty plea, while criminal in the United States, were the actions of a general following the direct orders of his superior officers and the President of Venezuela.

Prosecutors have yet to recommend a sentence. But Alcala's defense team said that the 62-year-old Venezuelan deserves no more than six years behind bars due to his age, harsh imprisonment during the COVID pandemic and his minor role in the offense. They also argue it is unsafe for him to return home to Venezuela, where he faces threats for betraying Maduro.

Then theres Alcala's role as an outspoken foe of Maduro at the same time the Trump administration had offered a $15 million reward for his arrest and was encouraging Venezuelans to rise up against the socialist leader who it blamed for destroying the countrys democracy and its oil rich economy.

According to De Castro, Alcala opposed Maduro almost from the moment he assumed the mantle of the Bolivarian revolution from Chavez, who died of cancer in 2013, the same year Alcala retired from the military. His dissent escalated and in 2017, with the knowledge of the U.S. government, he leveraged his influence among the Venezuelan officer corps to rally troops to remove Maduro, according to De Castro.

These were not theoretical debates about democratic change, these were plans for armed insurrection against a regime and its leadership, De Castro wrote.

The 2017 barracks revolt failed, ending with several plotters arrested. Alcala managed to flee across the border to Colombia. A few years later, he would try again, this time in coordination with the democratic opposition led by Juan Guaido, who the U.S. in 2019 recognized as Venezuelas legitimate leader.

Goudreau, a three-time Bronze Star recipient for bravery in Iraq and Afghanistan, saw in Alcala a like-minded warrior, one motivated by patriotism, not political payoffs. When the two met, he was living in a small rented apartment, driving a beat-up Nissan and had barely $3,000 in a bank account.

He was not living the life of an exiled corrupt Latin American leader rich with the spoils of monies corruptly earned, De Castro wrote.

Alcala's arrest doomed whatever dim hopes the secret rebellion had of succeeding. However, less than five weeks after he surrendered to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and two days after the AP exposed the secret plans, a small amphibious force on ramshackle fishing boats invaded and was quickly mopped up. Eight Venezuelan rebels were killed and several others, including Alcalas own nephew, were arrested.

Also captured was Luke Denman and Airan Berry, former U.S. special forces colleagues of Goudreau, who watched the fiasco unfold from Florida. The two Americans returned home last month as part of a prisoner swap in which the Biden administration released a close ally of Maduro accused in the U.S. of money laundering.

In the aftermath of the raid, FBI agents searched Goudreaus home and seized $50,000 as part of a federal investigation into arms trafficking. But the cash was later returned and theres no indication criminal charges are forthcoming.

Goudreau was interviewed last month under oath by an attorney for J.J. Rendon, a Miami-based political strategist who initially recruited him for a military operation to arrest Maduro while serving as a top adviser to Guaido.

Goudreau sued Rendon in 2020 for breach of contract, although Rendon has said the exploratory contract he signed on behalf of the U.S.-recognized Guaido government was null and void and the roughly $50,000 he paid Goudreau was for expenses he incurred before a bitter split almost five months before the raid.

Gustavo Garcia Montes, an attorney for Goudreau in the lawsuit, declined to comment.
Ex-PLA officer says Chinese troops used to cook and make hot pot with fuel they took out of missiles: report

A former People's Liberation Army officer said Chinese troops used missile fuel to cook hot pot.

He told Radio Free Asia about the incidents and other issues of corruption.

Recent reports have highlighted new problems in the PLA, such as missiles filled with water.

Hot pot is a delicious communal meal that Chinese troops were able to make with the help of rampant corruption and readiness problems, a former officer told Radio Free Asia amid reports of new issues within the People's Liberation Army.

The ex-officer said he and other personnel used to use the fuel from missiles to cook meals, including hot pot. The reported example highlighted past problems with the Chinese military as the PLA and Chinese leadership grapple with new troubles potentially hindering China's efforts to transform its armed forces into a world-class military that can fight and win wars.

Yao Cheng, identified as a former lieutenant colonel and staff officer with the PLA who fled to the US in 2016, told the US government-funded Radio Free Asia that during his military service  which other interviews indicate was before more extensive military modernization efforts  there were multiple instances in which service members raided components of weapons to get by, speaking to problems within the PLA at that time.

Yao told Radio Free Asia that when he was in the military, he and others would "drain fuel from aircraft fuel tanks for cooking, which burns green and has no smell at all."

"When we would eat hot pot," he continued, "we would take out the solid fuel in the missiles piece by piece because there were insufficient supplies."

Yao said he "would often go along to the armory and ask them for a small round piece of solid fuel when we wanted to have hot pot." Hot pot is a traditional communal Chinese meal involving a tabletop pot that boils meats, seafood, vegetables, and other foods.

A J-10C fighter jet during the 2021 air show in Zhuhai, in China's southern Guangdong Province. Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images

He made similar observations in a post on X, saying Chinese troops consumed whatever they worked with. Yao wrote that transportation personnel sold gas, aviation troops cooked with jet fuel, warship personnel sold diesel, and missile troops used rocket fuel. He said this sort of thing wasn't uncommon.

Yao's description of his experiences in the PLA came amid reports documenting continued issues of corruption in the force. US intelligence has described a few cases, including missiles filled with water instead of fuel and missile silos with dysfunctional lids, Bloomberg reported.

Though these reports highlight problems, it's unclear to what extent these issues impact China's overall capabilities and readiness.

China's military has seen several leadership shakeups in the past year, which raise questions about loyalty within the ranks and the control of China's leader, Xi Jinping, as well as his trust in the PLA. Perhaps the most shocking dismissal came in October 2023, when the defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, was removed from office after disappearing from public view for two months. At the time, US officials told The New York Times Li had been under investigation for corruption.

Li's departure came after the foreign minister Qin Gang's removal in July, which came with no explanation, and the dismissal of two top commanders of China's Rocket Force in the same month.

Expert observers have assessed that Xi is probably tightening his grip on both the Chinese Communist Party and the military. In a July 2023 meeting, he stressed that the party had "absolute leadership" over the armed forces.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman explained why newly emerged testimony  including from Dan Scavino, former deputy chief of staff for communications in the Trump White House  is the final nail in the coffin that proves former President Donald Trump had no intention of calling off his supporters during their attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump was just not interested in halting the violence, Scavino told special counsel Jack Smiths investigation into Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election and Trumps role in the insurrection, per a new report from ABC News on Sunday.

If you think of it through the vantage point of the prosecution, the one thing that Trump could maybe try through surrogates to claim at trial is, It took him by surprise. He never knew this would happen, Litman, who is now an analyst for MSNBC, said Monday.

Youve heard claims of that. It seems dubious, but you take Scavino and put him on the stand, he continued, as seen in video posted by Mediaite. Anyone whod had that attitude would of course have been mortified and done everything they could to stop it  not rejoiced at it, say Who cares about Mike Pence, et cetera.

Litman described the testimony as very, very powerful evidence if you look at it with the prism of what Jack Smith has to prove at trial.

It pretty much is a nail in the coffin of Trumps intent, he added.

The quadruply indicted Trump has attempted to downplay his role in stoking the violence, for which he was impeached.

He has argued presidential immunity as a defense.

Trump watched the riot unfurl on television in the White House, hours after telling supporters at a rally that hed join them in going to the Capitol.

Soon after the insurrection, then-Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said White House aides described Trump as delighted and walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team werent as excited as he was about the deadly chaos that engulfed the Capitol.

Related...
A new photography exhibit and roundtable discussion is being planned as the last remaining Rosenwald School in Williamson County prepares to move to its new Franklin home next month.

Created between 1917-1932, the Lee-Buckner School served more than 50 kids before it was closed at the end of segregation in 1965. It was one of 24 such schools in Williamson County and housed grades 1-8 after its opening in 1927, historians say.

Since its closure, the school sat abandoned in an isolated Spring Hill location.

We learned about Lee-Buckner in 2018, and immediately knew we had to do everything possible to save this remarkable piece of history. Now it can become a destination thats easily accessible to the public so generations to come can learn from it, said Bari Beasley, president and CEO of the Williamson County Heritage Foundation, which is incorporating the school into its new Franklin Grove project on the site of the former O'More College of Design.

Over the years, I have frequently been moved to tears hearing testimonials from former students about how this school changed their lives. I cant wait for the schoolhouse to become part of our community, and for stories about this historic cultural destination to be heard by audiences across the country.

Named after Julius Rosenwald, chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and created with the help of Booker T. Washington, schools like Lee-Buckner served Black populations across the Southern states during segregation.

The Heritage Foundation has been working with former students, Black community leaders, historians, preservationists, architects and engineers to capture oral histories from Lee-Buckner, stabilize the building and plan for its restoration.

Plans call for the historic schoolhouse to be moved very carefully in the early-morning hours of Feb. 2, by way of tractor trailer. The Heritage Foundation has arranged for a former student to ride with the schoolhouse to its new home in a symbolic and transformative moment, officials said.

Prior to the move, The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County is planning to host a special event at The Franklin Theatre, 419 Main Street, unveiling a temporary photograph exhibit, Building Community, Leaving A Legacy: Lee-Buckner Rosenwald School Oral Histories and Photographs.

The Feb. 2 event will include a roundtable conversation with school alumni and the Heritage Foundation's preservation team.

It starts at 6 p.m. and is free to attend.

For more information about Lee-Buckner or the Heritage Foundation, visit williamsonheritage.org.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Exhibit, panel on 19th century schoolhouse set ahead of Franklin move
 Flash

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday refuted a joint statement released by the Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query on the joint statement, which was released on Jan. 6 by the U.S. State Department. It expressed the three countries' concerns over China's maritime claims in the South China Sea and "escalatory behavior," and said that the United States, Japan and the ROK "will continue their trilateral maritime security and law enforcement cooperation in accordance with international law."

The three countries also reaffirmed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community.

"China has noted the U.S.-Japan-ROK dialogue and its resulting joint statement," Mao said, expressing serious concerns about the statement's rhetoric on China.

"We firmly oppose the attempt from these countries to cobble together exclusionary groupings in the name of cooperation, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, attack and smear China and stoke confrontation and antagonism," the spokesperson said.

She said that the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. China is committed to safeguarding its own territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and maritime interests, while managing differences properly with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation.

"Certain non-regional countries have sought to flex their muscles and incite confrontation in the South China Sea, which is not conducive to peace and stability in the region," she said.

"I want to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affairs and brooks no foreign interference," Mao said.

She said that the key to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is upholding the one-China principle and firmly opposing separatist moves toward "Taiwan independence."

The Asia-Pacific region is a cooperation pacesetter, not a chessboard for geopolitical contests, she stressed.

"We urge relevant parties to earnestly respect regional countries' efforts toward peace and stability, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop creating bloc confrontation, and cease to fuel tensions in the region," Mao added.
Ukrainians will enter the year 2024 with mixed and complex feelings. Despite the belief in victory, it is already clear that the war with Russia is dragging on, so we face dramatic twists, turns, and dilemmas.

The central problem of 2024 was clearly outlined by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, in his essay for The Economist: How do we escape the trap of positional warfare? Both we and our international partners must decide on a further military and political strategy that will respond to Russia's plan of attrition. The effectiveness of this strategy will determine the future prospects of the war against the Russian aggressor.

Another urgent challenge related to the war is whether we have enough resources.

It is not only about weapons and ammunition, but also about macroeconomic and financial support for our country. This situation is influenced by both objective and subjective (political) factors.

The stockpiles in the arsenals of NATO countries are being depleted to some extent. No one expected such a long war in Ukraine. In addition, a war has broken out in the Middle East, which could also drag on. The expansion of military production in the United States and other NATO countries has already begun, but it is not happening as fast as we would like. However, we can predict that the countries that are part of the Ramstein Coalition will continue to provide military and technical support to Ukraine, as it is in the strategic interests of the United States, NATO, the EU, and the G7 countries. In 2024, we can expect the delivery of American F-16 fighters. If Russia intensifies hostilities, the United States and other NATO countries may increase the quality of military and technical assistance to Ukraine, including the supply of long-range missiles.

In the spring of 2024, negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU

The regularity and volume of aid to Kyiv will be increasingly influenced by political turbulence and the accumulation of socioeconomic problems in the United States and some EU countries. The growing inter-party struggle in America is already clearly demonstrating this, creating problems for the US budget process and the provision of financial assistance to partners. In the year of the US presidential election, the situation will only get worse.

In the EU, some of Putin's "friends," including the Hungarian government led by Viktor Orban, face similar problems. Unfortunately, this may lead to fluctuations in the pace and scope of support for Ukraine. We should be prepared for a gradual reduction in direct budgetary assistance to Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada should prepare appropriate financial safeguards and savings mechanisms to ensure our defense capability and socio-economic stability.

Election Expectations

The central dramatic dilemma of 2024 is war or peace: continuation of the war to liberate all the occupied territories or acceptance of proposals to end hostilities to prevent excessive exhaustion of the country and restore forces to continue fighting the enemy.

The prolongation of the war and the uncertainty of the prospects for its end will increase the number of supporters of the cessation of direct hostilities, even if part of Ukraine's territory remains under Russian occupation. Within the country, there may be a debate between those who insist on continuing the war against Russia until all the occupied territories are fully liberated and those who support agreements on even a temporary cessation of hostilities.

But the possibility of ending the war will depend on more than Ukraine.

All supporters of peace must understand that calls for "reconciliation" will not lead to a quick end to the war, but will only provoke Russia to seek revenge for the defeats of the first year of the invasion. The Kremlin will likely drag out the war against Ukraine, at least until after the US presidential election. The only way to stop Russia and force it to at least cease hostilities is through force and effective resistance. Both foreign pacifists and domestic supporters of peace at any cost should understand this.

2024 is a period of significant elections around the world. The United States and Russia will hold presidential elections, though that means different things between them. The lower house of Congress and one-third of the Senate in the United States will also be re-elected. The outcome of these elections will significantly impact Washington's future policy toward Ukraine and Russia, but in 2025.

Of great geopolitical importance will be the presidential and parliamentary elections in Taiwan, the results of which will determine the military and political situation around the island and relations between the United States and China. This will have an indirect impact on US policy toward Ukraine, just as the crisis in the Middle East has.

We should also remember the European Parliament elections in June 2024. They are unlikely to change the EU's policy of supporting Ukraine. But there may be a change in EU leadership, which must be considered.

The global election fever may eventually infect Ukraine, despite the unpopularity of elections during war. Under what conditions can elections be held in Ukraine? The most obvious answer to this question is when the war is over. But it is far from certain that the current war will end in 2024. If the fighting gradually turns into a low-intensity war (as in Donbas from March 2015 to January 2022), and public opinion in Ukraine begins to lean toward supporting elections, then the likelihood of them will increase. But this will require either lifting martial law or legislative changes to the legal regime of martial law.

Window of opportunity

If there is a prospect of genuine peace talks, this will also facilitate elections. Our international partners will advise us to hold presidential (and possibly parliamentary) elections first and then go to negotiations to have a legitimate mandate for certain agreements. One way or another, the topic of elections during the war will be discussed in 2024. But the likelihood of presidential and parliamentary elections depends on the coincidence of military, domestic, political, and international circumstances.

If parliamentary elections are held in 2024, a new Cabinet of Ministers will be formed. However, a more realistic scenario for a government turnover in Ukraine (including a change of prime minister) is in the event of increased political and social tensions and economic problems. However, Denys Shmyhal will likely become the record holder for the longest tenure as head of the Cabinet of Ministers. He will be able to celebrate the fourth anniversary of his government on March 4, 2024.

If the political trends that emerged in the second half of 2023 continue, we may see an escalation of the domestic political struggle in 2024. Then, Ukraine will face another dramatic dilemma: preserving national unity to effectively resist an external enemy or resuming an active internal political struggle to refresh the government. The second option is risky in a war with a powerful enemy like Russia. However, its temptations for some politicians and public figures are already evident.

In the foreign policy realm, 2024 may become a period of both challenges and windows of opportunity for Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The challenges will be associated with a significant increase in the turbulence of international relations. We will need to look for a more flexible foreign policy strategy. The window of opportunity will open primarily on the path to European integration. In the spring of 2024, negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU may begin, unless Hungarian Prime Minister Orban prevents it.

Another window of opportunity for Ukraine is the NATO anniversary summit in Washington on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Alliance. Many Ukrainians still await an invitation to join NATO, even with an open date. As long as the war continues, this is extremely unlikely. If the United States and NATO eventually decide on a strategy to support Ukraine in the face of a protracted war against the Russian invasion, then positive and creative options for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration may suddenly emerge.

In 2024, the situation with negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine from the G7 countries may also become apparent. However, agreements on international security guarantees will likely be tied to potential negotiations on ending hostilities in Ukraine.

To summarize, the year 2024 seems to be quite problematic. But I will add optimism. Ukraine is a paradoxical country. Our very optimistic and inflated expectations do not come true (which, unfortunately, was evident in 2023), but as a rule, very pessimistic forecasts do not come true either. Ukrainians can surprise the world and themselves. Still, we should not rely on fortune alone. We must remember that the country's fate is in our hands, and our shared future depends on what we do and how we respond to our challenges.

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
Claim:

A photograph shared in January 2024 authentically showed Jeffrey Epstein posing with former U.S. president Donald Trump and a young girl.

Rating:

Rating: Fake

In early January 2024, financier and convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein who died in jail in 2019, made headlines when a judge unsealed documents in a case against his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The unsealing of the documents sparked social media buzz. On Jan. 9, 2024, a photograph was shared on X (formerly Twitter), allegedly showing former U.S. president Donald Trump posing with Epstein and a young girl wearing a crop top.

(X user @FlyingDutchPall)

Google reverse-image search results showed that the image was shared on other social media platforms such as Reddit, Threads or Facebook. It was also shared on Chinese-language online forums and websites. "Would you still vote for him if your daughter was in this picture?" one social media user asked. "Having a hard time finding this picture anywhere on the internet before like two weeks ago," another Reddit user commented.

In short, we found that the image had many signs of being generated by artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, the girl's hand seemed to be deformed as well as the sleeve of Trump's jacket.

(X user @FlyingDutchPall)

Moreover, via reverse-image search, we found a full-size version of the viral image shared on Quora.

(TheGoodRussian Quora profile)

In the original version of the image we spotted more telltale signs of the photograph being artificially created. For instance, the faces of people in the background were deformed, Trump had only one leg and Epstein seemed to be dissolving into the couch.

(TheGoodRussian Quora profile)

Given that the in-question photograph was created using AI software, we have rated it as "Fake."

For insights into Jeffrey Epstein's court documents, check out our article "A Quick Guide to the Jeffrey Epstein Documents Unsealed on Jan. 3, 2024." In the past, we've fact-checked other Epstein and Trump-related claims, including debunking a supposed photo of Trump and Epstein on a plane. In July 2023, we have also investigated another AI-generated image, allegedly showing Trump and Epstein posing with underage girls.

Sources:

Baum, Sarah. Does This Photo Show Trump and Epstein with Underage Girls? Snopes, 14 July 2023, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-and-epstein-with-underage-girl/.

Izzo, Jack. A Quick Guide to the Jeffrey Epstein Documents Unsealed on Jan. 3, 2024. Snopes, 4 Jan. 2024, https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/01/04/jeffrey-epstein-unsealed-document-guide/.

PerryCook, Taija. Is This a Real Photo of Trump and Epstein on a Private Plane? Snopes, 2 Jan. 2024, https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-and-epstein-on-private-plane/.
Claim:

In January 2024, a rocket was launched into space carrying the remains or DNA samples of 330 people, including George Washington, John F. Kennedy and "Star Trek" cast members.

Rating:

Rating: True

Context:

On Jan. 8, 2024, a rocket was launched as a part of Astrobotics Peregrine Mission One carrying 62 titanium capsules filled with human DNA and cremated remains to be deposited on the moon. Another 268 capsules were sent into deep space. The payload included hair samples of former presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight D. Eisenhower contributed by an anonymous donor. After the launch, the spacecraft experienced a leak in its propulsion system, raising doubts that it would be able to reach its lunar destination.

On Jan. 7, 2024, a post was shared on Reddit claiming that a rocket was set to "release remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and Star Trek cast into space." The same claim was also spread on other social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.

The posts referred to an article by The New York Post published on Jan. 6, 2024, with the title "Rocket set to release remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and Star Trek cast into space: Permanent memorial." It read:

Its their final frontier. After an eight-month delay, a rocket will finally release into deep space the remains of 330 people from all walks of life  including George Washington and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Texas-based company Celestis Inc.s inaugural Enterprise Flight is scheduled to launch at 2:18 a.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral in Florida, marking the first time human remains will be released on the moon and beyond by a commercial company. The two-stage Vulcan Centaur rocket will first drop 62 of the 1/4- and 1/2-inch-long titanium capsules filled with DNA or cremated remains on the moon, in a 6-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide device called the Peregrine Lunar Lander. It will become a permanent memorial.

The article continued, informing that "an anonymous donor contributed hair samples from former Presidents Washington, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower."

The spaceship will then take the remaining 268 capsules over 185 million miles into deep space, where they will orbit the sun forever, said Celestis CEO and co-founder Charles Chafer. Ive had a lot of firsts in my career, but this will be the first commercial deep space mission ever done  and hopefully it will be the first of many, many more over the next few centuries, Chafer said. The celestial payload will be filled with luminaries.

To verify the claim, we first searched for the Celestis company and found that on its official website it described itself as "the pioneer and iconic global leader in providing memorial spaceflights."

Through 17 missions since 1997, Celestis has helped families the world over commemorate the lives of their departed loved ones. Our experienced team  co founded and led by globally recognized entrepreneur Charles M. Chafer  includes aerospace professionals, dedicated client services and customer support staff, and space launch event management experts. Our directors and advisors include a retired Director of the NASA Kennedy Space Center who directed more than 50 Space Shuttle launches, retired NASA astronauts, and pioneers of the commercial space age.

What's more, the website stated that "sending the Celestis spacecraft carrying cremated remains or DNA on a permanent celestial journey" would cost around $13,000.

(www.celestis.com)

We also found reports by The Associated Press (AP) confirming that on Jan. 8, 2024, a rocket was set to be launched into space carrying the ashes and DNA of "Star Trek" cast members.

AP published a video on the topic and its description read (emphasis ours):

Star Trek stars and fans are gathering in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the overnight launch of a new rocket. The rocket will carry the ashes and DNA from 70 people, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, into space. Its also carrying ashes from Star Trek cast members James Doohan, DeForest Kelley and Nichelle Nichols, and strands of hair from three U.S. presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and George Washington.

The project, Peregrine Mission One, was spearheaded by Astrobotic Technology, being the first commercial American lunar lander mission. NASA's involvement was notable, with the agency sending its scientific payloads as part of the mission. Importantly, the mission was not without controversy. Indigenous groups, including the Navajo Nation and Maori leaders, have expressed strong objections to the mission. Their concerns primarily focused on the use of the moon for human burials, as the moon holds a revered place in their traditions.

Despite these objections, the Peregrine mission proceeded, albeit with a technical setback soon after launch. The spacecraft experienced a propulsion issue following its separation from the launch vehicle, a Vulcan Centaur rocket. This anomaly raised concerns about the mission's success and the fate of the payloads aboard. As of this writing, the spacecraft's ability to carry out a moon landing was in doubt.

All in all, on Jan. 8, 2024, a rocket was indeed launched destined to drop 62 titanium capsules filled with DNA or cremated remains on the moon. The remaining 268 capsules were to be sent into deep space. However, the mission's moon landing was in doubt due to a technical problem soon after launch.

Sources:

Archive, View Author, and Get author RSS feed. Rocket Will Release Remains of Presidents, Star Trek Cast into Deep Space. 6 Jan. 2024, https://nypost.com/2024/01/06/news/rocket-will-release-remains-of-presidents-star-trek-cast-into-deep-space/.

Astrobotics Peregrine Mission One - NASA. 29 Nov. 2023, https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/clps/astrobotic-peregrine-mission-one/.

Fisher, Kristin. Navajo Nations Objection to Landing Human Remains on the Moon Prompts Last-Minute White House Meeting. CNN, 5 Jan. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/05/world/peregrine-moon-mission-navajo-nation-objection-human-remains-scn/index.html.

Ignorant and Arrogant: Maramataka Expert Opposes Moon Burials. Te Ao Maori News, https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/01/08/it-is-ignorant-and-arrogant-maramataka-expert-opposes-moon-burials/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.

Payload Assessments Continue for NASA Science Aboard Peregrine Mission One  Artemis. 8 Jan. 2024, https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2024/01/08/payload-assessments-continue-for-nasa-science-aboard-peregrine-mission-one/.

Peregrine Lunar Lander | Astrobotic Technology. Astrobotic, https://www.astrobotic.com/lunar-delivery/landers/peregrine-lander/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.

Roulette, Joey. Moon Lander Problem Threatens Mission after Vulcan Rocket Makes Successful Debut. Reuters, 8 Jan. 2024. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/vulcan-rocket-set-debut-launch-with-first-us-moon-lander-decades-2024-01-08/.

The Ashes and DNA of Star Trek Cast Members and Fans Are Being Sent to Space. apnews.com, https://apnews.com/video/florida-aerospace-technology-spacecraft-dawn-amore-charles-chafer-ebdb7d32c8d44b54bf3144e31243ef8b. Accessed 8 Jan. 2024.

Video: Navajo Nation Calls for Moon Mission Delay over Plan to Bury Human Remains | CNN Business. 2024. edition.cnn.com, https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2024/01/06/navajo-nation-objection-to-land-human-remains-on-moon-blackwell-foa-vpx.cnn.

---. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4hFP5c-jTQ. Accessed 8 Jan. 2024.
A Massachusetts woman is accused of poisoning her 73-year-old husbands soup at the urging of a scammer who posed as a soap opera star, authorities said this week. The poisoning was allegedly carried out in December by Roxanne Doucette, whose devious plan was allegedly discovered by her daughter after she found texts that were part of a clear romance scam, Boston 25 News reported, citing an arrest report. You have to get rid of your husband honeyI need you so much, read a message by the scammer, who claimed to be Thorsten Kaye from The Bold and the Beautiful. Doucette, who cops say kicked an officer in the crotch when they tried to take her into custody, has denied the allegations against her, saying the soup eaten by her husband was simply old, not poisoned. Ive never, ever tried to poison him in any way whatsoever, she insisted to WCVB 5, adding in an interview with WBZ News that she just wants him to come home. The husband survived the alleged poisoning, but his current condition is unclear.

Read it at WCVB 5

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Family Of A 29-Year-Old Black, Gay Father, Janard Geffrard, Demands Answers After He Died From A 21-Minute Brutal Beating From Cellmate | Hans Neleman via Getty Images

The family of Janard Geffrard, the 29-year-old Black gay man who died after being assaulted in jail, is demanding answers from officials. Geffrards family said they still dont know why the guards at the Broward County jail in Fort Lauderdale, Florida failed to intervene when their loved one was assaulted by his cellmate.

According to an arrest report from Dec. 16, 35-year-old Kevin Barnes was seen on surveillance camera while attacking Geffrard. The cellmate is accused of placing Geffard in a chokehold for two minutes, then repeatedly stomping on his head and torso while he lay unconscious and bleeding. A deputy arrived 20 minutes after the attack and removed Barnes from the cell. Geffrard was pronounced dead on Dec. 31 at Broward General Hospital.

Geffrards family and representatives issued a letter to Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, asking him to release all the footage of the assault. Loved ones are also demanding to know why the staff was so slow to respond to the attack. In a statement to WPLG, Tonys office said they have opened an investigation and four staff members are currently on administrative investigative leave with pay.

According to police, Barnes told deputies that he was upset at Geffrard for being gay. The 35-year-old also said he was angry because of Geffrards lack of cleanliness.

I thought he was safer in there than in the streets, Marcia Irving, Geffrards mother, said in an interview with WPLG. Somebody beat my kid up real bad, and then he kept doing it, he kept after he was out.

Geffrard was arrested in 2023 after being accused of grand theft auto and parole violation, the Miami Herald reported. The court ruled in November that Geffrard is incompetent to face a judge because of mental illness. Public defender Graham Weekes, who is representing Geffrard, told The Herald that healthy individuals are finding themselves dying or being neglected medically in the jail.

Somethings going on in the jail that is creating this repeated pattern, he added.

According to Weekes, nearly 20 people have died in the Broward County jail since 2021.

As The Advocate reported, Geffrard leaves behind a 10-year-old child.
FILE - A memorial for University of Arizona professor Thomas Meixner is seen outside the school's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences building, Oct. 14, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. The family of the University of Arizona professor who was fatally shot on campus in the fall of 2022 has reached a multi-million-dollar agreement with the school, attorneys for the man's wife and sons said Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Tang, File)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  The family of a University of Arizona professor who was fatally shot on campus in the fall of 2022 has reached a multimillion-dollar agreement with the school, attorneys for the man's wife and sons said Tuesday.

A statement by the law firm representing Kathleen Meixner, wife of professor Thomas Meixner, and their two sons, said that the family agreed not to sue the university as part of the agreement. The family in March filed a claim against the university as a precursor to a lawsuit, seeking $9 million.

In addition to an unspecified amount of money, the agreement includes non-monetary commitments that affirm the universitys continuing support for the well-being of those most affected by these events, the university and the Arizona Board of Regents said in a statement. It added that the family would continue to have a voice in the planning and implementation of safety measures on campus.

Thomas Meixner was shot on Oct. 5, 2022, inside the building where he headed the schools Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. House later, police arrested Murad Dervish, a 46-year-old former graduate student later charged in Meixners killing.

An independent review released last March showed there were multiple missed opportunities to investigate and possibly arrest Dervish. The company contracted to conduct the review interviewed nearly 140 people.

Dervish faces a first-degree murder charge when he goes on trial later this year. He had been expelled from the school and barred from campus after being accused of sending threatening text messages and emails to Meixner and other professors.

Kathleen Meixner said the family welcomed the increased security measures instituted on campus after the report came out.

We must look to the future, and with urgency, ensuring that tragedies like ours do not happen to others, she said in her statement.
(BCN)  A one-alarm fire displaced a family in San Francisco early Tuesday morning, according to fire officials.

Around 3:15 a.m., crews responded to a residential fire at 402 Girard Street in the Portola neighborhood. Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-story multi-family home in flames, the San Francisco Fire Department said on social media.

San Francisco Fire Department

San Francisco Fire Department

Firefighters were able to evacuate its occupants, a family of five, as they were trying to extinguish the fire on the second-floor bedroom.

Around 3:45 a.m., the blaze was under control, fire officials said. No casualties were reported.

The family is being assisted by the American Red Cross, the fire department said.

Even though the nature of the blaze is non-suspicious, it remains under investigation, according to fire officials.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
SHAMOKIN, Pa. (WHTM)  A family-owned furniture store that first opened its doors back in the late 1800s recently announced its upcoming liquidation and closure.

Baders Fine Furniture was first founded back in 1890 by Rueben and Jacob Auker. Later on, in 1953, the business was taken over by the Shebelsky family who have been the owners of the furniture store ever since.

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The current owner, Sherri Shebelsky, recently announced her retirement and has begun the process of closing Baders Fine Furniture, which is located at 704 North Liberty Street. According to the independent retailer, it will begin the liquidation of all inventory on Thursday, January 11.

This is also the day that Baders will begin offering its going-out-of-business sale for the public, which will offer discounts of 30-50% off their home accessories and furniture.

The loyalty and support of a small town community like ours is truly unique and has been crucial for the success of our family business. It has been so rewarding to provide excellent customer service to such wonderful people, Shebelsky said.

Moving forward, the four-story building at the corner of Route 61 and Liberty Street is for sale. Interested buyers are encouraged to call Shebelsky at (570)-648-4802

abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
I'm a travel expert who plans personal family vacations for my husband and two young daughters.

I love planning trips with my kids and exposing them to the world through travel.

My parents introduced me to traveling with road trips, and I've done the same with my kids.

As a child, I eagerly awaited the annual road trips across the US with my parents and two siblings. Those childhood adventures ignited my wanderlust and inspired me to visit all 50 states, a journey I completed more than a decade ago. My parents often tease me about the time my 6-year-old self declared during one of our cross-country trips, "This isn't a vacation. We're just driving!" But little did I know that those seemingly endless miles would leave an indelible imprint, filled with laughter, bonding, and unforgettable memories, shaping me into the avid traveler I am today.

Now, my family of four takes trips at least twice a year, and we've visited 20 countries and 20 states in the 11 years since my first child was born. Sometimes, we are lucky enough to have my parents join us on our escapades, and they've come with us to locales like Myrtle Beach and Saint Kitts and Nevis. On our trips, we've learned everything from the art of lei-making in Maui to the Black history of Cartagena.

There is no greater joy than seeing the world through my children's eyes. Exposing them to diverse cultures, customs, and people instills in them not only a profound understanding of the world they live in, but they're also learning more about themselves.

Taryn White and her family went on a trip to Portugal in 2022. Credit: Taryn White of The Trip Wish List

We plan our family vacations together

I typically begin crafting our personal family trips a year in advance, aligning them with my children's school breaks. While I consider destinations based on flight and hotel deals on sites like Going, The Flight Deal, Secret Flying, and Hotel Slash, we also pick where we go based on our interests and the time of year. Most often, I pick destinations based on where we can use miles and points earned through travel rewards credit cards instead of paying cash.

The most exciting part of the planning process comes from involving my children. We pore over maps, watch YouTube videos, and curate an itinerary incorporating their diverse interests in food, art, culture, and the great outdoors. We leave ample time in the itinerary for relaxation in between exploration and learning about the history of our destinations, whether it's unwinding on the sandy beaches of The Bahamas or getting lost in the colorful street art of Medellin, Colombia.

In 2018, Taryn White and her family went to Medellin, Colombia, and stopped to enjoy some colorful street art. Credit: Taryn White of The Trip Wish List

A week before departing, we research the weather where we're going so the kids can pack their luggage with the appropriate clothing and essentials  a task they have taken on with pride. My kids even keep small journals during our trips to document their experiences, and my older daughter has begun writing blog posts based on our travels.

We take road trips all over the US

Just like I did with my parents, I've taken many road trips in the US with my husband and kids, making it a priority for my family to explore destinations from sea to shining sea. Out west, we've hit the ski slopes of Aspen, learned about geologic formations at Arches National Park, and admired the stunning scenery of Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. We still reminisce about Hawaii's spectacular landscapes and delicious treats like ube ice cream and shaved ice.

The family enjoyed the stunning scenery in Arches National Park in 2022. Credit: Taryn White of The Trip Wish List

In Virginia, we've gazed upon constellations at Primland Resort's observatory, learned about marine life at the Virginia Aquarium, and hiked through the magnificent Great Falls Park, seeking solace in cozy mountain cabins in the Shenandoah Valley and oceanfront resorts in Virginia Beach. Most recently, we traded the winter chill of the mid-Atlantic for the sunny shores of Bradenton, Florida, where we sailed alongside playful dolphins, tried flavorful "Floribbean" dishes, and basked in the Gulf Coast sun, sand, and sea from a colorful beach house.

We've had some incredible international vacations, as well

While Turks and Caicos may seem like a romantic getaway, it's also a fantastic spot for family fun. We've sailed its crystal blue waters and dined at top-notch, family-friendly restaurants like The Terrace on Grace Bay. But our travels extend beyond tropical locations. As we ventured across Portugal, we were captivated by the country's mouthwatering cuisine, ornate Manueline buildings, and jaw-dropping countryside and coasts, from the Douro Valley to the Algarve.

Taryn White and her family have been all over the world together, from Aspen to Turks and Caicos. Credit: Brilliant Studios

Last year, we embarked on an epic road trip through the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Croatia. We spent our days wandering through medieval marvels like Prague Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, and Hvar's Fortica. We also hunted for the best chimney cakes in Budapest, climbed ancient fortresses in Hvar, and experienced the serenity of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. It's quite possible that our best trips are yet to come.

For us, travel is more than just a vacation. It's an immersive journey full of endless possibilities for discovery, education, and serendipitous moments with each other and the people we encounter along the way. With each destination, we continue to learn and grow together, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A federal appeals court on Tuesday signaled it would reject Donald Trumps attempt to throw out his indictment over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results because it involved actions he took while president, questioning such an expansive view of executive power.

The three-judge panel at the US court of appeals for the DC circuit expressed particular skepticism with the position that he had absolute immunity from prosecution as Trump, attending in person, looked on.

Related: Trump avoids mention of US Capitol attack on 6 January anniversary

I think it is paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law, the circuit judge Karen Henderson, a George HW Bush appointee, told Trumps lawyer John Sauer during the roughly 90-minute hearing in Washington.

Last year, Trump filed a motion to dismiss the federal indictment brought by the special counsel Jack Smith, which charged the former president with seeking to reverse the 2020 election, including by advancing fake slates of electors and obstructing Congress on 6 January 2021.

The motion was rejected by the trial judge, prompting Trump to appeal to the DC circuit. The special counsel sought to bypass the potentially lengthy appeals process by asking the US supreme court to directly intervene, but the nations highest court returned the case to the appeals court.

Trumps lawyer John Sauer received a cold response at the DC circuit and was even forced into conceding that presidents did not in fact have absolute immunity, after he acknowledged that presidents who were convicted in impeachment trials could be prosecuted.

The questioning came from the circuit judge Florence Pan, who noted incredulously that under Trumps interpretation, presidents could hypothetically self-pardon, sell military secrets or order assassinations of political rivals.

Trumps lawyer initially sought to dodge the hypotheticals and disputed whether they were examples of official acts. But he ultimately acknowledged with a qualified yes that presidents could be prosecuted if they had been convicted in a Senate impeachment trial first.

Pan then closed the trap and pointed out that Sauers acknowledgement meant he was conceding there was no absolute immunity for presidents.

The circuit judges also cornered Sauer with comments made by Trumps lawyer during his second impeachment trial, who had argued that senators should acquit Trump for incitement of insurrection because no former office holder was immune from investigation and prosecution.

Trumps lawyer said he disagreed with the characterization of those remarks. Sauer said it referred to Trump being investigated generally, and, in any event, office holders referred to lesser government officials, not the president himself.

The mechanics of the panels eventual ruling  despite their skepticism toward Sauer  remains unclear.

Trumps position has been that all the allegations in the indictment involve official acts he undertook as president that he contends cannot be prosecuted, in contrast to private conduct which he argues can be subject to criminal charges.

Henderson questioned whether Trump had been engaging in ministerial or discretionary acts as president, but later raised the possibility of sending the case back to the trial judge to adjudicate on a charge-by-charge basis whether the acts were official or private conduct.

While the judges indicated incredulity at Trumps legal arguments, Trump might still benefit from the hearing. His teams goal is more about delaying the trial, scheduled to start on 4 March, rather than winning the immunity argument. Theyre likely to appeal a loss at the DC circuit to the US supreme court, which could further delay the trial.

Trump has made it no secret that his strategy for all his impending cases is to delay, ideally beyond the 2024 election in November, in the hopes that winning re-election could enable him to potentially pardon himself or direct his attorney general to drop the charges.

The clear attempt to stave off the looming trial prompted the special counsel, Jack Smith, to attempt a rarely seen move to ask the US supreme court to resolve the presidential immunity question before the DC circuit had issued its own judgment.

Prosecutors made it plain in their 81-page court filing that they wanted to leapfrog the lower appeals court because they were concerned that the process  scheduling hearings and waiting for rulings  would almost certainly delay the trial date.

But when the supreme court declined to hear the matter last month, it remanded the case back to the DC circuit, directing the circuit judges Pan, Henderson and Michelle Childs to issue their own decision first. In the interim, the case against Trump remains frozen.

The decision has almost certainly slowed down Trumps federal election interference case. Even if the DC circuit were to rule against Trump quickly, he can ask the full appeals court to rehear the case, and then has 90 days to lodge his own appeal to the supreme court.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new Ohio law that limits childrens social media access.

As News Center 7 previously reported on Friday, NetChoice, which represents Meta and TikTok, filed a lawsuit against the State of Ohio. The group asked the court to stop the Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act from going into effect while the lawsuit moves through the legal system.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Group representing Meta, TikTok sues Ohio over new law limiting kids use of social media

The group further claimed that the law violates constitutional rights and rips away parents authority.

On Monday night, the group took to social media to announce the judges ruling.

NetChoice is excited to announce that Ohio's Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act has been temporarily halted ahead of our hearing for a formal preliminary injunction against the law in NetChoice v. Yost on February 7, 2024.



The written order will be issued by the  NetChoice (@NetChoice) January 8, 2024

Following the written order being issued, Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted released statements about the decision, both saying they were disappointed with the ruling.

The negative effects that social media sites and apps have on our childrens mental health have been well documented, and this law was one way to empower parents to have a role in their kids digital lives. I am disappointed in this injunction and hope it will be lifted as the case further proceeds so these important protections for children can take effect, DeWine said.

>> RELATED: Minors will soon need parental consent to create social media accounts

Husted said the big-tech companies involved in the lawsuit were included in the legislative process to make sure the law was clear and easy to implement, but now they claim the law is unclear. They were disingenuous participants in the process and have no interest in protecting children.

The law, which forces social media platforms to get formal consent from parents before a child under 16 can create a social media account, was set to take effect on Jan. 15.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A federal judge in Nevada dismissed a lawsuit on Monday that challenged former Republican President Donald Trumps run for his old job.

The decision clears the legal challenges to Trumps candidacy in Nevada. A previous lawsuit by Republicans that challenged the mandatory primary was dropped earlier.

But the dismissal doesnt actually address the question surrounding Trumps eligibility under the 14th Amendment. Lawsuits in Colorado and Maine are continuing, and the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to review Colorados decision to remove Trump from the ballot.

castro-dismissalDownload

U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro found that John Anthony Castro, a presidential candidate from Texas, lacks standing to challenge Trumps eligibility to run for president. Agreeing with several previous rulings in other federal courts, Navarro said that Castro was manufacturing the conditions that led to the lawsuit. Castro had openly admitted to The Associated Press that he was running for office solely to file the federal lawsuits.

Because federal courts can only rule on cases where the plaintiff has been injured  in this case, the likelihood that Trumps name on the primary ballot would hurt Castros chance of winning  Navarro said Castro lacked standing, and therefore the court could not rule on the lawsuit.

Republican candidates listed on a Clark County sample ballot for the Feb. 6 primary.

A footnote on page 3 of Navarros order to dismiss points out that Castro and Trump wont even be competing on the same ballot because Trump is participating in the Republican caucus, not the primary. Nevada Republicans are choosing their candidate based on the Feb. 8 caucus, not the Feb. 6 primary. The party has informed candidates that anyone who runs in the primary will be ineligible for delegates.

Heres why Donald Trump is missing on the Nevada primary ballot

The 14th Amendments insurrection clause prohibits anyone from holding office if they have engaged in insurrection after swearing to support the Constitution.

A statement from Trumps campaign called the dismissal a victory for all Americans and the people of Nevada. The full statement appears below:

Todays dismissal of another bogus, bad-faith, Crooked Joe Biden-engineered attempt to deprive Americans as a whole, and the voters of Nevada specifically, of their right to vote for the candidate of their choice is not only a victory for President Trump, but a victory for all Americans and the people of Nevada. President Trump remains undefeated in federal court against these cynical efforts to interfere in the 2024 election. Courts in eleven states have now dismissed similar, pathetic, 14th Amendment ballot cases. Make no mistake, each and every one of these ballot-challenges are blatant attempts to steal the election for Crooked Joe Biden and disenfranchise over 100 million American voters. President Trump is the leading candidate for not only the Republican primary, but the general election and his opponents are desperate. Rest assured that he will fight each and every one of these disgraceful attacks on American democracy, he will win, and we will all Make America Great Again. Steven Cheung, Trump Spokesman

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The USDA Forest Service says the name is offensive based on Waynes past. Some vehemently object.

The U.S. Forest Service has caused a firestorm by proposing that Ohios only national forest undergo a name change.

The Forest Service wants to change the name of the forest in southeastern Ohio from Wayne National Forest to Buckeye National Forest. Ohio is nicknamed the Buckeye State.

The national forest is currently named after General Anthony Wayne, whose complicated legacy includes leading a violent campaign against the Indigenous peoples of Ohio that resulted in their removal from their homelands, the Forest Service said in a press release. Wayne also owned 47 enslaved people.

A battle is underway over whether to change the name of Ohios Wayne National Forest. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/Inside Edition)

But a group of Ohio lawmakers ripped the name-change effort, calling it an attempt to obscure the history of a great man.

This federal effort denigrates Ohio history and represents a lack of fidelity to our nations founding generation, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Randy Moore, chief of the Forest Service, which is part of the USDA.

Vance also partnered with another Ohio Republican, Rep. Warren Davidson, in criticizing the effort. There are instances in our history where great men accomplished extraordinary things, and they deserve to be honored and remembered for it. Gen. Wayne is one of those men, the pair wrote.

A day later, three other Ohio Republicans  Reps. Troy Balderson, Brad Wenstrup and Bill Johnson  wrote jointly to the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture decrying the move and requesting more time for public comments.

Wayne, born in 1745, was a prominent military figure during the countrys founding days, according to his biography in Brittanica. He was a colonel in the Continental Army in 1776 and just a year later became a brigadier general. Nicknamed Mad Anthony for his courage on the battlefield, Wayne fought in several campaigns against the British. He and his troops are credited with holding West Point after its commander, Benedict Arnold, agreed to give the fort to the British for money.

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But Wayne also had 47 enslaved people who worked on his rice plantations near Savannah, Georgia. He led portions of the Northwest Territory Wars, during which fighters killed Indigenous people and burned their villages so white Europeans could settle on the land.

Wayne has hundreds of cities, roadways and institutions named after him, including Wayne County, Michigan; Fort Wayne, Indiana and Wayne County, New York. But its the proposed Wayne National Forest name change that has caused a fuss.

The Forest Service, in its press release, wrote: The current forest name is offensive because of this history of violence. Buckeye National Forest is one of the names suggested to the Forest Service by American Indian Tribes.

Some lawmakers dont agree.

Ohio Speaker of the House Jason Stephen criticized the woke Biden administration for a campaign to erase Major General Anthony Wayne  an integral part in the settling of Ohio, he said in a statement to the Ironton Tribune.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Feds mull renaming Wayne National Forest because of ties to enslaved people, Indigenous killings appeared first on TheGrio.
Devotees pull the statue of the Black Nazarene during its annual procession which was resumed after a three-year suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 in Manila, Philippines. A mammoth crowd of mostly barefoot Catholic devotees joined a chaotic procession through downtown Manila Tuesday to venerate a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ with many praying for peace in the Middle East where Filipino relatives work. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  A massive crowd of mostly barefoot Catholic worshippers marched Tuesday in an annual procession in the Philippines capital that paraded a centuries-old black statue of Jesus. Many said they prayed for peace in the Middle East, where tens of thousands of Filipinos work, as fears rise of a spread of the Israel-Hamas war, now in its fourth month.

Considered a major annual Catholic event in Asia, the procession was cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic and last year, after pandemic restrictions eased, the statue was not paraded to discourage larger crowds.

The procession on Tuesday took 15 hours and the crowd of devotees  many in maroon shirts imprinted with the image of the Black Nazarene  at one point swelled to more than 2 million, according to a police estimate.

Red Cross volunteers treated more than 360 worshipers, mainly for bruises, but at least five were hospitalized, including one who sustained head injuries when he fell to the ground while attempting to climb onto the carriage carrying the statue.

Police were on high alert during the event in Manilas Quiapo district, following a Dec. 3 bombing that killed four people and wounded dozens of Catholic worshippers attending Mass at a university in the southern Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. blamed foreign terrorists for the attack, which sparked a security alarm.

Thousands of police and plainclothes officers were deployed, along with drone surveillance and commandos positioned on rooftops along the route of the procession. Many nearby roads were closed off, cell phone signals were blocked and people were banned from carrying backpacks other than clear ones, as well as umbrellas and from wearing caps.

The procession typically draws massive numbers of largely poor Catholics who pray for the sick and a better life.

Two Filipino workers were killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel that triggered the latest war. Their slayings underscored the threats faced by foreign workers in Israel, where about 30,000 Filipinos work  many as caregivers looking after the ill, the elderly and those with disabilities. The remittances Filipino workers send back home from across the world has helped keep the Philippines fragile economy afloat.

Im praying for the war to end, Rose Portallo, a 33-year-old mother of three, told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the procession. I pity the many Filipinos who are there, she said, adding that most of her relatives work in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

Jeffrey Quilala, a 35-year-old cook in a Manila restaurant whose cousin works in Kuwait, said he was worried that a protracted Mideast conflict could affect global oil prices, deepening the hardships of many poor Filipinos. He walked barefoot to join the procession and said he has participated in the religious event for 15 years.

The life-size statue known as the Black Nazarene and showing Jesus carrying the cross was brought in the 16th century from Mexico on a galleon in 1606 by Spanish missionaries. The ship that carried it caught fire, but the charred statue survived. Many devotees believe the statues endurance, from fires and earthquakes through the centuries and intense bombings during World War II, is a testament to its miraculous powers.

Cancer survivor and businesswoman Juliet Asanon, a longtime Black Nazarene devotee, believed her prayers to the Black Nazarene and Catholic saints helped her during her illness and treatment.

I asked God for help, she said. "I did not feel any pain. ... He made it easy and He cured me.

For the first time Tuesday, the statue was encased in glass to protect it from damage as the crowd pressed around the slow-moving carriage.

The spectacle reflects the unique brand of Catholicism, which includes folk superstitions, in Asias largest Catholic nation. Dozens of Filipinos have nailed themselves to crosses on Good Friday in another unusual tradition to emulate Christs suffering that draws huge crowds of worshippers and tourists each year.
AURORA, Ohio (WJW)  Police said a Monday evening fire at a Target store was intentionally set.

Police responded to the store along North Market Place Drive just before 6:30 p.m., according to Bainbridge Township police Chief Jon Bokovitz.

Live blog: School close; State Route 8 crash

This embedded content is not available in your region.

They found smoke in the building and an active fire near the electronics department that was being contained by the stores sprinklers, according to Bokovitz.

The building was evacuated and no injuries were reported. Firefighters from Bainbridge Township and several nearby departments also responded.





A 43-year-old Amsterdam man believed to have started the fire is detained and expected to be formally charged upon release from a hospital, according to Bokovitz. Authorities have filed charges including aggravated arson and inducing panic.

The store, which sustained smoke and water damage, remained closed on Tuesday.

The store will remain closed for a short time for repairs and restocking, a Target spokesperson told FOX 8 News on Tuesday.

The next closest Target is near Macedonia, at 8282 Golden Link Blvd., Northfield. Its open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
t was storming at the Florida Capitol as lawmakers gaveled in to start the 2024 legislative session, while schools and all other governmental buildings were closed due to the severe weather on Tuesday.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The winter storm did loom large over the proceedings though.

House Speaker Paul Renners (R-Palm Coast) opening speech was even interrupted by a chorus of hundreds of phones blaring out a tornado warning emergency alerts.

Well keep everyone advised if we do need to take any serious shelter, said Renner.

When Governor Ron DeSantis took the podium to deliver the annual State of the State address, he highlighted that hed declared a state of emergency in 49 counties in preparation for the storm.

This is a somewhat of a unique start to the legislative session because every government building except this one is closed in Tallahassee, said DeSantis.

Outside the House chamber, State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) commended the decision to push forward on schedule despite the weather outside.

There are tornado warnings, but we continued because thats what we do in Florida. We know how to handle things, said Black.

Less than an hour after wrapping up his speech in the State Capitol, the Governor made a quick appearance down the road at the state emergency operations center, where he provided an update on the storm, which had already generated four tornadoes in the panhandle.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

There are currently 21 counties under a tornado watch and two counties under tornado warning and an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms across the state, said DeSantis.

DeSantis left without taking questions, but later in the day, Action News Jax had the opportunity to ask Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) why lawmakers decided against delaying the start of the session.

She questioned whether such a move would have even been legal.

If we dont gavel in, our session begins 60 days and by our constitution is supposed to start on the Tuesday or whatever. So, Im glad we didnt have to do it, said Passidomo.

Not only was the weather not enough to delay lawmakers from getting to work on time, but the Governor also managed to make it to his scheduled campaign stop in Iowa on time.

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The state Republican Partys executive committee Monday removed embattled Chairman Christian Ziegler and elevated Vice Chairman Evan Power to lead the party as the 2024 election year gets underway.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Power said after the meeting the party is moving forward. While acknowledging a pause in fundraising, he said he didnt anticipate lingering effects from the scandal surrounding Ziegler, who has been under police investigation because of an alleged sexual assault.

I think its a blip on the radar, Power said. I think were going to be able to pick up today fundraising-wise and move the party forward. So, I dont think theres going to be a long-term impact. I think youre going to see us win big again in November.

Most of the partys more than 250 committee members, meeting at the Tallahassee Conference Center near Interstate 10, agreed in a voice vote to remove Ziegler from the $120,000-a-year position.

Ziegler, who did not attend the meeting, has disputed the assault allegations, contending that he had consensual sex with the accuser, who had previously been involved with Ziegler and his wife, Bridget, a member of the Sarasota County School Board.

But the allegations drew national attention and led to top Florida GOP leaders calling for Christian Ziegler to step down.

The committee voted 135-65 to elect Power, the Leon County Republican Party chairman, over Peter Feaman, an attorney from Boynton Beach who is in his third term as Floridas Republican national committeeman.

Power is a lobbyist who has overseen the partys daily operations since mid-December.

The Republican Party of Florida is bigger than one person, Power said. And what we did today is to come together and move to close this chapter.

Ziegler, with the backing of supporters of former President Donald Trump, won the party chairmanship in February over Power, who had backing from supporters of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But before Mondays vote, Power was endorsed by DeSantis and pulled in Trump supporters.

Addressing reporters before the Republican meeting, Florida Democratic leaders raised questions about the GOP leadership, saying it was more focused on culture-war issues than health care and property insurance.

They certainly dont have their stuff together right now, House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said I feel like Democrats are in an era where we really are trying to build back power, brick by brick. We have a platform that, I think, includes policies that the people of Florida actually want to see.

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried said that because of the Republican agenda heading into the 2024 legislative session, which starts Tuesday, it doesnt matter who runs the state GOP.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Regardless of who is chair of this party, their moral compass is completely broken, Fried said. They have no direction. They have no agenda. Their agenda is how to hurt more Floridians.

But U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican who is close to Trump and supported Power, doesnt anticipate Ziegler leaving a negative legacy on the party.

I think people vote on their own economic interests, their own physical safety, Gaetz said before going into the meeting room. Thats where Republicans have really been delivering for people in the state of Florida. And I dont think that kind of the cloak-and-dagger chambers of party leadership really motivate voters on the right or the left.

In December, the GOPs executive board stripped Ziegler of his authority as chairman and cut his salary to $1. Daily functions of the party were turned over to Power.

Ziegler has been the subject of an investigation by the Sarasota Police Department since being accused on Oct. 4 of the alleged sexual assault. No charges have been filed, and Ziegler rejected calls to exit the party chairmanship.

Bridget Ziegler, who helped organize the Moms For Liberty conservative political group, is not involved in the criminal complaint.

But she has faced calls to step down from the Sarasota County School Board and from her appointed position on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board of Supervisors, which helps govern property that includes Walt Disney World. DeSantis appointed her to the Central Florida board.

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KISSIMMEE, Fla.  Eight-year-old Zachary Doyle was in hospice when his family got a chance for one more adventure.

We adopted Zachary when he was 7 weeks old, and he had spina bifida and hydrocephalus, which at the time seemed like manageable diagnoses that we could tackle as a family, his mom, Susan Doyle, told USA TODAY in November. Unfortunately, in the last seven years, he developed many other conditions.

She said he underwent around 40 brain and heart surgeries like a champ, but ran out of treatment options last year.

We were pretty resigned to being at home and finishing out the end at home, Doyle said. That was until Zachary was granted a rush wish trip to Walt Disney World through Gentle Shepherd Hospice in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Zachary loves all things Toy Story, and so his wish was to meet Woody, she said with a smile.

Roughly half of all critically ill children eligible for a wish choose to visit Central Florida attractions, according to Give Kids the World Village, the Kissimmee-based nonprofit that takes the baton from more than 250 wish-granting organizations worldwide and fulfills those wishes, in partnership with theme parks.

This was going to be so much more than just meeting Woody, Doyle said.

What is Give Kids the World Village?

Kids can play with model trains, remote controlled boats and more at Amberville Train Station.

Give Kids the World Village is an 89-acre, fully accessible, nonprofit resort exclusively for critically ill children and their families. It was founded in 1986 by late Holocaust survivor, hotelier and philanthropist Henri Landwirth, who wanted to ensure all kids got to enjoy childhood after missing out on much of his own.

In the early days, before the village was built, Tami OBrien would help Landwirth find local hotel rooms for visiting wish families.

He said, We can never say no, recalled OBrien, who now coordinates the villages guest services and Welcome Back Family alumni program.

So many of the kids that come here are so used to doctors or other people telling them no, said Todd Thomas, whose 8-year-old daughter Annaliese battled Langerhans Cell Hystiocytosis as a toddler and is a Give Kids the World Village alum. Her pandemic-delayed wish was granted by Make-A-Wish Southern Florida in December 2022.

This is a yes place for kids, Thomas said. If they want ice cream for breakfast or lunch or dinner, the answers yes. They have little rides on site. Any time a kid walks by, if they want to ride it, theyll find somebody to attend it.

Each wish family gets a private villa to stay in, all meals and snacks provided, daily surprise treats, tickets to all area theme parks, and access to a host of resort activities ranging from character greetings to horseback riding, all at no cost. They also receive a world passport from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, granting them access to parks around the country for a year.

Whether they're like Annaliese, who's doing great, or they're having a hard time with their diagnosis, they still find ways to make every kid ... Thomas began.

Feel special! Annaliese chimed in. They treat you like youre VIP.

I like being an alumni because we still get to do a bunch of fun things. Like, I got my hair done. I got my nails done. I got glitter tattoos, she added. Alumni families are welcomed back to visit or volunteer. Annaliese was excited about the possibility of volunteering on her next visit. I want to do that.

Dream trip: Disney World surprises 60+ Make-A-Wish families

Being a kid

The colorful creatures on Give Kids the World Village's are designed for kids of all abilities.

Susan Doyle guessed Zachary had ridden the villages accessible carousel at least 100 times. One of his favorite spots was Matthews Boundless Playground, which like other village landmarks, is named after a late wish child.

I felt like a mom of a typically developing child because at one point he was rolling down so fast, no fear at all, Doyle said.

We have never found greater accessibility than this, she said. There is nowhere on the property here at the village that Zachary can't navigate independently. And weve never experienced that. We're used to helping Zachary jump curbs or lifting his wheelchair up and over things.

Stewart Dobbins, a pediatrician who volunteers at Give Kids the World Village in his spare time, has seen many wish children flourish there.

A lot of them are children suffering through things that most adults don't suffer through, he said. The joy that they get just coming and having an experience away from the doctors, away from the madness of the hospital and the disease and all of that, it's just a sense of normalcy for them. ... They can relax and be a kid.

Marc's DinoPutt is a seven-hole miniature golf course with animatronic dinosaurs. It was built by Universal Orlando Resort employees and continues to be maintained by volunteers from Universal.

Not alone

Wish children and their families can also see others like themselves.

Nobody stares at them because their child has a trach or because they dont have bodily control or they make unusual sounds or they don't have any hair because they've been going through treatments, said Give Kids the World President and CEO Pamela Landwirth. Even if you have children here who don't have outward manifestations of their illness, they're so used to seeing that in the hospitals.

Nine-year-old Elliot Kostelak, whose wish was granted by Children's Wish Endowment of Louisiana, said, I like being here because you get to talk to the kids that had surgery just like you, and it's fun to play around.

Elliot was born with a cleft lip, cleft palate, congenital heart defect and chromosome disorder that is so rare, his mom, Jessica Kostelak, said it doesn't even have a name.

Elliot Kostelak high fives Rugby, one of Give Kids the World Village's original characters.

Whenever he met a fellow wish child, his mother said Elliot would ask, What kind of surgery did you have to come here? She said, He felt a real connection to lots of the kids that we met during that week.

Playing with his little sister Olivia, Elliot added, You also get to hang out with your family.

Thats his best friend, his mom said. When she was born, he was 3 years old, and so she's only known Elliot's medical journey as her life, and so coming here was just as much about her, and she felt right at home.

Stop staring: What people with disabilities and their families wish fellow travelers would know and do

A family affair

The trips are meant for the whole family, and Give Kids the World Village takes care to make sure siblings feel just as special as the wish children.

We woke up every morning to small gifts for all three of our children and just the thoughtfulness behind everything, it's really hard to put a price on that, said Zacharys mom, Susan Doyle.

Theres a spa for wish parents and caregivers called Olivias Oasis, which Jessica Kostelak joked was so relaxing, her mom fell asleep. For Kostelak, the entire trip was a break.

When we came here, we as a family just felt peace that I honestly didn't know was possible anymore, she said. Because we were just always thinking about that next thing that's coming up, and then we had such a magical week with them.

Each wish family gets to stay in their own wheelchair-accessible villa.

Everything in the village is designed for families like the Kostelaks, Doyles and Thomases.

I think they make it as easy of a process as possible for parents, while also making it unforgettable for the kids, said Annalieses dad, Todd Thomas. I don't know any other place in the world that has thought of just about everything to make a family going through an awful situation feel like a million bucks.

Lasting memories

Zachary and his family loved their time at Give Kids the World Village, so much that they quickly scheduled alumni visits back after his wish trip.

It's hard to put into words, but once you come here, it's like everything else kind of pales in comparison to the love and the beauty and the magic that is here, his mom said.

The village loved him right back, giving him the title of assistant mayor, inviting him to a board meeting and printing out business cards for him. He even had a direct report, whom he bossed around in good fun.

Call me if you need anything! he said during USA TODAYs visit.

That would also be Zacharys last trip to Give Kids the World Village. He passed away in December, but his memory lives on. A new wholesome food venue in the resorts main dining hall is being named Zachs Time Out in his honor.

Thousands of stars adorn the ceiling and walls of the Castle of Miracles. Each star represents one wish child.

And a star he decorated will forever adorn the ceiling of the villages Castle of Miracles, along with stars of nearly 200,000 other wish children.

It gives our family something to come back and remember, when he made that star and when he placed it and how we were all together as a family, Susan Doyle said. And even if he isn't with us on those future trips, it will just be special that we were here.

Looking back, she said their wish trip opened the door to a whole new season with Zachary.

I would encourage families of critically ill children, with as much as they are able, to continue making memories and continue doing special activities, even if it's not a big trip, she said. Im thankful that we will have these positive memories, and I would want other families to enjoy that as well.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Give Kids the World gives critically ill kids trip like no other
Ahead of the legislative session beginning Tuesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has been pushing to expand her offices control over local drug prosecutions and investigations. But she appears to have backed off the idea after receiving pushback from state attorneys and local prosecutors.

Draft language of a bill shopped by Moodys office and obtained by the Herald/Times shows that the attorney general was proposing to give a statewide prosecutor under her office jurisdiction over drug trafficking cases normally handled by local state attorneys offices. The draft language declared that certain crimes involving the trafficking of narcotics are crimes occurring in every judicial circuit within the state.

The draft proposal, as written, suggests that certain crimes related to trafficking narcotics are statewide crimes, even if the physical crime never actually crossed circuit lines.

Moodys office has been discussing the proposal with prosecutors for months and the proposal has gone through several iterations. The idea was deemed unacceptable and potentially unconstitutional by the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association executive board, which provided feedback to Moodys office, emails show. Moody also met with several state attorneys on Monday morning in St. Augustine to go over the feedback.

After the meeting, FPAA President Jack Campbell said in an interview that the drug-crime jurisdiction issue is likely off the table. He said the agreement is that were going to make sure everybodys happy with whatever the language is before it goes forward.

The suggested changes come as Gov. Ron DeSantis  in tandem with Moodys office  has taken unprecedented steps at controlling local prosecutors actions in an effort to crack down on what he perceives to be progressive prosecutors who might be more lenient on criminals.

Other elements in the proposed draft legislation would give the attorney general more influence into post-conviction decisions in capital cases, and could give the state law enforcement more control over DNA testing after sentencing. It is unclear whether the proposals remain under consideration for the 2024 legislative session.

No legislation had been filed by Moodys office as of Monday.

While there is no filed legislation at this time regarding the referenced language, we will continue to work with interested parties throughout this legislative session to strengthen criminal justice statutes in order to reduce crime and increase public safety, said Chase Sizemore, Moodys spokesperson.

In DeSantis proposed budget for the 2024-2025 year, he proposed an additional $6.6 million to create 40 new positions in the Office of Statewide Prosecution for workload. The governors office did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment, but the justification listed on his budget website says the money would be for workload associated with prosecuting gang, violent crime and drug activity within Florida.

Moodys office draft proposal reflects an attitude shared by DeSantis and Moody, both of whom have posited themselves as tough on crime.

In 2022, DeSantis removed Democrat Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren from office in part because of his pledge to not prosecute those who seek or provide abortions and appointed a Republican prosecutor in his place.

A year later, DeSantis suspended Democrat Monique Worrell as state attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit, criticizing her for failing to impose mandatory sentences for drug and gun crimes.

At the news conference where DeSantis announced Worrells suspension, Moody presented data about where Worrell dismissed charges or did not file charges. The proposed bill would require the Attorney General to submit similar data about each state attorney to the governors office, the Speaker of the House and the Senate President annually.

News of the drafted bill comes alongside other proposals to rearrange Floridas judicial system. Two months ago, the Florida Supreme Court rejected a proposal introduced by Florida House Speaker Paul Renner seeking to consolidate some of the states 20 judicial circuits, which would have resulted in some circuits, like Monroe County in the Florida Keys, to merge with larger circuits, like Miami-Dade County.

The majority of prosecutors, public and private defense attorneys and many sheriffs opposed the consolidation proposal.

Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward, who was vocal in his opposition to consolidating circuits, says the proposed bill is a roundabout way to achieve the same goal.

This is consolidation in another version, Ward said.
Working hard or hardly working? A recent study from a project management resource company says that Floridians are working hard, but not getting paid for all of our overtime.

The study, from Rebels Guide to Project Management, surveyed employees from every state to find how many unpaid overtime hours they worked last year.

According to the survey findings, Florida employees worked more than 150% more unpaid overtime hours in 2023 than they did in 2022.

Heres how many collective unpaid overtime hours Rebels Guide estimates Floridians worked in 2023.

How many unpaid overtime hours did the average American work last year?

Overtime Overload: How the Power Shift is Changing US Work Hours

According to RGPMs study, the average American worked an extra 4.5 hours per week with no compensation, totaling an extra 233 hours in 2023.

New Hampshire was the state with the biggest increase unpaid overtime hours for its employees, and Montana employees saw the lowest change  Montana's unpaid overtime hours actually decreased slightly.

Florida landed somewhere in the middle, at an average of almost 4 unpaid hours worked per week, per employee.

Here are the top 5 states that worked the most unpaid overtime in 2023, according to RGPMs survey:

New Hampshire (9.9 more hours per week) Iowa (7.6 more hours per week) Alaska (7.4 more hours per week) Utah (6.3 more hours per week) North Carolina (6.1 more hours per week)

What is the Florida law on overtime pay?

Florida doesnt have any state laws to cover overtime payments. There are federal overtime laws, but not every employee is eligible. To find out what criteria you need to meet to be eligible for law-backed overtime payments, you can check the Department of Labors Fair Labor Standards Act fact sheet here.

If youre eligible for overtime, federal overtime laws say that an employee who works more than 40 hours in a workweek is entitled to compensation for those excess hours worked. That compensation can either be monetary, equal to 1.5 hours of pay for each hour of overtime.

There are some variations in overtime rules among overtime-eligible classes of workers.

How much unpaid overtime did the average Floridian work in 2023?

According to the survey, Floridians worked an extra 3.8 hours per week of unpaid overtime last year compared to 2022.

This is equal to 197 more unpaid overtime hours than in 2022, per employee. On the whole, Floridians collectively worked 2.6 billion more hours than they did in 2022, totaling more than 7.1 billion hours of unpaid overtime worked in Florida in 2023.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Floridians worked 7 billion hours unpaid overtime in 2023, study says
Sir Rupert Gavin, was branded 'Mr West End' after holding various titles with arts and culture organisations - MEDICIMAGE EDUCATION/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

A former BBC executive and chief of Odeon Cinemas is poised to become the next chairman of English National Ballet (ENB), it has been reported.

According to Sky News, Sir Rupert Gavin, the ex-CEO of BBC Worldwide, a defunct subsidiary tasked with selling BBC content across the world before it merged with BBC Studios, has been picked to succeed Sir Roger Carr, who stepped down last year.

Sir Rupert also spearheaded Odeon Cinemas and UCI Cinemas Group and has held various titles with arts and cultural groups that led the Evening Standard to brand him Mr West End in 2012.

With an announcement likely imminent, his appointment would come amid debate surrounding the funding of Londons arts scene.

Sir Rupert, who also served as chairman of Historic Royal Palaces, was knighted for services to drama, the arts and heritage in the Kings birthday honours list last summer.

Punishing the capital

In November, Tamara Rojo, the ENBs former artistic director, accused Arts Council England of simplistic decision-making as she claimed transferring money out of London is punishing the capital without helping anybody.

In November 2022, Arts Council England announced tens of millions had been cut from some of Londons best known institutions, while some lost funding altogether. An extra 43 million was earmarked for culture provision outside the capital.

The English National Opera announced last month that Manchester will be its new home following a row over the companys forced move from London.

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 former Kentucky court official has been sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison in connection with stealing $435,010 from financial accounts.

One victim of the thefts was an elderly widow left overwhelmed with anxiety about her finances after the thefts by John Anthony Schmidt, according to a court document.

Schmidt, 67, an attorney, was master commissioner of Bullitt County from the early 1990s until a judge removed him from the job in 2019.

He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud.

The accounts at issue in his federal criminal case were two trusts he oversaw as court-appointed trustee, which involves helping manage the assets of the trust.

Schmidt took money from the accounts for personal expenditures or to pay other clients he had represented, and in some cases to make up for deficits in the master commissioners account, according to the court record.

Master commissioners help with matters such as court-ordered property sales.

The beneficiary of one trust Schmidt stole nearly $200,000 from was an elderly widow. After she died, the trust was to benefit her son, but he had to delay his retirement because Schmidt depleted the assets, according to a court document.

Schmidt paid $127,000 back into the account after the thefts were discovered, and has been ordered to make additional restitution, according to court documents.

Schmidts attorney, Rob Eggert, said in a sentencing memorandum that Schmidt was stretched thin financially and suffered from deep depression.

Mr. Schmidts bad conduct was motivated by depression and stress, and he has learned his lesson and found the tools to ensure this will never happen again, Eggert said.

U.S. District Judge David J. Hale sentenced Schmidt Monday in federal court in Louisville.
GREENBELT, Md. (DC News Now)  A social media influencer from Maryland was sentenced on Tuesday to three years in federal prison for wire fraud, identity theft and money laundering.

He pled guilty to the charges on May 31, 2023.

Prince Georges County giving out free sandbags to protect against storm flooding

The U.S. Attorneys Office said that 32-year-old Denish Sahadevan, also known as Danny Devan, of Potomac, Md. schemed to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration of over $1.2 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

These loans were part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relieve and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided emergency financial assistance to those suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning in March 2020, Sahadevan submitted EIDL and PPP applications on behalf of four Maryland entities he controlled, often fabricating tax forms and bank statements in the applications. He also used the information of a tax preparer that he knew  without that persons knowledge  to legitimize the fabricated tax forms he submitted.

Man arrested in connection to December fatal shooting in Prince Georges County

He admitted that he used his Rockville home to create the documents and apply for the loans. He applied for about 61 PPP loans, totaling about $941,794.75, and obtained $146,000 in benefits. He also applied for and received eight EIDLs, totaling $283,000.

Sahadevan induced his father to co-sign for the EIDL loans, then forged his fathers signature on the loan application. His father would not have agreed to sponsor the loan had he known of its fraudulent nature and contents, stated a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Sahadevan deposited the proceeds into bank accounts, then laundered the funds by purchasing and trading securities and cryptocurrency, settling debts and making payments to his girlfriend.

Between Dec. 16, 2021, and Jan. 10, 2022, he applied to a financial institution for a loan of nearly $1.5 million to purchase a property in Potomac, Md. In the application, he did not disclose the $283,900 he owed to the U.S. for the EIDL benefits.

Prince Georges County police temporarily fill in as crossing guards amid shortage

On Feb. 24, 2023, law enforcement searched his home and found multiple electronic devices, a can with 18 drivers licenses, what appeared to be a gold physical Bitcoin in a black case and about $17,043 in cash.

In addition to his three-year prison sentence, Sahadevan was sentenced to three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit the cash and Bitcoin seized during the search of his home, and pay restitution and a forfeiture money judgment of at least $429,906

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A former Utah city attorney is serving just under a year in jail after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a relative. According to county prosecutors, the deal will save the victim from having to testify in a trial.

Joe Wrona, a longtime city attorney for Park City, pleaded guilty in November to forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, and incest, a third-degree felony.

Former Park City attorney pleads guilty to sexual abuse, incest

On Friday, Third District Court Judge Richard Mrazik sentenced him to 1 to 15 years in prison for the abuse charge and 0-5 years in prison for the incest charge.

However, as part of a plea deal, the sentences were suspended, and Wrona was ordered to serve 364 days in the Summit County Jail, starting immediately.

Wrona must also serve 48 months probation, register as a sex offender, and not have contact with the victim for the rest of his life, the Summit County Attorneys Office said.

If the judge had decided to vary from the deal, Wronas guilty pleas would have been withdrawn and the case would again be set for trial.

County Attorney Margaret Olson said that without the deal, the alternative would have been to present the case to a jury.

This would have required hours  if not days  of excruciatingly painful testimony by the survivor of Mr. Wronas crimes and would have subjected her to cross-examination on that testimony, she said. The testimony and details of the crimes would then have become public.

Olson added: The County Attorneys Office will not sacrifice the emotional and mental wellness of an already-traumatized human being on the altar of public cries for maximum penalties.

Wrona, 60, was initially charged with first-degree felony rape in 2022. According to court documents, Wrona sexually assaulted an adult female relative in a Park City apartment. He initially pleaded not guilty.

Last month, prosecutors filed to amend the rape charge to the lesser count of forcible sexual abuse. As part of the plea bargain, Wrona pleaded guilty to the amended charge with the understanding his prison sentences would be suspended and hed serve a year in jail.



If you or someone you know needs help, call the Rape & Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1-888-421-1100.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Paula Vennells was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019 - TOM STOCKILL

The disgraced former boss of the Post Office was shortlisted to be Bishop of London despite suggestions having emerged at the time that postmasters had been wrongly prosecuted.



Paula Vennells, who on Tuesday handed back her CBE, was one of a handful candidates to fill the post in 2017, the third most senior role in the Church of England.



Ms Vennells was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019 when it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system.



More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after faulty Fujitsu accounting software Horizon made it look like money was missing from their shops.



She was ordained as a priest in 2006 and had been an associate minister in the diocese of St Albans while at the same time running the Post Office.

Ms Vennells was interviewed to be Bishop of London in 2017, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, believed to support her application.

Confront injustice

By 2015, the Post Office had halted prosecutions of sub-postmasters and in 2017 legal action was launched against the Post Office by a group of 555 sub-postmasters after a long-running campaign about the miscarriage of justice.

She was considered for the position which among its requirements included empowering our churches to confront injustice with warm and generous practicality and the transformational hope of the Gospel.

Dame Sarah Mullally DBE was eventually appointed the 133rd Bishop of London in December 2017.

The Daily Telegraph understands that alongside Ms Vennells the other names who were considered were the Rt Rev Christopher Cocksworth, now the Dean of Windsor, and Rt Rev Dr Graham Tomlin.

However, church sources said the Archbishop was personally supportive of Ms Vennells.

I have heard that Welby pushed for her, one said. Apparently the meeting of the Crown Nominations Committee in 2017 was quite fortuitous because Paula had no parish experience and was a self-supporting minister.

Over the past 10 years the church has become more of a business model so the whole idea of Paula Vennells being the supposed favourite candidate of Justin Welby links to the whole businessification of the church under his reign.

Always very supportive

Another source said the Archbishop was known to be supportive of Ms Vennells, who sat on the churchs Ethical Investments Advisory Group.

Justin was close to her, they said. He was always very supportive of her when she was a member of the Church of England ethical investment advisory committee.

According to an annual report from the Ethical Investments Advisory Group, Ms Vennells stood down in May 2021 after a temporary leave of absence.

We are grateful for all the time, wisdom and support that Paula has provided to the group since her appointment in 2019 and wish her well, it said.

On Tuesday Ms Vennells said she would hand back her CBE for services to charity and the Post Office following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

More than 1.2 million people had signed a petition calling for her to be stripped of the CBE.

Lives were torn apart

In a statement Ms Vennells said: I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the Inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE.

I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.

Lambeth Palace did not respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for the Church of England said: We never make any comment on who is a candidate, or not, in what is a confidential discernment process.



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.
Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) on Monday busted Donald Trumps claim in a recent fundraising email that hes being forced off the campaign trail and into courtrooms this week.

Its true that Trump will be the subject of two developments in court, as oral arguments start Tuesday when his attorneys will argue presidential immunity in his election interference case and final arguments begin Thursday in his civil fraud trial in New York.

But McCaskill, in her role as an analyst on MSNBC, pointed out that Trump is attending these events not because he needs to, not because he has to, not because its in his legal best interests, but because he wants the coverage this week, leading up to Iowa, to be all about his narrative that he is a victim of government weaponization against him, that theyre trying to keep me out of office, theyre trying to keep me from fighting for you.

Trump is looking at the Iowa caucuses as his moment to definitively become the nominee, she said.

Were going to talk more about these events if hes there, and he knows that, McCaskill continued. This is all political strategy on his point  it has nothing to do with his legal peril. It has everything to do with him wanting to become president. Because you know what? These arguments hes making in front of these federal judges, if hes president, it all goes away. He waves a wand and theres no more federal prosecution against him, no more convictions against him, nothing.

Trump views the courtroom appearances as essential campaign stops, McCaskill said.

MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin had previously agreed with those points.

Theyre not obligations, Rubin told Deadline: White House guest host Ali Velshi. In fact, in none of these circumstances does former President Trump have to attend at all  and to the extent that he and his proxies are characterizing these as requirements or obligations, folks like you and I should push back.

Trump will attend the immunity claim appeal solely as a spectator and will have no formal role there, Rubin said.

In the civil trial, Trump has no role there either, she added.

It is a series of arguments or presentations that will be made to Judge Arthur Engoron  that was a nonjury trial, she explained. Presumably, when its over or on breaks, we can expect the former president to do what hes done all along in that case, which is to face the cameras in the courtroom hallway and turn that into somewhere between a runway and ongoing fundraiser as it goes along.

Related...
FILE - Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses an eve of poll rally in London, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019. Britain will go to the polls tomorrow Dec. 12, to vote in a pre-Christmas general election. The South African government says former U.K. opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn will join its delegation for this weeks hearings at the United Nations top court as it accuses Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza., it was reported on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  Former U.K. opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn will join a South African delegation for this weeks hearings at the International Court of Justice, where the country accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza, the South African government said Tuesday.

South Africa brought the case against Israel last month, accusing it of intending to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, and asked the U.N.'s top court to order Israel to halt its attacks. Israel rejected South Africa's allegations of genocide with disgust and said it will defend itself at the court.

South Africa's Justice Ministry said Corbyn was one of a number of senior political figures from progressive political parties and movements across the globe who will join the South African delegation at the Hague in the Netherlands for two days of preliminary hearings which begin on Thursday.

Corbyn was the only one of those foreign political figures in its delegation named by the South African government.

Corbyn's leadership of the left-of-center Labour Party in Britain was stained by allegations of antisemitism. He is a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause and a fierce critic of Israel. He was suspended from the Labour group in Parliament in 2020, and later barred from running for the party after Britains equalities watchdog found party officials had committed acts of harassment and discrimination against Jews and said anti-Jewish prejudice had been allowed to spread within Labour under his leadership.

Corbyn expressed support for South Africa's case against Israel on Monday and criticized the British government in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"Every day, another unspeakable atrocity is committed in Gaza," he wrote. Millions of people around the world support South Africas efforts to hold Israel to account. Why cant our government?

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that Britain stands by Israel as it wages war on Hamas in response to the group's surprise Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when Palestinian militants killed around 1,200 people, mainly civilians.

Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dismissed the case filed by South Africa against Israel, calling the allegations meritless and saying they distract from efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territorys population, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. About two-thirds of the dead are women and children. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

South Africa's delegation to the Hague will be led by Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola and will also include senior figures from the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Ministry of Justice, the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

We are determined to see the end of the genocide that is currently taking place in Gaza," Lamola said.

Justice Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri delivered a separate statement on video naming the South African delegation while wearing a red and white checkered Palestinian keffiyeh scarf around his neck.

South Africa is not a global diplomatic heavyweight but its decision to open a case against Israel is a reflection of its historic support for the Palestinians that dates back to the days of the late anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.

Mandela compared the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank with that of Black South Africans under the apartheid system of forced racial segregation in his own country, which ended in 1994. South Africa has for years referred to Israel as an apartheid state."

South Africa's ruling African National Congress party remains a strong supporter of the Palestinians. Last month, Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, an ANC lawmaker, hosted Hamas officials at a conference in South Africa and invited them to a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of his grandfather's death.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies said it was disgusted by the presence of Hamas in South Africa.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
MASSILLON  A sheriff and a former general manager of an NFL team are among the four Washington High School alumni recently announced as members of the 2024 class of Distinguished Citizens.

Stark County Sheriff George Maier (1978), Craig Keener (1978), Kevin Miller (1995) and Rick Spielman (1982) are the 2024 Distinguished Citizens.

Sheriff George Maier

To be considered for the honor, the person must be a Washington High graduate and have achieved local, national or international success in the chosen career field.

Craig Keener

This year's Distinguished Citizen banquet is April 12 at St. George Cultural Center, 364 First St. SE. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner a 6:30 p.m. and program at 8 p.m.

Kevin Miller

Earlier that day, the Distinguished Citizens will address Washington High School students and answer questions.

Rick Spielman

The honorees will also participate in activities leading up to the banquet, including attending the mayor's breakfast and Rotary lunch as well as a tour of the high school and city.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Rick Spielman, George Maier named distinguished Washington High alums
Newly appointed French prime minister Gabriel Attal speaks after the handover ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024 in Paris. Gabriel Attal was named as France's youngest-ever prime minister, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PARIS (AP)  France saw its youngest-ever prime minister and first openly gay one named Tuesday as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right.

Gabriel Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government spokesperson then education minister and had polled as the most popular minister in the outgoing government.

His predecessor Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday following political turmoil over an immigration law that strengthens the governments ability to deport foreigners.

Macron will work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to stay on.

I know I can count on your energy and your commitment, Macron posted on X in a message to Attal. The president made a reference to Attal reviving the spirit of 2017, when Macron shook up politics and shot to a surprise victory as Frances youngest-ever president on a pro-business centrist platform aimed at reviving one of the world's biggest economies.

During the handover ceremony, Attal said: I could read and hear it: the youngest president of the Republic in history appoints the youngest prime minister in history. I want to see it only as the symbol of boldness and movement. It is also, and perhaps above all, a symbol of confidence in young people.

Attal said his goals include making security an absolute priority and promoting values of authority and respect of others. He also vowed to strengthen public services including schools and the health system and push for better controlling immigration.

Macron, 46, has shifted rightward on security and migration issues since his election, notably as far-right rival Marine Le Pen and her anti-immigration, anti-Islam National Rally have gained political influence.

The president's second term lasts until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term. Political observers have suggested that Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, wants his new government to prepare for Junes European Union elections, where far-right, anti-EU populists are expected to increase their influence.

Critics from both left and right took aim at Attal for his limited experience, his Paris upbringing seen as out of touch with people struggling in the provinces, and his loyalty to the president.

Le Pen posted on X: What can the French expect from this 4th prime minister and 5th government in 7 years (under Macron)? Nothing, calling on voters instead to choose her party in the European elections.

In a statement, Eric Ciotti, head of the conservative party The Republicans, said, France urgently needs action: it needs a different approach. The Republicans would remain a responsible opposition to the centrist government, he added.

The founder of the hard-left France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, writing on X, mocked Attal for returning to his position as spokesman. The function of prime minister is disappearing. The presidential monarch alone rules his court.

Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president, accountable to the parliament and is in charge of implementing domestic policy, notably economic measures. The president holds substantial powers over foreign policy and European affairs and is the commander-in-chief of the countrys armed forces.

Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, joined Macrons newly created political movement in 2016 and was spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, a job that made him well-known to the French public. He was then named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister, one of the most prestigious positions in government.

Attal quickly announced a ban on long robes in classrooms that took effect with the new school year in September, saying the garments worn mainly by Muslims were testing secularism in the schools.

He also launched a plan to experiment with uniforms in some public schools, as part of efforts to move the focus away from clothes and reduce school bullying.

Attal recently detailed on national television TF1 how he suffered bullying at middle school, including homophobic harassment.

Attal will face the same obstacle as his predecessor: Macrons centrists lost their majority in parliament last year, forcing the government into political maneuvering and using special constitutional powers to be able to pass laws.

The tough negotiations over the immigration bill and heated parliament debate raised questions over the ability of Bornes government to pass major legislation.

Borne also faced mass protests last year, often marred by violence, against a law to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64, and days of riots across France triggered by the deadly police shooting of a teen.

Borne left office saying she's proud of the work done over the last 20 months that allowed her government to pass the budget, the pension reform, the immigration law and more than 50 other texts designed to meet the challenges faced by our country."

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who championed the immigration bill, said he was ready to continue his work at the head of the countrys police forces especially as the Paris Olympics are to start in less than 200 days, with major security issues at stake.

___

Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

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Find more Europe news at https://apnews.com/hub/europe
A week into the new year, water levels at Shasta Dam and all but one other North State reservoir were above historic averages.

That's because rain and snowfall in spring 2023 are still helping repair North State lakes and their surrounding ecosystems after three years of drought damage, water and weather, experts said.

Spring rains and heavier than average snowpack in the mountains kept Lake Shastas water level high despite a rather dry autumn. This bodes well in re-filling Shasta (Lake) with an average rainfall amount this winter, Bureau of Reclamation Area Manager Donald Bader said.

As of Sunday Jan. 7, Lake Shasta was more than two thirds full, or 69%. Normally its 60% full at this time of year, Bader said.

Boaters on Lake Shasta take advantage of a nearly full reservoir on May 15, 2023.

Trinity Lake waters still lap at below-average levels  as they have for more than three years. But if spring 2024 is a soaker, he said, that could finally change.

Water wise: What to expect in 2024 for Lake Shasta Reservoir

While its difficult to tell exactly what will happen throughout 2024, although the early forecast is for an average water year stretching from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024, according to the weather service.

Shasta County residents should expect most annual rainfall between January to March, the areas usual rainy season, said meteorologist Johnnie Powell at the National Weather Services Sacramento branch.

That was the pattern in 2023, an unusually wet year throughout most of the North State, he said.

Average rainfall per water year in the Redding area from 1991 to 2020 was 33.52 inches, according to weather service meteorologist Sara Purdue.

"Average rainfall at Shasta Dam is 65 inches, double of what the Redding airport gets," Bader said.

But 2023 was no average year.

Spring storms made it the most wet calendar year since 2019, dropping enough water on the North State to fill most reservoirs to pre-drought levels by May, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

In 2023, the greatest amount of precipitation fell during January and March. Winter storms drenched the Lake Shasta area with 42 inches of rain during those two months, according to Powell.

February was drier, except for a major storm at the end of the month that dropped more than five inches of rain near the dam over a few days, Powell said.

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By May 2023, Lake Shasta  located about nine miles north of Redding  was brimming at 98% of its capacity, 116% of its historic average, the water resources department reported.

Lake Shasta/Shasta Dam's water levels stayed above normal through summer and the area's dryer-than-average autumn, Powell said.

The 10 inches of rain that fell in December left Lake Shasta in excellent shape going into the new year, he said.

Trinity Lake water levels low while other North State reservoirs above average

Other Northern California reservoirs entered the new year with higher-than-average water levels, according to the water resources department. As of Sunday, Jan. 7:

Lake Oroville at Oroville Dam in Butte County was 69% full, 128% of its usual storage on that date.

Folsom Lake outside of Sacramento was 47% full, 113% of its average capacity.

At 63% full, Lake Sonoma in north Sonoma County was 110% above its historic average.

New Bullards Bar Reservoir in Yuba County is 64% full, a little above its annual average.

Not every lake fully recovered after the drought that desiccated the North State from 2020 to 2022.

Lake Shasta's lack of water due to the drought left marinas and other boat docks high and dry in August 2021.

Forty miles northwest of Redding, Trinity Lakes water level was 54% full on Jan. 7. Thats 88% of the average amount of water the lake historically holds on that date, according to the state water resources department.

Trinitys average level for this time of year is 61% full, according to Bader.

Prior to 2023, Trinity Lake had its worst consecutive three years of drought on record. The last time Trinitys water level reached its historic average was 2019. The drought taxed the reservoirs storage and one wet year couldnt fully repair it, Bader said.

While Trinity Lake got more water and snowmelt in spring 2023 than it did in the previous three years combined, it will take another wet year to fill it to historic averages, he said.

That's because Trinity Lake fills more slowly than other Norths State reservoirs. While Lake Shasta has a big drainage basin that can fill the lake quickly, Trinity Lake is a large reservoir with a small basin, according to Bader.

As of Monday Jan. 8, we are tracking a little below normal for both rain and especially snowpack out there. We will need to get well above average to have a good chance to fill" Trinity Lake reservoir, Bader said.

Hes still optimistic that could happen, he said.

We ended this summer with much better carryover storage in both Trinity and Shasta than in the past three years. It's still early in the winter season, and more storms are on the horizon, Bader said.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: How full are Lake Shasta and Trinity Lake? How much rain for 2024?
A fund was established and funeral arrangements were announced for a George County Sheriffs deputy who was killed on January 4th.

Deputy Jeremy Malone was conducting a traffic stop on U.S. 98 near Brushy Creek Road at around 5:15 p.m. when he was shot and killed.

This undated photo provided by the George County, Miss., Sheriff's Office George County Deputy Jeremy Malone. On Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, the Mississippi sheriff's deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop by a suspect who was killed by police following a car chase, authorities said.

Fund for fallen officer

The Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District (SMPDD) is accepting donations for Malone.

Those wishing to donate to the family may mail or hand deliver donations to their office at 10441 Corporate Drive, Suite 1, Gulfport, MS 39503. Checks are to be made payable to Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District. Designate the Fallen Officer Fund in the memo line of the check.

Additionally, SMPDD has a bank account at Community Bank to receive donations for fallen officers. The name of the bank account is Southern Mississippi Planning Fallen Officer Fund. Donations can be made at any Community Bank branch.

For those wishing to donate online, you may go to www.smpdd.com homepage and click on the Fallen Officer Fund Donate button to donate via PayPal, credit card or debit card to the Fallen Officer Fund.

Funeral arrangements

The visitation is scheduled for Thursday, January 11, at Agricola Baptist Church from 5 p.m until 9 p.m. The funeral service will be Friday, January 12, in the church sanctuary beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Tanners Cemetery in Harlston, Miss. Pallbearers include fellow officers in the George County Sheriffs Department.

Moments Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Funeral arrangements, fund for George County Mississippi deputy killed
Residents in northern Australia looked in their chicken coop and spotted an animal that didnt belong there, according to wildlife officials. The scaly intruder was safely removed, photos show.

At first, the residents in Cape Hillsborough thought a goanna, or monitor lizard, had gotten into their backyard chicken coop, the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said in a Jan. 9 news release. When they looked closer, they realized the intruder was a small crocodile.

Wildlife officers were called to remove the funny looking chicken, the Queensland Environment Department said in a Jan. 8 Facebook post.

The crocodile in a chicken coop in Cape Hillsborough.

A photo shared on Facebook by the department shows the crocodile in the corner of the chicken coop.

The roughly 3-foot-long crocodile was placed in a large PVC tube and transported to a wildlife holding facility, officials said. A photo shows the reptile looking out of this cylindrical container.

The crocodile found in Cape Hillsborough after being removed from the chicken coop.

Wildlife officials said the crocodile was safely removed and no pets or chickens were harmed.

Jane Burns, a senior wildlife officer at the department, said in the release that while it isnt unusual to see crocodiles (in this area), it is unusual to find one in someones backyard.

In the Facebook post, the department linked the crocodiles abnormal behavior to the regions recent heavy rains and reminded residents that crocs may be turning up in funny places.

The evicted crocodile will eventually be moved to a licensed farm or zoo, officials said.

Cape Hillsborough is in northern Queensland and about 1,000 miles northwest of Sydney.

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Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a state of emergency for the South American nation after a notorious gang leader escaped from prison, heightening security fears as authorities struggle to control the bloodshed of a bloody criminal turf war.

Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, leader of the feared Los Choneros drug cartel better known by his alias Fito, escaped from prison in the coastal city of Guayaquil on Sunday, according to authorities. More than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces have been deployed to search for him, the government said.

The state of emergency will last for 60 days and imposes a nightly curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., Noboa said Monday, adding it grants security forces all the political and legal support for their actions.

The time is over when drug trafficking convicts, hitmen, and organized crime dictate to the government what to do, Noboa said in a video announcement. He did not mention Fitos escape.

Noboa, the son of a banana tycoon, became president in November following an election driven by concerns over rising violence and a worsening security situation in the Latin American nation just months after the high-profile assassination of another presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio.

On Monday, Noboa said he had authorized security forces to retake control of Ecuadors restive prison system, which he said, has been lost in recent years.

Aerial view of the Regional 8 prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, taken on January 7, 2024, as the National Police and Armed Forces carry out a joint security operation. - Marcos Pin/AFP/Getty Images

Ecuador, home to the Galapagos islands and a tourist-friendly dollar economy, was once known as an island of peace, nestled between two of the worlds largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia.

But Ecuadors deep ports have made it a key transit point for cocaine making its way to consumers in the United States and Europe. And its dollarized economy also makes it a strategic location for traffickers seeking to launder money.

Fito was sentenced in 2011 to 34 years in prison for crimes including drug trafficking and murder, according to Reuters.

Analysts previously told CNN that Ecuadorian gangs such as the Choneros were working with foreign syndicates including Mexican cartels, Brazilian urban gangs, and even Albanian mafia cells, fueling the ongoing conflict in the country.

Authorities accuse the Choneros of controlling Ecuadors main prisons, which have long been the main theater of violence in the country. Security forces have struggled to confront the gangs inside overcrowded prisons, where inmates often take control of branches of the penitentiaries and run criminal networks from behind bars, according to authorities.

Following Fitos escape, Ecuadors prison agency on Sunday reported incidents in at least six prisons in different provinces.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Last week, passengers on board an Alaska Airlines flight were rattled by a terrifying incident involving a "door plug" being ripped out of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet that was taking them from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California.

The following "violent explosive decompression event," as National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy later described it, forced pilots to return back to the ground  though luckily, nobody got seriously injured.

As regulators pore over the data  the offending door plug has since been recovered alongside a fully intact iPhone from one of the passengers  new questions have arisen over the events that led to the incident.

As The American Prospect reports, the plug door, which was designed to seal a hole in the fuselage that's used in some other configurations as a door opening, was possibly the result of "cost-cutting production techniques to facilitate cramming more passengers into the cabin."

The plug door was a fix to still meet Federal Aviation Administration requirements in the case of high-capacity passenger seat layouts without having to make major changes to the fuselage design.

"There are a lot of different ways to configure an aircraft to pack in air travelers like cattle, but it changed the calculus for manufacturers to meet standards," airline industry expert Bill McGee told the Prospect.

Worse yet, court documents obtained by The Lever suggest that former employees at Boeing spinoff Spirit AeroSystems, the company Boeing subcontracted to manufacture these plug doors, told Boeing officials about an "excessive amount of defects."

Instead of heeding these warnings, internal correspondence reviewed by The Lever suggest that officials told these former employees to falsify records.

One employee told a coworker that "he believed it was just a matter of time until a major defect escaped to a customer," per the report.

As more data comes to light, the situation is starting to look grim for Boeing  and the timing couldn't be worse. The company has already been through several crises over the last couple of years, following two fateful crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving 737 MAX 8 aircraft that left 346 people dead.

As for the later model, according to the New York Times, Alaska Airlines instructed MAX 9 planes not to fly over water due to warning lights indicating a loss of cabin pressure, though it's unclear if the latest incident was related to this issue.

In August, Boeing said it had identified quality problems related to parts supplied by Spirit. However, the issue was related to the planes' aft pressure bulkheads, not plug doors.

After Boeing and Spirit jointly announced an expanded investigation, the FAA said that there was "no immediate safety concern" as a result of the defective bulkheads.

So who's at fault following the latest incident? Was it Boeing, which subcontracted out the plug door, or did regulators fail to enforce rules that could've stopped the latest incident from happening in the first place? Or perhaps a mix of both?

The investigation has only begun, and we're only starting to get a clearer picture of the outrageous accident.

More on the incident: Schoolteacher Finds Door Plug That Fell Off Boeing 737 in His Backyard
GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Gaston County Schools has named a new superintendent after six months without someone in a permanent position, the district announced Monday.

The GCS Board of Education approved the appointment of Morgen A. Houchard during a special meeting, and he will take the helm effective Feb. 19. Former superintendent Jeff Booker stepped down at the end of the 2022-23 school year, and Stephen C. Laws has served as the interim since July.

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Houchard has been Gaston County Schools executive director for auxiliary services and interim executive director for human resources. He joined the district in April 2016 after serving as assistant superintendent for Mitchell County Schools.

We are pleased to have Dr. Morgen Houchard as the next leader of Gaston County Schools, school board Chair Jeffrey K. Ramsey said in a statement. During his successful career in public education, Dr. Houchard has proven time and time again that he possesses the knowledge, skills, and expertise to serve as our superintendent. We are extremely confident that he will be able to take us in a new direction.

Along with his stint in Mitchell County, Houchard had strong tied to the N.C. mountains. He has a bachelors degree in history from UNC-Asheville, obtained a masters degree in school administration from Western Carolina University and completed a doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from East Tennessee State University.

He joined Mitchell County Schools in 1994 as a social studies/language arts teacher at Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. He later served as an assistant principal and a principal in Mitchell County before moving to the central office where he held director, executive director, and assistant superintendent positions. Additionally, he has worked as an adjunct professor for Lees-McRae College and Gardner-Webb University.

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I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Board of Education for giving me this opportunity and believing in my ability to serve as the superintendent for Gaston County Schools, Houchard said. I look forward to working with the Board, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make our school system even stronger because I believe that strong schools have a direct connection to the strength of our community.

Houchards annual salary will be $210,000 ($17,500 per month). He will be the districts eighth superintendent since it was formed in 1968 when the county schools and city schools in Gastonia and Cherryville merged.

Booker joined Gaston County Schools in May 2009 as deputy superintendent of operations and became the districts seventh superintendent in 2014 before resigning in the spring.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Frankfurt's Robin Koch in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfL Bochum and Eintracht Frankfurt. Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Germany centre back Robin Koch on a permanent contract until 2027, the Bundesliga club said on 09 January. David Inderlied/dpa

Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Germany centre back Robin Koch on a permanent contract until 2027, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday.

Koch, 28, originally came to Frankfurt in summer on a season-long loan from England's Leeds United where he was contracted until June.

The 14-times capped Koch has played 23 games for Frankfurt since his arrival. Before his three years at Leeds he played at Freiburg and Kaiserslautern.

Robins long-term commitment to Eintracht is a strong statement. We know what we have in him," Frankfurt board member for Sport Markus Krosche said.

"Hes one of our leading players and has been a key performer since his first game with us, and someone who our young players in particular can look up to. His highly professional attitude makes him a role model to many."

Koch said: "Im very happy with my first six months at Eintracht. Im having a lot of fun every day and feel incredibly settled here. Everything is as Id hoped it would be.

"For me and my career, it is therefore a logical step to extend my contract beyond the loan period. I want to continue to shoulder responsibility here and, above all, be successful."

Frankfurt are sixth in the league and their first game in the Bundesliga restart is on Saturday at RB Leipzig.
German Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, speaks at GUtech University, during an official visit to Oman. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has high hopes for the Gulf state of Oman as a future hydrogen producer.

"The potential to become a partner here, from the planning process to the installation of solar energy, electrolysis and the purchase of green hydrogen, is huge," he said on Tuesday during a visit to the capital Muscat.

To date, Oman has been heavily dependent on oil and gas, which make up a large proportion of its exports.

According to Germany Trade & Invest, the German foreign trade agency, 77% of the national Omani budget in 2022 came from oil and gas revenues.

However, the country wants to drive forward the production of hydrogen and attract foreign investment by 2030 on a scale last seen for oil and gas.

Oman is "hell-bent on transforming itself. So, there can be no doubt about that," said Habeck after talks with Energy Minister Salim al-Aufi and head of state Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The country has reserved an area roughly the size of Bavaria for the expansion of renewable energies and has only a fraction of the population of Germany.

"So there is space available, the solar radiation is fantastic and there are also good wind locations," he added.

Habeck said Oman was only just beginning to build up capacities for green hydrogen production, which can help the world cut harmful emissions. Hydrogen-powered cars are among the possibilities.

"But I think the whole thing will really get going towards the end of the decade," he said.

German Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, tours GUtech University, during an official visit to Oman. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, speaks at GUtech University, during an official visit to Oman. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
A missing man was last seen trying to salvage his shrimping boat in Louisiana, the Coast Guard said.

Then his boat turned up partially sunk with no one on board.

Family members havent seen Timothy Cheramie since the afternoon of Jan. 4, Petty Officer Third Class Anthony Randisi told McClatchy News. Cheramie was reportedly trying to save his boat.

#BREAKING : The Coast Guard is searching for a Timothy Cheramie near Venice, La. He was last seen Saturday Afternoon. He was reportedly attempting to salvage his shrimping vessel that was located with no one aboard.



If you have any info call: (504) 365-2200 pic.twitter.com/yTtk1k02IC  USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) January 9, 2024

The Coast Guard initially reported he was last seen Jan. 6 trying to save his boat, but that date was later revised to Jan. 4.

Coast Guard rescuers from New Orleans and Mobile are assisting in an aerial search of the Venice area, the agency said in a Jan. 9 news release.

Randisi said Cheramies boat was found in the area of Sandy Point, partially submerged in the bay. He didnt say when the vessel was found.

The agency continues its search, and the investigation is ongoing, Randisi said.

Cheramie was last seen wearing a white top and jeans. The Coast Guard is asking anyone with information to call 504-365-2200.

Venice is near the southeastern point of Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The community is about 80 miles southeast of New Orleans.

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As it turns out, when you build a bear to fly into space, one mission is not enough.



"GiGi," the Build-A-Bear doll outfitted in a miniature version of Axiom Space's next-generation lunar spacesuit, will be returning to Earth orbit on Ax-3, Axiom's third crewed mission to the International Space Station set to launch this month. The doll  and the partnership that led to its creation  debuted on Ax-2 in 2023.



"We love to foster creativity and create special moments at Build-A-Bear, so we are pleased to continue our partnership with Axiom Space and see our beloved GiGi head back to orbit as part of the Ax-3 mission," Julia Fitzgerald, chief marketing officer at Build-A-Bear, said in a statement. "Our bears are always there for a hug and friendship, but we especially love when they can also provide the inspiration for pursuing a 'sky's not the limit' adventure."



As it did on its first flight into space, GiGi will serve as the "zero gravity indicator." Traditionally, Russian cosmonauts and later U.S. astronauts have tethered small toys inside their spacecraft cabins such that when they are seen floating it is a signal that they have reached orbit. GiGi was the first Build-A-Build doll to become a zero-g indicator or otherwise be flown into space.

Related: Axiom Space names Ax-3 astronaut crew for SpaceX mission to ISS

a small stuffed bear wearing a black spacesuit floats in front of a window with the distant earth in the background.

Though GiGi is not the first toy to fly more than once, most zero-g indicators only serve one crew.



"Not only does this mark a special moment in history, but we also hope GiGi's story inspires children to consider STEAM activities, hobbies and even careers," said Fitzgerald.



GiGi's other role on both of its Axiom missions has been and continues to be to engage kids around the world to learn about space and consider jobs in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM).



"Our partnership with Build-A-Bear is key in helping to drive curiosity in young minds about space exploration," said Sandra Nelson, vice president of marketing at Axiom Space. "We want our fifth crew member, GiGi, to inspire youth in space exploration and encourage them to grow their knowledge about STEAM. It's imperative that we build a diverse workforce with a unique skillset ready to drive innovations and fuel new ideas to advance civilization."



The Ax-3 mission is the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the space station. GiGi's new crewmates include pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force and mission specialists Alper Gezeravc of Turkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden, who is flying on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).



Leading the mission is Michael Lopez-Alegria, Axiom's chief astronaut who previously flew on Ax-1 and four missions for NASA. He holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Spain.

a man in a black spacesuit holds a small stuffed bear wearing a miniature version of the same suit, surrounded by dozens of other similarly clad stuffed bears.

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Ax-3 will be GiGi's first flight on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom" (Ax-2 was on "Endeavour"). The launch, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is currently planned for no earlier than Jan. 17.



In celebration of GiGi's second spaceflight, participating Build-A-Bear Workshops will host "out-of-this-world" parties on Saturday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring sticker giveaways, an appearance from the company's mascot Bearemy and the opportunity to make a teddy bear and outfit it in the Axiom Space next-generation spacesuit.



The replica of the AxEMU suit is available for sale in select Build-A-Bear stores, as well as for online order from both the Build-A-Bear and Axiom Space websites. With Build-A-Bear's "Happy Hugs Teddy," the set retails for $44. Alone, the suit sells for $22.



GiGi's fans are also invited to follow her adventures by visiting her blog on Axiom's site, as well as check out the updates posted to Build-A-Bear's social channels.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2024 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Gillian Andersons Golden Globes gown was a celebration of female anatomy.

81st Golden Globe Awards (Dan Doperalski / Getty Images)

The Sex Education star, 55, walked the red carpet at the Jan. 7 event in Beverly Hills, California, in a stunning, strapless gown by Gabriela Hearst.

From a distance, it appeared to be a solid cream dress, but a closer look revealed that the skirt was embroidered in white outlines of vulvas.

It has vaginas on it, Anderson confirmed in a red carpet interview with Deadline.

81st Golden Globe Awards (Dan Doperalski / Getty Images)

Asked why, she replied, Oh, for so many reasons. For so many reasons. Its brand appropriate.

Anderson, who played sex therapist Jean Milburn on Netflixs Sex Education for four seasons, explained in another red carpet interview with "Extra" that the dress was a collaboration with her "alternative wellness brand," G Spot.

Yonis, there are so many yonis on my dress, she told "Extra."

It took 3 1/2 hours per yoni to embroider, and there are a lot. So it was about 150 hours of embroidering, she added.

Anderson also opened up to British Vogue about why she wanted her dress to include a tribute to the yoni, a word that means abode, source, womb or vagina in the ancient language of Sanskrit.

Since my Instagram presence has been highlighting yonis since Sex Education landed on Netflix and with the mantra of my brand G-Spot being to prioritize pleasure, I wanted to bring this element into the design, she told the publication. Im so pleased Gabriela was up for the challenge!

The X-Files star also told "Extra" on the red carpet that the gown included an inner lining for warmth, as well as pockets.

She completed the look with glittering Chopard jewels and a handbag and shoes by Aquazzura.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Global warming in 2023 hit 1.48 degrees Celsius, data published Tuesday shows, as the hottest year on record propelled the world just hundredths of a degree away from a critical climate threshold.

Analyses last year had already confirmed 2023 to be the warmest on record, but Tuesdays data shows an alarming leap in heating from 2016, previously the hottest year. In 2023, the average global temperature was 14.98 degrees Celsius  0.17 degrees above the previous record  while warming in the worlds oceans also hit a new high.

Scientists repeatedly expressed shock in 2023 as successive heat records fell, and warned the world is moving dangerously close to the 1.5-degree limit that nearly 200 countries sought to avoid in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

The data and an analysis, published by Copernicus  the EUs climate and weather monitoring agency  says that global warming may worsen at the start of this year, projecting that a 12-month period ending in January or February will likely breach 1.5 degrees.

But scientists are far more concerned about a long-term state of warming of 1.5 degrees and above  rather than individual years. Above that threshold, many of the Earths ecosystems will struggle to adapt and summertime heat will approach the limits of human survivability in some places.

The unprecedented heat in 2023 was caused primarily by climate change, Copernicus said, but was exacerbated by El Nino, a natural climate variability that increases Pacific Ocean heat and typically boosts the worlds temperatures.

While some scientists have said the 1.48 degrees of warming is in line with last years heat records, others are still surprised at how much hotter 2023 was over previous years.

It is a shock that this year has unarguably smashed the global temperature record, said Bill Collins, professor of climate processes at the University of Reading in the UK. There is no opportunity here to quibble about hundredths of a degree, exceeding the previous record by 0.17 degrees should be an alarm call to everyone.

Every day in 2023, the global average temperature was at least 1 degree hotter than the corresponding day in the 1850-1900 pre-industrial period, Copernicus said. Thats the first time on record thats happened.

Global temperatures have been steadily increasing since the 1970s, until 1 degree of global warming was breached for the first time in 2015, according to historical temperature data from Copernicus. It took only eight years to leap another half a degree above pre-industrial levels.

Even compared to the past three decades, when temperatures have been warmer, 2023 stands out. The year was 0.6 degrees Celsius hotter than the 1991-2020 average.

Temperatures rising more exponentially

Several months ago, there was a projection among the scientific community that warming would hit around 1.3 degrees in 2023, said Liz Bentley, chief executive of the UKs Royal Meteorological Society. That prediction has been annihilated, she said, as temperature records fell on the regional, national and international levels around the world, including daily and monthly records.

Other thresholds are being crossed too  two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2 degrees warmer. Every month in 2023 between June and December was the hottest such month on record. July and August were the first and second-warmest on record, overall, Copernicus said.

Given the tumbling records, Bentley said, it wasnt so much the 1.48-degree temperature rise that was surprising but the pace of climate change in recent years.

If you look at climate projections, when we expect to see temperature changes of close to 1.5 degrees Celsius, indeed it has come sooner than many would have expected, Bentley told CNN. Weve definitely seen an acceleration towards that, rather than it being a kind of linear progression. It feels like its rising much more exponentially.

Annual average air temperatures were either the hottest, or nearly the hottest, on record over all ocean basins and all continents, except Australia, the Copernicus data shows. That temperature rise covers nearly the entire world map.

The year of record heat, which saw deadly extreme weather events, including wildfires in Canada, Hawaii and southern Europe, has given us a taste of the climate extremes that occur near the Paris targets, said Brian Hoskins, chair of the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London.

It should shake the complacency displayed in the actions by most governments around the world, he said.

The worlds oceans also experienced unprecedented heat and remained unusually warm in 2023. Sea surface temperatures were 0.44 degrees above the 19912020 average, the highest on record and a leap from the 0.26-degree rise seen in 2016, the second-warmest year.

The main long-term factor behind the oceans alarming heat is fossil fuel pollution, but El Nino  which began in July  also contributed. Higher sea surface temperatures can lead to more powerful hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones.

At the tail end of the hottest year on record, nearly 200 countries represented at the COP28 climate talks in Dubai last month agreed for the first time to contribute to a global transition away from fossil fuels, the main cause of the climate crisis. The deal was widely welcomed, but critics say it included loopholes that would allow major fossil fuel producing nations to take little action.

The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilization developed, said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus Climate Change Service. This has profound consequences for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavors. If we want to successfully manage our climate risk portfolio, we need to urgently decarbonize our economy whilst using climate data and knowledge to prepare for the future.

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Paul Giamatti and Clara Wong were seen tucking into their burgers in black tie

Paul Giamatti was pictured celebrating his Golden Globes win with a burger and chips  while still wearing his dinner jacket.

The Holdovers actor was snapped holding off on the decadent, champagne-fuelled after-parties in favour of a California fast-food restaurant.

Giamatti and his girlfriend Clara Wong, who was still in her gown, were pictured enjoying In-N-Outs famous double-double burgers after he scooped the award for Best Actor in a Comedy award on Sunday night.

The statuette appeared to have been placed on the table, between the pairs meals.

The couple were joined by Giamattis agent, manager and publicist at the restaurant in Westwood, California, where they fuelled up before heading to the glitzy after-parties for which the Globes are renowned, Page Six reported.

A source close to the actor told the celebrity news outlet: They went for a celebratory meal hes a big In-N-Out fan, and it was a great way to celebrate before the parties.

People clapped when he came in it was near UCLA, so there were a lot of college kids.

The insider said shocked customers respectfully waited till he was done eating, and then asked him for pictures.

It was reminiscent of a scene from Giamattis film Sideways, where his character drinks expensive wine while dining at a fast food restaurant in a suit.

Sustenance ahead of celebrations

In-N-Out has chains across the western United States and is well-known for its double-double cheeseburgers.

The chains grilled fast food staple is made from two beef patties, two slices cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions.

Giamatti was later spotted at two parties in Beverly Hills, one thrown by his agency, UTA, and the other by Hollywood studio NBC Universal.

The 56-year-old beat Timothee Chalamet, Nicolas Cage, Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeffrey Wright for the award.

Giamatti has enjoyed a 33-year-career on the silver screen since making his debut in neo-noir thriller Past Midnight in 1991.

He played a US army sergeant in Second World War epic Saving Private Ryan in 1998 and won his first leading role in 2003 comedy drama American Splendor.

He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 2009 for his portrayal of John Adams, the American revolutionary and second US president, in an eponymous television series.

He was awarded a second Golden Globe in 2011 for the comedy Barneys Version, in which he played its irritating title character.

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.
The Democrat-controlled Maine Legislature voted down a Republican effort to impeach the states chief election official for kicking former President Trump off the ballot for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.

In an 80-60 party-line vote, the state House struck down the impeachment resolution going after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D). She slammed the GOP effort last week as political theater while also promising to comply with any legal development connected to her historical decision to remove Trump from Maines March 5 primary.

Bellows became the first secretary of state in history to remove a candidate running for president after referencing the U.S. Constitutions insurrection clause. The decision was swiftly appealed by Trumps team and is currently in Maines Superior Court.

Maines GOP members slammed Bellowss ruling as election interference, arguing that people feel absolutely disenfranchised.

State Rep. James Thorne, a Republican representing Carmel, said Bellowss decision does nothing but further divide the political banner between the parties, and indeed the people of the state of Maine, according to The Associated Press. State Rep. Michael Soboleski, of Phillips, called it election interference of the highest order.

There has been no conviction in a court of law. She is not a judge. She is not a jury. And I believe that the people feel absolutely disenfranchised, said state Rep. Katrina Smith, a Republican from Palermo.

Despite the outrage, Maines Republican impeachment effort was a long shot, considering both chambers are controlled by Democrats.

Colorado is the only other state that removed Trump from the ballot. Its decision is currently under appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Maine could play a key role in the 2024 presidential election; it carries four electoral votes and is one of the two states to split them. Trump, the current GOP front-runner, won one of Maines electoral vote in both of his White House runs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A nonpartisan congressional watchdog filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday, alleging the congressman lied on financial disclosure documents.

The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) said Ogles failed to disclose a $320,000 personal loan to his campaign in 2022 and a $700,000 line of credit from a bank later that same year, claims first discovered by local investigative reporters in Tennessee.

The public has a right to know the sources of money that may be used to influence a federal election, as well as potential conflicts of interest that may arise due to a members financial obligations, the group said in a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics.

The CLC compared the alleged violations to those of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was expelled from Congress last month over allegations that he defrauded campaign donors and lied to constituents. He faces a bevy of criminal charges, including fraud, and has denied wrongdoing.

The expulsion of Representative George Santos for filing false financial disclosure statements and other ethics violations demonstrates why investigations of significant discrepancies in a candidates financial reporting are warranted, the group said. Unexplained inconsistencies in Rep. Ogles reported finances and allegations of misrepresenting his background raise fundamental questions for voters about the transparency of their elected representative.

Ogles has faced allegations of misrepresenting his background, which Santos was also accused of. The Tennessee congressman admitted last year that he misstated his college degree.

The similarities between Rep. Ogles and Rep. Santos should not be ignored, the CLC said in the complaint.

The Hill has reached out to Ogless office for comment.

The complaint also references allegations Ogles misrepresented himself as an economist and claims that he took money from a GoFundMe intended for a community project in 2014. The CLC also noted previous Federal Election Commission claims against Ogles over misfiled campaign finance documents.

The CLC said those allegations demonstrate a pattern of inaccurate information on the public record supporting an investigation of his substantial financial disclosure discrepancies.

Voters have a right to know who their elected officials are and what or who may influence them, CLC legal counsel Danielle Caputo said in a statement to The Hill. Unexplained inconsistencies in Rep. Ogles financial disclosures and allegations he has misrepresented in his background make it hard for voters to truly know who is on their ballot and what interests he may be beholden to.

The Office of Congressional Ethics must investigate this matter, because Rep. Ogles constituents are owed the truth, she added.

Updated at 5:17 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Key Republican senators are holding off on joining former President Trumps call for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to be removed from office, though they are heaping criticism on the nations Defense chief for waiting days to tell the White House of his hospitalization.

Senior members of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnells (Ky.) leadership team are calling Austins unexplained absence a dereliction of duty and unacceptable but arent yet willing to go as far as Trump in calling for his ouster.

Even so, they are blasting Austin for keeping his absence from duty a secret and demanding a Senate hearing to get to the bottom of the matter. They say the Pentagon appeared to violate a statutory requirement to provide a notification of Austins absence.

GOP senators are also slamming the Biden White House for not immediately noticing that Austin was missing from the job, calling President Bidens handling of the situation irresponsible.

Even though Republican senators arent willing to match Trump in calling for Austin to be booted from his job, they are rallying behind the former presidents full-throated criticism of the national security lapse.

The brewing scandal is giving members of the GOP establishment in Washington a chance to begin mending fences with Trump, their partys likely nominee for president, by echoing his assault of the Biden White House.

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), who has clashed with Trump over the political wisdom of continuously arguing about the results of the 2020 election, called the episode a terrible dereliction of duty Monday.

Hes going to have to answer for it, he said, but stopped short of calling for Austin to lose his job.

The committees are going to have some hearings, and hopefully get some of those answers, so I will reserve judgment until they do. But I think its completely unacceptable in terms of what he did, Thune said.

Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is calling on the administration to brief lawmakers fully about the situation.

Members must be briefed on a full accounting of the facts immediately, Wicker posted Monday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

He says it was unacceptable for the Defense Department to deliberately withhold information about Austins medical condition for days.

Wicker told reporters Monday that the secrecy around Austins unexplained absence is very serious.

But he wasnt ready to call on Austin to resign or be fired.

I think we should have a quick hearing about this and to find out to what extent the department has ignored the statutory requirement to inform other senior government officials of the Defense secretarys hospitalization, he said.

He said military officials have said its not unusual for the civilian chief of the military to transfer command authority to another person on a temporary basis.

Were told today that this happens  this sort of transfer of power happens frequently, he said. If thats the case, then this is one of several instances and merely the first one weve heard about, then it does become very serious.

The statutory requirement is not a suggestion. Its a statutory requirement, and theres a reason for that, he added.

Austin was hospitalized following complications from an undisclosed elective medical procedure.

Wicker and other senators say they still dont know precisely why Austin was placed in intensive care.

Senate Republicans are glad to go on offense against the administration over a high-profile national security issue after they were put on the defensive for months because of Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) holds on hundreds of nonpolitical senior military promotions.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), an influential member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a key ally of McConnell, called for either Austin or his chief of staff  or both  to resign Monday for what he called a cover-up.

He said they displayed terrible judgement in failing to disclose his hospitalization.

Trump said Sunday that Austin should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty.

He also jabbed at Biden for not having had a clue as to where he was, or might be.

Austin, in a statement released over the weekend, promised he wouldnt keep the nations leaders in the dark about a serious medical condition in the future while also suggesting that he deserved some privacy.

He said he understood the media concerns about transparency and recognized I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed.

I commit to doing better, he said. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.

Other senior Republicans are hesitant to oust the nations first Black secretary of Defense, despite the many unanswered questions they have about the situation.

Senate Republican Policy Committee Chair Joni Ernst (Iowa), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Austins secret absence absolutely unacceptable.

When weve got Houthis attacking Americans and carrier ships, when weve got the Israeli-Gaza war going on, she said.

But asked about whether Austin should step down, Ernst said: We will see. Well get more clarity in the next several days.

What should the remedy be here? Well find out as we learn more, she said.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the senior Republican on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, called the secrecy surrounding Austins hospitalization inexplicable.

It appears that even the president, his national security adviser, and the deputy secretary of Defense were unaware of Secretary Austins hospitalization for at least three days, she said, noting what she called the extremely serious military decisions the United States is dealing with amid attacks on U.S. troops by Iranian proxies, and the wars in Israel and Ukraine.

She also stopped short of calling for resignation.

Even Senate Democrats were shaken by the lapse in military leadership at the start of the new year.

I have a lot of questions, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said. Im a big fan of the secretary. I voted for him, and Id do it again, but there a lot of unanswered questions and a lot of his friends would like to know just what happened.

Durbin said its not unreasonable for Senate Republicans such as Wicker to demand a full accounting of Austins absence from the White House and Pentagon.

Asked about calls for Austin to be fired or resign, Durbin said its way too early to draw that conclusion until we know the facts.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday kicked off what will be a nine-month audition to voters, as both Republicans and Democrats begin to make the case that they should control the Arizona Legislature.

Long story short, Hobbs offered a decent opening act. She didnt inflame the far right  not too much, anyway.

Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman and his fellow Freedom caucusers didnt walk out mid-speech like last year, though Sen. Anthony Kern once again stood and turned his back to Hobbs  a protest, apparently, of her tyrannical agenda against the people of AZ.

So OK, it was not exactly a bipartisan lovefest.

But it was a solid opening performance by Hobbs, who clearly has put the Republicans on notice that shes in it to win it in November. The only question now is will Republicans help her along by unleashing the crazy?

Hobbs tossed little meat to progressives

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives her State of the State speech to start the 2024 legislative session in Phoenix on Jan. 8, 2024.

Republicans are clinging to control of the Legislature by their fingertips, with just a one-vote margin in each chamber. And Democrats are knocking on the door in several swing districts now held by Republicans.

Hobbs (wisely) showed up without much in the way of red meat to toss to her progressive base. She didnt repeat last years calls for an end to universal school vouchers or to establish state-funded scholarships for undocumented immigrants.

Instead, she (wisely) led off her State of the State speech by complaining about Washingtons ongoing failure to secure our southern border and pledged state money for border security and to stop fentanyl from flowing into the country.

Day in and day out, I hear from leaders on the border who need support because they are stepping up where the federal government cant, or wont, she said.

It was a far cry from her speech a year ago when she lauded the Biden administration for "proposing real steps to begin addressing the problems of the current system.

Not every idea will fly, but some could

Some of what Hobbs proposed on Monday will be a nonstarter with Republican legislators, including her call to repeal the 1864 law that criminalizes abortion. Also, her call to clamp some controls on Republicans signature universal school voucher program.

It is our responsibility as stewards of this state to put in place guardrails to ensure taxpayer dollars dedicated to education are used properly, she said. Without these guardrails, waste, fraud and abuse take root and thrive.

Wont it be interesting to watch Republicans on the campaign trail this summer, explaining why they refused to even consider stronger oversight aimed at preventing parents from using Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to educate their children at water parks and on the ski slopes and inside trampoline parks?

Hobbs' plan could save: Not kill school vouchers

Some things Hobbs proposed should be easy wins for both parties  like calling for a crackdown on assisted living centers where vulnerable seniors have been injured, terrorized and even killed while a fractured state bureaucracy is impotent to do anything to stop it.

Our laws make it far too easy for assisted living facilities to hide what happens and our state reporting system makes it ridiculously difficult to find out what really goes on when you put mom or dad in one of these places.

Hobbs water proposals, however, will be more difficult for Republicans to swallow, including her proposals to prevent rural Arizona from being sucked dry and end loopholes that allow places like Rio Verde Foothills to be built without any water supply.

She made a plea for bipartisan buy-in but also put Republicans on notice that she doesnt require it.

To those who have spent years refusing to act: If you dont, I will, she said.

Will Republicans pay for this in 2024?

Economic opportunity. Relief from rising prescription drug prices. Mortgage assistance for Arizonans priced out of the home market.

Gov. Hobbs speech was Act 1 in her audition to flip the most conservative Legislature in my memory to Democratic control come November.

It remains to be seen how Republicans will respond  most specifically whether Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma will allow Hoffman and his Freedom Caucus to run the joint, as they (mostly) seemed to do last year.

But Petersen owes his presidency to Hoffman and Toma is running for Congress against a pack of MAGA candidates..

My guess is the Legislatures far right culture warriors will run free.

And theres a good chance Republicans will pay for that come November.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @LaurieRoberts or on Threads at @laurierobertsaz.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gov. Katie Hobbs makes a serious play to flip the Arizona Legislature
After eight years of Doug Ducey, the State of the State address had become the same recipe  one part accomplishment, one part aspiration and several hard shakes of hot sauce aimed at the opposition party.

Thats not what Katie Hobbs served on Monday.

For all her talk of bipartisanship and rolling up the sleeves, hers was a political speech.

It was a political speech about the hottest topic of the moment  immigration.

Hobbs skewered Biden

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives her State of the State speech to start the 2024 legislative session in Phoenix on Jan. 8, 2024.

With record numbers of migrants pouring over the U.S.-Mexico border from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, China and the Middle East, Hobbs has been making lots of noise about immigration.

On Monday, she served the heat early with a flaming skewer of reproach for her own party  the Democrats.

Sure, she framed it in plausible deniability.

The foundation of what we do as elected officials here in this Capitol is rooted in keeping Arizona families safe. Thats why we cannot go forward without first addressing Washingtons ongoing failure to secure our southern border  a failure decades in the making under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Oh, yeah?

Well, presently the administration is the Democrats and they have bumbled their way into a border policy that is all cheesecloth and incoherence.

No wonder she tackled the border first

If youre a governor who wants to make a message stick in your State of the State address, you deliver it early before the audience starts to look longingly at the letters E-X-I-T.

So, Hobbs served her main course at the beginning of her speech.

I pledged to not play the same old political games that created this (border) crisis and that have continually hurt communities, families and our state, she said.

She wasnt playing the same old game.

Thats for sure.

She was pointing her skewer directly at the president of the United States, the standard-bearer of her own party  Joe Biden.

She was doing it in an election year in which the Democrats claim no less than the survival of our democracy rides on Bidens reelection.

No one understands the misguided efforts of the past more than our neighbors, sheriffs, small business owners and local law enforcement near the border who work every day to offer solutions where the federal government has failed, she said.

Hobbs calls Lukeville closing a 'disaster'

Then she pointed to the debacle that was the Lukeville Port of Entry.

Thats where Joe Bidens Customs and Border Patrol shut down cross-border traffic and reassigned the port staff to help process all the migrants pouring across the U.S.-Mexico line.

As reported by KJZZ Fronteras, Closing the Lukeville crossing had disastrous consequences on the ground, because local communities and economies on both sides of the border rely on business from tourists heading to places like the Sonoran beach town of Puerto Penasco, as well as Mexican visitors headed north.

Hobbs reacted with words on fire.

One needs to look no further than the decision to close the Lukeville port of entry, which did nothing to actually solve our immigration crisis but did hurt businesses and families.

My administration worked tirelessly to reverse this short-sighted action by the federal government and took extraordinary steps  including sending the National Guard to the border  to bring security and common sense to this situation.

Her message was different from big cities'

She wasnt done.

Day in and day out, I hear from leaders on the border who need support because they are stepping up where the federal government cant, or wont."

She pointed to her creation of Operation SECURE  a border coordination office within the Arizona Department of Homeland Security and then closed her immigration remarks with this:

Arizonans should know we are taking significant and meaningful steps to keep them safe  even when the federal government refuses to.

Hobbs proves she's ready: To flip the Legislature

Was Hobbs simply joining the chorus of Democratic leaders in Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Boston who have criticized White House immigration policy?

I dont think so.

Hobbs is staking out the broad middle

The audience for her immigration remarks wasnt Joe Biden.

Hobbs was shrewder than that.

The audience was Arizonans and the message was that their new governor has positioned herself not as the governor of Arizona Democrats, but the governor of all Arizonans.

Katie Hobbs is staking out the broad middle.

And in so doing, she may inadvertently be saying to any Republicans or Democrats who plan to challenge her a few years from now:

You better bring your A game.

Phil Boas is an editorial columnist with The Arizona Republic. Email him at phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gov. Katie Hobbs hits Biden, fellow Democrats hard on immigration
Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday lashed out against social media platforms, calling them an obvious reason for the decline in youth mental health and asking the Legislature to protect children from them.

Depending on how legislators respond to the governors call to action, Idaho may become the next state to restrict young peoples social media use.

Coming less than two months after the Treasure Valley experienced a teen suicide cluster, Little during his State of the State address Monday spoke about the need to address youth suicide in Idaho and said social media companies play a significant role in making young people today feel more isolated than any previous generation.

The dominance of social media in the past decade is an obvious reason for the decline in youth mental health, Little said. Social media is addicting. It creates a forum for cyberbullying. It replaces quality time with kids friends and loved ones, and it makes them compare themselves to impossible, artificial standards for looks and lifestyles.

Speaking in the Idaho House chambers, the governor urged legislators to create new social media laws to address this issue.

I am asking my partners in the Legislature to pass meaningful reforms this session  like the legislative bodies in Arkansas, Utah, and other states have done  to better protect our children from the harms of social media, Little said.

Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address.

Idaho could follow in other states footsteps

While Little was not explicit about what that reform could look like, the two states he mentioned may give Idahoans a clue.

Last year, Utah and Arkansas became the first states to pass sweeping social media laws that banned those younger than 18 from accessing platforms like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram without explicit parental permission. Social media companies will have to verify ages and obtain a guardians consent through federally recognized methods before allowing minors on their sites.

Utahs laws also grant parents complete access to their childrens accounts, require platforms to block minors between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless adjusted by a parent and limit who can search for and message minors.

The Utah laws, which go into effect March 1, put restrictions on tech companies as well. They will no longer be able to collect a minors data, target a minors social media accounts for advertising purposes or target a minors social media accounts with addictive designs or features.

Utah legislators also created avenues for minors to bring lawsuits against social media companies for harming them.

The State of the State was not the first time Little has shown his distaste for social media. He signed an executive order in December 2022 that banned TikTok on state-issued devices and networks  a move he brought up again on Monday.

Were pushing back on China, Little said. I banned TikTok in state government to protect our information from the Chinese governments sinister motives.

Littles statements come on the heels of national concern about how social media use could be affecting young people. In recent years, CEOs from tech giants like Meta, Twitter and TikTok were called into Congress to testify about such issues.

Littles office did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Gov. Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency ahead of a weather forecast for heavy rain, strong wind gusts and the potential for flooding later today.

What exactly is a state of emergency? Its a legal instrument available to the governor or acting governor in the form of an executive order, to be exercised when he or she believes that a disaster or some other form of public crisis has occurred or may be imminent.

While the declaration might sound as a clarion call to the public to take heed, its true function is to pierce through the slow-moving, day-to-day bureaucracy of state government and mobilize it into a state of readiness or action.

The order frees up resources and assets under the authority of the governor. In different weather circumstances, this may be as seemingly trivial as having the state Department of Transportation tap into supplies of rock salt and move snow removal equipment into position. In other circumstances, it may be as extraordinary as directing the New Jersey Army National Guard to ready federal assets such as high-wheeled vehicles, ready-to-eat meals and electrical generators.

Shutting down: Jersey Shore school closings, delayed openings, early closings due to NJ storm warning

In this case, the anticipated emergency is the threat of a drenching storm, and the potential danger to lives, property and critical infrastructure that could result overnight throughout the state.

Beginning (this) morning and continuing through Wednesday morning, we are expecting one to four inches of heavy rain, strong winds, and potential inland and coastal flooding, Murphy said in a public statement issued Monday. This storm will exacerbate the effects of the inclement conditions we experienced in December and this past weekend and may precede another storm Friday night. As always, I urge all New Jerseyans  including residents in our coastal and riverine communities  to follow all safety protocols and remain off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

The state of emergency goes into effect in all 21 counties at 5 p.m. today.

Big blaze: 2 injured in major fire at vacant commercial building in Lakewood

In previous such circumstances, the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police or a designated command-level officer within its Office of Emergency Management will implement what is called the state emergency operations plan. Additionally, the states emergency operations center outside Trenton is activated and staffed.

New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan said that activating the emergency operation center means that it is easier to coordinate with other agencies, like the state Board of Public Utilities, Department of Transportation and with the federal government.

What's Going There? Aldi, Sprouts, Trader Joe's and Outback among new stores at Jersey Shore in 2024

In general, an emergency declaration also enables state officials to establish open lines of communication with their county and municipal counterparts; to ensure that local communities and volunteer organizations are prepared for worst-case contingencies, and to be able to coordinate any recovery effort should circumstances require it.

While the governor has the authority to enact a travel ban and has  in this particular case  called on the public to stay home unless they must go out, he is not ordering the general public to keep off the roads.

In the past, governors have ordered travel bans only in circumstances such as major snowstorms or hurricanes, when driving conditions are considered so treacherous as to endanger the lives of both civilian motorists and the first responders who would be called upon to rescue them. Thats because a travel ban would also mean closing interstate highways as well.

However, local and county officials are empowered to issue their own emergency declarations that include restrictions on movement for public safety reasons. Drivers can check road conditions and travel updates across the state at 511nj.org.

Because the state of emergency goes into effect after the close of normal business today, there is no immediate impact on the operation of schools and businesses  with the potential for any closings or delayed openings on Wednesday (depending on the severity of the storm) not to be known until later tonight or in the morning, when the extent of the conditions are known. Nevertheless, decision-making authority regarding operations would remain with individual school districts and businesses during the pending state of emergency.

New Jersey residents can visit ready.nj.gov for important weather updates and safety information from the state government.

Stay with app.com for local updates on conditions in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Gov. Murphy declares state of emergency: What does that mean?
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Monday night called for President Biden to be fired after the Pentagon did not disclose that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized until days later.

I think Biden should be fired, she said during a Fox News town hall in Iowa. This is unbelievable that we have a situation like this. When I had a crisis in South Carolina, we were dealing with anything, and I had to deal with my adjutant general. I was on the phone with him every day, twice a day.

We have a war in Europe, we have a war in the Middle East. North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States. China is on the march. First, I have a problem with the fact that Biden is not talking to his secretary of Defense every single day anyway, she continued.

Haleys comments come after Austin and the Biden administration have faced increasing scrutiny after the Pentagon did not disclose Austins admission to the hospital until days later after an elective medical procedure led to health issues  leaving even Biden and other top officials in the dark.

Former President Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform called for Austin to be fired, but national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that there are no plans for the White House to do so.

There is no  no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continuing the leadership that  hes been demonstrating, Kirby said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has slashed former President Trumps lead in New Hampshire with nearly two weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation primary, according to a survey released Tuesday.

In the new CNN/University of New Hampshire (UNH) poll, Haley garnered about 32 percent of likely GOP primary voters in the Granite State, an increase of 12 percentage points since November.

Trump  who remains the front-runner in the GOP primary race, nationally and in New Hampshire  led Haley by 7 points, with 39 percent support from likely Republican primary voters. This is a slight dip from November for the former president, who had 42 percent backing then.

The other GOP candidates fell far behind in New Hampshire, pollsters found.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came next with 12 percent support, followed by biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 8 percent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 5 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson at less than 1 percent.

The increase in support for Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, follows a series of polls showing her gaining momentum in recent months.

Haleys popularity has also notably risen among undeclared registered voters  New Hampshires category for independent voters  by about 18 points since November, the CNN poll found. Shes also spiked 20 points among those with moderate ideologies.

Meanwhile, a USA TODAY/Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll recently found that, while Haley has made gains, she lags behind Trump by a much larger margin: 46 percent to 26 percent.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQs polling index of New Hampshire shows Trump with a 11.9-percent lead over Haley in the Granite State  41.6 percent to 29.7 percent. Christie has about 10.9 percent support, while DeSantis shows 7.4 percent and Ramaswamy has 4.9 percent.

New Hampshires primary will take place Jan. 23, nearly a week after Iowa holds its caucuses to kick off primary voting season.

The CNN/New Hampshire poll was conducted online by the UNH Survey Center from Jan. 4-8 among 1,864 New Hampshire adults. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  Though Donald Trump is leading in New Hampshire two weeks out from the states Jan. 23 primary, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is gaining momentum in the Granite State, according to a new poll.

A CNN and University of New Hampshire poll conducted between Jan. 4 and Jan. 8 found that 39% of likely Republican New Hamsphire primary voters would back Trump while 32% would back Haley.

The rest of the candidates trail behind Trump and Haley, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 12%, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 5% and former Arksansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson at less than 1%.

Haleys support has increased dramatically since July last year, when only 5% of likely New Hampshire Republican voters supported her.

The new CNN poll also found that among the undeclared voters who would vote in the Republican primary, 43% would support Haley, 23% would support Christie and 17% would support Trump.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

An exclusive USA TODAY/Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll conducted between Jan. 3 and Jan. 7 of among 1,000 likely New Hampshire voters also found that Haley has narrowed the gap between her and Trump. The poll found that Trump leads Haley in New Hampshire 46%-26%.

Trump, meanwhile, has ramped up his attacks on Haley in the key early primary state. The former presidents campaign released a 30-second ad portraying her as soft on border security. She's described his attacks as temper tantrums.

Ive noticed that President Trump has given me some attention and I appreciate that because that means he sees what were seeing, she said.

Contributing: Karissa Waddick

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Haley is cutting Trump's lead in New Hampshire, new poll finds
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley slammed President Biden on Monday for lecturing her about the cause of the Civil War after he took an implicit knock at the GOP presidential candidate during a speech in her home state of South Carolina.

During a Fox News town hall in Iowa, Haley was asked to respond to comments Biden made at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston earlier Monday.

Let me be clear for those who dont seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War, Biden told his audience.

Haley argued Monday night that for for Biden to show up there and give a political speech is offensive in itself.

But the second thing Ill say is, I dont need someone who palled around with segregationists in the 70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career, lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina, about what it means to have racism, slavery or anything related to the Civil War, she added.

Biden received criticism during the 2020 presidential cycle for speaking positively about two segregationist senators he had previously worked with in the Senate, suggesting there was at least some civility. Biden during the 1970s was also against school busing during racial integration, according to CNN.

Haley has sought to clean up her remarks multiple times after she was called out during a town hall in New Hampshire last month over her answer on the cause of the Civil War.

An attendee called her out for not including slavery in her answer. Haley has later said Of course the Civil War was about slavery.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Nikki Haley is holding steady in second place in New Hampshire two weeks out from the states key primary, two new polls released Tuesday show. But whether the former South Carolina governor is within striking distance of former President Donald Trump depends on the survey.

The University of New Hampshire/CNN poll shows the gap between Trump and Haley in the single digits, with the former president at 39 percent support among likely GOP primary voters and the former U.N. ambassador at 32 percent  just outside of the polls margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. The poll of 1,864 New Hampshire adults, drawn from a probability-based panel, was conducted online between Jan. 4-8.

The Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY survey, meanwhile, puts Trump at 46 percent and Haley at 27 percent. The poll of 1,000 voters was conducted Jan. 3-7 by live calls to landlines and cellphones and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Both polls back up what a spate of December surveys showed  Haley, who has the backing of popular GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, has surged into a clear second place in New Hampshire. The South Carolinian started rising in Granite State polls after the first GOP presidential primary debate late last summer, but didnt see her numbers climb out of the teens until the end of last year, around the same time she secured Sununus endorsement.



Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, meanwhile, trails far behind in third place, with 12 percent support in both polls.

Christie has rejected calls to drop out and back Haley from attendees at his town halls and prodding to step aside from prominent Haley surrogates like Sununu. But Christie, who is staking his campaign on New Hampshire, wont see his case helped by the UNH survey, which found 65 percent of those backing him would break for Haley if he wasn't in the race. The two also continue to split support among independents who are likely to vote in the GOP primary  a crucial voting bloc for both candidates  with Haley at 43 percent among those respondents and Christie at 23 percent.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whos seen his support in the Granite State plummet over the past year, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were stuck in the single digits in both surveys.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden holds commanding leads on the Democratic side in both polls despite passing on the states primary amid an intraparty spat over the order of this years nominating contests.

In the UNH poll, 69 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they would write in Bidens name on the ballot, compared to 7 percent who said they plan to support Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and 6 percent who intend to vote for Marianne Williamson.

The split is similar in the Suffolk survey, with nearly 64 percent of likely Democratic primary voters breaking in Bidens favor compared to 6 percent for Phillips and 2 percent for Williamson.

The Suffolk poll also showed Biden beating Trump in a hypothetical general-election matchup, 42 percent to 34 percent. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now running as an independent, notched 8 percent support.
Nikki Haley is looking to outperform expectations in the Iowa caucuses next week in hopes of solidifying her status as the top challenger to former President Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

Haley has seen a surge in the polls and fundraising in recent weeks and has fallen under greater scrutiny from Trump, which her team says is a sign the former president is concerned about her rise.

But Trump still holds a dominant lead in Iowa, raising questions about whether Haley will be able to have a good enough showing to gain momentum from Iowa going into New Hampshire.

According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average, Trump leads the GOP field in Iowa with 51.6 percent support. DeSantis follows at 18 percent support, while Haley closely trails at 17.1 percent.

It would always be great for someone to outperform expectations in Iowa, and right now Trumps expectations are a resounding win, said Matthew Bartlett, a New Hampshire-based Republican strategist.

Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley smiles during a break during a Fox News Town Hall, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

GOP strategists say New Hampshire and Haleys home state of South Carolina will likely be more important to her path forward, as polls show Haley with a stronger lead over DeSantis.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average for New Hampshire shows Trump with a much narrower lead at 41.6 percent support, followed by Haley at 29.7 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie follows Haley at 10.9 percent, and DeSantis comes in at 7.4 percent.

If [Trump] does not break 50 percent, thats going to be significant, and where Nikki comes in and how close is going to be critical, Bartlett said. If she can make this a competitive race at the start here in New Hampshire and give Donald Trump a shock, that shock therapy to the campaign could ultimately change the dynamic of this race and make it much more competitive coming out of New Hampshire.

Haley hinted at this dynamic last week in New Hampshire when she said the state would correct Iowas results. Her critics were quick to pounce on Haley over the gaffe, which could hurt her chances in Iowa.

More Campaign coverage from The Hill

But national Republican strategist Doug Heye noted that Iowas role in Republican primaries is often to winnow the field.

Its New Hampshire and South Carolina, said Heye.

A strong showing for Haley  gives her momentum in South Carolina. Shell have her work cut out for her there too, Heye said. But complimenting the state that shes putting a lot of eggs in is not a gaffe.

Haley leads DeSantis in South Carolina polling, but its unclear whether she will be able to catch Trump in her home state. The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average shows Trump leading the field with a whopping 53.6 percent support, followed by Haley at 25.2 percent. DeSantis trails farther behind at 9.4 percent.

However, some South Carolina Republicans say the race is far from decided in the Palmetto State, noting that much of what happens in South Carolina could be influenced by New Hampshire.

If shes able to win in New Hampshire, I think it really sets up a true battle royal in South Carolina, said Alex Stroman, a South Carolina Republican strategist. If Trump comes into South Carolina with two wins and nobody else has any, the race is over.

Stroman noted that Haley has been underestimated in South Carolina in past elections, saying, Weve seen this play out.

Another thing that people are forgetting is there are 32 days between New Hampshire and South Carolina, he said. If its Donald Trump versus Nikki Haley, youre going to see Nikki barnstorming the state. She knows these areas.

Haleys allies maintain that she is looking at multiple paths forward.

I think theyre all states that we want to win. Nikki is not playing for second. Shes said that over and over again. At the end of the day Nikki has so many pathways to moving forward, said Preya Samsundar, a spokesperson for the pro-Haley Stand for America PAC.

Its just about getting her across the finish line, she said.

And while Haley has a long hill to climb going into Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, Trump has signaled in recent weeks that he views Haley as a threat.

Last week, the Trump campaign rolled out an ad hitting Haley in New Hampshire over the flow of migrants over the southern border, claiming Haleys weakness puts the country in danger while Trumps strength protects it.

The pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. also recently put out an ad showing resurfaced remarks from Haley in 2015, when she said it was disrespectful to describe immigrants crossing the border as criminals.

Haley has started to give more insight into how she will respond to a one-on-one match-up against her former boss. Last week during a CNN town hall in Iowa, Haley took one of her most aggressive stances against Trump yet, noting that chaos follows Trump.

And we cant have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. We wont survive it, she said.

Unlike Trump, Haley is focused more on counterpunching her opponent than directly attacking him.

I think she needs to continue to run her race and then contrast when necessary. Shes out there saying if Donald Trump is lying about me, I will tell the truth about him, Bartlett said. That is a position of strength. That is somebody that is saying, Im not going to start it, but Im certainly not going to take it.

Republicans warn that Haley should not take the bait against Trump, noting past GOP presidential hopefuls, such as Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who saw his campaign flounder after he took Trump on directly in the primary.

Remember, when you roll around in the mud with a pig, you both get dirty, but the pig likes it. Donald Trump wants that, Bartlett said. Donald Trump benefits from that, and it seems as if shes wise enough to know that shes not going to do that.

But Haley will also have to contend with DeSantis, who is taking aim at her in his fight to win back his second-place perch. Haley and DeSantis will face each other one-on-one Wednesday at a CNN debate in Iowa, while Trump sits down for his own town hall with Fox News.

DeSantis has attacked Haley for being cozy with big-dollar donors and for being phony, while Haley has hit back at DeSantis over his stances on China. But Wednesdays debate will paint a clearer picture of the dynamic between the two of them onstage. DeSantis, who arguably had one of his best debates of the cycle last month in Alabama, is seeking to regain any support that was lost in Iowa.

Haley has also proven to be a formidable force on the debate stage, famously hitting back against attacks from fellow GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy.

I dont think that its a goal to get into a fight with DeSantis, but as weve seen with her previous debate performances, she can be sharp as a razor, and she lit up Vivek Ramaswamy like a pinball machine, Bartlett said.

It seems as if voters appreciate that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A New Hampshire man with a suspended license is facing a slew of charges after state police said he reached speeds of 130 miles per hour when he failed to stop for troopers on Interstate 93.

Travis Dahood, 42, of Manchester, was charged with felony reckless conduct, aggravated driving under the influence, disobeying a police Officer, driving after suspension, reckless driving, and negligent driving, state police said. Dahood was released on cash bail and will appear in Hillsborough Superior Court in February.

At about 10:13 p.m. Monday, a trooper saw a silver-colored 2013 Infiniti G37X traveling at speeds over 100 miles per hour and failing to maintain lane control, state police said.

The trooper attempted to stop the Infiniti on Interstate 93 North, but the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit ensued, state police said.

During the pursuit, the Infiniti accelerated to speeds of 130 miles per hour and Dahood continued driving erratically, state police said. The Infiniti exited the highway, and the pursuit ended due to the danger the Infiniti posed to other motorists.

Shortly after, troopers and Manchester Police officers arrived at the address of the Infinitis registered owner in Manchester, state police said.

When police arrived, they quickly located Dahood, who was taken into custody without incident.

A preliminary investigation found that Dahood was driving under the influence and his license was suspended.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Trooper William Moran at William.J.Moran@dos.nh.gov or 603-451-9766.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella (R) issued a cease-and-desist order on Monday to the Democratic National Committee and warned Democratic officials to stop telling voters the states primary is meaningless, which Formella said violates the states voter suppression laws.

In the letter  addressed to DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) co-chairs Minyon Moore and James Roosevelt Jr.  Formella took issue with their Jan. 5 letter to the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) advising the state party to educate the public that the states Jan. 23 primary is a non-binding presidential preference event and is meaningless.

Regardless of whether the DNC refuses to award delegates to the partys national convention based on the results of the January 23, 2024, New Hampshire democratic Presidential Primary Election, this New Hampshire election is not meaningless, read the Monday letter to the DNC and RBC.

It said the DNC committees statements to the contrary are false, deceptive, and misleading and such statements made to people eligible to vote in the state constitutes an attempt to prevent or deter New Hampshire voters from participating in the January 23, 2024, New Hampshire democratic Presidential Primary Election, in violation of RSA 659:40, III.

The DNC changed the order of its nominating calendar this year, instructing South Carolina Democratic voters to vote for delegates on Feb. 3, before any other primary in the nation. The move booted New Hampshire from its longtime first-in-nation primary spot.

The DNC voted to support this new plan, favored by President Biden, after concerns arose about the lack of diversity in Iowa and New Hampshire  traditionally the first states to hold their contests in a presidential election year. States that vote or caucus first are largely seen as having an advantage in determining the trajectory and momentum of the race.

New Hampshire Democrats fought against this move, and New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) announced two months ago that the state would hold its primary on Jan. 23, in defiance of the DNC plan.

The DNC warned that the apportionment of delegates would not be based on the Jan. 23 event.

In the Jan. 5 letter, Moore and Roosevelt wrote, We are aware that the Party intends to host a delegate selection process on Saturday, January 6. We advise you to inform participants that this process has not been approved by the RBC and is therefore not the approved route to become a Delegate to the National Convention, nor will it be recommended for approval by the RBC.

In a statement to The Hill in response to the Monday letter from the states attorney general, the New Hampshire Democratic Party recommitted to voting in accordance with the state law, rather than with the new DNC calendar.

Well, its safe to say in New Hampshire, the DNC is less popular than the NY Yankees, the statement read. State law requires the New Hampshire Secretary of State to conduct the first-in-the-nation primary and he is going to follow the law  period. Nothing has changed, and we look forward to seeing a great Democratic voter turnout on January 23rd.

The DNC did not reply to an immediate request for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Strong winds with possible gusts up to 65 mph in some areas plus an increased risk of tornadoes were expected to be the potential impacts of storms on the Treasure Coast from a cold front forecast to sweep across the region late Tuesday.

A wind advisory from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. is in effect for conditions expected ahead of the storms. Storms are expected to reach the Treasure Coast Tuesday night, according to National Weather Service Forecast Office meteorologists in Melbourne.

This line will be very fast-moving, said Derrick Weitlich, a lead meteorologist with the agency. "It will push through the area pretty quickly.

A cold front was forecast to sweep across the East Central Florida region and bring with it storms, high wind speeds and an increased risk of tornadoes, a meteorologist said.

Weather projections showed the system reaching the Treasure Coast between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. and then moving offshore by midnight.

More: Florida Gov. DeSantis activates State Guard as 'severe weather' threatens state

Sustained 20- to-30 mph winds with 40- to-45 mph gusts were forecast to begin early Tuesday.

As the front passes he said damaging winds up to 65 mph with isolated gusts up to 70 mph were possible, but the higher wind speeds were expected more in the central regions near Okeechobee County, Weitlich said.

I cant rule out the threat of a tornado or two," he said.

Live updates: Check for any weather watches, radar, warnings issued for Treasure Coast

The heaviest impacts were expected for the Interstate 4 corridor in the central part of the state, north of Orlando with the Sanford area likely seeing the highest potential of damaging winds and tornadoes.

The same hazards affiliated with the cold front though, he said were expected across all of East Central Florida.

Its important people pay attention to the weather and be aware of any watches or warnings issued with this storm,"

He said it's especially important on the Treasure Coast because of the front's anticipated arrival after dark.

The speed of the storms' sweep across the region meant little rain was expected with the system, he said.

The agency only projected roughly  to 1 inch of rain at any point across Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

Behind it, conditions will pretty quickly improve, he said.

Wind speeds are predicted to lower to 5- to-10 mph by Wednesday accompanied with a drop in temperatures to what he said were more normal values, with lows in the mid to upper 50s and highs in the low 70s.

More: DEP issues final order to punish Port St. Lucie resort for destroying mangrove forest

More: Costco plans to move distribution center to Port St. Lucie from West Palm Beach

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood, or call 772-978-2246.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Front forecast to bring storms, strong winds to Treasure Coast
"Fool Me Once" has become the latest Harlan Coben adaptation to take over Netflix.

In 2018, Coben signed a five-year deal with Netflix, per Deadline, in which 14 of his 33 novels (which, by the way, have sold over 75 million copies, per his website) will turn into individual series on the streaming service, with him serving as producer.

This multi-million dollar deal is big news for Coben buffs, who already love his mystery novels with their twisty-turny plots mostly set in middle-class suburbia. It's also good news for newcomers, who are binge-watching the mystery series  and maybe picking up one of his novels, which he publishes at a rate of one a year.

The Netflix book adaptations have been made internationally, as well as in the U.S.: "The Woods" was made in Poland, "The Innocents" in Spain, and "Gone for Good" in France.

There are more Coben adaptations on the way on other platforms, like a YA thriller version of "Shelter" on Prime Video. Read on for a list of the seven shows already released on Netflix, in order, and the ones yet to come.

'Fool Me Once' (2024)

Who killed Joe? A wife is left to reckon with what happened to her husband after he's found brutally murdered.

'Hold Tight' (2022)

Scene from

This series, filmed in Polish, is the latest Coben series to come to Netflix. This story follows a man who goes missing after his friend dies  and in the aftermath of his disappearance, a slew of secrets and lies about his family gets exposed. Hold tight, indeed.

"Hold Tight" also has a reward for people who watched "The Woods," another Polish adaptation of a Coben novel, bringing back lead Pawel Kopinski (Grzegorz Damiecki) to tie up loose strings. ' Stay Close

Cush Jumbo in

"Stay Close," filmed in the U.K., features three protagonists who all have concealed secrets. Expect compelling storylines, including a forbidden romance, unsolved murders (duh), medical scares and a finale that will put you on the very edge of your seat. The cast includes Cush Jumbo, Richard Armitage, Daniel Francis, Jo Joyner and Eddie Izzard.

'Gone for Good' (2021)

Finnegan Oldfield in

Gird your loins: Here's another Harlan Coben story in which (shocker!) someone goes missing. This time, it's the main character's girlfriend. Guillaume Lucchesi (Finnegan Oldfield) has suffered loss after loss: His first love, his brother, and his mother. When his girlfriend goes missing after his mom's funeral, Finnegan decides he can't lose another perosn and goes out to find her. This five-part French-language miniseries also includes themes of family betrayal and, of course, secret-keeping. The drama!

'The Innocent' (2021)

As you could have perhaps figured by now, the main character of this show, Mateo, has some secrets in his pocket. This Spanish series focuses on Mateo, who gets released from an eight-year stint in prison after killing a man in a bar fight. With lots of seemingly unrelated (but of course, are actually very related) plot lines, this show will throw you for the best kind of loop.

'The Woods' (2020)

Prosecutor Pawel Kopinski (Grzegorz Damiecki) searches for answers to two unsolved murder cases. (Netflix)

"The Woods" flashes between timelines: a 1994 summer camp in the woods and a 2019 Warsaw. This Polish show follows a lawyer who is haunted by the death of two children he was supervising at the aforementioned summer camp in '94. This perplexing series is left on a cliff-hanger  so viewers who like a resolved plot, be warned: You're going to have to wait for the 2022 series "Hold Tight" to get it.

'The Stranger' (2020)

Richard Armitage in

Richard Armitage, who later appeared in Stay Close, plays a British suburban dad who is approached by a woman who reveals a life-altering secret to him about his wife. Oh, and one of his sons classmates is found dead in the woods. Chaos ensues.

Safe (2018)

Michael C. Hall (of Dexter fame) stars in this England-set series  and his character is on a frantic search for his 16-year-old daughter Jenny, almost a year after his wife died of cancer. Think Taken, but with a slew of Harlan Coben-style chaotic web of lies thrown into the mix.

Upcoming Harlan Coben shows

So far, "Run Away" was confirmed to be turned into a Netflix series, and and Six Years will be a movie.

As for the remaining options? There's slew of other possible novels that could be converted to shows, including, but not limited, to:

"Play Dead"

"Miracle Cure"

"Tell No One"

"No Second Chance"

"Just One Look"

'Caught"

"Missing You"

"Dont Let Go"

"The Boy from the Woods"

"Win"

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Harry Pitman was reportedly attacked 'within yards' of police officers attending the event - FAMILY HANDOUT /PA

A teenage boy is accused of stabbing 16-year-old Harry Pitman to death with a hunting knife after a New Years Eve altercation, a court has heard.

Harry was attacked within yards of police officers attending the fireworks display at north Londons Primrose Hill.

Medics desperately tried to save Harry but he was pronounced dead just 20 minutes before midnight.

There were police officers just yards away when the stabbing took place but no one apprehended at the scene, the Old Bailey heard.

The boy who is 16 and cannot be named, appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday charged with murder and possessing an offensive weapon.

Wearing a black Nike jumper with a blue logo, the teenager spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

The 16-year-old was remanded in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on March 26.

A provisional four week trial date was set for Sept 2.

Members of Harrys family were in court for the hearing.

The Metropolitan Police have said Harrys family, from Haringey, continued to be supported by specialist officers.

A 17-year-old boy who was arrested on Jan 4 has been released on bail.

The Met Police has said three other boys arrested in connection with the incident would have no further action taken against them.

Lisa Ramsarran, the deputy chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) London homicide team, earlier said: The CPS has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge a 16-year-old boy with murder following the death of Harry Pitman.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, is also charged with possessing an offensive weapon.

Harry Pitman died after he was stabbed on Primrose Hill on New Years Eve.

The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings are active and that the defendant has the right to a fair trial.

It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

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.
Northern Californias latest winter storm is forecast to bring a plethora of snow to the mountains, along with travel restrictions.

The National Weather Service announced a winter weather warning, in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 10 p.m. Wednesday, for portions of the Sierra Nevada. A weaker winter storm advisory goes into effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday to 4 p.m. Wednesday for the coastal range, Shasta County mountains and Burney Basin areas.

The National Weather Service is predicting heavy snow in the Tahoe region.

A winter storm warning also goes into effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday to 1 a.m. Thursday for the Lake Tahoe area including Stateline, Truckee, Tahoe City, South Lake Tahoe, Glenbrook, Markleeville, and Incline Village. Winds could reach up to 100 mph along Sierra ridges. The weather service also issued a lake wind advisory beginning Tuesday.

A wind advisory is in effect through Wednesday.

Meteorologist Katrina Hand with the weather service said the snow is expected to cause major disruptions along Highway 50 and Interstate 80 near Tahoe  travel delays, chain controls, reduced visibility and possible road closures  but it will be comparable to last weekends snowstorm.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible, the winter weather warning stated.

Are snow chains required when going to Tahoe? Here are Californias winter rules

The Truckee division of California Highway Patrol tweeted ahead of last weekends storm a video an apparent crash between a semi-truck and a sedan. Chain controls were at the maximum for commercial vehicles.

 I-80 is R2 in both directions from the Nevada State line to Eagle Lakes.

 Trucks are at maximum restrictions. pic.twitter.com/FPiyDc4kIU  CHP Truckee (@CHP_Truckee) January 6, 2024

According to the Tuesday weather service, elevations above 2,500 feet within the advisory area could receive between 4 and 8 inches of snow. Elevations above 3,500 feet within the warning area could see even more  10 to 20 inches, coupled with wind gusts as high as 50 mph.

A warning suggests life-threatening conditions, the weather service stated, while an advisory indicates the weather will make travel inconvenient.

How long will the storm last?

Light rain forecast to fall in the Sacramento region this week. On Tuesday, rain in the foothills will morph into flurries. By nightfall, a bigger snowstorm will move into the Sierra.

Rain and near-freezing temperatures are in the forecast for Sacramento. Heres when

Wednesday morning will bring the heaviest amounts of snow before the system begins to taper off in the afternoon. Lingering flurries could fall early Thursday morning before coming to a complete stop. There is some snow in the forecast for the Tahoe region headed into the weekend, beginning again on Friday.

Heavy snow is expected in the mountains Tuesday night through Wednesday. Snow-covered roads, reduced visibility, travel delays, chain controls and road closures are all possible. Check the forecast/roads before you travel, especially to the mountains. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/KNAsySzLz2  NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 8, 2024

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.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  The new Heber City chief of police has two lawsuits alleging racist behavior from his time as a police chief in California, however, these lawsuits are of no surprise to Heber officials.

Chief Parker Sever, who was sworn in on Oct. 17, previously served as chief of police in Hanford, California, where he was sued twice for alleged racist behavior. However, he says Hanford city officials did not believe he had done anything wrong.

Sever, who said he is unable to provide deeper insight due to the pending litigation, did say he look[s] forward to the truthfulness of the allegations coming out.

Heber City said they knew of the litigation as they conduct background checks on all applicants, adding that Sever told the city of the lawsuits during the interview process. Knowing this, the city said it chose to move forward with the hiring process with confidence.

The allegations

The first lawsuit was filed by former Hanford police officer Jason Stingley in January of 2023. It lists several instances beginning in 2006 in which Sever, along with others in the department, allegedly discriminated against and harassed Stingley due to his race.

The lawsuit claims in one instance Sever instructed Stingley, who is Black, to get on his knees on a busy street corner so that his white police officer counterparts could conduct a staged violent arrest of Mr. Stingley in front of the African American citizens of Hanford.

In 2007, the lawsuit claims Sever told Stingley he would discuss with the departments chief at the time whether he should be permitted to carry a spear instead of a handgun. When another Black police officer was hired, Sever allegedly told Stingley, Now we dont have to promote you, Jason in a public setting.

In 2016, the lawsuit alleges Sever sent an email to the department correcting a name mistake that was offensive to the Latin officers saying, I meant Officer Rivera. Curse all of you for looking alike. Lol.

The lawsuit also includes allegations against other officers, one of whom allegedly called Stingley Uncle Tom and hung a noose from his patrol vehicle with the consent and appreciation of others in the [department], the lawsuit states.

The second lawsuit against Sever was recently filed by officer Patrick Jurdon in Dec. 2023. In it, Jurdon claims he was an officer with above-average reviews until he complained of racist practices and excessive force, which led to retaliation.

While Sever is included in Jurdons lawsuit, the incidents listed are directed at other officers. It does, however, claim he witnessed discrimination from Sever against Stingely.

Response to allegations

Heber City said it looked into the allegations during the hiring process. They said Hanford Citys attorney endorsed Sever saying the litigation was baseless. In addition, Heber City said Sever spoke about the allegations against him in detail during the interview process, which spoke highly of his integrity.

With an understanding of the City of Hanford and the Hanford Police Departments defense of these allegations, Heber City felt confident in moving forward with the hiring process, Heber Citys statement said.

The lawsuits are still pending, meaning further information will likely become available in the future.

Read the statement from Heber City below:

Interim Chief Jeremy Nelson of the HCPD oversaw the vetting process for the candidates applying for Heber City Chief of Police. In coordination with the HCPD, Heber City Human Resources conducted extensive background checks on the candidates. Concerning Chief Parker Sever, the allegations made by Jason Stingley against the Hanford Police Department and Chief Parker Sever surfaced in his background check. The City of Hanfords attorney said that the allegations made by Jason Stingley were baseless and gave his endorsement of Parker Sever. More importantly, Parker Sever brought the information of his own free will to Heber City when interviewing, which we felt spoke highly of his integrity. He discussed the allegations in detail with Heber City during the interview. With an understanding of the City of Hanford and the Hanford Police Departments defense of these allegations, Heber City felt confident in moving forward with the hiring process.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Hendrick Health President and CEO Brad Holland began his one-year term as board chair for the Texas Hospital Association on Jan. 1, 2024.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Brad Holland, president and CEO of Hendrick Health, began his one-year term as board chair of Texas Hospital Association. Holland has been with Hendrick Health since 2019.

The Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the states hospitals and healthcare systems.

As one of the largest hospital associations in the country, Holland along with the board will represents 452 general and specialty hospitals and healthcare systems.

Im very excited about the opportunity to serve in this capacity and give back to the industry, Holland said. Im extremely humbled and will work hard to represent the healthcare industry and those who elected me to this position.

Holland received an undergraduate degree in biology from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) and a masters degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University. Since his healthcare career began in 2000, Holland has held leadership roles at hospitals in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas.

Holland joined Hendrick in 2019, and within his first three years has brought growth and opportunity to Hendrick through expansion efforts, physician recruitment and implementation of an electronic medical record and patient engagement portal.

Hendrick Health CEO and President Brad Holland holds the door for tour participants as they explore the new Hendrick Service Center at the Mall of Abilene Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

An important focus for me as THA board chair will be leading a collective effort by the states hospitals to develop a clear message that addresses one of the great challenges of our industry  the cost of care, Holland said. I look forward to ensuring that Texas hospitals have a clear message about that challenge as we prepare for the 2025 legislative session.

Along with his THA chair obligations and his day-to-day duties for Hendrick, Holland will be highly focused on the preparation and implementation of Hendrick Healths centennial. The yearlong celebration will kick off in September 2024.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Hendrick Health CEO elected board chair of Texas Hospital Association
ALBANY, New York  Gov. Kathy Hochul set the agenda for New York in 2024 with a State of the State address that focused on housing, crime and mental health while vowing to make it a more affordable place to live.

But she left out some key details  particularly how to fund the states surge of migrants  that state lawmakers will be eager to hear more about when she releases her state budget proposal next week.

She really hit the zeitgeist of concerns that I hear from my constituents, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D-Manhattan) said. Ill be looking at the details of these proposals, but it seems to be a good start.

Hochuls hour-long speech and an accompanying briefing book laying out 204 policy proposals broached few new ideas in what is an election year not for her, but for the U.S. House and state legislators.

She said New York will not be complacent and will be a progressive leader in the nation, focusing heavily on the need to make New York more affordable and safe  two issues that have particularly resonated with voters in recent years and hurt Democrats at the polls.

"If government can't keep its citizens' safe, then nothing else matters," she vowed.

Still, many of her ideas had either been unveiled over the past week or were resurrections of bills previously supported by the governor or the state Legislature.

But the speech made clear that shes not giving up on her 2023 push for more housing. In her speech, she blamed the slow rate of new home construction for the states nation-leading outmigration crisis  yet she refrained from reupping last years sweeping proposal to mandate new homes across New York.

The only thing that will solve this problem is building hundreds and hundreds of thousands of new homes, she said.

Hochuls efforts last year to force suburban towns to accept more housing density flopped in the Legislature. Her current proposal, according to her briefing book, would not be a mandate, but would prohibit towns from accessing certain discretionary funding if they dont allow for more growth.

She also touted plans to convert unused state land into 15,000 new residential units. Some officials are hopeful her housing agenda will fare better than her one from last year.

I think there is a way to land the plane to build the housing that we need, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters after the speech.



The governors address was also notable for what it didnt include.

Hochul did not begin to address her plans for closing the states $4 billion budget gap, likely to be the years most contentious subject, except for a promise to stand up to politicians who want to raise your taxes.

Thats a subject that will be discussed more when she unveils her budget for the fiscal year that starts April 1. But its been common for governors of yesteryear to use their most prominent speech of the year to set the tone for major debates.

Hochul also did not address the migrant surge.

That was completely absent from her briefing book, and her only mention during her speech was to say that shed discuss it next week  a move that miffed some lawmakers as thousands of migrants flow into the state, particularly New York City.

I was stunned, not one mention of the migrant crisis, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said. This thing is sinking the city of New York  Not even a passing glance at it.

Former Gov. George Pataki, a Republican, attended the speech and said as he entered the Assembly chamber that the migrant issue needs to be addressed in New York and the nation.

I think its absolutely critical and, in particular, we have to push the federal government to do something, he said. Its not just New York, its the country thats being badly hurt by this.



Adams, who has been at the forefront on the issue, wasnt perturbed as he asks the state for billions of dollars more to help the city with the more than 150,000 migrants who have entered since last year.

He and Hochul met a few weeks ago, said the mayor, who huddled privately with the governor to discuss the migrant crisis and the citys needs late last year. We both agree this is a national problem and the national government must deal with this issue, but its in our lap right now.

Ortt was more supportive of Hochuls plans on mental health, including her plan to provide more counseling in schools.

Pediatric mental health has for a long time been a weak area of our system in New York, he said.

And her plans to limit childrens access to addictive features of social media might enjoy some support in the Legislature: Her concerns about social media are legitimate, having a 13-year-old daughter, Hoylman-Sigal said.

The governor announced several plans on crime, such as a tax credit to help businesses cover the additional security costs as retail theft soars.

She wants a joint operation between federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as a brand-new state police unit to crack down on organized retail theft.

Many of the ideas Hochul discussed have been rolled out in recent weeks. That includes proposals to mandate prenatal paid leave, build more swimming pools, and making New York the global leader of A.I. development.

The governor also expressed her support for many ideas that lawmakers have already begun to act on.

That includes a previously-announced plan to end copays for insulin, an idea that was approved by the state Senate in 2023. She also is backing a constitutional amendment to increase the number of state Supreme Court justices in an effort to address the backlog in cases and decline in jury trials.

The governors briefing book also includes dozens of lower-profile ideas, such as supporting a bill to create a commission to prep for the Erie Canals bicentennial in 2025 and the creation of a New Deal-styled Arts Pluribus Unum program to provide grants for public murals.

I would definitely love to get those things done, said Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx), who highlighted ideas such as the insulin regulations.

But, he said, Ive been around too long. Ill wait to see whats actually in the budget language.
QUINCY  Is this one of those stories just waiting to have a hole punched in it?

The thought did occur to me, the more I learned about Hanson Crockett Gregory, a 19th-century sea captain buried in the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery in Germantown.

There is a fairly recent headstone on Gregory's grave, placed there in 1982.

It was paid for by Dunkin' Donuts, approved by the Quincy Cemetery Department and dedicated at a ceremony attended by the full student body of the Snug Harbor Elementary School at the time.

Capt. Hanson Gregory holds a doughnut, which he is credited with inventing in 1847.

The inscription on Gregory's gravestone reads: "Recognized by the National Bakers Ass'n. as the inventor of the doughnut. Born Camden, Maine 1832. Died Quincy, Mass. 1921."

Quincy, known as the City of Presidents, has also enjoyed its reputation as the place where Dunkin' Donuts, the multinational coffee and doughnut company, got its start in 1948.

Maura O'Gara leads a walking tour of Germantown including the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery, where Hanson Gregory is buried. Gregory is recognized as the inventor of the doughnut.

It turns out that Quincy's claim to doughnut fame has another leading character  Capt. Gregory.

The city's Environmental Treasures program celebrated the winter solstice in December with a walking tour of some of the most scenic places in the Germantown neighborhood at sunset. Several local history events were noted.

Sally Owen, the founder of the program, included a visit to Gregory's grave in the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery.

"Did you know that Quincy is also where the man who invented the doughnut is buried, after a lifetime at sea?" Owen asked in announcing the tour. "And that those sea voyages were the reason he came up with a new way of deep-frying the dough, with a hole in the center?"

Maura O'Gara led the walk and found a number of people were amused by Quincy's double doughnut connection.

Maura O'Gara leads a winter solstice walking tour for the Quincy Environmental Treasures Program on Dec. 21. The tour included the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery, where Capt. Hanson Gregory, inventor of the doughnut, is buried.

Tour-goers were given some background. On March 20, 1916, a news story in The Quincy Patriot newspaper referred to a story in a Boston newspaper about Gregory, described as the man who invented the hole in the doughnut.

The Quincy reporter quoted Gregory, then in his 80s, recalling how, at sea, the sailors used to eat doughnuts in diamond shapes or as long twisted strips of dough.

Capt. Hanson Gregory, of Camden, Maine, is shown with a cookie in his hand. Gregory is credited with inventing the doughnut in 1847 as a teenage cook at sea. He lived at the Sailors Snug Harbor Home in Quincy and is buried in the sailors' cemetery there.

The problem, Gregory said, was that the outside part would fry all right, but the inside would remain raw dough.

"I said to myself, 'why wouldn't a space inside solve the difficulty?'" Gregory is quoted as saying. "And then I got an inspiration. I took the cover of the ship's tin pepper box and I cut into the middle of that doughnut the first hole ever seen by mortal eyes. Well sir, them donuts were the finest I ever tasted. No more indigestion, no more greasy sinkors. Just well done fried through donuts. "

Gregory told the reporter that he returned home to Camden and showed his mother how to make the new doughnuts, and soon they were everywhere. He never got around to taking out a patent. He did plan to make a doughnut cutter, but someone else did it first.

Gregory lived his final days at the Sailors Snug Harbor Home in Quincy and died there at age 89 in 1921.

Owen recalled that years ago, when the late Ward 1 City Councilor Leo Kelly led a walking tour in Germantown, he included a visit to Gregory's grave.

While planning the solstice tour, Owen found a children's book, "The Hole Story of the Doughnut" by Pat Miller, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch, published in 2016.

Miller tells the story of how Hanson Gregory, while a teenager and a cook's helper at sea, took balls of dough and punched holes in them to make then cook more evenly. (There are several versions of how he did this in various sources.)

In the book, Miller describes how when the balls of sweetened dough were first deep-fried in lard, they were crisp around the edges. However, "their raw centers, heavy with grease, made them drop like cannonballs in the stomach. Sailors called them sinkers."

Gregory had an idea. The book says:

"He took the round lid of a pepper can and cut perfect holes in the center of each sinker. Then he tossed the rings into the bubbling lard."

"The cakes were brown and sweet and fully cooked. Sighs of delight rose above the noisy sea. AHH! Yum. Another please! Tasty! Good! A new breakfast tradition was born."

Owen was intrigued by the book. Before the tour, she returned to the sailors' graveyard in the gated cemetery behind the Snug Harbor School.

The cemetery was the final resting spot for some 33 sailors from 1856 to 1950.

Dunkin' Munchkins, with the original Dunkin' Donuts location in Quincy in the background.

Dunkin' Donuts knows what the dunkers want

On June 15, 1982, The Patriot Ledger ran an article headlined "Sailor Who Rolled in Dough Honored," with a kicker headline above it, "Dunkers were nuts about his creation."

The story described Gregory as "the man whose brainchild was holey." His original small, white gravestone had disappeared at some point and his grave was unmarked  until the Quincy Cemetery Department and Dunkin' Donuts had a new, 2-foot stone placed with an inscription and an image of an anchor inside a doughnut.

Maura O'Gara leads a winter solstice walking tour for the Quincy Environmental Treasures Program on Thursday Dec. 21, 2023. The tour included the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery where Capt. Hanson Gregory, inventor of the doughnut, is buried.

Local politicians, ministers and the entire Snug Harbor Elementary School student body, with teacher Harold Crowley, attended the ceremony in 1982.

Owen and O'Gara believe all of this adds new luster to Quincy's doughnut connection.

Maura O'Gara leads a winter solstice walking tour for the Quincy Environmental Treasures Program on Dec. 21. The tour included the Sailors Snug Harbor Cemetery, where Capt. Hanson Gregory, inventor of the doughnut, is buried.

At the end of the tour, to add a fresh taste to an already seasoned story, O'Gara passed out Dunkin' Munchkins Donut Hole Treats as they watched the sunset. (The bite-sized Munchkins were introduced as a separate product by Dunkin' in the 1970s and today more than 800 million a year are sold.)

William Rosenberg, the founder of the Dunkin' Donuts chain, opened his first coffee and doughnut shop in 1948 at 543 Southern Artery. Called the Open Kettle, it served coffee, pastries and sandwiches.

Today, a Dunkin' is still at the location, complete with the sign "Original Dunkin' location Established 1950." In 1955, the first Dunkin' Donuts franchise opened.

Owen has noted that this country already has a National Doughnut Day (or Donut Day) on the first Friday in June. Maybe, she suggested, "we can add a National Donut Hole Day to honor Hanson Gregory."

Maine official skeptical of claims

Because Gregory came from Camden, Maine, the Camden Public Library receives steady inquiries about the doughnut hole stories.

Ken Gross, director of the library's Walsh History Center, greets the inquiries with amusement and skepticism.

"We have quite a file on the doughnut story. There is never-ending interest in it," Gross said.

"He (Gregory) did come from Maine and he was a sea captain." Then he added, "He lived in an era when there were lots of tall tales. I think there is more delight than truth in the story.

"There was indeed a Capt. Hanson Gregory, but everything else rings as a tall tale, embellished for the audience."

Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Inventor of the doughnut is buried in Quincy
Texas State University on Sept. 16 will host the first of four scheduled U.S. presidential debates. This is the first presidential debate to be hosted in the Lone Star State.

Against the backdrop of the crystal clear waters of the San Marcos River, which billow from the depths of the Edwards Aquifer, for the first time in history a U.S. presidential debate is set to take place in Texas  a state of about 30 million that often finds itself at the forefront of American politics, particularly in dealing with immigration, abortion and election integrity.

And Texas State University, which laid its foundation in 1899 as a teachers college and is the only institution of higher education in Texas to have graduated a U.S. president (Lyndon B. Johnson), won the rights to host the monumental forum. The high-stakes debate, which tens of millions of people will watch later this year, requires months of preparation  and is a hefty expense.

In November, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that Texas State University, about 30 miles south of Austin, would host the first of four presidential debates Sept. 16 at Strahan Arena, a 10,000-seat multipurpose university facility in San Marcos that was built in 1982 and received a $60 million face-lift in 2018.

Texas State will pay a $2.7 million site fee to the Presidential Debates Commission and bears the full cost of all the goods and services noted in the agreement, which the American-Statesman obtained. The fee will be used to defray certain direct and indirect costs and expenses of the commission producing the debate," according to the 2024 Debate Host Agreement signed by Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse and commission Executive Director Janet Brown.

The school's $6,500 application fee will be subtracted from the total site fee, which was required to be paid by Friday to the nonprofit, nonpartisan commission, which has produced debates since 1988.

The agreement spells out the expenses and requirements Texas State must meet in addition to the site fee  from carpeting for the debate hall to air conditioning, catering and housing.

From the redacted records the Statesman obtained  which excluded security, cybersecurity and other specific event details  heres what we know about Texas States obligations as a debate host, and how the city and state will support the undertaking:

Why was Texas State picked to host a presidential debate?

In a Dec. 20 declaration from Brown, which the Statesman obtained in its records request, she said the commission chooses host sites based on facilities, city support and resources, and their ability to accommodate the high security needs of a presidential debate.

Eric Algoe, Texas State's chief financial officer and executive vice president for operations, who has been overseeing much of the university's debate preparation, said the school was approached during the last presidential election to be "on standby" to host in case a site backed out.

"We ended up not following through with that, but that gave us an opportunity to learn about this process and to get to know the people at the debate commission," Algoe said. "We understood the totality of what it would take to do this."

Over the next four years, university officials hatched a plan to host a debate, Algoe said. Damphousse said during a news conference in November that hosting a presidential debate is a historic honor, and the influx of people for the event is expected to create a huge economic spike for local businesses.

How Texas State is preparing for the presidential debate?

Algoe said he has been in weekly talks and nearly weekly meetings with the city of San Marcos to discuss preparations for the debate, and the Texas State University System  which oversees seven institutions of higher education, including the San Marcos campus  has been communicating regularly with the governor's office. In December, Texas State officials met with commission members in Washington, and commission members are expected to make a technical site visit in the next few weeks.

Any necessary renovations to university buildings are expected to take place over the summer so as not to interfere with NCAA events, Algoe said. He added that having the debate in September limits the number of events that will be affected.

How much will this cost Texas State?

Damphousse said the school has committed $5 million to run the project, for both temporary and permanent improvements. Algoe said that amount includes the commission's site fee and will be paid for with a combination of university reserve funding and fundraising from private donors and corporate sponsors.

Former Texas State University System Board of Regents Chair Jack Martin, who is now the presidential debate committee chairman, is organizing a group to raise money for the debate. The school is also allowed to charge media and the political campaigns for site use, which will reimburse some of the expenses.

Here are some other university costs, according to the agreement and application:

In addition to the site fee, unless otherwise expressly stated, the debate host must bear the full cost of all goods and services detailed in the agreement and application.

Any costs associated with preparing, renovating and updating facilities.

Ground transportation and hotels for the Presidential Debate Commission's production staff during post-selection surveys and the debate. (For the debate, hotels must have 24-hour room service).

Light catering throughout and full food service for the production staff and crew on the day of the debate.

Texas States other hosting responsibilities:

Contract with local communication utilities, cellphone providers and companies to accommodate extra capacity and backup system for the debate.

For all facilities used, Texas State must supply skilled operation, maintenance and security personnel.

Provide a debate hall of at least 12,000 square feet for an undisclosed period of time to the commission for the period of operation with certain dimensions, air conditioning, lighting, power and acoustic specifications.

Provide parking.

What is the Commission on Presidential Debates responsible for?

Producing and sponsoring the debates.

Selecting host sites and ensuring they meet requirements.

Conducting site visits.

Coordinating with university, state, county, city and federal law enforcement about security and cybersecurity.

Coordinating "post-debate symposia and research after many of its presidential forums."

The commission said it does not comment further on specific sites or agreements.

What will the presidential campaigns and media pay?

Both are expected pay to the debate host a usage fee for equipment and space.

Both are responsible for paying for their own hotels and food.

Who is supporting Texas State?

The university's application to host a presidential debate included statements of support from San Marcos and the governors office:

San Marcos City Manager Stephanie Reyes wrote: We understand that by providing this statement of support, the city of San Marcos is committing to the allocation of its public safety resources to the greatest extent possible; while continuing to prioritize continuity of operations across the city throughout the event. Reyes said the city would rely on preexisting relationships with public safety partners to meet security needs.

Gov. Greg Abbott wrote: Texas is a steadfast leader in our nation and an unflinching force in the world. The issues that Texans care about reflect fundamental American values and concerns that will resonate across the country during a presidential debate. I and my fellow Texans would be proud to showcase our state while playing such a prominent role in supporting democracy and your important mission. Abbott also said San Marcos exemplifies why so many people believe Texas is the best place to live, work, and raise a family and that his administration enthusiastically supports Texas States application to host a debate.



What happens if a candidate refuses to participate in a debate?

Candidates for U.S. president are not required to participate in a debate. Rather, the commission invites eligible candidates to take part. If the pre-conditions are not met  such as if one or more candidates do not agree to debate under the commissions sponsorship or at the debate hall  the commission may decide to call off the forum. In such event, the commission will refund those funds or contributions that have not been spent, expended or committed prior to the cancellation.

Why does Texas State want to host a debate?

Algoe said the presidential debate embodies higher education's responsibility to help people become involved in the political process. But hosting the forum also puts Texas in the national and international spotlight. He said the university will make the state proud.

"The world will be watching us for that week or so in September," he said. "We think that that has a great opportunity to help us make a positive impression on the world."

Additional reporting by Statesman political editor Andy Sevilla.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas State University readies to host first US presidential debate
Events across Newport County will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. this upcoming weekend.

The Newport County NAACP branch will hold its 39th annual celebration with events taking place in Portsmouth and Newport on Monday.

If your schedule is already full that day, you can also take place in a World Peace Prayer Circle on Sunday or attend Temple Shalom's Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative Shabbat on Friday evening.

Find out the information on these events below.

Newport County NAACP branch holds annual celebration

Malulani Martin shares a moment with a portrait of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during the annual birthday program in his honor sponsored by the Newport Chapter of the NAACP in 2020 at Thompson Middle School.

The Newport County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People presents the 39th annual National Holiday Celebration in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 15.Events begin at 9 a.m. with the Torch Run Ceremony and continue at 9:30 a.m. with the annual Birthday Program at Thompson Middle School.

The annual luncheon will be held at Green Valley Country Club, Portsmouth, where recently elected Congressman Gabe Amo will serve as the guest speaker. Tickets are $55 for adults and $25 for students. Call Fern Lima at 401-846-4785 or Thelma Williams at 401-338-1075 for tickets.

From 45 p.m. tours of the recently renovated Martin Luther King Center will be made available and at 5 p.m. a worship service will be led by Rev. Alvin Riley, pastor at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church on Van Zandy Avenue in Newport.

Prayer Meditation World Peace Circle

St. Pauls United Methodist Church, Newport, invites the entire community to join hands together at Washington Square, Newport, on Sunday, Jan. 14 at noon. United by a common desire and a vision of World Peace. Take 15 minutes out of your busy schedules to stand side-by-side quietly in meditation or silent prayer. Participants can even visualize people of all nationalities holding hands across the globe, uniting in a powerful stand against negative forces on this planet that seek to keep humanity divided. As a community, let's set an example.

This event is open to anyone who has grown weary of the disharmony in the world and is feeling helpless to stop the wars and senseless killing. Rev. Jaegil Lee, pastor from St. Pauls will share a Peace Prayer he wrote and we will raise our voices to sing "Let There be Peace on Earth. "

A rain date of Jan. 21 at noon has been scheduled.

Temple Shalom hosting Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative Shabbat

Temple Shalom, Middletown, welcomes people of all faiths to its Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative Shabbat (Sabbath) services on Friday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m.

For questions or more information, please visit our website templeshalomrhodeisland.org, send an email to templeshalomrhodeisland@gmail.com or call the office 401-846-9002.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Martin Luther King Jr. events in Newport County: NAACP celebration
Gareth Jenkins has twice had his appearance at the inquiry postponed - Jeff Gilbert for the Telegraph

The architect of the faulty Horizon IT system, who gave evidence used to convict sub-postmasters, has demanded immunity before agreeing to appear at the public inquiry.

Gareth Jenkins, who is understood to have been instrumental in developing the software as a senior computer engineer at Fujitsu, is under police investigation over his role in the Post Office scandal.

His testimony given in court cases that the Fujitsu IT system was working correctly was central to convictions and repeatedly used by Post Office lawyers.

Tracked down by The Telegraph to his home in Berkshire, Mr Jenkins, 69, said, when asked if he was sorry for what had happened: I dont want to talk. I dont have anything to say to you.

Cannot be used against him

Mr Jenkins has twice sought a guarantee that any testimony he gives to the inquiry cannot be used against him in any possible prosecution and his testimony has also been delayed twice.

On Tuesday, Paula Vennells, the former Post Office chief executive who presided over the scandal, said she was handing back her CBE and she was truly sorry for the devastation wreaked on sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted and convicted. It also emerged that in 2017 she was considered for the role of Bishop of London.

Mrs Vennells said in a statement: I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

Adam Crozier, the CEO of Royal Mail between 2003 and 2010 when it owned the Post Office, also issued a statement saying he felt deeply sorry for those whose lives were ruined by what happened but denied any involvement.

Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader who was the Post Office minister at the time, is now under pressure to return his knighthood.

Prosecutions brought by the CPS

The Telegraph can also disclose that at least 27 prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution service  as opposed to the Post Office  raising serious questions about whether Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, oversaw a number of wrongful convictions during his five-year tenure as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013.

Mr Jenkins had been due to give evidence to the public inquiry twice. But in each occasion it was postponed including as recently as November 2023, when the Post Office disclosed 3,045 documents on the evening before he was due to give evidence. Sources have speculated that the release of the documents was timed to prevent Mr Jenkins giving evidence.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed last week it was investigating matters concerning Fujitsu Horizon and the Post Office into potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

The Met also announced it was investigating potential fraud offences as a result of the wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters. That includes an allegation the Post Office boosted its profits by recovering money from sub-postmasters falsely dragged through the criminal or civil courts.

The Telegraph understands that Mr Jenkins, who was chief Horizon architect at Fujitsu, told investigators as early as 2012 that the IT system designed for the Post Office could be accessed remotely by Fujitsu at its headquarters in Bracknell, Berks. But it would take until 2019 for the Post Office to admit that sub-postmasters computer systems could be accessed remotely, blowing a hole in the key prosecution argument that the system could not be tampered with and was failsafe.

Ian Henderson, a director of Second Sight, a forensic accountancy firm that first highlighted the unsafe convictions, told the BBC on Tuesday: We were able to identify that there were bugs and defects in the Horizon system. This was disclosed to the Post Office by Fujitsu itself.

I visited Fujitsu in September 2012 and met with the senior technical engineer and had a very detailed meeting looking at how they operated, what the problems were. It was at that meeting that Fujitsu disclosed to me that they routinely used remote access to branch terminals for troubleshooting purposes.

The Telegraph has been told the senior engineer who briefed the Second Sight team was Mr Jenkins. Prosecutions were not halted until 2015.

Documents forced a postponement

Mr Jenkins was first due to give testimony to the inquiry on July 6 2023 but on the eve of his evidence the Post Office produced 5,000 documents it said had just come to light. The appearance was rescheduled for November 2023 but again more than 3,000 documents were found by the Post Office, this time days beforehand, forcing the postponement.

Mr Jenkins has twice requested that Sir Wyn Williams, the inquiry chairman, ask the Attorney General to grant him immunity from any comments he makes during evidence to the inquiry from being used against him in a court of law in any possible future criminal proceedings.

Both times, Sir Wyn has refused his request. In October 2023, Sir Wyn said he would not be seeking an undertaking from the Attorney General that would restrict the use in criminal proceedings of evidence given to the inquiry, as requested by former Fujitsu engineer, Gareth Jenkins.

He added: I am satisfied that Mr Jenkins has not been the victim of unfairness as yet and I am determined that he should not become the victim of unfairness as the work of the inquiry progresses.

Politicians have demanded that Mr Jenkins be made to give evidence.

Kevan Jones, the Labour MP and member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, said; Gareth Jenkins should appear before the public inquiry. The inquiry sees him as a key witness and therefore he should give evidence. If he doesnt appear then he should be made to appear. What has been amazing this week is deafening silence from Fujitsu as a company. They need to come forward and explain what their role has been in all this.

David Davis, the former Tory cabinet minister who has been pushing for justice for the sub-postmasters, said: He should appear and give evidence. I cant think in what world he imagines he should get immunity given the fact of the matter is were going to have to investigate what happened.

We cant give immunity just because people are going to give evidence to the public inquiry. Giving evidence is a requirement of their involvement in this case.

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The House Democrats campaign arm is launching a push to reach Black, Latino and Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander voters ahead of Novembers general election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is putting eight figures behind P.O.W.E.R. The People, the multicultural, multilingual campaign it hopes will mobilize voters in key battlegrounds. The programs acronym stands for Persuade. Organize. Welcome. Educate. Reach.

Democrats are committed to bringing responsible governance back to the House so that we can continue the important work of lowering costs, protecting and expanding health care, and delivering for our constituents, DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) said.

We know that voters of color are critical to Democrats coalition and the DCCCs investments highlight our commitment to continuously engaging with communities of color on issues they care about.

Voters of color play a key role in several critical and competitive House districts.

Democrats are betting they will recover ground in a series of New York districts lost to Republicans in 2022, a handful of GOP-held California seats are up for grabs, and Democrats could put up a fight to recover a Rio Grande Valley district picked up by Republicans.

Overall, the race to control the House is tight, and control of the chamber could be decided by tiny subsets of voters in key districts.

The DCCCs P.O.W.E.R. The People campaign will fund polling, paid media, in-district organizing, voter protection and an anti-disinformation campaign.

Polling of voters of color, particularly those with limited English proficiency or who live in remote areas, has historically been unreliable.

Polls dont often reach people with fewer modes of communication, and English-language polls can overlook significant populations, particularly at the district level, leaving campaigns blind to conditions on the ground.

Paid media has also historically been ineffective in reaching diverse audiences due to a lack of cultural competence or general-audience targeting.

We know how important it is to have ongoing culturally inclusive and resonate outreach with voters of color including in TV, digital, print, mail, and radio, through in-district organizing staff, and informed by in-depth research and polling. P.O.W.E.R. The People builds on the DCCCs prior cycles of engagement with communities of color to tell the story of how Democrats are delivering for working people, and the danger Republicans pose to our fundamental rights, said Mariafernanda Zacarias, DCCC national engagement director.

The campaigns timing, 10 months before the general election, breaks a pattern of late investment in communities of color, a recurrent problem thats contributed to voter disinterest.

Democrats understand the importance of engaging voters of color early and often. In competitive Congressional races across the country, our ability to successfully persuade and mobilize AANHPI voters can be the margin of victory in these contests, which means we cant take anything for granted, said Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), vice chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

The campaign will feature elements in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Spanglish, English, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

The anti-disinformation effort, dubbed In It Together, is an expansion of the DCCCs 2022 Spanish-language campaign, Juntos.

By intentionally prioritizing sustained outreach to these communities, we are marrying our moral and strategic imperatives to ensure Democrats win back the House. While extremist Republicans continue to lie, cheat and suppress the vote of people of color in order to win elections, Democrats understand that democracy is strengthened when everyones voice is heard, said Missayr Boker, DCCC deputy executive director for campaigns.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SAN DIEGO (KSWB)  The weekend death of an Imperial County inmate is being investigated as a homicide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports.

Enrique Saucedo, an inmate at Centinela State Prison, died Sunday after officers saw him being attacked by two other inmates, the department said.

According to CDCR, David Veloz and Rigoberto Estrada were allegedly seen attacking Saucedo in the recreational yard around 2:15 p.m. Sunday. Prison staff had to use pepper spray to break up the altercation.

Saucedo was transported to a medical center and died from his injuries shortly before 6 p.m. Officers recovered two inmate-manufactured weapons at the scene.

One arrested for suspected arson after string of fires in City Heights

CDCR says Veloz and Estrada have been placed in restricted housing.

The prisons Investigative Services Unit and the Imperial County District Attorneys Office is investigating. Saucedos cause of death will be determined by the Imperial County Coroner.

Officials say no staff members or other inmates were injured during the incident.

South Bay community holds vigil for Maya Millete three years after disappearance

Photo: Enrique Saucedo (CDCR)

Saucedo, 29, was sentenced to CDCR on Nov. 1, 2018, from Los Angeles County, to serve a 14-year sentence for one count of manufacturing/selling/distributing/transporting assault weapons, and one count of transporting/importing a controlled substance.

Enrique Saucedo (CDCR)

David Veloz (CDCR)

Photo: David Veloz (CDCR)

Veloz, 40, was sentenced to CDCR on Jan. 21, 2009, from Los Angeles County, to serve 25 years to life for attempted murder.

Photo: Rigoberto Estrada (CDCR)

Estrada, 45, was sentenced to CDCR on Oct. 12, 2006, from Riverside County, to serve two life sentences with the possibility of parole for one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

Rigoberto Estrada (CDCR)

Centinela State Prison is a maximum-security state prison located west of El Centro.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
On the evening of Jan. 7, actor Lily Gladstones triumphant words thundered through the television.

This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, Gladstone said, holding her Golden Globe Award for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture - drama.

Social media feeds erupted.

When youre on Blackfoot Territory and a Blackfoot wins, for the first time ever, a GlobeI wish you all could see from my feeds how happy NDN folkx are right this second, Native Calgarian Podcast said in an X, formerly known as Twitter, post.

Gladstone is the first Indigenous person to win a Golden Globe for the category, according to ABC News and other news outlets. The award is for her performance in Martin Scorseses film Killers of the Flower Moon. The award-winning actor is half Blackfoot (also called Blackfeet), referring to a nation of people who have historically inhabited present-day Montana and Southern Alberta.

Osage News posted a video of community members watching the ceremony and jumping to their feet, cheering when Gladstones name was called for the award.

Congratulations, Lily!! All of Indian Country is celebrating with you, Cherokee Film said in an X post.

The Blackfoot Confederacy is proud of you! Blood Tribe Communications  Tsinikssini said in a post on Facebook. The Blackfoot Confederacy is the collective name for three linguistically similar Indigenous nations.

Gladstones acceptance speech opened in Blackfeet language, which was a monumental moment on its own. In her words, the film industry used to allow Indigenous actors to speak only in English. Back then, sound mixers would then run the English tapes backwards to create the effect of Native languages on camera, she said during her acceptance speech.

Her victory resonated with many Indigenous creatives in the arts. A win of this kind is far overdue, groups said, as Indigenous people are present in many facets of filmmaking but rarely get recognized. Awards shows have had a history of overlooking their work.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, there have been only three Indigenous nominations for Golden Globes before now. In 2020, Indigenous director Taika Waititi was nominated for Jojo Rabbit in the best musical/comedy film category. In 2022, Reservation Dogs was nominated for best musical/comedy series. Irene Bedard was nominated for best actress in a miniseries or TV movie for Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee in 1995, according to ABC News.

Gladstone is only the second Indigenous person to be nominated in the best female actor category, nearly 30 years later.

Diversity, inclusion, and representation are not mere buzzwords but essential components of a thriving and inclusive film industry, Not Our Native Daughters said in a celebratory post on Instagram.

This groundbreaking win not only shatters barriers but also paves the way for future generations of Indigenous actors and storytellers, the organization wrote.

And while the title Indigenous encompasses innumerable communities and nations, there seemed to be unity in the feeling of triumph, along with hope for the future of creativity and filmmaking.

You have ignited a spark that will inspire generations to come, Not Our Native Daughters wrote.

Every little rez kid felt this in their heart, @michaellllll45 wrote in a post on X. Lily Gladstone you have no idea what an impact you have made on NDN Country.

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MANILA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Tuesday her country is ready to work with other Southeast Asian nations to finalise a long-delayed code of conduct for the South China Sea, where many of its neighbours have overlapping claims with China.

"On South China Sea, Indonesia is ready to work together with all ASEAN member states including the Philippines to finalise the Code of Conduct as soon as possible," Retno said at a joint press conference with Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo in Manila, ahead of a visit by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have for years been trying to create a framework to negotiate a code of conduct, a plan dating as far back as 2002. But progress has been slow despite commitments by all parties to advance and expedite the process.

China stakes its claim on its maps with the use of a "nine-dash line" that loops as far as 1,500 km (900 miles) south of its mainland, cutting into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. A 2016 international arbitral tribunal ruling invalidated most of China's claims, a decision that Beijing has rejected.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)
An influential group of Black voters in North Carolina has endorsed candidates in the primary election, with Josh Stein, Satana Deberry and Rachel Hunt topping the ballot.

The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People is a nearly century-old organization whose endorsements can weigh heavily in local elections. Most of Durham votes Democratic, and historically the city has about an even number of Black and white residents.

Black candidates arent necessarily a shoo-in with the Durham Committee, however. The group has endorsed white candidates in previous elections. And this time the group chose Stein and Hunt, who are both white, over their African American primary opponents.

Committee PAC Chair Cassandra Stokes said in December that support from the group is not a given for anyone.

Heres how the endorsements break down:

Endorsement for governor

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein kicks off his campaign for governor during a rally at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium on the campus of Shaw University in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

 Josh Stein

The top two candidates for governor in the Democratic primary are Attorney General Josh Stein and retired N.C. Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan. Both men made their case to the Durham Committee at an event in November, as well as later through candidate questionnaires and interviews with the groups PAC. The committee chose Stein.

Stokes told The News & Observer by email Tuesday that members of the committee have expressed their excitement for Steins performance as attorney general. Hes in his second term.

During Steins interview and questionnaire, he emphasized the need to address the states disparities in HBCU funding, voting rights and gerrymandering impacts on Black constituents, and consumer protections, she said.

Members stated that Josh Steins campaign is well-positioned to win statewide, Stokes added.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein kicks off his campaign for governor during a rally at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium on the campus of Shaw University in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Stein is the frontrunner in the Democratic race, making his campaign official in January 2023, while Morgan entered in September, after Stein had garnered significant support and campaign contributions.

Since 1935, DCABP has worked to ensure all North Carolinians have the chance to participate in our democracy and use their voice to build political power and create a better future for all people  I am honored to have their support in this race, Stein said in a statement to The N&O on Tuesday.

As governor, I will continue working arm-in-arm with the committee to build a North Carolina rooted in our shared values of freedom, justice, and opportunity for every person, he said.

Stein is also endorsed by outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper as well as several other lawmakers and groups.

Endorsement for attorney general

 Satana Deberry

The Durham Committee chose Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry in the primary, giving her an edge over the frontrunner, U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson.

Asked in a candidate questionnaire about her top three priorities if she wins the attorney generals race, Deberry named the protection of womens reproductive rights, protection of voting rights, and consumer protection. Other questions addressed legislation around guns, abortion, the state budget and rioting.

On abortion, Deberry said that she categorically opposed any restrictions on the rights of women and their healthcare providers to choose the best course of action with their bodies. Whether that is abortion or otherwise. I have been clear that I would not prosecute a woman nor her provider for exercising her right to choose.

Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry, who is running in the 2024 Democratic primary for N.C. attorney general.

Endorsement for lieutenant governor

 Rachel Hunt

At the same event were lieutenant governor candidates Rachel Hunt, who is currently a state senator, and Ben Clark, a former state senator. The committee chose Hunt, who previously served in the state House. She has focused on public education and is also the daughter of former four-term Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt.

When Rachel Hunt spoke at the Durham Committee event in November, she said that public education is under attack, and talked about treatment of teachers and the expansion of private school vouchers under the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Sen. Rachel Hunt of Mecklenburg County, speaks on the Senate floor on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C. Hunt is running in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

A surprise in Senate race

The Durham Committee had endorsed state Sen. Mike Woodard, who represents Senate District 22, in the past, but this year chose his challenger in the Democratic primary: Sophia Chitlik, an investor and company executive of women-run startups related to pregnancy and birth.

Members were impressed by Sophias background in maternal and child health, as well as her advocacy for increasing access to midwifery care, expanding the birth workforce, and making it more accessible to Black and Brown parents, Stokes said.

She also explained why the committee did not support Woodard again.

Members expressed dissatisfaction with Senator Woodards voting record in the General Assembly last year, particularly his vote to override the governors veto, Stokes said.

Woodard voted with Republicans to override Coopers veto three times last year, for relatively noncontroversial bills about sales tax and changes to the Consumer Finance Act. In an N&O interview while he was running for mayor, a race he lost in December, Woodard explained that he supported two of the veto overrides because the bills had first passed with Democratic support.

Democratic N.C. Sens. Terry Van Duyn from Asheville and Mike Woodard from Durham confer in the state Senate chambers on Dec. 21, 2016.

Woodard said that Cooper had not given notice of his intent to veto bills that previously had Democratic support and that he had negotiated with Republicans, calling the criticism unfair.

Remember that my 11 years, we have always been either in a minority or superminority in the General Assembly, so if we want to accomplish anything, were going to have to work with the majority or the supermajority. We can just sit there and vote no all the time, but then our voice isnt heard at all, Woodard said.

Here is the rest of the full list of endorsements of candidates on primary ballots in Durham, including some who are unopposed. You can read the candidates questionnaires and resumes on the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People PAC website.

More federal and state races

 N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6: Allison Riggs

 U.S. House District 4: Valerie Foushee

 Commissioner of Insurance: Natasha Marcus

 Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall, incumbent

 Commissioner of Labor: Braxton Winston

 State Treasurer: Wesley Harris

 Superintendent of Instruction: Mo Greene

 Commissioner of Agriculture: Sarah Taber

 N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 12: Carolyn Thompson

 N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 14: Ed Eldred

 N.C. Court of Appeals Seat 15: Martin E. Moore

 N.C. Senate District 20: Natalie Murdock

 N.C. House District 2: Ray Jeffers

 N.C. House District 29: Vernetta Alston

 N.C. House District 30: Marcia Morey

 N.C. House District 31: Zack Hawkins

Local races

 Durham County Board of County Commissioners: Nimasheena Burns, Fredrick Davis, Brenda Howerton, Jovonia Lewis, Stephen J. Valentine

 Durham County Register of Deeds: Sharon Davis

 Durham County District Court Judge: Kendra Montgomery-Blinn

 N.C. Superior Court Judge District 14B Seat 1: Shamieka Rhinehart

 Durham County Board of Education At-Large: Joy Harrell

 Durham County Board of Education District 3: Jessica Carda-Auten

 Durham County Board of Education Consolidated District A: Wendell Tabb
Acts of resistance come in many shapes and sizes.

From a colored ribbon tied to a tree or a flag raised over a remote mountain face, to a quick tip-off on an encrypted app that sets off a chain of events culminating in the destruction of a warship, everything counts.

However big or small, whether the impact is military or symbolic, the actions of Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territories over almost two years of full-scale war have all worked to drive one simple message home: that Russias grip on parts of Ukraine is as weak as it is temporary.

Around a fifth of Ukraine is occupied by Russian forces as of January 2024, most of which lies within five regions  Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk oblasts, where Moscow held sham referendums on joining Russia in autumn 2022  and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed back in 2014.

Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding the Ukrainian military unit in Perevalnoye, outside Simferopol, Crimea, on March 20, 2014. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images)

The Kyiv Independent spoke to three individuals involved in coordinating resistance operations in Ukraines occupied territories: representatives of well-known movements Yellow Ribbon and Atesh, as well as a Ukrainian special forces soldier specializing in maintaining a personal network of informants in Donetsk Oblast.

Each subject pursues goals with different methods: some more symbolic, some more subtle, and some more destructive. What unites them all, together with the driven Ukrainians that they work with in the occupied territories, is an unrelenting resolve to continue to resist Russian rule despite the grave personal risk.

Within Ukraine and among its backers abroad, the arrival of 2024 and the approaching two-year anniversary of the full-scale war has brought with it a widely-held sense of anxiety. Top officials have all but admitted that no quick breakthrough to once again liberate large amounts of territory will be possible for the foreseeable future, with discussion instead shifting to defending against renewed Russian efforts to take more Ukrainian land.

But according to those helping them to resist, the will of Ukrainians under occupation to be liberated has not in any way faded, and neither have their resistance operations.

Read also: Im afraid well never find them: Russia holds thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage

Web of whispers

It has been almost 10 years since the regional capital of Donetsk was first overrun by Russian proxy forces. Even now though, the large industrial city, sitting at the heart of Russias propaganda claim to the lands of the Donbas region, is not a safe place for Russian soldiers.

Despite some Russian gains in the area, the city remains within the range of Ukrainian artillery, but the bigger threat is not the guns  its the locals. Working through contact networks based on personal trust, many unassuming Donetsk residents regularly pass on information on Russian movements to the Ukrainian military.

One such network is coordinated by Dmytro (Editors Note: The subjects name has been changed to protect his informants identities), a native of Lyman in northern Donetsk Oblast who has served in Ukraines Special Operations Forces since the first months of the full-scale invasion.

A member of the Ukrainian special forces is seen in silhouette as he stands while a gas station burns after Russian attacks in the city of Kharkiv on March 30, 2022. (Fadel Senna /AFP via Getty Images)

When given the opportunity, Dmytros contacts in Donetsk and surrounding settlements tip him off about the location or movement of Russian troops and heavy equipment, which he quickly passes to Ukrainian artillery and precision-guided rocket units to deliver a strike.

His informants come from diverse backgrounds, often hardly fitting the mold of an average patriotic Ukrainian.

We have all kinds of people, even people who have never been on Ukrainian-controlled territory (since 2014), people who once always voted for the (pro-Russian) Party of Regions, or people who haven't read anything in Ukrainian since their school textbook in the 1980s, he told the Kyiv Independent.

It doesn't matter, they are our eyes now.

Dmytro is one of several such service members specializing in this kind of work, each with their own separate individual contacts. For security purposes, communication is carried out vertically only, as links between informants on the ground can increase the risk of them all being caught at once.

People often imagine partisan movements as something out of World War II films, but there (in Donetsk) there is nothing like that, because if they catch one person then everyone is compromised, he said.

Dmytros first brush with Russian aggression came right at the beginning; he had only just defended his dissertation in history at a university in Donetsk when Russian proxies took the city under the guise of a local separatist rebellion in the spring of 2014. After fighting in a volunteer battle over the first year of the war in Donbas, he returned to civilian life in Ukraine-controlled territory but did not break ties with those stranded under occupation in his former home.

I maintained contact with the occupation all these eight years, I tried to get information out of there the whole time, he said. There was a period in time when our people who lived there would hang up flags, paint pro-Ukrainian graffiti, and I would write about it on my social media every now and then.

I wanted to counter the popular narrative in Ukraine that there were none of our people left in these (occupied) places, so I would show that there were actually many of them, and that they are resisting as much as they can.

According to Dmytro, recent Ukrainian setbacks and fading hopes of quick liberation do not change his informants fundamental mission in their eyes.

To put it philosophically, in situations like this people always ask themselves: 'Who am I?' he said. For these people, over nine years the answer has been very clear inside of them: they are Ukrainians.

A real Ukrainian then asks themselves the next question: what can I do for victory? One Ukrainian is loading the shell, and another is providing the information that decides where it flies.

Read also: EXCLUSIVE: Inside Ukraines covert operation to take out elite Wagner Group mercenaries in Donbas

Spreading fire

Over 2023, as the front line in Ukraine moved less and less in either direction, attention shifted to Crimea, where a series of Ukrainian long-range strikes exposed the vulnerability of Russias once secure hold on the Black Sea region.

The most dramatic of these came in September, when a Russian landing ship and submarine were destroyed in their docks in occupied Sevastopol; an embarrassing blow to receive from a country without a properly functioning navy.

Just 10 days later, the headquarters of Russias famous Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol was devastated by Ukrainian Storm Shadow-type missiles during a meeting of the high command, allegedly killing 34 officers.

While the missiles were launched from Ukraine, the strikes were claimed to be coordinated by Atesh, a mysterious Ukrainian resistance organization that grew from scratch to build a feared presence not only in the occupied parts of Ukraine, but also in Russia itself.

We provided them with a lot of assistance in reconnaissance directly from the ground, said an Atesh coordinator going by the callsign Sudak about the Sevastopol strikes in exclusive comments to the Kyiv Independent.

We have people both inside the Black Sea Fleet headquarters and outside in the form of many ordinary citizens of Sevastopol.

Founded in September 2022, the movement, named after the Crimean Tatar word for fire, now boasts 1,800 members, 500 of which are regularly active in its operations, Sudak said.

Now, the group engages in a plethora of resistance activity, from the kind of intelligence gathering similar to that carried out by Dmytros informants, to information campaigns, to assorted acts of direct partisan action.

Notably, much of Ateshs work attempts to directly engage Russians themselves, both military and civilian, with active operations in cities deep inside the Russian Federation.

Residents of Russian cities see the physical presence of Atesh, said Sudak. Many Russians are tired of Putin's regime and the criminal war against Ukraine and are actively seeking cooperation.

We manage to recruit people in (Russian) city administrations, said Sudak. In addition, we attract the (Russian) military to cooperate with us. These could be mobilized soldiers, contract servicemen, or conscripts.

In February last year, the group claimed to have attracted over 4,000 Russian service members to its ATESH School, a platform with videos showing how to sabotage and disable ones own armored vehicles.

According to Sudak, who himself is a native of Crimea who chose to stay after the annexation, Ateshs informant network extends to the highest ranks of the local Russian military system.

The military officer has been passing us various information; about the movements of the command, personal information about other military officers, and about the general activities of the command of which he is aware.

The groups operations, involving both locals and Russian soldiers in occupied territories, are forcing the Russian command to take note.

In Crimea, where we are very active, the number of FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) task forces that deal exclusively with the pro-Ukrainian underground has increased, he said. We have received a number of reports that city administrations are teaching employees of schools, hospitals, and other state enterprises about the unacceptability of working with Atesh.

Although the culmination of the southern counteroffensive leaves Ukrainian forces still far away from nearing Crimea or liberating the rest of the occupied territories, Sudak is confident in a year of successful operations to come.

We are growing tirelessly and our capabilities are growing along with it, he said. We are energized for active work in the new year, we have plans and desire to work even more actively for the liberation of Ukraine.

Our people have no doubt in victory; there is no other option.

Read also: A glance into Khersons underground resistance during Russian occupation

Not forgotten

Even when active resistance doesnt involve the destruction of high-value military targets, even the smallest gestures can be impactful when carried out in large numbers.

For Ivan, co-founder and coordinator of the Yellow Ribbon civil resistance movement, this was already clear in the very first weeks of the full-scale invasion, when he and his colleagues were caught in Russian-occupied Kherson.

In resolute defiance of Russias capture of their city, Kherson residents protested en masse in the streets, but the demonstrations were soon put down by arrests, tear gas, and gunfire from Russian forces.

I had a lot of friends from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts who said that after the occupation in 2014, thoughts about Ukraine slowly disappeared for many people, said Ivan, whose full identity is not disclosed for security concerns, to the Kyiv Independent. We didn't want the same for Kherson.

The initial idea for Yellow Ribbon was simple: to make acts of resistance as simple, safe, and accessible as possible for ordinary citizens.

Photos of yellow ribbons tied up all over Kherson quickly drew national attention, and in no time at all, the co-founders realized that they had created a working model for all of occupied Ukraine to follow.

Everything started with us two, Ivan said, and when we saw hundreds of people start to join (Yellow Ribbon communities on Telegram) from different regions, we knew we couldnt do it on our own.

Kherson was eventually liberated by the Ukrainian military in November 2022, but the groups activities in the rest of the occupied territories have only grown further.

By now, the movement has 12 coordinators in larger occupied cities, and a community of over 12,000 active users of its Telegram chatbot, where Yellow Ribbon shares advice on non-violent resistance, cyber-security, and legal issues. Launched in the spring of last year, a separate chatbot also allows residents to upload evidence and testimonies of Russian war crimes.

A photo of a paper sign saying "Luhansk is Ukraine!" taken near the railway station of occupied Luhansk, posted by Yellow Ribbon in August 2023. (Yellow Ribbon/Telegram)

With Yellow Ribbons rapid growth came new responsibility and new danger, both to the individuals involved and to the movement, as Russian internal security services have ramped up countermeasures in response.

The biggest threat now is that both the FSB and Interior Ministry, often in competition with each other, have really begun hunting people, Ivan said. They are looking to arrest more and more people, some on terrorism charges, some for extremism, and some for discreditation of the army.

They arrest you not because you belong to some kind of resistance group, but simply because you are Ukrainian, because somebody said you raised a Ukrainian flag somewhere even when you didn't, and because of this you are held and beaten for three months in a basement somewhere.

Thanks to its simplicity and compelling visual language, the Yellow Ribbon movement wages its own war  more symbolic but no less important than one of artillery and missile strikes  on three crucial fronts.

Firstly, in the minds of the participants themselves: These people have been fighting occupation, they know that sooner or later they will be liberated, if it turns out to be later, they are mentally prepared for that but otherwise it doesn't change anything else, Ivan said. But this symbolism is critical to remind them that they are on this path; the path to liberation, to Ukraine.

Read also: Alexander Khrebet: Dont write off Ukrainians living under Russian occupation

According to Ivan, the most active base of Yellow Ribbon followers is, remarkably, in Crimea, despite already living for almost 10 years of uninterrupted Russian occupation.

We have people as young as 18, who were nine when their homes were occupied, he recalled.

How did they learn the Ukrainian language? I don't know, but they use it perfectly. Some of them say their parents are pro-Russian, but they still want to do what they can for Ukraine to return.

This presence, Ivan said, is also crucial for reminding society in Ukrainian-controlled territory that their people are waiting, and should not be abandoned by a hypothetical future peace deal.

On Ukrainian Flag Day, for example, the Presidential Office published a photo of how we raised the flag on Boiko Mountain (in Crimea), he said, and those involved were shocked to see the support and recognition they got.

A photo posted by Yellow Ribbon of a Ukrainian flag hung up on Boiko Mountain in Crimea in November 2023. (Yellow Ribbon/Telegram)

Finally, Yellow Ribbon, which was given special recognition within the awarding of the Sakharov Human Rights Prize to the Ukrainian people last year, has helped amplify the voices of Ukrainians under occupation all the way to the world stage.

We show them, look, European politicians are seeing this, and now there is a new sanctions package being passed... they can feel the direct effect of what they are doing, said Ivan.

This reminds our people in occupation that they have not been forgotten or abandoned, which is exactly the narrative that Russia tries to push on them.

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Francis Farrell, cheers for reading this article. We are entering a new phase of the war, which could potentially be stranger, tougher, and more uncertain than it has ever been so far. In a time when instability around the world is growing, and attention is fading when it is needed the most, please consider supporting our reporting.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Sojourner Oil Company began drilling a new oil well in a north side Abilene neighborhood over the winter holidays. The operation is loud and produces smoke within the neighborhood, yet so far, no members of the public have spoken out in protest of this new oil well.

An oil rig worker monitors water expelled into one of the pits at an Abilene drill site in the 2400 block of Burger St. Jan. 3. The derrick was erected during the holiday break in the corner lot bordering Vogel Ave. across from Town & Country Drive-In and Ortiz Elementary School and shut down before students returned.

This new oil well will join a slew of others, all within walking distance of Ortiz Elementary School. But how did this happen? Why did city council approve the construction of a new oil well despite the ordinance that states that oil wells cannot be drilled within 200 feet of an existing structure? Abilene Reporter News investigated over the last several months to find out the reasons why.

A look back at city council's approval

Just minutes after passing a resolution to revitalize downtown Abilene, city council members voted October 12, 2023, to pass a resolution to allow a new oil well at 2482 Burger Street in northwest Abilene. While oil pumps within the city limits are not uncommon - there are more than 100 - this site needed additional approval from the council because the well is just 85 feet from nearby structures.

The resolution passed 6-1, with only Councilman Brian Yates opposing the new oil well. The councilman brought up the question of why the city is trying to rebuild Abilene, when at the same time installing an oil well within the city limits. He also emphasized that the city would be pushing people away at a time when the council is trying to revitalize Abilenes urban core.

Part of a pipe is removed from the derrick at the Burger St. oil drilling site Jan. 5.

Councilman Yates expressed that Sojourner Oil Corporation needs city council approval in order to move forward, and that the council is the last barrier to speak for the community. He summarized his opposition with a philosophical point: the question should not be if we can drill, it needs to be should we drill?

Drilling has begun on the new oil well, located within a well-populated northside neighborhood, Just 800 feet from Ortiz Elementary School and close to St. Vincent's Catholic Church. When reached for comment in November, church staff replied, "our media spokesperson has no comment at this time."

An American flag waves from a backyard across the alley from an oil drilling rig in the 2400 block of Burger St. Jan. 5.

'Council has never denied a drilling permit'

In a follow-up email conversation with Councilman Yates, he remarked that he would assume that there will be some measure of noise and inconvenience for the houses that back up to this site but that to his knowledge, council has never denied a drilling permit.

In general, within the City of Abilene, oil and gas production are permitted by default in every zoning category. According to Councilman Yates, the only reason this oil well came before City Council is because the proposed site is within 200 feet of an existing structure, and in this case, it is within 85 feet.

The councilman stated that nearby landowners could receive financial benefits from the oil company. It is, however, unlikely that home-renters or residents outside the required 200-foot radius would see any of these financial benefits.

Councilman Yates walked back his previous statements from the council meeting by saying that the impact on the Rebuild ABI initiative is negligible, since there is an ample supply of lots and houses within the city limits that need attention and redevelopment.

In the December 7, 2023, city council meeting, however, the council voted in favor of three new-build homes that qualify as part of the Rebuild ABI initiative. These homes will be located less than a mile from the new oil well site.

Men work on the Burger St. drill site Jan. 5.

Landowners and council-approved drilling

For the six other councilors who voted in favor of the new well site, it was noted that there is a sizeable pocket of oil in that vicinity from which the new well will pull. They also stressed that nearby landowners all agreed to Sojourners request without any objections.

When asked for comments from adjacent neighbors, one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous said that she was aware of the new oil site and had agreed to it.

A representative from Sojourner Oil Corporation noted that their agreements with local homeowners had spanned decades; and, that homeowners who agreed to the drilling and associated well would receive payments in compensation for living in close proximity to a well.

A Sojourner Oil pump jack can be seen through a break in the fence at Town & Country Drive-In Dec. 29. The closed drive-in is across the street from the Burger St. drilling site and next door to Ortiz Elementary School.

Potential profits for city of Abilene

The biggest factor for the six council members who voted in favor of the drilling was the potential revenue for the city. They noted that there are other existing oil wells nearby, in addition to a little over 100 producing wells within city limits.

According to Shale XP, an oil and gas data visualization and research company, Texas is nationally ranked as number one in highest levels of oil production. This new Sojourner Oil well will join more than 1.6 million drilled wells in Texas.

Abilene Independent School District (AISD) could also stand to benefit from the oil well. AISD currently receives interest from another independent oil gathering company known as BML Inc., according to Dr. Joe Waldon of AISD.

The lighted oil derrick rises behind a home on Fannin St. as drilling continued into the night one block east on Burger St. Jan. 3.

'Never crossed my mind it was dangerous'

Abilene Reporter News (ARN) conducted a phone interview on November 15, 2023, with Dr. Joe Waldron, AISD Associate Superintendent for Operations. He is the designated representative for Ortiz Elementary School in regards to the new oil site on Burger Street.

In the interview, Dr. Waldron explained that he had received a letter from the City of Abilene explaining the proposed oil-drilling site because Ortiz Elementary School fell within the notification zone. Law requires the City of Abilene to notify the district because of its proximity to the elementary school.

Waldron remarked that while he had received notification, he had not yet notified parents or the Ortiz school administration of the new drilling site, noting that he will notify parents "likely after the project has started."

Men work on the Burger St. oil drilling rig Jan. 5.

Dr. Waldron stressed the normalcy of drilling near schools in Texas, as was the case with his previous school district. He was, however, unaware of the potential dangers of oil field accidents.

ARN referenced an event in 2020 to Dr. Waldron, explaining that a man died from an explosion at another Sojourner-owned oil field in Jones County, according to local media. Jones County is about 30 miles outside of Abilene.

When this unfortunate event was referenced and Dr. Waldon was asked if he was aware of the dangers of a drilling site, Dr. Waldon remarked that he was surprised and that "it never crossed my mind it (oil drilling) was dangerous."

An oil field worker sprays water into one of the pits at the Burger St. drill site Jan. 3. The pits were lined with heavy plastic to contain the water used in the oil drilling process.

When asked if possible oil fumes could have any effect on the school children, Dr. Waldron referenced his experience in another school district with nearby oil wells, saying that the fumes would generally have no impact.

According to the Yale School of Public Health, however, "studies have reported associations between residential proximity to oil and gas operations and increased adverse pregnancy outcomes, cancer incidence, hospitalizations and asthma."

Additionally, more than 19 separate studies have shown adverse health effects to unborn children who are exposed to oil and gas development prior to birth. A panel of dozens of health experts recommended a minimum safe distance from an oil well and residential home to be 3,200 feet.

Other possible risks related to exposure to oil and gas drilling can include respiratory problems, asthma, coughing, eye and nose irritation, nausea, headaches and dizziness, fatigue or trouble sleeping.

In a follow-up question, Dr. Waldron was asked if Ortiz Elementary School had any emergency plans for an oil-related accident at the Burger Street site, to which he replied, "we'll have to explore that." He later remarked, however, that "AISD has done a lot to prepare" by practicing other emergency plans, and that all schools regularly work to be ready for the movement of kids in the event of any number of disasters.

Steam drifts across the work site as water used in the oil drilling process pours into retention ponds in the 2400 block of Burger St. Jan. 3.

Sojourner Oil and its history

Sojourner Oil Corporation has been in business in Abilene since 1946. As of now, Sojourner operates a total of 428 producing wells, according to Mineral Answers, an energy industry payment company.

When reached for comment, an employee who identified herself as "Elma" remarked that the corporation has had agreements with homeowners for years, in fact dating back to 2008. She also highlighted that the corporation has paid on average about $250,000 in tax revenue to the City of Abilene every year for the last 30 or so years.

When William Sojourner joined the conversation, he also emphasized how much Sojourner Oil has contributed to tax revenue for such organizations as the Abilenes educational system.

When pressed for comment on possible noise and oil fumes for local residents, Sojourner pointed out that the corporation is monitored by several agencies and city ordinances. When asked to name these monitoring agencies, Sojourner declined to comment further.

In the end, the City of Abilene owns the mineral rights to the land in question at 2482 Burger Street and stands to make a profit from the new well. If Sojourner succeeds in their operations, both they and the city will benefit. But as Councilman Yates initially alluded, do the benefits outweigh the risks? Is Abilene revitalizing by building up or drilling down? For now, it seems, the answer is both.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Will new oil well in Abilene neighborhood harm revitalization efforts?
This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

The extended grounding of some Boeing 737 Max jetliners is adding to pressure on Boeing and the subcontractor that made the fuselage and installed a panel that blew out leaving a gaping hole in an Alaska Airlines plane last week.

Investigators know the sequence of events that led to the blowout Friday night, but they dont know the cause. A key question is whether bolts used to help secure the panel, called a door plug, were installed. A National Transportation Safety Board investigator says the bolts have not been recovered and the agency won't know if they were even in place until the door plug is examined in a laboratory.

Adding to Boeing's problems, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines  the two U.S. carriers that fly the Max 9  reported finding loose bolts and other hardware in other panels, suggesting quality issues with the door plugs are not limited to one plane.

The plugs are installed in Max 9 fuselages by subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, which was spun off by Boeing in 2005. Spirit has a history of manufacturing problems, many uncovered in a U.S. House probe of two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 Max 8 planes.

The focus needs to turn to Spirit," said former congressman Peter DeFazio, who chaired the investigating committee. Boeing has been happy with the crappy stuff from Spirit because it's cheap.

The company said in a statement Monday that quality and product integrity are a priority. "Spirit is a committed partner with Boeing on the 737 program, and we continue to work together with them on this matter, it said.

The process of inspecting Max 9s and returning them to service has been slower than Alaska and United had hoped. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Max 9s in the United States on Saturday until they could be inspected, but Boeing didnt provide inspection instructions until Monday.

On Tuesday, the FAA said those instructions were being revised because of feedback, and it extended the grounding of the planes.

The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service, the FAA said in a statement.

However, the inspection delays threw airline schedules into turmoil.

United said it canceled another 170 flights Tuesday because of the grounding. Alaska said it scrubbed 109 flights because it couldn't fly Max 9s.

The part that failed on the Alaska flight is installed on some Boeing jets when airliners don't have enough seats to require more emergency exits. The plugs are lighter than an aircraft door, reducing the plane's weight and saving fuel. They are common on cargo planes that have been converted from passenger use.

During a briefing late Monday, NTSB officials described how the plug on Alaska flight 1282 rolled upward and flew off the jet. Four bolts and 12 connecting points between the plug and the door frame are supposed to prevent that from happening.

We have not yet recovered the four bolts that restrain (the plug) from its vertical movement, and we have not yet determined if they existed there," said NTSB aerospace engineer Clint Crookshanks. "That will be determined when we take the plug to our lab in Washington, D.C.

It is not clear whether Spirit AeroSystems or Boeing technicians last worked on the door plug, which can be opened for maintenance. Steven Wallace, former head of accident investigations for the FAA, said it was unlikely that Alaska crews worked on the plug because the plane was only delivered to the airline in October.

That means the investigation will likely focus on manufacturing, assembly and quality control, Wallace said.

This could put more pressure on Boeing CEO David Calhoun, who was brought in to help the company get past the crisis created by the Max crashes. During his tenure, Boeing has lost $23 billion and struggled with manufacturing flaws that have at times held up deliveries of 737s and larger Boeing 787s.

Calhoun called an all-employees meeting Tuesday, hosted at the companys 737 factory in Renton, Washington.

Were going to approach this, number one, acknowledging our mistake, Calhoun said, according to comments provided by Boeing. Reporters were not allowed to attend. The CEO said he trusts the NTSB to find the cause of the accident, and trusts the FAA to take all necessary steps to ensure every next airplane that moves into the sky is in fact safe, and that this event can never happen again.

No one was seriously hurt Friday aboard the affected Alaska jetliner, but Ed Pierson, a former senior manager at Boeings 737 factory, said the door plug issue is a wake-up call for Boeing and regulators to act before something worse happens.

Pierson, now the executive director of The Foundation for Aviation Safety, said Boeing assembly line workers are pressured to rush, and that the company has cut back on quality control inspections. That, he said, can lead to mistakes.

The pressure is Move the plane down the line, Its not, Stop, lets fix it, lets do it right, he said.

Other former Boeing employees and outsiders who have examined the company say its safety culture degraded after a 1997 merger that left many McDonnell Douglas leaders in charge.

"They rejected the Boeing culture, where the engineers had the final say on everything, in order to chase the stock price and their executive options, DeFazio said. They need to go back to being what they were and could be, which is the greatest engineering aerospace company in the world.

Spirit AeroSystems' record is also likely to come under more scrutiny.

In a federal securities lawsuit filed last May in Manhattan, an investor charged that Spirit concealed widespread quality failures including defects in fuselage fittings, improperly drilled holes in bulkheads that keep planes pressurized, and missing fasteners.

The lawsuit includes an unidentified manufacturing team leader's email that said a manager told workers to falsify reports on the number of defects found on planes. The lawsuit was reported early Tuesday by The Lever, an investigative-journalism website. Spirit declined Tuesday to comment on the lawsuit.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the NTSB must determine whether additional inspection and maintenance should have been done before the aircraft carried passengers anywhere. He asked new FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker what the regulatory agency is doing to protect air traveler safety.

A focus on how the door plugs were installed could be the best outcome for Boeing, said John Goglia, a former member of the NTSB. He said a finding of sloppy installation work would eliminate the need for more costly, time consuming door plug redesign.

Installation errors happen all the time, said Goglia, who started his career as an aircraft mechanic. Faulting the installation in Boeing planes impeaches their quality system, but it doesn't impeach their design.

Shares of The Boeing Co. fell 1% Tuesday, a day after they plunged 8%. Spirit AeroSystems was nearly unchanged Tuesday but lost 11% Monday.

___

AP News Researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
Welcome to Investigative Stories from Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent's newsletter that walks you through the most prominent investigations of the past week.

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Top investigative stories

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Major supplier of Defense Ministry subject to embezzlement probe arrested offering bribe to law enforcement

Ihor Hrynkevych, a businessman from Lviv, whose companies are investigated for allegedly stealing on army procurement, was detained while attempting to bribe a top official of the State Bureau of Investigations, according to the agencys statement on Dec. 30 and reports in Ukrainian media that identified Hrynkevych.

Hrynkevych reportedly offered a bribe amounting to $500,000 to one of the Bureau's Main Investigative Departments top officials to return his companies property seized as part of the criminal probe.

The State Bureau of Investigations opened an investigation into Hrynkevychs businesses a couple of months ago. It found that out of the 23 contracts for supplying clothes for the military that his companies won, they have fully and timely fulfilled only two. The remaining ones were either not delivered at all, supplied partially, or with significant delays, and the prices were often inflated.

According to the investigators, these contractors were in fact construction companies that didnt have capacities to produce clothes for the army. The estimated damage stands at Hr 1.2 billion ($31.6 million). Hrynkevych faces up to eight years in prison.

The Hrynkevych family has been attracting media attention for months. They initially came into the spotlight thanks to their lavish lifestyle.

In August 2023, Ihor Hrynkevychs daughter Olga posted a picture of the interiors of the VIP train carriage that is used for official delegations, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Renting it costs from Hr 34,000 ($900) to Hr 350,000 ($9,230), depending on the terms.

Censor.Net later reported that, as of May 2023, Olga and her mother Svitlana were owners of Trade Lines Retail, a contractor of the Defense Ministry, which had failed to supply clothes to the army for the total amount of Hr 585,450 ($15,433) on time.

Another Defense Ministry contractor reportedly part of the probe is Construction Alliance Montazhproekt. According to Censor.Net, this firm failed to supply clothes to the army for the total amount of Hr 425,100 ($11,200).

Companies from the Hrynkevych familys network are also subject to investigations into alleged embezzlement on army procurement conducted by the National Police and State Security Service, according to Censor.Net.

Multiple media outlets reported that family members of Ihor Hrynkevych have bought expensive real estate and cars since they became suppliers of the Defence Ministry after the start of the all-out war.

Read more about the allegations against Hrynkevych in Ukrainian here.

Defense Ministrys contractor known for procurement scandal buys hotels in Croatia

Tetiana Hlyniana, the businesswoman in control of the companies that sold food to the army at inflated prices in 2023, bought hotels in Croatia, according to an investigation published by Ukrainian media outlet NV on Jan. 6.

Early last year companies controlled by Hlyniana were at the center of the biggest corruption scandal Ukraine has seen since the start of Russias invasion  the Defense Ministrys infamous food procurement deal that caused public outcry and made the ministry revoke the overpriced contracts and sign new ones. This was among the scandals that led to Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov's resignation in September 2023.

According to NV, Hlyniana, whose companies have been supplying food to Ukraines Defence Ministry since 1995, might have lately started a resort business in Croatia.

In the fall of 2023, Hlyniana spent 10 million euros to acquire companies allegedly owning four-star and five-star hotels in the resort town of Split in Croatia, NV reported, citing the Croatian business registries. The hotels include Mirari, Ora, Lux, and Posh.

Hlyniana also reportedly has a private residence in Brela, another resort town southwest of Split, since 2016.

Read the full story in Ukrainian here.

Energoatom chief allegedly conceals assets, using mother-in-law as proxy to buy real estate

The mother-in-law of Energoatom President Petro Kotin acquired expensive real estate worth millions of hryvnias, which she couldnt have been able to afford, according to Schemes, an investigative project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

According to the journalist investigation, in the summer of 2023, Kotin's 70-year-old mother-in-law bought a two-story house and a 300-square-meter land plot with access to a private pond  paying, on the paper, only Hr 7 million ($183,000).

Soon after the purchase, Kotin and his family settled in the house.

In 2021, Kotins mother-in-law bought three neighboring land plots in Kyiv Oblast for around $40,000.

On paper, this property cost her significantly less than the market price, Schemes reported. It could indicate an attempt to hide the real cost of the purchase to evade taxes.

But even at these low prices, Kotins mother-in-law couldnt have afforded these purchases. She only made Hr 79,000 ($9,875) between 2000 and 2009 and currently most likely receives a state pension as a retiree, Schemes reported.

In a written response to Schemes, Kotin said that his mother-in-law had accumulated the money for the purchase by 50 years of savings, cash from close relatives, and loans. The journalists looked into the close relatives of Kotin and concluded that none of them appear to have a source of income that would allow them to chip in for the purchase.

Soon after the journalist investigation, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention began monitoring Kotin over his mother-in-laws suspicious property purchases, according to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, one of the advocators for the check.

Part of the agency's responsibilities is monitoring discrepancies between officials' standard of living and declared income to determine potential illicit revenue sources and other violations.

Kotin, a former director of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (currently occupied by Russia), has headed Energoatom since 2020, being formally appointed as its president in 2022.

Watch the full story in Ukrainian here.

Impact

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EU sanctions Alrosa, Russia's largest diamond producer, subject of Kyiv Independents investigation

The European Union imposed sanctions against Alrosa, Russia's primary diamond producer, and the companys CEO Pavel Marinychev on Jan. 3, as part of the larger effort to stop precious stones flow to the West.

Comprehensive measures to ban the trade of Russian diamonds, including those processed or refined in third-party countries, were instituted as part of the 12th round of EU sanctions against Russia, adopted on Dec. 18, 2023.

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

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 U.S., the worlds biggest diamond importer, was the first to sanction the company back in April 2022.

However, 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., and even was able to increase its profits in 2023.

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, soon increased.

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

Alleged unofficial boss of the key government agency resigns after journalist report

Vadym Hrona, a businessman and a member of the public anti-corruption council of Ukraines Agency for Investigation and Management of Assets, known by its Ukrainian acronym ARMA, filed a letter of resignation after a journalist investigation named him an unofficial boss of the agency.

The December investigation by Bihus.Info media outlet found Hrona, previously employed by ARMA, regularly attending the agencys Kyiv headquarters after his official resignation in October 2023. Based on conversations with employees and leaked CCTV footage, Bihus.Info reported that Hrona works from the ARMA headquarters and gives instructions to the agencys employees while not being officially employed there.

Hronas role as a member of the agencys public anti-corruption council doesnt envision this behavior or allow free access to its offices. As of the time of the story publication, the council had only met once, so its activities cant be the reason for Hronas daily visits to the agencys offices.

According to Bihus.Info, this raises concerns that Hrona was a behind-the-scenes curator of the state agency.

ARMA is responsible for managing assets seized from people under indictment, generally accused of corruption, until a final decision is reached as to their guilt or innocence. ARMA is a controversial agency, having been embroiled in scandals that led to high-level calls for its dissolution.

Meanwhile, in Russia

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Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan cotton supplies power Russias gunpowder production

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have increased exports of cotton, a key ingredient of gunpowder, to Russia since the start of the countrys 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, found an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The cotton cellulose originating in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was bought by the Russian munitions factories for defense purposes, OCCRP reported, citing public procurement contracts. Some of the supplies went to the Russian plants directly while in some cases intermediary importers were involved.

Those Russian state plants, which specialize in the manufacture of gunpowder, ammunition, and artillery, do not release official data about their output and did not respond to OCCRPs requests for comment.

Four of the plants have been sanctioned by the U.S., Switzerland, and Ukraine.

While cotton pulp can also be used for other than arms production, it has been subject to export controls in the European Union since June 2023 because of its potential military uses.

Read the full story by OCCRP in English here.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  California authorities are hoping to identify the last unknown victim of Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, who is serving a life sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary.

On Monday, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office reported that cold case investigators were the closest theyve ever been to identifying the victim that Jesperson referred to as Claudia.

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The womans body was first located near Blythe, Calif., in August 1992. Officials said Jesperson confessed to a Portland reporter about Claudias murder  and seven additional homicides  when he was arrested in a separate case in 1995.

It wasnt until Jan. 8, 2010 that he was sentenced to 15 years to life for the victims death. Now, advances in DNA technology and a recent interview with Jesperson have pushed investigators in putting a name to the womans face.

In a 2023 interview with Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, officials said Jesperson told investigators he met Claudia at a brake check area near Victorville, Calif., in August 1992.

The DAs Office reported that the woman asked the truck driver for a ride to the Los Angeles area, but Jesperson drove her to Cabazon, Calif., instead because of his scheduled route to Arizona.

Thousands without power Tuesday as high winds rip through the region

Jesperson told authorities that Claudia continued to ride with him past Cabazon and into a rest stop in Indio, Calif., where they argued about money. The man confessed that he murdered the woman in his truck, which he then drove to Blythe before dumping her body.

Claudia rendering with natural hair color. (Courtesy Riverside County District Attorneys Office)

Claudia was described as a woman between the ages of 20 and 30 with shaggy, wild blonde hair. Officials also said she was between 56 and 57, weighing between 140 and 150 pounds with a medium build.

Investigators additionally reported the victim wore a motorcycle t-shirt, and had a tattoo with two small dots on her right thumb. Authorities believe the frequent hitchhiker resided in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino or Riverside County areas, but also had connections to Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.

According to Riverside County, Claudias biological father is now deceased. The DAs Office added that several living half-siblings have been found, but they were unable to identify the woman because they never met her.

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Our goal is to identify this victim and provide closure to her family, wherever they may be, District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement. We are hopeful someone hearing any of these details may remember anything that could help us reunite this woman with the family who may have been looking for her for over three decades.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Officials with the Riverside County District Attorney's office in California are asking for the public's help in identifying the last remaining unidentified victim of the Happy Face Killer, Keith Jesperson.

Jesperson, now 68, was convicted of the victim's murder 14 years ago, on Jan. 8, 2010, in Riverside County, and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

He has been incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem since 1995 where he is currently serving multiple life sentences without parole for murders in Oregon, California, and Wyoming.

His earliest release date is March 1, 2063.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office provided a sketch of the victim known as Claudia. Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the Happy Face Killer, was convicted of her murder Jan. 8, 2010, but the victim was never formally identified.

Jesperson gained notoriety in the 1990s for preying on multiple women throughout the Pacific Northwest. He worked as a long-haul truck driver and is connected to eight strangulation murders of women in Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming, and Nebraska.

He is known as the "Happy Face Killer" for drawing happy faces in letters in which he boasted of committing five murders on the West Coast. Four of the five cases have been solved.

The last unidentified victim

In court documents, Jesperson refers to the unidentified victim as "Claudia."

Claudia was described as a "frequent hitchhiker" of the southern California region. Her body was found on Aug. 30, 1992, along U.S. 95 near Blythe, California.

Numerous sketches of "Claudia" have been made using a combination of DNA technology, her remains, and a description by Jesperson himself.

Jesperson described "Claudia" as a white woman between 20 and 30 years old. She was around 5-foot-7 and had brown or dyed blonde shaggy hair. She had a tattoo of two dots on the side of her right thumb and was found wearing a t-shirt with a skeleton on a motorcycle that said, "Ride me, Ride free."

In Aug. 1992, officials suspect that "Claudia" caught a ride with a grocery store truck driver traveling from Las Vegas along Interstate 15 near Cajon Junction. She was believed to be hitchhiking to get to the Los Angeles area.

At 9 a.m., "Claudia" was allegedly dropped off at a brake stop south of Victorville, California by the unknown driver. There, she approached Jesperson while he was working on his purple 1989 Peterbilt truck and asked him for a ride to Los Angeles.

Accused murderer Keith Hunter Jesperson, 40, right, listens to his attorney Tom Phelan, left, moments before pleading guilty to murder charges Wednesday Oct. 18, 1995, at the Clark County Courthouse in Vancouver, Wash.

According to investigators, Jesperson told "Claudia" he was headed to Arizona but the closest he could take her to Los Angeles was Cabazon, California. She took the ride. Once reaching Cabazon, Claudia continued to drive with Jesperson traveling east on Interstate 10, stopping once at a diner in Indio where Claudia and Jesperson got lunch.

After eating, the two reportedly had a heated argument in Jesperson's truck where he eventually killed her. He continued to travel east along Interstate 10 and turned onto Highway 95 near Blythe where he left Claudia's body on the side of the road.

"Thanks to advances in DNA technology, we are now the closest we have even been to learning who this woman was, and reuniting her with her family," said the DA's office in a statement.

Investigators and genealogists have determined some of "Claudia's" familial relatives, including her biological father, who is now dead. The victim's father was from Cameron County, Texas, but traveled all over the country, including Washington State, Oregon, and California.

Several half-siblings were also identified but unfortunately were not biological matches to the victim's mother and could not assist with her identification.

"Even though this killer is behind bars and never going to get out, this victim has an identity, is a real person and we want to make sure we give her back her identity and give closure to these families," said Mike Hestrin, Riverside County District Attorney.

If you have any leads, no matter how insignificant they may seem, contact the Cold Case Hotline at (951)-955-5567, or by emailing coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Public's help needed to identify victim of Happy Face serial killer
Iowans are preparing for the coldest state caucus on record, with several inches of snow and arctic temperatures across the state on Monday.

The caucus is a much-anticipated event considered the beginning of the presidential election season. The Iowa Republican caucuses will determine how many of the states 40 Republican National Convention delegates each candidate will get.

However, this years Iowa Republican caucus wont be much of a nail-biter, as former president Donald Trump is the front-runner, according to several polls. Meanwhile, the other Republican candidates, like Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, will likely be in a race for second place.

Nearly all of Iowa is under a wind chill warning through caucus day into Tuesday, with some regions reaching as low as 35F (-37C). The National Weather Service said the temperatures are life-threatening and capable of causing frostbite in just ten minutes.

Amid these dangerous conditions, former president Donald Trump told Iowa Republicans to vote even if they are sick as a dog and that voting would still be worth it even if people passed away.

The coldest wind chills are expected to hit Monday through Tuesday morning, just when Iowa residents will be travelling to their caucus locations throughout the evening.

Meteorologists are forecasting light snow later in the week, far less than last week when Iowans saw more than a foot in some regions.

Meanwhile, the state saw several inches of snow, high winds and dangerous travel conditions as residents prepared for the caucuses last week.

Weather-related car crashes were reported throughout last week. The Iowa State Patrol posted on X to warn against travel, sharing images of a patrol car struck from behind on Interstate 80 with several inches of snow on the ground.

Several Republican candidates were braving last weeks storm ahead of the caucses. Former president Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley have been invited to a debate on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ms Haley also held a campaign event in Waukee, Iowa on Tuesday morning amid several inches of snow.

Air travel across the US is also taking a hit, with thousands of delays and cancellations over the past weekend and into this week. However, its unclear if these conditions will persist into next week.
Four days after a shooting at Perry High School that killed one and injured seven others, more than 150 students from Iowa City-area high schools staged a walkout, leaving classrooms across the area and rallying in front of the Old Capitol Building.

The protest was part of a state-wide effort to call out legislators and the state's gun laws.

At least 100 Iowa City High students led Monday's protest at 12:45 p.m. near the Statue of Liberty on the school's campus before making the nearly two-mile walk to the Old Capitol. Students chanted, Hey, hey, NRA. How many kids have you killed today? and made other calls to protect students and end gun violence.

Youth activist rallies against gun violence, again

Margalit Frank, 17, was among the many students making a stand Monday, a seen she is all too familiar with.

Frank participated in a March for Our Lives in Iowa City in 2018, at age 12, shortly after the Parkland shooting that killed 17 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

The fact that Ive done this between sixth grade and my senior year and nothing has really changed is really upsetting, Frank told the Press-Citizen. But its important for young people to maintain hope and self-efficacy that if you do something, things will change.

Reyna Roach, 17, a City High senior, speaks to a group of assembled students during a rally against gun violence Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 at the Old Capitol in Iowa City, Iowa.

Monday's protesters also carried signs depicting a variety of messages, such as "Thoughts and prayers do not stop bullets," and "Your inaction is killing us," while others took aim at the legislature with a sign that read "Ban guns not books." Another student made a sobering statement, simply penning a sign that said "I don't want to be next."

Strong community support

Passing cars honked in support of the walkout while a few neighbors along College Street even popped out of their homes to cheer.

Iowa City High School students march to the Old Capitol after walking out of class in protest of gun violence Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

More than 10 students, aged 13 to 18, ascended the steps of the Old Capitol Building upon arrival to share words on school safety and legislative inaction.

More: A storm is coming: What to expect in Iowa City and a refresher on local snow ordinances

"We are here today because a tragedy happened in our state because of the inaction of the people who are supposed to represent us, who are supposed to protect us, who are supposed to be the people who decide how we live, and they are not letting us live," 17-year-old Reyna Roach said.

She helped organize Monday's movement in Iowa City.

Iowa City Community School District high school students gather at the steps of the Old Capitol in protest of gun violence Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Roach even broke out a familiar March for Our Lives chant: "We call BS," encouraging the throng of students to join in.

"They say a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun," Roach began.

The crowd responded with: "We call BS."

Roach continued with a myriad of other phrases, including "They say common sense gun laws don't stop school shootings," "Guns are just like any other tool," and "They say that school shootings are not preventable."

Each time, the crowd retorted, "We call BS."

Iowa City High School students march from their school to the Old Capitol building protesting gun violence Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Perry shooting rocks state

Monday's protest was a response to the school shooting in Perry by 17-year-old Dylan Butler that killed a sixth-grader and wounded seven others, including the high school's principal. Perry is located roughly 35 miles northwest of Des Moines.

More: Iowa schools show solidarity with Perry High after school shooting leaves 11-year-old dead

Alex Ackerman raises her fist in solidarity as Iowa City High School students, protesting gun violence, march past her house Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Butler's parents, in a statement made through their attorney on Monday, said they had "no inkling he intended the horrible violence" carried out on Jan. 4.

A close call

Juan Rosado, 16, a City High junior, is friends with a student at Perry High. He sent a text last week when he heard the news to check-in.

His friend responded 10 minutes later, letting Rosado know he was safe. The experience, though he was more than two hours from the shooting, changed his perception of school safety.

"For the first time, I now feel genuinely scared about going to school," Rosado said.

More: Iowa school students walk out of class to protest gun violence after Perry shooting

New legislative session begins

Monday's demonstrators called for stricter gun laws, with speakers each echoing the sentiment that they want to be able to focus on what their future holds, not whether they are going to be able to have a future.

The state's legislative session kicked off on Monday, just hours before the Iowa City protest. Des Moines high schoolers marched to the state capital building, where Democratic legislators joined in support of the 300 students, lawmakers and student activists.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: More than 100 Iowa City students protest gun violence at Old Capitol
Pastor Paula White, left, and other faith leaders pray with President Donald Trump, center, during a rally for evangelical supporters at the King Jesus International Ministry church on Jan. 3, 2020, in Miami. | Lynne Sladky, Associated Press

A week ahead of the Iowa Republican caucuses, a new video depicting former president Donald Trump as a messianic figure caused a stir among the Iowa evangelical community.

The video, called God Made Trump, was shared by the former president on his Truth Social account Friday morning. In the video, a narrator paraphrases the Bible while describing Trump as a man who cares for the flock and a shepherd to mankind who wont ever leave nor forsake them.

I find it absolutely sickening, period, said Michael Demastus, pastor of the Fort Des Moines Church of Christ. Trump is not the Messiah.

The video begins as a parody of Paul Harveys famous So God Made a Farmer speech, opening with a shot of the earth. A narrator says, And on June 14, 1946, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a caretaker, so God gave us Trump. A similar video about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis circulated in 2022.

The Trump video includes repeated religious references and quotations from the Bible. A narrator describes Trump as one who follow(s) the path and remain(s) strong in faith. He paraphrases Psalm 140 to describe the fake news media  with their tongues as sharp as a serpents and the poison of vipers ... on their lips  and credits Trump with finish(ing) a hard weeks work by attending church on Sunday.

GOD MADE TRUMP pic.twitter.com/l03fK9SSfC  Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 5, 2024

The video was created by Dilley Meme Team, a group of online content creators independent from the Trump campaign, though they work in close contact with it. The group  which calls itself Trumps Online War Machine  has faced controversy for its vulgar and sexist content.

Demastus, who has called Trump the most pro-life president we have ever had, said he is not alone in his disgust of the new video. Many other evangelical pastors find that video offensive, he said.

Terry Amann, pastor of the Church of the Way in Des Moines, found the video distasteful. Christians have no right to be offended by anything since Christ went to the cross totally innocent for us guilty sinners, he said. That being said, (the video) demeans Christianity, Trump and the people who made it. It says a lot about the people around Trump and their worldly understanding of Christianity.

Iowa Republicans officially kick off the 2024 election Monday, when they cast votes in the state partys caucuses. Winning over evangelicals is a requirement for winning the Iowa caucuses; in 2016, the last time there was a competitive Republican primary, more than 60% of Republican caucus participants were evangelicals.

Related

Among evangelical voters, Trump is widely seen as the favorite. He received massive support from white conservative evangelicals in 2016 and 2020, and a new Deseret News/HarrisX poll finds that a majority of Republicans see Trump as a person of faith.

Evangelicals credit Trump for securing a conservative-majority Supreme Court which ended federal protections for abortion by striking down Roe v. Wade. In the Deseret/HarrisX poll, respondents said Trump is a person of faith because he defends people of faith in the U.S. and he supports policies that focus on families.

Some in Trumps personal orbit dispute that he is a person of faith. Several of his former aides said Trump mocks evangelical Christians and Latter-day Saints behind closed doors, according to The Atlantic. And during a comedic speech at the Alfalfa Club, Mike Pence, Trumps former vice president, poked fun at his apparent religious illiteracy.

I read that some of those classified documents they found in Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the presidents Bible, Pence joked. Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.

Trump faces more than 90 criminal charges, including 34 related to a payment to a porn star with whom he allegedly had an affair.

But for many evangelical voters, its Trumps record  not his personal life  that are key when selecting a president: Were not electing a pastor, many say. Trumps policies on social issues, like abortion and religious liberty, are appealing to many evangelicals. But after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, Trump has seemed to soften on his abortion stance, a shift that has enraged many of his conservative supporters.

Related

Nonetheless, Trump maintains a comfortable lead in polling ahead of the Iowa caucuses. Trump sits near 50%, while his closest challengers  Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley  hover in the upper teens. Come caucus night, state party leadership expects record turnout, and it is likely a majority of participants will be evangelical Christians.

Amann and Demastus have expressed support for Trump in the past, but this election cycle, they are not endorsing any candidate. Both are part of Faith Wins, a nationwide cohort of pastors focused on training and encouraging Christians to participate in elections. While Faith Wins pastors will be active up to Caucus Day, leading caucus training sessions and encouraging their congregants to get out to vote, they are maintaining public neutrality toward the candidates.

I havent endorsed a candidate, Demastus said. But the one thing Im happy about is I dont have to explain away the awful stuff a candidate is sharing.
The death of Ali Hussein Barji has been confirmed by Hezbollah - Twitter/x

The head of Hezbollahs combat drone operations has been killed by Israeli forces in a second high-profile assassination within 24 hours.

Ali Hussein Barji, who commanded the unit in southern Lebanon, was killed on Tuesday, Hezbollah said.

It came as Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, visited Israel to discuss plans for the future of Gaza once the war ends.

Barjis car was targeted in an air strike on the town of Khirbet Selm where he had arrived for the funeral of Wissam al-Tawil, another senior Hezbollah commander, who was killed by a suspected Israeli strike on Monday.

The apparent assassination came hours before Hezbollah drones, believed to be under the command of Barji, hit an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) base in Safed, eight miles from the Lebanese border.

Firas Maksad, a senior fellow at the US-based Middle East Institute, said his reported assassination was another notch up the escalation ladder.

The IDF has not commented on the strike.

Evacuated residents cannot go home yet

Video released by Israel Defence Force showing the car of Hezbollah commander in the line of sight - Israel Defence Force

It came as Israel said on Tuesday that residents of more than 40 towns and kibbutzim evacuated from the north of Gaza will not be allowed back until hostilities had ended.

About 76,000 people have fled border areas in southern Lebanon to evade daily rocket attacks, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Fears of a wider escalation between Israel and Lebanon grew last week when Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas leader, was believed to have been killed in a drone strike on Beirut.

Moments later the missile strikes the car of Ali Hussein Barji - Israel Defence Force

On Tuesday, Mr Blinken called on Israel to take greater steps to protect civilians, allow more aid into Gaza and work with moderate Palestinian leaders, saying regional countries would only invest in the reconstruction of Gaza if there is a pathway to a Palestinian state.

He also said he was crystal clear that Palestinians must be able to return to their homes as soon as conditions allow.

Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, told Mr Blinken that increasing pressure on Iran would be critical to prevent regional escalation in additional areas.

Like other Israeli officials, Mr Gallant did not give any indication that there was an end in sight to its military campaign which has already claimed more than 23,000 lives in Gaza.

Israel is set to intensify its operation in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis until it roots out Hamas leaders and frees all hostages captured in an unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct 7, Mr Gallant told Mr Blinken.

Israeli officials are coming under increasing pressure to rescue 136 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

A coalition to govern Gaza

Before he reached Israel Mr Blinken said four key Arab nations and Turkey had agreed to start planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israel ends its military campaign.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey would contribute to day after scenarios for Gaza, he said, while also expecting concrete steps towards creating a Palestinian state, something that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to.

About 85 per cent of Gazas population  1.9 million people  have been internally displaced, and now most live in intensely overcrowded temporary accommodation in the enclaves south, according to the UN.

On Tuesday, Israel agreed to allow a UN delegation into northern Gaza to evaluate the damaged infrastructure and map out what is needed for the return of the displaced residents, according to the Axios news website, citing talks between Mr Blinken and members of the Israeli war cabinet.

Mr Blinken reportedly stressed the need to allow Palestinians to return to their homes in the north of Gaza, something that Israel has pushed back against, claiming that the security situation on the ground does not allow it.

Israeli officials also reportedly said they want to see progress towards a new hostage deal before Gazans from the north are allowed to return home.

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Editors Note: A version of this story appears in CNNs Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the regions biggest stories. Sign up here.

Israel is appearing before the International Court of Justice in a high stakes case that could change the course of the brutal war in Gaza.

It is an unprecedented case. Experts say it is the first time that the Jewish state is being tried under the United Nations Genocide Convention, which was drawn up after the Second World War in light of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people during the Holocaust.

The South African government, a successor to the apartheid regime that was made a pariah on the international stage three decades ago, brought the case against Israel, accusing it of being in breach of its obligations under the convention in its war on Hamas in Gaza.

Israel has firmly rejected the claim, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a false accusation.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Tuesday that his country will present a case using self-defense to show that it is doing its utmost under extremely complicated circumstances to avert civilian casualties in Gaza.

Eliav Lieblich, a professor of international law at Tel Aviv University, told CNN the case is significant politically and legally. An allegation of genocide is the gravest international legal allegation that can be made against a state, he said.

Heres what we know about this case.

What is South Africa saying?

South Africa has taken Israel to the ICJ, also known as the World Court, on claims that it is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and failing to prevent genocide.

On the first of two days of hearings, South Africa on Thursday told the court that Israels leadership had declared their genocidal intent in public comments surrounding the war, and that the actions of its military showed a pattern of genocidal conduct.

South Africas representatives argued that the publicly available evidence of the scale of the destruction resulting from the bombardment of Gaza, and the deliberate restriction of food, water, medicines and electricity available to the population of Gaza, demonstrates that the government of Israel is intent on destroying the Palestinians in Gaza as a group.

The acts in question include killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, South Africa added in its 84-page filing to the court.

More than 23,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza.

The United Nations defines genocide as an act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

The UN says that it was developed partly in response to the Nazi policies of systematic murder of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

In eight pages, the filing at the ICJ details what South Africa describes as expressions of genocidal intent by Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet.

South Africa has also asked the court to issue provisional measures ordering Israel to stop its war in Gaza, which it said was necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people. A provisional measure is a temporary order to halt actions, or an injunction, pending a final ruling.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a grouping of 57 Muslim countries, as well as Jordan, Turkey and Malaysia have so far backed the case.

What is the International Court of Justice?

The ICJ is based in The Hague in the Netherlands and was set up in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations.

The court tries governments while the International Criminal Court, also in The Hague, prosecutes individuals. Israel doesnt recognize the ICC so the court has no jurisdiction over it. Israel however is a signatory to the Genocide Convention, which gives the ICJ jurisdiction over it.

Member states of the UN and those who have accepted the ICJs jurisdiction can present cases. The court accepts cases in which the states involved have each accepted its jurisdiction. The ICJ is composed of 15 judges who serve nine-year terms. Current judges are from the US, Russia, China, Slovakia, Morocco, Lebanon, India, France, Somalia, Jamaica, Japan, Germany, Australia, Uganda and Brazil. Five seats come up for election every three years, with no consecutive term limit.

Four new judges will take their seats in February, one of whom is South Africas Dire Tladi.

Ad-hoc judges can be appointed by parties in contentious cases (between two states)  in this instance Israel and South Africa  bringing the number of judges in the case to 17. South Africa has appointed Dikgang Moseneke, the countrys former deputy chief justice, and Israel has named Aharon Barak, ex-president of the countrys Supreme Court.

Experts say a final ruling could take years.

Exterior view of the United Nations International Court of Justice, or the Peace Palace, in The Hague, The Netherlands in March 2022. - Michel Porro/Getty Images/File

How has Israel responded?

Israel has called the case a blood libel by South Africa, a thinly veiled accusation of antisemitism, and Netanyahu has in turn said that it is Hamas that has committed genocide, adding the Israeli military is acting in the most moral way and does everything to avoid harming civilians.

And I ask: where were you, South Africa, and the rest of those who slander us, where were you when millions were murdered and displaced from their homes in Syria, Yemen and other arenas. You werent there, the prime minister said.

Israel will nonetheless appear before the court.

Thats because it is a signatory to the UNs 1948 Genocide Convention, which was drafted in the aftermath of the Holocaust. The treaty gives the ICJ the authority to adjudicate in cases, which can be brought by parties not directly affected by the alleged genocide in question.

Since the court clearly has jurisdiction, it would be strange if Israel would simply not appear, said Lieblich. Also, genocide is a grave allegation, and states usually want to make their case.

The Israeli publics view of the case reflects the political disagreements in the country, Lieblich said. Some view the proceedings as just another case of international bias against Israel. Many others are angry because they think that the case was only made possible because of irresponsible statements by far-right politicians, that in their views dont represent actual policy.

But he said that few in the Israeli mainstream are willing to accept the genocide allegations. They mostly view the war as one of self-defense against Hamas, which due to the latters tactics result in wide but unintended harm to civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads a weekly cabinet meeting at the defense ministry in Tel Aviv on January 7. - Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Polls show that Israelis overwhelmingly support the war.

Citing an Israeli diplomatic cable, Axios reported that Israel has mobilized its diplomats to lobby host nations to back its position and create international pressure against the case. Its strategic goal, it said, is for the court to reject the request for an injunction, refrain from accusing Israel of committing genocide, and acknowledge that it is operating according to international law.

A ruling by the court could have significant potential implications that are not only in the legal world but have practical bilateral, multilateral, economic, security ramifications, Axios cited the cable as saying.

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said Pretoria is criminally complicit with Hamas campaign of genocide against our people.

He also accused it of double standards, and backing former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who faces a warrant issued by the ICC.

How tragic that the rainbow nation that prides itself on fighting racism will be fighting pro bono for anti-Jewish racists, he said in a January 2 speech posted on X. We assure South Africas leaders: History will judge you. And it will judge you without mercy.

Lieblich said South Africa appears to be positioning itself in opposition to the US dominance in the international order.

While it pursues the case against Israel, South Africa has criticized the ICCs arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin, and has also refrained in the past from arresting Omar al-Bashir, he said. So, there is a clear international statement here. South Africa has been very vocal about what it views (as) Western double standards and this case is a part of that campaign.

Why is this case significant?

While the ICJ has ruled against Israel in the past, it did so through non-binding advisory opinions that are requested by UN bodies such as the General Assembly.

This is the first time Israel is being sued in the ICJ in what is known as a contentious case, where states directly raise cases against each other.

In 2004, the ICJ issued an advisory opinion declaring Israels separation barrier in the occupied West Bank to be in violation of international law, and called for it to be torn down. Israel ignored that decision.

If the ICJ eventually rules that Israel is directly responsible for genocide, it will be the first time it has found a state has commited genocide, experts said.

This would be a significant precedent first and foremost because the ICJ never ruled, so far, that a state actually committed genocide, Lieblich said. The farthest it went was to rule that Serbia failed to prevent genocide by militias in Srebrenica. In this sense, such a ruling would be legally uncharted territory.

While no state has been found to be directly responsible for genocide by the court, both Myanmar and Russia have faced provisional measures in genocide cases in recent years.

All ICJ judgements are final, without appeal and binding.

But the ICJ cant guarantee compliance. In March 2022, for example, the court ordered Russia to immediately halt its military campaign in Ukraine. Kyiv, which brought the case, disputed the grounds for Russias invasion, and asked for emergency measures against Russia to halt the violence before the case was heard in full.

People inspect the rubble of a building where the displaced Palestinian Jabalieh family were sheltering after it was hit by apparent Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 3. - AFP/Getty Images

What happens if the court orders Israel to halt the war?

Israel is set to appear in public hearings before the court on Friday to contest South Africas genocide accusations.

A ruling on genocide could take years to prove, but the injunction on the Gaza war that Pretoria has asked the ICJ for could come much sooner.

Daniel Machover, a London-based lawyer and international justice expert, told CNN that a provisional measure should be a quick decision that would be taken before there is a final ruling on genocide.

South Africa, he said, only needs to demonstrate that it has standing to bring the case, has acted on its duty to prevent genocide, that there is a plausible legal argument that violations of the Genocide Convention are or may be taking place, and that there is a real and imminent risk that irreparable prejudice will be caused to Gaza residents before the court gives its final decision, such that the court needs to order Israel to stop the war.

Francis Boyle, an American human rights lawyer who won two requests at the ICJ under the Genocide Convention against Yugoslavia on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told Democracy Now that based on his review of the documents submitted by South Africa, he believes Pretoria will indeed win an order against Israel to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the Palestinians.

Boyle, based on his experience in the Bosnian case, said the order could come within a week of this weeks hearings.

Lieblich doubts that Israel would cease the fighting altogether should the court issue an injunction on the war. Instead, it could attack the legitimacy of the court and its judges, considering that some of them are from states that dont recognize Israel. It would also matter whether the decision is unanimous, he added.

The consequences of non-compliance might range from reputational harm and political pressure to sanctions and other measures by third states or further resolutions in the UN, he said. The key for Israel would probably be how its key allies would act in such a case.

He added that while the threshold for an injunction is relatively low, in the main case, proving genocide requires two elements: proof that certain unlawful acts were committed, and that these acts were committed with specific intent to destroy a certain group.

In past ICJ cases the court required a high threshold to prove such allegations, he said. Here the challenge for South Africa would be to prove that statements by some Israeli officials actually reflect the states intent as a whole, and also that Israels actions on the ground were both unlawful and actually tied to an intent to destroy the group as such.

Could a ruling have implications outside Israel?

The fallout of an ICJ ruling could spread beyond Israel, according to experts. It would not only embarrass Israels closest ally, the US, but could also deem Washington complicit in the alleged violation of the Genocide Convention.

Even though the South African application focuses on Israel, it has huge implications for the United States, especially President Joe Biden and his principal lieutenants, wrote John Mearsheimer, an American political scientist.

Why? Because there is little doubt that the Biden administration is complicitous in Israels war, he said.

A smoke plume erupts over Khan Younis from Rafah in the southern Gaza strip during Israeli bombardment on January 8. - AFP/Getty Images

Biden has acknowledged that Israel is carrying out indiscriminate bombing in Gaza, but he has also vowed to protect the country. The US has bypassed Congress twice to sell military equipment to Israel during the war.

Leaving aside the legal implications of his behavior, Bidens name  and Americas name  will be forever associated with what is likely to become one of the textbook cases of attempted genocide, Mearsheimer wrote.

Even if Israel ignores an order by the ICJ, there will be a legal obligation among other signatories to comply, said Machover. So, anyone assisting Israel at that point will be in breach of that order.

We could have worldwide litigation if states dont stop assisting Israel there will be legal ripples across the world he said.

The case could also have an impact on the Israeli public, Machover said. He believes that a significant number of Israelis have not looked in the mirror and lack awareness of the real impact of the war on Palestinians in Gaza.

The ICJ case, he hopes, would prompt the Israeli public to engage in some sort of self-reflection.

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Special counsel Jack Smith has become the latest in a line of political and legal figures to fall victim to a "swatting" call, in which a person places a call reporting a nonexistent threat. Smith, who is spearheading the prosecution of former President Donald Trump in two of his criminal cases, was targeted at his Maryland home on Christmas Day when someone placed a call to Montgomery Country Police telling them that Smith had shot his wife at his personal residence, according to NBC News. Deputy U.S. Marshals protecting Smith and his family ultimately called off the police, informing them that there was no viable threat. According to NBC, Cecil VanDevender, Smith's attorney, previously told appeals court judges in D.C. that Smith has faced "multiple threats and intimidating communication after Trump published inflammatory posts about Smith. Notably, on Christmas Day, Trump posted an invective targeting President Joe Biden, Smith, and others, saying he hopes the "ROT IN HELL."

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, the judge overseeing Trump's election subversion case, was subject to a similar "swatting" call. The Messenger reported that the call was placed to Chutkan's home on Saturday night  police in the area were notified that "multiple people were shot," but quickly determined that the bogus report was "unfounded," per reports on X/Twitter. Also targeted by the counterfeit calls last month were Reps. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., and Brandon Williams, R-N.Y.

Last week, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger pushed lawmakers to address the uptick in instances of "swatting" with a bill that would enforce harsher penalties for the calls. It is deeply troubling to see a rise in swatting and other physical threats. We expect heightened tensions as we head into a major presidential election, Raffensperger said in a news release. We expect American citizens to engage in the democratic process  not resort to cowardly acts of intimidation, he continued. Were committed to upholding our democratic principles and fighting for an environment in which citizens can freely and safely participate.
Since the release last week of the names of nearly 200 people associated with the late disgraced billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, the eyes of the world have turned once more to South Florida and, in particular, to Palm Beach, where Epstein had a home for years on the Intracoastal Waterway.

The names include many who have either visited or lived full- or part-time in Palm Beach over the past three decades, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, and Prince Andrew.

Here's a look at some of the key moments in the Epstein case and their connections to Palm Beach.

What to know about Jeffrey Epstein

Epstein was a financier who in 2008 pleaded guilty to two felony charges, of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. He received a plea deal that was criticized for being lenient.

Many of the allegations had centered around Epstein's Palm Beach home at 358 El Brillo Way, which he bought in 1990. Underage girls from Palm Beach County told investigators they were brought to Epstein's mansion in Palm Beach and homes in New York, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for sexual encounters.

In 2019, under renewed pressure to examine the case spurred by a Miami Herald investigation, officials charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. Before he could go to trial, he killed himself on Aug. 10, 2019, while in federal custody in New York.

A 2019 Palm Beach Post investigation found that then-Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer, who was the prosecutor in the first criminal case against Epstein, sunk his own prosecution before a 2006 grand jury.

The Post sued to uncover documentation from that grand jury, and last year an appeals court ordered the trial court judge to review and release the grand jury's transcripts.

1. Who own's Epstein's house now? What happened to Epstein's mansion and how much did it sell for? Why was Epstein's house demolished?

In November 2020, the Palm Beach Daily News confirmed that Epstein's former home at 358 El Brillo Way was under contract, selling to developer Todd Michael Glaser for $18.5 million.

In talking with reporter Darrell Hofheinz at the time, Glaser said when he bought the house that he would demolish it  which happened within months, as a bulldozer in April 2021 gutted the home where prosecutors said Epstein sexually assaulted girls and young women.

Venture capitalist David Skok, through his 360 El Brillo Way LLC, paid nearly $26 million for the roughly three-quarter acre lot in September 2021.

A rendering shows the redesigned pool pavilion approved for a house planned for 360 El Brillo Way in Palm Beach. The lakeside property was once home to the infamous late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The address was changed from 358 El Brillo Way to 360 El Brillo Way, and construction started in early 2023 on a new, modified Cape Dutch-style house on the site. The house will have six bedrooms, a red tile roof and an interior courtyard, with 9,529 square feet of living space.

2. Those connected with Epstein have faced charges

People who worked for and were affiliated with Epstein during his time in Palm Beach have faced charges in connection with his crimes.

In 2012, Alfredo Rodriguez, who managed Epstein's Palm Beach house, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction. Police said he hid and later tried to sell Epstein's journal, which contained the names and phone numbers of Epstein's victims.

The Palm Beach Daily News noted at the time that Rodriguez received the same length of sentence as Epstein, who served only 13 months of his sentence.

In 2020, federal investigators arrested longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell on charges of sex trafficking. She was found guilty in 2022 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Among the charges leveled against Maxwell: She recruited underage girls and young women for the sex-trafficking ring run by Epstein. Some of those girls were from Palm Beach County, including teens from Lake Worth Middle School and Royal Palm Beach High School.

Maxwell is serving her sentence at FCI Tallahassee, a federal prison in Florida's capital city.

3. Palm Beach police began their investigation in 2005

Allegations against Epstein were first brought to the Palm Beach Police Department when a concerned stepmother called the law-enforcement agency in 2005 to say her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been molested by a wealthy man.

In a letter to the Palm Beach Daily News in 2021, former Palm Beach police Chief Michael Reiter, who led the department at the time, said the department "recognized the importance of stopping Jeffrey Epstein and bringing him to justice."

The 2019 Palm Beach Post investigation found that Krischer, the state attorney who was the first to prosecute Epstein for sex crimes, approached the case as though the girls who accused Epstein were prostitutes, instead of viewing them as victims of sexual assault.

Reiter and Joseph Recarey, the detective who led the case, were frustrated by Krischer's decisions and went to the FBI, as well as urged Krischer to step down.

More: Letter from ex-Palm Beach police chief: Learn lessons from Epstein case

"The department never bent to the power and influence brought to bear against us," Reiter wrote. "Unfortunately, of the many other agencies involved, only the FBI acted in a similar way."

Recarey died in 2018, before Epstein was arrested on federal charges. Recarey said that during the investigation, nearly two dozen girls and young women provided nearly identical information about their encounters with Epstein, including information about how he flaunted his wealth to exploit them, The Palm Beach Post reported in a 2019 investigation.

More: How the Epstein saga could've been ended years ago: To his first prosecutors, victims were prostitutes

Recarey worked to build the case against Epstein, with the detective finding what would become dozens of teens who said they had been targeted by the billionaire.

As part of the investigation, Palm Beach police arranged for Epstein's trash to be set aside by garbage collectors, so detectives could sift through it.

When local prosecutors led by Krischer tried to offer Epstein a plea deal that would not involve time behind bars, Recarey fought back.

From the 2019 Palm Beach Post investigation:

Recarey, incensed, put together an arrest warrant charging Epstein with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation. The charges were punishable by maximum 30- and 15-year sentences, respectively.

4. What was inside Epstein's Palm Beach home?

When Palm Beach police searched Epstein's El Brillo Way home in 2005, they found many details that corroborated what they had been told by underage victims, including a hot pink and green couch in Epstein's bathroom, The Palm Beach Post reported in 2019.

Also found in the house:

Phone message books with names of teen girls.

A high school transcript from a girl, which was found on a desk in Epstein's bedroom.

Naked photos of teen girls.

What investigators didn't find: computer towers, which Recarey said in a deposition that he believed had been there because cables were still dangling from a wall.

There were hidden cameras in two rooms of Epstein's house, police said.

In the mid-2000s, Epstein had three black Mercedes and a green Harley-Davidson motorcycle. His home's staff included a private chef  Epstein was known for his preference not to eat at restaurants.

Later, demolition crews would find a trio of candles that still remained on a bathroom sink in the long-empty house.

5. Epstein rubbed elbows with the rich and powerful in Palm Beach

Some of the names included on the list published last week are no surprise to those who have followed the case.

Two of the highest-profile names on the list: Clinton and Trump.

Clinton's name has been mentioned alongside Epstein's for years. They reportedly met as early as 1995, at a fundraising dinner for Clinton in Palm Beach.

Last week, a representative for Clinton told People that Clinton doesn't know anything about Epstein's "terrible crimes."

In 2019, a Clinton spokesman said the former president had taken four trips on Epstein's planes in 2002 and 2003, with stops in connection with the Clinton Foundation's work. "Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of the trip," the spokesman said.

Trump and Epstein were photographed together several times, and Epstein was a member of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump said he had known Epstein for 15 years and that Epstein was a "terrific guy."

"Hes a lot of fun to be with," Trump said in the New York interview. "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it  Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

Trump in 2019 said he "threw him (Epstein) out" of the club.

"I'm not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein," Trump told reporters at the time.

"I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him," Trump said. "People in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach. I had a falling out with him a long time ago. I don't think I've spoken to him for 15 years. I wasn't a fan. I was not  yeah, a long time ago. I'd say maybe 15 years. I was not a fan of his. That I can tell you. I was not a fan of his."

In a letter to the Palm Beach Daily News in 2019, resident Alexander C. Ives said Epstein was not a fixture to everyone in the town. "Just as though living in a small town, some if not many Palm Beachers had and continue to have a good enough sense of character judgment to avoid Epstein's company and his like," Ives wrote.

Though Epstein was not known for attending many parties, he reportedly made some big-dollar donations to local organizations, including, as of a 2006 Palm Beach Post article, $100,000 to Ballet Florida.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Jeffrey Epstein house in Florida: What happened to his real estate?
Jeremy Corbyn will join a South African government delegation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for the countrys forthcoming genocide case against Israel.

The former Labour leader will be one of a number of senior political figures from progressive political parties and movements across the globe joining the delegation, Pretoria said.

Later this week, the ICJ, the United Nations highest legal body, will hear the South African case accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza war and seeking an emergency suspension of its military campaign.

In an 84-page filing, South Africa argues that by killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious mental and bodily harm and by creating conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction, Israel is committing genocide.

Isaac Herzog, Israels president, has called the ICJ case atrocious and preposterous, and Israels military has said it makes the utmost effort to avoid civilian casualties.

No other supporters named

The hearings are due to take place this Thursday and Friday, when South Africa and Israel will both have two hours on separate days to make their case for or against emergency measures.

The South African delegation of officials and diplomats will be led by Ronald Lamola, the countrys justice minister. Beyond Mr Corbyn, the South African government did not name any of the other worldwide political figures it said would join the delegation.

Earlier this week, Mr Corbyn called on the UK Government to back South Africas case. He said: Can the Government not understand the anger around the world when they watch this happening in real time, and why so many people are very pleased that the government of South Africa have taken the initiative by going to the International Court of Justice to hold Israel to account for the deaths of so many wholly innocent people in Gaza?

Andrew Mitchell, the UKs development minister, has criticised South Africas case, saying the use of inflammatory terms like genocide was unhelpful.

The White House has called the case meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever.

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JetBlue said Monday that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airlines president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier.

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty said she was honored to get the new job, and said she was looking forward as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, said he will retire for health reasons.

The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, its time I put more focus on my health and well-being, Hayes said in a statement.

The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. It comes as JetBlue waits for a federal judge in Boston to decide whether it can purchase Spirit Airlines in a bid to grow quickly into a challenger to the biggest U.S. airlines. The Justice Department sued to block the deal, and a trial was held last fall.

Hayes, 57, is a former British Airways executive who joined JetBlue in 2008 and became CEO in 2015. He pushed the airline to start transatlantic flights and create a partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines. The deal with American was disbanded, however, after the Justice Department successfully sued to kill it.

JetBlue is the nations sixth-biggest airline by revenue, slightly behind No. 5 Alaska Airlines.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Mr Austin delegated his official duties to Kathleen Hicks, his deputy, while in hospital - JIM WATSON/GETTY

The US defence secretary has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the hospital treating him has announced, following a row over the decision to keep his treatment a secret from the White House.

Lloyd Austin was admitted to hospital on Dec 22 for minor surgery under general anaesthetic, before returning after complications arose on Jan 1, The Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre said.

Mr Austin has faced criticism for his decision to delegate his official duties to Kathleen Hicks, his deputy, without informing Joe Biden or the US public about his treatment.

The row has led to a review of official procedures in the US government, with cabinet members now expected to inform the president if they are unable to carry out their duties.

On Tuesday, the hospital said that Mr Austins cancer was caught early, in December, and that his prognosis was excellent following treatment.

But following the operation, known as a prostatectomy, Mr Austin developed complications including nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain, on New Years Day, the hospital said. He was later found to have a urinary tract infection.

Shocking lack of judgement

Mr Biden was alerted by his national security adviser to the incapacitation of the defence secretary on Jan 4, with the public not informed until a statement on Jan 5.

While Mr Austin was in hospital, his duties were performed by Ms Hicks, who was on holiday in Puerto Rico, the Pentagon said. Officials said she kept in contact with the Department of Defense virtually.

Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Mr Austin resumed his duties from hospital on Friday.

The secretary has received operational updates and has provided necessary guidance. He has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor day-to-day operations worldwide, he said.

The incident has raised concerns among defence experts and congressional Republicans, who observed that the US faced attacks on its troops in the Middle East while Mr Austin was in hospital, and dealt with a suicide boat attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was quickly losing faith in Mr Austins ability to lead the Pentagon, while Elise Stefanik, a Republican representative, called for his resignation, accusing him of a shocking lack of judgement.

Mr Austin promises to do better

Mr Bidens spokesman said the president maintained his full support of Mr Austin, but said he had taken responsibility for the communication breakdown, pointing to an apology on Sunday in which the defence secretary promised to do better.

The Pentagon has ordered a review of the incident, while the White House is reconsidering its procedures for similar situations in future.

A Department of Defense memo said that the review would help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred and stressed the importance of a proper and timely notification of the president.

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When it comes to serving on a jury during a criminal or civil trial in California, the state has a list of rules for qualified residents to follow.

State law states you are qualified to serve on a jury if you are:

A U.S. citizen;

At least 18 years old;

Can understand enough English to discuss the case;

A resident of the county that sent the summons;

Have not served on a jury in the past 12 months;

Not already on a grand or trial jury;

Not under a conservatorship;

Not in jail or prison;

Not on parole or probation for a felony;

Not registered as a sex offender and

Not convicted of wrongdoing while in public office and have not had your civil rights restored.

From receiving a summons to being paid, here are four laws you may or may not know about jury duty in California

How often can California summon you for jury duty?

Blaine Corren, a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California, said individuals can be summoned for jury duty once a year, or, every 12 months).

All potential jurors are selected at random from lists compiled of drivers licenses and identification cards issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles, tax filings through the state Franchise Tax Board and local voter registration rolls, Corren said.

It is possible that some people may be summoned more or less often than others, but that greatly depends on many factors, Corren said.

These factors can include the size of local courts, the courts population area and how many jury trials the court may have scheduled.

According to the California Courts website, any person who fails to respond to a jury summons can be fined up to $1,500, incarcerated, or both.

However, Corren said the court will first try to contact the person by mail to find out what happened and reschedule them for another date.

Read more: How often can you be summoned for jury duty in California? What happens if you miss it?

What are valid excuses to miss jury duty in California?

No one is exempt from being chosen for jury duty because of their job, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or economic status, according to the California Courts website.

Even if you are qualified to be a juror, you might still have what is called an undue hardship,  the website states. An undue hardship is a difficult situation that prevents you from being able to serve.

Individuals facing an undue hardship might be able to be excused from jury service or postpone their jury service to a later date, the courts website said.

According to the website, an undue hardship includes:

Not having a form of transportation;

Traveling a long distance to attend your court date;

Having a physical or mental impairment;

Providing care for a dependent and not being able to afford to pay for care, or

Jury duty being a financial burden.

If you are not able to appear on the date given to you for jury duty but do not have a valid excuse, the courts website states you can ask to postpone your service.

Read more: Cant miss work? Dont have a car? Here are valid excuses to miss jury duty in California

Can you be paid for jury duty in California?

Though California law does not require employers to pay employees during jury service, some employers have jury-leave policies that provide workers with pay for the time they are at court, according to the courts website.

California law states employers cannot fire an employee who is summoned to serve as a juror and cannot work.

According to the San Bernardino Superior Courts website, trial lengths depend on how long jurors spend in deliberations.

While some trials can last about three to seven days, others can last longer. Jurors can expect to be in court from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

During that time, the state will pay jurors $15 every day starting on the second day of service for those not compensated by their employers.

Read more: Do I get paid for jury duty? Heres what California law requires from your employer

Can you volunteer for jury duty in California?

Under the California Civil Code of Procedures, All persons selected for jury service shall be selected at random, from a source or sources inclusive of a representative cross section of the population of the area served by the court.

In order to satisfy certain constitutional protections to provide parties with a jury of ones peers, Corren said it would be improper to allow an individual to use a substitute to take their place on a jury.

It is not possible to volunteer to serve as a trial juror, Corren said. Jurors are selected randomly as a right and responsibility of citizenship.

However, Corren said eligible individuals can volunteer to serve on a civil grand jury.

According to the California Courts website, California counties allow a group of eligible citizens to take an oath to serve as grand jurors every year to investigate the operations of various local government officers, departments and agencies.

Read more: Can you volunteer for jury duty in California? Can someone take your place? What law says

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.
ST. LOUIS  Authorities recently arrested two Kansas City men in connection with a St. Louis County carjacking case from 2022.

KiJuan Calhoun, 26, and Reginald Hudson, 27, face federal charges for one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Calhoun and Hudson both pleaded not guilty to criminal charges on Monday. A federal indictment accuses both of stealing a 2019 Ford Fusion from a woman on Jan. 12, 2022.

Police: St. Louis store was selling stolen goods from Chesterfield

Court documents allege that the two stole the victims purse, phone, and car keys as she was walking into her apartment complex on Marbella Drive in north St. Louis County. One of the men held a handgun equipped with a drum magazine, then both later took off in the victims car.

Kansas City police found the victims car the next day, then tracked down Hudson in a home with the victims purse.

If convicted, Calhoun and Hudson both face up to 22 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
The owner of nine Kansas City radio stations, including 610 Sports, Talk 980-AM and 98.9 The Rock, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday.

The filing by Audacy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas comes after the Philadelphia-based audio content provider reached a restructuring deal with a supermajority of its debtholders that will reduce most of its $1.9 billion in debt, according to Audacy. The creditors, in turn, would take control of the company.

Jackson County leaders vote to put Royals, Chiefs stadium tax on ballot

Audacy said it does not expect the restructuring to affect operations, and trade and other unsecured creditors will not be impaired. The move had been expected since a report of the prepackaged bankruptcy deal surfaced last week.

The company, formerly known as Entercom Communications Corp., owns more than 200 radio stations across the country. Its holdings in the Kansas City market are: 610 Sports, Talk 980AM, 98.1FM KMBZ, 98.9 The Rock, Alt 96.5, Channel Q, The Bet 1660 AM, 99.7 The Point and 106.5 The Wolf. Audacy has faced sagging advertising revenue and rising debt since its 2017 acquisition of CBS Radio.

Keep reading in the Kansas City Business Journal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.  Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation Monday evening due to winter weather that is currently moving across the state.

According to the governors office, this declaration allows resources to be prepositioned to provide state assistance.

View the latest Weather Alerts in the Kansas City region on FOX4

Snow will continue to fall across the state throughout the night with the heaviest snow expected to impact the western portion of the state around midnight.

Winds will continue to be a factor into Tuesday afternoon with gusts expected to still be around 30 mph in the western third of the state while winds in the eastern two-thirds are expected to be around 40 mph.

Kelly said she is encouraging all Kansans to be cautious as the winter storm moves through.

I-70 now closed from Salina to Colorado, crashes reported

Stay off the roads if possible and be mindful of emergency response personnel working hard to keep our citizens safe, she said.

People are being asked to avoid travel if they can, but if they must travel, be sure to have a full tank of gas and an emergency kit that includes blankets, flashlights, batteries, a cell phone charger, hand-warmers, high-energy food snacks, bottled water, necessary medications, a snow shovel, flares and other emergency supplies.

The entire Kansas City metro is under a Winter Storm Warning until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The current forecast is for 3-7 across the metro, with lower end numbers on the south side and higher end numbers on the north side.

Snow ends Tuesday afternoon but high wind gusts to 40mph will lead to blowing snow and low visibility. Arctic air arrives with more snow chances by the end of the week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
This article was originally published in Kansas Reflector.

TOPEKA  Rep. Kristey Williams and Sen. Renee Erickson agreed there was little value in convening a task force to study the states shortfall in funding public school special education programs because the financial issues were too complex and the only remedy suggested by education advocacy groups was too simplistic.

The lawmakers said it would be folly to hold hearings of the Special Education and Related Services Task Force with legislators, teachers, parents and other stakeholders to gather testimony and shape recommendations on a fix for the 2024 Legislature.

The goal of the task force, required by a bill approved by the 2023 Legislature, was to figure out how best to comply with an older statute mandating that state funding cover 92% of the extra cost of providing services to K-12 special education students statewide. Currently, state aid was sufficient to address 69% of school districts excess special education costs. The balance must be made up by local school districts.

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There is no way a funding task force could begin to crack that code, said Williams, an Augusta Republican.

Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said the Kansas State Board of Education and an assortment of public education organizations had offered one remedy to the 92% dilemma  appropriation of nearly $200 million annually to close the gap.

We do not need a special education task force meeting to consider their position, she said. We have their input, which is just more money. We dont need a task force to convene to discuss that part.

On Friday afternoon, however, Williams and Erickson were expected to sit down with others on the task force for their first and, perhaps, only meeting. The gathering might not have occurred had a six-person majority of task force members not invoked parliamentary procedure in November to force Williams hand. She relented and set the meeting for three days prior to start of the 2024 session.

Task force rebellion

Interim legislative meetings typically take place in summer and fall to give committee members time to write reports pulling together expert testimony and outlining reform proposals for review by lawmakers during the next legislative session.

Williams, who was placed in charge of the task force pending the members election of a chair, said a mere two hours would be dedicated to oral testimony of subject-matter experts and for task force deliberations. She said written testimony would be accepted by the task force comprised of five members of the House or Senate  four Republicans, one Democrat  and six people not in the Legislature.

The list of 13 given a chance to speak for five minutes each to the task force included people with the Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas National Education Association, Kansas PTA, Game On for Kansas Schools as well as the Kansas State Department of Education and the Kansas Policy Institute. School administrators and a teacher will be given a turn at the microphone, but its not clear the task force could comprehensively take input, consider options and prepare recommendations for legislators in 120 minutes.

The first order of business must be to select a chairperson of the task force. Legislators, lobbyists and educators said that step became a flash point several months ago when it appeared Williams lacked votes among task force peers to retain the position of task force chair. In response, special education advocates said, Williams stonewalled and publicly expressed skepticism the task force was worthwhile.

In an interview in October, Louisburg GOP Sen. Molly Baumgardner, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, dismissed that theory. She said the delay wasnt inspired by Williams unwillingness to give up narrative control of the task force.

Anytime youre trying to schedule when were not in session, it is a real juggling match to get folks together, said Baumgardner, who is on the special education task force. Youre trying to satisfy a variety of different schedules so that the largest number of folks can be there and participate and weve had some problems with interim meetings, just scheduling times.

A majority of the task force made multiple requests of Williams to move ahead with the task forces work before deploying a procedural maneuver to compel the meeting. Williams set the meeting for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday in Room 112-North of the Capitol.

Not  going away

Kansas spends more than $500 million annually in federal, state and local funding on special education services in public schools, but hasnt complied with the 92% requirement since 2011. However, the statute didnt include enforcement mechanisms to compel the Legislature to meet the obligation.

The idea of convening a task force was viewed as an alternative to the 2023 Legislature dealing with a situation in which districts had to pull money from the general education budget to fill the special education gap. Instead of allocating $182 million to meet the statewide shortfall in the 2023-2024 school year, the Legislature agreed to increase appropriations for special education by $7.6 million for the year.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, endorsed a plan to add $72 million in 2024 to initiate a five-year plan to surge special education aid to 92%. The state Board of Education preferred a four-year strategy that would infuse $82 million annually to reach that threshold.

Williams and other legislators rejected the phased concepts and endorsed appointment of a task force on special education. She also urged the Legislature to complete a rewrite of the states special education funding blueprint by 2027.

Rep. Adam Thomas, an Olathe Republican on the task force, said he was convinced the Legislature had to rework the states special education formula to correct inconsistencies in distribution of money to districts.

The formula itself is confusing. Theres some flaws in statute, he said. Obviously, we know after all these conversations about special ed, its not something thats going to go away.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Editors note: Welcome back to our series Lets Dish, Kansas City, showcasing some of our favorite restaurant meals. Click here to sign up for our new newsletter. And scroll down to learn how you can participate.

At restaurants, I like to share. What can I say? Im a generous person.

Actually, its because Im cheap. I want to know what everything on the menu tastes like, but I dont want to pay for each dish. This is especially true at places where Im less familiar with the style of cuisine. If Im ordering for myself, and I try something scary that Ive never had before, and its bad, then Im stuck with that stinky order. But if we order several things together, one bad dish wont spoil the meal. I believe this is called spreading the risk.

The beautiful thing about Las Palmas, a Central American restaurant in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, is that first-timers dont have to pick and choose which menu items to try. You can just order the Platillo Tipico  sort of a Central American sampler platter.

The Platillo Tipico at Las Palmas is a variety plate of Central Amercian favorites, including pupusas, a tamal and fried green banana chips, accompanied by house-made sauces and coleslaw.

You get a little bit from all these different countries, said Gisela Ardon, who manages the restaurant with her sister Alba.

That is, more or less, the conceit of Las Palmas, which Ardons parents, Connie Ardon and Alfonso Cruz, opened at 825 Minnesota Ave. in 2007. Connie is from Guatemala and arrived in the U.S. in 1996; Alfonso was raised in Mexico and came here in 2000. The menu includes dishes from both of those countries, as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

A lot of the recipes come from my mom, Gisela Ardon said. Its what she ate growing up.

Alfonso Cruz and Connie Ardon own Las Palmas, while their daughters, Gisela and Alba Ardon (seated), manage it.

With the Platillo Tipico, you get a mountain of food  six distinct dishes  for about $15.

On it, youll find the mighty pupusa, the national dish of El Salvador.

Pupusas are for sure our most popular thing here, Gisela Ardon said.

Theyll stuff whatever you want inside this thick corn tortilla: cheese, beans, pork, jalapenos. (I have always been impressed with the service at Las Palmas. They take my poor Spanish pronunciation in stride, seem genuinely happy to answer my gringo questions about the food, and sometimes even ask me questions about my preferences in order to better customize the order.)

The pastelito is essentially an empanada. It comes with your choice of beef, chicken or potatoes inside. The tortilla is orange. Thats a more Guatemalan style, Ardon said.

Also representing Guatemala is a tamal, which unlike a typical corn tamale is sweet and doesnt have a meat filling. I like a savory-sweet contrast, so I dip it in Las Palmas green sauce, which has a chile serrano base.

The Guatemalan rellenito  plantains stuffed with refried black beans and milk and coated with sugar on the outside  approaches dessert territory. Its like a cinnamon banana or something, I remember croaking between greedy bites to my fellow diners on my first visit.

Rounding out the plate are a few Honduran items: a yuca, a root vegetable fried like a potato, and tajadas de banana, which are fried green banana chips. Theyre kind of like french fries, almost, Ardon said. I dip them in the table tomato sauce, which is thinner and tangier than the salsa you find at most restaurants.

Las Palmas opened at 825 Minnesota Ave., in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2007.

Las Palmas is never so slammed that you cant get in, but its always pretty busy, even at odd hours like 3 in the afternoon. It is sometimes a bit of a party atmosphere. They stock the coolers with a variety of hard-to-find Latin American beers (Club Colombia, Poker, Tona) and are often cranking cumbia music over speakers that pipe out onto the sidewalk.

We started the music during COVID when we were only doing orders to go, Ardon said. Then we just kept it up. It grabs attention.

Advantageously, the restaurant lies within walking distance of the 7th Street Casino and several government buildings: the Wyandotte County Courthouse, the U.S. District Court of Kansas Courthouse, the police station, the Board of Public Utilities.

People come in after they get their tags renewed, or after their court date, Ardon said.

But Las Palmas also gets plenty of customers  some Central American, but some not  from beyond Wyandotte County.

People seem to know about us, Ardon said. We have people coming in from Topeka, Manhattan, Wichita. They stop by when theyre in town. Weve never advertised, but word has spread, I think.

Im happy to spread it a little further. And if that means larger crowds, Ardon and her family are prepared. Theyre planning to expand to the space next door soon.

We want to get a little bigger, Ardon said.

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When precision rockets killed Hamas deputy secretary-general Saleh al-Arouri and several other Hamas operatives in Beirut last week, Hamas lost one of its most important political leaders and operational commanders. Arouri played hands-on roles both as a key interlocutor with Hezbollah and Iran and as an operational commander overseeing Hamas terrorist plots in the West Bank. Indeed, it was Arouri who foreshadowed back in Augusttwo months before the October 7 attackthat Hamas was planning to spark an all-out war with Israel. The Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed thousands of Hamas operatives and destroyed much of the groups infrastructure, and Arouris death is a significant setback for Hamas.

In fact, it was Arouri himself who, many years ago, helped Hamas develop its playbook to help it recover from the death, arrest or deportation of key leaders. A close examination of this playbook reveals that the key to preventing Hamas from fully bouncing back from the loss of Arouri demands concerted action against Hamas support networks abroad.

Hamas experienced a series of setbacks in the years after its founding in December 1987. In 1989, Israeli authorities arrested at least 200 operatives tied to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Then, in December 1992, Israeli authorities rounded up some 415 Palestinian militants affiliated with both groups and deported them to a south Lebanon hilltop called Marj el-Zhour. Taken together, these actions gutted Hamas operational capabilities in the West Bank and Gaza, so the group looked to its supporters abroad for help.

The core of Hamas external support was then located in the United States. Hamas was a new, little-understood organization, and the FBI had not picked up on the groups extensive fundraising activities in the country. Only later would the bureau learn that when Hamas first released its charter, one of its affiliated organizationsthe Islamic Association for Palestinepublished it in Chicago. The January 1993 arrest in Israel of American Muhammad Salah finally brought Hamas activity in the United States to the FBIs attention. It also sparked a series of investigations across the country, including in Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Salah was arrested for providing funds to Hamas operatives in the West Bank specifically to revitalize Hamas terrorist operations in the West Bank. According to U.S. court documents, Salah and others sent hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S. to Hamas in the West Bank. In a 1992 meeting, a Hamas operative told Salah that he had approximately 53 Hamas recruits who were prepared to carry out terrorist attacks, but that funding was needed to assist them. Marzook and other Hamas operatives in the United States provided those funds, and over three months in 1992, Hamas claimed responsibility for eight different terror attacks.

One of the West Bank Hamas operatives who took receipt of these funds was none other than a young Saleh al-Arouri. Salah provided Arouri approximately $96,000 in August 1992, just a few months before Israeli authorities arrested the latter. By that time, however, Arouri had already provided Hamas operative Musa Dudin $45,000 to be used for weapons to conduct attacks. Dudin and other Hamas operatives used these weapons to carry out a long list of Hamas attacks. (Salah and others would be found liable for Hamas terror attacks in a landmark 2004 civil suit against Hamas supporters in the U.S.) That same year, the Department of Justice described Arouri as a high-ranking Hamas leader and named him as an unindicted co-conspirator in a 2004 indictment of three Hamas operatives.

Saleh al-Arouri was a founding member of Hamas Qassam Brigades, starting out as a college campus recruiter at Hebron University. Arrested in 1990, he was released after six months and quickly resumed his Hamas activities, now also sheltering wanted Hamas operatives and funneling funds to Hamas trigger-pullers. By the second time he was arrested, in 1992, the charges included serving in a leadership role in Hamas. In prison, Arouri was elected to the Hamas prison shura council, the leadership body for jailed Hamas operatives.

According to the U.S. government, since Arouri was released from an Israeli prison and deported in 2010, he funded and directed Hamas terrorist operationsincluding the 2014 kidnapping and murder of a teenage American and two other victimsfrom his various perches in Damascus, Doha, Istanbul, and Beirut.

Fast forward to 2023 when, in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre, U.S. authorities quickly ramped up investigations into Hamas activities in the United States. Focused on more pressing threats from the likes of the Islamic State and white supremacists, FBI investigations into Hamas activities had dropped in priority. But then Hamas killed at least 31 Americans on October 7 and took about a dozen more Americans hostage. The FBI launched multiple investigations into individuals affiliated with Hamas for fear that U.S.-based groups may have been raising funds or providing other material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Other authorities opened investigations as well. The Virginia attorney generals office opened an investigation into American Muslims for Palestine (AMP, also known as AJP Educational Foundation Inc.) for potential violations of Virginias charitable solicitation laws.

As Hamas seeks to recover from its battlefield defeat in Gaza and the loss of key leaders like Arouri, it will turn to its external supporters for help. Back in 1992, Hamas had just a few core supporters within the Palestinian diaspora. Today, it enjoys various degrees of support from Iran, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as diaspora donors around the world, including in the West. The Hamas playbook relies on such support in times of crisis, which is why it is so important for the international community to work collectively to disrupt Hamas external channels of support. To this end, the formation of the Counter Terrorist Financing Taskforce  Israel (CTFTI) in the wake of Hamas October 7 attacks is a step in the right direction. The task force is made up of financial intelligence units from countries such as France, Germany, the U.K., Australia and smaller European countries that seek to strengthen efforts to disrupt the flow of funds to Hamas and other terrorist groups.

And such information is already yielding dividends. Israeli authorities shared documents with their German counterparts, for example, exposing Qatari bank accounts opened under the names of Hamas operatives. Among the account-holders was Musa Dudin, Arouris partner-in-crime back in 1992. Another was Ahlam al-Tamimi, a convicted Hamas terrorist living openly in Jordan. Both played roles in attacks that killed Americans. It is unclear if the accounts remain active even after being publicly disclosed.

Hamas is under tremendous stress today. Disrupting Hamas playbook for recovering from such setbacks will come down in large part to preventing the groups external support networks from being able to come to its rescue.

Read more of our coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Ginger, a red-tailed hawk who is around 24 years old, at the Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky 25th anniversary open house Saturday afternoon. The non-profit organization started in 1990, nursing injured hawks, vultures, owls and falcons. By Matt Stone, The C-J May 16, 2015Hagatha, a great horned owl, stares from under a tent while perched at the Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky 25th anniversary open house Saturday afternoon. The non-profit organization started in 1990, nursing injured hawks, vultures, owls and falcons.

The Courier Journal reported that Kentucky lawmaker, Sen. Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro, seeks to remove penalties for the killing or capture of two protected species of hawks and Kentuckians have thoughts. Here are a few of the letters to the editor we have received thus far.

How about culling the hawks in state government?

I would suggest a serious culling of the hawks in state government. We have hawks all over our urban neighborhood and they have yet to assault a cat or other pet. How about some decent legislation for animal shelters and funding for the same? Just a pitiful display of ignorance.

Debra Harlan, 40205

What do you think about proposed laws? Submit you letter to the editor here.

A law to kill hawks is just stupidity

Killing all hawks because one got his cat which was a normal response of the hawk is just another example of the stupidity of our legislators. Why can't we elect decent people to make our laws? I vote but it seems that only the ignorant get elected. Then rather than passing of laws to help their constituents, they pass laws that cater to their own and other entities of power. It only isn't state but also federal legislators.

John Y Barbee, 40008

Hawk killing is absolutely outrageous

Absolutely outrageous and small minded to remove legal penalties for killing two iconic hawks as proposed by a traumatized legislator.

Steve Rogers, 40205

Really dumb legislation

People complain about rodents and then kill the hawks and owls that eat them. This is really dumb legislation and I hope the federal government stops his action. More of the same anti environmental nonsense.

Cathryn R Brown, 40205

Don't blame the hawks

Leave the Hawks alone In Kentucky please and keep them protected from being killed! They are a beautiful creature and are a big plus to our environment! I have a small dog that Im sure could be attacked! If so Id consider it my fault for not making the effort to keep it from happening! Dont blame it on the Hawks!

Eugene Collins, 41046

Worst kind of legislating

The silly proposal to allow Kentuckians to kill hawks is an excellent example of the worst kind of legislating: Consult no one who might have a clue on the subject, dismiss expert opinion with a personal story, and claim you're doing it all in the name of fighting government overreach.

Ben Yandell, 40243

Where is the research?

Senate Bill 59. This is a sentiment bill not a thoughtful piece of legislation: there should be no change in laws respecting wildlife without environmental study. Many of the examples the Senator cites are human intrusions in the environment: pet cats should be spayed/neutered and kept inside. Bird feeders spread disease among feeding populations and change natural behaviors or diet; song-bird lovers should explore other methods of convenient bird-watching. Chicken enclosures must be consistently upgraded to reflect any environmental threat. And human hunters have competitionit's a wild world out there and it should be. Again, these hawks are keystone species in some Kentucky environmental niches: is there research?

Susan Bentley, 40204

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky law to permit killing red tail and cooper's hawks is ignorant
A statement from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday revealed after days of uncertainty that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been treated at the hospital in December for prostate cancer and later readmitted due to complications.

The revelation came days after the Pentagon announced that Austin had been in the hospital since New Years Day  a surprise announcement late Friday that shocked both the Pentagon press corps and the national security establishment.

CNNs reporting, the statement provided by doctors at Walter Reed and further disclosures from the Pentagon have shed some light on the circumstances around the secretarys hospitalization  and why it took so long for senior officials to be informed.

The timeline

On December 22, Austin underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer that been discovered in early December, according to a Tuesday statement from Dr. John Maddox, trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center Director, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Austin was under general anesthesia during this procedure and he recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning, according to the statement. The doctors said that Austins prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent.

It was previously unclear whether Austin had been under anesthesia during the procedure or what he was being treated for. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said over the weekend that Austin went into the hospital for an elective procedure on December 22 when he was on leave, went home the following day and continued to work from home through the holidays. The secretary, Ryder said, began experiencing severe pain and was transported from his home to Walter Reed by an ambulance on January 1, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

According to the doctors statement, Austin was readmitted to the hospital on January 1 with complications from the procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain, and was found to have a urinary tract infection.

The next day, according to the statement, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care. Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines. A tube was placed through Austins nose to drain his stomach, and the abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement.

On January 2, according to Ryder, Austin delegated some authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on the basis of medical advice. The same day, Austins chief of staff Kelly Magsamen, senior military assistant Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown were notified of Austins hospitalization.

On January 4, Magsamen informed Hicks and national security adviser Jake Sullivan of Austins hospitalization. The same day, Magsamen and Hicks began drafting a public statement and congressional notifications.

It took roughly a day to release those notifications and a statement, Ryder said, because they were working to ensure they had the facts, to make sure it was coordinated. Ultimately, the statement was released at roughly 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and Austin was not among those who signed off on it. Congress was notified shortly before.

Austins condition

According to the Walter Reed doctors, Austin has progressed steadily throughout his stay.

His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process, they said. During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia, they said in the Tuesday statement.

Austin has resumed his duties.

White House was not informed

Ryder, in response to a question from CNN on Monday, said the Pentagon did not inform the White House that Austin was having the procedure.

The Pentagon spokesman was also unable to say at that time whether Austin had been unconscious at any time between his arrival at Walter Reed on January 1 and his delegation of authorities to Hicks. But he emphasized that at no time was national security in jeopardy, and that as he understood it, Austin was capable of executing his duties as the Secretary of Defense.

Among those who knew of Austins trip to the hospital were his personal security detail, who accompanied him to the hospital, and a junior military aid who met with him at Walter Reed on January 2.

[T]here was positive contact in terms of the Secretarys location at all times, Ryder said.

For days, other Pentagon officials and senior members of the Biden administration  including President Joe Biden  did not know that the defense secretary was in the hospital. The president did not learn of Austins prostate cancer diagnosis under Tuesday morning.

Among those in the dark about the hospitalization was Hicks, to whom Austin transferred some of his authorities on January 2.

Ryder said Monday that January 1 was not the first time Hicks had taken over some of Austins duties due to him being in the hospital; she was also not told after he transferred some authorities to her during his elective procedure on December 22. The White House was not told about that procedure, either.

No notification was made to Hicks, Biden, the National Security Council, or the military service secretaries until days later.

The cause for delay in notification following the January 1 hospitalization, Ryder said, was that Magsamen was ill with the flu. It remains unclear why Magsamen did not delegate the responsibility to notify the White House or Congress, or why others in Austins immediate circle who knew of his condition did not send the notification. It also remains unclear why no one informed the White House of Austins surgery on December 22.

So I will say upfront  the secretary has taken responsibility in terms of the overall transparency concerns, Ryder said. And again, you know, I work every day with Chief Magsamen, and youre not going to meet anybody that works harder than her. And she was ill with the flu. And so, not standing up here to make excuses other than the explanation for why there was a delay and the fact that we know we can do better.

In terms of Magsamens failure to notify the proper officials, Ryder said one thing under review is essentially taking the human out of the loop to ensure a more consistent process.

Asked whether Austin was out of the loop  since the secretary had been in the hospital for days before Biden or the national security adviser knew and it appeared to go unnoticed  Ryder said that Austin works incredibly hard every single day to make sure this nation is safe.

He had a complication due to a surgery, went into the hospital to get it taken care of, and he remains very, very focused on making sure that the department has what it needs and what it needs to do to defend the country, he said. So you know, again, not making excuses here, but having worked with him for a very long time, and having observed him up close, hes not out of the loop. He is incredibly engaged. You will never meet a more dedicated public servant.

30-day review of Pentagons processes and procedures

In a memo Monday, Magsamen directed a 30-day review of the Pentagons processes and procedures for notifying senior national security leaders and the White House when the secretary needs to transfer his authorities to the deputy secretary of defense.

The memo, which appears to be the first public memo from Magsamen, reflects the Pentagons understanding that the notification process surrounding Austins hospitalization was lacking.

Magsamen has directed the departments director of administration and management, together with the Defense Departments general counsel, to immediately lead a review to identify the relevant facts and circumstances during this period and evaluate the processes and procedures through which the Deputy Secretary of Defense was notified that she would be given Austins responsibilities.

The purpose of such review is to better understand the facts surrounding these events and to recommend appropriate processes going forward. This review will help to ensure (1) clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred, and (2) that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public, the memo states.

The memo makes no mention of Austins earlier hospitalization on December 22 for the elective medical procedure. The review, the memo states, should include a timeline of events from January 1, 2024  not the earlier medical procedure that precipitated Austins subsequent admission to the hospital.

While the review is ongoing, Magsamen mandated that any time a transfer of authority occurs from Austin to Hicks, the Pentagon will ensure relevant parties are notified by email, including the general counsel, the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, the service secretaries, the Service Chiefs of Staff, the White House Situation Room, and the senior staff of the secretary and deputy secretary of defense. The email will also include the reason the transfer of authorities is necessary, Magsamen wrote.

Biden standing by Austin

Despite the mounting questions about why Austin and his staff failed to notify the White House, Congress, and the National Security Council, officials have insisted that Biden is standing by Austin.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that there are no plans or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that hes been demonstrating.

In a press gaggle on Monday from the Pentagon, Ryder said Austin has not offered to resign, nor has his chief of staff or anyone else who was in a position to notify the president of Austins condition. He remains in the hospital, though he is no longer in intensive care, Ryder said.

Asked why the Pentagon did not inform the White House about Austins initial procedure at Walter Reed on December 22, Ryder said he did not know, but that the Pentagon is now reviewing their notification procedures and considering the impact of statutory reporting requirements.

[B]ottom line is we know we can do better, and we will do better, Ryder said.

Political reaction

As the Pentagon attempts to mitigate the fallout of the news with the White House standing behind Austin, lawmakers are demanding accountability and more answers.

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers on Tuesday said his panel had launched a formal inquiry into the secretarys hospitalization and had sent letters to Austin, Hicks and Magsamen requesting information and documents related to it, the circumstances surrounding it, and why Pentagon officials did not communicate his condition to the White House, Congress or the public.

My colleagues and I have grave concerns about the handling of your absence and hospitalization. It is unacceptable that neither the Department of Defense (Department), the White House, nor the Congress were accurately informed of your position or capacity. With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable, Rogers wrote in his letter to Austin.

On Monday, Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed wished Austin a speedy and complete recovery, but added in a statement that he was concerned that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed.

He is taking responsibility for the situation, but this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department, Reed said. This lack of disclosure must never happen again.

The ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, also wished Austin a speedy recovery over the weekend but lambasted the Pentagon for deliberately withholding Austins medical condition for days.

That is unacceptable, he said. We are learning more every hour about the Departments shocking defiance of the law.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa told reporters, Its absolutely unacceptable, when weve got Houthis attacking Americans and carrier ships, when we have the Israeli/Gaza war going on, what we have in Ukraine going on, and we have a secretary of defense thats just absent.

Sen. Joe Manchin said that Austins actions were very disturbing, and that he supports some sort of hearing  public or private  to examine what happened. Congress needs answers, the West Virginia Democrat said.

While most senators have expressed shock, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said she didnt see a need for any further investigation into this situation. Some Republicans want to play politics 24/7, she said, adding that she has no interest in what caused his hospitalization.

I hope that the Secretary recovers fully and speedily and is back at work at 100%, as soon as possible. He has taken full responsibility for this. And Im quite certain it will never happen again, she said.

On Tuesday, Wicker expressed further concerns following the announcement Austin has prostate cancer.

I am glad Secretary Austins prognosis is good and he is expected to make a full recovery, but the underlying questions remain. The Secretarys condition is severe. The failure to notify Congress of his inability to perform his duties was a clear violation of the law, he said. It remains unclear who decided to ignore federal law but there must be accountability. An internal review  ordered by the same Chief of Staff who played a part in this crisis  is woefully inadequate.

Austin said in a statement on Saturday that he takes full responsibility for his decisions about disclosure and commits to doing better.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNNs Piper Hudspeth Blackburn Kevin Liptak, Manu Raju, Haley Talbot, Morgan Rimmer and Melanie Zanona contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
COLOMBO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua)-- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal to establish an embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan and to reopen missions in Cyprus, Iraq, and Frankfort, Germany, the government information department said on Tuesday.

The department, in its statement listing out the decisions taken by the cabinet, said it is desirable to establish a Sri Lankan embassy in Kazakhstan to further develop the existing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry submitted the cabinet paper at the meeting held on Monday.

The department said a great opportunity has been created for Sri Lanka to connect with the Central Asian region due to the establishment of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan, of which Sri Lanka is a member.

As there is a significant increase in tourist arrivals from Kazakhstan to Sri Lanka, the establishment of a Sri Lankan embassy in Astana will help further promote tourism and cultural cooperation between the two countries, according to the department.

Besides, the cabinet also approved the reopening of the Consulate General's Office in Cyprus, the embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and the Consulate General's Office in Frankfort, Germany. 
Pressure is mounting for Haley and DeSantis to pull off a strong showing in Iowa. The rivals are set to face off Wednesday in the first debate  hosted by CNN  that is not sanctioned by the Republican National Committee. Heres what you need to know ahead of CNNs debate in Iowa. Who will be on stage: Haley, DeSantis, and former President Trump were the only GOP candidates to qualify for the debate stage under CNNs higher requirements. Trump is skipping Wednesdays debate  declining to attend every presidential debate, so far  and will instead appear at a town hall hosted by Fox News in Iowa. That leaves Haley and DeSantis to take each other on. To qualify for the debate, contenders needed to poll at a minimum of 10 percent in three national or Iowa polls, including one approved CNN poll of likely Iowa GOP caucus voters. Those qualifications knocked out former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. How to watch: The network is scheduled to hold two presidential primary debates this month, with the first kicking off tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET in Des Moines, Iowa. Both debates will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol and CNN Max. CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper will be moderating Wednesdays debate. Where Haley and DeSantis stand ahead of Iowa: DeSantis has focused much of his campaign on the Hawkeye State, where he leads Haley with 17.5 percent support, according to polling Decision Desk HQ and The Hill. But Haley is narrowing the gap against the Florida governor, coming in at 16.9 percent in the latest poll. Trump still towers over his opponents with 52.3 percent support, but Haley and DeSantis are eyeing Iowa as their first opportunity to solidify their place as the top alternative to Trump in the race. Haley has had a few stumbles lately, including her comments about the Civil War and her attempts to address the remarks. The former U.N ambassador has also faced criticism after suggesting that New Hampshire voters would correct Iowa in the primary. As The Hills Julia Manchester notes this morning, while Haley is looking to outperform in the Hawkeye State, the real test is likely to take place in New Hampshire and South Carolina. If [Trump] does not break 50 percent, thats going to be significant, and where Nikki comes in and how close is going to be critical, New Hampshire-based GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett told Julia. Trumps Fox News town hall: Meanwhile, Trump is set to participate in a town hall with Fox News at the same time as CNNs debate. Fox News scheduled town halls for Haley on Monday, DeSantis on Tuesday and caps it off with one on Wednesday with the former president. Trump has snubbed every GOP debate and held competing events at the same time, depriving his rivals of a key opportunity to go after the former president on the same stage. The dueling events have often created a split screen for voters, curbing viewership around the primary debates as a result. Yet, as The Hills Brett Samuels noted, that doesnt mean that Trumps campaign is ignoring Haley as shes grown momentum in New Hampshire. Both he and DeSantis have turned their firepower on the former U.N. ambassador, with Trumps campaign slamming her as a globalist and deriding her as Birdbrain while DeSantiss campaign has sought to seize on her comments over the Civil War and the idea that New Hampshire would correct Iowa. I dont see any world where we still need oxygen that Nikki Haley is asked to be the vice president, Sean Spicer, a former Trump White House press secretary, told Brett. I dont think she wants it, I dont think he wants her, and I think theres a lot of other options that make a lot more sense. I think the reason they are doing what they are doing is  this all comes down to his margin of victory, Spicer noted to Brett. If Trump can win decisively in Iowa and New Hampshire, I think, for all intents and purposes, the race is over.
In early January, an expose published in Business Insider alleged that Neri Oxman, a designer and former MIT professor, had plagiarized parts of her doctoral dissertation, after her husband, Bill Ackman, led a campaign to oust former Harvard President Claudine Gay amid similar claims of repeating other peoples' work without attribution. A follow-up story published in the same outlet the next day reported to have found 28 more instances of plagiarism of various forms in other papers Oxman published.

Social media posts compared the two cases.

Proving my original point, the right wing attack dogs behind Claudine Gay's ouster are now circling the wagons to defend Neri Oxman (a tenured prof at MIT) for precisely the same infraction. Because they are fundamentally dishonest and entirely malicious in their intent. https://t.co/KL409LaQb1 pic.twitter.com/RAZqpPkiKX  Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) January 5, 2024

The accusations against Oxman are notable for two reasons:

First, she is an influential figure in the worlds of science and design. Her unique, scientific creations have connected her with celebrities like Brad Pitt and Bjork, led to profiles in outlets like The New York Times and exhibitions in museums such as New York City's Museum of Modern Art.

Second, her husband, Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager and Harvard alum (and prominent donor), was a leading force in a campaign to remove Gay from her leadership position amid claims that she had plagiarized paragraphs in her academic writings.

Plagiarism is a word that means different things to different people. To a layperson, it might just be used as a synonym for copying someone's work without giving credit. While that is indeed an example of plagiarism, a deeper debate exists in academia about what actually counts as plagiarism. Universities rely on committees that review plagiarism allegations on a case-by-case basis before deciding on punishments. However, when a plagiarism accusation becomes newsworthy, a public shaming campaign can overshadow the academic allegations.

To understand the plagiarism claims against Oxman, we took a look at the similar claims against Gay, which followed controversy over Gay's remarks during a congressional hearing about antisemitism at American universities.

Claudine Gay

The plagiarism allegations against Gay surfaced in December 2023 when Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist who helped popularize a right-wing campaign against "critical race theory" in education, published findings of supposed plagiarism in Gay's doctoral thesis. This claim of plagiarism is a more subtle form than the "copying" that many people think of  Gay did cite the sources she took the material from. However, because she used the text verbatim from those articles, she should have included quotation marks around those passages in addition to listing her original source.

In the days before Rufo's article posted, some people had already been calling for Gay's resignation due to some of her testimony at a congressional hearing about campus activism and speech. We explain her comments in detail below.

First, some context about what was happening on campus in light of the Israel-Hamas war: On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the surprise attacks launched by Hamas militants against Israel, a group of student organizations at Harvard signed a letter that blamed Israel for the attacks.

According to a post on Bill Ackman's X account, this letter prompted his concern over antisemitism on Harvard's campus. A prominent supporter of Israel, Ackman and other CEOs called for the names of Harvard students who signed the Oct. 8 letter to be released publicly so that they could be "blacklisted" from employment opportunities at those companies, according to CNN.

Flash forward a few weeks. On Dec. 5, Gay, alongside then-University of Pennsylvania President M. Elizabeth Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, testified in a congressional hearing about antisemitism in higher education.

At the hearing, a line of questioning from Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York landed Gay in what The New York Times called "somewhat of a prosecutorial trap."

"And Dr. Gay, at Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard's rules of bullying and harassment, yes or no?" Stefanik asked.

"It can be, depending on the context," Gay replied.

Stefanik called for Gay to resign later in the hearing.

The three presidents were criticized by figures like Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish non-profit whose goal is to target antisemitism, for their remarks. Magill announced her resignation on Dec. 9, just four days later.

It took a bit longer for Gay, the first female Black president of Harvard, to make the same decision. After Rufo's plagiarism allegations became public, the university launched an inquiry into them. According to an article in the Harvard Crimson, Harvard's student newspaper, the inquiry was requested by Gay herself, and while there were a "few instances of inadequate citation," the mishaps did not meet "Harvards standards for research misconduct." The article also mentions that many of the academics Gay supposedly plagiarized did not think she had done anything wrong.

The public backlash continued regardless, and Gay resigned on Jan. 2. That made her the university's shortest-tenured president, although she still kept her professorship at the university.

According to an article by Politico published after Gay's resignation, Rufo explained that the campaign to force Gay to resign was highly coordinated and organized, and that he planned to smuggle [the plagiarism story] into the media apparatus from the left, which legitimizes the narrative to center-left actors who have the power to topple [Gay].

Both Ackman and Stefanik celebrated Gay's resignation on X. Ackman tweeted she should lose not just the presidency, but her teaching job.

In an editorial1 published in The New York Times after her resignation, Gay wrote the following: "When I learned of these errors, I promptly requested corrections from the journals in which the flagged articles were published, consistent with how I have seen similar faculty cases handled at Harvard."

Articles in the Harvard Crimson confirmed that statement.

Neri Oxman

With that context, we can now turn back to Oxman. According to an expose published in Business Insider on Jan 4, work by Oxman exhibited a pattern of plagiarism similar to that of which Gay was accused. The article claimed that, in Oxman's doctoral dissertation at MIT, she lifted passages from various sources without adequate citation. In these accusations, much like those against Gay, Oxman did often mention the source of the material, but neglected to add quotation marks around paragraphs she used verbatim. That is a violation of MIT's academic integrity handbook, which reads:

If you use the words, ideas, or phrasing of another person or from published material, you must If you use charts, graphs, data sets, or numerical information obtained from another person or from published material, you must also cite the source. You must always acknowledge your sources by citing them. In this way, you have the right to use anothers creative output by giving that person credit for the work s/he has done.

After the Business Insider article was published, Oxman apologized for the errors discovered by Business Insider in a post on her X account. "I regret and apologize for these errors," she wrote.

Oxman said in her post that Business Insider emailed her the morning of Jan. 4, and gave her a deadline of 4 p.m. the same day to review the citations and sources. However, some of those sources were not readily accessible within the tight deadline. "When I obtain access to the original sources, I will check all of the above citations and request that MIT make any necessary corrections," she wrote.

Ackman tweeted after the Business Insider article was published, defending his wife. "Part of what makes her human is that she makes mistakes, owns them, and apologizes when appropriate."

Snopes reached out to Oxman and to Ackman for comment but had not heard back, as of this writing. In a CNN article, a representative said that neither had any comment beyond their posts on X. We reached out to MIT for comment, as well.

In the CNN article, the outlet said it could not independently verify the accusations of plagiarism made against Oxman. The similarities between the two cases were interesting, however, as neither of the accusations were cut-and-dried plagiarism: MIT had not announced (as of this writing) whether it would open an investigation into Oxman, and Harvard's investigation found that Gay did not violate the university's standards.

Then, a Jan. 5 follow-up article in Business Insider expanded the accusations against Oxman. In that story, the publication claimed it found 28 different instances of plagiarism in various papers published by Oxman, including "more than a dozen" instances in which she had allegedly copied paragraphs from Wikipedia without any attribution, a more cut-and-dry example of plagiarism.

At this point, Ackman, acting as Oxman's de facto spokesperson, became the main character of the story, continuing to defend his wife against plagiarism allegations while attacking MIT, Business Insider and those suggesting he was being hypocritical.

Who Is Bill Ackman?

As previously stated, Ackman is a Harvard alum and donor, and according to the same Politico article in which Rufo was interviewed, a large part of why Gay resigned from Harvard. Of the three university presidents who testified in front of Congress on Dec. 5, 2023, two have resigned as of this writing  Gay and Penn's Magill. Only one remains: Sally Kornbluth at MIT, where Oxman completed her dissertation and taught as a professor.

In a tweet posted about an hour before the Jan. 5 article was published, Ackman defended his wife, claiming that Business Insider had not given her enough time to review any of the citations from either the first or the (then-forthcoming) second article. Then he went on the offensive:

"We will begin with a review of the work of all current @MIT faculty members, President Kornbluth, other officers of the Corporation, and its board members for plagiarism," he wrote in the tweet.

More comments from Ackman followed, announcing that he would also be examining Business Insider's reporting for plagiarism as well, then tweeting, "We have new information that strongly suggests that the Business Insider source(s) is at @MIT." He did not name that source.

In another tweet, Ackman spoke of the events as if they were hypothetical, repeating the claim that the outlet had not given "Jane Doe" enough time to review the citations. Oxman's only public comment on the matter since Jan. 4 was a repost of that tweet, commenting, "I am Jane Doe. John Doe is my husband."

A third Ackman tweet called John Cook, an executive editor at Business Insider who oversees investigative stories, a "known anti-Zionist," adding that Oxman was Israeli and insinuating that Cook was willing to publish the plagiarism stories because of that.

The storm of tweets seemed to get the attention of the German media conglomerate that owns Business Insider, Axel Springer. According to a Jan. 8 article in The Washington Post, Axel Springer released a statement internally announcing it would review the "motivation and process leading up to the reporting," while acknowledging that the stories had not been challenged for their factual accuracy. The Washington Post story mentioned that Business Insider's global editor-in-chief, Nicholas Carlson, had sent an internal email standing behind the stories.

"I made the call to publish both these stories," he wrote.

Sources:

Despite Support From Corporation, Harvard President Gay Under Fire Over Plagiarism Allegations | News | The Harvard Crimson. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/12/12/allegations-plagiarism-gay-dissertation/. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024.

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At least 21 people were injured in an explosion and fire at the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth on Monday afternoon. Heres what we know so far about the injured, damages and ongoing investigation.

What caused the explosion?

A Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson said at news conference Monday evening that this was some type of gas explosion but the exact cause remains under investigation. The fire departments arson unit, the ATF, the FBI, and technicians with gas company Atmos Energy were among the agencies investigating.

There was a strong smell of natural gas, but it was initially unknown whether the gas leak was the cause or happened as a result of the explosion, according to the fire department.

Construction was going on in the hotel building, but investigators havent yet determined if that was related to the explosion.

Gas has been isolated to the affected area, and we will continue to assist the Fort Worth Fire and Police Departments and all officials in support of their investigation, an Atmos spokesperson said Monday.

How many people were hurt?

No one was killed in the explosion. As of about 6 p.m. Monday, authorities had accounted for 21 injured people, some of whom were trapped in the building and rescued by firefighters, including from the restaurant in the basement.

Of those injured people, 14 were transported by ambulance to hospitals and one person self-transported to a hospital. One person was in critical condition, four in serious condition and the rest had minor injuries, authorities said.

How much damage is there?

The explosion blew out windows on the first and second floors of the 20-story hotel, located in the historic Waggoner Building at 810 Houston St., sending debris into the streets. There was also a fire, which firefighters had extinguished by Monday evening.

Authorities are assessing the structural integrity of the 102-year-old building.

Debris was scattered hundreds of feet around the front of the building and out the back toward Throckmorton Street. The fire department shut down streets and buildings in a two-block radius.

The Sandman Signature Hotel opened less than a year ago and includes a basement level restaurant.

An aerial look at where a powerful explosion damaged the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth on Monday, Jan. 8, 2023.

The explosion appeared to be in the kitchen of Musume restaurant, according to Jose Mira, 49, of Dallas, who works there. Mira was covered in dust and had a cut on his arm. He said he had to climb out of the rubble.

Everything fell, the walls, the floor, everything, he said. Its a miracle Im alive.

A representative of the restaurant said that no construction was going on there. The Asian fusion restaurant, which opened last summer, was closed at the time of the explosion and normally opens at 5 p.m. for dinner.

Musumes co-founder Josh Babb, said in a statement, All of us at Musume are devastated by the tragic explosion that took place this afternoon at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which is the home of our restaurant. Luckily, Musume was closed during the time of the explosion, so we had no customers dining and limited employees working. Three Musume employees were injured, but are being treated in the hospital and in stable condition.

Asked whether anyone at the restaurant smelled gas before the explosion, its co-founder wrote in an email: No, not that we know of, at least at this point.

Babb wrote that he is not sure of the extent of the damage to the restaurant. We have not been allowed to go inside or survey damage incurred as the building and site are under investigation.
Firefighter extinguishes remains of an unidentified missile, which Ukrainian authorities claimed to be made in North Korea, at a site of a Russian strike in Kharkiv

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin declined on Tuesday to comment on U.S. and Ukrainian assertions that Moscow had fired North Korean missiles at Ukrainian targets, but it also accused Kyiv of using missiles produced by Western nations to strike targets in Russia.

Last week the White House said Russia had used short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) sourced from North Korea to conduct multiple strikes against Ukraine, citing newly declassified intelligence. A senior Ukrainian official later corroborated the assertion.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have drawn closer since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, though they deny making any arms deals. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Far East region last September and senior Russian officials have made several visits to Pyongyang.

Asked about the U.S. and Ukrainian accusations during a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "No comment."

Peskov added that Ukraine had repeatedly struck civilian targets inside Russia using missiles produced by "Germany, France, Italy, the United States, and other countries".

Ukraine struck the Russian border city of Belgorod on Dec. 30, killing more than 20 people including two children and injuring 111, Russian media reported.

The Belgorod region, which adjoins northern Ukraine, has like other Russian border zones suffered shelling and drone attacks all year that authorities have blamed on Ukraine, although none had previously been on such a scale.

Moscow, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, with the stated aim of "demilitarising" and "denazifying" the country, has said Western nations including the United States bear responsibility for the consequences of supplying weapons to Kyiv.

(Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)
Occupants are trying to increase their influence in Kherson region

Russia has dispatched Federal Security Service (FSB) agents to temporarily occupied areas of Kherson Oblast to search for Ukrainian partisans, Ukraines National Resistance Center reported on Jan. 7.

The report indicates that Russian forces are trying to strengthen their influence in Kherson Oblast by sending so-called "ideologists" there.

Read also: Foreign Ministry condemns Kremlin decree granting Russian citizenship to abducted Ukrainian children

Since control over this region is key to ensuring logistics on the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula, the Kremlin sent another batch of FSB employees there, the NRC said.

The center noted that Russias goal with this move is likely to intensify the searches of residents' homes. The occupation authorities will pay special attention to checking personal documents, particularly of those citizens who, in their opinion, do not support Russian policy and the Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine.

Read also: Russia sends new FSB agents to beef up repression and passportization in occupied Kherson Oblast

The occupiers also try to force Ukrainian citizens to apply for Russian passports, according to the statement.

Read also: SBU detains collaborator responsible for targeting strikes on Kyiv university

The NRC added that the activity of the Ukrainian underground in the region is "very strong," so the Russians aim to identify local resistance members.

Also, FSB employees provide additional security for collaborators in management bodies and persons involved in the organization and conduct of the election process in occupied territories, the message said.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
SINGAPORE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat Tuesday called on young scientists to venture beyond academia and deliver more impact by solving real-world problems.

Heng made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) held in the city-state.

Noting that nurturing scientific talent requires long-sighted and patient funding, Heng said Singapore set aside 25 billion Singapore dollars (18.8 billion U.S. dollars) for research and innovation between 2021 and 2025, including 6 billion Singapore dollars (4.5 billion U.S. dollars) for basic research in health, urban sustainability, digitalization, among other areas.

He also encouraged young talents to make new connections with their peers in the week-long event to support each other toward breakthroughs.

Organized by Singapore's National Research Foundation, the GYSS 2024 attracts about 350 young scientists worldwide. The annual event started in 2013. 
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Clark County judge set bail at $750,000 Tuesday for the former gang member and suspect in the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur.

Duane Keffe D Davis, 60, who was indicted for murder by a grand jury, was arrested in September and has remained in the Clark County Detention Center since then. The public defenders representing him filed paperwork in December asking the judge to release him on bail.

Tupac Shakur murder: Las Vegas prosecutors point to jail call as Keffe D asks for release

The public defenders wrote in documents that Davis wasnt a danger to the community or a flight risk and shouldnt be denied bail. His lawyers say statements Davis made about Shakurs murder were for entertainment purposes.

Never-before-seen photos, videos released in Tupac Shakur murder case

Over the years since the killing in Las Vegas, Davis has done interviews and written a book and said he was in the car with the person who shot Shakur in Sept. 1996. Las Vegas Metropolitan police and prosecutors say the shooting stemmed from a gang fight between Shakurs group and Davis nephew, Orlando Anderson. The shooting happened later in the evening when both parties were in separate vehicles near the Las Vegas Strip.

Anderson and the other two people who were in the vehicle with Davis are no longer alive.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against a Las Vegas man accused of killing his grandmother, her boyfriend and a maintenance worker last summer.

Spencer McDonald, 30, faces murder charges in the deaths of Dina Vail, 80; Andrew Graden, 43; and Chris Brassard, 45, on June 27, 2023, at the Rancho De Montana Apartments on Flamingo Road near Durango Drive.

Brassard was one of two maintenance workers who went to Vails apartment to check on her after a friend said that he could not reach her for several days. A second maintenance worker survived after McDonald attacked him with a knife, investigators said.

An article from The Washington Post profiled a family, with a son named Spencer, who was battling his schizophrenia diagnosis in 2013. Photos from that article match the face of McDonalds previous court appearances, along with his corresponding age.

The Washington Post, additionally, reported his grandmother moved in with him after his diagnosis two years prior to the 2013 article. She was then listed at 70 years old. Ten years later, Metro Police described the female victim found dead inside the Spring Valley apartment as 80 years old.

Last summer, a grand jury indicted McDonald on two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, one count of murder with the use of a deadly weapon of a victim age 60 or older, and one count of attempted murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

McDonald told police that he entered Vails bedroom with a cosplay sword and a large kitchen knife during the early morning hours and attacked her, according to the testimony.

McDonald said that he waited for Graden to return home and then attacked and killed him, according to police. McDonald also described continuing his weekend activities like going to the gym and getting coffee while the bodies remained in the apartment, police said.

In court Tuesday, Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny indicated McDonalds attorney and prosecutors had not come to a plea agreement. A jury trial was scheduled for March 2025.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LUSAKA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Tuesday appealed for support in its response to the cholera outbreak as cases of the waterborne disease continue to surge.

Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said the sharp rise in cholera cases has put a strain on government resources hence the need for support from other stakeholders.

In remarks delivered when she received various items from Trade Kings Foundation, a charity of Trade Kings, a local firm, and the Muslim Social and Welfare Trust, Masebo said the government requires financial and material support to ensure success in the cholera response.

She commended the two organizations for the donation, saying the donations would go a long way in helping the response to the cholera.

The country has now recorded a cumulative 7,004 cases since the waterborne disease broke out in October last year and 273 deaths following 736 new cases and 25 deaths, respectively, in the past 24 hours, according to a daily update from the Ministry of Health.

A total of 639 people were discharged during the same period, bringing the total discharges to 5,426 while 1,305 people were admitted to various treatment centers.

The disease has so far spread to 45 districts in eight of the country's 10 provinces. 
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A man now faces open murder and arson charges after an elderly woman was killed in a mobile home fire in Logandale Monday.

According to police, on Jan. 8 at around 1:45 a.m., firefighters with the Moapa Valley Fire Department arrived at a mobile home in the 900 block of Lison Avenue in Logandale, Nevada after receiving a call that two people were trapped inside.

When crews arrived, the mobile home was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters responded and began fire suppression measures before entering the home and finding the woman inside her shower.

Police said the woman was unresponsive and life-saving measures were performed, but medical personnel declared her dead on the scene.

Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived and determined the cause of the fire to be suspicious.

Police detained 31-year-old Clifton Hall at the scene. During the investigation, detectives learned Hall intentionally started the fire knowing the victim was inside.

Clifton Hall, 31, faces several charges, including open murder and arson after a woman was killed in a Logandale fire. (LVMPD)

LVMPD officers arrested Hall and booked him into the Clark County Detention Center for open murder, arson in the first degree, and abuse of an older/vulnerable person with a deadly weapon.

He is being held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 10.

The identification of the victim, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be released

by the Clark County Coroners Office. Logandale is about 60 miles north of Las Vegas.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521 or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or on their website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Police found thousands of images of child pornography on several devices at a Las Vegas fire station, including many saved on a phone discovered in a firefighters bed, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.

Isiah Tureaud, 34, faces three counts of possession of child pornography, documents said. Las Vegas Metro police arrested him Wednesday, Jan. 3.

On Tuesday, Jan. 2, a firefighter found a cell phone in a bed at a southwest valley fire station. The phone contained hundreds of images of child pornography, police said. Tureaud allegedly slept in the bed at the station before the phones discovery.

Police obtained a search warrant for the phone and other potential items related to their investigation. Officers then searched Tureauds locker, finding thousands of similar images on two USB drives, documents said.

Tureaud spoke to officers before his arrest.

Tureaud admitted the phone contained [child pornography] he downloaded from online websites and the cell phone belonged to him, documents said.

Tureaud has worked for the Clark County Fire Department since 2017, county officials said.

Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck released a statement Friday saying: The allegations in the arrest report of Isiah Tureaud are of the most heinous nature and are extremely disturbing to the entire Clark County Fire Department. We are grateful to the outstanding officers at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for their investigation and for making this arrest. The protection of children is the highest priority for the fire department, all public service agencies, and every upstanding member of our society. The actions of this individual are deplorable, and he can now face those consequences with a court of law. 

Tureaud was on indefinite suspension without pay and could not be terminated until adjudicated in accordance with union rules and regulations, officials said.

He posted bond and was due to appear in court on Feb. 5.

A booking photo for Tureaud was not yet released as of Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The main parties of the American Revolution were, obviously, the Continental and British forces. But there were other groups fighting. Perhaps most famous were the Hessians that Gen. George Washington attacked on Christmas by crossing the Delaware River. But France sent two fleets and two armies to help the colonies rebel. And France fought Great Britain across the world to alleviate pressure on the American colonies.

In fact, France, Spain and Britain continued fighting for months after hostilities in North America ended. The surrender of British forces at Yorktown largely ended American involvement in the war on October 19, 1781. Smaller battles between some British and Indian forces continued until September 1782. But it was nine months later that Britain lost its last battle of the war at Cuddalore off the Indian Coast.

The Revolutionary World War

Historians looking at conflicts from the last hundred years have increasingly looked at how their areas of study might be part of larger conflicts, from the "Mongol World War" in the 13th Century to the "Revolutionary World War" in the 1770s and '80s.

The case for the Revolutionary World War boils down to this: While Americans started the conflict and American historians are rightfully focused on combat in North America, the Revolutionary War was one part of decades of conflict between France, Spain, England, and more European powers.

Those European powers fought for their own reasons and on their own terms. So, while America was the focus of the fighting from 1776 to 1782, the declarations of war and larger currents of conflict spanned the world. And that leads to the frankly odd sentence: The last battle of the American Revolutionary War was a 1783 naval battle between France and Britain off the coast of India.

French and British tensions in India

Conquerant at Cape Henry. Wikimedia commons

French and British beefs went back a long time. Like, for instance, when they fought in 1066 in the Battle of Hastings, helping shape English and American profanity today . So, when France openly joined the American Revolution, the Brits and Francs figured they'd go ahead and fight about everything, not just America.

And that included India. The Mughul Empire, which controlled much of what is now India, became increasingly weak in the 18th century. The weakening started with internal stresses, but European powers quickly capitalized on it. France and Britain backed different, warring parties in the empire.

Britain aligned itself with the main government of the empire while France backed Bengal forces. The British-Mughal alliance defeated French-Bengal forces at the Battle of Palashi in 1757 . So France, like it did everywhere else that it and Britain had beef, fought British forces in and around India. Spain and the Netherlands, while not party to fighting in North America, fought against Britain in other areas across the world, as well.

And so the British and French fleets clashed in 1783, long after fighting in North America was essentially over.

The fight for Cuddalore

The Bengals held the port city of Cuddalore on the eastern shore of India. When the French-aligned Sultan of Mysore died in 1782, Britain decided to yoink the ancient seaport. An army set siege while a British fleet with 18 ships of the line instituted a blockade. From June 7 to 25, the British forces besieged the town.

A small action on June 13 became a major fight as British forces attempted to siege a small redoubt and both sides committed about 10,000 men to the fight over it. Both sides withdrew to lick their wounds, and Britain commenced a bombardment.

France, already pretty bummed about losing its ally and used to slapping the British around during the Revolutionary War, decided to try and keep their seaport. The die was cast for the last battle of the Revolutionary War.

The French fleet arrived June 16, outmanned, outgunned, and outnumbered, but not outplanned. Admiral Pierre Andre de Suffren, French, if you couldn't tell, arrived to find British ships in a favorable position. But he managed to maneuver his ships and draw the British away from their position and seize it himself.

(If you're more used to land maneuvers, like the author, it may seem odd that one patch of ocean is much better than another. But there's a "roadstead" off the port where the waters are more still, making it easier to fire naval artillery accurately. The sheltered area is small, so only one force could benefit from it at a time.)

The French forces had 1,200 soldiers onboard and set up naval gunnery crews with them, increasing the speed at which the ships could fire. The British, meanwhile, were dealing with the start of a scurvy outbreak, because no one wants to eat their limes anymore, apparently.

The last battle of the Revolutionary War

On June 20, the fleets fought one another. Frances bolstered ranks and better position put it on basically equal terms with the British. Despite a fierce afternoon of shooting cannonballs at one another, neither side took heavy losses and fought each other to basically a draw.

But Britain withdrew from the fight, allowing France too soon land forces to reinforce the land fight and use its cannons against British troops.

On land, the fight was costly for both sides. The French launched attack after attack to break out with no real success. Both sides ran short of water and other supplies. Morale got worse, as well, as fighting in India in June is reportedly uncomfortable.

And then everyone got some news that probably made the whole exchange feel pretty dumb: A British ship arrived with news that the war was over...and had been for six months. The Battle of Cuddalore ended up being the the last battle of the Revolutionary War , mostly because word of peace got to India so late.

France chalked it up as a victory since it held the port. But then the two sides basically traded ports during the peace process, anyway, and Britain ended up with Cuddalore after all.

Imagine being a French soldier who lost friends at Cuddalore, found out that the fighting took place after the war, and then the British got the port in a trade, anyway. It wouldn't be surprising if a few Cuddalore veterans were in the front row for the execution of King Louis XVI 10 years later.
Republican state legislative leaders boast that theyve cut taxes dramatically while also building a bulging rainy day fund, realizing budget surpluses and keeping state borrowing to a minimum.

But those financial achievements are mostly the result of failing to maintain the states historic investments in education and help for the needy. In that, the Republican-controlled legislature has been reckless, not restrained.

Now comes another blatant trampling of the public interest  an undermining of the state public employees pensions and health plans. Under a provision of the state budget, new employees of UNC Health Care and ECU Health became ineligible as of Jan. 1 for the state pension and health plan. Instead, theyll enroll in plans offered by the two health care operations.

You dont need to be a forensic accountant to detect that theres something suspect in this deal. The health and pension plan change passed the state Senate, but went nowhere in the House. Then it popped up in the state budget and became law without amendment or debate.

Supposedly, this change will help UNC and ECU health plans attract employees with enhanced benefits. Thats yet to be seen. What it surely will do, in the word choice of state Treasurer Dale Folwell, is torpedo the current plans used by state employees.

Why? Because it will cut the number of new employees coming into the plans while leaving the cost of paying for health care and pensions to a smaller pool of public employees.

Tim OConnell, executive director of the North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees Association, described the change this way: Someone ordered food, ate it and walked out on the tab. There is a bill due and its not going to be funded.

This backdoor change shows what really drives this legislative majority. Its not concerned with prudent management of state funds. Its priority is doing what benefits individual Republican lawmakers and powerful corporate interests.

Witness the state budget replete with pork projects for favored legislators, the puzzling and unpopular push for casinos backed by an army of lobbyists, the protecting of Duke Energys fossil fuel plans, the freeing of nonprofit Blue Cross of North Carolina to wheel and deal with mergers and acquisitions and the shredding of environmental rules at the behest of the home building industry.

This latest bow to special interests isnt just an issue for state employees and retirees. Unless the legislature corrects this cost shift, taxpayers may have to spend more than $1 billion to cover the shortfall.

Folwell is frustrated that Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore gave a green light to the change without deferring to, or at least consulting with, those most affected.

If Sen. Berger and Speaker Moore want to do away with the state pension plan, then they need to say it instead of torpedoing it with one torpedo at a time, said Folwell, a Republican candidate for governor.

Folwell said the change was driven by those who will benefit from setting up and managing the alternative retirement and health plans.

This was done in the middle of the night for the benefit of lobbyists and consultants whose names we really dont know yet, he said. Somebody is laughing all the way to the bank at the expense of public employees.

In addition to shifting costs to other state employees and taxpayers, this change will worsen a vacancy rate among state employees thats now more than 20 percent. That, in turn, will further erode the quality of state services.

Pension and health care benefits attract applicants for state employment. Weakening the stability of those benefits weakens that attraction.

Dan Doonan, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, said a few other states have allowed defections from public pension plans, but theyve had to go back and make corrections through legislation, or spend more to cover the shortfalls that result.

In an article in Forbes magazine, Doonan said the change in North Carolina needs to be reconsidered before the damage from lost participants begins to be felt.

North Carolina has been a national leader in pension fiscal responsibility, he wrote. The state can sustain that reputation by asking tough questions today about [UNC and ECU health care] and taking appropriate action in short order to protect state employees and taxpayers.

Taking such action would represent a careful handling of state finances. But that, were seeing once more, is not really what this legislature is about.

Associate opinion editor Ned Barnett can be reached at 919-404-7583, or nbarnett@ newsobserver.com
A judge in Odesa Oblast has been detained on suspicion of taking bribes from men who wanted to avoid mobilization, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Jan. 9.

Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not permitted to leave the country during martial law without special permission or in the case of some exceptions.

In exchange for a bribe, the judge at a district court in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi is thought to have issued a court document that established the man was a single father, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

Single fathers are exempt from being drafted and are able to go abroad during martial law.

Investigators believe this scheme has been operating since mid-April 2022 and involved more than one court employee. "Searches are ongoing at the residential addresses of other possible participants in the scheme and at the courthouse," NABU said.

The pre-trial investigation established that "more than 1,000 decisions on this specific category of cases were issued in this court," according to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP).

Bribes ranged from $1,500 to $3,500 and evidence of the scheme could be found on Telegram channels, according to SAP.

If convicted, the judge or other court employees could face 10 years imprisonment.

Law enforcement agencies are intensifying efforts to combat draft evasion, as the military seeks to replenish its ranks amid the full-scale war with Russia.

Lawmakers are currently assessing various mobilization bills, which outline plans for further conscription and may tighten restrictions on draft evaders.

Read also: Investigative Stories From Ukraine: Another procurement scandal spotlights Defense Ministry contractor

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
At least 320 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after staging a demonstration across New York City on Monday, blocking traffic on several bridges for more than two hours during rush hour to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, according to city officials.

More than 1,000 protesters stood hand-in-hand, halting outgoing traffic from downtown Manhattan at the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Holland Tunnel, according to Jamil Madbak, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement, which led the demonstration.

Our aim today was to clog the arteries of New York City to draw attention to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza, Madbak, 29, told CNN. American bombs and American-made internationally prohibited chemical weapons are being dropped on Arabs again, financed by American tax dollars and protected by the American media, again. Those in power think they can get away with this, but us being out here every week is our way of saying we wont let them.

Demonstrators, many wearing keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarf, or holding up the Palestinian flag, chanted, Free Palestine, and carried banners and signs that read ceasefire now and USA stop arming Israel.

The protesters are calling for five key demands, which include a permanent ceasefire, an end to the U.S. governments arming of the Israeli regime, an end to the siege of Gaza, an end to Zionist occupation, and the release of all Palestinian political prisoners, the Palestinian Youth Movement said in a news release.

The protest caused massive traffic jams throughout lower Manhattan, including SoHo, Tribeca and Hudson Square, as well as the exit into New Jersey. The blockades on the bridges also caused gridlock throughout the Financial District and Lower East Side, the release said. All lanes on the bridges and tunnels were reopened by 11:15 a.m., according to the New York City Police Department.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced Monday in its daily update at least 22,835 Palestinians have been killed in the besieged enclave since the beginning of Israels war in Gaza, sparked by the devastating Hamas attack in October that killed 1,200 people.

That staggering death toll means 1% of the enclaves pre-war population of 2.27 million people has now been wiped out. Over 60% of those killed have been women and children, and an additional 58,416 Palestinians have been injured, according to the health ministry.

Starvation, disease and winter chill threaten the survival of displaced civilians in Gaza, who are miraculously surviving Israels relentless bombardment and shootings by sheltering in cold, crowded tents with little food, clean water or medicine.

All our actions, including todays action, stem from an understanding that this is an American war on Gaza and an American genocide of the Palestinian people, Madbak, who is Palestinian, said. The protests are important to maintain pressure, to show that the US government and media are accountable to the people who are demanding an end to this genocide.

Mayor criticizes protests as organizers call for more action

During a news conference Monday after the demonstrations, Mayor Eric Adams said, The right to protest does not give one the right to block bridges and tunnels, as we saw this morning.

The goal is to peacefully protest without doing major disruption to the city, Adams said, adding people use the bridges to get to work and deal with emergencies.

I have been extremely clear  it gives us all pain to see innocent lives being lost right now, the mayor continued. We need to do everything that is possible to end anything that is going to take the lives of innocent people. But Hamas must be destroyed. They are a terrorist organization. Their barbaric act on October 7 should not be ignored.

Mondays demonstration was led by the Palestinian Youth Movement in collaboration with seven other organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which have been bringing together tens of thousands of people across the nation in protests since the beginning of the war.

The massive disruption of four of New York Citys major bridges and tunnels during rush hour traffic this morning signals growing unrest as Israel continues its relentless bombardment of Gaza, Jewish Voice for Peace organizer Jay Saper told CNN. The hundreds of protesters arrested taking this bold action represent a broad range of organizations united in uplifting the call of the Palestinian Youth Movement to bring about an immediate ceasefire and address the root causes of injustice faced by the Palestinian people.

Along with shutting down busy transportation hubs, bridges and streets, other actions have included forcing evacuations of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, holding a sit-in on Capitol Hill and marching to the front of President Joe Bidens Wilmington, Delaware, home.

Madbak said Mondays demonstration was an escalation from the organizations previous actions. Because of the dire situation on the ground in Palestine, the organizers of todays action are calling on others to be more bolder, more courageous, and more relentless in their solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for national liberation.

The protesters met at City Hall Park  which surrounds City Hall in lower Manhattan  Monday morning before marching to the four separate locations, a spokesperson for the NYPD told CNN. Protesters were arrested at all four sites and the number of arrests is still being updated, according to NYPD Detective Arlene Muniz.

Roughly 200 protesters were arrested at the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges, according to the NYPD. The Port Authority Police Department, which manages the bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey, arrested 120 protesters blocking the Holland Tunnels New Jersey-bound lanes, said Port Authority spokesperson Lenis Valens.

The point today was to say there will be no business as usual, no flow of daily life while Palestine continues to suffer, Madbak said. We will stop the city until they stop the bombs.

CNNs Nicki Brown contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Israeli soldiers fire missiles on the Gaza-Israel border as fighting between Israeli troops and Islamist Hamas militants continues. At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday.

The Israeli army said the incidents occurred on Monday. Six of the soldiers died in an explosion intended to destroy a workshop used by Hamas militants to manufacture rockets.

The explosives had been transported by lorry to the area of the al-Bureij refugee district, located in the central part of the coastal strip, it said.

The Jerusalem Post wrote that it is still unclear whether the explosion was caused by a technical error or an explosive device.

Since the start of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza at the end of October, 185 servicemen and women have been killed and more than a thousand others have been injured, according to military figures.

And 519 servicemen and women have been killed since the October 7 attacks when Hamas militants and other groups launched a bloody raid on Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping around 240.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive which have killed more than 23,000 people and injured tens of thousands more, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.

These figures cannot currently be independently verified.
Israeli soldiers fire missiles on the Gaza-Israel border as fighting between Israeli troops and Islamist Hamas militants continues. At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday.

The Israeli army said the incidents occurred on Monday. Six of the soldiers died in an explosion intended to destroy a workshop used by Hamas militants to manufacture rockets.

The explosives had been transported by lorry to the area of the Bureij refugee district, located in the central part of the coastal strip, it said.

The Jerusalem Post wrote that it is still unclear whether the explosion was caused by a technical error or an explosive device.

Since the start of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza at the end of October, 185 servicemen and women have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been injured, according to military figures.

A total of 519 servicemen and women have been killed since the October 7 attacks when Palestinian Hamas militants and other groups launched a bloody raid on Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping around 240.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive, which have killed more than 23,000 people and injured tens of thousands more, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority. These figures cannot currently be independently verified.

Meanwhile, at least three members of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement were killed on Tuesday when an Israeli drone hit their car in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah and Lebanese security sources said.

Hezbollah said their fighters attacked an Israeli post in Malikiyah and claimed they scored direct hits. According to the Lebanese sources, Israeli forces retaliated by shelling a cluster of Lebanese villages in southern Lebanon. They added that there was heavy Israeli military aerial activity over the western and central sectors of southern Lebanon.

On Monday, Hezbollah said an Israeli drone hit and killed Wissam al-Tawil, a high-ranking Hezbollah military commander.

According to a Hezbollah statement, al-Tawil was one of its elite commanders who participated in several attacks against Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Israeli broadcaster Channel 14 on Monday evening, "As far as the attack in southern Lebanon is concerned, we have taken responsibility."

Israel does not normally comment on media reports about foreign missions.

Katz, a minister from the conservative ruling party Likud, was responding to questions from the presenters of the station, which is located on the far right of the political spectrum.

He stated during the televised interview that Israel was behind the targeted killing of al-Tawil.

Lebanese security sources said al-Tawil was part of Hezbollah's elite al-Radwan Brigade which is an elite Hezbollah unit that was trained to fight by Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that al-Tawil was responsible for several attacks on Israel, including the killing and kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in July 2006, which was considered the trigger for the war between Israel and Hezbollah at the time.

In Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began talks on Tuesday about the Gaza war and the explosive situation in the Middle East with Israeli leaders.

He was greeted by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as his counterpart Israel Katz in Tel Aviv.

Blinken had said that he planned to share what he had heard during his previous diplomatic visits to other neighbouring countries.

"I've just come from a number of countries in the region, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and I want to be able to share some of what I heard from those leaders with the president, as well as with the prime minister and the Cabinet later today," Blinken said.

"And there's lots to talk about in particular, about the way forward" with regard to the Gaza war.

Blinken also plans to meet relatives of hostages who are still being held in the Gaza Strip three months after the start of the war.

The US is aiming to prevent a wider escalation of the war in Gaza - especially Lebanon.

Blinken spoke of "incredibly challenging times for Israel, for countries in the region, and especially for people who continue to suffer."

President Herzog thanked Blinken for his country's "steadfast commitment to Israels safety and to making sure that Israel wins this war, because it's a war that affects international values and the values of the free world."

In light of the hearing on the Gaza war before the International Court of Justice, which begins on Thursday, Herzog said of South Africa's accusation that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, "There's nothing more atrocious and preposterous than this claim."

"Actually, our enemies, the Hamas, in their charter call for the destruction and annihilation of the State of Israel, the only nation-state of the Jewish people," he said.

In Egypt, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urgently called during a visit to Cairo on Tuesday for new humanitarian ceasefires to supply the suffering Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip with aid.
Members of an Islamic terrorist group on Friday (Jan. 5) killed a church pastor and 13 other Christians in northeast Nigeria, sources said.

The Rev. Luka Levong of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) was slain on the premises of his church in Kwari town, in Geidam County, Yobe state, while 13 members of his church were killed in their homes, area residents said.

The residents said members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Kwari at about 1 a.m., but it was not confirmed whether the assailants were members of ISWAP or a faction of Boko Haram, officially called Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati Wal-Jihad.

The terrorists also set fire on the COCIN church building and destroyed vehicles parked in the premises of the church, andalso set fire on the houses of Christians in the town, area resident Aaron Bwala told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in a text message.

Bwala and Daniel Alimi, another area resident, said the assailants were members of ISWAP.

Another heartbreaking development in Yobe state, as Christians have again come under attack from members of ISWAP, Alimi said. Among the Christians killedis the COCIN church treasurer, Maina AbdullahiWhile the terrorists killed Pastor Levong, his wife and two of their grandchildren escaped unhurt.

Boko Haram, formerly led by Abubakar Shekau, aligned with ISWAP in 2015, and in August 2016 Islamic State leaders replaced Shekau with Abu Musab al-Barnawi as ISWAPs leader. A Shekau-led faction broke off into the separate group, reverting back to the name Boko Haram, officially Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati Wal-Jihad.

Shekau killed himself by detonating a suicide vest on May 19, 2021 during a battle between Boko Haram and ISWAP, according to ISWAP, Nigerian officials and The Wall Street Journal.

In 2015, the Global Terrorism Index had ranked Boko Haram the deadliest terror group in the world.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.

In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.

Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity.
Some metro-east residents travel to St. Louis to purchase recreational marijuana to avoid Illinois higher taxes, but is the practice legal?

Recreational cannabis use by adults has been lawful in Illinois since 2020, and Missouri law has allowed adults to legally possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana since the end of 2022. Because recreational marijuana is illegal at the federal level, its not allowed for service members in the U.S. or on federal government property, such as Scott Air Force Base.

Illinois state taxes on cannabis products are higher than Missouris and brought in more than $562 million in 2022, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Recreational marijuana purchases increased by 12% from 2021 to 2022.

2023 was a big year for Missouris marijuana industry, which surpassed $1 billion. @MoBusinessAlert reports on what the industry can expect in 2024: https://t.co/HhjNqGsq4E  St. Louis Public Radio (@stlpublicradio) January 3, 2024

Heres what to know about the legality of crossing the Mississippi River with marijuana.

Is it legal to cross state lines with weed?

Although Illinois and Missouri law allow adults to possess and use certain amounts of marijuana, the act of purchasing it in one state and taking it to another is regulated under federal law as interstate commerce.

Its effectively not allowed under federal law, even if both of the states that youre traveling to and from have state laws that allow marijuana, Illinois Legal Aid Online executive director Teri Ross said in an interview with the News-Democrat.

Federal law dictates the possession of a small amount of marijuana is usually considered a misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a one-year prison sentence.

It seems a little bit far-fetched because you would almost have to see the car go across the border in order to actually arrest someone, Ross said.

While it could be logistically difficult for police to arrest you for taking marijuana across state lines, it is possible, and Ross said its important for people to be aware.

What to know about pardons for marijuana possession

If you were charged with simple possession of marijuana, attempted possession or use under federal law (or in Washington, D.C.) on or before Oct. 6, 2022, you may be eligible to apply for a pardon online under a proclamation from President Joe Biden.

You can also fill out a pardon request form and email it to USPardon.Attorney@usdoj.gov or mail it to the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney at 950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20530.

You must have been a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the U.S. at the time of your conviction to be eligible for the pardon, and you must have been a citizen or lawful permanent resident on Oct. 6, 2022.

The pardon does not signify innocence or expunge a conviction, the application says, but it may help you by removing restrictions on your right to vote, hold office or serve on a jury, as well as potentially assisting you in obtaining employment.
To the editor: A letter writer "chuckles" at the notion of former President Trump as a dictator. He uses Gov. Gavin Newsom, who "locked down 40 million Californians without a vote" during a deadly pandemic, as a true example of dictatorial abuse of power.

A governor or a president may take any number of actions seen as an abuse of power. There are constitutional remedies available to address these overreaches.

Elections also provide a very efficient vehicle for the voice of the people to be heard. In 2021, the recall election against Newsom failed. In 2022, he was reelected by the people of California.

After the 2020 presidential election, Trump took his appeals to our court system, where he failed. It was then that he launched an attack on our constitutional system of government. He inspired a mob to violently interrupt the peaceful transfer of power, which had taken place since the founding of our nation.

A government official who defies our constitutional system and instigates violence  and who, as Trump has suggested, would like to suspend portions of the Constitution  can be fairly considered a dictator. This is nothing to chuckle at.

Richard Dunn, Valley Glen

..

To the editor: I had to chuckle at the letter writer criticizing Newsom for having "locked down 40 million Californians without a vote." Maybe he wasn't aware that about half of the world's population was under some form of lockdown at the time.

Newsom's stay-at-home order in March 2020 was meant to protect the health and well-being of all Californians and slow the spread of COVID-19. It was a temporary order.

If the ex-president is reelected, this countrys democracy will be forever threatened. The letter writer should ponder abortion rights taken from women, books being banned from schools and libraries, and voting rights coming under attack  all without a vote.

All Americans should be concerned about Trump being a dictator. There's nothing to chuckle about knowing that there are people who will support and enable him.

Sherry Brewer, Sherman Oaks

..

To the editor: In all of the letters about Jan. 6 and Trump's dictatorial behavior, none mentioned his most explosive and most ridiculous statement about the insurrection  that the riot was a "love fest."

Everyone in America saw this as it was happening. People were injured, a few were killed, there were chants of "Hang Mike Pence," and members of Congress were running for their lives.

Yet most Republicans believe the lies stated by Trump. There is no possible way to get through to people who will not believe what is right in from of them.

Edward A. Sussman, Fountain Valley

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
SIR  I can think of nothing in my 67 years that makes me more ashamed to be British than the scandalous behaviour of the Post Office in the Horizon fiasco (Letters, January 8).



What makes me most ashamed is that it has taken a television dramatisation, ITVs Mr Bates vs The Post Office, to spur our self-satisfied and self-protecting establishment into taking action.



Nigel Cowan

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

SIR  I have criticised countries such as Russia, which prosecutes and imprisons innocent citizens on trumped-up charges.



Now I learn that I live in a country that behaves in a similar manner. It is unbelievable that the head of the organisation involved received an honour. No one from the Post Office or Fujitsu has been properly held to account. Thank goodness for people like Alan Bates.



Margaret Clark

Preston, Lancashire

SIR  Politicians have taken a long time to find their moral compass on the Horizon scandal. Then there are the infected blood, Windrush and Grenfell Tower scandals.



What has happened to common sense and decency?



Col Douglas G Bryant FRCS (retd)

Northallerton, North Yorkshire

SIR  Although the scale of the Post Office scandal is unusual, such occurrences are sadly not that uncommon in large organisations, public and private.



A while ago, I became a foster carer for a county council some distance from my home. When the placement ended, I was subjected to a number of accusations. This was because I had dared to highlight shortcomings on the part of several staff members. Fortunately I had the time and resources to refute the allegations.



I once spent some time with an American executive who had worked on the PR for a major chemical company. He told me that when there was a serious complaint about spillages and pollution, the first step was not to help the communities involved but to discredit the complainants. He regretted some of these actions for the rest of his life.



Dont think it cant happen to you.



Mark Robbins

Bruton, Somerset

SIR  The catastrophic failures of the Post Office, which have ruined lives, illustrate a fatal flaw in human nature: the impulse to close ranks.



We see this within families, friendship groups and organisations both small and large. In the face of a challenge, people seek to protect their own. We cant change human nature, but we can put in place robust systems that enable complaints to be taken seriously and acted upon. Such systems were clearly missing in the Post Office.



Stan Labovitch

Windsor, Berkshire

Heating old houses

SIR  I live in a listed Georgian property in a conservation area. On asking my plumber whether I could install a heat pump, he assured me that it could not possibly work in any of these old houses with no double glazing. A house needs to be totally insulated for a heat pump to be an option.



Now the Government is considering reversing the conservation rules that have kept us beautiful (albeit draughty) for all these years (report, January 4). The wonderful architecture in this country attracts thousands of visitors from abroad each year, and in my mind it would be extremely foolish to spoil the ship for a haporth of tar.



Maie Osborn

Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

SIR  Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, says that he has no desire to see historic homes blemished by ugly double glazing or inappropriate solar panels (Letters, January 6).



Double or triple glazing need not be ugly. It is now so well engineered that it is hard to discern that the additional panes of glass are contained within the frame. My brother-in-law lives in a listed house that is a monster to heat, principally because the single-pane sash windows serve two purposes: to let heat escape and to bathe the occupants in freezing air during gales. If he were permitted to replace them with modern glazing, the energy bill would fall dramatically and his neighbours would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the new and the old.



Our local Grade I listed church has solar panels but they are not visible from the ground or the higher ground around the village.



It is high time politicians allowed much greater discretion to local authorities and owners.



Peter Gilbert

Llangarron, Herefordshire



Typed examinations

SIR  The University of Oxford has introduced typed examinations for some subjects (Letters, January 8). These were initially remote during the pandemic, but now include in-person, invigilated examinations. The university has acquired a collection of laptops, which are centrally charged ahead of each use. Answers are typed into a secure browser, which means they can be delivered instantly to the markers. The process is far simpler, and the markers are pleased with the lack of illegible scripts.



Some courses set a word limit so that students are required to maintain concise, comprehensive answers. I believe its better to give students the opportunity to show their knowledge in a format they are more familiar with, as opposed to limiting them by enforcing several hours of handwriting  a mode of delivery that is increasingly out of touch with the real world.



Richard Molyneux

Academic office deputy

Harris Manchester College

University of Oxford



Fame and fortune

SIR  As a teenager in the 1950s, I spent time at a school near Poitiers in France. The pupils were all girls, until we were joined by an English boy called Johnny. The principal informed us that he was the son of a famous film director called Lewis Gilbert.



Many years later, as I was leaving the art suppliers Green & Stone laden with canvases and paints, a gleaming Rolls-Royce drew up near me and out stepped Johnny (Letters, January 8). I made myself known to him and he offered me a lift, which I accepted. The encounter caused me to be glad that I was good at remembering faces.



Louise Boxhall

Thurlestone, Devon



Assisting suicide

SIR  When I taught criminal law at Cambridge, my students would have raised a quizzical eyebrow at David Milne KCs opinion (Letters, January 5) that for the state to repeal the laws historic prohibition on helping people to kill themselves (and, we may add, to pay its doctors to facilitate it) would not signal approval. But one does not need a law degree to appreciate that, just as the criminal prohibition on assisting suicide signals disapproval, decriminalisation would signal approval. The moral case advanced for legalising physician-assisted suicide is that it is right for some people to be helped to a hastened death to end their suffering.



The House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, in its rejection of assisting suicide and euthanasia, described the prohibition on intentionally killing patients as the cornerstone of law and of social relationships that protects each one of us impartially, embodying the belief that all are equal. We should not let the smokescreen of choice blind us to the fact that removing that cornerstone would signal a paradigm moral shift. That shift would have particularly grave implications for those, such as people with disabilities, leading lives it might also be thought reasonable to help them to end.



Mr Milne supports physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. But why deny choice to the chronically ill (who also fly to Switzerland) and to the vast majority of patients who would prefer a lethal injection? The deafening silence of UK campaigners in response to that question illustrates that once one sacrifices the principle of objective human equality on the altar of subjective choice, there is no principled stopping point.



Mr Milne rightly notes that a key aim of the law is the protection of citizens. Helping terminally ill citizens to kill themselves (which would prove but a first step) is a peculiar way of protecting them.



Professor John Keown

Kennedy Institute of Ethics

Georgetown University

Washington DC, United States



Olive toil

SIR  I planted four olive trees about 25 years ago. With the largely mild winter, we have an abundance of ripe black olives. One year I tried to preserve them but was not very successful.



This year I have found that the local pigeons like them. They are on the bushes eating them whole. I dont know where the stones go.



Birgitta Fowler

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex



The risks of becoming a dog-friendly hotel

Groom service: a German Shepherd enjoying a lie-in at a hotel - alamy

SIR  Lottie Gross (The Dinkwad pets who travel better than you, Travel, January 6) omits a pertinent issue regarding travelling with dogs.



Do hotels that now offer stays for pets acknowledge that this might deter other possible guests from booking? I am an avid dog lover, but still prefer to know that the seating and bedspreads in my expensive hotel room have not been previously occupied by furry friends.



There is also the risk that dogs will be pampered and become the centre of attention in lounges and  worse still  dining rooms.



Marianne Charlesworth

Norwich



How the MoD failed to stop the rot in the Navy

SIR  The rot in the Royal Navy (Letters, January 8) began with the so-called peace dividend 1988-91. The ill thought-through introduction of the Warfare Branch in 1993 coincided with a major round of redundancies. Forecasts at the time warned of black holes (severe shortages of qualified personnel) in the immediate term at leading rate level and longer term at senior rate level.



These fell on deaf ears in the Ministry of Defence and Navy Board, and acute shortages followed. Short-termist thinking led to the decommissioning of perfectly good warships so that newer ones could be manned. Outsourcing recruitment to Capita proved a disaster.



Politicians claiming that lessons will be learnt inevitably means they wont, and the Treasury in particular will force through measures that the country will surely regret. With 90 per cent of the worlds trade going by sea  and unrest spreading to hinder safe passages  this is not the time to ignore our vital maritime interests.



Cdr John R M Prime RN (retd)

Havant, Hampshire

SIR  In August I spent a day at sea in the Type 23 frigate, HMS Iron Duke. It is 30 years old and has recently undergone a 103 million refit. She is a fine ship, with a happy and highly motivated ships company  a sign of good leadership at all levels.



It would be a travesty were she, like others of her type, to be sacrificed because of personnel shortages (report, January 5)  which can only be attributed to incompetence.



Theres no better illustration of poor long-term strategic thinking by the MoD than the 1981 Defence White Paper, which set out plans to cut the Royal Navy by 19,500 personnel (of which I was one) and decommission some County, Leander and Rothesay-class ships. Within a year we were at war with Argentina, which, despite clear signs, seemed to come as a surprise to the MoD.



Until long-term strategic thinking is the norm, our Armed Forces will continue to lurch from crisis to crisis.



Dr Alf Crossman

Rudgwick, West Sussex



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Should we be alarmed by the levels of Sars-COV-2 in our wastewater? Thats what a sponsored content article in Breitbart and a separate Instagram post are claiming. The posts rely on actual data from the Centers for Disease Control, but their claims are missing context and otherwise misleading.

ALARMING REVELATION: SOARING VIRAL LEVELS DETECTED IN WATER SUPPLY read an Instagram post from Breitbart that garnered more than 35,000 likes before being deleted. An Instagram video by YouTuber Steve Ram, however, similarly claims ALARMING VIRAL LEVELS DETECTED IN U.S. WATER. Though Ram does not directly reference Breitbarts article, the 21 states with severe levels listed in the video match those labeled as severe on the Breitbart graphic, suggesting that Rams assertions are based on the same underlying data.

The December 27 piece that Breitbart was boosting via the now-deleted post is not a straight news article, but sponsored content promoting The Wellness Company. The sponsored article, which states that readers can declare independence from Joe Bidens healthcare system, promotes a medical emergency kit that includes bulk supplies of prescription-only medications including ivermectin, amoxicillin, and Z-Pak.

Both Rams video and Breitbarts initial graphic conflated water or water supply with wastewater. They leverage data from the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) wastewater surveillance program from the month of December, and the graphic used by Breitbart closely resembles the CDCs own COVID-19 Current Wastewater Viral Activity Levels Map. Internet archives do not allow access to the maps data as of December 6, 2023, the date noted by Breitbart, but data as of January 4, 2024, is broadly similar. The CDC did not respond to questions about the accuracy of the map posted by Breitbart.

The CDCs COVID-19 wastewater viral activity level map as of January 9, 2024.

Theres an alarming revelation coming out of soaring viral levels detected in the U.S. water supply, Ram says in his video. A new Omicron subvariant known as JN.1 has indeed been driving an increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks, but wastewater detection levels are not particularly alarmingand equivalencies between current infection rates and waves experienced in prior years are inaccurate. The burden of COVID is nowhere near what it was compared to earlier in the pandemic, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, explained to The Dispatch Fact Check. That doesnt mean COVID isnt here, of course it is. That doesnt mean we shouldnt respect COVID, of course we have to. But we cant pretend that its at a state remotely close to the first couple of years of the pandemic. Thats just not the case.

The JN.1 variantwhich split from the earlier BA.2.86 varianthas been tracked by the CDC for months, and was estimated to account for between 39 and 50 percent of all SARS-CoV-2 variants in the U.S. during the two weeks ended December 23, 2023. According to the World Health Organization, the new variant does not appear to pose additional risks to public health, and its spread has not affected current department recommendations.

As of December 30, 2023, weekly new COVID-19 hospital admissions stood at 34,798, down from 44,542 hospitalizations, 97,667 hospitalizations, and 109,152 hospitalizations during the turn of the year in 2023, 2022, and 2021 respectively. The combination of vaccination plus recovery from infection, also termed as hybrid immunity, is rather powerful, Bogoch explained. Were seeing more COVID now in the winter, but were not seeing hospitalizations and deaths at nearly the same degree as what we saw earlier in the pandemic.

Bogoch cautioned that viral detection in wastewater samples is normal and must be understood in the proper context. Its what you do with the data thats important, he said. It should not be overinterpreted, but it often is.

According to Bogoch, wastewater data is useful because it allows public health experts to track trends in viral levels, understand the geographic prevalence of a virus, and learn about viral evolution over time.

That said, heightened wastewater levels do not necessarily indicate a significant new threat to the public. It doesnt mean everyone needs to panic, it doesnt mean you need to enforce X, Y, or Z mandates, Bogoch said. It just means that some people who might be more vulnerable or cautious will know that theres more [viral spread] in their area, which might enable them to make a decision for themselves.

While Ram and the sponsored Breitbart story appear to rely on legitimate CDC data, rising levels of COVID-19 detection in wastewater should not be overinterpreted to suggest that there is a significant new risk to Americans.

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Lily Gladstone made history at the 2024 Golden Globes ceremony when she became the first Indigenous person to win the award for best actress in a motion picture drama.

The 37-year-old actor began her acceptance speech for her role as Mollie Burkhart in "Killers of the Flower Moon" by speaking in Blackfeet language.

Dr. Karla Bird, tribal outreach specialist at the University of Montana, translated the beginning of Gladstones speech for TODAY.com.

"Hello all my relations," Gladstone said, according to Bird. "My name is Eagle Woman. I am Blackfeet. I love you!"

Dr. Heather Bliss, lecturer in the department of linguistics at Simon Fraser University, told TODAY.com a slightly different translation: "Hello my friends/relatives. My name is Piitaaki (Eagle Woman). I am Blackfoot. I love you all."

After the ceremony, Gladstone told reporters the beginning of her speech was "often how I introduce myself in a new group of people, especially when it's significant." The actor spent her early childhood on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana.

"One of the first things we're taught is you say your name, you say where you're from and you say hello to everyone  hello, my friends," Gladstone said. "So it was one of the more natural things I could do in the moment."

Bliss, a linguist who has been working with Blackfeet speakers for about 20 years, told TODAY.com the beginning of Gladstone's speech was a "standard greeting and a customary way to show respect in the language," and that it was very exciting to see it used in a broad space like the Golden Globes stage.

"Gladstone's greeting at the Golden Globes is just a standard greeting ... but it's something that generates a lot of excitement for people," Bliss said. "You can imagine Blackfeet youth seeing that and thinking, 'Wow, there's a space for my language and my culture.' And it's very mainstream environment."

"And it's about expanding the domains, right? We don't want languages to just be learned in a classroom, and living in a classroom," Bliss continued. "We want languages to be living out in the world, and this is a really great example of that."

During Gladstone's speech, the "Killers of the Flower Moon" star told the audience why she decided to speak Blackfeet language.

"I just spoke a bit of Blackfeet language, the beautiful community nation that raised me, that encouraged me to keep going, keep doing this," she said. "I'm here with my mom, who, even though she's not Blackfeet, worked tirelessly to get our language into our classroom, so I had a Blackfeet language teacher growing up."

Gladstone continued, noting the nature of the historic moment as she held her award.

"I'm so grateful that I can speak even a little bit of my language, which I'm not fluent in, up here. Because in this business, Native actors used to speak their lines in English and then the sound mixers would run them backwards to accomplish Native languages on camera," she said.

"This is a historic win  it doesn't belong to just me. I'm holding it right now  holding it with all my beautiful sisters in the film at this table over here, and my mother, Tantoo Cardinal, standing on all of your shoulders," she said.

Gladstone went on to thank the film's director, Martin Scorsese, and her co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, along with Chief Standing Bear, a 19th century Native American civil rights leader, and the Osage Nation.

"Thank you to all of you, and this is for every little res kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other," she said from the stage.

Talking to reporters after her speech, Gladstone added her friend and language revitalization teacher Robert Hall recently taught her a "beautiful" word that she wasn't familiar with, but the word didn't make it into her speech.

"I was trying to remember that one and nerves kicked it out of my head," she said.

Gladstone's win comes days before "Killers of the Flower Moon" is set to begin streaming on Apple TV on Jan. 12.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

MATSUI GETS A PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM THE LEFT

Californias primary election is less than two months away, but Sacramento Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui on Monday drew a challenge from the left.

David Mandel, a human rights activist, lawyer and former newspaper editor (who spent nearly 10 years working on The Sacramento Bee copy desk), declared his Democratic candidacy in a bid to bring a more progressive voice in the House of Representatives.

Mandel, 72, has advocated for a variety of left-leaning causes, from single-payer health care to combating climate change, affordable housing to supporting Palestinian human rights.

In an interview with The Bee, Mandel said that the immediate impetus for him running was that a whole lot of other people said that we really need to try to replace her.

Mandel said that Matsui, 79, is out of step with the voters, and too beholden to her high-dollar donors.

I think there are some good reasons to try to replace her with someone who is more progressive on a whole lot of issues, he said.

Speaking of those high-dollar donors, Mandel and Republican Tom Silva face a tough battle to remove Matsui, who has served since 2005, from office. The incumbent has more than $334,000 in cash on-hand, according to her latest Federal Election Commission filing.

MURATSUCHI AGAIN DENIES BILL HEARING

Another swing and a miss for AB 1314, the bill from Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona, to force schools to notify parents if their child uses a different name or pronouns at school, regardless of whether that would place the child in danger.

Last year, Assembly Education Committee Chair Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, blocked AB 1314 from being considered, saying that it was not only bad policy, but also that letting the bill be heard in committee would potentially provide a forum for increasingly hateful rhetoric targeting LGBTQ youth.

In 2024, Muratsuchi continues to chair that committee, and his opinion of Essaylis legislation hasnt changed  the chairman is still barring the bill from getting a hearing.

Though Essaylis bill was unceremoniously squashed, the idea behind it wasnt. A number of conservative-controlled school boards across the state have since voted to enact a similar policy, prompting a legal challenge from Attorney General Rob Bonta that is still working its way through the courts.

At a rally last week, Essayli raged against the decision to block his bill.

Unfortunately, this Legislature is so arrogant, they are so pompous, they refuse to even give my bill a hearing, he said, according to a press release from conservative group the California Family Council. They dont even want to take a vote. Thats how little regard they have for the people of this state.

A 2021 study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that transgender and gender nonconforming youths are more likely to be victims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, and a 2022 survey by the Trevor Project found that fewer than a third of trans youths view their home as a safe and affirming place.

In a statement to The Bee, Muratsuchi cited the pending litigation as cause to hold the bill.

This bill would require educators to out a student to their parents, even when the student does not feel comfortable coming out, potentially forcing them into an unwelcoming or abusive home. All students deserve to be respected and supported for who they are. As a parent as well as the Education Chair, I believe that gender identity conversations should take place between parents and their children in a safe and private space, he said.

PROMINENT GROUP OPPOSES PROPOSITION 1

While Proposition 1, the ballot measure to authorize billions in new spending on mental and behavioral health, as well as housing for the homeless, has the support of Gov. Gavin Newsom and a majority of Californians, not everyone is a fan.

On Monday, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters California came out with an anti-endorsement, saying that while the measure provides sorely needed funds for housing, they do not outweigh its flaws.

The bond portion of the measure was rushed through the legislature with last-minute amendments that opened the door to funding involuntary treatment in locked facilities, the group said in a statement.

The proposition was not subject to proper debate, including feedback from community-based organizations and civil rights advocates, the league argued.

These groups contend that community-based care is more effective than institutionalization and that incentivizing institutionalization will both lead to worse health outcomes and curtail individual liberties, the group said.

The group also argued that the measure restricts counties ability to offer mental health services tailored to local needs

Finally, budgetary decisions should be made by the legislature, not by earmarking funds through ballot initiatives. Earmarking restricts the counties and the state from redirecting funds to alternative models of care that may arise in the future, or to other emerging and essential needs, the league concluded.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Our collective pursuit of justice should encompass a fair, compassionate, and balanced approach that acknowledges and supports all victims of violence, including both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. This resolution and the letter by the Jewish Legislative Caucus had the opportunity to transcend divisive rhetoric and genuinely uplift the affected communities in their quest for dignity, security, and a safe future. Instead, it has deepened the divide and intentionally turned a deaf ear to the voices of our communities.

- CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush, in a statement responding to a pending Assembly resolution condemning Hamas.

Best of The Bee:

Gov. Gavin Newsom Monday called for a special election to finish seven-to-10 months of retired Rep. Kevin McCarthys term, via Gillian Brassil .

When the Sacramento City Council reconsiders a vote for City Manager Howard Chan Tuesday, one significant detail will be different, which could change the outcome, via Theresa Clift .

Suspended Greater Sacramento NAACP president Betty Williams and an executive officer appear to have used their own businesses to manage a multi-million dollar county-sponsored pandemic-era food delivery program, according to financial filings obtained by The Sacramento Bee, via Darrell Smith .

During a Sacramento mayoral online forum Thursday, California Assemblyman Kevin McCarty claimed that the county has yet to spend a penny of the $25 million it received to shelter homeless people camping along the American River Parkway, via Theresa Clift.
Starting Thursday, 19 restaurants in the Myrtle Beach area will feature lunch and dinner deals to celebrate Restaurant Week South Carolina.

Restaurant Week is an 11-day foodie extravaganza in which restaurants across the state will feature special dishes and multi-course meals. Many Myrtle Beach area restaurants are serving a prix fixe menu, with prices ranging from $22 to $79 a person.

Carolina Ale House Kitchen Manager Sherri Daino said she is excited for restaurant week. Last year the restaurant had a good turnout and Daino expects the week to go well this year.

(We want to) get our name out there and make sure locals and tourists alike check out our restaurant, Daino said.

The event runs from Jan. 11 to Jan. 21. Patrons can make reservations at participating restaurants on the Restaurant Week South Carolina website or directly with the restaurant.

Myrtle Beach

North Myrtle Beach

21 Main at North Beach, 719 North Beach Blvd., will serve a three-course dinner for $59. The menu has items such as sushi and crab cakes as an appetizer, seafood or steak for an entree and a cheesecake or creme brulee for dessert.

Greg Norman Australian Grille, 4930 US 17 South, said it is still working on a menu for Restaurant Week at the time of publication.

Tidewater Grill and Bistro, 2100 Old Highway 17 North, will have a four-course lunch and dinner for $30. Included is an appetizer, soup or salad, entree including seafood, meat and pasta, and a dessert.

Conway





Bonfire - A Smokin Taqueria, 951 2nd Ave., will have a three-course meal for $24.95. Appetizers includes chips and queso and taquitos, entree choices will be chicken, pulled pork or meatloaf and dessert is white chocolate banana pudding. You can also add a beer flight for $12 or a tequila flight for $20.

Rivertown Bistro, 1111 3rd Ave., will feature a three-course dinner for $45. The first course is a soup or salad, second includes flounder, pasta or steak and ends with a brownie or key lime pie for dessert.

Other cities

The Brentwood Restaurant & Wine Bistro, 4269 Luck Ave., Little River, will serve a three-course dinner for $79 a person with a $35 chefs wine selection option. The appetizer and entrees have seafood and meat items such as a smoked duck breast, stuffed lobster and braised lamb. There are also creme brulee and a mocha yule log as dessert options to finish off the meal.

Drunken Jacks, 4031 US 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, will not have a special menu and will continue with happy hour specials and events.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  United Airlines has found loose bolts on the door plugs of some of their Boeing 737 Max 9 jets since a midair blowout happened to the same type of aircraft occurred on an Alaska Airlines jet on Friday.

On Saturday, United announced on X (formerly Twitter) that they would be temporarily suspending service on the planes. The focus was on select aircraft at first, but the suspension was later expanded to include all our 737 Max 9 aircraft.

On Monday, a spokesperson from United confirmed to KOIN 6 News via email that they found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening.

New photos of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug recovery released

In total, United canceled 200 Max 9 flights by grounding all 79 of the aircraft in their fleet.

We expect significant cancellations on Tuesday as well, the spokesperson said.

Not all flights that were slated to use the grounded planes had to be canceled.

We have been able to operate some planned flights by switching to other aircraft types, avoiding about 30 cancellations each on Monday and Tuesday, said the spokesperson.

What to expect: Snow, cold around Portland metro region this week

The inspection of each of the Max 9 planes door plugs began Saturday. The process involves removing two rows of seats and the sidewall liner, steps which have already been completely on most of the grounded planes, United said.

Airline cancellations during the day of January 8, 2024 (KOIN)

They will next need to inspect and verify that the door and frame hardware have been properly installed. United could not provide an exact estimated time of completion for the inspection as of Monday afternoon. However, the company said it should learn more about the exact time each inspection will take as they progress.

Medical examiner identifies deceased man from Vancouver hotel fire

United said each inspection will involve a team of five technicians working for several hours on each aircraft, with any discrepancies corrected being documented along the way before theyre returned to service.

On Monday, federal investigators released photos of the recovered door plug, which was found in a Portland residents backyard in a tree, that blew out of the AK Airlines Max 9 in mid-air. The accident caused the jet to make an emergency return landing at Portland International Airport Friday, bringing 171 passengers and six crew members to safety with no serious injuries reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines reported separately that they found loose parts in door panels of some of their Boeing 737 Max 9 jets, which have been were grounded pending inspection after one suffered a midflight emergency Friday evening.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Ore., to Ontario, Calif., suffered a midflight explosive decompression when a panel used to plug an unused emergency exit door on the aircraft blew off several minutes after takeoff.

Federal investigators said Monday they are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to hold the panel in place were missing when the plane took off, The Associated Press reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is investigating the incident, found the door that had blown off the plane about 16,000 feet above Oregon. The door will be sent to its Washington, D.C,. materials laboratory for further examination.

The NTSB said it examined it examined the intact door plug on the right side of the aircraft and found no discrepancies. Regarding the left door, the agency said it had not determined if the four bolts meant to hold the panel in place were there to begin with, and its lab will look into the issue further.

United Airlines began preliminary inspections into its 737 Max 9 fleet of 79 planes Saturday and has found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, the airline said. The technical operations team is working to remedy the issue, they added, in order to return the 737 Max 9s to service in the days ahead.

The airline noted it expects significant cancellations since service on the aircraft remains suspended, but it has been able to switch some services to other planes.

Alaska Airlines announced late Friday it would ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft after the incident. Initial reports from the airlines investigation indicated some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft.

The Hill has reached out to Alaska Airlines for more information.

The Federal Aviation Administration subsequently grounded 171 of 200 Max 9s until door plugs can be inspected and fixed, if necessary, the AP reported.

Boeing, which had problems with various planes over the years, pledged to help address any and all findings during the investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The former prime minister also told the Commons foreign affairs committee that two British nationals were still being held hostage by Hamas - PA

Lord Cameron has said he is worried Israel may have breached international law in the Gaza conflict as he called for an immediate pause in the fighting.

The Foreign Secretary said that of course he had concerns about the Middle East crisis in Gaza but added it was not his job to make a legal adjudication.

In his first lengthy period of scrutiny by MPs since returning to Cabinet, the former prime minister also told the Commons foreign affairs committee that two British nationals were still being held hostage by Hamas.

Asked if it was known if the two people were alive, he said: I just dont want to say any more. We dont have any information to share with you.

An estimated 240 people were taken prisoner in Gaza after Hamass October 7 attacks against Israel. During a ceasefire in November, 105 hostages were released.

Broken international law in specific attacks

Lord Cameron said he was worried Israel may have broken international law in specific attacks: If youre asking me am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law because this particular premise has been bombed or...?

Yes, of course Im worried about that, and thats why I consult the Foreign Office lawyers when giving this advice on arms exports.

Lord Cameron also called on Israel to restore the water supply in Gaza but declined to be drawn on whether depriving the civilian population of it amounted to breaking international law.

The UK Government has said it supports Israels right to defend itself following the October 7 attacks but urged it to act within international rules.

Seen deeply concerning things

Lord Cameron said he had seen things regarding the conflict which were deeply concerning but did not criticise the actions of Tel Aviv.

He said he was in favour of a pause in the fighting right now.

I would be in favour of humanitarian pauses, including right now, he said.

Lets have another pause to try and get hostages out and get more aid in.

His comments came as Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said the daily toll on civilians was far too high - and that his country would oppose the resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza.

Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, meanwhile said that Israel must do more to protect Gazan civilians during a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.

No regrets on China

On the issue of China, Lord Cameron said he had no regrets about his backing for a port development project in Sri Lanka with links to Beijing.

Only a few months before taking on his Government role, the Foreign Secretary spoke at an investment event in support of the Port City Colombo project in Sri Lanka, which is being built by a Chinese company.

It comes amid concern in the West about Chinas global infrastructure strategy, the belt and road initiative.

Taking questions from Commons foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns and fellow member the SNPs Brendan OHara, the former prime minister said he backed the project as a friend of Sri Lanka.

Like many former prime ministers, I worked with the Washington Speakers Bureau and this opportunity came up.

When this opportunity came up, I thought it was a sensible thing to do.

Lord Cameron, who praised the merits of projects that seek to follow the model of the Dubai International Financial Centre, denied he was actively promoting Chinese investment.

He said it was a decision he made when asked via Washington Speakers Bureau and the event as organised by an accountancy firm based in Sri Lanka.

Asked specifically if he regretted his decision, he said: No.

Labour has previously pressed Lord Cameron to reveal the extent of his links to the project, following his surprise return to front-line politics.

Engineered by the Chinese

The Intelligence and Security Committee warned last year that it was possible that Lord Camerons ties to China-UK investment were in some part engineered by the Chinese state to lend credibility to Chinese investment, as well as to the broader China brand.

Pressed on this by Mr OHara, Lord Cameron said: It might, if it had ever happened... But there was no fund, it never got going, it never started. And it never happened.

He said it was a bit like a blind man, in the dark room, looking for the black cat that isnt there.

More broadly, the peer defended the need for a dialogue with China to discuss pressing issues such as climate change and AI.

It is challenging, because there [are] a lot of issues between us at the moment, but that is what diplomacy is all about, he told MPs.

Defending his Governments positive attitude towards Beijing, he said it had been important at the time to boost the economy.

China has changed in the last few years and become more assertive and aggressive, he said.

Lord Cameron also claimed he was comfortable with the cut in Britains aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of national income.

You cant always get what you want, he said. Its not as much as it was but were still an aid superpower.

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.
SAN DIEGO  A new low-cost airline is joining the lineup of airlines at the San Diego International Airport this spring.

Breeze Airways is a low-cost carrier that offers nonstop one-way rates as low as $129. The airline is coming to San Diego this spring, offering five new routes  Cincinnati, OH; Jacksonville, FL; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh-Durham, NC; and Pittsburgh, PA.

Breeze will also offer daily one-stop/no plane change BreezeThru flights to Providence, RI, and Hartford, CT.

Most common domestic destinations from San Diego International Airport

From San Diego:

Raleigh-Durham, NC (Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays, starting Apr. 30, from $129 one way);

Jacksonville, FL (Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting May 1, from $129 one way);

Norfolk, VA (Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, starting May 1, from $129 one way);

Cincinnati, OH (Thursdays, Sundays and Tuesdays, starting May 2, from $129 one way);

Pittsburgh, PA (Fridays and Mondays, starting May 3, from $139 one way);

Providence, RI (One-stop/no plane change BreezeThru service, Daily, starting Apr. 30); and

Hartford, CT (One-stop/no plane change BreezeThru service, Daily, starting May 1).

The new nonstops rates start as low as $59 one-way for travel from San Diego through Sept. 3 if purchased by Jan. 15, according to the airline.

Breeze is currently offering 35% off all roundtrip base fares through Jan. 12 for travel from any destination from Jan. 15 through May 22  promo code GETFRESH can be used at checkout on the Breeze App or at flybreeze.com.

These were the most on-time US airlines, airports of 2023: report

Were thrilled to add service to San Diego, our fifth destination in California, as we introduce five brand new nonstops and two direct destinations from San Diego International, said Breeze Airways President Tom Doxey. Now San Diegans wont have to connect when traveling to these seven locations, getting there twice as fast for around half the price, and travelers from those cities will have fast and affordable travel opportunities to come enjoy San Diego.

Breeze began service in 2021. The airline has been ranked as one of the best domestic airlines in the U.S. for the last two years by Travel + Leisure magazines Worlds Best Awards (#2 in 2022 and #4 in 2023).

Several San Diego-bound Alaska Airlines flights cancelled, delayed

Those flying out of the San Diego Airport will be flying on an Airbus A220-300 aircraft, which offers 12 recliner seats in the Ascent experience, 45 extra legroom seats and 80 standard economy seats.

Breeze says it doesnt charge change or cancellation fees up to 15 minutes before departure. The airline also has other benefits like free family seating and a la carte pricing.

Breeze operates in 46 cities in 27 states. You can also fly on Breeze Airways from other West Coast cities  Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Visit flybreeze.com/home or san.org/Flights to book a flight.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Xinjiang entrepreneur donates 1 million yuan to university in E China's Jiangxi

People's Daily Online) 10:38, January 08, 2024

Miladili, an entrepreneur from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, donated 1 million yuan ($140,000) to his alma mater, Jiangxi University of Technology, on Dec. 30, 2023. The funds will be used to establish a scholarship program at the university, located in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, aimed at supporting ethnic unity.

The scholarship is intended to recognize students who have made significant contributions to ethnic unity or come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Miladili (left, front row) donates 1 million yuan to Jiangxi University of Technology. (Photo/banyuetan-weixin)

Miladili's entrepreneurial journey began modestly, selling lamb skewers and nang, a traditional local flatbread. The sum of 1 million yuan is especially meaningful for Miladili, considering that when he began his business, he earned just 1 yuan for each piece of nang sold.

Over the past decade, Miladili's dedication and tireless efforts have led to the successful launch of his e-commerce company and the opening of two restaurants.

Ten years ago, at the age of 20, Miladili embarked on a journey of more than 4,000 kilometers from his hometown to Nanchang. With just a backpack, a suitcase, and about 5,000 yuan, he began his studies in the city while simultaneously venturing into entrepreneurship. He started his business by selling red jujubes, lamb skewers, and roasted nang.

In the initial stages of his business, Miladili and his partners brought specialty products from Xinjiang to sell in Nanchang. However, as Chinese New Year neared, they struggled with unsold inventory. Luckily, the universitys faculty came to their aid, promoting and selling their products.

In 2019, Miladili and his partners reinvested all their funds in inventory. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving their stock moldy. But with support and assistance from various community sectors and the school, Miladili secured rent-free premises and a guaranteed loan designed for college entrepreneurs.

Photo shows Miladili. (Photo/banyuetan-weixin)

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude, Miladili acknowledged that without the support and help of the government and the school, he wouldn't have achieved the level of success he enjoys today.

Last month, Miladili took to social media to share a fundraising campaign started by an employee, after learning that the employee's child had fallen seriously ill and needed surgery.

To his pleasant surprise, many university employees saw his post and generously donated. This experience inspired him to act and do something meaningful for the university.

Miladili believes that establishing a scholarship is only the first step in showing his gratitude. He stated that compared to what the university has done for him, his contributions are relatively minor.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A metro state Representative addressed her colleagues at the Capitol Monday and told them gun violence had taken a member of her family.

Rep. Sandra Scott said her cousin Brandon Harris, 43, was killed in the shooting and carjacking spree in Forest Park Friday.

It is a sad day in the Givens family, Scott said to those assembled in the room. And may we have a moment of silence.

Scott told her colleagues that Harris was killed at the ATC Income Tax business on West Street.

Scott said he was killed on a special day for his 11-year-old son.

It was his sons birthday. On the day he thought his daddy was coming home to celebrate, Scott said.

Instead, Harris was lying in a morgue.

Police say Victor Baymon, 33, shot and killed Harris after tracking his ex-girlfriend to the business.

He was sitting behind a desk doing taxes for a woman and her estranged boyfriend came in shooting, Scott said.

RELATED NEWS:

So when I found out how it happened, I was just devastated man, Torrey Tomlinson told Channel 2s Tom Jones.

Tomlinson said Harris would donate two bounce houses and bring his ice cream truck to his Old Nat Day Stop the Violence Community Festival every year.

He said he would never expect for him to be around any gun violence because he was so focused on being a role model for his kids and improving his community.

Like, why they always taking the good ones? Cause he was definitely one of the good ones, Tomlinson said.

Baymon faces a long list of charges including Murder.

Police arent releasing the names of the other victims just yet.

Scott told her colleagues they all needed to work on stopping the violence. She said because this could happen to any one of them.

RELATED NEWS:
A Queens man ran into his burning home to save his elderly mother in a fast-moving blaze Monday, but neither made it out alive.

The two-alarm blaze broke out around 6 p.m. in the home on 164th St. near 109th Ave. in South Jamaica, police said.

A neighbor watched as the 63-year-old man escaped the flames, then turned back around when he realized his 86-year-old mother was still inside.

He came out and he started saying, My mother! My mother! said Juan Carlo Velazquez, 68. Some guys were holding him but he ran back inside.

As smoke poured out of the house, neither the man, identified by relatives as Richard Jackson, nor his mother, Doris Jackson, made it back out.

Firefighters arrived on the scene within two and a half minutes, the FDNY said.

From the side of the basement it was all fire and smoke and I could hear their alarm going off, said neighbor Chantal Gbado. The firefighters arrived and the fire already spread throughout the whole house.

The mother and son were discovered in a second-floor bedroom. Inside the home was medical equipment, indicating the woman was unable to escape the flames herself, FDNY officials said on the scene.

It was overwhelming, Gbado, 45, said of the blaze. They were good people. Its horrifying.

About a dozen mournful relatives arrived at the burned home Monday evening.

She lived here since 1970 and she raised her three sons and two daughters here and I dont know how many grandchildren, said Doris Jacksons grandson, who did not want to be named. We have a large family and she was very loved.

Doris Jackson worked for a telephone company until she retired in 1997 and her son, who took care of her, was former military, according to the grandson.

Theres no way he would leave, he said of Richard Jackson. He always took care of her.

About 100 firefighters from 25 units worked to knock down the flames, which appeared to have started in the basement, Deputy Chief George Healy said at a news conference at the scene Monday night.

This is unreal, Jacksons grandson said. Its like a movie.

The fire marshal will determine the cause of the fire, which was the latest in a rash of fatal fires across the city.

On Wednesday, a 5-year-old boy died in a blaze on Barnes Ave. near E. 226th St. in Wakefield, cops said.

His mother and great-grandmother were also injured in the fire but survived.

The boys death came two days after Rory DeCristoforo, 7, was killed in a house fire on the corner of Brookside Ave. and Alpine Court in Staten Island.

The girl was found in a bedroom of the home and was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where she died.
Eligao Sivira Hernandez, 40, of New York, will serve 5 years in prison, a Lee County judge announced Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. He was convicted of one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon when he stabbed a coworker on Sanibel Island in April.

A New York man convicted of an April stabbing on the Sanibel Causeway will spend five years behind bars.

Lee Circuit Judge Margaret Steinbeck on Monday afternoon sentenced Eligao Sivira Hernandez, 40. A jury convicted him Sept. 28 of one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

On April 5, Sanibel police responded to the Sanibel Causeway "C" span in reference to a 911 call alerting of one individual who had stabbed another.

Officers learned the incident happened on a job site on Sandcastle Road. Sivira Hernandez became involved in an argument with the victim and attacked the victim with a boxcutter.

Pine Island: Bond reduced by half for Bokeelia woman charged with battery at location of fatal stabbing

Police said Sivira Hernandez, the victim and the witness stopped in the same spot on the Sanibel Causeway.

The victim and witness locked themselves in their car and called 911, authorities said.

All three were present when Sanibel Police and first responders arrived. They treated the victim and Sivira Hernandez for a cut on his arm.

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: New York man sentenced to 5 years for Sanibel stabbing
ST. LOUIS  A man who had been living on the street since the Northview Village Nursing Home closed without warning in December 2023 has been found.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department canceled an endangered silver advisory Tuesday afternoon for Frederick Freddie Carruthers.

Around 2:30 p.m. Monday, a FOX 2 camera caught a glimpse of the 61-year-old in the parking lot of the White Castle restaurant at Kingshighway and Natural Bridge in north St. Louis, but he wandered out of view and slipped away.

The other day he was in here, Maurice Terry, a White Castle regular, said. A woman and me told him that people were looking for him. He said, You dont know me, ran out, and caught the bus.

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Yeah, Ive been looking for him, Mack Hill, who frequents the area, said. I came down the street and I just looked around the corners, because I know him when I see him.

Carruthers court-appointed guardian told FOX 2 that a relative had come forward and started searching for him almost daily. At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Carruthers was spotted again at the McDonalds across the street. That relative recognized Carruthers and called the police.

Police and an ambulance came. Carruthers was taken to a hospital for evaluation; out of the cold and out of danger.

With high temperatures expected to reach only single digits in the coming week, the news is a huge relief.

Im so glad they found that man because he would have been laying somewhere out here stiff because he didnt have anywhere to go, Terry said.

Police: St. Louis store was selling stolen goods from Chesterfield

Thanks to FOX 2 for being on their jobs, Hill said.

Carruthers has schizophrenia and is a ward of the state. The Public Administrator of the City of St. Louis was declared his legal guardian in 2011.

Northview Village, located in north St. Louis, closed on Dec. 15, 2023, with little to no warning for residents, their families, and staff. In many cases, they were unable to collect their belongings before leaving. The other 174 former Northview residents had been accounted for and were relocated to other nursing homes, with family, or at hospitals, according to long-term care advocates.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed it has launched an investigation of Northviews operator, Healthcare Accounting Services, LLC, or HAS. The company has an office in Brentwood.

On Monday, former Northview Village employees rallied together outside the office of their previous owner, Healthcare Accounting Services (HAS). Union demonstrators called for former workers to be paid in full.

St. Louis Congresswoman Cori Bush joined the workers on Monday to demand that the company compensate all employees. She also called for a federal investigation of the homes sudden closure, saying the company violated the WARN Act by failing to give employees at least a 60-day notice of Northview Villages closure.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
FILE - Marin Alsop conducts the New York Philharmonic orchestra at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert at The Great Lawn in Central Park in New York on Aug. 21, 2021. Alsop will become principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra next season, succeeding Nathalie Stutzmann. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Marin Alsop will become principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra next season, succeeding Nathalie Stutzmann.

Alsop, 67, was music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2007-08 through 2020-21, the first woman to lead a top-level American orchestra. She agreed to a three-year term with the Philadelphia Orchestra starting with a 2024 tour of China, the organization said Tuesday. She will conduct it for two or three weeks per season.

Alsop debuted with the orchestra in 1990 and has led it 32 times. Yannick Nezet-Seguin, the Philadelphia Orchestra's music director since 2012-13, reached out to her along with the orchestra's management. She said the orchestra had long put aside its reputation for a heavy string sound, developed when Eugene Ormandy was music director from 1936-80.

It's a much different organism that when I first conducted them, she said. "They're super-flexible. They're super-engaged. They're super-enthusiastic,

She is in her fifth season as chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and her first season as chief conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony and as principal guest conductor of Londons Philharmonia Orchestra. She began in 2020 as the chief conductor of the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Alsop is to make her Metropolitan Opera debut in April leading the company debut of John Adams' El Nino.

In 2005, she received a MacArthur Foundation genius grant.
The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open-heart surgery Monday after being hospitalized more than two months ago following a cardiac arrest near his home in Washington, D.C., the service said.

In a statement late Monday evening, the Marine Corps said that Smith, the service's top uniformed officer, was in "good condition" and expected to return to duty following his rehabilitation. The service did not provide a date for his return.

Smith suffered a cardiac arrest Oct. 29 near his home at Marine Barracks Washington. The surgery was to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart that doctors previously said contributed to his hospitalization.

Read Next: Inside the Pentagon's Failure to Notify the White House, Congress of Defense Secretary's Hospitalization

"He is in good condition and continues to recover at the hospital among family members and his doctors," the statement from the Marine Corps said. "Following his rehabilitation, Gen. Smith will return to full duty status as commandant."

The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Christopher Mahoney, has been performing the duties of the commandant while Smith recovers. The statement added that Smith and his family "appreciate everyone's continued respect for their privacy ahead of his full recovery."

Mahoney was sworn in as assistant commandant in November amid Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville's hold on military nominations over a Pentagon policy that provides travel reimbursement for service members who seek out abortions from civilian providers.

"Gen. Mahoney and I see eye to eye on the strategic direction of our Corps, and we are fortunate to be surrounded by a Marine Corps family filled with America's finest leaders," Smith said in November. "We continue to focus on finding the right balance between modernizing through Force Design and our day-to-day crisis response mission, while also on taking care of our Marines and sailors."

Later that month, Smith made his first public-facing appearance in a video message to Marines across the force.

"I'm still in the fight; I need you to be in the fight," Smith said. "It's not the first time I've been knocked down ... when I was shot in 2004, I bounced back from that. I'll bounce back from this."

The disclosure from the Marine Corps comes in stark contrast to the Pentagon's failure last week to disclose Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's continued hospitalization to the White House and Congress for days. The defense secretary was still being cared for at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Monday, but the Pentagon did not disclose his health issue.

Austin underwent elective surgery Dec. 22 and more than a week later started experiencing severe pain that landed him at the military hospital. President Joe Biden and the National Security Council were not notified of his hospitalization until Jan. 4.

Related: 'I'm Still in the Fight': Top Marine General Makes First Video Appearance Since Cardiac Arrest
Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith had a successful open-heart surgery on Monday to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart, the Marine Corps announced in a news release.

He is in good condition and continues to recover at the hospital among family members and his doctors, according to the release.

Smith will return to his full duty status as the commandant following rehabilitation, the Marine Corps said. In the meantime, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Christopher Mahoney will continue to perform the duties of the commandant.

General Smith and his family are focused on his rehabilitation and appreciate everyones continued respect for their privacy ahead of his full recovery, the release said.

The heart issue was the cause of Smiths cardiac arrest in October 2023. At the time of his hospitalization last year, Mahoney had yet to be confirmed due to a hold on military promotions by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, which has since been lifted. The role was temporarily filled instead by the deputy commandant for combat development and integration.

Smith was confirmed by the Senate to serve in the role in September 2023 after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to have three key military promotions  the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Marine Corps commandant and the Army chief of staff  voted on separately rather than as part of a bloc held up due to Tubervilles hold.

The news of Smiths procedure and update on his health status come as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faces intense scrutiny from lawmakers after senior officials, including President Joe Biden, were not informed for days of his hospitalization on January 1 due to complications from an elective surgery.

Lawmakers are demanding accountability for Austin leaving officials in the dark as questions remain over when hell be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

CNNs Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann and Jack Forrest contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
MARS HILL - After nearly 20 years working with the Mars Hill Police Department, Chad Wilson has finally climbed his way to the top of the ranks.

Wilson, 44, was named police chief of the department effective Jan. 1, Town Manager Nathan Bennett said. Wilson replaced former chief Jon Clark, who was fired in October for, among other things, soliciting nude photos from Wilson's wife.

The News-Record & Sentinel spoke with Wilson by telephone Jan. 4.

"I am enthusiastic about taking the helm of this department and moving it forward," Wilson said.

Though he's only been sitting at the top seat for a few days, Wilson said he has already identified a number of goals for the department.

"We want this department to grow, as in number-wise," Wilson said. "We want more officers. To be a community-oriented police department, where the community knows the police department. And to be as transparent as possible."

According to the town manager, Mars Hill Police Department currently has six officers, as well as one vacancy for a full-time patrol officer.

A Mars Hill Police squad car

Wilson said emergency situations, such as the Dec. 27 incident at the Mars Hill post office in which a man was killed after being run over by a U.S. Postal Service box truck and the September carjacking of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in which Madison County resident Teresa Ramsay was shot in the head, have left the Mars Hill Police Department overburdened.

"We need to bring in more manpower," Wilson said. "When an event of that magnitude happens, it just drains the department. We're not manned like Buncombe County or APD. We don't have that to pull from.

"So, we need to grow, not in that magnitude, but we need to grow."

While the town, like the county itself, continues to expand both commercially and residentially, the new police chief hopes to maintain the small-town, tight-knit feel through open and honest communication with the public.

"I'm straightforward. If it's something that I can get out, I like for the community to know, because as you well know, this is a tightknit community," Wilson said. "When something happens, the community wants to know. And I understand that. I'm from a small community myself."

As for the firing of Clark, his predecessor, Wilson told The News-Record the issue was a personal matter and he wished to not make a comment.

Wilson was born and raised in Yancey County.

After graduating from Mountain Heritage High School, Wilson earned a degree from Mayland Community College and completed leadership training through the North Carolina Justice Academy.

Wilson's law enforcement career began as a part-time officer with Marshall Police Department in 2004, where he served until he was hired at Mars Hill Police Department in 2005 and began his career as a patrol officer.

The Mars Hill Police Department

Bennett said the new police chief has developed strong working relationships with Mars Hill residents.

"We found him well-liked in the community, and well-known by citizens and business owners," Bennett said. "Everybody, all the stakeholders here really, we've heard from a lot of them. Everybody's given their opinion on who should be hired.

"But we had a good applicant pool. I was pleased that our internal folks met or exceeded all of those that we talked to."

Wilson was the best fit for the job though, Bennett said.

"He's a hard worker," he said. "He loves that job, and does very good work with it. It just made sense. So, we're excited to get going, and to get back on track. We've got a great group of police officers  a lot of experience, trained staff down there, and we just want to get them the leadership to fully utilize their talents and do things here for the community that they'll be proud of."

More: Mars Hill officials call for change after man dies after being backed into by mail carrier

More: Update: Mars Hill carjacking suspect charged with attempted murder, Sheriff's Office says

More: Madison Co. infrastructure limited Want to move from Asheville to Madison County? Expect availability, infrastructure limits

According to the town manager, the town received roughly 50 applications for the position through the Citizen Times website and Indeed, including law enforcement officers with experience serving with Asheville Police Department, Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, Madison County Sheriff's Office and Yancey County Sheriff's Office.

Replacing Wilson as the No. 2 is Mitch Cline.

According to Bennett, Cline has served with the department since 2016, and previously served with Marshall Police Department and A-B Tech Police. He earned a cybersecurity degree from Montreat College in May.

Cline will now serve in the newly named deputy chief role, which carries out the same functions as the captain.

"The board decided to rename that captain position to 'deputy chief,'" Bennett said. "It's the same sort of job description. It's basically the No. 2 of the department. It handles everything from scheduling, to anything the chief needs them to do. It's a lot of administrative work, in addition to investigations and things."

The town of Mars Hill will host a welcome ceremony for Wilson Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. at town hall, located at 280 N. Main St.

Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for nearly three years. He earned a first-place award in beat reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: New Mars Hill Police Chief Chad Wilson discusses goals for department
The 2024 Golden Globes threw forward many talking points  one being the rumour that Meryl Streep and Martin Short were a couple.

It turns out this claim has been swirling for some time, with several reporters revealing they had heard rumblings the acting duo, most recently seen together in Only Murders in the Building, were in a secret relationship.

The rumour mill intensified on Sunday (7 October) when the pair attended the Golden Globes together, representing the Hulu sitcom for which they both received nominations  but left empty handed. Comedy writer Louis Virtel posted on X/Twitter: Are Meryl Streep and Martin Short dating because if thats true thats like Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner multiplied by Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft

However, Shorts representative has now stepped in to clear up the claims. In a statement issued to The Messenger, they said: They are just very good friends, nothing more,

In September 2023, Short, 73, received an outpouring of love from his Hollywood peers following a controversial hit piece about the actor.

Slate published an article titled Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short, which described him as devastatingly unfunny, with Dan Kois writing in the piece: Throughout his evolution from sketch-comedy standout to uneasy movie star to twice-failed talk-show host to enthusiastic song-and-dance man, Ive wrinkled my nose.

Every time he dresses up in a silly outfit or says something outrageous or mugs for the audience, I want to shout at the screen: Why are you being like this?

Koiss claims have struck a nerve, with social media now filled with posts explaining why the article was nasty and misguided. Clips of Short from SNL, his cameo roles in sitcoms such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and Modern Family, as well as his interviews are being widely shared alongside messages of support for the actor.

Ben Stiller wrote: Martin Short is a comedic genius. End of story, with Succession actor J Smith Cameron adding: The infamous Martin Short article is filled with clips or references to characters that the writer finds annoying somehow, but are so entertaining that the article is a valentine in spite of itself.

John Cusack waded in: I dont know what people are on about re Martin Short  but his Mister Rogers boxing match is my fav.

(Christopher Polk/Shutterstock for SAG Awards)

Short, who currently stars alongside Steve Martin and Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building, shot to fame as a sketch comedian in the late 1970s.

In 1984, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, where he created the character Jiminy Glick.

That same decade, the Canadian star, 73, made his Broadway debut and starred in films including Three Amigos and Innerspace. His other credits include the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride, and Tim Burtons Mars Attacks! (1996).

From 2015, he has performed a stand-up tour with his regular collaborator Martin, and in 2017, a special that was filmed for Netflix received four Emmy nominations. In total, he was won two Emmys and a Tony award.
MARYLAND (DC News Now)  The Maryland Lottery announced a recap of the first week of 2024s wins, including a $2 million scratch-off prize that was sold in Frederick and a $1 million Powerball hit in Hyattsville.

Maryland Lottery looked at the seven-day period ending on Jan. 7.

The Sheetz at 1600 Rosemont Ave. in Frederick sold the winning 200X the Cash scratch-off ticket worth $2 million, and the Exxon on 6727 Riggs Road in Hyattsville sold the $1 million Powerball ticket on New Years Day.

Red Cross, NFL offer chance to win trip to Super Bowl as blood shortage hits country

Maryland Lottery listed more winnings in a news release on Monday as well. Below are the winners in DC News Nows coverage area, sorted by county.

Frederick County

$2 million prize, 200X the Cash, Sheetz #242, 1600 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick

Montgomery County

$50,000 scratch-off prize, $50,000 Cash, 7-Eleven #36867, 418 Allied Place, Gaithersburg

$50,000 scratch-off prize, $50,000 Cash , Kentland Shell, 7777 Landover Road, Hyattsville

$10,000 scratch-off prize, $1 Million Royale , Giant Food #2317, 18140 Village Mart Drive, Olney

$10,000 Wild Bonus X10 FAST PLAY ticket sold Jan. 6 at Wheaton Exxon, 11310 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring (unclaimed as of Jan. 8)

$1 million Powerball ticket sold Jan. 1 at Green Meadow Exxon, 6727 Riggs Road, Hyattsville

Tenants working to rebuild lives after Washington County house fire

Prince Georges County

$10,000 scratch-off prize, $10,000 Ca$h , Royal Farms #211, 3470 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

$10,000 scratch-off prize, 200X the Cash , 7-Eleven #27075, 4704 Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro

$50,000 Bonus Match 5 ticket sold Jan. 3 at Safeway #0107, 7595 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt

$100,000 Keno ticket sold Jan. 3 at Forbes BP, 9701 Annapolis Road, Lanham

$50,000 Powerball ticket sold Jan. 1 at 7-Eleven #41286, 9500 Ruby Lockhart Boulevard, Bowie

$25,000 Pick 5 ticket sold Dec. 25 at Dodge City Market, 7409 Marlboro Pike, District Heights

$25,000 Pick 5 ticket sold Jan. 1 at Stop & Shop Convenience Mart, 8500 Allentown Road, Fort Washington (unclaimed as of Jan. 8)

Washington County

$50,000 scratch-off prize, $ (Dollar sign) , West End Liberty, 1020 West Washington Street, Hagerstown

$10,000 scratch-off prize, Hot 777, AC&T #170, 719 North Main Street, Boonsboro

Officials reminded participants to check their tickets  if you won, you have 182 days from the drawings date or the announced end-of-game date for a scratch-off to claim a prize.

You can check the Lotterys website to see more information on how to claim your winnings.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Maryland will open a new statewide center focused on gun violence prevention following Vice President Harriss call for state officials to confront the issue on a state-level, Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced Tuesday.

We have got to confront this inexcusable fact that 75 percent of all homicides in Maryland are committed with a gun. This is a public safety crisis, but its also a public health crisis. We need to get these illegal guns off of our streets, and we will, Moore said Tuesday during a news conference.

Moore discussed how the Biden administration created the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention last September and how Harris last month called on state leaders to mimic this office on a statewide level.

Her recommendations were part of a wider list of recommended gun safety measures for state leaders.

Today Maryland is choosing to assert its leadership in that space and in that goal, Moore said.

Maryland is the first state to take action in response to the recommendation, according to Rob Wilcox, the deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

Wilcox applauded the new office, calling the issue of gun violence a public health crisis.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in America. And as President Biden says, this is not normal, Wilcox said Tuesday, adding later, What we need is an ecosystem where the federal government has agencies, has partners at the state level, at the local level so we can make sure important funding dollars and government priorities get to where they need to go.

Wilcox said state-level offices will allow the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to have points of contact in states that have the same ability as they do to tackle gun violence.

The announcement comes a day before the Maryland General Assembly is expected to gather for its 90-day legislative session. The governor on Tuesday laid out two other safety bills, including legislation for increasing public safety apprenticeships to help curb the shortage of law enforcement officers.

We have a responsibility to recruit, train and retain quality law officers. This legislation will build stronger pipelines to law enforcement jobs for all Marylanders, even those who do not pursue a four-year college degree, Moore said. And as we contend with workforce shortages across our public safety agencies, this bill will help us get more boots on the ground and help us to keep the boots that we already have.

The third bill is aimed at compensation of crime victims with the goal of breaking the cycles of violence, in the community, Moore said.

When people feel safe and feel like justice will be served and we have a better change of getting convictions and actually closing cases. And by forging stronger bonds with victims of crime, we can help break the cycles of violence in our communities, the Maryland governor said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A massive water main break with a geyser-like rupture was caught on video in Lynn on Tuesday morning.

The break was reported in the area of Lewis Street at Wardwell Avenue, where water was seen shooting four stories into the air.

Video from the scene showed a powerful geyser of water rocketing high into the sky as emergency crews looked on.

The uncontrollable stream prompted police to block the area from traffic because the water was causing icing in the neighborhood.

It wasnt immediately clear what caused the water main break.

There were no additional details available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
By Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical center based in Rochester, Minnesota, on Monday said it will partner with Silicon Valley startup Cerebras Systems to develop artificial intelligence (AI) models for the health care industry.

The Mayo Clinic, which has three major campuses in the U.S. in addition to locations in the U.K. and United Arab Emirates, will use computing chips and systems from Cerebras to tap into decades of anonymized medical records and data to develop its own AI models.

Matthew Callstrom, Mayo's medical director for strategy and chair of its radiology department, said some of the models will be able to read and write text to do things like summarize the most important parts of a lengthy medical record for a new patient. Other models will be able to scour images for patterns that the human eyes of trained medical experts may not detect or to analyze genome data. The systems themselves will not make medical decisions - that will still be done by doctors.

"How do you make the right decision for each patient? You have to weigh all those factors, you have to have a lot of experience. That's where AI comes in to start to augment that," Callstrom said in an interview.

Mayo plans to make the outcome of its work with Cerebras will eventually be made available on its Mayo Clinic Platform, a data network that is also used by the Mercy health care system in the U.S., the University Health Network in Canada, along with systems in Brazil and Israel.

Callstrom said Mayo has not yet decided how much it will charge for the AI technology. The clinic planned to disclose the new effort during an address at JPMorgan Chase's health care conference in San Francisco.

Cerebras Chief Executive Officer Andrew Feldman said the deal was a "multi-million-dollar" agreement over several years but declined to give more specifics. Cerbras, which one of several AI chip starts aiming to challenge market leader Nvidia, will provide both hardware and software development services to Mayo under the deal.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by David Gregorio)
The stars of "Mean Girls" arrive on the red carpet at the film premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Monday in New York City. The new film is based on the Broadway musical and 2004 film of the same name. It opens in theaters on Friday.

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Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers became the latest Senate Republican hopeful to endorse former President Trump in the GOP primary, underscoring the enduring influence Trump has over his party.

Rogers, who has previously been critical of Trump, said in an op-ed in the Daily Caller published Tuesday that he was supporting the former president, saying he had no doubt the GOP front-runner will be able to deliver for the American people.

The first step to getting America back on track starts with putting an end to Bidenomics and returning to the leadership and proven policies of President Trump. In Trumps America, small businesses were thriving, entrepreneurship flourished, family checkbooks were balanced, 401ks were growing, and the economy was stronger than ever as American ingenuity took hold, the Michigan Republican wrote.

That was just a few years ago, but I know that with a Republican Senate majority and President Trump in the White House, we will do it again, he added.

His endorsement was first reported by The Detroit News. In a statement, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes alleged the former congressman is desperately trying to hide his previous criticism as he cozies up to Trump and embraces dangerous election conspiracy theories.

Rogers has made clear that he is too extreme for Michigan as he caves to political pressure to help himself get ahead, Barnes added.

Rogers previously considered running for the White House, suggesting in an interview with The Hill last year that theres a lane for a solutions-oriented, optimistic, not-admiring-the-problem candidate.

The former House Intelligence Committee chair ultimately passed on a White House run, later announcing a run for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenows (D-Mich.) seat last September  delivering the Senate GOP campaign arm a major recruit.

But the Michigan Senate candidate has been previously critical of Trump and was earlier noncommittal about whether he would back the former president in 2024 if he won the Republican nomination.

I dont believe today as Im sitting here that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee in 2024. Dont believe it, Rogers told CBS News in late March.

During an interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, Rogers suggested that Trumps time has passed.

Rogers recently brushed off his past differences with Trump, telling the National Review, If you werent disagreeing at some point along the way, you werent engaged in politics.

Roger is the latest GOP Senate candidate to back Trump  others have also included West Virginia candidates Gov. Jim Justice and Rep. Alex Mooney, and Ohio candidates Bernie Moreno and Frank LaRose, among others.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An immigrant family show their paperwork to security guards at the Roosevelt Hotel, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NEW YORK (AP)  Migrant families were moved out of a midtown Manhattan hotel on Tuesday as part of Mayor Eric Adams plan to ease the pressure on New York City's strained shelter system by imposing a 60-day limit on shelter stays.

The roughly 40 families that left Row NYC, in the heart of the citys Theater District, are the first of scores of families that are expected to leave city shelters in the coming weeks. Some of those leaving on Tuesday immediately reapplied for beds, while others said they had managed to find more permanent accommodations outside of the system.

Adams, a Democrat, imposed the limit in October for homeless migrant families, saying the move was necessary to relieve a shelter system overwhelmed by asylum-seekers crossing the southern U.S. border.

Maria Quero, a 26-year-old from Venezuela who is nearly nine months pregnant, was among those standing outside the Row hotel Tuesday morning with her luggage and other personal effects in tow.

She said her plan was to head across town to the Roosevelt Hotel, another midtown accommodation thats been repurposed as an intake center for arriving migrants. There, city officials say, migrant families could reapply for another 60-day stay in the shelter system.

We have no idea what is going to happen there, Quero said in Spanish as her husband, David Dominguez, gathered their belongings for the roughly 20-minute walk. Its very stressful. It gives me a lot of anxiety.

The two, who arrived in the country six months ago and had been at the Row for five months, said they dont have friends or family they can stay with if they cant secure another city bed.

Lets hope we have a suitable place. We know people who have been to the tents while they are pregnant, added Dominguez, referring to the temporary shelters the city has erected in Brooklyn to house the newest arrivals. A woman cannot be in a tent when she's pregnant.

The Adams administration has warned for weeks that no one seeking a new placement is guaranteed another bed.

But Adams and other city officials said Monday that they would prioritize families and try to place them near their childrens schools in order to minimize any disruption to their education.

This is not going to be a city where were going to place children and families on the street and have them sleep on the street, Adams said ahead of Tuesdays move-outs. That is not going to happen.

Immigrant advocates have held rallies in recent days saying the new policy could lead to families waiting in long lines in the bitter cold to secure a new shelter placement  the situation single migrant adults have faced since the fall, when they were limited to 30 days in city shelters.

The time limits could also disrupt the schooling of migrant children who might have to change schools if their families are moved elsewhere, advocates say.

City Comptroller Brad Lander said Tuesday that hes launching an investigation into the Adams administrations implementation of the 60-day policy, including whether it was properly explained to families and its ultimate costs.

What information is actually being provided to people? Are there protocols for the 60-day evictions? he said outside the Row hotel as families checked out.

Some 4,800 eviction notices have been sent to migrant families in shelters.

Mayra Martinez, a 40-year-old mother from Colombia, said her three children have mixed feelings about leaving the Row.

The family had been living at the hotel for more than a year and have saved up enough to rent a three-bedroom apartment in nearby Newark, New Jersey.

They like it here, but you cant cook in the hotel and they miss home-cooked food, Martinez said in Spanish as she and her husband loaded their belongings into a waiting rideshare. Theyre also a little sad because of their school. Theyll have to change and get used to a new school.

The hotel evictions occurred as city officials also temporarily evacuated nearly 2,000 migrants housed at Floyd Bennett Field, the former airport in Brooklyn, ahead of a potentially damaging storm. Adams administration had erected the temporary shelter at the airfield in response to the waves of new immigrants arriving in the city.

To be clear, this relocation is a proactive measure being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals working and living at the center, Kayla Mamelak, an Adams spokesperson, said in a statement. The relocation will continue until any weather conditions that may arise have stabilized and the facility is once again fit for living.

The residents, many of them families with children, were sent to nearby James Madison High School, also in Brooklyn.

___

Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz contributed to this story.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
Milwaukee County's top prosecutor, John Chisholm, said the time to move on has come.

Chisholm, 60, surprised many in the political world by announcing Friday that he would not seek re-election after 17 years running the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

In a wide-ranging and candid interview with the Journal Sentinel this week, Chisholm discussed his future, took on his critics, touted his achievements, expressed some regrets while others weighed in on his legacy after 17 years as the county's top prosecutor.

Calling this moment a good opportunity for a "chapter to be turned and move on," Chisholm said he doesn't plan to leave the scene altogether

"I've still got a lot of a lot of energy, a lot of interest," said Chisholm, adding that he hopes to go into academia, the nonprofit world or government service.

He will serve out the remainder of his term and is hoping his top deputy, Kent Lovern, will succeed him in January 2025.

In the interview, Chisholm also spoke strongly in response to the charge by his conservative critics that he has been soft on crime: "It's bullshit, and they know it's bullshit."

Progressive reforms under Chisholm

Over nearly two decades, Chisholm navigated the law and politics in a troubled and turbulent era.

Still, many of his supporters spoke highly of Chisholm's impact on the District Attorney's Office.

Among other things, several lawyers and judges mentioned that Chisholm worked to overhaul what many felt had been an antiquated office in the decades under his predecessor, long-serving District Attorney E. Michael McCann, moving the office into the 21st Century.

For veteran defense attorney Craig Mastantuono, Chisholm was viewed as an early innovator at progressive prosecution.

"He was talking to people within the defense community and, of course, within the prosecution community about how to do a better job at public safety," Mastantuono said.

"That resulted in what we call early intervention options now, which are diversions, deferred prosecution agreements and treatment courts  none of which existed before John became (district attorney), and all of which were instituted as now what have become routine institutions in Milwaukee County."

"He's a policy-driven person as opposed to a politics-driven person," Mastantuono said

During his tenure, his office has been the launching pad for the careers of many prominent judges and justices in Wisconsin.

Among those who have worked for or with Chisholm are state Supreme Court Justices Rebecca Frank Dallet and Janet Protesiewicz, former Milwaukee County Circuit Judges Stephanie Rothstein and Audrey Skwierawski, now the state courts director under the Supreme Court.

"Milwaukee County has been lucky to have John's leadership in the DA's office for more than 20 years," said Dallet, who worked with Chisholm as an assistant district attorney. "He's a straight-shooter, he believes in humanity, and I know he always tried to do the right thing no matter who he might offend."

Since 2007, he has made numerous changes to the office, including the creation of specialized units targeting witness intimidation, child abuse and gun-and-drug-related crime. He also took steps to make sure that bond was set using more objective criteria than in the past.

Nearly all of those who have worked with Chisholm credited him for his community prosecution program, where those from his office work directly with police and residents, and his interest in restorative justice programs. He also helped create the Community Justice Council, Milwaukee County Drug Treatment and Veterans Treatment Courts.

His approaches have gained widespread attention, with in-depth analyses of his office and its practices featuring in studies carried out by the criminal justice nonprofit national research and policy organization, The Vera Institute of Justice, as well as national media like The New Yorker.

Rothstein, the former prosecutor and judge, said Chisholm's job was made much more complicated by shortages in funding throughout his tenure. Starting prosecutors are still making relatively low salaries compared with other attorneys, hampering recruitment and leading to heavy turnover, and the office is severely underfunded, Rothstein said.

Beyond that, the agency had to try to keep up with the advances in crime-fighting by local police agencies.

Despite all this, Rothstein said, Chisholm was a trail blazer.

"John has done an outstanding job," she said. "He's been true to his commitment to the people of the county. And he's administered justice in the office in a fair and sober and even-handed fashion."

Chisholm addresses explosion of crime in Milwaukee

Chisholm wasn't without his critics.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski said he considered Chisholm a "good person" who was "well meaning," but Borowski said the county's top prosecutor failed at his most important duty: lowering crime.

"In the last three or four years, crime has exploded in Milwaukee County," Borowski said. "I don't think that either he or law enforcement or other elected officials have done enough to stem the problems related to reckless driving, shootings, weapons possession, homicide and other significant crimes."

Asked if he considered Chisholm soft on crime, Borowski said, "Let's put it this way. If I was district attorney, I would have handled many things differently than he did and his office has in the last couple of years."

Borowski added that he is considering running for district attorney while noting he could only do this if state lawmakers pass a bill permitting judges to run for nonjudicial posts during their terms. Borowski's judicial term ends in 2027.

Chisholm bristled at the criticism, noting he has created special units dedicated to particular crimes, such as nonfatal shootings. His agency's conviction rate on homicides is 95%, he said.

As for Borowski running for his job, Chisholm dismissed the idea.

"There's just no way in hell," he said. "There's no judge that's going to give up a seat where they're making $170,000 a year to become the Milwaukee County DA where you're going to make $145,000 a year, plus have to actually work for a living. That's not going to happen."

Blasted by critics and community alike

Chisholm also came under intense criticism for his handling of what became known as the John Doe I and John Doe II investigations into Walker, a Republican, and his associates. At the time they were conducted, Wisconsins John Doe law allowed prosecutors to operate in secret and compel people to turn over documents and give testimony.

John Doe I, which began in 2010, resulted in six convictions of Walker aides and associates for campaigning with public resources, exceeding political donation limits, stealing from a veterans fund and other crimes. Those crimes stemmed from a time when Walker was Milwaukee County executive.

John Doe II looked into whether Walkers campaign for governor illegally worked with conservative political groups on recall elections. The state Supreme Court shut down the investigation in 2015, saying nothing illegal had occurred.

A number of Republicans accused Chisholm of leading a partisan probe of his political enemies. But GOP officials were never able to field a strong candidate against Chisholm in heavily Democratic Milwaukee County.

In the interview, Chisholm defended the actions of both efforts. He said he believes the first John Doe investigation were "very well-handled." A special prosecutor oversaw the second one before it was shut down by the courts, but Chisholm said he was 100% in favor of that investigation, too.

Even so, Chisholm said, it was a low point for him personally when he was hit with repeated criticism over the John Doe probes but was legally unable to respond to the claims.

"Those were not great times," he said. "That scrutiny has never really ended."

Chisholm's Public Integrity Unit won convictions against Democrats such as then-Milwaukee County Supervisor Toni Clark and Milwaukee Alds. Chantia Lewis and Michael McGee Jr. Chisholm's office lost at trial in a case against Democrat Johnny Thomas, then a county supervisor, for alleged bribery.

In 2021, Chisholm acknowledged his agency erred when Darrell Brooks was released on $1,000 bail in a domestic violence case, five days before Brooks went to mow his vehicle into the 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade, killing six people and injuring 60 more.

Chisholm later said the decision to recommend low bail in the Milwaukee County case was a mistake and came as an early-career prosecutor in the middle of a jury trial reviewed the bail decision.

Brian Schimming, chairman of the state Republican Party, said he believes Chisholm had stayed in his office too long.

Chisholms long overdue departure is a welcome change for Milwaukeeans who are sick and tired of woke politics being put before their personal safety," Schimming said. "His retirement is a first step in the right direction towards common sense policies and safer communities."

Finally, Chisholm has been criticized by some members of the Black community for not charging crimes in the death of young Black men at the hands of police. This includes the deaths of Derek Williams in 2011 and Dontre Hamilton in 2014. Many have also decried the lack of charges against three white customers at a West Allis convenience store in the death of Craig Stingley in 2012.

At the same time, his office also won convictions against former Milwaukee police officers for illegal strip search and body cavity search practices.

His office has also worked with The Vera Institute of Justice to audit his office for racial disparities in prosecutorial discretion. One conclusion from that audit, which was carried out over several years, reported that the District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute 27% of Black people compared to the 41% of white people arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, and that most of the defendants that were charged in cases involving resisting or obstructing an officer were Black men already in-custody.

Chisholm said he believes the charging decisions by his office have been "pretty even-handed."

Of the criticism Chisholm has faced over the years, attorney Michael Maistelman, Chisholm's longtime friend and occasional courtroom foe, said no one should be surprised at that given all of the changes that have occurred under his watch.

"That's part of the job," Maistelman said. "You're not going to win over everyone."

Chisholm's final regret

In his interview, Chisholm was asked if there was anything he wished had been done differently.

He noted that early in his tenure, homicide rates had dropped to their lowest levels since the 1980s, something he said was due to the cooperation of a number of people at the local, county, state and federal levels.

But Chisholm said gun laws were loosened early in the 2010s, and the number of police officers has been cut by more than 400 slots in Milwaukee. Then, he said, the pandemic hit, overwhelming local officials with a greater demand for services.

"So if there's anything that I wish could have been done differently," he said, "it is that is that adequate resources for the county in the city had been invested much earlier, which includes funding for for prosecutors and for county employees, so that you can actually provide effective services for the public."

Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or at vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X @Vanessa_Swales.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on X at @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee DA John Chisholm blasts claims hes soft on crime
Five-year-old Cameron Smith, pictured lower left with his family, was left behind on a school bus Jan. 8, until his father, pictured upper left, found him that night in a parking lot.

Milwaukee kindergartner Cameron Smith was left on a GO Riteway school bus Monday after he fell asleep, and wasn't found until his family tracked him down in the school bus company's parking lot that night, police confirmed Tuesday.

Chenequa Byers-Smith, the boy's mom, said Cameron was physically unharmed but traumatized. The 5-year-old was honking the horn on the bus for help when he was found, she said.

"It could have ended very differently had we not thought to go up there," she said.

In a statement, GO Riteway said an employee, who has since been terminated, failed to follow safety protocols at the end of a shift. The statement noted the company would continue to cooperate with authorities investigating the incident.

Byers-Smith said she started to get worried when Cameron wasn't home by 5 p.m., the latest he ever gets dropped off by his bus. She tried calling his school, Milwaukee Academy of Science, and the bus company, GO Riteway, but she said no one answered the phone.

At 6 p.m., Byers-Smith said, she called police. Byers-Smith said she asked police to search the school bus lot, but they told her they first needed to search her house and gather more information. Byers-Smith posted her son's photo on Facebook and said he was missing.

GO Riteway parking lot located at 6301 W. Mill Road.

In the meantime, Byers-Smith's mother and two brothers set out for the GO Riteway lot 6300 block of West Mill Road. The boy's dad was close behind. At 7:45 p.m., while police were still at Byers-Smith's home, she said she got the call from her mom that the child was at the lot; the family had heard a horn honking.

The men jumped the barbed wire fence, calling Cameron's name. Cameron figured out how to turn the light on in the bus, Byers-Smith said, so his family could find him.

"He was very cold and tired," Byers-Smith said. "He was finally relieved that somebody knew where he was."

Byers-Smith said the school bus usually boards around 3:30 p.m. so he had been on board for about four hours. She took her son to Children's Wisconsin to see if he had hypothermia or had been hurt.

"He was OK, just really tired," she said.

Byers-Smith said Cameron had fallen asleep and told her that when he woke up, it was dark. She said she wants to see consequences for the bus driver and bus company.

Earlier Monday, Milwaukee Academy of Science students were on a different GO Riteway school bus when it was struck by a speeding vehicle on Milwaukee's northwest side, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.

In that incident, GO Riteway notified the school that two students were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, according to Milwaukee Academy of Science CEO Anthony McHenry.

A GO Riteway representative said the two incidents  the crash, and the boy left behind on the bus  were not related.

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @RoryLinnane.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @elliothughes12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee student left behind on school bus, found at Riteway lot
Over 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide were emitted into the air as a result of Russia's mass missile attacks against Ukraine on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2, according to Environmental Protection Minister Ruslan Strilets.

Russia launched almost 300 missiles and drones at Ukraine on the two said days, killing and injuring dozens of civilians, with the Dec. 29 strike being the largest air attack against the country since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The air pollution from the attacks caused $400,000 of damages to Ukraine, Strilets said at a Jan. 8 meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War.

"In this terrible, unprovoked, and very brutal war, our people, civilians and military, continue to die, and the environment suffers. All of these attacks cause massive damage," said Andriy Yermak, Presidential Office head and the group's co-chair.

"For example, after the last attack, the air quality in Kyiv significantly worsened due to the high concentration of combustion products, chemicals, and dust."

The total environmental damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine amounts to more than 55.6 billion euros ($58.9 billion), according to the latest figures released by Ukrainian authorities.

Ukraine aims to be "one of the first countries in the world" to hold the aggressor accountable for the damage caused to the environment, Yermak added at the Jan. 8 meeting.

"This year will be difficult. But this year can be changeable and radical. We have a lot of work to do, and the environmental aspect remains one of our main priorities."

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A missing person from Kentucky was found dead Saturday and a woman has been charged with murder, according to Kentucky State Police.

Rufus Smallwood, 77, of Manchester, had been missing since Friday. KSP said his body was found near Crawfish Road in Clay County. He had injuries that suggested foul play was involved in his death, KSP said.

KSP investigated the death and later charged 44-year-old John Couch, of Manchester, with murder and first-degree robbery, according to KSP. Couch is being held at the Clay County Detention Center.

Smallwood was sent to the state Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy, KSP said.
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" is a family affair.

In the show's present day, Cate Randa, portrayed by Anna Sawai, is trying to learn the truth about her father's disappearance along with her newly discovered half-brother Kentaro (Ren Watabe) and May (Kiersey Clemons), an expat hacker running from her past.

Over the course of the series, they've learned that the Randa family has long been in the business of studying Godzilla.

Episode 9 of "Monarch," which hit Apple TV+ last week, picks up after a cliffhanger that saw Cate, May and Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) fall into a giant hole in the ground and, presumably, a deep underground portal to another world.

A part of Legendary's interconnected Monsterverse, the 10-episode Apple TV+ series follows two different trios of characters more than 50 years apart: Cate, Kentaro and May in 2015 and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) in the 1950s. For one trio, Godzilla is the enigmatic and elusive subject of research. For the other, the giant kaiju  or Titan, in Monsterverse parlance  is more of a dangerous obstacle.

Set after the events of 2014's "Godzilla," "Monarch" is "about this brother and sister trying to figure out who their father is, and the giant monsters keep getting in the way," said executive producer Matt Fraction, who developed the series with showrunner Chris Black. "It's not about buildings getting knocked over and stuff blowing up."

But as Godzilla fans themselves, Black and Fraction are keenly aware that part of the appeal of the Monsterverse films is the spectacle of things getting knocked over and blown up. Their goal was to deliver those elements "at a level that people expect from those movies" wherever they were able to, said Black.

Still, at its core, "Monarch" is a messy intergenerational family drama about a Japanese and Japanese American family (with a few messy love stories too).

Sawai, who was looking for a bit of a reprieve after coming off of a heavier project (FX's upcoming "Shogun"), admits she was initially wary that Cate  who survived an up-close encounter with Godzilla only to find out her absent father was living a double life  could come off as just a victim of everything that has happened to her.

"But when I realized that she felt bad about herself, that she wasn't able to forgive herself, that was what was interesting," said Sawai. "In order to come to terms with everything that has happened to her, she needs to forgive herself  and tell herself that it wasn't her fault. When I figured that out, she didn't feel like the one-dimensional character that she could be."

The journey kicks off when, after heading to Tokyo to settle her father's affairs, she discovers her father had a secret second family.

Kentaro, her younger half-brother, is an up-and-coming artist who also is still grappling with his father's apparent death. Watabe, a newcomer who auditioned for the role while working as a line cook in Japan, describes him as "a regular guy."

"When I received the script, I felt like I knew what this guy is and how he'd probably act," he said. "I'm glad that I had a character that I can kind of relate to [because] it took me a while to understand what I was doing. But I just tried to focus on the work."

Black says "it just felt obvious" to start their story in Japan.

"You can go anywhere in the world and they know what Godzilla is, but his cultural homeland and birthplace is Japan," said Black. "It felt to Matt and I like that's where the story's got to start. Once we made that decision, in creating a group of Japanese characters and a Japanese family, it was incredibly important to us that this be authentic, that we not be trying to mimic or appropriate someone else's culture. We didn't want to fake Japan."

This involved casting Japanese actors who were native or fluent in the language and could speak up when their characters' dialogue didn't quite work.

"We would write a scene the way we knew how to write it, in colloquial American English, and then it would be translated into Japanese," said Black. "The actors would come to us and say, 'The phrasing you're using here, a Japanese person wouldn't say this this way.'"

Added Fraction: "Even if we spoke Japanese as a second language, that idiomatic stuff is the hardest thing to get."

Because Cate is Japanese American, Sawai says she didn't rework much of the language "because it was OK that it was a little bit rigid."

"I had to put on a bit of an American accent when I spoke Japanese," said Sawai, who was born in New Zealand and is of Japanese descent. "And it was very intentional when she was using the language because it was her secret language with her dad. So I didn't have a lot of Japanese dialogue."

But Watabe says he translated his lines himself "because what they were doing wasn't working for me."

"There's the English script and then I had to translate [it into] my own words, which worked out for the character," said Watabe. "But that was really difficult, to be honest. I think it's a learning experience. From here on forward, we should have a proper writer who can write in Japanese."

Sawai, who has worked on multiple projects where dialogue written in English has been translated into Japanese, agreed that "you need a bilingual person" to make it work.

"It's so difficult because when you translate the English line, it's never going to turn out the same way," said Sawai. "The language is just different. It's structured differently and we speak in a different way. If you take what's directly translated, that's not how we speak."

Watabe also found himself questioning whether the accuracy would matter to the audiences if they were predominantly English speakers who did not understand Japanese. But Sawai reassured him that it was still important that he made the effort to get it right no matter the size of the Japanese-speaking audience. She also commended the "Monarch" creatives for being open to making these adjustments.

Unlike Sawai and Watabe, Clemons had to learn Japanese for her role, and she admits it was difficult.

"In the beginning it sounded so fast and it's not an accent I'm familiar with at all," said Clemons. "I feel like I made [Anna and Ren] listen to me a lot."

Signing on to portray May involved trusting Black and Fraction's promise of what was to come for the character, she added, since most of her backstory and her ties to the broader Monsterverse lore were not revealed until later in the series.

"They definitely did May justice," said Clemons. "I think that everyone in the beginning half of this series is probably wondering, 'What is she doing here? What is her motive?' It's a slow burn that's well earned."

When asked about Cate and May's evolving dynamic, Sawai and Clemons admit they aren't quite sure where the relationship is headed either.

"Something I really appreciate about the show is that all of the love stories are so messy and all of the love stories are love triangles," said Clemons. "I really, really like that it's actually something that maybe you don't pick up on unless you're queer.  There's all of these communities of people that need representation on film and TV and it feels like there's these little nuggets that are just kind of for us."

For the "Monarch" team, authenticity was more than just getting the language right. The series filmed in Tokyo, which came with its own learning curve, and the team was always adjusting details like what food a mother might have on hand for a late-night meal and what snack foods have a recognizable commercial jingle.

"The places we shot were the kind of places in Tokyo you don't usually see on screen," said Fraction. "It delighted our Japanese crew when we were over there.  It's parts of Tokyo that aren't seen but it's super authentic."

Black and Fraction explained that ultimately, their approach was to be as open as possible to people telling them they got something wrong. This involved listening to their Japanese actors, the Japanese production team in Tokyo and the Japanese casting director, as well as the Japanese American and Japanese Canadian writers on the "Monarch" staff.

The executive producers also are aware of one thing they did not get quite right about Tokyo: the size of Kentaro and his mother's apartment.

"Everyone who had ever lived or worked in Japan pointed out to us that the apartment that Emiko and Kentara live in is way too big," Black said of the apartment set built in Vancouver. "No one in Tokyo has an apartment that big."

"But if in the Godzilla Monsterverse show, that's where your suspension of disbelief gets rocked, we're doing good," joked Fraction.

Despite its challenges  including communication issues, the language barrier and different filming restrictions that exist in Japan  Sawai and Watabe say they are proud to have been able to be involved in an international production with the scale of "Monarch" in their home country.

"I've always wanted the Japanese community to be able to go a little bit more global," said Sawai. "To be able to see the collaboration of the North American team and the Japanese crew, it felt like we were doing something new and stepping up in a way."

"I'm not Japanese, but the fact that there is cultural significance in this show versus other universes was really exciting for me," said Clemons. "We're on a show that is led by people of colour. That's really f cool."
The incredible explosion that blew out the ground floor of the Sandman Signature Hotel on Monday, injuring at least 21 people, isnt the first time a devastating blast  accidental or otherwise  has rocked downtown Fort Worth.

Two explosions shook downtown Fort Worth in 1986, both with dramatic effects on the city.

On March 12, 1986, a contractors backhoe struck a major natural gas pipeline across the south end of downtown, causing a giant blast and fire that completely leveled the former Frank Kent Cadillac dealership on the southeast corner of East Lancaster Avenue and Main Street.

The 22 people injured included not only construction workers but also passing motorists on Lancaster and on Interstate 30, then an elevated freeway that ran above Lancaster.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The explosion at 100 E. Lancaster Ave. shattered all the windows in a passing city bus.

Driver Alberta Thomas told the Star-Telegram she looked around for a missing teenage passenger but all I could see was smoke and dirt and glass everywhere. I just yelled, Little boy! Little boy!

The teenager, 15-year-old James Taylor, had run out the emergency exit and was asking workers to come help the driver.

On March 12, 1986, the former Frank Kent Cadillac dealership at Main Street and East Lancaster Avenue exploded when workers struck a gas line. The lot remains vacant.

The fire burned 57 new Cadillacs stored inside the former dealership.

The explosion also broke out most windows and heavily damaged the south tower of a hotel at 1701 Commerce St., then a Hilton and now the Sheraton Fort Worth. The 200 rooms were closed for years.

The car dealership lot remains vacant today, with only a bare concrete foundation.

Only nine months later, on Dec. 7, 1986, an explosion in the wee hours of a Sunday morning leveled a quarter-block and six businesses around Santinis Sub Shop, 305-A Throckmorton St.

Only one person was injured due to the hour. That was a guest in the Worthington hotel, which reported 200 broken windows and $1 million in damage.

On Dec. 7, Santinis Sub Shop and the 300 block of Throckmorton blew up in an explosion. Investigators blamed sabotage by someone who uncapped a gas line.

A guest from California said he had just been in an earthquake in San Francisco, and this blast shook just the same.

Investigators said Santinis was targeted by a rival who intentionally tampered with a gas line to sabotage the business.

Next door at the Caravan of Dreams theater-nightclub, now Reata Restaurant, owner Ed Bass was knocked out of his bed in his top-floor apartment.

The way Bass has told the story, he saw the debris the next morning.

Sundance West.

Then he decided to acquire that block and build the first market-rate downtown apartment complex, Sundance West.

The tower included the AMC Sundance 10 theater. It sparked crowds that boosted the success of Sundance Square, which had opened in 1981.

Today, the block remains Sundance West, the oldest of dozens of downtown apartment complexes.

Thompsons Bookstore is a cocktail lounge converted from a bookstore and pharmacy in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday, July 29, 2022.

One more note: The Santinis explosion also blew up a business next door, Thompsons Book Store, 305-B Throckmorton St.

It moved to 900 Houston St. and reopened. Later it changed from a bookstore to a cocktail lounge.

On Monday, Thompsons Bookstore remained dark as workers cleaned up.

Once again, the building next door had exploded.
MONTGOMERY  Township Committee member Neena Singh has become the first Sikh and Indian American woman mayor in New Jersey.

Today is a historic moment for our community and our entire state, Singh said at the Township Committee's reorganization meeting last week. I am grateful to my fellow committee members for their support. I am also incredibly proud of our township for, once again, breaking barriers and showing our state what inclusive, transparent and forward-thinking governance looks like.

Singh was unanimously selected to serve as mayor by her fellow Township Committee members. Vincent Barragan was selected as deputy mayor, becoming Montgomery's first Latinx deputy mayor.

Committeeman Dennis Ahn was sworn into his first term and is the first Korean American elected official in Somerset County. Committee Member Patricia Taylor Todd was also sworn into her first term and is the second Black Township Committee member in Montgomery.

Singh and Barragan were both sworn into office by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. Sending videotape congratulations to Singh were Sen. Cory Booker and state Sen. Vin Gopal.

"For every young South Asian girl growing up not just in Montgomery but across New Jersey, they're going to have a true role model to look up to," Gopal said.

With her family alongside her, Neena Singh is sworn in as Montgomery's mayor by Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman.

State Sen. Andrew Zwicker sent videotaped congratulations, but also appeared in person to offer his congratulations, along with Rep. Andy Kim, Assemblyman Roy Freiman and members of the Somerset County Board of Commissioners.

"I thank God my family and I ended up settling in beautiful Montgomery Township, a town that is representative of the American Dream," Singh said.

More: Apartments, dining, entertainment: These Central Jersey towns are booming with development

"If America is a melting pot, then Montgomery is a good example of its diversity," she continued.

"This country and this town have given me immeasurable opportunities and I'm immensely grateful," Singh said.

Among Singh's priorities for 2024 are public safety and health.

As Montgomery has grown, Singh said, the township has undertaken public safety initiatives, including measures to improve pedestrian safety.

She also said she will sign the Mayor's Wellness Campaign pledge.

"There will be opportunities for our Health Department, recreation, schools, libraries, businesses and local community groups to collaborate on this important quality of life endeavor," Singh said.

"Our goal for 2024 is to ensure that our residents have the best possible resources, whether it's community health, transportation, public spaces, municipal services or recreational activities," she said.

"We are also working on strategies to make our tax dollars go further,'' the mayor said.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Montgomery NJ mayor blazes trail for Sikh and Indian American women
Days after Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson passed away, her familys attorney said they plan to pursue legal action after accusing a Dallas-based health care facility of medical neglect.

Johnson was 89 years old when she died at her residence on Dec. 31.

During a press conference on Thursday, attorney Les Weisbrod said Johnsons death was caused by an infection in the spine acquired at the Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation, adding that she was left in her own feces.

Former Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson passed away at her home in Texas on Dec 31. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

On Sept. 21, about ten days after she underwent back surgery, Johnson called her son Kirk because she was not getting assistance from her nurses. When Johnson contacted him, he was slated to meet her case worker at the facility that afternoon.

The family claims when Kirk arrived, he said Johnson was screaming out in pain and for help. He sought out the institutes CEO, and when both of them returned to Johnsons room, the nurses were clearing her feces, WFAA reported. The day the situation happened, Kirk got a voicemail from a manager at the facility issuing an apology, he claims.

The family believes that the inaction led to the infection. In addition, a lab report revealed organisms directly related to feces on the surgery wound, the press release claims.

She was expected to go home and be fine and instead she got this infection at the Baylor Institute of Rehabilitation because they didnt protect her wound properly, said Weisbrod.

Johnson had to get surgery again and was transported to a skilled nursing facility in mid-October. She then started to receive hospice care at her home last month. Weisbrod added she was on antibiotics until she perished.

Weisbrod, who has been friends with Johnson for more than 50 years, said Johnson asked him to pursue a lawsuit weeks before her passing. The facility released a statement saying that they are working with the family on this matter.

Johnson is touted as a leader in her community, and many political figures, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Rep. Cori Bush, acknowledged her legacy as a titan in public service.



At a young age, she witnessed and experienced the profound effects of segregation and decided she would not stay on the sidelines in the fight for justice, Harris said in a statement. She would go on to have a trailblazing career  from becoming the first Black chief psychiatric nurse at the Dallas Veterans Affairs Hospital and the first Black woman elected to public office in Dallas, to serving in the state legislature, becoming the first Black person to represent Dallas in Congress, and making history as the first registered nurse elected to the House of Representatives.

Johnson represented the Texas 30th District in the U.S. House for 30 years from 1993 until last year.
MONTICELLO, Ind.  Residents of Monticello said goodbye to two of their police officers Monday night after Curt Blount, the newly appointed police chief, was sworn in at Januarys city council meeting.

The officers, Lt. Travis Clark and Patrolman Phillip Foerg, handed in their resignations to the city council to display their disapproval and lack of faith in Blount's appointment.

Monticello police Lt. Travis Clark walks out of the city council meeting Jan. 8, 2024, after turning in his resignation in response to Curt Blount being sworn in as the new chief of police.

Im here tonight to talk to you about the current condition of the Monticello Police Department and what has caused that condition, Foerg told the Monticello City Council and mayor.

Ever since members of the police department heard word that Curt Blount was going to be appointed chief of police of the Monticello Police Department, the morale and productivity of the police department took a 180-degree turn.

We were a happy police department and a productive police department," Foerg said. "Since Curt Blount was made chief of police, the atmosphere in the department became almost instantaneously negative.

Monticello Patrolman Phillip Foerg speaks out against Curt Blount being sworn in as the new chief of police during the city council meeting Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. He turned in his resignation in response to Blount's appointment curing the council meeting.

Good men stopped being productive and simply took their calls for service and went home," Foerg said. "I was extremely bothered by this decision and even lost sleep over it.

The decision to appoint Blount was made by newly elected Mayor Aaron Sims. That decision received strong opposition from residents, as many  both in person and online  expressed their disapproval of Blount's potential leadership of the department and criticized the process in which Blount was selected for the position.

Blounts character was questioned by those during the meeting, pointing to a lawsuit that was filed by an inmate at the White County Jail against Blount when he served as jail commander. The lawsuit alleges that Blount and his staff violated the inmates 14th Amendment rights.

Chief of Police Curt Blount speaks to the board at Monticello's City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

The lawsuit claims that the inmate was placed into a holding cell as segregation punishment for 10 days and then later moved to a segregation block as an unprovoked punishment from Blount.

Blount denies the claims made against him by this lawsuit, which is still pending in the White County courts.

Residents also voiced concerns about Blount's potential leadership over his recent decision to demote Tony Stroup, who previously served as a captain and who had served the department for more than 19 years.

Hes already demonstrated an authoritarian type of leadership, which is not what the Monticello Police Department needs. The Monticello Police Department needs a leader, not a boss, Foerg said.

Police Chief Blount's defender

However, not everyone who spoke at Monday nights meeting was against Blounts appointment as chief, as Paula Norwood spoke up in his defense.

That man (Curt Blount) has went out of his way to represent this county and this town for the past 20-some years. And if all of you people have this much gripe, you should have started way back when Jason Thompson was mayor, Norwood said at the city council meeting.

Has everything hes done been perfect? No. What you guys do, is it perfect? No. Nobody in this building is perfect.

As far as Im concerned the officers who have resigned are throwing temper tantrums because they didnt get their way, Norwood said.

This statement from Norwood led to an audible grasp from people attending the meeting.

Paula Norwood speaks in defense of Curt Blount being sworn in as the new chief of police at Monticello's January City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

Former Chief Kyburz's resignation

Prior to the new year, Jeremy Kyburz served as police chief. Kyburz is a 16-year veteran of the department and an officer reportedly viewed as a reputable leader for the community.

Kyburz had only served as chief of police for a little more than a year after Chief Jason Lingenfelter retired on Nov. 7, 2022. Within that period, he and his team had updated several aspects of the police department, including improvements to the report-writing system, the departments evidence procedures, the aging vehicle fleet, and the departments body cameras.

Monticello Patrolman Phillip Foerg walks out of the meeting after turning in his resignation in response to Curt Blount being sworn in as the new chief of police at Monticello's City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

For many within the community, the direction that Kyburz was leading the department was received positively, which is why many in the city and Kyburz himself were perplexed when Sims decided to appoint Blount as police chief rather than leaving Kyburz in the role.

In Indiana, police and fire chiefs are appointed by a city's mayor, and they may be removed by the mayor.

Sims' decision to appoint Blount and demote Kyburz ultimately led to Kyburz's resignation from the department at the start of the year.

Despite the great career that I have had to this date, I will be resigning from my position with the Monticello Police Department, Kyburz wrote in his final letter to the city of Monticello on Jan. 3, 2024.

Recent events have transpired that have changed my outlook on my future. I no longer feel that remaining with the Monticello Police Department is whats best for me or my family. The environment has quickly shifted from the best Ive seen in my career, to the worst. The citizens of Monticello deserve better and I cannot stand by and be supportive of the direction that things are headed.

Marcia Kyburz shares her opinion Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, on newly elected Mayor Aaron Sims' decision to appoint Curt Blount as the new chief of police. She voiced her opinions during the Monticello City Council meeting. Marcia Kyburz is the mother of former police chief Jeremy Kyburz, who resigned Jan. 3, 2024, after not being appointed police chief by the new mayor.

Marcia Kyburz, Jeremys mother spoke at Mondays meeting but specifically noted that she was not there to speak on behalf of Jeremy but as a citizen of Monticello.

She specifically aimed her statement at the new mayor, criticizing the decisions hes made so far as a leader and shared her concern about how this decision has tarnished the trust many held with him.

This is about me being totally appalled to what has happened already and how were supposed to be an office of transparency and yet everything is kept secret, she said.

You had all these people warning you, speaking to you, telling you from citizens to police officers to other members of government, telling you what a horrible mistake it would be to bring Curt Blount back in here," she said during the meeting.

Im here to ask how you have this concern face on, when you done something as atrocious as bringing Blount back ," she said. "You have knocked the morale not just of the city police department (but) of the whole town and their faith in the city police department.

Newly elected Monticello Mayor Aaron Sims reacts to comments as residents share their opinions on Curt Blount being sworn in as the new chief of police at Monticello's City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

Mayor Sims declines to comment; Chief Blount remains confident in his leadership

After the meeting, the Journal & Courier attempted to ask Sims questions about the comments during the meeting, but Sims declined to comment. Sims appeared dazed from the emotions of Monday nights meeting.

After the meeting, the Journal & Courier spoke with Blount and asked him about his reaction to Monday nights meeting and the opposition that hes facing from the community.

I feel confident after this meeting because my record as a former officer in the Monticello Police Department is solid. Ive never had a write-up as a city police officer, Ive never been suspended, Ive never been demoted, Blount said.

I think a lot of the problem from here tonight is some people dont want to be held accountable, and so they can question my record.

When asked about the flood of resignations that the department has experienced over the past few weeks, Blount said, Treavor Cox resigned. He is going to the Delphi Police Department to make $12,000 more a year. And to be honest with you, there was one tonight that surprised me, and the other one tonight did not surprise me. He, for some reason, cant get past something."

When asked if he was worried about the challenges of hiring a significant number of new officers within a timely manner, Blount did not seem concerned.

In the last few days weve had, I believe, four people come in to pick up applications. Two of them already being police officers at other departments, he said.

He also mentioned that he will ask the city council on Jan. 22 for permission to hire new officers.

As of Tuesday, five officers have left the Monticello Police Department either resigning their positions or retiring over the past two months. During the meeting, Foerg noted that between eight to 10 officers may ultimately leave the Monticello Police Department due to Blounts appointment.

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: New police chief appointment leads to resignation of officers
Full moon rises behind an electricity pylon with high-voltage power lines in Dnipropetrovsk region

By Olena Harmash

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's power grid operator said on Tuesday severe winter weather left more than 1,000 towns and villages without electricity in nine regions and urged residents to conserve power as the energy system has been weakened by Russian strikes.

Electricity consumption was at this week's highest levels as temperatures fell to about -15 C in many parts of the country, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

"The consumption level continues to grow due to the considerable drop in temperature across the country," it said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that electricity consumption in the morning was already 5.8% higher than the day before.

"As of this morning due to bad weather - strong winds, ice power was cut off in 1,025 settlements."

The weather caused significant damage to distribution networks with strong winds, frost, and a thick layer of ice on equipment, which delayed repair works, Ukrenergo said.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of southern Mykolaiv region where 215 towns and villages have been cut off from electricity, said ice on electricity cables was over 5 cm thick.

Ukrenergo said the power system was already working at maximum capacity and urged residents to save electricity as much as possible and avoid using several electrical appliances simultaneously to help the system cope.

"Currently, electricity is enough to supply all commercial and household consumers. But a big increase in consumption creates an additional load on power plants, which are already operating at maximum, and they need to increase generation very quickly and considerably and that can lead to technological disruptions," Ukrenergo said.

Ukraine had to import electricity from neighbouring Romania and Slovakia to be able to meet the demand, it said.

Ukrenergo said that Ukranian thermal power plants were still recovering from last winter's massive Russian strikes and solar power plants could not work at full capacity due to dense clouds and bad weather.

Last winter Russia targeted the Ukrainian power system with thousands of missiles and drones, causing frequent blackouts for millions of people.

Thermal power stations accounted for about a third of all electricity produced in Ukraine before the war.

Ukrenergo also reported more damage to electricity networks in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions which are near to the frontline and within the reach of artillery shelling.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Ros Russell)
Now that bus companies have dropped off migrants at Metra stations in many suburbs and some migrants wearing only summer clothes have been left out in the cold, officials in Morton Grove, Park Ridge, Skokie, Lincolnwood and other northern suburbs with train or bus access into Chicago are making plans in case migrants should arrive in their towns.

Morton Groves Village Board was scheduled to vote at its Jan. 9 meeting on an ordinance allowing the village to fine bus companies that drop off more than 10 passengers without coordinating with Morton Grove police.

Morton Grove Village Manager Ralph Czerwinski said the ordinance was similar to what other suburban villages do to crack down on unscheduled drop-offs of migrants who arrive on buses from Texas. Last week, Waukegan, North Chicago, Highwood and Grayslake all approved ordinances to regulate bus drop-offs.

Bus companies that violate the ordinance could be fined up to $750 per person dropped off, and the bus seized and impounded by the village, according to the ordinance.

The ordinance said bus companies looking to drop off people in Morton Grove will need to fill out a Morton Grove Police Department application 10 days in advance. The ordinance would allow drop-offs to be scheduled at the Morton Grove Metra station from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, excluding federal holidays.

Czerwinski said if migrants arrived at the Metra station, the villages fire and police departments would respond to their immediate needs and coordinate with Metra to get them to Chicagos designated location at 800 S. Des Plaines St. Czerwinski said the village would also collaborate with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications and the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.

If an incident were to occur, as it did this past weekend in Glen Ellyn when migrants were dropped off at the Metra station just as the last train of the night had left the station, leaving them to wait five hours for the morning train, Czerwinski said migrants would be able to stay temporarily at the Metra station for the night and take the next train to Chicago in the morning. He said Pace could also provide warming buses if the station reached its limit. He clarified that migrants would only stay at the Metra station until they would be able to get on the next inbound train.

Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney said the city would not seek to adopt an ordinance that would restrict unscheduled bus stops in Park Ridge. Maloney said that in discussions between the citys staff and the city attorney, staff concluded that an ordinance would not be effective.

According to Park Ridges plan, if a bus were to unload passengers in Park Ridge, Park Ridge police would redirect the bus to Chicago. If passengers were already dropped off in Park Ridge, they would be sheltered at either the Dee Road or Uptown Metra station, whichever is closest. Park Ridge police would contact Metra Police and assist in getting people on the next inbound train to Chicago, according to the plan.

The plan said Park Ridge would facilitate the transportation of people to Chicago and that Park Ridge does not have the resources or infrastructure to accommodate people on a long-term basis.

Lincolnwood does not have a Metra station but has a border and bus connections with Chicago. Assistant Village Manager Charles Meyer said the village has a plan in place, overseen by the police department, to coordinate with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications and the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security to transport migrants to the designated location within the city of Chicago that has appropriate resource to accept the migrants.

Skokies Communications and Community Engagement Director Patrick Deignan said village officials had made plans to ensure people could get to Chicagos landing site for migrants if they should be dropped off without any announcement. Skokie does not have a Metra station but has two CTA Yellow Line stations, which provide transit connections to Chicago.

Niles Deputy Police Chief Nick Zakula said the department would direct buses to Chicago, should they arrive in Niles. He said the village does not have a designated location where the buses can drop off passengers. Niles does not have a Metra station but shares a border and bus connections with Chicago.

Zakula shared a draft of a proposed ordinance, that the Village Board may vote on at its next meeting, that would ban the unscheduled drop-off of passengers in the village. The document showed that the village is considering fines between $300 and $1,500 if a person drops off passengers without coordinating with the villages police department. The ordinance said a bus could also be seized and impounded, and the owner of the bus could be ordered to pay an additional $750 administrative fee.
Russians want to turn the occupied parts of Ukraine into a militarized zone

Analysts of the Eastern Human Rights Group NGO examined out how the Kremlin is using the resources of captured Ukrainian territories to consolidate their occupation. Russian forces are turning the Ukrainian areas they captured during the war into a huge military base, the experts concluded.

Read also: Labor shortages in occupied Donetsk driven by conscription, Kyiv says

Pavlo Lysyansky, human rights activist and director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Security (IISS), is convinced of this. He and his team spent several months researching and analyzing the enemy actions, having prepared a large-scale report titled The Russian Federations plans in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

In 2023 alone, the Kremlin established four new military units in occupied Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, as well as army training grounds. In addition, Russias Defense Ministry has opened four military commissariats in the occupied territories and is conducting forced mobilization of the local population.

To streamline the processes of forced militarization, Moscow has included the occupied territories of eastern and southern Ukraine in its Southern Military District. The latters area of responsibility also includes occupied Ukraines Crimea, as well as Russias Caucasus, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, and Astrakhan Oblast.

Read also: Russia under attack  Multiple drones spotted in Krasnodar, Belgorod and temporarily occupied Crimea

Lysyansky explains that by analogy with Russias occupation administrations, which represent civilian authority, the Russian Defense Ministry began to branch out its structures in the occupied areas. And in addition to military units and commissariats, [Russian Defense Minister] Sergei Shoigus department is also establishing paramilitary higher education institutions there.

The Russians opened some similar higher education institutions in the occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in 2015, and simply integrated them into Russias education system in 2022. But now the process is going wider. For example, the invaders announced the opening of a 560-seat branch of the Nakhimov Naval School in Mariupol. The institution itself is located in St. Petersburg, while having regional branches in Vladivostok, Murmansk, Kaliningrad, and occupied Sevastopol. The education starts from Year 5 and lasts seven years.

This is the invaders systematic work to transform Ukraines captured areas into a militarized zone, with military units being located there to constantly threaten the rest of the Ukrainian territory. No normal life will take place in the occupied part, Lysyansky concludes.

First, military bases

Vira Yastrebova, the director of Ukrainian NGO Eastern Human Rights Group, who also joined the IISS research project, says that Moscow has already built two out of five planned training grounds for its military in temporarily occupied areas of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

Read also: Russian occupation authorities to open war museums in Luhansk schools to intensify propaganda among children

The first of them was put into operation in Luhansk Oblast in October 2023, Yastrebova said.

The Russian Defense Ministrys builders have constructed a training tactical field on the training ground to practice urban warfare tactics. They have also created the largest military shooting range for the Russian army, which enables three mechanized infantry battalions to train there simultaneously.

In addition, the training ground includes tank and auto tracks, Yastrebova clarified.

In a similar way, the second Russian training ground, which is officially called Zoryanyi 8th combined military training ground, was set up in Donetsk Oblast by military contractors subordinate to Shoigu. The ground covers 27 hectares and includes locations for the training of gunners, tankers, snipers, storm troopers, grenade launcher operators, machine gunners, and other military specialists. According to Yastrebova, 3,000-4,000 people can simultaneously train on the ground.

Its not the industrial development of the captured areas, such as Donbas or southern Ukraine, that is important for the Kremlin, but rather the strategic military one: training soldiers and immediately throwing them into battle against Ukraine, she said.

Read also: Kremlin sends FSB agents to search for Ukrainian partisans in Kherson Oblast, Kyiv says

The Russian security forces, including the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Guard are also carrying similar actions to create paramilitary units in occupied Ukrainian territories.

In particular, the FSB set up its military unit in Donetsk Oblast, while the Russian National Guard established two. The latter, in addition to the function of filtering the local population, became a base for blocking troops, tasked with preventing the Russian military from retreating on the battlefield and curbing desertions.

At the same time, the Russians are trying to establish power structures under the occupation administrations in the south of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts, involving local collaborators. The Russian army plans to use these battalions named after Soviet general [Pavel] Sudoplatov and [Vasily] Margelov as assault units to counter the Ukrainian armed forces. However, the Russians have failed to recruit enough people for the service in these units.

The invaders main goal, when they take local people into such battalions, is to show that there is discord among Ukrainians, that part of Ukrainians [in the occupied territory] rebelled against the Kyiv regime, explains Ella Mamontova, professor of the Department of Political Theory at Odesa Law Academy.

Second, railways

Lysyansky notes the military component is impossible without the development of appropriate logistics. Thats why the invaders are trying to strengthen the railway connection between the occupied territories of Ukraine and Russia, which appears to be a strategic goal for the Kremlin.

To achieve it, the Russian government established a new state enterprise Novorossiya [New Russia] Railways, which includes railways in occupied Ukrainian territories.

Russian government institutions have already developed a plan for the construction of a railway line from Russias Rostov-on-Don to occupied Dzhankoy in northern Crimea. It must pass through occupied Mariupol, Berdyansk and Melitopol. This project appears in Moscow documents titled North Azov railway line, Lysyansky said.

The Russians are also building another railway line on the occupied territories, which, according to their plan, should connect Russias Taganrog with Mariupol, Volnovakha, and Donetsk.

Read also: In a devastating blow, Ukraines SBU destroys key railway tunnel connecting Russia & China

If these projects are implemented, the invaders will have a full-fledged ring railway connection Taganrog-Mariupol-Berdyansk-Melitopol-Dzhankoy-Kerch-Rostov, as well as Taganrog-Volnovakha-Donetsk, says Lysyansky.

This will have a significant impact on the speed and flexibility of their logistics and step up their military capabilities.

In addition, if the Russians manage to implement their railway development plans, they will thereby partially eliminate the problem of vulnerability of the Kerch Strait Bridge. Even if the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly hit the railway track, its much easier to restore it on land than on a bridge.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodnyuk explains that the Russians are behaving in the same way as the ancient invaders behaved, i.e., theyre using the resources of the Ukrainian captured areas for further offensive. They need everything: from local residents to grain harvested in the south.

Read also: Russia using internet registration to force passportization in occupied Ukraine

Zahorodnyuk clarifies that Moscow repeats the Soviet tactics in its actions. At one time, while preparing for a confrontation with NATO, the latter deployed several military bases, units, airfields, etc. on its western borders.

Its the same now, the former minister added.

The Russians are occupying Ukraines territory. And they set up military bases where they managed to do it. Moscows tactic is to get closer to the borders of NATO and Eastern Europe, Zahorodnyuk believes.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Palestinian female artist is seen drawing a picture titled 'GAZA 2024' on the concrete of the rubble of a destroyed building Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images

The vast majority of members of Congress have refused to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, even after three months of slaughter and destruction by Israels military. Capitol Hill remains a friendly place for the Israeli government, which continues to receive massive arms shipments courtesy of U.S. taxpayers.

Israel would not be able to conduct this war without the U.S., which over time has provided Israel with about 80 percent of the countrys weapons imports, Vox reports. The distance between the Capitol and Gaza can be measured by the vast disconnect between the standard discourse of U.S. politics and the carnage being inflicted on Palestinian people.

The human toll includes upward of 22,000 dead, more than 85 percent of Gazas prewar population of 2.2 million displaced and the emerging lethal combination of hunger and disease that could kill several hundred thousand more.

The impunity enjoyed by Israeli leaders is enabled by President Joe Biden, who clearly does not want a ceasefire. The same can be said of the vast majority of Congress, whose responses range from silences and equivocations to zealous support for the wholesale killing of civilians in the name of Israels right to defend itself.

Members of Congress, who now deploy such easy rhetoric in public statements to justify massive and ongoing U.S. military support to Israel, would likely be far less complacent if they had to dig their own dead children out of rubble.

Seventeen members of the House stepped forward in mid-October to sign on as co-sponsors of the ceasefire resolution introduced by Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., calling for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine. But the number of members willing to take such a forthright public stance has not risen during the 11 weeks since then.

What weve gotten instead has been the molasses-pace drip of some other members of Congress calling for  or kind of calling for  a ceasefire.

Now in circulation from some antiwar organizations is whats described as a growing list of members of Congress who have publicly called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. But the basis for listing those names  56 House members and four senators  ranges from solid to flimsy.

A case in point is my congressperson, Rep. Jared Huffman of California, a Democrat whose name is on the list but doesnt belong there. As ostensible documentation, the list provides a link to a Nov. 19 social media post from Huffman stating that a ceasefire would require Hamas releases all hostages, disarms & relinquishes control of Gaza  in other words, demanding a full surrender by Hamas as a prerequisite for ending Israels mass killing of civilians there.

Several other listed House Democrats, such as Reps. Judy Chu of California, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, have publicly called for a ceasefire only with caveats and preconditions  without calling for the U.S.-backed Israeli government to stop killing Palestinian civilians immediately, no matter what.

Many members of Congress, to be sure, have taken far worse positions. But we should not be grading on a curve. Constituents need accurate information  so they wont be under the false impression that they are represented by an actual supporter of a ceasefire.

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

Even including the most dubious names that have been classified as ceasefire supporters, the current list comprises just 13 percent of the House and 4 percent of the Senate. Thats a measure of how far we have to go in order to end what amounts to overwhelming congressional support for Israels devastating war on Palestinians in Gaza.

Outpourings of protests against U.S. support for that war have included large nonviolent actions at bridges, highways, train stations, airports, college campuses, legislatures and more. Some activists have also confronted members of Congress.

But for the most part, congressional supporters of Israeli impunity have been spared the nonviolent confrontations that they deserve. Such confrontations can occur at their office on Capitol Hill, but traveling to Washington is not necessary. Senators and House members all have offices in their home states and districts, conveniently located for many constituents to visit, express their views and even disrupt with nonviolent protest, making the point that support for the mass murder in Gaza is morally unacceptable.
Who is Mukhtar Babayev? Azerbaijan appoints former oil exec as president of COP29 climate talks

Azerbaijan's ecology minister has been named to lead the United Nations' annual climate talks later this year.

Some climate activists have raised concerns over his former ties to the state oil company in a major oil-producing nation.

Mukhtar Babayev's appointment was announced by the United Arab Emirates, which hosted COP28 in December, and confirmed on Friday by the United Nations.

Officials in Azerbaijan did not immediately respond to messages seeking to confirm the COP29 appointment.

Oil and gas bring 90% of Azerbaijan's export revenues

Babayev, 56, has been his country's minister for ecology and natural resources since 2018. Before that, he worked at Azerbaijan's state oil company for more than two decades.

Oil and natural gas bring in around 90 per cent of Azerbaijans export revenues and finance around 60 per cent of the government budget, according to the International Energy Agency.

Climate activists say the country needs to look past its own fossil fuel interests if it's going to host successful talks.

Mohamad Adow of climate think tank Power Shift Africa says its "concerning to be once again having the worlds climate negotiations coordinated by a petrostate that has a big interest in oil and gas production," following COP28 in Dubai last year.

Harjeet Singh, global engagement director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, adds that "with another petrostate hosting the climate conference, our concerns multiply."

Babayev "must transcend the vested interests of the powerful fossil fuel industry that is primarily responsible for the climate crisis," says Singh.

Critics draw parallels with COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber

Similar concerns dogged Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the UAE's national oil company, as he presided over the talks in Dubai.

The COP president is responsible for running talks and getting nearly 200 countries to agree on a deal to help limit global warming, and skeptics questioned whether al-Jaber would be willing to confront the fossil fuels causing climate change.

The conference ultimately resulted in a final agreement that for the first time mentioned fossil fuels as the cause of climate change and acknowledged the need to transition away from them, but it had no concrete requirements to do so.

Adow is hopeful that climate negotiators could be successful in Azerbaijans capital Baku as the COP in Dubai resulted in an outcome more positive than many expected."

"[Babayev has] got a huge job to do," says Adow. "He needs to start working on getting rich countries to deliver serious, long-term finance that will tackle the climate crisis."

'Stakes will be high' in Azerbaijan

Without commenting directly on Babayev, Melanie Robinson, global director for the climate program at World Resources Institute, says stakes will be high in Azerbaijan. Nations will tackle issues including how to finance climate change adaptation and mitigation around the world, particularly in poorer countries.

As with all presidencies, the world will be looking to Azerbaijan to fairly facilitate the most ambitious outcome possible, she says.

The United Nations moves the talks around the world with different regions taking turns. They're typically announced two years in advance, but the decision to hold 2024 talks in Azerbaijan came just 11 months before the negotiations are supposed to start.

That was due to a longtime standoff between Eastern European nations, the region designated to host in 2024. A prisoner swap between Azerbaijan and Armenia in early December led to Armenia supporting Azerbaijan's COP29 bid.

Azerbaijan plans to increase fossil fuel production by a third

An analysis shared exclusively today with UK newspaper the Guardian reveals Azerbaijan plans to increase its fossil fuel production by over a third in the next decade - a major blow to those feeling hopeful about COP29.

To limit global warming, the world needs to cut fossil fuel production rapidly in the coming years. But the country's annual gas production is projected to rise from an estimated 37 billion cubic meters this year to 49 bcm by 2023.

The data, sourced by the campaign group Global Witness from analysts at Rystad Energy, is based on an analysis of Azerbaijans current gas production, its reserves approved for development, and reserves that have have been assessed by oil and gas companies but are yet to receive clearance.

Further gas reserves could be confirmed by drilling in the next 10 years, meaning the forecast could be conservative.
MUNCIE, Ind.  A Muncie woman who allegedly set fire to her husband's clothing has been charged with arson.

Amber Dawn MacWhinney, 50, was also charged Monday in Delaware Circuit Court 2 with neglect of a dependent  like the arson count, a Level 6 felony carrying up to 30 months in prison  and two misdemeanors, criminal mischief and criminal recklessness.

When Delaware County sheriff's deputies arrived at MacWhinney's Hamilton Township home about 5 a.m. on Feb. 27, 2023, firefighters were already at the scene.

According to court documents, the deputies observed a pile of fire-damaged clothing outside, near the home's front door, and another pile of clothing  along with several burnt matches  inside the house.

MacWhinney's spouse told the deputies he had "discovered that Amber was setting his clothes on fire inside of the residence near the front door."

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They also were shown a cellphone video that showed "Amber standing next to a pile of burning clothing inside the home near the front door.," an affidavit said.

When questioned by the deputies, MacWhinney reportedly said she and her husband had agreed to burn their clothing "because they were going to move soon."

She also claimed her spouse had burned all of her clothing a day before, the affidavit reported and said he had wanted her "to burn the clothes in the fireplaces in the residence."

A deputy reported finding no clothing or burnt matches near either of the home's two fireplaces.

A child was in the home at the time, leading to the filing of the neglect charge.

An investigator with the Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Company told the deputies that evidence in the case would be sent to the state fire marshal's office for review, and to Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman's office.

A trial date has not yet been set in the case.

Court records reflect no prior convictions for MacWhinney.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie woman who set husband's clothes on fire faces arson charge
One of Donald Trumps lawyers on Tuesday made a shocking new defense of presidential immunityand in the process accidentally destroyed one of the former presidents arguments for why he shouldnt be charged for his role in the January 6 insurrection.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that he cannot be prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 election, because he has presidential immunity from criminal proceedings. His lawyers presented his case to a panel of three appellate judges in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

At one point, Judge Florence Pan asked if a president would be immune from criminal prosecution if he had ordered Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival. She noted that an order to Seal Team 6 would be an official act.

Trumps lawyer John Sauer said the president could be prosecuted, but only if he had been impeached and convicted first.

Thats a terrifying interpretation on its own, but Pan took it one step further. She pointed out that this would mean presidents can be criminally prosecuted under certain circumstances. In other words, Trump does not have absolute immunity.

Doesnt that narrow the issues before us tocan a president be prosecuted without first being impeached and convicted? Pan said. All of your other arguments seem to fall away.

Once you concede that theres not this absolute immunity, that the judiciary can hear criminal prosecutions under any circumstancesyoure saying theres one specific circumstancethen that means that there isnt this absolute immunity that you claim.

CLIP: Exchange on immunity between DC Circuit Court Judge Florence Pan and D. John Sauer, attorney for former President Donald Trump.



Judge Pan: "Once you concede that presidents can be prosecuted under some circumstances your separation of powers argument falls away..." pic.twitter.com/QYT8KoILkh  CSPAN (@cspan) January 9, 2024

Pan also noted that Trump appeared to be trying to have it both ways. During his second impeachment trial, Trump and some of his Republican allies argued that the Senate shouldnt convict him because he would face criminal prosecution later. But now, he claims he shouldnt have to face prosecution, either.

If the appellate judges rule against Trump, then the case will likely head to the Supreme Court. This could delay Trumps trial, which is currently set to begin on March 4, the day before Super Tuesday.

Trump was indicted in August for his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection and other attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He faces one count each of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to corruptly obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against the right to vote.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and has insisted the case should be dismissed altogether. He argues that former presidents cant be criminally charged for actions related to their official responsibilities. He did not explain how overturning an election was related to official presidential duties.

While many critics say Trumps immunity claim is a desperate attempt to avoid accountability, it could also be an attempt to ease his path towards increased power. As Greg Sargent writes for The New Republic, If he wins on this front, hed be largely unshackled in a second presidential term, free to pursue all manner of corrupt designs with little fear of legal consequences after leaving office again.
The Democratic Partys infighting over the New Hampshire primary just got litigious.

The New Hampshire attorney generals office on Monday sent a cease-and-desist order to the Democratic National Committee after the national party demanded state Democrats educate the public that their upcoming presidential primary is meaningless.

In its letter to the DNC, the New Hampshire attorney generals office declared that that demand was illegal voter suppression and warned the DNC to stop trashing their primary or risk further enforcement action.

Telling any person qualified to register to vote or vote in New Hampshire that the January 23, 2024, New Hampshire democratic Presidential Primary Election is meaningless... constitutes an attempt to prevent or deter New Hampshire voters from participating [in the primary]... in violation of RSA 659:40, III, Assistant Attorney General Brendan ODonnell wrote in the order to the DNC, citing a portion of the states voting rights law.

This matter remains open, and this Office reserves the right to take further enforcement action based on the actions described in this letter and any other actions that violate State election laws, ODonnell concludes.

The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The back-and-forth is the latest fallout from the DNCs attempt, under direction from President Joe Biden, to demote the New Hampshire primary for his party. The New Hampshire Republican primary remains unchanged.

The DNC last year overhauled their presidential primary calendar for 2024. Iowa was widely expected to lose its place as the kickoff to the campaign after it botched the 2020 caucuses and because of long-standing criticisms that its caucuses were too white and too undemocratic.

The party committee working on the calendar stunned observers and insiders alike, however, when it announced that Biden had communicated his desire to have South Carolina go first, which would demote New Hampshire, a change few expected.

The DNC swiftly codified Bidens wishes, saying they were necessary to give voters of color a greater voice in the process, though many noted that Biden happened to win South Carolina in 2000 while he lost Iowa (he came in 4th place) and New Hampshire (5th place) that year.

But New Hampshire refused to comply with the DNCs new calendar, citing its century of experience holding the nations first presidential primary and a state law that required it hold a primary at least a week before any other state.

New Hampshires secretary of state, a Republican, set the primarys date for Jan. 23, knowing it would be out of compliance with DNC rules. And the DNC declared the primary invalid and warned the state would lose its delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

But the DNC surprised New Hampshire Democratic insiders when the partys Rules and Bylaws Committee, which wrote the new calendar and enforces its rules, sent a letter to the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Ray Buckley, on Friday demanding the state party do more to bury the primary

The NHDP must take steps to educate the public that January 23rd is a non-binding presidential preference event and is meaningless and the NHDP and presidential candidates should take all steps possible not to participate, the committees co-chairs, Jim Roosevelt and Minyon Moore, wrote in their letter, warning that non-compliant processes can disenfranchise and confuse voters.

New Hampshires political class, regardless of party, is unified in support of their first-in-the-nation primary.

So the Republican secretary of state and attorney general rushed to the defense of Buckley, the Democratic Party chair, who in turn promoted their counterpunch on social media and in the press.

Well, its safe to say in New Hampshire, the DNC is less popular than the NY Yankees, Buckley said of his Red Sox-loving New England state. State law requires the New Hampshire Secretary of State to conduct the first-in-the-nation primary and he is going to follow the law  period. Nothing has changed, and we look forward to seeing a great Democratic voter turnout on January 23rd.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
North Carolina-raised astronaut Christina Koch will have to wait even longer to become the first woman to fly to the moon, after NASA announced Tuesday it would push the expected launch date for the Artemis II mission to September 2025.

The mission, which is the second in the Artemis program that is eventually intended to land the first-ever woman and person of color on the moon, was previously set for later this year.

The Artemis III mission, in which that historic landing is expected to take place, was delayed to September 2026, while Artemis IV, intended to be the first mission to the lunar space station, remains on track for launch in 2028.

Koch was announced as a mission specialist for Artemis II last April, joining NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency on the mission that will test the Orion spacecrafts systems to confirm they can perform and operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space, NASAs description of the mission states.

The delays are intended to ensure the missions can be completed safely and to allow teams to work through challenges associated with first-time developments, operations, and integration, a NASA news release said Tuesday.

We are returning to the Moon in a way we never have before, and the safety of our astronauts is NASAs top priority as we prepare for future Artemis missions, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in the release. Weve learned a lot since Artemis I, and the success of these early missions relies on our commercial and international partnerships to further our reach and understanding of humanitys place in our solar system. Artemis represents what we can accomplish as a nation  and as a global coalition. When we set our sights on what is hard, together, we can achieve what is great.

Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA works inside the Quest joint airlock cleaning U.S. spacesuit cooling loops and replacing spacesuit components.

For the Artemis II mission, specifically, NASA is troubleshooting issues related to a battery, air ventilation and temperature control, the release said.

We are letting the hardware talk to us so that crew safety drives our decision-making. We will use the Artemis II flight test, and each flight that follows, to reduce risk for future Moon missions, NASA associate administrator Catherine Koerner said. We are resolving challenges associated with first-time capabilities and operations, and we are closer than ever to establishing sustained exploration of Earths nearest neighbor under Artemis.

Koch, a three-time graduate of NC State University, grew up in Jacksonville, in Eastern North Carolina. She also attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math, the residential, public high school that is part of the UNC System.

She has made history a handful of times as an astronaut, including by breaking the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman and being part of the first all-female spacewalk, installing a solar power system for the International Space Station with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

Koch returned to NC State in October, joining Chancellor Randy Woodson for his annual fall address and reflecting on her time at the university and as an astronaut.
NASA's first crewed Artemis mission, a flight to send four astronauts on a voyage around the moon and back, is being delayed nearly a year, from late 2024 to at least September 2025, NASA announced Tuesday. Likewise, the first astronaut moon landing is slipping from late 2025 to September 2026.

"As we remind everybody at every turn, safety is our top priority," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told reporters during an afternoon teleconference. "To give Artemis teams more time to work through the challenges with first-time developments and integration, we're going to give (them) more time on Artemis 2 and 3.

"We are adjusting our schedule to target Artemis 2 for September of 2025 and September of 2026 for Artemis 3, which will send humans for the first time to the lunar south pole. Artemis 4 remains on track for September 2028, and though challenges are clearly ahead, our teams are making incredible progress."

The Artemis 2 crew and the Orion spacecraft that will carry them around the moon and back in September 2025 (left to right): Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch. Hansen is a Canadian astronaut making his first flight. His three NASA crewmates are space veterans. / Credit: NASA

Rumors of delays had been circulating for months, and the Government Accountability Office reported late last year that delays were a virtual certainty. But the dates announced Tuesday pushed the flights back further than many expected.

Plan to send astronauts to the moon

NASA launched the Artemis program's first test flight, Artemis 1, in November 2022, using the agency's powerful Space Launch System heavy lift rocket to send an unpiloted Orion crew capsule on a flight around the moon and back.

NASA had planned to launch the Artemis 2 mission at the end of this year to carry a three-man one-woman crew on the first piloted Orion flight, a shakedown mission to test the spacecraft's life support, propulsion and other systems in Earth orbit before pressing ahead for a deep space loop around the moon and back.

But mission managers opted to delay the launch to give engineers more time to resolve an issue with the Orion capsule's protective heat shield that was found after the Artemis 1 re-entry. They also need to correct more recently discovered problems with critical batteries that were found while testing units intended for the Artemis 3 Orion.

The heat shield is designed to ablate, or char, during re-entry heating when returning from the moon at speeds of more than 25,000 mph. During the Artemis 1 re-entry, more charred material separated from the heat shield than computer models predicted.

While the unexpected "liberation" had no impact on the spacecraft  NASA said astronauts would not have even noticed it had any been on board  engineers want to make sure they understand the underlying cause so that updated computer models can accurately predict re-entry effects across multiple trajectories.

Engineers inspect the Orion spacecraft following the unpiloted Artemis 1 mission in late 2022. NASA is still assessing a heat shield issue discovered after the capsule's re-entry that has played a role in delaying the program's next flight. / Credit: NASA

Amit Kshatriya, deputy administrator of NASA's Moon to Mars Program, said engineers are closing in on the root cause of the unexpected behavior. The launch delay was primarily caused by the battery issue and the disassembly required to access and replace them amid a myriad of complex subsystems.

"That Artemis 2 crew will be the first people to set human eyes on the far side of the moon (since Apollo), and I can't imagine all the pictures and recordings that they'll bring back to capture those moments, but also to inform our understanding of the moon," said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free,

"The crew is a constant reminder for us of how important it is to remain focused on the work we need to do to ensure their safe return."

SpaceX building Starship lunar lander

As for the Artemis 3 lunar landing flight, the late 2026 target assumes SpaceX's Starship lunar lander  a vehicle that has not yet been operated in space  successfully completes multiple test flights in Earth orbit, along with at least one unpiloted lunar landing demonstration in 2025.

The Human Landing System, or HLS, is a variant of the Starship upper stage SpaceX is building that will launch atop the company's gargantuan Super Heavy booster.

The HLS, being built under a $2.9 billion NASA contract awarded in 2021, will use up all is cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen propellant just getting to low-Earth orbit. To make it to the moon, the rocket must be robotically refueled.

Jessica Jensen, SpaceX vice president of customer operations and integration, said on the order of 10 Super Heavy-Starship "tanker" flights will be needed to carry up the propellants needed to refuel the HLS.

"It will roughly be 10-ish," she said. "That would be my rough guess right now. But it could be lower depending on how well the first flight tests go or it could be a little bit higher."

SpaceX's Super Heavy booster with its winged Starship upper stage blasts off on a partially successful test flight from the company's Boca Chica, Texas, test facility on Nov. 18. NASA plans to use a variant of the Starship to carry Artemis astronauts from lunar orbit down to the surface of the moon. / Credit: SpaceX

The ultra-cold propellants, which continually boil away, must first be transferred, one flight at a time, to a storage vehicle of some sort. When enough propellant is available, the HLS will be launched, refueled from the depot and then take off for the moon where it will await the arrival of an Orion crew.

SpaceX's first two Super Heavy-Starship test flights last year were only partially successful and neither upper stage Starship made it all the way to the planned sub-orbital trajectory. Jensen said a third test flight is planned for February, pending FAA approval, followed by the start of propellant transfer test flights later this year.

"Crew safety is paramount"

Under the revised Artemis 3 schedule, an unpiloted HLS test flight to the surface of the moon and back is planned for sometime in 2025.

"Crew safety is paramount," Jensen said. "So we want to ensure we do as many flight tests as we possibly can just on the Starship vehicle in general, but also do the uncrewed landing to the moon with Starship before Artemis 3."

Under the Artemis program, NASA plans to establish a sustained presence on the moon, sending astronauts on a regular basis to the south polar region where scientists say ice deposits may be present in permanently shadowed craters.

If such deposits are confirmed, solar or nuclear power could be used to break the ice down into hydrogen and oxygen, providing air, water and rocket fuel for future deep space explorers. Ice deposits could vastly reduce the cost of such missions compared to launching the resources from Earth.

China has similar plans to explore the moon's south pole, saying its first piloted landing mission is planned for 2030. Asked if he was worried China might win the latest space race, Nelson said "I really do not have a concern that China's going to land before us."

"I think that China has a very aggressive plan," he said. "I think they would like to land before us because that might give them some PR coup. But the fact is that I don't think they will."

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Edus suspension comes days after local media cited an official memo in which she directed that 585 million naira ($661,000) worth of grants meant for vulnerable groups should be paid into a private account.

Nigerias president on Monday suspended the countrys minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation over the use of a private bank account for ministry financial transactions in the governments social welfare program.

Betta Edu was suspended with immediate effect while Nigerias anti-corruption agency carries out a thorough investigation of all ministry financial transactions, presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement. It said the investigation would extend to the entire framework of Nigerias social investment programs.

President Bola Tinubu was elected last year after promising to rid Africas most populous country of chronic corruption and extreme poverty. His government said the suspension follows his commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency and accountability in how Nigerias resources are managed.

Edus suspension comes days after local media cited an official memo in which she directed that 585 million naira ($661,000) worth of grants meant for vulnerable groups should be paid into a private account  a decision that the ministers office said followed due process. The minister has denied any wrongdoing.

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In a country where the governments austerity measures have further squeezed millions of people facing extreme levels of poverty, many Nigerians criticized the use of a private bank account for the grants program and called for the minister to be fired.

The office of Nigerias Accountant General of the Federation said in a statement that such funds are meant to be sent directly from government accounts to the beneficiaries.

Edus predecessor, meanwhile, reported to Nigerias Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday as it investigated alleged corruption in the disbursement of public funds during her time as minister.

Sadiya Umar-Farouq said on social media that she was at the commissions office to offer clarifications in respect of some issues that the commission is investigating.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Nigerian leader suspends poverty alleviation minister after financial transactions are questioned appeared first on TheGrio.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Monday night ratcheted up her criticism of former President Donald Trump as she attempts to close the gap between them in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the first two nominating contests of the 2024 election.

"I think that Trump has copped out because he used to get it right and now he's turning around and he's getting it wrong wanting to be an isolationist," Haley said at the town hall in Des Moines Monday night, defending her stance on support for Ukraine's military. She was responding to a question at a Fox News town hall from moderator Martha MacCallum that noted that her opponents  Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy  are "on the other side" of the issue and more concerned about security at home.

Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, has sought to walk the fine line between criticizing the former president and courting his voters, a stance that has led to criticism from her opponents, as well as Republican voters in states holding early nominating contests.

Days away from the nation's first nominating contest, Trump and his campaign have made Haley a target of their attacks. A new ad accuses Haley of opposing the border wall that Trump famously campaigned on in his 2016.

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley participates in a Fox News Town Hall on January 8, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. / Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images

"Just because President Trump says something doesn't make it true," Haley said, adding she appreciates the attention from him. "He's taking snippets of things I said. I said, 'You shouldn't just do the border wall. You have to do more than that.' That's what I said."

Later, Haley said of Trump that "he was good at breaking things, but now we need somebody to fix them," appearing to reference his unfulfilled 2016 campaign promises. He said that he was going to go deal with the border, but he never quite got there. We need to fix it. Now. Make sure that we stop the flow," she added.

At campaign stops, Haley often reassures voters that she supported Trump during his administration. She reiterated on Monday night that she thought Trump was the "right president at the right time, but rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him."

Some Iowans say they want to move on from Trump. "I supported Donald Trump twice," said Jeff Hezberg, an Iowan who attended Haley's campaign stop over the weekend. "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you."

Others say Haley isn't being hard enough on Trump.

"Why does she not hold President Trump accountable?" said Reggie Alt, a potential caucus goer who attended a Haley town hall over the weekend in Indianola. "He's done plenty wrong and yet, the worst she says is 'chaos follows him.'"

As Haley made her final pitch to Iowans at Monday's town hall, the Trump campaign was filling email inboxes with a stream of subject lines that included "Nikki Haley loves China" and "Nikki Haley revives Bush Amnesty Policies." It is part of a Trump and Haley feud that's likely to intensify as caucus day approaches.

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A storm that will bring heavy rain and strong winds late Tuesday into Wednesday will knock out power to some Rhode Island residents, the president of electric and gas utility Rhode Island Energy said Tuesday.

These wind forecasts that could last an extended period of time are a bit concerning with this storm," Dave Bonenberger, president of Rhode Island Energy, said in a press release. "Couple that with significant rainfall on an already oversaturated ground, and we know that there will be outages."

RI weather updates: 'Active' weather pattern brings major storm to RI

So for the second time in days, after last weekend's snow and rainstorm, Rhode Island Energy is bringing in extra crews to restore electricity, Bonenberger said. The utility will have 2,200 workers, including line crews and call center staff, ready to respond to outages, Bonenberger said.

In a briefing before the storm hit, Gov. Dan McKee said 160 line crews and more than 100 tree crews would be strategically placed to offer assistance. State Police will also have extra personnel available, McKee said.

More: 'Active pattern': Storm to bring heavy rain, wind, possible flooding Tuesday, Wednesday

This National Weather Service graphic shows expected maximum wind gusts from the storm Tuesday night into Wednesday.

With the region caught in what forecasters call an "active" weather pattern, Rhode Island is preparing for its second major storm in three days, this one bigger but warmer than the weekend storm that dumped up to 11 inches of snow on northwestern Rhode Island.

The storm will likely bring 2 to 3 inches of rain to much of the region and up to 4 inches in some locations, according to the National Weather Service. The combination of heavy rain, melting snow and saturated soil could cause rivers, streams and streets to flood.

More: How much snow has fallen? Rhode Island snow storm updates

"Say goodbye to the snowy landscape as a heavy rain is expected to fall across all of Southern New England," the weather service says in its forecast discussion.

Will schools be open on Wednesday?

Rhode Island Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green couldn't say whether schools would be open as usual come Wednesday as those are local decisions.

"The decision will be made by each district depending on what the conditions are," she said.

Flood watch in effect in Rhode Island

A flood watch goes from 7 p.m. Tuesday until 1 p.m. Wednesday. "Flows in rivers may increase quickly and reach critical levels," the weather service says. According to McKee, the heaviest rains should have passed by 4 a.m. Wednesday. However, drivers are warned to prepare for their morning commutes and use caution.

Coastal flooding is also possible, and a coastal flood watch has been issued, with the wind offshore blowing from the south/southeast at 35 to 55 knots and gusting up to 55 knots. Waves in Rhode Island and Block Island sounds, which will be under storm warnings, could reach 15 to 18 feet, the weather service says.

High waves and storm surge in Narragansett Bay

In Narragansett Bay, storm surge could cause water levels to climb 4 to 5 feet above normal.

Coastal communities should prepare for high winds

For coastal communities, a high wind warning goes into effect at 5 p.m. for winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph. In the Providence area, a wind advisory will go into effect for winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

Residents should watch out for blowing debris, tree limbs and "avoid flooded roads," said Armand Randolph, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.

The agency has been receiving updates on the storm from the National Weather Service and providing updates for local communities and McKee.

Residents should consider securing any outside furniture or taking down Christmas decorations that have lingered into January, according to Randolph.

Storm clean up and power restoration could take several days

Rhode Island Energy's Bonenberger said, We would also encourage customers to be prepared. Like the storm we saw before Christmas, this one may require a multi-day restoration effort."

Rhode Island Energy suggests residents stock up on bottled water, charge mobile devices ahead of time and check on elderly neighbors and relatives.

Anyone who encounters a downed wire should assume it's energized, stay away and report it. Report power outages at RIEnergy.com or call 855-743-1102, according to Rhode Island Energy.

With reports from Journal staff writer Amy Russo.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Weather: Residents should 'prepare to lose power' during storm
Any information suggesting that Russia relocated one of its naval vessels from Novorossiysk to Sevastopol does not align with reality, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a Ukrainian Navy spokesperson reported.

The Project 11711 large landing ship, Ivan Gren, is not currently situated in the Azov-Black Sea basin and has not participated in Russias full-scale invasion, he added.

Read also: Ukrainian strike targets Russian naval vessel in Crimea

The status of another ship from the same project, the BDK Petro Morgunov, also has no connection to the ports of temporarily occupied Crimea.

Read also: Two Russian warships flee occupied Feodosia after Ukrainian attack destroys landing ship Novocherkassk

"Any information contradicting my statement should be deemed inaccurate. There are no plans or preparations for amphibious landings involving these units," he said.

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 man has been sent to the hospital after a late-night stabbing in Norfolk Monday.

According to Norfolk police, officers were dispatched to 871 N. Military Highway, a strip mall in the Military Circle area, just before 11 p.m. At the scene, a man was located with life-threatening injuries, and he was transported to the hospital.

At this time, police have not released information about potential suspects or what may have led to the stabbing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is believed to have turned 40 on 8 January but there was no official acknowledgement of his birthday.

His birthday has never been publicly acknowledged, unlike those of his late father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung, which are celebrated as two major holidays in the country.

While the United States government lists Mr Kims birth year as 1984, making him 40 in 2024, North Korea has never confirmed the exact date. The closest confirmation came in 2020 when Kim Kye-gwan, a senior aide to Mr Kim, confirmed that the then-US president, Donald Trump, had sent a personal letter to the North Korean leader for his birthdaya.

In 2014, following an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang, Dennis Rodman performed a rendition of Happy Birthday for the soon-to-be 30-year-old leader. While audiences beyond the hermit kingdom could view the video, domestic viewers were informed that the former NBA player had simply presented a special song.

On Monday, North Korean state media showed Mr Kim visiting a chicken farm with his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, who South Koreas intelligence agency suggests may be a likely successor.

But there was no mention of him in state media celebrating his birthday.

According to Korea Times, the exact year of Mr Kims birth remains somewhat uncertain, with conflicting information suggesting it could be 1982 or 1983, in contrast to the widely accepted 1984.

The South Korea Ministry of Unifications website, for instance, supports the commonly known date of 8 January 1984.

The lack of definitive information and discrepancies in reported birth years contribute to the mystery surrounding the North Korean leaders personal details  a characteristic common in North Korean leadership, where details about the ruling family are often kept confidential and subject to speculation.

In this photo provided on Monday, 8 January 2024, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, centre, with his daughter visits a newly-built chicken farm in Hwangju County of North Hwanghae Province on 7 January 2024 (KCNA via KNS)

Some North Korea observers say that Mr Kim is probably too young to warrant big birthday celebrations. It is, however, possible that the North Korean leaders birthday could become an official celebration sometime in the future.

Kim Il-sungs birthday was designated as a national holiday in 1968 when he turned 56, and Kim Jong-il similarly established his birthday as an official holiday in 1982 when he turned 40.

Some speculate that the absence of a public celebration for Mr Kims birthday might be connected to concerns about drawing attention to his late Japan-born mother, Ko Yong-hui. She was a dancer and was the third or fourth wife of Kim Jong-il.

Kos ties with Japan, which had colonised the Korean Peninsula in the past, and the fact that she wasnt Kim Jong-ils first wife might be viewed as potentially disadvantageous for Mr Kims dynastic rule.

The fact his mother came from Japan is his biggest weak point that undermines his legitimacy of the Paektu bloodline, Park Won Gon, a professor at Seouls Ewha Womans University told the Associated Press. Paektu refers to the Kim familys lineage named after the countrys most sacred mountain.

In this photo provided on Monday, 8 January 2024, by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, centre, with his daughter visits a newly-built poultry factory in Hwangju County of North Hwanghae Province on 7 January 2024 (KCNA via KNS)

When Kim Jong-uns birthday becomes an official holiday, he wont still publicise details about his birth, he said.

In North Korea, the caste classification system  popularly known as chulsin songbun  is based on family background. Mr Kims mother was reportedly categorised as hostile, the lowest social status, due to her Japanese birth.

Once his birthday is designated as a national holiday, it would inevitably bring attention to his mother, which I think one of the biggest political weak points for Kim Jong-un, Yee Ji-sun, an expert on North Koreas society and culture at the Korea Institute for National Unification was quoted as saying by the Korea Times.

When Kim Jong-un tries to highlight the legitimacy of his power, he tends to emphasise his connection to his grandfather more than his father. Thats probably because of the same reason.

The commemoration of the elder Kims birthdays in North Korea entails compulsory viewing of state broadcasts lauding the leaders. On Christmas Eve, marking the birthday of Kim Jong-suk, the deceased grandmother of Mr Kim, people embark on pilgrimages to Hoeryong, a town in the north-east and her birthplace.

In 2012, it was reported that North Korean authorities punished people who did not display genuine sorrow and despair following the death of Kim Jong-il on 17 December that year. It was claimed in a report in Daily NK that authorities are imposing a minimum of six months in a labour-training camp for anyone who failed to take part in the organised mourning events or, for those who participated, did not shed tears and appeared insincere.

In a separate incident, North Korea fired 200 rounds of artillery into waters near its disputed western sea border with South Korea last week, prompting the Souths military to advise residents on nearby islands to take shelter.

Additional reporting with agencies
Green activists against Norway's plans protest outside the European Parliament despite it calling for the practice to be banned - KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images

Norway is set to become the first country in the world to allow commercial deep-sea mining after overcoming opposition from green campaigners.

The Nordic nations parliament is expected to approve opening up 108,000 square miles of its national waters, an area bigger than the size of the UK, to lithium and cobalt licences in a vote on Tuesday.

The proposals received cross-party support late last year and could revolutionise the global supply of minerals, which are pivotal for an array of clean technologies, including electric batteries.

Lithium and cobalt are only found below ground in a small number of countries, including the conflict-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo.

Estimates for the industrys potential worth range from hundreds of millions to the trillions.

But eco campaigners have warned the move to source elements from the beds of the North Atlantic Ocean could be ruinous for marine life there.

Pressure from environmentalists means detailed environmental studies will have to be carried out before any mining can take place, potentially delaying extraction until the 2030s.

None of Norways 17 protected marine areas are included in the zones proposed for mining and its government has insisted that every commercial licence will have to be approved by parliament.

Europes largest producer of hydropower

The licences will also only be issued after companies conduct detailed environmental studies.

Walter Sognnes, co-founder of mining company Loke Minerals, said that meant extraction is unlikely until the early 2030s.

We will have a relatively long period of exploration and mapping activity to close the knowledge gap on the environmental impact, he told the BBC.

Norway has a strong track record in the cultivation of natural resources and is Western Europes largest oil producer.

But it is also Europes largest producer of hydropower and more than 95 per cent of its electricity and 50 per cent of all its power comes from renewable sources.

Marianne Sivertsen Naess, a Norwegian MP and chair of the parliaments environment committee, said: The governments proposal to open an area for activity enables private players to explore and acquire knowledge and data from the areas in question.

Opening up areas is not the same as approving extraction of seabed minerals.

The deepest points of the seabed proposed by Norway for mining are 3.6km (2.2 miles) below the surface of the ocean. No commercial deep-sea mining has ever been conducted at those depths.

Most operations have been in shallower waters, an example being diamonds off the coast of Namibia which have been mined at depths of up to just 200 metres by Diamond Fields International Ltd since 2001.

Mineral deposits form on the sea floor in potato-sized nodules and crusts, according to the World Resources Institute think tank.

The nodules, which resemble small lumps, are the primary focus of deep-sea mining.

The idea is that the top layer of sediment on the seabed would be scooped up by vehicles, much like a combine harvester reaps wheat.

The sediment would then be piped up from the vehicle to a vessel on the surface of the ocean.

On board, the nodules are then separated from sediment and any organic matter, which is in turn pumped back down to the surface.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature says deep-sea mining will damage habitats and cause noise and light pollution.

Britain and the European Union have both called for the practice to be banned.

The Norwegian government always highlighted that they want to implement the highest environmental standards, said Martin Webeler, a researcher at the Environmental Justice Foundation.

That is hypocritical whilst you are throwing away all the scientific advice.

The United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority is set to meet this year to set rules on deep-sea mining in international waters.

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The first time I saw an IQOS, the innovative tobacco product on which Philip Morris International is betting billions of dollars to replace cigarettes, was at a wedding in 2016. A friend had excitedly pulled me outside to try this new device that had enabled him to finally kick his smoking habit. Not quite a cigarette because it didn't ignite, not quite a vape because it used actual tobacco, supposedly less toxic than conventional cigarettes but satisfying enough to compete with them, it seemed that this heated tobacco might be the future of nicotine.

Neither the device nor the specially treated tobacco was yet available in the U.S., so my friend sourced his supply via discreet shipments from a connection in Europe. Seven years later, despite its availability in more than 60 other countries, the technology is still on hold in the United States. First regulation by the Food and Drug Administration slowed its arrival, then the rollout of IQOS was cut short by a patent dispute with R. J. Reynolds that culminated in a ban on imports.

In the next two years, heated tobacco products will likely finally become more widely available in America. Will they help the nearly 30 million Americans who smoke switch to a safer alternative? Or, as critics allege, will they only perpetuate tobacco use? To answer these questions, it pays to look farther afield to Japan, where heated tobacco is already transforming the market for nicotine.

Japan provides an unlikely model for tobacco policy. The country tends to be more tolerant of smoking than its Western peers; it has high rates of smoking among men, and its government participates directly in the cigarette trade through its partial ownership of Japan Tobacco, the country's largest manufacturer of cigarettes. It therefore comes as a surprise that Japan is experiencing a dramatic and sustained decline in cigarette sales, a trend that experts credit substantially to heated tobacco products.

"Japan has accomplished spectacular things in a very short period of time with regard to cigarette smoking," says David Sweanor, an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa with decades of experience in tobacco regulation. Sweanor co-authored a study published in 2020 that analyzed Japanese tobacco sales data from 2011 to 2019. Japan forbids the sale of e-cigarettes but allows heated tobacco, making it an ideal test case for measuring the impact of products like IQOS and similar competitors including Ploom and Glo. Sweanor's study concluded that Japan's decline in cigarette sales accelerated massively with the introduction of heated tobacco products, from an annual rate of around 3 percent before 2016 to around 11 percent in years after.

This downward trend has continued, nearly halving cigarette sales in just seven years: from 180 billion cigarettes sold nationwide in 2015 to under 100 billion in 2022, according to industry sales reports. Reduced-risk products now make up about a third of the Japanese tobacco market. Yet this striking success has been largely ignored by the rest of the world.

Why is no one talking about Japan? "I think it's a really good indication of one of the problems in the field known as tobacco control," says Sweanor. He suggests that rigid ideology has made his peers unwilling to acknowledge the benefits of substituting cigarettes with lower-risk alternatives.

Mainstream tobacco control aims for complete abstinence from nicotine and tobacco. By that standard, Japan is a disappointment. Although male smoking rates have declined substantially since the turn of the century, when nearly half of men in Japan smoked, the habit persists in about a quarter of Japanese men. The current dramatic decline in cigarette sales is only partially caused by quitting or abstinence from nicotine; much of it is due to consumers buying heated tobacco instead. That switch may well avert a substantial portion of smoking-related deaths, but harm reduction is a difficult case to make in a field as ideologically driven as tobacco control.

Even among experts who are receptive to harm reduction, evaluating the impact of heated tobacco is more nuanced than gross sales figures suggest. Industry players have invested heavily in research to show that noncombustible products present much lower exposure to toxic substances than conventional cigarettes. This is a plausible claim backed up by reams of documentation, sufficient to convince even the FDA to authorize IQOS for sale in the United States and allow it to be marketed with claims of reduced exposure to harmful toxicants compared to cigarettes. (For a thorough comparison of emissions from heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and conventional cigarettes, see this recent review.)

But even if heated tobacco compares favorably in a one-to-one comparison to conventional cigarettes, how people use it matters too. "The problematic and the perplexing aspect of regulation, of course, is the individual versus the population level," says Geoffrey Fong, principal investigator at the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Waterloo. "That's a problem because it may be the case that there are a lot of people that aren't using these things to quit. And so at the population level, what matters is patterns of actual use."

The potential for heated tobacco products to reduce harm depends greatly on whether users transition entirely away from smoking or use them as only a partial substitute. In its annual reports, Philip Morris International boasts a high rate of conversion to IQOS, estimating that about 70 percent of its users have switched completely (defined internally as using heated tobacco for at least 95 percent of their consumption).

But whether those figures replicate is debatable. An independent study from 2018 is less encouraging, finding that 63 percent of heated tobacco users in Japan were still smoking cigarettes at least once a month. Surveys of users' motivations also suggest that they don't approach heated tobacco as a means of quitting smoking. Nearly all report using it because they believe it to be safer; three-quarters said the products were enjoyable and more socially acceptable than cigarettes. Yet only about half reported using them as a tool to quit smoking, with the other half viewing them as a complement to cigarettes.

There are limitations to all of this of course, including the fact that the market is rapidly evolving, potentially rendering data from just a few years ago out of date. The jury is still out on whether users of heated tobacco in Japan will tend to switch completely or merely reduce their consumption of cigarettes, choosing one product or the other depending on circumstances. Analysis of more recent data will be enlightening.

Even with these questions unresolved, the Japanese experience provides useful lessons for the rest of the world. The most obvious is that allowing consumers access to safer sources of nicotine can drastically reduce sales of cigarettes. For all the hand-wringing over dual use, it's difficult to view a near halving of cigarette sales as anything but a victory for public health. (As Sweanor points out, no one would hesitate to identify the reverse scenario of doubling cigarette sales as an unambiguous disaster.)

Another lesson from Japan is that smokers are willing to try lower-risk products, as long as those products offer pleasure. . Unlike pharmaceutical cessation aids, heated tobacco simulates the sensorial experience of smoking. It's also more socially acceptable than lighting up a conventional cigarette, fouling the air less noticeably for bystanders. Users may find themselves transitioning to lower-risk products for recreational use, or even switching entirely, even if they initially had no intention of quitting smoking.

Parallel evidence from studies of e-cigarettes tells a similar story. A recent Cochrane review concluded that e-cigarettes significantly outperform nicotine replacement therapy in aiding quit attempts. Randomized control trials are needed to more firmly assess the potential of heated tobacco as a means of quitting cigarettes, but it would not be surprising to see a similar dynamic at play.

Finally, the Japanese experience points to the potential to achieve dramatic reductions in smoking without the planning or approval of government regulators. "[Japan] allowed one alternative to cigarettes onto the market," says Sweanor. "They didn't say, 'How do we change marketing rules to give an advantage to low-risk products?' They didn't say, 'How do we change tax policy?'They didn't say, 'Let's run massive campaigns to inform people.' They just made one alternative available, and here we are seven years later."

Japan's massive reduction in cigarette sales is less the result of intentional policy than it is a bottom-up response from tobacco consumers making their own decisions to try a safer alternative. That puts Japan in the company of Sweden, where snus has largely replaced cigarettes, and the United States, where vaping is accelerating quit rates among adults and replacing smoking among younger generations. Harm reduction is succeeding in these countries with little support and at times active hostility from governments and anti-smoking activists.

Japan's experience suggests that there is unmet potential for lower-risk products that could be realized with smarter policy, but advocates of harm reduction are divided on what that should entail. Dr. Fong cited New Zealand's proposed smoke-free generation ban on combustible tobacco as an "extraordinary opportunity" for taking a "push and pull" approach, eliminating legal access to cigarettes for younger generations while leaving lower-risk e-cigarettes available. (The new government in New Zealand has since backed away from this plan, but a similar policy may be enacted in England.) In the United States, there have been proposals for stripping nearly all nicotine from cigarettes, as outlined in former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's comprehensive plan for tobacco regulation, and banning menthol cigarettes.

Other advocates are more skeptical of restrictions, preferring to focus on what could be achieved with a more concerted effort to promote safer tobacco products. "There's a very strong case to be said that coercion is not a very good approach to take at any point, but a whole range of other things probably are," says Sweanor. Instead of pursuing a prohibitionist agenda, he suggests looking at the choice-enhancing policies that we see already working. "What if we tried more of this? What if we did arrange to have many options and encourage the development of even better options that meet whatever the needs are of people who are smoking cigarettes?"

When heated tobacco products do finally arrive in the U.S., it's unclear whether they will have as great an impact as they do in Japan where they are protected from competition from e-cigarettes. Optimistically, they will contribute to taking the country another step farther away from the previous "cigarette century," during which the market for tobacco was dominated by a single deadly product, and toward a future with lower risks and a greater diversity of ways to consume tobacco and nicotine. And if they can help American smokers voluntarily give up conventional cigarettes, they may also help avert the prohibitionist trajectory of contemporary tobacco policy.

The post It's Not a Cigarette. It's Not a Vape. And It's Big in Japan. appeared first on Reason.com.
(Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's CEO said on Tuesday he expects patients will stick with the company's popular obesity drug Wegovy for far longer than those using older treatments.

"We know from all medical interventions, stay time is not like a 100%... but I think we will see a significantly higher stay time than what we have seen so far on obesity treatment," said Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen at the JPMorgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco.

The Danish drugmaker's chief executive said the effects patients see after being on Wegovy would be an incentive for them to continue, although it may be "too early to tell." In a pivotal clinical trial, patients lost an average of 15% of their weight on Wegovy.

Forty percent of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later, more than three times the rate of adherence with older medicines, according to an analysis of medical records and insurance claims data published last month.

Novo and U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly currently dominate the market for new weight loss drugs that analysts have forecast could be worth $100 billion by the end of the decade. Several companies are scrambling to get in on that expected windfall.

Jorgensen said on Tuesday that Novo was currently catering to 14 million diabetes and obesity patients globally, and that it "welcomes competition" in the market for obesity treatments.

Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient as the company's type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, was approved for obesity in June 2021 and has proved to be wildly popular.

A rival drug from Lilly, Zepbound, was approved in November. Both injectable drugs belong to a class of medicines called GLP-1 agonists originally developed for diabetes. In addition to controlling blood sugar, they suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness.

Jorgensen said there was space in the obesity market for both injectable and oral treatments.

The company's once-daily weight-loss pill has showed similar efficacy and safety to Wegovy in a late-stage trial.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
The National Rifle Association is the victim of betrayal, an attorney said Tuesday as she sought to distinguish longtime leader Wayne LaPierre from the gun rights group during opening arguments in the civil trial against it and its executives.

The NRA is not this man, Sarah Rogers said, adding that LaPierre has been a valuable and visionary leader of the organization but was not always a meticulous corporate executive.

She admitted to the Manhattan jury that some past violations by numerous wrongdoers were concealed from and unapproved by the NRA board, but that the organization was not willfully blind to red flags.

The only question, or at least one question, is why the NRA, the victim of that betrayal, is a defendant in this case, the attorney said.

LaPierre, as well as other current and former NRA leaders and the organization as a whole, are fending off a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020 that alleges they violated nonprofit laws and misused millions of dollars of the organization's funds for personal use.

In the plaintiffs opening arguments Monday, attorney Monica Connell said LaPierre drew millions of dollars away from the NRA to spend on lavish perks for himself, including personal use of private jets, expensive meals, travel consultants, private security and trips to the Bahamas for him and his family.

LaPierre, 74, has led the NRA for more than 30 years as the organizations executive vice president. He announced Friday that he would resign from the group at the end of the month.

The other defendants, including the NRA itself, violated nonprofit laws and internal policies as they enriched themselves, the lawsuit alleges, saying it contributed to the NRAs loss of more than $64 million in three years.

They are Wilson Woody Phillips, a former NRA treasurer and chief financial officer, and John Frazer, corporate secretary and general counsel.

On Tuesday, an attorney for each individual defendant and a separate one for the NRA took turns addressing the 12-member jury.

LaPierres attorney, P. Kent Correll, urged the jurors to set aside any misconceptions that they may have about the longtime NRA chief and said the plaintiffs want to paint him as a person thats not him.

Correll said LaPierre served his job well and honorably and honestly for decades until his health made it impossible for him to continue.

Phillips attorney, Seth Farber, said the 75-year-old never used his position to line his own pocket or conceal information from the NRAs board of directors. Farber said that his client did not do his job perfectly, but that he never intentionally did anything to harm the NRA.

Frazers attorney, William Fleming, said his client has done nothing but show up for his job, which he said Frazer did selflessly.

Frazer is accused of submitting false statements. He is the only individual defendant who still works for the NRA and risks losing a job he has held for about 30 years and every penny that hes ever made at the NRA, Fleming said.

Its been a career and a life for him, Fleming said.

Joshua Powell, a former chief of staff and executive director of general operations, was also a defendant. But he reached a $100,000 settlement with the attorney generals office Friday and admitted to the allegations brought forth in the lawsuit, including the misuse of NRA funds, James confirmed Saturday.

Connell accused the NRA of flouting nonprofit laws and evading oversight for decades. This case is about corruption, she said Monday. Its about breaches of trust and power.

The NRAs defense team rejected the vast majority of the attorney generals claims but said Tuesday that it agrees that there were some past violations and failure to follow the boards policies. Those violations were concealed from and unapproved by the NRA board, Rogers said.

Rogers said that numerous wrongdoers were fired or have left the NRA, and that LaPierre has repaid the NRAs money with interest.

The attorney generals office did not immediately comment in response to the defense's opening remarks.

The jury, sworn in Monday afternoon, is expected to hear testimony over the next six weeks from roughly 120 witnesses. Six of them will deliberate, while the others will serve as alternates.

If the jurors find the individual defendants liable, they will recommend the amount of money that each defendant would have to repay the NRA.

They would have also been tasked with recommending whether LaPierre should be ousted from the helm of the group, but LaPierres resignation has rendered that moot. They are still tasked with recommending whether Frazer should be removed from his position.

In a potential second phase of the trial, New York Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen, who has the final say over monetary damages and remedies, could determine whether the defendants should be permanently barred from serving on the board of any charity in New York and whether an independent monitor should oversee the NRAs finances.

None of the defendants have been criminally charged as part of James lawsuit.

The trial begins after years of failed attempts by the defendants to dismiss the lawsuit, change the court venue and countersue. The NRA also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

James initially set out to dissolve the NRA as part of her suit. However, Cohen dismissed that effort in 2022, saying her complaint does not allege the type of public harm that is the legal linchpin for imposing the corporate death penalty.

The lawsuit also targets the NRA as a whole. The organization has operated as a nonprofit charitable corporation in New York since 1871. Its assets are required by law to be used in a way that serves the interests of its membership and advances its charitable mission.

In the last few years, the NRA has been considerably weaker, with less influence in the political sphere and fewer members. Membership fell to 4.2 million from almost 6 million five years ago, The New York Times reported. Membership dues dropped by $14 million from 2021 to 2022, according to an audit filed as part of the lawsuit.

The defense for each of the individual defendants and the NRA finished their opening statements shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The plaintiffs were expected to call their first witness later in the day.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reports that 2023 was the hottest year in the instrumental temperature record. That's in part because global temperatures were boosted by the El Nino phenomenon in which the eastern Pacific Ocean surface temperature periodically surges higher.

So how hot was 2023? C3S notes:

(CCCS)

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement aims to hold "the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels." The global average temperature in 2023 was just below the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.

"Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1C warmer than the pre-industrial period. Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years," noted Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, in a press release.

The satellite temperature series run by climatologists Roy Spencer and John Christy at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) also basically concurs, reporting that 2023 is the hottest year in its 45-year record.

(Spencer)

"The 2023 annual average global [lower tropospheric temperature] anomaly was +0.51 deg. C above the 1991-2020 mean, easily making 2023 the warmest of the 45-year satellite record. The next-warmest year was +0.39 deg. C in 2016," notes Spencer.

The C3S report observed that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations reached the highest levels ever recorded, 419 parts per million for carbon dioxide and 1902 parts per billion for methane. UAH's Christy cautiously concedes that the "background climate-trend is about +0.1 C per decade and could represent the warming effect of the extra greenhouse gases that are being added to the atmosphere as human development progresses."

What comes next?

"We expect the strong El Nino in the Pacific to impact the global temperature through 2024. For this reason we are forecasting 2024 to be another record breaking year, with the possibility of temporarily exceeding 1.5C for the first time," observed U.K. Met Office climate scientist Nick Dunstone in the Bournemouth Daily Echo.

The post It's Official: 2023 Was the Hottest Year on Record appeared first on Reason.com.
The death toll of Russia's Dec. 29 mass attack against Kyiv has risen to 33 as another body was found, Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Jan. 9.

Russia unleashed on Dec. 29 its largest air attack on Ukraine, targeting multiple cities, including Kyiv. Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it the deadliest attack on civilians in Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

According to Popko, the body of the 33rd victim was discovered under the rubble of a warehouse in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, one of the multiple buildings damaged in the attack on the capital.

Russian forces launched 158 missiles and drones at Ukraine early on Dec. 29, most of which were shot down by the country's air defenses. Over 50 people were reportedly killed, and over 160 more were injured nationwide.

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

In the latest large-scale strike on Jan. 8, Russian troops launched 59 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing at least five people and wounding 45 more, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Read also: Hit the Kremlin: Kyivans dont hold back after Russias mass attack kills 9, wounds 30 in the capital

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The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education approved an amended application for a STEAM-based charter school on Monday night, but rejected two others, at least one of which now plans to turn to the state Board of Education seeking sponsorship.

By a 6-1 vote, the board agreed to sponsor RISE STEAM Academy, designed for students from pre-kindergarten through the fourth grade. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The charter school will lease space from Avery Chapel AME Church, located at 1425 N. Kelham Ave., with plans to open for the 2025-26 academic year. The OKCPS board had turned town RISE STEAM Academys initial application in late November.

The board declined again to approve formation of two other proposed charter schools in northeast Oklahoma City. Both had been turned down in November. Willard C. Pitts Academy, which would serve grades five through eight, lost on a 4-3 vote, while P3 Montessori Charter School, for children ages 3-5, only garnered two yes votes.

Board vice-chair Lori Bowman said district Superintendent Sean McDaniel had recommended a yes vote on the RISE STEAM Academy application and a no vote on the other two, and thats how she voted. Board chair Paula Lewis voted yes on all three applications.

As an elected official  we must consider what the community directly and indirectly communicates with us, said Lewis, noting more than half of the students in the district boundaries dont attend an OKCPS school. We know there are communities that are saying they dont believe what they envision for their child is happening in our schools. At the same time, weve made huge strikes in OKCPS schools to move the needle in the right direction.

I think its a big leap to think that any charter applicant that comes to us is only trying to recruit the kids currently in our OKCPS schools. Charter schools began to exist and they continue to increase in number because parents and the community are looking for a different choice. That is the wave of the future.

What to know about charter schools in Oklahoma City

Charter schools, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Education website, are public schools that are allowed greater flexibility for greater accountability. Charter schools have their own governing boards and are accountable to their sponsoring organization  either a local school board, a university or the state Board of Education. Students have to apply for admission, which often can be determined via lottery.

During its November meeting, the OKCPS board had approved another charter-school application from the Oklahoma Montessori Initiative, which will be the only Oklahoma City public school that will use the Montessori learning method, known for being student-led and self-paced. Its also scheduled to open in fall 2025.

In addition to the Oklahoma Montessori Initiative and RISE STEAM Academy, OKCPS sponsors six other charter schools, which serve about 2,700 students from pre-K through 12th grade.

More: The state Board of Education has approved another rural charter school in Oklahoma

The RISE STEAM Academy will open with just pre-K, kindergarten and first-grade students and add one grade each year for the following three years. Carma Barlow, the schools founder, said enrollment is projected to start at 194 students in 2025-26 and grow by 50 students a year to 294 students in 2028-29.

Startup funding will come from grants, including one from the Walton Family Foundation. Barlow said it was important to gain the sponsorship of the OKCPS district.

What it means is that parents have choice, Barlow said. They have a choice and a high-quality option to engage with.

Board member Carole Thompson said she is encouraged to see more educational options for students and parents in northeast Oklahoma City and voted for the RISE STEAM and Willard C. Pitts Academy proposals on Monday. In support of the Willard C. Pitts project, she said northeast Oklahoma City was a partial middle-school desert and said the school would be another opportunity (for parents) to have a choice where their students go to school. Now they dont have a choice.

LaTasha Timberlake, the founder of Willard C. Pitts Academy, said the schools next move will be to seek sponsorship from the state Board of Education. The board already sponsors multiple charter schools and approved a new sponsorship agreement for one in Okmulgee last month. She said the school could apply for state-board sponsorship as soon as that boards next meeting, on Jan. 25.

The process that weve been preparing for is to actually be ready after whatever result we got from this meeting, Timberlake said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC school board votes to sponsor STEAM-based charter school
Xi stresses winning tough, protracted battle against corruption

Xinhua) 08:08, January 09, 2024

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday called for advancing the Party's self-reform and winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

After persistent anti-corruption efforts over the past 10 years of the new era, an overwhelming victory has been achieved in the fight against corruption, with the gains fully consolidated, Xi said.

"But the situation remains grave and complex," Xi noted.

"We should be fully aware of new development in the fight against corruption and the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption," Xi said, urging more efforts to win the tough and protracted battle.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the meeting.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CCDI, presided over the meeting.

Xi noted that 2023 marks the first year that the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress are implemented on all fronts.

The CPC Central Committee has unswervingly advanced the Party's self-reform and deepened its efforts to promote full and rigorous Party self-governance, which has guaranteed that the new journey gets off to a good start, he said.

As the world's largest Marxist governing party, the CPC faces the strategic question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall, and how the Party can remain steadfast in its commitment to never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, he said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, in its great endeavor of promoting full and rigorous Party self-governance, the CPC has, based on Comrade Mao Zedong's first answer of "putting the government under the supervision of the people," found a second answer to the question -- advancing the Party's self-reform, he noted.

Over the past 10 years, through the practice and theoretical exploration of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, a series of important theoretical results have been accomplished, Xi said, adding that these results theoretically answer the major questions including why the CPC should carry out self-reform, why it is capable of self-reform, and how it can promote self-reform.

Xi pointed out nine important issues to advance the Party's self-reform:

-- the fundamental guarantee is to uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee;

-- the fundamental purpose is to guide the great social revolution;

-- the fundamental guidance stands as the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era;

-- the strategic target is to break the historical cycle of rise and fall;

-- the main direction is to tackle the special challenges that a large party like the CPC faces;

-- the effective method is to improve the systems for exercising full and rigorous self-governance;

-- the focus is to forge strong Party organizations and cultivate highly-committed Party members;

-- the key task is to improve Party conduct, enforce Party discipline and fight corruption;

-- the strong impetus is from the integration of self-regulation and oversight from the people.

Xi stressed that, in order to advance the anti-corruption campaign in the new era, continuous efforts should be made to eliminate the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption.

He called for coordinated actions to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to become corrupt, as well as persistent efforts to expand the scale and extent of anti-corruption campaigns, and regular and long-term measures to prevent and curb corruption.

Xi underlined the importance of enhancing the Party's centralized, unified leadership in the fight against corruption.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining a tough stance against corruption and said that in the continued grave and complex situation, there is no possibility of stopping, slackening or compromising the anti-corruption campaign.

Combating corruption in the form of collusion between officials and businesspeople should be the priority, Xi said, urging efforts to crack down resolutely on the profit-driven abuse of power and prevent various interest and power groups from infiltrating the political arena.

Xi called for greater efforts to rectify corruption in the finance, state-owned enterprise, energy, medicine and infrastructure project sectors, as well as efforts to punish graft occurring on people's doorsteps.

Deepening reform is necessary to stem the spread of corruption, Xi noted, calling for an integrated early warning and punishment mechanism, and for the strengthened handling of new and disguised forms of corruption.

Underscoring the need to improve the legal system that fights corruption, Xi said national anti-graft legislation should be promoted continuously, and the Supervision Law should be amended in pace with the times. He also called for an education campaign on discipline within the Party.

Xi urged redoubled efforts to tackle and punish acts of bribery, and efforts to retrieve and address the illicit interests gained by those who give bribes.

He urged constant and rigorous efforts to purify the political eco-system, prevent the rules of business dealings from entering into the Party, and persistently rectify misconduct in the selection and appointment of officials.

Efforts should be made to promote a culture of integrity in the new era, carry forward the proud traditions and venerable conduct of the Party, and ignite Party members' lofty ideals and pursuits, Xi noted.

Stressing the importance of fostering strengthened familial ties, values and traditions, Xi urged efforts to ensure leading officials establish good discipline values among their families and relatives.

Noting that discipline inspection and supervision agencies are important forces driving the Party's self-reform, Xi said that these agencies should be loyal, reliable and pure in an absolute manner.

Xi ordered efforts to build a strengthened contingent of disciplinary inspection and supervision cadres, as well as efforts to forge them into an "iron army" that the Party can trust and that can meet the people's expectations.

While presiding over the plenary session, Li Xi said that Xi's speech made strategic plans for the advancement of the fight against corruption, calling for the thorough study and implementation of the spirit of the speech, as well as Xi's important ideas for the Party's self-reform.

Li urged efforts to advance full and rigorous Party self-governance and self-reform to provide a strong guarantee for building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI opened on Monday. Li delivered a work report on behalf of the CCDI standing committee on Monday afternoon.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 8, 2024. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), delivers a work report on behalf of the CCDI standing committee during the third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 8, 2024. The third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI opened on Monday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
TIGERTON, Wis. (WFRV)  The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed over $275,000 in fines for a Wisconsin sawmill after inspectors found they continued to expose many of its employees to amputation and other dangers.

The hazards were found at Tigerton Lumber Co., which was deemed a severe violator in 2019 after an investigation into how employees suffered fatal injuries in 2018. The follow-up inspection was part of a federal program for severe violators.

Teen driver in deadly FDL County hit-and-run has bond hearing, court orders $250k cash bond

The inspection in July 2023 determined that Tigerton Lumber Co., located in the village of Tigerton, violated federal regulations for energy control procedures and failed to affix personal locks needed as part of the lockout/tagout program to prevent equipment from operating while employees cleared debris, changed blades, and serviced equipment.

Additionally, OSHA also learned Tigerton Lumber Co. failed to provide employees with required safety training, putting them at increased risk for a potentially dangerous incident.

After inspections of Tigerton Lumber Co.s maintenance shop, stacking and planning area, and the sawmill, OSHA says they cited the company for three repeat violations, 14 serious violations, and two other-than-serious violations, totaling $283,608 in proposed penalties.

Neenah Police Department mourning the loss of K9 Bobby

In 2018, a Tigerton Lumber Co. employee was fatally injured in a tragic and preventable incident caused by similar hazards found during this inspection. The company is legally required to ensure safety devices are used and procedures followed to protect workers from dangerous machinery, explained OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton. By complying with federal regulations and industry-recognized best practices, the company can help prevent employees from suffering serious injuries or worse.

Opened in 1987, Tigerton Lumber Co. employs about 60 workers at its sawmill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Filipino devotees attempt to touch the carriage carrying the statue of the Black Nazarene during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Jose Monsieur Santos/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

More than 2.6 million devotees on Tuesday joined the largest religious procession in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, jostling with each other during the hours-long march in honour of a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ.

The devotees, mostly wearing maroon and yellow shirts, walked barefoot in the procession called Traslacion  the highlight of the feast of the Black Nazarene, a life-size wooden statue of Jesus Christ crowned with thorns and bearing a cross.

They believe the statue grants prayers and wishes to the faithful, and joining the procession and other activities of the festival despite difficult conditions was a show of faith and gratitude.

The frenzied celebrations returned after being cancelled for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Police estimated the number of devotees that joined the procession at its peak at more than 2.6 million, including those who stayed overnight in a park in Manila or at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo district for vigil masses.

I cant help but be emotional because the return of the Traslacion tells me that we can all have a new start after the hardships of the pandemic, said 42-year Rogelio Castro Jr, a chef who has been a devotee since he was a child.

Castro said the Black Nazarene has blessed him with countless miracles, including victory in a legal claim with his former employee for injuries he suffered at work on a cruise ship in 2020.

The lawyers warned me that the case could take more than two years, the father of two said. But the case was settled amicably in just eight months and I got what I asked for, which helped me set up a small business to support my family.

For the first time in the procession, the Black Nazarene was placed inside a glass case, to prevent devotees from climbing up the carriage to touch the statue.

A part of the statues cross at the back was outside the case, and some devotees jumped over the crowd to touch it. Others clambered up the carriage to touch the glass enclosure, while most just held on to the thick rope attached to the carriage as it is pulled by a group of volunteers along the procession route.

A total of 15,000 police officers were deployed to secure the festival, especially the 6-kilometre procession that re-enacts the iconic images transfer from where it was enshrined in the former Spanish fort of Intramuros in Manila to the Quiapo church on January 9, 1767.

Nearly 1,000 people were injured or fell ill during the procession, according to the Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross.

At least one man suffered head trauma after falling from the carriage, while many got dizzy, fainted, suffered punctures or lacerations on their feet, hyperventilation and elevated blood pressure.

Edrina Arguelles, 54, joined the procession with her family and told ABS-CBN News that she owes her life to the Black Nazarene.

I am a product of the Nazarene devotion, she said. My parents were childless for four years after they got married. Someone advised my father to pray to the Black Nazarene for a child.

In 2018, Arguelles said she promised to serve the Black Nazarene for as long as she can in an offering for her 1-year-old granddaughter who had to undergo head surgery after accidentally falling from her bed.

I will make sure to pass down this devotion to my children and grandchildren ... because if not for the Black Nazarene, I am nothing, she said.

Organizers expect the statue to reach Quiapo church after about 18 hours. In the past, the procession has taken as long as 22 hours.

The government declared Tuesday a non-working holiday in Manila City, while local authorities imposed bans on liquor sales and carrying of firearms among civilians during the feast.

Telecommunication companies temporarily jammed service in the area as a security precaution.

The Black Nazarene statue is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila in 1606 by Spanish missionaries. The ship that carried it caught fire, but the charred statue survived and was named the Black Nazarene.

Filipino devotees attempt to touch the carriage carrying the statue of the Black Nazarene during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Jose Monsieur Santos/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Former Utah GOP Party chairman Derek Brown leaves the Office of the Lieutenant Governor after filing to run for attorney general at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Eight candidates have filed to run for Utah Attorney General.

Sean Reyes, the current Utah Attorney General, announced last month that he would not be seeking reelection. This means that candidates are running for an open seat. Since then, 8 candidates have filed for candidacy.

Derek Brown (Republican), David Carlson (Democratic), W. Andrew McCullough (Libertarian), Frank Demcy Mylar (Republican), Rachel Terry (Republican), Michelle Quist (United Utah), Trent E. Christensen (Republican) and Rudy J. Bautista (Democratic) all filed for candidacy for the 2024 race.

Carlson, Quist, McCullough, Mylar, Terry and Christensen indicated they were seeking the nomination via the convention process. Brown marked the box saying that he was seeking the nomination through both the convention and the signature-gathering process.

The Utah Attorney General is the legal adviser of state officers. According to the Utah State Constitution, the person who holds this position is elected to a four year term and must be 25 years or older at the time of election. Additionally, the Utah Attorney General must be in good standing with the Utah bar association.

Heres a brief look at biographical information of each of the candidates as the race ensues. Names on the list are alphabetized by last name.

Rudy J. Bautista

Party: Democratic.

Law school: Brigham Young University.

Quick bio: Bautista is a private criminal defense attorney who practices law at his own private practice Bautista & Campbell. He is qualified by the Utah Supreme Court to defend death penalty cases.

Derek Brown

Party: Republican.

Law school: Pepperdine School of Law.

Quick bio: Brown chaired Utah GOP from 2019 to 2021. He served in the Utah House of Representatives (District 49) from 2010 to 2014. He served as chief legal counsel to former Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch and was also appointed as Sen. Mike Lees deputy chief of staff.

David Carlson

Party: Democratic.

Law school: University of Utah.

Quick bio: Carlson has been an assistant attorney general in the Utahs Attorney Generals Office as well as the former city attorney for North Ogden and South Salt. He has served as the past director of criminal justice for the Utah Attorney General.

Trent E. Christensen

Party: Republican.

Law school: Brigham Young University.

Quick bio: Christensen has served as the Vice President of Community Development for Zions Bank as well as the director of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. He has been the CEO of VentureCapital.org, an entrepreneurship non-profit.

W. Andrew McCullough

Party: Libertarian.

Law school: University of Utah.

Quick bio: McCullough practices law as the principal attorney at McCullough & Associates. He has served as the chair of Utahs Libertarian Party. He has previously run for Utah Attorney General.

Frank Demcy Mylar

Party: Republican.

Law school: Seattle University.

Quick bio: Mylar is the owner of Mylar Law, where he practices with an emphasis on family law, business litigation, Constitutional litigation among other issues. From 1988 to 1998, he worked as an assistant attorney general in the Utah Attorney Generals Office.

Michelle Quist

Party: United Utah.

Law school: Brigham Young University.

Quick bio: Quist is the former dean of admissions at BYU Law School. She worked as a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in addition to having served a clerk to Judge Monroe G. McKay. She is currently of counsel at Holland & Hart.

Rachel Terry

Party: Republican.

Law school: Brigham Young University.

Quick bio: Terry is the current Utah Division of Risk Management director. She has served as an assistant attorney general in the Utah Attorney Generals Office. She also served as the deputy director for the Utah League of Cities and Towns.
This article was originally published in Pennsylvania Capital Star.

Advocates who fought for and won a historic court ruling declaring Pennsylvanias education funding system unconstitutional said Thursday that theyre ready to go back to court if state lawmakers and Gov. Josh Shapiro fail to make a significant down payment on a solution.

The Pennsylvania Schools Work campaign, a coalition that advocates for adequate and equitable school funding, said it has asked Shapiro to allocate $2 billion to allow the states 412 inadequately funded school districts to begin improvements to instruction and student services.

That initial investment must be followed by an additional $1 billion each year for four years until the gap between what the school districts receive from the state now and the amount required for a constitutionally adequate education is eliminated, representatives of the coalition said.

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The unveiling of the proposal came a week before the Basic Education Funding Commissions deadline for a report on inequity in Pennsylvania public schools, following three months of hearings last year.

Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the Education Law Center, said members of the commission, which includes members of each legislative caucus and the administration, are at a critical juncture where they can advance a transparent and evidence-based plan for a new funding system.

If they choose not to respond to the Commonwealth Courts order from nearly a year ago, it will take state officials right back to the court that has already ruled that the system is fundamentally broken, Klehr said.

As the attorneys for the school districts, families and organizations that brought this case we are prepared to go back to court to uphold the rights of those communities, Klehr said. We cannot accept a plan that is politically convenient but fails our students.

In a Feb. 7, 2023, opinion that capped a decade of litigation, Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer found that the states reliance on local property taxes to fund education means students in poorer communities have fewer opportunities in school. That is at odds with the state Constitutions requirement for the Legislature to pay for a thorough and efficient system of public education, Jubelirer said.

Testimony in hearings before the Basic Education Funding Commission largely tracked that in the four-month trial before Jubelirer in 2022. In cities and townships across the state, members heard from educators, advocates, students and an economist who laid bare the depth and breadth of the crisis.

Matthew Kelly, a Penn State professor who analyzed the states school funding system, testified that the shortfall is about $6.2 billion or about 20% of what the state currently spends each year.

Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney at the Public Interest Law Center, said that number was determined by examining the schools that are succeeding as measured by the states own goals and targets and what they are actually spending.

From there, you can have a baseline number for what every school district in the commonwealth should have if they want to have the same success, and that number is $6.2 billion, Urevick-Ackelsberg said.

Donna Cooper, executive director of Children First, noted that 2024 will be a politically volatile year with elections for the president and Pennsylvania lawmakers. Those bargaining Pennsylvanias budget this year will face an additional challenge as pandemic-era federal aid that has been used to supplement education funding expires.

Shapiro acknowledged the challenge he will face in striking a compromise in spending, Cooper noted.

Im very mindful of the Commonwealth Court decision and that we need to have more equity in our system. Im also very mindful that someone has to pay for that, Shapiro told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Cooper cited polling by the Pennsylvania Policy Center that shows voters are aware of the education funding disparity and support increasing spending to correct it. Among 1,274 likely voters, 69% said they believe that public schools require more money. And about two-thirds said they believe the state should do more to ensure schools are sufficiently and equitably funded, the polling shows.

So this is not just something esoteric that happened in the state courts. Its the actual experience that Pennsylvania voters have, Cooper said. She noted that while the economic impact is more pronounced in urban districts, a majority of those surveyed shared the opinion that schools need better funding whether they were in urban, suburban or rural areas and regardless of whether they live in a Republican or Democratic legislative district.

Voters are very aware of whats going on at a pretty high level, Cooper said.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kim Lyons for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and Twitter.
Marion Calder, a director at For Women Scotland, said the group had 'grave concerns' that the plans will criminalise loving parents - Colin Fisher/Alamy

Parents who refuse to allow their children to change gender would face up to seven years in jail under SNP plans to ban conversion therapy.

Proposals published on Tuesday state that actions designed to change or suppress another individuals gender identity, causing them physical or psychological harm, would become illegal under the radical law.

SNP ministers acknowledged that so-called conversion practices often took place in a family setting, raising the prospect that parents could be criminalised if they refuse to go along with their childs declaration that they are transgender.

Stopping someone from dressing in a way that reflects their sexual orientation or gender identity was put forward as an example of an action that would become illegal, even if a parent believed they were acting in a childs best interests.

A consultation states that alongside new criminal sanctions, preemptive civil orders could be obtained against parents or religious leaders, even where conversion practices had not yet taken place.

The plans are the latest controversial measure put forward by the SNP. Critics argue the proposals would have a devastating impact on freedom of speech, privacy and family life in Scotland.

Last year plans by Nicola Sturgeon to allow children as young as 16 to change gender were blocked by the UK Government.

Religious campaigners have vowed to fight the ban in the courts.

We have grave concerns that these plans will criminalise loving parents, who could face years in jail simply for refusing to sign up to the gender ideology cult, Marion Calder, a director at the campaign group For Women Scotland, said.

They will also hand activists and social workers unprecedented powers to meddle in family life, while having a chilling impact on therapists and counsellors.

If the SNP and Greens insist on pushing this through, it is likely to go the same way as the toxic self-ID and named person laws and be blocked in the courts.

Discredited practices

The measures around gender identity also include far less controversial steps to outlawing discredited practices that aim to turn gay people straight.

Providers of services aimed at suppressing or changing a persons sexual orientation or gender would be targeted, with taking someone out of Scotland to access conversion services also to become illegal.

A consultation stated that parents or religious leaders would not be criminalised for expressing concerns, advising a child against medical interventions or not actively supporting a childs decision to dress as a member of the opposite sex.

However, it stated that when actions became coercive or controlling then the law would apply, even in cases where they were motivated by a desire to help or protect the person.

Equalities Minister Emma Roddick said attempts to change or suppress a persons gender identity were damaging and destructive violations of human rights - Ken Jack/Getty Images Europe

Those accused of conversion therapy would have a legal defence if they could show their actions were reasonable.

However, this would apply only in a very small number of circumstances such as to prevent a child from engaging in illegal or dangerous behaviour.

Anyone breaching a civil order, which could be obtained by social workers or activist groups on behalf of alleged victims, could face two years behind bars.

The maximum penalty for those guilty of a criminal offence would be seven years in jail, an unlimited fine, or both.

The SNP has chosen to push ahead with the law despite the damage inflicted on the party by Nicola Sturgeons controversial gender self-ID law, which was blocked by the UK Government.

A planned conversion therapy ban in England has been shelved by Rishi Sunak amid internal disagreement over what would be covered.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said it had serious concerns over the Scottish proposals, claiming they may criminalise advice or opinion given in good faith.

Care for Scotland, a Christian charity, warned the measures could lead to the subjective policing of speech about sexuality and gender, in a range of settings.

Michael Veitch, the groups policy officer, said: Ultimately, parents, teachers, church leaders, counsellors and others could be caught up and unfairly criminalised.

Destructive

However, Emma Roddick, the SNP equalities minister, said attempts to change or suppress a persons gender identity or sexual orientation were damaging and destructive violations of human rights.

She added: The consultation responses we receive will help us to further consider those measures we can take to stop the harm of conversion practices and protect those at risk while ensuring that freedoms  including freedoms of speech, religion, and belief  are safeguarded.

Maggie Chapman, equality spokesman for the Scottish Greens, backed the planned law, which the SNP agreed to implement as part of its coalition pact with her party.

Conversion practices are not therapy, she said. They are abusive and coercive. They are a form of violence that has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland.

Nobody should be told there is something wrong with them or be forced to be ashamed of who they are, just because of their identity.

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A Pennsylvania man is facing charges in connection with "swatting" hoaxes about shootings and kidnapping in Clermont County and even a threat to the White House, officials said.

A Clermont County grand jury on Tuesday indicted Michael Carpenter, 19, on a single count of swatting, court records show.

Carpenter of Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, made the calls to Ohio law enforcement in November, according to a Clermont County Sheriff's Office news release.

In the first call, on Nov. 8, a man told dispatchers he had just shot his brother and tied up his mom at a home in Washington Township. Deputies determined the call was a hoax after reaching the home and making sure the residents were safe.

Immediately after they cleared the scene, the same caller contacted Clermont County dispatchers saying he had "pressure bombs" at the White House, and that he was holding someone hostage, the sheriff's office said.

He then verified to the dispatcher that he was swatting and information about the White House threat was passed along to the U.S. Secret Service.

As of Tuesday afternoon, federal court records did not list any charges pending against Carpenter regarding that threat.

Early in the morning on Nov. 13, dispatchers got another call regarding the same residence in Washington Township. This time, the caller said he had just shot his mother and the sounds of gunshots and screaming were heard in the background, officials said.

Deputies again responded to the home and determined the call was a hoax.

Detectives investigated the hoax 911 calls and used social media records to identify Carpenter as the source, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators are working with the Parkesburg Police Department to locate and arrest Carpenter, who will be extradited to Clermont County for trial.

What is swatting?

Swatting is a form of online harassment in which someone falsely reports violent crimes in progress or makes threats to cause a large law enforcement response  commonly a SWAT team  to a victim's home or business, but also to public institutions like schools or universities.

The term "swatting" was used by the FBI as early as 2008, and the practice has its origins in the online gaming community.

Is swatting a crime in Ohio?

A law passed in 2022 by the Ohio Legislature makes swatting a fourth-degree felony, a crime that can be enhanced to a second-degree felony if serious bodily harm occurs as a result of the call.

Swatting is also federally illegal, although the degree and crimes charged is dependent on circumstances like tactics and target, according to the FBI.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Pennsylvania man charged in White House threat, Ohio swatting hoaxes
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins recent hospitalisation came after he experienced complications from surgery to treat prostate cancer, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

In a statement, DrJohn Maddox and Dr Gregory Chestnut  the emergency department director and urologic oncologist overseeing Mr Austins care  said the retired four-star US Army general was diagnosed with prostate cancer after laboratory tests in early 2023

The physicians said Mr Austin underwent a minimally invasive medical procedure to treat and cure prostate cancer on 22 December, during which he was under general anaesthesia.

Secretary Austin recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning. His prostate cancer was detected early, his prognosis is excellent, they said, adding that Mr Austins re-admission to Walter Reed on 1 January came after he experienced complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain which was found to stem from a urinary tract infection.

On January 2, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care. Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines, they said, including backup of intestinal contents, which were drained.

He has shown improvement and continues to make progress. We anticipate a full recovery, though this can be a slow process, they added.

The physicians also said Mr Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia after his admission to Walter Reed last week.

The announcement in the form of the statement from Mr Austins physicians, which was read aloud by the Pentagon Press Secretary, US Air Force General Pat Ryder, was the first information provided to the public about Mr Austins condition and comes as the administration has been facing questions regarding why both President Joe Biden and Mr Austins own deputy were unaware of his recent hospitalisation for several days.

Pentagon officials further said that Mr Austin did not undergo general anasthaesia during the procedure for which he was hospitalised on 1 January and received the following day.

His duties were performed by deputy secretary Kathleen Hicks, who like Mr Biden reportedly did not know that her superior was in the hospital.

The president was kept in the dark about Mr Austins cancer diagnosis, only learning about it on Tuesday.

Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

This is not the way it is supposed to go, he added about the matter of communications.

The Biden administration separately announced guidelines on Tuesday requiring Cabinet secretaries to notify the White House if their duties are taken over by a principal deputy.
(Bloomberg) -- US lawmakers demanded answers from the Pentagon after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed to notify the White House about his hospitalization for four days, saying they werent satisfied with the explanation for his absence.

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The Pentagon said Monday that Austins top staffers knew about the hospitalization on Jan. 2, but did not notify the White House, Congress or the deputy defense secretary for several days. The Defense Department has still not disclosed why Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, or whether he was unconscious at any time during his multi-day stay in intensive care, which began on New Years Day.

Given the extremely serious military decisions that the United States is dealing with, including attacks on our troops by Iranian-backed proxies, the war in the Middle East, and the ongoing aggression by Russia in Ukraine, it is inexplicable that the Secretarys condition remains shrouded in secrecy, Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, said in a statement.

Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Marine officer, said, the fact that this occurred with the secretary of defense  and his own deputy, let alone the president, didnt know  is astounding.

The episode presents a problem for President Joe Biden in an election year, highlighting dysfunction at the commanding heights of the US military machine. It has also thrust his intensely private defense secretary into a media storm and raised questions about whether he should resign.

Austins chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, released a memo on Monday night detailing a 30-day internal review of practices for transferring authority from the secretary to his deputy and the accompanying process for notifying the president and other parts of the government. It also put in place temporary practices around notification while the review is underway.

Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and frequent critic of the administration, called for him to step down, and Senator JD Vance, an Ohio Republican and Marine veteran, said he should be fired.

Others on Capitol Hill said they were withholding judgment.

Earlier: Biden in Dark on Defense Secretarys Hospital Stay for Days

The White House acknowledged on Monday that Austin made mistakes, but said his position was secure.

The president respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency. He also respects the amazing job hes done as defense secretary, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters. There is no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job.

Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder also acknowledged shortcomings on Monday. Ryder, along with Magsamen, was among the small group of officials who knew of Austins admission to Walter Reed the day after it happened, but chose not to make it public or to notify the rest of the government.

I recognize that I should have tried to learn more and to press for an earlier public acknowledgment. So I offer my apologies and my pledge to learn from this experience, Ryder said.

Still, senior Democrats  who have otherwise praised Austin for his role in marshaling US military aid to Ukraine  pressed publicly for assurances that the Pentagon would improve.

I remain concerned that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the secretary was under medical care, Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. This was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the department.

Late Monday, Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, issued a statement saying Austin was in good condition, recovering well and no longer in intensive care. But he said theres no specific date yet for his release from the hospital.

The lack of notification was unusual for a government department known for its attachment to procedures and protocol. Previous health episodes involving defense secretaries were reported almost immediately.

The non-notifications are so out of character for DOD which has a highly organized system for notifications on the most routine and the most serious matters, said Arnold Punaro, a former Marine Corps major general and Defense Business Board member.

Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said it is way too early to talk about Austins resignation, adding that there are still a lot of unanswered questions.

We need to know more, Durbin said. This is not over by a long shot.

--With assistance from Tony Capaccio, Courtney McBride and Erik Wasson.

(Updates with Magsamen memo, in sixth paragraph.)

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The U.S. may have to wait a little longer before a lunar lander can touch down on the moon for the first time in five decades.

The Peregrine spacecraft designed and operated by Pittsburgh aerospace company Astrobotic hitched a ride Monday morning aboard the United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, was flawless, and the lander separated from the rocket as planned.

But shortly after Peregrine began powering its way toward the moon, it encountered a problem with its propulsion system. Though Astrobotic controllers worked from the ground to salvage the mission, the lander began leaking a "critical" amount of propellant that almost certainly has since dashed any hopes of it landing on the moon, the company said.

"At this time, the goal is to get Peregrine as close to the lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power," Astrobotic said at 9:16 p.m. EST Monday on X.

Update #6 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/lXh9kcubXs  Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 9, 2024

The year ahead in space: A return to the moon and a rare eclipse among 5 great space events on the horizon in 2024

Propellant depletion throws lunar ambitions into peril

The first snag occurred hours into the mission when Astrobotic reported a propulsion anomaly that interfered with the craft's ability to achieve a sun-facing position, which is necessary to provide solar power to charge the spacecrafts batteries.

United Launch Alliance's new rocket, Vulcan Centaur, lifts off Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for its maiden voyage. On board is Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander. The mission, called Cert-1, will also carry on board the cremated remains of several people associated with the original "Star Trek" series, including creator Gene Roddenberry.

As the batteries began reaching "operationally low levels," the company said, the craft's ability to land on the moon became threatened.

The company expressed optimism when controllers succeeded in reorienting the craft so its solar panels could recharge its batteries. But by late Monday, hope faded again when a propulsion failure began depleting the craft's propellant, keeping it from an "uncontrollable tumble."

(1/4) Weve received the first image from Peregrine in space! The camera utilized is mounted atop a payload deck and shows Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) in the foreground. pic.twitter.com/dUuu0Idz8K  Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 8, 2024

The malfunction meant the spacecrafts attitude control system thrusters were fighting well beyond their expected service life cycles," Astrobotic said. As of about 9 p.m. EST Monday, the company estimated that the spacecraft could continue for another 40 hours based on current fuel consumption before losing power.

NASA science equipment, human remains, aboard lander

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket lifts off Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station This is the inaugural launch of the rocket, carrying Astrobotic's lunar lander.

Peregrine was carrying 20 payloads from seven nations and 16 commercial customers, including space agencies like NASA, universities, companies and others.

Among the cargo was a payload of human remains bound for a lunar burial, which drew objects from the Navajo Nation.

The flight's failure is a setback for NASA, which had financed the mission in a vital step toward its goal of putting astronauts back on the moon for the first time since the last Apollo mission in 1972.

NASA spent tens of millions of dollars for a spot for its scientific cargo on the spacecraft, which represents the debut of the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS). With a budget of $2.6 billion in contracts available through 2028, the program will see NASA more often partnering with private companies to help place scientific payloads on the lunar surface.

With the success of @ulalaunch's #VulcanRocket, our country has more tools to explore space. Spaceflight is a daring adventure, and @astrobotic is making progress for CLPS deliveries and Artemis. @NASA will continue to expand our reach in the cosmos with our commercial partners. https://t.co/YqXKR7fRXz  Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) January 8, 2024

For the Peregrine mission, NASA's payload included a variety of scientific instruments aboard the lander meant to conduct experiments and studies of the lunar surface and its atmosphere. The findings would have proved crucial in helping the space agency search for evidence of water and other resources that would support human exploration of the moon as part of its Artemis program.

By the end of the year, the space agency hopes to send a group of spacefarers on a 10-day trip circumnavigating the moon  but not touching down  as part of Artemis II. The mission would pave the way for another group of astronauts who in the coming years NASA hopes will land on the lunar surface itself.

"Spaceflight is a daring adventure, and Astrobotic is making progress for CLPS deliveries and Artemis," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson posted on X after news of the propulsion failure came to light. "NASA will continue to expand our reach in the cosmos with our commercial partners."

What's next for NASA?

Fortunately for NASA, Astrobotic is just one private American company racing to get the U.S. back on the moon this year.

Houstons Intuitive Machines, the second company with lunar ambitions, aims to launch a lander in mid-February aboard a flight with SpaceX with NASA funding.

The space agency also says copies of four of the NASA payloads aboard Peregrine are expected to fly on future flights.

Astrobotic itself has a contract for another lunar mission with a targeted launch at the end of the year. The Griffin, the largest lunar lander since the Apollo lunar module, will carry NASAs Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the moon's south pole, where it will search for water ice.

There are many challenges with spaceflight, and were incredibly proud of the Astrobotic and NASA teams that have put us one step closer to a robotic return to the lunar surface as part of Artemis," Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA, said in a statement. "This delivery service model is a first for the agency and with something new, there is a higher risk.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Peregrine moon lander suffers issues, touchdown unlikely
A person died after standing on train tracks in North Highlands Monday evening and being hit by a train, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

Firefighters went to Roseville and Walerga roads at about 5 p.m. for reports of a person hit by a train, said Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn, a spokesman for Metro Fire.

Officials for Union Pacific, whose train was involved in the fatal incident, said they were working with local authorities to determine what happened, said Meg Ronspies, a Union Pacific spokesperson. Train crew members werent hurt in the incident, Ronspies wrote in an email.
An iPhone ripped out of an Alaska Airlines aircraft after a fuselage blowout was reportedly found over the weekend by a man in Portland, Oregon. Sean Bates shared images of the device on X, writing that hed discovered it on the side of the road. Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim email for the flight, he added. Survived a 16,000 foot drop perfectly [intact]! He said that a National Transportation Safety Board staffer told him it was the second passenger phone found after the incident. Bates made the discovery while out for a Sunday walk, sweeping for a door plug the board had asked the public for help in locating. The plug was found in a Portland school teachers backyard on Sunday, a board official said at a news conference.

Found an iPhone on the side of the road... Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282 Survived a 16,000 foot drop perfectly in tact!



When I called it in, Zoe at @NTSB said it was the SECOND phone to be found. No door yet pic.twitter.com/CObMikpuFd  Seanathan Bates (@SeanSafyre) January 7, 2024

Read it at People

Read more at The Daily Beast.
A 20-year-old Pittsburgh woman was arrested late Monday in the shooting death of a man with Medina ties in Pittsburgh's Arlington neighborhood, reported Pittsburgh Police Department Public Information Officer Cara Cruz.

Jaelyn Nowlin faces charges of criminal homicide, robbery, carrying a firearm without a license and persons not to possess, Cruz said.

Police arrived at a home on the 2200 block of Arlington Avenue just after 8 p.m. on Dec. 30 for a report of shots fired, Cruz said.

Officers found 25-year-old Grant Gibeault, a Medina County native, on the main floor of the home with multiple gunshot wounds, she said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe was started on Jan. 1 to assist the family in funeral arrangement costs. To donate visit https://bit.ly/GrantGibeault.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Grant Gibeault, Medina native, killed in Pittsburgh shooting
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  The largest Pizza Hut franchiser is offering a deal on pizzas this week to kick off the new year.

Flynn Group owns and operates 40 Pizza Hut restaurants in North Carolina  in addition to 930 Pizza Hut restaurants throughout 26 other states, according to the company.

The restaurant group is running a Guest Appreciation Day deal on Wednesday at all U.S. locations, the company said in a news release Monday evening.

That day, anyone who buys a large menu-priced pizza from a Flynn Group Pizza Hut will receive a free large one-topping pizza, the news release said.

Customers who want in on the special deal will need to use the promo code FreePizza on January 10.

Photo courtesy: Flynn Group

The deal is available online, in-store, and through the companys call center.

Although the deal is limited to one free pizza per order, the FreePizza code can be used again in other separate transactions, officials said.

There are additional charges for pan or stuffed crust, extra toppings, and extra cheese.

Flynn Group Pizza Hut locations in North Carolina include Carthage, Pembroke, Sanford, Oak Ridge, Fayetteville, Red Springs, St. Pauls, Dunn, Angier, Southern Pines, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Asheboro, Raeford and Whiteville.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
Mr Chalk is looking at a number of options to correct a miscarriage of justice involving the Post Office's faulty IT system - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

A plan from ministers to announce the mass exoneration of convicted Post Office branch managers this week has been slowed by fears genuine wrongdoers could be included.

Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, has held talks with Dame Sue Carr, who as Lady Chief Justice is the countrys most senior judge, about the proposal to address the Horizon IT scandal.

Downing Street is minded to pass a law exonerating sub-postmasters convicted after the faulty Horizon computer system showed money missing from accounts, as campaigners have demanded.

However, in the last 48 hours, new information about the complexity of the challenge has been handed to the Cabinet.

Ministers have been warned that hundreds of convicted postmasters have cases that do not meet the threshold for being heard in the Court of Appeal.

Many of those are believed to have been innocent, for example sub-postmasters who felt pressured into making admissions of guilt in return for reduced sentences.

But a small number of them may be genuine wrongdoers who were convicted for reasons that are separate from the scandal of the malfunctioning Horizon computer system.

How to provide speedy justice for the hundreds of wronged Post Office branch managers with an exoneration, while still separating out any genuine wrongdoers, has now become the focus of discussions.

Rishi Sunak, Mr Chalk, Kevin Hollinrake, the minister for the Post Office, and legal advisers are continuing to discuss the best approach.

Reforming the structure of private prosecutions after the Post Office used the mechanism to bring its cases is now seen by ministers involved as a longer-term ambition, with exoneration being the focus of discussions.

Two MPs campaigning for justice in this area, Sir David Davis of the Conservatives and Kevan Jones of Labour, told The Telegraph that big organisations should be stripped of their ability to bring private prosecutions.

As many as 900 Post Office branch managers have been convicted with Horizon IT computing issues cited in their prosecution. Just 93 have had their convictions overturned.

Mr Chalk told MPs on Tuesday that a simple Bill to quash the convictions of the sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses was receiving active consideration.

Ministers have faced the added complication that Parliament passing a law which overturns decisions by the independent judiciary is believed to be unprecedented in recent times.

Some politicians campaigning for justice for the postmasters have accepted that the Government needs to tread carefully when overturning judicial decisions en masse.

Sort of thing we deprecate in Russia

Lord Arbuthnot, the Tory peer who has campaigned for justice for those affected and sits on the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board, wants to see speedy exoneration but said he understood the complexity of passing a law to do so.

Lord Arbuthnot told The Telegraph: The most concerning thing is the idea that the legislature can overturn judicial decisions. That is the sort of thing that we deprecate when it happens in places like Russia.

There is a saying: Hard cases make bad law. We dont want to have the precedent of the legislature finding that it doesnt like a decision the courts made and just saying okay, we will change everything.

Dominic Grieve, the former Tory attorney general, also offered a note of caution in an interview on BBC Radio Fours Today programme, warning that a law mass-pardoning convictions could leave some genuine victims frustrated that a shortcut had been taken.

Constitutional safeguard looked at

One other option that has been discussed with Mr Chalk is the issuing of a royal pardon for the victims of the Post Office scandal.

The Royal Prerogative of Mercy (RPM) can be exercised by the King on the advice of the Justice Secretary in cases where the sovereign feels it necessary to intervene personally in honour of his Coronation oath to administer justice in mercy.

According to a recently published paper by Doughty Street Chambers, the pardon is a flexible power, and its exercise can and should be adapted to meet the circumstances of the particular case.

Established as a remedy for wrongful convictions, it is described as an integral element in the criminal justice system, a constitutional safeguard against mistakes and a flexible process intended in very rare cases to secure justice which the concluded Court process cannot achieve.

Under section 16 (2) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995, the Criminal Cases Review Commission can invite Mr Chalk to recommend that the RPM should be exercised to grant a free and unconditional pardon.

However, a free pardon is not the equivalent of an acquittal.

According to Sir David: The idea of a royal pardon has been discussed with Alex Chalk but the victims dont want that. They want to be fully exonerated and the only way of doing that is for their convictions to be overturned.

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.
NATIONAL CITY, Calif.  First responders on Monday rescued a plumber who was trapped in a trench for nearly five hours while on the job in National City.

Around 1:17 p.m., firefighters received a call about the confined space report at the Westfield Plaza Bonita shopping mall at 3030 Plaza Bonita Road, the National City Fire Department confirmed to FOX 5.

Authorities say the plumber inside a building under construction near Nordstrom Rack when he went into the hole searching for a pipe and the dirt wall collapsed on him, pinning him underneath. He was unable to move his legs.

FOX 5 was at the scene around 6:30 p.m. when rescuers were able to pull the plumber out of the hole.

Battalion Chief Robert Hernandez with the National City Fire Department reflected on the tricky rescue.

Iconic Tijuana taqueria comes to Chula Vista with new location

Tried to lift him straight out, but lower portions of his body were trapped a little deeper than we expected, Hernandez said.

Crews used shovels and buckets to remove the dirt from around the mans trapped legs. It was a slow process, but the committed effort paid off.

Firefighters say the victim was talkative and didnt appear injured, but he was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

The construction will now stop at the site as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will investigate the situation.

FOX 5 emailed the malls management, but have not received word from them at this time.

FOX 5s Juliette Vara contributed to this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda met with two convicted members of parliament of the former ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) on Tuesday just as police officers were supposed to take them to prison.

Former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his former State Secretary Maciej Wasik posed side by side with the head of state at a reception in the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, according to images published by Duda's law firm on the platform X.

The police in Warsaw had previously confirmed that a court order had been received to take both politicians to prison.

Footage from broadcaster TVN24 showed police officers apparently searching in vain for the men in front of their homes.

The incident intensified the power struggle between the new pro-European centre-left government of Donald Tusk and the PiS, from whose ranks President Duda also comes.

In 2015, immediately after the PiS came to power, Duda had pardoned Kaminski and Wasik in a controversial decision.

Both had previously been sentenced in the first instance to three years in prison for abuse of office.

The reason for the conviction was an affair uncovered in 2007, in which the anti-corruption agency, then headed by Kaminski , was said to have deliberately orchestrated a corruption case in order to discredit the then Agriculture Minister Andrzej Lepper. Kaminski and Wasik appealed the verdict.

Last June, Poland's Supreme Court overturned Kaminski and Wasik's pardons. Only people whose guilt has been established by a legally binding judgement can be pardoned, according to the reasons for the verdict.

Both had to face trial again. At the end of December, the Warsaw District Court sentenced them to two years in prison.
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW)  A 20-year-old man is accused of raping a 2-year-old at a licensed in-home daycare.

Reward for info about woman wanted by US Marshals

The FBI on Friday, Jan. 5, notified Parma Heights police about an investigation into an incident at the facility along Big Creek Parkway, according to a news release from police Detective Eric Taylor.

Conner Matthew Walker, 20, was arrested following an investigation. He appeared in court on Monday, facing one count of rape and three counts of gross sexual imposition.

Student assaults Ohio teacher, causing severe brain injury

Walker was given a $500,000 bond. His case has been bound over to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, where he may face additional charges, Taylor wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
SAN DIEGO  A woman has been arrested for an assault that led to the death of a 75-year-old man, the San Diego Police Department said.

Police arrested 36-year-old Dulce Amaya early Tuesday for suspected elder abuse.

According to SDPD, officers responded to a home on Nov. 17 in the 3800 block of Chamoune Avenue in City Heights for reports of an elderly man who was the victim of a battery at his home.

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews found the man  identified as Raymond Corn, 75, of San Diego  alone on the floor of his home suffering from unspecified injuries. He died from those injuries on Nov. 28.

Suspect sought in elder abuse death investigation

Detectives with SDPDs Homicide Unit started an investigation into the matter due to the unusual circumstances of his death. The San Diego County Medical Examiners Office reports he suffered numerous blunt force trauma injuries that were not consistent with a fall and that he had been victim of a physical assault.

Detectives were able to determine Corn was the victim of physical elder abuse from a woman he had befriended over the months before his death. That woman, Dulce Amaya, was arrested at 4:40 a.m. on Tuesday at a convenience store in the 4700 block of El Cajon Blvd after police received a tip.

(San Diego County Crime Stoppers)

SDPD say Amaya was booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility. She could face charges for murder and elder abuse.

Man sentenced to prison for burning teens body after she died of overdose

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
UPDATE: 17-year-old arrested in Reedley quadruple homicide. His mom was also booked

UPDATE: 4th body found near home of Reedley triple homicide. Warrants served in Selma, Parlier

The Reedley Police Department has identified two of the three victims found dead in the backyard of a home Saturday morning.

Police Chief Jose Garza in an update Monday said 81-year-old Billy Bonds of Reedley and 44-year-old Guadalupe Bonds were found killed in the backyard in what police have called a possible break-in at the home.

A third victim was later found, also in the backyard. Police havent identified the third victim.

The discovery was made at 9 a.m. Saturday in the 1100 block of South Church Avenue after family members arrived and noticed a break-in had occurred.

Officers arrived and found signs of what appeared to be forced entry into the residence, Garza said.

Garza said foul play was involved on both victims. Garza hasnt released the causes of death, pending an autopsy on Thursday.

He said weapons were involved, specifically guns.

Police havent identified any suspects, but are looking for 43-year-old Matthew Bonds, who is believed to be at-risk because of known health issues, Garza said. He also lived at the home, police said.

His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Garza said officers initially were investigating burglary at the home. Officers were searching the home and in the backyard and noticed a tarp and located the first two victims.

Garza said a safe was found that previously had firearms inside but it was empty. Police havent ruled out that money was also in the safe.

Anyone with information is asked to call Reedley police at 559-637-4250 or two tip lines at 559-356-8690 (English) or 559-246-4183 (Spanish).
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma City Police Department identified the second homicide victim in 2024.

Authorities confirm last night, Oklahoma City Police were called to a business in the 1600 block of SW 29th St. on reports of a disturbance. Officers arrived to find 55-year-old Marvin Thomas had been shot. Investigators learned Thomas showed up to the business and began an altercation with someone inside. During the altercation, Thomas swung a knife at the person who then shot Thomas, killing him.

OKCPD investigate deadly shooting SW OKC

Currently officials say, it appears this is a case of self-defense but will be presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorneys Office.

No arrests have been made, according to police.

Anyone with any information should contact the Homicide Tip Line 405/297-1200.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Portland Police Bureau has confirmed to KOIN 6 News that a suspect wanted by federal authorities has been caught in Southeast Portland.

A PPB spokesperson said the individual, who was being sought by U.S. Marshals, was caught in a shed in southeast Portland and that no force was used to apprehend them.

In addition, PPB has identified the individual as 25-year-old Zachary Drazner, who was taken into custody on multiple warrants.

In an earlier release, PPB said they were called in to assist U.S. Marshals in apprehending a wanted subject who may be armed.

The individual who was being sought after fled, prompting a Public Alert emergency notification to local community members in the Centennial Neighborhood.

This all unfolded around 4:50 p.m. when PPBs East Precinct officers responded to the area of Southeast 166th Avenue and Southeast Haig Drive to assist the marshals. After the suspect fled, the PPBs Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team also came to assist, officials said.

NTSB provides Monday update on Alaska Air accident

The Gresham Police Department also assisted PPB by providing units to respond, a Gresham PD spokesperson told KOIN 6 News.

Residents had been advised, through the alert, to remain indoors as law enforcement agents combed the area of Southeast 164th Avenue to Southeast 167th and Southeast Haig Drive to Southeast Bush Street.

This is a developing story. KOIN 6 News will update this story as more information becomes available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered support from the state following the explosion Monday at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Fort Worth. He said his office had been in touch with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn.

The State of Texas is in close contact with Mayor Parker, Sheriff Waybourn, and other local partners and first responders in Fort Worth to assist with emergency response efforts following the tragic explosion at the Sandman Hotel. We continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harms way. Cecilia and I ask all Texans to pray for those who were injured in the explosion, as well as those bravely responding to keep others safe.

An explosion shortly after 3:30 p.m. in the basement of the hotel at 810 Houston St. blew out windows on the first and second floors of the 20-story hotel, sending debris into the streets. Multiple people were injured, with 21 hospitalized or treated on scene, according to the fire department and MedStar.

The Sandman Signature Hotel opened less than a year ago and included a basement level restaurant, where the explosion is believed to have occurred.
Things aren't looking good for Donald Trump's immunity claim.

A federal appellate court hearing oral arguments in the former president's appeal in his federal election subversion case strongly suggested Tuesday that it would reject his claims of presidential immunity from criminal charges connected to his effort to overturn the 2020 election results, according to Politico. The three presiding judges appeared deeply skeptical of his argument that a president could not be prosecuted  even for assassinating a rival  if he did not first go through Congress' formal impeachment and conviction process.

I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law, said Judge Karen Henderson, who was appointed by George H.W. Bush.

Despite the skepticism, the panel of judges, which includes Biden appointees Florence Pan and Michelle Childs, seemed split over how to cast their decision. No matter what they rule, the question will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court for a final determination on whether Trump's Washington, D.C. criminal trial will occur this year.

The trial is currently slated to begin March 4, but will likely be postponed because of the litigation over Trump's immunity claims, which argue he should be shielded from prosecution for his alleged misconduct because he was acting in his official capacity as president. Special counsel Jack Smith has accused the former president of attempting to disenfranchise American voters and defraud the country by peddling false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election and trying to remain in power.

U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is assigned to oversee the trial, rejected Trump's immunity claim early last month. Trump then filed an appeal on the immunity issue, essentially pausing the trial proceedings until the question is resolved.

Tuesday's hearing lasted over an hour, with the three judges of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals seeming inclined to maintain Chutkan's ruling though their exact reasoning remained unclear, according to Politico.

Trump's lead attorney, John Sauer, argued that allowing Smith's case to go further would set a republic-shattering precedent that would allow future presidents to reflexively prosecute their predecessors from opposing parties.

To authorize the prosecution of a president for his official acts would open a Pandoras Box from which this nation may never recover, Sauer argued.

None of the three appeals judges seemed convinced, however. In one instance, Pan asserted that dismissing Trump's prosecution would result in its own slate of negative outcomes for the nation, such as weakening enforcement of criminal laws and the Constitution's pledge that executive power will only go to a duly elected president.

Though mostly directing arguments at the judges, Sauer also took the opportunity to sprinkle in campaign fodder for audiences outside the courtroom, describing Trump as President Joe Biden's number one political opponent and greatest political threat." He later declared in his rebuttal argument near the end of the hearing that Trump was "leading in every poll."

The judges further nipped at Trump's arguments, noting a key discrepancy. Though the former president claimed "absolute" immunity from prosecution for his official acts, his attorneys also said that presidents can be prosecuted for that conduct if they're first impeached and convicted by Congress. Even though a majority of senators voted to convict him, Congress acquitted Trump for his role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

Pan emphasized that tension, suggesting that if the panel disagreed with the notion that impeachment must precede a president's prosecution, then it must also allow Smith's case to proceed to trial.

Once you concede that presidents can be prosecuted under some circumstances, your separation of powers argument falls away, Pan said.

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig also pointed out the holes in the Trump legal team's argument on Tuesday.

"The problem with the argument that Trump's lawyer just staked out, that there has to be an impeachment and conviction before there can be a prosecution, is it leads to absurd results that cannot be the way this works," Honig said.

"Impeachment is entirely different," he continued. "A judgment about whether to impeach could be political, it could be based on any number of factors. That is just a different ballgame altogether than a decision whether to prosecute and eventually convict somebody."

Honig went on to question why Sauer didn't advance the argument presented in the legal team's brief, which referenced a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that found presidents should be protected from civil lawsuits, in which the underlying conduct involved actions taken within the outer perimeter the president's official duties.

"The thing that I keep coming back to is they had an easier way  Trump's team had an easier way. They briefed a better way," Honig said. "They just made the traditional argument of what he's charged with doing here is within the scope, within the outer perimeter of his job as president. If they stuck to that, I still think they probably would have had a losing argument, but they wouldn't have had a preposterous argument, and I think they would have had a stronger case to make."

While discussing an instance in Trump's Tuesday hearing when his lawyers were asked about past statements made in his January 2021 impeachment hearings, former Manhattan prosecutor Karen Agnifilo highlighted that "clearly, Trump's arguments in other forums are coming back to haunt him."

Judges are listening to each other," Agnifilo told CNN. "They're seeing what's happening in other cases or in other forums, and you can't be inconsistent and disingenuous, especially when you speak to the court."

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

The ex-prosecutor went on to praise the judges for narrowing the number of outstanding concerns of the case, which include whether presidents are immune from criminal prosecution generally, whether double jeopardy could apply, whether the court has jurisdiction to hear the case now given that these appeals typically follow a conviction, and whether one has to be impeached and then convicted in order to be prosecuted via the impeachment judgment clause.

What I thought that the appellate court did a really excellent job here was narrowing the issues down, Agnifilo said. At the end Judge Pan got Mr. Sauer, who represents Trump, to concede that there is no absolute immunity here.

Because Sauer answered yes to her question about whether prosecution would be proper for a president on the same or related charges if a president had been impeached and convicted by Congress, Pan got the Trump lawyer to concede there is no double jeopardy and no absolute immunity, Agnifilo explained.

"The only remaining issues here are does the impeachment judgment clause require a conviction first in order to do this," she added.

"Trumps lawyer bobbed and weaved, but was basically pinned to wall by court on position that if court doesnt accept his impeachment judgment clause argument, he loses," tweeted former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman. "And court wont accept argument, which is outlandish and illogical."

Trumps lawyer bobbed and weaved, but was basically pinned to wall by court on position that if court doesnt accept his impeachment judgment clause argument, he loses. And court wont accept argument, which is outlandish and illogical.  Harry Litman (@harrylitman) January 9, 2024

National security lawyer Bradley Moss said on X/Twitter that he expects the judges to "rule against Trump, and a decision to issue within the next two weeks."

I expect the D.C. Circuit panel to rule against Trump, and a decision to issue within the next two weeks.



Scheduling question becomes what happens next: they can do a temporary stay, saying "you have X days to appeal or this automatically goes into effect", so as to keep this  Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) January 9, 2024

"Scheduling question becomes what happens next: they can do a temporary stay, saying 'you have X days to appeal or this automatically goes into effect', so as to keep this thing expedited," Moss added, before speculating about the potential timeline.

Moss explained that, if the case goes directly to the Supreme Court, he doesn't expect the justices to rule earlier than early March even under an expedited schedule, meaning the case would return to Chutkan by March at the earliest and push the current March 4 trial date back.

"You're likely looking at a trial no early than May at that point," Moss concluded. "[T]ime will tell."

this coming back to Chutkan by March at the earliest, which obviously means the trial date is pushed back. You're likely looking at a trial no early than May at that point.



time will tell. /end  Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) January 9, 2024
In early December 2023, a federal grand jury indicted a former civilian government worker, Janet Mello, on charges that she stole more than $100 million intended for a 4-H program for children of military families. The IRS discovered the alleged scheme and partnered with the Army to investigate, according to court documents. Courtesy of Federal court documents

Janet Mello, whos charged with bilking the Army of more than $100 million, came to the attention of federal investigators after the IRS flagged her as a possible tax cheat, according to court filings.

Mello is accused of setting up a shell company to fraudulently collect money from a 4-H program for military families. She was a civilian Army employee at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston whose duties included helping administer the 4-H initiative.

She created the company, called Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development, or CHYLD, in 2016 and included it in her 2017 personal tax forms, according to a new court filing. She reported that her company earned a profit of $483 on revenue of $2,152 for training consultations.

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After 2017, however, Mello has not filed any subsequent income tax returns for CHYLD on a personal nor a business entity income tax return, according to a forfeiture lawsuit filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Franco Jr. in federal court Dec. 27.

The lawsuit aims to recoup more than $18 million found in bank accounts tied to Mello.

Prosecutors say Mello, 57, lived a life of opulence that far surpassed what her government salary could support. In 2022, her pay was $129,996.

With the money she allegedly stole between 2017 and 2023, Mello went on globe-trotting trips; dined at high-end restaurants; bought expensive jewelry, designer clothing and accessories; and amassed a collection of vintage and high-performance motorcycles and cars. She also bought millions of dollars worth of real estate, including several luxury condos.

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She bought one of her latest properties in August  an estate on 60 acres in rural Maryland  while she was on temporary duty in Washington, D.C., according to records reviewed by the San Antonio Express-News.

The IRS noticed the discrepancy between her salary as a government employee and her lifestyle, and the agency started digging.

The agencys criminal investigations division launched a joint probe with Army investigators that resulted in her indictment in early December on mail fraud and related charges.

It is one of the Armys worst-ever theft cases.

Authorities accuse Mello of exploiting lax controls at the Armys Installation Management Command to divert $103 million to her company instead of the 4-H program it was intended for.

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Authorities could have detected her alleged theft much earlier, or even prevented it, if Army leaders hadnt loosened the administrative reins, granting her more autonomy in her job as part of an organizational shake-up, according to court records and interviews with sources familiar with the investigation.

It speaks to the nonchalant-ness of the command and its lack of internal controls, said one person familiar with the investigation who requested anonymity because the person wasnt authorized to speak to the media.

The Installation Management Command, or IMCOM, oversees the section in which Mello worked. The command, led by Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, is headquartered at Fort Sam Houston.

The U.S. Army Installation Management Command takes the allegations in Janet Mellos indictment seriously," Randall Robinson, executive deputy to Jones, said in a statement. "As a result of the indictment, U.S. Army Installation Management Command is conducting a review of its accounting and contracting procedures to ensure we remain good stewards of government funds."

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Robinson said the Army has made several administrative improvements so far, including "increased control measures to reduce risk of fraudulent payments; increased oversight and separation of duties to reduce risk of improper action; and reduced the number of staff with signature authority to issue payments."

Loosening the reins

IMCOM, with a workforce of more than 50,000 worldwide, is a major subordinate command of the Armys Materiel Command. Among IMCOMs missions is to ensure facilities are fit to house and train soldiers and to oversee recreational programs for soldiers and extracurricular activities for their families, such as 4-H.

IMCOM operates a series of directorates that use the letter G and a number for designations, such as G-1 for personnel, G-6 for technology and G-8 for finance. The directorate where Mello worked, G-9, oversees programs related to family, morale, welfare and recreation initiatives.

Army records show that Josh Gwinn has been G-9s director since April 2023. He was its deputy director from April 2018 to March 2023.

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Under Gwinn are G-9 Branch Chief Kevin Montgomery and Suzanne King, chief of the G-9s child and youth services. Both have held those positions since at least 2019.

Mello worked under them as a program manager for G-9s child and youth services section.

The Express-News was unable to reach Gwinn or Montgomery for comment. King referred a reporter to her agencys public affairs office for answers to his questions. The public affairs office did not answer written questions, instead referring the reporter to Army investigators.

Though court documents allege that Mello launched her scheme in 2016 and started receiving 4-H money in January 2017, the theft appeared to accelerate after 2019.

That year, as part of a reform initiative, IMCOM was moved from the direct supervision of the Armys chief of staff at the Pentagon and became a subordinate of the Armys Material Command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. In the period, Mello was given more flexibility in how she did her job, with less supervisory oversight.

The moves were intended to make the commands operations more efficient, according to IMCOM.

As part of her duties, Mello helped run the 4-H Military Partnership Grant program. It hires contractors to provide training and curricula to the service branches so that children from military families can participate in 4-H, a network of youth groups that encourages children to undertake hands-on projects in agriculture, health, science and civic leadership.

When Mello created CHYLD in 2016, she said it provided 4-H services to military personnel and their families, but federal authorities say her company did no work and that it only received payments.

Mello allegedly took advantage of the new leeway she had in her job  as well as the trust another federal agency, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, placed in IMCOM.

Known as DFAS, that agency oversees payments to Defense Department service members, employees and contractors.

The agency mailed more than 40 payments to CHYLD totaling $103 million, all at Mellos request.

DFAS sent the money after receiving packets from Mello that included a document known as a standard form 1080, a voucher request for payment that indicated  though it didnt explicitly say  that IMCOM had vetted and approved CHYLD as a vendor for the 4-H program. That allowed payment to her company to be processed without an invoice.

According to DFAS, the normal process for the distribution of funds requires Mellos supervisor to submit a memo to DFAS indicating an entity or potential vendor is approved to receive grant funds and lists the source of those funds, prosecutor Franco wrote in the forfeiture lawsuit. On all of the memos submitted by Mellos supervisor wherein CHYLD was listed as the recipient of the funds, Mello was listed as the person to whom DFAS should direct any questions about payment authorization.

Instead of having her supervisor, King, sign forms that needed her approval, Mello allegedly forged Kings digital signature, according to court records.

They stove-piped the process to only one person, said a source familiar with the investigation, referring to Army leaders. They gave her complete carte blanche, and she found all the loopholes.

No supervisor appears to have spot-checked Mellos work, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons said in December that the Army apparently hadnt conducted an audit of the 4-H program.

In his forfeiture lawsuit, Franco included memoranda and other documents that Mello submitted to DFAS in 2017.

One memo, dated Jan. 17, 2017, requested a check for $983,483 to be delivered by FedEx to CHYLDs purported address in Schertz. Mello was listed as the contact person.

The memo included a copy of an email sent by a Kathy Johnson to Mellos work email address; Mello described Johnson as the financial analyst/reimbursable coordinator at CHYLD. It also listed a phone number for Johnson.

Based on the investigation, Kathy Johnson, the phone number, and email address appear to be fake, as no phone number or email address returns to CHYLD or Kathy Johnson, the lawsuit said.

Franco also included Mellos most recent request for payment, dated Aug. 14 of last year  for a check for more than $4 million, to be sent to an address in the 20700 block of U.S. 281 in Stone Oak.

Agents discovered that the companys Schertz and Stone Oak addresses were for UPS stores that rent mailboxes.

Based on (the) investigation, there is no evidence CHYLD has a physical address out of which it operates, the lawsuit said.

The high life

During the investigation, agents also found that Mello picked up checks at the U.S. 281 address and deposited them at a Bank of America branch office across the highway. The lawsuit said that to conceal the source of the funds, Mello transferred the fraud proceeds through various bank accounts she controlled.

The forfeiture lawsuit said no legitimate income appeared to have been deposited into bank accounts tied to Mellos company. (Her government paycheck went into a USAA bank account, separate from the CHYLD accounts, the lawsuit said.)

Agents found that between March 2022 and April 2023 alone, DFAS issued more than $61 million in payments to CHYLD.

Investigators allege that Mello spent nearly $43 million between Dec. 17, 2021, and May 31, 2023. That included $24.3 million on retail, $10.9 million on jewelry, $8 million on vehicles, $130,150 on airfare and $80,432 on lodging, the lawsuit said.

Prosecutors have not said whether anyone questioned her allegedly lavish spending or took such concerns to federal authorities  before the IRS began taking a closer look at Mello.
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Former President Donald Trump has long argued that his supporters are so committed that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue in New York City, shoot someone and not lose them.

One of his lawyers made the argument in federal court Tuesday that he might not be prosecuted either.

The question at hand is whether Trump and all presidents achieve absolute immunity from prosecution. Trump faces four different criminal prosecutions, and his strategy, beyond delaying these trials, is to argue that as a guard against political prosecutions he simply cannot be prosecuted.

Trumps first criminal prosecution by the federal government for 2020 election interference has been put on hold, for now, while these immunity questions work their way through the appeals process.

With Trump looking on in federal court in Washington, DC, Tuesday, his lawyer was given hypotheticals by Judge Florence Pan, a nominee of President Joe Biden and one of three judges hearing the appeal.

Would a president face prosecution for selling pardons or state secrets? No, Trumps lawyer John Sauer said, so long as he was not impeached and convicted first.

A hypothetical assassination

Then, Pan went a step further.

Could a president order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? That is an official act  an order to SEAL Team 6, Pan said.

Not necessarily, according to Sauer.

He would have to be, and would speedily be, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution, Sauer said, suggesting that adding this extra layer before a president could face criminal accountability is essential to protect democracy.

In these exceptional cases  youd expect a speedy impeachment and conviction, Sauer said during a back-and-forth with Pan. But what the founders are much more worried about  was what James Madison calls in Federalist No. 47 the new-fangled and artificial treasons.

It was actually, as far as I can tell, Federalist No. 43 in which Madison said, new-fangled and artificial treasons have been the great engines by which violent factions, the natural offspring of free government, have usually wreaked their alternate malignity on each other.

Pan, along with the other two judges, seemed extremely suspect of the idea that Trump has such blanket immunity. Pan also noted that Sauer himself was allowing for exceptions to immunity in cases where an impeachment and conviction in the House and Senate have occurred.

Trump avoided impeachment conviction because of possible prosecution

The larger problem with assuming impeachment and conviction are prerequisites for criminal prosecution is the recent history of Trumps impeachments.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who was then Senate majority leader, voted to acquit Trump in a Senate impeachment trial immediately after the January 6, 2021, insurrection because, McConnell said, Trump should face criminal prosecution.

We have a criminal justice system in this country, McConnell said at the time. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being held accountable by either one.

Trump and his attorneys clearly think otherwise, and they dont mind the circular argument. His supporters argued he shouldnt face impeachment. Now they argue he shouldnt face prosecution. There is no ideological through line but simply the most convenient argument to benefit Trump at a particular moment in time.

Trump later argued in a social media post that without such blanket immunity, Biden could be prosecuted for his handling of the situation at the US-Mexico border. Its a difficult argument to make since Trump is being prosecuted for his efforts to overturn an election and stay in power rather than his efforts to conduct business as president.

Asked about Trumps immunity argument on Capitol Hill Tuesday, McConnell said he stands by his criticism of Trump after the January 6 attack, but he would not say if he thinks presidents should get superimmunity.

Well, my view of the presidential race is that I choose not to get involved and comment about any of the people running for the Republican nomination, he said.

Haley rises in New Hampshire

While Trump faces real legal peril, the perception of persecution that he has fostered and pushed has not hurt him politically.

He remains the odds-on favorite to win the Republican Partys presidential nomination, although in New Hampshire a new CNN poll out Tuesday suggests former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has narrowed Trumps lead to less than 10 percentage points.

Haleys rise appears to be fueled not by the GOP base but independent voters who can take part in New Hampshires primary.

From CNNs Ariel Edwards-Levy: Haleys support has grown dramatically among those voters registered as undeclared, New Hampshires term for independent registrants  shes up 18 points with this group since November. It has also grown 20 points among those who are ideologically moderate.

Perhaps his front-runner status is why rather than spend time with voters in Iowa or New Hampshire on Tuesday, Trump was in Washington, watching oral arguments in his absolute immunity appeal.

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Donald Trump speaks to the media at a Washington hotel on Tuesday - Susan Walsh/AP

US presidents are immune from prosecution even if they assassinate their rivals, Donald Trumps lawyers argued on Tuesday, as he applied to have his election interference charges dismissed.

The former president appeared in Washington DC to appeal federal charges of subverting the 2020 election results, including on conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Mr Trumps legal team argued he has absolute immunity from prosecution for actions that took place while he was still US president, which would even extend to ordering the political assassination of a rival.

Speaking outside court, the former president said the case opened a Pandoras Box of prosecution of political officials and could open the door to Joe Biden facing legal action over the USs disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

I think they feel this is the way theyre going to try and win and thats not the way it goes. There will be bedlam in the country, he said.

When they talk about threat to democracy, thats your real threat to democracy. And I feel that as president you need to have immunity.

Mr Trump left the campaign trail in Iowa, which will hold its Republican caucus on Monday, to see his appeal in front of three judges in Washington.

The panel appeared unconvinced by his legal teams argument that the actions of a sitting president cannot be the subject of criminal proceedings unless the office holder is first impeached.

Dean John Sauer, Mr Trumps attorney, told the judges: The floodgates have opened. We are in a situation where we have a prosecution of the chief political opponent who is winning in every poll... and is being prosecuted by the administration that he is seeking to replace.

Florence Pan, one of the judges hearing the appeal, asked Mr Sauer: Could a president order Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival?

The lawyer responded: He would have to be, and would, speedily be impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.

Extraordinarily frightening future

The scenario was used by James Pearce, a federal prosecutor representing Jack Smith, who brought the election interference charges against Mr Trump in August.

What kind of world are we living in if a president orders a Seal team to assassinate a political rival and resigns, for example, before an impeachment? he asked.

Not a criminal act. A president sells a pardon, resigns or is not impeached? Not a crime.

I think that is an extraordinarily frightening future... I think that should weigh extraordinarily heavily in the courts consideration.

Mr Trumps teams case appeared not to have won over the panel, who expressed reservations about the absolute immunity argument.

Responding to Mr Sauer, Republican judge Karen Henderson said: I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law.

Ms Pan added that if Mr Trumps team thought he could be prosecuted, in theory, after he had been impeached, then Mr Smiths prosecution should go ahead.

Once you concede that presidents can be prosecuted under some circumstances, your separation of powers argument falls away, she said.

The judges heard legal arguments for less than two hours before retiring, and are expected to give their verdict in the coming days.

The panel may choose to rule narrowly on Mr Trumps immunity in the case brought against him by Mr Smith, or issue a blanket judgement on presidential immunity in general.

The courts decision is likely to be escalated to the Supreme Court, where a judgement will also have an impact on the three other criminal cases against Mr Trump in Georgia, New York and Florida.

The Washington case, which also deals with Mr Trumps alleged involvement in the Capitol riots of Jan 6 2021, was set to begin on March 5, but is likely to be postponed until the outcome of the former presidents appeals.

Mr Trumps team hopes that the verdicts in the three criminal cases can be pushed beyond Nov 5, the date of the presidential election.

As president, he would have the power to pardon himself for federal convictions in the Washington and Florida cases.

Mr Trump  the first former president to face criminal charges  argues that he has been the target of politically-motivated legal action, telling supporters he was forced to leave the campaign trail in Iowa to hear the appeal.

Cant have a president without immunity

On Tuesday, he suggested Mr Biden could face prosecution for his own actions as president if his appeal is not successful.

The lowest moment I think in the history of our country was Afghanistan, the way we withdrew... with shame, we surrendered, people killed, 13 great soldiers killed, he told reporters.

He could be prosecuted for that. So you cant have a president without immunity, as a president you have to be able to do your job.

He added: I did nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong. Im working for the country and I worked very hard on voter fraud because we have to have free elections.

As he walked away from the press conference, Mr Trump did not answer when a reporter asked if he would tell his supporters to avoid violence.

The appeal came just six days before the Iowa caucuses, where Republican voters from the state will choose their preferred nominee for the 2024 election.

Mr Trump is the Republican frontrunner in national polls, leading his closest rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, by around 50 points.

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Paula Vennells, the former Post Office boss, will hand back her CBE - TOM STOCKHILL

Shamed former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has bowed to pressure to hand back her CBE over anger at her role in the Horizon IT scandal.

She announced that she will forfeit the honour with immediate effect after Rishi Sunak intervened to say he would back her being stripped of it.

Her decision will pile pressure on Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader who was the Post Office minister at the time, to return his knighthood.

More than 700 branch managers were convicted after a faulty computer programme made it look as though money was missing from their shops.

The accounting software was designed by Fujitsu, the Japanese technology firm, which is facing calls to pay out millions in compensation to the victims.

It is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history, with Downing Street now looking at issuing a blanket exoneration of those found guilty.

In a statement Ms Vennells broke her long silence over the scandal to address the growing clamour for her to hand back her honour.

I am aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE, she said. I have listened and I confirm that I will return my CBE with immediate effect.

I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

Ms Vennells added that she had previously felt it would be inappropriate to comment publicly before she gives evidence to a public inquiry into the scandal.

Her announcement was welcomed by Mr Sunak, with a Downing Street spokesman saying it was obviously the right decision to forfeit the honour.

Our focus continues to be on ensuring all those whose lives were torn apart have swifter access to compensation and justice, he added.

Fury over the scandal has centred on Ms Vennells, who joined the Post Office in 2007 and rose through the ranks to become its chief executive in 2012.

She was handed her CBE for services to diversity and inclusion in the January 2019 honours list, a month before she stood down from her role.

A petition calling for her to be stripped of it had been signed by more than 1.2 million people, with senior MPs adding their voice to the demands.

Formally annul the honour

King Charles will now have to formally annul the honour, which was handed to the former Post Office boss by his mother the late Elizabeth II.

Ms Vennells will then have to return her insignia to Buckingham Palace, and will no longer be able to make any future reference to having a CBE.

Senior Tories welcomed her decision and suggested that it should prompt Sir Ed to consider handing back the knighthood he was awarded in 2016.

Brendan Clarke-Smith, a deputy chair of the Conservatives, said: Whilst it still goes nowhere near far enough in terms of achieving justice for sub-postmasters, handing back the CBE is the right decision.

Perhaps this should set a precedent and its time for other public figures to do the same.

Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, added: Vennells has belatedly done the right thing. The nation looks forward to Sir Ed Davey doing the right thing.

The Liberal Democrat leader also faced anger from sub-postmasters who have said he must be held accountable for his failure to act on the Horizon scandal.

Yvonne Tracey, a former postmistress who is also a councillor in his Kingston and Surbiton constituency, said: I think Eds denials and deflections are shameful.

Its time for Ed to do the right thing and hand back his knighthood.

Asked if Sir Ed will return his knighthood, a Liberal Democrat spokesman said: No he will not. As Ed has said many times, he wishes hed known then what we all know now.

Its right that Vennells gave back her CBE, she was at the centre of a conspiracy of lies against the victims, the public and ministers of all parties.

The Liberal Democrat leader has faced intense criticism since it emerged he turned down a request to meet campaigning sub-postmaster Alan Bates in 2010.

Mr Bates, whose fight for justice has been made into an ITV drama, eventually gave up trying to deal with Sir Ed and accused him of parroting Post Office lines.

Trying to shirk responsibility

Sir Ed did later meet a group of sub-postmasters and says he raised their concerns with the company, but was lied to by bosses who told him they were unfounded.

He told The Guardian: We were reassured time and again that the Horizon system was working. We were told there werent that many postmasters affected. We were just told so many lies.

We absolutely have to have these people completely exonerated  their convictions must be overturned. The Post Office lied to judges and the courts.

But senior Conservatives accused him of trying to shirk responsibility and said he should have been tougher in demanding answers from executives.

Sir Edward Leigh, a Tory MP and former Post Office minister, said it was reprehensible that the Liberal Democrat leader was trying to dodge the bullet.

Sir John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister, added: He could have listened to those who knew things were wrong. It was his job to supervise or change the management.

A Conservative spokesman accused Sir Ed of having gone into hiding and said he must fully cooperate with the public inquiry to help explain why this happened to make sure it can never happen again.

Mr Tice said Sir Ed had failed to ask the right questions that voters would expect a minister of the crown to and should stand down as Liberal Democrat leader.

Ed Davey applied what I would call the lazy, complacent trust the executives approach, as opposed to being a diligent, conscientious minister, who challenged the establishment and the status quo and didnt accept what he was being told, he told the Telegraph.

Allies have said that the Liberal Democrat leader, who was the Post Office minister from May 2010 to February 2012, is being turned into a scapegoat.

A source close to him insisted: As Alan Bates said yesterday, Ed was one of many ministers who was misled and lied to by the Post Office.

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Prince Andrew leaves Royal Lodge, Windsor, as he is seen for the first time since the release of the latest Epstein files - Kelvin Bruce

Virginia Giuffre was paid $15,000 (12,000) by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew, she has claimed in the latest release of documents from a New York court.

The accuser, who has previously alleged she was kept as Epsteins sex slave and that she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York in London in 2001, also claimed she and the Duke went to the Tramp nightclub in London together.

The allegations, released to the public for the first time on Tuesday, were made in a 2016 deposition given by Ms Giuffre in a lawsuit she brought against Alan Dershowitz, a legal scholar.

In the videotaped interview, Ms Giuffre said Epstein paid her $15,000 for having sex with the Prince.

The documents also contain an interview with Epstein, who refused to answer questions on whether he had blackmailed the Duke after he allegedly had sex with Ms Giuffre in 2001, when she was a teenager.

Questioning Epstein on the alleged blackmail plot, Ms Giuffres lawyer asked if he had requested that she give you a full report on the details of what men like Prince Andrew did to her so that you would have blackmail material you could use.

He was also asked what he knew about the Dukes sexual preferences, and on whether Ms Giuffre had recounted specific behaviour that Prince Andrew requested before sexual intercourse.

Epstein declined to answer, pleading his Fifth Amendment right not to respond to questioning.

In the interview with Ms Giuffre, she was asked whether she was paid $10-15,000 by or on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein for having sex with Prince Andrew.

She responded: Yes, I did receive $15,000. I dont know what equivalent that is to pounds. I received it in American dollars.

Virginia Giuffre dropped a separate sexual abuse claim against Alan Dershowitz in 2022 - Bebeto Matthews/AP

The Duke has been forced to step down as a working member of the Royal family in response to the allegations and has settled a separate lawsuit with Ms Giuffre for an undisclosed sum.

The deposition also recounted how Ms Giuffre and the Duke allegedly attended the members-only Tramp nightclub in Mayfair. She said they stayed at the club an hour but not two and that he ordered the drinks.

The Duke has denied any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Mr Dershowitz, Epsteins former lawyer, claimed the Duke would have won his sexual abuse civil case had it gone to trial.

Mr Dershowitz said the Duke had made a terrible mistake by paying millions to settle the civil case with Ms Giuffre.

He told Times Radio: I suspect he was pressured by his mother to make that mistake. If he had fought that case, I believe he would have won.

I believe the case would have been dismissed on a variety of grounds, but he didnt want to sit through a deposition, or people around him didnt want to sit through a deposition, so he settled the case.

Often you settle cases not because youre guilty of what youre charged, but because you dont want to admit other things that youve done. I feel sorry for Prince Andrew for this reason, assuming everything they say about him is correct, the woman who accused him was over the age of consent.

She apparently bragged about it to her friends, and she collected millions and millions of dollars for that. Yeah, I feel sorry for him.

Alan Dershowitz said he suspected the Duke was pressured by his mother to settle the civil case - Richard Drew/AP

Carolyn Andriano, a victim of Epstein who testified at the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, has claimed Ms Giuffre told her in 2001 that she slept with the Duke. She said her friend texted her from London, saying: Youll never guess who Im with...

When Ms Giuffre returned to Florida, she showed Ms Andriano the infamous photograph depicting the Duke with his arm around her waist.

Ms Giuffre claimed she was raped and sexually assaulted by him on three occasions in 2001, when she was 17. He paid her an estimated $12 million (9.4 million) to settle her civil claim in February 2022, while admitting no liability.

He wanted to pursue the case but was under intense pressure to strike a deal to draw a line under months of lurid headlines ahead of the Platinum Jubilee.

In order to facilitate the deal, Elizabeth II contributed to the financial settlement, which was accompanied by a 12-month gagging clause, ensuring that neither side could discuss any aspect of the case or the financial deal.

In 2022, Ms Giuffre dropped a separate sexual abuse claim against Mr Dershowitz, admitting she may have made a mistake in claiming he had abused her when she was a teenager.

The Duke was said to believe that the extraordinary development following an eight-year legal battle prompted serious questions over Ms Giuffres credibility.

In a joint statement announcing the settlement, Ms Giuffre said that while she had long believed she was trafficked to Mr Dershowitz by Epstein, she was young at the time and was in a stressful and traumatic environment.

Mr Dershowitz spoke out after it was alleged in newly-released court documents that sex tapes featuring the Duke, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson had been recorded by Epstein.

Sarah Ransome, a British victim, sent emails to a friend in October 2016 in which she claimed the paedophile financier had secretly recorded videos of each of the three men and that copies had been made. The Duke, Mr Branson and Mr Clinton have all vehemently denied wrongdoing.

The Duke was seen on Tuesday for the first time since he was catapulted back into the headlines as he drove near his home on the Windsor estate. It was the first time he had ventured out since a New York court began unsealing the documents last week.

Prince Andrew leaves Royal Lodge, Windsor, as he is seen for the first time since the release of the latest Epstein documents - Kelvin Bruce

In a 2019 interview with the New Yorker magazine, Ms Ransome is said to have admitted that she had invented the tapes, but on Tuesday she doubled down on her claims, repeating her belief that there are videos that exist.

She told ITVs Good Morning Britain that she was sure those who knew about the alleged tapes were very frightened of them being released.

She added: Its no secret that everything was recorded. Multiple victims have come forward confirming my account, along with others. Ive also seen recordings in his office.

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More than a month after Gov. Tony Evers declared plans to lift lockdown restrictions at two of Wisconsins maximum-security prisons, limitations on recreation, visitation, meals, showers, programming and more persist without a clear end in sight.

Since the governor's announcement Nov. 14, video and in-person visitation has resumed at Green Bay Correctional Institution, and video visitation has resumed at Waupun Correctional Institution. But there have been few other changes, prisoners and advocates say.

Wisconsin Department of Corrections spokesperson Kevin Hoffman said he could not specify or estimate how often people incarcerated at the two prisons  or any state prison  receive recreation, phone calls, medical and mental health services, or access to law libraries.

The Department of Corrections says Waupun Correctional Institution has been under so-called "modified movement" since March, and Green Bay Correctional Institution since June.

"Its very difficult to provide the numbers of hours or minutes persons are receiving all services because it can depend on a variety of factors like staffing and other resources, so any number I could provide may not be the same tomorrow or next week," Hoffman said in an email.

In letters to reporters, people incarcerated at the two prisons described facing months of severe restrictions on programming, reduced access to showers, long waitlists for dental and medical needs, and more.

Prisoners spend nearly all hours of the day locked in roughly 8-by-7-foot cells  approximately one-third the size of the average college dorm room  and many have a bunkmate. They eat meals feet from a toilet that has restrictions on how often it can be flushed.

And with restrictions in place that diminish access to basic necessities like exercise and communication with loved ones, prisoners and advocates say the conditions are disastrous for mental health.

Waupun Correctional Institution has been under lockdown since March.

The "modified movement" restrictions are a result of ongoing staffing shortages, according to the DOC. But prisoners, advocates and a retired prison guard say those incarcerated have been experiencing limited movement and reduced programming for years.

State law permits prisons to suspend administrative rules normally in place in case of an emergency or a disturbance "that prevents the normal functioning of the institution." The statutes don't include a time limit for these suspensions, so the DOC has been giving prisoners fewer freedoms than is normally required  like letting people out of their cells for at least four hours a week  for the past seven to 10 months.

Jeff Hoffman, a former Green Bay Correctional Institution prison guard who retired in January 2023 after 22 years, said people incarcerated there have "without a doubt" been experiencing worse conditions for years due to staffing issues.

"When you're 80 people short, you can't run anything," he said.

Are prisoners allowed to see visitors or make phone calls?

Because both in-person and virtual visitation was banned under the lockdowns, most people incarcerated at Waupun and Green Bay Correctional Institutions did not see the faces of their loved ones for months.

That changed recently. Green Bay Correctional Institution reinstated video visits Nov. 6 and in-person visits Nov. 27, Kevin Hoffman said. Waupun began resuming video visits Dec. 9, but prisoners there still cannot receive in-person visitors.

It is unclear how often people in prisons are allowed phone calls. Under state law, prisoners not in solitary confinement are guaranteed a minimum of one phone call per month. But prisons under lockdown do not necessarily have to abide by this rule.

Kevin Hoffman did not answer how many phone calls prisoners at the Waupun and Green Bay prisons are receiving.

RELATED: A homicide, assaults on staff and rodents: Inside the crumbling Green Bay prison

Are prisoners getting recreation time, outdoor time, or educational and vocational programming?

Kevin Hoffman said it is difficult to estimate how much recreation time prisoners get per week under lockdown.

"For institutions under modified movement, the amount of recreation received each week can depend on factors such as staffing," he said in an email.

Under normal circumstances, prisoners typically get recreation time four to five times a week, said Steven Davis, who spent around close to a decade of his 23 years in the prison system at Green Bay Correctional Institution and one year at Waupun Correctional Institution.

However, under lockdown, incarcerated people and their advocates say that has been almost entirely eliminated. In a letter, Mitchell Engebretson, who was incarcerated at Green Bay Correctional Institution for over a year until he transferred to a medium-security prison in November, said that during his time in Green Bay, he went to recreation once.

In the winter months, recreation at most prisons is held indoors. Prisoners at Green Bay and Waupun Correctional Institutions rarely have reason to step outside, unless heading between their cell hall and another building, like for health or religious services. Because both prisons spent the summer on lockdown, many prisoners have not felt the sun on their face in close to a year or longer.

Dozens of people gather outside the Green Bay Correctional Institution on Nov. 9 to call for an end to the monthslong lockdown and the closure of the 125-year-old facility.

Although Kevin Hoffman said the remaining restrictions at the Waupun and Green Bay prisons do not impact educational or vocational programming, people who are currently and formerly incarcerated and their family members say there have been fewer and fewer opportunities for such programming in recent years.

Terressa Russell of Racine said her son has been incarcerated at Green Bay Correctional Institution for 6 years. He has not been able to get any schooling since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but is still on a waitlist, Russell said.

Do prisoners see other people during meal time?

Ending "modified movement" status does not necessarily mean returning prison operations to how they ran before the pandemic.

People incarcerated at the Green Bay and Waupun prisons have been eating meals in their cells, rather than the meal hall, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic  nearly four years ago. Kevin Hoffman said the decision to serve meals in cells was "not a result of the modified movement."

The meals delivered to cells have also diminished in quality, said Jeff Hoffman, the former prison guard. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, bagged meals including peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches began replacing hot dishes cooked at the prison.

The meals were absolutely terrible, in my opinion. And even a lot of the staff members, we all agreed, like, what happened to the meatloaf? What happened to lasagna or the pizza nights?" Jeff Hoffman said. "These guys, these meals gotta suck for them.

Prisoners at Green Bay Correctional Institution told reporters they are occasionally getting hot meals to their cells, but many say the portions are small.

RELATED: How do you close a maximum-security prison? As debate over Green Bay's prison roils, experts weigh in.

Are prisoners receiving religious services?

Waupun Correctional Institution offered no religious services under the lockdown for nearly eight months, until resuming them Nov. 7, Kevin Hoffman said.

At Green Bay Correctional Institution, religious services resumed Sept. 25.

Do prisoners under lockdown have access to showers?

Prisoners under lockdown at Green Bay and Waupun prisons are currently getting one to two showers a week, according to letters from people incarcerated there.

According to state statute, Wisconsin prisons must provide people with at least two "bathing periods" a week under ordinary circumstances.

But because Waupun Correctional Institution is on lockdown with personal hygiene restrictions in place, the facility does not need to meet this requirement by state law.

According to the DOC, Green Bay has lifted its limitations on personal hygiene. But the ongoing reduction in recreation means prisoners have less access to showers than they normally do, Davis said.

Under ordinary circumstances, people incarcerated at the Green Bay prison get a minimum of two showers per week in addition to access to showers every time they go to recreation or if they work a job, Davis said. So if those programs were running as normal, prisoners would get six or seven chances a week to shower, he said.

Are prisoners under lockdown allowed the same access to medical or mental health professionals?

The DOC did not answer this question.

Many incarcerated people and their families have raised the alarm about a shortage of medical professionals and poor health care in the prisons.

Russell said she is concerned for her son's mental health, and questioned prisoners' access to mental health resources and rehabilitative needs at the institution while under lockdown conditions.

She said she thinks all prisoners should be reevaluated for mental health concerns after facing the extended period of restricted movement.

"Being locked in a room, that's not rehabilitation," Russell said.

Dental care has a lengthy waitlist. Davis's father, Victor Robinson, who is incarcerated at Green Bay Correctional Institution, said he has been on the waitlist for over a year. Two of his molars have broken off during his wait to see the dentist, Robinson said in a letter.

Davis said he believes waitlists for dental care have gotten longer in recent years, and worsen when institutions go on lockdown.

He said that when he was incarcerated, he waited over two years for a teeth cleaning. Getting transferred to a different prison made him lose his place on the waitlist, he said. He ended up not seeing a dentist until he was released on parole in early 2023.

More: He didn't deserve to die like this: Family seeks answers about suicide during Waupun prison lockdown

Wisconsin DOC doesn't track when prisons go on and off lockdown

In October, Kevin Hoffman told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin that information on which state prisons faced lockdown conditions in the past and how long those lasted "isn't really tracked."

Periods of lockdown or modified movement can be the result of anything from a law enforcement search or an outbreak of illness that has reduced security staff or triggered a quarantine of prisoners, he said.

"It's not uncommon for DOC institutions to modify their operations to address different issues within the course of any given day," Kevin Hoffman said in an email.

The Department of Corrections says Green Bay's lockdown started June 19. Kevin Hoffman said "no single incident" caused it.

But days before, on June 16, multiple prisoners set fire to bedsheets and other items in their cells, according to an incident report from the Brown County Sheriff's Office. The report says one of the prisoners involved in the incident told an investigator the fires were a way to protest lockdown conditions at the prison  supporting claims from incarcerated people and family members that the facility has been under restricted movement even earlier than June 16.

In response, Kevin Hoffman said in an email that "periods of modified movement are not uncommon."

"The current period of modified movement includes suspension of some administrative rules, but most others do not," Kevin Hoffman wrote. "A facility may modify operations, for example, because its short-staffed or because of a disturbance, and that may affect recreation, visitation or other activities. This is something facilities must be able to do to maintain safety for staff and all persons in our care."

In Evers' November announcement about easing lockdown restrictions, the governor cited pay increases for state employees secured in the most recent biennial budget as a strategy that will hopefully help ease the DOC's staffing woes and return conditions back to normal.

"We will continue to use every lever and option available to bolster staffing resources and address vacancy rates to ensure the safety of staff and people in our care while resuming critical programming," Evers said in his statement.

Reporters Drake Bentley and Natalie Eilbert contributed to this report.

Kelli Arseneau can be reached at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Visitors, showers, meals: How lockdown looks in Wisconsin prisons
A privately built spacecraft that launched Monday on a mission to land on the moon will not reach the lunar surface after it suffered a critical malfunction hours after liftoff.

Astrobotic Technology, the Pittsburgh-based firm that developed the Peregrine lander, said Tuesday that the spacecraft is leaking propellant, making it impossible to complete its lunar mission.

Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon, the company said in a statement.

The troubles started shortly after the lander launched into orbit. Despite successfully separating from its Vulcan rocket, the spacecraft sustained what Astrobotic said was most likely a propulsion failure.

The first image from the Peregrine lander, released Monday, showed ruptured layers of insulation, which Astrobotic said appeared to confirm that the problem centered around the spacecrafts propulsion system.

An image from a mounted camera shows a disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander (Astrobotic Technology / via AP)

The malfunction prevented the lander from properly orienting its solar panels toward the sun in order to charge its onboard battery. Though the company was eventually able to reposition the craft to face the sun, Astrobotic later reported the catastrophic propellant leak.

The company said Tuesday that the spacecraft is expected to run out of fuel in about 40 hours.

The team continues to work to find ways to extend Peregrines operational life, Astrobotic officials said in a statement on X. We are in a stable operating mode and are working payload and spacecraft tests and checkouts.

The Peregrine lander was the first U.S. lunar lander to launch to space in more than 50 years. The mission was the first under NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which will allow the agency to hire private companies to transport scientific instruments and other equipment to the moon.

A separate Houston-based company is expected to launch its own lander, commercially developed as part of the same NASA initiative, to the moon next month.

Though the Peregrine lander will fail to complete its mission, Astrobotic said there is still much to learn from the flight.

We continue receiving valuable data, the company said in a statement, and providing spaceflight operations for components and software relating to our next lunar lander mission, Griffin.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Update 1 p.m. ET: Astrobotic has issued a fourth update on the anomaly its Peregrine lunar lander is experiencing and it appears the mission will not go as planned after all.

"Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant," the company wrote. "The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time."

Astrobotic's history-making private lunar lander has experienced an anomaly on its way to the moon.

The Astrobotic Peregrine moon lander launched into an elliptical orbit in the wee hours of today atop the a Vulcan Centaur rocket built by the United Launch Alliance (ULA). The mission is the maiden voyage for ULA's new launch vehicle, and the Peregrine lander has the potential to be the first private mission ever to touch down safely on the lunar surface.

However, the lander suffered an anomaly just hours into voyage that may threaten its entire moon-landing mission, according to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Astrobotic. It was expected to land on the moon on Feb. 23.

Related: Vulcan rocket launches private US moon lander, human remains in debut

"After successful propulsion systems activation, Peregrine entered a safe operational state. Unfortunately, an anomaly then occurred, which prevented Astrobotic from achieving a stable sun-pointing orientation," the company wrote in a statement released seven hours after the mission's 2:18 a.m. EST (0718 GMT) liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. "The team is responding in real time as the situation unfolds and will be providing updates as more data is obtained and analyzed."

In a second update, Astrobotic reported that a propulsion issue may be the cause.

"The team believes that the likely cause of the unstable sun-pointing is a propulsion anomaly that, if proven true, threatens the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the Moon," the company wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Astrobotic's private Peregrine moon lander suffered an anomaly after separating from its Vulcan Centaur rocket on Jan. 8, 2024.

A number of commercial and scientific payloads are onboard the Peregrine lander. NASA contracted Astrobotic to deliver five scientific experiments designed and overseen by the agency; some will study the moon's surface, atmosphere and radiation environment, while the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) experiment is set to install a system of mirrors and lasers on the lunar surface and to measure very precise distances, and will function as Peregrine's permanent location marker on the moon.

A graphic showing a private moon lander's path to the moon

Mexico has five tiny autonomous robots on Peregrine alongside a small Nano Lunar Rover built by students at Carnegie Mellon University. A piece of Mt. Everest is aboard the flight, and space memorial companies Celestis and Elysium Space are attempting to place human DNA and remains on the lunar surface from mission "participants," whose remains will be placed permanently on the moon's surface following Peregrine's landing.

A number of commercial payloads are also onboard, including a lunar Bitcoin, an archive of miniaturized books and texts from the Arch Mission Foundation, and the "MoonBox" from logistics and shipping company DHL that contains keepsakes and messages from 100,000 people around the world.

RELATED STORIES:

 NASA responds to Navajo Nation's request to delay private mission placing human remains on the moon

 For Astrobotic, big risk (and bigger reward) ride on private Peregrine moon lander's Jan. 8 launch

 ULA's 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket launch looks spectacular in these photos and videos



All of those payloads now hang in the balance now, though, unless Astrobotic can remedy the anomaly that Peregrine is currently experiencing. A chief concern is Peregrine's battery life, the company said. The spacecraft needs to point its solar arrays to the sun to generate power for its systems.

"As the team fights to troubleshoot the issue, the spacecraft battery is reaching operationally low levels," Astrobotic wrote. "Just before entering a known period of communication outage, the team developed and executed an improvised maneuver to reorient the solar panels toward the Sun. Shortly after this maneuver, the spaceraft entered an expected period of communication loss."

Peregrine already made what is known as a phasing loop around Earth to perform course corrections and place itself on a trajectory to enter a high, elliptical lunar orbit. If it reaches the moon, it will gradually lower and circularize its orbit to about 62 miles (100 kilometers) before beginning its descent to the south pole region of the lunar surface on Feb. 23.

ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket, meanwhile, appears to have performed beautifully on its first flight. Meanwhile, Astrobotic is providing updates on its efforts to solve the Peregrine moon lander on X.
It looks like Astrobotic's Peregrine lander won't win the private moon race.

The spacecraft suffered a serious anomaly in its propulsion system today (Jan. 8), shortly after being deployed into space by United Launch Alliance's (ULA) new Vulcan Centaur rocket. The problem will apparently keep Peregrine from journeying to the moon as planned.

"Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant. The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time," Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic wrote today in an update on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Related: Private Peregrine moon lander suffers anomaly after historic Vulcan rocket launch

Peregrine's launch today was a big moment in spaceflight. It marked the flawless debut of the powerful Vulcan Centaur, which will replace ULA's workhorse Atlas V and Delta rockets. And it opened a new era of private moon exploration  or was supposed to, anyway.

Peregrine flew as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which puts agency science payloads on private robotic moon craft. Five NASA payloads were aboard the lander on this flight, including a radiation detector and several spectrometers, one of which was designed to hunt for evidence of subsurface water ice.

NASA thinks that leveraging private spacecraft in this way will allow it to perform a variety of lunar research quickly and cost-effectively, helping the agency prep for crewed missions to the moon under its Artemis program. NASA also hopes that CLPS boosts the capabilities of the American private space sector and stimulates a growing off-Earth economy.

That said, NASA officials have stressed that each CLPS mission is a high-risk, high-reward proposition. No private spacecraft has ever landed successfully on the moon, after all, so some failures along the way are to be expected.

Indeed, the agency seems to be taking Peregrine's current plight in stride.

"Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow," Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said in an emailed statement today. "We will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration and commercial development of the moon."

The NASA experiments aren't the only payloads that Peregrine was supposed to carry to the moon. The lander totes a total of 20 payloads, including Mexico's first lunar probes and a memorial capsule from the space-burial company Celestis.

The memorial capsule's inclusion drew objections from the Navajo Nation, whose president said that depositing human remains on the moon would desecrate a body considered sacred by many Indigenous peoples.

A graphic showing a private moon lander's path to the moon

RELATED STORIES:

 NASA responds to Navajo Nation's request to delay private mission placing human remains on the moon

 For Astrobotic, big risk (and bigger reward) ride on private Peregrine moon lander's Jan. 8 launch

 ULA's 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket launch looks spectacular in these photos and videos



Celestis also put a separate memorial payload on Vulcan Centaur's upper stage, which carried it into orbit around the sun. This second payload, called Enterprise, carries a portion of the cremated remains of several "Star Trek" icons, including series creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Nichelle Nichols (who played Uhura) DeForest Kelley (Bones McCoy) and James Doohan (Scotty).

The Enterprise payload also features the DNA of other notable people, including former U.S. presidents George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

The next private moon lander to lift off under NASA's CLPS program is Nova-C, which was built by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines.

Nova-C is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-February and land near the moon's south pole not long afterward.
The Justice Secretary will examine changing the rules around private prosecutions by companies in the wake of the Post Office scandal, a Cabinet minister has said.

Alex Chalk is said to be looking at powers available to businesses amid growing anger over the wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters because of the faulty Horizon accounting software.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after the software, made by the Japanese technology firm Fujitsu, made it look as though money was missing from their shops.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has previously called for the Post Offices prosecuting powers to be given to the Crown Prosecution Service and said remaining convictions should be looked at en masse.

Speaking to Sky News, Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said Mr Chalk would be meeting senior judges on Tuesday to discuss how to expedite clearing those wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.

During the Tuesday morning broadcast round, he also told Times Radio that Mr Chalk would look at the rules around private prosecutions after Kevin Hollinrake, the government minister who oversees the Post Office, said ministers would look at ways to avoid a repeat.

Mr Stride said: My understanding  Im no lawyer, actually  but my understanding is I think that companies generally have the ability to do this. Its not as if the Post Office has had some special dispensation in that respect.

But it is something that Kevin Hollinrake, in his statement to the Commons yesterday on this, touched on, and did suggest that it was something that Alex Chalk, who is the Justice Secretary, would be looking at and thinking about. But clearly well have to wait to see what kind of conclusions he and others come to.

On Monday, Mr Hollinrake vowed to quicken the pace at which sub-postmasters can overturn convictions and get compensation.

MPs have previously recommended that private prosecutions should be subject to more effective safeguards so that defendants receive a fair trial and do not pay excessive costs.

In 2020, the justice select committee called for a register of all private prosecutions, a code of standards for private prosecutors and investigators and for the Crown Prosecution Services oversight role to be enhanced.

Private prosecutions can be brought by individuals or companies not acting on behalf of the police or another prosecuting authority. Post Office prosecutions can be traced back to 1683.

The RSPCA and the Environment Agency are other examples of organisations that bring their own prosecutions to court.

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.
When I met Collin Gardner in September, he was tired of working at Taco Bell. He started working at the fast-food chain in college as a way to make some money while working toward his degree in psychology. After graduating in May, he said he struggled to find a job in the field because most required a master's degree . The 22-year-old needed a gig that could help him launch a career, or at least one with better pay.

Thankfully, Gardner came across a YouTube ad for the Quick Start program , a partnership between major semiconductor companies and three community colleges in Arizona's Maricopa County that promised to train people to become semiconductor-processing technicians  frontline workers who help make the chips that power everything from iPhones and washing machines to pickup trucks and military equipment . The program, one of the first of its kind , has laid the foundation for similar initiatives across the country.

The 10-day program seemed like a perfect fit for Gardner: It was local, it was relatively short, and it seemed to be a promising first step toward a career in Arizona's industry of the future.

"I applied because I thought it was a simple, inexpensive certification that would get me a job somewhat immediately working in the industry, hoping that I would enjoy the work and get at least better pay than Taco Bell," he said midway through the program in late September.

But since completing Quick Start, Gardner has come to a worrying realization: There aren't enough semiconductor jobs to go around. After I spent time in Arizona, it was clear to me just how much economic conditions, construction slowdowns , and the slow distribution of government funds had dampened the near-term enthusiasm around the promised semiconductor job boom. Quick Start is just one program, but its connections to major companies and its advantageous location in Arizona  the future home of America's semiconductor industry  mean that outcomes for its graduates are a useful bellwether for the US's massive investment in chipmaking.

Sure, roles are expected to materialize in the years to come. But being trained for a job of the future doesn't do you much good when the future isn't here yet.

Not according to plan

Semiconductors have become a critical technology, which is a serious problem for the US since just 12% of all chips are produced domestically and the pandemic proved any disruption to the supply chain can have significant consequences for our economy. Add in the fact that the world's leading chipmaker, Taiwan's TSMC, is precariously close to China  a geopolitical rival that has made more noise in recent years about invading the island  and it's no wonder that the US government is rushing to bring the industry to its shores.

The American semiconductor rush kicked into high gear in 2022 when President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act into law, which included $52 billion in subsidies designed to bring more chipmaking to the US. Much of the funding is expected to flow to Arizona , which has a history of semiconductor manufacturing.

But despite these positive developments, industry leaders issued a dire warning: There weren't enough American workers to fill their planned factories. Semiconductor manufacturing requires a phalanx of technicians, computer scientists, and engineers with technical training to produce the highly delicate technology. Given the pace with which people are joining the industry, a July study by the Semiconductor Industry Association in partnership with Oxford Economics estimated that the US would have a shortfall of nearly 70,000 semiconductor workers by 2030.

That's where programs like Quick Start come in.

With the backing of major industry players, including TSMC and Intel, Quick Start kicked off in July 2022. The program costs just over $300, all told, and graduates of the 10-week course receive a semiconductor pre-apprentice credential, which can be used to land jobs in the industry, typically in semiconductor-technician roles. Entry-level technicians can expect to earn roughly $30 an hour , depending on experience, and there are chances for advancement.

"I'm constantly learning and I'm constantly in training here," Lisa Strothers, a 2022 Quick Start graduate who landed a job at Intel, told me last year.

Quick Start students spend 10 days preparing for a career in the semiconductor industry. Jacob Zinkula

When I spoke with program leaders, they said that in some ways, Quick Start had been a resounding success: 3,000 people have passed the program's online pretest, which was temporarily closed in March because of excess demand before being reopened in September. Nearly 900 students had enrolled in the program and over 700 have successfully completed it, with roughly 300 on a waitlist. Nearly two-thirds of students have been people of color, and half have been first-generation college students.

Despite this success, and the supposed need for more semiconductor workers, Quick Start's graduates are facing a growing problem: There aren't jobs for many of them.

Due in part to slowing demand for their tech , the same semiconductor companies that have been outspoken about the need for people with industry experience have scaled back their near-term hiring and even laid off some workers , leaving programs such as Quick Start with a glut of graduates who have few paths to employment in the industry.

Leah Palmer, executive director for the Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Mesa Community College

Of the 240 former Quick Start students who had filled out an employment-outcome form as of June 30, 31% said they had been hired in the industry, while the others said they were either still looking for a job  58%  or weren't looking, 11%. As for the hundreds of other students, including those who've completed the program in recent months, Quick Start doesn't know what they're up to. The lack of updated data on employment outcomes raises questions about the success of the program.

"Usually, education is trying to catch up to the speed of industry," Leah Palmer, the executive director for the Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Mesa Community College, told me in late 2023. "What we've done, at least for that entry-level position, is we've created a mechanism that systemized creating outputs greater than the demand can handle."

Each month, Palmer said, she and other representatives from Quick Start meet with roughly 30 people from major semiconductor companies who serve on the program's advisory board. The meetings are used to share updates on the state of the industry and the program, specifically class-completion numbers, curriculum additions, hiring fairs, and funding opportunities. During a September meeting, Palmer said the companies were hesitant to provide many details about their plans to grow their workforces.

"They were literally frozen when I asked what their hiring needs in the future looked like," she said. "They couldn't speak to it and wouldn't speak to it. Even Intel and TSMC couldn't give any feedback."

When asked about the company's hiring plans, a TSMC spokesperson said late last year that it had already hired over 2,000 factory workers at its Arizona site and that it planned to eventually staff roughly 4,500 . An Intel representative told Business Insider that the company was actively hiring, pointing to its job openings across the US. Gary Burley, a professor for the Quick Start program who's worked at Intel for nearly 20 years, said the recent hiring slowdown wasn't surprising, as the industry was no stranger to hot-and-cold hiring cycles.

"The history of the semiconductor industry is hire a lot, and then  whoa, whoa," he said. "People have stopped buying it. We need to back off."

The precedent is little solace for the many graduates of the Quick Start program who are stuck in limbo.

Broken promises

People enroll in the Quick Start program with the expectation they'll have the opportunity to network and eventually interview with semiconductor companies  the program's website used to promise as much , though this has since been removed. Early last year, industry job fairs were held on a monthly basis, with candidates having the opportunity to learn about career opportunities and meet recruiters. But these events have dried up  the last job fair was in June, and no others have been scheduled.

Some Quick Start students have struggled to find jobs in the semiconductor industry after the program. Jacob Zinkula

Even students who were lucky enough to attend a job fair felt like they were flapping in the wind. A former Quick Start graduate told me that the job fair they attended in April left a lot to be desired. The graduate spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of professional repercussions. Their identity is known to us.

"Basically, what happened was it was, like, 3  hours of PowerPoints, and then the last 30 minutes, they were like, 'OK, now networking time. Go,'" they said. "There were a million people there, so even the people you wanted to talk to, you had to wait in a line. So it was a bit bungled."

After eventually landing an interview with a major semiconductor company last year, the graduate said they were told that the company's hiring freeze would likely prevent them from moving forward for at least a few months  they've since been told they're no longer being considered for the position.

"It doesn't really feel like, 'Oh, we're dying for people. If you take this program, we'll help you get a good-paying job,'" they said in reference to semiconductor companies. "It's not that simple."

While they eventually found work at the company through a contractor last year, they said they weren't optimistic about their near-term chances at direct employment.

"It's been such a freaking long process, and now I'm actually having doubts whether I'm going to stick it out all the way," they said.

In addition to no longer promising interviews with semiconductor companies, Quick Start has taken other steps to moderate candidates' expectations. The program's website now says that hiring with its employment partners has "slowed" and that it doesn't "know when hiring will pick up again." Program leaders hope to learn more about the industry's hiring plans at the next advisory-board meeting in February.

Another problem for the Quick Start program  and perhaps a contributor to graduates' hiring challenges  is the relatively short period of training. In the more difficult hiring environment, some of the chipmakers  including those who helped build the program  have started to question whether the training is sufficient to prepare graduates for jobs in the industry. Gabriela Cruz Thompson, Intel's director of university research collaboration, said late in 2023 that the company was evaluating whether the Quick Start graduates were being set up for success.

"We are asking ourselves and asking the managers of those people that got hired whether this training is enough, whether it is unfair to them to hire them and then they don't deliver in the job," she said.

If the training is deemed insufficient, Maricopa County may consider adopting something closer to the one-year training program Intel is in the process of rolling out with Ohio community colleges.

The hiring slowdown, and the reconsideration of the program's status as an adequate training ground, has forced Quick Start leaders to consider reducing enrollment  even as demand for the training persists.

"We're going to have to slow down our pipeline so that we're not putting out more people with absolutely no possibility of employment," Palmer said.

Unless circumstances change soon, she said the program would likely reduce the number of classes  there are set to be 14 this spring across the three colleges.

Hurdles abound

Beyond short-term economics, Palmer believes there are two reasons semiconductor companies have been slow to hire, she said. First, they're waiting to see how CHIPS Act funding gets doled out. In December, nearly 1  years after the legislation was signed into law, the first CHIPS Act grant was announced . This waiting period has slowed the plans of companies such as TSMC, which is seeking billions of dollars of US subsidies .

"They don't know how much money they're going to get and when they're going to get it," Palmer said of semiconductor companies, adding: "We are being told by industry that after CHIPS money lands, the comfort of planning for the future will open permanent hires." If Biden loses the presidency this year , Palmer said, the uncertainty over funding may further curtail hiring.

Second, while many chip factories are being built across the US , workers can't staff a fabrication plant until it's built. Construction delays haven't helped matters. Samsung and TSMC, for instance, have each postponed chip production from 2024 to 2025  the latter said it was due in part to a shortage of skilled construction workers in the US.

Other factors could also slow construction. In December, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said that environmental-review requirements might force the construction of some chip projects to be halted for "up to years." Congressional efforts to exempt chip companies from some of these reviews have stalled , Bloomberg reported.

While the hiring mess has been incredibly frustrating for some Quick Start students, given the long-term outlook for the industry , many students in the class I visited seemed to view Quick Start as a valuable opportunity. In the years ahead, the artificial-intelligence boom could further boost the demand for chips and create more jobs in the semiconductor industry. But for recent Quick Start graduates, who are eager for employment now, promises of future hiring may offer little peace of mind.

In January, I followed up with Gardner, the fast-food worker who turned to Quick Start, to learn how his job search was going. He said he'd tried looking for roles but that more than two months later, he still hadn't landed a job in the semiconductor industry. Gardner told me that it was difficult to pinpoint which jobs he was qualified for.

"I'll keep looking, but it seems like I would have to get an associate's in electrical engineering or something similar to have much of a chance of getting a job in the industry," he said. "I did take this class thinking it would be more of a straight shot into a job, so I'm a little disappointed in that regard."

In the meantime, he said he's still working at Taco Bell but that he's optimistic about his career path. He said he's about to begin custodian training at a local high school in the coming weeks. If all goes well, he said, this will turn into his primary gig in the short term.

"During my interview, they said there was mobility within custodian work," he said. "So I have faith I'll be all right if I find I can't transition into semiconductor manufacturing."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Elm Trails neighborhood on the Northeast Side of San Antonio is home to a tiny-home development. Grace Cary/Getty Images

A neighborhood of tiny houses in San Antonio that was dragged online for "affordable" price tags of nearly $140,000 has sold about half its properties, according to the builder.

Despite the fact that some social media users said they'd rather live in their car, the homes in the Elm Trails neighborhood on the Northeast Side are selling like hotcakes. Forty-six of the 47 homes that have completed construction have been sold; 48 more are being built, according to Lennar, the Florida-based construction company behind Elm Trails.

The neighborhood features different versions of the one-bed, two-bath, 661-square-foot "Henley" model.

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A video tour of one of these tiny homes racked up hundreds of thousands of views on social media after sharing a peek at the house's "breakfast nook," kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a small loft space on the top floor.

After seeing the video shared by Billy the Realtor on TikTok, many viewers' jaws dropped at the idea of having to pay almost $137,000 for what the Realtor called "the most affordable house in San Antonio."

"I have more space in my Honda Civic," one user commented.

Despite a comment section filled with trailer park jokes, Lennar seems to be having the last laugh as the homes are snatched up by buyers.

Lennar expects construction to finish up within the next year, a company representative told Business Insider.
The public faced new restrictions on watching the proceedings of Tennessee House of Representatives  a last-minute ticketing requirement to sit in a public Capitol gallery  as lawmakers returned Tuesday to begin the 2024 legislative session.

State troopers and House Sergeants at Arms turned spectators away from the west House gallery ahead of the start of session on Tuesday, citing a new policy requiring tickets issued by lawmakers that was never publicly announced. Under the policy, as best understood by members of the public, lawmakers, and those enforcing it, lawmakers were allowed to give out a single spectator ticket to sit in the House gallery.

The rule, established by House Speaker Cameron Sexton. R-Crossville, effectively slashes public access to House proceedings by half.

The Tennessee legislature convenes for the opening session at Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The public  many holding signs of protest  was routed upstairs to the House gallery to view the proceedings.

It's unclear when the speaker created the new policy, as minutes before the session began, lawmakers  including GOP leadership  seemed unaware of its origin.

Connor Grady, Sexton's new spokesperson, told The Tennessean earlier Tuesday that he could not speak to the origin of the policy, why members of the public were being prevented from observing the public proceedings, when the policy was created, who created it, or why tickets would be required to access a public area of the building.

"The east side gallery is seated on a first come first serve basis for the public. The west side gallery is a daily legislative ticketed seat, just like Congress," Grady wrote in response to an emailed request for information from The Tennessean, after declining to provide details in person. "The tickets can obtained through their state representatives office or each of the respective caucuses."

"The east side of the gallery is open without needing a ticket - it is open seating - that policy was not changed," Grady said.

Grady said the speaker had notified Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, of the new policy on Monday, and that the House clerk had delivered tickets to her office to distribute at that time.

It is unclear what authority the House Speaker has to develop, implement, and enforce such a ticketing policy without first presenting it to the House Rules Committee and ultimately to the full body for a vote.

But Ken Jobe, a House Democratic spokesperson, said that although Sexton had approached Camper to share that he was considering implementing a ticketing policy, the minority leader never received official word that it would actually move forward.She was shocked when the tickets showed up in her office today, Jobe told The Tennessean on Tuesday.

Kim Spoon holds a guest pass issued to her from Rep. Aftyn Behn, on the first day of legislative session at Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville , Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, deferred to the House Speaker's office when asked whether the new ticketing policy is written down.

House Democrats sharply criticized the new policy in Tuesday's floor proceedings. Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said he was surprised to learn of the policy less than an hour before the session began.

"We strongly oppose this new policy that was unilaterally decided by the Speaker and/or his office, which effectively bars people from the 'People's House,'" Clemmons said.

Proposed rules: TN House rules panel allows members to carry guns  not visual aids  in committee rooms

Whitney Weaver, a Brentwood resident, was turned away from the gallery and told to contact her lawmaker to obtain a ticket. When she and her friend did so, the legislative assistants who answered the phone were unaware of the ticketing policy.

The policy is one of several apparent crowd-control measures enacted after the intense protests of last spring, with an increased trooper presence still present in the Capitol. Members of the public and lobbyists, many of whom were also vocally upset by the new gallery policy, are now sequestered within a warren of stanchions in the Capitol rotunda and wide hallway outside the Senate and House chambers. The area was entirely open to the public a year ago.

If you don't maintain decorum, then it doesnt become anybodys house except the people who scream the loudest. The only way it can be the people's house is if you follow the rules, House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, told The Tennessean. It's whoever's screaming the loudest's House right now, and that's not okay. Thats not how you govern.

People pack the one side of the House gallery that was available to the public during the first day of legislative session at Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville , Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

Gun measures, education among key topics in session

The Covenant School shooting last March, where three children and three staff members were killed, and the ensuing protests and political turmoil continue to reverberate through the halls of the Capitol. Two separate advocacy groups on Tuesday called for lawmakers to act on gun safety reform

Covenant families and their supporters have vowed not to let up.

Shouts of "Whose house? Our house!" from demonstrators in the rotunda were audible from inside the chambers as lawmakers began business.

House members are expected to consider a controversial rules package in a Wednesday floor session, with Senate committees beginning on Tuesday to hear hot-button cultural issues and the state's financial health.

Meanwhile, a proposal from Gov. Bill Lee to expand school choice vouchers statewide was a center of attention even on day one: a bus of about 50 activists arranged by Americans for Prosperity of Tennessee traveled to the Capitol from East Tennessee to lobby lawmakers in support of Lee's school choice expansion.

Some people are turned away from the House gallery while trying to attend the first day of the legislative session at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

Work this year is expected to center around education funding  including school choice  gun safety, and tax laws, while lawmakers will also likely face some budget tightening decisions as state revenues continue to taper.

In the Senate, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, was not present to gavel session to order, as he is continuing to recover from ankle surgery at his home in Oak Ridge. The 79-year-old has said he will monitor legislative business through staff and colleagues. Senate Speaker Pro Tem Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, presided over the Senate on Tuesday.

Sen. Art Swann, R-Maryville, announced during the Senate session that he will not seek reelection this year. The 71 year old has represented Senate District 2, which includes Blount, Polk, Monroe, and part of Bradley Counties since 2017, and has served in the legislature since 2010.

House set to vote on decorum rules despite objections from Democrats

The full House will consider the new rules package on Wednesday. The GOP did not attempt to bring back a controversial rule blocking spectators from holding signs in the House gallery and committee rooms, avoiding another lawsuit on the issue. But House members are not allowed to use papers, signs or visual aids at any time to make a political statement as they discuss bills on the House floor.

Under the new rules, presentations on House bills will be limited on both the floor and in committee to just five minutes  despite multiple attempts by Democrats on Monday to extend presentation limits to 10 minutes or 15 minutes.

Members who are ruled by the House Speaker to be out of order, if confirmed by a vote of the body, can be temporarily silenced for up to two legislative days, on a third offense. Democrats in August walked off the House floor after Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, was ruled out of order, with the minority party arguing the supermajority holds outsized power to define what might be out of order.

Anyone, including House members, may continue to bring guns into committee rooms, and spectators watching legislative proceedings can still hold 8.5 inch-by-11 inch signs this year.

Rules committee members on Monday overwhelmingly voted down a proposal by Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, to prohibit firearms inside committee rooms at the Cordell Hull State Legislative Office Building.

More: TN House rules panel allows members to carry guns  not visual aids  in committee rooms

School children plead for gun safety laws

Before lawmakers entered the chambers, five Tennessee elementary school students pleaded with state lawmakers to pass legislation that would protect children from gun violence.

Ivy Ogle, 10, spoke first during a news conference hosted by Rise & Shine Tennessee, a nonprofit organization advocating for gun safety, among other things. She said her friend was at The Covenant School during the shooting.

"Now she's scared of things I've never thought to be scared of like sitting in a dark movie theater, loud banging noises  and she even wants to put bulletproof glass in her house," Ivy said. "There's so much going on. This shouldn't be something kids have to worry about."

Ivy Ogle, 10, looks on while standing in front of her mother, Lindsay Ogle, and Mary Joyce, Covenant parent during a press conference with Rise and Shine Tennessee, before the first day of 2024 session at Cordell Hull State Office Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Ivy Ogle spoke about Mary Joyces daughter and how gun violence has impacted her during the press conference.

Rise & Shine Founder Mariam Abolfazli said she hopes the voices of children will get the attention of lawmakers and inspire action.

"We've tried," Abolfazli said. "Advocates have tried. Parents have tried. We're all empty-handed."

Meanwhile, nonpartisan civic group Starts with Us introduced a group of 11 Tennesseans, who identify across the political and ideological spectrum, who are calling for a slate of mental health and gun safety reforms, including expanding the school resource officer program to include mental health resources and an extreme risk, or red flag, law to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Clergy call for peaceful activism

Faith leaders and congregants joined vigils and marches at the state Capitol last year in the wake of the Covenant shooting, such as the Moral Monday march with prominent civil rights leader Rev. William Barber II. Clergy shared a message of hope and concern during a news conference on Tuesday morning, focused on building on that moment this year.

This is not the first time that this group of people and many other pastors from across many denominations have been together here the state Capitol and so this will not be the last, said Franklin pastor Rev. Matt Steinhauer at the news conference at Nashville's First Lutheran Church. Im hoping that when I go up to the state Capitol after this press conference that I see the same faces that were up there in March and April and August of this year that have continued one long protest.

Faith communities across political and racial divides came together last year over support for gun reform, an issue likely to receive less attention during this legislative session. But that shouldnt hinder faith leaders advocacy, said the Rev. Cherisna Jean-Marie.

In 2024, we do not need another tragedy for us to speak up or speak out, Jean-Marie, founder of The Co-Conspirator Institute, a nonprofit that works with victims of gun violence. Our work is not just to show up. But our work is also to teach the people in our community how to be active.

Rachel Wegner and Liam Adams contributed.

Melissa Brown and Vivian Jones cover state politics and government for The Tennessean. Reach Melissa at mabrown@tennessean.com, and Vivian at vjones@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee General Assembly: New public restrictions for 2024 session
The Pueblo County Sheriffs Office is seeking help to identify a man whose body was found in November along the Arkansas River just east of Pueblo city limits, according to a PCSO news release.

Sheriffs deputies responded to the area of La Salle Road and the Arkansas River on Nov. 21, after a man walking his dog located the body on the riverbank, according to the release. The body is believed to have been there for a few weeks.

Sheriffs investigators have been working to identify the man, who was fully clothed but had no identification on him.

The mans race is unknown. He had a black beard approximately 1 inch long and short black hair.

Clothing found on a body by PCSO on Nov. 21 by PCSO on the Arkansas river.

He was approximately 5 feet, 10 inches tall and was wearing a Michael Kors shirt, size 10 work boots, Levi's brand underwear and size 36x32 Levi's jeans.

A fingerprint was obtained, but there has not been a match made, the PCSO said. DNA testing is in process.

Anyone who may know the man's identity is encouraged by the PCSO to contact Detective Vanessa Simpson at 719-583-6436.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo sheriff's office seeks help to identify body found in November
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles rejected more than 3,000 personalized license plates between January and November of 2023. myplates.com

Since last November, more than 3,000 personalized license plates, including "H0EZ," "DAYUMMN" and "PHCKIT," were rejected by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in 2023.

A list obtained by Hearst showed 3,095 denied plates between January and November of last year. Data for December has not yet been made available. The total number of denied applications shown in the 2023 data was significantly fewer than the 5,000 rejected plates data in 2022.

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June had the highest number of denials issued for personalized license plates at 345, which included attempts such as, "PPOOPOO," "NOHOEZ," "BADAASS," "TORTUR," "IM LITTY," "SLAAAAY" and more. The lowest number was in January ending with a total of 219 declined license plates.

According to the state motor vehicles department, Texas can decline license plates for several reasons:

The alphanumeric pattern conflicts with the departments current or proposed regular license plate

numbering system.

numbering system. The alphanumeric pattern contains indecent, vulgar and derogatory deciphered language.

The alphanumeric pattern directly or indirectly contains negative instructions or commands.

The alphanumeric pattern directly or indirectly references gangs, illegal activities, implied threats of harm or expressions.

The alphanumeric pattern directly or indirectly references controlled substances.

The alphanumeric pattern directly represents law enforcement or other governmental entities.

The alphanumeric pattern misleads law enforcement.

The 2023 data showed different license plates that did not follow the guidelines, including other well-known license plates such as the reference and spelling of "1BOOBE," "B1TCHES" and "P155*0FF."

The Texas DMV website provides specific information and resources for learning more about personalized plates.

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Here are more rejected personalized tags in 2023 from the list:
Dennis Eggert brings us up to date on his continuing research into the history of the Roberts family. He and Ralph Martin have done a good job of researching the Roberts family history. Enjoy Dennis Eggerts latest research into this Revolutionary War veteran buried in Oak Ridge.

Zaccheus Roberts tombstone at Merrywater Homepark Cemetery (Roberts Cemetery).

***

Much of the knowledge of Zaccheus Roberts life has already been thoroughly documented thanks to the works of local historian Snyder Roberts (now deceased), and many other knowledgeable Roberts family descendents. It is through their diligent research that I began my journey to discover Zaccheus Roberts unique story of becoming one of 11 known Revolutionary War veterans buried within Oak Ridge.

Initially, I was unsure as to where he is actually buried. Knowledgeable Roberts descendants disagree as to his actual burial site. They document three potential sites, two within the Oak Ridge city limits and one outside.

Additionally, Zaccheus Roberts has two separate tombstones marking where he is thought to be buried. One is in the Roberts Cemetery, also known as the Merrywater Homepark Cemetery, located off Bendamere Drive in Lawnville. Another tombstone is in the Roberts Cemetery located in The Preserve at the Clinch River subdivision within the Kennedy Bend of the Clinch River.

Zaccheus and Nancy Roberts tombstone at Preserve on the Clinch (Roberts Cemetery).

The third cemetery where Zaccheus Roberts was thought to be buried is in the Elias Roberts Cemetery located on the other side of the Clinch River.

From diligent family research, we know that brothers Zaccheus and Elias were born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania (1753 and 1760). Later, when the Revolutionary War erupted, the two brothers enlisted to fight the British and went their separate ways. Elias remained in the North and joined the Continental Rangers and fought at the Battles of Monmouth and Brandywine. Later his unit was ordered to the Southern campaign and he served at the ill-fated defense of Charleston, South Carolina.

Brother Zaccheus migrated to South Carolina, where he served in the Third South Carolina Rangers. He fought at the Battles of Fort Moultrie, Eutaw Springs, and Hanging Rock.

Pre-Oak Ridge topographical map of Kennedy Bend.

Immediately after the war, Zaccheus and Elias reunited in the Pendleton District of South Carolina. Here they met two sisters, Nancy and Rebecca Brashears, whom they would ultimately marry. Robert Samuel Brashears, father of Rebecca and Nancy, became the patriarch of this extended family. In 1794, they migrated to what would later become Roane County, Tennessee.

Patriarch Samuel Brashears settled one ridge beyond the Clinch River in Sugar Grove Valley. Elias bought 500 acres of land along Poplar Creek just before it empties into the Clinch River. From Elias home, it was not uncommon for this family to see Native Americans canoeing up and down Poplar Creek. Just across the Clinch River and slightly down from the mouth of Poplar Creek, Zaccheus Roberts bought 50 acres of land.

1942 Army high altitude aerial photo of Kennedy Bend. This is pre-Oak Ridge.

Here, the Roberts families raised their children. Elias and Rebecca had 10 children and Zaccheus and Nancy had eight that survived through childhood. These children and later generations of Roberts children would often go swimming on Elias Roberts property at a bend in Poplar Creek. They would spend many happy summer days jumping off Grannys Bluff into the waters below.

Often, the Roberts brothers, along with local neighbor Hezekiah Love, would enjoy quality time together retelling their experiences while serving in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. It was common knowledge among all of their neighbors that these three were Revolutionary War veterans. In later years, Zaccheus and Elias wives, Nancy and Rebecca, documented these treasured stories in Nancys military affidavits for her widows pension.

By 1802, Zaccheus was serving in the Roane County militia in Capt. Hugh Frances Company. In those days all able-bodied men on the county tax rolls were subject to be called up for temporary duty within a county militia company. This duty required them to perform additional services such as repairing roads and delivering mail. It is ironic that later that same year, Zaccheus sued Roane County for damages to his field due to a public road being built through his property. Ultimately, Zaccheus lost his case; the jury ruled that Zaccheus Roberts hath received no damages inconsequence of the road.

Later in December 1802, Zaccheus faced another legal issue when he assaulted Roane County Sheriff John Brown. The details of this assault are not known, but what is known is that Zaccheus inflicted great damage to this peace officer. In the end, it was Zaccheus Roberts who had to suffer; he had to pay the sheriff an expensive compensation, along with hefty court costs.

In 1806, at age 46, Elias Roberts died of unknown causes and was buried on his farm. His wife Rebecca then took ownership of the farm until her death in 1859 when she passed it down to her heirs.

Zaccheus lived another 20 years until his death on Dec. 29, 1826 - just three hours before daylight. He was buried on his family farm. The family did not place a marker on his grave, but instead erected a wooden shed over it. Overtime, the shed deteriorated and was replaced by a primitive marker. It is believed that his wife, Nancy, who died in 1850, is also buried there.

In 1834, the heirs of Zaccheus decided to sell the family farm and it was sold to local farmer, Annias McKinney. However, the land title had one stipulation: the family was to retain a small 30-foot square plot where Zaccheus Roberts was buried. Thanks to this land title, we know the location of his grave! Over the years, this small Zaccheus Roberts Cemetery was neglected, but not forgotten. Its location remained known and at some time a fence was erected around it.

The years passed. Thanks to Roberts family historians, connections to their roots remained intact. In 1944, local historian and Roberts descendent Snyder Roberts located the Zaccheus Roberts family Bible. At that time, it was in the possession of Mrs. H.M. Hedgecock, a Roberts descendent who was living in Kingston.

Sadly, the genealogy pages to this Bible were in a severely decrepit condition. Snyder pleaded with Mrs. Hedgecock to donate this priceless treasure to the Tennessee State Archives, which she did in 1945. This Bible then became the property of the state of Tennessee. Today, the genealogy pages of the Zaccheus Roberts Bible can be accessed by everyone via the internet through the Tennessee State Archives, Family Bibles.

In 1942, this land that was once owned by Zaccheus Roberts changed forever. The advent of World War II and the need to condemn land for the effort to develop the atomic bomb isolated Kennedy Bend.

Although Kennedy Bend was not included within the security area of the Manhattan Project, it was still under federal ownership. One local Lawnville resident - whose family roots go back generations - informed me that the government then planted pine trees. This transformed the fertile farmland into an arboreal landscape that provided cover and obstructed the view across the river. The Roberts Cemetery became lost within a forest of pines.

After WWII, Kennedy Bend went through another transformation. After federal ownership of this area ended, local residents began visiting Kennedy Bend again. The roads in the bend in the early 1970s were still in good condition, which made for easy access. Residents would drive their family cars there to enjoy outings and family picnics, and especially to reconnect to their departed loved ones buried in family cemeteries.

Then in 1987, Kennedy Bend was sold to the Boeing Company. Boeings plans for development there did not materialize and in 2001, they sold Kennedy Bend to the developers of Rarity Ridge. Then in 2003, the city of Oak Ridge extended its borders across the Clinch River to annex Kennedy Bend.

However, the recession beginning in 2007 had a devastating effect on the Rarity Ridge development and ultimately it went into bankruptcy. After the collapse of Rarity Ridge, a planned neighborhood development was implemented in 2017. Homes are again being constructed in what is now called The Preserve on the Clinch River.

Today, this successful effort is transforming Kennedy Bend, now Campbell Bend, into a vibrant residential community. Yet, located away from the booming construction, neglected, primitive roads still exist that are only accessible by rugged off-road vehicles.

Here, visitors can see remnants of old stone walls and forgotten cemeteries. Using their smart phones, they can access a map with a GPS marker indicating the location of the Roberts Cemetery.

Abandoning their vehicles they must follow this signal deeper into the backwoods until they stumble upon the gravesite of Private Zaccheus Roberts. Here, lying in silent repose is one of only two Revolutionary War veterans whose graves are each documented as being in separate Oak Ridge historic cemeteries.

***

Thank you, Dennis, for this excellent detail of Zaccheus Roberts history, as well as the area of Oak Ridge just west of the Clinch River.

D. Ray Smith is the historian for the city of Oak Ridge. His "Historically Speaking" columns appear weekly in The Oak Ridger.

D. Ray Smith, writer for the Historically Speaking column.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Zaccheus Roberts, one of 11 Revolutionary War vets buried in Oak Ridge
DOHA, Qatar  Battle-hardened and backed by Iran, Yemens Houthi rebels have launched a series of attacks on Israel as well as commercial ships in the Red Sea, stoking fears of a wider conflict in the region already reeling from the war in Gaza and on tenterhooks about escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.

After declaring support last year for Hamas in its fight against Israel, they have bombarded ships in the Red Sea. They fired 21 drones and missiles Tuesday, their biggest attack yet according to British officials, ignoring a United Nations resolution and ultimatums by the U.S. and its Western allies to stop.

Overnight into Friday morning local time (Thursday evening ET), U.S. and British ships struck targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen with fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles, two U.S. officials said.

The military action against the Houthis' capability inside Yemen is a major escalation by the U.S., supported by the U.K., after Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that further attacks could prompt a Western military response.

The overnight strikes came after two administration officials told NBC News last week that members of President Joe Bidens national security team convened a White House meeting to review possible options, including strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The U.S. has previously struck Houthi vessels in waters near Yemen. Blinken, during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, warned that the Houthis would face consequences if the attacks continued. But, he added, the U.S.' strong preference is that the Houthis get the message, rather than face military action.

But who are the Houthi militants and how does the group fit into the wider conflict?

Partisans of God

A large clan originating from Yemens northwestern Saada province, the Houthis are an extremist movement that follows Zaydism, a branch of Shiite Islam. Yemen was ruled by A Zaydi imamate for 1,000 years, until it was overthrown in 1962. Stripped of their political power since then, the Zaydis struggled to restore their influence in the country.

Formally known as Ansar Allah  or Partisans of God  their name comes from Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, their former leader. He led an uprising in 2004 aimed at winning greater autonomy for Yemens provinces and protecting them from the perceived encroachment of Sunni Islam, according to the Wilson Center, a Washington-based think tank.

Houthis-seized Galaxy Leader ship anchored off Yemen coast, Hodeidah - 05 Dec 2023 (Yahya Arhab / EPA via Shutterstock)

After the Arab Spring protests erupted in several countries in 2011, the group took control of the province of Saada. Three years later, its fighters swept into the capital, Sanaa, and forced President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadis government into exile.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia, unwilling to accept the prospect of Yemen being controlled by a militant organization backed by its regional rival, Iran, responded by starting a war against the group.

But despite support from the U.S., Britain and several other nations, who armed the Saudis with fighter jets and bombs, and provided them with military expertise, the conflict lasted far longer than expected and proved costly for Riyadh.

The war also resulted in what the United Nations calls the largest humanitarian crisis in the world  with 80% of Yemens 32 million population in need of aid.

With little hope of victory, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman scaled back his military operation and entered peace talks with the Houthis last year.

Why is this region so important?

Yemen may be the poorest country in the region, but it forms the eastern side of the Bab al-Mandeb strait  or the Gate of Grief  a 16-mile stretch of water that marks the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

Blinken said Sunday that the Houthis attacks had disrupted or diverted more than 20% of global shipping. CNBC reported last week that this amounted to some $200 billion in international trade.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said Monday that the group was only targeting ships linked to Israel, and we do not target any ship belonging to other countries, a claim that has been widely disputed.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media at al-Ula airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia before departing for Tel Aviv on Jan. 8, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein / AFP - Getty Images)

He added that the goal was not to sink or seize those ships, but put pressure on Israel to stop its war in Gaza and allow food and medicine into the enclave.

But according to Hakim Almasmari, a veteran political mediator in Yemen, the group wants revenge against the U.S. for supporting Saudi Arabia in its war against them.

Almasmari, who also edits the Yemen Times newspapers, added that the group also believed that their support for Hamas would win support both among their own people and the Arab world, and other places sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

Mohammed Albasha, former spokesman for the Embassy of Yemen in Washington D.C., agreed the Houthis stance has "garnered support even among their domestic adversaries."

What is the U.S. doing?

In response to the Houthis lobbing missiles and drones, Washington and its allies have set up Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has seen warships from the U.S., the U.K. and France patrol the Red Sea.

Last week, U.S. helicopters opened fire on Houthi rebel boats after they attacked a cargo ship, killing several rebel crews, the U.S. military said.

The United States does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East, nor do we want to see the war between Israel and Hamas widen in the region, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last week. But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners, or the free flow of international commerce.

What could go wrong?

Military action will not be an easy fix, said Almasmari, the Yemeni mediator and publisher, who warned the militia could retaliate by targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East, U.S. ships, vessels and warships.

They are basically waiting for the U.S. to attack, they have been wishing for the U.S. to get involved in Yemen for a few years now, he said.

Albasha, the former Embassy of Yemen spokesman, said he doesn't expect the Houthis will back down soon.

And he warned, Although the U.S. Navy has thwarted all attacks so far, it could potentially push the Houthis toward contemplating a more coordinated swarm offensive in the Red or Arabian Sea.

He pointed out that Saudi Arabias war with the Houthis failed to silence them. Attacks on Houthi installations, like drone launch pads and its Special Navy Forces stationed in Hajjah and Hudaydah, may have limited impact, he said, because many have, "previously incurred substantial damage due to the Saudi led aerial bombardment campaign from 2015 to 2022."

Some of the U.S.'s allies in the region are also wary of an escalation. Saudi Arabia will fear fragile peace talks with the Houthi will be jeopardized.

Standing next to Blinken on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said he was aware of events in the Red Sea but called for a diplomatic solution. He added that he was concerned that military action will keep us in a loop that will never end and will create a real tension in the entire region.

The Houthi spokesman, al-Bukhaiti, told NBC News that any further American aggression would be met with a military response from the group. He also said the Houthis will not stop their attacks unless Washington can convince Israel to stop its aggression against Gaza. If that happens, he said, we will stop our military operations automatically.

Keir Simmons and Charlene Gubash reported from Doha. Alexander Smith reported from London.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Police Chief William McManus said officers shot a man who was shooting "round after round" into the walls and outside of his West Side apartment. Ken Branca Police Chief William McManus said officers shot a man who was shooting "round after round" into the walls and outside of his West Side apartment. Ken Branca Police Chief William McManus said officers shot a man who was shooting "round after round" into the walls and outside of his West Side apartment. Ken Branca

San Antonio police shot a man they say was shooting up his and neighboring apartments early Tuesday on the West Side.

Police Chief William McManus said calls first came in around 2 a.m. from the 43-year-old mans neighbors because he was shooting round after round into the walls and outside of his apartment in the 6900 block of Timbercreek Drive, according to preliminary information. Some of the bullets went through the walls to the neighboring apartments.

McManus said the man fired into the walls of every room and was shooting outside the building. The chief said the man had a military background and a history of mental health concerns. Multiple weapons were found inside the apartment.

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Officers cleared the building, and McManus said it was fortunate nobody else was injured.

ALSO READ: University of Incarnate Word instructor arrested on child pornography charge

When officers arrived, the man shot at their vehicles, McManus said, so they called in the SWAT team. Around 3:30 a.m., they were able to neutralize the shooter, McManus said.

The officers did what they had to do, McManus said. This was a dangerous situation with a lot of rounds being fired in an area that was populated by a lot of people.

The man was shot in the head, but the chief said he was able to walk out of his apartment, so I dont know that his wound was that serious. He is being treated at a hospital.
Chinese FM refutes joint statement on U.S.-Japan-ROK Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue

Xinhua) 08:12, January 09, 2024

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday refuted a joint statement released by the Trilateral Indo-Pacific Dialogue between the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query on the joint statement, which was released on Jan. 6 by the U.S. State Department. It expressed the three countries' concerns over China's maritime claims in the South China Sea and "escalatory behavior," and said that the United States, Japan and the ROK "will continue their trilateral maritime security and law enforcement cooperation in accordance with international law."

The three countries also reaffirmed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community.

"China has noted the U.S.-Japan-ROK dialogue and its resulting joint statement," Mao said, expressing serious concerns about the statement's rhetoric on China.

"We firmly oppose the attempt from these countries to cobble together exclusionary groupings in the name of cooperation, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, attack and smear China and stoke confrontation and antagonism," the spokesperson said.

She said that the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. China is committed to safeguarding its own territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and maritime interests, while managing differences properly with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation.

"Certain non-regional countries have sought to flex their muscles and incite confrontation in the South China Sea, which is not conducive to peace and stability in the region," she said.

"I want to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affairs and brooks no foreign interference," Mao said.

She said that the key to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is upholding the one-China principle and firmly opposing separatist moves toward "Taiwan independence."

The Asia-Pacific region is a cooperation pacesetter, not a chessboard for geopolitical contests, she stressed.

"We urge relevant parties to earnestly respect regional countries' efforts toward peace and stability, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop creating bloc confrontation, and cease to fuel tensions in the region," Mao added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Tuesday

Upstanders: Stories of the Righteous Among Nations; 6:30-7:30 p.m., McCreless Library: Robin Long, special projects coordinator with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, will discuss the stories of three non-Jews who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust.

Friday

Jewish Resisters, Though; 10-11:30 a.m., Igo Library: J.E. Wolfson, state coordinator of education for the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, will discuss why there's been a reluctance to apply the term upstander to Jewish people in the Holocaust.

Sunday

You Jump In and Help: The Irena Sendler Story; 3-4 p.m., Parman Library: UTSA Professor Liz Reichman will tell the story of a Christian social worker who saved 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Jan. 17

Upstanders: Stories of the Righteous Among Nations; 11-12:30 p.m., Central Library: Robin Long, special projects coordinator with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio, will discuss the stories of three non-Jews who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust.

Protest and Resistance in Nazi Germany (virtual, registration required); 2-3:30 p.m. Texas A&M-San Antonio History Professor Edward Westermann will discuss protest and resistance within Nazi Germany, with a focus on the roles of churches and private individuals.

Jan. 18

You Jump In and Help: The Irena Sendler Story; 12-1 p.m., Memorial Library: UTSA Professor Liz Reichman will tell the story of a Christian social worker who saved 2,500 Jewish children during the Holocaust.

Jan. 21 (Closing program)

Undesirable Secrets; 2-4 p.m., Holzman Auditorium, Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community: A dramatized stage reading of a play by Rodolfo Alvarado about World War II medic Anthony Acevedo, the first Mexican American to register as a Holocaust concentration camp survivor.
With a powerful windstorm bearing down on the Rochester region, RG&E announced plans to prepare itself for impacts from possible power outages.

The forecast, which includes a high wind warning through 4 a.m. Wednesday due to anticipated wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, prompted the utility company to pre-stage 1,300 line workers and 200 tree crews across their service area, according to a statement. Winds are expected to peak between 6 p.m. and midnight.

RG&E shared safety tips for customers in case of severe weather:

Be prepared by having battery-operated flashlights and radios, drinking water and non-perishable foods, and vehicle fuel.

Stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires and report them by calling RG&E at (800) 743-1701.

Use the RG&E website or mobile app to report outages and receive information on outages in the area. Customers can also receive outage alerts through their cell phone if they have not opted out of alerts.

Severe weather safety for Rochester NY

In the high wind warning from the National Weather Service in Buffalo, the agency warns of damaging winds blowing down trees and power lines, with expected widespread power outages.

Some safety tips from the Weather Service include:

Avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches, power lines and the side of the road

Stay inside in a sturdy structure, if possible, and remain in the lower levels of the home, preferably in an interior room and avoid windows

Use caution when driving; travel will be especially difficult for high-profile vehicles. Hold the steering wheel with both hands and slow down.

Hochul details statewide response

Gov. Kathy Hochul warned of the possibility of power outages due to gale-force winds, along with significant precipitation expected in areas like the Capital region, Hudson Valley and North Country, in a statement Monday.

I have directed State agencies to monitor the storm closely as it unfolds, and they are prepared to work with our local partners as needed, Hochul said. I ask all New Yorkers to please take caution and keep track of weather and travel information in your area.

Truck ban issued for Thruway, other highways in New York state due to high winds https://t.co/ym63Bq1W5G  NYup.com (@newyorkupstate) January 9, 2024

Residents can receive emergency alerts via NY Alert at alert.ny.gov, which is a free service providing critical updates to their cell phone or computer.

Hochul said utility companies regulated by the state Department of Public Service will have about 8,300 workers across the state to assist with down power lines. Utility service interruption information can be found online at dps.ny.gov/utlity-service-interruptions.

More: Weather Service: Windstorm could bring 'widespread' power outages to Rochester area

More: When will the most powerful winds hit Rochester? See storm timeline

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RG&E mobilizes crews as Rochester braces for windstorm, power outages
An NYPD visit to a Brooklyn synagogue turned chaotic after police tried to fill a secret tunnel and alcove found at the site.

Police visited the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters synagogue in Brooklyn on Monday after the mysterious tunnels were discovered at the facility.

A police report suggests the work was done within the last few years, according to the Times of Israel.

Ultra-Orthodox believers opposed the police by throwing benches at the officers and rioting inside the facility. Others who wanted the tunnels to remain open fled into them in hopes that their presence would dissuade the police.

The incident ultimately ended with the arrest of 10 rioters and the temporary shuttering of the synagogue.

The tunnels were reportedly built without authorisation from the Chabad leadership.

Chabad Lubavitch media director Motti Seligson issued a statement on Tuesday on Twitter saying the damage to the synagogue was caused by "extremist students."

"Some time ago, a group of extremist students, broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access. Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls," he said. "Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access."

The "extremist students" were reportedly the individuals arrested by the NYPD. The synagogue will remain closed until a structural review is completed.

"Lubavitch officials have attempted to gain proper control of the premises through the New York State court system; unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years," he said. "This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish community worldwide. We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place."

Some time ago, a group of extremist students, broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access. Earlier today, a cement truck was brought in to repair those walls. Those efforts were disrupted by the  Motti Seligson (@mottiseligson) January 9, 2024

The building has been the subject of a long-lasting battle between the Chabad Lubavitch movement and a group of Messianic Chasidim  two Jewish sects with differing theology who both claim ownership, The Jewish Chronicle reports.

The issue was officially settled in 2006 when a judge ruled that Chabad had full ownership over the building, but the decision did not stop some of the messianic members from trying to use the building.

Approximately six months ago, a group of students connected to the messianic movement reportedly began digging tunnels to gain access to the building.

Once the Chabad leadership learned about the tunnels, they contacted the police to fill them in, which ultimately led to the backlash and the destruction of parts of the facility's interior.

A secret entrance to the tunnels. pic.twitter.com/X88381QkHj  Frum TikTok (@FrumTikTok) January 9, 2024

These odious actions will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman of Chabad, said.

The incident became the social media topic du jour on Tuesday after footage of the rioting and the tunnels was shared on X/Twitter.

The footage showed garbage and home goods, including mattresses, inside of the tunnels. Another bizarre video showed a Hasidic man climbing out of what appeared to be a sewer system around the corner from the facility.
Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, was among former Cabinet ministers set to rebel over the Rwanda Bill - Paul Grover for the Telegraph

Rishi Sunak faces a revolt by more than 30 Tory MPs over his Rwanda Bill as a group of rebels on Tuesday tabled amendments to toughen up the legislation.

At least nine former Cabinet ministers including former Home Office ministers Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick are backing the four amendments which aim to limit virtually all legal challenges by migrants against their deportation to Rwanda and block any attempt by Strasbourg judges to halt the flights.

It sets up a showdown next week between the Right-wing MPs and the Prime Minister when the Bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday for its line-by-line scrutiny in its committee stage on the floor of the Commons.

A group of 30 MPs would be big enough to overturn Mr Sunaks 56-seat majority although the crunch vote will not come until the final stages of the Bill when it will be clear if the Government has granted any concessions.

The rebels backed off voting against the Bill on its second reading before Christmas. More than 20 Tories abstained but threatened to vote against it if there were no changes. They claim to have since garnered more support including former Cabinet ministers Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir John Redwood.

Robert Jenrick, who resigned as immigration minister in protest over the Prime Minister's approach, is said to be among the rebels - Jeff Overs/BBC

Mr Sunaks room for manoeuvre is limited by warnings from the centre-Left One Nation group of 106 MPs that they could vote against the Bill if he goes an inch further in denying individual migrants rights to appeal and sidelining international treaties.

On Monday Mr Sunak said he was open to bright ideas to improve the Bill but has previously warned that if the Government goes any further in disregarding human rights laws, Rwanda would abandon the deal.

The rebel amendments were tabled on Tuesday by Mr Jenrick, who quit as immigration minister over the Bill, and the veteran Brexit campaigner Sir Bill Cash, who was involved in talks with No 10 to try to resolve the stand-off.

The Bill doesnt end the merry-go-round

Mr Jenrick said: The Bill as drafted simply will not work because it doesnt end the merry-go-round of legal challenges that frustrate removals. Ive seen the legal advice and operational plans where this was painfully apparent.

Thats why myself and colleagues have tabled a set of amendments that block small boat arrivals making individual claims and prevent Rule 39 pyjama injunctions from Strasbourg grounding planes.

If the Government truly wants to stop the boats, it should adopt these amendments and use Parliaments power to deliver on the repeated promises we have made to the public.

If we dont fix this Bill the country will be consigned to more illegal crossings, more farcical migrant hotels and billions more of wasted taxpayers money in the years to come.

The amendments would block legal claims by individual migrants except in a narrow set of cases such as when a migrant is medically unfit including pregnancy, or if they were under 18. At present, the Bill blocks systemic legal challenges but allows individual claims where there is a risk of serious and irreparable harm if deported.

They would also strengthen the rights of ministers to ignore rule 39 injunctions from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), one of which was used to block the first deportation flight to Rwanda in June 2022.

Rishi Sunak, pictured on a visit to see Border Force at work in the English Channel in June, is trying again to pass his Rwanda Bill - WPA pool/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

Such injunctions would no longer be binding in law and this would be the Governments default position. It would effectively overturn the current legal advice which defines them as binding and a breach of international law if ministers ignore them.

Two further amendments would strengthen the opt outs or notwithstanding clauses in the Bill to prevent international treaties and human rights laws frustrating moves to deport migrants who arrive in the UK illegally.

The rebels say they have received advice from leading lawyers, led by John Larkin KC, that their amendments meet the Governments legality test of having a respectable legal argument, and therefore do not breach international law.

They say the amendments would close the loopholes identified by the Governments own legal team who found the Bill, as drafted, would seriously impede attempts to head off legal challenges by migrants.

In an exclusive online article for The Telegraph, MPs Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates, of the New Conservatives group of MPs, said: They are proportionate, consistent with our international obligations, and have respectable legal arguments behind them.

Within an inch of whats acceptable

However, the amendments are likely to provoke a backlash from One Nation MPs. Damian Green, chairman of the One Nation group, said: The Prime Ministers got within an inch of what I would regard as acceptable. Almost all our members voted for second reading with the clear message of thus far and no further and dont take that extra inch, which some colleagues of the Right of the party want us to do.

The amendments came as it emerged that Home Office officials have warned ministers that more than 55,000 asylum seekers face being stuck in a permanent backlog because they cannot be deported.

The 55,000 arrived in the UK after the Government introduced its proposed new legislation last year under which anyone entering the UK illegally faced being detained and deported back to a safe third country such as Rwanda or to their homeland.

Their claims are deemed inadmissible which means they are not entitled to any form of refugee settled status so they cannot be cleared from the backlog until the Government operationalises its Rwanda scheme or can agree their safe return to their home country.

What it means is that they will be in a permanent backlog as there will be nothing to be done with them. Rwanda, said a source. Rwanda doesnt have anywhere near the capacity to take them. As there is nowhere to send pretty much all of them and they cant be given any kind of settled status they will be left in limbo.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, visited Rwanda in December to sign a new treaty with Vincent Biruta, the country's minister of foreign affairs - Getty Images

Internal projections of the numbers being flown to Rwanda, if and when the scheme becomes operational, have been put in the hundreds in the first year and low thousands in the following year.

However, a Home Office spokesman said: Under the Illegal Migration Act, anyone who comes to the UK Illegally will be unable to claim asylum and swiftly returned home or removed to a safe third country, such as Rwanda.

Our new Safety of Rwanda Bill, returning to Parliament next week, will make conclusively clear that Rwanda is a safe country  our focus is on passing this legislation as soon as possible, so we can get flights off the ground.

Rwanda is ready to welcome large numbers of people, and as both parties have made clear, the scheme is uncapped.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: Tens of thousands of men women and children seeking safety in the UK from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and Syria will be left in permanent limbo, likely to disappear and be at risk of exploitation and abuse as they will not be allowed to stay in the UK and there will be nowhere to send them.

The reality is that draconian new laws that extinguish the right to asylum are simply resulting in vast cost, chaos and human suffering to refugees who should be given protection in our country.

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In a recorded conversation played during her first murder trial, a Rittman woman talked about the role she played in the 2012 slaying of a Jackson Township woman  and her concern that she would be held accountable.

Every time I hear a siren, I think, Theyre coming for me, Erica Stefanko said in the conversation with Cindee Cobb, the mother of Chad Cobb, who is serving a life sentence for Ashley Biggs murder.

Stafanko is accused of making a bogus pizza-delivery call that lured Biggs to where she was killed.

Whether Stefanko will remain behind bars for the role she is accused of playing in Biggs slaying will be decided in Stefankos second trial that starts Tuesday.

Stefanko, 41, was convicted of aggravated murder and murder in November 2020 in a highly publicized trial in Summit County Common Pleas Court that occurred when few trials were proceeding because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years.

Her conviction was overturned in July 2022 when an appellate court ruled that Chad Cobb shouldnt have been permitted to testify via video from prison because of pandemic health concerns.

Stefankos second trial began with jury selection Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon, jurors will visit several pertinent places, including the back of the New Franklin business where Biggs was killed and the Wayne County field where her body was found. Opening statements are expected to be Thursday morning, with the trial anticipated to last up to three weeks.

Stefanko will be retried only on the charges she was convicted of  aggravated murder and murder.

Stefanko, who had been incarcerated at Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, is being held at the Summit County Jail so she can confer with the new attorneys handling her retrial.

Shes nervous because shes been through this once and it didnt turn out the way she wanted, said Jeff Laybourne, who is now representing Stefanko with attorney Angie Kille. I think shes optimistic that were going to be able to put our best foot forward.

Summit County prosecutors, who typically dont discuss pending cases, declined to comment on Stefankos second trial.

Stefanko is arrested years after Biggs slaying

Stefanko was arrested in 2019 in the June 2012 slaying of Biggs, the ex-girlfriend of Chad Cobb, Stefankos husband at the time of the murder.

Detectives said new information had come to light about Stefankos involvement, including making a fake pizza order call that drew Biggs, 25, a Dominos delivery driver, to the New Franklin business where she was killed.

Biggs was shocked with a stun gun, beaten and strangled with a zip tie.

At the time of the slaying, Cobb and Biggs, the mother of Cobbs then-7-year-old daughter, were in a heated custody dispute.

Cobb, now 41, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and several other charges in February 2013 in an agreement that prevented him from facing the death penalty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Cobb lost an appeal of his conviction and a request to withdraw his guilty plea. He claimed his attorneys were ineffective and said he was under duress when he pleaded guilty. He said he was concerned that, if he didnt plea, his children would be taken and placed up for adoption, according to a motion Cobb filed.

Judge Jennifer Towell, who was elected in November 2022 to take over former Judge Amy Corrigall Jones seat, denied Cobbs request. She said the trial court lacked jurisdiction because Cobb lost his appeal, according to court records.

Stefankos first trial was during pandemic when few were proceeding

Stefankos first trial, which was broadcast on Court TV, happened at a time when few trials were proceeding because of the pandemic.

Stefanko, her attorneys and prosecutors wore masks and plastic partitions divided the courtroom.

Assistant Sumit County Prosecutor Brian LoPrinzi points to the stun gun, knife, zip ties and other items used in 2012 slaying of Ashley Biggs during Erica Stefanko's first trial in November 2020. Stefanko will be retried starting Tuesday for her alleged role in Biggs' slaying.

Three people were permitted to testify via video, including Chad Cobb, who is incarcerated at Richland Correctional Institution.

Kerry OBrien, one of Stefankos attorneys in her first trial, objected to remote testimony and, in particular, to Cobb not appearing in person.

Cobb attempted during his testimony to shift blame for Biggs slaying from himself to Stefanko.

Defense attorneys claimed Cobb was trying to curry favor among police and prosecutors with the hope of getting out of prison.

Chad Cobb, who is serving a life sentence for Ashley Biggs' murder, testifies via video during Erica Stefanko's first trial in November 2020.

Cobb said Stefanko ordered the pizza that lured Biggs to a closed New Franklin business and followed him in Biggs car to a Wayne County cornfield near Cobbs parents home where they left her body. He said Stefanko, again with their children in their vehicle, returned to the business where Biggs was killed to clean up the crime scene, but police had already arrived.

Cobb and Biggs daughter, who was by then 15, testified that she overheard Stefanko order a pizza on the night of Biggs slaying.

Cindee Cobb, Chads mother, testified about a secret recording she made of Stefanko in March 2014 that she provided to police in 2018.

If everything had been told exactly as it happened, we both would be in prison right now, Stefanko said in the nearly three-hour conversation.

Jurors deliberated for more than 14 hours over three days before returning with a verdict that found Stefanko guilty of one type of aggravated murder and murder. They acquitted her of another type of aggravated murder and murder and numerous other charges.

Erica Stefanko breaks down as she listens to family members speak during her sentencing in July 2021. Stefanko was sentenced to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years, but her conviction was later overturned. She will be retried starting Tuesday.

In an emotional sentencing in which family members of Stefanko, Cobb and Biggs spoke, Jones sentenced Stefanko to life in prison with possible parole after 30 years. The maximum she faced was life without parole.

Your reign of terror has come to an end, Cindee Cobb told Stefanko.

Stefanko pleaded with Jones for leniency.

I would like to be back with my family someday, she said, her voice catching.

Stefanko's conviction is overturned

Stefanko appealed based on several errors she claimed were made during her trial, including allegations that the COVID-19 procedures used by the trial court violated her rights to a fair trial, due process and to confront witnesses as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

The 9th District Court of Appeals overturned Stefankos conviction in July 2022, zeroing in on Chad Cobbs remote testimony.

Lynne Callahan, a former Summit County Common Pleas judge, said in the ruling that there was no suggestion in Stefankos trial that Cobb was at an increased risk of COVID-19 or that he was experiencing symptoms that would put others in jeopardy. She noted that Stefankos speedy trial rights werent an issue.

Callahan said Cobbs testimony was a key part of the trial.

Judge rejects defense request for a lower bond

After the appellate decision, Stefankos newly appointed attorneys requested that her bond be lowered while she awaited a new trial.

Laybourne argued in a hearing in October 2022 that Stefanko lacked the means or motivation to skip town.

She intends to go to trial again, he said. She wants to clear her name. Shes anxious to do so.

However, Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Felicia Easter said Stefanko had more reason to run after her conviction.

The defendant is more of a flight risk now, she said.

Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, then the courts administrative judge, opted to continue Stefankos bond at $200,000.

Attorneys sought to suppress statements in new trial

Many of the same people are scheduled to testify in Stefankos second trial, which is expected to again be shown on Court TV.

That includes Chad Cobb  who will appear in person  Cobb and Biggs daughter and Cindee Cobb, Chads mother.

However, defense attorneys sought to suppress oral and written statements made by Chad and Cindee Cobb that they claimed were hearsay. This includes Cindee Cobbs recording of Stefanko.

The attorneys also claimed any statements between Chad Cobb and Stefanko should be protected by spousal privilege because they were married at the time.

Easter and Brian LoPrinzi, the same prosecutors who handled Stefankos first trial, said statements by Chad Cobb about Stefankos bogus pizza order arent privileged because they were made in front of Cobb and Biggs daughter. They said statements Stefanko made to Cindee Cobb also werent hearsay because they were made about Stefanko by Stefanko, according to court records.

Towell ruled Tuesday that the statements would be permitted, as long as they fall under an exception to the hearsay rules, such as a third party being present.

That means Cindee Cobb's recording will be admissible, as will Chad Cobb's testimony about the overheard bogus pizza delivery call.

Laybourne said a decision hasnt been made on whether Stefanko, who didnt testify in her first trial, will take the stand in her retrial. He said the defense may call Mike Stefanko, who is Ericas husband and Cobbs former best friend, and Joelle Hendrick, Ericas mother.

Hendrick spoke during Stefankos sentencing, saying her daughter wasnt the monster others have made her out to be.

She does not have a violent bone in her body, Hendrick said.

Erica Stefanko pulls down her mask and mouths the words "I love you" to her mother after she was sentenced to life in prison in July 2021. Stefanko's conviction was later overturned and she will be retried starting Tuesday.

Stefanko, who showed little reaction to the sentence she received, made a heart sign to her family and lowered her mask to say I love you to her mother.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Erica Stefanko to be retried in pizza delivery murder case
Several roads will be closed Saturday for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade.

The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will travel along Ocean Boulevard from 15th to 8th avenues North.

Other events are also planned for Jan. 12 through Jan. 16 as part of the 2024 Grand Strand Freedom Week. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Jan. 15. The events are hosted by the Carolina African American Heritage Foundation.

Here are what roads will be closed, according to city officials.

Ocean Boulevard from 16 th to 8th avenues North during the parade

9 a.m.  Staging area on Withers Drive, between 13th to 16th avenues North

9:45 a.m.  Ocean Boulevard, between 16th and 7th avenues North

9:45 a.m.  Post-staging area on 8th Avenue North, between Ocean Boulevard to Kings Highway

Roadways will be reopened as the parade moves southbound and all roads are expected to open by noon.

Drivers are encouraged to use wayfinding apps to navigate around the parade route.
Special Forces candidates assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School walk through a small stream during the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage near Pittsboro, North Carolina, Sept. 16, 2023. (U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens)

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (WNCN)  A two-week wargame for candidates of the U.S. Special Forces will take place starting late next week across more than two dozen North Carolina counties, a few in South Carolina  and one in Tennesee, officials announced Monday.

The Robin Sage exercise involves students at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, based out of Fort Liberty.

Carter County in Tennessee part of warfare exercise Robin Sage test for U.S. Special Forces

As Green Beret candidates are involved in a fictional guerrilla war, residents in some North Carolina counties may hear gunfire and see occasional flares, according to a news release from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center.

The gunfire will be blanks as the Special Forces students put their training to the test in the wargame nation called Pineland between January 19 through February 1.

Special Forces candidates assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School react to gunfire as they take part in the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage in central North Carolina, September 28, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens)

Throughout the exercise, Special Forces candidates and Robin Sage role-players not only conduct warfare training missions such as controlled assaults but also live, eat and sleep in these civilian areas.

Military service members from units across Fort Liberty will also support the exercise. These military members act as realistic opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters, also known as Pinelands resistance movement, Mondays news release said.

Officials said Robin Sage troop movements and wargame events have been coordinated with public safety officials throughout and within the towns and counties hosting the training.

Special Forces candidates assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School exit a vehicle as they take part in the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage in central North Carolina, September 28, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by K. Kassens)

The following North Carolina counties are part of the exercise: Avery, Alamance, Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Cumberland, Davidson, Duplin, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union, and Wake.

Also included are the South Carolina counties of Chesterfield, Dillon and Marlboro and Carter County in Tennessee.

Soldiers from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School prepare to assault a group of Special Forces students during the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage in central North Carolina, September 28, 2021. Robin Sage is the culmination exercise for Soldiers in the Special Forces Qualification Course and has been the litmus test for Soldiers striving to earn the Green Beret for more than 50 years. (U.S. Army Photo by K. Kassens)

In last falls Robin Sage text, there was just one night spent in Carter County in Tennessee.

Carter County was selected as a premiere location because the Appalachian Mountains provide mountainous terrain that simulate conditions Special Forces soldiers will likely encounter in future real-world missions, Elvia Kelly, spokeswoman for the warfare center told CBS 17 in September 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A 34-year-old mother was found shot to death in Robinsonville, Mississippi last week, and a man she lived with has been charged in her murder.

The grim discovery was made just before 10 Friday night after a person called 911, the Tunica County Sheriffs Office said. The caller told dispatchers that a juvenile came to their house and told them their mother had been shot.

Deputies and first responders went to an apartment in the 2600 block of Kirby Road in Robinsonville, where they heard shots being fired inside.

14-year-old hit with nearly 50 charges including carjacking, robbery

Two juveniles were found outside the apartment, and officers were told that a woman, man, and newborn child lived inside. The surrounding apartments were evacuated.

Tunica County deputies spoke to the man inside via phone and got him to surrender his weapon and come outside, where he was detained at 10:35 p.m.

Shaterica Queshun Bell, 34, was found inside with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner. The newborn baby was unharmed.

The suspect, Donald Demario Patrick, allegedly told officers at the scene that he shot the mother of his child.

Suspect dead of self-inflicted gunshot after Arkansas police chase

Patrick, 37, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated domestic violence, felon in possession of a weapon, and possession of a stolen weapon. He is being held at the Tunica County Detention Center. The bond was set Monday at $425,000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking medical records of Texas children who received gender-affirming care in Seattle, again inserting himself into private medical decisions. Lola Gomez/TNS

By crossing state lines in pursuit of the medical records for transgender Texans, indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton has once again crossed another line  one of privacy and decency.

In November, Paxton demanded that Seattle Childrens Hospital provide medical records for the number of Texas children who have received treatment at the hospital. This would include diagnoses, medications and treatment protocols.

Last month, Seattle Childrens Hospital filed suit, requesting that a Travis County judge toss the subpoena.

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Paxtons request for private medical information follows a recent state ban of gender-affirming treatment for Texas minors.

Since transgender youths in Texas cant receive hormone therapy and puberty blockers for gender dysphoria, its hardly surprising those with supportive families and financial means would travel out of state for care. These families don't need a permission slip from the Texas attorney general to receive medical care in another state.

These are private medical decisions made between the patients, their parents and medical providers. And they often are lifesaving treatments, given the high rates of suicide and the mental health challenges transgender youths experience. Paxton has reduced these decisions to political exploits, injecting himself into the inner workings of people's lives. To what end?

Those are just some of the ethical concerns Paxton's actions pose, but on the legal front, just what standing does Paxton have?

Paxton has said there may have been a violation of the the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. But as Express-News reporter Cayla Harris outlined, Seattle Children's Hospital has called Paxton's demands for records sham requests. The hospital does not provide medical treatment or telemedicine in Texas. It does not market gender-affirming care for minors here. There are no state tax dollars involved in this care. Just how is this Paxton's business?

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It's not, of course.

In terms of disrespecting privacy and dishonoring decisions made between patients and doctors, this is eerily similar to the Kate Cox abortion case that captured the nation's attention in December.

Cox sought a medically necessary abortion after learning her fetus had a genetic disorder. The pregnancy was not viable, and it also put Cox's health and future fertility at risk.

While a Travis County judge granted Cox's request, Paxton not only successfully appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, but he also successfully made threats, sending letters to various Houston medical providers warning them not to provide Cox with an abortion.

Politicians such as Paxton manipulate the culture wars for their own political gain, ignoring the complicated implications for people's lives. Just what is Paxton accomplishing in politicizing medical records of Texans in other states? Just whose interest is he serving?

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On Friday it will be four years since the death of Sir Roger Scruton. Hes remembered as a great conservative philosopher. Increasingly, though, it feels more accurate to call him a prophet.

If you have a copy of Against the Tide, a posthumous selection of his essays, read the one he wrote in 1997, in which he predicted how the country would change under New Labour.

Government policies, forecast Sir Roger, will be chosen not [...] because there is a need for them. They will be chosen in order to advance the culture of equality and inclusion. As a result, Victim status will become universally coveted. New classes of victims will be discovered by the week.

In the arts, The BBC will be given over to egalitarian propaganda, and The position of the salon socialist establishment will be consolidated in all the major cultural institutions. As for education, universities would become obsessed with politically correct pseudo-subjects such as race and gender studies. Meanwhile, Sex advisers will prowl the schools in search of innocence, in order to destroy it.

And so on. He saw it all coming. Well, nearly all. Sir Rogers prophecy ended with a deft jab at the outgoing government of John Major. In short, he concluded, everything will proceed as it has done under the Tories, only faster.

True enough, it did. But theres one thing not even Sir Roger managed to foresee. Which is that under the subsequent Tory government, from 2010 until the present day, all of this would proceed 10 times faster still.

The burning question

An organisation in Sussex has been teaching its staff about gender identity. Nothing unusual about that, these days. One thing, however, does puzzle me.

The organisation, in this case, is the local fire brigade.

Try as I might, Im struggling to fathom why learning about gender identity should be deemed essential for, of all people, firemen. Their job is to rescue the public from burning buildings. Why they would need to know whether the person theyre rescuing is non-binary, Im not sure.

Still, perhaps Im behind the times.

Scene: a fleet of fire engines screech to a halt in front of a burning block of flats. The captain leaps out and addresses the crowd of residents who are huddling together in the street.

Captain: Is everyone safe and accounted for?

Woman: We all got out straight away. Except for one old man.

Captain: Now hang on just a moment. Are you absolutely certain that this individual is a man? What are his, her or their preferred pronouns?

Woman: Well, to be honest, I dont think any of us have ever actually spoken to him  he lives alone, very quiet, keeps himself to himself. But hes clearly a man.

Captain: Clearly? How do you mean?

Woman: Well, hes got a beard.

Captain: Have you any idea how ignorant you sound? This old man could easily be a male-presenting transwoman. Or non-binary. Or gender-fluid, gender-neutral, genderqueer, gender-questioning, pangender, polygender, demigender, omnigender or agender. We learnt about it on a course.

Woman: Well, maybe. But shouldnt you just hurry up and rescue him?

Captain: Stop saying him. Before we do anything else, we must urgently ascertain this individuals pronouns. Otherwise, he, she, they, xe or zir could overhear us getting them wrong, and be deeply offended. Also, I could get in terrible trouble with HR.

Woman: But this is an emergency.

Captain: It certainly is. Thats why Im going to phone Stonewall first thing in the morning, to ask for their advice.

A new way of doing news

Congratulations to ITV on the huge success of Mr Bates vs the Post Office. To the countless journalists who have reported on the Post Office scandal over the past 15 years, however, it must feel somewhat galling. Theyve received far less credit for exposing the scandal than ITV has for dramatising it. Indeed, the story struggled to capture widespread attention until now.

Still, it would be futile to complain. In our rapidly changing modern world, the media must be willing to adapt. So, to ensure greater exposure for important stories, I urge broadcasters to abolish their news bulletins, and replace them with a nightly drama serial, in which beloved household names act out the days events.

Youre watching ITV. In tonights episode of The News, Westminster prepares for another by-election, Ukraine begs its Western allies for more aid, and pro-Palestinian protesters renew calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Starring Hugh Bonneville as Sir Keir Starmer, Danny Dyer as Volodymyr Zelensky, and Idris Elba as Gary Lineker.

Way of the World is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 7am every Tuesday and Saturday

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.
Roger Stone discussed assassinating members of Congress in the lead-up to the 2020 election with a then-NYPD police officer, according to audio of the longtime Republican operatives comments obtained by Mediaite. Its time to do it, Stone reportedly told Sal Greco, who was also moonlighting as a security guard for Stone, at a Fort Lauderdale restaurant. Stone then mentioned two Democratic congressmen, according to the report: Eric Swalwell of California and Jerry Nadler of New York, the latter of whom had announced a House Judiciary Committee investigation into Donald Trumps commutation of Stones prison sentence stemming from the Russia probe. Lets go find Swalwell. Its time to do it. Then well see how brave the rest of them are. Its time to do it. Its either Nadler or Swalwell has to die before the election. They need to get the message. Lets go find Swalwell and get this over with. Im just not putting up with this shit anymore. In a statement to Mediaite, Stone denied making those comments. Greco did not deny that they occurred.

Read it at Mediaite

Read more at The Daily Beast.
Longtime Republican political operative and Donald Trump loyalist Roger Stone has been accused by a media outlet of discussing the assassination of Democratic politicians.

Mr Stone  who received a pardon from Mr Trump after he was jailed for obstructing a federal investigation into the former president's ties to Russia  reportedly made comments to an NYPD officer about killing congressmen Eric Swalwell and Jerrold Nadler, according to an exclusive story from Mediaite.

Mediaite claims to have a recording of the conversation, but it has not made the recording public.

Its time to do it, Mr Stone allegeldy told NYPD officer Sal Greco. Lets go find Swalwell. Its time to do it. Then well see how brave the rest of them are. Its time to do it. Its either Nadler or Swalwell has to die before the election. They need to get the message. Lets go find Swalwell and get this over with. Im just not putting up with this s*** anymore.

The conversation allegedly took place in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Stone for comment.

The publication further claims that it spoke with a source familiar with the discussion, and insisted that Mr Stone was being serious.

It was definitely concerning that he was constantly planning violence with an NYPD officer and other militia groups, the source reportedly said, according to Mediaite.

Both Mr Swalwell and Mr Nadler serve on the House Judiciary Committee, which  at the time the alleged conversation took place  was planning on investigating the pardon Mr Trump offered Stone.

The source reportedly told Mediaite that Mr Stone "hates" the two Democrats, and "had been at war" with them for "years."

The publication made a similar allegation last week, reporting that Mr Stone was also caught on tape asking Mr Greco to "punish" US Attorney Aaron Zelinsky, who led the prosecution's case against him during the Mueller probes.

He needs to be punished, Mr Stone allegedly told Mr Greco in the recording. You have to abduct him and punish him. That has to be done. It will be easy to abduct him because he is a weakling.

When reached for comment by Mediaite, Mr Stone reportedly said that the audio recordings were generated by AI.

Total nonsense," Mr Stone reportedly said. "Ive never said anything of the kind; more AI manipulation. You asked me to respond to audios that you dont let me hear and you dont identify a source for. Absurd.

He further denied the claims on his X/Twitter account.

"I never spoke about assassinating anyone. Fake Mediaite can't produce the recording they claim to have and, contrary to their claim, Newsweek never contacted me for comment," Mr Stone said in response to a Newsweek story covering the alleged audio.

Mr Greco reportedly denied offering further comment about the conversations, claiming readers would not be interested in "ancient political fodder."
Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, addresses immigration during a news conference in Eagle Pass. Jessica Phelps

WASHINGTON  Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Eagle Pass on Monday to meet with Border Patrol agents as House Republicans prepare for hearings this week  centered on the Biden administrations handling of the border  that could make Mayorkas the first Cabinet secretary impeached in nearly 150 years.

The GOP has laid the blame for a record number of border crossings on Mayorkas, whose agency oversees immigration enforcement. Eagle Pass has been among the most frequented crossings in the nation. The city is also the epicenter of Gov. Greg Abbotts border security crackdown that has sparked a series of legal battles between the state and the Biden administration.

The secretary used the trip to push back on the GOP narrative and urge Congress to take action on immigration, including approving $6 billion in emergency border security funding the Biden administration requested last year to hire Border Patrol agents and asylum officers and to install inspection machines meant to catch fentanyl at ports of entry.

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We are doing everything we can within a broken system, Mayorkas said. We will continue to do everything we can, and we will continue to enforce the law. But we need Congress to make the legislative changes and provide the funding that our front-line officers so desperately need.

The House Homeland Security Committee, which has been investigating Mayorkas handling of the border for months, is set to kick off the impeachment push with a hearing Wednesday. A spokesperson for the committee said additional hearings are expected and that the panel will draft articles of impeachment at the end of the process.

U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who chairs the committee, told CNN that he expects the process to move fairly quickly and that the first hearing is likely to be a summary of the panels findings so far. Committee Republicans posted on social media Monday that the inquiry found that Mayorkas has refused to enforce the laws of Congress and fulfill his oath of office.

Mayorkas could become the first Cabinet secretary impeached in nearly 150 years. Jessica Phelps

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Several Texas Republicans sit on the committee, including Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican whose district includes Eagle Pass and most of the border.

Mayorkas trip comes less than a week after House Speaker Mike Johnson and dozens of other Republicans traveled to Eagle Pass. On that trip, Green accused Mayorkas of breaking his oath to defend the nation.

The greatest domestic threat to the national security and the safety of the American people is Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, said Green, R-Tenn., while flanked by dozens of House Republicans during a news conference in front of the Rio Grande.

Border crossings reached new highs in December, and the Biden administration moved to close an international bridge and railroad crossing leading to Eagle Pass, both of which have since been reopened. Many of the people crossing the border are asylum-seekers from nations racked by poverty, violence and political upheaval, and they come amid a rise in global migration in recent years.

Mayorkas pointed to the situation last month as evidence of the need for more resources, including more space to detain migrants and more funding to pay for removal flights.

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We need more officers so that migration surges do not force mitigation measures of last resort like bridge closures, Mayorkas said.

Mayorkas said the administration has taken bold, necessary action during the time that Congress has failed to act. He pointed to new rules allowing tens of thousands of asylum-seekers into the United States each month, if they apply from their home countries instead of after crossing the border, as well as efforts to allow asylum officers to more swiftly adjudicate cases on the border. And he said the administration has ramped up removal efforts, deporting more than 470,000 migrants since May.

The Biden administration, meanwhile, has dismissed the impeachment drive as a political stunt and a distraction. The House effort comes amid bipartisan negotiations in the Senate on a possible border security deal, which negotiators have said could land as soon as this week. Mayorkas has been involved in those talks as President Joe Biden has said he is willing to make serious concessions on the border to secure additional aid for Ukraine.

Its time for House Republicans to get serious, do their jobs and deliver for the American people, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week. Theyre wasting time on impeachment proceedings that make no sense, and thats not what the American people want them to focus on.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's body double allegedly identified for the first time. This was claimed by the General SVR; a Russian Telegram channel known for sharing controversial claims about the ruler's health status.

For the past years, numerous sources have been claiming that the Russian leader has more than one body double working for him. Speculations claim that these doppelgangers serve as decoys to protect the ruler from assassinations and other dangers.

Now, General SVR claims that one of Putin's body doubles has been identified for the first time. Here's what you need to know about this rumored doppelganger.

Vladimir Putin's Body Double Allegedly Identified for the First Time!

According to The Daily Mail UK's latest report, an alleged body double of Vladimir Putin has been named as Yevgeny Vasilyevich, who is reported to be a "fourth-rate" carpenter from Belarus.

Genera SVR claims that this Russian carpenter is the main doppelganger of the president. Aside from his identity, Vasilyevich was also allegedly poisoned.

However, the Russian Telegram channel claimed that he survived the assassination attempt. General SVR said that the body double developed skin rashes on his neck, as well as upper and lower extremities.

The Russian Telegram channels said that Russian doctors mistook these rashes for an allergy, but later claimed to be caused by toxic substances.

But, before believing what General SVR claims, you should know that the Russian Telegram channel didn't provide any evidence to support the rumored identity of Vladimir Putin's body double or the assassination attempt.

General SVR is just one of the online sources in Russia that regularly shares unproven news and other content about Vladimir Putin's health, body double, and other controversial things about the Russian leader.

Read Also: AI Putin: Ukraine Military Intelligence Claims Russian President Uses 3 Doppelgangers

What Russia Says About Rumored Putin Body Doubles

In October 2023, Russian officials shared their comments about allegations claiming that Vladimir Putin is using body doubles to protect himself.

Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that all rumors saying that Vladimir Putin's health is worsening are false.

"Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake," said the Kremlin's spokesman via CNBC.

"This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity," he added.

Dmitry Peskov further stated that all rumors about Vladimir Putin's health evoke nothing "but a smile."

Related Article: Vladimir Putin's Death Rumor: Sources Claim Russian President is Just Body Double-Speculations Make Officials Laugh
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tests were negative for traces of salmonella at a cantaloupe-processing plant in Mexico amid an investigation into a deadly outbreak in the United States and Canada, Mexico said on Tuesday.

Mexican health officials in December ordered the temporary closure of the plant in the northern state of Sonora and took samples from surfaces and water.

Those samples were analyzed by a laboratory and did not detect the presence of salmonella strains, Mexican agriculture and health authorities said in a statement.

A new analysis of water, product and surface samples in production and packaging plants will be carried out in February, the statement added.

At least 11 deaths in the United States and Canada have been linked to the outbreak. Four deaths were reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and seven were reported by Canada's public health agency (PHAC).

Health authorities in both countries have implicated Mexico's Malichita- and Rudy-branded cantaloupes as the sources of the outbreak and issued recalls of the fruit.

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Mark Porter)
After Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 516 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 earlier this week, the 379 passengers and crew onboard the burning Airbus A350 only had 90 seconds from the moment the plane came to a full stop to get out.

On Tuesday (January 2), it took the crew 18 minutes to get the passengers out and safely accounted for, which everyone involved called a "miracle."

Only the five crew members of the Japanese Coast Guard plane perished in the incident.

Crew Training Credited for Swift Evacuation

Reuters reported that Japanese authorities are beginning to reconstruct the scene of the incident based on crew and passenger accounts as part of the investigation on the matter. Initial findings reveal that the crew followed emergency procedures by the book, especially by keeping passengers as calm as possible in getting out of the burning plane.

Flight 516's crew quickly owned the situation by making visual checks of the plane's interior and exterior and decided which of the eight emergency exits were safe to use. They then used short, direct commands such as "Leave your luggage" and "not this door," officials added.

Some of the passengers interviewed at the Haneda Airport late on Tuesday credited the swift evacuation drill with saving their lives.

"I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone and I got off the plane," 28-year-old Tsubasa Sawada told reporters. "I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late."

Emergency protocol stipulated that the crew must have permission from the cockpit to open any emergency exits. It was said that the captain himself stood near the two exits in the front and personally approved the evacuation.

However, the third safe exit in the rear could not be cleared because the communication systems aboard had been affected by the fire. JAL said that the crew at the back made the correct decision to open the emergency exit even without instructions from the cockpit.

According to Japanese officials, all cabin attendants undergo training once a year on evacuation procedures and simulating various scenarios, including what to do when they cannot communicate with the cockpit.

Read Also: Japan Airlines Plane Catches Fire in Tokyo's Haneda Airport

Airbus: JAL Made a 'Textbook Evacuation'

After ensuring that all passengers were out of the plane, the pilots and crew completed the evacuation at 18:05 local time (09:05 UTC), 18 minutes after landing.

JAL officials did not know how long the process took from the time the plane came to a complete stop. It was also not immediately clear what portion of the 18-minute operation was spent physically getting passengers down the slides, but safety experts said interviews with passengers would be examined worldwide to help shape future evacuation procedures.

The crash was the first significant accident involving the Airbus A350 - one of Europe's long-haul jets - which has been in service since 2015. It was also the first time a passenger plane mainly built from lightweight carbon composites was gutted by fire.

The A350-900 was certified for a full load of up to 440 passengers to be evacuated within 90 seconds with only half of the exits usable.

"The JAL cabin crew should be highly commended for their textbook evacuation," an Airbus representative said.

CBS News transportation safety analyst Robert Sumwalt added that a lot of factors contributed to the successful evacuation of all passengers and crew on board, including the "crash-worthiness of modern jetliners" and the fact that the plane's hull did not burn as quickly as previous aircraft.

Related Article: 5 Japanese Coast Guardsmen Dead After Plane Collides with JAL Commercial Jet
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  School officials in Salt Lake City could make a final decision Tuesday on whether or not to close four elementary schools later this year.

In November, the Salt Lake City School District recommended closing four elementary schools: Hawthorne, M. Lynn Bennion, Mary W. Jackson and Riley elementaries.

PREVIOUS STORY: Salt Lake City School District recommends 4 schools for closure

The proposed closures come as the K-6 population in the district is shrinking. Instead of spending money on build costs for these schools, the district said it wants to use those resources to boost student learning.

Seven of the districts 27 elementary schools were studied on a list of criteria, including the number of enrolled students, how walkable their immediate neighborhoods are and how many more years the buildings were expected to be operational. Four of the seven schools examined ended up on the chopping block.

Last month, parents voiced their concerns over the potential school closings at a public hearing.

On Tuesday, the Board of Education could vote on the districts recommendation during its meeting at the West High School Auditorium. The meeting is slated to start at 5:30 p.m.

In November, Superintendent Elizabeth Grant said if any schools are closed, the district will work on making the transition as smooth as possible for students, parents and teachers.

Additionally, if the board votes to close schools, it will mean that the boundaries across the district will change, affecting roughly half of the districts elementary schools.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Future Samsung TVs will also act as a smart home hub, the South Korean manufacturer says, allowing people turn on lights, change the room temperature and make other changes to smart devices. Samsung/dpa

In an effort to make the TV the heart of the smart home, Samsung has unveiled a new user interface that provides an overview of any smart devices that you can control.

Changing the room temperature, looking at a live feed from a door camera, turning off smart lamps, checking in on the washing machine - Samsung wants anyone with a smart home to be able to do all these things from their TV in future.

Unveiling its latest innovations across various products at the annual CES tech fair in Las Vegas in early January, Samsung says it also wants to add a 3D view of the home to the TV's operating system.

The information needed for this home map feature is set to be collected by a new spherical robot called Ballie, among the many new products showcased at CES.

The robot also has a projector with which it can display videos and other content on walls or the ceiling. Ballie can also keep pets occupied with projections on the floor.

However, Samsung, which already demoed a prototype of Ballie four years ago in Las Vegas, did not provide any information on when or even if the device will be launched on the market.

After years of working towards adding smart functionality to its flagship home products, Samsung now appears to be doing the same with AI smarts. Samsung/dpa
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters has launched its first-ever traveling ballot program, which includes the BallotMobile and voter education pop-up exhibit stops in the High Desert and across the county.

The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters has launched its first-ever traveling ballot program, which includes voter education pop-up exhibit stops in the High Desert and across the county.

After BallotMobile stops in Needles on Friday and Baker on Saturday, the tour will visit Apple Valley Town Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 14955 Dale Evans Parkway. The exhibit will then appear from 2 to 5 p.m. at Hesperia City Hall at 9700 Seventh Avenue.

The BallotMobile stops in the High Desert are part of a 24-city tour across the county leading up to Election Day on March 5 or Super Tuesday.

Each pop-up activation will offer voter education materials, resources, and giveaways, and an Instagram-worthy backdrop for photo opportunities.

There will also be resources on the earlier Primary Election date, how to register to vote, how to check personalized voter information, the countys four ways to vote, and Primary Election-specific topics such as crossover voting.

Other BallotMobile stops will include:

Jan. 10 in Trona

Jan. 13 in Colton

Jan. 18 in Montclair, Upland

Jan. 19 in Rancho Cucamonga

Jan. 20 in Ontario

Jan. 24 in Rialto

Jan. 25 in Fontana

Jan 27 in Chino

Feb. 1 in San Bernardino

Feb. 6 in Highland

Feb. 8 in Yucaipa

Feb. 9 in Redlands

Feb. 13 in Loma Linda

Feb. 14 in Grand Terrace

Feb. 15 in Chino Hills

Feb. 17in Yermo, Barstow

Feb. 20 in Big Bear

Feb. 22 in Adelanto, Victorville

Feb. 29 in Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms

San Bernardino County is the largest county by size in the contiguous United States.

The tour will cover the countys large geographic footprint, playing an important role in educating the countys 1.17 million registered voters about new and important information regarding the election.

California moved its presidential primary from June to March starting in 2020, so the state could have more influence in choosing presidential contenders, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Party nominations are typically locked up before the states usual primary date. Now California is one of more than a dozen states that hold their presidential primaries on March 5, or Super Tuesday.

The midterm primaries for the governors seat and other seats will continue to be held in June.

For more information, visit elections.sbcounty.gov.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: San Bernardino Countys 'BallotMobile' to visit High Desert
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  San Franciscos mayor had rare chance to speak face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping just before he departed from the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative summit.

Mayor London Breed seized the moment on San Francisco International Airports runway by asking for something very specific  and fuzzy. Breed told Xi that the San Francisco Zoo is hoping and ready to host one of Chinas adored giant pandas.

First reported by The San Francisco Standard, Breed followed up her panda question by writing a letter to Xi in December. To grow our friendship, to greatly benefit our youth, and to continue our joint efforts on panda conservation, I propose, as I did on the runway when bidding your farewell, that we establish a partnership in which our San Francisco Zoo will host your cherished diplomats  Giant Pandas, Breed wrote in the letter.

In this May 7, 2018 photo shows Da Mao, an adult male panda, at the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Breed highlighted San Franciscos rich history with pandas. Two giant pandas, named Yun Yun and Ying Xin, resided at the San Francisco Zoo in 1985. Most recently, the SF Zoo created an Asian conservation zone which was specifically designed to contain a space for a Panda Reserve, Breed wrote.

Mayor London Breed talks to President Xi before he boarded a flight at SFO on Nov. 17, 2023. (Image via Mayor London Breed)

Icy foreign relations between the U.S. and China thawed during last years APEC summit, hosted by the City of San Francisco. While delivering a speech in front of business leaders at APEC, Xi praised San Francisco as a leader for fostering China-U.S. relations.

President Joe Biden and Xi sat down together at a Woodside mansion to talk about complicated international affairs. Xi said his country plans to continue panda diplomacy by sending pandas to some zoos in America.

President Joe Biden greets Chinas President President Xi Jinping at Filoli Estate in Woodside, Calif., Nov, 15, 2023, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

Currently, there are no pandas in California. The last giant pandas were sent by the San Diego Zoo back to China in 2019.

But Breed is hoping to change that. She wrote to Xi, San Francisco does not simply stand ready; we stand with both confidence and excitement that we can be great partners in panda conservation and, more importantly, in the effort to continue improving and enhancing relations between the Chinese and American people.

Xi said he learned that Californians were very fond of the San Diego Zoos pandas. I was told that many American people, especially children, were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas, and went to the zoo to see them off, he said.

There are only 1,800 pandas in the wild, according to World Wildlife Fund.

Pandas predominately live in temperate forests along mountains in southwest China. The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China, WWF wrote.

President-XiDownload

Six-hundred pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world.

The San Francisco Zoos Asian conservation zone currently is home to a red panda, snow leopard, Asian rhino, and orangutan. The zoos spokesperson did not immediately respond to KRON4s inquiry on potential panda plans.

Across the Bay, the Oakland Zoo is not pursing pandas at this time. Oakland Zoo spokesperson Erin Dogan told KRON4, We did apply and were in the process with China over a decade ago, but it was extended process. We decided to change course and give the space we had planned for potential pandas to our Hamadryas baboons instead. Oaklands baboon troop needed the additional space for several newborns, Dogan said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
The Human Rights Commission is advocating for a satellite HBCU campus in San Francisco.

Sheryl Davis, the executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, is currently in talks with the City Attorneys Office to push for the initiative. She is hoping to begin talks with supervisors in the next few months, according to Mission Local.

San Franciscos reparations task force held its final meeting last night, closing the book on the subjectfor now. That comes a month after Breed pulled funding for a reparations office. But there was talk of a potential HBCU in the city via @jrivanobhttps://t.co/f3mWc6LDoY  Mission Local (@MLNow) January 9, 2024

The plan is still in its initial phases, she noted. Davis has been leading discussions with HBCUs such as Tuskegee University, the University of the District of Columbia and Howard University.

San Francisco would have to partner with one of the 103 existing HBCUs, as institutions designated as such were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The news comes as San Francisco made cuts of around $75 million to its budget in December. This led to a planned reparations office being eliminated  putting the initiative off the table.

I want to apologize to the Black community that we dont have more to announce tonight, committee member Gloria Berry said on Monday during a final meeting on Monday.

Davis assured the work is not over.

The committee is sunsetting, but the work continues, she said.
City of Sarasota Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace, straightens a painting by one of the original Florida Highwaymen, Albert Hair, as she helps prepare the exhibit in Sarasota City Hall atrium on Monday.

To the left of the Sarasota City Commission chambers, two long, skinny Florida Pine trees stretch toward the sky, alone in marshland that shines gold in the daylight. Near a hallway that leads to city offices, a palm tree curves off the shore over a swamp that mirrors the orange sky above as Spanish moss hangs from the surrounding foliage.

The paintings featuring these images, each harkening back to when Florida was more known for its unique natural beauty than its real-estate development, are part of the newest installation of Sarasota City Hall's Cultural Heritage Exhibit.

The goal, according to Sarasota Public Art Manager Mary Davis Wallace, is to inform and educate the public on one of the state's most celebrated art movements: The Highwaymen.

"It's not just an opportunity for us to share the stories of our local heritage, but it's also contributing to the broadcast of such a fantastic legacy."

In the 1950s, 26 Black landscape artists, primarily hailing from Florida's Treasure Coast, sold their vivid landscape pieces off roads like I-95 and U.S. Highway 1 (hence, their name). At the time, Florida's codified segregation made it nearly impossible for Black artists to see their work displayed in galleries.

The group is estimated to have painted around 200,000 pieces.

Wallace said it's important for the city to provide free, accessible exhibits displaying the history and culture of Sarasota and the state of Florida.

"I've had a lot of people coming into City Hall, thinking they were just going to pay for their parking ticket, and ending up being educated and informed and enlightened by the exhibition," Wallace said.

Highwaymen art collector Roger Lightle carries paintings by Willie Daniels and James Gibson into Sarasota City Hall Monday morning to begin hanging an exhibit of the Highwaymen's paintings. The exhibit is free and open to the public during City Hall hours, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Roger Lightle is a collector and amateur historian of The Highwaymen, their art, and their story. He and his wife operate Highwaymen Art Specialists, Inc., which possesses about 600 paintings, and he has helped some of their artwork be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Orlando International Airport.

Lightle, who loaned Sarasota the artwork for the gallery, said he remembered first seeing The Highwaymen's artwork as a child growing up in Florida  displayed at homes and businesses in Vero Beach and Fort Pierce. He said that even as a child, he was mesmerized by the paintings.

Greater recognition of the Florida Highwaymen for their contributions to the cultural and artistic history of both Florida and the South has put their artwork in high demand, Lightle said. The demand is much more than the original artists, who sold pieces door-to-door or out of the trunks of their cars for as little as $20, just hoping to survive, could have ever dreamed.

"Now, we're in demand by these major museums," Lightle said. "It's not stopping, but it shouldn't stop. It's such a relevant story."

Lightle will lead two public lectures on the Florida Highwaymen on Feb. 13.

Cultural Heritage Exhibits typically last six months, according to Wallace. In the meantime, City Hall will not only be the premier spot in town to hear dry debates on parking policy and zoning rules, but to also to be transported into Florida's heartland, by paintings that represent some of the most significant work in the states history.

Sarasota art collector Allan Asselstine, left, and Pui Lightle from Highwaymen Art Specialists, hang a painting by Albert Hair, one of the original Florida Highwaymen. A painting of a royal poinciana tree by James Gibson, behind Lightle will also be part of the exhibit.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota to display artwork by Florida's famed Highwaymen at City Hall
A Sarasota County man arrested three years ago for a fatal shooting on Marlin Lakes Circle took a plea deal on Jan. 4 for 25 years in prison.

Christian Perkins, 31, accepted the plea bargain after being arrested by Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies in 2021 in connection to a fatal shooting, according to a social media post by the department.

Previous reporting by the Herald Tribune stated that deputies responded shortly after 7 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2021, to 911 calls reporting multiple gunshots in the 1000 block of Marlin Lakes Circle. They found a man dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

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At the time, the victim's name was not released by officials citing Marsy's Law. Court records have now named the victim as Richard Matthew Aguilar, 36.

About 18 minutes after the shooting, Perkins called to report he had shot the man after being attacked, previous reporting stated. He told police he panicked and returned home.

Witnesses reported hearing an argument between the men before hearing gunshots. One witness told police they heard multiple gunshots, then about 20 seconds of silence followed by an additional two to three shots, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case.

Another witness observed Perkins casually walking away from the scene of the shooting while carrying a silver handgun.

In an interview after being read his rights, Perkins said he walked over to the man's home and knocked on his door before the shooting. Detectives determined Perkins did not shoot the victim in self-defense, and he was charged with second-degree murder.

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Perkins' attorney requested a competency evaluation for his client in March 2021, according to court documents. The judge granted the motion and appointed Dr. Eddy Reigner to evaluate Perkins, who was found not competent to proceed.

The court also appointed a second expert, Dr. Donald McMurray, who also found Perkins incompetent to proceed and in need of psychiatric hospitalization, according to the court order.

"He was likewise delusional and guarded," the document states. "The defendant's delusions extend to the fact that he verily believes that 'he is working for the FBI as an undercover operative to investigate organized crime.' He believes that he is in jail currently only because the FBI does not want to blow his cover."

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on X: @GabrielaSzyman3.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota man takes plea for 25 years in prison for fatal 2021 shooting
A member of the International Committee of the Red Cross sits next to an injured child at the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that emergency situation forces numerous unnecessary amputations in the Gaza Strip even though the limbs could be saved. Mohammed Talatene/dpa

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that numerous amputations are carried out in the Gaza Strip even though the limbs could be saved.

There are many reasons for this, the WHO representative for the Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, and the coordinator of the WHO emergency medical team, Sean Casey, said on Tuesday.

Both spoke to the press in Geneva via a video link from Jerusalem and Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip.

The injured cannot reach hospitals earlier due to the ongoing fighting, said Casey. There is also a lack of specialists, such as vascular surgeons.

Hospitals are overcrowded and operating theatres are used for life-saving operations.

"I have never seen so many amputees in my life, also children," said Peeperkorn.

Casey reported from Rafah that recent amputees were begging in their beds for food or water.

Aid deliveries were not enough to reach everyone, especially in the northern region "Everybody says they are hungry," Casey said.

According to Peeperkorn, 15 of the 36 hospitals are currently partially functional. There are also three field hospitals.

The WHO representatives reiterated their demands for a ceasefire, as they have done for weeks, to provide humanitarian care for the population.

Israel has been fighting the militant Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza since the militant group launched a bloody raid on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and kidnapping around 240.

More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war three months ago, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority.

The WHO said more than 50,000 were injured, some of them seriously.
Pope Francis has called for a universal ban on what he called the "despicable" practice of surrogacy, as well as the "commercialization" of pregnancy.

The pontiff said that surrogate motherhood - the practice of allowing a woman to carry a child for a couple who were unable to conceive or carry a child themselves - represented a grave violation of the mother and child and urged the international community to prohibit the practice, The Independent reported.

"I consider despicable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother's material needs," he said. "A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract."

Read Also: Italian Priest Calls Pope Francis 'Anti-Pope Usurper,' Gets Excommunicated

Walking A Thin Line

Francis previously voiced the Catholic Church's opposition to what he called "uterus for rent." So far, some European countries have prohibited surrogacy, such as Spain and Italy.

However, at the same time, the Vatican's doctrine office made it clear that homosexual parents who resorted to surrogacy could have their children baptized.

Before the end of 2023, the Vatican released a document allegedly approving the blessing of same-sex couples, which received a mixed reception. However, Vatican doctrine chief Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez has since clarified that blessing same-sex couples "does not validate or justify" their relationships.

Related Article: Pope Francis' Decision To Approve Blessings for Same-Sex Couples Receives, Praise, Criticism
The Florida GOP removed Christian Ziegler as the party chair amid a sexual assault investigation resulting from a sex scandal involving the lawmaker, his wife, and another woman.

In a statement, former Republican Party of Florida Chairman, Blaise Ingoglia said that no one voted in support of Ziegler. The latter, while not being criminally charged, did not attend the meeting.

Christian Ziegler Sexual Assault Investigation

The development comes after state party leadership suspended the official and removed all of his authority last month. Florida party members voted to replace Ziegler with Evan Power, who had been the vice chairman of the state party.

The meeting was also attended by Florida Congressmen Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds along with Florida's Lieutenant Gov. Jeanette Nunez. The situation comes as Ziegler has been under investigation by the Sarasota Police Department since October.

The search warrant affidavit noted that the party chair and his wife, Bridget Ziegler, planned a three-way sexual encounter with the alleged victim on the day of the alleged assault on Oct. 2, 2023. However, when the victim learned that Bridget could not make it, she changed her mind and canceled the meeting, as per CNN.

The Zieglers apparently had a previous consensual sexual relationship with the victim prior to the latest incident. Surveillance video showed the Florida party chair arriving at the home of the victim on the day of the alleged assault. The latter said that the lawmaker entered the apartment and raped her on a bar stool.

Sarasota law enforcement personnel are also investigating if Ziegler broke Florida's video voyeurism laws after he recorded the sexual encounter at the center of the probe. The state party chair had argued that the sexual encounter was consensual.

In a statement last month, Ziegler's attorney, Derek Byrd said that the lawmaker would be cleared of wrongdoing. He added that they are confident that after the conclusion of the police investigation, no charges will be filed against the official and that he would be exonerated.

Read Also: Rep. Lauren Boebert Faces Police Investigation After Allegedly Punching Ex-Husband Jayson Boebert

Removed From Party Chairmanship

The vote to remove Ziegler came during an emergency meeting in Tallahassee and was largely expected following the Sarasota Police Department's rape investigation becoming public. Afterward, the state party posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, congratulating Power on becoming the new chair, according to NBC News.

Officials were prompted to hold the emergency meeting on Monday after Ziegler maintained his innocence and refused to step down as party chair. The new chairman, Power, lost in a race against the suspected individual during the 2023 race.

But in recent weeks, the party's biggest names endorsed the vice chairman to take over as the only other candidate for the position was Republican National Committeeman Peter Faeman. On top of the rape allegations, law enforcement personnel expanded their probe last week into the alleged filming of the sexual assault.

In the middle of last month, the Florida party's executive committee censured Ziegler, removing his salary of $120,000. The development followed Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, and some county-level Republican chairs urged him to step down, said the New York Times.



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The Indian Supreme Court ordered on Monday the reversal of a statement government's decision to release 11 convicted men of gang-raping a pregnant Muslim woman during the Hindu-Muslim riots in 2002.

The country's high court said that the men should return to jail for the sexual assault of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members. The individuals were allegedly part of a Hindu mob who were sentenced to life for what they did to the victim. The same mob was also responsible for the killing of 14 of Bano's family members, including her three-year-old daughter.

Bilkis Bano Rape Case

The suspects were released in August 2022 after serving 14 years of their sentence following a decision by an advisory panel that was set up by the Gujarat state government. The latter was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On Monday, however, India's high court reversed that decision and ordered the individuals to report back to prison authorities within two weeks. The court also said that the Gujarat government was "lacking in competency" to pass the remission orders, as per CNN.

The high court slammed the Gujarat government for allegedly abusing its discretionary powers in releasing the 11 convicts without authority. Supporters of Bano celebrated the Supreme Court's decision. They decried the men's release as an attack not only on Muslims but women's rights in a nation where government data had shown that a woman is raped every 17 minutes.

In a statement, Bano's lawyer, Shobha Gupta said on Monday following the high court's ruling that the rule of law has been restored by the judgment. He also congratulated the Bilkis and everyone who stood by Bano and fought in support of her.

An advocate for one of the petitioners in the case, Aparna Bhat, also praised the high court's ruling. He noted that they salute the judges who interpreted the whole provision of the law and for categorically directing that the accused should return to jail.

Read Also: India's Supreme Court Rules Against Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Unions

Release of the Convicts

The 2002 riots have long hounded Modi, who has been facing accusations of ordering the state authorities to allow the bloodshed that lasted for several weeks. The prime minister has repeatedly denied having any role in the violence and the Supreme Court said it found no evidence to prosecute him, according to Aljazeera.

After Bano heard the news of the men being released from prison and being ordered to go back, she "wept tears of relief." She also expressed gratitude to the Indian Supreme Court for "giving me, my children, and women everywhere this vindication and hope in the promise of equal justice for all."

The Supreme Court's landmark judgment is expected to create ripples, particularly in Gujarat where Modi was previously the chief minister at the time of the riots. After the men were released in 2022, they were given a heroes welcome as they left the jail in Godhra. Their relatives gave them sweets and touched their feet to show respect.

On the other hand, federal prosecutors opposed the early release, saying that they should not be "released prematurely and no leniency may be shown" to them. This is because the crime that they committed was considered "heinous, grave, and serious," said BBC.

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A man uses an umbrella to stave off the elements, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, while walking down South Capitol Avenue in downtown Lansing,

LANSING  Police on Tuesday responded to dozens of weather-related crashes, including one that closed part of Interstate 69 near Charlotte, after a shot of heavy snow made Lansing-area roads hazardous.

Two semi trucks collided on southbound I-69, near Cochran Road, around 9:45 a.m. before another semi jacknifed just down the road, said Jerri Nesbitt, of the Eaton County Sheriff's Office. Police closed the road until salt crews could treat the roadway, she said. Other lane closures followed so tow truck operators could do their work.

Additional snowfall of an inch (near I-96) to 2-5 inches (north of M-46) expected to fall tonight into tomorrow morning. There will be another round of snow Wednesday evening that could lead to another 1-3 inches of snow Be aware of travel conditions for this evening's commute pic.twitter.com/KYUVRzSZJS  NWS Grand Rapids (@NWSGrandRapids) January 9, 2024

As of Tuesday afternoon, the sheriff's department had responded to 13 crashes, Nesbitt said. No injuries were reported in any of the crashes, including the semi truck mishaps on I-69, she said.

In a Facebook posting, the Ingham County Sheriff's Office reported seeing "a lot of slideoffs and accidents," including one incident in which someone rear-ended a police cruiser, apparently at the scene of a previous crash. There were no injuries, and a photo depicted a cruiser with minor damage.

At least two crashes happened on U.S. 127 in the Mason area on Tuesday morning. No injuries resulted.

Michigan State Police Lt. Rene Gonzalez said troopers responded to a number of minor crashes, most of them slideoffs. No injuries were reported, he said.

Lansing had gotten about an inch of snow through mid-afternoon Tuesday, said Joe Ceru, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids.

A woman uses an umbrella to stave off the elements, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, while walking down South Washington Avenue in downtown Lansing,

Up to another inch was possible through Wednesday morning in most of the region, with an additional inch or two expected north of Lansing, including northern Clinton County, the weather service said.

Snow is possible every day this week, and forecasters were tracking a potential storm that could impact the region on Friday or Saturday, Ceru said.

"We've had a really mild winter, and people aren't used to driving in the snow," he said. "They should remember that slowing yourself down that extra 5 mph or so will give you the time to stop and prevent an accident. You should allow extra time to get to your destination."

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Slippery roads lead to dozens of crashes in Lansing area; more snow likely
A San Luis Obispo woman should be convicted of murder for selling fentanyl to a Templeton man who then died of an overdose, prosecutors argued in court during opening statements of her trial on Monday.

Her defense, however, argued she was not at fault.

Brandi Turner, 50, is accused of selling the fentanyl that prosecutors say killed 30-year-old Quinn Hall on Oct. 26, 2022. Halls body was discovered the following day by a San Luis Obispo County Animal Services employee behind the old Animal Services building on Kansas Avenue.

In 10 minutes, they transacted. Thats all it took, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Greg Devitt said in his opening statements. No knife, no gun. Its fentanyl.

Its the first time the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office has prosecuted an alleged drug dealer for murder if their customer dies of an overdose.

The agency did charge Timothy Clark Wolfe with second-degree murder in May 2020 for selling drugs laced with fentanyl that caused the death of 19-year-old Atascadero resident Emilio Velci, but that case was transferred to the federal court system.

The prosecutiorial technique has been practiced only a handful of other times in California, including in Sacramento and Riverside counties.

A federal bill aims to make selling fentanyl that results in death a first-degree murder charge across the country. It was introduced to the Senate in February 2023 by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, but has seen little movement since.

San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Greg Dewitt gives opening statements in the murder trial against Brandi Turner in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Jan. 8, 2024. Turner is accused of selling fentanyl to Quinn Hall, who died of an overdose on Oct. 26, 2022.

SLO DA: Dealer knew of fentanyls lethal affects before she sold it

In his opening statement, Devitt previewed the evidence he intends to show jurors in the trial, including surveillance footage from the Oklahoma Safe Parking Site, photos of drugs found in Turners RV from a search warrant and text messages between Turner and Hall.

He said Turner was trained about the dangers of fentanyl when she worked for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a correctional sergeant at the California Mens Colony  a job she lost in 2021.

Fentanyl can be extremely dangerous, especially when consumed as a recreational drug, the training said. Doses as small as two milligrams can be fatal.

Then, Devitt argued, about six months before Halls death, Turners husband, Barry Turner, died of a fentanyl overdose while Brandi was treated at the hospital for a fentanyl overdose. The two thought they were consuming cocaine, the prosecutor said, but it was fentanyl.

By the time she sold to Quinn, Devitt said, she knew her husband died of a fentanyl overdose.

Because Turner was aware of the grave danger of fentanyl, Devitt argued, she is responsible for Halls death.

Devitt said that while Hall had methamphetamine and GHB in his system at the time of his death, it was fentanyl that killed him.

GHB is an anesthetic that can produce sedative and euphoric effects, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jeffry Radding, Brandi Turners attorney, gives opening statements in the murder trial against his client in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Jan. 8, 2024. Turner is accused of selling fentanyl to Quinn Hall, who died of an overdose on Oct. 26, 2022.

Man who overdosed regularly used fentanyl, defense argues

Jeffry Radding, Turners attorney, argued that Hall was a regular fentanyl user who also knew the risks.

Hall had been consuming fentanyl before he had met Turner, Radding said, and had multiple sources to provide the drug.

He came from a good family and a supportive home, Radding said. He had intellect, he had talent, yet he sought lifes answers through drugs. He was knowledgeable of the risks.

Turner grew up with drug-addicted parents and did her best to go against the grain and seek a life without drugs, Radding said. And it worked.

She earned a steady job with CDCR, which required random drug tests, and she was able to provide for herself.

Turners husband, however, had a drug dependency that reached a peak in 2021. Turners mental health deteriorated, Radding said, and she lost her job.

Thats when her own drug life began, Radding said.

Turner was a meth user, Radding said, and eventually became a low-level, middle-man drug dealer. She was not a fentanyl user, Radding said, and avoided the drug, especially after her husbands death.

Radding said Turner refused to sell Hall fentanyl after she heard he was treated for a GHB overdose on Oct. 5, 2022, and only sold to him after she was learned Hall had used fentanyl for weeks.

Radding argued the evidence does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Turner is responsible for Halls murder, and he asked the jury to keep an open mind.

Quinn Halls drivers license was found in his backpack near his dead body on Oct. 27, 2022. It was shown in San Luis Obispo Superior Court during the murder trial against Brandi Turner, who is accused of selling Hall the fentanyl that caused his fatal overdose, on Jan. 8, 2024.

SLO County Animal Services employee found body before shift





Sabrina Johnson testified she was 15 minutes early to her 7:30 a.m. shift at San Luis Obispo County Animal Services on Oct. 27, 2022, so she decided to check if any stray animals had been left in the designated zone behind the old building.

Thats when she noticed Hall, she said. He was on his knees in a fetal position with his forehead on the ground, photos showed.

At first, Johnson said, she thought he was a homeless person hanging out behind the old Animal Services building, which is next door to the Oklahoma Avenue Safe Parking Site. But as she got closer, she said, she noticed a small pool of blood underneath Halls head and saw that his face was bright blue.

She said she immediately drove to the Sheriffs Office, which is across the street from the building, but could not find any officers out front. When she returned to the old Animal Services building, she said, she and her coworker took a second look at the body and called 911.

The pool of blood had nothing to do with Halls death, Devitt told the jury in opening statements. Hall had suffered from nosebleeds his entire life, his father later testified.

Several San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office deputies and detectives responded to the call and testified in court Monday.

Deputy Dominic Tartaglia, Det. Ian McFarland, Det. Gregory Smith and Sgt. Rory Linn all testified that Hall appeared to have been using fentanyl at the time of his death.

Two straws, tin foil, a lighter and two bags of white powder were found on Halls body at the time of their response, they testified. Linn, who helped perform the autopsy, said he later found an additional bag of a crystalized substance on Halls body.

Smith, who is the lead detective on the case, said fentanyl users commonly injest the drug by placing the powder on tinfoil, heating the tinfoil from underneath, then inhaling the vapor with a straw.

McFarland helped search Halls backpack, he testified, where he found an additional bag of white powder.

Halls father, Keith Hall, testified his son was a smart kid who had worked for his architecture business part-time building computers and doing administrative and IT work. His son became involved with drugs some time after his 18th birthday, he said.

Texts shown in San Luis Obispo Superior Court during the murder trial against Brandi Turner on Jan. 8, 2024, show Quinn Hall sought to purchase fentanyl from Brandi Turner multiple times before his death.

Texts reveal Templeton man sought fentanyl from defendant multiple times before death

San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office Det. Jonathan Jones, who searched Halls phone, read through texts sent between Hall and Turner.

Jones works in the narcotics division with the Sheriffs Office, he testified, and has extracted data from phones numerous times.

Texts read in court show Hall asking Turner for meth and fentanyl in August 2022, about a month before Halls death.

Hall and Turner used common code names for drugs, Jones said. F and confetti were code names for fentanyl, while white and crap were code names for meth.

He also said he could distinguish which drugs the two were talking about by the prices. Fentanyl is much more expensive than meth, Jones said.

In a text conversation on Aug. 15, 2022, Hall told Turner he wanted to buy $200 worth of meth and fentanyl. Hall told Turner he could buy fentanyl from another dealer, but Turner responded that that dealer had a reputation for cutting, or diluting, the drug.

Turner told Hall she could get him better quality fentanyl, and Hall agreed. Turner said she used her own $200 to front the cost of three grams of fentanyl  she said she wasnt making money on the exchange  but needed Hall to pick up the drugs and pay her soon.

Please do not screw me over. I put all my money out for you. I dont f--k with that stuff and I dont even want it in my house, Turner wrote to Hall in a Aug. 16, 2022, text. Thats how my husband died and I almost did. So please, come and get it as early as you can cause I literally have like 5 dollars left.

An Aug. 21, 2022, text shows Hall seeking more fentanyl and meth from Turner, to which Turner replied, Didnt you just get narcanned?

Narcan is used to treat opioid overdoses and can reverse its lethal effects.

Then, on Aug. 27, 2022, Hall texted Turner again for fentanyl and meth.

I need it very badly, one of Halls messages said.

Court adjourned before Jones could finish testifying about the texts. His testimony will resume Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Newly-elected Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is making efforts to dramatically change the state's political landscape with changes to the primaries.

The Republican lawmaker is pushing to scrap Louisiana's unique open primary system, which is expected to cause a significant shift in how the state elects its politicians. The region's current election system puts candidates running for state and congressional offices on one ballot.

New Louisiana Governor

Under this, the "primary" typically occurs in either October for odd-numbered years or in November for even-numbered years. If a specific candidate gets a majority, they win the office, and if not, the top two candidates advance to a Saturday runoff that is held roughly a month later.

On Monday, Landry moved quickly to call for a special legislative session that could drastically change the state's primary structure as well as tackle congressional redistricting. Furthermore, the session will take place from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23.

The current system has been in place in Louisiana for decades for both state and congressional offices except for a brief interruption in 2008. This particular system is not used for either presidential primaries or general elections, as per Politico.

The new Louisiana governor won his election last October with more than 51% of the vote over his rival Democrat Shawn Wilson and a group of other GOP candidates. He was officially sworn in on Monday as the first Republican governor of the state in the past eight years.

The development has given the region an all-Republican state government. However, the supermajority in both legislative chambers does not guarantee the open primary's elimination as there are those who support the process.

In a statement, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said that they built the Republican Party on open primaries, adding that he believes closed primaries encourage political extremism. The official noted that candidates at least have to campaign to represent all of Louisiana, adding that when the primary is closed, it would include the far left and the far right.

Read Also: Congress Lawmakers Reach Bipartisan Deal for 2024 Spending as Government Shutdown Deadline Nears

Shift in the Political Landscape

Landry also called a special session that gives lawmakers a chance to draw and replace the state's current congressional map. This was something that a federal judge said violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters, according to Yahoo News.

In a press release, the Republican said that the court has mandated that the state of Louisiana redraw its congressional districts. He added that redistricting is a state legislative function, which prompted him to call to convene the legislature of the state into a special session on the matter.

Before he was sworn in as the new Louisiana governor, Landry held a 30-minute speech where he called for unity and expressed his love for the Bayou State. He also laid out some of his priorities, which include an aggressive response to address "uncivilized and outrageous" violent crime.

The Republican also plans to safeguard schools from what he called "the toxicity of unsuitable subject matter." During his address, the GOP lawmaker said that it is fitting and appropriate that they stand before the Capitol with the sun having set on the past, noting that a new Louisiana day dawns, said the Associated Press.



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SMITH TWP.  A new Smith Township trustee has resigned, so her husband could reclaim his seat in a planned decision.

Julie Showalter, 53, was elected Nov. 7 as a write-in candidate. She took office on Jan. 2, but resigned the same day.

In her place, Scott Showalter, 52, was appointed by the other trustees  Terry Criss and Larry Barnett - to fill her unexpired term. He will have to run in two years to retain the four-year, non-partisan position.

In Mahoning County, Scott Showalter has been a longtime Smith Township trustee. Smith Township is near Sebring, O.

Showalter, a longtime trustee, missed his chance for re-election in November because the Mahoning County Board of Elections found an error on his petition. He was left of the ballot, and couldn't run as a write-in candidate. His wife ran to protect his seat and give it back.

And it's perfectly legal.

"I enjoy working for the people," Scott Showalter said.

Showalter blames Board of Elections for the situation

Showalter was one of 22 candidates in Mahoning County to miss the Nov. 7 ballot due to a technicality. He failed to sign a circular portion of the petition. He said he tried to appeal the disqualification, but he was denied.

Had he made the ballot, he would have run unopposed.

Showalter blamed the Board of Elections for the situation, and claimed it won't answer questions or help candidates.

"It's getting harder and harder to find people that want to run for any kind of office, and they make it very difficult and very stressful," he said. "The very institution that should service us, as candidates, refuses to offer any type of assistance."

He also said four candidates were granted appeals and got back on the ballot. "That was arbitrary," Showalter said.

"If I didn't fill it out completely and they didn't fill it out completely, then what makes their flaw less fatal than mine. Either you let them all in or you let them all out. You just arbitrarily let who you want back on the ballot," Showalter said.

Showalter found a way around the disqualification

Showalter, not wanting to throw in the towel, hatched the plan to have his wife run for his seat and give it back.

He said they were upfront with voters.

And, on Nov. 7, Julie Showalter, a write-in candidate, beat Matt Hutton and Kevin Bartchy and received 61% of the vote. Hutton, a Beloit councilman, and Bartchy, a firefighter, also ran as write-in candidates.

Hutton's stepdaughter Rachael Collins, speaking on his behalf, said they are dismayed by the maneuver.

"Matt knew that Julie would be resigning immediately and her husband would be appointed, which is why he ran in the first place," Collins said. "He believes in democracy and his civic duties. This election has shown the sad state of affairs our community is in."

"It is legal," state official confirms.

Mark Finamore, the township's law director, said Julie Showalter was certified, sworn in and bonded before she resigned. Prior to her departure, she served briefly as board president and named Criss as vice president.

Criss and Barnett then appointed Scott Showalter and made him board president.

"Is it the best thing? No," Criss said. "Under the circumstances, Scott does a great job and we would've hated to lose him over some technicality. They were up-front about it."

Finamore said he made sure the move was legal.

"It is legal," confirmed Melanie Amato, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Secretary of State's office, said in an email. She also detailed how elective offices are filled if they are vacated.

State law  Revised Code No. 503.24  showed there are no restrictions for Smith Township or any other township to make this kind of appointment, despite the optics or circumstances. It says trustees have initial authority over a vacancy.

Filling Vacancies in Elective Offices in Ohio by Ben Ang Duer on Scribd

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The rule states trustees must fill a vacancy within 30 days. If they don't, a campaign committee or probate court judge can fill it.

The rule also has guidelines for filling a vacancy 40 days before an odd-numbered election.

That's it. Nothing else.

"To my knowledge," Finamore said Scott and Julie Showalter were upfront and candid with voters about their plans. And, Finamore added "I have not received any complaints," over it.

The Alliance Review contacted the write-in candidates via email a week before the election, and asked them to complete an election questionnaire. Among the questions on the questionnaire was this one: "How long do you intend to serve on the Smith Twp. Board of Trustees? (In other words, do you intend to serve a full board term if elected, and do you see this as your chance to begin an extended service on the board?)"

Julie Showalter did not respond to the questionnaire.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Smith Twp. shakeup: Wife's resignation gives back Scott Showalter's trustee seat
Wichitans woke up to a snowy day Tuesday, with more precipitation in the forecast later this week.

The cold weather will continue Thursday through Sunday, due to an arctic air mass making its way through the region. The arctic air mass is expected to bring wind chills as low as minus 20 degrees to Wichita.

As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service measured 3 inches of snow at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, and snowfall continued through 8 a.m.

Several schools in the area, including Wichita Public Schools, canceled classes to keep people off the roads. Wichita State University, meanwhile, changed to all-remote operations, with only critical campus staff required to report.

While its safest to stay off slick, icy roads, some will have to travel. Weve put together a list of ways to check road conditions near you as you plan your route.

11:30pm - Moderate to heavy snow occurring now in Wichita with northwest winds starting to pick-up. Avoid travel if possible tonight as roads conditions are deteriorating quickly. #kswx pic.twitter.com/PfLP1jfWM1  NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) January 9, 2024

How to monitor Kansas road conditions near you

The website KanDrive.org, a state website, is updated throughout the day with the latest conditions of Kansas roadways. Additionally, you can also check live camera footage to see what it roads look like in real-time.

For example, as of just after 7 a.m., Kellogg between 143rd Street and U.S. 77 near Augusta was reported to be completely covered in snow.

The website has several options to look at aside from snowy conditions, including accidents and construction. To view just inclement weather conditions, click winter driving. When clicking roads on the map, live footage should appear below the report to allow you to see a view of the roadway in real-time.

Here's a look at what roads look like around 6:30am. Even though snow is coming to an end, strong northwest winds will continue to cause blowing snow and reduced visibility. For updated road conditions and closures, go to: https://t.co/BvuXLBJgw5 #kswx pic.twitter.com/QmK3o6tUOS  NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) January 9, 2024

Additionally, the Kansas Department of Transportation has been sharing updates on road conditions across the state on its social media accounts. You can see updates on X, formerly Twitter, by following @KDOTHQ and Facebook at facebook.com/KSDOTHQ.

Where are Wichitas snow plows?

You can check to see the route of Wichita snow plows by looking at the citys online snow plow map.

The map shows what snow plows are on city roads in real-time, as well as what streets have already received treatment.

The snow plow map could also be a fun activity for those staying inside, as you can see not only snow plows working near you, but also their fun names, including Blizzard Wizard, Edward Blizzardhands and No More Mr. Ice Guy.

The citys inclement weather plan prioritizes the first 1,500 emergency routes emergency facilities, major arteries, hospitals and schools. The city does not treat state highways and residential streets.

Lots of accidents during snowy commute in Wichita area. What to expect on drive home
Snow is likely starting Wednesday in lowland Whatcom County as blast of arctic air follows a monstrous storm that battered Western Washington with wind, rain and mountain snow for two days.

Timing on snowfall and how much to expect has been uncertain for several days, but it now appears that a Fraser Outflow pattern will bring extreme cold and possibly several rounds of lowland snow through at least Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Scattered lowland snow, or a rain-snow mix, is possible starting Wednesday, with about 2 to 4 inches inch of lowland snow possible Friday into Saturday as temperatures plummet.

Bomb cyclone throws a roundhouse punch at Whatcom County. Heres what to expect

Temperatures are likely to fall 20 degrees below normal, with lows in the teens on Friday and daytime highs below freezing, according to the forecast.

Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund said that city officials have been watching the weather forecast and coordinating their response with the state, county and schools.

It looks formidable. We are personally and carefully monitoring the conditions, Lund said at the City Council meeting on Monday.

That includes making sure that shelter is available for unhoused people and ensuring that public transit and school bus routes are prioritized, along with access for police and fire response.

Mountain conditions

Meanwhile, the Mt. Baker Ski Area was open Tuesday with normal weekday operations and 13 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, according to its website

It was snowing Tuesday with a blizzard warning in effect and winds up to 65 mph and 3 to 5 feet of snow possible across the North Cascades, according to the National Weather Service.

Mount Baker Highway was clear with compact snow and ice in places at the 4,250-foot level, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Tire chains were required.

Avalanche danger was high across the North Cascades, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
The SNP is considering an about-turn on rules regarding American XL bully dogs - BAUER Alexandre/Shutterstock

SCOTLAND is urgently considering joining England and Wales in banning American XL bully dogs amid fears it will become a dumping ground for the breed.

Siobhain Brown, the SNPs community safety minister, laid the ground for an embarrassing about-turn by announcing a review of her previous refusal to join the ban south of the border.

She told MSPs that were now seeing an influx of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland and pleaded with people not to buy one.

There have been reports of dozens of the dogs being rehomed in Scotland since the English ban was introduced on Dec 31, in response to a spate of attacks.

The Scottish Tories accused Ms Brown of having ignored repeated warnings that this would happen and accused her of continuing to dither and delay.

Although Ms Brown blamed the UK Government for the situation, Michael Gove, the minister for intergovernmental relations, wrote to the SNP on Nov 13 last year pleading with the party to implement the dog ban on the same date in light of the threat to public safety.

Mr Gove argued that it is vital we agree a shared solution which minimises the risk of creating a potential dumping ground for dangerous dogs that are moved from England and Wales to Scotland.

Siobhian Brown, the SNPs community safety minister, has announced a review of her previous refusal to join the ban on XL bully dogs south of the border - Scottish Parliament/Scottish Parliament

At the time Ms Brown insisted that the current system of Scottish councils issuing dog control notices was a proportionate approach that focused on deed not breed.

Just last week, Humza Yousaf, the First Minister, insisted that a ban was not needed as there was a tight regime of controls in Scotland compared to other parts of the UK.

Responding to a question at Holyrood, Ms Brown confirmed it was unlikely to be a criminal offence for an XL bully owner in England and Wales to travel to Scotland to rehome their dog.

She told MSPs: The unintended consequences of the UK Governments policy is that were now seeing an influx of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland.

It is important to ensure Scotland does not become a safe haven or a dumping ground for XL bully dogs from England and Wales.

She added: I can confirm that in light of recent events ministers are urgently reviewing policy on XL bully dogs and public safety will be paramount in our deliberations. A timetable for any policy change will be updated to Parliament imminently.

Ms Brown warned that it would be preferable not to acquire any such a dog at the present time in Scotland given the implications of a possible ban.

Dither and delay

But Jamie Greene, a Scottish Tory MSP, said: Despite the evidence staring the SNP minister in the face, she continues to dither and delay on banning these dangerous dogs in Scotland.

It is ridiculous for Siobhian Brown to deflect blame to the UK Government who have taken decisive action in the face of horrendous loss of life.

Everything I and others have warned would happen if a ban wasnt imposed in tandem in Scotland is now sadly occurring.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak moved to ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act following a spate of attacks, some fatal, in England and Wales.

The UK Government announced that from Dec 31, breeding, selling, advertising, rehoming, abandoning and allowing an XL bully dog to stray was illegal.

From Feb 1, it will also become illegal to own one of the dogs unless its owner applies for their animal to be registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs, and agrees to abide by a strict set of rules, including keeping them muzzled and on a lead in public.

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 social worker who was suspended over her belief that there are two sexes has won a landmark tribunal against a Labour council.

Rachel Meade, 55, was given a final written warning by Westminster City Council and formally sanctioned by Social Work England (SWE) after a member of the public complained about Facebook posts she had liked and shared.

This included sharing a petition to save womens sports, a post calling to review rules allowing male prisoners who identify as female into womens prisons, and a meme of a woman saying she was being imprisoned for saying that Ian Huntley is a man.

The social worker of more than 20 years was suspended for a year and later brought an employment tribunal claim against both bodies, which she won on Tuesday.

It is the first case of its kind where an employer and regulator have both been found liable for discrimination in relation to gender-critical beliefs, which Ms Meade described as the thought that there are two sexes, male and female and that a person cannot change their sex.

Judge Nicolle at the London Central Employment Tribunal gave a judgment that said both organisations had not struck a fair balance between the Claimants right to freedom of expression and the interests of those who they perceived may be offended by her Facebook posts.

He said that all the posts fell within her protected rights for freedom of thought and freedom to manifest her beliefs as protected under Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is a landmark victory

Ms Meade said: Its a huge relief to be so completely vindicated after all this time. It has been a horrendous experience. This ruling makes it clear that I was entitled to contribute to the important public debate on sex and gender.

Shazia Khan, Ms Meades solicitor and a founding partner of Cole Khan Solicitors, said: This is a landmark victory for common sense and free speech in the culture war on gender issues.

Calling for urgent reforms of both bodies, she added: This judgment sounds an alarm for all regulators  and all employers of regulated professionals  that they must not let their processes be weaponised by activists bent on silencing the debate on freedom of speech on gender.

Ms Meade filed her claim a year ago, arguing that her gender-critical beliefs surrounding the debate about potential reforms to the Gender Recognition Act  whether a person can legally self-identify their gender  were protected under the Equality Act 2010.

Her regulator, SWE, received a complaint from a member of the public in 2020 about roughly 70 Facebook posts that she had shared or liked, prompting bosses to launch a lengthy fitness to practise investigation.

She was issued with a one-year warning after case examiners found she had engaged in a pattern of discriminatory behaviour which persisted over an extended period.

When her employer Westminster City Council learned of the sanction, Ms Meade was suspended on charges of gross misconduct, suspended for a year and given a final written warning.

Both bodies later withdrew their sanctions but the tribunal panel found that they had subjected her to harassment related to her gender-critical belief.

Payout yet to be determined

Ms Meade, who crowdfunded more than 120,000 for the case, succeeded in most of her complaints of harassment and a two-day remedy hearing next month will determine what payout she should be awarded.

Judge Nicolles ruling said SWEs failure to check the social media history of the complainant showed an apparent willingness to accept a complaint from one side of the gender self-identification/gender critical debate without appropriate objective balance of the potential validity of different views in what is a highly polarised debate.

Westminster City Council said it would be considering what changes we need to make, adding: We apologise to Rachel Meade for the way she has been treated and the upset that has been caused. We acknowledge and accept the findings of the tribunal.

Colum Conway, the chief executive of Social Work England, said it acknowledge[s] the judgment and all parties have the opportunity to consider the decision and their options.

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.
EVANSVILLE  The man who stands accused of fatally shooting his mother in Evansville before fleeing to Illinois in July was booked into the Vanderburgh County jail Tuesday afternoon.

Jaron A. Wells, 28, is charged with one count of felony murder after police said he killed his mother, 45-year-old Shanay Michell Hunt, public court records state. A passerby located Hunt's remains inside a dilapidated, abandoned home in the 1000 block of Harriet Street on July 14.

Wells' return to Vanderburgh County on Tuesday came nearly four months after Evansville police, U.S. Marshals, and Illinois law enforcement arrested Wells in Carrier Mills, Illinois.

By car, it would take about an hour and a half to drive from Evansville to Carrier Mills, according to Google Maps. Local television station KBSI-Fox 23 reported in September that officers "contacted Wells on foot near the courthouse, where he was arrested."

More: Evansville man bought gun through Facebook, used it to kill his mother

Evansville Police Department Detective Caleb Wiseman, writing in Wells' arrest affidavit, described the abandoned home where officers recovered Hunt's remains as being in "a complete state of disarray."

Near where officers located Hunt's body, a crime scene detective found a .45-caliber Glock Auto Pistol shell casing.

Wiseman wrote that the ammunition type was "very particular and seldomly used." Weeks later, Wiseman said the investigation uncovered evidence that Hunt had sought out and acquired .45 caliber "GAP" ammo.

Witnesses and electronic evidence also linked Wells to his mother's killing, Wiseman asserted in a sworn affidavit.

Defendants who are charged with felony murder in Indiana are not afforded bond. As of Tuesday afternoon, Vanderburgh County court dockets didn't state when Wells would appear before a judge.

Houston can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Son accused of killing mother in Evansville booked into jail
Mps take part in a plenary session of the National Assembly. In a landmark decision, South Korea is to ban the controversial consumption of dog meat. -/YNA/dpa

In a landmark decision, South Korea is planning to ban the controversial consumption of dog meat.

The parliament in Seoul approved a special law on Tuesday aimed at prohibiting the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption, with violations subject to punishment.

There is a three-year transitional grace period until the new law comes into effect. The contents of the law that have become known so far do not explicitly prohibit the consumption of dog meat.

Eating dog meat has a long tradition in the Asian country.

In recent years, a growing wave of protests, notably led by animal rights activists, has urged the government to address the issue.

Members of the Korean Dog Meat Association have staged protests against the impending legal ban.
Ecuador has declared a state of emergency and authorities have ordered a massive manhunt after it was discovered that a notorious gang leader has vanished from the prison where he was serving his sentence.

The convict, identified as Jose Adolfo Macias, also known as "Fito," was the leader of the Los Choneros gang. Ecuadorian officials reported on Sunday that the individual was not inside his call and he was not found by Monday and no explanation was given for his disappearance.

Ecuador Orders State of Emergency

The country's prosecutors' office posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it had filed charges against two prison guards as part of an investigation into the matter. They are now considering it as a "prisoner's escape."

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced that he had decided to decree a national state of emergency following the gang leader's disappearance. This is a measure that lets authorities suspend people's rights and mobilize the military in places such as prisons.

Noboa, without directly mentioning Fito's disappearance from prison, said on Instagram that he will not stop until he "brings back peace to all Ecuadorians." He also noted that his government has decided to confront crime inside the prisons across the nation, as per the Associated Press.

The emergency declaration will remain in effect for 60 days and such measures were widely used by Noboa's predecessor, Guillermo Lasso. The latter did so as a means to confront the wave of violence that has affected the South American country.

In a statement on Sunday night, police general commander Cesar Zapata said that the notorious gang leader disappeared from his cell and that they are looking into the matter. Prior to his disappearance, Macias was convicted of drug trafficking, murder, and organized crime.

He was serving a 34-year sentence in Ecuador's La Regional prison of the port of Guayaquil and he was scheduled on Sunday to be transferred to a maximum security facility located in the same city.

In August last year, Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed following a rally in the country's capital of Quito. He had previously accused Los Choneros and Macias of threatening him and his campaign team a few days before the assassination, according to Fox News.

Read Also: Norwegian Mass Killer Attempts to Sue Norway for Second Time, Citing Breach of Human Rights

Prison Disappearance of Notorious Gang Leader

A few days after the official's murder, Macias was moved out of La Regional to the maximum-security prison in the same large complex of detention facilities in Guayaquil. However, he was later transferred back to the same lighter-security prison in less than a month without any explanation.

During a press conference on Sunday, presidential spokesman Roberto Izurieta said that they were grateful for the courage and commitment of the law enforcement personnel. This was regarding an operation that involved more than 3,000 people who intervened in the prison in the search of the "most-wanted prisoner."

Macias' gang has been linked to extortion, murder, and drug trafficking crimes in the South American nation. Los Choneros has also been accused of controlling some of the nation's prisons.

Ecuador has experienced a nightmarish descent into violence in recent years as successive governments were incapable of reining in organized crime factions. Security analysts said that the Los Choneros gang has links with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, said The Guardian.



Related Article: Bilkis Bano Case: Indian Supreme Court Orders 11 Men Convicted of Murder, Rape To Return to Jail
China's first PPP high-speed railway celebrates 2nd anniversary of operation

Xinhua) 08:15, January 09, 2024

Passengers check in at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a bullet train pulling into Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers board a train at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers wait to board a train at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a train departing from Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a train pulling into Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers wait to check in at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
European Council President Charles Michel declared on Sunday his intention to step down earlier than anticipated, leading to a frenzied race among EU leaders to find a suitable successor for this crucial role.

Michel, a 48-year-old former Belgian prime minister, has been at the helm of organizing EU summits and government meetings since 2019, with his mandate originally set to conclude in November, as per BBC News.

Key EU Summit Amid Election and Geopolitical Strain

The catalyst for this early departure is Michel's decision to contest the European Parliament elections scheduled for June. In a statement, he expressed his responsibility to present a comprehensive account of his four-year tenure as a European leader and to outline a vision for the future of Europe. Michel is slated to lead the liberal Reformist Movement in the upcoming elections, further intensifying the stakes of this political transition.

An EU summit, strategically planned just after the June 6-9 elections, will play a pivotal role in deciding the timeline for Michel's successor. The outgoing president highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating, "at this moment it will have to decide when my successor will take up the job."

If a successor isn't identified by then, there is a looming possibility that Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for his contentious relationship with Brussels, could temporarily assume the role.

As the Council president, Michel played a vital role in overseeing EU summits that determined the bloc's responses to critical situations, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The potential interim replacement, Viktor Orban, has notably maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, further complicating the geopolitical dynamics.

Hungary is poised to take over the rotating presidency of the 27-member EU group from July 1, during which it will organize EU ministerial meetings. Michel clarified that he would continue in his role until he is sworn in as a European Parliament deputy, a ceremony scheduled for July 16, according to South China Morning Post.

Read Also: Scotland-Based US Fugitive Nicholas Rossi Extradited for Sex Abuse Charges

Controversy Surrounds Charles Michel's Early Exit

However, Michel's decision to step down prematurely has not been met with unanimous approval. Dutch MEP Sophie in't Veld, representing the liberal centrist Renew Europe party, criticized Michel for abandoning his duties, metaphorically likening it to "the captain leaving the ship in the middle of a storm." In a post on social media, she questioned Michel's commitment to the fate of the European Union and raised doubts about his credibility as a candidate.

This unexpected development has also fueled speculation about other top EU positions that must be decided by November, including the elections for 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) every five years. The ensuing political maneuvering for these coveted positions, such as the European Commission and European Council, is expected to be intense.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, appointed alongside Michel in 2019, has yet to disclose her intentions regarding a second term. Michel suggested that the EU summit in June could expedite the appointment of his successor to prevent a prolonged vacancy in the post. He emphasized that normal procedures could be altered by a simple majority vote, hinting at a potential avenue to avoid Viktor Orban assuming the role.

In defense of his early departure, Michel asserted that there are tools available if there is political will to circumvent Orban's temporary presidency. Despite facing criticism, Michel communicated his decision to EU leaders on Saturday, with most reportedly reacting positively to the unexpected turn of events.

The coming weeks are sure to witness intense deliberations and negotiations as EU leaders work to fill this crucial position and navigate the intricate web of European politics, The Telegraph reported.

Related Article: Urgent UN Intervention Urged by U.S. in Response to Yemen's Houthi Rebels' Attacks on Red Sea Ships
A former Catholic priest from Mobile, Alabama, named Alex Crow, has been stripped of his priesthood by the Pope after he fled to Italy and married an 18-year-old girl named Taylor Victoria Harrison.

The Archdiocese of Mobile has received notice of the laicization of Alex Crow, effective immediately, according to a statement released on November 22. His dismissal from the church came after reports surfaced that he had eloped with the teenage girl while he was a guest lecturer at McGill-Toolen High School, as per Daily Mail.

Disgraced Priest Marries Teenager, Stripped of Priesthood

Father Crow was a well-liked priest in Mobile, known for his demonology sermons at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. However, after reports of his elopement with Harrison, the Archdiocese of Mobile released a statement in July 2023, stating that Crow had failed to complete his job.

The Guardian reported that the girl he had married, Taylor Victoria Harrison, is now 18 years old, while Alex Crow is 30. According to the news outlet, they spent around four months traveling to Europe following their departure from Mobile in July 2023.

The relationship came to light when authorities discovered a Valentine's Day love letter Crow had sent to Harrison when she was still a student. The local news outlet, Al, reported that the couple had initially traveled to Spain so that Crow could perform an exorcism on her.

Later reports confirmed that they had traveled to Italy, where they were eventually married. They submitted a signed and notarized license application to the state on November 17, as required by Alabama law.

The Archdiocese of Mobile responded swiftly to the news of Crow's marriage by stating that Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi had suspended Crow and prohibited him from acting, dressing or presenting himself as a priest. Furthermore, Rodi maintained that he saw no way back to the priesthood for Alex Crow.

The Pope has now stripped Alex Crow of his priesthood, as confirmed by the Archdiocese of Mobile. The district attorney for Mobile County had earlier decided to close an investigation into any possible criminal wrongdoing related to Crow and Harrison's relationship, according to SK Pop.

Read Also: Halle Bailey Welcomes First Child With DDG After Secret Pregnancy: Greetings to Baby Halo!

Church Faces Questions on Controversial Response

The couple's relationship has sparked controversy and raised questions about the Catholic Church's policies on clerical celibacy. Critics have argued that Crow's relationship with Harrison was a clear violation of his vows of chastity and morality. The church has maintained that such actions are unacceptable and that it has taken swift action to address the issue.

Crow has not yet responded to media inquiries about the laicization or his future plans. He remains a controversial figure in Mobile, with many residents expressing concern about his influence on the community and the damage his actions may have caused to the church's reputation.

The situation raises several legal and ethical questions, including the age of consent in Alabama and whether Crow could be held liable for any criminal wrongdoing. Nonetheless, Archbishop Rodi has reiterated that Crow's actions are "totally unbecoming of a priest," and he is no longer welcome in the church.

As the Catholic Church continues to grapple with the fallout from scandals involving clerical abuse and misconduct, cases like Alex Crow's serve as a disturbing reminder of the need for reform and greater accountability within the institution. The Pope's decision to strip Crow of his priesthood will likely be viewed as a welcome step toward addressing these issues and restoring the public's trust in the church, USA Today reported.

Related Article: Idaho Man Steals Plane From Nevada Airport, Flies to California Desert
Gabriel Attal, 34, was appointed as the new Prime Minister of France.

CNN News touched on Attal as a rising star in Macron's Renaissance Party, noting he has served as minister of education and national youth since July.

Before leading the Education Ministry, Attal served as the government spokesman and then as minister of public works and public accounts. As prime minister, he will be charged with forming a new government and ensuring the passage of legislation that advances the president's agenda.

CNN elaborated on the resignation of Attal's predecessor, Elisabeth Borne, who stepped down on Monday after a tumultuous 20-month tenure. Borne became the first female prime minister in three decades when Macron named her to the post in May of 2022, just shortly after his reelection. Her party then failed to win an absolute majority in parliamentary elections the following month, which resulted in hindering her government's ability to pass new laws.

On more than 20 occasions, according to the CNN article, Borne resorted to using a constitutional clause that allowed the government to push through bills in the lower house without a vote, including raising the age of retirement. Borne's repeated use of the tool led to accusations of anti-democratic behavior and earned her the nickname "Madame 49.3," a reference to the clause itself.

Bourne's departure does not come as a surprise. It coincides, as revealed by CNN, with the much-awaited cabinet reshuffle as Macron and his administration have been experiencing a decline in public opinion polls. Attal's nomination doesn't hint at any significant political changes; rather it signifies Macron's determination to move forward from last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms. The move aims to strengthen his centrist party's prospects in the upcoming June EU ballot.

The historic action makes Attal the youngest and first openly gay prime minister in French history. According to Reuters, Attal has been polled as one of France's most popular politicians in recent months. As a Macron loyalist, he became a household name in French politics as a government spokesman during the COVID pandemic and earned a reputation as a smooth communicator.

However, his opponents and some voters remain skeptical. The president's ruling party trails far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around eight to ten percentage points in opinion polls.

The Associated Press reported that critics from both left and right took aim at Attal for his limited experience, his Paris upbringing seen as out of touch with people struggling in the provinces, and his loyalty to the president.

Marine Le Pen, Macron's far-right contender posted on X, formerly Twitter: "What can the French expect from this 4th prime minister and 5th government in 7 years (under Macron)? Nothing," calling on voters instead to choose her party in the European elections.

Macron will work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to continue in their posts.
At a historic synagogue in Brooklyn, an altercation broke out when a group of defiant Orthodox men attempted to obstruct the filling of a hidden tunnel that they had unlawfully constructed to access a closed-down women's bath.

On Monday, January 8, a video emerged of a group of angry males destroying wood panels and support beams inside the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights.

Additional video captured at the Eastern Parkway temple shows police officers attempting to disperse a mob of angry Hasidic Jewish males who had broken into the 20-foot-wide enclose under the women's area, causing wooden benches to topple over.

Rabbi Yosef Braun, head of the synagogue, slammed the perpetrators, describing their actions as "mind-boggling" and claiming that they came "ready to destroy and deface the Holy Walls," as reported by The New York Post.

JUST IN: Chaos breaks out in New York City after underground tunnels were discovered under the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn.



The incident below reportedly took place to prevent a cement truck from filling the tunnels.



According to the Crown Heights Info, the pic.twitter.com/jHotsUmHKJ  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2024

Claims About Excavating Tunnel

It has been alleged that for about a year, members of the Chabad-Lubavitch organization have been excavating a tunnel under the synagogue in Crown Heights.

It is not known why the Chabad-Lubavitch group began excavating the tunnel, although it was reportedly intended to reach a nearby abandoned women's mikvah (religious bath) and "expand" the synagogue, as reported by the Jewish news site Forward.

According to Israel National News, the tunnel was ultimately found last month when neighbors heard strange sounds emanating from beneath their houses.

In December 2023, an Instagram video revealed a shadowy, dirt-walled area inside the adjoining locked women's mikvah.

Riot Between Rebellious and Police

Cement mixers showed up on Monday to fill the tunnel, which sparked the chaos after the synagogue leadership brought structural experts to examine the damage after the discovery. It seems like the Hasidic males used a hammer to smash down the brick walls of the synagogue, according to The New York Post.

Cops attempted to keep others from entering the tunnel, but some made it inside. Forward also claims to have footage showing protesters mocking the police and their attempts to enter the tunnel. Police were seen restraining individuals outside the synagogue.

Several hours passed, men were escorted out of the tunnel by police officers while handcuffed.

The New York Post was informed by sources that at least 12 males were apprehended. Reports indicate that ten of the individuals were indicted on accusations of criminal misdemeanor, one on allegations of hindering governmental administration, and one on a summons for disorderly behavior. Following the altercation, no one was hurt.

See Also: Over 400 Jewish Institutions Reportedly Targeted With Fake Bomb Threats Over the Weekend

Disputes Regarding Property Ownership

Prolonged disagreements over the property's rightful ownership sparked the riot.

Rabbi Motti Seligson of the Chabad-Lubavitcher group made a statement after the fight, saying that they have been trying to get the New York State courts to grant them custody of the property. "Unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years," he added.

Still, he shared the city's condemnation of the youths' behavior in the altercation with the police. He said the building must be temporarily closed until a structural safety assessment can be conducted.

See Also: Pro-Palestine Protesters Block 3 NYC Bridges; Dozens Arrested
The organization behind Chat-GPT and text-to-text-image generator DALL-E, OpenAI, has made a controversial request to be given legal access to copyrighted content for A.I. development purposes.

In an article published by ARTNET, it is revealed that developer OpenAI has recently been inundated with copyright infringement lawsuits from the New York Times as well as authors like George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, and Jonathan Franzen.

Artnet went on to report that in order to "train" A.I. systems, companies like OpenAI have scraped vast amounts of data, including copyrighted material, from the internet in a process known as "text and data mining." Towards the end of last year, a document circulated online that outlined how the company Midjourney had built a database of artists to train its text-to-image generator. A lengthy list of creators whose work had been used for this purpose included major contemporary artists like Anish Kapoor, Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst, Banksy, and Yayoi Kusama, among many others.

Last month, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft, a leading investor in OpenAI, accusing them of "unlawful use" of its work to create their products. In a submission obtained by The Guardian, to the House of Lords communications and digital select committee, OpenAI said it could not train large language models such as its GPT-4 model -- the technology behind ChatGPT -- without access to copyrighted work.

What Does OpenAI Have To Say?

"Because copyright today covers virtually every sort of human expression - including blog posts, photographs, forum posts, scraps of software code, and government documents - it would be impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials," said OpenAI in its submission, first reported by the Telegraph.

OpenAI said it complies with all copyright laws when training its models and that "we believe that legally copyright law does not forbid training." Nonetheless, OpenAI and other similar rival companies have been accused of illegally free-riding on authors' and artists' work. The New York Times has demanded the company destroy any systems that were trained using its work.

However, OpenAI has signed deals with publishers such as the Associated Press and Axel Springer, the German media giant that also owns Politico and Business Insider, to gain access to their content.

Despite this, Artificial Intelligence claims the company appears unwilling to fundamentally alter its data collection and training processes given the "impossible" constraints self-imposed copyright limits would bring. Instead, they hope to rely on broad interpretations of fair use allowances to legally leverage vast swathes of copyrighted data.

For now, OpenAI is betting against copyright fanatics in favor of limitless copying to drive ongoing AI development.
In a surge of unrest, armed men disrupt a live television broadcast in Ecuador, adding to a wave of attacks following the escape of an influential gang leader and prompting a widespread manhunt.

The Associated Press has reported that armed men have breached the set of a public television channel mid-broadcast in Ecuador. At the time of writing, it is unclear for the reason behind this incident although before the country was still shaken by several attacks in the wake of a Government State of Emergency in response to the escape of an influential gang leader from a prison. However, a manhunt is already underway.

The Incident

Entering the TC Television network set in Guayaquil, armed individuals brandishing pistols and what appeared to be sticks of dynamite declared the presence of bombs, accompanied by sounds resembling gunshots in the background.

The channel broadcast live for at least 15 minutes before the signal was cut off. While the transmission was on, the men could be seen on camera while some employees lay down on the floor and someone was heard yelling don't shoot!". The immediate status of station personnel regarding injuries remained unclear.

The police force made a statement on X, formally known as Twitter, that units were deployed to media facilities, and at the time of writing they made another post stating "CAPTURED. As a result of the intervention in TC Television, our police units have so far managed to arrest several subjects and evidence linked to the crime. More details later."

The Associated Press's report continued with "Hours earlier Ecuadorian authorities had confirmed a series of attacks around the country. These encompassed encompassed an explosion near the residence of the president of the National Justice Court and the kidnapping of four police officers on Monday night, leaving uncertainties about whether these actions were coordinated. In Quito, the capital, one officer was abducted, while three were taken in Quevedo city. The surge in violence, often associated with drug trafficking, has been attributed to Ecuadorian gangs like Los Choneros, linked to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and intensified with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year.

This is a developing story.
It's not worth spending thousands of dollars in legal fees in Kansas to claim a virtually worthless interest in an oil well. David Talukdar/Getty Images

Q: My parents died several years ago. I inherited a tiny, virtually worthless interest in an oil well in Kansas. I never did probate in Kansas since this was the only asset they owned there. So the interest remains in their names. The tax office in Kansas continues to assess $6.95 of taxes each year. I have told them they are both dead, but they still send the tax bills. Is it safe for me to ignore these bills? Can I abandon the interest?

A: Yes, you can ignore the tax bills and essentially abandon the interest.

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No one would ever fault you for not spending thousands of dollars in legal fees in Kansas to claim a virtually worthless interest in an oil well.

Countless numbers of heirs in every state across the country never claim their inheritances, even when those inheritances have significant value, so you would not be doing anything different from many other people.

The Kansas tax office is certainly not going to hunt you down here in Texas in an attempt to force you to pay the $6.95 tax bills. They have more productive things to do with their time.

As a probate attorney, I have seen this many times. Quite often, clients have inherited mineral interests that pay little or nothing each year, and for generations no probates have ever been conducted by their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Much of the time, these clients have no idea what they actually own.

Q: I'm 82 and my wife is 77. Our only daughter died without heirs. Our net worth is over $1 million. Our lawyer told us that as long as we both don't die simultaneously, we don't need wills. Is this right? Should I sign a will that says what happens if we die together? Will our executor be required to probate the will? How can probate be avoided? Together, we have approximately 15 heirs (siblings, nephews, nieces, and their children and grandchildren).

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A: I can't imagine why an attorney would advise you that you and your wife don't need wills if you don't die together.

First of all, it is rare for two people to die together. In the vast majority of cases, spouses die at different times.

It is possible, depending on what the two of you own, that probate will be needed at the first spouse's death. If so, that spouse should have a will leaving everything to the survivor, and possibly with some specific bequests to various family members or other people or charities.

And at the second spouse's death, there will almost certainly be a need for probate so that all of your family members can receive their inheritances. That means the surviving spouse also needs to have a will.

To avoid probate at both of your deaths, the two of you could set up a living trust. Talk to an estate planning attorney (not the attorney you got advice from earlier) about the best way to plan your estates.
Sarah Stogner, who identified herself as the drone pilot who inspired the original no-fly zone issued last month in Crane County, posted a new photo Tuesday showing large amounts of water pooling in waste pits and trenches that were installed to contain the flow. Sarah Stogner

Flight restrictions banning drones in the area of what the Texas Railroad Commission said was an uncontrolled well have been extended through June as state crews continue to work onsite, according to a notice issued Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sarah Stogner, who identified herself as the drone pilot who inspired the original no-fly zone issued last month in Crane County, posted a new photo Tuesday showing large amounts of water pooling in the waste pits and trenches installed to contain the flow. Stogner said Tuesday that she was unaware of the new flight restrictions when she captured the images, which she said were taken at dawn.

The Railroad Commission, the states oil and gas regulator, said in a statement Tuesday that the no-fly zone was extended for the safety of crews on the ground. It said last month that it requested the no-fly zone after a drone pilot was flying a drone dangerously close to crews and equipment. The new notice also lowered the 3,000-foot height restriction of the original no-fly order to 1,000 feet.

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The June 9 flight restriction date is simply a placeholder, an RRC spokeswoman said. We do not anticipate work will take that long; we are currently plugging the well and as soon as the work at the site is complete, well ask the FAA to cancel the restriction.

The eruption of water in Crane County is the latest sign of trouble under the aging oil fields just north of Fort Stockton. Water under pressure can travel underground  at times carrying radioactive elements, chemicals and other oil field waste  until it finds the path of least resistance, often an unplugged well that can allow it to burst to the surface.

The Railroad Commission said Tuesday that tests of the water found no presence of oil or gas but it did not specify if other chemicals were identified. The RRC has not been able to identify a record of the well it is working to plug, it said.

Bill Wight, a cattle rancher who owns the property where the Railroad Commission is seeking to stanch the flow of super-salty water belching from below the surface, said Tuesday that he was unaware that efforts to stop the water rising to the surface could continue until June.

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I dont know anything about it. The Railroad Commission doesnt tell me anything, he said. I dont think they have any idea how long they plan to be on the property.

Garry Randal, a well plugging expert who has worked in the oil industry more than 50 years, said its imperative that crews work quickly to control the flow before the hole grows, making it harder to fix. Assuming the flow on Wights property is stopped, he said, the source of the water  likely another nearby well, he believes  needs to be identified to be sure it does not pop up somewhere else.

Its like whack-a-mole Randal said. If you dont get to the source youre not going to stop this, its going to keep showing itself somewhere else.

Stogner is skeptical that crews will successfully keep the gushing water at bay.

Mark my words: its going to be the next Boehmer, Stogner said, comparing the uncontrolled flow to an unnatural lake made of oil field waste roughly 15 miles away. It formed after toxic water spewed for decades from an unplugged well.
Apple is working on a cheaper version of its Vision Pro headset, but Apples idea of cheaper is going to be relative. Jeff Chiu/AP Amazon Prime Video will begin inserting ads starting this month into its shows and movies and charge Prime members an additional $2.99 to avoid them. Patrick Semansky/AP

I learned long ago that making predictions is a risky business. Unless you have a time machine or insider knowledge that can get you in trouble with certain federal agencies, theres a pretty good chance that predictions of what will happen are going to be wrong.

The universe skews chaotic.

So while other tech journalists may prognosticate at the start of the new year, I will let experience be my guide and take a different tack. Based on the trends and news events that were put in motion in 2023, I want to look at what I intend to write about as these topics play out in 2024.

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And make no mistake, this year will be a standout for tech as the ground shifts beneath many different feet. Heres whats coming in three major categories, and how I plan to approach it.

Artificial intelligence

The biggest tech story by far in 2023 was the growing use and capabilities of generative artificial intelligence, which first burst into public consciousness in the summer of 2022. Since then, AI developments have raced along, though arguably the biggest AI story last year was more about corporate intrigue: the mid-November firing of Sam Altman, the chief executive of artificial intelligence vanguard OpenAI. Even more dramatic was his rehiring less than two weeks later at the urging of industry giant Microsoft.

Thats because Microsoft has incorporated its ChatGPT language and Dall-E image models into its core products, including its Bing search engine and its flagship Windows 11 operating system. Microsoft has rebranded OpenAIs tech as CoPilot, and the phrase AI PCs has been bandied about. And last week, Microsoft announced that a dedicated CoPilot button will be added to some Windows PC keyboards.

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But do people really want AI everywhere? How will it get used? Can chatbots notorious habit of hallucinating answers be fixed? And then theres that pesky copyright problem, in which content has been ingested to train AI models without the rights holders permission. Expect to see initial court rulings later this year.

While I do believe generative AI is a technology as important as the original PC, the internet and the smartphone, I dont think we have seen its most useful, mainstream implementation  its killer app. But I think well catch glimmers of that this year, and Ill be looking for practical, rather than magical, use cases.

Apple

While Apple remains the most influential consumer tech company  as well as the one with the largest market capitalization  2024 is a critical juncture for the 47-year-old company. The smartphone market is maturing, with a report last week from Counterpoint Research indicating that Apple is slipping in overall smartphone market share, though its iPhone remains far-and-away the leader in the premium (over $600) category.

Apple has been pouring resources into its Vision Pro headset, a state-of-the-art augmented reality platform that the company has rebranded as spatial computing. It will go on sale Feb. 2 for a jaw-dropping starting price of $3,499, and its Apples first totally new product category since its Watch in 2015.

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When I wrote about the Vision Pro at its unveiling in June, it struck me as isolating. The fact that its price tag approaches $4,000 means only the wealthy can afford it. The company is working on a cheaper version, but lets face it, Apples idea of cheaper is going to be relative.

This, along with more of an emphasis on AI in its operating systems, means there could be big changes for Apples biggest products. Im hoping Apple resists the temptation to have AI just for AIs sake, and integrates it in useful, as opposed to showy, ways.

Streaming

Ive been writing about the streaming revolution since I canceled my cable TV service in 2013 and in 2024 we appear to have come full circle. Streaming today is looking more and more like cable did a decade ago.

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Frequent price hikes? Check! Annoying ads interrupting your favorite shows and movies? Check! Studios taking fewer chances on innovative shows and movies? Double-check!

The Golden Age of Streaming has finally come to an end, with the studios and media companies who finally figured out that it was the way TV was headed have ended the build-up-market-share epoch and are now in the we-gotta-make-a-profit era. As a result, industry consolidation is rampant (Paramount+ is expected to be the next service to get swallowed whole). Prices are going up to cover the cost of programming, and ad-based service tiers are being set up to keep those monthly bills lower.

I still maintain that, done right (and by that I mean not trying to duplicate the cable experience) streaming remains a better value than cable. But streamings time as a disruptor is over. Its now the mainstream.

And expect the glow to continue to fade. For example, Amazon Prime Video, one of the first to challenge Netflix, will begin inserting ads starting this month into its shows and movies and charge Prime members  who already pay as much as $139 a year  an additional $2.99 to avoid them. If, like me, you have gotten so used to not seeing ads on TV that its jarring when they do appear, you may be willing to pay that piper.

Will we have a consumer streaming revolt and a return to piracy? Check back for 2024s end-of-the-year roundup!

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A male peacock causes a traffic hazard when it darts out in front of a car as it crosses a street in a Memorial neighborhood Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

The Memorial-area neighborhood of Heathwood and its adjacent communities have lived among peacocks for decades now, but residents are divided as to whether the invasive species is a problem.

While some residents report the birds are aggressive and destructive to property, the peafowl have a devoted following among other residents who say their beauty enhances the neighborhood.

The peacocks and peahens are docile and provide a beautiful sight to our residents, said Rosie Graves, a resident of Heathwood. The peafowl have lived within our neighborhood for over 20 years and never has there been any kind of 'aggressive' incident.

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Paul Hopson said that the peafowl begin their mating calls at 5 a.m. and walk abruptly into traffic, causing problems for motorists.

They are foul fowl, Hopson said. They are pretty to look at, but they are not good neighbors.

The flock is well known among ornithologists and invasive species experts and has become a case-study in invasive bird species, said Ashley R. Morgan-Olvera, director of research and education for the Texas Invasive Species Institute at Sam Houston State University.

Peacocks  known ornithologically as peafowl  were first brought to the area by Vargos restaurant, which closed in 2012. The peafowl dispersed into the surrounding areas, but the residents of Heathwood have been feeding the birds, which in turn has caused them to stay in the area.

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What began as two breeding pairs now numbers in the hundreds, according to Fred Collins, a wildlife biologist and former president of the Texas Audubon Society advisory board who has been studying the birds since they were introduced to Houston in the late 1950s.

For resident Karena Kirk, the birds perceived unpleasant characteristics are negligible.

Yes, they talk to each other. Yes, they can be messy  they are birds after all, she said.

The birds became a divisive topic in the neighborhood in 2021, Graves said, when the homeowner's association asked the community to vote on whether or not the birds should be removed.

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The results, she said, indicated that about 88 percent of residents wanted the birds to stay.

Evelyn Nordin, president of the Heathlake Community Home Owners Association, which serves the Heathwood neighborhood, said peacocks can easily be deterred from entering a person's yard with motion sprinklers or similar garden protection devices. She said in the 16 years she's lived in the neighborhood, she's never seen an aggressive peacock.

"They primarily hang out near the bayou (including the north side) but do occasionally stroll a few blocks south, which seems to annoy some motorists who like to use our neighborhood as a high speed cut through," she said.

Lee Kendall King, who lives near the Heathwood neighborhood, believes most of the residents opposed to the peafowl are newer to the area. Longtime residents, she said, tend to view the birds more favorably.

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Scientists may identify the birds as a problematic invasive species, but for residents like Kirk, the Heathwood peafowl flock are a welcome presence that defies arguments against the feral birds.
PBOC to enhance global presence of RMB, manage risks

Xinhua) 08:17, January 09, 2024

A staff member of the Bank of Communications demonstrates the use of the online wallet of digital RMB at the Happy Valley Beijing theme park in Beijing, capital of China, June 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- China will boost the internationalization of the RMB, guard against systemic risks, and foster a sound monetary and financial environment, according to the country's central bank.

China will improve the basic institutional arrangements and infrastructure for cross-border RMB use, and enhance its ability to serve the real economy and promote high-quality development, People's Bank of China official Li Bin told Xinhua in an interview.

The country aims to promote the comprehensive institutional opening-up of financial markets in a steady and orderly manner, enrich risk-hedging tools, and build a more friendly and convenient investment and financing environment, Li said.

Official data shows that in the first 11 months of 2023, cross-border RMB transactions amounted to 48 trillion yuan (about 6.76 trillion U.S. dollars), up 24 percent year on year.

China will strengthen counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, and create a good monetary and financial environment for high-quality economic development, according to the central bank.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Alvin is planning to acquire the Thelma Ley Anderson Family YMCA building, located at 3201 Highway 35, to function as the city's parks and recreation facility. Google Earth

Alvin City Council approved the purchase of the Thelma Ley Anderson YMCA building, with plans to transform it into a recreational facility owned and operated by the city.

City council members unanimously approved the $5.6 million purchase at a Jan. 4 meeting. Council member Joel Castro was absent during the meeting.

The YMCA of the Greater Houston board of directors approved the purchase and sales agreement at a Dec. 12 meeting ahead of the city council's vote.

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The city council approved a $6.15 million bond ordinance in August that will largely be used for the purchase and renovation of the facility.

The recreation center is projected to open in the summer of 2024, according to a presentation from October.

History of the facility

The $5.6 million facility, located at 3201 South Highway 35, was built on property donated to the city in 1989 by the Briscoe family, according to city documents.

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The city and YMCA entered into a ground lease agreement in 2005 that allowed the organization to construct and operate the facility.

In June, the council approved City Manage Junru Roland to negotiate a letter of intent to purchase the building after YMCA officials announced their interest in selling the building.

Nearly 150 community members supported plans for the facility presented by Mayor Gabe Adame, city staff and YMCA representatives at a town hall meeting in August, according to a news release.
A stock photo of someone receiving a call from an unknown number Getty Images

A Catholic church in southeast Houston urged parishioners to stay cautious of online fraud this week after scammers allegedly targeted Spanish-speaking churchgoers through emails.

The Queen of Peace Catholic Church near Gulfgate said on social media that scammers posed as a priest in an email sent to churchgoers last Friday.

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The message, which was sent in Spanish to several parishioners that morning, urgently asked recipients to contact a phone number as soon as possible for a favor. It appeared to be signed by Ruben Campbell, the pastor at the predominantly Latino church.

Dont pay attention to this message that has been sent through cell phones to many faithful, the church said on Facebook. It is not ours. Its a trick, so dont fall for the trap.

A church staffer referred questions to an Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston spokesperson, who declined to comment on the matter but said other churches in Houston and nationwide have been hit by similar schemes targeting Latino communities.

The Federal Trade Commission found in a 2021 report that Black and Latino consumers are disproportionately affected by scams, and these communities more often reported paying in ways that have few, if any, fraud protections  for example, cash, cryptocurrency, money orders, and debit cards.

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Such scams targeting Latinos have made headlines across the United States in recent years and have reached beyond churchgoing Spanish speakers.

HOUSTON CRIME: Man accused of holding pregnant woman hostage released on bond

Scammers reportedly targeted U.S.-bound migrants from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua last February after President Joe Biden announced a parole program that would allow them to stay in the country with work authorization so long as they have a sponsor. Some migrants were reportedly defrauded by social media users charging them thousands of dollars to be their sponsors.

Last October, the Diocese of Stockton in California warned that scammers were targeting Spanish speakers, many of them immigrant farmworkers, and charging them up to $2,000 to perform baptisms and first communions.

Families in Houston were also hit by scams targeting Latinos. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in 2022 that a Houston-based cryptocurrency company stole millions from Latino investors.

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The Better Business Bureau, which runs a nationwide database tracking scams, recommends never sending money via gift card or wire transfer to someone you have never met and resisting the urge to act immediately when contacted by a potential scammer.

Shady actors typically try to make you think something is scarce or a limited-time offer, the nonprofit said on its website. They want to push victims to make a decision right now before even thinking through it, asking family members, friends, or financial advisors.

The email scam wasnt the only instance of a fake priest targeting a Houston church in recent months.

Police are still searching for a man in his mid-40s who they believe posed as a pastor from the Chicago area and allegedly stole money from the rectory at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in southwest Houston. The man, who the police did not name because he has not been arrested or charged with a crime, allegedly identified himself as Father Martin to gain access to the church.
Houston Chronicle

A 20-year-old is the third person charged with capital murder for alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting last year in southwest Houston.

Camrese Holloway was arrested Monday and charged with capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from a deadly shooting at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in the 14100 block of Fleetwell Drive, near Buffalo Speedway, Houston police officials said. Reginald Reed, 58, and Brandon Forbes, 23, were killed in the shooting. An unnamed 32-year-old was also wounded with non-life-threatening injuries.

Markeith Eric Simpson, 26, and Chase Franklin Williams, 18, were previously charged in the case, police said. Williams was arrested Feb. 6, 2023, while Williams was taken into custody Aug. 30, 2023, for their alleged involvement in the shooting.

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WHITMIRE VOWS TO MAKE HOUSTON SAFER: Mayor John Whitmire pushes back against crime stats, vows to make Houstonians feel safer

When police spoke to Holloway on the day of the shooting, he was at a hospital with a gunshot wound to the right side of his torso, court records show. He told police that earlier that day he was in a black minivan with five other people in a neighborhood by Buffalo Speedway and West Fuqua. While in the neighborhood, he said he heard gunshots after the other people he rode with exited the van.

Holloway told authorities that he remained in the van the whole time and that he was shot when three unknown men fired at the vehicle while it left the area, court documents show. Police looked at surveillance footage after speaking to Holloway and determined not only did he exit the van during the initial gunshots, but he was the first to get out of the vehicle.

Holloway had a handgun and the five other men who exited the van were also armed with various guns, court documents show.

He remains in Harris County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday in front of District Judge Ramona Franklin.
Breaking news Houston Chronicle

A teenage girl whose body was found on the banks of Buffalo Bayou was the victim of a homicide, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Tierra Horn's body was around 5:40 p.m. Friday on an embankment near 1900 Nance, according the Houston Police Department. The address is near the Elysian Viaduct Bridge and the Buffalo Bayou Hike and Bike Trail.

MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Emails show Turner, Central Library strategizing to limit homeless presence

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Police had been searching the area near the bayou before finding her body. Social media posts show that Horn, 18, had been missing since Jan. 2.

According to the medical examiner's office, her death was caused by "compression" to her neck.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire (left) and Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath (right) met Jan. 8, 2024, to discuss the direction of Houston ISD. Houston Chronicle

Mayor John Whitmire met Monday with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to reaffirm his support for Houston ISDs appointed leadership, signaling a new approach from City Hall toward the states stewardship of the district as Whitmire begins his term as mayor.

Whitmire met with Morath to share his views on the importance of HISD to the City of Houston and pledged that he and his new Education Advisor would assist the Houston Independent School District in any way possible, according to mayors office spokesperson Mary Benton.

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The mayors office did not divulge further details about the conversation, and said that Whitmires education adviser had not yet been named. The Texas Education Agency did not return a request for comment.

While Houstons mayor has no formal authority over its school district, the relationship between mayor and superintendent has come under scrutiny as the citys Democratic leaders have fought against the takeover of its school system by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and his education commissioner, Morath. Morath, a former Dallas ISD trustee, is responsible for appointing former Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles to HISDs top post in June.

Former Mayor Sylvester Turner, a vocal supporter of former HISD Superintendent Millard House II, gave Miles the cold shoulder upon his arrival in Houston, regularly speaking out against Miles controversial reforms and ignoring an invitation to tour one of his New Education System schools, which underwent the most drastic overhauls.

Whitmire met with both Morath and Miles during his campaign for mayor and said he would lend whatever assistance was needed to Miles and his administration.

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The bottom line is the takeover has taken place, and its shameful to politicize that, politicize childrens education, Whitmire said in November. Lets support the students, support the administration that has got the childrens best interests at heart, and go forward.

Miles called to congratulate Whitmire on his victory, but the two have not spoken since Whitmire took office on Jan. 1, Whitmire said. HISD officials said they are currently working to arrange a longer sit-down with the new mayor.

We congratulate Mayor Whitmire and look forward to working with him and his team to improve student outcomes and schools in this great city, Miles said in a statement.

Erin Baumgartner, director of the Houston Education Research Institute at Rice Universitys Kinder Institute for Urban Research, said that it was fine for Whitmire to speak with Morath, but that ultimately, his relationship with Miles will be most important, given the localized control of Texas school districts.

Students and families needs go beyond what a school district can offer, Baumgartner said, and the mayor has the power to leverage resources toward transportation, public safety and social services in a way that improves their ability to receive a quality education.

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Its really about the City of Houston recognizing HISD as a resource in our community and supporting the students that are in it, Baumgartner said.

Robert Sanborn, president and CEO of the education policy nonprofit Children at Risk, said that Whitmires pragmatic approach toward relations with the TEA and the HISD leaders they appointed is a healthy step in the right direction for Houston children, but that Whitmires ultimate goal should be to expedite HISDs return to local control.

When you see Mayor Whitmire reaching out to them, its going to make a lot of people angry, but its also the reality of what is happening, and to just abandon (HISD) and say, We dont want them here so Im not going to meet with them is probably not the right move, Sanborn said. However, the mayors clear message needs to be, Lets move it along, lets stop with the takeover and move to get our own superintendent and our own board in there.

Whitmire told the Chronicle in November that his goal was to make it work as best as we can and then get em out of town.

Miles has previously said that he sees himself running HISD for five or six years. It remains to be seen, however, exactly how different HISD will look by the time it returns to local control, given that Miles plans bring his New Education System to half of district schools by 2025.

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Baumgartner said Whitmire will have to decide the extent to which he is comfortable partnering with Miles as he attempts to transform HISD.

Thats where the mayor and his team can think about and identify the points where they can provide support to students and families regardless of whos in place, and start setting relationships in motion that go deeper than whoever the mayor and superintendent are and institutionalize them, Baumgartner said.

Multiple mayoral candidates, including runoff opponent U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, attacked Whitmire for his involvement in the politically unpopular takeover throughout the race. As a state senator, Whitmire, who ran as a moderate Democrat, voted for the 2015 legislation that ultimately allowed the state to assume control of HISD last spring.

Whitmire filed an eleventh-hour bill, which ultimately failed, in March to stave off the takeover but otherwise offered fewer public comments about the situation than Jackson Lee, whose outspokenness on the issue earned her the endorsement of the Houston Federation of Teachers.

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Houston Public Librarys Julia Ideson Building, part of its Central Library campus, is seen Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The decisions to crack down on volunteers who provide free food outside Central Library and to stop designating the location as a place where people could escape excessive heat were tied to a desire to reduce the homeless presence at the library, a June email exchange between the library and then-Mayor Sylvester Turner shows.

We are losing the library, Turner writes in a conversation that referenced a reported altercation between a homeless man and his girlfriend.

When asked for comment, the library and city framed the decisions as a matter of public safety. Food Not Bombs volunteers, who provide free meals outside the library four days a week, questioned attempts to reduce the presence of a vulnerable population in a public space.

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The City doesnt provide other places for the homeless to exist, said Nick Cooper, a longtime volunteer with Food Not Bombs, in an email. So of course they chose to go to the library.

On June 21, after a heat emergency plan that ended June 19, Saima Kadir, Central Librarys chief, emailed the library systems chief operating officer, Ricardo Rick Peralez.

This week, Central has been inundated with homeless patrons due to the extreme heat in Houston, she wrote in an email obtained through a public records request.

In a reply to the email thread, Director of Public Safety George Buenik said that 130 people used Central Library as a cooling center that Sunday and 200 on Monday; other cooling centers were used by up to 15 people a day.

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Kadir referenced fights in the building and the plaza outside, specifically citing one that afternoon. According to court records, the alleged physical altercation took place between a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia and the woman with whom he had a child.

The librarys communication team said that it could not respond to a request for comment from Kadir or Peralez by deadline, and the Office of Emergency Management did not respond to a request for comment from Buenik.

Police records show no incidents while the library was used as a cooling center but indicate an additional altercation occurred on June 20. That day, a man who stated in court records that he had been homeless for six months allegedly struck another man with a sharp stick.

Asked about the timing of incidents, the librarys communication team said that the decision to exclude the Central Library from heat emergency plans was based on an increasing number of incidents that were occurring outside of heat emergencies. The library has not yet responded to a request for the time period over which incidents increased or whether they have since subsided, but it said off-duty police officers had been hired to supplement city-assigned security officers during operating hours.

In her June email, Kadir concluded: While it is quite altruistic of the Library and our staff to help out our fellow Houstonians during this extreme weather situation, we must also consider the safety and well being of our other patrons and staff.

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Her email was forwarded to a number of people, including Turner and Troy Finner, chief of police.

Chief Finner we are losing the library, Turner wrote. I am inclined to close the Central Library as a cooling center and offer another location downtown The feeding outside the library must come to an end. If we need an additional ordinance please advise.

When another heat emergency plan was issued June 30, it said people looking to cool down during the sweltering weather could go to any library during their normal operating hours except for one: The Central Library downtown is unavailable as a cooling center. No location downtown was offered as an alternative.

The closest centers were the Fonde Community Center in Sixth Ward and the Swiney Community Center in Fifth Ward. People could call 3-1-1 to request a free ride from Metro or the taxi service zTrip, according to the Office of Emergency Management website.

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Meanwhile, Turners administration had already ratcheted up pressure on Food Not Bombs to relocate away from the library to serve meals at a police lot not far from the Fonde Community Center. Police had begun fining volunteers in March 2023, reversing the stance of previous mayor Annise Parkers administration, which had given the group permission to feed outside the library, where it had served meals for more than two decades.

The Central Library, which looks out over Hermann Square and City Hall, is in an area with a rich history of public access. The wealthy businessman George Hermann  who donated the land for the eponymous Hermann Park and Hermann Hospital  gave Houston the land on which both Hermann Square and City Hall are located with the stipulation that it become a breathing space.

Newspaper archives say that Hermann tired of the city arresting his workers on weekends for public intoxication, so he allowed them to sleep off their hangovers on the property. Since the 30s and as recently as the 80s, legal experts have interpreted the breathing space stipulation as meaning that the homeless could seek rest in the park without being disturbed.

But public spaces in Houston have been shrinking in recent years, with the city limiting the hours during which people can sit or lie down on downtown sidewalks and ticketing those who try to camp in areas where homeless encampments have been cleared. Theres now a sign outside the library warning people against providing free meals on the sidewalk facing Hermann Square.

In response to a request for comment on the June emails, the Houston Public Librarys communication team sent a quote from an unattributed staff member saying, The out-of-control nature of the behavior among many of those congregating for the daily feedings only adds to problems.

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Cooper, of Food Not Bombs, disagreed. The idea that we are the reason homeless people come to the library is backward, he said. We share food at the library (at night after the library is closed) because homeless people are already in the area.

Food Not Bombs serves meals at least an hour and a half after the library closes.

Others have argued that the citys law against giving away meals unless you have permission from the property where youre doing it, even if the property is public, comes into conflict with the moral calling to help those in need. A federal lawsuit on behalf of a Food Not Bombs volunteer against the city argues that ticketing violates Houstonians rights to express themselves and their religions freely.
NASA announces the four astronauts who will fly around the moon as part of NASA's Artemis II mission on Monday April 3, 2023 at Ellington Field in Houston. Pictured, from left, are Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Hammock Koch. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer NASA's Artemis 1 lifts off from launch pad 39-B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, carrying the Orion spacecraft on a mission to orbit the moon, early Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS) Joe Burbank/TNS Axiam Space EVA Chief Engineer, Jim Stein demonstrates a new spacesuit developed by houston-based company Axiom Space for NASAs Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon on Wednesday March 15, 2023 in Houston. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer At NASAOs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, OrionOs newly completed pressure vessel for the Artemis III mission is lifted out of the welding tool. The pressure vessel is the primary structure for OrionOs crew module, joined together using state-of-the-art welding by technicians from lead contractor Lockheed Martin. NASA/Eric Bordelon

NASA is pushing back its timeline to send astronauts to the moon, an announcement that was largely expected as the agency and its partners continue developing crucial hardware.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Tuesday that the Artemis II mission, where four people will fly around the moon, is now scheduled for September 2025. It previously was targeted for November of this year.

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The Artemis III mission, where NASA will return astronauts to the moon, is now pushed back to September 2026, he said. It was previously scheduled for late 2025.

Safety is our top priority, Nelson said from Houston, where he had been meeting with the Artemis II crew. To give Artemis teams more time to work through the challenges with first-time developments, operations and integration, were going to give more time on Artemis II and III.

NASAs Artemis Program is working with commercial and international partners to create a sustained presence on the moon. Its third mission, Artemis III, aims to land the first woman and person of color on the moon.

The program has long had aggressive deadlines. At one point, the Artemis III mission was targeting 2024.

The pushed back timeline was largely expected. NASA is working through its own technical issues while commercial partners, SpaceX and Axiom Space, continue developing the Artemis III human landing system and moon-walking spacesuits, respectively.

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The fall of 2026, September of 2026, timeframe is still very aggressive, said Amit Kshatriya, NASAs deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program, and we all need to pace our work with the same degree of urgency.

Kshatriya outlined various reasons for the delays. First, he said NASA is still analyzing data collected from the Artemis I mission that sent an uncrewed capsule around the moon in 2022. The Orion spacecrafts heat shield spurred concern. The heat shield is designed to char when the capsule reenters Earths atmosphere. But NASA wasnt expecting a small portion of that charred material to come off the spacecraft.

Crew members would have been safe if they had been inside the capsule, but NASA and its partners want to understand why models didnt predict the material could come loose. And they want more accurate models going forward because material coming off the spacecraft could change how air flows around the vehicle.

We have spent the bulk of 2023 investigating that, Kshatriya said. We expect to definitively identify the root cause of this recession of the char material hopefully here in the spring.

The Artemis II mission would last 10 days and send four people  NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen  around the moon. Its designed to test Orions life support system.

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Artemis III will need additional life support hardware to get the yet-to-be-named crew to the moon.

The SpaceX Starship spacecraft will be used to lower astronauts to the moon, but its still under development. SpaceX has an iterative development style  test, fail, fix and test again  and has been building its spacecraft in South Texas. Starship has launched twice atop the Super Heavy rocket, with both flight tests ending in flames.

SpaceX expects to get federal approval for its next Starship launch in February, said Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and integration at SpaceX.

Houston-based Axiom Space is developing the spacesuits that will protect astronauts once they exit Starship to walk on the moon. The suits are akin to people-sized spacecraft.

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And then there is coordinating all of the moving pieces. Starship will require a complex propellant transfer system to reach the moon. SpaceX will have to launch roughly 10 Starship spacecraft into Earths orbit, each transferring propellant into a single spacecraft already orbiting the Earth. That orbiting vehicle then would provide propellant to the human landing system, after it reaches space, so it can get to the moon.

NASA also has to coordinate its own hardware, the Space Launch System rocket pushing the Orion spacecraft, so that astronauts onboard NASAs Orion spacecraft can meet the empty Starship spacecraft near the moon. Orion cannot land on the moon, so the crew must transfer to Starship to reach the lunar surface.
Dominique Sachse chats with people during a dinner hosted by designer Christy Lynn at Bari in the River Oaks District on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Annie Mulligan/Contributor

Beloved former KPRC evening news anchor Dominique Sachse will soon bid Houston farewell as she heads north to Dallas. Sachse made the announcement to her nearly 2 million subscribers in the latest episode of her YouTube podcast, Over 50 & Flourishing.

Theres a big announcement and theres a big, big, big, big change  like huge life change coming my way, Sachse teased. And when I say that this came out of left field and literally out of the blue and landed on my lap, I kid you not.

GOODBYES AND HELLOS: 2023 was a year of moves for Houston TV anchors and news stations

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Although she didnt divulge all of the details she admitted the new job opportunity required a big, bold step on her part since shes lived in Houston since 1974. Eight years old when her family moved to Houston, Sachse went to college locally and began her career in broadcast journalism in the Space City.

I will say this, I was basically handed a new work opportunity that I simply could not turn down, she said. And what is so amazing about this new work opportunity that I literally cant wait to share with you and I will, very soon, is that it allows me to continue to do what I do on my YouTube and social media platforms in every single way.

Sachse went on to say the change ended up being one of those things that dropped (her) jaw to the ground.

I sat there and I really had to process what was just landing on me, she said. What is this? Where did this come from? Why? But, as I started to kind of add everything up and string things together, it all made absolute, perfect sense. Perfect sense as to why this was happening now in my life.

She admitted that even though she experienced a storied career, some of her dreams didnt come to pass as she hoped.

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You know its so funny, she said. You can have a dream from yesteryear, you can have a goal and a vision and maybe it didnt materialize in a way you thought or maybe you justified it in a different way or analyzed it and said, Well, it didnt happen because of this, but I got to live and experience this dream or this iteration of it.

She ultimately told her subscribers she believed God would turn those dreams into a reality. In the less than 24 hours since Sachse shared the news on YouTube, its been viewed more than 140,000 times and received nearly 1,100 comments.
Icicles hang off the Texas 195 highway sign on Feb. 18, 2021, in Killeen after an arctic cold front swept through Texas. Arctic fronts are the most powerful type of cold fronts seen in Texas. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The American GFS forecast model, left, and the European ECMWF forecast model are in agreement that the coldest temperatures we've seen this year will arrive by the morning of Jan. 16. Pivotal Weather

Its looking more and more likely that a strong, truly arctic cold front will blast through Texas early next week. A lot of questions remain unanswered, like exactly when the front will move through, how cold temperatures will get, and if we will get snow or ice with this system? Thankfully, weather forecast models are starting to agree a bit more, and we have a first look at what you can expect.

When will the arctic front move through?

Both the American GFS model and the European ECMWF model push the cold front through the northern half of Texas on Sunday. The models continue to show the front progressing through the entire state, including through cities as far south as Houston, by Monday morning.

This image shows what Texas temperatures could look like at 9 p.m. Sunday. The cold front could move through all of Texas by Monday morning. Pivotal Weather

Cold air will continue to rush in from the north late Monday and into next Tuesday. The coldest temperatures of the week are now expected early in the morning of Jan. 16, when a hard freeze is expected to be statewide. Temperatures also are likely to be the coldest so far this winter.

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How cold are we talking?

Because we are still five to six days away from the arctic front moving through, exact temperatures remain uncertain. However, we are starting to get a good idea of just how low temperatures could drop.

On Monday, high temperatures will likely only be in the teens and 20s across the northern half of Texas. Peak temperatures in Southeast Texas will depend on the exact timing of the front. If it comes through early in the morning, afternoon highs could stay below freezing as far south as Houston.

As mentioned earlier, the coldest air arrives Monday night and Tuesday morning. Some areas in North Texas could see lows drop to the single digits. Farther south toward Interstate 10 and Houston, low temps in the upper teens and low 20s are not out of the question. These numbers are the current best guess. Projected lows will likely change at least slightly over the next several days.

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WEATHER EXPLAINED: What is the polar vortex and how does it affect Texas weather? State climate expert explains

Will there be ice or snow?

The greatest uncertainty with this forecast lies in whether this arctic blast will come with ice or snow. As of right now, there is a chance of wintry precipitation for some, but the greatest chance will come in North Texas, from Dallas east to Texarkana. Even there, chances remain at less than 40%.

Most forecast models are inconsistent regarding the chance of wintry precipitation across Texas early next week. The two models shown above are both the American GFS model. However, the left image, which shows light wintry precipitation, was initiated at midnight early Tuesday. On the right, the GFS showed drier weather in a model run just six hours later. Pivotal Weather

That being said, its still possible, albeit unlikely, that wintry weather could be more widespread. If areas in Southeast Texas were to see any precipitation, it would likely be a wintry mix of light freezing rain and sleet, rather than snow. The current odds are low, less than 20%. However, that number will likely go up or down depending on model consistency over the next several days.

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WINTER WISDOM: How to use your car's defroster and other car care tips to survive Texas winter weather

How long will the freeze last?
Key role seen for education exchanges

08:48, January 09, 2024 By Yifan Xu ( China Daily

Lincoln High School students pose with gift pandas from Sichuan province at an event celebrating the friendship between Washington State and Sichuan in Tacoma on Nov 20, 2023. LINDA DENG/CHINA DAILY

People-to-people exchanges, especially educational ones, play a key role in the bigger picture of United States-China relations, and sometimes the events with the most impact "occur quietly", said an expert on Sino-US educational cooperation.

"I'm hopeful that as we continue the dialogue in 2024, we will see even more progress that will help to sustain and support the continuation of educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," said Denis Simon, a distinguished fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies, in an interview with China Daily.

Simon most recently served as a clinical professor of global business and technology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. He also was vice-president and executive vice-chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, a joint venture of Duke University in the US, Wuhan University in Hubei province and the city of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, from 2015 to 2020.

Simon emphasized the role of exchanges in overall US-China relations. "If we can maintain the progress and maintain the discussion, I'm hopeful that the education relationship can insulate itself to some degree from these larger problems," he said.

"Sometimes these kinds of people-to-people diplomacy occur quietly. They're not accompanied by a lot of fanfare and noise, but they accomplish a great deal," he said.

Simon said the first post-COVID US-China Higher Education Dialogue, held in New York in September, was "extremely successful".The event, co-hosted by the Institute of International Education and the China Education Association for International Exchange, involved about 15 Chinese universities and a similar number of US universities.

"The discussions covered every aspect of the bilateral education relationship", including undergraduate education, graduate education, university research collaboration and also policy issues like visa issues that are affecting the bilateral education exchange, Simon said.

"I think that we can keep talking and have dialogues like this and have them conducted in such an open and frank way. That gives me great hope," he said, adding that relations involving education are still in a "transitional phase".

"We've gone from a height of having 370,000 Chinese students in the US before COVID, and now we're down to about 289,000," Simon said.

"We're starting to see some recovery, of course, in this post-COVID era. But it's yet unclear whether or not we're going to go back to the good old days of big numbers wanting to come to the United States."

On the other hand, the number of US students in China "is really limited", he said, noting that the number peaked at about 15,000 around 2011, while by 2022 it was around 400. "The ability of our two countries to understand one another really does depend on the young people who are crossing the Pacific, learning about each other's cultures and countries, learning to speak the languages," he said.

"And if they don't achieve that, then the United States, in particular, is going to suffer because we will not have a generation of professionals, whether they're in business, government or academia, who have a deep understanding of the situation in China, and that does not bode well for the long term," he added.

'Wonderful gesture'

During the November summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco, Xi said that China was ready to invite 50,000 young people from the US to participate in exchange and study programs in China over the next five years.

Simon said it was "a wonderful gesture" by China's president.

"Because I think he, too, realizes, as do many, many of my Chinese friends, that Americans need to have access to China and need to have an experience living and working with Chinese counterparts," said Simon.

"And now there's a whole new generation of students who want to study China in terms of its global role," Simon said. "That means they want to understand more about China's environment policy, China's health policy, China's policies about food security, and all sorts of things that influence the way China interfaces with the rest of the world."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem talks with reporters in Hidalgo, Texas, Monday, July 26, 2021. Noem visited with the 48 South Dakota National Guardsmen sent by her to aid Texas Gov. Greg AbbottOs border initiative. Border Patrol agents detained more than 20,000 migrants last week. Jerry Lara /Staff Photographer House Speaker Mike Johnson, left, walks with Texas Department of Public Safety chief Steve McCraw, center, and, Lt. Chris Olivarez, right, near the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay/Associated Press Republican members of Congress walk adjacent to the Rio Grande at the Texas-Mexico border, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading about 60 fellow Republicans in Congress on a visit to the Mexican border. Their trip comes as they are demanding hard-line immigration policies in exchange for backing President Joe Biden's emergency wartime funding request for Ukraine. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay/Associated Press

In the wake of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnsons Eagle Pass expedition last week, with about 60 of his GOP colleagues along for the ride, and anticipating future visits from campaigning candidates, we offer a succinct guide for politicians who want to make the most of a Texas/Mexico border junket:

Don clothing that makes you look Ford Tough or Ram Tough, whichever make of pickup appeals to your sense of style. That means jeans, of course (see South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for reference); some sort of boots (cowboy, combat or hiking; no DeSantis-style white knee-highs); a western-style shirt and maybe a hunting jacket; and your la frontera ensemble topped off with a camo-style gimme cap. If youre able, we suggest growing a Ted Cruz-style grizzled beard before making the trip. If given a choice, pick a border town that features a bluff or promontory overlooking the Rio Grande; the backdrop aesthetics are better. Eagle Pass is good; so is Roma, the picturesque, little town where a young Marlon Brando starred in Viva Zapata! Before arrival, either at home or in the airplane lavatory on the flight down, stand before a mirror and perfect the sober Southwestern mien: head up, hands on hips, lips thinned, eyes Clint Eastwood-narrowed. Punctuate your Texas Ranger look with a slow shake of the head (two shakes, no more). If you have time, ask either Gov. Greg Abbott or his new border czar, Mike Banks, for a boat ride. One or the other should be able to reserve a Department of Public Safety craft for a short spin up the river. Try to stand in the prow, like Washington crossing the Delaware. Make every effort to avoid coming in contact with immigrants. (Avoiding the razor wire is a good excuse.) Selfies with Border Patrol personnel are fine. Limit post-visit comments to jeremiads warning about immigrant hordes invading the country. Offer no reasonable solutions.

FROM THE NEWSROOM: U.S. House speaker tours Texas border amid key budget showdown

Are we being too cynical? Weve watched and listened for way too many years to politicians using desperate people as pawns, with little to no intention about agreeing on border and immigration solutions of benefit not only to this nation but also to newcomers eager to help build this nation. Periodic border crises are much too valuable as a campaign cudgel.

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As we've written before, many Democrats play the outrage over extreme Republican policies to their own advantage as well. While President Biden has signaled a willingness to reach a bipartisan deal on border security along with defense funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, it remains uncertain if he can overcome election year politics.

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Though Speaker Johnson donned civilian clothes in Eagle Pass last week, his bellicose words didn't signal a reasonable compromise ahead. If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin with defending Americas national security, he said, adding, We want to get the border closed and secured first.

We hope the speaker is more serious when he's not in front of the cameras. If Speaker Johnson and the Republicans who visited the border yesterday were serious about solutions, theyd bring the Dignity Act to the House Floor, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, tweeted last week.

The Dignity Act, as we noted several weeks ago, is a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that Escobar and her Republican co-sponsor, U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar of Florida, introduced last year. Complex and multi-faceted, the legislation addresses border security, asylum reforms, protections for Dreamers and pathways to citizenship for the undocumented already among us. It also addresses work visas and other measures designed to foster economic growth in the U.S. Its a serious, thoughtful proposal.

THE LATEST: Mayorkas visits Texas border ahead of historic GOP impeachment proceedings

Both Escobar and Salazar no doubt realize their bill has absolutely no chance of passage, despite its merits, because, in large part, Speaker Johnson doesn't appear to be a serious man. If he were serious, he wouldnt countenance the absurd effort by the House homeland security committee to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

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If he were serious, he would not tie the fate of military aid to Israel and to an increasingly desperate Ukraine to some kind of border bill designed to please the former nativist-in-chief Donald Trump. Instead of insisting on draconian changes to the U.S. immigration system, he would, at the very least, agree to send more resources to the border. He would agree to funding more immigration courts, to speed up asylum screenings. But Johnson is focused on what Escobar calls performative politics.

Meanwhile in the Senate, U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., said last week that a small, bipartisan group of her colleagues had been negotiating proposals to bolster border security and were closing in on a deal. Joe Biden is well aware that immigration gravely threatens his chances for a second term, but whether its a deal he can live with remains to be seen. Whether Speaker Johnson and his band of immigration renegades will go along also remains to be seen.

The mess in Washington and periodic chaos at the border reminds us of a recent column by Marc E. Thiessen of the Washington Post. Writing  to our surprise  about the benefits of immigration, the stridently conservative commentator alluded to a former president who recognized the value of a fair and functioning system that actually encourages immigration.

"We lead the world, Ronald Reagan said, because, unique among nations, we draw our people  our strength  from every country and every corner of the world.  Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, were a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier.

Who knows, the old actor might have been in Eagle Pass the other day, standing on the bank of the Rio Grande, his hand held out to immigrants carefully parting the razor wire. The president who once inveighed, Tear down this wall! understood the value of sincere performative politics. If Mike Johnson were a serious man, he might take note.
Samsung revealed its latest addition to its SmartThings feature, an interactable household map complete with all the locations for your Samsung devices.

The all-for-Samsung Map View was unveiled during the South Korean manufacturer's CES 2024 keynote to "streamline home management."

Similar to Amazon's Alexa feature, users can customize the map according to their house structure and connect all devices to a single control center.

Using the feature will allow users to see "important home status information" like real-time camera feeds, room temperature, laundry time, and "energy use data" to manage the energy consumption of their devices.

A customizable AI character will be with the users to help them monitor their household, including several reaction modes to notify homeowners about their scheduled tasks or the state of their living space.

The Map View can be accessed via mobile or other household devices like TVs.

Samsung Launches Multiple Household Devices for CES 2024

The new SmartThings feature is only one of the many household devices Samsung has unveiled before and during its attendance at this year's CES convention in Las Vegas.

A new "Glare-Free OLED" TV complete with matte finish will soon be available in Samsung's catalog with the arrival of the S95D OLED.

The TV is ensured to provide a clear display without any reflection from lighting in the background.

This means the TV can be set up almost anywhere in the house without the worry of bright lights diminishing the watching experience.

The world's first 8k projector is also a highlight in Samsung's new releases that can replicate clear TV visuals even in a large room.

The projector also comes with a matching One Connect box so it is not restricted by the length of the HDMI cables.

Of course, there is the new robot vacuum powered by AI that boasts steam cleaning abilities to remove stains from almost any furniture and appliances.

Since it is a Samsung device, it can also be controlled and adjusted via the SmartThings function.

Also Read: Samsung New Robot Vacuum Spots Stains, Steam Cleans Using AI

Samsung Features More AI-Powered Devices for 2024

AI-integrated devices are Samsung's main theme for this year with the deluge of appliances made to make a smart household.

Like many tech companies, Samsung has begun "exploring the frontier of machine learning and AI" to seamlessly connect all of its device products in one platform.

Samsung has earlier announced that it is upgrading its AI system for its Galaxy phones ahead of the convention.

Related Article: Samsung Forefronts AI at Upcoming Galaxy Event
TOKYO, Jan 09 ( News On Japan ) - After the recent collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda Airport, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has announced urgent safety measures nationwide.

The incident is believed to have occurred because the Japan Coast Guard aircraft misunderstood the air traffic controller's use of "number one" as indicating takeoff clearance instead of the departure order. As an immediate response, MLIT has temporarily stopped announcing departure orders in advance, opting to give direct takeoff clearances instead.

It is believed that the Coast Guard aircraft mistakenly entered the runway, with neither the air traffic controller nor the Japan Airlines plane aware of the incursion. In response, MLIT has compiled urgent safety measures, including refraining from communicating the departure order in advance, instead issuing takeoff clearances directly.

Airlines have also been instructed to ensure thorough monitoring from the cockpit during takeoff and landing, to reiterate to pilots the control instructions related to runway entry, and to change the color of the stop lines before the runways at airports such as Haneda, Narita, Osaka, and Kansai to more conspicuous hues.

MLIT has already established a new role at Haneda's control operations to constantly monitor screens that confirm the positions of aircraft.

The Japan Coast Guard has been instructed to hold safety meetings and inspect operational manuals as part of emergency safety measures. The Coast Guard has directed all aviation bases nationwide to conduct meetings to ensure clear communication among crew members regarding procedures and role-sharing before and after flights, and to actively share observations during operations, emphasizing the practice of Crew Resource Management (CRM).
TOKYO, Jan 10 ( News On Japan ) - JR East is set to launch a weekday-only unlimited Shinkansen pass for 10,000 yen starting this Sunday.

The pass, offering savings of over 30,000 yen, comes highly recommended by experts, who assure high speed train travelers they will be well satisfied.

Source:
Astrobotic Technology's first lunar landing attempt has ended in failure after its rocket suffered a "critical" fuel loss while it was en route to the moon.

Supposed to be the first lunar lander in the US in five decades, the Peregrine Mission One experienced a "failure within the propulsion system" less than 10 hours after it was launched.

Update #4 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/6uISAG3Je1  Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 8, 2024

The Pittsburgh-based aerospace firm said it will be trying to maneuver the spacecraft "as close to lunar distance as we can" before it loses its ability to maintain its sun-facing position.

A sun-facing position is necessary for satellites to charge their batteries via solar panels. Failure to maintain the position will risk the satellite to run out of power soon.

The Peregrine satellite carries payloads from NASA to study the moon's surface, as well as other odd trinkets like a physical bitcoin, small robots from Mexico, and cremated part of over 200 people.

Peregrine is initially scheduled to softly land on the moon on Feb. 23, Friday.

Also Read: Astrobotics's Lunar Lander Allows People to Send Cremated Remains to the Moon

US Private Companies Race to Reach the Moon

The US is currently having its second race to the moon with more private companies launching their rockets to reach the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Another moon lander by Houston-based Intuitive Machines is scheduled to launch next month as it aims to become the first commercial craft to land on the moon.

There is also the NASA Artemis mission where several private aerospace companies have joined to provide solutions, equipment, and even the ride for the US to bring astronauts to the moon.

Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Nokia, Lockheed Martin, and General Motors have already contributed to the mission.

US Records the Most Space Launches in 2023

While the lunar mission proposes new business ventures and a better understanding of Earth's only natural satellite, more space debris is being recorded with the increase of orbital launches by the US.

The Western country hosted 109 successful space launches last year. This is not to count all the failed missions that were able to make it to outer orbit before dying.

The US government has already tasked NASA to create a new agency to collect space debris to reduce risks for future missions.

Related Article: US Leads in Record-Breaking 210 Orbital Launches in 2023
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District Board of Directors met on Thursday night for its regularly scheduled committee of the whole meeting. All directors were present, in addition to several NRD staff members and seven members of the public. A recap of the hourlong meeting is below.
Nigers military court released Monday on bail Salem Mohamed, son of Nigers deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum held since July 26 by a junta that has been running affairs in the West African country.

The investigative judge of the court ordered Salem Mohamed released and instructed him to be available for justice in the event of further investigations.

In October, the high court of Niamey (capital) ordered the immediate release of the 23-year old man after indicating that he was a victim of assault, manifestly unlawful disturbance.

The high courts ruling came after Bazoums defense team in early September filed a lawsuit against the junta before the regional Court (Cour de la CEDEAO) and the UN Human Rights Council for his unlawful detention.

The new Niger authorities accused Salem Mohamed of conspiracy to undermine the authority or security of the State.
The junta-led government in Gabon has increased by three per cent the 2024 budget allotted for armed forces, up from $30 million of last year.

The 2024 budget will cover clothing and food for the troops, as well as fuel for the various vehicles of the armed forces. The increase, Gabon Review reports, follows several years of demands by the army for the improvement of working conditions under former President Omar Bongo Odimba.

The central African country is currently led by a transitional leadership headed by General Brice Oligui Nguema. The General on August 30 last year removed Bongo who ruled the country for 14 years and set up the so-called Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI).

The CRTI in November announced August 2025 as the end of transition through elections.
The diplomatic row between Algeria and Mali ended in disgrace for the Algerian regime which is floundering as it has strained relations with all its neighboring countries.

Algeria, controlled by a military junta, is known for its impulsive, frivolous and unstable diplomacy raising serious regional and international concerns.

During the past few years, Algeria had recalled its ambassador to France on several occasions. The diplomatic show, which is used as propaganda to deflect the public opinion from deepening socioeconomic and political crises, usually ends with the return of Algerian ambassador to Paris without getting any political gains from former French colonizer.

The Algerian rulers had also recalled their envoy in Spain over the Sahara issue after Madrid openly voiced support for Moroccos autonomy plan for the Sahara under its sovereignty.

After it failed to persuade the Spanish government to reverse its supportive position on Moroccan Saharan, Algeria swallowed another bitter defeat by sending back its ambassador to Madrid.

Just when everybody was expecting the Algerian rulers to start reflecting about their debacles after losing diplomatic showdowns against Paris and Madrid, the arrogant and oppressive regime digs a deeper hole for itself, making international experts anxious as the country is drifting into unchartered waters.

Algeria, which is controlled by aging Generals, continues its ostrich policy and cold war-era propaganda. The military rulers are detached from current reality and the new world order taking place and shaking the region.

They are holding the country hostage, while they are inflicting irreparable reputational damage to their country with confrontational and irrational policy. Under their grip since independence, Algeria has lost its credibility and influence in Africa, Europe and the Arab world.

The Algerian junta has lost another diplomatic spat triggered with southern neighboring Mali. The Algerian ambassador to Mali has returned lately to Bamako after being recalled by Algiers amid heightened tension between the two countries over Algerias unfriendly acts and interference in Malis internal affairs.

The crisis was sparked by President Abdelmajid Tebboune when he received radical Imam Mahmoud Dicko, opponent of the Malian military junta. The move irked Bamako which summoned immediately the Algerian ambassador to protest against Algierss meddling in Malis domestic affairs.

Algeria responded by summoning Malis ambassador to Algiers, in a move that was seen as yet another provocation exacerbating tension between the two countries and pushing Bamako to recall its ambassador to Algiers for consultation.

Bamako had decried recurrent meetings, at the highest levels in Algeria, and without the slightest information or involvement of the Malian authorities with people known for their hostility to the Malian government.

The Algerian authorities rushed to mend relations with Bamako after four Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger) joined the initiative announced by King Mohammed VI to enable these African landlocked countries have access to the Atlantic Ocean, a project that will transform the economies of these countries and the entire region.

According to some experts, Algerias damage-control campaign comes too late after years of divisive policy, manipulation and hollow commitments. Furthermore, the Sahel countries do not trust the Algerian regime which serves the agenda of the former French colonial power.

Algeria attempts to defuse tension with Mali also comes after sensing Bamakos imminent decision to open a diplomatic mission in Moroccan Sahara, dealing a hard blow to Algeria-backed Polisario separatist group.

The meeting held by the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger in Marrakesh to discuss the royal initiative offering Atlantic access to the Sahel countries has utterly knocked out the Algerian regime, making it looking for ways to salvage what is salvageable!
The Prosecutor Generals Office at the Casablanca Court of Appeal launched a probe into fake news claiming the involvement of national figures and institutions in an international drug trafficking case.

The probe was launched after posts on social media accused Moroccan figures and institutions of involvement in an international drug trafficking case.

In this case, 25 people are being prosecuted. They include MPs, officials in charge of the management of local affairs, and even civil servants responsible for enforcing the law, the Kings Prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeal said in a press release.

In keeping with the constitutional right to access information, the Kings Prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeal noted that he had previously announced, in a press release dated December 24, 2023, the preliminary conclusions of the investigation conducted in this case according to the legally established judicial procedures, under the supervision of this Prosecutor Generals Office. The press release also revealed the number of alleged suspects, who are being investigated by the investigating judge based on the petition submitted by the Prosecutor Generals Office regarding the crimes they are accused of.

Based on this, all media reports and social media posts on the involvement of national figures and institutions in this case are mere allegations and fake news that entail legal liability in view of the allegations and baseless accusations targeting individuals and institutions, as well as defamation and reputation damage.

The Prosecutor Generals Office, reaffirming the results of the investigation into this case, underlined that it ordered a probe into the fake news, and that the probe was entrusted to the National Brigade of the Judicial Police, in order to identify those involved in fabricating and publishing fake news.
UPDATED, Jan. 9, 2024, 8:50 pm: Adds extension of I-80 eastbound closure as far west as North Platte.

***

Eastbound Interstate 80 was closed Monday evening from Grand Island to North Platte as a blizzard gripping central Nebraska left the state's trunk freeway impassable and filled up motel rooms and truck stops.

The National Weather Service upgraded portions of south central Nebraska into a blizzard warning Monday, while North Platte was still expecting 3-5 inches of snow.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed Interstate 80 from Grand Island to Cozad at about 4:30 p.m. U.S. Highway 30 was closed from Grand Island to Lexington, with NDOT declaring the latter highway impassable.

The eastbound I-80 closure was extended west to North Platte about 8:35 p.m., when Roger Klasna of the NDOT's District 6 office in North Platte reported that lodging in Lexington was filling up.

Dawson, Gosper, Furnas, Red Willow and Hitchcock counties were among those upgraded to blizzard warnings on Monday morning, along with several other south central Nebraska counties. Those blizzard warnings extended south through western Kansas and eastern Colorado into Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

Hayes, Lincoln, Logan, Custer, Thomas and Blaine counties remained in a winter storm warning ahead of an expected snowstorm that was expected to dump from 2 to 8 inches across west central and eastern Nebraska.

A light snow began shortly after noon Monday in North Platte, and winds picked up mid-afternoon.

Temperatures are also expected to dip to dangerous levels throughout the week as the region sees its first arctic blast of the 2023-24 winter season.

Along with the snow and frigid temperatures, the Lee Bird NWS office was predicting strong winds throughout the two-day storm with the storm warning expiring at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

A fatality was involved in anU.S. Highway 30 wreck in Dawson County, the Dawson County Sheriff said in a press release. There were other multiple slideoffs and wrecks that forced I-80 to close shortly near Lexington. About five semis were involved in a pile up between Lexington and Darr.

At about 9:26 a.m., a Mercury Sedan traveling west on Highway 30 lost control and collided with an eastbound Chevrolet pickup, the sheriffs department said. Miguel Zamudio-Ceballos, the driver of the sedan, was pronounced dead on scene. The driver of the truck was transported to Lexington Regional Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Highways remained clear in most of Lincoln County, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportations 511 Nebraska service. The road was described as partly covered from Brady to Gothenburg on U.S. Highway 30.

As of midday Monday, North Plattes Tuesday high forecast was 32, with a low of 18. Wednesdays high is expected to be about 39 before frigid temperatures take hold Wednesday night.

Thursdays high is forecast at 19, with Friday seeing a high of 13. Lows are expected to be below zero through the weekend.

Six inches of snow was reported in Chester in Thayer County and McCool Junction in York County just after 2 p.m. Monday. A trained spotter in Superior in Nuckolls County reported 5 inches at 1:30 p.m.

Polk County had a report of 5 inches of snow at 11 a.m. Monday.

As much as a foot of snow was being forecast for parts of eastern and southeastern Iowa.

The NWS Goodland, Kansas, office was forecasting winds as high as 80 mph to go with 1 to 8 inches of snow.
The North Platte Public Schools Board of Education has approved early release days on Wednesdays for the 2024-25 school year.

The motion passed unanimously during the boards monthly meeting on Monday night. Every NPPS school will dismiss students at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. These early dismissals will take the place of monthly professional development days, during which students previously were given a day off.

Superintendent Todd Rhodes said that doing this provides more instructional days with students while still giving teachers time for professional development in a consistent manner.

Rhodes also said Kids Klub will begin at 2:30 p.m. on those days. He also said any student not in Kids Klub will have supervision by paraprofessionals with age-appropriate activities until those students can be picked up.

Jo Ann Lundgreen was elected board president in a 5-1 vote. Emily Garrick was elected vice president in a 5-1 vote and Cindy OConnor was unanimously elected secretary.

The board also appointed Stuart Simpson as both executive director of finance and the fiscal agent for NPPS.

Matt Pederson was appointed liaison for the North Platte Public Schools Foundation and Sheila Furley was appointed board clerk.

A Committee on American Civics was also established with Cindy OConnor, Skip Altig and Angela Blaesi being appointed.

Kevin Mills, NPPS director of human resources, was appointed as both the non-discrimination compliance coordinator and the Title IX compliance coordinator, with Brandy Buscher also being appointed as a Title IX compliance coordinator.

A time was set for the Committee of the Whole meeting, which will be at 5:30 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month.

After discussion by the board, the weekly North Platte Bulletin as well as the North Platte Telegraph were approved as official district newspapers of record.

The board also approved the 2024-25 school year calendar and the 2025-26 negotiated agreement with the North Platte Education Association, the schools teachers union.
Supporters await Donald Trumps arrival in Clinton, Iowa on January 6, 2024. Photo: TANNEN MAURY/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump spent the weekend in Iowa, holding four campaign rallies in two days ahead of the January 15 caucuses. It will not surprise you to learn that he said lots of bizarre things, like insisting he won the 2020 election, attacking E. Jean Carroll, admiring various authoritarian leaders from Xi Jinping to Saddam Hussein, and reiterating that he intends to be a dictator for one day if reelected in 2024. These days, thats to be expected anytime the GOP presidential front-runner opens his mouth. But this weekends comments went beyond run-of-the-mill Trump lunacy. Heres a list of the wild things Trump said during his 72-hour tear through the Hawkeye State, ranked from least to most appalling.

8.

While discussing magnetic elevator systems and electric catapults designed for U.S. aircraft carriers during his Friday rally in Mason City, Trump demonstrated that he knows less about science than the average elementary-school student.

Think of it, magnets, Trump said. Now all I know about magnets is this, give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, thats the end of the magnets.

Trump: All I know about magnets is this, give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, thats the end of the magnets pic.twitter.com/TopK4BRsOq  Acyn (@Acyn) January 6, 2024

On the one hand, sure, this is pretty funny. But on the other hand, holy shit, this guy was president and theres a good chance hell be reelected!

7.

Maybe our expectations for Trump are too high. As he pointed out during the same event in Mason City, he manages to clothe himself like a big boy almost every single day.

First they say, Sir, how do you do it? How do you wake up in the morning and put on your pants? Trump mused. And I say, Well, I dont think about it too much. I dont want to think about it because if I think about it too much maybe I wont want to do it, but I love it because were going to do something for this country thats never been done before.

Trump says random people ask him how do you put on your pants? He says he doesnt like to think about it because if he thinks about it, he wont want to do it pic.twitter.com/BBLm8DvohL  Acyn (@Acyn) January 6, 2024

6.

Trump delivered a controversial history lesson on Saturday in Newton. Describing the Civil War as a tough one for our country and a hell of a time, Trump claimed the conflict  much like the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Hamas war  could have been avoided entirely if we had a master dealmaker like him in the White House back in 1861.

So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you, Trump said. I think you could have negotiated that. All the people died. So many people died.

Trump stopped short of directly blaming Abraham Lincoln, with whom he has a one-sided posthumous rivalry. But he did suggest concerns about his legacy may have played a factor in his decision not to cut a deal.

Abraham Lincoln, of course, if he negotiated it, you probably wouldnt even know who Abraham Lincoln was, Trump said. He wouldve been president, but he wouldve been president, and he would have been  he wouldnt have been the Abraham Lincoln.

Trump claims Civil War didn't have to happen: "You could've negotiated that ... this is something that could've been negotiated ... that was a tough one for our country ... if you negotiated it, you probably wouldn't even know who Abraham Lincoln was ... that would've been okay" pic.twitter.com/pmPSSTDhqv  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 6, 2024

5.

Back in 2022, Casey DeSantis posted a video that suggested God himself sent her husband, Ron DeSantis, to govern Florida. The ad was poorly received, and it partially inspired the Trump nickname Ron DeSanctimonious.

As it turns out, Trump doesnt think adapting radio legend Paul Harveys 1978 God Made a Farmer speech is generally cringey and blasphemous; his issue was that the DeSantis spot wasnt about him. As he headed to Iowa on Friday, Trump posted a fan-made version of the ad on Truth Social without clarifying when hes ever gotten up before dawn, worked all day, stayed in the Oval Office past midnight, or demonstrated that he has hands gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild.

GOD MADE TRUMP pic.twitter.com/l03fK9SSfC  Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 5, 2024

4.

Trump did impersonations depicting Biden as decrepit and confused at multiple events over the weekend, and on Friday in Sioux Center he claimed the president stuttered over the word democracy during his speech hours earlier.

Did you see him? He was stuttering through the whole thing, Trump said. Hes saying Im a threat to democracy.

Hes a threat to d-d-democracy, he added, pretending to stutter. Couldnt read the word.

Trump responds to Bidens speech by claiming that Biden stuttered through it. He then does his impression of people who stutter pic.twitter.com/DwZo4SITHA  Acyn (@Acyn) January 5, 2024

Trumps love of mocking peoples disabilities is always gross, and in this case it isnt even accurate. While Biden does have a stutter that hes worked to overcome, the Washington Post reported that he didnt stumble over the word on Friday: Biden said the word democracy 29 times in his speech, never stuttering over it.

3.

Incredibly, Trump impersonated the disabilities of two political foes this weekend. Yes, Trump has insulted Senator John McCain and his status as a war hero many times over the years, but bringing it up again in Iowa is still pretty wild! His impersonation of McCains skinny repeal vote wasnt accurate and McCain is no longer Trumps rival as he passed away in 2018.

Donald Trump mocks John McCain's injury sustained while a prisoner of war. McCain was unable to lift his arms above his shoulders.



"John McCain for some reason couldnt get his arm up that day." pic.twitter.com/RFTwP9sDxN  American Bridge 21st Century (@American_Bridge) January 6, 2024

2.

Trump spent the third anniversary of the Capitol riot spreading baseless claims about who perpetrated the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, casting the people charged over the attack as victims, and accusing Biden of being the real insurrectionist, though that makes no sense.

While defending Jan 6 defendants, Trump claims there was FBI leading the charge on Jan 6 pic.twitter.com/JPXvEx9qtm  Acyn (@Acyn) January 6, 2024

You know what they ought to do? Trump said in Clinton on Saturday. They ought to release the J6 hostages. Theyve suffered enough. I call them hostages. Some people call them prisoners. I call them hostages. Release the J6 hostages, Joe. Release them, Joe. You can do it real easy, Joe.

Calling for the release of the "J6 hostages" has become a regular part of Trump's speeches pic.twitter.com/gyK3SzZJw5  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 7, 2024

At another event in Newton, Trump said of migrants crossing the southern border, You talk about insurrection? Thats the real deal, contrasting that with the Capitol riot, which he said was done patriotically and peacefully.

1.

Last week a 17-year-old opened fire at his high school in Perry, killing 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff and injuring four other students and three staff members before turning his weapon on himself. During his speech in Sioux Center a day later, Trump said it was surprising to see such a thing happen in Iowa, but people need to find a way to get over it.

I want to send our support and our deepest sympathies to the victims and families touched by the terrible school shooting yesterday in Perry, Iowa, Trump said. Its just horrible, so surprising to see it here. But we have to get over it, we have to move forward.

Clearly Trump was trying to express his sympathies like a normal human capable of empathy. But he could not manage to do it without saying something bizarre and ghastly.
What happened?

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Virginia since January 1 for treatment following what Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said were complications from a minor elective medical procedure. The 70-year-old had that procedure done on December 22, according to the Pentagon, but began experiencing severe pain last week and was eventually admitted to Walter Reeds intensive care unit, where he then remained for four days.

On Tuesday, January 9, Austins doctors at Walter Reed finally issued a statement, revealing that the Defense Secretary had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent a successful surgery on December 22 to treat the cancer. Days after he returned home, Austin presented with symptoms of nausea and severe pain and it was later determined that he had an infection, prompting his admission to Walter Reed for additional treatment and evaluation. His doctors say Austin was never under general anesthesia during this time and was always conscious. Austin is expected to make a full recovery. However, its still not clear when he will be discharged.

Big new update from Secretary Austin's doctors, who say that Austin was diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer. in December, which led to an infection which he was treated at Walter Reed for last week: pic.twitter.com/mjlvjYnx7g  Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 9, 2024

What is clear is that senior leaders at the Pentagon and White House  including President Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks  didnt know about Austins hospitalization until days later. Multiple reports indicate that they werent informed about Austins condition and hospitalization until Thursday, January 4.

One reason for the delayed notification, according to the Pentagon, was that Austins chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, was also ill and not able to tell senior officials about Austins illness until January 4.

The Pentagon reportedly did not notify the White House about Austins December 22 procedure either:

The Pentagon did not inform the White House that Austin would be traveling to Walter Reed medical center to undergo an elective medical procedure on Dec 22, Pentagon Press Sec says. Austin transferred authorities to dep secdef Hicks during that procedure but she was not told why.  Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 8, 2024

More notably, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Biden only learned of Austins prostate cancer diagnosis Tuesday morning, despite the two reportedly speaking days earlier on Saturday.

It is not optimal for a situation like this to go as long as it did without the commander in chief knowing about it or the national security advisor knowing about it or, frankly, other leaders at the Department of Defense, Kirby said. Thats not the way this is supposed to happen.
Norway's national oil company Equinor has announced that it has sold its shares in two Azerbaijani oil fields and the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan oil pipeline to Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR and will exit from Azerbaijan after 30 years in the country.

"Equinor is in the process of reshaping its international oil and gas business, and the divestments in Azerbaijan are in line with our strategy to focus our international portfolio," said Philippe Mathieu, Equinor's executive vice-president for international exploration and production in a statement released on December 22.

In its statement on the purchase of Equinor's assets SOCAR confirmed only that it had signed an agreement to buy Equinor's assets in Azerbaijan and that "the transaction will be completed following compliance with all regulatory requirements and contractual obligations."

The oil field assets consist of a 7.27 percent stake in Azerbaijan's giant Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) oil field which produces the bulk of Azerbaijan's oil exports, and a 50 percent stake in the much smaller Karabakh oil field which has yet to start production. (Both oil fields are in the Caspian Sea.)

In addition, Equinor is selling its 8.71 percent stake in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline which runs from the Caspian through Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey's Mediterranean oil hub at Ceyhan, through which most of Azerbaijan's oil exports are made.

The purchase by SOCAR takes the state-owned company's stake in ACG to 32.27 percent, in the BTC pipeline to 33.71 percent and gives it complete ownership of the Karabakh field.

Neither company stated the price being paid for Equinor's assets.

However, the timing of the sale suggests that Equinor is selling at a point when it believes it can get the best price from the sale.

Crude oil prices are still higher than they have been for most of the past decade thanks to the disruption to global oil markets caused first by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, and more recently by Israel's invasion of Gaza and the attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

Similarly, security concerns for the safety of shipping in the Black Sea in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict have disrupted the flow of crude oil through the three pipelines which carry crude oil from the Caspian to the Black Sea.

BP last year halted exports of crude from Azerbaijan via its Baku-Supsa pipeline, exporting the oil via the BTC pipeline instead.

Similarly, Kazakhstan has reduced the volume of oil it sends by pipeline to Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, signing an agreement to send 1.5 million tons a year via the BTC pipeline instead, a volume which may well be increased if the war in Ukraine further threatens the safety of Black Sea shipping.

It also comes ahead of an anticipated boost in oil production from the ACG field thanks to the drilling of new wells, and with further new wells suggesting that the field could also produce natural gas.

The decision by SOCAR to purchase all of Equinor's assets suggests Baku is intent both on maximizing its returns from its main export revenue earner, and keeping close control on its main oil export route.

Azerbaijan's crude oil and natural gas exports are the country's main source of revenue, accounting for around 90 percent of export revenue and funding as much as 60 percent of the state's annual budget.

Hydrocarbons also supply 98 percent of the country's primary energy usage and generate around 90 percent of its electricity.

That dependence on fossil fuels is something Baku would like to change, with ambitious plans to develop its renewable energy resources both to meet growing domestic power demand and to export any excess power to Europe.

It's debatable whether Baku's commitment to renewables is primarily due to its Paris Agreement commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent from 1990 by 2030, or more to a desire to free up extra volumes of oil and gas for export.

Either way Azerbaijan will host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in November this year and has been concluding agreements with a host of international players aiming at tapping their experience of wind, solar and hydropower development.

The latest of these being Equinor itself, which as a parting gesture to Baku has signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to "share experience and best practice on low carbon solutions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon management."

SOCAR also interested in Lukoil refinery in Bulgaria

In addition to increasing its stake in Azerbaijan's ACG oil field, SOCAR is also showing interest in further expanding its operations "downstream."

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According to Azerbaijan's ambassador in Bulgaria, SOCAR may be interested in purchasing the Neftohim Burgas oil refinery near the Bulgarian port of Burgas, owned by Russia's Lukoil since 1999.

Lukoil announced on December 5 that it was thinking of selling the 9.5 million tons/year refinery and its other assets in Bulgaria.

The announcement was in response to the cancelation of a European Union waiver that allowed it to continue to refine Russian crude oil despite the ban on imports of Russian crude into the EU, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Lukoil's Bulgarian operations also include a chain of over 200 gas stations, nine fuel depots and businesses supplying marine and aviation fuels and lubricants.

SOCAR opened an office in the Bulgarian capital Sofia in April last year which currently only conducts natural gas trading.

If it was to purchase Lukoil's refinery, SOCAR would be able to supply it with crude oil from Azerbaijan which it exports to the Black Sea via the Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline.

By David OByrne via Eurasianet.org

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
(Photo : Unsplash/ Carl Raw)

Unity Software, a videogame software provider, is cutting off around 25% of its workforce, amounting to 1,800 jobs, as stated in a regulatory filing and internal memo on Monday.

Largest Layoff in Unity

While Unity, based in San Francisco, may not be widely known outside the gaming industry, its software toolkit is essential for over 1.1 million game creators each month, including those behind popular games like "Pokemon Go," "Beat Saber," and "Hearthstone."

Unity is undergoing its largest layoff, slated for completion by the end of March, that will impact all teams, regions, and business areas, as informed by the company to Reuters. These layoffs follow the announcement of a "company reset" in November.

"We are reducing the number of things we are doing in order to focus on our core business and drive our long-term success and profitability," Whitehurst wrote in the memo to Unity employees on Monday.

Whitehurst didn't detail specific structural changes, but a company spokesperson confirmed that more changes are coming. This marks the fourth round of layoffs since July 2022 after a challenging period for Unity.

"Runtime Fee" Policy

Last September, the company attempted to introduce a new pricing policy called "runtime fee," which imposed additional charges on game developers when specific revenue and install thresholds were reached. Due to a backlash from developers and a significant decline in the share price, the company revised and modified the new fees.

After the controversy, then-Unity CEO John Riccitiello retired. The company then appointed former IBM president Whitehurst as interim CEO and president, and Roelof Botha, a partner at Sequoia Capital, became the board chairman.

"Company Reset"

In November, Whitehurst revealed the initial phase of the company reset, which involved ending a contract with a visual effects company founded by the director of "Lord of the Rings," shutting down offices, and no longer requiring employees to work from offices. The layoffs on Monday represent the second part of this company reset.

READ ALSO: Enphase Energy Streamlining Operations, Initiates Workforce and Real Estate Footprint Reduction on "Tough Economy"

Unity, Well-Known for its "Game-Engine"

Established almost 20 years ago by three Danish engineers, Unity became well-known among game developers for its "game engine" that simplifies developing and publishing games on mobile and virtual reality. Beyond gaming, Unity's influence extends to film and automotive industries for 3D visualization and virtual reality. Following its IPO in 2020, Unity's stock peaked at around $200 in November 2021 but dropped below $30 last year.

Although the shares increased by over 40% for the year after Whitehurst revealed the company reset, Unity experienced a nearly 50% decline from July to the end of October, according to its third-quarter earnings report, where Unity fell short of analysts' expectations and refrained from providing quarterly guidance.

"Our results in the third quarter were mixed," Unity said in a letter to shareholders. "While revenue came in within guidance, we believe we can do better."

RELATED ARTICLE: Hasbro, The "Toy Giant" Announces Providence Office Closure, Plans to Lay Off 1,100 Employees As Part of "Global Business Enablement Project"

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The official handover of the lead operator role on one of the worlds biggest oil fields  West Qurna 1  from the U.S.s ExxonMobil to Chinas PetroChina was completed last week. However, unofficially China took control of the supergiant oil field from the moment at the end of June 2018 that ExxonMobil broke off talks with the Iraqi government about it being the lead partner in the countrys Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP) and began a strategic withdrawal from all Iraq energy projects, as did other Western energy firms. Chinese and Russian firms were happy to step into the project voids created. As a very high-ranking official from the Kremlin said recently at a meeting with senior government figures from Iran: By keeping the West out of energy deals in Iraq [] the end of Western hegemony in the Middle East will become the decisive chapter in the Wests final demise, a senior source who works closely with the European Unions energy security apparatus exclusively told OilPrice.com.

West Qurna 1 is located around 65 kilometres from southern Iraqs principal oil and export hub of Basra and holds a considerable portion of the estimated 43 billion barrels of recoverable reserves held in the entire supergiant West Qurna field. Originally, West Qurna 1 was thought to have around 9 billion barrels of these reserves, but early in 2021 Iraqs Oil Ministry revised its recoverable reserves estimate for the field up to a total of over 20 billion barrels. Given this, the Ministry increased the target for the present phase of development from the previous 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 700,000 bpd, with the field currently producing around 550,000 bpd. The Ministry also said at that time that although the original production plateau target of 2.825 million bpd (by the early 2030s) had been negotiated down to 1.6 million bpd during contract discussions with participating oil companies at the time, the plateau target may well be raised again in the coming five years.

The main companies involved in those discussions were PetroChina - the listed arm of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)  which then completed the purchase of a 32.7 percent stake in West Qurna 1, and ExxonMobil, which also took a 32.7 percent stake. Almost immediately, PetroChina sought to establish itself as the dominant force on the site. As analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order, the strategy employed to effectively sideline ExxonMobil is one that China has repeatedly used in similar situations across the Middle East, with a key element being the often surreptitious and gradual acquisition of a range of huge contract-only awards made to Chinese companies. The most notable of these early on was the November 2019 US$121 million engineering contract to upgrade the facilities that are used to extract gas during crude oil production to the China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corp. Similar contract-only deals have been done by China across Iraq, including for its supergiant Majnoon oil field, to another hitherto unheard-of Chinese firm - the Hilong Oil Service & Engineering Company.

This incremental loss of influence across the West Qurna 1 project was one of ExxonMobils problems. Another potentially far greater one emerged as the U.S. supermajor discussed its other major targeted deal in Iraq  the US$53 billion CSSP. At that time, both projects were to form a new core presence for the U.S. in Iraq based around cooperation in the energy sector with the Iraq authorities, following years of rising military and sectarian tensions across the country. The CSSP is the key to Iraqs being able to jump from its long-running oil production of around 4-4.5 million bpd to 7 million bpd, then 9 million bpd, and perhaps even 12 million bpd, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. This would allow it to become the worlds second-biggest crude oil producer, after the U.S. and ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia. The CSSP involves taking and treating seawater from the Persian Gulf and then transporting it via pipelines to oil production facilities in order to maintain pressure in oil fields to optimise their output and longevity. The basic plan for the Project is that it will be used initially to supply around six million bpd of water to at least five southern Basra fields and one in Maysan Province, and then built out for use in further fields. However, both the longstanding stalwart fields of Kirkuk and Rumaila  the former beginning production in the 1920s and the latter in the 1950s, with both having produced around 80 percent of Iraqs cumulative oil production  require major ongoing water injection. Although the water requirements for most of Iraqs oilfields fall between these two cases, the needs for oilfield injection are highest in southern Iraq, in which water resources are also the least available.

ExxonMobil was brought into the CSSP initiative when it was first announced in 2010, to take the lead in co-ordinating initial studies for the plan at a time when Baghdad was looking to raise its oil production capacity to 12 million bpd by 2018, to overtake Saudi Arabias output. The U.S. firm was then removed in 2012 when negotiations fell through, and replaced by the state-run South Oil Company. By that time, it had become increasingly clear to the Americans that the Project was infused with massive risks to it that far outweighed the admittedly considerable rewards. Fully detailed in my new book, suffice it to say here that there were three key elements to the risk/reward matrix that formed the basis of those negotiations between ExxonMobil and the Oil Ministry. These were cohesion, security, and streamlining, a senior source who works closely with the Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com at the time. Cohesion related to ensuring the facilities that are connected to the CSSP are completed in order and in full, security related to the on-the-ground security of personnel and to the basic soundness of the business and legal practices involved in the agreement, and streamlining meant that any deal should continue as agreed, regardless of any change in government in Iraq, he said. The basic problem was that the [Oil] Ministry and other officials connected with the CSSP expected to receive commissions for anything they did, which might look a lot like bribery if they ever came to light, but if the payments werent made then the project simply would not have progressed, he added. The standard commission here is 15 percent, but it can rise to 30 percent or more, so with the development cost having risen to US$53 billion, Exxon[Mobil] was looking at under-the-counter payments of nearly US$8 billion, and thats difficult to hide in any accounts, even if it wanted to do so, he told OilPrice.com.

According to the source (and corroborated to OilPrice.com by two other senior sources connected to Iraqs Oil Ministry at the time), ExxonMobil tried again in 2015 to reset negotiations with the Ministry back onto a normal business level by insisting that all the contracts relating to the CSSP were designed by independent Western risk experts and lawyers, and administered by independent Western accountants, but such demands came to nothing. Ultimately, Exxon[Mobil] was not willing to take the risk to its reputation or to that of the U.S. government, and could not move forward with the CSSP, and it was from that point that it also started to look seriously at getting out of West Qurna 1 as well, the source said.

CNPC then tried to take up the CSSP where ExxonMobil had left off  as part of a broad-based set of deals with Iraq that gave China huge discounts on oil and gas produced, as also analysed in depth in my new book - but made very little progress. Thereafter, no real progress was made until the Oil Ministry eventually agreed to allow Frances TotalEnergies to move ahead with it as part of a four-pronged US$27 billion deal. According to source close to the Ministry, the government again sought to inveigle the French supermajor into similar arrangements that it had tried on ExxonMobil, but TotalEnergies stood firm as well  which was why the deal was postponed repeatedly until it was recently ratified. How this will pan out for the French is uncertain, as the overall drift of Iraq into the China-Russia sphere of influence continues.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Iran and Iraq last week agreed to create a series of executive committees aimed at increasing cooperation in all areas of the energy sector and beyond. Given that the U.S. is now the worlds leading producer of crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas, many Americans may wonder why this matters. The answer is that the world runs on energy, most of the worlds energy resources are still in the Middle East, and the ongoing struggle to control them is a key determinant in how the world functions politically, including the U.S. Out of all the Middle Easts big oil and gas powers, Iran and Iraq are the most important, and closer cooperation between the two will either be a blessing or a curse, depending on which country is looking at the situation.

One of the reasons why Iran and Iraq are the two most important oil powers in the Middle East is that together they have the biggest oil and gas resources in the region by far, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. Iran has an estimated 157 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, nearly 10 percent of the worlds total. As great as its oil reserves are, its gas reserves are even greater, with Iran holding proven natural gas reserves of 1,193 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), 17 percent of the global total. Additionally, Iran has a high success rate of natural gas exploration, in terms of wildcat drilling, which is estimated at around 80 percent, compared to the world average success rate of 30-35 percent. In the face of huge ongoing sanctions, Iran produces around 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, and over 1 billion cubic metres per day (bcm/d) of gas. Realistically, it could increase oil production to 6 million bpd within three years at most, and to 1.5 bcm/d within the same period, with relatively modest investment, technical upgrades, and development discipline. Its unofficial oil and gas reserve estimates are much higher and are likely to be proven accurate over time. The same is true for Iraq, but officially it still has about 145 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, around 8 percent of the worlds total. With the same caveats as with Iran, it could realistically increase oil production to 7 million bpd within three years at most, and then to 9 million bpd, and possibly then to 12 million bpd. Little has been done to truly assess or develop its associated and non-associated gas reserves, but they are likely to be on a similar scale to Irans. The fact that Iran and Iraq share many of their largest oil reservoirs also increases the strength of their alliance, and their importance. By dint of these shared fields, Iran has long been able to send as much oil and gas as it wants to virtually anywhere it likes through several methods analysed in full in my new book. Related: U.S. Defense Official Visits Guyana Over Threat To Oil-Rich Essequibo

The second reason why the two countries are the most important energy powers in the Middle East is that that literally form the geographic centre of the entire region, marking a gateway from the Far East into Europe to the northwest and into Africa to the southwest. This makes them key to the success of Chinas economic and military multi-generational power-grab Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and to Russias political and military ambitions along the east coast of the Mediterranean, both of which are also analysed in detail in my new book on the new global oil market order. One long-running ambition on Irans part, and also Russias, has been to use Iran and Iraq to create a permanent land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea by which it could exponentially increase the scale and scope of weapons delivery into southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights area of Syria. These would have a huge force multiplier effect for Irans own Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria - and for its proxy Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine  to use in attacks on Israel. The aim of this on Irans part is to unite the worlds Islamic countries against what it believes to be an existential battle against the broadly Judeo-Christian democratic alliance of the West, with the U.S. at its centre.

Russias interest alongside Iran in such a land bridge plan aligns with Moscows broad foreign policy objective of creating chaos where possible, into which it can eventually project its own solutions. Under the Russian- and Iranian-backed regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria has four huge strategic advantages to Russia, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. First, it is the biggest country on the western side of the Shia Crescent of Power, which Russia has been developing for years as a counterpoint to the U.S.s own sphere of influence that had been centred on Saudi Arabia (for hydrocarbons supplies) and Israel (for military and intelligence assets). Second, it offers a long Mediterranean coastline from which Russia can send oil and gas products (either its own or those of its allies, notably Iran) for cash export, plus weapons and other military items for political export. Third, it is a vital Russian military hub, with one major naval port (Tartus), one major air force base (Latakia) and one major listening station (just outside Latakia). And fourth, it shows the rest of the Middle East that Russia can and will act decisively on the side of the autocratic dynasties across the region.

The heavy influence of Iran and Iraq over the Shia Crescent of Power, as also detailed in my new book, is the third broader reason why they are the two most important countries in the region. As the principal Shia power in the world, Iran is at the very centre of this Crescent, but its influence through its political, economic, religious, and military proxies over the non-sanctioned Iraq allows its much greater freedom to project each of these levers of power out into the wider world. Iran (with Iraqs help) is already in a dominant position in three of the key countries in the Shia Crescent - Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. It continues to push its political messaging, with Russias assistance, into those countries on the edges of the Crescent in which it already directly or indirectly has a foothold. These notably include Azerbaijan (75 percent Shia and a Former Soviet Union state) and Turkey (25 percent Shia, still furious at not being fully accepted into the European Union, and an increasingly robust ally of Russia).

For China and Russia, control over Iran (and therefore over Iraq too), has brought with it a plethora of positive geopolitical advantages, especially since the U.S. broadly left the region entirely at the end of 2021 when it ended its combat mission in Iraq. One such advantage  currently being highlighted in the major disruptions to shipping around the Red Sea  is that they have control over the key oil and LNG shipping routes around the Middle East. The problem for ships of countries seen as aligned supposedly to Israel (but in reality to the U.S. and its allies) actually begins before the Red Sea is reached  in fact, somewhere east of the Oman coast of the Arabian Sea, which then flows into the Gulf of Aden, on the south coast of Yemen. It is at this juncture that ships must pass through the crucial chokepoint of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This 16-mile-width waterway flows between the west coast of Yemen on the one side, and the east coasts initially of Djibouti and then of Eritrea on the other, before it joins the Red Sea.

Through its influence over Iran  cemented in the all-encompassing Iran-China 25-Year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, as first revealed anywhere in the world in my 3 September 2019 article on the subject and also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order - China has been able to control much of what happens through these vital shipping routes. The 25-year deal with Iran gave China enormous influence over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 30 percent of the worlds oil travels. The same deal also gave it a major hold over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (controlled on the Yemen side by the Iran-backed Houthis), and on the other side by Djibouti and Eritrea (both of which owe money to Beijing as part of Belt and Road Initiative-related loans made to them). At the moment, China appears to be using this influence to reduce the chances of a dramatic widening out of the Israel-Hamas War but how long this will last remains to be seen.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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In a major move by Beijing which appears timed to send a strong message just ahead of Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13, China has unveiled sanctions against five American defense firms.

The targeted companies are involved in recent and ongoing US arms deals and sales to the self-ruled island of Taiwan. They've been named in Chinese state media as BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat and Data Link Solutions.

A Sunday statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the sanctions are "In response to these gravely wrong actions taken by the US." It said recent arms sales "seriously harm China's sovereignty and security interests, undermine the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

China has of late ramped up its anti-independence messaging, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in his annual New Year's Eve address stressing that Taiwan would "surely be reunified" with the mainland.

The US State Department just last month approved the latest US-Taiwan deal, a $300 million sale of military equipment for Taiwan's defense information technology sector.

But these new sanctions are being widely seen as mostly symbolic, given these major defense firms don't typically do business in China to begin with.

"The sanctions will freeze any property the companies have in China and prohibit organizations and individuals in China from doing business with them," the Foreign Ministry specified in an online statement.

Beijing is also sending strong signals to the United Kingdom as well with the following surprise, and very bold move:

China has detained the head of an overseas consulting firm for allegedly spying on the Asian nation for the British government, putting renewed focus on an industry targeted by Beijings national security crackdown. Chinas spy agency said Monday that the U.K.s MI6 intelligence service employed the consultant from a third country to carry out espionage activities. The alleged spy, surnamed Huang, provided the U.K. with state secrets and intelligence, according to the Ministry of State Securitys [MSS] official WeChat account.

The MSS alleges the man "entered China several times under instructions to use their public profile as a cover to collect China-related intelligence for Britain... and seek other personnel whom MI6 could turn." China is also claiming to have evidence of Huang's spy activities.

The MI6 building in London, via Reuters

This is but the latest in the long-running tit-for-tat wherein business dealings between the West and China threaten to be severely eroded, also given deepening mistrust, as each side alleges their business executives are targeted by hostile foreign security services.

* * *

Below is a Taiwan election review and what's at stake and what to watch, based on Foreign Policy's 5 Predictions for China in 2024, [emphasis ZH]...

"Taiwan holds a presidential election on Jan. 13, and the year could start with a small crisis in the straits. 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 would ire Beijing; he is an advocate for a more independent Taiwan and strongly opposed to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

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Although Lai has said he wont call for formal Taiwanese independence or drop the Republic of China namea red line for Beijinghe has also said that Taiwans sovereignty is a fact and reminded his fellow candidates that by Beijings standards, they are all pro-independence.

A Lai victory would likely prompt aggressive moves from Beijing, including naval maneuvers and airspace intrusions. Reports last week about comments made by Xi to U.S. President Joe Biden about reunification with Taiwan when they met in November stirred some panic in Washington, but an invasion remains highly unlikely. It would be risky and difficult, especially when China is struggling with other crises.

Even a victory for Taiwans opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Jan. 13 may cause some problems. The KMT is more pro-China than the DPP, but it would hardly hand the keys to the island over to Beijing. Chinese officials might overestimate the significance of a KMT election win, seeing it as a sign of Chinas influence in Taiwan. Although 17 percent of Taiwanese voters said in a recent survey that China is their main concern, more than twice that number picked the economy."

By Zerohedge.com

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China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, has found oil and gas at a shale exploration well in the Sichuan province in the southwest, estimating that the initial flows could lead to the discovery of around 100 million metric tons of hydrocarbons.

The Xingye-9 exploration well in the Chongqing municipality tested a daily flow of 108.15 cubic meters of oil and 15,800 cubic meters of natural gas, Sinopec said on Tuesday in a statement carried by Reuters.

The Sichuan province in southwestern China is estimated to hold a large part of Chinas shale gas resources.

Chinese state oil and gas giants have stepped up exploration efforts in China in recent years, in line with a government policy to boost reserves and production to help reduce dependence on imports.

A new shale gas field in the Sichuan basin contains as much as 146 billion cubic meters (bcm) of certified proven natural gas reserves, Sinopec said at the end of 2022.

In November 2023, Sinopec announced the first oil and gas flows from the deepest onshore well in Asia, which had been recently completed. The well depth is 9,432 meters (30,945 ft)a new record set for the deepest onshore well in Asia.

While Chinese giants increase exploration in the shale basins and in conventional locations, the much deeper location of the shale oil and gas reserves in China makes extraction more challenging than in the U.S., for example.

Although China is estimated to have a high volume of shale gas resources, topping even those in the United States, its shale gas boom has not yet materialized. Unlike in the U.S., the development of shale gas resources in China is much more difficult due to more complex geography and a lack of adequate infrastructure to the remote mountainous regions where most of the Chinese shale resources lie. Drilling for shale gas in China requires deeper wells, while fracturing is also tricky because of the mountain terrain and geological constraints.

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By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Hungary plans $2 billion worth of infrastructure investment in its second-biggest city as the country looks to become a top manufacturing hub for EV batteries and vehicles in Europe.

Hungary will invest 700 billion Hungarian forints, or around $2 billion, to improve road and transport infrastructure and water and waste management in and near Debrecen, the countrys second-largest city after the capital city Budapest, Hungarian Construction Minister Janos Lazar said at a press briefing on Tuesday, as carried by Bloomberg.

The infrastructure investments would be on top of the direct subsidies to companies with plants in the region, including BMW and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), the Hungarian minister added.

In 2022, CATL said it would invest $8.1 billion (7.34 billion euros) to build a 100 GWh battery plant in Debrecen, which is CATLs second battery plant in Europe after a manufacturing facility in Germany. CATLs project was planned to supply both cells and modules to European automakers.

BMW Group, for its part, announced in 2022 that it is building a high-voltage battery assembly for the vehicles of the NEUE KLASSE at its Debrecen site in Hungary.

BMW expects to create more than 500 additional jobs and invest more than $2.2 billion (2 billion euros) in the construction and launch of the entire plant by the end of 2025.

Hungary is also attracting EV manufacturers from outside the EU.

Chinas top electric vehicle maker BYD said last month it would build its first European production factory in Hungary. The plant will be built near the southern city of Szeged, and is expected to create thousands of jobs, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto

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The plant will be one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history, the minister said, noting that the Hungarian government would provide financial incentives to BYD for building the plant.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
Environmentalists received a blow this week as Norways parliament agreed to allow Arctic seabed exploration to mine for critical minerals as it attempted to shift away from its reliance on oil and gas.

The decision could make Norway the first country in the world to commercialize deep-sea mining to harvest critical minerals as the electrification-of-everything push gets underway.

Norway did not specify when exploration of the Arctic seabed would commence, but it did say that an application process would be used to assign exclusive exploration and extraction rights of specific areas to companies.

Norways Energy Minister Terje Aasland told parliament, Were now going to see if this can be done in a sustainable manner, and that is the step we have taken now.

The mineral exploration and extraction award process will be fashioned after the countrys oil and gas exploration processbut sources told Reuters that the method for taxing critical minerals exploration and extraction have yet to be determined and will come later.

The vote was mainly in line with an unofficial deal reached between the government and opposition parties in Decemberthe latter of which argued that this deep-sea mining would hamper biodiversity. But Tuesdays deal does set stricter environmental standards than what was originally agreed upon.

Last year around this time, Norway conducted a survey that determined that a substantial amount of metals and minerals was present, including a staggering 38 million tonnes of copper. According to the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Nordic bedrock hosts over 43 million tons of economically viable deposits of rare earth minerals. Finland, Sweden, and Norway are among the top eight countries favorable for critical minerals and battery supply chain development as per Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

De-risking has become the new goal of many governments, who for now, are reliant on China for critical minerals.

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By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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As tensions with Venezuela continue to simmer over President Nicolas Maduros attempt to annex oil-rich Essequibo from Guyana, the U.S. is sending a top defense official to Guyana to discuss the situation.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere Daniel P. Erikson is visiting Guyana on Monday and Tuesday in what the U.S. Embassy in Guyana referred to as a push for a bilateral defense and security partnership in support of regional stability. Erikson will be meeting with the Guyanese government and military leaders, as well as with the regional bloc, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

In December, Guyana and Venezuela vowed to avoid the use of force in the dispute, which escalated earlier last month after Maduro held a referendum to annex Essequibo, then vowing to force the exit of foreign oil producers who refused to comply.

The Venezuelan parliament has yet to pass a law establishing Venezuelas jurisdiction over the Essequibo region, which represents two-thirds of the territory of Guyana and is where its oil riches are concentrated.

Maduro is facing elections this year, and there has been significant speculation that the subject of the rightful ownership of Essequiboa popular topic among Venezuelansis being used to create a state-of-emergency situation that could justify the postponing of the elections.

In the meantime, an easing of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, which remains in place despite Maduros moves on Essequibo, where Exxon has made massive discoveries offshore, Venezuelas oil exports rose 12% last year, reaching nearly 700,000 barrels per day.

However, this pace of increase of crude oil exports remains slower than last year, with gains limited in part by a lack of investment necessary to boost production, Reuters reports.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Warm temperatures kept the worst of the winter snow storm at bay in the Omaha area on Monday as meteorologists revised their forecasts.

But many Omaha-area schools already announced plans to be closed for a second day amid concerns about conditions on Tuesday.

An original forecast that projected 7 to 11 inches of snow for the metro area has been knocked down to around 4 inches. Much of that wasnt expected to accumulate until after sunset on Monday, said Taylor Nicolaisen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Valley.

Temperatures that hovered slightly above freezing during the day on Monday kept the snow from piling up.

For basically Omaha, the eastern tier of counties in Nebraska and then parts of southwestern Iowa, its just a little bit too warm, Nicolaisen said. Weve been seeing the roads melting any snow that falls. A lot of it has actually been falling as rain.

Nicolaisen said some reports from west Omaha reported one to two inches of snow during the day on Monday, while snow accumulation was close to zero in the downtown area. Lincoln had about 1 inches of snow.

Areas west of Omaha reported significantly more snow on Monday. Several reports from Columbus showed that 7 to 10 inches had fallen on the small city about 85 miles northwest of Omaha. A report from Norfolk recorded nine inches. One report from Yankton, South Dakota, reported 10 inches. The Nebraska towns of Beatrice, Hebron and Fairbury each had reports of seven inches of snow.

Significant portions of Interstate 80 between Grand Island and North Platte closed due to whiteout conditions, including an approximately 78-mile stretch between Grand Island and Lexington. Before the interstates closure, Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded to dozen of weather-related incidents involving motorists. One incident included a semitrailer truck that jack-knifed across both lanes of westbound traffic on Interstate 80 near Lexington.

U.S. Highway 30, which parallels I-80 in that part of the state, was also impassible between Grand Island and Lexington.

Nicolaisen described the winter storm as pretty powerful and one that is expected to limit visibility into Tuesday with strong winds. Gusts are expected to reach 35 to 40 miles per hour. The strong winds are expected create near blizzard conditions especially in areas located south and west of Lincoln.

In anticipation of the snow, Omaha street crews had pre-treated the citys streets with brine to make for easier plowing. All hands were on deck among the citys snow removal crews and contractors to keep the citys roads passable. Austin Rowser, a city engineer, told reporters the city had about 110 plows ready to work all day and night on Monday.

The storm threat caused many metro area schools to announce Monday evening that they would be closed Tuesday, just as they had canceled in-person classes on Sunday ahead of what turned out to be tame conditions on Monday.

The districts and schools planning to be closed Tuesday included Omaha, Millard, Gretna, Ralston, Bellevue, Westside, Douglas County and Omaha Catholic Schools, with more announcements expected before morning.

The City of Blair declared a snow emergency from early Monday afternoon to 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The Iowa town of Underwood in Pottawattamie County also declared a snow emergency that will last until 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The Douglas County Health Department has also extended a deadline for food and drink establishments to pay their permit fees for this year without penalty to Friday. The deadline was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

Near Yankton, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased the discharge of water at Gavins Point Dam from the typical winter level of 13,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000 cubic feet per second at 12 p.m. on Monday. The Corps of Engineers said the increase in the dams discharge would lessen the chances of ice jams forming.

One silver lining to the winter storm is that it brought much needed precipitation even to areas that didnt receive significant snowfall. As of Monday afternoon, the Omaha area had one-tenth of an inch of precipitation. Meanwhile, Lincoln had one-third of an inch of moisture. Norfolk had one-quarter of an inch.

Were appreciative of the moisture, Nicolaisen said. Its been getting dry. We can really make up some ground here with some rain and snow. Thats been the silver lining.

Photos: Winter storm hits the Omaha area
A lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Labor against a Hastings meat processing company recovered $230,000 for more than 500 employees who were denied compensation for work completed before and after their shifts.

Last November, the Department filed a federal lawsuit against Noahs Ark Processors LLC, a kosher meatpacking plant and slaughterhouse based in Hastings, alleging that 545 employees were not paid for pre- and post-shift work such as taking on and off protective equipment and cleaning knives. Noahs Ark utilized a gang time policy in which employees were only paid for the time that the entire production line was running.

Under defendants gang time policy, the employee at the very end of the production line starts getting paid when the employee at the beginning of the production line starts working, and then the employee at the beginning of the production lines stops getting paid when the employee at the end of the production line stops working, the departments complaint reads.

Within weeks of the initial filing, Noahs Ark agreed to a settlement in which they would pay a total of $230,000 to employees who were affected by the policy from September 2021 through February 2023. The company also agreed to a court order requiring them to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act in the future.

The federal courts ruling reinforces that employers must pay their workers for time preparing for and completing shift work, Marietta Taylor, the Wage and Hour Division District Director in Des Moines, said in a statement. These compensable minutes each day add up to real dollars in workers pockets.

Noahs Ark Processing is no stranger to scrutiny from courts and enforcement agencies. Since 2018, the plant has been in a prolonged legal battle with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union No. 293, the union representing workers at the plant. The company has repeatedly been found in contempt of court for refusing to bargain with the union, and the National Labor Relations Board found in 2023 that, when the company did bargain, they did so in bad faith.

As a result of the 2023 findings, the company was again ordered to bargain in good faith with the union. The company appealed the enforcement order to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in the case in December.

In 2022, the company pleaded no contest to three criminal counts of failing to file required workers compensation paperwork, a practice that the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office said was done to avoid increased insurance premiums. In 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union unsuccessfully attempted to sue the plant for negligence because of treacherous COVID-19 policies. And in 2019, the Occupational Safety and Health Organization ordered the plant to pay more than $180,000 for 16 serious safety violations after an employee suffered severe ammonia burns.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024
(Photo : Unsplash/Alexandre Pellaes)

Microsoft initiated "AI Odyssey," a one-month program to train 100,000 Indian developers in AI, accessible to all AI enthusiasts, regardless of background or industry experience.

One-Month AI Odyssey Program

The AI Odyssey program aims to provide developers with extensive education on AI technologies aligned with business goals that will empower them to undertake crucial projects. Those interested can register for free at aka.ms/AIOdyssey to access online learning modules and resources. The one-month program consists of two levels and must be completed by January 31, 2024.

"India needs a skilled workforce that can use AI to solve complex problems and create value as AI revolutionizes our work and life," says Microsoft.

Microsoft emphasizes the importance of a skilled workforce in India to harness AI for solving complex problems and creating value. The AI Odyssey program provides developers with opportunities to contribute to India's growth by building solutions and showcasing their talent in addressing real-world problems.

READ ALSO: Companies Invest Millions for AI Workforce Integration, Anticipating Extended ROI Beyond A Year

Initial Course

The initial course level demonstrates the utilization of Azure AI services for creating and implementing AI products across different scenarios. Participants can access practical resources such as code samples and guides to enhance their skills.

Second Course

In the second level, an online assessment with interactive lab tasks will evaluate participants, and successful completion will earn them Microsoft Applied Skills credentials.

AI is the future of innovation, and India is at the forefront with its tech talent. The Microsoft Applied Skills credential can showcase developers' competence and creativity in sought-after AI skills and scenarios. In a statement released to the press, Microsoft India's Managing Director, Irina Ghose, encourages developers to join in creating meaningful AI solutions that contribute to India's economy.

Participants who complete both levels will get a chance to join the Microsoft AI Tour, "Participants completing both the levels of challenges will also stand a chance to win a VIP Pass to attend the Microsoft AI Tour in Bangalore on February 8, 2024, and witness the revolutionary impact of generative AI," says Microsoft.

Microsoft's AI Tour highlights how generative AI can create new forms of creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. It will include keynote sessions, demos, and workshops to offer developers opportunities to learn from Microsoft experts and partners and network with peers.

Microsoft India's Priority in AI Fluency

In an interview with the Economic Times, Puneet Chandok, Microsoft India president, emphasized the priority of promoting "AI fluency" in the country. In 2024, Chandok also mentioned that Microsoft plans to collaborate with the government to train 3 million government officers in AI fluency.

Microsoft operates in India's ten cities with more than 20,000 employees involved in sales, marketing, research, development, customer support, and industry solutions. The company invested $13 billion in the U.S.-based AI startup OpenAI and plans to introduce approximately 100 new AI-powered products and services in the coming years.

RELATED ARTICLE: Microsoft Takes Proactive Approach, Collaborates with Labor Unions to Address AI's Impact on Workers

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers ended a snowy fourth day of the 2024 legislative session with a three-hour public hearing on 34 proposed rules changes.

The Nebraska Legislature doesnt typically consider permanent rules changes on the second session of a biennial, but this year proved to be an exception, coming off of an unprecedented session in 2023. Combined with the record-breaking 52 rules proposals that year, that brings the total rules changes requested during the 108th Legislature to 86.

Debate stalled at multiple points last session due to extended filibusters and differing interpretations of existing rules. Many of this years proposed changes involved ways to avoid a repeat of last year, but some were intended to hold lawmakers accountable for their votes.

State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, chair of the Rules Committee, said he expects the committee to discuss and possibly vote on the proposals as early as Tuesday. Speaker of the Legislature John Arch said floor debate on the rules is scheduled for later this week, and he hopes to conclude the debate by Jan. 19.

Erdman and Arch accounted for the vast majority of the rules proposals, offering 28 changes between them. Both suggested several changes that would make extensive filibustering more difficult.

Both Arch and Erdman are calling for limits on legislative tactics intended to slow debate, and proposed making permanent the temporary change put in place last year. It limited priority motions  including motions to postpone debate to a future date, postpone a bill indefinitely or move a bill back to its committee  to one of each motion per bill per day.

Arch and Erdman slightly tweaked the proposed change this year to limit it to one of each priority motion per bill for each stage of debate, each of which can sometimes span multiple days. Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington expressed concern that lawmakers supporting a bill could game the system by offering and then withdrawing their priority motion  thus preventing efforts to postpone a bill or move it back to committee.

Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha proposed a potential solution to that through a separate rules change that would allow priority motions be withdrawn only through a majority vote or unanimous consent. But this brought up new concerns about whether it would give the majority too much power.

I think theres a way to marry the two, DeBoer said.

Arch also proposed banning debate on enrollment and review amendments, which consist of minor technical and grammatical changes.

Erdman proposed that a lawmaker could call the question to attempt to stop debate and move to a vote at any stage of debate. Currently, the presiding officer can decide that a full and fair debate has not yet occurred and reject that call. Erdman also suggested that priority motions could only be considered if supported by a show of five hands or more.

Several Erdman proposals dealt with voting, including eliminating secret ballot voting for committee leadership elections. He also called for a change to cloture rules to not count senators who are excused or present-not-voting, which would effectively make it easier to get to the two-thirds threshold needed to end a filibuster.

Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha proposed a requirement that senators could only vote yes or no during the final round of debate on a bill, with no option to abstain. This proposal saw support from testifier Allie French with Nebraskans Against Government Overreach, who said it would improve transparency to let Nebraskans know where all lawmakers stand on an issue.

As a voter, somebody who elects my representatives, I expect you guys to kind of vote yes or no, French said. I think its been a shirking of responsibility to have present-not-voting as an option.

While the hearing drew minimal testimony overall, Erdmans proposals attracted the most criticism. Several representatives of news groups opposed his proposal to exclude members of the news media from executive sessions.

Multiple other testifiers opposed a different Erdman proposal that would remove the current requirement that no more than five members of the Legislatures redistricting committee come from the same political party, and that the chair and vice chair of the committee be of different parties. Erdman said this change would preserve the nonpartisan nature of the body, but opponents argued it would actually open the door for further party politics.

Gavin Geis, executive director for Common Cause Nebraska, said the current rules serve as a safeguard that ensures a balanced approach to redistricting, a process that has received heavy scrutiny across the country for over-politicization.

The removal of party registration as a factor in selecting committee members may lead to a lack of diversity in thought and perspective, resulting in skewed representation that doesnt accurately (represent) the political landscape of our state, Geis said.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Secretary of States Office is reviewing a request from a state lawmaker to remove a voter referendum from the November ballot that could repeal a bill she proposed.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area sent the letter to the office on Monday, alleging that the referendum violates the Nebraska Constitution. Organizers of the referendum pushed back against her claim, noting that the secretary of state already validated that the initiative met all constitutional and statutory requirements when the petition was certified.

The referendum seeks to repeal Legislative Bill 753, which established dollar-for-dollar tax credits for individuals and entities that make donations to scholarship funds that help students attend private and parochial schools. Linehan had proposed similar measures for years and finally got the bill passed in 2023.

The legislation drew heavy scrutiny last session. The most notable opponents were public school educators, who argued that the bill would deplete funding for public education and give the biggest tax benefits to wealthy Nebraskans.

Shortly after Gov. Jim Pillen signed the bill, a new group called Support Our Schools Nebraska launched a petition drive to force a vote to repeal the bill in the November 2024 general election. That petition drive was successful, with the Secretary of States Office announcing in October that the group gathered roughly 30,000 signatures more than the minimum required to place the issue on the ballot.

The three-month petition drive was contentious, with another new group called Keep Kids First working to discourage people from signing the petition. Linehan, who is affiliated with Keep Kids First, has said petitioners misled the public in an effort to gather signatures.

But that wasnt the reason Linehan requested the referendums removal from the ballot. Her letter said the referendum violates a section of the Nebraska Constitution that explicitly places the power of taxation in the hands of the Legislature.

While I respect the petition process including the power of referendum, if this existing revenue measure adopted by the Legislature can be repealed by referendum, the ability to set revenue policy would be undermined, Linehan said in the letter.

One article of the state constitution says the necessary revenue of the state and its governmental subdivisions shall be raised by taxation in such manner as the Legislature may direct.

Linehan also cited a separate statute that states: The Secretary of State shall not accept for filing any initiative or referendum petition which interferes with the legislative prerogative contained in the Constitution of Nebraska that the necessary revenue of the state and its governmental subdivisions shall be raised by taxation in the manner as the Legislature may direct.

In the past, a number of ballot questions have involved tax policy. In 1950, for example, voters repealed an increase to the gas tax, and repealed an increase in vehicle registration fees.

And in 1990, voters rejected a referendum that would have repealed a law that established Nebraskas current school aid formula and increased sales and income taxes.

Jenni Benson, sponsor of Support Our Schools, said in a statement that Linehans letter represents an attempt to prevent Nebraska voters from weighing in on her bill. Benson also said her group doesnt plan to back down.

Sen. Linehan has made it clear that she and her billionaire buddies are afraid to let Nebraskans vote on whether to repeal LB753, Benson said. They failed miserably in their attempt to derail the petition drive. They will attempt everything they can to try to deny Nebraska voters the right to vote on this issue.

The OpenSky Policy Institute also criticized Linehans request.

Preventing voters from weighing in on state revenue policy undermines democracy, stifles public participation and removes a check on elected officials that is a hallmark of Nebraskas unicameral system, said OpenSkys executive director, Rebecca Firestone.

The Secretary of States Office did not specify when it expects to have a decision.

No matter what, Linehan said, she anticipates this matter will lead to a battle in the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Photos: Nebraska Legislature, Jan. 4, 2024
LINCOLN  Gov. Jim Pillen stepped back Monday from a proposal to deliver property tax relief by raising the state sales tax rate to a nation-high 7.5 cents, while reiterating his vow to cut property taxes by 40% this year.

The governor said he is working with the Legislature to find a way to reduce the amount Nebraskans pay in property taxes by $2 billion. But at a press conference following the Legislatures adjournment for the day, he acknowledged that he has not found the answer yet.

Whatever the plan is to get there, Im 100% behind it, he said. Im working very, very hard to make sure that were unified and that we can come away with a solution thats going to allow 33 votes. We dont have that exactly spelled out.

Last week, Pillen floated a plan to reach the 40% goal by raising the state sales tax rate 2 cents and boosting cigarette taxes $2 a pack, along with some smaller tax changes. The plan called for using the new revenue to replace about $1 billion of property taxes levied each year by schools and other local governments.

Together with proposed caps on property tax collections by local governments and legislation passed last year, the proposal would reduce the amount of property taxes paid statewide by an estimated $2 billion, according to an outline from the Governors Office.

The plan faced immediate pushback, especially to the proposed tax increases. Advertisements from the conservative Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska suggested the 36% increase in state sales taxes would make Nebraska like California.

On Monday, Pillen would not say whether he still wants to see a sales tax hike, although he said items subject to sales taxes are items that none of us Nebraskans need. Its not anything in the grocery store. Its not anything thats essential for any of us.

The governor also said he wants to have a conversation about ending some sales tax exemptions, which could bring in more revenue without raising rates. When asked, he did not provide any examples of exemptions that he would do away with. Past attempts to end all or some sales tax exemptions have proven fruitless.

Pillen expressed confidence about reaching his goal this year, even though only six days remain for drafting and introducing legislation in the 2024 legislative session.

We have plenty of time, he said.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, introduced 37 new bills Monday morning. Here are the highlights of those measures:

Education  State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, a former educator, introduced several of the days education-related bills. Among them was Legislative Bill 1055, which calls on the Nebraska Department of Education to create a training system for teachers and early childhood educators who teach reading to students up to fifth grade. It would also set up assistance for adult education organizations that teach literacy and other skills, and employ a literacy coordinator for the department.

LB 1052, another Walz bill, would allow teachers at any approved or accredited schools to apply to the department for up to $300 reimbursement to pay for school supplies they purchased. Walz also proposed an extended career retention grant to expand a teacher grant program she helped pass in 2022 through LB 1053.

LB 1050, introduced by Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, would require school districts have free menstrual products available in all school bathrooms, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The products would be supplied by the education department.

Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City introduced other education bills, including LB 1064 that would end tenure for faculty members at the University of Nebraska, state colleges and community colleges. He said he thinks tenure, which was created to protect academic freedom, has outlived its usefulness and that the change would allow colleges to get rid of faculty who are not pulling their weight.

Two other Lippincott bills relate to religion in K-12 schools. Under LB 1065, school districts could hire a chaplain to work as a school counselor, regardless of whether the chaplain is certified. He said the idea could help with staff shortages.

Under LB 1066, K-12 students could take elective religious courses off school property during school hours and potentially get credit for the classes. Lippincott compared the idea to letting students do career-oriented activities away from school during the school day. The bill would prohibit religious curriculums that undeniably promote licentiousness or practices that are inconsistent with school policy.

Taxes  Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, the appropriations chair, introduced LB 1067 to phase out the states inheritance tax, a measure long pushed for by conservative advocates. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by someone who inherits money or property, with the tax rates varying depending on their relationship to the deceased.

The measure also would reinstate a program under which the state would reimburse counties for holding state prisoners in their jails. Clements said the reimbursements would not be worth as much as the loss of inheritance tax but would help out counties.

Electors  The certificates appointing Nebraskas presidential electors would have to carry a special security feature under LB 1068, introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the chairman of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. The certificates are sent out by the governors office following presidential elections.

The bill also would do away with the requirement that the electors meet in the governors office to cast their votes and would allow the governor to set the location. The electors met in a State Capitol hearing room in 2020.

Reparations  LB 1044, introduced by Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, would create a task force to consider reparation proposals for African Americans as a result of slavery and continued discrimination in the United States. The bill would create a fund to help the group study such reparations, at least partially using dollars from the marijuana and controlled substances tax fund.

Nebraska became a state in 1867, after the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, but there were slaves in the state before then. McKinney said Nebraska reaped benefits from being part of a country built in part through enslaving people. He also said the impacts of slavery lasted longer than the institution itself.

I think every state in America should be held accountable, he said. The debt has never been paid.

Evictions  LB 1046, from Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha, would appoint an attorney to represent residents within the Omaha Housing Authority when contesting an eviction, unless that resident already has counsel. When Douglas County saw evictions spike last year, multiple advocates pointed out that tenants rarely have lawyers to represent them in evictions court, while landlords often do.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify the impacts of LB 1046.
File Photo

Tom Awhana, the former Head of Chambers for the Law Office of Mr. Mogbeyi Sagay, a late Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was on arraigned on Friday at an Ikeja Special Offences Court for stealing N188.7 million belonging to the law firm of the late senior lawyer.

Awhana was arraigned alongside Paul Okoro a former lawyer in the law firm who is also accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of stealing N3.6million from the firm.

Awhana and Okoro pleaded not guilty to a joint charge of conspiracy to steal.

Okoro denied the charge of stealing while Awhana pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge of stealing.

According to the EFCC, Awhana was the Head of Chambers of the law firm of Mogbeyi Sagay and Co. from 2010 to 2018.

Sagay his Principal, died in 2012.

He was made signatory to the law firms Zenith Bank Account alongside three administrators of the late SANs estate.

It was allegedly mandated that three persons out of the four administrators can withdraw from the bank account with the cheque booklet of the Zenith Bank account in Awhanas possession.

The prosecution said that unknown to the staff of the firm, other administrators and the consultant to the law firm, Awhana opened other secret bank accounts in the name of Mogbeyi Sagay (SAN) and Co. in FCMB, Union Bank and Heritage Bank Plc.

The first defendant (Awhana) is alleged to have diverted drawn cheques into those secret accounts. He is also alleged to have from 2012 to 2017, stolen a total of N188.7 million belonging to Mogbeyi Sagay (SAN) and Co.

Okoro, the second defendant, is alleged by the prosecution to have from Oct. 14, 2012 to June 28 2013, stole N3.6 million belonging to the law firm.

According to the EFCC, the offences contravene Sections 287 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.

Following the plea of the defendants, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, the lead prosecuting counsel for the anti-graft agency, requested for a trial date adding that the court should impose stiff bail conditions on the lawyers.

I have discussed with my learned friends, I will leave it to my lordship to impose bail conditions that will make the defendants available in court throughout this trial, Oyedepo said.

Ms. Oluwaseun Olusiyi, the defence counsel to Awhana, via a bail application dated May 17 asked the court to grant him bail in self recognisance.

The first defendant is a legal practitioner of high repute and negotiations towards an amicable resolution are underway with the complainant. He was the Head of Chambers of the firm, Olusiyi said.

Mr. K. U Ani, the counsel to Okoro the second defendant in his bail application dated May 17 also asked the court to grant him bail on self recognisance.

The second defendant has fractured his legs and is depending on medical treatment. I ask that ypu grant him bail on self recognisance My Lord, he said.

Justice Mojisola Dada in a short ruling noted that settlement talks were ongoing between the complainant and the defendants.

She ordered that as a bail condition, Awhana and Okoro should submit their international passports to the court.

The defendants shall however submit their international passports pending the determination of this suit.

They shall be remanded in prison custody till the perfection of their bail condition. This case is adjourned until June 4 for trial, she said.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 28-year-old female supplier of ammunition to bandits, identified as Bilkisu Suleman.

She was arrested on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, by NDLEA officers on patrol along Zaria Kano expressway in possession of 249 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition concealed in a black nylon bag kept in her handbag.

NDLEAs spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, January 7.

According to the statement, Bilkisu was on her way to deliver the ammunition to an identified bandit in Kakumi village, Katsina state when she was nabbed after which she was transferred to the Kaduna state command of the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.
President Bola Tinubu has fired Mr. Babatunde Irukera, the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and Mr. Alexander Ayoola Okoh, the Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)

A statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President on Monday, stated that the dismissed chief executives are instructed to hand over to the next most senior officer in their respective agencies, pending the appointment of new Chief Executive Officers

According to the presidency, their immediate removal from office is a direct result of the presidents directive

Ngelale also pointed out that this move aligns with the plans to restructure and reposition essential Federal Government agencies. The goal is to protect the rights of Nigerian consumers and bolster key growth-focused institutions, fostering a stronger contribution to the nations economy.

Kanyi Daily recalls that Bola Tinubu had approved the appointment of the board and management team of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, on Monday criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent securitisation of the N7.3 trillion ways and means facility from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), describing it as illegal.

Securitisation of a loan means converting the debt to an asset that can later be offered to investors in the form of bonds. If a loan is securitized, it is pooled with other similar loans and sold by the original lender, in this case (CBN) to other investors. So, CBN having securitised the loan can later decide to offer the loan as bond to investors to invest in, that way, CBN recoup its money.

Speaking further on the issue, Obi recalled that barely 26 days to the end of its eight-year tenure, the Buhari administration got the Senate to approve a N22.7 trillion ways and means borrowing from the CBN.

He lamented that in seven years, CBN lending to the Buhari government had climbed 2700 per cent in flagrant violation of the CBN Act.

He stated that the National Assembly still approved the new Tinubu administrations request for a N7.3 trillion securitisation of the existing ways and means facility just before considering the 2024 budget proposals in flagrant indifference to the illegality of the excessive ways and means borrowing.

READ ALSO: N15bn allocation for VP residence, shocking, disheartening Peter Obi

More surprisingly, Obi stated that on December 30, 2023, the last working day of the year 2023, Tinubu requested the National Assembly to approve the securitisation of the N7.3 trillion being the outstanding debt owed to the CBN.

Almost at the same time as the illegal securitisation was approved by parliament, the president, Obi said, also sought and secured National Assembly approval to borrow another $7.8 billion and 100 million.

No questions asked. No explanations were sought as to the precise purpose of these borrowings all within the seven-month tenure of this government.

Ordinarily, minimum public accountability should require that the president and his administration offer more specific explanations about the purpose of these borrowings. But so far, all we have been told is that these borrowings are meant to fund capital expenditure.

Specifically, the continuous securitisation of ways and means borrowing from the CBN is against the law and against the CBN act which stipulates the limit of the federal governments borrowing from the CBN not to exceed 5 percent of the previous years revenue. The law also requires the liquidation of the outstanding borrowing before any new advancement can be made, he stated.

The businessman cum politician said the CBN Act expressly states that all borrowings under ways and means cannot be converted to debt or securitised if the CBN is the underwriter.

READ ALSO: FG targets concessionary loans, climate financing to fund 2024 budget

He pointed out that the idea of securitisation of illegal borrowings from the CBN and transferring the same into Nigerias debt stock portends danger to the future of the Nigerian economy and increases the debt burden of the nation.

It is even more worrisome because these accumulations of debts are not being transparently and productively utilised or accounted for.

While this new debt of N7.3 trillion has been hurriedly approved without scrutiny by the National Assembly, the immediate public accountability question is: can the federal government, which holds the trust of the people, tell us what they used the N7.3 trillion to do?

We have always been told that all borrowings are for capital projects, can we know the capital or productive projects this huge borrowing is being applied to?  he queried.

Obi explained that what is emerging is a disturbing pattern of huge borrowing and profligate spending on nonessential procurements which are being termed capital expenditure and are being funded with an accumulation of debts.

For instance, a good number of these so-called capital expenditure items as contained in the 2024 budget are more procurement and luxury projects. This trend of lavish spending backed only by equally lavish borrowing is unsustainable and would wreck the economy in due course. It needs to be halted.

Unless this trend is halted, the nation runs the greater risk of running into more turbulent economic waters in the near future. This is to add my concerned voice to those of many other troubled Nigerians, Obi added.

The former governor advised that it was time to go beyond politics and partisan grandstanding to address the fundamental issues of what he described as rational economic management.

I am afraid that the current administration is not paying sufficient attention to issues of rational economic management.

Instead, an unsustainable level of debt is being piled upon the economy thereby further burdening our already distressed populace who are bearing the burden of harsh economic policies not backed by compassionate cushioning policies, he stressed.
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, identified as Akinyemi Akintayo, for allegedly assaulting some of its officers in Ayobo area of the state.

The commands spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement on Monday, January 8, said the suspect was arrested after weeks of being on the run.

It was gathered that Akinyemi attacked and brutally assaulted the police officers on Friday, December 8, 2023.

He then went into hidden after video of the attack went viral online.

In the 26 seconds long video, the suspect could be seen holding one the officers by his shirt and threatening to deal with him. He then proceeded to attack a second officer who was filming the incident.

The attack left at least one officer with a severe head injury.


The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has refuted claims suggesting his involvement as a signatory in the company implicated in N438 million contract allegations linked to the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.

A leaked memo circulating online indicated that a company, allegedly owned by Tunji-Ojo, received N438 million designated as consultancy fees from Edu.

Reacting to the allegation in an interview on Channels TV on Monday, Tunji-Ojo said, I am not a signatory to the company.

And actually, I was shocked because the company in question was a company where I was a director. About five years ago, I had resigned from my directorship, he added.

Meanwhile, the minister confirmed his role in co-founding the company with his wife and attributed his resignation in 2019 from the firm to his political ambitions.

READ ALSO: Passports backlog and Minister Tunji-Ojos wave of magic wand

I and my wife founded the company 15 years ago. Well, in 2019, when I got to the House of Representatives I won the election precisely, I made a change. I had resigned as director of the company to hold office.

Of course, and to the best of my knowledge, the public service rule does not prohibit public officers from being shareholders, Olubunmi said.

The embattled minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu, was suspended by President Bola Tinubu after allegedly diverting more than N585 million to a private account.

Also, a leaked memo circulating online showed that a company, New Planet Project Limited, was awarded contracts worth N438 million as consultancy fees from Edu.

The connection between the firm and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, raises concerns about a potential conflict of interest. It prompts scrutiny into whether the minister may have miss-used his position to secure the contract.

Meanwhile, Tunji-Ojo clarified in an interview on Monday that he is no longer a signatory of the company since he resigned from it in 2019 after winning the House of Representatives seat.

He therefore noted that there cannot be any conflict of interest, adding that he cannot be held responsible for the actions of the company he no longer runs.
Emmanuel TV, the television channel established by the late Nigerian televangelist Temitope Balogun, TB Joshua, will stop broadcasting on MultiChoice platforms, DStv and GOtv, starting January 17.

Emmanuel TV, established in 2006, used to be globally aired across multiple satellites

MultiChoice has confirmed the discontinuation of Emmanuel TV on DStv and GOtv platforms. Additionally, Emmanuel TV will cease its presence on StarSat and other pay-TV platforms.

Reports indicate that TB Joshua, who passed away on June 5, 2021, is the focus of a three-part documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Africa Eye.

This documentary details the alleged atrocities and sexual crimes the cleric committed as a preacher

Over 30 ex-members and employees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), founded by TB Joshua, shared accounts of abuse, harassment, rape, manipulation, torture, and staged miracles.

The first installment of the documentary series was launched on January 8, 2024

Kanyi Daily recalls that three years after his passing, allegations had surfaced accusing the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun of raping and torturing some of his worshippers while alive.
Photographer Kang Woon-gu unravels his quest to petroglyph mysteries

By Park Han-sol

It all started with an image of a standing whale  or, to be more precise, a 7,000-year-old rock carving portraying the sea giant in an upright position.

Five decades ago, the Neolithic Age petroglyphs of swarming whales were discovered in Bangudae in southeastern coastal city of Ulsan, becoming the oldest rock engravings ever found on the Korean Peninsula.

After seeing the petroglyphs making headlines, Kang Woon-gu, a photojournalist in his early 30s at the time, was captivated by one question: Why on earth were these marine giants depicted in an upright stance?

"Whales move horizontally in the waters and are therefore typically depicted in that manner, but for some reason, here, these creatures were all portrayed standing vertically. This aspect made the scene appear remarkably surreal," recalled the 82-year-old.

But no one seemed to share his enthusiasm for that particular trivia. There were publications and academic debates on the detailed numbers and types of the engraved motifs, as well as their historic significance, but no mention of the whales rather odd position.

Several years later, Kang quit his job in news media and went on to become a noted documentarian of modern Korea, capturing everything from the disappearing countryside amid breakneck economic growth to portraits of cultural icons such as painter Chang Uc-chin and novelist Park Kyung-ni.

Through the years, his curiosity about the standing whale remained unaddressed. It was in 2017 that the veteran photographer decided to embark on a personal quest to seek the answer on his own.

His initial fascination with the Bangudae petroglyphs quickly evolved into a more extensive investigation into the "why and what" behind the conscious choices made by people in the distant past to carve certain images on the rock canvas. In essence, it became something more than just about the animal engravings; it became an exploration of the creators behind the rock art.

And this meant that he needed to examine a wider variety of surviving samples created beyond Korea.

Kangs investigation turned into a three-year-long petroglyph hunting expedition spanning 30 sites across eight countries in Asia, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China.

During the journey, he decided to narrow his photographic focus to rock carvings of human figures, primarily those produced in the Bronze Age. After all, what better way to learn about the lives of individuals from five millennia ago than to take a glimpse into their own open-air visual diaries?

I must have met at least a thousand of these people throughout my trip, he said at Museum Hanmi in central Seoul, where over 150 of his pictorial encounters that transcend time and space have been put on display for the exhibition, Petroglyph or Photograph.

In the eyes of the veteran documentarian, petroglyphs are "ancient documentary photographs" capturing the prehistoric lives across the lush expanses of Central and East Asia dotted with moraines and cliffs.

When the nomads, herders and settlers came across stones covered with a dark patina  a thin surface crust rich in magnesium and iron  they would scrape or chip away the rock varnish to expose the lighter surface underneath, turning them into stick figures and animals.

Another favored natural canvas was colossal red basalt rocks, especially in present-day China's Xinjiang region.

The various shapes carved into these stones, many of which have eroded over the millennia, can be quite difficult to see in person, especially due to the glaring light of high noon.

However, Kang's high-contrast, black-and-white images provide the optimal viewing experience.

The crisp photos of rock carvings on display trace the ancient lives from birth to demise  childbirth, hunting, festivities, rituals, tribal wars and death. In addition to humans and beasts, solar deities or shamans make frequent appearances, characterized by their distinctly shaped heads or wardrobe.

As I continued my petroglyph hunting, I came to realize that its incorrect to assume that every single one of them was produced for some ritualistic purpose or in an attempt to pray for prosperity and fertility, he noted.

Rather, a majority of them were simply the nomadic individuals artistic modes of self-expression or visual records of the things they saw and experienced. Thats why I consider them more as an ancient picture diary or a documentary photograph.

Although there are still many more petroglyph sites left in the world, after three years of investigation, Kang decided that his mission has been accomplished. Why? Because he felt he found an answer to the initial question that prompted his quest.

The whales in Bangudae werent the only marine mammals depicted vertically. In other petroglyph sites, like the ones in Russias Belomorsk, these animals were also swimming in an upright stance. On the other hand, dying ocean creatures dragged by harpoons were portrayed horizontally, he said.

Meanwhile, it was the opposite case for four-legged land mammals  vertical meant dead and horizontal meant alive.

It dawned on him that prehistoric people possessed a distinctive cognitive system to visually distinguish between life and death.

Kangs hypothesis is, as he admitted, not an academically verified one. But its still an endearing conclusion reached by an artist who has been fueled entirely by his decades-long curiosity. And that alone is an admirable feat, indeed.

Petroglyph or Photograph runs through March 17 at Museum Hanmi.
Adeife Ifelaja, a 70-year-old elder at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ijebu Igbo, the headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, has been abducted.

Ifelaja was kidnapped on New Years Eve while en route to the crossover service.

Pa Ifelaja, as he is fondly called, has spent nine days in the kidnappers den.

A family member who does not want his name in print hinted that the abductors have reached out to the family demanding N50 million as ransom

It is true that Pa Adeife Ifelaja was kidnapped on the night of Sunday, December 31, 2023, while preparing for the Crossover service. I learnt that the abductors are asking for N50m which the family said was huge. I heard they were negotiating for N10m but I dont know if the ransom was paid. The incident was reported at a police station in Ijebu Igbo but up until now, nothing has been done, he said

Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, confirmed the incident when contacted over the phone.

The police boss assured that the operatives of the command are taking every possible measure to ensure the safe reunion of the elderly man with his family.

Alamutu said, Honestly the police have been working to get the man released, we are on it even when the kidnappers have been trying to mislead us about their location but we are on their trail and very soon, we shall achieve success

Kanyi Daily recalls that the Ogun Police Command had arrested three suspected kidnappers at a forest along Imeko-Iwoye ketu road and rescued three of their victims.
As the economic crunch bites ever harder on the general population of the most populous nation in Africa due largely to policies and maladministration of the successive governments both under the military and democratic rule, the populace appear gradually more alert and agitated over the conditions they find themselves  where basis necessities such as food, healthcare, education, water, electricity have become unattainable  amidst disregard and haughty display of wealth by the ruling political class.

Recent desktop investigation conducted by 247ureports.com on the financial resources available to the various geopolitical zones in Nigeria through examination of their monthly allocations from the federal government to each State, monthly allocations to each of the local government areas [LGAs], internally generated revenues [IGRs] and other miscellaneous sources  indicates Nigeria may not be as cash strapped as popularly depicted by politically elected officials and their financial analysts.

Taking the South East States as the starter case, it was found that the five States of the South East raked in a minimum of N752billion within the period of twelve [12] months stretching from November 2022 to October 2023. Of which, a little over N379billion of the N750billion was collected from the monthly allocation by the five states, N266billion collected from the monthly allocations to each of the LGAs of the five south east States, and N107billion collected as the IGRs for the five States. Data was sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics.

See breakdowns below.

The below tabular [Table 1] and graphic [Figure 1] presentation shows the various monies collected by the five States for the aforementioned periods covering twelve months. It shows Anambra State topping the list at N91.8billion followed by Enugu State at N75billion. Ebonyi State collected the least at a distant N64.67billion. it can be deduced from the graphical presentation that Anambra State received the highest amounts of monies consistently above the other four south eastern states for the twelve months period.

Table 1:

Figure 1:

Table 2 and Figure 2 shows the various monies collected by each LGA of the five States for the period covering twelve months. It shows Imo State topping the list at N68.78billion followed by Anambra State at N62.22billion. Ebonyi State collected the least at a distant N37.51billion. Imo State received the highest amounts of monies consistently above the other four south eastern states for the twelve months period.

Table 2:

Figure: 2

The IGRs for the period in question as shown below in tabular form in Table 3 for the five states were obtained directly from the respective State governments.

Enugu state collected the highest amount at N28.28billion for the 12months at an average monthly collection rate of N2.36billion for by Anambra state at monthly collection rate of N2.13billion equivalent to N25.54billion for the 12months. Abia state collected the least at N1.26billion monthly rate equivalent of N15.1billion for the 12months.

Table 3:

Abia: N1.26b [Mon] : N15.10b [12mons]

Imo: N1.67b [Mon] : N19.98b [12mons]

Enugu: N2.36b [Mon] : N28.28b [12mons]

Anambra:N2.13b [Mon] : N25.54b [12mons]

Ebonyi: N1.29b [Mon] : N15.50b [12mons]



The summation of the tabular and graphic representations above show the respective monies collected for each of the five States from the monthly allocations to the States, the LGAs and IGRs.

Each State for the period examined collected a total sum of:

Abia N134billion

Imo N164billion

Enugu N154billion

Anambra N180billion

Ebonyi N118billion

The respective amounts shown above paints a revealing picture of the plight faced by the people of the South East when presented in the proper context.

For instance, between November 2022 to October 2023, Abia State earned a total sum of at least N134billion  with a land mass of 2400 square mile, it means for the period of twelve months, Abia state government earns N55.6m per square mile of Abia state. Imo State, at a land mass of 2140 square miles, equates to N76.8m per square mile of Imo State. Enugu State, at a land mass of 5100 square miles, equates to N30.3m per square mile of Enugu State. Anambra State, at a land mass of 1900 square miles, equates to N94.5m per square mile of Anambra State. Ebonyi State, at a land mass of 2500 square miles, equates to N47.1m per square mile of Ebonyi State.

By comparison, Anambra State collected the highest amount of money per land mass, by a considerable margin, when placed side by side against the other four South East states  translating to Anambra State having more capital available for landed infrastructural development than the other four South East States. Such landed infrastructural development in the scale of railway development for inter-community transit.

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Scene where the police officers were killed by soldiers

One of the surviving operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team who were attacked by soldiers of the 93 battalion in Taraba state while taking a suspected kidnap kingpin to Jalingo, has given a blow-by-blow account of how he escaped death by the whiskers.

According to Vanguard, the operative, an inspector currently nursing a gunshot wound from the attack, disclosed that one of the soldiers had suggested that he be killed so as to truncate any evidence against them.

The wounded police officer, who was moved to Abuja for treatment, said what saved him from being killed was a counter order from one of the senior officers and the presence of villagers at the scene.

He explained: My escape from death was Gods divine intervention. We had succeeded in arresting the kidnap kingpin. His legs and hands were cuffed and we put him in our vehicle as we drove off.

We passed the first and second check points successfully. Besides, when going, we greeted the soldiers at the check points and even offered one of them doughnut. But when we got to the third check point, we discovered that a military Hilux van was following us.

We were not driving fast; we were even waiting for them to overtake us when all of a sudden, they opened fire on our vehicle.

In the process, the vehicle somersaulted, a bullet hit me in the leg. But I struggled to run into the bush with some of my colleagues. From a distance, I watched how they (soldiers) killed my colleagues in execution style, even when they explained that they were policemen.

Thereafter, one of them said they should comb the bush for those that ran inside. I crawled in pains, and tried to hide but they caught up with me. One of them said they should shoot me dead, that if they left me alive, I would speak out.

But a lieutenant among them said they should take me to the hospital. I commend him because but for his counter order, I would have been killed as well. By then, villagers had come out and started videoing the process.

One of them even said it would be unwise to kill me since the villagers were also videoing the scene with their phones. I also saw when the soldiers carried the arrested suspect into their Hilux van and drove off.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the Army captain who allegedly ordered soldiers on a security check-point along the Ibi-Jalingo expressway in Taraba state to attack and kill police operatives had been identified.

Police investigation carried out revealed that telephone conversations between the kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Balla, alias Wadume and the captain, were about 191 within the space of one month between July 9 and August 6.
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, may have suffered setback in his power tussle with Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State from his failure to secure the use of federal might to confront the Edo governor. National Daily investigation revealed that Oshiomhole suffered huge disappointment from President Muhammadu Buhari who declined to support Oshiomhole in the battle with his successor. The Presidents withholding of support, it was gathered, created relative leverage between the APC national chairman and the Edo State governor.

There were indications that the decision of President Buhari to decline support for Oshiomhole in the power tussle with Governor Obaseki may not be unconnected with the appeal of the Oba of Benin, the Omo NOba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, who during a courtesy visit to the President at the State House, Abuja, solicited the intervention of President Buhari to resolve the impasse between the APC national chairman and the Edo governor, both sons of his kingdom and members of the ruling party.

Moreover, it was also gathered that President Buhari has carefully studied similar political crisis in Lagos State where the political godfather used the party structure to stop former Governor Akinwumi Ambode from securing the APC governorship ticket for a second tenure in the 2019 general elections. It was noted that despite the intervention of President Buhari, the godfather went ahead to deny Ambode the partys ticket to seek re-election. This was said not to have gone down well with President Buhari. Accordingly, the President resolved not to, henceforth, be involved in conflicts of political godfathers and their loyalists, especially, crisis that has to do with the denial of party members tickets for re-election.

National Daily learned that Oshiomhole had approached President Buhari, purportedly seeking support in his impasse with Governor Obaseki. The President was said to have, however, told the APC chairman to go and reconcile with his successor. The response was said to have disappointed Oshiomhole who had expected outright support from the President, and the use of federal might against the governor.

Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has sustained overtures to Oshiomhole for reconciliation and restoration of unity in Edo APC.

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The Lagos State Government has barred foreigners from participating in its forthcoming Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival.

The event was earlier scheduled to hold during the Easter period, but tourists from other countries have been restricted from the event, as local tourists, and fun lovers will enjoy the programme.

The reason for the restriction, the government said was to prevent spread of the deadly and globally pandemic coronavirus disease,

Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat AkinbiIe-Yusuf, at a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday said the move was part of measures to prevent the spread of the disease among tourists and entertainers who would be willing to participate in the event.

Akinbile-Yusuf stated that the three days event, Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival had been put on hold pending when the issue of Coronavirus ravaging the world generally subsided.

According to her, the state government was not cancelling the event but would disallow participation from foreign countries in view of the negative posturing the Covid-19 was gaining globally at the moment.

The Greater Lagos Regatta and Festival which is an initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture is being jointly organized in collaboration with a consulting firm, Gradient Hill Company Limited and has been designed to espouse the tourism potential of Lagos State, celebrate the Aquatic splendour of the state and market the Lagos brand to tourism investors across the world.

Our intention is to market Lagos tourism to investors beyond the shores of this country, we want them to see and appreciate the rich cultural heritage and Aquatic endowment of the state.

While we are being restricted to limit participants for this event to tourists and fun lovers within Nigeria, because we do not want to expose Nigerians to the raging Coronavirus across the world, we believe that a good media coverage could still help market the tourism potentials of Lagos State to the international audience, she said.

The commissioner added that the state government prioritised the well-being of its citizens and would not compromise the life of any resident of the State or organise an event without due consideration of the health implication of such event on the entire populace.

The Commissioner stated that adequate measure was being put in place to guarantee the safety of participants at the event.

We have concluded plans to provide a section where people can wash their hands, in addition to this, we are equally going to have enough provisions for sanitizers to complement other precautionary measures that would still be put in place through our working relationship with the Ministry of Health, she said.

Highlighting major activities for the Festival, Akinbile-Yussuf stated that there would be Conference on Tourism and Business Opportunity on Lagos Waterways at Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, cultural display from all the representatives from all the divisions of the State and the general public, Boat Regatta display, parade and racing and concert that will feature grade A Artists.

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Neymar has been revealed as the anonymous donor who gave 5 million Brazilian real (775,000/$950,000) to charity to fight coronavirus.

The Paris Saint-Germain star split the donation between UNICEF and a benefit fund in his home nation of Brazil to aid in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Neymar had made the generous gesture without putting his name to it, however, Brazilian television channel SBT revealed that the national team striker had made the donation.

The revelation was made on SBT programme Fofocolizando, which said: He preferred not to publicly disclose the donation, so were telling everyone, because we like to talk when a person does something nice.

We have this information, we really think its a very cool, very positive attitude, and one that serves as an incentive for other sportsmen, for other personalities.

Players around the world have made gestures and donations in the battle against coronavirus, including forgoing large parts of their salaries to either donate to charity or ensure non-playing members of club staff are not laid off, with football postponed around the world to try and stop the virus spreading.
File Photo

Ahead of tomorrows governorship election in 29 states, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a dozen of top government officials in Imo and Kwara states for surreptitious withdrawal of over N2 billion for alleged vote-buying to ensure the victory of their preferred candidates.

While the Acting Accountant General of Imo State, Mr. Uzoho Cashmier, was the only one arrested yesterday over withdrawal of N1.050 billion between Tuesday and Friday, no fewer than 10 officials of the Kwara State government had been detained and released on bail by the EFCC over cash withdrawal of N1.020 billion.

A top EFCC official confirmed to Vanguard that Uzohos arrest followed intelligence report that a top official in the state had intended to use the huge cash to ensure that his preferred candidate emerges victorious in the contentious poll.

The EFCC source said: Intelligence further revealed that Mr. Casmir withdrew the amount in three tranches between Tuesday and Thursday this week in the following order: N200 million on Tuesday, N500 million on Wednesday and N350 million on Thursday.

We have in the meanwhile blocked the traced accounts, while the arrested Accountant General has been providing useful information to the Commission, the anti-graft agency said.

The anti-graft agency recalled that the said official was before his appointment, a director of finance in Imo State and was in 2016 fingered in N2 billion bailout fund scam, which was given to the state by the Federal Government for the payment of salary arrears of civil servants.

In a similar operation, the EFCC on Thursday, March 7, 2019 uncovered about N1billion cash withdrawal by the Kwara State Government, a week before the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Those arrested and currently being interrogated in respect of the suspicious withdrawal, include, Commissioner for Finance, Nurudeen Banu; Accountant General, Sulaiman Ishola; Commissioner for Water Resources, Yusuf Abdulkadir; Head of Service, Susan Modupe Oluwole; Special Adviser, Commissioner for Energy, Eleja Taiwo Banu; Chief of Staff, Abdulwahab Yusuf; officials of the Secretary to the State Government, and those of the Government House. Investigations by EFCC operatives revealed that the said money was withdrawn from the states account domiciled with Sterling Bank.

An official of the State Government, Hafees Yusuf, confirmed to the operatives that he got instructions from his boss to withdraw some monies sometimes in February 2019.

He said: My Controller of Finance told me that the sum of N350 millionwas paid into the account of Kwara State Government, and I was instructed by my boss to raise cheques of various sums of monies, which I did and were duly signed by the Controller of Finance; I withdrew the monies as I was instructed by my supervisor.

It was gathered that a senior staff of Sterling Bank, who is currently being interrogated by operatives, revealed that the Accountant General, Commissioner for Finance and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, are signatories to the account where N720 million cash were withdrawn from the Kwara State Government Account domiciled in the branch of the bank near Ilorin Post Office between February 7 and 11, 2019.

Based on the revelation, EFCC officials swooped on three Relationship Managers of the bank  Rahaman Alimi, Akinleye Ademola and Olarewaju Sarafa, who were identified as the ones who loaded the cash into a bullion van and personally delivered it to the Chief of Staff to the Kwara State Governor, Abdulwahab Yusuf.

The bank officials confessed to the operatives that they acted on the instruction of their boss who was later identified as, Rasaq Abolarin. Vanguard learnt that although all the Kwara State officials had been granted administrative bail, EFCC plans to arraign them in court next week for money laundering.

The commission said on Friday that the suspicious withdrawals were uncovered after its operatives acted on a petition by a Non-Governmental Organisation, the Kwara Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability (KWARA-CGGA) asking for the probe of over N1 billion loan that the State Government secured from a bank a few days before the general elections. Hassan Omoiya, Secretary General of the organization, noted that intelligence had it that the state government obtained the loan on February 13, from a bank using the remittance of Kwara State VAT allocation due in February and March 2019 as collateral.

He further urged the EFCC to determine the appropriateness of utilization of credit facility of N1 billion by Kwara State Government at the twilight of general election.
NORMAL  Theo's Microcreamery, 107 E. Beaufort St. in uptown Normal, is this week's pick for Eats of the Week.

The ice cream shop owned by Bloomington-Normal natives Mindy and Aaron Theobald opened just before Valentine's Day in 2021 with an "ice cream for breakfast" event. Mindy Theobald's mother, Barbie Fuller, had previously done business at the site for 17 years as Emack & Bolio's, a chain that started in Boston.

Though the business has been in the family for 20 years, the Theobalds wanted it to feel like theirs and to make their own flavors, so they renamed it Theo's as a nod to their last name.

"When I moved back from (Los Angeles), I knew that I always wanted the ice cream shop, just because it felt like my childhood," Mindy Theobald said. "So then we became, like, huge ice cream nerds ... (studying) all the behind of how ice cream works and everything."

To prepare for owning their own shop, the Theobalds attended an ice cream school in St. Louis and an additional class in North Carolina. They continue to do a significant amount of research, attending conventions and picking up any ice cream cookbooks they can find.

In addition to ice cream, Theo's offers smoothies, milkshakes, sundaes, lotus drinks, hot chocolate in the winter and doggie sundaes, which are cups of whipped cream with dog treats. There's even a special window for owners to bring their pups to the shop without having to come inside.

Theo's also has ice cream pints available for sale in the store.

"I mean, the pride that we take in our flavors, we use super high-quality (ingredients). We consider ourselves like super-premium ice cream because of the high butter quality, high butter fat content, low air being pumped into it so you're really getting that creamy ice cream flavor," Theobald said. "And then our passion for the flavors, ... we really try to play with flavors, and sometimes we push out of the box that most people won't do or even think of."

Such flavors have included sweet corn, sweet potato casserole and a Christmas tree cake flavor that quickly sold out in December. The shop offered ice cream pies for the holiday season as well.

Theobald said her staff loves to help come up with new flavors. The store offers a new one each week, so customers always have something new to try when they stop in.

The most popular flavors include cookie monster, cookies and cream, vanilla, chocolate, blueberry crumble and peach crisp.

"I definitely think it's the experience that you get. It's like a place to celebrate, place to gather, place to talk. People could sit here for hours, which I love  especially the courtyard and the outside  because it's just more social," Theobald said. "I just think it's a great place to gather and eat delicious ice cream. You can't go wrong, because I mean, ice cream is a thing when you're happy, and you're (also) getting ice cream when you're sad."

Theobald said she can tell when customers are on a first date, and she also loves when little kids choose the shop to celebrate their birthday.

She used the words "unique," "joy" and "community" to describe the essence of the shop.

She hopes to do more pop-up events this year, such as their traditional ice cream for breakfast event, and ice cream tacos for Cinco de Mayo. She'd also like to add some specials, like "Freakshakes," which are large milkshakes served in a mason jar with several toppings, doubling as both a drink and a dessert.

She also wants to expand the grab-and-go section with things like ice cream cakes and other to-go items.

And while her main focus is on creating more flavors and expanding the menu, Theobald said they'd eventually like to open a second location in the Bloomington-Normal area.

"I just love that feeling of 'We're going to Theo's'  it's like a very casual, like it's your friend's house, so that's big for us," Mindy Theobald said. "And we make everything small batch. We try to make as much in-house as possible, as much as we can from scratch."

The 21 most popular ice cream flavors in America The 21 most popular ice cream flavors in America #21. Cake batter #20. Butterscotch #19. Raspberry #18. Birthday cake #17. Peanut butter #16. Peach #15. Cherry #14. Pistachio #13. Coffee #12. Chocolate peanut butter #11. Rocky road #10. Neapolitan #9. Caramel #8. Mint chocolate chip #7. Chocolate chip cookie dough #6. Butter pecan #5. Chocolate chip #4. Strawberry #3. Cookies and cream #2. Chocolate #1. Vanilla
The AttorneyGeneral (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has expressed disagreement with the chorus of calls for a complete overhaul of the 1992 Constitution.



In an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic to share his views about the Constitution Day celebration and on whether there was the need for a review of the Constitution, he described the 1992 Constitution as possessing all the elements of a good constitution anywhere in the worldwhich assures a sound democratic order.



The Constitution, he said, contained values and principles that met international standards, and had over the past 31 years, entrenched and promoted democracy, human rights and constitutionalism in the country.



Importance of the Constitution



On the importance of a constitution to the life of a nation, the Attorney-General stated that apart from the Independence struggle, the set of rules by which a nation is governed, represents the single most important document the nation can give to itself. It is that system which defines objectives of the State, institutions established to accomplish those objectives, limitations on the powers of State, the duties of the citizen to the State, the interaction between the States powers and the inalienable rights of the citizen. That set of rules is embedded in the Constitution, and we cannot underestimate its significance.



Is a new Constitution necessary?



Regarding the calls for a reform of review of the Constitution, Mr. Dame noted that it has become fashionable for people to allege the need for a reform of the Constitution. Some people go as far as saying that Ghana needs a new Constitution. To answer this question, we must examine the relevance of our Constitution to our current national life, and I will be as objective as possible. We must not be unduly influenced popular thinking. We should subject the calls for a change or review of our Constitution to a critical thinking and there must be intellectual honesty in determining whether our Constitution measures up to international standards or the requirements of a democratic order.



When this is done, it will be clear to all that the Constitution of Ghana delivers to the nation the principles of a sound accountable democratic order and measures up to the international standards of a solid Constitution anywhere in the world. It must be realised that the Constitution is the product of decades of constant but peaceful evolution.



Although he noted the necessity for a review of some of the provisions, as well as a periodic assessment of the constitution, Mr Dame said the regular agitation for constitutional review by sections of the populace, with some even calling for a completely new constitution, were unnecessary.



Our Constitution is quite strong in terms of the establishment of the institutions to deliver a sound economic and social life. I share the view that rather than overhauling the Constitution, there is the need for us to continue to strengthen the capacity of institutions to hold the Government more accountable and ensure that the right thing is being done, he said.



Comparison with the Constitution of the United States of America



Buttressing his case for why the Constitution in its current form, can be interpreted and applied in a way which satisfies the aspirations of the people, the Attorney-General stated that it ought to be noted that the original Constitution of the worlds oldest democracy, the United States of America contained only 6 broad articles spread over 4 pages. Since its adoption in 1787, about 250 years ago, it has undergone only 27 amendments. All in all, it is still nowhere near the size of our Constitution and does not contain a bill of rights as exhaustive and comprehensive as in Ghana. An American constitutional scholar told me, that in Ghana, we seem to have more rights laid out in our Constitution than in America.



Accountability  the role of the Judiciary



The Attorney-General indicated that the Constitution had responded to the need for accountability in the country by setting up some institutions to control the use of executive power. Two of such institutions were the Judiciary and Parliament. On the Judiciary, Mr Dame cited numerous provisions in the Constitution to explain how the Constitution guaranteed an independent judiciary which was vested with full judicial review powers to ensure that every person or institution was subjected to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution was more elaborate as compared to other countries in the promotion of democracy and protection of fundamental human rights.



The Attorney-General referred to articles 2 and 130 of the Constitution and stated that the mechanism for the exercise of judicial review of executive and legislative actions by the Supreme Court was stronger in Ghana than in most countries. In comparison with the United States, he said judicial review was not specifically spelt out by the American Constitution but had to be assumed by the US Supreme Court through a process of constitutional interpretation.



Again our judicial review exercised by the Supreme Court of Ghana is better than the concept of judicial review in the United Kingdom where the Supreme Court may pronounce on the consistency of legislation in the UK with a European Convention but does not have the power to pronounce on the legitimacy or lawfulness of an Act of Parliament by virtue of the concept of Parliament supremacy. Ghana lent more towards the United State of America model rather than the more limited kind of judicial review as in the United Kingdom. We also rejected the concept of judicial review in some Eastern and Central European countries, where judicial rulings on the unconstitutionality of legislation may be over-ridden by a prescribed majority of the legislature the Attorney-General said.



The Principal Legal Adviser to the Government also referred to the comprehensive bill of rights in the 1992 Constitution to protect human rights as another example that set apart the Constitution from others.



Despite the comprehensive bill of rights in Chapter 5 of the Constitution and other parts of the constitution, the Constitution in Article 33 (5) even states that the human rights provisions are not exhaustive as those not specifically mentioned in the constitution would still be recognised so far as they are intended to secure the freedom and dignity of people, Mr. Dame said.



Parliaments role in promotion of accountability



Mr. Dame noted that the Constitution stipulates concrete areas of Parliamentary oversight where Parliament could effectively exercise its powers to scrutinise actions and decisions of the government.



He supported his point by citing numerous provisions in the Constitution. In particular, the Attorney-General referred to Parliaments constitutional function to approve Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State under article 78 as well as Justices of the Supreme Court in article 144 of the Constitution. He further alluded to some other powers of Parliament such as the approval of the budget under article 179 of the Constitution, the power to impose or vary taxation under article 174, the power to ratify international treaties and agreements under article 75, Parliaments power to approve loans and international business and economic transactions under article 181, Parliaments power to approve any transaction or undertaking involving the exploitation of natural resources in the country under article 268, Parliaments power to appoint an auditor to audit the Auditor-General under article 187 as well as Parliaments power to appoint committees to conduct investigation and inquiries into the activities of ministries and departments under article 103 of the Constitution. These powers of Parliament, he observed, are already in the Constitution and are capable of placing Parliament in a strong position to curb executive power.



Indeed, I believe that if Parliament was to be exercising its powers more stringently and appropriately, I am sure that most of the concerns of people regarding the Constitution will be addressed. The failure on the part of Parliament to exercise these oversight responsibilities cannot be attributed to defects in the Constitution. Mr. Dame said.



Significance of Constitution Day



Mr Dame lauded the celebration of the Constitution Day, which he said was very important as it creates an annual avenue for an examination of the significance of the Constitution in the democratic dispensation of the country.



It may be necessary at certain critical times to re-examine the effect of the Constitution on our national aspirations. However, it does not mean that every day, every week, every month there should be topics and seminars for reviewing the Constitution. To do so in itself inspires a lack of confidence in the concept of constitutionalism and by extension, our National Constitution.



It is important to clarify that I am not against a review of the Constitution. What I say is that at certain critical points, there ought to be discussions about certain aspects of our Constitution and how it impacts national life. But it ought not to be a regular affair as to entertain such daily or weekly enterprises for the review of the Constitution in itself engenders a certain lack of confidence in our national Constitution. That is why I welcome the institution of the Constitution Day because it provides for us an annual opportunity for us to reflect on the constitution, its benefit, the lapses, and how far we can go to strengthen the constitution.



However, I think in terms of international standards that are required for a constitution to have a sound democratic order, this Constitution clearly satisfy the standards, he added.



Other views on the need for constitutional reform



The issue of constitutional review has gained momentum in recent times with some constitutional experts, scholars, civil society organisations and trade unions adding their views to the national debate.



While institutions such as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and constitutional experts such as Sam Okudzeto have called for amendments of various provisions of the Constitution, scholars such Professor Vladimir Antwi-Danso, an international relations expert, have called for a completely new constitution to replace the 1992 Constitution.



Such views for a new constitution have however been rejected by other experts, including former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, who argued that the best approach was to maintain the constitution and amend the parts not fit for purpose.



For eminent constitutional expert, Prof. Nana Susubribi Krobea Boaten (SKB Asante), who is regarded as the architect of the 1992 Constitution, there is even no need for any amendment as a mere amendment of the text of the Constitution, without attitudinal change in line with the values of the constitution, would not necessarily improve the fortunes of the country. Nana SKB Asante also believes in a strengthening of institutions of state and an attitudinal change of our leaders.



Areas of reform of the Constitution



The A-G shared his views on a few significant provisions of the Constitution which, in his view, required urgent reform like amendment of articles 78,(1), 11(7), 55 and 243,etc.. In subsequent editions, the Daily Graphic will capture them.



Pull quote



Rather than overhauling the constitution, there is the need for us to continue to strengthen the capacity of institutions to hold the government more accountable.





Source: Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson









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 attention of the Divisional Executives of PSWU-NIA Division has been drawn to a WhatsApp message directing some 67 staff in the Eastern and Greater Accra regions to hand over and report to their new stations in what is termed staff rotation.



The communication has created a huge outcry among District Registration Officers (DROs) regarding the channel of communication and the duration within which affected staff are required to report.



According to the Divisional Executives of the PSWU-NIA Division, "though we hold a contrary view to the description of the movement, we welcome it wholeheartedly, except to differ in: the manner and channel of communication of such a crucial message and the time duration given to affected staff to report to their new station."



In an appeal sent to the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, on Friday, January 5, 2024, the union says it has no objection to the decision of management to move staff from one station to another if it will be in the best interest of the Authority.



"However, we respectfully request that, such should be done in accordance with the relevant provisions of the NIAs conditions of service, sections 9.4.13 (a-e) and the Ministry of Finance document on Revision of Rates of Category 2&3 Allowances for the Public Service, section 4.2.7.



"Recognition for these relevant provisions would not only set good precedence for future reference, it will also give ample time for affected staff to prepare adequately to accept this change in their new environment.



"We humbly call on you to respectfully consider the relevant provisions surrounding transfer of staff, and give at least, three (3) months notice to affected staff to adequately prepare and report to their new stations.



"We further call on you to make the necessary financial commitments readily available to affected staff whose movements would be up to 50km of radius or beyond," an appeal letter sighted by Peacefmonline.com and signed by Francis Banfudeme Nyuzaghl, Divisional Chairman, and Adu Kyeremeh Kwabena, Divisional Secretary, stated.



Meanwhile, the affected DRO's have been directed to write and submit their handing-over notes on or before Thursday, January 11, 2024, and hand them over properly to their replacements and report to their respective new district offices on Friday, 12th January 2024.



See attached the full letter.

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By Lee Yeon-woo

Financial authorities are making efforts to convert DGB Daegu Bank, a regional lender based in Daegu, into a commercial bank by the first quarter of 2024 at the earliest.

According to industry sources on Monday, the Financial Services Commission plans to proceed with a legal interpretation of the current Banking Act, in order to convert DGB Daegu Bank into a commercial bank by the first quarter of 2024.

Once the financial authorities complete their legislative interpretation, the process of transforming DGB Daegu Bank into a commercial bank is likely to be accelerated.

The original goal for the financial authorities and the bank was to complete the conversion last year. However, the timeline was delayed as the bank was investigated by the Financial Supervisory Services, due to allegations of accounts being opened illegally by its employees.

The current law only outlines the procedure to obtain a banking license but lacks specific clauses for cases involving the conversion of regional banks into commercial ones. There will also be changes regarding when a regional bank transitions to a commercial bank, such as in the scope of business and capital requirements. However, the law does not provide standards for the approval of such transitions.

Financial authorities have advocated for this transition to foster greater competition in the banking industry. To address this regulatory challenge, several methods have been discussed since last July. These include DGB returning its original license and applying for a new one, or using the existing license with revised authorization conditions. It is reported that financial authorities are favoring the latter approach.

DGB Daegu Bank said it has formed a task force specialized in conversion procedures and communicating with the financial authorities.

"The year 2024 is expected to be a historic one, filled with unprecedented hope and anticipation, as it marks the year that Daegu Bank will transition into a commercial bank," DGB Financial Group Chairman Kim Tae-oh said last week during a kick-off meeting for 2024.
"As for the NDC, they tickle themselves and laugh. They should make sure they dont go and deceive their followers after losing the election in 2024, says the National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B.



This comes on the back of Johnson Asiedu Nketiahs remark that government appointees should start preparing their handover notes.



Speaking at a press conference on Monday, January 8, 2024, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said: Truth is, Ghanaians have already abandoned the NPP and their followers. Therefore, the wisest thing for the Ministers to do now is to start preparing your handing over notes."



He based his comment on the performance of the NDC and NPP in the District Assembly election, even though the election was non-partisan.



Nana B in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' laughed over the claim that the NDC will be coming back to power, especially with a candidate "whose track record is well known."



"They forget that Ghanaians already know Mahama. Their (NDC) thinking is that every government has an eight-year cycle, so the NPP will lose the upcoming election, but Bawumia is going to be the next President of Ghana. Nobody listens to Mahama anymore," he stated.



Waytch video below





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The Member of Parliament for Tema West constituency, Carlos Ahenkorah, has urged Ghanaians to trust in the Vice President and Presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as he is a man of his word.



According to him, "Bawumia is a technocrat and believes in knowledge," hence he'll only appoint people who are competent for various positions in his government.



"Appointments will only be based on one's capabilities. You will have to prove how capable you are before youre given a position. If Bawumia gets the opportunity now, the first thing hell do is move people around," he told sit-in host, Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.



Carlos Ahenkorah believes "Bawumia owes Ghanaians a duty to satisfy Ghanaians in his first term. If were not satisfied, we know what to do in the second term."



Watch the video below





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" " Family members of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard shooting victim Paul Megia react during a vigil at San Jose City Hall on May 27, 2021. Hundreds attended a vigil for the nine people killed when a VTA employee opened fire at the VTA light rail yard during a shift change on Wednesday morning. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In May 2021, a disgruntled employee at a public transit rail yard in San Jose, California, opened fire on co-workers, firing 39 rounds that killed eight of them and wounding a ninth who later died, before taking his own life in front of law enforcement officers who had rushed to the scene. The mass killer had three 9-millimeter semi-automatic handguns with him and 11 ammunition magazines on his belt. Later, authorities found 12 more firearms and 25,000 rounds of ammunition at the suspect's home [sources: Fernando, Hays and Hauck; Hanna and Vera ].

The horrific slaughter was yet another shock to a nation that in recent decades has been traumatized again and again by mass shootings, from the killing of 20 elementary school students and six adults by a 20-year-old gunman in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, to the massacre of 58 spectators at a country music concert in Las Vegas by a 64-year-old sniper who rained fire down on them from the 32nd floor of a resort hotel [sources: Candiotti and Aarthun; Hutchinson, et al.].

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From 1999 to 2021, more than 2,000 people were killed in mass shootings, according to an analysis by Reuters [source: Canipe and Hartman]. But mass shootings are just part of the larger pattern of firearm violence. In 2020, despite the pandemic, nearly 20,000 people were killed in homicides and 24,000 died in suicides involving guns [source: Thebault and Rindler].That unceasing carnage has led many Americans to call for stricter gun laws.

"We need to treat gun violence as a public health issue, " Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed in a 2018 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, explained in a 2021 interview [source: Allen].

But gun rights advocates say such laws would violate Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. They also argue that citizens need weaponry to defend against criminals. "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun, " National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said in 2012 [source: CBS DC].

Others even say that gun rights are essential to stave off the possibility of government tyranny.

"The Second Amendment is about maintaining, within the citizenry, the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary, " Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told an audience a political rally in May 2021 [source: Chamberlain].

So which side is right? That's for you to decide. But to help you make an informed decision, here are answers to 10 big questions in the U.S. gun control debate.
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Nanotechnology confers the ability to tailor the surface properties of nanoparticles and enhance the overall drug release profile. The use of tannic acid coating along with loading of the anticancer drugdoxorubicin, creates a smart drug delivery system that can be triggered to release the drug in a controlled and sustained manner, resulting in increased anticancer efficacy. Credit: Eijiro Miyako / JAIST.

Amino acids, such as tyrosine and tryptophan, are the fundamental building blocks that make up proteins. These biomolecules have different chemical groups on each end and side chain, and so, have the natural ability to form a chain through the formation of an amide (peptide) bond. However, such linkages are weak and easily degraded under physiological conditions. This is where the Fmoc-protected amino acids come into the picture.

In a new study now, a research team led by Dr. Eijiro Miyako, Associate Professor, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Dr. Alberto Bianco and Dr. Cecilia Menard-Moyon from the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), France, employed ultraviolet light at 254 nm (leading to CBPUV nanoparticles) and riboflavin-mediated crosslinking at 365 nm (leading to CBPRibo nanoparticles) to crosslink the Fmoc-protected amino acids.

"Amino acids being the building blocks of proteins have numerous advantages, such as better biocompatibility. Therefore, we wanted to create novel self-assembled amino acid-based nanoparticles which can be triggered through multiple mechanisms," says Dr. Eijiro Miyako. The findings of this study are published in Small.

The self-assembled amino acids were stably crosslinked dimers of Fmoc-Tyr-OH (Tyrosine) and Fmoc-Trp-OH (Tryptophan). Doxorubicin, an anticancer drug, was subsequently loaded into the crosslinked amino acid nanoparticles.

To increase the stability of the nanoparticles, the researchers used a tannic acid-Iron (Fe3+) complex (or TAF) as the outer layer of coating. This coating can degrade inside the cells through the glutathione enzymatic release or by pH difference in the tumor microenvironment. The tannic acid coating can be also used in photothermal anticancer therapy, where external light can increase the local temperature surrounding the cancer tissue, causing cancer cell death.

The synthesized nanoparticles were then extensively studied for their structural integrity, stability, and drug release under different pH conditions. The functional profile, cellular uptake, and biocompatibility of self-assembled amino acid nanoparticles were then studied using cell culture techniques.

Finally, the anticancer efficacy of synthesized nanoparticles was analyzed in tumor-bearing mice. The combined approach of chemotherapy, due to doxorubicin action, and photothermal therapy thanks to the tannic acid coating, showed excellent anticancer activity.

Post crosslinking, the amino acid-based nanoparticles showed notable changes in color, size, absorbance, fluorescence, and thermal stability. Furthermore, CBPUV exhibited superior stability after crosslinking, compared to CBPRibo. CBPUV also consistently maintained its structure, while CBPRibo showed partial disassembly, forming hollow spheres.

Drug release study revealed minimal drug release under physiological pH (7.4), indicating that stable coating is crucial for in vivo delivery. At pH 5.5, incomplete coating degradation resulted in negligible drug release. However, the addition of glutathione (GSH) at pH 5.5 significantly boosted drug release by triggering TAF coating degradation, indicating GSH/pH responsiveness.

The combined acidic and GSH treatment intensified coating degradation. This responsive behavior enables controlled drug release in specific physiological conditions. Furthermore, in vitro assessments revealed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity and improved efficacy in combined chemo/photothermal therapy. In vivo studies on tumor-bearing mice showcased significant tumor growth inhibition, indicating promising anticancer effects without observed side effects.

Dr. Miyako said, "Nanotechnology holds promise of transforming basic laboratory science into a powerful tool for combating complex diseases like cancer. We are optimistic that this pioneering research will advance, potentially evolving into cutting-edge cancer treatment technology ready for clinical trials within ten years."

Going ahead, the development of these self-assembled amino acid nanoparticles can help in fighting critical issues such as multi-drug resistance in cancer and improve the overall efficacy of treatment outcomes.

More information: Tengfei Wang et al, Photocrosslinked CoAssembled Amino Acid Nanoparticles for Controlled Chemo/Photothermal Combined Anticancer Therapy, Small (2023). DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307337 Journal information: Small
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A Hubble Space Telescope image of the host galaxy of an exceptionally powerful fast radio burst, FRB 20220610A. Hubble's sensitivity and sharpness reveals a compact group of multiple galaxies that may be in the process of merging. They existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old. FRB 20220610A was first detected on June 10, 2022, by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Alexa Gordon (Northwestern)

In summer 2022, astronomers detected the most powerful fast radio burst (FRB) ever observed. And coming from a location that dates halfway back to the Big Bang, it also was the farthest known FRB spotted to date.

Now, astronomers led by Northwestern University have pinpointed the extraordinary object's birthplaceand it's rather curious, indeed.

Using images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, the researchers traced the FRB back to not one galaxy but a group of at least seven galaxies. The galaxies in the collection appear to be interacting with one anotherperhaps even on the path to a potential merger. Such groups of galaxies are rare and possibly led to conditions that triggered the FRB.

The unexpected finding might challenge scientific models of how FRBs are produced and what produces them.

"Without the Hubble's imaging, it would still remain a mystery as to whether this FRB originated from one monolithic galaxy or from some type of interacting system," said Northwestern's Alexa Gordon, who led the study. "It's these types of environmentsthese weird onesthat drive us toward a better understanding of the mystery of FRBs."

Gordon presents this research during the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society held 711 January, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A corresponding paper is also published on the arXiv preprint server.

Gordon is a graduate student in astronomy at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, where she is advised by study co-author Wen-fai Fong, an associate professor of physics and astronomy. Fong and Gordon also are members of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics(CIERA).

Birth from a blob?

Flaring up and disappearing within milliseconds, FRBs are brief, powerful radio blasts that generate more energy in one quick burst than our sun emits in an entire year. And the record-breaking FRB (dubbed FRB 20220610A) was even more extreme than its predecessors.

Not only was it four times more energetic than closer FRBs, it also clocked in as the most distant FRB yet discovered. When FRB 20220610A originated, the universe was just 5 billion years old. (For comparison, the universe is now 13.8 billion years old.)

In early observations, the burst appeared to have originated near an unidentifiable, amorphous blob, which astronomers initially thought was either a single, irregular galaxy or a group of three distant galaxies. But, in a new twist, the Hubble's sharp images now suggest the blob might be as least as many as seven galaxies in incredibly close proximity to one another. In fact, the galaxies are so close to one another that they could all fit inside our own Milky Way.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of the host galaxy of an exceptionally powerful fast radio burst, FRB 20220610A. Hubble's sensitivity and sharpness reveals a compact group of multiple galaxies that may be in the process of merging. They existed when the universe was only 5 billion years old. FRB 20220610A was first detected on June 10, 2022, by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope in Western Australia. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile confirmed that the FRB came from a distant place. Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Alexa Gordon (Northwestern)

"There are some signs that the group members are 'interacting,'" Fong said. "In other words, they could be trading materials or possibly on a path to merging. These groups of galaxies (called compact groups) are incredibly rare environments in the universe and are the densest galaxy-scale structures we know of."

"This interaction could trigger bursts of star formation," Gordon said. "That might indicate that the progenitor of FRB 20220610A is associated with a fairly recent population of stars which matches what we've learned from other FRBs."

"Despite hundreds of FRB events discovered to date, only a fraction of those have been pinpointed to their host galaxies," said study co-author Yuxin (Vic) Dong, an NSF Graduate Research, astronomy Ph.D. student in Fong's lab and member of CIERA. "Within that small fraction, only a few came from a dense galactic environment, but none have ever been seen in such a compact group. So, its birthplace is truly rare."

Enigmatic explosions

Although astronomers have uncovered up to 1,000 FRBs since first discovering them in 2007, the sources behind the blinding flashes remain stubbornly uncertain. While astronomers have yet to reach a consensus on the possible mechanisms behind FRBs, they generally agree that FRBs must involve a compact object, such as a black hole or neutron star.

By revealing the true nature of FRBs, astronomers not only could learn about the mysterious phenomena but also about the true nature of the universe itself. When radio waves from FRBs finally meet our telescopes, they have traveled for billions of years from the distant, early universe. During this cross-universe odyssey, they interact with material along the way.

"Radio waves, in particular, are sensitive to any intervening material along the line of sightfrom the FRB location to us," Fong said. "That means the waves have to travel through any cloud of material around the FRB site, through its host galaxy, across the universe and finally through the Milky Way. From a time delay in the FRB signal itself, we can measure the sum of all of these contributions."

To continue to probe FRBs and their origins, astronomers need to detect and study more of them. And with technology continually becoming more sensitive, Gordon says more detectionspotentially even capturing incredibly faint FRBsare right around the corner.

"With a larger sample of distant FRBs, we can begin to study the evolution of FRBs and their host properties by connecting them to more nearby ones and perhaps even start to identify more strange populations," Dong said.

"In the near future, FRB experiments will increase their sensitivity, leading to an unprecedented rate in the number of FRBs detected at these distances," Gordon said. "Astronomers will soon learn just how special the environment of this FRB was."

The study is titled "A fast radio burst in a compact galaxy group at z ~ 1." Astronomers first detected FRB 20220610A with the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder radio telescope in Western Australia and then confirmed its origin with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.

More information: Alexa C. Gordon et al, A Fast Radio Burst in a Compact Galaxy Group at at z ~ 1, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2311.10815 Journal information: arXiv
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Credit: Engin Akyurt from Pexels

The holidays are a wrap, and the new year offers an opportunity for reflection and change. For many people, the holidays are a time when consumption kicks into overdrive, but a University of Arizona researcher concerned about the environmental impacts of overconsumptionand the marketing that drives itsays it doesn't have to be this way and offers solutions.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Macromarketing, lead author Sabrina Helman associate professor in the UArizona Norton School of Human Ecology and the College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciencesand her co-authors surveyed marketing educators from 42 countries to understand if and how they are integrating climate change into their curricula.

They found that just over one-third of respondents actively integrate sustainability and climate change into their classrooms. About half recognize the need for change but feel stuck teaching "business-as-usual" marketing curricula, Helm says. The remaining respondents value the standard marketing curricula. Members of this group don't deny climate change, but rather, they believe marketing education is not the place to address the issue.

"It does not make sense to teach our standard business-as-usual marketing repertoire while we are confronted with these grand challenges in society," Helm says. "I hope people realize how much impact we have as educators on the decisions of business leaders of the future. If climate change is caused by overconsumption, and marketingas one of its goalsis driving consumer behavior, you can immediately see the connection and need for change."

In the paper, the research team also provides suggested solutions and supporting resources for educators interested in altering their research or curriculum to promote an economy that incentivizes the restoration of nature and net-zero carbon emissions.

"It's my role, and the role of all educators, to drive these discussions in the classroom," Helm says. "I don't have solutions to the climate crisis, and I can't revamp the capitalist system, but I can bring new ideas to my students. I can teach them to ask good questions and persevere in getting answers and enacting good practices when they get into their careers."

More than just in the classroom, change needs to happen at multiple levels, Helm says, including the individual level, the university and industry level and the wider social landscape.

"The current economic system has worked for many of us in many waysincluding cleanliness, comfort, conveniencebut it doesn't work for everyone, and it definitely doesn't work for nature," Helm says. "The model that requires infinite growth cannot be workable when you think about resource constraints on our planet. It will require rethinking what economic success means and changing how we live our lives. The task is huge, but I think it's quite interesting to think about marketing in that context because marketing has been pursuing this growth mantra, but we can instead use marketing for good."

Helm also hopes that educators will consider how they can change their work environment to be more amenable to changing curriculum. For example, often faculty on the tenure track feel restricted in what they're allowed to teach and research, she says. Even more so, faculty who are not on the tenure track can feel pressure to conform to the system, because they exist on short-term contracts.

"If higher education ignores our responsibility to teach what needs teaching, then we lose our license to operate," Helm says. "My students are very climate conscious. If we don't address it, it leaves them in a state of cognitive dissonance. They think that marketing or business is what they'd like to do in their career, but without integrating sustainability into our curriculum, they might find that their values are not aligned with their future careers."

Helm, who also studies climate change and anxiety, acknowledges that such discussions with students can be challenging, but says doing so in a thoughtful way can lead to better results and greater change.

As the paper states: "How we teach about climate change is as important as what we teach."

If not taught with intent, climate anxiety can lead to agnosis, or strategic ignorance, to cope with the stress of threat, Helm says.

"It's totally normal to react with extreme worry, anger, disillusionment, hopelessness, but if we leave it there, then we will probably resort to maladaptive coping mechanisms, like apathy or even retail therapy, which doesn't help us confront the problem and can even contribute to it, " she says. "We need to remain productive and proactive to cope with the challenges ahead of us.

"I tell my students this: The way to cope with it is do whatever you can within your means. You're young, you're powerful and have a mind that can change so many things."

Ultimately, Helm is working to encourage students, companies and consumers to build a business environment where marketers and businesses cause less harm or no harmor are even able to do good.

"It's a great time to reflect on what we can and should be doing to make positive change," she says.

More information: Sabrina V. Helm et al, "No Marketing on a Dead Planet": Rethinking Marketing Education to Support a Restoration Economy, Journal of Macromarketing (2023). DOI: 10.1177/02761467231211302
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Physicians for Social Responsibility and five Colorado advocacy groups are suing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and four federal agencies to halt work on a trail through Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the District of Columbia on Monday, claims that the U.S. departments of Transportation and the Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Highway Administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not considering alternatives to constructing an 8-mile greenway "through the most heavily plutonium-contaminated portion" of the refuge.

"Although this facility is no longer in operation, the radioactive contaminants, particularly weapons-grade plutonium, that persist in the local ecosystem threaten grave harm to those who live, work or recreate in or near these areas," the complaint states.

"In the absence of intervention by this Court, the health and safety of many individuals will be at risk due to exposure from nuclear contaminants that are far above regulatory limits for radiation and appear to be migrating by air and soil."

The lawsuit repeatedly cites a soil sample found in 2019 along the eastern edge of the refuge that had plutonium levels more than five times above the cleanup standard. Dozens of subsequent soil samples did not have elevated plutonium levels, and federal agencies later declared the area safe for public use.

In addition to not considering alternative trail routes, the lawsuit claims the federal agencies failed to hold a public hearing or public comment period about the project and that they did not take into account the 2019 elevated plutonium reading.

The advocacy groups asked the court to find that the agencies violated the National Environmental Policy Act and to halt work on the project until they comply with the law.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Interior declined to comment on the pending lawsuit. The Department of Transportation could not be reached for comment.

2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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A full moon is seen behind the Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft, atop the mobile launcher, are prepared for a wet dress rehearsal to practice timelines and procedures for launch, at Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, NASA said astronauts will have to wait until 2025 before flying to the moon and another few years before landing on it. Credit: Cory Huston/NASA via AP

Astronauts will have to wait until next year before flying to the moon and at least two years before landing on it, under the latest round of delays announced by NASA on Tuesday.

The space agency had planned to send four astronauts around the moon late this year, but pushed the flight to September 2025. The first human moon landing in more than 50 years also got bumped, from 2025 to September 2026. NASA cited safety concerns with its own spacecraft, as well as development issues with the moonsuits and landers coming from private industry.

"Safety is our top priority," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The delays will "give Artemis teams more time to work through the challenges."

The news came barely an hour after a Pittsburgh company abandoned its own attempt to land its spacecraft on the moon because of a mission-ending fuel leak.

Launched Monday as part of NASA's commercial lunar program, Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lander was supposed to serve as a scout for the astronauts. A Houston company will give it a shot with its own lander next month.

NASA is relying heavily on private companies for its Artemis moon-landing program for astronauts, named after the mythological twin sister of Apollo.

NASA's Orion capsule is drawn to the well deck of the USS Portland after it splashed down following a successful uncrewed Artemis I moon mission, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, NASA said astronauts will have to wait until 2025 before flying to the moon and another few years before landing on it. Credit: Mario Tama/Pool Photo via AP, File

SpaceX's Starship mega rocket will be needed to get the first Artemis moonwalkers from lunar orbit down to the surface and back up. But the nearly 400-foot (121-meter) rocket has launched from Texas only twice, exploding both times over the Gulf of Mexico. A third test flight is planned for February.

The longer it takes to get Starship into orbit around Earth, first with satellites and then crews, the longer NASA will have to wait to attempt its first moon landing with astronauts since 1972. During NASA's Apollo era, 12 astronauts walked on the moon. The competition back then was the Soviet Union; now it's China. Nelson told reporters he's not worried that China will beat America to the moon with a crew, even with the latest delay. Even so, "we don't fly until it's ready," he stressed.

The Government Accountability Office warned in November that NASA was likely looking at 2027 for its first astronaut moon landing, citing Elon Musk's Starship as one of the many technical challenges. Another potential hurdle: the development of moonwalking suits by Houston's Axiom Space.

"We need them all to be ready and all to be successful in order for that very complicated mission to come together," said Amit Kshatriya, NASA's deputy associate administrator. He added that even with the delay, a 2026 moon landing represents "a very aggressive schedule."

NASA has only one Artemis moonshot under its belt so far. In a test flight of its new moon rocket in 2022, the space agency sent an empty Orion capsule into lunar orbit and returned it to Earth. To engineers' surprise, some charred material came off the capsule's heat shield during reentry. Later, testing of another capsule uncovered a design flaw in the life-support electronics, and separate battery issues popped up.

Artemis II crew members, from left, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch, stand together at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in front of an Orion crew module on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. On Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, NASA said astronauts will have to wait until 2025 before flying to the moon and another few years before landing on it. Credit: Kim Shiflett/NASA via AP, File

It's the same kind of capsule that will carry astronauts to and from the moon, linking up with Starship in lunar orbit for the trip down to the surface and back up.

Starship will need to fill up its fuel tank in orbit around Earth, before heading to the moon; SpaceX estimates an estimated 10 fuel transfers will be needed. The company plans an orbiting fuel depot to handle the job, another key aspect of the program yet to be demonstrated.

NASA's moon-landing effort has been delayed repeatedly over the past decade, adding to billions of dollars to the cost. Government audits project the total program costs at $93 billion through 2025.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Multicommunicating can be most beneficial when people can balance their divided attention and effectively manage the expectations of whoever they are communicating with, according to new research co-conducted at Binghamton University, State University of New York. Credit: Rawpixel Ltd. / CC BY 2.0

In today's digital age, the need for multicommunicating has increased as people frequently juggle different communication tasks using multiple devices. While that occasionally means your attention could be diverted from one task or another, new research including faculty from Binghamton University, State University of New York examines how multicommunicating could benefit the workplace or classroom, as long as it's used properly.

The paper is published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports.

Multicommunicating can be most beneficial when people are able to balance their divided attention and effectively manage the expectations of whoever they are communicating with, said Assistant Professor Jinglu Jiang, who conducted the research.

"On the surface, it's easy to place a negative connotation on multicommunicating. But we need to focus on how people manage their multicommunicating rather than the behavior itself," Jiang said. "Not everyone can be a 'Superman' at this, but if you're messaging with a colleague to get some information that could be useful while you're in the middle of a meeting, that could make your contribution to the meeting more effective."

Previous research has shown how multicommunicating, such as using social media or texting during another conversation, could be distracting, especially in classroom or business settings. Studies also have shown that multicommunicating not only impairs task performance but also leads to unfavorable social judgments against the multicommunicator, causing them to be perceived as uncivil and unprofessional.

But Jiang's research reveals that multicommunication may not always pose a hindrance when it is directly related to a person's primary task or objective.

When performed properly, Jiang said, multicommunicators can harness information acquired from secondary conversations to enhance their primary task, bolstering a person's contributions to a meeting and minimizing delays. This is especially true when the two media involved in the multicommunication can complement each other.

For example, if a person is listening to a lecture or discussion while reading related content on a separate screen, that can prove more effective than attempting to read from two separate screens simultaneously.

"Let's say you're listening to your teachers and looking at some materials on the side, even if it's social media. That can work as long as those materials have some content related to what's being taught in the class," Jiang said. "In my own classes, I'll talk about how websites like Amazon work, so the students will naturally want to look at the website's design themselves during the lecture. They're listening and learning something using their own perspective."

Jiang's research also shows that it matters who you're communicating with, particularly when it comes to leveraging the information a person gains through side conversations. Effective management of communication partners' expectations means ensuring that they are aware of and comfortable with the multicommunicating approach.

In most business or classroom settings, this can involve setting clear boundaries and explaining the purpose behind the multicommunication. Jiang said multicommunication will become more beneficial when everyone is "on the same page" and has realistic expectations of what it can accomplish.

Managers coordinating a meeting, Jiang said, must know when it's necessary to disrupt multicommunicating. They could address it by clarifying to employees when it might not be acceptable or by giving examples of when it would be useful or allowed.

Jiang's research also points out that further study of this topic could help shed light on how multicommunicating could influence brainstorming, negotiation, influencing and relationship formation.

"Properly managing this behavior at the individual and team levels makes the difference between multicommunication as a distraction and multicommunication as an asset," she said.

More information: Jinglu Jiang et al, Toward a multilevel framework of multicommunicating: Insights from a systematic review, Computers in Human Behavior Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100349
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Credit: University of Illinois Press

A new book by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor historian explores how workers characterize their relationship to their jobs using their own personal mini-narratives, mining that material to ultimately advocate for a more humanistic-centered future of work.

Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at Illinois, is the author of "What Work Is," published by the University of Illinois Press.

The book's title is a reference to a Philip Levine poem of the same name, which details the speaker's working-class struggles to earn a living as a day laborer. But the title in Bruno's book functions as a thought exercise for his students to describe their relationship to their work using no more than six words: "Work is _______?"

"For nearly 30 years, my work as a labor studies educator has allowed me to teach and interact with working-class people as studentsunionized workers representing all trades, crafts, occupations and sectors, and different nationalities, races, genders and political orientations," Bruno said.

"The one thing they all have in common is nobody ever asks them about their relationship to their work. In writing this book, I really wanted to understand how they experience their work. How are their lives realized through the work they do? How does it affect the multiple aspects of their lives? How do they see themselves through their work? How do they define their work, and how does it define them?"

The thousands of student responses collected range from the profound to the profane, the banal to the intimate. But they serve as a springboard for Bruno to interrogate and explore five larger categories: work and time; the space workers occupy; the impact of work on their lives; the sense of purpose that motivates workers; and the people they work for.

"I sifted and sorted through thousands of these personal narratives, curating and analyzing them, looking for the common themes," Bruno said. "And from those granular, personal accounts, I could then zoom out and talk about larger issues in the contemporary U.S. labor landscape, such as class issues and economic dynamics that are redefining and changing the way we work. If we listen to workers and take their experiences seriously, we begin to see a path to make their work more impactful, more valuable and ultimately more satisfying for them."

The book is not meant to be a final statement on labor or as a capstone for his three-plus decades of studying labor, but "an evocative and powerful encapsulation of how I've come to understand the way that workers experience work," said Bruno, also the director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal, a research-based initiative tasked with investigating labor policies in today's economy.

One of the advantages of having the students write a six-word "essay" is that "it usually cuts right to the core of what work is for most people," Bruno said.

"Work is so fundamental and so basic to people's lives that it undergirds just about everything," he said. "One of the less obvious realizations I had while writing this book was the way that work connects us to others. Work makes other people's lives possible."

The dominant theme throughout the vast majority of the responses was that "people work for others," Bruno said.

"When you ask someone about their work, it's as if you asked them 'On whose behalf do you work for?'" he said. "And they would say, 'I'm working for my family.' 'I'm working for the greater good.' 'I'm working for my country.' 'I'm working to make my union stronger.' 'I'm working for my kids.' It's rare that they say, 'I'm working for my employer.' There is this extensive web of relationships surrounding work, and if you dig below the surface, you can see it's often the connective tissue of people's lives. At the same time, we don't often spotlight the person who does the work itself. We see the product, but not the hands that made that product."

Bruno also is the author of "Justified by Work: Identity and the Meaning of Faith in Chicago's Working-Class Churches"; "Steelworker Alley: How Class Works In Youngstown"; and "Reforming the Chicago Teamsters: The Story of Local 705." He is co-author of "A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Chicago Teachers Strike."
FSS chief demands greater efforts by debt-laden builder

By Anna J. Park

Yoon Se-young, founder and honorary chairman of Taeyoung Group, has pledged to offer key stakes of SBS, a major broadcaster in Korea, and TY Holdings, to salvage the group's debt-ridden construction subsidiary, if necessary.

During a televised press conference held at the headquarters of Taeyoung Engineering & Construction (E&C) on Tuesday, the group chief vowed to diligently implement the self-rescue measures submitted to creditors to regain the trust from creditors and resume the stalled workout negotiations for the construction company.

"The group will make its utmost efforts to revive Taeyoung E&C, while not entirely relying on the support from the creditors. When the efforts fall short, the stakes of TY Holdings  the holding company of Taeyoung Group  and SBS will be put up as a collateral to save Taeyoung E&C. I will demonstrate my commitment through actions, not through words, putting everything on the line," Yoon emphasized during the press conference.

The group chairman expressed his apology for causing deep concerns with the debt restructuring process of the country's 16th largest builder.

"I feel an immense responsibility for causing concerns to the public, government and creditors, while burdening the national economy. I will make every effort to normalize Taeyoung E&C to minimize the damage to the creditors and everyone related to the situation," Yoon said, explaining that the excessive greed of the company on top of the real estate market recession lies at the heart of the problem.

Yoon also expressed regrets over controversies the group caused at the early phase of the group's workout application process by not following through with its initial self-rescue plans.

"Although there have been controversies regarding the implementation of some of the measures, the issue has now been addressed by injecting the entirety of the promised money to Taeyoung E&C," Yoon said, referring to the company's additional payment of 89 billion won ($67 million) to Taeyoung E&C on the previous day to keep its original pledge to inject a total of 154.9 billion won to the construction company.

Taeyoung Group initially submitted its four self-rescue measures, including transferring 154.9 billion won ($117 million) from the sale of Taeyoung Industry to Taeyoung E&C, financially assisting Taeyoung E&C through the proceeds from the sale of Ecorbit, offering BlueOne shares as collateral and for eventual sale, and providing Pyeong Taek Silo as collateral.

"The group pledges once again to faithfully implement the remaining self-rescue plans, including the sales of key subsidiaries, including Ecorbit, and the offer of collaterals," Yoon said, stressing additional options will be offered if the already-employed measures turn out to be insufficient.

Whether the workout process will be pursued will be decided in Thursday's voting among the 609 creditors. If 75 percent of the creditors agree to the workout process, the construction company will undertake due diligence over its assets and submit thorough plans to improve the firm's financial soundness.

Korea Development Bank (KDB), the representative of the group of creditors, announced Tuesday afternoon that the creditors are positively evaluating Taeyoung Group's pledges made earlier in the day about its determination to save the construction company and its willingness to stake further in its self-rescue plans.

Earlier in the day, Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun held a meeting with leaders of financial groups in Seoul, reiterating financial authorities' position that it will strictly apply the principle of self-responsibility when it comes to debt restructuring processes of an insolvent company.

"In the restructuring of financially troubled companies, strict adherence to the principle of self-responsibility will be applied, as the process causes damages and pains on the part of various stakeholders of insolvent companies. Therefore, both the debtor and the major shareholder of an insolvent company need to gain trust by presenting robust self-rescue plans," the FSS chief said during the meeting, adding he believe such requests by the government won't be regarded as contrary to market principles or the principles of limited liability for shareholders.

At the same time, Lee vowed that the financial authorities would assume their roles of adjusting complicated interests related to a workout process, to maintain the financial market's stability and soundness.
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Elon Musks brain implant company Neuralink received regulatory approval to conduct the first clinical trial in humans in 2023. Credit: Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

The idea of free speech sparked into life 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greecein part because it served a politician's interests. The ability to speak freely was seen as essential for the new Athenian democracy, which the politician Cleisthenes both introduced and benefited from.

Today, we debate the boundaries of free speech around kitchen tables and watercoolers, in the media and in our courtrooms. The right to freedom of thought, however, is more rarely discussed. But thanks to the growing influence of social media, big data and new technology, this "forgotten freedom" needs our urgent attention.

In democratic societies ruled by ballots not bullets, power is won through persuasion. Efforts at persuasion are ramping up: there will be more than 50 national elections involving half the world's population in 2024, including in 7 of the 10 most populous countries. The results will shape our century, making it paramount that we protect people's ability to think and vote freely.

But corporate and political actors know more about how our minds work than we do. They activate our biases rather than appeal to our reason, push us to share information without thinking, and control our attention to the point of addiction.

Advances in neuroscience may heighten this threat to free thought. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg are among those in a race to read our minds with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). In 2021, the UN warned of the risks of neural technologies predicting, identifying and modifying our thoughts. Manhattan projects of the mind threaten to make lab rats of us all.

We could respond by calling on our right to freedom of thought. It's there waiting for us, created in 1948 by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) and later becoming international law. But anyone reaching for this right may be horrified to find it hollow, bereft of any clear definition and unfit for purpose.

In recent years, the UN has sought to give this right more substance. One of its special rapporteurs, Ahmed Shaheed, has made a series of recommendations (which I will outline) that should, eventually, lead to a better defined, more muscular right to free thought. This process has promiseit could help shield our thoughts from prying eyes and protect our minds from manipulation.

But it also has the potential for harm. In international law, freedom of thought is an absolute right. This means it could run roughshod over other important concerns. Activists could, for example, use this right to silence their political opponents by claiming their opponents' speech is manipulating thoughts.

This right could also go wrong by failing to protect all forms of thought. We must ask where "thinking" ends and "speaking" begins in today's world: should performing an online search, writing a personal diary, or asking a question in a WhatsApp group be regarded as forms of thought, or outright speech?

History suggests the right to free thought will only become globally relevant if political factions or states use it to serve their purposes. And this looks increasingly likely as accusations of mental manipulation and "thoughtcrime" creation fly between the political right and left, and the US looks for new weapons in its developing cold war with China.

For both technological and (geo)political reasons, the right to freedom of thought's time may have come. Whatever it is decided to mean, it will bind us all. As I argue in my new book Freethinking, this makes it crucial that we can all have input into its design.

Free thought past

The term "freethinker" came into common use during the Enlightenment in late 17th-century Europe, describing people who questioned religious authorities. Today, freethinking typically refers to being guided by evidence and reason, not authorityalthough this hasn't stopped people who play fast and loose with evidence appropriating the term too.

Up against the freethinkers are those who seek to control thought to achieve and cement power. George Orwell's classic vision of this threat, Nineteen Eighty-Four, actually came out 20 years after Japan's Peace Preservation Law had already termed many people on the political left as "thought criminals."

In Orwell's novel, the ruling party aims to "extinguish once and for all the possibility of independent thought." Beginning in childhood, people are taught to deny the evidence of their eyes and ears. No one is to be left alone to thinkyet nor are they able to think with others. People are encouraged to stop themselves on the threshold of dangerous thoughts, as the terrifying Thought Police find and punish those who commit "thoughtcrime."

The ruling party also uses extensive surveillance, parallels to which can be seen today. Consider the effects of Edward Snowden's 2013 revelations that the US was heavily surveilling the internet. This led to a 10% drop in internet searches that could have got Americans in trouble with their government, such as "domestic security," "nuclear" and "organized crime." Americans' suspicion that they were being watched harmed their freedom of thought.

New technologies drive new laws. Just as photography spurred a right to privacy in 1890, today scholars want to develop the right to freedom of thought in response to neurotechnology and the digital world. This means confronting the gulf between the extensive lauding of this right and the bewildering neglect of what it practically involves. Enter the UN.

Free thought present

In October 2021, special rapporteur Shaheed presented a report on the right to freedom of thought. To underpin this right, he proposed four pillars which I summarize as follows, including some questions I think we should consider about them:

1. Mental privacy. People cannot be forced to reveal their thoughts. This means we must scrutinize technological developments that open new windows into our minds. But should our minds always be private?

2. Mental immunity. People cannot be punished for their thoughts. This idea has existed since ancient Rome, though today we need to decide what exactly should count as a "thought."

3. Mental integrity. People and organizations cannot alter others' thoughts without permission. We know subliminal advertising is wrong because it bypasses our conscious mindbut beyond this, we enter a gray zone. When does persuasion become impermissible manipulation?

4. Mental fertility. This enshrines a government's duty to create an enabling environment for free thought. But will governments really do this if free thought challenges their power? And even if they want to, how can they design a society that promotes free thought?

To build on these pillars, we need to answer basic questions about what thought is and what makes it free. Before we can protect thought, we must first define it.

Free thought future

Traditionally, the law views thoughts as happening inside our brains. Yet philosophers (and, increasingly, psychologists and technologists) have long claimed that thought "ain't just in the head," proposing that our minds extend into the world.

A notebook can be the functioning memory of someone with dementia. Writing in a diary, as Winston Smith did illegally in Nineteen Eighty-Four, can also represent thinking. Writing doesn't only express thought; sometimes "the thinking is the writing." Similarly, some internet searches can be a form of thinking as we use them to question, reason and reflect.

If the right to freedom of thought is deemed to cover our "extended minds," this will have important consequences. Authorities often access the internet search histories of people accused of crimes, using this as evidence. In homicide trials, searches such as "how to get rid of someone annoying" or "chloroform" have been cited in court. But if such searches are deemed to constitute thinking, then accessing someone's search history could become a violation of their mental privacy.

Speaking aloud can also be regarded as a form of thinkingwe sometimes speak to find out what we think. As novelist E.M. Forster asked: "How do I know what I think until I see what I say?"

But we also speak aloud in order to think with other peopleand we may think better with others than we do alone. Thought can be at its most powerful when it is social, rather than the solitary act depicted by Auguste Rodin. So, for thought to be truly free, we require public as well as private thinking spaces.

To facilitate this, we may need a new legal concept of "thoughtspeech." This would represent the thinking aloud we do with others in the name of "good faith truth-seeking." Thoughtspeech could be protected as absolutely as the thoughts inside our head: while one could (and should) still disagree with others, attempts to silence or punish thoughtspeech would be a human rights violation.

However, an obvious concern is that this concept could be misused to justify hate speech that Europe, but not the US, has deemed illegal. The protestation that "I'm just asking questions" can easily be employed as a cover to demonize people. At the same time, a creeping prohibition of asking difficult or challenging questions is also potentially dangerous, not least to society's minorities who seek to challenge the status quo. Where necessary, courts would have to decide whether the claimed thoughtspeech was genuine truth-seeking in good faith, or had darker motives.

To see these thorny questions in practice, consider how, in Ireland, both the left and right have argued that the proposed criminal justice (incitement to violence or hatred and hate offenses) bill 2022 will create "thought crimes." Section 10(3) of this bill states that if you possess hateful material that you haven't shown anyone, and it is reasonable to assume this material is not just intended for personal use, then you are presumed to be breaking the law. The police could then seek a warrant to enter your premises and access this information.

One politician claimed this bill would not create thought crimes because it involved "production of material," and that "nobody is ever going to be prosecuted for what they're thinking inside their heads." This illustrates the restricted view of thought that some politicians holdand suggests that legislators could leave much of our thinking naked and vulnerable.

Once we have settled on what thought is, we must work out what makes it free. The EU's Digital Services Act forbids online platforms from deceiving or manipulating users, or impairing their ability to make "free and informed decisions." But what counts as manipulation or impairing free decision-making?

Psychology suggests that free thinking requires us to control our attention, be able to reason and reflect, and to not need superhuman courage to think aloud with others. This makes platforms and products problematic that either capture our attention to the point of addiction, or employ "dark patterns" that undermine reflection and reasoning.

For instance, in the "false demand" dark pattern, a shopping website may falsely tell you that "Abby in London" has just bought a pillow. This could undermine your reasoning by triggering a panicky sense of scarcity in you, or setting a false norm of others buying the pillow, making you more likely to purchase.

The designers of systems need not even intentionally play on our mental biases for their products to be problematic. For instance, listing candidates in alphabetical order on a voting ballot paper may seem neutral, but the candidate named first gains a small but measurable advantage. This is partly because we have a mental bias to prefer the first item on a list.

Some US states don't use alphabetical ordering on ballots for this reason. Instead they randomly rotate the order of candidates' names on ballots across districts. Yet, elsewhere, including in the UK, this alphabetical practice continues. Alphabetical ordering arguably violates voters' right to freedom of thought.

I believe the right to freedom of thought should protect thinking wherever it occursin our heads, our diaries, on the internet, or when we're engaged in good faith truth-seeking when thinking aloud with others. And crucially, to keep thoughts free, our environment must be designed and regulated to let us control our attention, think logically and reflectively, and not fear punishment for our thoughts. Unfortunately, new technologies threaten this ideal.

The power to punish thought

New technologies have the potential to undermine three of the UN's pillars of free thoughtmental privacy, immunity, and integrity. It is well known, for example, that social media can use knowledge of how our minds work to hijack our attention, discourage reflection, and facilitate the punishment of wrongthink, thereby harming our autonomy. Less well known is how social media revives an old social pattern that threatens free thought.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived in egalitarian communities with no dominant individuals. This was due to a "reverse dominance hierarchy" which meant that, if someone tried to rise above others, the group would work together to humble, exclude or even kill this would-be "tall poppy."

My book Spite (2020) explains how anthropologists believe this was possible due to humans' ability to moralize, wield weapons and use language. Language in particular, especially gossip, helped coordinate actions against tall poppies. When agriculture was invented, larger groups, private property and recognized authority figures came on to the scene, enabling a more hierarchical form of life.

Social media has bought back the reverse dominance hierarchy. People online can unite to moralize and gossip, sometimes with the effect of bringing down individuals. And while this can helpfully check people who abuse their power, it can also harm freethinkers who disturb the status quo and undermine what they see as society's "noble" (or ignoble) lies.

And not only can new technologies facilitate the punishment of thought, they also have the potential to powerfully manipulate our thoughts. AI will soon know exactly what to say to us to maximize the chances of us performing a desired behavior. As OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has warned in relation to the 2024 elections:

"What if an AI reads everything you have ever written onlineevery tweet, every article, every everythingthen right at the exact moment, sends you one message, customized just for you, that really changes how you think about the world?"

Nineteen Eighty-Four official trailer (1984)

The power disparity between us and AI means that courts could deem AI to have improper undue influence over our minds.

New technologies can also uncover our hidden thoughts. This goes beyond what Big Brother was capable of. As Orwell wrote in Nineteen Eighty-Four, even the ruling party "had never mastered the secret of finding out what another human being was thinking."

Today, brain-reading technology that detects thoughts via brain scans or neural interfaces threatens to uncover this secret. Meta (Facebook's owner) recently showed it could determine what people were seeing by examining their brainwaves using magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology. Behavior-reading techniques that use our actions, such as musical preferences or what we "like" on Facebook, can also be used to infer our internal states.

Now, imagine if a government had someone in custody suspected of having planted a nuclear bomb in a city. There would be a strong temptation to use mind-reading technology to identify the location of the bomb from that individual's brainbut this would violate the suspect's right to free thought. Some people, perhaps many, would argue that this right should be violated in such circumstances.

Perhaps the future could include places where free thought is legally limited. While this is a challenging idea, it would be ironic if we failed to think critically about free thought itself. Legal scholar Jan Christoph Bublitz has speculated on the idea of "zones of restricted freedom of thought" in places vulnerable to terrorism, such as airports. In these zones, our thoughts could be permissibly accessed by the state to prevent calamities.

Likewise, the philosopher Sam Harris has suggested that once mind reading technology can detect lies, it could be used to create "zones of obligatory candor." These would be locations, such as courtrooms, where lies would be automatically detected from your brainwaves.

Yet, concerns about mind-reading technologies are frequently blighted by hyperbole, alarmism and exaggeration. One does not simply fall into an MRI scanner; one must consent. Once inside, we must cooperate with researchers for brain-reading to work. The extent to which our mental content can be accurately identified is often over-hyped, as it requires extremely specific conditions.

It's also important to recognize that the same technologies that threaten free thought can also benefit thought. Brain-computer interfaces, where we interact with computers simply by thinking, could boost our mental bandwidth. AI systems such as ChatGPT can stimulate new ideas. So, over-regulating these technologies could be seen as harming free thought.

Clearly, we need to protect free thought in response to new technologies. But in my view, overreacting with unnecessary laws won't lead to freer mindsit will simply enable other people's anxieties to rule our lives.

Protecting employees' and users' thoughts

Traditionally, governments were seen as the main threat to our freedoms. Today, corporations, particularly those involved in controlling flows of information such as media and technology companies, vie for this crown.

Such companies influence what information we do and don't see. They can also overwhelm us with too much content, creating "reverse censorship" that harms our ability to think. Corporations also threaten free thought through their ability to fire employees for thoughtcrime, potentially in response to a public outcry.

The British philosopher Bertrand Russell warned a century ago that "thought is not free if the profession of certain opinions makes it impossible to earn a living." Russell said this problem would grow unless the public insisted that employers controlled nothing in their employees' lives except their work. Today, employers can influence their employees' morality, opinions, and even voting decisions. As a starting point, we need laws that protect employees from being fired for their thinking.

To take another example, while the anti-discriminatory aims of implicit bias training are laudable, corporations could require employees to reveal their thoughts when doing it. The designers of a common element of this training, the implicit association test, admit it is "a method that gives the clearest window now available into a region of the mind that is inaccessible to question-asking methods." Forcing someone into this training could therefore be a breach of mental privacy.

Turning from employees to users, perhaps big tech companies should be required to design their products to support, promote and protect their users' free thoughts. For example, social media platforms could set their default options to those that minimize the risk of addiction.

Woodrow Wilson once noted that chewing tobacco "gave a man time to think between sentences." Big tech could provide digital gum in the form of options that give users time for thought, like timeouts before responding to posts or making purchases. X (formerly Twitter) already asks users if they want to share articles they have not yet read.

Similarly, search engines could offer options to show information that challenges users' existing views rather than confirming their opinions. Websites such as Ground News already highlight which stories are primarily featuring on left or right media, helping people see what is happening outside their own thought bubbles.

Big tech companies such as Google and Meta assess their human rights impacts, including through independent assessments. But freedom of thought is often overlooked. And while the UN has issued its Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, these have been described as "woefully inadequate" by Human Rights Watch as they lack any enforcement mechanism.

It's not just 'them,' it's us

It is not just governments and corporations that threaten free thoughtwe the people do too. Free thinking has often been risky. "Tell the truth and run," an old Yugoslavian proverb counsels.

Throughout history, though, some societies have tried to protect free thought and truth-telling. The ancient Athenians had the concept of a "parrhesiast," someone who spoke truth despite the risks. An example of this came when the aged statesman Solon challenged politician Pisistratus's quest for power in Athens. After arriving at the Greek Assembly dressed in armor to highlight Pisistratus's aim to use force, Solon declared:

"I am wiser than those who have failed to understand the designs of Pisistratus, and I am more courageous than those who have understood but remain silent out of fear."

To benefit from the parrhesiast, Athenians had to be willing to bear what philosopher Michel Foucault calls "the injuries of truth." In this parrhesiastic contract, the truth-teller risked speaking out and the listeners promised not to punish them. There again, Solon was not thanked for his contribution, being labeled mad by his colleagues.

Creating a safe space for truth requires a "deep enlightenment" that goes beyond simply educating people to think critically. Designing a society that protects and promotes free thought among its population at all levels could even include city planning.

A Brazilian colleague once told me how the design of the country's modern capital, Brasilia, with its lack of street corners, was meant to prevent people assembling and thinking togetherbecause such thinking could one day threaten the ruling powers. Indeed, the Portuguese for street corners can translate as "points of solidarity." The design of Brasilia is an offense against free thought.

Rather, we need to design physical and virtual spaces that protect, promote and support "people's public use of their reason." This function was partially performed by coffee houses during the Enlightenment. New spaces should allow a diverse range of voices to be brought together in debatein order to help us best find truth. Yet all of this hinges on simultaneously building a culture of trust that makes people feel safe to think.

The oxygen of freethinking

The principle of free thought is in trouble. Today, public thinking is difficult unless you are rich, reckless or anonymous. Online public spaces, such as much social media, typically prioritize engagement and profit over truth-seeking, and can exclude challenging views. A corporate-controlled mainstream news media routinely excludes or distorts important perspectives such as labor issues. Some academics feel compelled to publish ideas anonymously in outlets such as the Journal of Controversial Ideas. These are all warning lights of flashing failure on the dashboard of democracy.

The first freethinkers challenged religious authorities and were associated with egalitarianism and the political left. Yet they had their own "faith of the Enlightenment"the belief that developing one's own reason could create a better life. Today, as well as sharing this faith in reason, many of us have faith that liberal democracy creates the best form of life.

However, some modern freethinkers are pushing back against these faiths. Such individuals tend to be pro-hierarchy and on the political right. The conservative psychologist Jordan Peterson argues that we're at the start of a "counter enlightenment," while legal scholar Adrian Vermeule maligns the "evidence-based freethinkers of the quiet car" who won't speak out about liberalism's problems. Alternatively, so-called "Dark Enlightenment" thinkers such as Curtis Yarvin and Nick Land question the benefits of democracy.

Whatever you think of these views, an important question is: will the descendants of the egalitarian left, who used freethinking to challenge societal norms, support the hierarchical right's freedom to do the same? Or do they regard the political right as in need of silencing rather than debating?

Of course, freethinking on the left is silenced tooincluding those who oppose the "religion" of capitalism. Consider what happened when a declared socialist, Jeremy Corbyn, ran for prime minister in the 2017 UK parliamentary elections. An academic report on his coverage by the mainstream media concluded by asking whether it was "acceptable that the majority of British newspapers uses its mediated power to attack and delegitimize the leader of the largest opposition party against a rightwing government to such an extent and with such vigor?"

Whatever one's views on democracy, liberalism, capitalism, or any other important topic, freethinking on these issues can prove profoundly valuable. If someone's ideas have value, we may adopt them to live better lives. If we adjudge them mistaken, we will still emerge with a better understanding of precisely why our own ideas are valuable, having remade them as living truths rather than dead dogmas.

Free thought is not merely about gaining more perspectives. It is about dueling perspectives. The left and right could find common ground not in a commitment to mutual cancellation, but in a renewed dedication to debate. We must embrace the value of thinking.

Unfortunately, we often find thought a painful effort. Evolution has shaped us to make decisions using minimal energy, pressuring us to become cognitive misers who are "as stupid as we can get away with," as psychologist Keith Stanovich argues. Many of us are not merely disinclined to think but actively prefer electrocution to being left alone with our thoughts, according to one 2014 study.

The rise of generative AI threatens to make this situation worse. One vision of the future imagines a singularity where we merge with machines by connecting our brains directly to AI. But what if we approach a bifurcation point rather than a singularity? Humans could become a mere source of animalistic appetites and desires, while machines do the thinking for us.

If we abandon free thought, homo sapiens will have been a brief candle between ape and AI. Humanity's flame cannot continue to burn in an authoritarian vacuumit requires the oxygen of freethinking. A right to free thought can give us this air, but we still have to breathe in.

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Morphology of the trigeminal nerve. a Whole-mount immunofluorescence for the Arctic lamprey (L. camtschaticum) prolarva at st. 27. Peripheral nerves are visualized by an anti-acetylated tubulin antibody in green and cell nuclei are labeled DAPI in blue. b Schematic illustration of the cranial nerves. c Whole-mount immunofluorescence for the catshark (S. torazame) embryo at st. 27. Peripheral nerves are visualized by an anti-acetylated tubulin antibody in magenta, and cell nuclei are labeled by DAPI in blue. d Schematic illustration of the cranial nerves. Credit: Tamura et al. (Zoological Letters, 2023).

Jaws are bone- or cartilage-based structures that hold together teeth in the mouth of most vertebrates (i.e., all animal species with a backbone or spinal column). While these crucial structures have been the focus of numerous studies, their evolutionary origin and their development over centuries and across species is yet to be fully elucidated.

With their strong and highly efficient jaws, sharks are one of the most emblematic animal species. Shark jaws are known to be partly flexible, for instance allowing the animals to bite off parts of their prey when they are too big for them to swallow, via a thrusting movement.

Researchers at University of Tsukuba, Ehime University and other institutes in Japan and Europe recently carried out a study examining a crucial component of the vertebrate jaw, known as the trigeminal nerve. Their paper, published in Zoological Letters, identifies unique patterns in the distribution of neuronal somata and expression of so-called Hmx genes in lamprey (also known as vampire fish), which were not present in sharks.

"The trigeminal nerve is a key component for understanding jaw evolution, as it plays a crucial role as a sensorimotor interface for the effective manipulation of the jaw," Motoki Tamura, Ryota Ishikawa and their colleagues wrote in their paper.

"This nerve is also found in the lamprey, an extant jawless vertebrate. The trigeminal nerve has three major branches in both the lamprey and jawed vertebrates. Although each of these branches was classically thought to be homologous between these two taxa, this homology is now in doubt."

The trigeminal nerve or fifth cranial nerve (V) is a key component of the vertebrate jaw, made up of both motor and sensory neurons. As suggested by its name, this nerve is typically made up of three distinct branches, namely the ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular nerves.

Interestingly, lamprey, eel-like blood-sucking fish with sharp teeth but no clear jaw-like structure, also exhibit a trigeminal nerve. The presence of this nerve without a jaw suggests that this fish species evolved differently compared to sharks, which are known to have a conventional vertebrate jaw.

In their paper, Tamura, Ishikawa and their colleagues set out to better understand differences in the neuronal somata and gene expression patterns of lamprey and sharks. To do this, they examined the distribution of trigeminal sensory neurons in these two animals, as well as the expression patterns of Hmx genes, which are linked to the development of the nervous system and sensory organs.

Notably, previous studies on mice found that the Hmx1 gene was expressed in a specific segment of neurons, known as rV 3 neuronal somata. The team tried to determine whether these same gene expression patterns were also present in sharks and lamprey.

"We compared expression patterns of Hmx, a candidate genetic marker of the mandibular nerve (rV 3 , the third branch of the trigeminal nerve in jawed vertebrates), and the distribution of neuronal somata of trigeminal nerve branches in the trigeminal ganglion in lamprey and shark," Tamura, Ishikawa and their colleagues wrote.

"We first confirmed the conserved expression pattern of Hmx1 in the shark rV 3 neuronal somata, which are distributed in the caudal part of the trigeminal ganglion. By contrast, lamprey Hmx genes showed peculiar expression patterns, with expression in the ventrocaudal part of the trigeminal ganglion similar to Hmx1 expression in jawed vertebrates, which labeled the neuronal somata of the second branch."

Overall, the researchers found that while Hmx expression patterns and the distribution of trigeminal nerve neurons in sharks resembled those previously observed in mice, those of lamprey were markedly different. Based on these observations, they introduced two alternative hypotheses describing the possible evolutionary journey of trigeminal nerve branches.

The findings gathered as part of this study offer some new insight into the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate jaw, which remain poorly understood. In the future, they could pave the way for further works exploring the differences between the trigeminal nerve of sharks and lamprey, potentially leading to important new discoveries.

More information: Motoki Tamura et al, Comparative analysis of Hmx expression and the distribution of neuronal somata in the trigeminal ganglion in lamprey and shark: insights into the homology of the trigeminal nerve branches and the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate jaw, Zoological Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1186/s40851-023-00222-9.

 2024 Science X Network
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off 100 contractors last week and will scale back part of the first-ever effort to bring pieces of Mars to Earth, after a cost-cutting order from NASA that lawmakers called "short-sighted and misguided."

In an email to staff on Thursday, JPL director Laurie Leshin said that NASA is bracing for a federal budget that could cap spending on the Mars Sample Return mission at $300 million this fiscal yearjust 36% of the previous year's $822-million budget and less than one-third of the $949 million the Biden administration requested for the program.

"Adjusting to such a large budget cut in one year will be painful," Leshin wrote to employees at La Canada Flintridge, California, research institution. "It is also becoming more likely that there will be JPL workforce impacts in the form of layoffs, and the way such JPL workforce actions are implemented means that the impact would not be limited to MSR."

Last week's layoffs of contract employees along with a hiring freeze are part of a lab-wide effort to reduce spending, Leshin wrote. In addition, NASA has ordered JPL to cease operations at the end of this month on a key project within the mission to bring a piece of Mars back to Earth, a joint project with the European Space Agency and one of the biggest and most complex missions undertaken at the lab.

Work on Mars Sample Return's Capture, Containment and Return System will be paused while an independent review team analyzes the overall design of the much-anticipated mission to collect dust and rocks from Mars and bring them to Earth for study, Leshin wrote.

"These are painful but necessary adjustments as we work through the current budget environment while striving to maintain our unique skills and world-class workforce for NASA and our nation," JPL said in a statement.

The cuts come while Congress is still debating how it's going to parcel out the 2024 fiscal year budget.

Lawmakers have criticized the agency's decision to scale back on staff and science on the Mars effort before final numbers are in.

"NASA's unilateral and unprecedented decision to cut funding for the Mars Sample Return mission, before Congress has finished its appropriations process, is having devastating real world consequences," Rep. Adam Schiff said on Friday. "This critical mission was identified as NASA's highest scientific priority by the decadal survey, and to back away now will relinquish important American leadership in space science."

The sample retrieval lander was originally scheduled to take off in 2028, with a planned return to Earth in 2033 after the first-ever rocket launch from another planet.

An independent review of the project that NASA commissioned last year found that the mission was "not arranged to be led effectively," and that there was a "near zero probability" that it would make its 2028 launch date. Even meeting a postponed launch date of 2030 would require more than $1 billion a year for at least three years starting in 2025.

The mission's final price tag could be nearly $10 billion, the review concludedmore than double the $4.4 billion estimated in 2020.

California lawmakers have lobbied to preserve JPL's funding, citing the need to protect jobs and keep the U.S. space program competitive. China has announced a sample return mission of its own to launch in 2028 or 2030a prospect, the review stated, that would "challenge the U.S."s technical, engineering, and scientific leadership in Mars exploration."

In a November letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a bipartisan group of six California lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate said they were "mystified" by NASA's preemptive belt-tightening before a final budget was announced.

Implementing the cuts ordered by NASA means JPL "will not be able to meet the 2030 launch window, billions of dollars in contracts supporting American businesses will be subject to cancellation, and hundreds of highly skilled jobs in California will be lost," they wrote. "If this uniquely talented workforce is lost to the private sector, it will be near impossible to reassemble."

In the most recent planetary science decadal survey, a report prepared for NASA every 10 years by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, planetary scientists named the Mars Sample Return mission as the "highest scientific priority of NASA's robotic exploration efforts this decade" and argued that the program should be completed "as soon as is practicably possible with no increase or decrease in its current scope."

But the authors cautioned that the ambitious mission shouldn't come at the cost of other planetary science.

"Mars Sample Return is of fundamental strategic importance to NASA, U.S. leadership in planetary science, and international cooperation and should be completed as rapidly as possible," the report stated. "However, its cost should not be allowed to undermine the long-term programmatic balance of the planetary portfolio."

2024 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Environmental activists worried about the potential impact of deep-sea mining protested outside of Norway's parliament as lawmakers debated and approved a measure that allows exploration to begin.

Norway's parliament on Tuesday adopted a government plan to open up parts of its seabed to mining exploration, despite protests from activists and scientists' warnings about the uncertain environmental impact.

The proposal to gradually open up a 280,000-square-kilometer (108,100 square mile) area, mostly in the Arctic, was approved by the Storting, with 80 votes in favor and 20 against.

A small group of protesters had gathered outside the parliament in Oslo, displaying banners reading "Stop deep sea mining" and "Norway protect our oceans".

"They are opening a very new, vulnerable and enormous area that has been under-explored by scientists," Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle of Greenpeace Norway told AFP.

Already Western Europe's largest oil and gas producer, the Scandinavian nation is now set to become one of the first countries to explore the ocean floor for minerals crucial for renewable energy technology, potentially making it a major mineral producer.

At the same time, deep-sea mining is controversial due to its potential impact on vulnerable marine ecosystems.

In early 2023, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate published a report concluding that "substantial resources are in place on the seabed" including minerals such as copper, zinc and cobalt.

The Labor-led coalition minority government then in June proposed allowing mining of the country's seabed in the Arctic region.

In December it announced that it had reached a deal with opposition parties to secure parliamentary support to move forward.

"We need minerals because we want to lead a green transition in the form of fuel cells and solar panels, of electric cars and mobile phones," Labor member of parliament Marianne Sivertsen Naess told a press conference at the time.

Knowledge gaps

NGOs and scientists have meanwhile warned that deep-sea mining could damage habitats and harm species that are little understood, but are potentially important to the food chain.

In addition, they point to the risk of disrupting the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon emitted by human activities, and the noise that could disturb species such as whales.

"We are very worried about what this will mean for both ecosystems in the Arctic. What it will mean for the fisheries of both Norway and other countries, and also Norwegians and Norway's international reputation as a country that is supposed to take climate and nature seriously," Tjeldflaat Helle said.

The environmental activist added that they were also worried that Norway "chooses this time to send the signal that they will push forward on deep sea mining when the rest of the world is discussing a moratorium or a precautionary pause on this industry."

Several countries, including France and the UK, have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

The Norwegian plan stresses that "environmental considerations" will be taken into account in all stages of the process and "extraction will only be authorized if the licensee's extraction plan demonstrates that extraction can take place in a sustainable and responsible manner."

Among others, Norway's Institute of Marine Research and the Norwegian Polar Institute have warned that there is a severe lack of knowledge necessary to assess what the environmental impact of deep-sea mining would be.

Currently there is no time schedule for when exploration and later potential mining could begin.

In the proposal, the government stressed that "the fact that the state opens an area for mineral extraction does not mean that extraction activities are initiated immediately."

Instead it means that licensing authorities can began the process of granting licenses, while the state can "continue the mapping of Norwegian seabed minerals."

 2024 AFP
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Progress of dorsal fin healing over 332 days. Credit: Chelsea Black with photos by Josh Schellenberg and John Moore

A skin resembling armor, rapid healing abilities, continuous tooth renewal and the capability for limb regenerationthis might sound like the description of a creature from a superhero film. Surprisingly, these are standard features of a well-known animal: sharks.

These remarkable adaptations contribute to their prowess as formidable predators and their resilience as inhabitants of aquatic environments. Although these distinct traits may seem straight out of a superhero narrative, they are widespread among shark species in our oceans. I documented the first case of dorsal fin regeneration in a silky shark (Carcarchinus falciformis), a rare phenomenon in sharks.

Millions of years of evolution

So how did sharks become so specialized? Sharks have been evolving on Earth for more than 400 million years and even pre-date trees. Of course, the sharks you know today are vastly different from those roaming the ocean millions of years ago, but one thing remains stablesharks continue to evolve to endure and thrive in a challenging environment.

There are several traits that make sharks stand out in the marine world as highly evolved predators. Sharks can regenerate an endless supply of functional teeth for hunting and feeding, possess unique blood clotting mechanisms that allow them to quickly recover from blood loss, and their skin is even made up of tiny, armor-like scales that protect them from bio-fouling and outside infection. Although sharks have been around longer than humans, scientists are still discovering new, unique adaptations that contribute to their rapid wound healing.

Silky shark regenerates mutilated fin

Recently, I documented the first case of dorsal fin regeneration in a silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) in a study published in the Journal of Marine Sciences. The discovery came after satellite tags (small GPS trackers) were placed on 10 silky sharks in Jupiter, Florida, for part of my Ph.D. research in the summer of 2022.

Shortly after the tagging expedition, a local diver and photographer contacted me with photos of a shark with a large wound in the dorsal fin. The wound was the exact shape of a satellite tag and looked like a person had carefully cut around it and removed the tag. Each satellite-tagged shark also received a plastic ID tag that sits underneath the dorsal fin, which remained on this shark and allowed me to confirm the individual as one from the tagging study. I never expected to see the shark again as silky sharks are only seen in Florida in the summer months, and I had now lost the ability to track him.

To my surprise, I did see this shark again. In the summer of 2023, nearly one year after he was seen with a wounded dorsal fin, the same silky shark returned to Florida. This time, he was photographed by both John Moore and Josh Schellenberg. Through the photographs provided by both divers, I measured the healing of the dorsal fin through specialized software. My study concludes that the dorsal fin increased in size by 10.7% since the previous summernew tissue had regenerated to compensate for the large loss.

Previously, dorsal fin regeneration has been documented only one other time in a sharka whale shark in the Indian Ocean in 2006. While other marine animals, such as starfish or crabs, are known for their regenerative limb capabilities, this phenomenon in sharks, to scientists' knowledge, is rare. While there may be other examples of dorsal fin regeneration in sharks, these cases are extremely difficult to monitor as it is unlikely to see the injured shark multiple times.

Silky sharks are protected in Florida

In Florida waters, it is illegal to retain or harvest silky sharks, a law that likely saved this shark from being killed. Silky sharks are commonly caught in Florida waters by commercial and recreational fishermen, and the most recent photographs of the silky shark in this study show several hooks in both sides of his jaw, indicating he has been caught and released multiple times over a year. The reason for someone removing the satellite tag remains unknown, but I can say for certain that there is no other explanation for this type of wound than human intervention, based on how the satellite tags are attached.

Commonly spotted in Jupiter, Florida, during summer months, the migration routes for the remainder of the year for this species remain a mystery. While the other nine silky sharks in the tagging study continue to collect data on their movements, I will never know where this injured shark spends his time.

How the public can help

While the silky shark in this story was originally being studied to monitor his migration route, he ended up as an example of true resilience for this species. While the incident of injury remains disheartening, the outcome has provided an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the healing and regenerative abilities of silky sharks following both natural and human-induced injury. This finding also has implications for the other silky sharks tagged in the same study. As their satellite tags eventually dislodge from their fins, it is now demonstrated that they possess the potential to heal from wounds left behind from the tags.

This study also serves as an example of how underwater photographers and the public can work with scientists to advance research. This situation highlights the need to further educate the public about satellite tagging studies, to potentially avoid citizen interference with research due to lack of understanding, as well as elicit the help of divers and photographers to monitor healing from tagging studies.

Although scientific research and data collection are integral to conservation, the success of such studies hinges on fostering strong ties with local communities. Engaging the public in research studies can bridge the gap between community awareness and scientific research, providing more eyes to monitor changes that scientists would otherwise miss.

Hopefully, in the summer of 2024, this silky shark returns to Florida and can be photographed again to assess his healing process. Given the environmental challenges confronting sharks, witnessing the resilience of this silky shark instills a sense of hope.

This story is part of Science X Dialog, where researchers can report findings from their published research articles. Visit this page for information about ScienceX Dialog and how to participate.

More information: Chelsea Black et al, Resilience in the Depths: First Example of Fin Regeneration in a Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) following Traumatic Injury, Journal of Marine Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1155/2023/6639805

Chelsea Black is a PhD candidate at the University of Miami studying Marine Ecosystems and Society. Black's work focuses on the use of satellite telemetry to monitor the habitat use and migration corridors of highly mobile shark species, and predict how these will shift under future global change.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new publication featured in Veterinary Sciences will guide future wildlife rescue and rehabilitation after Australian bushfires. These findings provide critical information for improving koala care during subsequent fire seasons.

Natasha Speight, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Adelaide's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, spearheaded the study, analyzing clinical data from koalas affected by the recent Australian bushfires. Beyond generalized skin burns, the study revealed severe footpad burns, hindering koalas' tree-climbing abilities and escape from fires. The study also reported on lung damage due to smoke inhalation.

"By understanding the extent of the burns of the skin in the footpads as well as furred regions of the body, koalas can be assessed for their likelihood for rehabilitation and release, or if the prognosis is poor," Speight said. "Compounding the effect of burns on the health of the koalas, a high likelihood of lung damage due to smoke inhalation has also been found by this study, and this is an important additional consideration for veterinarians triaging rescued koalas."

These findings significantly advance understanding of the impacts of bushfires on wildlife, which is crucial for future planning and care coordination.

"These resources can then be used by the government, wildlife caregivers, and veterinarians to assess the prognosis for koalas that have injuries due to bushfires, as well as aid coordination of bushfire response efforts," Speight added.

More information: Chloe Baek et al, Cutaneous and Respiratory Lesions in Bushfire-Affected Koalas, Veterinary Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10110658

Provided by Morris Animal Foundation
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Mating model. (A) Assortative mating (AM) and sex bias (SB) values that modulate the mating probabilities in a simulation example of 19 generations from the colonization of America to nowadays. The mating probability for a given couple is set as a function of the differences in the genetic ancestry proportions for each ancestry. We assume the mating probability follow a three-dimensional normal distribution. In this normal distribution, SB sets the expected value and AM is inversely proportional to its variance. (B) Ancestry proportions of mating couples at generations 4 and 7 in ternary plots (top) and barplots (bottom) based on the mating probabilities defined in A. In the top plots, each arrow represents a couple. The arrow tail and head coordinates in the ternary plots show the ancestry proportions of the female and the male, respectively. In the bottom, the barplots represent male and female ancestry proportions, linked by curved lines reflecting mating. Red, yellow, and blue correspond to ancestries 1, 2, and 3. The arrows in the ternary plot and the lines between barplots representing a mating couple are colored with the color corresponding to the predominant ancestry in both male and female, and they are depicted in black if it differs between them. Credit: eLife (2023). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.84429

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have revealed how sociocultural factors, in addition to geography, play a significant role in shaping the genetic diversity of modern societies. The research published in eLife employed deep learning to unravel the intricate patterns of ancestry-related sex bias and assortative mating, revealing how societal structures have shaped the genetic diversity of the Americas region.

"Our study sheds light on how social stratification has woven its threads into the genetic fabric of admixed populations in the Americas," remarked Dr. Matteo Fumagalli, Senior Lecturer in Genetics at Queen Mary University of London. "For the first time, we used a mating model where the individual proportions of the genome inherited from Native American, European, and sub-Saharan African ancestries dictate the mating probabilities."

The researchers meticulously analyzed genetic data from hundreds of individuals across the Americas, revealing striking differences in mating patterns between Latin America and North America.

In Latin America, the proportion of Native American ancestry for both men and women was found to significantly influence mating probabilities, shaping the population's genetic composition. Conversely, in North America, sub-Saharan African ancestry played a more prominent role in determining mating choices.

Venturing into the depths of history, the researchers delved into the historical context, investigating how population stratification in the Americas was shaped by racial and gender hierarchies that have constrained the admixture processes since the European colonization and the subsequent Atlantic slave trade.

Their findings reveal that racial stratification intensified gender inequalities and that historically enforced mixing between social classes led to a dilution of non-European ancestry while not diminishing discrimination.

"The study's findings hold profound implications for our understanding of the historical and genetic tapestry of the Americas. They illuminate how social stratification, deeply rooted in racial and gender hierarchies, has left an indelible mark on the genetic diversity of these populations and shaped the genetic contours of these populations, leaving an enduring legacy," commented Dr. Matteo Fumagalli.

This study serves as a testament to the transformative power of AI in unraveling complex biological questions. By developing this deep learning model, the researchers were able to quantify the extent to which ancestry-driven mating has shaped the genomes of admixed societies. AI has allowed researchers to peer into the intricate details of the genetic landscape, revealing the profound impact of social forces on human diversity.

Looking beyond the Americas, the researchers envision their approach being applied to other admixed populations worldwide, furthering our understanding of how sociocultural factors have intertwined with geography to shape human genetic diversity. "Our approach has the potential to unlock the secrets of other admixed populations worldwide, furthering our understanding of how sociocultural factors have impacted the genetic tapestry of modern societies," stated Fumagalli.

More information: Alex Mas-Sandoval et al, The genomic footprint of social stratification in admixing American populations, eLife (2023). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.84429 Journal information: eLife
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Credit: INESC Brussels HUB

What if there was a way to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) samples in extreme environments autonomously? And what if this method allowed the collection of more samples and to prevent risk of sample contamination? Portuguese researchers from the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) set out to carry out this endeavor in the remote Arctic and Atlantic North environments.

The operation was carried out at a depth of 15 meters, in waters with low temperatures from melting glaciers located in the fjords of the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard. How? With an innovative autonomous biosampler, a technology developed by Portuguese researchers at INESC TEC and the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), capable of collecting planktonic communities (critical role in marine ecosystems) of different size fractions in situ.

The biosampler, a sensor shaped like a cylinder programmed to collect samples, was coupled to IRIS: an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), developed by INESC TEC, that can find its way underwater using acoustics and Artificial Intelligence. This cooperative use of a sampler and an AUV presented an "engineering challenge," and allowed the autonomous collection of samples by researchers, at different stations of the monitoring program.

"This method has several benefits, particularly when compared to traditional collection methods, which are manual and involve collecting samples in Niskin bottlesthe contents of which are filtered only in the laboratory," explained Alfredo Martins, a researcher at INESC TEC.

INESC TEC's researchers are now developing solutions to integrate the small and compact biosampler system with multiple robotic systems and expanding its capabilities and functionalities. However, this successfully achieved integration opens new possibilities for sample collecting: from scheduling collection times and dates to the gathering of a greater number of samples, or the reduction of contamination errors (since the filtration is done on-site). The automatization of the collecting process is also more cost-effective.

Next stop? 1,000 meters depth

The water was collected at Kongsfjorden, and the INESC TEC researchers carried out their work at the Ny-Alesund Research Station (Norway), the northernmost research station in the world. The sampling being conducted in this region can provide valuable insights about marine microbial communities in that part of the globe: a single sample containing eDNA can be used to monitor biodiversity, detect climate change effects, or alert to the presence of threats like pathogens. That's why a detailed analysis of marine microbial communities in that part of the globe is essential: the Arctic is experiencing some of most drastic changes in our planet and warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world.

"To collect eDNA, it is technically more difficult to obtain this information at great depths; so obtaining it can fill relevant gaps in our knowledge of the deep ocean," clarified Alfredo Martins and Ana Paula Lima, also a researcher at INESC TEC.

This innovative Portuguese technology developed by INESC TEC and CIIMAR can operate up to 150 m. The team of researchers who traveled to the Artic (Alfredo Martins, Ana Paula Lima, Carlos Almeida, Francisco Carneiro, Jose Miguel Almeida, and Pedro Andre Silva) set a two-year goal of operating this technology at a depth of 1,000 meters.

Overcoming the pressure

The main obstacle on the path to achieving this goal isbesides the pressure caused by the depth of the ocean"the harshness of the environment itself, together with the difficulties in operating or maintenance limits." "This requires enormous reliability from the systems so that they can operate correctly and autonomously, potentially for long periods," added Alfredo Martins.

This Portuguese technology traveled to the Artic within the scope of the Connect2Oceans and MicroArtic projects. The main goal of this project is to understand how the progressive increase in Atlantic Water heat inflow to the Arctic, the so-called "Atlantification," will promote shifts in Arctic plankton communities (these are the basis of life in marine environments), microbiome diversity and functions. These extreme polar environments will continue to be the testing sites for the biosampler.

Provided by INESC Brussels HUB
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Formation of the contraction pole. Microscopic time-lapse of cell shape changes in ascidian oocytes after fertilization: From an unfertilized egg (first image from the left) to contraction pole initiation (2nd and 3rd images from the left) and contraction pole formation (4th image from left). Credit: Caballero-Mancebo et al./Nature Physics

As the potter works the spinning wheel, the friction between their hands and the soft clay helps them shape it into all kinds of forms and creations. In a fascinating parallel, sea squirt oocytes (immature egg cells) harness friction within various compartments in their interior to undergo developmental changes after conception. A study from the Heisenberg group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in Nature Physics, now describes how this works.

The sea is full of fascinating life forms. From algae and colorful fish to marine snails and sea squirts, a completely different world reveals itself underwater. Sea squirts or ascidians in particular are very unusual: after a free-moving larvae stage, the larva settles down, attaches to solid surfaces like rocks or corals, and develops tubes (siphons), their defining feature.

Although they look like rubbery blobs as adults, they are the most closely related invertebrate relatives to humans. Especially at the larval stages, sea squirts are surprisingly similar to us. Therefore, ascidians are often used as model organisms to study the early embryonic development of vertebrates to which humans belong.

"While ascidians exhibit the basic developmental and morphological features of vertebrates, they also have the cellular and genomic simplicity typical of invertebrates," explains Carl-Philipp Heisenberg, Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). "Especially the ascidian larva is an ideal model for understanding early vertebrate development."

His research group's latest work now gives new insights into their development. The findings suggest that upon fertilization of ascidian oocytes, friction forces play a crucial role in reshaping and reorganizing their insides, heralding the next steps in their developmental cascade.

A live look inside oocytes. The researchers labeled the actin protein of the actomyosin cortex (left, green staining) and the myoplasm (right, blue staining) to visualize their movement after the oocyte's fertilization. As the actomyosin cortex moves in the lower region of the egg, it mechanically interacts with the myoplasm, causing it to buckle. The buckles eventually resolve into the contraction pole. Credit: Caballero-Mancebo et al./Nature Physics

Decoding oocyte transformation

Oocytes are female germ cells involved in reproduction. After successful fertilization with male sperm, animal oocytes typically undergo cytoplasmic reorganization, altering their cellular contents and components. This process establishes the blueprint for the embryo's subsequent development. In ascidians, for instance, this reshuffling leads to the formation of a bell-like protrusiona little bump or nose shapeknown as the contraction pole (CP), where essential materials gather that facilitate the embryo's maturation. The underlying mechanism driving this process, however, has been unknown.

The researchers set out to decipher that mystery. For this endeavor, the Heisenberg group imported adult ascidians from the Roscoff Marine Station in France. Almost all sea squirts are hermaphrodites, as they produce both male and female germ cells.

"In the lab, we keep them in saltwater tanks in a species-appropriate manner to obtain eggs and sperm for studying their early embryonic development," says Silvia Caballero-Mancebo, the first author of this study and previous Ph.D. student in the Heisenberg lab.

Formation of the contraction pole. Microscopic time-lapse of cell shape changes in ascidian oocytes after fertilization: From an unfertilized egg to contraction pole initiation to contraction pole formation to contraction pole absorption. Credit: Caballero-Mancebo et al./Nature Physics

The scientists microscopically analyzed fertilized ascidian oocytes and realized that they were following very reproducible changes in cell shape leading up to the formation of the contraction pole. The researchers' first investigation focused on the actomyosin (cell) cortexa dynamic structure found beneath the cell membrane in animal cells. Composed of actin filaments and motor proteins, it generally acts as a driver for shape changes in cells.

"We uncovered that when cells are fertilized, increased tension in the actomyosin cortex causes it to contract, leading to its movement (flow), resulting in the initial changes of the cell's shape," Caballero-Mancebo continues. The actomyosin flows, however, stopped during the expansion of the contraction pole, suggesting that there are additional players responsible for the bump.

Silvia Caballero-Mancebo. The ISTA graduate finds great joy in unraveling nature's puzzles and transforming them into narratives. Credit: Nadine Poncioni/ISTA

Friction forces impact cell reshaping

The scientists took a closer look at other cellular components that might play a role in the expansion of the contraction pole. In doing so, they came across the myoplasm, a layer composed of intracellular organelles and molecules (related forms that are found in many vertebrate and invertebrate eggs), positioned in the lower region of the ascidian egg cell.

"This specific layer behaves like a stretchy solidit changes its shape along with the oocyte during fertilization," Caballero-Mancebo explains.

During the actomyosin cortex flow, the myoplasm folds and forms many buckles due to the friction forces established between the two components. As actomyosin movement stops, the friction forces also disappear.

"This cessation eventually leads to the expansion of the contraction pole as the multiple myoplasm buckles resolve into the well-defined bell-like-shaped bump," Caballero-Mancebo adds.

The study provides novel insight into how mechanical forces determine cell and organismal shape. It shows that friction forces are pivotal for shaping and forming an evolving organism. However, scientists are only at the beginning of understanding the specific role of friction in embryonic development.

Heisenberg adds, "The myoplasm is also very intriguing, as it is involved in other embryonic processes of ascidians as well. Exploring its unusual material properties and grasping how they play a role in shaping sea squirts, will be highly interesting."

More information: Friction forces determine cytoplasmic reorganization and shape changes of ascidian oocytes upon fertilization, Nature Physics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-023-02302-1 Journal information: Nature Physics
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Spatial pattern of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF, Left) and leaf area index (LAI, Right). SIF is an innovative measurement that serves as a proxy for plant photosynthetic activity. LAI is the green leaf area of a canopy or plant community per unit ground area. SIF and LAI data presented here are from ESA Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOMI and NASA Terra/Aqua MODIS, respectively. Credit: Fujiang Ji

For decades, scientists have used satellite data to assess the health and greenness of Earth's vegetation. These data have influenced our understanding and decision-making on pressing issues from sustainable crop production to climate change.

Plants that grow on land absorb one-third of anthropogenic carbon emissions annually, which significantly helps to mitigate the emerging impacts of climate change worldwide. Earth's vegetation is the main source of food for the global population of wildlife and eight billion people.

Scientists recently noticed a puzzling pattern they could not explain in satellite-derived vegetation greenness, a measurement that is used as a proxy for the amount of leaves in an area and for vegetation productivity. The puzzle was that vegetation-greenness measures over the US Corn Belt are higher than the same measures over the Amazon rainforest, despite the rainforest having a greater amount of leaf area.

The Amazonian forests have about two times more leaves per unit area than the US Corn Belt (5.70.6 m2/m2 vs. 2.60.3 m2/m2, respectively). So, while you may think that it's common sense that the Amazon's greenness measure would be significantly higher than the greenness measure of the Corn Beltit's not.

A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution finally provides an answer to the cause of this paradoxical pattern and unveils a startling insight, which suggests that we may have been viewing the Earth through a distorted lens.

A team of researchers from 12 institutions across five different countries, including University of WisconsinMadison, NASA's Ames Research Center, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), found that vegetation-greenness measures are often shadowedliterally. Shadows, especially those cast by complex canopy structures, can introduce pronounced negative biases into satellite-derived greenness measures, thus misleading our understanding of global vegetation and how it's changing.

"We hypothesized that the shadows cast by complex canopies might contribute to this paradoxical phenomenon. The complex canopy of the Amazon rainforests, in contrast to the relatively simple and homogeneous canopies of the US Corn Belt, provides the ideal natural experiment for testing our hypothesis, because varying canopy-structure complexity creates contrasting shadowing conditions," said Yelu Zeng, a lead author of this study and professor at China Agricultural University (previously a research scientist at University of WisconsinMadison when this work was first undertaken).

To prove that canopy-cast shadows can lower satellite vegetation-greenness measures, the researchers explicitly tracked how light interacts with the vegetation canopy. They did this investigation with state-of-the-art radiative transfer modeling. They incorporated multi-angular, hyperspectral, and lidar data from several NASA missions and programs. The team placed particular emphasis on the importance of the geometry between the satellite, the sun, and the Earth's vegetation.

"Imagine you stand looking at trees with the sun behind you. You will see brighter leaves with fewer shadows. Now, consider the opposite scenario, where the sun is in front of you. You will observe more shadows and darker leaves," said Taejin Park, a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center / Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI) and co-first author of this study. "A more complex canopy structure results in more shadows, which in turn makes the impact of those shadows more significant."

A black spruce forest in the NASA-supported BOREAS (Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study) field campaign region in Canada. (Left) Trees are viewed with the sun behind the observer. All shadows are concealed, and only the bright side of the trees is visible. (Right) Trees are viewed with the sun opposite the observer. Large shadows are visible. Credit: Don Deering

The consequences of the shadow effect extend far beyond the technical interpretation of satellite data. In their paper, the team investigates what this means for global vegetation studies. In one example, they showcase how land conversion from forest to crops reveals an unexpected increase in vegetation greenness in satellite data, even though the land loses green leaves when forests are replaced by crops.

"A significant portion of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is due to cropland expansion. Our results, which demonstrate an increase in vegetation greenness after the conversion of forest into cropland, are thus important and striking," said Dalei Hao, a research scientist at PNNL and a co-first author of this study.

The authors stress that the shadow effect needs to be taken into account for a variety of satellite-based greenness measures, including solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF). SIF is an innovative and popular way to measure the photosynthetic activity of plants and is a measurement that many Earth-observing satellites are collecting for use in global vegetation studies.

"It is important to clarify that shadows are a real component of vegetation canopies, and that the shaded portion usually represents a large percentage of the canopy's total carbon, water, and energy budget. However, our understanding of these shadows is limited, which highlights the need for in-depth future studies," said Min Chen, a professor at University of WisconsinMadison and a co-author of this study.

Understanding the true state of Earth's vegetation is crucial for everyone. Misinterpretations could lead to heightened uncertainty in climate models, misguided agricultural policies, and ineffective conservation efforts.

To avoid misinterpretations, the researchers propose adjustments that could offer a more accurate picture by minimizing the shadow effect, specifically by shifting the satellite's viewing condition to what is known as the "hotspot direction," where the sun is positioned behind the satellite.

The team suggests that scientists need to exercise caution when using satellite vegetation greenness for biome-to-biome comparisons or when assessing rapid land-conversion processes. Such usage may introduce unexpected biases or errors when evaluating regional and global vegetation changes and growth trends.

More information: Yelu Zeng et al, Structural complexity biases vegetation greenness measures, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02187-6 Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution
Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday that Guatemala has formally signed a deal to join Seoul's free trade agreement (FTA) with a group of Central American nations.

The inclusion came around three years after Korea and five Central American nations  Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Honduras and Nicaragua  fully implemented their FTA in March 2021.

"The inclusion of Guatemala, the largest economy of the region, has effectively completed the Korea-Central America FTA," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement.

Korea mainly exports automobiles, fabric and petrochemical goods to Guatemala.

Key imports from the Central American nation are agricultural products, including coffee and bananas, along with minerals, such as nickel and carbon.

The state-run Korea Institute for International Economic Policy estimates that the inclusion will help Korea's gross domestic production advance by 0.02 percent within five years after the implementation.

"As the two countries agreed to remove most of the tariffs immediately or gradually, the bilateral business environment is anticipated to improve significantly," the ministry said.

The trade volume between the two countries came to $454 million in 2022, down 13 percent from a year earlier.

The agreement, meanwhile, calls for the parliament's approval. The ministry said it plans to have the deal passed and implemented in the second half of 2024. (Yonhap)
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

International research led by the Translational Synthetic Biology Laboratory of the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) at Pompeu Fabra University has succeeded in efficiently engineering Cutibacterium acnes, a type of skin bacterium, to produce and secrete a therapeutic molecule suitable for treating acne symptoms.

The engineered bacterium has been validated in skin cell lines and its delivery has been validated in mice. This finding opens the door to broadening the way for engineering non-tractable bacteria to address skin alterations and other diseases using living therapeutics.

The results of the study, published in Nature Biotechnology, show that researchers have successfully edited the genome of Cutibacterium acnes to secrete and produce NGAL protein known to be a mediator of the acne drug isotretinoin, which has been shown to reduce sebum by inducing the death of sebocytes.

The research team includes scientists from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (Idibell), the University of Barcelona, the Protein Technologies Facility of the Centre for Genomic Regulation, Phenocell SAS, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane, Lund University, and Aarhus University.

Acne is a common skin condition caused by the blockage or inflammation of the pilosebaceous follicles. Its appearance can vary, ranging from whiteheads and blackheads to pustules and nodules, mainly on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders. Although acne is most common among adolescents, it can affect people of all ages.

The most severe cases of acne are treated with antibiotics to kill bacteria living in the follicles, or isotretinoin (known as Accutane), a vitamin A derivative, which induces the death of sebocytes, the epithelial skin cells that produce sebum. However, these treatments can cause serious side effects, such as breaking skin microbiome homeostasisbecause they are not selectively killing bacteriaor photosensitivity, in the case of antibiotics; birth defects; or extreme scaling of skin, in the case of isotretinoin.

"We have developed a topical therapy with a targeted approach, using what nature already has. We engineered a bacterium that lives in the skin and make it produce what our skin needs. Here, we focused on treating acne, but this platform can be extended to several other indications," says Nastassia Knodlseder, first author of the study.

Broadening the way of engineering bacteria

"Until now, C. acnes was considered an intractable bacterium. It was incredibly difficult to introduce DNA and get proteins produced or secreted from an element inserted into its genome," explains Knodlseder, who is a postdoc in the UPF Translational Synthetic Biology Laboratory.

However, since C. acnes seems an attractive synthetic biology chassis for treating skin diseases due to its niche environment deep inside hair folliclespractically where sebum is releasedits importance for skin homeostasis, its close contact to relevant therapeutic targets, plus the fact that it has been shown to successfully engraft when applied to human skin, led the team to insist on editing the genome of this non-engineerable bacterium.

To edit the genome of C. acnes, the research team led by Marc Guell focused on improving DNA delivery to the cell, DNA stability inside the cell, and gene expression. The scientists have considered regulatory measures by developing a biocontainment strategy to avoid the use of elements that generate regulatory concerns such as mobile genetic elements, plasmids or antibiotic resistance. Hence, the resulting synthetic bacterium has safety features to enable real-life application and make it a consideration for future human therapeutics.

Synthetic C. acnes is able to secrete and produce NGAL to modulate sebum production in cell lines. When applied to the skin of micethe only animal model able to test engineered bacteria to datethey engraft, live and produce the protein. However, mouse skin it is not comparable to that of humans. It has more hair, is looser, has fewer lipids and a different sweat mechanism. Hence the need for an alternative model, better representing human skin, such as 3D skin models.

The road to therapeutics

"We have developed a technology platform that opens the door to editing any bacteria to treat multiple diseases. We are now focused in using C. acnes to treat acne but we can deliver genetic circuits to create smart microbes for applications related to skin sensing, or immune modulation," points out Guell.

Following the same strategy, this research line will continue under the European Project "SkinDev" in which scientists from the Translational Synthetic Biology lab together with its partners will engineer C. acnes to address atopic dermatitis, a chronic cutaneous inflammatory condition characterized by dry skin, eczema and severe irritation, especially common among young children.

Although any living therapeutics strategy should be validated individually, the researchers show their optimism in applying these smart microbes to humans because non-engineered C. acnes has already been tested on the skin of patients safely and effectively.

More information: Delivery of a sebum modulator by an engineered skin microbe in mice, Nature Biotechnology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-02072-4 Journal information: Nature Biotechnology
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John Slapcinsky, manager of the Florida Museum of Natural History's invertebrate zoology collection, named nine new species of carnivorous land snails found in Papua New Guinea. Credit: Florida Museum/Jeff Gage

Nine new species of carnivorous land snails have been found in the remote forests of Papua New Guinea, a biodiversity hot spot. A new study describes the species, which are so small that all nine could fit together on a U.S. nickel.

They present a rare opportunity to study a group that, in many other places, is disappearing fast. Worldwide, mollusks account for more than 50% of all recorded extinctions since the year 1500, and many of these were land snails from Pacific islands.

The island of New Guinea accounts for less than 1% of Earth's land area, but it contains roughly 5% of the planet's biodiversity and the largest intact rainforests in Australasia. Wildlife thrives within this large swath of undeveloped land, but Papua New Guinea's old-growth forests are also highly desirable to loggers and are likely to become a conservation battleground in the future.

"These new species of snails were found in areas that still have native vegetation and still appear to be doing well, but they could easily become endangered if things change," said John Slapcinsky, lead author of the paper and manager of the Florida Museum's invertebrate zoology collection.

To reach Papua New Guinea's isolated forests, researchers had to travel on foot over steep mountains, sometimes using fallen trees to cross crevices that were more than 100 feet deep. There are few roads in the country, which historically posed a challenge to scientists interested in researching the region but has also shielded native plants and animals from human disturbance and habitat destruction.

Slapcinsky took nine trips to Papua New Guinea between 2002 and 2012, each time staying for at least a month to comb through the soil and fallen leaves. He ultimately collected more than 19,000 snails from over 200 sites.

Only 31% of the snail species he surveyed had been previously documented, a sign of Papua New Guinea's high biodiversity and low sampling levels. But the snails are also exceptionally hard to find because of their small size, pickiness about their habitats, and limited distribution. Nearly all of them are restricted to a single island or mountain.

The newly named snails have tightly coiled, Frisbee-shaped shells in various shades of brown and tan, some with attractive gold or brown flamelike bands. One of the new species, Torresiropa paterivolans, was named for its resemblance to flying saucers (in Latin, "patera" means "saucer," and "volans" means "flying").

Detailed photos of the snails, while beautiful, also serve a scientific purpose by providing documentation of the species. Credit: Florida Museum/Jeff Gage

All nine species have dagger-shaped teeth on their radula, which is characteristic of predatory snails. Just what they're eating, Slapcinsky said, is a mystery since the snails did not eat anything under observation. Still, the shape of the teeth, combined with the fact that other species in the same familyRhytididaeare predators, suggests that these newly discovered snails do eat meat.

There is not yet enough data to know the conservation status of the new species, but it is a promising sign that their habitat has not yet been dramatically altered by human activity.

Slapcinsky contrasted this with the Hawaiian Islands, where native snails are at imminent risk of extinction. He works with a team at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu that collaborates with the state and federal government on captive breeding programs for native snail colonies, many of which harbor the last members of their species.

They also provide native snails for fenced-in areas, known as exclosures, where predators have been removed, and the native forest has been replanted. These are expensive programs that Papua New Guinea still has the chance to avoid, Slapcinsky said, by slowing deforestation and preventing the introduction of non-native predators before it becomes a more serious problem.

Snails are highly vulnerable to habitat disturbances because they cannot easily travel long distances and are usually adapted only to the environment in their immediate vicinity. "When these habitats are threatened, snails are often out of luck since they can't go anywhere," Slapcinsky said.

Many past discoveries of new snail species, especially on Pacific islands, have come after it was too late to save them. Scientists did not know that many snails lived on Easter Island, which was completely deforested centuries ago, until examining fossil deposits. But species on the island of New Guinea can still be saved if the forest is saved.

The newly named snails provide a rare glimpse at an ecosystem that remains largely intact, and there are surely many similar discoveries yet to be made.

"We don't know everything that's out there," Slapcinsky said. "Most people may not realize how poorly known most of the invertebrates are, even though 95 to 99% of all animals are invertebrates. You can go to a place, look around for a few months, and find all sorts of things that haven't been described before."

The findings are published in the Archiv fur Molluskenkunde International Journal of Malacology.

More information: John Slapcinsky et al, Overlooked predatory snails from Papua New Guinea: nine new Torresiropa Solem, 1959 (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora: Rhytididae), Archiv fur Molluskenkunde International Journal of Malacology (2023). DOI: 10.1127/arch.moll/152/135-152
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Instruments smaller than a human hair are being designed to eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fight cancer.

Dr. Ana Santos becomes emotional when describing what happened several years ago: Her grandfather and an uncle died of urinary tract infections and a good friend succumbed after an accidental cut got infected.

She was shocked. In an age of antibiotics, such misfortunes weren't supposed to happen.

Rise and fall of antibiotics

"My family members were dying of infections," said Santos, a microbiologist at the Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands, or IdISBa, in Spain. "I started to realize that we are going back in timeour antibiotics are no longer effective."

This is a global challenge. Almost 5 million deaths worldwide were linked to antibiotic-resistant bugs in 2019, according to The Lancet medical journal.

Six types of resistant bacteria inflict the most harm. The World Health Organization has warned that drug-resistant diseases could directly cause 10 million deaths by 2050.

Santos has been part of the fight to head off such alarming numbers: she led a research project that received EU funding to develop microscopic machines that can kill resistant bacteria. Called REBELLION, the project ran for 39 months until April 2023.

"I came across this concept of molecular machines that drill into cells," said Santos. "We have to start thinking outside the box."

Alexander Fleming, a Scottish physician, in 1928 famously discovered the first true antibioticpenicillinmade by a type of mold. Other antibiotics, often made by soil microbes, were then found, saving millions of lives.

But in what was effectively an arms race, microorganisms evolved various defenses to survive antibiotics.

Bacteria borers

When her two relatives and friend lost their lives from infections, Santos was studying how bacteria live and die under conditions of starvation. She then decided to change her research focus.

"I was feeling frustrated because I was seeing this urgent problem and I was not doing anything about it," Santos said. "People are increasingly dying of infections that are resistant to antibiotics."

She sought out researchers in this area to lend a hand and partnered with a group in Spain to test how tiny molecular machines skewer bacteria. The machines consist of two parts of a molecule linked by a chemical bond; when light hits, the top part begins to spin rapidly like a drill.

Antibiotics often latch onto a specific bacterial protein, much like a key fits into a lock. The trouble is that bacteria can undergo a physical change so that the key no longer fits the lock. The antibiotics are left outside.

The idea behind the nanomachines is that they would be tougher for bacteria to evade.

Santos pushed forward these bug-killing machines as part of REBELLION.

Superbug killer

Their two parts are smaller than 100 nanometers, so 1,000th the width of a human haireffectively making them minnows alongside larger bacteria.

Santos released many millions of her nanomachines in clumps of bacteria in her laboratory. The machines bound to the bacteria and, once exposed to light, began spinning and drilling into them.

Santos was jubilant at what she observed through her microscope: bacteria cells riddled with tiny holes.

Further experiments showed that the tiny drills can kill an array of strains that commonly infect people.

Then she tried something else: fewer machines against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a notorious superbug that's especially deadly in hospitals. Having a lower concentration of machines would lessen the risk of damage to human cells.

The instruments punctured the MRSA with enough holes so that it was once again vulnerable to antibiotics.

"It is very hard for bacteria to develop resistance against this action," Santos said. "It's like dropping bombs on them."

Wounds healer

To deploy this new weapon against resistant bacteria, the researchers will need to ensure that the nanomachines are safe to use on patients. That means being sure that bacteria rather than human cells get targeted.

One early reason for optimism is that the nanomachines are positively charged. As a result, they prefer to attach themselves to negatively charged bacteria rather than to human cells, which are more neutral.

In the experiments by Santos, the nanomachines caused no harm to worms when injected into them. Keen to move this strategy closer to patients, she is preparing for the next step: safety tests in mice.

If successful, the first patients treated might be ones with wound infectionsespecially people with severe burns, which are prone to infection.

The nanomachines could be placed on their skin and switched on by light to drill into bacteria that are infecting the wound.

Top European team

Nanomachines have a history in the limelight.

Professor Ben Feringa at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016 for nanomachines with molecular motors that could be turned on by ultraviolet light.

The molecules change shape when struck by light and, as a result, can be used as switches or triggers. Feringa even built a nanocar made up of a single molecule that could move along a copper surface.

He helps supervise an EU-funded research project that is training early career scientists in molecular machines. Named BIOMOLMACS, the project runs for four and a half years through June 2024.

While they have yet to reach hospitals, nanomachines have the potential to treat cancer patients in ways that excite scientists and doctors. Today's cancer drugs often inflict side effects such as loss of hair, nausea, fatigue or immune-system weakness. This is because the drugs can maim healthy bystander cells.

A future scenario could involve nanomachines delivering cell-killing drugs precisely to a patient's cancer, perhaps burrowing inside any tumor.

Professor Maria Vicent at the Valencia Biomedical Research Foundation in Spain is a BIOMOLMACS supervisor who designs tiny carriers to deliver drugs to breast-cancer cells.

Another supervisor is Professor Jan van Hest at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. He constructs materials that can be used to ferry vaccines or nanomedicines inside cells, including cancers.

Van Hest, Vicent and Feringa have other leading researchers from elsewhere in Europe contributing their own expertise.

Professor Remzi Becer at the University of Warwick in the U.K. is creating polymer nanoparticles to deliver future gene therapies to precise locations inside patients. The particles are often coated sugars because they are able to act as a key to open cells in the body.

"These synthetic sugars can interact with cell membranes and can give the particle a key to open the door and get a gene inside the cell," said Becer, who is mentoring two early career scientists and coordinating the whole project with 15 doctoral candidates.

Also in the U.K., Professor Robin Shattock at Imperial College London works on lipid nanoparticles, which are tiny spheres made of fats that can safely get inside cells. Lipid nanoparticles were the real breakthrough needed for COVID-19 vaccines.

Emerging talent

The students of these top-tier European researchers can be part of a new wave in medicine.

"The next big change for the pharma industry will be to train our genes to prevent cancer or to fight against cancer," said Becer.

He said that BIOMOLMACS can prep scientists for careers at some of the companies developing nanomachines to deliver such biological therapies to specific organs.

Meanwhile, Santos of REBELLION hopes that her work too can make a difference to cancer patients, whose treatments can leave them vulnerable to bacterial infections.

"My good friend had beaten cancer but then she died of an infection," she said. "I remember when the doctor said, "the bacteria is resistant to everythingthere's nothing we can do."'

Her goal is to prevent doctors from ever having to utter such lines.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Though domestic issues tend to motivate most U.S. voters, the war in the Middle East may be the dominant issue in mind for an increasingly important voting block: Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, members of these communities have watched the rising death toll and heard vivid accounts of the horrors befalling Palestinians in Gaza as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to bombard the enclave with the support of the Biden administration.

For some Arab Americans, a community that overwhelmingly voted Democratic in the 2020 presidential election, that support may have negative consequences on Biden's attempt to regain the White House in 2024. In fact, numerous Middle Eastern and Muslim American leaders have called for their communities to "abandon Biden" in the upcoming presidential election.

The question, then, is what effect such defections could have on Biden's chances of winning reelection.

As a whole, the number of Middle Eastern or Muslim Americans is quite small. According to the 2020 censusthe first year such data was recorded3.5 million Americans reported being of Middle Eastern and North African descent, about 1% of the total U.S. population of nearly 335 million citizens.

But the outcome of the 2024 presidential election may come down to results in a few swing states where Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans are concentrated, such as Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

In the 2020 presidential election, for instance, Biden won the state of Michigan by a total of 154,000 votes. The state is home to overlapping groups of more than 200,000 registered voters who are Muslim and 300,000 who claim ancestry from the Middle East and North Africa.

Working around statistical erasure

As a social scientist, I specialize in statistical analysis and research on how race, ethnicity and religion affect political outcomes in the U.S. I know from firsthand experience that any effort to gauge the attitudes and behaviors of Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans requires a bit of analytic gymnastics.

For starters, since 1977, the U.S. government has categorized those with ancestral ties to the "original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East" as "white," according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

That stipulation is found in that agency's Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting and is used in U.S. census reports.

As a result, members of this community are subsumed within an expansive grouping of "whites" that effectively renders them invisible in nearly all administrative data and public opinion polls.

Similarly, Muslims are not captured in official data, as the U.S. does not record its citizens' religious affiliations.

Even public opinion surveys that record religious denomination typically offer little to no insight into this community. When it comes to more prevalent religious groups Catholics, Protestants, white evangelicals their opinions are frequently reported and the subject of many polls.

But Muslims are nearly always relegated to the "other non-Christian" religious category, along with similarly small faith communities.

This is not to say that relevant data on Muslims and Middle Easterners in the U.S. is unavailable. For example, Emgage, a nonprofit Muslim advocacy group, collected such data on eligible voters and turnout in a dozen states during the 2020 presidential election.

By combining the data from Emgage with data collected by AP VoteCast, the Cooperative Election Survey and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one can reach a few general conclusions about these communities.

Impact of defections on 2024 presidential campaign

The Arab American Institute, an advocacy group, says that since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Arab American support for the Democratic Party has plummeted from 59% in 2020 to just 17%.

Among Muslim Americans the drop is worse, from 70% in 2020 to about 10% at the end of 2023.

If these poll numbers hold true until Nov. 7, the 2024 presidential election would be the first time in nearly 30 years that the Democrats were not the party of choice for Arab American voters.

That doesn't necessarily mean that these voters would go to the GOP. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump proved to be an unpopular choice among Arab and Muslim American voters, in large part due to his executive order 13769.

Signed on Jan. 27, 2017, the order immediately prohibited the entry of immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and came to be known by critics as the Muslim ban. Though the order survived numerous legal challenges, it was eventually overturned by Biden shortly after he took office in January 2021.

Trump has already promised during campaign stops to reinstate his policy.

Not surprisingly, Biden won overwhelming majorities in these communities in 2020.

But it is not out of the realm of possibility that the votes cast by Middle Easterners and Muslims for the Republican and Democratic candidates for president in 2024 drop by 50% from 2020, as those voters decide to stay home or vote for a third-party candidate.

In Michigan, for example, that could mean Biden would lose about 55,000 votes, or about a third of the 154,000-vote margin of victory he earned over Trump in 2020.

Michigan is not the only state where no-shows in these communities could jeopardize Biden's prospects for victory.

Decreased turnout among Middle Eastern, North African and Muslim Americans alone would be enough to erase Biden's 2020 margins of victory in Arizona10,457 votesand nearly do the same in Georgia, where Biden won by 12,670 votes.

Of course, Arab Americans are not the only ones likely to penalize Biden at the ballot box next November over his foreign policy. But even if they were, the numbers show that a presidential election may swing on a lesser-known but potentially crucial voting bloc.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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In each water sample, researchers examined nitrate isotopes, which are unique, allowing the team to trace the water sample back to where it originated. Credit: University of Texas at Arlington

Four decades of changes in land use in central Costa Rica have increased nitrate concentrations in drinking water, in some areas to potentially unsafe levels, according to a new study led by a University of Texas at Arlington scientist.

"Land use has changed dramatically in the past four decades in Costa Rica," said Ricardo Sanchez-Murillo, associate professor of Earth and environmental sciences. "Many areas have changed from forested and pasture areas and coffee plantations to urban developments, taking away green spaces. Together, these changes have altered the nitrate compositions in the groundwater."

Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, the study by Sanchez-Murillo and colleagues from Universidad Nacional and Empresa de Servicios Publicos de Heredia, both in Costa Rica, analyzed different water sources to see how they were affected by changes in land use since the 1980s.

Specifically, researchers took water samples at various depths from springs, wells, rivers and wastewater plants, as well as in varying topographies, such as lowlands, midlevel areas and near volcanoes. In each water sample, they examined nitrate isotopes, which are unique, allowing the team to trace the water sample back to where it originated. While areas of higher elevation did not show problems with nitrate levels in the water, mid- and low-elevation areas exhibited greater nitrate concentrations, with some areas showing unsafe levels.

Nitrates can be produced naturally in tropical forested soils. They also are a common byproduct of human-made products such as soil fertilizers and sewage systems, as well as animal waste from commercial facilities.

High nitrate levels can affect how the blood carries oxygen to cells. Too much nitrate exposure also can lead to other health problems, such as blood pressure issues, increased heart rate, headaches, stomach cramps and vomiting.

In Costa Rica and worldwide, the maximum nitrate level in drinking water is 10 milligrams per liter or lower. After that there is an alert zone that reaches 25 milligrams per liter and goes as high as 50 milligrams.

In this study, researchers found that concentrations of nitrates reached more than 70 milligrams per liter in some urban areas. In addition, the nitrate origin has changed in the last three decades, from 25% to 75% sewage contribution. Seventy percent of the water samples examined were below 10 milligrams per liter.

"Although there are only a few areas with dangerous levels of nitrates in the water, these areas should start taking immediate action to reduce the level of nitrates," Sanchez-Murillo said. "While urbanization has brought economic growth to the region, it also has put pressure on resources, particularly regarding water and air pollution, traffic congestion and waste management."

Local citizens should examine their septic systems to ensure there are no cracks or leaks that are allowing sewage into the groundwater, he said, also noting that municipalities need to invest in better infrastructure for solid and water wastes to protect residents and the ecosystems.

More information: R. SanchezGutierrez et al, Nitrate Legacy in a Tropical and Complex Fractured Volcanic Aquifer System, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023JG007554
By Saio Marrah

Schoolboy Mohamed Aroun Conteh, has appeared at the High Court in Freetown indicted for the murder of Providence school teacher, Edward Gillis Ola Johnson, his private lesson teacher.

The accused, also a pupil of Providence School appeared before Justice Monfred Sesay and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday 1st November 2023 following which the process of selecting a jury started. The accused objected to four of the 12-person jury before they could subscribe to the oath but the judge told him that he could only object to up to three of the jurors without giving a reason. He said above that the law requires the accused to provide reasons for rejection.

The accused then told the judge that he was objecting to the fourth juror - a female, because he thought she was not mature enough in terms of age and that for him, maturity counted a lot when deciding a matter like that.

Justice Monfred Sesay then told the accused that he clearly disrespected the jury because prior to their selection the court did take note of their age, maturity, and other issues. He refused to accept the rejection of the fourth juror and asked the accused to apologize to her.

The state prosecutor, Aruna Jalloh told the court that he was not prepared to address the jury in opening his case and applied for an adjournment.

Justice Sesay then urged the prosecution to make sure they bring more than one witness to the next hearing on 8th November this year saying he wanted a speedy trial.

Copyright  2023 Politico
The head of the country's financial regulator insisted Tuesday that a debt workout program requires support for more than just debt payment, as creditors call for ailing builder Taeyoung to present more self-rescue measures for the start of a debt restructuring program.

Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), also highlighted the need for the troubled firm to do its utmost to help itself.

"Considering wide support for not only the debt of a debtor but also indirect liabilities and other interested parties once the debtor's determination to rescue its firm is confirmed conforms with the original purpose of a workout program," Lee said while meeting with the heads of seven top financial holding firms here, according to the FSS.

His remarks come one day after TY Holdings, the parent company of Taeyoung E&C, injected an additional 89 billion won ($67.9 million) into the troubled construction firm, a move that had long been demanded by Taeyoung's creditors.

Taeyoung applied for a debt restructuring program last month due to a liquidity shortage over real estate project financing loans.

Its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), had remained reluctant, saying Taeyoung and its parent company could and should do more first to help themselves.

"A debtor and the main shareholder of a firm do have the need to win the faith of creditors that they will do all they can in the process of a workout program by proposing intensive self-help plans," the FSS chief noted.

He added the government will help mediate complex interests should a debt workout program be launched.

KDB and some 400 other creditors of Taeyoung are scheduled to decide whether to initiate a debt workout program Thursday, which requires consent from at least 75 percent of the creditors. (Yonhap)
Post-COVID chronic absenteeism affected schools worldwide, and one of the solutions to getting students back into school seems to be universal. The commonality seems to be social engagement.

This year, chronic absenteeism rates for Glens Falls students fell from the COVID high peak of 34% of students missing classes to this years rate of 21%, thus far.

With the strategies of the Glens Falls community succeeding in getting chronic absenteeism rates down, a Lake George native, Lynnaya Preuss, has taken these practices to Nicaragua to expand the global effort.

In Nicaragua, the chronic absenteeism rates are more than double what they are in Glens Falls, with 45% of Nicaraguan students not even continuing their education past the sixth grade.

In Glens Falls, organizations and nonprofits have stepped in to aid students struggling with barriers keeping them from the classroom, barriers such as transportation, lack of supplies, and health-related concerns.

These organizations and programs assisting students have helped by offering social engagement, personal connection, and helpful resources to reduce the amount of chronic absentee students.

Preuss uses similar successful initiatives in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

Social connection is the base of everything we do. Once you establish that trust, its easier to share the importance and significance of beneficial resources, Preuss said in an interview.

She has worked with Amigos for Christ, a nonprofit that facilitates mission trips to Nicaragua to assist in making opportunities in leadership, education and water and health more accessible.

This is all done within the context of intentional, long-term relationships with an emphasis on community leadership, according to a presentation on Preuss work. She gave the presentation to the Glens Falls Rotary club in December.

Preuss works in Nicaragua to establish relationships and trust with the local community.

A lot of the work I do with families is encouraging students to continue with school, to meet physical needs and assist in economic development that may be keeping them from going to school. The education team helps to provide support and knowledge to just encourage them to continue, Preuss said.

There are many barriers that prevent students from going to school, and the students in Nicaragua need dedication from their community and volunteers to help students overcome these barriers.

In a recent community call-to-action Glens Falls school leaders partnered with organizations and nonprofits to identify the barriers that push kids to skip school.

In the Glens Falls area, a student may choose to stay home because the walk is two miles and their parents have left for work already while another student may be disengaged from the school and not feel welcomed, and students may be homeless while their parents need help with finances.

Community members draw them back to school by finding the particular barriers each student experiences and then and work with that student to overcome it.

What the community is doing here (in Glens Falls) for chronic absentee students is so similar to the work we are doing in Nicaragua, just a different context. Theres a similar need for community members to step in for these students and help them get to school, said Preuss.

Preuss has spent six months total in Nicaragua over the past two years or so but has plans to move to the central American country sometime this year. She hopes to make her international move by Feb. 1.

In her volunteer work in the Amigos organization, she has contriubted to 13,717 family visits to build trust and conduct training in health, water, education, economic development, and leadership.

The visits focused on habit change, with a component involving encouraging school attendance.

Special incentives were established for students, including an after-school homework club, student craft activities, and parties for students with high attendance.

Its a parallel between our community and theirs because absenteeism has been an issue in Nicaragua too, but for different reasons. Its more of the economic situation in the country, Preuss said.

The United States Agency for International Development lists Nicaragua as the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti is the first.

Amigos for Christ is dedicated to Nicaragua and has implemented programs to build economic stability with a focus on local Nicaraguan leadership in order to allow the programs to continue after their contributions, their website says.

And the programs could not be effective without first establishing trust through the family visits.

In 2024 we will be working in 23 communities. My team specifically will be visiting 317 families in four communities in Chinandega, said Preuss.

Preuss is the only member of Amigos for Christ from the northeast and is passionate about finding ways to share her passion with the lower Adirondack communities.

I would love for more people to know about it, to have people volunteer with me on a medical brigade, or financially help to support what we are doing. Really anything. Theres a school that we partner with, and we often have teachers come down to visit, Preuss said.

She is working to gain donations.

I have a two-year goal of $52,000. I am currently 42% there, Preuss said.

All donations to Amigos for Christ are tax deductible and receive full financial transparency and accountability, she said. Interested medical volunteers or those who wish to donate to Preuss work in Nicaragua can email her lynnaya@amigosforchrist.org.
Earl Skip Gingerich wants to continue serving as Marilla supervisor as long as the voters will have him.

If he is re-elected in 2025, that means he would have to run for re-election again the following year, under a new state law.

The law moves many local elections  including for county executive, county legislators and town board members, clerks and highway superintendents  to even-numbered years.

Most of those races have traditionally been held in odd-numbered years, but will now coincide with presidential and congressional elections going forward.

Gingerich, a Republican, isnt a fan of the new law, which aims to increase voter participation.

Noncompetes, elections, reparations: Hochul faces decisions by year's end Before the clock strikes midnight on 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul must still decide whether to sign or veto more than 100 bills passed by the Democratic-controlled State Legislature this year.

He doesnt think that will happen.

If they want to improve voter turnout, then theyve got to teach at a younger age in the school system how important it is to participate in government and how important their vote is, he said.

Gingerich said people dont show up at the polls either because theyre comfortable with the way things are going or they dont like the choice of candidates.

The changes affect county and town elections. They do not apply to sheriff, county clerk, district attorney and races for judgeships, which are governed by the state Constitution.

Elections for cities, villages and school boards also are not included in the new law, and remain the same.

Anyone elected last year or earlier will serve a full term. In order to transition to the even years, future terms will be shortened. Elections for offices with two-year terms will take place in 2025, but the term will be one year and another election will take place in 2026.

Those offices with four-year terms elected last year will be up for re-election in 2027, and the term will be three years. By 2030, all the local officials covered under the new law will return to the usual two- or four-year term.

Some like the law

Hamburg Supervisor Randy Hoak, a Democrat, said he is excited by the new law.

Anything that brings increased voter turnout to local elections, I think is just good for everybody, he said.

Its a good thing anytime you can increase turnout for people and get their attention on these races, said Jeremy Zellner, an Erie County elections commissioner and chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee. When we have off-year races, we just have horrible, horrible turnout.

Turnout for local elections plummets in non-presidential or non-congressional election years, compared to local elections in other years.

In Alden, the turnout in 2020 was 82%, compared to 66% in 2022 and 40% in 2023.

In Clarence, 83% of registered voters participated in the last presidential election, 64% voted in 2022 and 39% voted last November.

About 70% of registered voters in Marilla filled in ballots in 2020 and 49% voted last year.

In 2022, the turnout for a local race in Cheektowaga was 53%, compared to 32% in 2023. There were similar numbers in the Town of Tonawanda, 60% to 34%, and West Seneca 61% to 39%.

The New York Civil Liberties Union, Harvard Election Law Clinic and the Legal Defense Fund maintain that holding local elections in off-cycle years is a racially discriminatory practice that disproportionately disenfranchises young voters.

Many Republicans find fault with the new law, concerned that local contests will get lost in the sweep of regional, state and presidential races.

Forcing local elections into even-numbered years will upend the idea that all politics is local, forcing every campaign  from the White House to the town hall  to be waged on national narratives, Erie County GOP Chairman Michael Kracker said in a statement. Thanks to Gov. Hochul and New York Democrats, thoughtful discussion on critical local issues like property taxes, public safety, and infrastructure will be drowned out by the big-money politics of Washington in Albany.

Will GOP be at a disadvantage?

Some Republicans contend a goal of the law is to consolidate Democratic control at all levels of government, since New York is a blue state, and presidential and congressional elections usually have a large turnout of Democrats.

West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson, a Republican who started his second term Jan. 1, said he doesnt think the law will hurt the GOP.

I think we have a good enough message that we can overcome this, or it wont be a significant impact, Dickson said. At the end of the day, more people voting is a good thing. Doing it this way, I think, is bad policy and I dont think its really needed.

Others, including New York Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar, believe delegating local races to the bottom of the ballot will generate less interest and attention.

These races will get almost zero press coverage in the shadow of larger federal and state races, and voters will be more likely to vote the party line in the absence of sufficient information, Kassar said.

Hoak said its possible local elections can get lost, but its the job of the local committees and candidates to get to get their message out.

Savings wont be realized with some elections remaining in odd-numbered years, even though other forces may well be at play.

We could have some elections where the only person on the ballot is the town justice, Dickson said. Talk about low turnout.

Hochul and others support a constitutional amendment to align all election years to save money.

Zellner said the new system will concentrate work at the Board of Elections in even years, with more petitions and paperwork to process. The board will continue conducting elections in odd years, he said, maintaining the voter rolls and other work.

Gingerich, who has been a town councilman for eight years and supervisor for 10 years, said Marilla has an idea that will cut down on the work at the Board of Elections. He said the town is looking into conducting its own local elections by paper ballot.

He envisions elections on the odd years, with no political parties and each persons name listed once.

It will be a much fairer election, he said.
New library club: The Atlantic City Free Public Library has created a new club, the AC Research Club, for history buffs in Atlantic City and beyond. The club meets twice a month at the Main Library at 1 N. Tennessee Ave.

Topics include exploring the library archives, creating a family tree, searching for historical information for free, learning how to scan family photos and documents, creating a digital repository and using ancestry.com. Library archivist Jacqueline Silver-Morillo leads the club.

Club meetings begin at 2 p.m. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for Jan. 12 and 26 and Feb. 9 and 23. Call 609-345-2269, ext. 3066, or email jmorillo@acfpl.org to register.

MLK Read-in: The Atlantic City Free Public Library will hold its annual MLK Read-in program from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University at 2200 Fairmount Ave. City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz, library Board of Trustees President Libbie Wills, teen volunteers, staff members and members of the public will read some of Martin Luther King Jr.s writings. The program is free and open to the public.

Following the read-in, the librarys Film Society will meet at 2:30 p.m. at the Arts Garage to watch and discuss Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America. The program is being held as part of the Black Arts Matter program held monthly at the Arts Garage.

Free parking, courtesy of the Foundation of the Atlantic City Free Public Library, will be available at The Wave garage.

Book group reading: The Sustainable Book Group of Ocean City and Upper Township will discuss Field Notes From a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert at 7 p.m. Jan. 16 via Zoom.

Register to receive the Zoom link for the meeting at tinyurl.com/SBG16JanZoom. Reviews and other information about the book and its author can be found at uppertwpgreenteam.wordpress.com/Sustainable-Book-Group-OCUT.

Copies of the book can be found at the Ocean City Free Public Library and the Upper Cape Branch of the Cape May County Library or at Sun Rose Words & Music, 756 Asbury Ave., Ocean City.

For more information, contact Ralph Cooper at uppercapesustainability@gmail.com or 609-464-0920.

Speaking Yiddish to Chickens: The Board of Jewish Education of Atlantic and Cape May Counties and the Sam and Sara Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center will present an afternoon with Seth Stern, author of Speaking Yiddish To Chickens: Holocaust Survivors on South Jersey Poultry Farms, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 18 in the Fannie Lou Hamer Event Room of Stockton Universitys Atlantic City campus, 3711 Atlantic Ave.

Speaking Yiddish to Chickens chronicles how roughly 1,000 Holocaust survivors, including the authors grandparents, found an unlikely refuge and gateway to new lives as poultry farmers in South Jersey. The book relies on interviews with dozens of refugee farmers and their children, as well as oral histories and archival records.

Stern is a legal journalist and author. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors who settled on a Vineland chicken farm.

Two professional development hours will be available for New Jersey educators. Books will be available for purchase at the event and in advance at the Board of Jewish Education office inside the Milton & Betty Katz Jewish Community Center, 501 N. Jerome Ave. in Margate. RSVP to the board at 609-822-1854 or email bjejosh@aol.com.

Science Saturdays return: The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences welcomes back Science Saturdays hosted by Rick Bushnell of Reclam the Bay and ASU Professor Darlene Cavalier, founder of SciStarter.

At 11 a.m. Jan. 20, Douglas Zemeckis, associate professor at Rutgers University, will discuss Responsible Stewardship of New Jerseys Valuable Marine Resources via Zoom.

The presentation will cover the diversity and value of New Jerseys marine resources and industries with an emphasis on responsible stewardship practices and citizen science opportunities for people to adopt in Ocean County and throughout the state.

Science Saturdays tackle scientific studies, the state of our environment and issues that directly affect the shore community and Barnegat Bay. All sessions are free, but space is limited. Register at lbifoundation.org/science.

Grant to benefit museum: The Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society has received a $10,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and Members 1st New Jersey Federal Credit Union. The grant program assists nonprofits and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We greatly appreciate this assistance. It will create a basis for our plans to sustain the museum and expansion, said VHAS President Valerie Neuber. The museum is seeking to raise $2 million to expand by about 2,000 square feet.

The expansion will include an elevator and ADA-approved restrooms to enable access to all who enter, said Naomi Ingraldi, VHAS board secretary. Increased exhibit and presentation space, upgrade of all systems to provide safety and the preservation of museum collections are also part of the plan.

The museum, located at 108 S. Seventh St., will reopen Jan. 31 with a special member preview reception. The latest exhibit, Cast Your Ballot, examining politics and voting rights, will be featured. For more information, visit discovervinelandhistory.org.
TRENTON  New Jersey lawmakers on Monday passed legislation to boost their annual salaries from $49,000 to $82,000, along with raises for the governor and other top officials.

The Democrat-led Legislature approved the bill a day before a new session starts and when lawmakers take their oaths of office. If signed by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, the bill won't go into effect until 2026, after Murphy leaves office and lawmakers face voters in the regular 2025 general election.

Lawmakers haven't voted themselves a raise since 2002, and some argued that the 67% increase is needed to keep up with rising costs. They also said they sometimes had to dip into their own pockets to perform the duties the job requires.

Im sponsoring this legislation because it is necessary, not to give myself a pay raise, said state Sen. Dick Codey, who's retiring after the current session and won't get the pay increase.

The measure advanced out of committee over strong objections from Republicans, who questioned the soundness of a pay raise.

Raising salaries ... is crazy, said GOP Assembly member Brian Bergen during a recent committee hearing. Making $82,000 a year is an absolute insult to the people you represent.

Republican Assembly member Jay Webber said Monday during a debate on the floor that he wouldnt accept the pay raise if hes still in the Legislature if the measure is approved. Webber said he opposed the measure, in part, because constituents couldnt vote themselves a pay raise if they wanted to.

The legislation also increases the governor's salary from $175,000 to $210,000 annually and boosts the top rate for Cabinet and other top officials to $210,000 from $175,000 as well. It also boosts the amount lawmakers get specifically to pay their staff, from $135,000 to $150,000. Legislators, unlike in some other states, dont get a per diem rate or car mileage reimbursements.

Democrats expanded their majority in last year's legislative election, netting seven new seats. The new session that takes office Tuesday will have 52 Democrats and 28 Republicans in the Assembly. In the Senate, Democrats will hold a 25-15 seat edge over the GOP.

Just how much the measure would cost taxpayers wasn't clear. A fiscal note, typically added to legislation that could increase the state budget, was listed as not currently available" on the Legislature's site.

New Jersey's Legislature is considered part-time, meeting regularly from January to June and typically taking time off over the summer and in the lead-up to elections before returning for a lame duck session.

Voters had mixed views on the pay hike. Some thought it was fair, inline with their belief that all work should be adequately compensated.

You should pay people for what they're worth, said Arthur K. Brown, 56, who was waiting at a bus stop Monday in Trenton. If these people are working, you wan them to get better, I think give them money.

Michael Ray, 71, a trumpet player who works at an audio-visual studio in Trenton, objected to the salary increase.

I don't think they need any more money, he said. I'm not for it. Everybody's broke.

Just a few blocks from the statehouse where the vote unfolded, Ray cast a glance toward the building and said he knows lawmakers typically wait till the last minute to pass a budget. It's a travesty, he said.

Terrence Brown, 53, a janitor on his way to work and waiting at the same station as Arthur K. Brown  no relation  did not begrudge the legislators seeking a pay raise. Pay increases should be more widely given, he said.

Everybody deserves a raise, not just them, he said.
Its that time of year again to reminisce about the people who shaped the world. And its not who you might think.

Time Magazine named Taylor Swift its Person of the Year. Understandable, since she was the literal incarnation of capitalist meritocracy, having single-handedly injected an estimated $5.7 billion into the U.S. economy in a time of economic uncertainty, according to the Washington Post.

Say what you want about her music, but theres no denying that she embodies the values that the rest of the world admires about America. Shes living proof that drives dreams of wild success through talent, hard work and a winning attitude. For every person inspired to put those values into practice, its society as a whole thats better off.

But missing from such lists are the unsung, everyday heroes who stood out in 2023. So, here are a few suggestions to get the ball rolling.

Truckers: This really should have been the second year that truckers were included on every such list. Canadian truckers launched the Freedom Convoy movement in January 2022 against the Canadian governments mandated unequal treatment of Canadians based on anti-Covid jab status, and blocked the Canadian capital and borders until their demands were met  even as the finance minister announced the blocking of the personal bank accounts of donors to the movement. But in 2023, it was European truckers from Poland, Slovakia and Hungary who made headlines in defense of their countries economic sovereignty as they blocked their respective borders with Ukraine to protest the supranational European Unions policies of loosening restrictions on allowing Ukrainian products and services in their own countries to their own competitive economic detriment. At one point earlier this month, the line at one of the border crossings was reported to be 127 hours long  a fitting tribute to heavy-handed EU bureaucracy.

European farmers: When the EU decided that Ukraine should be able to get its grain out of the conflict zone to feed the poor folks in Africa and Asia, somehow it wasnt able to facilitate that without dumping all over itself, like a toddler, much of the grain coming through Europe. It was Eastern European farmers in countries like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania who reacted to their own product being devalued by imposing unilateral import restrictions. Helping Ukraine doesnt mean that the drowning victim gets to pull down the rescuer so that both sink into the economic abyss.

In the Netherlands, farmers turned out by the thousands to protest their governments push for conformity to EU climate directives by whittling down the size of their operations (and livelihood) to what the big-brained bureaucrats in Brussels deem an acceptable number of cows whose farts and waste risk destroying the planet. Shortly thereafter, the movement had given rise to the Farmer-Citizen Party, which became the largest party in the countrys senate and local elections. By Novembers general election, the establishment prime minister had been swept out of office in favor of a right-winger.

And German farmers blocked Berlin with tractors in December, refusing to accept Chancellor Olaf Scholzs attempt to compensate for misguided spending by playing the climate change card to kill subsidies on the diesel fuel that runs farm equipment.

Schoolteachers: Its a miracle that any educator in the Western world can teach at all these days or that they all havent just given up and left the profession. So those who manage to survive a minefield of wokism on a daily basis and actually manage to turn societys next generation into educated critical thinkers, are absolute heroes. Seems that you cant even teach math these days without entertaining or indulging the notion of it being sexist, racist or classist. Then theres the daily challenge of trying to figure out which pronouns each student decides they identify with on a given day. How does one even have an educational debate or discussion of controversial issues anymore?

Here in France, where teachers have recently been stabbed and even beheaded, theyre now regularly exercising their right to withdraw as a result of threats from parents as the result of doing their job. A Parisian middle school teacher was recently accused of Islamophobia for showing a classic 17th- century painting to her class that happened to feature fat cherubs that happened to be nude. Teachers at another Parisian middle school doing media analysis of the Israel-Gaza conflict referred to approved class material that qualified Hamas as a terrorist group  the official position of the French and EU governments  and sparked parental outcry. Imagine what an actual debate about the use of the term would have unleashed. Yet such controversial and provocative debates ideally are supposed to be the whole basis of an actual education. Anyone who can navigate this mess, keeping a legitimate educational mission intact that doesnt veer into indoctrination, despite all the establishment pressures to do so, deserves an award.

Heres hoping that 2024 sees more of this kind of everyday courage that has the power to shape the world just as much, if not more, than the actions of a handful of celebrities. And if youre one of those people exercising your free speech rights in an era of creeping censorship, then consider yourself among these heroes, too.
Hong Kong: FTA to cover more product categories

Hong Kong today signed a protocol to almost treble the range of specified product categories to be covered by the citys free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The protocol will update the product specific rules (PSR) of origin under the FTA, enhancing PSR coverage from more than 200 categories of products to almost 600.

This means the citys businesses will be able to gain Hong Kong-originating status for an increased number of products more easily and effectively, thereby enjoying preferential tariff treatment for these products when expanding into the growing ASEAN market.

The specified products incorporated into the FTA fall into various categories of interest to Hong Kong traders and manufacturers, including jewellery, medicaments, food products and textile products.

The signing of the protocol will help enhance the competitiveness of the products concerned, as well as trade flows, creating more opportunities for Hong Kong businesses in the ASEAN market.

On signing the protocol, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau highlighted that ASEAN is Hong Kongs second-largest trading partner in merchandise trade, adding: Our burgeoning trade has been uplifted by the FTA, signifying the latters importance in consolidating our position as an international trade centre.

The commerce chief said he has full confidence that the implementation of the protocol will further drive growth in Hong Kongs economic and trade relations with ASEAN member states.

The text of the First Protocol to Amend the Free Trade Agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations & Hong Kong will be uploaded onto the Trade & Industry Department's website after all parties have completed its signing.

Hong Kong and ASEAN will continue to work closely to bring about early implementation of the protocol, so that Hong Kong exporters can reap its benefits as soon as possible.

This story has been published on: 2024-01-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Saudi crown prince, Blinken meet on Gaza conflict, bilateral ties

Xinhua) 08:52, January 09, 2024

RIYADH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud met Monday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the kingdom's oasis city of Al-Ula to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and bilateral relations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the Saudi crown prince stressed the importance of stopping the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and intensifying humanitarian action, the report said.

He also underscored the need to work to create conditions for restoring stability and a peace process to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace, it added.

Blinken is on his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, which has led to escalating tensions across the region.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken held a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, in which the two sides also stressed the importance of avoiding the expansion of the conflict in the region and finding a clear solution toward regional stability.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Blinken said he had discussed the Middle East's future with regional leaders and reached agreements on a few objectives in their meetings.

"We agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability," he said.

The Saudi crown prince and Blinken also exchanged views on bilateral relations, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Political risk from Japan-born mother could be main reason for silence: expert

By Jung Min-ho

While some experts had suspected that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday would be different this year, he turned 40 on Monday without any public celebration or recognition.

Since rising to power when he was still in his 20s, he is considered by some to have established a stable leadership over the past 12 years. But North Korea still does not acknowledge the day of his birth, Jan. 8. In contrast, those of his predecessors  father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung  are usually celebrated as national holidays with concerts, fireworks and sometimes even military parades on a grand scale.

In their Monday and Tuesday reports, North Korean state media made no mention of Kim's birthday, which was first disclosed by Kenji Fujimoto, Kim's former sushi chef . Although the date is known to be accurate, the year is less so, with some saying it could be 1982 or 1983, not 1984. The website of South Koreas Ministry of Unification shows Kim Jong-un was born on Jan. 8, 1984, as widely known.

So why is it still a secret? Some analysts say Kim may think he is still considered too young and has achieved too little to hold lavish birthday festivities to match those of his ancestral predecesors.

Yee Ji-sun, an expert on North Koreas society and culture at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank, believes the main reason for the silence may be the story behind his birth and his late mother, who was born in Japan.

Once his birthday is designated as a national holiday, it would inevitably bring attention to his mother, which I think one of the biggest political weak points for Kim Jong-un, she told The Korea Times on Tuesday.

Ko Yong-hui, Kim's mother, was born in Osaka's Koreatown on June 26, 1952, where her father worked in a sewing factory run by the country's Ministry of War. She, along with her father and some half-siblings, moved to North Korea in 1962 as part of a repatriation program when she was 10. In the early 1970s, she began working as a dancer at the Mansudae Art Troupe, which led to her personal relationship with Kim Jong-il, that of a consort.

There were some reports suggesting Kim Jong-un was seeking to idolize his mother soon after taking power. But such efforts are no longer visible. According to experts, this is because of North Korea's "chulsin songbun"  or caste classification based on family background  which ascribed her the lowest social status as a "hostile," one of those born in Japan.

When Kim Jong-un tries to highlight the legitimacy of his power, he tends to emphasize his connection to his grandfather more than his father. Thats probably because of the same reason, Yee said.

Surrounded by veteran officials and military officers, Kim Jong-un might be still conscious of his relatively young age, she said. Thats another political risk given that he has no personal story like his grandfather, who once fought against Japanese occupiers, or a state-crafted, fabricated story for his father, she added.

But it is possible that Kim Jong-uns birthday will later become official. Kim Il-sungs birthday was designated as a national holiday in 1968 when he turned 56. Kim Jong-il did so for his own birthday when he turned 40.
4 p.m. update

On top of the snow on the ground already, more is on the way according to the National Weather Service.

The Quad-Cities and nearby areas like Sterling, Maquoketa and Dubuque are expected to receive an additional 4-6 inches through midnight Tuesday.

The winter storm warning will extend through the evening with hazardous travel conditions expected. The precipitation will end from west to east this evening, but motorists are advised to be aware of strong winds with gusts up to 45 MPH.

This could create blowing and drifting, especially on the west-to-east roads. Falling branches may become a hazard due to the weight of snow and cause additional power outages, the NWS warned.

Snowfall is expected to wrap up by midnight in the Quad-Cities with winds dying down between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.

3:15 p.m. update

The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging drivers to avoid traveling on I-80.

Dangerous whiteout conditions and numerous crashes are making travel difficult on I-80 east of Des Moines to the Illinois border and the Cedar Rapids area, according to the Iowa DOT winter road conditions map.

2 p.m. update

Snow totals have made their way to the National Weather Service (NWS).

As of noon, in Davenport 8.2" had fallen and Moline 7.8". In a Facebook post, NWS said temperatures are expected to drop, which could impact snow totals.

The heavy nature of the snow, combined with above freezing temperatures, is causing compaction, making the amount on the ground appear less than what had fallen total.

As of 1 p.m., moderate to heavy snow was expected to continue across eastern Iowa and Northwestern Illinois with snow falling at about 1-2" per hour.

In addition, strong winds with gusts as strong as 40MPH are expected to produce near whiteout conditions with a visibility range of a quarter of a mile or less later this afternoon.

At Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, there has not been an increase in weather-related injuries nor have there been any snow-related injuries That is expected to change. Most patients at Genesis Conveniet Care had respiratory illness.

I anticipate seeing more patients with snow-related injuries on Wednesday," said Genesis Convenient Care Medical director Dr. Robert Mixsell.

Staying warm continues to be a problem in the Quad-Cities as many are without power, but restoration is getting stronger. An estimated 136 customers are without power on the Illinois side of the Q-C, along with just five on the Iowa side.

Still without power are:

East Moline: 3

Henry County: 12

Mercer County: 9

Rock Island: 72

Rock Island County: 40

Clinton County: 4

Eldridge: 1

Big power outages have been reported in Council Bluffs and Des Moines, affecting nearly 4,500 customers.

Noon update

Roads remained covered in ice and snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Drifting is expected to increase this afternoon and continue into the evening with strong winds coming out of the north. Snow is slowly moving to the east with most of it expected to leave the region by 10 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Transportation shows the majority of roads in the northwest corner of the state are completely covered with ice and snow. The Iowa DOT shows much of the same, with a road completely blocked between County Road Y30 and County Road Y26 (three miles south of the Blue Grass area) due to a multi-vehicle crash.

Towing is not recommended in Muscatine and Clinton Counties due to reported conditions.

Slick and slushy

So far, warm air and pavement temperatures are helping Davenport plow crews stay on top of arriving snow, the City of Davenport posted in an 11:30 a.m. update to its Facebook page. The National Weather Service recorded 34 degrees by noon Tuesday.

But, it may change as overnight snow transitions from wet and heavy to light and fluffy and windy conditions, the city said. Another 4-6 inches of snow plus blowing and drifting are expected this evening and overnight.

City snow emergencies are still in effect until Wednesday, which means no parking along posted snow routes. Cities still urge residents to park off-street to allow snow plows to efficiently clear roads.

Several city buildings and facilities closed or closed early on Tuesday because of the prolonged forecasted snow storm.

In Bettendorf, Operations Manager for Bettendorf Public Works Kris Hatfield said winter response operations are going well with the temperatures still in the 30s.

We have running water on all the mains and will continue to work this evening and overnight, Hatfield said. The temperature drop overnight and the predicted increases in wind will extend the event at least through tomorrow. We are hopeful for a break on Thursday to be able to prepare for the expected Friday, Saturday event.

In Moline, Street Operations Manager Graeme Jewell said the city has deployed 27 trucks with plows and 2 tractors for snow removal with 48 employees rotating on two 12-hour shifts.

Some of the main streets are just wet, Graeme said in an emailed statement. Side streets will be bad for a while, but we will get to them.

He added that a new in-house brining solution Moline launched this year worked well in keeping snow and ice from bonding to the pavement.

In Rock Island, Public Works Director Mike Bartels said the city is finishing up the main and secondary routes and plan to move into residential routes by 9 p.m. Tuesday night weather permitting.

The city purchased eight new snow plows ahead of the winter season, Bartels said in an emailed statement, and the first three have arrived and are in use. The six-ton trucks replace an aging fleet from 2001, which adds a new slide-in box for salt as well as GPS and front-facing and back-up cameras for drivers.

Power outages reported

Power in the Quad-Cities remains an ongoing issue with MidAmerican crews out fixing lines throughout the day. The outage map estimates 104 customers in the Iowa Q-C and 212 in the Illinois Q-C are awaiting restoration, which is expected by 12:45 p.m., according to estimations.

Without power are:

Colona: 1

East Moline: 27

Henry County: 16

Mercer County: 16

Milan: 12

Rock Island: 74

Rock Island County: 66

Bettendorf: 76

Clinton County: 4

Davenport: 20

Eldridge: 1

Scott County: 3

More than 1,300 in Council Bluffs remain without power. Another minor outage has been reported in Des Moines.

Quad-Cities police and fire departments have advisories concerning the storm posted on their Facebook pages. Tips include:

Remove snow from fire hydrants and the entryways of residences in case of emergency.

Remove snow from mailboxes.

Keep vehicles, and recycling and garbage bins off streets and alleys to help snow plow drivers do their jobs.

Dont travel if possible.

Stay indoors when possible.

Check on older neighbors to be sure they are doing well.

If there is a power outage, use flashlights instead of candles to minimize fire risk.

Keep emergency numbers handy.

Report unsafe conditions to authorities.

10:30 a.m. update

Power outages have increased in the Quad-Cities with nearly 300 customers effected.

In Davenport, 78 are impacted, with the majority of the outages landing on the Illinois side. MidAmerican estimated 219 customers were without power, an increase from the 87 reported without at 9 a.m. Restoration is expected by 12:45 p.m. at the latest.

As of 10:30 a.m. outages are effecting the following:

Bettendorf: 75

Blue Grass, Clinton County, Scott County: 3

East Moline: 98

Henry County: 26

Mercer County:15

Milan: 12

Rock Island: 1

Rock Island County: 66

The Mid American outage map shows the entirety of the state, which indicates more than 2,000 are without power in the Council Bluffs region and more than 1,100 in Waterloo.

The Iowa State Patrol has issued a tow ban for the lower two-thirds of the state. Patrol is advising those who do not need to drive to stay home and off the roads if possible.

The National Weather Service estimates snowfall will pick up with 1-2 inches per hour possible. Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to drop significantly in the next week.

Arctic air is expected to arrive within the next 6-10 days, with an 8-90% change for below normal temperatures. This time next week, the highs are expected to be in the teens and lows in the single digits.

Wind chill could drop as low as -15 to -25 degrees.

9 a.m. update

Tuesday morning many residents in Rock Island, Mercer and Henry Counties woke up without power.

MidAmerican Energy keeps a live outage map to show where outages are reported, how may are effected and the estimated time they will be repaired. Tuesday an estimated 87 customers were without power as of 9 a.m.: 33 in Henry County, 12 in Mercer and 42 in Rock Island County.

Restoration times were estimated between 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. In Iowa, eight homes in Blue Grass were reported without power.

The National Weather Service released an update just before 8:45 a.m. stating all roads in the Q-C region were completely covered. Snow fall is expected to continue all day with 1-2 inches of snow per hour. This could increase to three inches per hour as the day moves into the afternoon with thundersnow a strong possibility.

The highest impact is expected at 3 p.m. with winds increasing in speed and strength.
DES MOINES  Hundreds of Central Iowa students rallied in the Iowa Capitol on Monday, calling for gun safety laws on the first day of the 2024 legislative session, in the wake of a recent deadly school shooting in Perry.

The rally was part of a day of mobilization by young advocates, as students at schools across the state conducted walkouts to protest legislative inaction on gun safety.

The event at the Iowa Capitol was organized by the gun safety advocacy group March for Our Lives Iowa. Advocates rallied in the Capitol rotunda before taking to Gov. Kim Reynolds office a letter that demands statehouse leaders pass gun safety legislation.

At what point do we say enough is enough? We cannot allow more people, more children to lose their lives because of our legislators inaction. Their silence is deadly, said Akshara Eswar, a senior at Johnston High School and one of the co-directors of March for Our Lives Iowa. The time for requesting change is over. We demand it. We demand change, and we demand it now.

On Thursday, a 17-year-old shot and killed a sixth-grade student and wounded seven others at Perry High School.

Hannah Hayes, a senior at Des Moines Roosevelt High School and the other co-director of March for Our Lives Iowa, noted that the organization just roughly a week ago held a news conference at the Iowa Capitol to unveil its priorities for the 2024 legislative session.

At that (news) conference, I said, Gun violence isnt just some faraway issue that you see on the news. It can happen here. It can happen now, Hayes said during Mondays rally. And tragically, two days later it did.

Hayes remarks included a focus on choice, an allusion to Reynolds legislative priorities in 2023, which she often describes as giving parents more authority over and choice in their childrens education. Hayes said one choice that parents face is whether to send their children to school so they can get a good education, or keep them home so they can be safe from gun violence.

Gov. Reynolds can make this choice easier by passing gun legislation that will actually keep children safe. Because we choose policy and change over more empty thoughts and prayers, Hayes said. If elected officials dont protect people, we will choose to vote them out.

Amelia Hamlen, a graduate of West Des Moines Valley High School and freshman at the University of Wisconsin, joined the walkout on Monday while home from school on winter break.

Hamlen, 18, said she wants kids to be able to go to school without worrying about being killed. The shooting in Perry hit close to home, Hamlen said.

School shootings happen a lot in this country, but I think the fact that it was in Iowa and so close to where I live, it was really upsetting and more personal, she said.

She said she wants Iowas leaders to take action to prevent gun violence at school.

Take action and actually do something about kids being killed, instead of just sending their thoughts and prayers, she said. Because those arent doing anything for dead kids.

Reynolds, in her office on Monday, signed a disaster proclamation that authorizes state resources, including supplies, materials and equipment, to assist Perry and Dallas County in the ongoing response to the school shooting.

Through this proclamation, I am unleashing the full power of state government to help Perry High School, the Perry community, and Dallas County recover from this senseless tragedy, Reynolds said in a news release.

DeSantis discusses Perry

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking to Iowa reporters during a virtual news conference, said dealing with such shootings is more a state and local issue than a federal response. DeSantis touted efforts in Florida to keep schools safe in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, but declined to suggest any changes to federal law he would support that would make them less frequent.

DeSantis praised the response of local law enforcement to the Perry High School shooting and the actions of the schools principal, who was shot and critically injured trying to distract the gunman by calming him down so others could escape, according to Iowa authorities and the mans daughter.
Winter weather is finally here. Below is a list of phone numbers and resources to help get you through the first snowstorm of 2024.

City updates

Each city has its own alert system to keep residents informed about the conditions in their area. Scott County residents can sign up online at scottcountyiowa.gov/ema/alert-iowa for alerts to be sent to their phones. Rock Island County residents can do the same online at rockislandcountyil.gov/AlertCenter.aspx.

Road conditions

Interactive maps that show road conditions can be found online courtesy of the states' Department of Transportation. Illinois residents can look online at gettingaroundillinois.com and Iowa residents at iowadot.gov. The maps are updated periodically and color-coded to indicate the conditions. The map also indicates closures, blocked roads and tow bans.

Weather updates

The National Weather Service provides recorded updates for various regions including the Quad-Cities. After calling, the automated message will begin and read the most up-to-date information the center can provide. This service is available year-round and can be accessed by calling: 563-386-3976.

It is also available online at weather.gov.

MidAmerican outage map

With cold weather comes strong winds and, unfortunately, power outages. MidAmerican keeps track of outages and the estimated time it will take to repair. The map can be found online at midamericanenergy.com/OutageWatch and shows outages for the entirety of Mid-American's coverage area.

The regions are color coded to show how many people are effected. The map is updated periodically.

To report an outage call: 800-799-4443.

Mediacom

While Mediacom does not have an online outage map, the company does have a way to report a lack of internet access. Those with the app can simply log in and inform the company, or text 'OUTAGE' to 66554.

Health and safety

In a medical emergency, call 911.

Genesis Emergency Department: 563-421-1000

Unity Point Emergency Department: 309-779-5000.

The Genesis Health System in Davenport released a guide to staying safe in severe weather.

Hypothermia: Overexposure to cold temperatures or cold water can be deadly. Warning signs include confusion or sleepiness, slowed and slurred speech, shallow breathing, a weak pulse or low blood pressure, a behavior change, severe shivering or no shivering, poor control over body movements or slow reactions. If hypothermia is suspected, get the victim into a warm room or shelter; remove clothes from the victim if they are wet; warm the center of the body first using an electric blanket if one is available; use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels; give warm beverages; get medical attention as soon as possible. If the victim is unconscious, CPR may be necessary.

Overexposure to cold temperatures or cold water can be deadly. Warning signs include confusion or sleepiness, slowed and slurred speech, shallow breathing, a weak pulse or low blood pressure, a behavior change, severe shivering or no shivering, poor control over body movements or slow reactions. If hypothermia is suspected, get the victim into a warm room or shelter; remove clothes from the victim if they are wet; warm the center of the body first using an electric blanket if one is available; use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels; give warm beverages; get medical attention as soon as possible. If the victim is unconscious, CPR may be necessary. Frostbite: Initial signs are indicated by a white or grayish-yellow area on the skin; skin that feels unusually firm or waxy or numbness. If suspected, seek medical care immediately. If it is not available, get the person into a warm room as soon as possible; do not walk or use frostbitten extremities; immerse injured area in warm water; warm injured area with body heat. Dont use a heating pad, heat lamp or heat of a stove, fireplace or radiator because injured areas can be quickly burned.

Initial signs are indicated by a white or grayish-yellow area on the skin; skin that feels unusually firm or waxy or numbness. If suspected, seek medical care immediately. If it is not available, get the person into a warm room as soon as possible; do not walk or use frostbitten extremities; immerse injured area in warm water; warm injured area with body heat. Dont use a heating pad, heat lamp or heat of a stove, fireplace or radiator because injured areas can be quickly burned. Carbon monoxide danger: Warning signs of exposure in low concentrations include fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, symptoms include impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion and nausea. Flu-like symptoms that diminish with exposure to fresh air are a warning sign. Exposure to very high concentrations can be fatal.

Public Works

The following public works departments, which handle municipal snow removal, can be reached at:

Bettendorf: 563-344-4055

East Moline: 309-752-1574

Davenport: 563-326-7923

Moline: 309-524-2400

Rock Island: 309-732-2200

Water companies

With freezing temperatures on their way frozen pipes are a big concern. Iowa American Water suggests opening cabinets or ventilating doors where pipes are kept to keep them warm and allowing a trickle of water to run continuously.

In the event pipes do freeze, Iowa American recommends shutting off the water supply and slowly warming the pipes with warm air from a hair dryer or space heater. To report problems or get assistance, reach out to the following entities:

Iowa American Water: 866-641-2108

Moline: 309-524-2300

Rock Island: 309-732-2380

Police/Fire non-emergency lines

In the event of an emergency, call 911. For other non-emergency situations, individual departments can be reached at:

Bettendorf police: 563-344-4015

Bettendorf fire: 563-344-4052

Davenport police: 563-326-7979

Davenport fire: 563-326-7906

East Moline police: 309-752-1555

East Moline fire: 309-752-1505

Moline police: 309-797-0401

Moline fire: 309-524-2250

Rock Island police: 309-732-2677

Rock Island fire: 309-732-2800

Public transportation

Snow routes are already in effect for those in Davenport who rely on the bus for public transport. A map of the various lines for the Citibus can be found online at davenportiowa.com/services/citibus_transit and the department can be reached at: 563-888-2151.

For those every where else, MetroLink offers the same services. Separate maps for Illinois and Iowa can be found online at metroqc.com/101/Maps-Schedules and the company can be reached at: 309-788-3360.

Boating bounces back on the Great Salt Lake after record snowfall
The Quad Cities Community Foundation is awarding its yearly Transformation Grant to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Rock Island.

The Community Foundation has awarded these grants since 2015, giving out $1.5 million to date to support the Quad-Cities, a press release shared on Monday said.

The MLK Center will receive $300,000 from the grant.

The Transformation Grant is built by donor contributions to our Quad Cities Community Impact Fund, said Sue Hafkemeyer, the Community Foundations president and CEO, in the release. The grant is awarded to organizations who can drive big change. We know the MLK Center has the leadership, knowledge, and vision to make the most of this grant.

The grant specifically supports the MLK Center's efforts revitalizing the West End of Rock Island.

The West End has long contained some of the most distressed census tracts in the state of Illinois, said Jerry Jones, executive director of the MLK Center, via the press release. Despite that, it remains a wonderfully caring and close-knit neighborhood. Those who live here are filled with unwavering pride and belief in the potential for their West End. This grant is going to help fulfill that potential.

The West End Revitalization steering committee at the MLK Center has been around since 2022, and is made up of seven members. Its members come from diverse backgrounds, having worked in education, senior living, and the nonprofit sector.

Thurgood Brooks, West End Revitalization coordinator, said in the release the revitalization efforts are "comprehensive" and will require the teamwork of government, residents and businesses. He noted the grant will help the nonprofit with improvements to sidewalks, broadband access and affordable housing, among other projects.

In the press release, Jones called the Transformation Grant a "game-changer" for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center.

"Nonprofits are used to operating on a shoestring budget, Jones said. This trust-based, unrestricted funding is a game-changer. It brings stability, and it lets us be flexible, strategic, and more effective as we create lasting transformation in this neighborhood we love so much.

The 10 top-rated pet charities and the missions they support The 10 top-rated pet charities and the missions they support #10. Grey Muzzle Organization - Raleigh, North Carolina #9. Puppies Behind Bars - New York City #8. American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation Inc. - Raleigh, North Carolina #7. Associated Humane Societies - Newark, New Jersey #6. South Dakota West River Spay-Neuter Coalition - Deadwood, South Dakota #5. Monadnock Humane Society - Swanzey, New Hampshire #4. New Hampshire SPCA - Stratham, New Hampshire #3. Alaqua Animal Refuge Inc. - Freeport, Florida #2. Pony Power Therapies Inc. - Mahwah, New Jersey #1. All About Animals Rescue - Warren, Michigan
The United States Department of Justices Office of Justice Programs awarded $16.3 million to various tribal and local governments in South Dakota. Funding was provided through 33 grants given in 2023, U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced on January 8, 2024.

Out of the $16.3 million, $5.4 million went to tribal governments including the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Yankton Sioux Tribe.

Tribal grant funding was awarded from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent grants.

Additional funding was given to city and county governments, South Dakota State University and local organizations.

The money awarded to the State of South Dakota, tribal and local governments, and community organizations has the capacity to fund truly impactful work in the area of public safety, Ramsdell said in a press release. We look forward to collaborating with these entities to grow the impact of their grant funding and improve the quality of life in communities throughout our state.

The over 3,700 Office of Justice Programs grants awarded in the 2023 fiscal year are meant to support state, local and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions to reduce violence, crime and recidivism while delivering treatment to those at risk.

Funding is also aimed at expanding partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts to help citizens effectively transition back to their communities post-confinement. This specific focus is also meant to reach victims in underserved areas, steer youth away from justice system contact, improve sex offender management, and support research and statistical analysis.
Jordan Hare  the 28-year-old Rapid City man who hit a 14-year-old girl with his truck, left the scene and then painted his rims to avoid detection  was sentenced Monday to one year in the county jail and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine for misdemeanor obstruction of a public officer.

"I'd like to start out by apologizing to the family of Miss Brave Heart for their loss," Hare said. I was freaking out. I was scared, and I didnt know what to do.

Circuit Court Judge Matt Brown handed down the sentence, which was the maximum allowed under the law.

Nevaeh Brave Heart died in the intersection of East Van Buren and North Lacrosse streets in Rapid City on Oct. 14, 2022 after Hares truck struck her as she traveled north through the East Van Buren Street crosswalk. Law enforcement arrested Hare four days later based on video footage tracing his vehicle to a residence in south Rapid City.

Hare was charged with hit and run resulting in a death or injury. A class 6 felony, the charge carries a maximum of two years in prison and up to a $4,000 fine. The state later added misdemeanor charges of failure to yield to a pedestrian and obstruction of a public officer.

The state offered Hare a plea deal three days before his scheduled Nov. 2023 trial. Per the plea deal, the state would dismiss the felony charge and the failure to yield charge in exchange for Hare pleading guilty to obstruction  a step officially completed Monday at the sentencing hearing.

The offer and trial cancellation was met with frustration and anger from Brave Hearts family. Her mother, Heather Bettelyoun, attributed the decision to a lack of courage on the part of the state to hold Hare, who is white, accountable.

About a week later, a group walked into the County Administration Building in Rapid City and demanded the resignation of Pennington County States Attorney Lara Roetzel, claiming injustice towards Native Americans. Brave Hearts case took center stage as proof of that alleged injustice and lack of advocacy for Native American victims.

When the Pennington County States Attorneys Office announced the plea agreement, they offered a brief explanation referencing a review of the evidence and data from Hare's cell phone. During the demonstration outside her office, Roetzel reiterated the decision was based on evidence.

On Monday, the state provided details behind the determination that it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt Hare was guilty of the felony.

The defendant did not know he had been in an accident, said Deputy Pennington County State's Attorney Kevin Krull.

Krull stated data from Hares Apple Watch showed his heart rate remained steady from the time before the crash, through it and until after he arrived home. After his partner texted him about the suspect vehicle sounding like his, his heart rate spiked.

He drove to the southside Walmart and purchased paint to change his rims from chrome to gray. He also moved his truck into a garage and out of sight. Immediately after the crash, he had parked in the driveway of the residence.

According to the States Attorneys Office, the partner's text messages, Hare's Apple Watch data and a defense crash reconstruction report indicating Brave Heart was lying down on a skateboard when she was hit all pointed to him not knowing he hit anything or anyone.

We have ethical obligations, Roetzel told the Journal. The evidence became overwhelming that we adequately could not proceed.

Robin Zephier, the attorney representing Brave Hearts family in a civil suit against Hare and his employer, spoke at the hearing on behalf of the family.

The truth of the story of what happened to Nevaeh Brave Heart was ready to be told, Zephier said in reference to the canceled trial. That story needed to be told.

He criticized the state and law enforcement for failing to collect any blood, urine or DNA samples from Hare. Krull said there was no indication Hare was intoxicated based on interviews from people who saw him shortly before the crash, including the coworker he gave a ride home that evening.

His version of the facts was accepted: that he didnt know he hit a human being, Zephier said.

Hermus Bettelyoun, an uncle of Brave Heart, also addressed the court. As he walked by the seated Hare on his way to the witness stand, Bettelyoun slammed a photo of Brave Heart down on the desk in front of Hare.

His attorney picked up the photo.

You hid the picture because you cant stand to look at it, Bettelyoun told Hare.

Its sad the system allowed you killing somebody to get you a slap on the wrist, he said.

The judge said he acknowledged the sense of loss, sense of betrayal and the sense the system does not give individuals  particularly Native Americans  a fair shake.

However, Brown said he does not sentence based on race.

Brown listed Hares callous indifference as one of the reasons behind sentencing him to the maximum possible sentence for a misdemeanor. Hare's defense attorney, Matt Skinner, asked the judge for probation and a suspended jail sentence. The state asked for the maximum sentence, as did Zephier.

Skinner reiterated his client did not know he hit someone, which is why the defense was willing to take the case to trial.

"If he knew that he hit Nevaeh, he would have stopped," Skinner said. "This was obstruction to us this whole time."

Skinner, in addition to offering his condolences to the family and calling the death tragic, said it was an accident.

In addition to sentencing Hare, Brown ruled the family is not entitled to restitution in the case. He said the law requires restitution to be directly tied to the crime, and there was no connection between the obstruction charge and the familys restitution request.
United Way of the Black Hills Race to Read Challenge started this week and continues until March 2, Dr. Seuss birthday. This reading competition invites Black Hills residents of all ages to enjoy the wonderful world of reading. For every 25 books read during the challenge (including audiobooks), a figurative car is driven one mile on a road trip across South Dakota, and readers have a chance to win prizes.

Any school, classroom, community organization, library, for-profit business, individual or family in South Dakota that would like to compete in this reading challenge is encouraged to do so. Mini-grants are available for organizations that want to host parties or other events to get their teams excited about participating in Race to Read.

To sign up for the challenge, download a chart to track your reading, and to learn more about the challenge and the mini-grants, go to unitedwayblackhills.org/racetoread. Participants also can email racetoreadsd@gmail.com and join any time during the Race to Read Challenge.

Its important for kids to see the adults in their lives reading, said Hanna Glissendorf, director of Black Hills Reads, which is an initiative of the United Way of the Black Hills. Thats one of the primary ways kids can gain a lifelong love of reading.

The United Way of the Black Hills started Black Hills Reads to address one of the most pressing needs in the Black Hills  access to quality early childhood education.

The goal is to help children reach grade level reading by third grade. Research has shown that an early foundation in literacy is a pretty accurate indicator of life success in people. When children are able to reach their appropriate reading level by third grade, they typically stay proficient in literacy throughout school, Glissendorf said. When a child has a love of reading, all kinds of benefits follow them throughout school and into adulthood.

Glissendorf said early literacy is part of the whole picture of the community needs of the Black Hills.

If you dont invest in early childhood education, youre not going to have a knowledgeable workforce. If you want to have talented people in your organizations or if you want to have your businesses flourish, you need people who have the opportunity to be educated. It really is an investment in the future workforce, she said.

The Race to Read Challenge concludes on National Read Across America Day, the National Education Associations day to celebrate the importance of reading. This years Read Across America theme is Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers. For more information and book suggestions, visit nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america.
Nearly half of registered voters support changing the way primary elections are conducted in South Dakota, but many others remain undecided, according to a statewide poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch.

The survey of 500 registered voters showed that 49.4% of respondents support a proposed constitutional amendment to establish top-two open primaries for governor, Congress and state legislative and county races. The poll showed that 34% oppose the measure.

That leaves 16.6% undecided, which open primary advocates see as an opportunity to sell their vision to voters in the 10 months leading up to the November 2024 election, assuming the measure makes the ballot.

Were encouraged by these results, said veteran political operative Drey Samuelson, who serves on the board of directors for South Dakota Open Primaries. Its worth noting that undecideds generally split evenly between voting in favor of a measure and against it, which would put us roughly at 58%. Wed be very happy with that result, obviously.

If successful, the amendment would establish one primary election for each designated office, with all candidates running against each other regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters would advance to the general election.

The Attorney General's Statement on the amendment notes that a candidate may list any party next to their name regardless of party affiliation or registration, meaning a registered Democrat could conceivably be listed on the ballot as a Republican, or vice versa.

Republican state Rep. Aaron Aylward of Harrisburg, S.D., chairman of the conservative South Dakota Freedom Caucus, expressed surprise that so many poll respondents supported open primaries and questioned the reasoning behind the petition effort.

If this were to go through, wed essentially have two general elections in South Dakota, which would be completely unnecessary, Aylward said in a statement to News Watch. If the backers of this amendment are worried about having options at the ballot box, why isnt the focus placed on getting people from all parties ready for the general election, rather than trying to create two general elections in a sense?

Independents shut out of GOP primaries

Supporters point to the fact that all registered voters would be eligible to participate in open primaries. Currently, Independent voters in South Dakota can vote in Democratic primaries but not Republican contests.

Thats a major factor in a state where the breakdown of registered voters (299,984 Republicans, 145,700 Democrats, 147,968 Independents/No Party Affiliation) makes Independents a formidable voting bloc of 25%. Most races are decided in GOP primaries in a conservative state where no Democratic presidential nominee has prevailed since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

Republicans outnumber Democrats 94-11 in the state Legislature, and GOP candidates ran unopposed in 21 of the 35 state Senate races in 2022. The last time a Democratic candidate won a statewide election was 2008.

I know a fair amount of people who are not Republicans by their general philosophy, but they are Republicans in registration because they know thats where the action is in the primaries, said Samuelson, who served as chief of staff to former Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson. In our system, people wont have to be something that theyre not to have a vote thats meaningful.

Seeking more balance in politics

The poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy from Nov. 27-29. Respondents were selected randomly from a state voter registration list and were representative of all South Dakota counties, ages, gender and political parties. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.5%. News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota sponsored the poll.

The open primaries measure has majority support among Democrats (55.7%) and Independents (55.4%) and plurality support among Republicans, with 43.1% of GOP respondents supporting the change, 40.3% opposing it and 16.5% undecided.

The poll showed the measure with a healthy lead in four geographic regions of the state (Sioux Falls Metro, East River/South, East River/North and West River). West River, often viewed as more conservative than other areas of the state, had the highest support (52.9%) for changing the way primaries are run.

Nicole Heenan, who is helping South Dakota Open Primaries with its petition effort in Rapid City, switched party affiliation from Independent to Democrat to challenge Republican state Sen. Helene Duhamel in District 32 in 2022. Duhamel won the general election with 56.2% of the vote.

Heenan told News Watch that putting all candidates into a single primary would provide more balance in a state where 90% of legislators are Republican, compared to 50% of voters registered as Republicans.

"That asymmetry is a sign of dysfunction and inefficiency," said Heenan, a mental health therapist who ran for Pennington County Commission as an Independent in 2018. "Democracies are supposed to be flexible and dynamic and quick to the needs of the people, and that's not the system we have right now."

Out-of-state group gets involved

Though nearly half of states have some form of open primary system, only three currently use a top-two primary such as the one proposed for South Dakota.

California and Washington use top-two primaries, with party labels included, in races other than presidential contests, while Nebraska uses a nonpartisan primary for state legislative races as part of its unicameral system.

Typically, the GOP majority in state politics would be enough to mount a formidable establishment response against a ballot measure buoyed by out-of-state interests that threatens the electoral status quo.

Unite America, a nonprofit based in Denver that advocates for election reform, has contributed about $300,000 to the open primary effort in South Dakota, while about $400,000 has been raised through in-state donations.

A similar measure in 2016 aimed to circumvent party primaries with nonpartisan races, in which South Dakota voters would consider candidates on an open ballot with no party designations. That effort failed at the ballot but received 44.5% of the vote.

'The stars seem aligned for us'

Supporters of the ballot measure said circumstances have shifted in their favor since then due to a schism in state Republican ranks between moderates and an emergent far-right caucus.

The theory is that open primaries, rather than incentivizing candidates from taking extreme positions to win a partisan primary, will help lower the volume to produce officeholders more reflective of the general electorate.

The stars seem aligned for us because the Republican Party has experienced turmoil, Joe Kirby, a Sioux Falls businessman and government reform advocate who is spearheading the open primary campaign, told News Watch in 2023. Theres less resistance from Republicans to the idea of changing something to broaden the base of voters.

In Democratic-controlled California, where voters approved a top-two primary in 2012, presenting candidates to all voters in primaries has led to more moderates getting elected, forcing far-left legislators to work toward the middle to pass laws.

A 2017 study by the Public Policy Institute of California concluded that open primaries, combined with other shifts such as redistricting reform, can help draw American parties back toward the center of the ideological spectrum.

For the minority party  Republicans in California and Democrats in South Dakota  the concern is that candidates will get shut out of the general election in the top-two system, making even more dire the partys lack of representation.

Moving politics toward the middle

Dan Ahlers, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, told News Watch that the SDDP has not yet taken a formal stance on potential 2024 ballot measures. But he noted different approaches to primary elections by the states political parties.

South Dakotas Democratic primaries have been open to registered Independent voters since 2010, said Ahlers. The Republican Party could do this too but has chosen not to open their primaries.

John Wiik, chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party, did not respond to a request for comment.

South Dakota Open Primaries needs to collect a minimum of 35,017 signatures to place the constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. The deadline to submit signatures is May 7, 2024. Samuelson estimated that the group has collected 35,000 signatures so far, with a goal of 50,000.

Samuelson noted a recent Pew Research Center poll showing that four times as many Americans have unfavorable views of both parties than they did in 2002. He sees that as a sign that people want more candidates who appeal to middle-of-the-road voters rather than to the fringes of either party.

A lot of moderate Republicans, frankly, don't run in South Dakota because they don't think that they can win the primary, Samuelson said. So we have these elections that are not contested, and that's not a good thing, no matter what party you're in.
More than 150 recently repatriated artifacts from the Wounded Knee Massacre were set to be burned December 29. Instead, tribal leaders from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and later the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe asked to halt the ceremony.

On December 29, instead of burning the artifacts, descendants of Wounded Knee Massacre survivors gathered to pray, sing and remember the more than 300 Lakota men, women and children killed by the United States military.

The issue stems from disagreements over what to do with items repatriated from the Woods Memorial Librarys Founders Museum Collection in Barre, Massachusetts. While one group of descendants planned to burn artifacts, others requested more time to consider alternatives.

In November 2022, the Woods Memorial Librarys Founders Museum gave items back to a group of descendants of Wounded Knee survivors. The group, SiTanka Ta Oyate Omniceye (Descendants of the Si Tanka (Big Foot) Nation), is comprised of Mniconju and Hunkpapa Lakota survivor descendants most of whom live in the Oglala area on Pine Ridge.

Following the massacre, several survivors chose to settle in the Oglala area, said the groups historian Michael He Crow, Mniconju Lakota. He Crows own family settled in the Oglala area after the massacre.

The repatriated artifacts had been taken from the mass graves of Wounded Knee Massacre victims killed in 1890. The military had been sent to Pine Ridge to stop a potential Indian uprising. Instead, they encountered a band of mostly Mniconju Lakota led by Chief Spotted Elk (nicknamed Big Foot by the military). The military misinterpreted the groups ghost dance songs as an intent to attack and opened fire on the band.

The items returned from the Founders Museum were stolen from the graves of Wounded Knee victims. Most of the items are clothing  moccasins and ghost dance shirts. Some moccasins have blood splatters on them. The rest of the items are several peace pipes, hand drums, a few dolls, two tomahawks, a bow with arrows, and a few beaded lizard and turtle amulets/pouches containing umbilical cords.

Mixed in amongst the artifacts are items from other tribes  Ojibwe-style moccasins, Dakota and Cheyenne beadwork and other items.

The Founders Museum is a private collection of items. As such it is exempt from provisions from the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The repatriation did not have to follow federal guidelines. Instead, it was inspired by NAGPRA, according to the museums initial press release. As such, the items were given back to a group of the museums choice.

The Founders Museum did not respond to requests for comment about the repatriation process.

Since the artifacts were returned, the group has hosted public meetings once a month, sometimes twice a month, for community members. The meetings were meant to be a way for survivor descendants to voice their opinions, He Crow said.

The Cheyenne River tribe supported what we planned to do up until October of this year (2023), He Crow said.

The tribe published a statement on the eve of the Wounded Knee ceremony voicing its opposition to burning the artifacts. In his initial statement, Chairman Ryman LeBeau asked that the ceremony be halted until all descendants had a chance to give input.

"The Wounded Knee artifacts issue is between the tribes and families of the descendants. We respect the decision to be diplomatic in dealing with such historical artifacts," LeBeau said in an email to ICT and the Rapid City Journal. "We are working collectively toward a positive outcome with our relatives. Overall, this is still an ongoing process, and we are still in communication with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on what further steps need to be taken."

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire issued a statement on December 30 in opposition to the burning ceremony.

Today, I understand that the Barre Museum returned Wounded Knee artifacts to the Oglala Sioux Tribe. For the record, descendants from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe were not included in the determination of disposition for these cultural items. The massacre at Wounded Knee was a direct result of the assassination of our Grandfather Tatanka Iyotaka (Sitting Bull) and the Hunkpapa descendants of the massacre must have their voice heard as well, Alkire said in the press release.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe did not respond to requests for comment.

The descendants group had chosen to burn the items as they believed the smoke from the items would carry the artifacts back to the spirits. Some items, like pipes, wouldnt be burned. The group also feared that if buried, the artifacts would be stolen and taken back to a museum like they were after the massacre.

The objects are part of the people that died there. Those were real personal things to them. And so it would be like an extension of their bodies and a part of them physically. So, (putting them in a museum) it would just be like displaying a hand or foot that was repatriated. So it's not something that we would have hoped that people believe in doing, He Crow said. For example, if it was a hand or a foot you brought back, are you going to display that in a museum and charge people to see?

The Oglala Sioux Tribe had been involved with the group's plans and President Frank Star Comes Out had attended meetings regularly.

It feels kind of strange that they (the other tribes) would do this right now, He Crow said.

I mean, they had a whole year to talk about it, but they didnt come to us.  I really don't know what their motivation is. It could be outside influences that are motivating their decisions. The only way we'll know what is going on is to have these meetings and they can inform us, because at the beginning they supported what we're doing.

In the days leading up to the 133rd Wounded Knee ceremony, the group had become aware of other parties requesting that items not be burned.

We had a meeting on Wednesday, and I told people just to be aware that if anything happens, then we can make some changes, He Crow said. So, we were a little bit prepared, but we didn't expect it to happen that way.

Now, its up to the Oglala Sioux Tribe to plan an intertribal meeting about the future of the artifacts. Its unclear when that meeting will take place.
Craft beer enthusiasts, brewers and industry professionals will gather this winter to toast to the vibrant craft beer culture of the Big Sky State.

This February, Lewis & Clark Brewing Co. in Helena will host Montanas first commercial, statewide beer competition. The awards ceremony will showcase exceptional beers made across the state  a true celebration of the creativity and craftsmanship of Montanas thriving brewing community.

Spearheaded by the Montana Brewers Association, these inaugural awards will highlight breweries with gold, silver and bronze medals in 19 different categories. All breweries from across the state of Montana are encouraged to enter  membership in the association is not required to participate.

The beer judging will take place in Helena prior to the awards ceremony, with each entry being evaluated by a panel of industry experts, certified beer judges and seasoned brewers. Judges from across the country will be spending over two days carefully assessing each beer before choosing the top submissions in each category.

Although the judging is a behind-the-scenes affair, breweries, their employees and the general public are invited to attend the ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Lewis & Clark Brewing Company.

Aside from unveiling the winners, the ceremony will also crown the Small, Medium and Large Brewery of the Year, and in addition, one brewery will be recognized with the 2024 Community Impact Award. The festivities will include guest taps from breweries around Montana and live music.

Montanans are so dedicated to and passionate about their local craft beer. Were already seeing how excited people are to take time to appreciate the remarkable work of our breweries, competition organizer, Loy Maierhauser, said.

Montana often gets recognition for our stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, but for a state that ranks third in the nation in breweries per capita, its high time we shine a spotlight on our beer too," Maierhauser said.

Breweries can register their beers online during the month of January, and samples must be dropped off in Helena between Feb. 12-17. More details on how to enter, judging and the awards ceremony can be found on the Montana Brewers Association website.

The Montana Brewers Association was created in 2008 and is a statewide association of breweries organized for the purpose of promoting the production and sales of the freshest and highest quality Montana made beers.

The MBA is the outgrowth of the earlier Montana State Brewers Association, created in 1997, and the members of the MBA are dedicated to education, public awareness and support for their products, profession and history while documenting their economic impact and legal responsibilities throughout the state of Montana. MBA members are committed to actively supporting and interacting within their respective communities as permissible under Montana law.
Korea reaffirmed its position to China via diplomatic channels after Beijing reacted against a joint statement by Korea, the United States and Japan on the South China Sea, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

Last week, the three countries held an inaugural meeting of their trilateral Indo-Pacific dialogue and pointed out China's "unlawful" claims in the South China Sea in their statement.

They also recalled their positions on the "recent dangerous and escalatory behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims" by China in the South China Sea.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Monday expressed discontent about the statement's rhetoric, saying it opposes the three countries' attempt to interfere in its internal affairs.

"The joint statement reflects the basic position that our government has consistently maintained in regard to Taiwan and the South China Sea," the official said.

Seoul continues to maintain communication with Beijing via diplomatic channels and has clearly expressed its views on the matter, he added. (Yonhap)
Henrico County police on Tuesday announced that federal agents in New Jersey had arrested a suspect in a Jan. 1 homicide at a Brook Road apartment complex.

Police said an FBI task force and SWAT team on Monday night arrested Rajahn Altariq Heath, 33, of Richmond, in Newark, New Jersey. Heath currently is being held in Essex County, New Jersey, under the Fugitive Felon Act.

Police said Heath will be extradited to Henrico, where he has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of malicious wounding, two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Henrico police responded to the 2000 block of Montbrook Lane at around 11:54 p.m. on Jan. 1 for reports of a burglary. On their way to the scene, officers received information regarding a shooting at the same address.

At the scene, officers located two women inside an apartment with apparent gunshot wounds. One woman, identified by police as Shante M. Jones, 34, of Henrico, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second victim was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. She remains in critical condition.

The shooting remains under investigation.

50 photos from the RTD Archives
The city of Richmond reported a total of $12.6 million in excess tax revenue this fiscal year, a city-led, internal financial report found.

According to Mayor Levar Stoney, he plans to utilize a portion of these funds to further support the Family Crisis Fund.

The fund, which launched early last year, provides financial assistance to Richmonders facing financial struggles. It is intended to be a last-resort effort for residents in need with the intended goal of helping folks get back on their feet and avoid issues that come with a lack of income, including homelessness.

By using a combination of funding streams, including federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, nonprofit partners as well as city funds, the assistance covers a large swath of issues such as housing, health-related, child care and car expenses as well as bill assistance and overall income loss. Last year, the city reported helping more than 500 residents.

The Family Crisis Fund supports Richmonders experiencing unexpected financial hardships, especially families that have exhausted all other resources, reads a statement released by the Mayors Office. Payments are made directly to creditors and vendors on behalf of eligible residents, not directly to individuals.

In total, the funds coffers tallied $1.9 million at the time of its adoption. The Mayors Office confirmed this week that Stoney intends to utilize 10% of the surplus revenue, $1.3 million, to further supplement the fund.

The fiscal year annual comprehensive financial report, which is issued every year in December, is a state-mandated document that gives city officials a better idea of how to craft the following fiscal year budget. Essentially, it is the first step in the monthslong annual budget process.

With the citys fiscal years running a total of 365 days beginning July 1 and ending the following June 30, the citys finance department has six months to calculate how much the city made in collected tax revenue, how much it spent on various projects, and what it plans to spend in the future.

This years report tallies 178 pages and, among its key findings, the department reports it collected a total of $12.6 million in surplus tax revenue  a 50% increase from Stoneys initial city-mandated estimate of $8.4 million.

While Stoneys estimate may have been lower than the actual reported total, it is significantly less than the previous fiscal year, which tallied $17.1 million.

This decline in revenue could be indicative of how the citys economy may fare in the upcoming year as several warn of tighter budgets ahead.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in late December, Stoney alluded to the citys potential penny-pinching ahead with an impending recession looming.

I caution the public to recognize we are about to enter a very challenging economic environment, Stoney told The Times-Dispatch. I believe were going to see some sort of recession, but it will be a softer landing than what we could have expected years ago. I think thats a good thing, but its going to put some limits on how we go about investing in these major priorities moving forward.

The city has a specific formula for how it handles its surplus funds, which includes setting aside 50% of the total, $6.3 million, to its rainy day fund; 40%, $5 million, to its capital maintenance reserve; and the remaining 10% to projects chosen by the mayor.

The report comes weeks before several restaurant owners came forward citing erroneous meals tax payment issues in which they were not informed they were late on bills, resulting in additional accrued fees in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Additionally, in 2023, the citys audit department released several reports that cited other tax collection problems across numerous departments. This includes the finance department issuing 66,000 incorrect personal property tax bills and the Department of Public Utilities incorrectly reading meters and in several cases overcharging residents.

These errors could have led to an increase in collected revenue with the citys tax collection occurring in January and June.

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Less than an inch of accumulation, and some parts of the area only get some light rain.
A Virginia bank has offered $6 million to settle claims that executives dipped into a pension fund for its employees, breaching fiduciary obligations, according to court papers.

In 2019, Virginia Community Bank, now known as Blue Ridge Bank after a merger, was hit with a class action lawsuit representing around 78 employees. The suit alleges that company executives used the pension fund to buy company stock at an inflated value, despite having inside information of the stock prices imminent decline.

Under a federal law enacted in 1974, employers who manage retirement plans are barred from self-dealing. The law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, requires employers to act solely in the interest of participants and beneficiaries.

The suit was brought by Janice Moore, a Louisa County resident. Moore, who worked for the bank for 33 years, opted into the pension plan, an arrangement in which Virginia Community Bank paid 10% of Moores salary toward her retirement at the end of each calendar year, court records state.

In 2017, as Moore prepared to retire, she wrote to the banks president expressing concern about why her retirement benefits had shrunk. Further investigation found that in 2007, around $8,000 from her retirement plan was used to buy the company stock at a value of as much as $80 per share. At the time, the stock was trading at around $45.

Moore alleged that two bank directors, Pierce Stone and Ronald Spicer, sold their own stocks at the inflated price, allowing them to pocket the difference.

The illegal windfall profits of defendants ... were fully paid for by [pension plan] participants like plaintiff Moore, stated the complaint, describing her retirement funds as being eviscerated as a result of the buyback scheme.

The suit, filed in the Western District of Virginia, also alleges that the executives funded the buybacks by using the pension plan to take out loans. The loan saddled the pension plan with debt and substantially reduced the amount of retirement benefit distributions to the companys employees during the period of 2007 to 2018.

Blue Ridge Bankshares did not return calls placed for comment on Monday. Stone retired in 2020, according to a LinkedIn profile. Spicer, who died in 2022, retired from the company in September 2006, but remained with the company as a member of the board.

The settlement terms do not include an admission that Virginia Community Banks transactions violated federal law.

The alleged buybacks occurred between 2006 and 2008 on the cusp of the Great Recession, which sent stock prices tumbling and strained some banks that had issued risky mortgages.

In 2006, the plan had $7.6 million, according to forms from the Department of Labor. In 2018, after receiving $4 million in contributions, the plan had shrunk to $5.2 million.

Moores complaint alleged the dealings amounted to around $12 million in losses from the plan, which is what the plaintiffs sought when the suit was first announced.

But a preliminary settlement indicates the case will conclude with a $6 million settlement, pending approval from a federal judge. Affected employees will receive an estimated $30,000 each. A maximum of $2 million will go to the plaintiffs legal fees.

Moore and the class of defendants are being represented by two Richmond law firms, the Krudys Law Firm and Butler Curwood.

Both firms declined to comment, citing terms of the settlement, which is not yet finalized.

Today in history: Jan. 9 1861: Star of the West 1945: Battle of Luzon 1972: Howard Hughes 1987: Oliver North 2005: Mahmoud Abbas 2012: Alabama 2012: Amir Mirzaei Hekmati 2012: Barry Larkin 2015: Paris 2017: Clemson 2017: Jared Kushner 2021: The Capitol 2021: The Java Sea
Former Gov. Doug Wilder, nearing his 93rd birthday, is again the center of attention  both for a national audience and aspiring gubernatorial candidates in Virginia.

Wilder will receive a national ovation for his leadership and service over the past 70 years since his discharge from the U.S. Army after the Korean War. The festivities  organized by L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Union University, where he graduated with a degree in chemistry, and Howard University, where he earned his law degreewill include the screening of a new documentary in Richmond on Jan. 17, his birthday, and a gala in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 to raise money for a scholarship fund at the VCU school named in his honor.

The list of high-profile donors is led by Dominion Energy and Northern Virginia real estate developer Albert Dwoskin, each contributing $100,000 to the scholarship fund for students, but four declared and potential candidates for governor next year also have contributed in one way or another.

The highest tier honors Wilder for his work as a People First Advocate during his career as the nations first elected Black governor; the states first Black lieutenant governor; Virginias first African American state senator since Reconstruction; and Richmonds popularly elected mayor.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is not on the donor list, but the city of Richmond is among the second tier of donors at $25,000, honoring Wilders work on behalf of historically Black colleges and universities, such as Virginia Union and Howard. The money came from an account in the office of Chief Administrative Officer Lincoln Saunders and represents a customary donation to worthy community initiatives, according to Richmond spokesman Gianni Snidle, who also confirmed that Stoney plans to attend the gala in Washington.

The City of Richmond regularly sponsors events for a good cause, and this is one that Mayor Stoney and Governor Wilder can agree on, Snidle said.

The City of Richmond is proud to support scholarships for students to attend the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and help launch the new generation of public servants, while also celebrating the life and legacy of a former Richmond Mayor, the first (elected) black Governor in the United States, and a dedicated public servant, he said. Education is the great equalizer and the city is proud to support a number of initiatives that help students achieve their dreams.

Wilder, who has a long history of criticizing fellow Virginia Democrats, has tossed occasional barbs at Stoney, as in October 2022 when he called for the state to step in to deal with crime in Richmond.

Richmond political analyst Bob Holsworth, who was the founding director of the Wilder School and a close ally of the former governor, said the citys contribution was not surprising, considering Wilders historic stature in Richmond and the nature of the cause.

This is one of the most prominent figures of the 20th century in Richmond, and the beginning of the 21st, Holsworth said.

Stoney declared his candidacy for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination early last month, three weeks after Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, said she would run for governor instead of seeking re-election for a fourth term in Congress.

Spanberger for Governor, her campaign committee, donated $5,000 to the gala as part of the fourth tier, Son of Virginia Pioneer, honoring Wilders roots in Virginia and his inauguration as the first elected Black governor in U.S. history in 1990. Wilder was born and raised in Richmond, and served one term as popularly elected mayor.

Governor Wilder was a strong, historic, and forward-looking governor of Virginia, campaign spokesman Connor Joseph said. Congresswoman Spanberger and the Spanberger for Governor campaign are proud to support these events to honor his exemplary service, celebrate his long record of contributions to the Commonwealth, and recommit to the future of Virginia  including through supporting our students and our schools.

Two potential Republican gubernatorial candidates  Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears  also are on the list, although neither has declared their candidacy publicly.

Miyares for Virginia, the attorney generals longstanding political committee, gave $5,000 for the gala. Governor Wilder has given a lifetime of service to our state, and our nation, Miyares said in a statement on Tuesday. He is a historic trailblazer who has served as an inspiration for me and so many Virginians.

Im grateful to call him a friend and a mentor, and proud to support his legacy of educating the next generation of leaders, he said.

The lieutenant governor, the first Black woman elected to that position, donated $1,000 in the fifth tier of supporters.

Gov. Wilders Scholarship Initiative will empower a more informed and engaged populace to bring hope to our Commonwealth and our country, Earle-Sears said in a statement on Tuesday. Education lifted my family out of poverty and it has always proven to be an identifier of future success.

Plenty of other luminaries, including elected officials, also are contributing to the gala for the scholarship fund.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his wife, Suzanne, gave $10,000 in the third tier of donors, honoring Wilders military service, including the Bronze Star he received for valor in combat in the Korean War. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., like Wilder a former governor and Richmond mayor, also gave $10,000, as did the Collis-Warner Foundation, representing Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. (another former governor) and his wife, Lisa Collis.

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-3rd, the dean of Virginias congressional delegation, gave $1,000, as did Rep. Don Beyer, D-8th, a former lieutenant governor; Wilders former law partner, Chief Judge Roger Gregory of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; and Larry Sabato, president of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Higher education is also well-represented, including historically Black colleges and universities. VCU, Virginia Union and Howard are co-sponsoring the event because of the roles they played in Wilders history. Wilder is a longtime professor of public policy at VCU and the school named in his honor.

Hampton University and Norfolk State University each donated $10,000, as did the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and Virginia Tourism Corporation. Virginia State and Virginia Union each gave $5,000, as did the VCU Commonwealth Poll, VCU Research Institute for Social Equity and VCU President Emeritus Gene Trani, who brought Wilder to the university and became a close ally.

Some prominent donors gave money outside of the labeled tiers. For example, Altria Corp., the Henrico County-based owner of Philip Morris USA, gave $30,000.

From the archives: In 1990, L. Douglas Wilder was inaugurated as Virginia's first elected African-American governor
Freedom, as Janis Joplin sang, may be just another word for nothing left to lose  but when it comes to cats, freedom in many localities is just another word for annoying.

Doing something about feline free-roaming, however, is not easy  kind of like herding cats, since there are plenty of strong feelings, pro- and anti-alley cats.

But Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Spotsylvania, feels it is time to stop pussyfooting around.

It may be like venturing into the lions den, but Orrock is introducing a bill that calls on the state Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish minimum regulations for a Free Roaming Cat Management Plan.

Under Orrocks House Bill 221, localities would be free to adopt those regulations  or not  depending on how they feel about free-roaming cats.

I think we can get something everyone can live with, he said.

Cat lovers themselves are divided about free roaming felines. Some feel its too dangerous for the cats to wander  they arent always smart about speeding cars, for instance  while others focus on trapping, neutering and releasing feral cats to keep down their numbers and their impact on wildlife.

The Virginia Supreme Court in 2013 overturned a citation Henrico County issued against a woman who fed feral cats on her property for violating the county zoning code, ruling that the citation was overly broad. The court did not decide one way or the other on whether localities could ban feeding feral cats.

At the same time, feral cats are considered companion animals and under state law, a caregiver could be charged with abandonment if they are providing adequate food, water and care, according to the nonprofit group Alley Cat Rescue.

Bills to authorize trap, neuter, and return programs, aimed at controlling feral cat populations, and that would exempt volunteers from being charged with abandonment died in the 2015-16, 2020 and 2023 session.

Cats and dogs that need homes in the Richmond area
Shed been an honor roll student at the same Northern Virginia high school Del. Vivian Watts kids attended, but for one harrowing month in 2014, 37-year-old Natasha McKennas repeated mental health crises kept bringing her into contact with police.

But the last time, that contact brought the 130-pound woman a charge of felony assault on a law enforcement officer.

Its a relatively common one when police respond to individuals in a crisis  basically, if you flail out and brush the officer, thats assault, Watts said.

Watts, D-Fairfax, has introduced House Bill 267, which would change state law to say that people in a mental health crisis cannot be charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer if the officer is responding to a call for assistance for that emergency.

This is really important, Watts said, since too many people are landing in jail on this felony charge  and in jail, getting the help needed to get out of the crisis can be hard to get.

(McKenna) had four encounters with police without any charge; but in one case she was charged, Watts said.

McKenna died days after a February 2015 struggle with Fairfax County deputies in which she was restrained and shocked four times with a stun gun.

Virginia has long contemplated how to improve outcomes for people in mental health crises who come in contact with law enforcement. After teacher Marcus David Peters was killed by Richmond police in 2018 when he was undergoing a mental health crisis lawmakers approved plans for the Marcus Alert system, which seeks to provide a behavioral health response to a crisis related to mental health, substance use, or developmental disability. Marcus Alert is now available in a subset of Virginia localities, including Richmond and Chesterfield County, with other Virginia localities to start the service by July 1, 2028.

Irvo Otieno, 28, a mental health patient from Henrico County, died of asphyxiation on March 6 after he was pinned on the floor while shackled and handcuffed during his intake at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County. Seven Henrico deputies and a hospital worker have been charged with second-degree murder. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he will ask the General Assembly to enact a bill  to be called Irvos Law  to make sure that people in mental health crisis have access to family members, which Otieno did not on the day he died.

For McKenna, the charge of felony assault on a law enforcement officer landed her in Fairfax County jail. She never got out.

McKenna was held in Fairfax on an assault charge filed in Alexandria. She was in the Fairfax jail for more than a week, where without treatment, her psychosis deepened.

It was when Fairfax tried to transfer her to an Alexandria facility, that her final crisis erupted.

Handcuffed through the food slot in her cell door, she began trying to pull free, screaming: You promised you wouldnt hurt me! A team of six deputies tried to restrain her during a prolonged struggle, and she was shocked with the stun gun.

Shortly after that, she stopped breathing. A medical examiner concluded that her death was accidental, citing excited delirium associated with physical restraint including use of conductive energy device and that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were contributing factors. Fairfax prosecutors did not bring charges in the case.

In 2018 The Washington Post reported that McKennas family had reached a $750,000 settlement with the Fairfax County sheriffs office to resolve a wrongful-death lawsuit.

Watts has tried to tackle the issue of assault charges filed against people in a mental health crisis. She says she thinks her latest attempt, with an effort to define what a crisis entails and protection for police against false arrest charges, can help with what she said is always a difficult situation.

I have a lot of sympathy for law enforcement in these situations, she said. But we do need to think about this.

Watts said she is also considering amendments that could cover police interactions with people with autism and those whose dementia is at the stage where they will lash out.

7 bills to watch in the upcoming Virginia legislative session Raising minimum wage Mental health support Attempts to reverse Clean Car Act Gun laws Rights restoration Reproductive rights
AEON Bank (M) Bhd is set to become Malaysias first Islamic digital bank, following its success in obtaining approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Ministry of Finance to commence its digital banking operations within the country.

According to AEON Bank  which is a subsidiary of Japans AEON Financial Services Co Ltd and an associate company of AEON Credit Service (M) Bhd  the approval was granted following BNMs validation of its operational readiness, and a phased rollout has been planned for its app in the first half of 2024. To kickstart the process, AEON Bank will begin with an exclusive beta testing phase that involves AEON Group employees.

As we prepare to introduce our app, we recognise the importance of gathering insights and feedback from users to refine and optimise the app. By initially offering access to a select group of beta testers, we aim to collaboratively fine-tune the app to ensure it meets the expectations of our wider user base upon full release, said chief executive officer of AEON Bank, Raja Teh Maimunah.

(Image: AEON Bank LinkedIn)

Raja Teh Maimunah also emphasised that the new digital bank will seek to advance the promotion of financial inclusion and Islamic banking. As part of one of Malaysias most recognised retail household brands, we aim to provide accessible, inclusive, and shariah-compliant digital banking solutions to our AEON Group of customers as well as to all Malaysians. It is our intent to empower our communities with access to digital financial services which are simplified, safe, and secure, she said.

Similarly, managing director of AEON Credit, Daisuke Maeda said that this achievement marks a significant leap in redefining the financial services provided by AEON Group, and also reaffirms its commitment to support financial inclusivity. To note, AEON Credit is one of the leading non-bank financial institutions in Malaysia that can assist individuals who are unable to get funding via traditional banking services.

As AEON Group Malaysia celebrates 40 years of trust, we see AEON Bank as an opportunity to provide more to our loyal customers and business partners who have been the bedrock of our success, said Maeda.

(Image: The Star)

For context, AEON Bank was formerly known as ACS Digital Berhad, which secured one of the five digital banking licenses offered by BNM through a consortium consisting of AEON Financial Service Co Ltd, AEON Credit Service, and MoneyLion Inc. MoneyLion eventually pulled out from the consortium, however, leaving AEON Financial Service Co Ltd and AEON Credit Service to make up ACS Digital with an equal shareholding of 50% respectively.

Aside from AEON Bank, Boost and RHB Bank had also recently announced that it received approval from BNM and the MOF for its digital bank, Boost Bank by Axiata and RHB, to commence operations with effect from 15 January 2024. Meanwhile, GXBank by the Grab-led consortium has successfully launched its digital bank app back in November 2023.

(Source: AEON Bank)

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Insurer Zurich Malaysia and insurtech solutions provider Senang.io have entered into a partnership with Bank Islam to roll out a new takaful solution called Microtakaful for Gig Workers. Housed within Bank Islams digital banking app, the Be U by Bank Islam app, it will allow gig workers to access a range of takaful products and services from insurers at their convenience.

In a joint statement, the three entities explained that the new Microtakaful for Gig Workers offering will empower gig workers with tailor-made takaful services that are designed to accommodate the specific needs of the gig community, such as their dynamic schedules. These include on-demand services, medical coverage, and a convenient in-app claim management platform.

Zurich, specifically, will be the first takaful provider to offer its products on the Microtakaful for Gig Workers platform within the Be U app. As the gig economy continues to grow, it is important that we cater to the protection needs of the participants. Together with our partners, we will create a brighter and more secure future, said the chief executive officer of Zurich General Takaful, Shamsul Azman, who also added that this collaboration aligns with the insurers Care for What Matters brand campaign.

(Image: New Straits Times)

Meanwhile, Senang.io will provide its technology expertise to integrate the takaful products into the Be U app, ensuring accessibility and simplicity for all users. Our technology platform facilitates the integration of multiple takaful products into a single, user-friendly application, making takaful accessible and straightforward for all users, said the founder and chief executive officer of Senang.io, Sharian Raj.

Chief digital officer of Bank Islam Group, Noor Farilla Abdullah, on the other hand, stressed the importance of financial inclusion within the Be U by Bank Islam digital proposition.

(Image: The Malaysian Reserve)

The new microtakaful offering, facilitated through OpenAPIs, seamlessly integrates gig work protection within the app, enabling users to conveniently access takaful add-ons and process claims directly through the platform. The inclusion of microtakaful solutions within the app enriches the gig economy, offering peace of mind and financial protection to a vulnerable segment of workers, making it easily accessible in times of unexpected dchallenges, said Noor Farilla.

Moving forward, Bank Islam said that it is planning to work with Senang.io to onboard other takaful providers onto the Microtakaful for Gig Workers platform to widen its takaful offerings within the next three years.

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Mexico extradites three women to U.S to face drug and criminal association charges

Mexico City, Mexico  Three women were extradited from Mexico Monday to face various charges in U.S. courts. In a statement provided by the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), all three were handed over to U.S. federal agents for their transfer to the U.S.

Norma F was wanted by the Federal District of New Jersey for her participation as leader and founder of a drug trafficking organization based in Jalisco. According to the FGR, between 2018 and 2019, that organization was responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine and heroin to the United States.

Maria U was wanted by the Southern District of California for transporting narcotics. She was wanted by the state of California for transporting drugs for an organization that trafficked large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico to the United States for subsequent distribution.

The Federal Court for the Western District of Texas had a warrant out for Alma P who plead guilty to drug and criminal association charges. She was released on bail and fled the country. On Monday, she was returned to the U.S. during her extradition from the Mexico City International Airport.
By Jon Dunbar

Changes are coming to the music scene of central Seoul's Haebangchon (HBC) neighborhood. Ryan Goessl, owner of The Studio HBC, is teaming up with Jun Bum-sun, lead vocalist of the Korean band Yangbans, in an effort to rejuvenate the area's music scene.

"From February, we are bringing Bum-sun and his team as artistic directors at The Studio," Goessl told The Korea Times.

Jun said the basement venue will be managed through his company, Wind & Flow Society. "I was looking for a potential space to operate as a community arts venue, and Ryan offered a partnership," Jun said. "He and I both love HBC so much, and we want to keep HBC weird."

Goessl matched Jun's sentiment. "We are going to all work together to not only keep HBC weird, but to further make it a cooler and better place for everyone to enjoy music, the arts and social life," he added. "I am very excited about the future of The Studio."

This new collaboration is having a "soft opening" this weekend, with a joint show taking place in The Studio as well as Jun's own space, named Togul. It will feature Yangbans, as well as the newly reformed reggae band Windy City, Meotjinsaeng, Snake Chicken Soup, Mandong, OthersMayForgetYouButNotI, Bebe Yana and Dopein, as well as an even longer list of DJs. The show starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

This will be a rare opportunity to see inside Togul, a basement venue formerly known as Bedrock. Togul stirred much speculation last year, when rumors spread of another potential live music space in the neighborhood, comparable to The Studio as well as the now-closed Phillies Basement. This became more widely known last October during Block Party, when Togul opened its doors to serve as one of the venues for the multi-stage festival. However, Jun, who has been using it as a studio space for Yangbans since 2019, said there are no plans to turn Togul into a proper music venue with regular shows there. It will only open to audiences on special occasions.

Jun said Togul "has evolved into a proper man cave, with a sound system and a ping pong table and all."

Yangbans' history

As frontman of Yangbans, which Korea Times contributor Jamie Finn included in his list of the "10 Korean indie acts you should see in 2024," Jun strikes a charismatic, confident profile. The band, originally known as Jun Bum Sun and the Yangbans before Jun dropped his name, mixes in various genres including rock, soul, disco, psychedelic and pop, and its development has been guided by Korean principles, history and nature. This has given the band a timeless feel.

Jun explained that the five-member band ventured outside of Togul often, traveling all around "in the tradition of pungnyu, or Wind & Flow." He said their first EP, titled "Wind & Flow," was recorded at southern Korea's Mount Jiri, and the second, "Eruhwa," came out in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, while the third, "New Moon," was made in Joshua Tree, California. Their next full-length album, scheduled for release this May, was written in Koh Samui, Thailand.

"The essence of the Dao of Wind & Flow is that harmony is created by the circulation of five elements of nature  Fire, Water, Tree, Metal and Earth," Jun said. "The five Yangbans have been trying to create our own harmony accordingly."

The band has a long history, forming originally in 2013. The band's second full-length album, "Revolution Songs," came out in 2016 on the anniversary of the Donghak Uprising, shortly before the start of the impeachment protests against Park Geun-hye. They had the opportunity to bring their revolutionary performance to the protests, performing during one event said to have exceeded 1 million participants.

But after that high point, the band disappeared, as Jun had to do his military service, and all the members went their separate ways.

Yangbans come to HBC

After serving two years as a Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA), Jun was discharged in 2018. He moved to HBC and began rebuilding the band.

"I moved here in 2018, right after the army, because it was the most vegan-friendly neighborhood in Korea," said Jun, who is originally from Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, but has also spent time studying in the U.S. and U.K. "I'd lived in Gangnam, Hongdae, among other places, but HBC was the only place I felt at home. It was open to outsiders, vegans, queers, migrants, whatever, and it had a village vibe. People walk down the main street and say hi to each other. You don't get that anywhere else in Seoul. I still live here, and plan to do so for a long time."

For a few years, he ran Soseek, a small temple food restaurant in the area, next to the office of Animal Liberation Wave, an animal rights group he's involved in. "The idea was to create a temple rather than a restaurant because any food that you eat at a temple is temple food," he said.

When he took over the former Bedrock in 2019, he gave it the name Togul also inspired by Buddhism. "If you go to the Buddhist temples in Korea, there are small mud houses where monks retreat to," he said. "Those are called Togul. Basically caves for meditation and personal practices."

Meanwhile, this whole time, he worked on rebuilding the band.

"It took me four years to collect the current lineup of Yangbans," he said. "We spent the past two years honing our sound."

First came keyboardist Ji-hoon, followed by Noo-gi on bass, Dal-gi on drums and Sung-ho on guitar. "Basically one per year. They all went to the same high school except me. They've been best friends for more than a decade. They are all professionally trained musicians," Jun said.

It was also in this process that Jun simplified the band name, removing his name from the front.

"I used to have a bigger ego as my old band name suggests," he said. "When I was collecting the current lineup of Yangbans, I wanted to form a brotherhood, a family for life. I wanted to be in a real band, where the creative process is not dictated by a single person. Yes, I am still the leader and the frontman, but I am also the manager and producer."

Last October they also added a sixth member, Hak, a video artist from New Zealand who has directed the band's music videos.

Jun highlighted the origins of HBC (or Liberation Village) as a refugee village, which originally was settled starting after liberation by Koreans moving back from Manchuria and Japan, or escaping the regime in the North. Toward the end of the 20th century, it began to see a growing foreign population. This has resulted in a fragmented community where interaction between different groups is limited.

"We have to understand that we are all here for the same reason  we are here because we are outsiders in Korean society," Jun said. "I am a young Korean artist, but I was educated in the West, and was a history major, so I can easily connect with the foreign community as well as the older Koreans. I hope to bring the communities together to protect HBC from gentrification."

Visit litt.ly/yangbansmusic for more information about Jun's band, and follow @windandflowsociety and @thestudiohbc on Instagram for more about upcoming shows in HBC.
One of Panamas most wanted captured in Playa del Carmen after arriving to establish criminal group

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  A Panamanian suspect with an Interpol alert was captured in Playa del Carmen Friday. On Monday, elements of the Quintana Roo Attorney Generals Office reported on his January 5 arrest from city streets.

He was captured in coordination with the FGE, National Guard and Interpol.

Javier Abdiel N, 27, was wanted in Panama for crimes against collective security, gang activity and homicides, in addition to being considered one of the priority objectives of the Central American nation.

The arrest was carried out in coordination with personnel from the Attorney Generals Office of the Republic, through the International Police Affairs Unit and Interpol and the National Guard.

All agencies collaborated institutionally for the arrest and placing at the disposal of Javier Abdiel N before immigration authorities, who will proceed to transfer him to his country of origin.

According to an official statement, Javier Abdiel N was arrested January 5 after a complaint of the possession of narcotics.

At the time of his arrest, police seized his red Porsche GTS, 51 bags of marijuana and 50 bags of methamphetamine.

Javier Abdiel N has various arrest warrants for gang crimes, drug-related crimes and contract homicides (hitman), police reported.

The 27-year-old criminal gang leader will be returned to Panama where he has outstanding warrants. Photo: January 5, 2024.

The accused belonged to the criminal gang Los Terroristas, considered one of the most violent in Panama, related to 80 percent of the homicides in one of the districts of that country, in addition to committing kidnappings and extortion.

The first acts of investigation indicate that the detainee intended to establish a criminal group in Riviera Maya, they added.
A new book that seeks to inspire optimism among readers about the future has much good advice and dispels more than a few tech-colored fears. But as far as realizing the promise of its title, one essential element is missinga reason for a future in the first place.

If you wanted to capture the current conservative mooda surefire way to sell booksyou would write a despairing jeremiad that extrapolates from every worrying trend. James Pethokoukis deserves praise for daring to do just the opposite. In The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised, he seeks to inspire the spirit of optimism most Americans shared in the middle of the 20th century. Think of Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek), Arthur C. Clarke (author of 2001: A Space Odyssey), and Walt Disney, who, among his many creations, conceived of futuristic Epcot Center and Tomorrowland. These men werent outliers. They were heralds of a common faith in the promise of enterprise, science, and technology to help us usher in a better tomorrow.

If their visions now seem quaint, its not just because the economy seems stagnant. Pethokoukis argues that its also the fruit of relentless dystopian visions, such as those found in films like Blade Runner, The Terminator and The Matrix, that weve been fed over the past five decades.

Of course, we cant just blame Hollywood. The economy really did slow down around 1973the same year NASA mothballed its Apollo program, and not long after the Club of Rome announced there were way too many people on the planet. Since then, the doomsday brand of environmentalism has predominated. Theres causal feedback, Pethokoukis observes, between the state of our economy and the stories we tell ourselves about the future.

The Conservative Futurist is a fun book that seeks to reorient the readers thinking, brimming with the authors passion. Pethokoukis is at his best when distilling economic data and ideas. (Full disclosure: More than a decade ago, Pethokoukis and I were both contributors to the then-new blog of the American Enterprise Institute, which he now edits as a senior fellow and DeWitt Wallace Chair at AEI.) He marshals those assets in this bookwhich is characteristically crisp, clear, and concise.

Pethokoukis addresses what he calls Americas Tomorrowland Problem. There was a golden age of optimism among Americans after World War II. This wasnt a mass delusion: it reflected what was happening in the economy. American living standards, as measured by real per capita GDP, more than doubled as the economy overall grew at a rapid 4 percent annually from 1948 through 1973. Some of this was the result of a growing workforce using better machines. But it was also the fruit of innovation itselfboth technological progress and more efficient ways of deploying machines and people, he explains, what economists call total factor productivity.

Since 1973, however, things have been much more sluggish, with only one brief countertrend. Over the next quarter century, Pethokoukis writes, TFP [total factor productivity] grew at just one-fourth of the rate that it did during the previous quarter century. It then surged to 1.8 percent during the 19952004 tech boom before decelerating back to its sluggish post-1973 pace.

What caused the slowdown? Pethokoukis is too nuanced to point to merely one culprit. He covers the options deftlyfrom bad ideas in the culture, to stupid regulations that prevented nuclear energy from reaching its potential, to the fact that early tech trends like Moores Law (which describes a doubling of computer processor speed every 12 to 24 months) seem now to be pressing physical limits.

The complexity of the causes of our malaise, however, is no excuse for agnosticism and despair. Indeed, it could have been otherwise. To prove this, he asks the reader to imagine a world where just a few events had turned out differently.

What if the U.S. had won the war in Vietnam? What if the president and Congress had continued to support NASAs Apollo missions, with a lunar base and Mars fly-bys in the 1980s? What if the Three Mile Island accident had never happened, and the melancholy wing of the environmentalist movement had lacked such an easy target for their no nukes campaign?

Moreover, what if federal regulators had not imposed dumb rules that protected neither the environment nor animals but in fact thwarted the discovery process that could have given us clean, abundant, affordable energy from fission? What if, as a result, we were now harnessing the suns form of energyfusion? What if Newt Gingericha champion of bold space missionshad won the GOP nomination in 2012 instead of the lackluster Mitt Romney and gone on to beat Barack Obama?

If we had enjoyed this alternate history, surely wed be in much better shape now. Its hardly utopian to say so. Pethokoukis does consider the conjectures of Singularitarians, who imagine that the pace of innovation will soon outstrip everything that came before. But, he notes, we dont need the Singularity or even something just short of it to create a fantastic future. We only need the sort of economic and tech-driven productivity growth that has already happened in the real world.

In short, if the world had maintained the growth of the 1960s and 1990s, Americans would be looking at the future as our grandparents didas a horizon in which life would be better for our children and grandchildren than it was for us. As it is, we project our current discontent onto the future, treating doom as inevitable.

If we learn the lessons of the recent past, however, Pethokoukis insists we can still, well, create the sci-fi world we were promised. To succeed, we need to opt for an Up Wing rather than a Down Wing vision of the future. He borrows the terms from the 1970s futurist F. M. Esfandiarywho is now considered, Pethokoukis admits, the godfather of modern transhumanism. He even goes so far as to say that the key conflict in the coming years will not be between the left and the right (terms coined during the French Revolution). It will be between the future-hopeful Up Wingers and the future-dreading Down Wingers.

This framing is not without merit. There are trendsfrom growing populist anger at elites to pessimism about free markets and technologythat defy the simple binary of left and right. And many fears of a higher-tech futureRobots will take all the jobs! Theres nothing left to invent! Well be better off if we dont trade outside our borders!persist regardless of political affiliation. Yet Pethokoukis ably debunks these Down Wing myths in a single chapter.

In reading the book, I was struck by how similar my economic views are to Pethokoukis. Ive long been a tech-optimist. I was present for the 1998 conference hosted by futurist and tech optimist George Gilder, when transhumanist Ray Kurzweil spoke about the coming technological singularity. This was the speech that provoked Bill Joys backlash in Wired magazine, Why the Future Doesnt Need Us, which Pethokoukis cites as an example of growing pessimism after the tech bubble crash. Gilder and I later responded to the episode with an edited collection based on Kurzweils speech and his respondents.

Like Pethokoukis, Ive defended the benefits of a free market economy and it moral superiority, against skeptics left and right. As recently as 2018, I extolled in book length the benefits of technology against luddite overreaction. Ive also critiqued the misguided doomsday scenarios of radical environmentalists.

And no, I dont think Skynet is going to wake up and kill us all. I dont think AI and robots are going to make half or more of the population obsolete. I think they can be, on balance, blessings rather than curses, and that they can make everyone more productive and more prosperous.

I mention all this so you wont mistake me for a curmudgeon who discounts the wonders of trade, electricity, antibiotics, smartphones, and affordable energy. Any sound vision of the future should embrace all these things and not denounce them in a reactionary rage.

And yet  a conservative vision of our technological future also needs to be, well, conservative. American-style conservatism, Pethokoukis explains, means first, to be a custodian of the classical liberal tradition, in the words of columnist George Will. And what of the second element? Answer: an embrace of social dynamism.

As a conservative reader, however, this seems like only half a loaf. Pethokoukis invokes Adam Smith on markets and Edmund Burke to underwrite the future-oriented pact between the living and those who are yet to be born, then quickly pivots to the Smithian point about avoiding central planners.

Throughout the book, however, he downplays or avoids metaphysical and religious questions that have always been a part of conservatism. Surely any vision pitched to conservatives should address the moral and spiritual rot we see around us. It should challenge the godlessness, materialism, and expressive individualism thats consuming the foundations of our culture like some mutant horde of termites.

Our view of the future flows from our view of the human person, of the setting in which we ought to enter the worldthe familyand of our purpose in the world, or lack thereof. Hope or despair comes, at least in part, from our religious beliefsour churches, synagogues, schoolsand the social culture that emerges from that.

I kept wanting Pethokoukis to get to this. One of his last chapters is entitled How to Nurture an Up Wing Culture. But, alas, in that chapter he writes about better science fiction, more upbeat Worlds Fairs, cool lunar telescopes, and a renewed effort to expand deeper into the solar system.

Thats all fineand if it were merely a matter of technology and Elon Musks derring-do, we could do it. But will we? Not on our current trajectory. Arguably the leading indicator of cultural faith in the future is having children. Yet the U.S., like almost all the developed world, is well below the replacement rate. The biggest problem that humanity faces, wrote Elon Musk on January 2, 2024, is population collapse. Hes right.

And what is a, if not the, key factor that leads modern people to have large families? Its not great wealth or dreams of cheap flights to Saturn or sunny sci-fi. Its a religious faith strong enough to overcome the opportunity costs of having a big familyespecially for womenin a wealthy, postindustrial culture.

Despite my hope that Pethokoukis would give the spirit its duewould see the connection between Gods command to be fruitful and to multiplyit didnt come. And to be fair, there was an early hint of what was in fact to come. Alas, it involves Carl Sagan.

As much as any economist, entrepreneur, futurist thinker, or science fiction writer, Pethokoukis writes in the first sentence, the late astronomer and author Carl Sagan played a pivotal role in my writing this book. He goes on to quote from Sagans Pale Blue Dot, the astronomers reflection on a famous photograph of Earth captured by Voyager 1 in 1990 as it exited the inner solar system. Every human who ever was, Sagan wrote, lived out their lives  on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

Pethokoukis finds this quote inspiring. But he leaves out the denouement of Sagans reflection:

Because of the reflection of sunlight  Earth seems to be sitting in a beam of light, as if there were some special significance to this small world. But its just an accident of geometry and optics. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

As it happens, astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez and I quote the same Sagan passage at the beginning of our 2004 book, The Privileged Planet. We, too, were inspired by Sagan to write our bookas a refutation of Sagans thinly spiritualized materialism. Setting the details of our argument aside, is it possible to have a more Down Wing spin on human life than the one Sagan offers here? How can this ode to our insignificance give anyonelet alone conservativeshope for a better future?

Few historical events have a single, unique causeand that includes our current economic and cultural malaise. But surely we should place some blame on the nihilism and materialism Sagan displayed in his work, and which has been the unquestioned orthodoxy among cultural elites for much of a century. How could this not give rise to a near-universal dread of a dystopian future? And how likely would Americas postwar prosperity have been if, for generations before, Americans had been fed such thin spiritual gruel?

If theres any hope for an Up Wing restoration of our culture and economy, conservatives will need to offer more than a promise of economic Progress. Well need to combine the economic wisdom found in Pethokoukis book with a richly informed vision of purpose and providence. After all, it was just such a vision that once inspired human beings to do great deedsfrom bearing children under trying conditions to building better rocketsand it can do so again.
A new coffee house is planned in the former Burger King at Cave Spring Corners on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke, Cushman & Wakefield  Thalhimer reported.

In addition, plans were filed at the Roanoke municipal building to construct a Starbucks within or adjacent to the northwest corner of One Ten Franklin, the former Norfolk Southern office tower in Roanoke. The location is south of the City Market near the fountain.

Athens Corner Grill site for lease

The building that has housed Athens Corner Grill in Roanoke is for lease and a new operator will able to hit the ground running, according to a real estate listing.

For $4,500 monthly, the address comes with a fully equipped kitchen and furnished dining room, the ad from Poe & Cronk said. It does not mention what happened to shut down the popular Greek restaurant that brothers Dimos and Stanley Tripodianos opened eight years ago, nor does the restaurants website or Facebook page.

The story began when the brothers, the children of Greek immigrants who became lawyers in New York, developed a fondness for Roanoke while visiting family members here. They followed a dream to become restaurateurs like their grandfather was in New York, rented a former medical building on South Jefferson Street, spent a year on improvements and opened Athens Corner Grill on Nov. 30, 2015, according a Roanoker article.

CoreLife Eatery closes

Roanokes CoreLife Eatery is marked closed on the website of the New York company that operates the restaurant chain as another area eatery turns out the lights.

George Grammenopoulos opened the restaurant in early 2020 in the Earth Fare shopping center on Franklin Road.

An online auction house last week offered the stores equipment for sale. By all appearances, everything goes including the health-oriented restaurants Robot Coupe juicer, which goes for more than $1,000 new but drew a bid of $352 an hour before the auction began Wednesday morning.
Salem City Councilman Bill Jones will not run for reelection this year.

Jones term expires Dec. 31.

Jones made the announcement at the conclusion of Monday nights council meeting, according to a city news release.

Being on Salem City Council has been an incredible honor and I am beyond grateful for the trust Salems citizens placed in me over the years, Jones said in the release. When I was elected in 2008, I said I would serve as many as four terms and then that would be it. I am at peace with my decision and thankful for the many opportunities I have had during my time on council.

During his tenure, Jones has been a member who took great pride in voting for what he felt was best for the entire city and not just certain factions or areas, according to the release.

Ive tried to always shoot straight and be honest with folks,  Jones said. You may not agree with me, but you always know where I stand.

Jones worked in the human resources department at Salem-based Yokohama Tire for 21 years and in 1998 he went into private business when he took over the areas FASTSIGNS franchise.

Jones was part of the council teams that approved funding for the Salem School Division to build its first new school from the ground up in South Salem Elementary. He also voted to provide funding to revitalize the current high school and field house.

Its time to spend more time with my family, especially the grandkids, and less time on the phone and in meetings, Jones said. I could not have served this long without the support of my wife and kids. They have sacrificed a great deal the last 16 years.
LYNCHBURG  Located on the corner of Eighth and Church streets in downtown, The Virginian Hotel has become a testament to timeless elegance and exceptional hospitality over the past five years since its reopening.

After an extensive four-year, $30 million renovation, The Virginian Hotel officially opened its doors on May 15, 2018, after developers Blair Godsey and George Stanley restored the property.

The historic structure was first opened as a luxury hotel in 1913 and has seen several uses, including as a dormitory for students of Lynchburg Baptist College, which now is Liberty University; apartments; and low-income housing.

The hotel opened the weekend before Liberty Universitys graduation.

I commend the unwavering vision and tenacity of George Stanley and Blair Godsey, who meticulously restored this cherished gem, Marjette Upshur, director of Economic Development and Tourism, said. Their dedication and attention to detail have breathed new life into this iconic establishment, preserving its rich history while infusing it with modern amenities to be enjoyed by all of our citizens and visitors, which was not always the case in the past. Countless memories have been created within these walls, and thanks to prudent investments and exceptional management, we can eagerly anticipate the creation of many more in the years to come.

Dennis Marcinik has lived in 11 cities including Washington, D.C.; Houston; Charleston; and Santa Fe and had never heard of Lynchburg, in 2018.

Driving here, I saw how very quiet it was on a Wednesday afternoon at lunch, but when I saw the building and met the owners, and at that time I didnt know much about Curio or Lynchburg, but the people who lived here saw its potential and it has exceeded my expectations, Marcinik, now the hotels general manager, said. I couldnt be more proud of the owners, the leaders; we have seven supervisors. Im really excited about what weve achieved. So, weve got to keep doing that and pushing forward.

Five years ago, moving into its first full year in 2019, Marcinik said hotel leadership wanted to make not just a positive financial impact but also a community impact as well.

The hotel has partnered with nonprofits such as Miriams House, United Way of Central Virginia, Parkview Community Mission, Lynchburg Daily Bread and branded with businesses such as Moore & Giles.

That year, they increased staffing and pulled together a strong operations team made up of housekeeping, culinary, front desk, bellmen and laundry.

The hotels two restaurants, Skyline and William & Henry, were going through growing pains to see what the customers wanted and what their reactions were, Marcinik said.

We were listening very closely to our guests to make sure we were doing it right. Everything from pricing to hours of operation to more importantly service, those service levels about the arrival departure process at the front desk, the cleanliness and housekeeping, and the wow factor of dining, he said.

By the end of 2019, with only a year and a half of service, the hotel received the Award of Excellence from Hilton and in 2021, the hotel earned the prestigious Connie Award, the highest recognition within the Curio Collection by Hilton brand.

Marcinik describes this award as the Oscars for Hiltons of service, ambiance, core design and everything that went into bringing the hotel back to life.

The winners of the Connie Award are selected based on a combined ranking for overall experience and overall service in addition to quality assurance audits measuring cleanliness, condition and brand standards, and quality of the hotels accommodations.

So, we went into 2020 starting the year off really well in January and February and then we all know what happened, he said referring to the pandemic.

The hotel remained open, adapting to changing circumstances. The team navigated through reduced work schedules, heightened anxiety and evolving state guidelines. Throughout the challenging times, the hotel maintained resilience, Marcinik said, and Lynchburg emerged stronger as a robust drive market for business.

As the nation slowly recovered from the pandemics impact, The Virginian Hotel experienced a strong rebound in 2021 and 2022, he said. The hotel adapted to changing demands and guidelines, consistently delivering exceptional service, cleanliness and experiences to its guests.

So when the handcuffs were let off at the end of May, we came strong out of the gate, he said. So starting in June of 21 all the way through December of 22 we saw compression from all those people who had to stay home, couldnt go out to eat or go on vacation and had to push their wedding dates, holiday parties and meetings back, he said. There was a lot of pent-up business demand.

2022 was back to pre-pandemic levels at the hotel for the restaurants, room occupancy and events.

That year, the hotel took home an award for best city center hotel from the Historic Hotels of America Conference as well as a second Award of Excellence from Hilton.

In 2023, the Virginian Hotel continues to face challenges and opportunities. While weekend travel related to leisure experienced a slight dip, the hotel maintains a strong position with robust business demand during the week.

In 2023, the hotel was awarded its six consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award for its service and guest experience.

The Virginian Hotel has undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging as a beacon of hospitality and a shining example of a successful public-private partnership. Originally established in 1913, this historic hotel is in the heart of the citys downtown. The redevelopment of this property yielded a true tourism economic engine with a Curio Collection by Hilton brand, 115 well-appointed hotel rooms, state-of-the-art meeting and event facilities and a trio of exceptional restaurants, Upshur said.
RICHMOND  Support for a constitutional amendment to automatically restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies who have completed their terms is a flagship issue for the Virginia NAACP in the legislative session that starts Wednesday.

Virginias NAACP conference held a virtual news conference Monday to go over its legislative priorities for the General Assembly session, which begins Jan. 10 and runs through March 9.

In Virginia, people convicted of felonies permanently lose their voting rights, unless a governor choses to restore them.

Tyee Mallory, a legislative coordinator with the NAACP, called the matter a long fight because the proposed amendment would need to pass the state legislature in two different years with a House of Delegates election in between before it could appear before Virginias voters in a ballot referendum.

Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, has carried the resolution numerous times, but it might have a better chance now. Though the issue is not totally partisan, it has most often been championed by Democrats  who now control both chambers of the legislature. Constitutional amendments are not subject to governors approval.

Three previous governors from both parties have worked to streamline the process for restoring rights, with the process becoming automatic under Democrat Ralph Northams administration. He had also dropped a requirement for felons to have completed probation before their rights could be restored. In contrast, Gov. Glenn Youngkins administration quietly adjusted the process back to an application-based one, and its not clear what criteria would grant a successful restoration.

However, when the administration responded to a Freedom of Information Act request from Virginias NAACP, an example of a successful application showed a person that had completed their sentence and paid fines. Meanwhile, an applicant labeled ineligible at this time was still on probation and paying fines.

Obviously, the conditions exist now in the General Assembly that we feel favorable that this amendment will pass, Mallory said. We feel good about it, but nothing is a guarantee.

Other voting-specific measures the NAACP plans to support are protections for preregistration at the age of 16, which members believe will create a habit of lifelong voting for people, along with protections of current expanded voting access.

Since Democratic-led legislatures in 2020 and 2021 first expanded the voting window, some Republicans have sought to undo or walk back the 45-day period of early voting or ballot drop boxes for absentee ballots. Last year, Youngkin spearheaded an initiative to promote early and absentee voting in an effort to boost GOP candidates in the legislative elections last fall.

But some Republicans still want to change the voting options. Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, has a bill to reduce early voting to 21 days, while Del. Chad Green, R-Hampton, has a bill to reduce it to 30 days.

The NAACP will oppose those bills.

This is democracy at work, said Gaylene Kanoyton, political action chair with the organization.

The NAACP also plans to advocate for measures in education, housing and environmental policy.

Ideas include support for inclusion of Black history in school curriculum and opposition to censoring of reading materials that include it; support for policies to prevent evictions and pilot programs for low-income, first-time homeowners; and support for Virginias inclusion in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Dubbed RGGI  pronounced Reggie  the multistate carbon market is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Youngkin has long called for withdrawing Virginia from RGGI, which he says is essentially a tax on electricity ratepayers and a bad deal for them and for business. Last year, he urged the states Air Pollution Control Board to vote for Virginias removal, and the process has been subject to legal action from environmental groups.

Two other key issues for Virginias NAACP are mental health and policing.

Both were highlighted last year when Irvo Otieno, a mental health patient from Henrico County, died of asphyxiation after he was pinned on the floor while shackled and handcuffed during his intake at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County. The hospital most recently said in state documents that law enforcement interrupted treatment that might have otherwise prevented the chain of events leading to his death.

NAACP President the Rev. Cozy Bailey said broadly that there have been issues of collaboration between law enforcement and health care personnel along with issues about processes and procedures and availability of mental health care professionals.

Otienos situation underscores longstanding efforts to enhance behavioral health responses to crises and bolster mental health resources in Virginia.

Kanoyton noted how the Marcus Alert  a specialized behavioral health response named for Marcus-David Peters, a 24-year-old man killed by law enforcement in Richmond in 2018 during a mental health crisis  has not been fully implemented across the state. The systems goal is to streamline communication between 911 and 988 operators and to reduce law enforcements involvement in situations where their presence exacerbates a mental health crisis.

Localities have until 2028 to implement the system. The NAACP plans to support additional and ongoing efforts in mental health reform.

The matter is one that both parties have stressed a commitment to working together on during the 60-day session.
This years keynote speaker will be Senator Mia McLeod. The program will be emceed by members of the FMU Student Government Association and the Campus Activities Board. The event will also include vocal selections by the Young Gifted and Blessed Gospel Choir and Jocelyn Franks, Miss FMU 2023, along with FMU student artist Allison Ziegenfelder.

Senator McLeod represents Senate District 22 and serves on the Judiciary, Medical Affairs, Rules, Corrections & Penology, and Family & Veterans Services committees. She has been recognized as one of South Carolinas Top 20 Under 40, was named Legislator of the Year by the South Carolina School Improvement Council, and received the SC Chambers Business Advocate Award. She was also a recipient of the prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2023 along with a bipartisan group of female senators. McLeod earned her both her undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of South Carolina.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Wrapping up 2023, Spectrum completed a series of improvements on its network that allows it, in many cases, to notify customers that they have problems before the customers realize it.

The jump in network awareness comes from cable boxes and modems that now are in near constant communication with centrally located systems that allows Spectrum not only to monitor its system down to the customer level, said Alex Gonzalez, area vice president for South Carolina.

For years we have been proactively monitoring our networks are community levels, we call them nodes, and we address issues before they affect a single customers. Now were expanding that network to individual customers. We had looked at it at the neighborhood level, now we look at it at the individual level, Gonzalez said.

Think about 10 years ago, when your internet didnt work what did you do? You called the call center, Gonzalez said. The call center used telemetry tools and said yep, were going to send you a technician.

Spectrum technicians are performing proactive maintenance throughout Spectrums 41-state service area, including the Florence/Myrtle Beach area.

Technicians logged 600,000 proactive customer visits in 2022 and expect to exceed 1 million this year, according to statistics provided by the utility.

Now, Gonzalez said, the system detects the outage and has the technician scheduled when it sends the outage notification, he said.

In some cases, Spectrum is aware of a crash or power outage before other emergency response agencies.

When several modems go down we immediately dispatch an engineer to see whether it was a pole accident or sometimes even a power outage, he said.

The telemetry is defining how the customer experience will happen, Gonzalez said. We surprise the customer by giving them a call. We see you are having an issue and we will send a technician out free of charge to resolve the issue.

When cable launched last century it delivered video services to homes but has since become integral to the information age to the point where many 911 centers work off cable-provided internet as do many cable voice service customers, Gonzalez said.

Rolling through 2024, the utility looks to expand rural internet infrastructure so customers who cannot currently access wired internet service can, Gonzalez said. The utility also looks to continue to expand its fiber infrastructure.

Broadband service expansion includes Spectrum Internet plans with speeds up to 1 Gbps for both residential customers and small-business clients, starting speeds of 300 Mbps and no modem fees, data caps or contracts.
Anchovies & Salt

Elevated authentic Vietnamese cuisine

Back in the day, people were born in a village, town, or city and never left. As the world changed, moving became common, whether by choice or pressure. Even if your move was desired, you could be nostalgic for things left behind, like the food your mother made. Cuisine followed the movers, but often it couldn't be or wasn't replicated. In the U.S., authentic dishes are often watered down for the American palate-too spicy, too fishy, too something. Those Americanized dishes became the "authentic" flavor from other countries and too often true flavors have been lost.

Quyen Phan at Anchovies & Salt

Enter Quyen Phan whose family brought him to America from Vietnam when he was 10; he was one of 9 children. In 2008, the elders and siblings migrated to join them. It was during the recession and Quyen's brothers-in-law couldn't find jobs. Quyen, at 26, decided he would start a landscape construction company so everyone had a job. In 2012, one of his sisters was working at a restaurant in a job that didn't work out. He said, "Let me build you a restaurant." He bought the Renton Deli, a small, hole-in-the-wall with money he had been saving for four years. It ran its course in five years while he continued to work construction. A year in, he began looking for a newer concept, something easier to run and more profitable. He realized the fast casual model was good, and no Vietnamese restaurant was doing it. He wrote a business plan and talked to many landlords, none of whom wanted to commit to an untested concept. Finally in 2016, he found a space in South Lake Union in a building owned by a man who loves small businesses and believes in handshakes, not contracts. It took two years to negotiate a deal. Vinason Pho Kitchen opened in February of 2016. "It was the best handshake I ever made!"

The concept was successful. He opened his second location in November of 2017 in an industrial park, testing his theory that the concept would work in both urban and industrial settings. His third location opened in 2018 in Sammamish, his fourth in 2021 in Kirkland in the middle of the pandemic. "It's on the Google campus in a prime location, 150 feet away from Shake Shack. My South Lake Union location is also 150 feet away from a Shake Shack. I took it as a sign!" In 2022, he opened his fifth Vinason in SoDo in the King 5 building near the stadiums. "We have 40-50 seats in the outside courtyard, and the venue can be used for events for up to 100." His pho bone broth is cooked for 24 hours, and he sources proteins with no hormones or antibiotics, wild-caught seafood, and sustainable ingredients from local and eco-friendly companies. "I'm offering authentic Vietnamese food using local ingredients in a modern setting. We build with bamboo because it's sustainable and have created compostable bowls with recyclable lids that keep vegetables crisp, great for office workers to take out for lunch. People see the modern atmosphere and think the food is non-traditional, but recipes are authentic." Kirkland, SoDo, Sammamish, and Kent locations sport a self-serve beer and wine wall, with rotating menu from local breweries.

Quyen wanted to offer a place for the Vietnamese community, so he created Anchovies & Salt. "There's a humongous opportunity in the food scene because no one is truly authentic, and there's really nowhere for us to hang. I wanted to spread our culture to those who've been away and for everyone who has never been. There really hasn't been a place doing truly authentic Vietnamese food. It's not a slight, there are very successful places, but they appeal to a different demographic. I want to transport people to Vietnam. Different regions have different food or versions of dishes; I want to showcase them all. For years in Seattle, Vietnamese food viewed as authentic is not. My challenge to myself is to be different than that, to transport people to Vietnam, to make space for families with large tables, to win over the mothers in the families. They are the toughest critics. Many of them only know the style of food from the area they're from. I hope to get them in and let them enjoy food from other regions as well. Food is served the way we'd eat it; but elevated, using fresh, local ingredients. Instead of clay pot with catfish, we offer claypot with black cod or other seasonal fish. Most places use pre-cut white coconuts from Asia, but to stay white, they have to be kept in preservatives. I use green coconuts which means we have to cut and shave them ourselves. When you touch and taste them, you're transported to a beach, sitting under a tree.

"The name Anchovies & Salt was chosen because that is all you need to make fish sauce. It's the base of so much of Vietnamese cooking. It's very salty, so what we add later is what makes it taste good. Different dishes require a different version of the sauce. We make more than 20 different versions of fish sauce. I curate our recipes and the team R&Ds them until we find the perfect nostalgic taste. We use fresh pho noodles; no one really knows what these taste like because everyone uses dehydrated noodles. Even I do at Vinason. We offer Northern Pho with rare steak or wagyu tri-tip, garlic, scallion, cilantro, and onion. We don't offer jalapeno; you won't find that in Vietnam. Our Cha Ca La Vong is from Hanoi and comes with turmeric, galangal, dill, scallion, shrimp paste, peanuts, and fried shallot. No fish sauce; it has to be shrimp paste." Their brunch/lunch menu is offered daily, earlier on weekends, with skillet dishes, sticky rice, pho, and much more. Chef Lucy Tran is from Hue on the North Central Coast. "You get mostly southern Vietnamese food in Seattle; northern food is very different," explains Quyen.

Guests are in good hands beverage-wise as well. Nelson Daquip, who was the Wine and Spirits Director for Canlis, is their wine consultant. He's joined by James MacWilliams (they met while both working at Canlis), bartender and cocktail recipe creator extraordinaire. He is consulting and creating cocktails.

Quyen and his friends/team have done all the construction. He likens it to a Tetris puzzle. It's a huge space, 9000 square feet, and he wanted to have different areas reflect three regions of Vietnam. 100% of the work is theirs and it was done in nine months. The south end represents Saigon and is the largest dining area. The center of the room includes an artist's rendition of the Golden Bridge (Hand of God) in the Bana Hills. An anchovy is the bridge, bridging cultural gaps. The bar represents Da Nang in Central Vietnam. And the Hue Imperial Lounge upstairs represents the ancient capital of Vietnam. Toward the north, we have the Hoi An lantern room. The Lantern City is one of the most visited cities in Vietnam. Further north is the Hanoi private room; even further is Sa Pa in the mountain region, and even further north is Ha Long Bay, the 8 th Wonder of the World, a natural wonder. These private rooms can be combined for larger parties and can include the bar and patio. The patio is 2000 square feet and seats 80, with 120 feet of waterfront. Boat (3 hour) andplane (2 spots) moorage is available. Eight accordion doors open from the restaurant to the patio.

"We want this to be a place for families with family-sized tables and family dishes that haven't existed here: golden anchovies, Shaking Wagyu, Lemongrass Pork Belly, Mango Salmon, Chanh Chua Ca (fish sour soup). Families of 35 can come in; 10-60 is our preferred size, and we can customize for 100-200 people." They also work with the Hyatt next door to cater for up to 1000 people, for weddings and large celebrations.

There are ancient artifacts, a giant Buddha, replicas of the copper drums used in battle; all used to introduce Vietnamese culture to all who enter. On a personal note, Quyen has included tributes to his family. His middle son is a water dragon, represented by a dragon painted on a pillar overlooking the water. His youngest son is an ox whose initials are GM (like general manager), so his eyes watch the bar and kitchen. His wife is a goat and is on another pillar-she and GM anchor Quyen's infrastructure. His daughter is a golden cat, and her tribute is in the Hue Imperial Lounge. "I want her to be strong and yet like a princess. She picked out the cat picture because it looks formidable! A tiger near the bookshelf is dedicated to my dad because he was a leader and self-educated. I haven't decided how to pay tribute to my mom yet. A lot of our dishes are her recipes."

The best feeling so far? Those hard-to-please mothers wanting their pictures taken with Quyen. It's all working.

Click here to read Quyen's background.

Connie Adams/January 2024

Anchovies & Salt

1087 Lake Washington Blvd N, #50

Seattle, WA 98056

425-970-3154

www.anchoviesandsalt.com

www.vinason.net
S. Korea to resume artillery drills near border

By Lee Hyo-jin

The Ministry of National Defense said, Tuesday, that discussions with other government bodies are necessary to determine the complete nullification of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military pact, thereby maintaining a cautious stance about formally declaring the military agreement as invalid.

"It is not for us (the defense ministry) to answer about the complete nullification of the military agreement. I believe the matter requires necessary discussions and agreements between relevant ministries," ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said during a press briefing. He was responding to a query regarding whether the military pact has already been effectively nullified or requires a Cabinet Meeting approval to do so.

A day earlier, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that "buffer zones on land and sea no longer exist" as a result of North Korea's continuous provocations, with the latest one being the firing of artillery north of the de facto maritime border of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) for three consecutive days from Friday to Sunday.

The JCS stated that the South Korean military will resume the firing of artillery and drills near the sea and land border, which had been prohibited under the Sept. 19 military pact.

These remarks were interpreted as an announcement that the military agreement is now de facto invalidated. But the defense ministry refrained from giving a straightforward answer on the issue.

"While the Sept. 19 military agreement did not receive parliamentary ratification since it was a supplementary document to the joint declaration between the two leaders, it is considered a decree under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Unification. Therefore, coordination and discussions with the unification ministry and other relevant ministries are deemed necessary," a defense ministry official told reporters, Tuesday.

The unification ministry echoed the defense ministry's stance.

"We share the same position as the Ministry of National Defense. The agreement has already been nullified by North Korea," a senior unification ministry official said on the same day.

The Sept. 19 military agreement, also known as the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), was signed in 2018 by then-president Moon Jae-in during a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The document instituted buffer zones between the two Koreas by prohibiting hostility on land, at sea and in the air near the border. It also includes clauses on joint war remains excavation projects in the border area and joint use of the Han River estuary along the western border.

But North Korea violated the agreement about 3,600 times, according to the JCS.

As per the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, the president can suspend an inter-Korean agreement when significant changes occur in inter-Korean relations or when it is deemed necessary for national security, maintenance of order or public welfare  when an agreement is signed without National Assembly ratification.

In November last year, Seoul announced a partial suspension of the agreement following Pyongyang's launch of a spy satellite, enabling South Korea to resume reconnaissance activities near the border area. North Korea reacted furiously by entirely scrapping the agreement from its side and began restoring military measures that were halted under the deal.
Best credit card for petrol in Singapore (2024). (PHOTO: Getty) (sankai via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  In a city where owning a car is very expensive, finding ways to save on daily expenses like petrol becomes crucial.

There are various credit cards available to drivers that offer attractive rewards, discounts, and cashback options that can help ease the cost of filling up their car tank. There are a number of petrol companies operating in Singapore, including Shell, Esso, and Caltex, and each of these petrol brands have its own loyalty programme. Credit card issuers often have tie-ups with petrol companies to offer rewards for drivers.

Which credit card is best for petrol in Singapore?

There is no straightforward answer as to which is the best credit card for petrol in Singapore. To maximise savings at petrol stations, it is essential for drivers to choose a credit card that complements their spending and refuelling habits.

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The choice of having the best credit card for petrol is also dependent on the driver's preferred petrol station and whether cardholders are looking to earn cashback, air miles, accumulate reward points or get discounts at petrol kiosks.

"Petrol pricing in Singapore is a complicated mix of station, petrol loyalty programme and bank discounts," said Aaron Wong, founder of travel resource blog The MileLion. Wong is an expert at earning air miles, and generally prefers miles over other forms of credit card rewards.

"Even if we ignore the station or petrol loyalty aspect and just look at bank discounts, it's tricky because the best card to use for miles or cashback may not be the card which gives the highest discount. For example, there's little point in earning five per cent cashback on my petrol with Bank A's card if I could have obtained a ten per cent discount from the petrol station simply by using Bank B's card.

"At least with cashback, we're comparing percentages. With miles, how do you weigh a 10 per cent discount versus the opportunity to earn, say, four miles per dollar?"

Story continues

Here's a look at some of the credit card perks from the petrol companies. Do note that credit card promotions are subject to change over time.

Best credit card for petrol at Shell

1. UOB

The UOB One Credit Card offers up to a 21.15 per cent discount at Shell stations. The rate is calculated based on the five per cent upfront Shell station discount, five per cent upfront Shell GO+ membership discount, seven per cent UOB One Card instant discount, and an additional cashback of up to five per cent. To unlock the additional cashback, cardholders must spend a minimum of S$2,000 monthly for each qualifying quarter with a minimum of five purchases per month.

2. Citibank

The Citi Cash Back Card gives up to 20.88 per cent on fuel savings at Shell stations. The rate is calculated based on a five per cent Shell station discount, five per cent Shell GO+ discount, four per cent Citi Card discount and up to eight per cent cash back (applies after Shell and Citi discount). A total minimum qualifying retail spend of S$800 per statement month is required to unlock the eight per cent cashback.

3. HSBC

The rewards offered by the HSBC Premier MasterCard Credit Card are similar to that of the UOB One Credit Card, in that it also offers up to 21.15 per cent discount at Shell stations. The difference is that the discount is only applicable for Shell V-Power and Shell FuelSave 98, which are higher-grade fuels. For lower-grade fuels such as the Shell FuelSave 95 and Shell FuelSave Diesel, the HSBC Premier MasterCard offers a lower discount of 14 per cent compared to the 17 per cent for higher-grade fuels. Cardholders will also be able to enjoy additional cashback of up to five per cent regardless of fuel type, although a minimum spend of S$600 in a calendar month is required to unlock the cashback.

Best credit card for petrol at Esso

1. DBS

DBS Esso cardholders can enjoy an upfront fuel discount of 18 per cent at Esso stations. There is also an additional discount of S$8 with a minimum S$180 nett fuel spend at Esso per calendar month until 31 January 2024. New card users who apply for the DBS Esso Card online can enjoy a S$120 cash rebate with a minimum spend of S$300 within the first two months and at least one fuel spend per month from the date the card is approved. The promotion ends on 31 January 2024.

2. OCBC

The OCBC 365 Credit Card gives up to 21.04 per cent fuel savings at Esso, which consists of a five per cent Esso station discount, a five per cent Esso Smiles card discount, a six per cent card discount and up to 5.04 per cent cashback. The card discount will only be available if payment is made through the physical card and not through a mobile wallet. Cardholders will also need to spend a minimum of S$800 in a calendar month to get the 5.04 per cent cashback. If expenditure is less than S$800, a flat 0.25 per cent cashback is awarded instead. The cashback amount is capped at S$160 per calendar month.

3. Citibank

The Citi Cash Back Card gives up to 20.88 per cent on fuel savings at Esso stations. The rate is calculated based on a five per cent Esso station discount, a five per cent Esso Smiles card discount, a four per cent card discount and cashback of up to eight per cent (applies after Esso and Citi discount). A total minimum qualifying retail spend of S$800 per statement month is required to unlock the eight per cent cashback.

4. Trust

A Trust credit card will give up to 19 per cent savings at Esso stations. This consists of a five per cent Esso station discount, a five per cent Esso Smiles card discount, a five per cent card discount, and a 3.77 per cent Linkpoints rebate on nett transaction amount if the minimum monthly spend of S$450 per month is met.

Best credit card for petrol at SPC

1. POSB

POSB Everyday Card members enjoy up to 20.1 per cent total savings, consisting of a 10 per cent discount for SPC&U members (five per cent for non-members), a five per cent POSB Everyday Card discount and a six per cent cash rebate on the final charge amount after any other applicable discounts. This promotion is currently valid until 31 March 2024.

2. UOB

All UOB Visa/MasterCard/UnionPay Cards will receive up to 20 per cent discounts at SPC stations. This consists of a 10 per cent discount for SPC&U members (five per cent for non-members), a five per cent UOB Card discount and S$3 off every S$51 nett petrol purchase. The S$3 discount is only applicable after all station discounts or coupons have been deducted from the gross amount. The current promotion period ends on 31 March 2024.

3. American Express

American Express Cards issued by American Express International Inc. in Singapore are entitled to up to 21 per cent in discounts at SPC stations. This consists of a 10 per cent discount for SPC&U members (five per cent for non-members), a five per cent American Express Card discount and an additional 7.1 per cent discount on the final charge amount.

Petrol pricing in Singapore is a complicated mix of station, petrol loyalty programme and bank discounts.Aaron Wong

Best credit card for petrol at Caltex

1. HSBC

All HSBC Premier Mastercard or HSBC VISA Platinum Credit Card users will receive a 17 per cent upfront discount on all grades of petrol and diesel as well as a 5 per cent cash rebate, which works out to 21.15 per cent in fuel savings. The cash rebate requires a minimum spend of S$600 per calendar month to qualify.

2. OCBC

OCBC 365 card users will receive an 18 per cent upfront discount on Techron fuels and an additional six per cent cashback on nett fuel spend, which works up to 22.92 per cent fuel savings. The six per cent cashback requires a minimum qualifying spend of S$800. Existing OCBC cardholders (any credit or debit card) who are new to the CaltexGo app will enjoy a promotion of 25 per cent upfront discount on Techron fuels with no minimum spend. The promotion is valid until 30 June 2024.

3. Standard Chartered

With the Standard Chartered Simply Cash Card, cardholders will get a 17 per cent upfront discount on Techron fuels. There is also a 1.5 per cent cashback on the card, which brings total savings up to 18.3 per cent. All other Standard Chartered credit and debit cardholders will enjoy a 16 per cent upfront discount on Platinum 98 with Techron or a 14 per cent upfront discount on other grades of petrol and diesel.

4. Trust

Trust Credit Card holders will receive up to 20.09 per cent in fuel savings at Caltex. This consists of a 17 per cent upfront discount, a 0.22 per cent rebate with no minimum spend plus a 3.5 per cent Linkpoints rebate on nett transaction amount, which requires a minimum card spend of S$350. In addition, cardholders will earn two Linkpoints for every litre of Techron fuel purchased.

Best credit card for petrol at Sinopec

Sinopec has three petrol stations in Singapore and has seemingly done away with specific credit card tie-ups in offering discounts. Instead, it has come up with its own 'X Card', which allows members to accumulate points in exchange for fuel rebates.

Periodically, Sinopec comes up with campaigns at selected stations, such as the most recent 23 per cent fuel rebate at its Woodlands and Yishun stations from 6 to 9 October. Such campaigns typically offer fuel savings on any grade of petrol and diesel. For credit card holders, this means that the choice of card to use at Sinopec stations would depend on what the cardholder is aiming to maximise  either cashback, reward points, air miles or a combination of the reward types.

"Im personally in favour of Sinopec because they keep things simple  a flat discount for everyone, though that makes you wonder, why not just build it into the base rate? Then you simply focus on picking the card that earns the most miles," Wong opined.

"If you want to earn miles, you have to come up with a valuation of a mile and then look at the tradeoff between discounts and earn rates. It's the only way you can decide whether a 10 per cent off and 1.2 mpd (miles per dollar) is better than a five per cent off and four mpd, for instance," said Wong.

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The SimplyGo app and the SimplyGo EZ-Link card. (PHOTO: SimplyGo)

SINGAPORE  NETS FlashPay cards, as well as EZ-Link adult cards not yet upgraded to SimplyGo EZ-Link, will no longer be accepted as public transport fare payment from 1 June.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a media release on Tuesday (9 January) that these two legacy stored-value cards can still be used for other motoring-related payments such as Electronic Road Pricing and parking charges.

LTA said this change is part of the transition towards the SimplyGo system first introduced in 2019, which allows users to view their fare history, top up with mobile phones and block lost cards remotely. The platform also enables commuters to use contactless bank cards for public transport.

Currently, about two in three adult fare transactions on public transport are made using either SimplyGo EZ-Link or bank cards.

Most adult commuters will not be affected by this transition, as they are already using SimplyGo EZ-Link or contactless bank cards. Commuters using concession cards will not be affected.

How to prepare for transition to SimplyGo

For those commuters using the two legacy stored-valued cards, they should prepare for the transition as follows:

EZ-Link adult card: Upgrade existing cards to the SimplyGo system at any ticketing machine, SimplyGo ticket office or ticketing service centre. Commuters can retain their current cards. As a reminder, these cardholders will receive prompts to upgrade when topping up their cards at ticketing machines from end-March.

NETS FlashPay Card: Exchange their NETS FlashPay card for a free NETS prepaid card at SimplyGo ticket offices or ticketing service centres.

Alternatively, adult commuters using these cards can opt for other SimplyGo payment options, including contactless bank cards. Their legacy stored-value cards can be used for other non-transit payments, or be refunded.

EZ-Link adult cardholders who wish to continue using the cards for motoring-related payments should not upgrade their cards to the SimplyGo system. On the other hand, NETS FlashPay Cards will continue to be accepted for motoring-related payments and retail purchases at NETS acceptance points.

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Commuters who would like to check if their EZ-Link card requires upgrading to SimplyGo EZ-Link can do so on EZ-Link's dedicated interactive guide. They can also do so by checking if their card has the SimplyGo logo via the SimplyGo app, EZ-Link app or at any ticketing machine.

ILLUSTRATION: EZ-Link

After 1 June, EZ-Link adult and NETS FlashPay cardholders can continue to obtain refunds for their cards remaining value at SimplyGo ticket offices or ticketing service centres.

From 19 January to 18 July, NETS FlashPay cardholders can visit any of the 44 SimplyGo ticket offices to exchange for a NETS prepaid card. The remaining value in the FlashPay card will be refunded.

To encourage commuters to take action, EZ-Link is running a lucky draw until 31 May, where 1,000 eligible participants stand to win up to six months of free public transport travel.

Download SimplyGo app to enjoy full benefits

Commuters are encouraged to download the SimplyGo mobile app to enjoy the full benefits of the platform, such as fare transactions viewing and remote card balance top-ups. For those without the app, they can view their travel transactions and card balance at ticketing machines.

Service ambassadors will be deployed at MRT, LRT stations and bus interchanges with ticketing machines to assist commuters to upgrade their cards as well as to assist them to download and use the SimplyGo app.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

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Rollney is opening its first outlet in Singapore on 13 Jan at VivoCity. Theyre rolling in with their handcrafted chimney cakes and ice cream originating from Hungary.

Credit  Rollney

The chimney cake or, as Rollney calls them, the Kurtos Roll is a centuries-old dessert that can be traced back to Hungarians who lived in Transylvania, Romania. Hungary has even officially dubbed Kurtos their official dessert.

Credit  Rollney

The cake is cylindrical, mimicking a chimney, thus the name. It has a crisp exterior and fluffy insides. At Rollney, they are handmade and baked fresh daily.

Tan Yee Ke, the founder, aims to share the experience of fallingl in love with Kurtos Rolls. He spent 3 months in Hungary learning about the culture and baking process. Once he was ready, he started his store in his home country of Malaysia, and now is bringing Rollneys iconic treats to Singapore.

Credit  Rollney

One of them is the Kurtos (S$3 without toppings, S$3.50 for 1 sauce topping), which comes in Original, Cinnamon and Chocolate. There are 13 different sauces such as creamy butterscotch to pick from.

If youre more into savoury delights, you can opt for the versions filled with ingredients like hot chilli chicken sausages and tuna. Rollney even has plant-based spam for vegetarians.

Credit  Rollney

Next up on the menu is their speciality dessert, the Kurtos Ice Cream (S$5 with 1 topping, S$5.50 with 2 toppings). This treat is a serving of soft-serve low-fat Hokkaido Milk or Royal Chocolate ice cream atop a Kurtos instead of a cone.

Credit  Rollney

If youre not a cone person, theres Cuppa Ice Cream (S$4 with 1 topping, S$4.50 with 2 toppings), which has the same icy treat but in a cup instead.

Both ice creams can be customised to your liking with 20 types of toppings from classics like Oreo crumbs and strawberries, Premium Toppings (additional S$0.50) and Extra premium toppings (additional S$0.50) like Lotus crumbs, Belgian dark chocolate and Japanese Matcha.

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Rollney also offers a good deal of drink choices for customers, from frappes to coffees.

The post New in town: Rollney rolls into Singapore on 13 Jan with chimney cakes & ice cream appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in federal prison for methamphetamine possession.

Thomas Powell, 36, pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. Among other convictions, Powell was convicted in federal court in 2010 of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Powell was found in possession of more than 90 grams of meth that he intended to sell on Nov. 13, 2022, in Sac County.

After completing his prison sentence Powell will be on supervised release for 10 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man was shot and killed by police officers Monday in Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's parking ramp, after ramming two patrol vehicles with a truck and swinging a metal object, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The DCI identified the man in a statement released late Tuesday afternoon as 55-year-old Salvador Perez-Garcia, of Sioux City.

According to the statement, at 4 a.m. Monday, a Sioux City patrol officer was parked inside the casino's parking garage, when he observed a white truck driving toward him. The truck rammed his patrol vehicle head-on.

"The lone subject in the truck continued to exit the parking garage and was met with other responding officers. He drove directly at a second Sioux City patrol vehicle, ramming it head-on," the statement said.

Officer involved shooting Evidence markers are shown around a vehicle just inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino parking garage as law enforcement officials investiga

Then, Perez-Garcia exited the truck swinging a length of chain with an affixed metal object in an "aggressive, threatening manner." The statement said officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and physically attempted to disarm Perez-Garcia, but were unsuccessful.

"Perez-Garcia refused to comply with the officers' commands and continued to approach them swinging the object. Officers fired their duty weapons, striking him. The officers then performed lifesaving measures, but Perez-Garcia died at the scene," the statement said.

Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller said in an email Tuesday that one officer sought medical treatment for injuries sustained when his patrol car was rammed by the suspect. He said the officer was treated and released.

The DCI's statement said "additional facts of the incident" and the names of the Sioux City police officers who were involved are not being released at this time. The officers have been placed on critical incident leave.

"The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the shooting. Upon completion of the investigation, the report will be submitted to the Woodbury County Attorney's Office and the Iowa Attorney General's Office for review," the DCI's statement said.

Mueller said in the email that his department will be conducting a "parallel internal investigation" to the DCI to determine if department policies were violated.

"The Sioux City Police Department will be cooperating fully with the DCI investigation and believes in transparency when dealing with critical incidents. These investigations can take a significant amount of time, and we request patience as our department deals with this challenging situation. The department will release further information at the conclusion of the investigation," Mueller said.
SIOUX CITY  A man who rammed a sheriff's vehicle with a stolen pickup truck and tried to drive through a fence in a Morningside park has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Lennox Vanvacter, 31, of Duncombe, Iowa, pleaded guilty Monday in Woodbury County District Court to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, eluding, assault on a peace officer and two counts of second-degree criminal mischief. Charges of second-degree theft and drug tax stamp violation were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Vanvacter led a Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy on a chase reaching 80 mph through Morningside neighborhoods on March 22. Vanvacter crashed into a gate at the Latham Park entrance and became momentarily stuck, then accelerated in reverse and rammed the patrol car before driving into the park. The pickup became stuck on a park fence after Vanvacter tried to crash through it, and he was arrested after exiting the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Ida Grove, Iowa.

Vanvacter was found in possession of methamphetamine.

Vanvacter was ordered to pay restitution of $20,780 to Security National Bank, which is the trustee for Latham Park, for damage to the park, $5,768 to the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for damage to the vehicle, and an amount to be determined to the owner of the stolen pickup.
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SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Community School District has received a $5.9 million grant for electric buses and charging stations.

The grant is from the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program. It will provide the district with 15 electric buses and infrastructure for charging stations.

"That is huge for our district," said Superintendent Rod Earleywine.

Sioux City is one of the first school districts to receive the grant, which will help selectees purchase over 2,700 clean school buses in 280 schools across 37 states, according to an EPA news release.

The grant was created as part of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, providing $5 billion to change the nation's school buses to electric buses, compressed natural gas, and propane buses, according to the release. The funding will be distributed throughout the nation till 2026.

There were 67 applicants selected to receive nearly $1 billion total in this grant cycle. So far, the program has awarded nearly $2 billion for 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide.

We are pleased to receive funding through the Clean School Bus Program, Earleywine said in an EPA news release. As one of Iowas largest school districts, we have thousands of students who rely on busing transportation throughout the school year. The Clean School Bus Grant not only supports our districts longtime commitment to energy conservation, but also provides lasting health benefits for our students through zero-emission school buses.
SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Council approved a nonprofit's zoning request Monday, which will allow the group to move forward with plans to build a long-term rehabilitation facility for individuals struggling with substance abuse.

The facility would be constructed on 38.82 acres of land at 3500 28th St. near the new Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center. The land is currently owned by the City of Sioux City, but the nonprofit has provided a letter of intent to purchase the property, according to city documents.

Jason Geary, current president of Agape Community Services, said the facility would initially serve a total of 60 men. Geary said the nonprofit would expand services in the future to serve women and teens.

The council voted 3 to 1 on first reading to rezone the property from Business Park to Public and Institutional. Councilman Matthew O'Kane cast the lone "no" vote. Mayor Bob Scott abstained, citing a conflict of interest. On second and third reading, the vote was 4 to 0, with Scott again abstaining.

"Our community is not equipped for the amount of people that potentially will be in this jail. We don't have enough places, enough treatment facilities for them to go to, so that's a very real concern," O'Kane said. "That being said, I have to believe there's a better balance we can strike with the zoning, or whether that is if we can see a site plan before we can approve zoning. I don't feel comfortable moving forward with the zoning as proposed."

Before the vote, Joel Vos, an attorney representing Lake Forrest Mobile Home Community, expressed opposition to the rezoning on the grounds that the site doesn't meet Municipal Code requirements. He believes the land use would fall under Protective Care.

Public and Institutional allows for facilities, other than group homes, in which residents live in an institutional environment and are under the care or control of staff. In-patient drug and alcoholism hospitals and rehabilitation centers are allowed under Public and Institutional.

"One of the aspects that our board has often discussed is that nobody really wants us as a neighbor. The community, as a whole, wants individuals to come out of addiction," Geary said. "We're not near substantially large residential areas. We're adjacent to the Woodbury County Jail; and the other neighbor is MidAmerican."

While Geary said he understands "the heart of" Voss' client's objection, he said an individual has to choose to enter Agape Community Service's program for nine to 12 months.

"We're not a correctional facility. We're not a court-ordered halfway house. We're none of those things," he said. "People may refer them to us, but, ultimately, an individual can come and they have to choose to stay; and they'll be off-site. Later on in the treatment process, they'll be attending houses of worship on Sunday mornings. When they're going through rehabilitation, they'll be learning work skills. They'll be going out in the community onto job sites and things of that nature. So, they're not prisoners or anything."

In the spring of 2022, Agape Community Services scrapped plans to turn the old Sioux City YMCA into a faith-based restoration ministry for individuals struggling with addiction. The long-vacant, red brick building at 722 Nebraska St. was subsequently demolished last year at the council's direction.

Only 18 to 20 acres of the 28th Street site would be developable. The rest of the land would be used as greenspace, according to the documents. The property has rolling hills, occupied grasslands, deciduous trees and a large number of invasive eastern red cedars.

"I think that Mr. Voss made it clear that they'd rather it just not be there," Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr said. "So I'm not sure if we found a different zoning code it would make a difference. Their feelings, I think, would stay the same -- that they don't care to have the facility in their area."
Police decided Tuesday not to disclose the identity of the suspect in the stabbing attack on opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, after determining his case did not meet the legal conditions for disclosure, officials said.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency made the decision on the 67-year-old suspect during a meeting of its identity disclosure committee.

The suspect, known only by his family name Kim, was formally arrested on Jan, 4 on charges of attempted murder after stabbing Lee, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in the neck with a camping knife in the southeastern port city of Busan two days earlier.

The current law permits the disclosure of the identity of suspects in violent crimes to meet public interest and people's right to know when there is sufficient evidence backing the crime.

The seven-member disclosure committee voted against disclosing the suspect's identity and other personal information, determining his case did not meet the conditions for disclosure, according to officials.

The stabbing left Lee hospitalized after undergoing surgery to repair a major vein in his neck. He is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital Wednesday and will continue to receive treatment at home.

Police plan to refer the suspect to the prosecution Wednesday for further investigation and potential indictment.

Police officials also said they have released a man in his 70s who was detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting the suspect, after concluding that his involvement was minor.

Police had placed the man under emergency detention two days earlier on suspicion of assisting Kim in the crime, even though he was aware of the attack plan beforehand.

Ahead of the crime, Kim had written an "excuse letter" to explain the motive of his crime and his political beliefs, and the 70-something man agreed to send the letter on Kim's behalf by mail to an unspecified location, according to police.

Police officials said the man was set free in consideration of his minor involvement in the crime, his old age and the absence of fears of him destroying evidence or fleeing.

Police believe the man was not directly involved in the stabbing attack. (Yonhap)
DAKOTA DUNES, S.D.  Probably the most-talked-about-drug in 2023 was Ozempic, the diabetes drug found to have weight-loss effects.

Ozempic (a brand name; the drug itself is called semaglutide) took on a life of its own, with intensive media coverage, social media chatter and its own cheeky sobriquet, "Vitamin O." The New York Times reported in August that Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk was likely responsible for two-thirds of the economic growth of Denmark, where the company is based, in 2022.

For all the lighthearted and oddball Ozempic-related news, there were a few serious, but positive, revelations, including reports the related drug Wegovy (another brand name, the drug itself is still semaglutide) could slash the risk of heart trouble and stroke.

Dr. Jim Hegvik, a surgeon with Dakota Dunes-based CNOS who does bariatric surgeries, spoke with The Journal about semaglutide. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.

I understand you've recently begun prescribing weight-loss medication. Can you tell me a little about the decision to start prescribing it?

"So, we primarily prescribe semaglutide, it's the weight-loss medication that we use. The big thing that we wanted was, you know, we deal a lot with weight-loss discussions in the office -- and, not only as a bariatric surgeon, but also as a general surgeon, sometimes people come in, and for their hernia repair to be more beneficial, they need to be down 30 or 40 pounds. And they may not be necessarily interested weight-loss surgery, but they're certainly interested in having their surgery be more beneficial for them.

And then on the weight-loss side, on the bariatric side, we had patients that maybe weren't ready to commit fully to weight-loss surgery. So this gives us a good avenue to help them, and start those discussions."

Have you been hearing a lot of interest from patients about these new weight-loss medications?

"Yeah, I think nationally, if you follow the news, you see a lot of it. And then we see a lot on the patient side. We have people come in -- sometimes the orthopedic surgeons will send us patients for discussions about weight loss, and they're not necessarily ready to commit to surgery, but they're looking at something for an option. And so this really is a good avenue to help them. It's not going to be as much weight loss as weight loss surgery itself, but it can certainly be beneficial.

The one caveat to that is, if they stop the medication, they have a chance of re-gaining their weight. Where, with weight-loss surgery, it's probably going to be more robust."

What is the criteria for a patient to use these medicines?

"For us, we don't have necessarily a BMI [body-mass index] cutoff. In weight-loss surgery, we do, you have to have a BMI greater than 35, or 40, depending on if you have a comorbid condition, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol. For weight-loss medications, we don't have a certain set limit. Now, obesity is a diagnosis of a BMI over 30 -- it's probably where we would, if you had to cut off, where a cutoff would be. But if somebody comes in and they just want some help with appetite suppression, I don't think there's necessarily a certain criteria that we have to follow, it's just, can they tolerate the medication?

And we're not going to give it to people that don't need any weight loss. They have to classify as overweight or obese to get it."

Does health insurance reliably cover these medications? And, if not, do you anticipate that these medicines will be more widely covered in the future?

"It's covered mostly for diabetes control. That's where it was first discovered is in diabetic management. They were finding these patients were getting good glycemic or blood sugar control, but they were also losing weight.

The weight-loss aspect of it is not as well covered by insurance, and so we don't actually run it through insurance, because it's quite difficult to get it covered. It's not impossible, but it takes quite a bit of legwork to do that. So, we try to really minimize the cost to the patient to make it do-able for them, without insurance. But, for us, we don't run it through insurance. It'd have to be -- if you have diabetes, you could get it covered by going through your primary care doctor."

What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of weight-loss drugs compared to surgery?

"They do go hand-in-hand. I think the advantage of the weight-loss medication is, it is something that you can stop at any point. And within a week or two you're probably going to be feeling pretty much back to normal. Once you've had weight-loss surgery, you can't really reverse that.

Now, with weight-loss surgery, you're going to lose more weight, and it's probably going to more sustainable with something that you don't necessarily have to take for years on end. I think there's times when I have patients that need weight-loss surgery, but they maybe don't qualify because their BMI is too high -- this may be a medication to help get to that point.

And some people don't need as much weight loss as what weight-loss surgery would cause. So, it's somebody that maybe needs 30 or 40 pounds of weight loss, this medication can really help them.

They do cause some side effects that, most of the time, can be mitigated with just paying attention to them and monitoring your dose, such as like constipation or nausea, can be pretty prominent in some of these patients. And if people have really bad heartburn or reflux and are overweight, these medications may make that a little bit worse. So weight-loss surgery may be a better option for them, to help them not feel those effects and still get the same results."
SIOUX CITY  Siouxland residents began digging out Tuesday morning after a winter storm dumped as much as a foot of snow in the region.

At Sioux Gateway Airport, 11.3 inches fell from Monday through Tuesday. The totals included 8.3 inches on Monday, which set a new daily record for Jan. 8, said Matthew Meyers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. The two-day snowfall total also ranked in the top 5 for January, he said.

Large swaths of the Sioux City metro area received around 8 inches, Meyers said.

Siouxland saw scattered snow Tuesday morning, with much of the region remaining in a Winter Storm Warning until 6 p.m.

Winter snow storm A pedestrian tries to step across a windrow of snow while crossing Eighth Street behind a car stuck in the snow in downtown Sioux City Tuesday

That's because blustery northwest winds of up to 35 mph will be whipping around snow throughout northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.

This made for slippery roads and hazardous conditions throughout the area.

As a precaution, the majority of Siouxland schools canceled both classes and activities Tuesday for the second straight day.

Sioux City Field Services Manager Patrick Simons said blowing and drifting snow will continued to give road crews a problem, most of the Priority One and Priority Two streets were in decent shape by Tuesday afternoon.

"We'll be going into the residential areas as soon as we can," he said.

Gill Hauling has suspended garbage and recycling collection on Tuesday, due to winter weather/road conditions and concern for safety. Collection for the week of Jan. 8 will be Wednesday, Jan. 10  Sunday, Jan. 14. Collection for the week of Jan. 15 will be Tuesday, Jan. 16  Saturday, Jan. 20, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday, Jan. 15.

The first major winter storm of the season moved through the tri-state region beginning in the early morning hours of Monday. Snowfall totals ranged from a few inches in central South Dakota to a large area with 6 to 12 inches, according to the NWS. A total of 14 inches was recorded near North Sioux City.

While the snow system will be out of the Siouxland by Tuesday night, it will be replaced by a blast of frigid air.

Tuesday's high will be a blustery 22, while a southeast wind of 5 - 10 mph will boost Wednesday's high to the mid 20s.

However, temps will plummet on Thursday, with a high topping off at around 14.

Meyers said Siouxland's high temps will bounce between the low teens to the high single digits for the next several days. In addition, nighttime lows are drop to single digits as well as a few instances of below zero temps.

"This will be the coldest Siouxland has been this winter," Meyers said. "The average high should be in the upper 20s, so this will really seem like an Arctic blast.

While there will be slight 20 - 30 percent chances for snow during the next few days, Meyers said don't expect much in terms of accumulation.

"Snowfall will be minimal," he said. "It won't be near the winter storm we had on Monday."

Wednesday, Jan. 10 forecasts now show total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch is possible.
SYDNEY  Four people have been charged over an alleged plot to smuggle hundreds of Australian native reptiles from Sydney to Hong Kong.

Police released 257 reptiles, mostly lizards, that had been found tightly bound in small containers for export, New South Wales state Police Force said in a statement Monday.

Police estimate each reptile would sell for an average 5,000 Australian dollars (about $3,365) on the black market, making the haul of protected species worth more than AU$1.2 million ($808,000).

The rescued reptiles were handed to various zoos and wildlife parks to be examined by veterinarians before being released into the wild, police said.

A police strike force to investigate illegal reptile exports was established in September last year after nine packages containing 59 lizards were intercepted on their way to Hong Kong.

Three men and a woman aged from 31 to 59 have been arrested at various New South Wales locations between Dec. 20 and last week, police said.

They have been charged with various offenses relating to the alleged smuggling operation.

Photos: Ghostly monkey, slug snake among new species seen in Asia
CHARLESTON, S.C.  Courting Black voters he needs to win reelection, President Joe Biden on Monday denounced the poison of white supremacy in America, declaring at the site of a deadly racist church shooting in South Carolina that such ideology has no place in America, not today, tomorrow or ever.

Biden spoke from the pulpit of Mother Emanuel AME Church, where in 2015 nine Black parishioners were shot to death by the white stranger they had invited to join their Bible study. The Democratic presidents speech followed his blunt remarks last Friday on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, in which he excoriated former President Donald Trump for glorifying rather than condemning political violence.

At Mother Emanuel, Biden said the word of God was pierced by bullets of hate, of rage, propelled not just by gunpowder, but by a poison, a poison that has for too long haunted this nation."

That's "white supremacy, he said, the view by some whites that they are superior to other races. It is a poison, throughout our history, that's ripped this nation apart. This has no place in America. Not today, tomorrow or ever.

It was a grim way to kick off a presidential campaign, particularly for someone known for his unfailing optimism and belief that American achievements are limitless. But its a reflection of the emphasis Biden and his campaign are placing on energizing Black voters amid deepening concerns among Democrats that the president could lose support from this critical constituency heading into the election.

Bidens campaign advisers and aides hope the visit lays out the stakes of the race in unequivocal terms three years after the cultural saturation of Trumps words and actions while he was president. It's a contrast they hope will be paramount to voters in 2024.

Biden also used his second major campaign event of the year to thank the state's Black voters. After an endorsement by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of the highest-ranking African Americans in the U.S. House, the state made Biden the winner of its Democratic presidential primary in 2020. That, in turn, set him on a path to become the party's nominee and defeat Trump to win the presidency.

I owe you, he said.

Biden was briefly interrupted when several people upset over by his staunch support for Israel in its war against Hamas called out that if he really cared about lives lost he would call for a cease-fire in Gaza to help innocent Palestinians who are being killed under Israel's bombardment. The chants of cease-fire now were drowned out by audience members chanting four more years.

The president also swiped at Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, and Trump, without naming either one.

Haley was governor at the time of the shooting and gained national attention for her response, which included signing legislation into law removing the Confederate flag from the state Capitol. But she has been on the defensive recently for not explicitly naming slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when the question was posed at a campaign event. Her campaign responded Monday with a list of comments attributed to Biden that it said showed he's racially insensitive.

Biden called it a lie that the war was about states' rights. So let me be clear, for those who don't seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War. There's no negotiation about that.

Haley, speaking at a Fox News town hall on Monday, pushed back that it was offensive for Biden to give a political speech at the church. She also raised Bidens ties to Democratic segregationist senators early in his career.

During his successful 2020 run for the White House, Biden faced criticism from fellow Democratic contenders for alluding to his work with Sens. James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia while trying to make a point about lost civility in national politics.

I dont need someone who palled around with segregationists in the '70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery, or anything related to the Civil War, Haley said.

On more current events, Biden noted the scores of failed attempts by Trump in the courts to overturn the 2020 election in an attempt to hold onto power, as well as the former president's embrace of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Let me say what others cannot: We must reject political violence in America. Always, not sometimes. Always. It's never appropriate, Biden said. He said losers are taught to concede when they lose. And he's a loser, meaning Trump.

It was June 17, 2015, when a 21-year-old white man walked into the church and, intending to ignite a race war, shot and killed nine Black parishioners and wounded one more. Biden was vice president when he attended the memorial service in Charleston.

Biden's aides and allies say the shootings are among the critical moments when the nation's political divide started to sharpen and crack. Though Trump, the current Republican presidential front-runner, was not in office at the time and has called the shooting horrible, Biden is seeking to tie Trumps current rhetoric to such violence.

Two years after the attack, as the Unite The Right" gathering of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, erupted in violent clashes with counterprotesters. Trump said merely that there is blame on both sides."

Today in history: Jan. 8 1815: Battle of New Orleans 1935: Elvis Presley 1964: Lyndon Johnson 1994: Tonya Harding 2008: Hillary Clinton 2008: John McCain 2011: Gabrielle Giffords 2012: Gabrielle Giffords 2012: Mitt Romney 2016: "El Chapo" 2017: Israel 2017: The Golden Globes 2020: Iran 2021: Nancy Pelosi
LONDON  More than 60 heads of state and government and hundreds of business leaders are coming to Switzerland to discuss the biggest global challenges during the World Economic Forum's annual gathering next week, ranging from Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The likes of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and many others will descend on the Alpine ski resort town of Davos on Jan. 15-19, organizers said Tuesday.

Attendees have their work cut out for them with two major wars  the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia's invasion of Ukraine  plus problems like climate change, major disruptions to trade in the Red Sea, a weak global economy and misinformation powered by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence in a major election year.

Trust has eroded on peace and security, with global cooperation down since 2016 and plummeting since 2020, forum President Borge Brende said at a briefing.

In Davos, we will make sure that we bring together the right people to see how can we also end this very challenging world, look at opportunities to cooperate, he said.

Brende noted that there are fears about escalation of the conflict in Gaza and that key stakeholders  including the prime ministers of Qatar, Lebanon and Jordan as well as Herzog  were coming to Davos to look how to avoid a further deterioration and also what is next, because we also have to inject some silver linings.

Zelenskyy will give an address next week during the event, while more than 70 national security advisers from around the world will gather in Davos on Sunday to discuss ways forward on Zelenskyy's peace plan, Brende said. It's the fourth such meeting, but Russian officials have never participated.

Major figures  including U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, new Argentina President Javier Milei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella  will discuss big ideas in hundreds of public sessions and speeches or in other talks surrounding the event.

There's also more secretive backroom deal-making in the upscale hotels along Davos Promenade, near the conference center that hosts the gathering.

How much all these discussions will result in big announcements is uncertain.

The World Economic Forum's glitzy event has drawn criticism for being a place where high-profile figures talk about big ideas but make little headway on finding solutions to the world's biggest challenges.

It's also been criticized for hosting wealthy executives who sometimes fly in on emissions-spewing corporate jets.
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla.  Five years ago, Alexis Llanos and his family fled Venezuela for Colombia, escaping death threats and political persecution. The family then planned to make the dangerous and deadly journey north, through the Darien jungle leading through Panama, with hopes of eventually crossing illegally into the United States.

Their plans changed when a friend mentioned a new migration program from the U.S. government that would allow them to stay put while they pleaded for a chance to come legally. It worked. After a four-month process that included medical exams and interviews with the United Nations and the U.S., Llanos, his partner and their 7-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy arrived in Florida.

It was a unique opportunity, a miracle that God prepared for me, Llanos, 27, said from his new home. I feel blessed, grateful.  I did not want to take the risk. I would not have forgiven myself if something had happened to them because of me, crossing the jungle.

The Llanos family is among the first migrants allowed into the U.S. under the Biden administration's new safe mobility offices, set up in Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador beginning in the fall. The program is designed to streamline the U.S. refugee process so migrants don't give up and pay smugglers to make the journey north, further straining the U.S.-Mexico border, which has seen record-high numbers of crossings.

So far, 3,000 refugees have arrived in the U.S., and 9,000 have been approved. But it's a small number compared with what's happening at the U.S.-Mexico border, where there were more than 10,000 arrests for illegal crossing per day over several days in December alone. In cities including Chicago, New York and Denver, migrants who have no access to work permits sleep in police station foyers and in airports.

These are the scenes that dominate the early phase of the 2024 presidential campaign, with Republicans excoriating President Joe Biden and considering whether to impeach his Homeland Security secretary.

Republicans are also pushing the Democratic president to back more restrictive policies that would dramatically reduce asylum protections, among other things, and they believe they have leverage if he wants to see another infusion of tens of billions in aid to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has worked to crack down on illegal crossings but has also sought to broaden legal pathways through efforts like the safe mobility initiative, to provide alternatives for migrants in the hope they don't journey north.

Those who do arrive on foot to the U.S.-Mexico border and ask for asylum get a court date and must prove they are eligible to stay. The system is badly backlogged, so they often end up waiting years for a court date while they sit in limbo in the U.S. without authorization to work.

With the safe mobility initiative, they're arriving as refugees who have already met the requirements and will be legally allowed to live and work in the U.S. The process takes only months, while more traditional refugee screening is a yearslong effort. Immigrant advocates laud the new pathways but don't think they replace asylum.

It is absolutely critical that these pathways now exist, said Hannah Flamm, policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Project. But, no enhancement of access to refugee resettlement can ever come at the expense of the rights of asylum seekers at the border.

To implement its plan, the Biden administration is working with the U.N. High Commission for Refugees and with the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration. To apply, migrants answer questions online to screen for eligibility, and then the U.N. agencies refer cases to the U.S., which makes the final decision. If they're denied, the government could evaluate them for different, more temporary programs.

This process facilitates and reduces time for refugees, said Luiz Fernando Godinho Santos, a UNHCR spokesman for the Americas.

Jefferson Castro, who first told Llanos about the program, also applied to come to the U.S. from Colombia, after arriving from Venezuela in 2018, when he said he was threatened by police. In September, he traveled nine hours by bus with his wife and their two children, ages 8 and 4, from Medellin to Bogota, where U.S. officials interviewed them, examined them medically and provided U.S. cultural immersion courses.

He knew at least three other families had been approved and assumed he would be, too. So he took his children out of school and sold his refrigerator, beds and motorcycle, which he used to work as a delivery person. But they heard nothing for weeks.

I was left without a job, without money, without answers, Castro, 28, said from Medellin.

In late December, he finally received good news. They have one hurdle left: His daughter, born in Colombia, needs a passport. But he lacks the $100 to cover the costs.

Immigrant advocates say the safe mobility initiative needs work  it can be confusing, isnt advertised well so enough migrants arent aware of it, and it isnt open to enough people. For example, in Colombia, only Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans present in Colombia before or on June 11 are eligible right now.

Still, they say, its a start. And when families do make it, they are usually handed off to a non-governmental organization that helps resettle them into the U.S.

It is certainly a step in the right direction in terms of providing people mechanisms to seek asylum safely rather than relying on coyotes and undertaking a dangerous trip," said Lee Williams, chief programs officer at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
SPRING CREEK  Quick thinking and a random turn of events saved two children at the Spring Creek Marina on Friday afternoon when they fell through the ice dozens of yards away from the shoreline.

The children, believed to be as young as 8 and 12 years old, were spotted by a group of young adults playing Pokemon Go at the marina.

Jarett Carver, 21, Sequioa Passmore, 21, and William Pike, 21, had stopped at a bench swing along the walking path around the marina when they noticed the children playing on the ice about 40 to 50 feet to the right of island in the middle of the marina.

Passmore said she saw the children playing on the ice and expressed concerns to her friends.

Then they watched as one child, then the other, fell in through the ice.

It was terrifying, Pike recalled. We saw one of them drop. We screamed out that they dropped. The other one went close to him and dropped straight away.

At that moment, Carver raced toward the children as Passmore called 911 for help.

I didnt give it a second thought. I just went for them, Carver told the Elko Daily Free Press.

Pike saw Carver take off his jacket and throw it to one of the children to pull them out of the water. But as they pulled on it, the sleeve tore and he pulled out one child with his hands.

Then Carver himself fell through the ice, climbed out and pulled the second child to safety. He brought the children back to the shore.

Carver said his feet didnt touch the bottom of the marina. The plunge into the cold water also took his breath away when he fell in, rendering him speechless until he was out of the water. I know the kids were in way worse condition than I was.

Once they were out of the water, Pike said the children were terrified, crying and shaking, with one child having fully bloodshot eyes.

Carver said he heard the ice cracking behind him as he ran toward the children, and thought about his own safety. But he pushed those thoughts aside.

Im a heavier-set guy, too, so it was a little scary, but I wasnt going to let two little kids drown or anything, you know, Carver said.

Pike said he attempted to follow, but he went through the ice himself and was unable to follow. He ran to a house for help and rope to get them all out.

Pike then raised the attention of an unidentified woman who was at the marina farther away. She drove her car to the group, allowing the children get in the car, remove their wet shirts and bundled them up with blankets until an ambulance arrived.

Carver, who emerged from the water with bloodshot eyes, was checked out by emergency medical personnel and did not require treatment.

The children appeared to be unsupervised, according to the three friends. A woman identified as mother to one of the children arrived and was bawling her eyes out, Pike said. A man, identified as father to one of the children, arrived as they were leaving.

The names and conditions of the children were not immediately known, according to Spring Creek Association President and General Manager Jessie Bahr. It was unclear if the children were siblings, relatives or friends to one another.

A Random choice

Carver and Pike were visiting Passmore for the holidays. Pike traveled from London and Carver came from Oklahoma. They all met through online gaming and have been friends for seven years.

Passmore, who lives in Spring Creek, said the decision to go to the marina on a sunny Friday afternoon was a random one, and a choice that may have saved the childrens lives.

Especially since the marina was practically empty at that time, the group said.

We wanted to go and see if we could catch some Pokemons, Pike said. If we didnt go down that route, there was no one else on the lake. No one [would have seen them].

Even the woman who was nearby and drove her car to the rescuers told the group she thought it was Canadian Geese in the middle of the marina because she wasnt wearing her glasses, Passmore said. We were the only ones close enough.

We had the closest access to the water, Pike added.

The Spring Creek Association issued a statement Friday evening warning residents not to walk onto the ice at the marina, regardless of how solid it may seem.

Please do not walk out onto the Marina. The ice is unsafe and inconsistent across the entire surface. There are signs posted throughout the area to keep off the ice at the Marina and the duck ponds, the statement read.

The thickness of the ice is not updated by the association and walking out on the ice at any time is not recommended. Rather, it says, enjoy the area from the safety of the walking paths around the Marina.

About an hour after the ordeal, Carver recounted his story as he warmed up under two blankets at Passmores house. He, Passmore and Pike all agreed that the ice is not a playground.

Dont let your kids play on the ice. It is not safe. Everybody knows that, Carver said.

Pike said they noticed the ice was unsteady when they arrived. As they left the marina, they made an alarming discovery.

We saw where they walked. They walked from the edge of the lake straight to the middle, walking around the edge where its the most thinnest, Pike said. If they fell in a minute earlier, they would not have been in view and there would have been nothing anyone could do.

Its not smart. It really isnt, Pike continued. Its not worth losing your life for a little bit of adrenaline or adventure. Its not worth it.

He added, If a parent lost their child like that, that would ruin someones life.

I agree with what they said, dont go on the ice. Its really not worth it, Passmore said. People need to be careful, read to the signs that are posted everywhere and do not go on the ice. Its a risky thing.

Passmore thanked the quick response from the Elko County Ambulance and the Spring Creek Association who arrived quickly.

A huge thanks to how fast the EMT got there. It was less than five minutes and they were there, Passmore said. I wish I had the ladys name who brought her car. She was so wonderful.

Carver, Pike and Passmore are all thankful the afternoon had a happy ending.

Im so glad those kids are OK. Thats the main thing, Passmore said.
WASHINGTON  With Donald Trump in the courtroom, federal appeals court judges in Washington expressed deep skepticism Tuesday that the former president is immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The panel of three judges, two of whom were appointed by President Joe Biden, also questioned whether they had jurisdiction to consider the appeal at this point in the case, raising the prospect that Trump's appeal could be dismissed.

During lengthy arguments, the judges repeatedly pressed Trump's lawyer to defend claims that Trump was shielded from criminal charges for acts that he says fell within his official duties as president.

The lower-court judge overseeing the case against Trump rejected that argument last month, and the appeals judges suggested through their questions that they, too, were dubious that the Founding Fathers envisioned absolute immunity for presidents after they leave office.

"I think it's paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law," said Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush.

The outcome could carry enormous ramifications both for the landmark criminal case against Trump and for the broader, and legally untested, question of whether an ex-president can be prosecuted for actions taken in the White House.

It will also likely set the stage for further appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, which last month declined a request to weigh in but could still get involved later.

A swift decision is crucial for special counsel Jack Smith and his team, who are eager to get the case  now paused pending the appeal  to trial before the November election.

Trump's lawyers, in addition to seeking to get the case dismissed, hope to benefit from a protracted appeals process that could delay the trial well past its scheduled March 4 start date, including until potentially after the election.

It's not clear how quickly the panel from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals from the D.C. Circuit will rule, though it signaled it intends to work quickly.

Underscoring the importance to both sides, Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner, attended Tuesday's arguments even though the Iowa caucuses are just one week away and despite the fact that there's no requirement that defendants appear in person for such proceedings.

His appearance and his comments afterward underscored his broader effort to portray himself as the victim of a justice system he claims is politicized.

Though there's no evidence Biden has had any influence on the case, Trump's argument could resonate with Republican voters in Iowa as they prepare to launch the presidential nomination process.

After the hearing, Trump spoke to reporters at a Washington hotel, calling Tuesday "a very momentous day." He insisted he did nothing wrong and claimed he was being prosecuted for political reasons.

"A president has to have immunity," he said.

Former presidents enjoy broad immunity from lawsuits for actions taken as part of their official White House duties. But because no former president before Trump has ever been indicted, courts have never before addressed whether that protection extends to criminal prosecution.

Trump's lawyers insist it does, arguing that courts have no authority to scrutinize a president's official acts.

"To authorize the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora's box from which this nation may never recover," said D. John Sauer, a lawyer for Trump, asserting that, under the government's theory, presidents could be prosecuted for giving Congress "false information" to enter war or for authorizing drone strikes targeting U.S. citizens abroad.

He later added: "If a president has to look over his shoulder or her shoulder every time he or she has to make a controversial decision and wonder if 'after I leave office, am I going to jail for this when my political opponents take power?' that inevitably dampens the ability of the president."

The judges were skeptical about those arguments. Judges Henderson and Florence Pan noted the lawyer who represented Trump during his impeachment trial suggested that he could later face criminal prosecution, telling senators at the time: "We have a judicial process in this country. We have an investigative process in this country to which no former office holder is immune."

Judge J. Michelle Childs also questioned why former President Richard Nixon would need to be granted a pardon in 1974 after the Watergate scandal if former presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution. Sauer replied that in Nixon's case, the conduct did not involve the same kind of "official acts" Trump's lawyers argue form the basis of his indictment.

Smith's team maintains that presidents are not entitled to absolute immunity and that, in any event, the acts Trump is alleged in the indictment to have taken fall far outside a president's official job duties.

"The president has a unique constitutional role but he is not above the law," prosecutor James Pearce said, adding that a case in which a former president is alleged to have sought to overturn an election "is not the place to recognize some novel form of immunity."

"Never before has there been allegations that a sitting president has, with private individuals and using the levers of power, sought to fundamentally subvert the democratic republic and the electoral system," he said. "And frankly, if that kind of fact pattern arises again, I think it would be awfully scary if there weren't some sort of mechanism by which to reach that criminally."
For years, this swath of land in Sarpy County was farm ground. Then came the buildings, the parking lots, the high-tech machines and the colorful sign bearing a well-known name: Google.

The company, through a Delaware-based limited liability company called Fireball Group, spent $25 million in Sarpy County for roughly 280 acres, most of which used to be farmland, assessors records show.

In Douglas County, Google dropped another $21 million to accumulate more than 400 acres northwest of Omaha, 90% once farmland.

And in Lincoln, Google owns some-500 acres, close to 500 of which used to be farmland, according to Lancaster County Assessors records.

Google isnt the only tech giant gobbling up land once used for crops. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has poured more than $50 million into nearly 900 acres of agricultural land in Sarpy County since 2017, according to assessors records compiled by the Flatwater Free Press.

Meta and Google, acting through various LLCs, are among the top buyers of agricultural land by money spent, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis of state sales data gathered by a University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications journalism class.

Both paid a premium for Nebraska farmland. Meta paid nearly seven times the per-acre price for farmland in eastern Nebraska. In Sarpy County, Google paid almost 10 times the regional average.

Meta and Google purchased the land to build data centers, massive warehouse-sized buildings that house machines essential to todays cloud-based technology. They represent substantial investments by both companies. They also embody the ongoing urbanization of former farmland.

Some view the transformation as an inevitability and net positive. Others want farmland to remain farmland.

But keeping farmland for farming, particularly on the outskirts of Nebraskas growing metro areas, can be a tough proposition, especially when deep-pocketed buyers are involved.

Nobody is paying $50,000 an acre to farm beans, said Michael Goodwillie, compliance officer in the Douglas County Assessors Office.

Meta didnt reply to three Flatwater Free Press email inquiries about the total Nebraska ag land it owns and its plans for future purchases.

A spokesperson for Google didnt respond to questions posed by the Flatwater Free Press and instead pointed to a press release about its new round of investments in Nebraska totaling $1.2 billion.

Data centers have sprung up across the country and found their way into the Midwest.

Google and Meta chose Nebraska thanks to the rarity of natural disasters and the reliable fiber network in the Omaha area, said Mark Norman, vice president of economic development at the Greater Omaha Chamber.

Both companies have built in locations targeted for industrial and commercial development, Norman said.

It just happened to be a data center as opposed to a warehouse, as opposed to a manufacturing facility, he said.

In Sarpy County, Meta and Google landed on locations near Nebraska 50 and sent representatives to knock on doors.

Deborah Bowmans family farmed 77 acres of the land now under Metas data center for more than a century. Bowman, in her 70s, grew up 2 miles away.

She felt backed into a corner to give up the land, she said, noting her lawyer encouraged her to sell.

I did not want to sell it or have Facebook take it, she said. That was absolutely the last thing I wanted done.

After two years of negotiation, she eventually swapped her land for a similarly-sized plot owned by her neighbor, who got paid by Raven Northbrook, she said. Raven Northbrook is the name of the LLC through which Meta bought land in Sarpy County. The neighbor sold three other parcels separately to Meta for $23 million, sales records show.

On paper, Bowmans old land was worth $5 million. Her new land is worth much less. That could change if another developer comes along. She doesnt intend to sell.

I just wish this whole thing would have never happened, she said.

Sarpy County Commissioner Don Kelly sees no difference between Meta and Googles purchases and the developer that paid millions for land to build Gretnas Hy-Vee. It comes down to demand.

They looked at the return on investment and felt the land was worth every penny, and they bought it, said Kelly.

Sarpy County boasts more than 190,000 residents, more than double the population in 1980. As the county grows, more farmland will surely turn into industrial or commercial areas, Kelly said, but its his job as an elected official to make sure the growth is controlled and planned.

Agricultural acres in Sarpy County and Douglas County have both declined in the past decade by more than 10%, according to Nebraska Department of Revenue reports.

Tech companies are far from the only non-ag buyers of farmland.

In Douglas and Sarpy counties, Celebrity Homes bought about 450 acres of farmland between 2018 and 2022, state sales records show. A manager of the home builder did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Nebraska is a state that has agricultural roots as the basis of our economy.  But you cant keep an urban county agriculture forever, said Kelly.

Land used for agricultural purposes in Nebraska enjoys a lighter tax burden. Owners can apply for a special evaluation program that assesses agricultural land at 75% of market value, but the land must remain farmed to qualify.

Once farmland is developed, the property taxes the county can collect shoot up, and that can help fund local schools and government, Kelly said.

Meta and Google have paid millions in property taxes per year, a Flatwater review of assessors records shows.

Data centers can apply for other tax breaks through the states business incentive program, ImagiNE Nebraska.

Steven Shultz, a land use economics professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said data centers bring higher net economic benefits compared to traditional residential housing developments. Thats because they dont require substantial public expenditures on services such as schools, parks and transportation, he explained.

Jane Amerine is not happy that Meta and Google are displacing farmland. The home she has lived in for more than 40 years is among a cluster of houses tucked behind the trees, only hundreds of yards west of Metas data center.

It was a peaceful neighborhood, away from the hustle and bustle of metro Omaha.

Until 2017, when she began hearing the construction noises. Two other companies have since started constructing warehouses north of her home.

The economic development people, the county commissioners, the city government  if they can get some sort of data center or speculative warehouse or some big commercial development and they lose me, they dont care, Amerine said.

The speed at which the county loses farmland is a choice made by elected officials, Amerine said. In Washington County, farmland acreage has dipped by 0.2% in the past decade.

Sewer, roads and other infrastructure and municipal services that follow developments like the data centers, on the other hand, add value to nearby land.

Amerine said her family will leave the county eventually because of the changes.

Kelly thinks Amerine has a fair point, but overall, the charitable giving and tax revenue brought by these developments bring value to the community, he said.

A big data center perhaps would not make an ideal neighbor for somebody that wanted to just have a rural farm site and farm for the rest of their life. No ones gonna tell them they cant do that, Kelly said. But my point is that whether its Facebook or somebody else, growth is gonna come. Theres nothing I can do to stop it.

Flatwater Free Press reporter Destiny Herbers contributed to the data analysis used in this story. The series, Whos Buying Nebraska? was made possible by a grant from the Center for Rural Strategies and Grist.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.(tncms-asset)a28ec636-9942-564d-bdd0-812bcadfc589[2](/tncms-asset)

Top Journal Star photos for December 2023
DES MOINES  Iowa is bracing for weather near 0 degrees next week as the state's critical precinct caucuses kick off the Republican presidential nominating cycle.

Heavy snowfall and dangerous travel conditions were expected by Tuesday, followed by frigid temperatures that could drift below 0 degrees by caucus day on Monday, Jan. 15.

Whats the forecast?

The National Weather Services seven-day forecast for Des Moines predicts snow continuing over the next few days, with single-digit highs expected Sunday  the day before the caucuses  in Cedar Rapids and temperatures not expected to climb above 0 in Sioux City. The Weather Channel predicts caucus day could see negative temperatures in several parts of the state.

How is the weather affecting campaigns?

The weather already has forced former President Donald Trumps campaign to cancel multiple appearances by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had been scheduled Monday to court Iowa voters on Trumps behalf.

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, canceled a visit to Sioux City due to snow.

Inclement weather prevented Nikki Haley from getting to and from the event in Sioux City. She is here in Iowa through caucus day and we will be back in Northwest Iowa on Friday, said campaign spokesperson Pat Garrett said.

Will the weather impact turnout?

Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann, speaking to reporters Monday in Des Moines, said he still expects high turnout for the caucuses.

If there's not a severe ice storm, I don't think cold keeps people away, Kaufmann said, predicting a robust turnout on caucus night.

I mean, I do think  the weather could prevent a record breaking turnout into a great turnout, he said. But, you know, it remains to be seen.

The state Republican Party has said it expects participation in this years caucus to be on par with 2016, in which a record of over 186,000 Republicans cast their preference for presidential candidate. The previous two contested cycles in 2012 and 2008 saw turnout of about 120,000.

If some Iowans are deterred from caucusing, the looming question is which candidate could be hurt most by voters unwillingness to brave the cold. Trump maintains a commanding lead in Iowa polling, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a distant second and Haley close behind.

Speaking to Iowa reporters Monday during a virtual news conference, DeSantis said his campaign still expects a large turnout of supporters.

"I think they're still motivated to come in and meet and hear from the candidates. And so we're going to have a full schedule, do whatever we can do, said DeSantis, who was back in Florida to deliver his State of the State address Tuesday to the Florida Legislature.

He was scheduled to fly back to Iowa for a Fox News town hall later Tuesday, weather permitting. On Wednesday, he and Haley are set to participate in a CNN debate at Drake University in Des Moines.

Call for Democrats to be #RepublicansForADay?

Kaufmann also was asked about Democrats registering as Republicans on caucus night to be able to caucus for somebody other than Trump.

Bill Kristol, a Never Trump conservative and editor-at-large at The Bulwark, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that while only registered Republican voters in the state can participate in the Iowa GOP caucuses, Iowans can change their voter registration status at their caucus site, cast their secret ballot, and leave.

They can be #RepublicansForADay to help stop Trump, he wrote.

Kauffman said hes unaware of any concerted, organized effort to get Iowa Democrats to participate in the Republican caucuses.

First of all, shame on the Democrats, he said. I mean, they screwed up first in the nation. They didn't push back on their national party, and now their reaction isn't to rebuild their party while weve got center stage this whole time, but the reaction might be to show up and try to screw up what we've done?

Iowa Democrats will hold party-organizing precinct caucuses Monday, but will express their presidential preference using a new mail-in process and wont announce results until March 5. The change came after national Democrats booted the state from its early nominating spot.

Kaufmann, too, assured Iowa Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird will prosecute any Iowa who attempts to vote in both partys caucuses. State law prohibits an individual from participating in more than one nominating caucus.

"If a Democrat attempts to do that and participate in both, that's against the law. And we're going to be monitoring that very, very carefully, Kaufmann said. So bottom line is, could it happen? Yes. Do I think it will happen? No more, no greater chance than we have before.

In requesting a mail-in presidential preference card, Democrats will be required to attest that they have not participated in any other political party's caucus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Close Two audience members watch Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday, January. 6, 2024 on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns for president on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Iowa Rep. Mike Vondran, R-Davenport, introduces Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, to campaign for Ron DeSantis on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, on second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. An attendee watches Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaign on Jan. 6, 2024, on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, outlines his vision for the presidency in a stop Saturday Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. He was joined by Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, (left), and Rep. Chip Roy, Republican from Texas, (right). Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. An attendee listens as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., campaigns for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport as DeSantis seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Massie's lapel pin shows a live tally of the U.S. national debt. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, campaigns for Ron DeSantis on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. To his left is U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley campaigned Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley takes a photo with a supporter Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu hit the campaign trail in Iowa with Nikki Haley Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Sununu came out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand, joking that it'd just been handed to him on his way out. Attendees clap at a campaign event for Nikki Haley Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Jake Chapman, the former Iowa Senate president who lost his reelection bid in 2022, campaigns for Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center as Ramaswamy seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Apoorva Ramaswamy, a throat surgeon and wife to GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy campaigns for him Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center as Ramaswamy seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio biotech entrepreneur and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, talks with volunteers for the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Davenport. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio biotech entrepreneur and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, talks with volunteers for the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Davenport. Attendees fill the Quad Cities Veteran Outreach Center in Davenport for a Vivek Ramaswamy event Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Ramaswamy was one of three candidates for the party's presidential nomination that stopped in Scott County on Saturday, just nine days ahead of the Iowa caucuses. GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy campaigns Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Outreach Center in Davenport. Ramaswamy was one of three candidates for the Republican nomination that stopped in Scott County on Saturday. Apoorva Ramaswamy, a throat surgeon and wife to GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy beams as she's introduced Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. GOP hopefuls visit Quad-Cities nine days ahead of 2024 Iowa caucuses With just more than a week to go until the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, GOP hopefuls have ramped up their campaign schedules in the state. And on Saturday, Scott County was a popular place for Republican candidates  three presidential hopefuls campaigned with their endorsers. Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy arrived at the Quad Cities Outreach Center in Davenport for a 9 a.m. event, introduced by former state Senate President Jake Chapman and Ramaswamy's wife, Apoorva, a throat surgeon. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigned with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas at a noon-ish event on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. And Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the UN, campaigned with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, in the afternoon at the Tangled Wood restaurant in Bettendorf. Two audience members watch Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday, January. 6, 2024 on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns for president on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Iowa Rep. Mike Vondran, R-Davenport, introduces Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, to campaign for Ron DeSantis on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, on second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. An attendee watches Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaign on Jan. 6, 2024, on the second floor of the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, outlines his vision for the presidency in a stop Saturday Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. He was joined by Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, (left), and Rep. Chip Roy, Republican from Texas, (right). Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. An attendee listens as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined his vision for the country to potential caucusgoers on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including DeSantis, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., campaigns for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport as DeSantis seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Massie's lapel pin shows a live tally of the U.S. national debt. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, campaigns for Ron DeSantis on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Phoenix Restaurant in Davenport. To his left is U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley campaigned Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley takes a photo with a supporter Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu hit the campaign trail in Iowa with Nikki Haley Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Sununu came out of the kitchen with a beer in his hand, joking that it'd just been handed to him on his way out. Attendees clap at a campaign event for Nikki Haley Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Former Ambassador to the UN and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlined her vision for the country to potential caucusgoers Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Tangled Wood Restaurant in Bettendorf, as she seeks the GOP nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Haley, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Jake Chapman, the former Iowa Senate president who lost his reelection bid in 2022, campaigns for Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center as Ramaswamy seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Apoorva Ramaswamy, a throat surgeon and wife to GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy campaigns for him Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center as Ramaswamy seeks the GOP presidential nomination. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio biotech entrepreneur and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, talks with volunteers for the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Davenport. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio biotech entrepreneur and candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, talks with volunteers for the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Davenport. Attendees fill the Quad Cities Veteran Outreach Center in Davenport for a Vivek Ramaswamy event Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Ramaswamy was one of three candidates for the party's presidential nomination that stopped in Scott County on Saturday, just nine days ahead of the Iowa caucuses. GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy campaigns Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Outreach Center in Davenport. Ramaswamy was one of three candidates for the Republican nomination that stopped in Scott County on Saturday. Apoorva Ramaswamy, a throat surgeon and wife to GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy beams as she's introduced Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at the Quad Cities Veterans Outreach Center. Three GOP presidential hopefuls, including Ramaswamy, campaigned in Scott County on Saturday with just nine days to go until the Iowa caucuses.
By Jun Ji-hye

Floriculturists in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province are protesting the government's recent free trade agreements with Ecuador and other countries. They argue that these agreements have led to a significant rise in flower imports, posing a threat to their businesses and overall survival.

On Monday, an alliance of people working in the floricultural industry in the region held a press conference at Gimhae City Hall, saying that the Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement (SECA) signed with Ecuador has brought a serious crisis to the industry.

Korea and Ecuador signed the SECA, a type of free trade deal, last October after launching relevant negotiations in 2016.

The floriculturists urged the National Assembly not to ratify the SECA, unless the government draws up proper countermeasures to support their industry.

The government signed the agreement with Ecuador after having signed the similar deals with Colombia, China and Vietnam. All of these countries are closely related to the floricultural industry, they said in a statement.

The government has pushed for indiscriminate imports of flowers and demanded the sacrifice of the industry.

They cited that imports of roses have already increased by 40 times over the last decade and that roses account for 75 percent of flowers exported by Ecuador.

They also said that farms producing carnations have faced a shutdown crisis due to an excessive increase in imports and that chrysanthemum farms are facing a similar situation.

They plan to stage a protest against the SECA in Gimhae on Thursday, and then visit the National Assembly on Jan. 22 and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Jan. 26.

Flowers produced in about 700 farms in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province account for 40 percent of domestic production. In winter, the production in those regions accounts for 80 percent of the total.
Generally speaking, aviation manufacturers want to avoid situations where they must explain why a door in one of their planes imploded in the middle of a flight. Alas, Boeinga company that is racking up an impressive record of modern aeronautic catastrophescannot seem to catch a break. Last Friday, on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, the sheet-metal door plug covering the emergency exit on a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew off at around 16,000 feet, landing in the Arcadian backyard of an unlucky Oregonian far below, leaving a massive, human-sized hole in the middle of the cabin. The aircraft immediately depressurized, oxygen masks fluttered from the rafters, and the pilotsto their creditsuccessfully landed the plane back in Portland without anyone sustaining any major injuries. (Heres where I must remind you that back in 2018, a similar incident on a Southwest flight led to the death of a woman after she was partially sucked out of a broken window.)

Everyone has been wondering what caused such a disaster, and if Boeing can identify the problem before its too late. Seriously, how does a door spontaneously crumple midflight? Surely the cause must be something eldritch and highly theoretical, involving the darkest of mathematics. Does it have something to do with the fluctuating atmospheric integrity of a rapidly overheating world? Did someone forget to switch to Airplane Mode? Is the Illuminati involved? Have we simply angered God? No, its none of those things. Apparently, someone simply forgot to screw in the bolts tightly enough, which is the most horrifying explanation of all. Heres United, who grounded all of its 737 Max 9s, reporting the results of its investigation, per NBC:

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Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plugfor example, bolts that needed additional tightening. These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.

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It gets worse, because apparently some airlines had an inkling that the Max 9s had a pressurization problem, and were happy to clear the plane for travel anyway. Al Jazeera reports that warning lights triggered on three separate Alaska Max 9 flights, whichto be clearis an aircrafts safety system announcing, in no uncertain terms, that its about to be rocked by a destabilizing blowout. But I digress: Loose bolts? Fuck off! Youre Boeing! Why are you assembling aircraft in the same way I put together an IKEA couch? Thats not allowed to be the problem!

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Remember the original Boeing Max saga? How all of those newfangled 737s were grounded after they kept crashing after takeoff? The problem was some faulty computer software that yanked away orientational control from the pilot, pitching the planes downward into a terminal nosedive. It was terrifying, and absolutely criminal on Boeings part, but at least it reeked of some sinister sci-fi stuffa vengeful A.I., of the SkyNet variety, eliminating humanity one fuselage at a time. Dying in a plane crash is my No. 1 nightmare, but if I must go out that way, Id prefer it to be symbolic of a larger story about mankind losing ground to the infernal machines.

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What I dont want to do, in any capacity, is perish in an unconscionable midair disaster because some idiot didnt screw in the bolts tightly enough. Again, the bolts. The fulcrum on which the entire plane is held togethertechnology that has existed since roughly 400 B.C. Im confident that I could do the job correctly, and I write for a living. Its not that hard!

For the love of God, Boeing: Get it together. Start delivering planes that dont threaten to disintegrate with a stiff breeze. Make sure the doors are properly attached, and double-check that the wings are soldered on correctly as well. Youre not getting any passes, anymore.
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trumps attorneys tried to convince a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that their client is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for the actions he took while in office related to Jan. 6 and his efforts to steal the 2020 election. Their argument? That Trump was president, so it doesnt matter. The three judges did not seem impressed. They are poised to rule against Trump, which could free special counsel Jack Smiths prosecution of Trump from a temporary hold. The effort is the most important legal challenge to Smiths case.

If the D.C. Circuit rules speedily enough and directs the case back to Judge Tanya Chutkans courtroom, then the Jan. 6 criminal trial against Trump can resume relatively close to its initial schedule of a spring trial date. That is, unless the Supreme Court steps in, which will add additional delay. Even in that instance, though, the high court canas it has already done on the question of Trumps qualification for the 2024 presidential ballotmove on an expedited basis to allow the trial to go forward well in advance of Novembers election. With candidate Trump having already telegraphed his intention to use a return to office to claim the powers of a dictator, its no exaggeration to say that these cases could determine whether constitutional democracy as the United States has known it lives or dies.

During Tuesdays arguments, the D.C. Circuit panel consistently pointed to the horrific implications of Trumps immunity argument. If Trumps argument holds, that also means that a president could take bribes to issue pardons, sell military secrets to Americas enemies, or order a military assassination of a political rival and never face prosecutionjust so long as he left office before being impeached and convicted.

As Judge Karen L. Henderson, a Republican appointee who has sided with Trump allies in previous cases involving the former president, put it: I think its paradoxical to say that [a presidents] constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal laws.

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Principally at issue in the case is whether or not the president has absolute immunity from prosecution for allegedly criminal actions if he insists those actions were taken as part of his official duties. His team allows that under this wild interpretation of presidential immunity, the only opportunity for consequences is if the president is impeached and convicted for the conduct in question. (The constitution clearly allows prosecutions in such cases, but Trump was impeached and acquitted of the conduct at issue here.) His attorneys argue that with impeachment having failed, further prosecution is barred.

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Related From Slate The New Jan. 6 Testimony Against Trump Will Be Devastating at Trial Read More

If Trumps argument is accepted, it means that any future president could commit any crime he wanted using the powers of the presidency and never face consequences so long as hes never impeached and convicted. This means that a criminal president could simply resign to receive an instant get-out-of-jail-free card. Or, if a presidents criminal conduct happened as he was leaving office and there was no time to impeach and convict, he would also get off scot-free. Further, if criminal conduct were only uncovered after a presidents term had ended and he had left office, there would be no way to hold him accountable. In other words, a president could secretly order the murder of a journalist or any private citizen, serve out the rest of his term, leave office as his term expires, have the murder uncovered and proven only after he has left office, and still never face any consequences. Trumps attorney, John Sauer, did not even dispute that this was what he was arguing for.

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Judge Florence Pan, a Biden appointee, figured this out early on. Could a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? Thats an official act, an order to SEAL Team Six? she asked Sauer. He would have to speedily be impeached and convicted, Sauer responded, evading the underlying question. But if he werent, there would be no criminal prosecution, no criminal liability for that? Pan countered. Sauer again evaded the question.

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The days arguments are best summarized by this brain-breaking exchange between Judge Pan and Sauer:

Pan: I asked you a yes or no question. Could a president who asked SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival who was not impeached and convicted, could he be subject to prosecution? Sauer: If he were impeached and convicted first. Pan: So your answer no. Sauer: My answer is a qualified yes.  Pan: I have asked you a series of hypotheticals about criminal actions that could be taken by a president and could be considered official acts and have asked you, would such a president be subject to prosecution if hes not impeached or convicted, and your yes or no answer is no. Sauer: I believe my answer was a qualified yes if hes impeached or convicted first. Pan: My question was, so hes not impeached or convicted, lets put that aside. Youre saying a president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival.  Sauer: Those are very extreme examples of potential official acts.

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The rest of Sauers morning did not go much better than that. Everyone agreed that the president can lose his absolute immunity protection under specific circumstancesincluding, as Sauer conceded, in the case of an impeachment and conviction. That means, Judge Pan pointed out, that the immunity principle was not actually absolute. Sauer rejected that framing, but did not really have a good argument in response.

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It was also repeatedly pointed out to Sauer that President Richard Nixon resigned from office without being impeached or convicted, but still faced prosecution for his actions related to the Watergate burglary and cover-up while in office. Sure, he ultimately accepted a full pardon from President Gerald Ford in the case, but the relevant part here is that former presidents can be prosecuted.

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Sauer did try to carve out a distinction between Nixon and Trump by arguing that Nixons alleged crimes did not involve the office of the presidency. President Nixon was accused of a wide range of purely private conduct, and he was facing potential indictment for that at the time the pardon was issued, Sauer said. Nobody has contended that the president is immune for purely private conduct.

However, as James Pearce, who argued the case on behalf of the Department of Justice, pointed out: Nixon was not about private conduct. Nixon was about, among other things, using the CIA to try to interfere with an FBI investigation. As Pearce put it, At least since the Watergate era 50 years ago, has there been widespread societal recognition, including by presidents and the executive branch, that a former president is subject to criminal prosecution.

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The last argument Judge Henderson and Pan both intensely questioned Sauer on is perhaps the most ridiculous (if you can imagine one more outlandish than what weve already been through). The two judges noted that Trumps legal team made the exact opposite argument about the impeachment clauses supposed prohibition on prosecutions of former presidents during his 2021 impeachment trial over the conduct in question. As I noted in Slate when the motion to dismiss the case on immunity grounds was first filed back in Octoberand as Pan noted at Tuesdays argumentsduring that impeachment trial, Trumps legal team argued that the only appropriate venue for trying any Jan. 6 case was the criminal legal system, not a congressional impeachment proceeding. The Constitution expressly provides in Article I, Section 3, Clause 7 that a convicted party, following impeachment, shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment according to law,  Trumps attorney noted at the time. Clearly, a former civil officer who is not impeached is subject to the same.

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Judge Pan suggested Trump had switched positions based on personal convenience. You took the position, or your client did, during the impeachment proceedings, that there would be an option for criminal prosecution later. And its in the Congressional Record, and I guess the question is what has changed, or why have you changed your position? she asked Sauer. At this, Sauer simply denied that clear statements from the Congressional Record were actually Trumps previous legal positions, saying, I wouldnt agree with that characterization of the statements in the Congressional Record.

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Ultimately in this case, Trumps attorneys are once again in the unenviable position of arguing a maximalist position with far-reaching and horrifying implications in order to defend the outrageous conduct of their client. If these are the arguments Trump plans to bring to the Supreme Court, it will be virtually impossible for the justices to justify siding with Trump and against his criminal accountability for Jan. 6. Well see how far these justices are willing to bend the law for Trump if and when the case reaches them, or if this display was enough to quash these absurd stances.
Why pay for a Ferrari when a Honda gets you where youre going just as well?

And just as fast, if youre obeying speed limits, stop signs, and the like.

Weve heard that tired, old line applied to everything from mattresses to Web development to, well, cars. And though the comparison makes sense in some cases, its mostly pretty silly. Hondas and Ferrraris are meant to do two very different things. Once you get past four wheels and an engine, they have virtually nothing in common.

When it comes to Web design and development, the car comparison works if you view your website as a tool meant to help you achieve a business goal, much like a landscaper might use a truck to help their business.

In comparing trucks, our landscaper might choose between a $20,000 pickup truck and a dump truck that might be three times the price. Why would anyone consider the additional capital expense, to say nothing of the added maintenance and fuel costs?

Well, if the bigger truck means your crews save 20 percent of their time hauling materials to project sites, and another 10 percent of their time not filling and emptying wheelbarrows, the dump truck might pay for itself in 6 months or less. That makes the bigger up-front costs begin to look like a bargain.

Meeting Website Marketing Goals

The same holds true for your website. Even a modest investment can get you a site that looks good, presents your business professionally, and probably even works well on mobile devices and desktop computers.

A larger investment, though, is likely to yield a greater return on your investment over time. Features like gated content and calls to action can help you attract and measure generation of new leads. Strong analytics can help you determine what interests your audience and where to focus your marketing. A flexible structure will let you adjust the site easily as you gain more insight into your customers needs.

In other words, rather than evaluating your web design and development options based on cost alone, consider how the site will meet your website marketing goals. A more expensive site may be able to generate a larger return more quickly.

There are businesses for which the pickup truck version of a website makes the most sense. The only way to determine whether the larger investment will help you meet your website marketing goals is to define your goals and talk to a developer with a marketing focus who can help you create a plan on reaching those goals.

That planning is the key to making your website a productive part of your marketing toolkit, and ensuring that you reach your website marketing goals.

Investing in Your Website: From Hondas to Ferraris

Different Tools for Different Goals: Comparing websites to cars, like Hondas and Ferraris, makes sense when you view your website as a tool to achieve specific business goals, just as landscapers choose trucks to enhance their operations.

Comparing websites to cars, like Hondas and Ferraris, makes sense when you view your website as a tool to achieve specific business goals, just as landscapers choose trucks to enhance their operations. Choosing the Right Tool: Just like a landscaper might opt for a larger, more expensive dump truck to save time and increase efficiency, investing more in your website can lead to a greater return on investment over time.

Just like a landscaper might opt for a larger, more expensive dump truck to save time and increase efficiency, investing more in your website can lead to a greater return on investment over time. Beyond Surface Appearance: While a basic website may suffice for a professional online presence, a larger investment can offer features like gated content, calls to action, and strong analytics that help generate leads and adapt to evolving customer needs.

While a basic website may suffice for a professional online presence, a larger investment can offer features like gated content, calls to action, and strong analytics that help generate leads and adapt to evolving customer needs. Maximizing Returns: Instead of evaluating website options solely based on cost, consider how well the site aligns with your website marketing goals. A more substantial investment could result in a faster and more significant return on your investment.

Instead of evaluating website options solely based on cost, consider how well the site aligns with your website marketing goals. A more substantial investment could result in a faster and more significant return on your investment. Tailored Planning: Just as businesses vary, some may benefit from a pickup truck version of a website, while others require a more sophisticated approach. Define your goals and work with a marketing-focused developer to create a strategy that aligns with your vision.

Key Points Description Different Tools for Different Goals View websites like cars: tools to achieve business goals. Just as landscapers choose trucks for efficiency. Choosing the Right Tool Opt for more investment, like a larger truck, for greater ROI. Enhance efficiency and capabilities over time. Beyond Surface Appearance Basic websites suffice for a presence; more investment offers gated content, calls to action, analytics for leads. Maximizing Returns Evaluate based on alignment with website marketing goals. Substantial investment may yield faster, significant ROI. Tailored Planning Businesses differ; some need basic, others sophisticated websites. Define goals, work with marketing-focused devs.

Maximizing Online Engagement: Strategies Beyond the Basics

In todays digital landscape, merely having an online presence is not enough. For a business to truly thrive, it needs to engage effectively with its audience. Maximizing online engagement requires more than just basic strategies; it involves a deeper understanding of your audiences needs and preferences, and tailoring your content and interactions accordingly. Here are key strategies to enhance online engagement:

Interactive Content : Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and surveys on your website. These tools not only increase engagement but also provide valuable insights into your audiences preferences and behaviors.

: Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and surveys on your website. These tools not only increase engagement but also provide valuable insights into your audiences preferences and behaviors. User-Generated Content : Encourage your audience to share their experiences with your brand. This could be through reviews, testimonials, or social media posts. User-generated content not only boosts engagement but also enhances trust and credibility.

: Encourage your audience to share their experiences with your brand. This could be through reviews, testimonials, or social media posts. User-generated content not only boosts engagement but also enhances trust and credibility. Personalization : Use data analytics to understand customer behavior and preferences. Personalize your communications and content to resonate more with your audience. Personalization can range from tailored email marketing campaigns to customized product recommendations on your website.

: Use data analytics to understand customer behavior and preferences. Personalize your communications and content to resonate more with your audience. Personalization can range from tailored email marketing campaigns to customized product recommendations on your website. Video Content : Videos are highly engaging and can convey your message more effectively than text. Use live streaming, tutorials, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and customer testimonials in video format to engage your audience.

: Videos are highly engaging and can convey your message more effectively than text. Use live streaming, tutorials, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and customer testimonials in video format to engage your audience. Responsive and Engaging Social Media Presence : Regularly update your social media profiles with content that encourages interaction. Respond promptly to comments, messages, and reviews. Create a community around your brand where customers feel heard and valued.

: Regularly update your social media profiles with content that encourages interaction. Respond promptly to comments, messages, and reviews. Create a community around your brand where customers feel heard and valued. Gamification : Incorporating game-like elements such as leaderboards, badges, and rewards can significantly boost engagement. This approach can be particularly effective in loyalty programs or interactive marketing campaigns.

: Incorporating game-like elements such as leaderboards, badges, and rewards can significantly boost engagement. This approach can be particularly effective in loyalty programs or interactive marketing campaigns. Mobile Optimization : With the increasing use of smartphones for internet browsing, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. A seamless mobile experience can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates.

: With the increasing use of smartphones for internet browsing, ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. A seamless mobile experience can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates. Regular Updates and Fresh Content: Keep your website and social media profiles fresh with regular updates. Consistently post new, relevant, and valuable content to keep your audience coming back for more.

By implementing these strategies, you can go beyon

Frequently Asked Questions: Investing in Your Website  From Hondas to Ferraris

What does the comparison between Hondas and Ferraris mean in the context of website development?

The analogy draws parallels between choosing different types of cars and selecting various levels of investment in website design and development. Just as Hondas and Ferraris serve different purposes in the automotive world, different website approaches cater to varying business goals.

How does the analogy apply to choosing the right investment for website development?

Similar to a landscaper choosing a larger, more expensive dump truck to enhance efficiency and save time, investing more in your website can lead to a greater long-term return on investment. While a basic website suffices for a professional online presence, a larger investment can provide features like gated content, calls to action, and advanced analytics, aiding lead generation and customer engagement.

How does a larger investment in website development maximize returns?

While a modest investment can yield a site that looks good and works well, a more substantial investment offers a higher return over time. Features like gated content and calls to action help attract and measure lead generation. Robust analytics allow businesses to understand audience interests and refine marketing strategies, while a flexible site structure supports adjustments based on customer insights.

Why is it crucial to consider website marketing goals over cost alone?

Rather than solely evaluating website development based on cost, focusing on how well the site aligns with your marketing goals is essential. A more expensive site, akin to a Ferrari, can generate a larger return more quickly. Businesses should consider the long-term benefits of a site thats optimized to meet specific marketing objectives.

How can businesses tailor their website development strategy to their needs?

Every business is unique, and some may benefit from a basic pickup truck version of a website, while others require a more sophisticated approach. To determine if a larger investment aligns with your website marketing goals, define these goals and collaborate with a developer who understands marketing strategies. Customized planning ensures that your website becomes a productive component of your marketing toolkit, enabling you to reach your website marketing goals effectively.

In essence, the analogy of Hondas and Ferraris serves as a reminder that investing more in your website development can lead to greater returns, much like opting for a more efficient truck can benefit a landscapers operations. By considering your websites role in achieving business goals and working with a developer to tailor a strategy, you can drive your online presence toward success.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Path for Your Website Investment

The comparison between Hondas and Ferraris in the context of website development encapsulates a crucial decision-making process for businesses aiming to establish a strong online presence. While the analogy may seem simplistic, it holds profound insights into the art of investing wisely in web design and development. Just as these two car models are designed for entirely different purposes, so too are the various options available for creating a website tailored to your business goals.

In the world of landscaping, the choice between a standard pickup truck and a more expensive dump truck illustrates the value of investing in tools that enhance efficiency and save time. Similarly, the decision to invest more in your website can yield a substantial return over time. While a basic website provides a professional online presence, a more substantial investment can unlock features like gated content, calls to action, and advanced analytics, all of which contribute to effective lead generation and customer engagement.

The essence of the comparison extends beyond the surface appearance of a website. A larger investment aligns with the maximization of returns, as features like strong analytics guide businesses in understanding audience interests, refining marketing strategies, and adapting to customer needs. Evaluating web design and development options solely based on cost neglects the potential of a more substantial investment to yield quicker and more significant returns. Thus, the emphasis shifts to how well a website aligns with your specific website marketing goals.

However, its essential to recognize that just as businesses differ, the website strategies that suit them vary too. Some may thrive with a basic pickup truck version of a website, while others require a more sophisticated approach akin to a high-performance car. To navigate this landscape effectively, defining your goals and collaborating with a marketing-focused developer are paramount. Tailored planning ensures that your website becomes an integral part of your marketing toolkit, effectively propelling you toward your website marketing goals.

In conclusion, the analogy of Hondas and Ferraris reinforces the idea that investing more in your website development can lead to greater returns. By aligning your website with your business objectives and engaging in a thoughtful strategy, you can transform your online presence from a mere vehicle into a dynamic and productive engine that accelerates your success in the digital realm. Just as the right tool can make all the difference in a landscapers operations, the right website investment can propel your business forward with speed and precision.
In Slovak, you don't have a sore throat but the throat pains you. For a remedy, have you tried the drink with bacon grease, caramel, and slivovica?

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The cold of winter has arrived in Slovakia, and with it the first kychania (achews) of the winter cold season.

The good news is that Slovaks are a solicitous people, especially when confronted by chori (the ill). But if you want to cash in on free over the counter drugs from neighbours and doctor notes excusing you from work for weeks at a time (ospravedlnenka), you'll have to learn to name what ails you.

Chripka is the flu, although it sounds more like a small bird to me. Nadcha is the common cold, hnacka diarrhoea and horucka a fever. Stuffy nose (plny nos) nearly translates literally, and kasel is a cough. (The verb kaslat also means to disregard something, as in "Kaslem na to. Uz na tom pracujem 14 hodin. Idem domov." [I don't give a damn anymore. I've been working on this for 14 hours. I'm going home.])

Headaches and throat aches and every other kind of ache are handled by the verb boliet, to experience pain. Boliet is a little tricky because it takes as its subject the cause of the pain and as its object the sufferer of the pain, as in boli ma hrdlo (lit. the throat hurts me).

I raise the point to illustrate a broader peculiarity: Slovak - especially where the body is affected - has an abundance of such phrases in which the emphasis is placed on the event happening to the individual. It's almost as if people are victims to their bodies (picha ma v bruchu, lit. it stabs me in the stomach, meaning I have stabbing pains in my stomach), possessions (spadlo mi pero, lit. my pen fell to me, meaning my pen fell) and surroundings (je mi teplo, lit. it is to me hot, meaning I am hot).

This takes a little getting used to for the native English speaker, who expects his nose to run, not his nose to run to him (tecie mu nos), his head to ache, not his head to ache him (boli ma hlava) and that he feels sick, not that it be sick to him (je mi zle, lit. it is to me bad).

You'll need to develop a feel for this just to say I'm cold (je mi zima, lit. it is to me cold). Slangier expressions include drgluje ma (lit. it is shaking me) and the perplexing je mi kosa (lit. it is to me a scythe.) Zima ako v Rusku (cold as a Russian winter) and studeny ako psi cumak (cold as a dog's sniffer) are grammatically simpler but equally piquant ways of saying the same thing.

If the cold manages to get under your fingernails (zima sa mi dostala pod nechty), as Slovaks say, and you catch a cold (prechladnut), you'll have to rely on over the counter drugs that can be quite different to what you're used to at home. I recently took something for my stomach called cierne uhlie. It turned out to be plain old-fashioned charcoal. The old standbys aspirin (acylpirin) and Ibuprofen (ibuprofen) are available for combating pain but the Slovak favourite is paracetamol, of the brand name Paralen. Slovaks consider the cure for all nameless ills to take two Paralen and go to bed.

If the pills don't help, you're at the mercy of a nearly bankrupt medical system and the theories of well-meaning friends. For every illness there are a hundred Slovak home remedies (ludova liecba). I am inclined to label most of these old wives' tales (recepty starych mam), yet in recent days I had a strong horucka broken by a recept starych mam that required me to lay in a cocoon of soaking-wet towels for nearly an hour. It was to me scythe, but it worked.

Slippers (papuce) are Slovaks first and last line of defence against getting sick. There is a saying that it is conceivable for a Norwegian to have a sauna and no house but not a house without a sauna. I think you can safely substitute the word Norwegian for Slovak and the word sauna for 'heaping pile of multi-coloured, multi-sized slippers'. Good news for your feet, but a strain on your Slovak, since the language has separate words for taking off (vyzut sa) and putting on (obut sa) footwear. A typical exchange:

Nemusis sa vyzuvat...

(You don't have to take off your shoes.)

Ale aspon si obuj papuce...

(Well at least put on slippers)

One of my favourite Slovak winter words is palciaky, which means mittens (palec means thumb). The all-time best winter Slovak word, however, is hriato. The o is pronounced like 'whoa', which reminds me of the America cartoon character Elmer Fudd, who pronounced his R's as W's.

In the Liptov region, a dialect is still spoken in which hundreds of words end in o. It's pwiceless.

Hriato, incidentally, is a winter drink of white alcohol (typically vodka or slivovica) boiled with bacon grease, caramel and water, served hot and purported to be healthy.

Enjoy the word, enjoy the hriato, and don't forget to wear papuce.

This story was first published by The Slovak Spectator on December 10, 2001. We have updated the piece to make it relevant for today.
Youngtimers can now enjoy a lower registration fee.

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So-called youngtimers - vehicles that are 20 to 29 years old - are now officially considered to be younger historic vehicles in Slovakia, based on an amendment to the law on the operation of vehicles in road traffic. It entered into force on January 1, 2024.

For the owners of such vehicles, this brings an advantage in the form of a lower registration fee.

Future historic vehicles

Based on the amended legislation, a younger classic vehicle is a vehicle that has a licence issued by the International Federation for Historic Vehicles (FIVA). It was manufactured more than 20 and fewer than 30 years ago, but no longer in production as a vehicle type.

The vehicle must also be preserved and maintained in its original condition and not have undergone any substantial change in the technical characteristics of its main components, and not used as a means of daily transport.

The new legislation sets the administrative fee to register a younger historic vehicle at a fixed amount of 33.

Youngtimers may become historic vehicles in the future. FIVA defines a historic vehicle as a mechanically propelled road vehicle of at least 30 years old, preserved and maintained in a historically correct condition, not used as a means of daily transport and therefore part of our technical and cultural heritage.

Slovakia has an old car fleet

The car fleet in Slovakia is one of the oldest in the European Union. Based on the latest data of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), the average age of passenger cars in Slovakia was 14.3 years in 2021.

Greece and Estonia have even older car fleets, with vehicles almost 17 years old. The newest passenger cars can be found in Luxembourg (7.6 years). The EU average is 12 years.

Related article

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In 2022, some 2.5 million passenger cars were registered in Slovakia. Of these, more than 650,000 or almost 25 percent were more than 20 years old, according to the Automotive Industry Association (ZAP).
We've entered the new year with the dusted-off knowledge that we have our voice.

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We didnt become better, healthier, braver or more aware than we were in the last days of December.

Resolutions are the oldest New Years cliche, and New Years wishes have flooded us through all channels. Some were generated by artificial intelligence, some by tradition, from hackneyed rhymes to sincerely thought-out personal wishes.

But if theyre good for anything at all, its that they make us think for a moment about our potential, what we can do better if there were actual time-dividing lines.

If, after a few days, a part of Slovakia returns to its daily hatred towards anyone whom the prime minister of the country labels an enemy, then the holidays were another missed chance, a few days off with a licence for binge eating and making noise in the squares.
Youngtimers recognised as classic vehicles, why 2024 can be a good year, and a Slovak player from Russias KHL boycotted in Czechia.

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Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, January 9 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Fico buys flat, pays nothing (for now)

Sokolska Residence was built near the Foreign Ministry in Bratislava. (Source: sokolska.sk)

The Sme daily has obtained a copy of PM Robert Ficos apartment purchase contract from an anonymous source. The politician has refused to comment on how much he paid for his new luxury property in Bratislava.

The document shows that Fico bought the flat for 509,000 last December. A real estate expert approached by the daily estimates the actual value of Ficos big dwelling at 850,000. The PM bought it from Smer MP Dusan Munko. The lawmaker, who bought the flat for 600,000 in 2019, confirmed the published price to Sme.

Before Fico bought the property, he had paid a rent to Munko for three years. The rent was much lower than estimated by experts at the time for this type of property.

So far, Fico hasnt paid anything for the purchase. Fico should pay the first part of the purchase price, 150,000, within three months. The rest should be paid within six months.

The prime minister did not say where he obtained the funds to buy the flat.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Sport: A Slovak player from Russias KHL boycotted in Czechia joins a German club.

A Slovak player from Russias KHL boycotted in Czechia joins a German club. Business: Slovakia officially recognises youngtimers as classic vehicles.

Slovakia officially recognises youngtimers as classic vehicles. Opinion: Why 2024 can be a good year for Slovakia.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.

FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY

Slovak Matters: Dont forget to wear papuce

The cold of winter has arrived in Slovakia, and with it the first kychania (achews) of the winter cold season. (Source: Pixabay)

In Slovak, you dont have a sore throat but the throat pains you. For a remedy, have you tried the drink with bacon grease, caramel, and slivovica?

EVENT FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

Illustrative photo. (Source: Pexels)

Chefs of the top Slovak restaurants will cook meals in three different categories - Our Iconic Food, Flavours of the Regions and the Chefs Choice - from January 13 until February 25 for all the customers looking for a gourmet adventure.

Price: 32-55/three- or four-course menu/person

Other news

The Irish airline Ryanair will operate 21 regular flights from Bratislava during this summer season, from the end of March to the end of October. After almost 20 years of operation at the Bratislava airport, Ryanair transported 15 million passengers on Monday. A person travelling to Thessaloniki, Greece, became a 15 millionth passenger .

In 2023, 350,224 cars were produced at the Kia plant in the north of Slovakia. This is the best result of the plant in its 18-year history. Kia Slovakia reached the best production result in 2019 when it produced 344,000 vehicles. The production capacity is set to 350,000 vehicles.

PM Robert Fico asked Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer) to submit a new report on food prices to the government as soon as possible. The Finance Ministry is reportedly working on an application for price comparison of the most important foodstuffs. The PM also announced the extension of the remission of part of the levies for primary food producers. Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer) should prepare an analysis on how the levy waiver has helped reduce food price increases. According to Takac, the extension of the measure should be valid until June and should also be extended to fruit and vegetable growers.

The National Crime Agency (NAKA) might be abolished , Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Hlas) told the daily Standard. However, it is more likely that this authority will undergo some kind of transformation. The minister believes that NAKA has got too many specialised departments and executive officers.

A lie detector has shown that the key witness in the Daniel Tupy murder case lied. Vladimir Malicek claims that he punched the stabbed university student in the face in 2005 and left the scene near the Danube River in Bratislava. The lie detector identified lies. Lawyer Adam Puskar, who has been in custody for 10 months, is the only charged person in the case. The trial will continue at the end of February. (Sme)

In Cerveny Klastor, northeastern Slovakia, the temperature fell to -24.1C last night. It is the lowest temperature of this winter, the met office said.

Fields near Topolcany, western Slovakia, on January 9, 2024. (Source: TASR)

WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Clear skies, light breeze and no showers. The daytime temperature will range from -3C to +3C. Low temperature warnings are in place in northern Slovakia.(SHMU)

JANUARY 10 NAMEDAY IN SLOVAKIA: Dasa

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P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/majority-of-americans-believe-us-under-invasion-by-migrants-at-southern-border---poll-1116063481.html

Majority of Americans Believe US Under Invasion by Migrants at Southern Border - Poll

Majority of Americans Believe US Under Invasion by Migrants at Southern Border - Poll

Sputnik International

Nearly two out of three likely voters in the United States believe that the country is facing an invasion by migrants at the southern border, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll published Monday.

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illegal immigration

illegal migration

illegal immigrants

illegal migrants

illegal crossing

us

mexico

us-mexico border

americans

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Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 65%, said that it is accurate to describe the situation at the US-Mexico border as an invasion, the poll report said. Forty-three percent (43%) of respondents said that such a description is very accurate, the poll report added. Less than one-third of respondents, 31%, believe that the description is inaccurate, including 15% who do not believe it is accurate at all, the poll report said. One in five respondents believe that the situation at the US southern border is not a crisis, while 72% believe that the situation is indeed a crisis, the poll report said. Seventy percent (70%) of respondents believe that border security is a vital US national security interest, the poll report said. The poll surveyed 1,044 likely US voters from January 2-4. The poll maintains a margin of error of plus-or-minus three percentage points with a 95% confidence level. Earlier this month, US media reported that border security officials documented 302,000 migrant encounters in December, marking the highest single-month figure ever recorded. US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faces impeachment threats by the House of Representatives for his alleged mishandling of border security.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231229/no-immediate-solution-us-border-crisis-rooted-in-decades-of-bad-policy-1115866550.html

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southern border, border crisis, us border crisis, us-mexico relations, illegal migrants, illegal migration, influx of migrants, deteriorating migration situation, migration situation, immigration policy, us-mexico border, illegal immigrants, us-mexico relations, border crossings, zero-tolerance policy, invasion of migrants
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/white-house-biden-wont-fire-us-defense-secretary-over-transparency-scandal-1116066379.html

White House: Biden Wont Fire US Defense Secretary Over Transparency Scandal

White House: Biden Wont Fire US Defense Secretary Over Transparency Scandal

Sputnik International

A White House official on Monday said that US President Joe Biden is not considering firing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after his failure to disclose a hospital stay drew bipartisan criticism.

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joe biden

john kirby

karine jean-pierre

pentagon

lloyd austin

hospitalization

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A White House official on Monday said that US President Joe Biden is not considering firing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after his failure to disclose a hospital stay drew bipartisan criticism.The scandal emerged late last week when the Department of Defense revealed Austin had been hospitalized since Monday after complications from a recent surgery. The decision had been made not to share the information outside the Pentagon, with the president only being informed Thursday afternoon.The president continues to have confidence in Secretary Austin, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday. The number one thing is we want to see him get well and back at the Pentagon.There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job, said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby of the retired four-star general and former Raytheon board member. Kirby added that Biden respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency.Lawmakers from both major political parties criticized the lapse in traditional protocol. We are concerned with how the disclosure of the Secretary's condition was handled, read a joint statement from Reps. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA) Sunday.Several questions remain unanswered, the statement continued, including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretarys current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretarys responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress.Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible, the congressmen concluded.Former President and GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said, Failed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty, in a post on his Truth Social platform.Austin, who is 70, returned to work remotely from the hospital on Friday.Kirby said the White House would investigate the situation and consider changes in protocol. As you might expect, well take a look at process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience and if theres changes that need to be made in terms of process and procedure, well do that, he said.

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what happened to lloyd austin, why was pentagon chief hospitalized, what is state of us defense secretary,
Opinions on necessity differ among merchants

By Jung Da-hyun

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Jongno District Office and Gwangjang Market in Seoul are set to address concerns over merchants overcharging customers by introducing a system to specify the required quantity of food along with its price.

The city government is discussing the implementation of a method to mark the weight or quantity next to the menu item prices, possibly accompanied by a sample model that represents the typical portion size for the market's signature dishes.

The issue of overcharging in Gwangjang Market came to the fore in November when a YouTuber, renowned for his global travel content, posted a video about visiting the market with two Vietnamese friends.

The video showed a situation where the amount of mixed "jeon," Korean-style pancakes, priced at 15,000 won ($11.40) per plate was exceptionally small. The video depicted the merchant insisting that the patrons make additional orders, despite the YouTuber and his companions explaining that they wanted to try various dishes.

Concerns have been raised about potentially tarnishing Korea's image as Gwangjang Market is a popular destination for foreign tourists as well as the issue of people being overcharged.

In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jongno District Office have devised measures to address the problem.

Seven stores that sell Korean-style pancakes, including the one featured in the YouTube video, have agreed to note the quantity of food next to its price on their menu items starting this month, according to the city government.

Furthermore, later this month, district officials will conduct on-site inspections disguised as "mystery shoppers."

While the city government, the district office and the merchant association of Gwangjang Market have all agreed on the system, specific implementation details such as the method of noting the quantity by weight or number are yet to be finalized. The idea of installing sample models of food is also under consideration.

Some merchants argue against the need for quantity notation in the market, citing traditional practices of accommodating customer requests.

While there's a standard portion we provide to customers, being a traditional market, we are more open to customers requests on the quantity of food, said a merchant of a Korean-style pancake store located adjacent to the store featured in the YouTube video.

Foreign customers in particular often request smaller portions, because they hesitate to leave food behind, she added.

They also questioned the effectiveness of showing sample food models when customers can already observe the size and shape of the food being prepared in front of them.

Other merchants from the market have voiced criticism of the system, which brought attention to the overcharging issue. They argue that it is unnecessary for all stores to undergo such changes, while emphasizing the importance of imposing strict penalties on the establishments that are overcharging customers.

The store that appeared in the YouTube video posted in November faced consequences, such as a 10-day suspension of operations imposed by the merchants' association of Gwangjang Market.

Despite differing opinions among merchants, visitors to the market have generally expressed positive views on the proposed system of disclosing the quantity of food with their respective prices.

There is a little inconvenience because I have to inquire and assess if the price aligns with my expectations every single time, said Choi Jeong-hyeon, who visited Gwangjang Market with her friend.

If there's a model, you can understand the quantity intuitively, making it easier to grasp the pricing and decide whether to buy it or not, said Lee Hyun-chae, Chois companion.

During lunch hour on Monday, approximately two months after the overcharging issue came up, significant numbers of foreign tourists were still crowding Gwangjang Market.

I can know quite intuitively since the foods are displayed in the front, said Cora Alvarez, a tourist from Australia, asserting that she perceives overcharging is not a big issue in the market.

However, not all tourists share this sentiment. DV Bui, another Australian visiting the market for the first time, acknowledged instances of unfavorable customer service experiences in traditional markets in Korea.

There have been examples of bad customer service to foreigners, but at the same time there have been plenty of instances of good customer service as well, Bui said.

Maybe it would be better to show a short example or to specify the quantity, he added regarding the city governments new quantitative labeling system.

After the initial implementation of the quantitative labeling system, the city government and district office plan to expand it to 15 nearby stores next month, with further expansion encouraged until June.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/de-coupled-de-dollarized-and-developing-de-centralizing-as-well-1116082726.html

De-Coupled, De-Dollarized, and Developing: De-Centralizing as Well?

De-Coupled, De-Dollarized, and Developing: De-Centralizing as Well?

Sputnik International

We have said goodbye to 2023 when one hundred and seventy-six (176) new large-scale manufacturing factories were commissioned and are now operating throughout... 09.01.2024, Sputnik International

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russia

russia

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russian federation

european union (eu)

russian economy under sanctions

made in russia

made in russia brand

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by Paul Goncharoff, chief manager of consulting firm Goncharoff, LLCSimply for comparison's sake in 2022 just over one hundred (100) new plants were commissioned. It is worth noting that all these new manufacturing plants are state-of-the-art, with the latest equipment and systems geared to resolving any shortages due to imposed trade restrictions. Most if not all of these enterprises have introduced new technologies, automated production processes and have improved energy efficiencies resulting in improved product quality, shortened production time, and reduced production costs.In the not-too-distant past, most of the large plants in Russia were built in large cities or regional centers, however today the picture is radically different with many of these new facilities being built in what was referred to as the peripheries or hinterlands. This has in turn transformed and is transforming the infrastructure of much of Russia that was marginalized in the past. New roads, logistics, energy, and transportation accessibility to places that were recently considered long forgotten are continually improving.Import substitution and reducing dependence and vulnerability to imports are only some of the reasons for the broad distribution of these new plants. The key reasons are to create opportunities and modernize industrial and infrastructural strengths throughout the many regions of the country, a self-transforming growth curve.Many of these new facilities are involved in key industries such as automotive, energy, food industry, health, and information technologies. This is due to both the needs of the market today and the government's import substitution objectives. Some say that the record number of plants opened this year is a phenomenon. In contrast, others say it is just another logical phase in growing the economy and strengthening the investment climate in Russia. Some analysts even go as far as to say it is "De-Lovely".In 2023, several car manufacturing plants were opened, from EVs to high-efficiency gas and diesel such as "Russky Avto", "AutoMaster", "Electromobiles Manufacturing Rus", as well as plants in Togliatti and Novokuznetsk. In Ulyanovsk, the new Sollers Cargo facility launched full-cycle production of Sollers Argo compact light-duty trucks this past September, and the Chelyabinsk Urban Electric Transport Plant was opened in the Leninsky district of Chelyabinsk in March of this year.Foreign investors continue to show interest in developing production in Russia. In 2023, several plants with foreign capital were opened. A 10,000 square meter facility called "Autotechnika" was opened through German investment, specializing in producing automotive components. Investors from "friendly countries", even Japanese and certain EU investors have also made significant investments in localized high-technologies and manufacturing.Part and parcel of plans to enhance production in Russia is the development of the information technology sector. New software development centers for computers and electronics. Manufacturing plants are creating new jobs, accelerating the development of innovations in IT technologies, and increasing exports of "Made in Russia" products.In November 2023 the ICL motherboard production plant was launched in Tatarstan making 300 thousand motherboards a year with expansion plans for 1 million per year. This plant produces computing equipment, printed circuit boards, and surface printed circuit boards with the installation of foreign and domestic processors "Baikal and "Elbrus".An assembly and testing complex was launched at the "LEPSE" plant, one of the largest machine-building enterprises producing electrical equipment for aviation. This new facility was created "from scratch" within 9 months.In March of 2023, "Aeromax LLC" started pilot and serial production of unmanned aerial systems. In particular, the company produces helicopter-type unmanned aircraft systems designed for cargo transportation and flights in severe weather conditions. The facility now employs more than 2,000 people.Medicine and pharmaceuticals have not been left out either, the city of Saransk this past March saw a large pharmaceutical plant for the production of active pharmaceutical components opened producing 150 types of substances. Here anti-tumor drugs are created and molecules for synthetic antibiotics are produced. In Kaliningrad, a new pharmaceutical plant opened in 2023 will produce a wide range of drugs, including antibiotics, antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.New plants opened in Russia in 2023 have created a significant number of jobs and a variety of vacancies. The amount of labor required to work at these plants is significant. Difficulties in shipping and paying for goods abroad have strongly spurred entrepreneurs to launch domestic businesses. The past year has also seen several now-obsolete facilities closed not only for reasons of uneconomic modernization and outdated production capacities but also because of their negative impact on the environment. These were replaced by other production facilities, possibly in other regions that meet all requirements.Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond it is apparent that vast opportunities are open to further develop the transportation network, building roads, airports, and railways. Consider that in 2023 More than 31,000 km of federal, regional, and local roads were built across Russia, with over 188 mln sq m of asphalt/concrete laid in the regions.This all contributes to improving decentralized transportation accessibility, the development of logistics, and the creation of new jobs to improve the quality of life and income levels of the population.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231226/russia-now-europes-largest-economy---presidential-aide-1115816838.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231110/china-expo-shows-russian-export-potential-surpassing-100-million-1114869317.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/german-farmers-protest-economic-policy-forced-by-failed-sanctions-on-russia-1116069365.html

German Farmers Protest Economic Policy Forced by Failed Sanctions on Russia

German Farmers Protest Economic Policy Forced by Failed Sanctions on Russia

Sputnik International

An analyst says the economic consequences of Western support for Ukraine have caused a crack in European society.

2024-01-09T04:03+0000

2024-01-09T04:03+0000

2024-01-09T04:18+0000

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Germany was rocked by protests from farmers Monday over a planned cut in agricultural subsidies. Analyst Elijah Magnier says the continents mounting economic problems stem from failed Western sanctions against Russia.The protests are related to the war in Ukraine and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, said Magnier.Magnier said economic difficulties throughout Europe are leading to the election of right-wing leaders.All that is because people are fed up with the policy of their leaders and the increase of taxes and the lift of subsidies, he concluded, like the German farmers and like the farmers in the Netherlands and all these other consequences of our policy towards Russia and our involvement in Ukraine and the Ukraine war, thinking that we could strip off Russia from all its resources and we end up paying all that we have accumulated throughout the centuries from stealing [from] other continents.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231206/eu-overpaid-185-bln-for-gas-due-to-russia-sanctions--1115419103.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/iran-links-kerman-attack-to-daeshs-afghan-proxy-1116074555.html

Iran Links Kerman Attack to Daeshs Afghan Proxy

Iran Links Kerman Attack to Daeshs Afghan Proxy

Sputnik International

Iran suffered the deadliest terror attack in its modern history on January 3 after a twin suicide attack targeting mourners in Kerman, southeastern Iran commemorating the anniversary of late IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimanis death killed 91 people and injured more than 280 others.

2024-01-09T11:38+0000

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The Afghan offshoot of Daesh (ISIS)* was behind last weeks terrorist bombings in Kerman, and is looking to destabilize regional security, Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said.In the current circumstances, we definitely need comprehensive cooperation in the fight against terrorism as well as arms and drug trafficking in Afghanistan, Ghalibaf said.The parliamentary speaker urged Afghanistans Taliban** authorities to incorporate all ethnic groups and political currents into the government to assure sustainable governance.Emomali arrived in Iran on Monday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and discussing issues including security and terrorism.Iran has detained 32 people in connection with the Kerman attack, and has indicated that one of the two suicide attackers responsible for the deadly incident was a Tajik national. Along with the two bombs which went off during a procession dedicated to late IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, 16 other explosive devices were recently discovered throughout the province by the security services and disarmed, according to Kerman Prosecutor Mahdi Bakhshi. The terrorists also planned to plant explosives inside the cemetery itself, but were unable to do so due to the presence of local security forces.Ninety-one people were killed and 284 injured in the January 3 attack, with Daesh claiming responsibility and IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani accusing the perpetrators of having been supplied by the United States and the Zionist regime. The US denied that Washington or Tel Aviv had anything to do with the attack, and told media that ISIS-K  Daeshs Afghanistan proxy, was likely responsible.Iranian officials including the late Commander Soleimani and Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have accused the US and its allies of conceiving, training, arming and funding Daesh in a bid to destabilize the region. The Afghani militia has been fighting ISIS-K in since 2015, with the conflict between them escalating after 2021 as the Taliban quickly swept through Afghanistan over the ruins of the US-backed puppet regime and established control over most of the country.Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020 during a clandestine peace mission aimed at restoring Irans diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia.Iran has ordered its border security along the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan to be beefed up in the wake of the Kerman attack.* A terrorist group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, outlawed in Russia and many other countries.** An Afghan militant group under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240104/iranian-supreme-leader-organizers-of-kerman-attack-will-be-met-with-strong-response-1115969491.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240105/ex-pentagon-analyst-mideast-crisis-may-spiral-out-of-control-after-beirut-and-kerman-blasts---1115991140.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/iran-warns-us-against-adventurism-after-parking-frigate-in-red-sea-1116076485.html

Iran Warns US Against 'Adventurism' After Parking Frigate in Red Sea

Iran Warns US Against 'Adventurism' After Parking Frigate in Red Sea

Sputnik International

The Pentagon began assembling a maritime coalition in the Red Sea last month led by US Navys Combined Task Force 153 and ships from the UK, Denmark and Greece amid a spate of Houthi hijackings, missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli-affiliated commercial ships traversing the strategic body of water.

2024-01-09T12:47+0000

2024-01-09T12:47+0000

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Irans ambassador to the United Nations has warned the United States against any adventurism that could further destabilize the already fragile security situation in the Red Sea.Characterizing the spate of Houthi ship seizures and attacks against Israeli-owned and affiliated tankers in the Red Sea as the consequence of Israels US-backed genocidal war in Gaza, Iravani called on the United Nations Security Council to see the root causes of the crisis, uphold its responsibility to address them, and compel Tel Aviv to end its aggression.The diplomat went on to dismiss the baseless accusations made by US, Israeli and British UN representatives at a UNSC meeting last week accusing Iran of supporting the Houthis directly in carrying out their attacks, saying that the allegations are unsubstantiated and lack evidence.Last Wednesday, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Christopher Lu accused Iran of deep involvement in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, suggesting the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels without Iranian support.The Houthis began their campaign of ship hijackings, drone and missile attacks in November, in solidarity with Palestinians after their previous efforts to strike directly at Israel were largely foiled by Israeli and US air and missile defenses. The militia has assured that its campaign against commercial shipping targets only Israeli-owned vessels, plus cargoes heading to or from the Jewish State. At the same time, the Houthis have warned that they will reserve the right to strike ships belonging to any country taking part in the US new military coalition, "Operation Prosperity Guardian."Houthi attacks and threats have prompted a dozen-and-a-half commercial shipping majors to halt their operations through the Red Sea, with Israeli insurance costs climbing through the roof and global shipping costs jumping by as much as 170 percent as vessels are forced to take the long way around the southern coast of Africa.Amid the formation of the US-led coalition, and a deadly incident December 31 in which ten Houthis aboard small boats attempting to board a commercial vessel were killed in a battle with US helicopters, Tehran deployed the Alborz, an Iranian Navy frigate armed with long-range anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine warfare equipment, in the Red Sea in a bid to cool regional tensions.Meanwhile, the US-led naval coalition has so far failed to gain much traction, with only three of the 20 members listed by Pentagon officials in December sending actual warships to assist the US (the UK, Denmark, and Greece, respectively), with France, Italy, and Spain pulling out and other countries including the Netherlands, Norway, Australia, and Canada committing only handfuls of shipless seamen.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240104/red-sea-crisis-is-direct-reflection-of-gaza-violence--russian-envoy-to-un-1115972078.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/uk-finance-minister-says-attacks-on-red-sea-ships-may-impact-national-economy-1116015301.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/netanyahu-in-real-trouble-idf-cant-control-gaza---analyst-1116068469.html

Netanyahu 'In Real Trouble,' IDF Cant Control Gaza - Analyst

Netanyahu 'In Real Trouble,' IDF Cant Control Gaza - Analyst

Sputnik International

Netanyahus political future may depend on a second Trump presidency, says one observer.

2024-01-09T03:24+0000

2024-01-09T03:24+0000

2024-01-09T03:34+0000

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Political analyst Elijah Magnier joined Sputniks Political Misfits program Monday to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus declining political fortunes as the country pulls troops from northern Gaza.This objective contradicts with the American announcement that the Palestinians will go nowhere and will remain in Gaza, and any ethnic cleansing is not permitted, added Magnier, which means that the coalition and Netanyahu's government is not going to hold.The Biden administration has largely defended Netanyahus military operation in Gaza, which has killed 1% of the enclaves population over the previous months. Both Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have a long history of strong support for Israel.But, hounded by elements of his partys base and activists who have dubbed him Genocide Joe, Biden has been compelled to offer rhetorical opposition. His administration has criticized far-right members of Netanyahus government calling for a population transfer of Palestinians from Gaza.Magnier said Netanyahus future may depend on Biden losing reelection later this year, with a second Donald Trump administration likely being more amenable to ethnic cleansing.The only hope for Netanyahu is to disregard what the Biden administration wants, he concluded.Discussion then shifted towards South Africas recent filing of genocide charges against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The South African government delivered an 80-page complaint against Israel last week, documenting various statements from members of the Israeli government expressing support for ethnic cleansing and mass civilian casualties. The charges are set to be heard this week.All these represent clear evidence [of genocidal intent], he said. Plus all the films and videos that are posted on TikTok and social media by the Israeli army itself inside Gaza showing how they're blowing up those homes by spreading explosive everywhere. And then another officer saying, 'Well, I killed two boys of 20 because I didn't find any children to kill.' And the snipers killing civilians who were raising white flags and raising their arms in the sky. So all these represent solid proof of crimes against humanity and war crimes that Israel is committing.I think many countries would like to see some of the international laws coming back to normality, Magnier concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/ex-cia-analyst-us-responsible-for-gaza-genocide-by-empowering-netanyahu--1115100230.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231201/genocide-becomes-functional-when-israel-us-deny-palestinian-existence---academic-1115335342.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/no-adults-in-the-room-why-pentagon-chiefs-absence-went-unnoticed-by-team-biden-1116079961.html

No Adults in the Room: Why Pentagon Chief's Absence Went Unnoticed by Team Biden

No Adults in the Room: Why Pentagon Chief's Absence Went Unnoticed by Team Biden

Sputnik International

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austins secret hospitalization has raised questions about who was in charge of the nation's defense and security for over a week.

2024-01-09T18:01+0000

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Austin underwent an initial medical procedure on December 22. Then on on January 1, the defense secretary suffered severe pain and was admitted to the intensive care at Walter Reed military hospital in Maryland.Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed some of Austin's duties on January 2  alth0uogh she had no idea what had happened to him at that time. She was only informed of his hospitalization on January 4.The White House was also kept in the dark for days about Austin's condition. Although General C. Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was told on January 2 that the Pentagon chief was in hospital, for some reason he failed to inform the White House.The affair has quickly blossomed into a scandal, with top Democrats raising concerns about Austin's secret hospitalization and Republicans calling on the Pentagon chief to resign."I remain concerned that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care," Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I) said in an official statement on Monday. "He is taking responsibility for the situation, but this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department."The crux of the matter is that Austin virtually "vanished" at the time when Washington risked getting bogged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and subsequent Red Sea crisis. The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has been taking place since December, is facing challenges as major shippers are increasingly trying to avoid the Red Sea, where Houthi insurgents are targeting Israel-linked vessels in a bid to force Tel Aviv into halting the bloodbath in Gaza. At the same time, the US is targeting pro-Palestinian Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria fanning tensions even further.In addition, the Pentagon has the Ukrainian conflict on its plate, let alone the Biden administration's effort to militarize the Taiwan Island in a clear defiance of China's warnings. Beijing considers Taiwan as the People's Republic's sovereign territory. This is against this backdrop the obvious lack of communication in the US executive branch has occurred.Still, there is more to the Austin hospitalization case than meets the eye, according to Rasmussen: the State Department appears to have been involved in "micromanagement" when it comes to military affairs.Instead of bringing 'the adults into the room', the Biden administration appears to have complicated matters even further, the military expert said. The fiasco evokes strong memories of Team Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive  funded and supported by the US and NATO.Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh's story of the White House misleading CIA operatives about the Nord Stream sabotage also comes to mind. The investigative journalist said seasoned CIA veterans were seriously concerned about the Biden administration's apparent decision to blow up the pipelines, since it could have been interpreted by Russia as a declaration of war. Reports also suggest that some Pentagon officials are also concerned about the potential risks associated with Washington's involvement in the Kiev regime's military campaign against Russia."We've got a lack of process and a lack of communications, and those things need to be seriously looked at especially in our current environment with tensions with Russia and Ukraine, we've got tensions in the Middle East that could explode, and easily could bring in Hezbollah and Iran. We've got tensions, ramping up with China as well," he added. "It's been a complete nightmare as far as the foreign policy aspects of this administration."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/iran-warns-us-against-adventurism-after-parking-frigate-in-red-sea-1116076485.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240107/criticism-over-secrecy-of-pentagon-chiefs-hospitalization-mounts-as-austin-takes-responsibility-1116025547.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/only-14-of-ukrainian-refugees-in-europe-hope-to-return-soon---un-1116081277.html

Only 14% of Ukrainian Refugees in Europe Hope to Return Soon - UN

Only 14% of Ukrainian Refugees in Europe Hope to Return Soon - UN

Sputnik International

Only a fraction of Ukrainian refugees in Europe plan to go home in the near future, surveys conducted by the UN refugee agency UNHCR have found.

2024-01-09T17:46+0000

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"The majority, of course, hope to return one day to Ukraine but just 14% of them plan to do so in the near future. That's because of the security concerns along with the access to the basic services, housing and livelihoods," UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh told a news briefing of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva on Tuesday. Europe is hosting some 5.9 million Ukrainians displaced by the nearly two-year conflict, 62% of them women and girls and 36% children. Another 2 million have fled to Russia. Ukrainian refugees need classes in local languages, formal recognition of their skills, and easier access to the job market, the UNHCR spokesperson explained. UNHCR also found that between 40-60% of working-age refugees from Ukraine are unemployed and only half of school-age Ukrainian children were enrolled in schools in their host countries at the start of 2023-2024 school year.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/scotland-curtails-ukrainian-refugee-support-as-europe-faces-economic-hardship-1116021695.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/senior-hezbollah-commander-in-southern-lebanon-killed-in-israeli-strike---reports-1116085395.html

Senior Hezbollah Commander in Southern Lebanon Killed in Israeli Strike - Reports

Senior Hezbollah Commander in Southern Lebanon Killed in Israeli Strike - Reports

Sputnik International

A senior commander of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah responsible for dozens of drone attacks across northern Israel in recent months has been killed in southern Lebanon as a result of an Israeli airstrike, The Times of Israel newspaper reported on Tuesday.

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The individual killed was the commander of Hezbollah's aerial forces in southern Lebanon, Ali Hussein Barji. He was reportedly struck while driving in the town of Kherbet Selem just before the funeral of another senior Hezbollah commander, Wissam al-Tawil. Later in the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Barji's death. Before striking at Barji, the Israeli military destroyed "a launch cell belonging to Hezbollah's Aerial Unit which was on its way to launch explosive UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] toward different locations in Israel," the IDF added. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah said that it had struck an Israeli military base using drones in retaliation for the recent killings of senior commanders by Israeli forces. The situation in southern Lebanon deteriorated after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army and Hezbollah fighters regularly exchange fire in areas along the border. On October 7, 2023, 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 launched a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 23,000 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. Over 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231108/catastrophic-mistake-for-us-to-let-israel-draw-it-into-war-with-hezbollah-and-iran-1114823857.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/uk-navy-sends-frigate-to-red-sea-amid-increased-houthi-attacks-1116084182.html

UK Navy Sends Frigate to Red Sea Amid Increased Houthi Attacks

UK Navy Sends Frigate to Red Sea Amid Increased Houthi Attacks

Sputnik International

The UK navy has sent the HMS Richmond frigate to the Red Sea to contribute to the international mission designed to protect the marine navigation in the region amid a surge in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on cargo ships in the region, UK Secretary of Defense Grant Shapps said on Tuesday.

2024-01-09T19:48+0000

2024-01-09T19:48+0000

2024-01-09T19:48+0000

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"HMS Richmond is on its way to the Red Sea to ensure the UK maintains a formidable presence in the face of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis. With the US, we'll continue to lead the global response to the crisis and do what is necessary to protect lives and the global economy," Shapps said in a statement on X. In November 2023, the Houthis announced their intention to attack any ships associated with Israel, urging other countries to recall their crews from the vessels. The Houthis vowed to continue their attacks until Israel ended its military actions in the Gaza Strip. On December 19, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a multinational operation to secure the Red Sea, saying that the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain would take part in the mission. The Houthis vowed to attack any ships that join the US-led maritime coalition.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/uk-finance-minister-says-attacks-on-red-sea-ships-may-impact-national-economy-1116015301.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/ukraine-faces-anti-aircraft-missile-deficit-amid-russias-high-precision-strikes-1116074863.html

Ukraine Faces Anti-Aircraft Missile Deficit Amid Russia's High-Precision Strikes

Ukraine Faces Anti-Aircraft Missile Deficit Amid Russia's High-Precision Strikes

Sputnik International

Ukraine is facing a growing deficit of anti-aircraft missiles, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as telling local media.

2024-01-09T13:25+0000

2024-01-09T13:25+0000

2024-01-09T13:25+0000

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Ukraine is facing a growing deficit of anti-aircraft missiles, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as telling local media.He added that Ukraine had spent a considerable reserve" on the torrent of recent Russian high-precision strikes targeting enemy energy infrastructure, military bases, military production facilities, and decision-making centers.We have more and more western equipment today and, accordingly, it needs maintenance, repair, updating, replenishment, and corresponding ammunition, said Yuriy Ihnat.A recent report revealed that Ukrainian air defense systems would not be able to repel all Russian attacks this winter due to a shortage of interceptor missiles. The United States will soon be unable to supply Ukraine with missiles for Patriot surface-to-air systems, which can cost from $2 million to $4 million apiece, The New York Times reported at the start of the year, quoting White House and Pentagon officials.Kiev's shortage of anti-aircraft missiles comes amid Russia's ramped up strikes against Ukraine's energy and military infrastructure since late December, attacking ammunition and fuel depots, airfields, military headquarters and other targets.The Russian military, which has sought to avoid targeting residential buildings or social infrastructure, kept its promise to retaliate for Ukraine's brazen attacks. They included one on Donetsk city in the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) on Orthodox Christmas Eve, along with others Russian frontline towns during the winter holidays.Kiev carried out cluster munition and multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) strikes on Russia's Belgorod region on New Year's Eve, killing 25 people and injuring over 100. Moscow dubbed the attacks terrorist acts, warning of more strikes on Ukrainian military targets in response.Kiev's quest to garner ever more support from its Western donors has become an increasingly daunting challenge. The US ran out of funding for Ukraine on December 30 after the US Congress adjourned for the winter holiday break without reaching a deal on security at the US border with Mexico and additional aid for Ukraine. Republican lawmakers have insisted on the inclusion of more stringent border security measures in the Biden administrations $106 billion supplemental funding request, which includes more than $60 billion in aid for Ukraine.Meanwhile Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban' blocked the EU's 50 billion ($55 billion US) aid package to Ukraine.Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. However, despite the billions-worth of support packages funneled to the Kiev regime, Russias Armed Forces successfully accomplished one of the main task's for 2023  to disrupt Ukraines counteroffensive. Over the past year, enemy losses exceeded 215,000 service people and 28,000 weapons systems, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated at a working meeting with military leaders on January 9.The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict, while all cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/us-will-soon-be-unable-to-deliver-missiles-for-patriot-systems-to-ukraine-1116017735.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/russia-strikes-ukrainian-military-facilities-with-kinzhal-missiles-mod-1116052314.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231231/scott-ritter-belgorod-attack-meant-to-provoke-russian-overreaction-prevent-west-from-dumping-kiev-1115918481.html

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By Jun Ji-hye

The Ministry of Education will join hands with nine regional education offices to expand opportunities for Korean language learning around the world with the aim of attracting more foreign students to study at domestic universities.

The government has been seeking to attract more foreign students to cope with a reduction in the number of domestic students caused by a falling birthrate and preemptively secure skilled foreign workers for high-tech industries.

The ministry announced on Tuesday that it selected education offices in Seoul, Incheon, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and North Gyeongsang, South Jeolla, South and North Chungcheong provinces, to participate in the pilot program to propel international exchanges.

The nine education offices, as well as Korean Education Centers located around the world, will promote Korean language education to get more people to study in Korea.

Currently, there are 43 Korean Education Centers in 19 countries.

We expect the program to contribute to boosting the competitiveness of universities outside Seoul and alleviating the growing regional disparity, said Song Geun-hyun, who is in charge of global education planning at the ministry.

The concentration of prestigious universities and the allure of urban life have created a strong preference for institutions located in the capital. This has resulted in a decline in new enrollments at universities outside Seoul and the phenomenon has been exacerbated by a declining fertility rate.

The new program is a follow-up to the Study Korea 300K Project, announced by the ministry in August last year, through which the government aims to increase the number of foreign students studying at domestic universities to 300,000 by 2027 from the current 170,000.

Each education office will dispatch to those centers Korean language education specialists as well as public officials supporting administrative work necessary to attract foreign students.

For example, the Incheon education office plans to operate a camp, jointly with three centers located in Thailand, Ho Chi Minh and Tashkent, to offer opportunities to students there to experience Korean culture.

The ministry will provide a special grant of 10.4 billion won ($7.9 million) to each education office. And each office will invest 22 billion won from their own budget.

Based on the results of the pilot project, the ministry will expand the scale of the program and the number of participants in the future.

Through the program, the ministry aims to encourage more elementary and middle schools around the world to adopt Korean language as a regular subject.

Currently, Korean is taught as a regular subject in 20 countries.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/ukraine-lost-over-215000-troops-in-2023---shoigu-1116073021.html

Ukraine Lost Over 215,000 Troops in 2023 - Shoigu

Ukraine Lost Over 215,000 Troops in 2023 - Shoigu

Sputnik International

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian military is continuing its operations to reduce the combat effectiveness of Ukraine's military, and maintains the strategic... 09.01.2024, Sputnik International

2024-01-09T09:46+0000

2024-01-09T09:46+0000

2024-01-09T16:33+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

sergei shoigu

military & intelligence

ukraine

russia

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"Groupings of Russian troops are methodically reducing the combat potential of the Ukrainian armed forces. Over the past year, enemy losses exceeded 215,000 servicepeople and 28,000 weapons systems. We maintain the strategic initiative along the entire line of combat contact," Shoigu said at a working meeting with military leaders on Tuesday.Summarizing the situation at the front, the defense minister pointed to signs of Ukraine's military formations experiencing a depletion of manpower, and failing to achieve any of their stated objectives on the battlefield against Russian forces.Turning to the Russian defense industry's efforts to keep the military supplied with weapons and equipment, Shoigu confirmed that these efforts would include a focus on all types of unmanned aerial vehicles, including heavy strike drones.Regarding matters of global strategic stability, the defense minister reiterated that Russia maintains the combat readiness of its nuclear triad at a high level to ensure a global strategic balance.Russia will continue to upgrade its equipment, including using new AI technology, and weapons based on new physical principles, Shoigu said.The Ministry of Defense also has plans this year to upgrade its communication, reconnaissance, target designation, counter-battery warfare, air defense and satellite systems, the defense minister indicated.Other plans include efforts to improve tactics for the use of troops, and updates to the provisions of regulations and manuals in light of operational experience, Shoigu said. Additionally, social security payments to participants of the special military operation and their families remain a priority, he said.Russia's military enters 2024 in a confident state after successfully halting Ukraine's summer 2023 summer counteroffensive and proving that its forces can successfully withstand large-scale assaults by a NATO-trained, -armed and -financed military. Ukraine's backers in the West have called for the conflict to continue until its victorious conclusion, but growing numbers of officials and politicians, as well as the US and European publics, are coming to the realization that Russia cannot be defeated militarily, and have questioned their elites' strategy of sending additional tens of billions of dollars' worth of weapons and economic aid to prop up Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240318/russias-special-military-operation-in-ukraine-and-how-it-is-progressing-1105665248.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/ukraine-may-have-just-a-months-worth-of-ammo-left-french-colonel-1116056400.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240107/us-house-speaker-criticizes-white-house-for-lack-of-strategy-on-ukraine-conflict-1116042665.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/uks-seapower-sags-facing-recruitment-nightmare--naval-vessel-cutback-1116073739.html

UK's Seapower Sags, Facing Recruitment Nightmare & Naval Vessel Cutback

UK's Seapower Sags, Facing Recruitment Nightmare & Naval Vessel Cutback

Sputnik International

Despite pouring funds into beefing up its naval might, the Royal Navy hasn't made it to the world's top five in terms of sea power. This bitter pill can be attributed to financial constraints, reductions in fleet size, the pressing issue of personnel shortages, and the numerous operational challenges faced by the Navy.

2024-01-09T12:20+0000

2024-01-09T12:20+0000

2024-01-09T14:55+0000

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According to local media, driven by severe personnel shortages, the British Royal Navy intends to retire the recently renovated Type 23 Class frigates, HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster.Originally, it was anticipated that these ships would operate in conjunction with the newly built Type 26 Class frigates, considering the substantial investments made in recent years to enhance their capabilities. Nevertheless, the personnel from the decommissioned frigates will now be integrated into the crews of the new vessels.The fleet of British frigates in service has been subject to cuts in recent years. Initially, the Defense Ministry had set a target to construct thirteen Type 26 frigates, but subsequently revised this plan, ultimately reducing the number to a mere 8 ships.The fleet of Type 23 frigates has plunged from 16 to 11 ships, and with their imminent decommissioning, there are only 9 remaining. In contrast, the Type 45 Class destroyer fleet was halved from 12 to 6 ships due to design challenges and subsequent operational issues that affected their combat efficiency.Despite major financial investments to beef up its naval capabilities, the Royal Navy failed to make it into the top five globally as far as naval prowess goes. The performance of the upcoming Type 26 frigates will be pivotal for the Navy's future position. Whether these frigates will encounter operational challenges similar to the Type 45 destroyers or serve as a dependable naval asset remains to be seen.Media reports indicate that the Defense Ministry is considering phasing out the Type 45 Class destroyers without a replacement. This consideration stems from concerns about the financial viability of developing a next-generation destroyer. While these destroyers possess less firepower than their US, Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean counterparts, they are considerably costlier, highlighting the inefficiencies in the British defense industry.In 2021, a staggering 83 percent of the British destroyers experienced non-operational periods, with only one vessel combat-ready at any given time. The Royal Navy's aircraft carriers, already struggling with escort vessel shortages, encountered further obstacles such as mechanical failures and accidents, diminishing their operational effectiveness.Internal Navy evaluations consistently highlight numerous issues, including inadequate training for carrier-based operations, which jeopardize the safety of personnel. These problems have been exacerbated by budget cuts since the early 2010s. Furthermore, recruitment for the Navy and the Royal Marines plunged 22.1 percent between March 2022 and March 2023, surpassing declines in the Air Force and Army. Over the period from July 2022 to July 2023, the Royal Navy experienced a workforce reduction of 4.1 percent, resulting in a combined total of approximately 37,960 personnel for the Navy and Marines.This downturn is indicative of a broader recruitment predicament observed in Western military forces, as the US Army also grapples with reduced personnel numbers due to similar issues. According to the Pentagon, the military couldn't meet its recruitment goals by roughly 41,000 recruits. This problem was highlighted during a hearing by the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee late last year: "That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered [their] end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment," Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani told news sources.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230131/britains-royal-navy-faces-sticky-situation-as-superglued-bolts-found-in-reactor-of-trident-nuke-sub-1106864641.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221029/uk-royal-navy-chief-orders-probe-into-submarine-service-related-sex-abuse-claims--1102823820.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/us-forces-in-iraq-syria-attacked-9-times-since-january-4-1116085235.html

US Forces in Iraq, Syria Attacked 9 Times Since January 4

US Forces in Iraq, Syria Attacked 9 Times Since January 4

Sputnik International

US forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked nine times since January 4, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.

2024-01-09T21:52+0000

2024-01-09T21:52+0000

2024-01-09T21:52+0000

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"Since January 4, there have been nine attacks," Ryder said during a press briefing, when asked about recent attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria. There have been 127 total recent attacks on forces in Iraq and Syria, Ryder said. Fifty two of the attacks occurred in Iraq and 75 in Syria, Ryder said. The attacks come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, including the Palestine-Israel conflict and attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi militants in Yemen.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/us-red-sea-coalitions-flop-signals-natos-weakness-italian-admiral-1116062403.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/us-will-only-be-thrown-out-of-iraq-kicking-and-screaming-heres-why-1116082347.html

US Will Only Be Thrown Out of Iraq Kicking and Screaming: Here's Why

US Will Only Be Thrown Out of Iraq Kicking and Screaming: Here's Why

Sputnik International

The Iraqi government announced plans to start formal talks with Washington about ending the US-led anti-terrorism coalitions mission in the country last week after the US killed a prominent militia leader in Baghdad. The Pentagon says the US isnt going anywhere. A leading Middle East expert told Sputnik why the US is so reluctant to leave.

2024-01-09T18:58+0000

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2024-01-09T19:04+0000

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col. patrick ryder

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Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that he was not aware of any plans by the US to withdraw from Iraq.We continue to remain very focused on the Defeat ISIS* mission under CJTF-OIR, as we advise and assist the Iraqis. And as youve heard us say many times before, were there at the invitation of the government of Iraq, Ryder said.Ryders remarks follow an announcement by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani last Friday indicating that he would set up a dialogue with Washington on the removal of all American forces from the country after a US airstrike killed militia commander Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi. Al-Saidi was the leader of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces-affiliated militia which helped rout Daesh* and other terrorists across Syria and Iraq between 2013 and 2017.Al-Muhandis and Soleimanis killing in 2020 was followed by a demand from Iraqs parliament that all US forces in the country be expelled, but Washington resisted and reclassified its operations from a combat mission to a train, assist and advise capacity, a move Iraqs government at the time was ultimately forced to acquiesce to.It remains to be seen whether the al-Sudani government, which came to power in October of 2022 after a year-long political crisis, will be able to succeed where its predecessors failed.US Will Drag Its FeetIf the US leaves Iraq it will not be by its own volition, Hossein Askari, professor emeritus at George Washington University specializing in Middle Eastern political and economic affairs, told Sputnik.Furthermore, the academic believes that behind the scenes, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, while they may have major policy differences with Washington, are fearful of growing cooperation between Iran and Iraq amid their own military weakness, and would hence prefer that the US remains in Iraq indefinitely.Given these factors, getting the US to withdraw its contingent of about 2,500 troops completely from the country seems next to impossible, in the observers view.Iraq would have to publicly humiliate the US about not leaving in the eyes of the world before the US leaves Iraq altogether. Remember, America has spent much blood and treasure in Iraq. It needs to justify its historic mistake, the scholar stressed.As for Americas justification for its presence  fighting terrorism, Dr. Askari believes the US role is marginal at best, and constitutes more of an excuse than a genuine reason. If you look back, General Soleimani was important in this fight [against terrorism, ed.], yet the United States assassinated him, he recalled.Iraqs government is taking a major risk in announcing plans to speak with Washington about the US-led coalitions withdrawal, the academic said, since if Baghdad comes out and asks point blank and the US simply refuses it will potentially make a mockery of Iraqs sovereignty.Asked what options Baghdad has to really force Washingtons hand, Dr. Askari said Iraqi politicians have to be united and demand US withdrawal and much more publicly. The US must be embarrassed in the eyes of the world as an occupying power before it leaves. Ultimately, Iraq may have to quietly threaten the US about taking it to the UN Security Council. Such a threat would immediately sway the US that it was time to leave because if Iraq made the threat public, then GCC rulers would be embarrassed and could follow and do the same.* Also known as Daesh or ISIL, a terrorist group which attempted to create a self-proclaimed caliphate across the Middle East between 2014 and 2017 before being wiped off the map by an unlikely counterterrorism coalition.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240106/iraq-intends-to-boost-talks-on-withdrawal-of-us-led-coalition---prime-ministers-adviser-1116018563.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/dozens-of-rockets-rain-down-on-us-occupied-syrian-oil-field-in-biggest-single-strike-since-october-1116054353.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/white-house-talks-ukraine-aid-with-defense-giants-to-bypass-congress-1116074068.html

White House Talks Ukraine Aid With Defense Giants to Bypass Congress

White House Talks Ukraine Aid With Defense Giants to Bypass Congress

Sputnik International

Biden admin officials, led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, engaged in discussions with key executives from top US defense companies on Monday, seeking technological solutions to send aid to Ukraine amid ongoing financial aid disputes with Congress, an anonymous White House official revealed.

2024-01-09T13:50+0000

2024-01-09T13:50+0000

2024-01-09T13:50+0000

world

joe biden

jake sullivan

mike johnson

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kiev

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The Biden administration, entangled in a standoff with lawmakers over financial assistance for Ukraine, took a different approach by exploring collaborations with major defense firms.US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his team held meetings with representatives from companies such as Palantir Technologies Inc., Anduril Industries Inc., Fortem, Skydio Inc., and others. The main focus of the discussions centered on the deployment of advanced battlefield technologies to bolster Ukraine's capabilities in the conflict.Senior officials from the National Security Council spent a lot of time engaging with over a dozen companies in the defense, technology, and venture capital sectors. The meeting covered topics such as de-mining technologies, unmanned aerial systems, and other relevant products. The goal, according to officials, is to get the US defense industry ready to address the immediate needs of the Kiev regime and potential challenges in future conflicts or critical areas.National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan led the meeting and also reassigned Maher Bitar within the National Security Council to oversee intelligence and defense policy coordination for further advancements in battlefield technologies.Officials made it clear that these talks with defense companies were not meant to replace the urgently needed supplemental funding from Congress. Instead, they aimed to get direct insights from the companies regarding their ongoing developments and capabilities.Moreover, it was revealed that several of these firms were already directly working with the Ukrainian regime.At the same time, Congressional Republicans are leveraging demands for changes in immigration and border security from the White House in exchange for approving additional aid for Ukraine. US President Joe Biden is requesting a $61 billion budget as the hostilities in Ukraine enter their third year.The deadlock on Capitol Hill not only affects financial assistance for Ukraine, but also delays funds for Israel, Taiwan, and the US Government's Indo-Pacific strategy  all included in an emergency supplemental request released by the Biden administration in October. While Senate negotiations on the border are ongoing, House Speaker Mike Johnson is considering direct talks with Biden this week. The White House, however, is encouraging Johnson to focus on helping bipartisan Senate discussions progress.The Biden administration has emphasized that it has provided around $44.3 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its special military operation in February 2022. In December, the administration announced $250 million in weapons and equipment for Ukraine, urging Congress to renew aid in 2024.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240105/ukraine-running-law-on-air-defense-supplies-as-russia-steps-up-attacks-1115990324.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/who-is-frances-new-prime-minister-gabriel-attal-1116077869.html

Who is France's New Prime Minister Gabriel Attal

Who is France's New Prime Minister Gabriel Attal

Sputnik International

President Emmanuel Macron has touted Gabriel Attal, the newly-appointed Prime Minister and ex-Education Minister as someone who can infuse the government with energy and commitment.

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President Emmanuel Macron has touted newly-appointed prime minister Gabriel Attal as someone to infuse the government with energy and commitment. The 34-year-old, who was up until Tuesday Frances Education Minister, takes over the post from Elisabeth Borne who handed in her resignation on January 8.But the French opposition took a dig at the newly-appointed PM. Left-wing former presidential candidateJean-Luc Melenchon took to X to say that Attal was returning to the role of spokesperson, arguing that the role of prime minister had effectively disappeared.Attal is now tasked with forming a new cabinet in a fractious political scene fueled by recent immigration bill controversy and last year's unpopular pension reform.Who is Gabriel Attal?Born on March 16, 1989, Frances new PM is the son of Yves Attal, a lawyer and film producer of Tunisian Jewish descent, and Marie de Couriss, of French and Greek-Russian ancestry. Gabriel, who has three younger sisters, grew up in Paris and graduated from the Sciences Po university.He joined the Socialist party in 2006 but left in 2016 to join Macrons centrist political party En Marche, later renamed La Republique En Marche (LREM), and again to Renaissance. Considered a staunch ally of France's President, he has often been dubbed mini-Macron, rising swiftly through the ranks. Attal was elected to France's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, in 2017. The ambitious politician was named spokesperson of La Republique En Marche in 2018. At 29 became the youngest member of the French government in October of that year, when he was appointed Junior Minister to the Minister of National Education and Youth. But it was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he took on the role of government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, that Gabriel Attal became a household name in France. The openly gay* politician, who is believed to be in a relationship with memebr of the European Parliament Stephane Sejournet, became Minister of National Education and Youth in July 2023.His tenure made headlines for overseeing an anti-bullying campaign in schools last year. The plan was to crack down on bullying with prevention, detection and reactionary measures, including using 'anti-bullying brigades' and a decree that allowed bullies to be moved to different schools.Gabriel Attal then proceeded to roll out a controversial ban on the abaya, a loose garment worn by some Muslim women, in French state schools. Although the Action for Muslim Rights (Action Droits des Musulmans) association protested this decision, the French Council of State ruled the measure was constitutional.While Emmanuel Macrons popularity rating has continued to tank, recent opinion polls suggest Gabriel Attal is one of the country's most popular politicians.French media have even speculated that Attal could succeed Macron at the Elysee Palace in 2027 when the French president reaches his term limit. Over a third of those polled supported his appointment as prime minister, according to a recent Odoxa survey. *Russia has banned the activity of the international LGBT public movement and its subdivisions on its terrotory as extremist.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/name-of-new-french-prime-minister-to-be-announced-on-january-9---reports-1116064564.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230827/french-education-minister-announces-plan-to-ban-abaya-dresses-in-school-1112935777.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/macrons-rating-hits-record-low-due-to-pension-reform---poll-1109734149.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240109/x-platform-offers-conflicting-explanations-after-sudden-purge-of-journalists-1116085860.html

X Platform Offers Conflicting Explanations After Sudden Purge of Journalists

X Platform Offers Conflicting Explanations After Sudden Purge of Journalists

Sputnik International

Users of the X platform responded indignantly to the sudden suspension of several high-profile journalists and influencers. Some accounts were gradually reinstated by early afternoon amid speculation over what prompted the purge.

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Users of the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform responded indignantly to the sudden suspension of several high-profile journalists and influencers Tuesday morning. Some of the accounts were gradually reinstated by early afternoon amid speculation over what prompted the purge.I woke up and had missed a call from a journalist who wanted to talk to me about my suspension, said Texas Observer reporter Steven Monacelli, who reports from X CEO Elon Musks home state. So I was informed via other journalists who had called and emailed me this morning about it.Dear [Elon Musk], we'd like to know why our reporter, Steven Monacelli was suspended from this platform, posted the account for the Texas Observer on X, tagging the profiles for the platforms support team and the mercurial CEO.Observers struggled to determine why the prominent accounts, which also included The Intercept reporter Ken Klippenstein and left-wing influencer @zei_squirrel, were banned. The users were greeted with Xs boilerplate notice that the platform suspends accounts that break its rules, although no further clarification was offered.We do sweeps for spam/scam accounts and sometimes real accounts get caught up in them, posted Musk after multiple users sought an explanation for the purge. But many noted the common thread of the banned accounts criticism of Israel and progressive politics.@Zei_squirrel responded angrily to the snafu on Instagram, writing, I was just now in the middle of writing a thread about Bill Ackmans depravity and lies, and I suddenly got a notice that I can no longer post because I am suspended.Looks like @elonmusk is taking off the free speech mask, remarked former lawmaker Adam Kinzinger after the abrupt banning of accounts Tuesday morning.Musk has described himself as a free speech absolutist. First Amendment advocates responded favorably when Musk announced the X platform would no longer shadowban accounts, as it was revealed the platform had done under previous management despite frequent assurances to the contrary.But critics allege X is still artificially manipulating content served up on the platform. The X account for Sputnik International, despite having hundreds of thousands of followers, generally receives little interaction with its posts.Its been previously revealed that the X platform has aided US intelligence agencies in covert propaganda campaigns among US and foreign audiences.Remember, you can follow us off of this hellsite, posted the account for the Texas Observer Tuesday morning. The newspaper listed their accounts on the Threads, Bluesky, and decentralized Mastodon platforms.

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The Ohio Harness Horsemens Association has awarded Tim Harless the associations Dick Brandt Sr. Extra Effort Award for 2023.

Harless has been involved with racing for over 40 years and is associated with the Darke County Fair in Greenville, Ohio. In 2023, the fair offered four evenings of racing featuring nearly $275,000 in purses.

There is no Darke County Fair horse racing at the current quality without Tim Harless, explained Ohio trainer Dalton Walls, who nominated Harless. He is vital to the program and his impact is immeasurable.

Harless serves as the fairs Director of Racing, Race Secretary, Track Director, horsemens representative on the fair board and raises funds through sponsorships for the fairs marque events, the Gene Riegle Memorial and Arnie Almahurst Trot.

The award is named for Dick Brandt Sr., who served as President of the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association in 1984 and 1985. He was a past Chairman of the Ohio Harness Horsemens Health and Retirement Fund and Treasurer of P.A.C.E.R. (Political Action Committee for Equine Racing). He also served as a member of the United States Trotting Associations Board of Directors and Treasurer.

The Dick Brandt Sr. Extra Effort Award is awarded to an individual, local horsemens associations and matinee clubs that have made a commitment to county fair racing. The award is based on involvement with their local fair board, local matinees, community involvement, improvements to racing and barn areas and assistance with racing programs during the fair week.

Harless will be honoured at the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, 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.

(Ohio Harness Horsemens Association)
Trot Insider has learned that 71-time winner Rose Run Quest has passed away at the age of 12.

"We had turned him out with plans to get him ready for the spring," said co-owner Blair Hansen. "On January 1, he had started to colic and, unfortunately, it got to a point to where there was nothing they could do."

The gelded son of If I Can Dream-Letmedowneasy made the final of his 216 starts on Dec. 3 at Red Shores Charlottetown, a fifth-place effort against Preferred company for trainer Melissa Rennie. For his career, Rose Run Quest earned $285,355 and sported a record of 71-40-28, taking his lifetime mark at age three of 1:51.1 at Tioga Downs in 2015.

"He was really a Cinderella story," continued Hansen. "I bought him in 2017 and the first start he made in Canada was in a non-winners of $451 last five starts and he just continued to get better and stronger up here and the next year he was racing in the Gold Cup & Saucer."

Rose Run Quest raced in the Gold Cup & Saucer a total of four times between 2018 and 2021, qualifying for the final in both 2018 and 2020. That first appearance in 2018 was a career-best effort in the Gold Cup & Saucer for Rose Run Quest, who finished a strong third behind Somewhere Fancy and Rockin In Heaven for then trainer-driver Marc Campbell. Campbell was also in the bike for one of the gelding's signature victories in the $25,000 Governor's Plate in 2019.

"That's a race that stands out," said Hansen. "That's probably the second biggest race up here. That was a big one, but he had a lot of great races for us."

Known as an iron horse in the Maritimes, 60 of Rose Run Quest's wins were earned since making the move north of the border, including 13 in 2023, winning half of his seasonal outings at age 11. While a warrior on the racetrack, Rose Run Quest's demeanor off the racetrack was anything but.

"He was just the perfect horse," said Hansen. "Everyone that had anything to do with him just loved him. In the barn, he was a pet and didn't have a mean bone in his body, but once he went behind the gate, he switched gears."

Rose Run Quest split time between the barns of Marc Campbell, Gilles Barrieau, Jason Ryan and Jeff Holmes before completing his final two seasons on the racetrack for trainer Melissa Rennie.

"Everyone in the Maritimes had nothing but praise for the horse," continued Hansen. "He gave you everything he had every time he raced. He's not one I'll ever be able to replace."

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Rose Run Quest.

(Standardbred Canada)
When Miss Nebraska Morgan Baird takes the stage in Orlando, she will be the first woman to represent Gering since Teresa Scanlan took the Miss America crown in 2011. The finals will take place at the Walt Disney Theater at 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.

That evening will represent the culmination of months of preparation from Baird. Contestants are scored on several categories including a private and onstage interview, a talent, evening wear and fitness.

Contestants are also required to champion a social cause. For Baird that has been Rock the Vote: Engaging the Political Power of Young People. Baird graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in political science and worked in the state Legislature as a page during the previous two sessions.

I aim to register and educate young voters so that they feel empowered and capable and ready to make their voice hear at the polls, Baird said.

She has also been preparing for the talent category, for which she has choreographed her own dance. Part of the reason she chose to choreograph her own number was because of a lingering injury.

My senior year of high school I tore both my labrums in my hips and so I am not at my best physically, and so Ive had to work around that a little bit, Baird said.

Baird, a longtime dancer, said she wished that she could have chosen to perform a different dance but had to acknowledge the limitations from her injuries.

Ive been working hard to still have a competitive number while still keeping the integrity of my body and making sure that I dont push myself too far, Baird said.

She said choreographing her own dance number provided an additional layer of difficulty since not only does she have to memorize and perform the dance, but she is forced to make compromises.

She said much of the process has been finding a middle ground between creating an entertaining performance and also one that she is capable of performing at the standard to which she holds herself.

It makes it more difficult having to listen to music and really choreograph something that is going to be not only something Im able to do, but also fun to watch, Baird said.

In her time as Miss Nebraska as well as in her preparations for the upcoming Miss America Pageant, she said she has had to manage her injury carefully. This included making sure she has time to rest after competing.

She said working through the injury has forced her to be more in tune with her body so that she knows what she needs.

Baird also said that on the week of competition she is bringing a journal with her to gather her thoughts and release negativity.

I write down how Im feeling, get it out, any negative feelings, get it out on the paper before I walk into the interview, before I walk on stage, Baird said.

Much of her preparation has centered around feeling comfortable, from practicing her walk for the evening and fitness portions to memorizing her dance number until it becomes second nature.

Contestants also have to concern themselves with their wardrobe for a weeks worth of events during the pageant from galas and visitations to Sunday evenings finals.

For Baird, that aspect of the competition has been taken care for some time through a dress sponsor.

Hirschfelds Prom Shoppe in North Platte has sponsored Baird since she was crowned Miss Nebraska in July. The dress shop has allowed her to borrow dresses for appearances and even helped her fund her wardrobe for the Miss America Pageant along with the Miss Nebraska Organization.

I was really fortunate to go to Atlanta at the end of July with my dress sponsor from North Platte, and she took me there and we picked out my entire Miss America wardrobe, Baird said.

She said she is appreciative to both Hirschfelds and the Miss Nebraska Organization for their help preparing her for the final stages of her journey as Miss Nebraska.

She also joked that she ended up with so many items she had to purchase new luggage to fit it all, since the Miss America Pageant only allows contestants two suitcases and a carry on for travel.

Baird said she has enjoyed her time as Miss Nebraska and felt that her schedule of appearances helped her to see and understand much more of the state than she had previously.

Baird will have the support of the community behind her as the Midwest Theater will be hosting a free watch party for the pageants finals at 5 p.m. Jan. 14.
A parliamentary committee on Tuesday passed a confirmation report on Foreign Minister nominee Cho Tae-yul.

The Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee said the nominee is qualified to serve as the new minister, given his expertise and experience in diplomacy.

The committee, however, noted Cho's suspected involvement in a high-profile judicial power abuse scandal under the former administration of President Park Geun-hye.

The scandal centers on former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae, who was accused of having orchestrated a delay in the deliberation of a damages suit filed by Korean victims of forced labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule to curry favor with Park.

Cho, the then second vice foreign minister, also allegedly held multiple consultations with a senior top court official, also implicated in the scandal.

Cho, who served as Korean ambassador to the United Nations, is a retired veteran diplomat known for his expertise in trade and multilateral affairs.

Last month, he was nominated by President Yoon Suk Yeol to replace Park Jin.

Cho's confirmation hearing, held on Monday, is widely seen as a formality because his formal appointment does not require the endorsement of the National Assembly.

In Korea, the prime minister is the only Cabinet post that requires parliamentary approval. (Yonhap)
Nebraskas 46-year-old corn checkoff promotional fee would be increased for the first time since 2012 under a legislative bill introduced Monday by nine rural lawmakers.

State Sen. Teresa Ibach of Sumner is chief sponsor of Legislative Bill 1061, which includes Sens. Tom Brewer of Gordon and Steve Erdman among its cosponsors.

The District 44 senator also introduced LB 1062, again with Erdman and Brewer as cosponsors, to offer student debt repayment plans and incentives to veterinarians who practice in rural areas.

LB 1061 would raise the per-bushel fee first imposed in 1978 on corn commercially sold or delivered in the state from its current 0.5 cents to 1 cent on Oct. 1 and 1.25 cents on Oct. 1, 2031. The original fee was 0.4 cents a bushel.

LB 1061 also would limit the Nebraska Corn Development, Utilization and Marketing Board to spending no more than 10% of its annual budget to lobby on federal legislation. The board has been allowed since 1985 to spend up to 25% of its budget for that purpose.

Ibachs LB 1062 would use state funds to repay up to $30,000 per year of licensed veterinarians educational debts over three years.

Recipients would have to agree to practice for at least three years in rural Nebraska, with at least half of their animal patients being livestock. Dogs, cats or other animals kept as pets wouldnt count toward that calculation.

Vets who default would have to repay 150% of their state help at 8% interest per year from the date they defaulted, the bill says.

If the vet dies or is totally and permanently disabled, the bills practice and payment obligations would be canceled, it adds.

Among other recently introduced 2024 bills involving western Nebraska lawmakers:

North Platte Sen. Mike Jacobson cosponsored Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostars LB 869, introduced on Wednesdays first day of the session, to remove limits on county emergency or burial financial aid for cash-strapped veterans to those who served during a period of war. Lincoln County Veterans Service Officer Tom Gann and County Commissioner Micaela Wuehler began lobbying last fall to allow peacetime veterans to receive such help.

Brewer Monday introduced LB 1068, which would require a security feature be added to the states documents certifying the appointments of Nebraskas electors for president and vice president. The feature would be for purposes of verifying the authenticity of the certificate, the bill says.
In the northwestern regions of Syria, schools are often targeted by Syrian regime forces, al-Araby al-Jadeed says.

In the northwestern regions of Syria, schools are often targeted by Syrian regime forces and their allies, posing a significant threat to students and teaching staff. This ongoing situation disrupts the educational process, which has been operating under abnormal and emergency conditions for years.

To mitigate risks, authorities have implemented safety measures. Bashar Amara, a teacher from Binnish in the Idlib countryside, explained to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that in dangerous situations, immediate protective actions are essential. If a school is directly bombed, students are advised not to leave but to move to lower floors. School directors can make independent decisions without waiting for instructions from the education directorate. Teachers and administrators are trained to handle such situations calmly and deliberately, to prevent panic among students and ensure their safe transfer and protection.

Amara highlighted that different schools adopt varied safety strategies. In multi-floor buildings, students are moved to lower levels, while in single-story schools, they may be relocated to nearby shelters. Students are also trained to adopt a prone position during bombings to minimize injury.

The impact of war on education is profound. Amara noted that fear and terror disrupt both teaching and learning processes, affecting educators and students alike.

Ziad Arab, director of Al-Tawama School in the Aleppo countryside, shared with Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that upon any bombing, the school undertakes several security and safety measures. These include alerting public education authorities, civil defense, and ambulance services, executing an evacuation plan, and ensuring students reach their homes safely. Arab emphasized the importance of managing students terror and fear during these incidents and the schools efforts in cooperation with protection officers to educate students on safety measures.

Amer Al-Ali, a resident of Al-Dana in northern Idlib, expressed the fear families experience when bombings occur while children are at school. Despite awareness-raising activities, the danger to students and their families remains high.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported a surge in attacks on educational facilities by the regime and Russia, peaking last October with 15 school attacks. These included the targeting of Hussein Haj Abboud School in Sarmin on October 3ed, Najib Al-Daqs School in Al-Bara, Ibn Khaldoun School in Binnish on October 5, a school in Jisr al-Shughur on October 7th, and a school in Abzimo on October 8th.

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.
Jordan's military attributes the rise in smuggling along the Syrian border to the Assad regime itself, and not to smugglers as it usually does, according to al-Souria Net.

Jordans military attributes the rise in smuggling along the Syrian border to the Assad regime, asserting that recent investigations expose smugglers who have undergone military training.

Mustafa al-Hiyari, the spokesperson for the Jordanian army, conveyed on Monday that the Syrian government bears responsibility for any presence of militias, irrespective of their affiliations. Despite multiple attempts at communication with the regime, he lamented in a televised interview that their efforts have been fruitless, compelling them to employ force to curtail all forms of smuggling.

While Jordan had previously accused influential figures within the Assad regime of facilitating smuggling, Hiyaris recent statements to Al-Mamlaka indicate a shift in tone. He emphasized that the perpetrators behind these activities are organized gangs executing smuggling operations systematically.

In the course of recent investigations into apprehended smugglers, Hiyari disclosed that they had undergone military training. He clarified that although the training ostensibly focused on handling drugs and engaging with border guards, it amounted to military training, suggesting the involvement of foreign agendas.

Highlighting the organized nature of these actions, Hiyari refuted the notion that armed groups alone were responsible, emphasizing the hidden agendas driving them. The Jordanian army spokesman underscored that the apparent coordination implies more than the mere existence of armed groups.

The Jordanian army recently engaged in armed clashes against large groups of smugglers attempting to bring weapons and drugs from Syria. These clashes followed airstrikes attributed to Jordan that targeted sites in Syrias Suweida governorate. The surge in operations over the past few days has escalated from infiltration and smuggling attempts to armed confrontations aimed at forcefully crossing the border.

Muhannad Mubaydeen, the Government Communications Minister and spokesperson, had previously attributed the escalating confrontations to existing chaos and the lawlessness of power, pointing to militias backed by regional powers as contributing factors.

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.
The Liberation and Construction Movement within the Syrian National Army has announced Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes as its new leader, according to Syria TV.

The Liberation and Construction Movement within the Syrian National Army has announced a leadership change, appointing Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes, also known as Abu Hatem Shakra, as its new leader, replacing Colonel Hussein al-Hammadi. It is noteworthy that Hayes is currently listed on US sanctions lists, despite this, he has been selected to lead the movement.

This movement resulted from the merger of four factions within the Syrian National Army, primarily originating from the eastern region of Syria (Deir-ez-Zor  Raqqa  Hasakeh). Its establishment was officially declared in February 2022 and comprises the factions of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, Jaish al-Sharqiya, Division 20, and Suqour al-Sham (Northern Sector), as outlined in its founding statement.

Upon its formation, Colonel Hammadi of Jaish al-Sharqiya initially assumed the role of the general command of the Liberation and Construction Movement. Ahrar al-Sharqiyas commander, Abu Hatem Shakra, was concurrently appointed as his deputy.

The movement assigns a U.S. sanctioned person to lead it

In Monadys statement, the movement announced the appointment of Abu Hatem Shakra as its leader, with the former leader, Hammadi, assuming responsibility for the political wing. The position of deputy leader was assigned to Abu Barzan, while the military wing will be led by Abu Arab.

Its important to note that in July 2021, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction, part of the National Army. Ahrar al-Sharqiya was accused of various human rights violations, including the illegal killing of Kurdish politician Havrin Khalaf and other civilians in northeastern Syria. The faction was also implicated in kidnappings, torture, confiscation of private property, and preventing displaced Syrians from returning home.

The sanctions extended to Abu Hatem Shakra, who is accused of involvement in numerous human rights violations. He allegedly led the Ahrar al-Sharqiya prison outside Aleppo, where hundreds were executed since 2018. He was also implicated in smuggling Yazidi women and children and integrating former ISIS members into the faction.

Despite these sanctions, leaders of the Syrian National Army expressed discontent, considering the classification unfair and emphasizing the factions role in defending Syrian civilians against terrorism and tyranny, urging reliance on reports from independent human rights and legal committees.

What are the possible consequences for the Movement?

Regarding the repercussions of appointing a sanctioned individual to lead the Liberation and Construction Movement, journalist Samer al-Ani highlighted the potential risks faced by the movement following its recent decision. Ani emphasized that designating a leader under sanctions might expose the entire movement to classification, affecting all factions operating within it.

Explaining the rationale behind choosing Shakra for the leadership role, Ani, in an interview with Syria TV, pointed out that the movement comprises four factions. Among the leaders of these factions, Colonel Hammadi is the sole officer and is considered the most capable of leadership. However, Hammadi had expressed a desire to be relieved of the position multiple times, creating a dilemma for the Movement.

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.
Ahrar Horan documented 31 assassination operations and attempts last month, according to al-Tareeq.

An officer lost his life, and four members of the Syrian regimes police forces sustained injuries on Sunday in an attack carried out by unidentified gunmen on the Daraa highway in southern Syria.

The Ministry of Interior in the regime government confirmed the tragic demise of Major Muntajib Mohsen Baridani and reported the injury of four members of the Izraa police in Daraa.

According to official statements, the assailants opened fire on the police forces while they were performing their national duty.

The month of December witnessed a concerning surge in assassinations, along with continued arrests and kidnappings in the Daraa governorate.

Ahrar Horan documented 31 assassination operations and attempts during this period, resulting in 24 fatalities, 17 injuries, and seven surviving assassination attempts.

The groups records indicate the killing of four lieutenant officers and three conscripted members of the regime forces. Additionally, a member of the Russian military police lost their life in separate assassination incidents.

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.
Bassam Sabbagh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, welcomed Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations.

Bassam Sabbagh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, welcomed Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, monday. Lacroix was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), Major General Nirmal Kumar Thapa.

During the meeting, discussions centred on the operations of UNDOF in the Disengagement Observer Zone. The participants acknowledged the support provided by the Syrian government, which enables the force to effectively execute its mandate under the pertinent Security Council resolution.

Sabbagh emphasized the urgency of United Nations intervention to halt the continuous Israeli transgressions against residents of the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967. He also called for an end to Israels repeated infringements on Syrian sovereignty, including attacks on critical infrastructure. Sabbagh highlighted the necessity for peacekeeping reports and briefings to accurately reflect these incidents and breaches.

Lacroix outlined the purpose of his visit, which includes assessing UNDOFs operations and visiting its facilities. He also plans to meet with relevant Syrian authorities. In his remarks, Lacroix expressed gratitude for the cooperation and assistance extended by the Syrian government.

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.
Recommended LFD timeline

The 2011 capital facilities plan had the following recommendations.

Within 1-5 years: to construct the new fire station on 30th Avenue and Ocean Beach Highway.

Within 5-10 years: to renovate the department's current headquarters on Commerce Avenue, and to relocate the fire station on 38th Avenue farther west around 46th Avenue and Ocean Beach.

Within 10-20 years: to construct another fire station on Industrial Way and Washington Way.
A Longview man has pleaded guilty to defrauding two people out of thousands of dollars after failing to install septic systems despite cashing checks.

Garyn Mark Indiana Bowen, 29, pleaded guilty last month in Cowlitz County Superior Court. Bowen has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 31.

Bowen owned and operated J & B Septic, a Kelso-based business that installs septic systems.

According to court documents, Bowen has agreed to plead guilty to a forgery charge; he originally faced four additional charges of first-degree theft. If a judge accepts the prosecutions recommendation, Bowen could serve 20 days in county jail and be forced to pay back thousands of dollars to two victims, and the state would dismiss the remaining theft charges as part of the deal.

Kirstin Joy Ribelin, 41, of Kelso, one of the victims in the case, said although she is not completely satisfied with the potential deal, she is glad some level of justice will be served; she could receive $10,875 in restitution.

A police report states on June 9, 2023, Ribelin reported the theft of funds to police, and officers discovered Bowen cashed $16,875 and never performed any work.

Initially, three other victims were affected. However, only Ribelin and another victim, Ronald William Gottschalk, 53, of Castle Rock, are mentioned in the plea deal. He could receive $16,317.32 in restitution if the agreement is accepted.

Gottschalk said he paid Bowen thousands of dollars in a down payment for septic installation that was never installed, but he doesnt believe he will recover any of his money. He is dissatisfied with the prosecutors offer but is willing to accept it as long as I get my money back, he said.

The proposed plea deal mentions that defense may ask for 20 days (of) community service instead.

An email from the Cowlitz County Health Department says Bowens license to install septic systems expired on July 6, 2022.

According to court documents, Bowen has a criminal history, which includes charges of theft and identity theft in Washington County, Oregon, in 2017.
Less than half of South Korean students think unification is necessary
The former chair of the governing board overseeing the embattled Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission quickly parlayed the gig into a job with the cannabis industry.

Three months after Marvin Revoal resigned, he took a job as director of regulatory and business development with CannXperts in Eugene, the company announced in late December.

The company touted Revoals long tenure with the OLCC and his experience in liquor and cannabis regulatory system growth and development. CannXperts says it offers consulting advice to cannabis businesses on regulation and compliance.

Revoal stepped down from the seven-member board in September. The board governs the state agency charged with regulating Oregons lucrative liquor and marijuana industries. Revenue from both represents the third largest source of money for the state general fund and the second largest source for many cities and towns behind property taxes. Board members set policy and hire the commissions executive director.

Its unclear whether Revoals new job complies with states so-called revolving-door ethic rules that prohibit a person who has been the administrator of the OLCC from taking a position, becoming an employee or receiving any financial gain from any private employer engaged in the activity, occupation or industry over which the former public official had authority for one year from the date that their state position concludes.

Susan Myers, compliance and education coordinator for the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, said the statute does not define administrator and that it would be up to the ethics commission board to decide whether the law applies to Revoal.

She said Revoal did not seek guidance from the ethics commission before taking the job.

Asked over the weekend about his new position and whether he sought ethics guidance before taking it, Revoal declined to comment.

Kate Titus, executive director of Common Cause Oregon, a grassroots, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen and advance democracy, said Revoals leap into the industry that he up until recently regulated raises questions.

Democracies die when we erode ethics norms, she said. Its not just a matter of following the letter of the law. Its about keeping clear, bright lines between working for the public interest and working for ones own private interest.

Revelations last year that top OLCC managers had diverted scarce bourbon for their personal use led to the terminations and departures of a half-dozen managers and prompted Gov. Tina Kotek to ask for then-OLCC board Chair Paul Rosenbaums resignation.

Kotek tapped Revoal, one of the boards longest serving members at the time, as Rosenbaums successor. He was originally appointed to the OLCC in 2013 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Records turned up during the Oregon Department of Justices subsequent and ongoing criminal investigation into the diversion of liquor show that in 2016 Revoal, too, asked a state employee to help a friend get a case of hard-to-find bourbon.

An email exchange obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive shows that about three years into his tenure on the board, Revoal emailed the OLCCs retail services director asking where one of his friends could find a case of Elmer T. Lee, a popular bourbon released in limited quantities several times a year.

Revoal did not respond to inquiries from The Oregonian/OregonLive at the time but later told KOIN that he only sought to connect a citizen with someone who could help him find the product.

The CEO of the company where Revoal now works is Andy Shelley, himself a former OLCC insider, having served as a compliance inspector. According to Shelleys Linkedin page, he founded the business in 2018 after working as an inspector for about 18 months.
Four Green Hill School inmates are facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court for allegedly attacking another inmate at the Chehalis facility in November.

Charges against the four inmates, identified as Adnel Kenjar, Angel R. Lopez-Ledezma, Andre Vasquez and Adrian Mendoza, were filed on Dec. 28.

Each inmate faces one count of prison riot for allegedly taking part in a fight at Green Hill School in Chehalis. The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The date of the alleged incident was listed inconsistently in court documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court in December. Some documents list the incident date as Nov. 2 while others list the date as Nov. 30.

A juvenile inmate, who was not named in superior court documents, allegedly started the fight by attacking Lopez-Ledezma, according to court documents. Staff reportedly intervened and separated the two, with a staff member taking the juvenile to the ground and holding him there.

Lopez-Ledezma then allegedly broke free and ran to (the juvenile) and attempted to kick him in the head. Kenjar, Vasquez and Mendoza allegedly attempted to join the fight by attacking a restrained inmate, but were stopped before they were able to throw punches, according to court documents.

Arraignment hearings for the defendants are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 11.

The case marks the eighth riot at the Chehalis facility that was charged in Lewis County Superior Court in 2023.

Previously, a group of four inmates allegedly beat up another inmate at the facility while medications were being dispensed on April 26. A group of four inmates allegedly beat up another inmate in a gang-related attack inside the facility on May 12. A group of four inmates allegedly attacked two other inmates and a staff member at the facility on either June 14 or Aug. 2. A group of six inmates allegedly participated in a standoff with facility staff in August. A group of nine inmates allegedly got into a fight while being moved inside the facility on Sept. 12. A group of nine inmates allegedly took part in a fight on Sept. 18. Three inmates allegedly attacked another inmate on either July 9 or Aug. 17.

At least two incidents charged in Lewis County Superior Court in 2023 have been tied to gang activity within the facility, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
Drive most any Washington highway in the Puget Sound region these days and chances are good youll roll up on a construction zone where contractors are restoring fish habitat. With $3.8 billion in funds from the Legislature, the Washington State Department of Transportations court-ordered removal of salmon-blocking culverts will fulfill all but 10% of the habitat of its 2030 goal.

The trouble is that last 10% will cost about $4 billion more  a fraction of the salmon habitat for around the same price as the entirety of the program to date. WSDOT will need another $725 million in 2024 to remain on target  all at a time when costs for transportation needs, including highway projects and ferry construction, are also ballooning.

Gov. Jay Inslee and state lawmakers acknowledged the daunting challenge of those increased costs Thursday at the Washington State Association of Broadcasters and Allied Daily Newspapers of Washingtons preview of the 2024 legislative session. While there are competing demands, they must keep the culvert work atop the priorities list.

For one, they are bound by a federal court injunction to uphold tribal treaty fishing rights that date back to 1855. And the work is critical. As a so-called keystone species, the Puget Sound regions environmental health depends on salmon. Destruction of habitat has landed this cultural symbol and source of sustenance for tribes since time immemorial on the federal Endangered Species List.

Three strategies will help the state complete its culvert obligations. First, the funding: The Legislature can seek solutions outside of traditional transportation funding sources. Auctions for carbon allowances under the Climate Commitment Acts cap-and-trade system, for example, have raised more than $1.8 billion. Those funds, which could be at risk of repeal by voters in an initiative this fall, were tailor-made for projects including those that improve Washingtons natural environment and that make the states infrastructure more climate resilient. Lawmakers could also consider tapping into the states general fund, as they did with $2 billion in 2022 as part of the Move Ahead Washington package.

The federal government can help too: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone has $1 billion set aside for culvert replacement.

Second, science and accountability must be part of this bold investment. Right now, WSDOT performs incremental inspections to ensure the changes in reopening waterways were successful, post-project. Kim Rydholm, WSDOTs Fish Passage Delivery Manager, says agency staff members have spotted spawning at roughly half of the restored sites. Additional monitoring by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, local tribes and others will help quantify the impact.

And third, WSDOTs plan must be malleable to ensure the rivers and streams theyve prioritized for unblocking fish passage yield the best ecological results  new, quality habitat that restores the natural environment. The editorial board in 2017 cautioned the state to be pragmatic and dictated by research, not disruptive lawsuits and politics.

WSDOT currently uses a variety of prioritization principles, to include tribal input and habitat gain, to rank projects. Every one produces at least 200 meters of spawning habitat, Rydholm confirmed. But new data and technology may become available to help. Case in point: University of Washington scientists are developing an app to qualify the best barrier projects to pursue. Upstream, as it is known, is set to go live early this year.

The course is not cheap, but it is clear: The state must fix the culverts, using the best science possible.
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:

In this photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Friday night shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. Credit: National Transportation Safety Board via AP

Federal investigators say a door panel slid up before flying off an Alaska Airlines jetliner last week, and they are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off.

The comments Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board came shortly after Alaska and United Airlines reported separately that they found loose parts in the panelsor door plugsof some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

"Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plugfor example, bolts that needed additional tightening," Chicago-based United said.

Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s, "Initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft."

The findings of investigators and the airlines are ratcheting up pressure on Boeing to address concerns that have grown since the terrifying fuselage blowout Friday night. A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off the plane as it flew 16,000 feet (4,800 meters) above Oregon.

Boeing has called an online meeting for all employees Tuesday to discuss safety.

The company, which has had problems with various planes over the years, pledged to "help address any and all findings" that airlines make during their inspections of Max 9 jets. Boeing has delivered more than 200 to customers around the world, but 171 of them were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday until the door plugs can be inspected and, if necessary, fixed.

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. Credit: National Transportation Safety Board via AP

The door plugs are inserted where emergency exit doors would be located on Max 9s with more than about 200 seats. Alaska and United have fewer seats in their Max 9s, so they replace heavy doors with the plugs.

The panels can be opened for maintenance work. The bolts prevent the mechanism from moving upward on rollers when the plane is in flight.

During Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday night, roller guides at the top of one of the plugs brokefor reasons the investigators don't fully understand yetallowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 "stop pads" that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, NTSB officials said at a news briefing in Portland.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the safety board was investigating whether four bolts that help prevent the panel from sliding up on rollers were missing when the plane took off from Portland or whether they blew off "during the violent, explosive decompression event."

This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. Credit: Elizabeth Le via AP

The interior of the plane suffered extensive damage, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land safely. Officials say there were no serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.

The lost door panel was found Sunday near Portland in the back yard of a school teacher's home. NTSB officials said it will be sent to the agency's lab in Washington, D.C., for detailed study that might help pinpoint why the plug broke loose.

Alaska and United have canceled hundreds of flights since the weekend because of their grounded planes. Alaska has 65 Max 9s, and United has 79. The airlines waited until Monday before Boeing and the FAA completed instructions for how to inspect their planes.

The jet involved in Friday's blowout is brand-new, having been put in service in November. After a cabin-pressurization system warning light came on during three flights, the airline stopped flying it over the Pacific to Hawaii. Some aviation experts questioned why Alaska continued using the plane on overland routes until it figured out what was causing the pressurization warnings.

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. Credit: National Transportation Safety Board via AP

Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9 which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a part of the fuselage broke off mid-flight on Friday, is parked at a maintenance hanger in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer

The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 13, 2021. Wall Street is mixed in early trading on Monday. Boeing dragged the Dow lower after one of its jets suffered an inflight blowout. Credit: AP Photo/Richard Drew, File

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks to the media about the investigation of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Federal officials on Saturday ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they are inspected after the Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage. Credit: AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990ER flight 337 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., lands at Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after part of the fuselage blew out during a flight. Credit: AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer

A Boeing 737 MAX 9 taxis past unpainted planes as it gets ready to takeoff for the aircraft's first flight, Thursday, April 13, 2017, in Renton, Wash. On Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, U.S. officials ordered the immediate grounding of Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage. Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

Kelvin Lau, left, waits with his family, including daughter Chloe, 3, to rebook a canceled Alaska Airlines flight, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Alaska Airlines canceled more than 100 flights after grounding Boeings fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections following Fridays emergency landing of a Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner. Credit: Karen Ducey/The Seattle Times via AP

Stephanie Shinn from Kenmore waits three hours at this point while her husband waits in line to rebook their flight to Philadelphia after their flight on Alaska Airlines was canceled at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Alaska Airlines canceled more than 100 flights after grounding Boeing's fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections following Friday's emergency landing of a Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner. Credit: Karen Ducey/The Seattle Times via AP

In southwest Portland, Ore., Gavin Redshaw shows the drone he used on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, to search for the wreckage of the exit door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 that detached during an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, Jan. 5. Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush

Alaska Airlines flight 1276, a Boeing 737-900, taxis before takeoff from Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after part of the fuselage blew out during a flight. Credit: AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer

A sprawling hospital complex in the Cedar Hills neighborhood of southwest Portland, Ore., is seen from a patch of densely thicketed land across from it, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. The National Transportation Safety Board estimated that the exit door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 that detached from an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, Jan. 5, may have landed in the area. Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush

Adam Pirkle stands with his bicycle on the edge of a densely thicketed area in the Cedar Hills area of southwest Portland, Ore., Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Pirkle said he rode 14 miles looking for the wreckage of the exit door plug that detached from a Boeing 737 Max 9 shortly after the takeoff of an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, Jan. 5. The National Transportation Safety Board estimated it may have fallen in the area. Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush

On a personal electronic GPS, Beaverton, Ore., resident Adam Pirkle shows the 14 miles he rode on his bicycle in his neighborhood and around southwest Portland, Ore., Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, looking for the exit door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 that detached shortly after the takeoff of an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, Jan. 5. The National Transportation Safety Board estimated the piece may have fallen in the area. Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush

A patch of land filled with dense, thorny thickets, sandwiched between busy roads and light rail train station, stands across from a sprawling hospital complex in the Cedar Hills neighborhood of southwest Portland, Ore., Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. The National Transportation Safety Board estimated the exit door plug of a Boeing 737 Max 9 that detached from an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff on Friday, Jan. 5, may have fallen in the area. Credit: AP Photo/Claire Rush

Homendy said Monday, however, that NTSB has seen no evidence to link the warnings with the blowout of the door plug.

The Max is the newest version of Boeing's 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane that debuted in the late 1960s and has been updated many times. The 737 has long been a workhorse for airlines on U.S. domestic routes.

Shares of Boeing fell 8% and Spirit AeroSystems, which installs the door plugs on Max jets, dropped 11% on Monday.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Australia is not rolling out clean energy projects nearly fast enough to reach the Australian government's target of 82% renewable electricity by 2030. A huge build of solar and wind farms, transmission lines and big batteries is needed. But progress is challenged by the scale required, community resistance to new infrastructure and connecting all that new renewable electricity to the grid.

In the latest obstacle to expanding renewable energy capacity in the longer term, federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek knocked back a plan by the Victorian government to build a sea terminal to service offshore wind farms, saying it posed "clearly unacceptable" environmental risks.

The roadblocks facing large projects present an opportunity to ramp up the contribution of small-scale technologies in the energy transition. Recently, federal and state energy ministers agreed on the need for a national roadmap and a co-ordinated approach to integrating into the grid what they call "consumer energy resources" (CER), which include batteries, electric vehicles and rooftop solar.

More than one in three Australian houses have solar panels on their roofs. Australia leads the world in rooftop solar per head. During the past year these systems generated close to 10% of our electricity. Several times over the past few months, they even provided enough electricity to briefly meet all South Australia's electricity demand.

And the technology still has great potential to grow: although installed capacity has doubled in the last four years, these systems cover only about 10% of Australia's estimated usable roof area. So, how large a share of our electricity needs might rooftop solar provide? The answers are not simple.

Why rooftop solar presents a challenge for the grid

In electricity systems, demand and supply must be balanced at all times. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) runs the grid and keeps it secure to avoid blackouts in case of unexpected events such as the sudden disconnection of a transmission line.

To meet demand, every five minutes AEMO dispatches electricity from large-scale generators such as coal-fired power stations or large solar farms. As the grid operator, AEMO must also procure reserve capacity to balance any differences in demand and maintain security.

But AEMO does not dispatch power from rooftop solar, which is either used on site, or flows into the grid independently of AEMO's control. This isn't usually a problem, since AEMO keeps the grid balanced by forecasting how much rooftop solar is being generated.

However, if rooftop solar generates the majority of power in a particular region, there may not be enough dispatchable generation and reserves online to keep the grid balanced and secure. Grid security can also be challenged when unexpected events trigger the safety settings of rooftop solar systems and cause them to disconnect.

The other big issue for grid balance is that the network businesses that manage the poles, wires and other infrastructure connecting generators to homes and businesses need to ensure that voltages remain within defined technical limits to avoid damaging equipment or appliances. When solar generates a lot of power at a time of low electricity demand, voltage can exceed the upper operational limit. Voltage can also go below the lower operational limit when too many people connect big appliances like air-conditioners.

So how are we managing the three challenges of rooftop solar: lack of controllability by the market operator, uncertain behavior during unexpected grid events and impact on network voltage?

Ways to manage and expand rooftop solar

Current Australian standards require solar to automatically disconnect when voltage gets too high. Network businesses also pre-emptively manage this problem by preventing customers in areas where voltage is an issue from connecting solar to the grid, or by limiting the size of solar systems they can connect or the amount of electricity they can export to the grid at any time. But this approach is potentially unfair to those customers who can't connect or export.

The good news is that standards introduced in 2020 provide more sophisticated ways of managing solar through more gradual voltage response, and by requiring systems to ride through major disturbances rather than disconnecting. Some networks have also developed solar-friendly ways to cut off surplus output "dynamically", meaning only at times when they have to.

Thanks to these measures, solar customers face less constraint on exporting power to the grid. However, since solar sometimes now supplies most of the generation in South Australia, AEMO has also tested disconnection of solar to increase its control of the grid in case of threats to system security.

Some of these solar management tools are still quite blunt and some commentators worry they will be overused. While necessary in the short-term, if unchecked they will reduce our ability to realize our rooftop solar potential.

Getting smarter about when we use power

There is another way to use our solar systems more effectively: we can shift energy use to times when the sun is shining, and store energyin batteries, electric vehicles and hot water tanksto use when it is not.

To make such a change, consumer electricity prices are a potential lever. Solar customers already have an incentive to use electricity from their own rooftop systems, because they pay more for grid electricity than they are paid to sell solar back to the grid.

South Australia and some other network areas are introducing low "solar soak" rates to encourage all customers to use electricity in high solar times, such as the middle of the day. Times of plentiful solar also tend to be the cheapest times to buy wholesale electricity from the grid, and innovative retailers like Amber Electric are passing through these price signals to customers.

However, typical retail plans offered to customers don't provide much incentive to change patterns of electricity use, especially since many customers are understandably not focused on their electricity bills or cannot easily shift their power use.

In these cases orchestration schemes, often called "virtual power plants," are an option. Under the schemes, a business will reward household customers that allow it to operate their rooftop solar, batteries, appliances, electric vehicles and hot water systems in ways that reduce costs or grid impacts.

Better management of electricity use through these schemes can make room for the grid to take on more solar.

Recent trials in Western Australia (Project Symphony) and Victoria (Project EDGE) prove orchestration can work. Nevertheless, people will need good reasons to hand over control of their solar, batteries and appliances, particularly if they bought expensive equipment such as batteries for back-up power or to increase their energy independence.

It would be a major setback to the net zero transition if AEMO and network businesses, lacking better options for managing the grid, continue to cut back and switch off solar systems until people find it unattractive to purchase them.

The new CER roadmap needs to provide clear guidance on how AEMO and network businesses can manage rooftop solar, and other technologies such as batteries and EVs. Good governance arrangements and meaningful stakeholder consultation are essential if Australia is to maintain the momentum of its people-powered energy transition.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Study context and design. Left panel: Study site in the provinces of Guanacaste (light gray) and Puntarenas (dark gray) with study communities indicated by dots. Middle panel: Less-efficient, status quo technologies (top) are replaced with more-efficient, new technologies (bottom), sometimes requiring additional plumbing parts to complete the installation. Right panel: Experimental design; hh = household. Bottom panel: Study time line. Credit: Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (2023). DOI: 10.1086/725700

To address natural resource scarcity, pollution, and other harmful effects of climate change, some scientists and policymakers emphasize the adoption of input-efficient technologies like water-saving devices and fuel-saving stoves. Proponents often refer to these input-efficient technologies as a "win-win" for the benefits to their users and to the environment and lament their low adoption rates by consumers in what they call an "efficiency paradox."

A paper published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists examines this paradox and finds that the benefits to consumers from input-efficiency adoption are, on average, negative.

In "Input Efficiency as a Solution to Externalities and Resource Scarcity: A Randomized Controlled Trial," authors Francisco Alpizar, Maria Bernedo Del Carpio, and Paul J. Ferraro conclude that, with respect to the input-efficient technologies that they study, no efficiency paradox exists.

Much of the data regarding the efficiency paradox has been taken from the energy-efficient context. In "Input Efficiency," the authors report instead on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of water-efficient technology adoption. The trial took place in Costa Rica, where the overexploitation of public aquifers is a pressing concern.

Nearly 900 households, from a group of over 1,300 households, were selected at random to receive water-efficient showerheads and faucet aerators. Engineering methods predicted an average reduction in water use of about 30%, whereas the actual reduction in the trial was only about 9%.

According to the authors, that gap between prediction and reality stemmed from a set of faulty engineering and behavioral assumptions. For example, engineers assume households do not change their behaviors after the technology is adopted, whereas survey data suggested that households often leave the water running longer to compensate for the lower flow rate of the efficient devices.

When the authors assess how the participating households value the water savings, which are both uncertain and realized over many years, and compare this value to the upfront cost of purchasing the technologies, they conclude that, for the average user, the net benefits of these input-efficient technologies are negative.

The absence of a water efficiency paradoxin other words, the absence of a win-win outcome for the environment and the peoplemeans that simply doing a better job of informing consumers about the advantages of input-efficient devices will not be an effective strategy for mitigating resource scarcity or adapting to climate change. As noted by the authors of "Input Efficiency," their results suggest that "consumer misinformation may not be the main driver of low adoption rates" of efficient technologies.

Instead, the main driver is simply the modest savings from the technologies combined with the uncertainty and delayed nature of those savings. "In summary," they note, "claims of a 'win-win' outcome associated with the adoption of input-efficient technologies in our study context are not supported by the data." To address water scarcity and mitigate the effects of a changing climate in their study area, other solutions will be necessary.

More information: Francisco Alpizar et al, Input Efficiency as a Solution to Externalities and Resource Scarcity: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (2023). DOI: 10.1086/725700
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The HiP framework developed at MIT CSAIL develops detailed plans for robots using the expertise of three different foundation models, helping it execute tasks in households, factories, and construction that require multiple steps. Credit: Alex Shipps/MIT CSAIL

Your daily to-do list is likely pretty straightforward: wash the dishes, buy groceries, and other minutiae. It's unlikely you wrote out "pick up the first dirty dish," or "wash that plate with a sponge," because each of these miniature steps within the chore feels intuitive. While we can routinely complete each step without much thought, a robot requires a complex plan that involves more detailed outlines.

MIT's Improbable AI Lab, a group within the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), has offered these machines a helping hand with a new multimodal framework: Compositional Foundation Models for Hierarchical Planning (HiP), which develops detailed, feasible plans with the expertise of three different foundation models. Like OpenAI's GPT-4, the foundation model upon which ChatGPT and Bing Chat were built, these foundation models are trained on massive quantities of data for applications like generating images, translating text, and robotics.

The work is published on the arXiv preprint server.

Unlike RT2 and other multimodal models that are trained on paired vision, language, and action data, HiP uses three different foundation models each trained on different data modalities. Each foundation model captures a different part of the decision-making process and then works together when it's time to make decisions. HiP removes the need for access to paired vision, language, and action data, which is difficult to obtain. HiP also makes the reasoning process more transparent.

What's considered a daily chore for a human can be a robot's "long-horizon goal"an overarching objective that involves completing many smaller steps firstrequiring sufficient data to plan, understand, and execute objectives. While computer vision researchers have attempted to build monolithic foundation models for this problem, pairing language, visual, and action data is expensive. Instead, HiP represents a different, multimodal recipe: a trio that cheaply incorporates linguistic, physical, and environmental intelligence into a robot.

"Foundation models do not have to be monolithic," says NVIDIA AI researcher Jim Fan, who was not involved in the paper. "This work decomposes the complex task of embodied agent planning into three constituent models: a language reasoner, a visual world model, and an action planner. It makes a difficult decision-making problem more tractable and transparent."

The team believes that their system could help these machines accomplish household chores, such as putting away a book or placing a bowl in the dishwasher. Additionally, HiP could assist with multistep construction and manufacturing tasks, like stacking and placing different materials in specific sequences.

Evaluating HiP

The CSAIL team tested HiP's acuity on three manipulation tasks, outperforming comparable frameworks. The system reasoned by developing intelligent plans that adapt to new information.

First, the researchers requested that it stack different-colored blocks on each other and then place others nearby. The catch: Some of the correct colors weren't present, so the robot had to place white blocks in a color bowl to paint them. HiP often adjusted to these changes accurately, especially compared to state-of-the-art task planning systems like Transformer BC and Action Diffuser, by adjusting its plans to stack and place each square as needed.

Another test: arranging objects such as candy and a hammer in a brown box while ignoring other items. Some of the objects it needed to move were dirty, so HiP adjusted its plans to place them in a cleaning box, and then into the brown container. In a third demonstration, the bot was able to ignore unnecessary objects to complete kitchen sub-goals such as opening a microwave, clearing a kettle out of the way, and turning on a light. Some of the prompted steps had already been completed, so the robot adapted by skipping those directions.

A three-pronged hierarchy

HiP's three-pronged planning process operates as a hierarchy, with the ability to pre-train each of its components on different sets of data, including information outside of robotics. At the bottom of that order is a large language model (LLM), which starts to ideate by capturing all the symbolic information needed and developing an abstract task plan. Applying the common sense knowledge it finds on the internet, the model breaks its objective into sub-goals. For example, "making a cup of tea" turns into "filling a pot with water," "boiling the pot," and the subsequent actions required.

"All we want to do is take existing pre-trained models and have them successfully interface with each other," says Anurag Ajay, a Ph.D. student in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and a CSAIL affiliate. "Instead of pushing for one model to do everything, we combine multiple ones that leverage different modalities of internet data. When used in tandem, they help with robotic decision-making and can potentially aid with tasks in homes, factories, and construction sites."

These models also need some form of "eyes" to understand the environment in which they're operating and correctly execute each sub-goal. The team used a large video diffusion model to augment the initial planning completed by the LLM, which collects geometric and physical information about the world from footage on the internet. In turn, the video model generates an observation trajectory plan, refining the LLM's outline to incorporate new physical knowledge.

This process, known as iterative refinement, allows HiP to reason about its ideas, taking in feedback at each stage to generate a more practical outline. The flow of feedback is similar to writing an article, where an author may send their draft to an editor, and with revisions incorporated, the publisher reviews for any last changes and finalizes.

In this case, the top of the hierarchy is an egocentric action model, or a sequence of first-person images that infer which actions should take place based on its surroundings. During this stage, the observation plan from the video model is mapped over the space visible to the robot, helping the machine decide how to execute each task within the long-horizon goal. If a robot uses HiP to make tea, this means it will have mapped out exactly where the pot, sink, and other key visual elements are, and begin completing each sub-goal.

Still, the multimodal work is limited by the lack of high-quality video foundation models. Once available, they could interface with HiP's small-scale video models to further enhance visual sequence prediction and robot action generation. A higher-quality version would also reduce the current data requirements of the video models.

That being said, the CSAIL team's approach only used a tiny bit of data overall. Moreover, HiP was cheap to train and demonstrated the potential of using readily available foundation models to complete long-horizon tasks.

"What Anurag has demonstrated is proof-of-concept of how we can take models trained on separate tasks and data modalities and combine them into models for robotic planning. In the future, HiP could be augmented with pre-trained models that can process touch and sound to make better plans," says senior author Pulkit Agrawal, MIT assistant professor in EECS and director of the Improbable AI Lab. The group is also considering applying HiP to solving real-world long-horizon tasks in robotics.

Ajay and Agrawal are lead authors on a paper describing the work. They are joined by MIT professors and CSAIL principal investigators Tommi Jaakkola, Joshua Tenenbaum, and Leslie Pack Kaelbling; CSAIL research affiliate and MIT-IBM AI Lab research manager Akash Srivastava; graduate students Seungwook Han and Yilun Du; former postdoc Abhishek Gupta, who is now assistant professor at University of Washington; and former graduate student Shuang Li, Ph.D.

More information: Anurag Ajay et al, Compositional Foundation Models for Hierarchical Planning, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2309.08587 Journal information: arXiv

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
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

A lot is happening these days in the Norwegian electricity grid. The Nordic countries are experiencing increasing levels of variability in electricity generation from new wind and solar power plants, combined with decreasing production from plants fueled by fossil coal and gas.

Electricity generation from traditional power plants, including most hydropower facilities, can be regulated regardless of the weather. But new, renewable energy supplies are hostage to hour-by-hour changes in weather conditions.

This makes it more difficult to balance the electricity grid, thus creating an opportunity for initiatives that can serve to maintain balanced electricity distribution.

A grid balancing act

In 2022, Statnett, which is responsible for operation of the Norwegian electricity grid, went on the offensive in order to meet this challenge, and established a new market for grid balancing services. This market is creating opportunities for several actors, including neighborhood communities, to provide valuable grid balancing services.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of all this is the fact that the residents in your neighborhood can contribute simply by suspending charging their cars for up to 30 seconds at a time. Amazingly, this will help maintain stability in the system and make you money at the same time.

In order for a neighborhood to save money, the grid system needs a guarantee that vehicle charging can be suspended at precisely one second's notice. This requires ultra-reliable communication between the grid and the electric vehicle charger.

The principle is straightforward enough. The neighborhood will receive a payment for standing ready to suspend vehicle charging during certain periods, even though this will happen only very rarely. The need will be greatest in the summertime, so the market only operates from spring into autumn.

However, Statnett, which regulates the flow of electricity, says that if this is to be of any real help, as many neighborhoods as possible have to contribute together. A single neighborhood on its own will never be enough.

When several neighborhoods collaborate, the combined effort will help to keep electricity supplies constant and the grid system stable. This is one way that enables the general public to make a contribution and collaborate to resolve our grid supply challenges.

So how much will they save by doing this?

Many opportunities for savings

As part of a research project currently being carried out by SINTEF and NTNU as part of the Zero Emissions Neighborhoods (ZEN)/CEER research initiative, our team has been calculating how much money residents in a typical Norwegian neighborhood can save by becoming 'smart' electricity consumers.

To achieve this, we have constructed a special data model that helps us to identify the smartest ways for a neighborhood to save money on its collective electricity bill in the course of an entire year. This is a complicated exercise because there are in fact many ways for electricity consumers to save money.

For example, we can use electricity most when it is least expensive. We can also save money by distributing our consumption more evenly over the 24-hour day. Our data model helps us to see how savings can be impacted in other ways, such as by consumers being willing to turn off their vehicle chargers.

The "neighborhood" that we have modeled in our study is a college in Innlandet county. The college has a number of electric car chargers and a battery that can store electricity. As well as charging vehicles, some of the chargers can also send electricity back into the grid as and when necessary.

We have been using our data model to find out how the college can charge its cars and use its storage battery in the most cost-effective way throughout the year. Modeling has been based on examining trends in electricity consumption and prices during the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Major savings

Initially, we looked into how much money a neighborhood might save by managing its consumption intelligently without being a member of the new grid-balancing market. We found that it can achieve between 10% and 15% in savings on its annual electricity bills. This is because it focuses on using electricity most at off-peak periods when it is least expensive.

It also saves money on grid tariff payments by distributing consumption more evenly over the 24-hour day.

Then we investigated how much money a neighborhood might save by becoming a member of the new grid balancing market. Participation in the market means that the neighborhood must plan so that it can guarantee that one or more devices, such as vehicle chargers, can be switched off at very short notice during certain time periods.

Our findings showed that participation in the market resulted in even lower electricity bills. We also discovered that it was in fact a little less beneficial to distribute consumption more evenly during the day because this limits the savings made on grid tariff payments. However, in this case, a neighborhood is able to reduce its total annual electricity bill by up to 20%. Participation in the grid balancing market effectively provides an income equivalent to between 5% and 7% of their total bill.

Two things must be in place

Currently, there are virtually no neighborhoods participating in the new grid balancing market, even though there is money out there just begging to be made.

Two things are needed if we are to succeed in encouraging neighborhoods to adopt smart electricity consumerism in practice.

Firstly, neighborhood communities must come together to create a large enough collaborative system. It helps, of course, to be a large community in the first place, such as a housing cooperative. Smaller units can participate by joining a larger collaborative effort. In Norway, companies organizing collaboration of this kind already exist. A good example is Flextools.

Secondly, if a neighborhood is to participate in the market, its devices, such as vehicle chargers, have to be qualified. This can be done by testing to see whether chargers can be switched off fast enough when required. To do this, the neighborhood must obtain a suitably accurate measurement device. Participation must also be approved by the grid company that supplies electricity to the neighborhood. Norwegian neighborhoods should now be looking to grasp this opportunity because in the future there will be an increasing need for the services offered by the grid-balancing market.
Friendly visa policies to help boost tourism

08:54, January 09, 2024 By Cheng Si ( China Daily

As the global tourism industry continues to woo Chinese travelers, China is reciprocating the gesture of goodwill by offering more friendly visa policies to attract overseas visitors and reignite inbound tourism, making it a strong driver for economic development.

Last week, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced that Thailand will permanently waive visa requirements for Chinese visitors starting on March 1. The Southeast Asian country had previously granted a temporary visa waiver for visitors from China, which is set to expire on Feb 29.

Soon after the announcement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the mutual exemption of visas between China and Thailand will serve the fundamental interest of both peoples once implemented.

Related government departments are in close communication on the matter, and China is looking forward to the early implementation of the policy, he said at a regular news conference last week.

This is not the first time China has made a friendly gesture to attract international travelers. The nation resumed visa-free entry for visitors from Singapore holding ordinary passports on July 26, after its suspension in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Dec 1, China started allowing visitors from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia to enter the country without a visa. A total of 214,000 visits from these six nations were recorded as of Dec 31, up 28.5 percent compared with the previous month, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Among these visits, 118,000 individuals entered China visa-free using ordinary passports, accounting for 55.1 percent of the total trips made by individuals from the six countries during the same period, data from the administration showed.

Yang Jinsong, director of the International Institute at the China Tourism Academy, said that China's visa-free policy has demonstrated its well-intentioned attitude toward international travelers, and has also given tourism operators a confidence boost.

"The inbound tourism market will recover to the level of 2019... or even better than 2019. The visa-free policy is a boost, and we have to improve our services and market regulations to guarantee safe and happy experiences for international travelers coming to China," Yang added.

After Thailand upgraded its visa policy for Chinese visitors, searches and bookings for various destinations in that country surged on travel portals.

Online travel agency LY.com said that searches for tour services to Thailand made by its users increased 158 percent within half an hour of the announcement on Jan 2, compared with the same time the previous day.

Yang said that Thailand's move showed its "great determination to win back Chinese travelers", as its previous efforts fell short of the expectations.

Although Thailand is recognized as one of the top choices for Chinese travelers, the country has had to redouble its efforts in the face of stiff competition from other Southeast Asian nations, such as Singapore and Indonesia, which offered friendly visa policies to Chinese visitors last year, he said.

Chinese visitors are an irreplaceable source of tourism revenue for Thailand and many other countries, industry insiders said.

According to Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the country received 3.35 million Chinese travelers as of Dec 20, and the total number for the whole of 2023 is expected to reach 3.5 million.

Fan Dongxiao, travel portal Tuniu's director of short-distance outbound travels, said they expect a surge in visits to Thailand during the Chinese winter holiday period, and "are confident of the performance of outbound tourism market to Thailand once the visa-free policy is implemented".

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will leave hospital Wednesday, eight days after he was stabbed in the neck in a knife attack and underwent surgery, a party official said.

Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has since recovered enough to leave Seoul National University Hospital, said Kwon Hyuk-ki, a DPK official.

"Lee will return home and continue his treatment there for the time being," Kwon said.

Lee was stabbed in the neck by a knife-wielding man in his 60s posing as an autograph-seeker during his visit to the southeastern port city of Busan on Jan. 2.

Lee was airlifted to Seoul and underwent surgery for a laceration in a major vein in his neck.

The assailant was arrested at the scene and an investigation is under way to determine the motive of the crime. (Yonhap)
A College Station man was arrested on Friday for allegedly entering a womans home without permission and assaulting her in December, according to the Bryan Police Department.

Lionel Goffner, 54, has been charged with burglary of a habitation, according to Brazos County Jail records.

On Dec. 18, police said officers responded to a report from a woman stating that a man named Londell had entered her apartment without permission and kicked her in the stomach.

When police arrived on the scene in the 500 block of Harvey Road, officers said that the man originally identified as Londell was actually Lionel Goffner. The victim told officers that she and Goffner had not spoken in several months and that he had never had free access to the apartment.

Police said officers spoke to two other residents of the victims apartment who corroborated her story. According to police, one of the other residents was able to remove Goffner following the alleged assault forcibly.

After canvassing the area, officers said they were unable to locate Goffner.

On Dec. 20, police said they interviewed a woman who told officers that Goffner had confessed to assaulting the victim and that he had hid once police arrived.

Goffner was not arrested until Jan. 5, according to jail records.

Burglary of a habitation with the intent to commit a felony second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

Goffner is currently being held under a $30,000 bond, according to jail records.
2nd vote on special investigation of first lady bill delayed

By Nam Hyun-woo

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a special act on investigating the 2022 crowd crush that killed 159 people in central Seoul's Itaewon, upon the majority-holding main opposition Democratic Party of Koreas (DPK) initiative.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) insisted that the act be focused on preventing similar tragedies and cast concerns over an article on setting up an investigation committee out of fear that it may side with the opposition, thereby becoming a tool for political offensives before the general elections in April. Since the committee will delve into the Yoon Suk Yeol administrations response to the crowd crush tragedy, there is a high chance that Yoon may use his veto power, as he has done multiple times during his presidency.

During a plenary session at the Assembly, lawmakers passed the Act on Uncovering the Truth, Preventing Recurrence, and Protecting the Rights of Victims in the Itaewon Tragedy, with unanimous approval from all 177 registered lawmakers in attendance at the 298-seat Assembly.

PPP lawmakers boycotted the vote and held a protest to decry the opposition party's unilateral approval of the act.

The act will next be submitted to the government for review at a Cabinet meeting. If Yoon does not veto it, the committee will operate for a year from April 10 to investigate the cause and determine who is responsible for the failures that enabled the disaster to occur.

The act comes 438 days after the deadly crowd accident in a narrow alley of Itaewon on Oct. 29, 2022. Police and local governments were criticized for their ill preparation for crowd control and bungled emergency response, despite signs in advance of a massive turnout ahead of the popularly celebrated holiday weekend.

Despite the year-long calls from families of the victims for legislative measures to investigate the case and prevent a recurrence, the rival parties had been clashing over the act until hours before the plenary session.

The two parties had failed to reach an agreement in negotiations, despite their respective compromises  the PPP had accepted the idea of the committee and the DPK had made moves to improve its neutrality and had agreed to postponing the law's enactment until after the general elections.

The act initially stipulated that the president appoint 11 committee members, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo recommend one, the rival parties each recommend four and victim family groups recommend two.

Since the Assembly speaker is a former DPK member and victim family groups have been critical of the governments response to the tragedy, the PPP believes the committee will be comprised of at least seven figures favorable to the opposition.

Due to this, the DPK revised it to allow the speaker to recommend three members in consultation with victim family groups, but the PPP remained unsatisfied on this point.

Also, the ruling party believes the committee will have too much investigative authority, because the act allows the committee to seek warrants for search and seizure in case a subject refuses to submit requested evidence.

However, the DPK argues that the committee is necessary for a fair and independent investigation into the tragedy, because it believes that police investigations of those who are in charge of safety ended in the scapegoating of some working-level officials.

Last year, the DPK held Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min accountable for the tragedy and attempted to impeach him, but the Constitutional Court rejected it. Police conducted an internal audit to find officers who were in charge of the Itaewon area, but the audit did not extend to National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun.

DPK floor leader Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo blamed the presidential office for the conflicts over the investigation committee.

PPP floor leader Rep. Yun Jae-ok has made efforts, but the presidential office and related government agencies are opposing the investigation committee, by suggesting revisions to the act in a bid to stiffle the committee, Hong said.

Meanwhile, the Assembly did not hold a second vote on a bill to launch a special counsel investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee, which was returned to the Assembly following Yoons veto on Jan. 5.

The rival parties have been butting heads over the timing of the second vote, as the PPP wanted to hold it as soon as possible in a bid to wrap up controversies surrounding the first lady and stem any possible unfavorable fallout to the party in the general elections, while the DPK sought to delay the second vote to exploit negative public sentiment on the first lady to its advantage in the elections.

The bill regarding the first lady passed the National Assembly on Dec. 29, following the DPKs push to investigate her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scandal involving a licensed BMW dealership in Korea by appointing an independent counsel recommended by the opposition side.

The ensuing investigation was anticipated to be at the center of one of the biggest political controversies before the general elections, as the investigation was expected to reach its peak in March, the month before the elections.

Following Yoons veto, the success of the bill hinges on the attendance of more than half of all registered lawmakers and approval by two-thirds of attending legislators for the act to be passed again. This is more difficult than the initial condition of half-attendance and half-approval.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

Elon Musk and others spread meme reviving unfounded pizzagate conspiracy theory

CLAIM: An expert who debunked the pizzagate conspiracy theory has been jailed for possessing child sexual abuse images.

THE FACTS: A former ABC reporter referenced in a meme circulating online was recently sentenced to federal prison for such crimes, but he never investigated pizzagate. The long-dormant conspiracy theory  which posited that Democratic Party insiders harbored child sex slaves in a Washington, D.C. pizza parlor  has been revived online in recent days, boosted by prominent social media users including Elon Musk. The unfounded rumor was popular among supporters of Republican Donald Trump during his winning 2016 campaign for president and even led a North Carolina man to travel to Washington and fire a rifle in a local pizza parlor where he believed children were being enslaved.

Musk and others shared a meme referencing the television series The Office, claiming the conspiracy theory is real, involved trafficked children and that an expert who had debunked the theory just went to jail for child porn. In a follow up post on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the tech billionaire linked to a story about the September sentencing of former ABC journalist James Gordon Meek for possessing and transporting child sexual abuse images, implying the Virginia resident is the expert referenced in the meme. Musk's posts have since been deleted.

But the false connection stems from an image of a fabricated New York Post headline that spread online in recent months. Award winning ABC journalist who debunked pizzagate, pleads guilty in horrific child porn case, the headline reads over an image of Meek. The newspaper didnt comment, but a search of its website archive showed no such story, and the headline image does not match the outlets style.

Spokespersons for ABC News didnt respond to messages seeking comment, but a review of the networks online archives shows Meek never published an investigation on pizzagate while employed there. A 2017 story he co-wrote about Russian propaganda during the war in Syria only briefly mentions the conspiracy theory. Instead, numerous news outlets at the time, including CNN and The New York Times, debunked the rumor. Meek, who covered national security issues until his resignation last year, was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse images.

 Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

Trump misleadingly cites duplicate ballots in disputed Georgia county as proof of election fraud

CLAIM: A recent court filing revealed that 3,600 duplicate ballots were cast for Biden and illegally counted in Fulton County, Georgia, during the 2020 election.

THE FACTS: A state review of the countys audit of the 2020 presidential race found errors and inconsistencies in the vote count, including some double counting of ballots, but the errors werent deemed criminal and they weren't enough to alter the election results. Nevertheless, former President Donald Trump is continuing to cast doubt on the legal filing in Georgias Fulton County as he seeks a return to the White House amid myriad legal cases, including election interference charges in the Peach State.

Fulton County, Georgia, acknowledges, in a major Consent Decree, that 3,600 individual ballots were DUPLICATED, the Republican wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. THATS A LOT OF CRIME. When are the rest of the facts coming out? We are all waiting. This is just the beginning. UNBELIEVABLE! In a video that spread widely on other platforms, Trump made similar remarks and called it massive voter corruption. Trumps posts refer to a June consent order that found Fulton County election workers misidentified and duplicated voting results during the state-mandated audit of the 2020 election, which was a hand recount of the presidential race results.

There was, in fact, no crime, Jessica Corbitt, a spokesperson for the Fulton County Board of Elections, responded in an email this week. The consent order addresses procedural issues but there were no accusations or admissions of criminal activity. The order identified 36 inconsistencies in batch tally sheets for the audit, but found they were due to human error and not intentional misconduct. It also found they did not affect the final election results as they represented a fractional number of the votes cast. The purpose of the risk-limiting audit was to confirm whether the results of the original tabulation were accurate, which the audit confirmed, reads the order.

The county agreed to take remedial steps to prevent repeat issues, according to the order. Those policies and procedures were put in place in time for the 2022 election. The court filing additionally states that it represents a civil settlement with no criminal ramifications and is not an admission of guilt or liability by Fulton County officials. Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, noted Georgias election results were tallied three times in 2020: the initial Election Day count, the hand-counted audit and a final recount by voting machine requested by Trumps campaign. All three times, Biden prevailed. Its misleading to claim this is fraud, Bullock said by phone. Were there errors? Yes. But they were not malicious.

Corbitt, the Fulton County spokesperson, declined to address Trumps claims directly, but stressed elections in the county have undergone numerous reviews besides the audit investigation and no fraud has been identified. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung maintained that the audit errors suggest more than 4,000 false votes for Joe Biden were counted. These errors from one county, in one category of votes (absentee ballots), could certainly have impacted the results, given that no other counties or vote categories were checked, he wrote in an email. Cheung didnt respond to requests to elaborate on the figures he cited.

Trump and 18 other people are facing charges in Georgia that include participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to keep Trump in power after his 2020 loss. Four people have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with Georgia prosecutors. The remaining 15 have pleaded not guilty, and no trial date has been set.

 Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

Video of West Bank fighting does not show a Doctors Without Borders medic giving a man a rifle

CLAIM: A video shows a Doctors Without Borders medic in the West Bank city of Jenin take an assault rifle from a man lying on the ground and hand it to a man nearby who begins shooting.

THE FACTS: The man identified as a medic in the video does not belong to Doctors Without Borders, which works only in hospitals in that area, a spokesperson for the organization told The Associated Press. He is wearing an orange vest with the letters PMRS below a yellow circle that matches those worn by members of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. In the video, the man runs to a person lying facedown on a city street as people shout and gunfire is heard around them. He takes a rifle from the person, runs a few feet and hands it to another man who begins firing as the man in the orange vest takes cover.

In this video taken today in Jenin, a medic from Doctors without borders went to a terrorist who was shot by the IDF, lifted him up and took his weapon then brought it to another terrorist, reads one Instagram post. But Doctors Without Borders, known in French as Medecins Sans Frontieres, confirmed that's not the case. The person depicted in the video is clearly not wearing an MSF logo or any other identification related to MSF, Brienne Prusak, a spokesperson for the organization, told the AP in an email. MSF staff do not wear orange vests seen in the video. Our staff around the world are required to wear MSF identification (T-shirt, gear) because it is one of the main protections that we have: our medical identity and credibility.

Indeed, the mans vest matches those worn by members of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, which works in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. A photo on the groups Facebook page shows a worker wearing the same type of vest, which is clearly marked with PMRS logo. In contrast, a photo on the Doctors Without Borders website shows members of its staff wearing white vests with the organizations red and white logo on the back. It is not clear whether the man in the video actually works for PMRS or if he is simply wearing one of the groups vests. PMRS did not respond to a request for comment.

Doctors Without Borders does not work in areas of Jenin where the video spreading online was filmed, according to Prusak. The fighting occurred on a street outside a Western Union office and a bakery with a white awning. The same shops can be seen in a video tour of Jenin posted to YouTube in 2020. They appear on the left side of the video around the 5:08 mark. In Jenin, MSF supports the emergency room of the Ministry of Health Hospital and supports the pre-hospital emergency, Prusak wrote. Our MSF staff in Jenin do not carry out ambulatory services. We do not treat people outside in the streets. She added that the misrepresented video incites violence and poses a severe threat not only against MSF staff but all humanitarian workers in the region. Violence in the West Bank, including Jenin, has surged amid fighting in the latest Israel-Hamas war.

READ MORE: Video of West Bank fighting does not show a Doctors Without Borders medic giving a man a rifle

 Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.
Collinsville has a new dining option located right inside the Dutch Inn hotel  now serving upscale American cuisine.

The hotel, located at 2360 Virginia Ave., was built in 1969 and was known locally for its iconic functioning windmill that was set on top of the entrance to the building, new restaurant partners Austin Boyd and Justin Haley said.

In March 2001 a fire originating from electrical equipment destroyed that windmill along with the lounge and restaurant sections of the hotel. Over a duration of around 17 months, the hotel was rebuilt and a ribbon cutting was held in August 2002.

The restaurant two decades ago was well known for its buffet, but since the pandemic, there hasnt been a solid restaurant or dining option in the space at the hotel, Haley said.

Back in the day, you didnt come in this establishment without a suit and a dress, Haley said. During race week at the Martinsville Speedway, he added, the hotel would get visits from well-known race car drivers as well.

I think its cool trying to put it back on the map and restore its former glory, Haley said. The old Dutch Inn restaurant used to be a staple in the community, he added.

Through a connection between local entrepreneurs, the hotel now has a new dining option under the same name.

Were trying to give them [the community] something in the same setting, but something new, Haley said.

Haley and Boyd co-own Chopstix together and Haley has known Herb Atwell of Mountain Valley Brewing for years, who is partnering with the owner of hotel Kartik Patel in opening a new brewery in uptown Martinsville.

While helping them with the brewery, Patel approached the two about opening a restaurant in the hotel. The hotel is currently under the Quality Inn franchise but will soon change to Clarion.

For that change to happen, the hotel needed a restaurant along with a multitude of other renovations that will happen in the coming months.

Bunch of entrepreneurs kind of in the mix together, Haley said. We want to see new things in the community or revamp things in the community and the easiest way to do that is if we work together.

Over the last several months the team has been working hard to get the dining room ready for guests to enjoy a meal. Down the line, they would hope to do some bigger renovations like tiling the floor.

The restaurant offers a nostalgic ambiance with calming music and upscale American cuisine using high quality ingredients.

There will eventually be multiple specials that switch in and out to offer more variety for guests and they plan to offer some proteins that are not typically seen locally like roast duck or pan seared scallops.

They are also looking to bring in some more interesting drinks like smoked old fashioned and will be pairing wines with dinner options.

Haley said they aimed to hit close to fine dining with fresh ingredients and doing it the right way, while providing some options that arent typically seen around Martinsville like their house-made compound butter and elevated dish ware.

Boyd said this new option provides a perfect location for date night that doesnt require a drive to Roanoke, Danville or Greensboro.

Were just happy to be here, Haley said. Happy to have another opportunity to create new team members and create new opportunity in the community ... Thats the coolest part.

Hour are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. They also offer discounts for first responders, active-duty military members and veterans.

For more information visit The New Dutch Inn Restaurant Facebook page and for a better deal on delivery through DoorDash, use the link in the biography section.
OMAHA  The University of Nebraska at Omaha alumni network is growing. More than 1,100 Mavericks graduated this December, including: 865 undergraduate degree recipients, 281 masters degree recipients, 10 doctoral degree recipients, 377 first-generation students, and students representing 37 states and 29 countries.

More than 20 of the graduates are from Central Nebraska communities.

Students who received academic honors are so indicated. Students graduating cum laude earned a GPA of 3.51  3.62; magna cum laude, 3.63  3.86; and summa cum laude 3.87 and above. Extra Muros distinctions are so indicated for those students with transfer credits who have not completed the required 60 semester hours of credit within the University of Nebraska system required for cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude honors.

Grand Island students earning degrees include: Raymond Bernal, bachelor of science in construction management; Lisa Blain, master of social work; Melissa Collins, bachelor of multidisciplinary studies; lahiza Malvais Rosas, magna cum laude, bachelor of science in business administration; Mark Meyer, magna cum laude, bachelor of science; and Aaishwarya Vachani, master of science.

Hastings graduates include: Melissa Bush, bachelor of arts and certificate; Julia Diecker, magna cum laude, bachelor of science in social work; Thomas Kerr, master of business administration; Diana Schergin, doctor of education; and Jennifer Sharrick, master of public administration.

Other Central Nebraskans earning degrees include: Nicholas Weber of Aurora, master of arts; Baylee Beirow of Doniphan, bachelor of science in education; Victor Kosmicki Gutierrez of Elba, magna cum laude, bachelor of science in education; Megan Anderson, master of social work; and Kalea Wetjen, magna cum laude, bachelor of arts, both of Henderson; Dustin Bellinger, bachelor of science in management information systems, and Emily Wright, master of business administration, both of Kearney; Jena Coil of Minden, master of science; Adrian Dobbs of Ord, bachelor of science; Morgann Pospisil of Palmer, master of social work; Britta Douglas, master of social work, and Joy Kyhn, summa cum laude extra muros, bachelor of multidisciplinary studies, both of Ravenna; and Bryce Christensen of St. Paul, magna cum laude, bachelor of science in social work.
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By Choe Chong-dae

I had the delightful opportunity to participate in a year-end celebration dedicated to graduates of the Creative CEO program, a cultural education initiative orchestrated by the National Museum of Korea, on Dec. 27, 2023.

Commencing in 2009, this remarkable program has been conducted 14 times, providing valuable insights and fostering a profound appreciation for the cultural arts. Personally, I took part in the second iteration in 2010 and take immense pride in being an alumnus of this esteemed educational endeavor. Remarkably, the program has attracted participants from a wide range of backgrounds, including government officials, business and academic professionals, as well as enthusiasts of art and cultural history.

The pinnacle of the celebration of the year-end gethering was an exclusive viewing of the exhibition titled "Tree and Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India (Forest of Stupa)," graciously guided by Choi Seon-ju, former director of Gyeongju National Museum. The exhibition is being held at National Museum of Korea in Seoul through April 14.

This captivating display, available for public viewing, allowed all attendees to immerse themselves in the artistic brilliance showcased. As we explored the exhibit, it felt like a poignant journey back to our alma mater, evoking cherished memories from our participation 14 years ago.

The National Museum of Korea showcases remarkable ancient Buddhist art depicting the vibrant landscapes of southern India, teeming with spiritual energy and narratives centered around Sakyamuni.

The exploration commences with the teachings of Sakyamuni, born in the fifth century B.C. in the Himalayan Mountains in northern India, and unfolds a saga that spans centuries, embracing the Deccan Plateau's unique climate and customs.

Buddhism, initially originated from the north, found its way to southern India, where it encountered a distinctive milieu. In this new landscape, Buddhism embarked on a fresh narrative, encountering vibrant divines and nurturing a flourishing array of sophisticated artworks. The National Museum of Korea serves as the stage for enigmatic yet mystical narratives, encapsulating the evolution of South Indian Buddhist art from the 2nd century B.C. During this period, Sakyamuni's presence was symbolized by trees (Bodhi trees) and footprints. The narrative extends to the fourth century A.D., when Sakyamuni assumed the familiar human form depicted in statues.

Organized by the National Museum of Korea in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the exhibition is a testament to international cooperation and cultural exchange. A total of about 100 distinctive artifacts, loaned from 12 distinguished museums in India, including the National Museum of New Delhi, along with contributions from 18 esteemed institutions across four countries, are on display. The artifacts, including those unearthed from the ruins newly explored in the 21st century, offer a captivating journey through time, revealing the evolution of South Indian Buddhist art in its full splendor.

In particular, I drew inspiration from the stupa, a monumental dome crafted to house "sarira," the relics of the Buddha.

These relics, comprising cremated ashes, pearls, and gemstones, were distributed among at least 84,000 stupas commissioned by King Asoka in the mid-third century B.C. The term "stupa" denotes an ancient Indian structure designed to enshrine sacred sarira. The exhibition showcases extraordinary artifacts, including jasmine buds, as well as pearls and gold flower fragments dating back approximately 2,200 years, arranged in a distinctive and captivating mandala design.

The allure of the exhibit is further enhanced by remnants of weathered stone panels and pillars from stupas. This distinctive display of South Indian Buddhist art not only unveils its aesthetic beauty, but also prompts contemplation of universal themes, fostering potential connections between Korea and India. May this exploration pave the way for deeper understanding and appreciation between the two countries, transcending religious beliefs and artistic boundaries.

Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.
(TBTCO) - San luong nha may va doanh so ban le cua Trung Quoc vuot ky vong trong giai oan tu thang 1 en thang 2/2024, anh dau su khoi au vung chac cho nam 2024 va mang lai mot so cuu tro cho cac nha hoach inh chinh sach, ngay ca khi su yeu kem trong linh vuc bat ong san van la luc can oi voi nen kinh te va niem tin.
A Casper woman who is alleging that a Casper Police Department officer used excessive force on her is filing a lawsuit against the city almost four years after she says the incident happened.

Adrianah Rodriguez is suing the city of Casper and two Casper Police Department officers after she alleges that an officer stepped on her back and neck her during a party in January 2020.

The lawsuit begins with lyrics from Rhiannon Giddens folk song Cry No More, a choice that Denver-based attorney Darold Killmer, who is representing Rodriguez in the case, says he made to add social and cultural background and capture peoples attention. The suit also details the events that took place during that party, where Rodriguez was in attendance that night with some friends.

After entering the apartment where she and other partygoers were  without consent or apparent exigency, the case says  officers Ryan Lowry and Michael Quirin entered the apartment. Quirin began to order people to move to one side of the room.

Rodriguez, who was the only Black and Latina person of color at the party, the lawsuit notes, was the first to volunteer her identification. When she calmly and politely stated that the officer was mistreating people and that I know my rights. Quirin allegedly responded Maam, would you like to be quiet or would you like to be in custody?

Rodriguez, for a moment, put the hand holding her ID behind her back. No, she didnt want to be in custody, she said.

It was then, the lawsuit says, that Quirin grabbed her and dragged her away from the others. He forced her down to the floor, screamed at her to stop resisting and then put his entire body weight on her back and wedged his knee into the back of her neck.

Quirin said in the police report that Rodriguez had refused to move away from the other partygoers. Neither him nor Lowry did anything to deescalate the situation, the lawsuit claims. Other than saying his partners last name a few times, Lowry stood by and watched the incident.

Rodriguez was crying, hyperventilating and in the midst of a panic attack, according to the filings. The officers claim that she was not complying with their orders and was screaming out obscenities.

She told the Star-Tribune in 2020, months after the event, that though her physical injuries had faded, she still struggled. At the time, she had asked for a leave from work.

Rodriguez was arrested and taken to the Natrona County Detention Center, where she spent the night and most of the next day before being let go, the interference charge against her dismissed. Two others from the party were also arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Rodriguezs attorney told the Star-Tribune in a 2020 article that his firm had filed a notice of claim against the city, which is a preliminary step towards filing a lawsuit against a government agency in Wyoming.

Four years later, after exhausting their other options, they filed.

We tried to resolve it short of filing a federal lawsuit by talking with the lawyers for the city and the officers, but that failed to resolve it, Killmer said. We gave it every opportunity to do it, and they wouldnt.

The litigation is in the building-of-the-case stage, he said.

The city will be represented by outside counsel for this case, City Attorney Eric Nelson told the Star-Tribune.

As of Jan. 9, Casper Police Department Public Information Officer Amber Freestone confirmed that both Quirin and Lowry are both still working for the city as police officers. Both have been with the force since 2018, she said.
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.
Navigating challenges with minimal effort

Once again, special prosecution bills have become a source of division ahead of the April 10 general elections.

That is the last thing South Korea needs right now. Nevertheless, with a catalyst in place, activities are intensifying within the corridors of the presidential office and political parties, echoing a war-drum beat as they gear up for the upcoming general elections, typically culminating in winner-takes-all outcomes.

As anticipated, President Yoon Suk Yeol swiftly vetoed two special prosecution bills led by the opposition. He did so speedily through an extraordinary Cabinet meeting last Friday. The bills in question pertain to the alleged involvement of first lady Kim Keon Hee in a stock manipulation scandal from 2009 to 2012 at a licensed BMW dealership in Korea called Deutsch Motors. Another bill focuses on the purported "5 billion club" where six prominent people were promised 5 billion won ($3.8 million) each from a firm involved in a in a corruption-laden development project in Daejang-dong, Seongnam, where the main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, previously served as mayor. This is the fourth time Yoon exercised his veto powers since assuming office in May 2022.

The two bills were flawed, notably in granting opposition parties the authority to appoint special prosecutors. The intricacies of the bill, particularly its connection to the first lady, invariably needs more explanation from the president. But it was his top official who provided the explanations.

The president's new chief of staff, Lee Kwan-sup, noted that the allegations date back 12 years, emphasizing that the investigation conducted during the previous Moon Jae-in administration did not lead to any summons or indictments. Regarding the other special counsel investigation bill, the chief of staff asserted that it is designed to protect the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader, Lee Jae-myung.

Who can disregard the political calculations over the special prosecution investigation bills? The bills, after being returned to the National Assembly, are now in a state of uncertainty. The DPK is contemplating seeking a jurisdiction dispute over the presidential veto with the Constitutional Court, rather than opting for a second vote.

Various surveys conducted in late December showed that the public did not want the president to veto particularly the bill involving the first lady. A Realmeter poll conducted during Jan. 2-5 showed the president's approval rating dropped 1.5 percentage points to 35.7 percent.

The presidential office is showing signs of movement, albeit to a minimal extent. On Sunday, it said it is reviewing resinstating the so-called "second office." In response, the DPK accused the presidential office of "diverting public attention" away from the veto towards the issue of the "second office." If it is finalized, the president would be reversing his campaign pledge to downsize the executive office. However, such a move could be justified, as a thorough public review is deemed necessary for a member of the president's immediate family.

The office tasked to assist the first lady was first set up in 1972 under the late President Park Chung-hee. Continuing the practice of the previous administration, the "second office" would likely consist of around 10 staff members, each with a separate budget. This approach ensures increased transparency regarding the office's functions and activities.

The executive office should also appoint an independent inspector general to deal with corruption cases involving the president's relatives and aides, as it had promised to do as long as a bipartisan candidate is named. The president should be mindful of the lingering skepticism among the Korean public concerning the first lady. Before the presidential election in 2022, she pledged to be a "quiet wife" focusing on supporting the president. However, since then, she has been embroiled in a few controversies, including the alleged acceptance of a luxury handbag from a pastor. Her heightened public activities necessitate a legitimate office.

The president is presently engaging with a pre-selected audience through annual briefings from government ministries and agencies. It would be prudent for him to expand the scope of this direct engagement to include the press. This would provide an opportunity for him to articulate the reasons behind the veto and explain why he is compelled to overturn a campaign pledge. The public is closely watching the events unfold, but their patience may wear thin, and they will soon make their voices heard at the voting booths.
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.
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.
Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico were all set to make the bands Tucson Symphony Orchestra debut back in early 2012.

But the pair bowed out courtesy of a scheduling snafu, and the Indigo Girls took their place.

Fast forward a dozen years almost to the day, Calexico is making up the missed TSO date on Saturday, Jan. 13.

Calexico  in addition to Burns and Convertino, the band includes Sergio Mendoza, Brian Lopez, Scott Colbert, Rick Peron and Jacob Valenzuela  will join TSO Music Director Jose Luis Gomez and the orchestra in a special concert that is part of the HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival.

Calexico is an icon of Tucsons music scene. Having the chance to share the stage with them is meaningful for us and our mission and meaningful also because it ... resonates with everybody in the community, not only our subscribers but for those whove never been exposed to the orchestra, Gomez said.

Tickets for the show at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., are long gone, and Gomez said he anticipates the audience will include hundreds of people who will be attending a symphony concert for the first time.

Calexicos program features a couple of songs without the orchestra, including Sunken Waltz and Not Even Stevie Nicks from the bands 2003 breakthrough album Feast Of Wire and a dozen or so songs that have been arranged for orchestra, five of which were arranged by DeVotchKas Tom Hagerman specifically for the TSO concert.

The other arrangements came from Calexicos 2013 album Spiritoso, recorded with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg in Germany.

Burns and Convertino started Calexico in 1996 after playing with Howe Gelbs Giant Sand and forming their own band, Friends of Dean Martin, with Bill Elm. Calexico, taking its name from the California border town, fused the traditional Latin sounds of mariachi, conjunto, cumbia and tejano with country, jazz and post-rock to create desert noir, a sound that has largely defined Tucsons music scene since the 1990s.

Gomez said quiet conversations about doing a concert with Calexico started pre-pandemic.

Weve been kind of dancing with the idea and Im glad it is happening finally, he said, adding that he is not surprised the concert quickly sold out. I knew that Tucson identifies with Calexico. There was no doubt that this was going to be a hit.

Calexico is the second Tucson band to join the TSO this season. In September, Sergio Mendoza and his Orkesta Mendoza collaborated with the orchestra as part of the citywide Mexican Independence Day celebration.

Saturdays concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., falls on the orchestras 95th birthday.
The University of Arizona has reached a settlement with the family of Thomas Meixner, the professor who was shot and killed on campus in 2022, and the family says it is a multi-million-dollar resolution.

The UA Executive Office of the President said the agreement includes both monetary and non-monetary commitments.

The agreement includes a monetary settlement for the family, and non-monetary commitments that affirm the Universitys continuing support for the well-being of those most affected by these events, and that provide the family with a voice in the Universitys planning and implementation of measures designed to improve the safety and security of the University community, it said Tuesday in an email to community members.

In their own statement, Meixners family, through lawyers, wrote that as part of the multi-million-dollar resolution, the University of Arizona will provide critical assistance to those most immediately impacted by Dr. Meixners death.

Additionally, it says, since the murder, the university has earmarked substantial funding designed to protect the well-being of the university.

Neither the UA nor the Arizona Board of Regents immediately released details of the settlement, including its cost to taxpayers.

The university is enacting specific measures by implementing 33 recommendations made by the PAX Group, a business focused on workplace safety, and it will conduct monitoring to confirm they remain in place. The PAX report conducted for the UA found a systemic lack of safety measures, and ineffective investigations into threats made against Meixner and other faculty by an expelled former graduate student beginning up to a year before Meixner was killed.

Meixner, a hydrology and atmospheric sciences professor, was fatally shot on Oct. 5, 2022 in the Harshbarger building on campus. Former graduate student Murad Dervish is charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to stand trial this year.

Meixners family filed an initial claim against the UA of $9 million in March 2023, and in October 2023 announced they were working with the university to settle the claim.

Their initial filing claimed the shooting was a direct consequence of the universitys failure to respond to repeated threats made by Dervish.

To honor the memory of Professor Thomas Meixner on the anniversary of his death, the University and Professor Meixners family are working together to resolve the claim that the Meixner family has brought against the University, the family and the school said in a joint statement at the time.

In the announcement released Tuesday by the familys lawyers, Meixners wife, Kathleen, shared her own statement on the settlement.

So often in the aftermath of school shootings, we learn all the ways that they could and should have been prevented, she said. That is exactly what happened here. Toms murder revealed missed opportunities, even though efforts by the Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences department were exemplary in communicating a credible threat and seeking help to protect the U of A community. But we must look to the future, and with urgency, ensuring that tragedies like ours do not happen to others.
Former University of Arizona Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer Lisa Rulney is still employed by the university and has retained her $500,000 salary, according to documents obtained by the Arizona Daily Star.

Rulney now serves as senior advisor to business operations, according to her LinkedIn bio, and internal payroll documents obtained by the Star show she has kept her salary of $506,325.

Rulney started the position on Dec. 13, when UA President Robert C. Robbins told the Arizona Board of Regents that she had left the CFO role amid the universitys financial crisis.

Robbins told the board during that meeting that he had accepted the resignation of Rulney, and did not say that she had taken a new role within the university and retained her salary.

ABOR Executive Director John Arnold has stepped into Rulneys former role in an interim manner.

The UA confirmed to the Star that at the time of her resignation, Robbins asked Rulney to stay on at the university during the transition to support implementation of the financial mitigation plan, as well as to assist with operations within the Division of Business Affairs. A spokesperson for the university said the role is temporary, and that she reports directly to Arnold.

We appreciate Lisa Rulneys willingness to utilize her longtime experience and expertise to continue serving the university at this critical time, the university wrote in a statement.

Many faculty senators blamed Rulney for the $240 million miscalculation in cash reserves that Robbins disclosed at a regents meeting in November. Rulney, CFO since April 2019, oversaw the team responsible for financial projections and management.

The university also is dealing with an ongoing budget deficit, Robbins said in December, and has enacted hiring and pay freezes among other budget cuts.

At a Faculty Senate meeting last month about the financial situation, Ted Downing, a longtime research professor at the university, asked Rulney directly why she had not tendered her resignation at that point.

I have worked for this institution for 22 and a half years, and I absolutely love this place, Rulney responded at the Dec. 5 meeting. I want to help work through this challenge. We have been through bigger changes before  weve been through a global pandemic  and we got through it because we all worked together.

She took responsibility for overestimating our days cash on hand ratio, but said she would continue to work on this challenge until the president asks me not to, because I believe in this place, and I am excited about our future.
Another $2.75 million will be spent to cover the cost of asylum seekers who need additional medical care to fight the spread of COVID-19, under a plan approved Tuesday by the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

The funding to mitigate the spread of the virus by allocating money to house affected asylum seekers has now grown to nearly $20 million. Supervisor Steve Christy was the only no vote.

Most of the funding has been federal, but the $2.75 million approved Tuesday comes from the Immigrant Emergency Care and Testing Grant, according to the contract amendment. This a new source of funds from Arizonas Department of Health Services, according to Jan Lesher, the county administrator.

Using state money is partly because the county is drawing down its federal funds so rapidly, District 1 Supervisor Rex Scott confirmed with Lesher during Tuesdays meeting.

Scott said Tuesday he wont support such expenses in the future if the federal government wont assist in the countys effort handling the influx of asylum seekers.

I have consistently voted for us to make use of federal funds that are provided to border counties to deal with the ramifications of federal immigration policy in terms of the shelter-and-care of legally processed asylum seekers, and I will continue to do that because the federal government should be making sure that border counties, such as ours, are not expending our own funds. But, if at the end of February if those funds run out, I want to say to my colleagues and county administration, I will not vote to use general fund monies to pay for the consequences of federal immigration policy, Scott said Tuesday.

I will not vote to use general fund monies for purposes the federal government should be supporting  because it is not something we should be asking local taxpayers to take on, Scott said, citing concerns about the potential street releases and concerns raised by constituents.

In September 2021, the county began with a $2 million contract with Jot Properties, LLC., which owns a Red Roof Inn located near Tucson International Airport and Comfort Suites Airport. Qualifying asylum seekers were housed through the use federal funds, the Star previously reported.

Through various amendments, the amount awarded to the contract now sits at $19.4 million. Tuesdays amendment extends the contract to June 18.

The county says releases of asylum seekers from Casa Alitas remains high, tallying 9,525 releases to the center from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27. Thats an average of about 1,361 releases per day.

Those numbers are up from the previous weeks total of 9,466 releases, as well as the four weeks prior to that, according to the Southwest Border Executive Situational report presented Tuesday to the Board.

From Sept. 13 to Dec. 20, about 45,000 single adults and family members have been released in Nogales and almost 4,600 in Douglas and Naco, the county says. About 60% of the released asylum seekers were part of a family, the report said.

Most asylum seekers released to shelters in Tucson only stay a night or two before moving on. But the month of an unrelenting flow of arrivals has pushed the county to previously warn of possible unsheltered street releases of asylum seekers, the star has reported.

Border agents in the Tucson sector encountered 64,638 migrants in November, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Thats more than the record-setting 55,226 migrant encounters the sector reported in October, the start of the federal fiscal year. Across the southwestern border, CBP says it encountered 191,113 migrants in November, compared to 188,780 the previous month.
A national oral history project aims to document the experiences of Indigenous children who attended federal boarding schools. The Department of the Interior announced the project in September as part of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) has been entrusted to lead the project with $3.7 million in grant funding through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

NABS is an organization that does this work already and approaches the interviewing in a healing-centered approach to really care for our relatives and the survivors of Indian boarding schools, Melissa Powless, senior director of the NABS oral history project, said. Healing is a large part of the intent and efforts.

The project is designed to take place over two years, and the grant will provide for resources and staffing, according to Powless.

Arizona ranks second in the country for the number of boarding schools that have operated in the state  59, behind Oklahomas 95  according to recent research from NABS.

With 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona, there has already been an effort across the state to collect data, artifacts and stories from boarding schools for research and education.

A boarding school history

Spanish missionaries began arriving in what is now the southwestern United States in the 16th century, aiming to convert the Indigenous people to Catholicism.

The Civilization Fund Act of 1819 authorized funding for organizations to run schools on Indigenous land as an effort to assimilate Indigenous people into European-American religious beliefs and cultural norms.

In 1879 in Pennsylvania, the first government-run boarding school, Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was opened by Lt. Col. Richard Henry Pratt, whose common refrain, according to historical accounts, was: Kill the Indian, save the man.

More boarding schools followed suit.

Separating children from their families and cultural traditions was a way the U.S. government attempted to reprogram Indigenous children and further the systematic destruction of Indigenous communities.

Due to a lack of formal recordkeeping, there is no concrete number of how many boarding schools were in operation nationwide, but NABS estimates there have been 523 in operation from 1801 to today.

The assimilation that took place was under a lot of direct control and abuse, Powless said.

Early boarding schools imitated military life. Upon entry, childrens hair was cut short, their tribal clothing stripped in favor of uniforms and new names were assigned to them by the government, according to a 2022 Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report.

Indigenous children were punished for speaking their native languages and were compelled to replace their traditional religious practices with Christianity.

Curriculum and school life evolved from agriculture, labor and vocational education to more academic coursework, reform and college preparation in the later years. Cultural programming generally was limited until the 1960s, when many tribes began to oversee the schools.

Boarding school is a very personal experience, said Patty Talahongva, who attended Phoenix Indian School from 1978-79. What happened to me is very different than what happened even to my sister, who went to boarding school with me.

Phoenix Indian School, originally Phoenix Industrial School, opened as a Bureau of Indian Affairs-run boarding school in 1891 at the corner of what is now Central Avenue and Indian School Road. It officially closed in 1990, but three school buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In June 2021, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced that the U.S. government would investigate its oversight of boarding schools and focus on the intergenerational impact through the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.

The uprooting of children and attempted erasure of Indigenous culture and practices has led to multigenerational trauma and in some cases a loss of identity or heritage within family lines. And that trauma is at the root of the current social health and economic disparities that Indigenous people face, Powless said.

I never thought of myself as a boarding school survivor until I started thinking about, Its not just me, its my mom and dad, my grandparents, and all the family, Talahongva said. We are survivors, and well keep talking now because its high time people know this history.

A local push for preservation

In the mid-1990s, a former associate curator of the Heard Museum, Margaret Archuleta, began research into the history of Native American boarding schools.

After receiving funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Heard Museum opened the exhibit Remembering Our Indian School Days: The Boarding School Experience in 2000. It has become one of the museums most popular presentations and stands as one of the only in the country dedicated to sharing the full reality of the boarding school experience and expanding research.

The exhibit was only planned to run for about five years, but the overwhelming positive public response  and surprise at how little the general public knew about the topic  encouraged the Heard staff to keep the exhibit and eventually do an update, said Janet Cantley, curator and project manager of the exhibit.

That updated exhibit, Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories, opened in 2019 and could not have been as thorough as it was without a six-person advisory committee overseeing content and helping with data collection, according to Cantley.

In the exhibit, youre going to see many videos  some of them are interviews from alumni and myself included, said Talahongva, who served on the advisory committee. Its really important to get as many oral histories as possible from the students who went to the schools.

The exhibit delves into the history of Native American boarding schools while tying in images, music, sound, oral interviews and videos of firsthand records to encapsulate the experiences of those who lived them.

That information was collected by conducting interviews, asking for donations from alumni and utilizing still-standing former school grounds, such as the Phoenix Indian School, for firsthand data and information to build upon the historical record.

The Phoenix Indian School now functions as a visitor center with scheduled tours of the building. In its collection, there is student work, yearbooks, newspaper articles, personal belongings and firsthand accounts, mostly donated by former students.

Some things were left here and then some things are slowly, gradually coming back to Phoenix Indian school itself, Elena Selestewa, visitors center specialist at Native American Connections, said.

Those archives serve as a guide to understanding what school looked and felt like for students while in session. They contribute to the growing digital archive that Phoenix Indian School and Native American Connections are working toward, and they served as a collection resource for the Heard Museum.

The people behind these existing databases and archives hope their work can help guide new research efforts like the national NABS project.

Both the Heard Museum and Phoenix Indian School hold records from those who did not directly attend the school, including administrators, teachers and offsite labor records, which have added another element to their research. NABSs oral history project is focused on interviewing just survivors.

Oral history can serve as an important tool for displaying and understanding individual experiences of boarding school and can showcase how it has affected whole families.

Its important to document what happened to individual people at boarding school because even the ones who, I would say, had it really hard, theyre gone, Talahongva said. Its important to expose what the government did and to make people more aware of how quickly something so horrendous can become normalized.

From a quilt illustrating the painful account and journey of a womans family members who attended boarding schools on the Navajo Reservation, to stories of men who graduated boarding schools and had no other choice but to join the military because they didnt know where home was, the Heard Museums exhibit acknowledges those experiences of intergenerational trauma.

Selestewa had no idea her family had a boarding school association until she began working at Native American Connections. She discovered her grandmother attended Phoenix Indian School, which made her feel as if she didnt know herself because she lacked knowledge on the true history of her family line.

It sent me into the motion of understanding intergenerational trauma at the genetic level. Thats why we have high numbers of suicide  substance abuse, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, diabetes, Selestewa said. It really does go back to what stems from the boarding school.
By Eugene Lee

Whenever I meet people to ask them about the past, inadvertently our interaction veers off to a talk about traditional values and, specifically, the influence of the Donghak Movement (Eastern Teaching, if translated literally). I did know a fair share about the movement since my grad years, but a better understanding and a proper feel of its connection to the present would require extra effort. After a brief glance through several books, an apparent story emerged  the one Id like to share with you, especially in light of the events we hear about today. So, buckle up  Ill take you for a trip into the past.

After dialing to exactly 160 years back, we arrive in 1864, the year Choi Je-u, a figure cloaked in white robes and righteous fury, was put to death. Four years earlier, this unassuming scholar turned revolutionary ignited the flames of the Donghak Movement, a rebellion that threatened to scorch the rigid Confucianist hierarchy and illuminate the path towards a more equitable Korea. A crumbling Joseon Dynasty, amid whispers of discontent and of a burdened peasantry, was challenged by his teachings, a potent blend of Buddhist and Christian tenets laced with a revolutionary fervor for social justice. It resonated with the masses amid the stifling stillness of the regime. He spoke of divine intervention, of equality for all and of a utopia where land belonged to the tiller, not the rapacious landlords who leeched off their livelihoods.

His words took root in the hearts of the ostracized and the exploited. Farmers, weary of backbreaking labor under the oppressive elite, rallied to his banner. The Donghak followers, wearing their symbolic white robes and armed with their meager farming tools, swelled in number with each village they visited, their ranks a tide of white washing over the Korean countryside. Their demands were simple, yet radical for their time: land reform, debt forgiveness and an end to the systemic exploitation by the elites. The court, initially dismissive, soon found itself staring into the abyss of a full-blown rebellion.

The Donghak Uprising, though ultimately quelled, left an indelible mark on Korean history. It exposed the deep-seated inequalities of Joseon society and planted the seeds of a nascent nationalism that would eventually lead to Korea's independence. Choi Je-u, captured and executed by the Joseon court, became a martyr, his legacy inspiring future generations of revolutionaries who fought for a more just and equitable Korea.

The Donghak Movement, characterized by its fusion of religious, social and political elements, aimed to address social injustice, inequality and the grievances of the common people against the ruling class. In the West no analogous movement had such a wide spectrum of demands  the closest probably could be Shaking Quakers, who settled in the U.S. escaping from Liverpool in 1774, the Populist movement in Agrarian revolts in the U.S. beyween 1886 and 1889, and the revolts by the Chartist movement in Britain between 1838 and 1857, but none were as broad as the ones led by the Donghak.

If we jump 40 years forward to 1904, we would find ourselves in a very different Korea. In that year, Son Byeong-hui, the third leader of the movement, turns it into a religion called Cheondogyo, (or Cheondoism, which actually is followed today in both North and South Korea). A unique blend of Korean traditions and Western influences allowed Cheondogyo to connect with both domestic and international audiences, garnering support for the independence cause, thus laying the foundation for the independence movement during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial period. Cheondogyo leaders like Kim Kyu-sik played key organizational roles in independence movements, including the March 1st Movement (1919), and even Kim Gu of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (1919-1945) had been a Cheondogyo practitioner in his earlier years. Later Cheondogyo's network of churches and believers set communication, fundraising and recruitment of activists for independence campaigns. Many Cheondogyo followers were persecuted and imprisoned by the Japanese for their involvement in the independence movement.

Now we jump to the late 1960s, and well find Korea in the midst of a political struggle led by the Minjung Movement against authoritarian dictatorship. The movement drew its inspiration from the ethos of Donghak in its fight against injustice. Concepts of equality, social reform and addressing the grievances of the common people were integral to both movements. The Donghak Movement's emphasis on empowering the marginalized and oppressed fed directly into the ideology of the Minjung Movement. The themes of popular resistance against oppressive structures that first sprung up in the Donghak Movement mobilized people, advocated for reforms and sought to empower the masses and eventually led to the creation of grassroot democracy movements in the 1980s.

Strangely enough, not the Donghak Movement of 1860s, nor the independence movement of the 1940s, nor the Minjung Movement of the 1980s have ever found any resonance with U.S. politics or government. Often seen as too alien, all these movements have been perceived by the U.S., and by the West in large, as too indigenous, too nationalist or even dangerously close to communist. But in fact, these movements were the peoples cries for freedom and equality. Finding itself on the wrong side of history, the U.S. to this day is seen with big distrust, even if it had always publicly supported ideas of democracy and human rights. As student I learned incorrectly that it was Christians who brought ideas of equality and freedom to Korea. In reality these ideas were here in plain sight, but the problem has always been deciphering and being vocal about them  Korean culture has always been about saying only good things while preserving ones face. Maybe more attention to those unique aspects of cultures and their traditions in countries like Korea will bring more respect and understanding while executing foreign policy. Hence, here was my little story of Donghak as a little starter for you.





Eugene Lee (mreulee@gmail.com) is a lecturing professor at the Graduate School of Governance at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. Specializing in international relations and governance, his research and teaching focus on national and regional security, international development, government policies and Northeast and Central Asia.
















The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Re: the Dec. 4 letter Confused.

In a recent letter to the editor of the Arizona Daily Star, Confused expressed concern that many major U.S. cities have recently cut police budgets. He was factually correct, but other relevant facts were omitted, e.g., police funding had tripled during the previous 40 years without persuasive evidence the additional funding improved outcomes. Given this fact, exploring alternative solutions seems worthwhile. Another omitted fact is that budget cuts were often not reductions, but reallocations to address inadequacies in housing, education, job training and healthcare, which often lead to criminal activity. Policing is not the only way to promote public safety. Two takeaways from this example are: 1. Facts can be deceiving when considered in isolation; and 2. We should dig deeper before drawing conclusions.

Confused remembered fondly how things were 50 years ago and wondered what changed. Most economists consider increasing income inequality a major factor. Prior to 1975, when the economy was more regulated, all workers benefited proportionally as productivity increased. The tide seemed to lift all boats. But thereafter as government regulations decreased, low wage earners lost considerable ground. Productivity continued to increase, but the bulk of profits went to the wealthiest Americans, mostly business leaders and their shareholders. Not only did CEOs pay go up 98%, they took home more because their marginal tax rates were also cut by two-thirds. The wages of low-income workers did not rise proportionally, making it impossible for them to keep up with rising costs, let alone build wealth. Currently the share of U.S. wealth held by the bottom 50% of American wage earners is only 2.5%. The tide no longer lifts all boats. In fact, many are drowning. No one should be surprised that people who may not earn enough money to meet their basic needs are angry, disillusioned and might resort to crime. The real crime is that they shouldnt have to.

We are a very rich country. Capitalism has driven our success, but capitalism combined with greed can have the opposite effect, as documented by Joseph Stiglitz in The Price of Inequality, Robert Putnam in The Upswing, and Robert Reich in The Common Good. Its time we put conscience back into capitalism. Its time to share wealth more equitably, as we did in the good old days that Confused remembers. Its time to reinvest in workers and families. Pay workers a living wage and make healthcare and good education affordable. Its the right thing to do and we can afford to do it. Indeed, we cant afford to not do it. If we dont pay now, we will pay much more later. We can build futures or prisons. The choice is ours.
One man is dead and a woman is in custody after a fatal shooting overnight at a QuikTrip store in Sand Springs near U.S. 412 and Oklahoma 97, police said Tuesday.

According to Sand Springs Deputy Police Chief Todd Enzbrenner, a male and female couple had asked a third party for a ride from Tulsa west toward Sand Springs.

The woman apparently wanted to continue westward, but the driver said no, and he pulled over at the QuikTrip just before 4:30 a.m., Enzbrenner said.

He said the driver parked at the gas pumps and then went into the store before some sort of altercation ensued inside the car, resulting in shots being fired.

The driver came out of the store and met up with the female passenger and began walking back toward the car, Enzbrenner said. Seeing the evidence of the shooting, the man returned to the store and called police, he said.

Officers arrived to find the male passenger dead in the back seat, and they took the female passenger into custody, Enzbrenner said.

Authorities arent identifying any of the parties yet pending notification of the next of kin, he said.

Through their investigation, Enzbrenner said, police learned that the suspect is a tribal member, so the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was summoned to work the crime scene in connection with the FBI.

Enzbrenner said police believe that drug use was involved in some way.

There was something going on inside that car, and we dont know what, he said. And then the male passenger got shot.

QuikTrip, meanwhile, issued a statement saying the company is working with law enforcement to assist with the investigation.

QuikTrips top priority is always safety  a responsibility we take very seriously, which is why we are partnering with area law enforcement and community organizations to address public safety issues, said the statement from Aisha Jefferson, QuikTrip's corporate communications manager.

We continue to identify and deploy innovative solutions in our stores that provide our customers with the best experience while ensuring the safety of our customers, employees, and communities in which we are honored to serve.
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton 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 dozen Tulsa Public Schools sites are no longer on a federal watch list for low-performing schools.

At Monday nights school board meeting, Superintendent Ebony Johnson announced that the district was notified by the Oklahoma State Department of Education that 12 schools are no longer federally designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement sites.

This is in addition to the four schools that were announced at the Dec. 21 Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting as having worked their way off the Most Rigorous Intervention list.

Thats 16 schools that have already had their designations improve since the start of December, Johnson said. Their dedication and hard work are truly commendable.

The CSI designation is given to schools that score in the bottom 5% of all Oklahoma schools in at least one metric measured by the state report card or, for high schools, have a three-year average graduation rate of 67% or less.

Schools have up to three years to work their way off the list before additional interventions are implemented.

By comparison, the MRI designation is a three-year tag for schools that scored in the bottom 5% of all report card indicators. Among the demands placed upon the district in November by State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education to avoid a state takeover or loss of accreditation was that at least 12 sites come off that list by the end of the 2023-24 school year.

The 12 schools no longer considered CSI schools are Bell, Dolores Huerta, Greenwood Leadership Academy, Key, Lewis and Clark, Lindbergh, MacArthur, McKinley, Owen, Patrick Henry and Robertson elementary schools and Edison Middle School.

The four schools moved off of the MRI list are Hamilton, McClure and Whitman elementary schools and one of the districts alternative sites, Tulsa Met High School.

A district representative said after Monday nights meeting that TPS was informed Friday about status changes for 11 sites. The 12th site, Lindbergh Elementary School, was not disclosed until Monday afternoon.

We are appreciative of the collaborative work with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, as they are continuously reviewing our schools and making sure we have the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding our schools designations, Johnson said.

In other business, the board voted without discussion or dissent to accept Jerry Griffins resignation. The District 6 representative announced his intent to leave the board in December. With a stated resignation date of noon on Jan. 2, Griffin was not present at Monday nights meeting.

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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

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma has chosen one of its own as its new chief executive officer.

The organization announced Monday that Jeff Marlow, most recently Food Bank chief culinary officer and executive vice president, has been named CEO.

The food bank made the announcement following the official appointment by its Board of Directors.

Marlow has been with the Food Bank for more than 10 years, having served previously as executive chef and clubhouse manager at The Oaks Country Club.

Darren Walkup, Food Bank board chairman, said: Jeff embodies the organizations values and brings a real passion for serving our community. We believe he is the right leader for the future of this critical organization in our community.

Marlow said, I am honored to have the opportunity to lead and work alongside this dedicated team in our collective efforts to combat hunger and positively impact our community.

Marlow has helped make the Food Banks culinary program into one of the top such programs in Feeding Americas Food Bank network. The transformation included designing a state-of-the-art culinary center as part of a capital expansion project.

Marlows leadership skills were displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic when he assisted in joint efforts with Hunger Free Oklahoma to lead the Tulsa Kitchens Unite Program. He created the menus and ordering process, collaborating with 24 local restaurants to serve 32,000 weekly guests.

In my view, there is not a more qualified leader to hold the position of CEO of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma than Jeff Marlow, said Chris Bernard, CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma. He will lead with humility, unrelenting dedication and innovation.

Officials said Marlows appointment comes at a critical time as the Food Bank continues to face increased demand for services due to various economic and social challenges.

His leadership will be instrumental, officials said, in strengthening the organizations operational efficiency, expanding its outreach efforts and developing sustainable strategies to address the communitys evolving needs.

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Felix Clary Tulsa World Indigenous Affairs Reporter Follow Felix Clary 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

Two tribal leaders say they wont join Gov. Kevin Stitts newly announced task force on jurisdictional ambiguity in the wake of the McGirt decision as it threatens established law enforcement relationships across eastern Oklahoma.

Stitt said in his executive order that the task force was created after a scuffle between Muscogee Nation tribal police and Okmulgee County jail staff.

Lighthorse Police, acting on a cross-deputization agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority Police, had arrested a suspect but were told the jail would not book tribal arrests. Eventually the inmate was booked, though arguments about appropriate jurisdiction continued as video of the scuffle was released.

Since the task force was announced, Cherokee Nation and Muscogee Nation leaders said the GRDA decided to put on hold the ability of tribal officers to act on its authority.

The suspension of this (cross-deputization) agreement results from pressure from Gov. Stitt and his campaign to undermine the sovereignty of tribes and deteriorate public safety, Muscogee Principal Chief David Hill said in a statement.

The Cherokee Nation has agreements with several municipalities regarding law enforcement, some dating as far back as 1992, spokeswoman Julie Hubbard said Monday in a Tulsa World interview.

The executive order detailing the task force cites a broken system created by the McGirt decision, with disputes between tribal and other police forces.

Cross-deputization has been touted as a way to ensure that Native and non-Native people accused of crimes face justice regardless of whether the state has jurisdiction to prosecute.

The governors 13-seat task force allows for one tribal representative of the Five Civilized Tribes and another from the states other 33 tribes. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told The Oklahoman last week that we dont feel welcome to participate.

On Monday, the Muscogee Nation officially rejected participation in the task force.

Unfortunately, the governors task force on McGirt is based on a false premise and seeks misguided political objectives through a structure intended to divide rather than unify, Hill said in a statement.

This task force cannot adequately serve the public good unless these flaws are corrected. We cannot participate in any endeavor aimed at weakening tribal nations and, by extension, harming public safety.

Hill said the GRDAs actions have little to do with the cross-deputization agreements themselves.

The laws on how tribal jurisdiction can work collaboratively with Oklahomas other agencies are crystal clear, he said. Unfortunately, rather than focus on how to incorporate tribal authority to benefit the public, the state has wasted far too much time and energy finding ways to evade, reject, or minimize the positive impact of tribal jurisdiction. This task force is just the latest example of that.

According to Hill, the GRDA was enthusiastic about working with the Muscogee Nation when meeting with the tribes attorney general earlier in December.

They even began planning training events to make others aware of how well it worked, Hill said.

Now the GRDA says its two-way agreements with tribal police will be on hold until results of the task force are released, with the goal being consistency across the state.

GRDA Police has a longstanding record and dedication of working with all law enforcement agencies across northeast Oklahoma to ensure public safety, GRDA President Dan Sullivan said in a statement. We will determine the future appropriate action related to law-enforcement commissions issued by GRDA, pending the results of the One Oklahoma Task Force.

Stitt has asked the task force to deliver a report by June 1 that would recommend legal fixes and policy changes clearing up jurisdictional confusion. The dates of task force meetings have yet to be set.

Who's on the task force? The governor called for one task force member to represent the Five Tribes, which are the Cherokee, Muscogee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole nations, and a second task force member to represent the remaining 33 federally recognized tribal nations in the state. He assigned other seats to Oklahoma's public safety secretary, House speaker, Senate president pro tem and attorney general. He also made spots for representatives of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council, a county jail trust, the Oklahoma Sheriffs Association, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, and the Oklahoma State Fraternal Order of Police.

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Vietnam should consider creating a national carbon credit exchange as it moves toward developing a low-carbon economy and proactively coping with climate change, a financial official told a meeting on Monday.

Deputy Minister of Finance Le Tan Can put forward the proposal while addressing a meeting discussing a scheme on the development of the carbon credit market in Vietnam.

The launch of the national carbon credit exchange would match the countrys development orientations, its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and an ongoing global trend of developing a carbon credit market, the official said.

The exchange would also make the most of the resources of domestic economic sectors in joint efforts to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

He also shared international experience, saying that many countries had set up their carbon credit exchanges.

Commodities in the local carbon market would include two types: greenhouse gas emission quotas and carbon credits allowed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to be traded on the domestic carbon credit exchange, he added.

Carbon credits are tradable certificates that give holders the right to emit a certain amount of CO2 or another amount of greenhouse gas converted to CO2 equivalents.

One carbon credit is equal to one metric ton of CO2 or one metric ton of CO2 equivalents.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, who chaired the meeting, stressed that setting up the carbon credit market would help fulfill Vietnams commitment to net-zero emissions by utilizing economic tools to manage greenhouse gases emitted by businesses.

The Southeast Asian countrys goal is to create a transparent carbon credit market by determining the total volume of emissions and allocating gas emission quotas to localities as well as economic sectors, Ha said.

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Vietnamese state energy group PetroVietnam (PVN) on Monday reported its achievements in 2023, including two new oil and gas discoveries, to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The group made the discoveries at Block 16-2 within the Ha Ma Vang-1X drilling well and at Block PM3-CAA within the Bunga Lavatera-1 drilling well.

The discoveries mark the first time in the past five years that PVN has achieved two new discoveries in a single year.

PVN also reported that it had successfully completed construction and commenced operations at four oil and gas projects ahead of schedule.

Its oil exploitation output in 2023 reached 10.41 million metric tons, surpassing the years plan by 12.1 percent, with domestic production alone reaching 8.63 million metric tons, representing a 3.9-percent decrease compared to 2022.

The firm increased oil and gas reserves to 13 million metric tons in 2023, surpassing the years targets by 8.3 percent.

It achieved a gas exploitation output of 7.47 billion cubic meters and an electricity output of 23.07 billion kWh in 2023.

Its fertilizer plants produced 1.76 million metric tons in 2023.

PVNs petroleum production, excluding the output from Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical LLC (NSRP) in north-central Thanh Hoa Province, reached 7.36 million metric tons, marking the highest record since the Dung Quat Oil Refinery in north-central Quang Ngai Province was put into commercial operation in 2009.

Revenue from the groups service units grossed VND94.4 trillion VND (US$3.8 billion).

In general, in 2023, the total revenue of the entire group hit VND942.8 trillion ($38.7 billion), exceeding the years plan by 39 percent, logging an increase of VND11.6 trillion ($476.2 million), and equivalent to 9.2 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP).

PVN contributed VND151.8 trillion ($6.2 billion) to the state coffers, accounting for 9.4 percent of the total state budget revenue.

It achieved a profit of VND54.5 trillion ($2.2 billion) and saved over VND3 trillion ($123.2 million).

Prime Minister Chinh praised PVNs accomplishments but cautioned against complacency, emphasizing the need for continued innovation and strategic vision.

He stressed the importance of investing in research and development (R&D) for renewable energy, digital transformation, and sustainable development.

The government leader expected the group to implement smart management solutions, closely monitor industry dynamics, and maintain a sound financial structure to ensure the success of key projects such as the Block B - O Mon project in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 Power Plants in southern Dong Nai Province, and the Dung Quat Oil Refinery expansion.

He encouraged collaboration with foreign partners to address challenges, enhance operational efficiency at NSRP, recommence the Long Phu 1 thermal power project in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, and explore new projects to innovate products and fortify the oil and gas value chain.

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BUENOS AIRES -- The amount of microplastics in the Antarctic is being analyzed by using nuclear science to study the region's waters, sediment and even penguin droppings.

The new joint investigation launched this weekend by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency and the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) is part of the IAEA's NUTEC Plastics Initiative that has looked at microplastic pollution in countries around the world.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, said that by using nuclear applications, it was possible to determine with good accuracy the amount of pollutants found on the seabed and also where they had come from.

"The health of Antarctica is essential for the health of the planet," Grossi told Reuters from the "white continent", where he visited on Saturday with Argentine President Javier Milei.

"Microplastics are affecting the environment and this place is no exception."

Researcher at the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) Lucas Ruberto and laboratory technician at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Francois Oberhansli pose for a picture at Base Marambio, Antarctica, January 6, 2024. Photo: Reuters

The program will use Argentine icebreaker Almirante Irizar and scientists will take samples from penguin guano, sediment from the seabed and from the water around the ice sheet to analyze at Argentina's Carlini Base in the Antarctic. Others will be sent to the IAEA research center in Monaco.

"We are paying special attention to the smallest fraction of microplastics and trying to identify their origins," said Lucas Ruberto, researcher at the IAA, adding they would then identify how to clean them up and even prevent them in the first place.

"Also if they've been carried by sea currents from other parts of the planet or are generated in Antarctica itself."

Ruberto said microplastics - particles smaller than 5 millimeters - were a global problem due to large use of plastics and were harmful to life, because they are often ingested, causing accumulation within organisms that can lead to diseases.

"It's estimated that since its introduction into the market, 7 billion metric tons of plastic have been dumped into the environment, a large part of them in the marine environment," he said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo will pay a state visit to Vietnam from Thursday to Saturday this week at the invitation of Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Indonesian president will be the first foreign leader to officially visit Vietnam this year.

During the working trip, he will attend a welcome ceremony chaired by State President Thuong.

They will later hold talks to discuss the two countries bilateral cooperation issues and plans for the near future.

Indonesian news agencies had earlier reported that President Widodo would visit three ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei, from Tuesday to Sunday this week to enhance the relations between Jakarta and the three regional countries.

Widodos visit to Vietnam comes at a time when the two sides relationship is flourished in politics, economy, and trade.

2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the two countries strategic partnership.

Vietnam and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in 1955 and entered into a strategic partnership in 2013.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is Vietnams third-largest trade partner, while Vietnam is Indonesias fourth-largest trade partner, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Trade between the two countries amounted to US$14.1 billion last year, nearly triple the $4.8 billion in 2013.

The two sides set a target to raise their two-way trade to over $15 billion before 2028 while fostering cooperation in digital economy, digital transformation, the green economy, and renewable energy.

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By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics revealed its vision for AI, pledging to make the burgeoning technology easily and safely usable in everyday life for everyone, its vice chairman said at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Monday (local time).

With the emergence of artificial intelligence, smarter, better experiences will redefine how we live, Han said during the press conference held a day ahead of the opening of the CES. Samsungs broad portfolio of powerful devices, along with the pursuit of open collaboration, will help bring AI and hyper-connectivity to all.

Stating that "Samsung Electronics has invested for over a decade to realize AI that restructures industries beyond technology and makes life more convenient," Han introduced the companys vision of AI for All: Connectivity in the Age of AI.

Samsung Electronics stressed the need for security and responsibility appropriate for the AI era, because all devices can be safely connected only if user security is ensured.

Samsung said one such solution is its security solution Samsung Knox Matrix, which now provides end-to-end encryption across many Samsung Galaxy smartphones and smart TVs.

The company said its solution can monitor and isolate problematic devices to maintain security. Samsung will expand the scope of Samsung Knox Matrix to include Samsung TVs and Samsung Family Hub refrigerators later this year.

Samsung also said it has expanded the use of recycled resources in its products as well as new collaborations to create a sustainable society. To that end, it applied recycled resins to about 14 percent of the total plastics used in its products in 2022 and is continuously researching methods to increase this rate.

Also, the new collaboration with Tesla will enable Samsung's SmartThings IoT platform to work with the U.S. EV maker's electric vehicles, solar panels and Powerwall home battery system.

With SmartThings' AI Energy Mode, users can automatically reduce their home electricity usage. Users can also receive notifications from Tesla's Storm Watch app, which alerts them to bad weather such as typhoons or snowfall, through Samsung TVs or phones.

Through the collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group, Samsungs SmartThings will also be able to operate air conditioning, open doors and activate other systems of vehicles made by Hyundai Motor and Kia. Conversely, they will be able to control home appliances from their cars using SmartThings.

Samsung added it will create a better user experience and value through new TVs, home appliances and mobile devices equipped with enhanced AI features.
An iPhone, purportedly owned by an individual of Vietnamese origin, fell 5,000 meters from an Alaska Airlines flight and landed with an intact screen and a battery still half-charged.

The phone was sucked out of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Friday when a fuselage panel blew off, leaving a gaping hole, AFP reported on Tuesday.

The passenger plane made an emergency landing shortly after, with all aboard safe.

A few items, reportedly including AirPods and a boys shirt, made more dramatic landings after shooting out of the suddenly depressurized cabin.

Amid a search for debris, a man named Sean Bates in the northwestern state of Washington found an iPhone on the side of the road, appearing to belong to one of the passengers.

A photo of the device posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday showed the intact screen and an emailed $70 baggage receipt.

The passengers name on the baggage receipt is Cuong Tran, indicating that the iPhone owner might have Vietnamese heritage.

The battery is shown charged to 44 percent and the smartphone remains in flight mode.

Aside from the port, where the terminal of the charger protrudes after being ripped from the rest of the cord, the phone appears untouched.

A man inspects a hole in the cabin of a Boeing airplane, the result of a fuselage panel blowing off mid-flight. Handout via AFP

This phones survival is most likely because of physics, The Washington Post cited Duncan Watts, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo, as saying.

The basic answer is air resistance, Watts told The Post.

I think the counterintuitive thing here is that an iPhone falling from the sky doesnt end up moving that quickly because of air resistance.

In a follow-up TikTok post, Bates said he had found the phone pretty clean, no scratches on it, sitting under a bush.

Bates said he contacted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which told him it was the second phone from the flight to have been found.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy replied to his post on X thanking him and offering to meet.

In a briefing on Sunday, Homendy told reporters, Well look through [the phones] and then return them, adding that it was very, very fortunate that the incident had not ended in tragedy.

In response to the incident, regulatory bodies swiftly grounded some versions of Boeings 737 MAX 9 jet, pending inspections.

Boeing shares plunged in trading on Monday.

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A cold front was heading toward northern Vietnam on Monday and will likely sweep through the entire region by Wednesday morning, according to the national weather center.

It could turn bitterly colder in the northern region, as well as in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces in north-central Vietnam, with temperatures falling to between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius from this midweek.

Meanwhile, some northern mountainous areas may see temperatures drop sharply to below 10 degrees Celsius, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

From early Wednesday morning, the Gulf of Tonkin is expected to experience stronger northeast gusty winds, waves reaching 2.5 meters in height, and rough seas.

The southwestern waters of the East Vietnam Sea, including the western part of Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, is forecast to witness increasing northeast winds, rough seas, and high waves of up to 3.5 meters.

To brace for strong winds at sea, the national steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control on Monday asked authorities in the coastal localities from northern Quang Ninh Province to southern Kien Giang Province to inform captains and vessel owners of the bad weather conditions, so they could timely arrange their business plans and take precautionary measures.

The local authorities were also told to stay ready for possible rescue operations.

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A military aircraft caught fire after falling out of the sky in Dien Ban Town, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam during a training flight on Tuesday morning.

Phan Minh Dung, secretary of the towns Party Committee, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the same day that the incident occurred at 11:00 am.

After the crash, police officers and military forces swiftly arrived at the location to initiate rescue operations and conduct an investigation.

The pilot of military plane SU22 saved his own life by jumping off the falling aircraft with a parachute, Dung said.

It fell on an empty field near a local households backyard.

An air force official told Tuoi Tre that the training plane took off from neighboring Da Nang City.

No casualties were reported.

A piece of a military plane which fell out of the sky during a training flight in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, January 9, 2024. Photo: Cong Tam / Tuoi Tre

A still image taken from a video clip shows the pilot of a falling military plane jumping off it with a parachute.

Locals crowd the scene of a plane crashing in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, January 9, 2024. Photo: Cong Tam / Tuoi Tre

A military aircraft on fire after crashing in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Cong Tam / Tuoi Tre

The SU22 plane landed near a local households backyard. Photo: Cong Tam / Tuoi Tre

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Police arrested a Vietnamese national attempting to enter Vietnam through a northern border gate after having identified her as a suspect in the organization of illegal narcotics use in 2020, a local official said on Monday.

According to Colonel Vo Van Duong, deputy director of the Quang Ngai Province police department in central Vietnam, his agency detained and transported Dinh Thi Kieu Loan, a 27-year-old resident of the province's Son Ha District from the Ha Khau International Border Gate in northern Lao Cai Province to Quang Ngai.

On May 29, 2020, investigators in Quang Ngai caught a group of young people using narcotics at a guest house on Ha Huy Tap Street.

Police later determined that Loan had organized the illegal use of such narcotics. As such, the provincial police launched legal proceedings against her in July 2023.

Loan then fled the province, prompting police officers to issue a warrant for her arrest in September.

Police later learned that she had run away to Myanmar.

Due to ongoing fighting in Myanmar, the Vietnamese government recently repatriated Vietnamese citizens from the country. Loan was amongst these citizens.

She was arrested upon returning to Vietnam.

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Peter Capaldi & Cush Jumbo star as detectives in a tug of war over a high-profile murder case. Wednesday on Apple TV+

Fargo

Changing Ends

Taronga: Whos Who in the Zoo

Australias Open

Clarksons Farm
ABC has revealed more details around its three-parts docuseries Nemesis on nine years of Coalition government under Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.

Key players tell all in candid no holds barred interviews that capture this tumultuous period and the personalities behind it, showing how the three Prime Ministers gained, wielded and ultimately lost power.

All interviews were conducted by investigative journalist Mark Willacy.

Over the last 12 months I have sat down with the key political players from the Coalition  from backbenchers to Cabinet Ministers to Prime Ministers  and conducted more than 60 on-camera interviews, he said. Ive been stunned by how candid theyve been and how much theyve revealed about pivotal events, including crucial moments and often frank and sometimes furious exchanges behind closed doors. Audiences are in for some big surprises and quite a few shocks as the story of the nine years of Coalition government is unravelled.

The Abbott Years  Monday 29 January

When Tony Abbott swept to power with a thumping victory over the Labor government in 2013 his future seemed assured. As the ultimate political warrior hed brought the Coalition back into power with a devastatingly effective campaign promising to stop the boats, axe the tax, reduce the debt and end the waste. But in just under two years, he was removed as prime minister. So how did it all go so wrong so quickly? In this episode Tony Abbotts allies and enemies take us through those tumultuous years, where successes were overshadowed by a politically disastrous first budget to eye popping moments of onion eating, shirtfronting and the infamous captains call to bring back knights and dames. As the prime minister stumbled, others were waiting in the wings. His long time rival Malcolm Turnbull, and his backers, talk in vivid detail about how they planned and executed a stunning political coup.

The Turnbull Years - Monday 5 February

With Malcolm Turnbull installed as prime minister after bringing down Tony Abbott, hopes were riding high and so were the opinion polls. But as one of Turnbulls allies warned, when you have stratospheric popularity it can only go one way. This gripping episode takes us from the early euphoria through to the week of madness which saw the Liberal Party utterly consumed by another leadership spill in the full glare of the media. In this dramatic episode Malcolm Turnbull and key members of the government recall the highs and lows, from besting Donald Trump in a fiery dispute with the White House and the creation of marriage equality to the infamous bonk ban and the weaponising of climate policy. When it comes to the leadership spill, key players take us inside the room where they describe their motivations and actions which saw another prime minister dispatched.

The Morrison Years  Monday 12 February

Emerging from the wreckage of yet another leadership spill, Scott Morrison is sworn in as Australias surprise 30th prime minister. He then faces the enormous task of uniting a fractured party and winning the trust of Australians. Against the predictions of many colleagues, Morrison proceeds to pull off the miracle election. Then comes an ill-fated family trip to Hawaii and a global pandemic. From I dont hold a hose to Its not a race, Scott Morrison explains what was in his mind during those controversial moments of his prime ministership and reflects upon the impact they had, as do his colleagues, in colourful detail. This episode features senior members of the Morrison cabinet, including former treasurer Josh Frydenberg as well as key former state premiers who give their unvarnished accounts of their dealings with the former prime minister during the covid crisis. As the health crisis abated, it was time for another election, but this time there would be no miracle.
SK hynix, the world's second-largest maker of memory chips, on Monday announced its commitment to spearheading the technological revolution led by artificial intelligence (AI) through its customized high-performance memory solutions.

In a press conference ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, the company's CEO Kwak Noh-jung emphasized the increasing importance of memory chips in the era of widespread generative AI.

"As generative AI becomes more common, memory chips will become more important," he said. "SK hynix is leading the 'Memory Centric AI Everywhere' era by providing products based on the world's best technology to the ICT industry."

He said SK hynix's strategic vision, labeled "Memory Centric," envisions a future where memory products play a pivotal role in ICT devices.

The focus will be on SK hynix's signature high bandwidth memory (HBM) products, with the latest addition being the HBM3E chips, recognized as the world's best-performing memory product. Mass production of HBM3E is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2024.

Highlighting its diverse product lineup, SK hynix also showcased high-capacity through-silicon-via (TSV) dual in-line memory module (DIMM) semiconductors for servers; the world's fastest mobile memory chip, LPDDR5T; and high-performance memory DIMM.

"As AI systems evolves rapidly, customers' memory requirements are diversifying," said Kwak. "To meet this demand, we are introducing a 'Custom Memory Platform' to provide specialized AI memory solutions for each customer."

To solidify its focus on high-demand premium chips, SK hynix established the AI Infra unit last year, specifically tasked with the AI chip-related business.

The move came as recovering demand for high-performance products, like its AI memory HBM3E chips, has contributed to narrowing its operating deficit in the third quarter.

The company posted operating losses of 1.79 trillion won ($1.36 billion) for the fourth consecutive quarter in the third quarter, compared with a profit of 1.67 trillion won a year ago, due to the protracted economic slowdown.

With an increase in preorders for its highly customizable HBM3E chips, SK hynix is anticipated to swing to a net profit for the first quarter of 2024.

"We've asked for an upfront payment from our customers," said Kim Juseon, also known as Justin Kim, who heads the new AI Infra unit. "We are in talks on prices with customers, and we are optimistic that the outcome will significantly improve (our balance sheet)."

At the same time, SK hynix said it plans to adjust its production timetable to meet the rising demand for traditional memory semiconductors, including DRAM and NAND flash memory chips.

"We've reduced production of DRAM and NAND flash memories," CEO Kwak said. "Demand for DRAM has shown some signs of a turnaround recently, and we will increase production of high-demand models first, while we will deal with the NAND market product by product, as it is making a slower rebound."

In navigating exceptional macroeconomic and geopolitical situations, Kwak sees an opportunity for SK hynix to emerge as a leader in the AI-led technological revolution.

He emphasized SK hynix has secured validated end-user (VEU) status from the U.S. government, reducing uncertainties and providing the company with more time to review its China business.

The VEU program allows the shipment of semiconductor equipment to China despite Washington's broader restrictions. (Yonhap)
Annabel broke a promise to never fly BA again and regretted it - Annabel Fenwick/PA

A few months ago, I broke a promise to British Airways. Having previously sworn to all that is holy that I would never, ever fly with them again (their first transgression involved failing to transport me to Santorini in 2020 but charging me 550 regardless) I decided that I should perhaps give them another chance. It was the early days of the pandemic, I reasoned. Maybe the awful agent I spoke to had put their dog down that day. Perhaps it was a one-off. This is our nations flag carrier, after all. I wanted to like them.

What an idiot I was.

I was moving from the UK to Mauritius  requiring a 12-hour flight with our 16-month-old  and BA is among the only few airlines that operate a direct route. I dont need to stress to you, reader, how abysmal a task it is to convince a toddler who has just learnt to walk that they must sit down and be quiet, even for a handful of minutes, let alone half a day. Youve either had the misfortune to fly long-haul with your own tiny dictator, or youve been sitting near one.

So I went about the planning process with military precision, hoping to lessen the collateral damage for all involved, and frankly throwing more money at the problem than we could afford. I spoke to BA over the phone at length about tactics and decided that sleep was to be our best weapon.

We therefore booked a night flight, and instead of paying close to 1,000 for two tickets (his father and I, with Jasper on my lap) we coughed up 1,412 for three, so that Jasper could have his own seat; which, with the help of a popular device that turns economy seats into beds for children, would mean he could lie down.

Its called the Stokke JetKids bedBox  a 180 kids-sized carry-on suitcase that essentially extends the length of the seat so that little ones can rest their legs on it. I told BA in depth about our plan and asked if we could have a bulkhead seat with a bassinet so that in case, for any reason, the BedBox system wasnt working, wed have back-up. No problem, the agent assured us, we would just call them 24 hours before the flight to book this row, which is reserved for families.

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The Stokke JetKids bedBox extends the length of the seat so that little ones can rest their legs on it

As instructed, we phoned the day before our departure. Contrary to BAs earlier assurance, we were told that we couldnt have this row after all. It was still available, they told us, but since Jasper had his own seat he wasnt eligible. Fair enough, I thought. Thank goodness we had the BedBox. Cut to the flight. It was dinner time. Jasper was justifiably tired, bored and hungry, but he was hanging in there. His father and I were served our meal, but Jaspers was missing.

We dont serve meals to under-twos, the cabin crew informed us.

But he has his own seat, I pointed out. It cost nearly 500. Does every seat not come with a meal? Confusion ensued. The manager was fetched. Yes, it was determined, Jasper should indeed have got a meal, but they didnt have one for him. I was annoyed now, and feeling stupid in the same way one does having returned to a philandering lover. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me, as the adage goes. Regardless, we shared our food with Jasper, set up his BedBox, fastened his seatbelt over the blanket and eventually got him to nod off.

I was no more than 10 minutes into my own slumber when I felt an ominous tapping on my shoulder. It was the cabin crew again, waking me to break the news that whatever we were using to enable Jaspers sleep, it wasnt allowed.

Despite careful plannning, neither Annabel nor her baby enjoyed much sleep on the flight - Annabel Fenwick

Its a safety hazard, the lady insisted. My pulse at this point was reaching high altitude. I calmly explained that the only reason we had spent 500 on an extra seat for our son was so that we could use the 180-BedBox that was designed and sold for this exact purpose, and that this had been approved by the BA booking agent. More confusion. More conferring with the manager. The conclusion? Not only were we forced to wake Jasper and prop him upright for the rest of the flight, but the crew wouldnt even remove the so-called safety hazard (approved by more than 50 airlines, I later found) from under his seat. So there it stayed, being perilous, our sons legs banned from resting on it.

Naturally, I lodged a complaint upon landing and requested a refund on the basis that obviously, had BA told me at booking that they didnt allow the BedBox, I would not have purchased the extra seat. This time, I assured them, I really would never fly with them again. After much chasing on my end, I received a response.

As we make clear on our website, suitcases that convert into leg rests arent approved for use on our flights as they dont meet our safety standards. If incorrect information was relayed to our customer ahead of their flight, we apologise for that mistake. Following an initial misunderstanding, the correct number of meals were provided to the customer on the flight. We have offered a 200 voucher as a gesture of goodwill given her experience fell short of her expectations. An understatement to say the least.

To add insult to injury, they keep sending me automated emails to this day that read: Wed like to understand how youre feeling about British Airways. Ill tell you how Im feeling, BA. In the past, you famously claimed to be the worlds favourite airline. This year, according to Skytrax, the global benchmark of such standards, youre not even in the top 15 (Singapore Airlines, incidentally, is number one, and they approve and even sell the BedBox). Your customers do not have time to check your websites small print after booking just in case your own agent gave them incorrect information. And I have no use for a voucher given that I would rather crawl through barbed wire than give you another penny in business. I hereby invite our readers to share their own verdict on your service. I suspect Im not the only one who feels this way.

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Watch Lorraine Kelly tell Fred Sirieix to stay out of the kitchen on his wedding day

What did you miss?

Lorraine Kelly playfully scolded Fred Sirieix when she told him to stay out of the kitchen on his wedding day after the First Dates star kept an eagle-eye on the cooking in the Im A Celebrity camp.

The groom-to-be has been preparing to get married to his love Fruitcake in Jamaica over the summer and he has been swept up in all of the wedding planning. Naturally as a trained cook, the food is high on Sirieix's wedding priorities.

During his appearance on Lorraine, Sirieix opened up about how "difficult" it has been to choose a caterer from a list of names. "Yesterday I was talking to the wedding planner," he said. "Choosing the caterer is quite difficult." As conversation turned to wedding food, the TV host had no qualms telling the star to stay clear of the kitchen on the big day.

Lorraine Kelly playfully told Fred Sirieix to stay out of the kitchen on his wedding day. (ITV screengrab)

What, how and why?

She told him during the interview: "You know what you are like about your food. Will you be in there when they are all doing it? You are not to be in there on your wedding day." Kelly then had a good giggle with Sirieix.

The First Dates star had agreed that he did "like my food" but he vowed he would not be giving orders in the kitchen on his wedding day and he had no plans of interfering. He said: "No I am not going to do that." But the trained chef did say he knew exactly how he envisions the food.

Fred Sirieix clashed with Josie Gibson in the I'm A Celebrity jungle over the cooking. (ITV)

"I do know what I want," he said. "I want to create a Jamaican festival. So it's all about adding the flames and the smells." He added: "For people to have it in the background. Its almost a decor but its not a decor because it's about what you're going to be eat... It's got to be authentic. It has to be delicious... All specialities from Jamaica. No fancy French food, just Jamaican food tradition."

Kelly acknowledged: "You like things to be done in a certain way." The TV host was referring to when Sirieix clashed with Josie Gibson over the cooking on I'm A Celebrity. During the reality series, the food expert couldn't resist trying to boss his campmate around when she was named head chef. He even compared her cooking to an eighties horror movie and declared it the stuff of "kitchen nightmares".

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Fred Sirieix called Josie Gibson's cooking a "nightmare" and compared it to a horror movie. (ITV)

Unsurprisingly, the cooking rows became one of the big talking points of the jungle reality show. Afterwards, Sirieix admitted his mum scolded him over his behaviour on I'm A Celebrity - meanwhile Gibson and Sirieix reignited their cooking feud on the reunion show.

What else happened on Lorraine?

Sirieix was on Lorraine to promote the upcoming 10th anniversary series of First Dates. Love is in the air as the First Dates star revealed there were more couples to emerge from this series than ever before. "This 10 years anniversary series is actually the best one weve done," he said.

He further explained: "I was thinking about it and wondering why. Sometime I was doubting myself. I thought maybe because its 10 years, my mind playing tricks. We have moved. We are in bath now. Bath is a historical city. Dates back from the romans. When you are walking in the streets, you can actually hear people talking. Its very provincial. Its beautiful. I think its very romantic.

Fred Sirieix on First Dates. (Channel 4)

"In this series, we have more yeses than in any other series. We want the yeses. Everyone was so energised. We had an amazing production. We did a great job. We are just about the yeses and we had more yeses than ever!"

Read more
(Bloomberg) -- Russias seaborne crude shipments began 2024 exactly in line with Moscows pledge to cut the countrys exports as part of the wider OPEC+ effort to stabilize global oil markets.

Most Read from Bloomberg

About 3.34 million barrels a day of crude were shipped from Russian ports in the four weeks to Jan. 7, tanker-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg show. That was down by 120,000 barrels a day from the period to Dec. 31.

The more volatile weekly average fell by 500,000 barrels a day to 3.28 million. That was 300,000 barrels below the average export level seen by Bloomberg during May and June, which is the baseline period used by Moscow for the reduction in crude exports that it has pledged to its OPEC+ partners in the first quarter of 2024.

Russia has said it will deepen its oil export cuts to 500,000 barrels a day below the May-June average during the first quarter, after Saudi Arabia said it would prolong its unilateral one-million-barrel-a-day supply reduction and several other members of the OPEC+ group agreed to make further output curbs. The Russian cut will be shared between crude shipments, which will be reduced by 300,000 barrels a day, and refined products. The four-week average crude measure was about 245,000 barrels a day below the May-June level.

All Russian crude destined for Asian buyers after being loaded at western ports continues to pass through the Red Sea, despite attacks on merchant vessels from Yemen-based Houthi rebels. Tankers carrying Moscows oil are unlikely to be targeted, but that doesnt rule out the risk of a ship carrying Russian supplies being hit by mistake.

Russia appears to be struggling to place cargoes of its Sokol crude. Six ships that were heading for the ports of Paradip and Vadinar came to a halt in December before heading back through the Strait of Malacca. Three of those tankers signaled a new destination of Qingdao in China, but have stopped for a second time in the South China Sea.

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Four more cargoes of Sokol have been loaded onto ships that are also showing ports in India. They too are showing no sign of heading to their designated destinations.

The gross value of Russias crude exports, calculated from weekly shipments and Argus Media pricing data, fell to $1.45 billion in the seven days to Jan. 7 from $1.73 billion the previous week. Four-week average income also slipped, decreasing by $53 million to $1.5 billion a week.

Flows by Destination

Russias seaborne crude flows in the four weeks to Jan. 7 fell to 3.34 million barrels a day. That was down from 3.46 million barrels a day in the period to Dec. 31. Shipments were about 245,000 barrels a day below the average seen in May and June.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through Novorossiysk and the Baltic port of Ust-Luga and are not subject to European Union sanctions or a price cap.

The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export grade. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies.

Observed shipments to Russias Asian customers, including those showing no final destination, edged lower to 2.96 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Jan. 7, down from a two-month high of 2.99 million barrels a day in the period to Dec. 31.

About 1.19 million barrels a day of crude was loaded onto tankers heading to China in the four weeks to Jan. 7. Chinas seaborne imports are supplemented by about 800,000 barrels a day of crude delivered directly from Russia by pipeline, either directly, or via Kazakhstan.

Flows on ships signaling destinations in India averaged about 910,000 million barrels a day in the four weeks to Jan. 7.

Both the Chinese and Indian figures will rise as the discharge ports become clear for vessels that are not currently showing final destinations.

The equivalent of about 710,000 barrels a day was on vessels signaling Port Said or Suez in Egypt, or are expected to be transferred from one ship to another off the South Korean port of Yeosu. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up in the chart below as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent.

The Other Unknown volumes, running at about 160,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Dec. 31, are those on tankers showing no clear destination. Most of those cargoes originate from Russias western ports and go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. Others could be moved from one vessel to another, with most such transfers now taking place in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Greece.

Europe and Turkey

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries have collapsed since Moscows troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022. A market that consumed about 1.5 million barrels a day of short-haul seaborne crude, coming from export terminals in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic has been lost almost completely, to be replaced by long-haul destinations in Asia that are much more costly and time-consuming to serve.

Combined flows to Turkey and Bulgaria, Russias only two remaining buyers close to its western ports, fell to about 380,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Jan. 7, tanker-tracking data show. Thats the lowest in three months.

Exports to Turkey fell to about 313,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to Jan. 7. They are still close to three times as high as the lows they hit in July and August.

Flows to Bulgaria, now Russias only European market for crude, slipped to a four-week low of about 63,000 barrels a day in the most recent four-week period. Bulgarias parliament has approved a measure that will end imports of Russian oil from March, nine months earlier than permitted under an exemption to EU sanctions on purchases of Moscow's oil.

No Russian crude was shipped to northern European countries, or those in the Mediterranean in the four weeks to Jan. 7.

Vessel-tracking data are cross-checked against port agent reports as well as flows and ship movements reported by other information providers including Kpler and Vortexa Ltd.

Export Value

Following the abolition of export duty on Russian crude, we have begun to track the gross value of seaborne crude exports, using Argus Media price data and our own tanker tracking.

The gross value of Russias crude exports fell to $1.45 billion in the seven days to Jan. 7 from $1.73 billion the previous week. Meanwhile four-week average income also slipped, decreasing by $53 million to $1.5 billion a week. The four-week average peaked at $2.17 billion a week in the period to June 19, 2022. The highest it reached last year was $2 billion a week in the period to Oct. 22.

During the first four weeks after the Group of Seven nations price cap on Russian crude exports came into effect in early December, 2022, the value of seaborne flows fell to a low of $930 million a week, but soon recovered.

The chart above shows a gross value of Russias seaborne oil exports on a weekly and four-week average basis. The value is calculated by multiplying the average weekly crude price from Argus Media Group by the weekly export flow from each port. For shipments from the Baltic and Arctic ports we use the Urals FOB Primorsk dated, London close, midpoint price. For shipments from the Black Sea we use the Urals Med Aframax FOB Novorossiysk dated, London close, midpoint price. For Pacific shipments we use the ESPO blend FOB Kozmino prompt, Singapore close, midpoint price.

Export duty was abolished at the end of 2023 as part of Russias long-running tax reform plans.

Origin-to-Location Flows

The following table shows the number of ships leaving each export terminal.

A total of 30 tankers loaded 23 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to Jan. 7, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. That was down by about 3.5 million barrels from the previous weeks six-month high.

Strong winds at Kozmino, topping 50 miles an hour according to weather data provide Visual Crossing, is likely to have hampered mooring operations toward the end of the week, when loading slowed.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. One cargo of KEBCO was loaded at Novorossiysk and one at Ust-Luga during the week.

NOTES

Note: This story forms part of a weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the export duty revenues earned from them by the Russian government. Weeks run from Monday to Sunday. The next update will be on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Note: All figures exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga as KEBCO grade crude.

If you are reading this story on the Bloomberg terminal, click here for a link to a PDF file of four-week average flows from Russia to key destinations.

--With assistance from Sherry Su.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Peltz tied the knot with the fashion designer's son Brooklyn Beckham in April 2022

Giovanni Giannoni/WWD via Getty Images; Victoria Beckham Instagram Victoria Beckham is wishing Nicola Peltz a Happy Birthday

Victoria Beckham is celebrating her daughter-in-law Nicola Peltz Beckham.

The fashion designer and Spice Girl, 49, shared a sweet birthday message to Nicola on Tuesday to mark her 29th birthday.

Happy birthday @nicolaannepeltzbeckham!!! We love you!! Kisses xx, Victoria wrote on her Instagram post. She also shared a funny throwback video of herself and Nicola dancing on the beach during their Bahamas vacation in December which was accompanied by the tune "Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham.

The sweet moment featured actress Nicola  who was dressed in a black shirt, white shorts and sky-high wedges  dancing with her mother-in-law on the sand as the pair laughed together in time to the music.

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Related: David Beckham Gutted as He Reveals Damage Caused by U.K. Storm Henk at Family Home

Victoria also shared a picture of her son Brooklyn, 24, and Nicola on the beach in a subsequent Instagram Story. We love you!!! Happy Birthday @nicolaannepeltzbeckham," she added.

Her husband David Beckham, 48, also shared an Instagram tribute to Nicola, sharing three snaps of her on his Stories. His sweet captions read, "Have the most amazing day we love you," and "Here's to having more fun celebrating you."

David Beckham Instagram David Beckham's Birthday Post for Nicola Peltz

Brooklyn and Nicola tied the knot in April 2022 after they first began dating in October 2019.

In addition to Brooklyn, Victoria shares Romeo, 21, Cruz, 18, and Harper, 12, with David.

Victorias birthday tribute comes after she revealed her extensive morning care routine on Saturday. Wearing a white robe and towel on her head, the mother-of-four went makeup-free as she used several products, including the Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum, from her Victoria Beckham Beauty brand for the Instagram video.

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Related: David Beckham Jokes About In-Law Lunch at the Ritz After Wife Victoria Cited 'Working Class' Roots in Documentary

"So I'm here in New York, I just cleansed my face," she said in the clip. "I've got no makeup on and I'm going to show you what I do every day, what is part of my skincare routine."

Back in December, Victoria caught up with Allure about all things beauty for a new cover story, in which she described a few of her favorite beauty products.

"I test everything," she explained. "If you were to say, 'What are the two items you don't leave the house without?' BabyBlade Brow. I'm obsessed with brows  my husband has never seen me without my eyebrows. And Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil to make my eyes look more awake."

The fashion designer also added that makeup has always been her "thing" and art was "probably the only thing I was any good at in school."



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Welcome Guest! You are here: Home  Science & Technology

World's 1st Electric Vehicle powered by Farasis Energy sodium-ion batteries finally here

JMEV EV3 is finally here, and with the introduction of sodium-ion batteries, China's electric vehicle (EV) sector enters a transformative phase, marking a significant shift in battery technology. Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2024 4:50 PM , ummid.com News Network

Ganzhou (China): China had unveiled worlds first Electric Vehicles powered by sodium-ion batteries - JMEV EV3 (Youth Edition) and Yiwei in December last, promising they will hit the roads in January 2024.

While JMEV EV3 is equipped with sodium-ion batteries supplied by Farasis Energy, Yiwei EVs will be powered by Hina Batteries  both leading battery manufacturers of China.

Both the vehicles come under the low price and low cost segment.

JMEV EV3 is finally here, and with the introduction of sodium-ion batteries, China's electric vehicle (EV) sector enters a transformative phase, marking a significant shift in battery technology.

The JMEV EV3 (Youth Edition) sets a new standard as the world's first A00-class EV equipped with new batteries, JMEV which has EV plant in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province of China, said.

Offering a range of 251 km, this model caters to the dynamic needs of younger drivers, encompassing daily commuting and city-wide travel, Jiangling Motors Group which owns JMEV brand, said.

Farasis Energy's sodium-ion battery stands out with its combination of layered oxides and hard carbon, demonstrating impressive benchmarks in the EV battery space, the company said.

JMEV EV3 Price

JMEV sodium battery version starts at a price of RMB 58,800 (US $8300 roughly) with a battery capacity of 21.4 kWh and a CLTC range of 251 km, according to the new cars specification sheet.

Meanwhile, Farasis Energy is gearing up for the next big leap in battery technology, eyeing the launch of its second-generation sodium-ion batteries in 2024.

With excellent low-temperature performance, sodium-ion batteries effectively address the low range challenge faced by EVs in colder climates.

Moreover, the safety and affordability ensure the provision of options applicable to a broader spectrum of scenarios while enhancing the user experience.

Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
Welcome Guest! You are here: Home  India

Mixed response as Smriti Irani visits Madinah 'barred for non-Muslims'

Smriti Irani led a high-level Indian delegation to The City of Prophet (peace be upon him) Madinah, which also included Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan, besides others. Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2024 12:26 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Madinha/New Delhi: People are reacting differently as Union Minority Minister Smriti Irani Monday January 08, 2024 visited Madinah al Munawara  The Holy City of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which is normally barred for non-Muslim visitors.

Smriti Irani led a high-level Indian delegation, which also included Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan, besides others, to The City of Prophet (peace be upon him), Madinah, which is Haram al Shareef and visits here are only for Muslims.

"Landmark Diplomacy"

The government media outlets and BJP supporters have termed the Indian delegations visit to Madinah al Munawara a landmark diplomacy, unprecedented visit and an 'unprecedented milestone' in the India-Saudi bilateral relation.

This unprecedented visit marks the first time a non-Muslim delegation has been welcomed to Madinah, underscoring the exceptional nature of India-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations, the government owned All India Radio reported.

During her visit to Madinah, the Indian delegation led by Smriti Irani and V. Muraleedharan also visited other holy and historic places including Prophet's Mosque (Al Masjid Al Nabwi) in the Markazia area of Madinah, followed by a visit to the historic mountain of Uhud and the Quba Mosque, the first mosque of Islam, according to officials.

"This exceptional gesture by the Saudi side, welcoming a non-Muslim delegation to Madinah, underscores the strength of the bilateral relations between India and Saudi Arabia. As both nations continue to forge stronger ties, this historic visit is poised to contribute significantly to mutual understanding and cooperation in the realm of religious and cultural exchanges", Prasar Bharati, India's Public Service Broadcaster, said.

Hajj 2024 Quota

During the visit to the Kingdom, Smriti Irani also signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with Saudi Arabia's Minister for Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah in Jeddah.

As part of the Haj 2024 agreement signed between India and Saudi Arabia, a total of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India will perform Hajj this year. Of them 1,40,020 will visit Makkah through the Haj Committee of India. The remaining will perform Hajj through Private Tour Operators.

This is the same Hajj quota for India which was finalized by Saudi Arabia last year.

As part of the visit to monitor and inspect the arrangement of Haj pilgrims and their accommodation in Madinah, the Indian delegation also engaged with Indian volunteers dedicated to serving Haj pilgrims, extending appreciation for their selfless efforts during Haj 2023.

There were widespread complaints of poor services and bad quality accommodation by the Indian pilgrims who performed Hajj through the Haj Committee of India last year.

Apart from the hype surrounding the maiden visit by a high level Indian non-Muslim to Madinah, what good the visit will bring for the Indian Hajj pilgrims will be keenly watched.

"Outrage, Condemnation"

Not everyone however is happy with the visit of the Smriti Irani-led Indian delegation to Madinah  one of the holiest sites for Muslims around the world.

What is she doing in Madinah just near Masjid al Nabawi? Why are they allowed in Haram Shareef? a social media user wrote on X formerly known as Twitter.

Smriti irani ko jaana ta ayodhya pohonch gayi madinapic.twitter.com/GicSAcSxOU  Spidey (@SpideyWeb) January 8, 2024

Despite Blasphemy of Islam and Prophet by BJP, Smriti Irani was allowed to enter Madinah. Shame on Arabs, another user wrote.

South Asian Journal, which claims to be a "Voice of South Asian Diaspora & Minorities" on social media platform X linked the demolition of Babri Masjid with Irani's visit to Madinah

"Modi BJP party members who broke Babri Masjid and are openly #Islamophobic anti Muslim and responsible for violence against Muslims are near holiest Islamic places. This is very hurtful to Muslims (sic)", it wrote on X.

Modi BJP party members who broke Babri Masjid and are openly #Islamophobic anti Muslim and responsible for violence against Muslims are near holiest Islamic places. This is very hurtful to Muslims pic.twitter.com/zU4NztyJiX #SmritiIrani -#Madina  South Asian Journal (@sajournal1) January 8, 2024

"Smriti Irani ko jaana ta Ayodhya pohonch gayi Madina (sic)", another user wrote.

Some Muslims are also angry because Smriti Irani and other female members of the delegation were not in proper dress while visiting the Holy City.

"No wonder it's in the very interest of both countries. BUT the basic orders of Allah must not be overlooked. She's in the holiest place she should have put scarf over her head and covered her front parts as part of Taqaddus and tahereem. It's sort of taking pride in one country's culture and on the other hand skipping the mandatory laws of other", Jamal Nasir, a medical professional, wrote on WhatsApp.



Are non-Muslims barred from Madinah?

The Indian delegations visit to Madinah has sparked a debate if a non-Muslim can visit The City of Prophet (peace be upon him).

Amid this debate, a social media user came with an explanation that non-Muslims are barred from entering Makkah, and not Madinah.

Non-Muslims are allowed to visit Medina, but they are prohibited from entering the fenced area around the Prophet's Mosque. Unlike Mecca, Medina is open to everyone, including non-Muslims, the social media user wrote.

Smriti Irani visited 'Periphery of Masjid-e-Nabwi' and not the Masjid Itself, the user added.



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South Korea imposes ban on dog meat industry



Up to 1 million dogs a year are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in South Korea. Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2024 5:34 PM , ummid.com News Network

Seoul (South Korea): South Korea's National Assembly Tuesday January 09, 2024 voted to ban the dog meat industry in what animal campaigners at Humane Society International, Korea called "history in the making."

Up to 1 million dogs a year are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in South Korea.

The ban, which comes into force in six months' time with a three-year phase out, will make the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs, and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027

Violators will be imposed with penalties of up to three years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

"The legislation includes a penalty of up to 2 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20million KRW for the breeding and sale of dogs for consumption, and up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW for the slaughter of dogs for human consumption", the Humane Society International said.

Dog farmers, slaughterers and restaurant owners will be eligible to apply for compensation, and after review, government support will be offered to transition or close those businesses.

'History in the making'

JungAh Chae, Executive Director of Humane Society International, Korea which campaigned tirelessly for the ban, welcomed the news.

"This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement", JungAh Chae said. "We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality."

"While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future", JungAh Chae said.

With this ban, South Korea has joined a growing list of countries and territories across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement) including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and 45 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia, according to Humane Society International.

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Who exactly is running Israel? Not Netanyahu at least



October 7 has complicated the political scene in Israel in ways that even the masterful politician, Netanyahu, could not handle. Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2024 7:45 PM , Ramzy Baroud & Romana Rubeo

October 7 has complicated the political scene in Israel in ways that even the masterful politician, Netanyahu, could not handle.

Who runs Israel? This is not an easy question to answer.

Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not exactly run Israel. He is more of a manager, and not a very good one at that.

Netanyahu, nicknamed Bibi by his fans and detractors alike, has also been known as the King of Israel. Over the course of over 16 years, Netanyahu has earned the title of Israels longest-serving prime minister.

Bibis Balancing Act

In a country that claims to be a democracy, the only rational explanation for why Netanyahu has managed to survive these number of years in one of the most fractious political scenes on earth is simply because he is liked by the majority of people.

However, this is not the case. Most of Netanyahus coalitions, which allowed him to rule year after year, one polarizing election after the other, were assembled based on his ability to play a balancing political act, unprecedented in the history of all Israeli governments.

Indeed, rarely did Netanyahu rule with an outright majority for his Likud party. To form a government, the Israeli leader found it necessary to form coalitions, which have growingly relied on right-wing and eventually far-right ideologues, the likes of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Far-Right Bonanza

Netanyahus coalition, formed in December 2022, moved forward, somewhat smoothly, if compared to Israels inherently unstable coalitions, until the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, and the subsequent war.

Within those ten months, Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich were given free hand to wreak havoc on Palestinian communities, not only in the occupied territories, including Al-Quds (Jerusalem), but also against the Arab citizens of Israel.

Though their violent rhetoric, policy and behavior invited Palestinian Resistance and much criticism, regionally and internationally, none of this mattered to Netanyahu. The Israeli leader was mostly focused on remaining in power, at any cost, to avoid or delay legal accountability for several standing corruption cases, embroiling him and his family as well.

Political Flood

But October 7 has complicated the political scene in Israel in ways that even the masterful politician Netanyahu could not handle.

In addition to a coalition government of far-right ministers calling for the extermination or the expulsion of Palestinians, Netanyahu needed to answer to another strange coalition, the war government.

This emergency government was formed soon after the start of the Israeli war on Gaza and included the likes of Benny Gantz, a sworn enemy for Netanyahu, whose role in the war cabinet seemed mostly aimed at controlling Netanyahus war ambition.

As if finding the balance between two governments was not difficult enough, Netanyahu also needed to balance the growing frustration in the army over their heavy losses and lack of vision in Gaza, and the Israeli street  angry, confused, vengeful, and divided.

Perhaps, Israel would have been saved from Netanyahus wrath and self-centered politics if Washington had a strong government of its own. The Biden Administration, however, volunteered itself, from the very first day of the war, to play the role of the lackey, giving Israel whatever it needed while asking as few questions as possible.

95 days into the war and Israel remains divided, unaware of what it actually wants, unwilling to accept defeat, incapable of moving forward, or in any other direction.

Not Another Star

We are not another star in the American flag, Ben-Gvir said on January 3.

Ben-Gvir did not originate this reference. It is often infused whenever Israeli politicians want to communicate to Washington that Tel Aviv will not follow American diktats.

But in reality, the Americans did not dictate anything. They have given Israel additional billions of dollars to save their economy, supplied Israel with the very ammunitions that allowed it to conduct the genocide in Gaza, and merely asked, though bashfully, Israel to reduce civilian casualties among Palestinians, just a little.

According to Ben-Gvir, American handouts and generosity are welcomed. What is not welcomed, however, is the mere suggestion that Israel should set realistic goals for its war or that it should not ethnically cleanse Palestinians out of Gaza, and so forth.

In this atmosphere of chaos, and lack of a serious and decisive leadership, Israel seems to operate as disconnected political camps, fighting amongst each other at the time that their own military is fighting a losing battle in Gaza, with no specific objectives.

A US official explained to Politico on Monday, on condition of anonymity, the state of affairs of Israeli politics.

Whos Driving?

Its not always clear whos driving the train in Israel, he said.

There have been times where (Netanyahu) has intimated or even been more explicit in telling us, My hands are tied. You know, I have this coalition. Its not me. Its a coalition. Its not me. Its the political imperatives that Im facing., the official added.

But, Netanyahus political imperatives are of his own making.

And what is worsening matters for Tel Aviv is that the US President Joe Biden himself has repeatedly reiterated, I am a Zionist, you dont have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.

Bidens statements have very little to do with the Zionist ideology, or whether one must or must not be Jewish to be a Zionist. It is, in a way, a blank check to Netanyahu to do as he pleases without fearing accountability, or pressure.

Similarly, such statements as that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on October 12 that he arrived in Israel not only as the United States secretary of state, but also as a Jew made things even worse. It meant that American and Israeli interests are perfectly aligned and there will be no questioning of Israeli motives or actions.

Blinken arrived in Israel on Monday. Prior to his arrival in Tel Aviv, he spoke to reporters from Saudi Arabia, announcing American foreign policy priorities, security for Israel, a state for the Palestinians.

The problem for the Americans is that their priorities are no longer trusted, accepted or respected by any party in the region, and certainly not by Israel itself.

The question is, will Washington ever develop the political will to enforce its priorities, or has the age of American leadership in the Middle East gone forever? Evidence on the ground suggests that the latter is true.

[The opinions presented in this article are of the authors and may not necessarily align with the editorial stance of ummid.com.]



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Why US, Israel want world to believe Daesh behind Terrorist Attack in Iran's Kerman

A blame game has been orchestrated by Iran to target Israel for allegedly playing a part in the terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Kerman, last week. Read More

Tuesday January 9, 2024 2:01 PM , Asad Mirza

A blame game has been orchestrated by Iran to target Israel for allegedly playing a part in the terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Kerman, last week. Though the Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian officials reject it and instead blame Israel for its complicity.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi joined mourners in the southern city of Kerman on Friday last week for the funerals of 89 people killed in twin blasts claimed by the Islamic State (Daesh), according to the Iranian media.

Suicide bombers struck crowds gathered near the tomb of Revolutionary Guards General Qasem Soleimani to mark the fourth anniversary of his killing in Baghdad in a targeted US drone strike. The terrorist attack on 3 January killed 89 people, which included many women and children as well as at least a dozen Afghans, state television said.

Raisi vowed to avenge the killings; saying, the time and place will be determined by our (Iranian) forces. Whereas, Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami said, we will find you wherever you are.

In a statement published on Thursday 6 January on Telegram, the Daesh claimed two of its members activated their explosives vests at the gathering. A staunch enemy of Daesh, Soleimani headed the Guards' foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, overseeing Iranian military operations across the Middle East.

Though some Iranian officials have already hinted at Israels involvement in the attack, journalists and active media members have also started bringing to the limelight the differences between Daeshs latest statement and its previous ones to prove a second partys complicity.

The Tehran Times reported that the extremist group acknowledged responsibility for the assault more than 30 hours following the explosions. This departs from its usual pattern, as the group typically asserts its role in acts of terror immediately after their occurrence.

Also, Daesh generally precedes attacks with ominous posts on its social media platforms shortly before they unfold. Surprisingly, no such forewarning preceded the blasts in Kerman, contrasting with the group's established modus operandi.

Moreover, in the image disseminated by Daesh, faces of both the attackers are completely obscured, with their faces fully covered and their eyes deliberately blurred. While previous attacks carried out by Daesh members featured images of the perpetrators in full clarity.

An Iranian journalist Mona Hojat Ansari analysing the evidence says that the text of the recent statement also exhibited notable disparities from prior declarations made by the extremist group.

Historically, Daesh has consistently referred to Iran as the land of Persians or the state of Khorasan. However, the latest communication from the terrorists explicitly uses the country's actual name: Iran. This shift has sparked suspicions regarding the origins of the statement, prompting questions about whether it might have been authored by an external entity and subsequently handed over to the group for dissemination on its social media platforms.

Further, the characteristics of the attack also raised suspicions about Israel's potential involvement, Iranian media pointed out. As per an Iranian lawmaker who inspected the blast site, the explosives employed to trigger the suicide vests were identified as RDX, which has frequently been associated with Israel's past use in carrying out targeted assassinations within Iranian territory.

Despite the claim from Daesh, Iranian officials have continued to accuse Iran's arch foes Israel and the United States of complicity in the attack. IS has disappeared nowadays, Salami said, adding that its remaining members, only act as mercenaries for US and Israeli interests.

They assert that Israel has been trying to weave a web of provocations to turn the whole region into chaos, leading to an allout war in the Middle East. Further, the US wants to involve Iran first, in this foreseeable confrontation The Iranian media claims that following its significant setback on 7 October by Hamas, Israel has grown increasingly desperate for direct involvement from Washington in the on going war.

Despite the US's diplomatic support and provision of weaponry used in Gaza, it has, thus far, displayed reluctance to escalate the conflict beyond Gaza. In fact, reports suggest that the US has been pressuring Israel to halt its fruitless campaign by the end of January.

Iranian media claims that recognising its inability to eliminate Hamas and its deteriorating international standing, Israel now views a regional war as necessary to permanently eliminate the so-called Axis of Resistance. From Israel's perspective, the opportunity to draw the US into a war with Iran and its allied groups may not arise again.

This motive has led to a series of orchestrated attacks in recent weeks aimed at provoking Iran and triggering a full-scale regional conflict. The sequence began with the assassination of a top Iranian military advisor in Syria, followed by an attack targeting a Hamas leader in Beirut. While some analysts anticipated a similar assault on Iranian soil, the direct targeting of civilians in a terrorist attack was largely unforeseen.

Meanwhile, tensions remain heated on the Israel-Lebanese border. An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Monday, 8 January killed a top Hezbollah commander, the Iran-backed group said in a statement. Clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army have intensified since the war in started.

While it is still debatable who carried out the attack or on whose instructions, it is clear that any direct American entry in the region may escalate the Gaza conflict, besides bringing chaos to the whole region. So far, the US has rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel were behind the bombings, while Israel has not commented on the issue.

However, one should not pay heed to the provocative statements by Israel against its other Arab neighbours and by Iran against Israel, the collective aim should be to get the Palestinian issue resolved at the earliest, as per the aspersions of the Palestinian people and try to limit the war and stop its spread in the region, as any further confrontation or attacks may prove catastrophic for the global peace.

(The writer, Asad Mirza, is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator.)



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By Ko Dong-hwan

LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan has redefined AI as "affectionate intelligence" during the company's self-promotional presentation in Las Vegas a day before the start of CES 2024, according to the global electronic appliance giant, Tuesday.

Hosting the LG World Premiere at Mandalay Bay, Cho explained to some 1,000 people gathered from around the world and those watching via online streaming what differentiates his company's AI technologies from other brands. He said LG's new interpretation of AI is backed by its three distinctive functions: "real-time life intelligence," "orchestrated intelligence" and "responsible intelligence."

"Our AI can look after its users and sympathize with them better than before, allowing our customers to experience new (affectionate) AIs," said Cho.

Billions of the company's smart appliances and IoT devices now in use at home, mobility and commercial spaces worldwide are equipped with AI-backed sensors that learn users' physical and psychological patterns, according to the CEO. Those products collect "real-time life data," based on which they can learn users' ambient settings, activity patterns, voice tones, nuances in dialogue and even facial expressions.

Through the multifaceted data, the company can learn more about its customers, a strength Cho called a unique asset and unparallelled difference from his competitors.

As for its orchestrating function, LG AI Brain, now under development, controls other AI devices based on its own large language model (LLM), a high-level deductive processing system. Using the language, the brain can control other smart devices to adjust their functions to a user's varying preferences in real time.

"Just like how songwriters and composers create new musical numbers using the same notes, LG AI Brain has the same orchestrating function to cater to users' tastes," said Cho.

LG Shield is another function of the company's AIs which enables them to safeguard the data they glean from their users. The data security system self-activates whenever the company's AIs collect, store or use data from their users so that the company can be responsible for outcomes of services initiated by its AIs.

"We want to monitor how rationally our AIs execute commands deduced from learning their users and control how they access the data collected from their users," Cho said. "To use AI technologies at best, each user must be able to control AI on a certain level."

"Life is Good," the company's slogan, is the company's promise to center the rising age of AI around humans, not AI, to make people's lives better, Cho said as he concluded the presentation.
HA NOI Businesses need to be cautious with new information and contact import-export management information focal points to avoid international trade fraud.

In the current volatile export situation, many importing countries have introduced stricter import conditions and standards.

However, instances of commercial fraud taking advantage of import-export information with very sophisticated procedures have appeared.

Recently, some Vietnamese agricultural export enterprises received requests from Chinese customers for a registration certificate from the General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China, with registration and payment of fees through websites.

However, Vietnamese authorities have confirmed that this information is incorrect, warning businesses to be careful of these fraudulent tricks.

The two websites www.gacc.app and www.aqsiq.net show signs of fraud when using the English abbreviations of agencies under the General Administration of Customs of the Peoples Republic of China in the website addresses, and at the same time requiring businesses to pay a fee of US$100 - 1,000 to register documents certifying export codes to this market.

There was no information on collecting fees from businesses for issuing codes or issuing certificates for this code in Chinese customs regulations or in Vietnamese regulations, said Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director SPS Viet Nam Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

This incident shows signs of fraud targeting small and medium-sized businesses that do not clearly understand import and export paperwork regulations and lack experience in preventing and dealing with international trade scams.

In recent times, online commercial fraud has become increasingly common and occurs even in large markets.

According to a survey by PwC Viet Nam up to 52 per cent of Vietnamese businesses said they had been scammed when participating in international trade in 2022.

This figure is higher than the Asia-Pacific average (46 per cent) and the global average (49 per cent).

Therefore, businesses need to be cautious about new information and contact import-export management authorities to avoid international trade fraud. VNS
HA NOI  The HCM City Real Estate Association (HoREA) recently sent a written petition to the Prime Minister proposing an extension of a pilot resolution on bad debt settlement until the end of 2024.

Under the petition, HoREA requests the Government to propose to the National Assembly (NA) an extension of Resolution No. 42/2017/NQ-QH14, which piloted a programme that handled bad debt of credit institutions, until December 31, 2024 to create conditions for credit institutions to effectively manage bad debts, including the collateral assets of real estate projects.

According to HoREA, the pilot resolution has created conditions for credit institutions to effectively manage bad debts since 2017, especially collateral assets of real estate projects, but it expired on December 31, 2023.

HoREA also said the amended Law on Real Estate Business will take effect from January 1, 2025, so a legal gap will arise in 2024 when the new law has not been applied while Resolution No. 42/2017/NQ-QH14 has expired.

"Therefore, HoREA requests that the Government coordinate with the NAs Standing Committee to propose the NA consider an extension of Resolution No. 42/2017/NQ-QH14 for another 12 months until December 31, 2024 to create conditions for credit institutions to effectively manage bad debts, including collateral assets of real estate projects," HoREA said in the petition.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam has exported birds nests to China by air for the first time, which once again reflects opportunities for the industry to develop sustainably, especially after a protocol on birds nest export to China was signed.

The first Vietnamese birds nest products shipped to China by air underwent customs clearance on January 5. The products of The Hai Yen, based in Nha Trang City of central Khanh Hoa Province, were delivered from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City to a company based in Shenzhen city of China.

This batch was the first to be exported to China via the official channel by air since Vietnamese firms were granted export codes for birds nest products in October 2023.

In November, the first Vietnamese birds nests entered this neighbouring market via the official channel by land.

Tran Thanh Hai, CEO of The Hai Yen, said the company chose air transport to deliver its birds nests to ensure the best quality as this means of transport is quick, minimising impact on product quality.

It had taken The Hai Yen a number of months to negotiate and work to meet standards for raw material, processing, packaging and transport. The firm was granted an export code by the General Administration of Customs China in October last year.

Hai noted that to export birds nests to China, the company received support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Animal Health and the Vietnamese Embassy in China.

Numerous challenges are still ahead for all licensed businesses to win Chinese consumers trust, she said, perceiving that the presence of Vietnamese birds nests in this populous market is a great chance for the industry to grow more strongly in the future.

Echoing the view, Le Thanh ai, chairman of the Vietnam Swiftlet Farming Association, said China is a highly potential market for Vietnamese birds nests, and the export via the official channel to this market will create big opportunities for the industrys sustainable development.  VNS
ONG NAI  The Peoples Committee of the southern province of ong Nai presented investment certificates to eight foreign-invested projects worth nearly US$500 million on January 8.

Of these projects, four were newly-registered valued at over $155 million, and the rest had their capital added.

SLP Park Loc An Binh Son in the Loc An-Binh Son Industrial Park, with a total registered capital of more than $120 million, is the biggest among the new projects.

The four FDI projects that have their capital adjusted include a coffee production project of Nestle Vietnam Ltd. Co - Tri An Factory, a production project of Kenda Rubber Company in the Giang ien Industrial Park, Hyosung Dong Nai Ltd. Co project in the Nhon Trach V Industrial Park and Advanced Multitech Vietnam Ltd. Co project in the Nhon Trach III Industrial Park, with total added amount of $217 million.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, deputy chairwoman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said that the issuance of investment certificates to investors in the first days of the year is a positive signal, bringing a good start to the local economy in 2024.

The province pledged to create favourable conditions for investments and stand ready to support investors as well as remove difficulties in the implementation of projects.

Hoang also told the investors to heed environmental protection during their business operations and complete the projects as scheduled.

ong Nai has so far attracted nearly 1,600 FDI projects worth more than $34 billion from 44 countries and territories around the world.  VNS
ONG NAI  Nestle Viet Nam on Monday announced an additional investment of US$100 million to increase the factory's capacity of high quality coffee lines at Nestle Tri An factory in the southern province of ong Nai, bringing the total investment capital at this factory to more than $500 million.

The additional investment in the Nestle Tri An factory would help increase capacity to meet the rising demand for coffee, helping the Vietnamese market maintain its centrality in high quality coffee production and supply for both domestic and world markets.

Currently, coffee products produced at Nestle Tri An factory have been exported to more than 29 countries and territories around the world. In addition, Nestle is also the largest coffee purchasing company with total annual purchasing from Viet Nam reaching up to $700 million.

Sharing about this investment, Binu Jacob, General Director of Nestle Vietnam, said: The project is a testament to Nestle's long-term investment commitment in Viet Nam. It is expected that when the project comes into operation, the factory's capacity will increase, meeting the domestic market's consumer demand and effectively exploiting the export potential, making Viet Nam a supply centre for high quality coffee to the world. At the same time, through this project, we also hope to create many job opportunities and continue to expand long-term investment activities in Viet Nam, contributing to the sustainable economic development and prosperity of the country."

Sustainable coffee production is one of Nestle's important directions in Viet Nam. In addition to investing in production technology, Nestle Tri An factory is always a pioneer in sustainable development through the use of clean energy, biomass energy, and application of circular economy in waste management and water resource conservation.

Accordingly, each year Nestle Tri An factory can reduce CO2 emissions from coffee processing by more than 14,000 tonnes. In addition, all coffee grounds after production are reused by the factory as biomass raw materials. Wastewater from the coffee production process is also treated, recycled and reused in the boiler, helping the factory save more than 112,000 cu.m of water each year.

In addition, with the desire to contribute to improving the quality of Vietnamese coffee beans, since 2011, Nestle has implemented the NESCAFE Plan programme in the Central Highlands region. The programme has also brought positive solutions to sustainably develop the Vietnamese coffee industry from distributing high-quality seedlings, farming according to regenerative agriculture, protecting water resources and biodiversity.

With a sustainable business strategy, Nestle Vietnam not only creates nutritional products, improves the quality of life of Vietnamese people, increases the value of the country's coffee beans, but also aims to protect and regenerate resources for future generations," Binu added.

Nestle Group has invested nearly $830 million through Nestle Vietnam Co Ltd with four factories and two distribution centres. In ong Nai Province alone, the company is operating three factories, of which Nestle Tri An is one of Nestle's largest manufacturing factories in Viet Nam. This is also one of the coffee processing factories with the most modern technology in the region. Currently, the factory is producing coffee products with familiar brands including NESCAFE, NESCAFE Dolce Gusto, NESPRESSO, Starbucks and Blue Bottle.

Operating in Viet Nam for nearly three decades, Nestle Vietnam Company was honoured to receive certificates of merit from the Prime Minister and many certificates of merit from ministries, including one of largest tax payers to the State budget, reputable exporter and typical enterprise for workers. In December, Nestle Vietnam was ranked first in Top Most Sustainable Enterprise in Viet Nam in the manufacturing sector by the Viet Nam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), voted and announced by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). This is the third consecutive year the company has been honoured with this title. - VNS
HA NOI  The LEGO Group is set to open a new factory in 2024, according to Preben Elnef, the Vice President of the LEGO Group and General Manager of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam.

Elnef made this announcement during a meeting with Vo Van Minh, Chairman of Binh Duong province's People's Committee, on January 9. The factory, with an investment of US$1.3 billion, is expected to reach an important phase in 2024 as it transitions from planning to production.

The LEGO Group has been working with partners to ensure a 110 kV grid connection and deploy solar power systems for production, aiming to achieve a net-zero emissions target. This commitment not only emphasizes efficient production but also makes a positive contribution to the environment.

Construction of the LEGO factory began in November 2022 at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park III, located in the southern province of Binh Duong. Once operational, the project is expected to create thousands of jobs, contributing to the sustainable industrial development of the province.

Chairman Minh expressed the local government's interest in the LEGO factory project and commended its progress. He assured his support in resolving any difficulties encountered by the LEGO Group, aiming to provide the most favorable environment for its operations in the region.

Minh also highlighted the positive impact of close cooperation between the government and businesses, which not only brings economic benefits but also contributes to an increasingly favorable investment environment in Binh Duong.  VNS
HA NOI  Five movies made by different Iranian filmmakers will be presented to Vietnamese audiences during a film week dedicated to the cinema industry of this Islamic country.

The Iran Film Week in Ha Noi held by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Viet Nam is a cultural activity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Iran and Viet Nam.

The organiser believes that the film week will open an excellent window to learn about Iran and better understand how good moral characteristics like kindness, modesty, tolerance and piety are passed from generation to generation in Iran.

On January 10, the film event will be opened with So Close, So Far  a drama movie by director Reza Mirkarimi.

An enthralling film that negotiates life, death and parental love, the movie focuses on prolific yet arrogant neurologist, Dr Alam, who tragically finds out that his seven-year-old son is suffering from an inoperable condition. The once estranged father travels to the countryside to locate his son, who is on a field trip. Beautifully shot, So Far, So Close captures the efforts of father and son to reunite in order to save each other.

Winning the Best Film at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran in 2015, the film was then selected to represent Iran for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars the same year.

On January 11, another drama movie, Crazy Rook by director Abolhassan Davoudi will be introduced to cinema-goers.

Bagging the title for Best Director and Best Film awards at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival, the film follows a group of friends who met through social media and got caught up in a criminal case and the process of solving brings a new understanding of life and society to each of the group members.

On the screen on January 12 will be the movie Where Are My Shoes? by director Kiumars Pourahmad.

The film charts Habib Kaveh (played by Reza Kianian), an elderly man and factory owner who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Years after Habib has been abandoned by his family, his life is turned upside down when his daughter decides to come back to Iran to reconnect with him. Reza Kianian delivers a powerful and endearing performance in this poignant and relatable story where family relationships are put to test. With this role, Kianian was a nominee for Best Actor award at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival in 2016.

The film agenda will continue with the animation film Loupetoo on January 13.

Directed by Abbas Askari, Loupetoo tells the story of Mr. Kamali, the owner of a sanatorium, who treats the patients by teaching them to make toys. The toys are creative, so they are very attractive to children. But the toy studio is shut down due to sabotage, which causes a critical mental condition in the patients. While Mr. Kamali efforts bear no results, an angel of hope appears to help him.

The Iran Film Week in Ha Noi will be concluded by another animation movie, Mobarak by director Mohammadreza Najafi

The film is about an old man who is a story teller and uses some dolls from Shahnameh [an epic poem written by Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE, and the national epic of Greater Iran]'s characters for his job. However, when a toy store owner decides to steal the dolls, they become alive and begin a funny adventure.

All the movies will be screened at the National Cinema Centre (NCC), 87 Lang Ha Street. Free tickets can be obtained at the NCC or at the Iranian Embassy, 54 Tran Phu Street, Ba inh District, Ha Noi.  VNS
A U.S.-headquartered political risk consultancy named North Korea, Russia and Iran an "axis of rogues" in a report on its forecast of this year's "top risks" on Monday, warning their deeper alignment and mutual support will pose a growing threat to global stability.

Eurasia Group released the "Top Risks 2024" report that listed as the "biggest challenge" for the year "the United States versus itself" in the November presidential election that it said will be "by far the most consequential for the world's security, stability, and economic outlook."

Included in its 10 top risks are those concerning the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group, Russia's war in Ukraine, ungoverned artificial intelligence (AI) and the fight for critical minerals.

Calling the North, Russia and Iran the "world's most powerful rogue states," the report noted that they have been strengthening cooperation since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 based on their shared hatred of the U.S.

It also highlighted the North's strategic value recently recognized by Russia.

"Once seen by Russia as a nuisance at best and a liability at worst, North Korea has become an essential resource for Vladimir Putin's war effort in Ukraine thanks to its pariah status, militarized economy, and large stocks of Soviet-standard artillery ammunition," the report said.

It took note of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September last year, where they apparently reached a deal for bilateral cooperation.

"(They struck) a deal that sends North Korean artillery shells, rockets, and ballistic missiles to Russia in exchange for Russian food, energy, and  most importantly  technological assistance, especially on satellite development and deployment," the report said.

Cooperation among the three nations will present a global challenge, the report said.

"In 2024, deeper alignment and mutual support among these rogue states will pose a growing threat to global stability as they boost one another's capabilities and act in increasingly coordinated and disruptive ways on the global stage," it said.

On the U.S. presidential election, the report predicted that it will "test American democracy to a degree the nation hasn't experienced in 150 years."

"The losing side  whether Democrats or Republicans  will consider the outcome illegitimate and be unprepared to accept it," the report said.

"The world's most powerful country faces critical challenges to its core political institutions: free and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power, and the checks and balances provided by the separation of powers. The political state of the union ... is troubled indeed," it added.

With Trump known for his America-first foreign policy, the report noted that the prospect of a Trump victory will weaken America's position on the global stage as Republican lawmakers take up his policy positions and U.S. allies and adversaries hedge against his likely policies. It added that U.S. support for Ukraine will face "stronger headwinds" on Capital Hill.

On Ukraine, the report said that the war-torn country "will be de facto partitioned this year, an unacceptable outcome for Ukraine and the West that will nevertheless become reality."

It also forecast that breakthroughs in AI will move much faster than governance efforts. (Yonhap)
HCM CITY  An art book for children by Vietnamese artists to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival in the Year of the Dragon has been released by Kim ong Publishing House.

The book, Nham Nhi Tet Giap Thin (Welcome the Year of the Dragon 2024), features a collection of 23 short stories, poems, songs, and paintings about the spring and Tet festival by veteran and young writers and painters.

It is divided into four parts: Van (Essays), Tho (Poems), Nhac (Songs) and Hoa (Paintings).

The stories and poems by Nguyen Chi Ngoan, Nguyen Huong and ang Han feature Tet with ao (peach blossom) flowers and banh chung (square glutinous rice cakes). The holiday in the South with mai (ochna) flowers and banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cakes) are also included.

These works promise to bring a lot of laughs for little readers during the holiday.

In particular, the publication features colour paintings of dragons by young artists such as Cam Anh, Quyen Thai and Alex Nguyen, who introduce a taste of modern Vietnamese fine arts.

According to Kim ong Publishing House, they present their special publication for Tet to help young readers learn about Vietnamese Tet. It is not only for children but also for all people who love the countrys traditional holiday, said a representative of the publisher.

The book Nham Nhi Tet Giap Thin is available nationwide at bookstores and on e-commerce websites.  VNS
Duy An

Ben Tre Province is well known not only for its coconut, but also green-skinned pomelo, which has its own unique characteristics.

My family was very happy to receive a big box containing 24 pomelos from my friend in the southern province of Ben Tre.

All my family members enjoy the fruits so much as they are juicy, sweet and fragrant. My mother told me to keep half of the fruits for Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, as this fresh fruit is a good complement to some of the heavier traditional Tet dishes.

Together with other fruit specialties such as rambutan, coconut, durian and mangosteen, pomelo is considered to have potential for development and high competitiveness inside and outside the country.

The green-skinned pomelos birthplace is Tan Thanh Village of Ben Tres Mo Cay District.

The specific characteristics of this fruit were first highlighted at a competition on tasty fruits held in the 1960s, said Ben Tre local Huynh Nam My, adding that the fruits are now grown in the provinces Chau Thanh, Giong Trom and Cho Lach districts, and Ben Tre City.

True Ben Tre green-skinned pomelos average between 1.2-2.5 kilo per fruit. When ripe, the skin is still green, thin and easy to peel, said My, noting that its juice vesicles are red or pink and easy to pull apart.

It is completely sweet without sourness, and very fragrant and tasty, My said.

He said locals consider it a precious fruit to present to relatives, friends or invited guests, along with the local specialty candied coconut.

The fruit, which contains many vitamins, is used to make pomelo porridge, pomelo oil and hair care products, My said.

Ben Tre green-skinned pomelo has been granted geographical indication by the Intellectual Properties Department.

The fruit has been sold at major markets in Ha Noi, HCM City and other localities from the countrys three regions.

In the past, it sold well in urban areas, but now many people in rural areas also enjoy it and it now brings stable monthly income to growers, many households even become rich, he said.

Furthermore, the fruit has been exported to the EU, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, China and Korea.

Ben Tre exported the first shipment to the US last year.

The exportation to the US proved that our efforts have paid off and that our products have been recognised by one of the most demanding consumer markets," said Bui Quang uc, deputy director of Ben Tre Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He added that its a great opportunity for Ben Tre to promote the image of its specialties, including green-skinned pomelos, to world markets.  VNS
SEOUL  The year 2023 is an important year for the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Viet Nam as it is the first year the two countries officially carried out the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the East Asian nation pins hopes on the latter to support the country in realising its cooperation goals with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2024, a Korean expert has said.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency's reporter in Seoul, Prof. Choe Won-gi, head of the Centre for ASEAN - India Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), said that with many important agreements reached during RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Viet Nam in June last year, Viet Nam and the RoK have opened a new chapter in their bilateral cooperation since their diplomatic ties were set up 30 years ago.

Noting that leaders of the two countries have agreed to prioritise bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics and security, the professor opined the cooperation should include maritime security and law enforcement. In the field of economic trade and investment, the two countries need to raise cooperation to a higher level, covering infrastructure, telecommunications, emerging technology and energy.

In the coming time, it is necessary for the RoK and Viet Nam to concentrate on more complex industrial sectors and emerging areas of economic cooperation in alignment with the framework of RoK's Indo-Pacific Strategy, he said.

The RoK President has launched a regional strategy called the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) which provides fertile ground for the two countries to strengthen cooperation, not only at the bilateral level but also at the regional and global levels, he continued.

Regarding RoK-ASEAN cooperation in 2023 and orientation for 2024, the professor said that RoK's participation was very positively received by ASEAN member countries, especially at RoK-ASEAN summit last year in Jakarta.

The year 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the partnership between the RoK and ASEAN. On this occasion, the RoK wishes to upgrade relations with ASEAN to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Both sides are in the process of seeking tangible support for the new relationship, such as a plan of actions, he said.

According to the scholar, the RoK has high expectations for Viet Nams role as a bridge and its ability to help the country obtain its cooperation goals with ASEAN.

He assessed that the bilateral partnership between RoK and Viet Nam is the most important in RoK's overall cooperation with ASEAN member countries, explaining that although Viet Nam joined ASEAN late, its role and influence in ASEAN has been increasingly strengthened, and the country is an active participant, contributing to shaping the common future of ASEAN. According to him, there are many things that Viet Nam can do in the intermediary and coordinating role between the RoK and ASEAN.

Commenting on RoK-ASEAN cooperation and the role of Viet Nam, Assistant Professor Beak Yong-hun from the School of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies under the Republic of Korea (RoK)s Dankook University said that the RoK wants to promote practical and future-oriented cooperation with ASEAN and the Mekong region. The administration of President Yoon advocates expanding practical collaboration in future-oriented fields such as digital transformation, climate change response, medical services and health care, and at the same time, broaden strategic cooperation in areas of common interest between the Korea and ASEAN, such as maritime security and defence industry.  VNS
HA NOI  The United Kingdom Ambassador to Viet Nam Iain Frew has commended progress in cooperation between the two countries in a range of areas in his interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of New Year 2024.

As the year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Viet Nam-UK diplomatic ties, how do you assess cooperation achievements so far and what are the prospects for bilateral relations in 2024 and beyond?

We have been celebrating this very important anniversary of 50 years of diplomatic relationship between the UK and Viet Nam. And as we do that, we've looked back at some of the really important achievements in the relationship over these 50 years.

A key one was the agreement of our strategic partnership 13 years ago, which we renewed three years ago and that strategic partnership covers a broad range of areas of cooperation. Within that, we have been celebrating throughout the year the ties in trade, education and sustainability in particular.

Now, this year, we've seen a range of high-level political visits. We've had a visit from our Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We've had visits from the Secretary of State for Scotland, and a range of other ministers on trade and foreign affairs, and defence. And we've also seen this year the very important visit of President Vo Van Thuong to the UK for the coronation of King Charles III and I think that shows the level of trust and the importance of the political relationship.

Now, we've also been working on some really concrete areas of cooperation. I'm proud to say that our trade ties have increased significantly. We have seen trade going up last year by 29 per cent to GBP6.9 billion (US$8.72 billion). And that comes alongside UK and Viet Nam having agreed to a free trade agreement two years ago and this year, with Viet Nam's support, the UK joining the CPTPP trade agreement.

Alongside that, we've seen some real progress in our education cooperation. There are now about 11,000 Vietnamese students studying in the UK. I'm really pleased to see the ties growing between schools and universities in technical and vocational education. We all know that education is something that every Vietnamese family cares about, and that the UK has a lot to offer in terms of partnership.

I'm increasingly valuing the relationship and the developing importance of how we work together on security together. And we've seen this year the visit of the Royal Navy ship to HCM City. We've seen increasing cooperation in areas like maritime security, and looking ahead to how we work together on defence modernisation.

The UK concluded negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on March 31, and signed the Protocol of Accession on July 16. What will the agreement affect the bilateral trade ties, along with the UK- Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA)?

We are delighted that Viet Nam was the host for the final round of the negotiations for the UK to join the CPTPP agreement in full court. With that agreement for the UK to join, I think that adds another layer to what is already a very productive and very strong trade relationship.

The UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement provides a very strong basis. Over the past two years, we've seen trade increasing on the basis of that. What CPTPP adds is another layer in specific areas where we will see tariffs liberalised. For example, we're going to see an increased rice quota for Vietnamese exporters to the UK. We're also going to see further opportunities and other agricultural products. And some very specific areas like chocolate is one of the areas that will be liberalised, which I'm very pleased about. At the same time, I think we're going to see our trade expanding into other areas and CPTPP will underpin that.

Finally, I think that CPTPP is an agreement for the future. So it's partly about what we're getting now. It's also about how we together develop this trade bloc. With the UK joining, it's no longer just a Pacific agreement. It's a global agreement. That means it's going to be setting standards for the future. And the UK and Viet Nam are going to be helping to shape the rules of world trade for the next generation.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 1, 2023 announced a Resource Mobilisation Plan to implement the political declaration on establishing a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) between Viet Nam and the International Partnership Group (IPG). How do you evaluate Viet Nams efforts in energy transition and the Viet Nam-UK cooperation in this field?

The commitment that Viet Nam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made at COP 26 in Glasgow to net zero by 2050 is an ambitious and very important demonstration of Viet Nams leadership on climate. And we've seen that over the past two years, deepen and continue.

The commitment to net zero has been followed up by the establishment of a steering committee at the national level. Last year, Viet Nam updated its nationally determined contribution, which is the commitment that every country makes to reduce emissions over time. It also issued its national climate change strategy. So Viet Nam has made some important steps forward. And this year, we've seen progress on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). This is the agreement between the G7 countries and Viet Nam to support and underpin Viet Nams green energy transition with investments in $15.5 billion of financing with technology and technical assistance.

At the same time, Viet Nam is making regulatory changes and creating the right framework so that the energy grid can shift from carbon intensive areas of energy generation like coal to renewables like offshore wind and solar and that transition has already begun. But the JETP is going to really help to speed that up.

I'm delighted that at our COP28, we have seen Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh launch this resource mobilisation plan, which is the next step in the JETP. That is going to help to unlock that investment. And we need to work together further. The UK is one of the colleagues on the JETP here in Viet Nam together with the EU. We're going to work for the long term, committed together to this difficult but very important task of energy transition.  VNS
HA NOI  The National Assembly Standing Committee opened its 29th plenary session on Monday afternoon in Ha Noi to give opinions on several important topics.

In his opening speech at the session, National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue said the 29th session was the first regular session of the National Assembly Standing Committee this year.

The session would focus on giving opinions on several important issues to prepare for the fifth extraordinary session of the National Assembly, which was scheduled to open on January 15.

Hue said during the 1.5-day session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the committee would consider and give opinions on the explanation, reception and revision of the draft of the amended Land Law; the draft of the amended Law on Credit Institutions; the draft Resolution on several specific mechanisms and policies to remove difficulties and obstacles and speed up the implementation of National Target Programmes; and the interpretation of provisions in Clause 1, Article 6 of the Law on Public Investment.

The committee would also consider the capital supplement of the medium-term Public Investment Plan with central budget capital for the period 2021-25 from the general reserve source, and the capital supplement of the medium-term Public Investment Plan for the Viet Nam Electricity (EVN) from the reserve source of the medium-term public investment plan.

Hue also said that the amended Land Law was believed to be a very important law, having profound impacts on all aspects of society, all classes of people, and the business community in the immediate and long term.

The drafting and verifying agencies had prepared very carefully and received comments from experts and scientists many times, as well as collecting 12 million people's opinions.

The National Assembly also considered and gave opinions on the draft amended law at its three sessions. The National Assembly Standing Committee also gave opinions on it many times, he said.

The draft amended law had been completed and concreted Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee, closely followed the Constitution, the Party's guidelines, and current regulations so far, he added.

Hue said the draft amended law should have been passed at the National Assemblys sixth plenary session (in November 2023). However, the National Assembly Standing Committee agreed with the Government to submit the draft amended law to the National Assembly at the next session of the National Assembly so that some major contents, which received different comments, would be considered more meticulously.

The major contents included land recovery to implement commercial housing projects, projects that combined housing and commercial services; land valuation methods, authority and responsibility to decide on land valuation; and projects to create land funds.

Then, he told members of the National Assembly Standing Committee to make more comments on the draft amended law to submit to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at its extraordinary session.

Regarding the draft amended Law on Credit Institutions, he said that the law had a profound impact on many issues, including monetary and financial policies, macroeconomics, safety and security of the national financial and monetary system.

He said the National Assembly gave opinions on the draft amended law at two sessions. The National Assembly Standing Committee and National Assembly leaders also gave their specific instructions on the draft amended law many times.

He ordered the National Assembly Standing Committee to suggest further improvements to some contents of the draft amended law so that the draft amended law would have the best quality, be consistent with the legal system, meet practical requirements, and restructure the system of credit institutions and banks in the future.

He urged the review of regulations on financial group management, cross-ownership resolution, transitional regulations, bad debt handling and collateral in the draft law.  VNS
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong handed over appointment decisions to 26 ambassadors and heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad for 2024-27, and assigned tasks to them.

Addressing the hand-over ceremony, Thuong asked the diplomats to follow instructions of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the 32nd National Diplomatic Conference last December to fulfill their tasks.

He also asked them to carry forward significant achievements the diplomatic sector made in 2023, reminding them of both opportunities and challenges ahead.

Stressing the importance of the 2024-27 tenure to implementing resolutions adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, Thuong said the ambassadors and representative agency chiefs need to keep a close watch on the situation at home and in host countries to provide consultations for the Party and the State in building foreign policies and enhancing external relations.

Foreign relations should serve economic development, he said, highlighting cultural diplomacy should be prioritised as it plays a crucial role in promoting the image of Vietnamese land and people.

The leader also requested the diplomats to promote multilateral diplomacy, actively and responsibly participate in regional and international mechanisms and forums, and well perform their important task of citizen support.  VNS
HA NOI  Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly (NA) Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov on Monday called on students of the Viet Nam National University, Ha Noi (VNU) and young people in general as future politicians, managers, and scientists to grasp the worlds opportunities to continue developing relations between the two countries.

He made the call while visiting and delivering a policy speech at the VNU, part of his official visit to Viet Nam.

In his remarks, Jeliazkov noted that Bulgaria provided educational assistance for thousands of Vietnamese students during post-war years of reconstruction. More than 35,000 Vietnamese citizens have studied and worked in his country, he said, describing them as a bridge helping the two countries become closer.

Bulgaria was one of the first countries in the world to recognise Viet Nam's independence. In 2025, the two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, he noted, saying Bulgaria and Viet Nam are important factors for ensuring stability in each region, maintaining constructive ties with neighbouring countries, and actively participating in different forms of regional cooperation.

In todays world, Bulgaria and Viet Nam are becoming closer to each other. The two are located in different continents but connected with each other in historical, physical, and digital terms. Both are jointly engaging in the climate change fight, ensuring supply chain sustainability, surmounting mixed threats, and developing technology and artificial intelligence.

They are promoting positive political dialogue at the highest level and expressing the shared wish to elevate bilateral ties, according to the visiting leader.

In recent years, Viet Nam has sustained high and impressive economic growth in a region with highly dynamic development in Southeast Asia. Bulgaria has continued to strongly support the EUs relations with such priority partners as Viet Nam on the basis of their traditional friendship, practicality and trust, and Bulgaria's benefits from the EU membership, the ASEAN membership of Viet Nam, and Viet Nam's growing role in Southeast Asia, Jeliazkov went on.

He held that with the signing of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), new opportunities are being opened up for bilateral relations. These two deals set the EU and Vietnams ambitious trade targets based on common commitments to trade liberalisation and open, equal, and rules-based integration.

For many years, the two countries have struggled for many important national targets. Their young people nowadays have a big mission of building a better world, he remarked.

He expressed his belief that education, knowledge, and innovation will be the topics of future meetings between young Bulgarians and Vietnamese, forming the start of new friendships that help to tighten bilateral ties.

VNU Director Prof. Dr. Le Quan said the VNU is one of the leading universities in Viet Nam. Comprised of many colleges, research institutes, and service supplying centres, it serves as a core institution in Viet Nam's educational system. The university has obtained a number of achievements in different areas and secured high positions in international university rankings.

The VNU and its member schools have established cooperative ties with more than 300 universities, research institutes, and educational organisations in the world, including those of Bulgaria, he continued, noting that many generations of VNU students have been learning in the European country.

Also on Monday, Speaker Jeliazkov visited the Viet Nam-Bulgaria high-quality kindergarten in Hai Ba Trung District of Ha Noi. The school was established in 1981 as a gift from the Bulgarian womens union to Vietnamese children.  VNS
HA NOI  The Viet Nam-Bangladesh friendship, which went through many ups and downs of the history, will continue to be strengthened, bringing many practical benefits to both countries' people, said Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.

PM Hasina made the statement during a meeting on Tuesday with Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong, who came to congratulate her over the success of the 12th General Election, and the victory of the Awami League (AL) party led by PM Sheikh Hasina.

Ambassador Cuong expressed his belief that under the leadership of PM Hasina, the Government of Bangladesh will continue to obtain many great achievements in socio-economic development, ensuring a prosperous and happy life for the people.

The diplomat highlighted that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries have been developed fruitfully, especially in economics and trade.

He hoped that PM Hasina will support and create favourable conditions for opening a direct air route between the two countries, thus creating new motivations for the bilateral cooperative relations, and contributing to expanding trade and tourism connection and people-to-people exchange in the coming time.  VNS
The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is working with relevant ministries and agencies preparing documents for continued negotiations of a third version of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) in early 2024 with a location being discussed. The most recent negotiation rounds took place last year in Thailand, China, and Indonesia.

An expert from the MoITs Department of Science and Technology said it is studying new provisions on AI, IT, and the Internet of Things that will be embraced in the new version.

It would take time as these are quite complicated amid rapid changes in the global high technology landscape, the expert said. The new provisions proposed by Vietnam will be discussed by other ASEAN nations and China. The MoIT will also seek feedback on the ACFTA 3.0 upgrade negotiations.

The ACFTA is the cornerstone of ASEAN-China relations. It is significant as it is ASEANs first free trade agreement (FTA) with an external dialogue partner, and Chinas first FTA.

The ACFTA eliminates tariffs for 95 per cent of tariff lines of exports to China that originate from Vietnam. It creates market access and ensures a more predictable operating environment for services suppliers. The agreement also provides investors and investments with protection by establishing a more transparent, facilitative, and secure environment for investors.

The previous ACFTA upgrade negotiations were concluded in 2015, before taking effect in 2018. The 3.0 negotiations were launched in November 2022 and are targeted for conclusion by end-2024.

Under the latest upgrade negotiations, ASEAN member states and China will also address trends such as supply chain connectivity, digitalisation, and sustainability. Rules of origin, product-specific rules, and services are not within the scope of upgrade as these sectors were reviewed during the previous negotiations.

Vietnams advocacy

Under a joint statement released in December 2023, Vietnam and China support ASEAN maintaining its central role in the Asia-Pacific constantly changing structure, while China supports ASEAN building the ASEAN Community with solidarity, unity, self-reliance, and development. Both sides have agreed to boost the construction of the new ACFTA which will help further sharpen the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China.

Vietnam and China also agreed to apply practical measures to expand the scale of bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable direction, while promoting the role of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the AFCTA; and expanding the export of strong products from one country to another, the statement noted.

At the 20th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in September 2023 in Guangxi province, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted that the past 20 years witnessed great strides in China-ASEAN relations, with bilateral trade increasing from $78.2 billion in 2003 to $975.6 billion in 2022, making China and ASEAN largest trading partners and leading investment partners of each other.

PM Chinh proposed strongly promoting bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, striving to turn ASEAN into Chinas first trading partner with trade value exceeding $1 trillion.

He also suggested coordinating to build linkage chains from raw material areas to production centres and product consumption systems, and continuing to open the market, combating protectionism, cooperating to improve adaptation ability to new standards, new tastes, and green products, while promoting sci-tech cooperation and innovation.

He also emphasised the need to promote strategic connection to develop both hard and soft infrastructure, and strengthen traffic infrastructure connections and multi-modal transport, especially railways and roads.

Vietnam wants to continue working with China and other ASEAN nations about quickly completing the upgrade of the ACFTA 3.0 upgrade negotiations, PM Chinh stated.

Leveraging trade deals

Vietnam is hoping that its trade and investment ties with China will be promoted via not only the ACFTA, but also the RCEP and the upcoming membership of China in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Vietnam supports China in joining the CPTPP in line with the deals standards and processes. Both sides stand ready to jointly implement the RCEP in an effective manner, and boost regional economic links, said the Vietnam-China joint statement.

China submitted a formal application to join the CPTPP in 2021 in a bid to reform and open up the economy. The deal could increase Chinas GDP by up to 2.27 percentage points and its exports by around 5-10 percentage points, according to a model developed by Li Chund-ing, a professor at the school of economics and management at China Agricultural University.

Chinas GDP will grow by 0.25 percentage points and exports by 0.09 percentage points if China does not join the CPTPP, Chund-ing said.

Meanwhile, China and ASEAN are also members of the RCEP. China is ASEANs largest trading partner, enjoying an on-year trade increase of 15 per cent with ASEAN in 2022, the first year the RCEP became valid.

China is also the third-largest source of foreign direct investment inflows into ASEAN countries, after the US and the EU, with the total hitting $18.65 billion in 2022. This sum accounted for 11.4 per cent of Chinas total overseas direct investment that year, and 15 per cent into Asia, according to a 2022 statistical bulletin on the subject.

According to experts, the greatest benefit from the RCEP is preferential tax rates, with zero tariff being applied on more than 90 per cent of goods traded by its members.

Two-way trade between China and Vietnam has witnessed high growth thanks to the implementation of the RCEP and the ACFTA, said the MoIT. In 2023, total two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China hit $173.3 billion, down from $175.6 billion in 2022 - with Vietnams exports valued at $61.7 billion, up 6.4 per cent on-year, and Vietnams imports were worth $111.6 billion, down 6.9 per cent on-year.

Under the MoITs calculations, China was responsible for 25.3 per cent of Vietnams total trade in 2023, with 17.3 per cent of export turnover and 34 per cent of import value.

At present, the top exports of China to Vietnam are integrated circuits, telephones, sound recordings, electric batteries, and other knitted or crocheted fabrics.

Meanwhile, top imports of China from Vietnam include agricultural products such as durian, dragon fruit, longan, and banana; sound recordings; integrated circuits; broadcasting accessories; office machine parts; and non-retail pure cotton yarn.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, cumulatively as of December 20, Vietnam had over 4,160 Chinese valid ventures registered at more than $27 billion  making China the sixth-largest foreign investor.

In the January-December 20 period, China ranked fourth in Vietnams list of foreign investors with total newly registered and newly-added capital and capital contributions and stake acquisitions of $4.47 billion  accounting for 12.2 per cent of the total.

In mid-December, Vietnam and China agreed to boost cross-border standard railway connectivity, and study an ability for the construction of the standard Lao Cai, Hanoi, Haiphong railway system, and also study the same system for the Dong Dang-Hanoi, and Mong Cai, Halong, Haiphong railways at a suitable time.

Vietnam and China have also encouraged both countries enterprises to strengthen cooperation in road infrastructure, bridges, railways, clean electricity, telecommunication, and logistics. They have also vowed to continue their close combination in facilitating travelling by road, air, and train into their respective territories.

Under the joint statement, the Chinese side will actively promote the market opening process for Vietnamese agricultural products such as fresh coconuts, frozen fruit products, sectioned fruits, avocados, custard apples, rose-apples, and medicinal herbs with botanical origin, buffalo meat, beef, pork, products from cattle and poultry meat.

The Chinese government encourages Chinese companies and groups, especially big ones with high technology, to expand investment to Vietnam in line with the Southeast Asian nations demand and sustainable development strategy.

Vietnam will actively promote the import of Chinese sturgeon, and increase exchanges between professional organisations of the two sides, and promote the healthy development of related industries of the two countries.

Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong began an official visit to China on Oct. 30 at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President of China Xi Jinping. In recent years, Vietnam-China ties have maintained a stable and positive trend. Their leaders have reached important common perceptions, helping lift bilateral ties to a new height.
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that Hanoi's capital is the centre of politics, economics, culture, and education with an important role and position in national development, being the country's growth pole.

Currently, Hanoi's regional GDP accounts for about 14 per cent of the country's GDP, and the linkage between Hanoi and localities is increasingly strong.

However, in recent years, Hanoi's economic position has tended to decrease compared to other cities and provinces in the Red River Delta region.

In 2011, Hanoi's GRDP accounted for 48 per cent of the regional GRDP, and it decreased to 42.2 per cent in 2022. The GRDP growth rate is going down as compared to other localities in the Red River Delta, specifically, the growth of Hanoi is 6.27 per cent in 2023, ranking 9th of 11 provinces and cities in the region.

In Hanoi, agricultural development is unremarkable, fragmented, and not aligned with trends, or high and clean technologies. The industrial development space has not yet developed its potential.

Hanoi has nine industrial parks (IPs) with an area of 1,674 hectares, while Bac Ninh has 16 IPs with an area of about 6,400 hectares despite its province area being smaller.

"The preparation and implementation of planning for 2021 - 2030 must be one of the most important political tasks and a valuable opportunity to create new development space and new development motivation in the country's development," Minister Dung emphasised.

Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of Hanoi's People's Committee

The draft Hanoi capital planning proposed new and strong breakthroughs in development, including five general development perspectives and three perspectives on spatial organisation.

Of these, the development perspective clearly emphasised the factors creating a pervasive force to promote the development of the Red River Delta, the northern key economic region, the capital region, and the whole country.

The spatial organisation of the capital focuses on developing industries and fields concentrated along several corridors and economic belts in association with a number of development axes, and types of space, including construction space, underground space, digital space, cultural space, and public space.

The capital plan sets out 20 specific goals Of these, Hanoi identified some targets that are higher than the national average such as the proportion of digital economy accounting for 40 per cent of GRDP; average GRDP person reaching about $13,500 - 14,000; trees in public areas of about 10 - 12 sq.m/person; and an urbanisation rate at 65 - 70 per cent.

The plan also identifies several development breakthroughs, including in institutions and governance; investing and building synchronous, modern, and connected infrastructure; developing high-quality human resources; and in urban areas, environment, and landscape.

In Hanoi, planning for industries, fields, and areas is based on developing along four corridors and one economic belt so that the capital truly becomes a convergence hub, connection centre, and driving force spreading intra-regionally and inter-regionally, playing an important role in connecting with cities and provinces.

Hanoi will be the driving force for regional development, the growth pole of the country, and the gateway of the ASEAN region connecting with China.

Hanoi to organise trade promotion fair for OCOP items in Haiphong On December 21 to 24, the Hanoi Centre for Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion to host the trade promotion fair for OCOP items at AEON MALL Commercial Centre, Le Chan district, Haiphong.

Flower show being held in Hanoi over New Year To celebrate Christmas and welcome 2024, Thien Dieu Company, a member of the Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform, is organising a flower show in Hanoi from December 21 to January 1.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned on Monday as President Emmanuel Macron prepared to unveil a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle in a bid to give new momentum to the final three years of his presidency.

After days of intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, was emerging as the favorite to succeed Borne.

If appointed, Attal would be France's youngest ever and first openly gay prime minister.

"Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it," the presidency said in a statement.

It emphasized that she and other ministers would continue to handle daily business until a new government is named.

But Borne's resignation letter to Macron, a copy of which was seen by AFP, hinted that she would have preferred to stay in her job.

"While I must present the resignation of my government, I wanted to tell you how passionate I was about this mission," she wrote.

While some expected a new prime minister to be swiftly named during the evening, a source close to Macron said the announcement would come only on Tuesday morning.

It was not immediately clear if this was due to a deliberately slow choreography by the presidency or last-minute objections from heavyweight government figures over the possible naming of Attal.

'Exemplary service'

Commentators see the reshuffle as essential to relaunch Macron's centrist presidency for its last three years and prevent him becoming a "lame duck" leader after a series of crises.

Since he defeated the far right to win a second term in 2022, Macron has faced protests over unpopular pension reforms, the loss of his overall majority in parliamentary elections and controversy over immigration legislation.

Borne, 62, the second woman to lead the French government, has weathered these problems but never dispelled doubts about her future.

Writing on X, Macron thanked her for "work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day".

Other than Attal, possible candidates to succeed Borne include 37-year-old Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and 43-year-old Julien Denormandie, a former agriculture minister.

But a source close to the government said that Attal was now the favorite to succeed Borne.

Under the French system, the president sets general policies and the prime minister is responsible for day-to-day government management, meaning the latter often pays the price when an administration runs into turbulence.

'All options'

While Macron cannot run again in 2027 presidential elections, relaunching his government is seen as crucial to help prevent far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen becoming president.

European Parliament elections in June will also pose a major test, with Macron's Renaissance party risking embarrassment at the hands of Le Pen's National Rally (RN).

Despite his age, Attal is a more political figure than the technocratic Borne, and polls have shown him to be one of the most popular government ministers.

If named, he would go toe-to-toe ahead of the European elections with another rising star of French politics, the even younger Jordan Bardella, just 28, who is now party leader of the far-right RN.

Other key posts are also subject to uncertainty in particular that of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, 41, a right-winger who spearheaded the immigration reform but burned his fingers when it was initially rejected by parliament.

The future of Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and long-serving Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire was also uncertain.

Macron likes "keeping all options open until the last moment", a source close to the Elysee said.

The new premier will be the fourth prime minister since 2017 under Macron, who is accused by critics of micro-managing and centralizing power in the Elysee.

"I have a scoop for you. I know the name of the (new) prime minister," left-wing politician Raphael Glucksmann joked on France 2 television.

"It's Emmanuel Macron! And the foreign minister will also be Emmanuel Macron, as will the defense minister and the culture minister." (AFP)
The e-commerce firm has reportedly terminated all its chief marketing officers in different countries and laid off a significant portion of its staff in Malaysia, including the CEO and chief logistics officer.

Additionally, Lazada has closed LazMall in Vietnam, a platform for international brands launched in 2018.

The retrenchment, first reported by The Edge Singapore on January 3, includes a wide range of positions, from associates to senior vice presidents.

As a response, Luca Suino of Momentum Commerce has encouraged affected employees to share their CVs on LinkedIn. Arun Kumar and Gerald Young, former Lazada employees, have also initiated a WhatsApp group to support those impacted.

Tech In Asia reports that Lazada plans to cut about 30 per cent of its workforce region-wide. This comes after a period of expansion where the company employed up to 10,000 staff across six countries.

The lay-offs have raised concerns among unions, particularly in Singapore where Lazada staff are represented by the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU). The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has expressed disappointment over Lazada's failure to consult the union before initiating the lay-offs.

The Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has been involved following FDAWU's escalation of the issue, with NTUC urging companies to consider retrenchments as a last resort and to avoid executing them during festive periods.

Lazada's regional communications team and MoM have yet to comment publicly.
SBOEVN is one of the 33 outstanding businesses that won the award this year in Vietnam, and is the only oilfield equipment company to achieve this prestigious title.

This year, more than 230 small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam participated in this award. The evaluation process included both quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as interviews with business leaders, focusing on growth metrics such as revenue, profit, and market share; recovery capabilities; and overcoming sustainability challenges.

The recognition is a testament to SBOEVN's positive contributions, rapid growth, and excellence in its business strategy over the previous 12 months.

Not just a business partner, SBOEVN is also a companion, sharing and shaping the future of the oil industry in Vietnam.

SBOEVN has built a strong reputation in Vietnam and is a trusted partner in the oil industry. By leveraging its vast experience and advanced technology, the company has quickly achieved significant milestones in a short period of time.

With a commitment to continuous innovation and providing cutting-edge products with an emphasis on quality, SBOEVN has become a preferred supplier for the leading businesses in the industry.

Not just a business partner, SBOEVN is also a companion, sharing and shaping the future of the oil industry in Vietnam. The company is set to continue its journey of constant innovation and providing the most effective oil solutions, aiming to establish an esteemed reputation in the international oil industry.

SBOEVN is proud of its vision for the future, consistently making innovation the pillar of all its activities. From development to production, it continually seeks the most advanced solutions to meet the increasingly high demands of the industry.

In the future, the company hopes to leverage its comprehensive development efforts and continue its ascent to new heights, and the SME100 Award is a prestigious platform for evaluating and honouring the credibility of businesses that have achieved rapid and outstanding growth in the region, acknowledging their significant contributions to the domestic economy and beyond.

SBOEVN is an entity of Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG, one of the world's leading manufacturers of oilfield equipment.

PropTech Vietnam Summit 2023: Real estate and the future of investing PropTech Vietnam Network is thrilled to announce the second Annual Vietnam PropTech Summit 2023 will take place at The Experience Centre, Empire City, Thu Thiem New Urban Area, Ho Chi Minh City on December 14.

Honouring sustainable businesses in Vietnam in 2023 About 100 businesses with important contributions to sustainable development goals were honoured at the 2023 Announcement Ceremony of Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam on December 13.
Investigators find blown out door plug from Alaska Airlines plane

Photo: STEPHEN BRASHEAR / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The disclosures come as US federal transportation inspectors probe what caused a so-called door plug component to blow out last Friday on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane, forcing it to make an emergency landing.

United said on Monday it had "found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug -- for example, bolts that needed additional tightening."

Hours later, Alaska Airlines said its staff had found that "loose hardware was visible on some aircraft."

Boeing shares tumbled on Monday as investors began to assess the financial implications of the incident, while US aviation authorities provided airlines with protocols to check planes with similar configurations to the 737 MAX 9 aircraft involved in Friday's incident.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) inspectors said late Monday that they did not find bolts for the component that came off on Friday's Alaska Airlines flight, but hadn't determined whether they existed or had flown off with the panel.

Through further equipment testing, "we will be able to determine whether the bolts were there," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters.

Homendy didn't comment directly on the latest disclosures from United and Alaska about loose components, saying the probe was focused on Friday's incident. But the board could issue an urgent safety recommendation if need be, she said.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled due to the grounding of a fraction of the MAX fleet.

"As operators conduct the required inspections, we are staying in close contact with them and will help address any and all findings," Boeing said late Monday.

"We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards."

Aviation analysts said the issue appeared to be a quality control defect rather than a design issue akin to the problem with a flawed flight handling system involved in two fatal MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

But Boeing has struggled with supply chain and quality control problems since the MAX returned to service, limiting its output and hitting its bottom line.

In December, Boeing urged airlines to undertake additional inspections to check for loose hardware on plane rudder control systems after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.

- Inspection protocols -

United has 79 MAX 9 planes, more than any other carrier.

The US airline said it has canceled 200 MAX 9 flights since the incident and expects "significant cancelations" on Tuesday.

Following the Alaska Airlines incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered operators to ground 171 jets with the same door plug configuration.

A door plug is a cover panel used to fill an unneeded emergency exit in planes with smaller seat configurations.

On Monday, the FAA announced that it approved a roadmap for airlines to complete inspections that include both left and right door plugs, components and fasteners.

Alaska Airlines said it was still awaiting "final documentation" from Boeing and the FAA before beginning the formal inspection process.

"The safety of these aircraft is our priority and we will take the time and steps necessary to ensure their airworthiness," the carrier said.

AeroMexico, which has suspended 19 planes, said it is in the "final phase" of inspections, adding: "We expect all MAX-9s in our fleet to return to operation in the upcoming days."

- Culture challenge -

The incident is the latest setback for Boeing, particularly over the 737 MAX.

The worst were two crashes -- a Lion Air flight in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March 2019 -- that caused the deaths of 346 people in total and triggered the grounding of all 737 MAX planes for nearly two years.

Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun called a company-wide meeting for Tuesday focusing on safety.

Analysts said the Alaska Airlines problems may have stemmed from a manufacturing defect.

Since the crashes, Boeing has repeatedly slowed or suspended production on both the MAX and the larger 787 Dreamliner due to problems uncovered by staff.

The latest episode is "indicative of a major cultural challenge" facing Boeing, said Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory.

"They need to change. They can't just keep lurching from crisis to crisis."

Analysts said Boeing could face slower government approvals for new jets or on proposed repairs.
The Texas Board of Criminal Justice has recognized former board Chair Patrick ODaniel by renaming a Gatesville prison, formerly the Mountain View Unit, in his honor.

ODaniel served as chair from January 2020 through 2023. Appointed by the governor, the nine members of the board oversee the criminal justice department. Under ODaniels leadership, corrections officers and teachers in prison received pay hikes, and inmates saw changes in educational and rehabilitation opportunities, according to a board press release announcing the naming last week.

ODaniels legacy will outlast his time on the board, current Chair Eric Nichols said in support of renaming the Mountain View Unit at the boards December meeting.

I recommend that we rename the facility where he spent so much time, Nichols said. The facility has numerous programs that provide individuals with the tools they need to turn their lives around successfully. Those programs, such as STRIVE (Strength Through Restoration, Independence, Vision and Empowerment), are a direct result of Mr. ODaniels pursuit to positively impact the men and women inside our prisons.

The name change passed by a unanimous vote taken at the boards December meeting in Huntsville, according to the press release.

ODaniel, who earned his bachelors and law degrees through the University of Texas at Austin, served on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice from March 2017 to 2023.

During his tenure, ODaniel played a pivotal role in the agencys response to the global pandemic, leading to significant achievements such as historic salary increases for correctional officers, the establishment of the Office of the Independent Ombudsman and enhanced rehabilitation and faith-based programming, the press release says.

ODaniel also oversaw improvements for the Windham School District which serves prison units. ODaniel led reforms including improved access to prison libraries, salary adjustments for teachers, and the implementation of a technology plan to support classroom instruction and digital literacy, according to the press release.

The newly renamed Patrick L. ODaniel Unit opened its doors in 1962 as a school for boys, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice acquired it in 1975. The ODaniel Unit now houses general custody, security detention, and death row female inmates, the press release says.

With a maximum capacity of 644, the facility also provides inmates with educational opportunities and faith-based programming, as well as a braille facility and agricultural operations.

Nichols called the renaming of the Mountain View Unit to the Patrick L. ODaniel Unit a fitting tribute to his contributions.

The TBCJ and TDCJ express their deep appreciation for Mr. ODaniels loyal service, integrity, and tenacity, Nichols said in the press release.

The agency will announce a renaming ceremony for the facility at a later date.
The Waco Housing Authority has scraped together funding to begin work as early as summer on the first phase of redeveloping its largest public housing complex.

The work on Estella Maxey Place will begin with a phase to create 79 units of seniors-only housing at the site, 1809 J.J. Flewellen Road.

The first phase will establish a gated seniors-only section along Adams Street, complete with its own community center. Existing units will be reconfigured and renovated to give seniors more space and amenities, including wider hallways, more accessible restrooms, dishwashers, larger closets, individual driveways, front porches and small backyard patios.

The senior section is part of a $25 million plan to reinvent the 364-unit complex that has been a fixture of East Waco nearly 70 years. The complex also will be renamed Melody Grove in honor of original namesake Estella Maxeys career as a musician.

Under the federal Rental Assistance Demonstration program, it will be converted from traditional public housing to site-based Section 8 housing, giving existing low-income residents vouchers that will allow them to remain without rent increases. Rent is set at a rate of 30% of tenants income, and the average Estella Maxey resident makes less than $11,000, according to the housing authority budget.

Coming phases will raze and replace units with more modern homes intended to look more like conventional homes, with some available for market-rate rental. The number of units will be reduced from 364 to fewer than 275, and residents will get a new community center with an outdoor recreation space featuring a stage for performances.

The authority has already converted the South Terrace Apartments complex through the program and will eventually redevelop Kate Ross Homes on South 11th Street.

Im hoping that not only residents feel a real positivity about the changes coming but also the community sees it as a real plus, Waco Housing Authority President and CEO Milet Hopping said. Its hard to keep doing Band-Aid improvements to a property after 60 or 70 years.

Hopping said the complex could become a catalyst for more development in its East Waco neighborhood, which also includes the new $74 million G.W. Carver Middle School a block away.

I think the ability to create something that can stay modern and fresh will be appealing to people who never thought of coming back to Waco, she said.

The Melody Grove project received approval this summer for $1.83 million in tax credits through the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. The tax credits will be sold to private companies to reduce their taxes, generating several times the face value of the credit.

In December, the Melody Grove effort received the final piece of financing it needed to move forward: an $850,000 subsidy from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas.

The bank, which provides wholesale lending to its members, sets aside 10% of its profits for community housing efforts. With that financing in hand, the Waco Housing Authority will move forward on getting federal approvals needed to start on the Phase 1 renovations, which will cost about $5 million.

Tenants have been involved in several input meetings since the RAD conversion plan was announced for Estella Maxey in 2018, and another meeting is planned Jan. 18.

Connie and O.C. Mack, members of the Estella Maxey resident board, both welcome the changes and look forward to moving into the new senior section.

Its going to be a lot different, Connie Mack said. Some walls are going to be knocked out to make them a little larger. We like that. Each one will have their own driveway. I love that. Theyre supposed to add a front porch. Right now theres quite a few people who live to sit out. I think its going to be a lot better.

She said the card-entry gate and other traffic controls will protect older residents from traffic speeding through the complex.

The Macks are Waco natives who have lived at Estella Maxey since 2010. Both say it is safer than it was a decade ago, and criminal incidents are usually the result of people coming in from elsewhere.

Its not that bad to me, she said. I had a little girl ask me, what do you think about living here in the hood? I said, I dont consider this the hood. Home is what you make of it. You make it bad or make it good.

O.C. Mack is a retired pastor, truancy officer and substitute teacher, while Connie is retired from the Doris Miller YMCA. They both have struggled with health issues, including a kidney transplant Connie had some years ago, and more recent bouts with COVID-19.

Connie Mack has a flowerbed of cannas and daylilies in front of her house and grows pots of pothos on the small covered entry at her door. She is looking forward to transplanting them to a new yard in front of her new porch.

When her health allows, she enjoys interacting with neighbors, getting up early in the morning to walk around the complex.

I know them pretty well, she said. I dont like to live next to people when I dont know who they are. I make it my business to know people and the children. I even watch them get on the bus.

During an interview in her front yard Friday, neighbors passing on foot or in cars stopped to exchange greetings. One man updated her about his kidney and his recovery from a car wreck. She playfully scolded another man who dropped a plastic bottle on the grass, prompting him to assure her that he was just picking up litter and would be back with gloves on.

Connie Mack acknowledged that moving to a seniors-only section will make it more of a challenge to keep up with her younger neighbors, but she hopes those relationships will continue.

Hopping, the Waco Housing Authority leader, said she recognizes separating seniors from the rest of the community has its downsides. But in meetings with senior residents, the overriding concern was safety, especially protection from traffic.

The only way we could look at doing that was to cut off access to the other roads, Hopping said.

She said the senior section will still be accessible through walkways, so it will not be completely isolated.

Hopping said she hopes the redevelopment will foster a sense of community and enrichment. Estella Maxey already offers enrichment programs through nonprofit groups such as Mentor Waco and Transformation Waco.

She said the new community building will allow programming for children and youth to expand.

We had a donation of pianos from Baylor, she said. Were hoping to encourage kids in the arts there with music, piano lessons, singing groups. We want to have performances open to the public. Thats why we wanted to have an outdoor stage.
Job security starts to supersede study

08:59, January 09, 2024 By Zhao Yimeng ( China Daily

Students taking the postgraduate studies entrance exam glance at their textbooks before entering the examination rooms at Jiangsu University of Technology in Jiangsu Province on Dec 23. CHEN WEI/XINHUA

Yang Ziru, 22, had prepared for nearly a year to take the postgraduate studies entrance exam, but last month  20 days before she was due to take the test  she abandoned her academic ambitions.

The journalism major from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, planned to study for a master's degree in philosophy, which she hoped would help her find a satisfying job and a good career.

"I gradually realized a master's degree in philosophy might limit my career options as I am determined to seek opportunities in the internet business after graduation," Yang said.

Her decision is indicative of an emerging trend of college graduates appearing more realistic about whether they need to pursue postgraduate studies.

On a freezing cold morning last month, graduates gathered at a testing station in Beijing flipping through textbooks as they nervously prepared for the postgraduate studies entrance exam. The scene was repeated nationwide.

However, this year's exam saw the number of applicants fall by 7.6 percent year-on-year to 4.38 million, the first drop in nine years, according to figures from the Ministry of Education.

The drop surprised many observers as the number of applicants for the exam had been increasing steadily since 2016, with an average annual growth rate of 15.8 percent from 2015 to 2022.

Chen Zhiwen, editor-in-chief of online education portal EOL, said the uncertain employment prospects of postgraduate students are one of the major reasons for the drop.

In the past, many young people expected to land a decent job by pursuing further education. But after earning higher degrees they found they faced similar employment challenges, or an even tougher job environment, than their undergraduate classmates, Chen said.

"In 2023, the number of postgraduate students has exceeded undergraduates. Students began to calculate the value of accomplishing a master's degree and if it may not guarantee a decent job  some gave up the attempt," he said.

It's a good thing that they didn't blindly follow the crowd but made rational choices instead, he added.

Real goals

Yang said another reason she quit the postgraduate entrance exam is that it would take three years for her to complete an academic master's degree.

On why fewer students applied for the postgraduate entrance exam last month, Yang said she thought it reflected a growing belief among them that academic degrees are not the only path to a secure future. "If employment is the final goal, we need to think about our choices from a different perspective," she said.

Yang said she learned from doing an internship the importance of work experience, as opposed to academic knowledge, when it came to employment. She now believes the master's degree she wanted to pursue was too academic for the job market.

While the time it takes to complete an academic master's degree stops some applicants, the financial cost of a professional master's is also a major consideration, said Chen from EOL.

The average annual tuition fee for an academic master's degree is 8,000 yuan ($1,126) and for a professional one 12,000 yuan, according to the Education Ministry. Academic master's degree students are provided with dormitories with an annual rent of around 1,500 yuan, but professional degree students in some colleges have to rent an apartment themselves.

"Aiming to cultivate students' practical skills, professional master's degrees usually cost more and cannot get national subsidies. The rising costs force students to calculate the true value of a master's degree," Chen said.

Students prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam in the library of the University of South China in Hunan Province on Nov 23. CAO ZHENGPING/XINHUA

Refocusing

China's enrollment for professional master's degrees, which emphasize the practical application of knowledge and skills, will be increased to about two-thirds of all master's degree programs by 2025, the education ministry said in late December.

This structural adjustment of master's degrees is inevitably affecting students' choices. Fortunately, more young people are aware that they are entitled to make their own choices on education. "I believe we should find the path that is suitable for each individual, though none of these goals are easy to achieve, and struggle for our dreams," Yang said.

Having no interest in academic research or working at government-related institutions, Yang is now preparing to study abroad and plans to get an internship with an internet company.

While fewer students took the exam for postgraduate studies last year, more registered for the annual civil service recruitment examination to compete for vacancies at central authorities and their branches.

The National Civil Service Administration said 3.03 million applicants were eligible to take the test in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 16.8 percent. In November, about 2.25 million applicants took the exam.

The country plans to recruit 39,600 civil servants this year, a 6.7 percent increase from the previous year. However, it's a fiercely competitive process as the job-to-applicant ratio is about 1 to 57.

Chen said more and more graduates began to realize the importance of obtaining a secure job in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. Examinations for public service and other government-related jobs have gained in popularity.

"Obtaining a postgraduate degree may not earn a promising career, but by taking the test for civil servants' recruitment, it's possible to directly hit the goal. So, some students give up the postgraduate studies exam if they cannot take both exams," Chen said.

Students take the postgraduate entrance exam at the University of South China on Dec 23. CAO ZHENGPING/XINHUA

Seeking certainty

Zhou Xintong from Shandong Province decided not to take the postgraduate studies exam and instead is preparing for the provincial authorities recruitment exam in spring because it "has more certainty".

Based in a populous province renowned for the competitiveness of its provincial exams, Zhou discovered in November that six of her classmates studying Chinese language and literature intended to apply for the same university she was aiming to get into.

Due to a lack of confidence in her English proficiency, Zhou said she worried every night about failing the exam and having no time to prepare for other recruitment tests.

"Frankly speaking, with a goal of seeking certainty, I can't afford to take the risk," Zhou said.

For graduate students there are many avenues to get into the civil service. Central authorities and their branches recruit students through the national civil service exam. However, they can also take exams for provincial authorities and positions at local government-related institutions as a backup.

"No matter what the choice is, I don't want to end up with nowhere to go after graduation," she said.

Figures from the Education Ministry show the number of China's college graduates in 2024 is expected to reach 11.79 million, a year-on-year increase of 210,000, posing a new challenge for the country's job market.

To address the employment issues graduates are facing, the ministry launched an action plan to promote employment and entrepreneurship of graduates in 2024.

A meeting was held at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu on Dec 28 to exchange ideas about supply and demand in the job market.

More than 400 higher learning institutions and 150 enterprises participated in the meeting to discuss collaboration on internships, career planning, teaching personnel and recruitment of graduates, with the aim of promoting high-quality and full employment for college graduates, the ministry said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Just days into the admission process for Soldiers of Christ, Sehee Cho was faint and feeble.

The 33-year-old had come to the Atlanta suburb of Lawrenceville from Korea in July to heal from a traumatic experience. Instead, police say, the Soldiers group led by two Korean American brothers held her captive for weeks, torturing and starving her until she died.

Officers discovered her decaying body, weighing just 70 pounds (32 kilograms), in September, 2023 in the trunk of a car, and prosecutors have charged the brothers, their mom, a third brother and three others with murder.

The gory details  covered widely in Korean news outlets in the U.S.  have shocked the large Korean community in metro Atlanta. Community leaders say the case is a wake-up call for Korean Americans to be more vigilant about religious cults and potential threats to new arrivals from Korea.

It really kind of alerted people that we should not be so comfortable, said Sarah Park, president of the Atlanta chapter of the Korean American Coalition.

The proximity of the slaying to the heart of Korean social and cultural life in the region was unsettling, she added.

The brothers and mother lived in a part of Gwinnett County dubbed The Seoul of the South for its abundance of Korean restaurants, bakeries, and other establishments. The car with Cho's body was left in the parking lot of a popular Korean spa on a main thoroughfare in the Korean business district.

Usually, Koreans are good people, so they dont guard themselves or watch strangers, said Sunny Park, a prominent Korean American businessman. "But now they will.

Community leaders say what's even more unsettling is the relatively young ages of most of the defendants  five are in their 20s and one is 15  and their religious ties. The mom and brothers, at least for a time, attended church locally, and the father is a pastor in the area. He has not been charged.

The church is a respected and essential part of Korean life in the U.S, and some local pastors worry the slaying could indicate broader cult-like activity that has gone undetected. Religious cults have been a concern in Korea.

Korean Christians in the United States need to be aware of their existence and their reality, said the Rev. Byeong Cheol Han, senior pastor of the Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.

Investigators have not been able to find any Soldiers of Christ members or affiliates outside of the small group of defendants, police say. Still, Han and other pastors organized a seminar in November, 2023 to alert local college students about Korean cults and how they operate.

Prosecutors say Joonho Lee  the founder of Soldiers of Christ  wanted 12 disciples and met a Korean American student at Georgia State University after Cho's death to try to recruit her. David Boyle, an attorney for another defendant in the case, Eric Hyun, 26, has said his client was also recruited by the group and tortured.

One of the defendants told police Joonho Lee received instructions directly from God, investigators say.

A Gwinnett County police detective testified at an Oct. 19, 2023 hearing that the group made video recordings of themselves beating Cho with a belt and putting her in ice baths  once when she appeared weak and a second time when she looked like she was close to death. Five of the defendants sat stoically in the courtroom, listening through headsets to a Korean translation of the lurid evidence.

Lees attorney, Scott Drake, said outside the hearing that he was still gathering information and could not immediately comment. He did not respond to multiple phone messages and emails.

Lee, 26, told investigators that Cho went through the initiation voluntarily, according to prosecutors. Chos mother knew Lees mother in Korea and brought Cho to the Lee family home on July 21, 2023 to find God and ease her depression, Gwinnett County police Det. Angela Carter said at the hearing.

Messages the defendants exchanged, however, show Cho tried to quit the training almost immediately after it began, but the group would not let her go, prosecutors say. There is no quitting this program," the 15-year-old defendant, Junyeong Lee, told investigators, according to police.

Prosecutors have charged him as an adult. He, Joonho Lee and a third defendant whom police have also described as a leader of the group, Joonhyun Lee, 22, are brothers. Their mother, Mihee Lee, 54, was arrested about a month after they were taken into custody in September, 2023.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages with an attorney for Junyeong Lee, David Whitman. Attorney Jason Park, who is representing Joonhyun Lee, said he was limited from speaking about a case that is still active.

Mihee Lees attorney, John Burdges, declined to comment. At the Oct. 19, 2023 hearing, however, he questioned Chos mental state and the claim that she was held against her will.

The initiation took place at the Lee familys modest stucco and stone home in a subdivision in Lawrenceville about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. No one answered the door there on a recent afternoon, though windows were open and the front lawn was mowed and cleared of leaves.

Jung Wook Lee, an attorney of Korean descent in nearby Duluth, said acquaintances of hers had met the Lee family at church and didnt think anything was wrong.

Were just kind of curious how did it start and how did it unravel in such an evil way, she said during a networking event and talk for Asian Americans in Norcross, Georgia, on Dec. 11, 2023.

Jongwon Lee, another attorney, recalled receiving help from a Korean church in Doraville, Georgia, when he arrived in the U.S. with limited English skills more than a decade ago.

Korean people are shocked that some people did a horrible thing in the name of religion, he said.

The other two defendants are Gawon Lee, 26, a cousin of the Lee family who was visiting from Korea, and Hyunji Lee, 25, Joonho Lees fiancee. Gawon Lees attorney, John Kim, did not respond to calls and emails. In addition to murder, all seven defendants are charged with false imprisonment and concealing death.

Ashley McMahan, Hyunji Lees attorney, said her client was treated like an indentured servant by the other defendants. She was also in Korea for some of the time that prosecutors say Cho was held and did not know what was happening, McMahan added.

Prosecutors, however, say Joonho Lee told Hyunji Lee in a chat message shortly after the initiation started around July 27, 2023 that Cho had apparently not even had water for three days and kept fainting, according to an indictment filed on Nov. 29, 2023.

On Aug. 17, 2023 Cho was screaming for food, Junyeong Lee reported in a chat message. His other brother, Joonhyun Lee, instructed him to beat her if she screamed again, the indictment says.

Two days later, prosecutors say Joonhyun Lee authored a chat message to himself with dates that he said Cho began fasting and was assaulted. The final date in the message was Aug. 18, 2023 : 1:00 a.m. time of death (estimated time). (AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop music legend Tupac Shakur in 1996 can be released from jail and serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of his trial in June, a judge decided Tuesday.

Bail was set at $750,000 for Duane Keffe D Davis at a hearing before Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny in Las Vegas. His court-appointed attorneys had asked for bail of not more than $100,000. They told The Associated Press after the hearing that they believe he can post bail.

His lawyers had argued in a court filing a day before Tuesdays bail hearing in Las Vegas that their client  not witnesses, as prosecutors had said  was facing danger.

The lawyers accuse prosecutors of misinterpreting a jail telephone recording and a list of names provided to Davis family members, and of misreporting to the judge that Davis poses a threat to the public if he were released.

This is an update. APs earlier story follows below:

The life and death of Tupac Shakur The life and death of Tupac Shakur Tupac was conceived amid a political revolution The birth of a legend The backstory of his name change as a baby Tupac spent most of his early life in New York Tupac's strained relationship with his mother Tupac's stepfather, former political prisoner Dr. Mutulu Shakur Discovered his love of performing in Baltimore Claimed the Bay Area as his first California love First interview at 17 Discovers his musical talents in Oakland The Bay Area embraced Tupac by way of Shock G Tupac almost gave up music for politics Tupac experienced police brutality months after inking record deal 1991, the year of the '2Pacalypse' 'Brenda's Got a Baby' The rapper's first film role Legal troubles THUG LIFE Riding the controversial wave, Tupac's second album The Atlanta incident Arrested on sexual assault charges Tupac shot 5 times at Quad Recording Studios in New York The Death (Row) sentence and Suge Knight Stirs East Coast-West Coast rivalry Tupac killed at 25
PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE

Before you go: Visit Alaskas COVID-19 information site for the latest pandemic information and travel restrictions.

Where to stay: There are a few no-frills accommodations in old military housing ($150 night), including the Adak/Aleutian Experience and Adak Lodge and Outfitters, which offer hunting trips. Both also rent trucks for $150-$200 a day -- a must-have for backcountry exploration.

Food: Dining and grocery options are limited and often closed. Bring a cooler of food as one of your three allowed checked bags to fuel your expedition.

Wi-Fi: With limited cell service and achingly slow satellite-based Wi-Fi, take this opportunity to truly unplug.

Permits: Youll need a land use permit from the Aleut Corporation to hunt or hike on Adak. Pick one up for $30 when you arrive at the airport.

Getting around: Grab an Adak map at the airport and download offline maps before you go. The Adak historical guide is also a great resource. Avoid the well-signed landfill sites and area to the north, known as Parcel 4, due to unexploded ordnance.

Drive carefully. As our host liked to remind us, On Adak, not all roads are roads.

MORE IMAGES OF ADAK
The Waterloo and Cedar Falls school board meetings scheduled tonight have been cancelled as a winter storm is expected to hit the Cedar Valley.

The Waterloo Board of Education was expected to meet for a work session followed by its 5 p.m. meeting. The Cedar Falls Board of Education meeting was scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.

A message from the Waterloo Community School's said its board meeting will not be rescheduled. Action items will be addressed at the Jan. 22 board meeting. The work session will be rescheduled to a later date.

Photos: Gilbertville public safety building groundbreaking 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-1 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-2 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-3 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-4 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-5 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-6 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-7 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-8 010824jr-gilbertville-safety-building-9
CEDAR FALLS  A former member of the City Council is making it a race in Iowas 38th Senate District.

Dave Sires, a lifelong resident of Cedar Falls, announced hell be the second Republican seeking the nomination. He hopes to flip the seat  previously District 30 before redistricting  thats been held by Democrat Eric Giddens since 2019.

Protecting Iowans freedoms is top of mind going into his campaign.

We have China owning farmland, which is wrong. We have eminent domain, which gives the farmers no rights when they have owned that land for generations.

These are all the things we have to fight against, said Sires. When they (the government) take one link out of your chain, your chain gets shorter and shorter, and you dont notice. These freedoms are slipping away from us, and Im the guy whos not going to tolerate that.

Some of those rights at the top of his list were in small books on the tables at his Saturday kickoff event at the Guy W. Iversen AMVETS Post 49 that Sires pointed out was attended by several other Iowa elected officials.

The literature he was referencing was the U.S. Constitution. In particular, hes stressing the importance of protecting the First and Second amendments.

They want to take away our gun rights. The second amendment. Theyre picking on that. And then they wont let people speak freely and they want to shut down our college campus, Sires said.

Sires, 63, is coming off a four-year term on the council during which he also ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in 2021. Professionally, he owns several businesses, including ones related to manufactured homes and self-storage, and had worked in the construction industry most of his life.

The district contains parts of Black Hawk, Tama and Benton counties, including Cedar Falls, spanning from Hudson and Evansdale to Gilbertville and La Porte City and south to Traer, Dysart, and Mt. Auburn.

Giddens is seeking reelection to a second four-year term.

Some of the spark, however, is his Republican opponent in the primary James McCullagh, an electrical engineer and entrepreneur. Sires doesnt think McCullagh is running for the right reason and that he is the best one to represent the party.

But his drive also has to do with his tenure on the council, 2020 through 2023, when he felt he had to be more subtle or easy-going and had to try to not offend anybody when it came to his Republican support, views and pride.

My wife (Lisa) told me you cant run for local government because you cant stand up for the First Amendment, the Second Amendment and every other thing that you ever stood up for, he said. And I said, well, then Ill run for Senate.

His campaign also has to do with his slogan during his mayoral campaign about putting the residents back in charge and having challenges ultimately with tackling the very large bureaucracy at the city level.

If elected, Sires hopes to have more success in state government.

The government has become predatory upon its citizens, Sires said. Now we have to jump through hoops to do anything. And thats where its really starting to go bad.

Its us against the government. The government only has the powers we give it and now they have oppressed us by having too much power over us and it is we the people  and I cant stress that enough  its we the people. Its not we the government.

Photos: UNI women's basketball vs. Indiana State, Jan. 6
Kevin McCarthy announced in early December that he would step down, two months after his historic ouster as House speaker, capping a stunning end to a House career at the hand of hard-right conservatives.
Emmanuel Macron appointed 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal as his new prime minister on Tuesday, as the French President seeks to breathe new life into his second mandate ahead of European parliament elections.

The move will not necessarily lead to any major political shift, but signals a desire for Macron to try to move beyond last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in the June EU ballot.

Opinion polls show Macron's camp trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around eight to ten percentage points.

Attal, a close Macron ally who became a household name as government spokesman during the COVID pandemic, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

One of the country's most popular politicians in recent opinion polls, Attal has made a name for himself as a savvy minister, at ease on radio shows and in parliament.

He will be France's youngest prime minister and the first to be openly gay.

"Gabriel Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017," said MP Patrick Vignal, referring to the point at which the President first took office as the youngest leader in modern French history, at the time a popular figure among voters.

Vignal, who belongs to Macron's Renaissance party and first met Attal more than ten years ago, added that the education minister "is clear, he has authority".

Attal and Macron would have a combined age just below that of Joe Biden, who is running for a second mandate in this year's U.S. presidential election.

Macron has struggled to deal with a more turbulent parliament since losing his absolute majority shortly after being reelected in 2022.

"The Macron-Attal duo can bring a new lease of life (to the government)," said Harris Interactive pollster Jean-Daniel Levy.

But opposition leaders were quick to say they did not expect much from the change in prime minister, with Macron himself taking on much of the decision-making. (Reuters)
Over all these years?

We humans stumble along and watch as a very few humans, walk and spit upon our lives and graves. It does not matter whom and or what is guiding these sick humans. What matters is that we allow these sick psycho humans to continue to walk upon our souls as we live and after we die.  kKEETON

All these years I have been talking about how far gone we are toward the aspect of getting things under control and to stop the demons of our existence, be they imaginary and or real, from destroying what a good thing we have upon this planet. We have a miracle of a planet to live upon and we act the fool about this planet. Now I do not mean climate change fiasco and fossil fuel fiasco that is a constant verbal & mental usage against us by the same scum that do everything to influence us and all that is done is always 100% of the time embraced by the general crowd as gospel

Just like we now have a Sweden that embraced NATO and what do they get for embracing NATO? Warmongering and now the Swedes get to listen to, Russia will attack us and kill us and we need to spend spend spend on war war war stuff! Do it now or die 

Finland has people screaming about the fact they do not have a market for their products and their own government has destroyed the working relationship with Russia, Russia will attack and kill us, all in the name of NATO and USA. So much so ignorance in Finland that the government is being pushed to open a North Front against Russia, just like Georgia was being pushed to open a South Front

Latvia is so anti-Russian that they call the Russians within Latvia animals. UK, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova and many more are now doing the same. Many of these countries relied upon a livelihood from Russia and the EU cannot and will not accept them as equals and help them out of the gutter that they put themselves in. Much less the Evil USA and the Devil UK. But hey, we Baltic countries wanna join NATO and be protected from Russia

Maybe they need protection from NATO and most of all the West first?

Accumulation of all the nonsense & drivel over all these years

It has gone on long enough and in this day and age we as humans should be wise enough to see through all the drivel that we are having tossed at us. It truly is a method of tossing crap at the wall and see what sticks. If you dont clean the wall? Then you home stinks

Our homes stink

And as I have pointed out a thousand, no two thousand times + plus, right on this blog, we keep allowing these imbeciles, demons, morons, hooligans, garbage lowlifes, rejects, rich people, politicians, fairies, and dozens more labels to run roughshod over our asses. It simply does not matter who is the driving force behind it all, what matters is that we in the largest numbers of having sensibilities do nothing about it, until it is almost to late and pro-active is always better than re-active

Now the accumulation of many years of all our looking the other way is almost to the point of pushing the dirt over our faces as we lay within our self-dug grave

WtR
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (8 January 2024)

In the morning, the Russian Armed Forces launched group strikes by high-precision long-range sea- and air-based weapons, including by Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities.

In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled nine attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 32nd, 43rd, 115th mechanised brigades, 25th Airborne Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade near Sinkovka, Ivanovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 110 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, three motor vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, and two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters near Torskoye, Yampolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, three armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery, operational-tactical and army aviation inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 24th, 28th, 42nd, 93rd mechanised brigades, 92nd Assault Brigade, and 112th Territorial Defence Brigade near Toretsk, Andreyevka, Kleshcheyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses in this direction amounted to more than 250 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled three attacks launched by the AFU 127th Territorial Defence Brigade north of Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).

In addition, losses were inflicted on manpower of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 130 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two infantry fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by operational-tactical aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower clusters of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade and 3rd Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Rabotino and Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer.

In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th, 38th marines brigades, and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade on the right bank of the Dnepr River near Mikhailovka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka, and Kachkarovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 60 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, and three motor vehicles. In addition, one AFU unmanned aerial vehicle control post and one field ammunition depot were wiped out.

Missile Troops and Artillery, attack unmanned aerial vehicles of the Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed a point of the meeting of unit commanders of the 101st Territorial Defence Brigade, 113 AFU artillery units at firing positions, as well as engaged manpower and hardware in 108 areas during the day.

Air defence units intercepted five HIMARS MLRS projectiles over the past 24 hours.

Moreover, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down near Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Peski, Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Kamenka-Dneprovskaya, Novoye (Zaporozhye region), Radensk, and Golaya Pristan (Kherson region region).

In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,540 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 air defence missile systems, 14,536 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,201 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,666 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,210 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

Tags:

***

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation ( 07.01.2024 ) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. In Kupyansk direction, as a result of active actions by units of the Zapad Group of Forces, aviation and artillery, four attacks by assault groups of AFU 32nd, 43rd, 115th mechanised and 95th airborne brigades have been repelled close to Sinkovka and Ivanovka (Kharkov region) and Terny (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In addition, manpower of 103rd and 105th brigades of the Territorial Defence of Ukraine have been eliminated near Kislovka and Melovoye (Kharkiv region). The enemy losses were over 50 enemy soldiers, two infantry fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, have hit manpower and hardware concentration areas of the 100th Territorial Defence of Ukraine and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and Serebryansky forestry. The enemy losses were up to 55 servicemen, as well as 4 motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, by coordinated actions, in cooperation with artillery, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, have defeated manpower and hardware of the 3rd Assault Brigade, the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 22nd, 24th, 28th, 42nd, 67th, and 93rd mechanised brigades of the AFU, and the 112th Territorial Defence Brigade near Bogdanovka, Artyomovskoye, Krasnoye, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were more than 300 servicemen killed and wounded, four armoured fighting vehicles, and 20 motor vehicles. In addition, in the course of counter-battery warfare, one French-manufactured Caezar self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-manufactured M119 howitzer, and one AFU ammunition depot have been hit. In South Donetsk direction, as a result of competent actions by units of the Vostok Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, manpower of the 79th Air Assault Brigade, the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, and the 128th Territorial Defence Brigade have been eliminated close to Novomikhailovka, Staromayorskoye, Ugledar (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 130 troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, three Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery systems, two British-manufactured FH-70 howitzers, two D-30 guns, two Rapira anti-tank guns, and one AFU ammunition depot have been hit. In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces, supported by Operational-Tactical Aviation and artillery, have defeated manpower concentration areas of 3rd and 14th operational brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine, 68th jaeger, 65th, 118th mechanised and 128th mountain assault brigades of the AFU close to Pyatikhatki, Verbovoye, Rabotino, Novopokrovka, and Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 40 servicemen, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles. In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have defeated manpower and hardware of 35th and 38th brigades of the AFU Marine Infantry and the 121st Brigade of the Territorial Defence on the right bank of the Dnepr River close to Ilyinka (Dnepropetrovsk region), Lvovo, Zolotaya Balka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka, and Mylovoye (Kherson region). The enemy losses were more than 35 soldiers, three motor vehicles, and one electronic warfare station. Missile Troops and Artillery, and unmanned aerial vehicles of the Russian Groups of Forces destroyed ammunition depot near Koblevo (Nikolayev region), 109 artillery units in firing positions, manpower, and military hardware in 117 areas. Air defence facilities have shot down the Ukrainian Air Forces one Su-25 aircraft near Dnepropetrovsk and one Su-27 aircraft near Krivoy Rog (Dnepropetrovsk region). 14 projectiles of HIMARS, Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems and six Neptun anti-ship missiles have been intercepted. In addition, 38 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been hit close to Gorobyevka (Kharkov region), Spornoye, Peski, Gorlovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Belogorovka, Lisichansk, Kremennaya, Makeevka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Kharkov, Orlyanskoye, and Pologi (Zaporozhye region). In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,526 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 air defence missile systems, 14,506 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,201 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,656 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,170 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: Special Military Operation

WtR
#

 Trust but check

https://iz.ru/1631349/oleg-karpovich/doveriai-no-proveriai

 2023 was, one might say, a turning point in the context of our long-term relations with the West. At the dawn of the special military operation, the United States and Europe hoped that the hybrid war declared on Russia would lead to weakening, strategic defeat, and ultimately the disintegration of our country. < >

The result was exactly the opposite. Intoxicated by its own propaganda and conviction of its exclusivity, the West suddenly faced not only successful resistance from Moscow, but also a clearly expressed reluctance of the world majority to play by the rules arbitrarily determined by yesterdays hegemon.

 Against the backdrop of yet another fiasco on the Ukrainian front, Europe is losing the desire to invest in the obviously futile escalation of the crisis, while the American Congress refuses to allocate new billions to help neo-Nazis from Square.

 Hence the increasingly frequent statements from the United States and Europe about the need for peaceful negotiations to resolve the conflict, which Russia declared its readiness for from the very beginning of hostilities. There is no need to be deceived  all these signals are sent by the American-European international rather out of despair and do not contain any substance.

 While waiting for the final return of common sense to the countries that organized the anti-Russian coalition, we will have to be patient . But this time should not be wasted. Over the course of two years, Russian society managed to restructure itself psychologically and adapt to the drift towards the non-West.

 We have many interesting projects and undertakings ahead of us through BRICS, SCO, OPEC+, other organizations and bilateral contacts. We have learned to live without dependence on the West  and now even its sobering up can hardly be taken for granted with enthusiasm.

WtR
Just months after its future was in question, the Portage Municipal Airport has a new manager and fixed base operator, solidifying the citys commitment to its aviation communities.

Its only been a little over one month and Ive got two flight instructors and a handful of students already flying, said Paul Phelps, owner of Sun Sport Aviation. Im already looking at ordering another aircraft for the fleet because things are going really well. ... A little faster than I expected, but its a good problem to have.

The Common Council passed a motion at its Nov. 9 meeting making Phelps and his company, Sun Sport Aviation, the new airport manager and fixed base operator (FBO). The final day for the airports prior manager, Fly High Wisconsin, was Oct. 31.

Last summer, the council voted to keep the airport open following weeks of uncertainty about its future after two aldermen forced a resolution onto a council vote which could have directed city staff to inquire with federal and state agencies about what it would take to shut down an airport and abolish its airport commission.

At the November council meeting, Phil Livingston, the citys director of Public Works, gave an overview of the FBO contract, which allows Sun Sport to facilitate flight instruction, sales of aircrafts, aircraft maintenance services and other aviation activity. The contract is for one year, and Sun Sport has the option to renew it for two more years. The city retains the right to revoke that option if officials believe operations do not meet standards.

Under the contract, the city will pay the aviation company $24,000 from its operating budget, specifically $12,000 for consulting and another $12,000 for provided maintenance and services. There is also a clause in the contract for training, which allows Phelps to attend one training event annually in order to bring knowledge and ideas back to the airport to better its operations. The city is also required to supply two full tanks of aviation fuel and to clear snow from the runways.

Nebraska-based brewpub "like your friend" to open in Wisconsin Dells Pals Brewing Company is coming to the Dells in late 2024 in a partnership between the Kaminski and Oettinger families, owners of the Chula Vista Resort and the North Platte, Nebraska-based Pals, respectively.

Livingston said the contract requires Sun Sport to pay the city 5 cents for every gallon of gas it sells, which usually is about 8,000 gallons per year. It also states that Sun Sport will pay the city 22% of the gross funds generated from all airport activities and 50% of any revenue stemming from events held at the airport, such as its Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Pancake Breakfast.

As airport manager, Phelps will be required to provide the city with monthly contractors operation maintenance reports, which are to include the updated roster of all city-owned hangar leases, summary of all repairs and maintenance activities, accounting of net gross revenue generated from fuel sells, hangar leases, tie-down rentals and a quarterly budget summary.

Phelps is an Federal Aviation Administration certified flight instructor of single-engine airplanes, multiengine airplanes and helicopters, with about 2,300 hours of instruction given. He is also a military instructor pilot and instrument examiner in Blackhawk helicopters, with 820 hours worked between the two. Over his 38 years of flying military rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, and civilian fixed-wing aircraft, he has accumulated more than 7,200 hours of combined flight experience.

He also served as an aviation safety and standardization officer, managing a $2.5 million annual technology budget for the Wisconsin Army National Guard before retiring in October and seizing the opportunity to start a flight school  something he said is rare.

I was approaching the end of a 28-year military career as a professional Army aviator, said Phelps. But I felt an inner calling to become a teacher as a professional flight instructor. ... I actually retired from the military a couple of years early because of this opportunity to come to Portage.

Phelps, who is also the vice president of EAA Chapter 371 in Portage, said he has stored an airplane in a hangar at the airport for the past four years, so he is familiar with the facilities.

Some of his duties as airport manager include managing hanger tenants and the fuel they use, taking care of the grounds, and general maintenance jobs such as replacing a runway light that has burned out and other repairs. He will also be on-call at all times and have the immediate decision-making authority concerning airport operations.

Phelps said he is already training flight instructors who are looking to come on board to help with his flight school, which has six participants. He said he is excited that a recently hired female flight instructor will be working with and serving as a role model for the young female pilots.

Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells Kiwanis clubs help area child get autism-tailored iPad Nora Buchanan, a Baraboo child on the autism spectrum, is receiving an iPad tailored to her communication needs through a Kiwanis Club program.

As a way of giving flight school students a more professional training path and a little more one-on-one attention, Phelps said he hopes to collaborate with local education institutions, such as Portage High School and Madison Area Technical College, so the airport can use classrooms or computers labs for its flight instructors to hold private pilot classes, instrument training classes and commercial pilots classes.

Phelps also plans to give the airport a facelift so it feels more like an airport when people visit, which he said includes painting walls, replacing carpets and creating a whole new theme.

I want to brighten it up with an aviation and flight school theme, said Phelps, so that when people come in, they feel good about the environment.

Phelps said most of the challenges he has faced so far have to do with having virtually no staff and not having a lot of resources to be able to hire staff.

Though he has primarily had to do everything around the airport himself so far, Phelps said he has received a lot of support from the Portage-area aviation community, including Portage EAA chapter members who have offered to help him build a personal office in the main hangar, as well as two Portage High School students who help him clean airplanes and complete various projects around the airport, in return for flight lessons at a discounted rate.

Phelps said hope and excitement about the airport will be major benefits to the community, as the airport really hasnt been able to provide this type of pathway to people before.

He said he feels he has support from the city, which has committed to accepting grants from the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics and the Federal Aviation Administration, which had been left on the table in the past.

Support from the community was never really a question for him, Phelps said, as dozens of community members showed up to protest before an expected council vote on Aug. 24, which could have directed city staff to inquire with the FAA and the state Department of Transportations Bureau of Aeronautics about what it would take to shut down an airport and, in a separate measure, to abolish its airport commission. The council delayed a decision and three weeks later voted to keep the airport open.

I feel like I am fully supported by the city and by the residents, said Phelps. That whole incident facilitated a complete turnaround and coalescing of the Common Council and the airport commission. They got the message from the residents, and it sunk in.

Portage airport to stay open, Common Council says The decision comes three weeks after the council tabled a resolution to obtain information about closing an airport.
Two young boys have died after they fell through the ice on a retention pond on Friday afternoon, Sun Prairie authorities reported Monday.

At about 3:20 p.m. Friday, Sun Prairie police and fire and EMS personnel received a report that two children had fallen through the ice into a retention pond near South Thompson Road, Sun Prairie police Lt. Ryan Cox said in a statement.

The two boys, 8 and 6, were pulled from the pond and taken by ambulance to a local hospital in critical condition, Cox said.

On Monday morning, Cox confirmed that one of the boys had died over the weekend.

Hours later, on Monday night, Assistant Police Chief Shunta Boston said the Dane County Medical Examiner confirmed that the second boy had died.

A dive team from the Madison Fire Department and a boat team from the Dane County Sheriffs Office were requested following reports of additional children potentially being in the area when the two boys fell in. It was determined that only two children went into the pond, but the dive team performed a search as a precaution, Cox said.
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Red Cross says it's seeing a critically low blood supply but we're not seeing that locally here yet.

Vitalant, which handles blood donations in Northern Nevada, says they're aware of the blood shortages across the country.

But they're hopeful blood drives they have scheduled for this week will help ward off a deeper emergency here.

"We have some blood drives in place that if they're successful we're hoping we can avoid at least that local designation but we're definitely needing people to be proactive, says Scott Edward/Senior Recruitment Manager, Vitalant.

They're hoping to collect 3,000 units of blood this month.

The 38th annual 'All Reno Radio Blood Drive' is happening this Wednesday and Thursday in the Paradise Room at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.

Donors can show up between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. either day.

Anyone interested can make an appointment online or by phone by calling 775-329-6451. Walk-ins will also be welcome.

Vitalant needs every blood type this winter, especially type O blood, which is often used for emergencies and life-saving surgeries. Just one unit of blood can save up to three lives.

Only about 3% of the U.S. population donates blood each year, said Scott Edward, senior donor recruitment manager for Vitalant. In northern Nevada we need at least 150 points of blood a day to care for patients at the 22 hospitals we serve in the region.

All donors will receive a pair of Reno Aces tickets, a one-topping pizza from My Pie, a Port of Subs sandwich, a Vitalant I bleed Silver and Blue t-shirt, and entry into several radio station raffles. Additionally, one lucky donor will receive an Atlantis Staycation Package, which includes a one-night stay and a $100 dining certificate.

To make an appointment, click on the link below -
10Clubhomes, a leading consumer goods brand for everything Home & Kitchen, today announced the appointment of Kavitha Rao as their new Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer. Kavitha brings over two decades of leadership experience gained through her journey across various leadership roles in the retail and consumer industry. In her new role with 10clubhomes, Kavitha will lead various business functions to drive growth and profitability.

In addition to this, she will play a pivotal role in spearheading the companys retail expansion plan across both online and offline channels, doubling down on the category roadmap and leading high-performance daily operations to further grow 10clubhomes in the dynamic Indian retail and consumer market. Prior to this, Kavitha Rao was the Managing director of Accentures Retail division where she led the retail industry practice and supported retailers in their transformation journey across business, technology and operations.

Kavitha also worked at IKEA for 7.5 years, where she was part of the India management team in their start-up phase in India. In her last role as Chief Commercial Officer, she was responsible for the business functions of Sales, Marketing, Sourcing, Merchandising, Retail Design, Customer Experience and Food business across both physical and online retail channels; focused on build the IKEA brand. Holding an MBA from IIM Lucknow, she brings a wealth of experience from her consulting roles at Infosys, Capgemini, and Accenture, where she focused on transforming the businesses of various global retailers and consumer companies.

Commenting on the announcement, Bhavna Suresh, Founder, 10clubhomes said, When Kavitha and I discovered that we shared the goal of building a homegrown consumer business in the Home & Kitchen category for India, our shared vision inspired us to join forces. I am thrilled that we have come together, because with Kavitha's extensive expertise and successful track record in the retail and lifestyle industry, it is going to be a much more enjoyable experience building to disrupt this extremely large opportunity. I am immensely grateful to have found a partner of her caliber as she embarks on her entrepreneurial stint. The board and team at 10clubhomes are fully committed to supporting and empowering her as she takes on the mandate with the focus on expansion of the brand, while ensuring explosive growth with a firm hand on profitability."

Speaking on her appointment, Kavitha Rao, Co-founder and COO, 10clubhomes said As the new Co-founder & COO, I am extremely excited for the unlimited opportunities that lie ahead. Together with Bhavna and the entire team at 10clubhomes, I look forward to expanding our footprint across the country with the intent to make high quality home and kitchen products at incredible prices, accessible across all consumer touchpoints. I am committed to steering us towards new heights as I embark on this journey of making 10clubhomes Indias go to consumer brand for everything home and kitchen.

Highlighting the growth potential in the Home category, Kavitha added, "The projected CAGR of 12-15% over the next 5 years underscores the promising trajectory of the Home category, driven by increased consumer spending and the evolving aspirations of Indian consumers for their homes. Going forward, the commitment is to be where our consumers are - whether online or offline. We already have a presence in market places across India, in addition to our own website. We are exploring partnerships and collaborations to build our physical presence and will also explore our own stores. Further, we are actively exploring distribution possibilities for specific products in our range. All these initiatives align with our ambitious goal of becoming a 1000 crore brand in the coming years.

Under Kavitha's leadership, 10clubhomes aims to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers with a strategic focus on brand-building, expansion, product design, and technology to enhance the shopping experience. Various initiatives focussed on deeper market penetration, category expansion and cost optimization will enable 10clubhomes to become a 1000 crore brand in the coming years.

Valued at $30 billion, India's Home and Kitchen industry is rapidly expanding, yet it predominantly exists as an informal category. Recognizing the market potential, 10clubhomes has recently announced a strategic pivot for the next phase of growth with a strong focus on organizing and bringing structure to the informal industry, aiming to become the most trusted and go-to brand for everything home and kitchen across every corner of India.
Britannia Industries has appointed Shree Das as the Head of Social Media and Public Relations. Das announced her new role on LinkedIn, expressing her excitement about joining the company. With over ten years of industry experience, she has previously worked with notable brands such as Unacademy, Lenovo India, and Xiaomi India.

In her new role, Das will work closely with Britannia Industries to effectively communicate the brand's transformation into a global food entity. Additionally, she aims to uphold responsible practices and a firm commitment to bolstering the local economy.
In the last 10 years, PR has taken a different dimension, especially after the entry of social media and the rapid shift to digital during the pandemic period. At the same time, the industry has been facing stiff challenges; moreover client expectations have also increased, with more emphasis being given to digital and online reputation management. The industry has undergone a radical shift and the current times have pushed the industry to change gears.

In PR conversation this week, Archana Jain, CEO, PR Pundit Havas Red, speaks in length about the emerging trends expected to shape the PR industry in 2024, shedding light on the firm's focal points for the year. Given the unpredictable nature of crises, Jain elaborates on the firms crisis management and reputation protection approach for clients. She shares insights into the evolving challenges in this domain and outlines the strategies considered crucial for 2024. Touching upon the increasing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, Jain explains how PR Pundit Havas Red addresses these aspects in both internal operations and client campaigns.

Could you highlight the emerging trends and innovative strategies in the PR industry that are expected to shape the landscape in 2024? How is your firm adapting to stay ahead of these changes?

We are living in the decade of brands. A brand is no longer a product alone, its an emotion, hence to build a brand and strengthen its appeal and relevance, PR must lead the way in emotive story-telling.

The future of PR is in the integrated format where owned media is at the heart of powerful story-telling. Companies must fuel this engine with authentic and human stories. Earned media, shared media and paid media must all align with the brands own voice across its website, LinkedIN, Instagram, X and YouTube.

At PR Pundit Havas Red, our collective of experts have a pulse on the now and new and deliver integrated & effective communication solutions. We nurture client relationships by connecting the dots of communication, collaboration, influence to elevate perceptions. We have increased our relevance by embracing new practices to be always future-ready. We are adept at humanising storytelling, be it via community advocacy, authentic influencer marketing and/or social media management in the age of digital. We pursue an inventive & adaptive communication approach for brands and organisations across platforms, be it traditional and new-age media, digital, social or meta verse.

What are the three things you are going to focus on this year?

Trying to be a force for good and becoming more meaningful is something more businesses need to do. This is not just because our planet needs it, but because consumers and employees wish to support brands and organisations that are committed to people, planet and purpose. These subjects will enjoy a clear PR advantage in 2024 and beyond.

Social media is only going to get bigger in 2024 and beyond as more and more people access and get hooked on to it. Its paramount therefore that we are adept at publishing original content; sharing insights; showing up in the comments; building thought leadership and employer branding on X, LinkedIn, etc. Influencer marketing and KOL collaborations are going to continue to be a critical part of the communications toolbox to tap new cohorts and amplify messages.

The creative sector has always been driven by our unique human voices and imaginations, and thats not going to change in 2024. But we need to harness artificial intelligence more productively. It is already helping PR professionals in terms of data analysis, consumer and industry insights, content generation and more. But in 2024, we will have to learn to steer this machine-generated intelligence more to our advantage. I believe we can overcome the shortfall in available talent and multi-task with smarter use of AI!

How is your PR firm leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, data analytics, and automation to enhance the effectiveness of PR campaigns? What role do you foresee technology playing in PR strategies in the coming year?

In the fast-evolving landscape of PR, tomorrows success hinges on understanding and integrating emerging trends and technologies. From AI-driven analytics to computer generated images, harnessing innovations is the cornerstone to success.

As technology continues to advance, so will the need to acquire new skills to adapt to the changing landscape. The demand for expertise in data analytics, digital marketing and AI integration is where PR professionals need to enhance their skill set to remain competitive in their roles.

We are pursuing many avenues for skill enhancement and ongoing learning to ensure professional growth and adaptation to evolving industry demands. We have new AI tools being discussed each week to ensure teams are well-prepared for the dynamic industry landscape.

Given the unpredictable nature of crises, how does your firm approach crisis management and reputation protection for clients? Can you share any insights into the evolving challenges in this area and the strategies you believe will be crucial in 2024?

The backbone of crisis management has always been and will always be preparation. We work with our clients to plan for, on how to respond to and then recover from crisis events  with a view to safeguarding the company and brands image to minimise long-term reputational damage. We do so by pursuing pre-emptive measures like a vulnerability analysis of the business, training key stakeholders on a coordinated and timely response, outlining a media and social media communications plan, including recommended procedures, protocols, etc. Given the diversity of possible crises and the fact that every specific event will unfold differently and have varying impacts at different times, we canvas a range of generic actions that will assist management in responding to an incident. We believe in building a forward-looking approach of being prepared, build a culture of communicating proactively and develop a mindset of dynamic decision making.

With an increasing emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, how is your PR firm addressing these aspects in both internal operations and client campaigns? What steps are you taking to ensure a more inclusive representation in your client portfolio and within your organisation?

PR Pundit Havas Red has always promoted a harmonious and healthy working environment that supports everyones equitable growth and development. It fosters a culture where diverse voices and perspectives are encouraged and respected, and where all employees are equally supported in developing their careers.

Now as part of Havas, we are committed to Havas All In, their global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) program, which includes a wide range of initiatives across ethnic and cultural representation, gender equality, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, wellness, age, and other topics.

With an increasing number of our clients adopting progressive DE&I programs, DE&I is expected to be an extremely relevant part of storytelling for employer branding.

As clients increasingly demand measurable results, how does your firm approach measuring the success and return on investment (ROI) of PR campaigns? Are there specific metrics or tools you find particularly effective, and how do you anticipate the measurement landscape evolving in 2024?

We have always pursued a measurement by objectives approach which aligns success measurement to end goals and benchmarked against category norms. Our standard reporting includes a breakdown of media/social coverage and reach; a digital sentiment analysis against performance KPIs with a focus on relevant stakeholders; and improvement in media sentiment, including uptick in positive inbound media enquiries.

In some cases, an enhanced reporting dashboard is created which combines data from third party independent platforms, media coverage, enhanced social media/ listening and metrics to evaluate paid campaigns. Relevant KPIs are tracked from increase in media and website traffic; increases in keyword rankings for specific topics and leaders.

Measuring the impact of communications activities needs an additional budget and we hope that in 2024 our clients will allocate more resources to help us capture sentiment to track progress and measure the impact of campaigns via before-and-after stakeholder surveys.

How has the PR industry performed in 2023, and what has been the experience for both your firm and the broader industry throughout the year?

As the world opened up after the pandemic, India emerged as a stronger economic centre, with a powerful voice in the world, and is the centre of business attention. This has had a healthy rub-off for the Indian PR industry. India is a key market in a larger number of global RFPs today.

The growth momentum experienced in the global PR industry has been stronger in India.

I believe India will continue to grow faster than other economies in 2024. The growing investment in infrastructure, Indias attractiveness for investments, and an increasing confidence among Indian brands to make a global mark, 2024 may just be the year of India. In parallel, the Indian PR industry has come of age too, and we shall tango in the growth story of our economy.
Younion, a pioneering marketing agency that has redefined the way brands connect with their audiences, today announced the appointment of Arindam Roychowdhury as Vice President - Strategic Growth.

In his new role as VP of Strategic Growth at Younion, Arindam will help Younion in developing growth strategies, identifying and creating strong opportunity pipelines, and fostering robust client relationships. Under Arindam's leadership, Younion aims to capitalize on several exciting opportunities for growth, emphasizing the seamless integration of emotional and transactional dimensions in marketing. To expand into new markets, Arindams role will include responsibilities such as conducting market research, leveraging existing client relationships, and exploring strategic collaborations.

Arindam's diverse professional journey has equipped him with a unique perspective on providing business solutions that foster meaningful connections between brands and their audiences. With nearly three decades in the field of marketing, Arindams past roles include prominent positions at Dentsu, Fountainhead MKTG, and VMLY&R Encompass, where he managed projects for globally recognized brands across diverse sectors such as Mondelez, Toyota, Apple, BOSCH, IKEA, Discovery, Diageo, and TVS. Notably, Arindam served as the project manager for the India Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010.

Welcoming Arindam to the team, Shajesh Menon, Founder and CEO, Younion said, "We are delighted to welcome Arindam to the Younion family. His extensive experience and strategic vision align perfectly with our ambitious growth plans. Arindam's appointment marks a significant moment for Younion, and we are eager to witness the transformative impact he will have on our strategic growth. With Arindam leading our strategic initiatives, we are confident in our ability to deepen client relationships, expand into new verticals, and cultivate a dynamic team across focus regions. His leadership will undoubtedly play a crucial role in propelling Younion to new heights in the realm of brand experiences."

Sharing his excitement on joining Younion, Arindam Roychowdhury, Vice President - Strategic Growth, Younion shared "I am overjoyed to become a part of the Younion family and embark on this exciting journey of strategic growth. Younion's dedication to redefining the brand experiences landscape is truly invigorating, and I am thrilled to contribute to its ongoing success. My vision is to not only establish Younion as a sought-after industry player but also to create a culture of creativity and innovation within the team. Together, we will shape a future where Younion stands out as a leader in the experiential marketing domain, driving growth, and fostering meaningful connections."

With Arindams appointment, the company looks forward to achieving new heights in the realm of brand experiences under his strategic guidance.
The murder mystery of Kerala is as heinous as the Amroha murder case, which refers to an April 2008 familicide in Uttar Pradesh by Shabnam Ali and her lover Saleem, who murdered seven members of Shabnam Alis family by sedating six of them and then hacking them to death; the seventh victim, a ten-month-old was murdered unsedated. There are many crime stories where a woman is the murderer of her own family for her own reasons. One of the murder cases is Jolly Joseph, a resident of Koodathai in the Kozhikode district of Kerala.

Jolly hails from Kattappana in Keralas Idukki district and is reportedly a first-year college dropout. Jolly was a very social and joyful person. She was the first in her family to go to college, and she was a go-getting woman who was said to have ambitions beyond the farm. Her ambitions were taken over by her greed and her greed made her mindless and cruel.

It all began after Jolly Joseph married Roy Thomas, the eldest son of Koodathais Ponnamattam family, whom she met during a family event at a relatives house in 1997. Roy had a younger brother, Rojo Thomas, and a sister, Renji. They were a sophisticated family. Annamma was a working woman all her life who told Jolly to get a job herself. Annamma Thomas was a school teacher. Thomas family believed in her lies, as Jolly was very good at showing off. At the time of marriage, Jolly had lied about having an M.Com. degree. Her outgoing persona impressed the family and they never thought of investigating the claims made by Jolly.

After her first marriage, Jolly moved to Koodathayi. Annammas persistence increased after she retired as a school teacher. This bothered Jolly for a long time, and she was worried that Annamma might find out about her lies. Jollys only aim was to possess Roys properties and finances but Annamma was a hindrance to her dishonest ambitions. After retirement, Annamma started remaining at home full time. The butcheries began in 2002 with the death of Jollys mother-in-law, Annamma. Jolly wanted control over the family and finances. She wanted all that authority to rule the family. As per reports, Jollys mom-in-law was believed to have died of a cardiac arrest considering her age until the truth was exposed a decade after Jollys arrest in 2019. Jolly confessed her crime of killing Annamma by lacing her mutton soup with poison. Annamma was a very dominating woman. After killing Annamma, Jolly took over the family matters; her dreams of being the sole possessor of the family werent fulfilled as Roy was not the only heir. The couple had two grown up sons.

She killed six in all, including her first husband, Roy. In 2019, when Jolly Joseph was arrested, she shocked the entire state of Kerala as well as India. She remained in the headlines for months. Each time, Jolly managed to escape, until her brother-in-law and sister-in-law got suspicious and decided to have the deaths in the family investigated. Her only motive was said to have been an easy, lavish life. Jolly used cyanide to kill her family members with the intent of taking control over their assets. Jollys victims included her first husband Roy, her father-in-law Tom Thomas, her mother-in-law Annamma Thomas, Annammas brother Mathew Manchadiyil, her second husband Shajus first wife Cili, and their daughter Alphine.

After every killing, she convinced everyone around her that the deaths were natural and made-up stories to ensure there was no room for doubt. Second on Jollys list of victims was her father-in-law, Tom Thomas. The time difference between the two murders was six years, leaving little room for suspicion. Tom worked as a senior clerk in the education department. Jolly reportedly had her eyes set on Toms property as her husband Roy didnt have a stable job to fulfil her demands. Tom owned a decent amount of land. Jolly feared he would give his property to his younger, US-settled son Rojo, and she would be left with nothing. In 2008, Tom was in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where his daughter Renji lived with her family after marriage. From there, he had planned to fly to the US. But Jolly called him back, telling him that she was pregnant and that her husband was drinking too much. Tom returned to Kerala, and soon Jolly killed him by giving him cyanide through a capsule that he used to take. At that time, it seemed to the world that Jolly was the first one to find the dead body, after which she called for help, convincing everyone that it was a cardiac arrest. Jolly had managed to get possession of her father-in-laws title deeds and pretend to have a forged will according to which all of his properties would go to her husband, Roy, after Toms death.

The cyanide was supplied to Jolly by MS Mathew, with whom she had an extramarital affair. Mathew used to work for a veterinary firm. Jolly convinced Mathew to help her after telling him that her father-in-law had found out about their relationship. It was Roys turn now; his death gave the first ever hints of a murder. He apparently knew about her relationship with Matthew and even questioned her about it. In 2011, Roy was found lying unconscious on the floor of his bathroom, vomiting and frothing from his mouth. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Roys siblings and their 68-year-old uncle Mathew (not the one who is Jollys lover) suspected foul play and managed to get an autopsy done, which revealed the presence of cyanide in his body. Jolly, however, managed to convince the police that Roy was a depressed alcoholic and had ended his own life after falling into a huge debt. The local police did not investigate the matter further at that time.

For making a police complaint, her next target was Uncle Manchadiyil Mathew. Mathew also discovered Jollys relationship with MS Mathew. This made Jolly very angry. In 2014, Jolly claimed the old mans life by mixing cyanide in his drink. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital by Jolly herself and his neighbours, but he was dead by then. Jolly had the desire to marry Shaju Zacharias, her husbands first cousin, given that he had a good job and was well-settled. Alphine, Shajus year-old daughter, became her fifth victim. Alphine was given cyanide at her siblings Holy Communion. The sixth victim was Shajus first wife, Cili. Jolly planned to kill Cili so she could marry Shaju. In 2016, she killed Cili by lacing her drink with cyanide. This happened when Cili accompanied her for a dental appointment. Since the death occurred in a public place, no one raised suspicion, and Jolly managed to escape doubt once again. A year after Cilis death, Shaju tied the knot with Jolly.

The reality of the deaths unfolded in 2019, and it was established that all the deaths in Koodathai were murders. According to India Today reports, the case came to light when Rojo Thomas, son of Tom Thomas, filed a complaint in 2019 expressing suspicions about the deaths. After Rojos complaint, the police, under Kozhikode Rural SP KG Simon IPS, initiated an investigation. Following discrepancies in the initial findings, the police were prompted to open the family grave, leading to the discovery that all six deaths were, in fact, murders. Jolly was arrested on October 5, 2019, and she confessed to all her crimes. Matthew, who supplied the cyanide, was also arrested. Both remain in custody and are currently facing trial. This murder saga has become a Netflix documentary, largely based on the investigations done by India Today and other media publications.
A veteran and minority-owned medical supply company has chosen to launch its $3.3 million manufacturing operation in Birmingham, creating 30 jobs.

Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair announced Tuesday that Primordial Ventures will produce high-quality medical supplies, such as medical-grade tubing, catheter kits, and urine and cadaver bags.

Its Birmingham operation is expected to begin production in the early part of this year at 1318 First Ave. N. in the citys innovation district, The Switch.

The Magic City won out over prospective locations in Florida, such as Jacksonville and Ocala, and Doraville and Duluth in Georgia.

Primordial Ventures will do more than just create new jobs at its Birmingham operation  this promising startups facility will also help to lessen our nations dependence on foreign sources for in-demand medical supplies, McNair said. The pandemics supply-chain disruptions exposed the need for domestic production of these critical items, and thats a core mission for this company.

Primordial Ventures primary focus is to manufacture and distribute supplies to markets in the U.S., Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

Birminghams appeal stems from its alignment to our mission and vision, Primordial Ventures President Nicholas Alexander said. We have found it to be accessible, amenable to establishing network affiliations, and most importantly, committed to supporting our business after we land in Birmingham.

Alexander said the company is committed to hiring minorities, veterans, and the disabled while also developing a skilled work force to manufacture and distribute U.S. products to domestic and international customers.

The Birmingham Business Alliance, the City of Birmingham, Jefferson County and REV Birmingham helped the company select its future location.

The BBA projects the economic impact of the project at $3.7 million over 20 years.
One of Alabamas most recognizable food brands has been acquired by an investment firm.

Fenwick Food Group, a division of Fenwick Brands Inc., has acquired Wickles Pickles, for an undisclosed amount.

Fenwick Food Group is an operating platform for food businesses and includes Alabama-based Moores Marinades & Sauces. Headquarters will be in Birmingham, the company said in a news release.

Founded by brothers Will and Trey Sims, along with Andy Anderson back in 1998, Wickles started out with its founders hand-packing the pickles in a small house in Dadeville, turning out a mere 27 cases a day. Now the brand is available in all 50 states.

Fenwick is the perfect partner to accelerate the brands growth trajectory while preserving its identity and operating roots. Were excited to see Wickles get the resources and investment it deserves to scale, Will Sims said.

Melissa Baker partnered with Benny M. LaRussa, Jr. in 2013 to form Fenwick Food Group, focusing on the consumer packaged goods sector.

Baker said Fenwick Food Groups investment strategy is built to operate a platform of food brands that have profiles similar to Wickles and Moores.

We were aligned on the long-term vision and strategy for the brand, which cemented the partnership. Will, Trey and Andy have built an incredible brand with impressive momentum, Baker, president and CEO of Fenwick Food Group, said. Two Alabama-based consumer brands coming together is special in the broader consumer packaged goods industry and made the investment more relational than transactional.

The Wickles deal closed on Nov. 29.

Our long-term strategy is to curate a food platform with a handful of brands that could benefit from a shared team, investment and operational synergies, Baker said. Scale is becoming increasingly more difficult and expensive, and we want to help similar brands with strong consumer demand stay around.
Months after its expected start date, a Dothan charter school has yet to open its doors  and now its ability to operate is at risk.

The Barnabas School of Leadership, originally part of the Greater Beulah Baptist Church, was slated to become the first charter school in the Dothan area. It was initially set to open in August 2023 to about 350 students, but months later, officials are asking commissioners for permission to delay the opening another year.

This community needs this school, Rev. Darryl Roberts, executive director of the Barnabas School, said at an Alabama Public Charter School Commission Monday evening. Our representatives want this school in this community, in spite of all of the challenges that are going on to stop this school from opening or coming to fruition.

At Mondays meeting, commissioners expressed numerous concerns about leaders ability to open the school on time, citing inadequate financial information and issues with staffing, governance and facilities.

Lane Knight, the commissions legal counsel, said the school is currently in breach of its contract, and has two options: surrender its charter, or leave it up to the commission to decide whether to revoke it.

If were going to have this school, we need to perform a miracle, Commissioner Luis Ferrer told Roberts Monday. Right now we dont have students, we dont have staff, we dont have a board.

Roberts said the principal previously hired by the school abruptly left days before the scheduled start of classes. Then, he said, the church that was going to front many of the costs pulled out, too.

If it looks like were just negligent or behind, this is why, he said.

Roberts was formerly the pastor of Greater Beulah Baptist Church. He resigned in September, according to WDHN News, after a legal dispute with the church.

Roberts requested that the board accept his request to change the schools location to the former Grandview Elementary School in Dothan, where he has secured a $9,000 monthly lease for a facility.

An October report from the schools CPA firm, Ferguson, Sizemore and Associates was unable to make an analysis of the schools funds, stating that management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures required by accounting principles, according to a reading of the report by Commissioner Ryan Kendall. AL.com has not yet received a copy of the report.

The school now has about $39,000 in its budget and a line of credit for $35,000, according to additional documents read by the commission. Roberts said that leaders have also applied for two $250,000 grants.

No one is currently on payroll, but the school has secured a principal who is working as a consultant until doors open, he said. Leaders are also working with a vendor to get quotes on updated technology and internet services in the new facility, but have not paid anyone yet.

Theres a huge gap here, not to mention the building itself, Kendall said. $39,000, Im going to venture to guess, is not going to be enough to renovate a school and get it up and running.

The commission voted to hold a hearing with Barnabas leaders at its next meeting on Jan. 22, where it will decide whether or not to revoke its charter.
What are your plans for 2024? If they include close-to-home travel, then why not choose a couple of places youve never been before but always wanted to see? Alabama offers so many fun, quirky places to visit. This short list is just a sampler of the many must-see attractions around the state.

If you want good news delivered to your inbox each week, sign up for the This is Alabama newsletter.

Why cross the Atlantic Ocean when you can see a replica of Stonehenge close to home in Elberta, Alabama?Kelly Kazek

Bamahenge

Everyone has heard of Stonehenge, the prehistoric circular stone monument in England. But have you heard about Bamahenge? George Barber of Elberta commissioned artist Mark Cline to not only build a replica of the mysterious Stonehenge but also to create a huge Lady in the Bay in Barber Marina as well as four giant dinosaur sculptures in the woods. How wonderfully weird is that?

Conecuh Sausage's new, 7,000-square-foot gift shop has opened at I-65 Exit 96, behind McDonald's.

Foodie favorites

As your travel north and south along I-65, there are three stops you shouldnt miss  each one its own destination. At the Clanton exit, youll find Peach Park, which celebrates Alabamas famous Chilton County peaches. Dont miss the homemade peach ice cream, peach cobbler and fried peach pies. When you hit Greenville, be sure to stop at Priesters Pecans, where you can sample every type of pecan you can imagine, shop for gifts and sit in rocking chairs on the big front porch. And in Evergreen, check out the Conecuh Sausage Gift Shop, which carries everything Conecuh so you can stock up.

Read more: 12 restaurants to put on your 2024 calendar

Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, Ala. features a 90-foot waterfall. (FILE)Dennis Pillion

Noccalula Falls

A statue at the top of a 90-foot waterfall depicts the tragic tale of Noccalula, the daughter of a Native American Indian chief who, rather than marry someone she didnt love, jumped to her death. Visitors can listen to the rushing water, walk along paved trails or ride an authentic Huntington miniature train  or even stay in the campground along Black Creek Gorge.

Read more: Great Alabama waterfalls

Visitors to Spectre throw their shoes over this power line, just like the characters did in the movie "Big Fish."

Spectre

The fictional town of Spectre, the brainchild of Alabamas Daniel Wallace, who wrote the 1998 novel Big Fish that was made into a movie of the same name, is basically an abandoned movie set with an assortment of hollow cottages whose only residents are a herd of goats. Its no wonder Spectre, which is on Jackson Lake Island near Millbrook, is a tourist attraction and popular wedding spot.

Read more: The ghost town of Spectre

Horton Mill Covered Bridge in Blount County, photographed in 2017. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com). al.comal.com

Covered bridges

The three historic covered bridges in Blount County are a romantic throwback to another time  so much so, in fact, that two of them are now closed to vehicular traffic. The Horton Mill Bridge, originally built in 1894, the Swann Bridge, built around 1933, and circa-1927 Easley Bridge are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Horton Mill and Swann are now closed to traffic, but pedestrians are welcome to walk through all three bridges.

Read more: Preserving the romance of Alabamas covered bridges
Mobiles Africatown Heritage House is one of the 10 best new museums to visit in the United States, according to voters in USA Todays 10Best Readers Choice awards.

The Heritage House opened in July 2023 to great fanfare; pending the construction of a new Africatown Welcome Center, the Heritage House provides a much-needed point of entry for area residents and tourists interested in the story of the slave ship Clotilda and the community founded by survivors of its final voyage. Its also the first public display of artifacts from the sunken wreck of the Clotilda.

In late November, the Heritage House was included on a ballot of 16 institutions up for Top 10 honors. According to information provided by the History Museum of Mobile, the Heritage House was nominated by travel journalists whod visited Mobile. Online voting continued through Christmas Day.

In the 10Best list, the Heritage House comes in at No. 9, ahead of the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C., and behind the Moonshot Museum in Pittsburgh. The list is topped by the Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum in Pennsylvania; the full ranking can be found at 10best.usatoday.com.

The blurb for the Heritage House says that With 2,500 square feet of exhibit space to explore, guests can immerse themselves in the firsthand stories of Africatown residents during a visit, seeing exhibits that include West African artifacts in abundance.

This museum is reshaping the Africatown community and changing humanity around the world for the better with every new visitor, said Visit Mobile CEO, David Clark. The people and heritage of Africatown are one of Mobiles most poignant stories, and that is saying a great deal for a city more than 300 years old.

For more on Clotilda: The Exhibition at the Africatown Heritage House, visit clotilda.com.
Soap opera fans mourned when actress Jacklyn Zeman, a beloved veteran on General Hospital, died in May 2023 at age 70.

Zeman, who had portrayed the character of Bobbie Spencer for more than 45 years, made her last appearance on the ABC daytime series on April 27, 2023. She performed on more than 800 episodes of the soap, and despite other acting jobs, Bobbie Spencer became her signature role.

Now, about eight months after Zemans death, General Hospital will pay tribute to Bobbie Spencer  and the actress who played her  on two episodes of the series set for Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 10-11.

A 15-second teaser for the tribute episodes was released Monday on YouTube, showing a funeral service for the character of attended by many of the series stars. Bobbie Spencer was an experience, says Laura Spencer, a character played by Genie Francis. One that I will truly miss.

The video also includes clips of Zemans journey on the show, playing a spunky nurse and the sister of fan favorite Luke Spencer (played by Anthony Geary).

Attending the characters funeral are General Hospital cast members such as Finola Hughes, Kristina Wagner, Laura Wright, Maurice Benard, Kelly Monaco and Chad Duell.

The cast of "General Hospital" appears in two episodes devoted to the funeral of Bobbie Spencer, who was played by Jacklyn Zeman. Zeman, a longtime regular on "General Hospital," died in May 2023.(Disney/Christine Bartolucci)

Here are the synopses of the tribute episodes, released by ABC:

Wednesday, January 10, Tribute Part 1: It is the day of Bobbie Spencers memorial, as the town of Port Charles mourns the loss of their beloved friend. Felicia and Carly come together to honor Bobbie. Carly is forced to reckon with her familys past and close her mothers unfinished business.

Thursday, January 11, Tribute Part 2: Carly and Felicia travel to Amsterdam to tend to the business Bobbie left. Meanwhile, Maxie and a reporter sit down with the people of Port Charles to share their memories of Bobbie. Carly dedicates a lovely tribute to her mother.

General Hospital airs at 1 p.m. daily on ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. Check local listings for ABC affiliates in other cities. Full episodes also can be viewed on the ABC website, via subscriptions with various TV providers. The series also streams on Hulu.
Brianna Burrell is in Florida this week for the Miss America competition. As Miss Alabama 2023, Burrell is one of 51 women vying to become Miss America 2024. The title comes with scholarship money and a yearlong reign. Miss America 2023, Grace Stanke, will crown her successor at the finals.

(See photos of all 51 Miss America contestants in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Preliminary events for Miss America are planned through Saturday, Jan. 13, along with receptions, interviews, rehearsals, a breakfast, a talent showcase, a fashion show and more. The Miss America finals are set for Sunday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. CT at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando. The theater, 445 South Magnolia Ave., is part of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Also, online voting is underway for an Americas Choice spot at the Miss America competition on Sunday. Votes can be cast for donations of $1 or more. The contestant with the most votes gets a place in the top 10 at the finals event, according to the Miss America website.

Miss Americas Teen will be chosen in Orlando this week, as well, with finals set for Saturday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. CT. Elaina Burt of Birmingham, Miss Alabamas Teen 2023, is representing the state in that competition, which is linked to Miss America.

Tickets for the Miss America finals are sold out, according to the Miss America website. The pageant will not be broadcast on television this year. However, the Miss America finals show will stream online, and you can watch it for free at the Watch Miss America website.

Theres also a streaming bundle that allows viewers to see several other events this week, including preliminaries for Miss America, preliminaries for Miss Americas Teen and the finals for Miss Americas Teen. The bundle costs $99 at the Watch Miss America website.

Miss Alabama 2023 won her title in July, competing as Miss Baldwin County at Samford Universitys Wright Center in Birmingham. Burrell, from Mobile, is a graduate of the University of South Alabama, where she majored in political science. She plans to attend graduate school at the University of Alabama, studying educational administration.

READ: Miss Alabama 2023: Brianna Burrell, Miss Baldwin County, takes the crown

Burrell, 26, is the third Black woman to earn the title of Miss Alabama in the competitions 102-year history, following Tiara Pennington, Miss Alabama 2019-2020, and Kalyn Chapman James, Miss Alabama 1993. (Pennington held the crown an extra year during the coronavirus pandemic.)

Over the past five months, Burrell has been making public appearances, doing charity work, speaking to community groups, motivating students and more. Her community service initiative as Miss Alabama is SAVE-A-STEM, which encourages engagement in science, technology, engineering and math for students of color and underfunded schools.

During a July interview with Burrell, AL.com asked how she felt about moving on to national stage.

Miss America, thats a pretty big deal, a national representative, Burrell said. Im ready to take the work that Ive done these past two years, and expand it to broader boundaries across the state, and hopefully across the nation. Im excited to see what Miss America is going to look like over the next couple of years.

READ: Miss Alabama 2023, the states third Black woman crowned: Im proud to represent the South

At least one other woman with Alabama ties is in the running for Miss America 2024. Taylor Blatchford, a graduate of the University of Alabama, is competing in the pageant as Miss Nevada 2023.

Blatchford is a veteran of the Miss Alabama pageant, competing for the state title in 2021 and 2022. She earned a masters degree in advertising and public relations at the University of Alabama, and moved on a public relations job in Las Vegas. Blatchford won the title of Miss Nevada in June 2023, competing as Miss Boulder City.
With heavy construction work coming soon on Mobiles new international airport terminal, the Mobile Airport Authority Board has begun to take steps to assure that the cash can flow as needed for a project whose predicted price tag is now over $380 million.

Thats a substantial jump from a year ago, when officials said the estimated price tag had risen to $330 million. But they said theyre confident that ongoing efforts to secure state, local and federal funds can bridge a funding gap that has grown along with the estimated cost.

At a special MAA board meeting on Thursday, Airport Authority planners took the first steps toward securing a revolving line of credit needed to mediate between the amount that is in hand or pledged, well over $200 million, and the checks that the MAA will have to write in the near future.

The MAA is in the process of shifting commercial passenger traffic from Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to the Brookley Aeroplex, in the expectation that interstate access and proximity to downtown will make Mobile more appealing to air travelers and more competitive with other airports in the region. It has built a small terminal at Brookley to serve low-cost carriers, but the plan requires a full new international terminal and all related facilities. In the meantime the smaller terminal has been used off and on by carriers such as Avelo, which recently announced a seasonal suspension of flights to Orlando.

As the board met Thursday, participants had to follow a detour around work on Michigan Avenue to reach the existing passenger terminal, using a temporary roadway across an empty stretch of airfield asphalt. The temporary route was fully fenced in; Curry confirmed that even such seemingly mundane steps had to meet FAA standards and sometimes involved Transportation Security Administration oversight as well. Essentially, youre modifying the airfield, he said.

Framing for new buildings stands on the Airbus campus at Mobile's Brookley Aeroplex on Jan. 4, 2024.Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

Continual heavy truck traffic in and out of the nearby Airbus campus, where girders for new buildings were visible, has been the norm for a while now. The detour was a concrete sign that similar activity is not far away for a second massive project at Brookley.

Primary participants in the discussion were Elliot Maisel, chairman of the MAA board; MAA President Chris Curry; and representatives of Hoar Program Management (HPM), which is overseeing the project. Conducted in broad terms, it outlined the complexity of the airport funding situation: Though well over $200 million has been committed to the project via city, county, state and federal sources, the money isnt available for use whenever and however the airport authority might like.

Much of it is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, limiting its uses. Some is available up front, some later. Much is available on a reimbursement basis. Curry said the FAA wont support revenue generating structures such as a planned parking deck or even concession areas within the terminal  so theres a whole set of calculus to determine what percentage of the terminal cost is eligible for FAA funding. (Its right at 70%.)

Within our program management team, there is a position within their team that is specifically assigned to make sure that we are using the right buckets of money to their maximum potential, said Curry. Because if you dont get that piece right, you can have enough money, but if its not properly allocated, you could have money left over in places that you can no longer use.

James Adams, an HPM regional vice president, and HPM Project Manager Foster Veazey cautioned that a financial summary sheet handed out to board members contained some out-of-date numbers. The real picture, they said, was laid out in a far more complex spreadsheet.

That said, the summary sheet showed a total funding needed based on executed contracts and cost estimates of $381 million. Thats substantial jump from a year ago: Around the time a ceremonial groundbreaking was held in December 2022, Curry said rising costs, particularly when it came to construction materials, had pushed the estimate to $330 million.

The rising price tag increases the difficulty of opening the new facility debt-free, as Curry has said he hopes to do. When he first spoke about that goal in late 2021, the new airport was projected to cost about $252 million.

The summary sheet used at Thursdays meeting showed available funding of $264 million; Curry said Monday that the actual figure was more like $241 million. That would leave a potential gap of $140 million. However, both Maisel and Currey expressed confidence that more funding was available and that the MAAs ongoing efforts would bridge the gap.

I see this through the prism of where we started some number of years ago, Maisel said during the meeting. We had nothing. So my sort of gut feeling is that were going to get the rest  The project is going to transform the city. Its well known in the city, its well known in the state, its well known in D.C. Theres nobody that doesnt understand what were doing. Theres eligible funds available that we havent tapped yet. The legislature meets every year. Im very confident were going to get it.

Curry said several factors are behind the growth of the projected cost to $381 million. One is the addition of additional surface parking that will cost more than $2 million. Another is that the construction management team have been developing more detailed plans and estimates. A third is that plans for the new terminal itself have been modified.

When we started three years ago with this project, we were, we were at around $252 million, Curry said. That was three years ago for the master plan. The latest number that we carried as we got closer to construction and design, once we brought the construction and design team on, we had a number of about $350 million.

We tweaked some components of it, he said. And we found out that we needed slightly more space within the terminal after our consultation with the airlines, with TSA and with Customs & Border Protection.

The $381 million price tag is conservative, Curry said. It could be lower as those bids come in. We just dont know. But thats the number that our construction management team has estimated for the project. Maisel and Curry both said that so far, some bids have been running below estimates. They hope that trend will continue.

The biggest chunk of the funding gap concerns parking: $66.2 million for a parking deck and $2.3 million more for surface parking lots. The deck and lots are ineligible for FAA funding.

Maisel commented that if the MAA were to finance the construction of the parking deck, its likely that revenue from parking would go to servicing that loan. Thats one path forward, he said, but not the preferred one. We need the revenue from the parking garage for cash flow, he said. For that to happen, the MAA has to find money to build the deck.

After a brief executive session, the board appeared to have mapped out a plan of action: Between now and the boards February meeting, staff will develop several scenarios to define its anticipated credit needs. Maisel said he expects thatll come in between $75 million and $100 million. By its March board meeting, the board should finalize its presentation to potential lenders. The line of credit needs to be in place before some big bid packages come up in the summer.

Maisel expressed confidence that the board was taking a prudent, conservative approach to its calculations. He also said he thought the MAAs past success in lining up money for the project will continue. That said, it makes sense to develop a plan based on where we are right now, he said.

From here, Curry said, visible activity will ramp up quickly.

Were on a very aggressive schedule to meet a November 2025 opening, he said. Were going to be be moving extremely fast. One thing I would say is that Ive been in and around the industry quite a bit, and for quite a bit of time, and there is no other airport that I can think of, pound for pound, that has been able to garner the amount of participation monetarily in an airport terminal program as Mobile. From Senator Shelbys help in Washington, to the governor, to the mayor, the county, everybody has stepped up by their monetary participation.

So for us to have the amount of money that we have right now, thats dedicated to this project, is phenomenal. Especially when you think about it, and as Elliot said, we started with zero. So were very, very optimistic that were gonna get there.

Ive been here six years and if you would ask people over the years, they would certainly say that they had doubts about this ever happening, said Curry. And even as we started construction, some people probably still have doubts. But its going to happen.
In his first interview since his assault and harassment conviction nearly three weeks ago, actor Jonathan Majors on Monday spoke with ABC News Linsey Davis in a segment that aired on Good Morning America, while once again referencing civil rights icon and Alabama native Coretta Scott King.

A New York jury last month found the 34-year-old Creed III star guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation for a March altercation with his then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.

In a phone recording reviewed by the jury, Majors told Jabbari that she should act more like Coretta Scott King and Michelle Obama. Im a great man. A great man. I do great things for my culture and for the world...The woman that supports me needs to be a great woman, Majors said in the recording. Two nights ago, you did not do that, which took away from the plan.

In the ABC interview, Majors explained to Davis what he meant by that statement. It was me trying to give an analogy of what it is Im aspiring to be, these great men, he told ABC. Martin. President Obama. Trying to give a reference point to that.

Jabbari said in court that she understood it to mean that he had to come first.

Davis also discussed Majors new relationship with actress Megan Good. He said that Good has provided support to him throughout the experience. Shes an angel. Shes held me down like...like a Coretta. You know? he said. Im so blessed to have her. The relationship is still fresh, but I think I found her.

Since the interview aired this morning, Coretta has been trending on X (formerly known as Twitter), with many users criticizing Majors portrayal of who Coretta Scott King was to Martin Luther King Jr.

Author George M. Johnson tweeted, Reducing Coretta Scott King to a ride or die chick is pathetic.

Reducing Coretta Scott King to a ride or die chick is pathetic. https://t.co/5RnJOh8wIQ  George M Johnson Garcon (@IamGMJohnson) January 8, 2024

Popular podcaster Scottie Beam wrote in another tweet, I am almost sure Jonathan Majors doesnt know any of Coretta Scott Kings accolades outside of her being MLKs wife.

I am almost sure Jonathan Majors doesnt know any of Coretta Scott Kings accolades outside of her being MLKs wife.  Deets (@ScottieBeam) January 8, 2024

Culture writer Gloria Alamrew wrote a longer tweet, in part saying, ...Meanwhile she was an accomplished musician, author, and a civil rights leader.

It's so funny to me how men like Majors view Coretta as merely supplementary to MLK Jr.'s legacy. She was there only to "hold him down." Reduced to nothing more than a smiling, doting prop.



Meanwhile she was an accomplished musician, author, and a civil rights leader.  gloria alamrew /   (@GloriaAlamrew) January 8, 2024

Coretta Scott King is originally from Heiberger, Alabama. She attended Antioch College in Ohio to study music on a scholarship before transferring to New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She became politically active while in school, joining the local chapter of the NAACP.

She met Martin Luther King Jr. at New England Conservatory before they married in 1953. The Kings moved to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1954 where Martin was appointed pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. The couple had four children: Yolanda, Dexter, Martin III, and Bernice.

Coretta always advocated for world peace in her work with the Civil Rights Movement. After the passing of Martin, she continued her work and mission of world peace, wrote the book My Life with Martin Luther King Jr., secured Martins legacy with The King Center and worked to make MLK Day a national holiday.
Israel describes its ethnic cleansing in Gaza as a "war against Hamas", and calls any support for Palestine "terrorist sympathy". At the same time, Israel has done everything possible to strengthen Hamas grip on Gaza, as a counterbalance to the socialist and secular currents of the Palestinian freedom struggle. So who is really fuelling terrorism?

[Originally published in Swedish at marxist.se]

The slogan of the communists, "Intifada to victory", has been deliberately misinterpreted by reactionaries and reformists around the world. In Britain, The Telegraph has accused our comrades of "inciting violence" in universities. In Switzerland, police have tried to stop our student demonstrations after several tabloids warned of "pro-Hamas rallies" at universities. In Sweden, our comrades at Lund University have been accused of calling for "waves of terror" in the local student newspaper.

Any call for an intifada is equated with support for the Hamas attack on 7 October - something that could not be further from the truth. The intifadas' revolutionary and democratic traditions of mass protests, boycotts and strikes have long been a thorn in the side of the Israeli occupying forces. And precisely because of this, Hamas has long enjoyed indirect political and economic support from Israel.

"A counterweight to the PLO and communists"

Hamas was formed from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood in the midst of the first intifada in 1988. Its purpose was to defend the interests of Mujama al-Islamiyah, a charity founded by the Brotherhood's leader in Gaza, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. After two decades of persecution in Egypt under Nasser, the Brotherhood sought a safe haven in Gaza, which had come under Israeli rule after the 1967 Six Day War. Israel opened the door, gave legal recognition to the organisation and allowed them to freely accumulate capital and properties during the 1970s and 1980s. A large network of schools, mosques and Gaza's universities was built, giving the Brotherhood a strong new base.

The Mujama's growing material and political influence in Gaza inevitably brought them into conflict with the Palestinian left and the PLO. Among other things, they stormed the offices of the Red Crescent (the Muslim equivalent of the Red Cross), and attacked cinemas and bars, all while the Israeli military stood by watching. Israel's persecution of Fatah members (the main political faction of the PLO, and current ruling party in the West Bank) further strengthened the group politically. "Our biggest enemy was Fatah'' admitted Yitzhak Segev, Israeli military governor of Gaza in the 1980s. Hamas, he said, was "still 100 percent peaceful".

In 1984, a weapons cache was found in one of the organisation's mosques and Yassin was arrested. According to David Hacham, an Israeli military expert in Gaza, in an interrogation, Yassin said that the weapons would be used against Palestinian rivals, not Israel. He was released the following year, and the Mujama and Israel continued to enjoy good relations throughout the 1980s. When secular Fatah members and Islamist students clashed at Birzeit University in the West Bank in 1986, the Israeli military gave the go-ahead for Mujama supporters to join the Islamist students. IDF General Shalom Harari granted safe passage with the words: If they want to burn each other, let them go.

Military Governor Segev and Yassin eventually developed a close friendship, with Segev for example arranging for him to receive medical treatment in Israel. According to a US intelligence report, the general later admitted to helping finance "Islamist movements as a counterweight to the PLO and communists."

The first intifada and the capitulation of the PLO

The first intifada shook Palestine like an earthquake / Image: Efi Sharir, Wikimedia Commons

The first intifada shook Palestine like an earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets, protesting, striking, throwing stones and forming revolutionary committees. The struggle for freedom had entered a new stage, which took the Mujama and the Muslim Brotherhood by surprise. The Brotherhood had long opposed violent struggle against Israel. But with a mass movement on their hands, the Mujama realised that their entire political legitimacy and activity in Gaza depended on their active participation. So they formed Hamas, to secure the Mujama's interests in Gaza through armed struggle against Israel. One year into the intifada, Hamas published its infamous, openly anti-Semitic charter, where the goal of destroying the state of Israel through jihad is proclaimed.

Despite this, Israel maintained close contact with the newly formed Hamas during the early stages of the intifada. Mahmoud Zahar, one of the founders of Hamas, often met with Israeli Defence Minister (and later Prime Minister) Yitzhak Rabin as part of regular negotiations between Israel and non-PLO Palestinians.

By giving political legitimacy to Hamas, Israel hoped to reduce support for Fatah but also for the revolutionary committees that had initially led the struggle. Tony Cordesman, a Middle East analyst at the Centre for Strategic Studies, said that Israel "gave direct support to Hamas  the Israelis wanted to use them as a counterweight to the PLO". A former CIA agent added that the support "was a direct attempt to divide and dilute support for a strong, secular PLO through the use of a competing religious alternative".

The early leaders of the Intifada succumbed one by one to the violent repression, opening the way for Arafat and the PLO to take over the leadership. The thousands of revolutionary committees formed during the intifada were absorbed into the PLO structure, stifling mass participation in the struggle. Arafat quieted down the movement's most radical demands, advocating a two-state solution and recognising the state of Israel. Now, with the revolutionary explosive force of the intifada neutralised, Israel saw the PLO in a new light. Negotiations began and led in 1993 to the Oslo Accords, which guaranteed a Palestinian semi-state in exchange for the PLO acting as the imperialists' watchdog and putting a wet blanket over any outbreak of struggle.

Hamas grew as the main opponents of the Oslo Accords. Terrorism becomes an increasingly important part of their activities. In response to the 1994 Hebron massacre, it carried out the first suicide bombing against Israeli civilians. Israel shifted from one foot to the other, and increasingly emphasised the threat of Hamas in its anti-Palestinian propaganda. With the blockade of Gaza in 2006 and the creation of the world's largest open-air prison, the last material foundation for the terrorist organisation to grow strong was laid.

Do you support Hamas, Netanyahu?

Israel's tactical relationship with the Mujama, Hamas and other Islamist elements has undergone constant change, but the underlying strategy has always been the same. The Israeli government uses the threat of Hamas to discredit a future Palestinian state, and by giving legitimacy to Hamas rule in Gaza, it hopes to drive a wedge between Palestinians there and those in the West Bank. Netanyahu has given support to Hamas with one hand and turned the sword on them with the other.

The Israeli government uses the threat of Hamas to discredit a future Palestinian state / Image: Hudson Institute, Wikimedia Commons

One of the main people contributing to Hamass strengthening has been Bibi Netanyahu, since his first term as prime minister. according to Yuval Diskin, former head of the Israeli security service Shin Bet. Netanyahu's tactic is to cynically use Hamas to divide and rule in the Palestinian territories. Hamas is a battering ram against the PLO in the West Bank, which two-state zealots see as the natural bedrock of a future Palestinian state, and which therefore enjoys greater international legitimacy.

One of Netanyahu's close associates, Gershon Hacohen, accidentally recognised this in a 2019 interview. "We need to tell the truth. Netanyahus strategy is to prevent the option of two states, so he is turning Hamas into his closest partner. Openly Hamas is an enemy. Covertly, its an ally." In this way, explained Israeli President Ehud Barak in 2019, "its easier with Hamas to explain to Israelis that there is no one to sit with and no one to talk to."

Beyond promoting Hamas politically, Israel has continued to promote it financially in recent years. Between 2012 and 2018, Netanyahu authorised transfers worth a billion dollars between the royal family of Qatar (where Hamas is based) and Hamas in Gaza. Recently, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that Netanyahu, during a meeting with Knesset members of his Likuds party in 2019, said that "Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas [...] This is part of our strategy  to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank."

In 2020, a political scandal erupted in Israel when Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman revealed that Netanyahu had sent Yossi Cohen, head of the Mossad security service, along with Herzi Halevi, the IDF's Gaza officer, to Doha to ask Qatar to continue supporting Hamas. "Both Egypt and Qatar were upset with Hamas and planned to cut ties with them. But suddenly Netanyahu emerged as the defender of Hamas," Libermann said. When photos were published the following year of portfolios containing money for Hamas, both Libermann and Education Minister Naftali Bennet were fired.

The real threat

The story was perhaps best summarised by Larry Johnson, a former US State Department counter-terrorism official. In an interview, he reportedly said that: "The Israelis are like a guy who sets fire to his hair and then tries to put it out by hitting it with a hammer [...] They do more to incite and sustain terrorism than curb it.

The propaganda about the "threat of Hamas" that is now being rolled out serves a clear purpose: to divide and discredit the struggle of the Palestinian people. Netanyahu and Israel have long treated Hamas as an asset, not a threat. At crucial times, they have strengthened rather than weakened its influence. The relationship has gone through different phases over the years, but the aim of Israel has been the same: to use Hamas as a battering ram against the democratic, secular, socialist and communist elements of the Palestinian freedom struggle.

Israel has made it clear that the intifada is the real threat to the occupation. And despite all of Israel's attempts to divide and destroy the Palestinian resistance movement, the Palestinian masses have risen again and again. No army, no security service, no "Iron Dome" can stop the immense power of the mass struggle, the general strike and international workers solidarity. Therefore we say: Intifada to victory!
After their mom died last summer, brothers Noah and Sam George escaped into music.

Led by Noahs adhesive howl and Sams punchy bass, their band 53 Judges has been an Alabama act to watch since they were teenagers. Their 2016 debut EP Fade boasted slinky stomp The Wrench. They followed that up in 18 with a self-titled EP featuring magnetic rattler Mountain Shakedown, then in 2022 with third EP Pay To Play, stocked with standouts like Love Flies and Waves.

Love the90s alt-rock of Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots? 53 Judges are descended from that tuneful clang. Onstage, the bands always brought it too. Real-deal rock and roll played razor-sharp and full tilt without fame-thirsty pandering to Instagram-era trends.

Huntsville, Alabama rockers Offchain, formerly known as 53 Judges. (Courtesy David George)David George

But after their mom, Lisa George, passed, Noah says, Life put us in a place I didnt think my mind could go. I needed an out, something to put my feelings into. It came from a really weird spot, but it made for some amazing music and writing styles. I think it really pushed us to the edge of what we can do.

Lisa George was 58 years old when she died of complications from an aorta dissection she had 10 years earlier. She loved the music of Elton John and Elvis Presley. A Massachusetts native, her first concert ever was Aerosmith. She said it was an amazing show, but her purse got stolen, Sam recalls with a sweet laugh. She loved telling that story.

Lisa was also a caretaker who dedicated her life to helping elderly people who could no long properly care for themselves. She was always an extremely happy person and full of light, Sam says.

The loss of their mom brought the George brothers, who grew up in nearby Decatur, closer to their bandmates, guitarist Chad Carter and drummer Josh Wright.

Our band really became brothers, Noah says, because Josh and Chad were there for me and Sam and my dad and we all got really tight. It shows peoples colors, whos there for you. Ive got so much appreciation for these guys.

Sam, age 25, adds, The musical ability has always been there, but when this happened, the way were going about our practices and writing changed.

It was time for another change, too. 53 Judges were always a good band with a less than good name. Theyd come up with that moniker on a buzzed whim back when they were a green garage band.

The name really never had a set meaning, Sam says, and it was made in a time where our mindset was completely different, back when we were 15 or however old we were. So it only felt right to come up with a name more representative of us now.

On New Years Day this year, they unsheathed their new band name, Offchain. Now, Sam says, I feel like the name itself kind of resembles what you get live -- its, like off the chain, an extension of a lot of different vibrations going on at one time people are able to see and feel.

The band also released a new single, The Plot. Opening with corrosive propulsion, the tune shifts into skyline counterpoint with Noah exploring his falsetto. The chorus flames into anthemic release.

The Plot grew from the seeds of a Carter guitar riff. His Slash-y wah-wah work towards the end of the track adds storm to the stew.

Noah, age 27, says, A lot of energy was going into the song. Lyrically, the songs about, having your trust and everything into somebody, and them just walking away.

Since its release, a TikTok post of The Plot has received nearly 80,000 likes. The tracks also now on Spotify, and Offchain has reshared the songs from their final EP as 53 Judges, Pay To Play, on that streaming service, collected as The Golden Age EP. You can follow the band on Facebook for updates and more info.

In making their earlier recordings, they worked with the likes of former Verbena musician Les Nuby. But for their new tracks as Offchain, the band recorded themselves at home -- in our closet, Noah jokes -- using the recording software Reaper. Sonically, it sounds like the band cut at a sophisticated recording studio: Warm as blood yet crystal clear. The results were mixed by Benedikt Hain of Outback Recordings in Germany.

In addition to The Plot, Offchain have three more new songs in the can. Screwdriver is a soul-grunge gem with an intro revealing Noahs affinity for vintage blues and Muscle Shoals R&B. Winkingly titled Mourning Would melds Guns N Roses fangs with Weezer-style pop-rock. Sam calls Wrights drumming on this track so next level.

The poignant Mother May I opens with arpeggiated ache before bursting big, as Noahs vocals shred larynx and soul. The lyrics are about Lisa George.

I just wanted that song to give my mother the love she deserved, kind of her last hurrah, Noah says. She was our biggest supporter, so it was an honor to write that song for her and kind of keep her image alive, what she wanted for us.

Understandably, Mother May I was emotional difficult to record. Playing it live, Sam says, sometimes before we even get to the first chorus your mind is racing, your emotions are going. But we get through it, and weve done some of our best performances recently with that one.

Offchain is already working on four more new cuts. They plan to release all eight songs individually as singles first before collecting them on an album, which will likely be self-titled.

In the streaming era, Sam feels such a strategy, gives the specific songs a chance to breathe and gain some traction, so some of them dont get lost in transition.

Huntsville, Alabama rockers Offchain, formerly known as 53 Judges. (Courtesy Kevin Farrell)Kevin Farrell

Offchain is laying off gigs until they complete these recordings. In the past, theyve performed at venues ranging from local rock clubs to the grounds of Huntsvilles Orion Amphitheater.

That Orion show wasnt inside the 8,000-capacity amphitheater. But Offchain leans into writing music meant for large audiences. Sometimes bands like us are writing songs for commercials, Noah says. But were still writing songs for people.

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Two Montgomery locations of Checkers are being required to pay almost $27,000 in back wages and damages after the U.S. Department of Labor says the restaurants allowed managers to deduct time from workers paychecks illegally.

The department said the actions affected 36 employees of Checkerboard Montgomery and Checkerboard Montgomery.

According to the department, managers violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by:

Clocking out employees even while they continued working.

Deducting break time from workers schedules regardless of whether they took breaks.

Deleting entire portions of shifts from pay records.

Altering timecards to reduce workers hours and not paying them required overtime.

In addition to back wages and damages, the departments Wage and Hour Division assessed the employer $3,636 in civil penalties for repeated violations.

In addition, investigators learned that Checkerboard Montgomery and Checkerboard Montgomery 2 employed six 15-year-old employees to work for more than three hours a day and more than 18 hours per week when school was in session. The teens also worked more than eight hours a day when school was not in session, past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day, and past 7 p.m. during the rest of the year. These practices violated federal child labor laws.

The division assessed the employer $5,228 in civil penalties.

When employers act in bad faith and permit managers to alter time records to reduce labor costs, the Department of Labor will act to protect workers and other law-abiding employers, Wage and Hour Division District Director Kenneth Stripling said. Willful and illegal actions such as these cannot be ignored as they deprive workers of their rights and make it more difficult for employers who follow the law to be successful.
The threat for severe weather was winding down for Alabama late Tuesday morning.

A tornado watch remains in place -- but for a only southeast Alabamas Houston and Henry counties. The watch is to be in effect until 1 p.m., but Alabamas remaining counties will likely be dropped from it much sooner. The rest of the state has been cleared.

The worst of the storms were in the process of exiting the southeast corner of the state as of 9:30 a.m.

Rain trailed behind in Alabama, but no more severe storms are expected.

The Dothan area had been under several tornado warnings this morning, and hail up to the size of baseballs was reported earlier this morning in that area.

That isnt the only area that has seen storms. The Mobile area had several tornado-warned storms move through between 4 and 5 a.m.

Farther to the south, the weather service is getting reports of damage in the Panama City, Fla., area after a tornado-warned storm moved through there. Several other areas in the Florida Panhandle also were under tornado warnings earlier today.

Rain could linger today, but no additional severe weather is expected.

However, it will remain windy at times.

Much of the state remained under a wind advisory on Tuesday. Winds could die down this morning but increase again later this afternoon -- gusting to as high as 40 mph in some areas.

It was windy overnight. The weather service in Mobile reported a 73 mph wind gust near Fairhope around 4:30 a.m., and a wind gust of 68 mph at the airport just after midnight:

As soon as we sent that, we gusted to 68 mph. Take these winds seriously tonight! https://t.co/ecuG9hnROj  NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) January 9, 2024

As Alabama cleans up from Tuesdays storms, there will be another chance for storms in Alabama coming up on Friday.

The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a large area in Alabama that could have to face another round of storms, however, its too soon to be specific about details or timing.
It has been said that Mary Allen Jolley lived a Forrest Gump life.

She came from humble Alabama beginnings and modest ambitions and rose, sometimes compelled by forces beyond her control, to exalted places.

She came to rub shoulders with presidents, to take part in world-changing events. Her work helped millions get an education, pulled women into math and science long before STEM was even a seed, and assisted in the birth of Alabamas automaking industry.

But Mary Jolley was no Forrest Gump, bumbling as he did through his fictional story. Jolley seized her very real life, even when it threw her curveballs, and used skill and persistence and audacity to change the world.

For those who knew her.

For those who never heard her name.

Jolley died in December. She was 95. Her funeral will be Friday in Tuscaloosa. But please do not think this an obituary. It is, like Jolleys life, something more.

Because this story could have been a tragedy about a life cut short long ago, a career upended by illness and stained by disappointment. It is instead a parable of indomitable spirit, of what can happen when strong people refuse to accept wrongs as simply the way things are.

When people talk about Mary Jolley they inevitably talk of that spirit.

Mary Allen Jolley with Julian Butler following the Profile in Courage Award Ceremony at the University of Alabama.

Dan Liss, a Rhodes scholar-turned tech CEO who came to know Jolley during a campaign to increase enrollment in Obamacare, recalls a conversation from a few years back, when Jolley turned 93.

She said to me, Dan, my ankles so bad I can no longer walk backwards. I can only walk forward.

Liss thought it a metaphor for our time. Its a summation of her life.

Ever forward. Ever moving. Ever hopeful.

Stories about her determination would fill a book  not just her own, Accidental Activist, which she proudly finished before she died and is slated for publication in June.

Family members tell how they came to expect marching orders with every visit. She didnt tell them to go make the world a better place. She gave them specific steps for how to do it, often with phone numbers attached.

Jan Pruitt, who refers to herself as Jolleys editorial assistant, talks about the end of Jolleys life. She fell into a days-long state of unconsciousness, and friends thought she might be gone. But suddenly Jolley woke, asked for a taco salad, ate it, and fell back to sleep.

She died not long after. She knew what she wanted. Until the end.

What do you mean a woman cant drive?

Liss points farther back, to the beginning. It was 1943 and Jolley  Mary Allen, then  was a freshman at Ward School in rural Sumter County.

Her brother, the school bus driver, left to fight in World War II, leaving Jolley and about 20 classmates without a 15-mile ride to school. Over protest she marched to the county seat, took and passed the drivers test and became that countys first female bus driver.

That captures her spirit, Liss said. What do you mean a woman cant drive? What do you mean I cant be the bus driver? Why not? Will they give me a license? Okay. Ill go get my license. You almost cant teach that kind of spirit.

To me, though, the story that says it all  not just about her, but about her legacy  is the one that almost killed her.

Jolley graduated from the University of Alabama with an education degree and was hired to teach music and girls PE in Frisco City, in Monroe County. In 1951 her life was taking shape.

Until the doctor gave her terrible news. She had tuberculosis. She was sent to a sanatorium.

She got worse and worse, said her nephew William Loyd Allen. She assumed she would not survive.

But the use of streptomycin as a TB treatment had just begun, and she received massive doses. It cured her. But TB changed everything.

She was set to return to Frisco City, where she roomed in a teacherage with her colleagues. But they refused to let her back in. They were afraid of the disease. She had become a pariah.

That was when she understood prejudice for the first time, Liss said. She wasnt allowed back to teach because the teachers wouldnt let her, because of misinformation. She had to reinvent herself.

And boy, did she.

That moment, that near-death, hard-life experience, changed everything, like the flap of a Black Belt butterflys wings.

She would take a job with eight-term Congressman Carl Elliott of Walker County, who gave her more responsibility as his trust in her grew.

And gradually the woman who had been thrilled to be a school marm in rural Alabama found herself side by side with senators and congressmen, working on a plan to give more struggling people a pathway to college education.

She and Elliot put hard work into that idea, but it was the Soviet launch of Sputnik that propelled the National Defense Education Act of 1958 to reality. That act created the low-interest loans that have been used by tens of millions of Americans to pay for college, graduate school and vocational programs.

It is impossible here to speak of everything she had her hands in, of all the noes she refused to take for an answer.

Mary Allen at age seven in Sumter County.

When Adm. Hyman Rickover, the so-called father of the atomic sub, shouted on the phone that he was too busy to testify before a congressional committee about a bill he didnt know anything about, she went to his house on a Saturday and told him why he should care. He wound up, as she writes in her book, testifying after all.

There is so much more. Appointments by presidents Kennedy and Johnson gave her a key role in building legislation that funded education and workforce development. Her work in higher ed in South Carolina brought women into math and science careers long before that was cool.

She even gets credit for helping launch Alabamas automotive industry. As former UA Chancellor Malcolm Portera has been quoted as saying, Jolley came up with a strategy to recruit automobile manufacturers to Alabama.

Pounding the table

It is easy to be struck by the magnitude of it all. She did big things. But along the way she saw the importance of the things others might think of as small.

Jolley, in that soon-to-be published book, describes watching miners disabled by black lung disease arrive at Elliotts office.

There was no elevator in the Jasper Federal Building, she wrote, so those men had to climb stairs, arriving in the office so out of breath and racked with coughing that I sometimes thought their lives might end right in front of my eyes.

She campaigned for JFK in 1960, and when he took office she told the president the problem, and asked for help. In three months the building got an elevator.

It wasnt all she wanted  she wanted better working conditions for miners and legislation to address the causes and costs of the disease, which would come later.

But it is testament to how she saw the plight of people being harmed by larger problems, and found ways to help. She expected that of herself, and she came to expect it of others.

Liss, along with Josh Carpenter  another Rhodes scholar and now president and CEO of Southern Research, met Jolley when the two set out to train students to talk to people about enrolling in Obamacare at a time when Alabama politicians spent money on political ads blowing it to bits.

They were told they had to meet her, so they went to Tuscaloosa.

They were in their 20s, eager. They walked past decades of newspaper headlines, honorary degrees, and pictures of Jolley with presidents to find an 85-year-old woman in her assisted living apartment. They looked at each other, unsure what to expect, and then launched in on their bold plan:

They intended to reach 100 students in Tuscaloosa alone, they told her, proud, and 1,000 across the state.

OK, Jolley replied matter of factly. A thousand in Tuscaloosa.

The young men were unsure if Jolley heard properly, and Carpenter quickly corrected her.

Dr. Jolley, we said a hundred in Tuscaloosa.

Jolley pounded on the table.

I said 1,000 in Tuscaloosa! she reiterated. And there would be no argument.

The two, and their group, Bama Covered, went to work, and Jolley became the most important advisor to a campaign, Carpenter said. The group had more than 100,000 personal conversations about enrollment across Alabama, and the states enrollment surpassed predictions. The group, and the numbers, were even lauded in the New York Times.

Jolley with Dan Liss and Josh Carpenter at her 90th birthday celebration in Tuscaloosa.

The parable of Mary Allen Jolley

Jolley always saw a way.

She had this unbelievable sense of humor, and then she would say these audacious things in this gentle drawl, Carpenter said. She had a sense of possibility that was inspiring and contagious.

Former Alabama First Lady Marsha Folsom was in tears, a week after Jolley died, because she would miss her mentor and friend, because the world needs a Mary Jolley.

Because Jolley didnt just believe in hope, she believed in finding ways to give us all reason to hope, to believe in each other.

I just cant stop thinking of that butterfly flapping its wings, of how a rural Alabama teacher faced tragedy, and turned her own misfortune into a gift to the world.

She didnt look at troubles  including almost dying and being ostracized by her peers  as setbacks, Folsom said.

She looked at those as learning experiences, and she gained wisdom from them, Folsom said. Thats something I think we should all learn from.

That is the parable of Mary Allen Jolley.

In our finest moments we might just be able to change the world. It is in our weakest moments, though, when we find the strength to change ourselves.

John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer winner at AL.com.
A driver was killed when a falling tree struck the vehicle Tuesday morning in Birmingham.

The crash happened at 10:47 a.m. Tuesday in the 5900 block of Crestwood Boulevard, in front of the Alabama Waldorf School.

The small sedan was traveling eastbound when the massive tree toppled.

I heard it,' said one nearby resident. It didnt sound like anything Id ever heard before.

The driver is dead on the scene.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Capt. Orlando Reynolds said no other injuries have been reported.

Traffic is being rerouted on Crestwood Boulevard.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
Adam Bonds family made public pleas in November and December for the Alabama Department of Corrections to provide more information about his medical care and protect him from further harm after a severe beating by another inmate put him in UAB Hospital.

Last week, Bond was found unresponsive in his cell in St. Clair County Correctional Facility and later pronounced dead.

Now the family plans to have a private autopsy conducted to get to the bottom of why Bond, a 38-year-old father who was serving a 20-year sentence for robbery and burglary, died in state custody.

Last week, attorney Lauren Faraino filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Bonds mother, Rebecca Crafton. The lawsuit initially sought to block the state from performing an autopsy. Faraino also represents Brandon Clay Dotson, another man who died in state custody. A doctor who performed a second autopsy on Dotsons body said Dotsons heart was missing. Officials have not explained what happened to the heart.

In the Bond case, Faraino was unsuccessful in stopping the state autopsy. Faraino said St. Clair County District Attorney Lyle Harmon told her he was going to order the autopsy on Bonds body because foul play was suspected in Bonds death. Faraino said the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences performed the autopsy last week.

Faraino said Bonds family was expected to receive Bonds body Monday. Faraino said the family raised about $8,000 to help pay for a second autopsy. Faraino said she is not expecting that to reveal a missing organ but believes it could yield important information that would otherwise be hard to get from the state autopsy, or would take months to get.

She said the family needs answers because Bond died despite their pleas for information, medical care, and protection.

Ive been emailing the Department of Corrections for weeks to get some sort of protection for Adam Bond, Faraino said. And they moved him around from one unit to the other, but they were never really following through on competent medical care and competent protection from people who wished to harm him. So basically, we suspect theres some sort of foul play involved here and were hoping that a second autopsy may provide some information about that.

Adam Bond, who was found unresponsive in St. Clair Correctional Facility on Jan. 4 and later pronounced dead. Bond's family had raised concerns about his medical condition and safety after he was struck in the head with a metal pipe by another inmate back in November. (Photo from Adam Bond's family)(Photo provided by attorney Lauren Faraino)

In November, Bond was severely injured when was beaten on the head with a pipe and stabbed by an inmate at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County. He was treated at UAB Hospital, underwent surgery, and spent at least 12 days in intensive care, according to the lawsuit.

Bonds family said they learned about Bonds injuries from another inmate, not from the prison system. They said they got limited information despite calling the prison over and over.

In December, Bonds aunt, Barbara Anne Turner of Bay Minette, told the Legislatures prison oversight committee at a public hearing about the familys fears about Bonds medical condition and his safety. Other relatives of incarcerated men spoke to the lawmakers that day about their loved ones being beaten, raped, and killed.

At that time, Bond was at the infirmary at the Kilby Correctional Facility in Montgomery. His family said they were not allowed to visit him or talk with the doctors or nurses treating him.

Faraino said a request was made to transfer Bond to the Hamilton Aged and Infirmed Center, a medium-security facility, so that his medical problems would get more attention. Instead, the ADOC sent Bond to St. Clair, which is maximum security.

We were just begging for some sort of medical follow up, Faraino said. He was experiencing a lot of strange symptoms after he had the brain surgery and a series of strokes. He was at high risk for a medical event that could be life-threatening, and he was also at risk of being attacked within the facility.

And so, what we requested was that he be moved somewhere that could handle his medical needs. And instead, they brought him to a maximum-security facility that is currently one of the most violent in Alabama.

The lawsuit accuses the ADOC of being deliberately indifferent to Bonds needs for medical care and for safety. It seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Although he was not sentenced to die by an Alabama court, Mr. Bonds sentence to the custody of the ADOC for a period of incarceration was tantamount to a death sentence, the lawsuit says.
White House and Pentagon officials said Monday that they expect Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will remain in his job after he failed to immediately notify President Joe Biden and other top federal officials that he was taken to the hospital with a severe illness and stayed there for several days.

The secretary has no plans to resign. He continues to stay focused on conducting his duties, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman. We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures to include White House and congressional notifications.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who spent 16 months at the Pentagon as Austins first press secretary, said Monday that Bidens No. 1 focus is Austins recovery.

The president respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency, Kirby said.

The remarks followed intense criticism from lawmakers and news outlets over Austins delay in providing information about his medical procedure and hospital stay. Ryder said Austin, 70, was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Jan. 1 after experiencing severe pain related to an elective medical procedure that he underwent on Dec. 22. However, no one at the Defense Department notified the White House, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Congress or the public for several days. On Jan. 2, Austin transferred some of his more pressing responsibilities to Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico last week.

Due to the secretarys condition and on the basis of medical advice, certain authorities of the secretary of defense were transferred, Ryder told reporters Monday at the Pentagon. The secretary and deputy secretarys staff, as well as the [Joint Chiefs of Staff], were notified that the transfer had occurred through regular email notification procedures.

It was another two days before Hicks and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan were told Austin was ill and in the hospital. Once Hicks learned of the situation, she began working on plans to notify government officials and lawmakers and was prepared to return to Washington on Friday. But she was advised to stay in Puerto Rico because Austin was close to resuming all his duties by then, Ryder said.

The Pentagon press secretary also identified other factors that he said contributed to the delay in communication, such as Austins chief of staff being sick with the flu and the lack of information about the secretarys condition.

I recognize that I should have tried to learn more and to press for an earlier public acknowledgment, Ryder said. We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures to include White House and congressional notifications.

Biden has not yet spoken publicly about the issue, but White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday that the president has complete confidence in Austin. Kirby also acknowledged there had been a failure in communications.

Theres an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized, that that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation, he said. We will take a look at the process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience.

Austin seemed to acknowledge in a statement Saturday that he made a misstep by keeping his hospitalization private.

I understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better, he said. But this is important to say: This was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.

Ryder said Austin resumed all his duties while in the hospital on Friday, but he didnt say when he might be discharged. He also hasnt detailed the nature of the complications that Austin experienced Jan. 1 or what the initial medical procedure was.

Keeping Austins condition secret for several days has prompted scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill because Austin was treated in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed before he was moved to a different, private facility.

When one of the countrys two national command authorities is unable to perform their duties, military families, members of Congress and the American public deserve to know the full extent of the circumstances, said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Members [of Congress] must be briefed on a full accounting of the facts immediately.

We are concerned with how the disclosure of the secretarys condition was handled, Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a joint statement. Rogers is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Smith is the panels top-ranking Democrat.

Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the secretarys current health status is, how and when the delegation of the secretarys responsibilities was made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the president and Congress, they wrote. Transparency is vitally important. Secretary Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.

Austin has not directly engaged often with news reporters since assuming the post of defense secretary in January 2021, and he hasnt been made available to Pentagon reporters for months.

The public has a right to know when U.S. Cabinet members are hospitalized, under anesthesia or when duties are delegated as the result of any medical procedure, the Pentagon Press Association board of directors said in a statement, calling the lack of transparency an outrage. That has been the practice even up to the presidents level. As the nations top defense leader, Secretary Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation.

Federal law requires all federal executive agencies to report any vacancies of an office to Congress and its routine for all Cabinet-level secretaries to make an announcement any time they are hospitalized or transfer any duties to a subordinate. In mid-2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland made such an announcement a full week before he underwent a medical procedure.

At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader, the Pentagon Press Association said.

___

(c)2024 the Stars and Stripes

Visit the Stars and Stripes at www.stripes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A man is in custody after police said he shot his way into a Birmingham apartment building on the citys Southside Tuesday morning.

Birmingham police were dispatched to a report of an active shooter at Episcopal Place at 1112 26th Street in Southside. Episcopal Place is a nonprofit that provides affordable housing for seniors and adults with disabilities.

Birmingham police received the first call at 7:52 a.m. The suspect was taken into custody shortly after 8:30 a.m.

No one was injured in the shooting.

Officer Truman Fitzgerald said South Precinct officers arrived on the scene and found the suspect - a middle-aged man - had violently entered the facility by shooting his way inside. He entered the building through a back, locked entrance.

To gain access he shot the windows out and was able to enter,' he said, as weve seen in several scenarios across the nation.

As officers approached the suspect, they heard more shots fired, he said. They saw damage to the a ceiling on the first floor of the apartment building at which point they determined he was in the ceiling.

Our officers were able to maintain a line of communication,' Fitzgerald said. The dispatcher placed an emergency radio traffic alert to get all available officers here.

Officers continued to communicate with the suspect as more officers were deployed into the facility.

Fitzgerald said the officers were able to convince the suspect into surrendering in the buildings library.

The suspect was taken to Birmingham police headquarters for questioning. A motive has not yet been disclosed, but Fitzgerald confirmed police radio communications that the suspect possibly has a history of mental issues.

The entire incident took place on the first floor of the eight-story building. Police were about to prepare to evacuate residents when the suspect was taken into custody.

Fitzgerald said at least 10 shots were fired during the ordeal.

We cant say for certain he fired shots at our officers,' he said, but we know once our officers were on the scene, he did discharge his firearm.

The man, police said, was armed with a handgun.

A very violent situation ended peacefully thanks to our officers and the staff at Episcopal Place,' he said.

Regardless of the motive,' Fitzgerald said, this situation could have been horrible.

Episcopal Place released this statement:

Episcopal Place Apartments is Independent Affordable Housing. This morning, on January 9, 2024, an armed-individual broke-in to Episcopal Place Apartments. We do not have any specific information regarding the identity of the individual, but we do not believe them to be a resident of the community or associated with any resident of the community.

We do know the individual gained access to the Community by breaking the glass out of a secured access, sliding glass door. The individual then climbed through the broken glass to enter the communitys common area room and then proceeded to barricade themselves in the dropped ceiling of the adjoining serving kitchen.

Episcopal Place Apartments Community Manager, Tim Blanton was performing his standard opening activities, at approximately 7:30am, when he observed the damage to the sliding glass door and was subsequently confronted by the individual in the serving kitchen. The building management team immediately contacted 911 to inform them that an armed individual had broken into the Community. The Birmingham Police Department responded to the scene and was able to apprehend the individual without any injury to anyone. Residents were notified to shelter-in-place for the duration of this situation.

We will continue to cooperate with the Birmingham Police Department in any way possible as they conduct their investigation and complete their case against this individual. We have already provided BPD with security camera footage of the entire incident to aid in their investigation.

We are deeply grateful to the Birmingham Police Department for their swift action in mitigating this situation. Their actions and bravery, as well as the action and bravery of our on-site management, team are commendable. We would like to remind our residents to always remain vigilant about their surroundings and always report any suspicious activity immediately.

While the building does have secured-entry FOB systems at every door, we will be contacting third-parties to evaluate any other adjustments that we could possibly make to ensure the continued safety and security of our residents, which is our top priority.
The 42-year-old man who jumped naked into the massive aquarium at Bass Pro Shops in Leeds told police he was on drugs, the chief said Monday.

George Aaron Owens, of Sterrett, is facing multiple charges and could face more after his now-viral swim.

It is obvious from the behavior of (Owens) and his admissions that he had been taking drugs that we must continue remind the public of the dangers associated with their use, said Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin.

Efforts to reach Owens for comment have been unsuccessful. He was released from the St. Clair County Jail Sunday after posting bond.

We are thankful that (Owens) was not severely injured and hopefully he will at some point take responsibility for his behavior, Irwin said.

The defendant did not accept any responsibility for his actions, but he states he remembers what occurred.

Irwin last week said Owens was receiving mental health treatment after he was taken into custody. On Monday, however, Irwin declined to comment on whether mental illness was a factor in the incident.

Police were called to the store at 8:03 p.m. Thursday after receiving multiple calls of a vehicle hitting a pole in the parking lot, a naked man running into the store and a man swimming in the fish tank.

Officers heard a loud commotion and saw the man  later identified as Owens - in the nature display.

Owens, the chief said, was jumping in and out of the large fish tank.

He was very loud and yelling obscene comments towards officers and others inside of the store, Irwin said.

Owens continued to yell obscenities as officers entered the gate where he was doing cannon balls and diving.

It was then Owens plunged from the aquarium to the concrete floor below, knocking himself unconscious.

A man is in police custody after he stripped and jumped into the massive aquarium at the Bass Pro Shop in Leeds. He was evaluated at a hospital for mental issues and then booked into the St. Clair County Jail.(Special to AL.com)

The officer did not have a view of (Owens) exiting the tank, so they did not realize that (Owens) had been knocked unconscious until later, Irwin said.

The officers body worn cameras did not show the (Owens) falling but numerous citizens released footage from their cellular phones.

Irwin said Owens then rolled over and kicked one of the officers in the groin.

The officer was in a great deal of pain and pulled (Owens) away from the area that was wet and slippery, Irwin said.

Owens continued to resist being picked up and removed from the store and had to be further restrained while being treated outside the store.

The chief said Owens claimed to be on drugs, and tried to assault paramedics while they were checking on him.

Owens wife, Irwin said, helped police by putting underwear on Owens while he continued to resist.

Once inside the police cruiser, Owens kicked the rear door so hard that it warped the metal, Irwin said.

The top and bottom of the door is damaged to the point where the door may have to be replaced, he said.

The defendant was taken and housed at the St. Clair County Jail where they (had) nurses to care for him because of his combative behavior.

Owens is charged with second-degree assault for kicking the officer, first-degree criminal mischief for damages to the police Tahoe and the parking light pole, public lewdness for exposing himself in public, and reckless endangerment for intentionally crashing his vehicle with passengers inside.

We are truly fortunate that our officer was not more severely injured during this assault, Irwin said. The Defendant recovered from a very dangerous fall and immediately began to assault an officer and others. He damaged the property of Bass Pro Shops and the City of Leeds.

He caused a scene that should not occur in public in front of many adults, children, and employees of Bass Pro Shop, the chief said.

Irwin said the incident is an example of what police officers face each and every day.

We must work hard every day to get individuals off the streets who are using and distributing illegal drugs, he said.

We must continue to assist individuals who have drug addictions and mental illnesses with the assistance they need to recover and be productive citizens.

Without every community working to resolve these problems, officers will continue to deal with these challenges on a daily basis and people will continue to be surprised by the odd and usual behavior of people in their private homes and ones like this that are put on public display for everyone with a cellphone to report, he said.

Irwin said the investigation is ongoing and he hopes to release body camera footage at some point.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Leeds Police Department at 205-699-2581.
A man and woman aboard a pontoon boat in Mobile Bay had to be rescued early Tuesday morning, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

Troopers with ALEAs Marine Patrol Division were dispatched to assist a man and a woman on the pontoon boat which had been stranded on the jetties in Mobile Bay near the Buccaneer Yacht Club about 1:52 a.m. Tuesday.

At that time, there was a 17 mph wind out of the south, with gusts up to 35 mph and a thunderstorm in the area, according to the National Weather Service.

As the troopers were in route to the stranded boaters, the boat broke free and drifted into the shore, where the two boaters were assisted by the Marine Patrol.

The two people rescued were identified as 55-year-old David J. Russell of Mobile and 44-year-old Sabrina M. Breganza of Wilmer.

ALEA did not indicate whether either of the two were injured and no other details were released.
TOKYO, Jan 09 ( News On Japan ) - A teacher at a combined junior and senior high school in Tokyo has been re-arrested on charges of performing indecent acts on a male student and filming the incident.

The teacher's smartphone contained numerous indecent images of what appears to be over 15 different students. The individual re-arrested is Takuji Yoshida (29), a resident of Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, and a teacher at a combined junior and senior high school in Tokyo.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Yoshida is suspected of having committed indecent acts in May 2023 on a male student at the school where he worked at and of filming the acts with his smartphone. He was previously arrested in December for making the student take indecent images and send them to him via social media.

The police are investigating the possibility of additional victims, as Yoshida's smartphone and other devices held a large number of images of over 15 boys. Yoshida has reportedly remained silent during the investigation.
Its a face only a mother could love. Well, a mother or a wildlife biologist.

But if you ever get face-to-face with a 200-pound, 100 year-old alligator snapping turtle with its gaping jaws spread wide, waiting to clamp down on whatever is unfortunate enough to be within biting range, its an experience youre not likely to forget.

Alligator snapping turtles, I think, are just the most impressive turtles we have in Alabama, said Mark Bailey, a conservation biologist who has trapped the animals for research studies in various parts of Alabama.

Impressive is one way of putting it. The turtles can live to be more than 100 years old and weigh more than some SEC linebackers. With a set of ridges and protrusions from their shells, many people say it looks more like a dinosaur than their modern-day relatives.

They just look prehistoric, Bailey said. A lot of people see a big common snapping turtle, and make the mistake of thinking its an alligator snapping turtle.

But when you see a really big alligator snapping turtle, its hard to mistake it.

An alligator snapping turtle in Big Escambia Creek, Escambia County, Ala.Courtesy Mark Bailey

Some animals in AL.coms weirdest Alabama animals series require more explanation. Whats so weird about this bird or a fire ant anyway?

The alligator snapping turtle isnt one of those.

Just a glance at one of these massive prehistoric-looking turtles and youll never doubt that the animal is weird, terrifying, and possibly not even from this planet or this millennium.

No wonder the animal has inspired so many myths and urban legends.

Theres stories youll hear about, as part of the the mythology of the turtle, that theyve been found with Indian arrowheads stuck in their shells and stuff like that, because theyve been alive that long, Bailey said. But thats all probably just exaggerated myth.

Bailey said the snappers can live to be about 80-100 years old, and weigh up to about 240 pounds. He said the turtles do continue growing through their entire lives though, so if there were any ancient monsters still lurking in Alabama swamps, they would be pretty darn big.

Some people will also tell you that the turtles powerful jaws can snap clean through a broomstick.

Jim Godwin, whos actually been bitten by one, says he doubts that.

Godwin, a biologist with the Alabama Natural Heritage Program at Auburn University, has studied the snappers as long as anyone in Alabama, and told AL.com about an incident where he got snapped.

Godwin had pulled a mid-sized female alligator snapper into the boat but was working on another turtle, when the still-netted alligator snapper bit down on his forearm. Godwin said the animal released its jaws almost immediately, possibly because the turtle had bitten him through the net, and did not draw blood.

I was not paying attention at the time and I got off lucky, Godwin told AL.com in 2016.

Godwin said the animals were actually fairly easy to handle, as the shape of their shell makes it hard to turn their head and bite someone behind them.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Nov. 8, 2021 that it has proposed adding the alligator snapping turtle to the endangered species list for protection under the Endangered Species Act. (Photo by Gary Tucker, USFWS)

These turtles may look menacing, but their temperament is more of a peaceful fisherman, until you try to pick one up.

Their massive jaws are designed not for snapping broomsticks or finger bones, but for catching fish, crayfish or other aquatic creatures at the bottom of creeks or swamps.

The turtles tongues have a small appendage that acts like a fishing lure, wiggling and dancing around in dark, murky waters to attract its prey. The turtle waits motionless until some unlucky creature takes the bait and then snaps its jaws shut over its dinner.

Like many scary looking animals, humans are a much bigger threat to the alligator snapping turtles than the other way around. The turtles were hunted extensively for their meat and population levels dropped dramatically through the Southeast.

Because the turtles live a long time, theyre also slow to reproduce, and populations can take a long time to rebound.

The turtles are now a protected species in Alabama and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to add the snappers to the federal Endangered Species List. Some experts are torn on this proposal.

Godwin said that studying these turtles is very labor-intensive and so its hard to know how endangered they really are.

We cant go into some of these waters and actually watch them, Godwin said. Down around Mobile Bay, its so turbid, theres no visibility. So as far as humans go in studying these animals, were rather limited.
A tornado touched down in eastern Panama City Beach early Tuesday morning, causing extensive damage, with some buildings demolished and others moved off their foundations.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in the Florida Panhandle, while there were multiple reports of tornados across the region, including in DeFuniak Springs, Panama City and Marianna, according to the Panama City News Herald.

The NWS issued numerous tornado watches and warnings for the area through the night. By morning, social media was inundated with photos of the damage left by the storms.

A tornado watch remains in effect across southeastern Alabama and through the Florida Panhandle into Georgia until 2 p.m. Tuesday, the weather service said.

In addition to confirming at least one tornado, the NWS also said a wind gust of 106 mph had been recorded in Blue Mountain Beach and another of 87 mph in Navarre.

The tornado touched down in an unincorporated area of Panama City Beach known as Lower Grand Lagoon, which has a population of about 5,000 and is a popular tourist area known for water-based activities including boating, diving and fishing, according to the News Herald.

No injuries have been reported thus far.

A low-pressure system and cold front coming through the area has brought the winds, torrential rain, hail and tornados which began across the region Monday night and are continuing into Tuesday.
Montgomery attorney Caroleene Dobson has won the endorsement of the Alabama Farmers Federation for Congress in Alabamas 2nd District.

Federation President Jimmy Parnell noted Dobsons family farm roots in announcing the endorsement by the organizations two political action committees, FarmPAC and ELECT.

Dobson is one of seven candidates in the Republican primary. There are 11 Democrats running. The primary is March 5.

Caroleene is one of us, Parnell said in a press release. She grew up on a fifth-generation cattle farm in Monroe County and understands the challenges facing farmers and rural families. Caroleenes intelligence and personal drive gave her the opportunity to further her education and make connections throughout the country, but she never forgot her roots. Her devotion to faith, family and hard work will make her a strong voice for Alabamas Second Congressional District as she goes toe to toe with those who are seeking to undermine the foundational values of our great nation.

Dobson, a graduate of Harvard College and the Baylor Law School, practices real estate law with the Maynard Nexsen firm.

Dobson said she is grateful for the Federations support.

I was born and raised on our family farm in rural southwest Alabama and took part in the hard work and daily chores that go into feeding families across our state, she said. Because we share deep agricultural roots and a common bond, the farmers of the Second Congressional District understand that I will always ensure their voices are heard in the committee rooms, corridors and chambers of the U.S. Capitol.

Read more: Alabama Congressional District 2 forum set for Prichard on Tuesday

Retired businessman Larry Simpson wants to prioritize the elderly in District 2 congressional race

Former Alabama football standout Wallace Gilberry withdraws from GOP race in 2nd congressional district
The only two candidates for treasurer in Alabamas largest county have been deemed ineligible to appear on the ballot.

Eyrika Parker, the incumbent, and Mara Ruffin Allen both missed the deadline to file ethics forms and were denied appeals today to remain on the March 5 ballot in rulings issued today by state court judges.

Election officials earlier this month declared that both candidates were disqualified to run in the Democratic primary.

Frankly speaking we are considering our options and this is not the end, said Calvin Biggers, an attorney for Parker, in an interview with AL.com this afternoon. We are not foreclosing on any options to keep her on the ballot.

Neither candidate was ready to concede Monday evening.

We are weighing the options that we have, said Allens lawyer, Jacquese Antoinette Gary, We intend for her to be on the ballot and for her to become the next Jefferson County treasurer.

Since neither candidate is allowed to remain on the ballot, the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee will have to name one.

Because there are no Republicans seeking the position, the Democratic candidate is essentially guaranteed to win the position.

Late last month, both candidates were declared ineligible to run in the Democratic primary because she failed to turn in a form to the State Ethics Commission by the qualifying deadline. The form, called a statement of economic interest, includes information about a candidate or public officials income, assets and other financial interests.

Both candidates separately appealed to state court, asking judges to allow them to appear on the ballot.

During a hearing last week, Montgomery County Judge James Anderson said that he would not rule in Parkers favor unless she could show that she had at least attempted to access the online system to file her form ahead of the deadline.

In his order today, Anderson said Parker did not have enough evidence.

The court has considered the pleadings, testimony, documents, including affidavits, and finds the plaintiff has failed to show she has at least a reasonable chance of success on the merits of her case, Anderson wrote this afternoon in his two paragraph order denying Parkers request.

During a separate hearing last week, Gary noted that her client did log into the online system and received confirmation for doing so ahead of the deadline. But Allen had not fully completed the form. Once she realized that had not completed the form, she returned to submit it, her lawyer said in court.

We believe the people of Jefferson County should have a right to determine who sits in that seat, Gary told Montgomery County Judge Brooke Reid during the hearing. Instead of allowing this technical issue to affect that, she should be allowed to have her name on the ballot.

Still those arguments were not enough to convince Reid this afternoon.

While the Plaintiff makes a compelling argument, with respect to her motion for temporary restraining order, she must establish that without the injunction, she would suffer immediate and irreparable harm, Reid wrote in her order. Birmingham activist Frank Matthews, who attended much of the court hearings, said the issue is about compliance, regardless of who the candidates are.

Thats a powerful office that people dont pay attention to. The treasurer is the custodian who determines who the money managers are for the countys money, he said. I want incompetence to be thrown out, and thats what each of them were accused of doing.
One of just two candidates for treasurer in Alabamas largest county will not appear on the ballot because she did not turn in required ethics paperwork in time, a judge has ruled.

A state court judge this afternoon ruled that Eyrika Parker, who currently serves as the treasurer of Jefferson County, is not eligible to run for a second term.

The court has considered the pleadings, testimony, documents, including affidavits, and finds the plaintiff has failed to show she has at least a reasonable chance of success on the merits of her case, Montgomery County Judge James Anderson wrote this afternoon in his two-paragraph order.

Late last month, Parker was declared ineligible to run in the Democratic primary because she failed to turn in a form to the State Ethics Commission by the qualifying deadline. The form, called a statement of economic interest, includes information about a candidate or public officials income, assets and other financial interests.

Parker appealed to state court, asking Judge Anderson to allow her to appear on the ballot. During a hearing last week, the judge said that he would not rule in her favor unless she could show that she had at least attempted to access the online system to file her form ahead of the deadline.

In his order today, Anderson said Parker did not have enough evidence.

Still, Parker is not ready to concede.

Frankly speaking we are considering our options and this is not the end, her lawyer, Calvin Biggers, told AL.com this afternoon. We are not foreclosing on any options to keep her on the ballot.

At the same time, the only other candidate for treasurer, Mara Ruffin Allen, is waiting for another Montgomery County judge to rule whether she can appear on the Democratic primary ballot.

Allen said that late last month that Jefferson County Democratic chairman Wayne Rogers notified her that she couldnt run in the primary, either, because she had not filed a statement of economic interests by the deadline. She also appealed.

After a hearing in Montgomery last week, Judge Brooke Reid said that she would soon rule on whether Allen can appear on the ballot.

We believe that the spirit and intent of the law, she has fulfilled, Allens lawyer, Jacquese Antoinette Gary, said during the hearing, noting that her client did log into the portal and received confirmation for doing so ahead of the deadline.

But Allen had not fully completed the form. Once she realized that had not completed the form, she returned to submit it, her lawyer said in court.

Gary said Allens actions show that she acted within the sprit of complying with the rules.

We believe the people of Jefferson County should have a right to determine who sits in that seat, Gary said. Instead of allowing this technical issue to affect that, she should be allowed to have her name on the ballot.

There are no Republicans seeking the position, which means that a sole candidate on the ballot would essentially assure their victory.

If no current candidate is allowed to remain on the ballot, then the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee would have to name one.
On Monday at 8:42 p.m. a tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until Tuesday at 7 a.m. for Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties.

Tornado watches and warnings: Your safety guide

When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown:

Tornado watch: Be prepared!

A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation.

It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room.

While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Tornado Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center and often encompass a broad area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states.

Tornado warning: Take action!

A Tornado warning signifies that a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar.

This is the real deal  there's an immediate threat to life and property.

Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement.

Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches.

Prepare for a tornado

Stay weather-ready:

Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.

Sign up for alerts:

Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes.

Establish a communication plan:

Create a family emergency plan that includes a designated meeting place and important contact information. If your home lacks a basement, identify a nearby safe building, like a church or a relative's house, that you can reach quickly.

Choose a secure shelter:

Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

Establish a communication plan:

Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits.

Secure your home:

Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Extend a helping hand:

Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt.

Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits

When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service:

Stay informed:

To ensure your safety during a tornado, remember that acting promptly is crucial, according to the weather service. Stay informed about tornado watches and warnings through regular updates on local news or a NOAA Weather Radio.

At home:

If you find yourself under a tornado warning while at home, head to your basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Ensure your pets are safe if time permits.

At work or school:

In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows.

Outdoors:

If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be.

In a vehicle:

It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.

Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch was issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday at 6:08 a.m. in effect until 1 p.m. for Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties.

Tornado watches and warnings: What you need to know

When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown:

Tornado watch: Be prepared!

A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation.

It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room.

While it doesn't mean a tornado is imminent, it's a heads-up that you should be ready to act quickly if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states.

Tornado warning: Take action!

A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar.

This is the real deal  there's an immediate danger to life and property.

Your response should be quick: seek shelter in an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement.

Knowing the distinction between these two alerts is paramount for staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger looms.

Prepare for a tornado

Stay weather-ready:

Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings

Sign up for notifications:

Familiarize yourself with your community's warning systems. Some places have outdoor sirens, while others rely on media and smartphone alerts for severe storm notifications.

Create a communication plan:

Create a family emergency plan that includes a designated meeting place and important contact information. If your home lacks a basement, identify a nearby safe building, like a church or a relative's house, that you can reach quickly.

Choose a secure shelter:

Pick a safe room in your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

Practice your plan:

Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows.

Prepare your home:

Consider having your safe room reinforced. You can find plans for reinforcing an interior room to provide better protection on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Help your neighbor:

Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt.

Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits

When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service:

Stay informed:

Remain vigilant and stay updated by listening to local news broadcasts or a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watches and warnings.

At home:

If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows.

At work or school:

In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows.

Outdoors:

If you're outdoors and a tornado is approaching, seek immediate shelter inside a sturdy building. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe. If there's time, make your way to a secure structure.

In a vehicle:

Being inside a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best course of action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car while covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek safety in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.

Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
Ishikawa, Jan 11 ( NHK ) - Rescue efforts continue in the Noto Peninsula, central Japan, where a deadly earthquake struck on New Year's Day. Life in evacuation centers is becoming tougher for thousands of residents displaced from their homes.

At least 206 people are confirmed dead and over 50 remain unaccounted for in the worst-hit prefecture of Ishikawa. In Wajima City, police have been searching for missing people after a massive fire sparked by the quake.

The blaze burned nearly 50,000 square meters and destroyed more than 200 buildings in the popular tourist destination.

A female resident said: "It's terrible that people are still missing. I hope we can find them soon."

Relief efforts are being hampered by damaged roads and cold winter weather.

Officials say more than 3,000 people in the cities of Wajima and Suzu and the town of Noto are without power.

Over 26,000 people have been forced to stay at evacuation shelters across the prefecture. Conditions inside some of the shelters are deteriorating.

Doctors and nurses with an international NGO flew into one isolated community and are working at a shelter housing dozens of elderly people.

Local officials say eight people have died, apparently from disaster-related causes.

Ishikawa Governor Hase Hiroshi said he wants to accommodate the most vulnerable evacuees in hotels and other facilities.

He said, "The elderly and others in need of support should be immediately transported to other centers to prevent quake-related deaths."

The governor says he will visit affected areas with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio this weekend. Kishida is expected to survey the situation and determine what more needs to be done.
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The more things supposedly change, the more they really stay the same. Thats especially true when we try to talk about moral progress.

Barack Obama loved telling us that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. Joe Biden always assures us that history is moving towards progress, which is why were lectured to be on the right side of history (which is usually the left side).

None of this is new. It all comes from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who claimed history is on auto-pilot towards greater moral progress, ever higher moral vistashe said that right after dropping off his five kids from his mistress at an orphanage, on his way to writing Emile, his book about how to raise children.

Take last week: January 4th marked the 128th anniversary of Utahs admission as the 45th state. Utah was an outlier, as most of the states around it (except Arizona and New Mexico) had joined the Union earlier, even though almost all of them were settled later. Brigham Young was in the Great Salt Desert by the late 1840s, and the State of Deseret was seeking admission before the Civil War. What took Utah so long?

One word: polygamy.

19th century Republicans, like some of their 20th and 21st century heirs, were into fighting culture wars. The 1856 platformthe GOPs first presidential racepledged to combat the twin relics of barbarism, slavery and polygamy. 1865 and the end of the Civil War resolved the former. (MEMO: send note to Nikki Haley). Republicans then turned to polygamy, not resting until federal laws punished polygamy and Utah was compelled to write its prohibition into its first state constitution. As Princeton Prof. Robert George observed, it was Republicans who fought the moral scourges of the nineteenth century.

Looking back at our moral progress, I wonder if we dont owe Utahans an apology. Maybe, in fact, we should actually kick Utah out and admit Deseret instead.

After all, moderns declare that love is love. Well, if love is love, why do the number of persons involved matter? Indeed, if one is quantitatively prolific, isnt he arguably more loving?

What we once called polygamous we today call polyamorous. Its not just po-ta-to/po-tah-to. Polygamy presupposes marriage and plural nuptials are (currently) banned in all fifty states. But since marriage itself now competes with a plethora of other relationship models, as well as having been itself redefined as essentially whatever the spouses want it to be, polyamoryplural relationships not (yet) marriageis blossoming. Somerville, Massachusetts already recognizes them.

And, if love is love, why not?

So, as long as we are resurrecting ancient barbarisms under new labels, how about the push in Michigan to legalize commercial baby-buying, AKA commercial surrogacy? Michigans lower house already signed on; the legislative package is now pending in the Senate.

The legislation explicitly redefines parenthood to exclude genetics or biology, at least as they apply to surrogacy. Sharing your DNA with the child through your gametes does not make you a parent (at least according to sponsor Rep. Samantha Steckloff, Democrat of Farmington Hills). You just provided parts. Nor does sharing your body through your womb make you a parent. Youre just a living incubator, rented for nine months.

Proponents of surrogacy will tug at the heartstrings, demanding sympathy for adults who want to have children but cant. But while we may empathize, we need to be wary of putting the cart before the horse. Because, in order to accommodate the wants of adults, we are bludgeoning the rights of children.

We are saying childrens genetic heritage doesnt matter. We are saying that the body within whom one grows and develops is just a vessel, an animate incubator that provides warmth and nutrition until the agreed upon delivery date for the goods. Just sign here.

But, perhaps most important of all, we are saying that Michigans laws shouldat least in the case of surrogacyset aside genetic and biological relationality in preference to other criteria.

Like polyamory, we have precedent for the surrogacy parenting arrangement, too. In ancient Rome, a fathers will trumped genetics and biology. Because the child was presented to the father of the house (who was also usually the childs father), he decided whether that child might be honored to have him as father. If father refused his fatherly name and responsibilities, the child could be left abandoned with impunity in the woods. This Roman version of Giubilis and Minervas post-natal abortion proposal (and a few wolves) took care of populations we didnt want too many of, like Downs Syndrome children, medically distressed infants, or an excess of girls who represented asset-draining dowries.

Rep. Steckloff certainly wouldnt give just any man such unlimited powers of patriarchy. No, she reserves the right to confer the honor of being called parent to someone with a big enough checkbook to pay for conceiving and gestating-on-demand a biologically orphaned baby. Eugenic and quality control issues can now be prenatally addressed through Michigans unreserved fundamental right of reproductive freedom, so much less visible than a she-wolf. (On the other hand, the Capitoline Wolf saved Romuluss and Remuss lives).

Plus ca change.

Image generated by AI.
While considering the bumbling joke that currently occupies the Bully Pulpit's "America Last" policy, ponder what he wrote in 2019: "By nearly every measure, the credibility and influence of the United States in the world have diminished since President Barack Obama and I left office on January 20, 2017. President Donald Trump has belittled, undermined, and in some cases abandoned U.S. allies and partners. He has turned on our own... troops. He has emboldened our adversaries and squandered our leverage to contend with national security challenges from North Korea to Iran, from Syria to Afghanistan to Venezuela..."

Ironic, isn't it? Biden outlined exactly what his "America Last" policy would accomplish as he belittled Donald Trump.

When Donald Trump spoke about Joe Biden at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, in February 2021, he said, "In one month we have gone from America first to America last."

This illustrates how bad U.S. conditions have become under Biden's "America Last" policy: "In one of President Trump's last weeks in office (Dec. 27--Jan. 2), the U.S. imported no crude oil from Saudi Arabia for the first time in 35 years, marking newfound American energy independence. Sadly, within days of taking office President Biden made it clear that he wants to abandon this independence and pursue an 'America Last' energy policy."

A National Review article in November 2021 reported that, "Biden's approach to energy represents in microcosm his approach to the presidency in general." There is absolutely nothing about Biden's contradictory approach to energy that makes any sense. He wants the United States to reduce the production of fossil fuels, reduce the number of new pipelines in America, limit oil and gas drilling on federal land, and abandon the Trump administration's mission to maximize fossil fuels production. He wants other countries, such as Venezuela, to produce more fossil fuels for American use. He even asked the Saudis to increase production, but got snubbed. He maintains that there actually isn't a supply issue at all, but that oil companies all got together to gouge customers, an issue that the FTC must immediately investigate. He opposed new fracking, promised to 'make sure it's eliminated.' He even appropriated Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "Green New Deal."

Why did/does Biden behave in this manner? Because he was/is trying to please the whacko far-left base of his party which is opposed to oil production because it's not 'green.' For Biden, pleasing environmentalists means putting America Last.

As if that weren't enough, Biden sold off more than 40% of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in early 2022 to slow rising fuel prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. Biden has made the U.S. vulnerable to disruptions of global oil supplies; he has made the U.S. future unstable because of his energy policies at a time when Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel are creating fears of a wider war that will disrupt oil shipments from the Middle East. While not the first president to use the SPR, Biden sent nearly one million barrels of SPR oil to a CCP-owned company linked to his son Hunter.

His energy policy hasn't gotten any better. Biden invoked the Defense Production Act (a Cold War-era law) to pour taxpayer funds into manufacturing of electric heat pumps, an alternative to gas-powered residential furnaces. His administration has also issued extensive new regulations aimed at gas-powered home appliances such as water heaters, stoves, and furnaces, which will lead to higher prices for consumers.

While visiting NATO headquarters in 2021, Biden said, "It's overwhelmingly in the interest of the United States of America to have a great relationship with NATO and with the EU. I have a very different view than my predecessor did."

Biden's 'very different view,' unfortunately, was to place "America Last." Biden's botched 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan demonstrated his priorities, which were the result of his "America Last" policy in action. The tragedy in Afghanistan wasn't an anomaly though, because his "America Last" policy continues. The Biden administration has given over $2.35 billion in taxpayer dollars to Afghanistan since the Taliban retook control. John Sopko, head of Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), has said the Biden administration is blocking his investigatory efforts by refusing to provide documents that could show if the Taliban is being propped up by American dollars. Further, the Taliban takeover has made uncertain the fate for Afghan women and girls, casting doubt over Biden's repeated insistence that human rights are a cornerstone of his foreign policy.

Russia and Ukraine will, no matter where the front line is, have the capability to permanently pose a threat to each other. In other words, the war is unwinnable. Additionally, neither side has expressed a clear objective. But these facts haven't stopped Joe Biden, who has already sent more than $137.81 billion in taxpayer dollars and high-tech weaponry to Ukraine. He's now trying to strongarm Congress into approving another $61.4 billion.

To demonstrate Biden's "America Last" policy, in 2021 he proposed spending, in his $2 trillion Infrastructure Bill (which was passed by Congress in November 2021), $115 billion on roads and bridges over five years. Meanwhile Biden has given $89.1 billion in financial commitments of budgetary aid through the Economic Support Fund, loans, and other financial backing, as well as military assistance worth $48.71 billion to Ukraine, for a total of $137.81 billion. Add that to what he's now asking for ($61.4 billion) and it greatly exceeds the total amount he proposed to "invest" in infrastructure. He has put Ukraine citizens ahead of American citizens. Couple that with his putting Ukraine border sovereignty over U.S. border sovereignty and you have yet another example of Biden putting "America Last."

This has to be Biden's ultimate "America Last" act. The southern border is in such a mess that the Biden administration is using VA resources to provide healthcare for illegal aliens. As a result, veterans are forced to travel to VA facilities instead of seeing doctors in their communities. The Biden administration is prioritizing the healthcare of illegal immigrants over the healthcare of American veterans.

Don't overlook Barack Obama's part in this fiasco. According to Newt Gingrich, who spoke about the situation created by Joe Biden's "America Last" policies, the Biden-Obama plan to profoundly change America is 'working perfectly.' He contends "...this is a deliberate policy by people who want to undermine America, change it profoundly, and eliminate all of those crazy ideas like the Constitution, the rule of law, the work ethic, meritocracy..." While in the Obama White House, "Biden, over an eight--year period, became sort of a mini Barack..."

Image: PickPik
Although the term Lawfare has origins going back to the 1950s, it remained relatively dormant and unknown until 1999 and 2001, where first Chinese military officers used the term in their book titled Unrestricted Warfare: Chinas Master Plan to Destroy America . Two years later, the term was used in a paper by the highly respected, then-Air Force colonel (and later general) Charles Dunlap. In his several papers on the subject General Dunlap defined Lawfare as: the strategy of using -- or misusing -- law as a substitute for traditional military means to achieve an operational objective.

The first nationally infamous use of lawfare was most likely the battle in 2005 to remove Tom Delay (R Texas) from his position as Speaker of the House. The vendetta against Tom Delay was led by one Ronnie Earle, the DA in Austin, Texas who had a strong dislike for Delay (One might call it TDDS). Ultimately the case was overturned on appeal, but the battle was won, as Delay was removed from office. Recognize that one of the purposes of Lawfare is to remove the person from the political scene.

Republicans have been slow to react to this strategy, as they seem to have an unwarranted trust in the goodness of Democrats to be fair and reasonable people. One person who did see the importance of the Judicial system to be used by Democrats was then candidate Donald Trump in 2016. His bold move in establishing a list of eleven (after the election, expanded to 21) potential nominees to the Supreme Court stood as a major reason to vote for him for many people. The move not only increased his likelihood for success but it served to place a focus on the need to shift the courts from a left-leaning entity towards the middle and potentially past the middle into the conservative zone.

During his four years in office, President Trump appointed 245 judgeships to various U.S. Courts. This rate of appointment (61 per year) had not been seen since Jimmy Carters rate of 65 per year during his term. This result also increased the need for Democrats to destroy Trump through alternative means.

The loss to Trump, followed by their failures to remove him from office, along with seeing their power slipping from them due to Republican victories in many states, caused the Democrats to up the ante through their increased use of lawfare to destroy or punish individuals. Those falling victim to this abuse of the judicial system have included, in addition to Tom Delay: Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, Rick Perry (Gov. TX), Ken Paxton (AG, TX), Trump associates Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, General Flynn, Roger Stone, Dinesh D'Souza, George Papadopoulos, Harrison Floyd, and of course Donald Trump himself. Lesser known individuals, such as Rick Renzi (R-AZ), may not have garnered national attention, but have also fallen victim to these tactics. It is noteworthy that federal prosecutor and now Trump persecutor Jack Smith was the prosecutor of both Rick Renzi and Gov. McDonnell. Prosecutorial misconduct in the Renzi case was cited as one reason for Renzis pardon.

Lawfare tactics vary: People can be charged for crimes that a DA says were committed, when no such crime may have actually occurred, Delay and Trump for example. Or people are selectively punished, or charged for crimes that are not normally prosecuted or result in no jail time (Manafort, Papadopoulos, DSouza). Additionally, SWAT teams may be used when not required (Mar-a-Lago, Roger Stone, Mark Houck).

Recently, former top lawyer for the DNC Marc Elias established a website called Democracy Docket. The website, in a carefully worded opening on its home page, declares:

The courts are central to the fight for our democracy and we are dedicated to exposing what is happening and why it matters.

Ignoring, other than this comment, the misuse of Democracy, what is apparent is that Marc Elias has taken up the reins to guide the Democrats through the legal system in their attacks against Trump, so as to keep him off the ballot as well as to control other aspects of our election processes, such as gerrymandering (bad when Republicans do it [North Carolina], ignored when Democrats do it [New York, Maryland, Illinois].

Elias has been instrumental in many of the legal filings involving changes in voting laws, redistricting, and, of course the Amendment 14 battles. We are to be encouraged, though, that the good guys are winning a few fights, such as the recent victory in Georgia by True the Vote.

But Elias is a fighter -- he was the lead attorney for Al Frankens successful recount of 2008. He also was involved at Perkins Coie as the lead lawyer at the Democrat firm. Yes, that Perkins Coie of Steele Dossier fame.

Democracy Docket lays out the many cases Democrats are pursuing in their efforts to deprive, via the 14th Amendment, Americans of their opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice, as well as numerous other examples of their shenanigans. Essentially, they are bringing a focus to the legal system, using desperate legal tactics, in the hopes that Democrat-friendly judges or officials, such as Judge Tanya Chutkan in D.C., Judge Arthur Engoron in N.Y., Shenna Bellows of Maine, and the four justices in Colorado, will see things their way. They have a very good chance of winning at selective lower-level courts. This serves to emphasize the importance of having fair and reasonable conservative justices at the higher levels of our judicial system.

These Democrat efforts, which are an affront to our system of governance, are well funded and organized. Fortunately, some good guys, such as Benjamin Wittes at Lawfaremedia.org, are fighting back.

This needs to be fought at all levels. Electing Trump this November will be a great first step.

Image: RawPixel.com
The Democrats of the past 50 years are certainly not our parents Dems. At one time, all Americans (even Dems) honored military members. Todays Democrat holds extreme antipathy towards the military going back at least to the 1960s. Recall that John Kerry rose to prominence by slandering the military. Jimmy Carter, a Naval Academy graduate himself, drastically gutted the Armed Forces. Bill Clinton and Hillary loathed service members. One Clinton appointee, Sara Lister, even called the Marines extremists -- most likely because Marines love and defend the United States and she didnt understand such commitment. Then, Obama did everything he could to demoralize the military by promoting homosexuality in the ranks and allowing women in combat arms (topics for future discussion).

Decades of denigrating the military and intentionally subverting its combat effectiveness was a prelude to the Biden regimes open attacks on the military. After Jan 6, 2021, even before the PINO (President In Name Only) took office, Biden and his people began attacking the military, convinced that many military members took part in the protest turned riot; and accused them of being extremists with no definition of what that meant. Accusations of extremists sounds very much like communist and authoritarian regimes labelling opponents as enemies, traitors, or something similar; and then using all available resources to arrest opponents because theyre traitors, enemies, extremists, and so on. Thats exactly what Biden, Lloyd Austin (Secretary of Defense), and others did back in early 2021. Austin even implemented a training stand down (Feb 2021) hoping to ferret out any extremists (meaning troops who didnt support Biden) and those belonging to hate groups. (Listen to Biden; its obvious that to him MAGA equates to hate.) No doubt Biden was looking for all those white supremacists that he called the most dangerous threat to America. Bidens accusation of white supremacy is laughable considering that in 2010 he eulogized Robert Byrd, a former KKK soldier.

Previously, Ive proven that the Dems are the extremist party (they started a civil war to keep their slaves), the racist party (they started the KKK), the party of Jim Crow, and the party of segregation. Its insulting to every patriotic American, to all those who have served in the military, to law enforcement, and to all who continue to fight against the Dems extreme ideologies, to have those radical Dems label others as the ones trying to destroy freedoms and democracy.

For almost three years, Austin, the media, and the militarys investigative agencies went on a witch hunt, (excuse me, they investigated) looking for those dastardly extremists. They were out there somewhere. Biden and Austin were on a mission to find them. They looked in those barracks, in that submarine, and in the motor pools across the globe; looking high and low on every base, aboard every ship, and in every secret facility. CNN claimed the military long had an extremist problem. Cynthia Miller-Idriss of MSNBC said, Extremism in the military is a serious national security threat. Where (and what) was their evidence? They didnt need any evidence; all of them intuitively know that conservatives are guilty of every accusation the Dems and libs make against them. Fast forward to last week, after three years of searching and investigating, we learned that the Leftist Cabal found no extremists. Why? Because despite what the PINO claims, and despite what the fake media tells us; there are very few extremists (almost none) in the military.

Hey Dems, I spent over 30 years in the Army; much of it was down range. I will not stand for the likes of Biden, Hillary, CNN, et al. tarnishing the honor, valor, and patriotism of my brothers-in-arms. The military is the least racist, most patriotic group of Americans that youll find anywhere. However, very few Dems know that because very few of them have ever served. The fact that your Dear Leaders (from Clinton, to Hillary, Obama, Biden, VP Harris, and Lloyd Austin) were convinced that extremists are everywhere tells us that Dems are the true extremists. Dems are the racist party. Your party is a hate group (see Mark Levins latest book The Democrat Party Hates America), and are the ones trying to destroy the country. The claims made by Biden and Democrat media that extremists exist in the military are a complete hoax.

Calling soldiers extremists is typical Biden and typical Democrat. Now that his accusations have been debunked, who thinks well see Biden apologize? Fat chance; its been three years and he still hasnt apologized for smearing border agents, calling them racists and accusing them of whipping illegals. That whipping was a complete hoax, as was his accusations of extremists in the military. Bidens not sorry for any of it because he still thinks that service members are extremists.

Then, to prove Bidens contempt of true patriots, last week he kicked off his 2024 election campaign with perhaps the most divisive speech in American history. In that speech, he attacked President Trump and his 73+ million voters, calling them racists, trying to destroy American democracy, etc. The addled Biden claims he wants to save democracy but is using banana republic tactics such as having his political opponent (i.e. Trump) arrested numerous times, silenced with gag orders, and thrown off the ballot in numerous states.

On second thought, perhaps conservatives and military members are extremists. Democrats (and Democrat voters) simply cannot understand true patriotism. After all, it is extreme to voluntarily go into harms way, and to put ones life on the line for our fellow Americans. However, thats what millions of military members have done since this country was founded. And hundreds of thousands of those brave souls never returned; now resting with the Almighty in foreign lands and beneath distant waters as they helped preserve the freedoms that we have. They died so a buffoonlike Biden has the freedom to denigrate their sacrifices while enjoying a cozy life himself. If thats what Biden and his Dems call extreme, then Im guilty, along with millions of my fellow comrades-in-arms.
The Claudine Gay/Harvard revelations lead the thoughtful person to wonder if much, if not all, of contemporary academia is a scam, a hoax without a knowing wink. Lets take a trip back in time to 1996 and the Sokal Hoax:

In 1996, Alan Sokal, a New York University physicist and self-described academic leftist, composed an essay that was a word salad of solemn academic jargon. He said he strove to be especially egregious, by maundering on about the dialectical emphases of catastrophe theory becoming a concrete tool of progressive political praxis. His essays gaudy title was Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity.

Image: Alan Sokal. Yorgos Kourtakis. Wikimedia Commons. org. CCA-SA 4.0 International.

He sent it to the left-leaning cultural studies journal Social Text, which swooned, perhaps in part because Sokal larded his nonsense with political tropes that are catnip to lettered leftists  emancipatory mathematics, demystify and democratize the production of scientific knowledge, the crisis of late-capitalist production relations. Soon after Social Text published his faux scholarship, Sokal revealed in another journal, Lingua Franca, that it was a parody.

As one might imagine, the academic world, caught with its pants down, went berserk, but didnt learn a thing. Fast forward to 2018:

Everyone is buzzing today about the revelation of the three academicsJames Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose, and Peter Boghossianwho placed over a dozen complete hoax articles with various premier cultural studies or identity studies academic journals. All three professors, it should be noted, consider themselves left of center, as does Alan Sokal, the New York University physicist who placed a hoax article about the supposed subjectivity of physics in the postmodernist journal Social Text 20 years ago. (Yet somehow Social Text stayed in business instead of closing down in embarrassment, as they should have.)

Many of their hoax articles were not only accepted for publication, they were praised as ground-breaking:

They are the story of James Lindsay, Helen Pluckrose and Peter Boghossian, academics all, who, inspired by the famous Sokal Hoax (background in the first link above), wrote 20 academic papers, which they submitted to prestigious academic journals. Whats remarkable about this is they set out to prove the editors and peer reviewersprofessors with doctorates in their respective fieldscould not tell the difference between actual scholarship and absolute nonsense couched in contemporary social justicey eduspeak. One of the papers was a rewrite of Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf . The paper was titled: Our Struggle is My Struggle: Solidarity Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to Neoliberal and Choice Feminism. They made up the names and affiliations of the authors. Another was The Conceptual Penis: A Social Construct, which blamed climate change on penises (That ones probably true; theres nothing they cant do). My favorite, however, was Human Reactions to Rape Culture and Queer Performativity in Urban Dog Parks in Portland, Oregon. Thesis: That dog parks are rape-condoning spaces and a place of rampant canine rape culture and systemic oppression against the oppressed dog through which human attitudes to both problems can be measured. This provides insight into training men out of the sexual violence and bigotry to which they are prone.

Lindsay, Pluckrose and Boghossian explain their methods:

What if we write a paper claiming that when a guy privately masturbates while thinking about a woman (without her consentin fact, without her ever finding out about it) that hes committing sexual violence against her? That gave us the Masturbation paper.

Then there was the Dildos paper:

Sure, our Dildos paper did that to answer the questions, Why dont straight men tend to masturbate via anal penetration, and what might happen if they did? Hint: according to our paper in Sexuality and Culture, a leading sexualities journal, they will be less transphobic and more feminist as a result.

Praise for the Dog Park paper:

This is a wonderful paper  incredibly innovative, rich in analysis, and extremely well-written and organized given the incredibly diverse literature sets and theoretical questions brought into conversation. The authors development of the focus and contributions of the paper is particularly impressive. The fieldwork executed contributes immensely to the papers contribution as an innovative and valuable piece of scholarship that will engage readers from a broad cross-section of disciplines and theoretical formations. I believe this intellectually and empirically exciting paper must be published and congratulate the author on the research done and the writing.-Reviewer 1, Gender, Place, and Culture

The fieldwork was supposedly examining the genitals of 1000 dogs while asking their owners about the dogs sexuality. The Dog Park paper was lauded as one of the 12 leading works of feminist geography.

Is it necessary to ask if academia has learned anything from any academic hoax? If the Harvard debacle has taught us anything, it is surely that academia has no sense of humor, no integrity and is beyond embarrassment or redemption.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
The news out of Georgia is getting interesting. According to one of the co-defendants in the case that Fulton County DA, Fani Willis, brought against Trump and others who challenged election results, Williss special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, not only raked in $654,000 but is also allegedly Williss boyfriend. Thats shocking corruption on its face. However, things got even more interesting when Wades bills showed him having long conferences with the White House in 2022.

Michael Roman is one of the co-defendants in Williss case alleging that challenging an election in Georgia (something Stacey Abrams has been doing professionally for years now) is a criminal act when Donald Trump does it. On Monday, Roman filed an absolutely stunning motion with the trial court alleging that Willis was having an affair with Wade:

The motion, filed [Monday] on behalf of defendant Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official, seeks to have the charges against Roman dismissed and for Willis, Wade and the entire DAs office to be disqualified from further prosecution of the case. [snip] The filing also offers no concrete proof of the romantic ties between Willis and Wade, except to say sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship. It alleges that Willis and Wade have been involved in a romantic relationship that began before Wade was appointed special prosecutor. It says they traveled together to Napa Valley and Florida, and they cruised the Caribbean using tickets Wade purchased from Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines  although the filing did not include documentation of those purchases.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, from which the above quote comes, says that Roman hasnt offered documentary evidence to sustain this claim, which I can readily believe. Such evidence would consist of credit card receipts and correspondence with hotels and cruise ship lines, none of which Roman could obtain without a court order. However, the allegation is on the table now. So far, Willis has been silent about the charge. If its true, denying it would be a very dangerous course of action.

According to Roman, Wade should never have been appointed in the first place because Willis lacked the authority to do so. Separate from the vendetta against Trump, if the charges are true, it smells horrible that Willis illegally appointed her boyfriend to a position that saw him receiving $625,000 from Fulton County taxpayers.

Image: Fani Willis and Nathan Wade. YouTube screen grab.

Lets not stop there, though. As the old Ginsu knife commercials used to saybut wait! Theres more. We can add a whole new level of stench to the smell coming out of Fulton County.

The same filing includes copies of the invoices from Nathan J. Wade explaining why the Fulton County taxpayers owed him $654,000 dollars. In the bills, aside from the usual lawyer stuff (team meetings, telephone calls, meeting with the DA, research, writing, etc.), there are two that really stand out:

May 23, 2022: Travel to Athens; Conf with White House Counsel. Willis charged eight hours for that day, at $250 per hour, for a total of $2,000. Its unclear how much time was allocated to travel and how much to the meeting.

November 21, 2022: Interview with DC/White House. Once again, this was an eight-hour day at $250 per hour, the only difference being that its clear that Wades entire eight hours was spent in conference with the White House counsel. Thats a lot of time to spend in conference.

You dont have to be in Denmark to smell the rot.

Mike Davis, a guy with serious legal chops (he clerked for Justice Gorsuch and served as Chief Counsel for Nominations for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley), expounds on where this fits in with the White Houses entirely un-American lawfare against Donald Trump and anyone close to him:

Translation:



Biden has his hands in all 4 (bogus) indictments against his top political enemy.



1. Biden, though his deputy White House counsel Jonathan Su, waived Trumps claim of executive privilege. This led to unprecedented home raid on Trump. And Jack Smiths appointment https://t.co/CwnmQc5r06   Mike Davis  (@mrddmia) January 9, 2024

(By the way, if youre interested in a DC insiders understanding of the lawfare against Trump, I highly recommend Daviss X feed.)

I dont know if its illegal for the White House to have worked with a state prosecutor in this way, but its certainly problematic, especially when the target is almost certainly going to be the opposition candidate in the next election. Sometimes, things dont have to be illegal to be wrong, and we all know deep in our bones that, if Willis was working with the White House to knock out a Trump candidacy (as seems to be the case), doing so was deeply, deeply wrong.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Beginning on October 7, Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager who has a knack for making money, began to sit up and take notice of politics. It was he who first really alerted the X community to those presidents of prestigious colleges who testified before Congress that it depended on context whether calling for the mass murder of Jews violated their speech codes. And it was he who pressed for these dreadful womens firing, including because of Claudine Gays plagiarism problem. In revenge, Business Insider (which may have partnered with MIT) alleged that Ackmans wife, Neri Oxman, was herself a plagiarizer. That was a very stupid idea, which is becoming plainer by the day.

If youre familiar with the John Wick movies, which saw John Wick killing something along the lines of 439 bad guys, the killing started because someone killed Wicks dog. Academia and Business Insider, by attacking Ackmans wife, pulled the same type of trigger. As Monica Showalter wrote, Bill John Wick Ackman declared war, announcing that he would use the power of AI to investigate every administrator, faculty member, and reporter for plagiarism and making it clear that he has the resources to make that happen.

(Having had his eyes opened to the dishonesty and antisemitism permeating academia and the media, Ackman is also waging war generally against the whole of these institutions. Im sorry hes so late to this existential ideological battle, but better late than never.)

Before getting to the next phase of this discussion, which is how Business Insider, a hard-left media outlet, operates, let me briefly discuss the plagiarism issues. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, plagiarism is the process or practice of using another person's ideas or work and pretending that it is your own. Harvards own guide explains,

In academic writing, it is considered plagiarism to draw any idea or any language from someone else without adequately crediting that source in your paper. It doesn't matter whether the source is a published author, another student, a website without clear authorship, a website that sells academic papers, or any other person: Taking credit for anyone else's work is stealing, and it is unacceptable in all academic situations, whether you do it intentionally or by accident.

In other words, according to Harvard, when an essay gives no hint that what you wrote comes from another source, youve plagiarized. Its worse, of course, when its clear through your actions that you intended to hide that other source.

Claudine Gays work shows that she often failed to use quotation marks or block quotes when she quoted verbatim from people, which could be either laziness or negligence, even though she did say that she was relying on those peoples sources. Thats a bad quality for an Ivy League president, but not the worst thing ever.

More disturbing, though, is Gays apparent failure to make any reference to her source. Instead, in at least one instance, she changed a few words here and there, which seems like something someone would do to hide that she was copying someone elses work. That practice, in turn, could be read to indicate intent. I wont reproduce Christopher Rufos whole thread with the many examples of problematic material in Gays work, but I urge you to review it.

(The New York Times, unsurprisingly, has more anodyne examples, but theyre still problematic.)

According to Ackman, its quite different when it comes to his wifes thesis. She consistently acknowledged the work of others, although she did miss quotation marks on a few occasions, even while acknowledging her sources. In other words, she wasnt trying to pass off, and did not pass off, other peoples work as her own. She was careless but not dishonest:

Imagine that you were formerly a professor at a university, and you are an entrepreneur now.



One day, a company that you have no affiliation with (other than its CEO is your husband) gets an email from a reporter from Business Insider which says that they have found five  Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 7, 2024

From the get-go, one of Ackmans complaints has been that Business Insider gave him and Oxman no time whatsoever to get a handle on the facts, unlike the long lead-time that Claudine Gay had to investigate the charges against her:

And now lets pretend you are an intensely private person, fundamentally an introvert



How would this whole experience make you feel?



Would it feel fair and just?  Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 8, 2024

And now we get to leftist hubris. Despite having the John Wick of hedge fund managers making it clear that hes on the warpath, Business Insider decided to double down, which gets me to the meat of this post.

According to Ackman, Business Insiders Global Editor-in-Chief, Nicholas Carlson, has decided to double down on the papers allegations by saying that neither Ackman nor Oxman disputed the plagiarism charge. Also according to Ackman, though, who has the receipts to prove it, Business Insider made it impossible for them to refute the charges before publicationand then falsely claimed that Oxman admitted that she plagiarized other writers:

On Sunday afternoon, Nicholas Carlson, the Global Editor-in Chief of Business Insider stated in an email to his staff that:



"The facts of the stories have not been disputed by Oxman or her husband Bill Ackman.



Ackman and others have raised concerns about our reporting process,  Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) January 9, 2024

Bill John Wick Ackman is not happy. He got support from Elon Musk, who had some pithy advice for him:

I recommend a lawsuit.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2024

Unfortunately, thanks to the Supreme Court, its almost impossible to sue a media outlet for defamation, especially when youre a public figure. The Supreme Court has essentially given the media license to lie. Thats almost certainly why Ackman repeats again and again that Oxman stays out of the public eye, so that shes not a public figure. However, even if youre Nicholas Sandmann, a completely innocent young man who did nothing but smile nervously as a creepy guy drummed in his face, you may lose in court. The facts are what they are, but a court may dispute whether Business Insider was merely expressing an opinion when it charged Oxman with plagiarism.

Still, a guy like Ackman has options other than lawfare. I am rooting for him as he takes on our utterly corrupt academic institutions and the media itself. They deserve to be John Wickdnot violently, obviouslybut with an intellectual vigor that destroys the ideologies behind them and exposes their operatives as corrupt, hypocritical, fraudulent, lazy, and stupid.

Image: AIs interpretation of Bill Ackman in John Wick modeand again, Im not advocating for any type of physical violence. This is a metaphor.
Les Miserables is Victor Hugos morality tale of Inspector Javert and his Ahab-like pursuit of Jean Valjean. One of the great novels of all time, its message holds true in our amoral time:

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew Graves, suggested that law enforcement will soon target those who just stood outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. During a press conference this week, Graves hinted that Americans who didnt even go inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6 could still lead to thousands of arrests. An important note when it comes to our prosecutions about those who remained outside the building. We have used our prosecutorial discretion to primarily focus on those who entered the building or those who engaged in violent or corrupt conduct on Capitol grounds, Graves said. But if a person knowingly entered the restricted area without authorization, they had already committed a federal crime. Make no mistake, thousands of people occupied an area that they were not authorized to be present in in the first place.

Image: Cosette, Emile Bayard. Wikimedia Commons.org. Public Domain.

Americans are increasingly coming to understand the injustice of most Jan. 6 prosecutions. Without question, the events of Jan. 6 were not remotely an insurrection. No one was armed, and even if they were and managed to seize the Capital building, the Republic would never have been in the slightest jeopardy. Indeed, a number of leftist organizations have seized government buildings and suffered nothing for it. Jan. 6 was nothing more than a spontaneous protest that got, briefly, out of hand.

There is no injustice in prosecuting anyone who assaulted a police officer, damaged or stole property or assaulted someone. However, arresting people who were given no notice they were prohibited from entering the building, were welcomed and escorted by the Capital police, never asked to leave and who merely took in the sights and took selfies, is unjust, a political abuse of power.

The D.C. district attorney has already charged more than 1,400 Americans with crimes relating to the protests on Jan. 6. He has also handed down more than 900 convictions, with almost all having prison sentences. On the contrary, Graves admitted that a significant portion of the 2020 George Floyd rioters were not charged at all despite causing destruction and setting cities on fire.

Thus does Graves, and the Department Of Justice (DOJ) admit their abuse of prosecutorial power, of discretion. A significant part of that abuse is charge stacking, an unethical prosecutorial practice designed to punish a defendant beyond the law, and/or to force a defendant to plead to something, even if hes not guilty, rather than face multiple charges and an out-of-proportion sentence.

For most of the Jan. 6 defendants, the only ethical charge would have been some form of misdemeanor trespassing. Even that is troublesome, because there is significant evidence signs and barriers that would have warned protestors were removed before many of them arrived. Many were never notified they werent welcome. Many entered the building guided, and even escorted by the Capital Police who amiably chatted with them, and in some cases actually escorted them. Many were never asked to leave. Some were, left, but were later arrested in televised SWAT raidsfor a misdemeanor normally handled with a citation and small fine.

Police officers, and prosecutors, have significant discretion. Few professional police officers would arrest anyone for trespassing unless they can prove they intended to trespass and were given notice, verbally or by signage, they were not welcome. Many officers wouldnt make such an arrest unless the trespasser was told to leave and refused. Ethical prosecutors wouldnt file a case for the same reasons.

This daily reality across America makes the political nature of the prosecutions of more than 1000 Americans plain. And if that werent enough, the DOJ now intends to arrest another thousand and more for merely being present near the Capital building. Not for damaging property, assaulting anyone, not for theft, but merely for standing at some distance from the building for even a second.

The DOJ has imprisoned Jan. 6 defendants without trial for years. Their conviction rate is high because the process is the punishment. Few can afford to travel repeatedly to DC, hiring a lawyer at $300 and more an hour to fight misdemeanor charges, or even charges stacked beyond credibility. To add insult to injury, many DC judges have imposed fines and sentences far in excess of those common and usual for such minor offenses, which further exposes the political nature of Jan. 6 prosecutions.

Considering Joe Biden, at his Valley Forge speech, invoked insurrectionists or insurrection some 11 times, presaging his campaign strategy, one might be forgiven for thinking the DOJ little more than a Stasi-like arm of his reelection campaign.

Its a story that would have been familiar to Victor Hugo.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from Donald Trump on the Colorado Supreme Court decision to remove him from the primary ballot for 2024. The Court will hear arguments on February 8, 2024. (Maines Secretary of State removed Trump from the primary ballot there unilaterally; other states have tried to do the same.)

This is not the only way in which Colorado is a microcosm of whats going on in the entire nation stemming from Democrat governancewhich has been so bad that Democrats should be removed from office across the board.

Here, I would like to address another serious issue: How Democrats sanctuary city and open-border policies are putting Coloradoans and other Americans at risk every day.

On January 8, 2024, The Daily Caller published a story on a tragic event that reveals what threatens American citizens daily. The story seems to have exclusive information that an earlier report by the local CBS affiliate did not share; that is, that a drunken driver who was in this country illegally had been deported four times before and was sentenced to probation, community service, and work release just four days before he crashed into a local mother and her son near Broomfield High School on December 12, 2023, killing them both.

The illegal immigrants name is given either as Jose Guadalupe Menjivar-Alas or Jose Guadalupe Menjuar-Alas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The Daily Caller that this man has four convictions of alcohol-related driving in Boulder County between 2007 and 2019, and he was deported from the U.S. in June 2009, June 2012, November 2014, and January 2015. ICE Denver did lodge a detainer request with Broomfield County.

The deceased mother and son are Melissa Powell, 46, and 16-year-old Riordan. They are survived by two other sons and brothers. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for them.

John Fabbricatore, who is retired from the ICE Denver Field Office (where he served as director) and is on the board of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) said this, via The Daily Caller:

The failures of Colorados sanctuary policies allowed a convicted criminal to stay in our local communities on probation, intentionally avoiding notifying ICE. If sanctuary policies were abolished, these unnecessary deaths could have been prevented. We must end sanctuary policy and secure the border now!

Fabbricatore is running for Congress.

Sanctuary city policies are in effect in Democrat-run cities across the USA. The Heritage Foundation published an online article in June 2023 that reports on other tragedies that have occurred across the nation:

Several chilling examples underscore the urgency of the situation. Alexis Saborit, an illegal alien from Cuba with a history of violence, beheaded his girlfriend with a machete in July 2021. In April of this year [2023], Francisco Oropeza, deported four times in the last 14 years, was accused of gunning down five Honduran immigrants in Cleveland, Texasincluding an innocent 8-year-old. In February, Bryan Marquez, who had deportation orders but was still in the United States, brutally murdered his roommate by beating him. He was charged with first-degree murder. In January, Jose Hernandez faced five counts of indecency with a minor after allegedly sexually assaulting a young child multiple times. And in March of last year, Jean Macean, an illegal alien who posed as an unaccompanied minor, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after allegedly murdering a Daytona Beach couple. Macean had previous arrests related to drug charges, which were dropped due to the soft-on-crime predilections of George Soros-backed Florida State Attorney Aramis Ayala.

On top of the problem of sanctuary city policies of the Democrats, there is the crisis they have created on our southern border with their policy to open the border and to catch and release illegal invaders, to the tune of some eight million since Joe Biden took office. The danger to Americans has been increased exponentially as fentanyl is trafficked into our country, and dangerous individuals make it into our interior undetected. (Trafficking of women and children has been enabled in the USA, as well, a true travesty.)

According to the Heritage Foundation:

To protect American communities, urgent and decisive action is imperative. Robust measures must be implemented, including border strengthening, increased border enforcement, thorough vetting processes for all border crossers, detainment instead of release for apprehended illegal aliens, and swift deportation of those without credible asylum claims.

Voters must also get involved and vote for upcoming elections at the federal level and at the local level in their states and communities. Vote all Democrats out to send a message: We have had enough of Democrats lawlessness and of illegal immigrants harming or killing American citizens.

C.S. Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image generated by AI.
Its almost as if the Bidenites thought they were auditioning for roles in The Godfather hoping to make it as Corleone Family extras, but never heard that the cast was selected and the movie was filmed and producedso theyve been method-acting ever since while waiting on the call that will never come.

When Florida congresswoman Kat Cammack joined Harris Faulkner on a Fox News segment yesterday morning, she revealed that in a closed-door exchange with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas in which members of Congress told the Bidenite he was fixing to be impeached, he allegedly responded with the most mafia-like answer possible: Youre not gonna like who comes next. When Cammack asked him if that was supposed to be a threat, Mayoraks allegedly said nothing, but gave her a sinister smirk instead. See a clip from the broadcast below:

In a closed-door meeting with DHS Sec. Mayorkas and members of Congress, Sec. Mayorkas told us if we impeached him, we wouldnt like who comes next. His intent in turning every town in America into a border town is purposeful and its time to send him packing.



I joined pic.twitter.com/bKuw29aO5A  Kat Cammack (@Kat_Cammack) January 9, 2024

As Cammack also said:

This man knows exactly what hes doing. This is 100 percent by design. They want an open border crisis whether it is for an election, whether its for future votes as they work to get rid of citizenship as a requirement for voting, were not sure.

Yes of course its by design, and we absolutely know, among other things, that the transplants are for voting purposes; just listen to what Yvette Clarke from New Yorks 9th congressional district said about it the other day:

NY Congresswoman Clarke (D) saying the quiet part out loud about the border:



"I need more people in my district just for redistricting purposes." pic.twitter.com/bbDss7cnls  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 8, 2024

First of all, voting districts are apportioned based on the population residing within the district, not the number of citizens, and not the number of registered voters which is why Clarke noted the invasion numbers are needed for redistricting purposes. With this, is it really that hard to conceive Machiavellian bureaucrats who live and politick by Hegelian ethics create a scheme in which they send caravans of people to, perhaps, say, I dont know, places called sanctuary cities, for redistricting purposes that will eventually be reflected on Capitol Hill? No, of course not. (The 9th congressional district of New York falls entirely within Brooklyn... right next to the Floyd Bennett Field migrant facility housing thousands of our new neighbors.)

A planned invasion and coordinated insurrectionwhich flooding a nation with tens of millions of illegal aliens and bribing them with American tax dollars to accomplish communistic political change certainly iscan only be described as organized crime, a racket made a reality only by the supreme stupidity and narcissism of the average voting leftist. What a perfectly fitting legacy.

Image: Public domain.
Its interesting how much Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams sounds like a Republican when he talks about the effects of illegal immigration on his city.

Unfortunately, he still sounds like a leftist when talking about how to deal with the problem.

Recently, he did it in such a way that if he had been a white Republican, he would have been publicly crucified.

During a news conference where he was asked about rising crime in the Big Apple, he blamed the illegal immigrants who are coming into the city and are unable to work here legally.

When I talk about the devastation impact that the migrant and asylum seekers, people only think about the volume of people that are coming in. There are byproducts to this, cuts to services, like we had to postpone a police class, looking at some of the budgetary cuts, having a body of people, many young, who cant work, Adams said.

This is all correct, although it ignores why so many illegals are coming to the city. It is a lack of border enforcement by the politicians Adams and his administration support. He is part of the reason there is a problem.

He then said, I mean you dont even need an imagination to figure out that if you have someone four, five months, and say you cannot work, you cannot feed your family, you cannot provide for yourself, what happens? You know, lack of opportunities, an idle mind is the devils workshop, as they say.

This is where he takes it a step too far, at least if he had been a Republican. He blames illegals for rising crime.

The media excoriated President Trump for saying something like this when he was only blaming the worst of the illegals as being criminals, rapists, and drug traffickers. However, when Adams uses a broad brush to paint all illegals as contributing to the rising crime, little is said.

The Washington Post went so far as to run an article in 2018 saying that illegals are less likely to commit violent crime than the population as a whole. Wheres a similar article now from the New York Times?

The illegals are definitely a problem in the big cities because they cant work legally. Anne Williams-Isom, the citys deputy mayor for health and human services, said only 2,200 out of the more than 100,000 illegals who have arrived in the city have been approved for work permits.

It is a statistic touted as a reason we should feel sorry these illegals, but the truth is, they are facing just the barest consequences for their actions. They shouldnt be in this country, to start with. They broke the law to be here. They should not benefit when their first act in entering this country is to show that they dont believe the law applies to them.

Also, in doing so, the illegals have made themselves the scapegoats for Democrat-controlled big cities. Because they do add to the problems already existing in the cities before their arrival, they have become an easy target to blame for all the citys problems.

Even if all the illegal immigrants were deported from the U.S. (and they should be), the problems in the big cities would remain because the politicians who run them are cant govern. They can only blame.

Michael A. Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.

Image: PxHere
On January 6, 2024, the drive-by media went into overdrive, remembering (sometimes while oozing crocodile tears) the horrors of January 6, 2021. It was, they said, the day on which democracy was under attack. It seems that they may be right, although theyve gotten their facts bass-ackwards. According to Rep. Clay Higgins (R. LA), who has been investigating what actually happened that day, when one deletes the layers of leftist propaganda, it appears that January 6 was a giant entrapment web that successfully stopped official challenges to election certification, made Trump even more toxic and, worst of all, turned his law-abiding supporters into criminals.

For the last three years, Bidens Justice Department has been viciously prosecuting more than a thousand Americans for entering the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The DOJ did this even though (a) most were inside involuntarily, as the press of the crowd swept them in whether they wanted to be there or not; (b) the Capitol police opened the doors to them (indeed, it seems they could only be opened from the inside); and (c) 99.9% of them, once innocently inside the Capitol, did nothing but wander through as tourists. (Heres a good rundown of many of the other incontrovertible facts we know about January 6.)

I love the new Twitter.



If it wasn't for this platform, they would have pulled the Jan 6 narrative off.



My favourite quote was from the late great Norm McDonald. pic.twitter.com/wVzVi5GNyl  Joseph Banks (@JosephB18237038) January 6, 2024

The sentences brought down on people caught on January 6 have been horrific.

A Navy Sailor was sentenced to 27 months in prison for spying for China and giving them military secrets.



A January 6th attendee received 17 years in prison for knocking over a fence.



The Biden DOJ is intentionally weakening America and being weaponized against political pic.twitter.com/iNTCcu6LED  Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 9, 2024

The administration, though, isnt done. Matthew Graves, one of the January 6 prosecutors, held a press conference on Saturday (the three-year anniversary of January 6) to announce that the DOJ will now go after anyone who was outside the Capitol on January 6 if they can be proven to have knowingly entered the restricted area without authorization. He believes that this will target thousands of people occupied in the area that they were not authorized to be present in the first place. (Emphasis mine.)

Think about that: In a crowd that size, people often have no control over where they are, as they are swept along like flotsam on a vast ocean. Their control over their whereabouts would have lessened even more when a police officer fired into the crowd without first demanding they disperse, sparking a panic. Its also questionable whether the new arrestees will knowor be given the chance to show at any trialthat strangely determined operatives removed signs and fencing identifying restricted areas.

Ep. 61 This the smartest, best informed account of what actually happened on January 6th. pic.twitter.com/U9yCWRVJSd  Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 6, 2024

And speaking of strangely determined operatives, Rep. Clay Higgins, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, made some interesting claims. According to Higgins, FBI operatives entrapped people, both in the lead-up to January 6 and on January 6 itself. They encouraged violence (shades of the FBI-planned attack on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer), and they had a huge presence on January 6 itself, during which they may have led people into and through the Capitol.

Regarding the entrapment, Higgins states:

The FBI had embedded themselves into various groups online across the country of Americans who were essentially voicing their concerns and airing their grievances with each other about COVID oppression. Those Americans were targeted by the FBIalmost universally Republicans and largely Trump supporters. But the FBI worked undercover and infiltrated those conversations and [had] become a significant part of those individual Americans communications. And when you dig into the evidence that we've had revealed through some criminal cases that I've followed and worked with in families of J6 political detainees and Americans that have been persecuted for their involvement in the capital that day, some of that evidence shockingly reveals that the FBI agents that were operating undercover within the online groups across the country were the first ones to plant the seeds of a suggestions of a more radical occupation of the capital. They were sort of testing the waters of who amongst that group would begin acknowledging that, you know, yeah, maybe we should do that. Maybe we should plan for an occupation like that. But if you look at the origins of those conversations, they were started by the FBI undercover guy that was operating inside the group. And then months later, on January 4th, 5th, and 6th, any of those Americans met for the first time in person when they gathered for the massive rally where American patriots assembled to object to everything that had happened during 2020the COVID oppression and the stunning results of what we believe was a compromised election cycle in November 2020. So Americans gathered at their own Capitol to appropriately air grievances and protests at their Capitol, but embedded amongst their number was an FBI asset that had been working from within their group online for many months. So this was the level of manipulative efforts that the FBI invested into American citizenry and our assembly online to exercise our rights under the First Amendment to talk to each other about whatever we want to talk about, including the insidious suppression of COVID that we were suffering across the country and our concerns about where the election was going as a whole.

And regarding the way people were led like lambs to the slaughter once inside the Capitol, Rep. Higgins has something to say about that, too:

HIGGINS: So, by the time it was actually J6, you had masses of Americans assembled outside the capital, almost like 99.9%, 100% peaceful. On the inside, you had FBI assets dressed as Trump supporters that knew their way around the Capitol. TUCKER: Before the doors even open. HIGGINS: Before the doors opened or else how you going to get around a couple? You've [Tucker] been there many times. You need a guide to get from whatever door you go in... TUCKER: Its a labyrinth. HIGGINS: It's a maze inside there. That's right. So there's no way Americans, most of which have never been to the capital, there's no way they can come in some random door that gets opened and then get their way directly to the statuary or the House Chamber or the Senate Chamber. It's just not possible. So the FBI assets that were dressed as Trump supporters that were inside the Capitol were there, I believeand evidence indicatesthat they were there to specifically wave in the Trump supporters that had gathered outside the Capitol.

Ultimately, Rep. Higgins estimates that there were as many as 200 FBI operatives at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, moving people around to their destruction.

Its clear that, in the lead-up to the November election, the administration wants conservative Americans to be afraid to speak out about an election they deem suspect. Of course, should Trump manage to overcome probable epic election fraud, we can assume that violent Democrat protestors will once again get a pass from the people who control the government.

If youre wondering where all of this is really going, both Bloomberg and the New York Times are no longer even bothering to hide their ultimate totalitarian goals:

Reality has replaced satire pic.twitter.com/up5TychTl3  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 8, 2024

Image: X screen grab.
Among the more anticipated events of any presidential campaign are debates. In recent years, leftist media moderators like Candy Crowley and Chris Wallace have all but debated the Republican candidate themselves. In Joe Bidens case, Wallace spent much of the debate with Donald Trump rescuing Biden from himself and Trump. For inexplicable reasons, the Republican National Committee continues to stack the debate deck against its own candidates.

The upcoming debatesthree have been scheduled, but neither potential candidate has accepted thempromise to be among the most interesting in recent political history. Donald Trump is the Republican and election front runner, despite the Mummified Meat Puppet Administrations (MMPA) attempt to remove him from state ballots and put him in prison for millennia. Every attack on him seems to increase his electoral strength and popularity.

Image: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Wikimedia Commons.org. Public Domain.

Joe Bidens popularity is at historic lows for any candidate at this point in a presidential campaign. His handlers are doing their best to keep him away from the public. Biden has been on vacation for 40% of his presidency, 360 days in Delaware alone. Unlike Donald Trump, there is little evidence these have been working vacations. During one recent beach excursion, Biden was seen weakly struggling to move a folding aluminum beach chair.

Barack Obama was notorious for working very little. Biden may be eclipsing his slothful record, but in his case, because his rapidly worsening dementia requires keeping him under wraps and heavily medicated if he is to occasionally sort of function in public for a few hours. Even those appearances require a cadre of watchers, including Jill Biden, who guides and corrects his speech, and immediately rushes to his side whenever he finishes speaking to avoid more video of him falling, staring, immobile, in confusion, turning circles trying to figure out how to leave the stage, or shaking hands and speaking with invisible people. All of this is worrying the Democrat/socialist/communist (D/s/c) Party:

Democrats are not enthusiastic about the prospects of President Joe Biden, 81, facing former President Donald Trump in presidential debates this fall. The apprehension sheds light on fears about Bidens diminished physical and mental abilities, as polling shows Americans worry about Bidens decline: *Redfield & Wilton Strategies: Majority of Democrats are concerned about Bidens ability. *YouGov: 55 percent say Bidens health and age severely limit his ability to do the job. *NBC News: Most registered voters have major concerns about Bidens age and health

Americans worry about his health and age because his speech is often confused and garbled, his gait is stiff and halting, he often falls, has to take the short stairs on Air Force One and hes clearly suffering from rapidly worsening dementia. He looks 80 going on 180. But thats not an issue for D/s/cs, no: the problem, as always, is Donald Trump:

I would think twice about it, said Senate Democrat Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) told the Hill about Biden potentially debating later this year. Ive been physically present at one of [Trumps] debates with Hillary Clinton, and I watched him do outrageous things and say outrageous things. Its just an opportunity for him to display his extremism. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a Biden ally, said Biden should be weary of debating Trump due to the former presidents ability to overcome establishment media bias. Biden should be careful about allowing Trump to air alleged hateful, fascist remark, Coons said.

I was about to say if Biden cant stand up to Trump, how can he stand up to our enemies, but he doesnt stand up to our enemies. Even D/s/c strategist James Carville has a more realistic take:

James Carville, the architect of Bill Clintons election campaigns, said Biden might be better off not debating to avoid damage. On the other hand, Carville explained, if Trump wins the nomination, he will have legitimacy to demand a debate with Biden, who could agree to one debate event. Its kind of expected of a presidential candidate, Carville told the Hill. If he gets the nomination, Republican primary voters will have given him legitimacy. I mean, we dont hand it out like gummy bears or something. Somebodys going to take a poll, and 73 percent of the people will think there ought to be a debate, he predicted. You can do it or not do it as you see fit, but there are consequences to it, he added.

If Joe Biden is the nominee, and if he runs, if events dont cast him out, the consequences for refusing to debate will be an even higher percentage of the voting public becoming convinced Biden belongs in an assisted living facility rather than the White House. Come to think of it, he is in an assisted living facility now.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
In the Hotel des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, is a museum dedicated to detailed military models of important towns and fortified cities across Europe. These models were created over the course of one hundred years during the 17th and 18th centuries so that French emperors could make strategic decisions on how to proceed with an attack on foreign land, or how to defend their own cities against foreign attack. These scale models are known as plans-relief and they were an important tool for military strategists of the Renaissance era, especially in France and Italy. Today, they stand as irreplaceable documentation of the represented sites and serve as valuable educational tools.

Mont-Saint-Michel in Musee des Plans-Reliefs. Photo credit: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr

The collection at Musee des Plans-Reliefs was begun in 1668 by Louis XIV, at the suggestion of his minister of war, Marquis de Louvois. Some of the earlier models were crafted during the construction or reconstruction of the fortifications they represent, serving both as working models and portraits. Others were created after the completion of works, likely intended for convenient analysis and instruction. The king developed a strong enthusiasm for these models, resulting in the construction of fifty during his reign. Out of these, thirty-seven have survived, including the model of Ath, which dates from 1668 and was the first completed. Louis XIV kept the models locked in the Great Gallery of the Louvre, and few visitors were allowed to see them because fortifications were state secret and the king couldnt have allowed examination by a potential enemy.

King Louis XV continued what his predecessor had started, and during his reign many new models were added. In 1774, the collection was nearly destroyed when the royal architects confiscated the Great Gallery of the Louvre for the display of paintings, and had nearly thrown out the plans-relief at the nearest trash heap. But the King intervened and transferred the models to the Hotel des Invalides where it remains to this day. However, during the transfer, many models were damaged.

The military focus of the Revolutionary years brought a renewed appreciation of the value of the plans-reliefs, and even Napoleon displayed enthusiasm for the collection, contributing additional models. After the defeat of France in the Napoleonic wars in 1815, approximately 17 models, predominantly those depicting German cities, were taken to Berlin as loot of war. Regrettably, only two of them have survived, as the majority were destroyed during the bombings of 1944-45.

Photo credit: Tom Hilton/Flickr

As the 19th century dawned and the nature of war changed, the plans-reliefs gradually lost their contemporary military significance. And although much was destroyed during the tumultuous period of the Second World War, what remains hold enormous historical value.

All the models, starting from the earliest ones were built at a scale of 1:600 with only a few exception. Aside from the actual fortified area, the surrounding terrain was also included and to a large extent. As a result, many of these models were enormous. For instance, the model of Grenoble measures about 23 by 27 feet, that of Strasbourg about 21 by 36 feet, and that of Metz about 24 by 30 feet.

The base of the models were made of wood, and so were the houses and buildings. Trees were made of iron wire and silk, and cardboard and sand were used to create natural features.

All in all, some 260 plans-reliefs were created between 1668 and 1870, representing about 150 fortified sites. A little more than hundred survive of which only 28 plans-reliefs are displayed at Musee des Plans-Reliefs.

Photo credit: Tom Hilton/Flickr

Photo credit: Tom Hilton/Flickr

Fort Saint-Nicolas de Marseille. Photo credit: Tom Hilton/Flickr

Reference:

# George A. Rothrock, The Musee des Plans-Reliefs, JSTOR
Sony has released the Android 14 update for its 2022 smartphones. The company is pushing the big Android update to all three models launched in 2022: Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, and Xperia 10 IV. It has already updated the 2023 lineup to the new Android version.

Sony rolls out Android 14 to Xperia 1 IV and other 2022 phones

Sony has a negligible, declining share in the global smartphone market but the Japanese firm hasnt quit. It has religiously released at least three smartphones every year for the past several years. Its Xperia 10 lineup offers mid-range products, while the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 lineups are premium offerings.

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In early November of last year, Sony pushed Android 14 to the Xperia 1 V, the latest flagship model. It followed up with an update for the Xperia 10 V a week or so later. The Xperia 5 V joined the party last week. The company is now ready to move its 2022 Xperia lineup to Android 14. As usual, it took to X, aka Twitter, to announce the update for the Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, and Xperia 10 IV.

The rollout has already begun, but it could take a while before Android 14 reaches all eligible units worldwide. Sony will gradually release the update for everyone over the next few days or weeks. You should get a notification once Android 14 is available for your Xperia. You can also manually check for updates from the Settings app on your Sony phone.

As far as new features are concerned, the update brings tons of Android 14 goodies and a few add-ons. Sonys official announcement says the Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, and Xperia 10 IV are getting flash alerts (LED flash or screen) for notifications and alarms. The devices also get enhanced customization of lockscreen shortcuts, compatibility with the Find My Device app, and expanded Nearby Share features.

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These Sony phones may not get Android 15

Sony makes some of the most expensive Android phones but doesnt match the prices with excellent update support. Its current update policy only guarantees two major Android OS updates and up to three years of security updates for Xperia phones. Under this policy, the Xperia 1 IV, Xperia 5 IV, and Xperia 10 IV are done getting Android updates.

Debuted in 2022, all three phones ran Android 12 out of the box. Sony has now updated them to Android 13 and Android 14. Unless the Japanese firm changes its mind in the coming months, the devices will not get Android 15. The Xperia 1 V, Xperia 5 V, and Xperia 10 V should get Android 15, though. They debuted last year running Android 13. We will let you know when we have more information.
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ASUS has taken a bold step in redesigning its flagship gaming laptops, the ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16, bringing a perfect blend of performance and a sophisticated gamer aesthetic. The most significant change lies in the new CNC-machined aluminum chassis, featuring clean minimalist lines and a stiffer, more durable construction. Both models are now smaller, up to 4mm thinner, and lighter by up to 0.3 pounds compared to the previous generation.

The keycaps of the new Zephyrus models are 12 percent larger, and the interior accommodates 20 percent larger speakers. ASUS has opted for a stylish approach, replacing excessive RGB lighting with a single white LED strip across the lid, available in Eclipse Gray or Platinum White.

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The ROG Zephyrus G14 is powered by Ryzen R9, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 offers Intel Core Ultra 9

A major enhancement comes in the form of the display, making the Zephyrus G14 and G16 the first ROG laptops to feature OLED panels. The G14 boasts a 3K 120Hz screen, while the G16 offers a 2.5K 240Hz option, both with 16:10 aspect ratios, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, NVIDIA G-Sync support, and a rapid 0.2ms gray-to-gray response time. The laptops exude a sophisticated visual appeal, with a subtle white LED strip on the lid.

ASUS has tailored the hardware based on the size of the new Zephyrus models. Asus equips the Zephyrus G14 with AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors and up to NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics, while the larger G16 features an Intel Core Ultra 9 chip with up to an RTX 4090 GPU. Both versions max out at 32GB of DDR5X RAM. Variances include a microSD card reader on the G14 and a full-size option on the G16, along with a larger 90Whr battery on the G14. Notably, ASUS introduces its Slim Power jack as the default charging port, resembling USB-C in reversibility but with a slightly boxier connector.

The laptops feature a solid set of ports, including a full-size HDMI 2.1 socket. While ASUS missed incorporating support for Wi-Fi 7, the prevalence of Wi-Fi 6e compensates for it. ASUS plans to release both the G14 and G16 in black and silver colors, with the official sale expected to commence in February. Although ASUS hasnt disclosed the pricing details yet, you can expect updates right here as more information becomes available.
Google is one of the companies currently represented at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. As part of the trade show, the company announced plenty of changes. Google announced whats new with Quick Share, Fast Pair, Android Auto, and more.

Google and Samsung partner up over Quick Share, a unified file-sharing service

Lets talk about Quick Share first, formerly known as Nearby Share. This one is particularly important, as we guessed what will happen. It was revealed last year that Google changed the name of Nearby Share to Quick Share on select devices and that the change is coming to more phones.

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What was suspicious is that Samsungs own sharing service is called Quick Share. Well, Google just announced that its partnering with Samsung to unify their file-sharing services.

Google says that it is collaborating with Samsung and bringing the best of our sharing solutions together into a singular cross-Android solution under the Quick Share name. This sharing solution will be available on Android and ChromeOS, while Google said that its also working with leading PC manufacturers to expand Quikc Share to Windows PCs as a pre-installed app.

Faist Pair support is expanding

The company also talked about Fast Pair. Google announced that its expanding Fast Pair support to Chromecast with Google TV. That change will be coming next month. It will allow you to connect to compatible headphones or speakers easily.

Chromecast built-in support is also expanding to more apps and devices. You can now start to cast TikTok content from an Android phone to a Chromecast built-in device. The same change will happen with LIVE videos from TikTok soon.

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Google also announced more interoperability across devices for Matter. LG TVs, select Google TVs, and various other Android TV OS devices will soon act as hubs for Google Home, the company said. That way it will be easier to add Matter devices to your home network and take control via the Google Home app.

Android Auto is getting deeper vehicle integration

Android Auto is getting deeper vehicle integration. This change is coming to the Ford Mustang Mache-E and F-150 Lightning first. It will roll out in the coming months. They will be able to share real-time battery information with Google Maps.

Google built-in is coming to more apps and cars. It will be available in select Nissan; Ford, and Lincoln cars this year. This change will integrate Google Maps, Google Assistant, and more apps into your cars display.

Sending trips from Google Maps to your car display becomes a reality

Google also said that starting today, you can send planned trips from your phone directly to Google Maps on your car display. When youre parked, you can also get real-time updates from The Weather Channel, and safely browse content on Chrome (beta only for now). The same goes for watching shows from PBS KIDS and Crunchyroll.
Lenovo is back at CES this year with a wide collection of new Legion gaming PCs, and this includes the new and improved Legion 9i Gen 9 gaming laptop, powered by AI and the latest CPUs and GPUs.

Like many of the other brands, AI is a big part of the Legion lineup this year. With regards to the Legion 9i, Lenovo has baked in some really cool software called Smart FPS. This tracks FPS (frames per second) data output while gaming in addition to the power usage between hardware components. It then runs captured frames per second data through some algorithms to optimize the CPU and GPU power that impacts the frames per second. Lenovo says this promises to provide smoother gameplay so you can focus less on screen tearing and hitches, and more on those clutch moments that can get you the win.

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In addition to the new Legion 9i, Lenovo is also announcing refreshed Legion Pro 7i and Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 laptops, as well as Gen 9 versions of the Legion 7i, Legion 5i, and Legion Slim 5. Lastly, its announcing two new desktops too. The Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i.

All of the Legion PCs will come with powerful 14th Gen Intel CPUs except the Legion Tower 5i. This comes with the top-end 13th Gen Intel chip instead. All the new PCs will come with NVIDIAs 40-series GPUs, with options for up to an RTX 4090 in the Legion 9i Gen 9, Legion Pro 7i and 5i, and up to an RTX 4070 in the Legion 7i, 5i, and Legion Slim 5.

The Legion 9i Gen 9 redefines unique

For those who dont want to compromise on their gaming rig, the Legion 9i Gen 9 is the machine you want to consider it seems. While pricey at a starting cost of $4,399.99, the laptop is offering the peak of performance across the board. It comes with an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. It also features 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. Not to mention a 16-inch 3.2K Mini-LED display with a 165Hz refresh rate.

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All of that of course seems pretty standard for a top-end flagship gaming laptop. Where it redefines the unique as Lenovo says, is through the AI smarts. The SmartFPS feature mentioned above is one of those ways this laptop sets itself apart from the pack. However, it also has a really neat Smart Control feature for customizing performance profiles and adjusting things like fan speed, thermal settings, and more. And if you like your RGB lighting, the Legion Aurora Sync feature uses AI to sync the RGB lights on the keyboard to the audio in your games for a more immersive experience. This is all powered by the Lenovo LA3-P AI chip. A newer version of the chip it announced last year.

None of these things are absolutely necessary in a gaming laptop. But it likely enhances the experience a lot. And that comes at a price with these components. Thankfully, Lenovo has other less expensive options. Even if they do forfeit some of the performance power. And as a nice bonus, all of the devices will come with 90 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free.

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Lenovo has new entry-level gaming PCs too

Outside of the Legion line, Lenovo has new entry-level gaming PCs coming from its LOQ line. These will include the LOQ 15IRX9, 15IAX9I, 15AHP9, and the LOQ Tower 17IRR9. All of these will be available in North America except for the 15AHP9 model, which Lenovo says will only be coming to the EMEA.

Pricing and availability

Lenovo plans to launch all of these by mid to late April although some will start launching as soon as this month. The Legion 9i Gen 9 will be the first to hit shelves in January with a starting price of $4,399.99. For something more affordable, the Legion Pro 5i will also launch this month starting at $1,499.99.

The Legion 7i, Pro 7i, and LOQ 15AHP9 will launch in March with starting prices at $2,099.99, $2,699.99, and 1049 respectively. Finally, in April, consumers can pick up the Legion 5i starting at $1,399.99, the Legion Slim 5 at $1,499.99, the Legion Tower 7i at $2,699.99, the Legion Tower 5i at $1,249.99, the LOQ 15IAX9 and 15IAX9I at $749.99, and the LOQ 15IRX9 at $799.99.
Samsung endured a poor financial year in 2023, primarily due to losses from the semiconductor division, which has been its cash cow for the past several years. The division posted its first losses in 14 years, leading to a steep decline in the companys profits. Thankfully, the year ended on a more positive note. Samsung recently reported its earnings guidance for Q4 2023 and the picture looks brighter than before.

Samsung saw its profit margin grow in Q4 2023 over Q3

In the first two quarters of 2023, Samsung made a profit of only KRW 640 billion (roughly $486 million) and KRW 670 billion (roughly $508 million), respectively. The profit declined over 95% year-on-year (YoY) compared to the same period in 2022. This isnt because the company struggled to sell products. Its consolidated sales revenue for the two quarters was down about 20% from the previous year.

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However, massive semiconductor losses mean its overall profit margin in the first half of 2023 was just 1%, down from 18% in 2022. In the third quarter, Samsung showed signs of recovery with a profit margin of 3.6%. It reported a revenue of KRW 67.40 trillion (roughly $51 billion) and a profit of KRW 2.43 trillion (roughly $1.8 billion). The margin was still substantially lower than Q3 2022 (14%) but better than the first two quarters of 2023.

For the year-ending quarter, Samsung estimated its revenue at KRW 67 trillion (roughly $51 billion) and operating profit at KRW 2.8 trillion (roughly $2.1 billion). The revenue is down just 5% YoY from Q4 2022 but the profit is still down 35%. However, when we look at the profit margin, we see Samsung has improved the margin to almost 4.2%. It was 6.1% in the final quarter of 2022.

The Korean behemoth will share the full earnings report for Q4 and full-year 2023 later this month. The report will include a breakdown of the financial performance of each business division. Our calculations reveal its total revenue for the year was KRW 258 trillion, down 14% from KRW 302 trillion in 2022. The operating profit was KRW 6.54 trillion, a whopping 85% drop from KRW 43.38 trillion in the previous year. The profit margin in 2022 was 13.5%, while it was just 25% in 2023.

Samsung expects the Galaxy S24 series to contribute more to its earnings

Samsung may have been the worlds largest smartphone company for the past several years, but the smartphone division doesnt make a massive amount of money for the company. This is because it has always failed to challenge Apple in the flagship segment, where profit margins are high. The Korean firm expects the Galaxy S24 series, which launches on January 17, to do better than the Galaxy S23 and contribute more to its earnings. It remains to be seen whether Samsung hits its target.
Land ports in China's Xizang see growing imports and exports

Xinhua) 09:07, January 09, 2024

LHASA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The import and export value of four major land ports in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region totaled 4.56 billion yuan (about 642.2 million U.S. dollars) from January to November 2023, a year-on-year growth of 80.2 percent, according to the regional department of commerce.

During this period, the ports of Gyirong, Burang, Zham and Lektse handled a total of 129,900 tonnes of goods, up 47.4 percent year on year, according to a document released by the regional department of commerce at the second plenary session of the 12th People's Congress of the Xizang Autonomous Region on Sunday.

During the same time, inbound and outbound vehicles made 11,084 trips through the ports, marking a year-on-year increase of 110.2 percent.

Xizang has seen its foreign trade continue to grow rapidly since the resumption of two-way cargo customs clearance and personnel exchanges at the ports of Zham, Gyirong and Burang. The fourth land port of the plateau region, the Lektse port started operation in November last year.

The incomes of people living in the border areas in Xizang have also increased. From January to October, the volume of trade among the border residents has increased by 32.4 percent year on year to nearly 1.33 billion yuan, according to the document.

Official statistics showed that the total foreign trade of Xizang expanded 72.5 percent year on year in the first eight months of 2023. Its trading partners cover over 90 countries and regions.

In recent years, Xizang has made full use of its geographical advantages and policy resources to actively build an important channel for opening up to South Asia, and achieved positive results in expanding its opening up in a wider range and at a deeper level.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Last year saw climate records tumbling like dominoes as scientists confirm 2023 the hottest on record so far.

Its average temperature was 14.98C which beats the previous hottest year set in 2016 by 0.17C, according to the EUs climate change service Copernicus.

Met Office scientists believe this record could be short-lived however  their forecasts suggest 2024 could be even hotter and may rise more than 1.5C above the period between 1850-1900.

Arctic regions are heating faster than other areas of the world, endangering ice caps and raising sea levels (ECMWF/C3S/PA)

This average is used as a proxy for the pre-industrial climate as it is as far back as meteorological records go.

Last year came close to breaching this symbolic boundary  1.48C above  while smashing a series of climate records in the process.

The global community committed in the Paris Agreement to try and limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels as it gives the best chance of stabilising the climate and reducing the damage to people and wildlife.

This measurement is taken as a decadal average so one year going beyond this does not mean the treaty has failed.

(PA Graphics)

July 2023 was likely the hottest month in the last 120,000 years  almost as long as modern humans have existed  while Antarctic sea ice has been at an historic low.

Each month from June through to December was hotter than any other corresponding month in a previous year, while every continent except Australia and many ocean areas saw record-breaking annual air temperatures for the year.

El Nino, a cyclical natural phenomenon in the tropical eastern Pacific which brings heat to the surface, added an extra warming effect to the atmosphere and oceans to that from greenhouse gas emissions, which continue to rise.

Scientists are urging the global community to radically cut these emissions and prevent further warming as each fraction of a degree further destabilises the Earths climate.

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires blanketed New York City while pouring more carbon into the atmosphere (Andy Bao/AP)

Although changes of 1.5C in our day-to-day experience of air temperature is negligible, on a global average it has a very different meaning and the smallest changes can have large ramifications.

Some climate analysts have likened it to changes in body temperature whereby a difference of 1C can separate a healthy person from one with a fever.

Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said: 2023 was an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes.

Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1C warmer than the pre-industrial period.

Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years.

Emissions from wildfires also increased by 30% last year mainly because of the huge blazes across Canada.

There were marine heatwaves across much of the North Atlantic, including off the British and Irish coastlines, as well as in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The average global temperature has been increasing since humans began burning fossil fuels (ECMWF/C3S/PA)

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose to a new height of 419 parts per million while methane reached a concentration of 1902 parts per billion.

Dr Nick Dunstone, a Met Office climate scientist, said: The extraordinary global heat through 2023 made it possible to signal it would be the hottest year on record well before the year had finished. This level of warming is in line with climate projections.

We expect the strong El Nino in the Pacific to impact the global temperature through 2024. For this reason we are forecasting 2024 to be another record breaking year, with the possibility of temporarily exceeding 1.5C for the first time.
Discount retailer B&M has reported a rise in sales over the key festive quarter although it witnessed a slowdown in growth.

It came as the chain said it is on track to have opened 45 stores this financial year, with plans for a similar number of new sites next year.

The B&M European Value Retail group, which also runs the Heron frozen foods chain, revealed that revenues increased by 5% to 1.65 billion over the 13 weeks to December 23.

It said this means revenues grew by 8.1%, on a constant currency basis, over the first nine months of the current financial year, after growth eased back.

B&M UK, which has 717 shops, saw sales grow by 3.7% to 1.35 billion over the quarter leading up to Christmas.

The retailer hailed this as a positive performance and said it sold excellent volumes of general merchandise.

The groups B&M France business recorded a 11.3% rise in revenues to 151 million over the quarter, while Heron Foods saw revenues increase 11.7% to 144 million.

B&M said the whole group is set to have opened 76 new shops across all brands over the year to March, with 45 B&Ms in the UK, 11 B&Ms in France, and 20 new Heron shops.

Alex Russo, chief executive of the group, said: The performance across the golden quarter has been pleasing, with strong operational execution across the three businesses.

Our strategy remains unchanged  we are an everyday low-price discounter with a laser-focus in keeping excellence in retail standards and our costs the lowest.

This allows us to provide our products at the best price to all customers, many of whom continue to face significant cost-of-living pressures.

Our store pipeline is strong and we will open not less than 45 B&M UK stores in each of the next two financial years, driving disciplined cash-generating growth.

Mr Russo added that the company is on track to meet its earnings target of between 620 million and 630 million for the year.
Seven people convicted of being part of a Scottish child abuse ring which committed crimes of extraordinary depravity are facing possible life sentences.

The two women and five men were all convicted of gang raping a child, and abusing other children.

Some were convicted of harming two children, and others of abusing three children, in a drugs den in Glasgow where heroin and crack cocaine were used.

Judge Lord Beckett warned of very substantial jail terms for extraordinary depravity, after revealing he was considering if an order for lifelong restriction should be imposed when the defendants appeared in court last week.

Facing sentencing are, top row, left to right, Barry Watson, Elaine Lannery and Iain Owens. Bottom row, left to right John Clark, Paul Brannan, and Scott Forbes. Lesley Williams is not pictured (Police Scotland/PA Wire)

The order monitors high-risk offenders for the rest of their lives if they are deemed suitable for release from prison after serving a minimum punishment period.

Criteria considered include if the abusers would potentially seriously endanger the lives or physical or psychological wellbeing of the public at large

On Tuesday, Iain Owens, 45; Elaine Lannery, 39; Lesley Williams, 41; Paul Brannan, 41; Scott Forbes, 50; Barry Watson, 47; and John Clark, 47, face jail after risk assessments were commissioned by Lord Beckett.

Four of the group: Owens, Lannery, Brannan and Williams, were found guilty of attempting to murder a child by pushing her into a microwave and trapping her in other places.

All seven were found guilty of taking part in the gang rape of a child, following an eight-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

An eighth person, Marianne Gallagher, 38, who was found guilty of assaulting a child, was given a deferred sentence until January 2025.

The offences, involving three children, happened between 2012 and 2019.

Owens and Lannery were also convicted of multiple counts of assault, sexual assault and causing a child to ingest drugs and alcohol.

Williams was also found guilty of assault and supplying drugs.

Brannan was further convicted of sexual assault, causing children to consume drugs and alcohol and supplying class A drugs.

Watson and Clark were also found guilty of sexual assault.

Three of those on trial: Mark Carr, 49; Richard Gachagan, 46; and Leona Laing, 51, were acquitted of all charges.

An allegation that the accused used a Ouija board to call on spirits and demons causing the child victims to believe that they could see, hear and communicate with spirits and demons and making them take part in witchcraft, was dropped by prosecutors during the trial.

Lord Beckett said previously: Some of you have been convicted of sexually abusing three children and some of two children.

The common denominator was the repeated sexual assault of a very young child, payment was sought and accepted, some of the events were filmed. This extraordinary depravity was repeated on a number of occasions.

All the sex offences are of extreme gravity and accompanied for some of you by attempted murder.

He added: It appears to me, in the case of each of you may be such, there is a likelihood that, if at liberty, there is a risk you will seriously endanger the lives or physical or psychological wellbeing of the public at large, particularly young children.

You are not all in the same position. You should understand that each of you faces a very substantial prison sentence.
Crowds shouted Get them out outside a hotel housing asylum seekers as rocks and fireworks were thrown at police, the trial of eight people accused of violent disorder has heard.

Violence broke out outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, on Friday February 10 last year after police were informed the English Defence League was planning to attend, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Detective Constable David Williams told the jury that members of a right-wing and a left-wing group gathered outside the hotel, which was providing temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, and at about 7pm a large group of people arrived at the scene on foot.

He said: At that time it seemed that tensions changed somewhat.

Police outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, after a demonstration against asylum seekers housed there descended into chaos (Peter Powell/PA)

Three police officers were injured as items including rocks, fireworks and paving slabs were thrown, with one needing hospital treatment, the court heard.

A police carrier was totally destroyed in a fire and a number of other vehicles were smashed, causing 83,000 of damage, Mr Williams said.

He told the court there was ill feeling in the local area after a video appearing to show an asylum seeker from the hotel asking a 15-year-old girl for her phone number and a kiss was shared on social media.

Mr Williams added: It was investigated and unfortunately a decision was made via the Crown Prosecution Service that no crime had been committed at that point.

Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, told the jury all eight defendants admitted being present on the night of the protest but denied violent disorder.

He said defendant Brian McPadden, 61, of Kirkby, Merseyside, could be seen on body-worn camera footage pointing towards the hotel and could be heard saying: We protect our own, youse are not from Kirkby, we are. These are twats, the lot of them.

Footage filmed through an officers riot shield showed McPadden, wearing black shorts and a black coat, standing in front of the burning police van.

Mr Walsh said he could be heard saying: They better not leave that place in the next few days because theyll be dead. Every Friday well be here.

The court heard Thomas Mills, 47, of Kirkby, was seen standing on top of a police van holding a banner which said: Lets shout, get them out.

Mr Walsh said: The case against Mr Mills is he played an important role in the violence and is encouraging others to behave violently.

Police in riot gear during the protest outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, in February 2023 (Peter Powell/PA)

Paul Lafferty, 42, of Kirkby, was seen pointing towards police and shouting you f****** bullies, the court heard.

Mr Walsh said 21-year-old Jonjo ODonoghue, of Liverpool city centre, was seen on footage lighting fireworks and firing them at police officers.

Daniel Fulham, 39, of Kirkby, made his way through a police cordon with his Jack Russell dog, the court heard.

Mr Walsh said: Mr Fulham picks up his dog, waves it and thrusts it towards police officers while shouting Get them out.

The jury was told Cheryl Nicholls, 44, of Kirkby, was seen shouting and gesturing to police while filming on her phone.

Mr Walsh said she was heard saying: Youve got 500 dirty bastard nonces in there, I hope your kids are all proud of you.

Nicola Elliott, 52, of St Helens, was shown on footage shouting Get them out and Are you happy that theyre raping our children?, the court heard.

Jennifer Knox, 41, of Kirkby, was part of a group seen confronting police, Mr Walsh said.

He added: The Crown say her conduct added to the threat of violence faced by police.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

The hearing was adjourned within half-an-hour of resuming following the lunch break on Tuesday after Mills suffered a seizure in the dock.

The jury was sent home for the day as medical help was given.

The case will continue on Wednesday.
The decision by former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE comes after a dramatic fall from grace following her handling of the Horizon IT scandal.

She had a long-standing career at the Post Office, having started as group network director in 2007, then becoming managing director in 2010 before being promoted to the top job five years later.

She joined the group after holding a number of management positions at LOreal, Whitbread, Dixons and Argos, having started her career as a graduate trainee at consumer goods giant Unilever in 1981.

She studied Russian, French and economics at the University of Bradford and has a diploma in theology from Oxford University.

Alongside her corporate career, she was also ordained as an Anglican priest in 2006 and served at three churches in Bedfordshire.

Paula Vennells stepped down from her Post Office role in February 2019 (Post Office/PA)

She headed up the Post Office for nearly seven years, taking the helm in the same year that it split from Royal Mail as part of the latters privatisation.

She was appointed CBE in the 2019 New Years Honours List for services to the Post Office and to charity, just before stepping down from the Post Office in February of that year.

Her tenure as chief executive was marred from the start, coming as the Post Office suffered amid financial woes, leading to sweeping cost-cutting measures which saw thousands of branches close across the UK.

Her promotion also came as the Post Office began to investigate allegations made by a number of sub-postmasters about the IT system at the centre of the scandal.

She faced heavy criticism over her handling of the affair, finally stepping down in February 2019.

She has since also quit boardroom roles at retailers Morrisons and Dunelm as postmasters began having their convictions overturned and also stepped back from her regular church duties.

Ms Vennells likewise stepped down from her role as chairwoman of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in 2021, having taking on the job in April 2019 soon after leaving the Post Office.
Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein refused to answer questions over whether he attempted to blackmail the Duke of York after his alleged sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre, court documents have revealed.

Epstein declined to answer almost all of the questions, also known as pleading the fifth amendment in the US, during his interview under oath as part of Ms Giuffres civil claim against disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

He was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell instructed Ms Giuffre to have sex with Andrew in 2001 and if the information gathered as part of the legal action has the potential to affect the reputation of the duke.

Epstein declined to answer all questions relating to the duke (US Department of Justice/PA)

Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.

He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

The duke strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

The transcript of Epsteins interview, known as a deposition in the US, was released as part of the final tranche of documents to be published as part of Ms Giuffres 2015 civil claim against Maxwell.

In total, 215 documents have been unsealed over the course of five days after the media argued it was in the public interest to remove redactions which hid the names of individuals.

Ms Giuffres 2016 deposition was also released and featured her previously reported claims that Epstein paid her 15,000 dollars (11,800) to have sex with Andrew, and allegations she was trafficked to another foreign prince, as well as a well-known prime minister who she refused to name over concerns for her safety.

I did receive 15,000 dollars. I do not know the equivalent to what that is in pounds, Ms Giuffre said, before she was quizzed by a lawyer on whether she paid tax on the amount, with Ms Giuffre replying no.

During Epsteins deposition, Ms Giuffres counsel Paul Cassell asked: In fact, it would be a fair assessment of all the circumstances surrounding this situation to say that you forced Virginia to have sex with Prince Andrew?

After Epstein declined to answer, the lawyer continued: What would have happened to Virginia if she had refused to have sex with Prince Andrew?

Following another refusal to answer the question, Mr Cassell then asked Epstein: Shortly after Prince Andrew and Virginia had sex, Virginia gave you a full report about the details of the sex, true?

Epstein was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell forced Ms Giuffre to have sex with Andrew (US Department of Justice/PA)

Mr Cassell also said: Isnt it true, sir, that Prince Andrew thanked you for making Virginia available to him for sexual purposes?

Epstein declined to answer both questions.

Questioning Epstein on the alleged blackmail plot, Mr Cassell said: You had previously instructed Virginia that she had to give you a full report on the details of what men like Prince Andrew did to her so that you would have blackmail material you could use, true?

Epstein was also quizzed on what he knew about Andrews sexual preferences, and on whether Ms Giuffre had recounted specific behaviour that Prince Andrew requested before sexual intercourse.

The disgraced financier again declined to answer the questions.

Later in his interview, Epstein was also asked: To your knowledge, Prince Andrew had sex with Virginia several times, right?

Before finishing his questioning, Mr Cassell said: This litigation has the potential to affect the reputation of Prince Andrew, right?

The Duke of York attending the Kings coronation (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)

Epstein refused to answer the questions.

Ms Giuffre, in her deposition, described how she was trafficked to the south of France by Epstein and Maxwell to a world leader who was a prince.

She said she did not know his name, but added: He did speak foreign tongue, he spoke English as well, but Im not too sure where he was fromI was introduced to him as a prince.

Ms Giuffre also claimed former US president Bill Clinton visited Epsteins private Caribbean island twice.

She said they had dinner together, but Bill Clinton, he was never sexually involved with me. Ive never witnessed him sexually involved with anybody else.

However Ms Giuffre was asked during the deposition: Is Bill Clinton a witness to the sexual abuse of minors?

She replied: Yes, he would be a witness because he knew what my purpose there was for Jeffrey and he visited Jeffreys islandTheres pictures of nude girls all around the house at all of his houses and its something that Jeffrey Epstein wasnt shy about admitting to people.

Mr Clinton has denied ever visiting the island.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell (US Department of Justice/PA)

Ms Giuffre also recounted how she burned a booklet she wrote detailing her alleged encounters with Andrew to get rid of painful memories.

The diary was written at the request of journalist Sharon Churcher, and Ms Giuffre said she gave the writer some of the original pages relating to the duke.

But she said she decided not to burn photographs at her then-Florida home in 2013 because theyre evidence.

I wanted to get rid of it. It was very painful stuff, she said.

She added: I was burning like memories, thoughts, dreams that I had, just everything that was kind of affiliated with the abuse I endured, and there was a lot of it in there.

My husband is pretty spiritual so he said the best thing to do would be burn them.

Paedophile financier Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.

The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had faded, distorted and motivated memories.

Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.
More than 100 flood warnings in place as UK shivers through cold morning

More than 100 flood warnings remain in place following last weeks Storm Henk deluge as large parts of the UK endured a cold, frosty morning.

The Environment Agency (EA) said 126 flood warnings remain in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames southwest of London in Wraysbury.

The EA says flooding of property and roads was expected around Friary Road, The Embankment, Ousley Road and Riverside areas.

The majority of flood warnings are in the south of England and the Midlands, particularly through Reading, Slough, Oxford, Salisbury and further north in Cheltenham and Peterborough.

There are also 136 flood alerts in place throughout the same areas where flooding is possible.

It comes as a yellow warning for ice across southern England and South Wales expired at 3am on Tuesday morning.

The Met Office said there would be snow flurries throughout Monday evening affecting parts of Englands south into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

(PA Graphics)

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said that not much of the snow appeared to have settled, with some areas seeing a dusting of maybe one centimetre or two of snow.

He said Tuesday would be drier with limited snowfall, apart from some wintry showers in Cornwall.

He told the PA news agency: Were not expecting much in the way of further snowfall on Tuesday. In actual fact, it will be much sunnier than today, particularly in the south compared to Monday.

Mr Morgan said a blast of cold air coming down from the north, mostly affecting Scotland, was likely to bring more cold conditions over the weekend with some snow showers.

Temperatures dropped as low as -1C in Birmingham, 0C in Glasgow and 1C in London overnight.

A cold day throughout with some snow across the southern part of UK today  Take a look back at Monday 8th January  pic.twitter.com/Iz8rZFCZqf  Met Office (@metoffice) January 8, 2024

Train services warned customers to be careful when using their services due to icy conditions but there were no reports of major disruptions to services.

An amber cold health alert for the North West of England, the Midlands, the South West of England and the South East of England is also in place until noon on Friday.

The amber alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), means cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time.
There is no co-ordinated campaign within Sinn Fein to take libel actions against journalists in Ireland, a party TD has said.

Pearse Doherty said any actions taken by party members are individual decisions.

He was speaking after a High Court judge in Belfast threw out a claim brought by party MLA Gerry Kelly against a journalist, ruling it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Mr Kelly was also ordered to pay costs in the case he had brought against Malachi ODoherty, who had stated in two radio interviews that the Sinn Fein representative had shot a prison officer during an escape from the Maze prison in 1983.

A libel action brought by Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly was thrown out by a High Court judge (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Kelly had claimed the broadcast comments from Mr ODoherty had damaged his reputation, but Master of Belfast High Court Evan Bell said books written by the MLA about the prison escape meant his libel action could not succeed.

The judges ruling stated: For that reason the court strikes them out on the basis that they are scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Politicians in Ireland have previously criticised Sinn Fein for launching a number of legal actions against journalists and elected representatives.

But speaking to Newstalk, Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein was not the only party which launched legal action.

He said: They are individual actions, there is no decision in terms of Sinn Fein to take individual cases against anybody.

There are many actions that have been taken by Fianna Fail or Fine Gael representatives.this isnt unique at all.

People in the media are also taking cases against other people in news outlets in the media.

It is a fair point that if I am defamed, whether I am a member in public office or not, I have the right to defend my good name; I have taken that avenue in the past and I will take that avenue in the future.

Mr Doherty added: I dont know Gerry Kellys case, I wouldnt expect to know Gerry Kellys case, it is up to each individual whether they are a member of Sinn Fein or not to take a case.

I can tell you for a fact that it is not a co-ordinated campaign.

In the High Court ruling this week, Master Bell said that the libel proceedings brought by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapp) case.

He said: On the balance of probabilities therefore the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the genuine purposes of vindicating a reputation injured by defamatory statements, but rather for the purpose of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.
All living former first ministers will give evidence to a Westminster committee on Scotlands intergovernmental relations with the UK.

The Scottish Affairs Committee will hear from Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond, Jack McConnell and Henry McLeish in the first half of the year.

It comes as the committee explores the relationship between Scotlands two Governments 25 years since the Scotland Act 1998 was passed.

Mr Salmond, who served as first minister from 2007 to 2014, will be questioned by committee MPs on February 19, with the dates of the other former leaders yet to be confirmed.

SNP MP Pete Wishart, chair of the committee, has extended the invitation to six former prime ministers who led the UK since the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999.

The inquiry has already received written evidence from Sir Tony Blair and Lord David Cameron, but Mr Wishart said they will now be asked to appear in person.

Gordon Brown, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss will also be asked to give evidence.

Mr Wishart said: Its a clear demonstration of the importance of this work that all living former Scottish first ministers have agreed to appear in front of the committee as part of the inquiry into relations between the UK and Scottish Governments since 1998.

Given that we will hear from all living former first ministers of Scotland, we will be inviting all former UK prime ministers who have been in power since the implementation of the Scotland Act to appear in front of the committee.

I sincerely hope they will match the commitment of their Scottish Government counterparts and accept our invitation.
Sinead OConnor died from natural causes, a coroner has said.

The Dublin-born singer was found unresponsive by police at her south-east London home on July 26 2023 and pronounced dead at the scene.

She was 56.

A statement from Southwark Coroners Court on Tuesday said: This is to confirm that Ms OConnor died of natural causes.

The coroner has therefore ceased their involvement in her death.

Fans lined the streets as Sinead OConnors funeral cortege passed through her former hometown of Bray, Co Wicklow (Niall Carson/PA)

According to the Ministry of Justice, death by natural causes is when an illness or condition is not linked to external forces and there are no unusual circumstances.

After a post-mortem examination, a coroner can decide whether there are grounds for a natural death inquest, which can happen in a case of neglect or if the person was in police custody or prison at the time of death.

A private funeral, attended by U2s Bono, Bob Geldof and Irish President Michael D Higgins, was held in August.

A procession then passed OConnors former home in Bray, Co Wicklow, where thousands of fans lined the streets.

It was announced this week that a musical tribute to the musician and The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan  who died in November after a long battle with ill-health and was a friend of OConnor  is planned at New Yorks Carnegie Hall.

Bob Geldof was in the funeral cortege for Sinead OConnor (Liam McBurney/PA)

Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, who performed The Pogues hit Fairytale Of New York at MacGowans funeral in December, and The Mountain Goats are among the acts scheduled to perform at the event in March.

OConnors version of Nothing Compares 2 U spent weeks at number one in the UK in 1990 and propelled her to stardom.

She was also known for being outspoken on her struggles with her mental health and was said to have helped change Ireland because of her criticism of the Catholic Church.
A missing fragment of the Stone of Destiny kept at the SNPs headquarters should be moved to Perth Museum when the artefact is relocated there later this year, an MP has suggested.

The SNPs Pete Wishart said the ancient stone should be displayed in its entirety when it moves from its current home in Edinburgh Castle.

The fragment is said to be a very, very small chip from the sandstone block, which has been used in ceremonies to crown Scottish monarchs for centuries.

Recently released Scottish Government documents revealed that, in 2008, former first minister Alex Salmond was given a chip said to come from the stone by the late Sir Neil MacCormick.

The stone was installed in the chair for the Kings coronation (Susannah Ireland/PA)

Sir Neils father, John MacCormick, was among a group of independence-supporting students who removed the stone from Westminster Abbey in 1950.

During the move to Arbroath, the stone was discovered to be in two parts.

The fragment is said to have been created then but the SNP says its provenance has not been completely established.

However, the party said the stone ship has been held securely for the past 15 years and had never been considered lost.

A special ceremony was held when the Stone left Edinburgh last year (Russell Cheyne/PA)

In 2008, the First Minister was advised that Historic Scotland had not requested it back, so it has apparently stayed in a cupboard in the SNPs HQ.

Later this year, the 125 kilo block will be moved to Perth Museum to form the centrepiece of a 26.5 million redevelopment.

The stone was associated with royal inaugurations at Scone, at nearby Perth, before it was taken to Westminster Abbey in London as war loot by King Edward I.

Mr Wishart, who represents Perth and North Perthshire, said: The Stone of Scone is undoubtedly one of Scotlands most iconic artefacts, and its arrival at Perth Museum will mark the first time it has returned to its home region in over 700 years.

This will be a huge moment for Perthshire, not just symbolically, but economically too.

He added: In order to maximise the opportunity that the museum presents for the city, and to honour the stones long awaited return to the region, it is important for it to be displayed in its entirety.

As such, I very much hope that the missing piece can be given to the museum ahead of its opening in March.

Earlier on Tuesday, the First Ministers official spokesman was asked about the fragment.

He said that in 2008 civil servants had advised there was no need to return the very, very small fragment to Historic Scotland, the keepers of the artefact, as they had not requested it.

The Stone of Destiny was moved to Edinburgh Castle in 1996 and was used in the coronation of King Charles last year.

When the artefact was moved south to be installed in the Coronation Chair, it was piped out of Edinburgh Castle in a special ceremony organised by the Lord Lyon, King of Arms.

The SNP said the partys chief executive, Murray Foote, would respond to a letter from Mr Wishart in due course.

A spokeswoman said: The SNP has a small stone chip in storage.

The fragment  gifted to the party by Professor Sir Neil MacCormick  has been held securely by the SNP for the past 15 years and has never been considered lost at any point.
Rishi Sunak faces a showdown with MPs over his Rwanda Bill when it returns to the Commons next week.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt on Tuesday announced the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bills committee stage will take place on January 16 and 17.

The Prime Minister is under pressure from both sides of his party over the legislation, which is aimed at overcoming the Supreme Courts objections to the stalled plan to deport some migrants to the African country.

Following todays ruling, Im taking the extraordinary step of introducing emergency legislation to confirm Rwanda is safe. I will not allow a foreign court, like the European Court of Human Rights, to block these flights. Heres the plan in full 1/5 pic.twitter.com/6MVqYWS65O  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 15, 2023

Those on the right want the controversial legislation to be tightened, while more centrist Tories have threated to oppose the Bill if it risks breaching international law.

Mr Sunak has said he would welcome bright ideas on how to improve the Bill, but has previously insisted it strikes the right balance with only an inch between his rescue plan and more radical measures that would risk Kigali pulling out of the scheme.

The legislation seeks to enable Parliament to deem Rwanda safe generally but makes limited allowances for personal claims against being sent to the east African nation under a clause disliked by Conservative hardliners.

Centrist former deputy prime minister Damian Green said the Prime Minister had assured him the Bill would not be strengthened.

The Prime Ministers looked me in the eye and said that he doesnt want to go any further and potentially break international law by ignoring its human rights obligations, he told the New Statesman.

Mr Sunak won a key Commons vote on his emergency draft law in December despite speculation about a major rebellion by Tory MPs.

But it faces further dissent during the upcoming parliamentary stages and heavy scrutiny in the Lords.

Meanwhile, Labour was defeated in its bid to force the Government to release documents relating to the scheme.

The Opposition motion asked for any documents that show the cost of relocating each individual asylum seeker to Rwanda as well as a list of all payments made or scheduled to be made to Rwandas government.

It also asked for the Governments internal breakdown of the more than 35,000 asylum decisions made last year and an unredacted copy of the confidential memorandum of understanding ministers reached with the East African country.

But MPs voted 304 to 228, majority 76, to reject the proposal.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper questioned if 400 million has already been committed to the Rwanda scheme and whether it could cost around 200,000 per person under the agreement.

She also told MPs: The Prime Minister is still going ahead with a scheme he doesnt believe in, doesnt think will work, knows is extortionately expensive because he is too weak not to.

You can see it in his face that he doesnt support it, he doesnt really believe it, hes just desperately hoping for  in the words of the former immigration minister  one or two symbolic flights off before the next election, even if everyone ends up being sent back again, even if the whole thing collapses after that, even if it costs a total fortune because hes not planning to tell anyone before the election what the total costs are.

Because, in the end, the only deterrence it appears the Prime Minister actually believes in is deterring his backbenchers from getting rid of him because its weak, weak, weak, and yet the taxpayer is paying the price.

It is a totally farcical situation.

Home Office minister Tom Pursglove confirmed that 240 million has been spent on the Rwanda scheme so far and said further costs would be reported in the perfectly normal way, in the annual accounts.

Mr Pursglove added: Its right that theres additional funding to reflect the cost in the future. The total cost of the partnership will depend on the number of people relocated, timing of when it occurs and outcomes of individual cases.

The Rwanda policy is seen as key to Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats (James Manning/PA)

The Prime Minister has made the policy central to his premiership and key to his pledge to prevent Channel crossings.

But reports have suggested that he had doubts about the policy when he was chancellor and during his campaign for the Tory leadership.

Meanwhile, Downing Street denied Mr Sunak had overruled the Home Offices plans to close dozens more asylum hotels.

The Times reported that the department in October drew up proposals to shut 100 hotels by January, but the Prime Minister ordered the target to be reduced to 50 because of concerns a spike in crossings in the summer could force them to reopen.

His official spokesman said: Those claims are not true, hotel numbers have always been determined exclusively by Home Office need.

The Prime Minister has not intervened in those decisions. It is right that were making progress in closing hotels. The first 50 are due to be closed by the end of this month and there will be more in the coming months.

 MSF and @DOTW_UK are now providing primary healthcare to people seeking asylum in the UK who are being held at the large-scale containment site at Wethersfield in Essex.https://t.co/SSOt2CRXx81/4 pic.twitter.com/0VhE89FeXQ  MSF UK (@MSF_uk) January 9, 2024

The Government is housing asylum seekers on military bases and the Bibby Stockholm barge in an effort to reduce the cost of hotel bills.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, the medical charity also known as Doctors Without Borders, said it is now treating people housed in RAF Wethersfield, a disused airbase in Home Secretary James Cleverlys Essex constituency.

The NGO, known for emergency relief in conflict zones, said it was the first time it has opened a project working with people seeking sanctuary in the UK.
Taylor Swift tickets are easier to get than an NHS dental appointment, ministers have been told.

The warning came as the Government was urged to grasp the crisis in access to NHS dental care across England.

Conservative former health minister Steve Brine told the Commons there could be no further delay to the Governments dental recovery plan, as MPs aired their concerns during a Labour-led Commons debate about constituents having to seek private care and carry out DIY dentistry.

Ashley Dalton, the Labour MP for West Lancashire, said: Its easier to get your hands on Taylor Swift tickets in 2024, than it is to get an NHS dental appointment.

The American pop singers international Eras tour will see her visit venues across the UK this year in a series of sold out events which were hotly-contested by fans.

Speaking in the Commons, Ms Dalton also said some of her constituents have been left feeling suicidal because they cannot access dental treatment.

The Labour MP said: Under this Government, we have arrived at a now dismal state of NHS dentistry services.

A member of the public contacted Healthwatch Lancashire recently, reporting that theyre in so much pain that theyre now feeling suicidal.

Tory MP Mr Brine, who chairs the Commons Health Select Committee, meanwhile urged ministers to come forward with a promised plan aimed at helping dentistry recover from the pandemic.

He said: There is still no date for the publication of (the) dental recovery plan  to my committees continued frustration, it has to be said.

If we dont solve this crisis, then we are going to continue to hear about this in the House and we are going to continue to hear about it from constituents. It also places additional pressures on already-stretched NHS services.

So, today is too late for some dentists thinking of leaving, and for some patients who have run out of options.

We have a short-term set of actions to help our constituents suffering real pain today, and obviously we need that fully reformed dental recovery plan hot on its heels, there cant be any further delay.

Health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom called on MPs to be patient just a little while longer, and said they could expect the plan to be published very shortly.

But the British Dental Association was unhappy with the lack of action from ministers.

Its chairman Eddie Crouch said in a statement: Today, when we needed clarity, the Government provided a full gamut of platitudes and half-truths.

Ministers keep saying they want an NHS dentist for everyone. There is still no evidence of any plan to make that happen.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting at BBC Broadcasting House in London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Opening the debate, Wes Streeting had earlier claimed the Government had left the country toothless as a result of the crisis.

The shadow health secretary also fired a warning shot towards opponents of Labours plans to fund dental reform by scrapping the non-domiciled tax status, claiming that the party would quote their arguments back at them in campaign leaflets during a likely election year.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins warned that Labours plans to scrap the non-dom status could have an impact upon the number of foreign workers recruited into the NHS.

Ms Atkins said: As our economy grows, we on this side of the House want to attract the best and the brightest from around the world to work in our NHS, to work in our tech sector, to work in our life sciences industry, to work in our movie industry  which we may know just filmed Barbie this year  and many other industries that are thriving.

She added: Labour wants to put that at risk and put the UK at a disadvantage in the highly paid, highly competitive, highly mobile international labour market.

A Labour motion signed by Mr Streeting had urged the Government to provide an extra 700,000 urgent dental appointments a year, create incentives to recruit dentists into underserved areas, and create a supervised toothbrushing scheme for young school children.

It was rejected, with MPs voting 299 to 191, majority 108, against it.
Two people have been arrested after a 47-year-old man was stabbed to death in south-east London.

Police were called at 6.52am on Tuesday to reports of an injured man at Old Kent Road, Southwark.

Emergency services attended, but police said the man died at the scene at 7.22am after being found with knife injuries.

Police said it appeared that the stabbing took place inside a residential address and those present at the time were known to each other.

A 54-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of murder.

A crime scene and cordon remained in place on Tuesday afternoon and police said inquiries were under way to identify the victim and notify next of kin.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan, of the Mets specialist crime command  who is leading the murder investigation, said: Early indications are that the stabbing took place inside a residential address close to where the victim was found by members of the public.

While we are keeping an open mind concerning motive, it does appear that those present at the address at the time of the stabbing were known to each other and that there is no wider threat to the public.

Mr Nolan added: I would like to thank everyone who came forward this morning to speak to police and local people for their patience and understanding as we go about our inquiries.

If you have information or footage that could assist our investigation please do get in touch.

Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, leading policing in Southwark, said: I know that the community will be shocked by this incident.

Local residents will notice a more visible police presence in the area and I urge anyone who has concerns to speak with those officers as they patrol or contact your local neighbourhood police team.

Our thoughts are with the victims family.
Why is Paula Vennells handing back her CBE, and what role does the King have?

In the face of mounting pressure over the Horizon scandal, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has announced that she will hand back her CBE.

More than 1.2 million people had signed a petition demanding the honour should be stripped from the former businesswoman and priest as politicians also weighed in.

She told the PA news agency in a statement that she had listened to the calls from critics including hounded supostmasters and will return my CBE with immediate effect.

But the process is a little bit more tricky than that, and even involves the King. Here is a look at how Ms Vennells will officially lose those three letters after her name.

 How did she get her gong in the first place?

MPs and victims of the scandal have for years called for Ms Vennells to be stripped of the rank of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire which she was made in 2019.

Her inclusion on the New Years Honours list came despite legal action being launched against the Post Office by 555 subpostmasters back in 2017.

Former post office workers celebrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London after having their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal (Yui Mok/PA)

The Post Office said she was recognised for her work on diversity and inclusion as well as her commitment to the social purpose at the heart of the business and her dedication in putting the customer first.

In a statement at the time, she said she was delighted to receive the honour, saying it was recognition of the hard work and commitment of so many colleagues across the organisation.

 So why hand it back?

The Horizon scandal that saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongfully convicted of crimes including theft and false accounting was not just about dodgy IT software but how the Post Office relentlessly pursued workers.

Former postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012, and now Lib Dem leader, Sir Ed Davey has alleged that there was a conspiracy of lies unleashed by senior Post Office managers.

Public fury over the scandal has been intensified thanks to the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office.

Former subpostmaster Alan Bates led led campaign group Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance to its High Court victory in 2019 (House of Commons/PA)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made clear through his official spokesman that he would strongly support a review of whether she should hold onto the honour.

Ms Vennells pledged to voluntarily renounce the rank as she said she was truly sorry for the devastation caused to subpostmasters and their families.

 How does it all work?

The only person who can actually forfeit an honour is Charles. The King takes advice from the Forfeiture Committee chaired by senior civil servant Sir Chris Wormald.

Typically, the group might recommend someone is stripped of their gong if they are convicted of a criminal offence, or any other behaviour that brings the honours system into disrepute.

But individuals can also signal they want to renounce their honour, as Ms Vennells has now done.

The former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal (Yui Mok/PA)

Until the King acts on the advice of the committee, however, Ms Vennells continues to hold the title.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks official spokesman said that those surrendering their honour have to take steps such as returning their insignia to Buckingham Palace and not making reference to their honour.

Forfeiture approvals are usually placed in the London Gazette, the official public record.

 Who else is on the ignominious list of former honourees?

Fred Goodwin, the former Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive, was stripped of his knighthood for his role in the financial crisis of 2008/09.

Last year, Dario Gradi, the former Crewe Alexandra manager, was stripped of his MBE over allegations he failed to act on rumours of child sexual abuse.

Raymond Parry, who had been described as a hero of the 7/7 London bombings, lost his MBE after he groomed and sexually assaulted a child.

The committee would have considered stripping Jimmy Savile of his knighthood and former Liberal Party politician Cyril Smith his MBE, both over multiple allegations of sexual abuse.

But the Gazette noted that honours cannot be removed from people who have died, because they are living orders that individuals cease to be a member of when deceased.
Authorities say three people were fatally shot at a Minnesota Super 8 hotel including the suspected gunman who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Monday night.

Police in Cloquet, Minnesota said they received a 911 call around 6:30 p.m. from an employee at the hotel after they found a co-worker who looked like she'd been attacked.

When police arrived they found a 22-year-old woman with a gunshot wound. The woman was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

A shelter-in-place order was issued and people in the surrounding area were advised to avoid the scene. The order was lifted around 8:30 p.m. after police determined there was no risk to the public.

Police officers began investigating and found a 35-year-old man dead from a gunshot wound in a car in the hotel parking lot. They later also found a 32-year-old man dead outside the hotel property from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, with a firearm next to him.

Texas explosion: 21 injured after possible gas explosion at historic Fort Worth, Texas, hotel: 'Very loud and very violent'

Cloquet hotel shooting: suspected gunman dead

After looking through surveillance video, police determined that the man with the self-inflicted gunshot wound was the suspect.

"The Cloquet Police Department extends its sympathies to the families of the victims in this tragic case," a press release said.

Police said they don't have any information yet on a motive or if the suspected shooter knew either of the victims.

This is a developing story and more information will be updated as it becomes available. A press conference is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cloquet, Minnesota hotel shooting: 3 people found dead, police say
Boeings (BA) efforts to get its grounded 7379 Max back in service hit a snag after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the company's instructions to airlines on how to inspect the planes were inadequate.

Earlier this week the FAA ordered the temporary grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jets due to a door plug that flew off an Alaska Airlines plane midair on Friday. Upon inspection, other 737-9 Max jets in the fleets of Alaska Airlines and United Airlines were found to have loose hardware. Specifically, the inspection found that tightening was needed in some bolts connecting the plugs or panels that fit onto the jets fuselage when the openings arent used for emergency exits.

Boeing submitted plans for servicing the jets and getting them back in service, but the FAA just issued a statement claiming all planes should stay grounded until new guidance is issued and approved by the FAA.

Every Boeing 737-9 Max with a plug door will remain grounded until the FAA finds each can safely return to operation. To begin the process, Boeing must provide instructions to operators for inspections and maintenance. Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response. Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review, the FAA said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

Alaska Airlines flight 337 from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. a Boeing 737-900, lands at Portland International Airport in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after part of the fuselage blew out during a flight. (Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service, the FAA said in a tweet accompanying its statement.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines operate the only 737 Max 9 jets in the US. Yahoo Finance earlier reported the grounding order from the FAA will impact 171 planes.

The grounding order led to flight cancellations that are adding to the ongoing disruptions of flights across the country due to a winter storm across the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard. Per FlightAware data, more than 200 United departures were canceled as of Tuesday morning, accounting for 8% of United daily flights, as well as 108 Alaska Airlines flights, or 18% of Alaskas flight load.

On Monday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said the agency was not shy about broadening its investigation into other Boeing Max aircraft, if necessary.

We will go broader if we need to, Homendy said.

The NTSB also confirmed on Monday that two stop fittings at the top of the door plug had fractured guide plugs on the Alaska planes fuselage. Four bolts that secure the door plug, Homendy said, were missing during the agencys inspection of the aircraft. Homendy said the agency had not yet determined if the four missing bolts had ever been installed or if they were lost in the plug failure.

Twelve total fittings secured by bolts on the door plug are meant to keep the planes internal pressure from shifting the plug upward and disengaging it.

The exam to date has shown that the door did in fact translate upward. All 12 stops became disengaged, allowing it to blow out of the fuselage, NTSB aerospace engineer Clint Crookshanks said.

Last Friday's incident with Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 isn't the first time the 737 Max has been under scrutiny. Two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that together killed all 346 passengers and crew onboard led to a 20-month grounding of planes as safety changes were made.

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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An American Airlines flight was diverted on Wednesday after a passenger punched a flight attendant multiple times after drinking rum  and then claimed to not remember it afterward.

American Airlines flight 1497, which departed from Dallas Fort Worth Airport heading to Bozeman International Airport in Montana, declared a Level 2 threat for the physically abusive behavior by passenger Keith Edward Fagiana, 61. The incident forced the pilot to divert to Amarillo, Texas.

The incident started mid-flight when a passenger told a flight attendant that Fagiana was violently kicking their chair, according to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the North District of Texas.

The flight attendant asked Fagiana to stop kicking the chair in front of him and he then yelled expletives at the flight attendant and punched the flight attendant in the stomach. The flight attendant took a defensive position and Fagiana stood up and punched the flight attendant three more times, said the complaint, which cited an affidavit from the FBI agent investigating the case.

Fagiana was physically restrained by the flight attendant and other passengers, put in flex cuff restraints and seated in an empty row. Another flight attendant reported the incident to the pilots in the cockpit.

Keith Edward Fagiana was arrested for interfering with the flight crew on an American Airlines flight.

Video taken by another passenger captured the confrontation with the flight attendant. Stop, stop, stop. What the (expletive) are you doing? the flight attendant yelled at a man hitting him.

Once at the gate in Amarillo, police officers boarded the plane to escort Fagiana to the Amarillo Airport Police Office. Fagiana told officers the flex cuffs were hurting him, and when officers went to exchange them with steel handcuffs, Fagiana kicked one of the officers in the groin area and spit on escorting officers.

Not-so-friendly skies: Incidents of unruly passengers are rising

During an interview shortly after the incident, Fagiana said he did not remember anything that happened on the flight and admitted to drinking some Captain Morgans at different bars in Las Vegas before the flight.

However, Fagiana did admit to fighting with the police officers because he didnt want to be arrested, the complaint said.

Fagiana has been charged with interfering with a flight crew, a criminal charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He was appointed an assistant federal public defender on Tuesday and is currently being held in custody by the United States Marshal. The case is entering prosecution.

Acts of violence are not tolerated by American Airlines and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in their investigation, an American Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY in an email.

The plane departed shortly after Fagiana was escorted off and landed in Bozeman over six hours late.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Airlines flight diverted after man punches flight attendant
Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa has declared an internal armed conflict in the country, ordering security forces to neutralize several criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence in the Latin American nation.

The decree came shortly after hooded and armed men interrupted a live television broadcast  one of several violent incidents playing out across the country on Tuesday.

Ecuadorians were stunned as they watched the takeover of TC Televisions live broadcast from the coastal city of Guayaquil. Social media video showed the assailants forcing staff of the state-owned network onto the floor of the studio as shots and yelling were heard in the background.

Ecuadors police later said they had arrested all the armed men, members of the media outlet had been evacuated, and all staff and hostages were alive.

At least four firearms, two grenades, and explosive material were recovered and 13 people apprehended, Cesar Zapata, General Commander of the National Police said. The perpetrators would be brought to justice for their acts of terrorism, he added.

TC Television anchor Jorge Rendon described the takeover of the broadcast as an extremely violent attack.

They wanted to enter the studio so that we could say what they wanted, I guess their message, Rendon recalled in a video on TC Televisions official X account. Rendon said he knew of one person being shot and another injured by the assailants. Police have not confirmed those injuries.

The situation has struck fear among many Ecuadorians. One woman, who lives outside Guayaquil and was told to go home early by her boss, described the chaotic traffic on her drive home. Cars were going the wrong way; everyone was just trying to get through, she said.

The scariest part was seeing the desperation, seeing businesses shutting down, desperate people, including children and women, running frantically in avenues only meant for cars.

Soldiers patrol outside the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel after gunmen stormed the studio live on air, January 9, 2023. - Marcos Pin/AFP/Getty Images

The country has been rocked by explosions, police kidnappings, and prison disturbances since Noboa on Monday declared a nationwide state of emergency after high-profile gang leader Adolfo Fito Macias escaped from a prison in Guayaquil.

Eight people were killed in Guayaquil on Tuesday, according to local police. Two police officers were also killed in the nearby city of Nobol, National Police said on X.

Meanwhile, 10 people were arrested after three kidnapped police officers were freed in the southwest city of Machala, National Police said Tuesday night. Earlier, police said at least seven officers had been taken captive in three cities since the state of emergency was announced.

At least 70 people were arrested across the whole country, police said Wednesday morning. Eight explosive devices were seized along with 15 Molotov cocktails, nine firearms, 308 firearm cartridges, six motorcycles and six vehicles.

Ecuador is living a real nightmare, former President Rafael Correa said in a video shared on X Tuesday. The situation was the result of the systematic destruction of the rule of law, of the errors of hatred accumulated over the last seven years, he claimed.

Spiraling violence

The state of emergency will last for 60 days and mobilize the police and armed forces to control disturbances to public order.

It includes a curfew, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., to restrict meetings and actions that may threaten public order. Noboas beleaguered predecessor, former President Guillermo Lasso, instated several states of emergency with limited success.

The decree signed by Noboa on Tuesday declared the country was in an internal armed conflict and ordered armed forces to carry out military operations to neutralize armed groups identified as terrorists.

Adm. Jaime Vela Erazo, head of the Joint Command of Ecuadors Armed Forces, on Tuesday vowed not to back down or negotiate with armed groups, adding the future of our country is at stake.

From this moment on, every terrorist group identified in the aforementioned [emergency] decree has become a military target, he said.

The spiraling violence is the most extreme test yet for the new president, who won last years run-off vote with promises to tackle soaring crime.

Ecuadors worsening security situation is largely driven by rival criminal organizations, which have been meting out brutal and often public shows of violence in the countrys streets and prisons in their battle to control drug trafficking routes.

In one of the kidnappings this week, in which three agents were taken, an explosive device had been placed and detonated in a vehicle the officers were moving in, police said.

In the northwestern city of Esmeraldas, two vehicles were set on fire with one causing a blaze at a gas station.

In Guayaquil, one hospital said security guards had stopped armed individuals from entering the facility, denying reports that some health personnel had been kidnapped. The military is now guarding the hospital, it said.

And in the capital Quito, police found a burned vehicle with traces of gas cylinders inside. Residents reported on social media they had heard a loud explosion in the area.

Police also said they had received reports of an explosion at a pedestrian bridge outside Quito and attended over 20 emergencies during (Monday) evening and overnight (Tuesday) in different parts of the country. No known casualties related to the explosions were immediately reported.

Amid the unrest in Ecuador, countries across the region, including neighboring Colombia and Peru, expressed concern over the situation and support for Noboas government to restore order.

Officials in Peru said the country plans to declare an emergency along its entire northern border with Ecuador. Perus interior minister has also ordered National Police to reinforce security on the border, the interior ministry said.

In a statement on X, a US State Department official said the United States stands with the people of Ecuador and is ready to provide assistance to the Ecuadorian government.

Prison chaos

Ecuadors penitentiary service, the SNAI, said at least six incidents took place inside prisons Monday, including disturbances and retention of prison guards. The situation in prisons was not under control, it said.

Meanwhile, another alleged gang leader, Fabricio Colon Pico, escaped from a prison in the central city of Riobamba, according to its mayor John Vinueza.

Colon Pico had been captured last Friday after being publicly identified by Attorney General Diana Salazar as being part of a plan to attack her. Along with Colon Pico, 38 other inmates escaped, of which 12 have been recaptured, the SNAI told CNN.

Soldiers are deployed in downtown Quito on January 9, 2024, a day after Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. - Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images

Ecuadors Armed Forces said they carried out control operations Monday night and early Tuesday in the most conflict-ridden areas.

On the political side, Ecuadors National Assembly is holding an emergency meeting to generate concrete actions in face of the national commotion and multiple acts that threaten public peace.

Speaking to Radio Canela on Wednesday, Noboa said the prison officials who were on duty when Fito escaped will be prosecuted, warning his country is in a state of war against terrorist groups.

The search for Adolfo Macias, more popularly known by his alias Fito, continued as more than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces have been deployed to find him, the government said Sunday. Ecuador authorities said they have not yet pinpointed the exact time and date that Macias escaped prison.

Macias is the leader of Los Choneros, one of Ecuadors most feared gangs, which has been linked to maritime drug trafficking to Mexico and the United States, working with with Mexicos Sinaloa cartel and the Oliver Sinisterra Front in Colombia, according to the Insight Crime research center.

He was jailed after being convicted of drug trafficking. Before his assassination, the late Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio said in July that he had been threatened by Macias and warned against continuing with his campaign against gang violence for the leadership.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNNs Karol Suarez and Gerardo Lemos contributed to this report.

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The American oil industry is on high alert for an escalation of the violence in the Middle East that disrupts the flow of oil out of the region.

Mike Sommers, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, worries there is a growing chance the crisis will intensify and derail oil supplies.

This should be a real concern, I think, to every American, Sommers told CNN in an exclusive interview. Oil tankers are being attacked by the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. And what youre seeing is a number of those oil tankers no longer traversing the Red Sea.

Sommers, who runs a powerful oil-and-gas trade group whose members include ExxonMobil, Chevron and Hess, also cited the potential for the Israel-Hamas war morphing into a regional conflict that endangers energy supplies.

If this situation in the Middle East continues to escalate, Sommers said, that will certainly have an effect on price.

Last month, BP halted shipments through the Red Sea, citing a deteriorating security situation. Attacks on vessels have only intensified since then, with Houthi rebels launching unmanned surface drones against commercial shipping lanes and US Navy helicopters sinking three Houthi boats and killing those aboard.

Bab al-Mandab Strait, a sea route connecting the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea, is a critical passageway for crude oil and fuel. About 8.2 million barrels per day of oil and oil products transited the Red Sea through the strait this year, according to oil research firm Vortexa.

Oil executives are working hand in glove with the US Navy and other elements of the federal government to ensure that these attacks stop, Sommers said.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, ISIS claimed responsibility last week for deadly twin blasts in Iran that killed at least 84 people. Violence has also increased in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian group.

Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told clients late last week that the violence in Lebanon and Iran is unlikely to be the trigger s for a regional war.

However, the former CIA analyst cautioned: If the current trends continue it is hard to see how it remains a contained conflict.

Gas is cheaper than before October 7th

Although oil prices have surged at times during the Israel-Hamas war, those spikes have been fleeting. US crude closed at $70.77 a barrel on Monday, about 15% below where it traded before the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

One major reason energy markets have been relatively calm is robust supply from the United States.

Oil prices have stabilized right now and it is only because of the American energy revolution, Sommers said. American oil and gas producers should be thanked for ensuring that volatility hasnt gone in an upward direction.

As of the final quarter of 2023, the United States was producing more oil than any country in history. Not only has that US oil offset the loss of OPEC+ barrels taken offline by the producer group, but it has acted as a shock absorber as the security situation in the Middle East devolves.

Ten years ago if this same situation was occurring, wed be dealing with significantly higher oil prices, he said. Were producing more oil than this country ever has and that is a huge advantage to the American consumer and, by the way, to our national security. We dont have to go and beg, borrow and steal from other countries for energy.

Despite the security jitters about the Middle East, gas prices are 20 cents cheaper today than at this point last year, according to AAA.

Sowing the seeds for the next energy crisis

Some Republicans claim the Biden administration has waged a war on American energy on the regulatory front. Thats despite the record-shattering oil production that has occurred on President Joe Bidens watch.

Sommers voiced significant concerns about Bidens energy stance, especially a regulatory onslaught on drilling on public lands and public waters. He argued most federal production today was made possible by leases approved by prior administrations.

If we dont get the policies right, and if we dont eliminate this red tape, were really sowing the seeds for the next energy crisis, Sommers said. This administration has gone backwards on energy policy. Youre not seeing it at the pump right now, but youre going to see it in the future if we dont reverse course.

Of course, most US oil production occurs on private land, not federal. And despite Bidens climate ambitions, US oil production is up sharply since he took office.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Big Oil launches ad blitz

The oil industry is taking its message to the airwaves.

The API previewed for CNN a major new ad campaign, called Lights on Energy, launching on Tuesday ahead of the groups State of American Energy event.

The ad blitz will cost eight figures and air on national TV as well as on digital platforms, seeking to convince voters and lawmakers that oil and natural gas are vital to our energy future. It will target the Beltway audience as well as key states.

We will work to dismantle policy threats and empower voters and policymakers with facts, Sommers said. Renewable sources have a role to play, but oil and natural gas will be needed for decades.

In response, advocacy group Climate Power said polls show Americans support speeding up the transition to clean and renewable energy.

Its no surprise that API is spending their money trying to hold back progress, Alex Witt, Climate Powers senior advisor of oil and gas, said in a statement. Big oil and gas has bought the support of Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress, but they cant buy American voters.

Climate Power has launched an $80 million campaign to tout Bidens environmental record, including advertising, digital messaging, an influencer program and targeted outreach to Latino voters.

Meanwhile, climate scientists continue to warn the world needs less, not more, fossil fuels to save the planet.

A UN report in November found that global fossil fuel production in 2030 is set to be more than double the levels consistent with meeting the 2015 Paris climate agreement goals.

Research released last year concluded that oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico is creating significantly higher levels of planet-warming gas than previously thought  finding the climate impact is twice that of official estimates.

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A Black North Carolina man who spent 44 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of raping a prominent white woman has been awarded a historic $25 million settlement more than three years after he was exonerated.

Ronnie Long, 68, settled his civil lawsuit with the city of Concord, about 25 miles northeast of Charlotte, for $22 million, the city said in a news release Tuesday. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation had previously settled for $3 million, according to Duke Law Schools Wrongful Convictions Clinic.

The clinic, which represented Long, said the settlement is the second-largest wrongful conviction settlement recorded.

"Its, obviously, a celebratory day today knowing that Ronnies going to have his means met for the rest of his life with this settlement. Its been a long road to get to this point, so thats a great outcome," clinical professor Jamie Lau, Long's criminal attorney, said in a phone interview Tuesday.

"Have we found justice in this case? Absolutely not. No amount of money will ever compensate Ronnie for all that he lost, but this is a big step forward for him," Lau said.

The city also issued a rare public apology to Long.

"We are deeply remorseful for the past wrongs that caused tremendous harm to Mr. Long, his family, friends and our community. Mr. Long suffered the extraordinary loss of his freedom and a substantial portion of his life because of this conviction," the city said. "He wrongly served 44 years, 3 months and 17 days in prison for a crime he did not commit."

"While there are no measures to fully restore to Mr. Long and his family all that was taken from them, through this agreement we are doing everything in our power to right the past wrongs and take responsibility," the apology continued. "We are hopeful this can begin the healing process for Mr. Long and our community, and that together we can move forward while learning valuable lessons and ensuring nothing like this ever happens again."

Image: Ronnie Long (WCNC Charlotte)

Sonya Pfeiffer, one of Long's civil attorneys, said a public apology was a part of Long's settlement demand.

"All of us on Ronnie's team were very pleased with the responsiveness by the city of Concord. He also got a private apology, a direct apology, which was meaningful, too," Pfeiffer said.

Chris Olson, another civil attorney for Long, said the settlement was "significant" and important "after this horror of four decades."

An all-white jury convicted Long on Oct. 1, 1976, after he was accused of raping a white woman. He was 21 when he was sentenced to life in prison, NBC affiliate WCNC of Charlotte reported.

His attorneys detailed numerous issues with his trial, beginning with jury selection. They said that before jury summonses were issued, the chief of police and the Cabarrus County sheriff had removed nearly all of the Black potential jurors, his attorneys said.

They said there was no physical evidence tying Long to the rape and the burglary and that he did not match the original description of the suspect  a "yellow or really light-skinned Black male." A rape kit collected at the hospital and provided to Concord police disappeared and has never been found, Long's attorneys said.

They said that the prosecutions main piece of evidence was the victims identification of Long weeks after the attack and that it was "the product of a suggestive identification procedure arranged by the police to target Long."

There were also numerous pieces of evidence from the scene, including suspect hair and 43 fingerprints, that could have helped exonerate him, according to his attorneys. The material, which they said did not belong to Long, was tested by investigators but not disclosed. The attorneys also accused Concord police officers of giving false testimony about the evidence at Long's trial.

The Concord Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

In February 2020, Long appealed his case. That year the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-6 that his due process rights were violated at trial and remanded the case to the district court to decide whether he was innocent, the Wrongful Convictions Clinic said.

In August 2020, the court overturned his conviction, and he was released on Aug. 27, 2020. Gov. Roy Cooper pardoned him four months later, WCNC reported. The following year, the state paid him $750,000.

Since his release, Long has put part of his settlement from the State Bureau of Investigation toward helping criminal justice reform, Lau said. He has been "trying to figure out modern society," according to his attorney, and spending time with his family, including his wife, whom he married while he was in prison, and a son from a relationship before his sentencing.

Long and his attorneys hope his case becomes an example of how others should be handled.

"One thing he recognizes is that hes in a position of power now where hes achieved a record settlement financially, so that sets the bar for others," Pfeiffer said. "If that could be the gold standard for all of these cases, that may be the closest that exonerees get to justice.
Photograph: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Maryland supreme court heard arguments on Monday from a group of organizers attempting to halt the sale of a local apartment complex that sits on top of a historic African American burial ground.

Members of the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition (BACC) packed the court in Annapolis on Monday, where justices heard testimony about the sale of the Westwood Tower in Bethesda, Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington DC.

Related: The fullness of life: preserving a historic Black neighborhood in Brooklyn

The residential complex was once the Moses Macedonia African cemetery, a gravesite dating back to the 1960s used to bury formerly enslaved people. Organizers have argued that the remains of more than 200 Black people are buried there, the Montgomery County Sentinel reported.

The Maryland supreme court will determine if Black bodies are still on the auction block in 2023, the Rev Dr Olusegun Adebayo, a member of the BACC, said in a press statement.

Mondays testimony is part of a legal battle between organizers and developers over the fate of the property, which includes the apartments and a parking lot. The Montgomery county housing opportunities commission (HOC), which owns the apartment complex, originally attempted to sell the building to private developers in a $51m deal, without prior court approval.

But in 2021, a judge temporarily blocked the sale until lawsuits involving the land had been resolved, saying that many bodies likely still remain on the property.

Charger Ventures, the Washington-based buyer of the property, pulled out of a deal after the initial sale was blocked, the Washington Post reported.

In 2023, a Maryland appeals court ruled that the HOC could move ahead with the sale of the land, a decision opposed by a coalition composed mostly of descendants of those buried.

This is one of the most shockingly insensitive and off-base rulings Ive seen, Steve Lieberman, an attorney for the coalition, said to the Post. The court engaged in a narrow, technocratic ruling and ignored hundreds of years of law that make it clear the courts have an obligation to protect the sanctity of burial places, he added.

Lieberman added that the question of how to handle burial grounds containing the remains of formerly enslaved people was an issue across the US.

This same issue is coming up in hundreds of places around the United States, Lieberman said to the Daily Record. The whole country is watching this court and what it does, he said.

The coalition appealed the sale decision to the states highest court, arguing that it had wide implications.

On Monday, representatives with the BACC and descendants of those buried in Moses Macedonia African cemetery went to Annapolis.

We of the faith community are looking to the court to end the dehumanization of African Americans. It has been a privilege to join warriors for justice to fight for the dignity and humanity of our ancestors, Adebayo added in the press statement.

The coalition, which also includes members of the Macedonia Baptist church, have been working for years to have the cemetery memorialized after a 2017 archaeological study on the land found that the burial site was probably intact under the concrete.

The study, by the archaeology consulting firm Ottery Group, based in Kensington, Maryland, also recommended that no further ground disturbances should be made on the property. Activists fear future development could further dishonor or even damage what is left of the historic site.

The cemetery is also what remains of Bethesdas River Road community, a historically Black community that thrived for nearly a century until white developers pushed out the remaining Black families in the 1960s.
A dead fisherman has been identified as the suspect in three cold-case homicides in Virginia from the 1980s, including two of the notorious "Colonial Parkway Murders" that once stoked fears in the area.

Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. was identified by forensic evidence in the 1987 double murder of David L. Knobling, 20, and Robin M. Edwards, 14, in Isle of Wight County; and the 1989 murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in the city of Hampton, Virginia State Police announced Monday.

Wilmer died in December 2017 at his Lancaster County, Virginia, home at the age of 63.

Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. (Virginia State Police)

Prosecutors for Isle of Wight County and the city of Hampton said that if Wilmer were alive, charges would be filed against him in connection with the three deaths.

In a news conference Monday, Virginia State Police said a new look at the case led the Virginia Department of Forensic Science to "positively link" Wilmer to the three slayings after he was found to be a genetic match to evidence found on the victims.

The slayings

Knobling and Edwards were last seen alive on Sept. 19, 1987.

The following day, Knobling's pickup truck was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Ragged Island Wildlife Management Area, Virginia State Police spokesperson Corrine Geller said. The keys were in the ignition. The radio and windshield wipers were on.

On Sept. 23, 1987, their bodies were found along the shore line of Ragged Island, on the south shore of the James River in Isle of Wight County. They had been shot, and Edwards had been sexually assaulted, Geller said.

She shared a statement on behalf of the Knobling and Edwards families.

"For 36 years our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown. We have lived in the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and kill another victim. Now we have a sense of relief and justice knowing that he can no longer victimize another," the statement said. "His death will not allow us to seek out the answer to countless questions that have haunted us for so long."

Their deaths were one of four double slayings known as the Colonial Parkway Murders that occurred near or along the area from 1986 to 1989.

However, Geller said that while the "similarities in this series of double homicides that spanned a three-year period cannot be ignored, at this time theres no forensic or physical evidence to link the Isle of White homicides to the those other double murders.

The other case Wilmer was deemed a suspect in is the death of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell.

She was last seen alive on July 1, 1989, around 2:30 a.m. outside the Zodiac club in Hampton, once a popular nightlife spot that no longer exists, Hampton Police Capt. Rebecca Warren told reporters.

At 10:10 a.m. that same day, construction crews working in the 500 block of Butler Farm Road found female clothing. The remains of an unidentified female were found a short time later in a woodline not far from the clothing.

On July 4, 1989, a missing person report filed in York County led to the identification of Howell. She had been sexually assaulted and died by strangulation, Warren said.

She read a statement from Howell's family that said: We would like to express our gratitude to all investigators involved in the investigation of Terri's death. Their dedication, relentless efforts and evolving technology has brought us closure that we have sought over the last 34 years."

"While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terri back. The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible. We kindly request privacy as we navigate through a host of new emotions that this brings," the family added in the statement.

A fresh look, then a hit

Authorities combed through decades of evidence and witness statements, Geller said.

Several suspects were developed. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science identified a common suspect a couple years ago based on DNA in the Isle of Wight and city of Hampton killings, but there was no match in the FBI's database of DNA profiles of convicted offenders.

Wilmer had no felonies on his criminal record so his DNA was never put into the system, she said.

However, in the fresh probe of the cold cases, authorities looked into Wilmer as a suspect. When they learned he was dead, they legally obtained his genetic material and submitted it to the forensic science department to compare it to the evidence collected in the slayings. Geller said authorities got a hit in June 2023.

Now, Virginia State Police and the FBI are now asking the public for information about Wilmer to see if hes possibly linked to more cases.

Wilmer was a fisherman, known to own a small 1976 wooden commercial fishing boat called the "Denni Wade." He'd dock at marinas in Gloucester and Middlesex counties.

During the the time of the slayings, he worked as a fisherman farming clams and oysters, and also ran a business called Better Tree Service, state police said. He was also known to be an avid hunter and belonged to a hunt club in the Middle Peninsula region.

Authorities shared several photos of Wilmer, and described his watercraft and car, asking the public to come forward.

Brian Dugan, special agent in charge of the Norfolk, Virginia, FBI office said investigators will look into whether Wilmer is connected to other Colonial Parkway Murders, including the killings of Cathleen Thomas and Rebecca Ann Dowski and the deaths of Richard Keith Call and Cassandra Lee Hailey.

Even though Mr. Wilmer is deceased, we want you to know, its not too late to come forward, Dugan said.
The Caldor Fire, which began on Aug. 14, 2021, and was fully contained by Oct. 21, 2021, destroyed many homes in Grizzly Flats (El Dorado County). It ultimately burned 221,835 acres in El Dorado, Alpine and Amador counties. Deanne Fitzmaurice/Special to the Chronicle 2021

An El Dorado County judge ruled there wasnt enough evidence to try a father-and-son pair accused of shooting guns and igniting the 2021 Caldor Fire, which destroyed the community of Grizzly Flats and menaced South Lake Tahoe.

David Scott Smith, 66, of Somerset and his son Travis Shane Smith, 32, of Folsom called 911 to report the start of the Caldor Fire on Aug. 14, 2021, when the first flames broke out in the remote outskirts of the Eldorado National Forest north of Highway 88 above the Cosumnes River.

Investigators looking for the fires cause soon honed in on the Smiths. Authorities arrested them four months later on suspicion of reckless arson, accusing them of igniting the blaze while firing weapons in the drought-parched forest.

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The Smiths, who through an attorney have denied starting the fire, had been in the heavily wooded Omo Ranch area, a remote place used by campers and off-road vehicle users, when the fire broke out.

Prosecutors laid out their evidence last month during a four-day preliminary hearing but failed to convince Judge Vicki Ashworth that the men had behaved recklessly. In a written statement after the hearing, the district attorneys office said the charges required evidence that an individual knows their actions present a substantial and unjustifiable risk but consciously disregards that risk.

David Smiths attorney Linda Parisi said her client and his son were riding an ATV in the area when they saw flames. They tried to extinguish them, but when they couldnt they warned nearby campers to get out. All told, GPS records and witnesses statements confirm the Smiths were there only about 20 minutes before heading to a ridge to get cell service and call 911, Parisi said.

They behaved responsibly, she said.

An attorney for Shane Smith couldnt be reached Monday.

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But the men will be tried on weapons charges. The judge found there was enough evidence to try David Smith for allegations he possessed an illegal silencer and Shane Smith for allegations he had an illegal machine gun.

The Smiths have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The district attorneys office declined to comment further on the judges ruling while the case against the Smiths is pending. They return to court Feb. 2.

The Caldor Fire started near Omo Ranch and burned into Grizzly Flats, destroying about two-thirds of more than 600 homes plus the church, post office, school and fire station. The fast-moving fire followed Highway 50 and burned through Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort, the nearby Phillips housing tract, and then spread over Echo Summit and into the Tahoe Basin.

The U.S. Forest Service determined a bullet strike ignited the fire.

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EAGLE PASS, Texas  The Biden administration's homeland security chief came to the Texas-Mexico border Monday to witness firsthand the widening immigration crisis that has overwhelmed local and state authorities, and called on Congress to enact a comprehensive solution.

And he tacitly acknowledged that the administration's messaging on the topic has been subpar.

"Our immigration system is outdated and broken, and has been in need of reform for literally decades on this. Everyone agrees," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters inside a Border Patrol regional headquarters 13 miles from the Rio Grande.

"We have taken bold, necessary actions during the time that Congress has failed to act," he said.

Rosa Diaz walks along the banks of the Rio Grande with her six-year-old son, Fabian Los Diaz, to surrender to U.S. Border Patrol after they entered Texas at Eagle Pass with a a group of fellow migrants from Venezuela on Monday January 8, 2024.

Mayorkas listed several immigration-related initiatives the Biden administration launched in recent weeks, including streamlining the asylum-seeking process and opening what he called "safe mobility offices" to assist migrants traveling from Central and South America. But a poll released Sunday by CBS News showed that nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mayorkas, who is the target of a Republican-led impeachment effort in the U.S. House over the border crisis, said his visit to Texas to meet with front-line immigration agents is part of the administration's effort to counter that narrative.

"It is opportunities like this that I will use to communicate the facts to the American people," Mayorkas said. "As we all know too well, the issue of immigration is an issue that is highly politicized.

"It's very important that they understand the challenge that we are experiencing."

Record U.S.-Mexico border apprehensions in December

Mayorkas' visit to Eagle Pass, a town of about 29,000 residents 145 miles southwest of San Antonio and which over the past year has emerged as one of the nation's hottest crossings for people entering the United States without legal authorization, came after federal border officials reported a record 225,000 apprehensions at the southern border in December alone, sometimes reaching about 10,000 per day.

Apprehensions dropped sharply with the turning of the new year, but about an hour before Mayorkas was scheduled to arrive in Eagle Pass, a dozen migrants from Mexico reached the Texas shore downriver from the downtown square.

The group, which included several adults and a 6-year-old boy, had made the trip from Venezuela and appeared to have little trouble overcoming the coils of concertina wire installed by Texas National Guard soldiers and state troopers.

They also crossed the waist-high river in plain sight of the 1,000-foot string of buoys Texas installed in the Rio Grande ostensibly to discourage migrants from wading through the river to cross the border.

Many in the group came with a change of clothes and were able to swap their river-soaked jeans for drier pairs before being marched away by National Guard soldiers beyond the sight of onlooking reporters.

'A lot of tension building up'

Jessie Fuentes, an Eagle Pass native who operates a rafting company on the Rio Grande and has been a harsh critic of Gov. Greg Abbott's $11 billion border initiative called Operation Lone Star, said he is tired of seeing his hometown on the cross-hairs of an escalating political war over immigration.

A group of migrants from Venezuela walk along the banks of the Rio Grande to surrender to U.S. Border Patrol after they entered Texas at Eagle Pass on Monday January 8, 2024.

Fuentes called last week's visit to Eagle Pass by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and about 60 of his fellow congressional Republicans "a political dog-and-pony show." Fuentes was also critical of the administration's decision to temporarily close the international bridges that connect Eagle Pass with Piedras Negras on the Mexican side.

"That really hurts the community and the business owners in the downtown area are frustrated," said Fuentes. "There's just a lot of tension building up. And it's pretty crazy."

Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr., who is a Democrat but holds a nonpartisan municipal post, was among those who met privately with Mayorkas but did not attend the secretary's news conference.

"I made it a point to detail the impact the immigration crisis has had on our community both in the safety aspect and our local economy," Salinas said in a social media post. "He is well aware that shutting down the bridge system is detrimental to our City and assured us that going forward they will take all necessary steps to prevent that from occurring again."

Salinas has been among the critics of the White House's immigration policies, and has called for increased federal assistance to handle the influx of migrants who arrive needing city services. The mayor noted that Mayorkas told him progress was made last month when Mayorkas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others in the Biden administration met wit Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to discuss ways to stem the flow of migrants before they reach the United States.

"Going forward we will see what actions the federal government and Congress take to put a stop to this immigration debacle," Salinas said.

A group of migrants from Venezuela walk along the banks of the Rio Grande to surrender to U.S. Border Patrol after they entered Texas at Eagle Pass on Monday January 8, 2024.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and one of the nation's harshest critics of Biden's immigration policies, did not weigh in on Mayorkas' visit. Last week, however, he called Mayorkas "pathetic" after the secretary cited climate change among the reasons for unlawful immigration.

Abbott has been on offense during the first three years of the Biden administration, not only beefing up the state's law enforcement and military presence in South Texas, but also placing more than 80,000 migrants on buses to cities run by Democrats and chartering a plane to send 120 to Chicago.

Congressional action remains elusive

Even dating back to the Obama and Trump administrations, calls for modernizing U.S. border and immigration policies have raged on with little legislative effect. Heading into the 2024 presidential election, when all of the congressional and half the Senate seats will be up for grabs, immigration reform appears to be just as elusive.

Mayorkas told reporters he is "privileged to be working with both Republicans and Democratic senators" on immigration legislation but offered little in terms of tangible progress.

"We need Congress to provide the supplemental funding that President Biden requested months ago," Mayorkas said. "We need more Border Patrol agents and more case processors so that the agents can be out in the field doing the heroic work that is their fundamental mission. We need more officers so that migration surges do not force mitigation measures of last resort, like bridge closures."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: US homeland security chief calls on Congress to fix immigration system
A federal judge issued an arrest warrant this week for a man whose court records show failed to appear for a court appearance on charges he and a co-defendant slaughtered more than 3,600 protected birds, including bald eagles, and sold them on the black market.

Simon Paul, 42, and Travis John Branson, 48, are accused of killing the birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana and elsewhere, court documents filed last month in U.S. District Court in Missoula show. Killing the protected wildlife is a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto issued a warrant for Paul, of St. Ignatius, Montana, after he failed to appear for arraignment on Monday, court records obtained by USA TODAY show.

Online records also show Branson, of Cusick, Washington, pleaded not guilty to his respective charges in connection to the case.

Branson was released by the judge, online records show, on conditions including that he reappear for his next court hearing and not commit any further crimes.

A nesting bald eagle in southern Indian River County, Fla., on Dec. 26, 2023.

See the photos: Aftermath of Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel explosion

A six-year killing period

According to an indictment filed on Dec. 7, the hunters illegally shot the birds and sold parts or all of the eagles between January 2015 and March 2021.

Paul and Branson are charged with violating the Lacey Act, a law that bans the trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish, or plants. The men also face more than a dozen counts of trafficking bald and golden eagles, and one count of conspiracy, court records show.

A Golden Eagle tail, a PayPal purchase and a shipment

According to court papers, in December 2020, Branson sent a text with a picture of a golden eagle tail set to a purchaser and got a PayPal purchase that same day. Two days later, he shipped the set to Texas, and a couple of days later, he received a PayPal payment for it.

Prosecutors said Branson and Paul also allegedly used a dead deer to bait eagles so they could shoot them.

Court papers say Branson also reportedly bragged about going "on a killing spree" and about the "significant sums of cash" the pair made from the sale of the slaughtered birds.

Live updates: Winter storm brings snow, heavy rain and tornado conditions to much of the US

America's national emblem

The national emblem of the United States since 1782, the bald eagle was an endangered species until 2007 after the bird's population began to recover.

Under the Bald Eagle Protection Act, killing the iconic bird is prohibited. The law enacted in 1940 makes it a criminal offense to "take" any part of a bald eagle, which includes killing one.

Contributing: Sarah Al-Arshani.

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: Warrant issued for Montana man accused of killing bald eagles
A grand jury in Minnesota has indicted a doctor accused of fatally poisoning his wife, and upgraded charges against him to first-degree murder, authorities said.

Dr. Connor Bowman, 30, was arrested in October and charged with second-degree murder linked to the death of his wife, Betty Bowman. She was 32 years old when she died Aug. 20, only four days after she was admitted to a hospital.

Investigators collected evidence that indicated Connor Bowman, who once worked for poison control, may have given Betty Bowman a drug for an ailment she did not have, Rochester police had said.

In mid-August, she was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration. Once hospitalized, she suffered cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure, according to a criminal complaint filed against Connor Bowman.

After her death was flagged as suspicious, police learned the couple was having marital problems and that Connor Bowman told someone he would get a big life insurance payout because of his wife's death.

A county grand jury indicted him Thursday on charges of first-degree murder, premeditated and with intent, according to a Friday statement from the Olmsted County Attorney's Office. Hes also charged with an identical count of second-degree murder.

Betty Bowman. (Courtesy Nancy Sponsel)

An attorney listed as representing Bowman in court records was not immediately reached for comment Monday afternoon.

After his wife died, Bowman wanted to cremate her, but the medical examiners office halted the cremation and alerted Rochester police after it determined her death was suspicious, the complaint said.

Police spoke to a person who told investigators that the Bowmans were having marital problems and were talking about a divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship, the criminal complaint said.

Investigators, according to the complaint, also learned that the man was in debt, so he and his wife kept separate bank accounts, and that Bowman told a tipster he was going to get a $500,000 life insurance payout because his wife died.

Police searched Bowmans home and found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit, the complaint said.

A person from the University of Kansas who provided information to police told investigators that Bowman was once a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, the complaint said.

The person told police Bowman was researching colchicine, a drug used to treat gout, according to the complaint.

Betty Bowmans toxicology results showed colchicine was present in her blood and urine, which were taken when she was admitted to the hospital, according to the complaint. She did not have gout, nor was she given colchicine during her hospital stay leading up to her death, the complaint said.

The medical examiner determined Betty Bowman died of colchicine toxicity and ruled her death a homicide, according to the complaint.

Her mother and family told NBC News in a statement that she was a dedicated pharmacist who worked in the operating room pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic and was beloved by colleagues.

She was always there, a reliable pillar of strength and a listening ear during times of joy and sorrow," the statement read. "She showed us the true meaning of love-selfless, unconditional, and boundless."

Connor Bowman remained at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on Monday, according to jail records. He faces a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder, according to the county attorney.

He is slated to be arraigned Jan. 16, according to the attorney's office statement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made clear to the Israeli government that Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza as soon as conditions allow and must not be displaced from the strip, the top US diplomat said Tuesday.

Blinken announced that the Israeli government had agreed to a plan to allow a United Nations assessment mission to northern Gaza as the Israeli offensive there shifts to a new phase.

It will determine what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return safely to homes in the north, Blinken said at a news conference in Tel Aviv.

In a day of talks with top Israeli officials, Blinken said he reaffirmed US support for Israel ensuring that October 7 can never happen again, while also calling on the government to do more to mitigate civilian casualties. He also discussed the efforts to secure the release of hostages who remain held by Hamas.

Blinken has made five visits to Israel since the October 7 Hamas attacks as the Biden administration sought to keep pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Its our unique bond and Americas enduring commitment to the people of Israel that allows, indeed demands, that were as forthright as possible in the moments when the stakes are highest, when the choices matter the most. This is one of those moments, he Tuesday.

Indeed, the stakes of the secretarys latest visit couldnt be higher as concerns mount over the war spilling out into the wider region and the humanitarian toll continues to grow. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the Israeli offensive, millions have been displaced, and the entire population in the war-torn strip faces the risk of famine, the UN has warned. US officials have publicly acknowledged that gaps remain between Israels intentions and results when it comes to the staggering toll on civilians.

Give the Israelis our best advice

Following Tuesdays meetings, Blinken said the US would continue to give the Israelis our best advice about conducting this war in a manner that achieves the objective of making sure that October 7 cant be repeated, does better by protecting civilians and making sure that people get the assistance that they need.

The US believes Israel has achieved significant progress toward ensuring that the Hamas terrorist attack cannot happen again, the top US diplomat said.

In his meetings, Blinken discussed the next phase of Israels war in Gaza, which Israeli officials said would be more targeted and involve fewer troops inside Gaza.

Blinkens comments after the meetings suggest that there had been more discussion of the future for Gaza than in his past four visits.

In announcing the UN assessment mission, Blinken noted that it was just the beginning of the process to make a land now deemed by a UN official as uninhabitable livable again.

This is not going to happen overnight. There are serious security, infrastructure and humanitarian challenges, he said.

Blinken said that Sigrid Kaag, the UNs new senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, must have Israels full support.

Beyond that, the Netanyahu government  one of the most far-right in history - must move toward a two-state solution if they want the help of their Arab partners in the region with lasting security moving forward, the top US diplomat said.

Blinken, who traveled to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar prior to his stop in Israel, told Netanyahu that every partner that I met on this trip said that theyre ready to support a lasting solution that ends the long-running cycle of violence and ensures Israels security.

But they underscored that this can only come through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state, Blinken said.

If Israel wants its Arab neighbors to make the tough decisions necessary to help ensures lasting security, Israeli leaders will have to make hard decisions themselves, he said.

Rein in the far-right

In some of his most direct comments on the matter, Blinken said Netanyahu must rein in the far-right tendencies of his government in order to achieve any progress in the future.

Israel must stop taking steps that undercut Palestinians ability to govern themselves effectively. Extremist settler violence carried out with impunity, settlement expansion, demolitions, evictions all make it harder  not easier  for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security, he said.

Blinken also said that the Palestinian Authority has a responsibility to reform itself, to improve its governance. Blinken will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday.

The top US diplomat again rebuked the comments of far-right members of the Israeli government who had called for Gazans to be relocated outside of the strip, and said that Netanyahu reaffirmed to me today that this is not the policy of Israels government.

On fears of escalation to the north, Blinken claimed that neither the US nor Israel wants to see that happen. He arrived just hours after news emerged that a senior Hezbollah commander had been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon  the second such strike by Israeli forces since the start of the year.

As I told the war cabinet and other senior officials, the United States stands with Israel in ensuring its northern border is secure, Blinken said Tuesday. Were fully committed to working with Israel to find a diplomatic solution that avoids escalation and allows families to return to their homes to live securely in northern Israel, and also in southern Lebanon.

This story and headline have been updated with additional information.

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Last week, the head of Israels Mossad intelligence agency issued a blunt warning to the Palestinian militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7

Let every Arab mother know that if her son took part in the massacre  he signed his own death warrant, David Barnea said.

He delivered the vow at the funeral of former Mossad Director Zvi Zamir, drawing a parallel with the manhunt overseen by the late spy chief that targeted the Palestinian terrorists linked to the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The campaign to avenge Munich, dubbed Operation Wrath of God, has come to symbolize Israels willingness to track down its adversaries no matter where they are. But this time, Israel faces a more complicated, ambitious task as it tries to target a much larger, better organized and armed organization than the Black September operatives from the 1970s. And the political stakes for Israel and the rest of the world are much higher.

Munich Olympics 1972 Hostage Crisis (Russel McPhedran / Fairfax Media via Getty Images file)

Barneas comments at the funeral Jan. 3 came a day after a drone strike killed a senior Hamas leader, Saleh al-Arouri, in the Lebanese capital of Beirut. U.S. officials said Israel was behind the operation, but Israel has not claimed responsibility.

The killing of a key Hamas figure in a heavily guarded neighborhood controlled by Lebanons Hezbollah militants signaled that Israel was ready to go after its Hamas adversaries far beyond the battlefield in Gaza, even at the risk of provoking a confrontation with Hezbollah.

The Hamas leadership who played a role in the Oct. 7 attack almost certainly understand that they are dead men walking and that their end could come at any time, said Norman Roule, who worked for the CIA for 34 years.

Whoever conducted this strike not only had reliable intelligence on the target but they had eyes on it ... they had dynamic collection that enabled them to follow Arouri as he moved in Beirut. This would be a remarkable achievement for any intelligence service, said Roule, now a senior adviser to United Against Nuclear Iran, a nonprofit that says it focuses on threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the Beirut street where Arouri was located and killed, local residents told NBC News they had no idea anyone was living in what they assumed was a derelict building. The front of the five-story building was blown off in the attack, with a hole in the ceiling of the apartment where Arouri was killed.

When NBC News recently visited the site of the attack, the street was teaming with traffic and pedestrians.

Lebanese civil defense members spray water on the street on Jan. 3, 2024, at the building that was hit the day before by a strike that killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri in Beirut. (Anwar Amro / AFP - Getty Images)

The blast sent debris and shrapnel in a 100-yard radius, hurling an air-conditioning unit into a parked car and then through a shop window, said Wasif Founi, who was standing inside the store at the time.

We had blessed luck that nothing happened to us, he said. Founi and others in the neighborhood said they saw body parts strewn along the street after the explosion.

From letter bombs to exploding mobile phones to drone strikes, targeting enemies for assassination has long been part of Israels playbook, dating back to the Zionist underground movement before the countrys founding. More recently, Israel has been accused of using operatives to kill multiple Iranian nuclear scientists inside Iran, in one 2021 incident reportedly using a remote-controlled machine gun.

Human rights groups and foreign governments have questioned the morality and legality of Israels targeted killings. The Israeli government has justified the method as self-defense against terrorist groups, and Israels Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that killing Hamas operatives was permissible on a case-by-case basis, as long as the risk to innocent bystanders was taken into account.

Basem Naim, part of Hamas political wing based in Qatar, said the groups leadership fully recognizes it is in Israels crosshairs.

We believe that all the leaders of the movement can be at some time the target of such assassinations, he told NBC News in an interview in a Hamas office in the capital, Doha. Outside the office, police stood guard.

Naim said he does not think he is immune in Qatar and assumed he was also under threat. He believed his family had been targeted at more than one residence in Gaza. His mother and other relatives were killed in a rocket attack, he said.

As for the killing of Arouri, he said the Hamas senior leader was a distinguished and unique figure and for Hamas one of the important leaders who has good connections with Hezbollah and Iran at different levels. Arouris death, he said, represented a big loss.

Arouri was killed in Lebanon, which offers a relatively easy environment for Israels intelligence services because of the countrys paralyzed politics and lack of central authority. But tracking down Hamas operatives elsewhere in the Middle East could prove more complicated, for technical and political reasons, former intelligence officers said.

When you have an organization that is spread out over numerous territories, going after the leadership gets to be pretty difficult, said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA analyst who focused on the Middle East and South Asia.

Unlike the Palestine Liberation Organization 50 years ago, Hamas does not have a significant presence in Europe, where Mossad was often able to operate without being detected in the 1970s. Hamas political headquarters are officially in the Qatari capital, and the group has operatives across the Middle East, including in Turkey.

In contrast to the 1970s operation, digital technology now makes using forged passports and aliases much more difficult. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in particular have sophisticated electronic surveillance systems that would make a clandestine hit challenging.

You cant go anywhere in the UAE or Qatar without being surveilled, Riedel said.

Apart from its security apparatus, Qatar has played a pivotal role as an intermediary in recent negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the release of hostages and a temporary pause in fighting in Gaza, with Barnea and CIA Director William Burns meeting with Qatari leaders.

Israel would be reluctant to undermine that communication channel and jeopardize any future hostage release, foreign diplomats and former U.S. officials said.

Turkey, a NATO member and another possible diplomatic channel for Hamas or Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, could also be off-limits for a targeted killing.

Qatar and Turkey definitely have an unofficial immunity in terms of going after Hamas leadership in their territory, said a person familiar with the Israeli governments thinking.

If Hamas leadership travels outside of Qatar or Turkey, they will be much more vulnerable, the person added.

Publicly, Israeli officials across the government have not ruled out anything when it comes to targeting Hamas leaders. But, privately, government and IDF officials strike a more pragmatic tone and acknowledge Israel is highly unlikely to assassinate anyone on Qatari soil.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office declined to comment.

Leon Panetta, former CIA director under President Barack Obama who presided over drone strikes against Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan and the commando raid that killed the groups mastermind, Osama bin Laden, said Israel will now face difficult decisions as it goes after Hamas leaders.

Its easy to talk about targeted killings but its a hell of a lot tougher to make it really happen effectively, he said.

Electronic surveillance only goes so far, Panetta said. We had literally hundreds of spies on the ground ... because it wasnt enough just to have drones circling above. We had to make damn sure that whatever target we were looking at was, in fact, the right target, he said.

Although Israel has earned a reputation for ruthless efficiency and stealth in taking out its enemies, its spies also have made devastating mistakes over the years and suffered embarrassing failures.

In the post-Munich operation, in 1973, Israeli assassins mistook a Moroccan waiter, Ahmed Bouchikhi, for Ali Hassan Salameh, a security aide to PLO leader Yasser Arafat. They killed Bouchikhi in the Norwegian ski resort of Lillehammer and Norwegian authorities soon discovered Israel was behind the killing, leading to the exposure of Israels intelligence network across Europe.

In Jordan in 1997, an Israeli team poisoned Khaled Mashal, the then-chief of Hamas political bureau in Amman. But two Mossad agents were caught afterward and others had to seek refuge in the Israeli Embassy. To resolve the crisis, Israel agreed to administer an antidote to Mashal and to release several Hamas militants imprisoned in Israel, including the groups founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Jordan was incensed.

In 2010, a Hamas commander was found dead in his hotel room in Dubai. The Mossad team that killed him got away, but more than two dozen operatives were identified via security cameras in the hotel. Their fake identities were exposed and their pictures were published and broadcast globally.

Despite mishaps and setbacks, there is still widespread support in Israel for the tactic. In internal government debates, Mossad has at times argued that killing militant leaders saves lives by avoiding an all-out war with far more casualties, according to Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman, a detailed history of Israels assassination operations. But former senior intelligence and military officers also have said that only difficult political compromises with Palestinian adversaries  not covert operations  ultimately will ensure Israels security.

Even if Israel is able to take out Hamas leadership, its unclear what effect it would have on an organization with deep roots in Gaza, an arsenal of weapons and a global network of political and financial support, according to current and former U.S. officials.

Past assassinations of Hamas senior leaders since the 1990s have failed to inflict lasting damage on the group, and in some cases, had unintended consequences.

In 2004, Sheikh Yassin was killed in an Israeli helicopter missile strike outside a Gaza City mosque. Although Israel viewed his elimination as a key objective, analysts now argue that his removal opened the door to Iran forging closer ties with Hamas, as Yassin had kept Tehran at arms length.

Hamas will seek to protect its leadership, Naim told NBC News, including Yahya Sinwar, the groups leader in Gaza. He compared protecting Sinwar with America protecting someone like Joe Biden.

Israel is equally determined to find Sinwar, but he said the Hamas leader has not fled, according to his last information. Not only Sinwar, a lot of other leaders, they are in Gaza, he said.

In Israel, where the Oct. 7 attack shattered the countrys sense of security, there is mounting political pressure to eliminate the senior leaders of Hamas in Gaza.

But almost three months since it launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip, the countrys military has yet to capture or kill Sinwar, or the head of Hamas military wing, Mohammad Deif, or Deifs deputy commander, Marwan Issa.

People are not going to feel remotely secure as long as the Hamas leadership is intact, largely intact, and thats the feeling Israelis have right now, said Seth Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, who recently returned from a visit to the region.

But Naim said the group was not a one-man show and over the years Hamas had proved able to recover from past assassinations of leaders and to grow in strength.

If we compare the resistance today with the resistance 20 years ago ... Hamas and other resistance movements became much ... stronger than at the time of Sheikh Yassin and others.

Mossad veterans openly acknowledge that assassinations are not a magic bullet and never have been, according to Dan Raviv, a former CBS News correspondent and co-author of Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israels Secret Wars.

They admit that everyone thats been assassinated has been replaced, he said. They acknowledge its not a solution to the Middle East conflict.

But they say that Israel, at a minimum, needs to take similar action as it did after the murders in Munich  to send a message to its adversaries, Raviv said.

They believe Oct. 7 was much bigger and truly deserves a massive response at so many levels, he said.

Mossad's chief, Barnea, has vowed to pursue all those involved in the Oct. 7 assault, directly or indirectly, including planners and envoys.

Itll take time, as it took time after the Munich massacre, but we will put our hands on them wherever they are, he said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke last February in support of legislation barring gun permit holders from bringing their firearms into many public places. The law has been put on hold pending a federal court challenge. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

A new California law barring licensed gun holders from carrying their firearms in many public places has once again been blocked  meaning it cannot be enforced  as legal challenges proceed in federal court.

The law bars concealed-carry permit holders and those with open-carry permits in more rural parts of the state from carrying their firearms into spaces that California lawmakers deemed "sensitive."

The prohibited places include anywhere that sells and serves liquor; on public transportation and in many parking lots; at public gatherings, special events, parks, playgrounds, stadiums, arenas, casinos, medical facilities, religious and financial institutions; and in any other private commercial spaces where the owners have not explicitly posted a sign allowing guns.

Challengers to the law argue the list is so long that it essentially precludes them from leaving their homes with their weapons and makes their permits worthless  and diminishes their ability to defend themselves in public, a right that they say is guaranteed under the 2nd Amendment. (People without permits, who are not party to the lawsuit, generally cannot carry firearms anywhere in public in California.)

A federal district judge halted major portions of the law from taking effect last month, calling it "repugnant" and unconstitutional. An administrative panel of judges in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals then stayed that judge's ruling on Dec. 30, letting the law, known as Senate Bill 2, take effect as planned on Jan. 1.

Read more:Battle over California's ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines shows a nation divided

However, on Saturday, another 9th Circuit appellate panel issued its own order reversing the administrative panel and restoring the lower court's judgment while the proceedings continue.

The latest order, issued by a court clerk without the names of the judges listed, puts the state law on ice once more as the case proceeds. The 9th Circuit appellate panel will be considering the state's appeal, including during arguments in April.

A spokesperson in the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom called the latest decision "dangerous" in a statement, saying it "puts the lives of Californians on the line."

"We wont stop working to defend our decades of progress on gun safety in our state," the spokesperson said.

Chuck Michel, an attorney for the gun holders suing the state over the law, applauded the ruling and said it preserves "the status quo" for responsible gun owners.

"Had this new law taken effect, it would reverse decades of allowing vetted and licensed [concealed-carry weapon] holders (but not the general public) to carry in places where the need for self-defense can be most acute," Michel wrote in a statement.

Read more:California law removing guns from people under restraining orders survives court challenge

"So the politicians' ploy to get around the 2nd Amendment has been stopped for now," he said. "Now we will focus on stopping it for good."

The legal battle is one of many playing out in courts across the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs. Bruen in 2022.

In Bruen, the high court held that strict limits on concealed-carry permits in states such as New York and California amounted to unconstitutional restraints on people's 2nd Amendment right to self-defense.

The court also held that gun laws that arent deeply rooted in American history, or analogous to some historical law, are generally unconstitutional. Some gun laws  like those that have traditionally barred guns in sensitive places such as schools and courtrooms  remained valid, the court noted.

Last year, California lawmakers passed SB 2 in response to the Bruen decision and several mass shootings, including in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park. Lawmakers argued that the bill, sponsored by state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank), was permissible under the Bruen decision because it simply extended the list of places deemed sensitive under California law.

Read more:9th Circuit overturns butterfly knife ban, citing Supreme Court 'history' standard on guns

Gun holders sued in response, and won a victory on Dec. 20 when U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney issued an injunction.

Carney, an appointee of President George W. Bush, wrote that SB 2's "coverage is sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court." He said SB 2 clearly clashed with the Bruen decision, and an injunction blocking it was warranted because the gun holders were likely to win their case against the state and would suffer "irreparable harm" if they werent allowed to carry their firearms in the meantime.

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office appealed and asked for a stay to allow the state's law to go into effect while the court case continued. An administrative panel of the 9th Circuit granted that stay, but now, with Saturday's order, the law is once more blocked while the case proceeds.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
AMES, Iowa  In the basement of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house here at Iowa State University, Vivek Ramaswamy made his pitch to a crowd of about 50 young men  and one young woman  on a Friday evening last month, as a campaign that often attracts more men than women took on a literal frat house atmosphere for a night.

The fraternity brothers peppered Ramaswamy with questions about cryptocurrency, "woke" indoctrination on campus, and crime on the streets of Chicago before honorary brother Ramaswamy threw a question at them himself.

Do you guys have suggestions to us and our team here for how we can get large numbers of college students, say here at Iowa State, to come out on Martin Luther King Day evening? asked Ramaswamy, fishing for ideas on getting young voters to caucus on Jan. 15. I saw some party buses on the way in here, he added. Im open to any idea.

Ramaswamy, unbowed by public polls showing him struggling in the single digits in Iowa, insists that he is inspiring a wave of first-time caucusgoers who are going to deliver a surprise next week. And he is certainly attracting a number of young men to events around the state, though high-minded civic engagement isnt the only reason they are attending.

Throughout his campaign, Ramaswamy has been hosting what his campaign bills as Free Speech and Free Drinks events on college campuses, where the multimillionaire picks up the bar tab for students in exchange for their attention as he tries to persuade them to caucus for the first time. Iowa residents, including college students from out of state, who are eligible to vote in the 2024 election are eligible to caucus.

These events draw largely male crowds  and exceptionally fratty atmospheres.

During one of those Free Speech and Free Drinks events at the University of Iowa in October, middle-aged and older Iowans sat at the front of the town hall, genuinely interested in what Ramaswamy had to say. In the back, toward the bar, young Iowans were looking for drinks and getting rowdy.

Ramaswamy dove into a long story about the marriage between corporate America and the left, resulting in wokeism. Then, Ramaswamy introduced a new character into his narrative.

A new party then showed up on the scene and turned this arranged marriage into a three-party affair, said Ramaswamy, prompting a college student to shout, Three-way!

Vivek Ramaswamy talks to the press after a campaign event in Oskaloosa, Iowa (Alex Tabet / NBC News)

The crowd chuckled. Ramaswamy forged on. Thats the Communist Party of China, he said, attempting to make a serious point about his political philosophy to a boisterous, booze-indulgent crowd.

The weekend before Halloween, Ramaswamy held another of his Free Speech and Free Drinks events at Iowa State University, where drunken college students, mostly males dressed in all sorts of Halloween costumes, drank up on Ramaswamys dime. As he took the stage, he was greeted with chants of F--- Joe Biden from a group of young men in the crowd.

One problem with catering to an audience thats been plied with free alcohol, though, is that when Ramaswamy began to speak, the bustling bar refused to stay quiet, largely drowning out Ramaswamys words and resulting in a 21-minute town hall, among the shorter events hes had on the trail.

The "Free Speech" audiences skew more heavily male than some other Ramaswamy events, and there is some polling evidence showing he has made a bigger splash with men than with women. The December NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll showed that 50 percent of male likely Republican caucusgoers in Iowa had favorable views of Ramaswamy, compared to 39 percent of Republican women.

Many of the students in the chaotic Halloween weekend crowd told NBC News they werent aware of who Ramaswamy was. They were simply there to pregame the rest of their night. And while a few of the young men were excited about Ramaswamys presence, they werent necessarily going to caucus for him.

Ryan Jaskowski, 21, is an Iowa State student from Yorkville, Illinois. Eligible to caucus in Iowa, Jaskowski plans on supporting former President Donald Trump.

If Trump makes it through all these indictments, Im going to go with Trump, he said, adding: Id like to see Vivek as VP.

As to why Jaskowski attended the open-bar event, the answer was two-fold: A friends birthday, and any time theres a wealthy politician in town I like to try to make an appearance."

Aidan Olsen, a 22-year-old Iowa State student from Jasko, Minnesota, came to the event to drink with his friend, who became acquainted with Ramaswamys candidacy through Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host. Olsen said that hes never been overly politically active, and that in 2020, he voted for Kanye, he said with a smirk.

In the frat house in December, Ramaswamy admitted to NBC News that he was drawing largely male crowds. A lot of young men in particular are quite enthusiastic about this campaign, Ramaswamy said after his frat basement town hall. But I dont think theres anything inherent about the message that belongs to one gender or the other.

Hayden Payne, 20, a Phi Gamma Delta member from Council Bluffs, Iowa, said the majority of his male friends on campus at Iowa State are conservative and most of his female friends are liberal.

More recently with Roe v. Wade overturned, I feel like that really divided the country on that crucial argument, Payne said.

A lot of girls obviously are going to side with the argument on the liberal agenda on abortion, and the Republican agenda is anti-abortion, he added.
Video from a Target store in Goodyear, Arizona, this December shows shoppers frantically rushing to a display of red and pink water bottles, trying to grab one before the rest of the crowd does. At a Target in Wesley Chapel, Florida, shoppers joined a massive line before the store even opened  with the goal of getting to the shelves of highly coveted cups.

Once inside shoppers pushed, shoved and shouted, until they grabbed a coveted Stanley tumbler. So, why did these large tumblers suddenly cause shopping mayhem? Because they're Stanley Quenchers  and they're all the rage.

Stanley is popular for their large water bottles with handles, called Quenchers, and are available in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Europe, Japan and the U.K.

They released two new Quenchers  a hot pink and a red  as part of a "Galentine's" collection on Dec. 31, sold exclusively at Target. On Jan. 3, they released another "Winter Pink" tumbler at Target in collaboration with Starbucks. In both cases, customers could only purchase the tumblers in limited quantities, which then sold out online and created shopping mayhem.

The "Galentine's" tumblers  a term that describes women and girls celebrating friendship on Valentine's Day  are sold out in both colors on the Target website. And the listing for the Starbucks "Winter Pink" tumbler isn't even available anymore.

What is behind the Stanley cup craze?

Stanleys provide a way for hydration enthusiasts to consume a lot of water in an eco-friendly way since they are reusable. The company promises their Quenchers keep water with ice cold for 48 hours and hold up to 40 oz. of water.

They come in several colors and sizes and have inspired a cult-like following, with fans collecting them in different hues. Stanley launched the "Quencher H2.0 FlowState" tumbler  the newest version of its Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler  in August 2022. The sustainable bottle is comprised of 90% recycled stainless steel and is vacuum-insulated.

A (non-pink) Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState tumbler / Credit: Stanley

"The Quencher has become an internet sensation over the last two years," Global President of Stanley Brand Terence Reilly said in a news release at the time. "As it has quickly risen in popularity  with restocks selling out in mere minutes and videos quickly going viral on social media  we wanted to continue to provide innovative products and solutions for our consumers."

The cult following of the brand has resulted in more than 232 million views of the #stanleyquencher hashtag on TikTok. The Stanley brand itself also has a popular TikTok, with more than 9.6 million likes on videos. The brand also has more than 1.5 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.

The new Stanley Valentine's and Starbucks cups

Perhaps the newest Stanleys were so coveted because they were limited.

At some stores, the new "Galentine's" tumblers were limited to two per customer, as seen in the video taken at the Target in Goodyear. At a store in Fort Worth, Texas, the limit was one per household, according to a video from influencer Vincent Marcus.

The Starbucks tumblers were limited edition and have sold out at many stores, and will not be restocked, a Starbucks representative confirmed to CBS News.

A shopper named Bella in Wesley Chapel, Florida, "vlogged" her experience trying to get the Starbucks "Winter Pink" tumbler on Jan. 3  posting several videos on TikTok chronicling the adventure. She said she got to the store at 4:40 a.m. and there were about three other people in line.

But as the sun rose and the store prepared to open, the line grew. Her video shows a mad dash to the Starbucks kiosk in the store, where the tumblers were on display  two people even got into an argument, she said. Bella went home with two tumblers and she amassed more than 3.3 million views across her Stanley-focused videos.

A video that appears to show people allegedly trying to steal Stanley tumblers from Target has also been circulating on TikTok.

Most 40 oz. Stanley Quenchers cost $45 on the Stanley website but the special Starbucks one went for $49.95. Some people who were able to nab the cup are now re-selling them on eBay  with one listed at $300. Another is listed on StockX for $234.

Perhaps the year of Barbiecore inspired by the "Barbie" movie fueled shoppers' desire for Stanley's pink items. Bella dressed in pink when she waited in line for her cup, as did other shoppers, videos show.

And Marcus who took his daughter to camp out for the Starbucks Stanley at Target in Fort Worth, Texas, showed she wore a Barbie sweatshirt. Vincent arrived before 3 a.m. and since they were some of the first people there, they were able to get one.

CBS News has also reached out to Target and Stanley for more information and is awaiting a response.

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The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday afternoon that an announcement about bitcoin ETFs on social media was incorrect.

The SECs @SECGov X/Twitter account has been compromised. The unauthorized tweet regarding bitcoin ETFs was not made by the SEC or its staff, an SEC spokesperson told CNBC.

The false social media post said that the SEC had approved bitcoin ETFs for trading. The price of bitcoin briefly spiked after the initial post, but then quickly slid below $46,000.

In a later statement Tuesday evening, an SEC spokesperson told CNBC that the agency determined that there had been unauthorized access to the regulators X account by an unknown party for a brief period just after 4 p.m. ET.

The SEC will work with law enforcement and our partners across government to investigate the matter and determine appropriate next steps relating to both the unauthorized access and any related misconduct, this spokesperson said.

X said late Tuesday it has completed a preliminary probe into the compromised account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that displayed a false post claiming the SEC had approved bitcoin ETFs for trading.

Based on our investigation, the compromise was not due to any breach of Xs systems, but rather due to an unidentified individual obtaining control over a phone number associated with the @SECGov account through a third party, X said in the post, confirming that the SECs account was compromised.

We can also confirm that the account did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time the account was compromised, X said in the post.

The SEC is expected to make a decision on bitcoin ETFs this week after opposing them for years. More than a dozen asset managers have filed applications to create such a fund, including many that filed updated registration statements on Tuesday morning.

The price of the largest cryptocurrency has been climbing in recent months, in part because of growing optimism that the so-called spot bitcoin ETFs would be approved. Funds that track the price of bitcoin futures already trade on exchanges in the United States.

Crypto advocates contend that the launch of the spot bitcoin funds could bring in a new type of investors into digital assets. ETFs are an asset class that financial advisors use regularly. The idea is that advisors and investors who have been spooked by the intricacies around custody of bitcoin would be more willing and able to buy crypto in an ETF wrapper.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler has been a vocal opponent of crypto during his tenure, and the commission has brought legal action against several major crypto exchanges.

Last year, the SEC lost a court case against crypto asset manager Grayscale, which wants to convert an over-the-counter trust holding bitcoin into an ETF. The SEC declined to appeal that ruling, fueling speculation that the regulator would soon approve bitcoin ETFs.
Windy weather caused two MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line ships to break from their moorings.

MSC Sinfonia broke away from the moorings at the pier while in port in Syracuse, Italy, on Saturday. The ship was blown into a nearby marina due to extremely high wind gusts reaching over 70 knots  around 80 miles per hour  cruise line spokesperson Field Sutton said.

The ship was in lay up without any passengers on board and no injuries were reported, Sutton said in an emailed statement. MSC Sinfonia has been safely returned to her mooring with the assistance of tugboats.

MSC is working with port authorities to assess possible damage.

The incident comes after one of Norwegian Primas moorings detached in Galveston, Texas on Friday due to high wind gusts. All guests and crew were safe and there were no reported injuries, a Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The cruise line did not specify the wind speeds, but there were gusts detected at Scholes International Airport as high as 47 and 39 miles per hour, according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. The airport is located about six miles from the Port of Galveston.

The gusts were part of a line of strong thunderstorms that moved through the Galveston area on Friday morning that brought heavy rain and lightning. I think it's fair it's fair to say that, in summary, it was very stormy on Friday morning, Porter told USA TODAY.

The ship had returned from a week-long cruise with stops in Mexico, Belize and Honduras, according to CruiseMapper. The vessel departed on its next sailing later that day as planned.

Prima previously broke from its mooring ropes in Zeebrugge, Belgium, in July because of wind.

Stewart Chiron, a cruise industry expert known as The Cruise Guy, told USA TODAY at the time that those kinds of incidents are very rare but have happened in extreme weather.

What is wave season?: Why you should book your next cruise now

Weather conditions at each port are also monitored in advance. The cruise lines are always assessing these matters and mitigating the risks, he said in an email. If it's (deemed) unsafe, they take appropriate action so passengers can focus on their vacations. Unfortunately, they don't control the weather.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MSC, Norwegian cruise ships break from moorings due to high winds
Rachel Swan is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. She joined the Chronicle in 2015 after stints at several alt weekly newspapers. Born in Berkeley, she graduated from Cal with a degree in rhetoric and is now raising two daughters in El Cerrito.

She can be reached at rswan@sfchronicle.com.
Amid statements from airlines that their technicians found loose bolts on the same model of Boeing plane involved in a midair emergency, federal officials indicated an increasing focus on the aircraft's hardware.

In a news conference Monday night, National Transportation Safety Board officials said an examination of a panel that blew out of the plane involved in Friday night's Alaska Airlines flight showed signs of fractured guides and missing bolts, though it's possible the fasteners were lost when the so-called door plug was expelled.

NTSB aerospace engineer Clint Crookshanks said it appeared the door plug moved upward and then out during the explosive decompression event as Alaska Airlines flight 1282 was 10 minutes into its scheduled trip from Portland, Oregon, to Southern California.

The door plug is held in place, in part, by 12 stop pads designed to prevent it from blowing outward, but in this case it appeared to slip upward and around the pads.

At least two bolts designed to prevent such vertical movement were missing, as well as two others lower on the panel, NTSB officials said.

"We dont know if they were there or if they came out during the violent, explosive decompression event," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said of the four missing bolts.

Hinges at the bottom of the panel, designed to open 15 degrees for inspection, were also missing, NTSB officials said. "Guide roller tracks" on the panel, found in a Portland backyard Sunday night by a high school teacher, were fractured, the officials said.

All this may point to crucial weak points that allowed the plug to blow out, but why any hardware may have failed or even gone missing was still a matter of investigation.

Earlier in the day, the two airlines that use the aircraft in question, the Boeing 737 Max 9, reported loose bolts in the area of those plug doors, panels used in place of emergency exits that would be required if the planes were configured to carry more people.

Friday's flight had 171 passengers and six crew members on board, with no major injuries reported after it turned back to Portland International Airport for an emergency landing.

United Airlines said it has been inspecting its fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes to make sure they are safe to fly as federal investigators continued to investigate Friday's near-disaster aboard an Alaska Airlines plane.

Hours later, Alaska said in a statement that reports from its technicians, who had "accessed the area in question" while preparing the fleet for formal inspections, "indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft."

The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday grounded 171 of the Boeing 737 Max 9 planes worldwide so they could be inspected. On Monday, the agency said the aircraft would remain grounded "until operators complete enhanced inspections" and complete any necessary corrective action.

United Airlines said in its announcement that grounding its fleet of 79 737 Max 9 aircraft led to about 200 flight cancellations Monday, with significant cancellations expected Tuesday.

It said switching some flights dependent on the 737 Max 9 to other models will help preserve 30 flights that could have been canceled.

Inspection process

United said it began preparing for inspections Saturday by removing inner panels that lead to the door plugs and then doing visual checks ahead of more formal examination. Five United technicians will be assigned to each inspection, it said.

To access each door plug, we remove two rows of seats and the sidewall liner, United said in the statement. This has already been done on most Max 9s.

The airline said it will consider installation, hardware, and the structure around the door plugs.

Well then resecure the door, ensuring proper fit and security, United said. Well document and correct any discrepancies before returning that aircraft to service.

Alaska Airlines said Monday that it is waiting for final documentation before it can begin the formal inspection process, which will include logging and addressing all findings.

"No aircraft will be returned to service until all of these steps are complete," the airline said in a statement. "The safety of these aircraft is our priority and we will take the time and steps necessary to ensure their airworthiness, in close partnership with the FAA."

A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Friday night shortly after the flight took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

Shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, the Alaska Airlines plane a little higher than 14,000 feet when an explosive sound was heard, the NTSB has said.

Homendy said the flight narrowly avoided tragedy, in part, because the plane was not yet at cruising altitude of 35,000 feet and no one was sitting in the seats next to the door plug. Passengers were still buckled into their seats, two of which experienced such violent force that their frames were torqued and they lost headrests. They were unoccupied.

The NTSB chair said Sunday night that investigators had planned to take a very close look at the door plug that that blew out, its fasteners, and the aircraft structure around it.

Door plug scrutinized

In an interview with NBC News earlier Monday, Homendy said NTSB investigators looked at the door plug on the right or starboard side of the aircraft Monday, seeking to answer major questions.

"How was it put together?" she said. "And how did it perform even when we put some pressure on it? And we really wanted to look at all the components there and see how it related to what we were seeing on the other side."

To the chair's eyes, the door plug that remained intact looked ship-shape, but the one that blew out was being sent to the NTSB's laboratory, where it will be put under a high-resolution microscope and checked out by a metallurgist, she said.

Investigators will check threads on any fasteners, any possible metal-on-metal contact, the state of any sealant used, and any possible deformations or flaws in material, Homendy said during the interview Monday.

"Their whole goal is to really tell a story," the chair said of NTSB investigators. "And that's what the evidence provides  a story of what happened in those moments where the door was expelled."

Pressurization alerts

The 737 Max 9's pressurization system and alerts would also be examined, Homendy said earlier.

On Sunday, the NTSB reported that Alaska Airlines had previously restricted this particular plane from long flights over water, specifically to Hawaii, because an auto pressurization alert light that had illuminated during three prior flights, twice in the days leading up to Friday.

But aviation experts told NBC News on Monday that based on the information provided thus far by federal authorities the light was going off as the result of a computer glitch of some kind and not indicating there was a mechanical problem on the plane.

"Its not unusual in the aviation world for there to be issues with warning lights and most of the time the issue is with the warning light itself," Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB investigator. "Its not like Alaska Airlines ignored it. The fact that it restricted this plane from making flights over water while they were looking into this warning lights issue points to a robust safety culture."

John Cox, who weighs-in regularly on aviation issues for NBC News, agreed.

"The pressurization system, from what Ive read, was acting normally," said Cox, who said he flew Boeing 737's for 15 years. "This appears to be more a sensor problem. But Alaska Airlines, being a conservative airline, said this has happened a couple times now and we need to look into, but lets not do that over the Pacific Ocean."

Homendy said at Monday night's news conference that it does appear the auto pressurization system and its alerts were not involved in Friday night's accident, although she cautioned that the investigation was ongoing.

The system has two backups, and only needed one in each of those cases, she said. The backup system worked successfully, she said, and air pressure was normal on the plane.

"We have no indication whatsoever that this correlated in any way to the expulsion of the door plug and the rapid decompression," Homendy said Monday night.

Manufacturer Boeing said in a statement Monday that it was in touch with domestic airlines that operate 737 Max 9 aircraft and would "help address any and all findings" related to the FAA-mandated inspections.

"We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards," it said. "We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers."


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California has conducted a count of mountain lions and found that while there are 4,500, many are at risk. DEA / C. DANI I. JESKE/De Agostini via Getty Images

For the first time in 40 years, researchers estimated Californias total mountain lion population and, while the numbers are high, experts are still concerned about their future.

Data shows there are about 4,500 mountain lions statewide, according to Justin Dellinger, the leader of UC Davis California Mountain Lion Project. Areas closer to the coast, including the Bay Area, and the northwest part of the state generally found higher densities of mountain lions, he said.

What has been the status quo of understanding if a population is healthy or not is just how many are out there, Dellinger said. What were really starting to learn is that its a lot more complex than that.

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He said while the numbers are good, there is evidence that many populations of mountain lions are at risk of going locally extinct. One of these at-risk populations is in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are an adequate number of mountain lions, but roads isolate them, leading to inbreeding, Dellinger said. If inbreeding worsens, the impacted populations have a very slim chance of surviving, according to Tiffany Yap, senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

Roads and development have really caused a lot of habitat loss and fragmentation which has caused these genetically isolated subpopulations to form, Yap said.

Dellinger suspected mountain lions in the East Bay may face the same inbreeding issue  though there is not enough data yet to know for sure.

Yap said there are other threats to mountain lion populations, including exposure to rat poison and being killed for protection of livestock.

The findings  produced by a collaboration of multiple organizations including UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and the National Park Service  were not what Dellinger expected when he began working on the project.

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I would have thought going into it that (in) areas where we know there are genetic concerns we would see lower numbers and we didnt, he said.

Dellinger said these population numbers indicate there is still time to help the mountain lions before inbreeding causes their numbers to shrink.

The last mountain lion population estimate was done in the 1980s  conducted by the California Department of Fish and Game, now called the Department of Fish and Wildlife. There were believed to be about 4,000 to 6,000 mountain lions in California at that time. The process used for the estimation was less robust and data-intensive as the methods used in Dellingers recent study, he said.

Given that there is not a high quality historical record of California mountain lion populations, Dellinger said, it is hard to deduce population trends.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia replied on January 4 to Azerbaijans proposals regarding a peace treaty, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said.

On January 4, the Armenian side responded to Azerbaijans proposals regarding the peace treaty, he said during an interview with Public Television. We responded to their proposals within two weeks. We now expect Azerbaijans response, Grigoryan said.

The official said that the two sides havent made progress in certain issues. We expect to be able to advance around these issues soon. We expect to finalize the outstanding issues through negotiations and exchanges and sign a peace treaty as soon as possible, Grigoryan said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to hold a new meeting on border delimitation at the end of January, Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan has said.

Theres an agreement for the delimitation commissions to hold a meeting at the end of January. We hope the meeting will take place, Grigoryan said during an interview with Public Television.

The latest meeting of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation commissions took place on November 30, 2023.
The RJD dubbed it as a biggest example of vendetta politics

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed its first chargesheet in the ongoing probe into the railways land for jobs scam against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, their MP daughter Misa Bharti and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The RJD dubbed it as a biggest example of vendetta politics.

The RJD chiefs other daughter Hema Yadav, an allegedly close associate of the Yadav family Amit Katyal, railway employee and alleged beneficiary Hridayanand Chaudhary and two firms  A.K. Infosystems Pvt Ltd and A.B. Exports Pvt Ltd and their common director Shariqul Bari  have also been named in the chargesheet, the sources in the agency said.

Mr Katyal was arrested in this case by the ED in November last year, while Mr Yadav was summoned by the agency, but he is yet to depose. His son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, also an accused in the case, has already deposed before the ED once. He has been asked to appear again.

Besides Tejashwi, the ED has already questioned Ms Devi, Mr Bharti and two other daughters of Mr Yadav  Chanda Yadav and Ragini Yadav  in the land for jobs case.

The over 4,700-page complaint, involving a total of seven accused, has been filed before a special PMLA court in Delhi. The court has listed the matter to be heard on January 16, the sources said, adding that special judge Vishal Gogne directed the Central agency to file an e-copy of the chargesheet and documents today itself.

The agency is expected to file supplementary chargesheets in the case.

The alleged scam is related to the period when Mr Yadav was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government.

It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of the Indian Railways, for which they transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister and a linked company named A.K. Infosystems Pvt Ltd as bribes.

In the chargesheet, the Central financial probe agency alleged Mr Devi and Hema sold four land parcels "illegally" acquired from appointees in the railways to Meridian Construction India Ltd, a company related to Syed Abu Dojana, who is a former RJD MLA.

The "proceeds of crime" obtained by Ms Devi and Hema were further transferred through a maze of transactions to A.B. Exports Pvt Ltd and Bhagirathi Tubes, respectively, the agency alleged.

"Ms Devi and Hema sold these land parcels for Rs 3.5 crores against the acquisition cost of Rs 7.5 lakhs, thus deriving huge gains," the ED claimed earlier.

The agency, in the chargesheet, has requested the court to prosecute the accused for the offence of money laundering and sought confiscation of assets attached by it in this case earlier.

The money laundering case, filed under the criminal sections of the PMLA, was registered after the CBI lodged a complaint.

The CBI has already filed a chargesheet in this case. Mr Yadav, Ms Devi and Tejashwi were granted bail by a trial court in October last year in the CBI case.

In its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that no advertisement or public notice was issued for appointment, but some residents of Patna were appointed as substitutes in different zonal railways in Mumbai, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Jaipur and Hajipur.

Reacting to the EDs action, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha called it the biggest example of vendetta politics". He accused the BJP of using probe agencies against the Opposition parties.

"In states where the BJP is weak, agencies are working on strengthening it. This is a politics of harassment and torture," he said, adding, "The case was registered in 2008, 16 years ago. Did the railways consider it a scam? No. The CBI closed the case in 2021 on the grounds that no case had been made out of the allegation," he said.
Lakshadweep to get 2nd airfield at southern end; will be used for air surveillance

NEW DELHI: Amidst the diplomatic row with Maldives, India is looking to develop a new airfield at the Minicoy Islands in Lakshadweep that would be enable the operation of military aircraft, including fighter jets, along with commercial airliners.

The airport at Minicoy  the second largest island in Lakshadweep after Andrott  would give the defence forces the capability to extend their surveillance in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The capability to handle civilian jets would provide a boost to tourism in the region.

There is only one airstrip in the island territory at the moment in Agatti, which handles smaller aircraft. The proposal for the development of a new airport and extending the present facilities has been revived recently.

The Indian Coast Guard was the first force under the defence ministry to suggest the development of an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands. As per the present proposal, the Indian Air Force would be in the lead to run the operations at the new airfield

"The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft," said officials.

The proposal to develop an airfield in the Minicoy Islands has been received in the past too. However the plan to have a joint-use defence airfield was revived in recent times and is being actively taken up.

Strategically, the airfield would give India a strong capability as it can be used as a base to keep an eye on the Arabian Sea.

The diplomatic row has been broken between India and Maldives, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep and promoted it as a tourist destination.

Politicians in the Maldives' ruling party criticised Indian plans to promote Lakshadweep. This resulted in backlash in Indian social media with many threatening to boycott Maldives as a tourist destination.

Minicoy has one of the largest lagoons. It is isolated from the main group of islands and lies about 200 kms south of the northern group. It is renowned for its tradition dance  the Lava  performed on festive occasions.

Colourful race boats called Jahadhoni are also a tourist attraction. Minicoy is also an important centre for tuna fishing.
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc is moving fast with the seat-sharing discussions and scheduling meetings of various states

New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A. bloc faces a tightrope walk in Maharashtra as the Shiv Sena (UBT) demands the maximum number of seats out of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

In a preliminary meeting of the three alliance partners  Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress  in the national capital on Tuesday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction made it clear that it needs the maximum number of tickets, as in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections it won the maximum number of seats (18 seats).

The seat-sharing meeting was attended by Mukul Wasnik, Ashok Gehlot, Salman Khurshid and Mohan Prakash from the Congress. Sanjay Raut, Vinayak Raut from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Jitendra Awhad from the NCP.

The Congress is expected to get the maximum number of seats after the SS UBT.

Speaking to the media, Awhad said Prakash Ambedkars Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) will also be a part of the alliance in the Lok Sabha elections.

Insiders claim that the VBA is expected to get around two seats in the alliance.

Raut also affirmed that the VBA will be joining the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.

He said, The VBA will be a part of the alliance now. We have discussed seat-sharing and soon it will be finalised. We will fight together and win.

Tuesday's meeting is a precursor to a bigger meeting that is expected over this weekend between the top leaders of the three parties -- former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and SS UBT president Uddhav Thackeray.

The final seal of approval on the seat sharing will be done after this meeting.

The I.N.D.I.A. bloc is moving fast with the seat-sharing discussions and scheduling meetings of various states.

On Tuesday, AAP leader and its Delhi convener Gopal Rai said, "The (seat-sharing) talks have begun between the two parties. We kept our stand on contesting in an alliance in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat. Till now, there have been positive discussions."
by Melani Manel Perera

The murdered journalist was a great opponent of the then Rajapaksa government. The children at the grave ask that the pain be directed towards completing their father's work on press freedom and rights in Sri Lanka, while Amnesty International has called on the government to end impunity for his murder.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Monday 8 January marked the fifteenth anniversary of the assassination of Lasantha Wickrematunge, founder and editor-in-chief of The Sunday Leader. At 9am, a memorial service was held at his grave in Borella Kanatte, where family, friends, former colleagues and others gathered to honor his memory. Wickrematunge, a leading figure in Sri Lankan journalism, was remembered for his critical position towards the then Rajapaksa government.

For the occasion, his children, Avinash, Ahimsa and Aadesh, released a statement: "We honor our father, we carry on his fight and we aim to realize his vision of transparency, impartiality, tolerance and freedom of speech in our country", they said.

Our father was a peacemaker and a stalwart advocate for change. Today his name has become synonymous with the fight for human rights and freedom of the press and the pursuit of social justice and equality. For us he was also just our dad, kind and devoted, altruistic to a fault and lived his life for others. We grieve every time our family gathers and there is an empty seat at the table. We miss him every day. But even if our father is no longer here with us - they concluded -, it is important to direct our pain and anger towards the continuation of his work which remains incomplete".

Wickrematunge was one of Sri Lanka's most prominent journalists and Rajapaksa's most outspoken critic when on 8 January 2009, Wickrematunge was attacked by two armed men on a motorcycle during the morning rush hour while on his way to work. His death has shone a light on the risks that journalists run in the country in their search for the truth. His courage and dedication to the truth still set a standard today that continues to inspire journalists.

Yet, despite 15 years having passed, his killers have still not been caught and remain at large, a testament to the threat to free speech and the impunity often afforded to those who seek to silence it. This is why Amnesty International called on the Sri Lankan government to put an end to impunity for the murder of the journalist: Lasantha Wickrematunge was murdered 15 years ago. Despite the government's assurances of solving the case at the national level, the investigation has stalled. So far, justice has eluded his family, who have continued their fight for responsibility for Lasantha's murder."
Koh Kong is Cambodia's largest island, but hard to reach from the mainland. Young protesters, including a German, have organised a series of meetings to raise awareness of environmental risks to the place. Satellite images show forest loss from logging, an activity facilitated by the presence of the Cambodian Navy on the island.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Cambodian authorities arrested and then released 13 young environmental activists who organised a protest recently to raise public awareness about the situation on Koh Kong, the countrys largest island.

Covering an area of 103 square kilometres, the island is little known to the Cambodians since it is hard to reach from the mainland, but it is threatened by deforestation.

Wearing the same T-shirts that called for the islands protection, the protesters, members of a group called Mother Nature, carried banners in Khmer and English that read: "Sunday for Koh Kong Island.

The group has been holding weekly meetings to inform and encourage debate among Cambodians. We take Sundays to discuss Koh Kong, said Mean Lisa, a young woman and one of the protesters, speaking to Radio Free Asia (RFA).

[W]e want to encourage young people from all walks of life and the public to get involved in protecting the environment and natural resources. Third, we want the ministry to honour its promise to make Koh Kong Krau a marine national park."

In 2016, Cambodias Environment Ministry said that its experts had been studying Koh Kong and that it expected to turn it into a national park by 2021.

In 2020, RFA had revealed, however, that a businessman close to then Prime Minister Hun Sen had obtained a licence to develop parts of the island.

Police arrested the activists on Sunday, around 9:30 am, including a German who was a friend of one of the Cambodian activists. They questioned and asked them to write down personal information and explain the purpose of the rally.

On social media, the Phnom Penh municipal police said that Mother Nature activists had acted illegally, compromising safety, security, and public order  it also noted that the group had not informed the authorities in advance about their gathering.

After eight hours in custody, all 13 were released. "We were put in a closed room for several hours," Lisa said, adding that, We experienced harassment and discrimination from the police while we were there. My foreign friend was forced to take off his shirt in front of everyone else to change into a normal shirt, which is a form of harassment."

On the environmental groups website, the island is described as a pristine environment, mainly comprised of dense tropical evergreen forest, but is threatened by (often illegal) logging whereas it could be converted into an ecotourism destination.

The activists' concerns are confirmed by satellite data. According to an investigation published last year on Mongabay, logging practices on the island are favoured by the presence of a Cambodian Navy unit, which has already been accused of facilitating illegal timber trade in the past.

According to residents, officers control almost every aspect of daily life, and local officials prefer not to investigate into the activities of the military.
The local government formally granted university status to the Caritas Institute of Higher Education, which has 2,500 students, a goal sought by the local diocese. It has been accredited for social sciences, business administration, and communications. The name is a reference to Saint Francis Xavier as well as Saint Francis of Assisi.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  As of today, Hong Kong officially has its own Catholic university, which will bear the name of Saint Francis.

In a press release, the Hong Kong government formally announced that it was granting university status to the Caritas Institute of Higher Education (CIHE), which is run by the Catholic Church of Hong Kong, thus becoming the fourth self-financing post-secondary education establishment to be awarded this title in the former British colony.

Last October, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications reportedly acknowledged that the institute had met all the requirements to be a full university.

The formal approval by the government, led by Chief Executive John Lee, was needed, which was officially granted today.

Christine Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education, congratulated the CIHE, stressing the governments commitment to provide young people in Hong Kong with quality, flexible and diversified study pathways.

I trust, she said, that the self-financing post-secondary sector would continue to play a pivotal role in nurturing talent to support Hong Kongs manpower needs and its further development into an international hub for post-secondary education.

With the official birth of Saint Francis University, a long-cherished desire of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong is fulfilled.

In the early 1970s, then-Bishop Francis Hsu Chen-Ping had pushed for the creation of a Catholic university. In 1985 the Caritas Francis Hsu College was founded, named after the late prelate, later changed to the Caritas Institute of Higher Education, a much-appreciated institution in Hong Kong, especially for the training of nurses.

Together with the Caritas Bianchi College of Careers (CBCC), named after Bishop Lorenzo Bianchi, a PIME missionary who led the Hong Kong diocese after his imprisonment in China, the CIHE offers post-secondary training courses in 35 different disciplines, including social sciences, technology, and economics, with about 2,500 students.

Now, with its new accreditation, Saint Francis University will be able to develop further in areas such as general business administration, social work, as well as information and communication technology.

The current archbishop of Hong Kong, Card Stephen Chow, had also actively promoted the idea of a Catholic university in Hong Kong when he was the local superior of the Jesuits.

The initial idea was to build a completely new campus in Fanling, near the border with mainland China, but the project was rejected by the authorities on urban planning grounds.

For this reason, once he became bishop, Card Chow revived the project by suggesting that the CIHE be transformed into a university.

The name of Saint Francis University  based on a suggestion from his predecessor, Archbishop Michael Yeoung, who died in 2019  reflects the vocation to dialogue of Saint Francis of Assisi and the missionary prophecy of Saint Francis Xavier, the great evangeliser of Asia.
Mayor Antonio Lopez is a native of East Palo Alto, which at one time had the reputation of having the highest murder rate in the nation but celebrated having no homicides in 2023. Here he stands at the University Circle development, an area which historically has served as the citys primary commercial hub and has been developed and has three class-A office towers as well as a 200-room Four Seasons Hotel. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

To residents of East Palo Alto who remember the turbulent 1990s  when gunfire rattled through streets of low-slung bungalows  the citys transformation today seems almost magical.

At midnight on New Years Day, the Peninsula enclave celebrated a watershed moment: zero homicides in 2023.

Its a remarkable turn for an area that in 1992 earned a grim distinction as a murder capital. At that time, East Palo Alto had the highest per-capita homicide rate in the country  42 for a population of 24,000, which has since grown to 28,000.

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A constellation of factors led to the citys unraveling, ranging from discriminatory real estate practices, to corruption scandals, to the prevalence of crack cocaine and gang rivalries that triggered a federal crackdown in 2009. It would take an equally complex series of interventions and cultural changes for the city to dig itself out, eventually becoming a model.

The shift was gradual, but breathtaking. Researchers who study crime patterns observed a steady  and promising  decline over decades in East Palo Alto. A mix of newfound economic prosperity, job and mentorship programs for youth and the formerly incarcerated, and collective frustration with crime helped buoy confidence in law enforcement, allowing leaders to tackle a problem that bedevils cities throughout the world.

Their success prompted a new question: Will East Palo Altos progress stick?

East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez said of his citys having no homicides in 2023, Obviously, we cannot control the lives of every individual. But we can create the foundations and set the context in which people dont resort to violence. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Yes, Mayor Antonio Lopez said in a recent interview, his tone unflappable. Obviously, we cannot control the lives of every individual, he continued. But we can create the foundations and set the context in which people dont resort to violence. Reducing the unemployment rate. Getting more after-school programs and working with the school district to provide alternatives to young students.  Not giving any single excuse for a teenage kid to get caught up in a gang.

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Lopez, born in 1994 to parents who immigrated to the Bay Area from Mexico, said he grew up during a pivotal transition period for the city  when the crime wave of the early 1990s was winding down. East Palo Alto had long been burdened by poverty; though only a strip of Highway 101 separated it from its wealthy Silicon Valley neighbor, Palo Alto, the income disparity between the two cities was vast.

Yet, in the course of three decades, East Palo Alto blossomed. Commercial development popped up, including a new Four Seasons hotel. Property values rose and new families moved in, precipitating what some would call gentrification.

Rev. Deborah Lewis-Virges of Saint Mark AME Zion Church said this influx didnt necessarily meet the textbook definition of the term.

Oftentimes we hear about gentrification being so negative, right? Lewis-Virges said. I think were a prime example of it having a positive impact, she added, noting that newcomers included Black, Asian and Latino homeowners. Among them were Lopezs parents and Lewis-Virges, who is Black, originally from Detroit, and who lives in her husbands childhood home in East Palo Alto.

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That evolution in the 1990s took place in tandem with reforms in the Police Department, which began emphasizing community policing  a law enforcement approach to build trust by forming relationships with residents and faith leaders. A new generation of homegrown leaders took office in City Hall, including Lopez and City Manager Melvin E. Gaines. Over time, bolstered by relationships with the community, police managed to improve investigations and clearance rates.

In 2022, for example, the city suffered five homicides, and officers solved all of them, Police Chief Jeff Liu said.

People arent afraid to talk to us, and they arent afraid to work with us, he elaborated. Were working together, creating this environment where theres a feeling of safety.

Just about every leader in East Palo Alto  from the mayor, to the police chief and a prominent reverend  emphasized the importance of collaboration to quelling crime in East Palo Alto. The idea appeared to have universal buy-in. Community members marched in the streets to protest the drug trade, Lewis-Virges recalled, and some scolded people they suspected of trafficking.

Since East Palo Alto is tight-knit, the pastors and nonprofit workers who steered violence prevention programs usually knew the people they were targeting, said Gaines. Like Lewis-Virges and many in law enforcement, he subscribes to the theory that a small group of prolific offenders committed most of the crime. Today some are dead or incarcerated, he said; others have turned their lives around.

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Gaines himself is a survivor  he was 14 when his mother was murdered in East Palo Alto in 1998. Having grown up in the city and watched it stumble, then thrive, Gaines said he is able to navigate the city in ways previous city managers were not.

But he and other officials decline to take credit for the stark drop in homicides, instead calling it a collective achievement. Without the display of political will from residents, law enforcement efforts may not have panned out.

Thaddeus Johnson, an assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia State University, commended the small city for its gains in public safety. Yet he also expressed skepticism.

While a zero-homicide year could signify a breakthrough, it could also be an artifact of human behavior, Johnson said. Criminal markets fluctuate; perpetrators of violent crime might temporarily migrate to another city.

He also wondered whether a larger city could replicate the community relations strategy of the East Palo Alto Police Department, or the teamwork between the public, nonprofit organizations and City Hall.

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With a city thats smaller, people are more familiar with each other, Johnson said. Its a village.

Lewis-Virges expressed resolute optimism.
by Santosh Digal

Two million people participated today in the capital in the traditional event, one of the most important and popular for the Philippine Church. The statue enclosed in a glass case, to ward off assaults from the crowd. The first celebration without any particular restrictions, after the closures and constraints imposed by the pandemic.

Manila (AsiaNews) - Up to two million faithful took part today in Manila in the procession of the "Black Nazarene", one of the most important events for the Church in the Philippines, the only country with a Catholic majority in Asia and linked to the centenary statue in wood of Christ.

Every year the translation of the sacred sculpture from the original site, the church of S. Nicola da Tolentino, in the parish of Quiapo, in the capital, concludes a novena (31 December - 9 January) and sees the massive participation of people praying to ask for a personal grace or miracle.

In the last three years the festival has suffered cancellations or taken place on a smaller scale due to the Covid-19 pandemic; for this reason, the current edition represents a moment of further celebration and relaunches the faithful's bond with Jesus who carries the cross.

The historic statue of the Black Nazarene, life-size and covered in glass to prevent the faithful from climbing as happened in the past, parades in procession in the heart of Manila after a mass celebrated at dawn.

An event with a strong spiritual and votive meaning and which reveals the close link between faith, society and tradition. This year the authorities have deployed over 15 thousand security personnel and medical personnel along the route, ready to intervene in case of emergency.

Two million faithful took part in the (slow) journey towards the church of Quiapo, according to the first unofficial estimates: among the people it is common practice to pay homage to the statue, which has "magical and healing" powers, so much so that it would be enough to touch it - hence the choice to lock it in a shrine, to avoid accidents - to heal from incurable diseases or to curry favor with fate.

Fr Hans Magdurulang, spokesperson for the 2024 edition of the Nazarene, reports to AsiaNews that since the early hours of the morning there were already over 1.3 million faithful, most of them "barefoot".

Dori Hael Marquez, mother of two young children, says she has been a "devotee" of the Black Nazarene "for decades. I have continually received miracles from Him." She is echoed by Mavic Duque, mother of six grown children, who confides: Thank you very much, our beloved Lord Jesus of Nazareth, for your blessings upon us and for our salvation in daily life. You will always guide us. Viva Nuestra Jesus Nazarene.

Luzviminda Parada, a private sector employee, adds: Amidst a vibrant sea of devotees, the Feast of the Black Nazarene unfolds as a powerful celebration of faith, unity and the enduring spirit that binds us on this sacred journey.

In the Philippines, over 82% of the approximately 110 million inhabitants are Catholic. Among the religious celebrations, the procession of the "Black Nazarene" is among the most famous and popular.

The statue represents Jesus bent under the weight of the Cross. It was brought to Manila by a Spanish Augustinian priest in 1607 aboard a ship from Mexico. According to tradition, the boat caught fire during the voyage, but the image of Christ miraculously escaped the fire by turning black. In the past a Philippine prelate, Msgr. Sabino Vengco, stated that the dark color is linked to the use of mesquite wood.

The procession commemorates the first movement of the statue, which took place on 9 January 1767. Along the entire route (seven kilometres) of the Translation, which lasts several hours, the faithful flock to touch or kiss the sculpture as a sign of devotion, creating enormous gatherings. This is why in recent years the event has been canceled or has suffered heavy restrictions in terms of prevention and public health.
Today's news: One of Hezbollah's leaders eliminated in southern Lebanon; Chinese President Xi Jinping said more efforts are needed in the fight against corruption; Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif is free to participate in the upcoming elections; Polling stations open for the Bhutan runoff.

SOUTH KOREA

Seoul has passed a new law to ban the slaughter and sale of dog meat by 2027, although the consumption of dog meat itself will not be illegal. The government has promised to support breeders and restaurants that serve dishes with dog meat, consumed especially by some segments of the older population, even if the compensation that will be offered has not yet been defined.

LEBANON

Hezbollah yesterday confirmed the killing, probably by Israel, of Wissam Tawil, one of the most important leaders of the organization. The Israeli military did not comment on the news, but said it struck targets linked to the pro-Iranian group in response to cross-border attacks in southern Lebanon. Tawil was the deputy head of the Radwan units, a sort of Hezbollah special forces group.

CHINA

In a speech to the Chinese Communist Party's anti-corruption agency, President Xi Jinping said "greater efforts" were needed to fight corruption in the finance, energy and infrastructure sectors. "A landslide victory has been achieved, with the achievements fully consolidated" over the past decade, Xi said, state news agency Xinhua reported. But "the situation remains serious and complex", he added. According to critics, these are mainly measures taken to eliminate political opponents.

PAKISTAN

Yesterday the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a ruling with which it eliminated the lifetime ban from public offices for those who have been convicted in the past, allowing the candidacy in the elections - scheduled for 8 February - of the former prime minister minister Nawaz Sharif, who in 2019 moved to London in a sort of self-exile to undergo medical treatment and escape corruption convictions. Sharif returned to Pakistan last October after having been prime minister from 1990 to 1993, from 1997 to 1999, and from 2013 to 2017, when he was deposed in conjunction with the Panama Papers scandal.

BHUTAN

Polling stations opened this morning for the run-off elections in the Kingdom of Bhutan, in which the Bhutan Tendrel Party and the People's Democratic Party will compete. The leaders of the two groups have promised to face the economic challenges, questioning the policy of "gross national happiness" to measure the country's development. The polls will remain open until 5pm (local time) and the results will probably be announced tomorrow.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

Armenia's justice minister, Grigor Minasyan, declared that "a great deal of work is underway to defend the rights of Armenians held captive by Azerbaijan", of which 30 were returned in recent days in exchange for two prisoners Azeris. Those still held are visited by the International Red Cross, ensuring links with relatives.

ORTODOX CHURCH

According to data released by the Russian Ministry of the Interior, attendance at Orthodox liturgical celebrations has suffered a significant decline since 2020, without recovering after the pandemic. 1 million 400 thousand people went to the Christmas celebrations in recent days, 1% of the population, while the Sunday celebrations did not reach 0.3%.
Common Electric Shaving Mistakes

Not Seeing the Facial Hair Results You Want? Here Are 12 Shaving Errors You Need to Fix

The average guy buys an electric razor thinking it's going to simplify their shaving routine, and while we're not going to say they aren't extremely convenient, and excellent for quick touch-ups, they are far from a grooming panacea. In fact, electric razors can cause just as much skin irritation as regular razors if used incorrectly.

Don't get us wrong: the right electric razor is a tool, a long-term investment that saves you money and time in the long run, while serving as a valuable travel companion to accommodate facial touch-ups on the go, which means knowing how to properly use and maintain them is important. Still, there is a community of amateurs who fall victim to the same habitual grooming missteps they once did when pulling their fathers straight blade out of the medicine cabinet as teens.

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The first step of recovery is admitting you have a problem. And from the looks of your swollen, scarred face, you have many to iron out. So for those new to the shear game or just struggling to learn the ways of the electric shaver, learn from these common shaving mistakes to get the most from your facial buzzers.



12 Common Mistakes Men Make With Electric Shavers

Buying the Wrong Shaver for Your Face

The market is saturated with electric shaving options. But despite what the marketing on the box claims, not every model is designed to accommodate coarse hair or sensitive skin. This is where research comes into play. Start by looking over our list of the Best Electric Shavers to narrow down options. Select the ones you find most appealing and head over to Amazon to read consumer reviews, which usually provide the most efficient feedback. Its either that or trusting the technical jargon advertised on the manufacturers website.



Neglecting Pre- and Post-Shave Treatments

This is a common shaving mistake most men make. Whether you use an electric shaver or standard razor, every guy must religiously follow a pre- and post-shave routine, as conditioning the face with essential skincare products is key to maintaining a suave moneymaker. To prevent chaffing, apply a shaving gel to soften your skin and let it sit for a minute. Then following up with a hydrating aftershave balm once you finishing shaving. Baxter of California offers one of the best options. Doing this wont just save your skin from razor burns  it also helps maintain the stability of the blades.



Using the Wrong Shaving Motion

Look at shaving with an electric razor like climactic sex: its all in the motion. The most avid groomer can still show virgin-esque shaving tendencies. Employing the right shaving gesture depends on the type of shaver you own. Since rotary shavers are designed to follow the contours of your face, its recommend to move it in a circular motion to maneuver around difficult areas, whereas foil shavers should be used against the grain for a more precise finish.



Lubricating the Blades Infrequently

Failure to grease up your razor will lead to a painful shaving experience. The blades can clog up with debris, hair, and other environmental impurities, deteriorating the blades in the process. Most electric models come bundled with a lubricant to clean the razor head and keep the quality of the blades in top shape. In the case that nothing is awarded to you, dont hesitate to jump on Amazon and pick up an oil or spray lubricant.



Shaving With a Low Battery

Its easy to become spoiled with the super-fast execution of an electric shaver. So much so, in fact, that we often get lazy and neglect to recharge the device, settling to shave with whatever juice remains. Thats like driving on a near-empty tank of gas: dont expect premium performance. A dying battery affects the power of the motor, thereby cutting less hair and forcing users to shave over the same spots multiple times. Use the charging system, gentlemen. It came bundled for a reason.



Applying Too Much Pressure on the Face

Seeing how an electric shaver doesnt cut as close as a blade, frustration can take over when trying to mow over the same stubborn hair patch underneath your chin. Ones natural reaction is to press the shaver closer to the face. Dont you dare! It only leads to skin irritation, and in certain cases, lacerations. Got it? Good.



Going Too Long Without a Shave

Hipster beards and thick stubble are fashionable right now. We get it. Unfortunately, electric shavers are made to tackle shorter hair stands. Performing a shave with long facial fur will only bring you pain. Unless youre all about skin redness and cutting up your grill, knock yourself out. Use a beard trimmer or any of the attachments that came included with your razor to shorten hair length. Then proceed to power up the electric razor for a painless shave.



Never Changing the Blades

Were talking electric shaver maintenance 101 here. Common sense tells you to change the blade on a razor for the sake of achieving smoother shaves, right? Same theory applies to your Braun machine. The blades on an electric shaver are prone to wearing down after multiple shaving sessions and collecting all the guck. Manufacturers recommend swapping them out at least once a year so as to avoid razor burn.



Ignoring Sensitive Spots

Pain rears you in the opposite direction. Those with sensitive spots on their face can attest to this. However, experts say you should always begin by shaving the most sensitive areas of your face first. The reason for that is most electric razors heat up when used for long durations. The heat from the blades can inflame the skin. If certain areas seem too delicate to touch, use a shaving cream or gel with cooling properties like aloe and jojoba oil to calm things down.



Keeping the Shaver Dry When Finished

Just because a shaving machine is waterproof doesnt necessarily make it impervious to water damage. Besides short-circuiting the internals, aqua can corrode the blades and handle of a shaving device. Its suggested that you leave the razor in the standing position to dry. Theres also the option of wiping down the device with a clean towel.



Repeated Strokes

Several factors can influence a man to constantly shave over the same spot multiple times. If the blades are dull, itll pick up maybe 60 percent of whats on your face. Dry skin is another condition to take into account when dealing with lingering hair, as a dehydrated facial surface doesnt allow the razor to work its trimming magic. This in turn results in repeated strokes. And it doesnt take a grooming genius to know that these actions lead to the same consequences as applying too much pressure to your kisser.



Shaving Without Showering First

Its practically a grooming commandment at this point to shower first before taking a blade to the face. Steam relaxes the skin and lifts your whiskers to help you perform effortless shaves. Some guys prefer to do their facial clean-ups when lathering up in the tub, and thats cool. Just make sure the electric shaver is made for wet shaving. In any other case, you can achieve the same results when jumping out of the shower.



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Hundreds of people march in protest for a Free Palestine" in downtown San Francisco on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Organizers called for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

Thanks to the tax deadline extension granted to residents of the Bay Area, I ended up paying my state and federal taxes in mid-October  timing that made me acutely sick to my stomach. Not because it was a lot of money (it wasnt terrible) or because I hate paying into the social safety net (I dont). But because, even at that point, it was clear that I was contributing to the $3.8 billion of American taxpayer funds that helped pay for the bombs, missiles and bullets that Israel was using to kill and immiserate the population of the Gaza Strip, nearly half of whom are children who had nothing to do with the horrific Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel.

You can even find out how much your city is paying into the U.S.s annual contribution to the Israeli military with an online calculator from the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. San Franciscos share in 2020 was $13.2 million, equivalent to the salaries of 144 elementary school teachers.

So on Dec. 5, when San Francisco Supervisors Hilary Ronen and Dean Preston introduced a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, the release of hostages and the allowance of humanitarian aid into the region while also condemning both Islamophobia and antisemitism, the idea that a city 7,400 miles away from Israel would have anything to say about this made sense to me. On Tuesday, the full Board of Supervisors adopted the resolution.

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It might be easy to pass this resolution off as a performative gesture that will achieve nothing  as a futile action by a city government that has its priorities out of whack. The resolution doesnt call for a regime change, nor does it propose anything more than an end to aggression on all sides. But if approved, this carefully penned motion, as bare-minimum as it is, will represent one of the most powerful Democratic cities in the country sending a message to a Democrat president that it doesnt support his funding of further bloodshed. There is no good reason to oppose it.

As it stands, this resolution is a chance to put forth an optimistic view of how Americans can and should engage with this conflict. We can step aside the facile and deeply cynical ideas that siding with victims means getting revenge; that mass death is ever justified; and that seeking peace through non-violent means means letting bad guys get off scot-free. We can put our faith in a democratic system that, thus far, has claimed to be on the side of freedom for all while funding the oppression of those it deems politically insignificant.

After Ronen and Prestons cease-fire resolution was introduced, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin referred it to the Rules Committee, which met on Monday to discuss it before bringing it to a full vote the next day. The meeting drew an enormous audience that queued for hours to provide public comment. Some noted that in the time between the two meetings, the death toll has continued to climb, with about 30,000 people, or an estimated 1% of Gazas total population, either officially deceased or missing, buried under rubble. Several amendments proposed by Preston to the committee were updates to the numbers of people killed, wounded and displaced. According to the U.N., over half the population are now starving to death.

Its never been more obvious that the people of the United States are directly funding an abject war of retribution against innocent people who have already been pushed to the brink of desperation and despair under decades of structural and explicit violence. Its a slaughter that has increasingly been condemned by the global community, from South Africa charging Israel with genocide at the International Court of Justice to the 153 U.N. member nations that voted for a cease-fire. We San Franciscans are implicated in this conflict, and we have a right to protest our involvement.

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I dont even believe in the system and Im here, one public commenter said on Monday. It was, in my view, an incredibly earnest and relatable sentiment for this moment.

This is an issue thats touching the lives of thousands of San Francisco residents, said Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), who called me after giving public comment at the Rules Committee meeting. The U.S. has the power to end this genocide  it could end today. If the Biden administration is failing to listen to the (nearly) 80% of Democratic voters calling for a cease-fire, of course well look to local elected officials to show that San Francisco doesnt support this.
1970 was the peak of the Muscle Era, and this was both a triumph and a disappointment for gearheads. It was the culmination of the horsepower wars, and several iconic Detroit machines emerged that year. But peak implies theres nothing left to climb toward, meaning theres only one way, and thats down. Ever the Gentleman's companion, Buick played its part with grand sportsmanship. And no other Motown brand dared challenge it - not against 500+ lb-ft of torque.

Before the edicts of the Clean Air Act (signed into law on the last day of 1970 by Richard Nixon) began muffling performance, insurance companies started corralling the horses under the hoods, prompting a quick answer so simple, devious, and mutually beneficial for carmakers and customers alike.The insurers probably werent the most ecclesiastical adulators of quarter-mile mass sermons and taxed horsepower. Had they been a little more inclined to learn the habits of their preferred prey  muscle car enthusiasts  they would have learned that it was torque that won the races. Granted, horsepower sold cars, and thats where car companies began their little mathematical relativity game.A cars insurance premium was based on its power output: the more, the pricier. Smart Alecs from Detroit found a workaround: stating the hp readings from lower RPMs than the absolute peak or a motor resulted in lower numbers, thus less money for the customer to bleed out to insurers. Since nobody had anything to object to regarding torque ratings, carmakers could wink at their prospects without fear of pecuniary consequences.Thats why the Boss 429, for example, was officially quoted with 375 hp and 450 lb-ft (380 PS, 610 Nm) when, in reality, it probably had 375 horses at the wheels. Not for nothing, but in 1970, Detroit was taken aback by Buick and its newly-released 455 V8 piston-bomb To call it aplant would be a downright insult for the 7.5-liter dinosaur that could have just as well found a full-time job in naval applications, pushing barges upstream on the Mississippi.plant might be a more suitable term (but someone has to invent it first).Buick played it safe  as almost everyone else did  and claimed the new king of performance from the clan of General Motors produced 350 hp at 4,600 RPM. Or 360, or even 370  depending on its application in the GS, Wildcat, or Electra.At the same time, Motor Trend Magazine took a Buick GS 455 Stage 1 for a full-send session and came to the following conclusions: 13.38 seconds at 105.5 mph - with a 1.8-ton Buick. Even the insurance-indifferent 426 Street HEMI (which hadnt backed down one drop from its 425-hp claims made way back in 1966) didnt want to cross crankshafts with the GS battleship.The Stage 1 was a performance package available for the Buick GS 455, available for $199 on top of the regular price  not a tremendous amount (but on paper, it didnt offer much either: the power gain from a standard 455-cubic-inch V8 to its Stage 1 variant was a meager ten hp, from 350 to 360. On paper, I must stress out).2,465 GS hardtops came with the 455 Stage 1 treatment at its debut in 1970, and one was bought new as a daily grocery-getter. I kid you not; the mighty Buick with the go-very-fast option was also delegated to carry the lady of the house to and from the shops. The car was bought new by a firearms and law-enforcement equipment supplier and stayed with the woman for three years.In 1973, the Titian Red GS 455 Stage 1 was retired into the original buyers collection . The paint is worth mentioning because of its SCO (Special Car Order in Buick-anese) color  it was a Riviera-exclusive shade. Aware that the performance years were but a nice chapter in history, the car's owner used it seldom after 1974 until one cold April day in 1993.Since it had been rigorously cared for, the Buick was in impeccable condition when the driver  the original owner  climbed behind the wheel, lost control, and scraped a guardrail. The incident sent the car into repair, so its not original anymore. It is, however, correct to factory specifications.Both front fenders had to be replaced, but finding the matching date-code parts wasnt precisely a finger-snapping deal. However, with $33,922.84 invested in the project (according to the invoices) the car was put back into like-new-and-original condition after a 15-month restoration in the mid 90s. The amount is beyond a 2024 equivalent since parts and labor costs arent on par with those from thirty years ago.I mentioned above that the owner was in a business that granted him access to equipment not available to civilians, like the Federal police siren and the unity spotlight (both are visible in the gallery, in a vintage photo from the cars pre-crash years). Both items were removed for the restoration and werent installed back afterward.As a note of rarity  apart from its non-GS color and its 54-year one-family ownership  this special Buick also has the Comfort Flo Forced Ventilation installation. In 1970, only 171 GS were ordered with this option. It was a $42.13 add-on, less than one-hundredth of the muscle car's sticker price of $4,878.86.Although this car doesnt have the expensive air conditioning system, it was armed with a $227 Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission (rightly linked to the mandatory 3.64 rear), $230 wheels and tires, power steering, and power windows ($105 each), and a $133 Custom Trim package.After a long and TLC-filled single-family ownership, this appealing 42k-mile (67,991 kilometers) 1970 Buick 455 GS Stage 1 is looking for a new owner. The original buyers son is putting it for sale, and its not an easy decision to make, given that hes known the luxo-muscle since he was ten years old.The current high bid sits at $50,000, with six days left before the online auction closes. Buck for buck, it has already reached the purchasing power break-even mark  its original selling price would equal just under $40,000 in todays coinage.
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Photo: Hyundai

The most affordable version of the electric subcompact crossover starts at AU$54,000 (equaling US$36,212) when ordered with the 99(135 ps/133 hp) electric motor and 48.6battery pack and AU$58,000 (US$38,894) when chosen with the 150 kW (204 ps/201 hp) motor and the 64.8 kWh battery.Both have 255 Nm (188 lb-ft) of torque and front-wheel drive. The better-equipped Premium starts at AU$68,000 (US$45,600) and comes with the punchier motor and larger battery pack. In terms of range, Hyundai quotes a-rated 370 km (230 miles) when it comes to the smaller battery. With the 64.8 kWh unit, you're looking at 505 km (314 miles) on 17-inch wheels and 444 km (276 miles) on 19-inch alloys.As for the onboard gear, the 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric features 17-inch alloys as standard, a temporary spare wheel, heated side mirrors, LED lighting units, a smart key, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment system, DAB radio, navigation, Bluelink, over-the-air updates, six-speaker audio, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging pad, cloth upholstery, and a plethora of safety systems.Ordering the Premium trim level will up the ante with 19-inch alloys wrapped in 235/45 tires, privacy rear windows, electric tailgate, electrically-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation functions, heated rear outboard seats, heated steering wheel, Bose premium audio, a head-up display, ambient lighting, a sunroof, and leather appointments. This model also adds additional safety systems that make the daily commute more pleasant.Now, since we mentioned the safety gear, we might as well tell you that the entry-level Kona Electric gets blind-spot collision avoidance assist, driver status monitoring, evasive steering assist, lane-change assist, smart cruise control with stop&go, speed limit assist, rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, safe exit warning, and a few other things. The Premium adds a blind spot view monitor, parking collision avoidance, surround-view monitor, remote smart parking, parking distance warning, and others.Hyundai's second-gen Kona Electric is also available in the United States. The model comes in three grades called SE, SEL, and Limited, which carry respective MSRPs of $32,675, $36,675, and $41,045. The most affordable version features the base powertrain, and the other two get the punchier electric motor and the larger battery pack. The range is rated at 200, 261, and 261 miles (322, 420, 420 km), respectively. A 10-80% recharge at 100 kW takes 45 minutes, regardless of the battery size, a time that drops to 65 minutes at a 50 kW connection. With the standard 11 kW onboard charger, a 10-100% recharge takes 4 hours and 55 minutes.
Toyota updated the bZ4X electric crossover for the 2024 model year, bringing new assistance systems, more convenience features and complimentary charging in the US. Just like the European customers, the Americans will also get much-needed DC fast-charging improvements in cold climates.

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Toyota confirmed that the bZ4X in the US also benefits from the fast-charging improvements in the cold weather. Toyota added the following paragraph to its press release in the US:"Charging times in cold weather conditions have been improved for DC fast charging. Enhancements have been made to the battery thermal system, including the addition of a water-to-water heat exchanger and heating adjustment valve to increase battery temperature, allowing for faster DC charging in cold temperatures."The bZ4X is Toyota's only electric vehicle, but it wasn't meant to make the Japanese carmaker proud. On the contrary, its detaching wheels and poor charging performance in the cold blemished Toyota'sefforts. Toyota did everything possible to prove that electric vehicles are bad, and you see the result in the poor sales performance of the bZ4X. It's hard to convince customers that the bZ4X is worthy of consideration when even Toyota doesn't believe so.The bZ4X was involved in one of the most embarrassing recalls a seasoned carmaker could have issued. Barely launched, the electric crossover was recalled not because Toyota made a mistake in the EV department but because its wheels would fall off. For a carmaker that has always advertised its reliability and quality, this mishap is unacceptable.To make the shame even more unbearable for Toyota executives, fixing the problem took ages. In the meantime, production had to be halted, and Toyota had to take extraordinary measures to appease affected owners, including paying for rentals and buying back faulty cars . Some of them were happy to take advantage of this offer, especially as the bZ4X had many other issues.Customers in colder climates were the most affected, thanks to a flawed battery thermal management system. To translate in layman's terms, the bZ4X could not fast charge under 32F (0C). Although the problem is well-known, Toyota hasn't done anything to improve the situation. Until now, that is. The revamped bZ4X, featuring an improved thermal management system, has just been announced in Europe.Toyota mentions that the battery heating system has been modified to reduce battery charging times when using a DC fast-charging power supply in cold temperatures . Toyota added a new water-to-water heat exchanger and a heating adjustment valve to the heating circuit to help increase battery temperature. It's all good, but this improvement is not mentioned anywhere in the US press release announcing the model year 2024 updates. We asked Toyota about this, and we'll update the story when we hear from them.Until then, it's worth mentioning that the US buyers of a 2024 Toyota bZ4X will get a dual-voltage portable charger capable of either Level-1 or Level-2 charging. This was an expected move, considering that all aftermarket solutions are dual-voltage nowadays. If you can't beat that, why bother? There's also an update in the DC fast-charging department, but not what you'd expect: Toyota offers new customers one year of complimentary charging through EVgo with every bZ4X leased or purchased.To make it more bearable to wait in the cold while your Toyota EV charges (slowly), the Japanese carmaker introduced new charging information on the Multi-Information Display (MID) to show the range and charging times estimates. Toyota promised that this feature will also be offered to owners of 2023 bZ4X with a software update at the dealership. That's right, there are no over-the-air updates in Toyota Kingdom.The XLE grade in the US now comes with an 8-way power adjustable driver's seat and power liftgate for easy access. The Limited grade also gets a tech boost with Advanced Park, which is now offered as a standard. The system is designed to assist the driver with hands-free parking when parallel or perpendicular parking. The 2024 model will arrive at Toyota dealers in the US this month, with prices starting at $43,070 (XLEmodel).
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For example, Honda's performance was also greater than Nissan's, which tallied almost 899k sales with a jump of 23.2%. On the other hand, American Honda sold over 1.16 million vehicles, putting itself in the middle between Toyota's 2.24 million and Nissan's. So, how could Honda start to threaten Toyota even further or at least distance itself from the Nissan pursuer?That's easy if you ask the imaginative realm of digital car content creators  they just need to tremendously up the stakes for their current nameplates. We already know that, in the real world, Honda will soon present an all-new globalmodel at CES 2024 . After that, everyone expects the eleventh-generation Civic to get serious about its hybrid duties to fight Toyota's Corolla better.But across the parallel universes of vehicular CGI, the decision has already been made  the eleventh generation Accord mid-size sedan should up the sakes against the upcoming 2025 Toyota Camry not just with a sensible refresh but also sporting a novel EV powertrain under the hood. For example, the good folks over at the Q Cars channel on YouTube aim to daze and amaze the audience with a potential styling of their vision for the updated Honda Accord and also expand the powertrain options with gas, hybrid, and electric choices.Of course, we should all take these renderings with a healthy dose of salt, as nothing is official from Honda just yet. However, an Accord EV wouldn't be out of reach for the Japanese company if they had continued their partnership with GM past the Prologue crossover its front- and dual-motor setups could also be imported to the Accord EV.Anyway, we will have to wait and see what is Honda's next move in the field of zero-emissions cars. Also, in case you don't want to see the Accord as an EV for the 2025 model year, no worries  we also have other choices. For example, the resident pixel master from the JOVCARS channel on YouTube has also imagined the 2025 Accord  albeit as a hybrid model with a two-door body style that's quite intriguing because it has (hidden) door handles both front and back, suggesting you could open the door normally or like a Rolls-Royce!So, what do you think  should Honda try to cope with the upcoming 2025 Toyota Camry with the Accord already on sale? Or should they start contemplating at least a redesign, additional powertrain options, and even an expansion of the available body styles?
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has increasingly become the cool place for carmakers to show off their cutting-edge tech. Kia is no exception, as the Korean carmaker is now offering the US public the possibility to test its Connected Home platform and how it integrates with the EV9's bi-directional charging features.

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If you're lame but want to be seen as cool, you'd probably try to hang out around places that cool people attend. In the case of the automotive industry, you want to go to technology shows because all the cool tech is there, and you want people to believe you have some cool tech of your own. That's, in a few words, the explanation why carmakers shun auto shows lately but flock to Las Vegas every year to show off that they could be cool, too.This year, we could say, was the year of artificial intelligence, as carmakers attending CES raced to show how well they integrated ChatGPT into their car dashboards. After years when using voice commands has been dumber than teaching manners to a cat, it's invigorating to know that the voice in the car's speakers might actually understand what you want. Who knows? This might work one day, and our cars will become our closest confidantes.Until then, it's refreshing to know that some carmakers are also into car stuff, like Kia, for instance. The Korean carmaker used the Convention Center floor in Las Vegas to show off a plethora ofconcepts, including the Concept EV3 and Concept EV4. Kia PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle) was also one of the essential things Kia wanted to show to the American public.However, Kia's ambitions are to come closer to customers not by showing futuristic concepts but by explaining what it can do for people today. Kia used the Connected Home concept as a motif, integrating all the exhibits in Vegas. Inside this intelligent "home," Kia provided live demonstrations of how the Kia EV9's future vehicle-to-home (V2H) capability and Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger might integrate with an intelligent home.The Wallbox Quasar 2 is an innovative 11.5-DC charger that would allow the Kia EV9 (or another EV with compatible bi-directional charging tech) to charge and, at the same time, the EV to act as a mobile power source. Quasar 2 is designed to automatically initiate charging once plugged into the EV9 and, in the event of a power outage, can switch the direction of current to draw power from the EV9 into the home.Certainly, the EV9's battery has more capacity than any home battery storage system, including Tesla's Powerwall. This is enough to keep the lights on for days in a power outage. Once power is restored, the Quasar 2 switches back to charging the EV9. Similar to Tesla Powerwall, the Quasar 2 system can also intelligently identify opportunities for the EV9 to supply power to the home at times of high electricity rates.
Since 1975, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued the Automotive Trends Report on a yearly basis to provide the public with new light-duty vehicle fuel economy, greenhouse gas emissions, and technology data. The 2023 EPA Automotive Trends Report concerns 2017 to 2022 model year new light-duty vehicles, and the single most interesting piece of information in the report is Figure ES-4.

Photo: EPA

According to said figure, Tesla is the nation's fuel economy champion thanks to a real-world fuel economy of 119.3 miles per gallon equivalent and a fleet average of precisely zero grams of carbon dioxide emissions per mile. The question is, what else did you expect from an automaker that started with and continues to focus on EVs exclusively?The fun part starts with the second-rated automaker, which  curiously enough  isn't Rivian. The curious part is that the EPA lists the R1T electric pickup truck and R1S electric sport utility vehicle as 2022 models on its website. Be that as it may, remember that there was no R1T and R1S prior to model year 2022. In any case, the independent agency established by Richard Nixon by executive order in 1970 has crowned Hyundai as the most fuel-efficient legacy automaker in the USA.Hyundai improved from an estimated real-world fuel economy of 28.6 miles per gallon for the 2017 model year to 29.1 for 2022. If you prefer metric units, make that 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers and 8.1 liters per 100 kilometers. Honda is next, with the Japanese automaker downgrading from 29.4 miles per gallon (8.0 liters per 100 kilometers) in 2017 to 28.7 miles per gallon (8.2 liters per 100 kilometers) in 2022. i-VTEC and Earth Dreams what now?Kia is fourth with 27.1 and 28.6 miles per gallon (8.7 and 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers), respectively, while Subaru ranks fifth. Considering that Subaru is all about boxer engines, which are oftentimes less efficient than inline- and V-type powerplants in similar applications, that is  hands down  surprising. By the way, did you know that the 2022 Subaru Ascent and 2022 Honda Pilot are both listed with combined fuel economy ratings of 23 and 22 miles per gallon (10.2 and 10.7 liters per 100 kilometers)?The biggest improvement between 2017 and 2022, however, was recorded by the second best-selling automaker in the United States of America. The EPA says that Toyota improved from 25.3 to 27.8 mpg (9.3 to 8.5 l/100 km). Average carbon dioxide emissions improved from 352 grams per mile to 319 for model year 2022.Mazda experienced the biggest reversal in terms of fuel economy and emissions, namely 29 to 27 miles per gallon (8.1 to 8.7 liters per 100 kilometers) and 306 to 326 grams of carbon dioxide per mile. Stellantis , which is another way of saying FCA + PSA = LOVE, is the worst-rated automaker by far. According to the attached report, Stellantis recorded 21.3 mpg (11.0 liters per 100 kilometers) and 415 grams for model year 2022.The industry-wide average improved from 24.9 to 26.0 miles per gallon (9.4 to 9.0 liters per 100 kilometers), while carbon dioxide emissions went down 20 grams (from 357 in 2017 to 337 in 2022). If that seems a bit disappointing, bear in mind that legacy automakers in the United States of America are required to reach a fleet average of 59.4 miles per gallon (4.0 liters per 100 kilometers) for passenger cars and 42.4 (5.5) for light trucks in model year 2026.That's a fleet-wide average of 49.1 miles per gallon (4.8 liters per 100 kilometers), which requires a fuel efficiency improvement of 8 percent on a yearly basis for model years 2024 through 2026. That said, now you know why Stellantis had to discontinue the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 from the Ram 1500 lineup in favor of a twin-turbo sixer.
Back in September 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation started looking into 1.0-liter EcoBoost oil pump failures. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was aware of no fewer than 95 complaints from owners of the 2018 to 2021 model year Ford EcoSport, with said complaints alleging loss of oil pressure and reduced or complete loss of motive power.

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Photo: Ford

Headed bygeneral engineer Jayson Winick, preliminary evaluation PE23-015 has morphed into a recall. In addition to the subcompact crossover mentioned earlier, the recall population includes the Focus. Both use the 1.0-liter version of the EcoBoost, a three-cylinder mill developed at the Dunton Technical Centre in the United Kingdom. By discontinuing the EcoSport and Focus from the North American lineup, the 1.0-liter EcoBoost is no longer available in any Ford vehicle for the US market.As of January 2024, the lowest you can go in terms of displacement and cylinder count is 1.5 liters and three pots in the Escape and technically similar Bronco Sport. The 1.5-liter EcoBoost is codenamed Dragon, whereas the 1.0-liter EcoBoost of the EcoSport and Focus is dubbed Fox. Under safety recall 23V-905, the Ford Motor Company intends to inspect no fewer than 139,730 examples of the EcoSport and Focus produced for the 2016 through 2022 model years, namely 1.0-liter EcoBoost vehicles equipped with the 6F15 torque-converter automatic that replaced the substandard DPS6 PowerShift dual-clutch transmission.Production dates range from April 3, 2017 to October 12, 2021 for the EcoSport and from March 24, 2025 to May 4, 2018 for the Focus. In regard to assembly plants, the EcoSport for North America came from the Chennai plant in India, whereas the Focus was assembled in Michigan. The Focus entered its fourth generation in 2018, but alas, Ford couldn't make a case for it stateside due to rising demand for sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. On the upside, the fourth-generation Focus features the same platform as the Escape, Bronco Sport, and the Maverick.113,689 examples of the EcoSport are recalled, along with 26,041 examples of the Focus . According to documents published by the, the Critical Concern Review Group within FoMoCo started reviewing 1.0-liter EcoBoost oil pump failure allegations in February 2022. The safety boffins determined that an oil pump belt tensioner failure  which results in potentially catastrophic engine failure  doesn't present an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. The folks at the CCRG might not have entirely honest, thoughA loss of motive power at speed on the highway increases the risk of a crash, and the same can be said about the mechanical vacuum pump going kaput. Without said pump, there's no power braking assistance. In addition to the aforementioned investigation, what else prompted FoMoCo to address these concerns? The document below clearly states that "Ford is aware of one allegation of a crash resulting in two injuries potentially related to this concern." Otherwise put, Dearborn's favorite son had to choose between a costly recall or potentially costlier litigations from owners of 1.0-liter EcoBoost vehicles.The Part 573 safety recall report attached below confirms no fewer than 2,099 warranty claims in the United States market alone, ranging between June 10, 2016 and October 6, 2023. In other words, the Ford Motor Company had likely identified the root cause behind the oil pump failure long before Ford's Critical Concern Review Group pretended to investigate said issue in February 2022.The second-largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit ultimately acknowledged that the oil pump drive belt tensioner arm retention caulking joint isn't robust enough to handle vibrations. The tensioner arm is prone to separating, and in case of contact with the engine balancer shaft, the oil pump's drive belt will lose its teeth. Ford's part numbers for the oil pump drive belt and tensioner assembly are F1FZ-6B651-AA and F1FG-6C777-AD.The belt and tensioner were supplied by Dayco Europe SRL of San Bernardo d'Ivrea, Italy. The remedy belt and tensioner feature different part numbers (F1FG-6C777-BA and F1FZ-6B651-BA) because Ford updated them both to prevent the drive belt from losing teeth and the tensioner arm from contacting the balance shaft. Dealers have already been instructed to replace both at no charge to EcoSport and Focus owners. Owner notifications will be mailed between February 13 and February 20, 2024.
The George Washington Bridge isn't often a place awash in joy. If anything, you're liable to feel robbed and a little cheated entering New York City from Fort Lee, New Jersey, after the bridge extracts $17.00 of your hard-earned dollars without an E-ZPass. If this is often the case for you, your morning commute is about to get even more painful. All thanks to the newly implemented bridge and tunnel toll hike fresh off the desk of New York and New Jersey's Port Authority.

The morning of January 8th, 2024, was the first weekday morning in which New Yorkers had to contend with yet another across-the-board toll hike for New York City's bridges and tunnels connecting New York City with Northern New Jersey. By a total of $0.63 per trip, cars, and trucks running across these two border states will see those travel expenses rack up just a bit faster this year. With or without E-ZPass, the extra cost can and will wreak havoc on New Yorker's wallets.From the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to the Bayonne and Goethals Bridge and both the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, no trucker, passenger commuter, or rideshare jockey will pass eastward from New Jersey without suffering the Port Authority's wrath. At the G.W., what was once a $14.75 cost of entry into New York City is now a $15.38 ordeal at peak hours (6-10 a.m./ 4-8 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. weekends). Keep in mind this price only applies to those with a state-issued E-ZPass tag. Those unfortunate to cross America's most notorious bridge without one now have to fork out $17.63 through the mail once the bill arrives.People can and have had to pay hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars in late fees for failing to pay Port Authority Bridge tolls promptly. So what may start out as an already healthy toll bill could easily spiral out of control; heaven forbid it's lost in the mail or otherwise misplaced. It's just another thorn in the side of a city whose cost of living crisis is consuming all but its most affluent residents. In a city whose government is so perpetually starved of cash yet so irrevocably dependent on roads and motor vehicles, a perfect storm of financial agony is now being force-fed on working New Yorkers just trying to get back and forth each day.Of course, toll hikes are just as significant to the experience of living in and around New York City as halal carts and nasty-smelling subway terminals. Tolls on the G.W . specifically have been hiked no less than 14 times since 1970, when the city abolished westbound tolls on the bridge going westbound towards Interstate 95's junction with Interstate 80. But this latest round of hikes cuts so much deeper than recent ones. This time around, the reason why has little to no particulars in the hikes themselves.Instead, it's how the most recent toll hikes occurred almost in parallel with the passing of new city legislation approving congestion charging for NYC drivers traveling through Manhattan's most crowded bits of asphalt south of 60th street. First approved in March 2019 by then-governor Andrew Cuomo and upheld by his replacement Kathy Hochul, a global health crisis, several years of public hearings, and equally public weapons-grade bellyaching have led to a tentative start date for congestion charging in Manhattan at the beginning of April 2024.With an all-out assault on the wallets of NYC's drivers, it's hard not to feel like the whole affair, tolls, congestion charges, and all, was coordinated to be as misery-inducing as possible. It's as if NYC's leaders and those in power were looking at the cost of living and homelessness crisis the likes of which New York hasn't seen since the dirty, smog-ridden 1980s right in the face and deliberately opted to make the problem worse. Never mind that per an announcement from Manhattan's Borough President Mark Levine , residents who earn less than $60,000 per year will receive a credit on their city taxes at the end of the year. That almost feels like the equivalent of an office pizza party when all anyone wanted was a pay raise and the option of a health insurance plan. Hardly the re-imbursement it sounds like, that's for sure.One shudders to imagine the honest, hard-working NYC rideshare drivers, cabbies, and delivery drivers who'll have their wallets mercilessly manhandled by the city's draconian approach to the problem of lowering vehicle congestion in Manhattan's busiest sectors. Let alone how many of these same people, with families at home and more bills to pay than any reasonable person would ever consider paying if not for the privilege of living in a stagnating city far removed from the clean, sanitized facade it maintained in the first decade or so after the attacks on 9/11.Ironically, New York City was never so united as in the immediate years following that tragic day. But with the cost of driving through the city piling onto a laundry list of other profound problems with homelessness and lack of mental healthcare facilities, it's hard not to feel like New York is about as divided as it's been in living memory. Don't get it twisted; no one's out there saying bridge tolls and congestion charging will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for New York City. Big Western cities like London and Paris can and have made congestion pricing a staple of driving through its most populated districts.But remember, Londoners in particular didn't all take kindly to a charge on their bank account every time their license plate was snapped along a road marked with a dreaded C and red circle. Anyone who watched Top Gear in the mid-to-late 2000s will attest to this. Say what you will about Jeremy Clarkson 's antics, but the man had a point about congestion charging doing more wrong than good, regardless of whether he was right for all the wrong reasons. Even a blind orangutan finds a lager every now and then, and Clarkson even has his own brand nowadays.From this international lens, it's hard to say toll hikes and controversy around congestion charging in big cities are hardly isolated cases. Humanity has come to a reckoning point when it comes to the balance between planes, trains, and automobiles in society's norms around the daily work commute/school run, or risk the whole damn ecosystem collapsing in on itself. As for New York City, it's one of the few North American megacities with the trifecta of roads and highways for miles, a robust commuter rail network, and three of the busiest international airports in the world, all within the confines the size of some mid-western counties.Between all this infrastructure and all the capable young civil engineers leaving American universities these days, you can't convince us there's simply no solution to New York City's commuter congestion besides abusing people's debit and credit cards at every opportunity. Doing so is merely the easy way out for New York's city leaders without addressing two decades of steady decline in local services. At least to our mind, that's the most angering facet of New York City's war on congestion. It can and should have been taken care of with a touch more care and forethought.It probably sounds like we're being unfair to the Big Apple like a bunch of stuffy suburban elites only concerned with the plight of working folks in the city for the sake of the optics. But trust us when we say we love New York City around here. It's only because we know New Yorkers, and more fittingly, New York's leadership, are capable of being the beacon on the hill city it's always claimed to be. Just look at the recently completed Eastside Access rail tunnel, a.k.a. the new Grand Central Madison Station, if you don't believe us. All it takes is a team with the right vision and a leader in charge to make it all happen.
Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks during a news conference in San Francisco on Oct. 13, 2021, about a lawsuit against three manufacturers of ghost guns. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Gun owners in California will likely be allowed to carry their firearms in most public places until this summer, if not longer, now that a federal appeals court panel has blocked central provisions of a state law that banned carrying guns in schools, parks, libraries and other areas the law classified as sensitive.

While the two judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals who issued Saturdays order did not state their reasons, their decision to halt enforcement of the law, SB2, indicated that they believed it was probably unconstitutional, under standards set by the Supreme Court in 2022.

The law will remain on hold until the two judges, joined by a third panel member, hear the case in April and issue a ruling, perhaps within a month or two. And if the ruling goes the same way as the panels order, SB2 will remain unenforced unless a majority of the 29-judge appeals court grants a new hearing before an 11-judge panel, which would then decide whether to let the law take effect.

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The judges did not identify themselves, under the courts policy to withhold the names of the panel members hearing a case until shortly before the hearing.

Chuck Michel, founder and director of the National Rifle Associations California affiliate and attorney for gun advocates who sued to overturn SB2, said Monday he is confident the law will remain on hold, at least for much of this year.

The politicians ploy to get around the Second Amendment has been stopped for now, Michel said in a statement after Saturdays order.

Daniel Villasenor, spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, said the courts dangerous decision puts the lives of Californians on the line.

Attorney Billy Clark of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said the courts order was disappointing but we remain hopeful that when the case is decided on the merits, the court will find the law constitutional.

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He noted that an 11-judge panel of the 9th Circuit, in a separate case, is scheduled to consider a challenge in March to Californias ban on large-capacity gun magazines, those that can hold more than 10 rounds. A majority of that panel allowed that law to remain in effect in October and said it appeared to be constitutional under the Supreme Courts standards.

When the Supreme Court first declared a constitutional right to own firearms in 2008, the ruling said the government could still prohibit gun possession in sensitive places.

The court did not repeal that authority in June 2022 when it overturned a New York law that required individuals, other than police, to show a special need for self-defense in order to carry a gun in public. But the opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas said any government restriction on firearms ownership or possession was unconstitutional unless it was consistent with the nations historical tradition, dating to colonial times.

California had a law like New Yorks but replaced it with SB2 by Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada-Flintridge (Los Angeles County), which was due to take effect this month.

But U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney of Santa Ana issued an injunction Dec. 20 that blocked a central provision of SB2, its ban on possessing guns in 26 locations that it defined as sensitive places. They included schools, libraries, parks, banks, public transit, any place where alcohol is sold and other businesses or property unless the owner expressly agrees to allow firearms.

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Carney noted that gun owners in California must be adults  SB2 raised the minimum age from 18 to 21, a change that has taken effect  and must also take a training course and pass an exam on gun laws and safety measures, as well as a background check when they purchase a gun.

He said the state law violates the Supreme Courts standards and requires law-abiding gun owners to open themselves up for slaughter at the hands of people (flouting) the law.
In the sixties, one General Motors car was Satans personal archangel of doom and motoring apocalypse. At least, thats what an infamous book claimed while thrashing the Chevrolet Corvair into a lousy reputation outmatched only by the Prohibition. Just a decade after Ralph Naders 1965 Unsafe at Any Speed saw the light or press, another car-related scandal ignited the spirits of Americans: the Ford Pinto affair.

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile

Any gearhead who can remember what tape cassettes and eraser tip pencils have in common will make a fiery mental association with the Pinto  and thats not a metaphor. In the mid-seventies, the subcompact Ford automobile found itself right in the line of fire of ardent criticism due to its alleged tendency to self-ignite under certain circumstances.What happened? The Blue Oval was forced to recall 1.5 million Pintos in 1978 after a series of fatalities resulted from gas tanks exploding when the tiny Fords were rear-ended. It all started with a crash in 1972 when the driver of a Pinto pulled over on the highway to close the gas filler cap she had left open at the station. A van hit the Pinto from behind at over 50 mph (80 kph). The Pintos tank  filled with inflammable fumes after being left open  was punctured and caught fire, killing the driver and mutilating the passenger.The alleged cause of this disastrous reputation was the placement of the fuel container behind the rear axle. Under an impact at speeds over 25 mph (40 kph), the metal recipient would press against the differential, rupture, and release gasoline vapors. The sparks created by the friction between the metal surfaces ignited the fuel , which then exploded violently. Ford paid millions in damages and reparations following the lawsuit that ensued.Ford engineers had conducted over forty crash tests before the cars market release in 1971. Every single one returned the same result: a hit from behind at more than 25 mph ended with the vehicles tanks penetrated by various metal parts from the rear axle. Simple and effective solutions were proposed, but all were rejected. The fixes would have added manufacturing costs, and Lee Iacocca, Fords president, and leading Pinto supporter, rejected them all.Make no mistake, said costs were somewhere between $8 to $1 (one!) per vehicle, depending on the chosen modification. However, the cars two main selling points  under 2,000 lbs curb weight and below-$2,000 base price  were deemed untouchable. The Pinto was rushed into showrooms to fight the aggressive European and Japanese imports Much like the Corvair, the Pinto was developed in record time (two years) and suffered inherent flaws and downturns. Ford dealt with them as they emerged, but the fire story was too good an opportunity not to draw the media's attention.Statistics proved that the Pinto wasnt any more prone to external combustion than other models of its era. America wasnt a (big) fan of small cars (that weren't Shelby Cobras or Corvettes)  not when the Pinto arrived, anyway  and the flaming mishap only added fuel to the fire.Still, the Pinto wasnt set back by the scorching turn of events and soldiered on until 1980, some three million units away from the 1971 introduction. Maybe it wasnt a very appealing automobile to the U.S. buyer. Still, it generated sufficient showroom traffic in its lifetime to claim the right to be called a classic.Its an acquired taste, and people either love(d) it or would rather set it on fire than drive/own one. It was called the car that no one loved but people bought. It would take a serious cognitive and emotional effort from any piston-hearted car nut to classify a Ford Pinto as 'a cool car' (the irony is burning, I know), but check out the car featured in the video below.Its a 1976 yellow Runabout hatchback - one of the three body styles the Pintos came in during the models production. The others were a sedan (bluntly similar to the hatch) and a station wagon. A side note about the Pinto popularity index: the 1974 wagon is the best-selling individual station wagon model of all time, with 237,394 built.However, this Pinto - starring in the Woodward Dream Cruise in Birmingham, Michigan, in August of 2023  has several aces up its sleeve (and under its hood). First off, its in nearly mint condition (after a thorough restoration performed more than a decade ago by Chris Auger, the proud owner interviewed by Lou Costabile). Secondly, it has air conditioning  a not-so-often ordered option on the small car (probably due to its repelling price). And thirdly, but most importantly, it has a six-cylinder up front Hold your horses (or lend some to the Pinto, if you will), and dont get too enthusiastic about that pompous notion. The Ford Cologne V6 was introduced on the Pinto in 1975, making this example one of the few to come with the big engine. Big by Pinto standards: the motor is a two-barrel 2.8-liter six-pot with overhead cams, gruesomely low output, and knuckle-busting maintenance habits.The latter is just an indication of the crammed engine bay since the Pintos were generally regarded as being overwhelmingly mechanically reliable. Among the Pinto owners' clubs, there is one 1977 example that was bought that year with 477 miles on it. The buyer passed the keys to her son in 1984, and in 2014, the same car, aged 434,000 miles, amassed a grand total cost of ownership of around $2,000 (oil changes included).103 hp (104 PS) and 149 lb-ft (202 Nm) was the peak this V6 would ever achieve in the tiny Ford between 1976 and 1979. It was offered only with an automatic gearbox with three forward speeds and a 3.00:1 standard rear differential. The smaller engine was a 2.3-liter inline-four, which could be paired with a four-speed manual. Dont get enthusiastic about it; that 'coffee-grinder' motor maxed out at 92 hp and 121 lb-ft (93 PS / 164 Nm).A former Ford employee, Chris Auger, has had the car since 2007 and put some miles on it, getting the odometer to read 91,705 (147,553 kilometers). While not an original survivor , its a well-executed restoration, and the owner gets extra credit for keeping the car as close to factory specs as possible since the initial plan was to turn it into a drag racer.The Pinto we see here is unique in a certain way: out of the total 1976 production of just over 290,000, this is the only Bright Yellow example with an electric defroster for the rear window, aluminum wheels, and air conditioning. Not for nothing, but from the base price of $3,700, the options added on this gorgeous Pinto took its final bill to $5,100 (420 of which went on the Selectaire cooling equipment). And its not the first time this exact car has enjoyed the media's scrutiny. Play the second video below to see it at the center of attention during the 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise.
Ashotian, 48, was an influential figure during former President Serzh Sarkisians rule, serving as education minister from 2012-2016 and subsequently heading the Armenian parliaments foreign relations committee. He has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ever since the 2018 velvet revolution that toppled Sarkisian.

Ashotian was charged in November 2022 with abuse of power and money laundering in connection with his past chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of Yerevans Mkhitar Heratsi Medical University. The accusations, strongly denied by him, stem from a number of property acquisitions carried out by the university administration on his alleged orders. Armenias Investigative Committee claims that those deals caused the state-run university substantial financial damage.

The law-enforcement agency also charged Ashotian with waste of public funds following his arrest in June 2023 which it attributed to his alleged attempts to obstruct its investigation. The oppositionist, who is a deputy chairman of Sarkisians Republican Party (HHK), denies this accusation as well.

Vahe Dolmazian, the judge presiding over Ashotians ongoing trial, on Monday allowed the investigators to continue holding him in detention until April 15. Accordingly, the former police officer and prosecutor, who took the bench only 17 months ago, rejected the defense lawyers petition to free Ashotian on bail or move him to house arrest.

The petition was backed up by a guarantee signed by about a dozen parliamentarians and other opposition figures. They pledged in writing that Ashotian will demonstrate proper behavior and not go into hiding or obstruct justice if set free.

Surprisingly, the signatories included Levon Zurabian, the deputy chairman of the Armenian National Congress (HAK) party led by another ex-president, Levon Ter-Petrosian. The HAK was in opposition to Sarkisian during his 2008-2018 rule.

Speaking during Mondays court hearing in Yerevan, Zurabian described Ashotian as a political prisoner who is prosecuted for denouncing Pashinians policies on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and other issues.

I have no doubts that the purpose of this criminal case is to silence a critic, rather than expose and punish corruption, Zurabian told the court.

Sarkisians HHK has likewise condemned Ashotians arrest as government retribution for his harsh criticism of Pashinians Karabakh policy. Pashinians government and political allies say that he did not order the investigators and courts to prosecute his outspoken critic.
9 January 2024 19:45 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

While the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is over, the road to realising the peace process in the South Caucasus will not be easy. The West's involvement through Armenia in the South Caucasus puts all things at risk of being destabilised.

Several parties show themselves as being supportive of the peace process; however, some others who wish to reignite the conflict stand rigid on their plan to disrupt it. So far, by supporting Armenia, France has achieved little to no significant imbalance in Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. France's "support" forces Armenia to act based on the will of the former, which leads to mass propaganda of anti-Azerbaijani statements and, as a result, creates a desire for revenge in the young Armenian generation. The peace process in the South Caucasus would be realised faster if the same "helpers" of Armenia would stop pursuing their gain.

French participants are gradually joining the ranks of Armenian "human rights" activists, and they often believe that they are working for a good cause. The French journalist/reporter Anne-Laure-Bonel published a post on her X social page with the title "Silence, they are killing in Nagorno-Karabakh." The French journalist's provocative post reads: "I will be attending the 50th meeting of the French-speaking press in Dakar from January 9 to 11, 2023 (amendment 2024) to discuss the war in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. I'm honoured and excited to draw attention to a conflict that has been very little talked about since 2020."

A young journalist had a chance to "prove herself" and tell the Armenian-French public the same propaganda that they have been doing for 30 years. When the war is over and a peace treaty is being negotiated between Armenia and Azerbaijan, what can "killing in Garabagh" mean? Who is being killed? When? Where?

However, the French journalist, while stating a lie, told the truth. Indeed, people are being killed in Garabagh, especially civilians. It is not man-to-man killing, but Armenian mines have been quietly killing civilians since 2020 in the liberated territories, where 10 mines are buried for every square metre. About 3,000 civilians have been victims of mines in Azerbaijan's liberated Garabagh, where 525 of them were killed and some others were maimed. The number of people who fell victim to mines during the Patriotic War is still unknown, and Armenia has yet to present an exact map of the mines buried in those territories.

The French journalist should be asked questions at the forum in Dakar: How were Armenians going to live in Azerbaijani territories after having planted the territories with Armenian mines? And if Armenia wants peace with Azerbaijan, why doesn't it provide Azerbaijan with maps of minefields sown by themselves? And how are the Armenian authorities going to return the Armenians back to Garabagh who have left those territories voluntarily? This is what the French Parliament has to discuss rather than clasping the Armenian PM, who always fluctuates in his promise of signing a peace treaty while standing between his opponents and supporters like France.

It should be recalled that from November 10, 2020, to October 6, 2023, as a result of Armenia's mine terrorism against the Azerbaijani people, 191 mine incidents took place on the territory of Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur. The victims of mine explosions were 330 Azerbaijanis, 62 of whom died, 49 civilians, and 15 military personnel. A total of 267 people were injured as a result of the mine blast.

As of October 5, this year, 100,467.8 hectares of land have been cleared of mines and other explosive devices.

Recall that during this period, 95,638 mines and other explosive devices were found, including 29,790 anti-personnel, 17,439 anti-tank mines, and 48,409 unexploded ordnance.

The French authorities, who are committed to nurturing chaos, will not achieve what they want in the South Caucasus because 'whoever digs a pit will fall into it'. In the meantime, France is drowning in migration and economic crises. And as regards the human rights issues in Paris, French police officers kill the protesters "quietly" as a result of the repeated use of an electroshock device.

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Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33

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9 January 2024 12:28 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

The Turkish Ministry of Trade reported that Turkiye in January-December 2023 reduced exports of steel products to Azerbaijan by 15.1 percent compared to the same period last year to $114.2 mln, Azernews reports.

In December, Turkiye reduced exports of steel products to Azerbaijan by 35.3 percent compared to the same month in 2022 to $8.5 mln.

It should be noted that in January-December 2023, Turkiye's exports of steel products decreased by 29.2 percent compared to the same period last year to $14.9 bln.

In December this year, Turkiye exported steel products worth $1.4 bln, 2.1 percent more than in November last year.

It was noted that Turkiye exported $14.9 bln worth of steel products in the last 12 months (December 2022-December 2023).

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9 January 2024 16:47 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Azerbaijan's State Water Resources Agency is building external water supply systems and central reservoirs in Fuzuli, Azernews reports, citing the Agency.

The agency said that the implementation of projects to create drinking and wastewater supply systems in the liberated territories is intensively continuing under the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev. At present, the first stage of the project on the creation of drinking water supply, sewage, and rainwater systems in Fizuli is being implemented.

The project is designed to meet the needs of 50 thousand people in Fuzuli city taking into account the perspective of development until 2040.

To provide Fuzuli city with stable drinking water, central water reservoirs with a total capacity of 20 thousand cubic metres are being constructed in Zargar village of Fuzuli district. Construction of a 10.7 km long main water pipeline to supply water from the source to the city has been completed.

Under the project, 103 km of drinking water, 87 km of wastewater, and 100 km of rainwater networks will be constructed in Fuzuli. A treatment plant with a capacity of 15,000 m3 per day will be built to treat wastewater. The new infrastructure created in Fuzuli city will be managed based on the "smart water" system.

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9 January 2024 13:33 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

The Said Ismailoff Gallery in Paris has opened an exhibition of works in memory of the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Adil Rustamov (1943-2018).

Organized by the Center for Caspian Studies, the exhibition themed "An artist's view between the Caspian and Normandy", features 40 paintings dedicated to his homeland - Azerbaijan and the Normandy region in France, where Adil Rustamov spent part of his life, Azernews reports.

He and his daughter arrived in Rouen (Normandy) in 2012, where the artist lived in recent years after health problems. This influenced his style of creativity, since Adil Rustamov's art was always influenced by the environment in which he lived.

The granddaughter of the artist Adel Naibova spoke about the life and work of Adil Rustamov.

Adil Rustamov is the author of more than 500 paintings. He is a graduate of the Azerbaijan State Art School named after Azim Azimzade and the Azerbaijan State Art Institute named after M. Aliyev (now the State Academy of Arts), where he also taught for many years.

Since 1975, Adil Rustamov had been a member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. Adil Rustamov was mainly a master of graphic design.

He participated in many national and international exhibitions. Adil Rustamov was awarded a number of prizes for his contribution to art.

The artist's works aroused great public interest. The exhibition will last until January 15.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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9 January 2024 10:21 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan said that on 4 January the Armenian side responded to the Azerbaijani side's proposals on the peace treaty, Azernews reports.

"The dynamics are positive, but there are also certain issues on which we hope to record progress unresolved issues shortly. We hope that it will be possible to finalise the peace treaty and conclude it in the shortest possible time," the secretary added.

According to the Secretary, some issues were agreed upon orally, but they were not reflected in writing.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia will hold another meeting within the framework of the work of the commissions on the delimitation of the state border at the end of January." Armen Grigoryan added.

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9 January 2024 11:06 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

President of the International Turkish Academy, Academician Shahin Mustafayev, met with Chairman of the Higher Education Council of the Republic of Turkiye, Erol Ozvar, Azernews reports.

According to the International Turkish Academy, during the meeting, they discussed the possibilities of expanding cooperation between the structures.

Both parties discussed the possibilities of a mutual exchange of experience among young scientists from Turkic states. The dialogue also explored the potential for Turkish specialists to participate in the projects of the Turkic Academy. Erol Ozvar expressed his interest in the initiative and readiness to work together.

At the end of the meeting, Shahin Mustafayev expressed his gratitude to the Chairman of the Supreme Educational Council for sharing his experience in the field of education. Mustafayev also presented the scientific works published by the Turkic Academy. The meeting was attended by other notable figures, including the Chairman of the Turkish Language Association, Prof. Osman Mert, Vice President of the Turkic Academy, Askhat Kessikbayev, and a member of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkiye, Prof. Naci Gundogan.

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9 January 2024 11:23 (UTC+04:00)

An official welcome ceremony has today been held for President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is on an official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

A guard of honor was arranged for the President of the United Arab Emirates in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the President of the United Arab Emirates.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan saluted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

The heads of state reviewed the guard of honor.

The national anthems of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Azerbaijan were played.

The delegation of Azerbaijan was introduced to the President of the United Arab Emirates, while the delegation of the United Arab Emirates was introduced to the President of Azerbaijan.

The guard of honor marched in front of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the accompaniment of a military march.

The heads of state posed for official photos.

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9 January 2024 12:55 (UTC+04:00)

Head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis emphasised the importance of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, delivering his annual State of the World address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Azernews reports, citing Azertag.

Reiterating his vision of the situation in the South Caucasus, the Pope urged the parties to sign a peace treaty. He emphasised the importance of finding a solution to the difficult humanitarian situation facing the inhabitants of the region, encouraging displaced persons to return legally and safely to their homes, and respecting places of worship belonging to different religious communities. The Pope noted that these steps will contribute to creating an atmosphere of trust to achieve the long-awaited peace.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Holy See Ilgar Mukhtarov conveyed to Pope Francis the greetings and congratulations of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and invited him to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Azerbaijan.

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A Waymo autonomous vehicle makes it way down San Franciscos King Street in September. The companys activity in the city increased at a dramatic rate during the second half of the year. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Autonomous ride-hailing in San Francisco surged dramatically last year after state regulators granted Cruise and Waymos unrestricted expansion in the city as more people tried riding in self-driving cars, most of them gravitating toward Waymo taxis.

Waymo accounted for more than 80% of the 191,000 total driverless taxi trips the companies logged between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, according to data submitted by Cruise and Waymo to the California Public Utilities Commission.

The PUC data compiled by the Chronicle continued to illustrate the rapid expansion of Cruise and Waymos driverless taxis in San Francisco, which completed a combined 26,000 driverless trips during the first quarter of 2023.

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Waymo led the way, logging almost 1 million driverless ride-hailing miles from September to November. Cruise accounted for 188,000 miles in that period, according to the PUC data.

Those figures remain a fraction of the estimated ride-hailing activity registered by Uber, Lyft and other human-driven taxis in the city. But the robotaxis ride-hailing mileage is still exponentially higher than what Cruise and Waymo reported one year prior, in November 2022, when the companies logged 36,000 combined driverless passenger miles.

The disparities in driverless ride-hailing found in the latest tranche of data the companies reported come as little surprise, though the extent of it might. Waymo logged more driverless trips every month since August even as Cruise had a monthslong head start in its ability to charge for autonomous rides in the city.

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The PUC regulates driverless ride-hailing in California and gave Cruise and Wamo the green light on Aug. 10 to charge for robtaxi rides at all hours. The victory didnt last long for Cruise. A week after the PUC vote, another regulator, the Department of Motor Vehicles, ordered the company to cut its San Francisco fleet in half because of a spate of accidents, limiting Cruises ability to expand.

The DMV on Oct. 24 suspended Cruise from operating its driverless taxis in the city after one of its robotaxis was involved in a severe Oct. 2 crash. The downtown San Francisco incident happened after a human driver struck a pedestrian, hurling her into the path of an adjacent Cruise vehicle. The PUC and DMV allege Cruise initially withheld footage that showed its robotaxi dragged the woman 20 feet in an attempt to pull over because of faulty software.

That immediate suspension left Cruises rival, Waymo, as the only robotaxi company that could charge for driverless taxi rides in San Francisco.

Still, the gap in commercial ride-hailing activity between the two companies became clear as early as September  the month before the Oct. 2 incident that preceded Cruises suspension, according to PUC data.

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For example, Waymo logged 38,473 paid driverless trips in September, the first full month the companies were allowed to charge for autonomous ride-hailing at all hours. Cruise, meanwhile, reported 10,680 paid rides for that month, a figure that remained mostly stagnant in October.

Those figures represented a significant increase for Waymo, which tallied 12,600 paid robotaxi trips in August. This past quarters numbers were almost triple the total number of driverless trips the company logged during the summer, when it wasnt allowed to charge for autonomous rides.

Cruises figures marked a considerable decline in its driverless ride-hailing activity. The company recorded more than 114,000 driverless rides from June to August, most of them unpaid, and about 31,000 rides (almost one-third of them unpaid) between September and November.

Waymos robotaxis completed more than 56,000 paid driverless trips both in October and November. The Mountain View-based company, which aims to expand to Los Angeles, as well, transported about 203,500 people during paid driverless rides from September to November  almost six times the number reported by Cruise (34,782).

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The most recent driverless ride-hailing activity sharply differed from past trends. Cruise had been logging more than twice the number of driverless trips than Waymo prior to August, when both companies driverless taxis were mostly operating unpaid ride-hailing service.

The ride-hailing data also suggests that the severe crash involving a Cruise robotaxi had little impact on Waymo, which reported slight month-to-month increases in paid driverless trips and passenger mileage in November.

Waymo ride-hailing services remain available only to users who have been approved from the companys wait list. The company says it has incrementally increased the number of driverless taxis available for ride-hailing since it got regulatory approval to expand.

The exact number of Waymo robotaxis roaming San Francisco is unknown because the companies dont have to report the information to state regulators. The company would likely have to add more robotaxis to its fleet in order to manage wait times if demand continues to grow.

We are steadily working through our waitlist in San Francisco and believe there is still strong demand for the unique service we offer, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli said in an email. And when we have capacity to fully open our service  similar to Phoenix  we will be able to welcome additional residents, occasional visitors and tourists.

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9 January 2024 15:29 (UTC+04:00)

In the United Arab Emirates, we are ready to develop cooperation across various areas between the two countries for the prosperity and flourishing of both nations and peoples, President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said at an expanded meeting with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

As you noted, the development of our relations is in its infancy. We, in turn, are mobilising our efforts towards strengthening relations between our countries and creating new bridges, the UAE President added.

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9 January 2024 17:56 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Renowned for its scenic beauty, Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve never ceases to amaze local residents and foreign guests.

The reserve is a must-see attraction for history and archaeology enthusiasts.

Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve covers a total of 420 hectares and consists of three historical sites: the Ancient City, Salbir, and Gala.

This territory contains the remains of the ancient city of Gabala, which for 900 years was the capital of Caucasian Albania until the 4th century BC.

Archaeological research on the territory of the reserve was conducted for the first time in 1926 under the guidance of archaeologist Davud Sharifov.

Since 2005, archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography have begun archaeological excavations in this area at the initiative and with the financial support of the Azerbaijan-Korea Cultural Exchange Association SEBA (Seoul-Baku).

Thanks to the joint activities of South Korean specialists, archaeological excavations in the reserve began again in 2009.

Moreover, the Gabala Archaeological Centre was built in the reserve in accordance with modern requirements.

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the opening ceremony of the Archaeological Centre during his visit to Gabala in 2014.

The archaeological centre consists of two exhibition salons (museums), a modern restoration laboratory, a conference hall, a library, an archaeological foundation, and auxiliary premises.

Material and cultural samples discovered during archaeological excavations in the area are recorded, transferred to the center's fund, and shown to visitors in the exhibition hall.

The most ancient materials in exhibition halls date back to the Palaeolithic period. This material was discovered during a field survey in 2011 and 2012 in the villages of Boyuk Amili, Soltannukha, Hajialili, and Garadeyin.

Among the exhibits are many stone tools made from flint and sandstone, including hand axes, blades, etc.

Around 3,544 local and foreign tourists visited Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve last year.

Some 2607 of those who visited the reserve were local tourists, and 937 were citizens of foreign countries.

The majority of foreign tourists came from Poland, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, England, Ukraine, Latvia, the USA, and Turkiye.

Those who visited the reserve were given detailed information about the archaeological excavations conducted periodically in the area, the works carried out in the territory of the reserve with the organisation and financial support of the SEBA (Seoul-Baku) Azerbaijan-Korea Cultural Exchange Association, as well as the exhibits displayed in the Gabala Archaeological Centre.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
9 January 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Georgia's natural gas balance data shows that 3.217 bln m are planned to be brought in 2024, of which 3.017 bln m will be imported from Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

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9 January 2024 20:02 (UTC+04:00)

Abbas Ganbay Read more

Oil rose in price again on the world markets, Azernews reports.

During trading operations on the London Intercontinental Exchange ICE, the price of the export contract for Brent oil for March 2024 rose by 0.22% to 76.29 dollars per barrel.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange NYMEX the price of 1 barrel of WTI oil for export in March this year increased by 0.09% to 70.83 dollars.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
9 January 2024 18:50 (UTC+04:00)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with Argentina, has sent the first scientific research expedition to study the presence of microplastics in Antarctica - as part of a global effort to combat this growing environmental problem, Azernews reports, citing UN News.

Argentine President Javier Miley and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi joined the IAEA scientific team at the Argentine Antarctic bases Marambio and Esperanza to mark the start of the mission.

A research team consisting of two specialists will assess the degree of environmental impact of microplastics for a month, examining its distribution in the area of the Argentine Carlini research station.

The mission to Antarctica is carried out within the framework of the NUTEC initiative. This is the flagship project of the IAEA to combat plastic pollution. Nuclear and isotopic methods are used to obtain data on the spread of marine microplastics through sample collection and laboratory analysis.

The first evidence of the presence of microplastics  particles with a diameter of less than five millimeters  in Antarctic coastal ice was discovered in 2009 when researchers took samples of sea ice in East Antarctica.

Nevertheless, there is still virtually no information about how and in what amount microplastics enter Antarctica and how much of it is absorbed by Antarctic organisms. Scientists also have extremely scarce data on the types of microplastics entering this region through ocean currents, precipitation, and as a result of the presence of humans.

At an event dedicated to the start of the mission, which took place at the Argentine Antarctic base Marambio, the Director General of the IAEA said that the discovery of microplastics in the once pristine Antarctic environment is evidence of a growing global problem.

"The international community still lacks the scientific data necessary to make informed decisions to combat plastic pollution," said Rafael Mariano Grossi. "This is the goal of the NUTEC project  to understand the origin, movement, and impact of plastic to take action."

Scientists believe that the presence of microplastics can accelerate the loss of ice in Antarctica by reducing its reflectivity, changing texture, developing microbial activity, and mechanical weakening of the structure. Combined with climate change, the presence of microplastics will exacerbate the devastating effects of melting Antarctic polar ice.

In addition, the ingress of microplastics into the food chain of Antarctic organisms negatively affects the health of Antarctic inhabitants and their resistance to climate change.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Crew of guided-missile destroyer commended

09:08, January 09, 2024 By Zhao Lei ( Chinadaily.com.cn

CNS Nanchang, China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, in January 2020, when it was commissioned. WANG YOU / XINHUA

CNS Nanchang, China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, has been acclaimed for its outstanding performance in successfully completing more than 10 major missions over the past three years and proving its combat readiness.

Commissioned in 2020, the destroyer has logged over 100,000 nautical miles and engaged in confrontations with foreign vessels on multiple occasions, demonstrating its operational capabilities.

The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Sunday awarded the prestigious "Role Model of the Time" title to the Party committee of the Nanchang.

"Under the leadership of its Party committee, the crew of the Nanchang has set records in the history of the People's Liberation Army Navy and earned numerous accolades for its outstanding service," the department stated.

Developed by China State Shipbuilding Corp, the Type 055 is the nation's most powerful destroyer class, boasting a displacement exceeding 12,000 tons and armed with advanced air-defense, anti-missile, anti-ship, anti-submarine and land-attack weaponry.

The warship's 112 vertical launching cells can fire various missiles, including China's long-range cruise missiles. Its firepower is estimated to be double that of the previous flagship Type 052D destroyer.

Currently, eight Type 055 destroyers are in service, playing a crucial role in protecting China's aircraft carrier battle groups and bolstering the PLA Navy's capabilities.

Cao Weidong, a retired senior researcher at the PLA Naval Research Academy, said on Monday that the Type 055 has many advantages compared to previous Chinese destroyer classes.

"It is much bigger and heavier than all of its predecessors, which means it can carry a lot more weapons and munitions, it can operate in strong seas, and it can travel longer distances," Cao said.

"It is able to use more types of missiles. As a result it can carry out more kinds of combat operations, ranging from anti-ship and anti-aircraft tasks to strikes against land targets."

In addition, the Type 055 features an integrated information system, which bolsters its early-detection capabilities and allows it to handle sophisticated combat situations, according to Cao, who is now a commentator on Chinese military affairs.

"The Type 055 represents a great lead in our navy's modernization," he said. "Therefore it requires a great deal in terms of its crew's knowledge, capabilities and skills."

The crew of a Type 055 destroyer must be capable of making the best use of advanced hardware and their own skills, and must be good at working with other forces like an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, aircraft or ground forces, the researcher said.

"Moreover, they are also supposed to be multifunctional, so they can operate equipment other than their own in case of combat or emergencies," he added.

Song Zhongping, also a military affairs commentator and a retired PLA officer, said that the Nanchang was the first in the Type 055 family so its crew must have encountered a large number of technical and operational challenges.

"They were the first to use such an advanced, state-of-the-art naval platform and their operations, to some extent, have been of an experimental nature," he said. "Their experiences have proved to be very valuable because these helped later Type 055 ships gain operational capabilities and also in the research and development of the Type 055's upgraded variants."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, is at the heart of a lawsuit involving the New York Times and copyright. Marco Bertorello/AFP/TNS

ChatGPT maker OpenAI took the New York Times to task Monday over a lawsuit filed by the publisher claiming OpenAIs chatbots used its copyrighted content without permission, and in some cases reproduced pieces of articles unchanged.

OpenAI argued in a blog post that it merely used the Times content, and reams of other online content, to train its programs, claiming that its chatbots rarely regurgitated chunks of copyrighted material, and that the Times intentionally forced the program to spit out copyrighted material it otherwise would not have.

The New York Times brought the suit against OpenAI and its parent company, Microsoft, last month, saying the use of copyrighted material to train chatbots threatened its livelihood and revenue streams, and that of an already struggling journalism industry.

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In its statement Monday titled OpenAI and journalism the San Francisco company claimed its tools were actually helping the journalism industry. We support journalism, partner with news organizations, and believe The New York Times lawsuit is without merit, the company, which announced a partnership with German publisher Axel Springer last month for an undisclosed sum to use its content, said.

OpenAI said its chatbots directly aided editors and reporters by helping them speed time-consuming tasks like document summarization and analysis.

(The San Francisco Chronicles parent company, Hearst Newspapers, allows the use of generative AI to facilitate some information gathering, production and distribution including: assisting with search-engine optimization, providing first reviews of grammar and style, and generating research and data related to reporting. All content must be reviewed by reporters and editors before publication.)

One survey by a public relations firm last year found that around three-quarters of media professionals surveyed said they were using ChatGPT or other generative AI programs at work.

The Times and OpenAI companies were in talks as recently as Dec. 19 to negotiate the terms of a high-value partnership around real-time display with attribution in ChatGPT, OpenAI said.

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Those discussions broke down, however, and the publisher filed suit, which OpenAI said came as a surprise it only found out about by reading the New York Times.

The blog concedes that OpenAI used The Timess work, along with the work of many others, to build ChatGPT. As The Timess complaint states, Through Microsofts Bing Chat (recently rebranded as Copilot) and OpenAIs ChatGPT, Defendants seek to free-ride on The Timess massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment. Thats not fair use by any measure, said Susman Godfrey partner Ian Crosby, counsel for the New York Times.

OpenAIs blog post Monday pointed to legal precedent that showed using online information to train models constituted fair use. Among other examples, the company said that, regardless, it created an opt-out option for online data the New York Times used last year.

OpenAI and another top San Francisco AI lab, Anthropic, are already facing a host of other lawsuits from authors, artists and musicians who say their copyrighted works were unfairly used as part of AI model training sets without compensation.

Attorneys at the Clarkson Law Firm have brought some of those suits, including one against Google over its alleged infringement of peoples online privacy through its unauthorized use of personal information without consent. The firm also sued OpenAI last year.

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While OpenAI claims to provide an opt out procedure for large organizations like The New York Times, how are they planning to address the numerous individuals who wish to continue using the internet while maintaining the right to choose whether their personal information is utilized by risky, untested and volatile technology(?) said Tim Giordano, partner at Clarkson Law Firm, in a statement.

The firms managing partner, Ryan Clarkson, said in a statement that theft is not collaboration, adding OpenAI stole virtually every piece of content from the internet before trying to work out any deals.

Clarkson said that training in this context isnt fair use as much as larceny, and regurgitation is OpenAIs way to downplay what we all know as infringement.

Notably, a lawsuit from years ago against Google Books indexing millions of titles ultimately found in favor of the tech giant, holding that use of a program to read through books and catalog them digitally did not infringe any copyright.

In its lawsuit however, the New York Times said it was able to get OpenAIs chatbots to regurgitate portions of articles that took significant human effort to produce, including a Pulitzer-Prize winning investigation of New York Citys taxi industry it claimed took a year and a half to complete.

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The lawsuit also pointed to outputs from Microsofts Bing Chat, which is now called Copilot and uses OpenAI software, that included excerpts from Times articles allegedly word for word.

OpenAI said in its post Monday that regurgitation of content verbatim was rare, but could happen when content appears frequently in a models training set.

Memorization is a rare failure of the learning process that we are continually making progress on, but its more common when particular content appears more than once in training data, like if pieces of it appear on lots of different public websites, which may have been the case with some of the reproduced articles, the company said.

OpenAI also implied that the Times had intentionally gotten its bots to regurgitate those sections of its copyrighted works, saying that intentionally manipulating our models to regurgitate is not an appropriate use of our technology and is against our terms of use.

We look forward to continued collaboration with news organizations, helping elevate their ability to produce quality journalism by realizing the transformative potential of AI, OpenAI said Monday.

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Archived Results for Tuesday, January 9th, 2024

Newer Older Entries  Page 1 Page 2
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?
UPDATE: A poll by respected German pollster INSA shows that 69% of Germans support the farmers protests while only 22% are opposed. This after the government and media tried to smear them as "extreme right".

https://rmx.news/germany/the-vast-majority-of-germans-back-farmer-protests-despite-far-right-label-from-media-and-the-left-2/

As Germany's left - liberal coalition is tanking in the polls, farmers across the country have launched widespread protests against government climate alarmist policies, blocking dozens of roads. Tens of thousands of tractors were involved in the protests, The country's truckers have joined the protest. Similar protests in next door Holland helped ignite a massive swing to the right in that country's election. Farmers plan to escalate if the government does not meet their demands.

As one farmer posted on social media "we are all united in trying to get rid of the politicians who are trying to get rid of us."

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/german-farmers-protest-green-policies-imposed-by-urban-bubble/

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/08/farmers-revolt-tractor-protests-bring-germany-to-standstill-over-governments-globalist-agenda/

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/german-outrage-at-scholz-policies-spreads-beyond-farmers/

https://rmx.news/germany/german-farmers-protests-paralyze-cities-and-theyre-not-finished-yet/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12947439/Germany-grinds-halt-striking-train-drivers-tractor-blockades-spark-massive-disruption-deepening-winter-discontent.html

Recent polling shows the three main parites of the right, the traditional conservative CDU, the traditional very conservative CSU, and the populist nationalist anti-immigration right AfD leading in most of the country's individual member parliament seats (other seats are awarded from party lists based on percentage of the vote). The CDU/CSU lead in percentage of the vote with 34% with the AfD second at 24.5%. The three government coalition parties would lose more than half of their vote from the last election, and one of them lose all their seats in parliament. The lead party in government, the Social Democrats runs third in the poll at 12%, a drop from 26% in the last election. The only other party that would win seats is the far left Green Party at 10.5%. The Free Democrats which are in the current coalition and the far left Left Party, which is in parliament in opposition would both lose all their seats. The populist nationalist anti-immigration Free Voters, however, are gaining vote share and approaching the threshold to win seats but not totally there yet.

The farmers join an ongoing consumer protest movement against government climate alarmist polcies which has seen large turnouts at rallies.. One of the most vocal leaders of the consumer movement against climate alarmist policies is Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis.
by Talia Wise at CBN

An innovative Bible education program offered in public schools across Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa is having a profoundly positive impact on students' academic performance, behavior, and emotional well-being, a new survey finds.

LifeWise Academy offers religious instruction during the school day and thousands of students are seeing their lives improved by the curriculum.

New data confirms the program is also positively affecting public school metrics like attendance, instruction hours, and classroom participation.

Ambassador Enterprises commissioned a third-party data research firm, Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA), to gather and analyze data from 6,478 different schools across Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa, to understand the effectiveness of LifeWise programming in their region.

In 76 of the studied schools, LifeWise Academy has been in place for multiple school years.

And the survey found that the schools' attendance rate increased in just the first year of the program  most attendance improved by nearly 7%.

Additionally, student participation increased by 10% in a LifeWise program school.

In the second and third years, schools with LifeWise programming saw improvements in discipline, with declines in both in-school and out-of-school suspensions.

These results have led to a net increase in instruction hours for schools with LifeWise programming.

"As I travel across the country and hear from more and more parents and public school educators...I grow even more confident that our program is absolutely invaluable to the students and communities where we serve," said Joel Penton, Founder of LifeWise Academy in a statement.

"We know that when students receive religious instruction, they experience spiritual growth and improved mental health. Their behavior and classroom participation improves, and teachers and parents are provided with a critical lifeline to help students become a more positive influence among their peers. Our Bible classes ensure students not only attain knowledge but also are inspired with wisdom that will shape their character," he continued.

Penton added that the positive results allow him to make a case to other schools to implement the LifeWise program.

He recently told CBN Digital, "So now it's a much easier case when we go to principals  and superintendents, even if they're not Christians to say, 'Hey, do you want your attendance to go up? Do you want suspensions to go down? Here's a program that doesn't cost you a penny; it engages the community and will have this impact.'"

School administrators, like Central Ohio Principal Shalonda Likely-Roach, also report progress connected to LifeWise.

"LifeWise has made a positive impact on students' attendance, behavior, and social, and emotional well-being," said Likely-Roach. "It provides confidence and a sense of belonging for students. They have learned compassion. Our school's average daily attendance goal is 90% or above each day. Consistently, on the day our students participate in LifeWise, grades 4 and 5 meet and/or surpass our attendance goal. Disciplinary infractions for students who participate in LifeWise have decreased significantly."

As CBN News reported, the organization's approach to Biblical education gives them a unique advantage to have a lasting impact on children's lives.

"LifeWise is what's known as a released time religious instruction program (RTRI). Little do most people realize that in 1952, the Supreme Court ruled that public school students can be released from school during school hours, that's the key phrase, 'during the school day,' they can be released to receive religious classes as long as the program is off school property, privately funded, and with parental permission."

He continued, "So this has been around for 70 years, but it has just been under the radar and we discovered that this was possible just a few years ago, really, in 2018. And we said, 'Boy, what if we put a program together that could be plug-and-play so that any community anywhere could launch a program to reach their local students?' And it was off to the races."

One of the components that make the program successful is passionate educators, community leaders, and parents who want the Word of God to impact their students.

Cynthia Lampkins helped start a LifeWise Academy in her community because she felt it was important.

"I know that students need God in public schools and they are not getting that and because of that they are struggling," shared Lampkins. "Any way to be able to help our students develop a relationship with God I'm going to sacrifice whatever I have to to help with that."

Julie Coffman, director of LifeWise Upper Arlington, shared in a video that LifeWise is a new wave of evangelism.

"I can't wait to see what Heaven's going to look like when we see the impact of a whole group coming together with that same mission," Coffman said.
Wednesdays weather system is expected to be the twin of Saturdays storm according to National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Shoemaker. Up to a quarter inch of rain is forecast in the Bay Area, with more than a foot of snow in the Sierra Nevada. Baron/Lynx

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Northern and Central Sierra, including Lake Tahoe, from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 10 p.m. Wednesday. More than 2 feet of snow is expected at Donner Summit, with localized accumulations up to 3 feet. Up to 1.5 feet of snow is possible around Lake Tahoe.

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In the Bay Area, the National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory for much of the region, that takes effect Wednesday morning.

Wednesday's storm is expected to be the biggest so far this winter in the Northern and Central Sierra Nevada. The heaviest snow expected midday Wednesday, and winds could gusts up to 50 mph. Chain controls are likely and road closures are possible.

The Baron weather model predicts about 2 feet of snow at Tahoe ski resorts through Wednesday. Lighter accumulations are expected in Yosemite Valley and Mammoth Lakes. Baron/Lynx

In the Bay Area, Wednesdays cold front is expected to bring slightly more rain than Tuesday, as well as another shot of chilly air. Up to a quarter inch of rain is possible in the East Bay Hills, North Bay, Peninsula and Santa Cruz Mountains. About a tenth of an inch or less is expected in the Tri- and Santa Clara valleys. Gusts of 25 to 35 mph are also possible Wednesday.

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Overnight lows Tuesday night will again drop into the 30s inland and lower 40s near the bay shoreline. Wednesday and Thursday nights may be even colder, dropping to the upper 20s inland and 30s near the bay shoreline, except for San Francisco, where temperatures below 40 degrees are infrequent.

More impactful weather is possible Friday night through Sunday. If a low-pressure system makes landfall in southern Oregon, its effects will stretch down to the Bay Area, with heavy rain and possible flooding. If the storm heads toward northern Oregon, only minor impacts are expected in the Bay Area. Regardless, Sierra Nevada snow will probably be measured in feet, rather than inches this weekend.

Confidence remains low in any impacts from the weekend storm, so stay tuned for the latest forecast updates.

Tuesday breakdown

San Francisco: Tuesday isnt expected to be a washout, but periods of light rain showers are possible throughout the city. The best chance of showers will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rainfall is expected to remain below a tenth of an inch.

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Highs will warm slightly, to the mid-50s in the Sunset and Richmond districts and upper 50s in the Mission District, SoMa, downtown and Bayview. Lows will be in the mid- to upper 40s. Another chance of light rain arrives Wednesday morning.

North Bay: Residents will wake up to temperatures in the upper 30s to lower 40s, warmer than the past few days. Drizzle and light rain showers are possible through about noon, with totals about a tenth to a quarter inch in Marin and Sonoma counties. Napa and Solano are only in line for very light showers, and some spots may not have any accumulation.

Highs will climb to the mid- to upper 50s in the afternoon, with some partial clearing. San Rafael and Mill Valley could reach 60. Clouds will again increase overnight with another chance of rain by Wednesday morning. Lows will be in the mid-30s to lower 40s.

East Bay: Increasing moisture from a distant storm will raise the chance of drizzle, particularly in Oakland, Berkeley and the East Bay Hills. This weak weather system is expected to drop less than a tenth of an inch of rain along the bay shoreline, while parts of the Tri-Valley may remain completely dry. The East Bay hills may pick up a couple tenths of an inch.

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Highs will be a bit warmer than lately, in the mid- to upper 50s. Partial clearing is expected in the afternoon and evening, with lows dropping to the upper 30s inland and lower to mid-40s in Oakland, Hayward and Fremont. Clouds will increase ahead of another chance of light rain Wednesday morning.

Pacific Coast and Peninsula: Tuesday isnt expected to be a washout at the coast, but a few light rain showers and cloudy skies will make it feel gloomy. Highs are expected to be in the mid-50s in Daly City, Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, with up to a tenth of an inch of rain through 2 p.m.

San Bruno, San Mateo and Redwood City are in line for drizzle and light rain showers totaling up to less than a tenth of an inch before 2 p.m. Partial clearing is possible in the afternoon. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 50s. Overnight, San Mateo County will be warmer than recent nights, with lows in the lower to mid-40s.

South Bay and Santa Cruz: Tuesday morning will be much warmer than the past few days, in the lower to mid-40s rather than the 30s. The weather is expected to be gloomy, with mostly cloudy skies highs in the mid-50s in Santa Cruz County and upper 50s in Santa Clara County.

The Santa Cruz Mountains could pick up around a tenth of an inch of rain. Only light precipitation is expected in the Santa Clara Valley, and some areas south of San Jose may remain completely dry. Most of the rain will fall between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Lows will drop into the upper 30s inland to mid-40s near Monterey Bay.
Here are five court cases involving the healthcare industry to know, as reported by Becker's since Jan. 2:

1. Karel Felipe and Tamara Quicutis, both from Florida, were sentenced for their roles in a $93 million Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme. The pair conspired with others to submit false claims to Medicare for three home health companies based in Michigan.

2. UnitedHealth Group, parent company of Optum, sued two former executives for allegedly stealing confidential information to create their own competing corporate entities. The suit alleges Mark Pollman, Optum Lab's former chief technology officer, pressured a subordinate to hand over around 500,000 of United's sensitive emails and files on a hard drive after leaving the company in July 2021.

3. Robert Leon Smith, who owned and operated a network of durable medical equipment companies in Florida, Texas and Maryland, was charged in a $60 million scheme in which he allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary products and services.

4. Paul Giacopelli, MD, an anesthesiologist who works at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health in Westchester and Long Island, both in New York, with privileges at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel Hamlet, N.Y., was arrested for allegedly giving a woman anesthesia without her knowledge and sexually abusing her.

5. The conviction of Ron Elfenbein, MD, who was was convicted of five counts of healthcare fraud for submitting more than $15 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other insurers for COVID-19 tests, was vacated by a federal judge based on the ambiguity of E/M CPT codes used.
Boston-based Tufts Medical Center broke the New England regional adult heart transplant record with 61 transplants in 2023.

The center is the first in New England to reach that benchmark in one year, according to a Jan. 8 hospital news release shared with Becker's. The previous record was set by Tufts in 2016 at 56 heart transplants. Prior to that, the record was 37 transplants in 1991.

Tufts has performed adult heart transplants since 1985, completing 750 in 38 years.
On top of external challenges like workforce shortages and declining reimbursement rates, behavioral health programs face their own set of challenges for 2024.

While improving patient care is a top priority for all health systems, Houston Methodist is also taking a hard look at its psychiatric readmission rates for 2024.

It is also prioritizing not only internal statistics, but external rankings and measures that represent the system's successes to the rest of the country.

Heather Chung, PhD, MSN, RN, associate chief nursing officer and director of psychiatric services at Houston Methodist, spoke with Becker's about her priorities and challenges for 2024.

Question: What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Dr. Heather Chung: We are developing initiatives to improve our organization's ranking in Vizient.

Q: What is your system/team prioritizing this year?

HC: We are prioritizing quality care and readmission rates.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you anticipate facing this year?

HC: The biggest challenge will be measuring the impact of our mammoth (powered) interventions.

Like what you see? The executive featured in this article will speak at the 14th Annual Meeting in Chicago! Hospital and health system leaders, click here to apply for a complimentary badge. Interested in exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities to connect with 3,000+ hospital and health system leaders? Download the prospectus here.
Western Pennsylvania hospitals are facing pushback after a report found the region has high bed capacity and lower than average occupancy rates, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Jan. 9.

Hospitals have licensed 229 new beds between 2017 and 2021  all but three of which came from hospitals opened in the Pittsburgh area by Allegheny Health Network, according to business consulting firm Compass Lexecon. The report said 29 counties "still remain an overbedded healthcare market for inpatient services since 2017."

There is no metric to determine the right number of hospital beds for a region, but critics pointed to the region's lower than average occupancy rate as a sign there are too many beds. In 2021, all but one hospital owned by Allegheny and UPMC had occupancy rates below 62.5%, the national average. Economists told the news outlet that unnecessary duplication of medical services and equipment cost the consumer in the form of higher health insurance premiums.

Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania spokesperson Chris Daley told the Post-Gazette that reducing the number of hospital beds, especially in rural areas, is not the answer.

"Hospitals in rural areas often serve smaller populations, but remain vital local resources," he wrote in a prepared statement. "While their overall occupancy rates may be lower than in more populated areas, they are crucial to meeting local needs. Hospitals must remain flexible to accommodate unforeseen surges in demand and rising patient acuity. This flexibility ensures communities have access to critical care when they need it most."

Harold Miller, president and CEO of consulting firm Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform,told the Post-Gazette that inpatient bed counts "tells you something about the physical plant capacity to be able to handle patients, but it's not all that relevant for anyone anymore."

The Compass Lexecon study, released in December, was commissioned by the state as part of ongoing monitoring of insurer Highmark's acquisition of Allegheny Health Network in 2013, according to the report.
The New York attorney general has reached a settlement agreement with Refuah Health Center regarding a 2021 ransomware attack.

According to a Jan. 8 report from Gov Info Security, the Spring Valley, N.Y.-based clinic must pay at least $350,000 in a settlement, and an additional $100,000 charge is pending if cybersecurity is not strengthened.

To reinforce current cybersecurity measures, Refuah committed to spending $1.2 million on information security measures from 2024 to 2028.

These fines come after the AG's office investigated the theft of between 195,000-234,000 patient files. According to the settlement agreement, Refuah neglected to change login credentials for 11 years, which allegedly exposed them to a cyberattack.

As part of increased security measures, Refuah must appoint an employee to execute and sustain the chosen information security program. This person will be responsible for ensuring that a breach like this is unlikely to happen again.
The Greater New York Hospital Association and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East are spending millions of dollars on a campaign to advocate for higher Medicaid reimbursement rates, according to a report from the Times Union.

The two organizations formed the Healthcare Education Project, which launched a $10 million ad campaign requesting Gov. Kathy Hochul tap into the state's reserves to increase Medicaid funding.

Last year, New York increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for the first time in more than 10 years, boosting rates 7.5%. However, there is still a 30% shortfall between hospital care provided and Medicaid reimbursement, according to the report. Advocates of the hospitals argue low reimbursements have led to decreased quality of care at safety-net hospitals.

The Greater New York Hospital Association and hospital advocates want Ms. Hochul's administration to boost rates for multiple budget cycles until the state covers 100% of the cost of care for Medicaid beneficiaries.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for parts of the Sierra, which was expected to see an inundation of snow and winds of up to 50 mph in some places. National Weather Service

A winter storm warning was issued for a large swath of the Sierra mountains, where major snowfall was expected to create impossible driving conditions starting Tuesday night and through Wednesday, according to weather officials.

The warning was in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 10 p.m. Wednesday for Western Plumas County, the Lassen Volcanic National Park area and the west slope of the northern Sierra Nevada, including Interstate 80 over Donner Pass, Highway 50 over Echo Summit, and Highway 88 over Carson Pass, according to the National Weather Service.

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Light snow was expected to begin falling Tuesday in the Sierra Nevada, and heavier snow  possibly 1 to 3 inches an hour  will likely start falling about 4 a.m. Wednesday, said Craig Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of up to 50 mph were also expected.

Areas above 3,500 feet will likely see the heaviest amounts of snow, from 1 to 2 feet, the weather service said. About 4 to 8 inches of snow was expected above 2,500 feet. About 19 inches is possible in Blue Canyon (Placer County), 24 inches in Kingvale (Nevada County) and around 20 inches in Soda Springs and Donner (Nevada County), according to Shoemaker. Pollock Pines (El Dorado County) could see between 6 to 7 inches of snow.

The major storm will make roads dangerous to drive on, possibly leading to delays, chain controls and closures, Shoemaker said.

Theyre going to be quite hazardous, Shoemaker said of Wednesdays road conditions. People definitely need to be prepared, keep up with all of the latest road conditions  and preferably just dont travel tomorrow.

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The following highways could see impacts, according to the weather service: Interstate 80 and Highways 50, 89, 49, 88, 44, 299 and 26.

The snow will begin to diminish late Wednesday night with dry weather returning Thursday, weather officials said.
Abha Agrawal, MD, has joined Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital as president and CEO.

Dr. Agrawal, an internal medicine physician, began her new role Jan. 2 after serving as chief medical officer of Chicago-based Humboldt Park Health, according to a Jan. 8 hospital news release. She also is founder of A4 Clinics in India, a group of advanced neuro rehabilitation centers.

Lawrence General has also named Rosemarie Day, founder and CEO of Day Health Strategies, as chair of the hospital board, according to the release. Additionally, the hospital board is welcoming three new members: Jose Cruz, Michael Sklar and Vilma Martinez-Dominguez.








Nurses represented by National Nurses United held a two-day strike at Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis last month, The Labor Tribune reported Jan. 8.

The nurses, part of NNU affiliate National Nurses Organizing Committee, began their strike on Dec. 27 and concluded it on Dec. 29. Saint Louis University Hospital, a 365-bed facility, is part of St. Louis-based SSM Health.

Union members voted to authorize a strike in early December. The union and hospital began negotiating a new labor contract in May. In a statement shared with Becker's after the strike, hospital officials said union leaders broke off talks in December to strike, appeared at the homes of some SSM Health leaders and board members last month, and continue to delay negotiations and a contract for hospital nurses.

"During at least one home visit, union representatives were peering through windows and rifling through personal mail. They even went so far as approaching young children at home to get their message across," hospital officials said.

The union told Becker's SSM "never communicates its staffing and safety plans" and "simply rejects the nurses' proposals to improve staffing and safety." Union officials also contend that hospital officials have not bargained in good faith and instead have been actively recruiting nurses to leave the union.

Regarding appearing at the homes of hospital leaders, the union said: "Nurses did go to the homes of board members and executives to leave literature at the door. No one went through mail or peered into windows."

The December strike was the second one the union has called in the last four months at Saint Louis University Hospital. The union's first strike was in September.
Hospitals and health systems in Ohio are employing AI to recruit nurses and elevate the standard of care provided to patients, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Jan. 8.

Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health is using AI to recruit and hire nurses; Cincinnati-based TriHealth uses AI to help diagnose pulmonary embolism, stroke and breast cancer; and Cincinnati-based UC Health is using the technology to automate insurance and claims billing.

"It helps us pinpoint where that doctor should focus ... in an effective and efficient manner," TriHealth Chief Operating Officer Terri Hanlon-Bremer told the publication.

TriHealth is currently considering implementing a "ChatGPT-like" system to help its physicians respond to patient questions. The move comes as TriHealth said that its physicians are getting inundated with EHR messages, which cause them to work after hours to answer.

AI can help prioritize messages and save time for physicians, according to John Ward, TriHealths senior vice president of regional operations.
Investigators found students from an illegal nurse-licensing scheme were encouraged to take their national nurse board exam in states that allow unlimited attempts, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Jan. 8.

In January 2023, 25 people were charged for their alleged participation in running the scheme, which involved the sale of more than 7,600 fake diplomas and transcripts from Palm Beach School of Nursing and two other now-closed schools. Twenty defendants have been convicted for their roles, mostly through plea deals, and at least four people have been sentenced in connection to the scheme. The trial of three defendants accused of recruiting students to the school began in December.

State officials in Iowa said students were encouraged to apply for licenses in states that do not limit the number of times an individual can take  and fail  the exam. These states were perceived to exercise a lower threshold of scrutiny on applicants.

Roughly 2,800 individuals who obtained diplomas from the schools passed their nursing board exams.






As many as 10% of patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes actually have latent autoimmune diabetes of adults, according to a KFF Health News report.

LADA is thought to be another form of Type 1 diabetes. It is difficult to diagnose because it progresses slowly, according to the report, which was published by NBC News on Jan. 7, and a correct diagnosis is confirmed through blood tests. Typically, LADA patients are older than 30 and do not require injectable insulin for at least six months after diagnosis but will depend on injectable insulin for the rest of their lives. The delay in symptoms leads many to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes.

LADA is often misdiagnosed due to the race, weight and age of patients, Kathleen Wyne, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist who leads the adult Type 1 diabetes program at Columbus-based Ohio State University, told KFF Health News.
Eli Lilly's CEO said supply of Zepbound, the drugmaker's new weight loss drug, might not meet 2024 demand.

After the drug was approved in November, the company sold 25,000 new prescriptions of Zepbound (tirzepatide) each week in December, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks exclusively told Reuters.

"I think it's important to set expectations, but we're working hard to fulfill demand," Mr. Ricks told Reuters. He declined to comment on how much Zepbound the company can now produce or predict 2024 demand and supply.

Eli Lilly is working to bolster its manufacturing capabilities, including additions to a North Carolina plant and two new facilities.

"Production at our research triangle park manufacturing facility in North Carolina was recently initiated and we anticipate our Concord, N.C., site to come online in 2024," a spokesperson told Becker's. "Other previously announced investments and efficiency efforts, including the facility in Germany, will allow us to substantially expand manufacturing over the coming years, helping us to achieve our goal to supply the long-term global demand we expect for Lilly's incretin medications."

Other similar drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, have been in unsteady supply because of unprecedented demand for their weight loss results. Novo Nordisk, the maker of the Type 2 diabetes drug and weight loss medication, is also working to increase production by expanding manufacturing facilities.

A few factors could influence demand. In December, Cigna's Express Scripts added Zepbound to its list of preferred medicines for reimbursement, but employer-sponsored health plans are more hesitant to cover weight loss therapies. Mr. Ricks said he expects pharmacy benefit managers to broadly cover the drug.
Hospitalizations for respiratory viruses are on the rise nationwide following a holiday season marked by extensive travel and indoor gatherings.

Nearly 35,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the week ending Dec. 30, up 20.4% from the week prior, CDC data shows. This figure marks the highest weekly total seen since last January. ED visits for the virus also jumped nearly 13% week over week.

The increases come as the omicron subvariant JN.1 now accounts for 61.6% of COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC's latest variant proportion estimates. The variant accounted for just 20.8% of cases in the week ending Dec. 9.

Some health experts have warned that this winter's surge may be the largest since the original omicron strain appeared two years ago. The CDC said it's still too early to make accurate comparisons, though it noted current virus projections are "similar to BA.2, which predominated in March-May 2022," according to NBC News.

Four more virus updates:

1. Flu admissions are rising nationwide. Hospitals reported 20,066 new flu admissions in the week ending Dec. 30, up from 14,789 the week prior, according to the CDC's latest FluView report. Overall, the cumulative hospitalization rate for the week was 22.3 per 100,000. This figure surpasses the weekly rate seen for any flu season dating back to 2014-15, with the exception of last year, when flu season started early and hospitalizations hit a 13-year high by the end of October.

2. Emergency department visits for respiratory viruses remain high, but their rate of growth slowed in the week ending Dec. 30. The CDC reported 235,915 combined visits for COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus reported for the week ending Dec. 30, up about 2,384 visits from the week prior.

3. RSV hospitalizations fell sharply in the week ending Dec. 30, CDC data shows. This drop was largely driven by a decrease in the number of children 4 and under and adults 65+ requiring hospitalization for the virus.

4. Rising respiratory virus activity is straining pediatric bed capacity. Many hospitals have reinstated mask mandates or opened up additional units amid an influx in virus patients.
Several major health systems have set their sights on growth for 2024, and the Shriners Children's hospital network is no exception.

Through more partnerships and affiliations, Shriners hopes to grow its footprint on the Southeast coast while helping to alleviate financial difficulties for small health systems and patients alike.

Bill Munley, Southeast market administrator at Shriners Hospitals for Children Greenville (S.C.), told Becker's how Shriners is prioritizing volume growth in 2024.

Bill Munley: As a system, Shriners Children's is focused on treating more kids in more places. In Greenville, S.C., and Lexington, Ky., our most exciting challenge is growing our volumes by seeking closer relationships with federally qualified health centers, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals and urgent care centers. We will also seek new alternative patient arrangements with insurance companies and employers, including clinically integrated network membership and bundled payments. Many health systems in our country are currently experiencing financial difficulties; we will work to affiliate with them to ease their burden in regard to complicated pediatric specialty care.

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With last year in the rearview mirror, spine surgeons are preparing for the challenges and opportunities ahead for this year.

"I am excited, hopeful and also a bit scared, for a wild and crazy 2024," Choll Kim, MD, PhD, of San Diego-based Spine Surgeon at Excel Spine Center told Becker's. "There are three areas of profound interest to me. First and foremost is endoscopic spine surgery. I have been diligently working in this area for almost 20 years, but in the last two years, I have noticed a palpable change in the environment. There is now a small cadre of young spine surgeons who have embraced this technology, and have become evangelists. The field of endoscopic spine surgery is on the verge of a tipping point, and will soon be like knee and shoulder arthroscopy. Everything, everywhere, all at once."

Endoscopic spine surgery has grown in 2023 and interest likely won't wane in 2024. However endoscopic spine surgery could pose a challenge with payers.

But spine surgeons have emphasized the importance of research when it comes to winning over payer interest.

"The onus is on us as a community to perform research that is credible and ethical, such that we perform evidence-based surgery," Dr. Rothrock told Becker's. "My attitude is that theres enough of a foothold in the community of spine surgeons that I think [reimbursements] will get there."

Other areas gaining attention from spine surgeons include social media and artificial intelligence.

"Social media has dramatically changed my practice," Dr. Kim said. "While it has been a very effective way for patients to find me, its greatest impact has been on how I educate my patients, their families and their referring providers about spine issues."

For some spine surgeons social media is a chance to build a brand beyond their practices and reach people outside their regions.

"Find a topic that you are passionate about, because the grind will be far more enjoyable," Philip Louie, MD, and Venu Nemani, MD, PhD, who created TheAthleteSpine, told Becker's. "Consider how you can apply some of your social media efforts into your work and patient care. And lastly, find some people to go on the journey with - as fresh eyes and honest perspectives are critical in a world where anyone is just one click (or swipe) away from your content."

Spine surgeons and orthopedic surgeons are keeping their eyes on another looming presence in medicine  AI.

"I am scared, but excited at the same time, about the potential impact of AI in medicine," Dr. Kim said. "The first example of its use for me would be to create an AI avatar of myself who could answer the multitude of highly redundant but important questions posed to me and my staff."

For one orthopedic surgeon, AI presents healthy competition that he hopes will benefit patient care.

"The biggest trend in orthopedics right now is the arms race that is artificial intelligence," Brian Grawe, MD, of the University of Cincinnati, said. "This arms race includes better, more efficient delivery of patient care, as well as decreasing the cost burden of medical care. I believe that harnessing the power of AI will allow surgeons to better meet the expectations of their patients, more effectively communicate about the point of care options, and ultimately maximize the work flow of getting patients in the door and out the door. We are at the tip of the iceberg and the ceiling is high."
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Gemma Johnson, tax director at Grant Thornton NI

Towards the end of 2023, the UK Government set out its mandate requiring all new cars and vans sold in the UK to be zero emission by 2035 with stringent electric vehicle (EV) quotas on car manufacturers in the run-up to 2025.

This included the instruction that 80% of all new cars sold in the UK should be EVs by 2030.

The pathway, which came into effect from the start of this month, is intended to provide certainty to car manufacturers, confidence to investors putting their money into charging infrastructure, and time for families to begin making the switch to EVs.

Although a devolved issue, the Department for Infrastructure intends that Northern Ireland will join the mandate in line with the rest of the UK when the Assembly is able to pass the relevant legislation.

With some cost-saving schemes having been introduced by the Government to help lower the cost of owning an EV, it is likely that there are significant savings to be had by businesses investing in EVs either for their own purposes, or for their employees.

With capital allowances of 100% available for new and unused zero emission or fully electric cars purchased prior to March 31 2025, businesses can effectively write down the value of the car in full in its first year, deducting the full cost against their taxable business profits.

The same allowance also applies where businesses install workplace charging points for EVs.

The purchase of most vans and other commercial vehicles can benefit from full-expensing of these costs indefinitely, with the former 2026 deadline for full-expensing having been removed in the recent autumn statement.

Particularly with the drive many businesses have towards becoming and being seen to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, employers could consider operating a company car scheme that provides EVs to employees.

Employees can sacrifice a proportion of their salary, upon which income tax, employer, and employee national insurance contributions are being paid, and they will instead be taxed on the benefit of having the car, at much lower rates.

The benefit in kind is calculated at 2% of the cars list price until 2025, thereafter increasing by 1% each year until 2028, making EVs an attractive and cost-effective way to remunerate staff.

There is also no taxable benefit for employees where businesses provide on-site charging points for staff to use to charge EVs, meaning employers can meet the electricity costs of their employees business and private motoring mileage at no cost to the employee.

With a number of company car scheme providers now having offerings that typically include a brand new car, charging point, servicing and maintenance, breakdown cover, and insurance, the option is likely to be an attractive one for rewarding staff.

Together with the favourable tax incentives for both the employer and employee, businesses could play a key part in helping the car industry to meet the Governments zero emission target.

Grant Thornton (NI) LLP specialises in audit, tax and advisory services.
Belfast City Council CEO John Walsh on enterprise support service Go Succeed, which replaces Go For It

Much has been written in this newspaper, and elsewhere, about the UK Governments Levelling Up Fund and how much it is contributing (or otherwise) to Northern Ireland.

As citizens of Northern Ireland, we know that this is a great place to live, work and do business. And yet, on some metrics we continue to lag behind our neighbours in the rest of the UK. Anything that addresses the imbalance is to be welcomed.

To that end, I was pleased to recently help launch a new 17m initiative, backed by levelling up through the UK governments Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that could have an incredible and lasting impact on our businesses in Belfast and across all 11 council areas.

The funding is enabling the delivery of Go Succeed, the new enterprise support service designed to benefit and scale up Northern Irelands existing business ecosystem as well as supporting new starts and those thinking about setting up a new company.

Its important because a vibrant business base is a vital component of any successful town, village or city.

We are privileged in Belfast and Northern Ireland to have an incredibly strong business base thanks to a mix of long-established indigenous and family businesses, many of which are household names far beyond these shores, together with a growing number of global multinationals that have chosen to establish a base here.

However, Northern Ireland is still in a phase of growth and we need businesses to continue to explore new markets, develop new products and implement new and creative ways of working.

We need to address the cultural challenges that prevent people from starting a business, whether thats fear of failure; lack of knowledge of the support ecosystem or lack of local role models.

Small businesses play a vital role in addressing those challenges and help Northern Ireland become the successful, globally competitive economy that we know it can be.

This is also an important component of the Department for the Economys 10X Economy vision in terms of driving new innovation and fostering inclusive growth.

Thats where Go Succeed comes in.

It provides our would-be entrepreneurs and existing businesses with the right tools, at the right time, to help them grow their organisation  and meet those global ambitions.

Those tools are tailored to support the needs of the specific service users, and include mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, as well as opportunities to access to grant funding and a business plan.

It is a model that gives us an incredible opportunity to significantly elevate the level of investment in our small businesses.

As councils, it allows us and our partners to deliver on a commitment to create a pipeline of businesses that can benefit from and engage with the investments that will take place over the coming decade through the City and Growth Deals.

Councils have had statutory responsibility for this area of work since the Local Government Reform in 2015.

Go Succeed, which is being delivered by all councils across Northern Ireland, represents a statement of our ambition as local authorities at an individual and collective level to play a leadership role in developing vibrant local economies.

And while the focus is on employment and business growth, we also want to ensure that our investment supports inclusive economic growth.

Our aim is that 10% of our engagements will be with social enterprises while we have a target of 50% female participants across the service.

We know that no one group owns entrepreneurship. Thats why our engagement and delivery model is diverse and multi-layered. We think that is critical if we are to reach all of those that can benefit from the support, tailoring it to meet their needs in a way that is truly inclusive.

We have much to be proud of in Northern Ireland, not least our incredible local businesses and entrepreneurs. Together, lets take this opportunity to supercharge this regions journey towards becoming a global competitive economy.
Pizza Guys owner Ciaran Kelly at the scene of the incident

The scene at Pizza Guyz on the Andersonstown Road.

A west Belfast businessman has branded an attack on his shop as sickening after his premises was rammed by a car and set alight in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Police investigating the incident at Pizza Guyz on the Andersonstown Road arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of aiding and abetting arson.

He has since been released on bail to allow for further police enquiries to be conducted.

The business has thanked customers for all the amazing support on social media.

We are still open and taking all orders, it wrote on Facebook this evening as it encouraged followers to share the post.

Thanks for the support.

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The post included a picture of a toddler tucking into a take away with the caption take more than an arson attack to stap me getting ma pizza and a heartfelt message of support from a loyal customer.

A separate post stated: Our Andersonstown store is closed for collection but were still open for deliveries to ALL postcodes in Belfast.

The food delivery business thanked the community for the amazing support which means the world. as it asked for a bit of extra time on orders.

It comes after owner Ciaran Kelly recalled waking up to the news that his business was on fire this morning.

Watch: Belfast pizza shop rammed and car set alight during early morning incident

At half five or so this morning I got a call and they said the shop was on fire. Initially I thought it was maybe a bit of equipment that was left on or a machine blew up.

But when I saw the car outside the shop I realised quickly it wasnt anything internal, it was external.

Two guys had rammed the shop, burgled it and set the place on fire.

Mr Kelly said he was shocked to see the business up in flames and was thankful there wasnt a significant sum of money left on the premises at the time.

There were three fire engines here, and it took them about three hours to put the fire out  its sickening really, he said.

Someone obviously thought there was loads of money in the shop but theres not, everything is done online now, but the policeman said if some people think there is 50 quid somewhere, they will go to stupid lengths to get it.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Kelly said he is thankful for all the support the local community has given the business since the incident.

We are lucky we have a great community, great support, great staff and we are going to divert all our business from the Andersonstown store to the Ormeau Road store so we can still serve all our amazing customers, he said.

We are particularly concerned about the staff because they were unsure about their jobs but we have assured them their jobs are secure because we are going to need everyone when we get up and running again.

He is unsure when the Andersonstown shop will be able to reopen, but Mr Kelly is determined to start working on fixing the premises.

The scene on the Andersonstown Road

Rest assured we will be back up and running soon, we are going to rise from the ashes, bigger and better than before.

Read more Belfast pizza shop rammed and car set alight during early morning incident

SDLPs Paul Doherty condemned the attack.

Id like to express solidarity with the owner and staff at Pizza Guyz. Working nearby I am all too aware the impact this senseless destruction will have on employees and customers.

The people behind this attack have caused real damage and harm to the local community.

Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey asked anyone with information surrounding the incident to contact the police.

Attacks like this could end in death or serious injury, and its lucky no one was physically hurt here.

I totally condemn this vile behaviour and would encourage anyone with information to immediately bring it forward to the police.

The PSNI are currently investigating the incident and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

A police spokesperson said: Officers on patrol in the area at 5am saw a vehicle and part of a shop front in flames.

Our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the blaze.

At this stage, it appears that the vehicle was driven at the shop and the fire started deliberately, causing extensive damage.
A US semiconductor manufacturer with premises in west Belfast has secured a multimillion-pound pre-IPO funding package after meeting an investor at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit.

IceMOS Technology is a global supplier of sensing and power technologies and has a centre of excellence in Hannahstown.

The deal for funding with a London-based investor, giving it a market capitalisation of $101m (80m), will enable the company to expand its Belfast team to more than 100 people and increase marketing and sales ahead of an IPO in the next 18 to 24 months.

IceMOS Technology is based in Arizona, where it has an advanced research innovation centre, and also has a design centre in Tokyo.

According to its most recent accounts for the Northern Ireland operation, the company has 66 employees  so the deal will potentially boost its workforce by more than 50%.

Founder Dr Samuel J Anderson, an engineering graduate of Queens from Ballymena, said: Our sensing and power technologies are paving the way for more energy-efficient and CO2-saving solutions that support decarbonisation.

Adoption in applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), assisted and autonomous driving, data centre cloud and edge computing power supplies, rapid chargers for electric vehicles, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and deep space exploration, are at the tipping point, leading to dynamic market growth.

"Products based on our technology roadmap represent a new class of semiconductors, essential to serve the efficiency demands of this digital economy market.

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September was organised by the UKs Department for Business and Trade, the NIO and Invest NI and hosted around 200 investors with the aim of encouraging them to invest here.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said: This fantastic multimillion-pound deal demonstrates the success of the Investment Summit, creating jobs and boosting investment into Northern Ireland.

The event demonstrated Northern Irelands rich potential, and I am confident that the productive, global relationships it built will continue to benefit Northern Ireland businesses and communities for years to come. Congratulations to IceMOS and their London investor on their productive new partnership.

Mel Chittock, interim CEO of Invest Northern Ireland, said: This deal will provide significant benefits for west Belfast and the Northern Ireland economy as a whole with IceMOS west Belfast workforce exceeding 100 employees post-funding.

"It will also function as a transformative catalyst for IceMOS ongoing growth, further cementing its position in the global semiconductor industry. Congratulations to IceMOS and we look forward to helping it to continue its growth in Northern Ireland.
BT is looking at converting green cabinets like these ones into EV charging points

One of BTs green street cabinets in Belfast will be converted into a pay-as-you-go electric vehicle charging station, it has emerged.

The cabinet, in a location which has not been disclosed, will be the second across the UK to be repurposed.

The first is to be unveiled at East Lothian in Scotland by the end of this month, with Belfast to follow.

BT said it has a unique opportunity to make use of the green street-side cabinets, which contain copper-based wiring for phone and broadband services.

However, the cabinets are becoming obsolete as full-fibre broadband is rolled out.

Of its 90,000 green cabinets, BT has said that up to 60,000 could be repurposed to create EV charge points.

"We believe it will be good for the UK and a good revenue opportunity for the group, BT said.

Its estimated that there are several thousand green cabinets in Northern Ireland, though its not known how many of those would be eligible for conversion.

A spokesperson for BT in Northern Ireland said there was no further information at present on the location for the first cabinet conversion.

Tom Guy, managing director of Etc. at BT Group, said: Our new charging solution is a huge step in bringing EV charging kerbside and exploring how we can address key barriers customers are currently facing.

"Working closely with local councils in Scotland and more widely across the UK, we are at a critical stage of our journey in tackling a very real customer problem that sits at the heart of our wider purpose to connect for good.

BT said it was making the move because there were just 53,000 EV charge points around the UK, but that up to 500,000 would be required by 2030 to meet net zero commitments.
A group subsidiary also sold 235 acres of estate lands at Castletown House in Co Kildare

The sale in 2022 of a prime south Dublin development site helped to boost the profits that year of the company behind the Maxol chain that is controlled by the McMullan family.

A vehicle co-owned by two of the McMullan brothers that forms part of the wider Maxol group also sold 235 acres of land around the historic Castletown House at Celbridge, Co Kildare, in 2022.

The near one-acre site in Sandymount, previously home to a Maxol forecourt and a car dealership, was put on the market in 2019 with an 11.5m price tag. It had planning permission for almost 90 apartments.

It was bought in 2022 by an Irish unit of British property development group Royalton.

The State made a number of approaches to buy the Castletown House land, but it was sold on the open market in 2022 by the McMullans Janus Securities vehicle. Janus Securities is also part-owned by Patrick Rhatigan.

The land was jointly bought by two local Co Kildare developers, Killross Properties and Springwood, for a reported 5m. Land Registry records have not been updated to reflect the new ownership, however.

Consolidated accounts filed before Christmas for the McMullan brothers group  including the Maxol chain and Janus Securities  show that its profit after tax surged to 37.8m in 2022 from 14.1m the year before.

The performance of the Maxol chain undoubtedly benefited from a return to more normalised trading following the pandemic.

The strong underlying trading performance was augmented by the disposal of a single valuable property for development purposes, directors note in the accounts.

The sale of the Sandymount site was the valuable asset referred to.

Castletown House in Co Kildare

Castletown House and its estate was built between 1722 and 1729 for the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, William Conolly. The imposing house and some of the land in the demesne is owned by the OPW. Some of the land is owned by the local council.

Janus Securities has retained ownership of the disused Leixlip Gate Lodge bordering the Castletown demesne. Just before Christmas, the firm applied for planning permission to restore the premises.

Patrick ODonovan, the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, noted in the Dail last summer that the OPW had a long-standing policy to reunite the Castletown demesne lands.

The OPW sought, on several occasions, to purchase the lands from Janus Securities, including when the lands were offered for sale on the open market in 2022, he noted. However, despite the very best efforts of the OPW, the State was out-bid in the process.

The sale has led to controversy as locals who used the land that was owned by Janus Securities for recreational purposes were subsequently denied road access by the new owners.

However, in October, a director of Killross Properties said that the firm had told the OPW that it is prepared to open negotiations regarding a potential sale of the land to the State agency.

The elderly McMullan brothers have amassed fortunes from their Maxol chain, which has been owned by the family since it was established in 1920.

One of the brothers, Malcolm McMullan, died in 2022, leaving a 19m estate. His brothers, Noel and Max and other family members continue to own the business.
The decision by former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE comes after a dramatic fall from grace following her handling of the Horizon IT scandal (PA)

The decision by former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE comes after a dramatic fall from grace following her handling of the Horizon IT scandal.

She had a long-standing career at the Post Office, having started as group network director in 2007, then becoming managing director in 2010 before being promoted to the top job five years later.

She joined the group after holding a number of management positions at LOreal, Whitbread, Dixons and Argos, having started her career as a graduate trainee at consumer goods giant Unilever in 1981.

She studied Russian, French and economics at the University of Bradford and has a diploma in theology from Oxford University.

Alongside her corporate career, she was also ordained as an Anglican priest in 2006 and served at three churches in Bedfordshire.

Paula Vennells stepped down from her Post Office role in February 2019 (Post Office/PA)

She headed up the Post Office for nearly seven years, taking the helm in the same year that it split from Royal Mail as part of the latters privatisation.

She was appointed CBE in the 2019 New Years Honours List for services to the Post Office and to charity, just before stepping down from the Post Office in February of that year.

Her tenure as chief executive was marred from the start, coming as the Post Office suffered amid financial woes, leading to sweeping cost-cutting measures which saw thousands of branches close across the UK.

Her promotion also came as the Post Office began to investigate allegations made by a number of sub-postmasters about the IT system at the centre of the scandal.

She faced heavy criticism over her handling of the affair, finally stepping down in February 2019.

She has since also quit boardroom roles at retailers Morrisons and Dunelm as postmasters began having their convictions overturned and also stepped back from her regular church duties.

Ms Vennells likewise stepped down from her role as chairwoman of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in 2021, having taking on the job in April 2019 soon after leaving the Post Office.
While abandoned puppies and kittens may tug at the heart strings  often there are forgotten animals who have found shelters in Northern Ireland to be their long term home.

Among them is Maximus, a former hunting hound with the gentlest soul, who spent his third festive season at Almost Home Animal Rescue in Moira, having arrived at the shelter at the beginning of lockdown in March 2020.

1400 days: Former hunting dog Maximus who has been at Almost Home NI for almost 4 years

"We think he was part of a hunting pack, who were then apparently abandoned," said Karen Matthews, Almost Home's manager.

"He's the loveliest boy, but understandably skittish around new people and new dogs. He deserves a loving home, though. We've had a few applications for him, but nothing has ever been one hundred percent right.

Just because he gets a little nervous doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a good home," Karen emphasises.

585 days: Petunia who alongside her sister was rescued from Romania

Rescued from Romania, Petunia and Taffy, a bonded pair who would love a home together, have filled Almost Home's halls with love for over two years.

585 days: Taffy who was rescued from Romania alongside her sister

Another long termer hoping for a happy ending is Helen of Troy, a friendly and relaxed black moggy who's been a resident at Belfast's Cats Protection Adoption Centre for over 157 days, despite her purrfect personality.

157 days: Helen of Troy is described as being relaxed and friendly but has been overlooked

Helen likes to spend her days getting snuggled and snoozing in bed watching the world go by. Nobody wants Helen to stay here longer than she has to but sadly she has nowhere else to go until she is adopted, said deputy manager Bethany English from Cats Protection.

Although we do our very best to care for them, life in a cat pen is no substitute for a permanent home so I would urge people to consider adopting Helen. She is aged six and due to having chronic snuffles will not be able to go to a home with any other cats.

Owners adopting from Cats Protection have the peace of mind that their cat will have been examined by a veterinary surgeon, microchipped, vaccinated, treated for parasites, neutered, and will also come with four weeks free insurance.

"We provide these benefits and treatments, so people dont have to worry about them following adoption, which is a big plus for money-conscious owners.

If you are able to adopt Helen please get in touch as wed love to show you how beautiful she and other long stay cats are who are desperately looking for a loving home."

160 days: Sammy was taken to Cats Protection after a member of the public spotted him being shot with a pellet gun

Joining Helen is her fellow Cats Protection residents, Patch and Sammy who have been living at the shelter for a combined 300 days marking them as long termers in Northern Irelands shelters.

"Patch is shy but friendly and looking for a quiet, patient home to let him settle in at his own pace, added Bethany.

"Sammy arrived with us in August, after a member of public witnessed him being shot with pellet guns, he was taken to a local vets and then transferred to us. He is two and has a lovely, friendly personality.

149 days: Three legged Patch has been living at Cats Protection since September

Loving Shih Tzu Tana is one of Assisi Animal Sanctuary's longest residents, clocking in over 1030 days at their Newtownards shelter.

Aged 8-years old, she has enjoyed her time here with the staff but has always dreamt of having a home of her own," manager Connie Gilmore said.

1033 days: Shih Tzu Tana has always dreamt of having a home of her own

A senior pup and deaf, Connie and the team said nothing holds Tana back and that she is a dream to walk and would love a family  much like her fellow long termer and best friend Bruce.

A Jack Russell mix, Bruce has been at the shelter just a few days longer than Tana clocking in at 1,100 days.

1100 days: Bruce the Jack Russell mix has been in Assisi Animal Sanctuary for almost a quarter of his life

He is described as being wary of the wide world which he can find intimidating.

Bruce is incredibly clever and loves learning new tricks  he knows sit, paw, down, and hand touch. He has also trained people to let them know he would like attention by gently tapping you with his paw, said the shelter.

Milo is another of the bases longer residents, at 72 days. A pug with distinctive facial markings, who cant be missed easily, Milo loves quiet walks on the beach and likes his own space.

72 days: Milo is a pug mix with a distinct facial pattern

Chase is also a long term resident at Assisi, having been there for over 992 days. A notorious toy lover, according to the shelter the Jack Russell mix is known for hiding nearly 20 toys in his kennel at one time.

992 days: Jack Russell mix Chase

He would really appreciate an owner who wouldnt mind throwing his ball for him every now and again though, the sanctuary said.

If youre interested in adopting Maximus, Petunia or Taffy, Almost Home NI can be contacted here or by calling 07922 921852.

Helen of Troy, Sammy and Patch are available for adoption from Cats Protection here, or call 028 9048 0202.

Tana, Bruce, Chase and Milo are available from Assisi Animal Sanctuary here or call 028 9181 2622.
The family of a mother-of-six shot dead by a British soldier more than 50 years ago have lost a High Court battle aimed at having a new police investigation into her killing fast-tracked.

Kathleen Thompson was fatally wounded outside her home as troops withdrew from the Creggan area of Derry in November 1971.

In June 2022 an inquest held that she had been shot by an unnamed serviceman, referred to as Soldier D, in circumstances which were not justified.

The coroner rejected his claims that he believed he was under fire and acted to protect himself and his Army colleagues.

She subsequently referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Mrs Thompsons family was informed last year that any potential prosecution of Soldier D in relation to her killing would not be possible until a police probe has concluded.

It is one of more than a thousand historic cases being reviewed as part of a sequencing model within the PSNIs Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB).

But under the terms of the UK Governments controversial new Troubles Legacy Act criminal probes into conflict-related deaths in Northern Ireland are set to be shut down in May.

A legal challenge was mounted after the DPP decided not to exercise a discretionary power which would require police to prioritise an investigation and provide additional information on any potential offence related to Mrs Thompsons death.

The Director had concluded there were no exceptional circumstances to warrant such a referral to the Chief Constable under the terms of the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002.

Mrs Thompsons son, Billy Thompson, claimed the decision was irrational and amounted to a misdirection in law.

His lawyers argued that there were exceptional circumstances, and that prosecutors had wrongly identified further lines of inquiry for police without making a formal referral.

Resisting the application for judicial review, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) insisted the decision was lawful and reasonable.

The PSNI is aware of the case, intends to investigate it further in due course and should be allowed to independently manage its resources, the court heard.

Rejecting all grounds of challenge, Mr Justice Scoffield held that the DPP is legally entitled to wait for the outcome of the police process.

He has a discretion to issue a request, in order to prioritise that investigation, but is not obliged to do so as a matter of general practice nor by way of an implied duty, he said.

The judge also cited the LIBs finite resources for dealing with a significant caseload.

All of these cases involve a death and could therefore be said to be of the utmost gravity, he pointed out.

Mr Justice Scoffield confirmed: The question for this court is whether it has been shown to be irrational for the respondent not to have taken the step of directing an investigation when one was pending in due course.

Although it would have been open to the DPP to have done so, I do not consider that it was irrational for him to consider that this case was not exceptional to such a degree that he ought to.

The judge also acknowledged Mr Thompsons concerns that any criminal investigations will be halted in May if the Legacy Act survives separate legal challenges by victims of the Troubles.

He added: It is a regrettable feature of the current situation that such families may find or consider themselves to be in some form of competitive scramble for priority.

Outside court, the familys solicitor, Fearghal Shiels of Madden & Finucane, said: We are disappointed, given the coroners clear and unequivocal findings, and will carefully consider the judgment with a view to any possible grounds of appeal.
The UKs private security industry regulator is mounting a legal bid to have a private prosecution against loyalist activist Jamie Bryson reinstated.

Mr Bryson was previously charged with making a false statement in connection with an investigation into door staff operating in the north Down area.

Long-running proceedings brought against him by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) were dismissed by a District Judge in August last year.

But the Court of Appeal was told today the regulatory body believes that decision was legally wrong.

Tony McGleenan KC, for the SIA, contended that if its challenge succeeds the case against Mr Bryson would continue.

(The prosecution) should proceed, he submitted.

Mr Bryson has represented himself through a court battle stretching back over five years.

In 2018 the SIA issued a summons against him over claims of providing false information provided to the authority.

An invoice allegedly created by JJ Security Services, a company where Mr Bryson was a named director, formed part of the inquiries.

Previous courts heard it detailed five men being provided for six hours, at a rate of 15 per hour, at a bonfire event.

In his reply to the SIA the high-profile activist stated that JJ Security Services Ltd has never traded and he does not hold any relevant information.

Mr Bryson faced a charge of making a false statement to the authority.

Denying any wrongdoing throughout the case, he argued that the SIAs powers did not extend to Northern Ireland.

It was also contended as part of his defence that the chair of the body lacked the power to delegate authority to investigators who examined his alleged activities.

Based on doubts about the validity of the process, Mr Bryson succeeded in having the case against him dismissed at the Magistrates Court level.

His application for a direction of having no case to answer was granted.

The District Judge has since set out a series of questions so that the Court of Appeal can assess if she made the right decision.

At a preliminary hearing today Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan stressed the need to deal with the case as soon as possible.

Mr Bryson told her: Im happy to expedite the matter.

Listing the appeal for full hearing in March, Dame Siobhan advised both sides: This is an issue of statutory interpretation, to determine the legality of the prosecution in the first place.

Following the hearing Mr Bryson was critical of the decision to appeal.

This is, of course, another huge waste of taxpayers money by the SIA, he claimed.

However, I welcome the opportunity for the Court of Appeal to determine the vital matters I have raised for the first time.

As I contend and the judge at first instance agreed, the SIA never had any lawful power at all to do many of the things they did in Northern Ireland.
January 8, 2024: After receiving some Caesar artillery systems as aid from NATO, Ukraine found that this novel truck mounted 155mm howitzer was more effective than towed or conventional self-propelled artillery systems that ran on tracks, like a tank. That led Ukraine to purchase more Caesar systems from the French manufacturer. The French had already increased production of Caesar systems to six a month and were preparing to increase that to eight a month. The manufacturer has also made several improvements and upgrades. These are often based on feedback from Ukrainian users. The changes include adapting Caesar for use on different types of trucks and upgrades to the fire control system that allow the use of different types of 155mm shells, including some that can hit targets fifty kilometers away accurately. This required upgrades to the fire control system to increase effectiveness of regular missions and as well as the accuracy of long-range missions. A semi-automatic loading system increases the rate of fire and requires less physical effort from the crew.

Ukraine found that their first Caesar systems were the key to developing a more effective counterbattery, aka destroying enemy artillery. NATO was able to help with that because NATO also supplied very effective counterbattery radars that are used to calculate where enemy shells and rockets were coming from. This enabled the Ukrainians to fire back quickly, often while the Russian artillery was being moved to avoid counterbattery fire. Ukraine did this by developing a better fire control system that was much quicker to react using multiple well-dispersed individual guns and artillery rocket launchers, as well as their own UAVs that specialized in detecting targets, especially enemy artillery systems that were not firing. The Russians have nothing as effective as this and neither does NATO.

Ukraine has some of the best software engineers in the world and they mobilized after 2014 to improve Ukrainian military capabilities. An additional advantage was the many Ukrainian civilians in Russian-occupied areas kept their Ukraine cellphones and, once the invasion began, joined local clandestine networks to provide GPS locations for Russian troops, headquarters, and supply stockpiles. The corrupt and poorly led Russian forces were unable to deal with the Ukrainian target location and artillery advantage. This is a major reason why, by late 2022 the Russians were not just retreating but often running away from the advancing Ukrainian troops and their numerous artillery attacks on targets behind the front line.

These Ukrainian successes with artillery also revealed which artillery weapons were the most effective. The big winners were not armored self-propelled guns firing new, longer-range shells. The Ukrainians found that towed 155mm guns, like the M777 or truck mounted 155mm guns like Caesar were the best for supporting front line troops and counterbattery fire against enemy artillery near the front line. For more distant targets the best solution was systems like the American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS. This was a truck-mounted system that carried either six guided 227mm diameter rockets with a range of 80 kilometers, or one or two larger guided rockets with ranges of up to 500 kilometers.

Western nations, especially the United States, have spent a lot of time and money trying to develop longer range shells and came up with larger armored self-propelled guns firing very expensive GPS-guided shells that could hit targets up to 70 kilometers away. The shorter barrel on the M777 and Caesar fired unguided shells out to 40 kilometers. This approach was a lot cheaper because M777 and Caesar were cheaper and more effective because both could set up quickly, fire several shells and then be gone in about a minute or two. That was quick enough to avoid counterbattery fire and the truck-based artillery systems were easier to keep operational. Tracked armored vehicles require a lot more maintenance by the crew and need replacement parts, like new tracks to replace worn ones, more frequently as well as a lot more fuel. The armor was sometimes useful but the truck mounted HIMARS system got a lot of battlefield experience in Afghanistan and elsewhere and found that some lightweight armor on the crew cabin was sufficient for protection from bullets and shell fragments. Truck mounted systems like Caesar often use this protected crew compartment feature as well.
Three Co Antrim men have been ordered to stand trial accused of the brutal execution of Liam Christie.

Standing side by side in the dock of Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, today, the three accused confirmed they were aware of the charges against them and they had received legal papers in the case.

The three men  Jonathan Patterson (45), Paul Armstrong (44) and Henry Charles Hayles (59)  are all jointly charged with the murder of Mr Christie on October 20, 2022.

While Antrim men Patterson, from Whinburn Close, and Armstrong, from Hawkswood Terrace, are accused of having two firearms  namely two 9mm handguns with intent to endanger life  Hayles, from Kansas Avenue in Belfast, is accused of having those guns with the same intent between October 18 and 22, 2022.

Father-of-three Mr Christie (43) was shot eight times at close range as he lay asleep in bed in his home in the Craighill area of Antrim in a murder described as a brutal execution.

The court has previously heard that Mr Christie was shot with two different guns  twice to the head, twice in the chest, once in the face and one under his jaw at close range where the firearm had been pushed against his jaw.

Examinations at the Whinburn Close home of Patterson have allegedly uncovered forensic evidence and particles on the sofa, the utility room, towels and fleece throws which suggested, according to Detective Sergeant Adair, that the property was used before, during and after the clean up after the murder of Mr Christie.

According to the police case, Patterson and Armstrong were captured on CCTV walking from Pattersons home and heading towards the victims house at around 2.30am when a local resident heard loud bangs, like fireworks.

The ambulance service had contacted police around 9am after the victim was found lying in a pool of his own blood and when police arrived, they noted a number of shell casings on the floor.

An officer said that according to local residents, the front door of the property was routinely left unlocked and police noted there was no sign of forced entry.

The officer added that enquiries had uncovered CCTV of the area which police believe shows the two alleged killers on their way to Mr Christies home with Patterson carrying a glistening, cylindrical item police say is a gun but which the defence contends is a bottle of gin.

As Hayles had been on police bail before being charged on foot of an indictable summons, the court has not yet heard what the prosecution claim is his involvement

In court today, a prosecuting lawyer submitted the legal papers and statements founding a prima facie case against each of the defendants which was conceded by their barristers.

The court clerk told the alleged killers that although not obliged to, they had the right to comment on the charges and to call evidence on their own behalf, but all three declined to exercise those rights.

Returning the case to Belfast Crown Court with the arraignment scheduled to be heard on February 23 and extending legal aid to allow senior barristers to be instructed, District Judge Nigel Broderick freed the trio on continuing bail with the same package of bail conditions.
A pizza takeaway shop in west Belfast has been rammed by a car, robbed and then set on fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The PSNI has appealed for information following the incident at Pizza Guyz on Andersonstown Road

Sergeant Smyth said: Officers on patrol in the area at 5.00am saw a vehicle and part of a shop front in flames.

Our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the blaze.

At this stage, it appears that the vehicle was driven at the shop and the fire started deliberately, causing extensive damage.

Sergeant Smyth continued: Our investigation is underway and anyone with any information, who may have been in the area at the time the incident took place, is asked to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 140 of 09/01/24. We are particularly interested in speaking to those who may have dashcam or other footage.

"If you would prefer to provide information without giving your details you can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111."

The road was closed for a period but has since reopened.

Ciaran Kelly owns Pizza Guyz, which first opened on the Andersonstown Road in 2017.

In a social media post, the takeaway shared a picture of the incident, in which significant damage was done to the front of the takeaway.

"So this just happened in the early hours," they said.

"We got rammed, then robbed and set on fire.

"Any information, please contact the police. The car is a Honda Accord. Two guys caught in garage buying petrol just before, Probably not their smartest move, the post read.

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In a statement, the NIFRS said they were called shortly before 5am.

There were two fire engines from Springfield Fire Station, one from Central Fire Station and one engine from Knock Fire Station in attendance.

They said: Firefighters were called to reports of a car on fire that had spread to a commercial premises earlier this morning. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, used four hose reels to extinguish the fire. The incident was dealt with by 7.47am and the cause of the fire is being treated as deliberate ignition at this time.

The road was closed on Tuesday morning between Fruithill Park and Dunmisk Park, where diversions were put in place.

In a later statement, the PSNI said: "The Andersonstown Road has reopened following an earlier fire in the area; however please be aware that delays may remain and allow additional time for your journey."

Police at the scene after a pizza takeaway shop in west Belfast was rammed by a car, robbed and then set on fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Credit: Pacemaker

Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey condemned the incident.

Speaking after meeting with the owner of Pizza Guyz and visiting the premises, the West Belfast MP said: Last nights car ramming, robbery and arson attack on Pizza Guyz premises was absolutely deplorable and my immediate thoughts are with owner Ciaran Kelly and all the staff affected.

Pizza Guyz employs many local people and is a highly respected business right across our community, with Ciaran supporting many community initiatives and events.

Attacks like this could end in death or serious injury, and its lucky no one was physically hurt here.

I totally condemn this vile behaviour and would encourage anyone with information to immediately bring it forward to the police.
The figures were released by the NSPCC and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act

A leading childrens charity has said child sexual offences recorded by the PSNI are now at the highest theyve been in their history.

According to figures released by the NSPCC, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) recorded 2,315 offences against children and young people under 18 - the highest number since the charity began tracking data almost two decades ago.

The report includes statistics which were released via Freedom of Information request, on rape, sexual assault, grooming, and exploitation targeting innocent children, with those aged 11-15 bearing the brunt of the abuse.

The FOI request was sent to police forces across the UK and revealed a total of 86,962 child sexual offences recorded in 2022/23.

This remains one of the highest on record for the UK as a whole, since the charity started the annual research in 2007/08.

The charity is now calling for immediate action, urging increased funding for prevention programs, better support for victims, and stronger law enforcement measures.

The figures come as the NSPCC has launched a new campaign in partnership with the Home Office to tackle child sexual abuse. The Government body will be providing funding for the NSPCC Helpline to increase capacity as well as to raise awareness of the service to the public and professionals.

The helpline is a free advice line for any adult who may have concerns about a child, including professionals who work with children.

The partnership will also encourage people to report on instances where there are concerns that a child might be experiencing sexual abuse, the charity said.

Responding to the figures, Kam Thandi, Helpline Director at the NSPCC, said: The high numbers of child sexual offences being reported by police forces across the UK are a warning to us all that more must be done to tackle this abuse.

This new Helpline campaign, in partnership with the Home Office, will encourage the general public and professionals to reach out with concerns about child sexual abuse. All of us must play our part in protecting children.

The Helpline deals with concerns, no matter how big or small, and were encouraging adults to contact us. What is shared could be life-changing for a child experiencing sexual abuse.

Speaking to about using the helpline, one parent from Northern Ireland contacted the service for guidance around supporting her daughter.

I found out from my daughters school that theres sexually explicit videos of her being sent around. She wont tell me the circumstances of how these videos were made but I think shes been coerced or blackmailed. Shes not even at the age of consent.

The police are involved but I want her to talk to me so I can support her through this.

The NSPCC also operates a dedicated Whistleblowing Helpline, which can be contacted for any concerns around child protection issues within the workplace, or other professional organisations.
A fire which broke out in a popular bar and restaurant in south Belfast is being treated as accidental.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue (NIFRS) crews rushed to the scene of the blaze at The Errigle Inn on Ormeau Road just after 11am on Tuesday.

Firefighters wore breathing apparatus as they tackled the ground floor blaze which started in the kitchen.

One appliance from Central Fire Station and another from Cadogan Fire Station responded to the emergency.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a ground floor kitchen of commercial premises on Ormeau Road, Belfast," a NIFRS spokesperson said.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using one jet and one hose reel.

The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental ignition and the incident was dealt with by 11.38am.

Its understood the premises have since re-opened and normal trading has resumed.
There is "no return in terms of funding and workforce" for the NHS, a leading GP has warned - after one doctor claimed seeing a GP could soon be as difficult as seeing an NHS dentist.

Dr Tom Black, who is also chair of the local arm of the British Medical Association (BMA), said his own practice has been losing money for the past 15 months - and would have been bankrupt in another six if he hadn't started seeing patients privately to raise funds.

Meanwhile, Dr Black said GPs had been "short changed" after a 6% uplift was recommended for independent general medical practitioners by a review body - but the Department of Health said due to the funding deficit, it would not be possible to progress.

Dr Black said of his Abbey Medical Practice in Derry: "We have been losing money every month for the last 15 months.

"We have a very large overdraft and we had to take a second overdraft to pay a pay rise to our staff, because we're losing staff and no one would apply for the jobs because we weren't paying the going rate

"We haven't seen a locum in more than a year, the work is simply too hard and to be frank, we no longer have the money to pay a locum.

"We had to find an alternative source of funding and the only one we could see was to open a parallel private practice to subsidise the NHS practice," he said.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster, Dr Black said he saw 32 NHS patients on Monday and 43 on Friday. The safe working limit is 25. "That's crucifying in terms of work," he said.

"Today, I'm not on rota for my practice, I'll go in and see private patients, all that money from those private patients will go back to the practice. I won't get paid. All the partners are going in and working extra hours - to keep the NHS practice going."

He added: "The young doctors won't come in and do that."

Dr Black doesn't want his 100-year-old practice to be lost due to "Stormont incompetence", he said, adding that he has "lost trust and hope in the system".

The doctor was speaking after an Antrim-based medic said there were simply not enough doctors to safely oversee patients in his own practice, Larne Medical Practice - which looks after 8,500 patients.

Larne Medical Practice is the 18th surgery in Northern Ireland to hand back its contract to the Department of Health.

Dr Ian Lalsingh, one of the practice's five partners, told BBC News NI he was worried the GP system would "collapse".

Unless the practice recruits at least one other GP partner, in May an alternative provider will have to step in. It could possibly be the local health trust, which will supply GPs including locums.

"My biggest worry is that we would end up with a system that is similar to how the dentists operate now, that it's very difficult to get to see an NHS dentist."

In a statement, the Department of Health said: The report of the Doctors and Dentists Review Body published in July 2023 recommended a 6% uplift for independent General Medical Practitioners for 2023/24. Within the context of the Department facing a funding deficit, it has not been possible to progress the DDRB recommendations for 2023/24.

Funding has been made available to support general practice, they added.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has welcomed the extremely significant decision by a High Court judge to throw out a scandalous libel case brought against a journalist by Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly.

The north Belfast MLA was seeking damages from Belfast Telegraph columnist Malachi ODoherty who stated in a series of radio interviews that the policing board member shot a prison warder in the head during the Maze escape in 1983.

However, a senior judge in Belfast struck out Mr Kelly's case, describing it as "scandalous, frivolous and vexatious".

NUJ assistant general secretary Seamus Dooley said the determination was extremely significant in the context of ongoing concern over the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) targeting journalists in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

A SLAPP case is commonly understood to be one which targets acts of so-called public participation, including journalism and whistle-blowing.

This case had no realistic prospect of success, he said.

Since 2020 the shadow of defamation proceedings has loomed over Malachi ODoherty and, in a separate action, over Ruth Dudley Edwards.

"Such threats have a chilling impact on journalists and journalism.

"The unambiguous language used in the determination should give those intent on using SLAPPs pause for thought.

Mr Kelly said the ruling was a "substantive judgment," which he will study with his lawyer.

The NUJ said it will be making a submission to the review of defamation law in Northern Ireland and has instructed counsel to assist in the submission.

"The union is consulting members on the review, with reference to the impact of SLAPPs, it added.

Meanwhile TUV leader Jim Allister has called on the National Crime Agency to pursue Mr Kelly for proceeds from criminal memoirs in light of the judgement and for his removal from the Policing Board.

I am calling on the Director General of the National Crime Agency to initiate recovery proceedings against Kelly arising from income generated by his memoir publications, The Escape and Playing My Part, he said.

Not only did todays judgment excoriate Gerry Kelly and his non reputation, but it underlined the availability of recovery of such exploitative proceeds.

"It is but right, under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (Part 7) that those who seek to benefit from their criminal exploits should be held to financial account.

I might add it was refreshing to read a judicial finding (para 87) that Kelly, the Old Bailey bomber, has lost his moral compass as he places little value on human life because he is prepared to take risk with their lives as collateral damage.

With this damming judicial verdict Kelly should be removed forthwith from the Policing Board.
Sinn Feins legal actions are not a coordinated campaign against the media, the partys finance spokesperson has insisted.

Speaking to Newstalk, Pearse Doherty said party members have a right to defend their good name and decide on an individual level whether to pursue a case or not.

It's after a senior judge threw out a scandalous attempt by Sinn Feins Gerry Kelly to claim he should be compensated by Belfast Telegraph columnist Malachi ODoherty who said that the Sinn Fein MLA shot a prison warder in the head.

The judge found that Mr Kelly was someone who a right-thinking person would view as having lost his moral compass because he had exploded car bombs in the centre of London, something he defends to this day.

At least eight other cases taken by the party against the media are currently active.

Mr Doherty, a Donegal TD, said Sinn Fein is not the only political party resorting to court actions against the media.

When others were taking a case, whether it was Fianna Fail in their last Government, there were no questions asked, he said.

I was the subject of a legal action by Phil Hogan, I know the risks of being on the other side of it, and I also know because I did take a case against a media outlet, he said.

I know the risks of taking an action to defend your good name so I understand both sides of it - this is an individual decision.

Deputy Doherty vehemently denied there was a coordinated campaign of legal action by his party against the media.

Im a senior member of Sinn Fein and I know its not a coordinated campaign, he said.

If I am defamed, whether a member of public office or not, I have a right to defend my good name.

I have taken that avenue in the past and I may take that avenue in the future.

Its not just people from political parties, people in the media are also taking cases against other news outlets in the media.

Following the decision by the judge, Mr ODoherty told the Belfast Telegraph he always felt that this was personal and ill judged.

Mr Kelly meanwhile told the Belfast Telegraph in a statement: Its a substantive judgement and I will take time to study it with my legal advisor.
Police are investigating after 14 people, including two children, were discovered in a vehicle which arrived at Rosslare Europort in south-east Ireland.

The discovery was made at approximately 3am on Monday.

Nine men, three women and two girls were assessed by medical personnel.

It is understood they have been transferred for processing by the international protection service.

Irelands police service, An Garda Siochana, said investigations are ongoing.

The seaport handles passengers and freight from the United Kingdom and Europe, including France and Spain.

Asked about the incident, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that based on initial reports, his understanding is that 14 people have been found in a container in a truck in Rosslare Europort.

Our first response is always a humanitarian one  to check that they are alive and in good health and my understanding is that they are, he said.

Our next step now is to facilitate voluntary return  their return home if theyre willing to go home.

If they choose to apply for asylum, they are legally entitled to do that and well try and process the application as quickly as possible.
The Duke of York has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing (US Department of Justice/PA)

Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein refused to answer questions over whether he attempted to blackmail the Duke of York after his alleged sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre, court documents have revealed.

Epstein declined to answer almost all of the questions, also known as pleading the fifth amendment in the US, during his interview under oath as part of Ms Giuffres civil claim against disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

He was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell instructed Ms Giuffre to have sex with Andrew in 2001 and if the information gathered as part of the legal action has the potential to affect the reputation of the duke.

Epstein declined to answer all questions relating to the duke (US Department of Justice/PA)

Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.

He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

The duke strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

The transcript of Epsteins interview, known as a deposition in the US, was released as part of the final tranche of documents to be published as part of Ms Giuffres 2015 civil claim against Maxwell.

In total, 215 documents have been unsealed over the course of five days after the media argued it was in the public interest to remove redactions which hid the names of individuals.

Ms Giuffres 2016 deposition was also released and featured her previously reported claims that Epstein paid her 15,000 dollars (11,800) to have sex with Andrew, and allegations she was trafficked to another foreign prince, as well as a well-known prime minister who she refused to name over concerns for her safety.

I did receive 15,000 dollars. I do not know the equivalent to what that is in pounds, Ms Giuffre said, before she was quizzed by a lawyer on whether she paid tax on the amount, with Ms Giuffre replying no.

During Epsteins deposition, Ms Giuffres counsel Paul Cassell asked: In fact, it would be a fair assessment of all the circumstances surrounding this situation to say that you forced Virginia to have sex with Prince Andrew?

After Epstein declined to answer, the lawyer continued: What would have happened to Virginia if she had refused to have sex with Prince Andrew?

Following another refusal to answer the question, Mr Cassell then asked Epstein: Shortly after Prince Andrew and Virginia had sex, Virginia gave you a full report about the details of the sex, true?

Epstein was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell forced Ms Giuffre to have sex with Andrew (US Department of Justice/PA)

Mr Cassell also said: Isnt it true, sir, that Prince Andrew thanked you for making Virginia available to him for sexual purposes?

Epstein declined to answer both questions.

Questioning Epstein on the alleged blackmail plot, Mr Cassell said: You had previously instructed Virginia that she had to give you a full report on the details of what men like Prince Andrew did to her so that you would have blackmail material you could use, true?

Epstein was also quizzed on what he knew about Andrews sexual preferences, and on whether Ms Giuffre had recounted specific behaviour that Prince Andrew requested before sexual intercourse.

The disgraced financier again declined to answer the questions.

Later in his interview, Epstein was also asked: To your knowledge, Prince Andrew had sex with Virginia several times, right?

Before finishing his questioning, Mr Cassell said: This litigation has the potential to affect the reputation of Prince Andrew, right?

The Duke of York attending the Kings coronation (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)

Epstein refused to answer the questions.

Ms Giuffre, in her deposition, described how she was trafficked to the south of France by Epstein and Maxwell to a world leader who was a prince.

She said she did not know his name, but added: He did speak foreign tongue, he spoke English as well, but Im not too sure where he was fromI was introduced to him as a prince.

Ms Giuffre also claimed former US president Bill Clinton visited Epsteins private Caribbean island twice.

She said they had dinner together, but Bill Clinton, he was never sexually involved with me. Ive never witnessed him sexually involved with anybody else.

However Ms Giuffre was asked during the deposition: Is Bill Clinton a witness to the sexual abuse of minors?

She replied: Yes, he would be a witness because he knew what my purpose there was for Jeffrey and he visited Jeffreys islandTheres pictures of nude girls all around the house at all of his houses and its something that Jeffrey Epstein wasnt shy about admitting to people.

Mr Clinton has denied ever visiting the island.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell (US Department of Justice/PA)

Ms Giuffre also recounted how she burned a booklet she wrote detailing her alleged encounters with Andrew to get rid of painful memories.

The diary was written at the request of journalist Sharon Churcher, and Ms Giuffre said she gave the writer some of the original pages relating to the duke.

But she said she decided not to burn photographs at her then-Florida home in 2013 because theyre evidence.

I wanted to get rid of it. It was very painful stuff, she said.

She added: I was burning like memories, thoughts, dreams that I had, just everything that was kind of affiliated with the abuse I endured, and there was a lot of it in there.

My husband is pretty spiritual so he said the best thing to do would be burn them.

Paedophile financier Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.

The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had faded, distorted and motivated memories.

Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.
A motorway should be used to test higher speed limits, an MP has suggested.

Conservative former minister Sir Bill Wiggin said higher speed limits would help people get to work faster and could boost productivity.

The MP for North Herefordshire said the M50  which runs through parts of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Herefordshire in England  would be the perfect motorway to test increasing the speed limit.

The national speed limit for cars on motorways is 70 mph.

Speaking during an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on rural transport, Sir Bill also suggested ring-fencing funds raised through vehicle excise duty  more commonly known as road tax  to ensure the money is spent on roads.

George Osborne, when serving as Conservative chancellor in 2015, said he would introduce such a change in England, but the Government suggested in 2022 that it was no longer pursuing the idea.

Sir Bill told the Commons: In order to increase productivity we ought to ensure that people get to work in and around the country faster.

Increasing speed limits on motorways would help to do this.

Citing the lack of evidence of the safety implications, he said: We need to test and trial increased speed limits in line with safer cars and better brakes.

And I suggest that an excellent place to test this would be the M50. This is the perfect motorway to try to increase the speed limit. It is short, safe, and a truly excellent motorway where we could easily monitor the safety of a higher speed limit.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said: As a road taxpayer, I believe that car drivers have every right to expect that their hard-earned money will be used to maintain the infrastructure for which it was levied.

And the mis-spending of this funding means that hypothecation is justified for road tax.

The Treasury takes money from car drivers to fund over-paid train drivers and an inefficient Network Rail which could have been privatised years ago. More money is wasted on bus lanes, cycle paths and not very smart motorways.

Yet the wretched potholes escape unrepaired.

Responding for the Government, transport minister Guy Opperman said: It is a matter for himself and more particularly his local authority and the National Highways, who govern the strategic road network, to sit down and discuss and then set the speed limits on the individual roads.

They have the local knowledge and are best placed to do so, but it is something for the local authority to drive forwards with National Highways at the first instance.
January 8, 2024: The morale and willingness to fight among Russian troops continues to plummet. One reason for this is the heavy losses, about 350,000 dead, Russia has suffered in Ukraine so far. Since late 2023 Ukrainian troops have increasingly encountered Russian troops who would surrender at the first opportunity and often do it in a dramatic fashion. This included dropping their weapons during their first encounter with Ukrainian soldiers. In other cases, Russian troops were encountered who had already dropped their weapons and were looking for someone to surrender to. While troops can be motivated or compelled to fight, they are often ineffective. That means they suffer a lot of casualties while still unable to gain much ground.

Russian commanders are aware of this and had orders to do something to prevent these surrenders and efforts to avoid combat. That proved to be an impossible order to comply with. Physical punishments did not improve morale and willingness to fight. The main problem was that troops had no confidence in their commanders (assuming they had any at all). These officers were often just as dismayed at the situations they faced on the battlefield. The government was often not supplying food, ammunition, and medical care for the troops. It is now winter in Ukraine and once more the government has not supplied enough cold weather clothing and equipment for the troops. Worse, the clothes and equipment were often almost useless cheap imitations instead of purported standard issue. This lack of support is the only thing the troops can depend on. Much of that is caused by government corruption. The government may have appropriated the funds to purchase essential items for the troops, but corrupt officials who steal the money or divert the supplies to black market dealers who will resell the goods and share the profits with their corrupt partners. This process often involves Russian criminal organizations, which do not hesitate to kill anyone who tries to disrupt their bad behavior.

Russias leadership, especially supreme leader Vladimir Putin, was delusional about the continuing lack of progress in Ukraine or the reasons for that. Even Russians who thought restoring independent, since 1991, Ukraine to Russian control was a good thing and worth fighting for, many 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 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.

A increasing number of 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. Anti-war demonstrations and physical attacks on military facilities, especially recruiting stations, are more frequent. 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.

Numerous 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 insistent officer with a tank. Not to mention troops 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, or volunteer soldier is one of the few jobs Russians can get because of high unemployment rates caused by Western economic sanctions.

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, so new recruits get only one to three weeks. Conscripts require less training and are often used for support operations outside Ukraine during their one year in uniform.
Sheikh Hasina, who retained her post as prime minister of Bangladesh after her Awami League party won the election, meets foreign observers and journalists at the prime minister's residence in Dhaka, Jan. 8, 2024.

The U.S. and U.K. on Monday criticized the Bangladesh general election that saw the ruling Awami League retain power as not free nor democratic as the polls held a day earlier were boycotted by the opposition after months of violence.

The two Western allies also condemned the incidents of violence and alleged intimidation of opposition members in the months leading up to the election and urged Bangladeshs government to credibly investigate them.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Awami League clinched a fourth consecutive term in Sundays polls, which were boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) because she had refused to meet its demand to resign in order to allow a neutral caretaker administration to oversee a fair electoral process.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it supported the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression and noted that the Awami League had won a majority of seats in the Sunday elections.

The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, the State Department said in a statement issued Monday.

The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day.

Washington in May had said it would deny visas to Bangladeshis whom it believes would undermine democratic elections in the South Asian nation.

Before Sundays election, Bangladesh had been governed since 2009 by Hasina and her party. Their three previous consecutive electoral wins included one boycotted by the BNP and its allies in 2014, and one widely criticized as rigged in 2018.

The U.S. statement on Monday did not mention that there would be any repercussions against Bangladesh.

Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties, the State Department said.

(Left to right) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attend the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Sept. 9, 2023. [Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP]

In London, the British government said that democratic elections depended on credible open and fair competition, and respect for human rights, the rule of law and due process.

These standards were not consistently met during the election period, said the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of Britain, which is the former colonial ruler of the Indian subcontinent.

We condemn the acts of intimidation and violence that took place prior to and during the campaign period. Such conduct has no place in political life. Not all political parties took part in the elections. The Bangladeshi people did not therefore have the fullest range of voting options.

Tens of thousands of opposition leaders and activists have reportedly been arrested since Oct. 28, when the BNP staged the final of a series of mass rallies demanding that a caretaker government take the place of the Hasina one.

Ten people died in political violence that October weekend, and at least 21 more, mostly opposition members, have died since in clashes, blockades or arson.

Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, on Monday said the arrests of opposition leaders and the alleged intimidation in the months leading up to the election are tactics that are not conducive to a truly genuine process.

He said the Bangladesh government needed to strengthen the underpinnings of a truly inclusive democracy and incidents of violence must be effectively investigated.

Democracy was hard won in Bangladesh and must not become cosmetic, Turk said in a statement.

The future of all Bangladeshis is at stake.

Critics say that during her 15-year reign, Hasina has cracked down on free speech, muzzling the opposition and civil society, and has co-opted state institutions to do her bidding.

Britain, in its statement, said that all sides should attempt to break the impasse between the Awami League on the one hand and the opposition and activists on the other.

Creating the conditions for a sustainable political settlement and vibrant civil society will enable long-term growth, the statement said.

We encourage all political parties to address their differences and find a common way forward in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.

Some countries congratulate Hasina

Meanwhile, according to a press statement from Hasinas office, envoys from some countries, including Russia, China and India, met the Bangladeshi PM on Monday to congratulate her for her partys win on Sunday.

They congratulated the Prime Minister on her party Awami Leagues absolute victory in the 12th parliamentary elections and pledged to continue support for Bangladesh, the statement said.

Congratulating Hasina, the Chinese envoy in Dhaka said in a statement that China would always be a trustworthy partner to Bangladesh on the South Asian nations path to modernization.

China has invested in several large infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, and promised investments to the tune of U.S. $38 billion in projects.

The Russian Embassy in Dhaka said that envoy Alexander Mantytsky congratulated Hasina and expressed hope for further cooperation between Russia and Bangladesh, as well as outlined promising areas of bilateral partnership.

Bangladesh's only nuclear power plant is being constructed with the investment and technical support of Russia.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Hasina in a telephone call.

Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections, Modi said on X, formerly Twitter.

We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh.

Shailaja Neelakantan in Washington and Ahammad Foyez in Dhaka contributed to this report.
French Air Force personnel walk past a Dassault Rafale multirole combat aircraft (left) and an Airbus A400M airlifter (right) on the Halim Perdanakusuma air base in Jakarta, Sept. 12, 2022.

Indonesia has signed a contract to buy 18 more Rafale fighter-jets from France, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as Jakarta completed a 2022 order for 42 of these warplanes, in upgrading its air force fleet amid regional security challenges.

One analyst criticized the deal, saying the advanced 4.5 generation Rafale, manufactured by French aviation giant Dassault, were inferior to the 4th generation American-made F-15 fighter-jets that Indonesia is also looking to buy.

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto signed a contract on Monday for the last batch of 18 Rafale, the ministry said. The first delivery is expected in early 2026, it added.

The arrival of the Rafale fighter-jets along with their weapons and support equipment is expected to significantly increase the strength and readiness of the Indonesian Air Force in safeguarding the countrys sovereignty in the air, the ministrys spokesman, Brig. Gen. Edwin Adrian Sumantha, said in a statement.

Indonesia has not disclosed the value of the deal, but back in 2022 the Reuters news agency had reported it was worth U.S. $8.1 billion, citing the French defense ministry.

Indonesia signed contracts for six Rafale in September 2022 and another 18 in August 2023, after scrapping a plan to buy Sukhoi SU-35 jets from Russia due to the threat of U.S. sanctions over Moscows war in Ukraine.

The Indonesian Air Force currently operates a mix of fighter-jets made in various countries, including the United States, Russia and Britain.

However, last June, the ministry said that some of those aircraft had reached or would soon reach their end-of-life phase, and needed to be replaced or upgraded.

The purchase of the Rafale came amid rising tensions in the region, especially in the South China Sea, where China has been asserting its expansive claims over the disputed waters.

Indonesia is not a claimant state in the South China Sea, but it has clashed with China over the fishing rights around the Natuna Islands, which lie within Indonesias exclusive economic zone but in waters also claimed by China.

Indonesias neighbors, such as Singapore and Malaysia, have also bought advanced fighter-jets to upgrade their air forces.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly (second from left) and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (second from right) gesture during the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding between the two countries at the Defense Ministry in Jakarta, Feb. 10, 2022. [Adek Berry/AFP]

Muradi, a military analyst, said Indonesia should have opted for the U.S.-made F-35 or the Russian-made Sukhoi SU-57. He claimed that even the F-15 and F-16 were superior to the Rafale.

In 2022, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale to Indonesia of the F-15 and related equipment and parts for up to $13.9 billion.

In terms of maneuverability, speed, fuel, [the F-35] is more advanced than the Rafale, Muradi, professor of political and security studies at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, told BenarNews.

Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its arsenal. Spending priorities include strengthening the domestic defense industry, the communication systems, intelligence, border security, as well as guided munitions and air-defense systems.

In November, the government increased its defense budget for the next year by 20% to U.S. $25 billion from $20.7 billion  most of which will be used to procure major weapon systems from abroad.

Since being appointed defense minister in 2019, Prabowo has crisscrossed the globe, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkey and the United States, seeking to acquire new military hardware as well as surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.

Muradi alleged that Prabowo, a former army general and presidential candidate, was using the contract as a political stunt ahead of the Feb. 14 polls.

[T]his purchase is more about the election, he said. Prabowo, 72, is currently leading in most opinion polls.

Prabowos election rivals  former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan and former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo  criticized him in a presidential debate on Sunday for attempting to acquire 12 second-hand Mirage 2000-5 jets from Qatar which, they argued, was a misguided policy.

Last week, a Prabowo spokesman told a TV talk show that the defense and finance ministries had decided to postpone the June 2023 decision to buy the Mirage jets, because of fiscal constraints.

An international security analyst at Al Azhar Indonesia University attributed the final Rafale contract to Dassaults desire to secure the deal before next months election.

The analyst, Raden Mokhamad Lutfhi, said the polls could lead to a possible change in the national leadership to one that is not aligned with the goals of the current administration.

Dassault might have been worried that the election results would jeopardize the Rafale purchase contract, he told BenarNews.
Indonesias then-military chief Adm.Yudo Margono (center) attends the final day of the ASEAN Natuna Solidarity Exercise 2023 including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, in the Natuna waters off Lagong island, in Indonesias Riau Islands province, Sept. 23, 2023.

All three candidates for Indonesias presidency agree the country should not align with major powers, but they are at odds on defense spending, resolving tensions in the South China Sea, and transforming the Southeast Asian giant into a global power.

But while the candidates, Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto and Ganjar Pranowo, have distinct views on what Indonesias foreign policy should be, analysts say the three lack knowledge on how to achieve their goals because their focus for the Feb. 14 election has been on domestic issues.

But address those foreign policy objectives they must because Indonesia, an archipelago home to more than 270 million people and Southeast Asias largest economy, has become a strategic player amid U.S. and Chinese competition for regional primacy.

Indonesia is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a grouping of 10 countries set up to promote regional economic growth and political stability. And as the rotating chair of ASEAN last year and the Group of 20 (G20) in 2022, Jakarta has made clear its ambition to become a power of global reckoning.

Anies, a former governor of Jakarta, has a grand plan to do just that, he said during the presidential candidates second televised debate on Sunday night that focused on the issues of defense, security and geopolitics.

He said that if elected he would make Indonesia a force for peace and prosperity in the world, and leverage its rich culture, arts and economy to boost its soft power and influence on the world stage.

We want our films, our cuisine, our diplomats and our diaspora to be globally recognized. We want to be present and influential in the international arena, Anies said.

Indonesia should be a leader of diplomacy that will actively engage in and shape the global agenda, especially on issues such as climate change, human rights, and democracy, he said.

Prabowo Subianto (left), Indonesias defense minister and presidential candidate, speaks during a televised debate with his opponents Ganjar Pranowo (center) and Anies Baswedan, at the Istora Senayan stadium in Jakarta, Jan. 7, 2024. [Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters]

Anies criticized the current administrations foreign policy as being too pragmatic and transactional, and called instead for a values-based foreign policy.

He didnt elaborate on what he meant by that but he has said in recent months that a transactional foreign policy gives priority to issues such as market access, investment and trade in bilateral relations with other countries.

By contrast, under a values-based policy, Jakarta would have relationships with other countries based on core principles it believes in.

Anies criticism of the current foreign policy on Sundays debate was rebutted a day later by the countrys top diplomat, Retno Marsudi, albeit without naming anyone, in her first annual speech.

Indonesias diplomacy is carried out in a well-measured, well-calculated, action-oriented, result-oriented manner; but at the same time, it continues to uphold the unshakable values and principles, she said on Monday.

"Our foreign policy is not transactional."

The Lowy Institute, an Australian think-tank, had noted that Indonesia was a middle power in Asia, and the London-based Chatham House policy institute had described the country as an important balancing power in the region, Retno said.

Free and active foreign policy

Ganjar, a former Central Java governor, said foreign policy should focus on how it can help the Indonesian people.

The free and active doctrine needs to adapt to the current situation. The people need jobs, so we will create more jobs, more investment, Ganjar said.

The ambassadors and diplomats will be assigned to look after our interests abroad.

Presidential frontrunner and current Defense Minister Prabowo said he wanted to make Indonesia a strong and respected country with a powerful military.

A former army general, Prabowo also said he backs the countrys traditional stance of being friendly to all, enemy to none, and to stay out of the competition between the United States and China.

Indonesia has always followed a free and active foreign policy, not joining any alliance or bloc, said Prabowo, who is leading in most opinion polls.

If elected, Prabowo said he would keep improving the countrys defense capabilities and protect Indonesias sovereignty and borders, especially in the South China Sea, where it has territorial disputes with China and other neighbors.

Indonesia has such disputes also with Malaysia, Palau, Philippines and Vietnam.

The South China Sea, a source of tension and competition between China and the U.S., as well as several ASEAN countries that have conflicting claims with China, was one of the challenges that the candidates discussed during Sundays debate.

China claims almost all of the strategic waterway, which is also contested by Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

While Indonesia is not a territorial claimant in the South China Sea, its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the Natuna Islands overlaps Beijings claims in the waterway. Bilateral diplomatic tensions have arisen in recent years with Chinese fishing boats and coast guard ships encroaching into Indonesias EEZ.

A man rides his bike past the billboard of two pairs of candidates and other legislative candidates in Surabaya, ahead of next months general election in Indonesia, Jan. 8, 2024. [Juni Kriswanto/AFP]

China and ASEAN have been negotiating a code of conduct for the South China Sea since 2002, but progress has been slow amid disputes over the scope and legal status of the document.

Ganjar suggested that there should be a temporary agreement in the region to avoid any unwanted incidents in the South China Sea.

We need to increase patrols around the South China Sea. We need floating tankers and more naval personnel to conduct patrols, he said, referring to what Indonesia needed to do.

Anies, however, said Indonesia should work with ASEAN to solve the dispute.

Instead of acting as a single nation, we should stand together as ASEAN. We should deal with other countries as a unified region, he said.

Ganjar countered saying that the regional blocs decision-making process was very complicated and frequently led to issues that remained unresolved for years.

We have to revitalize ASEAN, so that we can make decisions without requiring consensus, he said.

Prabowo put on his defense ministers hat to push for a stronger military and equipment to defend Indonesia in the dispute.

When we talk about the South China Sea, we stress that our power must be strong. We need platforms for patrol, we need satellites and we need a lot of them, he said.

The candidates did not present many new or specific ideas on how to handle the foreign policy and defense challenges that Indonesia faced, said Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

This, he said, reflected much of the Indonesian publics relative lack of interest in candidates foreign policy plans.

[T]he majority of the Indonesian public [is] more concerned about the domestic issues of the candidates, such as their position on strengthening and improving the justice system and combating corruption, as well as their plans to manage the increase of food prices and job security, he said.
Women's rights activists hold placards during a candlelight vigil in Manila, Sept. 13, 2016, calling to save Filipina drug convict Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso who was facing execution in Indonesia.

The Philippines on Tuesday reiterated its call for clemency for Filipino migrant worker Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in Indonesia, just hours before talks between the presidents of the two countries.

Veloso was arrested at an Indonesian airport in April 2010 with 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds) of heroin in her suitcase and later sentenced to death, but her scheduled execution in 2015 was postponed at the last minute after Manila asked that her case be reviewed.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo renewed the Philippines years-long appeal for her release during a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Manila.

Thats always been our position to see whether they can grant clemency. Now its up to their [Indonesian] government, he said at a press conference afterwards.

Veloso has maintained she had no knowledge that the suitcase given to her by her recruiter contained illegal drugs. Her lawyers argue that she was trafficked by a Filipina named Maria Cristina Sergio, who was arrested in the Philippines in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison in 2020.

In a separate statement, Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Ma. Teresita Daza said the Philippine government was providing legal, consular and welfare assistance to Veloso.

The department will continue working with the Department of Justice on the case filed by Veloso against her perpetrators, she said.

Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo was due to arrive in Manila for a three-day visit on Tuesday, during which he would meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In May last year, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit on the Indonesian island of Labuan Bajo, Marcos personally raised Velosos case with Jokowi, though it is unclear whether he will do the same again this week.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (left) and her Filipino counterpart, Enrique Manalo (right) at a press conference during the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation held in Manila, Jan. 9, 2024. [Camille Elemia/BenarNews]

Manalo and Marsudi co-chaired the Ministerial Meeting of the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The meeting also covered the South China Sea, the Rohingya crisis and human rights issues in Gaza.

Marsudi said that Indonesia was ready to work together with all ASEAN member states, including with the Philippines, to finalize a code of conduct for the South China Sea.

Under negotiation since 2002, the code is meant to prevent conflicts and maintain stability in the South China Sea, where four ASEAN members  Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam  have competing territorial claims with China.

She said Indonesia welcomed the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers statement on maintaining and promoting stability in the region.

This is an important step to ensure the South China Sea remains a sea of peace, stability and prosperity, she said at the press conference.

The two nations shared a common concern about the conflict in Myanmar and were committed to ASEAN's five-point consensus to restore peace and democracy, she said.

The foreign ministers also expressed support for Laos, the ASEAN chair for 2024, to facilitate more dialogue and humanitarian assistance.

As the impact of this crisis, we have witnessed a surge of Rohingya refugees to the region, including to Indonesia, a stronger regional cooperation is needed to address this issue, including the root causes, she said.
January 9, 2024: In 2022 Ukraine conducted a crowdfunding campaign to raise $25 million so Ukraine could build at least a hundred Unmanned Surface Vessels or USVs. These were used to carry out a series of attacks on Russian warships, ports, and other coastal targets in Black Sea. Ukraine needed to protect its coastal waters and use of the Black Sea for shipping that carried Ukrainian exports and imports. By late 2023 this effort led to the development of a new USV called Cossack Mamai. This model is a major improvement on the earlier Sea Baby USV. Cossack Mamai is faster, at about 100 kilometers an hour and armored against machine-gun bullets. To stop this USV you need a weapon that fires 20mm or larger shells accurately enough to hit and disable a USV that is only about six meters long and a hard target to hit and disable or destroy. Cossack Mamai uses a satellite link and a video camera so that it can be remotely controlled to where its target is. The USV can carry 850 kg of explosives, and this enabled several of these USVs to disable the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia and Crimea.

Ukrainian President Zelensky backed the USV program because Ukraine didnt have any warships while the Russian Black Sea Fleet was vulnerable because Turkey has threatened to close the Dardanelles strait to additional Russian warships seeking to enter the Black Sea and reinforce the depleted Russian Black Sea Fleet. The narrow Dardanelles is the only way in or out of the Black Sea and an international treaty allows Turkey to limit warship access to the Dardanelles in wartime. Turkey is more concerned about the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea and the continued movement of ships carrying Ukrainian grain out and commercial cargo for Ukraine coming into the Black Sea.

Ukraine did not invent the concept of USVs but did find new ways to use them in wartime. As a country without warships, Ukraine has used UAVs, USVs and guided missile and glide bombs to attack and disable Russian naval bases in the Black Sea and gradually destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This reduced Russian naval activity in the Black Sea and eliminated a major threat to commercial shipping and use of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Russian Black Sea Fleet had been a source of attacks on the south by launching Kalibr cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities.

Ukraines USVs have also proved effective at destroying or disabling Russian warships in the Black Sea and forcing the surviving warships to move to more distant ports. This includes the primary Russian naval bases in the Black Sea, which were Sevastopol in Crimea and Novorossiysk on the east coast of the Black Sea. Novorossiysk had a small naval base facility added in 2012. Ukrainian UAVs and USVs succeeded in driving the Russian Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol so Novorossiysk is being used to host its surviving remnants. While Novorossiysk is mainly a commercial port, exporting oil and other goods produced in the area and handling most of the imports, most of that has been halted because the Ukrainian USVs make the Black Sea a dangerous place for Russian ships of any type.

Even Novorossiysk is not safe from the USVs and now Russia is considering building a naval base and a shipyard adjacent to Georgia, a small country over 800 kilometers from Crimea and the port of Sevastopol. Ukraines present USVs normally have a maximum range of 800 kilometers and a top speed of 80 kilometers an hour, so theyll need new ones to hit any new Russian port near Georgia.
Diners in Manchester restaurants  and restaurants far and wide, honestly  are used to the mantra of local produce and meats. When I talked to Barrows House Executive Chef Zach Baker about observing his cooking, he immediately wanted to take a road trip to meet the farmer responsible for his beef.

So on a wintry day, Zach and I hop into his truck and rumble up the Mettawee Valley, finally stopping at Woodlawn Farmstead in Pawlet. Standing in front of a little red farm shop, big snowflakes drift around us.

Seth Leach greets us. Hes a seventh-generation farmer on Woodlawn Farmstead, now 860 acres.

Woodlawn is a dairy farm. Weekly, he drives 25,000 pounds of raw milk to Plymouth Cheese, the only milk used for Plymouth cheeses. He also provides milk for Crowley, Hildene and Cabot cheeses.

But were not here to talk about dairy. Seth is excited to talk about the special breed of cattle hes raising.

First, though, he explains the importance of marbling  fat layered through the meat, to produce tender, juicy cuts. Wagyu beef attains this level of marbling better than any other breed, according to most connoisseurs of beef. A line of wagyu (literally wa (Japanese) + gyu (beef)) is Kobe beef, which, like champagne, is region-based and governed by strict national laws. Kobe beef, heavily marbled, sells for $100 a pound or more.

The marbling of wagyu beef pairs well with the flavor of good Holstein beef. So Seth set out to breed the two: We get the best of what each breed represents, he says.

He raises the cattle on grass and finishes them on homegrown grain. Feeding them the grain helps produce more tender beef.

His ultimate aim is to provide local restaurants and residents with not just local steak but awesome steak, too.

Later, I barbecued one of his wagyu ribeye steaks. I did not make the mistake of pan frying a ribeye; doing so leaves it fatty, stringy and tough based on my previous experience with a ribeye from elsewhere. Having learned, I briefly marinated Seths ribeye and then barbecued it. (OK, a winter barbeque is an unorthodox move, but am I going to let a little cold stop the pursuit of culinary experience?)

The marbling made the Woodlawn Farmstead beef juicy, some bites even butter-like. Yes, some bites were a bit chewy, to be expected of an animal raised on the land and not in a beef factory. The rich flavor and juiciness kept me and my family longing for another bite.

After our visit to Woodlawn Farmstead, Zach Baker and I head back to Barrows House for Zach to prepare me a feast: Woodlawn Farmstead filet of beef, butter poached lobster, crushed fingerling potatoes and charred asparagus with bearnaise sauce.

Zach came by his cooking knowledge the old-fashioned way: from his mother. Some locals will remember her cooking from her restaurant The Buttery in Manchester (now the site of the Orvis Outlet Barn). Zach came from Danby, grew up in Dorset, attended Burr and Burton and served in the military. Upon his return to Vermont, he cooked at the Copper Grouse before landing the executive chef position at The Barrows House.

Zach moves around the kitchen with the grace and quickness of a dancer. Tattooed, quick to smile, hes ready to glide onto the set of "Chopped," zipping on and off rubber gloves with abandon. He likes bold flavors and butchering his own steaks when possible. Our tomahawk steaks are one of my favorite things to prepare, he says.

He thinks that some everyday cooks at home overthink things. His advice? Play some music  relax. The moment you get rigid  things will go wrong. Cooking food is not disarming a bomb. Have some fun.

He marinates the steak in parsley, garlic, chopped shallots and olive oil. After a few minutes, he chargrills the steak  a filet mignon, a cut without the pronounced marbling that weve just been discussing at Woodlawn. Because a filet mignon comes from a protected, non-muscular part of a cow, the meat is naturally tender and subtly flavored. Once Zach gets charring, he shifts it 90 degrees to ensure even cooking.

He grabs several already-roasted fingerling potatoes, flattens them with his thumb and drops them in the fryer.

In a skillet, the lobster is warming in buttery goodness.

Zach hovers over the bearnaise sauce. He whisks away. A trick, he says, is to take the sauce off the heat a little more liquidy than one might think: it will thicken when cooling. Wait too long and youll have a solid sauce.

Then he presents me with the final dish, and I settle in at the bar of the Barrows House and tuck in, a glass of Daou cab at the ready.

A symphony of flavors and textures plays over me. First off, this cut of Seth Leachs wagyu beef is tender and subtly flavored, harmonizing well with the buttery lobster. The velvety bearnaise, with a zip of lemon, goes well with the lobster and asparagus, but I like its flavor, too, with the beef and the potato, with crisp skin and the soft earthiness inside. Bromley farms microgreens provide a dash of fresh, bitter zestiness. And the fruit-forward, full cab from Paso Robles rounds out the experience.

This feast then celebrates the skill of Seth Leach in breeding tasty beef, the care of local farmers and the wizardry of Zach Baker, deftly blending sauces and turf and surf to perfection.

Zach Bakers bearnaise sauce

For the recipe below, Zach offers this advice: First  pay close attention to  not getting the yolks too hot. You will go from a velvety sauce to scrambled eggs in a jiff. Second [make] it the right consistency. Too thin and it will run right off the top of your finished dish, too thick and it won't drape over your dish properly.

8 farm-fresh eggs  separate yolks from whites (discard whites or save for another project)

Whisk 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice into the egg yolks. (Note from Zach: Instead of lemon, many people prefer vinegar, but this is my momma's recipe and momma knows best.) A dash of cayenne will give it a little kick. Let this mixture hang out on the counter to come to room temp.

Finely mince 1 shallot, about 2 tbsp, and sweat (gently cook) in a small saute pan in 1/3 cup dry white wine.

Reduce by about 1/2. Shallots should now be translucent.

Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon leaves and 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper. (Adding tarragon after the wine has reduced helps to keep the green color)

Melt 1/2 lb salted butter

Prepare a double boiler using a pot where the water will just kiss the bottom of the bowl with the yolk mixture. Slowly whisk the warm butter into the yolk mixture, then place the bowl over the top of the simmering water. Continuously whisk. As the mixture cooks, you will start to see it thicken. Once you see it reach a loose pudding consistency, remove from the heat. Remove the top of the double boiler and whisk until the outside of the bowl is no longer hot. This helps to prevent the sauce from breaking and curdling. Add shallot, tarragon, wine mixture and salt to taste.

Cheers!
Bennington, VT (05201)

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Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

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Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 28F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
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A Southfield man guilty of motor vehicle homicide was sentenced to jail Friday, after the family of the victim outlined the mammoth consequences of losing someone so deeply loved.
This Story in History is selected from the archives by Jeannie Maschino, The Berkshire Eagle.
An East Road resident who was arrested by New Hampshire police is the fourth and second Berkshire County resident to be detained for alleged involvement in a protest at the headquarters of an Israeli-owned defense contractor.
Jane Kaufman is Community Voices Editor at The Berkshire Eagle. She can be reached at jkaufman@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6125.
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data.
MBABANE  I do not accept any drink.

As over 300 parents crammed the gates in search for spaces, KaBoyce High School Head teacher Stephen Shabangu, sent a clear message to them not to offer him any drink. A drink is a decent word for bribe in some quarters. Shabangu, when addressing parents who were searching for spaces in Form I and IV, made it clear that he did not accept any drinks. He said some parents came to his office to offer him a drink in return for a space. I am not thirsty for drinks and this is an insult to me, the head teacher said.

Transparent

He said their admission process was transparent, advising parents who wanted to offer drinks to keep those monies for their childrens school fees, once admitted. He said he was not part of the admission team and had absolved himself from the process, as some parents had a tendency to visit his office and ask for favours. He advised parents to try other schools, besides those that were in demand. A child will pass in any school, not because they have been admitted to KaBoyce, the head teacher said. Shabangu further stated that the school had run out of spaces, as admissions were conducted last December, shortly after the release of results.

Demand

He said spaces were in demand at the school and parents used the opportunity to approach the school the earliest, adding that those who were looking for spaces almost three weeks after the release of results did not know the history of the school. Shabangu said in life, competition existed, even among nature, hence it should be embraced and accepted by the parents. The head teacher added that Form III results were outstanding and most pupils had not indicated that they would be leaving the school. He said: The school attained 75 Merit passes, 41 First Class passes, nine Second Class passes and no failures.

He said he was waiting for the pupils to indicate, by paying school fees deposits and registering. However, he noted that it was in very rare occasions that the school had spaces in Form IV. He added that the availability of spaces shall be determined when schools reopened (January 23, 2023). Among those who were searching for spaces in Form I, Shabangu said conditions for those who passed the interview included that they passed under the higher bracket. Also, he mentioned that those who had been accepted were required to bring their symbols two days after the results had been released.

Some of those, he said, did not bother, hence their spaces were taken. Meanwhile, St Francis High School Head teacher Sisana Simelane said they were done with admission. Simelane said admissions were conducted on December 27, 2023, and a list of all admitted learners was placed on the school halls glass door. In Form IV, she said the school did not have any spaces at all and had not even accepted applications, because they had their Form IIIs, as well as pupils who were doing Grade Nine. Simelane said the school was among those identified to conduct the four-year programme, hence they would be having double classes in Form IV.
North Adams Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Gov. Maura Healey speak with Michelle Groves as they survey the damage at her home on July 12. Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Dawn Brantley says that gap disasters, disasters that exceed local capabilities to respond and recover but do not reach the threshold of a federal disaster declaration, are becoming more common.
34 film projects from 27 countries have been selected for the 21st Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 17-21). Their producers will be looking for partners to help co-finance and realise their projects as international co-productions in the next few years. 17 of the 34 projects are directed by women. There were 318 submissions in total, a slight increase from the previous year.

As part of the official project selection, 18 already partly financed feature film projects with budgets between 600,000 and five million euros will be presented by well-known international production companies. Among the multiple award-winning directors whose new works are sure to spark interest are Kateryna Gornostai (Crystal Bear for Stop-Zemlia in 2021) and Antonio Lukich (most recently, Luxembourg, Luxembourg in Venice 2022) from Ukraine, Andrea Pallaoro from Italy, director and actor Mirjana Karanovic from Serbia, and the Chinese-Japanese directing duo Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka.

The Berlinale Directors section features three brand-new projects in the early funding stages, their directors are no strangers to the festival: Sally Potter has shown four of her films in the Berlinale Competition, while both Mira Fornay (The Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the Best Film for She - Hero) and Babatunde Apalowo (TEDDY AWARD for All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White) won prizes at the Berlinale just last year with their recent works.

Two other feature film projects by Andreas Fontana (last represented in Encounters 2021 with Azor), and Fradique, whose Air Conditioner premiered in Rotterdam in 2020, will be looking for partners as part of the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express at both CineMart Rotterdam and the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

A hybrid project combining documentary and fiction film, Zone | Myths by Daria Yurkevich, will be presented in the World Cinema Market section in cooperation with the Berlinale World Cinema Fund.

Powerfully, and on a new level, these projects echo the issues that currently occupy peoples minds: home and migration, parenthood and the fear of commitment, political and social conflicts  many topics are reflected in a number of projects with diverse approaches. Current political conflicts are sometimes examined through the lens of the past or alternatively, in visions of the future, says Martina Bleis, head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market. In addition to arthouse dramas and thrillers, the selection includes plenty of warmth and humour, and topics such as competition from artificial intelligence, the unexpected effects of climate change, intrigue in diplomatic circles, and hand-tight family conflict are viewed from unusual perspectives. It will be extremely rewarding to see this material brought to the big screen.

In the Talent Project Market, organised in cooperation with Berlinale Talents, ten producers still in the first decade of their careers are also looking for international partners for their latest projects. Here, the participants were chosen from 171 further submissions. Several of these projects look at the subject of queer life under difficult social, family or political conditions. But the selection also includes a mystical horror story and an animation project, where some of the communication is in sign language.

This time, the five companies in the Company Matching programme are from France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden and Singapore; participants can request individual meetings with these companies in order to discuss structural ideas, or work on the basis of project slates.

The next stage involves the Berlinale Co-Production Market team organising over 1,500 one-on-one meetings during the Berlinale, enabling the selected projects producers and companies to meet with potential international co-producers, representatives of world sales companies, TV broadcasters, funding organisations, streaming platforms, film distributors and other financing partners from all over the world.

To date, over 360 films have emerged from Berlinale Co-Production Market projects, including the following Bear winners: 20,000 Species of Bees (2023), Alcarras (2022), and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021). Last year saw the successful festival and cinema premieres of The Siren by Sepideh Farsi, Puan by Benjamin Naishtat and Maria Alche, Holly by Fien Troch, Toll by Carolina Markowicz, Shame on Dry Land by Axel Petersen, Imago by Olga Chajdas, Oasis of Now by Chia Chee Sum, Levante by Lilla Hallah, In Flames by Zarrar Kahn, and Lost Country by Vladimir Perisic, among others.

Girls Will Be Girls by Shuchi Talati and Handling the Undead by Thea Hvistendahl will screen at Sundance at the end of January. Comme le feu by Canadian director Philippe Lesage, which was presented as a project at the Berlinale Co-Production Market in 2020 and has since been realised together with international co-production partners, has now been confirmed in the Generation programme at the 2024 Berlinale.

Ten new series projects for the pitch event Co-Pro Series, also curated by the Berlinale Co-Production Market, as well as ten literary adaptations for Books at Berlinale will be announced in the coming week.

More information can be found on the website of the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a Berlinale Pro* initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival and It is supported by MDM - Mitteldeutsche Medienforderung and the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme of the European Union, as well as the FFA - German Federal Film Board. Another cooperation partner and main venue is the Berlin House of Representatives.

Official Selection of Projects, Berlinale Co-Production Market 2024

(in alphabetical order of the presenting production companies):



The Side Effects of Trusting Life (director: Ahmad Ghossein), Abbout Productions, Lebanon

(director: Ahmad Ghossein), Abbout Productions, Lebanon A Woman Builds (directors: Huang Ji & Ryuji Otsuka), Akanga Film Asia, Singapore & YGP-Film, Japan & Island X Pictures, Taiwan

(directors: Huang Ji & Ryuji Otsuka), Akanga Film Asia, Singapore & YGP-Film, Japan & Island X Pictures, Taiwan Next Apparition (director: Julieta Amalric), Cimarron Cine, Argentina / Uruguay

(director: Julieta Amalric), Cimarron Cine, Argentina / Uruguay My Hands (director: Eoin Heaney), Feline Films Limited, Ireland

(director: Eoin Heaney), Feline Films Limited, Ireland Screaming Girl (director: Antonio Lukich), ForeFilms, Ukraine

(director: Antonio Lukich), ForeFilms, Ukraine To the Wedding (director: Andrea Pallaoro), Good Question Media, Canada

(director: Andrea Pallaoro), Good Question Media, Canada Iddas Breath (director: Irene Dionisio), Kino Produzioni, Italy

(director: Irene Dionisio), Kino Produzioni, Italy Divorce During the War (director: Andrius Blazevicius), M-Films, Lithuania

(director: Andrius Blazevicius), M-Films, Lithuania Last Trip (director: Ziad Kalthoum), Mayana Films, Germany

(director: Ziad Kalthoum), Mayana Films, Germany Antonivka (director: Kateryna Gornostai), Moon Man, Ukraine & Just a Moment, Lithuania

(director: Kateryna Gornostai), Moon Man, Ukraine & Just a Moment, Lithuania Marriage by Abduction (director: Sophia Mocorrea), NiKo Film, Germany

(director: Sophia Mocorrea), NiKo Film, Germany Ich bin Marika (director: Hajni Kis), Proton Cinema, Hungary

(director: Hajni Kis), Proton Cinema, Hungary To Die on Your Feet (director: Maria Paz Gonzalez), Quijote Films, Chile

(director: Maria Paz Gonzalez), Quijote Films, Chile Remains of Life (director: Sevda Shishmanova), Red Carpet, Bulgaria

(director: Sevda Shishmanova), Red Carpet, Bulgaria Folk Play (director: Mirjana Karanovic), This and That Productions, Serbia

(director: Mirjana Karanovic), This and That Productions, Serbia Fragments of This Beauty (director: Burak Cevik), Vayka Film, Turkey & Fol Films, Turkey

(director: Burak Cevik), Vayka Film, Turkey & Fol Films, Turkey Burnings (director: Jerry Carlsson), Verket Produktion, Sweden

(director: Jerry Carlsson), Verket Produktion, Sweden The Girl with the Leica (director: Alina Marazzi), Vivo Film, Italy

Berlinale Directors Projects:



Alma (director: Sally Potter), Adventure Pictures, United Kingdom & Sixteen Films, United Kingdom

(director: Sally Potter), Adventure Pictures, United Kingdom & Sixteen Films, United Kingdom Twist the Rabbit (director: Mira Fornay), Cineart, Czech Republic & Mirafox, Slovak Republic

(director: Mira Fornay), Cineart, Czech Republic & Mirafox, Slovak Republic Londoner (director: Babatunde Apalowo), Polymath Pictures, Nigeria, Cato Street Productions, United Kingdom & Sixteen Films, United Kingdom

World Cinema Market Project:



Zone | Myths (director: Daria Yurkevich), Doppelplusultra Filmproduktion, Germany

Rotterdam-Berlinale Express:



The Diplomats (director: Andreas Fontana), Alina film, Switzerland

(director: Andreas Fontana), Alina film, Switzerland Hold Time for Me (director: Fradique), Seera Films, Germany

Talent Project Market Projects and Selected Producer Talents

(in alphabetical order of production companies):

Eau de Colony (director: Veronica Spedicati), Alcor (producer: Giorgio Gucci), Italy

(director: Veronica Spedicati), Alcor (producer: Giorgio Gucci), Italy So the Lovers Could Come Out Again (director: George Peter Barbari), Btrswt Pictures (producer: Christelle Younes), Lebanon

(director: George Peter Barbari), Btrswt Pictures (producer: Christelle Younes), Lebanon Silence Sometimes (director: Alvaro Robles), Cartuna (producer: Mireia Vilanova), USA & Spain

(director: Alvaro Robles), Cartuna (producer: Mireia Vilanova), USA & Spain Bad Gays (director: Loic Hobi), Cloud Fog Haze Pictures (producer: Michael Graf), Switzerland

(director: Loic Hobi), Cloud Fog Haze Pictures (producer: Michael Graf), Switzerland Pogana (director: David Kapac), Eclectica (producer: Rea Rajcic), Croatia

(director: David Kapac), Eclectica (producer: Rea Rajcic), Croatia The Numbered Days (director: Agustina San Martin), Mil Monos (producer: Maximiliano Monzon), Argentina & Spain

(director: Agustina San Martin), Mil Monos (producer: Maximiliano Monzon), Argentina & Spain Uptight Ass (director: Matija Gluscevic), Naked (producer: Carna Vucinic), Serbia

(director: Matija Gluscevic), Naked (producer: Carna Vucinic), Serbia Astana Internet Stars (director: Assel Aushakimova), Risk Pictures (producer: Assel Aushakimova), Kazakhstan

(director: Assel Aushakimova), Risk Pictures (producer: Assel Aushakimova), Kazakhstan More than a Hug (director: Christian Zetterberg), Snowcloud (producer: Liselotte Persson), Sweden

(director: Christian Zetterberg), Snowcloud (producer: Liselotte Persson), Sweden Little Lying Wild (director: Samantha Aldana), Valerie Steinberg Productions (producer: Valerie Steinberg), USA & Belize

Company Matching Programme:

Hobab, Sweden

Momo Film Co, Singapore

Paradise City, United Kingdom & France

Special Touch Studios, France

Ukbar Filmes, Portugal



Press Office

January 9, 2024
One of the most popular translations used today is the New International Version (NIV). According to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, it is the top-selling translation in the United States. One concern some people have regarding the NIV is the question of what appears to be missing verses. This perception happens especially when you compare the NIV to older translations like the King James Version (KJV). Despite its popularity, this comparison causes some to believe the NIV is an unreliable translation of scripture. So, are there missing verses in the NIV translation? If so, does this disqualify this translation from being reliable for your Bible reading and study? Lets put on our detective hat and sort this out.

To do this properly, we must establish a proper foundation. Contrary to some strongly held opinions, the KJV is not the original Bible. By that, I mean the writers of scripture did not write in the King James English of 1611. While it is one of the earliest translations of the Bible and an excellent translation, the KJV was not written in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. It is a translation from those languages, just like the NIV. This means both the NIV and KJV used historical manuscripts as the foundation for their translation.

What Are the Missing Verses in the NIV translation?

Lets begin our discovery by answering the question, are there missing verses in the NIV translation and if so what are they? If you simply compare the NIV to the KJV, the answer is yes. However, that is not how you determine whether there are missing verses. The NIV did not use the KJV as its basis for translation. It is not a modernized version of the KJV or any other older translation. The NIV is a translation derived from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts. Because it was translated in the 20th century, beginning in 1965, it uses modern English. Translating the NIV took thirteen years and included over one hundred Bible scholars. In doing their work, great care was taken to ensure accuracy with the original Biblical texts.

Within the NIV, you will discover there are at least 16 missing verses when you compare the NIV to the KJV. If you want to look for yourself, here are those 16 missing verses.

How Do Translators Decide What Verses Appear in the NIV Translation?

On the surface, the missing verses from the NIV would appear to be a scandal. Did they intentionally leave out these verses in the NIV translation? Is there some conspiracy going on where people are trying to change the meaning of scripture? Thankfully, the answer is no. When you dig beneath the surface, you will recognize there really isnt any controversy at all. To understand this, you must consider how the NIV translation came to be and why there are missing versesprimarily when compared to the KJV.

Every legitimate Bible translation relies on manuscripts for their translation. The NIV is no different. A manuscript is a handwritten copy of the Biblical texts. There are almost 6,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. These manuscripts are all dated. Some are older, written closer to when the original author wrote the Biblical text. The differences you find, or the missing verses, are simply the result of using different manuscripts.

So, there is nothing nefarious going on with the NIV.

For example, the KJV used the Textus Receptus as the basis for its translation. This was one of the best resources available to the KJV translators in the early 1600s, which is when this work was done. When the work on the NIV began, they did not use the Textus Receptus. Other manuscripts were discovered long after the KJV was translated. These manuscripts were dated before the Textus Receptus. Most scholars have deemed these later discovered manuscripts more reliable, and they were used as the basis for the NIV translation. This in no way discredits the work of the KJV translators. It just helps to explain why one verse may appear in one translation and not another. Considering that there are 31,102 verses in the Bible, the fact only a few verses create discrepancies shows the opposite of what we expect. It shows how remarkably consistent and agreeable these translations really are.

As a further note, the translators of the NIV did not just leave verses out. They usually noted the differences with a footnote highlighting the comparison to other manuscripts. Again, this leads to further credibility and shows no intention of misleading the readers. You will also see these missing verses cause no doctrinal differences.

Here is an example, Acts 8:36-37. Verse 37 is absent in the NIV, but a notation is added.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized? [37] [c]

Here is the notation:

c. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here, Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. The eunuch answered, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Were the Verses Missing from Translations Before the NIV Translation?

Many people assume the KJV was the first Bible translation, but it was not. The Septuagint, an Old Testament translation of Hebrew into Greek, was completed around 130 BC. The earliest translation of the gospels was around AD 170 with the Syriac translation.

While translation is a painstakingly time-consuming process, the translations result always depends on the manuscript used. If there are missing verses, which are very few, then you must always go back to the manuscript that the translation was based on. With the amount of manuscripts and the relatively few discrepancies, this further speaks to the reliability of scripture. People using different manuscripts can agree on over 99% of the biblical text without contradicting doctrinal positions. That means we have a Bible that you can trust.

Should Christians Worry about these Missing Verses in the NIV Translation?

Perhaps the best news is that Christians dont need to worry about these missing verses in the NIV translation.

First, because the translation was based on reliable manuscripts, which can give us confidence in the NIV.

Second, where there are differences, they are noted, so nothing is hidden. They are not attempting to change the text or mislead readers. They highlight the differences and let you know they exist.

Finally, there are no missing verses that change the doctrines that are fundamental to all Christian faith. You can trust the NIV just like you can trust the KJV and many other modern translations.

The conclusion is the scriptures you have are reliable, remarkably consistent, and useful for reading and study. The words of Timothy hold true for the KJV, the NIV, and just about all the modern translations.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Ben White
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed a law nullifying an agreement by the breakaway Somaliland region to grant Ethiopia access to the Red Sea in return for recognition as an independent nation, he said late on Saturday, 6 January 2024.

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi and Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attend the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding agreement, that allows Ethiopia to use a Somaliland port, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1 January 2024. Reuters/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's stated ambition to secure access to the Red Sea is a source of tension between the Horn of Africa nation and its neighbours and has raised concerns of a fresh conflict in the region.

Somalia, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, rejected the New Year's Day deal that would allow landlocked Ethiopia to lease 20km (12 miles) around the port of Berbera, on the Gulf of Aden with access to the Red Sea, for 50 years for its navy and commercial purposes.

Ethiopia would in return become the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent nation.

"This evening, I signed the law nullifying the illegal MoU between the government of Ethiopia and Somaliland," Mohamud posted on X, formerly Twitter, late on Saturday.

"This law is an illustration of our commitment to safeguard our unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as per international law."

The Somali president did not specify what the new law says or when parliament passed it.

There was no immediate comment from Somaliland or Ethiopian officials.

Abiy said in October that Ethiopia's existence was "tied to the Red Sea", adding that if countries in the Horn of Africa "plan to live together in peace, we have to find a way to mutually share with each other in a balanced manner".

His national security adviser has said Ethiopia would offer Somaliland an unspecified stake in state-owned Ethiopian Airlines in return for giving it access to the Red Sea.
In an era where conservation challenges loom large, V5 Digital has taken a significant step in empowering environmental stewardship. Long-time members of the Pledge 1% initiative, our team used their expertise to create an impactful online presence for the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (Sauma) , a beacon of water protection advocacy in Namibia.

Sauma: protecting life and hope in the heart of the Kalahari

Protecting the Stampriet Aquifer

The Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer, Namibia's sole year-round freshwater source in its arid south-east, is under threat. The prospect of in situ uranium mining, with its potential for radioactive and toxic heavy metal contamination, poses a dire risk to the drinking water, wildlife, and the health of the people who call this area home.

More than just humans rely on the pristine drinking water from our aquifers

If disaster strikes, the repercussions will be widespread. Yes, our drinking water would be jeopardised but many more areas would also feel the impact:

Tourism and hospitality: In situ, uranium mining-related pollution can degrade natural landscapes and wildlife habitats, which are key attractions for tourists. This can lead to a decline in tourism, adversely affecting guest farms, lodges, villages and whole towns.

Agriculture and livestock: Pollution can contaminate soil and water sources, affecting crop quality and yield. It can also impact livestock health and productivity, leading to economic losses in the agricultural sector.

Real estate and property development: Environmental degradation can lead to a decline in property values in affected areas, impacting real estate development and sales.

Healthcare services: Increased pollution can lead to health issues in local populations, potentially increasing the burden on healthcare services.

Export sector: If the pollution affects products like fruits, vegetables, or meat, it can impact the export sector, particularly if importing countries impose stricter regulations or bans due to health concerns.

Manufacturing: Sectors reliant on clean water and uncontaminated raw materials may face production challenges, leading to increased costs or reduced output. Additionally, essential community services such as fueling stations, banks, shops, and supermarkets will also be impacted.

Recreational and outdoor activities: Outdoor recreational activities, including hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing, can be adversely affected by environmental degradation, impacting businesses that cater to these activities.



This urgency catalysed the formation of Sauma, a community united in safeguarding this precious aquifer. This isn't just about conservation; it's about preserving a way of life for the settlements, farms, game lodges, and unique ecosystems that depend on this vital water source.

A website and social media strategy with a purpose

Recognising the gravity of Sauma's mission, V5 Digital embarked on a journey to amplify their voice. Our task? To develop a new website and a comprehensive social media strategy that resonates with the urgency of Sauma's cause. Through this platform, we aimed to elevate public awareness, foster community engagement, and drive essential donations to support Sauma's initiatives.

Local voices, global echoes

Central to our strategy was the integration of invaluable insights from devoted community volunteers, passionately dedicating their time to raise public awareness about this vital cause. We collaborated closely with vigilant farmers, caring parents, dedicated teachers, and individuals from various backgrounds, all united in their commitment to safeguard the quality of their drinking water for future generations.

When we inquired about their experience collaborating with us, Sauma generously shared: Sauma extends its sincere gratitude to V5 Digital for their unwavering support of our vision and mission. The V5 Digital team has supported us with professional and generous backing, by applying their outstanding communication and social media skills, IT and marketing expertise. Our social media platforms and website are proof of this professional teams outstanding abilities. Saumas new media presence reflects our commitment to protecting our scarce water resource for all Namibians.

Let V5 Digital elevate your online presence with social media that connects and engages

A call to action

Our collaboration with Sauma is more than a project; it's a partnership for the planet. We invite you to join us in this critical mission. Visit the beautiful new website we created for Sauma to learn more and make a difference. Your support empowers community advocacy, legal efforts, and the ongoing protection of the Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer.

Learn more about Sauma and make a difference here.

Like, follow, and share their Facebook content here.

V5 Digital: Your source for sleek, functional websites that make an impact.

Armin Wieland, V5 Digital's Founder shared the following: "V5 Digital, through our Pledge 1% initiative, support the Stampriet Aquifer Uranium Mining Association (Sauma), a beacon of water protection advocacy in Namibia. The aim of Sauma is to prevent any kind of in situ leach or leaching (ISL) or in situ recovery (ISR) mining in the Stampriet Aquifer.

"The Stampriet Transboundary Aquifer System (STAS) covers a large arid region stretching from Central Namibia into Western Botswana and South Africas Northern Cape Province.

"As a Salesforce Partner and Pledge 1% member, V5 Digital is intentful to support initiatives that protect the environment and are strongly supporting efforts that are decelerating climate change. We have committed ourselves to be a Net Zero Company by 2025  and are encouraging our customers to do the same across our value chain."

At V5 Digital, we are intentful to support initiatives that protect the environment and are strongly supporting efforts that are decelerating climate change.

V5 Digital's comprehensive services

Inspired by our work with Sauma? V5 Digital is here to bring your vision to life, whether it's crafting a new website, developing a holistic social media strategy, or more. Let us help you make an impact in your field. Contact us here.
In a recent discussion, Toby Jenner, CEO of Wavemaker Global, and Ruth Stubbs, CEO of Wavemaker EMEA, shared their insights on the rapidly evolving marketing and communication landscape. They also looked at the implications of AI and the unique challenges of the media environment across the region.

Even though I only have anecdotal growth of retail media across the EMEA region, we should be looking at 15% of total global ad spend over the next three years. Retail media is not just a lower-funnel tactic but a dynamic, full-funnel solution, reflecting a significant shift in budget allocations and strategic planning, says Jenner.

According to Stubbs, the confluence of social and commerce is transforming social platforms into retail destinations. The US is playing a pioneering role in this domain and companies are finding innovative ways to use data and technology to optimise social shopping experiences. For example, the collaboration between Meta and Amazon has been pivotal development, enabling seamless shopping from platforms like Instagram directly to Amazon, says Stubbs.

Both Jenner and Stubbs agreed on the ongoing importance of data in client conversations. For Stubbs, the need for a data-agnostic approach, integrating various data types to achieve specific objectives is especially important. This strategy is crucial against the backdrop of increasing privacy legislation and the introduction of technologies like Google's privacy sandbox.

Toby Jenner, CEO of Wavemaker Global

There is a need to reset media fundamentals in the face of changing consumer behaviours. This is especially the case when it comes to TV viewership. Scenario planning becomes critical in this regard. With fewer people watching linear TV, challenges emerge around its effectiveness while still managing the high costs associated with this platform compared to alternative options. The use of AI-driven tools like Architect for scenario planning can be a solution to this by providing users with more targeted and efficient reach strategies, says Jenner.

The role of AI in transforming marketing cannot be ignored.

Jenner believes the integration of AI in search strategies and its impact on traffic, visibility, and credibility will become critical. Meanwhile, Stubbs feels that AI is revolutionising the way brands interact with consumers. For example, the Royal Navys recruitment assistant and synthetic voice IA for LOreal.

Even so, there is a need to mitigate challenges arising from economic issues and audience proliferation. It is important to embrace new solutions, measure all aspects of campaigns, and value data not just for efficiency but also for impact. In todays cancel culture, it is vital to focus on brand values and social responsibility. For our part, Wavemaker has been committed to creating awareness of diverse communities through impactful campaigns like Colgate's Change Please in the UK, says Stubbs.

Ruth Stubbs, CEO of Wavemaker EMEA

Both Jenner and Stubbs believe that AI is changing the nature of marketing jobs. They feel that it has become deeply embedded into back-office productivity tools and client communication processes. Marketers must embrace AI, highlighting its potential to create new roles and enhance engagement effectiveness.

The marketing industry will see AI and data-driven strategies become central to success. But it comes down to being willing to adapt to and thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape while leveraging innovative technology with strategic human insights.

Stubbs said: AI is not just about liberating our workforce from mundane tasks, it has the potential to empower them with new ideas and possibilities. It is a magnificent tool, but lets not forget, well always need human creativity in the mix. Instead of replacing them, AI can help our people focus on what really matters  channeling their creativity to generate exceptional work for our clients. Finding the right blend of art and science is an essential part of making the most of any new technology.

Wavemaker remains at the forefront of this transformative era in marketing, harnessing the power of AI and data-driven insights to redefine the landscape. The companys commitment to adapting and thriving in this ever-evolving environment, coupled with its focus on impactful campaigns positions it uniquely to help brands navigate these changes.
MBABANE  Government has availed its digital platforms for the public to share their submissions on the budget.

This is because government cannot conduct public consultations on the 2024/2025 national budget. The Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, who is also the Chairperson of the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC), said the budgeting teams would only be able to conduct public consultations of the 2025/2026 national budget. The Ministry of Finance and the entire PBC, the committee responsible for coordinating the preparation of the national budget, has noted with appreciation, the call for the participation of the public in the preparation of the national budget, known as taking the budget to the people at Sibaya. This is indeed a desirable call and well received by PBC.

While we appreciate that this is a very important exercise and one that is close to our hearts, it is unfortunate to report that we will not be able to undertake the public consultations before the conclusion of the 2024/25 budget, he said. The minister said the reason they would be unable to conduct the public consultations was because the year 2023 was an elections year, which had shortened the period over which they normally prepared the budget. He added that the budget calendar had been affected negatively since the budget processes had to be sanctioned by Cabinet and Parliament.

Further, the minister said the need to accommodate other equally important activities such as the induction of the new Members of Parliament (MPs) and Cabinet on some government processes and programmes, including the budget, which tend to encroach into the budget calendar, also limited the budgeting period.Furthermore, the minister mentioned that the that need to engage more extensively with line ministries in ensuring that their budget proposals were aligned with the Sibaya submissions, further reduced the time available for the preparation and conclusion of the budget.

The need to ensure proper planning and adequate resourcing of the relevant PBC ministries (Finance, Economic Planning and Development as well as Public Service), the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Regional Development, to be able to undertake the public consultations, was also not conducive for the consultations, he said.

Timelines

The minister said the three PBC ministries, working together with the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development were, however, working on a programme and corresponding budget to ensure that this exercise was conducted at a time to be announced later in 2024 to inform the preparation of the budget for the financial year 2025/2026. The minister said the public would be informed in due course of the proposed timelines and logistical arrangements for conducting the physical public engagements later this year, as soon as all the planning had been finalised. He urged the public to exercise patience, cooperation and understanding. He stated, however, that even as the nation awaited the physical engagements, the public was invited to take advantage of governments digital platforms to share their contributions towards the preparation of the 2024/2025 national budget. The platforms include Eswatini Government and Ministry of Finance Facebook pages, Government website: https://www.gov.sz and PBC Email Address: info@pbceswatini.net

The minister said he did not want to create false hope by stating that the submissions that would be made through these platforms would all be incorporated into the budget. He said they would assist the PBC to prepare the budget with a picture of what the people were expecting. I dont want to make promises and say whatever is raised will be put in the budget. It is just good that while we are taking the budget together to know what people are saying is important in the budget formulating process because of constraints, but it would be lovely to see as we are formulating the budget we know where the demand lies with the people, he said.

Given the limited period of the budget and the submissions that were made during Sibaya, the minister said there were temptations to rush the public consultations. We could have rushed it, at some point, there was an attempt to bring bucopho together and hear from them but it really would have been a cosmetic exercise. If you want to do a real exercise, one does need to get time such as getting notice from whomever we are going to engage with at the tinkhundla centres be it bucopho or any structures. When you look at when Sibaya was held and when the budget process was announced, there was too little time for the consultations. We opted to do it properly. In terms of getting to grassroots level, we need to start early in the budget cycle of 2025/2026 and we need to start in 2024, he said.
Gagasi FM, the leading commercial regional radio station in South Africa, proudly announces the return of its impactful Geleza neGagasi 2024 CSI campaign. Set to commence in January, this initiative reflects the station's unwavering commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of its listeners, with a specific focus on educational support.

The Geleza neGagasi 2024 CSI campaign aims to lend a helping hand to children and parents embarking into the new school year, addressing the financial challenges often associated with this transition. 'Geleza neGagasi', meaning 'study with Gagasi', has been a transformative CSI campaign since its inception in 2008, making a positive impact for over 15 years. In 2024, the campaign continues its legacy by offering support to listeners who need it the most.

Participants are encouraged to enter the campaign by submitting their final academic results along with a compelling motivational letter outlining why they deserve assistance from Gagasi FM. The rewards for selected beneficiaries vary from school uniform vouchers, stationary vouchers, bursaries, and more.

The Geleza neGagasi CSI campaign is divided into three categories:

Back To School: Catering to primary and high school learners.

Back To Study: Tailored for tertiary students.

Adopt A School: Focusing on assisting disadvantaged schools whereby one school is adopted by Gagasi FM to receive assistance for a year.



"The Geleza neGagasi CSI campaign continues to be a beacon of hope and empowerment for our listeners. At Gagasi FM, we believe in the power of education, and through our Geleza neGagasi 2024 CSI campaign, we are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of our listeners and communities. Through this campaign we hope to pave the way for a brighter future and fostering a community where every learner can thrive and succeed" said Pinky Myeni, head of the commercial hub at Gagasi FM.

The impact of Gagasi FM's Geleza neGagasi campaign was evident in 2023 when Nhlanhleni Primary School, nominated by esteemed educator Miss Bongeka Mkhize, faced ablution challenges impacting attendance rates. Gagasi FM collaborated with the Hollywood Foundation to successfully refurbish existing toilets and construct modern facilities, addressing ablution issues at the school.

That is the tangible difference that Gagasi FM is making in the lives of their listeners each year through Geleza neGagasi. If your child or school would like assistance from Gagasi FM in 2024 enter the Geleza Ne Gagasi CSI campaign. Entries for Back To School and Adopt A School are open now until 12 January 2024, and entries for Back To Study are open until 9 February 2024. Visit our Gagasi FM website at, gagasiworld.co.za to enter.

Facebook: GagasiWorld | Twitter: @GagasiFM | Instagram: @gagasifm
The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) is a member of a global network of advertising self- regulatory bodies from all around the world, in the form of two organisations called EASE and ICAS.

Gail Schimmel says SA is conservative in its advertising complaints. Source: Supplied.

At our annual conferences, we discuss the trends in our countries, and these are assessed and analysed to produce a list of global trends. The theory for me  the lone representative of successful self-regulation in Africa  is that I can use the global trends to anticipate what will happen in South Africa. I use the trends to pro-actively ensure that our Codes are updated in line with global standards and that we are ready for the influx of the coming trend.

Influencers

A good example of this pro-active thinking is our Code on Influencer advertising, drafted in conjunction with the IAB and introduced about four or five years ago. We studied international norms and created a document that brought South Africa in line with these standards. We introduced the Code with great fanfare, I spoke to all sorts of people, and we sat back and waited for the complaints about non-compliant advertising.

Because we can only act when we receive complaints. I can count on my fingers  possibly the fingers of one hand  how many complaints we have received about influencers not identifying their posts as advertising. This is not because we have wonderful compliant people working in our social media spaces. It is because South African consumers dont follow international trends.

Last year, 25% of complaints received in Europe about misleading advertising related to green claims. Greenwashing  pretending your product is greener than it is  is a huge problem in the rest of the world and consumers are angry! The ARB is hedging its bets, and drafting a world class set of rules around what is now called Sustainable Claims in advertising. (We used to call it Environmental claims).

But heres the reality:

Our advertisers are not particularly making these claims in so far as I can see, and our consumers certainly dont care. We do not receive complaints about this. To be blunt, our concerns here in South Africa are at the bottom of the Maslow Need Hierarchy  food, shelter, safety  and not in the lofty realm of worrying about the planet.So what do we see in South Africa:

Complaints about the unavailability of sale prices / specials  people are broke; they shop around  and they are angry when offers are not honoured.

Complaints about scams  people are desperate and rogue advertisers are only to happy to take advantage.

Complaints about sex  South Africans, it would appear, would rather pretend that sex does not exist. They do not want any mention in their ads!

And boy oh boy, when Eskom promised to delight its customers, the ARB sure heard about that.

While we will continue to make sure that our Code is world class and ready for whatever consumers throw at us, I do not predict that we will see a significant move to complaints that follow the international norms. We are a unique country, at a unique point in time, and our complaints reflect this.

My hope is that we will see a rise in proactive consumers  consumers who see a problem and raise it with the ARB so that the person after them is protected. It is only through receiving complaints that we can act, and only through acting that we can create a more responsible advertising space in South Africa.

(You can lodge complaints using our online form at www.arb.org.za  tell them I sent you.)
MBABANE  The governments cash constraints are under control, as the country has received its E2.9 billion quarterly SACU receipts.

The Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, revealed that last week the country received its E2.9 billion quarterly payment of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts. This was during a press conference at his office in the Ministry of Finance, where he allayed fears that he said had engulfed emaSwati about governments financial status.

Share

He said E1.4 billion of that money was used to repay the Central Bank of Eswatini. This is part of the E11.75 billion that was announced last year, which was the countrys share from SACU. He further said suppliers who were owed by government had started receiving their payments. He said a certain chunk of the SACU receipts were utilised to pay government suppliers. He said another E500 million was expected to come from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), probably next month, which will be used to settle all government arrears.

The minister said there was nothing sinister about the outstanding payments of E700 million, more especially around this period when government would be expecting SACU receipts. He said most of the outstanding payments were not more than 60 days old, which was much better from where the country was in 2017.

Suppliers

Last year July, the ministry announced that government settled all its arrears with suppliers. I wouldnt call it a crisis, but there are definitely cash flow constraints that government has. Over the years, these have been getting better and better on a continuous basis. In July 2023, we actually caught up and managed to pay suppliers 100 per cent. The government at the moment is awaiting money from JSE, which is apparently coming in February 2024. We do have a build-up of outstanding payments from suppliers on the SACU receipts side of payments. Just before SACU receipts come in, there might be a build-up of up to 60 days payments for suppliers, but when the SACU money comes in, payments are then made and suppliers are generally settled at that point. Fortunately, last week, SACU money came in and this week, we are busy paying suppliers, he said.

The minister added: The current cash flow situation is definitely not something to be alarmed about; civil servants will continue getting paid, elderly grants have been budgeted for, even well for Free Primary Education, OVC grants. There has also been a catch up this week on capital projects payment that have been delayed. I just want to allay fears, there is nothing to be concerned about, even though we are tight on the cash flow, but we will improve on a continual basis.

The minister explained the different types of suppliers and how they were all paid at the Treasury Department. The minister said first on the list of payments were urgent suppliers, mostly from the Ministry of Health. He said every week, they prioritised health payments. Further, the minister stated that the Ministry of Health had an annual budget of E2.7 billion, of which E700 million was for medicines. Rijkenberg said this financial year, the ministry would be spending all of it and had requested a supplementary budget.

In the supplementary budget that I will be tabling with the budget, you will find at least E60 million. By the end of the budget year, we would have spent at this stage E760 million on health suppliers of medicine, he said. The minister added that other priority suppliers were fuel advances, schools, and education suppliers.

Outstanding

Every week, we prioritise health payments. We had a meeting with the Treasury this morning, and the Treasury has also sent some officials to the Ministry of Health, because at the moment, there are payments that have been delayed and are outstanding. The Ministry of Health and Finance are working very closely, to get those to Treasury and start payment. At the same time, there is a constant build-up because we have 60 days outstanding payments sitting at the Treasury, that will be settled this week after which we will be up to date on the 30-day payment cycle and hopefully, the JSE money comes in February, which should put us on a permanent up-to-date payment situation, he explained.

The minister said they would prioritise suppliers because they were the only way to economic recovery. He said they had noted a noticeable amount of economic growth of about 4.5 per cent. The performance is improving because when you pay suppliers on time, they perform better as they pay people and taxes, thus boosting the economy, he said. He noted that there are temptations or suggestions that government could require financing to settle arrears while waiting for these payments. The minister said if they were to accelerate settling arrears by going through expensive debt, the country might end up drenched in debt.

We have permission to raise E4 billion on JSE. We do not need E4 billion for this problem, but we have encountered delays. Our plan is the money we raise on JSE will settle arrears once and for all and put this problem behind us, he said. Furthermore, the minister said government, since 2018, managed to reduce the fiscal deficit (the percentage to GDP of the money being spent versus the money that you have) from 17.5 per cent to 2.2 cent to date, while the target is 1.5 per cent.
Climate change poses huge challenge to avian migration

09:11, January 09, 2024 By Li Hongyang ( China Daily

Avian migration is a challenging journey that is subject to sudden storms, vast bodies of water and the risk of losing direction.

Climate change has made this situation worse, especially with record-low temperatures in northern China this winter.

In early November, a snowstorm struck more than 100 Oriental white storks in Changchun, the capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province, during their southward migration. The birds are classified as first-level protected animals in China.

As the storm passed, most of the storks continued their journey, except for 11 birds who were too exhausted to fly on.

On Nov 16, staff members from the local forestry and grassland bureau transported these birds to the Qilihai wetland in Tianjin, where they joined others migrating to the area. The 11 storks are in good condition in their natural habitat, the bureau said.

Oriental white storks usually leave their breeding grounds in Northeast China for the warmer south in September or October, returning north in spring.

By Nov 24, about half the migratory birds in China had completed their journeys and reached coastal areas in eastern and southern parts of the country for the winter, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

At that time, cranes and storks were experiencing a second migratory peak, the administration added.

The China Meteorological Administration said the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, disappearing wetlands, and record temperatures are having adverse effects on avian migration.

Severe drought, wind and temperature drops, and wildfires that force birds to alter their routes are contributing to migratory difficulties.

Without the ability to replenish their energy and rest in areas along their route, birds may struggle to reach their habitats safely, the administration said.

In late summer 2020, wildfires and an early snowstorm are thought to have played a major role in causing a huge number of deaths among migratory birds throughout the west of the United States.

An essay published in the journal Geo-Health in 2021 said a laboratory report showed that the birds were severely emaciated.

Hoopoes arrive to spend winter in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. WEI PEIQUAN/XINHUA

Severe drought

In 2022, Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, China's largest freshwater lake, experienced a prolonged drought and food shortages that jeopardized the wintering grounds of numerous waterfowl species, including swans, geese and ducks. That year, the lake entered its dry season 100 days earlier than when records were first taken in 1951, setting a historically low water level.

The drought, a rare occurrence during the summer, had devastating effects on submerged vegetation, which is essential for wintering waterfowl.

Jin Jiefeng, a Yangtze River program director at the International Crane Foundation, told China Dialogue Ocean that although they may not necessarily alter the migratory routes of the birds, changes in the timing of migration due to insufficient food supplies could impact their breeding cycles and overall population development.

China Dialogue Ocean is a platform dedicated to highlighting, analyzing and helping to resolve the ocean crisis.

A study by US researchers published in the journal Nature Climate Change in 2019 suggested that compared to 20 years ago, migratory birds are passing certain sites earlier in spring, possibly due to rising temperatures. In spring and autumn, warmer seasons indicate earlier peak migration dates.

Not only has the timing of migration altered, but due to factors such as climate change, so too has the distribution range of some avian species.

Jia Yifei, associate professor at Beijing Forestry University's School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, said winter habitats have expanded northward, as more migratory birds such as red-crowned cranes spend this season in Shandong Province, which is further north than Jiangsu Province, a traditional winter habitat for the species.

The Yellow River Delta, a vital wetland for migratory birds, has seen a rise in the number of winter arrivals.

Since 2020, the number of avian species at the delta's nature reserve has risen from 187 to 373. A total of 389 red-crowned cranes were sighted at the reserve in January last year, up from 306 in January 2022.

Jia said: "The increasing frequency of extreme weather events globally due to climate change affects migratory routes and habitats. However, climate change is just one of the factors, and it is hard to gauge how much climate affects avian migration."

In 2021, Chinese researchers wrote in an essay published in the journal Ecological Indicators that migratory birds will change their habitats and growth cycle in response to climate change. The direction and distance flown are different for every species.

Delicate balance

Over the past century, sightings of the rainbow-hued ibis were extremely rare in China. However, in recent decades, the birds have been consistently reported in a vast area of the country, ranging from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north to southern parts of Yunnan Province in the south, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Jia said avian species are trying to adapt to human-dominated environments, adding that the delicate balance between human activities and conservation efforts determines the fate of bird populations.

"Migratory birds are smarter than we thought. Some can adapt to climate change well. For example, cranes, which have good migration capabilities, often live for more than 20 years. The fact that they live longer than other birds contributes to their wealth of field experience and resilience in adverse conditions," he said.

While efforts to mitigate global warming are crucial, Jia said the focus remains on adapting to the inevitable changes and providing sufficient habitats for migratory species to thrive.

He added that as birds migrate globally, a consensus on offering them sufficient habitats is needed in the international community.

"Humans and other creatures share the global ecosystem as biodiversity. This plays a pivotal role in supporting various aspects of life," Jia said.

"Ensuring the preservation of biodiversity is not just an ecological imperative, but also contributes to the well-being of cultures and the fundamental functioning of the planet."

In November 2022, during the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, held in Wuhan, Hubei Province, a China Bird Migration Channel Protection Network Initiative was announced. The initiative called for priority to be given to protecting wetlands on avian migration routes.

The Chinese Academy of Forestry said China is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, hosting 1,445 avian species, or about 17 percent of the global total. Among them, more than 800 species exhibit migratory behavior, underlining the nation's crucial role in global bird ecology.

Four of the nine major bird migration routes in the world pass through China. To protect them, the nation has built more than 2,200 wetland nature reserves and numerous wetland conservation communities, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said.

Meanwhile, the International Crane Foundation has worked with Chinese nature reserves and scientists to maintain water and vegetation in four key wetlands on the Songnen Plain, which is situated between Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

This work was reported by Rich Beilfuss, the foundation's president, in an article titled "A Risky Climate for Cranes, Wetlands and Our World", which was published in 2018.

Jia, from Beijing Forestry University, added: "We have a long way to go to properly manage the ecosystem. For example, in addressing the issue of drought in bird habitats, authorities are trying to find a middle ground that both safeguards the ecological system and sustains economic benefits, as it is difficult to assess the outcome of ecological gains."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
MBABANE - The Alliance Church in Eswatini has been taken to court by one of its pastors, for among other things, the position of SG within the church.

Reverend Eric Muzi Dlamini is not only challenging his purported removal from the position of secretary general (SG), but is further demanding payment of over E270 000, which he claims is in respect of arrear wages. In his urgent application, which was filed in the Industrial Court yesterday, Reverend Dlamini is seeking an order interdicting The Alliance Church in Eswatini (TACE) from launching a recruitment exercise or offering employment to any other person in the position of SG.

Termination

He also entreated the court of equity to set aside the letter of termination dated November 14, 2023. It was further his plea to the court that it should issue an order setting aside the letter, which seeks to relieve him of his duties and position as schools manager. The aforementioned letter, according to Reverend Dlamini, was issued by the church on December 18, 2023. He is also praying for an order directing the first respondent (TACE) to pay him a sum of E273 000, which he claimed was in respect of arrear wages.

Dlamini narrated to the court that he was a reverend of the Bhunya branch of the church. He said he was also a director of TACE, having been appointed after the church was registered as a non-profit company, sometime in 2015. Most significantly, I am an employee of TACE, having been employed sometime in January 2012, on a renewable fixed-term contract of three years. Over and above that capacity, I was also employed as a schools manager and clinics administrator for the schools and clinics under TACE, submitted the reverend.

Employment

According to the clergyman, in terms of the contract of employment, he was to be remunerated at the scale of D4 per month, which was the sum of E10 000, rising to E14 000 per month .He alleged that in terms of the letter of appointment, his contract of employment was renewable based on performance. The man of the cloth alleged that subsequent to the conclusion of the employment contract, he duly assumed his duties as contracted and after the expiry of same in the year 2015, he continued to render his services under the same terms and conditions.

Dlamini claimed that there was no performance appraisal that was undertaken by TACE and he continued to render his services under the same terms and conditions. He averred that he was, therefore, still employed by TACE and that the contract of employment had been tacitly renewed a number of times.

Reverend Dlamini alleged that, sometime in 2017, he was approached by the then chairperson of TACE to relinquish his position as clinics administrator.

He told the court that this was after a transfer to his current branch from Ngogodla Alliance Church was proposed, which he duly accepted. The reverend told the court that he had no issue with relinquishing some of his duties, hence he continued to work in his other capacities under the same terms and conditions.

Remuneration

He submitted that, in as far as his remuneration was concerned, immediately after assuming his position in terms of the letter of appointment and contract, it was discovered that there was a budgeted amount for the clinics administrators position. Reverend Dlamini alleged that as such, he was earning a total sum of E23 000 instead of E14 000. He told the court that when he was asked to relinquish the position of clinics administrator in 2017, his salary dropped to E10 000, much against the terms of the tacitly renewed agreement in as far as his remuneration was concerned. He alleged that to date, he was still earning that salary and that was the reason he was also claiming the balance of E4 000 per month from the date on which the underpayments started, which was in April 2018, to date. The matter is pending before Industrial Court Judge Abande Dlamini. The applicant (Reverend Dlamini) is represented by Bongani Phakathi of Phakathi Jele Attorneys.
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MBABANE  The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) is planning to have two cohorts in the new academic year, which commences in August 2024.

This comes after reports that the 2022 first-year students, who received their admission letters from UNESWA, indicating that they had been admitted to further their studies, were told by the institution to wait temporarily for undisclosed reasons. This then means the 2022 group is likely to be joined by the upcoming 2023 learners currently waiting for their FormV results. Due to this occurrence, it is likely that UNESWA will have the highest ever number of first-year students to be enrolled within one year.UNESWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane, was yesterday asked on national radio to explain why the institution was likely to have the highest number of first-year students in the academic calendar.

Reasons

Simelane said one of the reasons for the possible increase in first-year figures was the fact that students who completed Form V in 2022 had not yet started their lectures at the university, as of today. He said the 2022 group was informed that they would begin their tertiary academic journey in August 2024, afterwhich they would be joined by the upcoming 2023 learners, awaiting their Form V results. He said they hoped that everything would work as per their plan.

The university will only be going through application forms for the 2023 students currently waiting for their Form V results. The other group (2022), was given admission letters as an indication of being accepted by the institution. We are expecting an increase in the figures, but that would depend on the number of students we will admit from the 2023 group. We are prepared, even if the number is increased, said Dr Simelane. He was then asked whether they had spaces for a specific number of students in the upcoming academic year. The registrar said there were currently ongoing discussions regarding the matter.

According to Simelane, the institution always had an intake of first-year students ranging from 2 500 to 3 000 in every academic year. There was, however, a decline in the number of first-year students, who were admitted by the institution for unknown reasons in the previous academic year. I think the COVID-19 pandemic and other contributing factors led to such a decline in the intake, he said. Simelane then highlighted that around 2 200 students from the 2022 group had already been admitted to the university and were waiting for the commencement of their lectures in August 2024.

He, however, indicated that they were expecting the students figure for this year to surpass 3 000, or 3 500. It could also reach 4 000, depending on how they utilised their facilities. We are still going to look at whether lecture times would be extended or not as well. We are busy working around these things, he said. Simelane made an example of a facility usage, where he said they would consider using the resources from 8am and 6pm, or even go beyond 6pm, to 9pm, in the evening lessons. He said they were likely to do that to maximise the utilisation of resources, such as classrooms.

He further said they were also looking at the possibility of conducting lectures on Saturdays. He said those were some of the options they had at their disposal. On the issue of adequate personnel, should the number of first-year students increase as of August 2024, he said: In terms of personnel, we have them on the ground. And again, cant we actually distribute our personnel? For arguments sake, some can teach in the morning, while others come in from 1pm until 9pm. There are variations, as you can see. It is a question of sitting down and coming up with realistic arrangements to help our students. Sometimes there might be no need for any addition, rather than making use of what is already available.

Accommodation

In as far as accommodation is concerned, Simelane said it was global practice that some students resided on campus, if the institution provided them with accommodation. He said others lived off campus. Even some high schools in the country have day scholars and boarders. In some extreme cases, there are universities that do not offer accommodation at all. Those students then commute. Accommodation is not an issue that is expected to give us any challenge. If the institution runs out of accommodation, then students can look for other alternatives in nearby places, where they can stay, he said.
The BBCs former head of north has said women of colour face multiple barriers and must jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in as she claimed the British government vetoed her appointment to the Channel 4 board.

Media regulator Ofcom has appointed five new non-executive directors, four of whom are white, with the choices approved by Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

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The move has sparked controversy about the lack of diversity on the board, while job cuts loom at the broadcaster.

Rozina Breen, former head of news at BBC 5 Live and now chief executive and editor-in-chief at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, said she went through a six-month recruitment process with Ofcom but her appointment was rejected by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Representation in the media matters.



The stark reality is that women of color especially face multiple barriers. We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in



But the climb continues & we go again.



 https://t.co/3vFV6glFUn Advertisement Advertisement  Rozina Breen (@RozieBreen) January 9, 2024

She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: Representation in the media matters. The stark reality is that women of color especially face multiple barriers.

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We need to jump higher, run faster, work harder, fit in But the climb continues & we go again.

Speaking to trade publication Deadline, she said: There were clear criteria and a process for application.

If one is put forward by Ofcom as one of the recommended candidates and then seemingly rejected by DCMS, that feels opaque and also problematic. Who is making the appointment?

She added: More diverse senior decision-makers are essential if broadcasting is to become a genuinely inclusive industry.

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An internal memo from Channel 4 chairman Sir Ian Cheshire, seen by The Daily Telegraph, said the new appointments will mean the board is still less diverse than the rest of the broadcaster.

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He said: These appointments will improve representation on the board but do not yet meet the levels of representation throughout the rest of the organisation.

Appointments to the board are not ultimately in our control due to procedural reasons but we are committed to continuing to push for further progress.

The appointments include Boots chief executive Sebastian James, record label executive Alex Burford, advertising executive Dame Annette King and entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow.

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Tech entrepreneur Tom Adeyoola is the only non-white appointment.

A statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: DCMS is absolutely committed to advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments, to ensure that boards of public bodies benefit from a range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.

Appointments to the Channel 4 board were made by Ofcom following a fair and open competition, with approval from the DCMS Secretary of State.

Following the appointments, Channel 4s board will have 15 members  of whom 14 are white.

The other members include current Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon and chief content officer Ian Katz, newspaper editor Sarah Sands and former Paralympic swimmer Lord Holmes.

Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon. Photo: Yui Mok/PA.

The recruitment process was run by executive search agency Russell Reynolds, with Ofcom board chairman Lord Grade, former chief executive of Channel 4, chairing the recruitment panel.

The other panel members were Sir Ian, academic Elizabeth Watkins and former broadcasting executive Baroness Prashar.

Earlier this week, staff at Channel 4 were warned that job cuts are looming after a tough advertising market in 2023.

An internal memo from Ms Mahon to staff said: We have been working carefully to minimise the impacts on individuals and get Channel 4 into the right shape and size for the next ten years.

I am sorry that some job cuts will inevitably be involved.
One of the UK's biggest miscarriages of justice, the wrongful conviction of hundreds of Post Office workers due to faulty software, has exploded into the public domain following a TV drama, sparking demands for justice.

In a more than 20-year scandal, some postal workers were sent to prison and others lost their livelihoods and homes.

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An independent inquiry as well as a police investigation into the scandal are ongoing, and top business executives and former ministers are in the firing line.

Below is a detailed look at the case:

What is the Post Office scandal?

Hundreds of postal workers at the state-owned Post Office were wrongly prosecuted or convicted between 1999 and 2015 for alleged false accounting, theft and fraud, because of a glitchy software system that incorrectly showed money missing from accounts.

Some spent time in jail while others went bankrupt, saw their marriages destroyed and some died before their names were cleared.

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Managers at Post Office branches across Britain, called postmasters or postmistresses, are often at the heart of their communities, trusted individuals who handle people's savings and pensions.

The Post Office maintained for years that data from the defective Horizon computer accounting system, developed by Japan's Fujitsu and rolled out in 1999, was reliable, while accusing branch managers of theft.

How did the scandal unfold?

The issues with Horizon, where the system would incorrectly show shortfalls in the accounts of individual branches, began to be reported to the Post Office from the early 2000s.

Over the next decade, a number of postmasters either found their Post Office contracts terminated, were made bankrupt or were jailed after being found guilty of stealing money.

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In 2009, trade publication Computer Weekly reported the claims of flaws with Horizon, alongside the postmaster prosecutions.

Amid mounting pressure from the media and lawmakers, the Post Office began to investigate the issue, but in 2015, its boss Paula Vennells told a parliamentary committee that there had been no evidence of any miscarriage of justice.

What compensation have victims received?

In late 2019, the Post Office agreed to settle claims made by 555 sub-postmasters. However, many of the victims found the amount paid in compensation was outweighed by legal fees.

The UK government says roughly 138 million (160 million) has so far been paid out to over 2,700 claimants across three separate Post Office compensation schemes.

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Still, many postmasters are yet to receive compensation or have their convictions quashed.

Has anyone been held accountable?

No senior Post Office staff have been punished to date.

Vennells, who received more than 4.5 million in salary and bonuses during her seven-year tenure, stepped down in 2019 before the Post Office agreed to pay 58 million in a settlement with 555 sub-postmasters.

In 2021, she resigned from the boards of two retailers after 39 sub-postmasters had their criminal convictions overturned, saying her past at the Post Office had become a distraction.

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Since "Mr Bates vs The Post Office", the ITV drama about the scandal, there have been growing calls for Vennells to lose her CBE, an honour bestowed on her in 2019 for services to the Post Office and charity.

Decisions on such matters are decided by a Forfeiture Committee which is independent of government. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said he would "strongly support" a review of the case.

Former postal affairs minister Ed Davey has also come under the spotlight. The now leader of the small Liberal Democrats party refused to meet sub-postmaster Alan Bates in May 2010, saying in a letter that it would not serve any useful purpose.

Mr Davey, who later met Mr Bates but did not intervene in any of the cases, said he was "clearly misled" by Post Office executives.

Fujitsu, which has continued to win multiple UK government contracts, says it is "fully committed" to supporting an ongoing independent public inquiry. It says it has apologised for its role in a scandal that has had a "devastating" impact on people's lives.

What happens next?

Mr Sunak said his government was considering a move to exonerate wrongfully convicted postmasters, calling the scandal an "appalling miscarriage of justice".

Separately, an independent public inquiry led by a former high court judge is gathering evidence from postal workers, the government, the Post Office, Fujitsu and others. The inquiry is expected to conclude later this year.

London's Metropolitan Police has also confirmed it is conducting its own investigation into the Post Office over potential fraud offences arising from the wrongful prosecutions.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake has said the government is looking at options to speed up appeals and justice secretary Alex Chalk is consulting senior judges about the next steps.
An 18-year-old youth charged with the murder of gunman Tristan Sherry at a Dublin restaurant on Christmas Eve has been further remanded in custody to appear again in court in two weeks.

Mr Sherry was killed following a shooting in Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown in which another man, Jason Hennessy Snr, was fatally injured.

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David Amah of Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin, was held in custody after a brief hearing at Blanchardstown District Court on Friday morning.

He faced his second hearing at Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday when his case was put back to January 26th for an appearance via videolink pending the preparation of a book of evidence.

Father of one, Tristan Sherry, 26, was attacked after opening fire inside Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown on the night of Saturday, December 24th. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Jason Hennessy Snr, 48, was shot in the neck and upper body while having a meal with family and friends.

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Mr Hennessy, from Corduff in west Dublin, was rushed to hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he passed away on January 4th, resulting in gardai commencing a separate murder probe.

Sherry was disarmed at the scene and suffered fatal injuries in the restaurant.

Last week, Judge Maire Conneely heard Mr Amah "made no reply" when he became the second person charged with Mr Sherry's murder.

The District Court does not have the power to consider bail in a murder case, which requires a High Court application.

Michael Andrecut, 22, with an address at Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15, was the first to be charged with Mr Sherry's murder.

He was remanded in custody on December 30th and is back in court on January 16th.

A third defendant, Wayne Deegan, 25, of Linnetsfield Avenue, Phibblestown, Dublin 15, was charged last week with producing a knife as a weapon during an offence, assault causing harm to Tristan Sherry, and violent disorder by using or threatening to use violence with David Amah and Michael Andrecut, which would cause another person present to fear for their safety, at the steakhouse.

He has reserved his position on bail and will appear again at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
There is no co-ordinated campaign within Sinn Fein to take libel actions against journalists in Ireland, a party TD has said.

Pearse Doherty said any actions taken by party members are individual decisions.

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He was speaking after a High Court judge in Belfast threw out a claim brought by party MLA Gerry Kelly against a journalist, ruling it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Mr Kelly was also ordered to pay costs in the case he had brought against Malachi ODoherty, who had stated in two radio interviews that the Sinn Fein representative had shot a prison officer during an escape from the Maze prison in 1983.

A libel action brought by Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly was thrown out by a High Court judge (Liam McBurney/PA)

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Mr Kelly had claimed the broadcast comments from Mr ODoherty had damaged his reputation, but Master of Belfast High Court Evan Bell said books written by the MLA about the prison escape meant his libel action could not succeed.

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The judges ruling stated: For that reason the court strikes them out on the basis that they are scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Politicians in Ireland have previously criticised Sinn Fein for launching a number of legal actions against journalists and elected representatives.

But speaking to Newstalk, Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein was not the only party which launched legal action.

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He said: They are individual actions, there is no decision in terms of Sinn Fein to take individual cases against anybody.

There are many actions that have been taken by Fianna Fail or Fine Gael representatives.this isnt unique at all.

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People in the media are also taking cases against other people in news outlets in the media.

It is a fair point that if I am defamed, whether I am a member in public office or not, I have the right to defend my good name; I have taken that avenue in the past and I will take that avenue in the future.

Mr Doherty added: I dont know Gerry Kellys case, I wouldnt expect to know Gerry Kellys case, it is up to each individual whether they are a member of Sinn Fein or not to take a case.

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I can tell you for a fact that it is not a co-ordinated campaign.

In the High Court ruling this week, Master Bell said that the libel proceedings brought by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapp) case.

He said: On the balance of probabilities, therefore the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the genuine purposes of vindicating a reputation injured by defamatory statements, but rather for the purpose of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.
Gardai are investigating after 14 people, including two children, were discovered in a vehicle which arrived at Rosslare Europort in south-east Ireland.

The discovery was made at approximately 3am on Monday.

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Nine men, three women and two girls were assessed by medical personnel.

It is understood they have been transferred for processing by the international protection service.

An Garda Siochana, said investigations are ongoing.

The seaport handles passengers and freight from the United Kingdom and Europe, including France and Spain.

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As the Irish Examiner reports, Gardai took over part of the terminal building in Rosslare to greet the fourteen individuals on arrival and a number of units from the National Ambulance Service were on hand to administer medical attention as required.

All on board the refrigerated trailer were understood to be in good health and once they were fully checked they were brought by gardai to CityWest in Dublin for "processing".
A pizza shop in west Belfast has been damaged in a suspected arson attack.

Police officers on patrol in the Andersonstown Road at 5am on Tuesday spotted a vehicle and part of the Pizza Guyz shopfront in flames.

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A PSNI spokesman said at this stage it appears the vehicle was driven at the shop and the fire was started deliberately, causing extensive damage.

Our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) attended and extinguished the blaze, the spokesman said.

Our investigation is under way and anyone with any information, who may have been in the area at the time the incident took place, is asked to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 140 of 09/01/24.

We are particularly interested in speaking to those who may have dashcam or other footage.

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The NIFRS said four appliances were involved in tackling the blaze, and it was said to have been dealt with by 7.47am.

The cause of the fire is being treated as deliberate ignition.

Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey strongly condemned the incident as absolutely deplorable, adding: My immediate thoughts are with owner Ciaran Kelly and all the staff affected.

Pizza Guyz employs many local people and is a highly respected business right across our community, with Ciaran supporting many community initiatives and events, he said.

Attacks like this could end in death or serious injury, and its lucky no-one was physically hurt here.

I totally condemn this vile behaviour and would encourage anyone with information to immediately bring it forward to the police.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks in Israel on Tuesday as he seeks a plan for Gazas post-war future.

The talks came as Israels military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory.

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Heavy bombardment and fighting shook refugee camps, sending Palestinians scrambling to find safety and hampering aid groups efforts to get relief to the population.

And in southern Lebanon an Israeli drone strike hit a car on Tuesday morning, killing three people inside it, the state news agency said. The strike on Ghandouriyeh, about 10km from the border with Israel, came a day after a similar attack killed a commander with the militant Hezbollah group.

Flares rise over the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel (Leo Correa/AP)

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On Tuesday, Hezbollah said its exploding drones targeted the Israeli army northern command in the town of Safed  deeper into Israel than previous fire by the group.

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The Israeli military said a drone fell at a base in the north without causing damage, suggesting it had been intercepted. It did not identify the base.

Mr Blinken arrived in Israel after saying he had secured commitments from four Arab nations and Turkey to help in rebuilding Gaza after the war, something they had been reluctant to promise before a stop in fighting.

But the US and Israel remain deeply divided over how Gaza will be run when  and if  its current Hamas rulers are defeated.

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US officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take over in Gaza and for negotiations to resume on the creation of a Palestinian state.

Israeli leaders have staunchly refused both.

Mr Blinken is also trying to prevent the conflict from spreading after an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and threats by Israel to step up military action to put an end to almost daily fire across the border from Lebanon by the militant group.

There is lots to talk about, in particular about the way forward, Mr Blinken said after meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

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The US has pressed Israel to scale down its offensive in Gaza to more precise operations targeting Hamas.

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But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with several hundred Palestinians killed each day, according to health officials in Gaza.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and I met today in Al Ula and discussed the importance of urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict. pic.twitter.com/hHp3rml4Uq Advertisement  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 8, 2024

Israel has vowed to keep going until it has destroyed Hamas throughout the territory, in response to the October 7 attack during which militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped around 250 others.

After three months of fighting, Hamas has continued to put up a fierce resistance.

The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants.

The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis, where ground troops have been fighting militants for weeks, and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza.

The fighting will continue throughout 2024, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire echoed through the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where troops have been pushing in from the north, said one resident, Saeed Moustafa. They were facing heavy resistance from gunmen in the camp, he said.

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Like other refugee camps in Gaza, Nuseirat was built to house Palestinians who were driven out of homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, and over the decades it has been built up into a densely populated town housing refugees and their descendants.

Families in Nuseirats northern neighbourhoods were fleeing to other parts of the camp, Mr Moustafa said.

Some tried to head south on the Gazas main north-south road but found it blocked by Israeli tanks and turned around, he said. In leaflets, the military had told people to use another road, along the coast, to evacuate.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, attends a meeting with Israels Foreign Minister Israel Katz, second right, in Tel Aviv (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Further south in Khan Younis, warplanes struck multiple areas in and around the city.

It was an intense night. Bombings didnt stop, said Gaber Abu Hamed, who fled his home in Gaza City in the north two months ago.

In central Gaza 57 dead and dozens of wounded were brought into the main hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah.

One strike late Monday hit a house in Deir al-Balah, killing the mother, three daughters and three small grandchildren of Jamal Naeim, a well-known dentist in Gaza.

Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, and more than 58,000 have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

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The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Monday was one of the deadliest days yet for Israeli troops in Gaza with nine killed, according to the military.

Six of them died in a blast that went off when forces were bringing explosives into an underground area in Bureij camp, apparently to blow up Hamas tunnels, Israeli media reported.

The military declined to comment. The military says 185 soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive began in late October.

Nearly 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting in central Gaza was severely hampering operations to distribute aid.

Several warehouses, distribution centres, health facilities and shelters have been affected by evacuation orders from the military, it said.

Antony Blinken and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, meet during Mr Blinkens week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, at the Kirya, in Tel Aviv (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

Some bakeries in the central city of Deir al-Balah have been forced to shut down. A UN warehouse was hit last week, killing a worker, and five others were detained by the military, with two still being held.

In northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October, tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday it has been unable to deliver supplies to northern Gaza for 12 days because of bombardment and the inability to guarantee safe passage with the Israeli military.

OCHA said the military rejected five attempted aid convoys to the north in the past two weeks, including planned deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities.

As a result, five hospitals in the north have no access to supplies, tens of thousands are without access to clean water, and the risk of disease is mounting as sewage systems fail, it said.

On what is now his fourth trip to the Mideast since the war began in October, Mr Blinken met Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday ahead of talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the War Cabinet and other officials.

A woman takes pictures of a burned car used by the senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil, who was killed on Monday, in Kherbet Selem village, south Lebanon (Hussein Malla/AP)

Mr Blinken said on Monday that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israels war against Hamas ends.

Those countries had previously resisted U.S. calls for post-war planning to begin, insisting that there must first be a cease-fire and a sharp reduction in the civilian suffering in Gaza.

The countries leaders agreed to work together and to co-ordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilise and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole, Mr Blinken said, after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the western Saudi city of Al Ula.

Mr Blinken did not offer specifics on potential contributions. Financial and in-kind support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could be essential to the success of any plan.

Any post-war plan for Gaza will require both Israeli and Palestinian agreement, but Mr Netanyahu and his government have their own ideas for Gazas future that the others will likely not accept.

Mr Netanyahu remains opposed to the concept of the two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that Saudi Arabia in particular is demanding if it is to normalise relations with Israel.
New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) Indian Railways on Tuesday said that approximately 1251 entities have enrolled on its innovation portal to participate in the Startups for Railways initiative. The value of projects awarded under this initiative is Rs. 43.87 crore, it said.

In an official statement, the Ministry said, Indian Railways has taken an important initiative in the field of innovation through the participation of start-ups and other entities. Startups for Railways" initiative was launched by the Ministry of Railways on July 13, 2022.

As part of this initiative, the Indian Railways Innovation Portal is available at https:nnovation.indianrailways.gov.in/.
Two Irish-Palestinian sisters are walking hundreds of kilometres in an effort to raise tens of thousands of euro for their relatives in Gaza.

Sara Abu Selmia and her sister Emma are walking more than 300 kilometres across January to raise money for approximately 100 relatives who have been displaced during the conflict in Gaza since October.

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Sara Abu Selmia explained where the idea to fundraise for their relatives in Gaza came from: The biggest thing is probably this feeling of helplessness almost, sitting and watching whats going and how can we make a difference or doing something to help.

Im 26 and my sister is 22 and she gets to go to college and study every day, and have dreams and aspirations and I have a career that I get to progress in but we have cousins are own age in Gaza and it was kind of almost that guilt of how different our lives are versus theirs.

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So it was looking at what the next six, 12 months will be of their lives and thinking how could we do something to get them back on their feet.

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Sara and Emma Abu Selmia. Photo: Sara Abu Selmia/PA.

She said that they wanted to do a fundraiser that could help contextualise what Palestinians have gone through during the mass displacement of people from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Sara said that her relatives had to move from an area where they were all living close by over fears that three generations could have been killed in a single strike.

Theyve only ever known living all together and now theyre all being separated from each other.

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It is a small thing, but it is another element for them to be dealing with.

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She said that as time has progressed, more and more homes have been destroyed and some of her relatives are now living in tents.

Over the month of January, the sisters are running and walking 320km to represent the 40km that each of their eight aunts and uncles travel by foot with their families when they were displaced from their home in northern Gaza to Rafa in the south.

We thought the story of the journey our aunts and uncles have taken and that 320km is a big undertaking for us spread out over a month, and it is something they had to do overnight.

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Sara Abu Selmia said the money raised will go directly to their family, many of whom work in hospitals in Gaza.

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Sara and Emma with their parents Mohammed and Martina. Photo: Sara Abu Selmia/AP.

The money raised will be distributed to those in greatest need to try and rebuild their lives after the war.

She said she is able to stay in touch with some of their relatives through social media, but internet cuts has made it difficult to get through.

Every day when we wake up its checking for proof of life, which even to say out loud is insane.

But, yeah, just touching base and making sure theyre OK, keeping track of where everyone is.

She said she hoped the money raised can alleviate one small stress from their day, which may be to buy food, get access to clean water, or other necessities.

Its a drop in the ocean.

Its never going to be enough, but if the generosity of the Irish people can help with that, theres such a sense of community over there that they will look to their left and right and make sure that they can eat that day.

Asked how the first week of walks has went, Sara Abu Selmia said: The walks have been going good, cold, but weve been wrapping up.

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It is so lovely.

When we started, me and Emma would do it, but now people have reached out and asked if they can do 10km with us and I think we basically have people booked in for every day of the week.

It has warmed our hearts for sure, the generosity and kindness from people.

:: As of Tuesday morning, the sisters have raised more than 30,000 through their GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/sara-and-emmas-walk-for-gaza
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has called on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighbouring countries on plans for post-war Gaza, saying they are willing to help rebuild and govern the territory if there is a pathway to a Palestinian state.

The US and Israel are united in the war against Hamas but sharply divided over Gazas future, with Washington and its Arab allies hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process, an idea that Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners sharply oppose.

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The war in Gaza is still raging and fuelling a humanitarian catastrophe in the tiny coastal enclave. The fighting has also stoked escalating violence between Israel and Lebanons Hizbullah militants which has raised fears of a wider conflict.

Antony Blinken (left) attends a meeting with Israels foreign minister Israel Katz (second right) in Tel Aviv (Evelyn Hockstein/AP)

Speaking at a news conference after meeting senior Israeli leaders, Mr Blinken said Israel must stop taking steps that undercut the Palestinians ability to govern themselves effectively.

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He added that Israel must be a partner of the Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people and live side by side in peace with Israel.

Settler violence, settlement expansion, home demolitions and evictions all make it harder, not easier, for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security.

US officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take the reins in Gaza. Israeli leaders have rejected that idea but have not put forward a concrete plan beyond saying they will maintain open-ended military control over the territory.

Mr Blinken has said that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey had agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once the war ends. The leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are set to meet on Wednesday in Jordans southern Red Sea city of Aqaba.

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Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah (Fatima Shbair/AP)

The US, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support for Israels offensive, has pressed it to shift to more precise operations targeting Hamas, but the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with hundreds killed in recent days.

Israel has vowed to keep going until it destroys Hamas, which triggered the war with its October 7th attack into southern Israel. Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a week-long cease-fire in November.

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The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza  where entire neighbourhoods have been demolished  but is still battling small groups of militants. The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.

Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, roughly 1 per cent of the territorys population, and more than 58,000 people have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. About two-thirds of the dead are women and children.

Monday was one of the deadliest days yet for Israeli troops in Gaza, with nine killed, according to the military. Six died in an accidental blast when forces were preparing a controlled demolition of a weapons production site in central Gaza, the military said.

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Palestinians line up for food aid in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP)

It says 185 soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive began in late October.

Nearly 85 per cent of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting was severely hampering aid deliveries. Several warehouses, distribution centres, health facilities and shelters have been affected by the militarys evacuation orders, it said.

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The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October. Tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

The World Health Organisation has been unable to deliver supplies to the north for two weeks. OCHA said the military rejected five planned aid convoys to the north over that period, including deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities.
The bath in which Britain's Prince Andrew was accused of sexually attacking a 17-year-old was too small for a man of Prince Andrews size to enjoy a bath in let alone sex, newly unsealed legal documents claim.

Andrew (63) settled a civil sexual assault case out of court by paying millions to his accuser Virginia Giuffre in 2022, despite saying he had never met her.

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Ms Giuffre, who was sex trafficked by paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, previously said Andrew sexually assaulted her in British socialite Ghislaine Maxwells London home, telling BBC Panorama in 2019: There was a bath and it started there and then led into the bedroom.

The Duke of York with Virginia Giuffre, centre, and Ghislaine Maxwell (US Department of Justice/PA)

She added: It didnt last very long, the whole entire procedure. It was disgusting. He wasnt mean or anything but he got up and he said, Thanks, and walked out.

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The duke has strenuously denied the allegations, which have continued to hit the headlines over the past week because of the release of batches of court papers relating to a 2015 defamation case.

Maxwells solicitor Philip Barden said in his 2017 deposition, unsealed on Monday: She [Ms Giuffre] claimed she did have sex with Prince Andrew and that the sex occurred in what can only be described as a very small bathtub, too small for a man of Prince Andrews size to enjoy a bath in let alone sex.

The Duke of York denies the allegations (PA)

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He said Ms Giuffres story alleging Andrew had sex with her caused a feeding frenzy for the press, and called on the media to cease and desist from continuing to publish, saying they faced higher damages for ignoring my clear warning if they continued.

Maxwell, who has since been jailed for sex trafficking young girls for Epstein, is also previously said to have argued the tub  reported to be a standard size 5ft 6in by 2ft 4in bath and boxed in on three sides by walls  was too small for sex.

Ms Giuffre told Panorama she went to Tramp nightclub in London with Andrew and he was the most hideous dancer Ive ever seen in my life and his sweat was  raining basically everywhere.

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Andrew claimed in his disastrous Newsnight interview that he had a medical condition in 2001, after suffering an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when he was shot at, that meant he did not sweat.

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He said the alleged encounter with Ms Giuffre in 2001 did not happen and he spent the day with his daughter, Princess Beatrice, taking her to Pizza Express in Woking for a party.
The Peoples Democratic Party won the most seats in Bhutans parliamentary elections on Tuesday and will form the new government as residents hope politicians make good on promises to fix the economic crisis in the Himalayan nation.

Latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, a national broadcaster, showed the PDP had won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats to return to power, and the Bhutan Tendrel Party had secured 17.

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It was the countrys fourth general election since its transformation from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government in 2008.

The Election Commission of Bhutan will make its final declaration on Wednesday.



Polling officials unseal an electronic voting machine to count votes after the general election in Bhutan (Anupam Nath/AP)

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Candidates on Tuesdays ballot represented only the PDP of former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and the BTP led by former civil servant Pema Chewang.

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A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the ruling center-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa party.

Bhutan is located between China and India, with both neighbours vying for influence in the landlocked nation of around 800,000 people.

The severe economic crisis played a major role in campaigning. According to the World Bank, Bhutans economy grew at a rate of 1.7% over the past five years.

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With unemployment a chronic problem, an exodus of young people in search of higher education and jobs abroad is undermining the countrys economic potential.

In a bid to overcome the economic challenges, Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck announced in December plans for a megacity in Gelephu, a town on the border with the northeastern Indian state of Assam, that will have zero-carbon industries with foreign investment.

King Wangchuk said the city-building would be mindful of Bhutanese culture and tradition and will blend with the Himalayan ecosystem. He met top Indian business leaders who are expected to invest in the project.

Construction will take place in a specially administered zone in Bhutan that has investment-friendly laws.
Russias national elections commission on Tuesday registered the Communist Partys candidate to compete with President Vladimir Putin in the March election that Mr Putin is all but certain to win.

Nikolai Kharitonov joins two other candidates who were approved for the ballot last week.

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Mr Kharitonov, a member of the lower house of parliament, has opposed some of Mr Putins domestic policies but not Russias military operation in Ukraine.

Although the Communist candidate typically gets the second-highest vote tally, Mr Kharitonov does not present a significant challenge to Mr Putin. As the partys candidate in the 2004 election, he tallied just 13.8 per cent.

Vladimir Putin was first elected president in 2000. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP.

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Mr Putin has dominated Russian politics since he was first elected to the presidency in 2000.

The commission last week approved Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party for the March 15th-17th vote.

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Both of their parties are largely supportive in parliament of legislation backed by Mr Putins power-base United Russia party.

A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine was rejected last month from the presidential ballot.

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The elections commission refused to accept Yekaterina Duntsovas initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the paperwork, including spelling.

The Supreme Court then rejected Ms Duntsovas appeal against the commissions decision.

Mr Putin is running as an independent, and his campaign headquarters, together with branches of the ruling United Russia party and a political coalition called the Peoples Front, have collected signatures in support of his candidacy.

Under Russian law, independent candidates must be nominated by at least 500 supporters, and must also gather at least 300,000 signatures from 40 regions or more.
A victim of Jeffrey Epstein who claimed the paedophile financier made sex tapes of the Duke of York and Sir Richard Branson has repeated her allegation that there are videos that exist.

Sarah Ransome told ITVs Good Morning Britain she is sure the people who know the alleged tapes exist are very frightened of them being released.

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Ms Ransome, who gave a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for sex trafficking, appeared to write communications claiming the two men, along with former US president Bill Clinton, were filmed by Epstein.

On behalf of Sir Richard, a Virgin Group spokeswoman said: In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ransome admitted that she had invented the tapes.

We can confirm that Sarah Ransomes claims are baseless and unfounded.

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On Tuesday, the day after the files were released, Ms Ransome appeared to double down on her claim, telling the broadcaster: There are videos that exist.

The people that know they exist Im sure are very frightened of them being released.

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She continued: Its no secret that everything was recorded.

Multiple victims have come forward confirming my account, along with others.

Ive also seen recordings in his office.

The extracts were flagged by a firm representing Epsteins lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, to demonstrate Ms Ransome manifestly lacks credibility.

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Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.

He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

The duke strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

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A Virgin spokeswoman described the allegations of a sex tape involving Sir Richard Branson as baseless and unfounded Photo: Euan Cherry/PA.

A US judge ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Ms Giuffres previously settled civil claim against Maxwell, which was filed in 2015.

Addressing the claims about Andrew and Sir Richard in the document released as part of another tranche published on Monday, Ms Ransome wrote: When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffrey.

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Thank God she managed to get a hold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her.

Frustratingly enough Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that!

When my friend eventually had the courage to speak out and went to the police in 2008 to report what had happened, nothing was done and she was utterly humiliated by the police department where she went to report what had happened with Epstein, Clinton, Branson and Prince Andrew.

The communication extracts came from a letter from Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP to the court, in which the firm said allegations against Epsteins lawyer, Mr Dershowitz, were categorically false.

The firm said: Her (Ms Ransome) testimony was fabricated from whole cloth. Ms Ransomes testimony also contains a slew of other incendiary claims concerning the sexual proclivities of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and other prominent individuals.

The emails are a necessary antidote to Ms Ransomes deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility.

The Duke of York has always strenuously denied any allegations of wrongdoing. Photo: Chris Jackson/PA.

Images were also released as part of the latest tranche of documents, including a resurfaced photo of former Labour minister Lord Mandelson with Epstein on his private island, Little St James.

Other pictures, all taken on the island in 2006, included one of Maxwell with disgraced French model scout Jean Luc-Brunel and various girls posing for photos.

Ms Ransome also claimed many girls had sexual relations with former US president Donald Trump, adding that he liked flicking and sucking her friends nipples until they were raw.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.

His death was ruled a suicide.

Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.

The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had faded, distorted and motivated memories.

Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.
Former UK Post Office boss Paula Vennells is to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters.

The former chief executive, who ran the Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system, was appointed a CBE in December 2018.

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It comes after demands for her to return the honour intensified after an ITV drama brought the widespread miscarriage of justice back into the spotlight.

More than 1.2 million people have signed a petition calling for her to be stripped of the honour.

Protesters outside the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry in 2022 (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

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More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after faulty Fujitsu accounting software Horizon made it look like money was missing from their shops.

A public inquiry into the scandal is ongoing.

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In a statement, Ms Vennells said: I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the Inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the Inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

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I am, however, aware of the calls from subpostmasters and others to return my CBE.

I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the Inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.

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A public inquiry into the Horizon scandal is ongoing (Lewis Stickley/PA)

Explained Explained: What is Britain's Post Office scandal? Read More

Ms Vennells was chief executive of the company from 2012 to 2019.

Earlier this week, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said he wanted to speed up the compensation process for victims of the scandal.

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It is understood justice secretary Alex Chalk met Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake on Monday to discuss how to help the convicted branch managers clear their names.
Opposition politicians in Italy on Monday demanded the government, headed by far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni, to explain how hundreds of demonstrators were able to give a banned fascist salute at a Rome rally without any police intervention.

The rally on Sunday in a working-class neighbourhood was to remember the killing in 1978 of two members of a neo-fascist youth group in an attack later claimed by extreme-left militants.

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At one point in the rally, participants raised their right arm in a straight-armed salute that harks back to the fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini.

Under post-war legislation, use of fascist symbolism, including the straight-armed salute also known as the Roman salute, is banned.





Se gridi Viva lItalia antifascista a teatro vieni identificato, se vai a unadunata neofascista con saluti romani e striscioni invece no.



Piantedosi chiarisca come sia potuto accadere.

E Meloni non ha niente da dire? Advertisement Advertisement  Elly Schlein (@ellyesse) January 8, 2024

Democratic Party chief Elly Schlein, who heads the largest opposition party in the legislature, was among those demanding that Ms Melonis interior minister appear in Parliament to explain why police apparently did nothing to stop the rally.

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Ms Schlein and others noted that last month, when a theatre-goer at a La Scala opera house premiere shouted Long live anti-fascist Italy, the man was quickly surrounded by police from Italys anti-terrorism squad.

If you shout Long live anti-fascist Italy in a theatre, you get identified (by police); if you go to a neo-fascist gathering with Roman salutes and banner, you dont, said Ms Schlein on X, formerly Twitter. Then she added: Meloni has nothing to say?

Rai state television said on Monday that Italian police were investigating the mass salute.

Leaders of Italys tiny Jewish community also expressed dismay.

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Its right to recall the victims of political violence, but in 2024 this cant happen with hundreds of people who give the Roman salute, Ruth Dureghello, who for several years led Romes Jewish community, tweeted.

Mussolinis anti-Jewish laws helped pave the way for the deportation of Italian Jews during the German occupation of Rome in the latter years of the Second World War.

Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has its roots in neo-fascism, has distanced herself from Mussolinis dictatorship, declaring that  the Italian right has handed fascism over to history for decades now.
The British justice secretary is holding crunch talks with judges on Tuesday on expediting clearing the names of hundreds of subpostmasters who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said the discussions are under way as the British government considers ways to overturn the convictions, including possible legislation.

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Ministers intend to move very quickly to resolve the issue, he said, after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said the Government is moving swiftly to help wronged Post Office staff Photo: James Manning/PA.

Mr Stride told Times Radio: Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is in discussions with senior people within the justice system, judges and so on, to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible.

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On Sky News, he said: My understanding is that they are happening now.

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So this is something that is happening hour by hour. Its not something thats going to happen next week. It is happening right now, and we intend to move very quickly.

A solution could be announced by the end of the week, the Cabinet minister said.

With more than 700 subpostmasters having received criminal convictions for allegations such as theft and false accounting, Mr Stride was challenged over the slow pace of them being cleared and whether the British government was asleep at the wheel.

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I wouldnt accept that, he said, pointing to the public inquiry examining what went wrong being set up some years ago and the payout of 138 million of compensation.

Asked whether Rishi Sunak as chancellor was slow to pay out compensation to subpostmasters, Mr Stride said: No, I dont think that is a fair charge at all.

Just updated @houseofcommons on the #horizonscandal. Together, we stand united to ensure that such a tragedy can never be allowed to happen again, we accelerate compensation and the overturning of convictions. Constructive meeting with @AlexChalkChelt about options, continuing Advertisement  Kevin Hollinrake MP (@kevinhollinrake) January 8, 2024

MPs have called for Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as if money was missing from shops, to pay for compensating wronged Post Office staff.

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Mr Stride suggested the company might have to stump up if the inquiry concludes it blundered, saying it wont necessarily just be the taxpayer who is on the hook for this money.

He told LBC Radio: To the extent that that culpability rests upon the shoulders of others than government, then I think you can expect ministers to come to the appropriate conclusions. And perhaps it wont be just the taxpayer that is on the hook for those costs.

But he stopped short of saying the Japanese tech firm should be barred from being awarded millions of pounds of Government contracts while the Post Office inquiry is ongoing.

My view is that we need to wait to see what the inquiry decides in terms of culpability.

Now in the event that it determines that Fujitsu made a number of knowing mistakes and caused all sorts of problems that wouldnt have otherwise have occurred, then that would strike me as being quite a serious situation and I would expect some very serious consequences.

But we dont know that at this stage until the inquiry goes through all its due processes.

Ministers are looking at changing the rules around private prosecutions by companies, Mr Stride said, amid calls including from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to strip prosecution powers from the Post Office.

The senior Tory also said Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has big questions to answer on his role in the Horizon scandal as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.

Reports suggest that 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITVs Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast.

The Post Office is wholly owned by the British government.
Labour will table a vote in the British Parliament on Tuesday calling for the release of documents relating to the UK governments Rwanda migrants deportation policy.

The vote, which will be part of a Humble Address on the Opposition Day debate in the Commons, will ask for any documents that show the cost of relocating each individual asylum seeker to Rwanda as well as a list of all payments made or scheduled to be made to Rwandas government.

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It will also ask for the UK governments internal breakdown of the more than 35,000 asylum decisions made last year and an unredacted copy of the confidential memorandum of understanding ministers reached with the East African country.

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Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK governments refusal to come clean on the cost of the Rwanda scheme is totally unacceptable.

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The Conservatives should stop dragging out this chaos and come clean about the real costs and problems, Ms Cooper said.

So far costs are apparently rising to 400 million of taxpayers money with more Home Secretaries than asylum seekers sent to Kigali and it is only likely to cover less than 1% of those arriving in the UK.

It comes after the BBC said it has seen No 10 papers from March 2022, a month before the Rwanda plan was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson, which showed that now prime minister Rishi Sunak had doubts over the impact of deporting migrants to Kigali.

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UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has denied reports he was going to scrap the Rwanda migrants deportation policy (James Manning/ PA)

The documents suggest he was also concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to Africa and wanted to limit the numbers.

Ms Cooper said: We now know Rishi Sunak had huge doubts about the scheme when he was Chancellor and weve heard he tried to cancel it in the leadership campaign.

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It is totally unacceptable that the Conservatives have refused to come clean on the full costs of the failing Rwanda scheme.

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak on Monday stressed the importance of the Rwanda policy and insisted he never said he was going to axe the policy, but did not deny considering it.

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He said: I didnt say I was going to scrap it. I mean thats completely false. Of course I didnt.

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Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the Governments refusal to come clean on the costs of the Rwanda scheme is totally unacceptable (Peter Byrne/ PA)

Mr Sunak said it was his job as then chancellor to ask some probing questions and scrutinise money spent on taxpayers behalf.

But ultimately he backed the policy because I believe in this scheme, the Tory leader said, stressing the need for a deterrent for illegal immigration.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill, a piece of legislation Mr Sunak hopes will prevent further legal challenges to the policy, will likely return to the Commons this month for debate.

Critics on the right of his party have threatened to amend or even vote down the legislation if it is not tightened before it is next put before MPs.

Mr Sunak said he would welcome bright ideas on how to improve the Bill, while insisting my entire party is supportive of the legislation.

The UK prime minister has made the scheme central to his premiership since entering Downing Street.
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A crippling fuel leak has forced a US company to give up on landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Astrobotic Technologys lander began losing fuel soon after Mondays launch. The spacecraft also encountered problems keeping its solar panel pointing towards the sun and generating solar power.

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Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon, Astrobotic said in a statement.

Astrobotic had been targeting a lunar landing on February 23 after a roundabout, fuel-efficient flight to the moon.



The launch of the ULA Vulcan VC2S rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida (ULA/PA)

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It could have been the first US moon landing in more than 50 years, and the first by a private company.

A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month.

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Only four countries have pulled off a successful moon landing.

The company said the new goal was to keep the lander operating as long as possible in space to learn as much as possible for its next mission a year or so from now.

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Flight controllers managed to keep the spacecraft pointing toward the sun and its battery fully charged, with another 40 hours of operations expected.

The Pittsburgh-based company did not elaborate on why the Peregrine landers propellant system failed just hours into the flight.

Nasa paid Astrobotic 108 million dollars (85 million) to fly its experiments to the moon on this mission, part of the agencys commercial lunar programme.
Polands president has given refuge to two politicians convicted of abuse of power, welcoming the members of the former ruling party into the presidential palace as police went to their homes to arrest them.

The legal drama is building into a stand-off between the new government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Law and Justice, the national conservative party that governed Poland for eight years until last month after its defeat in a general election in October.

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President Andrzej Duda, whose second and last term runs until mid-2025, is closely aligned politically with Law and Justice, and is making it clear that he will oppose Mr Tusks agenda.



Donald Tusk (Czarek Sokolowski/AP)

The escalating dispute centres on two senior members of Law and Justice, former interior minister Mariusz Kaminski and his former deputy Maciej Wasik.

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They were convicted of abuse of power for actions taken in 2007 when they served in an earlier Law and Justice-led government, and were sentenced in December to two years in prison. They both insist they are innocent.

On Monday a court issued orders for police to arrest them and deliver them to prison.

After Law and Justice won power in 2015, Mr Duda issued a pardon to Kaminski and Wasik after they were convicted of abuse of power but before their appeals had gone to a higher court, allowing them to take on high government positions.

Many legal experts argued that presidential pardons are to be reserved for cases that have gone through all appeals.

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In June, Polands Supreme Court overturned the presidential pardons and ordered a retrial.

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On Tuesday, Mr Duda invited the two men to his palace for a ceremony where he appointed two officials who had worked for them as his new advisers. His office posted a photo of him posing with all four.

After the ceremony, Kaminski and Wasik went outside to deliver remarks to reporters, telling them police had searched their homes while they were away. They then went back inside the presidential palace, where they remained for several hours.

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We are not hiding, Kaminski said. We are currently with the president of the Republic of Poland until evil loses.

Mr Tusk accused the president of going along with actions by Law and Justice to create chaos and instability after its electoral defeat.

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He (Duda) must stop this spectacle, which is leading to a very dangerous situation, Mr Tusk said.



President Andrzej Duda, centre, with Stanislaw Zaryn, Maciej Wasik, Mariusz Kaminski and Blazej Pobozy (President Palace/Jakub Szymczuk/AP)

Parliamentary speaker Szymon Holownia postponed a planned session of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, which had been scheduled to start on Wednesday, until next week.

Kaminski and Wasik, who were re-elected as legislators in October, said they wanted to take part in the session, even though Mr Holownia and others insist that, under the law, their guilty sentences strip them of their parliamentary mandates.

Mr Holownia said the situation had created a deep constitutional crisis that does not guarantee that the Sejms deliberations this week would be peaceful.

Mr Tusk said Mr Duda is obstructing justice. At a news conference, he read out a section of the penal code which he alleged Mr Duda has violated, and carries a prison term from three months to five years.

I just want the president to be aware of what his political friends have tricked him into. They are the ones setting a trap for him, not me, Mr Tusk said.
Spain's government proposed a nationwide mandate for people to wear masks in hospitals and health clinics on Monday, and Italy said respiratory illness infection rates had hit a record, as flu and Covid spread across Europe.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended that people on the continent stay home if they feel sick, and consider wearing masks in crowds or healthcare settings, with flu spreading as it typically does this time of year but hitting some countries harder than others.

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It said Europeans should follow national guidelines on vaccinating vulnerable groups. Flu is now circulating at higher levels than other common respiratory pathogens, including the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19, it said.

Several Spanish regions already ordered patients, visitors and staff at hospitals to wear masks last week. Spain's central government proposed on Monday extending that requirement nationwide, but regional leaders in charge of health policy have so far rejected that, with a decision expected on Wednesday.

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"One thing we know will limit epidemics and protect vulnerable people is the mask," health minister Monica Garcia said on TVE. "It is a common sense measure, scientifically supported and widely accepted by the public." The government has also proposed allowing people to self-diagnose lighter cases and take three days off work rather than needing a doctor's note, Garcia said.

Spain was among the last European countries to drop requirements to wear face masks following the Covid-19 pandemic, with people told to wear them on public transport until February 2023, and in health centres and pharmacies until July.

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Record high

In Italy, people suffering from flu-like illnesses, which include both flu and Covid-19, reached a record high in the last two weeks of 2023, superseding even the Covid epidemic, according to data issued by the National Health Institute (ISS).

The incidence in Italy was 17.5 cases per thousand people in the 52nd week and 17.7 cases per thousand people in the previous week.

ISS experts said the rise could be blamed on the fact that most people were no longer wearing masks and that fewer people had sought vaccinations so far this season. So far there has been no sign that the Italian government is considering re-introducing mask mandates.

Portuguese Health Minister Manuel Pizarro said on Monday there's currently no reason for a generalised recommendation regarding mask use while acknowledging the country was experiencing a flu epidemic that had increased waiting times in hospital emergency wards to more than 10 hours in recent weeks.

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In intensive care units, the proportion of influenza cases reached a record 17% in the last week of 2023, according to the health authority.

Countries in other parts of the world were also adopting mask usage once more. Hospitals in at least four US states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of Covid seasonal flu and other respiratory illness.
A sprawling winter storm hit the US with strong thunderstorms and tornado warnings that brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half a foot of snow.

The violent storm with 55mph (88 kph) winds and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into parts of Alabama and Georgia by sunrise on Tuesday, along with at least several reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes, the US National Weather Service said.

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A wind gust of 106mph (171 kph) was recorded before dawn near the coast in Walton County, Florida.

We still have potentially strong storms in that area through (Tuesday) morning and the potential for more severe weather and tornadoes, meteorologist Lance Franck in Tallahassee said.



Snow coats a cow in Palmer, Nebraska (Josh Salmon/The Independent via AP)

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A section of Panama City Beach, Florida, showed parts of roofs blown away, furniture, fences and debris strewn about and a house that appeared tilted on side, leaning on another home, WJHG-TV reported.

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In Panama City, about 10 miles (16km) away, police early on Tuesday asked residents to stay indoors and off the roads unless absolutely necessary as officers checked on damage from the storms, including downed power lines and trees.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis activated the Florida State Guard on Monday night to prepare for any storm-related impacts.

A number of schools were closed in the region and more than 140,000 customers were without power in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, according to the PowerOutage.us website.

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In the Midwest, where a snowstorm started on Monday, up to 30cm of snow could blanket a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, large parts of Iowa, northern Missouri and northwestern Illinois, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

From there, the storm was expected to head east, bringing a combination of snow, rain and strong winds to the North East by Tuesday night, as well as concerns about flooding in areas such as New England, parts of which got more than a foot of snow on Sunday.

Whiteout conditions in central Nebraska and Kansas closed long stretches of motorways.

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In Nebraska, federal courts in Omaha and Lincoln closed on Monday, and the US Army Corps of Engineers increased the water flow at a Missouri River dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton to reduce the chance of ice jams forming. Dubuque, on Iowas eastern border with Illinois, closed its city offices on Tuesday. Schools in Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa were among those also closing.

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The weather has already affected campaigning for Iowas January 15 precinct caucuses, where the snow is expected to be followed by frigid temperatures that could drift below zero degrees (minus 18C).

It forced former US president Donald Trumps campaign to cancel multiple appearances by Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who had been scheduled to court Iowa voters on Mr Trumps behalf on Monday.

Madison, Wisconsin, was under a winter storm warning until early Wednesday, with as much as 23cm of snow and 40mph (64 kph) winds.

Northwestern Illinois was also under a winter storm warning with forecasts predicting 18 to 30cm of snow by early Wednesday.

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The Chicago area as well as Gary, Indiana, were under winter storm advisories, with forecasts predicting 15cm of snow.

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Disruptions extended as far south as the Oklahoma panhandle, where Cimmaron County emergency managers asked people to stay at home.

Another storm was on the way that will affect the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies, forecasters said. Blizzard warnings were out for much of the Cascade and Olympic ranges in Washington and Oregon.
Rishi Sunak faces a showdown with MPs over his Rwanda Bill when it returns to the UK House of Commons next week.

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt on Tuesday announced the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bills committee stage will take place on January 16th and 17th.

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The UK prime minister is under pressure from both sides of his party over the legislation, which is aimed at overcoming the Supreme Courts objections to the stalled plan to deport some migrants to the African country.

Following todays ruling, Im taking the extraordinary step of introducing emergency legislation to confirm Rwanda is safe.



I will not allow a foreign court, like the European Court of Human Rights, to block these flights.



Heres the plan in full 

1/5 pic.twitter.com/6MVqYWS65O Advertisement  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 15, 2023 Advertisement

Those on the right want the controversial legislation to be tightened, while more centrist Tories have threated to oppose the Bill if it risks breaching international law.

Mr Sunak has said he would welcome bright ideas on how to improve the Bill, but has previously insisted it strikes the right balance with only an inch between his rescue plan and more radical measures that would risk Kigali pulling out of the scheme.

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The legislation seeks to enable Parliament to deem Rwanda safe generally but makes limited allowances for personal claims against being sent to the east African nation under a clause disliked by Conservative hardliners.

Centrist former deputy prime minister Damian Green said the prime minister had assured him the Bill would not be strengthened.

The Prime Ministers looked me in the eye and said that he doesnt want to go any further and potentially break international law by ignoring its human rights obligations, he told the New Statesman.

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Mr Sunak won a key Commons vote on his emergency draft law in December despite speculation about a major rebellion by Tory MPs.

But it faces further dissent during the upcoming parliamentary stages and heavy scrutiny in the Lords.

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Meanwhile, Labour was set to table a vote in Parliament on Tuesday calling for the release of documents relating to the scheme.

The vote, which will be part of a Humble Address on the Opposition Day debate in the Commons, will ask for any documents that show the cost of relocating each individual asylum seeker to Rwanda as well as a list of all payments made or scheduled to be made to Rwandas government.

The Opposition party has warned that the cost of sending asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Kigali could rise to as much as 400 million.

It will also ask for the UK governments internal breakdown of the more than 35,000 asylum decisions made last year and an unredacted copy of the confidential memorandum of understanding ministers reached with the East African country.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK governments refusal to come clean on the cost of the Rwanda scheme was totally unacceptable.

The Rwanda policy is seen as key to Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop the boats (James Manning/PA)

The prime minister has made the policy central to his premiership and key to his pledge to prevent Channel crossings.

But reports have suggested that he had doubts about the policy when he was chancellor and during his campaign for the Tory leadership.

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Meanwhile, Downing Street denied Mr Sunak had overruled the UK Home Offices plans to close dozens more asylum hotels.

The Times reported that the department in October drew up proposals to shut 100 hotels by January, but the prime minister ordered the target to be reduced to 50 because of concerns a spike in crossings in the summer could force them to reopen.

His official spokesman said: Those claims are not true, hotel numbers have always been determined exclusively by Home Office need.

The Prime Minister has not intervened in those decisions. It is right that were making progress in closing hotels. The first 50 are due to be closed by the end of this month and there will be more in the coming months.

 MSF and @DOTW_UK are now providing primary healthcare to people seeking asylum in the UK who are being held at the large-scale containment site at Wethersfield in Essex.https://t.co/SSOt2CRXx8

1/4 pic.twitter.com/0VhE89FeXQ  MSF UK (@MSF_uk) January 9, 2024

The UK government is housing asylum seekers on military bases and the Bibby Stockholm barge in an effort to reduce the cost of hotel bills.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, the medical charity also known as Doctors Without Borders, said it is now treating people housed in RAF Wethersfield, a disused airbase in Home Secretary James Cleverlys Essex constituency.

The NGO, known for emergency relief in conflict zones, said it was the first time it has opened a project working with people seeking sanctuary in the UK.
The deal comes as Vogue and other Conde Nast magazines based at Vogue House, including Tatler and GQ, move out of the building.

The seven-storey building on Hanover Square, which was built in 1958, had been marketed for 70 million, but Ofer is understood to have paid 75 million for the property. His company, Global Holdings Management Group, confirmed the sale on Monday.

Publisher Conde Nast has sold Vogue House in Londons Mayfair to Eyal Ofer, a Monaco-based, Israeli businessman worth an estimated $US23 billion ($34 billion).

Vogues London offices have been sold to an Israeli shipping billionaire in a 75 million ($142 million) deal.

Eyal Ofer has added Vogue House to his extensive property portfolio. Credit: Bloomberg

Staff were told in January last year that Conde Nast would leave the office block after more than six decades.

Vogue House has hosted some of the biggest names in fashion, music and royalty over the decades, with notable associations to Vogue (US) editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, supermodels such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, and Princess Diana.

Conde Nast said it made many attempts to find a way to expand and redesign the space to meet our needs, [but] there were just too many challenges to be able to do so.

The building will be renamed 1 Hanover Square once the sale is completed.
Alaska Airlines flight 1282 was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, on the weekend when a plug holding one of its economy cabin doors blew off soon after take-off. This created a gaping hole in the body of the plane.

A blown cabin panel aboard an Alaska Airlines flight over the weekend has sparked air safety investigations into Boeings 737 Max line used by major airlines all over the world. Credit: The Seattle Times

The plane made an emergency landing and the 177 people on board landed safely, but it has caused air safety investigations all over the world to probe whether there may be issues with other Boeing 737 Max aircraft in operation.

Global manufacturing giant Boeing and its many airline clients became panicked over the weekend after a cabin panel on an Alaska Airlines aircraft flew open mid-flight.

The flight made an emergency return to Portland where its 171 passengers and six crew landed safely. The hole occurred at almost 5000 metres and caused the aircraft to depressurise. Some passengers lost items of clothing and other personal items but no major injuries were reported.

The cabin door plug that flew open on the Max 9 can function as an emergency exit in certain configurations but is generally sealed. This is because few airlines that fly the Max 9 choose to fit it with its maximum 220 seats due to the extra weight and reduced cabin flexibility. In this instance, one of the plugs used to seal the extra door fell out.

The head of the US National Transportation Safety Bureau Jennifer Homendy told a press conference on Tuesday that pilots had previously reported pressurisation warning lights on three prior flights made by the affected aircraft earlier this month. Its too early to tell whether these events were related to the Alaska Airlines incident.

Homendy said Alaska Airlines prevented the plane from making long-haul flights over water to ensure the aircraft was close to an airport in case an issue occurred but did not complete a requested maintenance check ahead of the incident.

Have any other issues been found?
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 In Sydney this summer there is one exhibition drawing bigger attendance than all the other shows combined. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs at the Australian Museum feeds on a fascination with Ancient Egypt that hasnt dimmed since 1988, when a previous blockbuster named Gold of the Pharaohs was shown in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. It reputedly attracted a million visitors, which represented 6 per cent of Australias population. To replicate that achievement today would require 1.6 million visitors, which is hardly likely, even allowing for a lengthy season. Nevertheless, with pre-sales exceeding 100,000 the AM is confident it has a winner. It continues a run of success this underrated institution has enjoyed over the past decade under Kim McKays eminently practical leadership. As funds have become available the museum has undertaken a series of important renovations, proceeding one step at a time. Look, for instance at the new Minerals Gallery, which deserves to be a major attraction. A granite bust of Mernepth at the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition at the Australian Museum. Credit: Louise Kennerley One may sneer at crowd-pleasing exhibitions on dinosaurs or Ancient Egypt, but its worth remembering that the AM is also a centre of scientific research  something that cant be said about the art museums. Theres nothing wrong with courting popularity when the money goes towards such useful ends. Loading It would be foolish to underestimate the appeal of so-called artefact shows such as Ramses. The AGNSW has rarely had bigger attendances than for Gold of the pharaohs or the Entombed Warriors of 1982. The first book I bought was about Tutankhamun, and Ive never outgrown my interest in Ancient Egypt. In these days when so much of our experience is mediated by a digital screen, its thrilling to see objects that are more than 2000 years old - relics of a civilisation that commands a permanent niche in our popular culture.

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Nothing brings history alive more powerfully than a face-to-face confrontation with those relics of the past, which was probably director Ridley Scotts thought when he included a scene in Napoleon of Bonaparte staring into the face of a mummy with a striking resemblance to Ramses. Ramses the Great, King of Kings, is a figure who bears comparison to Napoleon, and to every famous autocrat, from Alexander the Great to Mao Zedong. The stats alone tell a story. He lived to the age of 90, at a time when average life expectancy was less than 30. He ruled for 65 years from 1279-1213 BCE, fathered more than 100 children, and would outlive 12 potential heirs to the throne. Dr Mostafa Wazziry, Secretary-General of the Supreme council of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt at the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition. Credit: Louise Kennerley After a turbulent beginning, Ramses long reign became an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity  a Golden Age that his successors tried in vain to recapture. He was also the greatest builder since Khufu (c. 2589-2566 BCE), who commissioned the Great Pyramid. Among thousands of temples, monuments and statues spread across Egypt and its client states, Ramses most famous achievements were the temple of Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum near Luxor, the renovated temples at Thebes, and a new capital city, Piramesse. The latter has vanished, but the others, especially the gigantic figures at Abu Simbel, are among Egypts leading tourist magnets. The AM exhibition strives to do justice to Ramses IIs life and works, with sections devoted to these monuments, although its difficult to convey a feeling of scale or the sense of awe inspired by such gigantic feats. A colossal statue of Ramses on display as part of the exhibition, Like Napoleon, Ramses was a master of propaganda who turned every skirmish on the battlefield into a triumph. The defining conflict of his life took place in 1274 BCE, only five years into his reign, when he allegedly fought off massively superior Hittite forces single-handedly. The battle of Kadesh, as it became known, would be celebrated on the walls of temples and tombs forever after. No viewer could have ever imagined the encounter was nothing better than a stalemate in which the Egyptians failed to achieve their objectives.

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Ramses longevity and his mania for monuments ensured that he would be remembered long after his actual name had become confused and corrupted. In the 5th century BCE Herodotus spoke about the great king, Rhampsinitus. In 1818 Shelley took him as the model for Ozymandias, in his classic sonnet of that name. Ramses was widely believed to be the Pharaoh who hardened his heart against the Israelites in the Book of Exodus. The show draws on Egypts national collections of antiquities and has been curated by Zahi Hawass, who has become a celebrity egyptologist through countless TV appearances. Hawass owes his popularity to his ability to communicate abstruse knowledge to the broadest popular audience, and the catalogue he has written for this exhibition is a kind of everything-you-always-wanted-to-know about Ancient Egypt. The Ramses exhibition is at the Australian Museum until May. The show proceeds in a similar fashion. It wasnt possible to put together a display based solely on the era of Ramses II, so items relating to the pharaoh have been threaded through the display, along with representative pieces from other dynasties. There is, for instance, a seated stone statue of Ramses mother, Queen Tuya, and one of the young Ramses kneeling in worship. The major attraction is not Ramses mummy, which remains at home in Egypt, but the wooden sarcophagus in which his body was re-entombed when his original burial place was threatened by tomb robbers. Such seminal pieces are complemented by roughly 180 other antiquities, large and small, ranging from the mummy of a scarab beetle to an imposing, elaborately decorated box that formed the outer coffin of the tomb of the artist, Sennedjem. Its one of the pleasures of this show that it contains objects that make us rethink our reconceptions of Ancient Egypt. We find that Sennedjem, an artist who specialised in tomb decoration, was no mere tradesman but a figure with knowledge and social standing. Rather than cater solely to the royal family and the high priests, he was wealthy enough to invest in his journey to the afterlife. The Gold Bracelet of Sheshonq I with Wedjat Eye.

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In the drawings and notes on limestone shards, called ostracons, we see the artists making preliminary sketches and even indulging in jokes. They couldnt do this on paper because the papyrus used by the Egyptians was far too expensive and difficult to make. In these drawings on stone we catch a glimpse of personalities from 2,000 years ago. Perhaps the most vivid fragment is one that shows a cartoon cat standing upright and herding geese with a stick. These objects are complemented by a multimedia presentation that includes large-scale videos and even a VR piece in which we meet Ramses favourite wife, Queen Nefertari, dressed in something by Issey Miyake, who takes us on a tour of her tomb until she is interrupted by the roaring spirit of the pharaoh himself. If it sounds as if theres a lot of show business in this show, I can confirm those suspicions, but theres also a wealth of scholarship and a brilliant array of artefacts, including enough golden jewellery to make one wonder if it was only hyperbole when ancient commentators said that in Egypt, gold was like dust. A gold spouted heset vase with inscribed cartouches of Ahmose I. The only disappointing part of the whole package is the exhibition shop, which is stuffed with all the usual doodads and trinkets but doesnt include a single noteworthy book apart from the catalogue. This is pretty disgraceful, considering the number of excellent, highly readable books published in recent years by authors such as Toby Wilkinson, Joyce Tyldesley and John Romer, to name only a few. When it came out in 2013, Wilkinsons The Life and Death of Ancient Egypt, roared up the 2013 New York Times Bestseller List. Surely there are plenty of people eager to read a good book about figures such as Ramses, Tutankhamun, Akhenaten, Nefertiti or Cleopatra. Loading With Ancient Egypt on the school history curriculum, and the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Cairo set to be the most important museum launch of the 21st century, theres every reason for us to want to learn more about the land of the Pharaohs. Or indeed, about Ramses himself, who had one stroke of wisdom that shines down the centuries, when he signed the first-ever peace treaty between warring states, making allies out of his former enemies, the Hittites. In doing so he broke an age-old cycle of violence and laid the foundations for the Golden Age that followed. Two thousand years later, with the Middle East still torn by hatred and bloodshed, it seems were very slow to learn our lessons.
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Eating outThe scoop Darlinghursts fun new bar gives childhood classics a grown-up spin. Read this before you waltz in The scoop on what to order, who to go with and where to sit at The Waratah, an ode to Australiana complete with fairy bread and loaded Aussie burgers. Bianca Hrovat January 9, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

As featured in the Sydney hit list February 2024 See all stories .

The Waratah in Darlinghurst is a new bar and dining room feeding Sydneys voracious appetite for nostalgia. From colourful fairy bread-inspired ice-cream sandwiches to fully loaded Aussie burgers, the menu is awash with childhood party classics made more grown-up through the use of Indigenous ingredients, alongside ice-cold Daintree forest-inspired cocktails. The fairy bread ice-cream sandwich. Jason Loucas The homage to Australiana opened to a big crowd on December 6, buoyed by its association with two-hatted Bondi restaurant Icebergs Dining Room & Bar. Icebergs head chef Alex Prichard worked alongside former colleague and Waratah head chef Lewin White to design the culinary concept. Equal care has been given to the drinks offering, spearheaded by 2021 World Class Bartender Evan Stroeve (ex-RE in Eveleigh). Stroeve co-owns The Waratah alongside Cynthia Litster as part of the newly formed Pollen Hospitality group. Its a beautiful (but narrow) two-storey space that combines the charm of a yesteryear pub with the earthy tones and fluid lines of the Australian landscape. At street level, the mood is fun and casual. Its walk-in only, with most of the seating confined to a long, hardwood bar and a smattering of small outdoor tables. The vibes are good, but the dine-in menu is limited. So if youre hungry, head upstairs.

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The Waratah in Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst. Jason Loucas You have two options at the top of the stairs (and fingers crossed you remembered to make a booking  its busy). To your left, theres a rooftop terrace, bathed in natural light (hello, well-lit Instagram photos) with plush banquette seating. Its partially enclosed, with a louvred ceiling and wrap-around glass windows (more weatherproof than the typical rooftop seating, for those unsure of which tables to reserve online). To your right is the main dining room with six seats at the bar, comfy corner tables nestled around the perimeter, and doors leading to a breezy, wrap-around verandah. Its all soft sages and deep maroons, a calming interior amped up by the constant flow of well-dressed wait staff and loud R&B music. Grilled king prawns and lemon myrtle butter. Jason Loucas What to eat

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If you love a pun, the menu features sea scallops on top of potato scallops ($15). But honestly, the dish doesnt hit as hard as the butterflied king prawns slathered in lemon myrtle butter ($30), or the exceptionally tender smoked pork cheek skewers ($17)  go easy on the mustard. Theres also a bougie play on fish and chips which looks fantastic: raw albacore tuna with pickled rose petals, finger lime and crisps ($23). But be mindful of snacks priced per person or per item  it can be disappointing to be served a single thumb-sized jamon and cheese croquette for $6, regardless of how tasty the accompanying green tomato chutney is. The must-order item is undoubtedly the Waratah burger with the lot ($23). An ode to the Aussie burger of yore, this beauty is stacked high with beetroot, bacon, a perfectly fried egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese and a thick Angus beef patty. Waratah spritz, made with Rhubi Mistelle, Archie Rose vodka, watermelon wine and vanilla. Jason Loucas What to drink

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The cocktail list is where its at. The bartenders go all-out with visually spectacular and unusual concoctions. Each season theyll focus on a different region of Australia, and right now, the list is inspired by Queensland produce. The strawberries and vanilla cocktail ($23) is refreshing and subtly sweet, a blend of whiskey, strawberries, Daintree vanilla, apricot and cream soda, but it was hard to pick between that and the raspberry and tea ($24) with tequila, native raspberries, blood lime, Daintree tea, saffron and egg whites. The Waratahs rooftop bar is more weatherproof than many. Jason Loucas Who to go with, and where to sit The different spaces within The Waratah make it a versatile choice, whether youre there for an intimate date night on the verandah; a boozy lunch with friends on the rooftop terrace; an afterwork tipple with colleagues at the public bar; or a weeknight dinner with Mum and Dad in the upstairs interior dining room (where youre better off avoiding bar seating, if theyre averse to talking over music). Choose your own adventure.

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The upstairs bar and dining room at The Waratah on Liverpool Street in Darlinghurst. Jason Loucas Pro tip If youre desperate to sink your teeth into that fairy bread ice-cream sandwich, order it at the same time as you order the mains. The kitchen is still honing its systems. Open Wed-Fri 4pm-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-10pm. 308-310 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, thewaratahsydney.com These are the 20 best bars in Sydney right now
British fashion brands fear losing their royal warrants amid concerns they will fail to convince eco-conscious King Charles of their green credentials.

Warrants held by a group of around 800 firms that supply the royal households face an upcoming review within two years following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles III in contemplation at Buckingham Palace in December. Credit: Getty

The reputable document, which allows firms to use the Royal Arms in their branding, is held by some of Britains most exclusive garment makers, such as Burberry, Barbour and Hunter.

However, industry insiders say fashion retailers are worried that the onus to prove their sustainability track records will be greater than ever under the new King.
A man jailed for the murder of a Queensland grandmother is suing the state for $5.5 million after his convictions were quashed.

Lawyers for Steven Mark John Fennell, who spent six years behind bars over the 2012 death of Liselotte Watson, have filed for damages related to his time in prison.

Steven Fennell being interviewed by reporters after his release in 2019. Credit: Nine News

Watson, 85, was found dead on the bedroom floor of her Macleay Island home after she had been repeatedly bashed in the head with a blunt object.

Fennell, a former junk-mail delivery driver, was acquitted of the murder and released after a High Court appeal in 2019.
Alexandra Kelly, from the Financial Rights Legal Centre, said premium increases in flood-prone areas were inevitable without a co-ordinated response from government and the insurance sector. Loading She said governments could trial home insurance subsidies in communities where insurance was unaffordable and adopt a national approach to planning for relocating communities at high risk of natural disaster. Chris Rodd, an insurance mediator who has been involved in flood claims since the 1990s, said the cost of flood insurance in central Victorian towns regularly being struck by flood events would go through the roof. In places like Rochester, the greater the frequency of the inundation and the cost to the insurer, the more likely it is that therell be a very substantial hike in premiums, he said.

Rodd said insurance companies could increase premiums by 35 to 45 per cent, depending on the eventual cost of claims from the latest flooding. You think about Rochester, its not a wealthy town ... they cant afford these massive premium increases. Wiebusch said about 20 homes and businesses in the Seymour area had been flooded. Four of the flooded homes had been unoccupied since the last flood in October 2022, when hundreds of homes and businesses went underwater. Rochester, also devastated in the 2022 flood, experienced major flooding, while six homes were inundated above their floors in Yea.

John Trowbridge, an insurance industry consultant, said it was likely there were now people living in the affected towns without flood cover due to the high cost. Its very unusual to have a flood in the same area just two years apart. And its not only happening in central Victoria, its happened up in south-east Queensland and northern NSW as well, he said. A man pushes his bike through floodwaters in Rochester. Credit: Jason South Every time there is a flood  the insurers will reassess, and they will almost certainly consider the risks to be higher, so they put the premiums up. Trowbridge said some properties in the northern NSW town of Lismore, flooded twice in 2022, and in western Sydney were now attracting insurance premiums around $25,000, which made insurance unaffordable to many.

Rodd, who formerly worked as a national claims manager for a major insurer, predicted that insurance would soon only be attainable for the wealthy, meaning that people would lose their homes in natural disasters unless the government stepped in. Loading Its getting to the point that the [increased] frequency of these floods, which are inextricably linked to climate change, is going to create [two classes] of people: those who have insurance, and those who dont. While visiting flood-affected Seymour, Premier Jacinta Allan said she would ask the federal government to support Victoria through the clean-up. I can accept and understand that for particular households in particular communities, when youve gone through the loss of a property, that is really, really, really deeply personal and a difficult experience to go through, she said.

That is why we are working incredibly hard through Emergency Recovery Victoria to support both individuals with particular targeted support and then broader community supports. Victorians can absolutely expect that we will push the federal government for a fair share of funding for affected communities, and indeed for issues that affect Victoria. In 2021, the $10 billion northern Australia reinsurance pool was established to insure 880,000 residential and small business properties that had reached the uninsurable threshold. Some experts have called for that to be extended to a national scheme. Victorian Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said getting insurance had been difficult for people in flood-affected areas for some time.

My family home flooded in 93 in Benalla and a lot of people in Benalla dont have flood insurance because they are priced out, Symes said. These are conversations that I am continuing to have with the federal emergency management commissioner. We have these conversations at our state and federal meetings. Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes in Seymour on Tuesday. Credit: Darrian Traynor Asked about flood insurance claims in Queensland on Tuesday, federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said insurers needed to ensure they werent stuffing around customers. Our message from all three levels of government to the insurers is very clear  do the right thing by your customers, Chalmers said. People have been through hell in some of these communities.

Many Victorian caravan parks, often located near waterways, are now unable to obtain flood cover, said Victorian Caravan Parks Association chief executive Scott Parker. He called on the state governments insurer, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, to provide insurance coverage in some instances. Loading Great park operators with a zero-claims history are either having to self-insure their businesses or accepting terms from unauthorised funders so they can operate for holidaymakers and to keep people in their caravan park homes, Parker said. Goulburn River Caravan Park manager Matt Borrack was examining cabins inundated by Mondays floodwaters and said he was feeling, of all things, thankful. Were lucky, I reckon, the Seymour local said. Despite record-breaking rain in nearby catchments just over 24 hours before, there was no longer a cloud in the sky and the temperature nudged 30 degrees.

The last floods probably cost us $1.2 million-plus, he said. We were shut for five months, so we lost income. We spent probably $800,000 plus rebuilding. And no insurance. In the October 2022 floods, the entire caravan park was underwater, and Borrack had to kayak to cabins to turn off gas bottles. Fifteen months on, only three cabins and one caravan have been impacted by above-floor flooding. Goulburn River Caravan Park manager Matt Borrack walks through the flooded site on Tuesday. Credit: Darrian Traynor The damage, although minor, isnt cheap: Borrack expects the final bill to be around $20,000. However, he and others working at the caravan park wont know for sure until water pooling at the back third of the property begins seeping down stormwater pipes and back to the river. Borrack hopes to welcome back tourists as soon as next week.

Weve got no general insurance at the moment. No [caravan] parks now can get general insurance. The insurance industry have wiped their hands of parks even though they didnt pay anyone out [in 2022]. You go, Why? One of the cabins inundated on Monday had fresh flooring installed days ago. Another cabin, which also went underwater in October 2022, was still awaiting renovation. We hadnt even fully reopened from the last one. [But] its going to be more of a general clean-up this time. Courtney Carroll, the owner of The Mower Shop in Seymour, spent Monday  her first day of trade since the Christmas break  moving stock given the shop was mired in waist-deep water during the October 2022 disaster. The shop didnt flood this week, but water came right to the entrance before receding.

Ive got a major issue with these gutters out the front, Carroll said. They can only take so much water and then the stormwater keeps inundating all these factories along here. So somethings got to be done. The mother of two is currently fighting a corporate insurance claim resulting from the 2022 floods. The insurance company in question has refused compensation on the grounds its modelling suggests the inundation was caused by the Goulburn River. Submerged play equipment at the Goulburn River Caravan Park in Seymour. Credit: Darrian Traynor However, Carroll has spent $16,000 on a private hydrologist who found the water came from the nearby stormwater system. The matter is currently before an independent arbitrator who is yet to make a final decision. And if the stress of Monday wasnt enough, Carrolls family home, also flooded in 2022, still isnt habitable. New flooring is yet to be installed, and her home insurance costs have increased fivefold since the last deluge.

Allan toured Seymour on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to visit Melbourne on Wednesday to receive briefings on Rochester, Yea, Seymour and surrounds. Carroll said she had a message for the Labor leaders. My [home] insurance is now $20,000 a year, she said. Hows that happening? Whos monitoring this? Several cars navigate the floodwaters in Rochester on Tuesday. Credit: Jason South Nationals state MP Annabelle Cleeland, whose Euroa electorate includes Seymour, said the Allan and Albanese governments needed to urgently invest in flood mitigation and insurance reform. Seymour grapples with falling business confidence every day due to unresolved issues surrounding residential and commercial insurance, she said.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Michael Efron said the weather was becoming more settled across the state after heavy falls of about 70 to 80 millimetres across much of Gippsland late on Monday. He said a severe weather warning was cancelled for eastern Victoria, but there was a slight chance of isolated thunderstorm activity over the far north-east of the state. As we head into Wednesday and Thursday, we are going to see those pretty settled conditions continuing with just a slight chance of some isolated showers and storms in the far east and north-east, he said. We are likely to see that shower and storm activity become a little more extensive over eastern and north-eastern districts, so with that activity, we could see some heavy rainfall but certainly not as much and not as extensive as what we have seen over the last few days.
So what do we know about the severity of JN.1, and could it soon relinquish its alphanumerical moniker and earn a name from the Greek alphabet, like Omicron and Delta? Loading Where did JN.1 come from? JN.1 first emerged from the Omicron variant BA.2.86, unofficially dubbed Pirola. Pirola has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein compared to the BA.2 Omicron variant that emerged in early 2022. Pirola raised alarms when it emerged because it was so heavily mutated, sparking fears it could take off as a highly infectious, vaccine-resistant strain.

After the initial waves of the original Wuhan strain, and then the Alpha, Beta, Delta waves, the next big change was Omicron, which was over 30 mutations away from Delta, says Adrian Esterman, a professor of biostatistics at the University of South Australia. He says the emergence of Omicron was followed by subvariant after subvariant, until we hit BA.2.86, or Pirola, which was again more than 30 mutations away from any previous subvariant  just as the original Omicron had been. Its been a major, major shift, he says. JN.1 has an additional mutation on its spike protein that makes it very transmissible and better at evading the immune system, which is why its fast becoming the dominant strain in many countries, including France, Canada, the US and India. It was initially thought that BA.2.86, or Pirola, would really take off around the world, and it didnt. With this new mutation, it now has, says Esterman. Omicron, Delta  is JN.1 our Pi?

The World Health Organisation dubbed JN.1 a variant of interest in December. Variants earn a name from the Greek alphabet only if WHO regards the strain as significantly more infectious or severe than previous iterations of the virus. Loading Some experts have argued BA.2.86 and JN.1 have proved sufficiently infectious to warrant the next letter in line  Pi. Thats also part of the reason BA.2.86 was unofficially dubbed Pirola; the name comes from a combination of Pi and Rho, the next Greek letters in line after Omicron. It is more transmissible, but whether its so much more transmissible that it would warrant its own name is another issue, Esterman says. But also, there is no evidence at the moment that it causes more severe disease. Studies published this week in scientific journal Cell used an artificial form of the BA.2.86 strain  called a pseudovirus  built by scientists in a lab.

The study found the virus entered lungs more efficiently compared with previous Omicron strains, which the researchers wrote was more characteristic of early, more severe iterations of COVID that infected the lower respiratory system and the lungs rather than milder infections in the upper respiratory tract. Vulnerable people are being urged to seek their booster shot. Credit: AP But Esterman says there was a better laboratory that showed JN.1 wasnt actually causing significantly more severe disease: America. In the USA, youve got 64 per cent of all cases being JN.1. Were not seeing a major increase in hospitalisation. Were really comparing test tube research to whats happening in real life. How should we respond to the new variant?

Even though it seems JN.1 isnt significantly nastier than its predecessors, every COVID-19 infection brings the risk of severe illness and of debilitating long COVID. The chance of contracting long COVID varies widely depending on who you are and what strain you catch, but Australias parliamentary inquiry into long COVID found the risk is between 2 and 20 per cent. Recent Australian research, yet to be peer-reviewed, found 18.2 per cent of triple-vaccinated COVID patients had long COVID symptoms 90 days after infection. JN.1s extra spike mutation makes it more immune evasive, meaning antibodies find it tricky to pin down and kill. But the good news is that the most recent vaccine to become available in Australia, the monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine, works well against BA.2.86 and JN.1, according to the latest research. NSW Healths McAnulty is urging people to meet outdoors, stay at home if experiencing flu-like symptoms, and get boosted. Esterman says he expects to see more hospital beds taken up by COVID patients in coming weeks.
The Golden Age of Athens may have passed  historians widely agree that was about the fifth century BC  but the city is thriving as a global tourist magnet, on track to receive even more international visitors in 2024 than in pre-pandemic 2019.

This, and the fact that it is Western Europes most densely populated capital after Paris, means it can often feel rather crowded, particularly in the lanes of Plaka, Athens oldest continuously inhabited neighbourhood, where souvenir stores and restaurants touting multi-language menus proliferate below the almighty Acropolis.

Boho-chic: Psyris cafes and bars are popular with visitors and locals. Credit: Y Skoulas

Yet there are alternative Athenian districts to explore, some with local life and buzz on virtually every corner, others with sleepy hidden pockets that Ive discovered on city breaks (and more recently on overnight stopovers before boarding cruises at the nearby port of Piraeus).

Greeks and travellers alike mingle in the boho-chic cafes and bars of Psyri (or Psiri), an enclave north of Plaka between Monastiraki and Omonoia squares, two of Athens major rendezvous points.
Necessity is the mother of invention. These may have been the wise words of the great philosopher Plato, but in the realm of hotels, the 20th-century traveller and entrepreneur, Kemmons Wilson was its best exponent.

Lobby, Dandenong Holiday Inn.

In 1951, Wilson, a property investor, was on a road trip in the US from his home in Memphis to Washington with his young family when he became dismayed at the standard and price of accommodation available.

He decided to open his own, with the promise of a chain of clean, standardised, affordable and family-friendly properties. Holiday Inn was born and it changed everything for would-be travellers, making the notion of a great getaway achievable for those other than the wealthy. It also changed the hotel industry, providing a blueprint for chain operations, spawning competitors and leading the way on many innovations.

There has been a real pioneering spirit, says Dean Jones of IHG Hotels & Resorts, of which Holiday Inn is a part.
Rather than form part of Giuffres claim against Maxwell, as one might expect, they were lodged with the New York court in an effort to undermine her case. The emails were included in a document lodged by a legal firm representing Epsteins lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, in order to demonstrate that Ransome manifestly lacks credibility. In one, sent to her friend Maureen Callahan in October 2016, Ransome wrote: When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were, in fact, filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffery. Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein at a party at Mar-a-Lago in 2000. Melania Trump is on the left. Credit: Getty Thank God she managed to get a hold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her.

She added: Frustratingly enough, Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that! After two hours of trying to convince my friend to come forward with me, I eventually managed to persuade her to send me some of the video footage which she kept, implicating all three men mentioned above. I personally can confirm that I have, with my own two eyes, seen the evidence of these sexual acts Andrew settled a civil claim with Giuffre out of court in February 2022 and has vehemently denied wrongdoing. A Virgin Group spokeswoman, speaking on behalf of Branson, said: In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ransome admitted that she had invented the tapes.

We can confirm that Sarah Ransomes claims are baseless and unfounded. In the New Yorker report, Ransome said she had invented the tapes to try to bring attention to Epsteins crimes and make him think she had evidence that would come out if he tried to harm me. Loading If nothing else, the emails point to the devastating impact that Epsteins many years of abuse had on his victims. Ransome, who was born to British parents in South Africa and moved to Scotland when she was 14, was lured into Epsteins web after travelling to New York to become a model.

The financier claimed he had connections at FIT, the New York fashion college, and would help her secure a much-coveted place to study there. Loading Epstein began abusing her in 2006 when she was 22. Needless to say, the college place never materialised. In a deposition filed in 2017, Ransome described how Maxwell ran [Epsteins] house like a brothel, keeping various girls on rotation to give him sexual massages every day. When I was finished, another girl was called by Ghislaine, she said. And when they had finished, another girl was called.

She said that when they were taken to Epsteins Caribbean island, Little St James, the girls tried to hide so they would not get called. But they were expected to spend their days in a main seating area by the pool. We always had to be around. We werent allowed to go very far on the island. Epstein and Ghislaine also bullied her about her weight and tried to get her down to a 52 kilogram goal. She attempted to flee the private island in waters teeming with sharks after being raped three times in a single day. Eventually, she did manage to escape their clutches and attended Maxwells sex-trafficking trial in November 2021, although she did not testify. More recently, Ransomes friends have expressed concern for her mental wellbeing.

Elsewhere, she said that she had reached out to the Russians for help after her emails were hacked and was going to make sure that everyone on the goddamn planet sees [sic] that footage and photos [sic] and will release them to Wiki leaks by Sunday. Ransome also claimed that she had sex with Dershowitz when she was 23, an allegation he has denied. Her emails were included in a letter lodged with the court by Dershowitzs lawyers, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, in June 2017, that insisted such allegations were completely false. The letter said: Prior to this action, [Dershowitz] had never heard of Ms Ransome. Her testimony was fabricated from whole cloth. Ms Ransomes testimony also contains a slew of other incendiary claims concerning the sexual proclivities of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and other prominent individuals.

The emails are a necessary antidote to Ms Ransomes deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility. In the event, Maxwell settled Giuffres defamation case out of court in 2017. Loading Ransomes private emails would not have seen the light of day but for a successful legal challenge by the Miami Herald. As a result, New York judge Loretta Preska ordered the unsealing of hundreds of documents relating to the case which are gradually being released this month.
Blinken said the case, filed in the International Court of Justice, was a distraction from efforts to halt the Israel-Hamas war. It is particularly galling, given that those who are attacking Israel  Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their supporter Iran  continue to call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews. South Africa brought the case against Israel last month, accusing it of intending to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, and asked the UNs top court, the International Court of Justice, to order Israel to halt its attacks. Israel rejected South Africas allegations of genocide with disgust and said it will defend itself at the court. Former British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn was named by South Africa as part of its delegation to The Hague for the hearings which begin on Thursday. Israel is sending top legal minds, including a Holocaust survivor, to counter the genocide allegations. A woman takes pictures of a burned and damaged car that was used by the senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil, who was killed on Monday, in Kherbet Selem village, south Lebanon. Credit: AP

Blinken said he had promises from four Arab nations and Turkey to help rebuild Gaza after the war. But those nations also wanted to see an end to the fighting in Gaza and concrete steps towards the eventual creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to forbid. The US and Israel also remain deeply divided over how Gaza will be run when  and if  its current Hamas rulers are defeated. American officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take the reins in Gaza. Israeli leaders have rejected that idea but have not put forward a concrete plan beyond saying they will maintain open-ended military control over the territory. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog shake hands. Credit: AP At the same time, Blinken is trying to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah. After an Israeli strike last week hit Beirut, killing Hamass deputy leader, the two sides have stepped up their exchanges.

There is lots to talk about, in particular about the way forward, Blinken said after meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Earlier, Hezbollah said its exploding drones targeted the Israeli army northern command in the town of Safed  deeper into Israel than previous fire by the group. The Israeli military said a drone fell at a base in the north without causing damage, suggesting it had been intercepted. Military officials did not identify the base. The US has pressed Israel to scale down its offensive in Gaza to more precise operations targeting Hamas. But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with several hundred Palestinians killed each day, according to health officials in Gaza. An Israeli soldier stands in an honour guard service during the funeral for an IDF soldier killed in southern Gaza. Credit: Getty Israel has vowed to keep going until it destroys Hamas throughout the territory, in response to the attack on October 7, when militants killed some 1200 people, mainly civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped around 250 others.

Still, after three months of fighting, Hamas continues to put up a fierce fight. The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants. The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza. It is particularly galling, given that those who are attacking Israel ... continue to call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussing South Africas genocide case against Israel The fighting will continue throughout 2024, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said. Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, roughly 1 per cent of the territorys population, and more than 58,000 people have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Washington: In a federal court in Washington, a three-judge panel is considering a crucial question that will shape this years race for the White House. Can the former president be held criminally responsible for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, or does he have immunity from prosecution?

The answer, according to Donald Trump and his lawyers, is that presidents shouldnt even be prosecuted for assassinating a political rival unless theyd been impeached and convicted in the US Congress first.

To authorise the prosecution of a president for his official acts would open a Pandoras box from which this nation may never recover, Trump lawyer John Sauer told the court during an extraordinary 75-minute hearing on Wednesday (AEDT).

Could George W. Bush be prosecuted for obstruction of an official proceeding for allegedly giving false information to Congress to induce the nation to go to war in Iraq under false pretences? Could [former] president [Barack] Obama be potentially charged with murder for allegedly authorising drone strikes targeting US citizens located abroad?
It is interesting to note that overall national listings were slightly higher in December 2023, than they were in December 2022, with Adelaide was the only exception  seemingly because of its relative affordability, and extremely tight rental market. Aside from January, (which we expect will follow a similar trend as previous years, subdued by the holiday season and the Australia Day long weekend), 2024 will be an interesting year.
Pratinav Anil at Literary Review:

Others explored even darker recesses. In 1925, Alwars ruler mowed down five hundred farmers and then torched their village after they had the temerity to protest against his rapacious land tax  an episode far grislier than the Amritsar Massacre of six years earlier. The penultimate ruler of Patialas appetite for quail  he devoured twenty-five in a single sitting  was equalled only by his appetite for tax and sex. Some 60 per cent of the states income was spent on his sustenance. Bureaucrats were jailed for failing to supply him with a constant stream of young peasant girls for his sexual gratification. It was left to his son and successor, Yadavindra Singh, to deal with Partition. Death to all Muslims, he intoned on learning in 1947 that Pakistan coveted his kingdom, in which Sikhs were the largest group, before leading a conga through his palace. As it was, his problem solved itself. Around the time of Partition, fear whittled down the Muslim population in the Punjab princely states from a million to under fifty thousand. Patiala went to India.

True, not all princes were tyrants. A few made early experiments in electoral democracy and public health care, though they did so in their own de haut en bas fashion.

more here.
Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) plans to make investments worth Rs 70,800 crore for renewable energy projects in Tamil Nadu.

The company, part of Tata Power, has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Tamil Nadu government to support the development of the state's renewable energy landscape and accelerate the country's clean energy transition, a regulatory filing said on Tuesday.

The MoUs were signed on Monday.

Under the first MoU, TPREL plans to explore opportunities to develop 10,000 MW of renewable energy power projects across solar, wind, hybrid, RTC (Round The Clock), peak, Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) over the next five to seven years.

These renewable projects will be located over 50,000 acres of land in Tamil Nadu with an investment potential of nearly Rs 70,000 crore. This initiative has the potential to generate around 3,000 green job opportunities, according to the filing.

The second MoU is to increase the investment commitment to up to Rs 3,800 crore to set up 4 GW of solar cells and solar modules plant in two phases at Gangaikondan in Tirunelveli district.

On July 4, 2022, the company had signed an MoU wherein the investment was pegged at Rs 3,000 crore and now, it is proposed to be increased to Rs 3,800 crore.

Overall, the company would set up an additional 300 MW each of cells and module line using the latest TOPCon technology, bringing the total plant capacity to 4.3 GW.

The investment of Rs 800 crore is to be made over the next two years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month  likely his last foreign visit before the Lok Sabha polls  and the highlight is set to be his address to the Indian diaspora at Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium on February 13. The event has been named 'Ahlan Modi', or 'Hello Modi'.



The event organisers told Business Standard that their effort is to make the PM's interaction with the diaspora the largest he has addressed since his first such at New York's Madison Square Garden in September 2014, which was attended by about 20,000 people. "Nearly 20,000 people have registered for the event since we opened the registrations on January 6. There is immense interest to attend the event among the 3.5 million strong Indian diaspora in the UAE and from Bahrain and other Gulf countries," said a key member of the organising team, who didn't want to be identified.



The stadium seats nearly 50,000. The organisers are discussing with the administrators to ensure maximum seating. "The PM's biggest diaspora event was his address at London's Wembley Stadium (in November 2015). We hope 'Ahlan Modi' would be comparable," said a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader associated with organising the event. During the UAE visit, the PM will also inaugurate the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi on February 14.



Modi's UAE visit will likely be the last he undertakes abroad during his current tenure as India's prime minister. Five years back, in the months leading up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the PM embarked on only one foreign visit between January 1 and May to South Korea on February 21. His last recent visit abroad was also to the UAE to attend the UN Climate Change Conference from November 30-December 1, 2023.



The upcoming visit to the UAE will be his seventh since 2015, when he became the first Indian prime minister in 34 years to visit the Gulf country. The PM also visited the UAE in July 2023, during which the two countries signed an agreement to set up a campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Delhi), which is set to launch its first master's programme this month.



According to a statement from the event's organising committee, 350 community leaders representing different regions and communities met at a briefing about the event on January 3 in Abu Dhabi and set up hundreds of volunteer committees. The organisers said Modi's frequent visits to the UAE have strengthened bilateral relations, which can be seen in the diverse Indian diaspora, which no longer comprises only blue-collar workers.

There is a sizeable presence of Indians who trade with Africa with offices in Dubai and executives working in the banking, petrochemicals and other sectors. The diaspora comprises Indians from across the country, including Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other states.
Enforcement Directorate chief Rahul Navin is scheduled to hold a meeting with its officers here on Tuesday over the attack on an ED team during a raid in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district last week.

The ED unit in the state has already submitted a report to its headquarters about the incident in which three officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised, as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on January 5 when the team went to conduct the raid.

"The head of the ED will chair a meeting regarding the attack. Discussions will also be held on the progress of others investigations, an officer of the probe agency told PTI.

Navin, the ED director, arrived in Kolkata on Monday night.

The attack took place when the ED team went to Sheikh's house in Sandeshkhali for a raid in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system.

The ED has already lodged a complaint at the Nazat police station in connection with the assault. The family of the accused TMC leader, and the state police have also registered separate complaints against the central probe agency.
As per the Ministry, both leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of defence, security and industrial cooperation issues.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday night.

During his visit, the defence minister will discuss bilateral issues with his counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official press release.

Notably, this marks the first visit of a sitting Indian Defence Minister to the UK in 23 years.

The Defence Minister would be accompanied by a high-level Ministry of Defence delegation, comprising senior officials from DRDO, Service Headquarters, the Department of Defence, and the Department of Defence Production.

As per the Ministry, both leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of defence, security and industrial cooperation issues.

Rajnath Singh is also expected to call on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hold a meeting with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron.

He will further interact with the CEOs and industry leaders of the UK defence industry and meet with the Indian community there.

Notably, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.

The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both countries.
Textile traders went on a 40-day strike in May post announcement of a 5% GST levy on them

Over 3,500 exhibitors and more than 3,000 overseas buyers are expected to participate in Bharat Tex 2024 -- a global textile expo to be held here from February 26-29, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The expo is expected to bring together stakeholders across the textile value chain, including government and industry representatives, Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles Rachna Shah said.

The mega event will provide a unique opportunity to India to showcase itself as a global sourcing and investment destination.

"We expect participation of over 3,500 exhibitors from India and abroad, more than 3,000 overseas buyers and 40,000 business visitors at the Bharat Tex Expo, along with participation of policymakers, government representatives from India and abroad, the industry and buyers," she said.

Elaborating on the various initiatives of the Ministry of Textiles, Shah said a "Centre of Sustainable Fashion Technology" is proposed to be established to promote capacity building and research in sustainability.

The textiles secretary said the findings and recommendations of the INDIAsize initiative have been finalised and it should soon be launched formally, which will pave the way for the Indian industry to work on making standard sizes tailored to suit the Indian body types.

"This is a very extensive study that's been carried out for sizing in the Indian market. The findings and recommendations have been finalised and shortly we will hopefully be able to make a formal launch so that the Indian Industry can start working on the size to make apparel garments more suited to the Indian population," Shah said, while addressing a press conference here.

She said the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will introduce a five-year integrated Masters Programme titled "Crafting Luxury; Restoration and Curation of Textiles and Fashion; Event and Experience Design" from the 2024-25 academic session in select campuses.

"An integrated masters programme is being introduced from this year on luxury on restoration of textiles and fashion. The duration of the course will be five years and it will cover the Bachelors and Masters. NIFT currently offers 4 years Bachelors degree programmes and a two-year Masters degree," Shah said.

She said the process of forming a special purpose vehicle between the Centre and the states, where the parks are being established, is currently underway.

"Almost 3 lakh jobs in each park are likely to be created and about Rs 10,000 crore of investment in each park with focus on cutting edge technology and ease of doing business," Shah said.

On the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) for Man Made Fibre (MMF) and Apparel, she said 64 companies are participating in the scheme, of which 30 firms have made considerable progress and expect to begin production from this year.

"It is estimated that over a period of five years, the PLI scheme for textiles will lead to fresh investment of more than Rs 19,000 crore, cumulative turnover of over Rs 3 lakh crore will be achieved and will create additional employment opportunities of more than 7.5 lakh jobs in this sector and several lakhs more for supporting activities



"The textiles industry predominantly employs women, therefore, the scheme will empower women and increase their participation in formal economy," the Textiles Ministry had said earlier.
The 11 convicts in the case can approach the Maharashtra government with request for remission of their sentences | (Photo: PTI)

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday appealed to the Maharashtra government to take seriously the case of Bilkis Bano, who was gangraped and her seven family members murdered in 2002, and keep in mind what the Supreme Court has said about the "heinous crime".

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts in the case, while slamming the state for being "complicit" with an accused and abusing its discretion.

It ordered all the convicts, who were released prematurely on Independence Day in 2022, back to jail within two weeks.

Excoriating the Gujarat government, the apex court said it "usurped" the power of the Maharashtra government to grant remission to the convicts.

After Bilkis Bano voiced apprehension over tampering with evidence and risk to witnesses, the Gujarat High Court had transferred the trial in the case from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.

The 11 convicts in the case can approach the Maharashtra government with request for remission of their sentences.

Addressing a news conference, Pawar said, "Looking at what the woman has gone through and that seven members of her family were killed, I feel the Maharashtra government will take this case seriously."



"My request is to take this case seriously and keep in mind what the Supreme Court has said about whoever is involved in this heinous crime. The Maharashtra chief minister and home minister should take this case seriously," Pawar said.

The government should take such a decision that a message goes out that such crimes are not accepted in the society, he added.

Bilkis Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was raped while fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident in February 2002. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured her fourth straight term in a controversial election after her Awami League party swept more than half of the parliament seats in an election boycotted by her opponents

Questioning the legitimacy of Bangladesh election, Maharashtra's Shiv Sena party, through its mouthpiece Saamana, said that accepting the results of the general election as a victory of truth would be an insult to the people of Bangladesh.

The party argued that the results cannot be considered a 'victory of truth' due to several concerning factors.

As per the UBT, the main opposition party, BNP, along with 15 other political parties, boycotted the election, casting doubts on the credibility of the polls. Additionally, a significant 60 per cent of voters abstained from voting, further undermining the credibility of the election.

"This cannot be called a 'victory of truth'. How can you call an election impartial if the main opposition party, BNP, along with 15 other political parties, have boycotted and 60 per cent of the voters have turned their backs on voting? Can the results of this election be considered reliable? Keeping the results of the general election within the ambit of democracy would be an insult to the people of Bangladesh. Only 40 per cent of the voters have shown support for Sheikh Hasina's government," Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana said in an article.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured her fourth straight term in a controversial election after her Awami League party swept more than half of the parliament seats in an election boycotted by her opponents.

Notably, the Awami League won in five constituencies amid a boycott by the opposition BNP and 15 other parties.

Following her victory, Hasina further expressed her commitment to serving the people of Bangladesh, emphasising the responsibility she feels towards the citizens who have repeatedly voted for her.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the Gopalganj-3 constituency in a landslide victory, her eighth term as a Member of Parliament.

Hasina's party secured victory in 223 seats to form the government in the elections conducted on Sunday.

She received 249,962 votes, while her nearest rival, Md Atiqur Rahman, got 6,999 votes. Meanwhile, another candidate, Mahabur Mollah, received 425 votes. Sheikh Hasina has won the fifth term, which is also her fourth consecutive term.
Lenovo has unveiled the ThinkBook Plus Gen5 Hybrid offers, a unique two-in-one with two products rolled into one  a Microsoft Windows laptop base system and an Android-powered tablet. Essentially, the ThinkBook Plus Gen5 Hybrid has two products that can be used together as a Windows PC or independently as Windows PC with base connected to the external monitor and Android tablet with display detached from the base.

In laptop mode, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen5 Hybrid works like a Windows laptop powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor with 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD for storage, and a 75WHr battery all housed in the base. With the display detached, the base of the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid Station can be connected to an external monitor for it to work like a PC.

The display module is a standalone device itself, powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor with 12GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage. When detached from the Hybrid station, the 14-inch 2.8K OLED display can function like an Android tablet with a 38WHr battery.

ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid: Specification



Display: 14-inch, 2.8K OLED Touch/Pen, DCI-P3 100 per cent

Processor: Hybrid Station: Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor / Hybrid Tab: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen

OS: Hybrid Station: Microsoft Windows 11 / Hybrid Tab: Android 13

RAM: Hybrid Station: 32GB / Hybrid Tab: 12GB

Storage: Hybrid Station: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD / Hybrid Tab: 256GB UFS3.1

Ports: Hybrid Station: 2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x Combo Audio Jack / Hybrid Tab: 1 x USB-C

Connectivity: Hybrid Station: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 / Hybrid Tab: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Rear camera: 13MP + 5MP

Front camera: FHD+IR
Lenovo is a US$62 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #217 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 77,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the worlds largest PC company by further expanding into growth areas that fuel the advancement of New IT technologies (client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence) including server, storage, mobile, software, solutions, and services. This transformation together with Lenovos world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992)(ADR: LNVGY). Motorola Mobility LLC was acquired by Lenovo Group Holdings in 2014. Motorola Mobility is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lenovo and is responsible for designing and manufacturing all Moto and Motorola branded mobile handsets and solutions.
Salmon, a fintech working to improve access to credit, savings and investments for over 500 million underserved customers in Southeast Asia, announces that it has received regulatory approval from the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to acquire the controlling interest in Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna), a well-respected licensed financial institution serving Filipino communities since 1963.

Salmon will own 59.7% of the bank upon completion of this transaction, which will conclude in the coming weeks. The banks license and its geographic footprint will enable Salmon to offer AI-centric consumer credit and debit products nationwide. Salmon operates both in offline and online settings, differentiating itself by emphasizing stellar customer service with 92% of the company's clients saying they would recommend Salmon to friends and family.

Becoming a licensed bank in a major market represents a significant milestone for both Salmon and the Philippines as Salmon joins only a handful of other fintech companies operating licensed banking institutions in Southeast Asia. The deal will bolster access to modern banking services for millions of underserved Filipinos in key regions including Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, where Salmon plans to open new branches, subject to BSP approval. The transaction also supports the Rural Bank Strengthening Program launched by the BSP in 2022 to enhance the countrys rural banking sector and promote inclusive growth to address the changing needs of the dynamic, young and technologically savvy Filipino population.

Raffy Montemayor, Co-Founder and Business Head in the Philippines at Salmon, commented:

We are excited to undertake this important next step in Salmons development and grateful for the continued support of the BSP and its vision of driving financial inclusion in the country. This transaction will help us reach additional underserved communities in the Philippines, bringing modern, customer-centric and easy-to-access financial services to more people. We are proud of the fantastic relationship we have developed with the executive team of the Rural Bank of Sta. Rosa (Laguna), and look forward to building a robust financial institution together to continue serving communities across the Philippines."

Salmon will maintain and enhance the bank's offline presence, injecting significant capital and technology into it to upgrade its offering for all customers. Salmon's customer-centric approach, celebrated by its existing customer base, will now extend across all channels, including offline.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109809153/en/
Bringing together 500+ exhibitors from 12 countries, the 5th edition of ACMA Automechanika New Delhi is geared up once again to bring the complete value chain of the automotive aftermarket and components market to the 25,000 sqm show floor. With renewed enthusiasm from the exhibitors and the stakeholders, the three-day expo is scheduled to hit the ground from 1 - 3 February 2024 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi with a robust display of the latest innovations. This will be the first physical edition of the event post-COVID-19.

ACMA Automechanika New Delhi, a three-day show will showcase exclusive aftermarket solutions for two-wheelers, passenger, commercial and agricultural vehicles. It will open doors to wholesalers, distributors, traders of parts and components, professionals from car repair shops, garages, service stations, fleet management and develop networking and business opportunities.



With more than 100 new entrants in this edition, the 25,000 sqm show floor will feature an extensive, innovative and technologically advanced product showcase from the industry. Schaeffler, ZF India, Mahle Aftermarket, NRB Bearings, Mansons International, Subros, J K Fenner, Minda Corporation, RMP Bearings, Celette India and several other leading Indian brands will showcase their new solutions for the industry. From the international front, the event will feature innovations from brands like Sampa Otomotiv, Liqui Moly, Industrias Del Recambio, and more from countries including USA, UAE, Germany, Russia, Korea, Italy, Belgium, Taiwan, Thailand and China.



The show will have a mega display of products and solutions from different categories like parts and components, electronics and connectivity, diagnostics and repair, accessories and customizing, car wash and care, dealer and workshop management, alternative drive systems and fuels, tires and wheels, body and paint and mobility as a service and autonomous driving.



Four dedicated international pavilions will be created from Germany, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and to bring national and international key players under one roof.



According to the ACMAs report on Auto Components Industry Review FY22-23, rising domestic vehicle sales, strong aftermarket and increasing exports have been the major growth drivers in the auto component industry over the last five years. The size of the industry has grown by 33% to INR 559,748 Cr in FY23 from INR 421,366 Cr in FY22. Auto aftermarket grew by 15% in FY23 to INR 85,333 CR from INR 74,203 CR in FY22. The report revealed that electric vehicles have accounted for 2.7% of total component consumption.



Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Director General, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), expressed, "The automotive industry is experiencing significant growth, driving an increased demand for auto components and the aftermarket sector. The outlook for the industry is optimistic, given the continuous expansion of the market size and the notable growth in component exports, rising by 5 percent to USD 20.1 billion in FY 2023 from USD 19.1 billion in FY 2022. Notably, exports to North America, Europe, and Asia have witnessed growth in 2023 compared to the previous year. As this edition of Automechanika marks the 1st physical edition post-COVID-19, we are delighted to witness the enthusiasm of exhibitors from both India and abroad, along with the support of associations and all stakeholders associated with the industry. This collective effort is set to create a vibrant show floor once again.



Sharing similar sentiment, Mr. Raj Manek Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding Ltd, said, After the successful past editions of the show, we are excited for the 5th physical edition of ACMA Automechanika New Delhi 2024. The Indian vehicle industry including passenger, lightweight and heavy-duty vehicles is growing at a fast pace and India has witnessed this growth trend this year across these segments. The growth of vehicle sales is a clear indicator of growth for the auto components and aftermarket industry. We are excited to once again bring new solutions and technologies from India and around the world leading to propel this industry in the future.



To make this event a grand success through expanded opportunities like networking, knowledge sharing and engaging discussions on innovations, developments and trends, this edition is backed by valuable partnerships. TechSci Research, the Knowledge Partner for this edition will be presenting a whitepaper at the show giving detailed analysis and insights about the automotive and aftermarket industry. Elofic Industries Ltd and HIM Tecknoforge Ltd are onboard as the Bronze Partners and Ample Auto Tech as the Lanyard Partner.



Mr Ajay Seth, Vice President  International Business, Elofic Industries Ltd, stated: We are thrilled to be the Bronze Partner with ACMA Automechanika New Delhi. This partnership will bring unparalleled expertise and innovation to this prestigious event and to the auto components and aftermarket industry. This collaboration not only elevates the event's success but also amplifies our company's commitment to pioneering automotive advancements. Let's fuel progress, inspire change, and redefine the future of auto mechanics together!"



Mr Mrinal Aggarwal, Director, HIM Tecknoforge Ltd, expressed, We are glad to be the Bronze Partner for the upcoming edition of ACMA Automechanika New Delhi 2024! We take pride in serving the not only the Indian but the global aftermarket assembly well. Like in the past, this collaboration will once again drive enriching networking opportunities and help showcase our vast variety of products which include Transmission, Differential and Suspension along with various assemblies and Sub-Assemblies, manufactured through cutting-edge technologies vital for the growth of aftermarket. This partnership will contribute towards shaping of the future of automotive components and aftermarkets industry through this spectacular event where the entire value chain of this segment will converge."



Commenting on this partnership, Mr Arvind Choudhary, Managing Director, Ample Auto Tech Pvt Ltd, shared: ACMA Automechanika carries with it the credibility that attracts the right kind of Indian as well as International clients. As India evolves to be the global manufacturing hub, ATEK is looking forward to utilize the platform to display its engineering strengths and manufacturing capabilities and increase its market reach.



Supported by the Federation of All India Automobile Spare Parts Dealers Associations (FAIASPDA), All India Automobile Workshops Association (AIAWA), Automotive Parts Merchants Association (APMA), European Garage Equipment Association (ESGA), AAMPACT, FIGIEFA, Federal Association of Manufacturers and Importers of Automotive Service Equipment and Automotive Service Association (ASA) - the synergy will lead to a tremendous contribution of their expertise and network once again at this edition.



The Automechanika brand is one of the most leading and influential events for the aftermarket business with numerous editions held across all the subsidiaries of Messe Frankfurt.



Press information and photographic material: www.acma-automechanika-newdelhi.in.messefrankfurt.com/

Links to websites:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/acmaautomechanikanewdelhi

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AutomechanikaIn

Instagram - www.instagram.com/acma_automechanika_newdelhi

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/showcase/acmaautomechanika



Background information on Messe Frankfurt - www.messefrankfurt.com/background-information

Sustainability at Messe Frankfurt - www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability-information
J'den

Redefining the skyline of Jurong Lake District, J'den sets a new precedent for integrated living. One where you are emboldened to realise the potential of Singapore's next largest business district, providing broadened prospects and golden opportunities for growth.
Sinoma wins Eastern Province Cement contract

09 January 2024

Saudi Arabia-based Eastern Province Cement Co has awarded the contract for a new cement production line to Chinas Sinoma CDI. The new line, which is costing US$270m, will have a production capacity of 10,000tpd and will be located at Eastern Provinces existing site in Khursaniyah.

According to Mist News, the contract covers design, supply, delivery, construction, and installation of the cement production line on the basis of a complete turnkey contract for engineering, supply, construction, installation, testing, commissioning and training of operation and maintenance staff until the start of commercial operation of the line.

Published under
Direct air route linking China's Dalian, Japan's Kitakyushu resumed

Xinhua) 09:20, January 09, 2024

DALIAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A direct air route linking Dalian, a city in northeast China, and Japan's Kitakyushu was resumed on Monday, after a hiatus of almost four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tianjin Airlines, the operator of the air route, is scheduled to carry out flights on Mondays and Fridays, starting from Monday.

The air route was launched in August 2019 and was suspended in February 2020.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of a sister city relationship between Dalian and Kitakyushu. The resumption of the air route will help strengthen personnel, economic and trade exchanges between northeast China and Kitakyushu, according to sources with the Dalian international airport.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
This service is a courtesy for our print subscribers to give them access to our online edition at no additional cost - if you haven't registered on the new site, you must do it now before you do anything else.
Due to forecasted severe weather, Hamilton County Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Tuesday.

Before school childcare will open on a two-hour delay at 8 a.m.

Twelve-month employees will report on their regular schedules.

"School officials said, "We will review the weather in the morning and announce by 6:30 a.m. if a decision is made to close."

The Chattanooga forecast includes high winds and heavy rain.

Cleveland City Schools has decided to close schools for the day.





Officials said, "The safety and well-being of our staff members are our utmost priorities, and this decision has been made to ensure everyone's safety during the anticipated severe weather conditions."

Bradley County Schools will also close.

Others closing include Dayton City Schools and Rhea County Schools.

Here is the latest Chatta nooga forecast:

Tonight Showers, mainly after 8pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Patchy fog after 1am. Low around 43. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Tuesday Showers before 3pm, then a slight chance of showers after 5pm. Patchy fog before noon. High near 56. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tuesday Night A chance of rain showers, mixing with snow after midnight, then gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 46. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 32. South wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Sunny, with a high near 56. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
The Planning Commission on Monday afternoon turned thumbs down on the idea of a motorcross track at a farm in Ooltewah.

The panel voted to deny a special permit for an amusement resort for Ricky Nelson at Triple J Trail off Ooltewah-Georgetown Road.

Mr. Nelson acknowledged that he eventually planned to get the track sanctioned as a commercial motorcross venue complete with concessions, a first aid station and a large parking section.

He said newer model motorcross vehicles are much quieter than before. He said the track would be at least a quarter mile from neighbors. And he said it was a family activity that helped keep kids out of trouble and off video games. He said there would be a weekly church service at the track. The operating hours would start out at 9-9, he stated.

City Councilman Darrin Ledford, a former motorcross driver, said the Nelsons could have a motorcross track for use by family and friends without a permit. But he said a commercial venue was another issue.

Several neighbors said they wanted to keep the rural atmosphere and worried about noise from racecars and announcers, dust and other "nuisance" issues.

Stacy Hall of Ooltewah-Georgetown Road said, "90,000 square feet of parking - that is not just for families and friends."

She said, "If we have hundreds of people coming in for the races, that's a huge safety hazard. This would destroy the quality of life we have enjoyed for generations."

Another neighbor said he had spent 20 years creating habitat for sandhill cranes, bald eagles, deer and other wildlife, and another said the track noise would almost equal the sound of an ambulance on a run.

County Commissioner Jeff Eversole told the Planning Commission members, "If we are not careful we are going to open up a Pandora's box. The commercializing of this is what I worry about. This is not the right place."

Bryan Shults of the planning staff said there were many emails in support, including one from Missouri, but almost all were not from near the planned venue.

For such special permits, the Planning Commission has the final say.

Mr. Nelson will have to wait at least a year to reapply.

Commissioners were told that TDEC had been carrying out an investigation and found that Mr. Nelson, who identified himself as a homebuilder, had begun moving dirt at the site without the proper permit.
Ever since the supporters and opponents of the imbibing of Demon Rum with the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment (Prohibition, January 16, 1919) and the Twenty-First Amendment (Repeal of Prohibition, December 5, 1933) to the United States Constitution, America has grappled with the issue of consumption of alcohol.

Lewis Grizzard (LG) was a frequent participant in the consumption of the product and wrote several articles on the topic in his syndicated 475 newspapers throughout the country.

One of those informative dissertations was contained in Chili Dawgs Bark at Night (1989- Villard Books) wherein he conveyed his knowledge on the self-indulging practice as well as the expertise of his friend and full time lush, Rigsby.

Due to the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), MAD, RID, NHSTA, and other organizations formed to address both the legal law enforcement, addiction, sobriety, recovery, a more serious approach to current consumption of alcohol is more prevalent.

LG and his pal Rigsby penned some informative words that were intended to be an omen as to whether a reader might be developing an alcohol problem after drinking a case of Bud Lite (before the boycott), a quart of Jack Daniels- George Dickel, or $250 worth of white wine posing as Perrier water:

A lot of people are turning away from alcohol these days, including my friend Rigsby, the former lush, who phoned to tell me of his plans to give up drinking.

"How long have you been drinking?" I asked him.

"Professionally, twenty-five years," he said.

"What is the difference between a professional and an amateur drinker?"

"A professional," Rigsby began, "drinks every night except New Year's Eve, which is amateur night. A professional never drinks anything with an umbrella or a cherry in it, and a professional awakens at least ten times a year in a Holiday Inn in a different time zone and doesn't remember getting there."

For others who may be considering stopping drinking, I asked Rigsby for some telltale signs one should look for in determining whether or not one has stepped over the quaffing line.

"It's the morning after that says it all," Rigsby said.

1. "Start with your tongue. If you have to shave it, then you had way too much to drink the night before.

2. "Then there's your money. Look at any bills you might have left over, and if they have been wadded into tiny little balls and you find them in strange places like your shoe or your ear, son, you got down to some serious drinking the night before." "What else?" I asked.

3. "Check your clothing. Did you remember to take it off before you passed out? Check to make certain the clothing you have on is the same clothing you had on when you left for the evening.

4. "If you are wearing a fez, it was a big night. If you are wearing a Royal Canadian Mountie's hat, then you had an even bigger night.

5. "And if the Mountie's horse is down in the living room, grazing on house plants, call AA immediately and see if they deliver, because you won't be able to get anywhere in your Condition. "There's a few other things to look for, too," Rigsby continued.

6. "Check any credit-card receipts you can find, if they are for charges at a Frederick's of Hollywood, at an arms dealer, or with a foreign airline, you've got troubles.

7. "Look at your checkbook. If checks 1562 through 1568 are missing and you don't remember writing them, call the bank and stop payment as soon as you are able to operate a telephone.

8. "And this one is very important: Check your body for any unexplained tattoos.

"If you find one you didn't have before and it's a heart with an arrow through it and includes the names Doris, Trixie, Mona, or Grover, make up your mind to stop drinking forever, but call your attorney first." I thanked Rigsby for his hints and I hope they have been a public service.

To sobriety, then. It just might catch on.

(Any reference to calling an attorney is purely coincidental as the Best of the Best, Board Certified, Gotta Get Guy, Birmingham Boys, etc. are probably too busy to help a couple of indulgers like Rigsby and LG. However this is the Yuletide Season and words of caution as to overdrinking at the traditional parties by new/old residents of the former Buckle of the Bible Beltnow Buckle of the Battery Beltmust be given!)

* * *

You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com
Here is the latest Hamilton County arrest report:

AUSTIN, ALEXIS DANIELLE

3804 ARROR ROCK ROAD CHATTANOOGA, 37406

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

INDECENT EXPOSURE



BEATY, AARON GRIZZLE

78 MOLLY LN RINGGOLD, 30736

Age at Arrest: 52 years old

Arresting Agency: Tenn Hwy Patrol

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION

OPEN CONTAINER LAW

IMPLIED CONSENT LAW - DRIVERS

DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE



BUCHANAN, BIONCA MENYON

106 S MOORE RD CHATTANOOGA, 37411

Age at Arrest: 31 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION



CASTINGS, AVA H

514 LULLWATER RD RED BANK, 37415

Age at Arrest: 19 years old

Arresting Agency: Red Bank

DOMESTIC ASSAULT



CHANDLER, BRANDON LEE

1417 WEST VALLEY ROAD WHITFIELD, 37397

Age at Arrest: 29 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



CONNERS, MATTHEW JERMIAH

2622 YOUNG ROAD HOMELESS SODDY DAISY, 37379

Age at Arrest: 36 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

RAPE OF A CHILD

RAPE OF A CHILD

INCEST

INCEST

AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY



COPELAND, BRANDON L

HOMELESS DUNLAP, 37327

Age at Arrest: 34 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

THEFT OF PROPERTY

BURGLARY

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF



COPPINGER, LOREN JADE

435 DURGIN HOLLOW ROAD CHICAMAUGA, 30707

Age at Arrest: 33 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

THEFT OF PROPERTY



CORRIHER, DRAYTON

211 RANGE GAP RD TRENTON, 30752

Age at Arrest: 22 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF



COWAN, PAUL MICHAEL

1799 E MANASOTA BEACH RD ENGLEWOOD, 34223

Age at Arrest: 60 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

INDECENT EXPOSURE

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS



DANIELS, LNORVY QUINTELL

3911 7TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37407

Age at Arrest: 39 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

GAMBLING

POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE OR RECORD

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANNA



DEAN, DEREK LAMAR

409 WILDER AVE CHICKAMAUGA, 30707

Age at Arrest: 42 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

THEFT OF PROPERTY (OVER $1000)



DOMINGO-MEJIA, DANILO SAQUEO

2409 E 14TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37404

Age at Arrest: 24 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE

LEAVING SCENE OF ACCIDENT (PARKED VEHICLE)

FAILURE TO REPORT ACCIDENT

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE

DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE



DUCKSWORTH, DOSSIE CLEVELAND

2403 STUART ST CHATTANOOGA, 37406

Age at Arrest: 29 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

THEFT OF PROPERTY



ELLIOTT, DOROTHY IRENE

1305 BEAR CT CLARKSVILLE, 370426753

Age at Arrest: 27 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

CONTRABAND IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS

DISORDERLY CONDUCT



ELLIS, DEMETRIUS VENTRAIL

5651 TUCKER RD OOLTEWAH, 373638107

Age at Arrest: 35 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE



FINNIGAN, CHELSEA ANN

7636 BONNIE DRIVE CHATTANOOGA, 374163511

Age at Arrest: 31 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF PROBATION VEHICULAR HOMICIDE BY IMPAI

VIOLATION OF PROBATION TEXTING WHILE DRIVIING

VIOLATION OF PROBATION DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE



GARRETT, MATTISHA

727 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37403

Age at Arrest: 38 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

RECKLESS BURNING

CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY

CRIMINAL LITTERING

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION

OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY



GAULT, TIMOTHY DEAN

1127 CRANBROOK DRIVE HIXSON, 37343

Age at Arrest: 35 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DOMESTIC ASSAULT



GOSNELL, PAMELA SUE

225 INZE RD ROSSVILLE, 30741

Age at Arrest: 55 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ( POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPH

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ( CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION)



GRIFFIN, CRYSTAL LYNETTE

1508 A KARWILL LANE #B EAST RIDGE, 37412

Age at Arrest: 33 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ATTEMPT CHILC ABUSE NEGLECT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ATTEMPT CHILD NEGLECT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION SIMPLE ASSAULT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED ASSAULT



HARDY, DREW J

170 ROGERS HILL LANE BIRCHWOOD, 37308

Age at Arrest: 28 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

REGISTRATION, DRIVING UNREGISTERED VEHICLE

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

SPEEDING

DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION

STOP SIGN VIOLATION

EVADING ARREST

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY



HOULK-MANSEL, TESSA LEANN

4105 TAFT HIGHWAY SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, 37377

Age at Arrest: 27 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

THEFT OF PROPERTY



INGLE, JERRY LEE

931 REED POND RD DALTON, 30720

Age at Arrest: 35 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF PROBATION THEFT OF PROPERTY

VIOLATION OF PROBATION THEFT OF PROPERTY



JACKSON, TONEY TERRELL

3642 SALUDA STREET CHATTANOOGA, 374061642

Age at Arrest: 33 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

CRIMINAL TRESPASSING

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF



JONES, LESLIE TERRELL

358 TANAGER CIR EAST RIDGE, 37412

Age at Arrest: 46 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY



KILGORE, SHARON ELAINE

2061 OAK ST SIGNAL MTN, 37377

Age at Arrest: 47 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)



KILPATRICK, PATRICIA SUE

606 COUNTY RD 289 BRYANT, 35958

Age at Arrest: 62 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

THEFT OF PROPERTY



MADDOX, CLINTON MARTELL

650 N MOORE RD CHATTANOOGA, 37411

Age at Arrest: 41 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE



MCSPADDEN, ARIAL KAYE

4805 ALPINE DR RED BANK, 37415

Age at Arrest: 34 years old

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (MARIJUANA)

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE (FENTANYL)



MENDEZ JUARAZ, DANNY

2003 S ORCHARD KNOB CHATTANOOGA, 37404

Age at Arrest: 18 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE

MINOR IN POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL



MIGUEL, MANUEL JOSE

3911 DALTON PIKE CLEVELAND, 37323

Age at Arrest: 24 years old

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE

OPEN CONTAINER LAW

DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION

DRIVERS TO EXERCISE DUE CARE



MITCHELL, RICKY LEBRON

3825 HIXSON PIKE APT.

228 CHATTANOOGA, 374153573Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVIOLATION OF PROBATION (VANDALISMVIOLATION OF PROBATION 9THEFT OF PROPERTY)MORRIS, EDWARD EUGENE26 LILLAIN LANE CHICKAMAUGA, 30707Age at Arrest: 40 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgePOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIATHEFT OF PROPERTYMULLINS, KODY ALLEN113 GOODSON AVE APT 19 CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 32 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffFINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITYDRIVING ON REVOKED LICENSENELSON, CIRAEA ALONJAI1104 WHEELER AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 19 years oldArresting Agency: East RidgeTAMPERING WITH OR FABRICATING EVIDENCEVANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEFPOSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIAPOSSESSION OF MARIJUANANELSON, NIADIZJA CAPRICE727 E 11TH ST CHATTANOOGA, 37403Age at Arrest: 27 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDCAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTYCRIMINAL LITTERINGEVADING ARRESTBLOCKING OR IMPEDING THE FLOW OF TRAFFICPIERCE, CODY W2102 ASHLAND CITY ROAD CLARKSVILLE, 37043Age at Arrest: 29 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffAGGRAVATED ASSAULT (DOMESTIC)POTTER, MARCIE R5311 VILLAGE GARDEN DR HOMELESS OOLTEWAH, 37363Age at Arrest: 38 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffFAILURE TO APPEARPRESTON, DANIEL JAMES105 MARYLAND ST CHATTANOOGA, 37405Age at Arrest: 24 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffAGGRAVATED ASSAULTVANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEFRAGSDALE, KYLAN JAQUAN3008 NOAH STREET CHATTANOOGA, 374061929Age at Arrest: 22 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEFREYNOLDS, ROLAND ESSO2211 BAYLON AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 54 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTROOD, SEAN EUGENE4483 PALOMINO DR OOLTEWAH, 373637078Age at Arrest: 49 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)SHIPLEY, TANYA GAYLE108 LAURELWOOD CIRCLE ROSSVILLE, 30741Age at Arrest: 48 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)SIMS, MICHAEL TODD222 N. MAGNOLIA STREET WHITWELL, 37397Age at Arrest: 47 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTIONSMITH, ALYSSA MARIE2061 OAK STREET SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, 37377Age at Arrest: 26 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)STRICKLAND, CARLTON DEWAYNE1318 N ORCHARD KNOB AVE CHATTANOOGA, 37406Age at Arrest: 38 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDGAMBLINGPOSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE OR RECORDPOSSESSION OF MARIJUANATHOMPSON, EMILY DANIELLE6450 BIG RIDGE ROAD HIXSON, 37343Age at Arrest: 25 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)TONEY, TERRANCE LARENTA424 BOOTH ROAD APT A CHATTANOOGA, 37411Age at Arrest: 38 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffDOMESTIC ASSAULTVASQUEZ-PALMA, JULIO CESAR6144 TALL PINE LN CHATTANOOGA, 374213090Age at Arrest: 30 years oldArresting Agency: Chattanooga PDDOMESTIC ASSAULTWALKER, CHANDI MATTICE725 PYRON LN EAST RIDGE, 374122959Age at Arrest: 24 years oldArresting Agency: Soddy DaisyBooked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)ZELISKI, ERIK ALAN1340 PASSENGER STREET APT 323 CHATTANOOGA, 37421Age at Arrest: 49 years oldArresting Agency: HC SheriffVIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

Here are the mug shots:

AUSTIN, ALEXIS DANIELLE

Age at Arrest: 28

Date of Birth: 01/23/1995

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

INDECENT EXPOSURE BUCHANAN, BIONCA MENYON

Age at Arrest: 31

Date of Birth: 12/03/1992

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION CHANDLER, BRANDON LEE

Age at Arrest: 29

Date of Birth: 05/23/1994

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

CONNERS, MATTHEW JERMIAH

Age at Arrest: 36

Date of Birth: 04/03/1987

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

RAPE OF A CHILD

RAPE OF A CHILD

INCEST

INCEST

AGGRAVATED SEXUAL BATTERY COPPINGER, LOREN JADE

Age at Arrest: 33

Date of Birth: 04/16/1990

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT OF PROPERTY CORRIHER, DRAYTON

Age at Arrest: 22

Date of Birth: 02/06/2001

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF COWAN, PAUL MICHAEL

Age at Arrest: 60

Date of Birth: 07/09/1963

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

INDECENT EXPOSURE

PUBLIC INTOXICATION

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS DANIELS, LNORVY QUINTELL

Age at Arrest: 39

Date of Birth: 04/12/1984

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

GAMBLING

POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE OR RECORD

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANNA DEAN, DEREK LAMAR

Age at Arrest: 42

Date of Birth: 05/25/1981

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT OF PROPERTY (OVER $1000) DUCKSWORTH, DOSSIE CLEVELAND

Age at Arrest: 29

Date of Birth: 08/02/1994

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT OF PROPERTY ELLIOTT, DOROTHY IRENE

Age at Arrest: 27

Date of Birth: 05/14/1996

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

CONTRABAND IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS

RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS

DISORDERLY CONDUCT ELLIS, DEMETRIUS VENTRAIL

Age at Arrest: 35

Date of Birth: 06/27/1988

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DRIVING WITHOUT DRIVERS LICENSE / EXPIRED LICENSE FINNIGAN, CHELSEA ANN

Age at Arrest: 31

Date of Birth: 02/25/1992

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF PROBATION VEHICULAR HOMICIDE BY IMPAI

VIOLATION OF PROBATION TEXTING WHILE DRIVIING

VIOLATION OF PROBATION DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE GARRETT, MATTISHA

Age at Arrest: 38

Date of Birth: 07/15/1985

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

RECKLESS BURNING

CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY

CRIMINAL LITTERING

CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION

OBSTRUCTING HIGHWAY OR OTHER PASSAGEWAY GAULT, TIMOTHY DEAN

Age at Arrest: 35

Date of Birth: 02/12/1988

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT GRIFFIN, CRYSTAL LYNETTE

Age at Arrest: 33

Date of Birth: 05/13/1990

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ATTEMPT CHILC ABUSE NEGLECT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION ATTEMPT CHILD NEGLECT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION SIMPLE ASSAULT

VIOLATION OF PROBATION AGGRAVATED ASSAULT HARDY, DREW J

Age at Arrest: 28

Date of Birth: 11/18/1995

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

REGISTRATION, DRIVING UNREGISTERED VEHICLE

DRIVING ON REVOKED, SUSPENDED OR CANCELLED LICENSE

SPEEDING

DRIVING ON ROADWAYS LANED FOR TRAFFIC, VIOLATION

STOP SIGN VIOLATION

EVADING ARREST

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY HOULK-MANSEL, TESSA LEANN

Age at Arrest: 27

Date of Birth: 12/12/1996

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF

THEFT OF PROPERTY INGLE, JERRY LEE

Age at Arrest: 35

Date of Birth: 02/20/1988

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF PROBATION THEFT OF PROPERTY

VIOLATION OF PROBATION THEFT OF PROPERTY JACKSON, TONEY TERRELL

Age at Arrest: 33

Date of Birth: 09/19/1990

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

CRIMINAL TRESPASSING

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF JONES, LESLIE TERRELL

Age at Arrest: 46

Date of Birth: 02/19/1976

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY KILGORE, SHARON ELAINE

Age at Arrest: 47

Date of Birth: 09/26/1976

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

KILPATRICK, PATRICIA SUE

Age at Arrest: 62

Date of Birth: 06/06/1961

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

THEFT OF PROPERTY MADDOX, CLINTON MARTELL

Age at Arrest: 41

Date of Birth: 01/02/1983

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DRIVING LEFT OF CENTER LINE MCSPADDEN, ARIAL KAYE

Age at Arrest: 34

Date of Birth: 02/11/1989

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (MARIJUANA)

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

DRUGS GENERAL CATEGORY FOR RESALE (FENTANYL) MITCHELL, RICKY LEBRON

Age at Arrest: 30

Date of Birth: 07/07/1993

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF PROBATION (VANDALISM

VIOLATION OF PROBATION 9THEFT OF PROPERTY) MORRIS, EDWARD EUGENE

Age at Arrest: 40

Date of Birth: 05/02/1983

Arresting Agency: East Ridge



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA

THEFT OF PROPERTY MULLINS, KODY ALLEN

Age at Arrest: 32

Date of Birth: 09/25/1991

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

DRIVING ON REVOKED LICENSE POTTER, MARCIE R

Age at Arrest: 38

Date of Birth: 09/06/1985

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

FAILURE TO APPEAR PRESTON, DANIEL JAMES

Age at Arrest: 24

Date of Birth: 12/07/1993

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF RAGSDALE, KYLAN JAQUAN

Age at Arrest: 22

Date of Birth: 03/06/2001

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VANDALISM/MALICIOUS MISCHIEF RAMOS CHUN, ENMA VERTILLA

Age at Arrest: 42

Date of Birth: 11/10/1981

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT REYNOLDS, ROLAND ESSO

Age at Arrest: 54

Date of Birth: 06/05/1969

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT ROOD, SEAN EUGENE

Age at Arrest: 49

Date of Birth: 08/29/1974

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

SHIPLEY, TANYA GAYLE

Age at Arrest: 48

Date of Birth: 08/09/1975

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

SIMS, MICHAEL TODD

Age at Arrest: 47

Date of Birth: 01/30/1976

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF ORDER OF PROTECTION SMITH, ALYSSA MARIE

Age at Arrest: 26

Date of Birth: 01/09/1997

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

STRICKLAND, CARLTON DEWAYNE

Age at Arrest: 38

Date of Birth: 08/20/1985

Arresting Agency: Chattanooga PD



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

GAMBLING

POSSESSION OF GAMBLING DEVICE OR RECORD

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA THOMPSON, EMILY DANIELLE

Age at Arrest: 25

Date of Birth: 03/14/1998

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

TONEY, TERRANCE LARENTA

Age at Arrest: 38

Date of Birth: 12/03/1985

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

DOMESTIC ASSAULT WALKER, CHANDI MATTICE

Age at Arrest: 24

Date of Birth: 05/01/1999

Arresting Agency: Soddy Daisy



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

WATSON, IYSIS

Age at Arrest: 21

Date of Birth: 12/19/2002

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Booked for Previous Charges or Other Reason(s)

ZELISKI, ERIK ALAN

Age at Arrest: 49

Date of Birth: 09/26/1974

Arresting Agency: HC Sheriff



Last Date of Arrest: 01/08/2024

Charge(s):

VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY




The Hamilton County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District will be celebrating its 15th anniversary on Wednesday of becoming a unified emergency communications district.Officials said, "That may not seem like a momentous event, until you learn about the events that led up to that unification."Before unification, the 9-1-1 Center was plagued with problems, such as dropped calls, or unanswered calls. Back then, the local 9-1-1 system was comprised of various emergency response agencies, each with their own personnel, procedures and training.They used the same radio system, but could not assist each other in duties. This sometimes caused serious problems, such as individual dispatchers becoming overwhelmed by large-scale emergencies, which sometimes resulted in unanswered or abandoned calls. The level of training also varied considerably from one agency to another."Only one agency had a training program, said Jeff Carney, executive director of the district. Most telecommunicators had no certificates in their files and little to no formal training.Dir. Carney is also the president of the Tennessee Emergency Numbers Association.Officials said, "As the unanswered calls and other problems mounted, multiple studies were commissioned by the Hamilton County 9-1-1 board of directors to find a solution. In 2006, 9-1-1 board member Daisy Madison reported that 2,027 of the 19,900 calls to 9-1-1 countywide  or 10 percent  were abandoned, or not answered at all."In September 2006, the 9-1-1 board voted to unify the dispatch center, but doing that is not like flipping a switch. More studies and detailed plans had to be worked out to make the transition as smooth as possible, not only for the citizens of Hamilton County, but for the employees as well."The telecommunicators and their supervisors are the backbone of this center, said Dir. Carney. We had to make sure that their pay and benefits were protected, regardless of which agency they worked for previously.On January 9, 2009, the transition was made and the unification of all emergency communications was placed under the umbrella of the Hamilton County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District. Under unification, all 9-1-1 telecommunicators would receive the same training and would be employees of the District."In addition to the improved training, the telecommunicators could help each other, improve efficiency, and reduce dropped calls," officials said.Our Telecommunicators are certified far above both the state and national minimum training requirements, with an average of seven certifications earned within a year, said Dir. Carney. This dedication to training led to our agency receiving Training Program Certification from the Association of Public Safety Officials, the first agency in Tennessee to do so.The District now answers 9-1-1 calls and dispatches for all emergency response agencies in Chattanooga, East Ridge, Red Bank, Collegedale, Signal Mountain and the unincorporated area of Hamilton County. Lookout Mountain and Soddy-Daisy have their own 9-1-1 systems.Officials said, "The results of unification are impressive. The percentage of abandoned calls dropped 61 percent from 2007 to 2022 (the latest available statistics). Efficiency has also improved dramatically. The number of calls answered within three seconds or less increased by 88 percent from 2007 to 2022."Since 2009, the Districts telecommunicators have answered more than 8.5 million calls, and have exceeded the national call handling standards, which call for 90 percent of all 9-1-1 calls to be answered within 15 seconds and 95 percent to be answered within 20 seconds."In addition to improved efficiency, there have been significant technological advances since consolidation. The 9-1-1 Center was the first in the state to provide the 'Text 9-1-1' service and 'Prepared Live,' which enables the telecommunicators to see whats happening through the callers smart phone. The 9-1-1 Center was the first in the state to provide the 'PulsePoint' mobile phone application to improve the possibility of a victim for cardiac arrest calls will receive CPR immediately. Another improvement was the implementation of Mobile CAD and Automatic Vehicle Location for public safety agencies."I have the privilege of serving the 9-1-1 Board of Directors and Hamilton County citizens from the initial creation of our emergency communications system to one of the current best practices districts in our nation, said Board Chairman Dr. Richard Brown. I thank the innovative and collaborative thinking of former city and county mayors who made consolidation a reality for us.Dr. Brown said the current operations are reliable and infused with state-of-the-art technology. Yet, our greatest assets are the outstanding women and men who deliver these mission critical services to all our public safety partners, said Dr. Brown. We pause to say thanks and to celebrate 15 years of excellent partnership and service delivery.
Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) introduced the Safe and Open Streets Act, legislation that would make it a federal crime to purposely obstruct, delay, or affect commerce by blocking a public road or highway.

Blocking major roads to stop traffic flows is nothing short of lawlessness that should not be tolerated, said Senator Blackburn. These activists are not only intentionally creating a dangerous situation for themselves, but perhaps for a citizen who is awaiting an ambulance or a hard worker who will lose their job for being late. The Safe and Open Streets Act is critical to stopping this reckless behavior, particularly by Hamas sympathizers, in our U.S. cities.

The emerging tactic of radical protestors blocking roads and stopping commerce is not only obnoxious to innocent commuters, but its also dangerous and will eventually get people killed. It needs to be a crime throughout the country, said Senator Tillis. Im proud to introduce the Safe and Open Streets Act so radical activists who resort to these reckless and dangerous tactics are held accountable under the full weight of the law for endangering public safety.

Senator Blackburn said the Safe and Open Streets Act "is in direct response to radical tactics of pro-Palestinian protestors who have intentionally blocked roads and highways across the country.

"In November, protestors completely blocked the Durham Freeway in Durham, North Carolina during rush hour, stranding drivers and compromising the free flow of commerce. No arrests were made.

"Late last month, during one of the busiest travel days of the year, protestors blocked airport access roads in New York City and Los Angeles.

"The Safe and Open Streets Act would penalize lawbreakers through fines or up to five years of imprisonment."

The text of the Safe and Open Streets Act can be found here.
Members of the Hamilton County School Board on Monday discussed adding a $3,000 travel allowance annually per board member.

The board will vote on the issue at its next board meeting Jan. 18. The total for all 11 board members would be $33,000.

I think $3,000 each is a bit much, said school board member Faye Robinson.

It was discussed that board members spent $31,000 on board travel last year.

I do think its important for us to put in the work to better ourselves, said board member Ben Connor, who had suggested more than $6,000 per board member, or $68,300 total.

He reasoned that the Hamilton County Commissioners travel budget is about $15,000 each. Because the school district spends about half of the countys total budget, he said, the boards travel budget should be about half of the commissions.

I certainly dont think we need to be paying a teachers salary to the school board for our travel, said board member Rhonda Thurman.

Mr. Connor counted 21 leadership events and classes promoted by the Tennessee School Board Association, including the TSBA annual convention and the National School Boards Association conference.

The board discussed that these two events cost $325 and $300, respectively. They said these items would cover a board members required seven and a half hours of annual training, what Mr. Connor called the bare minimum.

New board members are required to tally an additional seven hours their first year.

Mr. Connor said that as chair of the Legislative Committee he travels frequently to Nashville and occasionally to Washington, D.C., and to the Consortium of State School Boards Association national conference.

I know Mr. Connor would like to see more, but I think $3,000 is a fair number, said board member Gary Kuehn. Hes got the desire to go to these meetings, he said. I think if weve got an individual that wants to do that, hey, more power to him.

We pay a good amount of money to a lobbyist, do we not, Ms. Thurman said, adding that school board attorney Scott Bennett handles the districts legal issues well.

Mr. Kuehn said he likes hearing Mr. Connors legislation report in laymans terms.

Unused funds revert to the general budget, it was stated, or board members can give their unused funds to board members who travel more.
Corey La'qua Malik France, 24, was arrested after reportedly firing at a man on Tunnel Boulevard early in the morning on Dec. 30.Chattanooga Police responded to an aggravated assault in the 400 block of Tunnel Boulevard on Dec. 30 at 6:53 a.m. When officers arrived, they made contact with two victims and a witness who said they saw France knocking on doors and waving a gun around. They also said they saw France fire multiple rounds in the direction of a 45-year-old male victim.CPD searched the area, but were unable to locate France.Officers obtained arrest warrants for him.Then last Thursday, CPD's Fugitive Unit and Intelligence Unit in conjunction with the United States Marshals Service developed information that France was located in the area of Ocoee Street. They, along with other law enforcement partners, located France in the 1600 block of Ocoee Street and arrested him for the outstanding warrants of attempted murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, vandalism, and a firearm possession charge. He was transported to Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center.Chattanooga Police ask anyone with information regarding this incident to call 423-698-2525.
3/18/2024

Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR had their March meeting on the 13th, and the meeting theme was Womens History Month. Officials said, "Chapter member, Kay Sencabaugh, presented an entertaining ... more
Yokogawa Europe B.V. announces that Seita Hagihara has been appointed as the new president of the Yokogawa regional headquarters for Europe as of January 1. Hagihara succeeds Takayuki Matsubara, who will be moving into the role of CEO in Yokogawa Group company KBC.

Seita Hagihara, President of Yokogawa Europe Yokogawa Europe B.V.

After studying Economics & Geography at the University College of London, Hagihara began his career as a sales engineer at Yokogawa Electric Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. Today, 49-year-old Seita Hagihara can look back on 26 years of experience in various roles, ranging from sales to finance and global major account management, working at the Japanese global, European, and North American regional headquarters.

In 2021, Hagihara was appointed vice president of System Sales & Sales Operation at Yokogawa Corporation of America. Based in Texas, his responsibilities included leading system sales, business development, proposals, and sales operations from Canada to Central America, as well as supervisory management of Yokogawa Mexico. In addition, he led the regional Energy & Sustainability business.

With effect from January 1, 2024, Seita Hagihara will be in overall charge of managing Yokogawas operations in Europe from the Yokogawa Europe headquarters in The Netherlands.

I am incredibly excited to return to Europe after almost a decade and truly honored to be the new President of Yokogawa in Europe where I will be devoting all my energies to working with customers to help them achieve their sustainability and business goals. Over the last two years, the European region has continued to experience its fair share of challenges. These include the climate crisis and high domestic energy costs affecting the daily lives of all Europeans and also industry.

At Yokogawa, we strive to contribute with solutions, in line with Yokogawas Purpose, a statement that reads, Utilizing our ability to measure and connect, we fulfill our responsibilities for the future of our planet.
When he finally figured it out, Rory Crowley burst into tears.

He was alone in a dark Dallas apartment with one lamp and a laptop on, hunched over a high-quality photo of a battered piece of papyrus.

There was Greek writing on it. Someone living maybe 150 years after the Crucifixion had written down the words of Jesus. Crowley and the other young men at Dallas Theological Seminary studying this papyrus with their professor, Daniel B. Wallace, had recognized some of the text immediately. It was the Gospel of Matthewthe Sermon on the Mount. And some seemed to come from a similar part of Luke, the Sermon on the Plain.

But a middle part, they couldnt identify.

You fast, it said, you will never find and unless you  the world you  the Father  the birds, how. 

For hours and hours and weeks and months, they puzzled over it. Then Crowley suddenly saw it was a bit of the Gospel of Thomas, a noncanonical text of sayings attributed to Jesus. The words in front of him matched a passage that says to fast from the world or you will never find the kingdom of God and see the Father in heaven.

Whoever wrote this text wove together different sayings from different places, compiling Jesus teachings about worry. And Crowleywho was up at 2 a.m. because he couldnt sleep and thought he might as well workunderstood.

I was crying, he told CT. I felt like I was in conversation with the mind of a believer. This is a faithful Christian, in my opinion, who knows theres this really incredible Jesus guy.

The scholarly report on the fragment that Crowley and others worked on in 2012 and 2013 was published this year, at the end of August, after more than a decade of rumors swirling through academia. Some once said this papyrus was from an early, early copy of Matthew. Others said it had been pried from a mummy mask. Neither turned out to be true, but according to the scholars who worked on the fragment, the truth is better: This fragment reveals something about how people in the late 100s or early 200s engaged with the teachings of Jesus.

This gives us a glimpse, said Michael W. Holmes, an emeritus biblical studies professor at Bethel University. He, Wallace, and Jeffrey Fish at Baylor University coauthored the report, acknowledging eight former Dallas students.

Was it part of a larger sermon? Was it a private meditation? Its so short that all one can do is speculate, Holmes said. But the canon was still taking shape at this time. Sayings were circulating in oral form, probably there were little collections in written form, and then you have written Gospels. And in the second century, these are all side by side and its very fluid.

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The reports publication has caused a stir among specialists in early Christian texts. The papyrus, now known as P.Oxy. 5575, may be the oldest surviving written record of the Sermon on the Mount. It is thought to be the earliest, or one of the earliest, pieces of the Gospel of Thomas. And it is the only known text of its era that puts these sayings of Jesus in conversation with each other.

A month after the report was published, members of the North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature got on Zoom to discuss the fragment. They analyzed possible genre classifications, the dating, and its relationship to other early Christian texts.

Image: Courtesy of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

Some also expressed reservations about the odd history of this piece of papyrus and how it came to be studied by a bunch of evangelical grad students and three professors who are all connected to the Museum of the Bible.

The history is odd.

The scrap was originally excavated from a garbage dump in an Egyptian city with a Greek name: Oxyrhynchus. In the winter of 1897, two Oxford scholars started digging there and found papyri preserved by the sand and dry weather. Lots and lots of papyri.

Within a few months, they had extracted almost 2,000 pounds of texts. Over the next decade, they moved more than 500,000 fragments back to Oxford and stored them in the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) collections library.

To date, an estimated 1 percent of the Oxyrhynchus papyri have been published. The fragments include receipts, court records, tax documents, and contracts. There are ancient bits of Plato, Euclid, and Homer, a forgotten Sophocles play that involves a satyr, and lots of early Christian writings, including prayers, hymns, homilies, and Scripture.

For nearly 127 years, scholars have been slowly making their way through this trove of archaeological treasure. According to EES, however, the wealth was too tempting for one man. Dirk Obbink, a leading papyrologist who oversaw part of the collection, allegedly stole more than 100 fragments and sold some to the people planning the Museum of the Bible, obscuring their true origin.

In 2012, these fragments were sent to evangelical scholars who could train grad students while doing original research. Wallace, also the founder of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts, got a piece about an inch and a half wide and three and a half inches long, protected between panes of plexiglass. It was called Matt Frag.

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Neither Wallace nor the eight Dallas students he recruited could have imagined it was stolen. Nor did they think it had any association with the excavation of Oxyrhynchus. They did, however, suspect the text might have been extracted from a mummy mask.

Dirk Obbink was disassembling these mummy cartonnage, which is like papier-mache, said Peter Gurry, a New Testament professor at Phoenix Seminary who was one of Wallaces students at the time. Basically, hed take water and liquid detergent, a very gentle liquid detergent, and it comes apart in pieces of papyri. Lo and behold, some of them have text on them.

The students, however, didnt worry about where it had come from. They focused on learning the skills necessary to understand their piece of papyri. They went to Wallaces house about once a week for an intensive independent study.

Just deciphering the text is very challenging, Wallace told CT. You dont have the left margin. You dont have the right margin. Youre looking at a fragment thats in the middle of something. You start with just a part of a word.

As they deciphered the Greek together, they recognized lines that were pretty close to Matthew and Luke, verses about not being anxious for anything and considering the birds. And they realized there was another bit that didnt seem like anything in the New Testament. The papyrus wasnt an early Gospel of Matthew. But they didnt know what it was.

The next task for the team was figuring out the date of the document. Wallace sent them looking for other ancient manuscripts to compare different styles of handwriting until they could place their fragment in a particular generation of Greek penmanship.

You really dont get confident until youve looked at not just dozens but hundreds of papyri, said Zach Cole, a New Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary who was also one of Wallaces students at the time. You look at how an alpha gets shaped and you really start to develop a comparative sensebut that is a conceivably endless task.

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After comparing, comparing, and comparing, all eight wrote arguments for a particular date. They each concluded that the script was closest to manuscripts that had been dated to the late second or early third century.

Then in June 2013, Crowley made the connection between the unfamiliar lines of text and the Gospel of Thomas. It happened after hed spent hundreds of hours looking at the fragment side by side with other ancient fragments. And then all at once, there it was: A passage from the first Oxyrhynchus text, P.Oxy. 1, published back in 1898, matched.

Lord, Crowley said, youve allowed us to find this.

It wasnt until a few years later that he and the other students learned the papyrus they had studied rightfully belonged to the EES and never should have ended up in Dallas. It had never been part of a mummy mask but instead sat in a box in Oxford for more than 100 years before being swiped.

The Museum of the Bible returned the stolen property, and the heads of the Oxyrhynchus collection decided, graciously, to let the evangelical scholars go forward with their research.

To those scholars, it seems in retrospect like a miracle, or at least one of the mysterious ways God moves.

Now that the fragment is published, they realize the puzzle they were working on was just a piece of a larger puzzle. Their research will provoke debate and more research, which is how it goes with scholarship.

But they also realize that, for a moment, their work connected them across millennia to another person who was deeply moved by Jesus.

This manuscript is a reminder, Gurry said, that Jesus teaching was seen as kind of amazing. And Jesus teaching is kind of amazing. People have always worried, and Jesus has given us the most profound way to think about those worries.

Daniel Silliman is CT news editor.

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Histories of American Christianity look very different now than they did 50 years ago. Church history, as it was then called, used to focus on individual leaders (mainly great men), major events in denominations, and developments in theology. Its historians were typically trained in seminaries and divinity schools.

In the 1960s, historians began writing the new social history, which emphasized the lives of ordinary people in their social settings. This produced a new generation of scholars, largely trained at secular universities, who studied American Christianity as a social and cultural phenomenon.

Turning Points in American Church History, Elesha J. Coffmans well-informed and highly readable new book, is a prime example of the insight and energy generated by this new approach. The title is a bit misleading, suggesting a work of church history revolving around pivotal events. Coffman instead takes us down a path pioneered by Andrew Walls, the great historian of missions.

Walls taught two crucial lessons. First, Christianity became a global religion via transmission from one culture to another. Second, the transmission always involved not merely translation into a new language but also incarnation into a new culture. As Christianity has moved from one culture to another, it has developed new theologies, adopted new practices, addressed new problems, and struggled with new limitations. As Coffman puts it, Everywhere the gospel traveled, it was embodied and spoken anew.

The idea that pure or true or mere Christianity exists apart from culture is helpful only in theory. On the ground, every form of Christianity has two parents contributing to its DNAthe faith which was once delivered unto the saints and the culture in which it takes up residence (Jude 1:3, KJV).

In this sense, the term Christianity is like the term forest. Forests thrive in tropical and subarctic climates, at high elevations and low, and in some of the driest and wettest climates found on earth. Trees introduced into a new environment are limited by that environment, which then reshapes them. As a result, each regions forest is unique.

Likewise, the wide variety of Christianities on our planet results from the wide variety of cultures into which the faith has been planted. This brings us to the argument of Coffmans book: American Christianity is distinctively American because it has an American history. But this raises a question: Which American history? The poet Walt Whitman put his finger on the problem. America, he wrote, is not merely a nation, but a teeming nation of nations. Add Whitmans insight to Wallss, and it follows that a nation composed of many nations, with a culture composed of many cultures, will have many Christianities.

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Coffmans book skillfully applies these insights. She uses notable events in church history less as turning points and more as windows, each opening a view onto the history of new and different Christianities that Americans have created. Each American Christianity was formed by distinctive American circumstances. All have made lasting contributions to what it means to be American and Christian alike.

The books 13 chapters use noteworthy historic events as launch points for discussions that range far forward in time. To consider a few highlights:

Two chaptersone opening with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and another opening with King Philips War in 1675highlight Native American Christianities through the 20th century.

Roman CatholicsNorth Americas first Christiansare central to Coffmans chapters on the Spanish Armada and the appointment of the first American bishop in 1789. The latter takes Catholic developments up through the 19th century.

Anglo-American Protestant Christianities naturally get the most attention, with chapters on the banishment of Roger Williams from Massachusetts in 1635, George Whitefield sparking the First Great Awakening in 1740, the founding of the American Bible Society in 1816, the 1844 Methodist Church split over slavery, the 1886 launch of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, the 1925 Scopes trial over teaching evolution in Tennessee public schools, and the 1980 election victory of Ronald Reagan.

African American Christianities get sustained attention in chapters organized around the founding of the first Black church in 1773 and the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that tore apart the bodies of four little girls in Birmingham.

The most wide-ranging chapter considers the 1906 Azusa Street Revival and charts the spread of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianities among white, Black, and Latino Christians, Protestant and Catholic, throughout the world.

In each chapter, Coffman shows us cross-cultural encounters creating new forms of Christianity. The Spanish-Pueblo encounter generated a distinctive new Pueblo Christianity. The French-Huron encounter produced a new Huron Christianity. Likewise with the PuritanNative American encounter.

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And, of course, that encounter also changed Puritan Christianity. As the Puritans labored to convince themselves they were superior to the Native Americans, their original desire to be free of English restrictions hardened into a theological conviction that God had chosen them to bring Christian civilization to the rest of the world.

One of American historys greatest puzzles is why African Americans would so widely adopt their enslavers religion. As Coffman shows, the cross-cultural encounter between Southern planters and those they enslaved generated changes in Southern Christianity and new forms of Black Christianity. Like the Puritans, the defenders of slavery developed a Christianity that justified dehumanizing their nearest neighbors. Paradoxically, Native Americans and African Americans developed Christianities that reinforced their human dignity. Native American Christianities did this by emphasizing ties to their ancestors; Black Christianities by emphasizing the Exodus story and its themes of liberation from oppression.

Encounters between Catholicism and the American culture also catalyzed different modes of being Christian. European Catholicism was priest- and parish-based and hierarchical in authority. But colonial-era Catholics, lacking priests and churches, developed a home-based, lay-led form of Catholicism that experimented with democratic authority. The 19th century witnessed massive European immigration to America, and the internal diversity of the Catholic immigrants generated various ethnic forms of Catholicism with their own priests, parishes, and devotional practices.

Evangelical movements have also generated a multitude of new Christianities. Whitefields revivals split old Protestant denominations and created new ones with distinctive theologies. The Azusa Street Revivalwhich originally had Black and white people in both leadership and participationspawned a vast array of new denominations, first in America and then around the globe.

In the 1950s, Pentecostalism spawned the charismatic movement, giving rise to new denominations and new forms of Christianity within Protestant and Catholic settings. At the same time, new forms of Pentecostal Christianity from Norway to Nigeria to Nicaragua began migrating back to the US, creating even more ways of being Christian and American.

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Of course, the fact that Christianity is always incarnated into a culture can cut in both positive and negative directions. All cultures have elements in harmony with Gods desires, and these can be harnessed to speak Gods larger truth within those cultures. At the same time, all cultures have elements out of harmony with Gods desires, and these can pervert Christian words and ideas in support of sub-Christian actions.

Both Williams and his Puritan antagonists arrived in New England with a commitment, arising from persecution in England, to something they called religious freedom. Williams saw this as freedom of the individual conscience, as defended by the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 10). The Puritans understood it as the liberty to create a godly society in which godly normsas they understood themwould be enforced by a coercive government.

Williams, banished from Massachusetts, founded Rhode Island Colony as a haven where a nominally secular civic government would protect individual freedom of religion. American Catholics, having had to defend their own freedom against Protestant harassment well into the 20th century, eventually persuaded the worldwide Roman Catholic Church to embrace freedom of conscience and separation of church and state.

Meanwhile, the Puritan dream of a government-regulated godly society lives on in American Christianity, as Coffmans subsequent chapters show. It is center stage in the attempt to outlaw teaching evolution in the 1920s; again in white Southern churches defense of segregation in the 1960s; and yet again starting in the 1980s, when many white evangelicals and some white Catholics set about using the Republican Party as a vehicle for realizing their vision of a Christian nation.

But America is a nation of nations, home to an unruly pileup of Christianities. Coffman astutely notes that this produces creative tensions that may well explain American religious vitality. A few years ago, sociologists Roger Finke and Rodney Stark demonstrated that American church adherence rose steadily between 1775 and 1980, reaching levels far exceeding those in other Western nations. But Coffman concludes her book with the fact that since 1980, the number of Americans unaffiliated with any religion has soared from 7 to 30 percent.

She appropriately refrains from speculating about the future, but for some readers, her book may raise a deeply ironic possibility: A white, conservative version of a Christian nation might become a nation of fewer Christianities and fewer Christians.

Michael Hamilton is emeritus professor of history at Seattle Pacific University and vice president at Issachar Fund.

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Martyrdom lurking around every corner. Christians fervent in prayer morning, noon, and night. Bold declarations of Christ is Lord in Roman arenas.

This describes a few Christians, at a few moments, in the first few centuries of the church. Despite popular depictions, this was not the norm for every person bearing the Christian name. In fact, the norm was less heroic than we might realize.

In Cultural Christians in the Early Church: A Historical and Practical Introduction to Christians in the Greco-Roman World, historian Nadya Williams proposes that many Christians in the churchs first five centuries may have been more closely aligned with their surrounding culture than with Christ. This is not to deny the authenticity of their faith, only to say that Christians have always been tempted to adapt to cultural conventions.

This more nuanced and historically consistent portrait erodes notions of golden-era Christianity. Like a microscope revealing cancerous cells, Williams shows readers how Christians are too often infected by the culture around us rather than influenced by Christ in us. From Christian nationalism to love of wealth to Christian celebrity culture, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to how Christians have acclimated to cultural norms.

Straddling fences

Beginning in the New Testament, Williams shows how some Christians took cultural priorities more seriously than biblical ones. The standout case in the Book of Acts is the episode of Ananias and Sapphira, affectionally dubbed by Williams as the first cultural Christians.

This couple, seeing the sacrificial generosity of early believers, sought to make a similar statement, albeit with different motivations than those of their counterparts. Where other believers were driven by ideals of sacrificial giving based on the gospel, Ananias and Sapphira pursued a form of notoriety based on Roman notions of benefaction. Wealthy Romans expected to gain something in return for their gifts.

We often act with a similar mindset. The issue for this culturally Christian couple was the manipulative nature of their gift. Giving the church a portion of the proceeds from a land sale would have been laudable; presenting themselves in the same sacrificial light as others was not. Christians ought to give sacrificially, but never in a way that feigns sacrifice for the sake of accumulating power.

Williams proceeds to shed much-needed historical wisdom on issues related to consuming food and wine (chapter 2), as well as the realities of sexual relations in the Greco-Roman world and their impact on the church (chapter 3). The first Christians, it appears, carried with them some of their Roman baggage, including ritual drunkenness and pagan worship practices. Pauls exhortations to the church, in 1 Corinthians and elsewhere, make it clear that Christians were attempting to straddle the fence when it came to food and drink, at times looking more Roman than Christian.

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Regarding sexuality, of course, nothing could be more countercultural than the Christian sexual ethic. Christians were to be faithful to their spouses or remain celibate. In contrast, Roman men could do almost anything they desired sexually without penalty. In prominent cities such as Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus, cultic prostitution was the norm, not to mention that slaves were seen as property to use sexually as desired. Some may say that we live today in a sexualized culture (which is surely true), but, in many ways, ancient Rome makes the modern West look like a PG-rated cartoon.

Williams then turns the historical page to consider postNew Testament Christians and the cultural sins present within the first few centuries. An interesting case involves Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor who grilled several Christians to better understand the supposed threat they presented in his region. Upon interrogation, it seems that some Christians were quick to reassure Pliny by renouncing their faith. Others persisted, however, leading Pliny to seek wisdom from Emperor Trajan on how to proceed.

The famous exchange between Pliny and Trajan represents a key non-Christian historical source on the nature of Christianity in the second century, attesting to the reality that some were leaving the church. Stories of renunciation would play out in the following decades during various times of Christian persecution, and later leaders such as Cyprian of Carthage would speak to how lapsed Christians ought to be reintegrated into the church.

This historical episode lends itself to helpful insights about exvangelicalism and related movements. How might Christians today address those who are leaving the church? Is the problem the faith, the clergy, or something else? To what degree do modern conventions such as social media play a factor? Its worth considering recent work on the rise of the religiously unaffiliated nones and nonverts alongside stories of their forerunners in the early church era.

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According to Williams, Christians in the Constantinian and post-Constantinian eras did not fare much better regarding cultural sins. Scholars of late antiquity are not surprised by violence between Christian groups or even by the power and manipulation used to sway ecclesial decisions. Modern Christians, though, ought to be shocked and reminded that such postures are contrary to Christian virtue.

Often, what seemed like disagreements over theology and practice may have been more cultural than theological. Advocating violence or manipulation as a means to an end is antithetical to Christian practiceor it ought to be, as Williams emphasizes. She notes, Sometimes divisions are less about good theology and more about appearances. And those kinds of divisions should worry and convict us. To this I can only add, amen!

I was particularly encouraged by the connections Williams draws between the church in the fourth and fifth centuries and the dynamics of Christian nationalism and celebrity culture today. Many have looked to Augustines City of God as a critique of Roman culture and its parallels today, but Williams uses Augustine like a scalpel to delicately remove a cancerous tumor. Augustine minces no words regarding the failures of Rome and the absurdity of Roman religion. In sum, placing ones ultimate hope in an earthly kingdom is foolhardy at best. While heavenly citizens care about the welfare of the earthly kingdom, they are realistic about its prospects and longevity.

Most surprising in this book is the way Williams uses the early monastic movement to draw conclusions about the dangers of Christian celebrities. As numerous individuals fled to the deserts of Egypt and the surrounding region in the late fourth century, their spiritual fame and status garnered much attention. As Williams shows, these spiritual tours of desert monks were not unlike pagan shrine visitations.

Desert monks also represent object lessons for us today. Many today criticize the gathered church for stifling individualized spiritual experience. But whatever spiritual insights we gain from the early monastics, they must be used to serve Gods people.

No golden eras

Cultural Christians in the Early Church gives readers a fantastic example of how we ought to learn from this pivotal period in Christian history. The book is not a detailed introduction to early Christianity. It is, however, a powerful statement regarding human nature and the perennial challenge of living according to Christ. Christian doctrine speaks to the issues of our culture, whether in the first century or the 21st.

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The book and its outlook are not pessimistic but realistic. Williams brings to it her knowledge of late antiquity, her dedication as a disciple of Christ, and her observations on modern evangelicalism. There were moments in the book when I wished Williams, rather than ending most chapters with various connections to modern evangelical life and thought, would let readers draw their own conclusions. Overall, however, this work levels the playing field for Christians today. Williams does not excuse these cultural sins, but instead does the delicate historical work of helping readers understand how we are just as prone to them as our forebears.

Rather than idolizing the early church, perhaps we should learn some sober lessons and apply them to our experience today. Williamss work is far from an abstract exercise in social history; it presents a usable history of the best sort.

Recognizing our cultural sins ought to bring us back to the upside-down kingdom ethics of Jesus. Truly his kingdom is not of this world. There is no golden era of the church in history; only the one to come in eternity.

Coleman Ford is assistant professor of humanities at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the co-founder of the Center for Ancient Christian Studies and serves as a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians. He is the author of Formed in His Image: A Guide to Christian Formation.

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Home News Apple must consider Christian group's free speech resolution, SEC says

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has ruled that Apple Inc. cannot lawfully exclude a free speech resolution from its annual shareholders' meeting.

The Christian conservative activist American Family Association submitted a resolution that would call on Apple to investigate how the company protects First Amendment freedoms in light of its stated commitment to international standards on speech content and censorship.

In a Jan. 2 letter sent to Ronald O. Mueller of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, which represented Apple in their request to exclude the AFA resolution, the SEC's Rule 14a-8 Review Team stated that they "are unable to concur in your view that the Company may exclude the Proposal."

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The SEC rejected Apple's claim that they had already implemented the proposed resolution, so it must be considered when shareholders hold their meeting on proxy materials this coming spring.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, represented the AFA before the SEC, sending a letter last year that called on Apple to consider the free speech resolution.

ADF Senior Counsel and Senior Vice President for Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco said in a statement that the "decision is a much-needed step toward transparency."

"Apple needs to rebuild trust with its shareholders and customers, but that can't happen unless it answers basic questions about whether it is treating everyone equally regardless of their political or religious views," stated Tedesco.

"Apple also needs to address its policies that threaten the fundamental freedoms of its customers by implementing the best practices identified by the Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index, the premiere benchmark for measuring corporate respect for free speech and religious freedom."

In 2023, Apple had an index score of 8%, with concerns about its reported censoring of conservative viewpoints and app store options.

Apple's "App Store Review Guidelines" state that the company wants "to provide a safe experience for users to get apps and a great opportunity for all developers to be successful."

"We strongly support all points of view being represented on the App Store, as long as the apps are respectful to users with differing opinions and the quality of the app experience is great," stated the guidelines.

"We will reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, 'I'll know it when I see it.' And we think that you will also know it when you cross it."

Apple's prohibition of "offensive" content includes things that it considers "discriminatory" or "mean-spirited," including "pornographic material," "inflammatory religious commentary," and "content that encourages violence."

For years, Apple, along with other Big Tech giants, has weathered allegations of wrongfully censoring conservatives and Christians.

A 2011 report from the National Religious Broadcasters alleged that Apple, working at the behest of LGBT activists, removed apps for the conservative Christian group Exodus International and also the Manhattan Declaration.

In 2021, Apple and other platforms like Google and Amazon temporarily banned the conservative social media website, Parler, citing concerns over its content.

By April of that year, Apple reinstated the Parler app, with a company representative stating that the initial ban was because the website's "moderation practices were clearly inadequate to protect users from this harmful and dangerous content."
Home Opinion The myth of Genesis

While compiling material for a class I was teaching on creation many years ago, I listened through a series of podcasts from William Lane Craigs Defenders series on the subject while working out at the gym. In his typical style, Craig methodically worked through the various young and old earth theories, chronicling both the pros and cons of each one.

At the end of the last episode, Craig said: Now Im sure all of you want to know which theory I believe is correct. He was spot on where I was concerned so I sat down on a weight bench, eagerly waiting for the answer. Craig paused and then said: I have no idea.

WHAT?!

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The guy who possessed two Ph.D.s, was a former seminary professor and acknowledged to be one of the worlds top Christian apologists and thinkers hadnt reached a conclusion on Genesis? To be fair, Craig went on to explain which combination of theories he found credible and in union with Scripture but maintained he still wasnt 100% certain how God created everything.

Completely sure that God created everything? Yes. But knowing exactly how it all happened? No.

Admitting such a thing doesnt go over well with some Christians who assert that the first chapter of Genesis is as clear as the nose on your face. For example, I had a guy who had been attending a bible class I taught each week bail when I acknowledged I couldnt say with confidence that the Genesis account equaled a young earth.

Now, on a high level, I appreciate the importance he put on the subject. After all, its one of the four major questions of life: 1. Where did I come from? 2. How should I live? 3. Why am I here? 4. Where am I going?

But is an answer to the THAT component (or efficient cause) of the where-did-I-come-from question sufficient or do you need to know all the details of the HOW part too to sleep well at night?

The candidates

You have two core, opposing options for the efficient cause of everything that exists. Theres Naturalistic Evolution, which involves an eternal universe, no God engaged in creation, and things emerging by pure, natural processes. Then you have Theistic Creation, with God directly creating the universe and living things, but with an ongoing debate concerning how many things were originally created and how much time it took.

It's no shocker that Christians affirm option two with Scripture declaring: You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before You (Neh. 9:6).

So far so good.

But next comes the how part of creation, which divides up initially into the young and old earth camps. After that the waters get a tad muddy because there are quite a few candidates for both the young and old earth positions, all of which I chronicle in this presentation that you can freely view.

All views actually agree on more things than they disagree. They all acknowledge the direct supernatural creation of all forms of life, oppose pure Naturalism, and insist on the historicity of the Genesis account among other things. What they disagree on is the age of the earth and whether the days in Genesis are literal or allegorical.

Many Christians bristle at the allegorical/symbolic stance and idea that God may have used the same natural processes we see at work today in the beginnings of creation. They fear that such a position turns Genesis into a myth.

Maybe it does. But its definitely not the kind of myth that we routinely think of when we hear the word.

Historian and Old Testament expert Dr. John Oswalt trounces the idea that the Bible and the Genesis account are typical myth, as in pure fiction vs. history. In his book, The Bible Among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature, Oswalt builds a case for the Bible not being myth by carefully identifying and comparing the characteristics of mythology and Scripture and concludes, Whatever the Bible is, it is not myth. That is to say, I have concluded that the similarities between the Bible and the rest of the literatures of the ancient Near East are superficial, while the differences are essential.

By contrast, the type of myth some Christian thinkers postulate for Genesis is the one put forward by C. S. Lewis who was a literary scholar at both Oxford and Cambridge, and thus more than above average when it came to evaluating literature. Of the creation account, Lewis wrote the following in his essay Dogma and the Universe: The first chapters of Genesis, no doubt, give the story of creation in the form of a folk-tale.

Lewis briefly mentioned the symbolic possibility of a creation account in his book Miracles where he defined myth as at its best, a real though unfocused gleam of divine truth falling on human imagination. He expounded on the idea much more in his essay Myth Became Fact where he clearly stated that myth in this case is not fiction or falsity, saying: Even assuming (which I most constantly deny) that the doctrines of historic Christianity are merely mythical, it is the myth which is the vital and nourishing element.

Lewis asserted that the type of myth literature found in the creation account was a human way of attempting to explain various realities that could not be adequately described in ordinary language: What flows into you from the myth is not truth but reality (truth is always about something, but reality is that about which truth is), and, therefore, every myth becomes the father of innumerable truths on the abstract level.

Lewis sums up his position by stating: To be truly Christian we must both assent to the historical fact and also receive the myth (fact though it has become) with the same imaginative embrace which we accord to all myths  In the enjoyment of a great myth we come nearest to experiencing as a concrete what can otherwise be understood only as an abstraction.

Now, could Lewis and others holding to an allegorical framework of creation be wrong? Of course. Could a literal six-day creation be correct or one involving a progressive process much like what we experience today? Sure.

Dr. Gerald Schroeder, in his book, The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom, says those and more are possible with God: Why not an instant universe? At the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, the Bible tells that God used a wind that blew all night to split the Sea of Reeds (Ex. 14:21). Why an all-night wind rather than perhaps a hand from Heaven? That would have been much more impressive.

Whatever the favored interpretation, the account of Genesis 1-3 is one that is history behind the literature, and needs to be because as Francis Schaeffer writes in his book The God Who is There: Take away the first three chapters of Genesis, and you cannot maintain a true Christian position nor give Christianitys answers.

All of this leads me to the same situation I was in on that weight bench at the gym years ago, angry because William Lane Craig didnt lay down a militant declaration on creation. I get his position now, and although I can discuss with you my leanings on the subject (Im in the old earth camp) and their biblical rationale, in the end, if you press me hard, Im going to tell you the same thing Craig did on the subject of how creation happened:

I have no idea.
Home News Arkansas AG rejects second proposed amendment to make abortion constitutional right

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has refused to include a proposed state constitutional amendment on the ballot that, if passed by voters, would create a limited right to abortion.

In a letter released last week, Griffin said he believed that the way the Arkansas Abortion Amendment was worded was misleading to potential voters, namely how it defined physical health.

The amendment had defined physical health as a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury  caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, or when continuation of the pregnancy will create a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.

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It defines physical health, not as the absence of disorder, illness, or injury, but as the presence of those things, wrote Griffin. That is the opposite of the common meaning of health.

I suspect you intended something like this: to permit abortion services when, among other things, they are needed to protect the pregnant female from a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury.

Griffin said this foregoing defect prevented him from certifying your proposed ballot title, adding that he lacks the authority to correct the proposed amendment text himself.

This marks the second time that the attorney general has rejected the proposed amendment due to concerns over the language of the measure.

Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the proposed amendment, released a brief statement last week explaining they will submit a new draft to Griffin soon.

As AFLG previously stated, the revised Arkansas Abortion Amendment carefully addressed each concern the Attorney General expressed in his November opinion, they added. We are pleased that the AG largely agrees with the proposed changes. Our group will work with the drafter to make the singular correction requested in todays opinion.

The group wants abortion to be legal for up to 18 weeks after conception or under circumstances such as rape, incest, when the pre-born baby is diagnosed with a fatal fetal anomaly, or the mother is facing a life-threatening emergency.

Last November, Griffin rejected the proposed amendment, arguing, among other things, that the measure was written too broadly and that its original name, The Arkansas Reproductive Healthcare Amendment, was too partisan.

Your proposed popular name is tinged with partisan coloring and misleading because your proposal is solely related to abortion, not reproductive healthcare generally, wrote Griffin last year, as reported by the Arkansas Advocate.

Presently, Arkansas prohibits abortion in nearly all circumstances, save for any life-threatening medical emergency the mother is facing. The law was triggered into effect when the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Last month, the group Americans United for Life ranked Arkansas as the most pro-life state in the nation, marking the fourth year in a row that Arkansas received this honor.

This is Arkansass fourth year as the most pro-life state in America after the state maintained existing protections for life and enacted an additional 9 life-protecting laws, explained the pro-life group.

But Arkansas is facing challenges for the top slot from numerous other states, including Mississippi, South Dakota, and Florida.
Home News Episcopal church's summer camp director arrested on child pornography charges

The former outreach director at an Episcopal church in Ohio will appear in court on child pornography charges, according to the state diocese.

Kelcie Dugger, the former outreach director at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Cleveland, was slated to appear in court on Monday, according to a statement by Bishop Anne Jolly of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio on Friday.

Dugger had been given responsibilities to spearhead a theater camp at the diocese's Bellwether Farm in the summer of 2023, according to Jolly.

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Dugger was arrested and indicted on Dec. 21. However, she didn't notify St. Luke's leadership about her arrest until Jan. 2.

"Based on our own preliminary investigation and the information we have received from the Ohio Task Force for Internet Crimes Against Children, we have no reason to believe that any children in our diocese have been harmed or exposed to inappropriate behavior or images," Jolly wrote.

"While leading camp at Bellwether, Kelcie was never alone with children or youth, and all safe church policies and practices were followed. She did not stay in camper cabins."

Jolly asked that anyone with additional information or concerns email the diocese's Title IV intake officers or contact local police. Jolly said that both resources, if contacted, have agreed to assist in the matter and will treat anything told to them sensitively.

"I hope that as this situation unfolds, you will join me in praying for children and youth everywhere who have been abused and exploited, and for an end to the unspeakable actions that cause their suffering," Jolly added.

"Even though we do not believe that this situation has affected children in our diocese, nothing is more important to me than their safety. If you have any concerns or any information about this situation or any related situation that you would like to share with us, I encourage you to be in touch."

According to its website, St. Luke's Episcopal was founded in the 19th century and boasts of having "always been a church geared to children in the neighborhood."

"It is dedicated to outreach for the local community with the goal of feeding, clothing, and teaching, which continues to this day," stated the congregation.

"St Luke's has had its highs and lows through out its 134 years. As the neighborhood changed, so did the church. Change has always been a large part in the life of the church. The parish continues to adapt to these changes supported by its faith that has sustained it through both good times and bad."
Home News Imprisoned Mongolian Christian in 'critical condition' after starved, forced to drink toilet water

In a case that has raised significant human rights concerns, a 28-year-old Mongolian Christian imprisoned on trumped-up charges is in critical condition after facing severe persecution in a high-security prison in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

According to U.S.-based persecution watchdog ChinaAid, Alamus, also known as Alamusha, originally from the Xilingol League of Inner Mongolia, was a student at the Shanghai Theater Academy. During a winter break in 2013, he attended a classmate reunion in his hometown when an altercation broke out at the event. Although Alamusha did not participate in the fight, he was charged as the main offender and sentenced to 15 years for intentional injury.

Alamusha's plight came to light following a video released by his aunt, which has been circulating on Chinese social media. The video alleges that Alamusha has been tortured in solitary confinement for nearly two months, with his life in imminent danger, because he refused to plead guilty to his crimes.

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She claims that he was beaten by police officer Nie Yonggang and a gang member, resulting in a perforated eardrum. However, following his complaint to the prison authorities, Alamusha was reportedly placed in solitary confinement, shackled, and deprived of adequate food and warmth, leading to severe frostbite.

Another report from Bitter Winter notes that Alamusha was fed only one steamed bun to eat, and a small glass of water to drink every day. He was also forced to drink water from the urinal to survive.

Despite filing numerous complaints, Alamusha's pleas have gone unanswered, and his family's insistence on justice has reportedly led to further retaliation and torture.

We are the most helpless herders, you all cant bully people like this. A pitiful child cannot be like this, right?, Alamushas aunt said in the video. You all cant torture the child to death, we request the Communist government to take this matter seriously.

Du Wen, a former inmate and former deputy director of the Legal Counsel Office of Inner Mongolia. Du described the torture as far beyond what was mentioned in the video. He portrayed Alamusha as an honest, courageous and spiritually resilient individual who embraced Christianity while in prison.

China Aid notes that Alamusha's background as an orphan raised by his grandmother, with no significant connections, seemingly played a role in his scapegoating and harsh sentencing. His refusal to plead guilty has reportedly offended the prison authorities, particularly police officer Nie.

The Hohhot Prison, known for incarcerating individuals involved in serious crimes, is described by Du as a place where "all laws have become ineffective," raising grave concerns about the rule of law and the treatment of prisoners in China, especially religious minorities like Christians.

This case has attracted international attention, with human rights organizations calling for an immediate, fair and transparent investigation into the allegations of torture and wrongful imprisonment.

Christianity in Mongolia, a country located between China and Russia, is a minority religion, with Christians making up just 1.94% of the population, according to 2020 census data.

Since the end of communist rule in the early 1990s, an estimated 40,000 Mongolians have converted to Christian denominations, including Protestant, Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist and others.

Lamaistic Buddhism and shamanism are the traditional religions of Mongolia. The majority of Mongolia's people groups  23 out of 28  are still considered unreached for the Gospel, according to Mission Eurasia.
Home News 'Sacrilege': Missouri priest punished for sexual solicitation during confession

A Missouri priest has been found guilty of sexual solicitation during confession in what the diocese has condemned as a sacrilege and a grave form of abuse.

In a Jan. 1 statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, announced that Father Ignazio Medina had been found guilty of sexual solicitation of an adult during confession. The investigation and disciplinary process was overseen by the Holy Sees Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Catholic Churchs Code of Canon Law states that a priest who, in confession, or on the occasion or under the pretext of confession, solicits a penitent to commit a sin against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, is to be punished, according to the gravity of the offence, with suspension, prohibitions and deprivations.

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The Code of Canon Law declares that a priest guilty of sexual solicitation during confession is to be dismissed from the clerical state in the more serious cases. The Sixth Commandment forbids adultery as well as all other forms of sexual activity and intimacy outside of a lifelong marriage between a man and a woman.

Medina, who formerly served as pastor of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Lake Ozark, will remain a member of the priesthood although he is permanently deprived of the right to hold any ecclesiastical office (parish or diocesan) and of the faculty to hear confessions.

Additionally, Medina has lost the right to celebrate or concelebrate Mass except with his diocesan bishops explicit permission, which will not be granted except for extraordinary circumstances. The diocese noted that the penalties imposed on the priest will go into effect immediately.

The diocese received a report on its Safe Environment abuse hotline in April 2022, alleging the priests act of wrongdoing. After the tip was received, Jefferson City Bishop W. Shawn McKnight banned Medina from hearing confessions and from being alone with anyone other than his family on church property.

Our Lady of the Lakes website indicates that Medina no longer serves as pastor of the church. It lists Fr. Michael W. Penn as the current pastor, with an appointment date of 2022. According to the website, Medina began serving as pastor in 2021.

The diocese concluded a preliminary investigation into Medinas behavior in June 2022 and four months later, the Holy See instructed McKnight to establish an administrative disciplinary process to determine guilt. McKnight delegated the disciplinary process to a priest and canon lawyer from the Archdiocese of Toronto in Canada.

In November, the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith approved a decree finding Medina guilty of sexual solicitation during confession and authorizing the imposition of permanent penalties against him.

Since Medina declined to appeal, the punishments are final.

Reacting to the development, McKnight said he told Medina that he will not be allowed to celebrate or concelebrate mass publicly except for funeral Masses of his immediate family, at the gatherings of priests at their annual conference in October, and at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week.

I want to be clear that sexual solicitation during confession is a sacrilege, a crime in our Church, and a grave form of abuse; it cannot be tolerated, McKnight added. With Gods help we must work to continue to eradicate abuse from all corners of our Church. Please join me in prayer for all who are left in pain and confusion when a trusted leader abuses their position of sacred trust and power for sinful purposes.

McKnight expressed gratitude to the victim for stepping forward, adding, I pray for healing.

As we move forward together, I seek the renewal of our Church by facing the awful reality of abuse with the hope and grace of the Gospel, which provides the healing we all need, he remarked.

While Medina will have most of the privileges associated with priesthood revoked, he will continue to live out his remaining days as a priest in addition to receiving financial support as a retired priest.

Confession, often referred to as reconciliation or penance, is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It involves reciting the Act of Contrition and confessing sins to a priest.

Methods of hearing confessions vary from church to church. In some cases, the priest and the penitent see each other face-to-face, while other churches have the priest seated behind one wall of an alcove located within the church as the penitent recalls his or her sins on the other side of the wall. In these types of confessions, the priest and the penitent do not see one another.
Home News Episcopal leader Michael Curry hospitalized again, undergoes surgery for internal bleeding

Updated at 1 p.m. EST Jan. 12, 2024: On Thursday, the Episcopal Church reported that Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was released from the hospital and recovering at his home under medical supervision.

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has again undergone surgery due to internal bleeding and is recovering.

Curry underwent a procedure on Saturday morning to treat a reoccurrence of the subdural hematoma (brain bleed) he suffered in December, according to the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs.

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"The surgery was successful, and updates on his condition will be provided as they become available," the statement reads. "Please continue to pray for Bishop Curry, his family, and his medical team."

Curry suffered a fall last month while visiting in Syracuse, New York, and was sent to a hospital near his home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he underwent another surgery for a subdural hematoma.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a subdural hematoma occurs when blood is "leaking out of a torn vessel into a space below the dura mater, a membrane between the brain and the skull."

In 2015, Curry was installed as the first African American to lead the Episcopal Church as presiding bishop at Washington National Cathedral, succeeding the Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori.

Curry's term is scheduled to end this year, with a new presiding bishop to be elected at the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 23-28.

The 70-year-old Curry experienced a series of medical issues last year that began over Memorial Day weekend when he was hospitalized briefly for internal bleeding.

"Curry's internal bleeding is under control, and additional test results are expected later this week. He has been receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib), which was detected in an annual physical," reported the Episcopal Church Public Affairs Office last May.

"While in the hospital, Curry experienced two other episodes of irregular heartbeat, and he will wear a heart monitor to determine what further treatment is necessary."

In August, Curry was hospitalized again due to internal bleeding, with the presiding bishop undergoing surgery in September to remove his right adrenal gland and an attached mass.

"I am so grateful for your prayers," said Curry in a statement in August. "I expect that the work of the medical team will lead to healing that will make a difference. Fervent prayer plus good medical care is a powerful combination. In all things, God is good."

The surgery was considered a success, with the Episcopal Church leader being released from the hospital in October and being put on a reduced work schedule, as well as physical therapy.
Home News Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce abortion law in first abortion ruling since Dobbs

Idaho's abortion law can go into effect while a legal battle continues, according to a recent order from the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that marks the first time that the court has weighed in on a state's criminal law on abortion since it overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

The Supreme Court determined Friday that Idaho could enforce the Defense of Life Act, which outlaws most abortions except in specific circumstances. Under the law, a provider who conducts an abortion can face up to five years in prison and the suspension or revocation of his or her license.

Idaho enacted the law in 2020, and after the Supreme Court reversed Roe in 2022, restoring regulatory authority over abortion to the states, the law could go into effect.

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The court agreed to hear arguments in April about the issue, putting on hold a lower court ruling based on an August 2022 lawsuit filed by the Biden administration that claimed the state's abortion ban interfered with a federal law requiring hospitals that receive Medicare funds to provide emergency care.

The U.S. Justice Department argues that the law forces doctors to violate the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. A lower court sided with the administration and blocked the Idaho law.

Brandi Swindell, founder and CEO of Stanton Healthcare, a pro-life medical clinic in Idaho, applauded the Supreme Court for upholding the Defense of Life Act, which she stated "protects innocent children from abortion violence and women from abortion abuse." Swindell said the law allows for abortion exceptions if the pregnancy poses a threat to the mother's life or is a result of rape or incest.

"It is critical that Idaho's emergency rooms are not turned into 'abortion clinics,'" Swindell said in a Monday statement provided to The Christian Post.

"At Stanton Healthcare, we will continue to provide exceptional medical care, tangible support and hope to women facing unexpected pregnancies as we work to make abortion unthinkable and end abortion abuse," she continued.

On Friday, the White House issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court's decision. President Joe Biden called on Congress to restore the "protections of Roe v. Wade" and referred to Idaho's abortion law as "dangerous." He repeated the administration's assertion that the law will make it harder for doctors to provide emergency medical care.

"These bans are also forcing doctors to leave Idaho and other states because of laws that interfere with their ability to care for their patients," Biden stated. "This should never happen in America."

"The Vice President and I believe that health care decisions should be made by women and their doctors, not politicians. We will continue to defend a woman's ability to access emergency care under federal law," the president continued. "As this case continues, the stakes could not be higher for women across America. Congress must immediately restore the protections of Roe v. Wade so that women in every state can access the health care they need."

According to Idaho's Defense of Life Act, an abortion is not a criminal act if a provider determines, based on "good faith medical judgment," that an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. However, the law clarifies that this judgment only applies to cases where the woman's physical health is at risk and not her mental health.

In addition, medical care that unintentionally results in the death or injury of the unborn child is not a violation of the law. The Defense of Life Act also states that women will not be prosecuted for having or attempting to have an abortion.
Home News Taliban arrests women for 'bad hijab' in dress code crackdown

The Taliban said it has been arresting women in Afghan cities for purportedly wearing a bad hijab, a violation of the terrorist groups strict dress code, which is one of many restrictions imposed on women in that country since it returned to power in 2021.

The radical Islamist regime did not specify the number of women it has arrested, nor did it clarify how it defines a bad hijab. Abdul Ghafar Farooq, a spokesperson from the Talibans Vice and Virtue Ministry, said it had received complaints for two years about women not wearing the correct hijab.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Farooq said women had been arrested three days ago. According to the spokesperson for the terrorist group, ministry officials had imposed a strict dress code for women, but after they failed to comply the jihadists' orders, female police officers were dispatched to arrest the women.

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These are the few limited women who spread bad hijab in Islamic society, Farooq claimed. They violated Islamic values and rituals, and encouraged society and other respected sisters to go for bad hijab.

The women arrested will be released on strict bail, or the police will refer the matter to judicial authorities, the AP reported. Farooq also warned that women in every province who fail to properly wear a hijab will face arrest.

Shortly after the Taliban regained power following the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the group issued a decree in May 2022 requiring women to conceal their faces and wear a full-body covering in public. The decree included punishments for Afghan women's fathers or closest male relatives, who might be fired from their jobs or imprisoned if their female relative does not cover her face outside the home in the manner dictated by the Taliban.

Late last month, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan to engage with the Taliban, particularly on human rights and gender.

During a press briefing last Wednesday, U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller expressed support for the envoy, stating it would allow for international engagement with Afghanistan. The spokesperson said he believes the resolution shows the Taliban and the international community that the U.N. Security Council supports a process to allow Afghanistan into that community by meeting international obligations.

But I will say, we also remain concerned about the Talibans repressive edicts against women and girls and its unwillingness to foster inclusive governance, Miller stated. The decisions that it has made risk irreparable damage to Afghanistans society and move the Taliban further away from normalizing relations with the international community.

Human Rights Watch released a 19-page report in December titled "'Schools are Failing Boys Too': The Taliban's Impact on Boys' Education in Afghanistan," which analyzed the impact of the Talibans policies and practices.

After interviewing boys and their parents in eight of Afghanistans provinces, researchers found "an alarming deterioration in boys' access to education and the quality of their education," driven in part by the Taliban removing female teachers from their jobs and a rise in corporal punishment.

"The curriculum in many schools appears to be under revision to remove important school subjects and promote discrimination," the report read. "The  humanitarian crises in the country has also placed greater demands on school boys."

"These circumstances have led many boys to leave school altogether; those who remain attend classes with few students and sometimes no teachers."

Women are prohibited from seeking a secondary or higher education under Taliban rule, but the report noted that "rights violations extend beyond the severe restrictions imposed on girls' and women's education."

"The Taliban's prohibition of girls from attending secondary school and higher education along with the infliction of serious harms to the system to educate boys is deeply incompatible with international human rights standards and best practices.," the report stated.
Home Opinion Enough already with the pro-Trump prophecies!

Come November 2024, if Donald Trump is on the presidential ballot, he may be your candidate of choice. By then, he may have won the GOP nomination in a landslide. And for you, hands down, he may be your man for any of a thousand reasons. He may even be our next president.

That is not my issue here. In fact, my issue is not political at all.

It is spiritual. It is prophetic. It is about the honor of the Lord and the reputation of the Spirit. It is about credibility.

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And if there is a prophetic word that God is speaking now about the 2024 elections it is simply this: Enough already with the Donald Trump prophecies!

There is still egg on our faces because of the 2020 debacle. (When I say our faces it is because I am a leader in the Pentecostal/Charismatic Church. And even though I worked hard with others to call for prophetic accountability and to rebuke the false prophecies about Trump, this is my family, so there is egg on all of our faces. This is my mess too.)

Tragically and inexcusably, there is still denial and deception and duplicity about the failed prophecies, all in the name of the Lord.

There is still excuse making and finger pointing and blame shifting without any accountability and integrity, to the point that some of the prophets who blew it most egregiously  I mean prophesying specific dates and timelines that flatly did not pan out  have continued to prophesy about Trump to this day, without correction or apology.

To the contrary, they have attacked those of us who have called for correction and accountability rather than humble themselves and say, We blew it. We were wrong. We need to get our act together.

Instead, in their eyes, everyone else is wrong. Ive even heard the accusation that the reason the prophecies did not come to pass was because of people like me who called for accountability and repentance.

Yes, I actually heard this between the 2020 elections and the inauguration, as these prophets continued to proclaim that the election had been stolen and that Trump, not Biden would be inaugurated.

When I responded saying that, whether or not the election was stolen, Trump would not be inaugurated, I was called an unbeliever, a RINO (which is funny since Im a registered Independent), a secret leftist (or Communist), a plant of the Democratic party. (Seriously!)

More to the point, I was told that it was because of cowardly, unbelieving people like me that Trump might not make it. In contrast, the prophets were likened to Joshua and Caleb, ready to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. People like me were likened to the 10 spies who, full of unbelief, told the Israelites that they could not take the land (see Numbers 13-14).

What deception.

What drivel.

What an insult to the Word of God and the character of God.

What a mockery of the Spirit.

The truth be told, in the midst of the pro-Trump prophecy frenzy, it took far more courage to say he would not be president than to join the prophecy-affirming throngs. Yet for taking a stand and speaking the truth and going against the grain (and losing thousands of social media followers in the process), I was being cowardly. (For the record, the only thing that hurt me was that people were hurting and being misled. Losing followers was not my concern. Losing my ability to help them was.)

Thankfully, a few prophets acknowledged their error in prophesying a Trump victory, yet by apologizing, they came under far more attack than I did in calling for accountability.

That alone illustrated how upside down things had become.

You swim against the tide and challenge the crowd, and for that you are called a coward.

Or you humble yourself and ask for forgiveness, and for that your followers turn on you en masse.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Yet the excuses continued, Donald Trump did win the election, just as we prophesied, but it was stolen from him.

Then why didnt God tell you it would be stolen? This would be like me telling you, Tomorrow, the Lord will give you a brand new car  but I failed to tell you that, as it was being delivered to your home, a thief carjacked it and you will never see it.

Sorry, but I dont buy it.

Its like the man standing on a street corner in Manhattan clapping his hands and shouting.

When someone asks him, What are you doing? he replies, Im keeping the crocodiles away.

When someone else says to him, But there are no crocodiles for hundreds of miles around, he answers, You see! Its working.

Its the same kind of nonsense with the Trump prophets, many of whom will say, You see! We told you! if he is reelected in 2024. (And remember I write all this as a two-time Trump voter, meaning in 2016 and 2020.)

Speaking directly to the Trump prophets, I remind you that many of you told us that: 1. Trump would serve 8 consecutive years (he did not); 2. that the courts would overturn the election results, even giving us time frames when certain states would turn from blue to red (this did not happen); and 3. that Trump, not Biden, would be inaugurated and that Biden would never serve a day in the White House (none of this happened).

And what did some of you say since then?

It doesnt matter whos in the White House because Trump is Gods president!

Or, I see a vision of Trump sitting enthroned in Heaven, ruling with a golden scepter.

Or, There are two presidents now, the false one, Biden, and the real one, Trump.

Or, Thats not really Joe Biden! Thats someone impersonating him. Trump is the real president.

Repent! This is garbage! This is a stench in Gods nostrils! Enough!

The good news is that the deception has only become more blatant over the years.

The bad news is that countless thousands (millions?) of gullible followers still buy into this garbage, which must be fairly lucrative as well.

What the larger Body of Christ (and certainly the secular world) may not know is that some of the most respected charismatic prophets did not prophesy a Trump victory. They offered no prophetic words at all about the elections, recognizing that God had not spoken to them about it.

Yet their good names have been marred because of the errors of so many others, which is a real shame.

I even have colleagues who dont claim to be prophets who reached out to me some months before November 2020, saying that God showed them that Biden would be president, one reason being the degree to which many Christians had made Trump into an idol.

These voices, however, were totally obscured by the landslide of pro-Trump prophecies, and in the days to come, you can expect to hear these pro-Trump prophets shouting from the rooftops again.

This time around, lets ignore them  or, when appropriate, lets call them to account and expose them.

Go back now and read this article from April 17, 2020 confronting the false end of COVID prophecies. (Be assured that critics of the charismatic movement called these failed prophecies loudly and clearly, and they had every right to do so.)

Or read this article from December 15, 2020 titled, To My Prophetic Friends: You Were Either Right or Wrong. (It makes for quite a read today.)

Or check out this article from January 21, 2021, lovingly but forcefully calling on these prophets to repent now that Biden, not Trump, had been inaugurated.

Then read this article from May 1, 2021, with a wide-ranging, collective call for prophetic accountability, along with the announcement of the release of the Prophetic Standards document, which has garnered more than 1,000 leadership signatures.

Or go all the way back to 2018 and read my book Playing with Holy Fire: A Wake-Up Call to the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church for chapters on unaccountable prophets and mercenary prophets.

These have been issues of concern for years, dating back decades, but things have come to a very public head today.

So, as a tongue-speaking, Pentecostal-Charismatic leader who openly embraces the gifts and power of the Spirit without shame, I say this. If there is any word that the Spirit is speaking now, it is simply this: Enough already!
Home Opinion The ongoing genocide of Nigerian Christians

In what has become a dark annual tradition, Islamic militants in Nigeria carried out targeted attacks on Christians on Christmas Eve. Up to 200 are confirmed dead and about 300 injured in the attacks that were carried out in 20 villages across the north-central state of Plateau. Islamic militants have carried out similar Christmas attacks for at least the last four years.

The population of Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians, a religious split that largely follows geographic lines. The northern part of the country is predominantly Muslim, and the eastern and southern parts heavily Christian. The middle of the country, sometimes called the Middle Belt, is ethnically and religiously diverse.

Not surprisingly, the threat to Christians originated from the Islamic north, though it has now spread to southern regions. Three groups are responsible for what Open Doors has called a campaign of religious cleansing against Christians. Boko Haram, one of the most notorious Islamist terrorist groups in the world, is responsible for killing thousands of Christians and displacing countless more since violence began to escalate in 2015. In recent years, their ruthlessness has been matched by a rival group, the Islamic State in West Africa.

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As dangerous as these explicitly Islamist groups are, the Fulani herdsmen are worse. Because the Fulani territory in north Nigeria is suffering from a long-term drought, the Fulani are moving south to access water. To take land and drive out Christians, the herdsmen have raided and burned villages, slaughtered villagers, destroyed crops, and engaged in a host of other atrocities. It was the Fulani who carried out this years Christmas attacks.

For years, the Nigerian government has denied the obvious religious dimensions of the Fulani herdsmen, instead claiming it to be a conflict between farmers and herders. Former President Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani. Though he attempted to address some of the economic issues that drive Fulani militancy, he consistently denied that religion played any role in the conflict, pointing out that Muslim villages were also raided. However, the vast majority of attacks were committed against Christians, including Christians in churches on Christmas and Easter.

In fact, the Fulanis history of Islamic militancy dates back to the late 17th century. Denying the religious dimensions of these attacks is pure propaganda, according to the governor of the state of Plateau, Caleb Mutfwang. In a New Years broadcast, he called for a week of mourning to begin 2024, referring to the recent killings as a Christmas genocide and acknowledging the over 400 that were killed just between April and June of 2023.

These unprovoked and simultaneous attacks in different villages were clearly premeditated and coordinated. These series of attacks on our people are a clear case of criminality, insurgency and terrorism and must be seen and handled in that manner if we must succeed in halting this wanton destruction of lives and property. For the avoidance of doubt, it is a misrepresentation of facts to describe these needless and unprovoked attacks on our people as a Farmer-Herder clash, as has always been the traditional narrative. Let us call a spade a spade; this is simple genocide!

Indeed, what has happened to Nigerian Christians over the past decade and more meets the established international standards for the label genocide. And yet, as Johnnie Moore noted on X, the @StateDept is reticent to speculate on the motive of the perpetrators of a massacre of 200 Christians in Nigeria on Christmas, in an area rife with terrorists.

It is highly suspect whether Nigerian Christians should expect help from Nigerias current president, who was sworn into office last May. Not only is Bola Ahmed Tinubu a Muslim, but he also broke with the tradition of selecting a Christian as vice president. Given the nations top two officeholders are Muslim, many are understandably skeptical of the presidents condemnation of the Plateau state attacks, as well as his promise that the envoys of death, pain, and sorrow responsible for these acts will not escape justice.

Fueling the skepticism could be that in mid-December President Tinubu referred to his predecessor as an icon of truth, justice, and patriotism. He then followed the habit of his predecessor in not acknowledging any religious motivation for the Christmas Day attacks.

Even if everyone else does, Christians must not forget the spiritual root of this conflict. For over a century, God has been moving and the Church has been expanding across Africa. In 1900, there were only 9.64 million Christians on the continent. Today there are over 692 million, and they are among the most committed Christians in the world. It is not surprising that Satan would inspire their ongoing persecution.

For our Nigerian brothers and sisters, we can fight on two fronts. First, we must continue to lobby our government on their behalf, asking our officials to put pressure on Nigeria to take more decisive action against Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen. Second, we must lobby Heaven, for both our persecuted brothers and sisters and their persecutors, praying that Gods Kingdom would advance and win even the jihadis to Jesus.

Originally published at BreakPoint.
Franklin Graham warns Methodist Church is 'trying to edit the Word of God'

(CP) Evangelist Franklin Graham has slammed The Methodist Church of Great Britain 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 Samaritan's Purse, wrote in a social media post. "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 aren't called to avoid what might offend people  we are called to share the Truth of God's Word that can guide and direct us through every step of life."

Graham's 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 God's 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 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 UK.

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 US have defied these rules in recent years.

In the US 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 US over LGBT issues has led to a significant number of congregations leaving the denomination. It's 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.

 The Christian Post
Indian Christian communities revitalising British churches amid declining congregations

An encouraging report published on December 24 by The Guardian, brings hope during a prevailing trend of shrinking church congregations in the UK. The article titled Indian Christians find comfort and joy in church communities across Britain, tells an exciting story of strength and renewal in traditional places of worship.

The article notes stories where church attendance has increased across the nation, from Liverpool to London, Preston to Bristol and begins with the story of Father Happy Jacob at St Thomas's Indian Orthodox Church in Liverpool whose congregation that was stagnant for almost two decades at 60 families has grown rapidly to 110 families at the last count.

The surge is not confined to a single locality, the article notes, but resonates across the UK, presenting a pattern of revival against the backdrop of diminishing Christian numbers. The Guardian's analysis reveals that Indian Christians, predominantly hailing from southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where Christianity has deep roots, are adding liveliness into the churches of UK, particularly those that are facing challenges of dwindling congregations.

Contrary to the overall decline in Christianity in England and Wales, the latest census reveals a significant surge in the number of Indian Christians. While the national percentage of those identifying as Christian dropped from 59.3% in 2011 to 46.2% in 2021, Indian Christians saw a remarkable rise from 135,988 in 2011 to 225,935 in 2021, the fastest growth among ethnic groups.

The Guardian quotes Rev Joshva Raja of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who confirms that the phenomenon is real and significant. "There are lots and lots of Christians coming from India," he says and notes that while most of the new arrivals are joining Catholic churches, "I see some of the Anglican churches growing too." The reason is that some who are arriving in the UK are part of Protestant denominations from India that were founded after India gained independence from the British in 1947.

Pradeep George, a 42-year-old NHS worker and secretary at the Church of South India in East Ham, East London. George confirms a doubling of attending families since pre-pandemic times and highlights a convergence of traditions mirroring Church of England practices infused with distinctive elements from Kerala, South India, including the popular plum cake.

Families like Suriya Varghese and Anup Cherian, recently relocated from Qatar, find an extensive support network, ranging from housing assistance to acclimatising to the peculiarities of British weather. Not surprisingly their life revolves around the church. "The church plays a very big role in our lives," the report quotes Anup Cherian. "This is about being part of the community, especially for the kids."

The young people's involvement in these communities is highlighted in the report by figures like Ephrem Sam Mattappallil, a 25-year-old student in London, leading a support group for Indian Orthodox Church students. The initiative, which has so far helped around 120 people, offers help to those who are "struggling" in the absence of family and dealing with the pressures of adapting to a new country.

In other parts of the country, Indian Christians are also integrating into mainstream churches. The report focuses on the Catholic church of St Osmund in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where Father Jonathan Creer expresses both surprise and delight at the unfolding 'trend'. He noted an upswing in mass attendance because of a "huge increase in the Indian community," many of whom are employed at the local NHS hospital. Father Creer observes that these Indian families, comprising a considerable number of children, teenagers, and individuals in their twenties, exhibit a notably positive attitude towards religion compared to some of their British counterparts of the same age group.

The Guardian's report concludes while noting that there are churches where Indian Christians find themselves in a minority, however they encounter warmth and acceptance. This demonstrates that the experience of an Indian Christian immigrant can vary from place to place.

The report quotes 25-year-old Arun Vedhanayagam Selwyn, who arrived in Eltham, south-east London from Chennai in Tamil Nadu last year and attends the Anglican St John the Baptist church. In his experience, as narrated by him, he very rarely comes across an Indian and notes that most of the congregants are much older than him but comments that the community has been "very welcoming."

 Christian Today India
Indian pastors arrested under anti-conversion laws

Two Christians were arrested and booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act for praying on New Year's Eve in Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh.

Pastor Arun Kumar and Pastor Ram Tahal gathered to pray on New Year's Eve along with about 100 believers on December 31 in Ram Charan Ka Purwa in Ajrauli, Khandasa.

While they were praying and worshipping, a Hindu extremist reported to the police alleging that forced conversion was taking place. The police arrived and arrested Kumar and Tahal.

Police booked both the pastors under Section 3 and 5(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 under First Information Report (FIR) No. 278, dated 31 December 2023, in Khandasa police station at the complaint of Arvind Kumar Pandian.

In his complaint, Pandian, a resident of Mahua village, alleged that while he was on his way back in the afternoon of December 31, he saw a mob gathered near Kumar's house in Ram Charan Ka Purwa in Ajrauli.

Pandian alleged in his complaint that he saw Kumar and Tahal gather the Hindu mob and preach about their Christian faith. He further alleged that they were offering various allurements and asking the people to convert to Christianity. Furthermore, he said that this has caused the villagers to get angry and, therefore, a case should be registered against the duo for illegally performing mass conversions.

The police acted on Pandian's complaint and arrested Kumar and Tahal under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act and sent them to jail.

 Christian Today India
Killing of Nigerian Christians continues unabated in new year

The brutal massacre of Christians in Nigeria that started at Christmas has carried over into the new year with more bloodshed in recent days.

At least 238 people are believed to have been killed by Fulani militants between 23 December and 30 December in some of the worst ever violence against Christians in Nigeria.

Sadly dozens more have been killed since then. In one attack by Boko Haram terrorists on 4 January, the pastor of a Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) church and at least six members of his congregation were killed.

Christian Daily International and Morning Star News report that the following day, terrorists attacked the town of Kwari, in Geidam County, Yobe State, and killed COCIN pastor, Rev Luka Levong, in the premises of his church and 13 members in their homes.

"The terrorists also set fire on the COCIN church building and destroyed vehicles parked in the premises of the church, and also set fire on the houses of Christians in the town," area resident Aaron Bwala told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in a text message.

Partners of Release International, a ministry supporting persecuted Christians around the world, has put the new year death toll at around 50.

Release partners interviewed Rev Gideon Dawel, a District Overseer of Christ's Apostolic Church, who lost his wife and five daughters in a Christmas attack in Kambarpelli. He said he heard the attackers shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is greater) and that militants used guns and machetes and set fire to buildings. When the remains of his family were found in the ashes of his home, Rev Dawel collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.

In a statement, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, said the massacres have "snatched the light of the joy of Christmas from thousands of people on Plateau" and that funerals and coffins are now part of their landscape.

Commenting on the violence, Release partners said, "All security efforts have failed. This is terrorism. This is religious cleansing by armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen who believe in religious war. This is an Islamic jihad. And intelligence shows that the assailants are bent on continuing their havoc."

Release CEO, Paul Robinson, is calling for an international response to stop the bloodshed.

"The world must wake up to the religious and ethnic cleansing that is unfolding in Nigeria before their eyes. How many people must be slaughtered, before the international community puts sufficient pressure on Nigeria to protect its Christian minority in the north?" he said.

"Nigeria has long been a country of particular concern to Release International. We watch with horror as Christian villagers are slaughtered and driven from their lands, which are then occupied by Islamist extremists. And yet Nigeria  and the world  continue to let this happen."
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
A social mobility charity has defended its partnership with fossil fuel giant BP after three voluntary mentors stepped down from their roles in protest.

The three mentors worked on the Social Mobility Foundations (SMF) BP-sponsored Aspiring Professional Programme and first raised concerns in March 2023.

One told Civil Society it was hypocritical of SMF, which works with young people from low-income backgrounds, to take money from a company working in an industry that is harming children.

A letter expressing concerns over the BP partnership signed by 40 engineers and scientists was also sent to SMF last June, but Civil Society understands the charity did not respond.

SMF stands for equality and the empowerment of young people, therefore, working with BP is strongly at odds with SMFs values, the letter read.

Giving opportunities to young people in the UK is counterproductive if it runs the risk of leading them into companies that perpetuate the injustices in the world we live in.

SMF said in response that it recruits and trains over 2,100 volunteer mentors each year to support its students.

Sarah Atkinson, chief executive of SMF, said: We are sorry that our work with BP means three of our previous mentors wont be volunteering again with SMF, but of course we respect their decision and we appreciate their previous support for SMF students.

It comes after other major charities such as Wellcome, Royal Opera House (ROH) and the Church of England have cut ties with BP in recent years and membership body NCVO launched a campaign encouraging charities to divest from fossil fuels last July.

Partnership with BP

When a mentor first raised climate concerns to SMF in March 2023, the charity responded by saying that students on the Aspiring Professionals Programme are offered a residential with BP for one week.

It is not mandatory and student interest is strong enough for us to continue offering the placement, SMF said in an email seen by Civil Society.

SMFs income from BP almost trebled in the year to September 2023 to 53,766, the charity told Civil Society.

The increase was due to BP funding a residential engineering work experience for students, which included accommodation, travel costs and student allowances.

According to SMFs accounts for the year ending September 2022, the 18,100 it received that year was to fund various activities for engineering students on the engineering Aspiring Professionals Programme.

SMF also received 15,000 from BP in 2020-21, all of which was spent by the year-end.

Fossil fuel companies are using tactics that are harming children

One former SMF mentor told Civil Society: They are a childrens charity ultimately, and their aim is to improve the lives and prospects of children around the world, in the UK, and internationally as well. And if they are taking sponsorship from a fossil fuel company, fossil fuel companies are using tactics that are harming children directly and indirectly all around the world, because of the climate crisis.

What it does is allow companies like BP to greenwash and it allows them to ethical wash.

So, it allows them to basically say: Oh, were a good company and were ethical because we work with charities like SMF, and that allows them to have a social licence, and we shouldnt be doing that.

And thats why so many other companies now have actually stopped taking sponsorships from BP, such as ROH.

Weve seen an increasing number of organisations now who are shunning the fossil fuel industry because of their really nasty tactics in lobbying for increased fuel use.

So, it is hypocritical for a childrens charity to work with the industry and also by allowing them to mentor children and allowing them to encourage us to take jobs in the fossil fuel industry when we need to be moving away from fossil fuels. I find that really worrying.

SMF said this quote describes the charitys mission inaccurately. It told Civil Society: It says our aim is to improve the lives and prospects of children around the world, in the UK, and internationally as well. Our charitable purpose is education and training, and our area of benefit is the UK only.

We are sorry that our work with BP caused mentors to step down

Atkinson told Civil Society: At the SMF, our mission is to secure opportunities for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue higher education and highly skilled careers, supporting them to fulfil their potential. This mission comes first and is at the forefront of everything that we do as a charity.

Many of our students aspire to careers in engineering. We work with BP to secure valuable work experience and career opportunities in engineering for our students that would not otherwise be available.

We are sorry that our work with BP means three of our previous mentors wont be volunteering again with SMF, but of course we respect their decision and we appreciate their previous support for SMF students.

Securing opportunities for our students in the engineering sector has often been challenging. We would welcome more employers in the engineering sector to work with us to create life-changing opportunities for young people.

BP: We are proud of our work with Social Mobility Foundation

David Nicholas, head of press at BP, said: BP has been investing in education for more than 50 years, working to promote STEM education, provide access to educational resources, enhance teaching quality, and help to build the pipeline of skills the energy industry needs.

In 2022 we expanded our social mobility framework for action to improve the representation, inclusion, retention and advancement of employees from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds.

Collaboration and partnerships across the public and private sector are vital to create a more equitable society and we are proud to work with Social Mobility Foundation and other education and employability partners to support social mobility in disadvantaged communities.

BP is transforming into an integrated energy company and, while today we are still focused mainly in oil and gas, we are increasing our investment in low carbon energy, including here in the UK where we are developing projects in offshore wind, hydrogen and CCS, solar and expanding our bp Pulse EV charging network.

We are committed to investing in the education, skills and training that are needed to support a diverse UK energy system today and in the future.

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,
A little over a year ago, Civic Platform, then the main opposition party in Poland, proposed a bill aimed at doing away with a rolling news channel produced by the countrys state-run broadcaster. Money is being taken from Poles to finance propaganda, a party representative said. Poles deserve real public television, not like Russia Today, but like the BBC. With the hard-right Law and Justice party leading the government, the proposal went nowhere, but ahead of an election in October, Civic Platform continued to beat the drum for reform of state-run media. We will need exactly twenty-four hours for government television to turn into public television, Donald Tusk, the partys leader and a former prime minister, said at a rally.

In the days before the election, I reported that Law and Justice had indeed turned Polands state-run TV into a government mouthpiece, using it to attack not only political opponents but critical media, toonot least TVN, a Western-facing, US-owned network whose coverage Law and Justice saw as anathema to its nationalist-populist project. (Every day, state-run TV aired Jak oni kamia, or How They Lie, a show specifically aimed at countering the supposed manipulations of TVNs nightly newscast.) In the days after the election, observers led by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe concluded that coverage in state-run media had skewed clearly in favor of Law and Justice. A former anchor conceded that state-run TV had produced worse propaganda than that seen under communist rule.

It didnt work. Following the election, Law and Justice remained the largest party in the Sejm, the lower house of Polands parliament, but a coalition of parties headed by Tusk and Civic Platform won enough seats to take power. Liberal Western pundits quickly hailed the results as a rebuke to creeping authoritarianism in Europe and a clear win for the rule of law and moderate reform, including of state-run media.

But reform would take Tusk and his allies considerably longer than twenty-four hoursindeed, state-run media quickly emerged as a defining and difficult early battleground for the new government as it embarked on a broader war against Law and Justices legacy. Law and Justice hasnt given up on its old apparatus without a fightand even some observers who abhor the partys media legacy have questioned Tusks tactics in seeking to dismantle it. And, while the battle has been both politically and symbolically consequential, it is unfolding in a world in which stateand even genuinely publicbroadcasters are at a crossroads. Poland is no exception.



In the days after the election, the outgoing government dug its heels in. According to the news site Notes from Poland, state-run TV established a hotline for viewers to pledge support for media pluralism; on his last day in office, the outgoing culture minister, also citing pluralism, moved to ram through legal changes that appeared aimed at complicating the incoming governments reform agenda. In December, protesters gathered outside a state-run TV building and chanted Down with communism! among other slogans.

Then came an escalation. The new government moved to dismiss the existing leaders of state-run media outlets and also took the rolling news channel produced by state-run TV off the air; on a different channel, the flagship evening newscast was canceled for a night, according to the Associated Press, with an anchor telling viewers that it would return the next day, without the propaganda. In response to the moves, politicians aligned with Law and Justice forced their way into the headquarters of state-run TV, where they staged a sit-in. Jarosaw Kaczynskia powerful leader of Law and Justice, who once spoke of state-run media as supposedly ours when the party was in governmentreportedly stayed all night. In any democracy, he said in a statement, there must be strong anti-government media.

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Meanwhile, Andrzej DudaPolands president, who was elected independently of parliament and is an ally of Law and Justiceaccused the new government of violating the constitution and promised to veto a spending bill containing funding for state-run media. In turn, Bartomiej Sienkiewicz, the new culture minister, moved to place the outlets into liquidation, a legal status allowing him to appoint officials to oversee operations. By the end of December, the legal wrangling had grown so fraught that three separate people were claiming to be the legitimate head of state-run TV.

Sienkiewicz argued that he was entitled to unilaterally replace the boards of the state-run outlets under commercial law; the Polish government, after all, is their legal owner. Law and Justice officials have disputed this authority, howeverand numerous independent observers have also expressed concerns about the legality of the process. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, a Polish nonprofit, said that the move raised serious legal questions. Writing in Notes from Poland, Stanley Bill, a Poland expert at Cambridge University in the UK, argued that it echoed Law and Justices modus operandi of executive decisionism at the blurry borders of legality (though he added: there is no direct symmetry here). The same outlet canvassed three legal experts, two of whom were also critical of the new government.

Experts are not unanimous on this point, however, not least because the legal framework regulating state-run media was distorted beyond the point of easy applicability by Law and Justicethe party created one regulator of questionable constitutionality and took effective control of another. (Tadeusz Kowalski, a consistently outvoted member of the latter regulator, told me last year that Law and Justice had weaponized the body to suppress criticism and freedom of expression.) The new government could have sought to legislate its way around these roadblocks, but doing so would have been slow and complicatednot least because Duda is slated to occupy the presidency through at least next year, and retains a power of veto.

The new government was thus in a bind: accept continuing propaganda from state-run outlets, or act to curb it quickly but in so doing risk creating the impression that it is just as lawless as Law and Justice. Law and Justice, at least, is pressing the issue: Kaczynski has called on supporters to rally in Warsaw later this week in supposed defense of democracy and press freedom. Adam Szynol, a professor in the Institute of Journalism and Social Communication at the University of Wrocaw, however, told me that the quick approach was by far the lesser evil. The state-run nightly newscast, he says, is already much better than it was under Law and Justice. How They Lie has been canceled.

Still, the legal debate continues. And, perhaps more important, putting state-run media on a sustainable independent footingmaking it less like RT and more like the BBCwill be a fraught longer-term project, however the wrangling resolves. While its propagandistic bent under Law and Justice was exceptional, governments of all stripes have been accused of exploiting state-run media for favorable coverageincluding during Tusks previous spell as prime minister. And, as Szynol suggested to me, in order for a truly independent public media to flourish, it will have to confront challenges that the BBC itself has struggled to overcome: questions not only of political bias, but of funding and, crucially, relevance, in an increasingly fractured media landscape.



When I spoke with Szynol, Kowalski, and others ahead of Octobers election, they warned that another victory for Law and Justice could have dire consequences for the freedom not only of state-run but commercial mediaduring its time in power, the party waged a regulatory war on the US-owned TVN that went far beyond attacking its programming on air, a state oil company bought up a large regional newspaper chain, and the government was accused of rewarding friendly coverage with state advertising. Now Szynol, for one, is more optimistic. When I wrote in October, a broadcast regulator was refusing to renew the license for TVNs main channel. After the election, the license was approved (even before Tusks government took office).

And even under Law and Justice, media pluralismin the Westernized and corporate, not Law and Justice, sense of the termmanaged to survive in Poland. Recent polling from the Reuters Institute found that state-run TV was the countrys least trusted major news outlet, with TVN more trusted and more widely watched, too. Upstart networks are also challenging state-run TV: indeed, since the election, TV Republika, a Law and Justicefriendly right-wing channel that has hired former state-TV figures, has seen a spike in viewership. And TV viewership in general is in decline. Szynol told me that younger generations, including many of his students, prefer to get their news online, and generally, he said, approach it with a more critical eye than the older voters who used to watch Law and Justice propaganda on state-run TV.

Recently, young people have notably engaged with media produced by the statejust not of the kind that Tusk and Kaczynski are fighting over. As the new government took power recently, many young people watched the proceedings in parliament via livestream, a phenomenon that observers dubbed Sejmflix. As the Financial Times has reported, the showrunner, of sorts, was Szymon Hoownia, the Sejm speaker, who ran for president against Duda and, before that, hosted the Polish equivalent of Americas Got Talent on TVN. (His party is now part of Tusks coalition.) The voters who ejected Law and Justice, many of them young people, want to see this change taking place, and in the Sejm it is happening before their eyes, Hoownia told the Financial Times. A citizen keeping an eye on the authorities is the basis of democracy.



Other notable stories:

I noted in yesterdays newsletter that Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, two journalists in Gaza, were killed over the weekend in an Israeli air strike on a car in which they were traveling. Al Jazeerawhere al-Dahdouh worked, and where his father, Wael al-Dahdouh, is the Gaza bureau chiefsaid that the journalists were assassinated. The Israel Defense Forces initially said that the journalists had been traveling with a terrorist who had been operating an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troopsbut NBC has since reported that, when it asked for proof of this claim, an IDF spokesperson said that the journalists had been flying a drone, calling this act a problem because it looks like the terrorists. The IDF said that it is investigating further. Wael al-Dahdouh led tributes for his son at a funeral ceremony, then pledged to continue his work.

Also over the weekend, Semafor reported on serious divisions at Axel Springer, the German parent company of Business Insider, over a story detailing allegations of academic plagiarism by Neri Oxman, the wife of Bill Ackman, a businessman who vocally campaigned to oust the president of Harvard, Claudine Gay, over her handling of campus anti-Semitism claims and, later, allegations of plagiarism against her. Leaders at Axel Springer reportedly feared that Business Insiders story, while accurate, could be perceived as anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist since Oxman is from Israel, and put out a statement pledging to review Business Insiders reporting process. Per CNN, the review has alarmed staffers and their union, which described the review as disappointing.

In recent weeks, hundreds of writers who publish on Substack have put pressure on its leaders to address reporting showing the extent of pro-Nazi and otherwise extremist content on the platform. Substack initially defended the presence of the content, arguing that censoring it would only make the problem of extremism worse. Now Platformera Substack newsletter that recently said it would quit the platform if the content wasnt removedreports that Substack is removing some of the content after all. Substack said that it had not changed its policies but rather reconsidered how they should be implemented; Platformer suggested that it would stay on Substack for now.

Notes from Poland reports that Gazeta Wyborcza, a leading newspaper in the country, has suspended Marcin Kacki, an investigative journalist, following an allegation of sexual abuse. Kacki recently published an article about his personal struggles, including with alcohol, in which he wrote that he had contacted a former student at a journalism school at which he taught to discuss past behavior that she said crossed the line. Various observers praised Kackis candor, but the former student has since said that Kacki has not been fully honest about his conduct, and that the article felt like him spitting in my face.

And in Chile, the supreme court sentenced four former soldiers to twenty years in prison for beating two teenagers, dousing them in gasoline, and then setting them on fire nearly forty years ago, during protests against the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. One of the victims, Carmen Gloria Quintana, survived, Le Monde reports; the other, Rodrigo Rojas de Negri, died. According to an account in the Washington Post, de Negri was a keen photographer who had returned to Chile from the US in part to document the protests.

ICYMI: Polands hard-right government wages war on a US-owned network

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A customer has filed a negligence lawsuit against Dunkin`, claiming he was injured by an exploding toilet at one of the coffee chain`s locations in central Florida.

Paul Kerouac is seeking more than $100,000 in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in state court in Orlando, claiming he suffered severe and long term injuries following the explosion of a toilet in the men`s room of a Dunkin` location in Winter Park, Florida, a year ago.

After the explosion left Kerouac covered in human feces, urine and debris, he walked out of the mens room seeking help from workers and the stores manager, according to the lawsuit. An employee told him that they were aware of the problem with the toilet since there had been previous incidents, the lawsuit says, without diving into further details about the explosion.

When contacted by email for more details on Kerouacs injuries, his attorney, Scott Spradley, said he was tied up and couldnt answer the questions until the following day. The Canton, Massachusetts-based company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The lawsuit says Kerouac suffered bodily injury, and he has required mental health care and counseling since the incident in January 2022. The complaint argues that the restaurant management had a duty to maintain its premises in a safe condition and to warn restroom users of any known hazards.

The restaurant failed to warn or adequately warn plaintiff of the danger of the mens room toilet, when defendant knew or should have known that the toilet was unreasonably dangerous, leaving Plaintiff unaware of the danger, the complaint reads.

The complaint does not explain how or why the toilet exploded, or if the incident damaged property in the building or resulted in an insurance claim.

Kerouac is represented by attorney Scott Spradley, who was elected to the Flagler Beach City Commission earlier this year. Court records show it is the only legal action filed by Kerouac in Orange County in recent years.

Photo: (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
CLEVELAND, Ohio  River otters have made a dramatic comeback in Ohio, and black bears are just now starting to colonize in the state once again. Meanwhile, the gray fox population has been declining.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to report sightings of all three furbearing animals using the states Wildlife Reporting System or the HuntFish OH mobile app so the information can be used to learn more about the critters movements and behavior.
Palestine accepts U.S. proposal of transferring taxes withheld by Israel

Xinhua) 09:30, January 09, 2024

RAMALLAH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Palestine has agreed to receive tax funds held by Israel through the transfer via Norway, but Israel has rejected this U.S. proposal, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said Monday.

Speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, he said Israel still rejects the U.S. administration's proposals on the issue of clearing, such as transferring the money to Norway.

He said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) refused to accept clearance funds last month after Israel had deducted 517 million shekels (139 U.S. million dollars) from the total 750 million shekels.

Israel collects taxes on behalf of the PA on imports into Palestinian territories and transfers the funds monthly.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
 
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives a statement to the press during her visit in Mexico City, Mexico December 6, 2023.

WASHINGTON  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday announced that just one week after a major new reporting requirement went into effect, over 100,000 small businesses have already registered with the department's beneficial ownership database. though initial numbers lag behind projections.

"We're closing a loophole and sending a clear message: The United States is not a haven for dirty money," Yellen said during a visit to ther Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, headquarters in Vienna, Virginia.

Initial numbers lagged behind earlier projections, however. At this pace, meeting a 2022 prediction that approximately 32.6 million businesses will need register this year appears difficult.

FinCEN also estimates 5 million additional reporting companies annually, over the next 10 years.

A spokesperson for Treasury told CNBC that the agency is pleased with the filing rate.

"As more businesses learn if they are required to report under the new law, we expect filing numbers to grow exponentially," the spokesperson said.

Treasury has undertaken several outreach efforts, including partnerships with other federal and state agencies, to spread awareness about rule requirements, according to the spokesperson.

The reporting rule is part of the 2021 Corporate Transparency Act that went into effect on Jan. 1. It requires all but certain types of companies to disclose who really controls and benefits from them.

Until now, thousands of companies were registered every year under the names of hired corporate agents, or attorneys for the actual owners, effectively hiding who actually controlled the companies. The new rules will make the registry available to law enforcement to expedite investigations into illicit activities  such as drug trafficking and tax evasion.

"The benefits of increasing corporate transparency through gathering beneficial ownership information put simply, knowing who owns whatstart with protecting our national security," Yellen said. "Information on beneficial ownership will support our law enforcement colleagues in making arrests, prosecuting offenders, and seizing ill-gotten assets."

FinCEN issued the final rule on BOI in December. Over the past year, the enforcement network has tracked attempts by Russian nationals to evade U.S. sanctions and sued Binance , the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, for violating the Bank Secrecy Act.
A new mysterious nonprofit group backed by the crypto industry has set up a mailing address about 100 miles away from Washington, D.C., and is making moves to exert power in the nation's capital.

The Cedar Innovation Foundation, a 501(c)(4) that was incorporated in Delaware in April, has launched advertisements against at least one powerful lawmaker who's up for reelection, and quietly hired a group of strategists to fight on its behalf, according to records uncovered by CNBC.

It's part of a broader effort by the crypto industry to influence Congress ahead of the 2024 elections and as a variety of crypto-related bills begin to weave their way through Washington.

The crypto market is trying to bounce back after a scandal-filled year that included the criminal fraud conviction of FTX founder and political megadonor Sam Bankman-Fried in November, followed by a plea deal for Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.

Crypto groups spent more than $18 million on lobbying last year, according to an analysis by Reuters. The Cedar Innovation Foundation doesn't publicly disclose its donors or say on its website who runs the organization or where it's located.

Cedar Innovation is being heavily funded by crypto industry players, with Coinbase likely to write a check for the group by the end of the year, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because discussions about financing were private. The group recently hired Mindset Advocacy, a lobbying shop that's worked for Goldman Sachs , Amazon Web Services and Barclays , according to a recent disclosure report and data from the nonpartisan organization OpenSecrets.

Dennis Kelleher, CEO of the nonprofit Better Markets, told CNBC that he predicts the industry is going to spend big this year to try to fend off lawmakers who are critical of crypto.

"What we're going to see in 2024 is a massive ramp up in crypto-funded 'dark' money campaigns against anybody who isn't a crypto shill," Kelleher said. "By the end of the year, when it's all added up, I think the crypto industry is going to put hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in trying to defeat people who want to actually represent the voters, rather than represent crypto."

Josh Vlasto, a spokesman for the foundation and a veteran Democratic strategist who worked for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., didn't answer questions regarding the group's backers. In a statement to CNBC, he took aim at Kelleher and Better Markets.

"It's not surprising that a Washington think tank funded by the big banks and hedge fund managers is trying to destroy crypto to retain their monopoly on access to the money of all Americans," Vlasto said.

Kelleher fired back saying Cedar Innovation was lying about Better Markets and called his organization an "independent nonprofit."

A Coinbase spokesperson declined to comment about potential funding of Cedar Innovation Foundation and referred CNBC to public remarks by executives. In a post last month on X, formerly known as Twitter, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said, "the crypto industry has a large war chest now to elect pro-crypto candidates in 2024," referring to a recent donation the company made to a new super PAC.
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Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:

1. Welcome back

Stocks rebounded Monday following a week of losses to kick off the year. The broad S&P 500 finished about 1.4% higher, while the tech-laden Nasdaq jumped a stellar 2.2%. The Dow only improved by about half a percentage point as component Boeing's slide weighed on the blue chip index. (More on Boeing below.) This week, investors have their mind on inflation, with the consumer price index and the producer price index due Thursday and Friday, respectively. Earnings season is kicking off this week, too: JPMorgan , Citigroup , Wells Fargo , Bank of America , Delta Air Lines and UnitedHealth all report Friday. Follow live market updates.

2. Bad time for Boeing

In this photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board, investigator-in-charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 7, 2024. National Transportation Safety Board via AP

Shares of aircraft manufacturer Boeing fell 8% on Monday, days after a panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines plane midflight. After the incident, which didn't cause any deaths or major injuries, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded dozens of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes across various airlines and called for inspections. Indeed, United Airlines said Monday that it had found loose bolts in door plugs on several of their Max 9s while performing such checkups. Alaska also said it found "loose hardware" during examinations. Boeing, meanwhile, finds itself under even more scrutiny following the latest problems with its aircraft.

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, at the Hope Global Forums annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Dustin Chambers | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The New York Times has sued ChatGPT maker OpenAI for copyright infringement over the use of the publication's material in training the artificial intelligence tech. ChatGPT's response: Nothing to see here. "Training is fair use, but we provide an opt-out because it's the right thing to do," the Microsoft -backed startup said, adding that the so-called "regurgitation" of specific content "is a rare bug that we are working to drive to zero." But the Times isn't the only one claiming that ChatGPT, which exploded in popularity since its debut just over a year ago, has cribbed from work. Nonfiction and fiction authors alike have sued OpenAI for allegedly using their work to train the tech without their consent.

4. JetBlue shakeup

Robin Hayes, CEO of Jet Blue Airways, is interviewed by Reuters at the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, October 5, 2021. Brian Snyder | Reuters

As it awaits a federal judge's decision on its proposed purchase of discount airline Spirit , JetBlue is shuffling its top ranks. CEO Robin Hayes will step down in February, the company said Monday, and operating chief Joanna Geraghty will replace him. Hayes, an industry veteran of more than 30 years, cited the pressures of the job in his announcement. "The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it's time I put more focus on my health and well-being," he said. Meanwhile, JetBlue expects a ruling on the Spirit deal  which the Justice Department challenged on competition concerns  within the coming weeks.

5. CEO scoops Shein

Jaap Arriens | Nurphoto | Getty Images
The first Air France Airbus A350 prepares to take off after a ceremony at the aircraft builder's headquarters in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, September 27, 2019.

Air France will resume flights to Israel from Jan. 24, an airline spokesperson said on Tuesday, the latest foreign carrier to end its suspension during Israel's war with Palestinian group Hamas.

Air France will operate three weekly flights from Paris to Tel Aviv using Airbus A350 aircraft, she said.

Foreign carriers halted flights to Israel at the outset of the war that began on Oct. 7. Lufthansa , Swiss and Austrian resumed flights to Israel this week.
An Airbus A330-941 is being delivered to Delta Air Lines, flying from Toulouse Blagnac Airport to Atlanta, in Toulouse, France, on December 8, 2023.

Airbus is nearing an order from Delta Air Lines for dozens of wide-body jets including extra A350-1000 aircraft, industry sources told Reuters.

Depending on last-minute negotiations, a deal could be made public as early as Friday when the U.S. carrier reports its fourth-quarter earnings, they said.

Airbus declined to comment. Delta said it does not comment on industry speculation.

While the Atlanta-based carrier placed an order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets in 2022, it has primarily been an Airbus customer.

At the end of September the company had 65 Airbus A330 and 28 A350-900 wide-bodies, with commitments to purchase another 16 each.

The twin-aisle jets are expected to help the company to grow its network in Asia-Pacific, which has lagged behind the U.S. and Europe in global travel demand recovery after the pandemic.

However, U.S. airlines are betting on the region as the next source of high-margin revenue at a time of soaring costs. In the current quarter, Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines are estimated to increase seats on their flights to the region by more than 70% from a year ago.

Airlines are also scrambling to order new planes to renew existing fleets amid fears of a shortage in coming years. Airbus last year set an industry record for gross and net orders.
From left, Stillwater public works employees James McGath and Cole Ruud run a water pump to prevent flood waters from coming up through the storm drains in Stillwater, Minnesota as the spring melt of a record snow season causes flooding along the St. Croix River Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

A sprawling storm that pelted much of the nation's midsection with more than a half a foot of snow and gusty winds created whiteout conditions that closed parts of two interstate highways and prompted officials to close schools and government offices in several states Tuesday.

Up to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) of snow could blanket a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, large parts of Iowa, northern Missouri and northwestern Illinois, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

Nearly 8 inches (19 centimeters) of snow fell in the northern city of Athol, Kansas, on Monday. The weather service office in Lincoln, Nebraska, predicted an additional 3-5 inches (8-13 centimeters) was possible overnight, with winds possibly gusting as high as 40 mph (64 kph).

Whiteout conditions in central Nebraska closed a long stretch of Interstate 80, while Kansas closed Interstate 70 from the central city of Russell all the way west to the Colorado border due to dangerous travel conditions. Several vehicles slid off I-70 in the northeastern part of the state, authorities said.

In Nebraska, federal courts in Omaha and Lincoln closed Monday, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased the water flow at a Missouri River dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton to reduce the chance of ice jams forming. Dubuque, on Iowa's eastern border with Illinois, closed its city offices Tuesday. Schools in Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa were among those also closing.

The weather has already affected campaigning for Iowa's Jan. 15 precinct caucuses, where the snow is expected to be followed by frigid temperatures that could drift below zero degrees (minus 18 Celsius).

It forced former President Donald Trump's campaign to cancel multiple appearances by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had been scheduled to court Iowa voters on Trump's behalf Monday.

Parts of northern Missouri braced for up to a foot of snow as the system moved east. Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, said City Hall would be closed Tuesday and municipal courts would operate remotely.

Madison, Wisconsin, was under a winter storm warning until early Wednesday, with as much as 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow and 40 mph (64 kph) winds on tap. City officials canceled garbage collection to prevent residents from putting trash cans along curbs and making it difficult for snowplows to navigate.

Northwestern Illinois was also under a winter storm warning with forecasts calling for 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) of snow by early Wednesday. The Chicago area as well as Gary, Indiana, were under winter storm advisories, with forecasts calling for up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow and wind gusts of up to 30 mph (48 kph). Snowfall rates could exceed an inch per hour Tuesday, the weather service said.

The Illinois Tollway, a state agency that maintains nearly 300 miles (480 kilometers) of toll roads across 12 northern Illinois counties, urged drives to take a "go it slow" attitude.

Disruptions extended as far south as the Oklahoma panhandle, where Cimmaron County emergency managers asked citizens to stay home. More than a dozen motorists were stranded there Monday afternoon, with whipping winds and blizzard conditions leading to near-zero visibility, said Lea Lavielle, the county's emergency management director.

"At this point in time, we are advising individuals to shelter in place the best they can," Lavielle said.

Another storm was on the way that will affect the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies, Oravec said. Blizzard warnings were out for much of the Cascade and Olympic ranges in Washington and Oregon.
CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 02: People visit the 2nd International Light and Shadow Art Festival at the Fine Arts Park on January 2, 2024 in Chongqing, China. The 2nd International Light and Shadow Art Festival runs from December 29 to January 7. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images

BEIJING  Despite pockets of strong growth, China's investment story has been overshadowed in the last year by longer-term problems and tensions with the U.S. Those uncertainties remain as 2024 kicks off. The country is also navigating new territory as it starts to settle into a lower growth range following the double-digit pace of past decades. Here's what investors are looking at for the year ahead:

Will there be stimulus?

For all the geopolitical risks, the attraction of China as a fast-growing market has waned as the economy matures. Many were disappointed when China's economy did not rebound as quickly as expected after the end of Covid-19 controls in December 2022. Other than in tourism and certain sectors such as electric cars, sluggish growth was the story for much of 2023, dragged down by real estate troubles and a slump in exports.

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Several international investment banks changed their growth forecasts for China multiple times last year. After all the back and forth, the economy is widely expected to have grown by around 5%. "Policy response is essential to solidify the recovery momentum," Citi analysts said in a Jan. 3 report. They expect that as early as January, the People's Bank of China could reduce rates, such as the reserve requirement ratio  the amount of funds lenders need to hold as reserves. They also project that overall GDP could grow 4.6% this year. Beijing has announced a slew of incrementally supportive policies. But it's taken time to see a clear impact.

For the people who are already [invested] in China, and they kind of stuck with it for 2023, it's this belief that the catalyst is coming. Jason Hsu CIO, Rayliant Global Advisors

"We believe property stabilization, a clear exit from deflation, better policy execution and communication would all be necessary for confidence recovery, with stimulus indispensable and good reforms welcome," the Citi analysts said. "The risk is that markets may not be patient enough with reforms." In mid-December, top Chinese authorities held an annual meeting for discussing economic policy for the year ahead. An official readout did not indicate significant stimulus plans, but listed technological innovation as the first area of work. Among major upcoming government meetings, Beijing is set to release detailed economic targets during a parliamentary gathering in early March. "For the people who are already [invested] in China, and they kind of stuck with it for 2023, it's this belief that the catalyst is coming," Jason Hsu, chairman and chief investment officer of Rayliant Global Advisors, said in late November.

"They're not really focused on the fundamentals of companies of the markets," he said. "They're just betting on purely monetary and fiscal policy to buoy up the economy and the stock market." However, it remains to be seen whether China will boost growth in the same way it did previously. "My framework is China is not going to put up significant stimulus," Liqian Ren, leader of quantitative investment at WisdomTree, said in late November. "Even if China has a meeting, even if they come up with a good package, I think a lot of these stimulus are constrained by this framework of trying to upgrade China's growth," she said, referring to Beijing's efforts to promote "high-quality," rather than debt-driven, growth.

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What will happen to real estate?

Real estate is a clear example of a debt-fueled sector, one that has accounted for about a quarter of China's economy. The property market slumped after Beijing cracked down on developers' high reliance on debt for growth in 2020. The industry's close ties to local government finances, the construction supply chain and household mortgages have raised concerns about spillover to the broader economy.

The pace of decline in demand has slowed and we expect to see somewhat more stability in 2024. Goldman Sachs

"China's property downturn has been the biggest drag on its economy since the exit from zero-Covid restrictions in late 2022," Goldman Sachs analysts said in a Jan. 2 report. "Property sales and construction starts plunged in 2021-22 and continued to decline on net in 2023." "However, the pace of decline in demand has slowed and we expect to see somewhat more stability in 2024," the analysts said.

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Commercial housing sales for 2023 as of November fell by 5.2% from a year ago, according to National Bureau of Statistics data accessed via Wind Information. That's after those sales plunged by 26.7% in 2022. Although the real estate situation is "gradually stabilizing, it's hard to see a turning point," said Ding Wenjie, investment strategist for global capital investment at China Asset Management Co., according to a CNBC translation of her Mandarin language remarks. She expects policy support will increase in 2024, because authorities have shifted from focusing on preventing risks to pursuing progress, while maintaining stability. Ding was referring to new official language that appeared in the readout of December's high-level government meeting.

Where are the opportunities?

While it's clear Beijing would like to reduce the property sector's contribution to China's GDP, it's less certain whether new growth drivers can fill the void. Machinery, electronics, transport equipment and batteries combined contributed to 17.2% of China's economy in 2020, Citi analysts said. That means such areas of manufacturing could offset the drag from real estate, the analysts said. But they pointed out the economic transition can't happen overnight since it requires addressing a mismatch in labor market skills and adjusting a supply chain that's been built to support property development. "Were tech sanctions to become a binding constraint for the new drivers, their potential to make up for the shortfall from property would not materialize," the report said.
PARIS, FRANCE - DECEMBER 20: French Education Minister Gabriel Attal during the weekly cabinet meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace on December 20 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christian Liewig - Corbis/Getty Images)

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named Gabriel Attal as the country's new prime minister, as he seeks to set a fresh course ahead of the summer's European Union elections.

Attal, the current education minister, will become the youngest person to occupy France's second-highest office at 34 years old.

It follows the apparently reluctant resignation of Elisabeth Borne on Monday, who said in a letter that she had been informed it was Macron's wish. Borne said it was "more necessary than ever to continue the reforms" being carried out by the government.

In France, the prime minister leads the government and is appointed by, but cannot be directly dismissed by, the president.

Attal will take office Tuesday afternoon, and make his first trip in the post to the flooded Pas-de-Calais region the same day.

Giving his first speech as prime minister, Attal said school reform would be one of his main focuses, Le Monde reported. Attal said his three economic priorities would be ensuring work is more valued than not working, while households struggle with inflation; simplifying life for businesses and entrepreneurs; and youth employment.
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Honda Saloon concept electric vehicle Courtesy Honda

Honda Motor revealed two concept cars Tuesday at the CES tech conference as a preview for a new lineup of electrified vehicles that will begin arriving in North America in 2026. The concept models are called the "Space-Hub" and "Saloon," which the first production "Honda 0 Series" EV will be based on, according to the Japanese automaker. Honda says the new "0 Series" of vehicles are being developed under three core principles: "Thin, light and wise." "We will create a completely new value from zero based on thin, light and wise as the foundation for our new Honda 0 EV series to further advance the joy and freedom of mobility to the next level," Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in a release. Honda plans to introduce the first model of the Honda 0 Series based on the Saloon concept in North America, followed by model introductions in Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and South America.

Honda Space-Hub concept electric vehicle Courtesy Honda

The Saloon is a sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle that seems fit for "Tron" movies, with a large open-mouthed front-end light in neon lighting with a redesigned Honda "H" in the center. The back, like the front, features a large indented rectangular area with red lighting around the interior with "Honda" in the center. Inside, the Saloon features a minimalistic digital cockpit with a yoke steering wheel, which is similar to concept cars from other companies that have debuted at CES. To enter, a large falcon wing door opens upward from the roof of the vehicle. The Space-Hub is a minivan/shuttle that includes the same type of design characteristics as the smaller Saloon but in larger formats. Its interior features a similar cockpit, but it has a cavernous back area with lounge-type seating.

Honda Saloon concept electric vehicle Courtesy Honda

Both concepts appear to be designed to feature autonomous driving capabilities: the steering yoke is able to retract into the dashboard of each. Honda said 0 Series will first feature an advanced driver-assistive system based on technologies first deployed in Japan, followed by a next-generation "automated driving," or AD, system. The company says the upcoming system will expand the use of some hands-off functions for use on both expressways and surface streets. "The next generation AD system is being developed based on Honda's 'human-centric' safety concept. It will feature advanced AI, sensing, recognition and driver monitoring technologies to achieve more human-like, natural and high-precision risk predictions, making it possible to offer AD features people can feel safe and confident using," Honda said in the release.
Malaysia's Capital A Berhad CAPI.KL said on Monday it intends to sell its aviation business to long-haul unit AirAsia X Bhd AIRX.KL, with a goal of consolidating both its long and short-haul operations under a single AirAsia brand.

Malaysia's Capital A Berhad said on Monday it intends to sell its aviation business to long-haul unit AirAsia X Bhd, with a goal of consolidating both its long and short-haul operations under a single AirAsia brand.

The proposed deal, which is subject to a final agreement being signed and to approvals from shareholders and courts, involves the sale of AirAsia Berhad and AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd, which includes AirAsia units in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Cambodia, Group Chief Executive Tony Fernandes told reporters without disclosing any deal value.

Full details of the deal would be announced "in the next two weeks", he told reporters at AirAsia's 2024 outlook briefing.

"Eventually AirAsia X and AirAsia will be merged into one airline... my dream is for it to be one ASEAN airline," Fernandes said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

AirAsia was founded in 2001 with two aircraft and has since become one of Asia's largest budget airline operator with a fleet of some 200 planes serving markets including Southeast Asia and China.
Microsoft 's multibillion-dollar investment in artificial intelligence firm OpenAI could face a full-blown merger investigation in the European Union, EU officials signaled Tuesday.

The European Commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, said it was embarking on a competition investigation looking at the markets for virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence.

As part of its assessment, the commission said it wants to understand how competitive these markets are currently and gain insight on how competition law can help these fields.

The European Commission also said it is "looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players and generative AI developers and providers" and singled out the Microsoft-OpenAI tie-up as a particular deal it will be studying.

"The European Commission is checking whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the EU Merger Regulation," the commission said in a statement on Tuesday.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

The commission said it has sent requests for information to "several large digital players" and is also seeking views from interested parties, which have until March 11 to submit responses.

"Virtual worlds and generative AI are rapidly developing," Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for competition, said in a statement Tuesday. "It is fundamental that these new markets stay competitive, and that nothing stands in the way of businesses growing and providing the best and most innovative products to consumers."

Microsoft has put billions of dollars into OpenAI, the firm behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. The company has integrated some OpenAI technology into its Office, Bing and Windows products, and provides OpenAI with its own Azure cloud computing tools.

The Redmond, Washington-based technology giant first invested in OpenAI in 2019, contributing $1 billion in cash.

The company then grabbed headlines last year, when it reportedly poured a further $10 billion into OpenAI, with its total investment to date reportedly swelling to $13 billion.

News of the EU review comes after the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority announced in December that it was launching an initial review into Microsoft's investment. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also reportedly assessing the tie-up, according to Bloomberg News.

The CMA said it is assessing whether Microsoft's stake in AI created a "relevant merger situation," citing "a number of developments in the governance of OpenAI, some of which involved Microsoft" as a primary source of concern.

Earlier in the year, OpenAI faced a period of tumult when its CEO Sam Altman was ousted from the board in a shock move. In a dramatic turn of events, ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear briefly took the top job, before being removed and replaced with Altman, while the board was given a makeover.

As part of that refresh, Microsoft added its own observer to sit on the board, leading to concerns that the company may be exerting control over OpenAI. For its part, Microsoft has sought to stressed that its designated board observer, who was recently named as Dee Templeton, is a nonvoting member.

At the time of the CMA announcement, Microsoft said that it did not in any way hold equity ownership in OpenAI, while OpenAI said that it remained independent and operates competitively.

"Their non-voting board observer does not provide them with governing authority or control over OpenAI's operations," an OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC via email in December.

"While details of our agreement remain confidential, it is important to note that Microsoft does not own any portion of OpenAI and is simply entitled to share of profit distributions," Frank Shaw, Microsoft chief communications officer, said in a December statement.

At the heart of concerns is Microsoft's close partnership and investment in OpenAI, which gives the U.S. titan access to one of the most advanced developers of AI tools today. OpenAI's GPT-4 large language model can handle a rumored 25,000 words of input text  a big step up from the existing ChatGPT limit of 4,096 characters.

Academics have said that GPT-4 has demonstrated human-level performance in various academic exams, while some AI researchers and technologists have speculated GPT-4 may come close to artificial general intelligence, or AGI, which is meant to be as smart or smarter than humans.

OpenAI, which was set up with the express purpose of developing artificial general intelligence, has said it's committed to ensuring the technology is developed safely and limiting harms to society.

In a February 2023 blog post, the company said it believes in a "gradual transition to world with AGI," rather than a "sudden one," and that the best way to solve challenges posed by AI was through a "feedback loop" between policymakers and the private sector.

"We expect powerful AI to make the rate of progress in the world much faster, and we think it's better to adjust to this incrementally," the company said in the blog post.

 CNBC's Hayden Field and Kif Leswing contributed to this report.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday afternoon that an announcement about bitcoin exchange-traded funds on social media was incorrect.

"The SEC's @SECGov X/Twitter account has been compromised. The unauthorized tweet regarding bitcoin ETFs was not made by the SEC or its staff," an SEC spokesperson told CNBC.

The false social media post said the SEC had approved bitcoin ETFs for trading. The price of bitcoin briefly spiked after the initial post, but then quickly slid below $46,000.

In a later statement Tuesday evening, an SEC spokesperson told CNBC that the agency determined that there had been unauthorized access to the regulator's X account "by an unknown party" for a brief period just after 4 p.m. ET.

"The SEC will work with law enforcement and our partners across government to investigate the matter and determine appropriate next steps relating to both the unauthorized access and any related misconduct," this spokesperson said.

The SEC is expected to make a decision on bitcoin ETFs this week after opposing them for years. More than a dozen asset managers have filed applications to create such a fund, including many that filed updated registration statements Tuesday morning.

The price of the largest cryptocurrency has been climbing in recent months, in part because of growing optimism that the so-called spot bitcoin ETFs would be approved. Funds that track the price of bitcoin futures already trade on exchanges in the U.S.

Crypto advocates contend that the launch of the spot bitcoin funds could bring a new type of investor into digital assets. ETFs are an instrument that financial advisors use regularly. The idea is that advisors and investors who have been spooked by the intricacies around custody of bitcoin would be more willing and able to buy crypto in an ETF wrapper.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler has been a vocal opponent of crypto during his tenure, and the commission has brought legal action against several major crypto exchanges. Gensler had used social media earlier in the week to urge investors to use caution when buying products tied to crypto.

Last year, the SEC lost a court case against crypto asset manager Grayscale, which wants to convert an over-the-counter trust holding bitcoin into an ETF. The SEC declined to appeal that ruling, fueling speculation that the regulator would soon approve bitcoin ETFs.

-CNBC's Christina Wilkie contributed reporting.

Correction: A previous version of this story said that the SEC had approved bitcoin ETFs for trading. The story has been updated to reflect that a false social media post was made.



Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO:
Check out the companies making headlines in premarket trading. Unity Software  Shares climbed nearly 3% following news that the company would reduce its workforce by 25%, or about 1,800 employees. Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Juniper Networks  Juniper Network stock soared more than 23% after a report from The Wall Street Journal said the company was close to finalizing a deal to be bought by Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise pulled back more than 9%. Match Group  The Tinder owner climbed nearly 16% after a Wall Street Journal report said activist investor Elliott Investment Management has built its stake in the company to about $1 billion. CrowdStrike  Shares of the cybersecurity company rose 2% after Morgan Stanley upgraded CrowdStrike to overweight from equal weight. The investment bank said CrowdStrike was seeing improving demand and has a promising artificial intelligence platform. The move comes after CrowdStrike's stock rose more than 5% on Monday. Netflix  Shares dropped about 2% after being downgraded by Citi to neutral from buy. Wall Street has lofty expectations for Netflix, but the streaming giant faces potential risks, such as revenue estimates that may be too high, the bank said. PayPal  The payment application company dipped roughly 2% after a downgrade to equal weight from Morgan Stanley over concern tied to PayPal's sluggish rollout of new initiatives. Rocket Lab USA  The aerospace stock gained nearly 2% in premarket trading. Deutsche Bank reiterated a buy rating on Rocket Lab on Tuesday over optimism tied to the company being awarded a government contract to build satellites. GoDaddy  The internet domain company climbed about 2% after an upgrade to overweight from Piper Sandler on Tuesday, where the firm also listed GoDaddy as a top idea for 2024.  CNBC's Michelle Fox and Jesse Pound contributed reporting
A bitcoin exchange-traded fund approval could revolutionize the cryptocurrency the way it did investing in gold a generation ago and send bitcoin's price rocketing to $200,000 by the end of next year, according to Standard Chartered. All eyes are on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the runup to its Jan. 10 deadline to approve or reject one of multiple applications to launch a spot bitcoin ETF. The agency is widely expected to approve more than one ETF to level the playing field from the beginning. "We see this as a watershed moment for normalizing bitcoin participation by institutional money, and we expect approval to drive significant flows and price upside for bitcoin," Geoffrey Kendrick, a London-based analyst at Standard Chartered, said in a note Monday. "If ETF inflows materialize as we expect, we think an end-2025 level closer to $200,000 is possible." The British bank assumes 437,000 to 1.32 million bitcoins, or between $50 billion and $100 billion, will be held in spot bitcoin ETFs by the end of 2024. Standard Chartered has previously said the price of bitcoin could reach $100,000 by the end of this year. On Tuesday, bitcoin traded just below $47,000, a level it reached Monday for the first time since April 2022. Standard Chartered's bullish estimate looks back at the introduction of the SPDR Gold Shares ETF in 2004. Similar to bitcoin, the first gold ETPs, or exchange-traded products, were initially small and restricted to markets outside the U.S., such as Europe and Canada, Kendrick said. "The price of gold rose 4.3x in the seven to eight years it took for gold ETP holdings to mature after the first ETP was introduced," he said. "We expect bitcoin to enjoy price gains of a similar magnitude as a result of spot ETF approval, but we see these gains materializing over a shorter (one- to two-year) period, given our view that the bitcoin ETF market will develop more quickly." Bitcoin is currently up 10% in 2024, after soaring 157% in 2023. Some investors are concerned the market is overestimating the effect on the first day of a potential ETF approval. Even they acknowledge, however, that the launch of bitcoin ETFs  and flows of traditional fiat currencies into and out of them  are likely to be the most significant driver of the cryptocurrency's price this year.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) talks to Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu (R) during the annual Navy Day Parade on July 30, 2023, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told military officials Tuesday that Moscow's armed forces hold the initiative in Ukraine, and that the nation will achieve the goals of what it calls its "special military operation."

"We maintain the strategic initiative along the entire line of combat contact," Shoigu said during a conference call with the leadership of the Russian army, reported by news agency Tass.

The Russian army will continue to "consistently achieve the goals of the special military operation," he said.

In 2024, Shoigu said his priorities are to maintain the combat readiness of the nuclear triad at the highest level, increasing the production of a range of drones "from ultra-small to heavy attack," as well as introducing modern weapons and increasing the capabilities of satellite constellations  networks of strategically-placed satellites.

"We will continue to equip the army and navy with the most modern weapons, including those based on artificial intelligence technologies and new physical principles," Shoigu said, according to Google-translated comments reported by Russian state news agency Tass.

Russia's belief that it can prevail in Ukraine and win the war  although it's uncertain what would constitute a victory for Moscow  has been boosted by U.S. and European disputes over continued military funding for Kyiv and hopes that this year's U.S. election could herald a decline in support for Ukraine.

Shoigu claimed that Ukraine had lost 215,000 of personnel in 2023, as well as 28,000 units of military equipment. Accurate figures for losses are impossible, given the chaotic nature of collecting such data during wartime.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine discloses its losses, but both sides are estimated by U.S. intelligence to have lost around 100,000 personnel each, Reuters reports. Hundreds of thousands more are believed to have been wounded.

 Holly Ellyatt
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby answers a question during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 3, 2024. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

South Africa's genocide accusation against Israel has placed further strain on an already frayed relationship with the U.S. and could have serious diplomatic ramifications. The International Court of Justice, the U.N.'s highest legal body, will this week hear a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinian people during the assault on the Gaza Strip. The suit also seeks an emergency suspension of the military campaign. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby last week called the lawsuit "meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever," while Israel has rejected it as "blood libel." This is the latest divergence in a series of diplomatic disagreements between Washington and Pretoria, which the U.S. sees as being too close to Russia and China. In May 2023, when U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety accused South Africa of running guns for Russia via a mystery merchant ship, a South African inquiry found no evidence of the alleged arms shipment, but ties between the two historical allies remained taut. Before that, Brigety and other U.S. officials had repeatedly criticized Pretoria for its policy of nonalignment regarding the war in Ukraine, which Washington interpreted as favoring Russia.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa fiercely refuted the suggestion, and his government has since further clarified that it does not support Russia's invasion. Yet Chris Vandome, senior research fellow at Chatham House's Africa Programme, told CNBC on Monday that the conflict in the Gaza Strip has erupted at a time when the U.S.-South Africa relationship is "at a low point." "Over the past two years a succession of frustrations, including South Africa feeling it is being pushed on Russia-Ukraine, the U.S. Ambassador's statements on South African domestic security and on its relationship with Russia, and U.S. policy on China in Africa, have all contributed to the worsening of this relationship," Vandome said. Though Africa's most industrialized nation has long been a "thorn in the side" of the White House as far as Israel-Palestine is concerned, Vandome suggested the latest divergences are compounding these frustrations.

PRETORIA, South Africa - Jan. 23, 2023: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) meets South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor (R) during his official visit in Pretoria Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

"Debates in Washington regarding whether South Africa should continue to benefit from AGOA [the African Growth and Opportunity Act] have spurred diplomatic efforts from South Africa to protect its most important investment partners, but many in the county view such discussions as threats which only serves to harden ideological anti-western positions," he said. Enacted in 2000, AGOA is a key tenet of U.S. economic policy in Africa that provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for more than 1,800 products across 32 eligible countries in 2024. The Office of the United States Trade Representative stipulates that, in order to meet the rigorous eligibility requirements, countries must "establish or make continual progress toward establishing a market-based economy, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process." "Additionally, countries must eliminate barriers to U.S. trade and investment, enact policies to reduce poverty, combat corruption, and protect human rights," the USTR states. 'Solidarity against apartheid oppression' South Africa's close relationship with Russia is based on a multitude of factors past and present. Pretoria has repeatedly cited the USSR's historical anti-apartheid support, and there is a pragmatic impetus to maintain friendly ties with a fellow BRICS member. During a visit from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last January, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that BRICS countries should play a proactive role in the emergence of a "redesigned global order."

But the ruling African National Congress' support for Palestinian territories is different, Vandome explained, in that it is rooted in "solidarity against apartheid oppression"  a cause inextricably linked to the party's founding ideology. "Support for Palestine has been a mainstay of ANC international relations policy since before the dawn of democracy, and it has been one of the few countries to take such a long and consistent position," he said. "The entrenchment of support for Palestine within ANC party documents voted on and accepted at party conferences means that the President would be going against the will of the Party if he were to adopt a different position at national level, and this would leave him very politically exposed to detractors from opposing factions."

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Borrowers have been plagued by problems since the restart of student loan payments in the fall.

The U.S. Department of Education said at the end of October that student loan servicer Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, failed to send timely billing statements to 2.5 million borrowers.

As a result of Mohela's errors, more than 800,000 borrowers had become delinquent, the Education Department reported.

Then just last week, the department announced that three additional student loan servicers  Aidvantage, EdFinancial and Nelnet  "all failed to meet contractual obligations to send timely billing statements to a combined total of 758,000 borrowers for the first month of repayment."

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has found that borrowers are waiting more than an hour, on average, trying to reach their student loan servicers on the phone. Meanwhile, borrowers' requests to change payment plans are often stuck pending for more than 30 days with no resolution.

"Servicers are overwhelmed and are failing to help struggling borrowers navigate the options that are available to them," said Persis Yu, deputy executive director at the Student Borrower Protection Center.

In comments to CNBC after the Education Department's January announcement, Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers, blamed the errors on a lack of resources and notice from the government.

"Time and effort spent by Federal Student Aid and the CFPB on their press strategy would be better put to use in trying to solve the actual problems by coordinating on advocating for more resources and executing better operational planning by the government," Buchanan said.

Here's what borrowers should know about the servicer problems.
Greece has been struggling with forest fires that could not be controlled for 10 days on July 27, 2023 in Rhodes, Greece.

Scientists on Tuesday confirmed 2023 as the hottest year on record and warned that the planet is now within touching distance of smashing through the critical warming threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said 2023, a year in which one researcher described temperature anomalies as "absolutely gobsmackingly bananas," was the warmest calendar year in global temperature data stretching back to 1850.

The 12-month period ended with a global average temperature of 14.98 degrees Celsius, almost 0.2 degree Celsius higher than the previous record set in 2016.

Extreme heat is fueled by the climate crisis, the chief driver of which is the burning of fossil fuels.

Scientists at C3S said 2023 was the first time on record that every day within a year surpassed 1 degree Celsius above the preindustrial reference period of 1850 to 1900, while nearly 50% of days were over 1.5 degrees Celsius.

What's more, the EU's climate change service said two days in November were found to have surpassed 2 degrees Celsius for the first time ever.

Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, said in a statement Tuesday that 2023 was "an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes."
HOOD RIVER  Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District hosts a Worker Protection Standards Class in English (Jan. 18) or in Spanish (Jan. 18 or Jan. 19) at the Pine Grove Grange. Cost is $65 and six Oregon or Washington Pesticide credits are available.

Spanish Private Pesticide Applicators License prep class, exam offered Join course instructors from WSDA and OSU PSEP on Feb. 6-9 at the Pine Grove Grange for a cl

The WPS Interactive Pesticide Handler Training has been specially designed for employees who mix, load, and assist in the application of pesticides, said a press release. It is also for employees who are performing other pesticide related activities such as repairing pesticide application equipment on agricultural establishments, and who do not hold a pesticide applicator license.

Coffee, pastries, lunch, snacks and beverages will be provided.

On completion of the course, attendees will receive a card that verifies that they have received annual WPS pesticide safety training as pesticide handlers.

To register, visit hoodriverwscd.org or contact Kris Schaedel at kris@hoodriverswcd.org or 541-386-4588.
Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label.
Here come the lawyers.

Last week, the New York Times sued Microsoft and OpenAI, in which Microsoft has invested $13 billion and counting, for copyright violations. The Times claims Microsofts genAI-based Copilot and OpenAIs ChatGPT, which powers Copilot, were trained using millions of articles without the Timess permission.

It goes on to argue that those tools (and Microsofts search engine, Bing) now compete with the news outlet as a source of reliable information.

The Times isnt seeking a specific amount of damages  yet. Ultimately, though, it wants a lot  billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages  because of the unlawful copying and use of The Timess uniquely valuable works.

Beyond that, the filing demands that Microsoft and OpenAI destroy both the datasets used to train the tools and the tools themselves.

This isnt the first lawsuit claiming AI companies violated copyrights in building their chatbots, and it wont be the last. But it is the Big Kahuna  the Times is among the best-known newspapers in the world and the gold standard in journalism. And its move could prove to be among the most influential lawsuits of the computer and internet age, perhaps the most influential.

Thats because the outcome could well determine the future of generative AI.

Whos right here? Is the Times just grubbing for money, and using the lawsuit to negotiate a better rights deal with Microsoft and OpenAI for use of its articles? Or is it standing up for the rights of all copyright holders, no matter how small, against the onslaught of the AI titans?

Whats in the lawsuit?

To get a better understanding of whats involved, lets first take a closer look at the underlying technology involved and the suit itself. GenAI chatbots like Copilot and ChatGPT are trained on large language models (LLMs)  which include tremendous amounts of data  to be effective and useful. The more data, the better. And just as important is the quality of the data. The better the quality of the data, the better the genAI results.

Microsoft and OpenAI use content available on the internet to train their tools, regardless of whether that content is public domain information, open source data, or copyrighted material; it all gets ingested by the great, hungry maw of genAI. That means millions and millions of articles from the Times and myriad other publications are used for training.

Microsoft and OpenAI contend that those articles and all other copyrighted material are covered by the fair use doctrine. Fair use is an exceedingly complicated and confusing legal concept, and theres an unending stream of lawsuits that determine whats fair use and what isnt. Its widely open to interpretation.

Thats why the Times lawsuit is so important. It will determine whether all genAI tools, not just those owned by Microsoft and OpenAI, can continue to be trained on copyrighted material. (Copyrighted content is highly valuable because it tends to be the broadest and most accurate. And theres lots of it.)

Fair use of copyrighted material generally falls into two categories: commentary and parody. Use of the material must be transformative, in other words; it cant just copy the copyrighted material. It has to transform it in some way.

So, for example, if someone is writing a review of a novel, they can quote several lines to make a point. In a news report, fair use lets you summarize an article about a medical research report, and quote briefly from it.

Microsoft and OpenAI say their use of copyrighted material is transformative. They contend the output of the chatbots transforms the original content into something different. The Times suit claims theres no real transformation, that what Microsoft and OpenAI are doing is outright theft. It claims the companies are not just stealing Times content, but their audience as well, and making billions of dollars from it. People will have no need to read the Times either online or in print, if they can get all the newspapers information for free from a chatbot instead, the suit alleges.

This paragraph sums up the Times contentions: There is nothing transformative about using The Timesscontent without payment to create products that substitute for The Times and steal audiences away from it. Because the outputs of Defendants GenAI models compete with and closely mimic the inputs used to train them, copying Times works for that purpose is not fair use.

The suit offers plenty of evidence for its claims. The most egregious examples are many instances in which ChatGPT outright plagiarizes articles, including a Pulitzer-Prize-winning, five-part 18-month investigation into predatory lending practices in New York Citys taxi industry. The suit charges: OpenAI had no role in the creation of this content, yet with minimal prompting, will recite large portions of it verbatim.

For its part, OpenAI on Monday accused the Times of intentionally manipulating prompts to get ChatGPT to regurgitate its content. "Even when using such prompts, our models dont typically behave the way The New York Times insinuates, which suggests they either instructed the model to regurgitate or cherry-picked their examples from many attempts," the company said in blog post.

It's not just plagiarism thats a problem. The Times notes that it spends a tremendous amount of money and effort on its news organization, and that if people can get its breaking news for free  even if its paraphrased by a chatbot  they will have no need to read the newspaper.

Beyond that, the publisher found out that the Microsoft and OpenAI chatbots take information from the newspapers Wirecutter product review site, publish it, and remove referral links to the products, which the Times gets revenue from.

Defendants have not only copied Times content, but also altered the content by removing links to the products, thereby depriving The Times of the opportunity to receive referral revenue and appropriating that opportunity for Defendants, the lawsuit argues.

So, whos right?

This is not a difficult call. The answer is simple. The Times is right. Microsoft and OpenAI are wrong. Microsoft and OpenAI are getting a free ride to use copyrighted material that takes a tremendous amount of time and money to create, and uses that material to reap big profits. If the court rules against the Times, copyright holders everywhere  from giants like the Times to individual writers, artists, photographers and others  will struggle to survive while Microsoft, OpenAI and other AI makers get fat with profits.

One of the great ironies of this suit is that a young Bill Gates complained mightily when Microsofts first product, a version of BASIC for the Altair 8800 personal computer, was being pirated by people rather than being paid for.

This was in 1975, when the idea of paying money for software was anathema to most people who used the first personal computers. An idealistic share-and-share-alike ethos ruled, especially among those who were members of the influential Home Brew Computer Club.

So an angry Gates sent his Open Letter to Hobbyists to the Home Brew Computer Club, and to computer-related publications. He wrote, in part:

The amount of royalties we have received from sales to hobbyists makes the time spent on Altair BASIC worth less than $2 an hour. As the majority of hobbyists must be aware, most of you steal your software.... Who cares if the people who work on it get paid?

Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put [three] man-years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? ...Most directly, the thing you do is theft.

Theres not much difference between what Gates was complaining about and what Microsoft is doing now. Gates was right back then. Microsoft and OpenAI are wrong right now. They should either come to an agreement with the Times and other copyright holders or retrain their AI in a way that doesnt violate copyright laws. And the same holds for all other AI creators as well.
OpenAI on Monday said that The New York Times (NYT) is not telling the full story about the lawsuit it filed against the Sam Altman-led company and Microsoft on December 27.

Interestingly, the regurgitations The New York Times induced appear to be from years-old articles that have proliferated on multiple third-party websites. It seems they intentionally manipulated prompts, often including lengthy excerpts of articles, in order to get our model to regurgitate, OpenAI wrote in a blog post.

As part of the lawsuit, the NYT submitted approximately 100 examples of copyright violations that showcase ChatGPT or its underlying model returning pieces of text that are nearly identical to paragraphs published as part of NYT articles or editorial content.

However, OpenAI has claimed that even when manipulated prompts are used, its models dont typically behave the way The New York Times insinuates, which suggests they either instructed the model to regurgitate or cherry-picked their examples from many attempts.

OpenAI said the examples put forth by NYT are not typical examples of misuse or allowed user activity. It noted that the generated texts are not a substitute for the prestigious newspaper.

Ian Crosby, partner with Susman Godfrey and lead counsel for The New York Times said the OpenAI blog concedes that OpenAI used The Timess work, along with the work of many others, to build ChatGPT. As The Timess complaint states, Through Microsofts Bing Chat (recently rebranded as Copilot) and OpenAIs ChatGPT, Defendants seek to free-ride on The Timess massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment. Thats not fair use by any measure.

OpenAI working on solving the regurgitation issue

The Sam Altman-led company said it has identified and is working on solving the regurgitation issue of ChatGPT, which it terms as memorization and said is a failure of the model training process.

Memorization, according to the company, tends to happen more commonly when particular content appears more than once in training data, in this case, NYTs articles appearing on other websites as well.

So we have measures in place to limit inadvertent memorization and prevent regurgitation in model outputs. We also expect our users to act responsibly; intentionally manipulating our models to regurgitate is not an appropriate use of our technology and is against our terms of use, the company wrote in the blog post.

Experts argue over copyright claims

While there has been a lot of commentary about the NYT lawsuit against OpenAI, several technology innovators seem to be sympathizing with OpenAIs logic.

After reading the @nytimes lawsuit against @OpenAI and @Microsoft, I find my sympathies more with OpenAI and Microsoft than with the NYT, Andrew Ng, one of the leading scientists in the field of AI wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Ng claimed that just as humans are allowed to read documents on the open internet, learn from them, and synthesize brand-new ideas, AI should be allowed to do so too.

I would like to see training on the public internet covered under fair use  society will be better off this way  though whether it actually is will ultimately be up to legislators and the courts, the AI scientist explained in DeepLearning.AIs weekly newsletter.

Somewhat supporting OpenAIs claims, Ng further said that the examples of violations put forth by NYT occurred due to a RAG-like mechanism where the user prompt causes the system to browse the web, retrieve a specific article, and then print it out.

Systems architect Daniel Jeffries also took to Twitter to explain why the Times case has a near-zero probability of winning and somewhat supported OpenAIs claims.

Jeffries was reacting to Jason Klints post on Twitter, which argued that the Times case was more likely to win. Klint is the CEO of Digital Content Next, a trade association for content companies.

The systems architect also pointed out that the Times case may go the same way the Sarah Silverman case went, wherein a US district judge had ruled that determining whether generated images may be in direct violation of copyright laws was not plausible at the moment.

OpenAI has already stated that it believes training AI models using publicly available internet materials is fair use. This practice, according to the company, is supported by long-standing and widely accepted precedents.

Before the NYT filed the lawsuit, OpenAI said it was holding negotiations on a deal with the NYT through December 19.

The negotiations focused on a high-value partnership around real-time display with attribution in ChatGPT, in which The New York Times would gain a new way to connect with their existing and new readers, and our users would gain access to their reporting, it wrote in the blog post, adding that it had already explained to the Times that their content didn't meaningfully contribute to the training of its existing models and also wouldn't be sufficiently impactful for future training.

(The story has been updated with a comment from The New York Times)
The European Union is investigating whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI amounts to a concealed merger amid efforts to regulate the rapidly advancing generative AI (genAI) sector.

The European Commission, serving as the EU's executive branch, said Tuesday it is starting a competition inquiry into the markets of virtual worlds and genAI; the goal is to focus on the current level of competitiveness and the role law might play in shaping these fields.

The European Commission will carefully review all input received through the calls for contributions. Following that review, the Commission may organize a workshop in the second quarter of 2024 to bring together all different perspectives emerging from the contributions and continue this reflection, it said in a statement.

The EU is calling for feedback from interested stakeholders and set a deadline for submissions of March 11.

Growing AI business

The commission noted that with more than $7.9 billion invested in AI in the EU in 2023, raising the value of the region's "virtual worlds" market to $12 billion, rapid growth is likely to influence business competition significantly.

"Virtual worlds and generative AI are rapidly developing," said Margrethe Vestager, EU Commission executive vice president in charge of competition policy. "It is fundamental that these new markets stay competitive, and that nothing stands in the way of businesses growing and providing the best and most innovative products to consumers

Even so, the EU's efforts might not affect genAI development, said Gal Ringel, the CEO of Mine, a data privacy firm developing solutions for emerging AI regulations.

OpenAI has grown so large and influential over the past year that even a ruling against the company now would only prove a temporary roadblock, as the company would surely find ample investment if it needed to pursue that route, he said.

OpenAI leadership turmoil

The inquiry follows a period of disruption at OpenAI in late November when the board unexpectedly decided to remove founder and CEO Sam Altman. In response, Microsoft, an investor in OpenAI, promptly announced it would employ Altman.

A few days later, Altman was back in place at OpenAI.

The turmoil comes as genAI platforms and tools come under increasing regulatory scrutiny due to safety and monopoly concerns. In December, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority announced it is gathering opinions to determine whether the collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI should be treated as an effective merger. That move could precede a full-scale investigation.

Various nations have moved to try and put guardrails around the fast-evolving technology. During the inaugural session of the AI safety summit last year, 28 countries endorsed a pledge to collaborate on research in AI safety.

The United States is focusing on AI safety standards via an executive order signed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. And China has enacted specific legislation to regulate genAI.

OpenAI is also facing questions over its use of copyrighted material. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft last month, accusing the companies of infringing on its copyrights by using millions of its articles to train genAI models.

But the US is far less likely than the EU to attempt to regulate OpenAI or AI development in a meaningful way, Ringel said. With the country being unable to pass a federal data protection law, it seems unlikely they could pass comprehensive AI regulation during an election year.

Microsoft and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In an increasingly interconnected digital landscape, the persistent and sophisticated nature of cyber threats poses an unrelenting challenge to organizations worldwide. As technology advances, so do the tactics of those seeking to exploit its vulnerabilities. Among these threats, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) stand out as exemplars of adaptability and ingenuity. As enterprises navigate the evolving complexities of the modern cybersecurity landscape, an in-depth comprehension of APTs becomes paramount.

Advanced persistent threats continue to dominate the threat landscape. In fact, in an analysis of the first half of 2023, FortiGuard Labs researchers saw significant activity among APT groups, several of which were especially active. And one attack group was particularly troublesome.

APT activity in the first six months of 2023

In the first half of 2023, our threat researchers found that one-third of all categorized APT groups were active. What do we mean by categorized APT groups? These are the 138 APT groups that MITRE keeps track of as part of its work of supporting the ATT&CK framework. Mapping and assessing the threat landscape requires paying close attention to the aggregate activity of these groups.

We noticed activity attributable to 30% of these groups41 in totalbetween January and June 2023. Based on study of the malware genetic code, the most active of these were Turla, WildNeutron StrongPity, OceanLotus, and Winnti.

A closer look at Turla

Turla may be one of the most adept and enduring threat organizations. The group has used a variety of aliases, including Krypton, Uroburos, Snake, and Waterbug. Its been operating for more than 20 years.

Over 45 high-profile attacks on the energy sector, the media, government institutions, and embassies around the world have been linked to Turla. For years, they have successfully penetrated organizations while remaining undetected, even in heavily monitored environments. Given the progression of the Russian-Ukrainian war, seeing greater activity from this group wasnt surprising.

The good, the bad, and your next steps

The good news is that, at least for now, APT activity is still highly targeted. Just a small portion of all organizations were affected by such attacks in the previous six months. APT groups wouldnt use their cyber weapons in scattershot strikes, so this makes sense. That said, this in no way means you can take your hands off the wheel, so to speak.

Threat actors arent going to slow down anytime soon, especially when organized cybercrime gangs make it easier for them to generate quick cash. Yet there are many steps enterprises can take today to better defend their networks from these threats.

The importance of sharing and using threat intelligence to battle the rising volume and sophistication of cyber threats is greater than ever. To triumph in this cybersecurity conflict, the public and commercial sectors must deepen their sharing of threat intelligence. Without standards for sharing, processing, and reporting, it can be difficult to immediately act on threat intelligence through all-inclusive playbookswhich is required to be effective.

However, a crucial element of ensuring smooth, prompt, and effective responses is utilizing shared threat intelligence. Todays defenders have access to a wealth of resources, information, and assistance required to start changing the economics of an attack, all of which serve as robust deterrents against foes.

Understanding attack flowsfrom initial entry points where attackers gain access to a system, to post-exploitation activities such as privilege escalation and data exfiltrationis also critical for developing effective cybersecurity strategies. This knowledge empowers defenders to anticipate and thwart various stages of an attack, bolstering overall resilience against cyber threats.

Lastly, there has never been a better opportunity to update security teams processes and deploy new security technologies. Enterprise networks must be protected both now and in the future by creating and maintaining a thorough defensive strategy thats tailored to their specific needs.

Be the MVP of security

In a threat landscape where APTs will continue to loom large, the insights gleaned from the first half of 2023 emphasize the critical need for heightened cybersecurity measures. With APT groups displaying significant activity, particularly noteworthy is the resilient Turla group, which has demonstrated remarkable adaptability and sophistication over its two-decade-long reign. Although APT attacks remain targeted, the evolving cybercrime ecosystem demands unwavering vigilance, particularly as were observing various cybercrime groups now sharing infrastructure with APT actors.

To counter these threats, sharing and leveraging threat intelligence is paramount, as is understanding attack flows to fortify defensive strategies. Collaboration, timely response, and the integration of advanced security technologies offer a promising way forward for organizations to secure their networks effectively. Above all else, taking a proactive, platform-centric approach to security is vital. Choose security technologies that are designed to integrate seamlessly with one another, which will ultimately make your detection and response efforts more efficient.
Marlene Kennedy is a freelance columnist. Opinions expressed in her column are her own and not necessarily the newspapers. Reach her at marlenejkennedy@gmail.com
Reuben sandwiches made from ingredients from Katzs Deli in New York City  along with a bowl of Katzs pickles.
T-shirts and other pullovers were displayed for sale on a rack late last month inside EmpowHERing Designs in Gloversville. Some of the apparel has been finished with designs applied by sublimation, while others are devoid of graphics but can be purchased by customers so the stores owners can add customized words and pictures. The store at 45 S. Main St. opened on Dec. 1.
With Schenectady Central School District Superintendent Anibal Soler, Jr. a finalist for the same position at Yonkers Public Schools, Soler addressed his potential departure from the district in a letter to the community.

In his weekly superintendents brief distributed to the Schenectady school district on Friday evening, Soler said he did not have an official announcement to make about possibly ending his two-and-a-half-years tenure with the district.

Soler began his letter to the community apologizing for how the news of his Yonkers candidacy reached the public. The Yonkers Voice news organization reported in a social media post on Dec. 31 that Soler is expected to become the next Yonkers superintendent, with the Yonkers district subsequently confirming that Soler is a finalist for the position.

I have prided myself on having ongoing and timely communication with the community and our district regarding topics that would impact our work, Soler wrote. With it being a confidential process and nothing being official, I wouldnt and couldnt say anything.

Soler noted that with Yonkers confirmation of his candidacy that he could briefly discuss his job status.

Again, I hoped to inform the community once there was an official appointment and again to avoid having the community find out in the manner that it did, Soler wrote. I apologize for any hurt, anxiety, or stress this announcement has caused any of you. I dont have any further information to share with you, but I will provide an update if things change or become official.

The Yonkers Board of Education has a special meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Yonkers district did not respond to a query Monday on whether the superintendent search would be addressed at the special meeting. The Yonkers superintendent position has been vacant since July 2023 when Edwin Quezada left the post.

The Schenectady school board will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mont Pleasant Middle School.

Schenectady Board of Education President Bernice Rivera said on Monday that the school board will hold an executive session following the Wednesday night meeting to discuss the potential options if Soler accepts the Yonkers job.

The board will meet to discuss the possible outcomes with Superintendent Solers candidacy at Yonkers and how we intend to move forward, Rivera said. The meeting will provide an opportunity for all board members to share their thoughts and perspectives about next steps. In addition, the board will discuss the best way to keep the momentum, progress and leadership moving in Schenectady.

Rivera said that Soler will not be in attendance at Wednesdays meeting, as he will be out of town at a pre-planned education conference.

I think its really important for everyone to know that we have a strong foundation and this impressive foundation has been built under the leadership of the superintendent and his team, Rivera said on Monday. The boards goal is to continue supporting our upward trajectory by discussing the next course of action for our students, staff, families and community.

When Soler was hired by the Schenectady district in July 2021, the then-superintendent of the Batavia City School District was selected after a 14-month process to replace outgoing superintendent Laurence Spring.

I do want to talk to the board first about how were going to be moving forward and then well let the community know how were going to move forward, Rivera said of a potential timeline to replace Soler if he is named Yonkers superintendent.

Soler did not respond to a request for further comment on the Yonkers post on Monday.

Please know that regardless of what happens, I am committed to the work we have started and are doing, Soler wrote in the community newsletter. I will work with the Board of Education and the Executive Leadership Team to ensure those initiatives continue regardless of what happens to me. I know its difficult for something like this not to create a disturbance, but I encourage all of you to keep focused on the critical work underway and keep pushing forward. Schenectady is rising because of each of you. Never forget that.
Chinese museum opens up digital database of 2,000-year-old tombs

Xinhua) 09:31, January 09, 2024

This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a scene at the launch ceremony in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. The Hunan Museum made the digital database on the world-famous Mawangdui Tombs available to colleges and companies on Monday, becoming the latest Chinese museum aiming to turn archaeological finds into popular cultural brands. (Xinhua/Ming Xing)

CHANGSHA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Hunan Museum made the digital database on the world-famous Mawangdui Tombs available to colleges and companies on Monday, becoming the latest Chinese museum aiming to turn archaeological finds into popular cultural brands.

The museum in central China's Hunan Province will allow two colleges and 12 companies, including popular tea brand Sexy Tea and online video platform Mango TV, to freely use the digital resources of Mawangdui.

Located in the provincial capital Changsha, Mawangdui houses the grand tombs of the Marquis of Dai during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD), as well as his wife and son.

The site gained international attention in the 1970s when researchers opened a coffin and found a female corpse that showed no signs of decay. The corpse, now preserved in the museum, is said to be that of a woman named Lady Xin Zhui, the wife of the Marquis of Dai.

The museum on Monday also inked deals with more than 30 teams in the cultural and creative industry to develop digital products related to life 2,000 years ago, drawing inspiration from the over 3,000 artifacts unearthed at the tombs, including garments, musical instruments and medical prescriptions once used in the Han Dynasty.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The evening of February 7, 2019, was like every other in any February: cold, dark and damp. As I drove my husband Paul to hospital to get the results of tests hed undergone for a troublesome stomach ulcer, we were planning where to book for our family summer holiday  to remind ourselves that sunny days werent that far away.

We walked from the car park and through the hospitals revolving door, still chatting about holidays.

But the smile left my face within just seconds of my husband giving his name to the receptionist.

A nurse sitting behind the desk looked up sharply then hurried away through the doors of Consulting Room 2, just as the receptionist told us to follow her. And as I turned to face Paul, I found that I couldnt speak.

You see, I knew exactly what that nurse was doing. She and the doctor had gone through the patients notes before the clinic began and he had said: I may need some support for this one  can you sit in, please. Its a role I had played many times when I worked as a nurse in outpatients.

Nadine and Paul: We had three beautiful daughters and were the closest of families

In silence, we followed the nurse. Just a few brutal moments later, Paul had been told he had terminal bowel cancer and given a prognosis of four months to live.

Nothing could be done, we were told. It was inoperable. Paul would be referred to an oncologist to discuss chemotherapy, which could give him additional weeks or months. And we should visit the GP to discuss options for end-of-life care as soon as possible.

We were back out of that revolving door, stunned and standing in the car park, within ten minutes of entering it. It felt as if the ground was opening up beneath us.

We had three beautiful daughters and were the closest of families: how could we cope with this? How could we inflict this devastating news on our girls? The tears came as the shock suddenly hit us both. It was some time before I could drive.

As we reached home and I turned the car into the drive, Paul looked at me in despair. I cant do this, he said. I cant do it to the girls, or to you. I saw how my dad died with bowel cancer and what my mum went through.

Then he added the words that shocked me to the core: I want to go to Dignitas. Now, while I still can.

In the event, that is not what happened. The process to sign up with Dignitas takes a considerable time. You have to register, pay an annual subscription, provide medical and doctors records. Pauls short prognosis timed him out. (The devil is in the detail.)

But, as I will explain, the peaceful way he died at home four months later  surrounded by his loving family  only reinforced my strong view that assisted dying is wrong. Many, of course, disagree with me. Just before Christmas, Dame Esther Rantzen, who is fighting stage four lung cancer, announced she had registered with Dignitas, explaining that her decision was driven in part by her wish that her familys last memories of me are not painful, because if you watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times.

She has called for a change in the law to allow assisted dying.

Keir Starmer followed up this week by insisting that he would support a change in the law if he becomes Prime Minister, saying he was an advocate for reform.

The truth is that there is no need for anyone to have a bad death or to die in pain today, writes Nadine Dorries

The last time that assisted dying made its way into Parliament was in 2015, when MPs narrowly voted down a Bill which would have allowed terminally ill people to request and be provided with medically supervised assistance to end their own life. The arguments back then were the same as they are now  but the facts never alter.

The truth is that there is no need for anyone to have a bad death or to die in pain today. Medication is sophisticated and palliative care services are down to the Government, the NHS and the local care commissioning boards which manage palliative care funding.

Responsibility for providing access to palliative care and pain relief lies with the state, and Parliament should not allow any government to shirk its responsibility by legalising a cheap shortcut to the end of life.

Today, those with a terminal illness can meet their end peacefully on a morphine syringe-driver, whether at home or in a hospice or hospital. By contrast, the end of life medication administered at Dignitas, a drug taken in 60ml of water and swallowed, does not, to my mind, result in a peaceful end.

It is sudden, brutal, clinical and, I imagine, distressing for those who have to watch. And it surely leaves loved ones with an end-of-life memory many would rather not have.

If Parliament were to vote to make the ending of human life legal, we would be asking doctors to kill. This would be a massive societal change with immense consequences. There would then be pressure to expand the eligibility criteria to perhaps include the disabled, the young and the depressed, as has happened in Canada and Holland.

Those who feel they are a burden on their loved ones could feel pressured to avail themselves of euthanasia when they fall ill.

And would you trust those managing NHS budgets not to apply pressure to someone who is costing the state and depleting NHS budgets due to their poor health, despite the fact that they may be enjoying every day of their life?

Which brings me back to Paul. His death WAS a good one  and, despite his fears, he DID enjoy his last days. But he chose to quicken his end by not having chemotherapy, which would have given him the extra months I so wish we had been able to have together.

Paul was never alone. Our daughters moved back home and the house was filled with friends and laughter, memories, music, the dogs on his bed and hours of conversation.

A hospital bed arrived along with a plethora of equipment. His oral morphine and anti-anxiety medication made him funnier than ever and kept him totally free from pain.

The doorbell never stopped ringing and the kitchen resembled a bakery as friends dropped in and I became a short-order chef, dishing up endless meals. It was on May 21, when we returned from a lunch for my birthday, that Paul physically struggled with the stairs up to the bedroom to lie down. I knew then that he would not make it back down again.

We curtailed the visitors and called the GP, who was beyond kind and caring. He organised local hospice nurses who visited every day and for whom we had nothing but praise. He also organised a local agency which sent nursing assistants twice a day to help us wash Paul and change the sheets.

Paul loved the attention and the banter. A local charity sent a nurse to sit with us through the night. Their experience and kindness meant so much.

A week later, one morning, Paul struggled to swallow his oral morphine. The physical process of dying had begun.

It was time for the syringe driver. Despite the months of preparation, I struggled so much. With the morphine, he began to slip away for longer periods of time.

I asked the hospice nurse to remove it  I wanted Paul back. Despite the fact that I had nursed many patients at the end and knew what we were facing, I was in denial.

The nurse hugged me and said: Nadine, hes dying. He was, and it had just hit me.

It was us who were suffering. He was pain free but we werent. Grief is the price we pay for love, and it cannot be avoided, no matter how or where or when the end arrives.

In our last moments, when he was awake, I sat on his bed and sang to him  Joni Mitchells Both Sides Now. He had watched her sing it at the Isle of Wight pop festival and it was a magical memory he had relived with us.

Tears ran down both our faces, my daughter photographed us. Somehow we all knew this was it.

His last words to me were that the past few months had been the best of his life, and he didnt want to leave us.

He said he only wished we had longer, that he loved me. Then he closed his eyes and slept for three peaceful days before he left us for good.

He died on June 7. Four months to the day following his diagnosis. He had moved from desperately wanting to take a trip to Dignitas, from imploring the girls to make it happen, to wishing that he hadnt refused that chemotherapy  because it would have given him a few more precious months.

He didnt die in a clinical setting in Switzerland, but at home in our arms. And at the end, that was exactly where he wanted to be.
When Alan Bates approached Ed Davey for help over the growing scandal of innocent sub-postmasters accused of theft, fraud and false accounting, he was given a curt brush-off.

I do not believe a meeting would serve any useful purpose, wrote Davey, the newly installed Lib Dem Postal Affairs Minister in the Cameron/Clegg Coalition government.

Alan Bates is the eponymous Mr Bates, played superbly by Toby Jones, in the harrowing ITV drama about the worst mass miscarriage of justice in British history.

More than 700 sub-postmasters had their lives destroyed because of a faulty Post Office computer system. They lost their homes, their livelihoods and, in some cases, their sanity and their liberty. The true horror of their heartbreaking ordeals is well documented elsewhere.

By the time Bates, founder of Justice For Sub-Postmasters, contacted Davey in 2010, there had already been a number of high-profile prosecutions and some had been sent to jail.

Sir Ed Davey liked to pose as a champion of the little man speaking truth to power.

After losing his own business in Llandudno, because he bravely refused to admit to accounting errors caused by the dodgy software, he embarked on a one-man mission to expose the truth.

While Labour was still in office, he was banging his head against a brick wall. The system had been signed off by Tony Blair in 1999, despite warnings about its reliability from his Cabinet colleague Harriet Harman.

When the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition came to power, Bates had reason for fresh hope. He wrote to Davey, detailing the Post Offices refusal to acknowledge the flaws in the Horizon network, and calling on him to intervene.

An independent external investigation instigated at ministerial level would be the most appropriate, and would without doubt easily find evidence of the error-ridden system.

Bates might have expected a sympathetic hearing. Davey liked to pose as a champion of the little man speaking truth to power. In 2003, he publicly took up the cudgels on behalf of a whistle-blowing constituent who had been sacked by the NHS for exposing statistical manipulation at a health care trust in Surrey.

He condemned the NHS bureaucrats responsible as Stalinist and called for a full inquiry.

Surely, there were parallels here. In both cases, one man was attempting to expose a systemic cover-up by an over-mighty public monopoly. Not only that, but the Post Office scandal was on a far greater scale, ensnaring not just one, but 100  and maybe far more.

But now, with his feet firmly under a ministerial desk and his ample backside being chauffeured around in an official limo, Davey wasnt interested. Instead of posturing as a white knight on a charger, righting wrongs of behalf of powerless victims, he slammed the door in Batess face.

Alan Bates founded Justice For Sub-Postmasters to expose the truth about the Horizon scandal

Worse, he sided with the dragon, rather than St George, insisting that the integrity of the Horizon system was an operational and contractual matter for the Post Office, not the government.

He said that as an arms length body, the Post Office had the commercial right to run its own business without interference.

Have a nice day.

Bates was appalled. He wrote back that he considered Daveys reply not only disappointing but I actually found your comments offensive . . . You have enabled them to carry on with impunity regardless of the human misery and suffering they inflict.

Davey subsequently agreed to a meeting, but continued to protest that he was unable to intervene, even after a pregnant woman was sentenced to 15 months in prison after being forced to plead guilty to false accounting and stealing more than 70,000. Her conviction wasnt quashed until 2021.

Yet Davey not only continued to distance himself from the scandal, he maintained his support for the Post Office line. In short, after gaining ministerial office, hed gone native. The PO isnt a proper private company. Its a wholly owned subsidiary of the Government, which is the sole shareholder.

Alan Bates is the eponymous Mr Bates, played superbly by Toby Jones, in the harrowing ITV drama about the worst mass miscarriage of justice in British history

Daveys job as an elected politician was to represent the interests of the public. Instead, he chose to act as an apologist for the out-of-control organisation he was paid to oversee. As Jo Hamilton, one of the main characters in the ITV drama, who was bankrupted and blackmailed into admitting false accounting, rightly says, Davey should have done his job.

She told The Times: Of course Davey should have been asking more questions. What did he think  we were just moaning? I cant believe it. If youre the minister, you just deal with stuff. Theyre called public servants but they do anything but serve the public.

Too true. Theres a reason so many functions of what should be government have been hived off to arms length quasi-public bodies. Its so slippery ministers like Davey can evade all responsibility when the solids hit the air-conditioning.

He was still at it yesterday. Rather than admit any culpability, he issued the usual weasel statement of regret and blamed everything on his civil servants and the Post Office management, who had lied to him repeatedly on an industrial scale.

You dont say. It was his responsibility to take Alan Bates seriously and subject the Post Offices denials to rigorous, forensic investigation. Hes answerable to the British electorate, not the Post Office bureaucracy or the giant Japanese conglomerate Fujitsu, which supplied and operated the rogue Horizon computer system.

The persecuted sub-postmasters are precisely the kind of people the Lib Dems purport to represent, particularly in the far-flung rural constituencies the party frequently targets.

Davey isnt the main villain of the piece here, though he isnt the innocent bystander he pretends to be. Others abused their power and pursued prosecutions based on evidence they knew was false. Police are finally investigating cases involving perjury and perverting the course of justice. And not before time.

But he is pivotal. Had he taken Bates seriously, he could have stopped this scandal in its tracks and spared hundreds of innocent people years of debilitating heartache and hardship. He might even have saved some lives.

As Seema Misra, the pregnant sub-postmistress jailed on his watch, said: He could have turned the whole thing around, but chose not to. Hes definitely liable.

But he took the line of least resistance. Like most ministers, Davey was here today and gone tomorrow. He lost his seat in 2015 before bouncing back two years later, but the blow was softened by his hiring as a 275,000-a-year consultant by the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, which numbers among its clients . . . the Post Office.

Nice work if you can get it. But that was only Daveys starter for ten. He was given a knighthood  for what, your guess is as good as mine  and became leader of the Lib Dems.

He was last seen posing in front of a van featuring a fatuous sign reading Daveys Tory Removal Service  the Lib Dem equivalent of Del Boys New York, Paris, Peckham three-wheeler.

Davey certainly didnt look like a man feeling even a scintilla of remorse over his role in the Horizon cover-up. And to be honest, hed probably have got away scot free had it not been for ITVs Mr Bates v The Post Office.

But, naturally, Davey doesnt do shame. Someone else is always to blame. In recent years, hes demanded the immediate resignations of public figures no fewer than 34 times  everyone from Boris Johnson to the head of Thames Water.

Then again, he is a complete and utter Lib Dem, a former Minister Without Responsibility. I dont suppose he ever considered doing the decent thing and resigning over his failure to halt the spiteful, institutional persecution of hundreds of blameless sub-postmasters.

Why would he? Ever since, its been onwards and upwards.

In the ITV drama, Alan Bates is seen shaking his head in front of the television when it is announced that Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been awarded the CBE for services to the Post Office. They always look after their own, he says resignedly.

We can only imagine how he would have reacted to the news that Davey was being knighted. (Not for services to the Post Office, surely.)

If anyone deserves a knight- hood its the modest, heroic Alan Bates.

And if theres anyone who serves no useful purpose look no further than the Right Honourable Sir Edward Jonathan Davey FRSA, Member of Parliament for the Post Office and Fujitsu West.
Many people will find the idea of appearing on the red carpet glamorous. An acknowledgement of success, the pinnacle of achievement. But not me.

I found many of the red carpet appearances I made during the 25 years I edited Vogue utter hell.

So much so that I would often try to scurry round the back of venues to avoid them. Sadly, as these pictures show, I didnt always succeed.

Over the years, arriving at any starry event has become far more of an ordeal. Gone are the days, probably over a decade ago now, when a small group of carefully selected photographers did some judicious retouching before pictures were released to the press. In our 24/7 digital world, speed is king.

This weeks Golden Globe stars would have faced a phalanx of photographers all shouting at them, a wildly disorientating and intimidating experience.

Then there are the iPad despots in charge of who can access the carpet and in what order. While the whole point of these events is to showcase the personalities attending (as well as sponsors logos plastered on the banners you pose against, known as step-and-repeat boards), not all personalities are equal. Which means there is the humiliating experience of the red carpet pecking order to endure. Anyone judged unworthy of even five minutes of fame is promptly beckoned on and out of frame, or even directed to another entrance altogether. Fortunately, as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, I was guaranteed to be selected by those guarding the way to the red carpet, but even so, there was always the possibility of being shuffled sideways to make way for someone more important.

Equally disturbing is the possibility of being sandwiched between two bigger names and seeing the focus quickly shift to them.

And once out there, in front of what is essentially at least a million social media eyeballs, there is no escape. Yes, the Golden Globe stars have armies of stylists, hair and make-up professionals, not to mention tailors, to help them project an immaculate impression. But to be judged in this manner is still an ordeal - and to be judged and found wanting is even worse. The pitfalls are too numerous to list, but here I am demonstrating some errors I wish I had avoided...

1. NEVER POSE NEXT TO A SUPERMODEL

Alexandra Shulman attends the book launch of Vogue Covers with Naomi Campbell in London, 2007

Sometimes, indeed often at fashion events, this unfortunate occurrence is impossible to avoid, but the moment will leave you feeling like a minor species way down the evolutionary chain.

Here Naomi Campbell and I are at a Chanel party in 2007. While I stare wild-eyed into the distance, Naomi, ever the professional, has perfected her party snap stance: the chin down eyes up look that is a basic rule if you want show off your best jawline. She also has turned herself fractionally sideways with her knees together, another posing trick that makes the bottom half of the body slimmer.

There is no way that you can look good in the company of staggeringly beautiful women and no matter how hard you try to remember that looks arent everything, you wish very hard indeed that the pictures will never see the light of day.

2. BEWARE THE UPPER ARM BULGE

The 60th London Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Palladium in 2014

Many women are frightened of appearing with bare arms but that has never worried me. If anything, in photographs bare flesh often looks better than covered up.

However... what professional red carpet posers know is never to press said arms against your body. Instead, they hold their arms out, leaving a gap, thereby presenting an elegant silouette rather than a solid blob. This also prevents an upper arm bulge which none of us want and which foreshortens the length of your limbs.

Even knowing this, I appear not to have been paying attention at the Evening Standard Awards in 2014 (nor the British Fashion Awards in 2014, nor the Designer Fashion Fund event in 2015).

Ive not only made the arm mistake, but I clearly havent bought what Erdem, designer of my dress, calls the correct underpinnings. The forensic light of the red carpet draws unfortunate attention to any hint of a misshapen bust line, as I have here, especially when photographed from the side. Good underwear, as any pro knows, is paramount and by good Im talking solid shapewear, not some beautiful wisps of La Perla. While we mostly stand in front of the mirror front-on, the red carpet is a cruel 360 degrees.

Its why, having run the gauntlet of the red carpet, its not unusual to see actresses rushing to the loo to get rid of their uncomfortable support knickers as soon as they possibly can.

3. LEAVE YOUR COAT WITH A LACKEY

Ms Shulman at The Cinema in Selfridges, London, last year

Its never a good idea be photographed wearing a coat. The lights on the carpet are baking hot and coats give most of us a bulky outline. What you dont see in red carpet pictures are the retinue of assistants carrying coats and phones and handbags so their bosses dont get snapped with any unattractive clutter. Behind any star is an aide frantically rushing around to ensure they look their best.

4. ...AND NEVER BE SEEN CLUTCHING YOUR INVITATION

The Vertu and Smile Train Event at Louise Blouin Foundation, London, in 2012

Invitation cards have no place on the red carpet. You should appear as a person who has no need of an invitation. You just "are".

5. BLACK OPAQUE TIGHTS ARE A NO-NO

Ms Shulman attends the Valentino exhibition at Somerset House, London, in 2012

As a general rule thick black tights are not a winner on the red carpet especially when paired, as they are here at a Somerset House Valentino exhibition in 2012, with pale shoes. In real life I like the pairing of black with white, but these nude courts only work with bare legs. Often things which look fine in real life just dont work in pictures. Its why most red carpet dressing is either incredibly bland and safe or increasingly so eccentric that normal rules dont apply.

6. AND AS FOR COATS AND BLACK TIGHTS...

The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Barbican, London, in 2014

The black tights and coat combo I wore for a Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at the Barbican in 2007, breaks several red carpet rules, but its not helped by putting hands in pockets. Although pockets have become more fashionable in evening wear the pose looks overly casual. You never see a royal with their hands stuffed in pockets.

7. GIVE MEDICAL DRESSINGS A MISS

On the Red Carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in 2007

As a Vogue editor, when you appear at fashion events, you are often expected to wear the designers clothes. How many hours that I will never get back were spent trying to find something to borrow that suited me. I definitely wasnt comfortable in this bright turquoise dress, Versace I think, at the first Fashion Rocks for The Princes Trust at the Albert Hall in 2007. Had I been a bit more on the case I might have removed the plaster on my arm. Certain signs of illness or disability can add credibility to the wearers appearance  think Coleen Rooneys leg brace during the Wagatha Christie trial, or model Lila Mosss glucose monitor. But a bog standard plaster after a blood test does not enhance a girls style.

8. DONT SHOW YOUR TRUE FEELINGS

Ms Shulman holds a trophy at the British Fashion Awards in 2016

Okay this is a tricky one is it the right thing to give an unashamed grin, risking double chins and creased jaws, or should you try a more flattering simper? I have always gone for the grin, as here, after walking off with a trophy at the British Fashion Awards, but its not the most flattering of expressions. Actors and models have learnt how to smile without their face creasing up  dont ask me, ask Kate Moss. If you know your stuff, you will probably turn your face to a slight profile, or shoot an over-the-shoulder glance. But really, lifes too short. In the end, surely happiness trumps vanity.

AND ONE I GOT RIGHT

Ms Shulman arrives at Waddesdon Manor with Charles, followed by Camilla, in 2001

This was taken in 2001 hosting a gala in aid of Macmillan Cancer at Waddesdon Manor. I had come up with a plan for leading designers to pitch pavilions on the lawns of Jacob Rothschilds stately home in Buckinghamshire. The then Prince of Wales was guest of honour. Because there were so many big beasts  Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Donatella Versace, Valentino et al  the dress stakes were extremely high. I made a big effort and it shows. As the host, I didnt want to offend any of the designers, so I commissioned this couture dress by the house of Hardy Amies, which I thought would be no threat to those international names but which fitted me immaculately.

Although black is often thought of as dour on the red carpet, it was an ideal foil to the surrounding colour of the pavilions. My shoes just peeking out were made of the same satin as my shawl and I had fabulous borrowed jewellery which I loved so much that I bought the aquamarine ring (you can just see in the picture). Unfortunately I lost it soon after, having taken it off to do the washing up! Not, I imagine, a problem encountered very often by Taylor Swift or Emma Stone.
With the latest Epstein disclosures in danger of jeopardising the financial agreement between the King and Prince Andrew, can Charles really evict his brother from Royal Lodge?

Despite paying a peppercorn rent, Andrew spent at least 7.5million on refurbishment when he was granted a lease until 2078.

The terms allow him to pass the property to his daughters. And what of stripping Andrew of his titles? The King can take his Garter knighthood and Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order with a simple signature. Removing his York dukedom requires Parliament to pass legislation.

The definitive survey of 2023 royal engagements, newly published, shows the Duke of Gloucester, 79, undertook more duties (190) than William (175) and Kate (134) despite his age.

King Charles (pictured) may soon boot Prince Andrew from the Royal Lodge

Prince Andrew (pictured, right) has once again been thrust into the limelight for his connection with now-dead financier Jeffrey Epstein

Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the home of The Duke of York

The advanced years of many of the King's slimmed-down family of 11 working royals must be a niggling concern for him.

None is under 40 and seven are over 75. Princess Alexandra, 86, is rumoured not to enjoy good health and has effectively retired.

Her brother the Duke of Kent, 88, has 'mobility issues' and has been replaced as president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission by Princess Anne. At 73, evergreen Anne can't go on forever.

The late self-confessed New Labour rogue Derek Draper once charmingly mesmerised Samantha Cameron at a dinner party.

So much so that Sam, stressing her northern roots, told Draper she was a Yorkshire lass.

Mrs David Cameron didn't mention that she grew up on the 300-acre estate of Normanby Hall, north Lincolnshire, and thereafter at Sutton Park, North Yorkshire, an 18th-century Georgian house.

A far cry from Dolly's modest roots in Chorley, Lancashire.

'I was accused of spawning a woman-hating monster. I don't agree with Daniel on many things,' Prue Leith (pictured) said

What's Prue Leith's reaction to her Tory MP son Danny Kruger claiming that Rishi Sunak faces 'obliteration' at the forthcoming election?

She recalls with a shiver the reaction when Danny expressed unease at allowing women to terminate a pregnancy up to term.

'All hell broke loose,' she says. 'I was accused of spawning a woman-hating monster. I don't agree with Daniel on many things. He's Christian; I am atheist. I'm in favour of assisted dying; he's against it. There's more to him than a Twitter storm allows.'

LBC's Nick Ferrari tells Radio Times the guest chair in his studio is bolted to the floor because it was the only way to keep regular interviewee Boris Johnson in webcam focus.

When Nick explained this to ex-Scotland Yard commissioner Cressida Dick, she replied: 'We do this in our interview rooms so our officers don't get hit over the head with them.'

LBC's Nick Ferrari (pictured) tells Radio Times the guest chair in his studio is bolted to the floor because it was the only way to keep regular interviewee Boris Johnson in webcam focus

US TV The Traitors presenter Alan Cumming was asked by UK host Claudia Winkleman on to her Radio 2 morning show.

'But I'm in New York,' he complains. 'I'd have had to get up at, like, 6.30am. I thought, 'I'd love to talk to you  but not that much'.' How did Alan get on at charm school? He got a full refund.
It hardly needs explanation. But spending 8million a day on hotels for illegal migrants is a disgrace. Forking out almost 4billion of public money each year on the asylum system is unsustainable.

The housing of more than 100,000 illegal arrivals across the country  in hotels and other accommodation  is placing untold pressure on our communities. It is a crisis and must be treated as such.

As Home Secretary, I proposed a plan more than a year ago to stop the boats once and for all. It included blocking off domestic human rights claims and Rule 39 indications  so-called 'pyjama injunctions'  from the European Court in Strasbourg.

Throughout the year, I continued to seek to persuade the Prime Minister to adopt that plan. He has finally now brought forward a piece of legislation which is closer to that original proposal. But there is little merit in introducing another law which gets closer to solving the problem, only to see it fail on contact with reality.

As drafted, this Bill will not stop the boats. The Government's own lawyers have also reportedly advised that the scheme, as currently laid out, is fundamentally flawed. They rightly conclude that it will be bogged down with individual legal challenges from migrants.

It hardly needs explanation. But spending 8million a day on hotels for illegal migrants is a disgrace, writes Suella Braverman (pictured)

As Home Secretary, I proposed a plan more than a year ago to stop the boats once and for all (File Image)

I worked on more than 150 immigration cases as a barrister defending the Home Office so I know how this works.

It will also inevitably see Strasbourg judges block flights with pyjama injunctions. As it stands, we are hurtling towards a re-run of the scene of the grounded Rwanda flight in June 2022.

Nothing in this Bill will stop that happening again. We also read that the Government's lawyers agree with this conclusion.

Once an injunction is imposed, those European judges will then pass judgment on those individual claims, but at a time of their choosing.

This could take months, if not years. That's why several amendments to the new Rwanda Bill have been brought forward by my colleagues including Robert Jenrick to help the Government and ensure we finally deliver on our pledge to stop the boats. These amendments, if adopted, mean ministers will ignore Strasbourg's pyjama injunctions as a default position.

Migrants will not be allowed to simply stop their removal by going to court.

As Home Secretary I oversaw a landmark deal with Albania, a cut in the number of small boat arrivals by around a third and the closure of the first migrant hotels (File Image)

Instead there will be a few exceptions to removal, such as for those suffering medical conditions which mean they can't fly.

And we will block off the routes to legal challenge under the European Convention on Human Rights, enshrined in our domestic law through Labour's Human Rights Act. To not adopt these amendments, and introduce another failing Bill, will be a betrayal of the British people.

As Home Secretary I oversaw a landmark deal with Albania, a cut in the number of small boat arrivals by around a third and the closure of the first migrant hotels.

But I was clear throughout that this was nowhere near enough and I wouldn't countenance any complacency.

I wanted us to go much further and wanted us to actually stop the boats. That was the pledge. And that's what we owe the British people. Nothing less will do.
Saltburn fans have gone into meltdown after a food influencer shared a cocktail inspired by Jacob Elordi and that infamous bathtub scene.

Steven Fingar, who hails from Los Angeles, received mixed reviews when he shared his 'creative' take on a Saltburn themed drink to his 131,000 followers on Instagram.

He wrote: 'If youve seen the movie Saltburn, then you know (apologies in advance). But if not, then its probably best to be blissfully unaware.'

Viewers were divided about the off-white colored cocktail, with many branding it as 'horrific', while others found the beverage absolutely hilarious.

The drink has been inspired by an eyebrow-raising scene in the Amazon Prime movie, where main character Oliver (played by Barry Keoghan) drinks his friend Felix's used bathwater.

The cocktail inspired by the unnerving scene in Emerald Fennell's movie has left fans unsure how to feel about it

The film follows Oxford student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) as he struggles to fit in with the super wealthy crowd that study at the elite university, however Felix soon takes him under his wing.

Sought after Felix eventually invites Oliver to stay at his illustrious Saltburn mansion for the summer, igniting a season of eccentricity, partying and down right chaos.

The twisted tale has its fair share of uncomfortable moments, from Oliver's troubling graveyard moment, to the unnerving bathtub scene.

Similarly to the film which inspired it, the drink has also left many users unsure how to feel.

The recipe for the cloudy cocktail is simple. To begin you add two ounces of rum and two ounces of pineapple juice.

According to Steven's instructions you then add a half ounce of cream coconut and a dash of lime juice.

'Add your ice and shake vigorously. Rim your glass with cream of coconut and pour,' he quipped. 'And that's perfect Saltburn cocktail. Please slurp responsibly.'

Several users flocked to the comments, describing the beverage as 'horrific' and 'insane'.

The cloudy colored cocktail inspired by the risque bath scene contains only four ingredients - light rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and lime

Saltburn fans went into a frenzy after discovering the cocktail inspired by the Jacob Elordi bathtub scene (pictured)

Many users flooded the comments to describe the drink as 'horrific' and 'unhinged', whilst some saw the more humorous side to the drink

'ITS GIVING UNHINGED in the best possible way,' one penned. 'Hey maybe let's not start the new year with a Jacob Elordi bathtub cocktail?'

'This was the push I needed to delete Instagram thank you,' one user stated. The name of the drink dropped jaws, whilst one chimed: 'This just made my fkn stomach hurt.'

However, not everyone was unimpressed by the drink, with some fans keen to give it a go, labelling it as 'funny'.

'You had me at Jacob Elordi,' one fan said. Another quipped: 'I have a mini bathtub I can serve it in.'

It comes just days after the Aussie star recalled his reaction to the movie's notorious bathtub scene.

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.'

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.'
An Aussie mum has been left outraged after watching a family of four being kicked out of a cafe over 'crying children'

Laura Edwards watched in horror as the management of Adele's Cafe on Magnetic Island threatened to call police if the family didn't leave.

Speaking to FEMAIL, she said the parents had tried to calm down their children, aged two and three.

'It is sad and shows we have a long way to go from children being seen and not heard and understanding the research into the brain development of children,' she said.

'He could have asked them if they needed any help or asked one of the parents to take the crying toddlers for a walk but he just kicked them out,' she said.

Aussie Mum, Laura Edwards has been left fuming after watching a cafe owner kick a young family out because their toddlers were crying

According to the establishment owner, Adrian Dalloste, the family's two children had thrown a tantrum over having to share a single scoop of gelato.

'The older child showed his unhappiness by clearing our shelf off with all our shells and items on the counter,' he told FEMAIL.

'Then he picked up one of the metal flasks and threw it on the tiles - I was surprised it didn't smash the tiles.

'My staff member looked at me like 'what should we do' and I waved my hands like it will be over a minute - but they didn't leave, they sat at a table outside.'

He said the tantrum went for 15 minutes before he went out to ask the family to leave.

'The mother appeared shocked. The father told me it was bad business and I told him, not it is bad parenting,' he said.

'This is the first time in eight and a half years that I have needed to ask someone to leave. I don't like to do it but it was loud, the older one was absolutely screeching.'

He also admitted to being confused when Ms Edwards jumped in to defend the family as the issue 'didn't concern her'.

'She came in and told us we were disgusting but she was sitting around the other side and hadn't witnessed it. Then she went on social media to post a video telling people not to come to see us.'

But Ms Edwards disagreed and said as a concerned on looker she had the right to step up to defend the family.

'I think sometimes you do get looked down upon when having kids, especially if they're having tantrums and stuff, but their brains aren't fully developed at that age, and they need help to process those emotions,' she said.

Cafe owner Adrian Dalloste said the family's two children had thrown a tantrum over having to share a single scoop of gelato

She added that as a mum of three, her children have also kicked off in public - admitting they were often louder than the children crying about ice cream.

'I was sitting outside at the time of the tantrum and didn't hear them. The doors are open the whole time - and I would have thought I would hear screaming and children throwing things. The only thing I could hear was the owner kicking them out.'

Ms Edward's strong stand against the cafe - which called for a boycott against the business - proved she was in the minority.

Thousands of people slammed the mum, telling het to 'mind her own business' or commented to say the manger's actions would make them more likely to choose the cafe.

'Good on the business owner, I would of done the exact same thing. He has a duty to make sure everyone has an enjoyable experience. I have kids and when they were little, if they carried on like little brats I would of packed up and left out of the respect for others,' one woman slammed.

Another boldly stated: 'They will be stealing cars in Townsville in a few years. Keep off our island.'

She told FEMAIL she had heard the youngsters crying but that there was no major tantrum - the loudest voice was the owner asking them to leave

'Responsible parents should either have taught said children how to behave and show respect for others or remove them from annoying others,' added a third.

Others said they 'wish more places would kick out ratbag kids'.

Dozens claimed to have had amazing service from the cafe in the past.

'Lovely man! We were there yesterday with a lot of kids and he was so nice to us all. Great customer service and we could not have had a nicer experience,' said another.

Ms Edwards said she was shocked by the reaction to her complaint - and said it's disappoint to see people agreeing with 'treating families and children that way'.

She added the father of the children was pleasant and told the cafe owners to 'enjoy the rest of their shift' when he left.

Mr Dalloste said his wife was concerned when the video went online, and when it was picked up by the media - but the comments were mostly positive.

He said people had also called him and called in to offer support.

'Business has been good, the day after it all happened we had double sales,' he said.
The writer of the note said those living nearby should have covered it up

A furious motorist has been branded a 'dramatic busybody' after leaving a scathing note to a homeowner who didn't alert neighbours to a pothole outside their property.

Earlier this week, an anonymous Reddit user, who is based in the UK, shared a picture of a note that had been shoved into the top of the traffic cone the driver left over the pothole on the Casual UK forum.

In the note, the driver - who had damaged their car on the pothole - argued it was the responsibility of those living near the pothole to 'place something over it'.

The note read: 'Note to residence living by this pot hole.

'It would have been helpful to other people in the village, and considerate, to place something over this pot hole, rather than having someone else having to do it.

One begrudged motorist left a passive aggressive notes for residents who leaved near a pothole, stating that they should have been 'considerate' and placed something over it

'Weve just smashed our front wheel to pieces.'

After posting the note through the door, the anonymous driver then left a traffic cone over the pothole in a show of defiance.

However, the Reddit user was quick to defend themselves in the caption and claimed that they had been trying to get it sorted.

They wrote: 'Nice bit of village drama. Guess all houses should own a traffic cone.

'Had a big pothole outside our house for weeks now. Reported to council 3 times.'

People flooded the comments with support for the poster, with one person joking that the pothole was a part of the 'village's rustic aesthetic'.

'If you had put a cone there, they probably would have got annoyed at you for reserving a parking spot,' a user quipped.

A second argued: 'Every village has their busy body drama llama. Ours posted pictures of dog poo on our village Facebook page...'

The resident who found the crumbled note and cone defended themselves on Reddit, claiming they had reported the pothole several times to the council

A third asked: 'How is road maintenance your problem?'

'Should they not be angry at the people who did not keep the road in a good state?'

A fourth replied: 'Pretty sure sight is one of the requirements for driving.'

Others made jibes about the passive aggressive note, saying that they 'loved' how it appeared to look like it had been 'screwed up and chucked away'.

One user joked: 'How dare you live in proximity to a hazard I failed to notice!'

While another added: 'Should have left their smashed front wheel over it. A clear warning sign.'



Some commenters were slightly more concerned about the speed the driver would have been travelling at in order to break their wheel on a pothole.

One questioned: 'Firstly the pothole seems tiny and secondly it's right next to the curb. How fast were they going that close to the pavement?'

A second chimed in: 'I'd be more concerned that there is someone in the village going fast enough to damage their wheel whilst driving that close to the pavement.'

Meanwhile, a third joked: 'Oh look, a driver blaming everyone but themselves again.'
It's been a year of ups and downs for the Royal Family - and one member in particularly has bared the brunt of it all.

At the beginning of last year - just in time for her birthday - Kate Middleton was shouldering the release of her brother-in-law Prince Harry's explosive book Spare, which aired the details of her bridesmaid dress row with Meghan Markle and suggested they had a disagreement over shared lip-gloss.

The Duke of Sussex later used an interview with ITV journalist, and old friend, Tom Bradby to accuse the Princess of Wales of 'stereotyping' his wife because she was an American actress and is divorced and biracial, saying it prevented them from 'welcoming her in'.

And more recently, Kate - along with King Charles III - were named as the royals alleged to have made remarks about the skin colour of Prince Archie in a Dutch translation of Scobie's new book, Endgame. Their names were then published by the BBC.

But as the future Queen turns 42 today, one royal expert told Fabulous that she is expected to spend a much calmer, family-focused day with her husband Prince William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis - and will likely have a lowkey celebration at their home in Windsor.

As the future Queen turns 42 today, it is expected that she will spend a much calmer, family-focused day with her husband Prince William and their children

Speaking to outlet, Jennie Bond revealed that the Princess will likely get to enjoy most of her time with the children, who don't go back to school until tomorrow.

'The family can celebrate the last day of the Christmas holidays and Catherine's birthday at the same time,' she explained.

'Last year her birthday coincided with all the publicity about Harry's book, which was about to be published. This year things are looking much smoother for Catherine and her family.

'She has also weathered the storm of Omid Scobie's book and I'm sure William and the children will want to spoil her with cards and special gifts.'

Jennie also suggested that Kate could be treated with some DIY presents from her children - especially George, the artist of the family - and William may even set up a 'romantic dinner' for the pair.

It's also possible that the couple will get to see the Princess's parents today too.

Earlier today, the king and queen wished Kate a happy 42nd birthday as they shared an unseen picture of her from the Coronation.

Sharing a photo of Kate, the official royal family Instagram account wrote: 'Wishing The Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today!'

Speaking to Fabulous , one royal expert revealed that the Princess will likely get to enjoy the most of her time with the kids, who don't go back to school until tomorrow. The family pictured in June

At the beginning of last year - just in time for her birthday - Kate Middleton was shouldering the release of her brother-in-law Prince Harry's explosive book Spare. Harry pictured in May

The photo showed the royal looking at her father-in-law, King Charles, while standing with Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

Bells rang at Westminster Abbey at 1pm to mark the occasion, while other royals will also likely send messages.

Royals fans have also paid tribute to the Princess of Wales on her 42nd birthday.

Taking to social media, hundred of well-wishers made sure to wish Kate a happy birthday today.

'Wishing HRH The Princess of Wales a very happy birthday,' one fan wrote.

'Happy Birthday to our wonderful future Queen,' another penned.

A third said: 'Wishing our beautiful Princess of Wales, a very Happy and Special Birthday.'

'Beauty, kindness and grace personified. Happy Birthday to my absolute Queen,' one gushed.

In her almost 13 years in the Firm, Kate has truly cemented herself as a royal power player with passionate causes.

But today, she will likely sit back and relax, a source told the Daily Mail.

And more recently, Kate - along with King Charles III - were named as the royals alleged to have made remarks about the skin colour of Prince Archie in a Dutch translation of Scobie's new book, Endgame. Their names were then published by the BBC

'They'll be at Windsor as the children are just about to start back at school, so it will just be family,' an informer claimed. 'But to be honest, that's just the way she likes it.'

And while William typically gets his wife jewellery for her birthday, the King may give his daughter-in-law a promotion to mark the milestone.

While Charles's son has had to step up as the new Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall, taking on a whole host of further responsibilities, the demands have also been noticeable for his wife. And things are going to start shifting up a gear.

There is much chatter in royal circles that King Charles might even seal his daughter-in-law's new position in the near future by appointing her as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain, established by Edward III almost 700 years ago, inspired by the tales of King Arthur and the gallantry of his Knights of the Round Table.

The appointment, personally chosen by the monarch for service to the crown or national life, would cement her seniority and place her alongside Queen Camilla, the Princess Royal, Princess Alexandra (and the Royal Knights who include her husband Prince William, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew and the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester).

Catherine normally watches the annual Garter Day procession, where the King and his Knights and Ladies walk from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel, in their grand velvet robes and ostrich-plumed caps, from the chapel's Galilee Porch.

The future queen will likely have a low key celebration with her husband and children. Pictured in November

Jennie also suggested that Kate could be treated with some DIY presents from her children - especially George, the artist of the family - and William may even set up a 'romantic dinner' for the pair. The family pictured in December

But many senior figures believe that after more than ten years of peerless royal service she deserves a place in their ranks in her own right.

There is also talk that the Princess - as well as her husband - might be given the power to issue her own Royal Warrants for the first time.

Pressure is growing on the King to decide which members of the family he should permit to issue these sought-after marks of honour, a tradition which dates back to the Middle Ages and enables senior royals to allow companies who regularly provide them with goods or services to use their coat of arms.

Holding a Royal Warrant, which can be displayed on their business premises, products, packaging, stationery, advertising and vehicles, offers huge commercial kudos both at home and abroad.

There is also talk that the Princess - as well as her husband - might be given the power to issue her own Royal Warrants for the first time. Kate pictured in March, 2022

And while it is likely that the King will first issue some new Royal Warrants of his own, and let Camilla also do so for the first time, the prospect of Princess of Wales warrants would be welcome in many quarters.

Several existing holders I have spoken to believe the value to British businesses of having the Princess of Wales officially endorse them would be almost incalculable.

'It would be a huge boost to British industry,' said one. 'Interest would go through the roof, particularly in areas such as fashion and lifestyle.'

A royal source told the Mail's Rebecca English that the issue of whether the Prince and Princess of Wales would get the power to issue their own Royal Warrants was a 'grey area' and that a final decision rested with Buckingham Palace.
A London couple who quit city life to move to remote island of the west coast of Ireland with no electricity or running water have revealed how their mystery illnesses disappeared due to lack of stress in their new life.

Nurse Emily Campbell, 28, who is originally from Cork, and her civil engineer boyfriend Daniel Regan, 30, met on a late night tube journey, while both living in London.

While renovating Daniel's flat in Clapham, Emily saw an advert to move to become caretakers of Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Ireland, the most westerly point in Europe.

On a whim, she decided to apply and beat out thousands of applicants.

Since moving, Emily's health has improved, with the couple questioning if they'll ever be able to leave.

Nurse Emily Campbell, 28, who is originally from Cork, and her civil engineer boyfriend Daniel Regan, 30, met on a late night tube journey, while both living in London

While renovating Daniel's flat in Clapham, Emily saw an advert to move to become caretakers of Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Ireland, the most westerly point in Europe

Appearing on Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild, which air on Channel 5 tonight, Emily reveals how the sun 'sets in November and doesn't appear until February

Appearing on Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild, which air on Channel 5 tonight, Emily reveals how the sun 'sets in November and doesn't appear until February'.

Great Blasket Ireland, about two kilometres from the Irish mainland, was inhabited until 1954, when it became unlivable, but it's now visited by tourists who take a ferry from the Irish mainland.

Emily and Daniel run a cafe and three holiday lodges on the island, but often aren't visited for days on end if bad weather means ferries can't cross.

Speaking to Ben Fogle on tonight's show, Daniel revealed that they stock up on hundreds of cans and often have 'baked beans for dinner' if they can't get food from the mainland.

'To the west, there's nothing until you reach Newfoundland in Canada,' he explains.

The couple also help to preserve the island's seal population, and take dips in the brisky sea - even if it's as cold as 16C in the water.

There is no electricity - the only light comes from candles or stoves - and there is no hot water. The only fresh running cold water comes from a spring located above some of the cottages on the island.

Despite the challenge, Emily says that the new life is less 'emotionally draining' than before.

Emily and Daniel run a cafe and three holiday lodges on the island, but often aren't visited for days on end if bad weather means ferries can't cross

The couple also help to preserve the island's seal population, and take dips in the brisky sea - even if it's as cold as 16C in the water

'I was burned out, my body was given stress signals'.

Emily, who worked as a children's nurse at Great Ormond Street hospital, said that stress had caused her eyes to be sore and read, with the skin around it flaking off.

Doctors and specialists were unable to diagnose the illness.

But after moving to the Blaskets, the illness disappeared. She says her ultimate dream would be to live there and grow her own food, but harsh conditions make it tough.

Alongside the cafe, the couple also wrangle 200 sheep for farmers from the mainland that keep their sheep on the island.

Billy O'Connor and his partner Alice Hayes, own the three cottages and a coffee shop on the island, and hire new caretakers every year to look after the properties.

Emily, who worked as a children's nurse at Great Ormond Street hospital, said that stress had caused her eyes to be sore and read, with the skin around it flaking off

The blaskets were inhabited for centuries by a small but close-knit Irish-speaking of 100-150 people. Emily is pictured

The couple are able to cook and make dinners despite the lack of electricity

The couple are able to enjoy the view of the beach

'When we got offered an interview we were absolutely delighted to get to speak to Billy and Alice and were telling everyone. We had everyone crossing their fingers and toes and Emily's Mum even lit candles and had the rosary beads out,' Daniel told Breakingnews.ie in February.

'Alice emailed us to offer us the position on a Monday morning and we leaped out of bed screaming with excitement. It didn't start feeling real until we spoke to Billy and Alice on a video call after getting the offer.'

As it's too cold to live on the island after October, the couple left and are now travelling Indonesia.

The blaskets were inhabited for centuries by a small but close-knit Irish-speaking of 100-150 people.

They didn't use money but bartered, and followed a traditional way of life farming and fishing for their food.

But in the 1950s, the remaining 20 or so inhabitants were forced to move to the mainland as emergency services couldn't access the island in bad weather.

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, Channel 5, Tuesdays, 9pm
Natalia Grace has insisted that she is doing 'okay' after her latest adoptive family said they were 'done' with her in the shock finale of her documentary.

The Ukrainian orphan, who is estimated to be 22 years old, recently appeared in The Confessions Of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, and details how she was legally adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans.

The couple had fiercely defended Natalia throughout the show until six months later producers received a call from the Mans family who revealed they were washing their hands of her once and for all.

Natalia, who was born with a rare form of dwarfism, has now taken to Instagram to speak out for the first time since the bombshell revelation - as she also launched a $20,000 GoFundMe for spinal surgery.

Ukrainian orphan Natalia Grace has insisted that she is doing 'okay' after her latest adoptive family said they were 'done' with her in the shock finale of her documentary

The orphan, who is estimated to be 22 years old, appeared in The Confessions of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which saw her legally adopted by Antwon and Cynthia Mans (pictured)

Natalia has now taken to Instagram to speak out

In the recent post, shared with her 10,000 followers, Natalia uploaded a smiling selfie alongside a caption that read: 'I am okay and doing well and thank you all for your support and prayers.

'I wish I could tell you more about the show but I signed an agreement with the show to keep things confidential for now.

'I will let you guys know when I can for sure, but just know I am okay. Love y'all.'

She concluded the cryptic caption by adding the hashtags 'safe' and 'living my best life.'

It was seemingly in response to the Mans family's damning phone call in which Antwon told producers: 'Something ain't right with Natalia. This girl is tweakin'.

'I feel like she's the enemy in the house. And she said to us [that] we have held her hostage. Made us look like we're the enemy.'

Cynthia claimed the orphan was 'stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie' before Antwon added: 'Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We're done. We're done with her.'

The docuseries did not dish on specific details but teased that the show would make a return to delve deeper into the latest rift.

The couple fiercely defended Natalia throughout the show - but six months later producers received a call from the Mans family who revealed they were 'done' with her once and for all

Cynthia claimed the orphan (pictured together) was 'stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie' before Antwon added: 'Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself'

The development came as a shock twist at the end of the documentary - during which Antwon had been by Natalia's side as a DNA test confirmed her age

In the aftermath of the family split, Natalia has set up her own GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise money for housing and medical procedures.

She explained: 'I recently moved out and I'm saving money to get my own house so I can have a personal place of my own.

'I am wanting to start my own photography business to create a fun and awesome way to have fun and do what I love which is taking pictures and creating memories for myself and other people!

'I am doing this so I can have a fresh start in life as an adult and get past everything that happened in my life!'

Natalia continued: 'I have a type of dwarfism called Diastrophic Dysplasia - a form of dwarfism that has many serious issues which often require surgery.

'I'll likely have to have major spine surgery and even more surgery on my legs.

'The costs associated with these surgeries are in excess of $500,000 because the specialist does not accept my medical insurance.

'The first treatment I need is to have my spine corrected as if I leave it too long it could lead to paralysis and incontinence.

'I would like to make enough to at least put a deposit on my own place and start a business to start earning some money so I can start saving for this expensive treatment.

Natalia (pictured days after being collected from her Florida adoption center in May 2010 by the Barnetts) was accused of being an adult masquerading as a child

In the aftermath of the family split, Natalia has set up her own GoFundMe page in an attempt to raise money for housing and medical procedures

'However if I reach over my goal I will be able to put that towards the treatment I require to give me a better chance at getting enough to cover it.'

She concluded: 'To all who have stuck by me through all of this, I cannot thank you enough! I love y'all.'

The fundraiser, which was launched on Sunday, has so far received more than $6,800 from 156 donations.

The strange saga of Natalia Grace began after her previous adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, accused her of being a sociopath adult masquerading as a child.

They claimed she had conned her way into their family when they took her in in April 2010 thinking she was a six-year-old orphan.

The couple insisted that their once-happy life had been ruined by Natalia and suspected she was older than her supposed years - claiming she 'had full pubic hair' and was hiding her menstrual periods from them.

The Barnetts - who had divorced - were charged with neglect but Michael was acquitted in October 2022, and Kristine had her charges dropped weeks before her trial in March 2023

The Barnetts also claimed she displayed violent, disturbing and erratic behavior, including threatening to kill them by looming over their bed with a knife and poisoning Kristine's coffee.

Natalia has never been charged with a crime.

The bizarre series of events saw the couple from Lafayette, Indiana, successfully file a petition in probate court in 2012 to have the orphan's birth year pushed back 14 years making her a 22-year-old adult in the eyes of the law.

In July 2013, they left her to live alone in an apartment while they fled with their three biological sons to live in Canada.

If her Ukrainian birth records were accurate, she would have been nine years old at the time.

Despite her age being legally changed, five years later in 2019, the Barnetts - who had divorced - were charged with neglect because, even if she wasn't actually a minor, Grace's dwarfism meant she was dependent on them.

Michael was acquitted in October 2022, and Kristine had her charges dropped three weeks before her trial in March 2023.

Natalia came face-to-face with the Barnetts in The Confessions of Natalia Grace documentary as part of an explosive showdown.
Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg have welcomed their third child, Prince Balthasar Felix Karl.

Prince Balthasar was born on 7 January at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in the centre of Luxembourg and tipped the scales at eight pounds.

Claire, 38, and the baby, who is the seventh in line of succession to the throne, are said to be in 'perfect health'.

Proud grandmother Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, 67, took to Instagram to share a selection of family photos with Balthasar.

She wrote: 'What an immense joy the arrival of Balthazar, our seventh grandchild, born on January 7 in Luxembourg.'

Prince Felix (far left) and Princess Claire of Luxembourg (centre) have welcomed their third child - Prince Balthasar Felix Karl, who is the youngest sibling to Princess Amalia (left) and Prince Liam (right)

The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg shared the first complete family photograph with Prince Felix, Princess Claire, and their three children  Princess Amalia, nine, Prince Liam, seven, and Prince Balthasar.

In the first photograph, Claire held baby Balthasar in her arms next to Felix, while Amalia and Liam looked equally adorable on the hospital bed.

In another shot, seven-year-old Liam sweetly offered his younger brother a peck on the forehead while his sister Amalia kissed his head.

The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg also posed for cameras with baby Balthasar.

Maria looked as glamorous as ever in a pink silk blouse as she held the newborn in her arms.

Meanwhile, Henri, 68, looked dapper in a pinstripe suit for the occasion. Already a doting grandfather, the royal proudly glanced at his seventh grandchild while he rested in his hands.

The Palace shared an announcement on Monday to mark the birth of Balthasar. It read: 'It is with great joy that we announce the birth of our son.

'The prince was born on 7th January 2024 at the Maternite Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

Prince Liam sweetly pecked his younger brother on the cheek while his older sister kissed his forehead

The royal siblings looked thrilled to meet their newborn brother - who is seventh in line to the throne

The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg appeared in high spirits as she posed for a photograph with Balthasar and Amalia

'The newborn Prince will be named Balthasar Felix Karl. He weighs 3,220 kg and measures 50 cm. Prince Balthasar and Princess Claire are in perfect health.'

The announcement was signed by Felix and Claire with Amalia and Liam.

It comes after the news that Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg is expecting her first child with husband Nicolas Bagory after the pair got married earlier this year, Luxembourg Palace has announced.

The princess, 31, wed French businessman Nicolas, 33, in a civil ceremony at Luxembourg Town Hall in April.

The royal baby will be eighth in line to the Luxembourg throne, regardless of gender, but will have no title due to this usually being inherited from the father.

Maria and Henri looked delighted as they glanced at their seventh grandchild on the day of his birth

Already the doting grandfather, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg sweetly held his sleeping grandchild

In 2011, the Luxembourg Succession Rules were revised to allow women in the line of succession - which added Princess Alexandra along with her future children.

For her civil wedding to Nicolas, Alexandra opted for a sleek cream bridal suit rather than a dress, while the groom wore a crisp navy blue suit with a pale blue tie.

After the ceremony, the beaming couple stood on the steps outside the Town Hall and waved to adoring fans who had gathered to see them.

A week later, Alexandra and Nicolas continued their wedding celebrations as they tied the knot in a lavish religious ceremony in Bormes-les-Mimosas, southeastern France.

Alexandra looked elegant for the occasion in a flowing, off-white gown. Her dress was slightly off the shoulder, with pleated details.

The princess opted for a long veil decorated with beads and pearlescent embellishments. She also wore an opulent tiara, and kept her make-up natural for the occasion.

Alexandra was accompanied by her father, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, as she entered the Saint Trophyme Church in Bormes-les-Mimosas for the religious event.

Her mother Maria Teresa, the Grand Duchess, was spotted entering the church a few moments beforehand in a bold navy and green fitted dress.

Alexandra and Nicolas announced their engagement in November last year.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has revealed that kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart slid into her DMs after she was released from prison - who told her that she would be there if the Munchausen by proxy victim 'ever needed someone to talk to.'

Gypsy, 32, who was imprisoned for eight years for her part in the murder of her abusive mother in 2015, but was freed last week, spoke out about the heartfelt message that she received from Elizabeth, 36, during an interview with E! News.

The newly-released felon explained that Elizabeth - who was abducted from her home in 2002, at age 14, and was held captive for nine months before she was rescued - said she had been moved by Gypsy's story and believed it 'could help a lot of people.'

'My schedule has been pretty busy, so I haven't had a chance to check all my DMs or anything, but I actually did check one and Elizabeth Smart reached out to me,' Gypsy shared this week.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard has revealed that kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart slid into her DMs after she was released from prison

Gypsy, 32, spoke out about the heartfelt message that she received from Elizabeth (seen in 2018), 36, during an interview with E! News this week

Gypsy (seen as a kid with her mom) was imprisoned for eight years for her part in the murder of her abusive mother, Claudine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard, in 2015 but was freed last week

Elizabeth (seen as a kid) was abducted from her home in 2002, at age 14, and was held captive for nine months before she was rescued

'She told me that she had been wanting to reach out for a long time and she feels like my story can help a lot of people.

'And if I ever needed to talk to her, she would be more than happy to chat with me, which is very, very sweet.

'I sent her a DM back and I told her how much of an inspiration she is to me. So that's been pretty amazing.'

Elizabeth has since become a fierce activist for other victims, and founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which is dedicated to 'bringing hope and ending the victimization and exploitation of sexual assault through education, healing, and advocacy.'

Her kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, was found guilty of kidnapping and sexual assault, and received two life sentences in 2011. His wife received 15 years for assisting in the kidnapping.

Elizabeth has also served as the executive producer on numerous movies and shows based on her journey.

When asked if she'd ever work with Elizabeth on an upcoming project, Gypsy - who released her own book, entitled Released: Conversations On The Eve of Freedom this week and spoke out in detail about what happened to her in a new Lifetime docuseries - gushed, 'I'd love that. That would be pretty cool.'

Gypsy spent her childhood posing as a wheelchair-bound invalid after her mom, Claudine 'Dee Dee' Blanchard, shaved her daughter's head, pumped her full of drugs, and convinced the world she was suffering from leukemia and muscular dystrophy.

'She told me that she had been wanting to reach out for a long time and she feels like my story can help a lot of people,' Gypsy said of Elizabeth's DM

She added that Elizabeth (seen in 2018) also told her that if she 'ever needed to talk to her, she would be more than happy to chat'

Elizabeth's kidnapper Brian David Mitchell (seen) was found guilty of kidnapping and sexual assault and received two life sentences in 2011

Their 'inseparable' bond ended when Gypsy burst free of her warped mom's control in 2015 by letting her besotted internet boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, creep into their Springfield, Missouri, home to stab 48-year-old Dee Dee to death.

When asked if she'd ever work with Elizabeth on an upcoming project, Gypsy gushed, 'I'd love that. That would be pretty cool'

Gypsy was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for her involvement in the murder, but was granted early parole in September after friends and family begged authorities to take account of the cruel abuse and needless medical procedures she endured while being cynically paraded at charity events and fundraisers.

After eight years behind bars, she was freed on December 28 from the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri.

Since her release, Gypsy has become an internet sensation, as thousands of social media users celebrated her freedom.

Gypsy spent her childhood posing as a wheelchair-bound invalid after Dee Dee gave her drugs and convinced the world she was suffering from leukemia and muscular dystrophy

In 2015, Gypsy (left) let her besotted internet boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn (right), creep into their Springfield, Missouri, home to stab 48-year-old Dee Dee to death

She was jailed for 10 years for her involvement in the murder but was granted early parole in September

After eight years behind bars, she was freed on December 28 from the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri

While chatting about the attention she has received online, Gypsy told E! that she hopes to use her newfound fame as a way to help other victims.

The felon has become an internet sensation in recent weeks, as thousands of social media users celebrated her freedom

'I just hope that with all this attention, that it's worth something,' she shared. 'It's wonderful that I'm free, but now I'm kind of moving away from the hype of the freedom and I'm starting to really, really try and move into advocacy work.

'Like, "OK , guys, I'm happy that you're happy that I'm out. But now let's talk about things that I want to talk about."

'I'm just trying to not lose sight of the bigger picture of what I want to put out there, to be a voice for the voiceless, for people that have gone through abusive situations like I was in, and give them a little bit of a guiding light.'

She also stressed that 'the steps she took' to 'get out of her situation' were 'wrong' - and that she was worried that message might get lost along the way.

'I can't go back, I can't change it, so all that I can do now is pick the pieces of my life back together and make myself a better person than I was when I went to prison,' she added. 'And just try to do some good in the world.'
Ivanka Trump's praise of her husband Jared Kushner's tenacity in the face of challenges has sparked a furious backlash as critics point out that they were both born into wealth.

The former White House senior adviser, 42, opened herself up to mockery on Sunday when she shared a short clip of Jared, 42, discussing his can-do attitude on a recent episode of Lex Fridman's podcast, which was released in October.

'I just think its just something where, if you want to accomplish something, you know, a lot of people, I hear, complain about what other people do or why its hard, or why its impossible,' he said, before briefly alluding to his immense privilege.

'And again, I say this as somebody who has been so blessed with so many things in life, but when Ive had challenges or things Ive wanted to achieve, I just focus and say, "What can I do?"' he continued.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, both 42, have faced backlash over his comments about having tenacity in the face of challenges

'If you want to accomplish something, you just have to go at it,' Jared said while discussing his can-do attitude on a recent episode of Lex Fridman's podcast

'Ill read everything I can get my hands on. If I fail at one thing, if the door closes, Ill try the window. If the window closes, Ill try the chimney. If the chimney closes, Ill try to dig a tunnel. Its just, if you want to accomplish something, you just have to go at it.'

Ivanka claimed that she had 'received a remarkable number of gracious compliments' on Jared's interview, but she still disabled the comments on the post, prohibiting herself from receiving more.

'I personally love this clip as it reveals the determined optimist who firmly believes that theres always a solution if youre willing to try enough paths,' she wrote in the caption. 'I love this about Jared and its a good reminder as we start the new year!'

The former first daughter also shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) with the same message, leading to a swift public reminder that she and her husband are 'nepo babies.'

'Her husband, Jared, who was born into a family worth billions, explains to us how his tenacity led to his success. I learned that if I never give up on my dreams and work really hard, I can also be born into a wealthy family,' one critic responded.

'Most trust fund babies are optimistic. Its built into the free money,' another commented.

'Another guy who was born on 3rd base, and thinks he hit a triple... Name one thing he actually did on his own, without any help from others,' someone else added.

Like Ivanka, Jared's family made their fortune in real estate, and they are estimated to have a net worth of roughly $1.8 billion, according to Forbes.

Ivanka claimed that she had 'received a remarkable number of gracious compliments' on Jared's interview when she posted the video on social media, but she disabled the comments

Critics swiftly reminded the 'nepo baby' couple that their success was tied to their immense wealth, which they were both born into, including Ivanka's cousin Mary Trump

Jared has long been plagued by accusations that his parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner, bought his way into Harvard University, where he graduated from in 2003.

He was admitted into the Ivy League school shortly after his father pledged a $2.5 million donation to the university, ProPublica reported.

Daniel Golden, the author of The Price of Admission, revealed that Jared was accepted despite the fact that administrators at his high school claimed he was a less-than-stellar student.

'There was no way anybody in the administrative office of the school thought he would on the merits get into Harvard,' said a former administrator at The Frisch School in Paramus, New Jersey.

'His GPA did not warrant it, his SAT scores did not warrant it. We thought for sure, there was no way this was going to happen. Then, lo and behold, Jared was accepted.

'It was a little bit disappointing because there were at the time other kids we thought should really get in on the merits, and they did not.'

Jared and his family have denied the claims.

In 2005, a few years after her graduated from Harvard, his father, Charles, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering.

Like Ivanka, Jared's family made their fortune in real estate, and they are estimated to have a net worth of roughly $1.8 billion. He is pictured with his parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner

Jared was admitted to Harvard University shortly after his father pledged a $2.5 million donation to the school, but he has denied accusations that his family bought his way in

Ivanka and Jared both served as White House advisers to former President Donald Trump. Shortly after he left office, Jared secured a reported $2 billion in his private equity firm from a Saudi wealth fund

The sensational New Jersey case prosecuted by Chris Christie involved the real estate mogul hiring a prostitute to frame his own brother-in-law.

After receiving a two-year prison sentence, Charles walked in free in 2006, while Christie went on to become the governor of New Jersey and later the head of President Donald Trump's transition team, despite his feud with the Kushners.

Trump pardoned his son-in-law's father in 2020.

Ivanka and Jared both served as unpaid White House advisers in the Trump administration, which raised ethical concerns due to potential conflicts of interest.

They made between $172 million and $640 million in outside income while working in the White House.

Six months after President Trump left office, Jared secured a reported $2 billion investment in his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Critics of Ivanka's gushing post about Jared were quick to point out the questionable business deal, including her cousin Mary Trump, who has been a vocal critic of her uncle, former President Trump.

'Theres nothing like 2 billion dollars in Saudi blood money to keep you optimistic,' she sarcastically wrote.

Others have poked fun at Ivanka for turning off the comments on her post after saying she had received so many compliments on her husband's discussion.

'"Gracious compliments." Lol. Trying to alter reality. The remarks were so "Gracious" that she turned them off,' one person joked.
The Simpsons has been an unwavering TV staple since 1989 - but some of the most beloved characters have now been brought to life.

Graphic designer Princess Prompt, who does not disclose their real name, unveiled the results on social media after asking AI program Midjourney to reimagine the animated stars as real people.

Among those to get an unexpected makeover were the eponymous family as well as Ned Flanders, Milhouse van Houten and Mr Burns.

The experiment created haunting results with fans flooding to the comments to share their own thoughts.

Some of the most beloved Simpsons characters have now been brought to life. Pictured: AI-imagined Homer Simpson

Graphic designer Princess Prompt, who does not disclose their real name, unveiled the results on social media. Pictured: Original Homer Simpson

The artist asked AI program Midjourney to reimagine the animated stars as real people. Pictured: AI-imagined Marge Simpson

The real-life renderings were eerily similar to their on-screen counterparts. Pictured: Original Marge Simpson

Among those to get an unexpected makeover were the eponymous family as well as their neighbors. Pictured: AI-imagined Ned Flanders

The experiment created some haunting results for fans of the much-loved show. Pictured: Original Ned Flanders

Princess Prompt, who is based in Belgium, told Bored Panda: 'I wanted to imagine what a live action series of The Simpsons could look like in the flesh in an '80s style, the era of their birth.' Pictured: AI-imagined Moe Szyslak

The creator said they have been a fan of Matt Groening's work 'since childhood.' Pictured: Original Moe Szyslak

The results factored in some of the most identifiable traits of the characters. Pictured: AI-imagined Lisa Simpson

The Simpsons has been an unwavering TV staple since 1989. Pictured: Original Lisa Simpson

Among the characters brought to life by the program was the police chief. Pictured: AI-imagined Chief Wiggum

The officer has long-been renowned on the show for his love of donuts. Pictured: Original Chief Wiggum

The characteristics of Homer and Marge's rebellious son were perfectly captured. Pictured: AI-imagined Bart Simpson

Bart causes havoc on his skateboard in the credit scene which plays at the start of every episode. Pictured: Original Bart Simpson

Beer-swilling Barney has long-been a staple at Moe's bar. Pictured: AI-imaged Barney Gumble

His AI representation was hauntingly accurate to his cartoon origins. Pictured: Original Barney Gumble

Princess Prompt, who is based in Belgium, told Bored Panda: 'I wanted to imagine what a live action series of The Simpsons could look like in the flesh in an '80s style, the era of their birth.'

The creator continued: 'As a fan of The Simpsons and Matt Groening's work since childhood, I found them to be the ideal subject for experimentation.

'The universe of the Simpsons is already established and the characters are all well defined (physiognomy, colors, personality) which allowed me to concentrate on how to improve my prompt writing and on research appropriate vocabulary.'

The results factored in everything from Lisa's saxophone and Bart's skateboard to Chief Wiggum's love of donuts and Mr Burns' miserly expression.

But the artist admitted their favorite character was Ralph because, according to them, he is 'innocence personified' with the outcome being 'both hilarious and touching!'

Princess Prompt shared the results across social media with fans of the show being sent into a frenzy.

One wrote: 'This is awesome! They all fit perfectly, too bad we will not see this 'Live Action' any time soon. I'd go to the movies for this!'

Another added: 'This makes me smile so hard!!!!'

The school groundskeeper, who is proudly Scottish, is instantly recognizable for his red hair and wayward nature. Pictured: AI-imagined Groundskeeper Willie

Willie is renowned for being quick to anger and his grumpy demeanor. Pictured: Original Groundskeeper Willie

Bart Simpson's best friend also got given a new lease of life. Pictured: AI-imagined Milhouse Van Houten

His most distinctive traits are his shock of blue hair and thick glasses. Pictured: Original Milhouse Van Houten

Many observers were left terrified of the real-life imagination of Mr Burns. Pictured: AI-imagined Mr Burns

The AI generation captured the miser's recurring expression. Pictured: Original Mr Burns

AI perfectly captured the spirit of regular antagonist and school bully Nelson. Pictured: AI-imagined Nelson Muntz

Nelson has become something of an arch-rival to Bart since he was introduced to the series. Pictured: Original Nelson Muntz

Sideshow Bob is a self-proclaimed genius and Bart's arch nemesis. Pictured: AI-imagined Sideshow Bob

He was introduced into the show as a former children's entertainer turned criminal mastermind. Pictured: Original Sideshow Bob

The computer-generated version captured the essence of the school bus driver. Pictured: AI-imagined Otto Dwight Mann

He is identifiable by his long black hair and outfit consisting of light pink short-sleeved shirt and purple shorts. Pictured: Original Otto Dwight Mann

The artist admitted their favorite character was Ralph because, according to them, he is 'innocence personified' with the outcome being 'both hilarious and touching!' Pictured: AI-imagined Ralph Wiggum

Ralph has always been a well-meaning boy who seems to struggle in social settings. Pictured: Original Ralph Wiggum

The owner of the show's Kwik-E-Mart was also among those recreated. Pictured: AI-imagined Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

His long-running character prides himself on a hard work ethic and loyal attitude. Pictured: Original Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

Princess Prompt shared the results across social media with fans of the show being sent into a frenzy

And a third simply said: 'Absolutely brilliant.'

It comes after it was reported that The Simpsons series itself was going through some major shakeups.

Most recently, producers quietly retired a recurring scene in their hit cartoon with the aim of keeping up with modern times.

New episodes will no longer feature the gag where Homer strangles son Bart.
McDonald's Australia has shocked fans by revealing the brand new sizzling star of its summer menu - and the divisive ingredient is sure to turn heads.

Several pineapple-themed items are hitting Aussie stores this week, a summer fruit thousands have dubbed 'the most controversial of all time'.

The 'never-before-seen' snacks include pineapple fritters and a pineapple sundae, which are sure to drum up a heated debate among foodies.

The fast food chain revealed it was 'inspired' by last year's special summer menu item, the humble potato scallop, deciding to go for pineapple slices covered in a crispy fried coating for the new year.

Foodies can expect to get their hands on the hot-and-cold treats from January 10 for a limited time.

The fritters have been described as the 'ultimate snack' of the summer.

Those who want a cold treat can purchase a pineapple sundae.

For those who need a quick solution to beat the heat, they can purchase a sundae covered in pineapple sauce and chunks - with the choice of the iconic vanilla or chocolate soft serve for the base.

Chocolate lovers will be delighted to find that the summer's Tim Tam McFlurry is also still available at select locations and drive-thru restaurants.

The Tim Tam dessert comes with a chocolate soft serve, Tim Tam chunks, and a special custom Tim Tam chocolate sauce.

The restaurant has also unveiled two special summer burgers, the returning Aussie Angus deluxe with beetroot and bacon as well as the McCrispy bacon deluxe.

McDonalds has also brought back the Aussie Angus deluxe burger.

And introduced the McCrispy bacon deluxe.

McDonalds marketing director Samantha McLeod described the new pineapple themed menu items as 'the ultimate snack item this year'.

'Whether you prefer your pineapple served warm or cold, we're giving our Macca's fans both this summer to put them to the taste test - we can't wait to hear what our customers think,' she said.

'With an exciting new pineapple snack and dessert, as well as the latest burger spin and the return of an Aussie favourite, Macca's is bringing the heat this summer with a menu that promises to deliver great taste and great quality, because nothing goes together better than Macca's and the Aussie summer.'

The items will be available from January 10 across the country.
Daniel and Rhiannan Drake went to bed with the sound of heavy rain pounding on the roof of their home in Central Victoria on Sunday night.

But they were in complete shock when, hours later, they were being hauled into a Police rescue boat with their cats. Their home destroyed.

'I woke up to my wife screaming 'cause she'd put her foot out of the bed and it was wet,' Mr Drake told 9News.

The water was pooling around their bed - and was 'halfway up their shins' when they woke up and realised they were in the middle of a disaster zone.

Carpenter Daniel Drake woke up to his wife's screams early Monday morning

She had put her foot on the ground and was in shock when it landed in water

Their town of Goornong, North East of Bendigo, recorded its highest ever rainfall that night - triggering the flooding emergency.

The whole of Central Victoria saw record-breaking rainfall - or the highest in over 120 years of record keeping - ranging from 90-120mls.

'We put all our belongings that we had and our cats on that and we took the boat out,' Mr Drake said.

Residents of nearby Seymour were also told to evacuate, and brace for more flooding as river waters rose the next day.

While people in Yea and Rochester were told it was too late to get out - and were urged to find the highest spot to rest until the flooding receded.

The flood at Seymour peaked late on Monday with early estimates suggesting about ten homes were flooded, with up to 35 expected to be impacted at Rochester on Tuesday.

More than a dozen flood warnings have been issued across the state and the wild weather has also impacted Melbourne's east, with Mount Dandenong Tourist Road at Ferny Creek closed after a landslide about 40 metres wide and 70 metres long.

The couple got some of their possessions and their cats before being evacuated

Victoria Police are warning motorists to avoid travelling on flood-affected roads and never attempt to drive through flood waters.

'All emergency services are working hard to respond to this latest weather event, but we don't want to be diverting resources to rescue people that have ignored the warnings,' road policing assistant commissioner Glenn Weir said.

An emergency warning issued early on Tuesday urged Rochester residents to 'shelter in the highest location possible' and ensure they had enough food, drinking water and medications.
The vast majority of people suffering a cardiac arrest in their homes or in a public place still do not survive, recent data suggests.

Analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England by the University of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit found fewer than one in 12 patients (7.8 per cent) survive to 30 days.

Campaigners called for more people to learn life-saving techniques and for greater awareness of defibrillators, which can restart the heart.

A sudden cardiac arrest is the immediate loss of all heart activity due to an irregular heart rhythm. Breathing stops and the person becomes unconscious.

Immediate treatment - such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or the use of a defibrillator - can mean people survive, but most die.

Analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England by the University of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit found fewer than one in 12 patients (7.8 per cent) survive to 30 days

The new data for 2022, based on figures from all of England's ambulance services and shared with the PA news agency, found ambulance services performed resuscitation in 34,407 patients in England following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Two thirds of cardiac arrests happened in men, around 80 per cent occurred in people's homes and 13 per cent in a public place, and the average age of the patient was 65.

A quarter of patients had their hearts restarted by the time they reached hospital but fewer than one survived a month, which is a slight drop on 2021 data.

HOW TO GIVE CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be used to try to restart someone's heart if it has stopped. CPR should only be used in an emergency situation if someone is unconscious and not breathing. People without CPR training should stick to hands-only chest compressions, the NHS says. To carry out a chest compression: Place the heel of your hand on the breastbone at the centre of the persons chest. Place your other hand on top of your first hand and interlock your fingers. Position yourself with your shoulders above your hands. Using your body weight (not just your arms), press straight down by 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) on their chest. Keeping your hands on their chest, release the compression and allow the chest to return to its original position. Repeat these compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 times per minute until an ambulance arrives or you become exhausted. Source: NHS Advertisement

Members of the public performed CPR in more than 70 per cent of cases but used a public-access defibrillator in fewer than one in 10 cases. Both figures represent an increase from 2021.

The Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Outcomes Registry, from which the data is drawn, is funded by the Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Dr Christopher Smith, clinical lecturer at Warwick Medical School and co-chief investigator of the registry, said the figures showed survival remains low.

'Cardiac arrest is the most serious and time-critical medical emergency, but there is a lot that can be done to improve patient outcomes,' he said.

'In particular, there is a need to better co-ordinate and implement community-based interventions such as bystander CPR and the use of public-access defibrillators.'

James Cant, chief executive of the Resuscitation Council UK, said: 'We want to save more lives and reduce the devastating consequence of cardiac arrest for patients and their families.

'This report sheds crucial light on survival, CPR and defibrillator trends, allowing us to apply a data-driven approach in working to save more lives.'

Judy O'Sullivan, director of health innovation programmes at the BHF, said: 'Every second is vital when someone has a cardiac arrest. Quick CPR and defibrillation can be the difference between life and death.

'These figures lay bare the worryingly low survival rates following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and show that too many opportunities to help save a life are being missed. We need to change this.

'It's important to have the confidence to do CPR and use a defibrillator.

'Our free, interactive RevivR training tool can teach you the lifesaving skill of CPR and how to use a defibrillator in just 15 minutes, and could ultimately help save the life of a loved one.'
Its that time again. No, I dont mean New Year and resolutions: I mean mask time.

I can hear the universal groan. But if you want to spend winter without an irritating cough rattling through your chest day and night (you know, that cough doing the rounds in the office, or supermarket) or that gnawing whole body ache, where even your hair hurts  then wear a mask.

I always don one in crowded places but on a short flight back in the autumn, I forgot to bring one. The plane was packed with chesty coughers and, not surprisingly, a few days later, I was unwell with what turned out to be a four-week viral illness.

It coincided with a long-awaited knee operation, which almost had to be cancelled because those with coughs had chosen to not wear masks and instead spread their viral droplets over the rest of us.

Luckily, I turned a corner just in time  the operation went ahead  but I have never forgotten my mask since.

Dr Saleyha Ahsan says she always wears a mask in crowded places

Now one of the UKs leading experts, Sir Andrew Pollard, who is a professor of infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, is predicting a rise in [Covid] infections in the population over the course of the next week, driven by a highly infectious strain of the virus known as JN.1.

Given the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases and viral infections as we merrily mixed over the festive period, you would think masks would have a big role to play in keeping us safer.

For despite the pandemic mask message confusion generated by the Government and its senior advisers (then Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jenny Harries, told Boris Johnson in a No 10 fireside chat video in March 2020 that wearing masks was not a good idea), the consensus is now clear: masks help prevent infection spread by droplets and viruses and bacteria transmitted by.

A paper published in the BMJ in May 2020 on a retrospective study of 335 people found masks to be 79 per cent effective in reducing transmission from infected people to others.

They also stop you catching viruses  a study in the Journal of Medical Devices and Sensors in February 2021 found that correctly wearing masks of all kinds... reduce[s] the overall risks of Covid-19 infection and enhance[s] general protection from coronavirus.

A study found masks were 79 per cent effective in reducing transmission from infected people to others (Stock picture)

I was in A&E a few weekends ago, getting back into clinical work after a break (doing a PhD). The last time I was on was two winters ago during the second wave of Covid.

Walking into the A&E department, it was like time had stood still; people being swabbed for viral infections, many of the tests positive, and patients with respiratory problems being brought in by ambulance  many of them elderly and vulnerable.

It brought back painful memories, and my legs got that same sensation of weakness I had when I looked after my father, as he struggled to breathe with Covid-19. I cared for him for five days until he died.

This time round, it wasnt just Covid-19: today weve got respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza adding to the virus cocktail floating around us and overwhelming A&E departments.

And the numbers confirm this; the latest figures, for the week of December 11-17, the number of patients going to their GPs for flu-like illnesses had increased 19 per cent from the week before, while hospital admissions for flu rose by 77 per cent.

For the week of December 11-17, the number of patients going to their GPs for flu-like illnesses had increased 19 per cent from the week before. (Stock picture)

In mid-December, Mary Ramsay, the director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned: Flu levels are starting to rise, so get your vaccine now to get winter strong. She mentioned not mixing with others if unwell, but made no mention of masks.

By contrast, in its flu prevention advice, the U.S. equivalent of the UKHSA  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  states those infected are asked to wear a mask to protect others, but a mask can protect the wearer too.

And now Covid-19 is back in the news: 4.2 per cent of the population  equivalent to 2.5 million people  tested positive in England and Scotland on December 13, up from 1.8 per cent in late November.

Just days before these figures were released, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that JN.1, a new Omicron variant of interest, had been classified  likely to be the strain driving the rise in numbers as predicted by Professor Pollard.

A study in the Journal of Medical Devices and Sensors in February 2021 found that correctly wearing masks of all kinds... reduce[s] the overall risks of Covid-19'

Its rapid spread is leading the WHO to implement universal masking in health facilities and giving respirators and other PPE for health workers caring for suspected and confirmed Covid-19 patients.

Singapores health ministry stated in a press release on December 15 that it strongly encourages the public to wear a mask in crowded places even if they are not sick, especially in indoor settings, or when visiting or interacting with vulnerable persons.

It also strongly advised individuals unwell with symptoms of Covid or other respiratory infections to wear a mask if going out.

Meanwhile in the UK, Professor Steven Riley, the director general for data and surveillance at UKHSA, said people with respiratory illnesses, including Covid, should limit contact with others particularly older or vulnerable people. But he did not mention masks.

I think its noteworthy that during the pandemic, Singapores government handed out over nine million masks to its 5.6 million residents, resulting in each household having access to four reusable masks.

Singapores infection rates and deaths  during the pandemic and now  have been much lower than ours. Its economy has not been hit in the same way either.

Steven Riley, the director general for data and surveillance at UKHSA, said people with respiratory illnesses, including Covid, should limit contact with others particularly older or vulnerable people

In Asia, masks have long been adopted as a mutually protective act of social respect within the community. Their use  especially in Japan, China and Taiwan  predates Covid-19, going as far back as the 1950s, for protection against pollution. In 2002, usage properly took off after the deadly outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the region.

According to figures from organisations such as Our World in Data, a free-access online publication focusing on global health problems, Covid death rates in Asia-Pacific, where masks were worn early by the entire population, were up to 42 times lower than in the UK, US and Europe, in every quarter of 2020 to January 2021.

In Taiwan, the infection rate was one case per 54,000 residents  more than 100 times lower than the West.

Its success is widely credited to the non-pharmaceutical interventions of its pandemic response, including mask wearing. A paper in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2021 listed wide-spread early use of surgical masks as part of Taiwans arsenal against Covid and getting through it without a lockdown. By contrast, the UK locked down three times when infections and deaths both soared.

Learning from their SARS experience in 2003, the Taiwanese government began early in co-ordinating mask supply and distribution. It only lifted its mandatory mask wearing rules last April. They are still required within medical facilities.

Despite the infection control successes in countries like Taiwan, and the WHO advice, nobody from NHS England, the UKHSA or the Government is advising compulsory mask-wearing across healthcare settings  even as Covid numbers climb.

In a letter seen by the Daily Mail, dated December 20, 2023, addressed to Dame Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursings director for England, called for urgent revision of the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for universal mask and respirator wearing for health workers in line with WHO-backed guidance. Similar letters were also sent to the chief nursing officers of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland,

As it stands, NHS Englands failure to follow WHOs advice in this current spike risks increased numbers of Covid cases and other respiratory sickness among staff and patients. It appears we have learnt nothing.
Half of the members on the World Health Organization's transgender health policy committee are not qualified medical experts - and most are gender activists.

One of the panelists is a controversial Canadian trans TikToker who has co-written a study that said puberty blockers and hormone therapies 'ought to be treated as the default option' for children with gender dysphoria.

Another member believes that transitioning causes no health problems and claims the only 'actual side effects' of getting a sex change are a 'significantly improved quality of life... and trans joy.'

A number of women's rights and LGBTQ+ organizations fear the UN agency - whose recommendations are highly influential - has been captured by a 'trans bias'.

Florence Ashley, a law professor in Canada, believes puberty blockers 'ought to be treated as the default option' for children with gender dysphoria.

Nearly two-thirds of the panelists are human rights lawyers, activists, and policy advisors, while just slightly over a third of them are trained medical doctors

The WHO last month published the biographies of 21 experts who have been invited to help formulate guidelines that will shape how countries treat gender dysphoria.

Of the a 21-member panel who have been invited to help formulate guidelines that will shape how countries treat gender dysphoria, 11 have no formal medical training.

Seven are trans themselves, ten have a medical background and of those, eight are doctors.

The rest are a mixture of activists, social justice advocates, human rights lawyers, STD researchers, and policy advisors.

Several are also members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting medical treatments for gender dysphoria which has been accused of being too pro-medication.

The health researchers who qualified to join the panel have training in the control and prevention of HIV/AIDS with little emphasis on the parameters of delivering transition services known as gender-affirming care.

Ashley - a trans woman who uses the pronouns 'they/them that b****' - is the committee's most controversial and outspoken member.

They have a significant TikTok following where they express hardline views on trans issues, calling for mental health checks on trans children to be scrapped before they are given puberty blockers and hormone drugs.

Ashley said on TikTok recently when discussing an academic paper they co-authored on the subject: 'Is there any reason to ask people to go through a lengthy and complex gender assessment in order to access gender-affirming care, or is that useless and should the time best be put in supporting decision-making.

'And what our article concludes is that there's really no evidence that gender assessments work... it's just a lengthier process for no real reason.'

They added: 'Gender assessments are really an unnecessary form of gatekeeping that trans communities have been opposing for a while.'

Teddy Cook, another member of the panel, has painted a rosy picture of the transition process as entirely positive, has said 'actual side effects' of transition care include a 'significantly improved quality of life... a dramatic decrease in distress, depression and anxiety and a substantial increase of gender euphoria and trans joy'

Insurance claims for puberty blockers in the US have doubled since 2017

Ashley - who has a 'be gay, do crimes' tattoo, has also co-written a study that said puberty blockers and hormone therapies 'ought to be treated as the default option' for children with gender dysphoria.

WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the guidelines on trans care would focus on 'adults only' and not the controversial use of cross-sex hormones, suppressants and surgeries on children.

'WHO guidelines are always based on balancing of available evidence, human rights principles, consideration of harms and benefits and inputs of end users and beneficiaries,' Jasarevic said.

Still, some members of the panel are in favor of allowing such treatments for children as young as 13.

The formation of the group has caused internal anger, with the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls saying the group was too 'one-sided.'

Reem Alsalem wrote to the WHO's director general to say she believed the committee contained 'significant unmanaged conflicts of interest'.

She added: 'Stakeholders whose views differ from those held by transgender activist organisations do not appear to have been invited.

'Such stakeholders include experts from European public health authorities who have taken the lead on developing an evidence-based and consequently cautious approach to youth gender transitions (eg England, Sweden and Finland).'

The WHO group will set global guidelines for the ways that healthcare workers around the world can increase access 'and utilisation of quality and respectful health services by trans and gender-diverse people'.

In many cases, gender transition surgeries are irreversible, whereas puberty blockers and hormone therapies can be reversed

Luka Hein, a detransitioner, showing the scars on her chest after her irreversible double mastectomy she was given at 16

The WHO also said that guidelines will focus on five areas of policy: the provision of transition care including hormone therapies, health polices that support gender-inclusive care, and laws that respect an individual's right to express their own gender in the way that feels right to them.

These laws often include new updates to official documents such as IDs to reflect the individual's self-identified gender, not the one they were born with.

Stella O' Malley, psychotherapist and executive director of the campaign group Genspect, told DailyMail.com: 'The WHO panel is made up mostly of social justice and human rights lawyers who believe the gender affirmative approach is the only option... [They] will determine care guidelines for trans people, yet they do not have anyone to represent critical balance on their panel.

'The gender affirmative approach is presumed by WHO to be the only way forward and thereby dismisses conventional psychotherapy.

'This is a narrow minded and heavily biased approach. The WHO are making a grave mistake, they should pause this process and consult with the many professionals who hold different approaches.'

An online petition undersigned by more than 8,000 entities since December, when the WHO group was finalized, has called for the organization to stop the group's meeting in February.

The petition was organized by Jamie Reed, the former caseworker at a trans clinic at St. Louis Children's hospital who blew the whistle on kids with mental health problems being fast-tracked onto cross-sex hormones there.

In a statement, Reed, now the executive director of the LGBT Courage Coalition, a campaign group, called the WHO panelists a group of 'agenda-driven activists with little or no scientific expertise.'

'Some are well-known, radical activists who promote experimental medical interventions and stigmatize exploratory therapy,' said Reed. The panel should include 'experts with a diversity of perspectives,' she added.

Thousands of signatories are private individuals, including psychologists, nurses, and parents of detransitioners, as well as organizations like Genspect, which has been critical of medical transitions.

In addition to pressuring the WHO to rebalance its 'biased' panel, the authors of the petition say that the organization has failed to give the public enough time to voice their concerns about the makeup of the influential group. The public comment period ended on January 8.

The petition said: 'This is lightning-fast speed for any organization, but especially for WHO, which must consult with various stakeholders, commission evidence reviews from third parties, and potentially engage independent experts to help oversee the guideline development process.

'None of this can be realistically accomplished within WHO's artificially constrained time frame.'

Who makes up the panel?

Pictured: Alicia Kruger

Alicia Kruger is a trained pharmacist with training in the epidemiology of sexually transmitted and viral diseases.

She currently works as an epidemiologist and pharmacist in Brazil.

A transgender woman herself, Kruger co-founded and presided over the Brazilian Professional Association for Transgender Health (BRPATH), a WPATH affiliate.

Pictured: Apako Willimas

Apako Willimas is an activist for the human rights of transgender and gender non-conforming persons in Uganda where he founded the Tranz Network Uganda (TNU).

Willimas has a background in social work. He is also a lawyer with about eight years of experience defending LGBTQ+ people.

Pictured: Ayouba El Hamri

Ayouba El Hamri is a trans activist in Morocco who co-founded a Moroccan LGBTQ advocacy group and serves on the steering committee for the African Trans Network and the Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+).

Pictured: Chris McLachlan

Chris McLachlan, who was born female but identifies more with masculine gender, is a member of the Sexuality and Gender Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa, where he helped develop the first and definitive South African Gender Affirming Healthcare Guideline.

He is also part of the core team that developed the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People.

Pictured: Cianan Russell

Cianan Russell is a trained chemist, policy, and trans rights advocate at the Belgium-based think tank ILGA-Europe.

He started out as a LGBTQ+ activist in the US in the 1990s and has since worked in transgender rights groups in Asia and Europe.

Russel is also the Director of Trans Survivors Network, an international nonprofit that focuses on research, advocacy, and raising awareness related to the care of trans people exposed to sexual violence, sexual assault, and rape.

Pictured: Elma de Vries

Elma de Vries is a family doctor and activist for the healthcare needs of South Africas trans community who works at the Nelson Mandela Universitys School of Medicine.

She is also a founding member of the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa (PATHSA).

Pictured: Erika Castellanos

Erika Castellanos is a trans woman and activist from Belize now living in the Netherlands.

She completed a certificate program for conducting research on LGBTQ+ health issues and founded the first network of people in Belize living with HIV like her.

Castellanos currently leads GATEs work in building up the trans healthcare rights movement.

Pictured: Eszter Kismodi

Eszter Kismodi is an international human rights lawyer specializing in sexual and reproductive health. She leads the Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters group, which oversees an academic journal that publishes a wide range of research pertaining to sexual health and gender rights.

Kismodi also has a long history of working with global health organizations, including the WHO and the World Association for Sexual Health as a human rights advisor.

Pictured: Felisbela de Oliveira Gaspar

Felisbela de Oliveira Gaspar is a gender policy advisor for the Minister of Health of Mozambique, where she trains health workers on addressing gender in their work treating patients.

Since 2016, she has also advised the WHO Geneva office on the development of strategies for using traditional and alternative medicine in a wide range of settings, not just in treating gender dysphoria.

Florence Ashley is a trans woman and law professor in Canada specializing in ethics in medicine.

They authored a book called Gender/Fucking: The Pleasures and Politics of Living in a Gendered Body as well as reports condemning the continued use of harmful conversion therapy to reverse a persons homosexuality.

Pictured: Gale Knudson

Gale Knudson is a medical doctor and psychiatrist in Vancouver, Canada who has participated on several panels to develop transgender healthcare guidelines, including the Supporting Sexuality Across the Gender Spectrum panel at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

She co-authored several versions of the WPATH Standards of Care and co-leads the Global Education Institute and is a former President of WPATH and the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH).

Pictured: Phan Thi Thu Huong

Phan Thi Thu Huong is a physician specializing in the prevention and control of sexually transmitted and infectious diseases and the Director General of the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control.

She has also served as the Vietnam Coordinator of the French Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis and a health professor at Hanoi Medical University.

Pictured: Rena Janamnuaysook

Rena Janamnuaysook is the program manager for Implementation Science at the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI) in Bangkok, Thailand. There, she established the Tangerine Community Health Clinic, the first transgender-led health clinic in the region.

Janamnuaysook is a fellow in the National Institutes of Healths CHIMERA D43 program that built a team of researchers from Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand get design studies addressing the link between HIV diagnoses and mental illness.

Pictured: Saima Paracha

Saima Paracha, one of two pediatricians on the panel, works in the National AIDS Control Program of Pakistan with emphasis on HIV and infections that often go alongside it, such as viral hepatitis and STDs.

Much of her work, primarily in Pakistan, has centered on improving HIV/AIDS diagnostics and training other healthcare workers in HIV and tuberculosis.

Pictured: Sanjay Sharma

Sanjay Sharma, who is also a trained pediatrician, was the founding director and CEO of the Association for Transgender Health in India.

As an advisor to the Transgender Empowerment Board of Delhi, Dr Sharma helped formulate sweeping legal protections for trans people against discrimination in India.

Pictured: Shobini Rajan

Shobini Rajan is a medical doctors and Deputy Director General at the National AIDS Control Organization.

She led the agenda of Transgender Health in India and was instrumental in writing the Indian governments White Paper on Comprehensive Health-related Services for Transgender Health.

Teddy Cook works in policy and advocacy projects and is the Director of Community Health at ACON, a leading HIV and LGBTQ+ health advocacy organization based in Australia.

He is part of a wide array of trans rights advisory groups, including Australia's largest LGBTIQ health and wellbeing survey called the Expert Advisory Group and Gender Advisory Board.

Pictured: Walter Bockting

Walter Bockting is a doctor of psychiatry and researcher with the New York State Psychiatric Institute, leading the Area of Gender, Sexuality, and Health.

He has served as president of WPATH and is the lead investigator on three studies on the subject funded by the National Institute of Health, including one looking into the quality of life of trans and nonbinary individuals following gender-affirming surgery.

Pictured: Walter Bouman

Walter Bouman is a medical doctor and trans health specialist in the UK.

He specializes in prescribing, dosing, and monitoring transition hormone treatment, providing referrals for transition surgeries and other medical interventions such as hair removal and speech and language therapy, and providing psychological support for trans people.

Dr Bouman is the founding member of the European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH) and the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists (BAGIS).

Pictured: Yanyan Arana

Yanyan Arana is a trans woman and activist in the Philippines.

She is program manager of an organization called LoveYourself Inc. which provides sexual health and gender transition services, research, and events, to the trans community there.

Pictured: Zakaria Nasser

Zakaria Nasser is an activist based in Lebanon and was a member of the underground LGBTQ+ rights group Meem.

He has since founded the group Qorras, which collects and disseminates reports on civil rights and policies from a feminist, queer perspective.
Junior doctors could strike until September as the pay row threatens to drag on for another six months.

British Medical Association (BMA) chiefs intend to hold another strike ballot in their ongoing bid for a salary hike worth up to 35 per cent.

Thousands of medics have taken to the picket lines for 34 days since walk-outs began last March.

Ministers and health officials have long pleaded with the BMA to 'come back to the table' in hopes of getting the NHS up to speed and tackle the record backlog.

Public support for junior doctor walk-outs has plummeted.

Public support for junior doctor strike action stood at almost two thirds when walkouts began in March. But a survey by YouGov published yesterday shows just half of the public (50 per cent) now back the medics  down 11 points since April. Meanwhile, opposition to the walkouts has increased from 32 per cent to 43 per cent over the same period, the poll of 2,043 people revealed

British Medical Association (BMA) chiefs intend to hold another strike ballot in their ongoing bid for a salary hike worth up to 35 per cent. Thousands of medics have taken to the picket lines for 34 days since walk-outs began last March. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside Cheltenham General Hospital yesterday

The planned ballot will ask the BMAs 47,000 junior doctor members to indicate if they support action short of a strike, such as an overtime ban, or a renewed series of strikes. It comes as a six-day strike by the medics  the longest in NHS history  came to an end at 7am today

A poll yesterday suggested just half of Brits now back the action, down by 11 points since April.

Junior doctors have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in the BMA's two previous ballots.

The first, in February last year, saw 98 per cent back strikes on a 77 per cent turnout. In the second, held in the summer, 98 per cent voted to continue the action, on a 71 per cent turnout.

It's understood the union, described as militant by critics, has 'well-advanced' plans to put a third to its members.

A third legal mandate in favour of walkouts would allow the BMA to plot picket lines for a further six months from March 1, after its second mandate expires.

The planned ballot will ask the BMAs 47,000 junior doctor members to indicate if they support action short of a strike, such as an overtime ban, or a renewed series of strikes.

It comes as a six-day strike by the medics  the longest in NHS history  came to an end at 7am today.

Health officials fear the impact of the walkout will be felt for 'weeks and months', with up to 200,000 operations and appointments estimated to have been cancelled.

Over the course of the six days, NHS trusts in England submitted 40 requests to allow medics to return to work on the grounds of staff shortages compromising patient safety.

But just two were accepted by the BMA.

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard yesterday said she was grateful to junior doctors who crossed picket lines to 'keep patients safe' despite objections from the BMA.

NHS chiefs last week also told the union it would 'evidence harm and near misses which might have been avoided' in all hospitals where requests were rejected.

On the first day of walkout action on Wednesday, critical incidents were declared at both Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board.

More than a dozen other hospitals also said their emergency services were busy, with some reporting 'extreme heightened pressure'.

The days after the New Year, however, are when the NHS usually hits peak winter pressures because of seasonal illnesses and those who put off seeking help between Christmas and New Year.

NHS England modelling is forecasting this to hit around the middle of the month.

Public support for junior doctor strike action stood at almost two thirds when walkouts began in March.

But a survey by YouGov published yesterday shows just half of the public (50 per cent) now back the medics  down 11 points since April.

Meanwhile, opposition to the walkouts has increased from 32 per cent to 43 per cent over the same period, the poll of 2,043 people revealed.

Over the course of the six days, NHS trusts in England submitted 40 requests to allow medics to return to work on the grounds of staff shortages compromising patient safety. But just two were accepted by the BMA. NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard yesterday said she was grateful to junior doctors who crossed picket lines to 'keep patients safe' despite objections from the BMA. Pictured, junior doctors on the picket line outside Cheltenham General Hospital yesterday

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors committee, said: 'We understand that the strikes will have been disruptive for many, but these figures show that more people continue to support NHS junior doctors in their industrial action dispute than oppose them.

'The Government has made repeated attempts to make junior doctors look totally unreasonable for calling for better pay, but the public recognises that our asks are fair and for the benefit of the NHS.'

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, meanwhile, who has already sketched out deals with consultant and specialist doctors, yesterday branded the union's demand of a 35 per cent pay rise 'simply unaffordable' and said she would negotiate with the BMA if they enter talks with 'reasonable expectations'.

She told the House of Commons it was time for the junior doctors committee to 'show that theyre serious about doing a deal'.

Speaking later in the Commons, Tory MP Dr Caroline Johnson, an NHS consultant who worked during industrial action, said: 'Make no mistake that these strikes are causing suffering to patients, both adults and children.

'The derogation process has not worked, as the Secretary of State says, the BMA have not returned junior doctors to work when they have been asked to, when there has been a risk of dangerous harm to patients.

'The first duty of any Government is to protect its citizens so when will the Sectary of State bring forward minimum service levels to protect the patients from these strikes?'

Ms Atkins responded: 'We have already introduced minimum service levels for ambulance services, something that was opposed by the party opposite, but we have just closed the consultation on minimum service levels in hospitals and we are of course carefully analysing the responses.'

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.

The BMA has claimed that junior doctors have seen their pay eroded by more than a quarter in real terms since 2008. 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

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.

Ms Atkins offered the medics an additional three 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 in December and January.

The Health Secretary said the pair left negotiations before the Government had made its final offer.

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.

Last week, however, Dr Trivedi revealed the BMA would accept its 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.'
Scientists have discovered there are five types of Alzheimer's, and this may explain why some drugs appear to be ineffective against the condition.

Dutch experts came to this conclusion after examining proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid, found in the brain and spine, of over 400 patients.

Analysing these proteins, they discovered key differences, separating what was once a single condition into five distinct sub-types, with different clinical progression and life expectancy.

By identifying specific types of the disease, scientists now hope they will be able to create targeted, and therefore more effective, treatments.

Alzheimer's, a leading cause of dementia, is a progressive disease of the brain which slowly robs sufferers of their memory. A build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.

Dutch experts have found five subtypes of Alzheimer's disease after examining the proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid, found in the brain and spine, of over 400 patients

This graphic shows the areas of the brain that shrunk in each subtype of Alzheimer's disease in the study compared to healthy controls. Blue areas indicate shrinkage with the deeper shades representing more extreme retraction while pink areas indicate areas of increased thickness

As these cells die, the functions they provide are gradually lost, robbing people of their orientation and ability to think and reason, too.

There is no cure, and people with Alzheimer's will have increasing care needs as the disease progresses.

In the study, published in the journal Nature Aging, academics from the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University and Maastricht University in the Netherlands examined 419 patients with Alzheimer's.

They collected cerebrospinal fluid found in the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and examined it for 1,058 proteins.

Comparing the results across the study cohort, they found five different subtypes of Alzheimer's, each with potential clinical implications for their treatment.

READ MORE: Hearing aids slash the risk of developing dementia, study finds A Danish study of over 500,000 people found those that people who had hearing loss and didn't use hearing aids had higher risk of dementia (stock image) Advertisement

One variation was found to cause an unusually high level of brain cell growth, fuelling the production of abnormal proteins that drive Alzheimer's.

Patients with this subtype had the longest average life expectancy compared to other subtypes, living for nine years after diagnosis, on average.

A second class of Alzheimer's was driven by issues with the brain's internal immune system, while a third iteration related to problems with the brain's protein production.

A fourth subtype was linked with problems with the blood supply to the brain, while a fifth triggered problems with the blood-brain barrier, a border of cells that normally prevents larger substances from reaching the delicate tissue of the brain.

Patients with the second and fourth variations had the greatest brain atrophy  when the brain loses neurons, leading to thinking and memory problems  MRI scan results revealed.

But patients with subtype three had the worst progression of the disease, only living five-and-a-half-years post-diagnosis, on average.

Some of the proteins identified in each subtype were also linked to specific genes, meaning some people are naturally more predisposed to one type of Alzheimer's.

The authors said the results may explain why some previously tested Alzheimer's drugs failed or underperformed in clinical trials, despite promising results in the lab.

The theory goes that because each subtype appears to have a slightly different cause and make-up of abnormal protein build-up, medications may only work on some or one groups of patients.

This not only has implications for drug effectiveness, but safety as well, as different medications could interact dangerously with some subtypes.

The authors wrote: 'For example, while antibodies may more easily cross the bloodbrain barrier in subtype 5, these individuals may be at increased risk for cerebral bleeding that can occur with antibody treatment.'

The researchers said their results highlighted the need for personalised treatments for Alzheimer's patients.

Changes in humour and swearing more are all signs of Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) a type of dementia that causes problems with behaviour and language. According to experts bad parking, and dressing scruffy are also signs of the memory-robbing disease. Graphic shows: Six signs of Alzheimer's disease

They also called for further studies to reanalyse old clinical trials to test if particular treatments could have specific benefits for specific Alzheimer's subtypes.

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia, a condition where suffers have an impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions, which interferes with everyday activities.

Dementia affects 900,000 people in the UK and an estimated 7million in the US.

The condition is considered a global health concern, with rates expected to explode as people live longer, putting an increasing burden on health systems.

Care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients is estimated to cost the UK 25billion a year, according to Alzheimer's Research UK. The vast majority of the sum is spent on social care.

Some of the early signs someone has Alzheimer's include forgetting about recent conversations or events, losing items, forgetting the names of places and objects, trouble finding the right word, asking questions repetitively, poor judgement and finding it harder to make decisions.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, with treatment instead focused on easing symptoms.

There have been some hopeful developments in the last year, however.

Trials in 2023 showed the new drug donanemab can clear the abnormal proteins that drive the disease, slowing early Alzheimer's progression by up to 60 per cent in a breakthrough hailed as a 'turning point' in the fight against the disease.

Other researchers are working on an Alzheimer's vaccine whilst other teams have produced studies showing zapping the brain with electricity twice a day can reduce symptoms.
Excited about the Greek holiday she and her daughter were about to embark on, Deborah Kings thoughts were fixed on last-minute packing as she got out of the shower.

But as she reached for something in her bathroom cabinet, her eye was caught by an indentation on the underside of her left breast. Checking it, she was horrified to feel a few lumps  one that felt as large as a 10p coin  inside the breast as she probed it.

I was totally shocked  it was only two months since my mammogram, which had been all clear, recalls Deborah, 58, a graphic designer who lives in Worthing, West Sussex, with her daughter, Grace, 15.

My mind was on the nine-day trip Grace and I had planned. We were visiting friends I hadnt seen for nearly 20 years  I was so looking forward to it.

Graphic designer Deborah King, 58, pictured with daughter Grace, 15, is angry that tumours measuring 4cm in total were missed on her mammogram

Last September, TV presenter Julia Bradbury revealed how her breast cancer had been missed on two mammograms before her diagnosis in 2021 because she had dense breast tissue

Yet here, clearly, was something worrying. I only spotted the indentation by chance because I happened to have my arms raised. When I put my arm down, I couldnt see it.

Though shaken by the discovery at the end of last July, Deborah reasoned it couldnt be anything serious, reassuring herself with the fact there was no family history of breast cancer and the result of her recent mammogram. (These X-rays are routinely offered every three years for women aged 50-70 in the NHS screening programme for breast cancer.)

But she was sufficiently concerned to contact her GP, who immediately referred her for further investigations (NHS protocol states that potential cancer cases must receive further tests within 14 days).

However, the appointment did not come through  Deborah had to wait four weeks for tests in hospital, which took place at the end of August.

This included an ultrasound scan and biopsies, which revealed Deborah had invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)  a cancer that starts in the milk ducts and which accounts for up to 75 per cent of all breast cancers. The cancer was stage 1  meaning it hadnt spread beyond the breast  but the diagnosis was a terrible blow.

Now undergoing gruelling chemotherapy and anxious about her forthcoming mastectomy, Deborah is angry that tumours, measuring 4cm in total, had been missed only two months earlier on the mammogram.

The cancer also didnt show on two mammograms at hospital  but was clearly visible on ultrasound.

So how could this have happened? It transpires that Deborah has dense breasts  a term doctors are familiar with, but many women are unaware of.

Crucially, having dense breasts makes it difficult for mammograms to detect small tumours

The breast itself doesnt feel different but contains more fibrous tissue, and less fat, than normal.

Women with dense breasts are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer  research suggests they could be four to six times more at risk than those with low density, but its not known why.

Crucially, having dense breasts makes it difficult for mammograms to detect small tumours.

Last September, TV presenter Julia Bradbury revealed how her breast cancer had been missed on two mammograms before her diagnosis (in 2021) because she had dense breast tissue.

She wrote on Instagram: I have dense breasts. What does that mean? It means cancerous tumours are more difficult to see on a mammogram. It took an ultrasound and an entire year to finally confirm my diagnosis.

All breasts contain glands, fibrous tissue and fat  but dense breasts have relatively more fibrous tissue than fat, explains Cheryl Cruwys, founder of Breast Density Matters UK, a patient advocacy group.

Could you have dense breast tissue? You can ask your hospital to inform you if your last mammogram showed you had dense breast tissue, although some radiologists may refuse or say its not standard protocol. There is a request letter template at densebreast-info.org Cheryl Cruwys, founder of Breast Density Matters UK, a patient advocacy and action group, says: Its worth asking [during a mammogram] about your breast density and, if possible, having a breast density conversation. However, some radiographers (who carry out the X-rays) may not feel sufficiently expert in examining breast tissue to help out (analysis is done separately) If you have dense breasts or a family history of breast cancer, consult your GP to explore what other tests might be available, including ultrasound. This request may have variable success unless you also have other potential symptoms Advertisement

The issue is that both dense breast tissue and tumours show up as white on the mammogram image  so spotting a small tumour can be like looking for a cotton wool ball in a snowstorm, she says. The denser the tissue, the whiter the mammogram.

Dr Lester Barr, a consultant surgeon specialising in breast cancer at University Hospital South Manchester, adds: Breast density has nothing to do with how your breast looks or feels, but relates to how your breast tissue looks on a mammogram. The density is caused by the way protein molecules align in a womans breasts.

The reason ultrasound is helpful in women with dense breast tissue is that it uses a different technology, soundwaves, to detect lumps (rather like the echo finder on a submarine), which may not be apparent on X-ray technology.

Deborah was given an ultrasound after she reported a lump  and while two mammograms looked like a mass of white, and no cancer showed up, a dark mass was clearly visible on the ultrasound.

If I hadnt noticed the indentation, it could have spread and I would be facing a very different prognosis, she says. This diagnosis shocked me profoundly as I realised it meant I had been wrong to think I could trust the results of the mammogram.

Its not known how many women in the UK have dense breast tissue. As Dr Barr explains: Breast density is a spectrum from very low to very dense. This is assessed subjectively by a radiologist looking at the degree of whiteness. There is no accepted cut-off on the spectrum that defines when a breast becomes dense.

Another factor is that the density of a womans breast tissue varies with age. Dr Barr says a womans breast tissue generally becomes less dense with age  while at age 30-35 almost every woman has dense breast tissue, by the age of 50 this has dropped.

It is likely breast density becomes clinically relevant in those with the very densest breasts from the age of 40, he says  adding that this group could benefit most from extra screening.

The NHS breast screening programme picks up 16,000 breast cancers every year, says Dr Barr, adding there are another 1,200 . . . missed by that mammogram.

Breast density is only one factor in these missed diagnoses.

Another type of cancer difficult to detect on a mammogram is invasive lobular carcinoma  the second most common type. It starts in the glands where milk is made when breastfeeding.

Because the cancer cells can grow in lines  rather than lumps  these are not easily discernible at an early stage.

Inflammatory breast cancer, which accounts for up to 5 per cent of breast cancers, is also often missed by mammography. It, too, often does not cause a lump  instead, cancer cells block lymph (or drainage) vessels, causing the breast to look swollen.

The NHS breast screening programme picks up 16,000 breast cancers every year

Around a third of breast cancers in women of all ages are detected by mammogram, with the rest spotted by women themselves.

This may be because the woman is younger, so not yet eligible for screening, or because of dense breasts and cancers not showing up on mammograms. The cancer may also be an interval cancer (one that occurs in between screenings).

But campaigners point out that some other countries  such as France and Austria  routinely offer follow-up screening (such as ultrasound) to women with especially dense breasts.

They rely on a density scoring system called BI-RADS, developed by the American College of Radiology.

Under this system, there are four categories: A, Fatty; B, Scattered areas of fibroglandular density; C, Heterogeneously dense; and D, extremely dense.

In France you get a standard mammogram but if the radiologist considers you are in category C or D they refer you for an ultrasound.

However the BI-RADS system is based on subjective judgment and so offers variable accuracy  a computerised assessment of breast density is under development, says Dr Barr.

A 2019 review of breast screening options by the UK National Screening Committee concluded there was insufficient evidence for the UK to offer women with dense breasts an ultrasound after a negative mammogram, due to variations in the accuracy of ultrasounds.

Ultrasounds can sometimes produce a high number of false positive results (leading to anxiety and unnecessary investigations), and false negative results, explains Dr Barr.

Standard hand-held ultrasound has proved too inaccurate for general screening purposes, but it is useful in giving additional information about a lump found by mammography or in a woman coming into the clinic because she has found a lump.

Around a third of breast cancers in women of all ages are detected by mammogram, with the rest spotted by women themselves

Whats more, a mounting body of evidence suggests routine screening mammograms may cause more harm than good for some women  regardless of breast density  due to false positives and overtreatment, including surgery on harmless cancers that would never have caused the patient any problems, says Michael Baum, a professor emeritus of surgery and visiting professor of medical humanities at University College London.

In my view, routine mammogram screening should be scrapped for all women, he told Good Health.

Professor Baum was responsible for setting up the UKs breast screening programme in 1988, but now points to statistics reviewed by the independent Cochrane body which suggest current techniques prevent very few deaths.

Youd have to screen 2,000 women over a ten-year period to avoid one breast cancer death [compared with not screening the same women], he explains.

While one woman avoiding breast cancer is of enormous value, this has to be weighed against the risk of over-diagnosis and over-treatment  including needless mastectomies and even an increased risk of death from cancer treatment itself, he says.

However, Professor Baum, whose mother died from breast cancer, stresses that doctors must use all the screening tools available to diagnose women who report symptoms such as pain or a lump.

Improvements in current screening tools are urgently needed  Professor Baum hopes these will also take into account the dangers of increasing the risk of overdiagnosis. A major UK trial could offer new hope specifically for women with dense breasts.

The BRAID trial, supported by Cancer Research UK and taking place in hospitals in Cambridge, Manchester, Gloucester and Leeds, will examine how extra scans could improve cancer detection rates for these women.

Researchers will compare breast cancer detection rates in women with dense breast tissue (this has been determined using the BI-RADS system with women in categories C and D defined as having dense breasts) who have standard three-yearly mammograms and women who have these mammograms plus two additional scans in between.

Inflammatory breast cancer, which accounts for up to 5 per cent of breast cancers, is often missed by mammography. Pictured: A normal mammogram of a 27-year-old patient

Extra scans offered include an enhanced mammogram that uses a dye to show the difference between normal and abnormal tissue, and an MRI scan that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of the inside of the body.

A third option involves a recently developed enhanced ultrasound scan known as the ABUS (automated breast ultrasound). This produces computer-generated 3D digital images to improve detection of tiny potential cancers. Trial results are expected within three years.

Dr Barr is not involved in the trial, but is optimistic: The results of the BRAID trial could be the key to transforming breast screening for women with high breast density. New technologies are on the horizon  this is very exciting for the future.

He says the hope is that this will eventually lead to all women of all ages being routinely offered appropriate clinical services for breast cancer based on their risk factors  such as age, family history, lifestyle and having dense breasts.

Personalised risk prediction such as this would also mean that doctors would know not to prescribe HRT to women who are in the highest risk categories.

Dr Barr believes that until such technology does become adopted, mammograms remain the best option for general population screening.

But this is of no comfort or help to Deborah King, who assiduously attended previous screenings.

No one tells you that you have dense breasts  or that if you do, tumours may not show up on a mammogram, she says.

I have always attended screenings and trusted the results. Now I feel my trust was betrayed. How can they call this a screening programme when it is not comprehensive?

Three steps to eliminate cervical cancer

By Professor Linda Eckert

I am talking about cervical cancer and in the UK alone, 3,200 women each year are diagnosed with it, and every day, two women die from it. Yet all these deaths are unnecessary.

I am a gynaecologist with 30 years experience diagnosing women with cervical cancer, and 15 years as a consultant on the subject for the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Ive literally reached the point of rage watching so many deaths and having to tell people they have a cancer that could have been prevented. We need to do more to protect women  and ultimately, eliminate cervical cancer. Because it can be eliminated.

Uniquely among cancers, we have the tools to do this: we have an amazing vaccine to prevent the viral infection that causes it, plus effective screening and treatment that prevent pre-cancer from becoming cancer.

We can also spot and cure early cancer, preventing death. But we dont use these tools enough.

The WHO launched its call for the elimination of cervical cancer in 2020  and all 194 member countries signed up. But cervical cancer continues to rise globally. Even in places where cases are falling  including the UK  they arent falling fast enough.

The UK is in a good position to improve and just a few weeks ago, the NHS set an ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, promising to offer vaccines in settings such as libraries, and trial self-sampling tests to overcome some of the issues with conventional smear-test screening.

Globally, there is a long way to go, but cervical cancer can be beaten because at least 99 per cent of cases are caused by high-risk strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). This infection is very common  80 per cent of women have it at some time.

Most will clear the virus harmlessly, but in a small but significant proportion, it persists and can cause cancer, even years later.

If we can prevent HPV infection, we can prevent cervical cancer. For that, we have the HPV vaccine. Given to girls aged 12-13 (before they encounter the virus) it prevents an astonishing 90 per cent of cervical cancers; by comparison, doctors are pleased when the flu jab is 50-60 per cent effective.

And the HPV jab is extremely safe. Yet worldwide, fewer than one in five girls is currently being vaccinated: even in the UK  despite an excellent school-based programme  around a quarter of teenagers are not being immunised.

While difficulties in poorer countries include cost, in the developed world its mostly myths that have mired life-saving HPV vaccine roll-outs.

This includes a belief that because it relates to a sexually transmitted virus, the vaccine can encourage early sexual activity. Extensive research has shown that this is not true.

There have been stories of widespread side-effects, such as pain and fatigue.

In the UK alone, 3,200 women each year are diagnosed with cervical cancer

In reality, statistics from the U.S. suggest that 1.8 in 100,000 (a rate of 0.0018 per cent) of those vaccinated reported a serious side-effect  and because some of these events will have been coincidental, rather than actually caused by the vaccine, even this may be an over-estimate.

Misinformation is a deadly game with lives at stake.

In Denmark, the vaccine quickly gained 90 per cent uptake among 12-year-old girls. But in 2014, scare stories spread and the rate fell to 40 per cent.

Similar rumours in Japan saw vaccine rates plummet from 74 per cent in 2013 to below 1 per cent in 2016.

The fears were unfounded and in 2017, the Danes launched a public information campaign, getting uptake back to 80 per cent in a year.

Nonetheless 26,000 Danish girls  and a whole generation of Japanese women  have missed out on near-perfect protection.

As well as countering misinformation, we must provide accessible, correct information. For my book, I spoke to Morgan, a dental practice manager, who was 14 when the vaccine was introduced in the U.S.  her mother let her decide whether to take it, and she chose not to. She told me she just didnt know its value.

Ten years later, Morgan was diagnosed with a virulent cervical cancer that kills 95 per cent of those who get it.

After gruelling treatment, shes cancer-free, but she wishes shed been given the facts she needed to make an informed decision.

High-risk HPVs are easier to eliminate than viruses such as flu and Covid-19 because they dont constantly produce new variants, so the same vaccine works across the world. This makes herd immunity achievable.

So take your children to be vaccinated (or request a catch up), ask friends if their kids are protected  and remind them that this vaccine is only fully effective before exposure to HPV (i.e. before first sexual encounters). The vaccine alone, especially when given (as it now is in the UK) to teenage boys as well as girls, could eliminate cervical cancer. Screening can speed up that process.

In the UK, you have a free screening programme with regular test reminders  what we doctors in the U.S. wouldnt give for that!  and yet still nearly a third of women dont attend.

Cultural barriers contribute to low uptake in certain communities, but some women are simply too busy.

This was the case for Kim, a working mother who told me she just didnt get around to it  for seven years. When she finally went, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The treatment had horrendous side-effects including incontinence. Screening could have saved her almost all of that.

Linda ECKERT is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Washington. Her book, Enough: Because We Can Stop Cervical Cancer, is published by Cambridge University Press (20) on Thursday.

If you have the capacity, campaign: get involved with charities, such as the excellent Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, put pressure on politicians, tell anyone wholl listen that cervical cancer can and should be eliminated.

Linda Eckert is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Washington. Her book, Enough: Because We Can Stop Cervical Cancer, is published by Cambridge University Press (20) on Thursday.
From dentures to contact lenses and mouthguards, there are many accessories we put in our ears, eyes, nose or mouth to aid wellbeing. Yet could they cause problems, too? ANGELA EPSTEIN asked the experts...

MOUTH PIECES CAN CAUSE TOOTH DECAY

MANY people whove lost some or all their teeth end up wearing dentures  removable false teeth.

But could these cause problems of their own? When researchers at Cardiff University took mouth, tongue and denture swabs from hospital patients who had pneumonia and compared these to samples from healthy denture-wearers, they concluded that a failure to regularly clean dentures raised the risk of pneumonia, the Journal of Medical Microbiology reported last year.

The theory is dentures provide a surface where disease-causing organisms can colonise before moving to the lungs via saliva.

As London-based dentist Charles Ferber explains, the mouth provides the perfect warm and moist environment for bacteria and fungi to flourish. Its vital, he adds, to have good oral hygiene  brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride and flossing so plaque or food debris dont get trapped between dentures and teeth.

Ear plugs should be removed just before sleep and replaced with disposable ones after a couple of days

Similarly he advises taking dentures out and cleaning them twice a day with a designated toothbrush and a non-abrasive cleaner.

Do this over a bowl of water or towel in case you break them or drop them down the plug hole. He also suggests asking your dentist or hygienist about having dentures cleaned using their surgerys ultrasonic cleaner (which is used to clean dental equipment).

Meanwhile, bite guards that stop night-time tooth grinding (known as bruxism) can also become a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease, as well as sore throats, nausea, flu and chest infections, says Charles Ferber.

He explains: Theyre usually made from acrylic which has a rough surface, so bacteria can attach easily. Run them under water and clean with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

HEARING AIDS BREED INFECTIONS

Hearing aids worn inside the ear act as a plug, keeping out air and creating a warm and moist environment for bacterial and fungal infections to flourish in the ear canal, the tube that runs from the outer ear to the eardrum. So its important to take a break from wearing them, explains Professor Simon Lloyd, a consultant ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.

Regular night-time use of earplugs, meanwhile, can push wax down into your ear, creating hearing problems.

Its better not to block the ears for prolonged periods as the humidity goes up in the ear and it can predispose you to infections, says Nicholas Eynon-Lewis, a consultant ENT surgeon at St John & St Elizabeth Hospital in London.

He recommends removing them just before sleep and replacing disposable ones after a couple of days. If they get stuck, which is rare but can happen with prolonged use, they can go deep into the ear canal  and you may need to see an ENT surgeon for removal. Earbuds for music or calls worn inside the ear can pose a risk to hearing and cause tinnitus if used at high volume, due to damage to the hair cells in the inner ear.

A recent international review in the BMJ found teenagers and young people are at serious risk of hearing loss from listening to music at a volume as high as 105 decibels. The safe limits are 80 decibels for adults while its at 75 for children.

Prolonged use can also push wax into the ear and cause blockage, a common cause of temporary hearing loss. And because of the moist, damp airless environment caused by plugging the ear they can lead to an ear infection. Clean earbuds by using an alcohol wipe.

Sleeping with contact lenses in place can the increase eye infection risk eight-fold

LENSES LINKED TO SIGHT LOSS

Contact lenses float on a thin film of tears on the cornea  the transparent front portion of the eye. Good hygiene is critical to prevent serious problems. A 2022 study by Moorfields Eye Hospital in London found that people who wore reusable contact lenses (changed monthly, typically made from silicone hydrogel) were nearly four times as likely as those wearing daily disposables (also made from silicone hydrogel) to develop acanthamoeba keratitis  a painful infection of the cornea which can lead to sight loss.

It occurs because of exposure to amoeba found in water sources such as swimming pools and tap water.

Never use tap water to clean reusable lenses, only use sterile saline solution, explains Jeff Kwartz, a consultant ophthalmologist at Royal Bolton Hospital.

I have seen cases which have led to severe scarring, blindness, corneal transplant and even the removal of the eye.

There is also a risk of a corneal abrasion  a scratch to the eye with your nail, when putting in or taking out lenses.

And according to a 2018 study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., sleeping with contact lenses in place can increase eye infection risk eight-fold. The safest way to use contact lenses is through a daily disposable, adds Mr Kwartz.

SNORING DEVICE AND NOSEBLEEDS

Around 40 per cent of adults in the UK snore when they sleep.

One solution is using a nasal dilator  a small flexible plastic device placed into the nose to hold open the nostrils, making it easier to breathe.

Mr Eynon-Lewis says: But be aware not to force them too far up the nose as it could cause nosebleeds and inflammation.
Brits should brace for another resurgence of Covid, flu and other seasonal bugs, experts have warned amid a surge in cases.

Health chiefs fear the outbreaks will continue to pick up pace in the coming weeks as a result of people mixing indoors with loved ones over the festive period.

January's freezing temperatures encouraging people to meet up inside, along with the return to offices and classrooms and a troublesome new Covid variant are only expected to add to skyrocketing infection rates.

Officials urged those with coughs, sore throats or a runny nose to limit contact with vulnerable groups  such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying conditions  over fears they could become seriously unwell with a virus.

So what are the tell-tale signs now of a Covid infection? And how can you tell it apart from flu?

Graphic shows the common symptoms (green tick), occasional and possible symptoms (orange circle) and the symptoms that never occur (red cross) with the common cold, flu and Covid

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Covid

At the start of the Covid pandemic, a loss of taste or smell, a continuous cough and a fever, were the three tell-tale signs of the virus.

But as new variants evolved and both vaccines and repeated waves of infection blunted the threat of the virus, the official symptom list grew.

Latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that headaches, a runny nose and coughing are among the most common Covid symptoms reported.

Muscle aches, a sore throat and tiredness were three other frequently logged symptoms, along with shortness of breath and the sudden loss of taste and smell.

What do we know about Juno? Juno was first spotted by the UKHSA as part of routine horizon scanning - the process of monitoring emerging infections with the potential to affect the UK. The variant, scientifically known as JN.1, was flagged because it contained a L455S mutation in the spike protein. This tweak is known to help the virus dodge immune protection built up from previous infection and vaccination. It was also taking off internationally as well as in the UK, the UKHSA noted. This led the agency to designate the strain an official variant, labelling it V-23DEC-01 - a process that means it is formally being tracked. As of December 30, Juno was behind 64.5 per cent of the UK's Covid cases. Advertisement

Professor Philippe Wilson, an expert in biomedical technology at Nottingham Trent University told MailOnline: 'Beyond these primary symptoms, severe cases of Covid can lead to complications such as chest pain, confusion, and bluish discoloration of the lips or face, indicating a need for immediate medical attention.'

ONS figures from mid-December suggest one in 16 people in London were infected with the virus, making it England's worst-hit region in the run up to Christmas.

Separate data released this week suggests that the Juno variant, a spin-off of the Omicron strain and scientifically known as JN.1, makes up two-thirds of new cases.

It first started spreading in the UK in October and was spotted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as part of routine horizon scanning  the process of monitoring emerging infections.

The variant was flagged because it contained a rogue mutation in the spike protein known to help the virus dodge the body's internal defences.

Health experts say this makes it easier for the virus to infect the nose and throat compared to other circulating variants, which the immune system finds easier to fight off due to vaccination and previous infection.

But there is no evidence to suggest that it is more dangerous than previous strains.

There are concerns it will fuel the number struck by long Covid  symptoms of infection that last longer than a month, such as brain fog, tiredness and headaches.

Covid infection rates, however, are nowhere near levels seen earlier in the pandemic.

Infections climbed as high as 4.3million two years ago during the spread of the original Omicron  but this was topped a few months later, when the number reached a record 4.9million.

The threat of Covid for many people has been drastically reduced by the wall of immunity built up by vaccines and infections.

Flu

Triggered by influenza viruses, the illness usually causes people to have a cough, the most common crossover seasonal virus symptom.

But signs of the flu are typically much more intense than colds and can even cause stomach issues. It can prove fatal in some cases if complications, such as pneumonia, arise among the most vulnerable.

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Professor Ron Eccles, who ran the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University before retiring from the university in 2017, told MailOnline: 'Flu symptoms typically have body symptoms such as chilliness, fever, headache and muscle aches and pains.

'The flu feels worse because the symptoms affect the whole body and are not restricted to a head cold.'

He added: 'Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea are more prevalent in influenza cases.'

Latest UKHSA data shows flu admissions are surging.

Hospitalisations hit 6.8 per 100,000 people in England in the week to December 31, up by a third in a week and 10-times higher than one month earlier.

But levels are lower than the same week last year (12.7), which was the worst flu season for a decade as it marked the first winter without Covid restrictions since the pandemic began  allowing influenza to rapidly spread against a background of low immunity.

Since September, health officials have urged the 30million people in England eligible to come forward for their Covid and flu jabs, to reduce their risk of becoming severely unwell and needing hospital care. Among those invited for top-up doses are the over-65s, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and pregnant women

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics and UK Health Security Agency in December showed symptoms including headaches, a runny nose and coughing were among three of the most common Covid symptoms reported in the week ending December 13. Other frequently logged symptoms also included muscle ache, a sore throat and tiredness

Experts warned, however, that Brits who have been ill in recent weeks could have succumbed to 'two or three viral infections' at the same time 'like a domino effect'.

Dr Chris Smith, a virologist at the University of Cambridge told BBC Look East: 'Many of these different diseases all present in exactly the same way.

'They tend to cause a runny nose, a sore throat, a fever some of the time  especially with flu  sometimes you get a cough as well.

'So it can be very hard to know exactly what it is because many of these things all present the same way but they're caused by many different infections.

'The other bit of bad news is that you can catch lots of them at the same time. We occasionally see people who are diagnosed with two, sometimes three, viral infections simultaneously.'

He added: 'So when we say to other people, "I had the most awful cold over Christmas", or "over New Year", you may well have actually succumbed to several things either all at the same time or one after another like a domino effect.'

Since September, health officials have urged the 30million people in England eligible to come forward for their Covid and flu jabs, to reduce their risk of becoming severely unwell and needing hospital care.

They urged Brits to turn to pharmacies and local urgent treatment centres where appropriate, as a spike in virus patients is causing A&E delays to further spiral.

Among those invited for top-up doses are the over-65s, care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and pregnant women.

Cold

Rhinoviruses are the most common cause of a cold, but a minor infection of the nose and throat can be caused by one of more than 200 different viruses.

If symptoms are mostly restricted to the upper airways, it is likely to be a cold.

'Cold symptoms are more of a head cold with runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and blocked nose', Professor Eccles said.

Cold weather alone does not cause a cold. But the body is more susceptible to infection when the immune system is weaker.

London-based GP Dr Ann Nainan told MailOnline: 'Colds usually develop gradually and can cause cough, congestion and fatigue. They creep up on you with stuff like a runny nose or a sore throat.'

The illness tends to be 'a nuisance', as opposed to the flu, which 'can knock you off your feet and keep you in bed', she added.

This overlap in symptoms, however, can make clinical diagnoses challenging.
The findings could lead to treatments for a rare but deadly childhood cancer

Scientists are hoping to turn a deadly African virus into a therapy for a deadly childhood cancer.

The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infection that reduces levels of a protein which forms in excess levels in patients with certain cancers.

A team of researchers in Florida has shown that, in mice at least, it can can wipe out tumors known as neuroblastomas, which make up one in seven childhood cancer deaths and form in the nerve cells as children develop.

There hasn't been a treatment for these types of brain cancers in over 40 years.

Dr Matthew Davis of Nemours Children's Health in Florida, who conducted the research, said the team 'are at the forefront of potentially lifesaving cancer treatment.'

The Zika virus is typically spread by mosquito bites, between people during unprotected sex, and from pregnant mothers to their children. Researchers at Nemour Children's Health in Florida found that it could reduce neuroblastoma tumors in mice

Patients with neuroblastoma have high levels of the protein CD24. This is also the protein targeted by Zika (shown here)

'We are hopeful that this study will pave the way toward improved survival for patients with neuroblastoma.'

Cancers like neuroblastoma produce high levels of CD24, a developmental protein.

Zika has also been shown to target and reduce protein. In patients with healthy levels of CD24, this has previously led to birth defects such as microcephaly.

In patients with high levels of CD24, however, Zika was shown to reduce those levels. This resulted in tumor size shrinking.

Neuroblastoma is a type of blastoma, which forms in the developing cells of a fetus or child.

Though blastomas are most common in children, they can also affect adults. John McCain, for example, suffered from glioblastoma, a brain cancer that suppresses the immune system.

Dr Tamarah Westmoreland, study author and associate professor of surgery at Nemour Children's, said: 'These patients are in urgent need of new treatment options.

The team studied mice with neuroblastoma tumors that express high levels of the developmental protein CD24.

This is the same protein targeted by the Zika virus, which can lead to developmental conditions in babies like microcephaly, which causes a baby's head to be much smaller than expected.

Half of the mice were injected with a saline solution, while the rest were injected with Zika. The tumor sizes were monitored three times a week for four weeks.

Mice who received the highest dosage of Zika had complete elimination of their tumors, and after four weeks, they showed no sign of recurrence.

Meanwhile, tumors in mice who received the saline solution had grown as much as 800 percent.

Dr Matthew Davis, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Nemours Children's, said: 'Neuroblastoma is often a very challenging diagnosis, especially for the patients who are unlikely to respond well to chemotherapy.'

However, the team cautioned that using Zika as a cancer therapy would require additional studies to determine if the treatment is safe. The researchers plan to conduct further studies before moving on to clinical trials.

Dr Joseph Mazar, study author and research scientist at Nemour Children's, said: 'With further validation, Zika virus could be an extremely effective bridge therapy for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.'

'We also see potential for Zika virus to be used to treat children and adults with other cancers that express high levels of CD24.'

Neuroblastoma forms from immature nerve cells that form in several areas of the body, though it most commonly starts in the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, a mass under the skin, changes in bowel habits, wheezing, chest pain, back pain, eyes protruding from the sockets, fever, and bone pain.

Neuroblastoma typically occurs in children under age 5. There are about 700 to 800 cases each year.

The five-year survival for neuroblastoma in children under 14 is 80 percent - but only half with a more aggressive form survive.

The study was published Tuesday in the journal Cancer Research Communications.
A measles outbreak in Philadelphia may have spread to neighboring Delaware, health officials fear.

An unvaccinated patient with the disease traveled to the First State to visit a local healthcare facility while still infectious on December 29, potentially spreading the disease to others.

Eight measles cases have now been confirmed in Philadelphia, among unvaccinated adults and young children  but there are thought to be more.

Experts are urging everyone to get the measles vaccine, saying it is on 'all of us to protect each other as a society, as a human family'  and warning falling inoculation rates risk more outbreaks of the disease and 'a lot of deaths'.

MMR vaccination rates have fallen from 95 to 93 percent of kindergarteners nationwide since the Covid pandemic, amid surging anti-vax sentiment.

Eight measles cases have been confirmed in Philadelphia so far, with officials warning it is possible more could still be diagnosed (stock image)

For the 2022-2023 school year three percent of kindergartners had a vaccine exemption from one or more required vaccines. This is an increase from 2.6 percent during the 2021-2022 school year and the highest the US has ever recorded

There are about 50 cases of measles recorded in the US each year  with most linked to international travel to a country where the disease has not been eradicated.

The last major outbreak occurred in 2022, when more than 80 cases were recorded in Ohio  mostly among children who had not been vaccinated.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases ever recorded  with just a tiny amount able to trigger an infection.

It is spread via respiratory droplets or touching contaminated surfaces, with patients suffering a characteristic rash that erupts on their face and then spreads across the body several days later.

The disease is particularly dangerous for children under five years old, pregnant women and the elderly.

Patients can develop pneumonia and encephalitis  or inflammation of the brain. About three in every 1,000 children infected die from the disease.

To prevent infections, everyone is urged to get the measles vaccine  dubbed measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine  which is 97 percent effective against the disease from the age of 12 months.

But vaccination rates in the US are now falling  with 93 percent of kindergarteners nationwide now having got the jab by the time they start school, which is below the target of 95 percent.

While the shift may seem small, it means that thousands more children across the US now do not have protection against measles compared to previous years when the rate stood at 95 percent.

CDC data for the 2021-2022 school year shows a 10 year low of MMR vaccination rates among kindergarteners. Vaccination rate varies by state - with Alaska, Wisconsin, DC and Ohio revealed as those with the lowest percentage of MMR vaxxed kids

The above map shows the state by state rates of vaccination exemptions for the 2022-2023 school year, highlighting the top five states with the highest percentages of exemptions

In Philadelphia, rates dropped to 92.8 percent of kindergarteners in 2023  from 97.4 percent in the year before the pandemic. And in Delaware the rate has fallen to 95.1 percent in 2023 from 96.5 percent in the previous year.

Revealing the potential infection, the Delaware Department of Public Health said: '[We] are acting quickly to identify and prevent the spread of disease.

'Officials are working to identify anyone who may have been exposed, checking their vaccination status, warning them about potential exposure and issuing quarantine and exclusion orders where necessary.'

Officials said the potential measles exposure took place in Kent and New Castle counties  which make up two thirds of the state.

They did not reveal the name or location of the clinic where people were exposed to an infected patient, or how many people were potentially exposed to the virus.

The outbreak began in Philadelphia late last month when an unvaccinated child who had recently visited a country where measles is common was admitted to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).

Doctors took two days to diagnose the infection, local media reports, by which time the disease had spread to two children in neighboring beds.

One was too young to be vaccinated  with the MMR only offered to children over a year old  while the second had not been vaccinated.

A parent of the second child has also tested positive for measles.

Despite orders to quarantine, one of the infected patients visited a daycare center  which has led to two further cases.

Yesterday, another two cases were confirmed including one outside the city of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia's Department of Health says it is following up with people who have been to nine locations between December 19 and January 3.

This includes eight hospitals and one daycare center in Philadelphia. Of the hospitals, two are outside Philadelphia  with one in Meadowbrook and the second in Abington.

Officials are urging everyone to get the measles vaccine which is 97 percent effective against the disease.

Philadelphia has seen its proportion of kindergarteners vaccinated against measles drop consistently since the pandemic to a low of 92.8 percent  below the 95 percent target.

Before the pandemic, the rate was 97.4 percent in the age group. But for the year 2020 to 2021, it fell to 94.9 percent among kindergarteners, and then down to 94.3 percent the following year.

In Delaware, the MMR vaccination rate among kindergarteners is also falling  dropping to 95.1 percent in the year 2022 to 2023 compared to 96.5 percent in the previous year.

This tracks with the levels nationwide, which stood at 95 percent between 2019 and 2020 for kindergarteners before falling to 94 and then 93 percent.

Experts warn the falling vaccination rates are leaving America more exposed to diseases that were once eradicated.

They also say they the rise in vaccine hesitancy is being triggered by the Covid pandemic, with pharmaceutical companies accused of overselling the strength of their vaccines.

There was also a media storm over rare side effects such as blood clots, which may have made many more cautious about receiving jabs.

Measles was declared eradicated in the US after a successful vaccination campaign, but cases continue to crop up every year  triggered by travelers coming from abroad.

The US recorded a total of 48 measles cases in 2023, down from the high of 121 measles cases in the year before.
Doomsday Covid modelling which spooked ministers into lockdown had a 'major flaw', analysis suggests.

A mathematician replicated a simplified version of the type of modelling done by experts advising the Government during the pandemic, which found more than 80 per cent of people would be infected without restrictions.

But separate new analysis found only around 20 per cent of the UK population would be infected in a single wave.

Dr Samuel Johnson, at the University of Birmingham, used a model that accounted for the fact that different people have a different number of contacts.

For example, some people are more sociable or come into contact with large numbers of the public through their work, while others see hardly anyone.

Professor Neil Ferguson's modelling in March 2020 for then Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested 510,000 people in the UK would die due to Covid without drastic action

The epidemiologist drew heavy flak for his team's modelling on the Covid pandemic. Their work suggested 500,000 Brits would die if nothing was done to stop the spread of the virus (shown in graph) and there would be 250,000 deaths if two-thirds caught Covid

This suggests models used during the pandemic, such as the infamous one wielded by Professor Neil Ferguson, were too inaccurate to be relied upon, Dr Johnson said.

He did not replicate the lockdown modellers' calculations exactly, but used a much more simplified version.

However, his predictions echoed experts' warnings that the vast majority of people would be infected without lockdowns, suggesting his model was broadly similar.

Only people with a higher number of contacts  such as healthcare workers  were accounted for in original models.

He says the models could have been far more accurate if they included the huge difference in contacts between different people, and the role of 'super-spreaders' who saw many people.

WHAT DID PROFESSOR NEIL FERGUSON'S WORK SAY? The scientific paper published by Professor Neil Ferguson and his colleagues on the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team was credited for persuading Boris Johnson's Government to ramp up their response to the coronavirus. The paper, released on March 17, and titled Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID19 mortality and healthcare demand, predicted that the Government's original plan to 'mitigate' the outbreak instead of trying to stop it could have led to a quarter of a million people dying. Using data from Italy and China, the scientists predicted how different Government measures would have different impacts on the outbreaks. If no action at all had been taken against the coronavirus it would have claimed 510,000 lives, the team's report said. Had the Government stuck with their strategy of trying to 'mitigate' the spread  allowing it to continue but attempting to slow it down  with limited measures such as home isolation for those with symptoms this number would be roughly halved to 260,000. If the strictest possible measures are introduced, the number of deaths over a two-year period will fall below 20,000, the scientists said. Advertisement

This extra information may not be possible to include in detail, and is very complicated, but could be modelled in the future or could be better taken into account statistically.

Either way, Dr Johnson wants more research to address this 'major flaw' in preparation for future epidemics.

Dr Johnson is not an epidemiologist, so does not normally analyse pandemics and disease, but is an expert in complex systems.

He said: 'My opinion, partially based on the results of this study, is that the world is more complicated than the models used during the pandemic.

'Experts might have thought if they included all these ingredients, and put them into a computer, they could predict what would happen.

'But they arguably got carried away, and models were relied upon too much when it came to lockdowns and strong restrictions.

'You can see this when you look at countries without lockdowns which didn't see the results predicted.

'This is what the Covid inquiry should be looking at, rather than focusing on scandal and WhatsApp messages.'

Professor Ferguson's terrifying March 2020 models warned that 500,000 Brits would die unless tougher action was taken to curb the virus's spread.

It spooked Boris Johnson into adopting draconian restrictions that saw the country told they 'must stay at home'.

Vaccines  considered the only safe route out of the pandemic  were still months away from being deployed.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease modeller at the University of Warwick who sat on a sub-advisory panel of SAGE that focused on projections, said the problem had been known 'for decades' and describing it as a flaw was 'extremely misleading'.

He said: 'This is an extremely well researched area and as such the results in this paper are not novel.'

Fellow modeller Professor Adam Kucharski, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said Dr Johnson's paper reiterated a 'common misunderstanding'.
Parents are not being warned about the dangers of an asthma drug linked to dozens of suicides, hallucinations and self-harm, doctors and patients say.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added a black box warning to the label of Singulair, generic name montelukast, in March 2020 following decades of reports of mental health problems among users.

The black box warning was primarily for doctors prescribing the drug who are supposed to relay it to patients. But nearly two years later, data shows prescriptions of the drug have barely changed  with 12million written in 2022, including nearly 1.6million for children.

Campaigners warn the drug may be behind an un-recognized 'mental health crisis', with patients previously saying it left them seeing red-eyed demons, melting walls and hearing voices.

The above graph highlights how prescriptions of Singulair have barely dropped since the FDA warning

The FDA had the above warning added to the first page of the medication's leaflet in March 2020 - but experts fear this has largely gone unnoticed

Singulair  made by the pharmacy giant Merck  surged in popularity in the early 2000s as a treatment for allergies and severe asthma, particularly in young children.

It works by preventing the release of a chemical in the airways that can cause them to swell and produce a lot of mucus  risking them becoming blocked.

The drug's surge in popularity was linked to the fact it appeared to be a safe alternative to corticosteroid inhalers, which are more effective but cumbersome to carry around. It even came in a child-friendly cherry-flavored chewable pill.

But officials started to raise the alarm about potential links between the drug and mental health problems.

Data from healthcare analysis company Komodo Health  obtained by the New York Times  shows prescriptions have barely budged.

Overall, the figure hasn't shifted  with 12million people filling at least one prescription in both 2019 and 2022.

There has been a drop for children  with nearly 1.6million prescriptions in the latest year compared to 2million in 2020  but this is still a high number.

Komodo Health's data is based on claims to Medicaid and Medicare as well as those submitted to private insurers.

Some experts fear many doctors are unaware of warnings over the drug  which were announced on the FDA's website.

Dr Reshma Ramachandran, a family doctor at Yale University in Connecticut, said many doctors had not heard about the concerns.

She urged the FDA to 'do much more in terms of direct communication to clinicians and through more active channels'.

She suggested the agency could order mandatory retraining of doctors to make them aware of the risks.

The FDA has already sent out an alert via email, flagged the warning to medical groups and published an article on the issue in a medical journal.

Pharmasists have also been required to hand out a medication guide with the warning to patients  although experts fear this often goes unread.

A number of doctors who have attempted to switch patients to other drugs like zafirlukast also describe patient opposition and demands to be put back on Singulair.

Singulair became popular in the early 2000s for its ability to treat allergies and asthma using just a chewable tablet, particularly for children

Virginia-native Nicholas England fatally shot himself in the head at age 22 mere weeks after going on the generic version of Singulair. On the right, Genevieve Bracken, 14, from Utah, died by suicide days before Christmas after being switched to an adult dose of the drug

In the black box warning added to the drug's label, the FDA says the drug can cause 'serious neuropsychiatric events'.

This is believed to be because the medication can cross the blood-brain barrier, as shown by studies in rats, and then wreak havoc with neurotransmitters.

An investigation by the FDA which analyzed data from 1998 to 2018 found the drug was associated with as many as 82 suicides  19 of which were in children.

The agency has also received thousands of reports of adverse events  including depression  since people started taking the drug.

Warnings were first added to the drug in 2008, when the manufacturer was forced to add a patient of psychiatric risks to the label, before the 2020 warning was added.

Those affected by the mental health side effects of the drug include 22-year-old Nicholas England.

The youngster shot himself in the head in 2017 just two weeks after starting on a generic version of the drug  with his parents saying he had no previous mental health issues.

Other's affected include the six-year-old son of Nicole Sims from Tennessee, with the mother saying her son began to have hallucinations and started imaging a woman at the window while on the drug.

His drawings were also transformed into those of red-eyed demons  and only went back to being of a smiling boy fishing under the sun after coming off the medication.

Genevieve Bracken, a 14-year-old from Utah, died by suicide while on the drug.

She had been on the drug since she was seven years old, but became more depressed when she was shifted to an adult dose at the age of 13 years.

Shortly before her suicide days before Christmas, her mother said she was attributing the obsessive hand washing and moodiness to the Covid pandemic.

It is not clear how often the drug causes mental health problems and suicides, with Merck still yet to be asked to investigate by the FDA.
HOMES that are flooded for the first time can expect their insurance premiums to treble to nearly 1,000 if they make a claim.

The Environment Agency says more than 1,800 properties have been flooded since the start of the year. And with the UK Health Security Agency issuing a weather alert to all homes until midday on Friday, the number claiming for damage to their home and property for the first time is expected to be in the thousands.

More than 3.4 million properties in England are at risk of flooding, according to the agency.

The average annual cost of home insurance rose to its highest level  315  last year, according to trade body Association of British Insurers (ABI). It means for those who get flooded, typical premiums could soar to close to 1,000 a year.

The ABI says on average it costs 33,600 to repair a flooded home and that recent storms, starting with Storm Babet in October, have led to 352 million in claims.

Matthew Bloodworth in his flooded home opposite Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire, after Storm Henk hit the UK last week

Fields on the outskirts of Gloucester were under water yesterday as days of stormy weather and heavy rainfall across the country took their toll

Anna McEntee, home insurance expert at comparison website Compare the Market, agreed that climate change  including floods  is likely to be a factor in the hike to home cover costs for those forced to claim.

She says: Living near bodies of water could increase your home insurance premium, given insurers may view it as a bigger flood risk. But you could shell out even more money if your home is not adequately insured. It is definitely worth shopping around to get the best deal.

READ MORE: Flooding hell to continue for the next FIVE DAYS as 190 warnings and 200 alerts in place today in England with one in Wales as ice and snow feared to be on the way as Rishi Sunak meets residents hit in Oxford

Research by Money Mail has shown that in some cases households have already seen the price of buildings and contents policies as much as triple, with weather patterns  including the risk of flooding  given as a key reason. This is even before making a claim.

Barbara Penhallow saw her annual home premium with Axa-owned Swiftcover rise from 178 to 542 for her 500,000 house in Croydon, south London, last year. She was told floods and unexpected storms were contributing factors.

Online boutique owner Helena Adams, 66, saw cover for her 575,000 property in Harrow, north-west London, soar from 291 to 687 with insurer Esure, with a letter saying: Following changes to weather patterns, we have reviewed the risk associated with your property.

Insurer Axa admits a huge range of factors are considered when calculating annual premiums, including floods, unexpected storms and cold snaps. Aviva says severe weather is a contributing factor while Admiral says future weather, such as flooding and storms, are factored into our pricing methodology.

Research company Consumer Intelligence found that home insurance quotes rose on average by 26 per cent last year  with wetter winters increasing flood claims.

Insurance companies are expected to use the recent downpours and storms as an excuse to hike premiums for those forced to claim.

A children's playground in Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, was flooded after the River Severn burst its banks when Storm Henk hit the UK last week

The Governments Flood Re scheme aims to make homes more affordable for those who live in a high flood risk area, but it typically covers only properties built before 2009.

While the scheme enables homeowners to take out insurance, with prices linked to their council tax band, the number of insurers offering cover is limited. Flood Re also has a Build Back Better scheme offering up to 10,000 for homes to better protect their property against future flood damage.

Separately, following Storm Babet in October, the Government is encouraging flood-hit property owners to apply for up to 5,000 as part of a Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme.

Heather Shepherd, director of operations at charity National Flood Forum, believes such support does not go far enough and fears it enables the insurance industry to exploit homeowners with unnecessarily high premiums.

She says: There are bound to be new people making claims this year  and they are going to be in for a nasty surprise.

We have a never-ending battle with the Government to come up with a better plan to tackle flood risk properties. Insurers are not a charity so you can expect them to profit from floods. But I would much rather they pushed the Government to support homeowners.

Two cars were left abandoned in a flooded car park near the Thames River in Oxford, on Sunday after a week of heavy rainfall saturated the country

James Daley, of consumer website Fairer Finance, believes climate change should already be factored into premiums  and that insurance hikes often have little to do with the weather.

Consumer duty rules were introduced two years ago by the Financial Conduct Authority to stop insurers exploiting loyal policyholders with higher premiums than those paid by new customers. Although the regulations were well intentioned, since their introduction insurance costs have risen across the board.

Louise Clark, general insurance policy adviser at the ABI, says: Insurers expect bad weather to strike at any time. The priority right now is to help any affected customers recover as quickly as possible.

If you have been affected by flooding, contact your insurer as soon as you can and they will be able to offer help and advice.
The number of pothole insurance claims has risen 40 per cent in a year, according to the UK's largest car insurance firm.

Admiral said it received a record 1,324 claims for car damage due to potholes in 2023, an increase from 946 in 2022.

Driving into a pothole can damage a vehicle's tyres, alloy wheels, steering alignment and suspension.

The insurance firm's previous record year for potholes was 2018, with 1,057 claims, largely due to the 'Beast from the East' storm damaging roads.

Low: In 2015, 2.7m potholes were filled - last year, that number slipped to 1.4m

The average pothole claim payout also rose by almost a third in 2023 when compared to 2022, from 2,378 to 3,070.

Admiral said the increase is due to modern vehicles being more complicated to repair, and therefore more expensive.

The insurance firm also said pothole payouts were rising due to vehicle repair costs rising generally.

Admiral said the UK's roads were likely to see more potholes emerging after recent bad weather such as Storm Henk and the January cold snap.

Adam Gavin, head of claims at Admiral, said: 'Potholes are more than just an inconvenience, they can also cause costly damage to your vehicle.

'January, February and March are the worst time of year for pothole claims, with more than a third of claims we receive made over this period, as road surfaces become unsettled by freezing temperatures and thaws.'

The AA says 2023 is set to be one of its worst-ever years for pothole call-outs.

The breakdown assistance firm said it attended 48,994 callouts in August 2023 to vehicles stranded due to faults caused by potholes - a 13 per cent rise from the same month of 2022.
As chief executive of the Post Office, Paula Vennells presided over the Horizon scandal

What took her so long? It is a mystery why Paula Vennells, the former chief executive of the Post Office, did not hand back her CBE sooner.

I have been calling for her to surrender the undeserved honour for several years, but she clung to it like a limpet.

It actually took an intervention by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying he would strongly support the Honours Forfeiture Committee if it were to consider taking it from her, to part Paula from her gong.

Perhaps she felt that voluntarily giving back the CBE would be seen as an admission of guilt.

But clasping on to it was futile and she should have recognised this much sooner.

The CBE and other honours are marks of public respect and esteem. Vennells long ago forfeited both.

Holding on risked dragging the whole system into disrepute and looked like a slap in the face to the hundreds of innocent postmasters who had their good names dragged into the gutter.

Perhaps she thought she could weather the scandal.

Sir Philip Green held on to his knighthood despite loud calls for its removal. This, though, was a very different scenario and a fair outcome, as he had made a very large payment to BHS pensioners.

Fred Goodwin is the only prominent CEO to have forfeited a major honour in recent memory, in his case a knighthood.

James Crosby, the former boss of HBOS, gave up his knighthood of his own volition, and never came in for the same level of vilification as his fellow crisis-era banker Goodwin.

The Horizon scandal which saw more than 700 subpostmasters prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 was retold this week in hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office

Back to Vennells, and it seems absurd that she was given the award in the first place. This was, after all, in 2019, when there was plenty of reason to be uneasy about Horizon.

Unlike the postmasters who lost their reputations, livelihoods, good names and more, she is cushioned by wealth

After quitting the Post Office, she seemed in no hurry to step down from her other lucrative roles, such as her directorships of retailers Dunelm and Morrisons.

No doubt losing the CBE will sting, but it is a relatively light penalty.

Unlike the postmasters who lost their reputations, livelihoods, good names and more, she is cushioned by wealth, millions of it made at the Post Office.

I am not a Christian like Paula Vennells but I do believe everyone is capable of redemption.

The latest New Years Honours included a knighthood for Gerald Ronson. He was jailed in 1990 for his role in the Guinness affair, but worked diligently for decades to regain his standing and he became one of the countrys biggest philanthropists.

For Vennells to give up her CBE is a symbolic gesture. An important symbol, but a token nonetheless. At best, it is only a small start to any form of genuine restitution.
I am having a difficult time with Everlast Gym and my membership. I joined in January 2022 and only went four times. Then, unfortunately I had a seizure in January 2023, that left me in an induced coma and hospitalised for two weeks.

On leaving hospital I was told I must rest and recuperate. This coincided with the anniversary of the renewal of the rolling membership. As you can imagine, I was in no fit state to think about gym membership and a few weeks later cancelled my direct debit thinking this would initiate cancellation of my membership.

However, ten months later I got a call from someone at Everlast saying my membership was overdue as I have not cancelled. I have since sent numerous emails explaining my situation, and documentation, but all I keep getting from them is that I need to cancel my membership and pay 220 for the ten months.

I am appalled that after explaining my situation I seem to be getting nowhere. I am still seeing a consultant in relation to my seizure and Im on medication and hope nothing like what I went through will happen again. Can you help?

G. W., Kings Lynn, Norfolk

All I keep getting from them is that I need to cancel my membership and pay 220

Sally Hamilton replies: I looked at the Everlast contract, which is 17 pages long. Only at page eight did I find the relevant cancellation rules  with the details of different scenarios from illness, relocation and job loss  filling a few more pages.

In short, the type of contract you were on  a one year rolling contract paid by monthly direct debit  will normally need three months notice to be cancelled. But the company will consider early cancellation (still with one months notice required) if someone has had an accident or is too ill to make use of the facilities for a lengthy period.

When cancellation involves ill health, a member normally needs to provide medical evidence to get out early  and that the health issues prevent someone from exercising for at least three months.

To be fair to Everlast, it does print an online link members can use to request cancellation. You didnt realise what you had to do to meet their terms, which is understandable as your health emergency was more pressing than dealing with red tape.

However, just cancelling a direct debit without telling a company is risky if money is still owed. Many companies will not only chase this bill but may pass the debt to a collection agency, which in turn can negatively affect your credit file.

Despite your failing to inform the gym of your situation with evidence of your ill health before cancelling the direct debit, I would agree it was odd that it did not contact you for ten months to chase payment.

When cancellation involves ill health, a member normally needs to provide medical evidence to get out early

Since you hadnt heard a peep, you imagined the deal had been terminated. Once you realised what was required you did send a medical letter from your doctor in December 2023 but seemingly this did not do the trick.

I decided to flex my own (consumer champion) muscle and ask Everlast, which is part of the Fraser Group of companies, to take a more compassionate stance towards your situation.

The company investigated and I am pleased to say soon came back to say it has now cancelled your membership, wiped the 220 debt and refunded the two months fees of 44 that you did pay as a goodwill gesture.

Your experience of attempting to escape a gym contract is one that is likely to be replicated across the UK as resolutions to get fit after the festive season start to falter.

The paperwork often ties members into paying fees for six months or a year  and they might even see contracts renewed automatically.

My advice is to check the paperwork closely. Its boring, but it can avoid aggravation later.

Wizz Air won't refund our flights in full after my husband died

Last summer I booked two flights with Wizz Air from Aberdeen to Gdansk in Poland for December 2023. My husband wanted to visit the war museum there. Sadly he fell critically ill in August.

I cancelled the flights on August 14 and asked for our 759 to be refunded to my credit card. Instead, the airline gave me just 395, which was added to a Wizz Air account as a credit rather than a refund. My husband died on August 22, just two weeks after his diagnosis. In late September, I called Wizz Air to ask for the credit to be converted to cash as I no longer planned to fly with Wizz Air.

The agent told me the only way to manage this request was via the airlines online complaints portal.

I did this and attached a copy of my husbands death certificate. The claim was registered and when I checked online again in mid-October, I saw the claim had been closed and deemed final. I have not received any correspondence from Wizz Air and there is no resolution.

I considered making a complaint via Aviation ADR but was not able to process the complaint as the date of travel was a future date and not historic. My husband would be livid if he thought I had let this go. Please help.

S. D., Aberdeen.

Scamwatch Web users are being targeted by emails that claim they have viewed illegal pornographic content from tricksters impersonating the National Crime Agency (NCA). Victims will be told to make contact by a specific deadline or a warrant will be issued for their arrest. The email is used to gain personal information that can be used for blackmail or to commit fraud, warns Action Fraud. Money is then demanded at a later stage. More than 180 reports of the fake emails have been made to Action Fraud and the Suspicious Email Reporting System since the beginning of December 2023. Forward any suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Sally Hamilton replies: I thought Wizz Air could have shown more compassion in such traumatic circumstances so asked it to look at what had gone wrong and why it had refunded so little of the original ticket price.

A Wizz Air spokesman says: We are incredibly sorry to hear of S. D.s loss and understand that this must be a very difficult time for her. As a gesture of good will, we have issued a full refund to her bank account in light of these circumstances.

As it turns out Wizz Air hasnt made a full refund. You received just 686. When I asked for an explanation, the airline said the original payment you made included an insurance premium of 36, and customers who cancel need to approach the provider (Chubb) for a refund.

When you bought the flights, you were also charged a 36 membership fee of the Wizz Discount Club, which offers flight and other discounts to members  but it was categoric this is non-refundable.

It failed to explain why it credited only 395 to your account when you originally claimed your refund. I was prepared to push the airline further on this but you told me you wanted to put the matter behind you.

Wizz Air customers in a similar position should note that if they request a refund online it will automatically go into their Wizz Air account, which can only be spent with the company.

If they want it diverted to their bank account, they must phone Wizz Airs customer service. This comes at a cost, with UK customers paying 1.45/minute to call its premium phone number plus any fees applied by their phone company (this is waived if their refund is approved).

Straight to the point I TOOK out a Smart Export Guarantee with my energy supplier SSE in May 2022, to earn money for electricity generated by my solar panels. After SSE was taken over by Ovo I provided them with a final export reading. I have been unable to contact Ovo since and have not received my money. R.T., Worcester. Ovo apologises for the delay and confirms that your payment has now been ordered. You should receive the money within five working days. It has also sent you a 150 gesture of goodwill and a gift hamper. *** In November I ordered a dehumidifier from Dewett and paid 138. It arrived a few days later but does not work. I contacted the company and was told if I return the dehumidifier to China, I would be charged a 15 pc return fee, plus tariff charges. C.F., via email. Dewett stands by its return process and fees but you may be able to get a full refund if you paid by credit or debit card and make a chargeback claim. Contact your card provider with details. You could also take Dewett to the small claims court but as it is not headquartered it the UK you are unlikely to be successful. *** I bought an item worth 40 from Cult Beauty but realised I made a mistake. It said I could return the item so I sent it back via Evri, but Cult Beauty didnt receive it. They refused to refund me and said the missing parcel was my responsibility. Ive tried to open a case with PayPal, which I used to make the payment, but it was unhelpful. D. B., Rochdale. Evri says it has apologised to you for your experience, and you have now had a refund from Cult Beauty. PayPal has also offered to credit your account as a goodwill gesture.

Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk  include phone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.
Solid summer and back-to-school trading helped Shoe Zone post higher revenues and profits last year.

The budget footwear seller revealed turnover rose by 6.1 per cent to 165.7million in the year ending September, with digital sales jumping by 17 per cent to exceed its pandemic-era peak thanks partly to bumper trade on the Amazon website.

Store revenues also grew by 5million to 134.8million, despite the firm closing more outlets than it opened as part of a refit and relocation scheme.

Bumper result: Solid summer and back-to-school trading helped Shoe Zone post higher revenues and profits last year

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Shoe Zone, said that demand was strong during the second half, especially over the peak summer and back-to-school periods.

This boosted the group's pre-tax profits by 19.1 per cent to 16.2million, as did the reduction in container prices and rent bills from shop renewals.

The Leicester-based company ended September with 323 stores, 37 fewer than 12 months previously, and also refitted 15 existing sites to new formats.

It plans to make over or launch another 25 brick-and-mortar outlets while shutting numerous older stores and renovating at least 25 more shops to its latest formats.

Smith said: 'We continue to accelerate our store refit and relocation programme and to drive our digital strategy on the back of these solid set of results.

'The hard work completed to reduce costs, streamline operations and accelerate investment positions us well for the year ahead.'

Shoe Zone shares were 1.9 per cent up at 2.30 on early Tuesday afternoon and have approximately quadrupled in the past three years.

The London-listed firm's sales took a significant downturn during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic when its outlets were forced to close and schools switched to remote learning.

Trading rebounded after lockdown restrictions were loosened and back-to-school items sold in droves.

Initially founded in 1917 and formerly called Benson Shoe, Shoe Zone was bought by brothers Michael and Christopher Smith in 1980 when its annual turnover was around 1million.

The company grew over the next few decades via numerous acquisitions, such as Stead & Simpson, Oliver Timpson, and Shoefayre, previously owned by the Co-Operative Group.

According to its website, Shoe Zone employs more than 2,500 people and sells about 14.5 million pairs of shoes annually.
However, black market is still rampant in Australia

Despite the Albanese government's ban on importing disposable vape products in Australia, it is as easy as it has ever been to buy them with the black market operating in plain sight.

Selling nicotine vapes has been illegal since 2021 under laws introduced by the previous Morrison government, but many retailers have brazenly continued to sell them illegally.

In an attempt to fix the flaws in the previous legislation and crackdown on the supply of vapes at convenience stores, Albanese government health minister Mark Butler introduced a nationwide ban on the importation of disposable vapes on January 1.

Retailers can sell existing inventory imported before January 1, as long as it is nicotine-free.

Mr Butler called the reforms 'world-leading' as they kicked in last week, adding: 'If you vape, this new year make it your resolution to quit.'

But Mr Butler's 'world-leading' crackdown appears to be going up in smoke, with specialised retailers and convenience stores still selling illicit disposable vapes containing nicotine, continuing to defy the government's regulations.

Along King Street in the trendy Sydney suburb of Newtown, Daily Mail Australia journalist Olivia Day spotted at least 20 independent and chain stores selling illegal nicotine vapes, illicit cigarettes and other smoking devices.

Surprisingly, the transaction for this forbidden vice was as smooth as buying everyday legal goods.

No ID checks to confirm age, no secretive whispers  just a straightforward exchange of my credit card for the contraband.

Just four simple words were required: 'Do you sell vapes?'

It has been illegal to vape or smoke cigarettes in Australia without a prescription since 2021

At some of the stores our reporter was handed plastic folders displaying the dozens of different models and flavours customers can choose from.

They offered a range of flavours that would make Willy Wonka jealous, options such as apple, blueberry raspberry, watermelon, and mango ice are available, all of which contain nicotine.

READ MORE: Here's why Australia's world-first crackdown on smoking - introducing plain packets and hiking them beyond $50 - has backfired Vaping on the Gold Coast during schoolies Advertisement

The packaging was adorned with vibrant colours and playful designs that made the vapes look more like lollies marketed to children than nicotine products.

Prices ranged from $25 to $50 depending on the amount of puffs the vape contains.

Legalise Vaping Australia director Brian Marlow told Daily Mail Australia this was proof that government attempt to regulate vaping was not working.

'The funny thing about this ban is that disposable vapes have never been legal in Australia, they have always been banned,' he said.

Back in 2021, the Morrison government made it illegal for any Australian to purchase or import nicotine vapes or e-cigarettes without a prescription from a doctor.

This brought the requirement for importation in line with an existing ban on the sale of nicotine vapes in Australia under state and territory laws.

But many retailers and manufacturers have attempted to get around the legislation by falsely claiming their disposable vapes do not contain nicotine.

In an attempt to stop this - the Albanese has banned the importation of all disposable vapes, including those that are nicotine free.

The importation of all other vapes, including refillable products, will be banned from 1 March 2024.

To coincide with the changes to the importation rules, a new access scheme has been set up to allow doctors and nurses to prescribe therapeutic vapes for quitting smoking or to manage nicotine dependence.

But Mr Marlow said the new rules had only allowed retailers to charge their customers more for vapes because of the increased risks they were taking to import and sell them.

Daily Mail Australia visited five convenience stores on bustling King Street in Newtown, in Sydney's inner west, to prove just how easy it is to still buy illicit vapes

Australia's Federal Health Minister Mark Butler send a blunt message to vapers in 2024: 'If you vape, this year, make it your resolution to quit'

No ID checks were required when Daily Mail Australia purchased illegal vape products

He said crime gangs who import the vapes from China to sell to retailers have also been able to increase their profit margins.

'Over 90 per cent of the vapes sold in Australia are black market,' he said.

'With over one million vapers in Australia you're looking at a multi-billion dollar industry that the federal government has no real plan to legalise.

'We're the only country in the world with an issue this bad.'

Mr Marlow said highly addictive IGET vapes manufactured in Chinese factories were also banned in China and rarely used by residents.

'But here, we're eating it up, there's no issue exporting it to Australia,' he said.

'Because we haven't regulated the market properly, people are willing to break the law and face criminal charges.

'They're happy to sell to kids. We're letting criminals operate.'

Experts say illicit vape pens imported from China have created a multi-billion dollar industry

Mr Marlow said marketing restrictions, product standards, licences for retailers, and heavy fines for selling to minors would help clean up the black market.

'Australia should be following the lead of New Zealand, the UK and the rest of the world when it comes to vaping laws,' he said.

'Allow the sale of high quality vapes and regulate them in the same way we regulate other adult-only products like alcohol.

'Doing this will allow adults to access safer products that won't have sky high nicotine levels like what you see in dodgy Chinese disposables.

'It will also crush the rampant vaping black market the government has created.'

A nationwide ban on the import and sale of disposable vapes came into effect on January 1

Researchers recently found that one in four Australian teens have vaped

However, Professor Simon Chapman of Public Health at the University of Sydney said vapes needed to be strictly regulated, and objected to calling the reforms a 'ban'.

'Vapes are not being banned but strictly regulated like they always should have been. Anyone who says they are banned probably also believes that every prescribed drug in Australia is by the same argument also banned,' Professor Chapman told media.

The government's current crackdown is fuelled by the rise in underage Aussies accessing vapes and young non-smokers adopting nicotine vaping.

'Vaping was sold to governments and to communities all around the world as a therapeutic product to help long term smokers quit,' Mr Butler said in a National Press Club address in May 2023.

Mark Butler is pictured alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

'It was not sold as a recreational product, and in particular, not one for our kids. That is what it has become.'

Mr Butler criticised the former Coalition government, saying they were not strict enough on regulating vape imports, and simultaneously created excessive hurdles for smokers seeking legal prescriptions.

'The former government ended up creating the perfect conditions for this unregulated, essentially illegal market to flourish right before our eyes,' Mr Butler said.

'A so-called prescription model with next to no prescriptions, a ban with no real enforcement and an addictive product with no support to quit.'
We'll no doubt be seeing even more of Princess Mary when, on Sunday, her mother-in-law abdicates and the younger woman becomes Queen Consort.

Queen Margrethe made the surprise announcement that she was stepping down in a live New Year's Eve broadcast to the nation.

But there is one thing we will be seeing less of - indeed are unlikely ever to see again: those remarkable low curtsies for which she had become known.

Whether it's a tribute to her natural strength or a fierce workout regime, it was quite something to get right down in heels without the hint of a wobble.

The Queen of curtsies, it seems, will be no more. But here are some of her more remarkable performances by way of a reminder...

Princess Mary's knee is nearly touching the floor as she receives King Felipe of Spain as he lands in Copenhagen

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark pays her respects to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in 2015

This time it's her mother-in-law, soon to be Queen Regent, Margrethe, who gets the low-down treatment. She seemed to see the funny side at this 2007 encounter

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark curtsies to King Harald of Norway as they arrive in New York with other Nordic heads of state in 2011

Crown Princess Mary's knees is just inches from the ground as she is welcomed by Japan's Emperor and Empress Michiko in 2015

Is Queen Margrethe pushing he down or helping her up at the Opening of the Danish Parliament in 2014? Either way, it's a bit of a laugh

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her Husband Prince Henrik arrive at the Parliament Building in the Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen
Survivors of the 1972 plane crash who lasted for 72 days by eating the bodies of dead friends have spoken out in a new documentary - as a new Netflix drama about the disaster shocks viewers.

Coche Inciarte, Eduardo Strauch and Fernando Parrado are among the passengers who survived the full ten-week period after the crash before they were finally rescued.

They are depicted in the new Spanish-language film Society of the Snow, which was released last week - more than 30 years on from 1993 American drama Alive.

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which was bound for Santiago, Chile, lost its wings when it hit a mountain ridge in the Andes, with the remaining fuselage coming to rest on a glacier.

Whilst 12 were killed outright, of the 33 passengers who initially survived 17 went on to die amidst the harrowing conditions, including several avalanches.

Of the original 45 passengers and crew, 19 were members of Uruguay's Old Christian's rugby team, whilst others were their friends, family and supporters.

Channel 5 documentary Andes Plane Crash: Terror at 30,000 feet, which begins this evening, recalls the incredible survival story.

Inciarte, who died last July aged 75, says in the programme that the group made a 'pact' that they would eat each other if they died.

Strauch, who went on to forge a career as an architect, tells in show how he was told by his cousins Fito And Daniel that he needed to eat the flesh of his dead friends, "otherwise you will get very weak."

Survivors of the 1972 plane crash who lasted for 72 days by eating the bodies of dead friends have spoken out in a new documentary - as a new Netflix drama about the disaster shocks viewers. Above: Survivors including Coche Inciarte (centre) smiling for a photo in front of the wreckage of the plane

He adds: 'We started eating very small pieces and starting feeling a little bit better with the protein.'

Speaking of the pact the group made, Inciarte says: 'We make a pact between us. If I die you can take my body. If I die you can do the same. And that made me decide to eat,' he says in the programme.

'At last they accepted the idea and we could start eating the bodies.'

The plane - which had been carrying its passengers to a rugby match against the Old Boys team in Santiago - crashed after starting its descent too early.

The inexperienced co-pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Dante Hector Lagurara, was at the controls when disaster struck.

He tried to gain enough altitude to clear a looming mountain peak but was unsuccessful.

Lagurara and five other passengers died during the first night after the crash.

The only food they had were eight chocolate bars, a tin of mussels, a few dates, a tin of almonds, three tiny jars of jam, dried plums, sweets and several bottles of wine.

Parrado, who along with fellow survivor Roberto Canessa hiked through the Andes to get help, says of the decision to eat the bodies: 'I can assure you that having been there with us on that situation you would have arrived at the same conclusion at the same moment and you would have done exactly the same thing.'

Fernando Parrado, who along with fellow survivor Roberto Canessa hiked through the Andes to get help, says of the decision to eat the bodies: 'I can assure you that having been there with us on that situation you would have arrived at the same conclusion at the same moment and you would have done exactly the same thing'. Above: Parrado in the documentary and shortly after being rescued

Coche Inciarte, who died last July aged 75, says that the group made a 'pact' to eat each other if they died. Right: Inciarte (centre) with fellow survivors at the crash site

Strauch, who went on to forge a career as an architect, tells in the show how he was told by his cousins Fito And Daniel that he needed to eat the flesh of his dead friends, "otherwise you will get very weak."

Survivors are seen with their arms in the air as they are pictured by rescuers

The upcoming film, Society of the Snow, is based on the 1972 Andes flight disaster - 12 passengers died immediately, 17 others died from injuries and suffocation via avalanche

Society of the Snow is an adaptation of Pablo Vierci's 2009 book and is directed by J.A. Boyena

Society of the Snow is told through the narrative of rugby player Numa Turcatti (right), who is played by Enzo Vogrincic (above left). The 25-year-old was the last crash survivor to die and spent his birthday buried under the snow inside the fuselage after the avalanche had hit them the night before

Matias Recalt and Agustin Pardella in Society of the Snow

The area of the crash is known as the Valley of Tears and temperatures can reach -40C. Above: A scene from Society of the Snow, which has filmed at the actual crash site

The disaster claimed 26 lives in total and those who managed to cheat death were forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive. Above: A scene from Society of the Snow

The harrowing story was shot at the actual site of the crash which is around 12,000 feet above sea level. Above: A scene from Society of the Snow

The movie is an adaptation of Pablo Vierci's 2009 book, which contained accounts of the 16 survivors

Society of the Snow follows on from 1993 film Alive, which starred John Haymes Newton, Josh Hamilton and Ethan Hawke

A scene from 1993 film Alive, as the stranded passengers spot rescuers in the sky

Ethan Hawke in a scene from 1993 film Alive. He portrayed Fernando Parrado

Another survivor, Gustavo Zerbino, said in the Daily Mail in 1999: 'All of us made a deal that if we were going to survive, we had to survive together, that we would do nothing unless everyone agreed.

'We had nothing to eat. The only source of energy available to us were the bodies of our friends who had died.

'We began to talk about this. I remember saying: "Listen, this is the only way to survive. If we don't do it, we will all die in two or three days.

'We were all lucky not to have been killed in the crash and then the avalanche. God wanted us to live and given us a way of doing so. It was a unique time in the mind.

'At first, if any of us didn't want to eat, then nobody would eat.

'One person was afraid to do it, but he had a wife and four kids to live for. Some of us told him that he must do it. I said: "If I die and you don't eat me, you are stupid."

'We waited one, maybe two days until everyone agreed. I hated having to do it but my attitude now is exactly the same as it was then.

'If I crashed tomorrow in exactly the same circumstances, then you need to eat human flesh so you can walk through the mountains and find rescue services to get everyone out.'

After temperatures had increased with the changing weather, Parrado and Canessa spent ten days hiking to get help.

They came across a group of Chilean shepherds, who helped them and the others get rescued by the Chilean Air Froce.

Society of the Snow is an adaptation of Pablo Vierci's 2009 book, whilst the 1993 film was based on British author Piers Paul Read's 1974 book, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors.

However, unlike Society of the Snow, Alive was not filmed at the crash site.

Canessa, who is portrayed in the film by Matias Recalt, previously recalled the agonising decision to eat the bodies of the passengers who had died.

'For a long time, we agonized. I went out in the snow and prayed to God for guidance,' he wrote in his autobiography I had to Survive: How a Plane Crash in the Andes Inspired my Calling to Save Lives.

Survivors of the Uruguayan plane crash in the Andes in the fuselage of the wrecked aircraft shortly after rescuers reached them

The survivors of Andes air crash sitting beside the plane during their time stranded without any apparent hope of rescue

The crashed plane fuselage, buried in the snow

Nando Parrado is seen left after being rescued. Right: Survivor Carlos Paez Rodriguez embraces his father after being rescued

Canessa, who is now a pediatric cardiologist, added: 'Without His consent, I felt I would be violating the memory of my friends; that I would be stealing their souls.'

'We wondered whether we were going mad even to contemplate such a thing. Had we turned into brute savages?,' he continued.

'Was this the only sane thing to do? Truly, we were pushing the limits of our fear.'

He told how, after portions of flesh were removed from bodies of their friends, they were laid out on a piece of sheet metal and were then taken by each survivor when they felt able to.

Society of the Snow is told through the narrative of rugby player Numa Turcatti, who is played by Enzo Vogrincic.

The 25-year-old was the last crash survivor to die and spent his birthday buried under the snow inside the fuselage after the avalanche had hit them the night before.

Towards the end of his life, Numa stopped eating and weighed 3.92 stone (55 pounds) at the time of his death.

Andes Plane Crash: Terror at 30,000 Feet airs on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight, tomorrow and on Thursday.
Britain will dispatch a new warship to the Red Sea to protect amid a spate of recent attacks on commercial ships by Iran-backed Houthi rebel forces in Yemen.

Addressing the 'intolerable situation of the Houthis closing international waterways', Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We call for the Iranian-backed Houthis to immediately cease these attacks.

'The Houthis will bear (the) responsibility of the consequences should they ignore these warnings.'

Shapps told MPs that HMS Richmond, a type 23 frigate, will be posted to protect merchant vessels - but stressed the warship is only being deployed to the Gulf to replace a British vessel already on patrol there.

The UK has already sent HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster to the region to protect container ships from assaults by the Houthi rebel group, which has damaged several ships with missiles and drones, and hijacked one Israeli-owned vessel.

The Houthis are aligned with Hamas and declared they would target commercial civilian vessels entering or leaving Israel in the Red Sea following Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs that HMS Richmond, a type 23 frigate, will be posted to patrol the Red Sea and protect merchant vessels

Houthi supporters rally to commemorate ten Houthi fighters killed by the U.S. Navy in the Red Sea, in Sanaa, Yemen January 5, 2024

Members of the Yemeni Coast Guard affiliated with the Houthi group patrol the sea as demonstrators march through the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in solidarity with the people of Gaza on January 4, 2024

Houthi fighters open the door of the cockpit on the ship's deck in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023

Houthi supporters rally to commemorate ten Houthi fighters killed by the U.S. Navy in the Red Sea, in Sanaa, Yemen January 5, 2024

The Houthi rebel attacks on commercial ships have already caused significant disruption, forcing some major shippers to change route and triggering delays in goods flowing into Europe.

Who are the Houthi rebels? The Houthi rebel movement is an Iranian-backed Shia group waging a bitter war against the Sunni Yemeni government, which is backed by a multinational coalition led primarily by Saudi Arabia. The Houthi rebel movement began in the 1990s but was formalised in 2004, one year after the US invasion of Iran. Named after Zaidi Shia cleric and founder Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, the rebel group was initially composed of Muslims belonging to a the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam that was largely marginalised in Yemen. Houthi rebels were initially committed to fighting perceived oppression in the country, and later took on a second goal of fighting Western influence in the Middle East after the Yemeni government voiced support for the US' war in Iraq. The Houthis launched several insurgencies against Yemen's government throughout the 2000s and early 2010s but the conflict quickly spiralled out of control in 2014 after the rebels took control of the capital Sanaa and overthrew the government, triggering a Saudi led-military intervention that has seen the two sides battle tooth and nail ever since. Iran and Saudi Arabia are major rivals, separated by religious sectarianism and desire for greater regional influence. Iran's financial and military backing for the Houthis is believed to have begun in the late 2000s, with Houthi officials confirming in 2015 that Tehran was directly supporting the group. The group, which is hundreds of thousands strong, is extremely well armed and proficient in the use of conventional arms, cruise and ballistic missiles, and drones. Unlike Hezbollah and Hamas, the Houthis do not count Israel as their biggest foe, but have expressed considerable anti-Jewish sentiments and in the wake of Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza announced they would fire on commercial ships headed in and out of Israeli ports in solidarity with Hamas. Advertisement

These attacks have already caused huge retailers in the UK, such as Next and Ikea, to warn of delays in stock, while finance minister Jeremy Hunt this weekend declared continued threats in Red Sea shipping lanes could have an impact on the British economy through rising prices.

Asked whether the attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen could mean rising prices in Britain, Hunt told the BBC: 'It may have an impact and we'll watch it very, very carefully.'

HMS Richmond will form part of a US-led coalition named Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has been protecting trade ships as they journey through the region and towards the Suez Canal and Europe.

US warships have already downed a slew of missiles and drones targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and also sunk Houthis boats headed to hijack other ships.

Mr Shapps pointed out that several British warships were also patrolling the region but said the deployment of Richmond did not constitute an escalation in the conflict.

'Richmond is actually sailing to the region because both Diamond and HMS Lancaster are already there and eventually will need to be swapped out.

'So it is not an escalation in terms, but I do want to repeat... that we will not tolerate trade being impacted globally in the manner in which the Houthis are currently impacting it.

'It will have ramifications on everybody's bills and the flow of free trade and goods and it must come to a halt.'

The Defence Secretary also told MPs that reports of an increasing number of sailors leaving the Navy should not impact the UK's ability to carry out maritime operations.

In the Commons, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: 'He has announced today but hasn't mentioned to the House that HMS Richmond is now sailing to the Gulf. In light of these escalating tensions, what other Royal Navy ships has he put on standby for the region?'

SNP defence spokesman Martin Docherty-Hughes, meanwhile, said it is right the Government take steps to support Prosperity Guardian but asked: 'I wonder if he can advise the House how sustainable this and future joint operations will be when we have seen an increasing number of sailors leave the service, and have seen the intake to replace them in the 12 months to March 2023 plunge by 22.1%?'

The Telegraph newspaper said the Navy has been forced to turn to private contractor Serco in order to recruit deckhands because of a lack of new sailors.

Mr Shapps said: 'The first thing I should say is I am confident we will be able to continue or increase our actions.

'It is true that we actually complete all our operation requirements at the moment, but he is right to say there is a very tight labour market and I think that is actually a subject for celebration in this House that we are seeing such low sustained unemployment even through some pretty turbulent times.

'But of course we will be redoubling our efforts to ensure that all of our services can recruit the people that they need.'

Senior Houthi leader Muhammad Ali al-Houthi gives a speech during a rally showing support to Palestinian Islamic factions, in Sana'a, Yemen, 07 October 2023

Houthi fighters shout slogans during a military parade in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sana'a, Yemen, 12 October 2023

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps inisted the Red Sea shipping crisis has not escalated (PA)

Elsewhere, defence minister James Cartlidge assured MPs no final decision has been made after reports that two assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, could be retired to free up sailors for other vessels amid the recruitment crisis.

Mr Cartlidge told MPs: 'What I would say is no final decision has been made on these platforms. I know there has been a lot of coverage in the press and a lot of chatter inevitably. I know how important they are to our service personnel but I want to reassure him that we are looking at this in the round.'

Conservative former minister Sir Julian Lewis said: 'A short-sighted, militarily illiterate manoeuvre totally at odds with strategic reality' was how the Defence Committee described in February 2018 the proposal to retire HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark ahead of their anticipated lifetime dates of 2033 and 2034.

'May I advise and warn the Defence Secretary not to be blindsided by those people who are raising this again after a change of Secretary of State for Defence.'

Mr Shapps reiterated that 'no decision has been made'.

Conservative former defence minister Sarah Atherton said: 'There are obvious questions raised about Britain's future amphibious capability, a capability used so admirably during the Falklands War.'

She added: 'Our Royal Marine Commandos are an asset we cannot afford to lose.'

Mr Shapps said: 'The Royal Marines are absolutely essential. I have asked the First Sea Lord to provide a plan for how their excellent work is taken forward.'
Its obscene that Humza Yousaf began the year with a lecture on economics, given his partys dire record on managing the nations finances.

He didnt mention the 1.5billion black hole hes vainly trying to plug with ever-escalating taxation  but then this was a speech from a parallel universe.

The terrain was depressingly familiar. The First Minister presented a vision of a thriving independent Scotland, if only we could escape Westminsters yoke.

Since 2007, the SNP has specialised in if only politics, trotting out baseless assertions about the supposed riches that independence would bring.

Mr Yousaf, delivering his first big address of the year, claimed that Scottish households would be more than 10,000 better off if only Scotland could go it alone and break away from the United Kingdom.

Humza Yousaf has been accused of fantasy economics after claiming independence would make every family in Scotland 10,200 better off

You might dimly recall that back in 2014 the White Paper produced by the SNP  an exercise in fantasy that would have put Lewis Carroll to shame  promised us we would be 600 better off.

Over time, that figure rose to 2,700 and in the closing days of the referendum campaign this was pushed up to 5,000. Now the sum on offer has doubled.

Well, numbers clearly arent the SNPs strongest suit  the price-tag for two unfinished ferries commissioned by Nicola Sturgeons government (360million) is more than Alex Salmonds best guess estimate of the cost of setting up the infrastructure required for an independent Scotland (200million).

Naturally, in his speech Mr Yousaf didnt reference the inconvenient fact that Scots benefit from 1,521 more net expenditure per person than people across the UK  the Union dividend.

Its desperate stuff from Mr Yousaf but then again he is trying to cling onto his job and looking down the barrel of heavy losses in the forthcoming general election.

This was a doomed attempt at a reset  drawing a line under the tumult of last year  but it served only to underline the intellectual void at the heart of the Nationalist project, or the vestiges of it.

Mr Yousaf is making promises he couldnt hope to keep, in the full knowledge that another referendum is nowhere on the horizon. Hes pushing a product that most of us dont want to buy and which in any event isnt available.

But it is worth considering what the First Minister didnt tell us yesterday during his flight of fancy; the issues which probably arent even a blip on his radar and never will be for as long as he chooses to remain on a permanent holiday from reality.

The painful truth is that growth in Scotland has been running at roughly half the UK level since Ms Sturgeon came to office in 2014.

The SNP, in league with the Marxist Greens who are passionately against the concept of growth, has presided over nearly 17 years of failure and chaotic mismanagement.

Business is booming only in the bloated public sector and for the welfare state  devolved benefits cost taxpayers more than 6billion a year

As The Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed, the blundering quango Social Security Scotland dished out more than 1million of taxpayers cash in error but has no plans to ask for it back.

The real error was giving power over benefits, or some of them, to a government that plainly couldnt organise a tea round without calling in costly consultants  and even then would make a mess of it.

Scotland under the SNP is becoming a handout society, where large swathes of the population exist on benefits and about one in 20 working-age people in parts of the country has never done a days work in their life  a number that has rocketed since 2007.

It is a waste of human potential that shames the SNP and indeed Scotland  but theres no sign that Mr Yousaf recognises that its a problem, or has any idea of how to tackle it.

The SNPs response has been to introduce a tax triple whammy.

In her Budget in December, Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced a 45p income tax band for earnings above 75,000, while the top rate on earnings above 125,140 will rise by 1p to 48p.

And yet only 11 per cent of Scottish adults pay the higher rate of income tax (42p in Scotland, thanks to the hike announced in 2022 by John Swinney), and 0.7 per cent pay top rate.

Despite this, these individuals  higher and top rate taxpayers  are estimated to account for 65 per cent of the total income tax take in 2023-24.

Dont forget that 39 per cent of Scots dont pay any income tax, a model that is completely unsustainable.

Pressure is being piled on a relatively small proportion of taxpayers who are paying for free prescriptions and free tuition, even if their own kids might not get a university place because of the cap on student numbers.

Everyone earning above 28,850 will pay more if they live in Scotland than if they were based in other parts of the UK  a rank injustice that is bound to fuel a brain drain as the smartest and hard-working head for the exit.

As we revealed last week, the SNP has ordered an investigation into the risk its tax rises pose to the economy, weeks after they were announced in the Budget.

The SNP Government will work with HM Revenue and Customs to assess whether having the highest taxes in the UK is affecting Scotlands ability to attract and retain key workers  though the answer should be obvious to anyone who has been paying attention.

The stable door has been closed long after the horse bolted and its clear that high-tax Scotland disincentivises hard work and entrepreneurship, keeping the economy in the doldrums.

This shambles is justified by the SNP with vague talk of progressive values and social contracts  but redistribution, a fancy word for yet more punishment of taxpayers, wont kick-start growth.

It will merely reinforce catastrophic social divisions, with thousands languishing on handouts and an ever-dwindling tax base shouldering the burden of bankrolling a state which is underpinned by costly giveaways and failing, wasteful quangos.

And yet the argument for a genuine alternative  a laser focus on growth, a more streamlined state, lower taxes  is rarely heard at Holyrood.

The Scottish Tories come closest to articulating it but should go much further than advocating a realignment of income tax to eliminate the corrosive cross-Border disparity  though that would be a start.

Labour would be just as wedded to tax-and-spend and the kind of statism weve seen from the SNP, guaranteeing flatlining or declining growth for the foreseeable future.

Scotland is crying out for change but for now were stuck with the sad fantasies of a snake oil salesman First Minister who can only offer us the same old broken record about independence.
A university student who killed herself within months of being sent to prison for knocking down a young runner while drunk and then fleeing the scene was 'terrified' and being 'berated' by fellow inmates, an inquiry has heard.

Katie Allan took her own life inside Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire after she was sentenced to 16 months for dangerous driving.

The 21-year-old always insisted she did not realise she had hit anyone after her tyre blew and she hit an island after drinking four pints. She was jailed despite the boy and his family pleading with the judge not to imprison her.

Her mother Linda Allan told a prison officer Ms Allan 'was being berated by fellow inmates' on the day of her death.

The agreed evidence was heard at the first day of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which is looking into the deaths of Ms Allan and another inmate, William Brown.

William, 16, was remanded in custody after being deemed a 'potential risk to public safety' at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 4, 2018, three days before his death. He was found dead in his cell the day after his suicide watch was stopped because he posed 'no apparent risk'.

It previously emerged that Allan was allegedly forced to parade naked in front of prison staff during a search for a prison training exercise, made to give her belongings away and bullied. Linda Allan said she believed her daughter's compliant nature was making her daughter an easy target for the wardens to 'reach their strip-search quotas'.

Katie Allan, who took her own life inside Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire

The agreed evidence was heard at the first day of a fatal accident inquiry at Falkirk Sheriff Court, which is looking into the deaths of Ms Allan and inmate William Brown (pictured)

Ms Allan was jailed for 16 months for dangerous driving

Polmont Young Offenders Institutio in Stirlingshire

In a statement outside court, the families' solicitor Aamer Anwar urged First Minister Humza Yousaf to work to remove Crown immunity, which means the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is exempt from prosecution for the deaths.

Ms Allan's parents, Linda and Stuart, stood with Mr Anwar as he said they want the First Minister to hold the SPS to account.

He added: 'Whilst the families recognise today as a milestone in their journey for the truth, it is certainly not the end of the process. The First Minister, Humza Yousaf, must not betray the many promises he made to these families whilst justice minister. He cannot escape behind a veil of silence.'

The inquiry heard Ms Allan, from Clarkston, Glasgow, was jailed on March 5, 2018, for 16 months for dangerous driving while over the drink-drive limit. She was initially taken to Cornton Vale Prison, Stirling, telling a nurse when she arrived that she had previously self harmed by cutting herself on the wrists.

She was transferred two days later to Polmont YOI, near Falkirk.

The afternoon before she was found dead, she was visited by her mother and brother. The FAI heard that at the end of the visit, her mother told an officer that Ms Allan 'was being berated by fellow inmates and was terrified'.

Allan taking a selfie while listening to music

Allan hit a boy while driving but insisted she did not know she had driven into anyone

Miss Allan was studying at Glasgow University and was described as a 'lovely lassie'

Miss Allan had drunk four pints when she got behind the wheel of her car in August 2016

Drink drive student Katie Allan, pictured with family

Linda and Stuart Allan, the parents of Katie Allan

She was last seen alive by staff at about 8.10pm that day, June 3, 2018, watching TV in her cell. The next morning she was found dead, having taken her own life.

She had left a note on the desk in her cell, and letters to her mother, grandmother and a friend were found on her bookshelf.

The court heard she had lost more than a stone in weight during her three months in Polmont.

The inquiry also heard that on October 3, 2018, William had walked into a police station with a knife, while on bail for another blade offence.

The inquiry was told the youngster had a history of making suicidal statements.

The parents of Katie Allan with lawyer Aamer Anwar (middle) and Deborah Coles from bereavement charity Inquest (far left)

Undated file handout photo of Katie Allan

Asked by a social worker if he was suicidal, he replied: 'No, not now, but I don't know how I'll be in prison.'

He was initially put on a 30-minute observation 'for reassurance and safety'. However, on October 5 a case conference was held with a mental health nurse and two prison officers, where he was assessed as 'at no apparent risk of suicide'.

He was found dead at 7.40am on October 7, nearly 12 hours after last having contact with staff.

The Scottish Government said it could not comment on the FAI but would 'carefully consider the outcome'. The inquiry continues.
Australians in the country's southeast are battling the worst floods they've seen in decades while residents in the west are facing an extreme heatwave.

Heavy rainfall on Monday has led to major flooding in Victoria with warnings river levels will remain high for days to come.

Dozens of calls have already been made for help while authorities have warned residents in the central region it is too late to leave their homes as floods close in.

The wet weather system has moved on up bringing showers and thunderstorms to northeast NSW and southeast Queensland on Tuesday.

The wild conditions are in stark contrast to the scorching temperatures to batter Western Australia with a high fire danger warning in place for parts of the state.

Several regions experienced record-breaking rain (pictured, butcher sandbagged in Rochester)

The wild conditions are in stark contrast to the scorching temperatures to batter Western Australia with a high fire danger warning in place for parts of the state (stock image)

Major flooding across central Victoria was caused by a heavy rain band on Monday (above), fuelled by tropical moisture

Two dozen people were rescued from dangerous floodwaters in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning with warnings issued for the Campaspe and Goulburn rivers in central Victoria.

Residents who remained in Seymour, Yea and Rochester overnight, it was too late to evacuate by Tuesday.

A band of heavy rain fuelled by tropical moisture caused record-breaking rain, including in Heathcote which saw 154mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.

It was the heaviest January rain and second wettest day since the town's records began in 1882.

Bendigo broke its daily rainfall record with 91.8mm during the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.

Flooding in some areas could last for the next five days with levels at Seymour expected to be higher than in 1993.

Weatherzone meteorologist Stephen King told Daily Mail Australia central Victoria won't see much rain in the coming days.

'Conditions are looking pretty good. The rain has mostly cleared in New South Wales leaving just partially cloudy skies,' he said.

'Northeastern NSW will see thunderstorms with some activity over the southeast and Canberra.'

That wet weather is set to hit Canberra on Tuesday before the skies partially clear on Wednesday.

Sydney's outlook is similarly bleak with showers on Tuesday easing into cloudy conditions on Wednesday.

The rest of the week is expected to be wet with showers forecast from Thursday to Monday.

Mr King said the clear conditions will continue over central Victoria through to Friday.

Residents in Seymour, Yea and Rochester have become trapped by floodwaters (pictured, Rochester on Tuesday)

Residents who remained in Seymour, Yea and Rochester (above) have been told it is too late to evacuate

Flooding in some areas could last for five days with levels at Seymour (above) expected to be higher than in 1993

'The next couple days look fine and sunny,' he said.

'There could be some afternoon thunderstorms on Friday but nothing like what we've seen the last few days.'

Melbourne is set to see a cloudy Tuesday with the skies to stay grey through to Thursday.

The city is forecast to have one day of sunshine on Friday before showers move over on Saturday.

Rainfall will continue in Brisbane through to the end of the week with the wet conditions coupled with temperatures ranging from the low 20Cs to low 30Cs.

Perth can expect windy conditions on Wednesday with winds shifting south to southwesterly travelling at 30 to 40km/h early in the afternoon, reaching up to 50km/h near the coast.

High temperatures in the Western Australian capital will hang around the low to mid 30Cs for the rest of the week with Friday set to be the hottest day at 35C.

Meanwhile, several districts in the state will face an extreme heatwave and high fire danger.

Mr King said the worst of the heatwave will stretch from the Pilbara down to the Gold Fields.

'Unfortunately, the hot air will sit there for the next week with temperatures well into the 40Cs,' he said.

'That will continue at least until this time next week.'

The heatwave is expected to reach Perth by Thursday or Friday.

An extreme heatwave (above) will hang over Western Australia through to next week with temperatures 'well in the 40Cs'

The extreme heatwave (forecast above) is expected to reach Perth either on Thursday or Friday

Partially cloudy skies over Adelaide will remain on Tuesday and Wednesday before clearing into sunny skies on Thursday.

Hobart will see similar weather with grey skies on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of a sunny Thursday.

Darwin is still in the thick of its wet season with showers and possible storms forecast through to next week.
The use of corporate credit cards to pay for yoga classes, nail polish and books about independence has been defended by the Scottish Government.

The procurement cards have been used by civil servants to run up an eyewatering 14million bill in just three years, which is footed by the taxpayer.

But a review ordered by Humza Yousaf has cleared all but one of the 194 transactions investigated as appropriate expenditure under the current rules for electronic purchase cards (ePC).

Civil servants have used corporate credit cards to pay for yoga classes and nail polish

The only transaction which was not appropriate was a 44 Just Eat payment, where the cardholder said they did not use the card for that purpose but were notified by their bank that it was a fraudulent transaction, causing the card to be deactivated and the payment refunded.

The review, by auditors in the Scottish Government directorate for internal audit and assurance, recommended improvements to policy and guidance, including enhanced monitoring and a review of card usage and limits.

Scotlands top civil servant, permanent secretary John-Paul Marks, has also indicated that staff away days should always be carried out within public sector venues, with approval required by senior officials at director level.

Murdo Fraser, business spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: I welcome this review because its imperative that value for money is the guiding principle whenever Scottish Government officials spend taxpayers cash.

'But now they have clamped down on spending by staff, its high time SNP ministers concentrated on eliminating the grotesque waste of public money they have presided over  including on the likes of the ferries scandal, BiFab and the malicious Rangers prosecution.

Among the spending which was investigated, a 65 Paypal payment for a yoga class for a climate change division away-day in February 2021 was deemed appropriate under current policy.

But a review of policy exclusions and out of scope expenditure was recommended.

The 96 purchase of a book Catalonia, Scotland and the EU: Visions of Independence and Integration was also deemed appropriate, and has been added to the Scottish Government library.

Three purchases of eight bottles of nail polish were approved because they had been used by Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture to distinguish items of glassware to prevent cross-contamination.

Items included specialist VIP services at airports for Nicola Sturgeon totalling nearly 10,000, including meet and greet facilities by Ace Handling, which boasts on its website that we treat you like royalty.

It ensures people are whisked through check-in and security to the VIP lounge. The review found such arrangements were a routine security feature of First Ministers travel.

Public finance minister Tom Arthur said: It is reassuring that the review concludes the transactions audited were all appropriate under the current ePC policy, with the only exception being a fraudulent transaction.

The use of ePC is standard practice across governments and it is vital that policies and guidance on usage remain as robust and transparent as possible.
A startling number of Americans agree with Donald Trump's harsh language against immigrants, and his assertion that undocumented arrivals are 'poisoning the blood' of the nation, our survey shows.

A DailyMail.com/TIPP Poll reveals that more Americans agree with Trump's rhetoric than disagree with it  47 percent of respondents said the Republican was 'correct' while 46 percent objected to his language.

That wafer thin difference is within the poll's margin of error  but nevertheless shows greater support for a stark message than many expected, shining light on a key issue in this year's presidential race.

'They're poisoning the blood of our country,' Trump said of undocumented immigrants at a rally in New Hampshire

Migrants take part in a caravan in southern Mexico this week, headed for the border with the US

Trump made his controversial comments last month at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, where he railed against the record number of migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border illegally.

Poll Do you agree with Trump that undocumented immigrants are 'poisoning the blood' of this nation? Yes No Not sure Do you agree with Trump that undocumented immigrants are 'poisoning the blood' of this nation? Yes 402 votes

No 85 votes

Not sure 20 votes Now share your opinion





'They're poisoning the blood of our country,' Trump told his several thousand supporters in the city of Durham.

Immigrants were coming to the US from Asia and Africa in addition to South America, he added, saying: 'All over the world, they are pouring into our country.'

He promised to crack down on illegal immigration and restrict legal people flows, if elected to a second four-year term in office.

The comments echoed previous statements from Trump, but this time attracted widespread criticism as xenophobic and that they echoed rhetoric from Nazi Germany.

The campaign of Trump's Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, likened his words to those of Adolf Hitler.

Our nationwide survey of 1,247 voters found that nearly half said Trump spoke correctly, including 30 percent who agreed strongly with his comments.

Trump was compared to Adolf Hitler for his comments about immigrants 'poisoning the blood of our country'

Mexico's Government dissolved the 'Exodus from Poverty' caravan last week, but members regrouped on 08 January in Chiapas, a state on the country's southern border

Similar numbers disagreed with the former president.

White respondents, men, and people aged over 25 were more likely to endorse Trump's message than others.

Unsurprisingly, Republican-leaning voters were much more likely to agree that immigrants were 'poisoning the blood' in America than were Democrats.

Trump is the leading candidate for the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nomination and has made border security a top theme of his campaign.

He vows to restore the tough policies from his 2017-2021 presidency, and implement new ones that further restrict people flows.

President Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has sought to enact more humane and orderly immigration policies but has struggled with record levels of migrants, a vulnerability for his re-election bid.

On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly used inflammatory language to describe the border issue and slam Biden's policies.

Ever greater numbers of migrants have crossed the US-Mexico border and asked for asylum since Biden took office in January 2021.

US border agents have since made more than 5 million arrests of migrants making irregular crossings  that is, not through a controlled border station  over the southern frontier.

President Biden has called trump, his main rival in this year's White House race, a threat to democracy

The trend is fueled by ever more people fleeing political chaos in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.

There were more than 10,000 arrests for illegal crossing per day over several days in December alone.

In cities including Chicago, New York and Denver, migrants who have no access to work permits sleep in police station foyers and in airports.

These scenes dominate the early phase of the 2024 presidential campaign, with Republicans excoriating Biden and weighing whether to impeach his Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Republicans want Biden to back more restrictive policies that would dramatically reduce asylum protections, among other things, and they believe they have leverage if the president wants them to authorize tens of billions in aid to Ukraine.

They also say migrants are straining budgets, and even such Democrats as New York Mayor Eric Adams say social services are being overwhelmed by newcomers.

A CBS News survey released on Sunday found that a staggering 93 percent of respondents said the frontier was in a 'crisis' or that border guards faced a 'very serious' or 'somewhat serious' issue of undocumented arrivals.

Only 7 percent of the 2,157 people surveyed said it was 'not much of a problem.'

The share of Americans who call it a crisis has shot up from 38 percent last May to 45 percent currently.
A terrified homeowner recalled the moment he found a fake bomb placed on his car after he put up a Palestinian flag outside his house.

Theo discovered the suspicious item which was attached to the front of his ute parked outside his home at Botany in Sydney's south on Friday just before 2pm.

The resident, who didn't want to reveal his full name over fears for the safety of he and his partner, found a jerry can with a small amount of petrol inside.

A dirty rag was stuffed into the open lid of the container and several bolts were strapped to the outside of the can with black tape.

A handwritten note was also attached to the container with the words: 'ENOUGH! TAKE DOWN FLAG! ONE CHANCE!!!!'

A Sydney homeowner has revealed the terrifying moment he found a bomb (pictured) strapped to the front of his ute parked outside his property

Theo said he feared for his partner's safety when he found the can strapped to his vehicle and said he felt threatened.

'I felt scared. I felt particularly scared for my partner,' he told the ABC.

'It's also something which is clearly there to threaten me, to make me and my partner feel scared, feel terrified. This is terrorism.'

Theo installed the Palestinian flag and a sign out the front of his home in November last year to express his support for Palestinian people in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

He had also put a flag up on the back of his ute.

He said he became concerned that he did something wrong by expressing his support for the Palestinian cause.

A handwritten note was attached to the can (pictured) telling Botany resident Theo to remove symbols of support for the Palestinian people from his home and car

'I worried that I'd done something wrong. I worried that somehow in speaking up and being in opposition of genocide, I had done something wrong,' he said.

A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that officers were called to the scene after the matter was reported and are continuing to investigate the incident.

'Officers from the Rescue and Bomb Squad attended and deemed the item safe,' the spokesperson said.

'Detectives from South Sydney Police Area Command established a crime scene and have commenced inquiries into the incident.'

Theo and his partner have decided to leave the flags up but the couple will have security cameras installed following their terrifying ordeal.

Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said the incident was another reminder of the abuse Palestinian Australians are facing for choosing to speak up.

'Its appalling to see these attempts to terrorise members of the community into silence for their acts of solidarity with Palestinians, who have endured 94 days of brutal Israeli genocide,' Mr Mashni said.

'This is another alarming sign of the anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia that is rife in our communities.'

Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Perched high on the steep, wooded slopes of the Teign Valley, the picturesque village of Hennock is said to offer some of the most breathtaking views in all of Devon.

Here in this tranquil little spot, life centres around the church of St Mary the Virgin  parts of which date back to the Middle Ages  and The Palk Arms, a historic 19th-century pub. All in all, it seems an idyllic place to live, but just last month locals were discussing the absence of the man who owns one of Hennock's most expensive homes.

A beautifully renovated, five-bedroom Georgian cottage, it is one of 20 luxurious properties snapped up in the past three years by Omaze  an American-owned, for-profit company which claims to have raised 25 million for UK charities through draws offering high-end homes as first prizes.

In October, it was announced that the Hennock property had gone to Simon Williams, a 41-year-old aircraft engineer and father-of-two from West Sussex, who explained that his win was all the more thrilling because his late father brought him for holidays in Devon when he was a child.

'It's such a beautiful county and holds so many fond memories for me,' he said.

In October, it was announced that the Hennock property had gone to Simon Williams (pictured), a 41-year-old aircraft engineer and father-of-two from West Sussex, who explained that his win was all the more thrilling because his late father brought him for holidays in Devon when he was a child

There was no sign of life at this five-bedroom Georgian Omaze house in Hennock, Devon

'Having my own place in Devon and being able to bring my family here, like my father did with me, is incredibly special.'

Describing how the only thing he had previously won was a 200 Playstation, he said he planned to set this up in the living room of his new home. Yet, when the Mail visited Hennock last month, there was no sign of life at the house.

The five-bar wooden gate at the entrance to the quarter-mile drive was secured with a heavy chain and lock while a sign had been posted warning intruders of 24-hour security. And the villagers we spoke to were in little doubt about its future.

'I was told that within three or four days of the winner being announced an estate agent was asked to value it,' said one local.

'It's about to go back on the market,' said another. 'If it isn't for sale already, it will be soon.'

Since Omaze has declined to put the Mail in touch with any of its winners, we could not contact Mr Williams to confirm whether he does plan to sell. But if so, then he is far from alone.

Entering a draw seems to be 'win-win' as the Omaze website says.

The company, founded by Californian Matt Pohlson in 2012, says it has raised 25,000,000 for British charities since it launched in the UK in 2020  with Omaze pocketing 20 per cent of each giveaway's earnings.

Tickets range from only 20p if you take out a monthly subscription of 30 for 150 tickets, to 66p if you make a one-off purchase of 15 entries for 10. That seems a reasonable price to pay for helping good causes while getting a chance to win a glamorous new home.

But the Mail has visited every one of the houses won since Omaze began its UK competitions in November 2020 and discovered that most go on the market within 12 months.

Of the 20 properties given away so far, we could find only four where the winners were in residence. For many others, the lights seem to have gone out on their dreams of living amid the sumptuousness promised by Omaze's slick website, in favour of selling off their property to make a quick profit.

While the company is clear that winners are free to sell or rent out their properties if they choose, this is not always as straightforward as it sounds  especially as it has been claimed that some have been plagued with problems. Take five-bedroom Willowbrook House, a stunning Georgian country pile near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds. In June 2021, the 2.5 million home, which boasts an infinity pool and a separate two-bedroom cottage, was won by 48-year-old IT consultant Darren Wordon from Bath.

He was inspired to enter the draw after seeing a TV advert announcing that it was in aid of the Prince's Trust but, after moving in with his wife Mandy and their two children, discovered that they were living in a valley that floods nearly every year.

According to neighbour Julia Boardman, who has lived in the secluded little hamlet since 1968, the house had flooded twice previously. '[The water] went straight in through the back door and out of the front door,' she said.

Another resident said that the winning family 'were keen to make a go of it' but had concerns about future floods.

They moved out and the house eventually sold for 2.15 million last December, almost half a million less than the price originally advertised by Omaze.

The five-bedroom Willowbrook House, a stunning Georgian country pile near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds. In June 2021, the 2.5 million home, which boasts an infinity pool and a separate two-bedroom cottage, was won by 48-year-old IT consultant Darren Wordon (pictured) from Bath

Mr Wordon was inspired to enter the draw after seeing a TV advert announcing that it was in aid of the Prince's Trust but, after moving in with his wife Mandy and their two children, discovered that they were living in a valley that floods nearly every year

One resident said that the winning family (pictured) 'were keen to make a go of it' but had concerns about future flood

The 2.5 million home, near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds, sits in a valley that floods nearly every year

Two months after the Wordons won their prize, 54-year-old Walsall foundry worker Glen Elmy and his wife Debbie, 60, learned that they were the lucky new owners of Stealth House near Combe Martin, on the rugged north Devon coast.

It's the kind of property you might see in a James Bond movie, with sharp triangular shapes and floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping views out to sea, and the couple said at the time that they would be keeping it.

'There's no other house like it in the country, so why would we want to sell it?' said Mr Elmy.

Yet within three days the Elmys had moved out, apparently after learning of coastal erosion threatening the property, and are understood to have demanded a cash alternative equal to the 3 million price tag.

Omaze refused to comment on this, saying that the company 'does not share private details regarding its winners beyond what is featured in winner announcements.'

But Land Registry records suggest that the house is still in Omaze's name and last month it appeared that nobody has visited for a while. Thick moss has begun to grow along the private drive and an eight-foot-tall tree has fallen across it, telling its own story of how the property has been seemingly abandoned.

Walsall foundry worker Glen Elmy and his wife Debbie, 60, learned that they were the lucky new owners of Stealth House near Combe Martin, on the rugged north Devon coast

Yet within three days the Elmys had moved out, apparently after learning of coastal erosion threatening the property, and are understood to have demanded a cash alternative equal to the 3 million price tag

Even from behind the high metal gates at the end of the drive, it's clear that it is empty of furniture and one neighbour suggested it has been unoccupied for some time.

'I can see from my house when the lights are on and they haven't been on in months,' he said. Of course, these are all problems many of us would be happy to bear if it meant we were ultimately walking away a multi-millionaire, as did 73-year-old Susan Havenhand from Taunton, Somerset, winner of a modern 3.5 million home on the edge of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, last June.

Four months later, she sold it for 3.9 million  an enviable return on her 10 entry fee  but the new owners quickly decided the house needed extensive renovation and spent this summer hiring builders at a cost of more than 500,000.

According to one neighbour, 'there were problems all over the house and by the time the last tradesman had left the property, the current owners had said goodbye to half a million putting it right.' The new owners confirmed the amount spent on repair work, but refused to comment further.

73-year-old Susan Havenhand, her husband John, from Taunton, Somerset, won a modern 3.5 million home on the edge of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, last June.

According to neighbour Julia Boardman, the house had flooded twice previously

For their part, Omaze insist that all their properties are subject to 'extensive professional surveys, searches and inspections'.

They say that none of these reports suggested any material concerns with Stealth House, or with the houses in Cheltenham and Willowbrook.

They also point out that they give winners generous cash bonuses which have ranged from 50,000 to 250,000  depending on the home  to help them with the running costs.

But those costs can still be a serious deterrent to anyone thinking of remaining in one of these houses, as Steve Hunter, director of Hunter French estate agents in the Cotswolds, points out.

'While these properties are absolutely stunning, the cost of maintaining something of this nature is not for the faint-hearted or those of us on a modest income.

'Council tax is likely to be the highest band and if the property is left unoccupied for long periods of time this can be doubled or even tripled by some local authorities.'

(Since 2013, local authorities have had the power to increase council tax by up to 50 per cent for homes left empty for more than two years.)

'Also, if you think the cost of heating your three-bedroom semi is expensive, imagine trying to heat a period farm house.'

Running costs were certainly an issue for Uttam Parmar, a 59-year-old operations manager from Leicestershire. In August 2022, he won a stunning 3million Cornish home with a hot tub, neighbours including Gordon Ramsay who has a 4.4 million mansion in the nearby village of Rock, and panoramic views of the Camel Estuary.

Running costs were certainly an issue for Uttam Parmar (right), a 59-year-old operations manager from Leicestershire

One mansion sits in the nearby village of Rock, and has panoramic views of the Camel Estuary

Although the house came mortgage-free and fully-furnished, and with stamp duty and all legal fees covered, Mr Parmar and his wife Raki, 53, put it on the market within eight weeks of scooping the jackpot

Uttam Parmar won this stunning 3million Cornish home with a hot tub in August 2022, but within eight weeks it was on the market due to the running costs

Although the house came mortgage-free and fully-furnished, and with stamp duty and all legal fees covered, Mr Parmar and his wife Raki, 53, put it on the market within eight weeks of scooping the jackpot.

'It is a fantastic house in a beautiful Cornish location but we can't afford to keep it,' said Mr Parmar at the time.

The four-bed, four-bath property was originally on the market for 4 million but the price was later reduced to 3.5 million and it has since been withdrawn from the website of London-based Luxury Property Partners.

No one from the company got back to the Mail to confirm whether it had sold and Mr Parmar would not comment, but the Land Registry shows no record of a recent sale so we can only presume that the Parmars have not managed to offload the house.

Other Omaze properties appear to have been equally hard to shift.

Last January, 58-year-old Grant Carson, a Glaswegian charity worker, described himself as 'one of the luckiest men in Scotland' after winning a five-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse in the Lake District.

Its estimated value was 2.5 million and just six months later he put it up for sale. It's now under offer but only after the price was dropped to 2,350,000. 'The market has slowed quite drastically,' said a local estate agent who asked not to be named. 'And when it does, that kind of property at the top end is the first to be affected.'

'Buyers with such deep pockets are few and far between,' agreed Steve Hunter, director of Hunter French.

But even at the reduced price, the money Mr Carson makes from the sale of the house will clearly make a big difference to a man who lives in a three-bedroom semi and has spent 27 years helping disabled people.

'It's a truly life-changing win for me,' he said at the time of his win, and the Omaze website is full of similarly heart-warming stories.

Grant Carson described himself as one of the luckiest men in Scotland after winning this five-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse in the Lake District

Mr Carson spent his working life helping disabled people find accessible housing - but ended up winning his own sprawling home in the Lake District

The house had an estimated value of 2.5 million and just six months later he put it up for sale

December's winner Oceanne Belle, a 49-year-old student nurse who had to move out of her flat because the landlord put up the rent

They include that of December's winner Oceanne Belle, a 49-year-old student nurse who had to move out of her flat because the landlord put up the rent. She was sleeping on a friend's sofa when she heard that she had won a 5 million townhouse in Chelsea.

'It's a good feeling to know that you've got your own home,' she said last month. 'I want to live here and I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it.'

To help her along, Omaze has given her a cash bonus of 100,000.

That alone is a Christmas present most of us can only fantasise about, but let's hope Ms Belle does not become the latest to discover that, when it comes to winning an Omaze home, the dream can be very different to the reality.
Labour will today unveil plans to tackle persistent pupil absences using AI and spot checks.

Education spokesman Bridget Phillipson will announce the party's intentions to legislate for a new register of children in home education, and explain how it plans to use artificial intelligence to spot absence trends.

It comes as more than a fifth of pupils in England were 'persistently absent' across the autumn and spring terms of 2022/23, amid an attendance crisis engulfing schools.

In a speech to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in London, Ms Phillipson will say: 'The difference a Labour government will bring is clear: as in 1964, as in 1997, a party that puts children first, a government that makes education its priority.'

In a speech to the Centre for Social Justice in London, Education spokesman Bridget Phillipson will say: 'The difference a Labour government will bring is clear: as in 1964, as in 1997, a party that puts children first, a government that makes education its priority'

It comes as more than a fifth of pupils in England were 'persistently absent' across the autumn and spring terms of 2022/23, amid an attendance crisis engulfing schools (Stock Image)

Labour also plans to empower Ofsted to review absences in its annual safeguarding spot checks.

On Monday, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said tackling attendance was her 'priority' as the Department for Education launched a national drive on persistent absence.

Paul Whiteman, from school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Labour is right to prioritise tackling this issue. There is no doubt data on attendance remains a real concern and too many pupils are still not attending on a regular basis.'
A man has accused Jetstar of 'disgusting service' after claiming the airline left his mother-in-law and her three young children stranded when she forgot to pay a $35 excess baggage fee.

Jaimie Tawhi said his mother-in-law Marlene, 51, and her three children under 10 were booted off a Jetstar plane flying from the Gold Coast to Melbourne.

'My mother-in-law had forgot to pay for her excess luggage before boarding the plane,' he said.

'They processed her luggage as she checked in then notified (her that) she had to go to the service desk to pay for the few extra kilos. She forgot and went to board the plane.

'As I was the one who payed for the tickets they called me to notify my mother-in-law would not be boarding the plane if luggage was not paid for.'

Mr Tawhi, who made the claims in a social media post to Facebook, said he frantically tried to pay the outstanding fee when Jetstar contacted him.

'They informed me I had 10 minutes to pay $35 or else they would be removed from the flight and extra fees would occur for holding up the flight,' he posted.

'I hung up, transferred funds and rang back within four minutes.

'Jetstar did not take the payment and had removed my mother-in-law from the flight altogether, leaving her and three kids stranded at Gold Coast airport with no water, no food.

New Zealand man Jay Tawhi (pictured) says his mother-in-law and three children under 10 were kicked off a Jetstar flight over a $35 excess baggage fee he tried to pay

Mr Tawhi vented his fury at the airline saying they had not been able to explain why his payment was not accepted

'My issue isn't with the payment for excess luggage as we knew we had to do this.

'My issue is how they were treated. Not only my family but me as the paying customer.'

She was an inexperienced flyer, having only been on a plane once before.

With his mother-in-law and four young children left languishing at the airport, Mr Tawhi was forced to fork over another $600 to get them on another flight to Melbourne.

'It then cost me a further $600 to book them on the next flight to Melbourne on Bonza,' he explained.

While some people commented that the airline was within its rights to reject his mother-in-law over the missed payment, Mr Tawhi said his fury was over how the incident was handled.

'(It was) the most disgusting service and the worst I have ever been treated by a customer service representative,' he wrote.

A spokesperson for Jetstar said they were investigating but could not confirm the story.

'We're really sorry to hear about these customers experience and are reaching out to get a better understanding of what happened,' the spokesperson said.
A tourist who was at the wheel of a ride-on lawnmower when it toppled over and killed his young backpacker lover can be unmasked for the first time - after a coroner found he is suspected of committing a serious crime.

Daily Mail Australia has obtained the first pictures of Paul Tunik, 27, posing with his girlfriend, Jennifer Kohl, 27, at Sydney Harbour, weeks before she was killed in an apparent accident on a farm in Queensland in December, 2017.

Mr Tunik, who was at the farm to pick fruit with Ms Kohl, told authorities the lovers had sex on a secluded area of the farm earlier on that fateful day.

He told witnesses he 'coaxed' her into taking a joyride on the ride-on mower as a 'romantic gesture', the inquest heard.

However, the ride-on mower overturned as they went down a slope, crushing and killing Ms Kohl.

Mr Tunik did not give evidence at the coronial inquest into Ms Kohl's death - which was attended by her grieving mother Cornelia - and has left Australia for New Zealand.

In findings released last month, Queensland Coroner Carol Lee found there was 'a reasonable suspicion that an indictable offence had been committed by Mr Tunik' and has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Jennifer Kohl, 27, arrived in Australia from Germany in February 2017 on a working holiday with her 27-year-old partner Paul Tunik

She noted there were 'inconsistencies' in his various accounts of what happened when a sharp turn made by Mr Tunik caused the mower to roll down the slope and trap her underneath.

Ms Kohl's mother has challenged several details about what happened on the day and refuses to accept the pair had sex.

Ms Kohl had arrived in Australia from Germany in February 2017 on a working holiday with Mr Tunik before finding work at the avocado farm in December that year.

Cornelia said the couple had fled to Australia after being threatened by a gang in the German city of Leipzig.

'Every day I suffer from the loss of my daughter and simply cannot understand that she is no longer there,' she said.

'I have to deal with it all alone because my divorced husband and my son distance themselves and say she is dead and nothing will bring her back, but I am fighting for justice and Jenny's death should not have been in vain.'

In her findings, the coroner ruled that Ms Kohl and Mr Tunik had finished their work for the day when they went to an unused and out-of-sight area of the property where Mr Tunik claimed they had sex.

In a coronial inquest handed down last month, Coroner Carol Lee found she had a 'reasonable suspicion that an indictable offence had been committed by Mr Tunik' when Ms Kohl died

Paul Tunik's version of events Mr Tunik claimed he had used the ride-on mower on about 50 occasions prior to the incident, despite having only worked at the farm for 11 days. This was denied by the farm owners who said he had only used it the day before Ms Kohl's death. Mr Tunik also claimed there were no forbidden areas where he wasn't allowed to go on the farm. He said he had driven across the slope where the accident happened 'very often'. He initially said Ms Kohl had sat on the mower with him a few times, but then said it was maybe only the first or second time on the day of the accident. The coroner found the day of the accident was the first day Ms Kohl rode on the mower with him. Mr Tunik also gave various accounts of what the weather had been like in the lead up to the accident. Advertisement

Mr Tunik then coaxed Ms Kohl to ride back with him on the ride-on mower - that had a trailer attached - as a 'romantic gesture'.

Mr Tunik was driving the mower with Ms Kohl sitting on the wheel arch when they went down a steep slope and rolled.

Ms Kohl was trapped under the mower and despite Mr Tunik's efforts to remove the heavy piece of industrial equipment and call for help, she was unable to be saved.

A two-day inquest into Ms Kohl's death was held in May last year, with Coroner Lee handing down her findings in December.

'I have formed a reasonable suspicion that an indictable offence has been committed by Mr Tunik,' she said.

'Not having received a submission from Mr Tunik after affording him an opportunity to make a submission, I make a referral to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.'

Mr Tunik did not provide evidence at the inquest but did speak to Work Health and Safety investigators. That investigation was discontinued.

'Consequently, I find that Mr Tunik and Ms Kohl had completed the work that had been assigned to them on the day of the accident and had engaged in sexual intercourse in a disused and out of sight part of the property, on a joyride pretending the property was theirs,' Coroner Lee said.

'Such activity on the mower was unauthorised and in departure from the instructions given to them.'

Ms Kohl's mother Cornelia is fighting for justice for her daughter

At the time of the incident, there was a delay in emergency services arriving at the scene in part due to Mr Tunik's limited English when he rang Triple Zero.

Mr Tunik flagged down passing cars but even with the help of three bystanders Ms Kohl could not be freed.

Coroner Lee found the farm's co-owners, Kathryn Singleton and Kenneth Jacobi, had provided sufficient instruction and supervision to the two adults for using the mower and trailer in designated areas.

The farm owners had said that Mr Tunik had told them he 'coaxed' his girlfriend into sitting on the mower with him, despite her telling him she did not want to.

In her findings, Coroner Lee recommended the Department of Home Affairs set up a 'one stop shop' website for holiday workers to advise them of workplace health and safety as well as their statutory rights in Australia.

The coroner expressed her sincere condolences to Ms Kohl's family over the tragic accident.

'Her death has had an impact on many people, in particular her mother who travelled from Germany for the inquest,' she said.
The big blue fish illegally killed at a Sydney dive spot was not the locally famous Gus the Groper, says the man who first tamed and named him.

Wildlife documentary maker David Ireland, 76, first befriended the beloved giant fish in the 1980s when he ran a nearby dive shop and filmed underwater adventures for TV.

He built up a level of trust with the fish that has lasted for decades, with Gus able to instantly pick him out from a crowd of divers.

Mr Ireland has shot hours of footage of himself with Gus as he swam, petted and fed the fish sea urchins in the waters off Cronulla, in Sydney's south.

Locals feared Gus had been killed when a spearfisherman was seen carrying a dead blue groper out of the water on December 30 at Oak Park Beach, where Gus lived on a nearby reef.

The fisherman, believed to be a New Zealander, was later fined $500 by police, and a further $300 by the NSW Department of Primary Industries on Friday, for spearing the protected species.

But on Tuesday, Mr Ireland told Daily Mail Australia: 'That was not Gus.'

Wildlife documentary maker David Ireland, 76, (pictured) first befriended the beloved giant in the 1980s when he ran a nearby dive shop and filmed underwater adventures for TV

David Ireland says the big blue wrasse illegally killed at a Sydney dive spot (pictured) was not the famous Gus the Groper locals fear it was

He said Gus was much larger than the fish pictured with the spear fisherman, and also had a tell-tale scar near his tail where he was previously speared years earlier but had survived.

'I go back a long way with Gus to when I first started to teach diving before we had a boat,' he revealed.

'Gus's territory was the first reef off the beach - it ran out about 150-200m. I would hold a sea urchin upside down and he would dart over to me and snap it up.

'He got so used to me after a while that as soon as I arrived, even among four divers, he would be able to pick me out, regardless of what wetsuit I was wearing.

'I don't know how he did it.

'Eventually he was so tame, I could put my arms around him like a puppy dog and pat him.'

He added: 'I named him Gus, and that went on for decades.

'Every time I dived, I would hold Gus and feed him and then I filmed [myself] introducing him to my son Jason 11 years ago.

'I knew him very well - and the fish that was killed by that idiot was not Gus.'

David Ireland has shot hours of footage of himself with Gus as he swam, petted and fed the fish sea urchins in the waters off Cronulla, in Sydney's south

David Ireland filmed his son Jason (pictured) being introduced to Gus 11 years ago

David Ireland bonded with Gus by feeding him sea urchins (pictured)

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During that filming session, the father-of-four spotted the injury from Gus's earlier encounter with a spear fisherman.

'All the gropers are subtly different - they have slightly different markings, shades of blue size etc,' said Mr Ireland, who now runs his own TikTok channel.

'But on that trip with Jason in 2013, I noticed that Gus had been speared at the base of the tail and there was a nasty wound there.

'I hoped that he would heal, and he did heal - but it left an indentation at the base of the tail, so that made it very easy to identify him, even for anyone who didn't know him as well as I did.

'But I knew Gus backwards - and that wasn't him the spear fisher killed.'

Mr Ireland slammed the man who killed the groper - which are protected from spear fishing because of their friendly nature - over Christmas.

'There's always f***wits everywhere, isn't there?' he said. 'He obviously knew what he was doing - he had a decent wetsuit and good quality gear.

'He'd obviously done it before and he must have known what he was doing was illegal. There would have been no sport in it - they're so friendly, it would have swum right up to him.'

Locals say there are between seven and 10 blue gropers in the reefs around Oak Park and Mr Ireland believes it was probably one of the other younger fish that was killed.

'It's more than likely one of Gus's offspring,' he said.

'It was me who tamed Gus. It was me who named Gus. You've got all these so-called experts coming out of the woodwork - they know nothing.'

The fisherman, said to be from New Zealand, strode into the water and speared the blue groper

The spear fisherman slung the fish across his shoulder as he marched up the beach, then headed away from the shore with it in his arms, but told police it was 'returned to the water'

Astonished locals watched on as the man slung the fish across his shoulder and carried it up the beach, reportedly 'hurling abuse' at the onlookers

The NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed they had managed to trace the spear fisherman and officials had fined the 26-year-old an additional $300 on top of the $500 police fine.

Natalie Williamson, one of the witnesses who saw the man emerge from the water with the dead fish, said he began shouting at bystanders when they challenged him.

And she slammed the fines dished out as being too small for killing such a big fish.

Spearing gropers carries a maximum $22,000 fine in NSW, but the spearfisherman escaped with paying just a fraction of that.

'It's not much at all,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Not sure the fine will stop him from doing something like that again.'

A DPI spokesman said the spear fisherman had shown regret after fisheries officers caught up with him.

'The person of interest showed significant remorse for their actions during the interview with NSW Fisheries Officers,' they added.

'It was the Person of Interest's first Fisheries offence.

'Fisheries Officers also provided the person of interest with education and awareness material to ensure they know and understand the rules of spearfishing.'

Do you know who speared the fish? Contact tips@dailymail.com
Channel 4 has become embroiled in a diversity row following the appointment of four white directors to its board.

Yesterday Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, approved the new roles of five new non-executive directors, four of whom are white, which sparked criticism from the broadcaster's chairman.

Sir Ian Cheshire said the appointments were lagging behind the channel's own diversity targets.

In a memo, revealed by the Telegraph, Sir Cheshire said: 'These appointments will improve representation on the board but do not yet meet the levels of representation throughout the rest of the organisation.

'Appointments to the board are not ultimately in our control due to procedural reasons but we are committed to continuing to push for further progress.'

The most recent appointments by Ofcom, mean that Channel 4's board will be made up of 15 members. Of those 14, or 93 per cent, are white which is below the channel's own diversity targets.

Alex Burford, who works as a managing director at Warner Records, is one of five new non-executive directors appointed to join Channel Four's board

Dame Annette King, who studied marketing at Oxford Brookes University, is among the new appointees after spending 30 years working in the advertising industry

The CEO of Boots, Sebastian James, has also been appointed as one of Channel 4's new non-executive directors

The broadcaster aims for its workforce to be made up of 20 per cent of people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 12 per cent from people with disabilities and 6 per cent from LGBT+ communities.

Government data about the UK shows that 82 per cent of the population are white compared with 18 per cent who are ethnic minorities.

Meanwhile just under 18 per cent of people are disabled in the UK while 3.2 per cent of the population identify as LGBT+, according to the 2021 census.

Out of the new appointees, four will start their roles today with Alex Burford starting in June 2024. Each appointment will last for three years.

Mr Burford has worked as a record label executive for 15 years and is currently managing director at Warner Records.

Mr Burford previously worked with some of the world's biggest stars, such as Dua Lipa and Liam Gallagher.

He attended Hampton School, an independent boys school, before heading to the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing.

Successful entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow OBE has also been hired on the grounds of her decades-long experience in the digital economy

Tom Adeyoola, a technology entrepreneur with 25 years experience working in new media, disruptive technology and business strategy, has also been appointed as a director

Channel 4 aims for its workforce to be made up of 20 per cent from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 12 per cent from people with disabilities and 6 per cent from LGBT+ communities. Pictured: Channel 4's headquarters in London

The CEO of Boots, Sebastian James, was also appointed yesterday. He previously served as a non-executive director and been on the board of Direct Line Insurance Group, Modern Art Oxford and Save the Children.

Mr James was educated at Eton College before attending Magdalen College at Oxford University. He was a member of the notorious Bullingdon Club and close friends with the now foreign secretary Lord David Cameron.

Dame Annette King, who studied marketing at Oxford Brookes University, is among the new appointees after spending 30 years working in the advertising industry, becoming CEO of Publicis Groupe UK.

She went on to chair the Creative Industries Trade & Investment Board and has been a Board Director at London First.

Successful entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow OBE has also been hired on the grounds of her decades-long experience in the digital economy.

The Oxford University alumni founded Love Home Swap and AllBright. She is a co-chair of Better Menopause and serves on the baords of Women's prize for Fiction, The Mayor of London's Business Board and The Rose Review.

Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, (pictured leaving Downing Street in December) approved the new roles of five new non-executive directors on Monday

Channel 4's chairman Sir Ian Cheshire said the appointments were lagging behind the channel's own diversity targets

The fifth director is Tom Adeyoola, a technology entrepreneur with 25 years experience working in new media, disruptive technology and business strategy.

He launched Metail, a start-up which uses AI to show retailers what their clothes would look like on models.

Mr Adeyoola attended the prestigious all-boys school St Paul's in London where he is now a Governor, before studying Economics at Cambridge.

A spokesman of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) told MailOnline: 'DCMS is absolutely committed to advancing equality of opportunity in its public appointments, to ensure that boards of public bodies benefit from a range of diverse perspectives and are representative of the people they serve.

'Appointments to the Channel 4 board were made by Ofcom following a fair and open competition, with approval from the DCMS Secretary of State.'

MailOnline has contacted Channel 4.

The appointments come as the broadcaster announced it would be making a round of job cuts as it tightens its budgets in the wake of a 'sharp and protracted advertising slowdown'.

In a memo sent to staff yesterday morning, chief executive Alex Mahon said the business needs to get into the 'right shape and the right size for the digital world' for the next decade.

Channel 4's chief executive Alex Mahon (pictured) sent a memo to staff yesterday warning of job cuts

Channel 4 had to cancel a handful of programmes, including Steph's Packed Lunch starring Stephanie Rose McGovern (pictured), as part of efforts to reduce costs

'What we are doing now is accelerating our existing plans to weather the sharp and protracted advertising slowdown that has hit the whole industry,' she wrote.

'We have been working carefully to minimise the impacts on individuals I am sorry that some job cuts will inevitably be involved.'

'What we are doing now is accelerating our existing plans to weather the sharp and protracted advertising slowdown that has hit the whole industry,' she wrote.

'We have been working carefully to minimise the impacts on individuals I am sorry that some job cuts will inevitably be involved.'

Channel 4, which receives its funding from advertising, had recently warned MPs that the level of TV advertising had fallen dramatically amid a shift in viewing habits toward digital and streaming services.

It had to cancel a handful of programmes, including SAS: Who Dares Wins and Steph's Packed Lunch, as part of efforts to reduce costs.

A spokesperson for the Channel said: 'Like every organisation, we are having to deal with an extremely uncertain economy in the short term and the need to accelerate our transformation to become a genuinely digital public service broadcaster in the long term.

'As a result, we need to continue to divest from our linear channels business and simplify our operations to become a leaner organisation.

'This will enable us to invest more in our digital future and in our remit to make distinctive and disruptive British content, increasingly focused on streaming and social channels.'
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Monday that President Joe Biden shouldn't be 'lecturing' her over her Civil War gaffe.

The president traveled to Charleston Monday and spoke at the historic black Mother Emanuel AME Church, quipping that 'slavery was the cause of the Civil War,' a dig at Haley.

The former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador was asked to respond to Biden's comments during a Fox News town hall with Iowa voters, moderated by Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier.

'For Biden to show up there and give a political speech is offensive in itself,' Haley replied.

'But the second thing I'll say is I don't need someone who palled around segregationists in the 70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career, lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery or anything related to the Civil War,' the 2024 hopeful added.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Monday night that President Joe Biden shouldn't be 'lecturing' her about the Civil War, adding that he's 'palled around with segregationists' and 'said racist comments all the way through his career'

President Joe Biden visited Haley's home state of South Carolina on Monday and delivered remarks at the historic black Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. There he prodded Haley over her recent Civil War gaffe

I dont need someone who palled around with segregationists in the 70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery, or anything related to the Civil War. pic.twitter.com/74aXAEDJyp  Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 8, 2024

Haley was calling attention to comments Biden made during his 2020 run that got him into trouble with his Democratic rivals, including Sen. Cory Booker, who is black.

During a campaign fundraising event in June 2019, Biden recalled serving in the Senate alongside segregationist Sens. James Eastland of Mississippi and Harman Talmadge of Georgia, who Biden called 'one of the meanest guys I ever knew.'

'I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. He never called me "boy," he always called me "son,"' Biden told donors. 'Well guess what? At least there was some civility. We got things done. We got it finished.'

'But today, you look at the other side and you're the enemy. Not the opposition, the enemy, we don't talk to each other anymore,' he added.

Booker said that Biden should apologize and the now president refused.

Apologize for what?' Biden told CNN. 'Cory should apologize. He knows better. There's not a racist bone in my body. I've been involved in civil rights my whole career.'

Additionally, Biden previously praised South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond, who ran for president in 1948 on a segregationist platform.

Today is President Joe Biden's 80th birthday.



On March 9, 1993, Senator Joe Biden spoke at a tribute dinner for Strom Thurmond's 90th birthday:



"Strom Thurmond is in every respect the son of the South. And as it was said of Robert E. Lee ... " pic.twitter.com/sjCkBeUzUk  Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) November 20, 2022

Biden attended Thurmond's 90th birthday tribute and spoke of the 'genuine and deep affection for him.'

When he spoke of Thurmond after his death in 2003, Biden said he didn't believe the late senator was racist at his core.

During his 2020 campaign, Biden also took heat for telling popular morning show host Charlamagne Tha God, 'you ain't black,' if he didn't vote for the Democratic candidate.

During Biden's appearance at Mother Emanuel AME Church Monday, which was the site of the heinous racially motivated 2015 mass shooting, Biden hit both Haley and former President Donald Trump over their recent comments on the Civil War.

'So let me be clear for those who don't seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War,' Biden said, earning applause. 'There was no negotiation about that.'

Last month, Haley stepped in it when she didn't mention slavery when a New Hamsphire town hall attendee asked her what caused the Civil War.

'Well don't come with an easy question or anything,' Haley told the town hall attendee.

'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 couldn't do,' Haley then answered.

Haley asked the man for his opinion on what started the Civil War and he then commented that he found it 'astonishing' in 2023 that she wouldn't mention the word 'slavery.'

'What do you want me to say about slavery?' Haley then said.

On Saturday, Trump waded in, telling supporters at a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa that he believed the Civil War was 'something that could've been negotiated.'

'The Civil War was so fascinating, so horrible,' Trump said. 'I'm so attracted to seeing it. So many mistakes were made. See there was something that could've been negotiated, to be honest with you, I think you could have negotiated that.'

He added that President Abraham Lincoln 'if he negotiated it, you probably wouldn't even know who Abraham Lincoln was.'

So far, of the three top Republican candidates, only Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has remained unscathed in the Civil War controversy.

'I don't even know how to judge - I don't even know what he's talking about,' DeSantis told ABC News Sunday, responding to Trump's comments at an Iowa campaign stop. 'Lincoln did what he had to do, he ended up ushering the abolition of slavery and he saved the union.'
David Davis said Post Office should be stripped of power to bring prosecutions

The Post Office minister has vowed to leave 'no stone unturned' to get speedy justice for hundreds of postmasters wrongly convicted during the Horizon scandal.

Kevin Hollinrake told MPs the Government was urgently pursuing options to fast track a process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their names in the courts.

Whitehall sources said this could involve a change in the law to allow the huge backlog of cases to be considered 'en masse' rather than individually. Discussions were taking place with 'senior figures in the judiciary'.

In the Commons, Mr Hollinrake said the change could 'unlock' compensation claims for hundreds of former postmasters who had their lives wrecked by false claims that they stole money from the Post Office.

He praised the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office for bringing the scandal to a 'much broader audience' and for highlighting the 'brutal approach' taken by the Post Office.

He said the series, which has triggered an outpouring of public anger, had 'only reinforced our zeal for seeing justice done as quickly as possible'.

Kevin Hollinrake, the Minister for the Post Office, making a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London, on Horizon compensation and convictions

Sir Ed Davey tries to avoid being photographed today as he heads to Parliament to hear the Ministerial Statement on The Post Office Scandal

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is seen leaving her local village church in February 2022

Former postmaster Alan Bates, who is portrayed by Toby Jones in the new drama, led and won the initial legal battle after himself falling victim to the faults

Mr Hollinrake said achieving justice for those wronged was now his 'highest priority' and hinted that new measures to overturn convictions could be introduced within days.

'I'm sorry I can't be a little more precise in my timescales but I'd be very disappointed if we went past the end of this week in terms of giving more information to the House,' he said, before adding: 'The time for quibbling is over.'

Such laws to quash the remaining convictions 'could be done tomorrow', two former lord chancellors said last night.

In a letter to The Times, Sir Robert Buckland wrote: 'We should recognise these exceptional circumstances by asking Parliament to pass legislation  Such legislation would help to right a clear wrong.

'Too many subpostmasters have already died without seeing justice being done, so there is no more time to be lost.'

Lord Falconer of Thoroton, justice secretary under Tony Blair, said: 'The Government could introduce that [legislation] tomorrow and there would be no resistance in Parliament.'

Postmasters whose convictions are overturned are entitled to interim compensation worth 163,000. They can then opt to accept an offer of 600,000 or seek to have their individual case examined.

Mr Hollinrake said: 'When we talk about compensation, we have to remember that the lives of postmasters and their families caught up in this scandal have been irrevocably changed.

'They have faced financial ruin, untold personal distress, and a loss of reputation that no amount of financial compensation nor promises of lessons learned can fully restore.

'The Government recognises, however, that we have a clear moral duty to right these wrongs to the best of our ability.' In total some 148million has been paid out but the final bill is expected to be many times higher.

Yesterday the minister suggested that Fujitsu, which supplied the Horizon software at the heart of the scandal, could be asked to help fund the compensation if the firm is found culpable by an ongoing public inquiry.

'We have been clear that it should not be the taxpayer alone that picks up the tab,' said Mr Hollinrake.

Former Cabinet minister Sir David Davis said the Post Office should be stripped of its power to bring prosecutions and barred from hiring expensive lawyers to challenge compensation claims.

He also called for criminal prosecutions against the 'real villains' of the scandal, adding: 'We know who they are.'

Mr Hollinrake said the Post Office had 'quite rightly' decided to stop bringing private prosecutions some years ago.

But he added that Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was now examining if it should be stripped of its right to do so.

Kevin Hollinrake told MPs the Government was urgently pursuing options to fast track a process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their names in the courts

Mr Hollinrake said the change could 'unlock' compensation claims for hundreds of former postmasters who had their lives wrecked by false claims that they stole money from the Post Office

Labour's business spokesman Jonathan Reynolds said the party would back efforts to accelerate the process for exonerating the postmasters.

'It is unconscionable that convictions remain where it is clear no wrongdoing was committed,' he added.

Mr Hollinrake suggested that former Post Office boss Paula Vennells should hand back her CBE voluntarily after being at the helm 'during a critical time'.

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne also urged Ms Vennells to surrender her honour. He added that 'heads have to roll because lives have been destroyed'.

Rishi Sunak last night also weighed in behind efforts to strip former Ms Vennells of her CBE.

Downing Street said he would 'strongly support' an investigation by the honours forfeiture committee into whether Mrs Vennells should lose the gong awarded for 'services to the Post Office and to charity'.

READ MORE: Post Office is STILL handing millions to the company behind the faulty Horizon software that led to hundreds being wrongly accused of fraud Advertisement

By last night more than a million people had signed a petition addressed to the panel's chairman, Sir Chris Wormald, calling for her to be stripped of the honour.

Pressure was also mounting on Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who ignored pleas for help from postmasters during his time as Post Office minister in the Coalition government.

One victim of the scandal urged Sir Ed to 'look in the mirror', while Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson said many people had gone to prison 'due to him not listening'.

Sir Ed insisted yesterday he had been 'lied' to by Post Office executives, but did not offer an apology to those wronged.

Last night, MPs were told that ministers were urgently pursuing new options to overturn the convictions of more than 700 postmasters. Just 93 have successfully navigated the glacial process so far, leaving hundreds more unable to claim compensation.

Mr Sunak said yesterday the treatment of the postmasters over two decades had been 'an absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice'.

On a visit to Accrington in Lancashire, the PM added: 'The stories are appalling, people were treated absolutely appallingly. That's wrong and we should do everything we can to make it right.'

He pointed out that as chancellor he had approved the compensation scheme which has now paid out almost 150million to thousands of victims, saying: 'People should know that we are on it and we want to make this right. The money's been set aside.

'What we are now looking at is how can we speed all of that up? We want to get that [money] out of the door as quickly as possible.

'It was simply wrong what happened. They shouldn't have been treated like this, and we should do everything we can to make it right for them.'

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after Horizon  faulty Fujitsu accounting software  made it look like money was missing from their shops.

Mr Hollinrake, the Minister for the Post Office making a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London, on Horizon compensation and convictions

Paula Vennells (pictured), the former CEO, left the Post Office with a CBE for services to the organisation as well as to charity

Jo Hamilton, 66, was falsely accused of stealing 36,000 from a village shop in South Warnborough, Hampshire, and eventually pleaded guilty to false accounting in fear of going to jail

Mrs Hamilton is one the stars of a new ITV drama about the Post Office Horizon scandal called Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Pictured: Mrs Hamilton played by actor Monica Dolan

But, incredibly, Mrs Vennells was given a CBE for services to the Post Office in 2019  the same year the postmasters won 58million for false prosecutions on her watch.

Despite outrage at the time, it has had to take the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, to kick ministers into action to overturn hundreds of wrongful convictions that still stand.

Mrs Vennells, 65, has been accused of playing a leading role in covering up IT flaws behind the miscarriage of justice. She apologised for the scandal after some postmasters overturned their convictions at the Court of Appeal, but has been silent on calls for her to return her CBE.

Ministers have been told they should consider life sentences in prison for those found ultimately responsible for the Horizon scandal.

Labour former minister Barry Gardiner told the Commons: 'The minister said this is not just about compensation, it is about restoration, and that is true. But is it not also about misfeasance in public office? So will the minister confirm that the maximum penalty for a public servant who willingly and knowingly acts in a manner that results in harm, injury or financial loss to an innocent party is life imprisonment?'

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake replied: 'I have dealt with a number of different scandals over the years from the backbench as well as in my ministerial role here and I think it happens all too often at a corporate level for us to simply carry on in the way we have done in the past.

'So I am very much happy to take away his points in terms of the potential penalty for the offence he describes. That is something I will discuss with officials and others.'

Ministers have discussed 'at length' the possibility of bringing a Bill to Parliament to quash the convictions of subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal, Kevin Hollinrake said.

Conservative former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland told the Commons: 'This is an unprecedented set of circumstances and in my judgment it requires an unprecedented approach. That should be legislation on the floor of this House to deal with the convictions of this huge class of people who are not just not guilty, they are victims themselves.

'Can I urge upon him and the Lord Chancellor to look urgently at the question of legislation that I know will be supported in this House to create a presumption of innocence that will cut the Gordian Knot and support the victims and their families who are enduring this horror for too long?'

Business minister Mr Hollinrake replied: 'This situation is unprecedented. Certainly legislation on the floor of the House is something we discussed at length today in a meeting with the Lord Chancellor and officials.'
A luxury car has been firebombed for the second time in a matter of days - the latest blast completely destroying it.

Emergency services were called to the Barnards Ave house at Hurstville in Sydney's south in the early hours of Tuesday morning following reports of a car fire.

Police found a white Mercedes convertible on fire upon arrival, with six NSW Fire and Rescue crews called in to attend the fire.

The fire took the crews 20 minutes to extinguish.

The $300,000 vehicle was completely destroyed, while the house suffered minor cosmetic damage to its outer walls and some windows blown out.

The above car has now been firebombed twice in a few days. The second explosion destroyed it

The latest blast shattered windows at the home at Barnards Avenue in Hurstville, in Sydney's south-west

Vehicles parked next to the Mercedes also received minor damage.

Two people who were home at the time of the fire were evacuated from the house for a time before being allowed to re-enter.

Friends have been seen entering the house Tuesday morning but the tenants have remained inside the home as police investigate.

Two people were evacuated from the home following the blast - before they were allowed to reenter

Neighbours were also evacuated from their homes until the fire was under control and there are no reports of any injuries.

The same Mercedes was reportedly set on fire at around 1am Friday, but self extinguished before any major damage occurred.

Police have set up a crime scene and have begun investigations with officers spotted removing several items of interest from the property early Tuesday morning.

Anyone who witnessed anything in the area or who has information on the fires are asked to alert Crime Stoppers.
A local councillor has vowed to dump welcome to country ceremonies and focus on delivering cost of living relief instead if he is re-elected.

Cumberland City Councillor Steve Christou announced his decision to axe traditional Indigenous smoking ceremonies on Monday if his party is elected at this year's council elections.

Mr Christou, who previously served as the mayor of Cumberland Council in Sydney's west from 2017-2022, said the ceremonies did not represent the electorate's multicultural community.

'From this year at the 2024 elections I will absolutely make it a priority to dump welcome to country and smoking ceremonies,' he said.

'We will no longer have an Indigenous policy that represents 0.6 per cent of the Cumberland City Council population at the expense of the majority of our diverse residents.'

Mr Christou said his newly launched party Our Local Community would help deliver much needed help for struggling families during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

'Instead, we will focus on housing affordability and cost of living and representing the majority of residents that make up Cumberland City Council.' he said.

Around 240,000 people live in the Cumberland area with less than one per cent of the population (identifying as) Indigenous.

Mr Christou also referenced the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, after a majority of residents in Cumberland voted No.

Cumberland City Councillor Steve Christou (pictured) has vowed to dump local welcome to country ceremonies if his new party is elected at this year's council elections

'The people of Cumberland and Australia voted overwhelmingly to reject the Voice to Parliament campaign with Cumberland City Council Local Government area recording one of the highest No votes in the country,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

His bid to scrap welcome to country ceremonies comes after several councils in South Australia voted to discontinue the verbal Acknowledgement of Country during meetings.

The City of Playford which oversees suburbs in Adelaide's north made the move in November 2023 and now have an 'inclusive' acknowledgement on their website.

The council has reserved verbal acknowledgements for special events, such as the swearing-in of councillors.

Earlier in the same month the Northern Areas Council in Adelaide opted to eliminate acknowledgements at meetings and from all official council correspondence.

CEO of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council Yusuf Deen slammed Councillor Christou's comments and told Daily Mail Australia that welcome to country ceremonies are an important part of respecting Indigenous heritage and culture.

'It's a sad state of affairs, when these types of issues are politicised in the hope of winning votes,' Mr Deen said.

'What he's proposing is divisive in itself and also demeans our Traditional Owners and Elders, and ignores the history and culture of the land and its people throughout time.'

Mr Christou said the move to dump the ceremonies would see his newly launched party instead deliver cost of living relief (stock image)

Indigenous elder and Ngadjuri man Parry Agius slammed the council's decision and said he was at 'a loss' as to why the ceremonies had been removed from council proceedings.

'[I'm] feeling that Ngadjuri people are not wanted in that place, in that region,' Mr Aguis told ABC Radio.

'The reason behind an Acknowledgement is really about acknowledging that there were Aboriginal people before the area was colonised.'
Sir Ed Davey was under mounting pressure last night after some of his own MPs queried his role in the Post Office scandal.

The Liberal Democrat leader has faced questions over what he knew about the IT system that led to the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history.

As minister for postal affairs in the Coalition government, he was warned by campaigning sub-postmaster Alan Bates about 'flaws of the Horizon system' but refused to meet him, saying it would not 'serve any purpose'.

Sir Ed said yesterday that the Post Office had lied to him 'on an industrial scale' when he was the responsible minister from 2010 to 2012, insisting: 'They were all lying to me.'

But doubts have been raised among some of his MPs, who are now questioning his leadership due to the role he played in the scandal, with one source saying the 'knives are beginning to be sharpened'.

The Liberal Democrat leader has faced questions over what he knew about the IT system that led to the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history

Sir Ed said yesterday that the Post Office had lied to him 'on an industrial scale' when he was the responsible minister from 2010 to 2012, insisting: 'They were all lying to me'

The Lib Dems have just 15 MPs, but 84 peers. While the House of Lords hasn't yet returned from its Christmas break, a source said they remained supportive of the leader.

There were also claims yesterday that Sir Ed had boasted to constituents that he had helped Ms Vennells get her job as Post Office chief and had her private mobile number as a result.

While the Lib Dems acknowledged that he had overseen the appointment, they denied that he had bragged about having her number. There were calls for his resignation yesterday, but Sir Ed refused to heed them  despite having made 34 demands for various public figures to step down on X, formerly Twitter, since 2019.

Among his targets for resignation demands were prime ministers, ministers, MPs, BBC executives and the entire board of Thames Water.

As minister for postal affairs in the Coalition government, he was warned by campaigning sub-postmaster Alan Bates (pictured) about 'flaws of the Horizon system' but refused to meet him, saying it would not 'serve any purpose'

Sir Ed called for Boris Johnson to step down on 18 separate occasions and took aim at former ministers Dame Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, Chris Grayling and Kwasi Kwarteng.

Conservative MP Sally-Ann Hart said: 'If he is found to have been at fault and overlooked something that was glaringly obvious, then he should do what he tells everybody else to do when they make the slightest mistakes... he should consider whether he should himself resign.'

Treasury minister Bim Afolami said Sir Ed should 'be honest with people' and explain why 'he didn't ask the right questions'. 'Sir Ed needs to explain what he was told and why he allowed certain things to develop in the way that they did,' he told LBC.

A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'Paula Vennells was appointed in 2012, several years before the Post Office scandal was exposed, while the Conservative Government shamefully gave her an OBE in 2019. Ed has said many times that he wishes he'd known then what we all know now, that the Post Office was lying to him and other ministers on an industrial scale.'
A driver has been taken into custody after his vehicle crashed into the gate surrounding the White House.

The arrest was confirmed on Monday evening by Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service.

He said the crash happened on the east side of the White House complex, by Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street.

'Shortly before 6 p.m., a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex,' he wrote on X.

'The driver has been taken into custody & we are investigating the cause & manner of the collision.

'Expect traffic implications at 15th Street & Pennsylvania Ave & adjacent intersections.'

Secret Service officers are pictured on the scene on Monday evening after a car crashed into a White House gate

Emergency crews are pictured on the scene on Monday evening after a car crashed near the White House gate

The crash happened on the east side of the White House complex, by Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street

The eastern fence of the White House, where the incident occurred

The identity of the driver has not yet been released, and it is unclear whether it was an accident.

Joe Biden was not at the White House at the time, as he was traveling home from Charleston, South Carolina.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is now facing a threat of impeachment from a Republican congressman as fury grows over his secretive hospital stay.

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against the embattled Pentagon chief, 70. just as he was released from intensive care.

Austin is still in hospital, eight days after he was taken from his home in an ambulance because of complications from a medical procedure.

There have since been calls for him to resign after it emerged that the White House and the rest of the Biden administration to be informed that he was receiving medical care.

The Pentagon has said his prognosis is 'good' but still won't reveal deatails of his medical procedure.

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against the embattled Pentagon chief, 70. just as he was released from intensive care

Austin is still in hospital, eight days after he was taken from his home in an ambulance because of complications from a medical procedure

Rosendale says Austin has 'violated his office' multiple times, giving the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.

'Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base  home to ICBMs  and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens,' he said in a statement.

'This dishonesty seems to be a repeated pattern for the Secretary as he once again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.

'Sec. Austin is unfit for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in impeaching him to protect the American people,' he added.

Rosendale is mulling a Senate run in Montana, even as GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.

The Biden administration is standing by Austin, despite fury from both Democrats and Republicans that the media and senior government officials were kept in the dark about his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Austin is the third Biden administration official Republicans have floated the idea of impeaching, after Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas and President Biden.

The first impeachment hearing for Mayorkas is set to occur on Wednesday.

The Pentagon revealed Monday that Austin was taken in an ambulance from his home to Walter Reed Army Medical Center after experiencing severe pain on Jan. 1.

Officials also revealed they did not inform the White House that Austin, 70, would be going to the hospital to undergo an elective medical procedure on Dec 22. Austin transferred his authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

Hicks was not made aware of Austin's hospitalization until three days after he was admitted. Biden was told four days after the defense secretary was admitted.

Austin's top staffers knew about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, yet held off notifying senior Defense Department leaders, the White House, and Congress, Pentagon press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said.

He also noted he did not know what procedure Austin was undergoing on December 22.

Austin remains in the hospital but is out of intensive care and has taken back his authorities, the Pentagon said.
Technology giant Fujitsu could be pursued for millions of pounds in compensation over its role in the Post Office scandal, the Government hinted yesterday.

The Japanese multinational, worth around 58billion, has so far paid nothing to help subpostmasters wrongly convicted of theft and fraud because of its faulty Horizon system.

But Downing Street indicated Fujitsu could be hauled into court if the public inquiry finds it at fault. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'The culpability or otherwise of Fujitsu is something that is being examined as part of the independent inquiry process so I'm unable to fully opine at this point.

'Obviously it should not be the taxpayer alone which picks up the tab for Horizon compensation.'

Yesterday, it emerged Fujitsu had signed 200 contracts worth 6.7billion in total to supply IT solutions to the Government over the last decade.

They include a 19million deal to run England's flood alert system that was made just three weeks ago.

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been called on to hand her honours back

The Post Office recently awarded a contract worth more than 36million to Fujitsu to extend the use of Horizon until spring 2025 (File image)

And, as the Mail revealed on Monday, the Post Office recently awarded a contract worth more than 36million to Fujitsu to extend the use of Horizon until spring 2025.

The Post Office said its use of Horizon was supposed to have ended last year, with it hoping to find a new provider.

But it had to 'pivot back' because the change 'created fundamental technical challenges that Post Office Ltd could not economically and technically overcome'.

It said the 36million deal 'was a modification to our agreement with the company and not a new contract'.

Former Cabinet minister Sir David Davis said the firm should not be given any more government contracts until the public inquiry establishes whether it 'meddled' with Post Office workers' computers.

He added: 'The indications are that Fujitsu's employees have not been entirely straightforward about that. I would certainly suspend any possibility of a new contract until that's over.

'But I don't want to see one injustice followed by another, so we've got to stick with the process and make sure that we're checking the facts and doing what we should do.'

More than one million people have signed a petition calling for former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to lose her CBE amid growing anger over the Horizon scandal

The Horizon scandal has been been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history

Former Tory MP Lord Arbuthnot added: 'I can't understand why a company that behaves in such a devious way is still winning contracts.'

Britain is one of the key international markets for Fujitsu, which employs around 7,000 people.

The Horizon accounting system, used by the Post Office from 1999, wrongly accused postmasters of taking money from their businesses, resulting in thousands being forced into repaying the non-existent shortfalls and dozens being jailed.

Last night solicitor James Hartley, who represented 555 postmasters in their fight for justice, told the Daily Mail that the victims cannot sue Fujitsu directly.

He said: 'It is possible but difficult for Fujitsu to be pursued for compensation. The Post Office would need to issue a legal claim for breach of contract alleging that they were at fault for the Horizon system being faulty.

'Fujitsu would very likely deny liability by arguing that the Post Office is to blame for continuing to prosecute and take money from postmasters despite knowing there were problems with the Horizon system.'

Chris Trousdale, 41, ran a post office in Lealholm, North Yorkshire, and was fined 800 and given community service after Horizon wrongly declared that 7,800 was missing from his till. He said: 'Fujitsu are getting away with it scot-free, and they're still being awarded massive government contracts.

'No matter how long it takes, the victims want justice to be done from the top to the bottom. We won't rest until it happens.'

A Fujitsu spokesman said: 'The current Post Office Horizon IT statutory inquiry is examining complex events stretching back over 20 years to understand who knew what, when, and what they did with that knowledge.

'The inquiry has reinforced the devastating impact on postmasters' lives and on their families... Fujitsu has apologised for its role in their suffering.'
Senior Royal Marines made a blistering attack on the Defence Secretary last night after he asked top brass to justify the corps' existence.

Lieutenant Colonel Ewen Southby-Tailyour  a key planner behind Britain's victory in the 1982 Falklands War  said Grant Shapps's request was 'highly alarming', while former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West, said the unprecedented demand was 'extraordinary and dangerous'.

Speaking in a Commons debate on defence measures, Mr Shapps revealed he had asked the First Sea Lord (FSL), Admiral Sir Ben Key, to 'provide a plan' for how their work is taken forward.

Concerns have been raised after it emerged two landing ships essential for the Marines' amphibious operations could be mothballed.

The Royal Navy says HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark 'deliver the punch of the Royal Marines to land by sea or air'. But plans to scrap the so-called Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) have triggered fears for thousands of commandos, whose corps was raised in 1664.

Grant Shapps (pictured) revealed he had asked the First Sea Lord (FSL), Admiral Sir Ben Key, to 'provide a plan' for how their work is taken forward

Lieutenant Colonel Ewen Southby-Tailyour (pictured)  a key planner behind Britain's victory in the 1982 Falklands War  said Grant Shapps's request was 'highly alarming'

Senior Royal Marines made a blistering attack on the Defence Secretary last night after he asked top brass to justify the corps' existence

The LPDs can approach beaches, launch smaller amphibious boats and have helicopter launch pads.

Lt Col Southby-Tailyour said: 'After precisely 360 years I find it alarming in the extreme that the Secretary of State has, in effect and naively, asked the FSL to justify the Royal Marines' existence.

'The Royal Marines are unique and carry out a remarkably varied number of duties which could not be undertaken by others without lengthy and hugely intensive training. Leave us to get on with the job.'

The corps led the UK's bid to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina in 1982 and spearheaded the UK's insertion in southern Iraq in 2003.

They also served with distinction in land warfare in Afghanistan, proving their versatility.

However, the corps is understood to be significantly undermanned, with up to 1,000 unfilled roles.

Admiral Lord West said plans to retire the LPDs were 'madness' and queried Mr Shapps's approach, adding: 'It sounds like he is asking the FSL to justify why we have Royal Marines, and that is extremely worrying.

'It is very clear what the Royal Marines are for  they are one of our best fighting units, a key part of our amphibious capability and a crucial part of Nato.

'Retiring those specialist ships would blow a hole in the raison d'etre of the commandos.'

The Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Army are suffering an unprecedented recruitment and retention crisis, with thousands more troops leaving annually than are recruited.

Staffing shortages have forced Navy commanders to consider decommissioning older craft to ensure enough sailors are available to crew the high-tech warships due to enter service.

Mr Shapps told MPs: 'No decision has been made on the LPDs. The Royal Marines are absolutely essential. I've asked the First Sea Lord to provide a plan for how their excellent work is taken forward.'
An alleged spy working for MI6 was outed by China's security agency on social media yesterday.

China's Ministry of State Security accused British spies of tasking a foreigner to carry out espionage in China under the guise of working as the head of a foreign consulting agency.

In an echo of the spy scandal in Britain when Christine Lee was identified by MI5 as a Communist agent at the heart of parliament, it has been claimed that a foreign national known by the surname Huang was sent to China to collect state secrets for British intelligence.

According to Chinese officials, Britain's Secret Intelligence Service sent him to 'China several times under instructions to use their public profile as a cover to collect China-related intelligence for Britain... and seek other personnel whom MI6 could turn.' It alleged that Mr Huang was tapped up by MI6 in 2015 and used his position in an unnamed overseas consulting agency to conduct China-related intelligence gathering.

In a WeChat post, the ministry claimed that Huang passed 17 pieces of intelligence, including confidential state secrets, to MI6 before he was identified.

In an echo of the spy scandal in Britain when Christine Lee was identified by MI5 as a Communist agent at the heart of parliament, it has been claimed that a foreign national known by the surname Huang was sent to China to collect state secrets for British intelligence (File Photo)

He also received 'professional intelligence training' in Britain and had used 'specialist spying equipment' to send communications in an alleged 'intelligence cooperation relationship', it was said.

But China said an investigation 'promptly discovered criminal evidence that Huang was engaged in espionage activities, and took criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law'.

The ministry statement revealed by Reuters did not provide Huang's first name, employer, or whereabouts, but if true the details may be sufficient to blow his cover.

The decision to publicly identify the surname of an alleged agent will be seen by some as revenge for Britain's hardened stance towards foreign spies attempting to infiltrate British politics.

China and Britain have traded barbs in recent months over allegations of espionage.

Chinese lawyer Christine Lee, 59, is currently suing MI5 claiming the Security Service has ruined her life by sending out an alert to MPs in 2022 warning that she was engaged in 'political interference', donating to 'political parties, parliamentarians, aspiring parliamentarians' on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

China alleged that Mr Huang was tapped up by MI6 in 2015 and used his position in an unnamed overseas consulting agency to conduct China-related intelligence gathering (File Photo)

In a similar vein to the latest case involving a foreign consulting agency, Lee had been working as an adviser to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, an agency of the Communist Party's network of influence overseen by its United Front Work Department.

In an unrelated case, last year Scotland Yard arrested a British national working as a parliamentary researcher in Westminster who was accused spying for China.

The man in his 20s was arrested last March in Edinburgh under the Official Secrets Act, along with another man, in his 30s, who was detained in Oxfordshire.

A file of evidence has now been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charges.

China has repeatedly condemned the arrests, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying they were 'entirely groundless'.

But British spy chiefs have warned recently of China's increasingly aggressive attempts to steal British secrets.

In October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said MI5 and police were determined to bring criminal charges against Chinese spies working covertly in Britain.

'We are in a different world now than the world we've all lived in since the end of the Cold War', he said.

In October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said MI5 and police were determined to bring criminal charges against Chinese spies working covertly in Britain (File Photo)

'Authoritarian states are behaving much more aggressively.' Meanwhile, China has been cracking down on perceived threats to its own national security.

Last year, it expanded counter-espionage laws to give authorities more leeway in punishing vaguely-defined threats to national security.

China has publicised several other alleged spying cases in recent months.

In May, authorities sentenced 78-year-old American citizen John Shing-wan Leung to life in prison for espionage.

In October, the security ministry published the story of another alleged spy, surnamed Hou, who was accused of sending several secret and classified documents to the US.

The Foreign Office declined to comment on the claims yesterday.
A migrant who was jailed over a cannabis farm worth half a million pounds has been granted permission to stay in the UK after successfully arguing he could not be deported as he no longer spoke his native language.

Clirim Kukaj, 30, is ethnically Albanian but was born and brought up in Serbia until at the age of 13 he entered Britain illegally. Seven years later he was granted indefinite leave to remain.

Kukaj and his lawyers have now successfully appealed his deportation on the grounds that returning him to his native country would be a breach of his human rights because he cannot speak the language and can only converse in Albanian.

Immigrational tribunal judge Fiona Lindsley granted the appeal 'on human rights grounds', however, the decision has sparked renewed calls for human rights laws to be reconsidered.

A senior Conservative MP told the Telegraph: 'This demonstrates why we need urgent reform of the asylum system and human rights laws to allow the rapid and effective deportation of dangerous criminals.'

Clirim Kukaj, 30, was handed an 18 month prison sentence in 2020 after 580 cannabis plants worth almost 500,000 were found in a property in Cambridgeshire

A police raid that took place in June 2020 found the cannabis farm at a home in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire

Kukaj arrived in the UK 'clandestinely' in April 2007. His asylum claim was refused but he was later granted discretionary leave to remain until June 5 2010. On April 8 2014 he was granted indefinite leave to remain.

Six years later, however, Kukaj was convicted at Cambridge Crown Court over charges to do with the production of cannabis. He was slapped with a 18 month prison sentence.

A police raid that took place in June 2020 found 580 cannabis plants worth almost 500,000 at a home in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire.

Detective Constable Josh Coe said following the raid: 'Organised crime groups can generate large sums of money with little regard for those who are forced to produce the cannabis as well as the landlords who are left with severely damaged premises.'

Kukaj, along with his partner in crime Shekelzen Osmanaj, denied they planted the crops, claiming they were employed to grow and care for them in return for cash.

Just three months into his jail term, then Home Secretary Priti Patel, wrote to Kukaj warning that he would be deported. But within the month his lawyers had made a human rights claim against the decision.

This claim was initially refused by the then Home Secretary in September 2021 before a successful appeal case being lodged a year later.

Kukaj, along with his partner in crime Shekelzen Osmanaj, denied they planted the crops (pictured at a property in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire), claiming they were employed to grow and care for them in return for cash

The Home Office argued that 'Albanian is an official language' in Serbia, however, this was disputed by Kukaj's lawyers who argued that it was not even classed as a 'minority language' in the country.

In a bid to prove that the man no longer spoke Serbian, the lawyers also pointed out Kukaj had dropped out of school at just eight-years-old due to bullying.

They added that the man 'clearly comes from an ethnically and Albanian speaking family', explaining that he had lived in England with his Albanian speaking brother and sister-in-law, rather than with any Serbian speakers.
Sadiq Khan was last night accused of opening the door to more London Underground strikes after he found 30millon to stop this week's walkouts.

The Labour Mayor of London is said to have angered Tube drivers from the Aslef union, who were told less than a month ago that there was no more money to fund pay rises.

A week-long strike by London Underground workers was suspended at the eleventh hour after progress in talks with Transport for London.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) were due to walk out from Monday until the end of the week in protest at a 5 per cent pay offer by Transport for London

The RMT announced on Sunday that it was suspending the planned strikes after progress in talks with TfL.

But Aslef tube drivers, who accepted a 5 per cent pay rise in November, are furious that more cash was stumped up to stop the RMT strikes.

The Labour Mayor of London (pictured) is said to have angered Tube drivers from the Aslef union, who were told less than a month ago that there was no more money to fund pay rises

A week-long strike by London Underground workers was suspended at the eleventh hour after progress in talks with Transport for London

A source told The Times: 'Their union told them in good faith that 5 per cent was the final offer from Transport for London (TfL) and that there was absolutely no more money.'

They added: 'For Khan to suddenly find the magic money tree for the RMT has undermined everything. Very senior people at TfL feel thoroughly p****d off because it has made them look like they lied to Aslef.'

Another union source said the move had 'poisoned' industrial relations with Mr Khan, telling the same paper: 'There will certainly now be more strikes ahead of the mayoral elections. Khan has been incredibly badly advised...

'There will be no trust on either side of the negotiating table in future.'

A spokesman for the Mayor said: 'The absolute worst outcome for London taxpayers and businesses would be a week of strike action causing huge disruption in the capital.

'The hospitality industry alone has warned of a 50million loss of income if strikes last throughout the week.

'Unions have been informed that further funds will be available so talks can be reopened and the strike action suspended. This follows the latest stages of the budget setting process at City Hall which happens every year.'
QUESTION When were high heels for ladies' shoes first introduced?

The history of the heel is fascinating. It all started from the 'patten', a thick wooden or cork-soled undershoe attached by strings or laces and also, in particular, the chopine, again made of wood and elaborately decorated.

It came to Europe from the Orient via Venice, with heights reported at 13in (33cm), the purpose of both types of undershoe being to lift the wearer and their shoes up from street filth. Both were first worn in the royal courts of Spain and Italy in the 16th century.

In 1533, Catherine de' Medici married the Duke of Orleans, later King Henry II, and her baggage contained shoes with heels, introducing the fashion to France.

The first kind of heel was the cork wedge, resembling a clog. Later came the beautiful curved heel known first as the Louis XV or French heel. This heel is thicker at the sole of the foot, narrow in the middle and then comes back out at the base of the heel. Much later, it was known as the lavatory pan heel, for obvious reasons. Men during this period wore leather heels of medium height and women's were of shaped wood.

The 'red heel' of painted wood first made its appearance in the late 16th century, once again being of Venetian origin. From the 16th to 18th centuries it was a sign that the wearer was a 'gentleman' and also very wealthy  in other words, a status symbol. By the 1640s, heels were high for both sexes and resembled the present-day Cuban heel.

The history of the heel is fascinating. It all started from the 'patten', a thick wooden or cork-soled undershoe attached by strings or laces and also, in particular, the chopine, again made of wood and elaborately decorated

In the 18th century, the shoemaker was revered and a Parisian maker built bespoke shoes for clients for right and left feet, where previously soles had been straight for both feet, resulting in acute discomfort. Red heels and soles, denoting aristocracy and wealth, were still worn until the French Revolution, as any form of ostentation was dangerous to wear during the 'Reign of Terror'.

High heels continued to be popular for women throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Then came the 'stiletto' heel in the 1950s  an exaggeratedly thin, shaped heel that looked like a stiletto-bladed knife, hence the name. Then Salvatore Ferragamo and Roger Vivier began using the principles of engineering to invent an entirely new heel. Famed for quality as well as extravagant designs, Ferragamo imbued stilettos with his brand of Italian glamour. His heels became synonymous with La Dolce Vita for a generation of Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe.

From 1956, heels became higher after the plastic heel was strengthened by running an aluminium spigot down the shaft.

In the late 1990s came the so-called 'killer' heel; a very high (5-6in, 13-16cm), very slim version of the stiletto that was also very difficult to walk in. In addition to the stiletto, there are now many styles of heel including block, column, cone, funnel, kitten, mini-kitten, moulded, peg, puppy, scarpin, sculpted, square, squat, stacked and the ever-popular wedge heel.

Anthea Hall, Stourbridge, W. Mids.

QUESTION I haven't heard the word 'yonks' for, well, yonks. What other relatively modern slang words have gone out of fashion?

I ran some slang past my teenage kids. They were aware of yonks, probably because I use it, but there were several terms they could not identify. Incidentally, the word 'yonks' is a shortened form of 'donkey's years', itself a colloquial expression meaning a very long time.

I was surprised to find that 'bagsy' had been forgotten. Once school kids would call 'bagsy' when claiming something before anyone else, often the front seat of the car. Apparently, the American 'shotgun' has now taken precedence.

Many slang terms are hangovers from the two world wars and National Service eras. Our fighting men were adventurous in language as well as nature and unrestricted by decorum. A favourite term that my dad used to use was 'bags of mystery', which meant sausages.

I ran some slang past my teenage kids. They were aware of yonks, probably because I use it, but there were several terms they could not identify. Incidentally, the word 'yonks' is a shortened form of 'donkey's years', itself a colloquial expression meaning a very long time (Stock Image)

Other popular terms that seem to be dropping out of use include browned off, meaning bored and irritable or fed up ('brown' used to be slang for a British Tommy); bumf, for paperwork, a supposed derivative of 'bum fodder'!; and take a dekko  'take a look at this', which comes from the Hindi word dekho meaning 'look'.

When in trouble we'd scarper, meaning 'run away'. This came from the Italian escarpare in the 19th century, but was reinvigorated after the German fleet was scuppered in Scapa Flow in 1919.

Being 'in the pink' meant in the best possible health. It had been in use since Elizabethan times and is found in Romeo And Juliet, yet is rarely used today.

Chris Allen, Reading, Berks.

QUESTION Why are dusters yellow and edged with red stitching?

Before the advent of mass production, it was standard practice to reuse old rags and garments as cleaning cloths. One theory is that dusters came from the muslin cloths used in making butter and cheese, which were recycled in this way. The yellow staining proved so popular that enterprising weavers produced cloth dyed yellow for this purpose.

Perhaps more persuasively, they may have been derived from a yellow fabric known as nankeen. By the middle of the 18th century, Britain was importing a cheap, robust, yellow-coloured cloth from China whose popular name was derived from the Chinese city of Nanjing.

By the end of the 18th century, these fabrics were being made in Britain and had become the height of fashion. They were being made into trews, breeches and waistcoats. Dusters made from discarded nankeen or old clothes may have led to the association with yellow.

Either way, through widespread utilitarian use, consumers need to develop an association between a particular type of object and its use. The red stitching used to hold the cloth together appears to be a modern invention but has come to be associated with the classic duster.

Mrs T. F. Moore, Canterbury, Kent.

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
A Ukrainian refugee family torn apart by Putin's invasion of their home country have been reunited in Sydney after almost two years.

Oleksiy Storozhuk was separated from his family as they crossed over the Polish-Ukrainian border in February 2022.

While his wife, Alla, and their two children, Mykola, 16, and eight-year-old Yeseniia, flew to Australia, Mr Storozhuk stayed in Ukraine to serve as a captain in its military.

Mr Storozhuk was finally reunited with his family for the first time in almost two years in emotional scenes last Wednesday.

The family broke down in tears as Mr Storozhuk embraced his wife and two children at Sydney Airport.

Ukrainian soldier Oleksiy Storozhuk was reunited with his family after almost two years in Sydney Airport

The family were separated at the Polish-Ukrainian border in February 2022; Mr Storozhuk (centre) has since served as a captain in Ukraine's military

Alla Storozhuk (right) moved to Sydney with her and Mr Storozhuk's children in March 2022

Their joy is short-lived as Mr Storozhuk will return to the warzone next week.

Ms Storozhuk described the toll fighting has taken on her husband with even the trip to Australia highlighting how their lives have changed.

'My husband loses sleep and constantly has nightmares,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'In our conversations, Oleksiy said that on the way to Australia he had a stop-over in Poland. The New Year found him there.

'The Polish people celebrated traditionally - the use of fireworks and loud noises made him flinch.'

Mr Storozhuk described the invasion as all-consuming.

'The main problem that I, my relatives and friends face is the constant pressure of war,' he said.

'This is expressed by constant rocket attacks, which are accompanied by air raid warnings, the uncertainty of the end of the war and constant reports of dead friends and acquaintances.'

Ms Storozhuk described the toll the war has taken on her husband (above), saying he 'flinched' at New Year's fireworks while travelling to Australia

Ms Storozhuk described February 25, 2022 - the day Russian soldiers arrived in Kyiv - as 'the worst day of my life' (pictured, the aftermath of a missile strike in Kyiv last week)

Ms Storozhuk said her husband (above) 'loses sleep and constantly has nightmares' since fighting in the war

Mr Storozhuk said it was difficult to find the time and money to visit his family.

'The only reason I've come to Australia for two weeks is to see my family, whom I haven't seen for about two years,' he said.

'The flight is expensive, especially with a military income. If my family hadn't helped me buy tickets, a visit to Australia would have been impossible.

'But they helped me buy the airfare, which means that they want to see me just as much as I want them.'

The emotional father added he was grateful his family could cope with the separation.

'I am very glad that we managed to save the family,' he said.

'Many military men fail to do this. Military service takes 110 per cent of your time, energy and emotions. Not all families cope with such trials.

'Thank God our family has managed to carry love through these dark times.'

Ms Storozhuk (pictured with her daughter in 2023) has worked to provide her children with a 'normal' life since fleeing to Sydney

Mr Storozhuk will return to Ukraine next week to continue fighting in the war against Russia

Ms Storozhuk previously described February 25, 2022 - the day Russian soldiers arrived in her home Kyiv, Ukraine's capital - as 'the worst day of my life'.

She said while Ukrainians had heard warnings an invasion could be on the way, her family had made no plans to leave their home.

'I woke up at five o'clock in the morning to bombs exploding outside my window,' Ms Storozhuk said.

'My husband told me that the war had begun and we had 20 minutes to collect our things and the children. We took one backpack each and bottles for water.

'A siren was roaring on the street, it permeated my whole body and brain with terrible fear. There were huge queues at gas stations and there was no gasoline, there was no money in ATMs.'

Ms Storozhuk, her husband and their children got in their car and hurried towards Ukraine's border with Poland, which was taking in Ukrainians as war refugees.

'There were military men with weapons and military equipment everywhere,' she said.

'We were delirious, it felt as if everything was in a fog and I will never forget the horrible fear in my children's eyes. As parents, this was the worst thing.'

Ms Storozhuk (pictured with her daughter) her children share a small apartment in Leichhardt, in Sydney's inner-west

After three days, the family managed to reach the border where Mr Storozhuk said goodbye to his wife and children.

Ms Storozhuk had a sister already living in Australia and said she was able to obtain a refugee visa with her help.

'When we first arrived we lived with my sister's family. I felt a deep depression and anxiety. Crying, crying all the time,' she said.

'But thanks to my children, my sister, the Ukrainian community, Australians and kind people, I have been able to recover and return to a somewhat normal life and appreciate how important it is to be safe.

'I feel life goes on. There are many opportunities in Australia if you don't give up and just keep moving forward.
The confronting moment a man unleashed at an Asian man and his son for fishing in 'Australian waters' has been captured on camera.

The man, who was waring a grey hooded tracksuit displaying a Southern Cross motif told the Chinese fishermen and his son that the suburban fishing spot is 'Australia water, not international water' and they needed to 'f*** off'.

A female passer-by then steps in and films the altercation, leading to a fiery war of words.

'You need to leave,' she says to the hooded man. 'Why are you yelling at them? They are just fishing.'

A heated confrontation has broken out between a TikTokker and a man who harassing two fishermen to leave because they are 'Chinese' and can't fish in Australian waters

The man in the tracksuit hits back, saying: 'I've got family in the ADF and their country just literally nuked an Australian vessel.'

The incident the man appeared to be referring to occurred in November when Royal Australian Navy divers suffered minor injuries after a Chinese warship operated its sonar off the coast of Japan.

Richard Marles labelled the conduct of the Chinese destroyer 'unsafe and unprofessional' after it turned on its sonar despite HMAS Toowoomba alerting the vessel they had divers in the water untangling fishing nets from propellers.

The Chinese sonar pulse forced the divers out of the water and back onto Toowoomba, a long-range frigate.

The woman refused to back down.

'You are are so embarrassing. Are you serious?' the woman said.

'Do you have nothing better to do with your day?.

'It's a lovely day and you are choosing to yell at these people.'

'Enjoy your lovely day and f*** off,' he replied.

The man claimed his attitude was shaped by having family in the navy exposed to Chinese 'nuking' by sonar

The woman then asked the man in the tracksuit if he was proud of his behaviour, while continuing to film them.

The man insisted he had not given permission to be filmed and this violated his rights as an Australian citizenship.

'I am having a conversation with this gentleman about fishing in Australia,' he said.

'This water is not international water. No Chinese people fishing in Australia here. This is local water. Thanks mate.'

The man claimed his attitude was shaped by having family in the navy exposed to Chinese 'nuking' by sonar

The harassed fisherman appeared to pack up and get ready to leave, as the man in the hoodie tells them to speak to 'dictator Xi Jinping' about the issue.

'Because my family had sonar nuked on them in international waters,' he said while making hand gestures and speaking in slow, broken English. 'So this water. Australian water. You stay away.

'I see Chinese fishing in local pond, in suburban area. Not good.'

Many Aussies praised the woman for speaking up.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has been contacted for comment.
A journalist who investigated himself has been suspended by his newspaper when his ex-girlfriend claimed sexual abuse after the article was published.

Marcin Kacki, a Polish reporter, wrote an article about his struggles with alcoholism and rocky relationships, where he admitted to abusive behaviour.

The piece included interviews of his former girlfriends - one of which has said he left out key details and accused him of 'disgusting behaviour'.

The award-winning investigative journalist, who has helped expose sexual abuse and harassment through his work, has been suspended by Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.

The article, headlined 'My journalism: alcohol, failed therapy badly loved women, neglected daughters and a fear of the dawn', described how he had 'crossed the line' in his behaviour.

He said he needed to remember that 'no means no' and he had 'injured' many women psychologically.

But one of his ex partners hit out at him over the article, labelling his behaviour as 'disgusting'.

A journalist who investigated himself has been suspended by his newspaper when his ex-girlfriends claimed sexual abuse after the article was published

Marcin Kacki, a Polish reporter, wrote an article about his struggles with alcoholism and rocky relationships, where he admitted to abusive behaviour

Karolina Rogaska, a journalist for Newsweek Polska, wrote on Facebook about the article: 'I'm one of the victims and everything is not okay.

'Marcin, if you were honest in your article why didn't you write explicitly what you did to me and other girls?

'Why didn't you write that you treated my repeated 'No' as if it didn't exist.

'How did you find it appropriate to undress and masturbate, despite my evident horror? Disgusting behaviour. Disgusting.'

The Telegraph reported that Ms Rogaska said she was 'sick of the hypocrisy of abusers being patted on the back, tired of them pretending to understand'.

After her statement on Facebook, journalism college the School of Reportage suspended him from contact with students.

On Saturday, the school's coordinator, Aleksandra Pakiea, said other female students had now come forward with stories of 'unpleasantness'.

The newspaper he worked at - Poland's biggest-selling non-tabloid daily - claimed he didn't tell them about the suspension.

In a statement on Sunday it said: 'Marcin Kacki, when he handed over his finished article, did not inform anyone about this, which violated our trust and that of our readers.

'That is why we have decided to suspend Marcin Kacki and stop him from working with our writers.'

The journalist responded by saying the article had been 'read and checked' by editors and that his 'mistake' was in believing he could show 'the guys my journey and how I had tried to fix it myself', The Telegraph reported.
Nikki Haley and her PAC are outspending all their Republican rivals in the closing week of the Iowa race, with the former South Carolina governor launching a TV advertising blitz.

While Donald Trump has an astonishing 30-point lead over the rest of the Republican field, Haley is currently in third place ahead of the Iowa caucus. She is fighting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for momentum to take into the next vote in New Hampshire.

DeSantis, whose campaign has in recent weeks floundered, is throwing everything he has at Iowa: his entire campaign leadership moved to the state, and he has personally visited each of Iowa's 99 counties.

DeSantis is currently on 19 percent, and Haley at 16. Trump is at 51 percent.

Haley is determined to fight until the January 15 caucus, and is spending $2.83 million on television adverts between January 8-15.

DeSantis is spending about $1.7 million, and Trump $1.42 million.

Nikki Haley is seen on Monday night in Des Moines, Iowa, is spending over $2.83 million on TV ads in the closing week of the Iowa race

Vivek Ramaswamy, the political newcomer and entrepreneur, is trailing the rest of the field, but announced on Monday that he will resume ad spending in Iowa this week - having stopped in December, denouncing it as a waste of money.

The 38-year-old said last month that TV ad spending is 'idiotic, low-ROI & a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.'

He doubled down in an interview on Fox News, declaring: 'I'm running this campaign, in the same way that I would run a company, with an actual IQ and an actual brain, not taken for a ride by political consultants. And I think that's going to lead us to, ultimately, success here.'

Ramaswamy's campaign has now reserved $22,500 worth of TV ad time in the next week, NBC News reported.

Tricia McLaughlin, communications director for the Ramaswamy campaign, told the network that the campaign is 'following the data and having some fun.'

Haley on Monday was in Iowa, and taking on Joe Biden - who spent the day in her home state.

Haley is seen on stage for the Fox News town hall Monday night

Donald Trump is seen on Saturday in Clinton, Iowa, at a campaign rally

Biden took the pulpit at Mother Emanuel, a historic AME church in Charleston, where nine black parishioners were shot dead in June 2015 by white gunman Dylann Roof. They were killed as they prayed during a Wednesday night Bible study.

As governor at the time of the shooting, Haley gained national attention for her response, which included signing legislation into law removing the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds.

During her previous campaigns, Haley had advocated against removing the flag, portraying an opponent's call to do so as a political stunt.

But Haley has been on the defensive for not explicitly naming slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when the question was posed at a campaign event.

Her campaign responded on Monday with a list of comments attributed to Biden that it said showed he is racially insensitive.

During his speech Monday, Biden called it a 'lie' that the war was about states' rights.

'For Biden to show up there and give a political speech, it's offensive in itself,' said Haley on Monday night, during a town hall on Fox News in Des Moines, Iowa.

'I don't need someone who palled around with segregationists in the '70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery, or anything related to the Civil War.'

Joe Biden on Monday was in Charleston, South Carolina, and spoke at the AME church - site of a 2015 mass shooting. He called 'white supremacy' a 'poison' that continues to haunt the nation

Haley is also being attacked by her Republican rivals.

On Monday, Trump's super PAC released a video with an old clip of the then-South Carolina governor urging an audience not to reference people who entered the U.S. illegally as 'criminals.'

Those comments came a month after Trump's 2015 campaign launch speech, in which he said immigrants from Mexico were bringing drugs and crime with them.

DeSantis' campaign also released its closing argument ad for Iowa caucusgoers, taking Haley to task for her recent comments to New Hampshire voters that they would have the opportunity to 'correct' the decision made by Iowa caucusgoers - a comment that could signal that she not only doesn't expect to win Iowa, but that she doesn't expect to place second, ahead of DeSantis.

Haley on Monday repeatedly accused DeSantis of 'lying because he's losing' and said Trump's allies were intentionally misconstruing things she had said.
Aluminium mining giant Alcoa has revealed it will be axing 750 of the 800 jobs at its Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia in a new blow to industry.

Around 550 of the jobs are set to go by September when all alumina production will cease at the plant, with another 200 to follow by the third quarter of 2025.

A further 300 contractors also work at the site, with their future hanging in the balance after Alcoa ignored their fate in its statement announcing the rundown.

The move will end 60 years of production at the refinery and leave just a skeleton staff of 50 manning the operation.

The refinery has an annual 2.2million tonne capacity but has been running at 80 per cent production levels for the last year.

Alcoa said the decision to shutter the refinery was based on its age, scale, operating costs and current bauxite grades, in addition to current market conditions.

Aluminium mining giant Alcoa has revealed it will be axing 750 of the 800 jobs at its Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia in a new blow to industry

Around 550 of the jobs are set to go by September when all alumina production will cease at the plant, with another 200 to follow by the third quarter of 2025

'Today's curtailment decision comes only after thorough and careful deliberation,' said Matt Reed, Alcoa's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer.

'We acknowledge that this action will impact workers, business partners, and the community.

'We deeply appreciate the commitment and support of our many loyal employees, contractors, and suppliers at our Kwinana refinery.

'We will work closely with our employees to provide support with transitioning to other opportunities.

'This includes potential redeployment within our business or assistance to facilitate employment at other workplaces.'

The refinery is in the heart of WA Premier Roger Cook's electorate near Rockingham, south of Perth, who said the shutdown was a 'very disappointing outcome'.

'My government will step up to provide supports for local workers to retrain, reskill and look for new career opportunities in the local area,' he added.

'Kwinana is the industrial heart of Perth, and has a bright future with new job-creating industrial projects emerging on the strip  keeping Kwinana strong for generations to come.'

Alcoa say the refinery and associated residue storage facilities 'will continue to be actively managed'.

They added: 'Alcoa's port facilities located alongside the refinery will continue to operate to import raw materials and export alumina produced at the Pinjarra Alumina Refinery.

'Production at the Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries is not expected to be impacted by the curtailment at Kwinana.

'We remain committed to WA in the long-term and will continue to assess options for the refinery, monitoring the factors that have led to the curtailment decision.'

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said it would push Alcoa to make appropriate redundancy payments for those losing their jobs.

'Our members are already navigating a cost-of-living crisis,' said AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney.

The move will end 60 years of production at the refinery and leave just a skeleton staff of 50 manning the Alcoa operation

'Now they must deal with the uncertainty of their job coming to an end without any transition plan, such as training for future work in new industry.

'Job losses are never a good thing, but when they happen, the least a company can do is keep their workers informed and ensure they stick to their agreed entitlements.'

The refinery posted a net loss of $193.3 million in 2023, and cost $410/tonne to produce aluminium, compared to $250/tonne at the company's other WA refineries.

The company says it hopes to relocate staff to other jobs within the company or help them find work elsewhere.

The axe has fallen on the refinery after a recent change in leadership at the Pittsburgh-based company, when William Oplinger replaced Roy Harvey as chief executive officer.
A woman whose body was found in a house fire has been identified as a mother of two young children, with loved ones remembering her as a 'kind and beautiful soul.'

Alison Robinson was found dead inside a property on Sanders Street in Glenorchy north of Hobart on Friday after emergency services were alerted to a house fire around 7am.

The 39-year-old mother of two boys aged just 10 and 13 was allegedly murdered by 40-year-old man David George Evans, who is alleged to have set fire to the property.

Ms Robinson's older sister Nicole told Daily Mail Australia the family is reeling following the death of her younger sibling.

'It's been a big shock for us all... we're just coming to terms with it [Alison's death].' she said.

The woman who died inside a house fire in Hobart on Friday has been identified as Alison Robinson (pictured)

The 39-year-old mother of two (pictured) was allegedly murdered by a man who is alleged to have set fire to a property while she was inside

Nicole described Ms Robinson as a 'colourful' person who always tried to help others in need by buying groceries and even giving them money to fill up their cars with petrol.

'[She was] kind, creative...she was very creative... she was always doing art and craft and painting.

'She always tried to help whenever she could...she was a community person and she cared about everybody, especially people with children.'

Just hours before she was allegedly murdered, Ms Robinson shared a post on Facebook, writing: 'It's 2024, I'm 39 years young and I still have so many unanswered questions!!!!'

Nicole said the tight-knit community of Glenorchy had been left devastated by Ms Robinson's death.

'Everybody knew Alison and she's [left] a big hole in a lot of people's lives...' she said.

'Everybody's very upset, especially with the way that she's gone.'

Alison Robinson's (pictured, left) older sister Nicole told Daily Mail Australia that Alison was a 'colourful' person who always helped others when she could

Dozens of heartbroken locals paid tribute to the 39-year-old on Facebook.

'Gonna miss u darlin,' one person wrote.

'Rip my beautiful friend...I'm gunna miss u so much sending my thoughts and prayers to the family and ur (sic) 2 beautiful boys,' another said.

'Fly high Ali.'

Evans, of New Town, was charged with murder on Sunday evening after he was taken into custody on Friday at 1.45pm.

He was also charged with arson, stealing a motor vehicle and unlawfully setting fire to a property.

He fronted the Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday and did not enter a plea or apply for bail.

A man has been charged with murder over Ms Robinson's death after he allegedly set fire to the property in Glenorchy (pictured) in Hobart's north on Friday

He is being held in custody and will face court again on February 1.

Tasmania police are still investigating the incident and have appealed for information about a person they want to question as part of their investigations.

The person was wearing dark clothing, carrying a dark backpack and was riding a light-coloured mountain bike between Park Street and Pirie Street in Hobart's north, not far from the scene of the incident.

Anyone with information and dashcam footage has been urged to contact Glenorchy Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Nicholas Rossi, the rape suspect who faked his own death, has finally been booked into a Utah jail following his extradition from Scotland after a long-running legal battle.

Rossi, whose legal name is Nicholas Alahverdian, is charged with sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman in Orem, Utah, in 2008, according to local prosecutors.

He was not identified as a suspect until about a decade later, due to a backlog of DNA test kits at the Utah State Crime Lab.

The 36-year-old, who has used at least 10 aliases in his run from the law, was booked Friday afternoon into the Davis County Jail, which houses many federal detainees in northern Utah.

Rossi rose to fame for his claims he was not the suspect. He also made headlines for a TV interview claiming he wasn't Rossi and was a man named Arthur Knight as he gestured wildly and fogged up his glasses.

Nicholas Rossi, the rape suspect who faked his own death , has finally been booked into a Utah jail following his extradition from Scotland after a long-running legal battle

Rossi will likely be transferred to Utah County in the coming days, where he will stand trial for felony rape charges, according to the Utah County Attorney's Office.

Rossi faces another felony rape charge in Salt Lake County, where prosecutors say he sexually assaulted a 26-year-old former girlfriend after an argument, also in 2008.

He faces multiple other complaints against him in Rhode Island and Ohio for alleged domestic violence, sexual abuse and fraud.

His initial court date had not been set as of Monday and records did not yet indicate who will represent him in court.

Scottish ministers signed an order in September giving permission for Rossi to be extradited.

Last month, appeal judges had quashed Rossi's bid to avoid extradition, paving the way for him to be removed from Scotland to face serious sex charges in the US.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: 'We assisted partner agencies with the extradition of a 36-year-old man.'

Rape suspect Nicholas Rossi (pictured at court in July) has been extradited from Scotland to the US after a long-running legal battle

Rossi (pictured in July last year) has claimed this is a case of false identity and said he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight

Police believe Rossi staged his own death in 2020 to escape sex and fraud charges

Rossi has repeatedly claimed he is the victim of mistaken identity and says he is an Irish orphan.

The suspect claimed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in late 2019 and told friends he was dying.

An obituary appeared online for Rossi in early 2020 saying he had died and that his ashes had been scattered at sea.

But the following year he was arrested on a Covid hospital ward in Scotland, where he was registered as Arthur Knight.

It was then ruled that the fugitive - who appeared throughout his court dates in a wheelchair, using an oxygen mask - is indeed Rossi after he was identified through DNA and distinctive tattoos, which were described in an Interpol alert.

Under the guise of Arthur Brown, Rossi is believed to have met his wife, Miranda Knight, in Bristol in 2019 and married her in early 2020, assuming the name Arthur Knight.

They moved to Glasgow shortly afterwards but in 2021, Rossi became so ill with Covid that he had to be hospitalized at the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

In July 2020, DNA allegedly linked him to a 2008 rape in Utah which is ultimately what led to his discovery in Scotland.

He was arrested on December 13, 2021 at the Glasgow hospital by police officers who served him with an Interpol red notice.

A mugshot from the arrest of Nicholas Rossi by police in Massachusetts in 2010

He also faces multiple complaints against him in Rhode Island for alleged domestic violence (pictured in 2008 in Utah)

His wife Miranda Knight seen leaving Edinburgh Sheriff Court after a hearing last year

With the assistance of medical staff at the hospital, the patient initially named as Arthur Knight was identified as Rossi.

There has never been an official version of events from Rossi because he continues to insist he is Arthur Knight and that the authorities have the wrong man.

In one interview with Dateline, Rossi is seen speaking in what appears to be an English accent and he angrily insists he is a British man called Arthur Knight.

He also theatrically tried standing to prove that he was unable to walk before throwing himself back down.

Rossi appeared alongside his wife British wife, Miranda who shouted: Woah, before trying to stabilize him

'I am not Nicholas Alahverdian. I do not know how to make this clearer,' he told NBC in a bizarre accent, muffled by an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.

In court appearances, he has maintained his pained English accent, with an Irish lilt whenever he mentions the word Dublin, where he claims to have been born.

Miranda has continued to stand by her husband's side since he was first arrested in December 2021.

Rossi was interviewed alongside his wife, Miranda Knight, whom he met in Bristol after fleeing to the UK to escape allegations of sexual assault in the US

Rossi appeared at the court by video link in August after claiming to be unwell

Nicholas Rossi's wife Miranda Knight arrives for a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in June this year

'I'm here with Arthur,' she told the Daily Record in February. 'I know my husband, I love my husband, and he's always been the perfect gentleman to me and he's always wanted the best for me.

'I know what I've read about this other person,' she continued. 'The claims and what he's done is black and white to who I'm married to.

'When you live with someone and are married to them you know everything about them.

'You can't change a person, and someone who has done sexual assaults or rapes, which I've read about this person - that person would just continue.

'There's absolutely nothing I've ever seen which shows Arthur isn't the loving husband he's always been,' Miranda said. 'I honestly believe you can't hide that type of personality if you have those tendencies.'

Last year, his stepfather, David Rossi - an Engelbert Humperdinck impersonator - revealed an old photograph of a floppy-haired teenager on a motorcycle, who, despite lacking a breathing aide and looking many pounds lighter, bears a striking resemblance to the man in court.

Nicholas Rossi as a child sitting on his stepfather's motorbike in Providence, Rhode Island

Rossi has maintained he is Arthur Knight, who has never been to the United States, but American prosecutors say he is an American fugitive

The man accused of being Nicholas Rossi has previously attempted to restrict media access to his court proceedings in Edinburgh saying they should be held in contempt of court for 'continually referring to me as Nicholas Rossi'

Miranda, his third wife, arrives for the hearing at the Edinburgh court in July

In a wide-ranging interview, he described his estranged stepson as 'the devil's spawn' and said he was an 'evil' child who punched his mother and grandmother.

He told DailyMail.com: 'He'll do anything to hide from the law. The wheelchair, the mask. It's c**p. There's nothing wrong with him. Everything about him is Nicky.

'My first impression of Nicky was that he had mental problems. He just got worse with every day.

'He would urinate in his brother's bed just to get his brother in trouble. Jump out of windows and run away in his underwear.

'[Rossi's mother] Diana said this is why you don't get involved. But I stuck with it. I felt that they needed a father.'
Longtime Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone has come out blasting a 'false, irresponsible and reckless' report that claimed he spoke with a cop ahead of the 2020 election to plan the assassination of House Democrats Jerry Nadler and Eric Swalwell.

Audio said to have been obtained by Mediaite, although not explicitly published by the website, allegedly details Stone making threatening comments about the two lawmakers during a recorded conversation at a Florida cafe.

The site claims Stone urged for action to be taken, implying that one or both needed to be harmed.

But in a statement to DailyMail.com, Stone says such conversations are untrue.

'If there is such an audio ,why don't they post it? Why won't they send it to me? If there is such an audio it would have to be illegally obtained and if there is such an audio it would have to be an AI generated fraud since I never said any of the words attributed to me,' Stone said, challenging Mediaite to provide proof.

Longtime Donald Trump advisor Roger Stone says a conversation between himself and NYPD cop Sal Greco, where he allegedly made threatening remarks about House Democrats is fake

Stone has said there is no truth to a conversation that he planned to assassinate House Democrats Eric Swalwell (left) and Jerry Nadler (right). Both served on the House Judiciary Committee

In the supposed recording, Stone says: 'It's time to do it. Let's go find Swalwell. It's time to do it. Then we'll see how brave the rest of them are. It's time to do it,' Stone is alleged to have said.

'It's either Nadler or Swalwell has to die before the election. They need to get the message. Let's go find Swalwell and get this over with. I'm just not putting up with this shit anymore,' Stone is alleged to have said in the obtained audio.

The officer with whom Stone was alleged to have spoken with at Caffe Europa in Fort Lauderdale was named as Sal Greco, a former NYPD cop who was providing security for Stone on the side.

The lack of details and the publication's political lean left Stone enraged.

'What was Officer Greco's response to my alleged comments? Gee they don't say. From an anonymous source? Sure. It's a fraud. I'm click-bait,' Stone stated.

'Why would anyone believe Mediate, a left-wing rag with a long history of falsely vilifying me? Why would anyone believe their unproven claim of where and when this alleged conversation took place or who was present never mind the content? Three years ago? It's false, irresponsible and reckless,' he said.

The officer with whom Stone was alleged to have spoken with at Caffe Europa in Fort Lauderdale, pictured, was named as Sal Greco, a former NYPD cop who was providing security for Stone on the side

Sal Greco was fired by the NYPD in August 2022 because of his association with Stone

Both Nadler and Swalwell served on the House Judiciary Committee but it was Nadler who announced an investigation into then-President Donald Trump's decision to commute Stone's sentence after he was convicted in the Mueller probe.

Stone was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress in the Mueller investigation and faced a nine-year prison sentence.

But Trump's Justice Department intervened commuting Stone's sentence just days before he was scheduled to report to prison.

Stone ultimately served no time as after receiving his conviction, Trump commuted his sentence, then pardoned Stone.

Stone's animosity towards Nadler and Swalwell was rooted in years-long conflicts, with Stone expressing a desire to help Trump regain office in order to stop such investigations into him.

'A jury found Roger Stone guilty,' Nadler wrote on Twitter in July 2020. 'By commuting his sentence, President Trump has infected our judicial system with partisanship and cronyism and attacked the rule of law. @House Judiciary will conduct an aggressive investigation into this brazen corruption.'

Stone was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress in the Mueller investigation and faced a nine-year prison sentence

Responding to the recent remarks about Swalwell and Nadler, Stone dismissed them as 'total nonsense' and alleged AI manipulation without providing specific details.

Greco has not denied the comments but has downplayed their significance, stating, 'I don't think your reader is interested in ancient political fodder.'

Greco was fired by the NYPD in August 2022 because of his association with Stone.

A lawsuit accused the former cop of 'wrongfully and knowingly associating with Roger Jason Stone, Jr., and reasonably believed to be engaged in, likely to engage in, or to have engaged in criminal activities.'
A respected police officer told a colleague 'everything would be ok' just hours before she was found dead inside Port Adelaide's police station.

A police commissioner's inquiry and a coronial investigation have now been launched after the officer died at the station, in the city's northwest, between 2pm and 3pm on Monday.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the female police officer was a mum of two and Aboriginal.

She married her wife, who is also a South Australian police officer, in late 2019.

Police have confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious but have not revealed the cause.

They have also requested media outlets not to publish the name or photos of the officer in question due to 'cultural reasons'.

A respected police officer told a colleague 'everything would be ok' just hours before she was found dead inside a South Australian police station. Police have asked that the officer not be identified due to 'cultural reasons'

The female police officer was found dead at Port Adelaide Police Station (pictured), in the city's northwest, on Monday afternoon

Reports from eyewitnesses online claim officers at the station heard a loud bang within the building before they discovered her body.

Devastated friends and colleagues have paid tribute to the tribute to the officer who was nominated for 'Aboriginal Person of the Year' in 2012 for her work within the First Nations community.

She was remembered as a 'beautiful person' who had an 'infectious, loud laugh' which could be heard 'right across the station'.

One workmate said the officer told her 'It will be OK, bestie' during one of their last conversations on Monday.

'You said it a thousand times to me over the years,' her colleague wrote.

'It doesn't feel like anything will ever be OK again.

'I am shattered. I loved you so much, but you knew that.

'I will miss you forever.'

Another colleague recalled how kind she was when she first arrived at Port Adelaide and was struggling to adjust.

After the officer invited her out to socialise, they quickly bonded over their similarities - their 'terrible memories, distractibility and having both lost their fathers.

'The first day I met you your kindness and caring nature shone through. You went out of your way to make us and the kids feel welcome with invitations to kindergym and the park,' she said.

'I loved working in the same office as you. Your laugh, the lolly jar addiction, your big caring heart and your cracking sense of humour, always taking the piss.

'I loved your passion for your people. You were a proud First Nations woman and I loved your stories of your beloved 'Gary'.

Colleagues have remembered the officer for her 'infectious laugh' and how she would always 'meet people with a smile'

'I learnt so much from you. You were such a light in my life.

'I wish you knew how much you are loved.'

A third cop said the officer affectionately dubbed her and another colleague as the 'angels'.

She said she would miss the officer's bright bubbly face and hearing her say 'well, well, well... if it isn't the angels' when she would walk by.

A former colleague added the officer's 'pain is now gone' and she will never be forgotten by those she left behind.

'Fly high and free sister in blue,' she said.

'Big hugs and love to your heartbroken family, RIP lovely.'

The tragedy has rocked the South Australian police community, which is still reeling just two months on from the alleged on-duty fatal shooting of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig and alleged hit-and-run death of SA Police Commissioner's son, Charlie Stevens.

Counselling support services have been offered to the officer's colleagues.

Acting Commissioner Linda Williams has announced the woman's death will be subjected to a police inquiry as well as a coronial investigation.

'The tragedy at Port Adelaide is something that will impact so many people  family and friends, but also the entire police family and indeed the wider community,' South Australia Police Association president Mark Carroll said.

'Our colleague's death will be investigated so that we can understand the cause of this devastating incident.

The state's Police Minister Joe Szakacs also shared his grief in a statement.

'My heartfelt condolences go to the family, friends and colleagues of the police officer,' Mr Szakacs said.

'Her tragic passing will be felt deeply, and grieved widely. I ask everyone to keep the police family in their thoughts.'

For confidential support 24/7, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Nurses in Queensland who were stood down during the pandemic for refusing to get a Covid vaccine are being sacked despite the lifting of mandates months ago.

Ella Leach, secretary of the Nurses Professional Association QLD, was one of those who was recently notified through a letter she had been fired, even though she is seven months pregnant.

'I should be focused on the joys of becoming a first time mum but it has been overshadowed by this whole process,' Ms Leach told Sky News Australia.

When asked why the Queensland Health Department would continue pursuing employees who are no longer in breach of any vaccine rule, Ms Leach said she felt the authority was 'doubling down' on its position during the pandemic.

Ella Leach said she is one of 'at least 50' Queensland Health staff she knew of who had lost their jobs for refusing a mandated Covid vaccine even after the rule was repealed

In September 2021 all Queensland Health staff working in facilities where healthcare was provided were told they must be vaccinated for Covid, however, this directive was repealed in September 2023 by new director-general Michael Walsh.

'They're just trying to prove a point with us,' Ms Leach said.

'There's no sensible reason why they would continue with this action.'

'We know that our hospitals are screaming out for staff. We're seeing ambulances ramped outside hospitals, people dying in ambulances, our rural areas are suffering.'

Ms Leach said she was one of at least 50 staff she knew of that had been fired since September 25 last year.

Ms Leach's former employer Children's Health Queensland said in a statement it is 'unable to comment publicly on the employment situation, including disciplinary action, of individual staff'.

'Employee disciplinary matters are handled on a case by case basis and governed by robust and equitable processes.'

In September 2021 Queensland Health staff were told they must get a Covid vaccination to keep their jobs but this directive was overturned two years later (file image)

Ms Leach said she was aware some staff had been told they could reapply for their old jobs.

'In my role as the secretary I've seen hundreds of letters sent to staff about this matter.'

'They say they've been looked at on a case by case basis but they are templated letters and they insert what you've written back to them and say ''even if we haven't addressed your concern don't think we haven't taken it into account'',' she claimed.

'Then they just terminate you, it's disgraceful'.

'I've spoken to nurses who have lost their homes over this'.

In repealing the vaccine mandate, Mr Walsh said wide ranging advice had been submitted that informed the decision.

This included employee feedback, expert clinical advice, official immunisation advice, and a 'human rights assessment'.

Similar vaccine mandates for health workers were lifted in NSW at the end of 2022 but the mandate still stands in Victoria.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Health for comment.
Terrifying footage has captured the moment a driver was allegedly ambushed by a group of knife-wielding teenagers before they demanded a ride.

The trio jumped into the 20-year-old man's white Toyota Camry in Cuttlefish Circuit in Tarneit, Melbourne, on October 29, 2023.

Police allege the youths threatened the driver with a knife and demanded he drive them to a car park three minutes away on Wooten Road.

The driver took the trio to their destination before the group fled on foot.

The incident unfolded after the group allegedly robbed and attacked another man at knifepoint moments earlier.

Terrifying footage has captured the moment a driver was allegedly ambushed by a group of knife-wielding teenagers before they demanded a ride

The trio jumped into the 20-year-old man's white Toyota Camry in Cuttlefish Circuit in Tarneit, Melbourne, on October 29, 2023

The group allegedly approached the 24-year-old man while he was walking through Wootten Road Reserve.

One of the teens allegedly threatened the man with a knife, demanding he hand over his mobile phone at around 7.10pm.

A scuffle broke-out between all four people, and the teens allegedly fled with the man's mobile phone.

The 24-year-old man sustained a hand injury during the struggle.

Police have appealed for assistance and released on Tuesday CCTV footage of the alleged kidnapping that unfolded moments later.

Footage showed the group run up from behind the car before they jumped into the vehicle.

One of the teenagers has been described as Caucasian with a black moustache and long black mullet.

He was wearing a blue Nike jumper and black track pants.

The second teen was described as African in appearance and had an afro hairstyle.

Police allege the youths threatened the driver with a knife and demanded he drive them to a car park three minutes away on Wooten Road

He was wearing a black tracksuit and dark-coloured sneakers.

The third male was also described as being African in appearance.

He was seen wearing a grey hoodie, dark tracksuit pants and carrying a dark-coloured bum bag.

People with any information, CCTV or dashcam footage have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A spear fisher has sparked new outrage after illegally killing a family of blue gropers, just days after fury erupted over the death of a fish feared to be Gus The Groper in Sydney.

Photographs on social media have revealed NSW fisheries officers intercepting a spear fisherman with three dead gropers at Plantation Point, Jervis Bay, on the NSW south coast.

The haul included a female groper, which are brown, and two juveniles. All blue gropers start off female and some can transition later in life to become a blue male.

Spear fishing for blue gropers is outlawed in NSW because their friendly nature makes them an easy target, but anglers are still allowed to catch up to two a day.

Woebegone Freedive posted pictures on Facebook on Tuesday of the three fish which were discovered by the fishery protection officers on Friday.

'Devastating news from Jervis Bay: A family of blue gropers, an iconic and protected species, has been illegally speared,' said the post.

A spear fisher has sparked new outrage after illegally killing a family of blue gropers (pictured), just days after fury erupted over the death of a fish feared to be Gus The Groper in Sydney

Woebegone Freedive posted pictures on Facebook on Tuesday of the three fish which were discovered by the fishery protection officers (pictured)

'After a fantastic beach dive with an amazing group, enjoying time with bull rays and dolphins, our joy turned to dismay as we came back to witness this horrific event.

'These friendly 'Labradors of the sea' are a vital part of our ecosystem and beloved by many.

'Just days after losing Gus the groper in Sydney, we're reminded again of the urgent need for better protection and education.

'Well done to the local fisheries crew for their diligent work in searching this individual's catch, and for the fines and gear confiscation.

'Great job in safeguarding our marine life.'

The NSW Department of Primary Industries confirmed the horrific haul to Daily Mail Australia.

Pictures from the scene showed fisheries officers interviewing a heavily-tattooed man in wetsuit leggings, a singlet and thongs next to an SUV in the waterside car park.

Spearfishing equipment can be seen on the ground in front of him. Another picture shows thre three fish laid out next to a spear gun harpoon.

'Fisheries Officers responded to a report made on the Fishers Watch Phoneline of groper being illegally speared by a spear fisherman,' a DPI spokesman said.

'A spearfisherman was apprehended at the scene by Fisheries Officers in possession of three female groper.

'Fisheries Officers have interviewed the person of interest and seized the groper and all fishing gear.

'The matter is under investigation and appropriate compliance action will be undertaken.'

The spokesman added: 'Plantation Point is part of the Jervis Bay Marine Park and is a habitat protection zone that allows spearfishing to occur.

'Groper can only legally be taken by line in NSW. For recreational fishers, this means a minimum size limit of 30cm and a bag limit of two (with only one fish over 60cm).

'Fishers and spear fishers must make themselves aware of the rules regarding their activities before they undertake any fishing or spearfishing.'

The incident follows the tragic death of what was feared to be beloved local fish Gus the Groper at Oak Park beach at Cronulla in Sydney's south

Wildlife documentary maker David Ireland, 76 (pictured with Gus) - who first tamed and named the beloved giant fish in the 1980s - says the fish illegally killed in Cronulla was not Gus

The incident follows the tragic death of what was feared to be beloved local fish Gus the Groper at Oak Park beach at Cronulla in Sydney's south.

Locals feared Gus had been killed when a spearfisherman was seen carrying a dead blue groper out of the water on December 30 at Oak Park Beach, where Gus lived on a nearby reef.

The fisherman, believed to be a New Zealander, was later fined $500 by police, and a further $300 by the NSW Department of Primary Industries on Friday, for spearing the protected species.

The incident took a twist on Tuesday when wildlife documentary maker David Ireland, 76 - who first tamed and named the beloved giant fish in the 1980s - said the fish illegally killed in Cronulla was not Gus.

He said Gus was much larger than the fish pictured with the spear fisherman, and also had a tell-tale scar near his tail where he was previously speared years earlier but had survived.
An urgent global hunt for one of Australia's most wanted men is on 25 years after he is believed to have left for Greece following an alleged nightclub stabbing murder.

NSW Police State Crime Command detectives and the Australian Federal Policeare seeking James Dalamangas, now aged 53 or 54, as the 25-year-long statute of limitations to prosecute him in Greece looms.

Mr Dalamangas has not been seen in Australia since soon after the April 25, 1999 fatal stabbing of Sydney father-of-two George Giannopoulos at the nightclub Knossus, also known as the Pariziana.

Police believe Mr Dalamangas left 'soon after' and went to live in his family's home country, Greece.

Immediately after he vanished, his mother Chrysou or Christine Dalamangas said her son was 'always a good boy'.

She said he likely was hiding because he was 'scared the police will do something to him ... hurt him' as she claimed they had after his brother Peter's death.

James Dalamangas (above) one of Australia's most wanted men is the subject of an urgent global hunt as time runs out to have him investigated over a 1999 nightclub stabbing

Police have released an age progression photo of James Dalamangas who would now be abuot 53 and is believed to be living in Greece

Police arrested James Dalamangas after his brother Peter, a 23-year-old telecommunications workers and bodybuilder, died in a brawl with security staff at Star City Casino on January 31, 1998.

James Dalamangas, then 28, was charged with assaulting casino guards on the same night his brother died.

The Dalamangas family campaigned for justice after Peter's death, claiming he had been 'murdered' at Star City.

But it was after the alleged incident in which Mr Giannopoulos die din the kitchen of the Knossus club that James Dalamangas vanished.

A warrant was issued for Mr Dalamangas's arrest, but despite extensive inquiries he has never been located, although it is believed he is still currently residing in Greece.

After attempts in 2003 to extradite Mr Dalamangas from Greece were unsuccessful, Greek authorities agreed to commence prosecution over his alleged role in the murder.

Police want to question Mr Dalamangas over the alleged 1999 nightclub stabbing murder of father-of-two George Giannopoulos (left)

CCTV of Peter Dalamangas, then 23, in a brawl with Star City casino staff after which he died

Greece suspended the process in 2007 when he could not be located, but police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward as 'time is now of the essence'.

NSW Detectives released an age progression photo of Dalamangas, and say he is approximately 182 cm tall, has brown hair, brown eyes and a Greek inscription tattoo on his right forearm.

He may be using the names James, Jim or Tim with the surnames Dimitrious or Kanis.

'We believe that someone in Greece would know where Dalamangas is living or working,' State Crime Command criminal groups squad commander Detective Superintendent Grant Taylor said on Tuesday.

'We wish those people who may know that information to come forward and tell the authorities. They can do that anonymously if they wish.'

Mrs Dalamangas said back in 1999 she had not seen her son since the afternoon prior to Mr Giannopoulos' death.

A colleague of the late truck driver described the alleged victim being attacked with a 'six inch knife' at the premises and his putting 'serviettes on George's neck ... he recovered for a while, then it was too late'.
In her announcement, she shared a statistic that revealed that black women are 41 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than white women

CNN news anchor Sara Sidner, 51, choked up on-air as she shared her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis in a heartbreaking message.

In her powerful announcement, Sidner focused on the importance of women staying on top of their yearly mammogram exams.

'Just take a second to recall the names of eight women who you love and know in your life. Just count them on your fingers,' Sidner said on Monday.

'Statistically, one of them will get or have breast cancer. I am that one of eight in my friend group.'

The journalist shared she is in her second month of chemotherapy. She also plans to have a double mastectomy.

CNN news anchor Sara Sidner, 51, choked up on-air as she announced her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis

The journalist shared she is in her second month of chemotherapy. She also plans to have a double mastectomy

Sidner also mentioned how being diagnosed with breast cancer is not a 'death sentence' for a majority of women, but said she was 'shocked' when she came across a specific statistic related to the diagnosis.

'If you happen to be a Black woman, you are 41 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than your White counterparts. Forty-one percent,' Sidner shared.

According to People, Sidner learned of her diagnosis just before she traveled in October to Israel to report on the ongoing war with Hamas. She was told that she would need a biopsy before she could return to the US.

Days after she returned back home to New York, the biopsy confirmed that the lump she noticed months before was indeed cancerous and had progressed to stage 3.

'When I got the news, I didn't tell anybody, not even my mother or husband or sisters or friends. I just needed to process it,' she said.

FIVE LESSER-KNOWN SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER Retracted, inverted or downward-pointing nipple (31%)

(31%) Breast puckering (an indentation that appears when you raise your arms) (39%)

(39%) Loss of feeling in part of the breast (41%)

(41%) Pitting/thickening of the skin on the breast (45%)

(45%) Nipple discharge (51%) Percentage in brackets refer to the proportion of people who knew they were a sign of breast cancer in a study of 1,000 adults by researchers at Ohio State University. Advertisement

According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation website, black women 'tend to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than white women.'

Recent data revealed that the average age for black women that are diagnosed with breast cancer is 60 while the median age for white women is 64.

Stage 3 breast cancer refers to cancer in the breast that has extended beyond its immediate growth point.

This stage of cancer typically makes its way to nearby lymph nodes and muscles, but does not spread to further organs, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Though there are certain factors that raise the chance of a woman getting breast cancer, Sidner made it clear that she has maintained a very healthy lifestyle.

'I have never been sick a day of my life. I don't smoke. I rarely drink. Breast cancer does not run in my family. And, yet, here I am, with stage 3 breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud,' she said.

Known factors like increased age, excessive alcohol use, radiation exposure, tobacco use, reproductive history, postmenopausal hormone therapy and history of breast cancer can all heighten the risk factor of being diagnosed with the cancer.

Most women only know to look for lumps on their breasts in self-exams, when there are more ways to look for breast cancer.

Nine in ten women know a lump is a tell-tale sign of breast cancer  but less than half are aware of the other warning signs, according to a survey of 1,000 adults.

The survey found that 93 percent of people knew to look out for lumps while only 31 percent were aware that an inverted, retracted or downward-pointing nipple was another tell-tale symptom.

According to People , Sidner learned of her diagnosis just before she traveled in October to Israel to report on the ongoing war with Hamas

Checking your breasts should be part of your monthly routine so you notice any unusual changes. Simply, rub and feel from top to bottom, feel in semi-circles and in a circular motion around your breast tissue to feel for any abnormalities

Fewer than half of respondents knew about a loss of feeling in the breasts or pitting or thickening of the skin.

Most breast cancer cases do not present with a lump that is detectable to touch  and if they do, it often indicates a fast-growing or advanced-stage cancer that is less treatable, experts say.

Breast cancer itself comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though it is rare.

The cancer can be treated in a number ways, three of which Sidner said she opted for- surgery removal of the affected breasts, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Hormone treatments are also available as some forms of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' estrogen hormone, which is known to stimulate cancer cells to then divide and multiply.

Although the diagnosis is not great news for Sidner, she has used it as a way to adjust her focus in life as she 'thanked' cancer for allowing her to appreciate what she has

Sidner said she was 'shocked' when she came across a specific statistic related to the diagnosis that revealed that black women 'are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than your White counterparts'

In the US, breast cancer strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000.

Although the diagnosis is not great news for Sidner, she has used it as a way to adjust her focus in life as she 'thanked' cancer for allowing her to appreciate what she has.

'Now, here's something I could never, ever have predicted would happen to me: I have thanked cancer for choosing me,' Sidner said.

'I'm learning that no matter what hell we go through in life, I am still madly in love with this life. And just being alive feels really different for me now.'

She went on to say that she no longer stressed about the 'foolish little things' that used to get to her.

'I am here with my co-anchors, my colleagues, my family and I can love and cry and laugh and hope and that, my dear friends, is enough,' Sidner said at the end of her emotional announcement.
This video is no longer available

This video is no longer available

Wild scenes broke out on Monday at a synagogue in Brooklyn, after construction workers arrived to fill in an illegally-dug tunnel that was being used by young Orthodox Jewish men in an attempt to link the building to a nearby ritual bath.

The chaos erupted at the Chabad Lubavitch global headquarters in Crown Heights.

In December, the rabbi discovered youths had dug tunnels beneath the building to access another property on the same street.

It remains unclear why the young men are so attached to the property they were accessing illegally - they have for years been at loggerheads with the synagogue over who owns the main property, but the appeal of the ritual bath or mikvah is unclear.

When cement diggers and construction crews showed up last night to fill the tunnel, the young men protested, throwing themselves in the way to block their efforts.

It took the NYPD to forcibly remove them. Videos of the incident were later shared on social media.

Twelve people were arrested and remain in custody. They are yet to be identified.

The wooden walls of the synagogue are pictured being ripped apart, in scenes the rabbi said were 'mind-boggling'

The NYPD was called to try and get the young men out the tunnels and allow the passageway to be filled with cement

Members of the synagogue on Monday ripped away wooden panels inside to reveal the entrance to the tunnel, and enter to prevent the tunnels being filled

Wild scenes ensured inside the Crown Heights building on Monday afternoon

Members of Chabad-Lubavitch have been digging tunnels under the synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, for many months.

The purpose of the tunnel is unclear: the website Forward.com reported it was designed to reach an abandoned women's mikvah, or ritual baths. The website said the tunnel had been dug to 'expand' the synagogue, although it was unclear how it would do so.

The tunnels were discovered in December, and the synagogue's leaders called in structural engineers to assess the damage.

On Monday, cement mixers arrived to fill the tunnels in, and the young Orthodox men reacted with fury - many of them ripping away the wooden walls hiding the entrance to the secret tunnels, and running into them to prevent them being filled.

Video shared on social media showed dozens of NYPD officers attending the site, and trying to push the irate young men back from the entrance to the tunnel.

Some of the men attempt to charge back through the tunnels, as a large crowd jeers the police.

Outside the synagogue, NYPD officers held the men back.

Young men are pictured being arrested, handcuffed and led away by the NYPD

Crowds of Hasidic men stand outside the building on Monday night

The NYPD worked to empty the building of people so the construction crews could work

A police cruiser is seen outside the building, at 770 Eastern Parkway

An NYPD officer is seen on Monday evening talking to a member of the community

One man challenges the NYPD officer, who replies: 'We don't do that in America.'

Hasidic news site COL Live reported many of the young men were from Israel.

After several hours, NYPD officers were seen bringing handcuffed men out from the tunnels. Videos also showed at least one community members using the tunnels to reach the sidewalk outside the building.

A NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 1530 hours, police responded to 911 calls of a disorderly group outside of 770 Eastern Parkway, within the confines of the 71 Precinct.

'Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals unlawfully entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall.

'At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody. Charges are pending.

'No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.'

A man is seen emerging from the tunnels beneath the synagogue

Braun, the rabbi of the synagogue, condemned the young men.

He said they arrived at the site 'ready to destroy and deface the Holy Walls,' and urged other members of his community 'to call them out in all possible ways and strong terms.'

Braun said he was horrified they vandalized the 'shul', or synagogue.

He said to 'demolish and destroy a Shul - never mind the dangerous aspect, never mind the religious aspect - it's mind-boggling.'

Braun said the actions of the young men was 'painful' for his community.

'They need to be put in their place, put in their place, in so many meanings of the word,' he concluded.
China's recent 'purge' of several top Army officials came after an embarrassing mishap where they'd mistakenly filled missiles with water instead of fuel, according to United States intelligence.

The news comes days after a startling New Year's message from ruler Xi Jingping, who warned that 'all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait' will be 'reunified.'

The communist country's top lawmakers ousted nine senior military officers from the national legislative body on Friday, state media reported, a step that typically precedes further punishment.

Many of those removed were from the Rocket Force - a key arm of the Chinese army overseeing tactical and nuclear missiles.

Now, American intelligence claims military corruption led to the mistakes, which also included fields of silos in Western China fitted with lids that stopped the missiles from launching.

The purges are a setback for Xi who has pumped billions into buying and developing equipment as part of his modernizing efforts to build a 'world-class' military by 2050.

China's recent 'purge' of several top Army officials came after a mishap where they'd mistakenly filled missiles with water instead of fuel, according to United States intelligence. Pictured: Chinese ruler Xi Jingping

In accordance with those plans, Beijing's outsized defense budget has grown at a faster pace than the economy for some years.

The recent downfall of generals and military equipment suppliers, however, has punctured some of this aura, and raised questions over whether there has been adequate oversight over the massive military investments as China vies with the United States.

Since Xi took power in 2012, he has embarked on a wide-ranging anti-corruption crackdown among Communist Party and government officials, with the army being one of its main targets.

The nine generals removed from the legislature hailed from several military divisions; three were former commanders or vice commanders of the Rocket Force; one a former Air Force chief and one a Navy commander responsible for the South China Sea. Four officers were responsible for equipment.

Wei Fenghe, a former defense minister who used to head the Rocket Force, has also vanished.

When asked about his whereabouts, a defense ministry spokesman said in August that the military has zero tolerance for corruption.

His successor, Li Shangfu, was abruptly removed as defense minister in October without explanation after also disappearing for months before returning, only to be a victim of the purge himself.

Shangfu had previously headed the equipment department. One of his then-deputies was removed from parliament on Friday.

Wei Fenghe, a former defense minister who used to head the Rocket Force, is one of the purged officials

Fenghe's successor, Li Shangfu, was abruptly removed as defense minister in October without explanation after also disappearing for months before returning, only to be a victim of the purge himself

On the same day, Dong Jun, a Chinese ex-Navy chief, with a South China Sea background, was named Li's replacement as defense minister.

The corruption in the Chinese military is apparently rooted so deep that it will change Xi's plans to take major military action in the near future, Bloomberg reported.

Xi recently warned that 'all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait' will be 'reunified' in his saber-rattling New Year message.

He said China's reunification with Taiwan is inevitable as he addressed the nation less than two weeks before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader.

The January 13 presidential and parliamentary elections are happening at a time of fraught relations between Beijing and Taipei. China has been ramping up military pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over democratically governed Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan to be its 'sacred territory' and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control, though Xi made no mention of military threats in his speech carried on state television.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

In the longer run, analysts expect the chronic problem of corruption to persist in the Chinese military because some root causes - including low pay for officers and opacity in military expenditure - have not been addressed.

Xi said in his New Year's speech that China's reunification with Taiwan is inevitable as he addressed the nation less than two weeks before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader

The communist country's top lawmakers ousted nine senior military officers from the national legislative body on Friday, state media reported, a step that typically precedes further punishment.

In his New Year's message, Xi also said that the country's economy had grown 'more resilient and dynamic than before' after he endured a challenging 2023 at the helm of the world's second-largest economy.

His administration has struggled to sustain an economic rebound since rapidly dumping its onerous zero-Covid policy a year ago.

But Xi said 2023 had seen the economy 'weather the storm' and become 'more resilient and dynamic than before.'

Record youth unemployment and a persistent debt crisis in the crucial property sector have also hemmed in China's growth.

Official figures released on Sunday showed a nationwide decline in factory activity deepened in December, the third straight month of contraction.

Analysts have said Beijing may struggle to achieve its stated annual growth target of around five percent, the lowest such ambition in years.
Administrators got wind of the students plans and canceled the event due to a 'bad PR risk'

Martin Shkreli was set to speak to a crypto club at Brooklyn Tech High School but his appearance was canceled

'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli had a crypto talk at a Brooklyn high school canceled by administrators, which led the convicted fraudster to tell a reporter to 'lick his b****' for asking about nixed talk.

The Brooklyn Tech High School crypto club had arranged for Shkreli to speak about crypto, artificial intelligence and the pharmaceutical sector at their scheduled Tuesday meeting after 10th period.

The meet-up was later 'indefinitely postponed' after the New York City Department of Education saw it as a 'bad PR risk,' according to a post on the club's Instagram story.

A reporter from The Daily Beast then reached out to Shkreli to confirm if the event had been canceled. That led Shkreli to post on social media and share his private conversations with the journalist.

In the posted messages, Shkreli accused the journalist of calling the DOE and 'forcing' the high school to cancel his appearance.

'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli had a crypto talk canceled at Brooklyn Tech High School after administrators heard he was appearing at a club's meeting

The Brooklyn Tech High School crypto club took to Instagram and said the event was 'indefinitely postponed' after the New York City Department of Education saw it as a 'bad PR risk'

'I am not mad. Less work for me is better. I like having fans but I don't want to do work for them because I am lazy. So it would be good if it was cancelled, but I think we will do it somewhere else, which is bad for me because I am lazy and I said earlier in this quote,' Shkreli stated.

Shkreli, who is also known as 'America's most hated man' went on to tell the reporter: 'Also, lick my b****.'

In a separate post on X, Shkreli went on to say: 'motherf******, i will host a parade in brooklyn on a harambe float in front of the DoE building, you dont know me.'

In August 2015, Shkreli's company, Turing Pharmaceuticals (now Vyera) acquired rights to the drug Daraprim, an anti-parasitic medication used by people with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS patients.

By September, he hiked up the price of Daraprim by about 5,500 percent and defended the outrageous price jump by saying the company needed to make a profit to continue researching and for operational costs.

He was then arrested on securities and wire fraud charges over deceptive practices at his companies between 2009 and 2014.

Prosecutors alleged he used the company's cash and stock to pay back hedge fund investors for the money he lost.

He was released on a $5million bail at the time and he was terminated as CEO.

In 2016, he refused to testify in front of Congress, invoking his Fifth Amendment as he smirked at lawmakers that asked him about Daraprim's price hike - a move he'd become known for.

The following year, Shkreli started to harass a female journalist by the name of Laura Duca on Twitter as he photoshopped himself over her husband and sent her various messages.

A reporter from The Daily Beast reached out to Shkreli to confirm if the event had been canceled at the high school as the convicted fraudster took to social media and shared their private conversations

In 2015, Shkreli was accused of hiking up a pharmaceutical drug company, Turing Pharmaceuticals (now Vyera) by about 5,500 percent

He is seen smiling at Congress while they questioned him about a drug that treats toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that threatens people with weakened immune systems

He was later banned from Twitter but went on to make multiple accounts.

Later that year, his trial started as he faced up to 20 years in prison and was eventually convicted of three of the eight federal counts by a Brooklyn jury in August.

His bail was then revoked and was officially sent to prison on September 13 after reportedly threatening a former presidential nominee on social media.

He offered $5,000 on Facebook for someone to grab Hillary Clinton's hair while she was on her book tour.

'The Clinton Foundation is willing to KILL to protect its secrets. So on HRCs book tour, try to grab a hair from her. I must confirm the sequences I have. Will pay $5,000 per hair obtained from Hillary Clinton,' he wrote at the time.

He also bought a Wu-Tang Clan album for $2million, allegedly purchased Jay-Z tickets for $10,000 using company funds and relentlessly trolled the internet.

He was sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding investors as he cried in court and said: 'I want the people who came here today to support me to understand one thing, the only person to blame for me being here today is me. I took down Martin Shkreli.'

He was then removed from Fort Dix prison following allegations that he used a contraband cell phone to run his company while he was behind bars and was transferred to Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex in Pennsylvania.

In May 2019, Shkreli sued Retrophin directors and ex-general counsel for over $30 million and a year later his request for release was denied to work on a COVID-19 vaccine.

He was released early from prison in May 2022 after he served five of his seven year sentence and was sent to a halfway house in Brooklyn before he moved in with a family member and remained under house arrest and wore an ankle bracelet.

Shkreli, 39, celebrated his release from prison at a Cracker Barrel restaurant on the day of his release. Shkreli got picked up by friend on last day in prison. The incarcerated 'Pharma Bro' was released two years early for good behavior

Shkreli was arrested in Manhattan on securities-fraud charges in 2015. A judge later sentenced the former pharma industry executive to seven years in prison, yet he only served five years as he got out early on good behavior

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Shkreli revealed that while in jail, he was not known as 'Pharma Bro or 'America's most hated man', but was instead nicknamed 'Shkreli' and 'Marty-Mar' by his fellow inmates.

After he was free he revealed that he planned to appeal an FTC ruling that banned him from the industry, while also landing him with a $65million fine.

He remained confident that he will come out on top and already started to work on a new venture that he said will provide him with the opportunity to get his 'revenge' on Big Pharma once and for all: a new drug-discovery software company, druglike.

Through the start-up, Shkreli wants to make early drug discovery more accessible by putting the same software used by multi-billion-dollar pharma companies on the cloud and crowdsourcing it so that it can be used by the masses.

Shkreli has made it clear that his new company is 'not a pharmaceutical company' but a 'drug discovery platform.'
Snow and ice gripped parts of Britain including the South East today after -11C (12F) temperatures overnight as forecasters warned the cold snap could last a month.

Amid another cold and frosty morning in the UK, the Environment Agency said 125 flood warnings and 136 alerts remained following last week's Storm Henk deluge.

The mercury plunged to -11.1C (12.0F) this morning at Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands - a record low for the short-lived New Year  and the coldest place in England was Okehampton in Devon, which recorded -3.5C (25.7F). Elsewhere, Birmingham fell to -1C (30F), while London was 1C (34F) and Glasgow 0C (32F).

Daytime temperatures struggled to get much above 0C (32F) in some areas this afternoon, with the Met Office saying it will widely feel below freezing today due to strong winds which will add a 'significant wind chill' despite plenty of sunshine.

A low of at least -10C (14F) was expected in Scotland tonight while -7C (19.4F) was possible in some rural areas of South West England. The coldest night of the winter so far was December 3 last month, when -12.5C (9.5F) was recorded at Altnaharra.

Frosts made these areas colder than places within the Arctic Circle, with Tromso in northern Norway only expected to fall to 0C (32F) overnight amid milder-than-usual conditions. Reykjavik in Iceland is set to stay frost-free all week with cloud and rain.

An amber cold health alert for the North West of England, the Midlands, the South West of England and the South East of England is in place until noon on Friday.

The alert by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) means 'cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time'.

Dog walkers brave the cold this morning at Cissbury Ring near Worthing in West Sussex

Houses in Wraysbury, Berkshire, are flooded today after the River Thames burst its banks

Dogs go for a walk at the National Trust site of Cissbury Ring in West Sussex this morning

Residents make their way through floodwater at Wraysbury in Berkshire this morning

Dog walkers brave the cold this morning at Cissbury Ring near Worthing in West Sussex

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

Pedestrians on Westminster Bridge brave the cold weather on a sunny morning today

Floodwater covers the riverside path at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire this morning

Snow at Jersey Airport early this morning which led to some flight disruption

Derbyshire Police reported that there had been a crash on the A517 near Shottle and urged motorists to 'take extra care due to reports of ice on roads in the area'.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted: 'With the freezing temperatures this week, please take extra care on the roads. Wet roads could now be icy so drive carefully and allow extra time for your journey. Make sure your windscreen is fully clear of frost and ice before you set off too.'

Its Nuneaton and Bedworth Police account tweeted: 'Please be aware there is ice on some roads. We've already been called to Atherstone Road in Hartshill several times this morning after a number of reported collisions and near misses. Thankfully there have been no serious injuries but please drive carefully.'

And Wiltshire Council said: 'It's cold again this morning with sub-zero temperatures. Our gritting team have been working overnight, but there may be ice on roads and pavements. Please take care whether you're driving, cycling or walking and think ice  even on treated roads.'

Today, the Environment Agency (EA) said 125 flood warnings remain in England where flooding is expected, including a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of London in Wraysbury.

The EA says flooding of property and roads was expected around Friary Road, The Embankment, Ousley Road and Riverside areas.

The majority of flood warnings are in the South of England and the Midlands, particularly through Reading, Slough, Oxford, Salisbury and further north in Cheltenham and Peterborough.

Cars in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire are pictured this morning

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

Residents carry a cat as they walk through floodwater at Wraysbury in Berkshire this morning

Pedestrians on Westminster Bridge brave the cold weather on a sunny morning today

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

A car in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire this morning

A cold start at Aylesford in Kent today where a medieval bridge spans the River Medway

Pedestrians on Westminster Bridge brave the cold weather on a sunny morning today

A Labrador goes for a swim at he floodwaters in the copse at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

Cars in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire are pictured this morning

People brave the cold weather as they walk over a bridge at Aylesford in Kent this morning

Pedestrians on Westminster Bridge brave the cold weather on a sunny morning today

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

A canal boat that has broken free of its moorings at Wallingford in Oxfordshire today

Floodwaters in a dip in the copse at Dunsden in Oxfordshire today as a dog walker passes by

A car in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire this morning

Pedestrians on Westminster Bridge brave the cold weather on a sunny morning today

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

People brave the cold weather as they walk over a bridge at Aylesford in Kent this morning

A car in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire this morning

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

Cars in a flooded car park at Wallingford in Oxfordshire are pictured this morning

The grounds of Windsor Castle are flooded today after the River Thames broke its banks

The day's sunrise is obscured by a thick bank of cloud at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

There are also 136 flood alerts in place throughout the same areas where flooding is possible.

It comes as a yellow warning for ice across southern England and South Wales expired at 3am today.

The Met Office said there would be snow flurries affecting parts of England's south into the early hours of this morning.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said that not much of the snow appeared to have settled, with some areas seeing a 'dusting of maybe one centimetre or two of snow'.

He said today would be drier with limited snowfall, apart from some wintry showers in Cornwall.

He added: 'We're not expecting much in the way of further snowfall on Tuesday. In actual fact, it will be much sunnier than today, particularly in the south compared to Monday.'

Mr Morgan said a blast of cold air coming down from the north, mostly affecting Scotland, was likely to bring more cold conditions over the weekend with some snow showers.

Train services warned customers to be careful when using their services due to icy conditions.

Yesterday, a dusting of snow made for tricky driving conditions in Maidstone, Kent, while rail commuters took pictures of snowy scenes as they travelled through the South East.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said Britain is in the grip of a 'cold regime and that theme continues for much of the week'.

He added: 'Temperatures through the week will remain below average for this time of year. If you do have to travel in icy conditions, plan your route and check for delays and road closures.

'If you are driving... look out for potential hazards and keep your speed down. Using a higher gear may be more appropriate.'

READ MORE Why you should be turning your thermostat DOWN this winter: Experts reveal surprise benefits of cold weather - from increasing your metabolism to boosting feel good hormones and rejuvenating skin Advertisement

Forecasters for Sky News predicted that the South East will likely face the biggest shock from the cold air after very mild temperatures, reaching an unseasonal 13C (55F) during recent storms.

As January goes on, northerly winds are set to bring a blast of Arctic air with more snow showers at times across the North and 'a smaller risk of a period of snow across some southern areas for a time'.

The arrival of wintry weather follows a wet and windy Christmas and New Year, most recently with Storm Henk bringing a deluge of rain, followed by widespread flooding.

Over the coming days, the weather is due to be 'cold with sunny spells for most [with a] risk of wintry showers', the Met Office said.

Today, there is a 'risk of some wintry showers for the South West in the morning, with the odd shower for North East England' but dry, bright and cold elsewhere.

Later in the week and into the weekend, mostly dry weather is due to predominate, with the best chance of sunshine in the South West.

It is set to be cloudier elsewhere with light rain, drizzle and wintry showers likely further north.

Cold health alerts, issued by the UKHSA, are in place until Friday, with an amber alert covering North West England, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West England.

The Environment Agency said 125 flood warnings (in red) remain where flooding is expected

The EA said there is a flood warning on the River Thames south-west of London in Wraysbury

There is a yellow alert for North East England, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Anglia, South East England and London.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, of the UKHSA, added: 'Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year.

'If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days.'

The polar airflow is set to develop next week and towards the middle of the month, when forecasters say 'it is likely to turn colder as northerly winds begin to develop across the UK'.

A lorry stuck in floods yesterday on the A1101 in Welney, Norfolk - the lowest road in England

A rescue effort was attempted yesterday but teams will wait for water levels to drop further

The recovery was assessed but teams retreated rather than cause more damage to the lorry

As well as the risk of snow showers, there is also 'an increased chance of more unsettled conditions spreading from the west'.

The pattern is unlikely to change for the last week of January and into February, when there remains 'an increased chance compared to normal of cold conditions along with ice and snow'.

Weather systems are set to attempt to make inroads at times 'bringing periods of rain or snow' but 'some drier, more settled interludes are also likely'.
Three men have been arrested over the 'suspicious' death of a teenager whose body was discovered on a remote dirt road.

The body of Yiel Gatulak, 19, was found on Undoolya Road, about 10km east of Alice Springs, about 12:30pm on New Year's Day, when a woman from the nearby Undoolya cattle station drove past, noticed the corpse and raised the alarm.

The budding mechanic of Sudanese descent had moved to the Outback two years ago after finishing high school in Melbourne.

Police launched a homicide investigation shortly after the grim discovery, leading to the arrest of three Alice Springs men aged 17, 20 and 21.

Northern Territory Police confirmed on Tuesday the trio remain in custody and 'are assisting police with their inquiries'.

The body of Yiel Gatulak, 19, was found on Undoolya Road, about 10km east of Alice Springs, about 12:30pm on New Year's Day, when a woman from the nearby Undoolya cattle station drove past, noticed the corpse and raised the alarm

The territory's Assistant Commissioner, Travis Wurst, said the three men 'have not yet been charged'.

'I cannot give you a definitive timeline, and what those actual charges will be also remains part of the investigation teams remit,' Mr Wurst said.

Any charges laid would relate to the 'death of a person', according to Mr Wurst.

Mr Gatulak's cause of death remains a mystery to police, who are awaiting further information from forensic analysis and an autopsy.

It is understood the teenager had sustained 'significant' injuries, however none of which were 'penetrative'.

The arrests come after dozens of mourners attended a vigil for Mr Gatulak at the site where his body was found, laying flowers and singing in tribute to the teenager who had been 'taken too soon'.

A homicide investigation was launched after the 19-year-old's body was discovered on Undoolya Road (pictured)

The cause of death is still a mystery for police who confirmed Mr Gatulak (pictured) had sustained significant, non-penetrative wounds

A friend of the teenager's family launched a GoFundMe to help pay for his body to be brought back to Victoria and give him a 'burial he deserves'.

A post to the fundraising page described the teenager as 'a true friend to many, who touched the lives of those around him'.

'His heart was pure and he was always happy and kind to everyone. He treated everyone with so much kindness.'

NT's Attorney General and Justice Minister, Chansey Paech, said the Crime Victims Services Unit will provide financial aid to the family to help pay for funeral expenses.

Investigations into the Mr Gatulak's death are still ongoing and police are urging anyone with any information to contact them.
Tributes have been paid to a 'beloved' dancer, choreographer and model, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in London.

Lousha Liddell was riding pillion on a motorbike when it was involved in a crash with a car on January 3.

The Metropolitan Police said the 25-year-old was airlifted to hospital but died soon after. The driver of the car has been arrested on suspicion of drug driving.

Now, tributes have been paid to the young woman who was described as a 'hip-hop luminary' and a 'beacon of inspiration', while a gofundme page has been launched in her name.

Lousha Liddell was riding pillion on a motorbike when it was involved in a crash with a car on January 3

She has been described as a 'hip-hop luminary' and a 'beacon of inspiration' by the dance community

A gofundme page has been launched in her name to put towards funeral costs

Paying tribute to her on the gofundme, her friend Chilli Sanders said: 'In the vibrant world of dance, Lousha was a hip-hop luminarya 25-year-old dance choreographer and creative director whose artistry transcended the boundaries of movement.

'With boundless energy, infectious passion, and an innate ability to fuse different dance styles, Lousha had become a beacon of inspiration for those fortunate enough to witness her creations.'

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Lousha's mother and father to put towards her 'celebration of life.'

Lousha was said to have 'boundless energy', an 'infectious passion' and an 'innate ability to fuse different dance styles'

Lousha's death sent shockwaves through the dance community, who saw the impact she had on stage and had been moved by the stories that she told through movement

Her creative prowess led her to become the former creative director at esteemed institutions such as the BBC, ITV, film, television, theatre, WNO, and S4C

Lousha started dancing at a young age and has been described as a 'natural talent', whose choreography was not merely a 'sequence of steps', but a 'storytelling medium'

Lousha started dancing at a young age and has been described as a 'natural talent', whose choreography was not merely a 'sequence of steps', but a 'storytelling medium' that spoke of 'love, resilience, and the universal human experience.'

Ms Sanders went on: 'On 3rd January riding pillion in Garratt Lane SW London on a motorbike tragedy struck.

'A drug-impaired driver careened into Lousha's path, shattering the rhythm of her life. Airlifted to the St Georges hospital, she fought valiantly against the cruel hands of fate, surrounded by the hum of machines and the hushed prayers of those who cherished her.'

The rider of the bike, a man in his 40s, was also taken to hospital. His condition is currently unknown.

Close friend Rachel Totti Ali said: 'Lousha Liddell from the moment I met you I loved you to bits, followed your journey to university and the amazing accomplishments you've made.'

Lousha, who was known as Lady-Lousha, attended St David's Catholic College before going on to study at Middlesex University

Lousha's death sent shockwaves through the dance community, who saw the impact she had on stage and had been moved by the stories that she told through movement.

Close friend Rachel Totti Ali said: 'Lousha Liddell from the moment I met you I loved you to bits, followed your journey to university and the amazing accomplishments you've made.

'I'm heartbroken, heartbroken for your beautiful mum Joanna Stokes and your entire family. I am at a loss you were and will forever be a beautiful soul.'

Lousha, who was known as Lady-Lousha, attended St David's Catholic College before going on to study at Middlesex University.

Her creative prowess led her to become the former creative director at esteemed institutions such as the BBC, ITV, film, television, theatre, WNO, and S4C.

The gofundme page has so far raised over 10,000. To make a donation, visit the website.
Fears are today growing that more subpostmasters could have taken their own lives in the Horizon scandal after Richard Madeley claimed that another Post Office worker killed himself after he was wrongly accused of stealing 20,000.

The Good Morning Britain presenter said he was sending a recorded delivery letter at his local Post Office yesterday, when he got chatting to the subpostmaster behind the counter.

He told ITV co-star Susanna Reid: 'I said 'how was the drama for you?' and she burst into tears. 'She told me her story - and I won't say exactly where it was - but she said a cousin of hers killed himself after being accused of stealing 20,000 from the Post Office.'

Prior to Madeley's revelation today, there were four known suicides linked to the Horizon scandal which saw hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly accused of crimes they didn't commit.

Among those who have taken their own lives is Martin Griffiths, who was falsely suspected of stealing money from a Post Office in Ellesmere Port where he had worked for around 20 years.

His family said he delved into his own savings and those of his parents to pay back around 60,000 he was wrongly suspected of taking from the branch. The turmoil lasted for four years, between 2009 and 2013, and had a huge impact on his physical and mental health.

How did the Post Office scandal affect YOU? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were given criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon made it appear as though money was missing from their shops

The shocking revelation came on the morning show, as presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid discussed the 'growing momentum' from the public, as a result of the ITV drama starring Toby Jones

In 2013, Mr Griffiths parked his car on the A41 in Ellesmere Port after leaving a note for his loved ones and took his own life.

Mother-of-two Fiona McGowan also took her own life after she and partner Phil Cowan, were accused of stealing 30,000 from her Edinburgh post office.

Ms McGowan was 47 when she overdosed on alcohol and antidepressants in 2009. Her sons were 12 and 14.

Mr Griffiths and Ms McGowan both took their own lives after they were accused of stealing money from the Post Office

Devon postmaster Peter Huxham died in a suspected suicide in July 2020 after being jailed for eight months over a 16,000 shortfall

Her partner Phil told The Sunday Post: 'Fiona may well be still alive today if she had not been facing court for false accusations of theft and died before clearing her name.'

Devon postmaster Peter Huxham died in a suspected suicide in July 2020 after being jailed for eight months over a 16,000 shortfall. In that time, his marriage had fallen apart and he had been battling alcoholism.

Recording an open conclusion, assistant coroner Stephen Covell said: 'It is unfortunately rather an unsatisfactory state of affairs that I cannot give any helpful conclusions as to the precise circumstances of Peter's death. He lived alone and died some weeks previously, and as a result his body was badly decomposed and it was not possible to give a cause of death. There were no suspicious circumstances.'

And postmaster's wife Louise Mann killed herself after wrongful allegations of theft.

Two former Justice Secretaries have today urged the Government to bring in emergency legislation to quash the convictions. The Government has said it is 'urgently pursuing' options to fast track a process which has so far seen 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their name in the courts.

Meanwhile, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells today announced she was handing back her CBE with 'immediate effect' after more than 1million people signed a petition calling for her honour to be revoked.

Ms Vennells oversaw the organisation while it routinely denied there were problems with its Horizon IT system.

The petition, which is addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, the chair of the Forfeiture Committee, says: 'Evidence has been produced that the Post Office engaged in a mass cover up which led to the wrongful prosecution of 550 Post Office Staff many of whom were subsequently jailed, bankrupted and in some cases, sadly took their own lives.

'Having been handed a CBE for services to the Post Office, and moved out into other senior positions in government and healthcare, it is only right that this award is now withdrawn through the process of forfeiture.'

Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE with 'immediate effect' after more than 1million people signed a petition calling for her honour to be revoked

Pressure is also mounting on Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey over his role in the scandal, having been postal affairs minister during the coalition government between 2010 and 2012.

The Sunday Times published a cache of correspondence between Alan Bates, a former sub-postmaster, and ex-ministers from the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition government - including Sir Ed.

Tory Treasury minister Bim Afolami said Government is working 'incredibly hard' to make sure that justice is done 'as quickly as possible' for postmasters wrongly convicted in the Horizon scandal.

READ MORE: Post Office is STILL handing millions to the company behind the faulty Horizon software that led to hundreds being wrongly accused of fraud Advertisement

He said Sir Ed should 'be honest with people' and explain why as a minister 'he didn't ask the right questions'.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were given criminal convictions after faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon made it appear as though money was missing from their shops.

The Post Office minister vowed to leave 'no stone unturned' to get speedy justice for hundreds of postmasters wrongly convicted during the Horizon scandal, it was revealed.

Whitehall sources said there could be a change in the law to allow the huge backlog of cases to be considered 'en masse' rather than individually. Discussions were taking place with 'senior figures in the judiciary'.

In the Commons, Kevin Hollinrake said the change could 'unlock' compensation claims for hundreds of former postmasters who had their lives wrecked by false claims that they stole money from the Post Office.

He praised the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office for bringing the scandal to a 'much broader audience' and for highlighting the 'brutal approach' taken by the Post Office.

Mr Hollinrake, the Minister for the Post Office making a statement to MPs in the House of Commons, London, on Horizon compensation and convictions

Former postmaster Alan Bates, who is portrayed by Toby Jones in the new drama, led and won the initial legal battle after himself falling victim to the faults

He said the series, which has triggered an outpouring of public anger, had 'only reinforced our zeal for seeing justice done as quickly as possible'.

Mr Hollinrake said achieving justice for those wronged was now his 'highest priority' and hinted that new measures to overturn convictions could be introduced within days.

'I'm sorry I can't be a little more precise in my timescales but I'd be very disappointed if we went past the end of this week in terms of giving more information to the House,' he said, before adding: 'The time for quibbling is over.'

Such laws to quash the remaining convictions 'could be done tomorrow', two former lord chancellors said last night.

In a letter to The Times, Sir Robert Buckland wrote: 'We should recognise these exceptional circumstances by asking Parliament to pass legislation  Such legislation would help to right a clear wrong.

'Too many subpostmasters have already died without seeing justice being done, so there is no more time to be lost.'

Lord Falconer of Thoroton, justice secretary under Tony Blair, said: 'The Government could introduce that [legislation] tomorrow and there would be no resistance in Parliament.'

Postmasters whose convictions are overturned are entitled to interim compensation worth 163,000. They can then opt to accept an offer of 600,000 or seek to have their individual case examined.

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is seen leaving her local village church in February 2022

Mr Hollinrake said: 'When we talk about compensation, we have to remember that the lives of postmasters and their families caught up in this scandal have been irrevocably changed.

'They have faced financial ruin, untold personal distress, and a loss of reputation that no amount of financial compensation nor promises of lessons learned can fully restore.

'The Government recognises, however, that we have a clear moral duty to right these wrongs to the best of our ability.' In total some 148million has been paid out but the final bill is expected to be many times higher.

The minister suggested that Fujitsu, which supplied the Horizon software at the heart of the scandal, could be asked to help fund the compensation if the firm is found culpable by an ongoing public inquiry.

'We have been clear that it should not be the taxpayer alone that picks up the tab,' said Mr Hollinrake.

Former Cabinet minister Sir David Davis said the Post Office should be stripped of its power to bring prosecutions and barred from hiring expensive lawyers to challenge compensation claims.

He also called for criminal prosecutions against the 'real villains' of the scandal, adding: 'We know who they are.'

Mr Hollinrake said the Post Office had 'quite rightly' decided to stop bringing private prosecutions some years ago.

But he added that Justice Secretary Alex Chalk was now examining if it should be stripped of its right to do so.

Labour's business spokesman Jonathan Reynolds said the party would back efforts to accelerate the process for exonerating the postmasters.

'It is unconscionable that convictions remain where it is clear no wrongdoing was committed,' he added.

Kevin Hollinrake told MPs the Government was urgently pursuing options to fast track a process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their names in the courts

Mrs Hamilton is one the stars of a new ITV drama about the Post Office Horizon scandal called Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Pictured: Mrs Hamilton played by actor Monica Dolan

Mr Hollinrake previously suggested that Ms Vennells should hand back her CBE voluntarily after being at the helm 'during a critical time'.

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne also urged Ms Vennells to surrender her honour. He added that 'heads have to roll because lives have been destroyed'.

Rishi Sunak last night also said he would 'strongly support' an investigation by the honours forfeiture committee into whether Ms Vennells should lose her CBE.

Mr Sunak said yesterday the treatment of the postmasters over two decades had been 'an absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice'.

On a visit to Accrington in Lancashire, the PM added: 'The stories are appalling, people were treated absolutely appallingly. That's wrong and we should do everything we can to make it right.'

He pointed out that as chancellor he had approved the compensation scheme which has now paid out almost 150million to thousands of victims, saying: 'People should know that we are on it and we want to make this right. The money's been set aside.

'What we are now looking at is how can we speed all of that up? We want to get that [money] out of the door as quickly as possible.

'It was simply wrong what happened. They shouldn't have been treated like this, and we should do everything we can to make it right for them.'

Despite outrage at the time, it has had to take the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, to kick ministers into action to overturn hundreds of wrongful convictions that still stand.

Mrs Vennells, 65, has been accused of playing a leading role in covering up IT flaws behind the miscarriage of justice. She apologised for the scandal after some postmasters overturned their convictions at the Court of Appeal.

Ministers have been told they should consider life sentences in prison for those found ultimately responsible for the Horizon scandal.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local branch or go to www.samaritans.org
A woman who was allegedly murdered by her own husband was found dead in the attic of her own home, a court has heard.

Tia Simmonds' body was discovered covered in several items of clothing and bedding at her Parbury Road property in Forest Hill, southeast London, on January 3.

Her husband, Shane Simmonds, has been charged with the 32-year-old's murder and two counts of rape against a teenage girl.

Mr Simmonds was charged last week and appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday, where he was remanded in custody by Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC.

Prosecutor Julia Faure Walker told jurors how police officers went to the couple's home and found Mrs Simmonds 'lying face down on her front' in their converted loft.

Shane Simmonds was charged last week and appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday, where he was remanded in custody by Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC

It is said a knife was also found in the en-suite bathroom area of the attic.

Simmonds was arrested after voluntarily attending a police station in the early hours of January 3.

The defendant, appearing via prison video link, spoke only to confirm his name and age.

He was told he must appear in court again on March 25 to enter pleas.

A provisional trial date has been set for October 14.
An Australian man has suddenly on holiday in Bali, sparking an outpouring grief.

The body of Taylor 'Rocky' Rockliffe, 26, from Lake Munmorah on NSW's central coast, was discovered on Monday but the exact circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be made public.

The talented local rugby league player's family set up a GoFundMe on Tuesday to raise enough money to bring him home and pay for the funeral.

Taylor 'Rocky' Rockliffe, 26, from Lake Munmorah on NSW's central coast, died suddenly while on holiday in Bali on Monday

Mr Rockliffe's (right) sister, Brie (second left) launched a GoFundMe to transport his body back to Australia

'My best friend my brother my everything, unexpectedly passed away on the 8/1/24 while on holidays in Bali, I am begging anyone if they could spare it to help my family bring him home to us in Australia,' his sister Brie Rockliffe said in the fundraiser.

'He needs to be home with his family and friends and he deserves to have a send off surrounded by people he loved so dearly. Please from the bottom of my heart please help us.'

Members from Mr Rockliffe's rugby league club, the Morisset Bulls, also paid tribute to him on Facebook.

'With a broken heart we would like to send our heartfelt condolences to the Rockliffe Family, Yesterday We lost one of the greats,' the message read.

'Taylor you will be dearly missed as a player, as a mentor and most of all as a mate.

'Your friendship and passion echoed through our 2023 season. To our Bulls Boys & Family, Please look after yourselves at this time and support one another.'

Members from Mr Rockliffe's local rugby leage club, the Morisset Bulls, paid tribute to him 'as a player, as a mentor and most of all as a mate'

Others on social media who knew Mr Rockliffe were also shocked to hear the sudden news of his passing and wished his family well.

'The love you had for your family and in return them for you was always beautiful to see,' a friend wrote.

'I knew Taylor while playing footy, he was a great bloke. Taken too soon. Fly high mate,' another wrote.
A surfer has been mauled by a shark off the coast of South Australia.

The 64-year-old was about 200 metres off the shore at at Blackspoint, near Elliston, when he was attacked at 3:15pm on Tuesday afternoon.

He managed to escape and swam to shore before he refused ambulance service and drove himself to Elliston Hospital.

Police have confirmed the man is now in a stable condition and that he will be airlifted to Royal Adelaide Hospital.

A picture of his surfboard shows chunks were bitten out of it during the attack.

A picture of the man's surfboard shows chunks were bitten out of it during the attack

The 64-year-old was about 200 metres off the shore at Elliston in South Australia when he was attacked on Tuesday afternoon

Surfing website Beach Grit claimed the victim was 'bitten between the a** and leg by a Great White'.

'He paddled in but refused an ambulance, reflecting the chaotic nature of a Great White hit and the difference just a few millimetres can make,' the website added.

The attack comes just a week after 15-year-old Khai Cowley died when his leg was bitten off at Ethel Beach in the Innes National Park, on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia.

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.

Surfing website Beach Grit claimed the victim was 'bitten between the a** and leg by a Great White'
South Korea's parliament today passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have long called an embarrassment for the country.

The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote in a move hailed as 'history in the making' by activists.

Breeding, selling and slaughtering dogs for their meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won (18,000) in fines under the new law, which will come into effect after a three-year grace period.

Some angry dog farmers said they plan to file a constitutional appeal and launch rallies in protest, a suggestion that heated debate over the ban would continue.

Dog meat consumption, a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula, is neither explicitly banned nor legalised in South Korea.

Eating dog meat was once seen as a way to improve stamina in the humid Korean summer. But it has become a rarity - now eaten mostly by some older people - as more Koreans consider dogs as family pets and as criticism of how the dogs are slaughtered has grown.

Dogs look on from their cages at a dog meat farm in Hwaseong, South Korea, in November 2023

Recent surveys show more people want its ban and a majority of South Koreans don't eat dog meat any longer. But the surveys also indicated one in every three South Koreans still oppose the ban even though they don't eat dog meat.

National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote on Tuesday. President Yoon Suk Yeol's government supports the ban, so the subsequent steps to make it law are considered formality.

'This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals,' the legislation reads.

The bill would make the slaughtering, breeding, trade and sales of dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027 and punish such acts with 2-3 years in prison. But it doesn't stipulate penalties for eating dog meat.

The bill would offer assistance to farmers and others in the industry for shutting down their businesses or shifting to alternatives. Details of outlawing the industry would be worked out among government officials, farmers, experts and animal rights activists, according to the bill.

Humane Society International called the legislation's passage 'history in the making.'

Animal rights activists stage a rally opposing South Korea's traditional culture of eating dog meat in Seoul, South Korea, in July 2023

'I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea, but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement,' said JungAh Chae, executive director of HSI's Korea office.

The legislation left farmers extremely upset and frustrated.

'This is a clear state violence as they're infringing upon freedom of occupational option. We can't just sit idly,' said Son Won Hak, a farmer and leader of a farmers' association.

Son said dog farmers will file a petition to the constitutional court and launch rallies in protest. He said farmers will meet Wednesday to discuss other future steps.

There is no reliable official data on the exact size of South Korea's dog meat industry. Activists and farmers say hundreds of thousands of dogs are slaughtered for meat each year in South Korea.
Jeffrey Epstein's 'sex slave' has insisted the paedophile did make sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson but claimed she was forced to retract the allegations after she and her family were threatened.

Sarah Ransome made the claims in 2016, which have only now been revealed in newly released documents, saying that the three men were filmed by the paedophile financier using hidden cameras throughout his various properties.

Ms Ransome retracted her allegations in the same year, reportedly saying that she invented the tapes to shine a light on what Epstein was doing.

But, appearing on Good Morning Britain today, she reiterated her claims and said she was forced to retract the allegations after she and her family were threatened 'with harm' by Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and 'others'.

She added that it is 'no secret that everything was recorded' and claimed that 'multiple victims have come forward' confirming her account.

A spokesman for Mr Branson described the claims as 'baseless and unfounded'.

Sarah Ransome (pictured) has claimed she retracted allegations that the paedophile made sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson

Ms Ransome made the claims in 2016, which have only now been revealed in newly released documents, saying that the three men were filmed by the paedophile financier (pictured)

The sex tapes claim was described as 'baseless and unfounded' by Richard Branson's (pictured) spokesman

A US judge has ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Virginia Giuffre's legal claim against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, which was filed in 2015.

The sex tapes claim was made in a letter Ms Ransome sent a journalist in 2016 talking about her experiences. It was made public in a tranche of court documents released on Monday.

In the letter, Ms Ransome wrote: 'When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffrey.

'Thank God she managed to get a hold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her.

'Frustratingly enough Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that!

'When my friend eventually had the courage to speak out and went to the police in 2008 to report what had happened, nothing was done and she was utterly humiliated by the police department where she went to report what had happened with Epstein, Clinton, Branson and Prince Andrew.'

Ms Ransome also claimed: 'I have backed up the footage on several USB sticks and have securely sent them to various different locations throughout Europe.'

A spokeperson for Virgin Group pointed to a 2019 article in the New Yorker magazine which said Ms Ransome had 'invented the tapes to draw attention to Epstein's behaviour and make him believe she had 'evidence that would come out if he harmed me'.

The spokesperson said: 'We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. In 2019 she admitted to The New Yorker that the tapes had been invented. Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a sex tape is entirely false. The allegations are baseless and unfounded.

'The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.

A US judge has ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Virginia Giuffre's legal claim against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured), which was filed in 2015

In the document released on Monday, Ms Ransome claimed the tapes were made when her friend had sex with Clinton (pictured), Prince Andrew and Richard Branson on separate occasions

Prince Andrew (pictured) stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein

Ms Ransome (pictured) whose grandfather is Lord Macpherson, the second baron of Drumochter, has previously told how she was raped up to three times a day by Epstein

Sarah Ransome is pictured on Little Saint James Island, which was owned by Epstein, in 2006

Ms Ransome, 38, whose grandfather is Lord Macpherson, the second baron of Drumochter, has previously told how she was raped up to three times a day by Epstein, having been tricked by Ghislane Maxwell into his sordid web of abuse when she was a 22-year-old wannabe model.

Ms Ransome, whose father is Mark Ransome and her mother is the Hon Shirley Elizabeth Macpherson, was one of 11 women allowed to give statements to Ms Maxwell's New York sentencing hearing in 2022 about how the British socialite had wrecked their lives.

But this is the first time her claims about Epstein sex taping Andrew, Sir Richard and former US President Clinton have been spelt out in court documents.

The theory about sex tapes has long swirled around the Epstein case. Two of his victims, Maria Farmer and Virginia Roberts Giuffre, claim that they saw a room full of CCTV monitors at Epstein's $65million mansion in New York, including some showing cameras in the toilets.

When police raided the mansion in 2019, they found dozens of tapes of girls in a twisted library the disgraced financier kept.

And Maxwell herself appeared to have admitted the tapes existed after being tricked by a journalist for the TV show 60 Minutes, telling him: 'I don't know where they are.'

But if the FBI does have any sex tapes of famous people, they have never emerged publicly.

No such tapes were even referred to in Ms Maxwell's trial, let alone produced in evidence. Maxwell was jailed for 20 years for running a sex trafficking ring and molesting schoolgirls with Epstein.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has slammed the 'baseless' accusations that he had sex with 'many girls' after he was named in the latest batch of documents.

'These baseless accusations have been fully retracted because they are simply false and have no merit,' said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung Monday, amid the latest document release related to the Epstein case.

Epstein is pictured in 2006 on Little Saint James Island

Ghislaine Maxwell is pictured on Little Saint James Island in 2006

Haunting images show scantily-clad girls and women on Epstein's 'pedo island'

An image of Labour peer Lord Peter Mandelson on Jeffrey Epstein's private island has resurfaced as part of the latest release of US court documents

The statement blasting the unsubstantiated accusations came after the release of emails containing further accusations from Ms Ransome back in 2016.

Meanwhile, an image of Labour peer Lord Peter Mandelson on Jeffrey Epstein's private island has resurfaced as part of the latest release of US court documents.

A photo of the politician and the paedophile financier from 2006 is included in the latest tranche of unsealed papers.

It shows the Labour grandee sporting a 21,000 Patek Philippe watch and trying on a white leather belt at a fashion boutique in the US Virgin Islands.

It was previously reported that Branson had breakfast with Epstein just three years after the paedophile was jailed for child prostitution, according to court documents.

In 2019 a spokesman for the billionaire Virgin founder said that the two men had 'no personal or business relationship'.

But a bombshell legal document revealed that in 2011 Epstein emailed his private banker Jes Staley and the former Labour Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson to tell them of his alleged meeting with Branson.

The document states: 'On January 7, 2011, Epstein writes to Peter Mandelson (copying Staley) 'had breakfast with Richard Branson, he is also a big fan of Africa.'

Epstein was a convicted sex offender at the time of the alleged meeting. In June 2008 he pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Epstein had a 'little black book' containing the names of 301 of Britain's richest and most powerful people including Branson and Prince Andrew, it was claimed in 2019.

The paedophile cultivated an extraordinary cache of more than 1,000 phone numbers and email addresses for hundreds of famous names across the Atlantic.
A Russian war journalist has been found dead after vowing to release new details of 'gigantic corruption' in the Vladimir Putin-invaded Ukrainian city Mariupol.

The body of Alexander Rybin, 39, was discovered by a roadside near Shakhty, in Russia's Rostov region, on Saturday.

He is the latest in a series of mysterious media-linked deaths amid the Russian President's war against Ukraine.

Rybin died after a visit to occupied Mariupol in which his on-air report criticised the Putin regime for its slowness in rebuilding the war-blitzed city which the dictator sees as a holiday location for Russians on the Azov Sea.

The reporter - who had backed Putin's annexation of the Donbas region of Ukraine - revealed an influx of immigrants to undertake the reconstruction and huge money pumped in from Russia.

The body of Alexander Rybin, 39, was discovered by a roadside near Shakhty, in Russia 's Rostov region, on January 6, after he spoke out about 'corruption' in Mariupol, a city in eastern Ukraine which was captured by Russian forces in the early months of Putin's 2022 invasion

But he slammed the 'gigantic corruption', and vowed to reveal more details in a live broadcast on left wing online outlet Rabkor after returning to Moscow.

He never got back to the capital.

Instead, he was found dead on a highway near the city of Shakhty, which sits around 20 miles from the Ukrainian border and 130 miles from Mariupol.

Once home to more than 400,000 people, Mariupol was all but raised to the ground by Russia's forces who lay siege to it in the early months of Putin's 2022 invasion.

The city was fully captured by Moscow's forces on May 20, 2022 when the last Ukrainian troops - who had hunkered down in the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works - surrendered to the invading army.

It was the site of a number of shocking incidents in the early days of the war, including the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital and a theatre sheltering hundreds of civilians. Overall, thousands are thought to have been killed.

To this day, the city is a ruin of its former self, with Ukraine estimating around 100,000 people live in its 'apocalyptic' remains, as described by the Red Cross.

Rybin visited Mariupol at the end of last year, reporting from the city.

Officially, his cause of death was given as 'cardiomyopathy' following an autopsy, according to the Russian state media.

His bank cards and valuables had not been removed.

Rybin had fought in invaded Luhansk for pro-Putin forces between 2014 and 2015 but became disillusioned with the so-called 'Russian Spring'.

On Sunday, it was reported that the corpse of Zoya Konovalova (pictured), 48, chief editor of Russian state TV company Kuban, operating in Krasnodar region close to the war zone, was discovered in her bedroom. She and her ex-husband - whose body was also found at the scene - had died from 'poisoning', said law enforcement

Last month Ilya Kyva (left), 46, once a party leader in the Kyiv parliament, was found 'covered in blood' in a suspected assassination near Moscow by Ukrainian secret services. Images from the scene show Kyva's body (right) lying in the snow - and the weapons used to 'liquidate' him were discovered hanging on a tree nearby

Anna Tsareva, the deputy editor of pro-Putin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, was found dead by her father after he became worried he hadn't seen her for a couple of days

In September 2022, Anna Tsarevas's boss Vladimir Sungorkin, editor-in-chief and director general of Komsomolskaya Pravda, died of a 'heart attack' after showing signs of suffocation

After fighting in the conflict, he had travelled widely reporting for a variety of Russian media including pro-Putin outlets.

He had lived and worked in the Middle East, the US, Turkey, Ethiopia, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other countries.

On December 30 he told viewers from Mariupol: 'There is gigantic money here, there are gigantic opportunities for corruption.

'My personal impression - I'm not accusing anybody of anything is that there is a gigantic corruption going on in Mariupol, which the Russian army occupied with heavy fighting in Spring 2022.

'The year 2023, in my opinion, is in no way easier for the residents of Mariupol than what was happening in 2022, unfortunately.'

He vowed to give more details later.

Of his report, Ukrainian media outlet Obozrevatel cited a Russian source as saying: 'The last time he spoke on the air was on December 30 from Mariupol.

'During it, he said that there was no New Year's mood in the city after the shelling, and also suggested corruption in the construction sector.

'In addition, he wished Russians a change of government.'

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Rostov Region said 'no signs of criminal death were found on Rybin's body, which was found on Saturday near a parking lot in the Krasnosulinsky district.'

Rybin died after a visit to occupied Mariupol in which his on-air report criticised the Putin regime for its slowness in rebuilding the war-blitzed city which the dictator sees as a holiday location for Russians on the Azov Sea. Pictured: The city is seen in ruins amid Russia's attack

Pictured: Mariupol is seen before Putin's 2022 invasion, which raised the city to the ground

Local people walk on the Mira avenue in downtown Mariupol, Ukraine, April 12, 2022 amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The city was eventually captured by Russia on May 20. In a report, Rybin criticised the Putin regime for its slowness in rebuilding the war-blitzed city

The committee said it would first conduct a forensic evaluation before issuing an official cause of death for the journalist.

Rybin's death is the latest in a string of mysterious fatalities among Russian media figures, at a time when the Kremlin has cracked down on dissenting voices.

On Sunday, it was reported that the corpse of Zoya Konovalova, 48, chief editor of Russian state TV company Kuban, operating in Krasnodar region close to the war zone, was discovered in her bedroom.

She and her ex-husband - whose body was also found at the scene - had died from 'poisoning', said law enforcement.

And last month Ilya Kyva, 46, once a party leader in the Kyiv parliament, was found 'covered in blood' in a suspected assassination near Moscow by Ukrainian secret services.

He had become a Putin puppet who appeared as an analyst on obedient state TV.

Ukraine's SBU secret service said the images and footage were deliberately released as a warning to other Ukrainians collaborating with Vladimir Putin's invading forces.

'This is a signal to all traitors and war criminals who have gone over to the enemy's side,' a Ukrainian source told media. 'Remember, Russia will not protect you... Death is the only prospect that awaits the enemies of Ukraine.'

Also in December, 35-year-old deputy editor-in-chief of Putin's favourite newspaper was found dead in Moscow. Anna Tsareva's body was discovered at her home in the Russian capital, with an investigation underway.

An explosion erupts from an apartment building at 110 Mytropolytska St., after a Russian army tank fired on it in Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 11, 2022

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies on Monday, March 21, 2022 shows the damaged Mariupol Drama theater, top center, and the area around it in Mariupol

Police opened an investigation into the death of the deputy editor of pro-Putin Komsomolskaya Pravda [KP], a high-flying Russian journalist.

In September 2022, her boss Vladimir Sungorkin, 68, editor-in-chief and director general of Komsomolskaya Pravda, also died of a 'heart attack' after showing signs of suffocation. His death has been seen as suspicious.

He is often included among a list of dozens of untimely or mysterious deaths since the start of Putin's war.

Sungorkin fell unconscious on a tour of the Russian far east minutes after suggesting his group 'find a beautiful place somewhere for lunch.'
Turkish Airlines grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9s after incident in U.S.

Xinhua) 09:39, January 09, 2024

ISTANBUL, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in the wake of the incident in the U.S., local media reported on Monday.

THY decided to ground all five of its Max 9 planes "until the technical investigation process is completed and the measures requested by the authorities are taken," according to the NTV broadcaster.

It said the grounding decision would be valid for the aircraft at the airport where they would first land.

"Flight safety is our top priority," THY press advisor Yahya Ustun wrote in a post on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

Although THY has a small fleet, the NTV noted that the grounding is expected to affect the flights adversely, causing cancellations and travel disruptions.

According to the NTV report, the airline's two planes landed in Iran when THY announced its grounding decision. The broadcaster said that it was unclear whether THY would bring its aircraft from Iran to Turkiye.

"It is also not yet clear how THY will compensate for the damage caused by the withdrawal of the aircraft from the service," the NTV added.

The emergency exit door of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 type aircraft exploded at 16,000 feet on Friday, leaving a large hole and decompressing the passenger cabin.

The incident, which happened soon after the plane's take-off from Portland International Airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, had left the passengers in panic. The plane, destined for Ontario, California, made an emergency landing back in Portland.

Videos and photos showing the large hole of the plane, with oxygen masks falling from the ceiling, went viral on social media platforms in Turkiye.

"Without the seat belt, many passengers would have floated in the air," wrote Ugurcan Kizilkurt, a Turkish X user.

Abdulkadir Tuncerdem, a licensed technician for Boeing, also said on X that "inspections will show if it was the design flaw that caused this incident."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Taiwan's defence ministry sent an air raid alert to mobile phones across the island today after China launched a satellite over its airspace amid mounting tensions between Tapei and Beijing.

The presidential alert was sent out to residents' mobile phones, warning them of a missile flyover and to 'please beware of your safety'.

The air raid alert came just minutes after China said it had successfully launched an Einstein Probe satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern Sichuan province.

State broadcaster CCTV said it was launched 'using the Long March-2C carrier rocket... and the satellite entered its designated orbit'.

China had not previously announced the satellite launch and did not offer any details on its flight plan.

The alert on Tuesday comes just days before Taiwan has presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, which China has described as a choice between war and peace.

China said it had successfully launched an Einstein Probe satellite (pictured) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern Sichuan province

A phone and watch that received an air raid alert is placed together for a photo in New Taipei City, Taiwan on Tuesday

State broadcaster CCTV said the satellite was launched 'using the Long March-2C carrier rocket... and the satellite entered its designated orbit'

China views Taiwan, which is about 100 miles off China's east coast, as a renegade province that must come under its control.

The Chinese satellite launched today will 'observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos', state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The alert came as Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was giving a press conference ahead of the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections.

'This is something we have been coping with for a long time. For the Taiwan government, our military stands ready to deal with any kind of emergency,' Wu said, addressing a question on the satellite and possible Chinese military provocations.

Wu told reporters a 'satellite carried by a rocket' had flown over the southern part of Taiwan, but said he had no further information.

It comes as Taiwan's leading presidential candidate William Lai said today he hopes for a reopening of dialogue with China following almost eight years of Beijing's near-complete refusal to communicate with leaders of the self-governing island it considers its own territory.

But Lai told reporters he would continue the current administration's policy of maintaining democratic Taiwan's de-facto independence in the face of Chinese Communist Party threats to annex it by political, military or economic means.

China demands that Taiwan's leadership concede its claim of ownership over the island before reopening contacts.

China said it had successfully launched an Einstein Probe satellite (pictured) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern Sichuan province

A person attending a Foreign Ministry's news conference holds a phone showing air raid alert about a Chinese satellite that had flown over south Taiwan airspace in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday

Beijing views Taiwan as an autonomous Chinese province and has long sought reunification. Taiwan sees itself as an independent state. Pictured: A map of Taiwan

Xi Jinping (pictured on Monday) views Taiwain as an autonomous Chinese province

'While aspiring for peace, we harbor no illusions,' Lai said at a news conference ahead of Saturday's polls for the presidency and legislature. 'We will build up Taiwan's defense deterrence, strengthen Taiwan's capabilities in economic security, enhance partnerships with democracies around the world and maintain stable and principled leadership on cross (Taiwan) Strait relations.'

'Our door will always be open to engagement with Beijing under the principles of equality and dignity. We are ready and willing to engage to show more for the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Peace is priceless and war has no winners,' Lai said.

Lai, currently Taiwan's vice president, is broadly seen as the front-runner in the election to succeed President Tsai Ing-wen, who is barred by law from running for a third term.

Most polls show him well ahead of the main opposition Nationalist Party, or KMT, candidate Hou You-yi, who favors eventual unification with China under its own terms, and the alternative Taiwan People's Party's Ko Wen-je, who has also pressed for renewed dialogue with China and the avoidance of confrontation with Beijing.

Looming over the election has been China's steadily increasing pressure on Taiwan through barring it from major international gatherings, wooing away its diplomatic allies to just a handful, and offering financial inducements to politicians - from the grassroots to top opposition figures who could influence the vote or promote policies increasing Chinese access to the the island's economy.

The People's Liberation Army sends ships and warplanes on daily missions around Taiwan and the island's Defense Ministry has reported a growing number of balloons crossing over from China.

The balloon incidents recall the incursion last year of a Chinese balloon that flew over Canada and the U.S. and was eventually shot down by the U.S. Air Force.

China claimed the aircraft was a weather balloon that had been blown off-course, but the U.S. said it was carrying sophisticated intelligence-gathering technology.

Over the past 24 hours, the ministry reported four Chinese balloons had passed over the island, while 10 warplanes and four warships had entered airspace and waters near the island, part of a campaign to wear down morale and military resilience.

The Defense Ministry said it had monitored China's movements, scrambling jets, dispatching ships and activating coastal missile systems.

Taiwan has been boosting its defenses with new weapons purchases from the U.S. and has expanded national service for men to one year from four months.

Those have become contentious issues in the coming election, with Lai and the DPP accusing the KMT of blocking new defence spending, possibly as part of an arrangement with Beijing to gradually hand over control of the island.
One of Australia's largest online retailers The Iconic has vowed to issue refunds after cyber scammers hacked their accounts.

Numerous customers have reported losing thousands of dollars through fraudulent orders on The Iconic's online store since November, with some saying they were affected as late as Monday.

The company with more than 2.1million customers, according to its parent company Global Fashion Group, adamantly denied the hack was due to its servers being compromised in a statement released on Tuesday.

The breach was a result of 'credential stuffing' where cyber criminals use stolen logins and passwords - often posted for sale on the dark web - to carry out scams online.

Mother-of-one, Natalie, told A Current Affair that she had been charged $620 at 1:30am on Sunday when she was asleep.

After reading the notifications from her bank, she tried to log into her account only to find she had been locked out because the hackers had changed her details without needing verification.

'They were able to do that because there's no multi factor authentications on my Iconic account, so they were able to make changes within my account without my consent,' she said.

Numerous customers have reported losing thousands of dollars through fraudulent orders on The Iconic's online store since November, with others saying they had been affected as late as Monday

How cyber scammers conned The Iconic customers The cyber criminals used an online con called credential stuffing. This is a type of cyber attack where stolen login details - such as user names and passwords - are used to gain access to other accounts. The data is typically stolen through data breaches on other websites and relies on customers using the same login and password details for multiple accounts. A 2019 survey by Google found 51 per cent of internet users admitted that they use one particular 'favourite' password for the majority of their accounts. In a credential stuffing hack, computer software is used to input thousands or even millions of stolen logins in the hope that a fraction will have an account on that website or app. Once in, hackers will then extract more details which they can use themselves or sell on to other hackers, often through the dark web. Advertisement

'Get your act together and improve your customer service, and also look at increasing your security for people's account.'

On the fashion retailer's Facebook page, hoards of furious customers also complained and warned others about the danger.

'My THE ICONIC account has been hacked and I have over $1000 missing from my bank account,' one person said.

'Of course I can only talk to the bot who can't close my account immediately. No one at The Iconic is responding to me. This is a serious security issue. Everyone remove your account details!!!!!!'

Another wrote: 'THE ICONIC why have you not notified your customers & the regulators that you have been hacked/data breach?'

'You have numerous complaints on product reviews about customers accounts being hacked & their credit card info stolen & used. From reviews it's been going on for a few weeks now yet OAIC have not been notified.

'The fact you have no active phone number for customers to call is unacceptable. You can't expect customers who have had their money stolen to do a webchat only.'

The company later sent an email to its customers urging them to change the password on their account and advised those affected to reach out for assistance.

'We have recently seen an increase in fraudulent account login attempts on The Iconic, which our security and fraud teams continue to actively manage, in conjunction with our security partners,' the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The breach was a result of 'credential stuffing' where cyber criminals use stolen logins and passwords - often posted for sale on the dark web - to carry out scams online

'The Iconic website itself was not hacked.

'We are working with all customers to address these incidents, which are not a result of a data breach at The Iconic.

'The security of our customer data is of the utmost importance to us, and we continue to work with our third-party security partners to protect against all fraudulent activity.'

Daily Mail Australia has sought further comment from The Iconic.
Italy's biggest influencer Chiara Ferragni now faces fraud probe weeks after making a grovelling apology to 30 million fans for her 'misleading' claim that pandoro cake sales would fund a children's hospital.

Ferragni, who has 29.5 million followers on Instagram, was already fined 1 million euros by Italy's anti-trust authority last month.

The agency said her company led consumers to believe that sales of the limited edition Ferragni-branded pandoro Christmas cakes would result in a charitable contribution to a Turin hospital.

But now Italian news agency LaPresse reports that Milan prosecutor Eugenio Fusco had placed Ferragni and the head of the cake company, Alessandra Balocco, under investigation for aggravated fraud. Ferragni's publicist confirmed the news.

This comes after weeks of uproar over the 'pandoro-gate' scandal, which raised questions about the relationship between influencers and the products they are paid to promote, especially when claims of charitable donations are involved.

A social media post shows Ferragni, 36, holding the special edition cake she created in a pink box as she kneels in front of a Christmas tree

The agency said her company led consumers to believe that sales of the branded Balocco pandoro cakes (pictured) would result in a charitable contribution to a Turin hospital

In a statement yesterday, following word that she was now officially under investigation, Ferragni said she was calm and trusted in the work of the judiciary.

'I am calm because I have always acted in good faith and I am certain that this will emerge from the ongoing investigation,' Ferragni said.

READ MORE: How Italy's biggest influencer Chiara Ferragni was forced to make grovelling apology to her 30 million fans Advertisement

'I have full confidence in the work of the judiciary and with my lawyers. I immediately made myself available to cooperate and clarify every detail of what happened as soon as possible.'

Ferragni started as a fashion blogger and went on to sell clothing, accessories and makeup under her own brand in addition to doing promotional work as an influencer.

She is also on the Tod's luxury fashion group board of directors.

In an Instagram video post last month, after the agency fine, Ferragni said that she had not given sufficient oversight to the communications surrounding the sales of the special pink Balocco-brand pandoro with her own logo, and that she would no longer link charitable work with commercial activities.

Ferragni, who has two children with Italian rapper Fedez, apologised and said she would donate 1 million euros to the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin to give 'concreteness' to her apology, but she said she would challenge the fine itself.

Ferragni told local media on December 15: 'I'm sorry that, after all my and my family's commitment in recent years on the charitable activity front, we persist in seeing the negative in an operation in which everything was done in good faith.'

Ferragni (pictured), who has 29.5 million followers on Instagram, was already fined 1 million euros by Italy's anti-trust authority last month

Ferragni in December admitted to a 'communications error' in an apology to her fans in an apology video posted to her Instagram page, which has almost 30 million followers

The case has attracted significant negative publicity for Ferragni (pictured in July), one of the world's most famous fashion influencers with nearly 30 million followers on Instagram, with criticism coming in December even from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

She added: 'The one with Balocco was a commercial operation like many I do every day. In this particular one, I wanted to underline the charitable donation made by Balocco at the Regina Margherita Hospital. For me, it was a fundamental point of the agreement.

She continued: 'Knowing that the machine that allows us to explore new therapeutical treatments for children suffering from osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma is now there in the hospital is what matters most.'

Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer while Ewing's sarcoma describes forms of cancer that can occur in the bone as well as in soft tissue.

In a speech last month, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised those who make money from misleading charity claims, in a clear reference to Ferragni.

'The real models to follow are not the influencers who make a lot of money by wearing clothes and showing bags ... or even promoting expensive cakes that make people believe they are charitable,' Meloni said, without explicitly naming Ferragni.

Ferragni's followers were told that the cash raised would go to Turin's Regina Margherita Hospital for children, and money raised was said to be earmarked for a new scanner to help detect types of bone cancer

The 36-year-old said she would donate a million euros to the Regina Margherita, the Turin-based paediatric hospital at the centre of the controversy

Ferragni, who has two children with Italian rapper Fedez, said she plans to appeal the verdict

'We have to explain to young people that creating (Made in Italy) products is much more extraordinary than just showing them off,' Meloni said in the speech on the final day of the festival of her right-wing Brothers of Italy party.

Italy's anti-trust agency also fined Balocco 420,000 euros for giving consumers the impression that part of the earnings from sales of the cakes would benefit the Turin hospital. Balocco also reportedly planned to appeal the fine.

In reality, the agency said, Balocco had donated 50,000 euros before the campaign launched in November 2022 and made no additional donations.

The agency noted that the Ferragni-branded 'Pandoro Pink Christmas' cakes sold for more than 9 euros apiece, compared with the usual 3.70-euro price tag. Pandoro is an alternative to the more famous panettone.

There was no immediate response late Monday to emails and calls by news agency AP to Cuneo, Italy-based Balocco.
A US citizen adopted by a Colorado couple has been arrested on drug trafficking charges in Moscow after returning to Russia to find his biological family.

Robert Romanov Woodland, 32, was remanded in custody until March 5 on charges relating to the illegal acquisition or possession of drugs, Moscow's Ostankino District Court said on Tuesday.

Woodland had been in Russia since 2020 when he returned to try to find his biological family. His emotional reunion with his birth mother was broadcast on TV.

He continued to live outside Moscow teaching English until he was charged with attempted large-scale production and sale of illegal drugs and detained on January 5 - the charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years.

He is the latest US citizen to be detained in Russia, as the government says several of its citizens - including Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich - are wrongfully imprisoned.

Robert Romanov Woodland (pictured) has been remanded in custody until March 5 on drugs possession charges, which can carry up to 20 years in prison

Woodland had been in Russia since 2020 when he returned to try to find his biological family. His emotional reunion with his birth mother was broadcast on TV

The prisoners are given limited contact with their loved ones. Whelan's brother, David, told DailyMail.com that they have not heard from him since December 31st as the prison phones are 'out of order'.

The State Department has repeatedly warned all Americans to leave Russia immediately, citing the risk of wrongful detentions and harassment from Russian security services.

It was not immediately possible to contact Woodland in Russian custody.

Woodland, who was known to friends as 'Rob', told a Russian newspaper in 2020 that he was adopted in 1993 by American citizens from an orphanage in Perm, in the Urals, and taken to live in the US.

He went to high school in upstate New York and appears to hold both Russian and American passports.

In a 2020 interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, Woodland said that he had wonderful adopted parents in the US.

But he wanted to search for his biological mother in Russia and was eventually reunited with her on Russian state television.

He said: 'Mama was crying and begging for forgiveness. But I forgave her before this meeting. I've never been angry at her. I simply always missed her very much.

'I was drawn to Russia with a tremendous force. And here I am. I have decided to stay in my motherland forever.'

A Facebook account in the name of Robert Woodland (pictured) indicated that American national been working as an English teacher in Russia, and lived outside Moscow

Marine veteran Paul Whelan (pictured in August), 53, was attacked by another inmate who 'punched him in the face and broke his glasses' at a maximum-security jail in Russia

Woodland has been working as an English teacher in Russia. According to his social media account, he worked for Pro.english, a nonprofit lobbying organization that supports making English the only official language of the US.

He was also an Assistant Professor of English at Angletica, an English language school in Moscow.

In September 2022, about seven months after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Woodland addressed the conflict, saying he was aware that his loved ones were 'worried about my safety out here in Russia' and reiterated he was 'currently okay'.

'For those who are worried about my safety out here in Russia with the current situtation and the draft to military service. I'm currently okay. I have not received my letter yet,' he posted.

'I am not in support of this war, but if my letter to arms comes, I will not turn away. I know this sounds like a stupid choice, but remember.... America had done the same back during the Vietnam War....'

The brother of Paul Whelan - a Marine Corps veteran detained in Russia on spying charges - David Whelan, said it is up to the state to determine whether Woodland's detention is wrongful, a process which can take months.

He added that the family have had 'no updates on Paul.'

He said: 'We have not heard from him since December 31st but the prison staff say that hard frosts have caused the phones to be out of order for the entire time.'

Marc Fogel has two sons, Sam, 22, and Ethan, 24, (far right) who had both attended the Anglo-American School in Moscow

In 2021, another US national, Marc Fogel, was arrested on drugs trafficking charges and is now serving a 20 year sentence.

Fogel, an English teacher at the Anglo-American School in Moscow , was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport in August 2021 after he was found with 17 grams of medicinal marijuana hidden in his suitcase, according to officials.

Another US citizen, WNBA player, Brittney Griner, was also detained on drugs charges in Russia.

The 31-year-old basketball star was convicted on drug charges in August 2022 and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison.

She was released on December 8 2022 after President Biden sanctioned an exchange, giving convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout back to Russia.

Brittney Griner looked relaxed as she returned to the WNBA court for the first time in two years in May

Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia

Back in the US this year, she spoke up about her time in Russia, saying: 'I was literally in a cage and could not stand the way I wanted to.'

She added: 'Tomorrow is not guaranteed, you don't know what it's going to look like. I feel a lot older somehow, too.'

Another US citizen also considered to be wrongfully detained in Russia is Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich.

Russia arrested the reporter in March on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, 1,200 miles east of Moscow. Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal, and the White House have all denied that he is a spy, or works for the U.S. government.

In April 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that there were around 60 Russian citizens in custody in the US. According to an August 2023, Wall Street Journal report, 25 of those are in federal custody.
This is the moment Susanna Reid grilled an ex-Post Office minister over the decision to grant Paula Vennells a CBE.

MP Paul Scully, who was the postal affairs minister from 2020 to 2022, was put in the hot seat when he appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the Horizon scandal, in which hundreds of Post Office staff were wrongfully accused of theft and fraud.

Ms Reid asked Mr Scully 'who in government thought it was appropriate' to award Ms Vennells a CBE in 2019 despite an ongoing legal case being brought against the Post Office to exonerate the people convicted of crimes.

The MP for Sutton and Cheam replied saying he had 'no idea' as Ms Reid went on to ask why he didn't raise any concerns over the honours award himself when he was made post office minister just a year later.

It comes as victims of the scandal joined the more one million people who called for Ms Vennells to be stripped of her honour before the former Post Office boss today announced she would hand it back.

This is the moment Susanna Reid grilled an ex-Post Office minister over the decision to grant Paula Vennells a CBE

Paula Vennells was awarded a CBE in 2019. There are now calls for her to have it removed

More than 1 million have signed a petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive officer to hand back her CBE

More than 700 Post Office staff were falsely prosecuted based on erroneous data from the firm's Horizon computer system, which was developed by Fujitsu.

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak gathers Cabinet to hammer out plan to clear Post Office scandal victims - as ministers hold talks with judges and warn Fujitsu it could face huge compensation bill Advertisement

Some those people were sent to prison after being convicted of false accounting and theft, some had their finances left in tatters and some will never see justice as they have since died.

A public inquiry into the scandal is due to resume evidence hearings this week, with witnesses for Fujitsu  the company behind the Horizon IT system  expected to appear later this month.

Mr Scully explained his position on the scandal, telling Ms Reid: 'First of all what I have been wanting to do, especially when I was minister setting up the inquiry, I wanted to make sure we get those answers but I wanted it to be done throught the enquiry.'

Ms Reid then asked: 'Have you asked who reccommended Paula Vennells?' to which the MP replied 'I haven't done that yet'.

Mr Scully continued: 'But I will be doing that becuase it goes through cabinet office and there is an honours committee that have to approve that.

'There is an independent committee but it's not particularly transparent.'

Ms Reid then added: 'More than one million people have said that she should be stripped of her CBE and everytime, with all due respect Paul Scully I'm glad you're here this morning and I know lot of this happened before your watch.

'But everytime we talk to someone they say "well there's an inquiry so we've done that and we think it's really important that people answer questions" but it's been going on..since the 1990s.'

Mr Scully was put in the hot seat when he appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the Horizon scandal

Mrs Reid asked him: 'Have you asked who reccommended Paula Vennells?' to which the MP replied 'I haven't done that yet'

Yesterday it was revealed Mrs Vennells (pictured in 2022) can have her honour removed if she is deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute

Who has had their honours revoked? Harvey Weinstein - The former film director had his honorary CBE removed after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault in 2020. Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court in 2022 Lester Piggott - The jockey was convicted of tax fraud in 1987 and his OBE was stripped. Rolf Harris - The former TV presenter had was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault on four female victims and subsequently had his CBE stripped in 2015. Rolf Harris pictured in 2014 Robert Mugabe - The former president of Zimbabwe was stripped of his honorary knighthood in 2008 after he was accussed of running a violent dictatorship in the country. Advertisement

In a statement announcing she was handing back her CBE, Ms Vennells said: 'I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the Inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

'I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the Inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

'I am, however, aware of the calls from subpostmasters and others to return my CBE.

'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

'I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

'I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the Inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.'

Jo Hamilton, one of the victims of the scandal, appeared on This Morning today and joined hundreds of people calling for Ms Vennells to be stripped of the honour.

Mrs Hamilton said: 'I don't know why she accepted it in the first place.

'By then she had left part of the way through the last trial and she must have known what she was doing.

'I just don't understand it.'

Mrs Hamilton, 66, was falsely accused of stealing 36,000 from a village shop in South Warnborough, Hampshire, and eventually pleaded guilty to false accounting in fear of going to jail.

She is one of a number of victims being portrayed in a new ITV drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, about the Horizon scandal.

The four-part drama series, which aired last week, has been praised for bringing the scandal to a 'much broader audience' and for highlighting the 'brutal approach' taken by the Post Office.

It has also triggered an outpouring of public anger and has prompted victims of the scandal to share their heartbreaking stories about the impact it had on their lives.

Ms Vennells said she was 'truly sorry' for the 'devastation' the scandal had caused to staff falsely accused of fraud

Jo Hamilton, one of the victims of the scandal, appeared on Good Morning Britain today and joined hundreds of people calling for Ms Vennells to be stripped of the honour

Mrs Hamilton is one the stars of a new ITV drama about the Post Office Horizon scandal called Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Pictured: Mrs Hamilton played by actor Monica Dolan

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and fellow Tory MP Chris Loder last night said they had both written to the Cabinet Office asking it to strip Ms Vennells of her honour.

Downing Street last night said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would strongly support the Forfeiture Committee if they were to choose to investigate.

The PMs intervention echoes a similar move a decade ago when David Cameron backed the committee to investigate whether former RBS chief Sir Fred Goodwin should lose his knighthood following the near collapse of the bank.

Pressure was also mounting on Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who ignored repeated pleas for help from postmasters during his time as Post Office minister in the Coalition government.

One victim of the scandal urged Sir Ed to 'look in the mirror', while Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson said many people had gone to prison due to him not listening.

Sir Ed yesterday insisted he had been 'lied' to by Post Office executives but did not offer an apology to those wronged. Some Lib Dem MPs were privately questioning whether he would be able to continue if the scandal deepens.
Rishi Sunak is gathering Cabinet today as ministers scramble to find a way to clear Post Office scandal victims.

The PM and his team are urgently hunting for ways to fast-track the process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their names in the courts.

Options being considered include a change in the law to allow the huge backlog of cases to be considered 'en masse' rather than individually.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is holding talks with senior judges later, with a plan being promised within days.

In a round of interviews this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride delivered a stark warning to Fujitsu that the IT firm behind the flawed Horizon software could face a compensation bill if a public inquiry finds it was culpable.

Rishi Sunak is gathering Cabinet today as ministers scramble to find a way to clear Post Office scandal victims

In a round of interviews this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride delivered a stark warning to Fujitsu that the IT firm behind the flawed Horizon software could face a compensation bill if a public inquiry finds it was culpable

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (left)is holding talks with senior judges later, with a plan being promised within days

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is seen leaving her local village church in February 2022. A petition calling for her honour to be removed has received more than a million signatures

Mr Stride said the government 'intends to move very quickly' to resolve the issue, after the long-running miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.

He told Times Radio: 'Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is in discussions with senior people within the justice system, judges and so on, to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible.'

On Sky News, he said: 'My understanding is that they are happening now.

'So this is something that is happening hour by hour. It's not something that's going to happen next week. It is happening right now and we intend to move very quickly.'

A solution could be announced by the end of the week, the Cabinet minister said.

With more than 700 subpostmasters having received criminal convictions for allegations such as theft and false accounting, Mr Stride was challenged over the slow pace of them being cleared and whether the Government was asleep at the wheel.

'I wouldn't accept that,' he said, pointing to the public inquiry examining what went wrong being set up some years ago and the payout of 138 million of compensation.

MPs have called for Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as if money was missing from shops, to pay for compensating wronged Post Office staff.

Mr Stride suggested the company might have to stump up if the inquiry concludes it blundered, saying it 'won't necessarily just be the taxpayer' who is 'on the hook for this money'.

He told LBC Radio: 'To the extent that that culpability rests upon the shoulders of others than Government, then I think you can expect ministers to come to the appropriate conclusions. And perhaps it won't be just the taxpayer that is on the hook for those costs.'

But he stopped short of saying the Japanese tech firm should be barred from being awarded millions of pounds of Government contracts while the Post Office inquiry is ongoing.

'My view is that we need to wait to see what the inquiry decides in terms of culpability.

Former postmaster Alan Bates, who is portrayed by Toby Jones in the new drama, led and won the initial legal battle after himself falling victim to the faults

Lord Cameron (left) and James Cleverly (right) were among the ministers at Cabinet this morning

Mr Stride also took a swipe at Lib Dem leader Ed Davey (pictured), saying he has 'big questions' to answer on his role as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012

'Now in the event that it determines that Fujitsu made a number of knowing mistakes and caused all sorts of problems that wouldn't have otherwise have occurred, then that would strike me as being quite a serious situation and I would expect some very serious consequences.

'But we don't know that at this stage until the inquiry goes through all its due processes.'

Mr Stride also took a swipe at Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, saying he has 'big questions' to answer on his role as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.

The Tory Cabinet minister told Sky News: 'Those are big questions which he's being asked in a very robust way. And I think it's for him to answer those challenges.'

Reports suggest that 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast.

The Post Office is wholly owned by the Government.
Residents in a leafy London suburb are going to war with the constant stream of learner drivers plaguing their street with terrible three point turns, parallel parking and reversing around corners.

The streets in the Park Langley area of Bromley, South East London, where houses are sold for over 1million, are perfect for learners drivers because they are wide and largely traffic free.

However, residents are fed up with the scores of learner drivers clogging up their tree lined streets and parking outside their detached houses with their engines idling.

The residents' association in the suburb previously wrote to one driving school asking them to choose other roads to give locals a break.

The Motor Schools Association of Great Britain - the longest established representative group and trade association for driving instructors - hit back, saying that it isn't illegal.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said on a recent walk they saw at least 20 learner vehicles pass by in half an hour.

The streets in the Park Langley are perfect for learners drivers because they are wide and largely traffic free

Residents are fed up with the scores of learner drivers clogging up their tree lined streets

A learner driver pulls out onto the street after being parked on the street in Park Langley

'It does get a bit annoying, especially when they park up outside your house and leave their engines running,' they said.

'I guess there is nothing wrong with it per se, but I am constantly amazed at the sheer numbers around here.

'Some days I see more learner drivers than I do normal vehicles.

'They're queuing up at junctions and you have to avoid them doing three point turns.'

Werner Schluep, of the Park Langley Residents' Association, said they had tried to address the issue.

'We have noticed learner drivers in Park Langley for many years now,' said Mr Schluep.

'The ability to try and change where they choose to take their learners is very limited.

'We have written to Red driving school in the past and indeed you don't see many Reds around.

'Then we asked another to switch off their engine and not idle when giving static instructions.

'This worked or the student qualified and moved on. So we as an association do try.'

Peter Harvey, of the Motor Schools Association, said: 'There are no regulations that restrict driving instructors from going where they want as long as it's legal.

'Lots of people will say that although they are a pain when they are there, they are actually quite good for looking after people's properties as burglars are less likely to want to get caught somewhere where there are constantly cars around, so some may actually think it's a good thing.

'If there is a test centre somewhere nearby, instructors tend to use some areas more - if instructors are using it, it's because examiners are too.

'It might be a bit annoying, but everyone has to learn to drive. And there's so much traffic around now that these quiet roads are actually quite rare.'

Bromley does have a test centre, but it is right over the other side of the town.

Figures from April 2022 to April 2023 show it has one of the highest pass rates in Greater London, with 5,266 tests conducted and 2,813 passes - a success rate of 53%.

Bromley does have a test centre, but it is right over the other side of the town

The residents' association in the suburb previously wrote to one driving school asking them to choose other roads to give locals a break

One resident, who asked not to be named, said on a recent walk they saw at least 20 learner vehicles pass by in half an hour

The average pass rate from all 330 practical driving test centres in 2022/23 was 48%.

Howard Redwood, head of road safety at the Driving Instructors Association, said the issue in Park Langley was one of the reasons why driving test centres don't publish test routes.

He said the issue was so bad in one area a few years back that residents asked their council to turn their road into a private route, meaning through traffic was banned altogether.

'The instructors should be training people to drive on any sort of road,' Mr Redwood said.

'The residents could write to the local test centre and ask the manager to bring it to the attention of driving instructors.'

Colin Paterson, spokesman for RED Driver Training, said: 'In the wake of the pandemic, there's been a notable uptake in the desire to learn to drive, resulting in an increased number of learner drivers on our local roads.

'At RED Driver Training, our nationwide instructors are trained to select suitable roads for learners with safety as the number one priority.

'We kindly request your patience when encountering these learners - many can empathise with the initial fears of driving.

'These individuals are not just students; they are our neighbours, family, and friends, seeking to learn in familiar environments.'
Terrifying footage has emerged of the moment a passenger jet carrying 90 people slammed into a runway in Portugal after heavy winds caused a momentary engine failure.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight SK2901 departed from Stockholm on January 6 for Funchal in Madeira and was coming in to land when a strong downdraft forced the plane down into the tarmac.

The Airbus A320 bounced off the runway, sparks flying as its landing gear absorbed incredible forces as flames momentarily erupted from the left engine.

The aircraft then jerked back up into the air, with the pilot unable to bleed enough speed to land safely.

Bringing the aircraft back under control, the pilot was instructed to hold for 20 minutes before attempting another landing, but noticed that the left-hand engine was emitting fumes, the Aviation Herald reported.

Concerned about the safety of the engine, the SAS pilot instead opted to head for Las Palmas airport on the Canary Islands - a facility better equipped to perform engine maintenance and safety checks.

Despite the harrowing incident, the SAS flight ultimately landed safely at Las Palmas airport and all 90 passengers disembarked without injury.

High winds caused the plane to pitch and yaw as it came in to land before a sharp down draft forced it into the tarmac

The Airbus A320 bounced off the runway, sparks flying as its landing gear absorbed incredible forces as flames momentarily erupted from the left engine.

The plane bounced back up into the air and the pilot noticed the left engine began emitting fumes, opting to land at Las Palmas airport in Gran Canaria for maintenance

The scary incident unfolded just one day after an Alaska Airlines flight suffered an inflight blowout at 16,000ft which tore open the cabin door.

The Boeing jetliner suffered the sudden loss of pressure over Oregon on Friday and the resulting rush of air sucked open the cockpit door and ripped off the captain's headset.

One of the passengers, Emma Vu, was asleep when the Boeing 737 Max 9 suddenly dropped after a plug covering an unused exit door blew off.

She wrote several panicked messages to her parents, in which she said: 'The masks are down. I am so scared right now. Please pray for me. I don't want to die.'

Ms Vu later shared footage of the ordeal on TikTok, which showed her wearing an oxygen mask while panic is taking hold of her and other passengers nearby.

'You just think it's never going to happen to you - and then it literally did happen to me,' she told CNN, adding that it was 'very scary' and 'very surreal'.

Another passenger, Sreysoar Un, who travelled with her 12-year-old son, said she was afraid the plane was going to crash.

'We literally thought we were going to die,' she told the Wall Street Journal as the hole in the aircraft was just one row ahead of theirs. Her son Josiah saw his phone and a teddy bear fly out of the hole.

Alaska flight 1282 left Portland just after 5pm local time on Friday when a window blew out at 16,000 feet

A photo shows the blown out window. It is offered as a door on the aircraft. Alaska chose not to take this option - although the frame of the prospective door was entirely ripped out by the fuselage failure

Several passengers described a loud noise before freezing wind swept through the cabin and oxygen masks dropped down.

Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so the plane 'could return very quickly to an airport' if the warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights reappeared, said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Homendy cautioned that the pressurization light might be unrelated to Friday's incident. It came came on during three previous flights: on December 7, January 3 and January 4 - the day before the door plug broke off.

Homendy said she didn't have all the details regarding the December 7 incident but specified the light came on during a flight on January 3 and on January 4 after the plane had landed.

One of the passengers, Emma Vu, was asleep when the Boeing 737 Max 9 suddenly dropped after a plug covering an unused exit door blew off. She wrote several panicked messages to her parents, in which she said: 'The masks are down. I am so scared right now. Please pray for me. I don't want to die'

One passenger who filmed the drama said she woke up from a nap believing the plane had hit turbulence - only to discover a large hole in its fuselage

One passenger, Emma Vu took to TikTok after she made it out alive through the horror flight that was only in the air for 20 minutes

The NTSB said the lost door plug was found Sunday near Portland, Oregon, by a school teacher - for now, known only as Bob - who discovered it in his backyard and sent two photos to the safety board. Investigators will examine the plug, which is 26 by 48 inches and weighs 63 pounds, for signs of how it broke free.

Investigators will not have the benefit of hearing what was going on in the cockpit during the flight. The cockpit voice recorder - one of two so-called black boxes - recorded over the flight's sounds after two hours, Homendy said.

At a news conference Sunday night, Homendy provided new details about the chaotic scene that unfolded on the plane.

The explosive rush of air damaged several rows of seats and pulled insulation from the walls. The cockpit door flew open and banged into a lavatory door.

The force ripped the headset off the co-pilot and the captain lost part of her headset. A quick reference checklist kept within easy reach of the pilots flew out of the open cockpit, Homendy said.

The plane made it back to Portland, however, and none of the 171 passengers and six crew members was seriously injured.
Fitness First are struggling to entice new members to inner city gyms as many people continue to work from home after the pandemic.

Nine of their gyms have closed since April, including six branches in London.

Justin Musgrove, the companys chief executive said they were trying to gain new members by offering app-based classes and have more weights in their fitness suites as more people focus on strength training.

Fitness First reportedly raked in 33.2million in membership fees last year - compared to 50.8million in 2019 - as people continue the trend of home working for at least part of their week.

'The return of city workers, especially in central London, has been slower than anticipated,' finance director Anthony Riley wrote in the company's accounts, according to the Telegraph.

Fitness First are struggling to entice new members to inner city gyms (stock image)

Justin Musgrove, the companys chief executive said they were trying to gain new members

'As the majority of the company's gyms are city centre based within close proximity to offices, the change in behaviour has been particularly impactful.'

He added: 'The reduction in revenue across the gym portfolio is considered to be an ongoing risk to the company.'

Last April, Fitness First began a restructuring process in an attempt to make their finances more sustainable, hence the closure of nine branches since then.

They have now completed the process and have a total of 28 centres.

Mr Musgrove says the company is showing signs of recovery and they are looking for opportunities to expand.

MailOnline has attempted to contact Fitness First for comment.

Justin Musgrove, CEO of Fitness First

Research published last month suggested that only one in four companies expect their staff to be in the office full time in the coming years.

A survey of more than 1,000 businesses indicates around one in six believe their employees will mainly work remotely.

The study, by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and technology firm Cisco, found a clear divide between sectors, with those such as finance and legal more likely to expect remote working.

The BBC's Jane Gratton said: 'Our data shows that hybrid working is now part of the fabric of the modern workplace. For millions of people, logging in remotely for at least part of the working week is now routine.

'This flexibility is valued by employers and their teams. Less than 30% of firms expect staff to be working fully in person over the next five years.

'Flexible working makes good business sense. In a tight labour market where employers are competing for skilled workers, hybrid working, and flexible working more generally, has become an important part of staff benefit packages.

'As well as boosting recruitment and retention, it can help employers unlock new and diverse talent pools.

'Employers still value regular face-to-face contact with staff however, and our findings show only 8% of businesses expect staff to be completely remote.'
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has heaped pressure on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer by demanding he keeps a pledge to spend 28billion every year on green projects.

The former Gordon Brown-era minister told Sir Keir to 'stick to your guns' after the opposition leader said he may scale down the investment given the bleak financial picture he would inherit if he becomes prime minister.

Mr Burnham, who has frequently been linked with a return to national politics and a run for party leader, told LBCs Tonight With Andrew Marr the investment could 'reindustrialise the North and make the nation a 'clean energy superpower'.

'I would absolutely say to the party, stick to your guns, you're on the right path,' he told Tonight with Andrew Marr.

'That is about building future prosperity. This is not spending, this is investment in the future, investment in new industry, investment in better homes for our residents, better transport.'

Mr Burnham, who has frequently been linked with a return to national politics and a run for party leader, told LBCs Tonight With Andrew Marr the investment could 'reindustrialise the North and make the nation a 'clean energy superpower'.

The former Gordon Brown-era minister told Sir Keir to 'stick to your guns' after the opposition leader said he may scale down the investment given the bleak financial picture he would inherit if he becomes prime minister.

The Conservatives have been increasing their attacks on Labour over the proposal after the UK entered the election year, but supporters have been concerned about watering down the key pitch.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said 'you have to pay debt interest on the 28 billion whether you call it 'spending' or 'investment''.

'Money is money... and on this scale can only lead to tax rises,' the Chancellor said.

Labour promised in 2021 to invest 28 billion a year until 2030 in green projects if it came to power.

But last year shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said it would instead be a target to work towards in the second half of a first parliament, if Labour wins an election.

Sir Keir last week described the policy as a 'confident ambition' rather than a commitment.

He said that Labour sticking to its 'fiscal rules', which include making sure debt is falling, was more important than hitting the green spending target.

'That means that if the money is from borrowing, which it will be, borrowing to invest, that the fiscal rules don't allow it, then we will borrow less,' he said.

Mr Burnham conceded that 'you don't need to spend that level straightaway, you can build up to it', but warned that 'the more we delay' the more other governments will win the green race.
A steely-eyed bureaucrat reluctantly handed me a swipe key necklace.

'You know, a lot of people are very nervous about you being here,' the person said, as my photographer and I signed in at the security checkpoint inside Australian Federal Police headquarters in Canberra.

They don't just let members of the public - and particularly not journalists - wander around the National Situation Room.

But after months of wrangling, Daily Mail Australia was allowed a private tour of one of the nation's most secretive and secure facilities.

Two National Emergency Management Agency staffers escorted us through an underground tunnel to a bunker compound where a small army of experts from various government departments work around the clock to keep our nation safe.

NEMA is an executive agency under the Department of Home Affairs, which oversees the NSR and is tasked with monitoring any potential crisis situation at home or abroad that has national implications for Australia.

This can include everything from natural disasters to terror attacks, mass-casualty events, clandestine cyber breaches and any other emergency you can think of.

Much of the work is highly classified and the security features - which I'm not at liberty to discuss - resemble something out of a James Bond film.

Underground tunnels lead to the National Situation Room where a small army of experts from various government departments work around the clock to keep our nation safe

Daily Mail Australia reporter Levi Parsons was given an exclusive guided tour of the facility

The man who runs the sharp end of operations down here is Joe Buffone, the Deputy Coordinator General of NEMA.

He's an ex-military man turned firefighter with more than 30 years of experience in security and disaster management.

'It wouldn't be a crisis or a disaster if everything always went smoothly. But the main thing about this room is that it's ready to go in any situation,' he said, as I cast my eyes across wall-to-wall screens conveying information I didn't understand.

If you're ever having a rough day at the office and the pressure is starting to get to you, consider this job, when one bad choice, one delayed decision, could be the difference between salvation and disaster.

No matter what the situation we must never lose sight of the people on the ground who are probably having the worst day of their life - Deputy Coordinator General of NEMA Joe Buffone

Joe worked around the clock during the Black Summer bushfires, led the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre during Covid and has helped coordinate the Australian government's response to just about every recent major crisis.

One of the main aspects of his role is to brief the Prime Minister and Cabinet as a crisis unfolds.

That means Anthony Albanese, or whoever is in power at the time, relies on the judgement of Joe and the NSR in formulating a government response.

He drastically undersells this part of his job as if it's normal. Even though most people in the corporate world would get nervous before presenting Power Point slides to middle management.

The man who runs the sharp end of operations down here is Deputy Coordinator General of NEMA Joe Buffone (left)

NEMA is an executive agency under the Department of Home Affairs, which oversees the NSR (pictured) and is tasked with monitoring any potential crisis situation at home or abroad that has national implications for Australia

What does the National Situation Room do? The NSR, previously known as the Australian Government Crisis Coordination Centre, was established in 2011 and is paramount to Australia's safety. Notable operations include: Lindt Cafe siege 2014 Tham Luang Cave Rescue 2018 Christchurch mosque shootings 2019 Black Summer Bushfires 2019  2020 Afghanistan Repatriation 2021 Covid-19 Response 2021- 2022 Eastern Australia Floods 2022 Advertisement

'The key thing is that you're across your brief because what you relay to the PM is going to influence whether he or she has confidence in the system,' Joe said.

'I need to explain what we know, what we don't know, what we are doing about it, what else needs to be done and the anticipated consequences of whatever situation we are dealing with.

'And no matter what the situation, we must never lose sight of the people on the ground who are probably having the worst day of their life. That's our focus, that's our business.'

The NSR, following the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires, received a major upgrade in 2022 to better co-ordinate the responses of the various departments, agencies and services.

At the centre of the room is a giant touchscreen table that could have been modelled on the Star Trek Enterprise.

It's called the National Joint Common Operating Picture - but everyone here calls it the COP.

The screen displays a massive map of Australia with hundreds of danger markers scattered across the country and the region to represent active bushfires, planned protests that could erupt and even a terror attack in the Philippines where Australian travellers might be caught up in the chaos.

At the centre of the room is a giant touchscreen table called the National Joint Common Operating Picture (pictured) - but everyone calls it the COP

Among the various government department's that work out of the room is the Department of Defence

If you touch one of the danger markers a plethora of information appears to give further detail about the threat.

At the front of the room are crisis coordination teams in coloured vests working on active emergencies, and at the back is the National Security Hotline desk.

Somewhere in the middle are Bureau of Meteorology forecasters as well as personnel from the Defence Force and various other agencies.

'Looks like Cyclone Jasper could be a Cat 4,' a concerned female scientist at the extreme weather desk said to her colleague as I glanced over at a complex weather radar that I couldn't make any sense of.

Attached to the main hub of the NSR are other work spaces, such as the Stretton Room. It was named after the man who led Australia's response to Cyclone Tracey in 1974.

It's an imposing boardroom where senior leaders can hold round-table talks and it patches directly into parliament house and government departments.

Phones and electronic devices are not allowed in and must locked in a glass box outside before entering.

Beyond that, there's an unknown number of restricted rooms where 'our friends from across the lake' can work on top secret intelligence matters.

'Can I have a look?' I asked.

'No,' I was emphatically told.

No phones or electronic devices are allowed in the Stretton Room and must be put in a locked box (pictured) outside before entering

At the front of the room are crisis coordination teams in coloured vests (pictured) working on active emergencies and at the back is the National Security Hotline desk

READ MORE: How a mysterious Chinese media boss working in Australia fled to Beijing after being caught up in ASIO raids Advertisement

Skills and expertise are not enough to be selected to work in a place like this. Staff must also have an unshakeable ability to remain calm under pressure.

No one embodies this more than Joe's right-hand man David Long - who is the Assistant Coordinator General of Crisis Operations.

He's a polite, friendly, well-dressed guy - who also happens to be an elite ex-soldier and would be no stranger to life-and-death decisions.

He had spent the past eight weeks working frantically with the Department of Foreign Affairs to locate and expatriate Australian citizens caught up in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

This included Australians stuck in Israel during the initial stages of the conflict, as well as citizens trapped in Gaza who fled via the treacherous Rafah Gate into Egypt.

He explained that having the right temperament is critical for this type of work because it's impossible to think strategically if you're flustered.

Joe's right-hand man David Long - who is the Assistant Coordinator General of Crisis Operations (left) is pictured alongside the Assistant Director of Open Source Information Navid Nozhat, at the COP

We operate in the grey area... being in the shadows gives us the ability to be very objective in our analysis so we are as accurate as possible - NSR Team Leader Tahlia Al Ashkar

'What's really important is the ability to prioritise in a time of crisis, so that we can sift through information and find what's most critical,' Dave said, as he shared insights into the inner workings of the NSR.

'When the shift teams believe a situation may be escalating they have the option to send it to a team of analysts and that can be looked at in more detail.

'Then we can come up with a plan for a national response, if needed.'

Although there are protocols and frameworks that guide decisions, what makes the work so difficult is that every crisis is different and there is never a clear path to follow.

'We operate in the grey area,' the NSR's somewhat camera-shy Team Leader Tahlia Al Ashkar explained, as my photographer asked her to 'smile' and then 'try a serious face'.

'We often get limited information and it's our job to piece it together in real time and make decisions.

'Being in the shadows gives us the ability to be very objective in our analysis so we are as accurate as possible.'

NSR Team Leader Tahlia Al Ashkar explained that a lot of the work is done 'in the grey area'

'We often get limited information and it's our job to piece it together in real time and make decisions,' Tahlia Al Ashkar said

Reacting to a crisis in real time is one thing, but ideally the sharp minds in here want to have plans in place before a situation reaches that level.

That's where Navid Nozhat, the Assistant Director of Open Source Information, and his team come in.

They trawl the internet 24 hours a day trying to predict future events that could escalate into a crisis - a process called 'horizon scanning'.

'Within one minute of every single day there are over 550 billion data sets uploaded to the internet through news, social media and government websites. So we need to be targeted in what we are looking for,' Navid said.

'But we can pick up on trends long before they take place. For example, when an event happens people will jump on social media and if you extrapolate that over time trends start to build.

'That's vital because decision-makers don't want to be informed when something happens, they want to know before something happens so we can plan for it and bring help and resources to people as soon as possible.'

It's a comforting thought that if you're ever affected by a crisis - wherever you are in the world - some of Australia's brightest minds will be working non-stop in a windowless room trying to figure out a way to help you.
Ghislaine Maxwell had a secret email linked to Jeffrey Epstein's household but refused to turn over messages from it, newly unsealed court documents revealed.

The documents were used as evidence as part of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre's civil claim against Maxwell - a case that was settled in 2017.

Maxwell had claimed her Mindspring email address was a spam account that she used when signing up for marketing correspondence at retail stores.

But Meredith Schultz, an attorney for Giuffre, said evidence revealed Maxwell 'used it for her Tumblr account', a social media website where '22 percent of the content is pornographic'.

Epstein used the now-defunct Mindspring messaging network to communicate with his friends and the staff across his multiple homes.

Ghislaine Maxwell, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein, had a secret MindSpring email account linked to Jeffrey Epstein's household but refused to turn over messages from it, newly unsealed court documents revealed

Maxwell, pictured on Jeffrey Epstein's Little St James Island in 2006, had claimed her Mindspring email address was a spam account that she used when signing up for marketing correspondence at retail stores

Epstein used the now-defunct Mindspring messaging network to communicate with his friends and the staff across his multiple homes. Maxwell is pictured on Epstein's Little St. James Island in 2006

The nature of Maxwell's Mindspring account was discussed during a previously sealed court hearing where Schultz alleged that the British socialite had failed to turn over certain email records.

According to the transcript, Maxwell alleged the email address was a 'spam account that she uses to register at retail stores'.

But Schultz claimed 'publicly available information' showed that Maxwell used the account to sign up for certain content sharing websites.

'We also found evidence that she used it for her Tumblr account,' the attorney told the November 2016 hearing.

'That is a social media website that also has inbox and messaging where over 22 percent of the content on this social website is pornographic and over 16 percent of the accounts created therein contain exclusively pornographic material.'

Schultz also alleged that Maxwell used the account to sign up for LinkedIn and Dropbox accounts. MailOnline was not able to independently verify Schultz's claim.

The hearing transcript was released Monday night to comply with US District Judge Loretta Preska's ruling to unseal thousands of documents involved in the 2015 suit between Giuffre and Maxwell.

The first exhibit released on Monday night claims Maxwell and everyone who worked for Epstein used a secret server to communicate.

In an nearly unsealed court transcript (pictured), Meredith Schultz, an attorney for Giuffre, said evidence revealed Maxwell 'used it for her Tumblr account'

The server - called MindSpring - was used by household staff to communicate about daily tasks and events.

One employee complained about how 'ridiculous' it became, explaining that Epstein would demand a 'coffee' or 'orange juice' through the server and multiple employees when they were all in the same house.

Another newly-uploaded exhibit is a previously sealed transcript from a hearing regarding whether Epstein should be forced to give testimony.

Both Maxwell and Giuffre wanted him to - but he declined, repeatedly saying that he would not answer questions for fear of criminal prosecution.

All of the filings come from a 2015 defamation lawsuit that Giuffre filed against Maxwell.

At the time, Giuffre had gone public with her claims against Prince Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein. She said she'd been sexually trafficked to the royal by Maxwell and Epstein, who she claimed abused countless other girls in similar ways.

Maxwell, Epstein and Prince Andrew denied her allegations.

Giuffre sued Maxwell for publicly labeling her a liar. The case was settled in 2017 - two years before Epstein was charged and later died by suicide - and before Maxwell's arrest.

Giuffre sued Maxwell, pictured with Epstein, for publicly labeling her a liar. The case was settled in 2017 - two years before Epstein was charged and later died by suicide - and before Maxwell's arrest

Giuffre, pictured with the Duke of York and Maxwell, had gone public with her claims against Prince Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein. She said she'd been sexually trafficked to the royal by Maxwell and Epstein, who she claimed abused countless other girls in similar ways. Maxwell, Epstein and Prince Andrew denied her allegations

They have become public now after repeated requests from the media and some of those caught up in the scandal, who pleaded for transparency from the court.

Judge Preska last month ruled in favor of the media that it was in the public interest for the names of associates, friends and victims of Epstein to no longer be anonymized.

About 2,000 pages were unsealed by a court in 2019. Additional documents were released in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The court unsealed 17 exhibits on Monday - the latest in the stream of papers to have been made public over the last week. The final batch is expected to be published later today, sources familiar with the rollout told Business Insider.
US Secretary of Antony Blinken has met with Israeli leaders to discuss the 'way forward' for the war in Gaza.

Blinken held talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday as he seeks a plan for Gaza's post-war future, while Israel's military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory.

He arrived in Tel Aviv after touring Israel's Arab neighbors and reportedly securing commitments from four Arab nations and Turkey to help in rebuilding Gaza after the war, something they'd been reluctant to promise before a stop in fighting.

The Secretary will also meet with families of hostages taken by Hamas, and discuss the 'relentless efforts' to bring them back, he said on Tuesday.

Blinken is trying to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from spreading after an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and threats by Israel to step up military action to put an end to almost daily fire across the border from Lebanon by the militant group.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, at David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel on Tuesday

Blinken held talks with Israeli leaders on Tuesday as he seeks a plan for Gaza's post-war future, while Israel's military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory. He is pictured during the meeting at David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv

Israeli troops are pictured operating in the area of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas

Smoke rises from the Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp as the Israeli attacks continue in Gaza City, Gaza on Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Speaking alongside Herzog ahead of their meeting on Tuesday morning, Blinken said he would share what he had heard from regional countries during a day of meetings with Israel's government.

That will include meeting the war cabinet formed in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that Israel says killed 1,200 people.

Israel launched an air and ground assault on the enclave of Gaza in response that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and more than 58,000 have been wounded. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

'There's lots to talk about, in particular about the way forward,' said Blinken, who has visited Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey and Greece, since Saturday.

The countries' leaders 'agreed to work together and to coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole,' Blinken said, after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the western Saudi city of Al Ula.

He did not offer specifics on potential contributions. Financial and in-kind support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could be essential to the success of any plan.

As well as trying to tamp down regional tensions, the US top diplomat has been discussing plans for the future governance of Gaza, which could involve Israel's Muslim-majority neighbors.

Blinken said on Monday before heading to Israel that regional states wanted integration with Israel but only if plans to normalize relations included a 'practical pathway' to a future Palestinian state.

But the US and Israel remain deeply divided over how Gaza will be run when - and if - Hamas are defeated. American officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take over in Gaza and for negotiations to resume on the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli leaders have staunchly refused both.

Netanyahu remains opposed to the concept of the two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that Saudi Arabia in particular is demanding if it is to normalize relations with Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia on Monday during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East

Antony Blinken gestures as he arrives in Tel Aviv on Monday ahead of his Tuesday morning talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (center) heads to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv, Israel on Tuesday

Us Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog (right) at the David Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv on Tuesday

The US has also pressed Israel to scale down its offensive in Gaza to more precise operations targeting Hamas. But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same.

But Israel has vowed to keep going until it has destroyed Hamas throughout the territory, in response to the Oct. 7 attack.

Israel says that, of some 240 people seized during the massacre, 132 are still being held in Gaza and 25 of them have died in captivity.

Herzog thanked Washington for its support of Israel and denounced South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The US has called the case unhelpful and said it has not seen acts of genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli military said it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants.

The offensive's focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis, where ground troops have been fighting militants for weeks, and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza.

'The fighting will continue throughout 2024,' military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Flares rise over the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel on Monday, January 8, 2024

Israeli soldiers are pictured on Monday during operations in al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip

Troops operating in the area of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas

An Israeli soldier is seen securing a position in al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip on Monday

Throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire echoed through the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where troops have been pushing in from the north, said resident Saeed Moustafa.

They were facing heavy resistance from gunmen in the camp, he said.

Like other refugee camps in Gaza, Nuseirat was built to house Palestinians who were driven out of homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, and over the decades it has been built up into a densely populated town housing refugees and their descendants.

Families in Nuseirat's northern neighborhoods were fleeing to to other parts of the camp, Moustafa said by phone, with the sound of sporadic gunfire in the background.

Some tried to head south on the Gaza's main north-south road but found it blocked by Israeli tanks and turned around, he said. In leaflets, the military had told people to use another road, along the coast, to evacuate.

Further south in Khan Younis, warplanes struck multiple areas in and around the city.

'It was an intense night. Bombings didn't stop,' said Gaber Abu Hamed, who fled his home in Gaza City in the north two months ago.

Nearly 85 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting in central Gaza was severely hampering operations to distribute aid. Several warehouses, distribution centers, health facilities and shelters have been affected by evacuation orders from the military, it said.

A view of demolished blue domed Sheikh Zayed Mosque following an Israeli attack on Sheikh Zayed area of Gaza City, Gaza on Monday, January 8, 2024

Troops operating in the area of al-Bureij in the central Gaza Strip are seen driving a tank through rubble and debris on Monday

A man walks next to a destroyed car following an overnight Israeli raid on the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Some bakeries in the central city of Deir al-Balah have been forced to shut down. A UN warehouse was hit last week, killing a staffer, and five other staffers were detained by the military, with two still held.

The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October. Tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

The WHO said Sunday it has been unable to deliver supplies to northern Gaza for 12 days because of bombardment and the inability to guarantee safe passage with the Israeli military.

OCHA said the military rejected five attempted aid convoys to the north in the past two weeks, including planned deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities. As a result, five hospitals in the north have no access to supplies, tens of thousands are without access to clean water, and the risk of disease is mounting as sewage systems fail, it said.
A scandal-hit young offenders' institution where a drink driving university student took her own life had a 'culture of mistreatment' that saw inmates bullied and 'forced to parade naked', it is claimed.

Katie Allan died within months of arriving at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire in June 2018. A joint inquiry is investigating her death and that of William Brown, 16, who was found dead in his cell in October 2018 hours after being taken of suicide watch.

During her last few months of her life, Ms Allan was 'terrorised' by inmates who bullied her for her stress-related hair loss before she was brought a banana rather than a bandana by a nurse to cover her up, her parents say.

They also claim she was repeatedly subjected to strip searches so staff could 'reach their quotas' and forced by other inmates to hand over her possessions and carry out menial tasks for them. At one point an inmate allegedly said 'go and hang yourself Katie and give us all peace'.

Four inmates at Polmont took their lives in just four years, while a freedom of information request in 2019 found it was receiving two complaints against staff a month. Six were in relation to bullying or assault, while employees were also suspended for inappropriate behaviour and trafficking.

Katie Allan died within months of arriving at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, Stirlingshire in June 2018

Ms Allan was found dead aged 21 on June 4, 2018, a day after her healthcare worker mother Linda warned a prison officer she was 'terrified' after being 'berated' by other prisoners

A joint inquiry is investigating her death and that of William Brown, 16, who was found dead in his cell in October 2018 hours after being taken of suicide watch

Ms Allan was jailed for 16 months for running over 15-year-old Michael Keenan in August 2017. The Glasgow University student, who had drunk four pints, always insisted she did not realise she had hit anyone after her tyre blew and she hit an island before driving off.

She had no previous convictions and the family of the victim, who recovered from a broken ankle and an injured eye socket, begged the judge not to send her to a young offenders' institution.

But sentencing her in 2018, Sheriff David Pender told her it should have been 'very obvious' she was not in a fit state to drive and that the 'combination of the two charges' - dangerous driving and drink-driving - made it 'impossible' for him not to jail her.

Ms Allan was found dead aged 21 on June 4, 2018, a day after her healthcare worker mother Linda warned a prison officer she was 'terrified' after being 'berated' by other prisoners.

READ MORE - Why WAS uni student with no previous convictions locked up in scandal-hit young offenders institution? Advertisement

A toxicology report during a post-mortem examination found 0.034mg per litre of mirtazapine - an antidepressant, which Ms Allan was not prescribed. She had lost 15lb after just four months in custody.

Linda and her husband, Stuart, compiled a dossier of failures they claim occurred before their daughter's death.

They say Ms Allen was tormented by other women, made to give away her belongings and bullied.

Her devastated parents believe more should have been done to help when it became obvious she was suffering from stress-related alopecia and being bullied as a result.

Describing one incident that they say proved the 'blatant incompetence' of Polmont's nursing staff, Linda said: 'When Katie began to lose her hair I asked if Katie be allowed a head scarf or bandana to cover the apparent areas of baldness.

'This was refused by the reception staff at HMP & YOI Polmont. SPS staff contacted the health centre before the 27th of April seeking advice on how to get Katie a head covering.

'Katie reported that a prison officer called the health centre and spoke with a member of the nursing team asking if Katie be allowed a head scarf or bandana.

'The nurse stated that they indeed had such items and would bring some to Katie's hall. A nurse went to Katie's hall with two bananas. As amusing as this story was at the time, it is a tragic representation of the blatant incompetence of the nursing staff.'

Polmont is the largest young offenders' institution in Scotland and home to Aaron Campbell, who was aged 16 when he abducted, raped and murdered six-year-old Scottish girl Alesha Sarah MacPhail in 2018.

HM Young Offenders' Institution Polmont prison officers during an inspection by Chief Inspector of Prisons Brigadier Hugh Monro

A general view of Monro Hall, the latest prisoner accommodation block at Polmont Young Offenders Intitution

The most recent inspection found Polmont had made 'improvements' and ranked it 'satisfactory' on seven of the nine standards inspected. The other two were ranked 'generally acceptable'

Linda and Stuart Allan, the parents of Katie Allan, arrive at Falkirk Sheriff Court today

The couple say their daughter was tormented by other women, made to give away her belongings and bullied

Ms Allan was studying at Glasgow University and was described as a 'lovely lassie'

Speaking in 2019, the Allans said they accepted their daughter needed to be punished but were horrified by the conditions she had to endure.

Linda said: 'Katie had been bullied and berated and was in clear distress. She had lost her hair. On my last visit to see her with her brother, we knew something was wrong. She looked exhausted and hadn't slept because she was being terrorised and bullied.

'We flagged this up with two of the prison officers and we now know that, just before she died, they had told her she might be moved to the adult prison. Katie would have been terrified.'

Linda Allan previously told the Daily Record in Scotland her daughter told her she was strip searched after almost every visit her parents made to the prison.

Her mother said she believed Katie's compliant nature was making her daughter an easy target for the wardens to 'reach their strip-search quotas'. On one occasion she said six guards searched her during a training exercise and talked about her as if she were not in the room.

A friend told The Sun: 'She was definitely getting bullied. That and the prison environment directly contributed to her ending her life. She should never have been in there.

'One woman was making her give her tobacco, handing over her stamps and posting her letters for her. She had her scared s**tless.'

During Ms Allan's post mortem self-harm marks were found on her body. Her parents have questioned why she was not prevented from self-harming since she was seen naked regularly during strip searches.

Katie took her own life five months into her sentence after a hit and run while she was drink driving

The fatal accident inquiry into Ms Allan and William Brown's deaths at Polmont is now underway at Falkirk Sherriff Court.

Mr Brown was remanded in custody after being deemed a 'potential risk to public safety' at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 4 2018, three days before his death, the inquiry heard.

On October 3, Mr Brown had walked into a police station with a knife, while on bail

for another blade offence, the inquiry heard in a statement of agreed evidence. Despite a plea to bail him due to a lack of beds in a secure unit, Mr Brown was remanded to Polmont, where he died three days later.

Before he was taken there, Mr Brown was asked by a social worker if he was suicidal, and replied: 'No, not now, but I don't know how I'll be in prison.'

Since 2016, Mr Brown had been taken to hospital due to suicide attempts and ideation, excess drug use and fighting on 15 occasions in two years, and was initially put on a 30-minute observation at Polmont when he arrived, 'for reassurance and safety'.

Since 2017, three other inmates have taken their lives in Polmont. They are Robert Wagstaff, Liam Kerr and Jack McKenzie.

The most recent inspection found Polmont had made 'improvements' and ranked it 'satisfactory' on seven of the nine standards inspected. The other two were ranked 'generally acceptable'.

However, inspectors called for more 'intelligence-led searching' instead of body searching to avoid re-traumatising female prisoners who may have been abused.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
A Central Queensland family thinking they had a goanna snooping in their chicken coop got a massive shock after discovering the scaly lizard was actually a 1m croc looking for a snack.

Wildlife officers from Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) were called to the Cape Hillsborough home, north of Mackay, about 9am on Monday after the residents found the small estuarine crocodile in their yard.

'The residents had initially thought the reptile was a goanna, but upon closer inspection realised it was a small crocodile,' DESI said in a statement.

Luckily, the family's pets and chickens escaped harm and have all been accounted for.

DESI staff placed the croc in a large PVC tube for transport to Mackay, where it will remain in a department centre until wildlife officers can secure a new home for the animal at a licensed farm or zoo.

A Central Queensland family got a massive shock after discovering the scaly lizard was actually a one metre estuarine crocodile looking for a snack in their chicken coop

The residents had initially thought the reptile was a goanna, but upon closer inspection realised it was a small crocodile

Senior wildlife officer Jane Burns said crocodiles can be highly mobile, especially during summer and following wet weather.

'While it isn't unusual to see crocodiles around Mackay, it is unusual to find one in someone's backyard,' she said.

'This is a good reminder to everyone in croc country that crocodiles can turn up in unexpected places.'

The shock discovery comes days after wildlife officers began investigations into reports of a large crocodile leaping from the water into a fisherman's tinnie at Jane Creek near St Helen's Beach, north of Mackay.

A member of the public reported the incident at 10am on New Year's Eve.

'This is a good reminder to everyone in croc country that crocodiles can turn up in unexpected places,' senior wildlife officer Jane Burns said

Wildlife officers from Queensland 's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation are now looking to secure a new home for the animal at a licensed farm or zoo

Ms Burns said wildlife officers made contact with the man the following day, where the man reported the crocodile swam under the boat, then turned and launched itself up and into the vessel with its jaws wide open.

'The man then jumped the crocodile to get to the bow of the tinnie and retrieve the anchor, and the crocodile pivoted, over-balanced and fell into the water, bending the rails of the tinnie,' she said.

'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.'

The fisherman reported the animal was not in the boat for long.
Critics have accused Idris Elba of being a 'hypocrite' for fronting a knife crime campaign despite appearing in films which 'glorify violence'.

The actor has launched a new campaign called Don't Stop Your Future to combat knife crime in Britain, which has surged in recent years with many of the victims being teenage boys.

He is demanding an immediate ban on machetes and so-called 'zombie knives' - bladed weapons originally inspired by zombie films and has received praise for using his status to help raise awareness of an issue which is 'devastating communities'.

Some however have hit out at the actor, demanding he takes on 'no more violent roles' after starring in The Wire,' 'Luther' and 'The Dark Tower'.

'This from a man who has made a living glamourising violence, drugs and guns!! Absolute publicity seeking hypocrite,' one critic said on X.

Another said: 'You are a total hypocrite, you made your money off promoting violent movies.'

Critics have accused Idris Elba of being a 'hypocrite' for fronting a knife crime campaign despite appearing in films which 'glorify violence'

Some have hit out at the actor, demanding he takes on 'no more violent roles'

Violent scenes in Luther: The Fallen Sun, a film starring Idris Elba

Idris Elba stands next to an installation of 247 piles of folded clothes representing the number of people killed by knives last year as he launches his campaign 'Don't Stop Your Future' in Parliament Square in London on January 08

Idris Elba starring in Luther - critics have hit out at Idris Elba for appearing in shows which contain violence

Critics have accused Idris Elba of being a hyprocrite - telling him 'no more violent roles'

Elba is well known for roles in the television series' 'The Wire' and 'Luther'.

The Wire, starring Elba, is centered around the narcotics scene in Baltimore, through the eyes of police as well as drug dealers and users.

Luther is a crime thriller series starring Elba as homicide detective John Luther, which was followed by a feature film continuation Luther: The Fallen Sun.

In Luther: The Fallen Sun, detective Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who is terrorising London.

One critic on X said: 'Idris, have you ever thought of turning down film/show roles with violence?'

MailOnline has contacted Elba's representatives for comment.

Elba has however received a lot of praise for raising awareness of knife crime, with one saying he can't be faulted.

London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has applauded the actor for helping to shine a light on 'this crucial issue'.

One supporter on X wrote: 'Idris Elba is an impressive advocate on the issue, one who is realistic about the need for enforcement and talks about the problem of knife crime in ethical terms as a problem that errodes our national community.'

Another thanked him for 'making young voices heard' and 'families listened to'.

In Luther: The Fallen Sun, detective Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who is terrorising London

One critic on X said: 'Idris, have you ever thought of turning down film/show roles with violence?'

Luther is a crime thriller series starring Elba as homicide detective John Luther

Violent scenes in Luther - which features the actor Idris Elba

Luther is a crime thriller series starring Elba as homicide detective John Luther

Many have applauded Elba for helping to raise awareness of knife crime

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme yesterday morning, Elba said he is raising awareness of the issue 'as a parent' and argued that 'very little' is being done following the recent spate of horrific attacks.

He added that the 'country is at a boiling point', and there needs to be a 'voice or a fixed point' that people can rally around to address the issue.

It comes amid a series of horrific stabbings across the UK including 16-year-old schoolboy Harry Pitman who was knifed to death as he stood and waited to watch the Primrose Hill New Year's Eve fireworks in Camden, north London, last week.

The murder, which took place just minutes before midnight, made him at least the 17th teenager brutally killed in the capital in 2023  most of those cruelly taken away from their loved ones in the last year had also been stabbed.

In August last year the government announced a ban on machetes and zombie-style knives with no practical use, as well as an increase in the maximum penalty for the importation, manufacturing, possession and sale of these weapons and greater powers for police to seize them.

Poster for television series 'The Wire' - Sonja Sohn and Dominic West star as detectives Kima Greggs and Jimmy McNulty, with Idris Elba as Stringer Bell in the reflection

Some have hit out at the actor, demanding he takes on 'no more violent roles'.

But it is yet to legislate for the changes and Elba said parliament had not given it the focus it deserved.

The Luther star is lobbying for more funding in youth services and releasing a song in an effort to tackle serious youth violence across the UK.

Elba launched the campaign called Don't Stop Your Future with an installation in Parliament Square, London.
Peter Kay's absence from the limelight remains shrouded in mystery - but an update to his critically acclaimed 'everyman' routine offers an insight into his five-year hiatus.

The 50-year-old has made a stunning return to comedy, delighting his adoring fans with his iconic stand-up routines as he bounds around the stage boasting a new slimmed-down figure.

And although the comedian has never shed light on what triggered a lengthy career break, his triumphant return to the stage after 12 years has seen seen him comically divulge a medical nightmare and open up about the death of a relative.

The Bafta-winning star's long-awaited comeback tour was postponed five years ago for 'unforeseen family circumstances'.

Touching on his health on the opening night of his tour last December, Kay described the indignities of a recent kidney stones operation - an experience which went from bad to worse when an anaesthetist asked him for a selfie.

As male members of the audience were left uncontrollably laughing and wincing at the same time, it also marked the closest time the public has ever got to any explanation of Kay's exile from the limelight.

Peter Kay was a picture of health as he showed off his dramatic weight loss as he left London's O2 arena on Sunday

Kay has never opened up about why he spent five years away from the spotlight, but he has detailed a recent surgical operation during his comeback tour (pictured)

The Bolton-born comic has shocked fans with his dramatic weight loss over the last year and even referenced it during the Manchester comeback show.

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Peter Kay is a picture of health as he's seen heading to his tour bus in a tracksuit and slippers Advertisement

'See how much weight Peter Kay has lost,' the comedian quipped.

Another recent theme Kay touched on was the death of his 96-year-old grandmother, who played a huge role in his life.

Early on in the show, he humoured the crowds with jokes about his gran's malapropisms. But an emotional finale saw a conversation between the pair towards the end of her life played over a family slideshow.

Amid the additions to his classic routine, Kay delighted fans with his trademark sketches which included his famous 'garlic bread' routine with an Italian makeover.

The garlic break gag, which Kay has used in his standup shows, was first delivered by Brian Potter in the 2001 show Phoenix Nights, in which he jokes: 'Garlic bread! It's the future. I've tasted it.'

Kay later revealed in a 2017 interview that fans still shout 'garlic bread' at him in the street.

He returned to the stage in December 2022 and will become the first artist to host a monthly residency at London's O2 Arena from February.

He looked a picture of health when he stepped out to his tour bus after leaving the O2 on Sunday.

The Phoenix Nights star ventured outside wearing a black beanie hat and matching dark hoodie with tracksuit bottoms and cosy slippers.

Fiddling with a gadget on his phone, the actor and comic broke out into a smile as he left the iconic south-east London arena.

Before announcing his 'Better Late Than Never' tour, Kay had retreated from public life.

Kay's social media also plunged into silence until March 2018, when he returned to announce a charity screening of Peter Kay's Car Share.

Kay (pictured on Sunday) has shocked fans with his dramatic weight loss over the last year

Kay (pictured on Sunday) returned to the stage in December 2022 and will become the first artist to host a monthly residency at London's O2 Arena from February

The Phoenix Nights star ventured outside wearing a black beanie hat and matching dark hoodie with tracksuit bottoms and cosy slippers

Before announcing his 'Better Late Than Never' tour, Kay (pictured on Sunday) had retreated from public life and rumours had swirled over his absence

The event was held to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which helps children with mitochondrial disease, and in a post on his blog, Kay detailed how he had 'first hand' experience of the charity's work.

Kay then completely disappeared from public life for a year, and reportedly relocated to Tipperary, Ireland, where locals claimed he seemed determined to fly under the radar.

In November 2017, Peter briefly touched on his second property in Ireland, revealing on The Late Late Show: 'I don't talk about it because I don't want it to get robbed. We've had a house here for 12 years.

'We come here all the time. Whenever there's a school holiday, really. We give Christmas a miss because the house is freezing. It takes ages to warm up.'

Peter Kay's Car Share was awarded the Best Comedy Gong at the National Television Awards in 2019, but he failed to attend the ceremony, leaving co-star Sian Gibson to collect the gong on their behalf.

Peter Kay devastated fans in 2017 when he announced that he would be cancelling his long-awaited comeback tour, sparking a five-year absence from the spotlight

After retreating to his second home in Ireland, Peter briefly resurfaced in a snap taken while riding a tram in Blackpool in 2019

Peter shocked fans after appearing in a rare photograph as he performed his stand-up show in May last year

Awarding Gibson the prize, Kay's former Phoenix Nights co-star Paddy McGuinness joked: 'Where is he? Where is he?', prompting her to say he was 'watching from home with a cup of tea.'

Gibson went onto hint that she and Peter were already planning more projects together, after Car Share came to an end in 2018.

In April 2019, Peter resurfaced for the first time in many months, making a surprise appearance at a screening of Car Share at Blackpool Opera House, which raised 34,000 for The Lily Foundation.

While visiting the resort town, Kay also posed for a photo with fans riding the tram on the coast.

In December of that year, he also attended the Peter Pan pantomime in Crewe and Nativity! The Musical in London, as he was pictured with director Debbie Isitt.

In February 2020, Kay announced his return to the stage with six Dance For Life shows, but they were sadly postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

The funnyman did make a short return to TV in April 2020 for BBC's Big Night In Special, as part of a reworked version of his iconic music video for (Is This The Way To) Amarillo.

Bolton-born comic Peter Kay won the Bafta for best male comedy performance and best scripted comedy for Car Share

Peter Kay is pictured on The Jonathan Ross Show in November 2017. He later took a five-year break

The O2 Apollo in Manchester ahead of Peter Kay's charity show to raise money for Laura Nuttall in 2021. She sadly died in May 2023

Fans queue around the O2 Apollo in Manchester ahead of comedian Peter Kay's charity show in 2021

He then went onto perform two sold-out Dance For Life shows to raise money for Laura Nuttall, 21, who had an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. She sadly died in May 2023.

The comedian sent fans into a frenzy in November 2022 by announcing he would be returning to touring for the first time in 12 years.

Taking to the stage for his first night in Manchester, Peter was moved to tears as he received a standing ovation from the audience that lasted several minutes.

Overcome with emotion, he told the crowd: 'Oh Jesus look at me, I mean what's that all about how am I supposed to do bloody comedy now?'

'Lovely Manchester you made me cry where did it come from, all that emotion?'

Kay's upcoming monthly residence at the O2 in London will run from next month until April 2025.

Kay said of The Live In London tour: 'Audiences in London have always been amongst the best in Britain, plus I think seeing the show could be part of a nice weekend away treat.

'It's good to get back to what I love doing best, stand-up comedy and if there's ever a time people need a laugh it's now.

'And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from 35. The same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.'

According to the venue's website, Peter's 2010 tour still officially ranks with the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling comedy tour of all time.
The number of people around the world that were killed or maimed by explosives rose to its highest level in ten years in 2023, research has found.

There has been an increase of 122 per cent in civilian deaths caused by explosives in 2023, according to UK-based charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

This is likely due to the deadly war being fought between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as fighting in Ukraine, Myanmar, Syria, Sudan and Somalia.

The report identified at least 7,307 incidents involving explosives in 2023, compared to 4,322 in the year prior.

At least 15,305 civilians were killed in the attacks, with tens of thousands more injured, according to AOAV.

Smoke rises following Israeli air strikes on Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on January 8

Smoke rises following what the Israeli armed forces say was an air strike on Hezbollah targets at a location given as Lebanon

The charity described the war in Gaza as 'a major cause for such a dramatic increase' in civilian casualties, which accounts for about one third of the global total.

In Gaza, 920 incidents involving explosives were recorded, which killed 9,334 civilians, the report states.

State actors were responsible for most of the civilians casualties - for about 77 per cent - worldwide.

Israel 'was by far the most injurious state actor in 2023', AOAV claimed, saying the country's more than 1,000 attacks lead to 12,950 civilian deaths and injuries.

Russia was a close second, with 8,351 civilian casualties recorded in Ukraine.

Non-state actors like militant and terrorist groups also contributed in the increased use of explosive devices, but AOAV said the number of civilian casualties killed by non-state actors actually decreased by 8 per cent.

There has also been an increase in the use of ground-launched weapons last year.

There had also been a huge increase of 226 per cent in the use of air-launched weapons in 2023, rising from just 519 incidences in 2022 to 1,694 last year.

The charity attributes this to Israel's military operation in Gaza following the October 7 attack.

Ukrainian infrastructure was hit by Russian missiles earlier today, leaving behind piles of rubble and a blazing inferno

Israel said it had repeatedly taken steps to avoid killing civilians by issuing warnings ahead of planned air strikes.

But AOAV's director Iain Overton said the data should be a warning to those countries using explosive weapons in heavily populated areas since the large majority of victims are likely to be civilians, the BBC reports.

While the charity said that the data used in the report does not note all harm caused by incendiary devices, it does highlight a rise in explosive violence.

AOAV is a London-based charity which records and monitors evidence of armed violence against civilians worldwide, with its reports regularly being used by the UN.
Villagers are embroiled in a furious row after being told they are being evicted from a 110-year-old allotment by church officials to make way for new-build homes.

Plot holders in historic King's Somborne, Hampshire, say they are 'disgusted' after being told three days before Christmas that they are being forced out of their cherished plots.

Generations of families in the village have grown fruit and vegetables at the allotment for more than 110 years after the site was gifted to the parish church to benefit the community. Some villagers inherited their plot from their parents.

But the owner of the land, the Diocese of Winchester, has now sold the site to a housing developer so it can build 18 new homes.

Following a six-year row, allotment holders were handed eviction papers on December 22. They are now hoping to make a direct appeal to the newly installed bishop - the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen - to reverse the call.

Villagers are embroiled in a furious row after being told they are being evicted from a 110-year-old allotment by church officials to make way for new-build homes

Plot holders in historic King's Somborne, Hampshire, say they are 'disgusted' after being told three days before Christmas that they are being forced out of their cherished plots

The owner of the land, the Diocese of Winchester, which sold the site (pictured) to a housing developer so it can build 18 homes, has been accused of a 'failure of Christian leadership'

Nestled in the Hampshire countryside, the chocolate-box village sits in the celebrated Test Valley and is less than ten miles from Winchester.

Houses in King's Somborne are worth an average of 950,000 and the village featured in the Domesday Book.

The allotment grows a variety of fruit and vegetables, has a fruit cage, polytunnel, flower beds, a bug hotel, a small pond, a miniature wishing well, an underground bees nest, and has a bamboo construction to support the growing sunflowers.

The Diocese of Winchester announced plans to sell the land in 2018, a move that sparked a series of objections from locals.

Developers Shorewood Homes won the bid to build 18 properties plus new allotments for the current plot holders to move to.

But the plans have been met with stiff resistance and then anger when a legal letter arrived last month.

King's Somborne Allotment Association chairman Andrew Causer said: 'Villagers in King's Somborne were disgusted to receive a letter from the Winchester Diocese's solicitors - Blake Morgan - on Friday, December 22.

The allotment grows a variety of fruit and vegetables, has a fruit cage, polytunnel, flower beds, a bug hotel, a small pond, and a miniature wishing well

There is also an underground bees nest, and has a bamboo construction to support the growing sunflowers on the allotment (pictured)

'The letter gave us notice to quit the cherished allotments and was made by special delivery around lunchtime.

'It was noted immediately that the Diocesan office closed for Christmas at 12pm and reopened on January 2, making it impossible for allotment holders to pick up the phone and register their thoughts on the notice and its insensitive timing.'

Mr Causer added: 'The pleasure and mental health benefits of growing one's own food inexpensively is known to everyone.

'During a cost of living crisis, the King's Somborne Allotment Association is appalled by this failure of Christian leadership by the Diocese.

'[We] will be requesting an urgent meeting with the Diocese.'

Plot holders were offered a new allotment adjacent to the site, but they say it is entirely unsuitable.

Mr Causer said: 'The planned movement of the allotments to an agricultural field called Red Hill - the extreme gradient of which has enabled many villagers to toboggan down it over the years - seems impractical and doomed to fail to most allotment holders.

'[We] were promised a new area would be 'equal or better' to the current allotment ground.'

In total, 36 allotment holders are to be evicted. One, Glenda Sims, 87, is furious.

Developers Shorewood Homes want to build 18 properties on the site (pictured) plus new allotments for the current plot holders to move to

For more than 110 years, generations of families in the village have grown fruit and vegetables at the allotment which was gifted to the parish church

She said: 'It's absolutely disgusting because the fact we live in the middle of nowhere means we have to use fuel to get to places to buy food.

'It's utterly ridiculous when we can grow it here. The whole thing has been difficult for years. The timing of the notice is a particularly annoying aspect.

'I'm sure many marriages have lasted because of the allotments because you can let off steam here. It's really important.'

Romsey MP Caroline Nokes has shown her support for the allotment holders and slammed the insensitivity of the notice.

She said: 'The timing of the Diocese in sending these notices over Christmas was just appalling, and I know upset the recipients enormously.

'They have been left in the dark as to the detail and it seems there are still outstanding planning matters to resolve with regard to the replacement site.'

'It is worth noting that the Archbishop of Canterbury has recently been opining about sustainability and food prices, yet here we have the Church of England evicting allotment holders from fertile and productive land they had successfully cultivated for generations.

'In return, the land being offered up to replace them is far less suitable with poorer soil quality.

'I am astonished the church is choosing to take this path.'

The campaigners are hoping to speak to the Bishop of Winchester to appeal to him directly.

A spokesman from the Diocese of Winchester said: 'The discussions to relocate the allotments in King's Somborne and develop the existing site have been under way since 2018.

'Shorewood Homes obtained planning permission in October 2022 for the new residential development and allotments.

'This has been a sensitive and complex process as we've tried to weigh up the competing needs of charity legislation, ecclesiastical law, and the desires of local community groups.

'At the end of last year, discussions were held with the King's Somborne Allotment Association about the next phase of the project and the proposal to serve the required 12 months' notice on the current allotment holders.

'We are very aware that the allotment holders have been keen for us to provide a clear timescale for the next stages as soon as possible to help them plan and prepare for the relocation to their new adjacent allotment site and facilities.'
A student who underwent an operation on his back later died in his mother's arms after suffering a blood clot which was 'likely a result of the surgery', an inquest has heard.

Rhys Hill, 20, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, underwent a procedure to release pressure on his spinal nerves at Royal Preston Hospital on January 27 last year.

Three days after the operation, he returned home to Cheadle Hulme to recover.

His mother, Karen Hill, said she was never told about the 'signs and symptoms' of a blood clot and what to look out for.

Rhys also refused an injection of the anticoagulant drug, dalteparinto, to help prevent it, the inquest heard.

A student who underwent an operation on his back later died in his mother's arms after suffering a blood clot which was 'likely a result of the surgery', an inquest hears

Ten days after his return home, Rhys rang his mother, Karen Hill, from his upstairs bedroom to tell her he was struggling to breathe. She rushed up to him but found he had stopped breathing.

She began CPR as paramedics rushed to the property on Vernon Close, but sadly Rhys could not be saved.

Rhys was found to have suffered a blood clot which a coroner has now ruled was likely a result of the surgery.

An inquest into his death at South Manchester Coroner's Court in Stockport last month heard that early on January 30 Rhys was discharged from Royal Hospital Preston.

He was offered an injection of the anticoagulant drug, dalteparin, which is used to help prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) - a blood clot that forms in a vein - but he refused it.

The inquest heard Rhys, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, moved to Greater Manchester in 2011 and had a number of 'additional needs' including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

His diagnoses 'effectively amounted to a learning disability' the hearing was told. He also had a history of self-harm and suicidal ideation. It was during a visit to A&E where he had to be restrained that the family claim he suffered the back injury which later needed surgery.

Giving evidence, Rhys' mother Karen Hill described him as 'like a child in many ways' but said he was 'very intelligent.' She said he enjoyed walking the dog but 'used to stay in his room a lot and read books.'

She said she received 'no communication' from hospital staff on the day of his procedure, who she said claimed didn't have her phone number, despite her claiming they had already rung her earlier that day.

Rhys Hill, 20, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, underwent a procedure to release pressure on his spinal nerves at Royal Preston Hospital on January 27 last year

She said she was 'shocked' at how quickly he was allowed home given the breathing difficulties he suffered after a previous operation in 2021 and how long he was in surgery.

She said it also 'surprised' her when she later learned of his refusal to take the dalteparin as he was 'obsessive' and 'the thought of injecting himself would have seemed cool to Rhys'.

Senior coroner Alison Mutch said she had concluded that 'on the balance of probabilities that refusal was linked to the time it was offered at and because he was in some discomfort'.

Ms Mutch said: 'The refusal of dalteparin was not escalated to the clinical team and there is no evidence that the risk presented by the omission of the dose of dalteparin was evaluated by the treating clinicians.' Rhys was discharged home without any medication.

Ms Hill said she was also never told about the 'signs and symptoms' of VTE and what to look out for. Ms Mutch said: 'The Trust policy required that at discharge a patient and their family members must be provided with verbal and written information about VTE.

'The Trust policy was not followed. As a consequence, Rhys and his family did not have clear instructions on how to reduce the risk of developing a VTE and the symptoms to look for. This probably increased the risk of Rhys developing a VTE.'

Rhys was found to have suffered a blood clot which a coroner has now ruled was likely a result of the surgery

Following his collapse resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful. A post-mortem examination concluded his cause of death was 1a) pulmonary embolism, caused by 1b) deep vein thrombosis in the context of recent primary lumbar discectomy.

Ms Mutch said: 'On the balance of probabilities the cause of his deep vein thrombosis was the recent surgery he had had undertaken.

'The risk of him developing a deep vein thrombosis was increased by the Trust discharge policy not being followed and a risk assessment not being undertaken following his refusal of the dalteparin on the morning of the discharge.'

On December 20 last year, Ms Mutch recorded a narrative conclusion that Rhys 'died from a complication of a previous surgical procedure, where the complication was not identified until after his death'.

She also said she would be writing a Prevention of Future Deaths report requiring Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to take action to ensure such a tragedy doesn't happen again.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: 'We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Rhys' family. We are committed to taking the required action with the aim of ensuring that such deaths do not occur in the future.

'Once we receive the full Preventing Future Deaths report we will provide a formal response back to the coroner, underlining our commitment to learn from this very sad case.'

Gareth Naylor, of Ison Harrison solicitors, who represented the family, said following the hearing: 'Rhys was a vulnerable patient in terms of both his physical and mental health.

'Despite these vulnerabilities, Rhys' surgery was a success. However, Trust policy on VTE was not followed post-surgery which meant that Rhys and his mother, on whom he relied upon heavily, were not educated on the risks of VTE nor was there any risk assessment upon discharge to consider the risks of Rhys developed a VTE and whether further anticoagulant medication would be required.

'I am pleased that the coroner identified that Rhys' refusal of critical medication, when he was woken early after only a couple of hours sleep, was not escalated to the clinical team and that there was no evidence that the risk presented by the omission of the dose was evaluated by treating clinicians.

'The learned coroner also identified that Trust policy was not followed upon Rhys' discharge and as a consequence, Rhys and his mother did not have clear instructions on how to reduce the risk. Rhys did sadly suffer a fatal pulmonary embolism at home on the 9 February 2023 and tragically died in his mother's arms.

'The coroner was so concerned with the lack of record keeping, poor communication between staff, management of medications and the discharge process that she is issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths report.'
An Aussie Gold Hunters presenter's dog was shot dead by a cop after it attacked his colleague and a suspect during an arrest.

Police were about to place handcuffs on a man in his 30s at a home on Stratton Boulevard in Perth's north-east on Tuesday at 9.30am when the bullmastiff attacked the alleged offender and the female officer.

A male officer then fatally shot the dog, whose name was Monty, in order to 'prevent further injury' during the altercation.

Monty belonged to former Aussie Gold Hunters personality Rob Dale, who was not home at the time according to a female occupant who talked to police.

The detained man suffered bites to his legs while the female officer was bitten on her legs and one hand. Both were taken to St John of God Midland Hospital.

Monty the dog was shot and killed after attacking a female officer and a male suspect during an arrest at a home on Stratton Boulevard in Perth's north-east

Monty had belonged to former Aussie Gold Hunters star Rob Dale, who appeared on seasons six through eight of the Discovery Australia show

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A resident of the home, who did not want to be identified, said he burst into tears after finding out that Monty the 'loveable big giant' had been killed.

'I knew the dog, it's devastating, it's terrible, he's only doing his job... why'd he have to be in that environment,' he told The West.

A sign warning visitors to 'Beware of Dog' was hung above the front door of the house.

The male occupant described Monty as having the attitude of a 'chihuahua'.

The man's partner said she had seen 'heaps of cars' outside the house before at least one person was arrested earlier in the morning.

'It's very upsetting, I've got kids and the neighbours have grandkids... this isn't needed in the suburbs or anywhere,' he said.

Police confirmed in the afternoon that a second man had been arrested at the same house which also related to their 'ongoing investigation'.

The female occupant of the house was not taken into custody, a WA police spokesperson said.

Mr Dale was not home at the time of the arrest. Pictured: Police searching the property

Before leaving, officers were seen looking over several bikes kept at the property and also towed away a car.

A spokeswoman from St John of God Midland Hospital said that the male suspect had been released under police watch, but the female officer was transferred to Subiaco Hospital for further treatment in a stable condition.

Mr Dale made a name for himself on the television series Aussie Gold Hunters, which he starred in between seasons six and eight on Discovery Australia.

He co-starred alongside Rob 'Turbo' Linton and the pair were known as The Gold Timers.

The pair once dramatically stopped a suspected thief from stealing $500 worth of gold that they had prospected.
A pet peacock named Henry Percy who was killed in a hit-and-run has been laid to rest at his own funeral in a miniature coffin - with forty mourners turning up for his funeral.

The colourful bird was believed to be 15 or 16 years old when he was hit by a car over the Christmas break.

Henry Percy the peacock was popular in the parish of Grouville, in Jersey, where he lived and had been adopted by locals as their mascot.

Henry was struck by a car which did not stop.

A pet peacock named Henry Percy who was killed in a hit-and-run has been laid to rest at his own funeral in a miniature coffin - with forty mourners turning up for his funeral

Henry Percy the peacock sat outside the parish hall in Grouville, Jersey

The exotic bird was found by the roadside by a parishioner who alerted the police.

Constable Labey, who was fond the famous feathered friend, told the Bailiwick Express that he habitually ran alongside the road and sometimes wandered into it, adding that he was not up to date with the Highway Code.

At the funeral, he added that Henry was a 'beautiful, beautiful bird'.

At the service, Henry was buried in a purpose-built coffin in a hole dug into the grass outside the parish hall.

Mourners, including children, left flowers and some of Henry's feathers on the coffin, the Bailiwick Express reports.

Blueberry muffins, his favourite food, were served at the wake in Grouville, Jersey, on Saturday, January 6.

Wendy Durell, Henry's de facto owner - although peacocks cannot be pets as they are wild animals - said her father Martin named the bird.

She said her father was 'proud' of Henry and 'hand-fed him'.

Grouville Parish Hall, where Henry Percy the peacock's funeral was held on Saturday

Henry Percy the peacock was popular in the parish of Grouville, in Jersey, where he lived and had been adopted by locals as their mascot

Grouville resident, Louise Magrath offered a tribute to the beloved bird, saying: 'So sad. Poor Henry.

'I loved seeing him stop traffic on the hill.'

Sarah Murray added: 'I used to see him regularly in Grouville.

'He will be missed.'

Avelino Camacho said: 'Will miss hearing him in the mornings.'

A spokesperson for the Parish of Grouville said a 'small service' was held 'following the sad passing of Henry, our popular bird.'

Grouville Constable, Mark Labey said Henry was 'absolutely beautiful.'
Roller guides at top of one of the plugs broke, allowing panel to swing upward

Investigators inspecting the Alaska Airlines plane that was destroyed when a door blew out at 16,000ft are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) carried out an inspection of the aircraft after a door panel slid up before flying off of the 737 Max 9 on Friday and landing in the backyard of a suburban home in Portland, Oregon.

Video shows how NTSB officials searched the cabin and cockpit as they worked to identify what caused the door plug to blow out.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) swiftly grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes on Saturday and announced on Monday that airlines could begin safety inspections of the grounded planes.

Alaska and United Airlines have reported separately that they found loose parts in the panels - or door plugs - of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

Investigators inspecting the Alaska Airlines plane that was destroyed when a door blew out at 16,000ft are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) carried out an inspection of the aircraft after a door panel slid up before flying off

NTSB investigators are seen in the cabin as they carried out their inspection after the 737 Max 9 was grounded

United has already reportedly found loose bolts and other parts on plug doors on at least five of its planes, according to The Air Current. Chicago-based airline has 79 of the grounded 737 Max 9 planes.

'Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug - for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,' United told DailyMail.com on Monday

'These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.'

Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s and that 'initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft'. DailyMail.com has contacted Boeing for comment.

The findings of investigators and the airlines are ratcheting up pressure on Boeing to address concerns that have grown since the terrifying fuselage blowout Friday night.

Boeing has called an online meeting for all employees Tuesday to discuss safety.

The company, which has had problems with various planes over the years, pledged to 'help address any and all findings' that airlines make during their inspections of Max 9 jets.

Boeing has delivered more than 200 to customers around the world, but 171 of them were grounded by the FAA on Saturday until the door plugs can be inspected and, if necessary, fixed.

The door plugs are inserted where emergency exit doors would be located on Max 9s with more than about 200 seats. Alaska and United have fewer seats in their Max 9s, so they replace heavy doors with the plugs.

The panels can be opened for maintenance work. The bolts prevent the mechanism from moving upward on rollers when the plane is in flight.

NTSB investigators are in the cockpit as they investigate what caused a plug covering a spot left for an emergency door to tear off the plane as it flew at 16,000ft

An investigator walks through the main cabin of the grounded 737 Max 9 plane

The interior of the plane suffered extensive damage during the incident, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land safely

NTSB officials said the door panel that blew off will be sent to the agency's lab in Washington DC, for detailed study that might help pinpoint why the plug broke loose. Officials are pictured in the cabin during their preliminary inspection

During Alaska Airlines flight 1282, the roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke - for reasons the investigators don't fully understand yet - allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 'stop pads' that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, NTSB officials said

The flight that was set out to arrive at Ontario International in California turned back around after the plug door came off on Friday night

Terrified passengers were left fearing for their lives on Friday after the emergency exit used as a cabin window fell off an Alaskan Airlines flight from Portland to California at 16,000 feet.

During Alaska Airlines flight 1282, the roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke - for reasons the investigators don't fully understand yet - allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 'stop pads' that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, NTSB officials said at a news briefing in Portland.

NTSB chairman Jennifer Homendy said the safety board was investigating whether four bolts that help prevent the panel from sliding up on rollers were missing when the plane took off from Portland or whether they blew off 'during the violent, explosive decompression event.'

The interior of the plane suffered extensive damage, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land safely. Officials say there were no serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.

The lost door panel was found Sunday near Portland in the back yard of a school teacher's home. NTSB officials said it will be sent to the agency's lab in Washington, DC, for detailed study that might help pinpoint why the plug broke loose.

The jet involved in Friday's blowout is brand-new, having been put in service in November. After a cabin-pressurization system warning light came on during three flights, the airline stopped flying it over the Pacific to Hawaii.

Some aviation experts questioned why Alaska continued using the plane on overland routes until it figured out what was causing the pressurization warnings.

Homendy said Monday, however, that NTSB has seen no evidence to link the warnings with the blowout of the door plug.

The Max is the newest version of Boeing's 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane that debuted in the late 1960s and has been updated many times. The 737 has long been a workhorse for airlines on US domestic routes.

People sit on a plane next to a missing window and portion of a side wall of an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which had been bound for Ontario, California and suffered depressurization soon after departing, in Portland, Oregon

There were no serious injuries from Friday's terrifying air failure, but passenger's belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft

The National Transportation Safety Board recovered the door plug that blew out in mid-air on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

An emergency exit used as a cabin window (pictured) fell off the flight from Portland to California at 16,000 feet on Friday

The agency's investigators are examining the door plug and will send it to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for further examination

Alaska and United have cancelled hundreds of flights since the weekend because of their grounded planes. Alaska has 65 Max 9s, and United has 79.

The airlines waited until Monday before Boeing and the FAA completed instructions for how to inspect their planes.

The near disaster saw Boeing take its biggest share plunge in over a year on Monday, losing a whopping $13.5billion off its value in the first day of trading.

Boeing Corp shares plummet 8.6 per cent - from 248 to 228 - between Friday evening and Monday morning. The stock continued to plunge after the market opened, reaching 226 - and analysts warned it is expected to continue falling until the aircrafts are back in service.

Meanwhile Alaska Air's shares fell 4.3 per cent, while United Airlines shares, the other US carrier that operates the jet, dropped 2.4 per cent.

Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactured and initially installed the fuselage part on the brand new MAX 9 jet in question, was down 20.8 per cent, deepening the gloom around the supplier recently recovering from a string of quality problems.

Wall Street analysts viewed the accident as a temporary setback to Boeing, but some took a dim view of a series of quality problems related to the 737 MAX family of aircraft.

Alaskan Airlines quickly made the move to ground planes after the near-disaster in Portland on Friday, and CEO Ben Minicucci said the aircraft will go back into its fleet only after clearing precautionary maintenance procedures, which he expected to be 'in the next few days.'

The jet involved in Friday's blowout is brand-new, having been put in service in November. Pictured is the plane missing its door plug

A photo shows the blown out area. It is offered as a door on the aircraft. Alaska chose not to take this option - although the frame of the prospective door was entirely ripped out by the fuselage failure

In a statement shared to X on Saturday, the regulator said it is requiring immediate inspections of certain jets before they can return to the skies

In a statement shared to X on Saturday, the regulator said it is requiring immediate inspections of certain jets before they can return to the skies.

The FAA's decision to ground the fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9's comes as several airlines and regulators have taken similar steps.

Boeing competes with Airbus, which has expanded its market share since two Boeing MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed nearly 350 people and led to the MAX's worldwide grounding for 20 months.

Airbus shares were up more than 1 percent early on Monday. The company this week will announce that it delivered 735 planes last year, beating Boeing to remain the world's largest plane maker for the fifth year in a row, according to industry sources.

There were no serious injuries from Friday's terrifying air failure, but passengers' belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft.

One of the cellphones, an iPhone, was found by video game designer Sean Bates who said that he picked it up while out for a walk. In a series of posts on X, Bates said that the intact phone was still in airplane mode and had half of its battery life left.

Bates added that when he contacted the National Transportation and Safety Bureau, he was told that it was the second such phone to have been found. In a subsequent post, Bates showed that the charger plug was still in the phone, indicating that it was yanked out.

Video game designer Sean Bates assumed the phone had been dropped by a jogger when he found by the side of a road in rural Washington State because it didn't have a scratch on it

Sean Bates, shown here with NTSB investigators, said that he was told that his finding was the second mobile phone from the flight found by a member of the public

Alaskan Airlines decided to ground dozens of its Boeing 737-9 MAX jets for urgent safety checks after the matter

According to aviation outlet The Air Current, the aircraft involved in the incident had come under scrutiny by officials just a day before the window blew out.

The outlet claimed that on January 4, an intermittent warning light appeared as it taxied to a terminal from a previous flight, which led the airline to remove it from extended range operations (ETOPS). Later that same day in a separate flight, the warning came back on.

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet involved in the incident had reportedly only gone into service in November 2023, and was practically new by aviation standards after reportedly undergoing less than 200 flights before the incident.

The NTSB began an investigation that is likely to last months and focus on the paneled-over exit door that blew off. The so-called door plug is installed on some jets that have fewer seats instead of an emergency exit panel. The jets ordered grounded by the FAA all have those panels installed.
The official probe into the Post Office scandal should examine whether the husband of a serving Cabinet minister played a role in the miscarriage of justice, Labour said today.

Michael Keegan, whose wife Gillian is the Education Secretary, was formerly the UK chief executive and chairman of Fujitsu, whose Horizon IT system was at the heart of the baseless prosecutions of sub-postmasters over two decades.

The 61-year-old went on to become a 'Crown representative' of the Cabinet Office, working primarily with the Ministry of Defence in 2018.

He denies any wrongdoing while at Fujitsu, having been CEO for little more than a year in 2014 and 2015, before the legal case by the sub-postmasters against the Post Office began in 2016.

Asked this morning if it was appropriate for Mr Keegan to hold a Government role and if the inquiry should examine his work at Fujitsu, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'The terrible scandal that we've seen has been rightly exposed - the terrible injustice that has been done to too many innocent people over many, many years.

'I think it's right the public inquiry considers all of these questions.

Michael Keegan, whose wife Gillian is the Education Secretary, was formerly the UK chief executive and chairman of Fujitsu, whose Horizon IT system was at the heart of the baseless prosecutions of sub-postmasters over two decades.

Asked this morning if it was appropriate for Mr Keegan to hold a Government role, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'I think it's right the public inquiry considers all of these questions.

'I wouldn't want to pre-judge that, I'm pleased that at last we've got to the position of there being a public inquiry. But what's also urgent alongside that is making sure we get justice and compensation to victims as quickly as possible.'

And a Lib Dem source added that Mr Keegan should agree to give evidence to the inquiry.

'The Conservative Government cannot hide and point fingers. It has serious questions to answer,' they said, amid Tory accusations levelled against Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, a former Post Office minister.

'Conservative Ministers dragged their feet for years on setting up a statutory inquiry, handed Paula Vennells a CBE, and have been far too slow to overturn postmasters' convictions or get full compensation to the victims.

'That is what the Government should be focusing on today, and Conservative ministers must answer those questions.'

The Justice Secretary is holding crunch talks with judges today on expediting clearing the names of hundreds of sub-postmasters who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, touring broadcast studios on Tuesday morning, said the discussions are taking place as the Government considers ways to overturn the convictions, including possible legislation.

Ministers 'intend to move very quickly' to resolve the issue, he said, after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.

He also suggested that Fujitsu should foot 'some of' the Government's 138million bill for compensation paid to date, telling LBC: 'What Kevin Hollinrake said yesterday in his statement to the Commons, was that it won't necessarily just be the taxpayer, you and I and my constituents in Central Devon, as you put it, that are on the hook for this money.

'We've got this public inquiry underway. And one of the things it's going to look at, Nick, is where does culpability lie? Who is responsible? Who knew what when, who did things they shouldn't have done and so on.

'And to the extent that that culpability rests upon the shoulders of others than government, then I think you can expect Ministers to come to the appropriate conclusions. And perhaps it won't be just the taxpayer that is on the hook for those costs.'

Mr Keegan was the UK chief executive and chairman of Fujitsu, the firm behind the botched computer system that caused the entire problem, between 2014 and 2018.

A 2014 press release announcing his appointment hailed his 30 years of experience in the IT sector, telling readers that prior to joining the Japanese tech giant he'd held 'senior roles at the Royal Mail Group/Post Office Limited'.

He has said that during his time as chief executive he only made one decision related to Horizon, which was to cancel a tender to provide a new version of the system to the Post Office. He also says he only ever had one conversation with former Post Office boss Paula Vennells, at which the affair was not discussed.

And when subsequently chairman he says he had no line management role.

As well as his Cabinet Office role, Mr Keegan sits on the advisory board of the Prince's Trust and is a non-executive director of an IT firm called Centerprise, which in May won a 1 million contract linked (controversially, given his wife's job) to the schools rebuilding programme.
A new video shows the secret 'underground tunnel' dug by a group of young Orthodox Jewish men that is at the core of a bizarre dispute with religious leaders.

The tunnel was discovered by rabbis in December, who were horrified that the young men had burrowed it from the Chabad Lubavitch synagogue in Crown Heights.

Initially, local site Crown Heights Info reported that it led all the way to a women's mikvah at the end of the street - several houses away.

However the operators of that women's mikvah say it does not, and instead connects the synagogue with an out-of-use historic men's mikvah at 770 Eastern Parkway - the synagogue site.

The NYPD is yet to confirm exactly where the tunnel leads, what is being used for or what the young men have been charged with.

Sources at the synagogue insist it is not a tunnel and instead is part of an unofficial expansion that has been in the works for years. The young men had grown tired of waiting for the expansion and took matters into their own hands, according to people involved.

Discarded clothing tossed over railings in the underground tunnel. The photos were shared on Tuesday by Crown Heights info, a local site that first reported the dispute in December

A video showing the tunnel sees bricks and other building materials strewn across the basement of the synagogue

A discarded beer bottle was found in one of the areas that had been dug by the young men

The NYPD last night arrested 12 men at the synagogue after being called in to break up the chaos

The young men, described as extremists by synagogue leaders, broke through walls in the synagogue to try and evade arrest

A man is seen emerging from the tunnels beneath the synagogue

The extremists are seen attempting to stop construction crews from filling in the tunnel, which had destabilized the building

The synagogue in question is known as 770 thanks to its address at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section.

It is the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect.

The dispute is believed to stem from a decades-long schism within the Chabad - one of the largest groups of Hasidic Jews in the world - which pitches the Chabad-Lubavitch movement against the synagogue leadership, as the groups fight over possession of the building.

As a result of the discovery, the women's section was closed off.

A spokesman for the Chabad Lubavitch movement said the young men broke through 'a few walls' to adjacent properties 'some time ago'

The synagogue in question is known as 770 thanks to its address at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section. It is the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect

Twelve men were arrested at the synagogue last night and remain in NYPD custody

Rabbi Motti Seligson, the media director of the Chabad-Lubavitch, blamed the chaos on a 'a group of extremist students' who allegedly broke through the walls of the other buildings in order to build the tunnel which could have given them 'unauthorized access' the synagogue.

'Lubavitch officials have attempted to gain proper control of the premises through the New York State court system; unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years,' Seligson said.

'This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish community worldwide. We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place.'

The rabbi who runs the synagogue, Yosef Braun, said the actions of the young men were 'horrid' and a disgrace to the holy site. Officials said that the only goal of those at the synagogue is to have it reopened as soon as possible.

The NYPD was called to try and get the young men out the tunnels and allow the passageway to be filled with cement

Members of the synagogue on Monday ripped away wooden panels inside to reveal the entrance to the tunnel, and enter to prevent the tunnels being filled

Wild scenes ensured inside the Crown Heights building on Monday afternoon

The young men last night broke through the walls of the synagogue and refused to leave

Dozens of young Jewish men were gathered inside the synagogue at the time

Cementers were called to the synagogue to fix the damage done by the group last night

Chabad-Lubavitch news outlet Col Live referred to the young men who built the tunnel as 'meshichists,' those who believe that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the messiah. The website also said that the group were 'mostly from Israel.'

According to CrownHeights.Info, the mikvah where the tunnellers began their digging had not been used in years and provided a good cover for them store their equipment.

The initial report said that the group's efforts had managed to 'destabilize' the women's section of 770.

CrownHeights.Info's reporting indicates that construction workers found the tunnel while digging a trench for a waterline in the area. The report says that the tunneling began in June 2023.

When the cement mixers arrived on Monday to fill the tunnels in, the young Orthodox men reacted with fury - many of them ripping away the wooden walls hiding the entrance to the secret tunnels, and running into them to prevent them being filled.

The dispute descended into chaos inside the synagogue last night

Young Jewish boys and older men were among those gathered at the time. Twelve were ultimately arrested

Video shared on social media showed dozens of NYPD officers attending the site, and trying to push the irate young men back from the entrance to the tunnel.

Some of the men attempt to charge back through the tunnels, as a large crowd jeers the police.

Outside the synagogue, NYPD officers held the men back.

In one video, an orthodox man challenges an officer about being blocked from getting to the synagogue. The cop replies: 'We don't do that in America.'

After several hours, NYPD officers were seen bringing handcuffed men out from the tunnels. Videos also showed at least one community members using the tunnels to reach the sidewalk outside the building.

A NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 1530 hours, police responded to 911 calls of a disorderly group outside of 770 Eastern Parkway, within the confines of the 71 Precinct.

'Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals unlawfully entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall.

'At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody. Charges are pending.

'No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.'

Young men are pictured being arrested, handcuffed and led away by the NYPD

Crowds of Hasidic men stand outside the building on Monday night

The NYPD worked to empty the building of people so the construction crews could work

A police cruiser is seen outside the building, at 770 Eastern Parkway

An NYPD officer is seen on Monday evening talking to a member of the community

Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, one of the chief rabbis in the community, condemned the young men.

He said they arrived at the site 'ready to destroy and deface the Holy Walls,' and urged other members of his community 'to call them out in all possible ways and strong terms.'

Braun said he was horrified they vandalized the 'shul', or synagogue.

He said to 'demolish and destroy a Shul - never mind the dangerous aspect, never mind the religious aspect - it's mind-boggling.'

Braun said the actions of the young men was 'painful' for his community.

'They need to be put in their place, put in their place, in so many meanings of the word,' he concluded.
Cheaper holidays or birthday treats are not an excuse for pupils to skip school, Labour's Bridget Phillipson warned today.

The shadow education secretary branded it a 'mark of disrespect' for parents to drag their children out of classrooms without good reason.

She said school absences hurt not only those pupils who are missing lessons, but also those who remain in school.

'They strike at the rhythm of teaching and learning for other children as well as your own,' Ms Phillipson said.

Her strongly-worded message to parents came as she outlined Labour's plans - should the party win power - to address a 'crisis of attendance' in England's schools.

She highlighted how some schools had suffered persistent absence rates of more than 50 per cent in recent years.

Cheaper holidays or birthday treats are not an excuse for pupils to skip school, Labour's Bridget Phillipson warned today

The shadow education secretary branded it a 'mark of disrespect' for parents to drag their children out of classrooms without good reason

Labour's plans to tackle non-attendance include a national register of children in home education and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to uncover absence trends.

The party also wants to empower Ofsted to review absence as part of its annual safeguarding spot checks, to provide free breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil, and to boost mental health support for pupils.

Ms Phillipson, speaking at the Centre for Social Justice this morning, highlighted how recent research by the think-tank found more than one in four parents believe sending children to school every day doesn't matter.

She branded it an 'alarming statistic' and blamed the attendance 'crisis' on 'long years of failure before the pandemic, during the pandemic, since the pandemic'.

'A country where more than a quarter of parents aren't persuaded that every day at school matters, a country where tens of thousands of children are routinely out of school is a country where the Government is failing our future,' she said.

Ms Phillipson said it would 'easy' to blame the Covid crisis for the current problems in schools, but added she was 'having absolutely none of it' as she attacked the Tory Govermment's record.

'You can, of course, as the foremost Conservative apologists have done, blame the pandemic,' she said.

'But South Korea had the pandemic. So did Singapore. Pandemics don't fail children, any more than droughts starve them. Governments and their failings do.'

The shadow education secretary suggested an 'expectation that all our children belong in a classroom' had been 'quietly fading away' for a number of years.

But she added the Covid crisis 'broke the social bonds already fraying after years of neglect' and 'broke the sense of belonging in school that children have for themselves, that parents have for their children, and that parents have for each other's children'.

Ms Phillipson, speaking at the Centre for Social Justice, highlighted how recent research by the think-tank found more than one in four parents believe sending children to school every day doesn't matter

'Cheaper holidays, birthday treats, not fancying it today, these are no excuses for missing school,' Ms Phillipson said.

'Penalties must be part of the system, but they cannot be the answer alone.

'Allowing your child to skip school without good reason shouldn't just be cause for a fine. It's deeper. It's a mark of disrespect. For the children, the teachers, the school.

'Because absences hurt not just the children missing, but the children there. They strike at the rhythm of teaching and learning for other children as well as your own.

'They make it harder for other parents, for every teacher, to hold the line, to tell the truth: every day matters.'

Ms Phillipson confirmed a Labour government would continue using fines for parents as a means of addressing school absences.

But she added the issue 'goes beyond that' and is about 'working together' to improve attendance.

'Fines do have to be a feature of any system. There do have to be consequences,' she said.

Sir Kevan Collins, the Government's former education Covid catch-up tsar, praised Labour's plans to tackle persistent absence in England's schools.

As he introduced Ms Phillipson ahead of her speech today, Sir Kevan said 'too many of our children are still living with the disruption' of the pandemic.

'The failure to re-engage and return to established norms is seen in the collapse in school attendance,' he said.

'For too many children the habit and convention of going to school every day has been broken.

'Tackling the crisis of persistent absence must therefore be a priority and the national response must measure up to the scale of the local challenge.

'It demands a shared endeavour. Education standards should always take top priority.

'I'm excited by Bridget's ambition for our education system and her determination to raise standards and improve outcomes for all our children.'

Sir Kevan quit as then prime minister Boris Johnson's catch-up tsar in 2021 amid a row over funding for schools' recovery.
Nikki Haley continues to surge in New Hampshire as a new poll puts her just seven points behind former President Donald Trump in a solidification of her second place spot in the early primary contest state.

This is the second time a poll shows Haley within single digits of Trump in recent weeks.

It also comes with just six days until the caucuses in Iowa as Haley continues to come in third place in the midwest state's polling.

The new CNN/University of New Hampshire poll taken January 4-8 has Trump at 39 percent among Republican Granite State voters compared to Haley's 32 percent.

Surprisingly, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped all the way to fifth place with just 5 percent. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is in third in the poll with 12 percent, followed by biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with 8 percent.

A new poll in New Hampshire puts Nikki Haley on 7 points behind Donald

DeSantis only beats in the latest New Hampshire poll former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who with less than 1 percent support is still in the race despite failing to qualify for all Republican primary debates save the first and failing to gain any real traction.

Meanwhile, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA Today puts Haley 19 points behind Trump in New Hampshire  27 percent to 46 percent respectively. The poll shows Christie in third and DeSantis in fourth.

Haley saw a massive spike after New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu backed her candidacy.

A poll from American Research Group taken December 27 through January 3 shows Haley with 33 percent, just four points behind Trump's 37 percent.

Republican voters in New Hampshire are generally more moderate and socially left-leaning than Iowa, where DeSantis is consistently in second.

In Iowa, Haley is looking to make up some ground before the caucuses on January 15.

The New Hampshire poll has Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in fifth place with just 5%, a massive difference from Iowa, where he is in second place behind Trump and ahead of Haley

On Tuesday morning she held a rally in Waukee, Iowa  just 30 minutes away from Des Moines  where she made the case for why Trump shouldn't be president again.

'I agree with a lot of his policies. But, rightly or wrongly, chaos follows him. You know I'm right,' Haley told a room full of Iowans at Mickey's Irish Pub. 'But we can't have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos.'

'We won't survive it,' she said.

Lauren, 19, a finance student at Iowa State University, told DailyMail.com at the campaign event on Tuesday: 'I'm still thinking, but at the moment right now, Nikki Haley is my first choice.'

Asked about a second choice, she said: 'Kind of up in the air at the moment. Still figuring it all out.'
The prosecutor hired to go after Donald Trump by his alleged District Attorney lover Fani Willis had two meetings with the Biden White House during his investigation, according to court documents reviewed by DailyMail.com.

The meetings and calls, which came ahead of Willis charges filed against Trump, brings into question repeated denials by the White House that it had any coordination with the Fulton DAs prosecution.

The Fulton County, Georgia DA hired Atlanta attorney Nathan Wade as an anti-corruption special prosecutor to investigate Trumps alleged election interference.

In a stunning court filing on Monday, Michael Roman, one of the former president's co-defendants in the 'fake electors scheme,' alleges Willis was in a personal relationship with private lawyer Wade, who was paid $654,000 as a special prosecutor assisting her office's sprawling probe of Trump's election overturn effort.

Among the documents reviewed by DailyMail.com, were Wades invoices to the DA. Shockingly, they including one bill for an interview with DC/White House for eight hours on November 18 2022 and another for eight hours including conference with White House Counsel on May 23 2022.

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) confers with lead prosecutors, Donald Wakeford (left) and Nathan Wade, during a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Friday, July 1, 2022

Among the documents reviewed by DailyMail.com, were Wades invoices to the DA. Shockingly, they including one bill for an interview with DC /White House for eight hours on November 18 2022 and another for eight hours including conference with White House Counsel on May 23 2022.

The was filing made by Roman, a former Trump campaign official, in a bid to have the election interference charges against him dismissed.

His legal papers also claim that Willis was having an an ongoing, personal relationship with Wade  citing sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney but doesn't provide documentary proof,

Roman claims the pair were in a relationship before Willis hired Wade, and that they traveled together to Napa Valley, Florida, and even on a Caribbean cruise.

The bombshell relationship claim caused a storm of reporting on Monday. But Wades White House meetings detailed in the 127-page document filed by Roman have so far been overlooked in the media.

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade leaves the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at the Fulton County Government building on August 23, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is accused by a Trump co-defendant of having a personal relationship with Willis

The documents showing the White House involvement were first highlighted by Marco Polo, a right wing nonprofit, on social media site X (formerly Twitter).

Wade billed a total $4,000 for his two days of White House meetings and calls, the invoices show.

It was part of nearly $654,000 of work Wade did for Willis probe into Trump and his staffers since January 2022, the documents claimed.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre did not immediately respond to DailyMail.coms request for comment about the alleged 2022 meetings with the Georgia special prosecutor.

Roman is accused of taking part in the fake electors scheme, and is one of 18 people charged in George alongside Trump.

A Willis spokesman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the DAs office would respond to his legal claims 'through appropriate court filings.'

The House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation into the Fulton County DA in August, probing whether she improperly used federal funds for her state-level prosecution or coordinated with Bidens Justice Department.

Willis has previously denied coordinating with Special Counsel Jack Smiths office, or that her probe was politically motivated.

A lawyer representing Michael Roman made the bombshell allegations in a filing and asked that charges be dismissed

The filing makes reference to a sealed divorce filing for the married special prosecutor, but then goes on to make the claim based on other information.

It states that 'information obtained outside of court filings indicates that the district attorney and special prosecutor have traveled personally together to such places as Napa Valley, Florida and the Caribbean and the special prosecutor has purchased tickets for both of them to travel on both the Norwegian and Royal Carbibean cruise lines.

'Traveling together to such places as Washington, D.C. or New York City might make sense for work purposes in light of other pending litigation, but what work purpose could only be served by travel to this traditional vacation destinations?'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Willis' office and Wade for comment.

A Willis spokesman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the DAs office would respond 'through appropriate court filings.'

'The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,' according to the filing.

It says the DA and Wade 'have been seen in private together in and about the Atlanta area' and are 'believed to have co-habitated in some form or fashion.'

It further states that there is 'no evidence' Willis was 'authorized' by the county to use funds to retain Wade for the case.

Roman was charged this summer with alleged crimes including taking part in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to file false documents, all in connection with a scheme to submit fake Republican electors who would cast votes for Trump in place of electors to reflect Joe Biden's certified victory in the state.
New Scottish transgender prison rules are grounded in 'institutional sexism' and worse than before, women's rights activists have claimed.

Campaigners, who are calling on Scottish MSPs to block new guidelines that were set up after a trans rapist was sent to a women's prison, say that the rules make it even easier for dangerous men to exploit the system, The Telegraph reports.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) plans to allow criminals even with a history of violence against women and girls to serve their sentences in female jails, as long as it judges them as having a 'low risk' of harming others.

But in the most shocking element to the new regulations, those who identify as female - but are dangerous - may still be allowed to have day trips to women's jails to 'support their gender identity'.

The policy, set to be put in place from February, will apply to transgender inmates who are considered not to pose 'an unacceptable risk of harm'.

The guidance was issued in the wake of the row over Isla Bryson, a transgender rapist who was initially sent to an all-female prison following conviction.

Isla Bryson (pictured) is a transgender rapist who was initially sent to an all-female prison in Scotland following conviction

Transgender rapist Andrew Miller who kidnapped and sexually abused schoolgirl appealed his 20-year sentence last month after he was locked up with Isla Bryson in male prison. Miller also used the name Amy George

Bryson - who was previously known as Adam Graham - was subsequently removed to a male wing of a prison after widespread criticism.

Trans paedophile Andrew Miller, who also used the name Amy George, was held in a male prison estate following a row over the jailing of Bryson.

Trans murderer Alex Stewart, 34, and trans sexual assaulter Laura Miller, 30, were also housed in female cells at Scottish prisons.

The butcher, who kidnapped and sexually abused a young girl during a horrific 27-hour ordeal, appealed his 20-year prison sentence last month.

It comes in stark contrast to England, where regulations came into force in February 2023 banning transgender offenders who have not undergone full reassignment surgery from being sent to women's prisons.

Lisa Mackenzie, of policy analysis group Murray Blackburn Mackenzie (MBM), told The Telegraph: 'The SPS has succeeded in producing guidelines for managing transgender prisoners which are more opaque than the original.'

Ms Mackenzie claimed that concerns over the impact on female prisoners and female prison officers have been 'swiftly dismissed as being less important than the demands of trans identified male prisoners'.

She added: 'The SPS believes there is an acceptable level of harm that should be borne by female prisoners. This is nothing less than institutionalised misogyny.'

The SPS Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody (2023) states 'a transgender woman will not be eligible to be considered for admission or transfer to a women's prison' if they have been convicted or found to have committed 'any offences that perpetrate violence against a female that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering'.

Trans murderer Alex Stewart (pictured), previously known as Alan Baker, was jailed for killing a father-of-two but was housed in HMP Greenock's female wing

Included among these offences are murder, culpable homicide, assault, robbery, abduction, threatening violence, rape or sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation and commercial sexual exploitation of women.

However, it adds that such prisoners could be transferred to a women's jail if a risk management team panel decides that 'they do not present an unacceptable risk of harm to those in the women's prison'.

The SPS said its policy aims to protect 'the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people in Scotland's prisons'.

The ten-page document sets out an 'individualised approach', which 'supports the rights of transgender people, and the welfare of others in custody, as well as SPS staff'. It states that when a transgender person is admitted into custody, they should be considered 'on an individual basis as far as possible'.

However, if putting them in their chosen accommodation exposes 'unacceptable risks that cannot be mitigated or this risk is as yet unknown, they will initially be located in an establishment that aligns with their sex assigned at birth'.

The policy will come into force on February 26.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Our new policy supports the health, safety, and wellbeing of all people living and working in Scotland's prisons, by taking an individualised approach to the admission, placement, and management of transgender people.'

'We will carefully consider a range of factors, including offending history, with a particular focus on violence against women and girls, when assessing risk. No transgender women, with a history of violence against women and girls, who presents a risk to women, will be placed in the female estate.'

'The policy has been developed by SPS following extensive engagement including input from expert in violence against women, various interviews with men and women in custody, those that are transgender and those who are not.'
Downing Street today put Fujitsu on notice that it will be 'held to account' if a public inquiry finds the firm culpable over the Post Office scandal.

No10 made clear there could be 'legal and financial' repercussions as ministers scramble to find a way to clear victims.

Rishi Sunak gathered the Cabinet this morning amid urgent efforts to fast-track the process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to have their day in court.

Options being considered include a change in the law to allow the huge backlog of cases to be considered 'en masse' rather than individually.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been holding talks with senior judges, with a plan being promised within days.

Rishi Sunak is gathering Cabinet today as ministers scramble to find a way to clear Post Office scandal victims

In a round of interviews this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride delivered a stark warning to Fujitsu that the IT firm behind the flawed Horizon software could face a compensation bill if a public inquiry finds it was culpable

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (left)is holding talks with senior judges later, with a plan being promised within days

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is seen leaving her local village church in February 2022. A petition calling for her honour to be removed has received more than a million signatures

The PM's spokesman told the daily briefing for journalists that Fujitsu's position will depend on the inquiry's conclusions.

'Our position is that once the inquiry is able to establish the facts and sets them out, those who are found responsible will be held to account, whether that is legally or financially, but again, I can't prejudge that independent work,' he said.

Asked whether the Government will stop awarding government contracts to Fujitsu, the spokesman said: 'In general, we consider companies' conduct as part of the formal procurement process.

'So once the full facts have been established by the inquiry, we will make further judgments but it's important we allow that process to take place.'

In a round of interviews this morning, Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride delivered a stark warning to Fujitsu that the IT firm behind the flawed Horizon software could face a compensation bill if a public inquiry finds it was culpable.

Mr Stride said the government 'intends to move very quickly' to resolve the issue, after the long-running miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.

He told Times Radio: 'Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is in discussions with senior people within the justice system, judges and so on, to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible.'

On Sky News, he said: 'My understanding is that they are happening now.

'So this is something that is happening hour by hour. It's not something that's going to happen next week. It is happening right now and we intend to move very quickly.'

A solution could be announced by the end of the week, the Cabinet minister said.

With more than 700 subpostmasters having received criminal convictions for allegations such as theft and false accounting, Mr Stride was challenged over the slow pace of them being cleared and whether the Government was asleep at the wheel.

'I wouldn't accept that,' he said, pointing to the public inquiry examining what went wrong being set up some years ago and the payout of 138 million of compensation.

MPs have called for Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as if money was missing from shops, to pay for compensating wronged Post Office staff.

Mr Stride suggested the company might have to stump up if the inquiry concludes it blundered, saying it 'won't necessarily just be the taxpayer' who is 'on the hook for this money'.

He told LBC Radio: 'To the extent that that culpability rests upon the shoulders of others than Government, then I think you can expect ministers to come to the appropriate conclusions. And perhaps it won't be just the taxpayer that is on the hook for those costs.'

But he stopped short of saying the Japanese tech firm should be barred from being awarded millions of pounds of Government contracts while the Post Office inquiry is ongoing.

'My view is that we need to wait to see what the inquiry decides in terms of culpability.

Former postmaster Alan Bates, who is portrayed by Toby Jones in the new drama, led and won the initial legal battle after himself falling victim to the faults

Lord Cameron (left) and James Cleverly (right) were among the ministers at Cabinet this morning

Mr Stride also took a swipe at Lib Dem leader Ed Davey (pictured), saying he has 'big questions' to answer on his role as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012

'Now in the event that it determines that Fujitsu made a number of knowing mistakes and caused all sorts of problems that wouldn't have otherwise have occurred, then that would strike me as being quite a serious situation and I would expect some very serious consequences.

'But we don't know that at this stage until the inquiry goes through all its due processes.'

Mr Stride also took a swipe at Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, saying he has 'big questions' to answer on his role as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.

The Tory Cabinet minister told Sky News: 'Those are big questions which he's being asked in a very robust way. And I think it's for him to answer those challenges.'

Reports suggest that 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast.

The Post Office is wholly owned by the Government.
Three cops who beat a man with a telescopic baton during a brutal arrest that left him with life-changing anal injures have today gone on trial in France.

Theodore Luhaka, 28, was arrested in 2017 when he was 22 in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois during which he claims he was raped with a baton, beaten - receiving injuries to his head and face - and drenched with tear gas.

A medical report in 2019 found his injuries would require life-long treatment.

One of the policemen, Marc-Antoine Castelain, who stopped Luhaka for an ID check is accused of beating Luhaka with a collapsible baton.

The young man came away from the incident with the severe anal injuries that left him with a stoma as well as a four-inch gash to his large intestine.

Castelain was accused of raping Luhaka with the baton but police said the 22-year-old was accidentally violated after his trousers 'slipped down on their own' as he was hit on the backside. Those rape charges have since been dropped in the case that sparked fierce protests in Paris at the time.

Theodore Luhaka (pictured today at court) was arrested in 2017 when he was 22 in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois during which he claims he was raped with a baton, beaten and drenched with tear gas

Theo, who has no criminal record, spent weeks in hospital following his ordeal. He was visited by then-President Francois Hollande, who vowed that justice would be done

'The blow I gave was compliant with police rules and legitimate,' Castelain, 34, told the court in the Paris suburb of Bobigny today.

He said Luhaka's injury was 'awful' and that he thought about it every day.

Looking at Luhaka in the courtroom, he said he offered his 'compassion'.

Along with fellow officer Jeremie Dulin, who is 42, Castelain faces charges of aggravated violence committed in a group, by members of the security forces, and with a weapon.

Another officer, Tony Hochart, 31, faces charges of violence aggravated by two factors. Charges were dropped against a fourth policeman who was present, and rape charges initially brought against Castelain were also dropped.

Security camera footage from the end of Luhaka's arrest on February 2, 2017, shows four officers gathered around him as he lays on the floor, before he appears propped up with his trousers pulled down.

More footage shows officers walking the young man, who is limping and has lost one shoe, to a police car before he is put into the back seat.

Luhaka required emergency surgery and had to stay in hospital for two weeks after the incident while being declared unfit to work for 60 days.

Luhaka said he left his house and found himself in the middle of a police identity check targeting drug dealers. He claimed that during the arrest, he was raped with a baton, racially abused, spat at and beaten around his genitals.

French Theo Luhaka (R), 28, arrives to attend the first day of the trial of three Seine-Saint-Denis police officers before the Assizes court in Bobigny, near Paris, on Tuesday

Theo Luhaka (R), 28, looks at his lawyer Antoine Vey (L) as he arrives to attend the first day of the trial of three Seine-Saint-Denis police officers on Tuesday

Thibault de Montbrial (C), lawyer of three Seine-Saint-Denis police officers, arrives at the Assizes court in Bobigny, near Paris on Tuesday

He claims that Caselain pulled down his trousers and raped him with a truncheon, a charge that has been dropped.

'I fell on to my stomach, I had no strength left,' Luhaka said in 2017 of the brutal arrest. He claimed he was sprayed with tear gas around the head and in the mouth before being hit over the head.

In 2017, Luhaka's sister Eleanor said her brother was 'not the same' following his arrest, saying he barely slept in the months afterwards.

Speaking about Theo's wounds, which included a four-inch gash to his large intestine, Eleanor said: 'He still excretes from a hole in his stomach into a bag.'

Defence lawyers described the force used during the arrest as legitimate.

'The simple fact to say that this violence is legitimate is really hard to hear,' said Luhaka's lawyer, Antoine Vey. 'We are starting the trial with some anguish, as we know it's always very complicated for the justice system to judge policemen.'

Castelain faces up to 15 years in jail if found guilty, Dulin faces 10 years and Hochart seven. A ruling is expected on January 19.

Luhaka's horrific arrest sparked waves of national protest from Paris to Brittany, Calais and Normandy as then-President Francois Hollande visited his hospital bed.

Mr Hollande said shortly after visiting Luhaka at his bedside that he had 'reacted with dignity and responsibility', and trusted that justice would be served.
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells intends to hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

Ms Vennells today said she is 'truly sorry' for the 'devastation' the scandal had caused to staff falsely accused of fraud when her organisation routinely denied there were problems with its systems.

It comes after demands for her to return the honour intensified when an ITV drama - Mr Bates vs The Post Office - thrust the widespread miscarriage of justice back into the spotlight.

Ms Vennells had also seen Prime Minister Rishi Sunak weigh in behind efforts to strip her of her CBE.

The shamed ex-Post Office chief said: 'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

'I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system'.

Her decision to hand back her honour came after more than a million people signed an online petition to take it off her.

It also followed Downing Street saying Mr Sunak would 'strongly support' an investigation by the Honours Forfeiture Committee into whether Ms Vennells should lose the award, which was given for her 'services to the Post Office and to charity'.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake also said she should consider voluntarily giving up the honour.

After Ms Vennells announced she was giving up her honour, the PM's official spokesman said this afternoon: 'We think that is obviously the right decision.

'Our focus continues to be on ensuring all those whose lives were torn apart have swifter access to compensation and justice.'

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells intends to hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters

It comes as ITV's new drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has drawn a renewed interest in the scandal after airing last week, with Mr Bates being played by Toby Jones (pictured in the role). It raised the case again and piled pressure on Ms Vennells

Postmasters accused of theft by Post Office celebrate outside the High Court In London after they had their convictions overturned. Thirty-nine former sub-postmasters who were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting due to the Post Office's defective Horizon accounting system had their names cleared by the Court of Appeal

More than 1 million had signed an online petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive officer to hand back her CBE

In a written statement issued to the PA news agency, Ms Vennells said: 'I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

'I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

'I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE.

Ms Vennells said: 'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect'. File picture

'I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.'

A Government source said Ms Vennells effectively handing back her CBE was 'the right thing to do'.

Former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton said she was 'glad' the ex-Post Office had handed her CBE back, adding: 'It's a shame it took just a million people to cripple her conscience.'

Ms Hamilton, who was wrongfully convicted in 2008 of stealing thousands of pounds from the village shop in South Warnborough, Hampshire, said: 'It shows the people have spoken  about everything really.

'It's not just about her CBE, it's about how disgusting the whole thing is.

'We're all sick and tired of people taking money, being paid exorbitant amounts of money, and politicians taking absolutely no notice of you whatsoever I think the people are just sick of it.'

Varchas Patel, whose father Vipin who was wrongfully convicted of fraud in 2011 after being accused of stealing 75,000 from his Post Office branch in Oxford, said: 'My initial reaction is good, I'm glad. She doesn't deserve that CBE, she never did deserve that CBE.

'Now the big question for me is, who gave her that CBE?

'When she was given that CBE there were two other things that happened  one, she was given a CBE, two, she was given a seat at the Cabinet Office and three, she was given a job as the chair of the Imperial College (Healthcare NHS Trust).

'They gave her three golden handshakes for fighting Mr Bates in court.'

Mr Patel added: 'It's not just Paula Vennells, there are others.

'There are in-house Post Office lawyers, and especially the in-house investigators  the investigators who investigated the likes of my father and others.'

More than one million people had, by last night, signed the petition addressed to the Honours Forfeiture Committee's chairman, Sir Chris Wormald, calling for Ms Vennells to be stripped of the honour in light of her role in the Horizon IT scandal which saw hundreds of postmasters wrongly prosecuted, bankrupted and in some cases jailed.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers were convicted after Horizon, a faulty Fujitsu accounting software, made it look like money was missing from their shops.

But incredibly Ms Vennells was given a CBE for services to the Post Office in 2019 - the same year the postmasters were awarded 58million for the false prosecutions on her watch.

Despite outrage at the time, it has taken the recent ITV drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, to kick ministers into action to overturn hundreds of wrongful convictions that still stand.

No10 said it would support 'further recognition' of the work by subpostmaster Alan Bates, who the ITV drama is named after, and others to expose the Horizon scandal.

The PM's official spokesman said: 'Both Mr Bates and many others deserve huge amounts of praise for the tenacity and dedication they have shown in exposing this scandal.

'It's right that that is recognised and we would support further recognition of that.'

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government was giving 'active consideration' to the idea of legislating to quash the convictions of sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal.

Former cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi urged him to bring forward a 'simple bill to quash all 800' convictions immediately.

Mr Chalk told MPs it was an 'appalling injustice' and Mr Zahawi's suggestion was 'receiving active consideration'.

'I expect to be able to make further announcements shortly,' he added.

No10 later said the judiciary had not raised 'any significant challenges' over plans to quash Horizon convictions during a meeting with Mr Chalk.

The PM's official spokesman said: 'Those discussions have taken place, I don't know if they have got any others scheduled.

'I'm not aware of any significant challenges being raised.'

The scandal is seen as one of the UK's biggest miscarriages of justice and has gained recent national attention over recent days thanks to Mr Bates Vs The Post Office airing on ITV

Rishi Sunak revealed on Sunday that the Government is looking at exonerating all subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal

Ms Vennells, 65, has been accused of playing a leading role in covering up IT flaws behind the miscarriage of justice. She apologised for the scandal after some postmasters overturned their convictions at the Court of Appeal but had been silent on calls for her to return her CBE until today.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and fellow Tory MP Chris Loder last night said they had both written to the Cabinet Office asking it to strip Ms Vennells of her honour.

Downing Street yesterday said Mr Sunak would 'strongly support' the Honours Forfeiture Committee 'if they were to choose to investigate'.

The PM's intervention echoes a similar move a decade ago when David Cameron backed the committee to investigate whether former RBS chief Sir Fred Goodwin should lose his knighthood following the near collapse of the bank.

Pressure was also mounting on Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who ignored repeated pleas for help from postmasters during his time as Post Office minister in the Coalition government.

One victim of the scandal urged Sir Ed to 'look in the mirror', while Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson said many people had gone to prison 'due to him not listening'.

Sir Ed yesterday insisted he had been 'lied' to by Post Office executives but did not offer an apology to those wronged. Some Lib Dem MPs were privately questioning whether he would be able to continue if the scandal deepens.

Last night, MPs were told that ministers are urgently pursuing new options to overturn the convictions of more than 700 postmasters. Just 93 have successfully navigated the glacial process so far, leaving hundreds more unable to claim compensation.

Mr Sunak yesterday said the treatment of the postmasters over two decades had been 'an absolutely appalling miscarriage of justice'.

Speaking during a visit to Accrington, Lancashire, the PM added: 'The stories are appalling, people were treated absolutely appallingly, that's wrong and we should do everything we can to make it right.'

He pointed out that as Chancellor he had approved the compensation scheme which has now paid out almost 150million to thousands of people.

And he went on: 'People should know that we are on it and we want to make this right. The money's been set aside.

'Now what we are now looking at is how can we speed all of that up? Understandably we want to get that out of the door as quickly as possible.

'It was simply wrong what happened, they shouldn't have been treated like this, and we should do everything we can to make it right for them.'

Timeline of a travesty that's still playing out 25 years on 1999: The Horizon IT system from Fujitsu starts being rolled out to Post Office branches, replacing traditional paper-based accounting methods.

The Horizon IT system from Fujitsu starts being rolled out to Post Office branches, replacing traditional paper-based accounting methods. 2003: Sub-postmaster Alan Bates had his contract terminated by the Post Office after he refused to accept liability for 1,200 of losses in his branch in Llandudno, North Wales.

Sub-postmaster Alan Bates had his contract terminated by the Post Office after he refused to accept liability for 1,200 of losses in his branch in Llandudno, North Wales. 2004: The branch in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, run by Lee Castleton, showed a shortfall of 23,000 over a 12-week period. Mr Castleton repeatedly asked the Post Office for help, but was sacked and sued for refusing to repay the cash. He was made bankrupt after a two-year legal battle, ordered to pay more than 300,000 for the company's legal bill.

The branch in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, run by Lee Castleton, showed a shortfall of 23,000 over a 12-week period. Mr Castleton repeatedly asked the Post Office for help, but was sacked and sued for refusing to repay the cash. He was made bankrupt after a two-year legal battle, ordered to pay more than 300,000 for the company's legal bill. 2006: Jo Hamilton, sub-postmaster at South Warnborough, Hampshire, was sacked over financial discrepancies. She re-mortgaged her house twice to fill the shortfall and was charged with theft of 36,000. She later admitted a lesser charge of false accounting to avoid jail.

Jo Hamilton, sub-postmaster at South Warnborough, Hampshire, was sacked over financial discrepancies. She re-mortgaged her house twice to fill the shortfall and was charged with theft of 36,000. She later admitted a lesser charge of false accounting to avoid jail. 2009: Computer Weekly magazine told the story of seven postmasters who had experienced unexplained losses. The Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) was formed.

Computer Weekly magazine told the story of seven postmasters who had experienced unexplained losses. The Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) was formed. 2010: Mr Bates, from JFSA, writes to minister Sir Ed Davey about the flawed Horizon system and urges him to intervene. His warnings were dismissed.

Mr Bates, from JFSA, writes to minister Sir Ed Davey about the flawed Horizon system and urges him to intervene. His warnings were dismissed. 2012: With MPs raising concerns about convictions and the Horizon system, the Post Office launches an external review, with forensic accountants Second Sight appointed to investigate.

With MPs raising concerns about convictions and the Horizon system, the Post Office launches an external review, with forensic accountants Second Sight appointed to investigate. 2013: An interim report by Second Sight reveals serious concerns and defects in the IT system. The Daily Mail reveals dozens of postmasters may have been wrongly taken to court and jailed.

An interim report by Second Sight reveals serious concerns and defects in the IT system. The Daily Mail reveals dozens of postmasters may have been wrongly taken to court and jailed. 2015: It is revealed the Post Office failed to properly investigate why money was missing and concluded computer failures may have been to blame. The Post Office finally stops prosecuting sub-postmasters but 700 end up being convicted.

It is revealed the Post Office failed to properly investigate why money was missing and concluded computer failures may have been to blame. The Post Office finally stops prosecuting sub-postmasters but 700 end up being convicted. 2017: A group legal action is launched against the Post Office by 555 sub-postmasters.

A group legal action is launched against the Post Office by 555 sub-postmasters. 2019: The High Court case ends in a 43million settlement but much of the cash was swallowed up in legal fees and victims received around 20,000 each. Post Office chief Paula Vennells awarded a CBE in New Year's honours.

The High Court case ends in a 43million settlement but much of the cash was swallowed up in legal fees and victims received around 20,000 each. Post Office chief Paula Vennells awarded a CBE in New Year's honours. 2020: The Post Office agrees not to oppose 44 sub-postmasters' appeals against conviction.

The Post Office agrees not to oppose 44 sub-postmasters' appeals against conviction. 2021: A public inquiry begins and is ongoing. The Court of Appeal quashes a further 39 convictions.

A public inquiry begins and is ongoing. The Court of Appeal quashes a further 39 convictions. 2022: The Government announces a new compensation scheme.

The Government announces a new compensation scheme. 2023: Every postal worker wrongly convicted for Horizon offences will receive 600,000 compensation.

Every postal worker wrongly convicted for Horizon offences will receive 600,000 compensation. 2024: Mr Bates vs The Post Office first aired on ITV1 on New Year's Day. Advertisement

The gilded lives of the Post Office scandal bosses that prove penitence is only for the little people... A new ITV drama has enraged the nation. Wait until you read what happened

By Guy Adams

The scandalous persecution of hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters, wrongly accused of theft, false accounting and fraud, and cruelly dragged through the courts, was brought to life in this week's hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

It details the heartbreaking story of Britain's biggest ever miscarriage of justice, which saw more than 700 innocent people convicted - of which 263 were imprisoned - and threw hundreds more into bankruptcy and financial ruin. At least four committed suicide.

The long struggle by victims seeking to show how a faulty computer system named Horizon - rather than dishonest sub-postmasters - was to blame for cash going missing from Post Office tills was endlessly frustrated by the organisation's senior staff.

The drama forensically examines how the Post Office chose to fight tooth and nail to prevent the truth from coming out, giving misleading information to Parliament, the public and at least one High Court judge in the process.

Eventually it was ordered to pay nearly 60 million in compensation to 555 victims, while a public inquiry into the whole sorry business is now underway.

The Horizon scandal which saw more than 700 subpostmasters prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 was retold this week in hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office

But astronomical legal costs mean that hundreds of sub-postmasters remain out of pocket, while scores have died before receiving justice.

Yet while the sub-postmasters and their families' lives were ruined, several prominent members of the Boss Class which ran the three institutions most responsible for the scandal  the Post Office, IT firm Fujitsu and Her Majesty's Government - went on to bigger and better things. Here we look at how they've prospered...

The Shamed former priest

As Chief Executive of the Post Office from 2012, Paula Vennells presided over the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history

As Chief Executive of the Post Office from 2012, Paula Vennells presided over the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history, resulting in countless ruined lives, not only Post Office staff but their families.

Along the way, she's been accused of various appalling professional oversights, many of which are chronicled in the ITV drama, where she is played by The Crown star Lia Williams.

On her watch, the Post Office sought to bury the scandal, with Vennells not only obfuscating and giving misleading information to MPs, but also backing her organisation's strategy of aggressively prosecuting innocent sub-postmasters using computer data it knew was flawed.

Vennells was, among other things, personally responsible for the sacking of Second Sight, a forensic accounting firm brought in to get to the bottom of the scandal, just days before it was due to publish its excoriating findings. She also sanctioned the combative legal strategy her organisation pursued against victims of the scandal who sought recompense.

For this, she was richly rewarded, earning 4.9 million including huge performance-related bonuses and a CBE to boot, during the seven years before she resigned in 2019. Months after she went, the High Court awarded 58 million in damages to 555 persecuted sub-postmasters.

That decision didn't deter Vennells's ambitions. Instead of retiring to her 2 million Grade II-listed farmhouse, she took up a string of lucrative high-status jobs. The NHS made her chair of a large trust. The Cabinet Office gave her an advisory role. Supermarket Morrisons gave her an 89,000-a-year non-executive directorship and home retailer Dunelm paid her 55,000 to join its board.

The Church of England, where Vennells served as a part-time priest, meanwhile decided to put her on the committee overseeing its ethical investments.

After the full extent of the scandal became public, she issued a series of grovelling apologies and quit the public roles. She's still hanging on to that CBE, though.

The moneybags television boss

Vennells's predecessor Adam Crozier prospered after the Blair government handed him the chief executive role at Royal Mail - which oversaw the Post Office - in 2003

Vennells's predecessor Adam Crozier prospered after the Blair government handed him the chief executive role at Royal Mail - which oversaw the Post Office - in 2003.

For seven years, until his departure in 2010, the former boss of the Football Association was Britain's best-paid civil servant, sometimes earning more than 3 million a year in pay and bonuses  despite presiding over the closure of more than 7,000 Post Office branches.

Of course, Crozier's reign also coincided with the wrongful conviction of scores of innocent sub-postmasters. Indeed, it was during his tenure that the Post Office began issuing aggressive denials to news organisations which had begun to question the reliability of the Horizon system.

Oddly, however, he does not once feature in ITV's drama. Some wonder if that could be because of one salient fact: after quitting the Post Office he spent seven years as head of ITV and ITV Studios.

The broadcaster denies a cover-up, however. 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office tells the story of the Post Office scandal from the perspective of a select group of former sub-postmasters who formed the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, led by Alan Bates,' explains ITV. 'Alan's campaign for justice only began to make headway when Paula Vennells was promoted to chief executive, so that's the relationship we dramatise.'

Crozier continues to be blessed with good fortune, judging by his recent CV. In 2021, he was appointed chairman of BT, on a basic salary of 700,000, and he's also chair of market research firm Kantar. Other sinecures have included boardroom roles at Premier Inn owner Whitbread, clothing giant ASOS and Vue Cinemas.

Like all big jobs, they've brought spoils: in 2022, Crozier was able to bulldoze a new home, purchased on a private estate in Surrey, to build a 5 million mansion.

The new Labour grandee

When MPs began asking awkward questions about the Horizon scandal, Post Office Chair Alice Perkins was called upon to allay their concerns

When MPs began asking awkward questions about the Horizon scandal, Post Office Chair Alice Perkins was called upon to allay their concerns.

A former civil servant who earned 100,000-a-year in the part-time job from 2011 to 2015, she knew plenty about telling politicians what they wanted to hear: her husband, with whom she has two grown-up children, happens to be Tony Blair's former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

In May 2012, this New Labour grandee travelled to Post Office HQ to discuss the escalating scandal with two concerned Parliamentarians: James (now Lord) Arbuthnot, and Oliver Letwin, then Minister of State for Government Policy.

The crucial meeting, at which Paula Vennells was also present, mirrored several depicted in ITV's drama (in which Arbuthnot is a prominent character) by turning into an exercise in bluster and obfuscation.

At one point, Perkins and her chief executive promised to be 'open and transparent' over the affair. At another, they reassured the MPs that Horizon had the 'full support' of the National Federation Of SubPostmasters.

A judge later pointed out that both claims were untrue. Arbuthnot and Letwin had been 'entitled to expect accurate information' at the meeting, he said, but 'did not receive it', describing the promise of transparency made by Perkins and Vennells as 'not accurate'.

Oxford-educated Perkins, now 74, laughably claimed on her departure that the Post Office was 'more capable and confident' than when she'd joined. After leaving, this recipient of the Companion of the Order of the Bath took her talents to the BBC, where she enjoyed a non-executive directorship.

It wasn't until April 2021 that she finally issued an apology for the 'deep distress' her stewardship of the Post Office had caused.

The Prince of Darkness

Tim Parker, a notorious private equity tycoon known as The Prince Of Darkness, followed Alice Perkins as Chairman in 2015

The man supposedly in charge of holding Paula Vennells to account as her reign unravelled was Tim Parker, a notorious private equity tycoon known as The Prince Of Darkness, who followed Alice Perkins as Chairman in 2015.

Parker, who owes his nickname to the gusto with which he tends to oversee job cuts, told the world he was attracted to the Post Office's 'strong social purpose'.

He claimed that he only needed to work a day and a half per week to turn around the outfit, which was running at a loss, and negotiated a 75,000 salary, which he later donated to charity.

The 'social purpose' wasn't overly evident in 2017, however, when he supported his chief executive in fighting 555 former sub-postmasters through the courts, using the highly-aggressive legal strategy chronicled by ITV.

Parker, whose wealth is estimated at more than 200 million, is yet to express much in the way of regret over this grubby affair. But ugly headlines rarely faze him.

In the early 2000s he turned up at motoring association The AA's headquarters to announce mass redundancies in a shiny black Porsche 911. At heritage shoe company Clarks, he fired 5,000 employees. And in a stint running car mechanic giant Kwik Fit, he dispensed with 3,000 workers.

In 2021, he abandoned his chairmanship of the National Trust after members, furious at the 'woke' agenda he'd allegedly brought to the charity, launched a hostile bid to replace him.

Since he left the Post Office in 2022, the cash has continued to roll in: Parker has chaired Samsonite, the upmarket luggage firm, where he dispensed with a third of the workforce, and served as an advisor to finance company CVC Capital Partners.

The Conservative big-wig's spouse

Michael Keegan was the UK Chief Executive and Chairman of Fujitsu, the firm behind the botched computer system that caused the entire problem

Michael Keegan was the UK Chief Executive and Chairman of Fujitsu, the firm behind the botched computer system that caused the entire problem, when the cover-up was at its height.

A 2014 press release announcing his appointment hailed his 30 years of experience in the IT sector, telling readers that prior to joining the Japanese tech giant he'd held 'senior roles at the Royal Mail Group/Post Office Limited'.

Times change, however, and these days Keegan, who is the husband of Rishi Sunak's education secretary Gillian Keegan, runs a mile from any suggestion that he might bear any responsibility for the sub-postmaster scandal.

To that end, he's publicly stressed that, during his time as CEO, he only made one decision related to Horizon, and that was to cancel a tender to provide a new version of the system to the Post Office.

Furthermore, Keegan has insisted he only ever had one conversation with Vennells, at which the affair was not discussed.

The ongoing inquiry into the scandal will tell us more about the role Fujitsu had to play and the culpability of its various executives. However, the Government has certainly taken Keegan at his word: in 2018, he was made a 'Crown representative' of the Cabinet Office, working primarily with the Ministry of Defence.

He also sits on the advisory board of the Prince's Trust and is a non-executive director of an IT firm called Centerprise, which in May won a 1 million contract linked (controversially, given his wife's job) to the schools rebuilding programme.

The 'misled' Lib Dem leader

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey received a letter from Alan Bates, the wrongly-convicted postmaster at the centre of ITV's new TV series, asking for a meeting. But he refused saying 'I do not believe a meeting would serve any useful purpose'

Sir Ed Davey's journey to the leadership of Britain's third party began in 2010, when he was appointed Minister for Postal Affairs in the coalition government.

In May that year, a letter landed on his desk from Alan Bates, the wrongly-convicted postmaster at the centre of ITV's new TV series.

'Many people have been sent to prison, lost businesses and homes and faced financial ruin by an organisation that will stop at nothing to keep the true facts behind its failing IT system from being exposed,' it read. 'In writing to you on behalf of the group, I am asking for a meeting where we can present our case to you.'

Davey wrote back, primly informing Bates that this staggering miscarriage of justice was 'an operational and contractual matter' for the Post Office. The future Lib Dem leader concluded: 'I do not believe a meeting would serve any useful purpose.'

Fast forward to 2017 and Bates led a group litigation against the Post Office. It responded by hiring attack-dog lawyers from City firm Herbert Smith Freehills to fight its corner. At this point, Davey makes a second ugly appearance in the scandal. For in June that year, he agreed to be taken on by Herbert Smith Freehills as a 'consultant on political issues and policy analysis', earning 5,000 a month, for six hours' work  833 an hour.

While Sir Ed never worked on the Horizon case, he continued to be paid by the law firm throughout the ill-fated proceedings, only relinquishing the role in 2022.

Asked about the affair this week, Davey said he regrets not doing more but claimed to have been 'deeply misled' by Post Office executives.

The gruesome twosome

Angela van den Bogerd was the Post Office director in charge of handling complaints about Horizon from 2010 onwards

Played with sinister menace by Coronation Street's Katherine Kelly in the ITV drama, Angela van den Bogerd was the Post Office director in charge of handling complaints about Horizon from 2010 onwards.

A key sidekick of Paula Vennells - they are described as the 'gruesome twosome' in the programme - she was responsible for much of the misery heaped on sub-postmasters, and in 2019 found herself on the end of a remarkable dressing down from High Court Judge Peter Fraser after giving evidence in her employer's defence in a 2019 legal case.

In a 300-page judgment, Fraser vehemently criticised Van den Bogerd's testimony, saying she had deliberately sought to pull the wool over his eyes.

'There were two specific matters where [she] did not give me frank evidence, and sought to obfuscate matters and mislead me,' he wrote.

Despite being 'a very clever person', she had an unfortunate 'disregard for factual accuracy', the judge concluded, adding that he would only accept that she was telling the truth if it was 'clearly and incontrovertibly corroborated by contemporaneous documents'.

Following this withering verdict, Van den Bogerd clung onto her job, and six-figure salary, until May 2020. Shortly afterwards, in a display of comical ineptitude, the Welsh FA decided to offer this court-certified rotter a highly-paid job as its Head Of People.

Her appointment created such a stink that she was forced out within months.

The mega-rich Canadian dame

Moya Greene was in charge of Royal Mail as Chief Executive for eight years from 2010, earning a huge 11.5 million in the process

Moya Greene was in charge of Royal Mail as Chief Executive for eight years from 2010, earning a huge 11.5 million in the process.

Although the organisation, which delivers letters and parcels, is now separate from the Post Office, it formed part of the same empire for the first two years of her reign. The year before the Canadian executive arrived, 50 sub-postmasters had told their story for the first time in Computer Weekly magazine, a development chronicled by the ITV drama.

During the first months of her reign, Greene's organisation then decided to proceed with the notorious prosecution of sub-postmistress Seema Misra, who was sent to prison for 15 months, despite being pregnant, after faulty Horizon data suggested that she had stolen 75,000.

Later, in 2011, Ernst & Young warned in an official audit report that weaknesses in the Horizon system could 'lead to . . . unauthorised or erroneous transactions'. Yet still the prosecutions were allowed to continue.

Greene's failure to get to grips with the escalating scandal has been blamed by various commentators on her alleged obsession with separating Royal Mail from the Post Office in order to enable its subsequent privatisation.

Whatever the cause, she went on to be garlanded with honours, including being named Sunday Times Businessperson Of The Year and Financial Times Person Of The Year 2014. In 2018 she became a Dame and the following year she received her home country's equivalent, the Order Of Canada.

Today, she sits on the advisory council of Oxford University's Said Business School.
An Atlanta restaurant was threatened for charging diners an extra four percent health insurance fee after its employees' premiums tripled last year.

JenChan's, a family-owned fusion restaurant in southeast Atlanta, Georgia, added a four percent charge to diners' checks to provide insurance for its full-time employees.

Most customers have been supportive, but a few were upset about paying a dollar or two and sent threats on social media platforms.

'I've never seen a family that needs to be beaten up more; make that healthcare come in handy,' an angry customer wrote in an abusive post on the restaurant's Facebook page.

'They ate food here, dined in, and said nothing while they were here,' Sam Hammer, lead bartender at the restaurant, told Atlanta News First.

JenChan's, an Atlanta restaurant, was threatened for charging diners an extra four percent health insurance fee after its employees' premiums tripled last year

The family-owned fusion restaurant in southeast Atlanta, Georgia, added a four percent charge to diners' checks to provide insurance for its full-time employees

Most customers have been supportive, but a few were upset about paying a dollar or two and sent threats on social media platforms

Owner Emily Chan said the practice has been in place for a year and a half. 'We feel like there's a pretty huge crisis going on with health insurance. No one can afford it. Nothing has worked.'

'We just felt like if we put it as a line item, then it would highlight that there's an issue here and we need to pay attention to it.'

Chan opened the restaurant six months before the pandemic and provided health insurance for its full-time employees who work more than 35 hours a week.

The restaurant posted a message about the four percent health insurance change on its menu, each receipt, and outside the restaurant.

The massage reads: 'On your receipt, you will notice 4% health insurance we implemented after our premiums more than tripled last year.

'Thank you for being a part of our effort to ensure our staff can seek care for whatever mental or physical ailments they may face. We have appreciated all of the positive feedback from you, thank you!

'Please know that we will be more than happy to remove this for you without hesitation,' the restaurant wrote.

Emily Chan opened the restaurant six months before the pandemic and provided health insurance for its full-time employees who work more than 35 hours a week

Chan said the practice has been in place for a year and a half. 'We feel like there's a pretty huge crisis going on with health insurance. No one can afford it. Nothing has worked'

The restaurant posted a message about the four percent health insurance change on its menu, each receipt, and outside the restaurant

Chan said: 'At the end of last year, we were able to cut a very small check, because that was it. There wasn't a lot left over, but there was a little bit, to the employees who were on health insurance.'

'Well, this year, it covered every single thing, and it was $2,000 off which means that four percent is just like it's almost the perfect amount of money to cover everyone's premiums.'

She added: 'We still have an employee that got turned down from health insurance this year. We have three different carries for our small team.'

The customer who sent threats under a family photo of the Chans on their Facebook page paid an extra $2 for the health insurance charge.

They 'went online to spill some nastiness about not just the health insurance but physically threatening Emily and Jen and their kid online,' Hammer said.

The restaurant said it refunded the customer's entire bill in a statement.

'We refunded your entire bill over that $2 in hopes that we can move on from this and maybe you will remove whatever post is invoking people to flood our site, google, and yelp, and our inbox with misinformation.'

Hammer (pictured), who has been with the restaurant since 2022, mentioned that he really needed the insurance when he just got off his parents' insurance

Chan said she included the extra four percent message in all menus and receipts only to be transparent about the charges and bring attention to the health insurance crisis

The restaurant wrote in a social media post: 'Threatening our family just puts one more mark on the 'this isn't worth it column.' Because it isn't worth it. Our family is just trying to make pizza and Chinese food the best way we know how.'

Hammer, who has been with the restaurant since 2022, mentioned that he really needed the insurance when he just got off his parents' insurance.

He said: 'I don't have money like that and so I was just living my life without it and finally found this job randomly and I fell in love with the people and the place and because of them.

'I'm able to have health insurance. It's a special thing. It's not an industry standard at all. I appreciate them for taking care of me too,' he added.

Chan said she included the extra four percent message in all menus and receipts only to be transparent about the charges and bring attention to the health insurance crisis.

'Businesses always pass the cost of benefits, insurance, etc. to consumers, that is how business operate; they are typically just folded into the cost of that burger,' the statement reads.

'We could either raise the cost of the entire menu by way more than 4% to make up for it, we could just give folks less fried rice and charge the same.'

'Or we could be transparent in hopes that this brings attention to what small business owners face,' the statement adds.

The backlash that the restaurant received has elicited overwhelming responses from social media users and local diners

The backlash that the restaurant received has elicited overwhelming responses from social media users and local diners.

'I would not change a single thing. I read the notice about the health insurance add-on and was thoroughly impressed, so much so that I sent my daughter a picture of the text on the receipt,' one user wrote.

'I support this transparent approach 100% and respect you for stepping outside the norm to take care of your employees when it's challenging just to stay in business,' they added.

'My other daughter works in a restaurant and she gets paid and gets a meal during her shift. That's it. Zero benefits. KUDOS TO JENCHAN'S! I'll be back soon.'

Another person wrote: 'Your transparency and advocacy give me two more reasons to appreciate your restaurant, and I wish you continued to success.'

However, some people disagreed, saying that the cost of health insurance should not be passed on to customers.

'Don't get me wrong, threatening your family is not okay. However, charging that fee also isn't,' one social media user wrote.

'Do something to change the system instead of putting wages (waiters only making money from tips) and now even health insurance on the customer,' they added.

Chan said she is 'not changing a thing' about the practice.

'Not changing a thing. The only thing I would change is if Congress does something, then I can just take that line item off completely and not even worry about it,' Chan said.
Donald Trump's lawyers argued on Tuesday that presidents can't be criminally prosecuted for ordering the assassination of their rivals unless they were impeached first.

The former president's attorneys made the stunning claim in a Washington D.C. Appeals Court while insisting he should be immune from prosecution in election fraud cases.

Trump's legal team argued that he was acting officially as president when he challenged the 2020 results and Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal charges should be dropped.

In a dramatic exchange during the 90-minute hearing, Judge Florence Pan asked his lawyer: A yes or no question. Could a president who ordered SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival, who was not impeached, be subject to a criminal prosecution?'

A lawyer for former President Donald Trump (right) faced a blizzard of questions from a three-judge appeals court panel over his claims of presidential immunity  including whether he could use the military to assassinate a political rival

Trump lawyer John Sauer responded: 'If he were impeached and convicted first.'

'So your answer is no, shot back Pan.

'My answer is qualified yes...you'd expect a speedy impeachment and conviction, Sauer said.

The judge also put Trumps claim to immunity to the test by asking if a president could sell U.S. military secrets, or sell pardons, without then being criminally prosecuted.

Pan told Sauer: Ive asked you a series of hypotheticals about criminal actions that could be taken by a president and could be considered official acts and asked you would such a president be subjected to criminal prosecution.and your answer was no.'

Sauer countered that selling pardons might not be held to be an official act.

Judge Pan also picked at Sauers leaning on the role of impeachment.

Trump is trying to toss his criminal indictment over January 6 in Washington, D.C. in part on claims of presidential immunity

Donald Trump's lawyers will argue he is immune from criminal prosecution in election fraud cases in a federal appeals court hearing that will have major implications for his 2024 campaign

The Republican frontrunner's motorcade turned into the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning, surrounded by cops and security

Your position is as I understand it, if a president is impeached and convicted by Congress then he is subject to criminal prosecution correct?' she said.

Isnt that also a concession that a president can be criminally prosecuted for an official act?

In his arguments, Sauer said prosecuting a former president created a dangerous precedent.

He said: 'To authorize the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora's box from which this nation may never recover.'

The grilling from the bench has high stakes not just for Trumps criminal case, but for the timing of his trial.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a trial date of March 4, the day before Super Tuesday, and an appeal by Trump to the entire circuit or the Supreme Court could stall the case.

Trump won't be asked any questions or interact with the judge directly before he returns to the campaign trail with just six days until the Iowa caucuses

The case is set to go to the Supreme Court, but if the judges side with him, it could derail Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal case

The Appeals Court is considering a ruling by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (L) against Trump's claim of absolute presidential immunity from prosecution

Special counsel James Pearce, arguing for the government, went back to the analogy in his own time speaking to the judicial panel.

What kind of world are we living in  if a president orders his SEAL team to assassinate his political rival and resigns, for example, before an impeachment? Not a criminal act, he said, characterizing the Trump legal position.

Judge Michelle Childs brought up the Midlands Asphalt Corp. v. U.S. case  a potential precedent that has intrigued legal analysts because it provides a potential way for the court to quickly dismiss Trumps appeal on jurisdictional grounds.

But Pearce expressed his preference that the court rule on the merits of Trumps claim of absolute immunity for official acts done while president. He raised issues about various future motions the defense might make that could entangle the case.

Sauer argued that allowing for the prosecution for his official acts would open up a Pandoras box.

He asked if George W. Bush could be prosecuted for waging war on Iraq based on false intelligence, or if Barack Obama could be prosecuted for a drone strike that killed civilians.

Sauer said to allow prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandoras box from which this government may never recover.

Pearce said in the event of a drone strike that killed civilians, 'The court would properly recognize some kind of immunity,' but argued, 'That is nothing like what weve got here.'

If the panel rules against Trump, he could try to appeal his case to the entire D.C. Court of Appeals, and then go to the Supreme Court.

Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson asked Sauer about times in the past when the courts have weighed in on presidential authority, including Harry S. Trumans seizure of steel mills during the Korean War.

How does that square with your position that the judiciary can never review exec action? she pressed.

She also commented on the president's oath to uphold the Constitution.

'I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law,' she said.

Earlier, Trump arrived at the federal appeals court in Washington D.C. for the hearing, which will have major implications for his 2024 campaign.

Lawyers for the former president, 77, are arguing he is immune from prosecution in election subversion cases because he was acting as president when he investigated fraud.

The Republican frontrunner's motorcade turned into the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning, surrounded by cops and security.

Inside, the three-judge panel will decide whether charges brought against him over January 6 by Special Counsel Jack Smith should be dismissed.

Trump won't be asked any questions or interact with the judge directly before he returns to the campaign trail with just six days until the Iowa caucuses.

It came as a new CBS News poll shows 64 percent of Americans do not think Trump should be immune from prosecution for actions he took as president, while 34 percent think he should be. However, 69 percent of Republicans think he should be immune.

Trump claims he should be shielded from prosecution because he was carrying out his official duties as president when he investigated fraud claims from Joe Biden's 2020 election win.

He also argues that since the Senate acquitted him during his impeachment in the aftermath of January 6, he shouldn't have been charged.

The case is set to go to the Supreme Court, but if the judges side with him, it could derail Smith's federal case.

Trump has argued he has presidential immunity in multiple cases and is already facing challenges to kick him off the ballot from states including Colorado and Maine.

Trump has a commanding lead over his Republican rivals heading into the primary season that will be interrupted by court appearances.

The case will be heard by Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Michelle Childs and Florence Pan.

Police secure the outside of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse before Trump's arrival

The former president, 77, will be at the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, where a three-judge panel will decide whether charges brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith should be dismissed

Henderson has already been involved with Trump cases, including whether Congress could access his tax records.

A lower court has already ruled that Trump is not immune, and District Judge Tanya Chutkan has refused to dismiss the case.

'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,' Chutkan wrote.

'Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability.'

Trump then challenged the decision with the appeals court.
Scientists in Michigan and Texas have helped put a Florida nurse behind bars after she inflicted an excruciating death on three of her neighbor's pets with her 'special seasoning'.

Tamesha Knighten, 51, was arrested after a five-month investigation which began when two cats named Luna and Pancake died within minutes of each other at their home in Lakeland.

Four hours later the devastated family found their four-year-old Chihuahua Daisy dead along with the eight puppies she was carrying.

Police saw Knighten on security footage putting out a bowl of chicken in her yard and seized it for analysis.

'When we asked will we find any substance in this chicken she said 'well just my special seasoning',' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a press conference.

'Well her special seasoning was Phorate.'

Tamesha Knighten, 51, suggested her neighbor's poisoned cat might be 'choking on a frog'

Four-year-old Chihuahua Daisy was poisoned along with the eight puppies she was carrying.

'It makes me angry,' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a pressa conference, 'It certainly makes me angry. 'Why do you do this? There's no excuse for this. None. Zero.'

'The children and all the victims of the family are devastated because on August 16 all three of these died, and they died because they were poisoned.'

The family said Knighten had previously threatened the pets after they strayed into her yard and they saw her pacing the driveway on the day of their deaths.

When one of the cats began froth at the mouth, she suggested it must be 'choking on a frog'.

Police arrived in time to see the final death throes of one of the cats unable to breathe, foaming from the mouth, and in obvious significant pain.

'We saw that one of them was in horrific distress, others had already died,' Sheriff Judd said.

'The one that was in horrific distress died immediately.'

They found a Styrofoam bowl in Knighten's yard filled with canned chicken and a dark colored substance.

She denied owning any Styrofoam bowls or canned chicken but told police 'Oh, I guess I do have them', when they found more in her pantry.

Spotting Knighten's security camera they asked to look at the footage and saw her putting out the bowl while wearing blue rubber gloves.

Security footage showed Knighten putting out the poisoned bowl while wearing rubber gloves

Knighten's home in Lakeland, Florida where the poisonings took place

'Why would you be wearing rubber gloves to handle the food that you just put out for the animals? asked Sheriff Judd.

At that point, he said, they decided to 'leave no stone unturned', ordered the exhumation of one of the cats and sent the contents of the bowl to the veterinary pathology department at the University of Florida.

More samples were sent to labs at Texas A&M University and Michigan State University which identified Phorate, a highly toxic pesticide found in insecticides, in both the chicken and the pets.

'Can you imagine the excruciating pain?' said Shelley Thayer of SPCA Florida

'That is caused by poison.

'I was absolutely disgusted, horrified,' she added.

'These were someone's personal family members. Whether they were people or animals, these were loved animals that ended with a tragic and terrible and painful death.

'It's a heinous crime. And I'm just devastated by it.'

Knighten, a licensed practical nurse working for United Health Care at Wellmed in Lakeland, was arrested on January 4 and charged with three counts felony animal cruelty and one count depositing poison in a public area.

The alleged poisoner whose criminal history includes a September 2013 arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon remains behind bars at Polk County Jail pending a court appearance.

'It makes me angry,' Judd said, 'It certainly makes me angry.

'Why do you do this? There's no excuse for this. None. Zero.

'There are other ways to deal with conflict even if you are upset about the cats and the dog, but at the end of the day she chose to do a criminal act.

'This suspect, despite all evidence to the contrary, repeatedly denied killing her neighbor's pets, even telling our detectives that she's a nurse and had too much to lose. 'Well guess what? These people lost their beloved pets in a most horrific way, and she lost her freedom by going to jail.

'It takes a cold-hearted person to poison and kill two cats and a pregnant dog, it's hard to imagine how a person in the medical field could do such a thing.'

Florida nurse Tamesha Knighten, 51, is arrested for using 'special seasoning' pesticide to poison her neighbors' two cats and pregnant Chihuahua that also killed EIGHT puppies in the dog's womb
The lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein's French model agent have demanded a probe into alleged judicial failures after he killed himself in his Paris jail cell.

Jean-Luc Brunel - a close associate of US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein - was found dead in his Paris prison cell in February 2022, where he had been held since December 2021 charged with the rape of minors.

Brunel was briefly freed in late 2021 but then reincarcerated on a Paris court of appeal ruling.

Epstein, a financier with a powerful network in the United States and abroad, was himself accused of raping young girls, but his suicide in a New York prison in August 2019 halted his prosecution.

The official probe into Brunel's death was concluded last year, but his lawyers now demand an 'administrative inquiry' into what they said were 'major dysfunctions' by the judiciary, which they are holding responsible for his death.

Jean-Luc Brunel - a close associate of US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein - was found dead in his Paris prison cell in February 2022, where he had been held since December 2021 charged with the rape of minors (Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein and Brunel pictured together)

Jeffrey Epstein's French modelling agent friend Jean-Luc Brunel (pictured) died in February 2022

Brunel (pictured with some models linked to his agency) began his career as a model scout and in 1978 was involved in setting up the prestigious Karin Models agency. He then moved to the United States where he co-founded the Miami-based agency MC2

Lawyer Marianne Abgrall said she and her colleague Christophe Ingrain had filed a request with the justice ministry for the inquest last month. The justice ministry was not available for comment.

Brunel's suicide, his lawyers said at the time, was 'not guided by guilt but a profound sense of injustice'.

'His tragedy is that of a 75-year-old man crushed by a media-judicial system,' they said in a statement. Brunel had denied all charges.

Allegations from women who say they were abused in France in the Epstein case prompted French prosecutors to open their own investigation.

That probe focused on Brunel, who was accused in US court documents of rape and of procuring young girls for his friend Epstein.

Brunel began his career as a model scout and in 1978 was involved in setting up the prestigious Karin Models agency.

He then moved to the United States where he co-founded the Miami-based agency MC2.

In US court documents, Virginia Giuffre, a key plaintiff against Epstein, accused him of using her as a 'sex slave' and said she had been forced to have sex with well-known politicians and businessmen, including Brunel.

She also alleged Brunel would bring girls as young as 12 to the United States and pass them on to friends, including Epstein.

Brunel had made several suicide attempts in prison, before being found hanged in his cell on February 19, 2022.

His lawyers said that the judiciary had failed to take into account their client's high suicide risk.

According to investigation documents seen by new agency AFP, several other women came forward accusing Brunel of rape or sexual abuse.

Jeffrey Epstein was found hanged in his New York jail cell in August 2019 while his alleged pimp Jean-Luc Brunel was found hanged in his Paris jail cell February 2022

Jean-Luc Brunel died at the La Sante in Paris. Pictured: the prison's corridor

Some of the allegations went back to the 1970s, and most came up against France's statute of limitations.

Last week, a New York judge began to unseal the identities of people linked in court documents to Epstein.

The documents, which contain almost 1,000 pages of depositions and statements, notably include former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, who have not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

This comes after police said last week that there would be no investigation after Prince Andrew - accused in the documents of groping a woman, which he denies - was reported to police by an anti-monarchy group.
Renco, a a portmanteau of 'renewable' and 'composite,' is made from recycled materials and is able to withstand hurricanes

The project took only 11 unskilled workers who stacked and hammered the bricks into place

Lakewood Apartments in Palm Springs is the first building in the U.S. to use Renco building blocks

Armed with little more than a glue gun, a mallet and a color-coded instruction pamphlet, a team of unskilled laborers constructed a Florida apartment complex in under two months.

Their secret was none other than Renco, a fully recyclable construction material with interlocking blocks that pop together like Legos.

The name is a portmanteau of 'renewable' and 'composite' and the bricks are a mix of repurposed glass, plastic, calcite dust and resin.

Renco has now been used to build a 96-unit apartment building in Palm Springs - the first of its kind.

'You can put any facade on top of it,' explained Patrick Murphy, executive vice president of Coastal Construction, the developer behind the project.

A team of 11 unskilled workers pieced together a sprawling apartment complex in Palm Springs, Florida using Lego-like building blocks

The material is called Renco, a portmanteau of 'renewable' and 'composite,' and is made of a repurposed mix of glass, plastic, calcite dust and resin

The Lakewood Apartments complex is the first building in the country to use Renco. It includes four three-story buildings with 48 two-bedroom and 48 three-bedroom apartments

'It can look, at the end of the day, like a five-star hotel, or it can be workforce housing, or anything in the middle.'

The Lakewood Apartments complex, four three-story buildings with 48 two-bedroom and 48 three-bedroom apartments, used just 22 block shapes.

The material can resist Category 5 gales - like fiberglass, the blocks have high strength and stability.

Along with his father, Coastal Construction founder Tom Murphy Jr., Murphy flew to Turkey to see the material in person.

The material was developed there and has been used in more than 100 projects since 2012. It has now been licensed and approved for construction in the United States.

But Murphy recognized the scope of their project dwarfed much of Renco's previous usage.

'Its one thing to build a house or a little storage facility,' Murphy told Fast Company. 'Its another to build a multi-story apartment building with people living in it.'

The father-son duo brought the material home with the intention of constructing a facility to assemble the blocks before using them in stormproof housing.

The material was developed in Turkey and recently approved for use in the United States. It can withstand Category 5 hurricanes, has no waste and requires no maintenance ever, according to the manufacturers

Renco was designed for people who are not trained in construction

'We thought, hey, were in construction, we do this all the time. Itll take two or three years to get it approved.' Murphy said.

To his surprise, the approval process lasted a decade.

Murphy, himself a two-term Congressman, attributed the delay to 'the bureaucracy of the system itself,' rather than the any issues with the material.

The company performed hundreds of tests against termites and other pests, mold, earthquakes, and, of course, hurricanes.

In addition to its strength and stability, the Renco website touts other benefits including zero waste; light weight (the heaviest blocks weigh 80 pounds, but most can be lifted by one person); and, most impressively, no need for maintenance.

The manufacturers drew this conclusion over eight years of testing in the United States, noting that 'there is no apparent demise of the product.'

The material was also designed to be easily stacked and hammered into place by people not trained in construction, as the industry faces an extreme labor shortage.

According to a 2023 report from Associated Builders and Contractors, the industry needed to attract nearly 600,000 workers last year on top of the normal pace of hiring to meet demands.

It took only eleven unskilled laborers to complete the Lakewood Apartments project.

Color-coded instructions show builders where to place blocks. The building system is designed to accommodate unskilled workers who are not trained in construction

Color-coded instructions show builders where to place blocks, which are easily attached using a spray of industrial adhesive and a few whacks by a mallet.

According to the website, the blocks can currently accommodate up to five stories, but approval to build up to eight stories is anticipated by the end of the year.

'As 95% of all Americans live in eight stories or less, we believe this next level of approval will open an incredible amount of opportunity for use of this revolutionary product,' the website reads.

Coastal Construction recently completed a production facility for producing Renco blocks, with the capacity to produce enough of the material to build 5,000 apartment units a year.

'Im not saying we can build everything in the world but we havent been stumped yet,' Murphy said.
Speaking to CBS-affiliate KRQE , museum boss Todd Nickols explained why that momentum - and accompanying interest - will continue to linger a little longer

The still-standing lab where J. Robert Oppenheimer and others invented the first a-bomb, Los Alamos National Laboratory, is also experiencing a boost , he said

Oppenheimer has caused an abnormal amount of tourists to visit the New Mexico city featured in the film, a high-ranking official has revealed.

In an interview Monday, the executive director of the Los Alamos Historical Society laid bare how the town for which his org is named normally sees about 22,000 visitors a year - but in 2023 recorded 35,000.

In the six months since the film's release, the lab where J. Robert Oppenheimer and others invented the initial a-bomb is also experiencing a boost, he revealed - with its attractions recording more than 45,000 visitors as opposed to the usual 30,000.

Manhattan Project National Historic Park website traffic, meanwhile, has doubled, and momentum from the blockbuster seems well-poised to continue through winter.

Speaking to CBS-affiliate KRQE, Todd Nickols explained why he expects that momentum - and accompanying interest - to linger a little while longer, putting an accent on an especially good six months.

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The movie Oppenheimer has caused an abnormal amount of tourists to visit the New Mexico city featured in the film, a high-ranking official has revealed. Pictured: Los Alamos, located a half-hour's drive from Santa Fe

'That's probably one of our best years actually,' said Todd Nickols, a native of Los Alamos who previously worked as the manager of the museum, where visitors can visit the home J. Robert Oppenheimer stayed in while developing the first atomic bomb

'That's probably one of our best years actually,' said Nickols, a native of Los Alamos who previously worked as the site's museum shop manager, but was promoted in 2022.

'Along with exposure, the group is getting meaningful pieces of history,' he continued.

'A lot of people are asking questions, wanting to donate items.

'Maybe their grandfather was in World War II, worked at the Manhattan Project up here - it's really just been a plus all the way around.'

While once a secretive site, Los Alamos became an open city in 1957.

Set in a canyon that intersperse the forest on the mountainsides above the townsite, the town was erected to stealthily develop and test the Manhattan Project, an effort made even more famous in the recent Christopher Nolan picture.

During the months-long process, the town - only part of the overall a-bomb project - was fitted with a state of the art lab, then called the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, for which Oppenheimer served as director.

However, Oppenheimer - perturbed by his project's power and political connotations - resigned as the lab's director in 1945, leaving it in the hands of Naval Reserve officer Norris Bradbury, also a scientist.

In an interview Monday, the executive director laid bare how the town for which it is named normally sees about 22,000 visitors a year - but in 2023 recorded 35,000. Pictured: The Oppenheimer House, one of the city's main attractions

In the six months since the film's release, the lab where J. Robert Oppenheimer and others invented the initial a-bomb is also experiencing a boost , he revealed - with its attractions recording more than 45,000 visitors as opposed to the usual 30,000

Manhattan Project National Historic Park website traffic, meanwhile, has doubled, and momentum from the blockbuster seems well-poised to continue through winter

Citing the stream of renewed interest, Nickols explained why he expects that momentum - and accompanying interest - to linger a little while longer, putting an accent on an especially good six months

While once a secretive site, Los Alamos became an open city in 1957, and is still home to a government run laboratory that remains a research and development center for the National Nuclear Security Administration,

Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer is seen walking through a recreation of the town in the film, which was released this past July

The Los Alamos National Laboratory recently discovered and released never-before-seen footage of everyday life at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project

A group of men outside the entrance, which is guarded by Military Police, to the headquarters of the United States Atomic Energy Security Service at Los Alamos in September 1947

The Los Alamos lab, located with the town of Los Alamos approximately 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, occupies 43 square miles of land in Northern New Mexico

Under Bradbury, government officials - apparently enthralled by the success of Oppenheimer - sought to keep the lab as the 'the nucleus of [the country's] weapon staff,' but were instead met with years of collaborative clunkers.

Following a frozen pipe scare in 1950 that sent government-sanctioned residents and scientists scrambling for water for weeks, the lab's reactor was shut down in March 1950 for examination.

Fast-forward a few more years and the desolate town's physical laboratory was moved to the other side of the canyon, where it currently remains today.

Four years later, security gates were removed and Los Alamos - which is only 30 miles from Santa Fe - became its own, bona fide city, completely open to the public and non-approved arrivals.

Then, in 1980, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory - still in operation after nearly four decades - was renamed Los Alamos National Laboratory, and today serves as a research and development center for the National Nuclear Security Administration, while still allowing visitors in certain parts of the facility.

In 1980, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory was renamed Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is seen here today. Still a lab, it serves as a research and development center for the National Nuclear Security Administration, allowing visitors in certain parts

While that site remains cordoned off, tourists can still visit important landmarks of the era such as the craftsman-styled home where Oppenheimer and his family lived, as well as the Los Alamos History Museum in the Los Alamos Ranch School Guest Cottage

The History Museum also offers occasional excursions to the Trinity Site, where the atomic bomb was tested

While most of that site remains cordoned off, tourists can see some of the important landmarks of the Manhattan Project via the Bradbury Science Museum, the chief public facility portion of the lab

'It's really nice just to be able to tell, tell the truthful stories of what happened and what we're continuing here at the lab, what we're doing now,' he went on, as he and other work to renovate the Oppenheimer House, making it safer to tour

Bob Webster, deputy director of weapons at Los Alamos speaks on June 23, 2023, at Los Alamos National Laboratory

The base camp at the Trinity nuclear test site is surrounded by desert and mountains in New Mexico

A sign welcomes visitors to the Los Alamos Laboratory after they cross over the Omega Bridge

Robert J Oppenheimer, left, at the test ground for the atomic bomb near Almagordo, New Mexico, right, Murphy as the scientist

The world's first atomic bomb (above) was detonated in New Mexico in July 1945

This aerial view of the testing site shows the shallow crater dug by the blast 300 feet around the tower from which the bomb hung. The sand in an area 2,400 feet around the tower was seared into jade green glasslike cinders

This photo taken at four seconds after the test bomb's detonation at 5:29:45 a.m. shows the tremendous fireball erupting in the early morning sky, proving the Manhattan Project a success

While most of that site remains cordoned off, tourists can see some of the important landmarks of the Manhattan Project via the Bradbury Science Museum, he chief public facility of the lab.

Travelers can also peruse the craftsman-styled home where Oppenheimer and his family lived, as well as journey to the notorious Trinity Site, where the atomic bomb was tested.)

Today, the city is home to approximately 13,000 citizens, scientist or not - and thanks to the new interest generated by the film, Nickols said, it still carries the Manhattan Project's legacy lives on.

'Duffle bags or medals or uniforms that are really sort of difficult to get a hold of unless you get them from a family member,' he said of an influx of items now being sent to him and other society staffers.

'It's really nice just to be able to tell, tell the truthful stories of what happened and what we're continuing here at the lab, what we're doing now,' he went on, as he and other work to renovate the Oppenheimer House, making it safer to tour

'It should continue on through this year, for sure,' he added of the site's newfound success. 'We're looking forward to another very busy year.'
Barack Obama has been touted as a contender for the next president of Harvard after the resignation by Claudine Gay due to an anti-Semitism and plagiarism scandal.

The former president, who graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991, may be a candidate for the position - and he wouldn't be the first ex-POTUS to take charge of an elite college.

Alan M. Garber is currently the interim president of Harvard, but the institution is understood to still be weighing up its options for a permanent replacement for Gay.

Harvard University - who has not named any candidates yet - said the search for a new leader 'will include broad engagement and consultation with the Harvard community in the time ahead.'

Discussions over who should take over Gay have swirled on social media, with names such as Deval Patrick, Danielle Allen, and Barack Obama's popping up, according to the Boston Globe.

Barack Obama at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990

Harvard University - who has not named any candidates yet - said the search for a new leader 'will include broad engagement and consultation with the Harvard community in the time ahead.' Pictured: Claudine Gay, former Harvard president

Robert Putnam, professor emeritus of public policy at Harvard, told the Globe: 'There ought to be somebody who has a track record.

'We're not going to be guessing whether they're going to be good or not; we know they're good.

He said it would be 'highly desirable that the person be either a person of color, or a woman, or even better, both.'

Putnam, who knows Barack, told the Globe that he doubts Obama would take the job of Harvard President.

Larry Ladd, senior consultant with the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, told the Globe: 'It will be harder to build a pool of women and people of color for that role given what happened to Claudine Gay.

'The president of Harvard is a symbol as much as anything else. It's a very symbolic role.'

The idea of one of the Obamas - either Barack or Michelle - taking over Gay has swirled on social media since the news of her resignation earlier this month.

Obama graduated from Columbia University as a political science major, and then went on to enroll at Harvard Law School in 1988. He was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

Barack Obama was also allegedly lobbying to keep Gay in her position, despite the pressure she was facing after the disastrous congressional hearing on Harvard's antisemitism and her plagiarism accusations.

Obama graduated from Columbia University as a political science major, and then went on to enroll at Harvard Law School in 1988. He was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review

Barack and Michelle on their wedding day in 1992, in Chicago, Illinois

Barack Obama poses in the office of The Harvard Law Review in 1990

One person wrote on social media: 'Michelle Obama should be the next president of Harvard University. Obama graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School. She is the best person to serve as Harvard president.'

Another added: 'I'd like to nominate President Obama as the new President of Harvard. He'd be perfect.'

The former president's representatives have been contacted for comment.

Obama would not be the first former president to lead an academic institution.

A total of nine former US presidents were chancellors, presidents, and rectors at some of the country's most elite colleges before and after their POTUS position.

George Washington, the first US president, became the Chancellor of the College of William and Mary following his tenure.

Thomas Jefferson was made the rector of the University of Virginia in 1819, making him one of the founding members of the prestigious school.

Former president James Madison was also given the position of rector at UVA, following Jefferson's lead.

John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States, took a leaf out of George Washington's book and became the chancellor of the College of William and Mary.

He was the school's chancellor from 1859 until his death in 1862.

Former president Millard Fillmore founded and became the chancellor of the University at BuffaloSUNY in 1846.

James Buchanan was made the President of the Board of Trustees at Franklin and Marshall College - a position he served in until 1865.

James Garfield was also the President of Hiram College until the Civil War.

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US President, became the President of Princeton University before he won the election in 1912.

Dwight Eisenhower was the President of Columbia University in New York City from 1948 to 1953, before becoming the 34th President of the US.
A Wyoming ranch for troubled teens is being accused of subjecting boys to grueling 'child labor camp'-type conditions.

A ranching business tied to the Triangle Cross Ranch allegedly forced troubled teens to work round the clock, sleep in a shed, and urinate in jugs, all without food and sleep unless they worked hard enough.

The allegations were raised in an October 2023 lawsuit filed by former residents at the ranch, Andrew Lewis and Andrew Unruh, in suits that also alleged shoveling manure and suffering 'near daily' flash burns from welding.

In response, the ranch denied the allegations and claimed any rough treatment the boys endured was carried out with the permission of their parents, who paid thousands of dollars for their sons to attend.

'Participants in the program are enrolled with the consent of their parents or guardians who are advised about the rigors of the program and the types of ranch chores that their sons will need to perform,' the ranch said in a counter-filing on Friday, reports Cowboy State Daily.

The ranch previously faced accusations of abuse from other former attendees, including branding with hot metal and the taking away of a boy's mattress because he refused to stick a pitchfork through a dying calf's chest.

The Triangle Cross Ranch, a disciplinary camp for troubled teens, is accused of running a child labor center where boys were forced to work round the clock on little food or sleep

Owners Jerry and Michaeleen Schneider (pictured together) were named in the filing. In response, the ranch claimed the allegations were greatly exaggerated, and any forced labor was with the consent of the teens' concerned parents

The lawsuit was filed against Triangle Cross Ranch, its owner Jerry Schneider, his wife Michaeleen, his twin sons Matthew and Mark, and his son-in-law Thomas George.

In its response requesting the lawsuits be dismissed, the ranch claimed that there were no specific allegations against those named, and said the accusations were 'impossible' as they would have had to have 'performed hundreds of hours of work in a 12-hour window.'

'Such allegations are incredulous on their face as they suggest that each Plaintiff performed hundreds of hours of work in a 12-hour window,' the ranch said in response.

'While it would take an experienced ranch hand hundreds of hours to perform such tasks, Plaintiff Lewis avers he was able to accomplish all of the above in a 12-hour time frame at 14 years of age.'

Parents pay thousands to send their troubled teens to the ranch, and it counters that allegations of abuse are what the parents pay for to straighten their kids out

The inside of the ranch, where several former attendees have claimed they were subjected to abuse

The ranch has faced a slew of allegations in the past, including the taking away of a boy's mattress because he refused to stick a pitchfork through a dying calf's chest

The new lawsuit alleges that teens are subjected to shoveling manure, bagging hundreds of bags of grain, feeding and grooming animals, and loading hay - chores it is argued were tantamount to child labor

However, according to the reported filing, the lawsuit does not claim the listed chores were carried in full each day, with Lewis' complaint saying he 'was forced' to continue working from 7am to 7pm each day.

Lewis' lawsuit said he was subjected to shoveling manure, bagging hundreds of bags of grain, feeding and grooming animals, and loading hay - chores he argues were tantamount to child labor.

In separate allegations, an attendee in 2012 Andrew Scavuzzo described the conditions at the ranch plainly: 'It was child labor.'

'Basically, you were just a slave for the owners because we were troubled, and they were going to strengthen us into men or something like that,' he told NBC News at the time.

Scavuzzo also alleged that the boys were made to box each other as punishment, and staff branded his arm in the shape of a cross with a hot piece of metal. The ranch denied his claims.

In a separate lawsuit, Andrew Scavuzzo, 27, who was sent to Triangle Cross Ranch from Colorado in 2012, said his experience was like 'child labor'

Scavuzzo claimed two staff members branded his right arm in the shape of a cross using scorching metal

The lawsuit also names two of Jerry's sons, Mark (pictured) and Matthew, and alleged teens were forced to work round the clock shoveling manure, bagging hundreds of bags of grain, feeding and grooming animals, and loading hay

According to court documents from 2015, the ranch charged up to $2,500 in administration fees and $6,000 monthly for parents to send their teens to help them overcome difficulties including drug and alcohol abuse.

The allegations against the ranch also include claims attendees had their communications to their parents closely monitored, however the lawsuits do not state that their parents didn't consent to the ranch's methods.

Schneiders' counter-filing states that this is because they 'can't' make that claim, and argued that claims of 'child labor' were little more than grumblings at the disciplinary measures they were subjected to.

'It is not surprising that Plaintiffs  who were troubled youths requiring intensive treatment  did not want to attend the program at the Ranch or otherwise obtain help for their issues,' the ranch said.

'However, (their) parents or guardians wanted them to participate in the program.'

Lewis and Unruh attended the ranch in 2014, and the company alleged that the lawsuits fail to provide specific allegations against specific people, including Michaeleen who suffers from Alzheimer's and had not managed the ranch since July 2002.

The filing says that it is therefore 'wholly improbable' that Michaeleen caused harm to the boys in 2014, and said they 'egregiously' sued her despite knowledge of her health issues.

The family similarly argues that Jerry Schneider, his twin sons Matthew and Mark, and his son-in-law Thomas George carried out anything that rises to the level of forced child labor or human trafficking.

They concluded that the men are not entitled to be reimbursed the thousands of dollars their parents paid for them to attend, arguing it was never their money to begin with.
Newly released bodycam footage has revealed the incredible moment a North Carolina chaplain used his Jiu-Jitsu training to save the life of a police officer after an arrest went badly wrong.

Chaplain Scott Wilkos was riding with Durham Police Officer J.T. Rose in October when they saw a car driving at speeds they estimated to be greater than 100 miles per hour, WRLA News reported.

When the vehicle crashed near an exit ramp at the intersection of 15-501 the officer ran over and tried to arrest the suspect - later identified as Demario Holman, 35, of Durham.

But video shows how a fight quickly broke out in the tall grass, and it was only when the chaplain ran over to help that the pair were able to restrain the suspect.

A relieved Rose later said how grateful he was for Wilkos' intervention as the suspect 'had one arm around my neck and the other arm going for my gun'.

Chaplain Scott Wilkos was riding with Durham Police Officer J.T. Rose when they saw a car driving at speeds they estimated to be greater than 100 miles per hour crash

While being treated for injuries, Wilkos told another officer: 'I thought [Rose] was in real trouble  So at that point I took his back. I came around the top, over under. And when I came around, my hand got to right where his face was and he bit down on me'

The crash happened near an exit ramp near the intersection of 15-501 in October 2023

As Rose first ran over to the suspect he could be heard yelling: 'Get on the ground! Get on the ground. Do it now. Get on the ground. Get on the ground. Face down, get on the ground.'

Footage then shows Holman refusing to comply with orders, leading to a tussle.

It was at this moment Wilkos, who has decades of martial arts training, ran towards the duo and wrestled the suspect away from Rose - as other officers arrived on the scene.

Wilkos could be heard telling the suspect: 'The quicker you put your hands behind your back, the quicker we get off of you.'

Rose reported severe knee pain after the incident, while Wilkos was seen bleeding from his left hand where he said Holman bit him.

Holman had a gash on his elbow, which first responders said happened due to the impact of the car crash.

Both officers were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

While being treated for injuries, Wilkos told another officer: 'The guy was strong. He managed to push us off  he came around on Rose and was going across his head.

'At that point in time, I thought [Rose] was in real trouble  So at that point I took his back. I came around the top, over under. And when I came around, my hand got to right where his face was and he bit down on me.'

He also told the officer that the ride was voluntary as he wanted to celebrate his 52nd birthday by 'spending time with an officer Ive been with eight and a half years'.

The officer then approached Rose and asked him whether he thought he was going to lose consciousness.

Rose responded: 'No. Thank God [Wilkos] intervened quickly enough because  he had one arm around my neck; the other arm going for my gun.'

At one point, the accused had one arm around the officer's neck while his other arm tried to seize Rose's gun

Wilkos also told the officer that the ride was voluntary as he wanted to celebrate his birthday by 'spending time with an officer Ive been with eight and a half years'.

Holman has been charged with Assault on a law enforcement officer with serious injury, Assault by strangulation, Assault inflicting serious injury, Possession of firearm by felon, Possessing weapon of mass destruction, Felony possession of marijuana, Felony flee to elude, Carrying concealed gun and Resist public officer.

Authorities found two bags of marijuana, white powder and an assault rifle with one bullet in the chamber inside the suspect's car.

Holman has been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer with serious injury, assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious injury, possession of firearm by felon, possessing weapon of mass destruction, felony possession of marijuana, felony flee to elude, carrying concealed gun and resist public officer.

He has been held at the Durham County Jail under a $400,000 secured bond.

Wilkos has been an Emergency Chaplain since 2016, a non-profit committed to providing care and support for law enforcement officers, medics, firefighters, and 911 communicators.

Chaplains also offer services similar to those of a church pastor. They are known to give advice and counsel when asked, visit the sick and officiate funerals.
Producer Tyler Perry revealed he is 'heartbroken' after a great-great-grandmother he'd been building a new house for died before he could hand over the keys.

The billionaire paid tribute to 94-year-old Josephine Wright as a 'warrior' who had 'inspired' him as she fought developers who tried to force her from her Civil War era home.

Perry, 54, vowed to help the great-grandmother-to-50 in the summer of 2023 after real estate tycoons tried to claim her bungalow in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

The developers, Bailey Point Investment, wanted to buy her land, and when she refused they sued her, claiming parts of her property lay on their land.

Perry had been about to hand over the keys to her new home when she died. Announcing the news of her death via Instagram on Monday, he said: 'I am so heartbroken to hear about the passing of this warrior.

Josephine Wright, 94, had been fighting to keep her Civil-war era home when Tyler Perry said he'd build her a new house in the summer of 2023. He announced her death on Instagram

Producer Tyler Perry has said he's 'heartbroken' after a great-great-grandmother who he'd been building a house for died before he could hand over the keys

The billionaire announced the devastating news about 94-year-old Josephine Wright on Instagram, describing her as a 'warrior' who had 'inspired' him

'Ms. Josephine Wright, even though we spoke by phone, I was so looking forward to meeting you in person next month to hand you the keys to your new house, but God had other plans.

'My prayer is that you rest in peace knowing that I will honor the commitment that I made to you.

'I know you will be watching over us all as I hand those same keys to your family.

'So your four children, 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren will still be able to gather at YOUR house on YOUR land and tell the world what kind of fighter that you were.

'You have run your race and fought an incredible fight! Journey well my dear lady. You have inspired me.'

Perry shared several photographs of Wright in her home, along with other snaps of her making speeches.

It's unclear what the future holds for Wright's home, but some of her grandchildren have vowed to continue her fight against the developers.

When the actor first resolved to help Wright, he said a comment from the great-great-grandmother had resonated with him.

She'd said 'I've pretty much been a fighter all my life' while resisting the development of her home.

Perry had been about to hand over the keys to her new home when she died. Announcing the news of her death via Instagram on Monday, he said: 'I am so heartbroken to hear about the passing of this warrior

Josephine Wright, 94, had been fighting to save the Hilton Head, South Carolina home (pictured) which has been in her family since the Civil War

Billionaire film producer Tyler Perry, seen in November, vowed to help Josephine Wright

The developers sued Wright, claiming her porch sits on their land

Wright previously told WSAV the property had been her family's home for generations.

'This house means it's a home, a place where I want to be at this age,' she said.

It has been in the family since just after the Civil War.

Her husband was a Gullah Geechee Islander, descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations of the lower Atlantic coast along the Carolinas. Many came from rice-growing regions of West Africa.

His relatives were escaped slaves and were freed by Union soldiers.

Bailey Point has started construction of a 147-unit site, set over 29 acres.

They wanted to buy her land and when she said no, she claimed a campaign of harassment begun. She said her tires were slashed, trash thrown on her property and a snake hung from one of her windows.

Bailey Point says Wright is blocking their construction progress, and they have sued her, accusing her of having her porch on their land.

Wright already paid to move a shed, which cost about $1,900, and got rid of a satellite dish.

Former State Representative Bakari Sellers, pictured beside Wright during her battle to keep her home, also paid tribute to her on Instagram

Former State Representative Bakari Sellers also said he was 'saddened' to hear the news about Wright's passing.

'She was a fighter. A hero. Even at less than 5 feet, I looked up to her. She means so much to so many. May you rest in power Ms. Josephine!' he wrote on Instagram.

Sellers had been working with Wright's legal team, while asking people to call the developer and lawmakers to help Wright keep her property.

He previously said he'd asked the developer 'to communicate' and that their lack of response to Wright was 'even more disrespectful than a no'.

'We are very big on generational wealth, or trying to accrue it,' explained Sellers.

'When you talk about poverty in our communities it's because we don't have land, and when we do, people want to take it away.

'There are a lot of people to pick on. Pick on me.

'Don't pick on a 93-year-old woman who has lived her life doing nothing wrong.'

When Perry, pictured in November, first resolved to help Wright, he said a comment from the great-great-grandmother had resonated with him. She'd said 'I've pretty much been a fighter all my life' while resisting the development of her home

Wright's neighbors were also involved, working to protect her and the land.

'We don't have the right to change what has already been approved; that ship has sailed. We can't change the zoning,' said Kelly LeBlanc, part of the newly formed Jonesville Preservation Society.

'The town is looking very closely at the permitting, at the approval phase. The town is making sure it is done to the letter of the law.'

Wright said she intended to fight to keep her home.

'I guess they figured I would become so unnerved with the harassment that I would say take it. But they don't know me. I am here to fight for what I have,' she said.

'I don't want to say anything that can be used against me, but I think they are unscrupulous and greedy and they want all the property they can get their hands on.'

Perry, pictured in October, is known for making generous donations to poorer residents, particularly in the Atlanta area

Perry is known for his generosity, particularly in the Atlanta area.

Last February, he made a $2.75 million donation to assist low-income seniors with their property tax payments through the Invest Atlanta Partnership nonprofit.

He had already donated $750,000 for the first year to cover the back taxes and any increase in property taxes, and has pledged $500,000 each year over the next four years to ensure the residents don't pay any more in such taxes.

Perry hosts annual food giveaways in time for Thanksgiving, and has helped out numerous organizations that have fallen victim to criminals.

His charitable efforts also include building a home for a great-grandmother of seven who lost everything in a fire; surprising kids with a trip to Disney World; and holding a camp quarantine at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
Jeffrey Epstein's brother is pushing to gain access to more information which could help him better understand what happened the night the disgraced financier died.

The high-profile prisoner, then 66, was found dead in his cell at the Manhattan Correction Center on August 10, 2019 while awaiting trial.

Though Epstein's death was ruled a suicide inside a week of his passing, Mark Epstein, 69, has maintained suspicion about the nature of his older brother's death.

The younger Epstein, also a financier with mysterious sources of income, has long been after the security video from his brother's cell block on the night he died.

He told the New York Post that he just wants 'to look at the facts.'

Mark Epstein, 69, the younger brother of the late Jeffrey Epstein, maintains that the investigation into his brother's mysterious 2019 death was a 'cover-up'

Epstein's body is brought out of the lower Manhattan hospital in a body bag to be transported to the office of the medical examiner

'When we consider the facts available, we get more questions,' he said.

'There appears to have been no investigation once it was ruled a suicide, they saw no reason to dig deeper.

'It seems like a cover-up. Why can't I find his pre-hospital care report and why can't I get the 911 call?'

Mark has repeatedly said that he had nothing to gain from his brother's death and was not in his will, though he was later identified by court papers as Jeffrey Epstein's only potential heir.

He says that he has incurred personal legal expenses to to protect his family since his brother's death. He has two children with a former partner

Epstein was found dead by MCC security guards early in the morning, appearing to have hung himself with a strip of orange bedsheet that he'd tied to the bunk bed inside the small cell.

In response to the recent and continuing document dumps from a Manhattan court that have been dubbed the Epstein Files, Mark said he isn't sure what to make of them.

'I have nothing to do with that, you know, and it's not my business. What Im concerned about is my brothers murder,' he said recently, according to a local West Palm Beach outlet.

He maintains that the investigation into his brother's death was 'a cover-up.'

'I dont think Bill Barr killed my brother. So then, who is he covering up for? That becomes a question, and thats what he should be asked.'

Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on the morning of August 10, 2019. He was awaiting trial for various charges related to a long history of alleged sex trafficking

A picture of Epstein's cell as it was left after he was found dead on the morning of August 10

Epstein was being held without bail at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking. A series of significant failures led to the conditions that allowed Epstein to take his own life while he was on suicide watch

Dr. Michael Baden was hired by Epstein's brother to independently oversee the medical examination of Jeffrey's body. Baden said Epstein's injuries were consistent with homicidal strangulation, not suicide

In July, Epstein was sharing a cell with accused quadruple murderer Nick Tartaglione (above), who allegedly rushed to assist the sex predator when he first tried to kill himself. The prison psychologist then said Epstein must be kept with a cellmate at all times

The night the death occurred, the cameras in the jail's Secure Housing Unit, where Epstein was being kept, weren't recording. The prison guards tasked with monitoring Epstein had also fallen asleep.

Epstein had also been left in his cell alone, despite orders from prison psychologists to pair him with a cellmate.

Attorney General Bill Barr later called the events leading to Epstein's death, 'a perfect storm of screw-ups.'

At Epstein's post-mortem medical examination, two doctors, Dr. Kristin Roman and Dr. Michael Baden were present. Baden was sent by Mark Epstein to independently oversee the proceedings.

The pair agreed at the time to list the cause of death as 'pending,' saying that further investigation was needed.

But, that judgement was overruled days later by New York Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Samsom, who listed the cause of death as suicide.

She said she'd been able to view 'additional evidence,' though it never became clear what exactly that evidence was.

Dr. Baden said Epstein had two breaks on each side of his thyroid cartilage and one on the left side of his hyoid bone, both of which 'occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation' than 'suicidal hangings.'

'I've not seen in 50 years where that occurred in a suicidal hanging case,' Baden said.

Autopsy pictures also revealed that the marks on Epstein's throat were different than the ones generally understood to be consistent with hanging.

Photos from inside Epstein's cell reveal that fragments of material were found hanging from a window, while a large strip of bedding was also looped through a hole on the top bunk bed

Police officers cover a medical examiner car outside New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital, where Jeffrey Epstein's body was transported before being moved to a medical examiner's office in Manhattan borough of New York City

The piece of fabric that Epstein allegedly used as a noose was not ripped nor cut when it was submitted to evidence. A prison guard said he had torn and cut the material off of Epstein when he was found

Multiple nooses fashioned from the orange bedding were found on the floor of Epstein's cell

Mark Epstein (pictured) maintains that the investigation into his brother's death was 'a cover-up.'

The Department of Justice conducted an investigation into Epstein's death that claimed he was discovered 'suspended from the top bunk in a near-seated position, with his buttocks approximately 1 inch to 1 inch and a half off the floor' and his legs out in front of him.

Two nooses were found in the cell. The one taken in as evidence was not ripped or cut. The guard who found Epstein said he had ripped and cut the sheet off of the inmate and begun chest compressions.

The noose that was submitted to evidence was a full piece of cloth - meaning not ripped nor cut - that had no stains or fluids on it, despite being tied around Epstein's neck when he died and for hours afterward. An autopsy showed that Epstein was dead for at least two hours before he was found, but potentially up to six hours.

Mark says his brother's sleep apnea machine was also found in his cell, which he says had a cord that would have been easier to use to hang himself than a sheet.

Despite being found 100 percent deceased, Epstein was put in a hospital gown on a gurney and taken to the medical center.

It was also flagged as odd that the EMTs who attended to Epstein were not interviewed after the incident, which is protocol in most cases.

In high-profile cases especially, medical professionals on the scene and at the hospital are interviewed by police, but not in this case.

The 911 call made from the prison to the ambulances has also never been released.

After an earlier violent altercation with a cellmate during his stay at MCC, a prison psychologist said Epstein must have a cellmate at all times and should also be monitored around the clock.

Efrain 'Stone' Reyes became Epstein's new assigned roommate, but was transferred less than 24 hours prior to Epstein's death to a different facility.

Reyes, who himself died in late 2020, told his family that Epstein seemed like he 'didn't want to live anymore.'

An MCC cell block is seen above. Prosecutors say that footage from Epstein's tier was accidentally deleted after his first suicide attempt in late July

MCC guard Tova Noel (yellow shirt) was one of the guards who fell asleep on the job after falsifying records of checking on the prisoners in Epstein's block

Michael Thomas (glasses) was the other officer who failed to conduct his responsibilities on the night Epstein died. Thomas found Epstein dead in his cell at about 6.30am on August 10

No video footage from the night of Epstein's death has ever been released. The jail claims the cameras meant to be recording the block where Epstein was being kept failed that night.

But even the limited footage that does exist, including Epstein's body being removed from his cell, has never seen the light of day.

The two prison guards who were stationed just feet away from Epstein's cell fell asleep on the job and later admitted to falsifying records that confirmed they had completed their prisoner checks.

Both guards, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, struck deals that saw the federal charges against them dropped in exchange for admissions of guilty and cooperation into the federal investigation of Epstein's death.

There were two other prison guards around that night whose identities have never been revealed.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence, the latest twist in the saga of his mysterious hospitalization and illness.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has launched a full investigation into the matter and one Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment against the defense secretary.

Austin, 70, remains at Walter Reed Medical Center but is out of the ICU and has retaken control of his authorities as the head of U.S. armed forces. The White House has said President Joe Biden backs him but lawmakers in both parties are questioning the Pentagon's handling of the situation.

The Pentagon said Monday night that it's still unclear when Austin will be released from the hospital but vowed to give daily updates until he is out.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence - he is seen above participating in the Virtual Red Sea Security Summit at NAVCENT headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on December 19

Timeline on Lloyd Austin's illness Dec. 22: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has procedure at Walter Reed Dec. 23: Austin returns home Dec. 27: President Biden leaves for St. Croix for New Year's vacation Jan. 1: Austin participates in national security phone call Jan. 1: Austin admitted to ICU Jan. 2: Austin top staffers informed of his hospitalization Jan. 2: Biden returns to White House Jan. 2: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks takes some of Austin's duties Jan. 4: Biden and Hicks told Austin is in hospital Jan. 5: Congress informed Jan. 6: Biden and Austin speak via phone Advertisement

Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement that Austin 'continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good.' Ryder said that Austin is in 'good condition' and that he is 'recovering well and in good spirits.'

As part of the fallout, Kelly Magsamen, Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding Austin's hospitalization, the Pentagon announced late Monday night.

But the matter was not referred to the Defense Department inspector general's office for an independent review. It will be led by Jennifer Walsh, the Pentagons director of administration and management.

Magsamen had been ill with the flu and was unaware that Austin had been hospitalized. Officials have cited her illness as one of the reasons the White House wasn't informed about the secretary's condition.

Austin's top staffers knew about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, however. Biden wasn't told until Jan. 4.

The review will establish a timeline of events beginning Jan. 1 when Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed and examine how decisions were made about informing officials of his condition.

'This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred,' Magsamen wrote. 'And that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public.'

Kelly Magsamen (left), Lloyd Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding the defense secretary's hospitalization; Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder (right) was one of the top officials who knew of Austin's hospitalization

The White House announced President Biden backs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (seen above with Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the White House on August 30th)

Earlier Monday, Ryder acknowledged that he knew of Austin's hospitalization on Jan. 2 and should have pushed to inform the public sooner.

In an hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, which was held off-camera, Ryder offered no explanation as to why the White House wasn't informed sooner.

Asked if Austin directed any of his staff to withhold information, he answered indirectly, saying: 'That is one of the things we'll be looking at in terms of process improvements.'

Legal experts told Reuters that Austin may have violated a U.S. law on 'reporting of vacancies' that requires the head of executive agencies to 'submit to the Comptroller General of the United States and to each House of Congress' any vacancies and the name of the person filling the vacancy.

The Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery

The Comptroller General would then relay that information to the president and the Office of Personnel Management.

The law is largely procedural and does not spell out any penalties for lapses. Austin would likely face only a reprimand from Biden.

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery Monday.

The Marine Corps said the surgery repaired a bicuspid aortic valve in Smith's heart, which caused his cardiac arrest on Oct. 28. The Marine Corps, back in October, had announced Smith's heart attack within 24 hours of it occurring.

'He is in good condition and recovering at the hospital with his family,' they said.

The prompt public disclosure and details of the surgery were in stark contrast to how officials handled Austin's surgery.

The Marine Corps handling of General Smith's surgery has resulted in comparisons to the Pentagon's handling of Secretary Austin's surgery

The Pentagon continues to refuse to say what procedure Austin had or describe the complications he suffered.

It's unclear if even the president knows but the White House made it clear that Biden backs Austin.

'There are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been demonstrating,' White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

'Our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and the support that he needs to fully recovered,' he said.

Neither Kirby nor White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would say if Biden knows what medical condition his defense secretary is suffering from. Biden and Austin spoke on Saturday.

'I don't know the level of the president's personal knowledge of his (Austin's) medical situation. That would really be between the two men,' Kirby said.

'That it is not something that we can speak to right. This is his own medical - it is it is a private thing  this is something that the Secretary and the Department of Defense would speak to,' Jean-Pierre said.

Kirby pledged the White House would investigate the matter, looking at the 'process and procedure' regarding the location and health of senior officials after Biden was not told for four days that his defense secretary was in the hospital.

He said the administration would perform a 'hot wash,' which is a military term to describe an intense, quick review.

'As you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here. And try to learn from this experience and if there's some changes that need to be made, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that,' Kirby said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above) on the USS Gerald R Ford

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Austin

Republicans have seized on the issue and Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Austin.

Rosendale says Austin has 'violated his office' multiple times, giving the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.

'Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base  home to ICBMs  and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens,' he said in a statement.

'This dishonesty seems to be a repeated pattern for the Secretary as he once again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.

'Sec. Austin is unfit for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in impeaching him to protect the American people,' he added.

Rosendale is mulling a Senate run in Montana, even as GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.

Democrats, too, have expressed concern.

Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat from Rhode Island who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his first public remarks about the situation on Monday. He spoke to Austin on Sunday.

He said he wishes Austin a 'speedy and complete recovery' but has concerns 'that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care.'

While Austin is taking responsibility for the secrecy, 'this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department,' said Reed. This lack of disclosure must never happen again.'
Investigators are asking locals to check CCTV to identify who is responsible

The dead body of a newborn baby was found in a dumpster in Hollywood, Florida

The decomposing body of a newborn baby has been found tied up in a plastic bag in a dumpster in Florida.

Construction worker David Vasquez stumbled upon the grisly discovery in Hollywood on Monday. He noticed a 'bad odor' at an apartment and checked the trash.

He discovered a tied-up plastic bag that was covered in blood, and inside was the dead body of the newborn.

'I went to open the bag. When I opened the bag, I saw the baby and it was already lifeless because I noticed a bad odor,' Vasquez told CBS.

After responding to a 911 call at around 8 am, Hollywood police determined that the infant was dead on the scene.

The dead body of a newborn baby was found tied up in a plastic bag inside a dumpster by a construction worker in Hollywood, Florida

David Vasquez (pictured) stumbled upon the grisly discovery on Monday morning. He noticed a 'bad odor' outside an apartment and decided to check the trash

The baby's body had likely been in the dumpster for days, investigators said.

Hollywood residents are deeply disturbed by the discovery and those who live in the apartment building are baffled.

'It's just gut-wrenching and I've been here for 40 years. I never, never ever, we've never had things like this. I'm just like, I don't know, it's shocking, it's disgusting,' Hollywood resident Eugene Yakymiw said.

'It's unbelievable. It's like if people don't want a baby they could have gave it up to the firemen or leave it at a hospital,' said Roger Cote, who lives in the area.

'It definitely hurts. (Some) people try to make babies but they can't make babies, they can't conceive. They could have placed it up for adoption,' he continued.

Another local questioned whether the tragic death might be related to expanding abortion laws in the U.S.

'It's sad. I'm a therapist and, you know, you think about what someone had to go through to get to that point and what happened,' said Jessica Gort.

'I wonder how this might correlate with the way the abortion laws have come about. Are we going to see more things like this? Are there girls who are terrified, not knowing what to do?'

At this point in the investigation - officials haven't confirmed the sex or age of the infant.

Officers are asking local residents to come forward with any security footage they have from ring doorbell cameras or even Teslas to identify who is responsible for disposing of the baby.

After responding to a 911 call at around 8 am, Hollywood police determined that the infant was dead on the scene

Hollywood residents are deeply disturbed by the discovery and those who live in the apartment building are baffled

In Florida - parents are allowed to surrender their newborn babies to firefighters or hospital workers anonymously.

The Save Haven Baby Boxes allow unwanted children to be taken into safety and adopted.

In January 2023 - the first baby was surrendered to a Safe Haven Baby Box in Florida.

Six months later, the rescuer who discovered baby Zoey in the compartment on January 5 and his wife successfully adopted her after ten years of trying to start a family.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes' Founder and CEO, Monica Kelsey, told the outlet the adoption is a best-case scenario and exactly what her boxes are meant to do. The boxes are installed on government buildings and allow parents to safely and anonymously leave a newborn through 'safe haven' laws.

'We've had 10 [babies] this year in 2023, this is a record year for us,' Kelsey said. 'But it's working. And this little girl is proof that these boxes are needed in Florida.'
A mother-of-two has been jailed for driving the wrong way round a mini-roundabout and killing a grandmother out posting her Christmas cards.

Charlotte Symons failed to brake as she returned from a shopping trip and struck pedestrian Sandra Chamberlain on a road in Markham, Caerphilly.

The 67-year-old was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries but died eight days later.

Cardiff Crown Court heard 'much loved' Mrs Chamberlain had popped out to her local village shops and posted Christmas cards on December 9, 2022, when she was hit by Symons' Nissan Navara, who jumped out the car saying: 'I didn't see her.'

Judge, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, told Symons she was unable to see the victim because she was 'travelling in the wrong direction of a mini roundabout, exiting onto the wrong side of the road, and paying so little attention to the road ahead'.

Symons, of Blackwood, Gwent, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. She was jailed for four years and eight months and banned from driving for nine years and two months.

Cardiff Crown Court heard 'much loved' Mrs Chamberlain had popped out to her local village shops and posted Christmas cards on December 9, 2022, when she was struck by Symons' Nissan Navara

Charlotte Symons failed to brake as she returned from a shopping trip and struck pedestrian Sandra Chamberlain on a road in Markham, Caerphilly

Judge, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, told Symons she was unable to see the victim because she was 'travelling in the wrong direction of a mini roundabout, exiting onto the wrong side of the road, and paying so little attention to the road ahead'

Jude Lloyd Clarke said: 'You had been travelling in the wrong direction of a mini roundabout, exiting onto the wrong side of the road, and paying so little attention to the road ahead that you didn't even see the victim immediately before your vehicle struck her.'

'Anyone viewing the recordings of what happened on that day will be at a loss to understand why you failed to see Mrs Chamberlain.

'Your dangerous driving, brief though it was, has caused the death of a much loved wife, mother and grandmother.'

Prosecutor Gareth James said Mrs Chamberlain was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries but died eight days later on December 17, 2022.

He said: 'Mrs Chamberlain was wearing a bright red jacket she would have been clearly visible to other road users. She walked beyond the mini roundabout before crossing over the road. She had almost crossed to the other side of the road when she was struck by the defendant's vehicle and run over.'

He said of Symons: 'Instead of going the right way around mini roundabout she cut across the road and entered the mini roundabout on the wrong side of it.

'She then struck and ran down Mrs Chamberlain who was in the opposite carriageway to the one the defendant should have been in had she have been driving on the right side of the road.'

Footage played to the court showed Mrs Chamberlain being knocked to the ground - and Symons jumping from the car saying: 'I didn't see her.'

Mr James said mother-of-two Symons was arrested and initially told police she had gone around the roundabout the right way.

Prosecutor Gareth James said Mrs Chamberlain was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries but died eight days later on December 17, 2022

Footage played to the court showed Mrs Chamberlain being knocked to the ground - and Symons jumping from the car saying: 'I didn't see her'

She was later shown CCTV of the impact and admitted she had undercut the roundabout on several previous occasions as she lived nearby and had become 'complacent'.

He said: 'Had the defendant driven the correct way around the roundabout this collision would not have happened.'

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Chamberlain's daughter Stacey Hoskin said: 'We know the defendant didn't set out to hurt anyone that day but as drivers it is our responsibility to ensure the road is clear before we manoeuvre.

'There are lots of ifs and buts about that day but the biggest one is if she had followed the basic rules of driving we wouldn't be here today and my mam still would.

'She went to the shop and to post some Christmas cards. Six weeks and four days later she came back to us in a coffin.'

James Findon, defending, said: 'If the defendant could turn back the clock she would.'
A graduate with a peanut allergy who died after eating a slice of pizza he ordered from Deliveroo, used Google to see if it was likely to contain nuts, an inquest heard.

James Atkinson, 23, and two flat-mates ordered three chicken tikka masala pizzas, chips and assorted Indian dishes on his phone from the Dadyal restaurant in Newcastle.

Around an hour after eating less than a slice of pizza, the computer programmer called for an ambulance himself when he realised he was suffering an allergic reaction.

When paramedics arrived the 'scared' patient asked them 'am I going to die?' as they gave emergency care.

Mr Atkinson was soon 'gasping for air' and lost consciousness by the time he was transferred into the ambulance. Despite being rushed to hospital doctors were unable to revive him.

James Atkinson, 23, called for an ambulance himself when he realised he was suffering an allergic reaction.

The popular Newcastle University graduate who was originally from Leeds, used Google to see if the curried pizza was likely to contain nuts before the friends placed the order in July 2020, the inquest heard.

Luke Isley, 26, and Robert Raistrick, 27, gave evidence about what happened in their shared house in Jesmond that night.

Mr Isley, who works in IT, told the coroner he did not think Mr Atkinson mentioned his peanut allergy when he placed the order on the app, nor did he contact the restaurant directly.

As little as 30 seconds after starting on his first slice of the chicken tikka masala pizza, Mr Atkinson raised concerns about what he was eating, Mr Isley said.

'He said something about he was not sure about the pizza,' Mr Isley said.

'At first I thought maybe he didn't like it.

Mr Atkinson and two flat-mates ordered three chicken tikka masala pizzas, chips and assorted Indian dishes on his phone from the Dadyal restaurant in Newcastle

'When he first mentioned about nuts, that's when me and Rob started to panic.'

Mr Raistrick, a software developer, recalled how Mr Atkinson quickly fell ill after starting on the pizza, saying: 'He was concerned that his lips were tingling so he was aware quite soon.'

The two flatmates began to look for Mr Atkinson's EpiPen without success.

Both had seen one in a house they had shared previously, but they could not find one in their current property.

An ambulance arrived swiftly and he was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where efforts were made to resuscitate him, but he was sadly confirmed to have died around 40 minutes after arrival.

The popular Newcastle University graduate who was originally from Leeds, used Google to see if the curried pizza was likely to contain nuts before the friends placed the order in July 2020

Mr Raistrick said Mr Atkinson could not direct them to where his EpiPen was, saying: 'I don't believe he knew where it was either - I cannot be certain.'

Coroner Karen Dilks asked Mr Isley if there had been any discussion about the type of food the friends would order and whether it was suitable for Mr Atkinson.

Mr Isley said: 'When we were looking at menu options, James had mentioned about whether the type of pizza was likely to have nuts in it.

'James used his computer to see if that type of curry does have nuts in it.'

Mrs Dilks asked if Mr Isley had seen any warning on the Deliveroo app to contact the restaurant directly if someone had a query about allergens.

He replied: 'There might have been but I didn't see them if there were.'

The inquest continues.
Redbridge council has become the second London council to be accused of 'multiple criminal offences' over its failure to remove Palestine flags.

Pro-Israel lawyers have written to the east London council to warn that the 'proliferation' of Palestine flags in the local area 'intimidate Jewish people and may encourage violence against them'.

It comes less than a week after Tower Hamlets' council received a similar legal letter urging them to take down Palestinian flags as well as posters and stickers containing allegedly 'inflammatory' messages.

In the letter to Scotland Yard, Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive of UK Lawyers for Israel warned that Tower Hamlets council had 'not taken all reasonable steps to secure the removal of flags, posters and stickers on its land.'

He added: 'Accordingly, both the Mayor of Tower Hamlets and the Council appear to be guilty of multiple criminal offences in this matter.'

The mayor of Tower Hamlets, 58-year-old Lutfur Rahman, had previously been barred from public office for five years after being found guilty of electoral fraud.

In Redbridge, large Palestine flags have been spotted 'up and down' Cranbrook Road as well as along the main roads in Ilford, Gants Hill and Redbridge

Palestinian Flags on lampposts along The Drive in Ilford

Redbridge council has become the second London council to be accused of 'multiple criminal offences' over its failure to remove Palestine flags

A pro Palestine rally for full ceasefire marching through Newham and Redbridge, London on December 2

He was elected in May 2022, having served his ban, after leaving the Labour party and founding his own party - Aspire.

Tower Hamlets has one of the largest proportions of Muslims of any local authority, and Mr Rahman has significant support amongst the local Muslim community.

In Redbridge, large Palestine flags have been spotted 'up and down' Cranbrook Road as well as along the main roads in Ilford, Gants Hill and Redbridge.

Yesterday, Caroline Turner, director of UK Lawyers for Israel demanded the council remove the flags.

She said: 'Jewish residents of Redbridge have made it clear to our organisation that they feel very unsafe in an environment where the Palestinian flags proliferate.

'They feel that the presence of the flags is oppressive and intimidating.

'Redbridge should take all steps to ensure that all members of their local community should feel safe and not feel threatened, particularly at this time when antisemitism is so prevalent. They need to remove the flags.'

Tower Hamlets' council received a similar legal letter urging them to take down Palestinian flags as well as posters and stickers containing allegedly 'inflammatory' messages

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Since 7th October, almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the UK due to antisemitism, which has surged over 1,000%.

'Let that sink in for a moment. The situation is desperate.

'Surely local councils understand that they have a duty to do everything that they can to reduce tensions right now, not increase them.

'Just because Jews are a small minority does not mean they are undeserving of consideration when local authorities evaluate the impact of their actions and inaction.

'Tower Hamlets is failing its Jewish community by ignoring their concerns.'

A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets' council said: 'A number of Palestinian flags have been put up by the public in recent months.

'While we appreciate people want to express their support for Palestine, we have a routine responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure.

'The situation is under regular review.

'Separately to Palestinian flags, the council will remove at the earliest opportunity any graffiti, posters or flags which are racist or generally offensive.

'We are not aware of any criminal offences related to Palestinian flags not being removed, and we will continue to work closely with police partners to manage the situation.'

A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: 'It is our policy to remove all unauthorised items, including flags, banners, and decorations, from our street furniture, such as lampposts, benches and railings.

'We are following this policy fairly, removing all items displayed on our street furniture in order to keep our streets tidy, prevent the potential concealment of CCTV and traffic signs, and avoid items falling into the street and causing a hazard.

'We are working with our contractors to remove items and will continue to ensure we meet our duties as a local authority.'
At least 6,618 migrants died or disappeared while trying to reach Spain by sea in 2023, a migrants rights charity has found.

The number of migrants arriving illegally in Spain last year nearly doubled from the previous year, reaching 56,852, according to interior ministry figures.

About 70 percent arrived in the Canary Islands, which, at their closest point, are barely 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the northwest coast of Africa.

The vast majority of fatalities, a reported 6,007 deaths, took place on the treacherous Atlantic migration route from Africa to the Canary Islands.

Campaign group Caminando Fronteras, or Walking Borders, has branded the latest figures as 'shameful' and revealed the number of deaths and disappearances last year was the highest since the charity began keeping a tally in 2007.

A boat carrying 156 migrants is accompanied by the Salvamar Adhara Salvamento Maritimo (Sea Rescue) vessel to La Restinga seaport, in the municipality of El Pinar on the Canary Island of El Hierro, following their rescue in the waters off the island on December 15, 2023

175 immigrants arrive at La Restinga port after being rescued by Spanish Sea Rescue near El Hierro island, in El Hierro, Canary Islands on January 4, 2024

A Red Cross worker accompanies a migrant at La Restinga port in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain on January 8, 2024

The number of migrants arriving illegally in Spain last year was the highest number since 2018, when 64,298 migrants entered the country.

The number of reported migrant deaths and disappearances in 2023 is almost three times that of the figure recorded in the previous year - 2,390.

The total last year includes 384 children, according to Caminando Fronteras, which compiles its figures from families of migrants who died or went missing and from official rescue statistics.

Helena Maleno, the charity's coordinator, blamed the rise in migrant deaths and disappearances last year on a lack of resources for rescuers.

Nearly half involved migrants who had departed for Spain were from Senegal, where political unrest along with a lack of jobs, rising food prices and depleting fish stocks have caused thousands to flee the country.

As control tightens in the Mediterranean, the seven islands have become a favorite destination for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa, mostly on overcrowded, barely seaworthy vessels that lack enough food and water for the journey.

A boat carrying 156 migrants arrives at La Restinga seaport, in the municipality of El Pinar on the Canary Island of El Hierro, on December 15, 2023 following their rescue by the Salvamar Adhara Salvamento Maritimo vessel in the waters off the island

Migrants arrive in a small boat at La Restinga port in El Hierro, Canary islands, Spain on January 3, 2024

Red Cross members take care of 30 migrants who traveled on board a small boat upon their arrival at Canteria de Orzola beach in Lanzarote, Canary Islands on December 31, 2023

'The Atlantic route has become the deadliest route in the world,' Maleno said.

Boats - often long wooden fishing vessels known as pirogues - depart from Morocco, as well as Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal further south.

The direct journey from Senegal to the Canaries usually takes a week of difficult upwind sailing of around 1,600 kilometers.

To avoid controls, smugglers sometimes 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 island of El Hierro, which experienced an unprecedented surge in arrivals last year.

Spain's central government in October pledged an aid package worth 50million ($54 million) to help the archipelago cope with the surge in arrivals.

Madrid has also stepped up cooperation with Senegal and Mauritania to try and stop boats leaving for the Canaries.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska (pictured on December 15, 2023) said on Thursday this cooperation with African nations had stopped the departure of more than 27,000 would-be migrants to Spain last year

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Thursday this cooperation with African nations had stopped the departure of more than 27,000 would-be migrants to Spain last year.

'We have saved lives,' he claimed.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which bases its tally on press reports and indirect accounts, says over 1,200 migrants died or disappeared last year while trying to reach Spain.

But the United Nations agency stresses its figure is most likely 'considerably' underestimated, given the difficulty of documenting shipwrecks at sea and the fact that most bodies are never found.
Gabriel Attal, 34, has become the youngest Prime Minister in French history after he was appointed to the role by the country's President, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday.

It comes after France's longest-serving woman Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned Monday evening, sparking a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle to reboot the final three years of Macron's presidency.

While the appointment of such a young politician to such a key role may seem like an odd move to outsiders, Attal has been a rising star of French politics ever since he was made a junior minister in 2018.

Read on below for everything you need to know about France's youngest-ever Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal.

New French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal makes a speech in the courtyard of the Matignon Hotel during the handover ceremony in Paris, France

Who is Gabriel Attal?

Born on March 16 1989, Gabriel Attal grew up in the 13th and 14th arrondissements of Paris and - like his senior Macron - enjoyed acting as a child.

'If you think politicians are looking younger every year, then Gabriel hasn't changed much since he was at school,' said a former classmate at the private Alsatian School  one of the most prestigious in Paris.

'He loved showing off on stage, and in front of the camera, and always knew he was destined for great things.'

His own education and upbringing in Paris attracted attention when he was made education secretary, overseeing France's public schools as someone who attended private school.

'Yes, I went to private school,' he previously told reporters.

'I don't have to deny or apologise for this choice my parents made at the time.

'I do not believe that the fight is to criticise those who make this choice The fight is to guarantee that the whole school can provide all parents with the essentials of what they expect for children.'

When did Gabriel Attal first enter politics?

Attal began taking part in politics by participating in the 2006 youth protests in France, which occurred because of young people's opposition to a measure set to deregulate labour.

Young people took part in the protests as they argued the bill would have directly affected their future jobs in a negative way.

He was one of the first to publicly back Macron when he decided to run for president in 2017 and became an MP soon after.

After joining the Socialist Party aged 17, Attal quickly rose up the ranks, becoming a junior minister and taking up the role of government spokesperson during the Covid pandemic.

When appointed a junior minister in 2018, Attal became the youngest minister in the history of the Fifth Republic.

France's new Prime Minister made headlines around the world when he announced the abaya would be banned in state schools in August 2023

What are Gabriel Attal's political views?

He previously made headlines in around the world when he announced that the abaya, a robe worn by Muslim women and girls, would be banned in French state schools.

Attal - a long-time supporter and friend of Emmanuel Macron - introduced the policy ahead of the most recent school year in France, which began in September 2023.

While serving as France's Education Minister, Mr Attal said the loose-fitting long robe was considered to be too closely linked with Islam at a press conference in Paris at the time, sparking fury from Muslim leaders and critics.

Having been promoted into his post just a month before announcing the abaya ban, Attal quickly made his mark on France's education system and courted controversy.

France has a strict ban on religious signs in state schools and government buildings, because they violate laws on secularism.

The banning of the abaya cam after France banned the wearing of full-face veils in public in 2010, provoking anger among Muslims about so-called 'Burqa Ban'.

Attal has also appeared to gradually shift his political views from left of centre to the centre-right.

In 2018, he reacted to strikes by staff at SNCF, France's national railway company, by saying that France needed to 'get out of the strike culture' and labelled students as 'selfish 'bobos' (bourgeois Bohemians)' for protesting against changes to the education system.

Following further strikes in 2022, Mr Attal argued that workers for RATP - which operates transport across Paris - showed a lack empathy to those 'who couldn't go to work, who couldn't get around, who may have had difficulty dropping the children off at school.'

Attal was one of the first to publicly back Macron when he decided to run for president in 2017. Pictured: Macron and Attal while he was still a junior minister in 2019

Attal has caught the attention of the world's media, having spent most of his adult life in politics

He is also one half of a French political power couple and was known to be in a civil union with Stephane Sejourne. Pictured: the pair together in 2016

Gabriel Attal's personal life

He is also one half of a French political power couple and was known to be in a civil union with Stephane Sejourne, a member of the European Parliament for La Republique En Marche!, but the pair are reportedly no longer an item, according to Politico.

Attal was outed as gay by his former high school classmate and enemy, lawyer Juan Branco, in 2018.

'He wrote that I was relieved when my father died, because according to him I could live my homosexuality more openly,' Attal told the newspaper Liberation.

Attal's father, who died of cancer, was a Jewish movie producer and his mother is an Orthodox Christian.

He has been the subject of both homophobic and anti-Semitic abuse from trolls, previously admitting he gets 'bucketloads of vomit' from haters online.

But the media savvy politician has been effective at using Instagram and other platforms to promote his image, regularly taking selfies with the youngsters his policies effect and sharing snaps from his frequent meet and greets.
The art dealer representing Hunter Biden disclosed that the president's son received an eye-popping amount of money for his amateur artworks from Democratic donors - and knew who they were despite White House ethics plan.

Republicans questioned dealer Georges Berges behind closed-doors Tuesday as they ramp up their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and seek to get to the bottom of Hunter's lucrative art deals.

Hunter's artwork attracted attention after some of his paintings were listed for a whopping $500,000, but the identities of buyers and prices they actually paid were kept secret.

But according to a source familiar with the testimony by Berges, he disclosed to investigators how much some of Hunter's top buyers shelled out - including from Democratic donors Kevin Morris, a Hollywood attorney, and Elizabeth Hirsch Naftali.

Naftali, a Los Angeles real estate developer who paid big bucks for Hunter's art, has also been summoned for testimony by the committee.

President Joe Biden appointed her to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, an obscure but prestigious board in July 2022, eight months after Hunter's exhibition opened in New York City.

According to the source, Berges told the committee Tuesday that Naftali paid $42,000 in February 2021 for one of Hunter's artworks and another in December 2022 for $52,000 - before and after her appointment.

In addition, he stated that Kevin Morris paid $875,000 for Hunter's artwork in January 2023, according to the source.

Georges Berges and Hunter Biden. Berges has been representing Biden throughout his art career

Morris has been named by IRS whistleblowers for loaning $4.9 million to Hunter over a three-year period.

He was spotted by DailyMail.com over the summer smoking a bong on the balcony of his Los Angeles home while the president's son was over.

According to a source, Berges said that most of Hunter's buyers were not Democratic donors and they were not targeted to buy his artwork.

Berges told lawmakers that he set the prices at his discretion, including negotiating the price directly with Morris.

An attorney for Naftali over the summer attempted to discredit the 'numerous false allegations' making a 'baseless' link between her art purchases and corruption allegations against Biden.

The White House had previously announced that a team of lawyers had reviewed sales and kept purchasers anonymous as a way to avoid potential conflicts of interest when buyers handed hefty sales prices to the president's son.

According to former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki, the established ethics plan 'system' regarding the selling of Hunter's art and the setting of prices would be handled by a 'professional gallerist.'

But two sources told DailyMail.com that Berges said Tuesday that he never had any communication with the White House concerning the sale of Hunter Bidens artwork.

In addition, he told the congressional investigators that he never told Hunter who any of the buyers were.

According to another source, Berges 'admitted' to the committee that Hunter 'knew the identities' of the individuals who purchased around 70 percent of the value of his art - finding out their identities on his own.

Berges also said he was originally introduced to Hunter through Lanette Phillips, a producer in Hollywood who previously hosted political fundraisers for Joe Biden.

Top Republican James Comer, R-Ky., previously highlighted the possibility that 'foreign buyers' were making the purchases.

He said in a statement Tuesday that 'the White House has a lot of explaining to do about misleading the American people.'

Berges, who has been overseeing the sale of Hunter's amateur paintings and said he has the potential to become 'one of the most consequential artists in this century,' was summoned in November via subpoena to testify on Capitol Hill.

The Republican committee's investigation is part of an ongoing probe into the president's son's murky business dealings, which some contend involved him leveraging his closeness to the White House for profit.

GOP leadership held a vote to formalize their ongoing impeachment inquiry into Joe on December 13.

Hunter Biden hard at work on one of his many paintings. His manager said he could be one of the most important artists of the century

The 221-212 party-line vote opened the door for the GOP to get more evidence about schemes that have seen the Biden family get millions from countries including China, Ukraine and Romania.

And the Bidens will now have more of their bank records, mortgage details, emails, text messages and mobile phones subpoenaed, along with anything else Congress wants to see.

Berges previously skirted around the issue of whether he would cooperate withe the Republican-led committee.

And he had refused to turn over information about Biden's clients, arguing he is committed to the anonymity of his clients', along with finding the next great artist of the time.

'I represent Hunter Biden because I feel that not only his art merits my representation, but because his personal narrative, which gives birth to his art, is very much needed in the world,' he said previously.

'His is a story of perseverance; Hunter's story reflects what I believe is the beauty of humanity, judged not by the fall, but by having the strength to rise up, by having the character required to change and the courage to do it.'

'Hunter Biden's art reflects all of that and more. His art gives us hope; it reminds us that tomorrow brings a new day, a new beginning, a new possibility,' he said.

Hunter's latest art work advertised prices between $55,000 and $225,000, according to the Daily Beast.

Republicans voted to formalize their ongoing impeachment effort into Joe Biden and his connections to his family's businesses in December.

Berges previously skirted around the issue of whether he would cooperate withe the Republican-led committee

Georges Berges carrying a bouquet of flowers into his gallery where Biden's art is on display

Georges Berges stands inside his gallery in New York City during Biden's gallery exhibition

'For over a decade, the Biden family has profited from Joe Biden's positions as a public official,' Comer said in a letter to the dealer last year.

'Your arrangement with Hunter Biden raises serious ethics concerns and calls into question whether the Biden family is again selling access and influence.'

'Despite being a novice artist, Hunter Biden received exorbitant amounts of money selling his artwork, the buyers' identities remain unknown, and you appear to be the sole record-keeper of these lucrative transactions,' Comer wrote to Berges.

Comer highlighted the possibility that 'foreign buyers' were making purchases.

During one of Biden's gallery exhibits in 2021, two former White House ethics chiefs warned buyers could try to curry influence with the president by buying his son's work for inflated sums.

'I just think that's absolutely appalling,' Obama White House ethics chief Walter Shaub told Law & Crime's 'Objections' podcast in August.

Richard Painter, George W. Bush's ethics' chief, told Fox: 'It's going to be very clear with people in the know as to who buys Hunter Biden's art.

'The question is, are the American people going to know? The White House should insist on complete transparency.'

The Oversight Committee has targeted much of its focus on the Biden family's business dealings, specifically if Hunter Biden sold access to foreign officials and to what extent Joe Biden could have been involved.

Hunter Biden sitting amongst some of his paintings. His paintings have been listed for large sums

One of Hunter Biden's paintings. During a gallery exhibit last year one of his works was listed for $500,000

A Hunter Biden painting at his exhibit. The names of his buyers have been kept secret

Comer highlighted the possibility that 'foreign buyers' were making purchases.

Amid criticism of the art sales, the White House Counsel's Office came up with a plan to prevent Hunter or anyone in the Biden administration from knowing the identity of those who purchased his work
A 64-year-old Massachusetts woman has been charged with trying to kill her 73-year-old husband after meeting a man she met online, who posed as a soap opera star, and coaxed her into serve him poison soup so he could have sex with her.'

Roxanne Doucette believed she had been speaking to the dashing daytime soap opera star Thorsten Kaye of 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' during a series of text exchanges last month.

During one of their conversations, the reported scammer said to Douchette, 'you have to get rid of your husband honey I miss you so much,' Boston25 News reported.

Douchette gave her husband Paul the spiked soup, but hours later he became so violently ill she called 911 where he was rushed to Nashoba Valley Medical Center.

The couple's daughter, Nicole Heath, who went to the hospital to see her ailing father, grew suspicious by her mother's actions after reviewing her phone.

It was there when she told police she suspected that her mother had poisoned her father and took a series of screenshots to share with police.

Pictured: Roxanne Douchette, 64, has been charged with trying to kill her 73-year-old husband, Paul Douchette, by serving him poison soup after she meeting a man on-line who tricked her into thinking he was a soap opera star

Roxanne Doucette believed she had been speaking to the German-British daytime soap opera star Thorsten Kaye of 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' during a series of text exchanges last month

She responded, 'Making an amazing soup. Special potion. He can't be hungry when he gets back. Just enough for him'

On Monday, a tearful Douchette disputed those claims and told WBZ in the doorway of her home that the soup was old and that she 'didn't poison' her husband.

'I've never ever tried to poison him in any way whatsoever,' she said. 'I love him very, very much and I would never try to kill anyone.'

She also spoke of how she missed him and said, 'I just want him to come home.'

But, court documents revealed a nefarious text message exchange that took place between Douchette and her love interest.

'Making an amazing soup. Special potion. He will be hungry when he gets back. Just enough for him,' she wrote.

After serving him the concoction, she wrote: 'Hubby got back not feeling well. Maybe I can collect life insurance.'

He responded: 'Honey when will that be?'

She responded, 'Don't know.'

The couple pictured drinking a beer together in this undated photo

On December 4, 2023, a day after the alleged poisoning, Douchette was arraigned in Ayer District Court, and was released on her own recognizance.

Though her husband's toxicology test came back negative she was still required to stay 100 yards away from him and have no contact with him.

She was also ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, wear a GPS monitor and is only permitted to leave her home for medical appointments, as the case is being investigated.

In a report, Officer Marchand wrote: 'Roxanne had been messaging someone she believed to be a daytime drama actor, Thorsten Kaye.'

He added, 'this person scammed her into giving them money.'

When her husband recovered from the harrowing ordeal, he told his daughter and the police that his wife, 'made him soup, but that it wasn't very good.'

He stated that it 'tasted bitter,' according to a police report.

Doucette later told police, that she initially told (her husband) that she was going on a retreat, but later told her husband that she was not going on a retreat and told him about the person she was messaging.

'She stated that she thought she was talking to a star, and that she had always wanted to meet a star,' as per the police report.

Douchette said, 'she said that she was afraid to be alone. She alleged that she would never harm him in any way, and that she loves him very, very much,' as per the police report.

She also stated that she loves her children, and that she hopes her daughter doesn't think she put him in the hospital.

Doucette also told investigators that her husband 'was under a lot of stress because of the scam.

She stated that he had recently been the victim of a scam and lost approximately $8,000.00,' as per the news outlet.

On December 12, Douchette was arrested again for violating an Abuse Prevention Order after she gave her husband a handwritten which she reportedly had a neighbor mail to him that violated her no contact order.

In the letter, she asked her husband to 'please consider dropping the restraining order.'

She added: 'That's a long time to have you out of my life. I want my husband back. I miss you so much.'

Douchette also faces a charge of resisting arrest and assaulting an officer after police tried to obtain her cell phone and tablet for evidence.

She reportedly kicked one of the officers and fought back. The items were eventually seized.

The couple have been living in their quaint town for four decades with many neighbors shocked by the allegations, but one of the police officers urged many of the locals not to 'rush to judgement.'
T he 'jellyfish' switches from hot to cold and goes underwater for 17 minutes

The UFO, which is only seen on thermal camera, flies over a U.S. military base

The UFO, which is only seen on thermal camera, flies over a U.S. military base

Shocking new UFO footage has revealed a 'jellyfish' craft that isn't visible to the naked eye - which was allegedly buried by the intelligence community.

Leaked US military footage of a mysterious flying object was unveiled by expert Jeremy Corbell.

Two different angles of the aircraft show the mysterious entity as it flies over the land and water of a military base.

The UFO can only be seen on thermal camera and the object switches between black and white - indicating a change in temperature from hot to cold.

Corbell revealed that troops in 2018 were instructed to 'hunt it down'.

Shocking new UFO footage has revealed a 'jellyfish' craft that isn't visible to the naked eye, which was allegedly buried by the intelligence community

Two different angles of the Jellyfish UFO show the mysterious entity as it flies over the land and water of a military base

The leaked U.S. military footage of a mysterious flying object was unveiled by UFO expert Jeremy Corbell in his new TMZ documentary UFO Revolution

The UFO was supposedly submerged in water for 17 minutes in the footage - before it's launched out of the water at rapid speed.

'It goes over a body of water. I'm told it stops on a dime, descends stiff into the water and for 17 minutes nothing. And boom! This thing comes out of the water and shoots off at 45 degrees,' Corbell said, describing the object's behavior.

Witnesses said that each of the hanging 'legs' on the object were stuff and unmoving.

Jeremy Corbell, an investigative journalist and filmmaker, said that the legitimacy of the footage was confirmed by sources who 'risked getting it' to him.

The filmmaker is 'passionate about getting to the bottom of what UFOs mean to humanity'.

Corbell's bombshell revelations came as part of his expose - TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution.

In the documentary, Corbell spearheads the investigation which claims to 'lift the lid on the biggest cover-up in the history of the world.'

The investigation comes after The New York Times in 2020 exposed the Pentagon's ongoing U.F.O unit - where officials continue to study mysterious interactions between UFOs and military pilots.

The UFO can only be seen on thermal camera, not night vision, and the object switches back and forth between black and white - indicating a change in temperature from hot to cold

The UFO was supposedly submerged in water for 17 minutes in the footage - before it's launched out of the water at rapid speeds

Jeremy Corbell, an investigative journalist and filmmaker, said that the legitimacy of the footage was confirmed by sources who 'risked getting it' to him

Following the groundbreaking revelation - a House Oversight subcommittee held a hearing on UFOs in July 2023.

Three former military officials told congress in the hearing that the government knows much more about UFOs than they let on to the public.

During the hearing - a former intelligence officer suggested people have been murdered by the US government as part of the conspiracy to keep UFOs a secret in a bombshell hearing held by Congress.

David Grusch - a former high-ranking intelligence official - is one of three military whistleblowers who testified under oath that they had firsthand encounters or knowledge about secret government programs involving technology that is 'non-human.'

He claimed that the US has been in possession of UFOs since 'the 1930s' and has been secretly back-engineering them and carrying out a public disinformation campaign to prevent the details from leaking publicly.

At one point during the first-of-its-kind hearing, Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn) asked Grusch: 'Personally, have you heard anyone [has] been murdered?' Grausch said: 'I have to be careful answering that question. I directed people with that knowledge to the appropriate authorities.'

House Oversight Committee members are set to undergo a classified briefing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs, this week.

The covert meeting, shrouded in mystery, underscores a surging interest among lawmakers from both ends of the spectrum that are demanding increased government transparency on the extraterrestrial front.

The briefing, scheduled for Tuesday morning in the Office of House Security, will be conducted by the Office of Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, Thomas A. Monheim.
He enjoys the lifestyle despite it causing chaos and blowing his budget

He commutes between midtown Manhattan and Columbus, Ohio, every week

A supercommuter revealed how he managed to fly to and from New York City every week at costs less than renting a Manhattan apartment.

Chip Cutter, a Wall Street Journal reporter, relocated closer to his family in Columbus, Ohio, early in the pandemic and has never left.

He chose to show up at the office for at least three days a week, maintaining elite status with both Hyatt and American Airlines, instead of paying thousands of dollars for a shaky Manhattan studio.

'Friends teased me that I had embraced a life of chaos. They werent wrong,' he wrote in a recent article on WSJ.

In the article, Cutter shared his bittersweet experience as a supercommuter - staying at different hotels every night, rebooking flights at the last minute, and writing stories from his roomy Ohio apartment with picturesque view.

Chip Cutter, a Wall Street Journal reporter, relocated closer to his family in Columbus, Ohio , early in the pandemic and has never left

On commuting days, Cutter woke up at 4.15am in Columbus to catch a 6am flight, arriving at the office in Midtown Manhattan after three hours

He chose to show up at the office for at least three days a week, maintaining elite status with both Hyatt and American Airlines, instead of paying thousands of dollars for a shaky Manhattan studio

Cutter shared his bittersweet experience as a supercommuter - staying at different hotels every night, rebooking flights at the last minute, and writing stories from his roomy Ohio apartment with picturesque view

On commuting days, Cutter woke up at 4.15am in Columbus to catch a 6am flight, arriving at the office in Midtown Manhattan after three hours.

He spent nights at an elegant and classy room in the Beekman, a luxury hotel known for its historic atrium in lower Manhattan and enjoyed free breakfasts as an elite member with Hyatt.

After three days of meeting sources and working at the office, he would return to Columbus, where the rent is half the price of Manhattan.

However, that's only his romantic vision of being a supercommuter - a lifestyle that blew his budgets and didn't last long.

He wrote: 'Shocking no one, that fantasy soon came crashing down. Burning points on fancy hotel rooms was the first problem.'

Delays, deadlines, and unexpected meetings and events often required him to rebook flights and hotels at the last minute.

At the end, he found himself checking in behind pilots and flight attendants at a Hyatt hotel in Jamaica, Queens, near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

To save his hotel points, Cutter had to sleep at different places every night, especially during the city's peak season when tourists flocked in and rates skyrocketed.

Cutter spent nights at an elegant and classy room in the Beekman, a luxury hotel known for its historic atrium in lower Manhattan and enjoyed free breakfasts as an elite member with Hyatt

At the end, he found himself checking in behind pilots and flight attendants at a Hyatt hotel in Jamaica, Queens, near John F. Kennedy International Airport

To save his hotel points, Cutter had to sleep at different places every night, especially during the city's peak season when tourists flocked in and rates skyrocketed

He wrote: 'My obsessive tracking of New York hotel prices taught me that dynamic pricing isnt reserved for airlines.

'Hotel costs can fluctuate half a dozen times on the check-in date, so instead of booking in advance, Id wait to pull the trigger until 10 p.m. some days after the rates fell.'

'My rooms overlooked a sea of empty parking spaces but required half as many points as Manhattan alternatives.'

When his hotels didn't offer refrigerator or stove, he relied on yogurt and fruit boxes from a 24-hour CVS for late-night dinners.

On many days, the journalist depended on the kindness of his friends and colleagues who offered the keys to their unoccupied rooms in New Jersey, Brooklyn, Chelsea, and elsewhere.

'I watered plants, walked friends dogs and fed their cats while they were away. Still, working in a city without a permanent home took a toll,' he wrote.

'I came to dread the go-to question asked at parties and work events in New York: So where do you live?

'If I admitted, its kind of complicated, I got sucked into explaining my life as a supercommuter.

'Sometimes, Id just tell people the location of that evenings hotel. (Chelsea!)' he wrote.

Cutter did his math before entering the supercommuter era and tried everything he could to keep the rent in Ohio plus travel costs below $3,200 per month.

'In the end, the math didnt work. I blew my budget by 15% and drained my miles balance,' he acknowledged.

Despite the chaos and rising travel costs, Cutter said he enjoys the thrilling life as a supercommuter

Cutter did his math before entering the supercommuter era and tried everything he could to keep the rent in Ohio plus travel costs below $3,200 per month

Despite the chaos and rising travel costs, Cutter said he enjoys the thrilling life as a supercommuter.

'I still enjoy having one foot in the Midwest and one on the East Coast, though Im not sure how long I can keep it up.

'Im writing this from Columbus, where I overlook a beautiful park outside my picture window.

'My lease is up, but hotel rates in Manhattan this winter have plunged now that the holidays are over. Maybe that New York apartment search can be put off a little longer,' he wrote.

His article has elicited overwhelming reactions from readers and social media users, including those who have been or were supercommuters.

'I've had three 'super commuting' experiences starting with a daily 180-mile round trip up I70 to Glenwood Springs, CO for three and half years. Very low traffic but winter weather frequently challenging,' one person wrote.

'What about being on NYC Tuesday through Thursday. I know when I traveled, Monday mornings were the worsts and Friday afternoons were not much better,' another social media user suggested.

'It reminded me of my commute from Providence to Houston for a year. Absolutely loved the city and the company and it was tough, but you have to roll with the punches as you laid out so well,' a person wrote.
Whelan was attacked by an inmate but nothing has been done to prevent it again

His brother said they haven't spoke since New Year's Eve due to phones freezing

Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 and given a 16-year sentence on spying charge

The family of a former Marine imprisoned in Russia have claimed nothing has been done to stop him being attacked after he was punched in the face by an inmate.

Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 and is currently serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges at the remote IK-17 camp in Mordovia, southeast of Moscow.

He made headlines in November after he was attacked by another prisoner who 'punched him in the face and broke his glasses' at the maximum-security jail.

His brother David has said no action has been taken by prison bosses to prevent further attacks and his family haven't heard from him since New Year's Eve as prison bosses claim the phone lines are frozen.

He said: 'We have not heard from him since December 31st but the prison staff say that hard frosts have caused the phones to be out of order for the entire time.'

Marine veteran Paul Whelan (pictured in glasses and cap) seen on video

Whelan had been struck by 'a convict from Turkey over political disagreements', an unnamed source said

Whelan listens to the verdict in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in 2020

The family have been left with 'no updates' as a result. David added: 'As far as we know, no additional precautions or procedures have been put in place by the labor camp to deter additional physical attacks against Paul.

'However, a barracks move the deputy warden initiated was rescinded. When he last spoke to our parents, [Paul] was very concerned about the five years he's spent in Russian detention and how much longer he might remain there.'

The region has seen heavy snow and ice as temperatures in Moscow have dropped to -6 degrees this week.

David said: 'The State Department and the UK Embassy both spoke with the prison and confirmed the reason. This is not the first time there has been a failure in the labor camp's phone system so it doesn't create any particular alarm.'

Paul has been held in Russia for five years and is recognized as 'wrongfully detained' by the US government.

But while other US citizens - including WNBA player Brittney Griner - have been released, often in prisoner swaps, Paul is still there.

In a December interview with the BBC, Paul said he felt 'abandoned' by the US and viewed the decision to leave him behind while other US prisoners are extracted as a 'serious betrayal'.

He added: 'It's extremely stressful knowing that I could have been home years ago. It's extremely frustrating to know that they've made these mistakes. They've basically abandoned me here.'

He said conditions in the prison had declined and he was being kept in a camp with damp and black mold.

The former US Marine pictured with his parents during a visit to Russia in 2009

In November, Paul was attacked while he was working at a sewing table in the early afternoon.

David said: 'A new prisoner blocked part of the production line and Paul asked him to move out of the way.

'After repeated requests, the prisoner hit Paul in the face, breaking Paul's glasses in the process, and attempted to hit him a second time.'

The attack came weeks after Paul Whelan told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that failing to negotiate his release from Russian jail has 'basically signed a death warrant' for him.

In October last year, Whelan expressed strong words to Blinken about the perils he faces as he grows older in the grueling labor camp.

'I told him point blank that leaving me here the first time painted a target on my back and leaving me here the second time basically signed a death warrant,' Whelan told CNN over the phone.

Whelan's parents, who are in their 80s, wish to see their son freed from before they die

Penal Colony IK-17, where American Paul Whelan is held

He said he warned Blinken that 'unless they got me back, it could be quite challenging in the future, especially with my age and the sort of work we have to do from a health and safety point of view.'

The Mordovia regional prison service confirmed to the Interfax news agency, a Russian outlet, that the attack on Whelan had happened and said guards had taken immediate action to stop 'the illegal actions.'

Both men had been taken to the medical bay, where Whelan was found to have suffered an abrasion beneath one of his eyes, the prison service was cited as saying.

There was surveillance camera footage of the incident and the prison service was looking into it further before submitting a report to the police, Interfax reported.

It quoted an unnamed person 'familiar with the situation' as saying that Whelan had been struck by 'a convict from Turkey over political disagreements'.
The Scottish Government has been urged to quickly bring in a ban on XL bully dogs north of the border amid reports of widespread rehoming of the breed from England.

The UK Government banned the breeding, selling or abandonment of the dogs south of the border on December 31, but the same restrictions are yet to be introduced in Scotland.

The Scottish Conservatives have told SNP ministers not to 'dither and delay' and claim there is a Facebook group with 20,000 members which is discussing rehoming XL bullies in Scotland.

Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said she had been 'concerned' by reports and said officials were considering evidence on the situation.

Mrs Brown, who has met with many different groups including the Scottish SPCA and the Dog's Trust, added that no breed had been banned for 30 years and it is important to listen to expert views.

The UK Government banned the breeding, selling or abandonment of the dogs south of the border on December 31, but the same restrictions are yet to be introduced in Scotland

The Scottish Conservatives have told SNP ministers not to 'dither and delay' and claim there is a Facebook group with 20,000 members which is discussing rehoming XL bullies in Scotland

Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said she had been 'concerned' by reports and said officials were considering evidence on the situation

Ms Brown said: 'The unintended consequences of the UK Government's policy is that we're now seeing influx of XL bully dogs coming to Scotland.

'It is important to ensure Scotland does not become a safe haven or a dumping ground for the XL bully dogs from England and Wales.'

Ministers are 'urgently reviewing' the policy on XL bullies, she said, adding that 'public safety will be paramount in our deliberations'.

Ms Brown also told MSPs: 'It would be preferable not to acquire any such dog at the present time in Scotland.'

Conservative MSP Jamie Greene responded by saying: 'The unintended consequences we're seeing are not a result of UK legislation, but as a result of this Scottish Government failing to take action.'

Mr Greene was dismissive of the Government's review, saying it had been going on for months.

He referred to a report that an XL bully had been cruelly beaten to death after an unsuccessful attempt to sell it in Scotland.

He said: 'I would not want to be the minister in charge of any policy who dithered and delayed a day longer than is necessary on this issue and another tragedy occurs.'

One man in England claimed to have driven 30 dogs to Scotland for rehoming purposes.

The breed has been linked to a series of attacks including the death of a man in Staffordshire.

First Minister Humza Yousaf previously said no firm decision had been made on any changes to the law in Scotland following the UK Governments decision.

However, SNP backbencher Christine Grahame urged the Government to take a different approach, saying the regulations are 'hasty and simplistic'.

SNP backbencher Christine Grahame urged the Government to take a different approach, saying the regulations are 'hasty and simplistic'

Mrs Brown, who has met with many different groups including the Scottish SPCA and the Dog's Trust, added that no breed had been banned for 30 years and it is important to listen to expert views

XL Bully owners gathered in Manchester on Saturday to protest the impending ban on owning the breed without a licence

Some owners brought a sign reading: 'Don't bully our bullies'. It also featured an appeal to Rishi Sunak to undo the legislation

XL Bully owners have protested a Government crackdown on the killer breed by muzzling themselves 'in solidarity' with their pets

An XL Bully owner has posted a bizarre rap video criticising the new laws banning the controversial breed, singing 'No Rishi can't put me down'

She suggested amending the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act, explaining: 'It places blame and responsibility where it lies - on the breeder and the owner, not the dog.'

XL Bully owners have been seen protesting the 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.

Some have posted videos of themselves wearing muzzles as they take their dogs out, while others attended a protest in Manchester on Saturday.

Owners of the crossbreed pups rallied in the city centre throughout the afternoon, waving signs that read 'don't bully our bullies' and others that called for the law to be rolled back.

Protesters also laid down roses that they said represented the lives of XL Bully dogs that had been euthanised in the run up to the ban on owning the canine without a licence that comes into effect on February 1.

One owner posted a bizarre rap video criticising the new laws. The video shows a woman dancing behind her XL Bully, who is rolling around on its bed in her living room.

Dressed in grey tracksuit bottoms and a white hoodie, she dances and points to her dog while singing the rap.

Lyrics include 'I don't want no restrictions' and 'I'm a Bully baby, I might lick you to death'.
Harvard's board members will be scrutinized as part of a Congress investigation into the ivy league school amid the fallout over the Claudine Gay scandal.

Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik, who is part of the committee leading the probe, has accused the 12-member board of attempted 'bullying and censorship' of the press and called for their 'immediate firing'.

Her comments confirm that the top university's executive board, known as the Harvard Corporation, will be inspected as part of the probe.

Stefanik grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn about antisemitism last month, and led calls for Gay to resign based on her refusal to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment.

The House probe will also look at a litany of allegations of plagiarism against Gay, which span 24 years.

Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik, who is part of the committee leading the probe, has accused the 12-member board of attempted 'bullying and censorship' of the press and called for their 'immediate firing'

Stefanik's comments confirm that the top university's executive board, known as the Harvard Corporation, will be inspected as part of the probe. The board is led by Penny Pritzker (pictured in Washington DC in April 2023)

Gay, who took the reigns at Harvard on July 1, faced intense scrutiny since the October 7 terror attack in Israel following her failure to immediately condemn students who justified Hamas' actions

'Harvard University and the Harvard Corporation used every avenue available to cover up Claudine Gay's failures, threatening the New York Post following their investigation and coverage of Claudine Gay's serial plagiarist past and failed leadership,' Stefanik said.

'These attempts at bullying and censorship by the Harvard Corporation are unacceptable and should result in the immediate firing of the board members involved.

'This is a reckoning; Claudine Gay's long overdue forced resignation is just the beginning of exposing the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.'

The New York Congresswoman added that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce will 'use every tool available including subpoena power' to investigate Harvard's 'coverup'.

Blasting 'Claudine Gay's career of plagiarism', Stefanik said they would probe 'attempts to silence media seeking the truth' and 'the rot of antisemitism plaguing our nation's colleges and universities'.

DailyMail.com has approached the Harvard Corporation for comment.

Gay, 53, resigned as the President of Harvard University in a letter to colleagues and students on January 2.

She stepped down from her role 28 days after her shocking response at a congressional testimony about campus anti-Semitism which prompted the Congressional probe.

Gay refused to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment or admit that Jewish students had a right not to feel unsafe at Ivy League schools, in response to a questioned posed by Stefanik.

Gay, 53, resigned as the President of Harvard University in a letter on January 2

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx announced the formal investigation into Harvard, along with UPenn and MIT, on December 7.

Blasting the schools' presidents in the announcement, she said: 'The testimony we received earlier this week from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth about the responses of Harvard, UPenn, and MIT to the rampant antisemitism displayed on their campuses by students and faculty was absolutely unacceptable.

'Committee members have deep concerns with their leadership and their failure to take steps to provide Jewish students the safe learning environment they are due under law.

'Given those institutional and personal failures, the Committee is opening a formal investigation into the learning environments at Harvard, UPenn, and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures.

'This investigation will include substantial document requests, and the Committee will not hesitate to utilize compulsory measures including subpoenas if a full response is not immediately forthcoming.

'The disgusting targeting and harassment of Jewish students is not limited to these institutions, and other universities should expect investigations as well, as their litany of similar failures has not gone unnoticed.'

Along with the December 5 testimony, Gay has also been accused of mounting claims of plagiarism - 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,' she said in her resignation letter.

Stefanik took center stage last month when she ceremoniously grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn on antisemitism on their campuses

Gay was president of the Ivy League University for just six months, and in her written farewell, she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure

Gay was president of the Ivy League University for just six months, and in her written farewell, she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure.

She 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.

In the letter, she said it was with a 'heavy heart' that she was standing down, but confirmed she would retain some kind of role at the school.

'I believe we have within us all that we need to heal from this period of tension and division and to emerge stronger.

'I had hoped with all my heart to lead us on that journey, in partnership with all of you.

'As I now return to the faculty, and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build the community we all deserve,' she said.

Gay 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.

She will retain a salary of around $900,000-a-year from the university, despite being forced to resign amid a plagiarism scandal.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college

The Palestine Solidarity Committee holding banners outside the prestigious college

The daughter of Haitian immigrants, became the first the black person to lead the university when she took over as president on July 1.

As she was dealing with criticism of her Congressional testimony, conservative activist Christopher Rufo published 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, the Harvard Corporation 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.
Two British nationals remain as hostages amid the Gaza conflict, Foreign Secretary David Cameron told MPs today.

Militants from the terror group Hamas took a total of at least 200 hostages and killed about 1,400 people during their October 7 attacks on Israel.

The Government has previously said 12 British nationals were among those killed and five were suspected to be among the hostages being held by Hamas.

In an appearance before the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee this afternoon - the first time MPs have been able to quiz Lord Cameron since his shock return to Government - the Foreign Secretary gave updated details.

'There are two British nationals who remain as hostages,' the former prime minister said. But he added: 'I don't want to make any further comment on them.'

Asked whether it is known if they are still alive, Lord Cameron replied: 'I just don't want to say any more. We don't have any information to share with you.

'There are also, of course, people very connected to Britain who are also hostages. We're doing everything we can to try and help in both those cases.'

Two British nationals remain as hostages amid the Gaza conflict, Foreign Secretary David Cameron told MPs

A tank manoeuvres in central Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group

The Foreign Secretary struggled to answer when subsequently asked how many British hostages had been returned to the UK.

'I don't have the figures,' he said.

Lord Cameron later suggested no British hostages had been brought back to the UK, although some who are 'deeply connected' to Britain had been released.

He added: 'One of the things I did when I got into the department was to make sure we're saying 'yes, of course we must make sure we're doing everything for British nationals'.

'But there are people who have been taken hostage who are deeply connected - sister of, brother of, son of - and we must do everything we can for them.

'I think when you get into that category, there are people who are connected to British citizens who have been released.'

He added: 'Of the British nationals - two [remain hostage] and none have been released.'

Lord Cameron also told MPs he was 'worried' Israel, which has continued to bombard Gaza since the Hamas attacks, had taken action since October 7 that was in breach of international law.

He said: 'If you're asking me if I'm worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed or whatever?

'Yes, of course I'm worried about that.'

But he added he had not received legal advice stating explicitly that Israel had breached international humanitarian law.

At the beginning of his committee appearance, Lord Cameron admitted it was 'shock' when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak 'suddenly' asked him to come back to Cabinet as Foreign Secretary in November.

He denied his decision to return was due to a sense of 'unfinished business', following his six-year spell as PM, and said it was 'the chance to serve' that motivated his political comeback.

'It was just the chance to serve. I believe very profoundly in public service,' he told MPs.

'I didn't expect to be called back to this role. I went to see the PM and we were talking about various problems including Israel and Gaza, and he suddenly said "I'm going to be having a reshuffle and I'd like you to be foreign secretary".

'That was quite a shock and I said instantly "I would like to say yes because I enjoy public service, I believe in it, it's a very difficult time for these affairs, but let me go away and think about it".

'I had a little bit of time to think about it and said yes, and I'm delighted to be back.'

He also told the committee he was 'disappointed' that the 0.7 per cent foreign aid target - which he put into law when PM - had subsequently been cut but that 'politics is a team enterprise and you can't always get everything you want'.

Lord Cameron added: 'I said at the time I was disappointed when we went away from the 0.7 per cent.

'but I said to the PM when he asked me to do this job that I would accept fully Cabinet collective responsibility and I will work with what we have now, and try to make sure we have the best possible joined-up policy of diplomacy and aid, and make the very most of the 0.5 per cent we have.

'Politics is a team enterprise, you can't always get everything you want.'
Mass pro-Palestine protests which caused New York City to grind to a halt on Monday were coordinated by groups with links to AOC and Susan Sarandon.

The city was besieged by demonstrators from six groups who blocked major vehicle routes in and out of the city on Monday, leading to 325 arrests.

Groups including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Democratic Socialists of America, Writers Against War on Gaza, Jewish Voice for Peace, Al-Awda and Critical Resistance all took part in the action.

The New York Post first reported that the groups have ties to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, actress Susan Sarandon and colleges including Yale, Brown and UCLA and have received funding from a Rockefeller family foundation, and a Ben & Jerry's Foundation.

The coordinated action hit the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, and Holland Tunnel, stopping traffic out of Manhattan.

Justin Finkelstein, an analyst with the Center on Extremism at the Anti Defamation League, told the outlet that this widespread protest was evidence of secret channels between the groups.

Pro-Palestine protesters, who seemed to have trapped their arms together, forming a human barricade, using metal tubes, concrete, and duct tape

Brooklyn Bridge, which connects downtown Manhattan to Dumbo in Brooklyn, is swarmed by police arresting the protesters on Monday

Finkelstein: 'I this is the most disruptive that Ive seen. Its slowing down daily movement of New Yorkers and making it impossible not to notice them.

He added: 'I think that is their goal. They think these direct actions raise awareness of the Palestinian cause. Anything that gets them visibility is something they might consider.'

Ocasio-Cortez has ties with the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, while Sarandon has been a vocal critic of Israel and a member of the Writers Against the War on Gaza, who were both present at the protest on Monday.

Actress Susan Sarandon appeared at the protest on Monday at the Manhattan Bridge.

In a video shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, the 77-year-old can be heard saying: 'No one's free until everyone's free. And it's my tax money that's paying for all these horrible weapons. It's a genocide, there's no bystanders in a genocide.'

The Thelma & Louise star was dropped by a production company late last year after she made an anti-Jewish rant a pro-Palestine rally in New York City.

Her remarks at the rally sparked widespread outrage, with critics saying they ignored the centuries of prejudice and antisemitism the Jewish community has endured.

Sarandon publicly apologized for what she described as a 'terrible mistake' after claiming Jewish people 'are getting a taste of what it feels like to be Muslim'.

The Palestinian Youth Movement that participated in the protest describes themselves as being a 'transnational, independent, grassroots movement'.

Three demonstrators, wearing face coverings, are led off the bridge on Monday afternoon after hours of disruption

American actress Susan Sarandon on why she showed up for Palestine in NYC: "Because no ones free until everyones free. And its my tax money thats paying for all these horrible weapons. And its a genocide - theres no bystanders in a genocide." pic.twitter.com/tTPMtC5BUB  Kuffiya (@Kuffiyateam) January 9, 2024

Speaking at a protest on November 17, Susan Sarandon said frightened Jews in America are 'getting a taste' of how it feels to be Muslim

Influence Watch, a tool funded by the Capital Research Center, characterizes the group as an 'anti-Israel group' that aims to 'delegitimize the state of Israel.

The group was co-founded by Loubna Qutami, a research associate at Brown University and an assistant at University of California (UCLA).

Some of the groups protests include a protest on New Years Eve in New York City and a protest outside Macy's on Black Friday.

The group said: 'It's not Black Friday, it's the People's Day for Palestine.'

Meanwhile, the Jewish Voice for Peace describe themselves as being 'the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world'.

The Anti-Defamation League branded the group a 'radical anti-Israel and anti-Zionist activist group that advocates for the boycott of Israel and eradication of Zionism'.

The Rockefeller Brothers Foundation have given $490,000 'for general support' since 2019, with awarded given to the group in June of last year.

According to NGO monitor, the group had previously received funds totaling $448,000 from the Schwab Charitable Fund between 2012 and 2014.

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation also previously donated $2,500 to the Jewish Voice for Peace in 2014, according to the site.

Protesters used similar tactics at the Williamsburg Bridge to cause traffic chaos by sprawling themselves in a linked line across the entry

Officers rounded up the cuffed protesters and lined them up in single file before hoisting them onto a MTA bus to be processed

NOW: Arrested protesters from Brooklyn Bridge chant out of Syria, out of Iraq, out of Palestine, dont come back as they wait to be transferred. pic.twitter.com/y74AQ4Y29G  BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) January 8, 2024

Alongside the other groups was the New York chapter of Al-Awda, who counts human rights lawyer Lamis Deek as former co-chair of the group and Mazin Qumsiyeh, a former professor at Yale as a co-founder.

Al-Awda, which is Arabic for right of return, is headed by Abbas Hamideh and has been described by Influence Watch as 'maintaining ties with terrorist organizations'.

The Post reported that the group had previously sponsored a pro-Palestine festival at the University of Penn.

The event is said to have included former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters, a well known of critic of Israel, and former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill who was fired for using the phrase 'free Palestine from the river to the sea'.

Members of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America had also appeared at the protest on Monday.

The organization says they aim to counter 'US imperialism' and disrupt 'the war machine in New York City with demonstrations.

The group, who has close ties with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and had previously described her as their 'socialist superstar'.

The group, which is demanding a cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Gaza, joined with other protesters in briefly stopping traffic at numerous New York City bridges

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is speaking about the Israel-Gaza war and calling for a ceasefire during a press conference at the House Triangle/Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., USA, on December 14, 2023

The New York City Democratic Socialists of America had previously described Ocasio-Cortez as their 'socialist superstar'

The New York chapter came under scrutiny after they failed to condemn the actions of Hamas' attack on Israel in October.

Ocsaio-Cortez later denounced the groups demonstration alongside Congressman Jamaal Bowman who had previously been a member.

Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAZOG) had also been apart of the demonstrations on Monday, which touts members including Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.

Susan Sarandon is also a keen supporter of the group, with her and Martin both signing a statement of solidarity with the Palestinian people after the events of October 7.

The group previously participated in demonstrations including one at John F. Kennedy International Airport last month.

The Big Apple, which has the biggest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, has been a hotbed for protests since the conflict started in October.

On Monday, a sign at New Jersey-bound Holland Tunnel - where traffic was brought to a halt around 10am - read: 'Lift the siege on Gaza. Ceasefire now.'

Groups of around 85 protesters sat at the entrance to the Holland tunnel with Palestinian flags, chanting and cheering as one person screamed through a megaphone

Members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit attempt with power saws to separate pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocking a Brooklyn Bridge roadway during a 'Shut it Down for Palestine' rally

Groups of around 85 protesters sat at the entrance to the tunnel with Palestinian flags, chanting and cheering as one person screamed through a megaphone.

They shouted in unison: 'Free, free Palestine. Stop the Zionist occupation.'

At Manhattan Bridge, swathes of beeping vehicles could be heard as the protesters got in position and formed a human chain across the entry path into the city.

Once they were locked in a line, another gang of protesters formed a row behind them, holding large signs and screaming: 'Shut it down!'

At Brooklyn Bridge, around 40 protesters sat crossed-legged in the middle of the road as raging traffic was blocked from entering, just after the peak of rush hour.

Demonstrators strapped their arms together with metal tubes, concrete and tires in their latest attempt to demand a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Videos showed that as the police presence escalated, some of the disruptive protesters were carted away in handcuffs.

At Williamsburg Bridge, protesters used similar tactics to cause traffic chaos by sprawling themselves in a linked line across the entry.
Boeing executives are hosting a company-wide safety meeting following the inflight disaster on an Alaska Airlines plane that blew out a panel a 16,000 feet - as share prices two days in a row.

CEO Dave Calhoun will lead the webcast on Tuesday from Boeing's 737 Max Factory in Renton, Washington.

On Friday, a faulty door plug detached causing an emergency exit door to fall off a departed Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario International Airport in California.

'We will spend time together Tuesday talking about our companys response to this accident, and reinforcing our focus on and our commitment to safety, quality, integrity and transparency,' said Calhoun.

'When it comes to the safety of our products and services, every decision and every action matters. And when serious accidents like this occur, it is critical for us to work transparently with our customers and regulators to understand and address the causes of the event, and to ensure they dont happen again.'

Boeing executives will host a company-wide safety meeting following the inflight disaster on an Alaska Airlines plan that blew out a panel a 16,000 feet

CEO Dave Calhoun (pictured) will lead the webcast on Tuesday from Boeing's 737 Max Factory in Renton, Washington

As of noon on Tuesday, Boeing shares were down 11.70 percent year-to-date, toppling Monday's biggest fall in more than a year of 9 percent.

Monday's stock plunge came shortly before the Federal Aviation Administration said airlines could begin urgent safety inspections of more than 100 Boeing 737 Max 9 grounded planes.

The inspections have reportedly already produced alarming findings, with United finding loose bolts on plug doors in its planes, according to The Air Current.

Boeing said in a statement on Monday: 'As operators conduct the required inspections, we are staying in close contact with them and will help address any and all findings.'

'We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.'

The FAA's decision to ground the fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9's comes as several airlines and regulators have taken similar steps.

Accident investigators have called it a miracle everyone on board the Alaska Airlines flight survived the 'truly terrifying' disintegration.

Toys, phones and clothes were sucked into the night after the plug door 'departed the aircraft' causing instant decompression with 171 passengers aboard Flight 1282 on Friday evening.

But the fact that most people were still wearing their seat belts just 10 minutes into the flight probably stopped them following their possessions through the hole, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

'We are very, very fortunate here that this didn't end up in something more tragic,' NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy told a press conference on Saturday night.

'No one was seated in 26A and 26B, where that door plug is.' 'With that said, I imagine this was a pretty terrifying event. 'We don't often talk about psychological injury, but I'm sure that occurred here.'

The head rests for seats 26A and 25A were torn off as hurricane force winds buffeted the passengers and the seat at 26A was destroyed.

A terrified passenger on board the flight revealed the moment she text her family 'I don't want to die' after a window on the jet blew out.

This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage on an Friday's Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight

High school physics teacher, Bob Sauer, who lives in the suburbs of Portland found this missing airplane door in his backyard

Emma Vu took to TikTok after surviving the horror Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday evening.

'In the moment I was so scared,' Vu said, as she showed her panic-stricken texts to her family reading: 'The masks r down; I am so scared right now; Please pray for me; Please I don't want to die.'

High school physics teacher, Bob Sauer, who lives in the suburbs of Portland found this missing airplane door in his backyard.

Video game designer Sean Bates also found an intact cell phone that was sucked from the plane after the blowout.

Just weeks before the blowout, Boeing asked the FAA to exempt the latest variant of its 737 Max plane from safety inspections despite the risk of engine malfunction.
A Virginia fisherman who died in 2017 has been linked to three unsolved homicides that occurred in the late 1980s - including two from a series of unsolved slayings known as the 'Colonial Parkway Murders'.

Alan W. Wilmer Sr., 63, is suspected to be behind the killing of David Knobling, 20, and Robin Edwards, 14, at Colonial Parkway in September 1987, police revealed Monday.

He has also been accused of the murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in Hampton in July 1989.

Officials confirmed both Edwards and Howell had been sexually assaulted and they would have charged Wilmer if he had been alive.

Authorities were only able to find a DNA-based link between Wilmer and the victims after he died in December 2017 since he was not a convicted felon, which meant his DNA was not in any law enforcement databases.

Alan W. Wilmer Sr., 63, who died in December 2017, has been linked to three unsolved homicides that occurred in the late 1980s, including two from a series of unsolved slayings known as the 'Colonial Parkway Murders'

Wilmer has been accused of the murder of Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell, 29, in Hampton in July 1989

David Knobling, 20, (L) and Robin Edwards, 14, (R) were found shot in the head along the bank of the James River in September 1987

Once Wilmer's DNA was in the database, The Virginia Department of Forensic Science was able to find a connection and issue a 'Certificate of Analysis' confirming a genetic match between the suspect and the victims in 2023.

Corinne Geller, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman, said at a news conference: 'Part of the cold case philosophy is to go back over and start re-looking and going back through all the witness statements, all the evidence.

'And it's a very time consuming, very complex, but a very effective way.'

She also read aloud a joint statement from the families of Knobling and Edwards, which thanked the investigating law enforcement agencies.

'For 36 years, our families have lived in a vacuum of the unknown,' the statement said. 'We have lived with the fear of worrying that a person capable of deliberately killing Robin and David could attack and claim another victim.

'Now we have a sense of relief and justice knowing that he can no longer victimize another. His death will not allow us to seek out the answers to countless questions that have haunted us for so long.'

Family members of Edwards, who did not wish to be identified individually, wiped their eyes during a press conference in Suffolk, Virginia

Corinne Geller, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman confirmed that no forensic or physical evidence currently links Wilmer to the remaining six murders, although the other cases remain active

On September 22, 1987, Knobling and Edwards were found shot in the head, execution-style, after their bodies had washed up along the bank of the James River at Ragged Island Wildlife Refuge at Colonial Parkway.

The two had been missing since September 19, though Edwards' family initially thought she had run away as she had in the past.

Knobling had taken Edwards out with his younger brother and cousin that day. After he dropped her off that night, she snuck out to meet him.

It's unclear what they were doing together.

Knobling, who worked at his father's landscaping business, was expecting a baby with his longtime girlfriend.

Between the years of 1986-1989, eight men and women, including Knobling and Edwards, had been murdered at the Parkway.

Geller confirmed that no forensic or physical evidence currently links Wilmer to the remaining six murders, although the other cases are still active.

The site: The Colonial Parkway in Virginia - a 23-mile stretch of road known as Lovers' Lane (pictured) - was the site of four double homicides in the 1980s, all of which remain unsolved

Knobling had taken Edwards out with his younger brother and cousin that day. After he dropped her off that night, she snuck out to meet him

Hampton Police Captain Rebecca Warren also read aloud a statement from Howell's family that thanked investigators.

'Their dedication, relentless efforts and evolving technology have brought us closure that we have sought over the last 34 years,' the statement said. 'While we are grateful for the closure that has been provided, nothing will bring Terry back. The void left by her absence over the years is inexpressible.'

According to officials, Howell was last seen alive on July 1, 1989, at approximately 2.30am in the City of Hampton outside of the Zodiac Club - which no longer exists.

Later that same day, at approximately 10.10am, a construction crew discovered women's clothing near their work site. An unidentified woman was found dead shortly afterwards in the nearby wood line.

On July 4, 1989, a missing person report was filed in York County, identifying the female victim as Howell. Officials said she had died as a result of strangulation.

Police said the suspect drove a distinctive, blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate 'EM-RAW', one of several pickup trucks Wilmer was known to drive in the 80s and early 90s

Wilmer also had a small commercial fishing boat named the Denni Wade, a 1976 custom-built wooden boat. The boat would be docked at marinas in Gloucester and Middlesex counties and around the Northern Neck

Geller said investigators are actively pursuing leads on the other killings and have not ruled anything out, including Wilmer's potential involvement.

Investigators are still working to reconstruct his movements and encounters with others during his lifetime.

Police said the suspect drove a distinctive, blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup truck with the Virginia license plate 'EM-RAW', one of several pickup trucks Wilmer was known to drive in the 80s and early 90s.

Wilmer also had a small commercial fishing boat named the Denni Wade, a 1976 custom-built wooden boat. This would be docked at marinas in Gloucester and Middlesex counties and around the Northern Neck. His trade during the 80s was as a fisherman, farming mainly clams and oysters.
Senator Bob Menendez blasted federal prosecutors for 'persecuting' him with 'sensational' charges, denied being a foreign agent and warned lawmakers they could be next in a bizarre diatribe on Senate floor on Tuesday.

'I'm innocent, and I intend to prove my innocence, not just for me, but for the precedent this case will sit for you and future members of the Senate,' he said in nearly a 20-minute speech.

The Democratic senator from New Jersey faces bribery and corruption charges, including using his position to enrich the government of Egypt and for accepting fancy wrist watches and other lavish gifts from a businessman to benefit Qatar.

He tackled the charges against him head-on Tuesday, arguing there was no evidence of gold bars, accusing prosecutors of trying to 'poison the jury pool' against him, and, at one point, tearing up as he talked about his time in the government.

'After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee,' he said, choking back tears. 'But I have never violated the public trust.'

Senator Bob Menendez took to the Senate floor on Monday to passionately defend himself against corruption charges and warn colleagues they could be next

Menendez, from when the indictment was first revealed in September, has resisted pressure to resign from office.

The charges against resulted in a raid on his New Jersey home and was filled with an array of colorful details, including thousands of dollars worth of gold bars, cash stuffed in Menendez's clothes, and text messages about a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible worth more than $60,000.

He and his wife Nadine face three federal charges each tied to bribery, conspiracy and extortion. They have pleaded not guilty.

The senator has hit back hard from the beginning and, on Monday, took his defense to a new level with his impassioned floors speech where he went heavily on the attack and accused prosecutors of wanting 'victory, not justice.'

'By filing three indictments,' he said, 'it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press, it poisons the jury pool and it seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion.'

'The United States attorneys office is not engaged in a prosecution, but a persecution. They seek a victory, not justice.'

Much of his speech appeared to be directed toward his colleagues in the Senate. He argued his actions were in line with his duties as a senator and warned his colleagues the charges could have a 'chilling affect' on all of their work.

'The sky's the limit if they want to pursue you,' Menendez said, adding 'what a chilling effect on the mere engagement of these conversations and inquiries would it be.'

He also slammed his colleagues who have called for his resignation, making it clear he was going no where.

'I am, however, alarmed that the greatest and most ardent defenders of the Constitution in this body are among the most vociferous and calling for my resignation,' he said.

'I will not step aside and allow those things to happen in the name of political expediency. I have never chosen the easy path, never have, never will and will not do so now.'

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive at Federal Court for a hearing on bribery charges in connection with an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen

Two of the gold bars found during a search by federal agents of Sen. Bob Menendez's home and safe deposit box

In September, after the indictment was first revealed, Menendez gave up his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But he has resisted calls for him to resign from his Senate seat.

Last week Menendez was hit with more allegations, this time for accepting gifts from an American businessman to benefit the Qatari government.

Federal prosecutors accused him and his wife Nadine Menendez of accepting fancy watches and other plush gifts in a bribery conspiracy while he was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He was specifically accused of receiving several gold bars and cash from real estate developer Fred Daibes as a reward for helping him secure a deal with a major Qatari investment fund.

'I have received nothing absolutely nothing from the Government of Qatar or on behalf of the Government of Qatar to promote their image or their issues,' Menendez said on Monday.

Prosecutors also claim the embattled senator made public statements praising the Gulf nation while the deal was being negotiated.

There was no suggestion in the indictment that Qatar itself had any knowledge of bribes Daibes was allegedly giving to Menendez.

In his speech on the Senate floor, Menendez denied there were any gold bars and suggested they were 'sensational' details leaked by prosecutors to get press attention in the case.

'There are allegations of cash and gold bars. The problem is, is that there is no evidence of the giving or receiving of cash and gold bars. In fact, there has been and will be a trial, a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues - a truth that proves I am entirely innocent of the charges,' he said.

'And that is the problem. Almost everyone, including my friends in the press who have reported on it, haven't read the indictment. They've only taken the government's sensational narrative of what these accusations are as truth. They haven't saw the facts of the allegations.'

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Arslanian arrive for a state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in December 2022; the couple has been charged on three criminal counts related to bribery and extortion

Fred Daibes, one of three businessmen named as co-defendants with Sen. Bob Menendez, arrives at federal court, Sept. 27, 2023, in New Yor

The wrist watches allegedly offered to Menendez were valued between $10,000 and $24,000, according to the indictment.

'How about one of these,' co-defendant Fred Daibes is quoted as saying in the indictment, along with photos of the watches.

Daibes, 66, a developer, is also accused of bribing Menendez with gold bars and envelopes stuffed with dollar bills.

Menendez and Daibes attended a Qatari event in Manhattan together in September 2021, according to the indictment.

Two days later, Daibes allegedly texted Menendez about a Senate resolution supportive of Qatar, just as the Qatari Investment Company considered the real estate investment with Daibes.

In May 2022, a Qatari official had offered a 'relative' of Menendez's wife Nadine tickets to the Formula One Grand Prix in Florida, prosecutors said.

The senator said lawmakers often attend state-sponsored events.

'They show a picture of watches but no proof of receiving any such gift. They talk about tickets to a state sponsored event but as we all know members of the Senate often attend state sponsored events,' Menendez argued.

Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine arrive for a reception in the East Room of the White House on May 16, 2022

The senator also was charged in September with taking cash, gold bars and gifts including a Mercedes Benz from three entrepreneurs, in exchange for using his 'power and influence' to help them.

Menendez's home was raided when the charges were announced.

In that June 2022 raid, investigators found $486,461 in cash stuffed in envelopes and in the pockets of jackets with Menendez' name on them. They also found two one-kilogram gold bars and eleven one-ounce gold bars worth $110,000.

Prosecutors also allege that businessman bought Menendez and his wife a luxury car.

He and his wife Nadine face three criminal counts each: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

When the new allegations were revealed last week, no new charges were added to the indictment.
Owner, Alex Tielles took to social media to clarify welfare of the animal after reports from concerned passers-by

A Guernsey horse owner has been forced to take to social media and confirm that her horse is not ill or indeed dead, but just an 'incredibly lazy' baby.

Alex Tielles posted on a local Facebook group called Guernsey People Have Your Say! to explain that her horse, named Custard, who is frequently spotted lying on the ground, is 'just a baby' and therefore 'sleeps a lot and may even snore and grunt like he can't breathe'.

The photo shows the horse lying with its head resting on the ground whilst wearing a blue and grey coat looking lifeless.

The owner, Alex has been inundated with phone calls and messages from tourists concerned about the welfare of the Guernsey horse.

However, she reassured islanders that the animal was 'absolutely fine'.

Owner, Alex Tielles, took to Facebook to clarify that the horse was not ill or dead - just 'incredibly lazy'

The full post read: 'Hi everyone. This is my horse Custard who lives in the Ville Baudu with his friends.

'I have had a number of calls and messages about people concerned he is ill or dead at times. He is not. He's just a baby and is incredibly lazy!!

'He sleeps a lot and may even snore and grunt like he can't breathe. He's honestly absolutely fine.

'I check him at least three times a day and he has unlimited hay and is fed at least twice a day. I must make some signs for the gate to let people know.

'If anyone has any worries about him feel free to message me.'

Alex has had four separate people get in contact with her about Custard's well-being in the last two days.

She added that this is a common occurrence and that the GSPCA is also aware as her horse often gets reported to the charity by concerned islanders.

The owner later updated her Facebook post to ask people to stop bringing treats for her horses to snack on.

She added: 'Please please don't ever feed them they are very well fed and extras can cause them to bite or fight and can make them seriously ill or kill them by choking or stomach ache.'
A father-of-four has been found guilty of murdering his two-year-old refugee daughter, who he adopted from Afghanistan, after bashing the toddler's 'head against a wall' in a furious rage.

Jan Gholami, 33, and his wife Roqia Ghulami, 32, have been on trial for the murder of 'bright' and 'intelligent' Zahra Ghulami at their home in Gravesend, Kent, in May 2020.

Jurors heard how little Zahra, adopted in 2017, suffered from a severe skull fracture caused by 'significant impact with significant energy' at the hands of Gholami. She was rushed to hospital on May 27 but tragically died two days later.

Throughout the nine-week court case, Gholami, 33, denied hurting his children and insisted he loved them.

The former farmer, originally from Afghanistan, claimed he had been at Tesco but when he got back his son said Zahra had fallen down the stairs and was vomiting.

His wife Ghulami did not give evidence in court but had told police Zahra fell down the stairs.

Two-year-old Zahra was killed by her adoptive father after she suffered a fractured skull at her home in 2020

Jan Gholami (pictured) and his wife Roqia Ghulami have been on trial for the murder of Zahra Ghulami at their Gravesend home in May 2020. Today Gholami was found guilty of murder

The shop worker previously said: 'If I would do such things I wouldn't come to this country. There was a lot of violence in Afghanistan already. The reason I came to this country was for the welfare of my children.'

At Maidstone Crown Court, jurors convicted Gholami of murder in a majority verdict of 10 to two after deliberating for nearly 20 hours. Gholami was also found guilty unanimously of child cruelty.

Ghulami was cleared of murder but found guilty of cruelty of a person under 16 in a unanimous verdict.

Throughout the trial Prosecutor Sally Howes KC accused the father-of-four of taking out his 'bad temper' on her and bashing her head against a wall.

The girl's cause of death was given as severe head injury and skull fracture by Professor Charles Mangham, an osteoarticular pathologist.

The young girl was described as a 'bright, intelligent' child who was 'highly curious' and wanted to find out about everything.

Gholami came to the UK in January 2016 while his wife remained in Afghanistan with their children.

In 2017, the couple decided to adopt Zahra after her birth father, who was a friend of Gholami, said he felt unable to look after the baby after his wife died in childbirth. Adoption was then approved by village elders.

The little girl was taken to hospital with injuries on May 27 2020 and she died two days later. Pictured: Zahra being taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford

In January 2019, Gholami applied for asylum for Ghulami from the UK, and she arrived with the children to join him.

Throughout the trial, the court heard of evidence of alleged domestic abuse by Gholami against Ghulami, with a neighbour claiming she saw the murderer punch his wife in the face outside their home.

Jurors, however, also heard how Ghulami told a police officer and social worker that he beat her, sometimes by slapping her or banging her head against a wall. They said she was scared he would kill her. Gholami denied hurting his wife.

Gholami also denied allegations of older injuries before Zahra's death, including that he banged her head against the wall and fractured her skull on an earlier occasion.

Prosecutor Ms Howes said: 'Because this is what you do. You bang people's heads against walls.

'Because you've done this before and Zahra had survived, you just walked away and went to Tesco.'

During the trial Ms Howes also suggested there was a 'rivalry' between Zahra and Gholami's 'favourite son' and that when he got upset by her, Gholami 'would get angry with that little girl whether it was her fault or not'.

She alleged the children had squabbled before the Tesco trip about going for ice cream and that something happened for Gholami to lose his temper with Zahra before he left.

The prosecutor also questioned why it took Gholami 'so long' to call his friend for help - suggesting he had realised the consequences of what he had done and was thinking what to do about it.

The father denied this, telling the court: 'My treatment of her was always good, the same as the other children, sometimes I treated her better than others.'

Gholami and Ghulami, of Oak Road, Gravesend, denied murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.

Judge Mr Justice Wall will sentence Gholami on February 16, and Ghulami at a date to be decided.
A coroner told the grieving family of a much loved law student that she died of 'natural causes'.

Law student Melisa Zoglie, 21, died just a day after collapsing from a condition where her stomach had completely died, typically seen in people over 80, in April 2023.

'The stomach was completely dead,' an inquest heard.

Melissa's father Franklin described the coroner's conclusion that she died of natural causes as 'unbelievable', and said he believed his daughter's death could have been avoided.

Doctors at the Royal Sussex in Brighton sent Melissa home after she turned down stronger pain medication.

She died at the same hospital after she was found collapsed at home the next day.

Law student Melisa Zoglie, 21, (pictured) died just a day after collapsing from a condition where her stomach had completely died, typically seen in people over 80

Melissa's father Franklin described the coroner's conclusion that she died of natural causes as 'unbelievable'

Doctors at the Royal Sussex in Brighton sent Melissa home after she turned down stronger pain medication

Melissa suffered a gastric volvulus causing her stomach to twist and die, the inquest heard, with Joanne Andrews, area coroner for West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, concluding the 'much-loved daughter' died of natural causes.

The condition is usually seen in patients aged between 80 and 90.

Melissa was discharged after hours of observation and tests and went home to Leahurst Court Road, Brighton, where she lived with her parents Antoinette Adjo and Franklin Zoglie and her brothers.

The doctors who treated her did not suspect what was wrong because they said they had 'never seen' a case of strangulated gastric volvulus in a person as young as Miss Zoglie, instead suspecting that she had an ulcer.

The inquest at Woodvale in Brighton heard from Dr James Piper, senior clinical fellow in emergency medicine at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, who took over Miss Zoglie's care at 10pm on April 17 when she went to A&E.

Dr Piper believed Miss Zoglie, a student at the University of Law, London, were she read international business management, was suffering with gastritis, when the stomach lining is inflamed, or from food poisoning.

When making his decision to discharge her just before 2am on April 18, Dr Piper said he was satisfied she was 'fit for discharge'.

He said Miss Zoglie told him she was 'feeling a little better' and turned down the offer of stronger pain medication 'which in itself was reassuring'.

He said she was able to sit up and was sipping on water.

He therefore 'did not have concerns' and she was sent home with lansoprazole, a medication for stomach ulcers.

Dr Piper said he did not feel she needed surgery or a CT scan.

'There was no medical indication to do one at the time,' he said.

Three doctors told the inquest gastric volvulus was 'exceptionally rare in a woman of Melissa's age'.

Melissa's GP Oliver Maddison agreed with the hospital's diagnosis of an ulcer and told Miss Zoglie to double her lansoprazole medication.

He said 'nothing jumped out at him' from her blood results from the hospital or from his own observations but that she 'looked uncomfortable'.

'I stand by my decision at the time,' he said.

'My expectation was that it would improve.'

Dr Maddison said he had 'never seen' gastric volvulus until this case.

When she returned home Miss Zoglie collapsed and was readmitted to hospital.

Before a CT scan could be carried out she went into cardiac arrest and CPR was started.

It was then decided to do emergency surgery to 'figure out what was going on'.

Mr Gnananandan Janakan, lower GI and major trauma consultant surgeon at the Royal Sussex, said performing surgery when CPR is being given to a patient is 'extremely rare' but it was believed it was the only remaining option that would 'save her life'.

'The stomach was completely dead,' said Mr Janakan.

He said this would 'probably have occurred over 12 to six hours prior to her attendance' but the stomach may have been twisting and untwisting, intermittently slowing the blood flow to the stomach for a longer period.

'By the time of her attendance [on April 18], there wouldn't have been anything more we could have done,' he said.

He said before her second admission to hospital there was 'nothing to think her condition was life threatening' or that she needed a CT scan or surgery at the time.

He said a CT scan would have shown whether the stomach was twisted but if surgeons had assessed her on April 17 they would 'have come to the same conclusion and she would have been discharged'.

He said he had only seen five or six cases of gastric volvulus and these were all patients in their 70s, 80s and 90s.
Three robbers wielding sledgehammers brazenly broke into a family jewellers store in daylight whilst the shop was open and stole Rolex watches collectively valued at 22,000.

Antony James Jewellers, a longstanding family-owned business with over 50 years of history in Kingston, fell victim to a burglary at 5:10 pm yesterday.

The assailants, three masked and gloved individuals likely aged between 17 and 20, wielded the sledgehammers before running away. They are yet to be caught.

The robbery lasted only 20-25 seconds, during which the thieves struck the glass approximately 20 times.

The front of the Antony James Jewellers shop bears the scars of a destructive sledgehammer assault, leaving the store's facade completely obliterated.

Three robbers wielding sledgehammers brazenly broke into a family jewellers store in daylight whilst the shop was open and stole Rolex watches collectively valued at 22,000

Antony James Jewellers, a longstanding family-owned business with over 50 years of history in Kingston, fell victim to a burglary at 5:10 pm today

The robbery lasted only 20-25 seconds, during which the thieves struck the glass approximately 20 times

During the robbery, employees pulled down the electric shutter inside the store as the criminals banged on the glass relentlessly.

The thieves managed to snatch three Rolex watches, worth 22,000.

The security measures prevented them from accessing additional watches, saving five to six timepieces from being stolen.

One blind man was inside the store during the burglary.

'He was crying and shaking, he didn't know what was happening. The walls were shaking from the glass shattering,' the store told the Mail.

Employees escorted him home in a taxi, after he had told them he would not be able to sleep at night, he was so terrified.

Antony James Jewellers, a business deeply rooted in the Kingston community, has been met with an outpouring of support from neighbouring businesses and the local community.

A spokesperson for the Jewellers said the robbery was a 'bit of a shock. We didn't think this was going happen, especially with people walking about.'

They added: 'Other jewellers have sent us a lot of support from all different areas when they heard what happened. We a have been in the area for over 50 years and know the neighbouring businesses very well'.

The assailants, three masked and gloved individuals likely aged between 17 and 20, wielded the sledgehammers before running away. They are yet to be caught

Antony James Jewellers is now in the early stages of the insurance claim process, aiming to recover from the financial losses incurred during the robbery

The Flying Squad and forensics teams are now trying to uncover the identities of the perpetrators.

Antony James Jewellers is now in the early stages of the insurance claim process, aiming to recover from the financial losses incurred during the robbery.

The family business is determined to reopen its doors from tomorrow.

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: 'Police were called to a business premise on Fife Road, Kingston at about 17:20hrs on Monday, 8 January following reports of a burglary.

'It was reported that three men wearing balaclavas and armed with hammers forced entry into the premise before stealing a number of watches.

'Officers attended. No one was injured as a result of the burglary.

'At this early stage no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.'
A social worker suspended by council bosses over her belief a person 'cannot change their sex' has won a landmark harassment claim against them and her profession's regulator.

Rachel Meade, from Dartford, in Kent, was given a one-year warning by Social Work England after a lengthy probe when a member of the public complained in 2020 about posts she had made or liked on Facebook.

As a result, the social worker of 20 years was suspended by Westminster City Council and bosses launched a disciplinary investigation and warned her she could be sacked for misconduct.

She was issued with a final written warning after a year long suspension in which she claims she was 'bullied into silence' when trying to 'speak up for women's rights' during the government's consultation period on reform to the Gender Recognition Act.

Meade has now won her case at a tribunal hearing in what is billed as a landmark ruling by her solicitors. She described her experience as 'horrendous'.

Social worker of 20 years Rachel Meade (pictured) has won a landmark case against Westminster City Council and Social Work England over her belief a person 'cannot change their sex'

Both Social Work England and WCC had withdrawn their respective sanctions by the time the hearing was brought in front of a tribunal panel at Victory House, London, in July 2023.

She launched a crowdfunder which raised 121,031 towards her 200,000 legal costs and accused both organisations of 'continuing to subject me to discrimination on the basis of my protected beliefs'.

Meade had liked or made up to 70 posts on Facebook and Twitter, now X, including reposting a tweet that JK Rowling would soon be targeted by the Inquisitorial Squad for following the wrong people on the social media platform.

Others included linking to a petition that women have the right for female-only changing rooms, hospital wards, hostels, and prisons, among others.

But a tribunal panel found in its ruling, published yesterday, that all of her Facebook posts fell within her protected rights for freedom of thought.

The ruling read: 'The opinions expressed by the Claimant could not sensibly be viewed as being transphobic when properly considered in their full context from an objective perspective, but rather her expressing an opinion contrary to the interpretation of legislation, or perhaps more accurately the amendment to existing legislation, advocated for by trans lobbying groups to include, but not limited to, Stonewall.'

Meade's solicitors, Cole Khan, hailed it as a landmark decision with it being the first time a regulator and employer have both been found to have been liable for discrimination relating to gender-critical beliefs.

Ms Meade said: 'It's a huge relief to be so completely vindicated after all this time. It has been a horrendous experience.

'This ruling makes it clear that I was entitled to contribute to the important public debate on sex and gender.

'I hope it will make it easier for other regulated professionals to speak up without threats to their career and reputation.'

Speaking in a YouTube video of the impact it had on her, a tearful Ms Meade said: 'Suddenly my reputation was in tatters. I was suspended. I felt so isolated and alone.

'Then I felt ashamed. I felt like I had done something awful. It was just dreadful.'

Tax expert Maya Forstater won more than 100,000 in compensation from think-tank The Center for Global Development when they dropped her over her view that people cannot change their biological sex.

Maya Forstater (right), who won more than 100,000 in compensation from a think-tank when they dropped her over her view that people cannot change their biological sex, posted a picture of herself with Ms Meade outside the tribunal following the ruling

She posted a picture on X of herself smiling next to Ms Meade outside Victory House and wrote: 'Congratulations to Rachel Meade - Social Worker who has won her discrimination claim against her employer, Westminster City Council and professional regulatory body Social Work England.'

Ms Meade's solicitor, Shazia Khan, Founding Partner of Cole Khan Solicitors, said:

'This is a landmark victory for common sense and free speech in the culture war on gender issues.

'The Tribunal found that my client was subjected to sustained and prolonged harassment by her employer Westminster City Council and her Regulator Social Work England for merely expressing her gender critical beliefs.

'This judgment sounds an alarm for all regulators - and all employers of regulated professionals - that they must not let their processes be weaponised by activists bent on silencing the debate on freedom of speech on gender.

'We demand apologies from Westminster City Council and Social Work England who have to date failed to acknowledge and accept their breaches of the Equality Act 2010 and the harrowing impact of their actions upon my client.

'We now call for urgent root and branch reform from the top down of both organisations to mitigate against further unlawful discrimination of employees and registrants.'

Westminster City Council (pictured) released a statement following the ruling in which it apologised to Ms Meade for the way she was treated

A Westminster City Council spokesperson said: 'We apologise to Rachel Meade for the way she has been treated and the upset that has been caused. We acknowledge and accept the findings of the tribunal.

'As recent landmark cases have shown and the tribunal noted, the issues and policy making involving gender recognition and rights is a fast-evolving area.

'We will be carefully studying the points made in the judgement and considering what changes we need to make at Westminster City Council to ensure the best balance we can to support our staff, service users and our partners.'

Colum Conway, Chief Executive of Social Work England, said: 'We acknowledge the Judgment of the London Central Employment Tribunal in the case of Ms Rachel Meade against Westminster City Council and Social Work England.

'The tribunal made findings in respect of Ms Meade's claims against Social Work England. Following the judgment, all parties have the opportunity to consider the decision and their options. As such, we do not intend to provide further comment at this time. Any further updates will be published on our website.'
An accounts adviser accused of illegally terminating her pregnancy during the first Covid lockdown has walked free from court after prosecutors dropped the charges due to 'evidential difficulties'.

Bethany Cox, 22, denied using abortion pill Misoprostol in July 2020 to kill her baby and was due to face trial next week.

At Teesside Crown Court today the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) officially offered no evidence and a not guilty verdict was entered on Miss Cox, who was not present in court.

The CPS blamed 'evidential difficulties' for their decision not to pursue the prosecution.

But Miss Cox's barrister launched a scathing attack and described how she had 'suffered so extensively' while she was grieving the loss of her baby.

She had denied taking a drug on July 6 2020 with intent to destroy the life of a child that was capable of being born alive in the knowledge it would lead to the termination of the pregnancy.

Miss Cox had also been charged with administering a poison between July 2 and July 7 2020 with intent to procure a miscarriage.

Bethany Cox, 22, denied using abortion drug Misoprostol in July 2020 to kill her unborn child and was due to face trial next week.

At Teesside Crown Court today the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) officially offered no evidence and a not guilty verdict was entered on Miss Cox

Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told the court: 'The Crown came to the conclusion they were not in possession of key evidence to rebut the defence case; as such there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.'

Nicholas Lumley KC, representing Ms Cox, said she had given the same account in her defence statement as she had to police officers immediately after the incident, and it was 'beyond regrettable' that her case had got to such a late stage.

He told the court: 'This is an extraordinary state of affairs where Bethany Cox gave birth to her child in July 2020.

'In the throes of grief she was interviewed, gave an account telling the police what she had done.

'She was under investigation for three years, then prosecuted, then at the eleventh hour, when the court and defence highlighted evidential difficulties... The defence statement echoes what she told police three years earlier, the evidential difficulties have always been there.

'The prosecution now accept what she said to the police must have been right. That is beyond regrettable.'

Mr Lumley said a psychiatric examination had confirmed that the proceedings had had a 'profound' effect on Ms Cox.

He added: 'The reason Bethany Cox doesn't want to be here is that she's suffered so extensively as a result of this investigation, all the while grieving for what happened.'

Miss Cox (pictured) had 'suffered so extensively' while she was grieving the loss of her baby, her barrister said

The court heard that the judge who was due to try the case, Mrs Justice Lambert, had invited the CPS to review the case at a hearing in December, and that following the review prosecutors decided there was no realistic prospect of conviction.

Judge Paul Watson, KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said: 'The court has no alternative but to direct not guilty verdicts be entered in this case, and that she is acquitted and her name cleared.'

Rachael Clarke, chief of staff at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: 'We welcome the withdrawal of charges against a young woman in Teesside, and are delighted that this case will not proceed to an unnecessary and gruelling trial.

'We hope that she can now begin to move on from this lengthy and no doubt emotional ordeal.'

It is understood that the evidential issues relate specifically to Ms Cox's case and not to a wider issue of prosecutions for abortion cases.

A CPS spokesperson said: 'Cases of this nature are carefully considered and a prosecution will only take place where the evidential standard has been met.

'We have a duty to continuously review our cases to ensure that this standard continues to be met as each case progresses.

'Following a further review of this case, we have concluded that our legal test is no longer met.'

In August 2018 the Government announced it would legalise the home-use of early medical abortion pills - including Misoprostol - in England by the end of that year.

It became legal for women to take the second of two early abortion pills at home.

Previously the system required women to take both pills, mifepristoneand misoprostol, 24 to 48 hours apart in a clinic to end an early pregnancy before 10 weeks gestation.
Donald Trump tore into President Biden and warned of 'bedlam' if his prosecution is allowed to go forward, in an angry statement just minutes after his lawyer argued in court he enjoys absolute immunity from his time as president.

Trump made the comments as he called the Biden administration a 'threat to democracy' and once again claimed to have uncovered 'tremendous voter fraud' despite multiple court findings rulings against his and his allies' claims.

'It's very unfair when a political opponent is prosecuted by the DOJ, by Biden's DOJ. So they're losing in every poll, losing in almost every demographic...numbers came out today that are really very mind-boggling if you happen to be Joe Biden,' Trump said at a Washington, D.C. hotel.

'And I think they feel this is the way they're going to try and win and that's not the way it goes. It'll be Bedlam in the country. It's a very bad thing. It's a very bad precedent. As we said it's the opening of a Pandora's Box,' Trump said.

'It'll be Bedlam in the country,' former President Donald Trump said Tuesday, speaking of what will happen if he faces prosecution despite his claim of 'absolute immunity.' His lawyer said he was facing a 'political prosecution'

He was picking up on a phrase his lawyer John Sauer used in court, and one his lawyer John Lauro made alongside Trump,

'If we adopt what the Special Counsel wants, if we adopt what President Biden wants, then we open the Pandora's box to political prosecution after political prosecution after political prosecution,' said Lauro. 'In fact, Joe Biden could be prosecuted for trying to stop this man from becoming the next President of the United States,' he said.

'It's a very sad thing that's happened with this whole situation. When they talk about threat to democracy that's your threat to democracy. And I feel that as a president you have to have immunity,' Trump said.

A reporter shouted a question to Trump after he had completed his remarks about his 'bedlam' comment, and whether he would tell them 'no matter what, no violence.' Trump walked away without responding.

Trump was present inside the courtroom and spoke afterward

Trump warned of 'bedlam' if the prosecution against him continues

Trump then said Biden could be prosecuted for the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which came after a delayed departure date negotiated during the Trump administration, before saying immunity was necessary.

'The lowest moment, I think, in the history of our country was Afghanistan - the way we withdrew. With shame. We surrendered. People were killed, 13 great soldiers killed...he [Biden] could be prosecuted for that. So you can't have a president without immunity.'

Then Trump brought out President Obama's ordering of drone strikes, 'which were bad. They were mistakes, terrible mistakes.' Still, he said, 'You really can't put a president into that position. So I think most people understand and we feel very confident that eventually hopefully at this level, but eventually we win. A president has to have immunity.'

He was referencing Obama's ordering of hundreds of drone strikes to target Al Qaeda and other extremists in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen.

Trump spoke after a three-judge U.S. Appeals Court heard oral arguments inside the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, located steps away from the Capitol where his supporters rioted on January 6 and from the former D.C. hotel that was a hub of activity during his presidency. (Trump sold the lease at an estimated $100 million profit).

Inside the courtroom, Trump's attorney faced a blizzard of questions from the judges over his claims of presidential immunity  including whether he could use the military to assassinate a political rival.

Trump is trying to toss his criminal indictment over January 6 in Washington, D.C. in part on his immunity claims.

He is arguing that the allegations against him fell within the perimeter of his official responsibilities as president while in office.

As Trump looked on in court appeal court judge Florence Pan asked his lawyer: A yes or no question. Could a president who ordered SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival, who was not impeached, would he be subject to a criminal prosecution?'

Trump lawyer John Sauer, the former Missouri solicitor general, responded: 'If he were impeached and convicted first.'

'So your answer is no, shot back Pan.

'My answer is qualified yes...you'd expect a speedy impeachment and conviction, Sauer said.

Donald Trump's lawyers will argue he is immune from criminal prosecution in election fraud cases in a federal appeals court hearing that will have major implications for his 2024 campaign

The Republican frontrunner's motorcade turned into the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning, surrounded by cops and security

The judge also put Trumps claim to immunity to the test by asking if a president could sell U.S. military secrets, or sell pardons, without then being criminally prosecuted.

Pan told Sauer: Ive asked you a series of hypotheticals about criminal actions that could be taken by a president and could be considered official acts and asked you would such a president be subjected to criminal prosecution.and your answer was no.'

Sauer countered that selling pardons might not be held to be an official act.

Judge Pan also picked at Sauers leaning on the role of impeachment.

Your position is as I understand it, if a president is impeached and convicted by Congress then he is subject to criminal prosecution correct?' she said.

Isnt that also a concession that a president can be criminally prosecuted for an official act?

In his arguments, Sauer said prosecuting a former president created a dangerous precedent.

He said: 'To authorize the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora's box from which this nation may never recover.'

The grilling from the bench has high stakes not just for Trumps criminal case, but for the timing of his trial.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a trial date of March 4, the day before Super Tuesday, and an appeal by Trump to the entire circuit or the Supreme Court could stall the case.

Trump won't be asked any questions or interact with the judge directly before he returns to the campaign trail with just six days until the Iowa caucuses

The case is set to go to the Supreme Court, but if the judges side with him, it could derail Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal case

The Appeals Court is considering a ruling by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan (L) against Trump's claim of absolute presidential immunity from prosecution

Special counsel James Pearce, arguing for the government, went back to the analogy in his own time speaking to the judicial panel.

What kind of world are we living in  if a president orders his SEAL team to assassinate his political rival and resigns, for example, before an impeachment? Not a criminal act, he said, characterizing the Trump legal position.

Judge Michelle Childs brought up the Midlands Asphalt Corp. v. U.S. case  a potential precedent that has intrigued legal analysts because it provides a potential way for the court to quickly dismiss Trumps appeal on jurisdictional grounds.

But Pearce expressed his preference that the court rule on the merits of Trumps claim of absolute immunity for official acts done while president. He raised issues about various future motions the defense might make that could entangle the case.

Sauer argued that allowing for the prosecution for his official acts would open up a Pandoras box.

He asked if George W. Bush could be prosecuted for waging war on Iraq based on false intelligence, or if Barack Obama could be prosecuted for a drone strike.

Sauer said to allow prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandoras box from which this government may never recover.

Pearce said in the event of a drone strike that killed civilians, 'The court would properly recognize some kind of immunity,' but argued, 'That is nothing like what weve got here.'

If the panel rules against Trump, he could try to appeal his case to the entire D.C. Court of Appeals, and then go to the Supreme Court.

Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson asked Sauer about times in the past when the courts have weighed in on presidential authority, including Harry S. Trumans seizure of steel mills during the Korean War.

How does that square with your position that the judiciary can never review exec action? she pressed.

She also commented on the president's oath to uphold the Constitution.

'I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law,' she said.

Earlier, Trump arrived at the federal appeals court in Washington D.C. for the hearing, which will have major implications for his 2024 campaign.

Lawyers for the former president, 77, are arguing he is immune from prosecution in election subversion cases because he was acting as president when he investigated fraud.

The Republican frontrunner's motorcade turned into the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday morning, surrounded by cops and security.

Inside, the three-judge panel will decide whether charges brought against him over January 6 by Special Counsel Jack Smith should be dismissed.

Trump won't be asked any questions or interact with the judge directly before he returns to the campaign trail with just six days until the Iowa caucuses.

It came as a new CBS News poll shows 64 percent of Americans do not think Trump should be immune from prosecution for actions he took as president, while 34 percent think he should be. However, 69 percent of Republicans think he should be immune.

Trump claims he should be shielded from prosecution because he was carrying out his official duties as president when he investigated fraud claims from Joe Biden's 2020 election win.

He also argues that since the Senate acquitted him during his impeachment in the aftermath of January 6, he shouldn't have been charged.

The case is set to go to the Supreme Court, but if the judges side with him, it could derail Smith's federal case.

Trump has argued he has presidential immunity in multiple cases and is already facing challenges to kick him off the ballot from states including Colorado and Maine.

Trump has a commanding lead over his Republican rivals heading into the primary season that will be interrupted by court appearances.

The case will be heard by Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Michelle Childs and Florence Pan.

Police secure the outside of the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse before Trump's arrival

The former president, 77, will be at the US Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, where a three-judge panel will decide whether charges brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith should be dismissed

Henderson has already been involved with Trump cases, including whether Congress could access his tax records.

A lower court has already ruled that Trump is not immune, and District Judge Tanya Chutkan has refused to dismiss the case.

'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,' Chutkan wrote.

'Former Presidents enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability.'

Trump then challenged the decision with the appeals court.
A travel agent sold bogus Mecca pilgrimage travel packages to Muslim customers who lost thousands of pounds after he cancelled the trips at the last minute, a court has heard.

Hasib Chowdhury, 50, is accused of 'making false representations' to customers from his Zamana Travels unit in Yardley by taking payments without booking flights, accommodation or applying for visas.

Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and is considered to be a once in a lifetime religious obligation for those of Islam faith.

Chowdhury, of Coventry, stands trial at Birmingham Crown Court where he denies a single offence of fraudulent trading between 2017 and 2018.

Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of Birmingham City Council trading standards, said: 'In July 2017 trading standards officers visited the business and spoke to the defendant. He told officers he was no longer trading as a travel agent. We say he wasn't being honest with the officers.'

Hasib Chowdhury, 50, is accused of taking payments without booking flights, accommodation or applying for visas

He told the court analysis of his 'various' bank accounts demonstrated he had been taking money from customers including sums of 3,000 and 2,000 from different people in December that year.

Mr Jackson continued: 'He's taking thousands and thousands and thousands of pounds off people and he provided them with no service, no flights, no hotels, no nothing and he kept their cash.

'Some of them got some money back in dribs and drabs, mostly after he was before the court.'

Explaining the significance of the Hajj pilgrimage, he added: 'It is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is one of the five key acts a Muslim is expected to do in their lifetime if they are physically able and can afford to do so. It is a religious obligation to do so. Perhaps for that reason places for Hajj are limited and sought after.

'Hotel accommodation in Saudi Arabia is in great demand. Accordingly each complainant handed over significant sums of money seeking to undertake the pilgrimage which is a pillar of importance to their faith.'

The jury was told the defendant was not an ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' License) holder and was not providing packages on behalf of an ATOL holder, which is a legal requirement for anyone selling travel packages including flights.

Mr Jackson stated the main issue in the case was Chowdhury's 'explanation' for what happened with customers. He said: 'We say it's dishonest through and through. I'm being polite about it. He will say it wasn't. It was an unfortunate set of circumstances.'

Muslims circle the Kaaba and pray during Umrah, at the Grand Mosque, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The prosecutor summarised individual complainant's cases starting with one customer who allegedly agreed to pay 11,000 for a 'five star' Hajj package for himself and his wife.

Mr Jackson stated on August 10, 2018 - four days before departure - Chowdhury informed the complainant his visa had been rejected but 'didn't provide an explanation'.

He said: 'The reason there was no visa is because there was no flight, no hotel, no nothing. All there was was 11,000 of this couple's money lining his pocket.'

Mr Jackson stated Chowdhury offered to meet the complainant on the day before the expected departure, stay with him and be his personal guide for the trip but did not show up.

He told the court the complainant was then included in a WhatsApp group of around 20 people which received a message confirming the Hajj trip had been cancelled.

It was alleged the text from the defendant apologised for the 'delay in contacting you and miscommunication' before stating that visas had not been authorised and that the issue was being 'directly' taken up with the Saudi Arabian embassy.

The court was told that Chowdhury's message promised to return passports and provide full refunds in a matter of days.

Mr Jackson stated the defendant sought to blame the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for 'messing him about' and another person for 'doing a runner with passports'. He described Chowdhury as a 'confidence trickster' and said: 'Tens of thousands of pounds.

'Making false representations. That's a polite legal way of saying lying. Lying to people. Milking them for cash then at the very last minute when their bags are packed and they've had their Meningitis jabs, they are going nowhere. It's a scam from beginning to end.'

The trial continues.
When Newton's pleas went unanswered, she reached out to the cruise line on social media, asking if they could 'move them' or 'kick them off the boat'

The group shelled out over $40,000 total - but their trip quickly turned to a nightmare as neighbors blasted loud music and smoked in their room

Cayce Evans Newton, 63, joined 19 other family members aboard Wonder of the Seas

A grandmother-of-two embarked on a cruise with 19 other family members - but the trip quickly descended into a nightmare, as their next door neighbors refused to turn down their music and smoked in their room.

Cayce Evans Newton, 63, a Las Vegas native, joined over a dozen family members aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas earlier this month.

By day four of the vacation, however, she'd had enough with their rude neighbors and took to social media to air her complaints.

Newton tagged the cruise line in a desperate bid to reach them through TikTok.

'We paid over $40,000 for our family group of 20 people for this vacation,' she wrote. 'We've called guest services and security numerous times and nothing has helped.'

Cayce Evans Newton, 63, embarked on a Royal Caribbean cruise with 19 other relatives

However, the trip quickly turned into a nightmare, as the guests in the room next door blasted loud music through the night and smoked in their room

Newton claimed she and her family had called security aboard Wonder of the Seas 'I don't know how many times' before she decided to air her complaints on social media

In the video, Newton claimed she and her relatives had experienced an 'ongoing problem' with guests in the room next door, explaining that they were 'playing loud music all night long' and 'smoking in their room.'

'We've called security I don't know how many times, eight times we've called security and we're not getting any relief from the problem,' Newton said.

She said the group of 20 had paid over $40,000 total for the trip. Two of the people in attendance were her young grandsons, one and six years old.

'It's disturbing, the language is disturbing,' she said of the music, 'and we just need some help.'

The 63-year-old emphasized that she wasn't trying to put a damper on other people's fun.

'There's smoking areas, there's bars with music, there's places to go party and have fun,' she said, 'and we want them to have fun just like we want to have fun.'

She described the trip as 'hell' and said she feared 'it may be the end of our cruising as a family.'

Newton then addressed the cruise line.

'I don't know if you can move them, kick them off the boat. I don't know what you can do for them, but so far nothing's working and we're on day four of our eight-day cruise,' she said.

The 63-year-old emphasized that she was especially concerned for her grandchildren, aged one and six, as the loud music contained 'disturbing' language

In a follow up video, Newton said Guest Services had offered the family a bottle of wine, a free meal at a fast food chain and 10 percent off her daughter's next trip with the cruise line

Royal Caribbean's Health, Safety and Conduct policy bans smoking onboard with the exception of 'designated areas' not including staterooms. As for noise, it states that loud music is prohibited

Newton hit back at critics, saying: 'To all the people that call me a Karen, I'm sorry your life is like that'

The video racked up more than 380,000 views. Netizens flocked to the comments, with several coming to her defense.

'The rooms are there for sleeping, not partying in. They can go anywhere else on the boat for that. I would be so upset,' one user wrote.

'I have a feeling people will call you a Karen but you are so valid for this, there's designated spaces for them and you deserve relief,' another remarked.

Newton personally responded, writing: 'I'm not normally a Karen but we have a 6 year old and 1 year old and its been rough for them.'

'Youre not a Karen. You should be able to enjoy your room as well,' yet another user commented.

Still, others lambasted her. 'Girl, those people are enjoying their vacation they paid for too!' one woman exclaimed.

'A cruise is a big party. Maybe rent a cabin out in the woods,' another remarked snidely.

Many users called on Newton to be firmer, instructing her to ask to speak to the cruise director.

When told to confront the neighbors directly, Newton alleged they didn't speak English, adding: 'My daughter is a single mom with young kids in the room. We felt it was better if she didnt personally engage with them.'

@itsmecayce @Royal Caribbean how can we get help with nightmare stateroom neighbors? We paid over $40,000 for our family group of 20 people for this vacation. Weve cslled guest services and security numerous times and nothing has helped.  original sound - Cayce

In a follow up video posted Sunday, Newton shared that it was the last night of the cruise.

She said Guest Services was 'great at keeping in touch' and offered the family a bottle of wine and a free meal at a fast food chain.

Her daughter, the mother of the two young boys, was also offered 10 percent off her next trip.

'It was rough. We were trying to just get over it, trying not to be bothered by it,' Newton said. 'They were smoking in their room and on their balcony the whole time, which you're not supposed to do.'

She finished: 'To all the people that call me a Karen, I'm sorry your life is like that.'

This time around, nearly all of the comments seemed to be in her favor.

'This is probably the one thing that could ruin a cruise for me,' one woman remarked. 'I cant stand cigarette smoke. I also would be furious if I was kept up all night.'

'I would be pissed if I had to smell smoke,' another user agreed. 'Freaking gross.'

@itsmecayce @Royal Caribbean good luck getting the smoke stench out of cabin 10709 on Wonder of the Seas. Guest Services tried to be helpful but never resolved the issue with the noise and smoking. Thank you to everyone who left kind and helpful comnents. We had a wonderful trip but not sure if we will ever cruise RCCL again.  original sound - Cayce

A handful of others were appalled at Guest Service's remedies.

'A bottle of wine? Are you kidding me?' one netizen exclaimed.

'Id be pissed!' another declared. 'Ten percent? Hell no! Dont let this go! This is unacceptable.'

Royal Caribbean's Health, Safety and Conduct Policy is available online. It states that all ships are non-smoking, with the exception of certain 'designated areas.'

Smoking is not allowed inside cruise ship rooms or on the balconies of those rooms.

The cruise line does not have a dedicated policy for noise, but makes clear that 'boom boxes, loud radios, or other noise nuisances' are prohibited.

Newton did not respond immediately to Dailymail.com's request for comment.
A bride and groom held their wedding ceremony at an Indianapolis coffee shop on New Year's Eve without getting permission to do so.

Mansion Society coffee shop owners Ana and Zoraida Lezama created social media posts on December 31 and January 3 describing the pop-up wedding that took over their business.

The first social media post indicated that 20-30 guests held a wedding, took pictures, and asked employees to take their coats and purses.

The Lezama's answered additional questions asked by social media users in their second post and added a video of the ceremony.

According to a GoFundMe page created on January 1, wedding guests only bought 'six lattes' and lost $500 worth of potential business.

A bride and groom married in front of 20-30 guests at Mansion Society coffee shop in Indiana on New Year's Eve

Everyone with the wedding party rearranged furniture and expected employees at the coffee shop to take their coats and hang them up

The 'small owned business' opened in 2022 with a brand 'Immersed in Wes Andersons film.'

The owners began their December 31 social media statement by saying it does its best to provide 'the best service to all.'

Mansion Society allows customers to hold private events at their shop starting at $500 and used their first social media post on New Year's Eve to let others know why they are discussing the incident.

'We are ultimately sharing to ask out patrons to please be considerate, mindful and consider booking us for a private event, other than showing up and taking control of our small business with no notice.'

A wedding officiant, photographers, and bride and groom parties were among the guests that attended the ceremony.

'They were asking us to take coats, purses, and watch personal items as if they had rented us out for a private event,' the owners stated.

The Lezama's created their second social media post to 'answer all questions.'

The wedding ceremony took place without notice and has led to backlash due to various social media posts created by Mansion Society

Shop owners Ana and Zoraida Lezama described the entire experience shortly after the party left in social media posts are now viral

Ana discussed the Indianapolis shop its 'Immersed in Wes Andersons film' brand in an interview back in 2022

The bride sent an email to Mansion Society after the ceremony and offered a $200 donation.

One of the owners responded to her email and added screenshots of their response to the second social media post.

She wrote the store does not need a $200 donation but needs them to pay the fee for a venue they 'did not previously hire for a wedding ceremony.'

The bride was told of the normal weekend rate by the owner, who does not believe the shop will receive 'any sort of compensation' from them.'

The co-owner noted that wedding guests did not use parking spots and their donation doesn't match consumption requirements, rental fees, or staff tips.

The GoFundMe page is helping Mansion Society earn the money they lost because of the wedding ceremony.

Social media users had a lot of questions about the first few posts made on New Year's Eve, which was one of the reasons behind the others that were published on January 3

The bride emailed Mansion Society after New Year's Eve and offered to donated $200, less than half of the usual $500 weekend rental fee. The owners admitted in one of their January 3 posts that they are not expecting to receive any compensation from the wedding party after everything that's happened

Ana made a GoFundMe on January 1 and gave a quick recap on the unexpected wedding ceremony the day before.

She explained that the goal is based on the amount of money the business would've made if 30 customers bought lattes, tips - as well as for the additional burden on the shop.

The page closed earlier this month, but was reopened by Heidi Melton by request.

The business has made over $500 so far.

Ana and Zoraida are not the only ones angry at everyone from the 'pop-up wedding' anymore.

The GoFundMe was reopened by Heidi Melton on January 7 after individuals sent messages to the business saying they wanted to donate

Instagram users were not allowed to comment on Mansion Society's posts about the incident and Facebook users requested the business release the bride and grooms' names

Facebook users wrote various responses throughout the week.

Some wrote they 'would've called the cops' and a few users praised the shop's 'classy response.'

Others dissed everyone involved with the wedding.

'No respect for private property and small business owners...it's the new smash & grab culture. I'm sorry you and your staff had to deal with this,' wrote Tammie Gist.
This is the moment a police helicopter airlifting an injured motorist crash landed on a Brazilian road moments after taking off.

The accident took place Monday in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais after the Federal Highway Police responded to an accident involving two tractor trailers and three trucks that left each of its drivers with injuries.

Cellphone footage recorded by a resident showed the Federal Highway Police helicopter taking off from the road where the collision had taken place earlier in the day and nearly crashing into a home.

The video clip showed the aircraft spinning out of control before it disappeared.

A Brazilian Federal Highway Police helicopter transporting a motorist who was injured in an accident involving two tractor trailers and three trucks nearly crashed into a home before it crashed landed on a road Monday on in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte

A vehicle's camera captured the moment a police helicopter airlifting a driver injured in a truck collision crashed on a road moments after it took off in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. None of the six occupants in the aircraft were injured

Two tractor trailers and three trucks were involved in an accident on a road in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Monday, leaving three drivers with injuries, including one who was in the police helicopter that crashed on a road while he was being airlifted

A second video recorded by a camera mounted on a vehicle showed the helicopter crash landing several yards behind it.

Federal Highway Police commander Aurelio Leal, who was in the aircraft, said the accident was caused after the helicopter experienced a rotation loss.

'There were six of us,' Leal said, as quoted by Brazilian news outlet G1. 'Everyone was fine, thank God. The location was the best possible (to land) after we had the rotation loss. Unfortunately, the tail hit the fence.'

The injured truck driver was not hurt and was later transported in an ambulance Joao XXIII Hospital.

Elisa Loures told G1 was in her home with her son when she heard the helicopter hovering over her apartment. It clipped the side of the building, causing tiles to fall off her wall.

Police said that the accident was caused after the helicopter suffered rotation loss

First responder removed a driver from a wrecked cabin after a crash involving two trailers and three trucks in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on Monday

'To avoid my son being injured, I jumped on top of him,' she said. 'The helicopter left with a strange notice and out of nowhere everting started to fall.'

Vitor Fabiano was behind the wheels of his vehicle and saw the helicopter's forced landing.

'A scare, right? Right in front of me,' he said. 'It was only a matter of second that I did not pass by. It was really God.'

The crash involving the three trucks took place on the west side of the Minas Gerais city of Belo Horizonte.

A truck transporting ore when it collided with one of the vehicles. A 57-year-old driver was trapped in his cabin and was removed.
An alleged killer appeared in court today charged with murdering a man who died six years after he was stabbed in the heart outside a supermarket.

Jamel Boyce, 24, suffered a catastrophic brain injury after he was knifed in a brawl outside Sainsburys in Clapham, southwest London, on October 14 2016.

He was left blind, paralysed and unable to speak.

Mr Boyce required 24-hour care before he passed away aged 22 at a care home in Streatham Hill on 13 October last year.

A post-mortem examination found his cause of death was a penetrating injury to his chest.

Jamel Boyce, 24, (pictured) suffered a catastrophic brain injury after he was knifed in a brawl outside Sainsburys in Clapham, southwest London

Tyrese Osei-Kofi, 24, appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from HMP Isis in Thamesmead, South East London, charged with his murder.

He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

Judge Richard Marks, KC, the Common Serjeant of London, remanded him in custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on 26 March.

A two week trial date was set for 28 October.

Mr Boyce was nicknamed Smiley by fellow pupils at St Francis Xavier sixth form college in Clapham, because of his upbeat attitude.

Three members of his family attended court today.
A thug set his XL Bully on a defenceless woman and encouraged it to attack her during a terrifying ordeal.

Liam Rainey took his dog's muzzle off before it jumped on her and bit her arm and chest.

After regaining control of the animal, Rainey then said 'good dog, get her', before it attacked her for a second time in the street in Wigan.

The horrifying attack occurred after the victim had become embroiled in a row between Rainey and his girlfriend, Manchester Crown Court heard.

'This was a terrifying ordeal,' Judge Sarah Johnston told 26-year-old Rainey, as she sentenced him to three years in prison.

Liam Rainey took his dog's muzzle off before it jumped on her and bit her to the arm and chest

'You deliberately used your dog as a weapon, in what became a sustained attack on a defenceless woman who was wounded by your animal on your instruction.'

Rainey was also banned from owning a dog for five years. 'I regard the dog as one of your victims as well,' the judge told him.

It will become illegal to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales from February 1. Prosecutors told how the attack occurred in Windermere Road, Ince, on Sunday June 11 last year.

The victim, 55, was at home with her niece who received a text message from Rainey asking whether his girlfriend was there, prosecutor Ellen Shaw said.

She told him she was elsewhere, but Rainey didn't believe her. The pair decided to drive to meet Rainey's girlfriend, but bumped into her in the street during their journey.

Shortly after, Rainey also arrived at the scene on foot with his dog, described as an 'XL Bully type'. The dog was said to have had a muzzle on as a 'precaution'.

There was an 'altercation' between him and his girlfriend, before the victim of the dog attack sought to diffuse the situation. Rainey then 'squared up to her', before removing the dog's muzzle.

He then 'set it on her'. The dog jumped up and bit the woman on her forearm and on the chest, leaving her wounded and bloodied.

Rainey brought the dog back under his control, but then said: 'Good dog, get her.' The woman was then bitten by the dog again to her side.

She ran away, while Rainey then lifted the dog to allow it to enter the car the women had arrived in, where three friends of the victim who had witnessed the attack were sitting. They quickly leapt out of the vehicle to avoid the animal.

After Rainey left, the victim returned home and alerted the police. She went to hospital, where her wounds were cleaned and dressed.

Rainey was arrested at his home the following morning. He told police that the dog was 'calm and friendly', and that it 'would never attack anybody'.

The victim told how her ordeal has affected her psychologically. 'I never leave the house anymore, I can't sleep and constantly want to be on my own,' she said.

'I feel like a different person since this incident has happened. If I do leave the house, and I see a dog out on the street, I panic.

It will become illegal to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales from February 1. Prosecutors told how the attack occurred in Windermere Road, Ince, on Sunday June 11 last year (Stock image)

I keep thinking 'what if this dog had bitten a child?' I often have nightmares about dogs.'

Defending, Kevin Liston said that Rainey is originally from Liverpool but moved to Wigan for a 'fresh start'.

He said the defendant had experienced a troubled childhood, and been 'targeted and groomed' by crime gangs based in the city.

Mr Liston said that Rainey, who has 24 previous convictions, including for robbery and violence, had used his time on remand in prison 'productively'.

He said that Rainey's dog had not attacked anyone else previously.

Rainey has since relinquished ownership of the animal, and it is being cared for at kennels.

Under the law, the judge must decide whether the dog should be destroyed following the attack.

Judge Johnson adjourned the case, asking prosecutors for more information about how the dog has behaved since the attack before she rules on its fate. Rainey, of Darlington Street East, Wigan, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding and being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control and caused injury.

The Government has moved to ban XL Bully dogs following the deaths of 23 people in dogs attacks since 2021. Statistics revealed that before that year, around three people a year as a result of dog attacks.

Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss claimed the XL Bully breed was 'disproportionately involved in this rise'. It will become illegal to own an XL Bully from February 1, unless owners have an exemption certificate.
The White House on Tuesday ordered cabinet secretaries to keep it informed when they may not be able to perform their duties as the fallout continues from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret hospitalization.

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, in a memo, directed cabinet officers to examine their policies for delegating authority when a secretary is out of commission and to send those procedures to the White House for review.

He also made clear that White House officials expected to be kept up to date about developments like major medical issues. His memo came out the same day it was announced Austin was being treated for prostate cancer.

'Notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation,' Zients wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The New York Times. 'This notification should occur when agencies anticipate or are preparing for a delegation of authority and again when the delegation occurs.'

The Pengaton said on Tuesday it is correcting its procedures.

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said at his briefing.

'We want to make sure that notifications are happening in a timely way. And this way, as we've acknowledged, there were some shortfalls and so it's important that we go back and look at what those shortfalls work. What could have been done better and make sure that going forward. We're improving those processes,' he said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above) and the fallout from his secret hospitalization continues

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients sent a memo to Cabinet officials demanding the White House be told if there are major medical or other issues

Zients also directed Cabinet officials to ensure power is transferred 'when a cabinet member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.'

The memo was sent out as President Joe Biden and his team continue to deal with the political headache left to them after Austin failed to inform them of his hospitalization until four days after it occurred.

Senior administration and defense officials were not told for days about his hospitalization or his cancer.

The Pentagon confirmed on Tuesday that Austin had prostate cancer.

'On Dec 22 after consultation with his medical team, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,' the hospital said in a statement.

His cancer was 'diagnosed early and his prognosis is excellent.'

His complications included 'nausea with severe abdominal, leg and hip pain.' The early diagnosis was a urinary tract infection but further examination showed Austin, 70, had a fluid build up in his abdomen that was impairing the function of his small intestines.

The infection was treated by a tube placed through is nose that went down to his stomach. The infection has cleared, the Pentagon said, and Austin 'continues to make progress.' He 'never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia.'

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said Tuesday

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence - he is seen above participating in the Virtual Red Sea Security Summit at NAVCENT headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on December 19

Timeline on Lloyd Austin's illness Dec. 22: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has procedure at Walter Reed Dec. 23: Austin returns home Dec. 27: President Biden leaves for St. Croix for New Year's vacation Jan. 1: Austin participates in national security phone call Jan. 1: Austin admitted to ICU Jan. 2: Austin top staffers informed of his hospitalization Jan. 2: Biden returns to White House Jan. 2: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks takes some of Austin's duties Jan. 4: Biden and Hicks told Austin is in hospital Jan. 5: Congress informed Jan. 6: Biden and Austin speak via phone Jan. 9: Pentagon announces Austin was being treated for prostate cancer Advertisement

Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence, the Pentagon has launched a full investigation into the matter and one Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment against the defense secretary.

Austin, 70, remains at Walter Reed Medical Center but is out of the ICU and has retaken control of his authorities as the head of U.S. armed forces. The White House has said President Biden backs him but lawmakers in both parties are questioning the Pentagon's handling of the situation. The White House also had said they would be conducting a review of the situation.

The Pentagon said Monday night that it's still unclear when Austin will be released from the hospital but vowed to give daily updates until he is out.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement on Monday that Austin 'continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good.' Ryder said that Austin is in 'good condition' and that he is 'recovering well and in good spirits.'

As part of the fallout, Kelly Magsamen, Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding Austin's hospitalization, the Pentagon announced late Monday night.

But the matter was not referred to the Defense Department inspector general's office for an independent review. It will be led by Jennifer Walsh, the Pentagon's director of administration and management.

Magsamen had been ill with the flu and was unaware that Austin had been hospitalized. Officials have cited her illness as one of the reasons the White House wasn't informed about the secretary's condition.

Austin's top staffers knew about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, however. Biden wasn't told until Jan. 4.

The review will establish a timeline of events beginning Jan. 1 when Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed and examine how decisions were made about informing officials of his condition.

'This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred,' Magsamen wrote. 'And that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public.'

Kelly Magsamen (left), Lloyd Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding the defense secretary's hospitalization; Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder (right) was one of the top officials who knew of Austin's hospitalization

The White House announced President Biden backs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (seen above with Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the White House on August 30th)

Earlier Monday, Ryder acknowledged that he knew of Austin's hospitalization on Jan. 2 and should have pushed to inform the public sooner.

In an hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, which was held off-camera, Ryder offered no explanation as to why the White House wasn't informed sooner.

Asked if Austin directed any of his staff to withhold information, he answered indirectly, saying: 'That is one of the things we'll be looking at in terms of process improvements.'

Legal experts told Reuters that Austin may have violated a U.S. law on 'reporting of vacancies' that requires the head of executive agencies to 'submit to the Comptroller General of the United States and to each House of Congress' any vacancies and the name of the person filling the vacancy.

The Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery

The Comptroller General would then relay that information to the president and the Office of Personnel Management.

The law is largely procedural and does not spell out any penalties for lapses. Austin would likely face only a reprimand from Biden.

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery Monday.

The Marine Corps said the surgery repaired a bicuspid aortic valve in Smith's heart, which caused his cardiac arrest on Oct. 28. The Marine Corps, back in October, had announced Smith's heart attack within 24 hours of it occurring.

'He is in good condition and recovering at the hospital with his family,' they said.

The prompt public disclosure and details of the surgery were in stark contrast to how officials handled Austin's surgery.

The Marine Corps handling of General Smith's surgery has resulted in comparisons to the Pentagon's handling of Secretary Austin's surgery

The Pentagon continues to refuse to say what procedure Austin had or describe the complications he suffered.

It's unclear if even the president knows but the White House made it clear that Biden backs Austin.

'There are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been demonstrating,' White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

'Our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and the support that he needs to fully recovered,' he said.

Neither Kirby nor White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would say if Biden knows what medical condition his defense secretary is suffering from. Biden and Austin spoke on Saturday.

'I don't know the level of the president's personal knowledge of his (Austin's) medical situation. That would really be between the two men,' Kirby said.

'That it is not something that we can speak to right. This is his own medical - it is it is a private thing  this is something that the Secretary and the Department of Defense would speak to,' Jean-Pierre said.

Kirby pledged the White House would investigate the matter, looking at the 'process and procedure' regarding the location and health of senior officials after Biden was not told for four days that his defense secretary was in the hospital.

He said the administration would perform a 'hot wash,' which is a military term to describe an intense, quick review.

'As you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here. And try to learn from this experience and if there's some changes that need to be made, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that,' Kirby said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above) on the USS Gerald R Ford

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Austin

Republicans have seized on the issue and Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Austin.

Rosendale says Austin has 'violated his office' multiple times, giving the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.

'Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base  home to ICBMs  and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens,' he said in a statement.

'This dishonesty seems to be a repeated pattern for the Secretary as he once again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.

'Sec. Austin is unfit for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in impeaching him to protect the American people,' he added.

Rosendale is mulling a Senate run in Montana, even as GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.

Democrats, too, have expressed concern.

Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat from Rhode Island who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his first public remarks about the situation on Monday. He spoke to Austin on Sunday.

He said he wishes Austin a 'speedy and complete recovery' but has concerns 'that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care.'

While Austin is taking responsibility for the secrecy, 'this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department,' said Reed. This lack of disclosure must never happen again.'
A new report has revealed that the number of people who decided to take their own life through assisted suicide laws in Vermont has quadrupled in the last two years.

The report from the state's Department of Health has indicated that the number of assisted suicide deaths has risen from 17 between 2019 and 2021, to 84 from 2021 to 2023.

In total, there have been 203 reportable events in the state since they first legalized it in 2013, with 73 percent of the people who chose to die because they had cancer.

Other reasons include people who suffered from neurodegenerative conditions, end-stage lung disease and other conditions.

Per law, the state of Vermont lists all of these deaths as 'natural' on their death certificates, and notes the cause as the underlying health disease.

Connecticut woman Lynda Bluestein pushed for Vermont legislators to change the law. She died on January 4 after ending her life by taking prescribed medication

In total, there have been 203 reportable events in the state since they first legalized it in 2013, with 73 percent of the people who chose to die because they had cancer

While the numbers have climbed dramatically in recent years, lawmakers have been continuing the loosen the reins of the law.

In 2022, officials legalized assisted suicide appointments, which allowed a physician to sign off on a patient's request to die without having met them face-to-face.

Last May, Vermont passed a bill allowing non-residents to come to the state to receive assisted suicide.

One of those had been Connecticut woman Lynda Bluestein who pushed for Vermont legislators to change the law.

Bluestein, 76, had terminal cancer and ended her life in Vermont last Thursday in what her husband described as 'comfortable and peaceful'.

Her last words were, 'I'm so happy I don't have to do this (suffer) anymore,' her husband, Paul, wrote in an email to the group Compassion & Choices.

The organization filed a lawsuit against Vermont in 2022 on behalf of Bluestein, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Diana Barnard, a physician from Middlebury.

The suit claimed Vermont's residency requirement in its so-called patient choice and control at end of life law violated the US Constitution's commerce, equal protection, and privileges and immunities clauses.

The cancer-stricken grandmother from Connecticut, who had terminal cancer, ended her life in Vermont on Thursday

Vermont agreed to a settlement last March that allowed Bluestein, who is not a state resident, to use the law to die there.

Just two months later, Vermont made adjustments to extend its medically assisted suicide law to anyone in similar circumstances.

It became the first state in the country to change its law to allow terminally ill people from out of state to take advantage of it to end their lives.

Former Vermont legislator and state house majority leader Willem Jewett also passed away with the help of medical suicide after he was diagnosed with a rare condition.

The 58-year-old was told he had mucosal melanoma, a rare type of cancer that develops in the mucous membranes of the body.

Jewett later died at his home in Ripton, Vermont, in January 12, 2022, while surrounded by his family.

He had been responsible for helping push through changes to the original 2013 law that later made it easier for people to get a prescription for suicide.

Willem Jewett, seen here, passed away last year with the help of medical suicide after he was diagnosed with a rare condition called mucosal melanoma

The report from the state's Department of Health has indicated that the number of assisted suicide deaths quadrupled in recent years. Vermont State House is pictured here

Jewett served in the state's House of Representatives for 14 years where he briefly was majority leader before his retirement in 2016

There are 10 other states which allow medically assisted suicide but before Vermont changed its law only Oregon allowed non-residents to do it, by not enforcing the residency requirement as part of a court settlement.

Oregon went on to remove that requirement this past summer.

Vermont's law allows physicians to prescribe lethal medication to people with an incurable illness that is expected to kill them within six months.

Patients are required to make two requests orally to the physician over a certain timeframe and then submit a written request, signed in the presence of two or more witnesses who aren't interested parties.

The witnesses must sign and affirm that patients appeared to understand the nature of the document and were free from duress or undue influence at the time.

Others express moral opposition to assisted suicide and say there are no safeguards to protect vulnerable patients from coercion.

Assisted suicide is an option given to individuals by law in Colorado, California, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. It is an option given to individuals in Montana via court decision.
A squad car from the Los Angeles Police Department plowed down a male pedestrian and killed him as he crossed the street.

Luis Espinosa, 26, succumbed to his injuries after the horrifying crash, captured on dashcam footage released by LAPD on Sunday.

The man from Long Beach, California, was running southbound on Century Boulevard at around 5pm on December 8 when he was struck by a marked cruiser.

The officer, who has not been identified, 'inappropriately activated her emergency lights,' according to the police.

'I have very serious concerns regarding the officer's driving leading up to the collision,' LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in a statement.

A squad car from the Los Angeles Police Department plowed down a male pedestrian and killed him as he crossed the street

The officer, who has not been identified, 'inappropriately activated her emergency lights,' according to the police

Luis Espinosa, 26, succumbed to his injuries after the horrifying crash, captured on dashcam footage released by LAPD on Sunday

The video released by LAPD starts with the unnamed officer speeding eastbound on Century Boulevard with the flash and siren activated.

The marked police vehicle hit Espinoza, who was running across traffic outside the crosswalk at McKinley Avenue and Century Boulevard.

Espinoza was struck 75 feet outside of the marked crosswalk, police said.

The cruiser immediately stopped after the crash, but it took the officer more than a minute to exit the car and ran towards the victim, the video's timestamp shows.

'Can I get a RA (Rescue Ambulance) for a male? Not conscious, not breaking,' the officer can be heard saying on the police radio.

The marked police vehicle hit Espinoza, who was running across traffic outside the crosswalk at McKinley Avenue and Century Boulevard. Espinoza was struck 75 feet outside of the marked crosswalk, police said

In addition to the surveillance footage, authorities also released images revealing a substantial dent on the hood of the cruiser

The officer has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing

Espinosa, who can be seen lying motionless on the street, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

'Information we've gathered up to this point indicates that, in addition to her traveling at a high rate of speed, she inappropriately activated her emergency lights as she was traveling along Century Boulevard,' Moore said.

'An Internal Affairs investigation has been initiated, and additional information will be provided as it becomes available,' he added.

A spokesperson from LAPD told DailyMail.com that they don't have information regarding whether the officer with the Community Safety Partnership Bureau was responding to an emergency call.

The Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team (MCIT) is expected to present the case to the District Attorney Office to determine whether a crime was committed.

The video released by LAPD starts with the unnamed officer speeding eastbound on Century Boulevard with the flash and siren activated

Authorities said the officer was assigned to the Community Safety Partnership Bureau but did not specify what emergency she was heading to

The cruiser immediately stopped after the crash, but it took the officer more than a minute to exit the car and ran towards the victim, the video's timestamp shows

In addition to the surveillance footage, authorities also released images revealing a substantial dent on the hood of the cruiser.

'We mourn the loss of this individual,' Moore said at a press conference.

'It is important as our officers move about the city that we conduct ourselves professionally, that we obey the rules of the road and that we drive about in a manner that is considerate of the actions of pedestrians and the motoring public.'

The officer has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.

Former LAPD officer, police union leader and LA Councilmember Dennis Zine told FOX 11: 'The statements by the chief of police is that the Code 3  red lights and sirens  which is used for emergency calls was inappropriate.

'That's a problem.' He said. '[The case] raises so many questions and appears very serious.'

'Whether the pedestrian was crossing legally or illegally, the question is why that unit was going Code 3, a solo unit. Normally when it's a Code 3, there's a two-person unit responding to that situation,' Zine said.
Lawmakers have given Harvard two weeks to hand over documents relating to the Congress probe into the school's handling of 'rampant antisemitism' on campus.

The House is investigating the Ivy League college along with UPenn and MIT after their presidents struggled to give straight answers about whether calling for the genocide of Jews constitutes harassment at a Congress hearing in December.

Harvard's recently-resigned president Dr Claudine Gay is also being scrutinized over allegations of plagiarism in her essays spanning 24 years in the same probe.

On Tuesday, Representative Virginia Foxx, who is leading the investigation, sent a letter to Harvard Corporation leader Penny Pritzker and Interim President Alan Garber outlining the January 23 document deadline.

The letter asks the school to share any proof anti-Semitic students were punished, along with relevant internal emails and text messages between board members, and information on all foreign donations and funding - namely from Qatari sources.

On Tuesday, Representative Virginia Foxx (pictured) sent a letter to Harvard Corporation leader Penny Pritzker and Interim President Alan Garber outlining the document deadline

Foxx's letter is addressed to Harvard Corporation's head Penny Pritzker, and interim president Alan Garber. (Pictured: Pritzker in Washington on April 12, 2023)

It the latest bombshell to drop in the aftermath of the December hearings which sparked the resignations of Gay and UPenn president Liz Magill.

The nine-page letter from Foxx blasted Harvard for 'its failure to protect Jewish students', adding that Congress has 'grave concerns regarding the inadequacy of Harvards response to the antisemitism on its campus'.

'While Dr. Gay has since resigned, Harvards institutional failures regarding antisemitism extend well beyond one leader,' she said.

Foxx asked the school to produce all communications relating to specific incidences of anti-Semitism from its students, including the open letter from 34 student organizations holding Israel responsible for the October 7 terror attack.

Her letter also requests documents relating to their handling of social media posts by Harvard students, faculty and staff 'targeting Jews, Israelis, Israel, Zionists, or Zionism'.

Other incidents under the microscope include the harassment of a Jewish MBA student during a 'die-in protest' 11 days after the terror attack, along with activity at pro-Palestine protests.

The letter also calls for evidence relating to Kennedy School lecturer Marshall Ganzs treatment of Jewish Israeli students' on his course.

According to the Jewish Press, Ganz dismissed their project proposal about 'Israel's liberal and Jewish democracy' on the grounds that he did not believe the words 'Jewish democracy' could be used to describe Israel's governance.

One of the many pro-Palestine campus protests that Republicans say have labeled 'morally reprehensible'

The crowd descended upon the Business School law, where they laid down in the grass as a group, as a form of 'resistance'

Foxx also asks Harvard to provide documents relating to the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee's annual 'Israel Apartheid Week' since January 1, 2021.

In a statement sent to DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for Harvard said it is 'reviewing Chairwoman Foxxs letter and will be in touch with the Committee regarding their request'.

The letter comes on the same day that Elise Stefanik, who sits alongside Foxx on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, blasted the Harvard Corporation and confirmed that the probe would examine the school's board too.

She accused the 12-member board of attempted 'bullying and censorship' of the press and called for their 'immediate firing'.

Stefanik grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn about antisemitism last month, and led calls for Gay to step down based on her refusal to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment.

Gay, 53, resigned as the President of Harvard University in a letter to colleagues and students on January 2.

She stepped down from her role 28 days after her shocking response at a congressional testimony about campus anti-Semitism which prompted the Congressional probe.

Gay refused to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment or admit that Jewish students had a right not to feel unsafe at Ivy League schools, in response to a questioned posed by Stefanik.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx announced the formal investigation into Harvard, along with UPenn and MIT, on December 7.

Stefanik took center stage last month when she ceremoniously grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn on antisemitism on their campuses

A billboard truck at Harvard University on Sunday demanding the removal of president Claudine Gay. The billboard showed NY Rep. Elise Stefanik who ripped into Gay after she failed to condemn a blatantly anti-Semitic statement

Blasting the schools' presidents in the announcement, she said: 'The testimony we received earlier this week from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth about the responses of Harvard, UPenn, and MIT to the rampant antisemitism displayed on their campuses by students and faculty was absolutely unacceptable.

'Committee members have deep concerns with their leadership and their failure to take steps to provide Jewish students the safe learning environment they are due under law.

'Given those institutional and personal failures, the Committee is opening a formal investigation into the learning environments at Harvard, UPenn, and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures.

'This investigation will include substantial document requests, and the Committee will not hesitate to utilize compulsory measures including subpoenas if a full response is not immediately forthcoming.

'The disgusting targeting and harassment of Jewish students is not limited to these institutions, and other universities should expect investigations as well, as their litany of similar failures has not gone unnoticed.'

Along with the December 5 testimony, Gay has also been accused of mounting claims of plagiarism - 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,' she said in her resignation letter.

Gay, who took the reigns at Harvard on July 1, faced intense scrutiny since the October 7 terror attack in Israel following her failure to immediately condemn students who justified Hamas' actions

Gay was president of the Ivy League University for just six months, and in her written farewell, she failed to apologize for or acknowledge the disasters that led to her departure.

She 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.

In the letter, she said it was with a 'heavy heart' that she was standing down, but confirmed she would retain some kind of role at the school.

'I believe we have within us all that we need to heal from this period of tension and division and to emerge stronger.

'I had hoped with all my heart to lead us on that journey, in partnership with all of you.

'As I now return to the faculty, and to the scholarship and teaching that are the lifeblood of what we do, I pledge to continue working alongside you to build the community we all deserve,' she said.

Gay 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.

She 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 as the President of Harvard University in a letter on January 2

The daughter of Haitian immigrants, became the first the black person to lead the university when she took over as president on July 1.

As she was dealing with criticism of her Congressional testimony, conservative activist Christopher Rufo published 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, the Harvard Corporation 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.
MPs are demanding Alan Bates is given an honour after shamed ex-Post Office chief Paula Vennells finally handed her CBE back.

The campaigning ex-subpostmaster turned his back on the offer of an OBE having felt 'deeply insulted' with Ms Vennells still holding on to her honour.

But she finally succumbed to mounting pressure today and said she intended to hand her CBE back after a 1.2million signature petition called to take it off her in the wake of ITV hit drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

MPs from both Labour and the Conservatives are now calling for Mr Bates to be given an honour 'higher than an OBE' for his relentless campaign to clear more than 700 postmasters wrongfully convicted during the Horizon IT scandal.

David Jones, cabinet minister and MP for Clwyd West, told the Mirror Mr Bates should be re-nominated for the 'huge amount' he had done 'to expose what was going on at the Post Office'.

Alan Bates sits alongside wife Suzanne Sercombe as the couple appear on ITV's This Morning. Calls have been made for Mr Bates to receive an honour for his campaign to expose the Post Office scandal

Ex-Post Office Paula Vennells finally succumbed to mountain pressure for her to hand back her CBE (Pictured: The CBE medal in a presentation box)

Personally speaking, I think that if Ms Vennells had the CBE, I think that he would easily be worth that.'

READ MORE: Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells says she WILL hand back her CBE over Horizon scandal after one million signed petition demanding she return honour Advertisement

Labour's Kevan Jones, who is a member of the advisory board overseeing compensation, said Mr Bates should take up the offer of the OBE but believes he 'deserves an honour much higher'.

Speaking about his decision to turn down an OBE, Mr Bates, 69, told the Mirror: '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.'

No10 said it would support 'further recognition' of the work by Mr Bates, who the ITV drama is named after, and others to expose the Horizon scandal.

The PM's official spokesman said: 'Both Mr Bates and many others deserve huge amounts of praise for the tenacity and dedication they have shown in exposing this scandal.

'It's right that that is recognised and we would support further recognition of that.'

Ms Vennells today said she is 'truly sorry' for the 'devastation' the scandal had caused to staff falsely accused of fraud when her organisation routinely denied there were problems with its systems.

Former Post Office boss Ms Vennells intends to hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters

More than 1 million had signed an online petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive officer to hand back her CBE

It comes as ITV's new drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has drawn a renewed interest in the scandal after airing last week, with Mr Bates being played by Toby Jones (pictured in the role). It raised the case again and piled pressure on Ms Vennells

The scandal is seen as one of the UK's biggest miscarriages of justice and has gained recent national attention over recent days thanks to Mr Bates Vs The Post Office airing on ITV

She had also seen Prime Minister Rishi Sunak weigh in behind efforts to strip her of her CBE.

The shamed ex-Post Office chief said: 'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

'I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system'.

READ MORE: Moment Post Office hero Alan Bates and his wife fight back tears as they learn they've been gifted a free holiday by Richard Branson amid outrage over Horizon scandal Advertisement

Her decision to hand back her honour came after more than a million people signed an online petition to take it off her.

It also followed Downing Street saying Mr Sunak would 'strongly support' an investigation by the Honours Forfeiture Committee into whether Ms Vennells should lose the award, which was given for her 'services to the Post Office and to charity'.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake also said she should consider voluntarily giving up the honour.

After Ms Vennells announced she was giving up her honour, the PM's official spokesman said this afternoon: 'We think that is obviously the right decision.

'Our focus continues to be on ensuring all those whose lives were torn apart have swifter access to compensation and justice.'

In a written statement issued to the PA news agency, Ms Vennells said: 'I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

'I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

'I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE.

Postmasters accused of theft by Post Office celebrate outside the High Court In London after they had their convictions overturned. Thirty-nine former sub-postmasters who were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting due to the Post Office's defective Horizon accounting system had their names cleared by the Court of Appeal

Rishi Sunak revealed on Sunday that the Government is looking at exonerating all subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal

'I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.'

A Government source said Ms Vennells effectively handing back her CBE was 'the right thing to do'.

Former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton said she was 'glad' the ex-Post Office had handed her CBE back, adding: 'It's a shame it took just a million people to cripple her conscience.'

Ms Hamilton, who was wrongfully convicted in 2008 of stealing thousands of pounds from the village shop in South Warnborough, Hampshire, said: 'It shows the people have spoken  about everything really.

'It's not just about her CBE, it's about how disgusting the whole thing is.
A young mother has been accused of second-degree murder and child abuse after she left her two young children alone and one of them overdosed on children's Tylenol.

Sara Lashae Harris, 24, was arrested last week after leaving her infant and 17-month-old toddler alone for 37 hours to go have a sexual encounter and visit a nightclub.

Phoenix, Arizona police wrote in their arresting documents that, on July 30, they arrived at Harris' home at around 9.40am after a one-month-old infant was reportedly found unresponsive and not breathing.

Fire Department officials responded first and found the baby lying on a mattress in the home's living room. The infant was pronounced dead four minutes later.

Later, at the scene, Harris told investigators that her new-born had been 'fussy' the night before and that she had given the child food and a painkiller until they went down to sleep.

Sara Lashae Harris, 24, was arrested last week on suspicion of second-degree murder and child abuse after her infant died when she left her alone for 37 hours after dosing her with Children's Tylenol

The young mother eventually admitted to dosing her children with Tylenol before leaving them on Friday night and not returning until Sunday morning

She then told officers that she awoke the following morning and left for a few minutes before requiring assistance to get back inside because she didn't have her keys.

Once back in her home, Harris said she noticed a blanket over the baby's face and that they were unresponsive. She then called her parents, who called the police.

It is not clear what the condition of the 17-month-old was.

However, after reviewing security camera footage, law enforcement officers discovered Harris' recollection of events was full of inaccuracies.

She had told police that she'd gone to the corner market and returned an hour later, but the video footage did not confirm that account.

Detectives looked through the apartment and discovered that the infant had been lying on her back and that her skull had sunken in.

The baby's body, they said, was also significantly colder than the temperature of the apartment, leading detectives to believe the infant had been dead for much longer than the mother was saying.

A bottle of children's Tylenol was also found at the scene, as was a baby bottle filled with milk that had a 'pinkish hue' and 'red liquid in the nipple of the bottle,' which seemed to be the drug.

The documents describing Harris' arrest say that surveillance footage allegedly showed the 24-year-old leaving her residence on Friday night and not returning until Sunday morning.

After obtaining a warrant to search her cell phone, detectives discovered Harris had been offered money for a sexual encounter during the time she was gone.

Eventually, Harris admitted to law enforcement that she had given her children Tylenol and melatonin prior to abandoning them for a day-and-a-half.

Following last week's arrest, the mother confessed to using drugs and alcohol while she was out of the house, but added that she became upset when she realized she'd been away for 'such a long period of time.'

Law enforcement documents say the infant died due to a mixture of causes that include chlorpheniramine intoxication, an active ingredient in Children's Tylenol.
A grandmother and her disabled son died in a house fire which may have been caused by an electrical fault with their tumble dryer, a hearing was told.

Champagauri Bhatt, 86, and her son Dipak Bhatt, 66, tragically lost their lives when a blaze broke out at their home in Edgware, north London on March 29 last year.

A pre-inquest review hearing at North London Coroner's Court today was told that two investigators believe the fire was started by their Whirlpool tumble-dryer.

The London Fire Brigade said at the time that most of the ground floor and half of the first floor of the semi-detached house was damaged by the fire.

A woman left the house before the brigade arrived, and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus later rescued a man from the building, it was reported.

They were both taken to hospital but tragically later died.

Champagauri Bhatt, 86, and her son Dipak Bhatt, 66, tragically lost their lives when a blaze broke out at their home in Edgware, north London on March 29 last year

The London Fire Brigade said at the time that most of the ground floor and half of the first floor of the semi-detached house was damaged by the fire

Barrister Adam Korn, representing the Bhatt family, said: 'Investigator Dr Jarrett believes the fire occurred as a result of the failure or fault of the condensate drain pump terminal, or the EMI filter terminal.

'Investigator Mr Ansel believes the fire was caused by an electrical fault at the door switch of the tumble-dryer.'

The court also heard that another investigator, Mr Jonathan-Thomas, has suggested that there could be an 'external' cause to the fire  possibly a cigarette butt.

But Mr Korn said that Paven Bhatt, the grandson of Champagauri and nephew of Dipak, could provide 'evidence' which refutes that theory.

He said: 'Whirlpool's investigator, Mr Jonathan-Thomas, has given one theory of an 'external' cause, that the fire was caused by a cigarette butt.

'But Paven Bhatt, grandson and nephew of the deceased persons, who is sitting beside me in court, can provide evidence against this.

'The smoker was his uncle, Dipak, but he was, if I can put it this way, a supervised smoker.

'He was brain damaged and so Paven's grandmother lit the cigarettes and put them out for him.

'He can offer evidence of that.'

Barrister Dominic Adamson, representing the tumble-dryer manufacturer Whirlpool, asked the Coroner whether the cause of the fire could be excluded from the scope of the inquest.

He said: 'We have differing expert opinions on the cause of the fire, so I ask whether it is necessary to determine the cause of the fire?

'I understand that the family is in the process of filing a civil claim, so there is no public interest in seeking to resolve an issue that is likely to be the subject of further legal proceedings.'

But Coroner Dr Peter Straker disagreed, replying: 'I understand, but I do think it is worthwhile to understand the possibilities if we can.'

Mr Korn added: 'In summary, it has been submitted that resolution of whether an electrical fault caused the fire should be ruled out of scope.

'In response, we say that it is difficult to say what other function the inquest should serve  other than to look into the cause of the fire.

'There is importance in this evidence, both for the family, and in the interest of preventing future deaths.'

Dr Straker agreed, adding: 'I favour the approach that it is within the scope of the inquest to try to find out the cause of the fire.

'Although the experts have differing views, we can hear their views  and develop a greater understanding of whether it happened inside the machine or outside the machine.'

He also ordered Whirlpool to disclose further information requested by investigator Dr Jarrett.

Dr Straker added: 'Whirlpool should, as requested by Dr Jarrett, provide clarification for the reason for selecting a different EMI filter for later models, and an explanation for any other fires which could have occurred with this particular unit.'

The full inquest is scheduled to be heard in November this year.
Lloyd Austin was hospitalized to be treated for prostate cancer, the Pentagon revealed on Tuesday after days of criticism for hiding the defense secretary's secret absence.

Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 22 after 'consultation with his medical team.'

He then underwent a 'minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,' according to a statement from the hospital. His cancer was 'diagnosed early and his prognosis is excellent,' the statement said.

But he then suffered complications on January 1 that required an ambulance to take him back to the hospital. His complications included 'nausea with severe abdominal, leg and hip pain.'

The early diagnosis was a urinary tract infection but further examination showed Austin, 70, had a fluid build up in his abdomen that was impairing the function of his small intestines.

The infection was treated by a tube placed through is nose that went down to his stomach. It has cleared, the statement said, and Austin 'continues to make progress.' He 'never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia,' the statement said, although Austin did undergo anesthesia for the December 22 surgery.

President Joe Biden was told on Tuesday that Austin had cancer.

'Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning and the President was informed immediately after we were,' White House spokesman John Kirby said.

The announcement came as more lawmakers began to question why Austin was hospitalized and why it took the Pentagon four days to inform Biden, and five days to inform the public. Senior administration and defense officials were not told for days about his hospitalization or his cancer.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above); he was hospitalized to be treated for prostate cancer , the Pentagon announced

About Prostate Cancer Secretary Austin was diagnosed in December when doctors noticed changes in routine blood tests. The tests looked for prostate specific antigens (PSA), which measures the amount of a protein linked to cancer. Austin, 70, was considered high risk for prostate cancer because of his age and the fact he is an African-American, who are more likely to develop the disease. Austin had part of his prostate gland removed via a procedure known as a prostatectomy - effectively cutting out the cancer before it can grow and spread. Doctors have given him an 'excellent' prognosis. Outcomes after prostate cancer surgery can vary - in some men the cancer never returns, while in up to one in four it does. In 2023, the American Cancer Society estimates there were 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer and 34,700 deaths. The cancer develops in the prostate gland - a part of the reproductive system in men. The walnut-sized gland is responsible for secreting fluid that keeps sperm healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 13 in 100 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Risk factors include smoking, having obesity, sexually transmitted infections, genetics and exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used during the Vietnam War. Early stages of prostate cancer rarely show symptoms, but as the disease progresses, people may develop frequent urination, weak urine flow, pain during urination, loss of bladder and bowel control, painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction and pain in the low back, hips or chest. Advertisement

Eight in ten men and six in ten black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. The risk grows for men as they age. It is the most common cancer among men in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 5-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer in the United States is 97%.

Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday ordered cabinet secretaries to keep it informed when they may not be able to perform their duties as the fallout from Austin's hospitalization continues.

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, in a memo, directed cabinet officers to examine their policies for delegating authority when a secretary is out of commission and to send those procedures to the White House for review.

He also made clear that White House officials expected to be kept up to date about developments like major medical issues.

'Notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation,' Zients wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The New York Times. 'This notification should occur when agencies anticipate or are preparing for a delegation of authority and again when the delegation occurs.'

The Pengaton said on Tuesday it is correcting its procedures.

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said at his briefing.

'Nothing is more important to the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense than the trust and confidence of the American people and the public we serve and will continue to work every day and work hard every day to earn and deserve that trust,' he said.

He noted the Pentagon was conducting an internal review of the matter.

'We want to make sure that notifications are happening in a timely way. And this way, as we've acknowledged, there were some shortfalls and so it's important that we go back and look at what those shortfalls work. What could have been done better and make sure that going forward. We're improving those processes,' he said.

'We're committed to making sure that we don't do this again. And then we do a better job next time.'

Secretary Austin was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients sent a memo to Cabinet officials demanding the White House be told if there are major medical or other issues

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said Tuesday

Zients also directed Cabinet officials to ensure power is transferred 'when a cabinet member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.'

The memo was sent out as President Biden and his team continue to deal with the political headache left to them after Austin failed to inform them of his hospitalization until four days after it occurred.

Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence, the Pentagon has launched a full investigation into the matter and one Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment against the defense secretary.

Austin remains at Walter Reed Medical Center but is out of the ICU and has retaken control of his authorities as the head of U.S. armed forces. The White House has said President Biden backs him but lawmakers in both parties are questioning the Pentagon's handling of the situation. The White House also had said they would be conducting a review of the situation.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, four Republican lawmakers who are former military pilots - August Pfluger, Mike Garcia, Scott Franklin and Jake Ellzey - called on Austin to resign, accusing him of a 'dereliction of duty.'

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence - he is seen above participating in the Virtual Red Sea Security Summit at NAVCENT headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on December 19

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence - he is seen above participating in the Virtual Red Sea Security Summit at NAVCENT headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on December 19

Timeline on Lloyd Austin's illness Dec. 22: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has procedure at Walter Reed Dec. 23: Austin returns home Dec. 27: President Biden leaves for St. Croix for New Year's vacation Jan. 1: Austin participates in national security phone call Jan. 1: Austin admitted to ICU Jan. 2: Austin top staffers informed of his hospitalization Jan. 2: Biden returns to White House Jan. 2: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks takes some of Austin's duties Jan. 4: Biden and Hicks told Austin is in hospital Jan. 5: Congress informed Jan. 6: Biden and Austin speak via phone Jan. 9: Pentagon announces Austin was being treated for prostate cancer Advertisement

The Pentagon said Monday night that it's still unclear when Austin will be released from the hospital but vowed to give daily updates until he is out.

Many officials remain uncleared for days about what elective procedure Austin went to the hospital for on December 22nd and what he suffered from in its after affects. It is unclear when President Biden was told.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement on Monday that Austin 'continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good.' Ryder said that Austin is in 'good condition' and that he is 'recovering well and in good spirits.'

As part of the fallout, Kelly Magsamen, Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding Austin's hospitalization, the Pentagon announced late Monday night.

But the matter was not referred to the Defense Department inspector general's office for an independent review. It will be led by Jennifer Walsh, the Pentagon's director of administration and management.

Magsamen had been ill with the flu and was unaware that Austin had been hospitalized. Officials have cited her illness as one of the reasons the White House wasn't informed about the secretary's condition.

Austin's top staffers knew about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, however. Biden wasn't told until Jan. 4.

The review will establish a timeline of events beginning Jan. 1 when Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed and examine how decisions were made about informing officials of his condition.

'This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred,' Magsamen wrote. 'And that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public.'

Kelly Magsamen (left), Lloyd Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding the defense secretary's hospitalization

The White House announced President Biden backs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (seen above with Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the White House on August 30th)

Earlier Monday, Ryder acknowledged that he knew of Austin's hospitalization on Jan. 2 and should have pushed to inform the public sooner.

In an hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, which was held off-camera, Ryder offered no explanation as to why the White House wasn't informed sooner.

Asked if Austin directed any of his staff to withhold information, he answered indirectly, saying: 'That is one of the things we'll be looking at in terms of process improvements.'

Legal experts told Reuters that Austin may have violated a U.S. law on 'reporting of vacancies' that requires the head of executive agencies to 'submit to the Comptroller General of the United States and to each House of Congress' any vacancies and the name of the person filling the vacancy.

The Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery

The Comptroller General would then relay that information to the president and the Office of Personnel Management.

The law is largely procedural and does not spell out any penalties for lapses. Austin would likely face only a reprimand from Biden.

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery Monday.

The Marine Corps said the surgery repaired a bicuspid aortic valve in Smith's heart, which caused his cardiac arrest on Oct. 28. The Marine Corps, back in October, had announced Smith's heart attack within 24 hours of it occurring.

'He is in good condition and recovering at the hospital with his family,' they said.

The prompt public disclosure and details of the surgery were in stark contrast to how officials handled Austin's surgery.

The Marine Corps handling of General Smith's surgery has resulted in comparisons to the Pentagon's handling of Secretary Austin's surgery

The Pentagon continues to refuse to say what procedure Austin had or describe the complications he suffered.

It's unclear if even the president knows but the White House made it clear that Biden backs Austin.

'There are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been demonstrating,' White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

'Our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and the support that he needs to fully recovered,' he said.

Neither Kirby nor White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would say if Biden knows what medical condition his defense secretary is suffering from. Biden and Austin spoke on Saturday.

'I don't know the level of the president's personal knowledge of his (Austin's) medical situation. That would really be between the two men,' Kirby said.

'That it is not something that we can speak to right. This is his own medical - it is it is a private thing  this is something that the Secretary and the Department of Defense would speak to,' Jean-Pierre said.

Kirby pledged the White House would investigate the matter, looking at the 'process and procedure' regarding the location and health of senior officials after Biden was not told for four days that his defense secretary was in the hospital.

He said the administration would perform a 'hot wash,' which is a military term to describe an intense, quick review.

'As you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here. And try to learn from this experience and if there's some changes that need to be made, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that,' Kirby said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above) on the USS Gerald R Ford

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Austin

Republicans have seized on the issue and Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Austin.

Rosendale says Austin has 'violated his office' multiple times, giving the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.

'Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base  home to ICBMs  and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens,' he said in a statement.

'This dishonesty seems to be a repeated pattern for the Secretary as he once again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.

'Sec. Austin is unfit for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in impeaching him to protect the American people,' he added.

Rosendale is mulling a Senate run in Montana, even as GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.

Democrats, too, have expressed concern.

Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat from Rhode Island who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his first public remarks about the situation on Monday. He spoke to Austin on Sunday.

He said he wishes Austin a 'speedy and complete recovery' but has concerns 'that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care.'

While Austin is taking responsibility for the secrecy, 'this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department,' said Reed. This lack of disclosure must never happen again.'
Epstein accuser said, in part, that Epstein told her that Clinton 'liked them young,' as per court documents

The former President was a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein and friends with him years before he was accused of sex trafficking minors and abuse

The Clinton Library 'swiftly' deleted a post that asked people to guess who the ex-president sent his first email to in 1998 after the library was trolled with answers that it was pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The incident took place on Monday to mark World Typing Day, a day held each year on January 8, and one week after New Year's Day, a day known to 'encourage people to express themselves via written communication.'

The historic post shows a photo of Clinton sitting in front of a laptop computer, looking intently at the screen, with both of his hands typing on the keyboard.

The caption, reads: 'On November 7, 1998, Pres. @BillClinton typed out and sent his first-ever email. Can you guess who it was to? #WorldTying Day,' posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Many mocked the former president and claimed the timing of the post couldn't be worse with someone emphasizing it was 'deleted' next to the caption, 'LMAO.'

The Clinton Library 'swiftly' deleted a post that asked people to guess who the former president sent his first email to in 1998 after the library was trolled with answers that it was pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) hung himself in prison in 2019. His death was ruled a suicide though some disputed how he died

The historic photo of former President Clinton (pictured) typing on a laptop on November 7, 1998. The post that was distributed on Monday asked readers to 'guess who it was' that Clinton was sending an email too?' to commemorate #WorldTypingDay

Clinton had known Epstein going back to the early 90s. When he was in office, the serial sex offender was reported to have visited him at least seventeen times at the White House.

Though Clinton recalled many trips with Epstein around the world, a Clinton spokesperson said he knew 'nothing about the terrible crimes' Epstein committed.

It remains unclear how long the post was up for before the museum deleted it.

Clinton, was among many named in papers that were released last week though he has not been accused of anything improper related to Epstein.

A Clinton spokesperson Angel Urena said Clinton and Epstein did not have a close personal relationship and pointed to a statement from 2019, alleging that Clinton's last contact with Epstein was 20 years ago, a report said, NBC News reported.

A New York federal judge ordered dozens of documents with the names of people linked to the convicted sex offender be unsealed.

Epstein hung himself at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York while awaiting federal trial for sex trafficking in 2019.

His death was ruled a suicide though some disputed how he died.

According to court documents, an Epstein accuser was asked, 'did Jeffrey ever talk to you about Bill Clinton?' She responded: 'He said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls' (pictured)

The post sparked a slew of reactions nationwide from individuals and some news outlets going bonkers.

'Clinton Presidential Centers Head-Turning Post Backfires, Gets Deleted After Speculation Explodes,' one person wrote.

Another user said: 'D'OH! Clinton Presidential Center's Post and Pic Backfired SO Hilariously They Deleted It.'

'Deleting things...not like them,' another said.

The founder of LibsofTikTok social media, Chaya Raichik, also commented on the ill-timed posts.

'The Clinton Center just deleted this post. Im sure you can guess what most of the comments and QTs were before they closed replies and deleted the tweet,' she stated.

The Clinton Center post sparked a slew of reactions from individuals and news outlets nationwide with many going bonkers over its poor timing. The former president (pictured) shaking Jeffrey Epstein's hand as Ghislaine Maxwell stands nearby smiling

A Clinton spokesperson Angel Urena said Clinton and Epstein did not have a close personal relationship and pointed to a statement from 2019, alleging that Clinton's last contact with Epstein was 20 years ago, according to a report

Several news outlets also noted the timing of Monday's post.

'Clinton Presidential Center deletes X post after swarm of replies ended up relating to Epstein,' The Messenger said.

'Clinton Presidential Center removed a trivia question from social media after a slew of snarky responses about former President Clinton's ties to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein,' The Washington Times said.

One accuser said during testimony that Epstein had told her that 'Clinton likes them young.'

The former President also flew on Epstein's plane nearly a dozen times, as per The New York Post.

The private plane was dubbed by some as 'Lolita Express,' since it was reportedly used to fly underage girls to his private 72-acre island in Little St. James, located in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The island was later given the nickname 'Pedophile Island' due to the amount of abuse that was alleged to have taken place there.
Top Republican Sen. Roger Marshall is pushing a resolution of 'no confidence' in Department of Homeland Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas over this handling of the southern border - on the eve of the first impeachment hearing into the secretary.

'Sec. Mayorkas has zero operational control of our border and, as a consequence, has ceded power to the cartels who exploit this weakness every day,' Marshall, R-Kan., told DailyMail.com in an exclusive statement Tuesday.

He continued to say Mayorkas 'failed to uphold his oath' and has emboldened cartels and drug traffickers to 'flood into our heartland.'

Although Mashall's 13-page resolution is likely to fail in the Democrat-run Senate later this afternoon, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire to come to solution to better secure the border.

The document runs through Mayorkas' many 'failures' - including 10 million people who have illegally entered the U.S. under his watch and over 216,000 American deaths due to opioids smuggled across the border.

It comes as Republicans in the House are taking the first steps to formally impeach Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas this week 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 on January 10

Although Mashall's 13-page resolution is likely to fail in the Democrat-run Senate, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire to come to solution to better secure the border

The first impeachment hearing into Mayorkas will be held by the House Homeland Security Committee tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET.

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.

Marshall introduced a similar vote of no confidence last April after a feisty exchange with the secretary during a Senate hearing.

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.

But negotiations have reportedly come to a halt this week based on certain parole authority disagreements.

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.'

'Sec. Mayorkas has zero operational control of our border and, as a consequence, has ceded power to the cartels who exploit this weakness every day,' Marshall, R-Kan., told DailyMail.com in an exclusive statement Tuesday

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 previously 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.

'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.'
A furious blame game has broken out in the Chicago suburb of Harvey after elderly residents and young families were boarded up in their dilapidated and crime-ridden apartment block.

Footage from outraged neighbors has gone viral on social media recording the plaintive cries of those nailed into their homes.

Harvey City Council insisted it was not responsible but admitted telling its owners 'evacuation was mandatory' back in October.

In December it warned them there was an 'imminent safety risk' and told them to alert tenants, but many said the first they knew was when their windows started going dark.

'My nephew called me and said, 'You're boarded up here',' said veteran Rudolph Williams, 73.

The boards went up after Harvey City Council decided the 48-year-old apartment block had reached the end of its natural lifespan

Resident and veteran Rudolph Williams, 73, (right) was only freed when his nephew gave the crew boarding up the building $30 and a case of beer to take down the planks imprisoning him

More than 10 million people have watched videos of the imprisoned residents on social media

'I opened the door and that's when I saw there was a board right there.

'I looked at the window, same thing.'

'I'm very upset,' said his neighbor Genevieve Tyler.

'I've never gone through this in my life. I've never seen anything like this in my life. Never.'

The council told owners Jay Patel and Henry Cho last year that the building in Halstead had exceeded its life expectancy, despite only being built in 1975.

In August it demanded they hire a structural engineer and block access to disintegrating stairwells, ramping up the pressure through the fall and urging them to inform tenants.

It also asked them what they planned to do about illegal drug use in a complex from which police had received 327 emergency calls.

'Contrary to recent claims, the city did not evict anyone from these properties but has communicated with the property owners regarding the unsafe conditions of the buildings and need to immediately rectify the dangerous living conditions,' city officials said in a post on Facebook.

'The responsibility to communicate this information to tenants was also emphasized,' it added.

Resident Genevieve Tyler told NBC she had 'never seen anything like this in my life'

One of the non-occupancy notices now slapped on the 30 apartments in the block

Mary Brook who has undergone operations for both brain and breast cancer in the last four years and is still living in the condemned building

But it insisted it did not 'participate in the board ups', which residents said were carried out by workmen in unmarked vehicles.

At least four people were inside their apartments at the time, including a mother and her two children, community activist Andrew Holmes told NBC.

The owners said the city pointed out only 'a few minor issues' when they bought the block in February, and said they were 'surprised by the city's notice to immediately have the building vacated'.

'We aimed to treat the tenants with as much respect and consideration as possible, given the difficult and unexpected circumstances they were facing,' they added.

'Including negotiating with the city to prolong the evacuation time, swiftly notifying the residents through various channels, as well as offering concessions to try to aid in this challenging transition.

'Our property management firm coordinated the shutdown of the building with the city of Harvey, and onsite vendors reported that on Friday, January 5, the viral allegations regarding tenants being boarded into their apartments are categorically false.'

Some residents at least were passed copies of the City's letter to the owners but many mistook it for junk as it was not addressed to them.

Meanwhile at least five households are still in their condemned homes wondering what they are going to do next.

'I said well I can't move, I only have a monthly income,' said Mary Brook who has undergone operations for both brain and breast cancer in the last four years.

'And this is the letter, that doesn't appear to be a legitimate letter.'

Williams' nephew Daniel Bennett told the Chicago Tribune he gave the crew boarding up the apartments $30 and a case of beer to take down the planks imprisoning his uncle.

'Where are we going to go? I won't go into no shelter,' insisted Williams

The council said the building had potentially lethal deterioration to stairwells and balconies

Chicago Police have counted 327 emergency 911 calls from the apartment block on Halstead

'I was calm about it because I am a veteran. I have been through some stuff.'

The scandal sparked a furious row on the City Council and the promise of an investigation by Mayor Christopher J. Clark.

'You know that's not OK,' said Alderman Tyrone Rogers.

'Under no circumstances, nowhere in the world is that OK.'
Border security negotiations have hit a wall over parole authority, with leaders in the talks saying they are not confident about reaching a deal this week as Congress returns to Capitol Hill.

Senators on the Republican and Democratic side have been engaged in talks for weeks about a package that would include immigration overhaul as well as foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region.

But now, those talks are seemingly falling apart as GOP Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., insisted Monday evening, 'there's too many unanswered that are still there. There's too many unresolved parts.'

Parole is a legal tool used by the Biden administration to resettle hundreds of thousands of migrants in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds. Now Republicans want to rein it in.

Lankford has called the administration's policy of granting people parole and then giving them work permits 'absurd' in comments to Semafor.

'For the last nine months, the administration has literally told anyone in the world that if you'll tell us in advance that you're coming, we'll give you a work permit when you get here,' Lankford told Semafor. 'That's not humanitarian parole.'

Border security negotiations have hit a wall over parole authority, with leaders in the talks saying they are not confident about reaching a deal this week as Congress returns to Capitol Hill

But Chris Murphy, Conn., the lead negotiator on the Democratic side, told reporters his party is not interested in taking away the administration's 'tools' to 'manage the flow' of migrants at the border.

Meanwhile Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell expressed a sense of urgency for foreign aid as he addressed reporters after his weekly meeting with GOP senators on Tuesday.

'This is the most serious international situation we have faced since the Berlin Wall came down,' he said. 'We need to pass the supplemental and there needs to be a strong border provision part of it.'

Migrants walk in a caravan as an attempt to reach the U.S. border, in Oaxaca state, Mexico January 9, 2024

There were some 300,000 crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border last month

'We must demonstrate America is up for the challenges we face. The Senate cannot afford to get this wrong,' the Kentucky Republican went on.

Meanwhile Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urged patience on the deal.

'We're closer now than we have ever been to getting an agreement. Congress has not acted on comprehensive immigration reform in decades, so it's not a surprise it's going to take time,' he said Tuesday.

Meanwhile the White House has warned that existing funding for Ukraine has run dry.

And now the battle over border security has gotten wrapped up in the battle over funding the government: House conservatives have threatened to vote to shut down the government if there is no deal on border reform.

Most rank-and-file senators have been left in the dark on the border and foreign aid talks, and on Wednesday Lankford will brief Republicans on the talks.

And while Republicans in the House are focused on pushing out Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who has been involved in the Senate talks, through impeachment.

Lankford insists that pushing out Mayorkas is futile without forcing the Biden administration to change policy through legislation.

'Mayorkas is carrying out President Biden's policies. That's what a secretary is going to do. So you can swap secretaries  the policies are going to be exactly the same,' Lankford told Punchbowl News.

But House Republicans seem to have little worry about the implications of impeaching the man they are trying to negotiate with.

'We can walk and chew gum at the same time,' Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com last week in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Border crossings have reached a record high, surpassing 2.4 million in fiscal year 2023, according to government figures released in October. Just last month alone crossings at the southern border were more than 300,000.

The 28,000 person town of Eagle Pass saw days where some 5,000 migrants tried to pass through its border with Mexico in December.

Speaker Mike Johnson and a group of 60 House Republicans visited Eagle Pass where they railed against the Homeland Security secretary and urged President Joe Biden to take unilateral action to close the border.

'Secretary Mayorkas is not a good faith negotiating partner,' Johnson said on CBS after the trip when asked about removing the secretary in a time of 'crisis' numbers at the border.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claims officials at the Arctic penal colony where he is serving a 19-year sentence have isolated him in a tiny punishment cell after he refused to introduce himself 'in line with protocol.'

He said in a social media statement, relayed from behind bars, that prison officials at the FKU IK-3 penal colony, a maximum security prison in the Arctic Circle, accused him of refusing to 'introduce himself in line with protocol' and ordered him to serve seven days in a punishment cell.

'The thought that Putin will be satisfied with sticking me into a barracks in the far north and will stop torturing me in the punishment confinement was not only cowardly, but naive as well,' he said.

It appear to be the latest step designed to ramp up pressure on President Vladimir Putin's fiercest political opponent.

Mr Navalny, 47, was jailed on charges of extremism, and had been behind bars in the Vladimir region of central Russia, about 140 miles east of Moscow, before he was transferred last month to a 'special regime' penal colony - the highest security level of prisons in Russia - above the Arctic Circle.

Alexei Navalny (pictured) says he's been put in a punishment cell for minor infractions

He is being held in the FKU IK-3 penal colony, a maximum security prison in the Arctic Circle

Members of the Federal Penitentiary Service walk near the IK-3 penal colony

Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking to a crowd during a political protest in Moscow, Russia on July 20, 2019

READ MORE: Jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny could be murdered by the Kremlin after suddenly vanishing from brutal penal colony, his allies fear Advertisement

His allies condemned the transfer to a colony in the town of Kharp, in the Yamalo-Nenets region about 1,200 miles north east of Moscow, as another attempt to force him into silence.

The remote region is notorious for long and severe winters. Kharp is about 60 miles from Vorkuta, whose coal mines were part of the Soviet gulag prison-camp system.

'It is almost impossible to get to this colony; it is almost impossible to even send letters there. This is the highest possible level of isolation from the world,' Mr Navalny's chief strategist, Leonid Volkov, said.

Mr Navalny has been behind bars since January 2021 when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. Before his arrest, he campaigned against official corruption and organised major anti-Kremlin protests.

He has since received three prison terms but rejects all the charges against him as politically motivated.

Mr Navalny has been behind bars since January 2021 when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin

Navalny is still considered one of Putin's biggest political threats, despite being behind bars

Until last month, Mr Navalny was serving time at Penal Colony No 6 in the Vladimir region, and officials there regularly placed him in a punishment cell for alleged minor infractions

At the prison colony in Kharp, being in a punishment cell means that walking outside in a narrow concrete prison yard is only allowed at 6.30am

Inmates in regular conditions are allowed to walk 'after lunch, and even though it is the polar night right now, still after lunch it is warmer by several degrees'

Despite his harrowing sentence in one of the harshest penal colonies in Russia, he has still been cracking jokes during the small windows of time where he can see his representatives

Until last month, Mr Navalny was serving time at Penal Colony No 6 in the Vladimir region, and officials there regularly placed him in a punishment cell for alleged minor infractions. He spent months in isolation.

At the prison colony in Kharp, being in a punishment cell means that walking outside in a narrow concrete prison yard is only allowed at 6.30am, he said on Tuesday.

Inmates in regular conditions are allowed to walk 'after lunch, and even though it is the polar night right now, still after lunch it is warmer by several degrees', he said, adding that the temperature has been as low as minus 32C.

'Few things are as refreshing as a walk in Yamal at 6.30 in the morning,' he wrote, using the shorthand for the name of the region.

Despite his harrowing sentence in one of the harshest penal colonies in Russia, he has still been cracking jokes during the small windows of time where he can see his representatives.

Navalny is known for passing on messages to his lawyers, who regularly visit him, to make posts on his social media accounts. His lawyers then pass these messages on to the trusted few who control the accounts.

Last month, his account on X posted: 'I am your new Santa Claus... I don't say 'Ho-ho-ho' but I do say 'Uh-oh-oh' when I look out the window, where I can see a night, then an evening, and then the night again. Unfortunately there are no reindeer but there are huge fluffy and very beautiful shepherd dogs.'
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has denied shooting a gun in school after a resurfaced passaged from his book released 15 years ago claimed he accidentally fired a round at a friend when he was child.

According to his 2009 book, Don't Let It Happen, Adams was hanging out with a group of friends when someone showed up with a gun which he thought was fake.

'When I was a child, a friend of mine brought a gun to schoolto show off to the rest of the students. This was my first time seeing a real gun. After years of playing "Cowboys and Indians" with toy guns, I did not believe the gun he was showing us was real,' the passage, obtained by News 4, reads.

'I laughed at his stupid trick and grabbed the gun from him. "If this gun is real," I said, "then it should go off." I pointed what I thought was a toy gun at my group of friends and pulled the trigger. A round discharged, and only by the grace of God and my poor aim did the bullet miss my friends. The incident scared me so much that I dropped the gun and ran.'

On Monday, the mayor was asked by reporters about the incident after the publication Byline highlighted the passage in a recent article.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams denied firing a gun at a friend as a child after a passage from his book Don't Let It Happen resurfaced

Adams said his co-author may have misunderstood and claimed the book never went to print, despite it being available for purchase. A spokesperson said the mayor was unaware the book got published

Adams said, 'I've never fired a gun at school. The co-author of the book may have misunderstood.'

'There was an incident at school where someone pointed what they thought was a toy gun.'

The mayor said, 'That book never got into print because we never went through the proof reading aspect of it.'

However the book, which lists only Adams as an author, is currently for sale on Amazon and the Barnes & Noble website, and a physical copy was shown to Adams on Monday.

It was also mentioned in a 2021 New York Magazine cover story about Adams, and a 2022 Politico profile.

'The story should not have been published, the mayor is looking into it. As he said, the co-author may have misunderstood the story,' First Deputy Press Secretary Charles Kretchmer Lutvak said.

'The mayor has already contacted the publisher, who is working to take the book out of circulation.'

A young Eric Adams is pictured on the right. Adams told reporters, 'There was an incident at school where someone pointed what they thought was a toy gun'

'Don't Let It Happen' his first book written by the former NYDP captain when he was a state senator, includes a colorful cover featuring a revolver in a pink lunchbox, as well as a forward credited to Adams' longtime domestic partner, Tracey Collins.

Across 150 pages, the book dispenses practical advice to readers on subjects such as teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse, as well as how to find your childs weapons stash.

Raised by a single mother in South Jamaica, Queens, Adams has frequently touted his working class roots, recently telling constituents that he would pray for snow as a child so he would have something to drink when his home's water was turned off.

But some of the personal stories, which are often difficult to verify, have drawn scrutiny.

He has admitted to The New York Times that a confrontation he claimed to have had with a neighbor, which he recounted in a 2019 commencement address, actually happened to someone else.

He has also faced questions about minor changes he has made to an oft-repeated story about being beaten up by police as a child.

In 2020, Adams penned a cookbook promoting 'plant-based' recipes. But two years later, he conceded that he sometimes eats fish, despite describing himself as a vegan in the past.
Incredible footage has emerged of the moment a team of firefighters rescued a man from his crumpled truck after he crashed it into a freezing river and was trapped for almost a week.

Matthew R. Reum, 27, was lifted to safety six days after he crashed off Interstate 94 in Portage, Indiana - with just rainwater to survive on during his plight.

He was pinned inside the vehicle and was unable to call for help. It was only when two local fishermen spotted the debris that people came to his aid. There hadn't been any reports of a crash, police said.

Bodycam clips showed multiple firefighters working on the debris field, showing the crumpled-up truck by the running water and the man stuck inside.

Matthew R. Reum, 27, (pictured in the crumpled car) was lifted to safety six days after he crashed off Interstate 94 in Portage, Indiana - with just rainwater to survive on during his plight

Reum survived on only rainwater for almost a week while pinned tightly inside his pickup truck, after he crashed into a freezing river beneath a highway bridge near Portage, Indiana

The responders can be seen using cables and other tools in their dramatic rescue mission, which took place on the side of the riverbank on December 26.

After half an hour, Reum's face can finally be seen peeking out of the wreckage.

Firefighters continue to work to get him out of the predicament.

One responder can be heard saying: 'He's been trapped down here for that f***ing long, that's insane.'

As it starts to get dark out, they continue to try to free him - until they finally are able to cut him out with a saw, and stretcher him out from under the bridge.

The firefighters shout 'one, two, three!' as they hoist the trapped man's body onto the orange stretcher. Muffled sounds come from Reum, who looks visibly weak.

Despite the ordeal, he makes a joke about how the first responders shouldn't take his pulse right now because the figures would probably be 'scary.'

Reum says: 'Mother f***er that hurt' as they place his limbs on the stretcher. 'God f***ing hell' he mutters as he covers his eyes with his hand.

As it starts to get dark out, they continue to try to free him - until they finally are able to cut him out with a saw, and stretcher him out from under the bridge

One responder can be heard saying: 'He's been trapped down here for that f***ing long, that's insane'

Reum says: 'Mother f***er that hurt' as they place his limbs on the stretcher. 'God f***ing hell' he mutters as he covers his eyes with his hand

After half an hour, Reum's face can finally be seen peeking out of the wreckage

The footage ends with the firefighters lifting Reum to safety and into an ambulance to be taken to hospital. He is still recovering, but lost a limb in the process.

It was Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre who noticed the severely damaged vehicle, its white airbag deployed, as they were searching for fishing spots. They decided to reach inside the wrecked car.

'They touched the body, and the person turned their head and started talking to them. So, that got a little rise out of them,' Sgt. Glen Fifield with the Indiana State Police told local news outlets.

The trooper admitted without the two stumbling on the scene, Rerum might have perished.

'Had it not been for the two individuals walking the creek this afternoon, this incident likely would have had a different outcome,' Fifield said.

'Reum's will to survive this crash was nothing short of extraordinary,' Fifield added.

When the good Samaritans reached the scene, they assumed the driver was dead.

'The moment I touched the shoulder he swung around. He woke up. He just mentioned he couldn't feel his extremities,' Garcia said during a Tuesday news conference.

'It almost killed me there because it's quite shocking,' he added. 'He was really happy to see us. I've never seen a relief like that.'

The footage ends with the firefighters lifting Reum to safety and into an ambulance to be taken to hospital. He is still recovering, but lost a limb in the process

Police said Reum survived thanks to warmer-than-average weather for the past six days.

'He was able to drink rainwater for hydration in order to survive for such a long period of time while being exposed to the elements,' Fifield said.

'He made it through the night. He is alive,' Fifield said, adding that his survival was a 'miracle'.

Authorities said the effort to free Reum from the wreck was difficult and took several hours.

'They had a very difficult time getting down into the creek area with their equipment basically to cut him out and remove him,' Fifield said.

Reum suffered 'severe, possibly life-threatening injuries' and was airlifted to a hospital, where he will undergo the amputation of his leg as part of the recovery process.

According to the news release from the Indiana State Police, Reum was driving a 2016 Dodge Ram truck, when it left the road for unknown reasons.

Reum from Mishawaka, Indiana, was finally rescued from the wreckage, as videos and photos captured the astonishing moment

Mario Garcia (left) and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre (right) noticed the severely damaged vehicle, its white airbag deployed, and decided to reach inside

Authorities said the effort to free Reum from the wreck was difficult and took several hours. 'They had a very difficult time getting down into the creek area with their equipment basically to cut him out and remove him,' Fifield said

'His vehicle missed that guardrail, so he's driving on the grass shoulder before he goes airborne,' Fifield said. '

'His vehicle goes down into the creek, where he rolls several times. It rolled underneath the bridge.'

Reum was 'pinned inside of the vehicle and was unable to call for help. There had not been any prior reports of a crash in this area prior to the fishermen finding the vehicle,' the statement reads.

Garcia said: '[Reum] says he tried yelling and screaming, but nobody would hear him. It was just quiet - just the sound of the water.'

Reum's cell phone had fallen out of reach and his body was trapped, preventing him from calling for aid.

'We are thankful Matt is alive and grateful for the men who found him. Matt's strong will and toughness speak volumes through this ordeal,' a spokesman for Indiana State Police told ABC.

Reum has been with the Boilermakers union since 2015 and is a welder. A spokesperson from the union said: 'He is a good asset to his trade.''

'Since I have known Matt, he has always been a positive, kind, and energetic person. We will continue to pray and support our brother as he begins his recovery. We thank God that Matt is still with us,' the spokesman said.

Haley Traxler, a friend with Reum, has established a GoFundMe page for him, which had raised more than $18,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Reum can be seen lying in bed, smiling, with one hand showing a thumbs up while the other is wrapped in a plaster cast as he recovers from broken bones.

'He is looking at an amputation more than likely. He has several broken bones throughout his body,' Traxler said.

'He is alive and thats what we care about most through this hard time he needs all the love and support he can get.

'He is the most kind-hearted human Ive ever met would do anything for you even if he barely knew you or at all.
ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR?

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR?

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR?

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk

Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa, 36, has ordered the army onto the streets

On Tuesday, armed men broke onto set of a live TV show and threatened people

Ecuador has erupted into a 'civil war' with cartel thugs after the president ordered the army onto the streets and declared a state of 'internal armed conflict'.

Crazed criminals have rampaged through the South American country's cities today after President Daniel Noboa, 36, ordered a state of emergency.

Hooded gangsters seized a state TV news studio today, while a university was attacked and jail guards reportedly executed by prisoners.

Ecuador has been rocked by a series of attacks including explosions and the abduction of several police officers after the government imposed a state of emergency in the wake of the escape of a powerful gang leader from prison.

Adolfo 'Fito' Macias, 44, the leader of Los Choneros gang, was found missing from his cell in a low security prison on the same day he was supposed to be transferred to a maximum security facility, on Sunday.

A manhunt is underway for Macias and Los Lobos leader Fabricio Colon Pico, who also escaped prison on Tuesday since his arrest last Friday for alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Ecuador's attorney general.

Peru also declared an emergency on Tuesday along its northern border with Ecuador because of the ongoing violence.

The US State Department said it was 'extremely concerned' by the violence. The British Foreign Office warned against all but essential travel to parts of the country.

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk

Men with their faces covered entered the set of the TC Television network in the port city of Guayaquil and shouted that they had bombs. Noises similar to gunshots could be heard in the background

An Ecuadorian police squad runs into the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel after gunmen burst into the state-owned television studio live on air on January 9

Ecuadorian soldiers take security measures with a military armored vehicle on roads after Ecuador president declares 'internal armed conflict'

Armoured trucks have been seen on the streets of Ecuador's capital city of Quito

President Daniel Noboa, 36, (pictured) has ordered the army onto the streets and declared a state of 'internal armed conflict'

Armed men have broken into the set of a public television channel in Ecuador as it broadcast live and threatened people as the country reels from a series of attacks after the government imposed a state of emergency in the wake of the apparent escape of a powerful gang leader from prison

Men were seen brandishing what appeared to be bombs and grenades (pictured)

The TV studio was stormed in the port city of Guayaquil in western Ecuador

Macias, who was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organized crime, was serving a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison in the port of Guayaquil.

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached a new level last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The gang has links with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.

Experts and authorities have acknowledged that gang members practically rule from inside the prisons, and Macias was believed to have continued controlling his group from within the detention facility.

Prison guards have reportedly been executed by the country's cartel thugs. Pictured: Moments before a guard was killed

Gunmen were seen storming the University of Guayaquil on Tuesday

Ecuadorian soldiers have been ordered onto the streets to protect civilians from the cartels

Police detain suspected criminals a few blocks from the headquarters of TC television station

Police arrest a suspected criminal a few blocks from the headquarters of TC television station

Prosecutors opened an investigation and charged two guards in connection with the alleged escape, but neither the police, the corrections system, nor the federal government confirmed whether Macias fled the facility or might be hiding in it.

In February 2013, Macias escaped from a maximum security facility but was recaptured weeks later.

In 2021, Macias's girlfriend was briefly arrested after she spent a week sleeping in his jail cell - and was busted as she tried to leave the prison in the middle of a riot while wearing a guard's uniform.

On Tuesday, gunshots rang out on live TV as men armed with bombs and grenades burst into a studio shortly after gangsters vowed a 'war' against the president's plans to reclaim control from 'narcoterrorists.'

Attackers carrying rifles and grenades stormed the studio of TC television in the port city of Guayaquil, western Ecuador, as a woman was heard amid gunshots pleading: 'Don't shoot, please don't shoot.'

Blood is seen on the floor of the state-owned TC television after unidentified gunmen burst into the studio

Police officers arrest one of the unidentified gunmen who burst into a studio of the state-owned TC television studio

People accused of invading and taking over television station TC with weapons and forcing staff to lie and sit down, lie handcuffed on the floor

Police in Ecuador arrested several of the people who allegedly stormed the TV studio

They were handcuffed with zip ties and placed face-down on the floor

In the attack on Tuesday evening, intruders forced terrified TV crew onto the ground and a person could be heard screaming in apparent pain as the studio lights went off but the live broadcast continued for at least 15 minutes.

Why has violence spiralled in Ecuador? The country has been beset with violence from gangs battling for control in spiralling turf wars that see gun massacres and beheadings. Ecuador is situated between world-leading cocaine producers Colombia and Peru and has become a centre for foreign and domestic drug cartels. Guayaquil, a coastal city that is Ecuador's largest, is considered the country's most dangerous, with its ports a hub for drug smuggling. Noboa took office in November touting his 'Phoenix Plan' for security, including a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for security forces, new high-security prisons and reinforced security at ports and airports. Security in Ecuador has been worsening since the coronavirus pandemic, which also brutally battered the economy. Ecuador's prisons have become a hotbed of violence, with the cartels fighting for power inside the country's jails, from which they then exert vast influence. Fishermen have been massacred at ports, maimed bodies have been hanged from bridges and riots have left hundreds dead in prisons. Prisons have become a hotbed of violence, with the cartels fighting for power inside the country's jails, from which they then exert vast influence. Since 2018, the national murder rate has more than quadrupled, soaring from six to 26 per 100,000 inhabitants - a rate that places it in the worst 15 countries. The country's National Police tallied 3,568 violent deaths in the first six months of 2023, far more than the 2,042 reported during the same period in 2022. That year ended with 4,600 violent deaths, the country's highest in history and double the total in 2021. Violent deaths nationally rose to 8,008 in 2023, the government has said, nearly double the 2022 figure. Violence in Ecuador culminated in August with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, plunging the country into chaos. A national emergency was declared in the wake of the assassination, while Ecuador's economic capital, Guayaquil, has seen multiple successive states of emergency imposed. In the north, the city of Esmeraldas is also frequently at the centre of turf wars, as cartels battle for control over the country's key drug supply routes. Behind the violence is what the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime describes as a global 'prolonged surge in both the supply of and demand for cocaine'. As the US market turns to other drugs such as fentanyl, the European market has bolstered demand for the powder, with gangs in the Balkans as well as Italy's feared 'Ndrangheta mafia understood to have expanded into Ecuador. Advertisement

A TC employee said in a WhatsApp message: 'Please, they came in to kill us.

'God don't let this happen.

'The criminals are on air.'

Journalists on screen were reportedly heard screaming 'they want to kill us all'.

One of the hooded men who attacked the set reportedly said: 'We are on the air so that they know that we do not play with the mafia.'

After about 30 minutes of chaos, police officers were seen entering the studio while someone then called out that they 'have a wounded companion.'

All the gunmen who broke into the studio were arrested, a police commander said.

Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room across from the studio when the masked men entered the building.

One of the men pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, she said.

Some of the assailants ran from the studio and tried to hide elsewhere in the building when they realised they were surrounded by police, she added.

'I am still in shock,' Ms Manrique told the Associated Press in a phone interview. 'Everything has collapsed.

'All I know is that it's time to leave this country, and go very far away.'

Shortly after the gunmen stormed the TV station, President Noboa issued another decree designating 20 drug trafficking gangs operating in the country as terrorist groups and authorising Ecuador's military to 'neutralise' the groups - within the bounds of international humanitarian law.

Ecuador's national police chief announced a short time later that authorities had arrested all the masked intruders.

Cesar Zapata told the TV channel Teleamazonas that officers had seized the guns and explosives.

He did not say how many people were arrested.

'This is an act that should be considered as a terrorist act,' Mr Zapata added.

President Noboa decreed a national state of emergency for 60 days on Monday, allowing the authorities to suspend rights and mobilize the military in places like prisons.

The government also imposed a curfew from 11pm to 5am.

Noboa had vowed on Monday to 'not negotiate with terrorists nor rest until we return peace to all Ecuadorans.'

He added that his government had decided to confront crime.

Noboa was elected in October on a pledge to fight rampant drug-related crime and violence in the South American country - once considered a bastion of peace, but now a key stop on the US- and Europe-bound cocaine trade.

He vowed Monday to bring the fight to the cartels after a powerful gang leader, Adolfo Macias, known as 'Fito,' escaped from prison the previous day.

States of emergency were widely used by Noboa's predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, as a way to confront the wave of violence that has affected the country

Ecuador has been beset with violence from brutal bloodthirsty gangs who are battling for control in spiralling turf wars that see gun massacres and beheadings.

Ecuador is situated between world-leading cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, and has become a centre for foreign and domestic drug cartels blamed for a series of gruesome massacres, kidnappings and extortions.

Journalists on screen were reportedly heard screaming 'they want to kill us all'

One of the hooded men who attacked the set reportedly said: 'We are on the air so that they know that we do not play with the mafia'

Ecuador's Police said on X, formerly Twitter , that some units were deployed to the media facilities

Fishermen have been massacred at ports, maimed bodies have been hanged from bridges and riots have left hundreds dead in prisons.

Guayaquil, a coastal city that is Ecuador's largest, is considered the country's most dangerous, with its ports a hub for drug smuggling.

Noboa took office in November touting his 'Phoenix Plan' for security, including a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for security forces, new high-security prisons and reinforced security at ports and airports.

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk

Adolfo 'Fito' Macias, the leader of Los Choneros gang, was found missing from his cell in a low security prison on the same day he was supposed to be transferred to a maximum security facility, on Sunday

The leader of Los Choneros gang, Adolfo Macias, also known as 'Fito', (pictured) wasn't in his cell on Monday night

It will cost some $800million (629.4million), he said, though $200million (157.3million) in new weapons for the army will be provided by the United States.

Security in Ecuador has been worsening since the coronavirus pandemic, which also brutally battered the economy.

Ecuador's prisons have become a hotbed of violence and cartels such as Los Choneros, Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones have been fighting for power inside the country's jails, from which they then exert vast influence.

Since 2018, the national murder rate has more than quadrupled, soaring from six to 26 per 100,000 inhabitants - a rate that places it in the worst 15 countries.

An Ecuadorian police squad approach the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel after unidentified gunmen burst into the state-owned television studio live on air on January 9, in Guayaquil, Ecuador

An Ecuadorian police helicopter overflies the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel

A police sniper was seen on a nearby road overpass during the response

Pictured: Police respond with a sniper and helicopter

The country's National Police tallied 3,568 violent deaths in the first six months of 2023, far more than the 2,042 reported during the same period in 2022.

That year ended with 4,600 violent deaths, the country's highest in history and double the total in 2021.

Violent deaths nationally rose to 8,008 in 2023, the government has said, nearly double the 2022 figure.

Violence in Ecuador culminated in August with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, plunging the country into chaos.

Ecuadorian police take position outside the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel building

Some members of the police were seen in balaclavas, bullet-proof vests and carrying guns

Firefighters stand guard nearby Ecuador's TC television channel after unidentified gunmen burst into the state-owned television studio live on air

Other police officers were seen in riot gear outside the television studio

An Ecuadorian soldier stands guard in front of Ecuador's TC television channel

Ecuadorian soldiers patrol outside the premises of Ecuador's TC television channel

This is the moment armed police took back control of the TV studio in Ecuador on Tuesday evening A national emergency was declared in the wake of the assassination, while Ecuador's economic capital, Guayaquil, has seen multiple successive states of emergency imposed. In the north, the city of Esmeraldas is also frequently at the centre of turf wars, as cartels battle for control over the country's key drug supply routes. Behind the violence is what the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime describes as a global 'prolonged surge in both the supply of and demand for cocaine'. As the US market turns to other drugs such as fentanyl, the European market has bolstered demand for the powder, with gangs in the Balkans as well as Italy's feared 'Ndrangheta mafia understood to have expanded into Ecuador. Soldiers were seen with automatic weapons and what appeared to be bolt cutters after the attack Police and soldiers take security measures as Ecuadorian police arrest several armed men who broke into the set of a public television channel Citizens take photos and videos as Ecuadorian police arrest several armed men who broke into the set of a public television channel Ecuadorian police arrest several armed men who broke into the set of a public television channel Veronica Briones Zambrano, the girlfriend of Adolfo 'Fito' Macias, leader of Los Choneros gang, is escorted from the Guayaquil Regional Jail in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2021 Marine Infantry soldiers as they carry out an operation after a riot at the Litoral Regional Prison in Guayaquil, on January 8 Soldiers stood guard outside El Inca prison in Quito on January 8 Fito's low security prison was decorated with his own image Police forces stand guard outside the Turi prison as inmates hold prison guards hostage, in Cuenca, Ecuador, on January 8

A wave of attacks began a few hours after Noboa's announcement on Monday.

Authorities reported multiple explosions and said seven police officers had been kidnapped.

They were taken in the coastal city of Machala, in the capital Quito, and in the southwestern province of Los Rios.

A chilling video circulating on social media showed three of the kidnapped officers sitting on the ground with a gun pointed at them as one is forced to read a statement addressed to Noboa.

'You declared war, you will get war,' the clearly terrified officer reads. 'You declared a state of emergency. We declare police, civilians and soldiers to be the spoils of war.'

The statement added that anyone found on the street after 11pm (5am GMT) 'will be executed.'

On Monday, President Daniel Noboa decreed a national state of emergency for 60 days

States of emergency were widely used by Noboa's predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, as a way to confront the wave of violence that has affected the country

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached a new level last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio

A pedestrian bridge was damaged by an explosion late on January 8, over the General Ruminawi highway in the Monjas sector in Quito

The presidency and metro stations in Quito were under military guard on Tuesday.

Police say an explosive device was thrown near a police station in Esmeraldas on the northwest coast and two vehicles were burned in other areas, with no one killed or injured.

In Quito, a car was reportedly blown up, and a device exploded near a pedestrian bridge.

Agents also arrested two people for possession of explosives and as suspects in at least one of the attacks in the South American country.

The government has not said how many attacks were registered in total, but local media reported several, including some in northern cities, where vehicles were set on fire, and others in Quito, including an explosion near the house of the president of the National Justice Court.

Authorities have not said if the incidents are part an orchestrated action.

Neighbouring country Peru's government declared an emergency along its northern border on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Alberto Otarola made the announcement, noting that the emergency declaration would deploy an unspecified number of army troops to support police forces.

Peru's defense and interior ministers will also travel to the border to coordinate operations, according to the prime minister.

Earlier in the day, Peru's interior minister ordered the 'immediate' deployment of police to the border in a bid to boost security.

The Ecuadorian government has previously accused members of the main drug gangs for similar strikes.

The US State Department said on Tuesday it was 'extremely concerned' by violence in Ecuador which has led the country's president to declare a state of emergency and deploy military into the streets.

'Extremely concerned by today's violence & kidnappings in Ecuador,' the top US diplomat for Latin America, Brian Nichols, wrote on X, adding that American officials would 'remain in close contact' with President Daniel Noboa's team.

The British Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to parts of Ecuador.

The Chinese embassy said it would be closed until further notice from Wednesday.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism has recommended tourists stay inside their hotels/accommodation until further notice and only move for essential travel.

All airports are currently open but some airlines have cancelled flights.

ARE YOU TRAVELLING IN ECUADOR? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk
Trump had lived close to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and the two spent time together in the 90s, with Trump flying on his plane

Newly released documents include deposition from Virginia Giuffre who claims Donald Trump didn't participate in 'the sexual abuse of minors'

Virginia Giuffre has claimed that Donald Trump did not participate in any underage sex while at the home of pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In the newly released batch of documents, Giuffre said in a deposition that she didn't believe the former President to have 'participated in anything'.

When asked if the former president was 'a witness to the sexual abuse of minors' while at the home of Epstein, Giuffre said she had never seen him at the property.

She said: 'I never saw or witnessed Donald Trump participate in those acts, but was he in the house of Jeffrey Epstein. I've heard he has been, but I haven't seen him myself so I don't know.'

Epstein's Palm Beach villa was located just 1.5 miles from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and the two men were friends in the 90s, with Trump flying on his plane, dubbed the 'Lolita Express' at least four times.

Giuffre said in newly released deposition that she didn't believe the former President, pictured here with Epstein, Maxwell, and Melania Trump, hadn't participated in anything

The newly-unsealed deposition of Virginia Giuffre, seen her being interviewed by the BBC, were released by the court earlier today

When asked if the former president was 'a witness to the sexual abuse of minors' while at the home of Epstein, Giuffre said she had never seen him at the property

Giuffre had also added: 'If you walked foot into Jeffrey Epstein's house and you went in there and you continued to be an acquaintance of his, then you would have to know what was going on there.'

The former president was mentioned in the explosive 1,000 pages of documents released last week.

While his name had appeared throughout the documents, it has not implicated him in the pedophile financier's debauchery or crimes.

On Monday, documents relating to the case contained accusations from Epstein victim Sarah Ransom who claims Trump had sex with a friend of hers at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse.

Ransome claimed that Trump had sexual relations with 'many girls,' according to the documents.

She described an unidentified friend, who she said was 'one of the many girls that had sexual relations with Donald Trump.'

'Mr. Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her 'pert nipples'. Donald Trump liked flicking and sucking her nipples until they were raw', the document said.

'One evening when we were showering together she showed me her nipples. They looked incredibly painful as they were red and swollen and I remember wincing when I looked at them.

While his name had appeared throughout the documents, Trump has not been implicated in the pedophile financier's debauchery or crimes

Donald Trump and Epstein are pictured together at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 1997

Ransome claimed to have a friend who had slept with Donald Trump. Her description of their encounters is above

'I also know she had sexual relations with Trump at Jeffery's NY mansion on regular occasions as I once met Jen for coffee, just before she was going to meet Trump and Epstein together at his mansion,' the emails claimed.

None of the women are named and Trump has repeatedly denied having any involvement in Epstein's seedy lifestyle.

Steven Cheung, Trump spokesperson, hit back at the allegations, saying: 'These baseless accusations have been fully retracted because they are simply false and have no merit.'

In Monday's release of documents, it was also claimed that Epstein kept blackmail videos that showed Bill Clinton, Trump and Richard Branson having sex with woman he supplied them with. No such footage has ever been publicly uncovered.

A spokesman for Branson's company Virgin denied the allegations.

'In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ransome admitted that she had invented the tapes.

'We can confirm that Sarah Ransomes claims are baseless and unfounded.'

Unsealed documents last week revealed deposition by Johanna Sjoberg, an Epstein 'victim' who was allegedly recruited to work as a massage therapist, recalled meeting Trump during her visit to Atlantic City.

She discussed a visit to a Trump Atlantic City Casino after a storm kept Epstein's plane from landing in New York. It was her first time aboard Epstein's plane.

Sarah Ransome, right, is pictured at Manhattan Federal Court after Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing

All of the filings come from a 2015 defamation lawsuit that Giuffre filed against Ghislaine Maxwell, who is seen here with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Her interview contains no suggestion Trump did anything inappropriate or visited Epstein's private island, Little Saint James, where numerous orgies were alleged to have taken place.

Sjoberg even states that she did not give Trump a massage when asked.

'We left from Palm Beach and landed in Atlantic City for a few hours because there was a storm in New York, and then got back on the plane a 10 few hours later and landed in Teterboro,' said Sjoberg, 42.

'Jeffrey said, 'Great, we'll call up Trump and we'll go to'I don't recall the name of the casino, but'we'll go to the casino,' Sjoberg said in her deposition, taken at a lawyer's office in Florida in 2016.

She said Giuffre, who was traveling with them, couldn't go into the Casino.

'She was underage. I did not know anything about how old you had to be to gamble legally. I just knew she could not get in because of an ID issue. So she and I did not gamble.'

The ended up walking around the casino because Giuffre either 'didn't have an ID or she was too young.'

She was also asked if she ever massaged Trump, and responded, 'No.'

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung issued only a brief comment following the release of the first batch of documents last week.

Trump was quoted speaking about Epstein favorably in a 2002 New York Magazine profile of Epstein that attempted to take stock of the high-flying money manager who traveled in top social circles and ran his business out of a private island in the Caribbean.

'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,' Trump told the magazine. 'He's 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. No doubt about it - Jeffrey enjoys his social life.'

Johanna Sjoberg's unsealed deposition mentions a trip to Trump's Atlantic City casino after a flight on Epstein's jet

Epstein's Upper East Side mansion, where many of the alleged crimes are said to have taken place

Trump also commented on Epstein from inside the Oval Office back in 2019, when the financier was facing charges for sexual abuse.

'Well I knew him, like everybody in Palm Beach knew him. The people in Palm Beach knew him. He was a fixture in Palm Beach,' Trump continued.

'I had a falling out a long time ago with him,' Trump said. 'I don't think I've spoken to him in 15 years.'

'I wasn't a fan , I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you,' Trump added, without directly answering a question about the reason for the falling out.

All of the filings come from a 2015 defamation lawsuit that Giuffre filed against Maxwell.

At the time, Giuffre had gone public with her claims against Prince Andrew, Maxwell and Epstein.

She said she'd been sexually trafficked to the royal by Maxwell and Epstein, who she claimed abused countless other girls in similar ways.

Maxwell, Epstein and Prince Andrew denied her allegations.

Giuffre sued Maxwell for publicly labeling her a liar. The case was settled in 2017 - two years before Epstein was charged and later died by suicide - and before Maxwell's arrest.

They have become public now after repeated requests from the media and some of those caught up in the scandal, who pleaded for transparency from the court.

What was expected was a list that unmasked the 187 Jane and John Does whose names were previously protected.

The court has not fulfilled that request, and instead has published hundreds upon hundreds of pages where the names were previously redacted.
Rocks and fireworks were pelted at police as crowds shouted 'get them out' in a 'riot' outside a hotel housing asylum seekers, a court has heard.

Eight people went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court today accused of violent disorder outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, on February 10 last year.

Three officers were injured when paving slabs, fireworks and rocks were thrown as violence erupted after police were informed the English Defence League was planning to attend.

A police van was 'totally destroyed' in a fire and a number of other vehicles were smashed, causing around 83,000 worth of damage.

Detective Constable David Williams told the jury members of a right-wing and a left-wing group attended outside the hotel, which was providing temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, and at about 7pm a large group of people arrived at the scene on foot.

Three officers were injured when paving slabs, fireworks and rocks were thrown as violence erupted after police were informed the English Defence League was planning to attend.

A police van was 'totally destroyed' in a fire and a number of other vehicles were smashed, causing around 83,000 worth of damage

He said: 'At that time it seemed that tensions changed somewhat.'

He told the court there was 'ill feeling' in the local area after a video appearing to show an asylum seeker from the hotel asking a 15-year-old girl for her phone number and for a kiss was shared on social media.

Mr Williams added: 'It was investigated and unfortunately a decision was made via the Crown Prosecution Service that no crime had been committed at that point.'

Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, told the jury all eight defendants admitted being present on the night of the protest but denied violent disorder.

He said defendant Brian McPadden, 61, of Kirkby, Merseyside, could be seen on body worn camera footage pointing towards the hotel and could be heard saying: 'We protect our own, youse are not from Kirkby, we are. These are tw**s, the lot of them.'

Footage filmed through an officer's riot shield showed McPadden, wearing black shorts and a black coat, standing in front of the burning police van.

Mr Walsh said he could be heard saying: 'They better not leave that place in the next few days because they'll be dead. Every Friday we'll be here.'

The court heard Thomas Mills, 47, of Kirkby, was seen standing on top of a police van holding a banner which said: 'Let's shout, get them out.'

Eight people went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of violent disorder outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, on February 10 last year (Pictured left and right: A burnt out police van outside The Suites Hotel)

Police in riot gear after a demonstration outside the hotel. The court was told people were shouting 'get them out' during the protest

Mr Walsh said: 'The case against Mr Mills is he played an important role in the violence and is encouraging others to behave violently.'

Paul Lafferty, 42, of Kirkby, was seen pointing towards police and shouting 'you f****** bullies', the court heard.

Mr Walsh said 21-year-old Jonjo O'Donoghue, of Liverpool city centre, was seen on footage lighting fireworks and firing them at police officers.

Daniel Fulham, 39, of Kirkby, made his way through a police cordon with his Jack Russell dog, the court heard.

Mr Walsh said: 'Mr Fulham picks up his dog, waves it and thrusts it towards police officers while shouting "get them out".'

The jury was told Cheryl Nicholls, 44, of Kirkby, was seen shouting and gesturing to police while filming on her phone.

Mr Walsh said she was heard saying: 'You've got 500 dirty b****d nonces in there, I hope your kids are all proud of you.'

Nicola Elliott, 52, of St Helens, was shown on footage shouting 'get them out' and 'are you happy that they're raping our children', the court heard.

Detective Constable David Williams told the jury members of a right-wing and a left-wing group attended outside the Suites Hotel (Pictured: A police van outside the hotel the day after the protest)

The hotel was providing temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. DC Williams told the court there was 'ill feeling' in the local area

Jennifer Knox, 41, of Kirkby, was part of a group seen confronting police, Mr Walsh said.

He added: 'The Crown say her conduct added to the threat of violence faced by police.'

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

The hearing was adjourned within half-an-hour of resuming following the lunch break on Tuesday after Mills suffered a seizure in the dock.

The jury was sent home for the day as medical help was given.

The case will continue tomorrow.
A man dropped a bundle of cash after two suspects shot him in the leg and grabbed his money in an aggravated robbery at a Houston gas station.

The chaos near Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houston, Texas, was captured by a nearby surveillance camera as police are now searching for the two shooters.

The shocking robbery took place on December 11 at around 3.30pm when the victim, who has not been identified, stood at a convenience store gas pump.

The Houston Police Departments Robbery Division released the surveillance footage on Monday and is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the suspects.

A man dropped a bundle of cash after two suspects shot him in the leg and grabbed his money in an aggravated robbery at a Houston gas station

The chaos near Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houston, Texas , was captured by a nearby surveillance camera as police are now searching for the two shooters

The Houston Police Departments Robbery Division released the surveillance footage on Monday and is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the suspects

Suspects can be seen hopping around, brandishing their weapons at both the victim and the driver seated in the vehicle that the victim was refueling

Moments before the shooting, the victim sold a vehicle at a gas station parking lot near Almeda Genoa Road and State Highway 288, according to authorities.

The victim believed he was followed by two suspects, who pulled up behind him while he was pumping gas at another gas station at the 7000 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

'An unknown male suddenly appeared and pointed a handgun at him while demanding his money,' police said in a statement.

The suspect, in a black hoodie and matching pants, fired a gunshot in the victim's leg, causing him to fall and drop a cascade of cash.

While the victim lying painfully on the ground, a second suspect emerged and pointed a handgun at him.

The second suspect, wearing a light orange shirt and white shorts, had one foot in a red sandal while the left foot was bare.

He can be seen hopping around, brandishing his weapon at both the victim and the driver seated in the vehicle that the victim was refueling.

The shocking robbery took place on December 11 at around 3.30pm when the victim, who has not been identified, stood at a convenience store gas pump

The first suspect, in a black hoodie and matching pants, fired a gunshot in the victim's leg, causing him to fall and drop a cascade of cash

The second suspect, wearing a light orange shirt and white shorts, had one foot in a red sandal while the left foot was bare

Both suspects sped off in a black Audi SUV after they grabbed some of the cash

While the first suspect was grabbing cash from the ground, the unnamed driver managed to drive away, leaving the victim struggling with a gunshot wound.

The second suspect proceeded to kick over the food box the victim was carrying and physically assaulted him before leaving.

Both suspects sped off in a black Audi SUV after they grabbed some of the cash.

According to the police, the first suspect was described as a 'black male, 18 to 25 years old, 58, thin build', with what appeared to be a goatee, wearing a black pullover, black pants, and black sandals.

The second suspect was described as a 'black male, 18 to 25 years old, thin build,' wearing a light-colored pullover, white shorts, and red sandals.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly.

Information leading to the charging or arrest of any felony suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000.
The couple co-founded Howdy Bagel, a popular shop in Tacoma, during the pandemic

One witness recalled seeing Daniel administer CPR to Jacob as he lay dying

Jacob Carter, 32, was fatally shot while walking with his husband, Daniel, last Friday

A man fatally shot in New Orleans last week has been identified as the beloved co-founder of a Washington bagel shop who was killed while vacationing with his husband.

Jacob Carter, 32, was shot and killed while walking in the Faubourg-Marigny neighborhood with his husband, Daniel, last Friday morning.

New Orleans police have yet to make an arrest in connection to what appeared to be an attempted armed robbery.

One neighbor told WVUE he and his husband were watching TV when they heard a loud noise. When the neighbor stepped outside to investigate, he spotted who he believed to be Carter's husband giving him CPR.

'The screams that I heard, I will never get out of my head,' he said.

Jacob Carter, 32, was shot and killed in front of his husband Daniel while the pair were on vacation in New Orleans last Friday

One witness said he saw a man who he believed to be Carter's husband giving him CPR as the 32-year-old lay dying

New Orleans police have yet to make an arrest in connection to the killing, which is suspected to be an attempted armed robbery

The neighbor added that he had been praying for Daniel all day.

'I can imagine that being my husband, laying on the ground, trying to give CPR to him, and that just freaks me out,' he said.

The young couple co-founded Howdy Bagel after they were laid off during the pandemic.

The company started as a door-to-door service and grew into farmers markets, pop-ups and subscriptions before finally settling into its Tacoma storefront.

It quickly became a local staple and amassed a dedicated clientele, with an Instagram following of over 28,000.

In light of Carter's death, the shop has temporarily shuttered.

Friends took to social media to honor the man they knew as 'Jake,' praising his generosity and kindness.

The 32-year-old previously worked as as a refugee resettlement caseworker at World Relief Western Washington, a nonprofit that aids asylum seekers and other immigrants.

Joel Anderson recalled the time he spent with Carter in 2017, as the pair interned at the organization together.

'His passion for refugee and immigrant communities was clear and he would drop everything at a moments notice to make sure our families had what they needed,' Anderson wrote.

Jacob and Daniel Carter founded Howdy Bagel amid the pandemic after both men were laid off from their jobs

The shop took many forms including a subscription service before settling down into its Tacoma, Washington, storefront and gaining a devoted following

Carter, who formerly worked as a caseworker at a local nonprofit that aids refugees, was remembered by friends for his generosity and kindness

A GoFundMe has raised over $200,000 to cover shop rent and operating expenses as well as employee wages for the time that the bagel shop is closed

Real estate broker Susan Camerer posted a video of Carter popping open a bottle of champagne, labelling it one of her 'favorite memories.'

'I am truly blessed to have known you Jake. You're so generous and kind,' Camerer wrote.

'I waited in line to support you, but never once did you let me pay for a bagel! Because they were always "on the house." The world is a better place because you were in it.'

A GoFundMe established in Carter's honor describes him as 'someone who exuded kindness, warmth, and genuine care to everyone he met' and 'one of the brightest spots in the lives of everyone he loved.'

The campaign has already raised more than $200,000.

Donations will go towards the cost of shop rent and other operating expenses as well as employee wages for the time the shop remains closed.
Rabbi Schneerson, seen as the Messiah by some in the group, instructed his followers to expand his former home or redemption

Young followers of a Jewish Hasidic group in Brooklyn took it upon themselves to expand their synagogue, sparking conspiracy theories once their secret operation was shut down by their own leaders, congregants claimed.

News of a tunnel discovered in New York City on Monday and the arrest of young men trying to stop its destruction unleashed countless theories about what the tunnels were for, but members of the Chabad group claimed in Tuesday that the true story is not what most assumed.

Followers of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, seen as the Messiah by many in the group, told DailyMail.com they believe redemption will come to them when they fulfill his command of expanding their holiest site - his former home - on 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights.

Frustrated by what they saw as the synagogue's leadership unwillingness to work to fulfill the command, young Chabad members independently started tearing down walls to connect the synagogue, which sits in a basement and already covers two buildings, into a third building next door. The Chabad leaders are in litigation over control of the building, which is currently vacant but used to serve as a bath house over 30 years ago.

But the unapproved project was discovered in December after neighbors reportedly complained, and the synagogue's leaders themselves set out to shut it down. When workers showed up to fill the space, a few young Hassidic men refused to let them, with some seen on video breaking through a sanctuary wall with hammers.

Young followers of a Jewish Hassidic group in Brooklyn took it upon themselves to expand their synagogue, congregants told DailyMail.com

Followers of the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, seen as the Messiah by many in the group, told DailyMail.com they believe redemption will come to them when they fulfill his command of expanding their holiest site - his former home

Members of the synagogue on Monday ripped away wooden panels inside to reveal the entrance to the tunnel, and enter to prevent the tunnels being filled

That's when synagogue leaders themselves called the NYPD, which caused the viral images as the young men tried to defend the expansion.

A tourist guide at the Chabad headquarters who asked to be identified only as Baruch told DailyMail.com that most of the group's member agree the synagogue must be expanded, but think the boys went about it 'the wrong way.'

'Thousands of people come here every year. It's impossible for everyone to fit, especially during the high Holidays - we're talking about five, 10,000 people squishing into here. I've been here. It's painful stuff. Just sweating. It's very, very hard.

The rabbi, he himself said that it has to be extended. Now there's ifs and things that pull back from being expansion, the different politics and different things that are holding it back from being expanded. But all the disciples of the rabbi, they want it to be expanded. It just the question is, how? When will it happen?

'Everyone knows that eventually the expansion is going to go this way, all the way down to Union.'

Indeed, its public knowledge that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson issued the expansion doctrine, and online videos show what the hopes are for the expansion, but on Tuesday Chabad leaders would not acknowledge any ambitions of expanding the sanctuary and accused the young men of being extremists and vandals.

Zalmy Grossman, one of the Chabad members, agreed with Baruch, and even became upset when he witnessed Chabad media director Motti Seligson deny that the group is looking to expand 770 because, he explained, that is one of their fundamental beliefs.

'There is a big hole on the ground that we can connect the two buildings together from both sides and it becomes a big giant place, the whole underground - to connect them together, to be bigger, bigger, bigger,' Grossman said outside 770.

The synagogue in question is known as 770 thanks to its address at 770 Eastern Parkway in the borough's Brooklyn Heights section. It is the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect

Seligson had previously issued a statement denouncing the young men, who he described as a minority in the synagogue.

'Students broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue to provide them unauthorized access,' Seligson posted on X.

'A cement truck was brought in to repair those walls. Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access.'

A dozen young men, all students at Chabad, were arrested on Monday but released shortly after. Three were given summons and six were criminally charged with mischief and reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD.

A congregant who did not agree with the boys' actions told the Daily News that their faith does believe in expanding the sanctuary, but not the way it was being done.

'[Rabbi Schneerson] did express a desire when he was alive that that synagogue, which was running out of space, should undergo an expansion  but a legal and proper expansion through the leadership of Chabad,' Berel Bendet.

Chabad leaders would not acknowledge any ambitions of expanding the sanctuary and accused the young men of being extremists and vandals.

The synagogue has been closed until inspectors determine its structural safety

'Theres a possibility they misinterpreted that to mean a call to action on their part to take up the shovel, if you will.'

Chabad Chairman Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky said in a statement: 'The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue.

'These odious actions will be investigated and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored. Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity.'

The synagogue has been closed until inspectors determine its structural safety.

The building at 770 Eastern Parkway was once home to the movements leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and draws thousands of visitors each year. Its Gothic Revival facade is immediately recognizable to adherents of the Chabad movement and replicas of the revered building have been constructed all over the world.

Schneerson led the Chabad-Lubavitch for more than four decades before his death in 1994, reinvigorating a Hasidic religious community that had been devastated by the Holocaust.

The headquarters was also the epicenter of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, which began after a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car in the rabbis motorcade.
Roseanne Barr told Trump supporters in Iowa that it was up to them to 'save the country' when they become the first state to cast their votes for a presidential nominee on Monday.

The TV star was supposed to address the Five Seasons Republican Women in person on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids

But a night and morning of heavy snow across Iowa closed airports and meant she was grounded in Hawaii. Instead she addressed the 80-or-so people gathered at a steakhouse by audio link.

'We're all very proud of you because you have decided that you as Iowa Republicans are gonna save our country and we know you can do it,' she told them.

'We know you are the only people in the whole country that have the wisdom and got to do it and the strength and the know how to get it done.

Roseanne is pictured her speaking at a conservative gathering in December. She was due to address supporters of Donald Trump in Iowa on Tuesday but had to speak via Zoom because bad weather meant she was unable to fly in from Hawaii

'You're the first, you've got the ball. It's all up to you.'

With just six days to go before Iowa's caucuses  when Republicans gather in school gymnasiums, church halls, and front rooms to debate, cajole and nudge each other into picking a candidate  the Trump campaign's plans to send a fleet of high-profile speakers across the state were upended by the weather.

Trump's former Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, abandoned a trip to Iowa Monday.

And Roseanne was stranded in Hawaii when flights were canceled because of the inclement weather.

She delivered her address remotely, part of a string of pep talks across the state as candidates prepare for Monday and what might be a make-or-break moment in the nomination race.

Trump has a commanding lead in the race over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

His aides say they are leaving nothing to chance as they hammer home the message that they have to turn out whatever the weather.

Roseanne is among a small number of stars of stage and screen to have come out publicly in favor of Trump. She said she voted for him in the 2016 election and has acted as a surrogate this time around.

Roseanne poses with Trump in November last year. She posted the picture with the caption: 'The new American gothic'

Heavy snow across Iowa has upended campaigning. In Cedar Rapids (pictured here), snow began falling at about 6pm on Monday and kept going for 24 hours through Tuesday

Trump's former Attorney General Matt Whitaker drove three hours through the snow from state capital Des Moines to address the Five Seasons Republican Women on Tuesday lunchtime

A note sent to reporters Monday said that Roseanne would not attend another event in Boone

A revival of her TV sitcom 'Roseanne' ended in controversy when she posted a racist tweet (which she later said was a misguided joke about a public figure, whom she did not know was Black) and her character was killed off.

In her address, she said it was clear that Trump was winning.

'We're so close to winning and, you know, we can tell we're so close to winning and ... over the target because of how they're attacking us, and the man we choose to represent as Donald Trump,' she said. 'We know how these attacks are intensifying.'

She urged supporters not to give up but to keep fighting for a better American future.

'Fight like there's no tomorrow,' she told them. 'If he doesn't win, and we don't get him bac, then then we're gonna have a very, very dark tomorrow.'

Rachel Schlabsz, 43, said she was attending her first political event.

'I don't have a lot of Republican friends. They're all liberal,'she said. 'So I was looking for that like mindedness. So she invited me today and Roseanne happened to be the person so it was a shame she couldn't make it.'

A man shovels snow in front of the Horizon Family Restaurant, where Nikki Haley was supposed to have a Monday morning event in Sioux City, Iowa, which is located in the western part of the state

But she said her words resonated and she was ready to caucus for Trump when the time came.

Trump's former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, and a key political fixture in Iowa, drove three hours through the snow from Des Moines to deliver a pep talk too.

He told the audience that the country was at a crossroads.

'Each generation has picked up the banner of freedom. And it's carried that banner forward, teaching what America means to the next generation and that generation has picked up the mantle,' he said.

'I think we are at a moment of transition. We are at a moment of some chaos.

'And we are a moment that requires leadership beyond probably what we have ever needed since the founding generation of American patriots decided that we would be a free and independent country.'
President Joe Biden was told that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had prostate cancer on Tuesday - the same day the public was informed, sparking more questions about the transparency of the administration and whether the public can trust their government.

'Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning and the President was informed immediately after we were,' White House spokesman John Kirby said at the daily press briefing.

Kirby got defensive as he was repeatedly queried about why the commander-in-chief didn't know the conditions or the where abouts of his top military officer. Austin was diagnosised with cancer a month before his Dec. 22 surgery. He was released the next day and returned to the hosptial via ambulance on Jan. 1 for complications. Biden was told Austin was in the hospital on Jan. 4.

'We all recognize that this didn't unfold the way it should, on so many levels, not just the notification process of the chain of command, but the transparency issue. We all recognize that. And I think we all want to make sure we learn from that,' Kirby said.

'It's certainly not good, which is why we want to learn from this and we want to make sure that it doesn't happen again.'

He also conceded: 'It is not optimal for a situation like this to go as long as it did without the commander-in-chief knowing about it or the national security adviser knowing about it, or frankly other leaders at the Department of Defense. It's not the way this is supposed to happen.'

President Joe Biden was told that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had prostate cancer on Tuesday - the same day the public was informed

Austin was hospitalized to be treated for prostate cancer, the Pentagon revealed on Tuesday after days of criticism for hiding the defense secretary's secret hospitalization. Biden was told by his chief of staff Jeffrey Zients.

'On Dec 22 after consultation with his medical team, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,' the hospital said in a statement about Austin.

His cancer was 'diagnosed early and his prognosis is excellent.' But he also suffered complications on Jan. 1 that required an ambulance to take him to the hospital.

His complications included 'nausea with severe abdominal, leg and hip pain.' The early diagnosis was a urinary tract infection but further examination showed Austin, 70, had a fluid build up in his abdomen that was impairing the function of his small intestines.

The infection was treated by a tube placed through is nose that went down to his stomach. The infection has cleared, the statement said, and Austin 'continues to make progress.' He 'never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia,' the statement said although it also said Austin underwent anesthesia for the Dec. 22 surgery.

The announcement came as more lawmakers began to question why Austin was hospitalized and why it took the Pentagon four days to inform President Joe Biden and five days to inform the public. Senior administration and defense officials were not told for days about his hospitalization or his cancer.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above); he was hospitalized to be treated for prostate cancer , the Pentagon announced

White House spokesman John Kirby got defensive as he was repeatedly queried about why the commander-in-chief didn't know the conditions or the where abouts of his top military officer

About Prostate Cancer Secretary Austin was diagnosed in December when doctors noticed changes in routine blood tests. The tests looked for prostate specific antigens (PSA), which measures the amount of a protein linked to cancer. Austin, 70, was considered high risk for prostate cancer because of his age and the fact he is an African-American, who are more likely to develop the disease. Austin had part of his prostate gland removed via a procedure known as a prostatectomy - effectively cutting out the cancer before it can grow and spread. Doctors have given him an 'excellent' prognosis. Outcomes after prostate cancer surgery can vary - in some men the cancer never returns, while in up to one in four it does. In 2023, the American Cancer Society estimates there were 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer and 34,700 deaths. The cancer develops in the prostate gland - a part of the reproductive system in men. The walnut-sized gland is responsible for secreting fluid that keeps sperm healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 13 in 100 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. Risk factors include smoking, having obesity, sexually transmitted infections, genetics and exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used during the Vietnam War. Early stages of prostate cancer rarely show symptoms, but as the disease progresses, people may develop frequent urination, weak urine flow, pain during urination, loss of bladder and bowel control, painful ejaculation and erectile dysfunction and pain in the low back, hips or chest. Advertisement

Eight in ten men and six in ten black men are diagnosised with prostate cancer every year. The risk grows for men as they age. It is the most common cancer among men in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 5-year relative survival rate for prostate cancer in the United States is 97%.

Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday ordered cabinet secretaries to keep it informed when they may not be able to perform their duties as the fallout from Austin's hospitalization continues.

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, in a memo, directed cabinet officers to examine their policies for delegating authority when a secretary is out of commission and to send those procedures to the White House for review.

He also made clear that White House officials expected to be kept up to date about developments like major medical issues.

'Notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation,' Zients wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The New York Times. 'This notification should occur when agencies anticipate or are preparing for a delegation of authority and again when the delegation occurs.'

The Pengaton said on Tuesday it is correcting its procedures.

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said at his briefing.

'Nothing is more important to the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Defense than the trust and confidence of the American people and the public we serve and will continue to work every day and work hard every day to earn and deserve that trust,' he said.

He noted the Pentagon was conducting an internal review of the matter.

'We want to make sure that notifications are happening in a timely way. And this way, as we've acknowledged, there were some shortfalls and so it's important that we go back and look at what those shortfalls work. What could have been done better and make sure that going forward. We're improving those processes,' he said.

'We're committed to making sure that we don't do this again. And then we do a better job next time.'

Secretary Austin was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients sent a memo to Cabinet officials demanding the White House be told if there are major medical or other issues

'The department is taking immediate steps to correct our notification procedures,' Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said Tuesday

Zients also directed Cabinet officials to ensure power is transferred 'when a cabinet member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable.'

The memo was sent out as President Biden and his team continue to deal with the political headache left to them after Austin failed to inform them of his hospitalization until four days after it occurred.

Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence, the Pentagon has launched a full investigation into the matter and one Republican lawmaker filed articles of impeachment against the defense secretary.

Austin remains at Walter Reed Medical Center but is out of the ICU and has retaken control of his authorities as the head of U.S. armed forces. The White House has said President Biden backs him but lawmakers in both parties are questioning the Pentagon's handling of the situation. The White House also had said they would be conducting a review of the situation.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, four Republican lawmakers who are former military pilots - August Pfluger, Mike Garcia, Scott Franklin and Jake Ellzey - called on Austin to resign, accusing him of a 'dereliction of duty.'

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin could have broken the law by failing to report his absence - he is seen above participating in the Virtual Red Sea Security Summit at NAVCENT headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, on December 19

Timeline on Lloyd Austin's illness Dec. 22: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has procedure at Walter Reed Dec. 23: Austin returns home Dec. 27: President Biden leaves for St. Croix for New Year's vacation Jan. 1: Austin participates in national security phone call Jan. 1: Austin admitted to ICU Jan. 2: Austin top staffers informed of his hospitalization Jan. 2: Biden returns to White House Jan. 2: Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks takes some of Austin's duties Jan. 4: Biden and Hicks told Austin is in hospital Jan. 5: Congress informed Jan. 6: Biden and Austin speak via phone Jan. 9: Pentagon announces Austin was being treated for prostate cancer Advertisement

The Pentagon said Monday night that it's still unclear when Austin will be released from the hospital but vowed to give daily updates until he is out.

Many officials remain uncleared for days about what elective procedure Austin went to the hospital for on December 22nd and what he suffered from in its after affects. It is unclear when President Biden was told.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement on Monday that Austin 'continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good.' Ryder said that Austin is in 'good condition' and that he is 'recovering well and in good spirits.'

As part of the fallout, Kelly Magsamen, Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding Austin's hospitalization, the Pentagon announced late Monday night.

But the matter was not referred to the Defense Department inspector general's office for an independent review. It will be led by Jennifer Walsh, the Pentagon's director of administration and management.

Magsamen had been ill with the flu and was unaware that Austin had been hospitalized. Officials have cited her illness as one of the reasons the White House wasn't informed about the secretary's condition.

Austin's top staffers knew about his hospitalization on Jan. 2, the day after it occurred, however. Biden wasn't told until Jan. 4.

The review will establish a timeline of events beginning Jan. 1 when Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed and examine how decisions were made about informing officials of his condition.

'This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred,' Magsamen wrote. 'And that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public.'

Kelly Magsamen (left), Lloyd Austin's chief of staff, ordered a 30-day investigation into the events surrounding the defense secretary's hospitalization

The White House announced President Biden backs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (seen above with Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the White House on August 30th)

Earlier Monday, Ryder acknowledged that he knew of Austin's hospitalization on Jan. 2 and should have pushed to inform the public sooner.

In an hour-long back-and-forth with reporters, which was held off-camera, Ryder offered no explanation as to why the White House wasn't informed sooner.

Asked if Austin directed any of his staff to withhold information, he answered indirectly, saying: 'That is one of the things we'll be looking at in terms of process improvements.'

Legal experts told Reuters that Austin may have violated a U.S. law on 'reporting of vacancies' that requires the head of executive agencies to 'submit to the Comptroller General of the United States and to each House of Congress' any vacancies and the name of the person filling the vacancy.

The Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery

The Comptroller General would then relay that information to the president and the Office of Personnel Management.

The law is largely procedural and does not spell out any penalties for lapses. Austin would likely face only a reprimand from Biden.

Meanwhile, the Marine Corps announced late Monday that its commandant, Gen. Eric Smith, underwent successful open heart surgery Monday.

The Marine Corps said the surgery repaired a bicuspid aortic valve in Smith's heart, which caused his cardiac arrest on Oct. 28. The Marine Corps, back in October, had announced Smith's heart attack within 24 hours of it occurring.

'He is in good condition and recovering at the hospital with his family,' they said.

The prompt public disclosure and details of the surgery were in stark contrast to how officials handled Austin's surgery.

The Marine Corps handling of General Smith's surgery has resulted in comparisons to the Pentagon's handling of Secretary Austin's surgery

The Pentagon continues to refuse to say what procedure Austin had or describe the complications he suffered.

It's unclear if even the president knows but the White House made it clear that Biden backs Austin.

'There are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been demonstrating,' White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

'Our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and the support that he needs to fully recovered,' he said.

Neither Kirby nor White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would say if Biden knows what medical condition his defense secretary is suffering from. Biden and Austin spoke on Saturday.

'I don't know the level of the president's personal knowledge of his (Austin's) medical situation. That would really be between the two men,' Kirby said.

'That it is not something that we can speak to right. This is his own medical - it is it is a private thing  this is something that the Secretary and the Department of Defense would speak to,' Jean-Pierre said.

Kirby pledged the White House would investigate the matter, looking at the 'process and procedure' regarding the location and health of senior officials after Biden was not told for four days that his defense secretary was in the hospital.

He said the administration would perform a 'hot wash,' which is a military term to describe an intense, quick review.

'As you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here. And try to learn from this experience and if there's some changes that need to be made, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that,' Kirby said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was last seen in public on December 20th (above) on the USS Gerald R Ford

Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Austin

Republicans have seized on the issue and Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale announced Monday night that he is filing articles of impeachment against Austin.

Rosendale says Austin has 'violated his office' multiple times, giving the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and the Chinese spy balloon debacle as examples.

'Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base  home to ICBMs  and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens,' he said in a statement.

'This dishonesty seems to be a repeated pattern for the Secretary as he once again lied to our military and the American people about his health last week.

'Sec. Austin is unfit for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which is why I urge my colleagues to join me in impeaching him to protect the American people,' he added.

Rosendale is mulling a Senate run in Montana, even as GOP leaders have already thrown their weight behind another Republican in the race, Tim Sheehy.

Democrats, too, have expressed concern.

Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat from Rhode Island who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his first public remarks about the situation on Monday. He spoke to Austin on Sunday.

He said he wishes Austin a 'speedy and complete recovery' but has concerns 'that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care.'

While Austin is taking responsibility for the secrecy, 'this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the Department,' said Reed. This lack of disclosure must never happen again.'
Donald Trump took a brief detour from his assertion of absolute immunity and warnings of 'bedlam' Tuesday to blast bombshell revelations about an alleged 'romantic' relationship between Fulton County DA Fani Willis and a private lawyer serving on her team.

The former president pointed to the allegations and said it meant the Georgia prosecutor was 'totally compromised' and that the racketeering case against Trump and 18 codefendants 'has to be dropped.'

He spoke after Willis was accused in a stunning court filing by one of Trump's co-defendants of having an affair with Nathan Wade, who was paid more than $600,000 as a special prosecutor assisting her office.

'She was out of her mind,' Trump fumed about Willis, who was already one of his regular targets during her grand jury probe and since his arrest last summer. 'Now it turns out that that case is totally compromised. In fact, they say she's in far more criminal liability than any of the people she's looking at,' he claimed.

Former President Donald Trump said following arguments at a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. that Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis was 'totally compromised,' following allegations she had a 'romantic' affair with a private lawyer acting as a paid special prosecutor

'So, I think that when you look at what happened with, they pay a lawyer with absolutely no experience $700,000 who happens your lover or boyfriend and then they go on trips and vacations together very expensive vacations together. And the reason they paid him so much because he was after me,' he continued.

He said legal analysts he spoke to told him the case had to be dropped, although it wasn't clear if he meant the case against former Trump campaign official Michael Roman, who raised it in the bombshell filing, or against Trump and other associates accused of conspiring to overturn the election results in the state.

'Very good people were very badly hurt by that case. It's a shame. Very good people. People that did nothing wrong. They did nothing different than what Democrats have been doing for years and years and years, whether it's slates or anything else that you're talking about. But they were very hurt. And it turns out that she profited tremendously in that case, it's illegal. What she did is illegal. So we'll let the state handle that but what a sad situation,' he said.

The bombshell allegations are included in a filing by Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official who is accused of taking part in the 'fake electors' scheme as one of 18 people charged in the state along with Trump.

Trump's comments came as it was revealed through invoices that Roman had two past meetings with the Biden White House counsel's office.

He has made similar attacks against other prosecutors lining up against him in his four criminals trials and civil cases, calling Special Counsel Jack Smith, who was on hand at the appeals court Tuesday, 'deranged' and calling New York AG Letitia James a 'lunatic.'

Trump was also hyping the allegations in a fundraising pitch to his supporters.

'The Atlanta prosecutor behind my MUGSHOT has now been EXPOSED for "impropriety" in the case,' according to the appeal.

The filing doesn't provide documentary proof of the allegations. It states that 'sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship.'

A Donald Trump co-defendant accuses Fulton County DA Fani Willis of engaging in a 'personal relationship' with an outside prosecutor who was hired with county funds

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade leaves the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at the Fulton County Government building on August 23, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is accused by a Trump co-defendant of having a personal relationship with Willis

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) confers with lead prosecutors, Donald Wakeford (left) and Nathan Wade, during a hearing at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Friday, July 1, 2022

The motion states the gravity of the allegations. 'The instant Motion is not filed lightly. Nor is it being filed without considerable forethought, research or investigation,' according to the filing.

'Nonetheless, this Motion must be heard, as the issues raised herein strike at the heart of fairness in our justice system and, if left unaddressed and unchecked, threaten to taint the entire prosecution, invite error, and completely undermine public confidence in the eventual outcome of this proceeding.'

It states that the pair engaged in 'a personal, romantic relationship that has ultimately yielded substantial income to the special prosecutor.'

The filing makes reference to a sealed divorce filing for the married special prosecutor, but then goes on to make the claim based on other information.

It states that 'information obtained outside of court filings indicates that the district attorney and special prosecutor have traveled personally together to such places as Napa Valley, Florida and the Caribbean and the special prosecutor has purchased tickets for both of them to travel on both the Norwegian and Royal Carbibean cruise lines. Traveling together to such places as Washington, D.C. or New York City might make sense for work purposes in light of other pending litigation, but what work purpose could only be served by travel to this traditional vacation destinations?'

A lawyer representing Michael Roman made the bombshell allegations in a filing and asked that charges be dismissed

DailyMail.com has reached out to Willis' office and Wade for comment.

A Willis spokesman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the DAs office would respond 'through appropriate court filings.'

'The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,' according to the filing.

It says the DA and Wade 'have been seen in private together in and about the Atlanta area' and are 'believed to have co-habitated in some form or fashion.'

It further states that there is 'no evidence' Willis was 'authorized' by the county to use funds to retain Wade for the case.

Roman was charged this summer with alleged crimes including taking part in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to file false documents, all in connection with a scheme to submit fake Republican electors who would cast votes for Trump in place of electors to reflect Joe Biden's certified victory in the state.
Israel's ambassador to the UN yesterday begged its general assembly not to forget the young women held hostage by Hamas by holding aloft the Daily Mail's coverage.

Gilad Erdan showed this newspaper's haunting images of four bloodied and bruised teenagers, taken hours after they were kidnapped, to the delegates in New York.

It came as Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron admitted he was 'worried' that Israel may have acted in breach of international law in its assault on Gaza.

In moving scenes, Mr Erdan told the UN: 'This picture, I hope you have seen it.' He explained to members that the photos of the 18 and 19-year-olds had been published in Monday's Mail.

He said: 'Look at these girls, look at them. These are the before and after pictures of Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa and Agam Berger.

Israel's Ambassador Gilad Erdan showed this newspaper's haunting images of four bloodied and bruised teenagers, taken hours after they were kidnapped, to the delegates in New York

It came as Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron admitted he was 'worried' that Israel may have acted in breach of international law in its assault on Gaza

'See how the hope in their eyes has been drained to horror and how their smiling faces have been beaten and abused. Look at their faces  why are you silent? What have you here done to bring them home? Nothing.' The article has gone viral in Israel and reinvigorated calls to bring hostages home as they approach 100 days of captivity.

The parents this week made the difficult decision to ask the Mail to share the heart-wrenching images for the first time as they desperately fight for their children's release.

Karina's sister Sasha said last night: 'Although it's emotionally hard for us, the family, to see the photo of Karina with those helpless, begging eyes and a bloodied face, we had to spread it out.

'The world must see this horrified look in my little sister's eyes. The world must act immediately to get my sister out of there.'

Liri's mother Shira, 51, added: 'It's very important that all the world will know what we have been through on October 7, and can begin to imagine what we are going through now.

'We hope the UN understands the urgency and humanity in helping to bring all the women back immediately.

A tank manoeuvres in central Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group

Intense Israeli army activity in Gaza seen from Kibbutz Be'eri as Israeli attacks continue in Be'eri, Israel on January 04, 2024

'There is no more time to wait.' The families are particularly upset that the UN and women's rights organisations have done little to condemn the violence inflicted on their families and thousands of other Israelis.

In London, during a lengthy committee hearing with MPs yesterday  his first since returning to government  Lord Cameron said he 'of course' had concerns about Israel's role in the crisis but that it was not his job to make a 'legal adjudication'.

He told the foreign affairs committee: 'If you're asking me am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law because this particular premises has been bombed or whatever?

'Yes, of course I'm worried about that, and that's why I consult the Foreign Office lawyers when giving this advice on arms exports.' He urged Israel to restore water supplies to Gaza, but declined to be drawn on whether depriving the civilian population of it amounted to breaking laws on armed conflict. He told the committee two British nationals were still being held hostage by Hamas as heavy bombardment and fighting continues to shake the region.

Asked if it was known whether the two were alive, he said: 'I just don't want to say any more. We don't have any information to share with you.'

Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn has revealed he will join a South African government delegation at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for the country's genocide case against Israel later this week.

Smoke billowing over the Palestinian territory during Israeli bombardment on January 4, 2024

A Palestinian boy sits on the rubble of a destroyed building after an Israeli strike in Rafah

Mourners react next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Abu Yousef Al Najjar hospital, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, January 5

The former Labour leader will be among 'senior political figures from progressive political parties and movements across the globe' joining the delegation, Pretoria said.

The case is linked to South Africa's ruling ANC party's longstanding support of Palestine. It came as the BBC apologised for airing an uncorroborated Hamas claim that the Israeli army had carried out 'summary executions' in Gaza.

The corporation admitted that there had not been 'sufficient effort to seek corroborating evidence' to justify reporting the accusation on radio news bulletins on Christmas Eve.

It said that while it had attributed the accusations to Hamas and included a response from the Israeli military, it should have done more to verify claims.

The BBC has previously admitted to errors in its coverage of the conflict, saying it had been 'wrong' for a reporter to have speculated on who had caused a blast at a hospital in Gaza in October.

In November, the corporation apologised after a presenter mistakenly said the Israeli army was targeting medical staff and Arab speakers at Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital during a military operation.

This followed huge controversy over the corporation's refusal to call Hamas fighters terrorists.
Hong Kong: CS visits Guangzhou, Huizhou

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today toured an autonomous vehicle startup and a university in Guangzhou, then headed to Huizhou to meet its mayor and representatives of Hong Kong enterprises during his visit to Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Mr Chan visited the autonomous vehicle startup Pony.ai this morning where he took its Robotaxi in Nansha, Guangzhou. He was pleased to learn that the company has been conducting road testing in various Mainland cities and moving ahead with commercial operations of autonomous driving.

A new statutory regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles will be implemented within this year in Hong Kong to facilitate the industry's testing and application of autonomous vehicle technology with flexibility in the city on the premise of ensuring road safety, he added.

The Chief Secretary welcomed autonomous vehicle companies on the Mainland to share their experiences and forge co-operation with Hong Kong on autonomous driving technology to drive the city's smart mobility development.

His next stop was the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) in Nansha to learn about its progress in fostering teaching and research, transformation of scientific and technological achievements as well as student exchanges.

Opened in September 2022, HKUST(GZ) is the first Mainland-Hong Kong higher education institution co-operation project approved by the Ministry of Education since the promulgation of the Outline Development Plan for the GBA.

Mr Chan was pleased to learn that the university admitted its first batch of undergraduate students last year, with nearly 1,000 newcomers at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels.

He hoped the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and HKUST(GZ) would continue to implement the "Unified HKUST, Complementary Campuses" framework, under which the two campuses complement and collaborate with each other to support the development of the bay area into a high-calibre talent hub.

The Chief Secretary ended his visit to Guangzhou by noon and headed to Huizhou.

He first attended a lunch gathering with representatives of various Hong Kong enterprises to exchange views on their latest developments in the municipality and the bay area at large.

Mr Chan also toured one of the Hong Kong enterprises, Glorious Sun Group, to find out more about its successful transformation on the Mainland from being an investor in the manufacturing sector to becoming a modern service provider, which has actively adopted business digitalisation in recent years.

He was encouraged to hear that Hong Kong enterprises have settled in many industries of Huizhou and reached a cumulative total of over 10,000, with many of them having successfully upgraded and restructured their operations.

Mr Chan also affirmed that Hong Kong enterprises in Huizhou have served the country's needs with their own strengths and integrated into the country's overall development.

The Chief Secretary then met Huizhou mayor Wen Jinrong and expressed hope that Hong Kong and Huizhou would continue to live up to the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits to foster exchanges and co-operation as well as strive for more policy innovations and breakthroughs in areas including business, trade and culture, with a view to making new contributions to the bay area's high-quality development.

This story has been published on: 2024-01-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Soldiers march toward training field

China Military Online) 09:58, January 09, 2024

Soldiers assigned to a transport brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force march toward the training field on January 2 for their first training exercise in 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhao Jiaqing)

Soldiers assigned to a transport brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force refuel transport vehicles on January 2 during their first training exercise in 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yongzheng)

Soldiers assigned to a transport brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force refuel transport vehicles on January 2 during their first training exercise in 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yongzheng)

Soldiers assigned to a transport brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force refuel transport vehicles on January 2 during their first training exercise in 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Xu Yongzheng)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
QUESTION Was there a sprite called a Cornish Knocker? What creatures from folklore have we forgotten?

Cornish Knockers were small, impish creatures that inhabited Cornish tin mines. Miners would often hear knocking sounds underground, which they attributed to these sprites. Knockers were mercurial creatures who could either lead miners to rich veins of ore or, conversely, cause mischief by leading them into dangerous areas of the mine.

Miners believed leaving small offerings of food known as 'knockers' bobs' could bring good luck and protection. Some claimed to have seen these creatures, describing them as small, elf-like beings.

During the California gold rush, Cornish miners were in high demand owing to their excellent mining skills. As a result, these legendary creatures spread to the United States, where they were often called Tommyknockers.

Ali Shepherd, Plymouth, Devon.

The Kelpies statue by Andy Scot, Helix park, Falkirk, Scotland (stock image)

Folklore and fairy tales are in danger of dying out, perhaps because parents aren't passing them on to their kids. TV fantasy and Disney have largely superseded traditional storytelling, although some modern fantasy, such as The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones, is rooted in, or borrows from, traditional tales.

The Boggarts were household spirits or hobgoblins once widespread in the North of England. They played tricks on people, moved objects and generally made a nuisance of themselves. Protective measures against them included hanging iron or steel objects to ward off their magic.

A similar creature from Scotland was the Dunnie, also known as the Brownie or Urisk, believed to help with household chores if treated well, but turning mischievous or even malicious if offended.

The Kelpie was a mythical creature in Celtic folklore, a shape-shifting water spirit that could take the form of a horse. It was known for its ability to lure children into dangerous lakes or rivers. The kelpie appears as a beautiful and enticing horse, but once a child mounts it, they become stuck to its back and are dragged into the water to their doom.

The Kelpie was a cautionary figure, warning children and others to be cautious around bodies of water. Particularly associated with Lancashire and Cheshire, Jenny Greenteeth  a malevolent water spirit or hag that dwelled in ponds, rivers, and other bodies of water  played a similar role She was known for her greenish skin and sharp teeth, which she used to pull unsuspecting victims into the water.

The Nuckelavee of Orkney was a gruesome figure used to frighten children into good behaviour. It was typically depicted as a horse with a rider, but the rider is fused or attached to the horse in a grotesque manner.

It has been described as having a single, cyclops-like eye, large mouth and long, flailing arms. Its skin was said to be toxic, and it was believed to bring disease and disaster.

James Murray, Inverness.

TV fantasy and Disney have largely superseded traditional storytelling, although some modern fantasy, such as The Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones , is rooted in, or borrows from, traditional tales. Pictured is the character of Ned Stark in GOT Season One

QUESTION What were the former OED words of the year?

Oxford University Press introduced their word of the year in 2004, with Chav (a pejorative name for anti-social British youth) as their selection. Since then they have released their zeitgeist-y selections on an annual basis.

In 2005 the word was Sudoku, and in 2006 it was Bovvered, a catchphrase from The Catherine Tate Show, that has mostly been forgotten. In 2007 it was Carbon Footprint, 2008 Credit Crunch and 2009 was (rather depressingly) Simples, a catchphrase from a car insurance advert featuring a meerkat.

For 2010 it was David Cameron's flagship policy Big Society, and 2011 was Ed Miliband's riposte, Squeezed Middle. This ultimately ended up in 2012's Omnishambles, a term coined for the TV series The Thick Of It but used by Ed Miliband to describe the Coalition's 2012 budget.

Selfie was chosen in 2013, the sad and all-pervasive habit of taking pictures of yourself. For 2014 it was Vape and 2015 wasn't a word but a laughing emoji. In 2016 we had Post-Truth, denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion, a charge mostly foisted on Brexit and Trump supporters.

Bizarely, in 2017 it was Youthquake, a term that has never been used in normal conversation, then 2018 was the year of #MeToo, so the OED went with Toxic Masculinity. In 2019 they felt they should ramp things up a bit, with the nerve-jangling Climate Emergency. The editors were evidently so traumatised by this they couldn't think of one in 2020. After Covid, the 2021 choice was Vax for obvious reasons. They limped into 2022 with Goblin Mode  apologetically self-indulgent behaviour  and 2023's Rizz is a contraction of charisma, two more terms no one ever uses.

Germaine Matthews, Cambridge.

In 2007 it was Carbon Footprint, 2008 Credit Crunch and 2009 was (rather depressingly) Simples, a catchphrase from a car insurance advert featuring a meerkat

QUESTION Is the Alaska salmon found in the shops the same species as Scottish salmon?

Further to the earlier answer, your correspondent correctly identified the Atlantic salmon and Sockeye salmon as being two very distinct species. She also mentioned that the Atlantic salmon was 'the familiar, large, pale-orange farmed salmon, which is oily with thick flaky flesh and mildly flavoured'.

It is essential to point out that wild Atlantic salmon and farmed salmon are very different. Wild Atlantic salmon migrate to the ocean where they spend most of their adult life, then return to freshwater to reproduce. They have a few parasitic sea lice attached. Farmed salmon just swim round in circles and will ordinarily have hundreds of lice  many fish have their eyes eaten away!

According to the Fish Health Inspectorate, at least 25 per cent of the caged salmon die before they are harvested to be eaten by the unsuspecting consumer.

Another major difference is that, without artificial dyes, the flesh of the farm-raised salmon would not have that familiar pink colour to it  it would be grey. The naturally occurring colour of the flesh of wild salmon comes from carotenoids harvested from krill, such as astaxanthin.

Bob Windsor, Newmarket, Suffolk.

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
Sir Ed Davey was last night facing questions over his work for a law firm that defended the Post Office against legal action over the Horizon scandal.

The Liberal Democrat leader has come under fire over what he knew about the IT system that led to the largest miscarriage of justice in UK history.

The former postal affairs minister in the Coalition government was warned by campaigning sub-postmaster Alan Bates in 2010 that there were 'flaws' in the system.

He came under fresh pressure yesterday to give up his knighthood after former Post Office boss Paula Vennells returned her CBE following mounting calls.

There were also questions about the former Cabinet minister's work for City firm Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) from 2015, two years before 500 postmasters launched group litigation against their employer. In 2019, the company became the Post Office's adviser in its defence against the legal action and continued to work for them until last year.

ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office depicting workers celebrating outside the Royal Courts of Justice after their convictions were overturned by the Court of Appeal

Liberal Democrat party leader Ed Davey was postal affairs minister in the Coalition government

Sir Ed worked for the firm until 2022 as it helped to advise on a series of claims brought by postmasters who said they were wrongly convicted.

He was hired as a 'consultant on political issues and policy analysis' for which he was paid a monthly retainer of 5,000 for six hours' work.

His work continued until January 2022, with his earnings over this time coming to 275,000.

A spokesman for the former energy secretary said he was 'exclusively contracted to HSF to advise on renewable energy and the UN climate change talks'.

They added that he took on the advisory work on climate change issues to fund the care for his disabled son and no longer does any consultancy work.

The Lib Dems said that when Sir Ed took up his consultancy with HSF in 2017 he did not know that they had been carrying out procurement work for the Post Office.

The spokesman added: 'Ed had no knowledge that HSF held this account and never had any conversations about the Post Office or Horizon scandal at any occasion with HSF.' With Ms Vennells handing back her honour following damning headlines, Sir Ed has also come under pressure to return his knighthood.

Yet he continues to refuse to return his honour or apologise, saying that he had been 'misled and lied to' by the Post Office. His own MPs have started to question his leadership as a result of the scandal, with sources saying 'knives are beginning to be sharpened'.

He has also faced calls to resign from one of the sub-postmasters who was wrongly convicted, and several Tory MPs, but has rebuffed them  despite making 34 demands for resignations himself.

Last night, Conservative MP Bob Seely told GB News: 'He spends his life calling for the resignation of other people.

'He was shown to be a deeply secondary and deeply inadequate minister so he should now do the decent thing.

'Give credit to Paula Vennells, she's giving up her title. I think Ed Davey should do much the same.'

Last night it emerged that Mr Davey had been allocated a slot at Prime Minister's Questions today, but has pulled out for 'personal reasons'.

A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'Paula Vennells was at the heart of a conspiracy of lies against the public, victims and ministers from all parties  it's right she is handing back her CBE.

'As Alan Bates said yesterday, Ed was one of the many ministers who was misled and lied to by the Post Office. Ed wishes he knew then what he does now and his focus now is on getting justice and compensation for the victims.'
The star of ITV's new drama about the Horizon scandal has said the public's reaction has 'been quite unlike anything else' which 'speaks volumes of the injustice'.

Actor Toby Jones, who plays subpostmaster Alan Bates in the four-part series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, said that historically 'drama has been at the centre of political change'.

Mr Jones, 57, told Radio 4's PM: 'It's been quite unlike anything else.

'I was out of the country until about three days ago and a couple of the actors on the show rang me to warn me that when I came back things wouldn't be quite the same. And it has proved to be the case.

'This drama has reached people in a way that drama rarely does, but that speak volumes of the suject matter and the injustice that is portrayed.

'What's going on at the moment is hugely heartening at the beginning of the year when drama is downgraded as a subject of importance yet it's historically always been a place where people, even if they don't believe it, can deliver change.'

Actor Toby Jones (second back right) as Alan in ITV's Mr Bates vs The Post Office, with Lia Williams (centre front) as Paula Vennells and Ian Hart as investigator Bob Rutherford

Paula Vennells (left) giving evidence to MPs in 2015, with the real subpostmaster Alan Bates (right)

He added: 'It cannot be ignored in most of the political upheavals in history that drama has been at the centre of political change.

'People have used it to humanise, dramatise and bring forth change.'

His co-star Julie Hesmondhalgh, 53, who plays Mr Bates's wife Suzanne Sercommbe, said the drama had put 'real people into people's living rooms'.

'We're all thrilled beyond anything that we can properly express because I think what drama can do is cut through the facts and figures and the data,' she told BBC Breakfast.

'And that's what drama can do. And I've seen it happen so many times, from my years in continuing drama, and I think that it can really cut past all that.

'There's been really amazing people trying to keep that going for years, but it's never quite grabbed the public imagination in the way that it has.

'So now we've got to grab this momentum and keep rolling with it because, you know, it's big news this week. But we've got to make sure that it stays in people's hearts and minds in the weeks that follow.'

Actor Toby Jones (centre), who plays subpostmaster Alan Bates in the four-part series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, said that historically 'drama has been at the centre of political change'

Former sub-postmaster Mr Castleton, who is played by Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps star Will Mellor, 47, in the drama, said there is still a way to go.

He said: 'All of us fought so long, and tried to be heard and tried and tried and tried just to allow everything to come out and allow people to finally listen to where you've been and what's happened and and why that happened. And even now we're not really at the full truth.

'It has been probably 20 years that I would never like to repeat, and I would never wish on anyone else.

'But on the other side of that, let's hope however long we all have left in our lives that we can put this behind us and move on.'

The Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake told MPs on Monday the Government was urgently pursuing options to fast track a process which has so far seen just 93 of more than 700 postmasters able to clear their names.

He praised the drama for bringing the scandal to a 'much broader audience' and for highlighting the 'brutal approach' taken by the Post Office.
Shamed Paula Vennells was last night facing calls to return 3million in bonuses and pension.

The former Post Office chief yesterday bowed to huge public pressure and finally gave up the CBE she was awarded in 2019.

But campaigners said her decision to hand the honour back with immediate effect was a token gesture and it was time she faced 'real justice'.

The move has also piled further pressure on Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who was Post Office minister at the time, to return his knighthood.

Ms Vennells, 65, pocketed as much as 5million for being in charge during the Horizon IT scandal in which hundreds of postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted, bankrupted and jailed.

And she is now facing calls to return 2.93million in performance-related perks and payments in lieu of pension.

Paula Vennells, 65, pocketed as much as 5million for being in charge during the Horizon IT scandal in which hundreds of postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted, bankrupted and jailed

Vennells (pictured in 2022) was last night facing calls to return 3million in bonuses and pension

The former Post Office chief yesterday bowed to huge public pressure and finally gave up the CBE she was awarded in 2019 (File Image)

The campaigners point out that the bonuses were linked to financial figures inflated by postmasters having to pay back 'missing' cash from their own savings.

Will Harrison, whose postmistress mother Sam died last year without proper redress for the losses inflicted on her, said: 'Giving back her CBE is trivial when people's lives were destroyed.

'She absolutely must hand back her bonus money, because she should never have had it in the first place.

'She was paid this fortune from a fraudulent pot of money that came indirectly from the pockets of the sub postmasters  many of whom were left destitute.'

Mrs Harrison from Nawton, North Yorkshire, was one of the 555 claimants who featured in the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

The faulty Horizon system wrongly reported a 3,000 shortfall at her tiny one-counter Post Office in Nawton and like many others she was forced to pay back the money from her own savings.

A new law to clear the remaining hundreds of wrongfully convicted postmasters in one mass exoneration could come as soon as today

Vennells (pictured in 2022) is now facing calls to return 2.93million in performance-related perks and payments in lieu of pension

The calls came as:

A new law to clear the remaining hundreds of wrongfully convicted postmasters in one mass exoneration could come as soon as today;

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey faced new questions over the scandal, this time linked to his work for a law firm that defended the Post Office;

Campaigners said they would use Japan's 'culture of shame' to hold IT giant Fujitsu, the firm behind the Horizon system, to account;

Toby Jones, star of ITV's Mr Bates, said the public and political reaction 'speaks volumes of the injustice'.

Campaigner and former sub-postmaster Chris Trousdale said: 'Paula Vennells should be stripped of her wealth, pension and reputation, just like the sub-postmasters were. The execs' bonuses, their pensions and their pay were based on figures inflated by victims' money. It's disgusting that our money ended up directly in the pockets of bigwigs like Paula Vennells who are now living lives of luxury.'

The Prime Minister's spokesman said Downing Street 'wouldn't want to see anyone financially benefiting out of this scandal'. Rishi Sunak had supported calls for a review of the CBE and his spokesman said handing it back was 'the right decision'.

Toby Jones, star of ITV's Mr Bates which dramatised the post master's scandal, said the public and political reaction 'speaks volumes of the injustice'

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey faced new questions over the scandal, this time linked to his work for a law firm that defended the Post Office

Ms Vennells, who lives in a 2million Grade II listed farmhouse in Bedfordshire, is accused of backing aggressive prosecutions of innocent sub-postmasters while chief executive between 2012 and 2019

Andy Furey of the Communication Workers Union, which represents employees of the Royal Mail, said of the CBE decision: 'This news, while welcome, was inevitable and is really just a token gesture compared to what real justice would look like.

'Her time at the Post Office has forever tarnished this once-great national institution. But for her it involved receiving millions of pounds in pay and performance-related bonuses. Since she received these bonuses while overseeing the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history, it would only be right to return this money.'

Conservative MP Paul Bristow said: 'While Paula trousered 3million in bonuses, sub-postmasters were being hounded, losing their homes and being forced to pay for overspends that didn't even exist. I hope we can recoup some of that money from Fujitsu, but looking at Paula Vennells' bonuses might be a good start.'

Ms Vennells, who lives in a 2million Grade II listed farmhouse in Bedfordshire, is accused of backing aggressive prosecutions of innocent sub-postmasters while chief executive between 2012 and 2019.

In a statement she said she was now focused on the public inquiry into the scandal but added: 'I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

'I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted.'

Ms Vennells will not automatically lose her gong because an honour can be removed only by the monarch. But an individual can renounce an award and take the practical steps required of those who have to forfeit.
Pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein refused to answer questions over whether he attempted to blackmail the Duke of York after his alleged sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre, court documents have revealed.

Epstein declined to answer almost all of the questions, also known as pleading the Fifth - which protect people from self-incrimination - during his interview under oath as part of Giuffre's civil claim against disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.

He was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell instructed Giuffre to have sex with Andrew in 2001 and if the information gathered as part of the legal action 'has the potential to affect the reputation' of the duke.

'Isn't it true, sir, that Prince Andrew thanked you for making Virginia available to him for sexual purposes?' a lawyer asked him.

Epstein declined to answer the question.

Epstein declined to answer all questions relating to Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew pictured walking with Jeffrey Epstein in New York's Central Park in 2011

Andrew stepped down from public life after the furor over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.

He was cast out of the working British monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.

The duke strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

The transcript of Epstein's deposition was released as part of the final tranche of documents to be published as part of Giuffre's 2015 civil claim against Maxwell.

In total, 215 documents have been 'unsealed' over the course of five days after the media argued it was in the public interest to remove redactions that hid the names of individuals.

Giuffre's 2016 deposition was also released and featured her previously reported claims that Epstein paid her $15,000 to have sex with Andrew, and allegations she was trafficked to another 'foreign' prince, as well as a well-known prime minister who she refused to name over concerns for her safety.

'I did receive $15,000. I do not know the equivalent to what that is in pounds,' said Giuffre, before she was quizzed by a lawyer on whether she paid tax on the amount, with Giuffre replying 'no.'

During Epstein's deposition, Giuffre's counsel Paul Cassell asked: 'In fact, it would be a fair assessment of all the circumstances surrounding this situation to say that you forced Virginia to have sex with Prince Andrew?'

After Epstein declined to answer, the lawyer continued: 'What would have happened to Virginia if she had refused to have sex with Prince Andrew?'

Following another refusal to answer the question, Cassell then asked Epstein: 'Shortly after Prince Andrew and Virginia had sex, Virginia gave you a full report about the details of the sex, true?'

Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre claims she had sex with another foreign royal in the South of France when she was 17, but she did not know his name. She is shown with Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001

In 2022, Prince Andrew settled a suit out of court with Giuffre for an estimated 12million

Epstein was quizzed over whether he and Maxwell forced Giuffre to have sex with Andrew

Cassell also said: 'Isn't it true, sir, that Prince Andrew thanked you for making Virginia available to him for sexual purposes?'

Epstein declined to answer both questions.

Questioning Epstein on the alleged blackmail plot, Cassell said: 'You had previously instructed Virginia that she had to give you a full report on the details of what men like Prince Andrew did to her so that you would have blackmail material you could use, true?'

Epstein was also quizzed on what he knew about Andrew's 'sexual preferences,' and on whether Giuffre had 'recounted specific behavior that Prince Andrew requested before sexual intercourse.'

The disgraced financier again declined to answer the questions.

Later in his interview, Epstein was also asked: 'To your knowledge, Prince Andrew had sex with Virginia several times, right?'

Before finishing his questioning, Cassell said: 'This litigation has the potential to affect the reputation of Prince Andrew, right?'

The Duke of York attending the King's coronation

Epstein refused to answer the questions.

Giuffre, in her deposition, described how she was trafficked to the south of France by Epstein and Maxwell to a world leader who was a 'prince'.

She said she did not know his name, but added: 'He did speak foreign tongue, he spoke English as well, but I'm not too sure where he was fromI was introduced to him as a prince.'

Giuffre also claimed former US president Bill Clinton visited Epstein's private Caribbean island twice.

She said they had dinner together, but 'Bill Clinton, he was never sexually involved with me. I've never witnessed him sexually involved with anybody else.'

Giuffre was asked during the deposition: 'Is Bill Clinton a witness to the sexual abuse of minors?'

She replied: 'Yes, he would be a witness because he knew what my purpose there was for Jeffrey and he visited Jeffrey's islandThere's pictures of nude girls all around the house at all of his houses and it's something that Jeffrey Epstein wasn't shy about admitting to people.'

Clinton has denied ever visiting the island.

Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were pictured together. She was sentenced in June 2022 to 20 years in prison for her role in the sex trafficking ring

Giuffre also recounted how she burned a 'booklet' she wrote detailing her alleged encounters with Andrew to get rid of 'painful' memories.

The diary was written at the request of journalist Sharon Churcher, and Giuffre said she gave the writer some of the original pages relating to the duke.

But she said she decided not to burn photographs at her then-Florida home in 2013 because 'they're evidence.'

'I wanted to get rid of it. It was very painful stuff,' she said.

She added: 'I was burning like memories, thoughts, dreams that I had, just everything that was kind of affiliated with the abuse I endured, and there was a lot of it in there.

'My husband is pretty spiritual so he said the best thing to do would be burn them.'

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defense counsel to have her released on bail.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.

The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had 'faded, distorted and motivated memories'.

Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.
Tax cuts are vital for growth, Jeremy Hunt said today  as he hinted at plans to cut business rates.

In a series of interviews, the Chancellor vowed to 'bring the tax burden down', and suggested there would be help for families and business in the March Budget.

Mr Hunt said the UK's overall tax burden 'has got too high' in the wake of the pandemic, and said he was determined to bring it down.

Speaking to the The Rest is Money podcast, the Chancellor said he was convinced that low tax economies would outperform their high tax rivals in the long run  and said he was determined to make the UK more competitive.

'If you look at the last decade, the OECD countries  the most advanced economies that have grown the fastest have been the ones with the lower taxes, not the higher taxes,' he said.

Tax cuts are vital for growth, Jeremy Hunt said  as he hinted at plans to cut business rates

Pictured is famous Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis. Hunt told ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live that taxes will not return to pre-pandemic levels in 'one go'

'If you look at just the G7, for example, America and Canada are the two fastest since 2010 and they have the lowest and third lowest taxes respectively.

'That's why, as a Conservative, I believe lower taxed economies are more dynamic, more entrepreneurial, more energetic that's how we get more competitive.'

READ MORE - Jeremy Hunt signals plan to cut or ABOLISH 'pernicious' inheritance tax in upcoming budget Advertisement

Describing his own early career, in which he set up a number of businesses, Mr Hunt hinted that he wanted to cut taxes that make life tough for entrepreneurs, including business rates.

In a separate interview with financial expert Martin Lewis, the Chancellor said the recent 2p cut in National Insurance was just the beginning of efforts to bring down a tax burden that has risen to a record high.

He said the tax rises had been inevitable to pay for massive spending during the pandemic and the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine.

Mr Hunt added the 20 billion in tax cuts at the Autumn Statement in November represented a 'very big change in direction'.

He told ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live that taxes will not return to pre-pandemic levels in 'one go'.

He signalled that he would like to cut taxes further, but only when it is 'affordable and responsible'.

'Now we can't get all the way back to where we were pre-pandemic in one go, but we can make a start,' he said.

'And this is about 1,000, just under 1,000 for a typical two earner family. But we would like to go further as and when it's affordable and responsible to do so.'
Ministers are seeking a deal to allow small boat migrants from Turkey to be sent straight back to their home country after an alarming surge in numbers, the Mail can reveal.

The agreement sought by Home Office ministers with Ankara will be modelled on the one reached with Albania which contributed to a 90 per cent fall in small boat migrants from that country last year.

The number of Turkish nationals who reached Britain in this way soared by 162 per cent last year. New figures show Turks were the third largest nationality among Channel migrants during 2022, with 3,060 making the crossing.

They were second only to Afghans (5,579) and Iranians (3,581). In some summer monthly totals, Turks were the second largest nationality reaching the UK by small boat from northern France.

Home Secretary James Cleverly will lead negotiations in a video meeting with Turkish counterparts.

Home Secretary James Cleverly will lead negotiations in a video meeting with Turkish counterparts

Minister for countering illegal immigration Michael Tomlinson is expected to play a leading role in detailed talks.

Ankara is likely to expect visa concessions for legal migrants in return, it is thought.

A Home Office source said: 'We maintain successful close co-operation with Turkey in lots of areas. But, as with understandings with a number of countries, including Turkey, we are always keen to augment and develop those understandings to our mutual benefit.'

The rapid rise in the number of Turkish nationals crossing by small boat has prompted concerns among UK officials and ministers.

They fear that Turkey's economic profile and location on the fringe of the European Union  combined with people-traffickers drumming up business  could mirror the circumstances which led to 2022's surge in Albanian migrants.

The number of Turkish nationals who reached Britain in this way soared by 162 per cent last year. New figures show Turks were the third largest nationality among Channel migrants during 2022, with 3,060 making the crossing (File Photo)

Fifty Albanian migrants arrived by small boat in 2020, followed by 800 in 2021 and more than 12,600 in 2022.

But after a returns agreement was signed with Albania in December 2022 the number fell to fewer than 1,900 last year.

At the weekend Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted the Albania returns deal as evidence of his Government's progress on tackling small boats and as proof that deterrence schemes  such as the Rwanda plan  help cut the number of Channel crossings.

The Rwanda proposals remain in limbo after being declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. Mr Sunak believes new legislation  expected to return to the Commons next week  will remedy judges' concerns.
A schoolgirl who died alongside her father after a catastrophic five-car pile-up has been identified as a 'shy' and 'sweet' girl.

Lydia Drozd, 11, died in hospital on Saturday, more than a week after her dad, David, and another father, Jason McMahon, were killed in a disastrous holiday crash near Lithgow in the NSW Central Tablelands on December 29.

An eastbound Isuzu D-max towing a motorcycle trailer collided with a westbound Toyota Hilux before the Toyota struck a Hyundai Tuscan, causing it to leave the roadway and trapping its occupants.

The Drozd family - who were travelling from their home in the Blue Mountains to their eldest daughter's home in Dubbo - were in a Kia Carnival that was struck head-on by the Isuzu.

The fatal crash sparked a massive emergency response with 15 people injured. Lidia and four of her sisters were rushed to hospital. Police confirmed she died at Westmead Children's Hospital at the weekend.

David and Lydia Drozd (both pictured) were victims of a multi-car pile-up outside of Lithgow on December 29

A number of people were treated at the scene, while others were taken to nearby hospitals

A black pram (pictured in the pile of debris, left) was spotted amongst the carnage from the five-car crash outside Lithgow on Friday

Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia the devout Christian family, who are parishioners of Central Mountains Baptist Church in the lower Blue Mountains, were polite and mostly kept to themselves.

'You never saw the children, they were very religious and were homeschooled,' a neighbour said.

'In the five or so years of living across the road, we only exchanged a handful of pleasantries.'

Another former neighbour added: 'Lydia was very shy and sweet, the kids mostly associated with each other.'

Mr Drozd has been remembered as a well-respected traffic engineer who seven years ago wrote a report for Blue Mountains Council about hazards on the same road where he lost his life.

He gave a haunting sermon before he died about the 'shadow of death' and 'meeting the Lord face to face'.

Mr Drozd (pictured) has been remembered as a well-respected traffic engineer who seven years ago wrote a report for Blue Mountains Council about hazards on the same road where he lost his life

Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia the devout Christian family, who are parishioners of Central Mountains Baptist church in the lower Blue Mountains, were polite and mostly kept to themselves (pictured, David Drozd with his wife, Nicole)

The father-of-nine was a lay preacher who was due to become a grandfather for the first time in the new year.

His son-in-law Jacob Grey, who is married to Mr Drozd's daughter Miriam, posted on Facebook at the time that the family were now all at Westmead Hospital together, asking: 'Please continue to pray for our siblings who are still in critical conditions.'

A GoFundMe, launched to raise money on behalf of Miriam Gray 'to assist (David's) family in this very difficult time', has so far raised more than $70,000.

Mr Drozd previously worked for Penrith Council before starting his own traffic consulting company in 2012, and was described by one mourner as 'an absolute gentleman and passionate road safety campaigner'.

He also ran the council's Bible study class.
Scientists are increasingly linking extreme weather events with the warming of the planet, which is being largely caused by carbon emissions from fossil fuels. For example, warmer air can hold more moisture - meaning more intense rainfall and flooding. Pictured, a man pulls a bag of goods salvaged from a building as he wades through floodwaters on August 5, 2023 in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province south of Beijing, China

A man cools off at a temporary misting station deployed by the city in the Downtown Eastside due to a heat wave, in Vancouver, British Columbia, August 16, 2023

Brits may find the new record hard to believe as the country was hit by cold air and rain through much of the summer, despite heatwaves around mainland Europe. However, CS3 gives an average for the year for the entire world - so chillier-than-usual conditions in a single country does not tell the whole story. Pictured, holidaymakers on the beach in Weymouth, Dorset on July 31, 2023

READ MORE: Last summer was the hottest on RECORD This graph ranks Earth's hottest summers on record - with 2023 on the far right Advertisement

In fact, nearly half of the 365 days in 2023 were more than 2.7F (1.5C) warmer then the 1850-1900 level, while two days in November were, for the first time, more than 3.6F (2C) warmer.

This is a worry because a global aim is to keep the average global temperature within 3.6F (2C) and if possible 2.7F (1.5C) as part of the Paris Agreement, a binding climate treaty signed in 2016.

Fortunately, the news doesn't mean we've surpassed the limits set by the Paris Agreement (as they refer to periods of at least 20 years where this average temperature anomaly is exceeded) but the new record for 2023 'sets a dire precedent'.

'The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilisation developed,' said Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S.

'This has profound consequences for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavours.'

2023 set the record for warmest ever year largely due to 'unprecedented' global temperatures from June onwards, fueled mainly by greenhouse gases.

A Canadair firefighting plane sprays water during a fire in Dervenochoria, north-west of Athens, on July 19, 2023

A woman cools herself with a fan as temperatures due to sweltering conditions in Rome, July 18, 2023

In 2023, two days in November (17 and 18) were, for the first time, more than 3.6F (2C) warmer than the 'pre-industrial' average

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane (the two most important greenhouse gases) continued to increase and reached record levels in 2023

Why are temperatures compared to 'pre-industrial' levels? Scientists compare temperatures to pre-industrial levels in climate science because it provides a benchmark for understanding how much the Earth's climate has changed. The pre-industrial period is typically defined as the time before human activities - such as burning coal for heat - began to have a significant impact on the Earth's climate. By comparing current temperatures to pre-industrial temperatures, experts can isolate the effects of human activity from natural climate variability. Advertisement

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane (the two most important greenhouse gases) continued to increase and reached record levels in 2023.

What's more, each month from June to December in 2023 was warmer than the corresponding month in any previous year.

Several months of 2023 were the hottest on record for that particular month, such as September, November and December, as well as July (not only the hottest July ever but the hottest month ever).

Looking at Europe separately from the rest of the world, 2023 was the second-warmest year on record, after 2020.

In Europe, last year was 0.3F (0.17C) cooler than 2020 (Europe's warmest year on record) but temperatures were still above average for 11 months of 2023.

CS3's main metric for measuring how hot it is, is the temperature of the air, but it also keeps track of temperatures of the world's oceans.

Namely it looks at sea surface temperature  how hot the water is close to the ocean's surface.

Air surface temperatures are usually the main metric looked at when considering temperature rises, but ocean temperatures are key indicators too.

READ MORE World's oceans hit their hottest EVER temperatures Coral bleaching (seen here in the Great Barrier Reef) is an effect of water temperatures getting higher Advertisement

Unfortunately, it also registered new records here for 2023 as well, with 'persistently and unusually high' sea surface temperature anomalies.

Global average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) reached record levels from April through December, while August had the highest global monthly average sea surface temperature on record, at 69.76F (20.98C).

As well as greenhouse gases, the experts blame the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) for high ocean temperatures.

ENSO is a pattern of natural climate variability that sees ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific switch between cooler (La Nina) and warmer (El Nino) than average conditions  influencing temperature and weather globally.

However, the transition to El Nino alone does not explain all of the increase in ocean surface temperatures globally in 2023, CS3 says.

With the reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation still persistent into 2024, there's every possibility this year could break the record just set by 2023.

'If we want to successfully manage our climate risk portfolio, we need to urgently decarbonise our economy whilst using climate data and knowledge to prepare for the future,' said Buontempo.
The lander only has enough fuel to last 40 hours before losing power completely

The first American moon landing attempt in 50 years may be over before it even begins.

Astrobotic, who launched the first private lunar mission yesterday, says that the Peregrine lander's survival can now be measured in hours.

That means that a landing on the Moon, which had been planned for February 23, is now impossible.

Due to a fuel leak in the propulsion system, the lander will fall into an uncontrollable tumble and lose power within 40 hours.

'At this time the goal is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its Sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power,' Astrobotic said.

A picture from Peregrine shows a disturbance to its insulation, the first visual sign of a critical fuel leak

At 2:16 am GMT today, Astrobotic announced that the Peregrine lander had approximately 40 hours of fuel left to get as close to the Moon as possible

The Peregrine lander was supposed to make the journey to the Moon and enter lunar orbit but it now appears it will run out of fuel long before any landing attempt would be possible

READ MORE: Nine facts about the Moon that will leave you staring at the sky in awe Advertisement

Problems emerged shortly after the craft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida yesterday at 7:18am GMT.

The 1.2-tonne craft entered an Earth orbit aboard a new United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket.

While the lander successfully separated from the rocket, Astrobotic soon announced that the craft was struggling to keep its solar panels pointed at the Sun.

After briefly going offline, it emerged that the lander was suffering a failure in the propulsion system leading to a critical loss of propellant.

The force of the leak was enough to push the Peregrine lander into a spin, requiring even more fuel to be burned to keep it sun-facing.

Peregrine (pictured) was scheduled to attempt a landing on the lunar surface in February but this will now be impossible

Astrobotic, the company behind the mission, says that the goal is now to get the lander (pictured) close to the Moon as possible before losing power

What is the lunar lander carrying? Scientific Equipment: Five pieces of NASA scientific equipment including the first British-made component to land on the Moon. Human remains: The craft is carrying the DNA and ashes of around 60 people. One Bitcoin: A physical token loaded with one Bitcoin. Robots: The Mexican Space Agency has sent five robots which will be catapulted onto the lunar surface. Mementos: The company has accepted small personal mementos including a piece of Mount Everest, photos, and novels. Advertisement

At the current rate of fuel consumption, Astrobotic says that the craft has enough fuel to keep its solar panels aligned for less than two days.

When the fuel is expended Peregrine's solar panels will slip into darkness and the batteries will quickly drain.

In a statement, the company says that the new objective was to focus on 'maximizing the science and data that we can capture.'

Peregrine One will never land on the Moon but it will carry its cargo of five NASA scientific instruments for as long as the craft has power.

This cargo also includes the DNA of former American President John F. Kennedy and a single strand of hair from science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

The lander also holds the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, alongside the ashes of around 60 other individuals.

Peregrine One is just the first of a new wave of private lunar projects funded by NASA for 2024.

Under the space agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme NASA will pay $2.6 billion in contracts for private companies to ferry science and technology projects to the Lunar surface.

Astrobotic was paid $108 million (85m) to carry instruments for NASA.

The agency has also bought transport services from two other private ventures, Intuitive Machines and Firefly.

Collectively these three companies have six missions to the lunar surface planned for 2024.

Responding to the loss of Peregrine One, Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington says: 'Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow.

'We will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration, and commercial development of the Moon.'

The 1.2-ton lander is carrying $108 million worth of NASA instruments, a hair sample from US President John F Kennedy, and the ashes (pictured) of many other people

This launch from Cape Canaveral (pictured) is only the first of six commercial ventures to the Moon scheduled by NASA for this year

The commercial ventures to the lunar surface come as part of the biggest American push for the Moon in 50 years.

NASA's Artemis programme looks to have American astronauts walking on the Moon within the next few years.

However, the agency has recently committed that an international astronaut will join the Americans on the Moon before the end of the decade.

NASA will send a team of astronauts into lunar orbit before returning to Earth, with the launch potentially scheduled for later this year.

Private companies are expected to provide scientific observations and transport services to prepare for these missions.
READ MORE: Horror of the trenches during Battle of the Somme is brought to life

It's one of the most famous mines that the British detonated during the whole of the First World War.

But the explosion at Hawthorn Ridge on July 1, 1916 was a 'colossal blunder' that led to the 'slaughter' of nearly 20,000 British troops, a new study shows.

For the first time, scientists have studied the former fortified German front-line position, close to Beaumont Hamel in northern France.

Virtually untouched for over a century, the site has yielded relics of the events that 'doomed the British attack to failure' on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

After planting explosives under the German position, the British accidentally gave the Germans a 10-minute warning after detonating mines early, the experts say.

The explosion at Hawthorn Ridge on July 1, 1916 was a 'colossal blunder' that led to the 'slaughter' of nearly 20,000 British troops, a new study shows. The strongpoint the Germans built from the captured crater in the middle of no man's land that 'doomed the British attack to failure'. Pictured, a modern day view of the crater

The event was captured on film: The earth settles following the explosion of the mine beneath Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt on July 1, 1916

Hawthorn Ridge marked the first action of the Battle of the Somme Hawthorn Ridge was a fortified German position which was spectacularly blown up by British tunnellers in July 1916. It was the first action of the Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916) in which around 1.3million people died - including nearly 20,000 British men on the first day. The explosion of the mine was famously filmed by Geoffrey Malins at 7.20am on July 1, 1916 - and is one of the best-known recorded moments of the Great War. Advertisement

The explosion was famously captured on film and now exists only as a huge crater at a tranquil part of northern France, albeit littered with battle relics including still-intact German fire pits, barbed wire, shell craters and equipment.

The new study was led by Dr Jamie Pringle, a forensic geoscientist at Keele University and published in Journal of Conflict Archaeology.

'The explosion of the mine was the very first action of the Battle of the Somme, intended to give Allied forces the upper hand,' Dr Pringle said.

'We found physical evidence for the first time of how German soldiers had consolidated part of the crater left behind after the explosion, and actually used it to their advantage as a new defensive position.'

The detonation of the Hawthorn Ridge signalled the start of the Battle of the Somme on the morning of July 1, 1916  often described as the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army.

Leading up to July 1, British forces had dug more than 60 feet under the position of the German frontline at Hawthorn Ridge and packed the tunnels with 40,000lb of explosives.

It was one of 19 mines placed beneath German front positions that were detonated on July 1 1916, to mark the start of the offensive.

But the detonation took place 10 minutes before the whistles blew for the attack to begin at 7.30am.

It was hoped that the bombardment would enable British troops to cross no man's land and occupy German trenches.

But instead, it gave German soldiers time to take up defensive positions in the newly formed crater and repel the British advance, leading to massive losses among the attacking British troops.

By the end of that first day of the Battle of the Somme, British forces suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 deaths.

Hawthorn Ridge was a fortified German front-line position in the First World War, near the village of Beaumont Hamel in northern France

British infantrymen occupy a shallow trench in a ruined landscape before an advance during the Battle of the Somme. The explosion of the mine was the very first action of the Battle of the Somme, intended to give Allied forces the upper hand

The early detonation described as a colossal blunder alerted the Germans the infantry attack was imminent and gave them time to take up defensive positions in the newly-formed crater, leading to heavy losses among the attacking British. Pictured, a modern day view of the crater

READ MORE Horror of the trenches during the Battle of the Somme is brought to life The Western front of the battle in colour. By the end of the first day on 1 July 1916, British forces had suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 deaths, Advertisement

For more than a century, the crater had not been studied scientifically, as it was in private land.

But it was taken over by the Hawthorn Crater Association, a charitable organisation tasked with protecting the site, in 2018.

For three seasons since, researchers have performed investigations at the site, using methods including remote sensing, drones, ground-based-LiDAR and archaeological work.

They were able to pinpoint the epicentres of the mine detonation location and identified 27 post-explosion impact shell holes, fired from British lines as they tried to dislodge the Germans.

They also discovered the remains of an unseen section of a German trench with barbed wire  known as a fire bay  in the 107-year-old crater.

'Trenches are divided into straight pieces of line that face the enemy and from which the soldiers can fire their rifles  known as fire bays,' study author Professor Peter Doyle, military historian at Goldsmiths, University of London, told MailOnline.

'The bays are separated to reduce the impact of an explosion in a trench, or of soldiers able to fire their rifles along the trench and kill the occupants.

'Finding the fire bays meant we were able to say categorically that the Germans had dug trenches at the crater rim, in order to repel the British.'

The team also found multiple impact holes from shells fired by the Allies and an unexploded British shrapnel artillery shell with its time-fuse still intact, thought to be among many that failed to blow up.

Meanwhile, evidence of a previously unknown shallow tunnel is believed to have been dug by the Germans towards the British lines.

a) archaeologist pointing at a small section of recently excavated [German] barbed wire at the north-west side of the crater. Modern sandbags are present to stop soil from falling back into excavated areas. b) an annotated photograph showing the position of a firebay set within a chalk embankment. c) firebay (set into chalk) and part of the trench system. d) an alternative view of the firebay and a square hole

Researchers used a range of cuttingedge technology, including drones with imaging cameras. Pictured, aerial view of Hawthorn Crater

Researchers discovered the remains of an unseen section of a German trench with barbed wire (known as a fire bay) in the 107-year-old crater Pictured, excavations of a fire bay in the north-western rim of the Hawthorn Ridge crater

Pictured, discoveries by the research team. a) The rusty base of a shell; b) A circular metal plate on the ground; c) A circular metal plate; d) A small lead ball next to numerous stones; e) A complete and unexploded shell standing upright at the side of a road

Another discovery was an empty ammunition box for a Vickers, a type of heavy machine gun that was widely used during both world wars.

Dr Kris Wisniewski, a lecturer in forensic science at Keele University, described the study of the 'historically important crater' as 'exciting and significant'.

'Using drones with imaging cameras, we were able to image remotely a probable sap or shallow tunnel to the north west of the crater, showing the German mastery of no man's land after the initial detonation,' he said.

The researchers said a second mine was blown by British forces on November 13, forming a new crater.

This blast proved to be more effective, they said, helping them capture the ridge and the nearby Beaumont Hamel village  and marking the end of the Battle of the Somme five days later.

Unfortunately, it was 'a lesson learned the hard way', according to the researchers.

More than three million men fought in the Battle of the Somme, a million of whom were killed or injured, making it one of the deadliest battles in human history.
A physicist has explained the mystery of how an iPhone fell 16,000 feet from Alaska Airlines flight 1282 and still worked.

While many Apple users will be familiar with their devices shattering from a simple 10-foot drop or toppling down a flight of stairs, whether the phone breaks or not comes down to the phones velocity and the angle at which it falls.

When a cellphone is dropped from around waist height, it hits the ground at a speed of about 10 mph and because there is no wind drag to slow its fall, it will be damaged, the opposite is true when the iPhone fell from the airplane.

An Apple iPhone survived a 16,000-foot drop from Alaska Airlines flight 1282

Physicist Duncan Watts said air resistance from falling out of the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane (pictured) slowed the phone's acceleration and the bush it fell on cushioned its fall, protecting the phone from damage

Duncan Watts, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo, said air resistance slowed the phone down to 50 mph and the bush it landed in acted as a cushion to protect it from damage.

If the phone is falling with its screen facing the ground, theres quite a lot of drag, but if the phone is falling straight up and down, theres quite a bit less, Watts told The Washington Post.

In reality, the phone would be tumbling quite a bit, and get quite a lot of wind essentially giving an upward force.

Watts clarified that a phone falling from that height would travel at a speed of around 30 mph to 100 mph, but Watts said because the phone likely tumbled through the air, its speed was probably closer to about 50 mph.

The maximum speed could only be achieved if the phones screen was perpendicular to the ground.

The basic answer is air resistance, Watts told the Post. I think the counterintuitive thing here is that an iPhone falling from the sky doesnt end up moving that quickly because of air resistance.

Washington resident Sean Bates found the iPhone in a bush near Portland, Oregon where the plane took off.

Washington resident Sean Bates found the fully intact and undamaged Apple iPhone under a bush while on a walk to look for items that may have fallen from the plane.

Watts said if the iPhone had landed on the pavement instead of in the bush, it would have caused severe damage to the phone.

Instead, because the iPhone fell on damp ground, Watts said: ... I could see it having about an inch of cushion.

He added: Thats maybe what plopping down on a chair would feel like.

This was the second iPhone that was found after it fell from the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Bates told his followers on X that when he found the phone it was still intact, unlocked, and in Airplane Mode.

The screen showed a baggage claim email from Alaska Airlines with the flight number which has since been turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The NTSB asked civilians to look for any items that fell from the plane after a door plug suddenly tore off the Boeing 737 Max 9 only minutes after it took off from Portland, Oregon on Friday.

They requested the publics assistance to give them an idea of where to look for the door plug, which was later found in a teachers backyard near Portland.

Several other items on the plane were sucked out including headrests, a seat back, and a tray table.

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9s until it is satisfied that they are safe, affecting about 171 planes worldwide.
'Location, location, location', estate agents tell property buyers.

It's even more crucial advice for a new five-star hotel and something the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace has with knobs on.

It has a prime position on the illustrious Via Veneto, its gentle curves lined with historic Italian architecture, cafes, and restaurants and immortalised in film director Federico Fellini's 1960 masterpiece, La Dolce Vita - 'the sweet life'.

In its 60's heyday Via Vittorio Veneto, to give it its full moniker, was a magnet for the glitterati.

Coco Chanel, Jean Cocteau, Audrey Hepburn, Anita Ekberg, Gary Cooper, Orson Welles and Tennessee Williams all frequented the street's famed cafes and hotels.

Cafe de Paris, Harry's Bar, the Baglioni, the Westin Excelsior, and the Palazzo Margherita, home to the US Embassy, sparkled with chandeliers, jewellery, and old-fashioned star-power, preserved for posterity in a blaze of paparazzi flash bulbs.

Ian Walker checked in to the five-star InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace. Pictured: A one-bedroom suite

'The beautiful entrance hall (pictured) features the original, majestic white marble staircase adorned with a cardinal red carpet,' writes Ian

The entrance hall (pictured) leads onto dark-panelled corridors lined with '160 rooms and suites'

Over time the glitz and the glamour faded, but now a slew of luxury brands have arrived to keep the Intercontinental company and breathe new life into this most renowned of Roman streets.

The W Rome is just around the corner, a Rosewood Hotel is under construction across the road and a Nobu Hotel will soon open alongside.

Officially opened in May, InterContinental parent company IHG heralded their latest Roman acquisition as 'an oasis of discreet luxury'. I checked in for a two-night stay to see if the hotel lived up to the claim.

Constructed in 1900 to host ambassadors staying in Rome, before serving as the American Embassy Library in 1946, the hotel incorporates a classic Renaissance style with columns, gables and Roman arches accentuated by dazzling chandeliers.

The beautiful entrance hall features the original, majestic white marble staircase adorned with a cardinal red carpet, contrasting sharply with the dark-panelled corridors leading to the 160 rooms and suites, where light floods in from floor-to-ceiling windows.

Alabaster walls, double-height ceilings and long, floaty voiles dissipating the warm afternoon sun, compliment the leather headboards, fluted glass wall lights and rich patina of herringbone wooden floors.

The swish downstairs lounge bar, above, is named 'Anita's' in homage to actress Anita Ekberg, star of La Dolce Vita

Perched atop the sixth floor with views including the iconic dome of the Pantheon, is Charlie's bar, which Ian says is 'hard to beat'

The hotel (pictured) was constructed in 1900 to host ambassadors staying in Rome

Clever design touches of recessed lights and mirrors, marble-clad bathrooms with oversize showers, wall-hung towel warmers and wall-mounted upscale toiletries make the most of the space.

The swish downstairs lounge bar, named 'Anita's' in homage to actress Anita Ekberg, star of La Dolce Vita, boasts a marble U-shaped bar, with a recessed arch backdrop bearing a colourful array of spirit and liqueur bottles. It's a good spot for afternoon coffee and postprandial drinks, but for sunny day drinks and sunset cocktails Charlie's rooftop bar is hard to beat.

Perched atop the sixth floor with views including the iconic dome of the Pantheon, Charlie's offers the best bits of a nightclub - great cocktails, delicious canapes, slick service, live DJ sets, comfy seats and funky jungle-themed wallpapered loos. And none of the worst - deafening music, standing room only and snooty staff.

The luxe feel of this InterContinental is fitting for the distinguished history of the Ambasciatori Palace, but it was the excellent service, a recurrent theme in every interaction I had with staff during my stay, that raises the bar for the competition on the newly resurgent Via Veneto, from the welcome of Marco at reception and the infinite knowledge of Head Concierge Cristian, to the constant attention to detail of Alice and Gianluca at breakfast and dinner.

The first meal of the day is an elegant spread with a huge choice, including freshly squeezed juices, fruit, grains, yoghurts, 'full English'-style hot options, pancakes made to order, cured meats, cheeses, smoked salmon, artisan breads, cakes, and a La Carte choices.

Being so close to iconic landmarks such as the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Colosseum and Piazza Navona and benefiting from warm October sunshine, I opted to walk off breakfast along a suggested route courtesy of Cristian.

Ian is impressed by the 'clever design touches' such as the 'recessed lights and mirrors' at the hotel. Pictured: A junior suite

Bathrooms, such as the one pictured here, are marble-clad 'with oversize showers, wall-hung towel warmers and wall-mounted upscale toiletries'

Dinner at the ground floor Scarpetta restaurant (pictured) was '[a] life-affirming experience' for Ian

The joy of Rome is that even if you have been fortunate to visit more than once, such is its richness of architecture, history, and culture, almost every turn provides some new visual feast, an ancient statue here, a beautiful fountain there, and a plethora of lavishly ornate churches and age-old Roman ruins.

A stone's throw from the hotel the city walls, built over 1,700 years ago, lead into the Villa Borghese Park, a wonderful place to meander and for coffee, at one of the outdoor cafes nestled in the shade of aged Italian stone pines.

My two days of serious walking incorporated slightly lesser-known Roman gems such as the distinctive boat-shaped Tiber Island, linked by two bridges to the rest of Rome. One of these - Ponte Fabricio, built in 62BC - is the only original bridge left in the capital.

Piazza di Pietra was a good spot for a light lunch, a charming square dominated by 11 massive Corinthian columns, all that remains of the Hadrianeum, a huge temple built in 145AD dedicated to the emperor Hadrian that in 1879 was used as the grand facade of a building that once served as Rome's stock exchange.

The trendy bar area creates an almost theatrical backdrop to Scarpetta restaurant, declares Ian

I also squeezed in a visit to the site where Julius Caesar met his end on the Ides of March in 44BC, the ruins of the Theatre of Pompey at Largo di Torro Argentina. The large open space reveals ancient foundations and broken columns, contrasting sharply with the surrounding honking traffic and hustle and bustle of modern city life.

Five minutes from the hotel, La Cripta at Il Convento dei Cappuccini beckoned. The crypt is decorated with the bones of 3,700 Capuchin friars which, though macabre at first sight, is intended to remind us how fleeting life on earth is.

With this in mind, back in my room a glass of pre-dinner Prosecco on the bijou stone balcony watching the hubbub of the famed street below seemed a good way to celebrate being alive.

Dinner at the ground-floor Scarpetta restaurant, helmed by bonafide Italian and executive chef Ricardo Ioanna, was another life-affirming experience and one I was glad I worked up an appetite for.

Ian recalls enjoying 'a glass of pre-dinner Prosecco on the bijou stone balcony' of his hotel room while watching 'the hubbub on the famed street below'

Inviting velvet banquettes in deep reds and forest greens and a trendy bar area create an almost theatrical backdrop to the commanding presence of manager Samuel De Luca, who directs his team with the precision of an orchestral conductor and the charm of an Italian.

Stand-out starters include truffle mushroom fricassee with cream polenta and smoked wagyu, served on a heavy pink stone.

Pictured: An example of a living room at one of the hotel's suites

The Scarpetta Spaghetti, meanwhile, is so simple and yet so perfect, with an intense tomato and basil sauce, this will be the dish that many guests remember long after they return home.

All the food is delivered under cloches removed with a flourish. Portions are generous, but not overwhelming.

My final hours before an early evening return flight home were spent tapping into the Dolce Vita of a bygone era with a cocktail and lunch at the legendary Harry's Bar, where Fellini was a regular along with Marlon Brando, Lana Turner, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Anita Ekberg, and where Frank Sinatra famously played the piano.

Seated at the bar's Via Veneto pavement patio bathed in Italian sunshine, I know it's a cliche, but I really was living 'the sweet life'.
Like to leave your holiday planning to the last minute?

You're missing out on the most interesting accommodations and the widest range of options, according to Vrbo.

The travel booking website, which rents villas, cottages, and beach houses, has analysed past booking data from British travellers to identify surges in demand and when availability for those destinations starts to dwindle.

The travel experts have pinpointed seven key dates for every keen holidaymaker's diary, advising that if you book your villa, cottage, or beach house ahead of these days in 2024 you'll have access to the widest selection of spots to suit your needs, as well as the places that offer the best value for money.

Leave it until later and options dry up.

Holiday accommodation booking site Vrbo has analysed its booking data to identify seven key 'book-by' dates to help travellers nab the best cottages, villas and beach houses for taking a break during peak time

As you might expect, January and February are the busiest months for booking holiday homes, as people dream of sunnier climes abroad.

If you can't afford your holiday during the post-Christmas slump, you can still find excellent accommodations throughout the rest of the year - provided you book in time.

In 2024, to have the widest selection of available properties for key travel periods, travellers are advised to book no later than the below dates:

1. Easter holiday (29 March 2024 to 12 April): Book no later than 13 February

2. Early May bank holiday (6 May): Book no later than 29 March

3. End of May bank holiday (27 May): Book no later than 8 April

4. Summer holidays (23 July  4 September): Book no later than 8 June

5. Autumn half-term holidays (28 October to 1 November): Book no later than 26 August

6. Christmas holidays (23 December 2024 to 3 January 2025): Book no later than 11 November

7. February 2024 half-term holidays (12 February  16 February): Book no later than 3 January, 2025

A spokesperson for Vrbo said: 'We've all experienced the disappointment of finding the perfect home for your trip with family or friends  complete with huge pool, high spec kitchen/dining space and the right number of bedrooms  only to find it fully booked for the dates you need to travel.

'To avoid this, we recommend travellers add Vrbo's book-by dates to 2024 diaries to make sure they get the best holiday home for their trips this year.'

January and February are the most popular months for booking holidays, says Vrbo, as people seek to escape winter gloom and enjoy a little foreign sunshine

In addition to knowing when to book accommodation to snare the best options, savvy consumers can book flights at certain times (and to fly on certain days) to ensure they get the cheapest travel, according to the '2024 Air Travel Hacks Report'.

Travellers who book on Sundays instead of Fridays tend to save, on average, around 21 per cent on domestic flights and 24 per cent on international flights, the study says.

For domestic flights, the findings suggest you can save up to 35 per cent if you book at least five months ahead.

'Travellers that booked 162 to 180 days prior to departure saved 34 per cent on average compared to those who waited until the last minute,' Expedia said.

'Meanwhile, for international airfares, the ideal booking period is eight to 23 days prior to departure and the worst booking period is 36 to 63 days prior to departure.'

Expedia notes that you can save eight per cent by booking in the former period rather than the latter period.

Departing on a Friday can save you up to 26 per cent while Sunday is the priciest day on average to start your trip.

The study adds that taking off before 3pm reduces the chance of your flight being cancelled.
A fascinating video reveals the birth of a behemoth  the construction of the world's biggest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas.

The footage shows the first cut of steel in Turku, Finland, in June 2021, the completed ship undergoing sea trials in June 2023 and then the vast vessel being delivered in November of that year.

In between these moments, the clip shows several eye-opening feats, including the installation of a 90ft-long liquid natural gas tank, the keel laying in April 2022 and the lifting on to the ship of the steel 'Pearl', which weighs more than a Boeing 747.

Another impressive moment in the video is seeing the 363-tonne AquaDome lifted into place by shipbuilder Meyer Turku.

The firm commented: 'At 50 metres [164ft] wide and 25 metres [82ft] tall, the AquaDome is the largest single-piece glass-and-steel structure ever lifted onto a ship.' The operation took 80 hours to complete.

A fascinating video reveals the birth of a behemoth  the construction of the world's biggest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas. Pictured above is a still from the footage showing the ship during June 2023 sea trials

Ship happens: An executive hits the go button for construction to start on June 14, 2021

A sign marks the beginning of the 900-day build process

Royal Caribbean's city-on-the-sea was floated out in December 2022 before her successful sea trials.

The November delivery footage shows executives and crew celebrating in a ship that almost seems to defy the laws of physics.

Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, 2,350 crew, 2,805 staterooms, seven pools, nine whirlpools, six record-breaking slides and room for 7,600 passengers.

The cost? A cool $2billion (1.58billion).

The inaugural Icon of the Seas sailing will be on January 27  a seven-night jaunt around the Caribbean.

The installation of a 90ft-long liquid natural gas tank in August 2021

The keel laying in April 2022. Icon of the Seas was built by shipbuilder Meyer Turku

Icon's 'Pearl' feature, which weighs more than a Boeing 747

Momentous: In May 2022 the Pearl was lifted on to the ship

The Pearl is craned on to the vessel, which is accepting fare-paying passengers on January 27

Prices 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.

The Ultimate Family Townhouse is one of the most head-turning cabins. It can sleep eight and has its own sundeck and various balconies. Seven nights will set families back an eyewatering $85,000 (70,000).

Icon of the Seas, which is five times bigger than the Titanic, was recently photographed in the town of Ponce, Puerto Rico, during a trial voyage.

Fare-paying passengers will soon find out if the vast vessel lives up to the hype.

The 363-tonne AquaDome is lifted into place by Meyer Turku in November 2022

Water sight: In December 2022 Icon of the Seas was floated out

Icon of the Seas has 20 decks, 2,350 crew, 2,805 staterooms, seven pools, nine whirlpools, six record-breaking slides and room for 7,600 passengers. She's pictured here during her sea trials

Feeling buoyant: November 2023 saw Icon of the Seas delivered - and the crew look happy
Plane passengers have been horrified after a fellow traveler pooped their pants on their flight - and left the feces 'spread out like peanut butter' all over the seat.

One of the disgusted travelers took to Reddit to share their dismay over the situation - and it quickly went viral, while sparking some suggestions that it may have been a fabricated story.

The Reddit user explained that they were on an early morning Delta flight from Birmingham, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia, with their eight-year-old daughter on Christmas Eve, and about 20 minutes after takeoff, they started to smell something 'terrible.'

At first, they feared that their daughter might have had an accident, but the youngster insisted that she hadn't.

Plane passengers were left horrified after someone pooped their pants on their flight - and left the feces 'spread out like peanut butter' all over the seat (stock image)

One of the disgusted travelers took to Reddit to share their dismay over the situation - and it quickly went viral

The Reddit user explained that the incident occurred on an early morning Delta flight from Birmingham, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia. Their view from the plane is seen

The traveler said the horrid scent lingered for the rest of the plane ride - and it wasn't until after they landed and they began to disembark that they discovered the cause.

On their way out, the Reddit user said they noticed that one of the chairs about eight rows ahead of where they had been seated was 'covered' in 's**t.'

They said the defecation had engulfed the entire area - including the bottom and back of the seat.

'Me and my daughter were headed to Key West on Christmas Eve and had to take a connecting flight from Birmingham to Atlanta,' they wrote.

'About 20 minutes into flight I get a terrible smell and asked my daughter if she has [pooped] (she's eight).

'She denies any wrong-doing and the smell lingers for the rest of the flight. Upon exiting the plane, eight rows in front of me, [I see] someone had s**t all in their seat.

'The bottom of the seat and the back was covered. This person had [sat] in their s**t for a good hour and then departed into Atlanta airport covered in s**t. Definitely a first for me.'

In the comments section, the poster added that they had taxied on the runway for 'a good 45 minutes,' which meant the person had been sitting in their excrement the entire time.

In the comment section, the poster added that they had taxied on the runway for 'a good 45 minutes,' which meant the person had been sitting in their excrement the entire time

Someone else who was on the same flight also shared their experience in the comment section - and they revealed that they were seated in the same row as the person who had the accident

When someone asked them how they were not 'gagging to death from the smell,' they explained that 'it wasn't too bad when they were sitting,' and only 'got bad' once they stood up

'It went all the way up there back, it was over half way up the seat,' they said. '5am flight, must have had too much coffee. They sat there for a good 45 minutes until we deplaned.'

In the end, they said they felt 'empathy for the person' and hoped they had extra clothes 'in their carry on.'

Someone else who was on the same flight also shared their experience - and they revealed that they were seated in the same row as the person who had the accident.

'I was waiting for someone to post this,' they commented. 'I was on the same row, person was on the left aisle seat, we were at the right side (middle and window).

'Upon deplaning, saw s**t on the seat spread out like peanut butter as you mentioned, yuck.

'Saw the person scampering towards the restrooms. Even before boarding, the plane smelled weird, some kind of fishy smell.'

When someone replied and asked them how they were not 'gagging to death from the smell' the entire time, they explained that 'it wasn't too bad when they were sitting,' and only 'got bad' once they stood up.

The post received more than 1,000 comments from people who had mixed reactions to the incident.

Some were revolted by the idea of having to sit on a plane where someone had pooped themselves, while others said they felt 'sorry' for the person and wondered if they had a medical condition.

Some were revolted by the situation, while others said they felt 'sorry' for the person and wondered if they had a medical condition

'[As] someone with stomach issues, I feel for them. Twice a year maybe I have an event. So far never on a plane,' one person shared.

'Life isn't easy for people with stomach issues. I've literally tossed underwear, rinsed pants out in sink with soap and rubbed with sanitizer just to finish a trip. Thank the stars it wasn't you.'

'I feel really bad for whoever this was. I'm pretty sure that IBS and possibly Crone's disease can cause uncontrolled accidents, and if someone hasn't gotten a diagnosis yet or is working out a treatment that works for them, that's a pretty terrible situation to be in,' someone else wrote.

'I highly doubt that someone just wanted to s**t themselves on a plane and sit in it, I'm sorta shocked by the lack of compassion or understanding in most of these comments.

'People don't be s**tting themselves in public for funsies, that's someone who is physically ill in one form or another.'

'This post is kind of sad. I don't think anyone enjoys s**tting themselves, they probably had a medical/problem emergency of some sort,' another user agreed.

'I really feel sorry for the person to whom this happened,' a fourth comment read. 'As disgusting as it is to others, imagine how embarrassing it would've been for them.'

A fifth said, 'God can you imagine being that person. S**t your pants and there's nowhere to run.

'WTF you gonna do except sit in your s**t 'til the flight is over. I remember in middle school I sharted during lunch break.

'Made a [run] for the bathroom to discover that my briefs saved the day. Went commando for the rest of the day and no one was the wiser. Most of us have been there at least once.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Delta for comment.
Ever been left speechless by a place for all the wrong reasons?

Well, a fleet of disgruntled travelers have taken to TikTok to show some of the spots across the US that didn't quite live up to expectation.

In a series of 'expectation vs reality' comparisons, travelers reveal what they thought their destination would look like compared to video footage and images showing what they found.

One of the biggest complaints around popular national parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone appears to be overcrowding, with dozens of tourists ruining photo opportunities.

Meanwhile, one visitor to New York City said the subway rats and trash on the streets did not live up to their glamorous image of the city.

Another location which has been panned by visitors is Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California, with many saying it looks nothing like Instagram shots showing the shoreline glimmering with colored glass pebbles.

Take a trip down to see some of the places across America which critics say you should proceed to with caution.

TikTok creator @valaruuuu uploaded a clip showing what she thought Horseshoe Bend in Arizona would look like compared to what she found. While she envisaged a peaceful view of the natural wonder, she found hordes of people gathered at the crater rim instead

Last summer, TikTok creator @travel.to.find.peace visited Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and watched the Old Faithful geyser erupt. While the 'expectation' part of the clip shows a close up of the natural fountain with no-one around, when the camera pulls away, scores of people can be seen sat at a viewing platform with their cameras and phones out

Many travelers, including TikTok creator Paulina Suvorova have complained about Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, California, being a letdown. The beach gets its name from the colorful glass pebbles on the shoreline but the traveler said 'its not worth it' and she 'wouldnt recommend to do this trip.' Footage from her visit shows a grey scene with little glass around

A slew of travelers have complained about the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Traveling duo Brittany and Ethan Benge uploaded an 'expectation vs reality' TikTok, with some of their gripes being 'long lines to get into the park,' 'nowhere to park,' and 'people and crowds everywhere'

Jake Fox complained that 'all the best spots are so overcrowded' as he uploaded clips show what people expect when they visit the Taff Point viewpoint in Yosemite National Park, west of Glacier Point, and what the 'reality' looks like. It is a popular spot for wedding photos, and Jake's TikTok shows scores of newlyweds lining up

While TikTok user Anja van Wyk had visions of the glamor of New York City and the bright lights of Times Square, her 'reality' photos reveal her shock at finding rats scurrying around the subway, trash on the sidewalks and cockroaches crawling around

Zion National Park in southwest Utah draws more than five million visitors per year. For this reason, TikTok creator Keila Satirio says that it is crowded even in fall. Despite the crowds of keen hikers, she says that the trip is 'worth it' and she has 'met amazing people in all these hikes'

When she revisited Los Angeles, TikTok creator and travel expert Sia said she was shocked to see 'the amount of people living in tents and out of their cars.' She added in the caption to her 'Instagram vs reality' TikTok: 'But what shocked me even more was how those living in LA are so used to this.'

@iwanderlista I went to LA and posted exactly 0 pictures on my IG feed. The city has changed so much since I was there last time and I was shocked at the amount of people living in tents and out of their cars  But what shocked me even more was how those living in LA are so used to this #losangeles #homelesslivesmatter #santamonica #venicebeach  som original - Gonolivier

While TikTok creator Jordan Leschinsky ventured to Big Sur in California for the views, she said she picked the wrong time of year and the coastal drive did not live up to expectation with thick fog shrouding the scenery. 'Big Sur road trip not advised for August,' she warned viewers

TikTok duo Lisa and Jeremiah said they drove two and a half hours to Bentonite Hills in Utah for sunrise because they had seen 'the incredible colors all over social media.' Their Instagram 'expectation' shows how the red mountains turn more vibrant shades of red, purple and even blue. However, the couple said they didn't witness this phenomena and they warned: 'Don't get me wrong it was beautiful and the rocks do look different before the sun hits, but I forgot that in social media everything is edited and well, sometimes fake'

@thisnomadcouple We visited Bentonite Hills in Utah because we saw the incredible colors all over social media we drove for 2.5 hours for surise because you have to be there for blue hour dont get me wrong it was beautiful and the rocks do look different before the sun hits, but i forgot that in social media everything is edited and well, sometimes fake. If you went and actually got the beautiful colors, you are so lucky but as for us we did not get that. #bentonitehills #expectationvsreality #utah #travelutah #rvlife #rvlifestyle #travel #humor #travelrealities  original sound - Roemer Productions
Passengers aboard a recent flight with Alaska Airlines were left terrified mid-flight when one of the doors blew out at 16,000ft and forced an emergency landing.

One of the carrier's Boeing 737 Max 9s took off from Portland, Oregon, on January 5 bound for California but shortly after take off, one of the door 'plugs' flew off and 171 passengers believed they were saying their final goodbyes to loved ones.

Thanks to quick actions from the pilots and crew, the plane was safely returned to its starting point with no injuries. Luckily no one was assigned to the seats next to the missing door.

A Florida-based flight expert and experienced pilot who spoke to DailyMail.com anonymously, also praised the passengers for remaining calm. Here she offers some of her top tips for navigating such an incident, from dressing for survival to always listening to crew.

Dressing for survival

A Florida-based flight expert and experienced pilot says its best to wear warm clothing on a flight in case an emergency leave you exposed to the cold (stock image)

Passengers aboard a recent flight with Alaska Airlines were left terrified mid-flight when one of the doors blew out at 16,000ft and forced an emergency landing

The flight expert says she was once told during a safety training session to always wear fire proof clothes in the air with 'no highly flammable garments and definitely no stockings.'

If something like a door blow out occurs, she also highlights the importance of being warm and 'wearing your winter woolies,' while if you are using an emergency slide, 'just wool socks and sneakers are a great idea over high heels, along with a cotton pair of pants and long sleeve wool sweater.'

She concludes: 'If you knew you were having an emergency, how would you dress, how would you think, what would you do ask yourself that before every flight.

'Preparation is the key to survival!'

Safety briefings really DO matter

No matter how much you fly, the flight expert says it is always important to pay full attention to the safety briefing as planes differ slightly.

Even if you sit in the same seat, she adds, 'the person next to you might be different or the flight attendant might be offering different advice.'

She recommends: 'Concentrate on what is being said and familiarize yourself with the aircraft layout.

'It is a good idea to count the rows to the nearest exit and pinpoint the other emergency doors.

'Or if you are the exit seat, be 100 per cent ready to assist if something happens.

'If you can't help, or are not willing to, it is essential that you swap seats with someone who will. Many lives could depend on this.'

Knowing how to use an oxygen mask is essential

When the door blew out on the Alaska Airlines flight, the crew immediately put their oxygen masks on and the passengers followed suit.

The flight expert says it is essential to follow the safety briefing so you know how to fit one correctly and this is especially important if you are traveling with children who are too young to do this for themselves.

All safety briefings note that your own oxygen mask should be fitted before helping anyone else.

'This also goes for the life vest and knowing how to place it on,' the aviator adds.

Wear a seatbelt at ALL TIMES

Even though it is tempting to unbuckle, the flight expert recommends keeping your seatbelt on at all times in case of unexpected turbulence (stock image)

As soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, many passengers scramble to unbuckle but the flight expert says it should be worn at all times to maximize safety.

She explains: 'I'm a person who sits down, puts my seat belt on and the only time I take it off is to use the restroom or after the seat belt sign is extinguished at the gate after landing.

'It's not just doors blowing off the fuselage that I'm worried about, it's clear air turbulence.

'This is a phenomena that the pilots can't warn you about, it's random turbulence that occurs in clear blue skies.

'So while the seat belt sign is off so that you may get up and use the restroom, it's not a green light for sitting in your seat without your seat belt on, low and snug around your waistline.'

Any item could be a missile - secure everything!

All loose items should be stowed in the overhead bins or backseat pocket, the expert says, as 'any item is a potential missile' in the event of an emergency

'Passengers should place all unnecessary items in checked luggage or in overhead luggage compartments,' the flight expert says.

She notes that this is because 'any item is a potential missile' and 'my neighbor's metal flask or iPad could easily come for my head.'

With this in mind, she advises: 'Before take off, secure any larger items you deem necessary in bags under the seat or in the seat pocket. Keep the tray stowed.

'Keep chords out of exit areas. Think: how quick can I get out of this tight spot, in the dark, in a smoke filled cabin, surrounded by more than 100 other humans.

'Think: what would happen if the aircraft door blew off or the window popped out next to my seat. What would your first reaction be.'

Use a car seat for children under two

For airplane passengers traveling with children under two years old, the flight expert advises using 'an approved car seat just like you do in a motor vehicle.'

She says this is because 'studies show that in an emergency, the baby will be launched many rows from the parent whose lap their were sitting on.'

If you follow this piece of advice, it would involve booking an additional seat for the infant.

This is also inline with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The government transportation authority states: 'Although children who have not reached their second birthday are permitted to travel as lap children, the FAA strongly discourages this practice and recommends that you secure your child in an approved child restraint system (CRS) in their own seat for the entire flight.

'While there is no regulatory prohibition from using a booster seat or harness vest (or other non-approved devices) for a lap child during the cruise portion of the flight only, airlines have policies which may or may not allow the use of those devices.

'Check with your airline.'
But things soured when he invited the family to his Lake Tahoe mansion, where he allegedly refused to meet them at the entrance and called them 'f**king idiots'

Avengers star Jeremy Renner has been accused of insulting a Reno family after striking up a relationship with their felon daughter, sending her 'd**k pics', and allegedly calling her mother and aunt 'f**king idiots'.

Renner, 52, began a romantic relationship with Reno hairdresser Amber Monson, 34, after meeting her in a local club in August, her family told DailyMail.com.

Monson is a colorful figure who has had several run-ins with the law  including stealing a government car and taking it on a high-speed chase near schools in 2021, according to local news reports.

Her brother, Jason Nelms, says Renner met Monson at a Reno club in August, and the two began dating. He said Renner even sent Monson 'd**k pics'  which she then showed to her mother and aunt.

Jeremy Renner, pictured in November, is accused of insulting the family of a woman he began dating last summer when he invited them to his home

The actor met Amber Monson, 34, a Reno-based hairdresser who has had several run-ins with the law, and the relationship went from purely sexual to more romantic just before the holidays, according to her family

Nelms, 40, told DailyMail.com that the relationship went from purely sexual to more romantic after the Hurt Locker actor started video chatting with Monson and her family in recent months.

However, things soured at a gathering to celebrate his new Christmas album in November, Nelms said.

He told DailyMail.com that Renner invited Monson, her mother and friends to his $2.6million Lake Tahoe mansion where they were to meet the actor's daughter and parents.

But when they struggled to find the entrance hidden on a Mount Rose back road, he called them 'f**king idiots' on the phone, and refused to come out to meet them at the entrance, they claimed.

When the family finally arrived, Nelms said, Renner appeared intoxicated and was rude to them, refusing to shake hands.

'It's kind of out in the boonies where he lives,' Nelms told DailyMail.com. 'They're trying to drive out there and they're lost, they don't know where it's at. It's dark, the roads are icy and bad.

'They're calling him up just trying to figure out where he's at. And at one point he's like, ''What are you guys, f**king idiots? Do you not have a brain between the three of you?''

'Nasty s**t like that. They said, ''At least come out to the driveway so we can see where you're at.'' He said ''No, I'm in my socks, you're messing up my chill.''

Monson and Renner would 'video chat' frequently and shared her messages with The Avengers star with her family

Nelms said Renner sent his nephew outside and the family finally found the house and went inside.

'My family's standing back, and he's really coming off as a d**k. He was real cold to them. It was like, 'bow down'.

'The whole thing was uncomfortable,' Nelms told DailyMail.com.

'My mom's friend, she went up to him to try to shake his hand, and he just looked at her like who the f**k are you?

Amber's brother, Jason Nelms, claims Renner treated his family 'like s**t'

'My mom told him he was wasted and being an a**hole.

'They decided to leave. They were outside, getting ready to go in the vehicle, when Renner's nephew comes out and says, ''Hey, all this will go away if you just apologize.''

'My mom was like, ''Apologize? You want us to apologize? Seriously?''

'He's treated him like s**t, called them f**king idiots, then expects them to apologize like they're the ones in the wrong, because he's King Renner and you're supposed to bow down to him.'

Monson and Nelms's mother, Tracy Overholt, 58, confirmed the story but declined to comment further.

Nelms took to X, formerly Twitter, last month, calling Renner out publicly, calling him a 'scumbag', 'fake as hell' and a 'munchkin'  a dig at his reported 5'8' height.

Monson's younger brother, 25-year-old Dillon Overholt, told DailyMail.com that he was present for some of his sister's video chats with Renner.

Renner invited Monson's family to his property in Mount Rose, Nevada  midway between Reno and Lake Tahoe  but insulted them when they needed help finding the home during their visit in November, Nelms said

Nelms took to X, formerly Twitter, last month, to call Renner out publicly for his behavior towards his family

'They met downtown in Reno,' he said. 'They video chatted all the time.

'One text from him says 'I'll come get you lover' with a heart, so yeah I'd say they were romantically involved.'

Dillon said his whole family was 'livid' at the way Renner allegedly treated them.

'He was super rude the whole time, he didn't get off the couch. It took him 10 minutes to get up and shake people's hands,' he said.

'If I was going to invite anybody over I would be humble and welcoming. Not acting like I'm a celebrity and you're just local people from Reno.'

On Instagram, Monson describes herself as a 'Professional hair & make-up artist in Reno, NV, Proud mother to an amazing Son.' She shares a son with her estranged husband, who has custody of the boy, according to her family.

She declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.

Dillon said his half-sister had a 'rough childhood', her father died, and that she had struggled with addiction.

'She was dealt a bad hand in life. She's definitely had some bad times with drugs and stuff like that,' he said.

On Instagram , Monson describes herself as a 'Professional hair & make-up artist in Reno, NV, Proud mother to an amazing Son.'

Monson has had several run-ins with the law and was recently arrested on December 13 for violating her probation, according to Washoe County Sheriff's records

An April 2021 report by local station Channel 2 News says Monson took a state-owned car, sped at 70mph through Carson, Nevada, smashed into police cars, and led sheriff's deputies on a chase through a school zone.

The report said a total of eight cars were damaged, including one driven by a parent loading children from into the vehicle.

A Carson City District Court clerk told DailyMail.com that Monson pleaded guilty to four felonies: eluding police, battery with use of a deadly weapon, assault with use of a deadly weapon, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

She was sentenced to between 24 and 60 months in prison, the clerk said.

Monson is also currently on probation, and was arrested on December 13 for violating it, according to Washoe County Sheriff's records, but has since been released.

Nelms said she had been failing to show up for work and her probation officer caught her.

Renner, meanwhile, recently took to Instagram on New Year's Day - exactly one year after his nearly fatal accident when he was pulled under a seven-ton snowplow at his Lake Tahoe property - to praise his daughter for helping him through recovery.

Exactly one year after he was nearly crushed to death by a snowplow, Jeremy Renner shared an emotional Instagram post revealing his 10-year-old daughter Ava is 'reason number one' he survived

Renner had his chest crushed and his upper torso had collapsed when he was pulled under a seven-ton snowplow at his Lake Tahoe property just hours after the new year rang in

He also shared a video he and his daughter made that features the song Wait from his upcoming EP Love and Titanium, which debuts January 19.

The post includes a photo of Renner hugging his daughter on New Year's Eve, as she wears a Happy New Year 2024 tiara.

'Reason number One for my recovery is her. I asked her to wait for me when I first saw her January 14 as I arrived home,' Renner began.

'As I got better, she got better, less afraid. There is simply no better motivator to recover than to heal your family and friends,' he added.

'With gratitude always , thank you all for your love and support this last full year. I needed every ounce of goodwill and prayer,' he said to his 21.2 million followers.

'Hope you enjoy the video we made from the Love and Titanium EP set to release Jan 19th,' he concluded.
She took home the Best Actress in TV series, Drama statue for her role in Succession at the Golden Globes on Sunday.

And Sarah Snook's former drama teacher is not at all surprised, declaring the Aussie star was always destined to be a star.

Nicola Triglau, who has known Sarah since she was 11-years-old and remains a friend, appeared on Sunrise on Tuesday to recall the the Adelaide-born beauty's early days as an actress.

'I thought [she was a star] the moment I saw her,' Nicola said.

Describing Sarah as 'small and nervous' when they first met, Trig said her explosive talent emerged the moment she stepped into character.

Sarah Snook's childhood drama teacher reveals why she always knew the Aussie actress would be a Golden Globe winner

'When she was playing a character of any type she could just live in that character and you were transfixed,' she explained.

Trig also commented on Sarah's famously down-to-earth style off-screen.

'I've known her since was 11 years old and from that very time she has always been a genuinely earnest, open and humble and honest person, all through her working life,' she said.

'She's never changed and always been exactly the same.'

Nicola first met Sarah when she started at Scotch College in Adelaide after she won a scholarship.

Nicola Triglau, who has known Sarah since she was 11-years-old and remains a friend, appeared on Sunrise on Tuesday to recall the the Adelaide-born beauty's early days as an actress

She said Sarah impressed her fellow pupils and teachers alike with her intelligence, focus and commitment to hard work.

Sarah took home the Best Actress in a TV series at the Golden Globes for her portrayal of political strategist and media heir Siobhan 'Shiv' Roy in HBO's Succession.

She beat the likes of Emma Stone (The Curse), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Helen Mirren (1923), Kerri Russell (The Diplomat) and Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us) in her category.

'This show, it's changed my life,' Snook said in her acceptance speech, before thanking her fellow cast and crew.

Describing Sarah as 'small and nervous' when they first met, Trig said her explosive talent emerged the moment she stepped into character

'This was a team effort, it was always that was what made the show amazing.'

She finished her speech laughing 'this room is so intimidating!' before running off stage.

Her victory was announced at a star-studded ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Married At First Sight's Mel Schilling isn't letting her recent health scare stop her from feeling and looking her best.

On Tuesday, the 52-year-old took to Instagram to show off her new spray tan after heading to a salon in London.

Mel couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she posed alongside several beauticians before adding the caption: 'A spray tan always gives me a lift'.

The relationship expert appeared to be wearing little makeup for the selfie, and had her blonde locks tied behind her head.

The outing comes after Mel revealed her shock health battle, which saw her receiving treatment for colon cancer over Christmas.

Married At First Sight's Mel Schilling (right) isn't letting her recent health scare stop her from feeling and looking her best - as she treated herself to a spray tan in London on Monday

Mel will soon return to screens alongside fellow experts John Aiken and Alessandra Rampolla for the eleventh season of the Channel Nine dating show

In the wake of her health complications, Schilling 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.

'Whilst I will always be a proud Aussie I feel like an honorary Brit and the UK really feels like home.'

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

Mel also spoke candidly about 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.

'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.

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

'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,' the TV star added.

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 just days before Christmas.

'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 will soon return to screens alongside fellow experts John Aiken and Alessandra Rampolla for the eleventh season of her hit Channel Nine dating show.

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

Mel, (right, with MAFS Australia experts Alessandra Rampolla and John Aiken) first revealed she had colon cancer in an Instagram post last week
Sonia Kruger looked effortlessly stylish as she and her partner Craig McPherson made a rare public appearance together at Sydney Airport on Friday.

The Big Brother host, 58, strolled through the airport with her partner of 16 years and daughter Maggie, eight, closely trailing her.

Sonia looked incredibly chic in a black patterned matching silk set which she teamed up with a black crop top.

Craig, a Seven Network executive, looked focused as they headed to the departure lounge to fly to an undisclosed location.

Sonia's long blonde hair was tied up in a bun and she accessorised her look with stylish sunglasses and a grey handbag.

Sonia Kruger looked effortlessly stylish as she and her partner Craig McPherson made a rare public appearance together at Sydney Airport on Friday

The Big Brother host, 58, strolled through the airport with her partner of 16 years and daughter Maggie, eight, closely trailing her

Sonia and her family were seen making their way check in desk ahead of their flight.

The Strictly Ballroom star began dating Craig in 2008 when they both worked at Seven, before welcoming daughter Maggie in 2015.

Craig has six children from a previous relationship.

Sonia admitted last year their romance was a slow burn.

Sonia looked incredibly chic in a black patterned matching silk set that she teamed up with a black crop top

Craig, a television producer, looked focused as they headed to the departure lounge to fly to an undisclosed location

She told the The Anj, Rob & Robbo Show she and Craig used to have many heated arguments when he was her boss on current affairs show Today Tonight, several years before they became romantically involved.

But she got to know another side to Craig years later, after she'd left Today Tonight and was hosting reality show Dancing with the Stars.

Sonia revealed her former boss - who is now Seven's head of news and current affairs - had reached out to her when her father was very ill in hospital.

'He'd obviously heard about it, and he sent me a very kind message,' she said. 'And from that point, we started talking and we reconnected.'
Love Island has been given a huge shake-up for its upcoming All Stars series with the legendary Casa Amor getting the chop.

The reality show is set to return to South Africa for a five-week run with a host of famed former Islanders given another shot at finding the one.

Legendary Islanders former series including Georgia Harrison, Chris Taylor and Georgia Steel attempt to find love and see their relationships put to the test as bombshells enter and heads turn leaving some hopefuls heartbroken.

However, the All Stars spin-off will not see the drama of infamous villa swap Casa Amor which has seen coupled-up contestants crack on behind the backs of their show partners in the past.

Executive producer Mike Spencer told The Sun: 'We arent doing Casa Amor this time, but there may be another big twist at the halfway mark. I think we have got to be reactive.

Love Island has been given a huge shake-up for its upcoming All Stars series with the legendary Casa Amor getting the chop (Georgia Harrison pictured)

The reality show is set to return to South Africa for a five-week run with a host of famed former Islanders given another shot at finding the one (Mitchel Taylor pictured)

'These islanders have done it before, so we have to be one step ahead.

'Not having Casa gives us a way to shake it up and bring in new islanders in different ways. We have four new single pull-down beds in the living room this time around, so make of that what you will!'

Mike added that the series usually runs for eight weeks and the spin-off's shorter series means they decided not to bring in a 'massive influx' of new Islanders. It is understood Casa Amor will return for the main series.

Casa Amor has produced some of the most memorable moments from previous series.

The 2022 summer series saw Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page leave viewers in shock when they decided to recouple during Casa Amor.

Whilst Tasha decided to explore a potential connection with Billy Brown, Andrew went on to give us the iconic 'I licked her t*t or whatever' moment.

The pair soon ended up reuniting after they realised their feelings once they returned to the main villa.

While Tasha was away Andrew was getting to know the new bombshell Coco Lodge and one night they ended up getting steamy in bed.

Casa Amor has produced some of the most memorable moments. The 2022 summer series saw Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page shock viewers when recoupled during Casa Amor (Andrew pictured)

Whilst Tasha (right) decided to explore a potential connection with Billy Brown, Andrew (left) went on to give us the iconic 'I licked her t*t or whatever' moment

While Tasha was away Andrew was getting to know the new bombshell Coco Lodge (pictured) and one night they ended up getting steamy in bed

Later after Tasha returned to the villa Andrew had to confess what he had been getting up to.

While sat on the sofas he said to her: 'Coco has told the guys that I sucked her t**S or whatever...'.

A shocked Tasha then replied 'You what!'

To which Andrew had to repeat: 'I licked her t** or whatever. And before it comes out from anyone else I wanted to tell you.'

The pair then had a series of furious rows after his antics were revealed before they eventually reconciled and made it to the final.

Shaughna Phillips reaction when Callum Jones re-entered the villa with bombshell Molly Smith on his arm has become one of the most infamous Love Island moments of all time.

In 2020, Shaughna's heartache was apparent as she had spent days pining for Callum since his sudden departure just days earlier.

Moments before his re-entry, Shaughna had claimed she was 'hopeful' that he would surprise her, and come back single.

Shaughna Phillips (pictured) reaction when Callum Jones re-entered the villa with bombshell Molly Smith on his arm has become one of the most infamous Love Island moments of all time

When asked how she felt about Callum recoupling with Molly (both pictured), Shaughna then delivered her now-iconic line: 'Congrats hun'

Speaking as she made her decision before knowing the outcome of Callum's choice, Shaughna said: 'I'm nervous. I'm preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. I don't have much faith.

'The past few days have definitely been an eye opener. They've definitely made me realise that I probably moan at him way too much and I just miss having him around. So I do want him back, preferably on his own.

'He had his loyalty tested with Eve, he had his loyalty tested a little bit with Rebecca, my luck's been good up until here, so I'm hoping that it's still there.'

But it was not to be as the scaffolder sheepishly returned and joined host Laura Whitmore at the fire pit with another girl.

This left the original female Islanders aghast, with Paige the most furious, stating 'What the f**k?' loudly.

'I went to Casa Amor, I had the chance to speak to Molly and it brought out a side to me I didn't think I had. The way I felt about her after two, three days just clarified it to be honest,' Callum said upon his reentry.

When asked how she felt about the recoupling, Shaughna then delivered her now-iconic line: 'Congrats hun.'

Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were considered to be one of the strongest couples from the 2018 series of Love Island after coupling up on day one.

Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham were considered to be one of the strongest couples from the 2018 series of Love Island but Dani became emotional after seeing Casa Amor footage

The clip showed Jack's reaction to his ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones arriving as a bombshell in Casa Amor, with Dani being left in tears at the moment

But Casa Amor saw things get dramatic for the couple after the girls in the main villa were sent footage of what the boys had been up to in Casa Amor.

Georgia Steel received the text, which read: 'Girls you have been sent a Villa story from the boys in Casa Amor.'

The story showed Jack's reaction to his ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones arriving as a bombshell in Casa Amor, with Dani being left in tears at the moment.

He was seen looking shocked and saying: 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! That's the bird I was seeing before I came in here, I was seeing her before I came in here.'

A distraught Dani said through tears: 'It always happens to me that as soon as I'm happy with something, something happens to me! It's like I'm not allowed to be happy, it's such b*****t.'

Receiving little comfort in her pals' positive affirmations, she made a hasty retreat to the Beach Hut, where she broke down in floods of tears in an emotional moment.

But in the end, Dani had nothing to worry about as Jack had been remaining loyal to her and even sleeping on the daybed, despite the arrival of his ex.

It comes after season six star Sophie Piper was spotted touching down in South Africa on Sunday, having previously dropped a big hint that she's appearing on the show.

The 25-year-old model - who is the sister of This Morning star Rochelle Humes - kept a low profile as she gathered her luggage at Cape Town International Airport alongside a female companion.

Season six star Sophie Piper was spotted touching down in South Africa on Sunday ahead of the All Stars launch having previously dropped a big hint that she's appearing on the show.

The 25-year-old model kept a low profile as she gathered her luggage at Cape Town International Airport alongside a female companion

She concealed herself in a baggy black hoodie and tracksuit bottoms but flashed a glimpse of her toned abs in a crop top.

An eyewitness told MailOnline: 'I didn't quite spot her at first because she was flying in premium economy and I expected ITV would've coughed up for first class!

'But she kept to herself and was hiding beneath her hood the whole time, probably trying not to get spotted.

'She seemed in good spirits though and was giggling away with her pal at the airport.

'Sophie's such a pretty girl and she seems really sweet. I reckon she'll have no problem coupling up with someone in the Villa.'

A TV source confirmed that Sophie is currently in talks to enter the villa during the upcoming series.

The model and medical PA from Essex first dropped a hint that she'd be appearing on the show when she followed a Love Island makeup artist on Instagram last week.

She then proceeded to share a cryptic post that read: 'Bottoms up to 2024. The best is yet to come', quickly disabling comments.

Sophie is the younger sibling of This Morning star Rochelle Humes and the pair have a striking resemblance (pictured together in 2019)

The model and medical PA from Essex first dropped a hint that she'd be appearing on the show when she followed a Love Island makeup artist on Instagram then proceeded to share a cryptic post that read: 'Bottoms up to 2024. The best is yet to come', quickly disabling comments

Appearing as a bombshell will be a change for Sophie who was an original Islander in the show's first ever winter series in 2020.

She struggled to make any strong romantic connections, however, and after coupling up with Connor Durman, Connagh Howard and Mike Boateng she was dumped from the villa on Day 22.

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

Love Island All Stars launches Monday, January 15 at 9pm on ITV1, ITV2, ITVX & STV.
She never puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

And Daisy Ridley cut a chic figure at the Sometimes I Think About Dying premiere held at the UGC Les Halles in Paris on Monday night.

The actress, 31, showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a smart black jacket and matching midi skirt by Erdem.

The co-ord was adorned with silver details and she boosted her height with simple heels to complete the ensemble.

The star wore her short dark tresses slicked back and opted for natural makeup to show off her pretty features.

Daisy Ridley cut a chic figure at the Sometimes I Think About Dying premiere held at the UGC Les Halles in Paris on Monday night

The actress, 31, showed off her sophisticated sense of style in a smart black jacket and matching midi skirt by Erdem.

At the event she was seen posing for snaps with fans and also signing some autographs.

The film follows lonely and socially awkward woman Fran (Daisy) who tries to make a connection with a friendly new co-worker who takes her out on a date.

Also starring in the film are Parvesh Cheena, Marcia DeBonis, Meg Stalter, and Brittany O'Grady.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2023, and is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2024.

The film is directed by Rachel Lambert, written by Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, and Katy Wright-Mead.

It is based on the 2013 play, Killers by Armento, and a short film was released in 2019, directed and co-written by Horowitz.

The synopsis reads: 'Fran is a socially awkward office worker who spends most of her time in isolation and daydreams of her own death, when a new colleague pricks the bubble of her own isolation.'

Last April Daisy confirmed she star in the upcoming Star Wars films as she made a surprise appearance at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

The co-ord was adorned with silver details and she boosted her height with simple heels to complete the ensemble

The star wore her short dark tresses slicked back and opted for natural makeup to show off her pretty features

At the event she was seen posing for snaps with her adoring fans and also signing some autographs

The actress, who will reprise her role as Rey, first appeared in 2015's The Force Awakens and went on to star in The Last Jedi in 2017, before wrapping up her character in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.

Speaking at the event in London she revealed that she would be continuing Rey's journey in a film that will take place after the 2019 instalment.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy introduced a new series of Star Wars films at the event, that will 'tell the story of the rebuilding of a new Jedi order', Deadline reports.

According to People, Daisy told the audience at the ExCeL Centre: 'I am very thrilled to be continuing this journey.'

She first starred as Rey alongside longstanding stars Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in 2015, as well as new stars of the series John Boyega and Adam Driver.

The trilogy wrapped in 2019 with Rey visiting Luke Skywalker's abandoned homestead to bury Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia's (Carrie) lightsabers.
Elsa Pataky turned heads on Tuesday when she attended a Magic Millions Barrier Draw event on the Gold Coast.

The Spanish actress showed off her sensational figure, going braless in a rust-coloured tank top and a pair of orange shorts.

The 47-year-old, who recently poured cold water over rumours of trouble in her marriage with Chris Hemsworth, also proudly flaunted her diamond engagement and wedding rings at the event.

She beamed as she flashed the round cut diamond platinum band which was given to her by Chris when he got down on bended knee back in 2010.

The mother-of-three accessorised with more jewels and a pair of tined sunglasses.

Elsa Pataky turned heads on Tuesday when she attended a Magic Millions Barrier Draw event on the Gold Coast

She had her blonde locks coiffed in beachy waves around her shoulders and showcased her natural beauty by going for a minimal makeup look.

Elsa was spotted chatting to fellow Magic Millions ambassador and British equestrian Zara Tindall after they attended the Magic Millions Showjumping and Polo day over the weekend.

The daughter of Princess Anne, 42, looked fit and fabulous in a red polo shirt as the two women spoke to reporters and other attendees.

The Spanish actress showed off her sensational figure, going braless in a rust-coloured tank top and a pair of orange shorts. She is pictured with her daughter India Rose

Elsa was spotted chatting to fellow Magic Millions ambassador and British equestrian Zara Tindall

Zara, 42, looked fit and fabulous in a red polo shirt as the two women spoke to reporters and other attendees

The 47-year-old, who recently poured cold water over rumours of trouble in her marriage with Chris Hemsworth , also proudly flaunted her diamond engagement and wedding rings at the event

Also joining the pair were Argentinian polo star Nacho Figueras and his model wife Delfina Blaquier. Both pictured

Ever the doting mother, Elsa embraced her daughter India Rose on the sand

The mother-of-three wore her hair tied back in a bun and also opted for a minimal makeup look in the humidity.

The two women looked close and at one point shared a hug.

Also joining the pair were Elsa's daughter India Rose, Zara's husband Mike Tindall and Argentinian polo star Nacho Figueras and his model wife Delfina Blaquier.

At one point, Elsa chatted animatedly with fellow Spanish actor, Miguel Angel Munoz.

The Snakes On A Plane star enjoyed a chat with Spanish actor Miguel Angel Munoz

The star looked handsome in a pair of grey skinny jeans and an open white shirt

Elsa ruffled her hair in the heat as the pair chatted on the beach

Rising star Miguel will next be seen in the feature drama What About Love

He also played Antegua in the 2010 TV mini series Ben Hur

Elsa recently rubbished claims that she and husband Chris are 'drifting apart' by posting some loved-up pictures from a recent ski trip together.

She uploaded pictures to Instagram showing her and husband enjoying the holiday over the new year with friends and family.

The genetically-blessed duo, who have been married for more than 10 years, set tongues wagging that not all was well in paradise after they went on separate holidays.

Zara has been involved with the Magic Millions for years

Elsa and the daughter of Princess Anne looked close and at one point shared a hug

A source close to the pair told In Touch magazine that despite maintaining a united front for their family and spending Christmas together, the duo have been growing apart for some time.

'The status of Chris and Elsa's marriage is a question mark,' the source told the publication.

'The separate vacations are a huge red flag, but it's more than that. They're still very much a united family, but they've drifted apart as a couple.'

Elsa also shared a hug with Zara's husband Mike Tindall

The source claimed Chris wants to live a 'simpler life' but 'Elsa wants more'.

'They were the perfect husband-and-wife team for so long - both gorgeous, beautiful kids. Everything seemed picture-perfect. But things have definitely changed,' they added.

The Bryon Bay, NSW-based couple married in 2010, just a few months after making their relationship official, and have three children - daughter India Rose, 11, and nine-year-old twin boys Sasha and Tristan.

Elsa recently rubbished claims that she and husband Chris are 'drifting apart' by posting some loved-up pictures from a recent ski trip together
Sophie Kasaei packed on the PDA as she kissed boyfriend Jordan Brook on the red carpet at the Geordie Shore screening at Soho Hotel in London on Monday night.

The couple, who have been dating for a year, looked more loved-up than ever as they cosied up to pose for photos.

Sophie cut a stylish figure in a blue boucle cropped blazer which she teamed with a pair of matching cargos.

The reality star flashed her toned midriff in a white crop top and toted her belongings around in a coordinated blue handbag.

Leaving her long curly tresses loose, Sophie elevated her frame in a pair of white boots.

Sophie Kasaei packed on the PDA as she kissed boyfriend Jordan Brook on the red carpet at the Geordie Shore screening at Soho Hotel in London on Monday night

The couple looked more loved-up than ever as they cosied up to pose for photos

Meanwhile TOWIE star Jordan rocked a blue quarter-zip jumper with a pair of navy trousers and white trainers.

It comes after Sophie said she is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, TOWIE star Jordan, as the star revealed all about their intimate relationship.

She has revealed how the pair keep their relationship alive as she opened up about their exciting sex life, confessing that her legs are 'always in the air'.

The couple are taking things to the next level and are even planning on starting a family together.

Speaking to Closer magazine, Sophie revealed: 'He's 28 and has plenty of energy. Let's just say, when I'm ovulating, it's Jordan's favourite week of the month because he knows he gets to fill the tank!

'When we're trying, we have a laugh together, the legs are always in the air and we're having fun for sure.'

The reality star, who first rose to fame while starring in MTV's Geordie Shore back in 2011, added how important physical attraction and sex is in a relationship.

She revealed that the pair are keen not to lose the spark between them, even if they are lucky enough to welcome a child together.

Sophie cut a stylish figure in a blue boucle cropped blazer which she teamed with a pair of matching cargos while the TOWIE star rocked a blue jumper and navy trousers

It comes after Sophie revealed racy details of her sex life with boyfriend Jordan: 'my legs are always in the air'

Sophie revealed: 'He's 28 and has plenty of energy. Let's just say, when I'm ovulating, it's Jordan's favourite week of the month because he knows he gets to fill the tank!'

'Of course, there are times when you get tired and life gets difficult, especially if you add a baby into the mix, but I've said to Jordan that I hope we maintain this level of intimacy as long as we can,' she explained.

The pair first sparked dating rumours a year ago when they were spotted on a night out together in October, and a year on Sophie admitted that they are still as obsessed with each other as ever.

Jordan told the publication that it is their dream to start to a family and for him to become a dad, although it hasn't been an easy journey due to Sophie's endometriosis.

Sophie has been incredibly open in the past about her battle with the fertility condition which has led to her going through certain fertility tests.

The star was diagnosed back in 2020, when she opened up with her followers about her 'excruciating' battle with the condition.

Endometriosis is a condition resulting from endometrial tissue outside the uterus which causes pelvic pain and is often related to menstruation.

She compared her horrendous ordeal to someone 'stabbing you in your ovaries' when she shared her experience with her followers.

'I want to say to anyone who suffers from endometriosis, like it is so painful! I literally was just fine and I've started to cry again.

'I've just done a PT session and I had to leave because the pain that I just felt driving home, honestly I can't describe that pain.

The couple, who have been dating for a year, are taking things to the next level and are even planning on starting a family together

The reality star, who first rose to fame while starring in MTV's Geordie Shore back in 2011

'It's the most excruciating pain, it's like someone's got a knife and is just stabbing you in your ovaries.

Jordan first joined TOWIE back in 2017, and after he was axed a year later he returned to the cast in 2022.

Last year, it was revealed that Sophie was joining TOWIE in the first ever crossover between the two reality shows.

An Essex insider told MailOnline that ITVBe producers are hoping Sophie, who was in the original cast of Geordie Shore and has over two million Instagram followers, will help to resurrect the series, which has lost its popularity in recent years.

A source revealed: 'Sophie has been on reality TV for over 12 years, she knows what makes a good show.

'Producers are really excited that she's joining TOWIE and hopes she will bring some of her fiery Geordie energy to the cast.

'TOWIE is still in talks about Sophie's potential involvement but she can't wait to officially sign on the dotted line and join boyfriend Jordan on the show.

'There's sure to be some drama brewing between Sophie, Ella Rae Wise, and Chloe Brockett, too, who both dated Jordan last year.'

Watch the first TWO episodes of the brand-new series of #GeordieShore on @paramountplusuk on Tuesday January 9 or watch weekly on @mtvuk!
Good Morning America correspondent Rachel Scott is engaged.

Scott, a senior congressional correspondent for ABC, revealed Monday she had said 'yes' to boyfriend Elliott Smith.

Robin Roberts - who tied the knot just four months ago - revealed Scott's big news during the Monday broadcast, stating: 'Our Rachel Scott is engaged!'

The studio cheered and applauded before Smith appeared virtually to describe the special moment.

Smith, 32, admitted the proposal came as a 'total surprise' as she described how her fiance had decorated a gazebo with fresh roses - only for her to think it was for another couple.

Good Morning America correspondent Rachel Scott has announced her engagement to Elliott Smith

Scott revealed the big news during an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday

'You know, I gotta admit, this one was a total surprise,' she said.

'When we saw that gazebo with all the rose petals and the flowers, I actually thought it was there for someone else,' she explained.

'I thought we were going to ruin someone else's engagement. It turned out to be my own!'

She then referenced Robin's recent wedding to Amber Laign. In January 2023, Robin revealed she and Amber intended to wed that year. They ultimately tied the knot this past September.

'You said yes to marriage this time last year, Robin, and I am so excited to say yes to marriage this year,' Scott continued.

She then asked for words of wisdom as she began wedding planning: 'So please, guys, send me all your newlywed, all your engagement tips. We are taking it all!'

Robin jokingly added: 'I can actually give advice now!'

Scott shared photos from the moment she said 'yes' to her Instagram. Tagging the photos in Dana Point, California, the snaps captured Smith getting down on one knee before a beautiful gazebo decorated with colorful roses and tealight candles.

Scott looked truly surprised as she joyfully accepted. She was given a gorgeous diamond ring with a dazzling band.

Smith, 32, admitted the proposal came as a 'total surprise' as she described how her fiance had decorated a gazebo with fresh roses - only for her to think it was for another couple

Robin Roberts was the one who brought up Scott's happy news

The proposal comes just months after Robins tied the knot with her long-time partner Laign

'YES!' she captioned the post with a diamond ring and heart emoji.

She shared video of her GMA engagement announcement to her X account, tweeting: 'Cant stop smiling. All the love in 2024. So excited to say YES to marriage -& so grateful to my @GMA family for the special shout out this morning.'

The proposal comes just months after Robins tied the knot with her long-time partner Laign.

The couple said 'I do' in their backyard in Connecticut, as Roberts' childhood pastor officiated the ceremony.

The newlyweds' star-studded guest list included TV personalities such as Al Roker, Erielle Reshef, Lara Spencer and Dr. Jen Ashton. Sam Champion, meteorologist and co-star to Roberts, celebrated the couple with his husband Rubem Robierb.
Jesse Lee Soffer and his former Chicago P.D. co-star Tracy Spiridakos have reportedly been in a relationship for a while, in a case of life imitating art.

The 39-year-old actor and the 35-year-old actress' characters - Senior Detective Jay Halstead and Detective Hailey Upton - secretly tied the knot during the ninth season of the NBC police procedural back in 2021.

A source told the New York Post on Monday that the coy couple have 'secretly been together for years.'

Jesse originally met Tracy (born Panagiota) on the set when she joined the Chicago P.D. ensemble during the fourth season back in 2016.

Soffer and Spiridakos publicly called each other 'the best' in Instagram posts from 2023 and 2022.

Jesse Lee Soffer and his former Chicago P.D. co-star Tracy Spiridakos have reportedly been in a relationship for a while, in a case of life imitating art (pictured December 21)

The 39-year-old actor and the 35-year-old actress' characters - Senior Detective Jay Halstead and Detective Hailey Upton - secretly tied the knot during the ninth season of the NBC police procedural back in 2021

'You're the absolute best. Thank you for your kindness, your guidance, and your friendship,' the Canadian-Greek beauty gushed after the New York native taped his final episode in 2022.

'You're the greatest onscreen husband a girl could ask for. I'll miss being on set with you every day. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for you next.'

When Jesse returned to the set in February to make his directorial debut helming the 16th episode of the 10th season (which aired March 22), Tracy gushed that he 'killed it' and 'we are all so proud.'

Soffer has made a habit of dating actresses in the Chicago universe, including a nine-month romance with Chicago Med star Torrey DeVitto ending in 2019.

The three-time Daytime Emmy nominee also previously dated his former Chicago P.D. co-star Sophia Bush from 2014-2015.

Meanwhile, Spiridakos enjoyed a short engagement to her Being Human co-star Jon Cor, which ended in 2013.

Jesse's character abruptly left Illinois for Bolivia in his final episode - titled 'A Good Man' - which aired October 5, but there's a chance he might return for a cameo.

'Never say never. I feel so bad for the fans that are like, "Is he going to come back?" "What's he going to do?" "What's going on with him and Hailey?" Soffer told Variety last February.

'I like to think  and I hope the fans think this too  that he's just in another country right now, doing what he does best and making the world a safer place. In a family, sometimes somebody moves away or goes to college somewhere else. I still love it. I still love the fans. And I still love Halstead. Halstead's always going to be in my blood. That's never going to change.'

On October 24, Variety revealed the 11th season of Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead's procedural - premiering January 17 on NBC - would be Tracy's last.

A source told the New York Post on Monday that the coy couple have 'secretly been together for years' (pictured August 7)

Jesse originally met Tracy (born Panagiota) on the set when she joined the Chicago P.D. ensemble during the fourth season back in 2016

Soffer and Spiridakos publicly called each other 'the best' in Instagram posts from 2023 and 2022

After the New York native taped his final episode in 2022, the Canadian-Greek beauty gushed: 'You're the absolute best. Thank you for your kindness, your guidance, and your friendship. You're the greatest onscreen husband a girl could ask for. I'll miss being on set with you every day. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for you next'

When Jesse returned to the set in February to make his directorial debut helming the 16th episode of the 10th season (which aired March 22), Tracy gushed that he 'killed it' and 'we are all so proud'

Soffer has made a habit of dating actresses in the Chicago universe, including a nine-month romance with Chicago Med star Torrey DeVitto (L, pictured in 2018) ending in 2019

The three-time Daytime Emmy nominee also previously dated his former Chicago P.D. co-star Sophia Bush from 2014-2015 (pictured in 2015)

Meanwhile, Spiridakos enjoyed a short engagement to her Being Human co-star Jon Cor (L), which ended in 2013

Jesse's character abruptly left Illinois for Bolivia in his final episode - titled 'A Good Man' - which aired October 5, but there's a chance he might return for a cameo
An Australian psychologist has listed the worrying symptoms of vape addiction.

Claire Wakefield, researcher and psychologist from the Minderoo Foundation, appeared on Abbie Chatfield's Its A Lot podcast to discuss the vaping epidemic and its detrimental effects on the human body.

'The clues for me that I reckon are worrying, is when you start thinking about it when you don't want to think about it,' she told Abbie during the episode.

'You wake up in the morning and the first thing you think is, "Where's my vape?" Or if you get, like, anxiety about wondering where I'm going to get my next one.'

But Ms Wakefield explained the worst type of symptom is referred to as "nic-sick", which is another term for nicotine poisoning.

Claire Wakefield, researcher and psychologist from the Minderoo Foundation, appeared on Abbie Chatfield's (pictured) Its A Lot podcast to discuss the vaping epidemic and its detrimental effects

'The ones that hit home for me - where there's tons of evidence - is acute nicotine toxicity, which they call "nic-sick",' she added. 'That's essentially when you have too much nicotine at once.'

Ms Wakefield later shocked Chatfield when she recalled a young, vape-addicted woman vomiting a strawberry-like flavour that was from her vape.

'She says she knew she had a problem when her vomit started tasting like vape,' Ms Wakefield said, to which Chatfield gasped in shock.

'Strawberry-flavoured vomit, because she'd had so much vape. If you Google "Vape burns", it's not pretty.'

Ms Wakefield later shocked Chatfield when she recalled a young, vape-addicted woman vomiting a strawberry-like flavour that was from her vape (pictured is a stock image)

The symptoms left listeners horrified, with some revealing the episode struck a chord not to pick up a vape again.

'Wow thank u, I literally quit on Sunday. This will keep me motivated,' one user wrote.

READ MORE: I'm an esthetician and I can tell if you use a vape the second I see your skin Advertisement

Australia now holds strict vaping laws and regulations that commenced January 1.

Disposable vapes are no longer be able to be imported into Australia, with the government determined to stop flavoured devices being sold at convenience stores.

This applies to disposable vapes irrespective of nicotine content or therapeutic claims.

The rules will make it unlawful to import disposable vapes on or after January 1, even if those vapes were ordered before that date and had not yet arrived in Australia.

Health Minister Mark Butler only announced the measure on November 28, arguing they were needed to stop teenagers from getting hooked on nicotine.

'These reforms will protect Australians, particularly young people, from the harms of vaping and nicotine dependence,' he said.

The federal government reached an agreement with state and territory health ministers, who are almost all part of the Labor Party with the exception of Tasmania.

The vape importation ban is being done through regulation, which means Mr Butler can make an order, subject to approval from Governor-General David Hurley, until Parliament passes a new law to enforce a permanent ban.

Disposable vapes are no longer be able to be imported into Australia, with the government determined to stop flavoured devices being sold at convenience stores (pictured is a stock image)

This ban will also coincide with a new Special Access Scheme pathway enabling doctors and nurses to prescribe vapes for those with a nicotine addiction.

The importation ban on non-therapeutic vapes comes into force on March 1, which means importers must obtain a customs licence and permit to import therapeutic vapes, with flavours restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco.

From that date, convenience stores will be able to continue selling them provided they contain no nicotine and make no medicinal claims.

There are fears younger people are turning to vapes as the popularity of cigarettes falls

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released shortly before Christmas showed 14.4 per cent of adults had tried an e-cigarette or a vape.

Daily smoking rates declined to 10.6 per cent in 2022, a halving from 22.4 per cent in 2001 - with 58.3 per cent of adults revealing they had never smoked.

But there are fears younger people are turning to vapes as the popularity of cigarettes falls, with tobacco only allowed to be sold in drab olive green packing with images of diseased body parts.
Nicole Kidman recalled the bittersweet moment she won her Oscar in 2003, following her divorce from Tom Cruise.

The Australian actress, 56, won her first Academy Award for playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours, shortly after finalizing her divorce from the Top Gun actor, 61, following 11 years of marriage.

'I was struggling with things in my personal life, yet my professional life was going so well,' she revealed to author Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights, as per People, adding, 'That's what happens, right?'

'I went home and ended up ordering takeout and eating it on the floor of the Beverly Hills Hotel. I sat on the floor of the hotel eating French fries and a burger with my family and went to bed. That's when it hit me. I went, I need to find my love; I need a love in my life. Because this is supposed to be when you go, 'This is ours."'

'I went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight. If I ever won again, I'm telling you, I'd be out for 24 hours,' she stated.

Nicole Kidman, 56, recalled the bittersweet moment she won her Oscar in 2003, following her divorce from Tom Cruise, 61; Kidman with her Oscar at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003

'I went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight. If I ever won again, I'm telling you, I'd be out for 24 hours,' she told Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights; Seen with Tom in 1998

While accepting her big win she briefly broke down, telling the crowd, 'Russell Crowe said don't cry when you get up there and now I'm crying' and was later played off before she could finish her speech.

Afterwards she wanted to go home.

'Im not a big party girl, so I was going to skip the Vanity Fair party, and everyone was like, "Youve got to go. You've got to walk through the party carrying your Academy Award,"' she shared.

'I said, "That just feels like gloating, and it doesn't feel humble." Like, what? You can't walk through carrying the award! That feels really inappropriate. They're like, "That's what you do."'

However she ended up attending the glitzy bash along with her Oscar.

'I literally walked in, carried it around, was completely overwhelmed, emotional, shaking, and I didn't enjoy it. I was almost apologetic, which is so stupid. I wish I could have enjoyed it more.'

Nicole's big Oscar win came just after her highly-publicized divorce from Cruise.

The pair wed in 1990 before their shock split in 2001, which came as a surprise to fans.

While accepting her win she briefly broke down, telling the crowd, 'Russell Crowe said don't cry when you get up there and now I'm crying'

'I was struggling with things in my personal life, yet my professional life was going so well. That's what happens, right?' she shared in the book

When she went to bed that night, the star said she dreamt about finding love again. 'That's when it hit me... I need to find my love; I need a love in my life. Because this is supposed to be when you go, 'This is ours,"' she shared; Seen at the Vanity Fair after party

The Australian actress won her first Academy Award for playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours (pictured) shortly after finalizing her divorce from the actor, following 11 years of marriage

Nicole and Tom got married in 1990 and divorced in 2001. They share two adopted children: daughter Isabella, 31, and son Connor, 28; The former pair seen in 1999

Kidman is mother to daughter Isabella, 31, and son Connor, 28, with Cruise.

Connor was adopted by Kidman and the action star not long after he was born in 1995, but the exact timeline remains unclear.

Sister Isabella was adopted by the couple three years earlier in 1992.

After she returned home from winning her Oscar, Kidman went to sleep dreaming of one day being able to find love again.

Two years later she began dating country crooner Keith Urban, 56.

The couple married in 2006 and share daughters Sunday Rose, 14, and Faith Margaret, 12.

Last year the pair celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary.

In July, she revealed the unique relationship rule that helps her keep the romance alive with Urban - they only communicate on the phone via calling.

Two years after her win she began dating country crooner Keith Urban, 56. The couple married in 2006 and share daughters Sunday Rose, 14, and Faith Margaret, 12

'We never text each other, can you believe that? We started out that way  I was like, "If you want to get a hold of me, call me,"' she told the Something To Talk About podcast on Sunday.

'I wasn't really a texter. I think he tried texting me a few times and I never texted back. Then it was like, this is quite nice.'

'If you really want to get a hold of me, you have to call me. Everyone else we text with. That's just the one thing we don't do.'

Though Kidman has yet to win another Oscar, she took home the Golden Globe for best actress for her role in Being the Ricardos in 2022.
Funnyman Graham Norton is all set to host Channel 10's Australian reboot of Wheel of Fortune later this year.

But insiders are already predicting disaster for the beloved game show after the U.K. version upset fans this week with a controversial format change.

Originally presented with two hosts, the new version produced by ITV only features Graham, while the role of assistant has been replaced by a digital board.

Australian TV industry blogger Rob McKnight previewed the U.K. version, and said that the local reboot may have trouble winning fans.

'One big change some viewers will find difficult to accept is the lack of a letter spinning in the style of the iconic Adriana Xenides,' he said in TV Tonight on Tuesday.

Funnyman Graham Norton is all set to host Channel 10s reboot of Wheel of Fortune later this year - but insiders are already predicting disaster for the beloved game show after the U.K. version went to air this week with a controversial format change that has upset fans Pictured: Graham Norton on the set of the reboot of Wheel of Fortune

Adriana co-hosted the show for 18 years, after making her first appearance on the programme in 1981.

The blonde beauty had the task of 'spinning' letters on a giant board used in the quiz which is a guessing game based on a word puzzle.

'In the age of computer graphics, there really isnt a need for the [spinning] role and the ITV production has done away with it.

'Personally, I dont mind, but it has caused a stir in the UK.'

McKnight also complained that while Graham was funny, the show felt stretched at its new running time of an hour.

Originally presented with two hosts, the new version produced by ITV UK, only features Graham while the role of assistant has been replaced by a digital board Pictured: Hosts of Wheel of Fortune Australia John Burgess and Adriana Xenides

He also predicted that it might struggle to win fans in a prime time slot, since viewers might think that the show, first devised in 1973, may seem too much of a throwback.

It comes after Channel 10 announced in October that the beloved game show, which last aired Down Under in 2008, will now be filmed in the UK.

Norton is best known for hosting The Graham Norton Show, which airs in Australia on Channel 10.

The Aussie Wheel of Fortune revival began casting in September, with producers seeking Aussie expats in the UK for the limited series.

It is set to air on Channel later this year in a prime time slot.
Young Thug, who is in the midst of a criminal trial in Atlanta, donned a white dress shirt that read SEX Records: Truly Humble Under God in a court hearing on Monday.

Young Thug, 32, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, wore a black tie to round out his ensemble, which did not interrupt proceedings in what marked the 15th day of the RICO trial, in which Young Thugs friend Trontavious 'Tick' Stephens testified.

A number of social media users commented on the fashion statement made by the musical artist in his court outing.

One user said, 'Mmmm, not a great choice IMO but okay,' while another commented that it was 'not the best courtroom attire.'

Said one user: 'I fear this is the attire of a man who knows hes cooked.'

Young Thug, 32, who is in the midst of a criminal trial in Atlanta, donned a white dress shirt that read SEX Records: Truly Humble Under God in a court hearing on Monday

The logo was situated on the upper chest portion of his white dress shirt

Another user commented that the 'shirt was inappropriate for court and his attorney should have advised him before court this morning!'

One user noted: 'The choice of attire in courtrooms often raises eyebrows. It'll be intriguing to see how such expressions are perceived within legal settings.'

In the trial, prosecutors allege Young Thug led a violent street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, that was responsible for killings, shootings, carjackings and other crimes over about a decade.

Prosecutors said allege that he used his successful music career and social media posts to promote the gang and establish its dominance.

Defense attorneys have said police and prosecutors relied heavily on jailhouse informants who had every reason to tell them what they wanted to hear.

They have also criticized prosecutors use of rap lyrics as evidence of crimes, saying their clients art and free expression are being improperly used against them.

The Grammy winner was charged in 2022 in a sprawling indictment that accused him and more than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia's anti-racketeering law. He also is charged with gang, drug and gun crimes and is standing trial with five of the others indicted with him.

Fulton County prosecutor Adriane Love didn't dispute that Young Thug is a talented artist, but she said he exploited his gift for a darker purpose, using his songs, clout and social media posts to promote and establish the dominance of his gang, Young Slime Life, or YSL.

A number of social media users commented on the fashion statement made by the musical artist in his court outing

The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, wore a black tie to round out his ensemble, which did not interrupt proceedings in what marked the 15th day of the RICO trial

The rapper was seen filing through papers during the court hearing Monday

'Through that music, through that blessing, the evidence will show, Jeffery Williams led that group of people who wreaked utter havoc on Fulton County,' Love told jurors during her opening statement November 27.

Defense attorney Brian Steel acknowledged that his client's songs mention killing police, people being shot, drugs and drive-by shootings, but he said those are just the words he rhymed and a reflection of his rough upbringing and not a chronicle of his own activities.

'They want you to fear music that talks about killing, drugs,' Steel told the jury in his opening statement Tuesday. 'It is art. You dont like it, you dont have to listen to it. This is America. It is art.'

Steel mentioned Young Thug's collaborations with high-profile artists, appearances on television and numerous awards and riches that came with it. The rapper is so busy and successful that he wouldn't have the time or motivation to lead a gang, Steel said.

'He is not sitting there telling people to kill people,' he said. 'He doesnt need their money. Jeffreys worth tens of millions of dollars.'

Steel noted that YSL is the name of Young Thug's successful record label, but Love said the actions outlined in the indictment 'have nothing to do with a recording label.'

The gang began about a decade ago in Atlantas Cleveland Avenue neighborhood, born of an internal rift in a preceding gang, and Young Thug emerged as its leader, Love said. The gangs members were 'associated in fact' - using common identifiers, language, symbols and colors - and they 'knew who their leader was and they knew the repercussions of not obeying their leader,' she said.

In the trial, prosecutors allege Young Thug led a violent street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, that was responsible for killings, shootings, carjackings and other crimes over about a decade

Prosecutors said allege that he used his successful music career and social media posts to promote the gang and establish its dominance

The recording artist was pictured onstage in Chicago in August of 2021

The rapper was pictured in his mug shot in May of 2022 following his arrest in the case

The people who have been affected directly and indirectly by the gang's violence represent the lives 'swallowed up by that crater created by YSL in the Cleveland Avenue community,' Love said.

Young Thug was born into poverty in a crime-ridden housing project where he developed a strong distrust of the criminal justice system, Steel said. His family moved to the Cleveland Avenue area when he was 16, and he got out through hard work and talent, Steel said. But he didn't forget his roots and has been extremely generous with his good fortune, Steel said.

'Hes not the crater. Hes trying to pull people out of poverty,' Steel said.

The indictment charges all the defendants with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Love acknowledged that may sound complicated but told the jurors it's actually quite simple.

The members of the gang committed crimes, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and theft to further the gang's mission, she said. Those actions and others that aren't crimes - rap lyrics, social media posts, flashing gang signs - combined to form a pattern of illegal activity, she said.

'They endeavored to do some illegal stuff to get a bunch of stuff that didn't belong to them,' Love said.

Prosecutors have made clear that they intend to use rap lyrics from songs by the defendants to help make their case. This is a controversial tactic, but Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville earlier this month said he'd conditionally allow certain lyrics as long as prosecutors can show they're linked to the crimes alleged in the indictment.

Prosecutors have said they're not pursuing Young Thug and others because of violent lyrics.

'We didnt chase the lyrics to solve the murders,' Love said. 'We chased the murders and, as the evidence will show, in the process, we found the lyrics.'
Roxy Jacenko took to social media on Monday to deliver a blistering rant about a passenger who broke an unspoken rule of flying when sitting next to her on a flight.

The PR queen, 43, shared a photo of the person in the window seat next to Roxy's middle seat, hogging the arm rest and leaning their head into Roxy's personal space.

The blonde bombshell did not mince words in her caption, writing: 'Passenger next to me may as well put his head on my shoulder.'

'I was a good mother and took the middle seat instead of making my son Hunter do so,' she added.

The passenger was committing a faux pas by breaking one of the unspoken rules of airplane etiquette.

Roxy Jacenko (pictured) took to social media on Monday to launch a scathing rant against a passenger who broke an unspoken rule of flying when sitting next to her on a flight

In a typical three-seat row on a plane, the person in the middle seat is seen to have the right to use both their arm rests, in exchange for not having the window view or easy access to the aisle.

Roxy was returning to Singapore after a short trip to Australia to collect some high-end jewellery.

The stunner recently took to Instagram to show off a bespoke, claw-set diamond necklace which was made for her by jeweller-to-the-stars Nicholas Haywood.

The PR queen, 43, shared a photo of a person in the window seat next to Roxy's middle seat, hogging the arm rest and leaning their head into Roxy's personal space. The blonde bombshell did not mince words when revealing what she thought about this kind of behaviour

Nicholas Haywood has a range of ready-to-wear and custom designs, and according to the luxury Sydney jeweller, 'a piece of this quality stone, size, and custom nature' retails for upwards of $180,000.

In the Instagram post, Roxy shared a picture of the necklace being held up to the camera.

Roxy has been busy making a new life for herself in Singapore after packing up and moving her family to the Southeast Asian country in July.

The passenger was committing a faux pas by breaking one of the one spoken rules of airplane etiquette. In a standard three-seat row on a plane, the person sitting in the middle seat is thought to have the right to use both their arm rests

The Sweaty Betty founder revealed back in June she was leaving Sydney to live with her husband in Singapore.

She admitted her life in the harbour city has a stark difference to her upcoming new life overseas.

'No one knows me there, no one has any preconceived idea of who or what I am, no one has any expectation, and best of all, no one actually cares!' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Kristen Stewart got brunch with her fiancee Dylan Meyer at Little Dom's in LA's trendy Los Feliz neighborhood on Monday not far from her $2.195M four-bedroom home.

The 33-year-old Oscar nominee - famed for her luxe and grunge style - sported a teal jacket over a white top, baggy black jeans, and matching canvas shoes.

Kristen and the 36-year-old Moxie screenwriter - rocking double denim - were joined at the Italian restaurant by two friends.

The Living for the Dead producers announced their engagement on The Howard Stern Show in November 2021 after two years of dating.

Stewart revealed on the October 26th episode of Watch What Happens Live that famous foodie Guy Fieri reached out to her about officiating her long-delayed nuptials.

Kristen Stewart (R) got brunch with her fiancee Dylan Meyer (L) at Little Dom's in LA's trendy Los Feliz neighborhood on Monday not far from her $2.195M four-bedroom home

'He marries a lot of queer people. I think his sister is one of us, and I think he officiates a lot of them. So I think I heard that, and I was like, "Guy! My Guy? You kidding me?"' the Boygenius: The Film director recalled to host Andy Cohen.

'He did kind of reach out. Well [his people] reached out and were like, "You know, we're down for this." And I was like, "Me too, but also I'm bad at planning so like I'll hit you up soon." I think we're probably just going to like marry each other and then call Guy and say, "You were here in spirit, Babe."'

As for when Kristen and Dylan will finally tie the knot, she coyly said: 'I don't know. We're gonna sort of surprise ourselves.'

Stewart was said to have originally met Meyer way back in 2013 on the set of a film (most likely Camp X-Ray).

The bisexual beauty reportedly previously romanced Sara Dinkin, Stella Maxwell, St. Vincent, Soko, Nicholas Hoult, Alicia Cargile, Lane Garrison, Rupert Sanders, Robert Pattinson, Anton Yelchin, and Michael Angarano.

Last month, Kristen appeared in Paul Jay's documentary How to Stop a Nuclear War, which is being produced by her fiancee's Oscar-nominated father Nicholas Meyer and narrated by Oscar winner Emma Thompson - according to THR.

Stewart will next head to Utah to attend the world premiere of Sam & Andy Zuchero's sci-fi drama Love Me on January 19 at the Eccles Theatre in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival.

The Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize-winning 92-minute movie stars the Rita Ora video vixen and Golden Globe winner Steven Yeun as a buoy and a satellite (in various forms) meeting online and falling in love long after humanitys extinction.

The 33-year-old Oscar nominee - famed for her luxe and grunge style - sported a teal jacket over a white top, baggy black jeans, and matching canvas shoes

Kristen and the 36-year-old Moxie screenwriter - rocking double denim - were joined at the Italian restaurant by two friends

The Living for the Dead producers announced their engagement on The Howard Stern Show in November 2021 after two years of dating (pictured October 18)

Stewart revealed on the October 26th episode of Watch What Happens Live that famous foodie Guy Fieri reached out to her about officiating her long-delayed nuptials: 'I think we're probably just going to like marry each other and then call Guy and say, "You were here in spirit, Babe"'

As for when the Boygenius: The Film director and Dylan will finally tie the knot, she coyly said: 'I don't know. We're gonna sort of surprise ourselves'

Last month, Kristen appeared in Paul Jay's documentary How to Stop a Nuclear War, which is being produced by her fiancee's Oscar-nominated father Nicholas Meyer (L, pictured May 11) and narrated by Oscar winner Emma Thompson

Stewart will next head to Utah to attend the world premiere of Sam & Andy Zuchero's sci-fi drama Love Me on January 19 at the Eccles Theatre in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival (pictured with Golden Globe winner Steven Yeun)

The Rita Ora video vixen will also attend the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rose Glass' bodybuilding romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding on January 20 at the Eccles Theatre (pictured with Katy O'Brian)

Kristen will also attend the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rose Glass' bodybuilding romantic thriller Love Lies Bleeding on January 20 at the Eccles Theatre.

In the 104-minute A24 movie, Stewart plays a reclusive gym manager named Lou, who falls hard for an ambitious bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O'Brian) with a criminal family.

Love Lies Bleeding - also starring Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Dave Franco - will eventually hit US theaters on March 8 and UK theaters on April 19.

The homeschooled millennial is also slated to appear in Michael Angarano's road trip comedy Sacramento, Kirsten Johnson's Susan Sontag biopic, and Karim Ainouz's dark satire Rosebushpruning.

But it's unclear what the status is of Kristen's feature directorial debut - a big-screen adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's 2011 memoir The Chronology of Water starring Imogen Poots.
Paul Giamatti enjoyed a very casual celebration following his Golden Globes win on Sunday.

The actor, 56, skipped the glitzy afterparties and instead drove to fast-food restaurant In-N-Out in Westwood, California, for a burger and fries.

The Holdovers star, who won an award for Best Actor in a Comedy for the role, was still dressed to the nines in his black tuxedo as he enjoyed his meal.

His Golden Globe trophy was visible on the table beside him, amid an order of burger and fries.

Giamatti reportedly received applause from the other patrons upon arrival, as per Page Six.

PAUL GIAMATTI keeping it real post his Golden Globes win last night , at the Westwood In-N-Out in L.A. pic.twitter.com/bmhbLhy3DB  Michael Warburton (@MichaelWarbur17) January 8, 2024

Paul Giamatti enjoyed a casual celebration following his Golden Globes win on Sunday, as he was spotted at fast-food restaurant In-N-Out enjoying a burger and fries alongside his trophy

He enjoyed the meal in the company of his girlfriend, Clara Wong, as well as his manager, his publicist and his agent, according to the publication.

'They went for a celebratory meal he's a big In-N-Out fan, and was a great way to celebrate before the parties,' a source close to the actor revealed to Page Six.

'People clapped when he came in it was near UCLA, so there were a lot of college kids,' the insider added.

The crowd, 'respectfully waited till he was done eating, and then asked him for pictures.'

Giamatti and friends reportedly ordered six classic 'double-doubles' - a cheeseburger consisting of two beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, spread, and onions.

A number of fans hilariously pointed out that Giamatti eating at In-N-Out while wearing a tuxedo was reminiscent of the scene from his 2004 film Sideways, where his character Miles wears a suit and drinks an expensive wine while dining at a burger joint.

'Reminds me of that scene in Sideways,' one person Tweeted.

'He's about to drink a $1000 bottle of wine in a paper cup,' another added alluding to the film.

'Bet theres a styrofoam cup of red wine in there somewhere #sideways.'

The Holdovers star, who won an award for Best Actor in a Comedy for the role, was still dressed to the nines in his black tuxedo as he enjoyed his meal

A number of fans hilariously pointed out that Giamatti eating at In-N-Out while wearing a tuxedo was reminiscent of the scene from his 2004 film Sideways; Seen in a still

Earlier in the night Giamatti cracked jokes and praised teachers during his acceptance speech

It was his third Golden Globe win. He previously won in 2011 for Barney's Version, and in 2009 for John Adams

The actor looked sharp on the red carpet at the event

'Did he bring a nice Pinot?' someone else inquired.

Other fans praised the actor for his casual approach to celebrating.

'I have huge respect for artists who pursue the art, and not the fame. Congratulations to Mr. Giamatti!'

'I love it humble and a great talent,' another chimed in.

After indulging in some fast food, Giamatti was spotted attending two afterparties in Beverly Hills, thrown by his agency, UTA, as well as Hollywood studio NBCUniversal.

Earlier in the night Giamatti cracked jokes and praised teachers during his acceptance speech.

'Oh my gosh, so many stairs. Too many stairs. My knees are shot, I'm telling you. Up and down all night, standing up and sitting down all night, my knees. I'm never going to be in John Wick 5 at this rate,' he joked during his speech.

'Surely this is the first time this award has been given to an actor who has played a man who smells like fish,' he said about his Holdovers character.

He went on: 'I want to give a shout-out to my son Samuel, who recently graduated from college. And it's a movie about a teacher. I play a teacher in it. My whole family, theyre teachers. All of them, going back generations.'

'Teachers are good people. Gotta respect them. They do a good thing. It's a tough job, so this is for teachers as well. Thanks, guys. Thank you.'

In the Holdovers he stars as a despised teacher at an all-boy boarding school who is forced to stay at the school over the winter break to supervise a student; Pictured in a still

Giamatti beat out Nicolas Cage for Dream Scenario, Timothee Chalamet for Wonka, Matt Damon for Air, Joaquin Phoenix for Beau Is Afraid and Jeffrey Wright for American Fiction.

It was his third Golden Globe win.

He previously won in 2011 for Barney's Version, and in 2009 for John Adams.

In the Holdovers he stars as a despised teacher at an all-boy boarding school who is forced to stay at the school over the winter break to supervise a student whose parents have opted not to spend the holidays with him.
She was busted for staging the perfect paparazzi picture in Sydney with her boyfriend on Monday.

But Elle Macpherson looked a little more candid during an outing with her American musician beau Doyle Bramhall just hours later.

On Tuesday, the lovebirds sported matching boho-style outfits as they strolled through the streets of Bondi Beach.

The 59-year-old supermodel dressed for the summer weather in a white broderie anglaise top paired with $1,017 white Isabel Marant jeans which featured cut-out detailing down both legs.

Elle, who was nicknamed 'The Body' by Time magazine in 1989, completed her look with a woven cowboy hat and shoulder bag, a pair of $1,000 taupe-coloured Isabel Marant studded suede slides and a pair of sunglasses.

Elle Macpherson and her boyfriend Doyle Bramhall wore matching boho outfits as she showed him around Bondi Beach on Tuesday

Her golden blonde locks were styled in a fresh blowout with her loosely-curled tresses cascading down her shoulders.

As for her boyfriend Doyle, the 54-year-old guitarist wore a white singlet layered with a beige vest.

He completed his look with matching beige trousers and a pair of very unique loafer shoes.

The 59-year-old supermodel dressed for the summer weather in a white broderie anglaise top paired with $1,017 white Isabel Marant jeans which featured cut-out detailing down both legs

Elle, who was nicknamed 'The Body' by Time magazine in 1989, completed her look with a woven cowboy hat and shoulder bag, a pair of $1,000 taupe-coloured Isabel Marant studded suede slides and a pair of sunglasses

The rocker, who previously dated Renee Zellweger, also showcased his massive arm tattoo of blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins.

Elle and her partner arrived in Sydney on Monday, where she was met by photographers as she headed into the Crown Sydney hotel.

But the star was busted for staging her own shoot - with Married At First Sight villain Harrison Boon spotting the supermodel outside the venue being swarmed by paparazzi.

She was seen repeatedly posing for the cameras to capture the perfect frame.

Her golden blonde locks were styled in a fresh blowout with her loosely-curled tresses cascading down her shoulders

As for her boyfriend Doyle, the 54-year-old guitarist wore a white singlet layered with a beige vest

Elle appeared to be makeup free during the outing

The reality star posted a video of Elle in action to his Instagram Stories, revealing she and her new boyfriend repeated their walk into the venue several times.

'They did this cringe walking in thing about 250 times no exaggeration,' Harrison wrote in his caption.

Elle was photographed beaming at cameras as she held hands with Doyle on her way into Crown Sydney.

In Harrison's video, she is seen circling and doubling back before approaching photographers a second time.

The pair walked hand-in-hand as Elle showed her boyfriend around the popular tourist hotspot

The rocker also showcased his massive arm tattoo of blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins

Elle is in Australia for the first time in four years to celebrate her health brand WelleCo's 10th anniversary

The star touched down at Sydney Airport on Monday morning with her guitarist boyfriend Doyle.

She looked incredibly youthful as she made her return Down Under for the first time in four years to celebrate her health brand WelleCo's 10th anniversary.

The couple, who have been together more than a year, appeared in good spirits as they greeted several airport employees and waited for their luggage to be loaded into their awaiting limousine.

Elle is also set to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne, which kicks off round one on Sunday, January 14.

Elle and her partner arrived in Sydney on Monday, where she was met by photographers as she headed into the Crown Sydney hotel

But the star was busted for staging her own shoot - Married At First Sight villain Harrison Boon happened to spot the supermodel outside the venue being swarmed by paparazzi

Elle is also set to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne, which kicks off round one on Sunday, January 14
Florence Pugh got her week off to a fashionable start by doing some shopping, one day after rocking a stunning sheer look at the Golden Globes.

The 28-year-old actress was spotted getting some retail therapy with a friend at Fred Segal in Los Angeles on Monday.

The outing comes after she was considered one of the best dressed stars on the Golden Globes red carpet for her stunning red Valentino gown.

Pugh stepped out with a black t-shirt under a light black jacket for the shopping outing on Monday.

She rocked black sunglasses and accessorized with small gold hoop earrings plus a singular silver nose ring.

Florence Pugh got her week off to a fashionable start by doing some shopping, one day after rocking a stunning sheer look at the Golden Globes

She had a black backpack slung over one shoulder, with her Fred Segal bag slung over her right shoulder.

The actress completed her look with black jeans and black pumps for the shopping outing.

Pugh presented the award for Best Picture - Animated, which was won by the Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron.

Coincidentally, Pugh voiced the character Kiriko in the English-dubbed version of The Boy and the Heron, with Ko Shibasaki voicing the original Japanese version.

Pugh is coming off a big year in 2023, with The Boy and the Heron, along with Best Picture favorite Oppenheimer.

She also starred in the 2023 indie drama A Good Person, which was written and directed by Zach Braff, who she dated from 2019 to 2022.

Braff made headlines in March when he revealed during an interview that both he and Pugh still love each other and they're still good friends.

'I was on the Today show this morning, and she said she wanted to see pictures of what my outfit was to give approvals, so we love each other a lot,' he said.

She had a black backpack slung over one shoulder, with her Fred Segal bag slung over her right shoulder.

The actress completed her look with black jeans and black pumps for the shopping outing

Pugh will next be seen on the big screen in Dune: Part Two, where she plays Princess Irulan Corrino, in theaters March 1.

The actress will also return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yelena Belova from 2020's Black Widow in the upcoming Thunderbolts, in theaters July 25, 2025.

She also has We Live In Time in post-production, the latest from director John Crowley and starring alongside Andrew Garfield.

Pugh is also set to star in The Pack alongside Alexander Skarsgard, who will be making his feature directorial debut.
Merrick Watts has revealed a striking new look on his Instagram.

The larrikin comedian, 50, who found fame as one half of Merrick and Rosso on Triple J in the late '90s, showed off his dramatic weight loss on Monday.

In footage shared to the social media platform, Watts looked every inch the buff hunk in a black workout singlet, with his hair was also noticeably longer.

Striding across the beach looking lean and showing off muscular shoulders, he gave his followers advice for dealing with 'haters.'

'Ask yourself two simple questions: are they the best at what they do and are they the best at what you do? The answer is always no, so you do you, because you're good enough,' the radio host said.

Merrick Watts has revealed a striking new look on his Instagram

In footage shared to the social media platform, Watts looked every inch the buff hunk in a black workout singlet as he shared an inspirational message to his 55,000 followers

Watts earlier admitted that his transformation came after appearing on the 2020 season of SAS Australia.

He claimed the show helped him achieve 'the best physical and mental state I've been in in my entire life'.

Speaking candidly at the time, he said he struggled with anxiety and depression before making the appearance on the grueling Channel Seven series.

The father-of-two said he had been in the 'worst mental state' of his life, and not even a psychologist or 10-week meditation course could help.

'I felt like I was chipping away,' Watts said during an interview with Nova's Fitzy and Wippa.

'I did all the right things, I spoke to a psychologist, I spoke to my doctor, I did a 10-week meditation course. Nothing was working. I know that what I needed was to rebuild my confidence.'

'Ask yourself two simple questions: are they the best at what they do and are they the best at what you do? The answer is always no, so you do you, because you're good enough,' the radio host said

Watts said he knew that going on SAS Australia would help him 'rebuild his confidence.'

'When I'm confident I'm very, very capable. When I'm not confident I go back into my shell... I knew that just the process of getting ready for SAS Australia would be enough to rebuild my confidence and I was right,' he explained.

'I look at myself, a year ago and when I signed up for this show I was in the worst mental state I've ever been in. I look at myself a year later and I'm in the best physical and mental state I've been in in my entire life.'

He finished: 'It's been extraordinarily good for my mind and my body.'
Kate Beckinsale has revealed she ended her glamorous night out at the Golden Globes supporting her loved ones in hospital.

The British actress, 50, has been quietly been caring for her beloved mother and stepfather as they battle a slew of serious health issues, DailyMail.com previously revealed, with insiders claiming those close to her have expressed concern for her own wellbeing amid the 'relentless strain.'

Kate's stepfather Roy Battersby, 87, is currently in hospital as he recovers from a stroke and battles two forms of cancer, with Kate ensuring she was back by his side after presenting an award at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Kate shared a slew of red carpet snaps followed by pictures of herself in hospital, captioning the post: 'Golden globes 2024 start to end'.

She was still clad in her glamorous Atelier Zuhra gown for the hospital visit, with Kate seen tucking into a burger before popping on her glasses to go through her phone.

Kate Beckinsale has revealed she ended her glamorous night out at the Golden Globes supporting her loved ones in hospital as her stepfather recovers from a stroke

Hours earlier Kate attended the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to present an award but made sure she ended the night with family

Her friends and followers were quick to check in on the star, with one commenting: 'I dont know how you made it through last night with all that is going on. You are strong and a consummate pro.

'Having to leave the side of your beautiful Roy to honor this commitment at the Globes was above and beyond. Sending love and prayers to you and your family. Im so happy you were able to make it back to the hospital. '

Kate responded: 'thank you and thank you for your supportive texts all the way through . That was so kind xx'

Misreading the situation, one follower commented: 'Haha damn what the hell happened', to which Kate explained: 'nothing funny Ill tell you that.'

Kate also battled a slew of trolls in the comments, with one asking: 'Why do you always wear those 15 heels? So odd', prompting the sassy comeback: 'why do you still have a soul patch in 2024. Oh! Its your choice . Gotcha'.

Another troll shared: 'Very absolutely wonderful, elegant, & perfect. When are you going to actually have a matching personality for your looks?' with Kate responding: 'youve not met me so Im confused by this . Its also incredibly mean. Was that your intention ?'

Last month, it was revealed Kate's stepfather had been hospitalised due to a 'massive stroke.'

The latest health scare comes amidst her mother Judy Loe's own private battle. The 76-year-old was diagnosed with a longstanding illness six years ago - something Kate has alluded to in several emotional Instagram posts over the past year.

The Underworld actress flew her parents out to the US from their home in the UK so she could care for them full-time at her Los Angeles home.

'Kate has been caring for her parents, who both have serious illnesses, for most of the year', a source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com. 'She brought them to her home in LA and has made looking after them her number one priority.'

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Kate shared a slew of red carpet snaps followed by pictures of herself in hospital, captioning the post: 'Golden globes 2024 start to end'

Her friends and followers were quick to check in on the star but Kate also had her fair share of trolls to deal with after sharing the images

The British actress, 50, has been quietly been caring for her beloved mother Judy Loe and stepfather Roy Battersby as they battle a slew of serious health issues (pictured in 2021)

The insider revealed that the Snow Angels star - whose biological father Richard Beckinsale died, aged 31, from a heart attack in his sleep in 1979 - has been feeling the emotional toll in recent months.

'She was spotted this week several times crying in the corridors of UCLA hospital,' the source added. 'Her friends are very concerned that she has been under relentless strain for months and hardly sleeping or eating.

'Kate appears to be very strong but this has been incredibly hard and, given that she lost her father so young, is affecting her very deeply. Her friends are concerned for her own health.'

A second source explained that her mother Judy has chosen to keep her health battle private, stating: 'She's extraordinary, you wouldn't even know by looking at her. She has been keeping a very positive attitude throughout everything.'

Kate's biological father was the late British actor Richard Beckinsale, best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the BBC sitcom Porridge, and Alan Moore in the ITV sitcom Rising Damp.

He also had daughter Samantha, 55 - his only child from his marriage to Margaret Bradley.

Roy also comes from the world of TV, having enjoyed a very successful career as a director, working on major British on-screen hits including Inspector Morse, Cracker, and A Touch of Frost.

Kate has alluded to her parents' ailing health online in recent months, sharing images of her mother undergoing treatment in hospital.

In August she encouraged fans to do what makes them happy in the Instagram caption, writing: 'Embrace joy. Accept grief. Wear feathers. Sing. Do what makes you feel happy even for a moment. Pair grief and sickness and fear with as much life and laughter and celebration as you possibly can.

'It doesnt mean you are having some sort of crisis. It means you are choosing life, fiercely. Be brave, and when you dont feel brave, listen. Laugh hard, dance hard, cry hard, love hard with those you trust.'

Kate's mother has been privately battling her own illness for the past six years while her stepfather is currently in hospital

She continued: 'Spread love when you can. Read. Stay in bed and cry when its from all sides and feels like an avalanche. Try not to be mean, or to take on others meanness. People can break.

'Be kind. Fight with everything youve got for your loved ones , and for your own spirit x.'

However, the Much Ado About Nothing actress is determined to put on a brave face and do all she can to continue supporting her loved ones during this difficult time.

'Kate has been attempting to maintain a positive public and professional presence, and remain upbeat for her family,' the source added.

Kate's mother, who is also an actress, married Roy in 1997 - 18 years after Kate's father died.
Kaley Cuoco revealed that her baby daughter Matilda watched the first season of Succession while talking about parenting on Monday on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

The 38-year-old actress has nine-month-old daughter Matilda with her actor partner Tom Pelphrey, 41, and told Jimmy, 56, how she recently was on a plane flight and sat next to a couple with a six-month-old baby.

'I knew our flight was coming up. I was like, ''Oh, my god. How are you going to do this?'' ...I said, ''Are you going to watch some TV, put some TV on for the kid?'' She was like, ''Oh, no. We don't allow TV yet for our kid.'' And I was thinking, Matilda just watched the first season of Succession last week,' Kaley said as Jimmy burst into laughter.

'I was like, okay, so are we not supposed to do that? I don't understand. I'm like not kidding. We watched the finale. She's like, oh my god,' Kaley said laughing while wearing a sparkling little black dress and a nameplate necklace reading 'Tildy'.

Kaley joked that Matilda was 'really shocked at the finale' of the HBO drama.

Kaley Cuoco revealed that her baby daughter Matilda watched the first season of Succession while talking about parenting on Monday on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC

'I told her the show was over, she cried,' Kaley said.

'I think I'm doing everything the opposite than people are doing,' Kaley said.

Jimmy said that he remembered watching a lot of television as a kid and being told to read books.

'Now I think television is books, and iPads are television,' Jimmy said.

'Yes, I agree! I agree,' Kaley said.

'Like, if you can keep them off the iPad, yeah, put her in front of the television, no problem at all,' Jimmy quipped.

'Oh, she loves her iPad, too,' Kaley said.

The 38-year-old actress has nine-month-old daughter Matilda with her actor partner Tom Pelphrey , 41, and told Jimmy, 56, how she recently was on a plane flight with a baby on board

'Now I think television is books, and iPads are television,' Jimmy said

'Oh, she loves her iPad, too,' Kaley said

Tom Pelphrey and Kaley, shown in April in Los Angeles, have nine-month-old Matilda together

'Oh, she's got an iPad?,' Jimmy asked.

'Oh, she's watching everything. I have no shame. As long as she's not crying,' Kaley said.

'Does she know how to operate the iPad?,' Jimmy asked.

'She is getting really good. It's scary. She can move. The hands move,' Kaley said.

Jimmy joked that Kaley was making a lot of parents feel good about what they're doing.

'One or the other, we'll see. A lot of judgment. Stop judging the moms out there. Come on, guys. Let them watch Succession,' Kaley said.

Kaley said Tom was the 'opposite' of her and called him the 'safe' parent.

'She is nine months old. He still holds her where her head won't fall. Honey, I think her head is okay,' Kaley said.

Kaley said Tom, shown holding Matilda on Instagram last month, was the 'opposite' of her and called him the 'safe' parent

'She is nine months old. He still holds her where her head won't fall. Honey, I think her head is okay,' Kaley said

Kaley was on the ABC talk show to promote her new action comedy movie Role Play that is scheduled to be released on Friday on Amazon Prime Video.

The Big Bang Theory star is a producer of the film that also stars David Oyelowo, Connie Nielsen and Bill Nighy.

Kaley portrays Emma Brackett who has a secret life as an assassin that her husband Dave, played by David, discovers when they try to spice up their marriage with a little role play.

The movie was filmed in 2022 in Berlin and Kaley told Jimmy that she found out she was pregnant during the first week of shooting.

'So I did that whole movie pregnant,' Kaley said.

'I was a pregnant assassin. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't think they'd let me do any fun assassin stuff. The only person I told was my stunt double and Tom,' she said.

Kaley said she had morning sickness while filming.

'I was so sick. So the only thing I wanted that entire shoot was Taco Bell and they don't have Taco Bell in Berlin. All of Germany, no Taco Bell,' Kaley said. 'You might want to get on that.'

'I was a pregnant assassin. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't think they'd let me do any fun assassin stuff. The only person I told was my stunt double and Tom,' Kaley said

Kaley said she craved Taco Bell, but the other food she wanted was Subway.

'I just wanted tuna sandwiches from Subway. So I would be in the corner eating tuna sandwiches,' she said.

Kaley admitted it must have been a 'gross visual'.

'And no one knew I was pregnant. And they're like, all she is eating is tuna sandwiches, acting very weird and a lot of sweating. It wasn't ideal,' Kaley said.
Georgia Kousoulou has spoken out on her struggle to conceive a second child in the new series of her hit ITVBe reality show.

The former TOWIE star, 32, and her husband Tommy Mallet, 31, launched series five of their show Georgia and Tommy: Baby Steps this week, and the opening episode focuses on the aftermath of their miscarriage.

The couple had a miscarriage in April 2023, and with the new series picking up in September, they tell their fans about their 'tough few months.'

'Since we lost the baby in April I have had my days,' Georgia explained on the show. 'I get good days and I get bad days which I think is completely normal.'

'There are still going to be things that trigger me. The last week I feel like I'm in a better place, it's taken a long time though.'

Georgia Kousoulou has spoken out on her struggle to conceive a second child in the new series of her hit ITVBe reality show

The former TOWIE star, 32, and her husband Tommy Mallet , 31, launched series five of their show Georgia and Tommy: Baby Steps this week, and the opening episode focuses on the aftermath of their miscarriage

'I would love to be pregnant right now, I thought I would have been by now but you can only want something so much. All we can do is hope and pray that it happens but unfortunately I can't control my body.'

In a teaser for next week's episode, Georgia is seen in floods of tears as she asks a friend 'why aren't I pregnant yet?'

Tommy explained how the couple and their son Brody, two, escaped to Majorca for three months in the summer after the miscarriage.

'Georgia has had a tough few months but we are coming out the other end of it,' he explained on the show.

'My main priority over the past three months has been Georgia and making sure she gets out of this place that she has been in. It's been hard, and we haven't spoken about it either.'

Tommy revealed that he has turned to crystals for comfort over the past year, telling the camera: 'When you go through trauma, especially at rock bottom, you find things to comfort you, for me its the spiritual side.'

'I just want to make sure Georgia gets what's she wants, it's been enough about me the past few years but the pressure is very very hard.'

Later in the episode, Georgia breaks down in tears as she and Tommy drop Brody off for his first day of nursery.

'It's very hard to let go of the baby stage, as you can tell I'm not dealing with it very well and I'm not letting go,' she said.

'Since we lost the baby in April I have had my days,' Georgia explained on the show. 'I get good days and I get bad days which I think is completely normal'

Tommy explained how the couple and their son Brody, two, escaped to Majorca for three months in the summer after the miscarriage

'Georgia has had a tough few months but we are coming out the other end of it,' he explained on the show

Georgia has spoken openly about her struggles with Brody starting nursery, saying: 'It's very hard to let go of the baby stage, as you can tell I'm not dealing with it very wel;'

'I still call him the baby. I'm lost, I've been a mum and that's been my purpose the whole time. I did think I would have a newborn baby to deal with.'

'That was the plan when I put him down for nursery. But now I'm just me. It's actually really horrible but I can't be selfish and keep him at home with me forever.'

Georgia and Tommy tied the knot in a secret intimate London ceremony on December 1, 2023, but will have a second, more lavish celebration in the sunshine with their wider friends and family this summer.

The couple had previously called off their wedding in May 2023, as the miscarriage occurred in the previous month.

Georgia and Tommy tied the knot in a secret intimate London ceremony on December 1, 2023, but will have a second, more lavish celebration in the sunshine with their wider friends and family this summer

Tommy said at the time: 'The wedding is going ahead bigger than ever next year. We pushed back the planning of the wedding after we lost the baby.

'We were meant to fly to Majorca to plan the wedding and have some alone time but didn't go because we discovered the miscarriage.

'But we haven't cancelled anything. We're going strong, we've got a big day to plan and Georgia needs it as well.

'I want her to have the same second name and she deserves a really good day now and next year we're making it happen.'

Georgia and Tommy: Baby Steps airs on Sundays on ITVBe
Kellie Dickerson has died aged just 53.

The Australian musical theatre director lost her battle with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) - a rare neurodegenerative disorder.

Her agent, Working Management, confirmed the sad news with fans on Instagram on Tuesday.

'It was both a joy and honour to be your friend and agent. You gave so much to so many,' the post began.

'A true icon of the industry. Your energy, kindness and talent were boundless,' they continued.

Kellie Dickerson (pictured) has died aged 53. The beloved Australian musical theatre director lost her battle with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) - a rare neurodegenerative disorder

'You never gave up the fight, humour, grace or Wordle!'

Musical threatre star Rhonda Burchmore was among those who shared a tribute on Instagram.

'Rest in peace darling Kellie and fly high beautiful lady - MSA is the cruelest of neurological diseases -I know full well as this is the same disease that took my sister's life away,' she wrote.

'Now you can be reunited with darling Rob. Much love to your beautiful parents, Toni and John who cared so wonderfully for you. I am so very sad.'

She was diagnosed with MSA in 2020 after first noticing symptoms such as low blood pressure and slurred speech in 2018. Pictured with musical theatre star Lucy Durack

Musical theatre star Rhonda Burchmore was among those who shared a tribute on Instagram. 'I am so very sad,' she wrote

Dickerson lost her partner, Rob Guest, to a stroke when he was just 57 in 2008.

She was diagnosed with MSA in 2020 after first noticing symptoms such as low blood pressure and slurred speech in 2018.

It was a two-year battle to get a diagnosis, with the director demanding an MRI before she got the awful news.

'First of all I noticed my balance was poor so I would stumble, and the second thing was my speech was a little slurred as if I was drunk, but of course I wasn't. I wouldn't drink at work,' she told Limelight.

'I went to a doctor and I demanded an MRI scan because I thought it was better to know than not to know, and the first one came back normal and so they said "you are crazy", and I said "no, there is something not quite right"' Dickerson continued.

Kellie is pictured with Lucy Durack, Helen Dallimore, Jemma Rix and Amanda Harrison

'Basically the last two years have been a whirlwind of doctors, with me insisting that something was not right and them saying everything was fine.

'And gradually the second MRI showed something not right, but it wasn't a brain tumour, it wasn't cancer  which is something to be grateful for  and not MS. It was this rare condition called MSA.'

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare, degenerative neurological disorder affecting the body's involuntary functions, including blood pressure and motor control.

It shares many symptoms with Parkinson's disease, has no cure and has an average life expectancy of 7-10 years from the time symptoms first appear.

Dickerson retired from theatre in 2020 and as her disease progressed, she moved home to Dubbo, NSW, where she was cared for by her parents.

She was an award-winning theatre director, best known for helming productions of the musicals Wicked, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and City of Angels.
Sarah Jayne Dunn made the most of the Barbados sun on Monday as she showed off her abs - and her hip tattoo - in bikini snaps while on a family boat trip.

The Hollyoaks actor-turned-OnlyFans model, 42, looked incredible in a blue butterfly bikini as she soaked up the rays on a catamaran, showing off her inking which reads: 'my whole heart my whole life'.

Sarah paired her two-piece with two gold pendant necklaces, a dainty bracelet and rings, and wore her wavy blonde locks down by her shoulders.

Sharing a carousel of photos to her Instagram, Sarah said: 'Boat days. Swipe to end to to see me losing my balance.'

She escaped the wintery weather by jetting off to the Caribbean island with her husband Jonathan Smith and son Stanley, seven.

Sarah Jayne Dunn made the most of the Barbados sun on Instagram on Monday as she showed off her abs- and that hip tattoo - in bikini snaps while on a family boat trip

The Hollyoaks actor-turned-OnlyFans model, 42, looked incredible in a blue butterfly bikini as she soaked up the rays on a catamaran

In two of the snaps shared by Sarah of their family boat day, Stanley photobombed his mum's bikini pictures by dancing in front of her.

The family seem to have been exploring the Carribean sea life as Stanley was seen sporting snorkelling goggles.

In the final picture, sunkissed Sarah steadied herself after losing her balance while posing.

It comes after the former soap actress was spotted sporting a different bikini on Thursday as the family enjoyed a day at the beach.

The floral tiny bikini highlighted the actress's toned abs and peachy bottom as she strutted along the shore before jumping into the sea.

She wasted no time throwing herself into the action with her son, diving into the water to take on an inflatable obstacle course.

During her time away, Sarah enjoyed a mini Hollyoaks reunion with Jodi Albert, who played Debbie Dean on the soap and is married to Westlife's Kian Egan.

Jodi flew out to Barbados with Kian and their three children, Koa, 12, Zeke, eight, and Cobi, six.

Sarah escaped the wintery weather when she jetted off to the Caribbean island with her husband Jonathan Smith and son Stanley, seven

In two of the snaps shared by Sarah of their family boat day, Stanley photobombed his mum's bikini pictures by dancing in front of her

Jodi and Kian attended Sarah's wedding to Jonathan in 2018, alongside Ali and co-stars Carley Stenson and Danny Mac.

Sarah shot to fame on the Channel 4 soap in 1996, playing Mandy for 25 years before being famously axed in 2021, after she refused to give up her lucrative OnlyFans career.

OnlyFans is an internet subscription service used primarily by sex workers who produce X-rated content.

Sarah has claimed to make upwards of 700,000 on the platform, almost six times what she made at the height of her Hollyoaks career.

The content creator also hosts a podcast, Hot & Bothered, where she admitted that she will probably give up OnlyFans once her son gets older.

At the time, she said: 'One of the biggest things that's come out of me doing OnlyFans is like, when you're a mum, you know, you "can't do that".'

'I'm a really good mum. Surely the important thing is that he's loved and he's happy and that he's fed?

In the final picture, sunkissed Sarah steadied herself after losing her balance while posing for the bikini snaps

'And he's still only six [now seven] years old. So for me, I will at some point probably get to that stage and go "okay, right. Maybe it's time to call it a day".

'When Stan maybe is about to start high school or something like that. Luckily, for now, he's in a gorgeous school with gorgeous parents and gorgeous kids. Everyone knows and it's okay.'

Sarah previously launched a fresh attack on Hollyoaks bosses, branding them hypocritical for sacking her over her OnlyFans career.

Speaking on the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast, she claimed she was once left feeling 'violated' over a sex scene with an enthusiastic new actor.

She also accused bosses of making one unnamed actress cry after a naked shower scene which she said was done on 'their terms'.

A spokesperson for the soap told MailOnline that they were 'unaware' of Sarah's complaints relating to her time on Hollyoaks.
Trinny Woodall is 'dipping a toe' back in the dating pool, following her split from Charles Saatchi.

The British businesswoman, 59, revealed she is feeling 'out of her depth' as she prepares to start dating again.

In a video shared to her Instagram, Trinny and pal Chloe DallOlio were showing fans how to dress for a first date.

Trinny wrote in the caption: 'If, like me, youre tiptoeing into the dating pool this year and feeling a little out of your depth, dont panic  @chloedallolio and I have cracked the code on date dressing for the woman you are today.'

The star went on the reveal she 'hasn't been on any dates yet' as she finds it 'really f***ing difficult'.

Trinny Woodall is 'dipping a toe' back in the dating pool, following her split from Charles Saatchi

Last year, Trinny split from her partner of a decade art collector and Nigella Lawson's former husband, Charles, 80

Trinny looked incredible in a plunging navy satin shirt, teamed with matching trousers and leopard print heels.

Last year, Trinny split from her partner of a decade art collector and Nigella Lawson's former husband, Charles, 80.

It was first reported in March the relationship had ended, with friends suggesting the 21-year age gap between them was to blame for them going their separate ways.

Two months after Trinny hinted the pair had gone their separate way, Charles was seen enjoying a cosy lunch date with the model Lady Martha Sitwell, 43.

Lady Sitwell later confirmed: 'Yes, we met for lunch. Charles is a very clever, very funny man.'

Charles was seen 'canoodling' with Lady Sitwell in his usual corner table at the Mayfair restaurant Scott's - where he had previously taken both Trinny and his ex-wife Nigella, 63.

They split in 2013 after pictures emerged of him grabbing Nigellas neck while they were dining outside the exclusive venue.

Trinny revealed to podcaster Elizabeth Day: 'I have been in a relationship for ten years, and whatever people choose to believe or read, I know I have been in love with the person I was in a relationship with, and I had good years in that relationship.

'But I also know that I got to a stage where I knew I was not happy in it. And that's a very tough thing. Because a relationship becomes familiar.'

In a video shared to her Instagram, Trinny and pal Chloe DallOlio were showing fans how to dress for a first date

She added: 'Oddly, I never thought, 'I'm scared to be on my own'. That's something that didn't occur to me at all. It was more, 'Do I feel quite on my own in the relationship?' And I did. I got to a stage where I felt on my own.

'So then in the end it was about, "OK, I have the power to do what I want to do". So I just then thought, "OK, I'm going to move on". And it was difficult, because any change is difficult.'

Trinny is a successful businesswoman, having launched a popular beauty and skincare brand, Trinny London, said to be worth 180million.

Her products sell to 200 countries and this month released a book, titled Fearless which covers everything from money to addiction and IVF.
Vikings hunk Travis Fimmel looks VERY different to his days as a Calvin Klein model as he sports shaggy beard and 80s attire while filming Boy Swallows Universe

Phoebe Tonkin stunned on the red carpet of the Boy Swallows Universe premiere in Brisbane on Tuesday when she stepped out in a gorgeous leather-look gown.

Turning heads upon her arrival, the Aussie actor, 34, slipped into an earthy red strapless dress with a loose skirt that tumbled to the ground.

The heavy folds complemented her form perfectly as The Vampire Diaries star added some edge to her look with black nail polish and black pointed heels.

Slicking her dark locks back behind her ears, Phoebe enhanced her genetically blessed features with a flawless base and a bold red lip.

A pair of chunky red earrings and bronzed eye shadow completed her look as the glamorous movie star worked all her best angles on the red carpet.

Phoebe Tonkin, 34, (pictured) stunned on the red carpet of the Boy Swallows Universe premiere in Brisbane on Tuesday when she stepped out in a gorgeous leather-look gown

Turning heads upon her arrival, the Aussie actor, 34, slipped into an earthy red strapless dress with a loose skirt that tumbled to the ground

The heavy folds complemented her form perfectly as The Vampire Diaries star added some edge to her look with black nail polish and black pointed heels

Meanwhile, co-star Travis Fimmel kept things very casual in just a pair of black slacks and a black button-down as he made his arrival.

Paired with a black cap, the Vikings star, 44, completed his low-key look with a pair of brown boots as he carried a beverage onto the red carpet.

He let his sandy blond locks flow free beneath his hat as he rocked a neatly trimmed Van Dyke beard.

Meanwhile, co-star Travis Fimmel kept things very casual in just a pair of black slacks and a black button-down as he made his arrival

Paired with a black cap, the Vikings star, 44, completed his low-key look with a pair of brown boots as he carried a beverage onto the red carpet

He let his sandy blond locks flow free beneath his hat as he rocked a neatly trimmed Van Dyke beard

Simon Baker donned a very chic look for the star-studded occasion as he rocked a crisp white T-shirt tucked into black jeans with a brown belt.

The Mentalist star, 54, slipped on a faded blue button-down over the top before accessorising with a pair of brown sneakers.

With tousled curls, he completed his outfit with a pair of trendy black framed glasses.

Simon Baker, 54, (pictured) donned a very chic look for the star-studded occasion as he rocked a crisp white T-shirt tucked into black jeans with a brown belt

The Mentalist star slipped on a faded blue button-down over the top before accessorising with a pair of brown sneakers

He completed his outfit with a pair of trendy black framed glasses

Finally, the leading young man of the flick in question was all smiles as he stepped out onto the red-carpet alongside his fellow actors.

Felix Bell, who stars in Boy Swallows Universe as Eli Bell, looked very stylish in a navy blue suit paired with a colourful button-down shirt.

The young actor opted for a messy but chic style for his dark curly locks.

Felix Bell, who stars in Boy Swallows Universe as Eli Bell, looked very stylish in a navy blue suit paired with a colourful button-down shirt
Millie Gibson transformed into Ruby Sunday on Monday as she and co-star Jonah Hauer-King filmed for Doctor Who in Barry, Wales.

The actress, 19, recently made her debut as the Doctor's newest companion in the Christmas Day special opposite Ncuti Gatwa.

She was seen hard at work shooting for more episodes of the beloved sci-fi show with Jonah, 28.

Details about Jonah's character have been kept under wraps, but it is thought he is playing a love interest of Ruby's.

Millie and Jonah were spotted filming in a coffee shop, having what appeared to be a romantic date together.

Millie Gibson transformed into Ruby Sunday on Monday as she and co-star Jonah Hauer-King filmed for Doctor Who in Barry, Wales

The actress, 19, recently made her debut as the Doctor's newest companion in the Christmas Day special opposite Ncuti Gatwa

She was seen hard at work shooting for more episodes of the beloved sci-fi show with Jonah, 28

Millie was seen laughing as she chatted to Jonah, while holding up a mysterious glass object in her hand, which seemed to be the subject of their discussion.

She looked stylish in her costume, donning a black pinstripe waistcoat over a yellow T-shirt while her blonde hair was styled in waves with a fringe.

Jonah wore a blue button-up shirt over a white top as he leaned over the table to show Millie his necklace.

While the pair were engaged in conversation however, another actor was seen watching from the street outside, dressed as a terrifying monster.

The man was seen wearing a full body costume, with wrinkled grey skin, claws and spikes down its back.

He was surrounded by crew members who helped him put on a mask completed with scary sharp teeth and glowing red eyes.

The actor crouched down over a wall outside the cafe before leaping down and running up the street.

Millie and Jonah were seen rising to leave and donning their coats while scanning the road outside for danger.

Details about Jonah's character have been kept under wraps, but it is thought he is playing a love interest of Ruby's

Millie and Jonah were spotted filming in a coffee shop, having what appeared to be a romantic date together

Millie was seen laughing as she chatted to Jonah, while holding up a mysterious glass object in her hand, which seemed to be the subject of their discussion

She looked stylish in her costume, donning a black pinstripe waistcoat over a yellow T-shirt while her blonde hair was styled in waves with a fringe

Jonah wore a blue button-up shirt over a white top as he leaned over the table to show Millie his necklace

The filming comes after Millie admitted she's finding her newfound fame 'hard to accept' after being cast in one of the most coveted roles on British TV.

Speaking to The Sunday Times last month, she admitted she's already been told that her 'life is going to change' thanks to her starring role in the new series airing this year.

The former Corrie star added that she's been 'preparing' for the release of the series after wrapping filming on it in 2023.

She said: 'So many people have sat me down and said, ''Look, your life will change.'' It is hard to accept that. It's a baffling thing to be told, to be honest.

'The first part was actually doing the job, preparing for that. And then the second part will be preparing for when it comes out.'

The star made the huge decision to leave Coronation Street last year after four years as Kelly Neelan, and just months later she was announced as The Doctor's newest companion.

Millie said: 'It's really easy to get too comfy there and a part of me was like, "If I don't leave now, I won't leave for a while." They didn't kill me off, which is lovely. So if it all goes wrong I can come crawling back.'

She recently revealed her favourite incarnation of the titular Time Lord after watching the BBC show as a child.

While the pair were engaged in conversation however, another actor was seen watching from the street outside, dressed as a terrifying monster

The man was seen wearing a full body costume, with wrinkled grey skin, claws and spikes down its back

He was surrounded by crew members who helped him put on a mask completed with scary sharp teeth and glowing red eyes

The actor crouched down over a wall outside the cafe lurking while watching the pair inside

The monster was then see leaping down and running up the street in a terrifying display

The costume department pulled out all the stops to create the frightening alien creature

The actor playing the scary role used his physicality to make the monster even more intimidating

He appeared to be a stunt performer of some kind as he fearlessly leaped off the wall

Doctor Who is famous for its horrifying creatures and nerve-wracking storylines

Fog machines were used to add mist to the scene to increase the fear factor even higher

Millie and Jonah were seen rising to leave and donning their coats while scanning the road outside for danger

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she explained: 'It was a thing me and my dad used to watch, I personally loved Matt Smith he was my Doctor.'

'I just found him so so magical to watch and it was just so nostalgic to rewatch those episodes leading up to my audition, and so I kept rewatching some things and I thought if I don't get this part I won't be able to watch this show ever again.'

Discussing her character Ruby, she added: 'Those two as a pair, I'm biased but I love them very much, Ruby and the Doctor is very similar to mine and Ncuti's relationship in real life as well.

'Ruby is very pure and innocent she's a very positive person. She's a great girl.'

The filming comes after Millie admitted she's finding her newfound fame 'hard to accept' after being cast in one of the most coveted roles on British TV

Speaking to The Sunday Times last month, she admitted she's already been told that her 'life is going to change' thanks to her starring role in the new series airing this year

The former Corrie star added that she's been 'preparing' for the release of the series after wrapping filming on it in 2023

She said: 'So many people have sat me down and said, ''Look, your life will change.'' It is hard to accept that. It's a baffling thing to be told, to be honest' (pictured on show with Ncuti)

The star made the huge decision to leave Coronation Street last year after four years as Kelly Neelan, and just months later she was announced as The Doctor's newest companion

She recently revealed her favourite incarnation of the titular Time Lord after watching the BBC show as a child

Discussing her character, she added: 'Those two as a pair, I'm biased but I love them very much, Ruby and the Doctor is very similar to mine and Ncuti's relationship in real life as well'
An Australian couple's viral TikTok dance showcasing their glorious Down Under summer has sparked a torrent of envy and rage from Brits.

The series of clips, shared by Queensland influencer Isabelle Petzl-Duncan, show her and her boyfriend Mitchell OLeary as they dance and lip-sync to the song 'Wake Up' by the British band The Vamps.

The couple are seen in various sunny locales, enjoying the clear skies and warmth of the Gold Coast.

Lyrics playing over their dance include the words, 'Wake up in the morning with the sunlight in my eyes. No my head dont feel so bright.'

However many U.K.-based commenters have ridiculed the pair in the comments and via their own versions of the dance.

A series of TikTok videos from Queensland influencer Isabelle Petzl-Duncan show her and her boyfriend Mitchell OLeary as they casually dance and lip-sync to the song 'Wake Up' by the British band The Vamps, sparking envy overseas. Both pictured

The couple are seen in various sunny locales, enjoying the clear skies and warmth of the Gold Coast . As they dance in these spots, lyrics of the song snippet play over their dancing 'Wake up in the morning with the sunlight in my eyes. No my head dont feel so bright'

'So irritating this song,' wrote one.

Others accused the duo of being one trick ponies with so many variations on the same video.

'6 videos with this sound in the last 4 days,' said one critic.

'WHAT THIS IS LIKE THE MILLIONTH ONE I CANT,' added another frustrated viewer.

Currently enduring snow flurries and icy roads, many UK TikTokkers have recreated the duo's performances with their own seasonal take on the dance.

'Instead we're in Britain in winter, it's cold and I have mocks on,' a tribute video was titled.

While one Aussie expat expressed her own longing for home in the comments: 'I was forced to move to the UK from Australia, I'm an Aussie girl at heart but I'm a hostage.'

Since their original video, the pair have continued to 'rub it in' with their British followers, posting follow up clips with the same song but in different idyllic settings

UK TikTokkers recreated the duo's performances but couldn't help but express envy over the sun-kissed tan lines and the overall positive vibes enjoyed by their Aussie inspiration. 'Instead we're in Britain in winter, it's cold and I have mocks on,' a tribute video was titled

However, some Australians on TikTok were quick to argue the point about the splendid weather.

'Don't worry none of us have tan lines ATM we have all been stuck inside for weeks thanks to storms,' a commenter remarked.

The TikTok trend has swiftly caught on, with other famous couples, such as Love Island's Zac and Lucinda, creating their own versions of the dance videos.

Petzl-Duncan has since shared the videos to Instagram, spreading the trend to another platform.

But the trend continues to garner attention on TikTok, racking up millions of views so far across the many similar videos.
Natalie Portman has revealed why she doesn't practise method acting in preparation for her upcoming roles.

The actress, 42, is currently starring in Todd Haynes' May December is known for her incredible array of parts throughout her film career.

She shed 20 pounds to play a prima ballerina in Black Swan and spent 10 months bulking up to swing a magic hammer in Thor: Love and Thunder, yet the star has now revealed she doesn't use method acting to get into role.

Method acting is a technique which sees actors fully inhabiting the role of a character using an emotion-orientated technique, instead of classical acting which is primarily action based.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal Magazine, Natalie explained: 'I've gotten very into roles, but I think it's honestly a luxury that women can't afford.

Natalie Portman, 42, has revealed why she doesn't practise method acting and told Wall Street Journal she believes it is a 'luxury women can't afford'

She explained: 'I don't think that children or partners would be very understanding of, you know, me making everyone call me 'Jackie Kennedy' all the time' (pictured in biographical drama Jackie in 2016)

'I don't think that children or partners would be very understanding of, you know, me making everyone call me "Jackie Kennedy" all the time.'

Robert De Niro is one of the most famous method actors, after he embarked on 12-hour shifts as a cab driver for his role in Taxi Driver in 1976.

Yet as Natalie referred to her role as John F Kennedy's grief stricken wife Jacqueline in the 2016 biographical drama of the same name, she explained she couldn't bring this role into her family home.

The star has been married to French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied since 2012 , but they are now thought to have split - the couple share two children together, Aleph, 12, and Amalia, 6.

In her latest role in May December, Natalie plays emotional manipulator Elizabeth who is an actor hungry for prestige and acclaim.

As Elizabeth prepares for her next roleplaying Gracie (Julianne Moore), who seduced a 13-year-old when she was 36Elizabeth goes to unusual and exploitative lengths to understand the woman's motivations.

Discussing how she used experiences from her own career to play an actress who is researching a role in the new film she explained: 'There is just a consciousness of all the layers of performance that range from when you actually are playing a role [to] the kind of performance that Elizabeth might need to walk into a barbecue and seem really down-to-earth and friendly and make people comfortable.'

After the Golden Globes on Sunday, Bradley Cooper was mocked by movie fans after he lost out on a prestigious award for Netflix's Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro, losing out on Best Actor to Oppenheimer's Cillian Murphy.

While Natalie shed 20 pounds to play a prima ballerina in Black Swan, she explained: 'I've gotten very into roles, but I think it's [method acting] honestly a luxury that women can't afford'

In her latest role in May December, Natalie plays emotional manipulator Elizabeth who is an actor hungry for prestige and acclaim (pictured at the premiere in November 2023)

After the Golden Globes on Sunday, Bradley Cooper was mocked by movie fans after he lost out on a prestigious award for Netflix 's Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro

Bradley practised method acting for the role, even staying in character while directing scenes.

He explained that he has utilised method acting ever since starring alongside Christian Bale in 2018's American Hustle, revealing: 'I was playing Lenny throughout his life. I would spend three to six hours in the makeup trailer every day before the crew arrived.

'It was hilarious, because on days when I was young Lenny, the energy of the set was faster, and we got more done. And then when I was old Lenny, it had a slower gear. If you ask the crew or cast, Lenny directed the movie.

He added to The Hollywood Reporter: 'I have hand signals with the sound mixer and the camera operator. I dont call action. After everythings set up, Ill just start talking and bring the actors, and often they dont know were rolling.

'And then theyre like, "The scenes over." And theyre like, "Huh?" Im [playing] Lenny Bernstein, so Im not breaking in and out of character.
Stacey Solomon has given her followers a new health update after she had to be rushed to hospital on the last day of her family holiday to Jamaica.

The Loose Women star, 34, took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to reveal she had been struck down by an infection while on her trip.

She explained that her fever got so high she had to go to hospital and be treated with oxygen, antibiotics and an IV drip.

Stacey took to her Instagram again on Monday to give an update her wellbeing after the ordeal and admitted she 'may have cried'.

She shared a photo of a bowl of chicken soup with noodles and dumplings and captioned it: 'Happy Monday.

Stacey Solomon has given her followers a new health update after she had to be rushed to hospital on the last day of her family holiday to Jamaica (pictured on trip)

The Loose Women star, 34, took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to reveal she had been struck down by an infection while on her trip

'My friends came over. Brought chicken soup. Put away Christmas for me. I may have cried. The end.'

It comes after Stacey said she would be taking things easy for a while after her hospital experience 'scared' her.

She had jetted off to the Caribbean with 20 of her family members for a festive break, joined by her husband Joe Swash, their children, Stacey's sister Jemma, her dad David and her nieces and nephews.

However, on the day before their flight back home, the mother-of-five fell ill suddenly and her condition only got worse through the evening.

She explained: 'We had the worst exit from Jamaica of all time. And I can't even like get over it. Because it doesn't feel real in my head. And today's the first day, I felt like I'm walking around the house and feel normal.'

She recalled: 'But anyway, cut a long story short on the day before we were travelling home, I started to feel a little bit 'flu-ey' so I was like oh I'm getting that flu that everyone's got. Annoying. That's alright, we're going home tomorrow, so I'll just get through it, get over it and carry on.

'So I carried on and as the day went on it just got worse and worse. So I was like, "You know what Joe, you take the kids to dinner, I'm just going to go to bed. I don't feel great, I need to sleep this off."

'And then he got back from dinner, took one look at me and rang my sister and my mum because he was like she looks a mess. He was like you were sweating and laying there and I was like, "Oh my god".

Stacey took to her Instagram again on Monday to give an update her wellbeing after the ordeal and admitted she 'may have cried' after her friends visited to bring her chicken soup

It comes after Stacey said she would be taking things easy for a while after her hospital experience 'scared' her

She had jetted off to the Caribbean with 20 of her family members for a festive break, joined by her husband Joe Swash , their children, Stacey's sister Jemma, her dad David and her nieces and nephews

However, on the day before their flight back home, the mother-of-five fell ill suddenly and her condition only got worse through the evening.

'So my sister comes into the room and I know it's serious when my sister comes in. Because she's a nurse she's very much like you're fine unless you're not fine and then she'll be like hold on a second.

'So she came in and was like, "We need to sit you up, cool you down, get you some paracetamol". Did all her nursing stuff and every time she checked my temperature, all I remember was her not saying anything and I was like, "Jemma what's happening?" And she was like, "No it's okay!"

'But it weren't. Because afterwards she told me my temperature was going up and not coming down and that is not a good sign.'

Stacey continued: 'So they called the medical team inside the hotel and the nurse came down and took one look at me and put an oxygen mask on.

'And then she was covering me in wet towels and my temperature was still too high so she literally said she needs to get to the hospital and get some IV antibiotics and fluids in her and tests.'

She began laughing as she concluded: 'So yeah I ended up in hospital in Jamaica. I don't know why I'm laughing but it doesn't feel real. Do you ever have an experience where you're like, did that even happen to me?

'I was perfectly normal, like absolutely fine one minute and then next minute, I'm not joking I was in hospital on an IV drip with an oxygen mask on! I've never had a oxygen mask in my life. I'm so dry from everything and I just feel so gross.'

Stacey went on: 'So anyway the IV and everything went in and I did start to feel instantly so much better. Still rough as hell but way better than what I was.

Stacey begged the hospital to let her fly home with the rest of her family and said that she felt much better on Sunday and 'like a normal human again'

She thanked her followers for messaging her and checking in during her absence and admitted that the experience had 'scared' her so she was going to take it easy for the next few days

'We were there from the night before we were meant to leave until the morning and I was obviously like, "Please let me go home, I don't want to stay here on my own when I'm not well, just let me get home."

'And they got me to a point where they were happy for me to fly home. So I did the flight home. Poor Joe had all the kids for 10 hours!

'And I literally went to sleep as soon as I got home and today is the first day I've started to feel like a normal human again.'

She then added: 'I just wanted to update you and I think I'm just going to really listen to my body because I'm one of those people that's like it's fine and then I end up in hospital in Jamaica.

'So I'm not going to do that, I'm going to listen to my body and let myself get well and I'll just have to have Christmas decorations up by February. I'll be that weirdo!'

She thanked her followers for messaging her and checking in during her absence and admitted that the experience had 'scared' her so she was going to take it easy for the next few days.

Stacey said: 'I'm just going to rest up and hopefully in a couple of days I'll feel back to normal. But even then I'm going to take it slow because I don't ever want to be in that situation again. It actually scared me a little bit.'

She later went on her Stories again to reveal it had been an infection, but that she was feeling better with the antibiotics and shared a photo of herself resting with her two dogs, Teddy and Peanut, on her lap

She later went on her Stories again to reveal she had come down with an infection, but was feeling better with the antibiotics.

Stacey shared a photo of herself resting, stretched out on the sofa with her two dogs, Teddy and Peanut, on her lap.

She captioned the sweet snap: 'Teddy & Peanut are the best nurses in the world. Thank you for all of your kind messages. I'll be back to life soon.

'Loads of you asking what it actually was. I rambled in for five minutes and still didn't say. It was an infection in the end that was causing my fever. But antibiotics are working well so fingers crossed they'll get rid of it completely.'
Dianne Buswell marked her parents Rina and Mark's 42nd wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post on Tuesday.

The Strictly Come Dancing star shared a photo of herself with her mum and dad, who is receiving treatment for cancer, alongside her heartfelt congratulatory message.

'Happy 42nd wedding anniversary mum and dad  you are the best parents and grandparents to all us kids we all love you very much ! @mark.3802 @rinabuswell' she wrote.

The selfie, taken during Dianne's recent trip home to Australia, showed the three smiling during sunset on the beach.

The Strictly professional, 34, returned Down Under with her boyfriend Joe Sugg for Christmas.

Dianne Buswell marked her parents Rina and Mark's 42nd wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post on Tuesday

The Strictly Come Dancing star shared a photo of herself with her mum and dad, who is receiving treatment for cancer , alongside her heartfelt congratulatory message

Dianne travelled to her homeland to spend the whole of the festive season with her cancer-stricken father Mark and the rest of her family.

She recently gave fans an update, sharing that her father started the third round of his chemotherapy treatment during her stay.

Dianne shared a video of herself in the hospital with her father as she praised him for always having a 'positive mind frame'.

In the clip, Dianne and her father Mark walked into the hospital arm-in-arm, before he gave her the thumbs up as he sat and waited for his treatment.

She gushed in a caption: 'Round 3 proud of you dad always with a positive mind frame and smile on your face.'

Her Strictly co-stars and celebrity friends were quick to send their messages of support to the dancer in the comments section.

Amy Dowden, who is battling breast cancer, wrote: 'Cmon mark you got this! Love you both.'

Dianne returned home to Australia just days after competing in the 2023 Strictly final, where she competed with EastEnders star Bobby Brazier.

Dianne travelled to her homeland to spend the whole of the festive season with her cancer-stricken father Mark and the rest of her family

Dianne shared a video of herself in the hospital with her father as she praised him for always having a 'positive mind frame'

Dianne returned home to Australia just days after competing in the 2023 Strictly final, where she competed with EastEnders star Bobby Brazier

In a recent interview, Dianne spoke about the difficulty of not being in Australia with her family and how Bobby has helped her through the tough period.

Dianne told Heat Magazine: 'I am such a hard-working, crazy dancer that it's been a really nice balance, where Bobby has brought a lot of calmness into my life.

'There has been quite a lot of going on in my personal life over these past few months, and Bobby has been really realistic and supportive, telling me everything's going to be OK.

'It's crazy that such a young guy can have such a good mind on him.'
Katie Price has revealed she's bought a hairless Sphynx cat following the deaths of her previous seven animals whilst they were in her care.

The former Glamour model, 45, subtly showed off the latest addition in her household during a TikTok video where she advertised an air fryer.

Her new tiny feline could be seen climbing over her shoulder while she chatted about her latest kitchen device.

The reality star has previously dealt with the deaths of her five dogs, a horse and even her chameleon, Marvin.

A petition calling for Katie to be banned from owning animals has now garnered more than 36,000 signatures after seven pets have died under her charge.

Katie Price, 45, has revealed she's bought a hairless Sphynx cat following the deaths of her previous seven animals whilst they were in her care

The reality star has previously dealt with the deaths of her five dogs, a horse and even her chameleon, Marvin

Before getting her new kitten, Katie rescued a black Labrador puppy from a neighbour in November last year, making her have a total of seven dogs, eight pets in total.

She has four Chihuahuas - named Captain, Buddy, Colin, and Batman - as well as a French Bulldog named Precious, a German Shepherd Tank and a Labrador puppy.

Her beloved dog Blade died in June last year just seven months after Katie's other dog, Sharon, was killed on the same road.

Sharon was killed when she allegedly escaped and ran on to the road where she was hit by a car. She was picked up off the A24 by the driver and taken to Arun Vets in Pulborough, West Sussex, where her death was confirmed.

In 2020, Katie's pet dog Rolo suffocated in her home, while her Alsatian Sparkle was mowed down in February of the same year, in shocking echoes of the death of her dog Queenie, who was killed in 2018.

In July 2020, Katie was criticised by animal rights activists after Rolo's suffocation. The French bulldog died after getting stuck in an electric armchair while the reality star was packing some bags in another room, reported The Mirror.

Rolo was given to her daughter Princess as a birthday present.

Katie later revealed her shock after she was illegally advised to give her late puppy Rolo cannabis oil before he 'suffocated to death in an armchair'.

A petition calling for Katie to be banned from owning animals has now garnered more than 36,000 signatures after seven pets have died under her charge

She has four Chihuahuas - named Captain, Buddy, Colin, and Batman - as well as a French Bulldog named Precious, a German Shepherd Tank and a Labrador puppy

It comes after earlier this year leading animal charity PETA slammed Katie after her dog named Blade (pictured) died in her care in June 2023 - saying she had 'blood on her hands'

Blade's death came just seven months after another of Katie's dogs, Sharon, was killed on the same road (Blade pictured)

Backlash: In November 2020, Katie's fiance Carl furiously defended his decision to buy Katie a puppy, after he sparked backlash by giving the former glamour model and Katie's daughter Princess a French Bulldog, Precious (pictured)

In 2020, Katie's pet dog Rolo (pictured) suffocated in her home. The French bulldog died after getting stuck in an electric armchair while the reality star was packing some bags in another room, reported The Mirror.

Rolo's death came just months after her Alsatian Sparkle (pictured) died when she ran on to a busy road

One of Katie's horses was tragically killed on a road in 2017 after escaping from a field

Katie's pet chameleon Marvin (pictured her with her son Harvey) died in 2018

Katie told The Mirror that she was unaware that it is illegal to give dogs the substance without a veterinary prescription, in accordance with the The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.

One of Katie's horses was tragically hit by a car and killed in 2017 after escaping from a field.

And in 2018 her dog Queenie was struck and killed by a delivery driver.

It comes after earlier this year leading animal charity PETA slammed Katie after her dog named Blade died in her care - saying she had 'blood on her hands'.

PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen told MailOnline after the death of her dog Blade: 'After a seventh animal died in her custody, Katie Price should be facing more than the court of public opinion  she should face a court of law and be banned for life from keeping animals.

'PETA urges authorities to look into Blade's death and reminds the public that it's not just Price who has blood on her hands.

'Greedy breeders who keep selling or 'gifting' animals to her are also to blame, as they know full well what the likely outcome will be.'

Katie announced Blade's death on Instagram, writing: 'Words can't express the lost of my best friend my protector my absolutely everything who had sadly passed away today.

'I have no words to say how I'm feeling but numb and shocked rip Blade.'
DJ Mallorca Lee has revealed that he has been given months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The frontman and founder of 90s electronic band Ultra Sonic, 51, took to Facebook on Tuesday to share the devastating news with his loved ones and fans.

He apologised for not telling all of his family and friends individually as he admitted he is still 'processing' and that his 'heart is broken a thousand times'.

The Scottish DJ wrote: 'I've been diagnosed with terminal cancer, the doctor said it could be a matter of months.

'I apologise for not telling all of my family and friends individually, it just breaks my heart a thousand times and I don't have the strength to go through it all over and over again.

DJ Mallorca Lee has revealed that he has been given months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer

The frontman and founder of 90s electronic band Ultra Sonic, 51, took to Facebook on Tuesday to share the devastating news with his loved ones and fans

'I love you all, the last 10 years have been the best of them all, it really has been wonderful.

'Forgive me if I don't answer your calls and messages, I'm still processing, even this post feels like someone else is writing it

'Love, that's all we ever really have, our one true currency, so tell the ones around you what they mean to you, every day. LOVE LOVE LOVE Mall.'

Messages of support have flooded in for him including from close friend and Radio Clyde host George Bowie, who said: 'This is absolutely devastating news. Can't begin to say how broken I am by this.'

Ben Nicky commented: 'Mall, it was an absolute pleasure to work with you back in the day, your energy and smile is truly infectious. I'm so sorry to hear this and am sure it is a confusing and scary time.

'We've all got your back and if you need anything just let us know. Stay strong mate, keep family close and keep smiling you legend.'

Gary Beck wrote: 'So sad to read this. You're an absolute legend man.'

The techno DJ, known as Mall, established Ayrshire dance group UltraSonic and has worked alongside some of the industry's biggest names

Someone else replied: 'One of the best. I am heartbroken by this.'

Another added: 'Oh Mall, this is unbearable news. I've followed you since Ultra Sonic established in the early 90s. My heart breaks.'

'While a fourth wrote: 'Gutted big man. Take it easy and sending you and your family all my love.'

The techno DJ, known as Mall, established Ayrshire dance group UltraSonic and has worked alongside some of the industry's biggest names.
The first trailer for the anticipated Netflix adaptation of David Nicolls' bestselling novel One Day is been released.

The 14-episode series will arrive on the streaming service on February 8 and stars White Lotus actor Leo Woodall and This Is Going To Hurt's Ambika Mod.

The first trailer teases the 20 year story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who, on 15th July 1988, the night of their Edinburgh University graduation, speak for the very first time.

The next morning, they go their separate ways but the novel and TV series catches up with them on the same day every year.

Each episode finds Dex and Em, one year older, on this one particular date, as they grow and change, move together and apart, experience joy and heartbreak.

The first trailer for the anticipated Netflix adaptation of David Nicolls' bestselling novel One Day is been released

The 14-episode series will arrive on the streaming service on February 8 and stars White Lotus actor Leo Woodall and This Is Going To Hurt's Ambika Mod

The trailer shows the pair's first meeting at a uni party as Emma's voiceover muses: 'It's one of the great cosmic mysteries. How is that someone can go from being a total stranger to being the most important person in your life.'

The teaser then reveals clips of the pair over the years as Dexter chases his ambition to be rich by the age of 40 and Emma pursues her dreams of 'doing something that actually makes a difference.'

Eleanor Tomlinson also makes an appearance in the trailer as Dex's wife Sylvie.

The cast is rounded out by the likes of Essie Davis (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries), Tim McInnerny (Blackadder), Toby Stephens (Die Another Day) and Joely Richardson (Lady Chatterley).

The decades-spanning love story is based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls, which has sold over five million copies worldwide.

It's not the first time Emma and Dexter's story has found its way to screen. A movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess was released in 2011, but received mixed reviews.

Jan Moir writing for the Daily Mail at the time reviewed the movie 'as fake as Anne Hathaway's accent.'

While Nicholls wrote the screenplay for the 2011 film, Scottish screenwriter Nicole Taylor has headed the writing team for the Netflix adaptation.

The decades-spanning love story is based on the 2009 novel by David Nicholls, which has sold over five million copies worldwide

The first trailer teases the 20 year story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who, on 15th July 1988, the night of their Edinburgh University graduation, speak for the very first time

The trailer shows the pair's first meeting as Emma's voiceover muses: 'How is that someone can go from being a total stranger to being the most important person in your life'

Each episode finds Dex and Em, one year older, on this one particular date, as they grow and change, move together and apart, experience joy and heartbreak

Taylor won a BAFTA for Best Writer for her 2017 BBC series Three Girls about the Rochdale grooming scandal.

Nicholls is on board as an executive producer.

Lead star Ambika previously told RadioTimes.com that the series will be able to give 'more time' to the decades-spanning book, with each episode dedicated to each year in the friends' lives.

'I really enjoyed the film, but I think a lot of people felt that  and I would agree  that an hour-and-a-half movie isn't usually enough to dedicate to this epic novel that spans 20 years,' she explained.

'So, hopefully, in our series we'll be able to cover more ground and sort of zoom in on the story with more detail.'

'I think the way that our writers are going about it is really beautiful, and hopefully people will just be able to see more of the book in the series.'

One Day will be available on Netflix from February 8.

The teaser reveals clips of the pair over the years as Dexter chases his ambition to be rich by the age of 40 and Emma pursues her dreams of 'doing something that makes a difference'

Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson also makes an appearance in the trailer as Dex's wife Sylvie
Netflix fans have made the leap to ITVX to see one of the stars from the platform's hit series Top Boy in a new thriller series.

Jasmine Jobson, who plays Jacqueline Lawrence in the gangster crime drama, was singled out for praise for her role in Platform 7.

She appeared as the lead, Lisa Evans, of the 'intense' four-part series which fans have rated '10/10' just a few months after playing her part in Top Boy's final season.

One wrote: '#TopBoys Jasmine Jobson really exceeded with this one. A story on mental health, suicide and abuse. Captivating and thrilling!'

The show's title refers to the location of a suicide which Lisa witnesses, with the serious themes contributing to it being a 'fantastic series, with the caveat that it's quite intense'.

Fans of Netflix's Top Boy have been binging ITV's Platform 7, fronted by the gangster crime drama's Jasmine Jobson (pictured)

Lisa Evans, played by Jobson, witnesses a death at the railway station and realises that it bears a resemblance to her own life

Viewers flooded to X to praise the drama, which draws on serious themes like suicide and mental health

Platform 7 'tells the story of Lisa who witnesses a cataclysmic event on platform 7 of a railway station and in her memory finds a connection between her own life and the event she just witnessed.'

The plot is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Louise Doughty with Geoffrey Sax - who has previously worked on White Noise (2005) and Us (2020) - directing the adaptation.

It soon becomes apparent to viewers that Lisa is actually a ghost herself, with the train station acting as some form of purgatory until she follows her family out and tries to discover what went so wrong in her life.

Other viewers of the series complemented the lead for her portrayal of the character, and the series as a whole.

They said: 'Platform 7 ITV X, Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy) so flipping good, binge watch!...

'If you havent watched Platform 7, give it a watch, with "Jacqs" aka Jasmine Jobson as the main character its really good!...

'Platform 7, what a fantastic series!...

'Just finished watching Platform 7 on @ITV. Brilliant 4 part series...

'@jobson_jasmine just watched platform 7. One word WoW Your acting is class!'

Some viewers who made the trip from Top Boy to Platform 7 could not disentangle Jobson from her former role.

While many praised the actress for her portrayal, some viewers who made the trip from Top Boy could not disentangle Jobson from her former role

One said: 'I just watched platform 7, touching story But I can only see Jax.

'Like the face she pulls whens she angry upset or confused, thats straight up Jax.'

The actress admitted to Digital Spy in advance of the new series that this was a big departure from her previous work, saying: 'I haven't played anybody like Lisa before.'

But she added that she loved 'trying something new' and feeling like a fly on the wall as the living characters interacted around her.

'It definitely felt weird being involved in the scene and not really feeling involved,' she added.

'But at the same time there's so much involvement that I've got there and then also I had to get used to not having anything to say.'
Barry Keoghan showed off his muscular frame as he shed light on his flirty relationship with Jacob Elordi in a new magazine interview.

The Irish actor, 31, has risen to huge acclaim starring as Oliver Quick in psychological thriller Saltburn alongside Jacob's troubled teen character Felix Catton.

They left fans reeling with that eyebrow-raising bathtub scene and their flirtatious on-screen relationship, and Barry has now dished on their real life bond.

Speaking to GQ's February Issue, Barry showed off his muscular frame in a white string vest and blue shorts as he posed up a storm for a magazine cover shoot.

The Banshees of Inisherin star sported an array of gold chain necklaces and bizarrely posed with a pigeon on his shoulder for the photographs.

Barry Keoghan showed off his muscular frame as he shed light on his flirty relationship with Jacob Elordi in a new magazine interview

Speaking to GQ's February Issue, Barry revealed that his flirtatious relationship with co-star Jacob in interviews and on red carpets 'isn't just for the cameras'

In an accompanying interview, Barry revealed that his flirtatious relationship with co-star Jacob in interviews and on red carpets 'isn't just for the cameras'.

He said he has a very close relationship with the Euphoria star off-screen because they had to get 'comfortable' with each other due to their intimate Saltburn scenes.

'I'm really flirtin',' he told GQ. 'We were constantly close. It ain't just for the cameras and the premiere[s].

'Me and Jacobhe's like a brother to me, honestly. I think when you're comfortable with someone, you can be as close as you want, you know what I mean?

'It's not like, "Oh, don't come near me"  it's like, I'm comfortable. We've just done a movie where we had to kiss, man. Look at the scenes we've done. You have to be comfortable with yourself.'

Barry also reflected on the loneliness that comes with fame and said he often thinks about his late mother - who he lost to heroin addiction when he was 12 - in times of isolation.

Of fame, he said: 'There's a loneliness as well, that comes with this. A massive loneliness [...] It's hard not to talk about that, or to pretend that's not there.'

'[My mother has] many years passed now, but I always think about her anyway. It's always just in and around achievements that it's really prominent'cause you'd like to celebrate that wit' 'er, y'know?'

He said he has a very close relationship with the Euphoria star off-screen as he said they had to get 'comfortable' with each other due to their intimate Saltburn scenes

Barry rose to huge acclaim starring as Oliver Quick (pictured) in Saltburn alongside Jacob's troubled teen character Felix Catton - and they left fans reeling with that bathtub scene

Barry (pictured in Saltburn) reflected on loneliness that comes with fame and said he thinks about his late mother - who he lost to heroin addiction when he was 12 - in times of isolation

While filming Saltburn, Barry welcomed a son Brando with his now-ex-girlfriend Alyson Kierans, and he has revealed he only got one day off when his child was born.

He admitted he only got one day off when Brando was born, before starting a busy schedule of night shooting, but he described the period as the 'best' of his life.

'They gave me a day off,' he revealed. 'Day off, and straight on to night shoots and night feedings  boom!'

'It was probably the best time of my life, to be quite fair. Havin' a baby boy and leading a movie. It was the best time of my life,' he added.

He said fatherhood hasn't changed him, but confessed that it has influenced the choices he makes in his career, including how long he is willing to be on location for.

'I can't get the little boy off my mind. It's beautiful. Y'know, it's crazy, but when he looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world,' he gushed.

'That's the effect he has on me. He smiles at you and you're like, Wow, you're smiling at me like that? I don't deserve that, but anyways, thanks.'

Barry confirmed he had welcomed his first child with his then-girlfriend Alyson in August 2022, but news of their split emerged almost a year later in July 2023.

Barry was reportedly set to go public with his new girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter at the Golden Globes on Monday, but ended up taking to the red carpet solo.

While filming Saltburn, Barry welcomed a son Brando with his now-ex-girlfriend Alyson Kierans (pictured), and he has revealed he only got one day off when his child was born

Barry was reportedly set to go public with his new girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter at the Golden Globes on Monday, but ended up taking to the red carpet solo (pictured)

He was said to have told his ex Alyson that he would be stepping out with Sabrina (pictured), who he was first linked to last month when they were seen out for dinner in LA

He was said to have told his ex Alyson that he would be stepping out with Sabrina, who he was first linked to last month when they were seen out for dinner in LA.

A source told The Sun: 'Barry thought it was best that Alyson was the first to know about him and Sabrina so she wouldn't be hurt if she found out on social media.

'He is spending a lot of time in the States and has invited Sabrina to be his 'plus one' at the Golden Globes.

'Alyson and Barry still communicate for the sake of Brando and he has been open about his new relationship.'

The February issue of British GQ is available via digital download and on newsstands on January 30th.
Last week Gypsy Rose Blanchard clapped back at 'jealous' trolls commenting on her husband Ryan Scott Anderson's Instagram by saying 'the D is fire' and now she is detailing the first time they had sex after her prison release.

The 32-year-old - who is an alleged victim of Munchausen by proxy and served a seven-year prison sentence for her role in the 2015 murder of her mother Dee Dee - appeared on podcast The Viall Files with her 37-year-old husband where she opened up about their first intimate moments.

Gypsy Rose was released from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri on Thursday, December 28 after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence for conspiring to kill her mother who was stabbed to death by her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn.

The former prisoner talked openly on the podcast about the first time she had sex with Ryan as she explained: 'My husband picked me up and then we drove to a hotel that we got locally.

'We spent the night, we had our first intimate moments as husband and wife, got to consummate our marriage, which was great.'

Gypsy Rose Blanchard appeared on podcast The Viall Files where she opened up about her first intimate moments with her husband

Last week the 32-year-oldclapped back at 'jealous' trolls commenting on her husband Ryan Scott Anderson's Instagram by saying 'the D is fire' and now she is detailing the first time they had sex after her prison release; they are pictured in New York on Friday

Gypsy Rose was asked if their first night of intimacy met expectations and she said that it did as she called it 'sweet'.

She then talked openly about the hurdles of being open to sharing a sexual experience with someone due to her past traumas.

She explained: 'I have a past of sexual abuse, so I was molested when I was 9 by my grandfather and in my relationship with Nicholas [Godejohn] there was some sexual abuse, it was just a really toxic relationship.'

It should be noted that Gypsy Rose made the same allegations in her recently released Lifetime docuseries The Prison Confessions Of Gypsy Rose Blanchard where her grandfather denied the claims and said that it was actually her who tried touching him.

Her mother's killer Godejohn never faced sexual assault charges.

Ryan won her affection by penning her letters while she was incarcerated. The pair wed in 2022.

Gypsy Rose continued detailing her first time having sex with her husband after her prison release as she said: 'So coming from a place where I never had a sex life, I never felt safe, it was like being used and abused, one person after another. With Ryan, he didn't say, "We have to have sex the first night."

'It was like, "If you want to, let it happen naturally."'

The former prisoner talked openly on the podcast about the first time she had sex with Ryan as she explained: 'My husband picked me up and then we drove to a hotel that we got locally. We spent the night, we had our first intimate moments as husband and wife, got to consummate our marriage, which was great.'

Gypsy Rose was asked if their first night of intimacy met expectations and she said that it did as she called it 'sweet'

Ryan won her affection by penning her letters while she was incarcerated and the pair wed in 2022; they are seen in New York on Friday

She went on to describe her thought process behind the first night of intimacy and even got candid about her insecurities as Gypsy explained: 'I was trying to plan everything, I was so nervous, I'm like, what happens if he doesn't like the way I look or I'm nervous about just being naked too. I have scars on my body and so, in prison, it's not like he got to see me before he married me'

She went on to describe her thought process behind the first night of intimacy and even got candid about her insecurities.

Gypsy explained: 'I was trying to plan everything, I was so nervous, I'm like, what happens if he doesn't like the way I look or I'm nervous about just being naked too. I have scars on my body and so, in prison, it's not like he got to see me before he married me.

'They say you have to drink the milk before you buy the cow and that didn't happen for us. I was extremely nervous but then within 10 minutes I was like, okay, this is happening and I felt totally comfortable and totally safe.'

The interview came a week after Gypsy Rose fiercely defended her husband against social media trolls famously using the words 'the D is fire.'

Anderson posted a selfie to Instagram Tuesday, January 2 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.

'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.'

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'

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.
Suzie Wells has vowed to give online dating 'another chance' after her daughters Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd signed her up to celebrity dating app Raya.

The 54-year-old mother revealed she was 'on the lookout for someone' and would have another crack at online dating after experiencing technical hitches last year.

Speaking to New Magazine, Suzie said her first experience with Raya hadn't quite gone as planned - as everyone messaging her was either from America, Italy or France.

'It was so funny,' she said. 'Billie and Sam were telling me to just go for it, move abroad and meet someone. Can you imagine? I'd need to uproot my entire life - I'd miss my grandkids far too much.'

But when asked her plans for 2024, she said: 'I might give online dating another chance. Who knows what might happen? But I'm definitely on the lookout for someone.'

Suzie Wells vowed to give online dating 'another chance' after her daughters Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd (pictured together at the Knightley's Adventures by Samantha Faiers x F&F SS23 Kids and Baby Collection launch in May 2023) signed her up to celebrity dating app Raya

The 54-year-old mother (pictured holidaying in The Maldives in 2022) revealed she was 'on the lookout for someone' and would have another crack at online dating after experiencing technical hitches last year

'My girls signed me up to Raya last year but I didn't really know how to work it,' Suzie told the outlet.

'There must have been something wrong with the location settings because anyone who was contacting me was either from America, Italy or France.'

Suzie went on to say that she is keen to start dating again, despite the fact her former-TOWIE daughters, both 33, joke that she says that 'every year'.

'But in 2024 my resolution is to get myself out there and start dating again,' Suzie added.

She went on to shed light on some on her dating green and red flags.

The sign she looks out for when it comes to prospective love interests is 'dodgy shoes', she joked, before adding that someone being able to make her laugh is key.

Other traits Suzie looks for in a man are someone who is kind and smart, adding that whether a person enjoys life is more important to her than how physically attractive they are.

Suzie said she hadn't really been looking for 'The One' when asked what had stopped her from dating up until now.

Suzie (pictured with daughter Billie in October at her launch of her 'Billie' Asda Womanswear Line) said that she was keen to start dating again, despite the fact her daughters joke that she says that 'every year'

Billie Shepherd, 33, wowed alongside her mother Suzie, 54 (L), and her grandma (R) as the family went glam for Billie's Asda clothing line launch at The Ivy in October

Billie's mum Suzie, looked incredible as she showed off her ageless beauty in a ruched charcoal grey dress

Suzie went on to say that she is hoping to meet someone unexpectedly this year - and that the prospect of dating is helped by her daughters being supportive.

However Suzie suspects that when the time comes, whoever she decides to bring home will be subjected to an interrogation by Billie and Sam.

Suzie was last pictured publicly at The Ivy Victoria with her daughter Billie in October, at the launch of her George at Asda clothing line.

Former TOWIE star Billie attended her launch with mother Suzie, her grandmother as well as friends as they arrived on mass to support the star.

The star's range with Asda marked her first womenswear collection with the brand after a series of successful childrenswear ranges with the retailer.

As three generations of Faiers stood together in the pictures, it became clear where the star gets her gorgeous looks from.

Suzie looked incredible as she showed off her ageless beauty in a ruched charcoal grey dress, while her voluminous curls framed her face.

Billie and her mother almost looked like sister's as they stood side by side, both donning their designer bags.

Stunners: The sisters, aged 32 and 33 respectively, were joined by their glamorous mum in the French capital, where they made no secret of the excess of the stay

Here they are: Sam and Billie Faiers and their mum Suzie Wells went for ultimate luxury when they headed to Paris for a 48 hour stay last week (Sam and Suzie at Matignon)

Just months earlier it was revealed Suzie, Billie and Sam had enjoyed an ultimate luxury 48-hour Paris trip.

The mother-daughter trio splashed out 7,500 (6,448) on a two night hotel stay in May 2023, enjoyed 70 (60.20) cocktail rounds and ate off menus with 90 (77,40) dishes.

Stating that the jaunt was a shared Christmas present, Sam revealed at the time that their stay at Four Seasons Hotel George V was an item 'ticked off her bucket list'.

The hotel, which is located steps from the Champs Elysees and is walking distance to the Golden Triangle, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, costs 3,745 (3,220) per night for the most basic room.
Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell looked as close as ever as they met up for lunch on Tuesday, weeks after coming second on Strictly Come Dancing.

The EastEnders actor, 20, and the professional dancer, 34, proved their friendship has lived on after the show as they were all smiles during their outing.

Bobby cut a casual figure in a Prada jersey zip-up sweatshirt and matching tracksuit bottoms, which he styled with bright pink trainers.

Meanwhile, Dianne showed off her sporty tense of style in a black hooded top and grey patterned leggings, teamed with white trainers.

She kept warm amid the chilly temperatures with a grey faux-leather jacket as she beamed for the cameras.

Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell looked as close as ever as they met up for lunch on Tuesday, weeks after coming second on Strictly Come Dancing

The EastEnders actor, 20, and the professional dancer, 34, proved their friendship has lived on after the show as they were seen out and about together

Bobby cut a casual figure in a Prada jersey zip-up sweatshirt and matching tracksuit bottoms, which he styled with bright pink trainers

The close friends appeared to be in good form as they laughed and joked together, while Bobby sweetly placed his hand on Dianne's back at one point.

The former dance partners came in second place in the Strictly Come Dancing final last month, losing out on the glitterball to Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola.

Since the series ended, Dianne - who is dating YouTuber Joe Sugg - has revealed her surprising career plans as she said she has 'other ambitions'.

Speaking to Heat magazine, the Australian star revealed that she is keen to give acting ago.

She said: 'It'll be my eighth year of Strictly next year and Ive been so lucky with all my partners. They've all brought something different, and you learn a lot from each person.

'But I have other ambitions, too. I've always wanted to dip into acting, so I'd like to try and explore that.'

Dianne is a woman of many talents, having transitioning to dancing from hairdressing while she also designs a casual clothing range, Buswellness.

Meanwhile, Dianne showed off her sporty tense of style in a black hooded top and grey patterned leggings, teamed with white trainers

She kept warm amid the chilly temperatures with a grey faux-leather jacket as she beamed for the cameras

THey were seen running across the road together as Bobby laughed during their jovial outing

The close friends appeared to be in good form as they laughed and joked together

They were seen deciding what to eat as they stopped off for some lunch as they enjoying catching up after Christmas

Dianne was seen intently listening to Bobby as they waited for their food to be prepared

Bobby laughed and flashed a thumbs up at the camera as he appeared to be in excellent spirits

The former dance partners came in second place in the Strictly Come Dancing final last month, losing out on the glitterball to Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola

If she returns to Strictly for the 2024 series, Dianne will be one of the longest-serving dancers on the BBC show.

In her first year back in 2017, Dianne was partnered with Reverend Richard Coles.

A year later, she was teamed with social media star Joe Sugg and the pair made it all the way to the final, while they also fell in love.

She has recently returned back to the UK after jetting off to her native Australia for Christmas, when she shared an array of sweet snaps with her boyfriend Joe.

Dianne travelled to her homeland of Australia to spend the whole of Christmas with her cancer-stricken father Mark and the rest of her family.

Dianne accentuated her stunning features with a bronzed make-up palette for the daytime outing

Bobby added a touch of colour to his sporty ensemble with a pair of bright pink and yellow trainers for the outing

Bobby smiled and laughed as he jogged down the pavement while carrying their takeaway food boxes

Bobby appeared to be enjoying his milkshake as he flashed a smile while walkign with the drink

Dianne recently returned to the UK after jetting off to her native Australia for Christmas, where she shared sweet snaps with her boyfriend Joe

Dianne travelled to her homeland of Australia to spend the whole of Christmas with her cancer-stricken father Mark and the rest of her family

She recently gave fans an update, sharing that her father started the third round of his chemotherapy treatment last week.

Enjoying some well-needed family time with Joe, 32, and family, Dianne shared photos from their swanky Christmas spread.

Joe and Dianne looked happier than ever as they posed cuddling up on the sand, enjoying the hot weather.

Captioning her post, she wrote: 'I feel so blessed to have all these people in my life. Sending you all a merry Christmas, I hope your day is filled with love and happiness.'
Sofia Vergara's Netflix series Griselda drops at the end of February and she is in high gear promoting it.

The Modern Family alum, 51, plays Colombian drug dealer Griselda Blanco who built her business into one of the most powerful cartels in the world.

Sofia  who reportedly has cooled things off with Justin Saliman  shared snaps from the press junket in Madrid on Instagram.

In the photos she wore wide-legged charcoal grey pants with a strapless black velvet top that she belted at her slim waist with a belt in the same fabric as her pants. The outfit, per her Instagram caption, is Max Mara and Yves Saint Laurent.

The America's Got Talent judge wore her long, brunette hair down and in loose waves.

Sofia Vergara's Netflix series Griselda drops at the end of February and she is in high gear promoting it

In the photos she wore wide-legged charcoal grey pants with a strapless black velvet top that she belted at her slim waist with a belt in the same fabric as her pants

The role of a drug cartel leader isn't so far out of the Hot Pursuit star's experience.

During an appearance on the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero, she told the story of how her brother got caught up in the Colombian drug trade.

'I lived it. I experienced the 70s, 80s and 90s in Colombia,' Vergara explained.

'Unfortunately, my brother was part of the business, and he was killed in 1996 in Colombia. After I had to take my family to Miami. It was a really difficult period in Colombia,' she revealed.

The brunette bombshell, filed for divorce from her husband of eight years, Joe Manganiello, over the summer.

In October, she was linked to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Justin Saliman, who by all reports was ready to dive headlong into a relationship with Sofia, but she put the brakes on it.

'There is still a spark between Justin and Sofia, but Sofia likes being considered single and ready to mingle, she doesn't want to settle with anyone, even if there is an amazing connection with Justin,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively.

They might have a couple of dates again and dinners, but they aren't an official couple anymore  much to Justin's chagrin. It started off being something awesome and sexy but was more of a rebound for Sofia as Justin wanted a little more.

The Modern Family alum, 51, plays Colombian drug dealer Griselda Blanco who built her business into one of the most powerful cartels in the world

Sofia shared snaps from the press junket in Madrid on Instagram

The outfit, per her Instagram caption, is Max Mara and Yves Saint Laurent. The America's Got Talent judge wore her long, brunette hair down and in loose waves

Griselda premieres on Netflix on February 25

'They are still talking and Justin is looking to get it back but any sort of future between the two is more unknown when it comes to Sofia. She doesn't want to settle down again right now with anyone.'

Meanwhile, Joe, 47, has already moved on to a hot and steamy relationship with actress Caitlin O'Connor, 34.

Last month, the couple was spotted jetting out of LAX to attend a New York Jets game.

Joe and Caitlin were first linked in September, just two months after it emerged that Joe and Sofia had split.
Tori Spelling is helping her son Liam overcome an injury.

The 16-year-old underwent an operation on his foot and ankle last month after sustaining an injury in a fall six weeks earlier.

On Monday, Tori, 50, was seen carrying her son's crutches as they returned to their parked car in Newbury Park, California.

The family were leaving a doctor's appointment for Liam, who appeared to have his cast removed during the session.

Tori held the front passenger door for her son open as he approached the car on his crutches before she took hold of them.

Tori Spelling was every inch the supportive mother as her son Liam continued recovering from a foot injury

For the outing, Tori donned baggy black sweats, a white tank, and a sweatshirt which slipped off her shoulder.

Her hair was worn down and her face concealed behind a surgical blue face mask.

She was seen carrying Liam's cast, which was filled with supportive signatures.

Last month Tori opened up about Liam's surgery, sharing snaps of him awaiting his operation as he lay in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm.

'My 1st baby waiting to go into foot surgery... Not sure who's more nervous, him or mama,' she posted to Instagram as she shared a crying emoji.

Spelling then added, 'Proud of your bravery @liammcdermott. And things can only get better after this!'

A day later Spelling revealed her son needed surgery after he sustained an injury in a fall six weeks earlier.

'To everyone that's asked... Liam fell down the stairs at home and has been in pain and immobile since. 6 weeks + no healing we got many opinions and Liam's navicular accessory fractured bone in right foot needed to be removed and then tendon reattached to his main bone with a metal hook rod,' she posted.

Spelling carried her son's crutches after he entered their car

She wore her blonde hair down and her face was nearly concealed behind a face mask

Spelling opened up about her son's foot injury last month

Liam is one of five children Tori shares with her ex Dean McDermott

Liam approached the front passenger seat on his crutches as his mother held the door open for him

She also said he is on the mend.

'My guy did great! Surgery was a success thx to Dr Gifford our amazing foot & ankle surgeon and her team at Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital.

'And he even got a visit from Dr Saul - my kids pediatrician since babes! Dr Saul is our family!' She added a tag for the Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital.

In her next post she shared a photo of Liam's foot.

Tori donned sporty black trousers and a coordinating sweatshirt which slipped off her shoulders

Spelling and her ex also have children Stella, 15, Hattie, 12, Finn, 11, and six-year-old Beau

'Tx to everyone for checking in with Liam and sending him messages and calls and love and humor before and after his surgery. Meant a lot to him, he felt so love.'

Liam is one of five children Tori shares with her estranged Dean McDermott. The former couple also have children Stella, 15, Hattie, 12, Finn, 11, and six-year-old Beau.

The couple spilt up after 18 years of marriage last year, and Spelling marked her first Christmas as a single mother last month.

'Its December 22 and I officially bought my first gift for Christmas,' she penned.

'5 Christmas lists to tackle. 3 days to do. Missed the @amazon prime cut off. Now I have to brave the mall alone. Crushing this single mom Christmas 2023.'
Nicole Kidman seemed to enjoy stretching her legs on a quick walk in New York City on Monday.

The 56-year-old actress - who shares a $282 million real estate portfolio with her husband Keith Urban, 56 - kept a low profile as she strolled through the Big Apple.

The Oscar winner was costumed in an off-white robe coat with a glimpse of a chiffon oatmeal blouse peaking through the top of the cover up as she prepared to shoot a scene for her latest project, Babygirl.

For comfort, the actress donned a pair of tan Uggs to keep her feet warm. She wore camera ready makeup and her strawberry blonde hair was styled in a low ponytail with thin tendrils framing her face.

This comes after she mentioned her ex-husband Tom Cruise recently.

Nicole Kidman, 56, bundled up in an off-white coat and tan Uggs as she stretched her legs on a quick walk in New York Monday

Principle photography was scheduled to begin on the erotic thriller in December and go on for several weeks.

Nicole will star as a successful CEO who has an affair with her 'much younger' intern, played by Harris Dickinson, 27.

The feature, helmed and written by Halina Reijn, follows the workplace romance between boss and employee.

It's 'an examination of power dynamics and sexuality' and 'tells of a powerful and in-control CEO who begins an affair with a charismatic intern,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Antonio Banderas will star as her husband while Sophie Wilde will portray the 'CEO's assistant who watches the affair unfold.'

As the day began to unfold and the temperatures dropped, Nicole was spotted wearing a black puffy coat over her off-white wrap. She traded the shearling boots for white sneakers.

She appeared at that time to be accompanied for a couple of crew members from the set.

Nicole and her pal Reese Witherspoon delighted their fans when they announced a third season of the series Big Little Lies.

Nicole wore camera ready makeup and her strawberry blonde hair was styled in a low ponytail with thin tendrils framing her face. A glimpse of an chiffon oatmeal blouse peaked through the top of the cover up

The Oscar winner is in New York shooting her latest project, a romantic thriller called Babygirl

'We are working on it. Nic and I have been working on it a lot,' Reese told Variety Sunday at the Golden Globes.

The first two seasons of the limited series won eight Emmy awards between them and according to Variety, the two executive producers are working on ideas to pitch to HBO/MAX for season three.

Nicole has earned two Emmys for her role as widow Celeste Wright.

She won the Academy Award for best actress in 2003 for her portrayal of author Virginia Woolf in The Hours. It was a bittersweet win for the star who had only recently finalized her divorce from Tom Cruise.

Nicole will star as a successful CEO who has an affair with her 'much younger' intern, played by Harris Dickinson, 27. The feature, helmed and written by Halina Reijn, follows the workplace romance between boss and employee

Antonio Banderas will star as Nicole's character's husband while Sophie Wilde will portray the 'CEO's assistant who watches the affair unfold.'

As the day began to unfold and the temperatures dropped, Nicole was spotted wearing a black puffy coat over her off-white wrap. She traded the shearling boots for white sneakers

'I was struggling with things in my personal life, yet my professional life was going so well,' she revealed to author Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights, as per People, adding, 'That's what happens, right?'

'I went home and ended up ordering takeout and eating it on the floor of the Beverly Hills Hotel. I sat on the floor of the hotel eating French fries and a burger with my family and went to bed. That's when it hit me. I went, I need to find my love; I need a love in my life. Because this is supposed to be when you go, 'This is ours."'

'I went to bed alone; I was in bed before midnight. If I ever won again, I'm telling you, I'd be out for 24 hours,' she stated.

Nicole will be seen on the small screen next in Expats, about a tight knit group or ex-patriots living and working in Hong Kong, which begins streaming on Prime January 26.
Kroy Biermann has taken Kim Zolciak to task for selling her valuables to ease her spiraling financial woes - and not sharing the profits.

The estranged couple, who began divorce proceedings last May, have been groaning under the weight of their joint money problems.

Zolciak has tried to lighten the load by hawking designer selections from her own wardrobe, including not just clothes but also shoes and handbags.

Biermann however alleged that the proceeds have not gone to their marital estate, despite the fact it is 'weighed down by significant debt' and that the two of them are now facing a 'dire financial situation,' according to his latest legal filing.

In court documents obtained by TMZ, Biermann queried if any of the designer items were community property. Meanwhile, insiders in Zolciak's camp insisted she bought the luxury goods before she married him and therefore they were hers alone.

Kroy Biermann has taken Kim Zolciak to task for selling her valuables to ease her spiraling financial woes - and not sharing the profits; pictured 2013

Zolciak has tried to lighten the load by hawking designer selections from her own wardrobe, including not just clothes but also shoes and handbags

Among other issues, the pair owe over $1 million in unpaid taxes, interest penalties to the IRS and about $15,000 in unpaid taxes to the State of Georgia.

Zolciak's financial troubles include being sued by Bank Of America, which accused her of maxing out her credit card's $50,000 limit and failing to pay it off.

In his new court documents, Biermann expressed a belief that Zolciak was married to him when she purchased the bulk of the items she is now selling.

He also theorized that the designer wares had a cumulative value that climbed into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Biermann argued that the court should pinpoint and split their joint assets, a designation encompassing personal property as well as the sprawling mansion in Georgia that the estranged couple are currently attempting to sell.

Insiders in Zolciak's camp insisted that she spent years paying various bills of theirs on her own, and that the money she earned from selling off her wardrobe items went partly to buying Christmas presents for her and Biermann's children.

Zolciak and Biermann were able to put their differences aside last month in order to spend Christmas together with the children in Georgia.

Although the children were treated to a heap of presents, Biermann, 38, says that the showering of gifts had nothing to do with him.

Biermann however alleged that the proceeds have not gone to their marital estate, despite the fact it is 'weighed down by significant debt'; pictured 2016

In court documents obtained by TMZ , Biermann queried if any of the designer items were community property; pictured in 2022

Speaking to UsWeekly, Biermann's lawyer, Marlys A. Bergstrom, said, 'Kroy did not buy gifts, a.k.a, "stuff" for the children.'

Bergstrom added: 'He didnt sell purses, shoes, or wigs to get cash to turn into material goods; no argument, that was all Kim.'

In contrast to Zolciak, the statement went on to say, 'What Kroy did give to his children for Christmas was his TIME and undivided attention.'

It was reported that, 'He took his children to church and then he cooked a big dinner for the family. Kroy gave his children the gift of time and Christmas memories, not just more stuff.'

'Once the children opened the presents, Kim spent the rest of the day in her living space in the basement,' it was added by Biermann's attorney.

It comes after sources told TMZ that the couple pooled together money they've made selling their luxury personal items online to ensure that their kids did not go without gifts this year.

The insider added that their children will always be the top priority, even if there are tons of issues between the former couple.

Zolciak and Biermann celebrated the holiday as a family at their Georgia mansion.

Meanwhile, insiders in Zolciak's camp insisted she bought the luxury goods before she married him and therefore they were hers alone; pictured in 2020

The estranged couple share 12-year-old son Kroy, 11-year-old son Kash, and ten-year-old twins Kaia and Kane.

Zolciak has daughters Brielle, 26, and Ariana, 22, from a previous relationship and Biermann adopted them in 2013.

Right before the holiday, Biermann shared a Christmas family snap without his estranged wife.

The former professional athlete took to Instagram to post a snap with four of their youngest children.

Biermann grinned in the photo and wrote in the caption: 'Merry Christmas from the Biermanns!! (-2) I didnt get a picture of the family enjoying @arianabiermanns church service and I had this taken after @briellebiermann and Billy had departed in the direction of their car as we were almost outside from our service.

'I couldnt be a more proud father of you 2 and the littles! Got to do better at remembering to capture more pictures.'
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley sent temperatures soaring as she shared a series of stunning snaps from her trip to Phuket, Thailand on Tuesday.

The model, 36, showcased her jaw-dropping figure as she slipped into a brown dress with a daring cut out along the centre that highlighted her toned midriff.

The Transformers actress styled her blonde locks into a sleek updo while she also wore a pair of gold earrings.

Posing on white steps, Rosie completed her look for the outing with a pair of gold bracelets.

Thailand is thought to be a favourite destination for Rosie and her fiance Jason Statham, who first began dating back in 2009.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley sent temperatures soaring as she shared a series of stunning snaps from her trip to Phuket, Thailand on Tuesday

It's rumoured Jason, 56, could have popped the question in the country after the lovebirds enjoyed a New Year's trip there at the end of 2015 to see in 2016.

The pair have yet to get married, but revealed their engagement after Rosie flashed her impressive diamond ring at the 2016 Golden Globes.

Rosie's latest trip comes after DailyMail.com reported that she and Jason - who share kids Jack, six, and Isabella, 23 months, together - love being engaged so much that they don't plan on officially tying the knot anytime soon.

According to a source close to the couple, they are on the 'same page' when it comes to their relationship - despite a notable age difference.

Rosie occasionally shares glimpses of their children occasionally on social media.

The source insisted Rosie and Jason 'will' get married one day, but there's 'no rush'.

'They are also very private but Jason knows how lucky he is and loves the life he has; he is very happy,' the insider assured. 'When it comes to them, they will get married eventually but they feel like they are already married and there is no rush.'

They continued: ''If it isn't broken, why fix it' is their overall mentality.'

The Transformers actress styled her blonde locks into a sleek updo while she also wore a pair of gold earrings

Posing on white steps, Rosie completed her look for the outing with a pair of gold bracelets

Rosie, who is engaged to her fiance Jason Statham (pictured), posted photos of their two children Jack, six, and Isabella, 23 months

The insider suggested the couple may even add to their brood rather than plan a wedding and their children may be the ones to push them into a wedding.

'And as it comes to their kids, their kids are still very young and their thoughts on expanding their family being such a very plausible thing, they might wait to have a wedding once their kids get older so they can enjoy it themselves,' they explained.

'They both anticipate that their kids will ask them to have one in the future and if that happens, that would be the tipping point to actually have one.'
Kevin Hart has claimed to be in a very VIP group.

When doing the rounds to promote his action-comedy movie Lift, which hits Netflix on Friday, the comedian revealed that he is a part of a very secret, very elite group text message.

The star  who defended Jo Koy after his Golden Globes opening monologue  said he often chats with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

'Yup. All the biggest guys,' Hart, 44, told People at the premiere of Lift in New York City. 'You know, we just talk about action stuff,' he joked.

'It's a real secret chat, I shouldn't be talking to you about this chat,' he disclosed. 'I could get in a lot of trouble from the other action guys.'

Kevin Hart has claimed to be in a very VIP group. When doing the rounds to promote his action-comedy movie Lift, which hits Netflix on Friday, the comedian revealed that he is a part of a very secret, very elite group text message. Seen in 2019

The star  who defended Jo Koy after his Golden Globes opening monologue  said he often chats with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson (left), Tom Cruise (right), Mark Wahlberg, Harrison Ford, Jet Li and Jackie Chan

Now that the Central Intelligence star is a bona-fide action star, he has things to discuss with denizens of the genre.

'We just share action stories that's the thing, when you're an action guy, you have to have action stories so our chat is all about ping-ponging action stories and just making sure that everyone's in sync you know? That's what it's about,' he told the outlet.

Hart has appeared in three films with Johnson: including Central Intelligence (2016), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw (2019).

He hasn't worked with anyone else in his supposed super secret group chat full of superstars.

But he did bond with his co-stars on Lift, including Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ursula Corbero and Sam Worthington.

'I think there was a consistent continuous engagement that the cast stayed true to,' he told People.

'The days on set ended with us in hotels eating dinner together. Whether it was all together or some on different days, there was an amazing piece of connectivity that ultimately added great value to what we got here.'

Lift is about a master thief who is convinced by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist with his international crew on a 777 passenger flight from London to Zurich.

Hart stood up for comedian Jo Koy after his Golden Globes hosting gig was largely labeled disastrous.

'I think Jo Koy is an amazing comedian, always has been,' Hart told DailyMail.com when asked about his performance. '

Now that the Central Intelligence star is a bona-fide action star, he has things to discuss with denizens of the genre. 'We just share action stories that's the thing, when you're an action guy, you have to have action stories so our chat is all about ping-ponging action stories and just making sure that everyone's in sync you know?' he told the outlet. Seen with The Rock

'You know, we just talk about action stuff,' he joked. 'It's a real secret chat, I shouldn't be talking to you about this chat,' he disclosed; seen with The Rock in 2019

He also said Harrison Ford is in the club; seen at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday in Beverly Hills

'It's a tough room, and without the knowledge and understanding of how to navigate a room - you can have some moments, some bumps.'

'Jo Koy is a talented, funny f**king guy, and forever will be. People want to highlight the world of bad but Jo will be good and always has been,' he said.

Asked by DailyMail.com if he would ever consider hosting a big awards show again, Hart gave a firm no.

'I'm at a point in my career where there's no value in it for me,' he said. 'But I do think that it does provide an amazing amount of visibility and a platform of exposure, but it's something that it's not the easiest.'
Kendall Jenner has sparked speculation she has posted a photo of her ex Bad Bunny.

The catwalk queen, 28, shared snaps from her recent New Year's Eve getaway to Barbados - which seemed to include a image of the Puerto Rican rapper.

Jenner Instagrammed a snap of her friends gathered on the beach - and observers pointed out the blurry man in the photo appeared to be her ex.

Fans speculated the man standing at the front, clad in a white and brown outfit with a wine glass in hand, may have been the 29-year-old hitmaker born Benito Martinez Ocasio.

'kendall jenner posts bad bunny on her instagram page for the first time. (white pants, white tee, brown sweater, holding a wine glass, in the front.),' the fan account @kennyandbenito tweeted.

Kendall's friends gathered on the beach with beverages in hand

'lmao the way she used the blur feature across his face lowkey cracks me up! but this is cute none the less,' one fan replied.

Fans debated whether or not the man in the photo was indeed Benito, but the couple also appeared to be photographed as they hung out on the beach in a snap circulating on social media.

Further raising eyebrows, a friend who was with Kendall on the Barbados trip shared video of their New Year's Eve fireworks display. Fans pointed out he can be heard saying 'Feliz ano nuevo' in the clip.

Kendall rang in the New Year in Barbados with pals Justin and Hailey Bieber, but reports recently claimed she had reunited with Bad Bunny during the trip as well.

They were joined by their mutual friends for the celebration, but sources revealed that they are not back together.

An insider told TMZ that they hung out because of their mutual friends but there is nothing romantic going on between them yet.

DailyMail.com confirmed the report with a source revealing that they 'aren't dating even though they were just seen with each other.'

The source continued: 'They are very friendly with each other.'

The couple also appeared to be photographed as they hung out on the beach in a snap circulating on social media

Kendall had traveled to Barbados with pals Justin and Hailey Bieber

Jenner has been sharing blissful beach snaps from her getaway

In mid-December, it was reported that the 818 Tequila founder and Bad Bunny, born Benito Martinez Ocasio, split after almost a year together

She shared a snap of a stunning fireworks display

However, the insider said that rekindling their romance in the future is possible if they are able to spend more time with each other.

'Something might happen when they have more time to spend with other, but they are not giving it time it would deserve to make it work,' the source added.

In mid-December, it was reported that the 818 Tequila founder and Bad Bunny split after almost a year together.

A source told People that the duo are 'no longer a couple' and did not reveal the reason for their separation.

The former couple first sparked rumors of a romance in February 2023 after they were seen out together on what appeared to be a double date with the Biebers at Wally's in Beverly Hills.
Barry Keoghan fell ill with a horrific flesh-eating bug which almost led to him having his arm amputated.

The actor, 31, was struck down with necrotising fasciitis, also known as the 'flesh-eating disease', which is a rare and life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected.

Before Barry started filming his 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, he was hospitalised with the illness, with doctors considering amputating his arm at the time as a means of treatment.

Saltburn star Barry, who has been left with a scar from the disease that runs the whole length of his arm, was so frightened he asked doctors if he was going to survive, to which they replied: 'Well, we dont know.'

The Banshees of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh recalled visiting Barry in hospital as they prepared to start shooting the film.

Barry Keoghan fell ill with a horrific flesh-eating bug which almost led to him having his arm amputated

The actor, 31, was struck down with necrotising fasciitis, also known as the 'flesh-eating disease', which is a rare and life-threatening infection that can happen if a wound gets infected (pictured for the February issue of British GQ)

Martin told the February issue of GQ: 'Im not sure if he was on a lot of meds, but he seemed to shrug it off.

'We were only about four days out from shooting, and his arm was puffed up. But he was like, "Yeah, no, Im going to be fineIll see you on Tuesday".'

However, Martin added: 'I went to the hospital thinking, s**t is he going to die? Let alone, is he going to make the movie. But I came out of there energised and looking forward to it.

It comes as Barry confirmed he split from his long-term girlfriend after they had their son.

Barry was first rumoured in July last year to have broken up with Alyson Kierans after they had their boy Brando following three years of dating.

He told the new issue of GQ magazine about his ex: 'Shes done a great job, and shes an incredible mother.'

It was reported Barry split from his girlfriend of two-and-a-half years Alyson in July last year.

A source told The Sun last year about the couples split: 'Theyve grown apart over recent months, and things have finally come to a head.'

Before Barry started filming his 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin, he was hospitalised with the illness, with doctors considering amputating his arm as a means of treatment (Barry, left, seen in The Banshees of Inisherin with Colin Farrell, right)

The Banshees of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh recalled visiting Barry in hospital as they prepared to start shooting the film, admitting he feared for his life (Martin pictured in February 2023)

It comes as Barry confirmed he split from his long-term girlfriend Alyson Kierans after they had their son (Barry and ex Alyson pictured in March last year)

The publication added Barrys 'partying' had 'caused arguments' with his orthodontist ex.

An insider also said the pairs relationship had 'suffered' following the success of the Oscar nominees 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin.

Barry and Alyson met in 2021 at a bar in London before they later made their red carpet debut, and they had their baby boy Brando in August 2022 while Barry was filming Saltburn with Jacob Elordi.

Since his breakup from Alyson, Barry has been linked to former Disney Channel actress Sabrina Carpenter, 24, after they were photographed dining together in December. But a source has told Page Six exclusively there is 'no truth' to rumours that the pair are romantically involved.
He may be 55, but Hugh Jackman is young at heart.

On Tuesday, the actor revealed the one adorable childhood pastime he will never grow out of doing.

The Hollywood star shared a sweet photo to Instagram showing him raising his head in a New York City street to catch snowflakes with his mouth.

The Sydney-born star looked cosy in a black jacket and beanie as he caught the stray snowdrops.

Jackman captioned the photo with some amusing words: 'Admit it. You still do it too.'

Hugh Jackman has revealed the one childhood pastime he will never grow out of doing

Many of Hugh's followers were quick to comment on his fun post.

'There's no business like snow business,' one fan wrote and a second person added: 'Never grow up'.

Fans are undoubtedly relieved to see Hugh smiling again after a difficult 2023.

Earlier this year, Hugh opened up about his challenging past few months, marked by his split from his wife Deborra-Lee Furness.

The Hollywood star shared a sweet photo to Instagram showing him raising his head in a New York City street to catch snowflakes with his mouth

The Australian actor and wife, 67, announced their shock split in September after 27 years of marriage, telling fans they separated 'to pursue our individual growth'.

Yet, amidst the personal turmoil, he shared an exciting glimpse into his professional life, revealing his involvement in the highly-anticipated Deadpool 3.

Hugh took to social media to share a series of personal photos from the past year, captioning it as a 'Lost & found year end photo dump. #2023.'

The standout among these images was of him preparing for his iconic role as Wolverine, getting his facial hair sculpted for Ryan Reynolds' upcoming movie, slated for release in July 2024.

However, noticeably absent from these memories was his ex-wife, Deborra-Lee, following their separation.

The pair had tied the knot in 1996 after crossing paths on set of Correlli in 1995.

During the course of their marriage, they adopted two children: son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18.
Scandal-prone American comedian Matt Rife has touched down in Perth ahead of the Australian leg of his ProbleMATTic world tour.

The TikTok star, who faced major backlash for joking about domestic violence in his Netflix comedy special, announced his arrival via Instagram Stories on Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself posing shirtless at the beach.

'Perth, you beautiful bish [love-heart eyes emoji],' the 28-year-old wrote.

Hours earlier, Rife shared a video of himself relaxing at Sydney Airport with his entourage ahead of catching a flight to the Western Australian capital.

'Australia baybeeee', Rife wrote, beaming at the camera behind a pair of spectacles.

Rife will perform a string of shows across Australia this month, starting in Perth before heading to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Rife, who has amassed 18 million TikTok fans, recently stoked controversy when he made a sexist joke about domestic abuse as part of his Netflix comedy special, which was filmed in Washington, D.C. and released on the streaming platform in November.

He kicked off the controversial quip with a comparison between the American capital and its largest nearest city - Baltimore.

Scandal-prone American comedian Matt Rife, 28, touched down in Perth ahead of the Australian leg of his ProbleMATTic world tour, sharing this Instagram photo of himself shirtless a the beach

Earlier on Tuesday Rife shared a video of himself relaxing at Sydney Airport with his entourage ahead of catching a flight to the Western Australian capital

'Australia baybeeee', Rife wrote, beaming at the camera behind a pair of spectacles

'I've only been to Baltimore one time, and the hostess who seats you had a black eye - a full black eye,' Rife told the crowd. 'It wasn't like, 'What happened?' It was pretty obvious what happened.

'And my boy, who I was with, was like, 'Yeah, I feel bad for her, man, I feel like they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face.' And I was like, 'Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn't have that black eye.''

He later appeared to apologise for the joke telling his followers: 'If you've ever been offended by a joke I've told, here's a link to my official apology.'

Rife will perform a string of shows across Australia this month, starting in Perth before heading to Brisbane , Sydney and Melbourne

Rife, who has amassed 18 million TikTok fans, recently stoked controversy when he made a sexist joke about domestic abuse as part of his Netflix comedy special

But the link was for a website that sells 'special needs helmets,' sparking additional furor over his apparent ableist remark.

Rife also made headlines last month when he hit back at a plastic surgeon Dr Benjamin Caughlin for claiming he had given an unnamed celebrity the 'greatest jawline ever'.

In a viral video, Dr Caughlin had shared a photo of himself stroking his jaw and then skipping down a hallway, alongside the caption: 'Me after creating the greatest jawline ever seen just for my patient to get cancelled right after.'

Many users speculated the celebrity was Rife.

It wasn't long before Rife commented on the video, writing: 'Lying about medical history is illegal, just FYI.'
Sofia Vergara looked like she stepped out of the Golden Age of Hollywood at the Madrid premiere of Griselda on Tuesday.

The Modern Family alum, 51, opted for an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, floor-length black gown with a sweetheart neckline from designer Alexander McQueen.

From the elbow down, the sleeves were made out of a luxurious-looking silver and gold woven fabric.

The brunette bombshell  who sizzled in Yves St. Laurent at the press junket  wore her hair down and added diamond earrings.

In the Netflix series, the America's Got Talent judge plays Griselda Blanco, a Colombian drug lord who grew her cartel into one of the most profitable and notorious in the world.

Sofia Vergara looked like she stepped out of the Golden Age of Hollywood at the Madrid premiere of Griselda on Tuesday

The Modern Family alum, 51, opted for an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved, floor-length black gown with a sweetheart neckline from designer Alexander McQueen

The role of a drug cartel leader isn't so far out of the Hot Pursuit star's experience.

During an appearance on the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero, she told the story of how her brother got caught up in the Colombian drug trade.

'I lived it. I experienced the 70s, 80s and 90s in Colombia,' Vergara explained.

'Unfortunately, my brother was part of the business, and he was killed in 1996 in Colombia. After I had to take my family to Miami. It was a really difficult period in Colombia,' she revealed.

The brunette bombshell, filed for divorce from her husband of eight years, Joe Manganiello, over the summer.

In October, she was linked to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Justin Saliman, who by all reports was ready to dive headlong into a relationship with Sofia, but she put the brakes on it.

'There is still a spark between Justin and Sofia, but Sofia likes being considered single and ready to mingle, she doesn't want to settle with anyone, even if there is an amazing connection with Justin,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively.

They might have a couple of dates again and dinners, but they aren't an official couple anymore  much to Justin's chagrin. It started off being something awesome and sexy but was more of a rebound for Sofia as Justin wanted a little more.

Griselda premieres on Netflix on February 25

Sofia shared snaps from the after party on Instagram and captioned them: 'Party people! #Griselda Madrid'

She shared a front and back view of her glamorous look on Instagram and captioned it, 'Premiere time!  #griselda'

From the elbow down, the sleeves were made out of a luxurious-looking silver and gold woven fabric

The brunette bombshell wore her hair long and in straight and diamond earrings adorned her ears

In the Netflix series, the America's Got Talent judge plays Griselda Blano, a Colombian drug queenpin who grew her cartel into one of the most profitable and notorious in the world

'They are still talking and Justin is looking to get it back but any sort of future between the two is more unknown when it comes to Sofia. She doesn't want to settle down again right now with anyone.'

Meanwhile, Joe, 47, has already moved on to a hot and steamy relationship with actress Caitlin O'Connor, 34.

Last month, the couple was spotted jetting out of LAX to attend a New York Jets game.

Joe and Caitlin were first linked in September, just two months after it emerged that Joe and Sofia had split.
Billie Faiers stunned in a green bikini in the sea in the Maldives in a solo photo shared by her husband Gregory Shepherd to his Instagram page on Tuesday.

Gregory, 38, captioned the image: 'Unbelievable @billieshepherdofficial' and added the country code for the Maldives.

He turned off the comments to the post of a fresh-faced Billie, 33, who wore a matching hairband on her wrist.

In one snap, he and Billie sat at the edge of the dock, Gregory's arm wrapped around Billie who held a glass of wine, and the two puckered up for a kiss.

The couple of twelve years took the luxury trip with their children Nelly, 9, Arthur, 6, and Margot, 13 months.

Billie Faiers, 33, stunned in a green bikini in the Maldivian sea in a solo photo shared by her husband Gregory Shepherd to his Instagram page on Tuesday

In one snap, she and Gregory sat at the edge of the dock, Gregory's arm wrapped around Billie who held a glass of wine, and the two puckered up for a kiss

The couple of twelve years took the luxury trip with their children Nelly, 9, Arthur, 6, and Margot, 13 months

They married in 2019 after eight years together, and Gregory works in finance as a broker. The Maldives holds a special place in their hearts as it is where Gregory proposed to Billie in 2014.

Billie enjoyed some quality time with her firstborn, wrapping her arm around Nelly, who wore a pink swimsuit, while she wore a burgundy bandeau bikini with a stunning net wrap decorated with stars.

She then had a blast with Arthur on a speedboat: Arthur was front and centre while Billie happily supported from back, both her and his hands on the handles.

Then Arthur and his big sister Nelly made a sweet heart together with their fingers, their little footprints in frame on the white sand.

In a final snap, Billie lifted her youngest high in the air, Margot's body protected from the sun in a white polka dot hat and matching dress.

Billie wore a sleeveless pink crop top and loose, lightweight, intricately patterned, and high-waisted pink trousers.

The enviable family comes not long after Billie and her younger sister Sam Faiers signed a multi-million pound deal with Amazon.

Billie and Sam, 32, co-host the podcast The Sam and Billie Show, which launched in 2021, and hope to break into the American market with this deal.

Billie enjoyed some quality time with her firstborn, wrapping her arm around Nelly, who wore a pink swimsuit, while she wore a burgundy bandeau bikini

She then had a blast with Arthur on a speedboat: Arthur was front and centre while Billie happily supported from back, both her and his hands on the handles

Then Arthur and his big sister Nelly made a sweet heart together with their fingers, their little footprints in frame on the white sand

In a final snap, Billie lifted her youngest high in the air, Margot's body protected from the sun in a white polka dot hat and matching dress

The sisters shot to fame at the same time when they appeared in the inaugural series of The Only Way Is Essex in 2010.

After leaving the E4 reality show in 2016, Billie and Sam began Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries which followed their journey through motherhood.

The show aired its final series in 2021, and the sisters' podcast began soon after.

Sam was previously engaged to fellow TOWIE star Joey Essex, but she now has three children with current partner Paul.
Chloe Ferry stunned in a lacy black outfit on Monday and was seen riding in a rickshaw with Katie Price after the Geordie Shore screening they attended.

The reality star, 28, wore a sheer cardigan over a lacy black bra and matching trousers with huge silver hoops and clear heels.

When she turned, her peachy bottom was on full display in a black thong as her revealing trousers which trailed on the floor.

She and Katie, 45, partied in Newcastle's Cirque Le Soir after the screening, also attended by Sophie Kasaei and Marnie Simpson.

Katie had joined the Liverpool festivities ahead of her pantomime gig in the city as Queen Rat in Big Dick Whittington And His Pussy.

Chloe Ferry, 28, stunned in a lacy black outfit on Monday and was seen riding in a rickshaw with Katie Price after attending the Geordie Shore screening in Newcastle

When the reality star turned, her peachy bottom was on full display in a black thong as her revealing trousers trailed on the floor

Katie, 45, braved a gust of Northern wind outside the event with entrepreneur Jeyda Yeter Yilmaz, while wearing a blue lace one-piece

It comes after Katie announced yet another split from on-again, off-again fiance and brief Love Islander Carl Woods.

The former couple began their rocky relationship in 2020. Katie has five children from three former relationships.

Chloe is also in an on-off relationship of her own, first splitting with boyfriend Johnny Wilbo in September 2022 when she accused him of messaging other girls behind her back.

They reunited in December that same year, but Chloe became single days later, telling fans: 'I literally want to be on my own'.

Chloe and Johnny have split a further two times, but have been going strong since September 2023 when they were spotted on holiday.

Geordie Shore will return for series 24, its first series in three years, in the upcoming months, but a release date has not been confirmed.

The reality television show began in 2011 and launched castmates such as Charlotte Crosby and Vicky Pattinson into superstardom.

Katie will star in Big Dick Whittington And His Pussy from 25th to 28th Jan 2024 at The Exchange, North Shields, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

She and Chloe partied in Newcastle's Cirque Le Soir after the screening, also attended by Sophie Kasaei (second from left) and Marnie Simpson

Katie looked stunning in a sleeveless jumpsuit which she paired with black ankle boots as she braved the sub-zero temperatures

She enjoyed a rickshaw ride around the city with Chloe and newer cast member Chantelle Connelly, and Chloe was the first to leave the vehicle

Chloe hadn't even fully left the rickshaw when she began an intense conversation on speaker, holding her phone in front of her face

Chloe could not get to the event quick enough, taking big strides till she made it inside, her jacket from earlier nowhere to be found

Katie soon followed holding a white bag while Chantelle, who appeared on Geordie Shore in 2016 before returning in 2022, appeared to argue with the driver

Katie looked down on her Balmain ankle boots as she clutched her bag of goodies, and the driver took a cheeky look at her ample cleavage

She flinched from the cold as she neared the building, unable to hide her discomfort in the winter weather

Chantelle's friends had long since entered the building but she was still embroiled in conversation with a not so happy driver

Elsewhere, Sophie Kasaei stunned in a blue-grey trouser suit while her boyfriend Jordan Brook wore a matching jumper

Sophie, 34, and Jordan, 28, have been together for a year. She was previously linked to DJ Joel Corry who also starred on the show

Also there was Nathan Henry, cast member since 2015, and a friend followed closely behind him in a Cole Buxton jumper

Nathan looked great in a bright green jacket which he wore with a black turtleneck, black slim fit trousers, and black Dr Martens shoes

Elsewhere, Sophie Kasaei stunned in a blue-grey trouser suit while her boyfriend Jordan Brook wore a matching jumper.

Sophie, 34, and Jordan, 28, have been together for a year. She was previously linked to DJ Joel Corry who also starred on the show.

Also there was Nathan Henry, cast member since 2015, and a friend followed closely behind him in a Cole Buxton jumper.

Nathan looked great in a bright green jacket which he wore with a black turtleneck, black slim fit trousers, and black Dr Martens shoes.
Emma Corrin was spotted out enjoying a relaxing winter stroll with a pal in North London on Tuesday.

The actor, 27, wrapped up in a cosy cream snood and a brown padded jacket, teamed with navy joggers and chunky boots.

Emma had several layers on underneath as they braved the near sub-zero temperatures while out in the capital.

The Crown star went makeup free and was pictured holding a bag from Ottolenghi - a restaurant that sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food.

Over the past month, Emma and their new partner Rami Malek, 42, have frequently been spotted out in public together as they enjoy their blossoming romance.

Emma Corrin was spotted out enjoying a relaxing winter stroll with a pal in North London on Tuesday

The actor, 27, wrapped up in a cosy cream snood and a brown padded jacket, teamed with navy joggers and chunky boots

Up until recently, Malek had been single and dating around since he split with ex Lucy Boynton earlier this year.

He confirmed his relationship with his Bohemian Rhapsody costar, 29, in 2019 but had apparently broken up in 2022 as he was spotted out with French screen siren Lea Seydoux.

Malek had starred opposite Seydoux in that year's James Bond film, No Time To Die.

The pair were seen last December with their arms wrapped around one another during a romantic date.

By this summer, Malek was rumored to be dating Corrin as sources dished details about their 'loved-up dates' to The Sun.

During an August lunch date in Margate, Kent, the pair 'didn't seem to mind who could see' them kissing.

'They were very passionate and looking into each other's eyes,' a source told the outlet at the time.

Emma had several layers on underneath as they braved the near sub-zero temperatures while out in the capital

The Crown star went makeup free and was pictured holding a bag from Ottolenghi - a restaurant that sells Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food

'Rami and Emma just seemed totally besotted with each other and paid no attention to anyone else,' the insider added.

In late September, Malek and his new partner confirmed their romance by putting on a passionate display and sharing a kiss during a cozy dog walk in London.

Two years ago, Corrin came out as nonbinary and explained why they decided to adopt they/them pronouns to The Guardian a year later in November 2022.

'Because I was working on a film in the US, away from everyone who knows me, and when people called me she, it felt so weird and uncomfortable,' they said.

The My Policeman star still plays female parts, they said as they explained to Vanity Fair in February that 'there aren't a lot of nonbinary parts out there' in the present industry.

It's over: Rami and Lucy split earlier this year after more than five years together and it seems the two have already gone their separate ways, (pictured at the 2020 Vanity Fair party)

'Being nonbinary for me is a very fluid space where it's not a rejection of femininity or masculinity, it's sort of an embrace of both,' they continued.

'My experience on this earth has been a female one, up until recently, and I still love all those parts of me,' Emma added.

'It's interesting that I'm not offered male parts, but I would equally be drawn to that! I suppose it's also what the industry sees you as, and I think, hopefully, that is shifting.

'The beauty of acting is taking on a character that doesnt necessarily have to be completely in tune with your own experience,' they explained. 'It's sort of a way to explore.'
George Clooney gushed over his wife Amal during an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday.

The Hollywood actor, 62, who celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with Amal, 45, in September, described her as 'a force of nature' and 'so homely'.

During a chat with George, Lorraine asked the star if he had attended The Fashion Awards by Pandora, where his wife was recently pictured.

George cheekily replied: 'Do I look like I was at a fashion award?'

He added: 'If I'm in a picture with my wife, they do cut me out. No, I wasn't there, I sadly missed the fashion awards, which really cuts me there [points to his heart].'

George Clooney gushed over his wife Amal during an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday

The Hollywood actor, 62, who celebrated his ninth wedding anniversary with Amal, 45, in September, described her as 'a force of nature' and 'so homely'

Lorraine then asked George if he had got used to being the elbow in the frame when he is pictured with Amal.

He replied: 'They always say, "George was nice enough to hold the umbrella for his gorgeous wife". She is a force of nature and so homely, but we do what we can, we survive.'

It comes after George told ET on the red carpet at the premiere of his new film The Boys in the Boat, that he accepts his wife often steals the limelight whenever they're at an event together.

'My entire career has been reduced to a plus-one now,' she teased.

'I did one of those Women in Film things a couple years ago, and I had to introduce myself as 'Amal Clooney's husband' because, honestly, I was dead otherwise.'

The actor - who has six-year-old twins Alexander and Ella with Amal - added of her stunning red carpet looks: 'She cleans up. I'm always embarrassed because I'm wearing something that I've worn, like, 1,000 times.'

Clooney was a perpetual bachelor for years before he settled down with Amal Alamuddin, who met through a mutual friend in April 2013.

During a chat with George, Lorraine asked the star if he had attended The Fashion Awards by Pandora, where his wife was recently pictured

He added: 'If I'm in a picture with my wife, they do cut me out. No, I wasn't there, I sadly missed the fashion awards, which really cuts me there [points to his heart].'

They tied the knot in September 2014, and the happy couple welcomed their twins in June 2017.

Clooney opened up about how having his kids changed the way he looks at the world now during a 2020 interview.

'In marriage, and now with the kids, you give away the selfishness of only looking out for yourself,' Clooney said.

'It's a wonderful thing. Amal and I talk about it every day. We feel so lucky,' he added.

Watch Lorraine weekdays from 9am on ITV1 & ITVX
Doctors have accused Kourtney Kardashian of promoting 'total pseudoscience' by claiming that supplements made from 'good' bacteria, vitamin C, and pineapple extract can 'promote vaginal health' and impact genital odor.

On Monday, the 44-year-old posted on her Instagram story promoting Lemme Purr, a vaginal health capsule from her wellness brand Lemme.

The product - which launches Tuesday - is an offshoot of her vaginal health gummies with the same name.

'This is the first vaginal health capsule that uses four clinically-studied probiotic strains that support pH balance, vaginal health, and urinary tract health,' she said in the post.

However, experts told DailyMail.com that there is no benefit to the pills - which cost $40 for 60 capsules - and that they are 'predatory', 'cashing in' on women's insecurities around their vagina and vaginal discharge.

Dr Mickey Karram, a urogynecologist at Visthetic Surgery Institute and Med Spa in Beverly Hills, told DailyMail.com: 'It's total pseudoscience. It's ridiculous.'

'There's no good science behind any of this. I think it's not anything that someone should consider.'

Kourtney Kardashian promoted Lemme Purr's vaginal health capsules on her Instagram story this week

The supplements are made from pineapple extract, vitamin C, and four strains of probiotics (good bacteria), which the brand claims are 'clinically studied.' However, the company has not publically released any studies on their effectiveness.

Probiotics have traditionally been marketed as supplements to improve gut health and boost the immune system. But more recently, wellness firms have developed similar products which they say can improve the balance of the vaginal flora.

Dr Karram said that while the ingredients in Lemme Purr have not been shown to be harmful, they likely have no impact on vaginal health. 'I have no idea where [Lemme] came up with that concoction, but there's nothing anywhere that's ever been shown in peer reviewed scientific literature that the vagina is lacking or would benefit from vitamin C or pineapple extract.'

'There's zero evidence that anything related to what they're putting into it is going to make anything better,' he said.

According to Lemme, the capsules contain four strains of probiotics, as well as vitamin C and pineapple extract. However, experts warned that there is no evidence suggesting that vitamin C and pineapple extract have any impact on vaginal health

Lemme Purr's vaginal health capsules sell for $40 on the brand's website

The research on how supplements can impact vaginal health is limited. Some advocates argue that the ingredients reach the vagina via the bloodstream, while others say they influence the sex organs indirectly - by affecting the balance of hormones like estrogen.

Estrogen can increase vaginal acidity, which the vagina needs to ward off infections.

Experts also warned that vaginal smell does not need to be changed - unless the smell is strong and different from what is usual for any individual woman.

This is because the vagina is a self-maintaining organ, meaning that it cleans itself and doesn't require nutrients or medication to keep it functioning.

Dr Greg Marchand, a gynecologist at Marchand Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery in Arizona, told DailyMail.com: 'The vagina does not require the addition of any bacteria or supplements to stay clean and healthy, and women shouldn't be told that they need a supplement like this with no proven benefits.'

If you have a strong vaginal odor, Dr Karram said that this could be indicative of an infection, such as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis.

A vaginal yeast infection causes irritation, discharge, and intense itchiness around the vagina and vulva - the outer part of the vaginal opening. It can be triggered by bacteria that form due to sweating and other moisture.

Bacterial vaginosis, meanwhile, is when the vagina's natural bacteria levels fall out of balance, leading to a foul-smelling odor, itching, discharge, and burning during urination.

Suzannah Weiss, a sexologist at BedBible, told DailyMail.com: 'The normal odor of the vagina is not something you need to reduce.'

'If you have an infection or a bacterial or fungal imbalance, the vagina may have a less-than-pleasant odor, but then the goal is to treat the infection or imbalance  not the odor itself.'

Dr Marchand warned that marketing the supplement as affecting vaginal odor could lead women to ignore serious health complications or avoid going to a doctor if they experience strong odor, irritation, or other symptoms.

'Going down this road, a woman might ignore a serious vaginal irritation,' like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Dr Marchand said.

If ignored, PID has been shown to lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes - which connect the ovaries and the uterus - as well as infertility.

Additionally, 'clinically studied' is a vague term and does not specify how studies were conducted, what the limitations were, and the overall findings.

Experts also warned that marketing supplements like these as cures for vaginal odor, which does not need to be controlled unless severe, can prey upon women's insecurities and lead to them feeling self-conscious.

Dr Sameena Rahman, a gynecologist and founder of the Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics in Chicago, told DailyMail.com: 'It is an example of predatory marketing in feminine hygiene in order to monetize off of women's insecurities around their vagina and vaginal discharge.'

'If you have a foul-smelling odor or fishy-type odor, you should see your gynecologist to get assessed for an infection, and these products cannot help you with it.'
The commerce ministry has set up a task force to identify and resolve trade barriers being faced by exporters in other countries, a move which would help provide greater market access to domestic goods, an official said.

The development assumes significance as many times India's exports suffer from these barriers such as time taking prior registration requirements and unreasonable domestic standards/rules in many countries.

"We have constituted a task force within the ministry where we will be looking at the trade barriers, and technical barriers. The ministry has been focusing on how to improve systems, and improve standards," the official said.

The ministry is also looking at improving mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with different countries so that product standards are as per the requirements of the importing countries.

Standards for goods and services should help in promoting global trade and not act as non-tariff barriers, the official added.

According to a report of the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India needs to act in a fast-track manner for removal of non-trade barriers (NTBs), being faced by domestic exporters in different countries like the US, China and Japan, to achieve one trillion dollar outbound shipment target for goods by 2030.

It has asked for upgrading domestic systems, in cases where Indian products are rejected due to quality issues; and retaliating if unreasonable standards or rules continue to obstruct exports from New Delhi.

Key Indian exports that routinely face high barriers include chillies, tea, basmati rice, milk, poultry, bovine meat, fish, chemicals products to EU; sesame seed, black tiger shrimps, medicines, apparels to Japan; food, meat, fish, dairy, industrial products to China; shrimps to the US; and bovine meat to South Korea, the report has said.

According to the report, the other products which face these barriers include ceramic tiles in Egypt; chili in Mexico; medicines in Argentina; microbiological reagents in Saudi Arabia; electrical, medical devices, household appliances in Brazil; veterinary pharmaceuticals, feed additives, Machinery in Russia.

Most non-tariff measures (NTMs) are domestic rules created by countries with an aim to protect human, animal or plant health and environment. NTM may be technical measures like regulations, standards, testing, certification, pre-shipment inspection or non-technical measures like quotas, import licensing, subsidies, government procurement restrictions.

When NTMs become arbitrary, beyond scientific justification, they create hurdles for trade and are called NTBs (non-tariff barriers).
Caste census and reservation are issues which no political party can skip as they know these are vital to garner OBC votes

As the date of the Lok Sabha elections is approaching, the debate on caste census is now gaining momentum. Now BJP also feels that this is the only weapon to strengthen its hold on OBC votes. This is why recently Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in a Vidhan sabha rally that the BJP has never been against caste census. Such a statement came when its allies from the OBC vote base openly expressed their support for the caste census. According to the Bihar Caste Survey, the OBC population in the state is 63.1%. The Modi government is worried that the caste census could give rise to competing demands, which could upset its delicate caste balance. At the same time, BJP leaders have also gradually realised that the party cannot continue its silence on this issue for long. Earlier many BJP leaders are also keenly watching the opposition's demand for OBC quota within women's reservation. Some state BJP leaders, especially those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are believed to have expressed seriousness about the opposition's efforts to create a rift in the BJP's OBC vote base.

After coming to power at the Center in 2014, the BJP, has started aggressively wooing the backward communities. In this, the party made leaders coming from backward communities as MPs, MLAs and ministers and also advised them to convey the government's message to them. Parliamentary committees were asked to convey information to the backward and scheduled castes and tribes from Jammu and Kashmir to the South.

BJP leaders claim that, in the current Lok Sabha, the party has 113 OBC, 53 Scheduled Caste (SC) and 43 Scheduled Tribe (ST) MPs, which is about 70% of its total MPs. This is a far cry from the long-held perception of the BJP being a Brahmin-Baniya-dominated party. According to CSDS-Lokniti data analysis, the BJP's share in OBC votes is continuously increasing. In 2014, the BJP got 34% of OBC votes and then in 2019, this number increased to 44%. Whereas Congress got 25% OBC votes in 1996 but got only 15% in 2019. CSDS-Lokniti analysis also found that the BJP's vote share among the poor increased by 12% between 2014 and 2019. BJP's vote share increased by 12% among the poor, 5% among the lower class, 6% among the middle class and 6% among the upper-middle class. The increase in vote share was mainly due to the Centre's welfare schemes and Government policies were held responsible for reaching the beneficiaries. However, now some portion may also decrease due to disillusionment with price rise and increasing unemployment.

In this regard, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the assembly poll-bound state of Chhattisgarh said: "BJP has never opposed the caste census, but a decision will have to be taken only after careful consideration."Not only this, he also met top OBC leaders from at least 10 states in Delhi, which went on till midnight, to discuss strategies to retain the BJP's support base among the backward communities.

BJP appointed OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as its Haryana president. Saini replaces Om Prakash Dhankhar, who belongs to the influential Jat community. Amit Shah announced in Telangana that if BJP comes to power in the state, it will make a leader from the backward class the Chief Minister.

Shah's statement was a change from the BJP's stance on the caste census issue, in which the party was careful not to commit itself in any way. This happened when his allies with the OBC vote base were openly declaring support for the caste census. By such a calculation, firstly, the number of OBCs is expected to be much higher than the share of the reservation to which they are presently entitled.

The BJP is worried that the caste census could give rise to competing demands in the states and also inflame other forgotten demands for quota, thereby upsetting its delicate caste balance. They have realised that the party cannot continue its silence on this issue. The BJP is keeping an eye on this, while the Congress, through its Bharat Jodo Yatra, has been quite successful in establishing Rahul Gandhi as a leader who is the well-wishers of the marginalised.

Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) president Mayawati asked people in Madhya Pradesh not to be misled by the Congress's demand for a caste census. She reminded people that after Independence, under the Congress rule, the Kaka Kalelkar Commission and the Mandal Commission recommended reservation for Other Backward Classes OBCs. But Congress did not implement them. Amit Shah has tried to politicize the call for caste census. Similarly, Prime Minister Modi has also claimed that "poor" is the only caste that is relevant. However soon after the Bihar caste survey findings were released, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi claimed that the survey was the BJP's "child" as the party was part of the coalition government that had decided to conduct it. Some NDA allies have also supported the demand for a national caste census. More or less, caste census and reservation are too tempting to forget. The general elections would indeed have political parties falling over each other to garner OBC votes. Caste census would come in handy.

(The writer is a senior journalist, views are personal)
The Thailand military has re-written the Constitution and ensured the formation of a constitutional court and senate, without whose approval no elected Government can function

This New Year, it was a toss-up between Goa and Thailand to escape the harsh Delhi winter. I first visited Thailand in 1989 from Sri Lanka when I was commanding the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) South in Batticaloa. Having conducted three Sri Lankan elections in Batti, I took leave and travelled to Bangkok on an official passport. Bangkok even then was swanky, at least in the downtown area. Since then, I would have come back numerous times  on conferences and vacations, at least 30 times.

The pandemic and ten years of military rule have hurt the economy, especially tourism. But that did not deter our travels, living off the land, thanks to the Oakwood Tiwanon- Ascott chain of residencies where you can recreate your home routine if you like. But groceries cost more than twice as much as in NOIDA, though sweet red guavas are available throughout the year.

After last Decembers holiday, I had written about how after Gen Prayuth Chan-ochas 2014 coup his party misruled for a decade not without squabbling between the Generals  all three former Army Chiefs-the other two Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy prime minister and Anupong Paochinda, interior minister. One more spell of military rule ended last year. But spectacular things have happened since. Real estate tycoon Strettha Thavisin has become PM. But Thais voted for Pita Limajaroenrat of the Move Forward party. The popular business magnate Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted from power in 2006 is back in Bangkok and sentenced to an eight-year prison term for sedition but a remission by Royal pardon has reduced the jail term to one year.

Currently, he is in a Police general hospital while his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who carried the Phue Thai party flag won 140 parliamentary seats, next only to Pitas Move Forward. Pita, who campaigned for change, daringly for reforming monarchy -the untouchable royal defamation law- burnt his fingers and was suspended by the constitutional court and is being investigated for violating election law. Pheu Thai cobbled an 11-party coalition holding 314 seats in the 500-member Lower House which included Conservative military-backed parties which it previously opposed. This arrangement was put together between Thaksin when in exile, the all-powerful King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the military and police dispensation. For Thaksin, it is defacto amnesty. The military, which has rewritten the constitution, has ensured the formation of a constitutional court and senate without whose approval no elected government can function.

My local advisor Tun (Thais, like the Chinese, have simplified their unpronounceable names) said the tenth King of the Chakri dynasty is even more powerful than his predecessors and whispered the most embellished story about his owning a hotel in Munich. Tun switched to Strettha whom he described as a fashion-maker, turning out on Christmas day wearing one green and one red sock. He has pledged to rejuvenate the economy for which he offers big ideas. Two immediate ones are to revive tourism which in 2019 pre-pandemic had scaled 39 mn tourists which accounted for 12 per cent of GDP. Strettha has taken several steps to boost tourist figures to 40 mn- reduced tax on import of alcohol, extended bar timings to 4 am, plans to raise 8 new domestic airlines and declared visa-free travel for several countries. Last year, five countries that topped tourist arrivals were Malaysia, China, South Korea, India and Russia, aggregating 28 mn.

Stretthas most awaited reform is the digital market scheme which entails USD 290 (10,000 Thai baht) to nearly 50 million Thais to spend to boost the economy. The reform is stuck in law court and might see the light of day by May, Tun said. Meanwhile, Strettha has admitted the economy is not good and has promised to boost FDI. He calls himself a salesman PM. You could add showman, says Tun. He is talking big about deals with Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Tesla.

Thailand is at peace with itself. No confrontation between Red and Yellow shirts or barricades in downtown Bangkok near the Asok intersection. In October, a shootout in a shopping mall killed a Chinese and wounded three others. Shootouts occur periodically, warranting new gun laws. A low-key insurgency simmers in the south as the country has its first civilian defence minister Suthai Klangsaeng. But real power is with Armys Internal Security Operations Command which Strettha has refused to dissolve despite calls from Phue Thai. Tun said regardless of which government rules in Bangkok, what holds the country together is a monarchy-military alliance. In 2014, just before the Armys 12th coup since 1932, the present King, then crown prince fled to London and camped across the entire fourth floor of Landmark Hotel and returned only when he had worked out a deal with the Junta. I happened to be at the Landmark for a conference and saw his royal guards in action.

So far not been so good for the economy. World Bank estimates that the Thai economy will grow 3.2 per cent though Pheu Thai had promised 5 per cent growth not reached since 2012. Until Move Forward abandons its Palace reform agenda, Pheu Thai will rule. Thaksin will likely replace Strettha with daughter Paetongtarn (his sister Yingluck was earlier PM) as Prime Minister later this year. So back to the Shinawatras and for Thais a prosperous 2024.

(The writer, a retired Lt Gen, was Commander, IPKF South, Sri Lanka, & founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the Integrated Defence Staff; views expressed are personal)
A fierce controversy has erupted here over a move by Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar to have a closed door meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ahead of his impending ruling seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde himself, Narwekar  who has been directed by the Supreme Court to decide on the disqualification petitions filed by before him after an unprecedented rebellion within the Shiv Sena  has been directed by the Supreme Court to give his ruling in the much-discussed case seeking the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including the Chief Minister, by January 10, 2024.

Much to the chagrin of the Opposition Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Shinde held a closed door meeting with the chief minister for 40-odd minutes at the latters official residence Varsha on Sunday, raising questions of propriety.

Questioning the Speakers move to meet Shinde ahead of the his decision on the disqualification of the latter and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs, the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut charged that Narwekars act had imperilled democracy and the Constitution.

In the pleas seeking disqualification, the Speaker is like a judge. But, he went to meet the accused (now the chief minister) behind closed doors and have lunch with him. The Speaker has been given responsibility in the disqualification case by the Supreme Court by January 10. This is highly objectionable, Raut said.

Talking to media persons here, Raut expressed serious doubts about the outcome in the MLAs disqualification case, Raut said: Here is a Speaker who suddenly falls, then suddenly reovers and gets into his car to go to meet the chief minister, Raut said.

Just three days before the pronouncement of the verdict in the MLAs disqualification case, the Speaker goes and meets the chief minister and accused in the case.. What kind of justice can we expect from the Speaker?, Raut asked.

Deploring the Speakers act, Raut said that Narwekar  by meeting the chief minister ahead of his delivering his verdict in the disqualification had endangered the Constitution and judicial system in the country where in judge ( Speaker) meets the accused (Shinde) meet, have lunch together, and then the judge (Narwekar) leaves the chief ministers official residence all smiling.

Apart from chief minister Shinde, the 15 other Sena MLAs who are facing the threat of disqualification are: MLAs Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogawale Tanaji Sawant, Sandeepan Bhumre, Abdul Sattar; MLAs Yamini Jad*hav, Prakash Surve, Mahesh Shinde, Lata Sonawane, Balaji Kinikar, Ramesh Bornale, Sanjay Raimulkar, Chimanrao Patil and Balaji Kalankar.

It may be recalled that Shinde - who along with 15 Shiv Sena MLAs had walked out of the parentSena camp  later mustered a strength of 40 rebel Sena MLAs and teamed with the Fadnavis-led BJP and toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and formed his own government in last week of June 2022.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), in petition seeking disqualification of Shinde and 15 other party MLAs, had claimed that despite a party whip, these 16 MLAs failed to attend the meeting convened by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, which amounted to anti-party activity and attracted disqualification as per the rules.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) had moved the Supreme Court questioning the delay in giving ruling in the MLAs disqualification case. The apex court had on December 22, 2023 set January 10, 2024 as deadline for delivering the judgement in the case.

Ahead of the Supreme Courts directive to Narwekar, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the speaker, had told the apex court that there were a total of 34 petitions and 133 respondents in the case the Speaker would have to give his ruling under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The Speaker would conduct the proceedings even during the Winter Session of the Assembly held in Nagpur between December 7 and December 20, 2023.

Hence, even if the hearing of the disqualification petitions is over on December 22, 2023, the Speaker would not be able to peruse the papers and work on the judgments before December 26, 2023, the SG had told the court, while urged the court to extend the deadline from the earlier December 31, 2023.
A day after hiccups in the Bihar seat-sharing talks of the INDIA bloc, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, spearheaded a generous agreement on Tuesday to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Sources indicate that the MVA-INDIA has agreed on a seat-sharing pact for Maharashtra, the State that accounts for a total of 48 Lok Sabha constituencies. Although not officially announced, sources suggest that the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest on 20 seats each.

While the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena initially demanded 23 seats in the early set of negotiations, the party has now agreed to field candidates from 20 Lok Sabha seats. The meeting took place at the residence of Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, where leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP were present.

All the members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi came out of the meeting with smiles after we sat down to discuss seat-sharing. I want to assure everyone that we will fight elections together. We have no differences about seat-sharing...We discussed in detail the Vanchit Bahujan Agadhi as well, said Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut.

An NCP representative said that there was a discussion on all the seats, and everything is positive. The meeting was more successful than expected... There are no differences among us, said NCP-Sharad Pawar faction leader Dr Jitendra Awhad. Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav mentioned that the meeting was held in a very positive environment. Everyone is happy. More progress will take place on January 12, Yadav told the media after the late evening meeting.

Congress Salman Khurshid, who attended the meeting for Uttar Pradesh, remarked that things were moving in the right direction. We are on the same page, and I feel we could communicate very well, he added, calling it an excellent meeting. When asked about the possibility of chemistry developing between Samajwadi Partyand Congress, the former Union minister said it was beyond his imagination. We just need to be firm and take it forward, he added.

After holding meetings with Bihar allies JD(U) and RJD, as well as with AAP for seats in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Goa, Congress National Alliance Committee held a meeting with leaders of Maharashtra allies and the first round of discussions with the Samajwadi Party led by Akhilesh Yadav. In Bihar, where Congress is in a coalition with RJD and JD(U), and with Mamata Banerjee-led TMC in West Bengal, seat-sharing remains an issue among the partners as there seems to be no breakthrough in the matter.

Sources said the meeting was scheduled after the former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena declared that they would contest 23 seats in Maharashtra. The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, which lost its tag of being the original one, is a part of MVA along with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress. Congress and other regional parties, including RJD, JD(U), AAP, Trinamool, and DMK, have recently joined hands to form a joint Opposition front INDIA with the aim of putting up a united fight against the ruling BJP to counter the Modi juggernaut.

However, seat-sharing remains a significant challenge as they try to accommodate each other in common electoral spaces. In the case of Bihar, it was indicated that out of the states 40 Lok Sabha seats, 17 each are likely to be allotted to the JD(U) and the RJD. The Congress is likely to get five seats, and the CPI ML may get one seat to contest the general elections. Congress first meeting with AAP reportedly concluded at a place where AAP proposed offering three Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Delhi.

Expecting a reciprocation of equal measure, AAP has sought one Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, three in Haryana, and one in Goa.
The controversy surrounding the anti-India remarks made by Maldivian Ministers continues to stir up turmoil, refusing to dissipate despite the Maldives Governments swift action to suspend three accused Ministers. The escalating situation now poses a threat to the tenure of the recently elected President, who is perceived as aligning with China. The Opposition in the island nation is actively pursuing the removal of the President.

Maldives MP Ali Azim, a member of the Democrats, which broke away last year, has called for Mohamed Muizzu to be sacked as President and asked the MDP  the largest Opposition party  to initiate a vote of no-confidence.

Furthermore, a second MP, Meekail Naseem, has urged Parliament to question Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer regarding derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Opposition lawmakers are intensifying their attacks on Muizzu ahead of the general elections this year. MDP leader and former Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi criticised the ruling party for its short-sightedness in potentially alienating an age-old relationship and referred to India as our 911 call. She emphasised, We have always had an India-first policy.

Meanewhile, Maldives top tourism body has strongly condemned the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers of the country against Prime Minister Modi after he visited Lakshadweep.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry condemns the derogatory comments made by Ministers on social media, directed towards Modi as well as the people of India, MATI said in a statement.

According to the Maldives Tourism Ministry statistics, over 17 lakh tourists visited the island nation in 2023, out of which more than 2,09,198 visitors were Indians followed by Russians (2,09,146) and China (1,87,118).

On the other hand Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to intensify efforts to send more tourists to his country.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging that it is against minorities.

Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak hamara bhagwan hai, and the PDA alliance will ensure the defeat of the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Samajwadi Party will win all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. We will go to the polls with the war cry of 80 Harao, BJP Hatao. After losing 80 seats in UP, the BJP will be toppled from power in Delhi. Only PDA will compete with NDA, Akhilesh said here on Tuesday.

The BJP government is against minorities. Our god is PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (backwards, Dalits, and minorities), said Akhilesh who has been consistently emphasising the potential defeat of the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming general elections by PDA.

Amidst disagreements within the INDIA bloc, Akhilesh affirmed his partys commitment to the alliance, stating, As far as the alliance is concerned, the Samajwadi Party stands with full responsibility. We will know very soon who should fight from where. One thing is clear that not only the people of Uttar Pradesh but the entire country want to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party, the SP chief said.

Akhilesh also hit out at the BJPs pledge taken earlier to double farmers income by 2022, stating, The BJP is promoting the idea that India will become developed. It had promised to double farmers income but it did not happen. The SP had also promised that the jobless would get respectable employment.

Expressing confidence in the judiciary, Akhilesh welcomed the Supreme Courts decision in the Bilkis Bano case. We do not trust the BJP, but we trust the courts. We believe that all those falsely accused will get justice, he remarked.

The Supreme Court recently overturned the Gujarat governments order granting remission to 11 convicts involved in the gangrape and murder of Bilkis Bano during the 2002 Godhra riots. The apex court also ruled that the Gujarat government lacked the authority to pass remission orders, assigning the responsibility to the Maharashtra government.

Targeting UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the SP chief said: As per the National Crime Records Bureau data, Uttar Pradeshs record in women safety is the worst. UP is also on top in custodial deaths and over one lakh farmers have committed suicide across the country ever since the BJP was voted to power in 2014.
The BJP leaders on Tuesday shared a copy of the reply to an RTI query seeking the cost of works done at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, accusing him of wanting personal development at the cost of Delhi's development. The information was sought by a Maharashtra resident Ajay Basudev Bose.

In his application, Bose asked for Amount spent on Civil, Plumbing, Electrical, Sewage, Carpentry works at the official Residence of Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal from date 31st March 2015 to 27th December 2022.

Responding to the application, the RTI said, Total expenditure incurred during the period from 2015 to 2022 is Rs 295635074/- for Civil works only.

He also asked for the names of the contractors hired for work and the amount paid to them from 31st March 2015 to 27th December 2022.

Naming the contractors the RTI informed, Munzareen Ahmad = Rs. 21,89,666; M/s M.A. Builders = Rs. 8,76,626; Mohd. Arshad = Rs. 17,21,649; and M/s A.K. Bulders = Rs. 29,08,47,133.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri shared information obtained through an RTI,said the Arvind Kejriwal government has crossed all limits in looting the public treasury of Delhi.

He revealed that between 2015 and 2022, Kejriwal spent Rs. 29.56 crores exclusively on civil works at his official residence, exposing how special he considers himself.

This amount could have been used to set up a shelter for homeless people suffering from the cold in Delhi. Bidhuri revealed that information obtained through an RTI query indicates that the Delhi Public Works Department has admitted that such a significant amount has been spent on civil works at Kejriwal's official residence. Bidhuri further said the truth is now exposed, as he continues to spend millions on his home renovation, draining the hard-earned money of Delhi's taxpayers.

Posting the copy of the RTI on X, formerly Twitter, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra wrote, Proof that Arvind Kejriwal wants his personal development at the cost of Delhi's development. The RTI reply received from the Delhi government shows that Rs. 29,56,35,074/- were spent on only civil works at the residence of the Delhi CM.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva has said that corruption & misappropriation of public money in the garb of minor repairs, renovation, sanitary work in Chief Ministers residence has become synonymous with Arvind Kejriwal government.

Delhi BJP President has said that it is shocking to know from a RTI revelation that in 8 years between 2015 to 2022 average of almost Rs. 8.5 crores per year were spent on minor civil work, sanitary, plumbing, carpentry works in CM Kejriwal's residence.

The BJP has been criticising Kejriwal and the AAP, alleging that ?45 crore was utilised for the renovation of the chief minister's residence at 6, Flagstaff Road between 2020-22. In response, the AAP has countered, asserting that the BJP is attempting to divert attention from genuine concerns by highlighting this issue.
Dr Varun Malhotra, Additional Professor AIIMS Bhopal, has been honoured with the prestigious World Class Researcher 2023 award by The World Class Educators - Record Owner. This is in recognition of his work in the field of physiology and mind body medicine.

In his research endeavours, Dr. Malhotra has demonstrated excellence in studying the intricate functions and mechanisms of living organisms, with a particular focus on understanding how the bodys systems operate. His work extends into the realm of mind-body medicine, meditation and yoga, where he explores the complex interconnections between mental and physical well-being, examining the impact of psychological factors on overall health.

The World Class Researcher 2023 award signifies the global acknowledgment and endorsement of Dr. Malhotras research by the educational community. This recognition is attributed to his discoveries, innovative methodologies, and significant advancements in unravelling the interplay between physiology and mind-body medicine.
In view of the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has declared a holiday in educational institutions across the state on January 22.

Terming this special occasion a national festival, the chief minister also declared the closure of liquor shops in the state on the same day.

During his Tuesdays visit to Ayodhya, the chief minister held a crucial meeting with the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He gathered information about the Vedic rituals of Pran Pratistha starting after Makar Sankranti.

The chief minister directed the officials concerned to extend cooperation to the Teerth Kshetra Trust for security and other arrangements for the ceremony. Emphasising enhanced hospitality for dignitaries attending the event, he called for selection of resting places for VVIPs, acknowledging the possibility of early arrivals due to weather conditions.

To accommodate the influx of devotees and visitors, Yogi called for increased availability of hotels, dharamshalas, home stays, and tent cities in Ayodhya. He drew parallels with the grand tent cities established during the Kumbh Mela and proposed a similar setup on 25-50 acres in Ayodhya.

In anticipation of global visitors after January 22, the chief minister also called for the installation of multilingual signages throughout the city, covering languages from the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and the six official languages of the United Nations.

Stressing on the importance of cleanliness, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged public cooperation in maintaining cleanliness on major roads and streets, calling for an increase in the workforce for waste management. He called for Ayodhya to be made a polythene-free city, announcing a special cleanliness campaign from January 14.

The chief minister expressed joy and pride in the upcoming Pran Pratishtha program, urging every Sanatan believer to participate in Deepotsav by lighting Ramjyoti in their homes.

He said all government buildings should be decorated and arrangements be made for fireworks in the evening to add to the festive ambiance.

Additionally, Yogi Adityanath directed for the establishment of 10-bed health centres in each tent city, with cooperation from social and cultural organisations. He emphasised on the need for expanded night shelters in various locations.

Anticipating a significant number of attendees for the consecration ceremony, the chief minister issued directions for a green corridor along routes from Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Gorakhpur to Ayodhya. He called for an enhanced action plan for parking and traffic management, with ample facilities and electric buses for organised transport of visitors. He emphasised the importance of adorning these routes with verses and couplets from Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all visitors.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Monday took oath as member of the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly.

Newly elected Congress MLA Sohanlal Valmiki was also sworn in on Monday.

The state assembly polls were held in November 2023.

Congress veteran Kamal Nath, who won the election from Chhindwara assembly seat, was not in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal when the newly elected MLAs were administered the oath during a special session of the state assembly here last month.

On Monday, speaker Narendra Singh Tomar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nath and Valmiki in the meeting hall of the state assembly.

Nath had defeated his BJP rival Banti Sahu by 36,594 votes from the Chhindwara assembly seat.

Congress MLA Valmiki won the election from Parasia seat in Chhindwara district by defeating BJP candidate Jyoti Dehariya by a margin of 2,168 votes.

Nath was replaced as the state Congress president after the party's poor performance in the 2023 state assembly polls.

The ruling BJP recorded a thumping victory by winning 163 seats in the 230-member MP assembly.

The Congress, which had bagged 114 seats in 2018, notched up victories in just 66 segments this time, while the Bharat Adivasi Party pocketed one seat.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will soon come out with a "uniform policy" for all its zones for cremation of pets and stray animals, Mayor Shelly Oberoi said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, she visited Delhi's "first animal crematorium" at Dwarka, which has been developed by the MCD, according to a statement issued by the mayor's office.

"Pet lovers can perform a dignified cremation (last rites) of their beloved pets as per Hindu rituals," she said referring to the Dwarka crematorium, according to the statement.

A senior official said that at the Dwarka facility, deceased pets can only be cremated, and added that their burial does not take place there. Currently, people in Delhi either cremate or bury their pets or other animals wherever a suitable piece of vacant land is found.

The pet crematorium at Dwarka offers "eco-friendly animal cremation services with a green technology", Oberoi said. We will soon come out with a uniform policy for cremation of pets and stray animals across all zones of the MCD. Such facilities will be offered at nominal rates to the public," she added.

Pet lovers can perform last rites in a dignified manner and according to customary rituals with priest services. They can also avail other facilities being provided at the crematorium, the mayor said about the Dwarka facility.

MCD officials said currently, there is no uniform policy for cremation of pets.

The crematorium facility is offered free of cost for cremation of street dogs, through veterinary services of the MCD in some zones, while people in other zones can avail such facility for Rs 500, the statement said. The mayor urged all pet owners in and around Delhi to make use of the pet cremation facilities.

She said a "green memorial park" is also being developed and people can plant trees at the park in the memory of their pets. Such a green belt will help in lowering pollution levels, Oberoi said. The MCD pet crematorium in Dwarka is offering services at affordable rates, the statement said.

"Rs 2,000 is being charged for cremation of dogs and small animals weighing less than 30 kg and Rs 3,000 for those weighing above it," it said.

Two CNG-operated furnaces at the pet crematorium can be used to cater to 10 private pets and 15 small stray animals in a day. The municipal pet crematorium is spread over 700 sqm. It is situated adjoining the MCD Dog Sterilisation Centre in Sector 29 in Dwarka, it added.
Even as Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav reiterated that he would go to Ayodhya when called by Lord Ram, a hoarding welcoming the consecration of the Ayodhya temple appeared at the UP state office of the party in Lucknow on Tuesday. The hoarding carries the photo of Akhilesh Yadav on top and that of the Lord Ram with the slogan  Aa Rahe Hain Hamare Aradhya Prabhu Ram.

Aur hamare purvaj aur hum logon ke samaj mein ye mana jaata hai ki jab bhagwan bulate hain, tabhi darshan paate hain aap (Our ancestors and the people from the community believe that it is only when the Lord calls us that we can go for paying obeisance), the SP chief said here on Tuesday.

The BJP is going all out for the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram temple in Ayodhya, scheduled for January 22, while the Samajwadi Party is treading carefully on the issue.

The reason for this, party leaders say, is that the Opposition party knows it cannot portray itself to be on either side  against the temple, or for it. SP MP and Akhileshs wife Dimple Yadav has already said that she will attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony, if invited.

Meanwhile, Dimple Yadav urged the BJP for door-to-door ghee distribution in all the villages for the Shri Ram Jyoti, a lamp-lighting call by the party on the occasion of the Pran Pratishtha of the new idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya temple on January 22.

I have received information that a message has come to light lamps in all the households and BJP people will go to each village. I request the BJP to send ghee to people in the villages so that villagers can light lamps at their homes, Dimple said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that Republic Day which is a national festival, should be celebrated with dignity. Events to be held at the state and district level should be well-organised. Events should be held with solemnity and splendour right up to the District Panchayat, Municipality, Nagar Parishad, Gram Panchayat Headquarters. Chief Minister Yadav was reviewing the preparations for Republic Day 26 January 2024 in Mantralaya today. Chief Secretary Smt. Veera Rana, Director General of Police Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Additional Secretaries, Secretaries and senior officers of various departments attended the meeting.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that arrangements should be made to ensure that public representatives within the district are able to attend the function as per the roster. Invitations should be sent on time. No guest should be left out of the invitation. The Governors speech and the Chief Ministers message should be effective and concise. Tableaux should be eye catching. The performance of Madhya Pradeshs tableau in Delhi too should be prominent. The tableau of Madhya Pradesh should be made effective enough to be awarded on Republic Day in Delhi. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that tableaux on display in the state also should be attractive. High level performance of cultural programmes should be ensured. Arrangements for releasing attractive balloons should be made. Also there should be arrangements to send bands from battalions at the divisional level. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that attractive lighting arrangements should be made on all government buildings from January 21 itself for the D-day.

It was informed in the meeting that the main function of Republic Day on 26 January 2024 will be held at Lal Parade Ground.

The Governor will hoist the flag at 9 am followed by the salute of parade. Lokrang programme will be organized at Ravindra Bhawan the same evening. A variety of programmes will be organized by the Culture Department from January 26 to January 30. Tableaux based on good governance, public participation and overall development will be organized at the Lal Parade Ground. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that concerned officers should also be present in the programme.
A day after the seat sharing meeting with INDIA Alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai on Tuesday said the party has kept its stand on contesting in an alliance with the Congress in five States, including Punjab, and the discussion has so far been positive. Meanwhile Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will embark on a two-day visit of Goa on January 11 to assess the AAP's preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. AAP sources said Kejriwal, will also hold meetings with party workers during his visit. "The two-day Goa visit is for assessing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. He will also interact with party workers," AAP sources said.

"The (seat-sharing) talks have begun between the two parties. We kept our stand on contesting in an alliance in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat. Till now, there has been positive discussions," he said on the sidelines of a press conference. The AAP and the Congress are part of the INDIA bloc and held discussions on Monday to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

When asked about the seats the party is willing to contest, the AAP leader said that there was "no discussion" on specific seats in these states. The AAP is in power in Delhi and Punjab. The Congress units in both the states are opposed to any truck with the AAP. In Punjab, the Congress and the AAP have openly traded barbs over contesting the elections in an alliance.

"We want to contest the elections in an alliance. In the next meeting, the talks about seats will be held. When we are in an alliance, we have to take an official stand. For that (official stand), both the parties will make their preparations and then discuss," Rai added.

The Congress and the AAP discussed seat-sharing prospects for the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, Delhi and other states on Monday. They decided to meet again to give a final shape to the arrangements between the two key constituents of the INDIA opposition bloc.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will embark on a two-day visit of Goa on January 11 to assess the AAP's preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. AAP sources said Kejriwal, will also hold meetings with party workers during his visit. "The two-day Goa visit is for assessing the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. He will also interact with party workers," AAP sources said.

There are two Lok Sabha seats in Goa and BJP and Congress share one each. AAP, which won two Assembly seats with 6.77 per cent vote share, is demanding one Lok Sabha seat from Congress. However, Congress does not appear keen to share the seats with the Kejriwal-led party.

The AAP has also expressed its willingness to contest the Lok Sabha polls in states, such as Gujarat and Haryana and Goa, the source said. While the AAP wants to contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, the Congress is eager to field its nominees from the New Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North East constituencies, they claimed.
The escalating war of words between the old foes in Uttar Pradesh politics  the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party  accusing each other as B team of the BJP has left their voters confused. Interestingly, both the parties which had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election together against the BJP, are at each others throat for consolidating the anti-BJP vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Samajwadi Party, a constituent of the opposition INDIA block, is opposed to the entry of the BSP in the alliance. Officially, the BSP has announced to maintain equidistance from NDA and INDIA. BSP chief Mayawati is keen on being part of the alliance to salvage her political base. The SP has been against the BSPs entry into the INDIA bloc and has even threatened to quit the opposition alliance if the Mayawati-led party was included in it.

SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, There is no scope for the BSP in the INDIA bloc. She (Mayawati) has announced that her party will contest all 80 seats in the state.

In a post on X in Hindi, the BSP chief had said on Sunday that SP chief Akhilesh Yadav should check his tainted reputation. She also alleged that he had strengthened the BJP and reconciled with them.

Who can forget the blessings that then SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gave to the BJP before and after it won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections? she pointed out. Mayawatis remarks came a day after Akhilesh hit out at the BSP in Ballia after being asked if the BSP would join the INDIA bloc.

The SP and BSP, during the last three decades, has had a history of love-hate relationship. For the first time in 1993, the two parties had contested the UP Assembly elections in alliance. However, in June 1995, the alliance ended on a bitter note. The two parties again joined hands ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP, the BSP won 10 seats and SP 5, while the BJP bagged 62 seats.

Even as the Lok Sabha elections are a few months away, both the SP and BSP are busy mudslinging, quoting from the past incidents to accuse each other.

The BSP has never taken on either the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre or the Yogi Adityanath government in UP over any policy. Her (Mayawatis) remarks come across as suggestions to the BJP on how to improve their working, Chaudhary said, adding: In recent elections, the BSP has adopted a strategy to help the BJP and ensure the defeat of the opposition.

He said that in the 2022 assembly polls, the BSP had fielded over 100 Muslim candidates, which resulted in the split of SP votes, thus helping the BJP indirectly. The SP leader said in the bypoll to Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat in June 2022, BSP candidate Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali had cut into the SPs votes to ensure the victory of the BJP.

Elaborating on the alleged BJP-BSP nexus, another SP leader pointed out how the BSP suspended Amroha MP Danish Ali over his verbal volleys against the BJP in Parliament.

In May last year, when over 20 Opposition parties had boycotted the inauguration of the new Parliament building, the BSP chief had welcomed it, he pointed out.

However, the BSP rejected the allegations. BSP UP president Vishwanath Pal questioned Akhilesh and Maulayams attendance at Adityanaths swearing-in ceremony in 2017.

The BSP leader pointed out that Behenji had never extended her support to the BJP. It was the BJP that extended support to us, but we did not compromise on our ideology while running the government in alliance, Pal said.
Under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Dr. Waghmare Prasad Krishna, a meeting of Agriculture, Aatma, Farmer School, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Horticulture etc. was held in the Collectorate Auditorium on Monday. In the meeting, first of all, information was given by the District Agriculture Officer about the corrected and verified data regarding distribution of wheat, maize, gram, seeds and agricultural loan waiver under Rabi in the financial year 2023-24. Information about KCC applications pending and rejected at the bank level was given. Instructions were given to take necessary action against the bank manager who accepted less KCC.

In the Aapki Yojana Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwar program, information was also given about the applications received and executed of KCC. Instructions were given to complete the scheme on the remaining land pending against the target in the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. In the meeting, the work being done under Krishak Pathshala was discussed and necessary instructions were given to the District Agriculture Officer. Information about new farmer producer groups formed in the district under NABARD was given. Besides, new proposals were also discussed. Deputy Development Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat, District Agriculture Officer Shivpujan Ram, DDM NABARD Sanjay Trivedi, District Fisheries Officer, District Animal Husbandry Officer, LDM Navendu Kumar, District Horticulture Officer Santosh Pandey and others were present in the meeting.
Renowned Professor Irfan Rahman, Director of Flavor Inhalation Toxicology Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, visited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal on Monday.

The visit aimed to foster collaboration and explore potential research initiatives in the fields of toxicology and lung diseases. During his visit, Professor Rahman engaged in fruitful discussions with key representatives of AIIMS Bhopal, including Prof Rehan Ul Haq, Dean Research; Dr Rupinder Kaur, Associate Dean Research; Prof Arneet Arora, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology; Prof Jagat Rakesh Kanwar, Head of the Department of Biochemistry; and Prof Deepti Joshi, Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine. The interactions focused on sharing insights, exchanging knowledge, and exploring collaborative opportunities between the University of Rochester and AIIMS Bhopal in the fields of toxicology and respiratory health.

Professor Irfan Rahman expressed a keen interest in establishing research partnerships to advance scientific understanding and treatment modalities for lung diseases. Recognizing the potential for impactful collaboration, it was mutually agreed that an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should be initiated between the University of Rochester and AIIMS Bhopal.

This MOU aims to formalize the commitment to collaborative research, sharing resources, and fostering a continuous exchange of expertise between the two esteemed institutions.

Both parties look forward to a successful partnership that will contribute significantly to advancements in the fields of toxicology and respiratory health. The initiation of the MOU marks a crucial step towards enhancing research capabilities and addressing critical challenges in healthcare.
In a major achievement, Uttar Pradesh has, for the first time, set a record of all its districts scoring over 80 out of the designated 100 points in the key indicators of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme in 2023. The milestone demonstrates the governments commitment to fulfilling the PMs resolution of making the country TB-free by 2025.

Rampur has topped with 92.8 points, followed by Pratapgarh with 91.6 and Bijnor 90.9 points. The overall score for the state is 85.3 points, which is 5.3 points higher than the set benchmark. This score is based on the annual achievements until December.

According to Director General of Health Dr Brijesh Rathore, the monitoring and periodic reviews by the Yogi Adityanath government have resulted in the state achieving a milestone under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.

According to the programme, if a district scores more than 80 out of the designated 100 points, its performance will be considered excellent. In accordance with this, the performance of all districts of UP was better in the year 2023 as compared to the previous years.

He mentioned that the programme assigns 20 points for the key indicators of TB patient notifications, wherein the state has received the full score. This indicates that throughout the year, special focus was laid on identification of TB patients in every district, because the sooner the patients are identified, the sooner treatment can be started and they can be cured.

He further said that the Central TB Division set a target of 5.50 lakh patient notifications for Uttar Pradesh in 2023, against which the state notified over 6.27 lakh (114%) patients, far exceeding the target. The second key indicator was the success rate of treatment of drug-sensitive TB patients at 89 per cent. The rate of quality treatment of drug resistant TB (DRTB) patients was 88 per cent.

National programme director Dr Seema Srivastava said that the HIV testing rate, along with TB, was 96 per cent in 2023. The Health department aims to ensure HIV testing for every TB patient. The state has shown better performance in TB testing cases through Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST), also known as CBNAAT or TrueNAT machines, achieving an 86 per cent success rate. Efforts are being made to further improve this performance with the assured availability of machines at the block level.

Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, the state received 7.1 out of the allocated 10 points to ensure a monthly payment of Rs 500 during the course of treatment, because some patients do not want to come under this scheme.

In the case of Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT), most districts made commendable efforts. In this regard, the state scored 4.5 out of the specified five points for bringing children under the age of five into the TPT ambit. For PLHIVs TPT, the state received 4.4 out of the allocated five points.

Joint director (Terosis)/State Tuberculosis Control Programme officer Dr Shailendra Bhatnagar said that the Moradabad division stood first in the state by scoring 89.5 out of 100 points in the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme indicators.

The score of Prayagraj division was 89.1, Aligarh 88.6, Bareilly 87, Chitrakoot 87.5, Saharanpur 87.5, Varanasi 87.7, Gorakhpur - 87.9, Azamgarh 87, Meerut 86.7, Ayodhya 86.8, Jhansi 86.8, Deoria 85.4, Mirzapur 85.4, Lucknow 84.7, Agra 85.5, Basti 84.2, and Kanpur 84.2 points.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP was indulging in a "gimmick show" through the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The TMC supremo asserted that "she does not support festivities that exclude other communities".

Addressing a public programme at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said she does not believe in dividing masses on religious lines.

"Yesterday I was asked to comment on Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as if I have nothing else to do. I said that religion belongs to individuals but festivals are for all," she said.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said she believes in festivities that take along people from all communities and speak about unity.

"The BJP is doing it (Ram Mandir inauguration) under court's instruction but doing it as a gimmick show before the Lok Sabha polls... I don't believe in dividing people on religious lines," she said.

The chief minister claimed that the government of India is a government run by agencies," Banerjee said.

The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people expected to attend the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony.

Banerjee described West Bengal as a land of peace.

"Remember, I will never allow a division between Hindu-Muslim, Sikh-Christian and tribals. Bengal is a land of peace and there is no place to do divisive politics. Bengal is the Mecca and Madinah for Muslims, Belur Math and Dakshineswar for Hindus and Jaher than (sacred grove) for tribals," she said.

Referring to the preparations of the voters' list, Banerjee urged the people to ensure that their names are on the list.

"Voters list is being prepared. Make sure that your name is there (on the list) or they will again start yelling CAA or NRC and strike off your name in the name of NRC," she said.

The TMC is a staunch critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Banerjee also referred to the Supreme Court's judgement on the Bilkis Banu case and said that her government never gives indulgence to rapists.

"In the Bilkis Banu case, you must have seen how the rapists were allowed to go. It was our party MP Mahua Moitra who was forcibly driven out of Parliament who had pointed this out. We do not give indulgence to the rapists," she said.

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission to 11 men convicted of gangraping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven of her family members during the 2002 riots.

All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15, 2022.
BJP leader Uma Bharti on Tuesday accused the Congress and Left parties of creating a "toxic atmosphere" during the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation, and advised them to visit the new Ram temple at Ayodhya without invitation as an `atonement'.

Recounting her memories of the agitation of which she was a part, she also said the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's attempt to keep both Hindus and Muslims happy eventually led to the demolition of the Babri mosque on December 6, 1992.

"These leftists and Congressmen created a toxic atmosphere at that time. Now when they say we do not get invitation (for the January 22 consecration ceremony for the Ram temple), I would say your biggest atonement will be that you go there without invitation and take a dip in the river Saryu and stand in front of Lord Ram by holding ears (seeking forgiveness)," the former Union minister said.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed a charge sheet in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of staff and leasing of assets of the Delhi Waqf Board during the chairmanship of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, official sources said.

A total of five entities have been named in the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) that includes three alleged associates of Khan-- Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui-- who were arrested by the central agency in November 2023, apart from some others, they said.

Khan, the 49-year-old legislator who represents the Okhla constituency in the Delhi assembly, has not been named as an accused.

The agency, after conducting raids against Khan and some others in October last year, had claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA 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, the ED said in a statement, were conducted in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff in Delhi Waqf Board and illegal personal gains by way of unfairly leasing of Waqf Board properties during the chairmanship of the board by Amantullah Khan during 2018-2022.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR and three Delhi Police complaints.

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 had said.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had alleged there was a campaign underway to end the AAP and asserted that false cases are being filed against party leaders.
Mumbai terror attack mastermind and outlawed Jamat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of Pakistan serving a 78-year-imprisonment sentence as a result of a conviction in seven terror financing cases, the UN said in updated information.

In December, India asked Pakistan to extradite Saeed, a United Nations-proscribed terrorist, who is wanted by Indian probe agencies in a number of terror cases.

Saeed, who was designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Councils 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in December 2008, is in (the) custody of the Government of Pakistan, serving a 78-year imprisonment sentence since 12 February 2020 as a result of conviction in seven terror financing cases, the Sanctions Committee said in an amended entry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta here on Tuesday with the discussions covering cooperation in various fields including health, traditional medicine, energy, IT, fintech and capacity building, an MEA official said.

PM Modi reached Ahmedabad on Monday night.

On Tuesday morning, he reached the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar to hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, a day before the inauguration of the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

"Had an excellent meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Ji's influence on President Horta's life and work. We discussed ways to further bilateral and cultural ties between our nations," Modi said in a post on X after the meeting.

"Furthering the Delhi-Dili connect! PM @narendramodi held a productive meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste in Gandhinagar," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X.

PM Modi congratulated President Horta for Timor-Leste's upcoming membership of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), he said.

"The PM invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Discussions covered bilateral cooperation in various fields including development partnership in health, traditional medicine, energy, IT, fintech, capacity building among others," he said.

During the day, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with various world leaders.

At around 3 pm, he will inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, the PMO said.

In the evening, Prime Minister Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead a road show from outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here, officials said.

The 3-km-long roadshow will start in the evening after the PM receives the UAE President at the airport, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East), Ahmedabad city, Safin Hasan.

On Wednesday, PM Modi will inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, a global forum for business collaboration, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships for inclusive growth and sustainable development, a statement issued by the PMO said.

After inaugurating the summit on Wednesday, Modi will hold a meeting with CEOs of top global corporations.

He will then travel to the GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City in Gandhinagar where he will interact with prominent business leaders in the Global FinTech Leadership Forum.

There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's summit, a press release said.

Further, the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions, it said.

The summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability.

In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state-of-the-art technology. E-mobility, start-ups, MSMEs, blue economy, green energy and smart infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the trade show, the release said.
Influenza B cases increase significantly in latest monitoring: CNIC

Global Times) 10:24, January 09, 2024

The proportion of influenza B cases has seen a substantial increase among influenza patients across the country while the previously dominant influenza A (H3N2) has seen a significant decrease in proportion, the latest monitoring report released by the Chinese National Influenza Center (CNIC) shows.

According to the Influenza Weekly Report released by CNIC last Thursday, between December 25 and 31, 2023, the proportion of influenza B virus strains currently account for 26.4 percent of the influenza cases in the southern parts of China and as much as 47.3 percent of the influenza cases in the northern parts of the country.

Despite that the influenza A (H3N2) virus strains are still prevalent and account for 63.8 percent of the total influenza cases detected across the country, their dominance in transmission has decreased significantly.

Topics about influenza B overtaking influenza A as the most transmissible virus have been trending on Chinas social media platforms in recent days.

The proportion of influenza B cases in the outpatient department of the Childrens Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, has been rising significantly over the past two weeks, Qian Liling, doctor from the respiratory department of the hospital told thepaper.cn on Sunday.

According to Qian, based on the children visiting the hospital, there is no significant difference in symptoms caused by influenza A and influenza B and the proportion of cases requiring intensive care does not show a notable difference either. They both show a sudden onset of the disease with symptoms such as high fever, chills, sore throat, cough, and muscle aches all over the body. Patients temperatures can rise to 39C to 40C in several hours to 24 hours.

In response to some netizens suspecting that patients with influenza B tend to have a longer duration of illness compared to those infected with influenza A and have more severe symptoms, Qian said that patients infected with influenza B generally have milder symptoms compared with those with influenza A, but some influenza B patients may experience more noticeable gastrointestinal symptoms according to her multiple years clinical experience. However, the overall durations of both diseases are similar, ranging from five to seven days.

Influenza A usually has a higher transmissibility than influenza B and the previous global influenza pandemics have all been caused by influenza A, Qian said, adding that influenza A is more prone to occur genetic mutation.

Moreover, it is possible for patients to get infected with influenzas repeatedly during the influenza prevailing seasons since influenzas have different variants. However, the immunity generated after infection of a certain type of influenza usually lasts three to six months, according to Qian.

Qian noted that apart from taking medicines such as Oseltamivir and Baloxavir Marboxil for treatment of influenza infection, sufficient rest and sleep are closely related to good immunity and plays an important role in preventing influenza infection.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Hyderabad: The state government on Tuesday asked Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe to allocate a judge to probe the engineering lapses in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) and subsequent sinking of Medigadda Barrage piers.

On the day, the vigilance and enforcement departments searched multiple locations in connection with the alleged irregularities in the KLIS construction.

Disclosing the government's decision on the judicial probe, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the state government also ordered a vigilance inquiry into the KLIS.

The moves come after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had announced, in the recent Assembly session, that the state government would order a judicial inquiry into KLIS, ascertain the party responsible for finalising its design, how the contract was finalised and awarded, alongside other factors that caused the issue at Medigadda Barrage.

Meanwhile, sources said around 10 teams of vigilance and enforcement started searches on Tuesday morning and continued till late night, with more searches likely on Wednesday and Thursday.

The department is also focussing on the theft of computers and data from the Manair River Front Development project office, which was reported two days ago.

According to officials associated with the searches, an inquiry has been taken up on the allegations of sub-standard work in KLIS and also several other irregularities related to the planning, design, execution, payment and other aspects.

The amount for the project was paid in full measure, but a sub-standard asset was delivered to the state, an official said.

Searches took place at the engineer-in-chiefs office at Jalasoudha in Hyderabad, and project offices at Mahadevpur and Kaleswaram in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, with a team of senior officials monitoring the same.

Initial searches revealed that several documents were missing and the same was immediately reported to the head office. Following the update, teams were reconstituted and more officials joined the searches, extending it to offices of superintending engineers and engineers associated with the project across the state.

There are several documents missing and the searches will continue till each such document is traced and collected. Once the searches are completed and all documents are collected, the verification and analysis will begin. Accordingly, the action will follow, an official said.
Hyderabad: The Congress ramped up its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with TPCC chief and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy completing his scheduled meetings with ministers who have been delegated as incharges.

On Tuesday, he met ministers incharge of Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, and Rangareddy districts at the MCRHRD institute, a day after he met in charges of undivided Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar, and Hyderabad.

He said elections strategy meetings will be held with incharges of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies from January 10 to 12.

The Chief Minister also announced a special development grant of Rs 10 crore to each Assembly constituency in the state.

In the meetings on Tuesday, Revanth Reddy discussed election strategies, welfare schemes, and developmental programmes of the newly-formed Congress government, sources said.

The Chief Minister instructed ministers and MLAs to ensure that each needy person got the benefit of their welfare schemes. He said Indiramma committees will be appointed soon to monitor the effective implementation of welfare schemes in every gram panchayat, ward, municipal division, and corporation.

Saying that beneficiaries for the welfare scheme would soon be identified, he directed the in charges to appoint honest and sincere officials for implementation, warning of stringent action over corrupt practices.

Do not bring bad repute to the government by taking anti-people decisions and moves. The government will allocate a special development fund of Rs 10 crore to each constituency. The incharge ministers of the old districts are entrusted with the responsibility of utilisation of the funds, Revanth Reddy said.

He said that the Assembly constituencies should be developed in coordination with the incharge ministers to resolve public issues. The party and the government should coordinate and address the peoples issues, he said.

Further, on the Lok Sabha polls, he said: Put all efforts to win maximum number of MP seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Congress target is to win not fewer than 12 MP seats.
Hyderabad: Over a dozen Congress leaders are in the race for the separate elections to the two Legislative Council seats under the MLAs quota, given that the victory of the partys victory is a foregone conclusion due to its House strength of 65, including a CPI legislator.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to issue the notification for by-polls to the two MLC seats on January 11, with January 18 as the last date to file nominations.

Among the aspirants are prominent leaders who contested the recent Assembly polls but were defeated and those who were denied Assembly tickets due to political and caste equations.

Senior leaders Mohd Ali Shabbir, Ramreddy Damodar Reddy, T. Jagga Reddy, Anjan Kumar Yadav, S.A. Sampath Kumar, and Mohd Azharuddin, who contested recent Assembly polls and lost, are seeking MLC nominations.

TPCC working president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, Addanki Dayakar, former minister G. Chinna Reddy, Patel Ramesh Reddy, NSUI Telangana president Balmoor Venkat, and Youth Congress president Shiva Sena Reddy, who were denied Assembly tickets, are also seeking MLC nominations, reminding that the party leadership its promise to this effect.

Congress sources said that the party's high command was in favour of nominating leaders who were denied tickets, instead of opting for leaders who lost the Assembly polls.

They said TPCC president and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy gave indications to this effect and said prominent leaders who lost recent Assembly polls will be considered for MLC nominations in other categories, such as Governor's quota, graduate MLC, and local bodies MLC.

Sources added that since Revanth Reddy was to leave for Davos in Switzerland to take part in the World Economic Forum from January 15 to 20, the names of the candidates will be announced before Sankranti.

There are also two MLC vacancies under the Governor's quota, for which TJAC chairman Prof Kodandaram is being considered as one of the candidates. These will be filled later.

The Chief Minister proposed to accommodate leaders who miss out on MLC nominations as chairpersons of multiple state government-run corporations. The Chief Minister plans to fill all these nominated posts by the end of this month, with the approval of the party's high command.
Male: Former Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi on Monday said that derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrate the "short-sightedness" of the Maldives government, adding that India has been a reliable ally, providing assistance in various sectors, including defense, and criticized any attempt to undermine the longstanding relationship.

She further expressed disappointment over disparaging remarks, highlighting India as the "911 call" for the Maldives, always coming to their rescue in times of need.

"It is the short-sightedness on the part of the present administration... We are a small country who are friends with all, but we cannot deny that we share borders with India. We share similar security concerns. India has always helped us. They have been helping us even in the defence sector with capacity building, providing us with equipment, and trying to make us more self-sufficient," Mariya Ahmed Didi said.

She said that Maldives and India are like-minded in their quest for democracy and respect for human rights. "It's a very short-sightedness on the part of the present government to really think that we can really try to not keep the age-old relationship that we have always had with India..." she said.

A massive row was triggered last week as Maldives deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit.

Meanwhile, the former Maldives Defence Minister said "... India has been our 911 call, whenever we need it, we give a call and you all come to our rescue. That kind of a friend. When you see such disparaging remarks about friends like this, it is sad for everyone concerned."

She underscored the importance of maintaining the age-old relationship with India and expressed concerns about the negative impact of such remarks on the friendship between the two nations.

Former Maldives Defence Minister said that considering our close friendship, neighboring status, and participation in the global community, it is essential to uphold our international commitments.

She noted the historical "India first" policy and hoped for its continuation, recognizing India as the nearest neighbor that has consistently provided support in times of need.

"I would think as close friends, as neighbours, as part of the global community, and we would keep our international commitments and Maldives government, would keep our traditional foreign policy of being friends with everyone. We've always had an India first policy, and I hope they continue it, that they recognize that you're the closest neighbour, that you will be the people who have always come and will come in the future also when the need arises and to have the sentiments of the Maldivian people because we have always gone to India for medical treatment as wel," she added.

She urged acknowledgment of the sentiments of the Maldivian people, highlighting instances of seeking medical treatment in India and receiving COVID-19 vaccines under Indian aid.

"When we do not have the facility to attend to certain illnesses in Maldives. Even otherwise when we had the Covid, we got the vaccines also under Indian aid. We've had so much cooperation between the two countries. We have cooperated with each other from time immemorial, and it is not feasible for us to even think that we can replace our closest neighbour...," she said.

On January 2, PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkelling.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches, the pristine blue skies and the ocean and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list."

In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi.

The Maldivian government on Sunday distanced itself from Minister Mariyam Shiuna's derogatory remarks, saying her opinion does not reflect the government's views.

The government added that 'appropriate action' will be taken against the minister, who is in the midst of a social media firestorm over her post.

The government added that it believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a "democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and its international partners".

On Indian troops presence in Maldives, the minister said: "It has never been a question of Indian troops being here or anything like that. They have been here to help us on our government's request. Several successive governments have requested that they come and help us... It has been helping us keep our citizens safe, and it's sad that we do not see it that way."

She said Maldives has never had the Indian troops in the traditional sense in the Maldives.

"As part of the defence cooperation, India has offered us technical support purely on a humanitarian basis to bring our people from the islands to Male. The equipment that was given to Maldives has always been there to help us, to assist us in the humanitarian evacuation of our people. The helicopters that were there... they are completely under the command and control of MNDF (Maldives National Defence Force). The MNDF tells them when to fly and how to fly and what to do about it."
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JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the 5th largest bank in the world and the largest in the U.S. The current company is the result of a series of mergers that began in the earliest days of American banking history and include more than 1,200 original banks. The oldest predecessor is The Bank Of The Manhattan Company which was founded in 1799 by Aaron Burr. At the time, The Bank Of The Manhattan Company was the 3rd oldest bank in the U.S. and the 31st oldest in the world. The Chase Manhattan Bank, a precursor to JPMorgan Chase, was later formed when The Bank Of Manhattan Company purchased Chase Bank which was established in 1877.

JPMorgan & Co came to life in 1895 in order to finance the United States Steel Corporation. Itself a result of merger, the company also financed other early American businesses as well as aided the federal government by backing a bond offering. It wasnt until the year 2000 and after several more mergers that JPMorgan Chase & Co was born. It will be four more years before the merger with Bank One which is notable because it brings CEO Jamie Dimon into the picture.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was instrumental in aiding the US government during the 2008 financial crisis. It backed the accounts of several major banks including Bear Stearns and eventually took over their operations. Today, JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide with operations on every continent and in more than 60 countries.

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates through four segments that are Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). Services are available in branches in 48 of the 50 US states and around the world. Services are available via ATM, online, mobile, and telephone.

The CCB segment offers traditional banking services to consumers that include but are not limited to deposits, loans, mortgages, and lines of credit. The CIB segment provides investment banking products and services to businesses, institutions, and governments that range from prime brokerage, insurance, corporate strategy, and access to capital markets, to lending, cross-border financing, and derivative instruments. The CB segment provides financial services for small, medium, and large businesses including commercial real estate banking of all types.

The AWM segment provides investment management solutions to institutional and retail investors. This segment also provides retirement products, brokerage, trusts and estates, and investment management products.
A pizza shop in west Belfast has been damaged in a suspected arson attack.

Police officers on patrol in the Andersonstown Road at 5am on Tuesday spotted a vehicle and part of the Pizza Guyz shopfront in flames.

A PSNI spokesman said at this stage it appears the vehicle was driven at the shop and the fire was started deliberately, causing extensive damage.

Our colleagues from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) attended and extinguished the blaze, the spokesman said.

Our investigation is under way and anyone with any information, who may have been in the area at the time the incident took place, is asked to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 140 of 09/01/24.

We are particularly interested in speaking to those who may have dashcam or other footage.

The NIFRS said four appliances were involved in tackling the blaze, and it was said to have been dealt with by 7.47am.

The cause of the fire is being treated as deliberate ignition.

Later on Tuesday, a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting arson.

One of the shop owners, Ciaran Kelly, described the incident as devastating.

Its a bit of a disaster. I got a phone call from one of our drivers saying that the shop is on fire, I came down very quickly in my shorts and T-shirt and saw a car sticking out of the shop, he told the BBC.

Its going to be a lot of upheaval for different people  drivers, staff, our own family.

We are appealing to anyone who may have been in the Andersonstown Road area of west Belfast at around 5.00am this morning to contact us on 101 if they noticed anything suspicious. More here: https://t.co/9Ts5L8Jg1z pic.twitter.com/0ydCl19hRx  Police West Belfast (@PSNIBelfastW) January 9, 2024

Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey strongly condemned the incident as absolutely deplorable, adding: My immediate thoughts are with owner Ciaran Kelly and all the staff affected.

Pizza Guyz employs many local people and is a highly respected business right across our community, with Ciaran supporting many community initiatives and events, he said.

Attacks like this could end in death or serious injury, and its lucky no-one was physically hurt here.

I totally condemn this vile behaviour and would encourage anyone with information to immediately bring it forward to the police.
HIGHLIGHTS Apple's Siri is not always helping and accurate, unlike Google Assistant. We can all agree that Siri can't compete with Google Assistant when it comes to queries. Siri and Google Assistant can work alongside each other on your iPhone or iPad.

Apples Siri is not always helping and accurate, unlike Google Assistant. Whether youre an Apple fan or not, we can all agree that Siri cant compete with Google Assistant when it comes to queries. However, what if I told you that you can use both Siri and Google Assistant together? Yes, it is possible. Siri and Google Assistant can work alongside each other on your iPhone or iPad. Heres how you can do it.

Also read: iOS 17 could bring changes to Siri, Apples smart assistant app

Link Siri and Google Assistant on Apple devices

Step 1: Firstly, ensure that Siri is working on your Apple device. If not, then go to Settings > Siri & Search and turn on Listen for Hey Siri.

Step 2: Now go to the App Store and install Google Assistant.

Step 3: Open the Google Assistant app, sign in or continue with your Google account, and tap Continue when prompted about Google Partners.

Step 4: Do not forget to grant microphone access to Google Assistant when prompted.

Step 5: After this, go to the Shortcuts app. Tap on the (+) sign, placed at the top right corner.

Step 6: Tap Add Actions and search Google Assistant. After it appears on your display, select Google Assistant.

Step 7: Now choose Hey Google and tap Next.

Step 8: Make sure the shortcut name should be Hey Google.

This is how you can link Siri and Google Assistant together. Now how to use it? Well, its pretty simple.

Also read: Truecaller Live Caller ID now available for iOS: Heres how you can enable it on your iPhone

How to use Siri and Google Assistant on Apple devices

To launch Siri, you have to say, Hey Siri. To launch both Siri and Google Assistant, youll have to say, Hey Siri Hey Google.

Thats how you can use Google Assistant for any query on your iPhone or iPad.
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Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
SK Hynix CEO Kwak says memory playing pivotal role in AI era, ready to provide customized solution to each customer

SK Hynix held a press conference titled "Memory, the Power of AI" on the sidelines of CES 2024 in Las Vegas where its CEO Kwak Noh-Jung laid out the company's vision in the AI era.

At the press conference, attended by both domestic and international media, Kwak said that the importance of memory will grow further as generative AI becomes widespread. He also said that "SK Hynix is providing products from the world's best technologies to the ICT industry, leading the "Memory-Centric AI Everywhere."

Kwak laid out the company's plan to introduce the "Custom Memory Platform" to provide customized AI memory solutions as demands for diverse memory products are growing.

Below are the key points mentioned during the press conference.

The ICT industry evolved dramatically through the PC, mobile, and now cloud-based AI era. Throughout, data in diverse types and massive amounts are being generated and communicated.

Now we enter a new era of AGI built on all that data amassed. The new era will thus move towards a market where AGI constantly generates data and repeats learning and evolution.

In the AGI era, memory will play a pivotal role in processing data.

The role of memory is even more crucial from a computing system perspective. Before, systems were basically an iteration of dataflows from the CPU to memory and then back to the CPU in a sequential manner, but such a structure is not suitable to handle the massive data generated through AI.

Now, AI systems are connecting large counts of AI chips and memory in a parallel fashion to accelerate massive data processing. This means that AI system performance depends on stronger and faster memory.

The direction for memory in the AI era should be handling data at the fastest speed, in the most effective way, and in higher volume. That aligns with the past century of memory development that has improved density, speed, and bandwidth.

The memory-centric AGI era has a clear leader: SK Hynix. We are providing diverse products with ultra-high performance such as HBM3 and HBM3E, the world's best and widest sought-after products, to markets and industries, TSV DIMM, the industry's largest-capacity server memory, LPDDR5 Turbo, the world's fastest mobile memory, and DIMM, the best-in-class performance server.

SK Hynix is leading the "Memory-Centric AI Everywhere" in various industries ranging from AGI, conventional data centers, mobile, and PC systems.

Building on our lineup, we will deliver a bandwidth-focused HBM4 and HBM4E, a power-improved LPCAMM, a capacity-expanding CXL and QLC storage, as well as compute-capable PIM and hone our technological leadership in the AI era.

SK Hynix's AI memory solutions are delivering customers a new experience.

Yet, AI systems are advancing at a breathtaking pace, leading to customer demands for diverse forms of memory performance.

While some customers require ever larger capacities or more power-efficient products, others want higher bandwidth and the addition of data computing capabilities.

So, we are planning to launch SK Hynix's proprietary "Custom Memory Platform."

We will bring to AI systems our memory-specialized technology and R&D expertise for optimal convergence with customers' needs.

This platform will transcend conventional ways and deliver an entirely new value proposition, catering to every customer with the most optimal memory solution for their needs.

SK Hynix is preparing over 4.15 million square meters of a new memory manufacturing base worth over 120 trillion won (92.7 billion USD) investment.

This massive capacity will allow us to continue serving existing customers while responding to the explosive growth of AI memory demand with the world's best products delivered in time.

Today, I took the opportunity to share SK Hynix's readiness for a total AI memory provider with a clear plan for technology, customers, and production base.

Please join us in the new AGI future we shall open and expand with you.

SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung at the Press Conference
Taiwan braces for Chinese 'missile' strike following Defense Ministry comms blunder

On Tuesday afternoon, January 9, residents in Taiwan received a mobile phone alert issued by the nation's Ministry of National Defense (MND) warning that a missile was on its way.

The alert was issued at 3:17 p.m. in English and Chinese. Unfortunately, each version provided a different message.

The English version read "[Air raid Alert] Missile flyover Taiwan airspace,be aware." (Grammar unchanged) Unsurprisingly, the message caused widespread panic in Taiwan, particularly among Taiwan's non-Chinese speaking population.

The Chinese version, less alarmingly, explained that at 15:04 China had launched a satellite that had already crossed the Island's southern airspace. "If you see any unknown objects, contact the authorities", the Chinese message added.

Given China's aggressive military posturing toward Taiwan, and the fact that China has previously fired live missiles close to its southeastern neighbor, air raid drills are common in the island nation. Air raid drill alerts are sent to the mobile phones of all residents using a Taiwanese SIM card.

When the drills take place, residents are told to remain inside. If they are outside when they receive the message they have to make their way to the closest air raid shelter.

Unlike the routine air raid drill messages, the message sent on Tuesday did not mention the word "drill." The absence of the reassuring word was noticed by concerned members of Forumosa, a messaging forum popular among Taiwan's expat population.

Credit: Forumosa

Soon after the blunder, the MND issued a press release on their official website explaining how the mix-up had happened. The error related to the English version of the alert not being synchronized with the Chinese version, the message said.

The message also provided more information on the satellite launch. "The People's Republic of China launched a satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan using the Long March series carrier rocket", said the MND.

"The national military utilized the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) system to thoroughly grasp relevant ballistic dynamics" and "activated the air threat warning system, issuing text messages to alert the public and enhance vigilance", the press release explained.

The MND wrote, "due to an oversight, the English-language terms in the text messages were not synchronized with the original system's wording, leading to imprecise expression." "The Ministry of National Defense apologizes to the public for any confusion; the launched object was a satellite, not a missile", it added.

Tuesday's faux pas was not the MND's first. On July 1, 2016, a fishing boat captain was tragically killed when an enlistee from Taiwan's Navy mistakenly fired a supersonic Hsiung Feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missile at his boat.

Credit: Ministry of National Defense
Architect Alan Hart dies, VIA practice co-founder

Photo from VIA [enlarge] VIAs work includes the John Lewis Memorial Bridge, which opened in Northgate in 2021.





Prominent Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., architect Alan Hart has died at age 71, only a few weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Hart was the co-founder of VIA Architecture (now Perkins Eastman), which has offices in Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., and San Francisco. VIA was founded in 1984. Hart led the firm for over 35 years.

The respected architect was known for his public infrastructure work that gave a heart and voice to communities in metro Vancouver, B.C. Those include one of his earliest projects as the architect in charge of expanding the city's SkyTrain, a role traditionally held by engineers. Hart was honored with the Premier's Award for Accessible Design for his work in this field.

Hart

According to a notice from Perkins Eastman, under Hart's unwavering personal dedication, VIA garnered recognition on both sides of the U.S./Canada border as the firm blazed trails in technology, the design process, and the role of the architect in the world.

Infrastructure was also a focus of Hart and his firm's work in Seattle. Recent local infrastructure projects included the renovation of the Westlake monorail station, which was completed in 2021, and the John Lewis Memorial Bridge that connects people walking, rolling and biking between North Seattle College and Northgate station across Interstate 5. This bridge also opened in 2021.

Hart was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 15, 1952, the son of George and Jean Hart, and the fourth of six children. The family moved to Ottawa when Hart was six and to Montreal four years later. He earned a bachelor's in urban systems at McGill University and his graduate degree at the University of British Columbia.

Hart had a love of music  popular, rock and classical. He combated a stutter in early adolescence, which he overcame and went on to be a presenter around the world on architectural and transit projects. The notice said he loved wine, traveled extensively, and being a father meant everything to him.

Hart is survived by his partner Deborah Frausto; his son Brandon and wife, Faye Hart, and granddaughter, Lockelee Hart; his daughter, Sage Raven Hart-Talkington; his siblings Charles, Gwendolyn, Deborah, Jonathan and Jennifer; and many nieces and nephews.

Perkins Eastman describes Hart as a larger-than-life presence and an empathetic listener, with a humble and curious mind, eager to solve the next problem. He relished being a friend, mentor, and advocate for his colleagues, graciously sharing in their triumphs as well as their hardships. The firm notes that his work will continue through the hundreds of professionals Hart inspired to fearlessly seek a better way of building, thinking and being.




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SEATTLE  Mayor Bruce Harrell is looking for qualified candidates to fill 26 upcoming openings on the city of Seattle's design review boards.

Board members evaluate the design of new buildings based on citywide and neighborhood-specific design guidelines.





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By FATIMA HUSSEIN

Associated Press

VIENNA, Va.  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced that 100,000 businesses have joined a new database that collects beneficial ownership information on firms as part of a new government effort to unmask shell company owners.

Yellen said in remarks Monday that the new Treasury database that is collecting beneficial ownership information sends the message that the United States is not a haven for dirty money.





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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alaska's bid to revive a proposed copper and gold mine that was blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The justices did not comment in turning away the state's attempt to sue the Biden administration directly in the high court over its desire to revive the proposed Pebble Mine in the state's Bristol Bay region.





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AUBURN  The ground lease for a medical office building at 121 N. Division St. in Auburn recently sold for $20 million, according to King County records.

The seller was an LLC associated with Morgan Stanley. The buyer was an LLC associated with Anchor Health Properties of Virginia.





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Schools could face closure if temperatures continue to plummet amid Ireland's current cold snap.

A cold weather advisory warning is in place for the whole country this week as widespread ice and frost will remain. Lows of at least -3 are expected throughout the week but it will remain mainly dry overall.

The government's Be Winter Ready programme advises schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings to conduct a pre-event evaluation of what should be, or could be, in place to ensure the opening of the school in the event of severe weather. Decisions to close schools can be taken locally by management depending on conditions.

Areas for consideration are maintenance of premises and utilities, salting and gritting and transport to and from school or ECLs.

Access to a battery operated radio and torches should be put in place also.

Some other issues that settings should take into account include conditions in the setting itself, capacity of the setting to ensure the health and safety of children and students.

The ability of parents, students, staff and school transport services to safely negotiate local road conditions to reach the setting as well as guidance and direction from the principal response agencies.

This news comes amid a cold weather snap that could last well into next week.

The threat of snow in Ireland increases this week with Met Eireann and other forecasters predicting a sprinkling of the white stuff for some areas.

Ireland is in the grips of a major cold spell which looks like running well into next week with temperatures dipping as low as -5 degrees overnight this week.

Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel said: "Before getting into the technical nature of the extended outlook, its worth emphasising the risk of snow for some areas of the country tonight [Monday], as a small wave associated with a pool of colder upper air pushes westwards across the southern half of the country from the east.

"As this colder pool of air interacts with the warmer seas off the east and south coast, they will lead to the development of whats called lake effect snow, which is a process where by during cold weather, instability is generated by warm sea/lake air rising and initiating convection," he explained.

"This process will occur later tonight off the east and south coasts, leading to some snow showers with a small risk of accumulations in parts of Wicklow and Wexford, and later into counties Waterford and Cork. Any accumulations will occur inland away from costs, with the highest risk over higher ground. More details on that later.

"The question on how long this cold spell will last for is equally complex however the GFS and ECMWF both indicate that the cold spell is likely to last until at least the 18th or 20th of January, with the cold spell possibly intensifying over from Sunday onwards with an increased risk of snow for some," Cathal said.

"The below charts look at the temperature at 850 hPa and they indicate that much colder upper air temperatures will spread across the country from the north through Sunday and persist for much of next week, lower temperatures further and resulting in some snow across the north and northwest chiefly.

"Ill provide further details on this risk later, but for now take care if youre out and about today as roads and pavements remain icy, with overnight ice and frost slow to clear. Highs today or just 3-6 degrees Celsius, with lows tonight dipping down to -5 in some places, most likely in the Midwest," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Met Eireann's forecast for Ireland's cold spell also shows that freezing temperatures may stick around into next week amid warnings and advisories.

Met Eireann has issued a nationwide Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning. It came into effect at 9pm on Monday and remains valid until 10am on Tuesday.

The national forecaster has also issued a national weather advisory for low temperatures and ice which runs until Friday, January 12, at 10.30pm. Despite this, more warnings are likely this week and the cold spell looks like continuing into next week.

In its outlook for the rest of this week, Met Eireann says: "High pressure dominating this week, bringing mostly dry and cold weather with some sunshine. Frost and ice will develop at night along with patches of mist and fog.

"Tuesday morning will begin frosty and icy with a light dusting of snow locally. It will be cold throughout with low winter sunshine occurring widely. Dry, apart from a few light showers across eastern coastal counties. Highest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees, in light to moderate easterly breezes. Frost and ice setting in quickly after-dark."

"Tuesday night will be cold with lowest temperatures ranging from -3 to +2 degrees. There will be frost and icy patches in many areas and some patches of mist and fog. Light easterly breezes.

"Wednesday will be another cold day, with patchy light rain along eastern coasts, and sunny spells further west. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees with light to moderate easterly breezes. On WEDNESDAY NIGHT, frost and fog patches will develop, especially over the western half of the country. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees

"Thursday will continue cold with mostly cloudy conditions in the east and bright or sunny spells further west. Highest temperature of 4 to 7 degrees, with temperatures overnight falling to between -3 and +1 degrees and with some fog patches developing.

"Friday will continue cold and mainly dry with frost and patches fog clearing slowly and with bright or sunny spells developing. Highest temperatures of just 2 to 5 degrees with light variable breezes."

Beyond that, Met Eireann says next weekend "will continue cold and mainly dry, however, some showers are likely to move down from the north at times. Day time temperatures will range from 4 to 7 degrees and there will be frost and icy patches at night."

In their extended forecast for next week, Met Eireann predict the icy weather sticking around.

"We will likely see high pressure situated to the northwest and low pressure situated over the continent. As a result, precipitation amounts are signalled to be close to normal or slightly above along eastern coastal areas but elsewhere precipitation is expected to below average. Temperatures into week 2 are also signalled to remain below average."
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Above: Representing Louth at Showcase 2024 are local makers Caoilfionn Murphy OHanlon of Cushla of Gullion, Fiona Lynch of Almond Rose Designs and Caroline Duffy of Caroline Duffy Designs. They are proudly supported by Local Enterprise Office Louth, represented here by Sarah Mallon. Photo: Jenny Callanan Photography

Showcase 2024 at the RDS, from 21-23 January, is where Louth's finest creative entrepreneurs are making big waves. This year's contingent from Louth are truly showcasing local talent and Irish creativity, bringing a vibrant mix of tradition and innovation.

Sarah Mallon from Local Enterprise Office Louth explains: "Showcase is a fantastic opportunity for local creatives to get in front of global buyers. We all know that people buy from people, and Showcase provides the chance for makers to meet buyers face to face, forge relationships and talk about their products.

"We are delighted to support three incredible makers as they step onto a global stage, highlighting their talent and Louth's creative gems.

Showcase - Irelands Creative Expo is now the foremost place for retailers to discover unique, design-led fashion and knitwear, jewellery, craft, gift and interiors. The event showcases the very best emerging, homegrown creative talent. Attendance is free, but for trade only.

New to Showcase 2024 is Fiona Lynch of Almond Rose Design, with a really innovative and creative new product offering. Celebrating the way that animals communicate with humans on a daily basis,

Fiona has created a large range of pet cards to celebrate the big (and little) occasions in life. All cards are designed in-house, printed in Ireland on sustainably sourced card paper with eco-friendly inks.

A visit to Fionas website almondrosedesigns.ie will reveal cards for every occasion including Good Luck, Get Well, Love, Sympathy, Wedding cards and much more, theres even pet cards as Gaeilge!

Visual artist Caoilfionn Murphy OHanlon, of Cushla of Gullion, creates stunning wall art and home accessories from her base in Dundalk. Founded in 2014, textile artist Caoilfionn is inspired by the land, legends and lore of her surroundings.

Her quirky, nostalgic and vibrant prints, gifts and homewares bring the rugged Irish Landscape into homes across Ireland and the world. Cushla Of Gullion's stunning work has been exhibited and exported internationally and is designed and made in Ireland. Visit cushlaofgullion.com to see her work.

Caroline Duffy of Caroline Duffy Designs is showcasing her stunning hand printed floral artwork at Showcase for the second year running.

Her collection includes a range of striking art, prints, silk dresses, kimonos, scarves and woven blankets. Her signature style is instantly recognisable and has garnered significant media and buyer interest in the past year. View her collection on carolineduffydesigns.com

Sarah Mallon concludes Showcase 2024 is not just a display of products; it's where creativity, sustainability, beautiful materials and incredible makers come together to remind Irish and international buyers how local talent can make a global splash.

"Visitors will find unique, handcrafted Irish products, each with its own story. From exquisite jewellery to bespoke textiles, and so much more, Showcase 2024 is the highlight of the year in Ireland's craft sector and we are thrilled to offer three local makers the chance to be part of it.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has updated Cabinet on the progress made to address hospital waiting lists in 2023.

The core target of achieving a 10% reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than the agreed Slaintecare times (10/12 weeks) was exceeded in 2023, with an 11% reduction, equating to 57,000 patients.

2023 saw a reduction of almost one third (32%) on those waiting longer than 12 months.

This equates to 54,000 patients.

Since the COVID peak those waiting longer than 12 months has reduced by 60%.

2023 is the second year in row that waiting lists fell.

Over 177,000 more patients were removed from acute hospital waiting lists last year compared with 2022.

The target of removing approximately 1.66 million patients from waiting lists in 2023 was exceeded by 5%, with around 1.74 million patients removed.

The average Outpatient waiting time reduced from 9.7 months to 7.5 months.

This represents a 23% reduction in 2023.

Minister Donnelly said:"One of my highest priorities remains tackling our waiting lists. Today I am able to confirm that 2023 is the second year in a row that waiting lists fell. The core target of achieving a 10% reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than agreed times was exceeded in 2023.

"Significant progress was made during 2023 in reducing the length of time people are waiting for care. We had an 11% reduction in the numbers waiting longer than 10/12 weeks meaning that 57,000 less people are waiting longer than the agreed. Slaintecare targets than at the end of 2022. At the end of December 2023, almost 86% of patients were waiting less than the 2023 National Service Plan maximum wait time targets, which represents an improvement of 6.3% since the end of 2022. Without the intervention of the 2023 WLAP, it is estimated that waiting lists would have increased by 54% to almost 1.1 million people."

The 3% reduction in the overall waiting list achieved in 2023, follows on from a 4% reduction in 2022, which was the first annual decrease in national hospital waiting lists since 2015.

The overall waiting list reduction was achieved in 2023 despite approximately 126,900 (c. 8%) more patients being added to our waiting lists than was projected last year.

A total of 1.718 million people were added to the cumulative waiting lists during the course of 2023.

Minister Donnelly said: "While this government recognises that acute hospital scheduled care waiting lists are far too long, and that many patients are waiting an unacceptably long time for care, it is important to acknowledge that significant progress has been made this year, particularly since we moved to a year-round approach to Urgent and Emergency Care in the latter half of last year. A critical metric to measuring progress towards achieving this goal is not the total number of people waiting, but rather the total number of people waiting longer than the Slaintecare times."

The Department of Health is working with the HSE to finalise both the End of Year Report against the 2023 WLAP as well as the new WLAP 2024, which will take account of learnings from 2023 as well as the funding envelope provided for 2024.

Minister Donnelly said: "I would like to thank all our healthcare staff who have worked tirelessly to reduce our waiting lists. It is thanks to the huge efforts of all the frontline staff and management that 2023 was the second year in a row that national hospital waiting lists fell. With the 2023 Waiting List Action Plan, my department, the HSE and the NTPF took the next steps in the multi-annual approach towards achieving our vision of a world-class public healthcare system. This work will continue under the 2024 WLAP where everyone has timely and transparent access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it, in line with Slaintecare reforms."
There is no co-ordinated campaign within Sinn Fein to take libel actions against journalists in Ireland, a party TD has said.

Pearse Doherty said any actions taken by party members are individual decisions.

He was speaking after a High Court judge in Belfast threw out a claim brought by party MLA Gerry Kelly against a journalist, ruling it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Mr Kelly was also ordered to pay costs in the case he had brought against Malachi ODoherty, who had stated in two radio interviews that the Sinn Fein representative had shot a prison officer during an escape from the Maze prison in 1983.

Mr Kelly had claimed the broadcast comments from Mr ODoherty had damaged his reputation, but Master of Belfast High Court Evan Bell said books written by the MLA about the prison escape meant his libel action could not succeed.

The judges ruling stated: For that reason the court strikes them out on the basis that they are scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Politicians in Ireland have previously criticised Sinn Fein for launching a number of legal actions against journalists and elected representatives.

But speaking to Newstalk, Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein was not the only party which launched legal action.

He said: They are individual actions, there is no decision in terms of Sinn Fein to take individual cases against anybody.

There are many actions that have been taken by Fianna Fail or Fine Gael representatives.this isnt unique at all.

People in the media are also taking cases against other people in news outlets in the media.

It is a fair point that if I am defamed, whether I am a member in public office or not, I have the right to defend my good name; I have taken that avenue in the past and I will take that avenue in the future.

Mr Doherty added: I dont know Gerry Kellys case, I wouldnt expect to know Gerry Kellys case, it is up to each individual whether they are a member of Sinn Fein or not to take a case.

I can tell you for a fact that it is not a co-ordinated campaign.

In the High Court ruling this week, Master Bell said that the libel proceedings brought by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapp) case.

He said: On the balance of probabilities therefore the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the genuine purposes of vindicating a reputation injured by defamatory statements, but rather for the purpose of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.
MUSGRAVE, a leading food retail, wholesale, and food service company, has announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind podcast series.

Growing Good Business will take listeners behind the scenes at the operations of Irelands largest food retail, wholesale, and food service business.

Growing Good Business is the name of the podcast series, and ties back to Musgraves purpose of Growing Good Business, which is about creating a sustainable, profitable business that benefits all stakeholders.

The series will feature unique and fascinating insights into Musgrave, from colleagues right across the business in retail, food service, and wholesale, and goes behind the scenes in supply chain, HR, food safety, and much more.

Recorded in various locations this six-part series, produced in collaboration with AudioBrand, will provide listeners with an unprecedented glimpse into the inner workings of Irelands largest food retail, wholesale, and food service company.

It combines both in-studio and on-location interviews, creating an immersive audio experience that introduces listeners to the people and places behind the Musgrave business. SuperValu and Centra stores, farms, Musgrave test kitchens, and Supply Chain operations are all showcased.

The first two episodes were released yesterday; the first episode, A History of Entrepreneurship will appeal to established business owners and those with an entrepreneurial spirit alike. This episode features conversations with Musgrave CEO Noel Keeley, SuperValu Portumna owner Yvonne OMeara, and HR Director for Learning and Development Anne Rigney.

The second installment: Growing Sustainably Every Day will shine a light on Musgraves efforts to grow a more sustainable business, and how an organisation of Musgraves scale is playing its part in the journey to net zero. It features conversations with Chief Supply Chain Officer Luke Hanlon and Head of Sustainability Owen Keogh.

Episodes three and four are slated for release in the week commencing January 16, with the final two episodes released at the end of January; each episode will continue the series unique blend of engaging storytelling, and insightful commentary and narration.

Edel Clancy, Director of Corporate Affairs at Musgrave, said: Were thrilled to be launching this unique podcast series, Growing Good Business which captures the essence of a 147-year-old family business. Through this new platform, we bring listeners on a journey into the heart of the business - with fascinating insights into who we are, what were about, and the impact that we have on our communities from the people who make Musgrave what it is today.
RUTH Healy, owner of Urru Culinary Store in Bandon, recently celebrated 20 years in business. Thats a generation, and in that time Ruth has literally been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt many times over.

To say that she is a shopkeeper is like saying pilots sit in a cockpit all day. Ruths role for the past two decades has actually been about connection, an all important link in the chain between food or drink producer and customer.

Today, theres a shop like Urru in almost every market town up and down the country. But back in 2003, that simply wasnt the case, and it is a good starting point for illustrating the change Ruth has seen in Irelands food story.

Without the kind of shop she created, many hard-working producers may never have lasted the pace.

Shopkeeping is in her blood, and, in a way, it was maybe destiny that Urru would one day exist.

Ruth Healy of Urru Culinary Store in Bandon. Picture: Peter Pietrzak

My dad was a wholesaler and his parents were shopkeepers in the Mardyke, but my grandmother was the driving force; she was the boss, said Ruth.

She had her own shop down in Paradise Place, a kind of dry goods and wine shop. Glamourous it was not; cheap wine wrapped up in brown paper.

The main grocers shop in the city sold a bit of everything, and Ruth distinctly remembers her grandfather giving food to some school children that came into the shop.

They werent being fed, said Ruth, so he gave them leftover cake, bread and butter. My grandmother was like that too; things would be sent down to someones house, and my dad would be told to drop that in.

Ruth grew up in Waterfall and went to school in Cork city. She left school for Dublin to study a degree in Japanese and International Marketing before returning to Cork to study a postgrad in strategy and management.

Her first foray in her professional career was with Proctor and Gamble and assignments took her all over the country and abroad. The Oil of Olay account was hers, and Ruth triumphantly recalls being responsible for that brand being selected as the first ever sash sponsor of The Rose of Tralee.

But she couldnt settle and eventually returned to Cork, left her corporate job and signed up for the 12-week cookery course at Ballymaloe in 2001, with the intention of opening some sort of shop after graduating.

Her fellow alumna included famed chef, author and Wahaca restaurateur Thomasina Myers, culinary editor Lizzie Mar, and Peadar Moynihan of The Long Valley.

When I look back at school photos, there was always some reference, things like Ruth, the next Ben Dunne, and I was even the manager of the school shop.

Ruth eventually opened Urru, a shop that was a far cry from the workaday grocery stores of her grandparents generation.

I always loved food, and to me it was glaringly obvious you could sell food differently.

Different foods werent easily available then, and it wasnt because people didnt want to buy that kind of stuff, just that they didnt know it existed.

So this shop was quite novel 20 years ago.

Shops like Urru must offer a point of difference in order to thrive.

Take any given item of food, like biscuits. Technically, people can get those in different places at different prices, so why would they ever pay a different price if they know where the lowest is?

Its because shopping is a lot more than people just picking up things, and thats the world I inhabit. Not just creating access to items, but creating other reasons for coming in.

Those other reasons can be a connection, a feeling of community and a place to be social. It can also be a place where stories are shared, because Ruth doesnt just stock her shelves with goods, shes stocking them with stories of the person who made an item, how they made it, why they make it, why its delicious, and how its going to make a difference to what youll eat tonight.

As a location, Bandon fitted Ruths wish list for a bustling market town with a deep-rooted connection to food and heritage.

As she puts it, in a town like Bandon, people still cook most days because its a place on the cusp of where everything is produced and lived - a true sense of embeddedness.

A generational business like Urru will always see its fair share of seismic shifts and challenges, many of which are outside any kind of rational control.

I opened on the cusp of the Celtic Tiger, so of course I thought that was normality, said Ruth.

Then recession came, then flood came. By the time the remedial works started, drilling the river and roadworks, I had cottoned on that this is normality.

I got really good advice years ago, that if you have to make a decision, make it when youre in the driving seat. I opened a shop in Mallow in 2006 and I closed it in 2008, but I did that before the recession really kicked in. So, while it was hard and difficult and cost money, it was nothing like it would have been if I had held on longer.

I realised that theres always something. I have made my bed here and Ive cut my cloth. Its maybe not always ideal, but its fine and Im here to tell the story.

As well as adapting to the challenges of her own business, as someone who trades with other small food and drink businesses, Ruth has been privy to watching some incredible journeys for those that go on to achieve recognition, status, and a loyal following of consumers.

I remember when Green Saffron first started out. I thought it sounded very interesting but wondered how they were going to make a business out of it.

Clearly, they have and have done it really well. Often, with time, we forget when someone is doing something new and what it takes to get that traction.

Ruth Healy and her niece Nicola Healy launching a Christmas charity sale at the Urru Culinary store in Bandon in 2016

Ruth added: I think Glenilen is a great example of achieving commercial success and doing everything to try and hang onto the essence of what theyre about.

Someone like Philip OConnor of Seymours Irish Biscuits has also been a really been a great example of having a good idea, doing it well, putting the graft in, and reward will come.

The bread sector has also changed hugely in the last 20 years, said Ruth. At the time, Arbutus Bread were really the only show in town in terms of sourdough and spelt bread. Now of course they have become a neighbourhood name.

But bread is a really hard gig, bordering on vocational, because it has such a lifestyle component to it, and it is very hard to make sustainable money from something that takes so much labour.

So what is next for Urru? What will the next two decades look, and taste, like?

Ive come to accept that the way Ive shaped things means Im not going to be taking over the world! replied Ruth.

Anthony Creswell [Ummera Smokehouse] said you can grow by getting bigger or by getting better, so Im trying to get better.

Itll never be the finished article, and in doing a bit of self-reflection, I came up with a way to describe myself which is that Im probably a bit of a marmite. I certainly never intended the business to be all things to all people and most of the time Im happy that Ive trusted my judgement.

But I enjoy being here, I enjoy whats here, I work hard but thats OK. Ive learned that if you want to do something enough, youll find a way to do it.

I know I wont be here in 20 years time. Whether Urru will be, I dont know. I hope so, but I am thinking about what does succession look like to me?

Maybe succession isnt just about the flogging off of a business, or maybe it is. But that said, theres life in the old dog yet!

With so much experience tucked under the belt, Ruth says there are many moments and life lessons that stand out for her.

Id love to see more people embrace the idea that not everywhere has to be the same or have the same offering. There should be diversity and variety, she explained.

Im delighted if I dont have something but I can direct people to any of my neighbouring businesses. Thats a good thing, and they do the same back.

I have shaped Urru into a way that works for me, but Im not sure if its an example to others of what to do or of what not to do.

So Ive learned that there is no one-size-fits- all, there is no perfect, correct or wrong model. Theres only, in this case, the model that Ive shaped. This is Urru.

www.urru.ie
Preparations are underway in the Cork Gaeltacht village of Baile Mhuirne to honour the local patron saint with a festival which will bring together women  and men  bearing the name of Gobnait from all over the world at the site on the banks of the Sullane where the medieval saint built her monastery.

The festival, which takes place on the weekend of February 9-11, builds on the success of last years Global Gobnait call which resulted in people called Gobnait flocking to the Gaeltacht village while others called in from London and the US.

The weekend of events culminating on Sunday February 11, the Saints feast day, is being organised by Comharchumann Forbartha Mhuscrai (Muscrai Development Co-Op) language planning officer, Eibhlin Ni Lionaird, along with parish priest, Fr Sean Mac Carthaigh and archaeologist Dr Connie Kelleher.

Last year, when there was such an overwhelming and positive reaction to Glaoch Gobnait or Global Gobnait, we said we would try to build on it and now weve put together a full weekend of events to mark the feast of Gobnait, said Eibhlin, whose own second name is Gobnait.

Gobnait always was a great support for the parish and here she is again giving our tourist season a kick-start!

The Gobnaits will gather on Friday evening in the Mills Inn in Baile Mhuirne where they will be invited to taste some foods featuring honey as the main ingredient.

Gobnait, who travelled to Muscrai from the Aran Islands, is the patron saint of beekeepers.

On Saturday, the Bishop of Cloyne, Dr William Crean, will unveil a new 3D model of a 13th century statue that is brought out on La le Gobnait (St Gobnaits feast day) and on Whit Sunday each year for devotions to the saint.

Saturdays events will also feature a number of lectures from academics who will talk about the world in which Gobnait lived and ministered as well as an account of her journey to the Cork Gaeltacht from her home on Inis Oirr by writer Concubhar O Loingsigh.

On Saturday evening the Gobnaits will gather again to choose their Banrion na mBeach/Queen Bee and, after that nights festivities.

The festival events will culminate on Sunday evening with a presentation by the O Tuama School of Dancing of a show they have produced to interpret Gobnaits life in dance.
A new HSE initiative means that patients with minor injuries can attend the Cork Affidea ExpressCare clinic free of charge during the month of January.

The HSE/Cork Kerry Community Healthcare is funding the pilot initiative, which will allow patients to arrive directly at the city centre clinic without an appointment, a service similar to the injury units in Cork city, Bantry and Mallow.

This initiative will run until Wednesday, January 31 and will assess if providing additional access can help to reduce numbers attending city emergency departments at busy times.

Patients with minor injuries such as broken bones, sprains, dislocations and minor burns and scalds that are unlikely to need hospital admission can use this service. GPs can also refer patients directly to Affidea ExpressCare.

Priscilla Lynch, head of primary care, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare explained: This temporary initiative adds to the care options available to people in the Cork city area.

All parts of the health service are working together to ensure that we meet the increase in demand at this time of year.

There is a rise in flu and Covid-19 infections, and this means that our advice is that members of the public should present at hospital EDs only for major health emergencies.

Providing access to the Affidea ExpressCare clinic as an additional option gives the public an addition option to consider in non-emergency situations.

The news comes as Cork GP Dr Diarmuid Quinlan told The Echo that South Doc saw more than 10,000 patients between December 23 to January 1, or approximately 1,000 people a day, and less than 10% were referred to hospitals.

A HSE spokesperson advised Cork people that their options for urgent healthcare in Cork include their local pharmacist or local GP, South Doc  the GP out of hours service  injury units in Cork city, Bantry and Mallow, as well as Emergency Departments, which are open 24/7 and prioritise the sickest patients.

Affidea ExpressCare is located at the Elysian, Eglington Street in Cork city and the Eircode is T12 KTD1.

It is open seven days a week from 10am to 8pm.
Cork City Council closed out 83 per cent of service requests made to its Housing Maintenance Department up to October last year, up from 67 per cent in 2022.

City Council's Director of Services Niall O Donnabhain told councillors that between January to October 2023, the Housing Maintenance Department received over 16,500 service requests, with the close out of 13,752 cases for the same period.

Motion

He was speaking in response to a motion from Independent councillor Ger Keohane who had raised concerns about delays in maintaining some Cork City Council-owned homes.

My reasoning for this motion is that one family is waiting 18 months and still waiting to get their window skylights repaired because they are leaking and as a result of the delay their entire house is covered in mould, damp throughout, bathroom electrics do not work etc, he said.

If this maintenance request was carried out immediately, we would not have a destroyed house which will cost thousands of euros to remedy the damage.

Mr Keohane suggested that the Council could have in-house tradespeople to deal with easy quick repairs which he said would, in turn, prevent thousands of euros worth of damage in the long term.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Keohane said the issues raised in his motion were discussed at a recent meeting of the Housing Strategic Policy Committees (SPC) during which he said a good debate was had.

The head of housing gave a comprehensive and promising report for the maintenance programme for 2024, he said.

21,000 requests annually

In response to Mr Keohanes motion last night, Mr O Donnabhain said: The Housing Maintenance Department receives over 21,000 service requests on a yearly basis.

These service requests are logged through Cork City Councils Customer Service Unit. Cases are categorised as emergency, urgent, and routine, and are dealt with in order of priority by the Councils depot teams and appointed specialist contractors depending on the nature and type of repair work involved.

From January to October 2023, the Housing Maintenance Department received over 16,500 service requests, with the close out of 13,752 cases for the same period. This equates to an 83% close-out rate up from 67% in 2022.

The Directorate is committed to improving housing maintenance service delivery and endeavours to expedite all service requests in a timely manner and in accordance with the order of priority as outlined above for the benefit of all our current and future tenants.

Mr O Donnabhain said all service requests can be logged by tenants of Cork City Council through the Customer Service Unit.
The Catholic Church has been given fresh life by new arrivals to Ireland, and by the young people of the faith, the Bishop of Cork and Ross has said.

In an interview with The Echo, Bishop Fintan Gavin said the new families of parishes, which had incorporated parishes into groups that share clergy, had been a great success in the diocese and he cited one such family of parishes which has thrived with fresh members.

Weve created the Cathedral family of parishes, and it has a particular welcome to the new Irish, Bishop Gavin said of the city grouping.

We have been enriched and are able to support a Brazilian community, a Croatian community, an Indian community, African communities from across different African countries and a Polish community. They have enriched our church and hopefully they have found a welcome and an enriching, he said.

We now have a number of African priests working with us, integrated, part of our Presbyterate.

We have someone working with our Brazilian community, hes a Capuchin and hes Polish, worked most of life in South America, sees the need here, and hes gone off and learned Portuguese so he can minister to the Brazilian community here, hes living in Holy Trinity, Bishop Gavin said.

Papal mandate

When a new bishop is appointed, Pope Francis writes a papal mandate, a personal letter to the man hes appointing, and Bishop Gavin recalled that when he was appointed, the Pope had a special message for him, ending with the instruction: 'I want you to work together in unity with the people of the diocese towards a period of renewal'.

Were trying to find a way of being enriched and enriching those communities, and thats the universal church, the bishop said.

Its mutually enriching, so its not to the exclusion of one community over the other.

He added that it was not, for example, about the new Irish over the people who have lived in Cork city for a very long time. Its that enrichment for both [communities].

Four years in post now running the geographically largest diocese in the country, the softly-spoken Dubliner had barely arrived in Cork, having just completed a four-and-a-half day retreat with his priests in Killarney, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

The diocese is still in the process of getting back to normal from that trauma, but one welcome sign was the return in June of the annual Eucharistic Procession, which saw thousands of people take to the streets, the bishop said.

It really is a very strong Cork tradition, and we had numbers that we havent had in 15 years.

You had core people from all of our parishes, enriched by the new Irish that are coming among us, and a real celebration of something that really resonates with the people of Cork city, which respects diversity, but celebrates in a very respectful way, a faith thats very deep within the people and an identity.

Cork procession

Recalling the origin of the Cork procession 98 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Bishop Gavin said the Eucharistic Procession was an initiative of reconciliation to bring people together unified around the Eucharist in the person of Jesus.

It really came from the business people in the city, when the two sides of the war wouldnt talk, they went to the Bishop of the day and said, Well unite these people around the Eucharist, and theres something very lovely about that.

Another sign of a return to normalcy, the bishop said, was the return of pilgrims from the diocese  some of our most vulnerable, sick people - to Lourdes for the first time since before the pandemic.

Weve introduced a whole programme of young students from schools, and just to see the transformation in them, being able to reflect on their own lives, it was just lovely.

We had 300 people, lets say two plane-loads, from Cork, just a lovely community event in Lourdes, all coming together and huge positivity, and hugely enriching, he said.

The young people, by just being themselves enriched the older people, [and] the young people learned so much by just listening to the older people. We had lovely sing-songs and there was just a lovely atmosphere. Pointing to a ubiquitous modern phenomenon, the mobile phone, the Bishop noted that the young Cork people visiting Lourdes and offering assistance to their fellow pilgrims were noticeably off their phones.

They were fifth year students, they didnt have their phones when they were with what we would call the assisted pilgrims  the sick  because they didnt need them, they were engaged.

Appointments

He pointed to two recent appointments to key roles within the diocese as proof against any popular perception that the Catholic Church is still overly clerical, and cited them as evidence of renewal in the churchs mission and ministry.

Eilis Casey was appointed to the role of parish life cordinator in the Office of Mission and Ministry, which is attached to the North Cathedral,, where she was joined by Lorraine Buckley, who was appointed faith development coordinator.

Its about empowering, and the community working together.

Bishop Gavin said had been very impressed during a recent visit to Malawi by the music, the energy, the colour, the simplicity of the life, but the joy.

Some of that joy had been evident, he said, during World Youth Day in August, when 40 pilgrims from Cork and Ross were among 1.5 million young people from all around the world who camped out under the stars in Lisbon.

We saw some of that joy at World Youth Day, and we saw some of that joy in Lourdes, and its that joy that we need to bring, and I also see that joy in school visits, [but] I would also see a lot of angst.

There was a European study on young people done recently, and fear, isolation and loneliness were the three things that troubled them the most, and that has to be a symptom of our modern world.

The bishop added that he believes the Catholic Church in Cork has benefited greatly from the energy of the young people who are drawn to the faith.

I think they enrich the community so much, and weve had some lovely gatherings of young people in what we call connect events here in the city, where we bring young people of faith together, and the energy and life, and the values and idealism, theres no cynicism, its just very positive, and thats what generates energy.

Our world needs that positive energy more than ever, Bishop Gavin said.
FEED Cork is celebrating seven years of working in Cork city and surrounding areas to meet the growing needs that people are facing.

The organisation recently celebrated its seventh annual Volunteer Appreciation Day, which was attended by Finance Minister Michael McGrath and councillor Seamus McGrath.

Every week the volunteers distribute over seven tonnes of food to more than 600 people in Cork city from their base at Cork Church, Lower Oliver Plunkett St.

More than 40 volunteers spend 450 hours a week to meet their clients needs on their two days of operation, ensuring that each family receives a four- to five-day supply of food, and enjoys access to the complimentary cafe.

During their visit, the minister and councillor paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of their team of volunteers.

A spokesperson for Feed Cork said that Michael McGrath acknowledged the challenges that many are facing and brought to light the important role that organisations like Feed Cork play in the current economic climate, highlighting the positive social impact that the volunteer sector plays in reaching those who have been left vulnerable to food poverty.

The spokesperson said that Mr McGrath committed to provide his support as the charity seeks to receive much-needed core funding from various government grants and social enterprise initiatives.

At present, Feed Cork is maintained and supported almost entirely by donations from the public sector.

During the ceremony, Feed Cork director Hamp Sirmans shared that 500,000 meals, over 9,000 food parcels accounting for 400 tonnes of food were provided over the year, and the programme saw over 1.2m go back into the households of over 3,800 annual clients.

Through their partnership with Brook Foods, FoodCloud, and Ashdale Catering, the volunteer team delivered over 22,000 meals to children at the weekends referred to them through the school system.
A book of evidence was served today on a 30-year-old Cork man accused of murdering another man on Grand Parade in Cork city on an evening last June.

Aaron Babbington now faces trial by judge and jury at the Central Criminal Court. When that trial date will be set will be a matter for that court to determine.

Sergeant Pat Lyons confirmed at Cork District Court today (January 9) that he served the book of evidence on Mr Babbington. On the sergeants application, Judge Mary Dorgan sent the case forward from the district court to the Central Criminal Court.

Judge Dorgan gave the accused the required warning that he must notify the state within a fortnight of any witnesses he might be calling if he is relying on an alibi defence. This warning is given in all cases that are sent forward for trial by indictment.

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, asked for free legal aid to be extended to cover a senior counsel and a junior counsel to represent Mr Babbington at his trial. Judge Dorgan acceded to that application. The accused was remanded in custody.

30-year-old Aaron Babbington is charged that on December 5 he murdered a 32-year-old man in the centre of Cork city last June.

Detective Garda Pat Russell formally arrested Aaron Babbington and charged him at Cork District Court with the murder of Jason Butler on June 14 at Grand Parade, Cork, contrary to Common Law.

At the time of his arrest last year, Mr Babbington, formerly of Churchfield Avenue, Churchfield, Cork, was asked he if had any reply after being charged and cautioned and he made no reply to the murder charge.

It was previously alleged that the late Mr Butler was slashed in the throat during the daylight incident on Grand Parade at around 7.30pm that Wednesday and died two days later. The late Mr Butler was originally from Castleredmond in Midleton, County Cork.
Japan's Noto quakes fuel nuclear safety concern, reignite anti-nuclear sentiment

Xinhua) 10:37, January 09, 2024

TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- After a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Japan on New Year's Day, concerns over nuclear safety are growing amid renewed anti-nuclear sentiment.

Incidents such as the overflow of cooling water from spent fuel pools and transformer anomalies have been reported at nuclear power plants in the prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, and Niigata along the Sea of Japan.

Although authorities claimed that "there are no abnormalities" at nuclear plants following the earthquake, Japan's nuclear safety is once again in the spotlight.

DISTURBING CHANGES

Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Japan's Shika and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plants experienced spillovers of cooling water from spent fuel pools, according to local media reports.

At the Shika power plant, the spillovers of cooling water led to an emergency shutdown of cooling pumps. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the operator of the Shika plant, initially said that there were no changes to water intake in the nuclear power plant, but later acknowledged that there is a three-meter rise in water level as a result of absorbing seawater used for cooling the plant equipment.

Local media reported that a flood barrier on the seaside of the plant showed a slight inclination after the earthquake. There were also "explosion sounds and a burning smell" near the transformer for Unit 2 at the plant, which the power company explained as the automatic fire suppression system in action.

The company earlier said that two external power supply transformers at the Shika plant were damaged. Specifically, one transformer was reported to have leaked approximately 3,500 liters of oil, rendering a portion of the external power supply system inoperable.

During a Friday press conference, the company admitted that the actual oil leakage amounted to as much as 19,800 liters, and the timeline for repairing the external power supply system remains uncertain.

Fearing aftershocks and tsunamis, the government is racing to verify the operation of nuclear power plants along the coast of the Sea of Japan. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier confirmed there were no abnormalities reported at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, and no rises in radiation levels were detected at the monitoring posts in the region.

SLOPPY WORK PRACTICES

Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported that after the earthquake, 15 monitoring posts measuring radiation levels around the Shika nuclear plant were unable to function. The inability to quickly obtain data used to determine whether residents need to evacuate has exposed the country's difficulties in dealing with nuclear disasters.

Before building the Shika plant, Hokuriku Electric originally planned to build a nuclear power plant in Takaya, a town adjacent to the epicenter of the latest earthquake, but gave up due to opposition from local residents.

If a nuclear plant had been built in Takaya, the consequences would have been disastrous, said the newspaper.

The Shika plant has been surrounded by controversy. In 1991, a reactor experienced a critical state when three control rods fell off -- an incident that Hokuriku Electric kept concealed until 2007.

Chihiro Kamisawa, a staff researcher at the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, a Tokyo-based anti-nuclear nonprofit organization, said the power supply from the Shika nuclear plant is very fragile, considering the possibility of aftershocks and other situations.

"Hokuriku Electric should admit that the nuclear power plant was built in an inappropriate location and scrap the reactors," Kamisawa said.

FEAR OF ANOTHER CATASTROPHE

While the Fukushima nuclear accident serves as a painful reminder, residents near nuclear power plants have expressed concern over the safety of nuclear energy.

"There was no news after the earthquake. I thought there might be a sudden accident like the Great East Japan Earthquake, and I was very worried," Hiroko Shida, a resident of Nanao City which is 10 km away from the Shika nuclear plant, told media.

"For a country like Japan that is prone to earthquakes, is the national policy of promoting nuclear power correct? I hope the government will revise its nuclear power policy so that everyone will no longer feel uneasy," Shida said.

Many Japanese netizens have also voiced concerns regarding nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan and called for the decommissioning of the plants.

"There is a nuclear power plant still operating in Fukui prefecture near the disaster-stricken area. There is a possibility of a massive aftershock there. Is it safe?" they asked. "Every nuclear power plant is close to the sea, and if it is flooded by a tsunami and loses power, it will follow the fate of the Fukushima plant. "

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
8,000 new vehicles are to arrive in Cork this January, a 60% surge in car-trade volume for the Port of Cork Company.

This increase is attributed to soaring demand, signalling enhanced consumer confidence.

Conor Mowlds, chief commercial officer at the Port of Cork Company, said: The substantial increase in car shipments is a testament to the robust demand in the automotive industry. This surge not only highlights the resilience of Corks trade infrastructure, but also underscores the economic vitality of the region. The increased activity is expected to boost trade and create positive ripple effects across various sectors. It is especially promising to see more and more EVs entering the Irish market.

The port, which usually averages 5,000 trade cars at this time of year, has allocated a new storage facility at Paddys Point, in Ringaskiddy, for the first time.

Storage facility at capacity

The current storage facility at Ringaskiddy has reached its capacity and so this temporary expansion is required.

3,000 cars arrived last weekend on two vessels, primarily made up of Volkswagens, Audis, Cupras, Seats, and Skodas.

The shipping customers facilitating this operation include OGMA, Euromed Ireland Logistics Ltd. (EMIL), National Vehicle Distribution (NVD), Mainport, Doyle Shipping Group, and the Grimaldi Group.

Multi-storage storage facility

To accommodate future demand, last December the Port of Cork Company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NVD and EMIL to explore the development of a new, multi-storey car-storage facility at Ringaskiddy, which could store up to 6,000 cars at a time and reduce the on-dock footprint.

Mr Mowlds added: The increase in car volumes in one year alone demonstrates the requirement for a new, permanent multi-storey car-storage facility at Ringaskiddy. We expect approximately 50,000 trade cars to pass through the port this year, which is forecast to increase further as the population rises. We are currently exploring the viability of a more sustainable solution with our partners, NVD and Euromed Ireland, to facilitate this growth.

Three more Grimaldi vessels are expected to arrive at the Port of Cork before February.
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 rare leopard barbel that was captured and held in a tank before being safely released back into the wild. Metin Yoksu

Despite a recent report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that highlighted that 25% of freshwater fish were threatened with extinction, scientists in Turkey have recently come across a rare species sighting that gives some hope to the situation.

Ichthyologists in Turkey recently spotted the leopard barbel (Luciobarbus subquincunciatus), a rare freshwater fish that hasnt been scientifically documented since 2011.

They observed the fish in the Tigris River, making this the second freshwater fish species on the Search for Lost Fishes programs list. Search for Lost Fishes is a collaboration between conservation group Re:wild, global freshwater species conservation initiative SHOAL and UK-based charity Synchronicity Earth.

The scientists were tipped off by local fishers, who have suggested the fish could have still been around despite going scientifically undocumented for over a decade. With these insights from the local community, a team consisting of the local fishers, the local fisheries aquaculture department, Cuneyt Kaya, associate professor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, and Munevver Oral, assistant professor at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, set out to find this rare species.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of finding that a species that has been pushed to the brink of extinction is still hanging on, despite the odds, Kaya said in a press release. It is even more thrilling than discovering a new species because it means that we can give a rare species a second chance. With both the Batman River loach and now the leopard barbel, we have an obligation to mobilize conservation efforts to ensure neither becomes lost again.

Amid a second expedition, local fisher Mehmet Ulku found a fish with prominent spotted markings in Cizre and suspected this could be the leopard barbel the team was searching for. Ulku kept the fish safe in a tank with a constant oxygen supply as Kaya and Oral made their way to Cizre. In the meantime, Ulku found and safely captured a second suspected leopard barbel.

After the team confirmed the species findings, the fish were safely released back into the wild with the help of the fisheries aquaculture department.

We dropped everything and would have gone to the ends of the Earth to see this fish, this legend, alive in the wild, Oral said. I have never seen a fish as beautiful as this. It was the realization not only of our dream to find this lost species, but of the hope that not all is lost  we still have a chance to protect the leopard barbel and all of the other incredible freshwater species it shares its home with.

Formerly, this freshwater fish species was found widely across the Tigris-Euphrates river system in eastern Turkey, eastern Syria, Iran and Iraq. But according to Re:wild, leopard barbels have faced many threats over the past 30 years that have pushed them toward extinction. Some of the top threats to the species include fishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Today, IUCN Red List lists the species as critically endangered.

But the rediscovery of the species in Turkey gives hope not only for the leopard barbel but other vulnerable freshwater fish species as well. With new and continued efforts, the expedition teams hope to improve protections. These efforts come at a crucial time, as a new dam is under construction in Cizre and could further threaten the leopard barbel species, Re:wild reported.

We all have a role to play in protecting our incredible natural heritage and I am proud to have used my skills to help rediscover the leopard barbel, Ulku said. Safeguarding this species into the future is going to require educating other fishers and continuing to bring together scientific knowledge and local expertise.

According to Re:wild, Kaya and Oral plan to host seminars for fishers and educators on the biodiversity of the Tigris River to educate and build pride in local wildlife. They will also continue research on the leopard barbel to estimate how many might still exist and the extent of their remaining range.




Cambodian ministry held meeting to tackle low prices impacting meat production sector

Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recently convened a meeting on January 4 to discuss concerns plaguing its meat production industry.

The focus of the discussion was on the unusually low market prices threatening the sector's stability. The meeting, led by Agriculture Minister Dith Tina, was aimed at developing a comprehensive understanding of the situation and the supply-demand dynamics influencing animal production and pricing.

Bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, importers, slaughterhouses, distributors and vendors, the meeting underscored a collective approach to the crisis. It is expected that a detailed study will delve deeper into the issue, providing solutions beneficial to all involved parties.

Meanwhile, the focus remains on ensuring the welfare of consumers.

Tan Phanara, director-general of the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production, is slated to lead emergency meetings with specialist working groups. This initiative aims to maintain stable market prices, which have been severely affected by the ongoing crisis. The market instability has resulted in local producers voicing concerns over the significant price decline for cattle and pigs.

The concern is largely attributed to the illegal importation of low-quality frozen meat from neighboring countries, which is sold at low prices in the market. The Cambodia Livestock Raisers Association (CLRA) reported substantial hardships for pig and cattle farmers. Prices have reportedly dropped to a KHR6,000 (US$1.46) to KHR7,000 (US$1.71) per kilogramm3 for cattle and KHR5,000-6,000 (US$1.22-1.46) for pork.

Kun Nhim, head of the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE), assured measures are being taken to combat illegal meat imports. He also highlighted the need for more explicit regulations concerning meat imports, calling for proper storage and licensing for businesses involved.

- BNN Breaking
The presentation of the Hermes Award at Hannover Messe 2023

Deutsche Messe is once again inviting entries for the Hermes Award  the world's most important industrial prize, according to the company. The award will be presented by Germany's Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, at the opening ceremony of Hannover Messe on 21 April.

The deadline for companies and institutions participating in Hannover Messe to submit their entries for this prestigious prize is 21 February. Besides the Hermes Award, submissions are also being invited again for the Hermes Startup Award.

The independent jury will be chaired for the first time by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Under his chairmanship, the jury members will nominate three products each for the Hermes Award and for the Hermes Startup Award from among the submissions, and determine the respective winner from those nominees. The degree of technological innovation, benefits for industry, the environment and society, as well as cost-effectiveness and implementation maturity are key criteria in assessing which entry merits the award.

Every year, Deutsche Messe honors a company with the Hermes Award in recognition of a product or solution that demonstrates a particularly high degree of technological innovation. Only those technology solutions which have already been proven in industrial practice are considered. Companies can apply via this link: https://hermes-award.alpha-awards.com/

The Bosch Rexroth company was presented with the Hermes Award 2023. The Smart Flex Effector project consists of a sensor-based compensation module (end effector) for robots, featuring independent, precise kinematics in six degrees of freedom. It can be used in handling or joining processes with tight tolerances in automation technology or robotics, with loads of up to 6 kg. The position of workpieces or handling objects can be sensed by robots which are outfitted with the Smart Flex Effector. The range of applications is diverse, since it is also suitable for human-robot collaboration as an add-on device for a variety of robots.

The Hermes Startup Award 2023 went to the Netherlands. The young company MantiSpectra from Eindhoven was awarded for its ChipSense product. It is a fully integrated near-infrared sensor  the smallest of its kind on the market, with a footprint of 1 qmm. The sensor enables rapid, highly accurate analysis and is used directly on the production line, from where it delivers real-time data. This makes it possible for defects to be detected as soon as they occur and for savings to be made through immediate quality control on the spot, on the production line. The product is already in use in industry, agriculture and food processing.

Hannover Messe

Hannover Messe regards itself as the world's leading trade fair for industry. Its lead theme of Industrial Transformation brings together exhibiting companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and digital industries as well as the energy sector to present solutions for future production methods and the energy supply. Key topics include Industrie 4.0 / Manufacturing-X, Energy for Industry, Digitization / Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Carbon-neutral Production, and Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. The program is complemented by a series of conferences and forums. The next edition of the event runs in Hannover, Germany, from 22 to 26 April 2024. Partner country of Hannover Messe 2024 is Norway.

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Amazon is the first big company to add support for the Matter open casting standard, it announced at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Matter Casting is an open protocol that lets you send videos and related content from an app to a hardware device, just like Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast. The feature just launched for the Prime Video app and will allow casting to various Amazon hardware devices.

For now, you can only cast to the Echo Show 15 smart display, but the company says itll soon offer support for Fire TVs, including Panasonic models with Fire TV built in. As for content streaming partners, its just Prime Video for now, but the company promises more options later this year, including Plex, Pluto, Sling TV, Starz and many more.

This works just like AirPlay. You open the Prime Video App, tap the cast button and look for an appropriate hardware device. However, Matter cast isnt tied to a particular smartphone operating system and is available to every app and hardware maker, if they want to implement the feature.

This is part of the open-source Matter smart home protocol, which is backed by Amazon, Apple and Google. However, its unlikely Google and Apple will jump onboard this particular feature set, as each company has its own casting standard in place. Google took to CES this week to announce that Chromecast will be built into all new LG TVs, giving no mention of Matter cast.

Amazon would prefer that each of the big tech companies adopt an open casting platform instead of the current glut of competing models. We believe in open standards, Chris DeCenzo, a principal engineer at Amazon, told The Verge. It simplifies things for developers.

In the meantime, major players have begun adopting other aspects of the Matter smart home standard. Googles smart home devices integrate with the protocol, and the same goes for Amazon devices like Echo speakers.

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.
The official X account belonging to the Securities and Exchange Commission was briefly compromised, the regulator said, after an apparently rogue post on X temporarily juiced bitcoin prices.

On Tuesday, the SECs official X account tweeted that bitcoin ETFs had been approved for listing on all registered national securities exchanges. The tweet included an official-looking graphic featuring a quote from SEC Chair Gary Gensler. However, Gensler himself quickly clarified from his X account that the post from @SECGov was the result of a "compromised account.

The @SECGov twitter account was compromised, and an unauthorized tweet was posted, Gensler wrote. The SEC has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products.

Screenshot via X

The confusion comes as the SEC is, in fact, considering whether to approve spot bitcoin ETFs, investment funds that hold the cryptocurrency. The regulator is expected to make a decision Wednesday in a process that has been closely watched by crypto investors.

Naturally, the now-deleted tweet from the SECs official (and gray check-verified) account on X prompted a momentary surge in bitcoin prices, followed by a steep decline. The post and subsequent clarification from Gensler wiped out over $50 million of leveraged derivatives trading positions within an hour, according to and analysis from CoinDesk.

In an update Wednesday, an SEC spokesperson said the rogue tweet had not been "drafted or created by the SEC." The spokesperson added that "the first public indication" of a change would not come via the agency's X account. "Consistent with existing practice, any Commission action on exchange rule filings would be posted on the relevant section of the SECs website at https://www.sec.gov/ and then in the Federal Register."

The SEC hasn't shared details about how its X account was compromised. In a statement, an SEC spokesperson told Engadget that it was investigating the matter, and working with the FBI and Inspector General. "The SEC has determined that there was unauthorized access to and activity on the @SECGov x.com account by an unknown party for a brief period of time shortly after 4 pm ET," the spokesperson said. "That unauthorized access has been terminated. The SEC will work with law enforcement and our partners across government to investigate the matter and determine appropriate next steps relating to both the unauthorized access and any related misconduct."

X didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, but the company shared the results of its "preliminary investigation" Tuesday evening.

"We can confirm that the account @SECGov was compromised and we have completed a preliminary investigation," X write in a post from its safety account. "Based on our investigation, the compromise was not due to any breach of Xs systems, but rather due to an unidentified individual obtaining control over a phone number associated with the @SECGov account through a third party. We can also confirm that the account did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time the account was compromised."

We can confirm that the account @SECGov was compromised and we have completed a preliminary investigation. Based on our investigation, the compromise was not due to any breach of Xs systems, but rather due to an unidentified individual obtaining control over a phone number  Safety (@Safety) January 10, 2024

X's comments also raise a number of new questions about the takeover. As Bloomberg points out, government-run social media accounts are supposed to use multi-factor authentication as an extra layer of security. If the regulator, which is currently investigating X over its security practices, had lax security settings itself, it would be a significant embarrassment to the agency.

But though X suggested its systems were not compromised, the company could still face scrutiny over whether it's doing enough to protect high-profile accounts. It's also not the first time high-profile government accounts have been hijacked on the platform. In 2020, hackers took over the accounts belonging to Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Musk, Bill Gates and a number of others in a coordinated crypto scam. A Florida teen and two others were later charged and the company, then known as Twitter, said the hacks were the result of a social engineering scheme.

Update January 9 2024, 6:50PM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from an SEC spokesperson about their investigation.

Update January 9 2024, 11:18PM ET: This story was updated to include comments from X about the SEC's account.

Update January 10 2024, 3:38PM ET: This story has been updated with additional comments from the SEC.
Toronto Zoo disclosed a cyberattack on Monday, after first detecting it last week and working to mitigate the impact. The zoo reassured the public that the attack did not impact animal wellbeing and support staff, but it was still determining possible consequences for human visitors.

Canada's largest zoo is investigating the attacker's motives and possible damage to its systems. It's unclear if any guest, member, donor or employee records were impacted. Toronto Zoo did, however, say it does not store any credit card information, so past visitors wouldn't have to worry about that. The zoo remains open for normal operations, and its website is still up and running.

"Unfortunately, these incidents are becoming more and more common and we are grateful we took steps over the past few years to upgrade our technology infrastructure," Toronto Zoo said in a statement. It contacted the city, local police and third-party experts to help with its investigations.

But questions remain, like why would attackers target a zoo? Money usually motivates hackers, and the zoo does bring in a lot. Besides millions in donations for various projects and government grants, it also generates revenue from its 750,000 visitors each year.

Zoos have been a target of attacks in the past, too. A cyberattack hit ZooTampa in July 2023 and the Louisville Zoo in 2022, allegedly targeting visitors' personal information. In 2015, two dozen zoos in the United States faced a coordinated attack against a vendor going after visitor credit and debit card information.
Missoula, Mont. -The two men who were indicted for allegedly killing and trafficking 3,600 endangered birds including bald and golden eagles on The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal land, were scheduled to appear in federal court for the first time in Missoula on Monday, January 8.

One of the defendants, Simon Paul, failed to appear in court and now a warrant has been issued for him. Paul, the out-of-state partner of Travis John Branson, was not able to be reached by his federal defendant prior to the meeting. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Branson appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to all charges. His preliminary pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 17, 2024, at 10:00 AM. He has been released for the time being.

Paul and Branson were indicted by a federal grand jury in the treasure state on December 7th for 13 combined counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, conspiracy, and a violation of the Lacey Act. To learn more about the indictment, you can find he previous article here.

In an official statement from The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Tribal Council Chairman Tom McDonald said regarding the indictment, "Such a massive toll on the Flathead Reservations raptor population is hard to quantify. These are magnificent birds of prey that are of such tremendous significance to our Tribes. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservations ecosystem, they have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices."
The historic Samuel T. Hauser Mansion, 720 Madison Ave., in Helena. On Jan. 8, 2024, Gov. Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte announced private purchase of the home and that it will be gifted to the State of Montana. (Photo courtesy of Big Bear Aerial Productions)

The Montana governors mansion  officially known as the executives residence  is dark. It has been for two years, awaiting repairs and updates to its aging structure which dates back more than 60 years.

Montanas current governor doesnt live there.

Instead, he lives at his own private residence in Helena, while renovations have stalled.

On Monday, just days after a state Senator asked the Legislative Audit Division to conduct a review of the finances and performance because money that was set aside for renovations to the governors residence has been unused, Gianforte and Montana First Lady Susan Gianforte, announced that theyve purchased a historic mansion in Helena and plan on donating the historic mansion to the state.

While the historic property cannot be called the governors mansion, the house is a mansion and it is where Gianforte said he plans on staying while hes in Helena. Gianforte also owns another property in Helena and one in Bozeman, about a 90-minute drive from Helena.

With the donation, pegged at $4 million, the state will have to decide what to do with the historic property, and if it will replace the current executive residence, and if so, what to do with the current structure, located at the fringe of the Montana Capitol complex.

The Gianforte administration put out a press release Monday announcing that the Gianfortes bought the historic Samuel T. Hauser house and that they were offering it to the state as a gift.

Susan and I are fortunate to have achieved the American dream, and with that, we believe we have an obligation to give back. To whom much is given, much is expected, Gianforte said. We purchased the beautiful and historic Hauser House to call our home here in Helena, and to provide a space for the people of Montana to come together. Following my service, we will donate this home to the State and the people of Montana.

The State of Montana will ultimately decide how to use the house and if it will become the permanent governors mansion. There is a citizens advisory group that makes recommendations about donations to the state, and it will likely be up to lawmakers on the State Administration committee to decide what to do with the mansion.

The Hauser Mansion, 720 Madison Ave., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gianforte is the third governor to call the property home.

Hauser built the mansion in 1885, the year he was appointed territorial governor by President Grover Cleveland. Hauser served as governor until 1888. The house stayed in the family, being inherited by his daughter when Hauser died in 1914.

Also, former Montana Gov. Tim Babcock owned the house, purchasing it in 1969.

Hauser was a Democrat while Babcock and Gianforte are Republicans.

Babcock was a close friend of former President Richard M. Nixon and had a phone line to the White House installed at the mansion.

The property has had several other notable owners. The Hauser family sold the property to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, and used it as a bishops residence until 1935, when it was given to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas, a Catholic religious order whose presence in healthcare stretched across the Treasure State.

An article first announcing the sale and donation broke in a publication, Mansion Global, during the weekend. Mansion Global covers luxury residential real estate. It was listed for sale at $6.18 million, according to that article, the nine-bedroom home features a carriage house.

Hauser, a man who made a fortune twice and lost it both times, was responsible for another notable Helena architectural landmark, the First National Bank of Helena, now known as the Securities Building in Last Chance Gulch.

(Note: The Daily Montanan maintains offices in the Securities Building)

Despite the donation, state Sen. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, whose district encompasses the current executives residence said shes not giving up the fight for more information about the property transaction. She had requested the legislative audit last week, and told the Daily Montanan she doesnt plan to withdraw the request.

I still want to know who knew what, when, she said. Was this his plan all along?

Dunwell said the states residents have a right to know about what facilities the state owns, whats happening to the money, and how the state is managing the governors security detail which provides protection for him inside the capitol and at home.

The governors office on Monday confirmed that the Montana Department of Administration had paused renovation work on the current residence, located at 2 N. Carson St., because of supply chain shortage and delays, and the low availability of skilled labor.

However, Dunwell said shes suspicious of that claim because other state construction projects, including the construction of the Montana Heritage Complex near the capitol at the state historical society has been going without any problems.

The current executive residence has millions of dollars in needed upgrades and replacement. More than $2 million has been set aside for plumbing and wiring updates as well as abatement of asbestos.

Did he have these plans all along? And why was he silent. He knew what was going on, Dunwell said. How come all these other projects have moved forward fine and dandy?

She also said with housing at a premium, and space near the Capitol at a premium for state staff, it raises the question of whether Montana should be considering a different house for the top executive.

There are 340 kids who are considered homeless in the Helena Public Schools. For me, there are too many questions and not enough answers, Dunwell said. We just need transparency, not a PR news release. Does the public want to move ahead? Whatever happens, it should be done in a transparent way.

The post Gianfortes purchase historic Helena mansion with plans to donate it to the State of Montana appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Great Falls, Mont. - A Texas man was charged with sex trafficking Tuesday, after being arrested in Great Falls.

Jonathan Thermaine Taylor of Dallas, Texas, was charged with money laundering, human trafficking and sex trafficking by the State of Montana in court documents Tuesday, January 9, 2023.

According to court documents, on December 27, 2023, Taylor was arrested for an outstanding drug warrant following a traffic stop in which he was a passenger in a car with a female driver, referred to in court documents as "KG".

Taylor gave his cell phone and cash to KG prior to his arrest. The arresting deputy, referred to as "Deputy Arenas," noticed inconsistencies in the stories told by Taylor, KG and the car's registered owner, referred to as "JS".

"Based on his training and experience, Deputy Arenas knows that when contacting individuals involved in prostitution or human trafficking, there will most often be a male involved with multiple females," court documents said. "He also knows that individuals involved in prostitution or human trafficking are often from different parts of the country and have very limited knowledge of the area they are currently in."

Deputy Arenas found multiple signs were present in the first round of questioning of Taylor, JS and KG.

Additionally, during KG's questioning, Taylor reportedly became "agitated" and told KG not to say anything, which was another suspicious sign to Arenas, as males who are involved in human trafficking are known to become overly controlling with the females in their company.

It was also discovered that KG and JS drove directly to Denver, Colorado following Taylor's arrest, and, sexually explicit ads were located offering sexual services for payment in Denver by KG and JS.

Deputy Arenas located approximately $400 in cash and two cell phones on Taylor after a consent search during his arrest.

It is known that people involved in criminal activity often carry multiple phones. On December 31, Arenas began listening to Taylor's phone conversations.

It is also known that females involved in human trafficking schemes or prostitution often refer to the males involved as "daddy" or "mack," and, in a later phone calls, KG called Taylor "daddy" in multiple instances.

In one phone call, KG is quoted as saying, "I'm just giving her a beat. Just called her out there. I can put her in right now. We finna get there, we gonna get our money on."

Then, Taylor is quoted as responding, "I know I've been strict. I know I've been on the real clamp down, shut down. Because that's the situation that I've been going through. Y'all keep your eyes open. Copy the drill?"

Deputy Arenas is familiar with the term "beat," which is often used in human trafficking and prostitution.

Throughout the numerous taped phone calls, Taylor threatens KG's physical safety and well being if $300 is not placed in his jail account daily, and he indicates that that amount of money should not be difficult for two females to make daily. As of January 8, 2024, $2600 has been placed in Taylor's jail account by JS.

The State of Montana has requested Taylor's bond to be set to the amount of $100,000 in part due to his willingness to flee, as he is from Texas.
Danielle Crossen holds Wilson, a bichon frise/Shih Tzu mix, at a dog park in Maine. She doesnt have pet insurance for him, given her uncertainty about how useful the plans are. States are starting to regulate the industry. (Photo courtesy of Pew Charitable Trusts)

BATH, Maine  Danielle Crossen, 33, playfully ruffled the hair on her small, white mixed-breed dog, Wilson, as they played at the South End Park on the banks of the Kennebec River on a recent drizzly summer day. The love between the two was obvious. But does she have pet insurance on him?

Nope.

I thought about it now that hes getting older, Crossen said of her 8-year-old bichon frise/Shih Tzu mix. I probably should have done it when he was a puppy. He tore the equivalent of an ACL. I was told it should heal by itself.

Shes not sure whether its fully healed, but the dog ran around the park without a noticeable limp.

Pet insurance experts say Crossen, who works as a fraud analyst at Wayfair and moonlights as a bartender at an Irish pub, is right that purchasing pet insurance early in a dogs life ensures the best financial deal. Shes also among the vast majority of pet owners who dont have the insurance.

Some 4.4 million pets (mostly dogs and cats) are insured in the United States, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. But thats less than 5% of the American pet population, industry experts told Stateline.

But with the rise in the number of pets adopted during the pandemic came a rise in pet insurance, making it one of the fastest-growing types of insurance of the past few years. The market more than doubled from 2018 to 2021, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

At the end of 2021, the premiums amounted to more than $2.5 billion in the United States, the organization said.

Yet only two states  California and Maine  have specific statutes governing the pet insurance industry, according to the VIN News Service, a trade publication. Californias law has been in place since 2015; Maines was passed this year and goes into effect in January.

Most other states regulate the companies under property and casualty insurance laws. The disparities in state insurance regulation led the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, known as NAIC, to develop a model law in August in the hope that legislators in more states will adopt it. The swiftly developing industry and the dozens of policies now available made the time ripe for promulgating consistent, clear rules, NAIC said.

Absent that, pet owners may find it difficult to discern what the coverages, deductibles and copays will be and how much premiums will rise as a pet ages. Not surprisingly, veterinarian groups support pet insurance, partially because it tends to keep pet owners connected to a vet and eases concerns about treatment costs. But consumer advocates are skeptical about whether the policies will save owners enough to make it cost-effective, even with regulation.

The NAICs model law includes provisions requiring companies to reveal waiting periods (it calls for 30 days for illnesses; none for injuries) and conditions, benefit schedules and limitations. The model act also would limit denials of coverage based on pre-existing conditions and make the pet insurance companies prove that a pre-existing condition exists before refusing coverage.

Pet insurance does not typically cover wellness care, such as routine immunizations and checkups, though some companies offer separate policies to insure those visits.

Pre-Existing Conditions Are a Thing in Pet Insurance, Too

The new Maine law was generally based on the groups model act. Its aimed at streamlining the pet insurance process and making information easily available to potential customers, said state Sen. Heather Sanborn, a Democrat who sponsored the bill.

We wanted to make sure the consumers were clear about coverage, she said in a phone interview. Including waiting periods and when coverage begins.

What if a puppy is in a car accident a week after buying the policy? In some instances, it wasnt covered. The law makes the waiting period clear. The other big thing is being very clear about pre-existing conditions and what the plan covers and what it doesnt.

There was no opposition to the bill, she said, though the insurance industry disputed a couple of points, including asking to increase the waiting period for coverage of accidents once a policy is purchased. The legislature rejected the industrys proposed changes.

The prohibition on waiting periods for injuries resulting from accidents in the Maine law concerned Cari Lee, an attorney in the Washington, D.C., firm of Steptoe and Johnson, who represented the North American Pet Health Insurance Association during the Maine Senates consideration of the bill.

We were in overall support of the law because it pretty much mirrors the (model law), Lee said in a phone interview.

But the elimination of the waiting period for accidents, she said, might entice bad actors to buy just in time insurance and try to claim the accident happened after the purchase. The group also differed on some rules governing wellness plans, which often are sold along with the insurance. The law prohibits wellness plans, which cover routine vet visits, immunizations and the like, from being sold together with insurance policies.

Lee said a lot of customers like to buy everything in one stop.

But, she said, it would be good to have consistent pet insurance regulations across the states.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara wants to go even further, according to spokesperson Madison Voss, and is pushing to include spay and neuter services for pets.

As it stands now insurance companies provide little to no coverage for sterilization unless it is through add-on policies, and at the same time illnesses that are caused by non-sterilization are actually excluded from most policies, Voss wrote in an email. Lara backed a bill last year that would have done that, but it did not make it out of committee.

The lack of regulation leaves it largely up to individual pet owners to figure out what insurance covers and whether its worth buying, and advice varies widely.

All advisers agree that potential pet insurance customers should read the fine print carefully, as most policies have exclusions for pre-existing conditions or dont cover certain procedures. Most also have deductibles and copayments.

Overall, I would say the answer is you are going to pay more out of pocket for the insurance that you get back in benefits, said Kevin Brasler, executive at Consumers Checkbook, a financial advice platform.

Brasler said if a pet owner has disposable income and is of a mindset to pay whatever it takes to provide medical treatment for a sick or injured pet, then the insurance policies can be helpful, because the monthly cost is relatively low and very expensive procedures generally are covered (subject to deductibles and copays).

But owners who are struggling with monthly bills and who would probably opt against expensive treatments for their pets, particularly older dogs, are less likely to come out ahead financially, he said.

Its about evaluating your financial risk, he said.

The nonprofit Consumers Checkbook looked at a wide swath of pet insurance companies in March 2022 and estimated that during 13 years, the premiums would cost pet owners between $8,100 and $40,700 to insure a dog and between $4,500 and $12,400 for a cat. The group calculated that each year there was a 4% chance of a pet needing care costing more than $1,000.

The consumer group put the average annual pet insurance premium in 2020 at $594 for dogs and $342 for cats.

Elise Paisley, 59, who lives half the year in Maine and half in Mill Valley, California, said she decided not to get pet insurance for her 12-year-old blind, Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, Moxie. If Moxie were to get sick, I might as well just pay for it, she said, as the rain began to fall in the dog park. Even if I had insurance, if my dog needed $20,000 worth of surgery, I dont know that I would do it (at this stage of life).

Richard Walther, a veterinarian who practices near Sacramento, California, serves as an adviser to Pawlicy.com, a website that lets prospective pet insurance customers compare policies. He recommends pet insurance for every pet, including his two mini Australian shepherds, Kiya and Kimba.

I think pet insurance is a great resource for owners because it allows them to make that decision in a calm and controlled way  without having to think about can I afford those X-rays?

He warns, however, that because pre-existing conditions are not covered, its best to get the insurance early in a pets life. Premiums for pet insurance rise with a pets age, he cautioned, and the increases vary drastically among companies and policies.

Its best not to sign up for a policy youre ultimately going to cancel when the premiums start to rise, he said. Canceling a policy when a pet gets older and the plan becomes more costly defeats the purpose.

But its difficult for consumers to find information on websites about how much premiums will rise, so customers very often have to ask.

It is impossible for us to determine the exact increase a policy may experience as pets [sic] age as this information is only shared between the insurance provider and the Department of Insurance until the moment the rates are live, wrote Pawlicy spokeswoman Lauryn Bayley in an email.

For Marcia Klompus, another part-time resident of Bath, who lives half the year in Hawaii, the pet insurance has been well worth it. Tatala, the sixth Pomeranian shes owned, has the insurance plus the wellness care rider. It has paid for many routine examinations and several major issues, including seizures and a current liver ailment that will cost $5,000-$7,000 to address with surgery, she said.

Each of her dogs has had health issues, she said, and none of the dogs but Tatala has had insurance. The last Pomeranian she owned before Tatala had a series of expensive procedures, and her husband said no more dogs unless they have insurance.

I absolutely recommend it, she said. Especially when you consider what you are paying for dogs. Would you dream of not insuring your house?

The insurance, she said, will not make the difference if it comes to end-of-life care for Tatala.

If your dog is in any kind of pain, they cant talk, she said. For all the years your pet is good to you, its up to you to decide when you dont want them to suffer.

This story was originally written and produced by Stateline News, a division of States Newsroom, which includes the Daily Montanan.

The post Want Fido covered? Better check with your state about pet insurance appeared first on Daily Montanan.
British Wool's YFC training offer will be extended to all young farmers regardless of their level and how many courses they previously attended.

The Bradford-based wool co-operative collaborates with National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) in delivering its YFC training offer, now in its sixth year.

In previous years, British Wool offered young farmers an opportunity to attend a beginner shearing course if this was a first-time course.

This year this offer has been extended to include all young farmers, regardless of level and how many courses attended.

As part of the offer, young farmers can benefit from 50% off British Wool shearing courses for the duration of their membership, including participation in both machine and blade shearing courses.

British Wool says these courses will be over two days, covering aspects of achieving a successful shearing season including the use of equipment and practice to develop techniques.

Richard Schofield, shearing manager at the co-op, said: We are once again delighted to be working with NFYFC in extending our training offer to all young farmers.

"Supporting the training and development of the next generation of shearers is important to us at British Wool and we feel proud in the quantity and quality of shearers and wool handlers.

"We look forward to welcoming young farmers onto our courses once again this year and encourage any interested YFC member to contact the NFYFC before 31 March closing date.

NFYFC chair Rosie Bennett added: The British Wool discount is an amazing offer for members of Young Farmers Clubs. We are proud to be working with British Wool and helping to improve the shearing standards.

Its important to NFYFC to ensure everyone in our national final has a Blue Seal qualification and its even better news that anyone can take part in the training, regardless of their experience in the industry.

The price YFC members will pay for this training offer is 100 plus 20 VAT  the normal cost for this course would be 200 plus 40 VAT.

The offer is valid until 31 March 2024.
Scottish farmers and land managers in the central belt have just a few weeks left to take advantage of free Farm Woodland Assessments.

The assessment gives farmers a report detailing potential areas for planting, as well as information on forestry grants available.

They also identify any constraints and provide information on projected income and expenditure.

As part of the Scottish government's drive to promote on-farm tree planting, the assessments are being offered to farmers at no cost.

According to the government, almost 70 assessments have taken place in the central belt, resulting in over 600 hectares of new woodland being created.

Registration for the assessments closes on 31 January 2024.

Will Chadwick, woodland creation officer with Scottish Forestry said there was 'huge interest' from farmers to integrate trees into their businesses.

"The benefits are many and can include shelter and shade for livestock, an improvement in biodiversity, a possible wood fuel resource and a future income.

Some farmers will be considering their options for the year ahead and for many, tree planting will be getting considered.

"Getting a free Farm Woodland Assessments is a simple way to have the tree planting potential of a farm or landholding properly mapped out for them, and with no obligation.

Applicants must be within the Central Scotland Green Network area, with an added focus around the Clyde Climate Forest and Forth Climate Forest catchments.
Researchers have called for a halt in granting any planning applications for new or expanding poultry and pig farms due to the risks they may have to human health.

Scientists from the University of Winchester and Griffith University, Australia said there were 'established concerns' about pigs and poultry acting as mixing vessels for new viruses that may result in 'sustained human-to-human transmission'.

The controversial study, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, looked at the risks posed to human health by intensive pig and poultry farms where the species are kept in close proximity to each other.

Based on their analysis, researchers said they were 'strongly discouraging' granting any planning applications for new or expanding intensive livestock farms, especially poultry and pig farms or a mix of both.

Instead, they recommended that efforts should concentrate on supporting arable agriculture - or a transition toward this - and on de-intensifying the remaining livestock farms.

The study's findings concerned mixed or close pig and poultry farms globally, but there was also a focus on the UK, according to the researchers.

Recent planning applications in the Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk for large-scale mixed swine-poultry farms 'raise serious concerns'.

The scientists have urged policymakers to reconsider, and instead "prioritise measures that safeguard public health and well-being".

They warned that the the next zoonotic influenza virus could mutate and enable sustained human-to-human transmission, leading to a pandemic with high mortality rates.

Report author Jenny Mace, an animal welfare lecturer at the University of Winchester, said: There are established concerns about pigs acting as mixing vessels for new viruses that may result in sustained human to human transmission.

"There are also established concerns about intensive farms being hot beds for disease. Despite these concerns, planning permissions are still being granted for new intensive farms or expansions of existing farms.

Professor Andrew Knight, the study's co-author, said that to protect human health, intensive pig and poultry farms should not be permitted at large scale or in close proximity.

There is exceptionally strong evidence for a link between low animal welfare levels and high disease transmission risks," he said.

"These environments are fertile breeding grounds for the emergence of new influenza pandemics and other dangerous diseases."
Police are warning the public to ensure they have control of their pets when around livestock, after three dogs were recently shot in Cheshire alone.

Police are reminding owners to have control over their dogs when they are walking in the countryside following last month's incidents.

Twenty-five sheep were killed in four separate incidents in Cheshire alone, resulting in farmers shooting three dogs due to the unfolding shocking scenes.

It is an offence to allow a dog to worry sheep, including attacking, injuring or even just chasing sheep.

In some circumstances, farmers are legally entitled to shoot dogs if they are endangering their livestock.

Responding to the four incidents, officers from Cheshire Police's Rural Crime Team said it was vital that the public kept dogs on a lead around livestock.

PC Jim Clark said: "If you live in or near a farming area, you must make sure that your dog cannot escape from your property, as it may find its way onto land containing sheep.

Its better to be safe than sorry by using your lead to control your dog. This should avoid not only the devastation and financial cost to the farmer who has lost sheep, but the trauma to the dog owner from their dogs actions."

He added: Id simply urge owners - no matter how reliable you think your dogs are - keep dogs on a lead near livestock."

It comes as the police are set to be given further powers to crack down on livestock worrying as part of new proposals to secure more prosecutions.

Therese Coffey, the former Defra Secretary, is planning to introduce measures which she has said will make it easier for the police to catch irresponsible dog owners.
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.
Getting older doesn't make people wiser.

Age doesn't necessarily make people wise

Films such as 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Star Wars' often portray the oldest characters as the wisest but new research suggests that the theory doesn't apply in the real world.

Dr. Judith Gluck, a psychologist at the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, has conducted a review of past studies linking age and wisdom and found that "statistical relationships" between the pair are "not strong".

She explained: "Neither growing old nor accumulating life experiences is sufficient for growing wise.

"While many people associate wisdom with advanced age, becoming wise clearly requires more than 'just' growing old."

Dr. Gluck argues that people do not become wise over time and are actually shaped by "life experiences".

She said: "Life experiences, rather than time, are instead what results in wisdom development, but then these aren't unique to people of old age.

"Accumulated life experience is an important foundation for wisdom, but not all highly wise individuals are old and many old individuals are not particularly wise."
Dominic West wants 'The Crown' to return for a new series.

Dominic West wants more of The Crown

The 54-year-old actor - who played a younger version of King Charles in the Netflix period drama, with the sixth and final season ending when the then-prince married Camilla in 2005 - would love to return to the show in a prequel about the monarch's great-great-grandfather Edward VII.

Asked about reprising his role as the reigning monarch, he told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I don't think [writer Peter Morgan' will do that.

"We can't get too close to the present day. I think he's more likely to go back to someone like Edward VII.

"God, I'd love to play him."

Dominic joked it was a struggle getting used to life after the show, and no longer being treated like royalty.

He quipped: "It's not easy. You get used to people bowing to you, and then you go home and your kids, no one's bowing any more.

"It's not an easy thing to give up. I'm going to miss him."

The show has enjoyed a huge amount of success, and the actor was surprised by how "widespread" its impact is.

He explained: "I was amazed how widespread it is. It's very big in Colombia. It's very big in Egypt.

"Saudi loves it, Ireland loves it, which I was quite surprised at. I know Ireland pretty well and it's big in Ireland.

"You do these junkets and you realise actually the reach of it is bigger than you think."

Last month, Dominic admitted he felt conflicted about playing Charles in the show.

He told BBC 5 Live: "Someone like me can't turn down a part like Charles. He's so interesting. He's so complex.

"I did agonise for a while about it, but my wife tells me the result was always inevitable."

Dominic also felt some "discomfort" about making a show about the royal family.

He explained: "I acknowledge that there's discomfort about it, and I can see why people think that way, and I have persuaded myself that the royal family are public property and therefore fair game.

"But I'm still uncomfortable with the thought of anyone being fair game or anyone's private life being made public."
Kate Beckinsale rushed straight to the hospital after the Golden Globe Awards 2024.

Kate Beckinsale rushed to hospital after the Golden Globes

The 50-year-old actress joined Don Cheadle on stage to present Lily Gladstone with the best performance by a female actor prize at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday (07.01.24).

On Tuesday (09.01.24), Kate shared a series of photos from her evening, from the event itself to ending her night in a hospital sporting the same dress from the bash.

She could be seen sat beside a patient's bed, with two friends also seen in the room.

It's believed she was visiting her stepfather Roy Battersby, following reports from the Daily Mail newspaper that he suffered a stroke after a previous cancer diagnosis.

She captioned the post: "Golden Globes 2024 start to end."

A friend commented: "I don't know how you made it through last night with all that is going on. You are strong and a consummate pro.

"Having to leave the side of your beautiful Roy to honor this commitment at the Globes was above and beyond.

"Sending love and prayers to you and your family. I'm so happy you were able to make it back to the hospital."

Kate replied: "Thank you and thank you for your supportive texts all the way through. That was so kind."

Although Kate has not outright discussed what she's going through, she has alluded to difficult times on social media and shared photos from hospital visits.

She recently wrote: "Probably the hardest year of my life."

Last summer, she lost her beloved cat Clive just months before her mum Judy Loe was hospitalised.

Back in August, she wrote on Instagram: "Pair grief and sickness and fear with as much life and laughter and celebration as you possibly can. It doesnt mean you are having some sort of crisis.

"It means you are choosing life, fiercely. Be brave, and when you dont feel brave, listen."
The director of Marvels latest series, Echo, has opened up about the MCU villain. Starring Alaqua Cox, Vincent DOnofrio, K. Devery Jacobs and more, the series delves into Maya Lopezs Choctaw Nation roots as he returns to Oklahoma.At a press conference, attended by Filmfare, director Sydney Freeland shared insights about spotlighting the character who is a deaf-mute, Native American. She said, Everything stems from the story. What is the character? Where are they coming from? Where are they going? What is the emotion? We have Maya Lopez who is introduced as a villain in Hawkeye. That was really our jumping-off point with Wilson Fisk and the New York criminal underworld.Echo will not try to paint Maya Lopez as an out-and-out hero, revealed the director. Its actually very interesting that shes a villain. So the goal was never to try to turn her into Captain America. In the conversations with Marvel, the response was, Hey, lets lean into that. Lets see if we can push it out a little. Lets see how far we can go down that rabbit hole. The tone and the visual style came from the story and the circumstances of the character, she said.She added, We looked at, Oh, this is a deaf, indigenous amputee girl from Oklahoma. How the hell does she end up being one of the top-ranking lieutenants in Kingpin's army? And answering those questions was such an exciting place to be."Echo will release on January 10, 2024.
Fighter" has secured its position at No. 1 on IMDb's list of the Most Anticipated Indian Movies of 2024. Surpassing its competitors well before its release, the film's triumph is a prelude to what promises to be a remarkable cinematic journey. From being hailed as the biggest aerial action film to anticipating an unprecedented visual extravaganza, the movie boasts a fresh and captivating chemistry between Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. At its core, "Fighter" celebrates the bravery, determination, and indomitable spirit of the Indian Air Force, making it a compelling watch.

Hrithik Roshan, expressed, "It's an incredibly positive update that Fighter is the most anticipated Indian movie of 2024, as per IMDb. The response to Fighter's teaser and songs has been extraordinary, and we hope to deliver a wholesome cinematic experience for our viewers on January 25, 2024. See you at the movies this Republic Day eve!"

https://m.imdb.com/video/vi58574617/?listId=ls053181649&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Audiences can brace themselves for a high-flying adventure that promises to exceed expectations as India's biggest aerial action franchise film, "Fighter," prepares for takeoff. The skies are set to witness a cinematic brilliance spectacle!

Directed by Siddharth Anand and presented by Viacom18 Studios in association with Marflix Pictures, "Fighter" epitomizes cinematic excellence by seamlessly blending heart-thumping action and patriotic fervor, offering an unparalleled cinematic experience.
Lakhneet Family Controversy: YouTubers Lakhan Rawat and Neetu Bisht are counted among the most loved social media influencers in the country. The happily-married couple, popular known as Lakhneet, owns a huge fan following on YouTube as well as Instagram and entertain fans with their daily vlogs and social media posts.

Presently, Lakhan and Neetu are making headlines as a result of their ongoing conflict with the parents of social media star Arjun Rawat and Poonam Rawat (Bhammu). The entire controversy gained significant attention when another influencer couple, Vivek Chaudhary and Khushi Punjaban, joined the ongoing social media war.

Wondering what happened between Lakhan Rawant and his parents after marriage with Neetu Bisht? Here's all you need to know about the ongoing controversy related to everyone's beloved Lakhneet.

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN LAKHAN RAWAT & HIS PARENTS?

For those who are unaware, Lakhan and Neetu first met each other after he approached her during her modeling career to create videos, and over time, he developed feelings for her. They collaborated on videos, including 'Nanand-Bhabhi' shorts with Neetu's sister, which gained immense popularity. Lakhan then introduced Neetu to his parents, expressing his desire to marry her and they finally got hitched in early 2023.

After marriage, they reportedly moved into Rawat Villa, but eventually, the couple spent most of their time in another apartment owned by Lakhan's father. Neetu frequently discussed renovating her room and used the apartment for video production during COVID-19 lockdown. Despite their claims of still residing in Rawat Villa, it was revealed in a video by Lakhan's parents that the couple had moved out. Their relationship got strained after Lakhan's parents reportedly criticized Neetu's upbringing and took a dig at her single-parent mom in a video.

Despite appearing fine for a while, tensions escalated after Diwali last year. At a cousin's wedding, Lakhneet family barely acknowledged each other. The public spat intensified with the parents making negative comments on their videos, and Sandy, another girl associated with them, criticized Lakhneet's claim of independence, highlighting their stay in a Rs 6-crore apartment owned by the dad. Soon after, accusations about financial troubles and selling family jewellary emerged.

Amid all this, Lakhand and Neetu have decided to cut ties with the parents and move out of their house. The parents resorted to bad-mouthing their children on social media, seeking credit for their achievements, and even competing with them for subscribers. The situation has reached a point where the family dynamics have become highly strained and publicized, reflecting a series of controversies.

HOW VIVEK CHAUDHARY-KHUSHI BECAME A PART OF THE CONTROVERSY?

YouTubers Vivek Chaudhary and Khushi Punjaban are considered as the rivals of Lakhneet. Interestingly, Lakhan's parents and brother recently went to meet Vivek and Khushi at their house. During the meet, along with Khushi and Vivek, Arjun Rawat abd Bhammu took a dig at Lakhan-Neetu after which Lakhneet fans have been trolling the YouTuber couple, also known as Mr. and Mrs. Chaudhary.

While, Lakhan's parents have been bashing them in their vlogs, he and Neetu have kept mum on the matter and have always chose to not talk about their family issues in public. What do you think about the whole controversy? Share your views in the comments section below.

DISCLAIMER: This news article is crafted using information from publicly available material on the internet. The accuracy and reliability of the content are not independently verified by the author or the platform. Readers are advised to exercise their discretion and cross-reference information when forming opinions or making decisions based on the content provided in this article. The author and the platform assume no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information presented herein.
Tragedy Strikes as Three Fans Lose Lives During Yash's Birthday Celebration: The fervor surrounding Yash's birthday turned tragic in Suranga village, Gadag district, as fans' enthusiasm took a devastating turn. Plans to erect a towering 25-foot cut-out of the 'KGF' star ended in an unfortunate accident when the structure came into contact with an electric wire around 11 pm on Sunday night. This mishap claimed the lives of three devoted fans, while three others remain hospitalized for treatment.

Yash's Heartfelt Plea: Advocating Responsible Fandom Amid Tragedy

Yash, disheartened by the incident, visited the families of the deceased fans to convey his condolences and express his deep concern. In a heartfelt plea, the actor urged fans to exhibit their love in safer and more meaningful ways. "Wholehearted wishes from wherever you are mean the world to me. Tragic events like this make me apprehensive about my own birthday. This isn't how true fandom should be expressed," Yash lamented.

Expressing his disapproval of extravagant displays of affection, he emphasized, "My intention is for my fans to grow in life, just as I do. True fandom lies in being responsible and dedicated, not in extravagant gestures that risk lives."

Respecting the gravity of the situation and the escalating COVID cases, Yash opted for a modest celebration limited to his family. Additionally, he announced plans to extend financial support to the grieving families but refrained from sharing details, citing the sensitivity of the moment.

The tragic turn of events has not only saddened the actor but has prompted a poignant call for fans to celebrate responsibly and prioritize safety over extravagant displays of affection.
It is just days left for the grand finale for Bigg Boss Tamil 7 and the audience can't wait to get the winner of Kamal Haasan's show. The popular reality show, which went on air in October 2023, came with an interesting ensemble of contestants, new theme and was seen going hand in hand with fights and controversies. Bigg Boss Tamil 7 witnessed a twist in the show after Vichithra was eliminated from the show.

As a result, Bigg Boss Tamil 7 got its six finalists in Maya Krishnan, Vishnu Vijay, Manichandra, Vijay Varma, Dinesh, and VJ Archana. Needless to say, everyone has been speculating about who will be winning the trophy this weekend. The fans are voting in large numbers for their favourite finalist. Amid the speculations, it is reported that Bigg Boss Tamil 7 will be witnessing another major twist with a mid-week elimination.

As per the voting trends, Vijay Varma has received the least number of votes so far and is likely to get eliminated from Bigg Boss Tamil 7 ahead of the grand finale. To note, Vijay had re-entered the show as a wildcard contestant and had won hearts with his game on the show. And while there is no official announcement about Vijay's mid week elimination, if the reports turned out to be true, it will definitely be a jolt to his fans.

Meanwhile, as Vichithra got eliminated from the show, she spoke about who is likely to win Bigg Boss Tamil 7 and said that while everyone is rooting for Archana to lift the trophy, she opined that Maya is the real winner. The senior actor also emphasised that these are her personal opinion that she wants Maya to win the show. Furthermore, Vichithra also hailed Archana for her strong game in the show.
Bigg Boss Tamil 7 is in the last leg and the finale week has begun with a lot of dhamaka. The popular reality show has got its six finalists in Vishnu, Dinesh, Vijay Varma, Maya Krishnan, VJ Archana and Manichandra. And while the show is all set to pull its curtains down on January 14, there have been speculations about who will be lifting the winner's trophy of Bigg Boss Tamil 7. Amid this, Vichithra, who was recently eliminated from the show, has spilled the beans about the winner.

In her first video post elimination from Bigg Boss Tamil 7, Vichithra was all praises for all the finalists and their game. She also went on to express her gratitude towards fans for their unconditional support during her journey on Bigg Boss Tamil 7. Reportedly, Vichithra also mentioned about how her elimination is being touted to be unfair but she is quite content with her journey.

Interestingly, Vichithra also spoke about who is likely to win Bigg Boss Tamil 7 and said that while everyone is rooting for Archana to lift the trophy, she opined that Maya is the real winner. The senior actor also emphasised that these are her personal opinion that she wants Maya to win the show. Furthermore, Vichithra also hailed Archana for her strong game in the show.

Well, the internet is already divided between Archana and Maya and it will be interesting to see who will win the show. Let us know in the comment section, who among the six finalists will be lifting the trophy on January 14.

Meanwhile, Vichithra made the headlines recently as she opened up about her casting couch experience which made her quit acting two decades ago. She recalled the worst casting couch experience which took place in 2000 while she was shooting for a film in Malampuzha wherein the actor of the film asked him to visit his room. She also recalled how men working on the film used to bang on her door after getting drunk. "I could still remember the noise. I was disheartened and was thinking how to deal with this. I used to tell the hotel guys not to connect calls to my hotel. My now-husband, who was not even my friend back then, asked me if I was dealing with something and if he could help. I told him to change my room. He and his team managed to change my room everyday without letting the team know. I don't how they managed and they tried to help me. The men used to go bang on other doors thinking I was there. One day, the men lost their patience and wanted to teach me a lesson," Vichithra was quoted saying.
? La presidenta de la republica, Dina Boluarte, lidero esta manana la sesion extraordinaria del Consejo para la Reforma del Sistema de Justicia. El objetivo de la reunion fue encontrar consensos para alcanzar una justicia proba y eficiente, y de esta manera combatir la pic.twitter.com/6YzHcZdQpP
Photo Credit:

Sivakarthikeyan turned into a bankable actor at first and cropped up to become a Rs 100 Crore hattrick star in Kollywood. The actor-producer also ensured he got a decent reception in the neighboring states by releasing his films in Telugu and also by starring in a film directed by a Telugu filmmaker, 'Jathirathanlu' fame Anudeep KV.

SK's latest is a science fiction drama laced with a heavy dose of comedy titled Ayalaan. The movie's theatrical trailer was dropped recently to amplify the buzz around the film's theatrical release for Pongal on January 12.

As usual, Sivakarthikeyan wanted to release Ayalaan in the Telugu version at the same time as well. However, owing to the extremely high competition from the regional films that are coming for Sankranti, the makers of Ayalaan decided to withdraw the Telugu version release at the moment.

Ayalaan Premise

An alien lands on the Earth. It then finds a group of people and becomes friends. However, a group of scientists try to seek him out for experiments. What Happens Next? is all about Sivakarthikeyan's latest comedy-drama.

Ayalaan Telugu Release Postponed

For Sankranti, the two Telugu states are going to witness mass euphoria in terms of theatrical releases of their favourite actors. From Mahesh Babu's Guntur Kaaram to Venkatesh's Saindhav, Nagarjuna's Naa Saami Ranga, and the very interesting HanuMan by Prashanth Varma, the competition is heavy and the fans of Telugu movies are also prepared to watch all of these movies on the first day, given the hype. Amid this competition, Sivakarthikeyan and his filmmakers have decided to roll back on Ayalaan's Telugu release, which is a wise decision.

Ayalaan Cast

This science-fiction comedy film stars Sivakarthikeyan as Raghu, Venkat Senguttuvan as the alien with Siddharth dubbing for the alien. Rakul Preet Singh played the role of Aditi, the female lead. The movie also features Isha Koppikar as Eliza, Bhanupriya as Raghu's mother, Sharad Kelkar, Yogi Babu, Karunakaran, Bala Saravanan, Munishkanth, George Maryan, Kothandam, and Semmalar Aannam among others in important roles.

Ayalaan Crew

The movie was written and directed by R Ravikumar. Kotapadi J. Rajesh funded the production under his KJR Studios in association with Phantom FX Studios and Aadhi Brahma Productions. Nirav Shah cranked the camera and Rubin worked as the editor.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its sponsorship of EDGE24@CES, Verizon sent multiple prominent public sector executives - including Michael Adams, Lamont Copeland, Jimmy English and Bryan Schromsky - to participate in the conference's "Executive Roundtables," a days-long series of state-of-the-art multimedia presentations, "live" remote demonstrations and roundtable discussions. Michael Adams, Associate Vice President, Federal Civilian Business, delivered opening remarks.



"Verizon is a preeminent partner to federal and public sector departments and agencies," said Adams. "Some of our relationships in the public sector span decades, which speaks to our reliability and trustworthiness in a sector that prioritizes security and discretion. We have secured more than $1 billion in contract value in the last two years, which confirms our customers' enduring belief in our solutions and our counsel. Verizon combines a proven track record and deep domain knowledge with an inspiring vision of the future."

Lamont Copeland, Senior Director, Federal Solutions Architecture, advocated a holistic approach to cybersecurity that addresses the unique challenges at every layer, from the cloud to the edge. Bryan Schromsky, Managing Partner, 5G Public Sector, and Jimmy English, Senior Director, Federal Public Safety, discussed how 5G in government will have a positive impact on agencies and their efforts to serve customers.

EDGE24@CES is a hands-on, interactive event, limited to 400 senior professionals from U.S. federal, state and local, U.S./NATO partner nations, regulated industries and tech innovators.

EDGE24@CES takes place at the Palms Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 6 to January 9.

For more information on Verizon's work across the Public Sector, visit https://www.verizon.com/business/solutions/public-sector/

Media Contact:

Geoffrey Basye

202-748-1882

geoffrey.basye@verizon.com
Executive search specialist in innovation and service business development joins top leadership and talent firm in Finland

Helsinki, Jan. 08, 2024to its partnership in Finland.



Carita Lahti,Managing Partner of Boyden in Finland comments, "We have known Petri for many years and we are delighted that he is joining our team in Helsinki. He is a recognised authority on leadership for organisations evolving their businesses in the digital age and will bring deep, cross-sector experience to our clients".

Petri Leino works with organisations in the private and public sector, family-owned and publicly quoted companies as well as private equity firms. He enables clients to identify the right leaders for emerging opportunities in fast growth sectors such as healthcare, technology & software, IT services & consulting, telecoms and professional services.

Petri Leino, Partner, Boyden Finland adds, "I am very pleased to join a firm with such a strong reputation in Finland and worldwide. Boyden provides a breadth and depth of experience invaluable to clients as they manage economic and organisational change. The firm's consultative approach is vital for both private and public sector clients restructuring and pursuing new opportunities, realising their potential with the right boards and senior leadership talent".

Petri has extensive knowledge in executive search and talent consulting, and over 20 years in management consulting and training services with clients ranging from the Nordic regions, to Europe and the United States. He has extensive business expertise in process and performance management, change management, partnerships, business transformation, solution business and restructuring.

Petri was previously Senior Partner and Member of the Group Management Team in a boutique management consultancy and training services company. Other leadership roles include Vice President, Business Operations Finland at Scalable Software.

Petri holds a Master's degree in Administration from University of Vaasa. He is also listed in the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA).

About Boyden

Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes' Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2023. For further information, visit www.boyden.com.

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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - Aranjin Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ARJN) (the "Company" or "Aranjin Resources") is pleased to announce, further to its press release dated October 10, 2023, that the Company's acquisition of an 80% interest in the Bangemall, Gawler and the Western Wood copper projects in Australia (the "Australian Transaction") has closed in escrow.

The TSX Venture Exchange has conditionally approved the Australian Transaction. Forty million common shares of the Company have been issued to Metals of Australia Pty Ltd. ("MoA") and fifteen million common shares have been issued to Western Wood Capital Pty Ltd. ("WWC") as consideration for completion for the Australian Transaction at a deemed issuance price of $0.015 per common share. The total fifty-five million common shares issued to MoA and WWC are being held in escrow subject to the completion of customary transaction conditions and receipt of final TSXV approval for the Australian Transaction.

The common shares issued to MoA and WWC are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day under applicable securities laws.

In connection with the Australian Transaction, the Company has entered into unincorporated joint ventures with MoA and WWC and granted a 4% net smelter returns royalty on the Bangemall and Gawler projects to MoA and a 3% net smelter returns royalty on the Western Wood project to WWC.

Mr. Matthew Wood, Executive Chairman of Aranjin Resources stated, "Aranjin is now extremely well placed with two projects in Mongolia and three projects in Australia. All projects have multiple drill targets that are planned to be tested in the coming year. With the process for dual listing on the ASX already underway, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year of transformational growth for Aranjin and its shareholders."

On behalf of the Board

Matthew Wood

Chairman

+976 7732 1914

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.

Cautionary Statements

Certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information or statements under applicable securities legislation and rules. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Australian Transaction, any approvals required by the TSX Venture Exchange and any intended exploration work on the Australian Projects. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Aranjin Resources to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: (i) any inability of Aranjin Resources to satisfy conditions imposed by the TSX Venture Exchange on the Australian Transaction for any other reason; and (ii) any change in the circumstances of the Company, whether internal or external, whether affecting the Company particularly, the Australian Projects particularly, or the general mineral and/or general global markets, which could cause the Company to reconsider and adjust or abandon any exploration work it currently intends for the Australian Projects. Although management of Aranjin Resources has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. No party will update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. The parties caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and it does not undertake any obligation to revise and disseminate forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of or non-occurrence of any events.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193635

SOURCE: Aranjin Resources Ltd
Kansas City, Missouri--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - WisePal, a Kansas City, Missouri-based software company, announces an update to its platform. This new feature helps users discover savings accounts with high Annual Percentage Yields (APYs), contributing to an expansion in WisePal's suite of financial tools.

WisePal Introduces New Capability for Finding Top APY Savings Accounts, Enhancing Financial Management

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WisePal's latest enhancement is part of its ongoing efforts to assist Americans in managing their finances. The platform matches users with options in essential services such as Auto and Homeowners Insurance, Renters Insurance, Internet, and Cell-phone Plans. This feature aligns with the needs of the current economic environment.

The mission of WisePal is to assist in the process of reducing monthly expenses. The platform locates user monthly bills, reviews their terms, and presents alternatives with similar terms from other providers.

Users can compare options and switch providers, which may help in reducing the time and effort typically needed for such tasks. WisePal keeps users updated with market changes and deals, providing them with options to consider.

Security and privacy are key priorities at WisePal. The company uses a security system audited by TAC Security, a firm working with Fortune 500 companies, to protect user data security and privacy.

The WisePal team comments on the value of their service in the current economic climate: "In today's economic climate, tools that assist with financial management are important. Our update reflects our ongoing effort to offer solutions for personal finance management."

WisePal aims to be a valuable service for Americans looking to manage their financial health and potentially reduce expenses.

For more information about WisePal and to see its features, visit: https://www.wisepal.com.

Media Contact:

Contact: Jeremy McGilvrey

Address: 1 Riverway Ste. 1724, Houston, TX 77056

Phone: (800) 746-1522

Email: Hi@JeremyMcGilvrey.com

Website/URL: https://www.jeremymcgilvrey.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193638

SOURCE: Jeremy McGilvrey
Encino, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - In response to the IRS's ambitious plan to dispatch millions of collection letters in the first week of 2024, Tax Network USA, a full-service tax resolution firm, has announced significant operational expansions. The resumption of the "special reminder letter" after a 2-year hiatus signals a significant escalation in the IRS's efforts to address outstanding tax debts nationwide. This massive mailing campaign clearly indicates the IRS's tax collection resolve that will impact many taxpayers.





Tax Network USA Prepares for IRS's Massive Collection Letter Campaign in the First Week of 2024

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Understanding the impact of this renewed commitment to tax collection for taxpayers, Tax Network USA is committed to easing the burden of these missives on Americans. The leading tax consulting firm is poised to help clients handle their IRS and state tax issues effortlessly by offering invaluable support and protection and resolving and reducing client IRS tax issues.

Speaking of the firm's preparedness and commitment to confront this challenge head-on, Joshua Wesley Hanna, Vice President of Tax Network USA, passionately affirmed, "We simply need to be able to handle an expansion in collections within the IRS like never before." In his statement, Hanna unveiled substantial growth plans for the company, highlighting the bold and expansive course that will heighten the firm's capacity and shape its future by the end of 2024. This audacious move aims to enhance the firm's ability to support an increasing number of Americans facing back taxes and to navigate the IRS's intensified collection tactics deftly. Hanna's resounding declaration underscores Tax Network USA's dedication to remaining a leading tax relief service provider. It also positions the company as a steadfast frontrunner amid these changes in the fiscal landscape.

As the U.S. Postal Service delivers these IRS letters to mailboxes, millions of Americans are in a state of panic, not knowing what to do or where to start to resolve their unpaid taxes and ensure tax compliance. Contained within these imminent IRS letters is a detailed account of specific tax liabilities and will likely include calls to action for resolving these debts. The sheer volume of these notices could overwhelm taxpayers, especially those who have inadvertently fallen out of touch with the IRS or assumed the wind carried away their tax concerns.

Tax Network USA advises that the right course of action after receiving a collection letter is to promptly seek professional assistance to ensure an accurate and timely response. These IRS letters must be approached with caution and understanding of the complexities of dealing with the IRS. The firm strongly advocates for a proactive approach, encouraging taxpayers to seek guidance from tax attorneys and advisors before engaging with the IRS since missteps in this intricate process can result in severe consequences, including enforced collection measures such as bank levies and property liens.

Given the anticipated intensity of this IRS initiative, Tax Network USA has renewed its commitment to providing expert assistance to recipients of these letters. The firm's expanded team of tax professionals readily offers strategic guidance, negotiates with the IRS on behalf of clients, and expertly navigates the intricacies of settling outstanding tax debts. By helping clients take a strategic stance in the face of these IRS Letters, the company allows taxpayers to safeguard their financial interests and ensure an informed approach to navigating complex IRS dealings.

Hanna offered a stark perspective on the profound impact of the IRS, saying, "Of the three letter agencies in our nation, not one burdens the American people more than the IRS." He emphatically cautions against the allure of special deals to settle back taxes, saying, "Any special deals to collect back taxes are likely to have a catch to them. Therefore, it's always wise to have a licensed tax attorney guide you through the process and preserve your rights when making deals with them." Hanna stresses the critical need for expert guidance in tax resolution, explaining that it serves as a crucial shield for taxpayers in the face of IRS dealings. He also reaffirmed Tax Network USA's commitment to safeguarding taxpayer rights while offering in-depth, personalized education and tools to help clients confidently navigate the complex landscape of tax compliance.

For more information, please visit https://tnusa.com/.

Contact Info:

Name: Evan Hardacre

Email: ehardacre@tnusa.com

Organization: Tax Network USA Inc

Website: https://tnusa.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193639

SOURCE: Plentisoft
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - NICE Rapid, a leading provider of manufacturing and prototyping solutions, is proud to announce the expansion and enhancement of its Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding services. Concurrently, the company is gearing up for a significant update to its website, scheduled for the beginning of this year. The revamped website will showcase a fresh look and improved functionality, reflecting NICE Rapid's commitment to delivering an exceptional user experience.





NICE Rapid Announces Enhanced Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding Services and Website Revamp

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NICE Rapid remains dedicated to exceeding client expectations by combining technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and a customer-centric approach. The improvements in Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding services, along with the upcoming website redesign and office transformation, underscore NICE Rapid's commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.

The updated Manufacturing Solutions will leverage the latest advancements in the field to enhance the manufacturing process. Clients can expect expanded capabilities that cater to a diverse range of applications. NICE Rapid remains dedicated to providing customized solutions that address the unique requirements of each project. The optimized Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding services are designed to streamline production, reducing lead times without compromising quality.

NICE Rapid has long been recognized for its excellence in manufacturing and prototyping, and the enhanced Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding services further solidify its position in the industry. Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding is a specialized process that enables the production of high-precision, durable, and flexible silicone rubber parts. NICE Rapid's expertise in this field ensures that clients receive top-notch services tailored to their unique requirements.

The upcoming overhaul of the NICE Rapid website is designed to provide users with a more intuitive and informative experience. The new look and enhanced functionality will streamline navigation, making it easier for visitors to explore NICE Rapid's comprehensive range of manufacturing and prototyping services. Additionally, the website update will feature a responsive design, ensuring optimal viewing across various devices.

Beyond the digital realm, NICE Rapid is also set to unveil a refreshed office aesthetic in the new year. The updated office space reflects the company's commitment to creating a dynamic and inspiring work environment. The modernized office layout is poised to enhance collaboration among team members and provide a welcoming atmosphere for clients and partners.

For more information, please visit: https://www.nicerapid.com/.

About NICE Rapid

NICE Rapid is an expert in the field when it comes to selecting reliable and cost-effective injection moulding, silicone moulding, and rapid tooling specialists. The company has a fully experienced engineering team offering first-rate customer service and quality. The company takes the quality of the product produced with high importance and ensures all of them are ISO certified to ensure the best for the customers.

Contact Info:

Name: Steven Zhang

Email: steven.zhang@nice-rapidtooling.com

Organization: NICE Rapid Limited

Address: No. 26, Haotou Ave, Torch Development Zone, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, 528451, China

Phone: +86 760 8996 7810

Website: https://www.nicerapid.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193640

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Larnaca, Cyprus--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - The Obsidian Co. has secured a spot among the top 4 finalists in The Drum Awards 2023's "Agency Team of the Year." This accomplishment solidifies its position as a formidable competitor to established digital advertising giants.

The Obsidian Co.: A Digital Marketing Startup Takes on Industry Leaders in The Drum Awards 2023

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Despite its roots as a startup, The Obsidian Co. fearlessly confronts industry leaders. Christos I. Loizou, CEO and Founder, affirms, "Challenging norms and pushing the boundaries of digital advertising has been our founding principle. This recognition validates our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in our industry."

Michalis Nikolaou, COO and Founder, emphasizes, "Our team's dedication to crafting data-driven strategies has been pivotal in achieving this milestone. Representing the potential of emerging startups on the global stage is a source of immense pride."

Their consistent excellence gained global recognition earlier when they secured victory in the "Best Long-term Strategic Use of Social Media" category at the Global Social Media Awards in April 2023.

The winners of The Drum Awards' "Agency Team of the Year" were unveiled during a live ceremony in London on the 6th of December, 2023.

About The Obsidian Co.:

The Obsidian Co. is an up-and-coming digital marketing agency challenging industry norms with its innovative approach. Established in March 2021, their mission was to revolutionize strategic digital marketing for businesses globally. Reinforcing their commitment to excellence, they aim to reshape the industry landscape with data-centric solutions.

The Obsidian Co. proudly offers an array of services encompassing Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, SEO, PPC, Content Marketing, and Branding. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning, they consistently aim to deliver high-quality services and unparalleled results.

For more information about The Obsidian Co. and its ground-breaking services, visit https://theobsidianco.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Christos I. Loizou

Email: info@theobsidianco.com

Organization: The Obsidian Co.

Phone: +35724400124

Website: https://theobsidianco.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193636

SOURCE: Plentisoft
SYDNEY, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, Inc., a leading global digital transformation consulting firm focused on financial services and technology organizations, announces the opening of its new office in Sydney, Australia. Situated within the state-of-the-art Salesforce Tower at Sydney Place, the new office anchors the company in the city's central hub for business and technology.

This initiative strategically positions Synechron to better serve its key accounts and fortify business ties within the region. As a focal point for the firm's expanding Australian team, the office will offer a comprehensive range of services across Synechron's six core practices: Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering. The Sydney office becomes the 48th addition to the firm's global network spanning 19 countries.

Synechron has spent over two decades equipping clients with modern technology and digital transformation expertise worldwide. Consistent commitment to client success propels the company's global outreach and consolidates its position as an industry leader.

The Salesforce Tower offers a modern, efficient workspace designed to foster collaboration, wellbeing, and productivity. Importantly, Synechron's inclusion in this sustainable structure resonates with the company's own ESG goals, adding another layer to its global vision.

Faisal Husain, Synechron's Co-founder and CEO, commented, "The new office stands as a testament to our substantial team growth in the past year. Located in the heart of Sydney's innovative business ecosystem, we are poised to amplify our top-tier service offerings to both existing and future clients."

Rajat Agrawal, Senior Director, Synechron Australia and New Zealand, added, "Establishing our Sydney base marks a significant milestone in our journey and serves as statement of intent. With significant investments in the region, we are demonstrating our commitment to continuing our growth and development in the market. We are thrilled to welcome our team to this modern, thriving office location, embodying both our confidence in the future and our steadfast dedication to delivering excellence to our clients."

About Synechron:

At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. With top clients to boast about, Synechron has a global workforce of 14,500+, and has 48 offices in 19 countries within key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community.

For more information please contact:

Rashmi Joshi

Synechron

+91-9560694654

Media@synechron.com / Rashmi.Joshi@synechron.com

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Separation of the functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, in line with best governance practices:

Guillaume Rouaud becomes Group Chief Executive Officer

- Charlie Evrard remains Chairman of the Board of Directors

Strategic recruitment to roll out offering in Spain:

Joel Campos appointed Sales Director Spain

Regulatory News:

Mon Courtier Energie Groupe (ISIN code: FR001400H3A0 Ticker: ALMCE), a B2B energy brokerage company, today announces the evolution of its governance and the strengthening of its management team.

The Board of Directors, meeting on January 8, 2024, under the chairmanship of Charlie Evrard, founder of Mon Courtier Energie Groupe, decided to change the Group's governance in order to meet the highest standards of corporate governance and to support its aggressive growth in France and abroad. The Board has therefore decided to separate the functions of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, with immediate effect:

Guillaume Rouaud, previously Deputy CEO, has been appointed CEO. He will steer Mon Courtier Energie Groupe's development strategy in the context of strong profitable business growth (H1 2023 sales up +23% to 10.4m; H1 2023 operating income at 0.9m) and the roll-out of new offerings, particularly in energy transition, a major development focus in the years ahead.

Charlie Evrard, until now Chairman and CEO, will continue his mandate as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and in this capacity, will continue to provide the Group with the benefit of his expertise by advising and supporting General Management, particularly on issues relating to the Group's development in Spain, Italy and Germany.

In this context, and in order to accelerate its penetration of the Spanish market and coordinate the local team currently comprising around ten employees, the Group announces the appointment of Joel Campos to the position of Sales Director Spain.

Joel Campos has over 15 years' experience in management positions, both commercial and technical, in the energy sector. From 2009 to 2016, Joel contributed to the development of Iberdola, one of the world's largest electricity producers, in the Spanish regions of Castilla y Leon and Navarra as Sales Director. He then continued his career as Sales and Business Development Director at Ahorralis (2016-2019), then at Kipin Energy, a Spanish energy broker specializing in renewable energies (2019-2022).

Joel Campos, Sales Director Spain for Mon Courtier Energie Groupe, said: "I'm delighted to be joining a group as innovative and dynamic as Mon Courtier Energie Groupe at a key moment in its rise to prominence in Spain. I intend to contribute with all my energy to its development in this market, which I master perfectly, and which has the potential to become one of the Group's growth drivers in terms of both brokerage activity and energy transition consulting."

Guillaume Rouaud, Group CEO, and Charlie Evrard, Founder and Chairman of Mon Courtier Energie Groupe, commented: "Since the IPO in May 2023, our Group has continued to grow, with over the past six months the acquisition of 4,000 new customers, the opening of 3 new branches in France and the launch of innovative energy transition offers. This growth continues to be achieved within a framework of solid profitability. Our next challenge is to replicate this historically profitable model on an international scale, and the evolution of our governance is a further asset in achieving this. Our Group has been built progressively around talents and experts in the energy field, and we are particularly delighted to welcome Joel to the team to benefit from his expertise and grow Mon Courtier Energie Groupe in Spain, our first market outside France. All these developments are part of our shared determination to make our Group one of the leading B2B energy brokers in Europe, and we are more motivated than ever to achieve this ambitious goal."

About Mon Courtier Energie Groupe

Founded in Bordeaux in 2017, in just a few years Mon Courtier Energie Groupe has become the leading French energy broker on the B2B market. The Group's mission is to help companies with the global management of their energy budget in order to reduce or optimise their gas and/or electricity bill. Mon Courtier Energie Groupe's service offer comprises brokerage and advice regarding energy purchasing, the management and optimisation of contracts and energy transition guidance.

Mon Courtier Energie Groupe draws on the expertise of circa 180 people at its head offices and in "licenced" branches around the country.

For further information, please go to www.moncourtierenergie.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240108753240/en/

Contacts:

Mon Courtier Energie Groupe

Charlie Evrard

Founder and CEO

investisseurs@moncourtierenergie.com

NewCap

Mathilde Bohin Dusan Oresansky

Investor Relations

mce@newcap.eu

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

Media Relations

mce@newcap.eu

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98
09:18 | Lima, Jan. 9.

This designation was made official through Supreme Resolution No. 002-2024-RE, published in the Official Gazette El Peruano on Tuesday.





In this sense, the Government provided for extending the corresponding credential letters and full powers to him.





The date on which the new ambassador must take up duties will be set by a ministerial resolution.





This decision was made in accordance with the law that regulates the participation of the Executive Branch in the appointment and designation of public officials (Law of the Diplomatic Service of the Republic and its Regulations).





Previous duties





Chuquihuara previously served as Permanent Representative of Peru to International Organizations based in Geneva, as well as Consul General in Chicago, the United States.





In 2016, the diplomat was Permanent Representative of Peru before the Organization of American States (OAS).





Similarly, he served as Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation and Concurrent Representative to the Principality of Liechtenstein.





From 2011 to 2013, he held the position of Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic.
CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Synthetic Leather Market by Type (PU-based, PVC-based, Bio-based), End-use Industry (Footwear, Furnishing, Automotive, Clothing, Bags, Purses & Wallets), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA, South America) - Global Forecast to 2028", size was USD 68.7 billion in 2023 to USD 88.0 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2023 to 2028.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Synthetic Leather Market"

279 - Tables

50 - Figures

242 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=6616309

Synthetic leather, commonly referred to as artificial leather, is a man-made material that is meant to resemble the texture and, in some instances, the appearance of real leather. It is often made from various synthetic materials, such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is used as an environmentally friendly and frequently more cost-effective substitute for genuine leather. Although it is not created from animal hides, synthetic leather has the same texture and appearance as genuine leather. A combination of polymers, fabric backing, and coatings were used in its engineering. Synthetic leathers are used in various industries such as footwear, furnishing, automotive, clothing, bags, purses & wallets, and others such as sports, electronics, and medical.

"Bio-based synthetic leather segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing type for synthetic leather market during the forecast period 2023 to 2028."

The synthetic leather market is projected to be experiencing significant growth in the forecasted period. The bio-based synthetic leather segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment in the synthetic leather market due to a combination of environmental, consumer, and technological factors. As sustainability becomes a key component of both consumer preferences and business goals, the bio-based synthetic leather market is anticipated to maintain its growth trajectory. As continued research and development, it is expected that this industry will become even more cutting-edge, providing a greater range of superior, eco-friendly substitutes for conventional leather materials.

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"Footwear segment is estimated to be the largest application in synthetic leather market in 2022, in terms of value."

The footwear segment is estimated to be the largest application in synthetic leather market in the forecasted year due to several factors. The dominance of the footwear segment in the synthetic leather market is driven by a combination of economic, aesthetic, and ethical factors. Synthetic leather offers a cost-effective solution for footwear manufacturers without compromising on quality or style. Moreover, synthetic leather's durability is a pivotal factor. It can endure the rigors of daily wear, maintaining its appearance and shape over time. Furthermore, customization options further bolster the position of synthetic leather in the footwear industry. The synthetic leather market in the footwear segment is projected to rise in the forecast year.

"Asia Pacific was the largest region for the synthetic leather market in 2022, in terms of value."

The Asia Pacific region's prominence as the largest market for synthetic leather can be attributed to a convergence of economic, industrial, and cultural factors. The fashion and footwear industries in the Asia Pacific region are among the largest globally, and they have embraced synthetic leather for its versatility and affordability. Moreover, the automotive industry's expansion in the region has led to increased use of synthetic leather in car interiors. Environmental concerns and animal welfare issues have also encouraged the shift toward synthetic leather, as it offers an ethical alternative to genuine leather. This combination of economic growth, industrial competence, and consumer preferences has firmly established Asia Pacific as the largest market for synthetic leather.

Key Players

The key market players identified in the report are Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Japan), San Fang Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Teijin Limited (Japan), NAN YA PLASTICS CORPORATION (Taiwan), Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. (China), Mayur Uniquoters Limited (India), FILWEL Co., Ltd. (Japan), Zhejiang Hexin Holdings Co., Ltd. (China), Alfatex Italia SRL (Italy), and H.R. Polycoats Private Limited (India).

Browse Adjacent Market: Yarns, Fabric and Textile Market Research & Consulting

Related Reports:

Bio-based Leather Market - Global Forecast to 2028

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The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

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To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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Microsoft Azure customers worldwide now gain access to Configit Ace to take advantage of the scalability, reliability and agility of Azure to drive application development and shape business strategies

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Configit, the global leader in Configuration Lifecycle Management (CLM), today announced the availability of its CLM SaaS solution, Configit Ace, in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Configit customers can now leverage the Microsoft validated SaaS solution on the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.

Configit provides market-leading global manufacturers with business-critical solutions for the configuration of complex products. Based on the patented Virtual Tabulation (VT) technology, Configit's solutions enable companies to reduce time to market, increase quality of configurable products and improve process efficiency.

Configit Ace gives manufacturers and service providers the opportunity to regain control through a scalable, dependable enterprise-grade solution- establishing a shared source of truth for product configuration information. Configit Ace has passed the well architected review by Microsoft and is also a part of Microsoft's Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) Program, adding additional flexibility for users.

Rene van Haaster, regional executive director, ISV partner sales, Microsoft Western Europe, said: "We're pleased to welcome Configit Ace to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure."

Johan Salenstedt, CEO, Configit, said: "Businesses today need a single, centralized source of configuration truth to minimize complexity of configurable products. The inclusion of Configit Ace to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace provides us with access to previously unexplored markets. We believe that this strategic step will help accelerate our growth, allow us to reach a wider range of customers and provide additional value to our global customer base."

The Azure Marketplace is an online market for buying and selling cloud solutions certified to run on Azure. The Azure Marketplace helps connect companies seeking innovative, cloud-based solutions with partners who have developed solutions that are ready to use.

About Configit

Configit is the global leader in Configuration Lifecycle Management (CLM) solutions and a supplier of business-critical software for the configuration of complex products. All Configit products are based on the patented Virtual Tabulation (VT) technology, which has redefined product configuration by offering greater speed and better handling of complexity. Virtual Tabulation enables Configit to deliver powerful, easy-to-use configuration solutions to market-leading global enterprises. Website: configit.com

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LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Redgrave, a leading executive search, interim and leadership advisory firm supporting business owners, investors, and leaders, is delighted to announce the return of Imogen Seear. Imogen re-joins Redgrave, bringing deep expertise in the Travel and Lifestyle sectors.

Supporting Redgrave's clients in the UK and Europe, Imogen's expertise extends beyond the Travel and Lifestyle sectors, encompassing premium brands across fashion and beauty, and health and well-being. Imogen's strategy and transformation expertise, particularly in working with private equity funds and their portfolio companies, positions her at the forefront of industry evolution.

David Angel, Redgrave's Managing Partner, stated: "Imogen's experience and deep understanding of the Consumer industry supports our commitment to partnering with our growing global client base. Her return further strengthens our expertise in this ever-evolving sector and her insights and strategic approach to talent acquisition and leadership development will prove invaluable in this space."

"Imogen's return is another exciting step forward for our Consumer Practice," says Dan Rymer, Head of Consumer. "Her expertise in the travel and premium brands sectors will enhance our ability to innovate and deliver exceptional talent solutions for our clients. Her strategic thinking and track record in talent acquisition aligns with our ambitious goals."

Reflecting on her return, Imogen shares: "Coming back to Redgrave is the perfect next step in my career. The firm's focus on driving innovation in the Consumer space aligns perfectly with my professional aspirations and personal passions. My previous experiences have enriched my perspectives, and I look forward to leveraging this to support and guide our clients in navigating the complexities of executive leadership and strategic, transformational growth."

About Redgrave

Redgrave is a global leadership advisory firm with a relentless passion for people.

They help leaders shape the future of businesses by delivering solutions that complement their culture and their ambition.

Redgrave connects organisations with exceptional talent to drive their growth and success. The firm offers a range of services, including search, executive assessment, executive interim and talent consulting.

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Original-Research: Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co KGaA - von NuWays AG

Einstufung von NuWays AG zu Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co KGaA

Unternehmen: Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co KGaA

ISIN: DE0005493092



Anlass der Studie: Update

Empfehlung: BUY

seit: 09.01.2024

Kursziel: 5.50

Kursziel auf Sicht von: 12 Monaten

Letzte Ratinganderung:

Analyst: Philipp Sennewald



Watzke to step down in 2025 / crucial months ahead



Yesterday, BVB published an ad-hoc stating that CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke will not extend his contract

and will step down from management in the fall of 2025, when his contract expires.



Watzke was appointed as CEO in February 2005 when the club was in a financially precarious situation. After the turn of the millennium, an inflated cost base paired with a lack of sporting success brought the club to the brink of bankruptcy. Watzke is regarded as the man who turned matters around for the BVB at a creditors' meeting in March 2005. From then on, the club continuously reduced its debt while at the same time developing into a European top club under Watzke's leadership, winning two Bundesliga titles, three DFB Cups and reaching the final of the Champions League in 2013. Watzke's departure is therefore certainly a bitter blow for the club as he is likely not replaceable on a one-to-one basis. However, as there are almost two years left until his departure, we are convinced that a suitable successor will be found in cooperation with the current CEO.

That said, it is also worthwhile looking at the current sporting performance of BVB, which is kind of a mixed bag. Although reaching the knock-out stage of the Champions League (CL), the club is only sitting in 5th place in the Bundesliga, six points behind Leipzig in 4th after failing to win a match in Decembre. However, thanks to the depth and experience of the squad and the fact that Stuttgart (3rd, +7 points) will have to withdraw several key players for the Africa Cup and the Asian games in Q1, BVB should still have a valid opportunity to secure 4th place, which is crucial to qualify for the newly formatted 2024/25 CL under which participants overall price money will increase by a third. Moreover, 5th place might also be sufficient should Germany remain 2nd in the UEFA clubs coefficient which however appears unlikely given the strength of the clubs from Spain and England as well as the slim advantage of only 0.017 points (see p. 2 for more detail). Hence, while there is upside to this years estimate given a feasible opponent in the CL round of sixteen (Eindhoven), our 24/25e could serve as too bullish should the club not participate in the CL at all (eNuW: round of sixteen).



Despite the recent performance dip, valuation remains undemanding, in our view, as BVB shares are trading at only 1.0x EV/Sales 2023/24, which marks a notable discount to its peers Juventus (2.1x), OL (2.5x) and Manchester United (4.6x). We reiterate BUY with an unchanged PT of EUR 5.50 based on DCF.



Die vollstandige Analyse konnen Sie hier downloaden:

http://www.more-ir.de/d/28617.pdf

Die Analyse oder weiterfuhrende Informationen zu dieser konnen Sie hier downloaden www.nuways-ag.com/research.



Kontakt fur Ruckfragen

Die Analyse oder weiterfuhrende Informationen zu dieser konnen Sie hier downloaden www.nuways-ag.com/research.

Kontakt fur Ruckfragen

NuWays AG - Equity Research

Web: www.nuways-ag.com

Email: research@nuways-ag.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag

Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany

++++++++++

Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte. Offenlegung moglicher Interessenskonflikte nach  85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befinden sich in der vollstandigen Analyse. ++++++++++



ubermittelt durch die EQS Group AG.

Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung bzw. Research ist alleine der Herausgeber bzw. Ersteller der Studie verantwortlich. Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte.




Additional capital to help fund employee growth and increase global marketing and sales footprint

Deal sees pre-IPOfundingvaluingcompanyatamarketcapitalizationof$101Million (80million)

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz, Jan. 09, 2024Technology Corporationtoday announced it has secured pre-IPO funding as a result of meeting a London-based investor at the Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September.

IceMOS Technology is a global supplier of high-quality sensing and power technologies that are paving the way for energy-efficient solutions in power electronic systems. The company headquartered in Paradise Valley, Arizona, has a manufacturing center of excellence located in West Belfast, an advanced research innovation center in Tempe, Arizona, and a design center in Tokyo, Japan.

The deal, which sees pre-IPO funding valuing IceMOS at a market capitalization of $101Million (80million) post money, will enable IceMOS to expand its Belfast team to more than 100 employees and increase its marketing and sales global footprint as it starts preparation for an initial public offering in the next 18 to 24 months.

"Our sensing and power technologies are paving the way for more energy-efficient and CO2-saving solutions that support decarbonization," said Dr. Samuel J. Anderson, MBE, IceMOS Technology founder and chairman. "Adoption in applications such as artificial intelligence (AI), assisted and autonomous driving, data center cloud and edge computing power supplies, rapid chargers for electric vehicles, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and deep space exploration, are at the tipping point, leading to dynamic market growth. Products based on our technology roadmap represent a new class of semiconductors, essential to serve the efficiency demands of this digital economy market."

The Northern Ireland Investment Summit was a collaboration by the Department for Business and Trade, the Northern Ireland Office, and Invest Northern Ireland, which hosted around 200 investors from across the world to visit Belfast with the aim of turbocharging inward investment into all corners of Northern Ireland.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said: "This fantastic multi-million-pound deal demonstrates the success of the Investment Summit, creating jobs and boosting investment into Northern Ireland. The event demonstrated Northern Ireland's rich potential, and I am confident that the productive, global relationships it built will continue to benefit Northern Ireland businesses and communities for years to come. Congratulations to IceMOS and their London Investor on their productive new partnership."

Minister for Investment Lord Johnson said: "Both our Northern Ireland Investment Summit and Global Investment Summit have shown how the UK is fast becoming a science and technology superpower, with billions of pounds flowing into all parts of our country which is spurring innovation and creating jobs. This multimillion-pound deal for IceMOS is yet another vote of confidence in our highly skilled advanced manufacturing and semiconductor industries and is a major boost for the burgeoning tech sector in Northern Ireland and the huge level of expertise that's being fostered there."

Congratulating the company, Mel Chittock, Interim CEO of Invest Northern Ireland said: "Today's announcement by IceMOS Technology reaffirms the success of the summit which laid the foundations for new partnerships to be forged. This deal will provide significant benefits for West Belfast and the Northern Ireland economy as a whole with IceMOS' West Belfast workforce exceeding 100 employees post funding. It will also function as a transformative catalyst for IceMOS' ongoing growth, further cementing its position in the global semiconductor industry. Congratulations to IceMOS and we look forward to helping it to continue its growth in Northern Ireland."

About IceMOS Technology

IceMOS is an equity-financed private Delaware semiconductor corporation and manufacturer of a new class of MEMS based power and sensing advanced semiconductor technology that serves wide-ranging applications anywhere that power efficiency and sensing matters. The company has a manufacturing center of excellence located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, an advanced research innovation center in Tempe, Arizona, and a design center in Tokyo, Japan.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5c918f39-bf4f-4b25-989a-7aade69e17eb
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Nexus Uranium Corp. (CSE: NEXU) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 3H1) (the "Company" or "Nexus") is pleased to announce the finalization of its Phase 1 Drill Program at the Wray Mesa uranium project in Utah. The Company has engaged Harrison Land Services LLC of Moab, Utah for an initial six-hole drill program totaling 3,600 feet of reverse circulation (RC) and diamond core drilling. The program is expected to take approximately 45 days to complete and is anticipated to commence later this quarter. The drilling will initially focus on the Dylan target area and is within the permitted area issued by the State of Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

"The initial program will focus on confirming high-grade historical drill results in addition to extending the strike length of known mineralized zones," commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of Nexus Uranium Corp. "The program has been designed to allow for flexibility to expand based on initial results as we are fully-permitted to drill up to 50 holes."

The drill program will use reverse circulation drilling to prepare the hole to target depth with diamond core used for intersecting the mineralized zones. This provides for both cost efficiency but also provides valuable insights on geology, stratigraphy, and orientation as well as allowing for the investigation of the potential for vanadium mineralization which was previously untested by historic drilling. Highlights from historical drilling includes 7.0 feet grading 0.94% eU3O8 (WMD-08-031), 5.0 feet grading 0.98% eU3O8 (WMD-260-80), and 4.2 feet grading 0.52% eU3O8 (W-07-004).

The Wray Mesa project is comprised of 6,282 acres and has seen extensive historical exploration dating back to the 1980's with over 500 holes drilled outlining four principal mineralized zones: Dylan, Ajax, Whiskey and Carlin. Mineralization on the property occurs at depths of 500 to 750 feet with the drill-defined mineralization ranging from 25 to 75 feet. Mineralization is typical sandstone-hosted tabular deposits wherein the uranium occurs in reduced and altered sandstones and sandstone-mudstones in major stream channels in the Upper Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Warren D. Robb, P.Geo. (BC), a Director and VP Exploration of Nexus Uranium Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Nexus Uranium Corp.

Nexus Uranium Corp. is a multi-commodity development company focused on advancing the Wray Mesa uranium-vanadium project in Utah in addition to its precious metals portfolio that includes the development-stage Independence mine located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in Nevada, the Napoleon gold project in British Columbia, and a package of gold claims in the Yukon. The Wray Mesa project covers 6,282 acres within the heart of the prolific Uruvan mining district in Utah and has extensive historical drilling of over 500 holes defining multiple mineralized zones. The Independence project hosts an M&I (measured and indicated) resource of 334,300 ounces of gold (28M tonnes at 0.41 g/t gold) and an inferred resource of 847,000 ounces (9M tonnes at 3.22 g/t gold) of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2021 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,078 (U.S.) per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project comprises over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970s with the discovery of high-grade gold. The Yukon gold projects are comprised of almost 8,000 hectares of quartz claims prospective for high-grade gold mineralization with historical grab sampling highlights of 144 g/t gold.

Nexus Uranium cautions investors the preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The Company further cautions investors Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability and further cautions investors the quantity and grade of the reported inferred Mineral Resources are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred Mineral Resources as indicated Mineral Resources.

The Company cautions investors it has yet to verify the historical data and further cautions investors grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of sampling on the entire property.

--

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jeremy Poirier

Chief Executive Officer

info@nexusuranium.com

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding future estimates, plans, objectives, timing, assumptions or expectations of future performance are forward-looking statements and contain forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this news release. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Important factors that may cause actual results to vary include, without limitation, uncertainties affecting the expected use of proceeds. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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 statements 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 statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193494

SOURCE: Nexus Uranium Corp.
The new EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy builds on EQT's 30-year healthcare track record and will focus on scaling innovative, fast-growing healthcare companies to help deliver positive outcomes across the value chain

By helping companies build commercial muscle and expand their global reach, the Strategy aims to enable the development of medical research, diagnostics, tools and treatments to deliver more effective, efficient and accessible healthcare

Mabtech is a leading provider of high-quality antibody tools and kits, used predominantly for vaccine, infectious diseases, and oncology research, based in Sweden. EQT Healthcare Growth will support Mabtech as it expands its product portfolio and reach, especially in the US

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EQT is excited to introduce the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy(or the "strategy") and announce its first investment, Mabtech, which is being acquired from the IK Small Cap II Fund.

Introducing the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy

Long-term trends - such as growing, aging, and less healthy populations, significant unmet medical needs, and rising healthcare costs - are leading to a greater need for better, more efficient, and accessible healthcare. At the same time, scientific breakthroughs and advancements in technology and data are accelerating healthcare innovation. This is increasing the opportunity to invest in innovative and differentiated products and services that seek to deliver positive outcomes across the value chain. The opportunity is particularly compelling in Europe, where there are a growing number of companies in need of capital, expertise, and global reach to help them scale and unlock their full growth potential.

Against this backdrop, EQT is introducing the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy. The buyout strategy will apply EQT's active ownership approach and invest in the same healthcare subsectors that the firm has invested in for 30 years. The dedicated Advisory Team is led by Maarten de Jong, who joined EQT earlier this year from Moelis & Company, where he led the expansion of its healthcare franchise. The EQT Healthcare Growth Advisory Team includes three further partners: Geraldine O'Keeffe, joining from EQT Life Sciences, Isabel de Paoli, joining from EQT Private Equity and previously Chief Strategy Officer at Merck KG, and Mark Braganza, who recently joined from Sun European Partners and was previously at GHO and TPG, where he focused on healthcare investing.

Maarten de Jong said: "I'm delighted to have joined EQT to establish and lead the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy, alongside a fantastic team. The new strategy will invest in innovative, fast-growing, proven healthcare companies, predominantly based in Europe. Applying EQT's proven approach and leveraging its global network, we will help these companies build their commercial muscle and expand their global reach. In doing so, we seek to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for clients while scaling positive outcomes across the healthcare value chain."

Mabtech becomes the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy's first investment

Mabtech is a category leading provider of tests and kits for studying immune responses predominantly in vaccine, infectious diseases, and oncology research. Based in Sweden, it has over 900 customers in more than 60 countries. Its products and services are focused on critical and often irreplaceable techniques used in antibody-based immunology research processes, particularly ELISpot and FluoroSpot kits. The market for these kits is accelerating, on top of the broader oncology, immunology and vaccines-related research market that is also growing.

Commenting on the acquisition of Mabtech, responsible Partner Isabel de Paoli said: "This is a high-quality player with deep technical and scientific expertise in a growing niche market, that we have been following for many years. By offering 'must-haves' along the drug development value chain and building on its leading position in Europe, Mabtech is well-placed to expand its scale and reach, especially in the US. This is an ideal example of the kind of company that the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy seeks to continue investing in: it's a fast-growing European champion with innovative, proven solutions that drive positive healthcare outcomes. We look forward to working with Jan Wahlstrom and team to help Mabtech reach its full growth potential."

The EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy builds on EQT's 30-year track record

The strategy is fully integrated into and benefits from the broader EQT Private Capital platform and global healthcare sector vertical. Combining the deep scientific expertise and ability to identify emerging trends of EQT Life Sciences with EQT Private Equity's value creation playbook and prior experience in high-growth, mid-market buyouts, the strategy is well placed to identify and support healthcare companies on their mission to scale rapidly and deliver positive healthcare outcomes.

Michael Bauer, Partner and Co-Head of EQT's Global Healthcare Sector Team, added: "The introduction of the EQT Healthcare Growth Strategy builds on EQT's three decades of healthcare experience. To date, we have invested over EUR 23 billion in more than 200 companies, from early-stage to buyout. Today, we have a healthcare team of more than 120 dedicated investment professionals across 20 countries supported by a network of approximately 150 advisors. With EQT Healthcare Growth, we're adding the final piece to the puzzle so that we can support healthcare companies in every stage of their development. This market segment requires a unique combination of skills, and we are very proud of the caliber of team we have assembled to meet this opportunity."

The acquisition of Mabtech is subject to customary conditions and approvals. It is expected to close in Q1 2024.

Contact

EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/87/3905771/2527652.pdf PR_EQT Healthcare Growth and Mabtech_240109 https://news.cision.com/eqt/i/eqt-healthcare-growth,c3256024 EQT Healthcare Growth

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eqt-introduces-the-eqt-healthcare-growth-strategy-a-dedicated-healthcare-buyout-strategy-with-the-acquisition-of-life-sciences-tools-company-mabtech-302029405.html
PARIS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SONGMICS HOME has celebrated the holiday season by hosting a heartwarming Christmas banquet with Emmaus Defi, a French organization committed to the social integration of the homeless, on December 14, 2023, in Paris.

Emmaus Defi states that their mission is to assist people in extreme financial difficulties to find a new purpose for life and rediscover a place in society fitting to their aspirations and abilities, helping them to not only resolve the practical difficulties of job, health, and housing, but also find the motivation to rebuild the stability of their future life path.

The event was themed "Together, Live Every Magic Moment". Lea Genies, Director of Partnership Development and Communication at Emmaus Defi, mentioned that the Christmas celebration is significant for the organization because many of the staff members lack the opportunity to enjoy a Christmas meal and festive occasion on their own.

SONGMICS HOME started its cooperation with Emmaus Defi in September 2023 when it donated all 90 exhibits for the Paris Fashion Week to the "Banque solidaire d'equipement" project of Emmaus Defi, which was initiated in 2012 by the organization with its partners to provide low-cost, second-hand furniture to people who encounter sudden instabilities in life such as job loss as well as single mothers. Its goal is to help them to settle down with dignity and regain passion for life. To date, the project has supported 27,000 people to improve their living conditions.

"In this special time of the year, a time for giving, and we appreciate the support of all our partners. Our slogan,"Complete Your Dream Home", is not just a phrase but a concrete commitment. SONGMICS HOME believes that everyone should be able to aspire to have their dream home, and for people going through difficult times in life, we hope they know that SONGMICS HOME is there to help and support them to regain their hope for life and passion for the home of their dreams," said Sean Wang, Brand Director of SONGMICS HOME.

For more information about SONGMICS HOME, please visit the official website.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SONGMICSHOME

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songmicshome

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SONGMICS_HOME

About SONGMICS HOME

SONGMICS HOME was officially established in 2010. We own 3 major product brands including SONGMICS for home furnishings, VASAGLE for stylish furniture, and Feandrea for pet supplies. With the mission of "Complete Your Dream Home", we strive to provide global consumers with furnishing products that are "Varied, Valuable, Stylish", enabling everyone to effortlessly create their dream homes. To date, our products have successively entered more than 60 countries and regions, including Europe, North and Central America, and Asia, serving over 20 million families worldwide.

Media contact: pr@songmicshome.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2310289/SONGMICS_HOME_1.jpg

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2310291/SONGMICS_HOME_2.mp4

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MUNICH , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Crypto taxation in the UK is quickly changing, but CoinTracking has launched a crypto tax tool that simplifies UK crypto taxes.

Crypto taxes in the UK challenges

The law in the UK taxes cryptocurrencies with tax rates depending on the nature of the transactions, with several caveats that investors need to address each tax season.

Cryptocurrencies can be taxed at a capital gains or income level, with tax rates going from 0% to over 40%. Due largely to the complexity of crypto taxation, research indicates that over 99% of investors are not reporting their taxes, facing high penalties.

The leading crypto tax software since 2013, CoinTracking , has addressed these challenges and becomes the go-to solution for investors.

A crypto tax tool designed for the UK

With a crypto tax software like CoinTracking, UK-based investors can track their crypto portfolios by importing trades from hundreds of exchanges, crypto wallets and blockchain networks.

From there, investors can benefit from 25+ advanced reporting features, including discovering which coins in their portfolio could be eligible for a lower tax rate based on their holding period.

With these features, investors can gather all the necessary information and generate the right tax reports . This is possible due to CoinTracking supporting gains calculations according to the valid accounting method in the UK, the HMRC.

"Crypto taxes are a big challenge across countries, with constant changes to the requirements investors have to follow. CoinTracking supports the needs of crypto investors in the UK to do their taxes in a few steps," Dario Kachel, founder and CEO of CoinTracking.

CoinTracking launches Full-Service in the UK for a hands-off solution

Investors needing further help with their taxes can find a solution with CoinTracking Full-Service , where a team of CT experts and partner crypto tax firms review, validate & adjust their transactions, complete imports and ensure correct tax reports.

CoinTracking is available in 25+ countries, including the UK, where investors can choose from several services, from premium support to account reviews or a full UK crypto tax return service.

"Full-Service was specially designed for UK investors with complex crypto trades to report and not a lot of time to work out the intricacies of taxes." Florian Ostermeier, Head of Full-Service.

About CoinTracking

CoinTracking is the leading cryptocurrency tax software and portfolio tracker, supporting 1.5 million customers worldwide.

With CoinTracking, investors can import their crypto transactions, track their crypto gains/losses, generate tax reports, and much more.

Press contact:

Agnieszka Mojsiej

Marketing Manager, CoinTracking

aga@cointracking.info

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2296596/4479948/CoinTracking_Logo.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cointracking-launches-crypto-tax-tool-for-uk-investors-302027234.html
NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A latest research report [150+] pages. Phoenix Market Research, a distinguished provider of market intelligence and consulting services, has recently published a comprehensive report titled "Global Pharmacy Automation Systems Market Analysis 2024-2031." This in-depth analysis delves into the evolving landscape of pharmacy automation, offering valuable insights into market dynamics, competitive landscapes, technological advancements, and growth opportunities. In this report, we present a detailed overview of the global pharmacy automation systems market, followed by an in-depth regional analysis to provide stakeholders with a thorough understanding of the market trends shaping the pharmaceutical automation landscape.

Market Overview

The global pharmacy automation systems market has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for efficient and accurate medication management solutions. With healthcare systems worldwide facing challenges related to rising prescription volumes, medication errors, and the need for improved patient care, pharmacy automation systems have emerged as essential tools for streamlining processes and enhancing overall operational efficiency.

Request Sample Report of "Pharmacy Automation Market" @ https://www.pheonixresearch.com/report/pharmacy-automation-system-market.html

Key Findings of the Report

Market Growth and Size: The Global Pharmacy Automation Systems Market has exhibited remarkable growth, with a CAGR of 10% from 2024 to 2031. The market size is estimated to reach 22.8 billion by 2031, reflecting the increasing adoption of pharmacy automation systems.

Market Analysis

Technological Advancements: The rapid integration of advanced technologies, including robotics and artificial intelligence, has significantly contributed to the growth of the pharmacy automation systems market. These innovations aim to enhance accuracy, speed, and overall efficiency in medication dispensing processes.

Increasing Prescription Volumes: A surge in prescription volumes, attributed to factors such as population growth and the prevalence of chronic diseases, has propelled the demand for automation solutions. Pharmacy automation systems address the challenge of handling high prescription volumes effectively.

Request for Customization @: https://www.pheonixresearch.com/report/pharmacy-automation-system-market.html

Challenges and Opportunities:

Regulatory Compliance: Stringent regulatory standards in the pharmaceutical industry pose challenges for market players. However, they also present opportunities for companies that can navigate regulatory complexities and provide solutions that comply with industry standards.

Global Pandemic Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of pharmacy automation systems, emphasizing the need for contactless and efficient healthcare services. This presents an opportunity for market players to address the evolving requirements of the healthcare sector.

Market Trends:

Focus on Patient-Centric Care: There is a noticeable shift towards patient-centric care in the healthcare industry. Pharmacy automation systems contribute to this trend by minimizing medication errors, ensuring accurate dispensing, and allowing healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to patient counseling and care.

Regional Insights

North America

North America stands at the forefront of the pharmacy automation systems market, driven by its advanced healthcare infrastructure and robust technological innovation. The region has a well-established network of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, providing an ideal environment for the adoption of sophisticated pharmacy automation solutions.

Europe

Europe follows North America in the adoption of pharmacy automation systems. The region's diverse healthcare systems, from nationalized healthcare in some countries to private systems in others, present both challenges and opportunities for market players.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing rapid growth in the adoption of pharmacy automation systems, fueled by increasing healthcare expenditures, technological advancements, and the recognition of the importance of efficient medication management.

Latin America

The Latin America pharmacy automation systems market is experiencing steady growth, driven by increasing healthcare investments, rising chronic diseases, and the need for operational efficiency. Key players, adapting to regional healthcare dynamics, offer automated solutions to enhance medication management. Regulatory support and a growing awareness of technology's role in healthcare contribute to the expanding market landscape in Latin America.

Middle East and Africa

The Middle East & Africa pharmacy automation systems market is witnessing notable growth, propelled by an expanding healthcare sector, increasing chronic disease prevalence, and a focus on technological advancements. Market players are introducing automated solutions to optimize medication processes, addressing the region's healthcare challenges and fostering enhanced patient care.

Base Year 2023 Forecast Period 2024-2031 Report Coverage Revenue estimation and forecast, company profile, competitive landscape, growth factors, and recent trends Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South & Central America

Future Outlook

The future outlook for the global Pharmacy Automation Systems Market is optimistic, with several factors contributing to sustained growth. Key drivers include:

Technological Advancements: Continued progress in robotics, artificial intelligence, and data analytics reshapes the market landscape.

Continued progress in robotics, artificial intelligence, and data analytics reshapes the market landscape. Increasing Healthcare Demands: Rising prescription volumes drive the need for efficient medication management solutions.

Rising prescription volumes drive the need for efficient medication management solutions. Patient Safety Focus: The industry's commitment to patient safety fuels innovation in automation systems.

The industry's commitment to patient safety fuels innovation in automation systems. Regulatory Adaptation: Evolving regulatory landscapes are influencing market dynamics.

Evolving regulatory landscapes are influencing market dynamics. Patient-Centric Care: The shift towards patient-centric care reinforces the market's expansion.

The shift towards patient-centric care reinforces the market's expansion. Transformative Developments: Anticipation of further expansion and significant advancements in the coming years.

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Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the GlobalPharmacy Automation Systems Market is dynamic, characterized by leading players striving for market dominance through innovation and strategic initiatives. Companies like McKesson Corporation, Omnicell, and Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) are prominent, leveraging technological prowess to offer comprehensive solutions. Strategic collaborations and acquisitions are common, as firms aim to expand their product portfolios and global reach. The market's competitiveness is fuelled by the continuous evolution of automation technologies, ensuring companies remain at the forefront of innovation to meet the increasing demands of healthcare providers for efficient, accurate, and patient-focused pharmacy automation solutions.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of the report, Phoenix Research offers the following recommendations for industry stakeholders:

Research and Development Focus:

Prioritize continuous R&D efforts for technological advancements, such as AI and robotics.

Global Collaboration Strategy:

Form strategic partnerships with regional players to facilitate market entry and customization.

egulatory Adherence Commitment:

Allocate resources for consistent compliance with global healthcare regulations.

Cybersecurity Priority:

Implement robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard patient data and system integrity.

Regional Customization Approach:

Tailor solutions based on diverse regional healthcare infrastructures and regulatory landscapes.

Training Program Investment:

Develop and contribute to training programs for healthcare professionals for efficient system utilization.

Interoperability Integration:

Align systems with healthcare interoperability trends for seamless integration with EHRs.

Cloud-Based Solutions Exploration:

Invest in cloud technologies to offer scalability, flexibility, and remote access.

Sustainability Practices Adoption:

Address environmental concerns with eco-friendly practices in system design and operation.

Stakeholder Education Initiative:

Actively engage in educational efforts to raise awareness about system benefits and safety features.

About Pheonix Research

Pheonix Research is a globally recognized market research firm dedicated to providing comprehensive insights and analyses across various industries. With a team of experts and a commitment to excellence, Pheonix Research strives to empower businesses and decision-makers with accurate and actionable intelligence.

Pheonix Research's Methodology

To compile this detailed report, Pheonix Research employed a robust and multifaceted research methodology. Primary research involved in-depth interviews with industry experts, farmers, and key stakeholders, while secondary research encompassed a thorough analysis of existing literature, industry reports, and market data. The findings were then meticulously validated through a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Table of Content

1. Introduction

1.1 Scope of the Study

1.2 Phoenix Market Research Report Guidance

1.3 Market Segmentation

1.3.1 Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - By Type

1.3.2 Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - By End User

1.3.3 Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- By Country

2. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- Key Highlights

3. Research Methodology

4. Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.2.1 PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

5. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- Industry Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Driver 1

5.1.2 Driver 2

5.1.3 Driver 3

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Restraint 1

5.2.2 Restraint 2

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Opportunity 1

5.3.2 Opportunity 2

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Technological Developments

6. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- Global Analysis

6.1 Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market Revenue Forecast and Analysis

7. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market Analysis - By Type

7.1 Overview

7.2 Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market Revenue Share, by Type (2023 and 2031)

7.3 Automated Medication Dispensing Systems

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Automated Medication Dispensing Systems: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

7.4 Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

7.5 Automated Packaging & Labeling Systems

7.5.1 Overview

7.5.2 Automated Packaging & Labeling Systems: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

7.6 Tabletop Tablet Counters

7.6.1 Overview

7.6.2 Tabletop Tablet Counters: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

7.7 Automated Compounding Devices

7.7.1 Overview

7.7.2 Automated Compounding Devices: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

8. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - By End-User

8.1 Overview

8.2 Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2023 and 2031 (%)

8.3 Hospital Pharmacy

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Hospital Pharmacy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031(US$ Million)

8.4 Retail Pharmacy

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Retail Pharmacy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

8.5 Others

8.5.1 Overview

8.5.2 Others: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (US$ Million)

9. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2031 - Global Analysis

9.1 Global: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market

9.2 Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Region, 2023 & 2031 (%)

9.3 North America Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market to 2031 (US$ Million)

9.3.1 US: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.1.1 US: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.1.2 US: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.3.1.3 US: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.3.2 Canada: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.2.1 Canada: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.2.2 Canada: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.3.2.3 Canada: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.3.3 Mexico: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.3.1 Mexico: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.3.3.2 Mexico: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.3.3.3 Mexico: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4 Europe Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market to 2031 (US$ Million)

9.4.1 Germany: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.1.1 Germany: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.1.2 Germany: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.1.3 Germany: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.2 France: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.2.1 France: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.2.2 France: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.2.3 France: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.3 Italy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.3.1 Italy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.3.2 Italy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.3.3 Italy: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.4 Spain: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.4.1 Spain: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.4.2 Spain: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.4.3 Spain: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.5 UK: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.5.1 UK: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.5.2 UK: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.5.3 UK: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.6 Rest of Europe: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.6.1 Rest of Europe: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.4.6.2 Rest of Europe: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.4.7.3 Rest of Europe: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5 Asia Pacific Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market to 2031 (US$ Million)

9.5.1 China: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.1.1 China: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.1.2 China: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.1.3 China: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.2 India: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.2.1 India: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.2.2 India: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.2.3 India: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.3 Australia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.3.1 Australia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.3.2 Australia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.3.3 Australia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.4 Japan: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.4.1 Japan: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.4.2 Japan: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.4.3 Japan: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.5 South Korea: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.5.1 South Korea: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.5.2 South Korea: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.5.3 South Korea: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.6 Rest of Asia Pacific: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.6.1 Rest of Asia Pacific: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.5.6.2 Rest of Asia Pacific: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.5.7.3 Rest of Asia Pacific: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6 Middle East & Africa Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market to 2031 (US$ Million)

9.6.1 Saudi Arabia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.1.1 Saudi Arabia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.1.2 Saudi Arabia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.1.3 Saudi Arabia: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.2 South Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.2.1 South Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.2.2 South Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.2.3 South Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.3 UAE: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.3.1 UAE: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.3.2 UAE: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.3.3 UAE: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.4 Rest of Middle East & Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.4.1 Rest of Middle East & Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.6.4.2 Rest of Middle East & Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.6.4.3 Rest of Middle East & Africa: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7 South & Central America Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market to 2031 (US$ Million)

9.7.1 Brazil: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.1.1 Brazil: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.1.2 Brazil: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7.1.3 Brazil: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7.2 Argentina: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.2.1 Argentina: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.2.2 Argentina: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7.2.3 Argentina: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7.3 Rest of South & Central America: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.3.1 Rest of South & Central America: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2031 (USD Million)

9.7.3.2 Rest of South & Central America: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by Type, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

9.7.3.3 Rest of South & Central America: Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market, by End-User, 2019-2031 (USD Million)

10. Impact Of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market

10.1 Global: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11. Pharmacy Automation Equipment Market- Industry Landscape

11.1 Product Benchmarking

11.2 Heat Map Analysis- Top Players

12. Company Profiles

12.1 Swisslog Healthcare AG

12.1.1 Key Facts

12.1.2 Business Description

12.1.3 Products and Services

12.1.4 Financial Overview

12.1.5 SWOT Analysis

12.1.6 Key Developments

12.2 Capsa Healthcare

12.2.1 Key Facts

12.2.2 Business Description

12.2.3 Products and Services

12.2.4 Financial Overview

12.2.5 SWOT Analysis

12.2.6 Key Developments

12.3 YUYAMA Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

12.3.1 Key Facts

12.3.2 Business Description

12.3.3 Products and Services

12.3.4 Financial Overview

12.3.5 SWOT Analysis

12.3.6 Key Developments

12.4 MCKESSON CORPORATION

12.4.1 Key Facts

12.4.2 Business Description

12.4.3 Products and Services

12.4.4 Financial Overview

12.4.5 SWOT Analysis

12.4.6 Key Developments

12.5 BD

12.5.1 Key Facts

12.5.2 Business Description

12.5.3 Products and Services

12.5.4 Financial Overview

12.5.5 SWOT Analysis

12.5.6 Key Developments

12.6 Omnicell Inc

12.6.1 Key Facts

12.6.2 Business Description

12.6.3 Products and Services

12.6.4 Financial Overview

12.6.5 SWOT Analysis

12.6.6 Key Developments

12.7 Oracle Corp

12.7.1 Key Facts

12.7.2 Business Description

12.7.3 Products and Services

12.7.4 Financial Overview

12.7.5 SWOT Analysis

12.7.6 Key Developments

12.8 Deenova Srl

12.8.1 Key Facts

12.8.2 Business Description

12.8.3 Products and Services

12.8.4 Financial Overview

12.8.5 SWOT Analysis

12.8.6 Key Developments

12.9 ScriptPro LLC

12.9.1 Key Facts

12.9.2 Business Description

12.9.3 Products and Services

12.9.4 Financial Overview

12.9.5 SWOT Analysis

12.9.6 Key Developments

12.10 Veradigm LLC

12.10.1 Key Facts

12.10.2 Business Description

12.10.3 Products and Services

12.10.4 Financial Overview

12.10.5 SWOT Analysis

12.10.6 Key Developments

13. Appendix

13.1 About Phoenix Market

13.2 Glossary of Terms

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-pharmacy-automation-systems-market-is-expected-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-around-9-7-between-2024-31--pheonix-research-302029433.html
HEFEI, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. On the sidelines of a media tour organized by Chinas international media communication center, journalists visited the company iFLYTEK in the city of Hefei.

The company sees humanitys future in the development of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence.

iFLYTEK was founded in 1999 and since its establishment, the company is devoted to cornerstone technological research in speech and languages, natural language understanding, machine learning, machine reasoning, adaptive learning, and has maintained the world-leading position in those domains.

The company actively promotes the development of A.I. products and their sector-based applications, with visions of enabling machines to listen and speak, understand and think, creating a better world with artificial intelligence.

Chinese authorities are paying special focus on modern technologies, artificial intelligence. As a leader of the field our company is bearing responsibility also for the development prospects of the sector. Our life will improve through science and technologies. One of our goals is for the translation device created by the company think as a human. We want to create a robot that will help people with mobility problems, the companys Vice President Hu Gening said.

Speaking about the device translator, the company representatives said various types of vocabularies are being used for the accuracy of the translation. The device translates in 16 languages without connected to the internet. This device was used during the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Cost saving from car ownership and partnership and collaboration with public transportation providers drive the growth of the global car sharing market.

WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, " Car Sharing Market by Vehicle Type (Economy Cars, Mid-Range Cars, and Executive Cars), Application (Private and Business), and Model (Free Float, Stationary, and Peer to Peer): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global car sharing market size was valued at $2,857.85 million in 2022, and is projected to reach $17,754.95 million by 2032, registering a CAGR of 20.16% from 2023 to 2032.

(We are providing car sharing industry report as per your research requirement, including the Latest Industry Insight's Evolution, Potential and Russia-Ukraine War Impact Analysis)

147 - Tables

59 - Charts

412 - Pages

Download Sample Pages - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/7490

Prime determinants of growth

The global car sharing market has experienced significant growth and transformation, driven by cost saving from car ownership, and partnership and collaboration with public transportation providers. However, insurance challenges and inadequate infrastructure development restricts the market growth. Moreover, growth of electric & sustainable vehicles, and partnership and collaboration with public transportation providers presents new opportunities in the coming years.

Report Coverage and Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size In 2022 $2.8 Billion Market Size In 2032 $17.7 Billion CAGR 20.16 % No. Of Pages in Report 412 Segments Covered Vehicle Type, Application, Model, Area, And Region. Drivers Cost Saving from Car Ownership Partnership And Collaboration with Public Transportation Providers Opportunities Electric & Sustainable Vehicles Last Mile Solutions Restraints Insurance Challenges Inadequate Infrastructure Development

Russia-Ukraine War Scenario

Recession's impact on the car-sharing sector can be multidimensional. Individuals and organizations frequently seek cost-effective mobility alternatives during economic downturns, which may raise demand for car sharing services.

In addition, car sharing may become an appealing alternative to car ownership and standard rental services as individuals seek more flexible and economical mobility options.

The economy car segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on vehicle type, the economy cars segment held the highest market share in 2022, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period 2023 to 2032, owing to its features which enable users to access compact, fuel-efficient vehicles on a temporary basis, reducing the need for personal vehicle ownership and promoting sustainable mobility. However, the mid-range cars segment is projected to the highest CAGR of 21.0% from 2023 to 2032, owing to its ability to provide more space and amenities compared to economy cars, making them suitable for longer trips and accommodating small groups.

Key Developments in the Car Sharing Industry:

Leading companies are implementing various strategies, including acquisition, agreement, expansion, partnership, contracts, and product launches, to fortify their market positions.

In May 2023 , Getaround, Inc. introduced TrustScore v2.0, a proprietary next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) model aimed at enhancing the safety and profitability of its carsharing business. TrustScore v2.0 integrates machine learning with nearly a decade of trip data, providing improved pricing and security deposits for each carsharing trip.

, Getaround, Inc. introduced TrustScore v2.0, a proprietary next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) model aimed at enhancing the safety and profitability of its carsharing business. TrustScore v2.0 integrates machine learning with nearly a decade of trip data, providing improved pricing and security deposits for each carsharing trip. Also in May 2023 , Getaround, Inc. acquired HyreCar, strengthening its car sharing business and expanding services, including potential acquisitions in food and package delivery.

, Getaround, Inc. acquired HyreCar, strengthening its car sharing business and expanding services, including potential acquisitions in food and package delivery. In January 2023 , Hertz partnered with Uber to rent 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) to Uber drivers in European capital cities by 2025. This partnership aligns with Hertz's strategy to build one of the largest fleets of rental EVs globally and Uber's commitment to becoming a zero-emissions platform in Europe and North America by 2030.

, Hertz partnered with Uber to rent 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) to Uber drivers in European capital cities by 2025. This partnership aligns with Hertz's strategy to build one of the largest fleets of rental EVs globally and Uber's commitment to becoming a zero-emissions platform in Europe and North America by 2030. The same month, Hertz launched Hertz Electrifies, an initiative aiming to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. This public-private partnership seeks to transform the car sharing industry and expedite mainstream consumer adoption of electric vehicles while fostering economic and environmental benefits for communities.

Interested to Procure the Research Report? Inquire Before Buying - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/7490

The private segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on application, the private segment held the highest market share in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 20.6% from 2023 to 2032, owing to its ability to broaden the range of available automobiles to the users for transportation. Private vehicle sharing supports a more sustainable and efficient use of resources by optimizing the utilization of privately owned cars, contributing to the overall flexibility and accessibility of car sharing services.

The stationary segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on model, the stationary segment accounted for the largest share in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the feature of the model which allows users to access vehicles conveniently from designated stations, use them for their transportation needs, and then return them to the same or another designated station. However, peer to peer segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 21.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to its features which allows the car owners to generate cash from their cars when they are not in use, therefore providing a flexible and frequently more economical alternative to standard car rental services.

The intracity segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on area, the intracity segment accounted for the largest share in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the feature of the model which allows the availability of car sharing options within a city or urban area, enabling users to access vehicles for short trips and daily commuting needs. However, intercity segment is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 20.7% from 2023 to 2032, owing to its features which allows users to rent a vehicle for longer distances, typically for travel between cities, and return the vehicle at a different location or same location.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022 and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, due to increase in preference for urban living, sustainability initiatives, and technological advancements. This has resulted in the proliferation of car sharing services offered by major industry players such as Zipcar, Car2Go, and Turo, expanding their presence across various urban and suburban areas. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 21.9% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the growth in internet connectivity and the region's high population density, which prompted the region to adopt car sharing services to relieve traffic congestion and reduce pollution.

Report Key Highlights:

The car sharing market study encompasses regions such as North America, LAMEA, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The research conducts regional and segment analysis for each country, presenting values ($million) for the projected period 2023-2032.

Employing a comprehensive approach, the study integrates high-quality data, professional opinions, and critical independent perspectives. This methodology is designed to offer a balanced view of global markets, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions to achieve ambitious growth objectives.

A meticulous review of over 3,700 product literature, annual reports, industry statements, and comparable materials from major industry participants was conducted to enhance the understanding of the market.

Procure Complete Research Report (PDF with Qualitative and Quotative Data, Insights, Statistics, Tables, Charts, Figures) - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/car-sharing-market/purchase-options

Leading Market Players: -

Getaround, Inc.

Enterprise Holdings Inc.

Avis Budget Group, Inc

sixt se

Stellantis NV

Turo Inc.

ekar Car Rental LLC

Goldbell Engineering Pte. Ltd.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.

Cambio Mobility Service GmbH & Co. KG.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global car sharing market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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New 2023 patent data rankings highlight escalating areas of R&D activity: autonomous vehicles, electrical, world leader in tracking patent application and grant data.



IFI CLAIMS Patent Services is a Digital Sciencecompany that compiles and tracks data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other patent-issuing agencies around the globe. IFI translates its world-leading data into an annual U.S. Top 50 and IFI Global 250 patent rankings, providing valuable insights into companies' R&D activity.

Other findings in IFI's latest rankings include patent powerhouse chipmakers rising higher in 2023 and a new all-time high in U.S. patent applications. Qualcommascended into second place, while TSMCrose to third-according to the 2023 U.S. Top 50 Ranking-ahead of IBM, which had previously held the top spot for 29 years running, until last year when it was unseated by Samsung. U.S. patent applications turned up in 2023 to 418,111, a slight rise over 2022, but a new record, nonetheless.

"The backlog for patent applications at the USPTO has been growing over the last couple of years," said Ronald Kratz, CEO of IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. "They now have more than 750,000 unexamined applications, which could explain why grants are down. But applications are at an all-time high, an encouraging sign of innovation in the U.S."

To see the yearly rankings, trends, and insights published today from the world's most trusted patent data provider, visit the IFI website.

An overview of IFI's analysis:

2023 Top 50 (https://www.ificlaims.com/rankings-top-50-2023), a list of the leading 50 recipients of U.S. grants

2023 Global 250 (https://www.ificlaims.com/rankings-global-assets-2023), a ranking of the largest active patent holders around the world

analysis of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologies (https://www.ificlaims.com/rankings-tech-growth-2023), measured by patent application activity over the past five years





More patents to U.S. companies; fewer to companies in Japan, South Korea, China

The USPTO awarded slightly less than half of the total patent pie to U.S.-based companies, which was up 4.8% from the previous year. American corporations earned 149,522 patents, nearly four times as many as Japan (39,228), in second place. South Korea, China, and Germany finished out the top five, all of them showing decreases in awards over the previous year. Japan (-15.6%), China (-12.5%), and Germany (-15%) dropped dramatically. As a result of China's decline, it fell back down to fourth place from its third-place perch the previous year. Of the top ten countries earning patent grants, only the U.S., Taiwan, and Canada saw increases in 2023 over 2022.

Rank and patent filings

While Samsungretained its number-one ranking, U.S. patent awards for the company decreased by 1.3% to 6,165 from 6,248 last year. Qualcomm climbed five rungs into second place with 3,854 patents, an increase of 47% over the previous year. And TSMC comes in third with 3,687 patents, up 22%. IBM's ranking ticked down as its patent numbers declined in 2023 to 3,658 from 4,398 the previous year-a result of the company's continued implementation of a strategy toward "more selective" patenting.

The biggest gainers in rank were VMWare,cut.

"Intangible assets are becoming more and more valuable corporate holdings, but the balance sheet doesn't exactly capture that," said Kratz. "That's why it's important to dig into the details of the patent position for highly innovative companies."

Fastest Growing Technologies: autonomous vehicles ride again

The fastest growing technology in 2023 is Autonomous Vehicles, which rose 38.3% over the past five years-the second year in a row that this technology has taken the pole position. IFI's ranking is based on patent applications-a proxy for what is around the bend-and Toyota, Honda, and Waymo are the companies paving the way in the autonomous arena. Other technologies that are growing quickly: both electrical smoking devices (CAGR 35.8%) and conventional cigarettes (CAGR 23.2%), quantum computing (CAGR 23.5%), and laundry control systems (CAGR 21.6%).

"Unlike our other rankings, the Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologiesis based on a five-year growth rate, not high patent count," said Kratz. "It's more of a window into which technologies are attracting R&D attention right now and which companies stand to benefit in the future from patent protection in those spaces."

For active inventions, Panasonic and Japan remain on top

In 2023, Japanese electronics company Panasonic held first place on IFI's Global250 list with 94,337 patent families, followed by Samsung and Hitachi. A patent "family" is a term used to represent the group of patents held around the world to protect a single invention. As such, "family" is used to denote a single invention.

The number of Japanese companies holding spots on the list is 36.4%, more than a third. The U.S. and China each occupy roughly 20% of the placements with 52 and 51 companies, respectively. No U.S. company claimed a Top 10 spot in this ranking; the three highest appearances from American companies are IBM, coming in at 16, with 43,033 active patent families, followed by Microsoft (ranked 27), and GE (40).

Patent activity provides valuable insight into companies' R&D activity for researchers, analysts, and investors. Often the true value of a company lies with its intellectual properties, so examining patent assets is a key tool in gauging the intangible assets of publicly traded companies. It speaks to productivity, technological efficiency and IP strategy, and frequently reveals technology trends and the competitive landscape within various industries.

To create your own analysis, visit the IFI CLAIMS Live 1000, a free tool which uses data from the top 1000 companies that received patents across multiple countries and patent jurisdictions. The tool shows live data and offers interactive features that allow users to create and sort their own lists using a variety of filters.

About IFI CLAIMS Patent Services

IFI CLAIMS Patent Services uses a proprietary data architecture to produce the industry's most accurate patent database. The CLAIMS Direct platform allows for the easy integration of applications, other data sets, and analysis software. Headquartered in New Haven, Conn., with a satellite office in Barcelona, Spain, IFI CLAIMS is part of Digital Science, a digital research technology company based in London. For more information, visit www.ificlaims.comand follow IFI on LinkedIn.

About Digital Science

Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands - Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, ReadCube, Symplectic, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, Overleaf, Writefull, OntoChem, Scismic and metaphacts - we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit www.digital-science.comand follow @digitalscion X or on LinkedIn.




1.5 million passengers in 2023 and world-class on-time performance

PLAY airlines carried 114,265 passengers in December 2023, which is a 53% increase from December 2022 when PLAY carried 74,620 passengers. PLAY had a load factor of 76.2% in December 2023 and of all passengers traveling with PLAY, 24.5% were flying from Iceland, 28% were flying to Iceland and 47.6% were VIA passengers.

Air-traffic controllers in Iceland had a series of strikes in the month of December which affected PLAY's on-time performance. The on-time performance in December was 59% but PLAY's on-time performance for the year of 2023 was 83%.



This on-time performance percentage means that out of 9,600 flights for the whole year of 2023, over 8,000 flights were on time, and the average delay on these flights was 5.4 minutes.

When corrected for the air traffic controllers strike, the on-time performance for the year of 2023 would have been around 86%.

Ancillary revenue rising and forward bookings looking strong



PLAY carried 1.5 million passengers in 2023 and had a load factor of 83.4%. Of passengers flying with PLAY in 2023, 26.7% were flying from Iceland, 32.3% were flying to Iceland and 41% were VIA passengers.

Average ancillary revenue per passenger continues to increase. It was 29% higher in December 2023 compared to December 2022.

Despite reporting that the seismic activity in the Reykjanes peninsula would have a negative effect on the load factor of December 2023 and January and February 2024, the demand has had a robust pick up in the past few weeks and sales from the beginning of January 2024 have been very promising for the spring and summer of 2024.

Birgir Jonsson CEO:

"We are very proud to have achieved our goal of flying over 1.5 million passengers in 2023, nearly doubling the number from the previous year. Our load factor was a satisfactory 83%, especially considering a very challenging situation towards the end of the year. We achieved an exemplary on-time performance of 83% for the year. This high punctuality is among the best compared to our competitors and among the highest in the world of aviation. It is a strong sign of our safe and efficient flight operations and the professionalism of our operational teams and crews.

In the month of December, we saw a load factor of 76.2%, slightly lower than in the same month of the previous year. This reduction is a direct result of the seismic activity, earthquakes, and volcanic eruption that had an impact on the demand for Iceland as a destination and caused a temporary closure of the Blue Lagoon, one of the major tourist attractions in Iceland. In addition to all this, flight operations and the flow of tourists to Iceland were severely disrupted by the strike of local air traffic controllers in the run-up to Christmas, which was targeted against the local airlines and the very important tourism industry in Iceland.

Although the traffic numbers of November, December, and January have been negatively affected by all this, we have recently been experiencing very strong demand returning to the market and have no reason to believe this situation will have any long-term impact or damage. We are now in the most important booking period for the spring and summer travel period, and it is good to see that our network of destinations is delivering a strong booking flow and giving us all at PLAY a reason to be optimistic for the coming year.

I sincerely thank all our passengers for choosing to fly with PLAY in the year 2023, it was a real pleasure having you all on board our shiny red aircraft. I also want to thank our great team of Players for their hard work and dedication and for achieving these great operating results. I am sure that together, we will reach even greater heights in our operation in the coming year. "










VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE:LCR | OTCQB:LANRF | FRA:6UF0) ("Lancaster") is pleased to provide an update on the significant progress of the Alkali Flat Lithium Brine Project in Lordsburg, New Mexico, and the strategic steps being taken to explore this flagship property. Also, through an amendment to the spin-off agreement signed between Lancaster and Nelson Lake (the "Spin-Off Agreement"), the record date for the Spin-Off transaction has been set for February 5, 2024.



CEO's Statement:

"Our unwavering commitment is towards the Alkali Flat Project. The strategic acquisition of the Nelson Lake Copper Project and the subsequent spin-off are pivotal in funding our lithium exploration in New Mexico," says Lancaster's CEO and President Penny White.

Key Highlights and Upcoming Milestones:

Geophysics + Geology Study (July 2023): Following a comprehensive internal evaluation, Lancaster successfully built upon its existing internal geological data geological data sets. This included initial findings from an aerial drone geophysics program and geochemical studies over the playa, laying the groundwork for its completed MT geophysics program and impending drilling operations.

Magnetotelluric (MT Survey) (Aug 2023): After reviewing several qualified companies, Lancaster selected KLM Geophysics, a leading geophysics firm with significant experience in lithium brine exploration, to conduct its MT Survey so Lancaster would have the best dataset to supplement its geology and inform its drilling locations. Lancaster received the results from its MT program in September 2023.

MT Interpretation and Drilling Locations (Sept 2023): Lancaster's experts interpreted magnetotelluric data to pinpoint optimal drilling locations, maximizing its chances of successfully finding subsurface concentrated lithium brines. Preliminary locations have been selected based on two highly conductive subsurface features found in the MT survey. Proposed locations have been used in support of both the BLM Plan of Operations application and the EMNRD Drilling application.

Drilling and Access Regulatory Applications Submitted (Sept 2023): Lancaster formally submitted its drilling application to the New Mexico EMNRD.

Drilling Bids (Sept-Dec 2023): Lancaster invited estimates from reputable drilling companies, emphasizing safety, efficiency, and environmental stewardship, and selected the drilling company to conduct its exploratory well drill program.

Upcoming Milestones:

Regulatory Approvals: On November 14, 2023 Lancaster completed a site visit at the Alkali Flat property and had a follow-up call in mid-December 2023 with representatives from both the New Mexico EMNRD and BLM to finalize obtaining the required approvals for its initial drill program. Lancaster aims to obtain all necessary drilling approvals in early 2024, with plans to commence drilling operations in February 2024.

Maiden Drill Program (Feb 2024 target): Lancaster aims to complete our first exploratory well efficiently and safely, adhering to the highest industry standards with minimal/zero impact on all stakeholders.

Samples Collected and Analysis Underway (Feb 2024 target): During the drilling process, Lancaster will collect samples and submit them for mineral and fluid analysis to confirm lithium concentration within reservoir brine and drill cuttings.

DLE Technology Bidding and Sample Dispatch (March 2024 target): Engagements with leading Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology providers are underway to ensure the lithium extraction process is both efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible. Discussions are in progress with various DLE companies to secure sufficient brine samples for testing, aimed at determining the compatibility of DLE technologies with successfully extracted lithium brine from Alkali Flats.

Sample Results and NI 43-101 (Q2 2024): Upon receiving the sample analysis results, Lancaster plans to update its NI 43-101 report, ensuring stakeholders can access the most current and precise information.

Anticipated DLE Results ( 2024): Lancaster expects to receive the outcomes of future DLE technology trials, which will inform its extraction strategy and affirm its commitment to employing the most economical, effective, and sustainable lithium extraction practices.

Strategic Spin-Off and Share Distribution:

In a strategic move, Lancaster created a subsidiary, Nelson Lake Copper Corp. ("Nelson Lake"), and staked a copper prospective claim in Saskatchewan, Canada. Its plan is to complete a plan of arrangement with Nelson Lake, and spin-off about 2/3 of its ownership stake in Nelson Lake to Lancaster shareholders and later sell its remaining stake in Nelson Lake to generate funds to expand its exploration and development activities at Alkali Flat.

The strategic separation of Nelson Lake as an independent entity is a significant benefit to Lancaster Resources, its parent company. This move allows Lancaster to concentrate resources and management attention on its core lithium exploration projects, like the Alkali Flat Lithium Brine Project, ensuring efficient capital use and focused operational efforts. It diversifies business risks, as challenges in the copper exploration sector won't directly impact Lancaster's main operations. Financially, it provides Lancaster with non-dilutive financing options, maintaining shareholder value without diluting equity. Additionally, each entity can attract market-specific partnerships and investments, leading to potentially higher valuations and strategic growth opportunities. Overall, this separation enhances Lancaster's operational efficiency, financial stability, and shareholder value, while allowing for a more agile and focused corporate strategy.

Spin-Off Distribution Details

Pursuant to the Spin-Off Agreement, the parties have agreed to 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. Currently, there are 100,000 common shares outstanding in Nelson Lake which were issued to Lancaster Resources for nominal consideration as founders' shares on December 15, 2023. There are no options, warrants, or other derivative securities currently outstanding in Nelson Lake.

A shareholder meeting to vote on the Transaction will occur on March 15, 2024 (the "Meeting"). The record date to determine entitlement to receive Dividend Shares and the right to vote at the Meeting is February 5, 2024 (the "Record Date"). Holders of Lancaster shares as of February 5, 2024, will be eligible to receive Dividend Shares at a distribution ratio of one Dividend Share for every 50 Lancaster common shares held. The ex-dividend date will be on February 1, 2024, so shares in Lancaster purchased in the market after the close of trading on January 30, 2024 (to allow 2 days to settle electronic trades), will not be eligible to receive Dividend Shares or to vote at the Meeting.

Completion of the 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 for its year ended December 31, 2023, completing an NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report of the Nelson Lake Copper Property and obtaining approvals of the British Columbia Supreme Court and of the shareholders of Lancaster. The 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.

About Nelson Lake Copper Corp.

Nelson Lake was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancaster on December 15, 2023 for the purpose of staking copper claims in Saskatchewan, Canada. Andrew Watson, P. Eng, who is currently the Vice President of Engineering and Operations for Lancaster, is a director and President and Chief Executive Officer of Nelson Lake. Nelson Lake directly staked 1 mining claim covering a contiguous block of 5,746 hectares in Saskatchewan with the Mineral Administration Registry Saskatchewan ("MARS") on December 18, 2023 (the "Nelson Lake Copper Property").

The Nelson Lake Copper Property is adjacent to notable copper exploration projects, such as Cosa Resources Heron Property and Forum Energy Metals Janice Lake. The property targets sedimentary hosted copper in the Wollaston Domain copperbelt offers a unique copper exploration opportunity.

Nelson Lake spent $8,448 acquiring the Nelson Lake Copper Property, which includes fees of $5,001 by Nelson Lake's President and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Watson, to find and stake the claim, $3,447 in staking fees paid to the Government of Saskatchewan. To maintain the claim after the first year, $15 per hectare to maintain claims is payable to the Saskatchewan government for a total of $86,190 per year for years 2 - 10.

More details of the Nelson Lake Copper Property, of Nelson Lake and of the Transaction will be provided in an information circular, which will be distributed to all Lancaster shareholders prior to the Meeting.

Andrew Watson, PEng, a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Watson is the CEO and President of Nelson Lake and the VP, Engineering and Operations for Lancaster.

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: penny@lancasterlithium.com

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 enter into an Arrangement Agreement and meet the other conditions precedent of the Spin-Off Agreement, 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.
Program of Events and Speakers: www.UkraineHouseDavos.com

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are delighted to announce that Ukraine House Davos is back in 2024 to shine a spotlight on the continuing indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people and ignite conversations about Ukraine's triumphant post-war future.

During this week, Ukraine House Davos will be the authoritative platform for those looking to forge global partnerships with Ukraine, offering up expert insight and dialogue on economic opportunity and the current geopolitical situation. Global support and commitment for Ukraine must be galvanized to so that Ukrainians can continue their resolute fight for freedom with defiance and resilience in the face of Russia's prolonged and escalating invasion.

"As we approach two years of Ukraine's heroic defense of its territorial integrity, sovereignty and European future, Ukraine House Davos will serve as a convener for business leaders, policymakers, journalists, and thought leaders committed to Ukrainian victory to share insights and collaborate on opportunities that can help forge a free and democratic Ukraine." said Ulyana Khromyak, Executive Director, Ukraine House Davos." She continued. "The world has witnessed the resolve of the Ukrainian people. They will not back down in their fight for freedom and Ukraine House Davos will not back down in our effort to share Ukraine's story and work to ensure a brighter future for the nation, for Europe, and for the democratic world. We are honored to host authoritative speakers and moderators: high-level Ukrainian officials, top Western government officials, global policy makers, humanitarian activists, international business leaders, and most of all, inspiring Ukrainians who are defending their nation on the frontlines as well as supporting the country's rebuilding and revitalization. We look forward to welcoming you to Ukraine House Davos in 2024." Full list and registration at www.UkraineHouseDavos.com.

Ukrainians' defense of life and freedom is more crucial now than ever, also for Europe, the West and the world. For the second year in a row, Promenade 59 has become a joint space for Ukraine House Davos and "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" Project, which is organized by Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine. "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" is an immersive visual and intellectual experience, and space for discussion and debate. An exhibition portraying Ukrainians as they defend freedom, endure losses, and achieve victories. Amid constant threat, it showcases people defiantly living their lives. Combined with an ongoing discussion program, "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" offers a chance to re-visit what is at stake in Ukraine.

Ukraine House Davos is organized by Western NIS Enterprise Fund, Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Horizon Capital, and led by Executive Director, Ulyana Khromyak.

The Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee is comprised of: Jaroslawa Johnson, President and CEO, Western NIS Enterprise Fund; Svitlana Grytsenko, Member of the Board, Victor Pinchuk Foundation; and Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner and CEO, Horizon Capital.

Ukraine House Davos is made possible this year thanks to our generous sponsors, most notably our Gold Sponsors the Temerty Foundation and Interpipe, as well as our Panel Sponsor Marsh McLennan, and Networking Sponsor Advantage Ukraine.

We invite you to visit our website to register your attendance and to discover more:

www.UkraineHouseDavos.com

Ukraine House Davos will open its doors on Monday, January 15th at 4 pm CET through 9 pm CET on Thursday, January 18th.

You can also follow the event via social media at:

Twitter: @UKRHouseDavos

Facebook: @ukrainehousedavos

Instagram: @Ukraine.House.Davos

YouTube: ukrainehousedavos

Hashtag: UkraineHouseDavos

Contact:

Kiran Nagendran

UHD24@forwardglobal.com

+44 7921 706 711

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2313028/UHD.jpg

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: INCA) (OTCQB: INCAF) (FSE: SU92) ("Inca One" or the "Company") a gold producer operating two mineral processing facilities in Peru, (the "Plants") is pleased to announce it has closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement, the terms of which were announced December 19, 2023 (the "Offering"), by issuing 6,969,000 units of the Company ("Unit") at an offering price of C$0.10 per Unit for gross proceeds of C$696,900 (the "First Tranche"). The Company intends to extend the closing of a second and final tranche to January 31, 2024, subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") final approval. Raising further funds is subject to the execution of additional subscription agreements by investors.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share of the Company (a "Share") and one transferable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder on exercise to purchase an additional Share of the Company at an exercise price of CAD$0.15 for a period of 36 months from the closing date ("Closing Date").

The proceeds from the Offering will be used for general working capital requirements. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of 4 months plus a day from the Closing Date in accordance with applicable securities legislation. In connection with the closing of the first tranche of the Offering, the Company paid cash finders' fees of C$1,080 and issued 10,800 non-transferable finders' warrants, with each finder's warrant exercisable for one common share of the Company at the exercise price of C$0.15 until January 8, 2027.

Certain directors, officers and other insiders of the Company ("Interested Parties") purchased or acquired direction and control over a total of 2,624,000 Units under the Offering, accounting for 37.9% of the proceeds raised in the First Tranche. The placement to those persons constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the directors of the Company have determined that the Interested Parties' participation in the Offering will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance on the exemptions set forth in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to the closing of the Offering as the details of the participation of Interested Parties had not been confirmed at that time.

The securities described herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the Act or unless an exemption from registration is available.

About Inca One

Inca One Gold Corp is an established gold producer operating two permitted, gold mineral processing facilities in Peru. The Company possesses a combined 450 TPD permitted operating capacity at its two fully integrated plants, Chala One and Kori One, generating over US$200 million in sales from its processing operations. Inca One is led by an experienced and capable management team that has established the Company as a trusted leader in servicing permitted, Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Miners (ASGM). Peru is one of the world's largest producers of gold, and its ASGM sector is estimated by government officials to be valued in the billions of dollars annually. Through the Company's partnerships with the UN backed PlanetGold Program and the Swiss Better Gold Initiative, Inca One supports the sustainable development and mining practises of the ASGM sector and the responsible gold supply chain from mine to market. To learn more, visit www.incaone.com.





Figure 1. Inca One's gold processing facilities in Peru (left: Chala One facility; right: Kori One facility)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/193644_0c37923c741dcb2c_001full.jpg

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly

President and CEO

Inca One Gold Corp.

For More Information Contact:



Konstantine Tsakumis

ktsakumis@incaone.com

604-568-4877

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.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties by their very nature. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that future operating results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193644

SOURCE: Inca One Gold Corp.
nShift urges retailers to start tracking emissions data now

LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies are still under-prepared for the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which will come into effect later this year.

According to a survey conducted in December, 88% of companies do not yet feel ready to meet the expectations of CSRD and 57% feel they have little or no knowledge of the new reporting obligations that arise from the new regulations.[1]

nShift, the global leader in parcel delivery management software, has recently launched nShift Emissions Tracker . The tool helps ecommerce companies and warehouses calculate, record, and analyze greenhouse gas emissions for every shipment. It enables companies to comply with new incoming environmental reporting requirements and pinpoint opportunities for emissions reduction.

Mattias Gredenhag, CTO at nShift said, "The clock is ticking for companies when it comes to tracking and reporting emissions. For many companies, the first reports will not be due until 2025. But it's vital that businesses covered by the new requirements get to grips with them as soon as possible to ensure they are tracking the data they need. Using the right tracking tools will not only give the business the data it needs, but it will also make a potentially laborious reporting process much more straightforward to manage."

nShift Emissions Tracker collates all carrier data into one reporting tool with an easy-to-use template. Calculations are made at shipment level, giving retailers the ability to drill into shipping data, compile accurate reports, and identify quick wins for emissions reduction.

Business benefits of Emissions Tracker

Efficiency - quickly and easily report on last-mile and transport emissions at the click of a button with no additional analysis needed

Reliability - emissions data the business can depend on. All collected in one place in a standardized format

Credibility - peace of mind knowing the calculations are accurate and free from mistakes of manual error. The solution uses standard tariffs developed by the Network for Transport Measures (NTM)

Accuracy - emissions data is calculated based on CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent - a more accurate and comprehensive measure than CO2 alone)

Transparency - increase customer loyalty and brand recognition by becoming trusted and transparent when it comes to emissions

nShift Emissions Tracker conforms to internationally recognized standards, including ISO 14083 and the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) Framework.

For more information on the nShift Emission Tracker, please visit. https://nshift.com/solutions/emissions-tracker

About nShift

nShift is the global leading provider of cloud delivery management solutions enabling frictionless shipment and return of almost one billion shipments across 190 countries annually. nShift's software is used globally by e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and 3PL shippers. The company is headquartered in London and Oslo. It has over 500 employees across offices in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Romania.

[1] https://www.theaccountant-online.com/news/baker-tilly-research-reveals-worrying-gaps-with-csrd-deadline-looming/

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LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- XOR, the British luxury phone brand, proudly announces the official launch of the X2 phone for sale in China. This significant moment marks XOR's commitment to the Chinese market, delivering uniquely crafted products that offer Chinese consumers an unparalleled and flawless experience.

Renowned for its exceptional craftsmanship and distinctive design, XOR phones are designed and made in England. Every handset is built by an individual craftsman, each with over a decade of experience, delivering meticulous attention to detail and quality.

Hutch Hutchison, Head of Design at XOR, states, "We are delighted to introduce XOR to the Chinese market. China has a vibrant luxury landscape, and we believe our unique products will cater to the local customer's pursuit of exceptional quality, exclusive design, and privacy protection."

Mr. Zhou Minghua, CEO of XOR Greater China, adds, "The Greater China region, is the most important growth point in global economic development. The elite class's demand for a refined lifestyle is becoming increasingly personalized. XOR, as the only luxury phone manufactured in the UK, aligns with consumers' pursuit of emotional value through its unique design and product positioning. XOR phones will witness every successful moment, carrying the weight of your historical memories."

XOR phones will be sold in China through a carefully selected network of partners, with a starting price of CNY59,800 for the base model.

For media inquiries regarding XOR phone sales in China, please contact:

Email: media@xorinc.cn

Phone: 13330537666

WeChat: XOR-CN (please specify the purpose when adding on WeChat)

About XOR Luxury Phones:

XOR is a luxury phone brand headquartered in the United Kingdom, known for its exceptional craftsmanship, unique design, and high-end user experience. Each XOR phone is a work of art, representing the perfect fusion of luxurious quality and privacy protection.

China XOR LuxuryPhone ChinaMarketEntry Luxury MadeInEngland

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SPOKANE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Goldrich Mining Company (OTC PINK:GRMC) ("Goldrich" or the "Company") announces that Mr. William Schara has resigned as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and President of the Company, effective immediately, to focus on other business interests.

Mr. Steve Vincent has been appointed acting interim CEO, effective immediately. Mr. Vincent has been a member of the Board since 2014 and has over 35 years of experience as a finance specialist. He has held a range of positions with various companies including Moore Juran and Co., Miller and Schroeder Financial, Allison Williams Company, Piper Jaffray, and Northland Securities Inc. His roles have included metals distribution, debt instrument structuring, and private equity financing. Most recently Mr. Vincent has raised capital for companies developing the copper-nickel mining district of northeastern Minnesota. He has completed strategic equity investments for Duluth Metals, Franconia Minerals and Encampment Minerals. Mr. Vincent received a bachelor's degree from Boston College.

The Goldrich Board of Directors would like to thank Mr. Schara for his years of service and devotion to the Company and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

The Company also announces that Dr. Michael Rasmussen has retired as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately, due to health reasons. The Company would like to thank Dr. Rasmussen for his years of service to the Company and wishes him well in his retirement.

Mr. Vincent, together with the Board of Directors, is currently reviewing strategic alternatives to re-capitalize the Company and plans to provide shareholders with a comprehensive update in the near future.

About Goldrich Mining

Goldrich Mining (OTC Expert Market: GRMC) is a U.S. based resource company focused on developing the Chandalar gold district in Alaska, USA. The Company controls a land package spanning 23,000 acres of highly prospective gold targets and historic mines. Goldrich's primary focus is the exploration and discovery of the hard-rock (lode) targets, which are the source of the placer deposit, while working to also build shareholder value by monetizing the placer assets.

For additional information regarding Goldrich Mining Company or this news release, contact Mr. Steve Vincent via telephone at (612) 810-4280 or info@goldrichmining.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements concern use of proceeds and potential exercise of the warrants. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, budgets, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "should" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider the uncertainties and risks discussed in in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q under the heading "Risk Factors", filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available on the SEC website or www.goldrichmining.com, as well as the Company's other SEC filings. We disclaim any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Goldrich Mining Company

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:ASM)(NYSE American:ASM)(FSE:GV6) a long-standing and growing silver producer in Mexico has signed a long-term land-use agreement with a local community for the development of La Preciosa in Durango, Mexico. La Preciosa hosts one of the largest undeveloped primary silver resources in Mexico and is located approximately 19 kilometres from the current Avino Mine production operations, which has an operating 2,500 tpd mill processing facility and all the necessary infrastructure to allow for mineral processing from La Preciosa.

"This is a fantastic achievement and signals the start of a new era for Avino and the communities adjacent to the mine as we are one crucial step closer to putting La Preciosa into production" said David Wolfin, President and CEO of Avino. "With this long-term land-use agreement in place, we can commence hauling of old surface stockpiles to our mill for processing. We are now able to begin the filing of our environmental permit for underground extraction. Pending regulatory approval, we can start developing the ramp down to our initial target of the high-grade Gloria vein. The La Preciosa mine represents a key pillar in our transformational growth strategy, as well as hosting a large endowment of silver and gold resources which we expect to process for years to come. We are delighted to work with our local community stakeholders to come to this amicable and cooperative result."

About Avino

Avino is a silver producer from its wholly owned Avino Mine near Durango, Mexico. The Company's silver, gold and copper production remains unhedged. The Company's mission and strategy is to create shareholder value through its focus on profitable organic growth at the historic Avino Property and the strategic acquisition of the adjacent La Preciosa which was finalized in Q1 2022. Avino currently controls mineral resources, as per NI 43-101, with a total mineral content of 368 million silver equivalent ounces, within our district-scale land package. We are committed to managing all business activities in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective manner, while contributing to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. We encourage you to connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) at @Avino_ASM and on LinkedIn at Avino Silver & Gold Mines . To view the Avino Mine VRIFY tour, please click here .

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Investor Relations

Tel: 604-682-3701

Email: IR@avino.com

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (together, the "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the mineral resource estimate for the Company's Avino Property, including La Preciosa, located near Durango in west-central Mexico (the "Avino Property") with an effective date of November 30, 2022, prepared for the Company, and references to Measured, Indicated, Inferred Resources referred to in this press release. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the dates of technical reports, as applicable. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that the Company's Avino Property has the amount of mineral resources indicated in their reports or that such mineral resources may be economically extracted. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, the price of gold, silver and copper, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with legal proceedings and negotiations and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking information. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; the COVID-19 pandemic; volatility in the global financial markets; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; uncertainties and risks related to carrying on business in foreign countries; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers, directors or promoters with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; tax consequences to U.S. investors; and other risks and uncertainties. Although we have 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 not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements 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 statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. For more detailed information regarding the Company including its risk factors, investors are directed to the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F and other periodic reports that it files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE: Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd.

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. An on-duty serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces was found shot dead around 06:20, January 9 in his designated outpost, the defence ministry said.

Serviceman Karen A. Karapetyan's body had a gunshot wound, authorities said.

An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the shooting.

In a statement, the defence ministry extended condolences to the family and friends of the deceased serviceman.

Updates:

14:48 - Authorities reported that an enlisted serviceman has been arrested on suspicion of killing serviceman Karen A. Karapetyan.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB)(Frankfurt:ZM5P)(OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a detailed schedule of events to promote the recent acquisition of the Gavilanes silver-gold-polymetallic exploration property (the "Property") located in the Municipality of San Dimas, State of Durango, Mexico.

The events schedule is as follows:

Schedule of Events

Press Releases (can only note those announced not planned)

January 8: Press release - Acquisition of Gavilanes - More Details

We expect to issue regular press releases related to our plans and financing of the Gavilanes Project during Q1 2024.

Conference Attendance and Presentations

Metals Investor Forum, Pacific Rim Hotel, Vancouver, January 19-20

Presentation slot - 3-4PM Friday January 19

Vancouver Resource Investment Conference, Vancouver Convention Centre West Building, January 21-22. Booth 212. Presentation slot TBD

Metals Investor Forum, March 1-2, Delta Hotel - 75 Lower Simcoe Street, Toronto, Presentation Slot TBD

Prospectors and Developers Association Conference, March 3-6, Booth 2113. Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Banner displays including core displays and brochure handouts on the Gavilanes Project will be available at our booths. Presentations and interviews will be posted on our website at www.cmcmetals.ca

Wall Street Silver Interviews- Social Media

A series of interviews will be on tweeter distribution by Wall Street Silver. The topics and dates of coverage are as follows:

January 9 - The Sale of the Gold Processing Mill, Bishop, CA.

January 10 - Introduction to the Acquisition of Gavilanes

January 12 - Overview of why we invested in Gavilanes

January 15 - Exploration Potential of Gavilanes

January 17 - Similarities of Gavilanes to the Tayoltita Mine, Durango, Mexico

January 19 - Historical Drill Results at Gavilanes - A strong Exploration History Part 1

January 22 - Superb Surface Rock Sampling Results - A Strong Exploration History Part 2

January 24 - Exploration Plans for Gavilanes for 2024 - 2026

January 26 - Financing Gavilanes

Various Newsletters and Shareholder News/Website

We will continue to issue to our online subscribers our monthly Hello Investors newsletter written by Kevin Brewer, President and CEO. As well we will be upgrading information on our website to include project information on Gavilanes including technical reports (2021 NI 43-101 Report), site photographs, proposed exploration plan, historical exploration data. Stay tuned - - this all takes time but the website is now under revision.

Contact

Please also feel free to reach out to Kevin Brewer directly at kbrewer80@hotmail.com or (+52) 669 198 8503. He will reply to you within 24 hours.

The Gavilanes Property comprises of eleven concessions (13,594.5 hectares) located in the Sierra Madre Occidental Province in southwestern Durango. The Property has a current NI 43-101 Inferred Resource of 18,174,000 contained silver-equivalent ("Ag-Eq") ounces at an average grade of 320.3 g/t Ag-Eq within 1,765,000 tonnes.

Mr. John Bossio, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company notes "It is very important that we ensure our current and prospective shareholders fully understand the significance of the Gavilanes acquisition. We are highly confident that this acquisition will generate a significant return to our shareholders in the short to medium term and will also enable us to leverage market support to continue exploration efforts on our projects in the Rancheria Silver District (Yukon/Norther BC). Gavilanes is a transformational asset that has the potential to be a company changer."

Mr. Kevin Brewer, President and CEO notes "Gavilanes is a super growth opportunity for CMC. Assets like this with a solid resource base, huge exploration upside potential, and a drill permit are very difficult to find and acquire. Gavilanes, along with our Rancheria Silver properties, now provides CMC with a year-round ability to explore and drill high quality silver-gold- polymetallic projects in North America."

Qualified Person

Qualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data.

About CMC Metals Ltd.

CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Mexico, Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our new flagship project is the Gavilanes Silver-Gold Project, San Dimas, Durango, Mexico. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects in the Rancheria Silver District include the Silverknife and Amy projects (British Columbia) and the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (Yukon). Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals include Bridal Veil (Newfoundland) and Logjam (Yukon).

On behalf of the Board:

"John Bossio"

John Bossio, Chairman, Board of Directors

CMC METALS LTD.

For Further Information and Investor Inquiries:

Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc.(Hons), Dip. Mine Eng.

President, CEO and Director

Tel: (+52) 669 198 8503

kbrewer80@hotmail.com

Suite 1000-409 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2

To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to info@cmcmetals.ca or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly.

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 may contain certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. 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, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company 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 expressly required by applicable securities legislation."

SOURCE: CMC Metals Ltd.

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Signal Gold Inc. ("Signal Gold" or the "Company") (TSX:SGNL)(OTCQX:SGNLF) is pleased to announce additional diamond drill results from the Company's growth exploration program at its Goldboro Project in Nova Scotia ("Goldboro", or the "Project"). The diamond drill results, comprised of 2,382 metres of drilling in 13 diamond drill holes, targeted near surface gold mineralization to the west of and along strike from the Goldboro Deposit, specifically around the past producing Dolliver Mountain Gold Mine* ("Dolliver Mountain") (Exhibit A). This drilling is part of the larger growth exploration program that has now successfully tested a 1.1-kilometre strike extent of the Goldboro Trend, including the recently announced drill results that discovered gold mineralization up to 450 metres to the west of previous resource definition drilling.

"We continue to be pleased with the results of diamond drilling to the west and along strike from the Goldboro Deposit. The initial drilling at Dolliver Mountain has successfully intersected gold mineralization along a 200-metre strike extent and has now confirmed that the Goldboro mineralized system extends over one kilometre to the west of the Goldboro Deposit. These results also suggest significant potential in the down-plunge eastern projection beneath the Goldboro Deposit at depths greater than 550 vertical metres, in addition to immediate potential along strike to the east and west. We continue to demonstrate the potential scale of the Goldboro Deposit, with mineralization now outlined over a strike length of at least 3.4-kilometres, with further drill results pending that targeted the remaining strike extent between Dolliver Mountain and the Goldboro Deposit."

~ Kevin Bullock, President and CEO, Signal Gold Inc.

The most recent drill results from 13 diamond drill holes (BR-23-408 to 414, 416, 417, 419, 421, 427, and 428) included seven (7) instances of visible gold and 40 separate intersections of gold mineralization (Exhibits B and C) that are hosted within the same anticline which hosts the Goldboro Deposit. Selected composited highlights (core length) from the current drill holes include:

7.4 g/t gold over 1.1 metres (108.0 to 109.1 metres) in hole BR-23-412 including, 13.01 g/t gold over 0.6 metres;

12.73 g/t gold over 0.6 metres (92.9 to 93.5 metres) in hole BR-23-409;

10.02 g/t gold over 0.5 metres (118.9 to 119.4 metres) in hole BR-23-417; and

0.61 g/t gold over 6.0 metres (191.5 to 197.5 metres) in hole BR-23-410.

The initial drilling at Dolliver Mountain has demonstrated that, similar to the Goldboro Deposit, gold mineralization is hosted within multiple stacked argillite and quartz vein zones that are folded into an upright anticline that plunges gently to the east (approximately 20o). Gold mineralization is associated with increased alteration including pyrite and arsenopyrite, resulting in the Induced Polarization ("IP") chargeability high targeted during the current drill program. Drilling tested the host anticline to a vertical depth of 185 metres, and mineralization continues to be open to the west, east, and at depth. The intersection of gold mineralization at Dolliver Mountain also significantly demonstrates the potential for further discovery of gold down-plunge and beneath the Goldboro Deposit below 550 vertical metres (Exhibit D).

Assays are pending for an additional 19 drill holes totaling 3,813 metres from the growth exploration drill program, which are expected to be reported early in the first quarter of 2024.

*Operations began at the Dolliver Mountain Gold Mine in 1901 and the operation ceased in 1904.

Exhibit A. A map showing the location of the conceptual West and East pits of the Goldboro Project and the location of the past producing Dolliver Mountain Gold Mine to the west. Also shown is the trend of the host structure of the Goldboro Deposit and its anticipated westerly extension as shown by a recently completed IP geophysical survey.

Exhibit B. A plan map showing the location of drill holes BR-23-408 to 414, 416, 417, 419, 421, 427, and 428, over a 200-metre strike extent surrounding the past-producing Dolliver Mountain Gold Mine, indicating gold mineralization at least 1.1 kilometres west of the Goldboro Deposit.

Exhibit C. A vertical longitudinal section through the west end of the Goldboro Deposit and including the area of recent diamond drilling. Drill results indicate that the structure that hosts the Goldboro Deposit and the same style of alteration and mineralization exist west of previous drill sections, demonstrating that the Deposit has the potential to be expanded westward. Potential mineralized belts are shown as currently interpreted.

Exhibit D. A schematic vertical longitudinal section looking north, showing the 3.4-kilometre strike of known gold mineralization between Dolliver Mountain and the Goldboro Deposit. The drill results from Dolliver Mountain are significant in that they demonstrate potential for discovery of additional gold mineralization down-plunge to the east beneath the current Goldboro Deposit.

A table of selected composited assay results from the drill program

Drill hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Gold (g/t) Visible Gold BR-23-408 36.2 37.2 1.0 0.99 and 53.0 53.6 0.6 0.97 and 95.3 97.1 1.8 0.59 VG and 99.7 101.6 1.9 0.68 and 124.9 125.4 0.5 1.19 VG and 159.0 159.5 0.5 0.74 BR-23-409 92.9 93.5 0.6 12.73 VG and 125.3 126.2 0.9 0.68 BR-23-410 126.8 127.4 0.6 0.92 and 179.2 179.8 0.6 0.68 and 182.4 183.0 0.6 1.04 and 191.5 197.5 6.0 0.61 incl. 192.0 193.0 1.0 1.23 and incl. 195.0 195.5 0.5 1.86 and 200.3 200.8 0.5 0.72 and 214.0 214.6 0.6 1.09 BR-23-411 84.7 85.7 1.0 0.80 and 96.3 97.3 1.0 1.66 VG and 112.6 113.2 0.6 0.85 BR-23-412 80.7 81.2 0.6 0.51 and 99.0 100.0 1.0 0.66 and 108.0 109.1 1.1 7.40 incl. 108.5 109.1 0.6 13.01 and 157.5 158.0 0.5 2.83 BR-23-413 29.8 30.3 0.5 0.94 VG BR-23-414 35.1 35.6 0.5 0.95 and 48.9 49.4 0.5 0.59 BR-23-416 117.3 118.4 1.1 0.98 and 201.2 201.7 0.5 0.98 BR-23-417 66.6 68.5 1.9 1.38 incl. 67.4 68.0 0.6 2.41 and 87.5 88.5 1.0 2.52 and 113.0 114.0 1.0 2.17 and 118.9 119.4 0.5 10.02 and 173.5 174.3 0.8 2.10 BR-23-419 46.0 46.5 0.5 0.53 and 48.8 49.8 1.0 0.81 and 70.5 71.5 1.0 2.42 BR-23-421 86.3 87.5 1.2 0.98 and 92.8 93.9 1.1 0.87 and 116.0 116.5 0.5 0.99 and 129.4 129.9 0.5 0.99 VG and 190.5 191.0 0.5 0.55 VG BR-23-428 171.4 171.9 0.5 1.04

Footnotes:

Intervals are reported as core length only. True widths are estimated to be between 70% and 100% of the core length.

All drill hole results are reported using fire assay only. See notes on QAQC procedures at the bottom of this press release.

All drill holes not reported in the table above did not encounter significant mineralization.

Drill holes were oriented along a north-south trend with holes on the north limb of the hosting anticlinal structure drilled southward and holes located south of the anticlinal structure drilled northward. The dip of holes is dependent upon the location relative to the anticline with the goal of intersecting mineralized zones orthogonally.

All samples and the resultant composites referred to in this release are collected using QA/QC protocols including the regular insertion of standards and blanks within the sample batch for analysis and check assays of select samples. All samples quoted in this release were analyzed at Eastern Analytical Ltd. in Springdale, NL, for Au by fire assay (30 g) with an AA finish.

All assays in this press release are reported as fire assays only. For samples analyzing greater than 0.5 g/t Au via 30 g fire assay, these samples will be re-analyzed at Eastern Analytical Ltd. via total pulp metallics. For the total pulp metallics analysis, the entire sample is crushed to -10mesh and pulverized to 95% -150mesh. The total sample is then weighed and screened to 150mesh. The +150mesh fraction is fire assayed for Au, and a 30 g subsample of the -150mesh fraction analyzed via fire assay. A weighted average gold grade is calculated for the final reportable gold grade. Total pulp metallics assays for drill holes sited within this press release may be updated in a future news release.

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul McNeill, P.Geo., VP Exploration with Signal Gold Inc., a "Qualified Person", under National Instrument 43-101 Standard for Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT SIGNAL GOLD

Signal Gold is advancing the Goldboro Project in Nova Scotia, a significant growth project subject to a positive Feasibility Study which demonstrates an approximately 11-year open pit life of mine ("LOM") with average gold production of 100,000 ounces per annum and an average diluted grade of 2.26 grams per tonne gold. (Please see the 'NI 43-101 Technical Report and Feasibility Study for the Goldboro Gold Project, Eastern Goldfields District, Nova Scotia' on January 11, 2022, for further details). On August 3, 2022, the Goldboro Project received its environmental assessment approval from the Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Climate Change, a significant regulatory milestone which enables the Company to commence site-specific permitting processes including the Industrial Approval and Crown Land Lease and Mining Lease applications. The Goldboro Project also has potential for further Mineral Resource expansion, particularly towards the west along strike and at depth. A future study will consider upgrading and expanding potentially mineable underground Mineral Resources as part of the longer-term mine development plan.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Signal Gold Inc.

Kevin Bullock

President and CEO

(647) 388-1842

kbullock@signalgold.com Reseau ProMarket Inc.

Dany Cenac Robert

Investor Relations

(514) 722-2276 x456

Dany.Cenac-Robert@ReseauProMarket.com

SOURCE: Signal Gold Inc.

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HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV:SLVR)(OTCQX:SLVTF) ("Silver Tiger", the "Company" or the "Corporation") is pleased to provide a year-end update for the 2023 year and a 2024 outlook for the Company.

Glenn Jessome, President and CEO stated "2023 was a transformational year at Silver Tiger as the Corporation made the transition from explorer to developer. We delivered an updated robust Mineral Resource Estimate for the El Tigre Project in September and followed that up with the Preliminary Economic Assessment in November with an NPV of $287 Million US dollars and an IRR of 56%. We now turn our attention to 2024. We currently have 4 drill rigs completing a 25,000 metre drill program. We expect to deliver our Prefeasibility Study and updated Mineral Resource Estimate during the second quarter. Our initial Preliminary Economic Assessment on the underground deposit is expected during the third quarter. In 2024, we will move our low cost highly profitable open pit towards a build decision and will deliver the first economic report for our significant underground resource. It is our belief that 2024 will be a year of value creation for our shareholders."

Key Objectives for 2024

With $20.1 million in cash on hand at September 30, 2023, we will complete the planned 25,000 meter drill program during the first half of 2024;

Deliver a Prefeasibility Study and an updated Mineral Resource Estimate during Q2-2024; and

Deliver a Preliminary Economic Assessment for the permitted underground resource during Q3-2024.

2023 Highlights

In February 2023, the Company closed an $18 million bought deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters led by BMO Capital Markets;

Completed 30,000 metres of diamond drilling;

Delivered an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the El Tigre Project in September 2023 (see Corporation's press release dated September 18, 2023); and

Delivered a Preliminary Economic Assessment in November 2023 with an NPV of $287 million USD, an IRR of 56% and initial capital costs of $59 million USD (see Corporation's press release dated November 1, 2023).

On-Going Prefeasibility Study Program

The Prefeasibility Study program of the Open Pit at El Tigre Project is underway, on-time, and on-budget. The main objectives of the program include a Mineral Resource Update, geotechnical assessment of the proposed Preliminary Economic Assessment pit and enhanced metallurgical studies. The Prefeasibility Study Technical report is expected to be released in Q2-2024. In early 2023 P&E Mining Consultants Inc. of Toronto, Ontario completed the updated Mineral Resource Estimate and were again retained to complete a Prefeasibility Study-level Mineral Resource Estimate update to convert a portion of the Preliminary Economic Assessment-level Indicated to Measured Mineral Resource, as well as convert Preliminary Economic Assessment-level Inferred to Indicated Mineral Resource. The Corporation retained D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. ("DENM"), of Burlington, Ontario, for the Prefeasibility Study-level metallurgical test work. After a review of the Preliminary Economic Assessment-level metallurgical studies were completed, DENM recommended drilling six new PQ-sized metallurgical drill holes along a one-kilometre strike length of the designed Preliminary Economic Assessment open pit. The six metallurgical drill holes have been completed. DENM selected McClelland Laboratories Inc. of Sparks, Nevada to complete the independent Prefeasibility Study metallurgical testing of the gold and silver mineralization at the El Tigre Project. The Company retained Golder/WSP for the Prefeasibility Study-level open pit design criteria. After an extensive desktop review and site visit, Golder recommended drilling thirteen HQ-sized oriented core drill holes in the western and eastern slopes over a two-kilometre strike length of the designed Preliminary Economic Assessment open pit. These thirteen geotechnical drill holes have been completed. With four drill rigs operating on the property, we have already completed 85 of the drill holes or 15,009 metres of the drilling required for the Prefeasibility Study.

Underground Mineral Resource to Preliminary Economic Assessment - Q3-2024

The Corporation will also continue to work on this substantial underground Mineral Resource Estimate and advance this towards a Preliminary Economic Assessment by Q3-2024.The Indicated Out-of-Pit Mineral Resource at El Tigre is 21 Moz AgEq grading 279 g/t AgEq contained in 2.3 Mt and the Inferred Mineral Resource is 70 Moz AgEq grading 235 g/t AgEq contained in 9.2 Mt (Table 5). For higher grade sensitivity cases refer to the Corporation's updated MRE press release dated September 12, 2023.

Upcoming Mining Conference Attendance

Silver Tiger will be attending the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC) on January 21 and 22, 2024 in Vancouver. Silver Tiger's CEO, Glenn Jessome, will be hosting a luncheon presentation at VRIC on Sunday, January 21st and will be a panelist on the Main Stage Silver Panel on Monday, January 22nd. Our booth number will be 429.

Silver Tiger will also be attending the BMO Global Metals, Mining and Critical Metals Conference from February 25 to February 28, 2024 in Hollywood, Florida.

Silver Tiger will also be attending PDAC in Toronto from March 3 to March 6, 2024. Our booth number will be 3206.

New Director Appointment

The Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Yleana Leal to the Board of Directors effective January 9, 2024. Yleana is currently VP, General Manager for Brown-Forman Mexico, she joined Brown-Forman, a public company that trades on the NYSE, in 2016 as Sales Director, Mexico, moved to the UK in 2019 as Sales Strategy Director, UK and Ireland and returned to Mexico as General Manager in 2023. Yleana is also President of the Board of Directors at CIVyL (Comision para la Industria de Vinos y Licores A.C ). Prior to joining Brown-Forman, Yleana gained extensive sales experience in the consumer packaged goods industry at Grupo Bimbo, working in the USA, Mexico, Chile, and India. Yleana holds an MBA - Double Degree & Specialization in Global Business and Strategy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, completed an executive program in Global Competitiveness Leadership at Georgetown University-McDonough School of Business, and has a Bachelors Degree in International Business from Tecnologico de Monterrey. Yleana is also a visible and vocal champion on Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. This appointment is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Corporation also announces the resignation of Gabriella Eugenia Sepulveda Elizondo as a Director effective January 9, 2024, as a result of her increased own personal business obligations that limit her availability to serve as a Director.

Stock Option and DSU Grant

On January 9, 2024, the Corporation granted 3,925,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.17 with a term of 10 years and vesting over 2 years and 2,450,000 DSU's vesting over 3 years to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Corporation, vesting over 3 years.

VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation - Silver Tiger's El Tigre Project

VRIFY is a platform being used by companies to communicate with investors using 360 virtual tours of remote mining assets, 3D models and interactive presentations. VRIFY can be accessed by website and with the VRIFY iOS and Android apps.

Access the Silver Tiger Metals Inc. Company Profile on VRIFY at: https://vrify.com

The VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation for Silver Tiger Metals Inc. can be viewed at: https://vrify.com/explore/decks/492 and on the Corporation's website at: www.silvertigermetals.com.

Qualified Persons

Dave Duncan P. Geo., VP Exploration of Silver Tiger, Charles Spath, P. Geo., VP of Technical Services of Silver Tiger, and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET, President of P&E Mining Consultants are the Qualified Persons as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Duncan, Mr. Spath and Mr. Puritch have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release.

About Silver Tiger and the El Tigre Historic Mine District

Silver Tiger Metals Inc. is a Canadian company whose management has more than 25 years' experience discovering, financing and building large epithermal silver projects in Mexico. Silver Tiger's 100% owned 28,414 hectare Historic El Tigre Mining District is located in Sonora, Mexico. Principled environmental, social and governance practices are core priorities at Silver Tiger.

The El Tigre historic mine district is located in Sonora, Mexico and lies at the northern end of the Sierra Madre silver and gold belt which hosts many epithermal silver and gold deposits, including Dolores, Santa Elena and Las Chispas at the northern end. In 1896, gold was first discovered on the property in the Gold Hill area and mining started with the Brown Shaft in 1903. The focus soon changed to mining high-grade silver veins in the area with production coming from 3 parallel veins the El Tigre Vein, the Seitz Kelley Vein and the Sooy Vein. Underground mining on the middle El Tigre Vein extended 1,450 metres along strike and was mined on 14 levels to a depth of approximately 450 metres. The Seitz Kelley Vein was mined along strike for 1 kilometre to a depth of approximately 200 metres. The Sooy Vein was only mined along strike for 250 metres to a depth of approximately 150 metres. Mining abruptly stopped on all 3 of these veins when the price of silver collapsed to less than 20 per ounce with the onset of the Great Depression. By the time the mine closed in 1930, it is reported to have produced a total of 353,000 ounces of gold and 67.4 million ounces of silver from 1.87 million tons (Craig, 2012). The average grade mined during this period was over 2 kilograms silver equivalent per ton.

For further information, please contact:

Glenn Jessome

President and CEO

902 492 0298

jessome@silvertigermetals.com

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.

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, Mineral Resources and Reserves, the ability to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources, the ability to complete future drilling programs and infill sampling, the ability to extend Mineral Resource blocks, the similarity of mineralization at El Tigre to Delores, Santa Elena and Chispas, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Silver Tiger, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "may", "is expected to", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans", "projection", "could", "vision", "goals", "objective" and "outlook" and other similar words. Although Silver Tiger believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, 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 Silver Tiger's expectations include risks and uncertainties related to exploration, development, operations, commodity prices and global financial volatility, risk and uncertainties of operating in a foreign jurisdiction as well as additional risks described from time to time in the filings made by Silver Tiger with securities regulators.

SOURCE: Silver Tiger Metals Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
LISBON, Portugal, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Artist Domingo Zapata is partnering with fashion icon, stylist, and DJ Sita Abellan to make his NFT debut with a series of 999 pieces featuring his iconic pandas, of which Sita created 30 honorary pandas for Kim Kardashian, Anitta, Heron Preston and Aureta.

Zapata will debut his Panda series in the Web3 and digital world, a collection that is owned by celebrities and collectors around the globe. It's one of his most iconic and recognized collections, and has been emblazoned on designer clothing and accessories. In the series of 999 NFTs, the panda will be brought to virtual life, and each NFT will be available for purchase through an auction in May.

The Panda NFTs will be 3D and a select 50 will be individually styled by Sita who has designed pieces for Fendi and Nike, styled celebrities, and designs her own Rihanna approved Lilith jewelry line.

Sita invited J Balvin and Anitta to participate on Launch day, styling their own pandas. Kim Kardashian, Anitta, Aureta and Heron Preston shared previews of their Pandas on social media.

Sita says "Domingo is an artist I've admired for years, someone pushing boundaries and moving between the traditional and the cutting edge, and a fellow Spaniard. This is my first experiment in the metaverse, bringing my real world skills into the digital universe. I am excited to do more in this space, as it feels like it is pushing the limits."

Zapata's collaboration with Steve Madden for Superega and Alice & Olivia were only the beginning of Zapata in fashion; since then, he created lines for New York and Los Angeles fashion weeks. In 2018, Zapata collaborated with Pope Francis to create a mural in celebration of immigrants, and recently completed a 45 foot mural for the Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York, the largest mural at a Children's Hospital ever painted.

Zapata described his work with Sita "I've been a fan of Sita for years. She's spectacular and incredible. There are no words to describe how artistic her styling is. It's an honor to work with her. The result it's just purely amazing".

Release dates and pricing for the Panda series will be shared on the Domingo X Sita website , on Instagram and Twitter , as well as information on how to purchase your NFT.

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / At the end of 2023, Chemours held its first official Community Impact Month, focused on giving back and getting involved in the local communities around its global sites. An exciting extension of the company's community engagement efforts, employees worldwide showed up in force to support their Chemours neighbors in unique and valuable ways.

Altamira, Mexico

Chemours Altamira plant site employees participated in the CZECH 2023 simulated safety drill that asked teams to work with the local community, including a school, daycare, and emergency responders, to ensure everyone's safety. In the same month, Altamira employees also partnered with Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico TecNM to continue developing the next generation of environmental and chemical engineers. They spent the day visiting a rural area near the site, Tamaulipas, and saw a biodigester that converts waste into renewable energy and organic fertilizer.

Deepwater, New Jersey, USA

The Chambers Works site in New Jersey partnered with Salem County Community College (SCCC) to attend Ag Day at the Salem County Fairgrounds near the plant. Employees spoke with over 300 seventh and eighth-grade students from nine nearby schools about Chemours, its local operations, agriculture applications, and more. The event was part of Chemours' ongoing Vibrant Communities grant with SCCC Partners in Education to foster countywide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

China

Employees in China hosted their seventh annual Chemours Magical Science Camp, a public science program intended to encourage children between the ages of nine and 13 to explore the captivating realm of science. With over 980 participants from over 28 provinces and cities, and an online live stream that reached almost 3,500 cumulative viewers across multiple platforms-Chemours Magical Science Camp has become a local favorite of students and science teachers alike.

Corpus Christi, Texas, USA

Employee resource groups (ERGs) at the company's Corpus Christi site touched the community in multiple ways. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the local Chemours Women's Network donated over $5,000 to the American Cancer Society and its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, with the Chemours team coming in second place. The site also hosted over 20 sixth to eighth-grade girls from Leon Taylor Junior High for a plant tour and opportunities to learn about the many STEM career pathways available at Chemours. The Corpus Christi Veteran's Network (VetNet) ERG also participated in two events to support military veterans: Smoke On the Water and VetFest 5K. Smoke on the Water is a BBQ competition that benefits veterans, first responders, and their families. The VetFest Virtual 5K Walk/Run allows participants to run, ride, or walk their way through their community to celebrate our military and raise money for Stop Soldier Suicide, an organization leading the fight against veteran suicide.

DeLisle, Mississippi, USA

DeLisle employees were busy with several meaningful events for the community. During the two different career fairs-the Hancock High School Career Fair and Bay High Career Fair-Chemours volunteers spent time with students and talked about careers in operations, maintenance, and engineering. Employees also took part participated in the Renew Your River program. The award-winning campaign to clean up rivers, lakes, and creeks has removed significant amounts of debris and trash from the waterways in Southeast Mississippi.

El Dorado, Arkansas, USA

Chemours employees at the El Dorado site volunteered at the South Arkansas Developmental Center for Children and Families (SADCCF), which provides day programs for people with developmental disabilities. The team cleaned up and mulched the organization's playground area for infants and toddlers, spent time with the children, and built a much-needed walkway for them to be able to push wheelchairs and strollers to the gazebo play area.



Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

Employees at our Fayetteville Works site worked closely with their local Chemours Black Employee Network and Chemours Native American Employee Network to donate 50 books by Black, Brown, and Native American authors to Connections of Cumberland County, a local walk-in day resource center serving single women and women with children who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The organization was grateful for the donation, adding the books to its library and giving some of them as presents to the children it sponsors.

La Porte, Texas, USA

Chemours La Porte employees found two ways to support its local community. First, the site's Chemours Women's Network chapter hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Month event, where it celebrated breast cancer survivorship and honored those who have lost their battle with the disease through an educational session and a walk. Several employees also went to ChemFEST partner school, Alief Middle School, to teach eighth graders about acids and bases in chemistry. Over 400 students tested the pH of six different solutions with litmus paper, played a Kahoot! of the periodic table, and asked Chemours employees about their jobs.

Monterrey, Mexico

Employees from Chemours Monterrey site renovated the Antonio Vivaldi kindergarten with help from the General Services department of Apodaca City. They painted playground equipment and rooms across the campus, replaced damaged classroom locks and light bulbs, and cleaned green areas. Because of their efforts, more than 400 students will have a better place to study.

Johnsonville, Tennessee, USA

Chemours New Johnsonville employees participated in several activities, including beautifying natural areas the site sits between -- the Tennessee River and Johnsonville State Park. Additionally, for a bit of extra fun for a good cause, employees could pay to "flock" someone's yard with flamingos, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Association. Employees also knitted and donated over 100 scarves for those in need, kicked off a coat drive for nearby students, delivered safety Halloween bags for local schools, and attended a high school career fair.

Offerman, Georgia, USA

Chemours Offerman Mineral Sands plant hosted over 250 eighth-grade students from Pierce County Middle School as part of the students' physical science curriculum. Students could see and learn hands-on about heavy mineral mining and processing, as well as heavy equipment safety and water treatment processes.

Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA

Chemours continued to deepen its partnership with Discovery World on Market through its first quarterly Science Saturdays with local youth. Employees led a fun science experiment for future STEM superstars, including making Alginate Worms, a demonstration showing how easy it is to make some polymers.

Greater Wilmington, Delaware, USA

Employees from the Greater Wilmington area-including team members from the Chambers Works site, Wilmington Office Building (global HQ), and the Chemours Discovery Hub (research and development center)-came together to participate in the company's annual United Way Campaign, with the goal of raising $350,000 in donations and 1,000 volunteer hours. With final numbers tallied, the generosity and efforts of employees led to Chemours donating more than $460,000 with over 1,470 hours volunteered!

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Chemours Company on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: The Chemours Company

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/chemours-company

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: The Chemours Company

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Offering end-to-end solutions simplifying all business processes from company formation to taxation, Workhy has shifted its global expansion focus to Brazil. The company now assists entrepreneurs in Brazil with the process of establishing companies in the USA and the UK.

HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Workhy, the platform enabling over 21,000 entrepreneurs worldwide to establish and manage companies online in any desired country without residence or travel, has expanded its global reach to Brazil. This allows entrepreneurs receiving services in Portuguese to establish companies, issue invoices, and receive payments in the USA and the UK. Additionally, they can benefit from live support services in the local language.

The e-commerce sector in Brazil, expected to close 2023 with a volume of $44.46 billion, is anticipated to surpass $105 billion by 2028. Brazil, boasting the largest entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America, encourages entrepreneurs seeking to expand into new markets.

High potential for e-commerce ventures in Brazil

Kenan Acikelli, Co-Founder and CEO of Workhy, stated, "Startups established in Brazil have significant growth potential globally. We have formed partnerships with key players in the ecosystem and established our team in Sao Paulo to support entrepreneurs aiming to sell globally."

Acikelli added, "Our company is dedicated to digitizing the company formation process and eliminating physical borders in this field. We believe that the Brazilian market is crucial to our success. To that end, we have established a sales and business development team in Brazil and launched the Portuguese version of our website. We are also working on forming local partnerships. Our efforts in this market are a top priority for us."

Seeking local partners

Expressing the intent to increase the number of local partners with whom they can form strong collaborations, Kenan Acikelli, Co-Founder and CEO of Workhy, concluded, "With Workhy, we enable citizens from every country to engage in commerce in the local language. We recently began offering services in some countries in Asia and North Africa. Now, Brazilian entrepreneurs can also establish their companies online in the USA and the UK through Workhy, which has members from 140 countries. We will continue to customize our services for Brazilian entrepreneurs and contribute to the rapidly growing market."

Contact: Firat Gursu - marketing@workhy.com +1-929-755-0055

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2313085/Workhy.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/workhy-announces-its-expansion-into-the-brazilian-market-offering-company-formation-and-bookkeeping-services-302028665.html
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd. (NEO:CJET) ("Canada Jetlines" or the "Company") one of Canada's leading leisure airlines, is proud to announce the addition of a new A320-214 aircraft to its fleet. This is in addition to the two aircraft that were announced on January 4, 2024. The Company has signed the lease agreement on Aircraft bearing MSN 5661. This marks a strategic move to enhance the airline's operational capabilities and meet the growing demand for affordable air travel.

The A320-214 aircraft, is expected to be in service by the end of Q1 of 2024. This aircraft will contribute to Canada Jetlines' commitment to expanding its fleet size in the coming year. This development aligns with the airlines' mission to provide reliable and cost-effective travel options for travelers.

Eddy Doyle, CEO of Canada Jetlines, stated, "We are pleased with our strong start to the year as we execute our growth strategy. Canada Jetlines is pleased to announce the addition of a new A320-214 aircraft. By doubling our fleet, we are offer more travelers reliable and cost-effective options while adding value for our shareholders. We look forward to deploying this aircraft to serve multiple routes, expanding our reach, and serving the growing leisure travel market."

The A320-214 aircraft is renowned for its fuel efficiency, advanced technology, and spacious cabin design, offering an enhanced travel experience for passengers. The aircraft will be configured with 174 all-economy seating, including 18 expanded legroom economy seats. The aircraft will be deployed to serve Mexico, Jamaica, Florida and Las Vegas routes, as well as for charter services. Canada Jetlines looks forward to introducing these new additions to its fleet and providing customers choice for leisure-based travel.

About Canada Jetlines

Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd. (NEO:CJET), trading as "Canada Jetlines," is a Canadian leisure airline committed to providing an exciting travel experience to its passengers. With a growing network of destinations, Canada Jetlines is dedicated to connecting Canadians with some of the world's most captivating and sought-after locations.

More information on Canada Jetlines including its growing list of destinations can be found on www.jetlines.com. You can follow Canada Jetlines on all social media platforms and follow CanadaJetlines for the latest news and updates.

About CMB Financial Leasing (CMBFL)

CMB Financial Leasing, also known as CMB Leasing, was founded in Shanghai in April 2008 and operates as the leasing arm of China Merchants Bank Co.,LTD. As a major global commercial bank listed on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong Stock exchanges, CMB plays a pivotal role in facilitating international partnerships and supporting the growth of businesses worldwide.

Media Contact:

Julie Rempel

Email: media@jetlines.ca

Phone: 204.807.2900

Investor Contact:

Alyssa Barry

invest@jetlines.ca

Connect With Us!

Instagram: @ca_jetlines

Twitter: @ca_jetlines

Facebook: @CAJetlines

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/jetlines

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward-looking information contained in this news release includes but is not limited to the Company's intention to operate as a leisure airline, the number of aircraft it intends to operate, the destinations of intended flights, the frequency of flights, the enhancement of the airline's operational capabilities, growing demand for affordable air travel, expansion of its fleet size in the coming year, the Company providing reliable and cost-effective options while adding value for its shareholders, deploying this aircraft to serve multiple routes and serving the growing leisure travel market, growth plans, the timeline for the delivery of aircraft and business of Jetlines.

In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the receipt of financing to continue airline operations, the accuracy, reliability and success of Jetlines' business model; the continued compliance with the terms of governmental approvals; Jetlines concluding definitive agreements for additional aircraft; the success of operations by Jetlines the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where Jetlines will carry on business or have operations; the impact of competition and the competitive response to Jetlines' business strategy; and the availability of aircraft. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.

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. Such factors include risks related to, the ability to obtain financing at acceptable terms, the impact of general economic conditions, domestic and international airline industry conditions, the failure of the Company to conclude definitive agreements to acquire additional aircraft, supply chain disruptions causing delays in expected timelines, the impact of the global uncertainty created by COVID-19, future relations with shareholders, volatility of fuel prices, increases in operating costs, terrorism, pandemics, natural disasters, currency fluctuations, interest rates, risks specific to the airline industry, the ability of management to implement Jetlines' operational strategy, the ability to attract qualified management and staff, labour disputes, regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of (or compliance with) the necessary licenses from regulatory agencies, and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described 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. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Canada Jetlines Ltd

View the original press release on accesswire.com
$7.5 Million Drilling Program at West McArthur JV High-Grade Pike Zone

$2.7 Million Geophysics and Drilling Program at Moon Lake South JV

Multiple Drilling Programs Planned on Partner Sole-Funded Projects

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7) ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is preparing for winter drill programs at three of its projects in the southeastern Athabasca Basin (Figure 1).





Figure 1 - Project Locations Map

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2864/193606_f7fa0b50f4969a9b_002full.jpg

An approved $7.5 million exploration program on the West McArthur Joint Venture project is scheduled to start in early January. The 2024 West McArthur drill program will focus on continued expansion of the Pike Zone discovery and along strike unconformity testing to the northeast and southwest of the Pike Zone. In addition, the Moon Lake South Joint Venture ("MLSJV") approved a $2.7 million exploration program for 2024. The Moon Lake South winter drill program will focus on expansion of the high-grade uranium mineralization intersected in drillhole MS-23-10A. The Company's partner, Basin Energy, is preparing for the 2024 winter drilling program on its Geikie project. The Geikie winter program will focus on direct follow up of targets associated with gravity lows adjacent to uranium mineralization, alteration, and pathfinder anomalism identified during the 2023 drill campaign and additional regional exploration targets derived from the integration of multiple high resolution airborne geophysical data sets. The Company is fully funded to complete its exploration programs in 2024.

2024 West McArthur Exploration Program

In November of 2023, the Company announced continued expansion of the Pike Zone, where high-grade basement hosted uranium mineralization was extended in the upper basement and has now been confirmed over 160 metres into the basement along the controlling fault structures. Uranium mineralization was intersected in all four drill holes completed in the Pike Zone during the summer drilling campaign, highlighted by WMA082-2 that intersected 6.5 metres at 0.73% eU3O8, including 1.8 metres at 1.91% eU3O8 (see news release dated November 7, 2023). In addition, step out drill targets 200 and 800 metres to the northeast of the Pike Zone intersected target related alteration and fault structures in the basement and lower sandstone column, respectively.





Figure 2 - Pike Zone Plan and Section with Target Areas for 2024 Program

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2864/193606_f7fa0b50f4969a9b_004full.jpg

Starting in January of 2024, the Company will have two drills active on the West McArthur project. Results from the recently completed drill programs indicate that priority targets exist both at the Pike Zone and as unconformity and basement extensions along the C10 South target corridor. At the Pike Zone, the drill program will focus on continued expansion of basement mineralization along the controlling fault structure, to the southwest where mineralization remains open, and to the northeast below the unconformity mineralization intersected in 2023 (Figure 2).

In addition, the Company plans to continue testing the unconformity target areas both in the immediate Pike Zone area and along strike to the northeast and southwest of the Pike Zone. The 15-kilometre-long C10S corridor remains completely untested to the southwest and only sparsely tested to the northeast between the Pike Zone and 42 Zone mineralization. Based on the positive 2023 summer drill program results, the Company believes significant potential for unconformity-related mineralization exists at Pike Zone and nearby along the C10 South corridor.

The West McArthur project, a Joint Venture with Cameco Corporation, is operated by CanAlaska that currently holds an 83.29% ownership in the project.

2024 Moon Lake South Exploration Program

The MLSJV has approved a $2.7 million exploration program for the Moon Lake South project that is planned to start in January. The program is expected to focus on testing for extensions of the high-grade perched uranium mineralization intersected in MS-23-10A. Drill hole MS-23-10A intersected 2.46% U3O8 over 8.0 metres, including 3.71% U3O8 over 4.5 metres. In addition, the MLSJV is planning to complete focused ground-based electromagnetic surveying to facilitate exploration testing along the CR-3 conductive corridor adjacent to the MS-23-10A area.

The Moon Lake South project is a Joint Venture with Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison"), the operator. CanAlaska currently holds a 25% ownership in the project and will fund the Company's share of the 2024 exploration program.

2024 Geikie Exploration Program

A winter drill program is planned in Q1 of 2024 for the Geikie uranium project located along the eastern margin of the Athabasca Basin. The planned 2,000 metre program will be split between direct follow up targets associated with gravity lows adjacent to the alteration, uranium mineralization, and pathfinder anomalism identified during the 2023 drill campaign and regional exploration targets from the integration of high-resolution airborne geophysical data. In September of 2023, the Company announced results from the maiden drilling program on the Geikie project which were highlighted by 0.5 metres @ 0.27% U3O8 in drillhole GKI002 (see news release dated September 27, 2023). The 2023 drilling program also successfully intersected graphitic host rocks with evidence of multiple episodes of post-Athabasca structural reactivation events along north-south and northwest trending faults. Results confirmed the presence of hydrothermal alteration systems hosted within a complex structural framework, which are leading indicators in the formation of basement-hosted high-grade uranium deposits such as Eagle Point or Arrow.

The Geikie project is currently being sole-funded by Basin Energy Limited (ASX: BSN) under an option earn-in agreement with the Company.

Additional 2024 Exploration Programs

The Company is working on preparation of multiple other discovery opportunities within its 300,000-hectare eastern Athabasca-focused land portfolio. Additional 2024 project work includes:

ground-based electromagnetic surveying on the Marshall and North Millennium projects in the southeastern Athabasca Basin to facilitate drillhole targeting;

initial airborne geophysical surveying on the Frontier project, located in the northeastern Athabasca Basin; and

initial airborne geophysical surveying on the recently acquired Enterprise, Voyager, and Constellation projects located near the Key Lake Mill Complex.

The North Millennium and Marshall projects are currently being sole-funded by Basin Energy Limited (ASX: BSN) under an option earn-in agreement with the Company. The Company continues to deploy a hybrid explorer and project generator model, actively seeking new partners to advance the other projects in its large exploration portfolio and seeking new opportunities through strategic land staking.

CanAlaska CEO, Cory Belyk, comments, "CanAlaska will be moving our multiple uranium discoveries forward in 2024 through a set of aggressive drilling programs principally focussed on the West McArthur and Moon Lake South Joint Ventures. These recent discoveries, with major partners in Cameco and Denison, respectively, are located within the prolific and infrastructure-rich eastern Athabasca Basin. In 2023 we have continued to strategically re-position our exploration portfolio near this infrastructure that has a clear and looming need for identification of the next generation of tier 1 ore deposit to follow Cigar Lake and McArthur River reserve depletion. With the spot price of uranium currently above $90 per pound and climbing, and with rock solid and growing nuclear fundamentals in place, the market is signalling that more uranium fuel will be required to generate the clean electricity of tomorrow."

About CanAlaska Uranium

CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV) (OTCQX: CVVUF) (FSE: DH7) holds interests in approximately 300,000 hectares (740,000 acres), in Canada's Athabasca Basin - the "Saudi Arabia of Uranium." CanAlaska's strategic holdings have attracted major international mining companies. CanAlaska is currently working with Cameco and Denison at two of the Company's properties in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska is a project generator positioned for discovery success in the world's richest uranium district. The Company also holds properties prospective for nickel, copper, gold and diamonds. For further information visit www.canalaska.com.

The Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects for this news release is Nathan Bridge, MSc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration for CanAlaska Uranium Ltd., who has reviewed and approved its contents.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Cory Belyk"

Cory Belyk, P.Geo., FGC

CEO, President and Director

CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.

Contacts:

Cory Belyk, CEO and President

Tel: +1.604.688.3211 x 138

Email: cbelyk@canalaska.com

General Enquiry

Tel: +1.604.688.3211

Email: info@canalaska.com

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.

Forward-looking information

All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193606

SOURCE: CanAlaska Uranium Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Zedcor Inc. (TSXV: ZDC) (the "Company" or "Zedcor") is pleased to announce significant milestones for its US expansion. Zedcor Security Solutions (USA), LLC ("Zedcor Security USA"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zedcor Inc., is pleased to reports its first-ever revenue generated in the United States. Additionally, Zedcor Manufacturing Solutions (USA), LLC ("Zedcor Manufacturing"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zedcor Inc., has completed design work on its 2024 Solar MobileyeZ. The 2024 MobileyeZ will be a fully standalone, solar powered unit with battery backup. These achievements mark a pivotal moment in the company's strategic expansion efforts, reinforcing its commitment to North American growth, market diversification and customer diversification.

After opening its USA headquarters and assembly facility in November 2023 in Houston, Texas, Zedcor Security USA has expanded its US sales team and began to offer its security services to US based customers in December 2023. We are pleased to report that Zedcor Security USA currently has over 50 MobileyeZ security towers located in the US. Of these units, over half have been retrofitted for the US market and deployed to customer sites. Zedcor Security USA has already obtained new US based customers, including the largest home builder in North America, and is also working for existing Canadian customers of Zedcor with US based operations. Zedcor Security USA is currently providing MobileyeZ security towers in three different states across the Western US.

Zedcor Manufacturing is pleased to announce that it has completed its design for the Company's proprietary 2024 Solar MobileyeZ security tower. The 2024 Solar MobileyeZ is a truly ground up rebuild of Zedcor's industry leading battery electric MobileyeZ. The 2024 MobileyeZ will be a fully standalone, solar powered unit with battery backup. In areas where solar requirements are not sufficient, the 2024 MobileyeZ can be plugged into a standard power outlet. It will be equipped with cutting-edge cameras that have artificial intelligence on the edge, as well as radar technology allowing the Company's integrated 24/7 Live, Verified Monitoring services to detect intruders with more accuracy. Lastly, the 2024 MobileyeZ includes a full redesign of the camera mounting solution on the security tower which will allow for faster and more efficient deployment of security towers.

Other innovation initiatives that the Company is working on in 2024 include:

Development of a wall or pole mounted MobileyeZ solution which will work in conjunction with the MobileyeZ security tower and can be deployed in urban construction or retail environments where the physical footprint of multiple MobileyeZ security towers is unfeasible. Piloting an anti-intrusion sensor technology for the residential home construction market to help prevent interior theft and vandalism during construction.

Todd Ziniuk, President & CEO of Zedcor said: "Our two phased expansion to the United States is fully under way and we have achieved a significant number of very important goals. Getting our first US based customers validates our service model and the agnostic nature of Zedcor's business. The MobileyeZ hardware, coupled with our in-house 24/7 Live Verified Monitoring is a truly disruptive and innovative service which provides a better solution to physical security. We are looking to continue to expand our services in the US and diversify revenue streams geographically. As a result of taking our assembly services in house, we are well positioned to meet customer demand by ramping up our building and continue to provide truly innovative security solutions to customers across all industries."

About Zedcor Inc.

Zedcor Inc. is a Canadian public corporation listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. With its proprietary MobileyeZ security towers, Zedcor is a technology enabled business that is changing how physical security services are provided to businesses across North America. The Company operates throughout Canada, with service centers in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, and the Western United States with a service center in Houston. The Company designs and assembles its proprietary MobileyeZ security systems out of its facility in Houston, Texas.

Equipped with high resolution, technology-based cameras, the Company operates a fleet of over 800 MobileyeZ and monitors fixed site locations for customers across various industries. Video from security towers and fixed site locations is streamed to the Company's central monitoring station where video alarms are live verified and responded to based on customer requirements. Zedcor also offers high level security guard services to enterprise level customers who are looking to supplement video-based security for valuable, high risk, or mission critical operational assets.

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements or information can be identified by terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "budget", "should", "project", or similar words suggesting future outcomes or expectations. In particular, forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release, include, but are not limited to, the expansion of Zedcor's Security and Surveillance business, fleet expansion, marketing of security services and expansion of Zedcor's service offering to other geographic regions. Although the Company believes that the expectations implied in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements or information because the Company can give no assurance that such statements or information will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of assumptions about the future and uncertainties, including current forecasts and utilization. Although management of the Company believes these expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements or information to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will be proved to be correct, and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. For this purpose, any statements or information contained herein that are not statements or information of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements or information and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new contrary information, future events or any other reason, unless the Company is required by any applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

For further information contact:

Todd Ziniuk

President & Chief Executive Officer

P: 403-930-5432

E: tziniuk@zedcor.com

Amin Ladha

Chief Financial Officer

P: 403-930-5435

E: aladha@zedcor.com

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193633

SOURCE: Zedcor Inc.
Athena will employ its successful history of securing government contracts, spearheading such initiatives

JACKSON CENTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / January 10, 2024 / Halberd Corporation (OTC-PINK:HALB) is thrilled to declare the formalization of a profitable revenue-sharing accord with Athena GTX, Inc., of Johnston, Iowa, (www.athenagtx.com). Athena GTX is a private enterprise specializing in providing medical care solutions tailored for first responders in both civilian and government sectors.

Athena's 20+ year history of innovative research and development funding from the government (representing 60% of its income historically) in terms of multi-year contracts and grants, and specifically, novel military products and services averaged about $4-5 million per year with substantial growth still ongoing in these markets. This agreement aligns Athena GTX's proven expertise and vast connections with breakthrough Intellectual property owned by Halberd. Together, their 2024 aggressive development plans include rapid release of products into a market Halberd has not been able to tap into for both Halberd's innovative Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) nasal spray therapy and LDN+ for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, pain, anxiety, and drug/alcohol addiction common in returning veterans. This, according to new highly exciting government proposals, suggests an enormously exciting year ahead, particularly with the feedback received from these agencies.

Dr. Mark Darrah, CEO of Athena, stated; "The combination of ongoing University research on Halberd's unique concept products today, with very credible preliminary results, and the enormous market demands we serve, is a natural win-win for both companies. Our plan is to bolster funding in these efforts, capture new research dollars from the government, and push the technology solutions through the FDA and into vertical markets expeditiously. These product solutions dovetail nicely into what we do now and whom we serve. I could not be more pleased!

Recent business analyses detailed our five-year plan forward documenting a compelling market demand and overall an $80 billion potential diversified market expanding at impressive annual growth rates. With Athena's 2024-2026 revenue projections nearly doubling, the Athena partnership with Halberd now represents unparalleled growth projections for both companies."

Peter Croden, Chairman of the Board of CrodenHealth Corp. (another new joint venture partner of Halberd) and former President of Upjohn/Pfizer Canada as well as later Global President of Upjohn/Pfizer Animal Health Division, headquartered in Kalamazoo Michigan, stated, "CrodenHealth Corp. is looking forward to a very successful relationship with Athena GTX and the Halberd Corporation. And, yes, it is going to be a great year in 2024!!."

William A. Hartman, Chairman, President and CEO of Halberd Corporation, added, "Beginning 2023, the task ahead looked daunting- - Halberd needed seven key elements in order to seriously plan for future commercial applications for our technology products, and these were:

Research funding for our base antibody/antigen experimentation at Youngstown State University; Research funding for our continuing animal testing at Mississippi State University; Funding for potential clinical trials of our patented LDN+ drug and our patent-pending TBI nasal spray; Funding for potential FDA certification testing of both products; Knowledge of how to work with the military and a reputation as a qualified supplier with the purchasing agents at the military agencies; Experience in launching biomedical products into the market; and Contacts with Big Pharma for potential future ventures and a potential eventual lucrative buyout.

I can safely say that we have secured all of the desired elements with our newly announced ventures with CrodenHealth Corp and Athena GTX. It has taken many months to put this master plan into form, but we have finally assembled the perfect team. We expect great things to happen rather quickly in 2024 because some of the advanced steps have already been initiated. More news to be issued shortly."

To get the latest

on Halberd's exciting developments, subscribe by submitting this form.

(https://halberdcorporation.com/contact-us/).

For more information please contact:

William A. Hartman

w.hartman@halberdcorporation.com

support@halberdcorporation.com

www.halberdcorporation.com

Twitter:@HalberdC

About Athena GTX, Inc.

Athena GTX is a certified DoD small business with Corporate Headquarters in Johnston, Iowa. Athena focuses development on wearables and highly mobile, wirelessly connected monitoring technologies, and transitioning those to key markets to meet unmet needs of first responders worldwide. Wireless Patient Monitoring - Athena GTX connects patient and provider About - Athena GTX Inc.

About CrodenHealth Corp

"We help scale amazing companies!"SM

CrodenHealth Corp. is a powerful modern team in healthcare. CrodenHealth Corp ensures clients achieve profitable growth through branding, strategic marketing, & tailored go to market strategies. With an exceptional team of marketing and industry experts, we collaborate with our clients to develop or optimize strategies and support successful implementation while maximizing return on investment (ROI).

See: http://crodenhealth.com/

About Halberd Corporation.

Halberd Corporation (OTC-PINK:HALB), is a publicly traded company on the OTC Market, and is in full compliance with OTC Market reporting requirements. Since its restructuring in April of 2020, Halberd has obtained exclusive worldwide rights to three issued patents and has filed 22 related provisional, PCT, or utility patent applications to enhance its value to its stockholders and to attract the interests of potential development partners.

Safe Harbor Notice

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). The Company' cautions our readers that statements, and assumptions made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties and associated estimates made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. Halberd Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release.

(C) 2024, Halberd Corporation

SOURCE: Halberd Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
WARNING  CONFRONTING DETAILS: Conservationists have taken exception to a government agency labelling its contractors prolonged and repeated stabbing of a shark as an act of euthanasia  a word the Oxford dictionary describes as meaning a gentle and easy death.

A graphic video surfaced last week, showing the 2.8 metre tiger shark snared by a Queensland government drum line close to popular Sunshine Coast tourist beaches. Contractors hired by the Department of Fisheries (DAF) can be seen taking over five minutes to secure the creature, and then stabbing it repeatedly in the head for over a minute before cutting open its belly.

Responding to DAFs statement, conservationist Andre Borell told Yahoo the method used to kill the ocean giant was absolutely not euthanasia.

Its just sanitising language by the department. That is slaughter, that is killing, that is something else, but I think it's unconscionable for them to be using the word euthanasia, the Envoy Foundation founder said.

DAF has been accused of using "sanitising language" after describing the repeated stabbing of a shark in the head as "euthanasia". Source: Envoy Foundation

Borell is not alone in his criticism of the method used to kill the shark. The Humane Society International characterised DAF's treatment of the shark as cruel.

Fisheries refuses to answer questions about the word 'euthanasia'

Responding to the uproar, DAF said the killing of the shark on December 20 off Kings Beach at Caloundra was in line with protocols.

When asked by Yahoo News to explain what its understanding of the word euthanasia is and what its protocols entailed, DAF did not directly respond and instead reissued lines sent to media last week.

Tiger sharks are a target species of the Shark Control Program and are considered dangerous. The shark was dealt with in accordance with Shark Control Program protocols, it said in a written statement.

The euthanised shark was taken approximately 3km out to sea for disposal. It declined to provide further clarification about the use of the word "euthanasia". You can watch a video showing the shark's death below. While the footage is confronting, we have edited out the bloodiest moment of the killing.

Story continues

Concern nets and drum lines are encouraging sharks close to swimmers

While DAF maintains drum lines and shark nets help to reduce the risk of shark bites, Borell argues the opposite outcome is often achieved. To back his claims, Envoy Foundation released images and video from November appearing to show a large manta ray being cut loose and dropped to the ocean floor after it was drowned by government shark nets.

They just dumped it right there under the net, Borell said.

I spend so much time in the water with sharks, and if theres one thing that motivates them to an area its food. And if youre dropping a nice fresh manta ray right under that shark net, I can guarantee with absolute certainty that is going to bring sharks into the area.

A dead manta ray was cut from Queensland shark nets in November. Source: Envoy Foundation

Attempts were made to contact Queensland fisheries minister Mark Furner on Monday, but he was on leave and not available for comment.

Borell said the Queenslands shark control program needs an urgent overhaul, something he hoped could be achieved following the resignation of Annastacia Palaszczuk as premier.

We hope that the new premier Steven Miles, being a diver himself, can see everything that is wrong with this program, he said.

Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories.
- Guardian is the company's world-leading Aftermarket Driver Monitoring System for commercial vehicles and is currently connected to 54,000 vehicles globally

- The new version includes Drowsiness Detection with refined microsleep detection and eye-gaze tracking to protect drivers from risks associated with distracted driving

- New technology has been independently tested to meet the European Commissions' General Safety Regulation for Drowsiness Detection

CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeing Machines Limited (AIM: SEE), the advanced computer vision technology company that designs AI-powered operator monitoring systems to improve transport safety, is proud to launch Guardian Generation 3, the latest version of its Aftermarket Driver Monitoring System (DMS).

Guardian Generation 3 has been independently tested and confirmed to meet the European Commissions' General Safety Regulation for Drowsiness Detection, a requirement for all new cars, vans trucks and buses across Europe from July 2024. Guardian Generation 3 also features refined microsleep detection and eye-gaze tracking which enhances its ability to accurately detect distracted driving.

Seeing Machines has been protecting commercial transport and logistics companies with its aftermarket Guardian solution globally, with over 14 billion kilometres of recorded travel across 54,000 vehicles. The third generation Guardian hardware also delivers a range of features that leverage the Company's proven automotive-grade algorithms and precision optics to deliver premium performance in the most demanding real-world driving conditions.

As operators around the world continue to seek out reliable safety technology for their fleets, so too are commercial vehicle manufacturers. This enhanced Guardian technology offers compliance certainty for these OEMs who can now implement the technology via factory-fit or "after manufacture" and offer their customers the opportunity to buy fully compliant, road-ready vehicles.

Paul McGlone, CEO of Seeing Machines commented: "Regulation continues to drive demand for all of our DMS technology and I am very pleased to see that we have successfully launched the next generation of our Guardian solution for commercial transport and logistics companies as well as commercial vehicle manufacturers. A reliable solution that only activates when required is so important for driver adoption and continued road safety. Additionally, supporting commercial vehicle OEMs with an aftermarket (or factory fit) solution is critical to their ability to sell compliant vehicles. And, given the lower annual volume of production of these vehicles versus cars, I am delighted that Seeing Machines is able to service this new market segment profitably and continue to drive our purpose of getting people home safely."

Seeing Machines' Guardian Gen 3 will be on display for private demonstrations at CES 2024. For further information, please view our CES 2024 preview video here.

About Seeing Machines (AIM: SEE), a global company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Australia, is an industry leader in vision-based monitoring technology that enable machines to see, understand and assist people. Seeing Machines' technology portfolio of AI algorithms, embedded processing and optics, power products that need to deliver reliable real-time understanding of vehicle operators. The technology spans the critical measurement of where a driver is looking, through to classification of their cognitive state as it applies to accident risk. Reliable "driver state" measurement is the end-goal of Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) technology. Seeing Machines develops DMS technology to drive safety for Automotive, Commercial Fleet, Off-road and Aviation. The company has offices in Australia, USA, Europe and Asia, and supplies technology solutions and services to industry leaders in each market vertical. www.seeingmachines.com

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7tTmzZyjk4

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1247670/Seeing_Machines_Logo_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/seeing-machines-unveils-latest-guardian-technology-at-ces-2024-302029214.html
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company focused on the research and development of molecular diagnostics, is excited to announce that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted European Patent No. 3827101, marking a groundbreaking advancement in the field of cancer diagnostics and personalized treatment.

This patent introduces innovative approaches to classify and treat individuals afflicted with primary cutaneous melanoma based on the expression levels of gene expression signature , providing the foundation for highly precise diagnosis and personalized treatment plans.

Dharminder Chahal, CEO of SkylineDx, expressed his pride in this achievement, stating, "Obtaining the European Patent is a testament to SkylineDx's commitment to advancing the field of melanoma diagnosis and treatment. It is a recognition of the important work that our team is doing in collaboration with Mayo Clinic. Our innovative methods for classifying and treating primary cutaneous melanoma represent a significant leap forward in providing personalized care for patients. We are proud to contribute to the improvement of patient outcomes and the advancement of medical research."

The significance of this patent lies not only in its scientific innovations but in its potential to improve the lives of individuals faces with primary cutaneous melanoma. SkylineDx's dedication to pushing the boundaries of melanoma research and patient care shines through in this remarkable achievement.

About SkylineDx

SkylineDx is a biotechnology company focused on research & development of molecular diagnostics in oncology and inflammatory diseases. SkylineDx uses its expertise to bridge the gap between academically discovered gene expression signatures and commercially available diagnostic products with high clinical utility, assisting healthcare professionals in accurately determining the type or status of disease or predicting a patient's response to treatment. Based on test results, healthcare professionals can tailor the treatment approach to the individual patient. SkylineDx is headquartered in Rotterdam. the Netherlands, complemented by a U.S. base of operations and a CAP/CLIA certified laboratory in San Diego California, USA. To learn more about SkylineDx, please visit www.skylinedx.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/skylinedx-announces-grant-of-european-patent-and-advances-in-melanoma-diagnosis-and-treatment-302029613.html
Accomplished, industry-leader with a strong, international track record for strategic, corporate development joins Kao Data following a successful year of new customer acquisitions, investments, and data centre deployments.

Loewe is appointed Kao Data's new CEO to pioneer the next phase of platform expansion across the UK and Europe, meeting increasing demand for AI and intensive computing.

With 35+ years of experience, Loewe has previously held senior and board-level positions at a host of renowned organisations including Macquarie Asset Management, Virtus, Yondr, Interxion, Rackspace, and CompuServe Network Services.

LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kao Data, the specialist developer and operator of data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing, has today announced it has appointed Doug Loewe as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Originally hailing from Columbus, Ohio, in the United States, Doug Loewe is an accomplished, international business executive, who, for over the last 35 years, has built and led numerous high performing teams and businesses within the diverse, global technology industry.

With an exceptional reputation for leadership across start-ups, scale-ups, and large corporations and an approach that centres on orchestrating entrepreneurialism at all levels of operation, Loewe has previously held senior positions at a host of respected companies including Macquarie Asset Management (MAM), Virtus, Yondr, Interxion, Rackspace and CompuServe Network Services.

His career experience is supported by a degree in computer science from Ohio State University, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a director's course at Harvard Business School. He also serves as a Distinguished Executive in Residence (DEIR) for the University of Chicago, and continues to engage in various mentoring, humanitarian, and philanthropic pursuits with a key focus on technology.

Having pioneered large scale data interconnection and AI inference data centre developments in previous roles, Loewe will lead the next phase of Kao Data's growth strategy across the UK and continental Europe, accelerating the development of Kao Data's high performance colocation platform engineered for AI and advanced computing into new territories and next-tier data centre hubs.

Loewe joins Kao Data at a critical inflection point in the company's trajectory, following a year of successful new customer wins across AI, hyperscale cloud, research, and financial services. Additionally, 2023 saw the company establish a new capital structure from its shareholders Infratil Ltd, Legal & General Capital, and Goldacre Noe Group, and invest 350M into a new, industrial-scale data centre in Greater Manchester. Further, in November 2023, Kao Data also announced that its KLON-02 data centre was fully operational, reinforcing its Harlow campus as one of the UK's preeminent locations for GPU-powered AI and advanced workloads.

"Doug's outstanding reputation for driving business strategy, growth and leading world-class teams truly speaks for itself, and on behalf of the shareholders and senior management team, I'm delighted to welcome him to Kao Data," said David Bloom, Founder and Chairman, Kao Data. "His visionary insight and ethos for entrepreneurialism will help us drive another step-change in performance as we seek to fast-track our ambitions across the European region, and scale our sustainable, secure, and advanced data centre platform, engineered for AI."

"For almost a decade, Kao Data has established an enviable reputation as a pioneer within the fields of AI and high performance computing (HPC), and the company's award-winning infrastructure, technical and operations teams are already trusted to host some of the industry's most demanding, mission critical compute environments," said Doug Loewe, CEO, Kao Data. "With a rich heritage of delivering data centre excellence, and underlying principles that ensure sustainability and ESG are at the heart of every decision, it was a natural fit with the high-achieving values I have always held close, and I'm glad to join the organisation to lead the company's next stage of corporate growth."

Doug Loewe begins his role as new CEO of Kao Data with immediate effect. To learn more about Kao Data visit the website.

About Kao Data

Kao Data leads the industry, pioneering the development and operation of data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing. With hyperscale-inspired facilities east and west of London, and northern England's largest data centre planned for Greater Manchester, we are home to technology's most demanding computing infrastructure.

Our award-winning, NVIDIA DGX-Ready certified data centres are designed, engineered, and operated by one of the industry's most respected teams. Together, this provides colocation customers deploying mission critical AI, enterprise, and cloud workloads with a secure, scalable, and sustainable compute environment, backed by a guarantee of 100% uptime.

Kao Data's data centre portfolio includes more than 160MW of IT load, either currently operational, under development or planned - all of which is under-pinned by the highest energy efficiency, sustainability and ESG credentials.

Backed by leading international investors, and with several pioneering 'industry firsts' to our name, Kao Data represents the future in industrial scale, high-capacity data centres for AI and the next generation of compute.

Kaodata.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kao-data-appoints-doug-loewe-as-chief-executive-officer-ceo-302029753.html
Northwest Analytics launches the next generation of NWA Quality Analyst with the release of Version 7 for industrial manufacturers.

Modernized user experience with a user-friendly, contemporary UI standard.

Next-generation technology, compatible with the latest Microsoft releases, ensuring peak performance.

Enhanced multivariate capabilities.

Improved database connectivity.

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Analytics has launched the next generation of NWA Quality Analyst with the release of version 7. It continues a long tradition of supporting data-driven decision making with industrial analytics.

Built with the future in mind, the new NWA Quality Analyst 7 delivers a comprehensive, intuitive SPC charting and analysis software solution delivering an ideal combination of power, flexibility, and ease of use. The release of NWA Quality Analyst 7 marks a significant step forward with an emphasis on underline technology to ensure peak performance. As process industries continue to invest in digital transformation initiatives, the demand to work with more and more data grows in parallel. NWA Quality Analyst 7 is specifically engineered to work with large datasets and complex queries.

Peter Guilfoyle, President & CEO at Northwest Analytics, said: "There are thousands of organizations who rely on NWA Quality Analyst every day, and have been for many years. We work closely with our customers to understand their experiences, feedback, and requirements and poured every bit of it back into NWA Quality Analyst 7. Every modern manufacturing organization is tasked with scaled production that relies on (time-series) data to understand, manage, and optimize operations. Statistical Process Control (SPC) has long been the foundational analytics-of-choice to deliver meaningful change. NWA Quality Analyst 7 combines peak performance and a seamless user experience. And that's a needle mover for our customers."

Additional NWA Quality Analyst 7 capabilities include:

Enhanced advanced analytics featuring integrations with Sartorius SIMCA and Infometrix Pirouette, with the addition of Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methodology to the NWA Multivariate Analytics module.

Optimized workflows with a modernized user interface.

Ability to chart shifting-specification capabilities for SPC charting and Process Capability analysis.

Multipoint selection on SPC charts.

Sampling methods for time-series data

'IN' function for connectivity filters.

Guilfoyle added, "Northwest Analytics is dedicated to helping manufacturers transform how they advantage themselves using quality data. The release of NWA Quality Analyst 7 helps manufacturers position themselves for a successful digital transformation journey by setting a solid and scalable foundation of Statistical Process Control".

Further Information

For detailed information about the improvements in NWA Quality Analyst 7 version release, please visit https://go.nwasoft.com/quality-analyst-7-new. Customers can expect to receive detailed communications regarding features, benefits, and upgrade paths through other communication channels. To see NWA Quality Analyst 7's functionality in-action and ask questions directly to our experienced team including Application Engineers, register for the "Lunch & Learn Series: Data-Driven Decision Making with NWA Quality Analyst 7".

About Northwest Analytics

Northwest Analytics is the leading provider of analytics-based knowledge solutions for global manufacturers spanning nearly every industry vertical, including chemical, pharmaceutical, electronic materials, and others. Northwest Analytics solutions enable manufacturers to identify, codify and amplify process knowledge throughout the enterprise to address top critical operational challenges, including process quality, loss of process knowledge, shrinking the skills gap and reducing the time to problem resolution. Manufacturers have used NWA's award-winning solutions to return more than $1B to their bottom lines. Founded in 1982, Northwest Analytics' global headquarters is in Portland OR, with offices in the UK.

Contact Information:

Northwest Analytics

Tara Sybrant

503-224-7727

Tsybrant@yahoo.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/introducing-nwa-quality-analyst-7-302028926.html
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Georgia-Pacific, along with partners The Georgia Forestry Foundation and Jamestown LP, recently met with state and local leadership to discuss how prioritizing and utilizing sustainable structural building materials such as mass timber not only has a positive effect on our environment, but Georgia's economy. The event was held at 619 Ponce, Atlanta's first Georgia-grown and locally manufactured mass timber building, located at Ponce City Market. Attendees included U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, along with various leaders from the state legislature and more than 40 CEOs from across the country.

The event was spearheaded by Jamestown's Principal and CEO, Matt M. Bronfman, Andres Villegas, president and CEO of the Georgia-Forestry Foundation, and John Mulcahy, Georgia-Pacific's vice president of stewardship.

During the event, Mulcahy shared how utilizing Georgia's vast forest resources, and partnerships with organizations committed to sustainable building initiatives, such as Georgia Forestry Foundation's Seedlings to Solutions, led to the soon to be completed 619 Ponce project. The attention 619 Ponce has garnered from the construction, commercial leasing, and timber industries proves that the approach - using locally-sourced Southern yellow pine to create mass timber product to build a project of this scope - opens new opportunities for the forestry and construction industries. Mulcahy also shared ideas on how the nation's forests can deliver meaningful solutions for a more sustainable future.

The group also discussed the challenges related to development, land use, and growing populations. There is a strong demand for timber, which includes the state's plentiful Southern yellow pine, nationwide. Wood, a constantly renewable resource, can store carbon for decades. Building with wood is also safer for construction workers, and construction companies can see hard cost savings due to a decrease in build time with wood products.

"Mass Timber is not only an exciting development for the construction industry, but the forestry industry as well. Georgia is well positioned to benefit from an increased demand in mass timber, as the state is first in the nation for its forestry industry and resources, and our economy, landowners, and forests will benefit as well," Mulcahy said.

The Southern yellow pine used in the project is harvested by a local supplier and transferred to Georgia-Pacific's Albany sawmill. It is cut into lumber and shipped to mass timber design company SmartLam, which converts the lumber into cross-laminated timber (CLT). Georgia-Pacific was the first company to begin using Southern yellow pine in plywood panels back in the 1960s.

The contemporary new facility, which is targeting net-zero carbon ready, LEEDv4 Core & Shell certification, and Fitwel certification, is four stories and includes 87,000 square feet of office space. The space has been leased by Sage, a leader in accounting, financial, human resources, and payroll technology. Retailer Pottery Barn will open a new, 18,000-square-foot store on the ground floor of 619 Ponce in early 2024.

There is growing interest in construction projects using mass timber because it is a sustainable building material. Mass timber materials such as CLT and glue-laminated timber (glulam), which were both used in the 619 Ponce project, are engineered for high strength ratings like concrete and steel but are significantly lighter in weight. They are typically formed through lamination, fasteners, or adhesives. Mass timber can complement light-frame and hybrid options, allow efficient construction and renovation, as well as facilitate disassembly and material repurposing at the end of the material's usefulness. This contributes to waste reduction.

Learn more about Georgia-Pacific's environmental stewardship initiatives and building products on our website.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Georgia-Pacific on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Georgia-Pacific

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/georgia-pacific

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Georgia-Pacific

View the original press release on accesswire.com
BOGOTA, Colombia, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. ("Ecopetrol" or the "Company") (NYSE: EC) announced today the commencement of a cash tender offer (the "Offer"), to purchase any and all of its outstanding 4.125% Notes due 2025 (the "Securities"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Ecopetrol's Offer to Purchase, dated January 9, 2024 (as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase") and in the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery"). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Offer to Purchase.

The following table sets forth certain terms of the Offer:

Title of

Securities

CUSIP/ISIN

Number

Outstanding

Principal

Amount

Reference

U.S. Treasury

Security

Bloomberg

Reference

Page

Fixed

Spread

(Basis

Points) 4.125% Notes

due 2025

279158 AK5

/

US279158A

K55

$1,200,000,000

UST

1.125% due

January 15,

2025

FIT4

+0 bps

The "Total Consideration" offered for each $1,000 principal amount of Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be calculated in accordance with the formula described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to the Fixed Spread for the Securities over the Reference Yield based on the bid-side price of the Reference U.S. Treasury Security, as calculated by the Dealer Managers (as defined below) at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on January 16, 2024 . Holders whose Securities are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer, including Securities tendered by guaranteed delivery, will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on their purchased Securities from the last interest payment date for the Securities to, but excluding, the Settlement Date (as defined below).

The Offer is being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, which contains a comprehensive description of the terms of the Offer. The Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 16, 2024, unless extended or earlier terminated (the "Expiration Time"). Ecopetrol expects to accept for payment and pay the Total Consideration for Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Expiration Time or delivered by guaranteed delivery prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 18, 2024 . Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, the settlement date is expected to be January 19, 2024 (the "Settlement Date").

Tenders of Securities pursuant to the Offer may be validly withdrawn at or prior to the Expiration Time. If the Offer is extended, tendered Securities may be withdrawn at any time before the 10th business day after commencement of the Offer. Securities subject to the Offer may also be validly withdrawn at any time after the 60th business day after commencement of the Offer if for any reason the Offer has not been consummated within 60 business days after commencement.

The Offer is conditioned upon the satisfaction or waiver by Ecopetrol of certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including the Financing Condition (as defined below), but is not conditioned upon any minimum principal amount of Securities being tendered. Subject to applicable law, Ecopetrol may, at its sole discretion, waive any condition applicable to the Offer and may extend the Offer. Under certain conditions and as more fully described in the Offer to Purchase, Ecopetrol may terminate the Offer before the Expiration Time.

The Offer is being made in connection with a concurrent offering of notes (the "New Notes") by the Company (the "Notes Offering"). The "Financing Condition" means that the Company shall have priced and closed the Notes Offering on terms satisfactory to the Company and resulting in net cash proceeds sufficient to fund the Total Consideration with respect to the Securities validly tendered at or prior to the Expiration Time (regardless of actual amount of Securities tendered), plus accrued and unpaid interest on such Securities from the last interest payment date to, but excluding, the Settlement Date. The Offer is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes.

The complete terms and conditions of the Offer are set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, which holders are urged to read carefully before making any decision with respect to the Offer.

The Offer is open to all registered holders of Securities. A beneficial owner of Securities that are held of record by a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or other nominee (each, a "Custodian") must instruct such Custodian to tender such Securities on the beneficial owner's behalf in a timely manner. Beneficial owners should be aware that a Custodian may establish its own earlier deadline for participation in an Offer.

Global Bondholder Services Corporation is serving as the tender agent and information agent. Requests for documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation by telephone at +1 212-430 3774 (banks and brokers) or Toll-Free at +1 855-654-2014.

Copies of the Offer to Purchase and related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery are available at the following web address: at https://gbsc-usa.com/ecopetrol/.

BBVA Securities Inc., BofA Securities, Inc. and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. are serving as Dealer Managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Offer. Questions regarding the Offer may also be directed to the Dealer Managers as set forth below:

BBVA Securities Inc. 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 44th Floor New York, New York 10105 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Collect: +1 (212) 728 2446 U.S. Toll Fee: +1 (800) 422 8692 Email: [email protected] BofA Securities, Inc. One Bryant Park New York, New York 10036 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (646) 855-8998 U.S. Toll Free: (888) 292-0070 Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, Trading 4th

Floor New York, New York 10013 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 Email: [email protected]

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase nor the solicitation of an offer to sell any Securities. The Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and related Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.

No Recommendation

None of Ecopetrol, BBVA Securities Inc., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., Global Bondholder Services Corporation, or the trustee or security registrar with respect to the Securities, nor any affiliate of any of the foregoing, has made any recommendation as to whether holders should tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of their Securities in response to the Offer or expressing any opinion as to whether the terms of the Offer are fair to any holder. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender any of their Securities and, if so, the purchase price of Securities to tender. Please refer to the Offer to Purchase for a description of the offer terms, conditions, disclaimers and other information applicable to the Offer.

About Ecopetrol

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico ), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector.

Disclaimer and Other Important Notices

The Company expressly reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, from time to time to purchase any Securities that remain outstanding after the Expiration Date through open-market or privately negotiated transactions, one or more additional tender or exchange offers or otherwise, on terms and at prices that may or may not be equal to the consideration offered in the Offer, or to exercise any of its rights, including redemption rights, under the Indenture governing the Securities.

This press release and the Offer to Purchase do not constitute an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell Securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of Ecopetrol by the Dealer Managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. If materials relating to the Offer come into a holder's possession, the holder is required by Ecopetrol to inform itself of and to observe all of these restrictions.

The Offer to Purchase has not been filed with or reviewed by the SEC, any state securities commission or any other regulatory authority, nor has any such commission or other regulatory authority passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any of the accompanying ancillary documents delivered thereunder. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful and may be a criminal offense.

The Offer to Purchase will not be authorized by the Colombian Superintendency of Finance (Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia or the "SFC" by its acronym in Spanish) and will not be registered under the Colombian National Registry of Securities and Issuers (Registro Nacional de Valores y Emisores) or the Colombian Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Colombia or the "BVC" by its acronym in Spanish), and, accordingly, the Offer to Purchase may not constitute an offer to persons in Colombia except in circumstances which do not result in a public offering under Colombian law and must be carried out in compliance with Part 4 of Decree 2555 of 2010.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of 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, including those related to the Offer. Forward-looking information involves important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect anticipated results in the future, and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Ecopetrol is not under any obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update forward- looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.
Successful scaling results in additional funding to fuel further expansion and development

Keepit has today announced HSBC Innovation Banking, the global, specialised banking partner for businesses in cutting-edge sectors, has provided a $40 million refinancing package in partnership with The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO). The new funding frees up capital for further investments in international expansion, hiring, business operations, and product development as Keepit continues to scale and build out its market-leading platform for SaaS data protection.

Founded in 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Keepit is a leader in SaaS backup and recovery and the world's only vendor-independent cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection. The new $40 million refinancing package from HSBC Innovation Banking follows Keepit's $30 million Series A funding round in 2020, and a total of $22 million debt financing in 2022 from Silicon Valley Bank UK, now HSBC Innovation Banking, and Vkstfonden, now the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), the national promotional bank and export credit agency of Denmark.

Keepit will use the fresh capital to sustain the current growth trajectory and continue its substantial expansion strategy. The organisation has strategically leveraged funds to propel its growth by introducing innovative products and advancing platform development for cutting-edge data protection solutions.

The debt facilities have been instrumental in fortifying the company's offerings for future sustainability. Notably, Keepit has made substantial allocations to enhance its go-to-market strategy, including market expansion, targeted outreach to enterprise-scale clients, and the augmentation of its partner program. These initiatives collectively underscore Keepit's endeavours to solidify its standing within the global data protection industry.

Morten Felsvang, CEO and co-founder at Keepit, commented:

"We are very proud to have the continued backing of HSBC Innovation Banking. This refinancing is a long-term commitment it not only strengthens our capital structure but is an infusion of confidence in our capabilities on all levels. And it means that we can continue our growth strategy at full throttle."

Jean-Laurent Pelissier, Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Software at HSBC Innovation Banking UK, commented:

"We're delighted to continue our relationship with Keepit by providing this new facility, which will support Keepit to further its presence across new geographies, grow its team and innovate across its product offering. Our agility, expertise, international and robust network is also helping businesses like Keepit to scale and open up a world of opportunity as they reshape our world. This is an exciting milestone in our long-term partnership with Keepit and we're proud to be part of this next step in the company's journey alongside the EIFO."

Anders Christian Andersen, Senior Director, SME Digital Platforms at EIFO, commented:

"Cybersecurity is among the Top 10 biggest risks in the world of today. Keepit provides a solution to how businesses around the world can address the issue and safely back up their data. We have been part of Keepit's financial journey since 2019, and we see great potential for further growth in the company. Being part of this refinancing package, together with HSBC Innovation Banking, we reconfirm our trust in the company."

Notes to Editors

About HSBC Innovation Banking

HSBC Innovation Banking provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is a subsidiary of HSBC Group, benefiting from its stability, strong credit rating and international reach to help fuel its growth.

2024 HSBC Innovation Bank Limited. All rights reserved.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited (trading as HSBC Innovation Banking) is not licensed to undertake banking business or to undertake any other regulated activity in Denmark or Sweden.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited (trading as HSBC Innovation Banking) is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK (Company Number 12546585). HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (Firm Reference Number 543146). HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is part of the HSBC Group.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is committed to making its website and related documents accessible to everyone. Learn more on www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/accessibility

About EIFO

The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) is the national promotional bank and export credit agency of Denmark combined in one new financial institution. EIFO provides a single point of access for Danish companies as well as for their foreign and domestic business partners who need risk-tolerant government capital. Across all sectors EIFOs main objective is to support the growth, export and green potential in Danish startups and SMEs with loans, guarantees and Equity Investments.

Learn more on www.eifo.dk/en/

About Keepit

Keepit provides next-level SaaS data protection for companies with data stored in the cloud. Keepit is the world's only vendor-neutral and independent cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection based on a blockchain-verified solution. Keepit protects data in key business applications, including Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure AD, Google, and Salesforce. Headquartered in Copenhagen with offices and data centers globally, Keepit is trusted by thousands of companies worldwide to protect and manage their cloud data.

For more information visit keepit.com or follow Keepit LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109102950/en/

Contacts:

RedIron PR for Keepit

Kari Walker

kari@redironpr.com
Denier previously served as CEO of the leading US mobile brokerage

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Webull , a leading commission-free trading platform with over 40 million downloads globally, today announced the promotion of Anthony Denier, former Webull US CEO, to Group President. He will be responsible for managing the company's regulated businesses across the globe, including all licensed broker-dealers.

Denier has an established track record of delivering results for Webull over his 6+ year tenure. In his new role, Denier will continue to accelerate the company's initiatives, including the expansion of its US headquarters, and securing access to capital markets worldwide. He will also manage Webull's external communications, amplify corporate governance, and enhance global compliance efforts and culture.

"In a short amount of time, Webull has grown exponentially across the world," said Anthony Denier, Webull Group President. "With retail investing constantly changing, Webull prides itself on innovative offerings that provide users with seamless trading experiences. I am grateful to my team who consistently goes above and beyond to create best-in-class products and look forward to overseeing Webull's continued success."

Denier is one of the founding members of Webull US, one of the business's core entities. Since joining Webull in 2017, he has proven himself to be a valuable asset to the company, leveraging business and management skills. Amid a complex macro-environment for markets, Denier brings a high-level understanding of the brokerage business and ability to adapt to evolving challenges.

Webull provides retail investors with 24/7 access to financial markets worldwide. Users can put investment strategies to work by trading global stocks, ETFs, options, and fractional shares, through Webull's trading platform, which is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Canada.

For more information on Webull and its offerings, please visit www.webullcorp.com.

About Webull

Webull is a leading digital investment platform built on next generation global infrastructure. The Webull Group is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida and backed by private equity investors located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Webull serves tens of millions of users from over 180 countries, providing retail investors with 24/7 access to global financial markets. Users can put investment strategies to work by trading global stocks, ETFs, options and fractional shares, through Webull's trading platform, which is currently available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Canada. Webull also offers investment education services, with lessons covering a wide range of topics. For more information about Webull, visit Webull's corporate website at https://www.webullcorp.com.

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PARIS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe's favorite electric milk frother brand, Paris Rhone, is now stepping into the US market. With the launch of their official TikTok store, they are set to engage with the American audience, offering their acclaimed milk frothers and unique features.

"I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Paris Rhone, the unrivaled leader in electric milk frothers across Europe, with an astonishing customer base of countless millions of ecstatic fans, is embarking on an exciting journey of expansion into the American market," said Maggie Ma, Vice President of Paris Rhone. "We aim to build brand awareness, engage directly with US consumers, and conquer the competitive landscape of frother enthusiasts."

Paris Rhone 4-in-1 Electric Milk Frother MF010

Experience the elegance of Paris with Paris Rhone extraordinary Electric Milk Frother, inspired by the iconic Eiffel Tower. This visually delightful appliance not only decorates your kitchen but also adds an ergonomic design, ensuring a comfortable grip. Perfectly timed for the Christmas season, it makes for a thoughtful gift choice.

4-in-1 Multifunctional: Imagine savoring the perfect cup of coffee every morning, with a foam so creamy and smooth, it transforms your ordinary coffee break into a luxurious moment. The 4-in-1 foam maker allows you to heat milk to perfection or whip it into hot dense foam, hot airy foam, or even cold froth - the choice is yours.

One-Button Control & Quiet Operation: Experience delightful simplicity with the one-button control and whisper-quiet operation. Switch between modes effortlessly, and in just 2 minutes, indulge in fragrant milk froth without the distraction of noise.

Rinse to Clean: Paris Rhone electric milk steamer features a food-grade non-stick interior coating, making it a breeze to clean. Simply rinse it with running water and wipe it dry with a soft cloth, guaranteeing your health and hygiene.

Auto Shut-off & Extremely Reliable: Rest easy knowing that Paris Rhone electric milk heater is equipped with auto shut-off and certified with ETL for unmatched safety and reliability. You can trust that your milk or foam will be ready at the perfect temperature, every time.

Paris Rhone 500ml Electric Milk Frother MF005

This remarkable device boasts a 4-in-1 functionality, offering hot chocolate, milk heating, and hot/cold foam for drinks. Within 2 minutes, it effortlessly produces barista-quality coffee foam, elevating your coffee indulgence to new heights. With capacity of 500ML for heating and 250ML for frothing, it amplifies the enjoyment of your favorite beverages.

4-in-1 Multifunctional: The multifunctional electric milk steamer is capable of heating milk in 605?/1588?, making hot chocolate, and frothing hot and cold fluffy foam for your coffee, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and other drinks

Upgrade Larger Capacity & Angled Spout: A large jug can make 500ml (16.9oz) hot chocolate/milk, or 250ml (8.5oz) hot/cold milk foam at a time, perfect for sharing with your family and friends at home or in the office. The angled jug spout design is great for creating latte art and minimizing spillage

Quick Foaming, Delicate Froth: Only 2 minutes can let you enjoy your favorite coffee drinks with frothy foam topping; the dense foam made by the coffee frother enhances both delicate taste and art for barista-quality drinks.

Luxury Hot Chocolate: With a unique chocolate lid design, this electric milk frother can make hot chocolate with a temperature up to 85?/185?, providing you with a cup of hot cocoa, also suitable as a holiday gift for her/him

About Paris Rhone

Since its establishment in 1915, Paris Rhone has been committed to developing products that enhance customers' daily convenience and improve their overall quality of life. The strategic decision to expand into the US market and establish a TikTok store enables direct engagement with US consumers, showcasing high-quality milk frothers and innovative features. For more information, visit Paris Rhone official website here , and to find out Paris Rhone on TikTok shop here.

PR Contacts: For images or request a review sample, please contact us at:

Marketing team

marketing@parisrhone.com

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TikTok

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In collaboration with AWS, Spryker will demo a seamless automotive customer journey powered by composable commerce technology

BERLIN and NEW YORK, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spryker, the leading composable commerce platform for sophisticated use cases in B2B Commerce, Enterprise Marketplaces, and IoT Commerce, has today announced that together with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Spryker will exhibit at CES 2024, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Tuesday, January 9, to Friday, January 12. Additionally, Spryker has achieved the AWS Automotive Competency. This specialization recognizes Spryker for its expertise in providing customers professional services and/or software solutions delivering transformation across an automotive company's operating model.



At CES, Spryker is collaborating with AWS and Stripe to deliver the future of automotive online purchasing. The new, state-of-the-art demo is built specifically for CES's automotive audience and will showcase an end-to-end buying experience. From dealer, to payment provider, to document management, viewers will be able to see in real time the seamless integration of various technologies to create a cohesive and intuitive purchasing journey. Spryker's powerful composable commerce platform and composability-enabling technology is central to the success of this use case. The demo can be viewed at the AWS booth #3901 which is located in the West Hall.

Additionally, visitors to CES can attend the session "Driving innovation: Transforming EGOsystems into automotive ECOsystems" from Nils Radsack, former Audi CIO, and Felix Buhner, Global Director Automotive at Spryker. Scheduled for Thursday, January 11 at 2:30 pm PST, the session will take place at the AWS booth and will provide insights as to how Spryker and AWS can help automotive companies drive innovation and create their own strategic automotive ecosystem to accelerate their business in a rapidly evolving market.

"The online car buying experience remains a fragmented landscape, hindered by disjointed processes and disparate systems," said Boris Lokschin, Co-founder and CEO at Spryker. "With Spryker's composable commerce capabilities, it's finally possible to connect this fragmented ecosystem into one customer-centric journey. A more cohesive user experience not only fosters customer trust but also empowers brands to elevate their online presence. In the age where user experience defines brand loyalty, embracing composable commerce is not just a technological upgrade; it's a strategic imperative for automotive businesses to thrive."

Furthering their collaboration, achieving the AWS Automotive Competency validates Spryker as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member with demonstrated technical proficiency and proven customer success in running cloud solutions on AWS for the automotive industry. As an AWS Automotive Competency Partner, Spryker helps automotive customers accelerate their transformation through purpose-built cloud capabilities and deep industry expertise. To receive the AWS Automotive Competency designation, AWS Partners must undergo a rigorous technical validation and provide vetted customer references.

"We're delighted that Spryker has been certified as an AWS Automotive Competency Partner. This stands as testament to Spryker's goal to offer a comprehensive solution beyond technology and to redefine the automotive customer experience," said Boris Lokschin. "The strategic collaboration between AWS and Spryker helps automotive companies unleash the power of scalability, flexibility, and cutting-edge commerce solutions to integrate innovation seamlessly while reducing total cost of ownership and time to market."

About Spryker

Spryker is the leading composable commerce platform for enterprises with sophisticated business models to enable growth, innovation, and differentiation. Designed specifically for sophisticated transactional businesses, Spryker's easy-to-use, headless, API-first model offers a best-of-breed approach that provides businesses the flexibility to adapt, scale, and quickly go to market while facilitating faster time-to-value throughout their digital transformation journey. As a global platform leader for B2B and B2C Enterprise Marketplaces, IoT Commerce, and Unified Commerce, Spryker has empowered 150+ global enterprise customers worldwide and is trusted by brands such as ALDI, Siemens, Hilti, and Ricoh. Spryker is a privately held technology company headquartered in Berlin and New York backed by world class investors such as TCV, One Peak, ProjectA, Cherry Ventures, and Maverick Capital. Learn more at spryker.com and follow Spryker on LinkedIn and X .

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2aedf3d8-d5ae-43a0-9c68-559a490c939c
We Are China

Little girl shows off big kung fu moves

(People's Daily App) 11:25, January 09, 2024

Watch this young girl demonstrate a flurry of martial arts moves under a golden ginkgo tree in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
An Aussie man has recalled the terrifying moment he emerged from his Sydney home on Friday to discover a bomb with a threatening note attached to the bonnet of his ute.

Theo said he discovered the ominous package  consisting of a jerrycan with a small volume of fuel and rags stuffed inside  while taking his rabbits outside in Botany around 2pm. Photographs show the cubic device covered in tape, holding bolts and a cigarette lighter in place, next to a handwritten note which reads: ENOUGH! TAKE DOWN FLAG! ONE CHANCE!

Theo said he found the fake bomb threat, which included a jerrycan with a small volume of fuel and rags stuffed inside, on his ute on Friday. Source: 7News

I felt scared. I felt particularly scared for my partner, Theo told the ABC. Its also something which is clearly there to threaten me, to make me and my partner feel scared, feel terrified. This is terrorism.

Officers from the Rescue and Bomb Squad were called to the scene and deemed the suspicious item safe, NSW Police told Yahoo News Australia.

Man vows to keep Palestinian flags up

Theo said the incident was clearly directed at the Palestinian flags he placed in his front yard in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict that has taken the lives of thousands of civilians since October 7. The Botany resident also has a pro-Palestinian message scrawled on a chalkboard with his phone number at the bottom.

Theo said the fake bomb was clearly directed at the Palestinian flags he placed in his front yard. Source: 7News

Despite the threat, Theo said the response had been overwhelmingly positive and he vowed to keep his flags in place. This is a scary, upsetting and difficult experience for me. Its only something I can do because of the support of the community around me, he told the ABC.

Detectives are investigating the incident. As the investigation continues, anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Press Release

Lumen selects Atos for multi-year mainframe modernization

Plano, United States - January 9, 2024 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces that it has been selected by global telecommunications company, Lumen, to modernize its mainframe services in a multi-year deal.

Atos will provide Lumen with a new mainframe platform to support its most critical applications. Three data centers operated by Lumen will be brought together into a single Atos-operated US hub to provide best-in-class infrastructure.

The mainframe-as-a-service solution, offers Lumen a 'cloud-like' mainframe scalability that provides everything from computing power to service management and innovation. Consumption-based charging allows Lumen to adjust the service as its capacity needs change. Atos will also provide 24/7 hardware, software and technical support alongside monitoring and operations.

Lumen and Atos will migrate the mainframe workloads into Atos' Hub through carefully phased migration to ensure service levels are maintained at all times.

Michael Grunberg, CEO North America, Tech Foundations, Atos said "By transforming Lumen's mainframe, we will bring the company security, agility, and the opportunity for innovation while supporting their business transformation objectives. We look forward to deepening the relationship and creating opportunities to extend our collaboration in the future."

Chad Naeger, Lumen CIO said "Our mainframe is a central computing backbone and is pivotal to our business operations. It demands the highest level of stability and security to power our operations. We have entrusted Atos to modernize our Mainframe environment, confident in their expertise, experience, and ability to propel our transformation goals."

Atos has more than 45 years of experience in mainframes and has been a Global IBM Platinum and Global Strategic Business Partner for more than 20 years. Atos has been recognized by Information Services Groupin July 2023 as a leader in mainframes for the second year in a row.

Lumen has one of the largest, most deeply peered networks in the world. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, Lumen meets their customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. These services will be delivered to Lumen's U.S. operations only.

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About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 105,000 employees and annual revenue of c.  11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on Euronext Paris.

The purpose of Atosis to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

About Tech Foundations

Tech Foundations is the Atos Group business line leading in managed services, focusing on hybrid cloud infrastructure, employee experience and technology services, through decarbonized, automated and AI-enabled solutions. Its 52,000 employees advance what matters to the world's businesses, institutions and communities. It is present in 69 countries, with an annual revenue of  6 billion.

About Lumen Technologies:

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data, and applications - quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies.

Press contact

Atos - Courtney Terlecki - Courtney.terlecki@atos.net

Lumen - Stephanie Meisse - stephanie.n.meisse@lumen.com

Attachment
MedaSystems, a pioneer in software to provide access to pre-approval medicine, is pleased to announce additional funding from Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm, motivated by their vision of patient centric, data-enabled clinical research and enabling patients to access novel treatments sooner. The investment adds to a growing list of prominent digital health investors in Europe and the United States, including Nina Capital and Young Sohn, a co-founder of Veeva Systems. The funding speaks to the global nature of pre-approval access and its increasing importance in the drug development process.

"We see significant synergies between MedaSystems and Debiopharm Innovation Fund. Our mutual dedication to building new approaches to pharmaceutical drug development and patient care will help bring promising pre-approval medicine to patients around the world, faster and more equitably. This funding supports our goal of making life-saving treatments more easily available to patients and physicians while advancing research and development of new therapies," said Fiona Smythe, CEO of MedaSystems

MedaSystems' SaaS platform facilitates the rapid processing of treatment inquiries and introduces new data capture capabilities, streamlining treatment for patients with unmet medical needs and aiding in collecting real-world data (RWD) for regulatory submissions. The platform is a vital link that ensures smooth collaboration among key partners in situations requiring pre-approval access. Physicians can swiftly manage patient requests and oversee the entire process in-app, working seamlessly with their teams and pharmacists. Pharmaceutical companies can integrate external partners like contract research organizations (CROs), guaranteeing effective communication, integrated services, and the quick shipment of treatment.

"Debiopharm Innovation Fund is committed to breaking down barriers in healthcare and promoting patient-centered solutions. Our investment in MedaSystems aligns perfectly with our dedication to innovation and the power of digital health technology in transforming patient outcomes. We believe their visionary approach to simplifying pre-approval access will play a key role in accelerating the delivery of life-saving treatments around the world. Together, we look forward to crafting a future where every patient has timely access to the most promising therapies," said Vincent Lepreux, Investment Principal at Debiopharm Innovation Fund

About MedaSystems

MedaSystems is the leading developer of software that streamlines the handling of requests for experimental therapies from healthcare providers, supporting both Expanded Access and Post-Trial Access. MedaSystems' secure and GxP compliant application acts as a centralized environment, connecting physicians and pharmaceutical companies to facilitate global patient access to investigational therapies. By enabling the tracking and management of inquiries and data collection from these programs, MedaSystems transforms communications with clinicians into true partnerships, significantly reducing time and frustration for both parties involved.

For more information, please visit www.medasystems.com

About Debiopharm Innovation Fund

Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm, provides funding and guidance for companies with an ambition to improve the patient journey and transform pharmaceutical R&D. Since 2017, Debiopharm has invested in 15 AI and digital health companies, typically leading the investment rounds. As of September 2023, Debiopharm Innovation Fund is expanding its footprint through a new Seed financing activity.

For more information, please visit www.debiopharm.com/innovation-fund/

To learn more about investment criteria visit https://www.debiopharm.com/innovation-fund/approach/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240108986344/en/

Contacts:

Matt Rosen (408) 384-9392
WILMINGTON, Del., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Mining , a marketplace for bitcoin mining hardware, hosting, and mining services, is pleased to announce the latest addition to its Executive team. Eric Alfuth has joined Compass as the Chief Financial Officer and brings a proven track record of growth and building high-caliber finance teams.

Alfuth brings a wealth of experience to the Compass team. He has previously served as CFO at both public and private companies including Sable Bay Energy and Wagner Oil Company. Throughout his career, Alfuth has managed Venture Capital initiatives and multi-billion dollar credit portfolios as well as served as an executive and board member of the Houston Angel Network. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Master of International Relations with a focus on Energy from Harvard University.

Paul Gosker, Compass co-founder and CEO shares, "In our ongoing commitment to build a world-class leadership team, we are thrilled to add Eric's extensive expertise to the roster. Alfuth contributes invaluable investing expertise and significant experience in the energy sector, enhancing Compass with his wealth of knowledge and insights. We look forward to leveraging his skillset and background to bring value to our stakeholders and clients."

About?Compass?Mining???

Compass Mining is a bitcoin-first mining?hardware and hosting?company that offers procurement, deployment of mining machines, and resale for institutional and retail clients. Compass' mission is to strengthen Bitcoin's network by democratizing hash rate. Compass also produces industry-leading research and educational content through a variety of tailored media product offerings.

For more information on?Compass Mining, visit? https://compassmining.io/ ??

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1957082/Compass_Mining_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/compass-mining-announces-new-cfo-302029644.html
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Destiny Media Technologies Inc. (TSXV: DSY) (OTCQB: DSNY), the makers of Play MPE, a cloud-based SaaS solution for promotional music marketing, today announced that the company will hold a live webinar on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time) to discuss financial results for its first quarter ended November 30, 2023. The company plans to release financial results before the market opens on the same day, Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

The live webinar will include comments from President, Chief Executive Officer, Fred Vandenberg, and Director of Business Development, Allan Benedict.

Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Time: 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time)

Attendees are encouraged to register prior to the scheduled time at the following:

https://investors.dsny.com/investors/financials/ or by clicking on the Webinar Registration Form.

Attendees viewing the webinar can voluntarily submit questions during the live presentation. Attendee cameras will remain off throughout the presentation. Attendees' microphones will remain off unless the attendee voluntarily selects to engage in verbal questions similar to the format available on traditional conference call format.

The webinar format will provide the Company an opportunity to present visual information.

For those without internet access, the webinar can be accessed via the following dial in details:

Direct dial in US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 360 209 5623 or More International numbers

Webinar ID: 883 9889 5640

Attendees participating via dial in will not have access the webinar video stream and will not have access to question and answer functions.

A recording of the webinar will be available after the event on https://investors.dsny.com/investors/financials/.

About Destiny Media Technologies Inc.

Destiny Media Technologies Inc. ("Destiny") provides software as service (SaaS) solutions to businesses in the music industry solving critical problems in distribution and promotion. The core service, Play MPE (www.plaympe.com), provides promotional music marketing to engaged networks of decision makers in radio, film, TV, and beyond. More information can be found at www.dsny.com.

Contacts:

Fred Vandenberg

CEO, Destiny Media Technologies, Inc.

604 609 7736 x236

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193603

SOURCE: Destiny Media Technologies, Inc.
Investors with deep pockets seek refuge in GDP Capital's PE-BOND Fund amidst turbulent markets

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed unprecedented economic turmoil, resulting in contracting markets and dwindling returns worldwide.



Private Equity and other investment sectors find themselves navigating an exceptionally challenging and unpredictable landscape. In an environment with limited profitable opportunities, preserving dry powder appears to be a prudent choice. An alternative, however, has emerged-a haven for investors with substantial resources.

Private Equity and other investment sectors are operating

in challenging and unpredictable environments today

Introducing GDP Capital's PE-BOND Fund LP, one of Private Equity's latest offerings poised to make waves on the international stage. In today's dismal or negative return environment, this fund has the potential to significantly enhance your return on investment while offering a sense of security.

GDP Capital's investment structure is nothing short of unique, possibly the first of its kind. Here's why it stands out:

A Private Equity structure fortified with the security of a bond.

Investments are channelled into government-approved projects.

Capital invested is backed by government guarantees and repaid within a 10-year horizon.

GDP Capital secures equity in the involved companies and their respective projects, each contributing dividend.

The Fund mandates a minimum commitment above US$25 million, making it ideally suited for Sovereign Wealth Funds, Retirement Funds, Institutional Investors, Endowments, Insurance Companies, Banks, Family Offices, and major investment firms.

A Balance of High Returns and Capital Safety:

"While structuring the fund, we overcame numerous hurdles to satisfy governmental, legal, regulatory, and investor requirements. After two years of meticulous development, potential investors are displaying keen interest," commented Gurmit S. Sidhu, the founder and Managing Director of GDP Capital Limited, on the fund and its offerings.

With an adept team comprising tax and legal advisors, investment bankers, and political analysts, GDP Capital Limited stands ready to support top-tier investors in surpassing their investment objectives.

This unique investment Fund, set to launch in January 2024, is spearheaded by GDP Capital Limited, a Private Equity Fund Manager incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and regulated by the BVI Financial Services Commission (BVI FSC).

GDP PE-BOND Fund LP represents an extraordinary opportunity for investors seeking capital safety and accelerated returns.

Explore the Merits Further:

Astute investors who recognize the benefits offered by GDP Capital may wish to delve deeper into its merits. For additional details, please visit: www.gdpcapitalltd.com

About GDP Capital Limited:

GDP Capital Limited is a Private Equity Fund Manager incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and regulated by the BVI Financial Services Commission (BVI FSC). The firm collaborates with stable and investor-friendly governments seeking funding for priority projects to expedite economic development and achieve real GDP growth.

Funding is extended for viable and strategically significant government projects contributing to sustainable economic growth. While initially focusing on Asia, the company has expansion plans for other global regions. Given the substantial funding requirements of governments, GDP Capital provides institutional investors with the assurance of government guarantees, facilitating investments ranging from US$100 million to US$1 billion.

Media Contact:

Investor Relations

pr@gdpcapitalltd.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a9a601f-7cd5-459c-b4f7-f42d96113ccd
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Rayonier

The Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour is an intense, immersive experience that allows teachers to witness the work of professionals across many aspects of the forestry industry.

Originally published on Rayonier.com

There is an air reminiscent of the first day of school when 40 strangers sit down in the classroom together for the first time at the Hampton Inn in downtown Fernandina Beach. Instead of doing the teaching, today these school teachers, homeschoolers and one school principal are here to be the students. They have come from all over the state of Florida to learn about the forestry industry.

Some came to the Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour with goals, wanting to get answers to questions they had about how the industry works; looking to incorporate forest-focused field trips into their curriculum; or wanting to learn about job opportunities to share with their students. Others came unsure what to expect but ready to learn.

By the end of the week, many of these same teachers will be in tears as the tour comes to a close. They will build friendships over long days outdoors. They will meet forestry workers who will change the way they see the world. And, as they will share with one another in a closing discussion, they will finish the week with a new level of respect for the industry that has such a huge impact on their lives-but that they had known so little about. Until now.

Day 1: A forestry legend sets the stage

There's no one better than Ed Barnard to introduce newcomers to forestry. The retired forest pathologist has served as the tour's emcee for more than 20 years. He is the first person the teachers meet.

"Prepare yourselves for an extravaganza of experience and exposure to the breadth and depth of the forestry profession," Ed tells the group as he kicks off a presentation about the industry. "All the way from growing trees to processing trees into logs to creating pulp and paper, chemicals, cellulose, and lumber products. The complete picture and the whole cycle of regeneration, starting it all over again. The process from A to Z."

Within minutes, it's clear this isn't the typical classroom-based continuing education program teachers are used to. In fact, they will be on a bus before 6:30 tomorrow morning, touring key components of the industry until after the sun sets.

And Ed will be there at every step. He'll ride along with the teachers on the bus each day, answering questions and sharing his own perspective. He will share laughs and pull more than a few good-natured practical jokes. There's also a good chance that, by the end of the week, he'll fight back tears right alongside the teachers as they share how the tour has changed their perspectives.

Day 2: A mill, a burn, and a family farm

Now donning their forest boots and orange vests, the teachers are ready to experience the forestry industry up close and personal. The day begins in the West Fraser Sawmill in Whitehouse, Florida.

The teachers walk through the mill, watching how logs become lumber in a matter of minutes.

"Nothing goes to waste," explains General Manager Jerome Worthy, pointing out that even the bark is used to create a mulch product and the sawdust is used in wood pellets.

Later this same morning, the teachers watch as a Florida Forest Service team demonstrates how controlled burns are used as a tool in forestry.

One teacher asks how wild animals fare in a controlled burn.

"If you watch during a burn, you'll see the wildlife evacuate. Even the bugs! When the burn completes, you'll see them come right back into that same forest," a ranger answers.

The bus travels to several more sites before days' end, giving the teachers a chance to see how the military manages forest land at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center; to see what a teaching forest is like at the University of Florida's Austin Cary Forest; and to meet a family that has owned and managed the same farm for multiple generations.

"When people ask me what it would take for me to sell this land, I tell them, 'I remember planting that forest with my grandfather. What price would you put on that?'" Kelly Mosley tells the teachers. "To us, it's priceless."

Day 3: Harvesting, sustainable forest management and some shocking revelations

As the sun is rising this morning, the tour bus is pulling into a harvest site so the teachers can see firsthand what happens when it's time for trees to become products.

Watching as a heavy equipment operator systematically fells trees and sorts them for different logging trucks, the teachers have many questions about what happens during a timber harvest.

"How old are these trees?" "What kind of products will they become?" "When will this forest be replanted?"

Fernandina Beach High School Biology Teacher Angie Kindler writes notes as quickly as she can.

"Something that I had always questioned was a statistic about how many trees they plant to replace the ones that they harvest," she says. "I got that answer today, so that's something that I'll be able to bring back to my students."

In fact, in sustainable forestry, multiple trees are planted for every tree harvested.

Next, the bus goes deep into the forest for lessons about sustainable forest management led by Rayonier foresters. The group discusses sustainability certification and what it takes to prove a forest is sustainably managed. They talk about the lifecycle of the forest. And they show how foresters protect water quality at every step.

Today also includes a pulp mill tour and a lesson about the incredible ways forest byproducts play a role in scent manufacturing.

Day 4: Reflecting on lessons learned

The tour wraps with a group discussion on the final morning. Everyone gets a chance to share how their perspectives about forestry have changed.

Before long, some are in tears, shocked at how much they didn't know and ready to incorporate entirely new lessons about forestry into their curricula.

"I think the greatest takeaway for me has been, I didn't really realize that companies and foresters are way more concerned about the environment than the public," says Michelle Fisher, a high school biology teacher from Tampa. "The people that we've met on this tour, they don't seem like they're in it for the money and this kind of stuff. They seem like they're bigger tree-huggers than I ever thought about being. And I thought I was a pretty big tree-hugger."

While the tour slightly changes from year to year, it is always action-packed with experiences around many different aspects of forestry. The Florida Forest Service hosts it with support from the Florida Forestry Association, Project Learning Tree of Florida and Friends of Florida State Forests. Dozens of other companies and individuals also sponsor the tour.

To apply to participate in the Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour, applicants should submit their answers to a questionnaire. A committee then reviews and chooses participants.

To learn more and apply, visit floridastateforests.org/teacherstour.

Participants in the 2023 Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour pose for a photo during a controlled burn demonstration in Jennings State Forest.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Rayonier on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Rayonier

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/rayonier

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Rayonier

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Episode Six Earns Placement on Built In's Best Places to Work and Best Midsize Places to Work in Austin Lists for Second Consecutive Year

AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Built In today announced that Episode Six (E6), a leading global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and ledger infrastructure, was honored in its 2024 Best Places To Work Awards. For the second consecutive year, E6 earned a place on the Best Places to Work and Best Midsize Places to Work in Austin lists, where the company is headquartered. The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, from startups to those in the enterprise, and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in large tech markets across the U.S.

"Being included on Built In's Best Places to Work in Austin lists for the second consecutive year is a testament to how much we value our employees, who we owe our success to," said John Mitchell , CEO and Co-Founder of E6. "We look forward to continuing to build upon the positive feedback we're receiving from our team to maintain a culture that motivates and rewards them for the innovative work we're doing, which is changing the payments landscape around the world."

Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits candidates are searching for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI and other people-first cultural offerings.

"I'd like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 Best Places to Work winners," says Maria Christopoulos Katris . "I am truly inspired by these companies that have risen to the challenge of fostering a positive work environment, maintaining a strong brand, and ensuring employee satisfaction. The future is filled with promise and we are so excited to see what lies ahead."

In addition to E6 being recognized by Built In, the company was also recognized in American Banker's 2023 Best Places to Work in Fintech . 2023 marks a repeat win for this recognition, as well.

These accolades are only one part of the monumental year E6 had in 2023. Last year, E6 announced a $48M Series C financing, which expanded its go-to-market efforts, strengthened global market leadership, and helped the company scale. E6 also partnered with First Fidelity Bank to offer a next-gen BaaS solution which went live with its first customer Unifimoney, helped TransPecos Banks launch its extensive credit card offering, and expanded into the Nordics through its partnership with Montonio, an e-commerce checkout orchestration platform. Additionally, E6 announced the appointment of its first CRO, Brian Muse-McKenney, and launched 'Business Now, Pay Later', a first-of-its-kind solution that enables financial institutions to offer B2B installments to SMEs.

Today, E6 operates globally across 40 countries, with approximately 183 employees. For more information visit www.EpisodeSix.com .

###

About Built In

Built In is creating the largest candidate generation platform for technology professionals globally. Monthly, millions of the industry's most in-demand professionals visit the site from across the world. They rely on our platform to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers and find opportunities at companies whose values they share. Built In also serves thousands of innovative companies from startups to the Fortune 500. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them reach otherwise hard-to-hire tech professionals. www.builtin.com.

About Built In's Best Places to Work

Built In's annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. Best Places to Work is distinct because its algorithm selects tech companies that build their offerings specifically around what tech professionals value in a workplace. Winners are announced in early January 2024. https://employers.builtin.com/best-places-to-work/

About Episode Six

Episode Six (E6) is a global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and digital ledger infrastructure for banks and companies looking to offer payments to their customers. E6 delivers the innovative capabilities needed to compete with disruptors by augmenting existing infrastructures. Flexibility, adaptability, and resilience are built into the core of E6's TRITIUM platform ensuring clients maintain a market-leading position. E6 operates globally across 40 countries with an expanding team located in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. Investors include HSBC, Mastercard, SBI Investment Co., Ltd., Anthos Capital and Avenir. For more information, visit www.EpisodeSix.com or LinkedIn .

Media Contact

David Yaghutiel

Caliber Corporate Advisers

david@calibercorporateadvisers.com

408.449.6971

SOURCE: Episode Six

View the original press release on accesswire.com
The Mobility House announces the appointment of Herbert Diess as its new Executive Chairman of the Board.

The former CEO of the Volkswagen Group will take over the role from energy market expert Alexander Landia.

The Mobility House strengthens the renewable energy system with innovative Vehicle-to-Grid technologies, utilizing electric vehicle batteries as energy storage to promote the integration of renewable energies, as well as to reduce electricity costs and CO2 emissions.

Dr. Herbert Diess will join The Mobility House as the new Executive Chairman of the Board. The Mobility House is the world's leading technology company in the field of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and intelligent charging. Starting 2024 Diess will take over the role from Dr. Alexander Landia, who has been holding the position since 2017 as a recognized energy market expert. Landia will continue to contribute his outstanding energy market expertise to the company. This strategic decision marks a significant milestone in the realization of V2G by The Mobility House. Since its founding in 2009, the company has been committed to the transformation towards a sustainable and efficient energy and mobility future.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109147644/en/

Herbert Diess, former CEO of the Volkswagen Group to become Executive Chairman of the Board of The Mobility House. (Photo: Business Wire)

Together for zero zero reaching zero emissions at zero cost

Dr. Herbert Diess says: "As the expansion of wind and solar energy continues to accelerate, there is a need for considerably increased storage capacities and flexibility in our future energy system. The rapidly growing fleet of electric vehicles, which is used on average for less than one hour daily, is already the world's largest electrical energy storage. To use this to optimize the power grids and thereby offer electric vehicle owners significantly lower energy costs is the vision for the future that I share with The Mobility House. This will benefit drivers, manufacturers, energy providers, and, in particular, the energy transition can be significantly accelerated. The Mobility House has developed market-ready solutions for this, which can now be delivered to customers in collaboration with automakers and energy providers. The latest electric cars are already Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capable. I look forward to shaping and accelerating this disruptive transformation of the energy ecosystem together with The Mobility House. It's a great goal, as formulated by the founder Thomas Raffeiner of The Mobility House: in the end, electric cars will drive for free and emission-free."

Thomas Raffeiner, founder and Delegate of the Board at The Mobility House elaborates: "We are excited to welcome Dr. Herbert Diess, a pioneer and visionary in the field of electromobility, to The Mobility House. We are united by our vision. Our gratitude goes to Dr. Alexander Landia, who has been a valuable guide to The Mobility House and has significantly contributed to the success of the company with his dedication. He will continue as a member of the board of directors."

Technological advances and benefits for customers

Vehicle-to-Grid technology is a key element for the rapid and cost-effective implementation of a renewable energy system and the global energy transition. This concept utilizes electric vehicles not only as means of transportation but also as mobile energy storage units that can feed energy back into the grid when needed. The technology portfolio of The Mobility House focuses on transforming both mobile and stationary electric vehicle batteries into aggregated storage and flexibility potential. This promotes the expansion and integration of renewables while reducing CO2 emissions.

The Mobility House globally manages more than 1,600 charging locations intelligently through the Charging and Energy Management system ChargePilot. Since 2015, the company has been involved in more than eight international V2G pilot projects, including the latest Replicable V2X Deployment For Schools (RVXDS) project which will implement bidirectional charging at four California school locations. In 2024, The Mobility House will launch the first commercial V2G service on the European market together with Mobilize, a Renault Group brand. With this track record of successful projects, a growing international presence and the support of strategic investors, the company is ideally positioned to play a leading role in the future of sustainable mobility.

The Mobility House and Herbert Diess at CES 2024

From January 9th to 10th, The Mobility House, together with Herbert Diess, will be at CES 2024 in Las Vegas (USA). The experts will be available at the German Pavilion, Booth 55439, to answer questions on the topic of electric mobility. Schedule a meeting.

More information

Factsheets, background information and visuals are available for download.

About 'The Mobility House'

The goal of The Mobility House is to shape an emission-free energy and mobility future. We integrate vehicle batteries into the power grid using intelligent charging and energy solutions. This way, we promote the development of renewable energies, stabilize the power grid, and make electric mobility more affordable. The technology company was founded in 2009 and operates globally from its sites in Munich, Zurich and Belmont (CA). We support our private and business customers on their way to electromobility through the planning and building process as well as the operation of an individual charging infrastructure. As a neutral supplier, we work together with many partners such as charging infrastructure manufacturers, installation companies, back-end system operators, energy suppliers and automobile manufacturers. Our proprietary EV Aggregation Platform forms the technological foundation for our intelligent Charging and Energy Management system, ChargePilot, and eyond, a smart charging tariff that makes charging affordable while also stabilizing the power grids and markets. For more information visit mobilityhouse.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109147644/en/

Contacts:

North America

Rich McKie, +1 650-544-0951, E: rich.mckie@mobilityhouse.com

Global/Europe

Manuela Niklasch, +49 89 4161 430-34, E: communication@mobilityhouse.com
DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent report by Kings Research, the global Metal Roofing Market registered revenue of USD 20.47 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 30.13 billion in revenue by 2030, growing at a 4.95% CAGR from 2023 to 2030. The growth of the global metal roofing industry is bolstered by increasing construction activities, a growing demand for durable and energy-efficient roofing solutions, and the advantages of metal roofs in terms of longevity, aesthetics, and sustainability. Widely used in residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural structures, metal roofs offer superior weather protection, fire resistance, durability (often exceeding 50 years), and low maintenance. Additionally, their reflective properties reduce heat absorption, contributing to energy efficiency, which appeals to environmentally conscious consumers and building owners.

Metal roofing is a roofing material primarily composed of metal, providing numerous benefits compared to traditional materials like asphalt, tile, and wood. Renowned for their durability, metal roofs often outlast other roofing materials by two to three times. They exhibit resistance to various harsh elements, including fire and hail. In simple terms, metal roofing means using metal sheets or panels to cover the roof. Metal roofing has become popular around the world because it offers several advantages over older roofing materials. These benefits include long-lasting durability, energy efficiency, minimal upkeep, and eco-friendliness.

Get a Sample PDF of the Report:https://www.kingsresearch.com/request-sample/metal-roofing-market-290

Trending Now: National Hispanic Contractors Association Joins Forces with International Roofing Expo

In October 2023, the National Hispanic Contractors Association (NAHICA) teamed up with the International Roofing Expo (IRE), a property of Informa Markets U.S. The partnership was designed to enhance the presence and backing of Hispanic contractors in the roofing industry, offering them access to valuable resources and opportunities available at the IRE.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent companies in the metal roofing market are actively pursuing various strategic approaches, including forming partnerships, engaging in mergers and acquisitions, innovating their product types, and establishing joint ventures. These strategies are aimed at broadening their product portfolios and enhancing their market presence across diverse regions.

For instance, in January 2021, Mueller Industries, Inc. finalized a binding agreement to acquire the Hart & Cooley Flexible Duct business.

Key players profiled in the global metal roofing market include:

Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation

Mueller, Inc.

Lifetite

Fletcher Building

Cornerstone Building Brands

ASC Profiles LLC.

ATAS International, Inc.

CERTAINTEED

TATA BLUESCOPE STEEL PRIVATE LIMITED.

MCELROY METAL

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Rising Adoption of Steel Metal Type to Boost Metal Roofing Market Growth

In terms of metal type, the metal roofing market is bifurcated into aluminum, copper, zinc, steel, and other metals.

The steel segment is poised to exert dominance in terms of revenue share over the review period from 2023 to 2030. This is attributed to its high rate of adoption and comparatively lower price volatility as opposed to other raw materials. Conversely, aluminum is expected to exhibit rapid growth through the forecast period, primarily due to its enhanced capabilities and adaptability to varied climatic conditions.

Extensive Adoption of Infrastructure in Commercial and Residential End-Users Propels Market Advancement

Based on end-user, the market is further categorized into residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial segments.

The commercial and residential segments are expected to hold the largest revenue shares on a global scale by the end of the assessment timeline. This prominence is driven by widespread product adoption and the development of infrastructure in underdeveloped and emerging countries on a global scale.

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Rising Emphasis on Sustainable Construction Practices to Spur Metal Roofing Market Growth



The global metal roofing market is driven by a rising emphasis on sustainable construction practices. Metal roofing gains favor as an eco-friendly choice due to its recyclability, energy efficiency, and compatibility with solar panel integration. With sustainability initiatives and regulatory measures gaining momentum, the demand for metal roofing is poised to witness significant growth.

Another catalyst for market expansion is the surging popularity of metal roofs in emerging economies, which presents a substantial opportunity for an increase in industry revenue. Rapid urbanization, infrastructural development, and increasing disposable incomes in these countries contribute to the mounting adoption of metal roofing systems. Additionally, innovations in roofing types have spurred product development within the market.

Emphasis on Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in North America to Propel Metal Roofing Market Expansion

North America is a major contributor to the global metal roofing market due to its increasing focus on sustainable construction practices, coupled with the distinct advantages that metal roofs offer. This has resulted in a notable uptick in demand for metal roofing products. Additionally, the region benefits from advanced manufacturing technologies and the presence of major industry players, both of which have been pivotal in fueling market growth.

Moreover, the region's vulnerability to extreme weather conditions serves as one of the primary drivers for expanding the industry. Metal roofs have demonstrated remarkable resilience and durability, making them a top choice for areas prone to hurricanes, snowstorms, and heavy rainfall. Furthermore, the emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency in North America has driven the demand for metal roofs. The region has witnessed a significant surge in green building initiatives and energy-efficient construction practices.

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Increased Emphasis on Sustainability in Europe to Supplement Metal Roofing Market Progress

Regionally, the Europe metal roofing industry is primed to register robust growth through the forecast period. Soaring emphasis on sustainability, stringent building regulations, and the demand for energy-efficient solutions are pivotal factors fostering the growth of the metal roofing market. The commitment to reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change, particularly in countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, fuels the demand for metal roofs. These nations encourage solar panel installations on metal roofs to support clean energy goals. Moreover, the aesthetic preferences and architectural heritage in Europe contribute to the popularity of metal roofs, which offer design flexibility for modern and visually appealing structures. The versatility of materials like steel and copper enables the preservation of historic buildings, ensuring durable and long-lasting protection.

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Key Points from TOC:

1 Introduction of The Global Metal Roofing Market

1.1 Market Definition

1.2 Market Segmentation

1.3 Research Timelines

1.4 Limitations

1.5 Assumptions

2 Executive Summary

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Data Collection

3.1.1 Secondary Sources

3.1.2 Primary Sources

3.1.3 Research Flow

3.2 Subject Matter Expert Advice

3.3 Quality Check

3.4 Final Review

3.5 Bottom-Up Approach

3.6 Top-down Approach

4 Global Metal Roofing Market Outlook

4.1 Market Evolution

4.2 Overview

4.3 Market Dynamics

4.3.1 Drivers

4.3.2 Restraints

4.3.3 Opportunities

4.3.4 Challenges

4.4 Pricing Analysis

4.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.6 Value Chain Analysis

4.7 Macroeconomic Analysis

5 Impact of Russia-Ukraine War

6 Global Metal Roofing Market, By Product Type

7 Global Metal Roofing Market, By Metal Type

8 Global Metal Roofing Market, By End User

9 Global Metal Roofing Market, By Geography

10 North America

11 Europe

12 Asia Pacific

13 Middle East & Africa

14 Latin America

15 Global Metal Roofing Market Competitive Landscape

15.1 Overview

15.2 Key Developments

15.3 Key Strategic Developments

15.4 Company Market Ranking

15.5 Regional Footprint

15.6 Industry Footprint

16 Company Profiles

16.1 Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation

16.1.1 Key Facts

16.1.2 Financial Overview

16.1.3 Product Type Benchmarking

16.1.4 Recent Developments

16.1.5 Winning Imperatives

16.1.6 Current Focus & Strategies

16.1.7 Threat from competition

16.1.8 SWOT Analysis

16.2 Mueller, Inc.

16.2.1 Key Facts

16.2.2 Financial Overview

16.2.3 Product Type Benchmarking

16.2.4 Recent Developments

16.2.5 Winning Imperatives

16.2.6 Current Focus & Strategies

16.2.7 Threat from competition

16.2.8 SWOT Analysis

16.3 Lifetite

16.3.1 Key Facts

16.3.2 Financial Overview

16.3.3 Product Type Benchmarking

16.3.4 Recent Developments

16.3.5 Winning Imperatives

16.3.6 Current Focus & Strategies

16.3.7 Threat from competition

16.3.8 SWOT Analysis

16.4 Fletcher Building

16.4.1 Key Facts

16.4.2 Financial Overview

16.4.3 Product Type Benchmarking

16.4.4 Recent Developments

16.4.5 Winning Imperatives

16.4.6 Current Focus & Strategies

16.4.7 Threat from competition

16.4.8 SWOT Analysis

16.5 Cornerstone Building Brands

16.5.1 Key Facts

16.5.2 Financial Overview

16.5.3 Product Type Benchmarking

16.5.4 Recent Developments

16.5.5 Winning Imperatives

16.5.6 Current Focus & Strategies

16.5.7 Threat from competition

16.5.8 SWOT Analysis

Continued

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - BELGRAVIA HARTFORD CAPITAL INC. (CSE: BLGV) ("Belgravia Hartford", "Belgravia" or the "Company") is providing a corporate update on the following matters:

Zonetail - (TSXV: ZONE)

After analyzing the various attempts by Zonetail to raise capital for the last 18 months Belgravia came to the realization that the outstanding debt of $325,000 with the 18% interest which Belgravia provided to Zonetail cannot be paid back. Belgravia provided a full summary of the investments and events on December 21st, 2022. On September 20th, 2023, at the request of Belgravia, the management of both companies met to amicably discuss a resolution and path going forward. In 2018 after a series of equity investments, Belgravia provided Zonetail with a timely loan of $325,000 in good faith at the frequent request of Zonetail's management. Belgravia at the request of Zonetail extended the debt out one full year in order to ensure the public listing of Zonetail remained on schedule which benefited all shareholders and stakeholders. After a series of equity investments in 2018 Belgravia had committed $876,600 and lost the majority of its holding value due to the performance of Zonetail while listed on the TSX-V. In addition, Belgravia made available numerous professional staff to provide timely corporate governance, administrative assistance and further guidance to ensure the public listing of Zonetail remains on schedule. Belgravia has agreed to write off the loan and drop litigation vs Zonetail. In return the claim against Belgravia will also be dropped.

Tartisan Nickel - (CSE: TN)

Belgravia will no longer seek to nominate a director to the board of Tartisan and will not seek to collect any amounts in connection to the management service agreement. Belgravia's claim against Tartisan and D. Mark Appleby and Tartisan's counterclaim have been dismissed.

Mehdi Azodi CEO of Belgravia stated, " We wish only the best for the shareholders of Zonetail and Tartisan and their respected management teams in executing their business strategy for prosperous and successful years ahead."

Litigation vs PolyNatura:

Belgravia will now fully direct its efforts and working capital on monetizing the $12,200,000 USD royalty from the Ochoa asset. Belgravia announced in December it would provide an update on the litigation matter against PolyNatura a company controlled by Cartesian Capital and it will in due course. In addition to Mr. Spencer Edelman at the law firm of Modrall, Sperling to manage this claim, Belgravia has also retained FTI Consulting.

About Belgravia Hartford

Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. ("Belgravia" or the "Company") is a publicly traded investment holding company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Belgravia is focused on growing its assets and holdings and increasing its net asset value (NAV). Belgravia invests in a portfolio of private and public companies located in jurisdictions governed by the rule of law. It takes a multi-sector investment approach with emphasis in the resources and commodities sector. Belgravia and its investments are considered high risk holdings and it may expose shareholders to significant volatility and losses.

For more information, please visit www.belgraviahartford.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and 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 such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding planned investment activities & related returns, the timing for completion of research and development activities, the potential value of royalties, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, the completion, results and timing of research undertaken by the Company, risks associated with resource assets, the impact of general economic conditions, commodity prices, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory, environmental, and governmental approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

For More Information, Please Contact:

Mehdi Azodi, President & CEO

Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc.

(250) 763-5533

mazodi@blgv.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193676

SOURCE: Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc
As tens of thousands of baby cane toads continue to sweep across parts of Queensland, inundating local communities, Aussies up and down the coast have been urged to "head out and make a real difference" and catch as many of the invasive animals as they can.

Late in December, residents of a Gold Coast suburb infested with "millions" of baby cane toads were left in disbelief over the sheer number of toxic amphibians roaming their streets. Tugun resident Jonathan told Yahoo News Australia the tiny toadlets had surrounded his family home and were jumping up at his back door.

Cane toads swamp Queensland

Jonathon's story is just one of many from all over the state, with experts now urging Aussies to participate in "The Great Cane Toad Bust", which kicks off from January 13 and runs until the 24th. Cane toad "busting" simply refers to catching the toxic animals and humanely euthanising them.

The cane toads have swamped a Gold Coast complex, with residents baffled by the explosion in numbers. Source: Supplied

Stunning vision of the invasive species shared on social media

In the last month, remarkable images have been shared from all over the Queensland coast showing roads swamped with baby cane toads and rivers  even in urban areas such as Brisbane  overrun with tadpoles.

In one video posted to social media, a man captured thousands of cane toad tadpoles in a river in Brisbane's north.

"There must be thousands of them," he said. "Look at them, unbelievable, all swimming around without a care in the world. There has to be a couple of thousand of them at least, look how dense they are there."

Cane toads are a notorious pest and wreak havoc across Queensland every year, with fears it's only a matter of time before they become widespread further down the coast in Sydney.

Experts urge Aussies to humanely euthanise the pests

The toads can impact agriculture and lead to the poisoning of thousands of pets annually thanks to toxins they release. In severe cases, pets can die in just 15 minutes after being poisoned.

Story continues

Baby cane toads, like the ones affecting the Tugun residential complex, are also poisonous. Female cane toads can lay up to 25,000 eggs at a time  and in fact 70,000 in one single year.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Nikki Tomsett, Invasive Species Project Officer for Watergum explained the best way to kill the animals humanely and without posing any risk to yourself, or your pets.

She warned that while were not going to eradicate cane toads from Australia", with the country too vast and populations too well established, "we can impact populations locally by toad busting and tadpole trapping."

A Brisbane waterway was overrun with the toxic tadpoles. Source: X

"Some studies show that cane toad busting can remove up roughly a third of the local cane toad population. Cane toads can live for more than 10 years and a single female cane toad can produce up to 70,000 tadpoles a year, so by regularly going out our toad busters see a real difference," she told Yahoo.

"There are no native toads in Australia, which makes it easy to learn how to identify cane toads and make a difference in your local area. Key things to look for are paratoid (poison) glands on the shoulders, and the bony eye brow ridge  these are two features that distinguish cane toads from native frogs.

By killing cane toads, food resources freed for native animals

Tomsett said that by controlling cane toad populations, it means food resources will be "freed up" for native wildlife and gives pet owners peace of mind, "knowing their animals are safer being let out at night.

If you see a cane toad, the best thing to do is pick it up, put it in a bucket or container in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours," she said. "This cools the toad down and puts it into torpor, a state similar to hibernation. You can then move the toad into the freezer, which "euthanises the toad without any pain.

Cane toads pose a risk to populations of native wildlife, poison domestic pets and even impact local agriculture, as they eat bees and dung beetles.

"[They have caused] population crashes in native wildlife such as goannas and freshwater crocodiles... and continue to cause declines even where populations have been long-established. Recently a local toad buster in Northern NSW found their friendly carpet python dead with a cane toad in it's stomach.

Cane toads are toxic at every life stage, she continued, from eggs through to adulthood and even after death. People should wear gloves when handling the animals and responsibly dispose of them by not leaving them in the environment, where they can still pose a risk to wildlife and pets.

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TXOne Networks Lauded for Work with Industry Pioneer in Semiconductor Manufacturing

TXOne Networks, a leader in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) security, announced that the company has been recognized by TSMC (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM), the world's first dedicated semiconductor foundry, for outstanding performance in technical cooperation in operational technology (OT) cybersecurity.

TSMC, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Taiwan, is the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer. In 2021, TSMC established the "SEMI Taiwan Cybersecurity Committee," introducing the first international standard, SEMI E187, and launching the "SEMI Cybersecurity Risk Rating Service." The company also released the "Cybersecurity Reference Architecture for Semiconductor Manufacturing Environment," enhancing cybersecurity measures in the semiconductor industry worldwide. These initiatives have attracted global attention and are expanding to regions such as the United States and Japan.

At the forefront of Taiwan's semiconductor industry-a cornerstone of global innovation and economic growth-cybersecurity challenges are garnering attention. Recognized as a vital part of the national strategy, semiconductor technology collaborations between Taiwan and other nations have attracted significant resources. However, the industry is facing persistent threats from notorious cybercriminal organizations such as Lapsus$, LockBit, Cuba, RansomHouse, and LV gangs, orchestrating ransomware attacks, extortion attempts and other malicious activity throughout 2022. These cyber threats coincide with the intensifying U.S.-China chip war, adding a geopolitical layer to the situation. The semiconductor industry, which is critical to global supply chains, remains vigilant, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to fortify cybersecurity measures and navigate evolving challenges.

"The demand for OT cybersecurity protection is rapidly growing as anticipated. However, due to the diverse production environments and operational methods in each vertical sector, tailored solutions are required," said Dr. Terence Liu, chief executive officer, TXOne Networks. "We are honored to collaborate with leaders in the global semiconductor industry and pioneers in professional integrated circuit manufacturing services. Together, we strive within the Semiconductor Cybersecurity Committee to define best practices for OT cybersecurity in the semiconductor industry. We look forward to continually expanding such experiences and working with our partners to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of the semiconductor ecosystem."

Follow TXOne Networks on Blog, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About TXOne Networks

TXOne Networks offers cybersecurity solutions that ensure the reliability and safety of industrial control systems and operational technology environments. TXOne Networks works together with both leading manufacturers and critical infrastructure operators to develop practical, operations-friendly approaches to cyber defense. TXOne Networks offers both network-based and endpoint-based products to secure the OT network and mission-critical devices using a real-time, defense-in-depth approach. www.txone.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109477682/en/

Contacts:

Global Media Contacts

Lynette Lee

Lynette_lee@txone.com

America Media Contacts

De Anne Olivares

deanne_olivares@txone.com

Vivian Kelly

Interprose for TXOne Networks

viviankelly@interprosepr.com

+1 703.509.5412
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Carol Cone ON PURPOSE

COP is a pivotal moment for United Nations members, politicians, and business leaders to gauge progress in tackling climate change and chart a course for action. At COP 28 this past December, a new group came to the forefront. Youth from around the world finally secured a seat at the decision-making table and were embraced more prominently than ever before.

This generation sets itself apart through a commitment to causes that matter, as well as its emergence as leaders that look beyond the needs of just their organizations or cause, focusing on impact for the world as a whole.

Four remarkable One Young World Ambassadors are part of this transformative group of young leaders. In the first half of this two-part series, host Carol Cone welcomes Anna Stanley-Radiere of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Enkhuun Byambadorj of Breathe Mongolia-Clean Air Coalition, who both deliver a clear message: that the youth of today are not waiting for change, they are propelling it.

Listen to this and other episodes of Purpose 360 Podcast here.

Purpose 360 Podcast is a masterclass in unlocking the potential of purpose to ignite business and social impact. Hosted by Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, Purpose 360 illuminates the impact of purpose, from engaging employees and fostering deeper consumer loyalty to inspiring product innovation and increasing market share.

Carol Cone ON PURPOSE (CCOP) is a pioneering social impact consultancy helping companies, brands, and nonprofits harness the power of purpose to advance their business and societal impact. CCOP's proven approach, developed over decades and hundreds of purpose assignments, meets clients at any point on their purpose journey to unlock opportunities to build reputation, inspire and engage employees, ignite organizational culture for innovation and growth, while supporting the greater good.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Carol Cone ON PURPOSE on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Carol Cone ON PURPOSE

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/carol-cone-purpose

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Carol Cone ON PURPOSE

View the original press release on accesswire.com
The "United Kingdom International Remittance Market Business and Investment Opportunities Analysis by Transaction Value Volume, Inbound and Outbound Transfers to and from Key States, Consumer Demographics Q2 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Recent research has illuminated significant trends in the UK's international remittance sector, highlighting a robust inbound market surge to $3.87 billion along with a steady growth in outbound remittance, projected to hit $12.02 billion by the end of 2028.

The detailed report explores the dynamics of the United Kingdom's international remittance landscape, dissecting the market by transaction value and volume, average value per transaction, and goes a step further to analyze consumer demographics and remittance flows both in and out of key UK states.

With a spotlight on digital, mobile, and non-digital channels, the study offers a granular view of remittance trends, sharing invaluable insights that cater to stakeholders' strategic needs. With a transactional analysis that spans diverse age groups, incomes, and occupational profiles of both senders and beneficiaries, the research serves as a vital tool for understanding the socioeconomic factors influencing remittance patterns.

Key Report Highlights:

Detailed analysis of the international inbound and outbound remittance market trends in the UK from 2023-2028.

Meticulous examination of market opportunities by transaction value, volume, and average value per transaction.

Competitive landscape insights and market share assessments of prominent players in the remittance space.

Thorough profiling of consumer segments to understand the demographics of remittance senders and recipients.

Specific insights into key states and regions pivotal in the remittance flow, including analysis by transfer channels.

This comprehensive report is an essential asset for businesses looking to augment their position in the UK remittance market, offering forward-looking analysis that leads to informed strategic decisions. Stakeholders now have an opportunity to comprehend how economic patterns and consumer behaviors are sculpting the remittance sphere.

The thorough forecasts included in the report will empower corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs to navigate the evolving market landscape with confidence, primed for the potential shifts envisaged in the international remittance space.

The report delineates a clear trajectory of the UK international remittance market's growth, making it a must-have for businesses keen on leveraging the burgeoning opportunities within this sector.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d29yon

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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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Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

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Constructive meeting held with FDA provided feedback and clear guidance on key aspects of further development of NOX-A12 combinations for the treatment of glioblastoma

Preparatory work on-track to open IND and to have feedback on access to expedited regulatory pathway by end of Q1 2024

Regulatory News:

TME Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALTME) (Paris:ALTME), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of cancer by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announces that it successfully completed its pre-IND advice meeting with the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), discussing plans for the further clinical development of NOX-A12 as a treatment of aggressive adult brain cancer, glioblastoma. Based on the feedback received, TME Pharma confirms that it is on track with preparations to file its Investigational New Drug (IND)1 application and the expedited regulatory pathway request on a timeline that will allow successful completion of both by the end of Q1 2024.

"The informative discussion with the FDA allows our team to prepare an IND application that fits with the requirements of the US regulator in areas where there has been recent evolution in recommendations by the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence, such as the selection of the appropriate therapeutic dose of new oncology drugs2said Aram Mangasarian, CEO of TME Pharma. "As a result, we are confident to be able to meet our target of having an FDA approved clinical trial protocol in glioblastoma with an expedited regulatory path in the US by the end of Q1 2024 in order to secure the funding for the necessary clinical trial via partnership, investment or other strategic transaction types. While the company plans to provide further updates on the status of applications during the ongoing discussions, the final trial design will be shared once the FDA has completed its assessment. We believe that the combination of a defined regulatory path and the mature data from the GLORIA brain cancer trial will, together, form an attractive package for potential partners."

About TME Pharma

TME Pharma is a clinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapies for treatment of the most aggressive cancers. The company's oncology-focused pipeline is designed to act on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking tumor protection barriers against the immune system and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, TME Pharma's approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses and enable greater therapeutic impact. In the GLORIA clinical trial, TME Pharma is studying its lead drug candidate NOX-A12 in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy. TME Pharma has delivered top-line data from the NOX-A12 three dose-escalation cohorts combined with radiotherapy of the GLORIA clinical trial, observing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA expansion arms evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in other combinations where the interim results from the triple combination of NOX-A12, radiotherapy and bevacizumab suggest even deeper and more durable responses, and improved survival. NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy has received orphan drug designation for glioblastoma in the United States and glioma in Europe. TME Pharma has delivered final top-line data with encouraging overall survival and safety profile from its NOX-A12 combination trial with Keytruda in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients, which was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer in October 2021. The company has entered in its second collaboration with MSD/Merck for its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Merck's Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The design of the trial has been approved in France, Spain and the United States. The company's second clinical-stage drug candidate, NOX-E36, is designed to target the innate immune system. TME Pharma is considering several solid tumors for further clinical development. Further information can be found at: www.tmepharma.com

TME Pharma and the TME Pharma logo are registered trademarks.

Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp Dohme Corp.

Visit TME Pharma on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the GLORIA Study

GLORIA (NCT04121455) is TME Pharma's dose-escalation, Phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab.

About the OPTIMUS Study

OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is TME Pharma's planned open-label two-arm Phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

Disclaimer

Translations of any press release into languages other than English are intended solely as a convenience to the non-English-reading audience. The company has attempted to provide an accurate translation of the original text in English, but due to the nuances in translating into another language, slight differences may exist. This press release includes certain disclosures that contain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are based on TME Pharma's current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the risks inherent in oncology drug development, including clinical trials and the timing of and TME Pharma's ability to obtain regulatory approvals for NOX-A12 as well as any other drug candidates. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and TME Pharma undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

1 Investigational New Drug (IND), the authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational drug or biological product to patients in the US as part of a clinical trial.

2 See Project Optimus Reforming the dose optimization and dose selection paradigm in oncology at Project Optimus FDA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109528639/en/

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

TME Pharma N.V.

Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D., CEO

Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0

investors@tmepharma.com

Investor and Media Relations:

LifeSci Advisors

Guillaume van Renterghem

Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31

gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15

arouille@newcap.fr
Redde Northgate Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 09

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

09 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 09 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 : 25,000 Weighted average purchase price paid : 359.5 pence per share Highest purchase price paid : 359.5 pence per share Lowest purchase price paid : 359.5 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 17,615,071 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 228,476,352 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 09 January 2024)

Number of shares

purchased Transaction price

(GB pence per share) Time of transaction Transaction reference number Venue 25,000 359.50 11:54:09 00068375605TRLO0 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:
Acquisition reinforces Metro Supply Chain's position as a leading North American and international strategic contract logistics service provider, while adding new verticals to its offering

MONTREAL, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Metro Supply Chain Inc. ("Metro Supply Chain"), a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest growing and most reputable organizations, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire SCI Group Inc. ("SCI"), a leading Canadian third-party logistics (3PL) company, from Canada Post Corporation ("Canada Post") and Purolator Holdings Ltd.

This transformational transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

"We are thrilled about the prospect of acquiring SCI," said Chiko Nanji, Metro Supply Chain Founder and Group Chairman. "There is an excellent strategic fit between SCI and our existing operations and culture, and we are excited about the future as a combined entity. This acquisition will strengthen our position as a true champion in strategic contract logistics services."

The combined entity, with deep Canadian roots and a shared focus on customers, will be ideally positioned to compete in the global supply chain sector.

"The strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI is strong. We look forward to leveraging our complementary strengths and shared emphasis on operational excellence to generate growth for clients in multiple sectors, including technology and healthcare, and expand our e-commerce offering," said Metro Supply Chain President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Fenton. "The addition of SCI to the Metro Supply Chain group will offer opportunities to enhance our expansion efforts south of the border."

Headquartered in Quebec, with significant regional support offices in the Greater Toronto Area and operations across Canada, the United States and United Kingdom, the combined entity will create a diversified supply chain solutions provider.

Metro Supply Chain is highly engaged and committed to its people and the communities in which it operates. It is mindful of its social, economic and environmental impact and seeks ways to work more sustainably and create a positive impact on the planet, customers, teams and communities.

Chris Galindo, President and CEO of SCI, will remain with the combined entity, ensuring the continuity of SCI's commitment to excellence.

"There is a strong strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI, from our strong people-first cultures to our focus on innovation, best-in-class systems, and contractual business models and complementary technology, client and vertical mix," explained Galindo.

Metro Supply Chain is grateful to its existing and new financial partners, LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, Investissement Quebec, and the National Bank of Canada, for their support in this transaction and the future growth of the combined entity.

"With this 10th acquisition by Metro Supply Chain since it began working with CDPQ in 2018, the company is actively pursuing its strategic development plan," said Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Quebec at CDPQ. "We are proud to support the company in its efforts to strengthen its position as a Canadian leader, accelerate growth projects and expand activities, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom."

To support its global strategic vision, Metro Supply Chain has concluded an agreement with the Government of Quebec through Investissement Quebec, for an investment by way of a private placement in Metro Supply Chain.

"To ensure the economic and sustainable development of Quebec, it is essential that we be able to rely on Quebec companies and robust supply chains. With this investment in Metro Supply Chain, we are helping a Quebec company to become an international leader in the logistics sector," stated Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region.

"This transaction aligns with Investissement Quebec's mission to create a logistics champion and support its geographic expansion outside Quebec. Metro Supply Chain is setting an example by making a significant investment to improve its productivity by automating its warehouses. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chains, which are an essential link in the Quebec economy," said Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Quebec.

"Metro Supply Chain welcomes Investissement Quebec as one of its new strategic partners and is very pleased to be able to count on the continued support of LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, the National Bank of Canada, as we pursue our global growth ambitions," stated Metro Supply Chain CFO Mathieu Descheneaux. "This strategic investment enables us to acquire high-quality companies like SCI to expand the range and depth of supply chain solutions we can offer."

Together, Metro Supply Chain and SCI anticipate a bright future, delivering innovative supply chain solutions that meet the most challenging needs of their customers.

TD Securities Inc. is acting as exclusive financial and financing advisor to Metro Supply Chain, while Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and Stikeman Elliott LLP are acting as legal advisors to Metro Supply Chain.

Metro Supply Chain is a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest-growing and most reputable organizations. For almost 50 years, it has excelled at tailoring integrated, data-driven solutions, fueled by advanced systems and technology, that fulfill complex and challenging distribution needs. Managing 15 million square feet in more than 100 sites across North America and Europe with a team of 6,000, it is one of Canada's largest privately owned supply chain solutions companies. In 2023, Metro Supply Chain received the prestigious Best Managed Companies award for its strategic expertise, culture of innovation and commitment to its people and local communities.

SCI makes North American businesses even better by offering its clients in the omni-channel retail, technology, health, beauty and wellness sectors a suite of end-to-end supply chain solutions. For 30 years, its deep-rooted, best-in-class logistics, supply chain, and transportation management expertise has continued to help mid-market clients coast-to-coast and across the border.

SCI manages more than $1 billion of inventory daily through a nationwide network across Canada. It operates more than 75 locations totalling over 4 million square feet and employs more than 3,000 team members.

SCI prides itself on adding value to clients' business by removing friction points and seamlessly delivering on their business strategy. Through continuous improvement processes, business intelligence tools, data-driven insights, and progressive technology, its integrated team of experts are committed to reducing costs, risks and complexity within the supply chain. By optimizing supply chain operations, SCI's clients gain the competitive advantage they need to scale their business.

Media inquiries, please contact: For Metro Supply Chain: Serge Vallieres - NATIONAL Public Relations, Director, Corporate Communications, svallieres@national.ca, (438) 372-3575; For CDPQ: Kate Monfette, Director, Media Relations, kmonfette@cdpq.com, (438) 525-2520; For Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy: Rosalie Tremblay-Cloutier, Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Rosalie.Cloutier@economie.gouv.qc.ca, (438) 777-3777; For Investissement Quebec: Mathieu Rouy, Special Advisor, Media and Government Affairs, Mathieu.Rouy@invest-quebec.com, (438) 827-4143

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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 09

For immediate release

9 January 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 101,762 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 838.59 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 26,933,528; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 198,057,775.

The figure of 198,057,775 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
BH Macro Limited - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, January 09

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

9 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: 9 January 2024 9 January 2024 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 170,521 100,000 Lowest price per share 362.00 363.00 Highest price per share 366.00 363.00 Trading venue London JPSI Aggregate volume per date per trading venue: 170,521 100,000 Weighted average price per day per trading venue: 363.2804 363.00

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 370,426,475 Sterling Shares 3,103,432 Sterling Shares 29,854,672 Dollar Shares Nil Dollar Shares

From 9 January 2024, the total number of voting rights in the Company (rounded up to the whole number) is 567,604,809.

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 745001
With significant advances in efficiency, performance and power, Beatbot AquaSense Pro is truly, "The One Pool Robot to Rule Them All".

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beatbot, a trailblazing technology brand in the global pool robotics industry, is set to make a splash at CES 2024 with the introduction of the groundbreaking Beatbot AquaSense Pro, an all-in-one robot vacuum that redefines smart pool cleaning. The Beatbot AquaSense Pro, along with its standard version, Beatbot AquaSense, will be unveiled at CES 2024 and is available for pre-order at official website.

"Home-cleaning robots have evolved rapidly in a few short years to meet consumer demand, but pool robotics have lagged behind, as they have struggled with performance issues, limited coverage, and outdated features like power cords and wires. All of this changes with Beatbot AquaSense Pro, which is the first to bring advanced intelligence, AI and a series of modern improvements to make pool ownership so much easier," said Siler Wang, CEO and Founder of Beatbot.

Many robot pool cleaners today suffer from poor efficiency or lack of performance. They are inefficient due to lack of navigation logic and cleaning path, get stuck on walls or obstacles, and have incomplete coverage from missed areas, low coverage and go back to the same places to clean. They lack performance in that they have poor suction, difficulty handling specific debris, make the pool even cloudier after cleaning, or cannot properly climb the walls and fall periodically. Surface cleaning is challenging for pool owners as almost 100% of debris initially falls into the pool through the surface and up until now, no other pool robots are designed to clean both the surface and other pool areas.

Beatbot AquaSense Pro solves these issues by delivering:

The First Intelligent Pool Robot Featuring AI for Ultra-Efficient Cleaning

Beatbot AquaSense Pro is the first robot pool cleaner with true decision thinking, featuring AI. Serving as the eyes and ears of the device, the robot includes 20 smart sensors including dual gyroscopes and dual ultrasonic sensors to make the device the only pool robot that can "see" and "understand" its environment, informing the Beatbot OS and enabling adaptive navigation to accurate distance measurement, precise orientation and more. The powerful Beatbot OS - the robot's brain, is capable of making decisions based on changing conditions to create the best possible cleaning route for each pool.

The map and path planning via software and sensors, allows it to avoid edges and obstacles and creates optimized routes to eliminate overlap and missed spots. This path optimization together with the industry first 5-in-1 cleaning provide 100% pool coverage. It covers every inch of the pool, from floor and walls to waterline, water surface and even water clarification. Its industry-first ClearWater clarifier dispenser also adapts the dosage of cleaning agents by size of pool to provide unmatched clarity.

Unrivaled Power and Versatility

Featuring 9 motors, 4 brushes and 2 filters, Beatbot AquaSense Pro is truly powerful. The Industry-First NonaDrive 9 Motor System pairs with two sets of brushes at the front and back to double the performance and can operate at different speeds to improve precision control. There are two filters, with ultra-fine filtration up to 150 m to capture debris of all sizes, and along with the patented AquaGlide Simulated Flight Propulsion System and a top suction port, Beatbot AquaSense Pro can move along the pool surface to capture debris before it sinks. All supported by a large 10,000 mAh lithium battery for up to 9.5 hours of running time.

Fully Cordless and Highly Convenient

Beatbot AquaSense Pro not only cuts the cord from legacy pool cleaning devices to be free to go anywhere and eliminate the issues with tangles and power outlet concerns, it adds significant intelligence into the OS to make life easy for users. It allows users to visualize their pool's layout and cleaning path through the intuitive app. In addition, for user convenience, it has multiple cleaning modes to pick from, including quick, standard, pro and ECO, with an additional custom mode to be added through over the air updates to come. As the Beatbot AquaSense Pro has a memory, unlike other pool cleaners, when it finishes the job, it conveniently docks at the surface, back where it started, with a submarine-inspired automatic water release, making retrieval lighter and easier for users.

Certified Quality and Reliability

The Beatbot AquaSense Pro has been through stringent testing to minimize the types of breakdowns and hardware issues other products often suffer. Along with IP68 waterproof protection, it has a comprehensive list of industry-leading certifications and a two year warranty for peace of mind. The Beatbot OS will continue to receive over the air (OTA) updates to support and increase functionality as part of the company's commitment to product dependability and continued innovation.

Beatbot invites CES 2024 attendees to witness the future of pool cleaning technology at CES Booth 9077, North Hall LVCC . Discover how the Beatbot AquaSense Pro is set to revolutionize the way we maintain our pools, making crystal-clear water more accessible than ever before.

Price and Availability

Beatbot AquaSense Pro will be available at $2199, and Beatbot AquaSense will be available at $1299. Special pre-order pricing opens now for the US with up to $500 off with deposit. For more information about Beatbot, please visit http://www.beatbot.com.

About Beatbot

Redefine Smart Pool Care. Beatbot is a technology brand dedicated to the global robotization of swimming pool environments. Founded by industry experts with over 10 years of experience in leading home robotics companies, the company is growing rapidly, with offices in multiple countries and a strong team of over 80 R&D members. Pioneering core technologies like brushless water pumps, AUV spatial locomotion, sonar laser SLAM, and space mapping navigation algorithms, Beatbot has secured numerous patents and pioneered industry-first innovations. Currently, we hold over 132 patents (granted and under application), including 50 patents for inventions. The brand aims to lead the world in smart, all-in-one pool care robotics inheriting the legacy of top-tier home robotics companies, and is driven by a commitment to product excellence. Beatbot's mission is to redefine pool care, address industry challenges, enhance performance, and deliver hassle-free pool care experiences.

For media inquiries, please contact Beatbot at marketing@beatbot.com.

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Technology to help enhance detection of impaired driving, a leading cause of traffic-related fatalities in the U.S.

The passive system approach uses both vision and infrared sensor technology

Cockpit-embedded sensors and camera system measure alcohol from a driver's exhaled breath and through pupillary signals

AURORA, Ontario, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At CES 2024, leading mobility technology company Magna introduced a breath and camera-based pre-development technology designed to combat impaired driving. The cutting-edge solution represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance road safety.

The new safety technology determines if drivers are "fit to drive" in a fast, reliable and affordable way. The integrated solution combines key elements of the interior sensing system, which utilizes camera technology to detect driver distraction, drowsiness and intoxication through pupillary signals, with infrared sensor technology developed by Senseair, a leader in air and gas sensing.

New impaired driving prevention technology uses a combination of vision and breath-based technologies



Cockpit-embedded sensors, placed in proximity to the driver, measure and quantify the alcohol and carbon dioxide levels in diluted exhalations from the driver. The technology is intended to passively detect an intoxicated driver with a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent in all states except Utah, where the legal limit is 0.05 percent.

"As we continue to support the company's vision of advancing mobility for everyone, our team is focused on delivering active safety innovations that help reduce accidents and fatalities," said Bill Snider, President of Electronics at Magna. "We are working with our customers and the industry to take a significant step forward in making the roads safer for all who share them."

Drunk driving claimed more than 13,000 lives in 2021 or about one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Magna's new solution focuses on alcohol detection, the most common substance associated with impaired driving crashes.

During CES, the company will provide outdoor demonstrations of this technology by appointment only at booth WP-42 in the West Plaza Parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information on this and other Magna technologies on display at CES, visit www.magna.com/CES2024.

TAGS

CES 2024, Driver Monitoring, Impairment Detection, Safety, Electronics, Product & Technology

INVESTOR CONTACT

Louis Tonelli, Vice-President, Investor Relations

louis.tonelli@magna.com, 905-726-7035

MEDIA CONTACT

Tracy Fuerst, Vice President, Corporate Communications & PR

tracy.fuerst@magna.com, 248-761-7004

ABOUT MAGNA

Magna is more than one of the world's largest suppliers in the automotive space. We are a mobility technology company built to innovate, with a global, entrepreneurial-minded team of over 181,000 employees across 344 manufacturing operations and 104 product development, engineering and sales centres spanning 29 countries. With 65+ years of expertise, our ecosystem of interconnected products combined with our complete vehicle expertise uniquely positions us to advance mobility in an expanded transportation landscape.

For further information about Magnaor follow us on social.

THIS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN STATEMENTS WHICH CONSTITUTE "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION AND ARE SUBJECT TO, AND EXPRESSLY QUALIFIED BY, THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS THAT ARE SET OUT IN MAGNA'S REGULATORY FILINGS. PLEASE REFER TO MAGNA'S MOST CURRENT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL POSITION, ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM AND ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 40-F, AS REPLACED OR UPDATED BY ANY OF MAGNA'S SUBSEQUENT REGULATORY FILINGS, WHICH SET OUT THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS, INCLUDING THE RISK FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE INDICATED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ON MAGNA'S WEBSITE AT WWW.MAGNA.COM.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/22f67d82-1412-44d7-8b6a-6ef03b72250a
A couple have been criticised for reeling in a shark at a popular swimming spot on Queensland's Gold Coast. In a video of the incident, a fisherman can be seen standing on the banks of Tallebudgera Creek with a shark on the end of his fishing line.

While his catch remains motionless in the shallows, the man tries to pull it up onto the sand, before the shark slaps its tail in the water.

"It looks like a juvenile bull shark and it certainly fits the profile, location and time of year," Professor Culum Brown from the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University told Yahoo News Australia, adding that bull sharks are one of the most dangerous species in Australia. "They're certainly listed in the top three shark species that are related to human shark interactions, so they do tend to bite people."

A fisherman accidentally hooked a shark at a popular Gold Coast swimming spot. Source: Facebook

The couple said they published the video on Facebook as a "reminder" of "what's in the waterways", but many locals weren't surprised by the find. "They're everywhere, through all the water systems of the Gold Coast," one resident responded. "Plenty in there," echoed another.

"The main thing to know about bull sharks generally is that they spend a lot of time in estuaries," Brown added. "So they're not like your typical coastal sharks, like tigers and whites, which move down the coast and offshore. Bull sharks spend a lot of time in estuaries and small tidal creeks, just like this."

"I just think people need to be aware that there are bull sharks in these canal systems up and down pretty much the whole northeast coast. So you know, they've always been there, they will always be there, and you just have to be mindful that it's a possibility that you might get bitten, but it's extremely rare."

Story continues

Locals outraged bycatch

Others on Facebook were furious that a shark had been caught in the creek. "The most unfortunate thing is that there are humans in the waterways and some think these waterways belong to them," a local commented, while others criticised the fisherman for not releasing the catch back into the water.

The partner of the angler fired back, saying "we removed [the] hook and released [the shark]" before it swam away. "People go fishing, can't predict what's going to hook up," she added.

Debate over shark fishing

While the couple didn't catch the shark on purpose, the incident has reignited the debate over whether or not people should be allowed to intentionally fish for sharks from Aussie beaches.

In Western Australia, the state government recently moved to ban shark fishing across all beaches in Perth following two fatal shark attacks in three years. Conservationists welcomed the move, saying it was a win for public safety and shark welfare.

However, in Queensland shark fishing remains a popular recreational activity at some southern beaches, according to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. While those fishing are encouraged to "only fish for sharks away from swimmers and other waterway users".

Brown argues it's just encouraging sharks to come closer to shore, putting people at risk. "Personally, I think it does and it's simply due to the fact that you're throwing bait in the water," he said. "So nobody could argue that that's not going to attract sharks. I mean, the point of catching sharks is to attract them. That's how it works.

"There are those who take in a sort of slightly different view that once you catch a shark, it tends to be stressed and it swims away and leaves the area for some brief period of time. Of course, these animals move around a lot and so they'll be back, and if it's not that individual there'll be another one. So, personally, I think that if there are people swimming, or potentially swimming in the area, people should not be fishing for sharks. It's incompatible."

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Durham, North Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - The International Society of Automation (ISA) has announced its Society leadership for the term beginning 1 January 2024. Members of the Executive Board include:

President: Prabhu Soundarrajan, Service by Medallion Inc.

President-elect Secretary: Scott Reynolds, Johns Manville

Past President: Marty Bince, EECOL Electric

Treasurer: Ardis Bartle, Apex Measurement and Controls LLC

Executive Director: Claire Fallon, International Society of Automation

Soliman Almadi, Saudi Aramco

Dean Bickerton, The Reynolds Company

Francisco Diaz-Andreu, Repsol-ISA

Nick Erickson, AWC, Inc.

Colleen Goldsborough, United Electric Supply

Vivek Gupta, DCM Shriram Ltd

Eddie Habibi, Zenzero Investments

Shank Iyer, Amazon Web Services

Maxym Lachance, BBA

Carlos Mandolesi, Trinity College Dublin

Edward Naranjo, Honeywell International

Megan Samford, Schneider Electric

Jagdish Shukla, Servilink Systems Ltd.

Sujata Tilak, Ascent Intellimation

Jeff Winter, Hitachi Solutions

These individuals have demonstrated their strong commitment to ISA and to visioning the role that the Society plays in the future of the automation community.

"I am honored to welcome this new slate of exceptional professionals to ISA leadership," said Mr. Soundarrajan. "International is the first word in our Society's name, and I am delighted to see such a diverse group represented here, representing six countries and with a wide array of experience across ISA and the industry sectors our Society serves."

Nominations for Executive Board are accepted annually from 1 January to 15 February. For more information, visit https://www.isa.org/about-isa/leadership/nominations-and-election-process.

About ISA

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1945 to create a better world through automation. ISA's mission is to empower the global automation community through standards and knowledge sharing. ISA develops widely used global standards and conformity assessment programs; certifies professionals; provides education and training; publishes

books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its members and customers around the world. Learn more at www.isa.org.

###

Media Contact:

Morgan Foor, mfoor@isa.org

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193707

SOURCE: International Society of Automation
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / AI/ML Innovations Inc., ("AI/ML" or the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB:AIMLF)(FWB:42FB) a leading innovator in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions, is excited to announce a live townhall event scheduled for January 11th, 7:00 PM EST. The event, to be broadcasted online, will feature Paul Duffy, the Chief Executive Officer of AI/ML Innovations Inc.

The meeting will be a unique opportunity to connect directly with CEO Paul Duffy and gain insights into the exciting developments planned for the next 90 days.

The town hall will feature a comprehensive presentation by CEO Paul Duffy, outlining the company's business plan for Q1, 2024. Shareholders will have the chance to hear firsthand about upcoming milestones, strategic initiatives, and key objectives that will shape the company's trajectory in the coming months.

In anticipation of the event, Paul Duffy expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "The company is heading into an extremely busy and productive year, and I am excited to bring value to our shareholders and clients. The townhall provides an excellent platform to share our successes, chart the path forward, and engage with our stakeholders on the exciting journey ahead." Investors, clients, and industry enthusiasts are encouraged to join the live broadcast on January 11th to gain valuable insights into AI/ML Innovations Inc.'s achievements and future endeavors.

To register for our live event:

https://events.ftmig.ca/follow-the-money-investor-gr/The-Next-100-Days-with-Paul-Duffy-CEO-of-AI-ML-Innovations

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or info@aiml-innovations.com.



About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Three Chargeability Anomalies have been Identified by TyphoonTM on the Umm Ash Shalahib Exploration License to the South of Ma'aden's Al Amar Gold-Copper-Zinc Mine

The Umm Ash Shalahib Typhoon Survey Will Eventually Cover more than 65 km2 and is Approximately 30% Complete

Ma'aden and Ivanhoe Electric Formed Their 50/50 Joint Venture in 2023 to Explore for Copper, Gold, Silver and other Electric Metals on over ~48,500 km2 of Underexplored Arabian Shield

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA / ACCESSWIRE / January 09, 2024 / Ivanhoe Electric Inc. ("Ivanhoe Electric") (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) Executive Chairman, Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer Taylor Melvin are pleased to announce results from the initial TyphoonTM survey conducted in Saudi Arabia by the 50/50-owned joint venture company (the "Joint Venture") established between Ivanhoe Electric and Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden ("Ma'aden") (Saudi Stock Exchange Tadawul: 1211).

Ma'aden and Ivanhoe Electric established the Joint Venture to unlock the significant mineral potential in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Joint Venture has exclusive access to explore approximately 48,500 km2 of underexplored land on the Arabian Shield that Ma'aden will make available to the Joint Venture.

Mr. Friedland commented: "We are thrilled today to announce these initial results from our ongoing TyphoonTM survey in Saudi Arabia. Our joint team is deploying Ivanhoe Electric's TyphoonTM surveying technology and utilizing our Computational Geosciences imaging software to accelerate the exploration process in Saudi Arabia. Our team generated these initial results in just over two months. We have identified three prospective anomalies for follow-up drill testing on the most prospective areas of this survey, which are south of Ma'aden's Al Amar Gold-Copper-Zinc Mine. Developing drill targets this quickly is possible because of the combination of our talented exploration team and Ivanhoe Electric's disruptive, proprietary technologies. We are just getting started in the Kingdom."

Mr. Melvin commented: "It's a great accomplishment for our Joint Venture to identify drill targets so quickly after commencing surveying activities at the Al Amar Belt. These initial results demonstrate the powerful exploration platform of Ivanhoe Electric's TyphoonTM surveying system and Computational Geosciences' imaging software. Typhoon'sTM high-voltage specifications are ideal for the resistive rock cover at the Umm Ash Shalahib Exploration License. CGI's machine learning-based software rapidly generated clear chargeability and resistivity datasets that allowed our geological team to start data interpretation and identification of drill targets. The initial results at Umm Ash Shalahib are a testament to TyphoonTM and CGI's capabilities and the work of the Joint Venture's exploration team. We look forward to completing our survey and drilling these attractive initial targets."

Initial TyphoonTM survey yields three prospective chargeability anomalies for subsequent drill testing

The twenty-four exploration licenses that make up the Al Amar Belt cover 1,934 km2 as shown in Figure 1.

The Al Amar Belt is considered highly prospective for Volcanic Massive Sulfide (VMS) and epithermal deposit types with historical work identifying zinc, copper, lead, silver and gold mineralization.

The Arabian Shield is more broadly considered highly prospective for both VMS and epithermal styles of mineralization. A notable VMS deposit in the Arabian Shield is the Jabal Sayid copper mine operated as a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corporation and Ma'aden that produced 68,492 tonnes of copper in 2022. Ma'aden's Mahd Ad Dhahab 'Cradle of Gold' gold mine is an example of an epithermal deposit on the shield that has been mined since pre-Islamic times.

Figure 1. Map of ~48,500 km2 of exploration land available to the Joint Venture showing the current Exploration Licenses and Exploration License Applications available.

As disclosed in the news release on November 29, 2023, the Joint Venture commenced exploration activities at the Umm Ash Shalahib exploration license, which largely surrounds Ma'aden's existing Al Amar gold-copper-zinc mine (which is not part of the Joint Venture). The area comprises steep hills with flat valleys (wadis) providing good access. To date, over 25 km2 of the exploration license area has been surveyed by TyphoonTM and will continue over the entirety of the 65 km2 exploration license area. The survey of the entire exploration license is expected to be fully completed by the end of March 2024.

As the operator during the exploration phase, Ivanhoe Electric is well underway with TyphoonTM surveying starting at the south of the exploration license and moving north as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Umm Ash Shalahib Exploration License surrounding the Al Amar Gold-Copper-Zinc Mine with TyphoonTM Survey Program areas.

Figure 3. Initial inversion results approximately 200 meters below surface from Block 1 in the South of the Umm Ash Shalahib Exploration License

These results have been prepared by Ivanhoe Electric's subsidiary Computational Geosciences Inc. (CGI), who use propriety software and machine learning tools to rapidly invert the raw data produced by TyphoonTM into geophysical results for interpretation. The data processing and artificial intelligence software developed by CGI complements our TyphoonTM technology and represents the only software product that can efficiently process the full spectrum of geophysical data produced by TyphoonTM.

These initial results show three zones of interesting chargeability approximately 200 meters below surface:

The Eastern anomaly has a very good correlation with a zone of mineralization historically identified at surface. Based on the government regional geological map, the area is also shown to be underlain by the same volcanic rocks that host the historic mineralization.

The Southern anomaly is also adjacent to an area immediately to the west that was historically trenched and drilled in the 1970s by the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres (BRGM), the French state geological survey group, and more recently in 2017 and 2018 by Ma'aden. Both BRGM and Ma'aden report intervals of zinc mineralization of 7.5 meters to 15 meters of 6.2% zinc and 7.7% zinc, respectively, and an interval of 31.5 meters @ 2.98% copper. Geological mapping and sampling of trenches has been initiated by the Joint Venture as well as compiling the historical drill and trench results. Further work is required to assist in this structural interpretation.

The Western anomaly appears to be along the stratigraphic trend from the Southern anomaly and is completely unmapped.

The chargeability zones to the southwest are likely caused by wadi fill to the west and a band of serpentinite mapped on the regional geological map and are not expected to represent sulfide mineralization that normally causes chargeability anomalies.

None of these anomalies have been drill tested by the Joint Venture. This work will follow the interpretation process.

TyphoonTM sees what other technologies cannot

TyphoonTM is the brand name for Ivanhoe Electric's proprietary electrical geophysical surveying transmitter, which can survey for the presence of sulfide minerals potentially containing copper, nickel, gold and silver.

TyphoonTM achieves its results through its unique specifications, which include a current output of up to 200 amps and a voltage output of up to 10,000 volts. The transmitter uses switches and capacitance systems, which generate a very pure and stable transmitted signal, resulting in an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio.

TyphoonTM was developed specifically to conduct large surveys and identify deep geophysical anomalies in environments that have highly resistive surface conditions, such as those seen in the Arabian Shield. TyphoonTM is well-suited to detect the presence of sulfide minerals containing copper, nickel, gold and silver in areas where potential deposits are hidden by cover and where target depths exceed the range of conventional geophysical surveying systems. The Arabian Shield's bedrock is frequently hidden by sand and gravel cover that can exceed 1 kilometer in depth, similar to the conditions at Ivanhoe Electric's Santa Cruz project in Arizona, USA.

TyphoonTM is also capable of transmitting both induced polarization and electromagnetic signals, meaning that the same transmitter can be used to search for a wide variety of mineral deposit types, including VMS copper and gold deposits, as well as epithermal gold, and porphyry copper and gold deposits.

The Joint Venture is currently utilizing an existing TyphoonTM unit from Ivanhoe Electric. In addition, Ivanhoe Electric has also made a second existing unit available to the Joint Venture. This second TyphoonTM unit will be displayed at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh on January 10 - 11, 2024 before being deployed to Al Amar.

The Joint Venture has also purchased three new generation TyphoonTM units. The first of these new generation TyphoonTM units is expected to be delivered in Q1 2024, with the balance in the first half of 2024. The units in use will be withdrawn as the new generation units are deployed in the field by the Joint Venture.

Qualified Persons

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature included in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Charles N. Forster, P.Geo., and Mark Gibson, P.Geo., both who are Qualified Persons as defined by Regulation S-K, Subpart 1300 promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Forster is a Senior Advisor to Ivanhoe Electric and Mr. Gibson is Chief Geophysics Officer of Ivanhoe Electric. Historical drill results provided by Ma'aden and BRGM have not been independently verified by the Qualified Persons.

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 TyphoonTM 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. Website: www.ivanhoeelectric.com.

About Ma'aden

Ma'aden is the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East and among the fastest-growing mining companies in the world, with revenues of SAR 40.2 billion (US$10.7 billion) in 2022. Ma'aden is developing the mining industry into the third pillar of the Saudi economy in line with Vision 2030, and aims to be a role model in responsible and sustainable operations. Ma'aden operates 17 mines and sites, has 6,000+ direct employees and exports products to over 30 countries. Ma'aden is embarking on massive growth over the next 18 years across phosphate, aluminum, gold, copper and new minerals. Ma'aden is also Ivanhoe Electric's second largest stockholder holding approximately 9.9% of the currently issued common stock.

Website https://www.maaden.com.sa/

Contact Information

Investors: Valerie Kimball, Director, Investor Relations 720-933-1150

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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.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable US and Canadian securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Ivanhoe Electric, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect Ivanhoe Electric's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release.

Such statements in this news release include, without limitation; the use of the TyphoonTM System to survey the Al Amar Belt; the continued use of TyphoonTM at Umm Ash Shalahib; the building and delivery of TyphoonTM units for the Ivanhoe Electric and Ma'aden Joint Venture through H1 2024; the functioning of our technology; our ability to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process; completion of the Umm Ash Shalahib TyphoonTM survey by the end of March 2024, and planned or potential developments in the businesses of Ivanhoe Electric and the Joint Venture.

Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including changes in the prices of copper or other metals Ivanhoe Electric is exploring for; the results of exploration and drilling activities and/or the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations; the final assessment of exploration results and information that is preliminary; the significant risk and hazards associated with any future mining operations, extensive regulation by the US government as well as local governments; changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with Ivanhoe Electric to perform as agreed; and the impact of political, economic and other uncertainties associated with operating in foreign countries, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economy. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements and risk factors described in Ivanhoe Electric's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Ivanhoe Electric cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable securities laws, Ivanhoe Electric does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release, and Ivanhoe Electric expressly disclaims any requirement to do so. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Ivanhoe Electric cautions you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable securities laws, Ivanhoe Electric does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release, and Ivanhoe Electric expressly disclaims any requirement to do so.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
We're excited to announce our groundbreaking collaboration between the BeOnAir Network of Media Schools and the First Class Broadcasting Corporation. Together, we've created a platform that will showcase the captivating content of our talented alumni and aspiring podcast creators.

CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / At the BeOnAir Network, we believe in the power of podcasts to captivate and inspire. Our goal is to provide a collaborative and creative space for our alumni podcasters to shine, reaching new levels of visibility and prominence. Being a member of our podcasting network offers access to shared resources, opportunities to showcase skills, and the networking and promotional power of the BeOnAir Network to reach a wider audience and enhance exposure. The platform will also provide BeOnAir media students with opportunities for collaborations and internships.

With the BeOnAir Podcast Network, we're committed to offering a cost-effective solution for our alumni to enhance their podcast brands. Our partnership with First Class Broadcasting allows us to take this network to a whole new level. "As an alumnus, I'm proud to partner with Ohio Media School on the creation of the BeOnAir Podcast Network. Through our working relationship, OMS and FCB are providing a unique opportunity to creators that will help give them a leg up in this diverse and competitive market." - Darvio Morrow, CEO of The First Class Broadcasting Corporation

"I'm almost jealous of this opportunity  Take it from somebody who has built a network from the ground up, I wish I had this opportunity when I started as this would have made things a great deal easier."

The BeOnAir Podcast Network fosters creativity, fuels collaboration, and strives for podcasting excellence. With our extensive cross-promotional opportunities, the BeOnAir brand hopes to redefine the world of podcasts and provide opportunities for our alumni and our network to gain a competitive edge in the crowded podcasting world.

Podcast Host Tonia Tyler, from "Coffee with T" Podcast which features 20-minute conversational interviews on various topics ranging from personal growth to business strategies and more, shared why she chose to join: "This was an opportunity to connect and collaborate with other podcasters in this great space of like-minded podcasters. Also, if you're looking to build your podcast, your visibility is your strength, and the value I saw with the BeOnAir Podcast Network in terms of co-branding, collaboration and marketing immediately drew me in."

On the BeOnAir Podcast Network, there's something for everyone. Whether you're a pop-culture enthusiast, a politics junkie, or in search of a good laugh, we've got you covered. We're thrilled to invite alumni of BeOnAir Network of Media Schools and podcast enthusiasts from all walks of life to join us on this exciting adventure.

Get ready to grab your headphones, sit back, and join us on this journey to explore the vast world of podcasting. The BeOnAir Podcast Network is where talent takes flight and creativity flourishes. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity.

Contact Information

John Girard

National Director of Marketing and Brand Management for the Beonair Network of Media Schools

jgirard@beonair.com

5189561385

SOURCE: BeOnAir Network of Media Schools

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Rising demand for personalized flavor experiences in the food & beverage industry is propelling the specialty syrup market to new heights. Consumers' preference for convenience and ready-to-eat options further fuels this expansion, while growing health consciousness drives the adoption of natural and organic sweeteners like maple or honey.

NEWARK, Del., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Specialty Syrup Market is anticipated to continue to expand at a significant rate. It is estimated to be worth US$ 5.0 billion in 2024. It is expected to reach US$ 8.6 billion in 2034. The market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2024 to 2034.



Request Exclusive Sample Report: Specialty Syrups Market Strategic Insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18784

Drivers of Specialty Syrups Industry Growth

The market's expansion can be attributed to the food & beverage industry's growing need for personalized flavors. Consumer preference for convenience and ready-to-eat foods is growing, which is another factor fueling the market's expansion.

The demand for household consumption during the pandemic stayed unchanged as customers were encouraged by the work-from-home lifestyle. They aimed to experiment with different culinary preparations and purchase novel components, including specialty syrup.

During the pandemic, this factor helped propel the market's expansion. During the projection period, demand in the industry is expected to rise as lockdowns ease and people return to hotels & restaurants, bringing the global market back to pre-lockdown levels.

Customers are looking for better substitutes for natural and organic products. They have become more aware of the components in the items they consume. As a result, producers are concentrating on creating specialty syrups with natural sweeteners like maple or honey.

Artificial ingredients are being avoided by renowned players. As customers become more health-conscious, the market for specialized syrups that are sugar-free and low in calories is expanding at a fast pace.

Key Takeaways from the Report-

The global specialty syrup market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 8.6 billion in 2034.

in 2034. The market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period.

over the forecast period. The United States is projected to attain a market valuation of US$ 1.6 billion in 2024.

in 2024. The confectionery application segment is estimated to hold a market share of 32.5% in 2024.

in 2024. The United Kingdom is projected to reach a market valuation of US$ 0.4 billion in 2034.

in 2034. India is estimated to rise at a value CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.

"Specialty syrups are becoming increasingly popular as a result of consumers' increased desire for uncommon and exotic flavors. Specialty syrups are a convenient way to add interesting flavors to beverages and food items, satisfying the rising need from customers for unique flavors," says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience.

Specialty Syrups Market Research Report Coverage

Attribute Details Estimated Value (2024) US$ 5.0 billion Projected Value (2034) US$ 8.6 billion Anticipated Growth Rate (2024 to 2034) 5.5 % Forecast Period 2024 to 2034 Historical Data Available for 2019 to 2023 Market Analysis US$ billion for Value, MT for Volume Key Regions Covered North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Middle East and Africa Key Countries Covered United States

Canada

Brazil

Mexico

Germany

United Kingdom

France

Italy

Spain

Nordic

Russia Poland

China

India

Thailand

Indonesia

Australia and New Zealand

Japan

GCC countries

North Africa

South Africa Key Segments Covered Type, Application, Nature, and Region Report Coverage Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, Drivers Restraints Opportunity Trends Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives



Competitive Landscape

Consolidating through acquisitions and mergers is advantageous for companies by enhancing product quality and broadening market reach. This is achieved by consolidating resources, expertise, and customer bases, which opens doors to advancing technologies, distribution channels, and manufacturing capabilities.

New product development and launch aid companies in remaining competitive and addressing evolving consumer needs. It enables them to attract fresh clientele, retain existing ones, and augment their market presence.

Following are the leading companies in specialty syrups market

Ingredion

Bear Mountain Maple

Tippleman's

Torani

Runamok Maple

Amoretti

Roj Syrups

ADM

Sonoma Syrup Co.

JM Posner

Purchase this report now to get key companies with their Revenue Forecast, Volume Forecast, Company Ranking, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Trends, and Pricing Analysis.

Recent Developments

In 2023, Torani launched Sweet Heat Syrup, a flavorful addition to their Original Syrups line. The syrup is crafted with natural flavors and pure cane sugar. It is cold-filtered to ensure a smooth taste.

Torani launched Sweet Heat Syrup, a flavorful addition to their Original Syrups line. The syrup is crafted with natural flavors and pure cane sugar. It is cold-filtered to ensure a smooth taste. In 2020, Ingredion launched Stablesweet, a low-sugar glucose syrup derived from corn. This innovative syrup enables manufacturers to produce shelf-stable products while reducing sugar content.

Get More Valuable Insights

Future Market Insights (FMI) has released an objective assessment of the global market, presenting past demand data from 2019 to 2022 and projecting forecast statistics for the 2024 to 2034 period.

The study provides compelling insights into the specialty syrup market segment based on type (chocolate syrup, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, fruit syrup and others), application (bakery, beverages, confectionery, and others [marinades, salads]), nature (natural and artificial) and region.

About the Food and Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) food & beverage team offers comprehensive business intelligence services, with a vast array of reports and data points analyzed across 50+ countries over a decade. The team provides consulting services and end-to-end research, offering expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations to clients worldwide. Contact them to explore how they can assist with your unique business intelligence needs.

About the Author:

Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives.

She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table.

Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results.

Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India.

Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor.

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Food and Beverages Domain:

Agave Nectar Market , Up-to-date Key Trends, Market Size and Forecast, Production Capacity, Export and Import Analysis, Regulations, Trade Analysis, Brand Analysis and Pricing Analysis. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF Study.

, Up-to-date Key Trends, Market Size and Forecast, Production Capacity, Export and Import Analysis, Regulations, Trade Analysis, Brand Analysis and Pricing Analysis. - Chocolate Syrup Market Research Report by Type, by Sales Channel, by Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF Study.

Research Report by Type, by Sales Channel, by Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Cocktail Syrup Market By Product, Flavor & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF Study.

By Product, Flavor & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Benzaldehyde Market by FCC Grade and Technical Grade, from 2024 to 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF Study.

by FCC Grade and Technical Grade, from 2024 to 2034. - Fruit Wine Market Analysis by Apple, Pear, Cherry, Strawberry, and Apricot Types, 2024 to 2034. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF Study.

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Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis helps businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.

Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/growing-need-for-sweeteners-and-flavor-enhancers-in-the-food-and-beverage-industry-to-fuel-specialty-syrup-market-at-a-cagr-of-5-5-by-2034--future-market-insights-inc-302029622.html
DigitalOwl, a Tel Aviv, Israel- and NYC-based insurance technology company that utilizes advanced AI to interpret and transform medical records into a comprehensive and interactive digital underwriting abstract, received a $12M investment from RGA.

This capital raise, which brought its total funding to over $38M since its inception, aligns with a global partnership in the life and health insurance sector, integrating DigitalOwls technology as a core component into RGAs internal underwriting operations

Led by CEO Yuval Man and CTO Amit Man, DigitalOwl provides a platform that enables insurance companies to enhance the speed and efficiency of medical document analysis and case summarization. Its solution automatically analyzes medical documents using artificial intelligence and natural language processing (NLP). In 2023, the company introduced a new solution to its clients based on a Generative AI model specifically designed for insurance-based medical case analysis, independently developed and trained over the past two years. This solution generates case summaries, documents, and medical events in an unrestricted language, capturing all nuances necessary for decision-making.

In 2024, the company plans to launch an insurance policy underwriting engine based on its self-developed Generative AI engine. The AI models mirror decision-making processes for organizations and policyholders, allowing for a detailed report on their activities with a click, aligning with evolving AI usage regulations. To train these models and develop the solution, RGA will provide experienced actuaries, claims adjusters, and legal experts to engage in the development process.

DigitalOwl currently employs 70 individuals in Israel and the United States.

FinSMEs

09/01/2024
SynMax, a Houston, TX-based data intelligence company, raised $13M in funding.

The round was led by Bill Perkins, with participation from Alex Moore, co-founder of Palantir.

Led by CEO Brendan Moore, and CTO Eric Anderson, SynMax is a data intelligence company specializing in maritime and energy intelligence. By integrating advanced satellite imagery and AI, SynMax delivers insights into maritime operations, oil and gas development, coal inventory, and LNG flows, enabling businesses and organizations to make data-driven decisions with precision and confidence.

The company intends to use the funds to further accelerate growth in its innovative products, including Theia, Hyperion, Vulcan, and Leviaton:

Theia, a maritime intelligence product, processes millions of square kilometers of over-ocean satellite imagery daily to detect, identify, and track dark vessels, enhancing maritime security and oversight.

Hyperion is an oil and gas intelligence platform, which leverages satellite imagery to monitor rigs, frac crews, well completions, and provides oil and gas.

Vulcan, a coal inventory tracking solution, utilizes satellite photogrammetry to monitor coal inventory levels at 100 US coal power plants.

Leviaton is an LNG maritime intelligence platform that employs AI and dark ship intelligence for precise predictions of global LNG flows.

SynMax has offices in London and New York.

FinSMEs

09/01/2024
The actors shared notes and pictures on their social media accounts and spoke about the beauty of the Indian islands

After Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the Lakshadweep islands to promote Indian tourism, certain Maldivian ministers made improper remarks about India that led to massive social media outpouring. Many Bollywood celebrities like Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shraddha Kapoor lauded PMs idea and effort, and encouraged fans to explore Indias beauty.

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There are more names that have joined the bandwagon like Anil Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, and Sara Ali Khan. Heres what they have to say:

Anil Kapoor tweeted- Miles (of beach) to go before I sleep #Lakshadweep, youre a beauty and I cant wait to explore you. #ExploreIndianIslands.

Miles (of beach) to go before I sleep...#Lakshadweep, you're a beauty and I can't wait to explore you.#ExploreIndianIslands  Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) January 8, 2024

Tiger Shroff said- Lost in the azure embrace, Lakshadweep islands have captured my heart. The rich culture, tranquil beaches, and the genuine warmth of its people create an enchanting allure. Join me in celebrating the inclusivity and unparalleled beauty of these islands - a treasure trove waiting for us to explore!

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Lost in the azure embrace, Lakshadweep islands have captured my heart. The rich culture, tranquil beaches, and the genuine warmth of its people create an enchanting allure. Join me in celebrating the inclusivity and unparalleled beauty of these islands - a treasure trove waiting  Tiger Shroff (@iTIGERSHROFF) January 7, 2024

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Sara Ali Khan also shared a story on Instagram and spoke about the beauty of the islands.

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Salman Khan wrote- It is so cool to see our Hon PM Narendrabhai Modi at the beautiful clean n stunning beaches of Lakshadweep, and the best part is that yeh hamare India mein hain.

Akshay Kumar  Came across comments from prominent public figures from Maldives passing hateful and racist comments on Indians. Surprised that they are doing this to a country that sends them the maximum number of tourists. We are good to our neighbors but why should we tolerate such unprovoked hate? Ive visited the Maldives many times and always praised it, but dignity first.

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Shraddha Kapoor  All these images and memes making me super FOMO now Lakshadweep has such pristine beaches and coastlines, thriving local culture, Im on the verge of booking an impulse chhutti.

The Maldivian government on Sunday distanced itself from derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals.
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Anoushka spoke about coming to India for her tour, the challenges and evolution of music in todays day and age, and her expectations from her performance in the country

British-American sitar player and musician Anoushka Shankar shall be traveling to India for her music tour from January 22- 31 and the shows will happen in cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Hyderabad.

The Shankar house, a respite from a world where she grew up under the publics intense gaze, was seldom a silent place. Musicians were a permanent presence - learning, rehearsing, improvising, or simply playing musical games around the dinner table. Anoushka began studying the sitar - and Indian classical music - from the age of 9 under the intensive tutelage of her father, Pandit Ravi Shankar : a master of the instrument, and a figure without whom 20th Century music would quite simply not have been what it was.

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In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Anoushka spoke about coming to India for her tour, the challenges and evolution of music in todays day and age, and her expectations from her performance in the country.

Edited excerpts from the interview

Your new album is called Chapter One: Forever, For Now. How did you prepare for it?

It can be difficult to explain the prep since it involves months and months of feelings and emotions, and then coming closer and closer to clear them. And then comes the emotions that manifest those feelings, after that, I start to think about who I need to work with to bring that about. My main aim behind these mini albums was to capture the little moments.

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What is the source of inspiration every time you compose or sing or even play?

There isnt one source of inspiration other than life itself because these inspirations can be personal in my own life, both positive and negative, or external life events that could be unjust or even inspiring. Inspiration can be anywhere, its all about being open and learning how to channel.

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What are the challenges artists face in the field of music?

We all go through difficult times and we all have to pick ourselves up. In work context, there are different situations but you cant cancel the show last moment and you have to show up anyway; that can be incredibly difficult for the artists. The audiences expect them to put up a great show even if something horrific might be happening in their lives none of us know about, its very tricky. Theres a gift as well, we can transcend pain by making art out of it and connect with the human spirit because our pain has a purpose and it can help us evolve too.

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How much do you feel Indian music has evolved in the last few years?

Theres no question that it has evolved a lot. The whole industry has changed and theres space for so many genres now. I think thats really good and its giving people their bread and butter and giving them the opportunity to explore their horizons.

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What are your expectations from your this years India Tour?

I dont have expectations but I have hopes. I hope people enjoy my music and I have a wonderful time with everyone. I hope they like the new music. Im touring with some incredible musicians that I brought to India in 2022 and then we went global. We will be playing a lot of new music.
Bhardwaj, known for films like Maqbool, Haider, Kaminey, Omkara, and the recently released Khufiya on Netflix, spoke about how he almost worked with Shah Rukh Khan in a film a decade ago

Shah Rukh Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj is a pair that can explode if done correctly. And a report by Hindustan Times says the duo is likely to come together for a film. A source says, There is inside chatter in the industry that Shah Rukh Khan is signing a Vishal Bhardwaj film for his next. The plan is in sync with his desire to keep surprising the audiences with his film choices.

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It added, Shah Rukh has made all such unconventional choices all through his career. He has also worked with Amol Palekar in Paheli in the past, so it will be interesting what he would bring to Bhardwajs world. However, the industry is waiting for confirmation from either of them soon.

Bhardwaj , known for films like Maqbool, Haider, Kaminey, Omkara, and the recently released Khufiya on Netflix, spoke about how he almost worked with Shah Rukh Khan and how the two project fell apart.

In an interview with Mid-day, Bhardwaj first spoke about SRK and 2 States, and said, We had differences over the setting of it. I wanted to set it not in a college but in a bank like ICICI. So, thats where we were different. Shah Rukh wanted it in a different setting. He added every time they meet, the Pathaan star tells the filmmaker how they should work together.

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Talking during to India Today, the Haider maker termed Shah Rukh Khans Jawan as a beautiful film. He also called King Khan his hero. According to Vishal Bhardwaj, no one could have done what SRK did in his latest release.

Calling Jawan a beautiful film, Vishal Bhardwaj was quoted as saying, They showed perfectly what they wanted to show. He is my hero in Jawan.

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The director revealed that the subject of espionage has not been dealt with by Bollywood. He added that while it happens to be an extremely thrilling and exciting topic, it does not offer flying cars. Vishal Bhardwaj revealed that Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan and Jawan are part of a heightened imaginative world and are not espionage films in reality.
The council of a popular holiday destination has been ripped to shreds by residents after it repurposed a car park and turned it into a "pedestrian precinct".

Noosa Council in Queensland created a "pop-up park" in what is usually an in-demand parking lot adjacent to Noosa Heads surf club, calling it 'The Main Beach People's Park', but many have slammed the move labelling it an "embarrassment".

"This may look like a military roadside checkpoint but it's not," one Aussie said in his review online. "I went in and took a seat between the boiling hot asphalt and the scorching hot sun."

The trial converted 42 car spaces in a bid to improve traffic in the area. Disability parking spaces remained along with a drop-off and pick-up area. The trial, which ran from December 23 to January 7, where the asphalt-covered surface turned into a "park" with marquees, a busking area and tables and chairs. It is now in its feedback phase.

"This trial is among a number of options to help alleviate traffic issues and look to create a better flow of traffic while minimising the queuing of vehicles waiting for carparks," Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock told Yahoo News Australia.

The 42-space car park was transformed into a 'people's park' over the holidays. Source: TikTok

Backlash over trial from frustrated community

Across multiple community pages and social media platforms, the move has been questioned by visitors and locals.

"Noosa Council should accept that they totally stuffed up with this badly planned and inappropriately set out 'pedestrian precinct'. It is an ugly, hot and useless knee-jerk reaction. What an embarrassment!" lamented one local, with hundreds replying in agreement.

"Seriously which part of 'lets put up a tent in a stinking hot car park in the middle of summer' was ever going to work!" another argued.

There were some who defended the idea though, offering suggestions on how it could be improved. "Think the council had the right idea (sic). I would like to see it a permanent grassed space with trees and permanent picnic shelters and BBQ. It could be amazing," a positive patron said.

Story continues

Acting Infrastructure Services Director Shaun Walsh told Yahoo News repurposing car parking spaces for people was "always going to be contentious". "This trial was about alleviating the constant risk of mixing cars and pedestrians outside toilet and shower areas and creating a friendly environment near Main Beach," he said.

He claims families, local workers and lifeguards in the area have shared positive feedback about the change, citing easy access to the drop-off area and a "significant improvement" in access to the beach for SLSC and Emergency Services and their vehicles.

Disability parks remained available alongside a drop-off/pick-up area. Source: TikTok/Noosa Council

Council claims they saw improvements in traffic congestion

Sengstock said the move to Main Beach Peoples Park had provided improvements in traffic flow and helped ease congestion in the area. "We have seen an improvement in the flow of traffic on Hastings St, Noosa Woods and Little Cove, and we really haven't seen the level of gridlock we normally see at this time of the year."

He continued that "while not everyone agrees with the concept", echoing Walsh's sentiment, the council believe its important to keep testing ways to tackle the ongoing traffic congestion issues during peak periods.

"This was only a trial so suggestions it will become permanent is premature. We will conduct a thorough review of how it worked, gauge feedback from those who used it and provide a report to council."

Walsh added that although storms have impacted the usage on most afternoons, there had been "strong visitation" later in the days, "providing a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere".

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
On Monday, the Supreme Court quashed the remission of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case, ordering them to surrender to prison in two weeks. These men have two options ahead of them  file a review petition or seek remission from Maharashtra, where the trial was relocated

I have wept tears of relief. I have smiled for the first time in over a year and half. I have hugged my children. It feels like a stone the size of a mountain has been lifted from my chest, and I can breathe again, said Bilkis Bano on Monday (8 January) after the Supreme Court ordered the 11 men, who were convicted of raping her and then killing her family, to return to jail within two weeks time.

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It was a moment of relief for her when a bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan in their judgment stated that the Gujarat government did not have the authority or jurisdiction to consider the remission applications of the convicts and that they would have to surrender to the jail authorities.

But what happens next to the 11 convicts? Will they be able to appeal the Supreme Courts judgment? What awaits them?

Apply for fresh remission

The 11 men, who were convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gang rape case , walked out of prison in August 2022 after the Gujarat government granted them remission. However, that decision has now been struck down by the Supreme Court and they have been ordered to surrender to jail within two weeks.

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Now, these 11 convicts have a few options before them  one of them being approaching the Maharashtra government with request for remission of their sentences. But why Maharashtra, you may ask? The apex court has held that only the Maharashtra government where the trial was relocated to Mumbai due to safety concerns, could consider such requests in the Bilkis Bano case.

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And with that now all eyes turn to Maharashtra. Interestingly, Maharashtra has its own remission policy. According to the states 2008 policy, the minimum sentence prior to any remission is at least 18 years.

However, the policy has a separate clause for brutal crimes against women, under which convicts would be eligible for remission only after serving 28 years in prison. According to a report in Bar and Bench, it is this clause that is most likely to apply to the 11 convicts in this case. And what this means is that the men would have to be behind bars for at least another 12 years  until 2036.

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The report by Bar and Bench further stated that even if the state applies the previous 1992 policy for the 11 convicts, remission in matters of sexual assault would be possible only after serving a minimum of 22 years and the same can go up to 28 years if the case involves exceptional violence or perversity. This means that the 11 men would be eligible for release only after 2030 or 2036 respectively.

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A review petition

However, this is not the only option that the 11 convicts have before them. Besides moving the Maharashtra government for remission, the men can also file a review petition before the Supreme Court. However, its important to note that the apex court doesnt entertain every review petition that is filed.

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Its even more important to note that a review petition has to be filed within 30 days of the judgment and will be heard by the same bench, which had passed the judgment. Also, a review petition can be filed only on three grounds:

Discovery of any new information or evidence 2) On account of some mistake or error apparent on the face of the record 3) Any other sufficient reason as the Court may deem fit

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A look back at the Bilkis Bano case

On Monday, the Supreme Court hearing PILs against the early release of the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case quashed the Gujarat governments order, saying the state of Gujarat had usurped the powers of the state of Maharashtra which only could have considered the applications seeking remission.

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Additionally, the judges said that the convicts were considered for an early release on the basis of the 1992 Gujarat policy, which could not have been applied to them.

Reacting to the apex courts order, Bilkis through a note provided by her advocate said, This is what justice feels like. I thank the honourable Supreme Court of India for giving me, my children and women everywhere, this vindication and hope in the promise of equal justice for all.

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Bilkis was five-months pregnant in 2002 when she fled from Gujarats Randhikpur, her village, with her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and 15 other family members after the Sabarmati train was burnt in Godhra. On moving, she and her family were attacked by about 20-30 people armed with sickles, swords, and sticks.

What followed was even more heinous; Bilkis, her mother, and three other women were raped and brutally assaulted while her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members who were killed.

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Two years later, in 2004, the accused in the case were arrested and the trial began in Ahmedabad. However, after Bilkis expressed apprehensions that witnesses could be harmed and the evidence collected by the CBI tampered with, the apex court transferred the case to Mumbai.

On 21 January 2008, the Special CBI Court sentenced 11 accused to life imprisonment on the charges of conspiring to rape a pregnant woman, murder and unlawful assembly under the Indian Penal Code. The court acquitted seven other accused for lack of evidence. One of the accused had died during the trial.

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The court held that Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, and Naresh Kumar Mordhiya (deceased) had raped Bilkis, while Shailesh Bhatt had killed her daughter, Saleha, by smashing her on the ground. Others who were convicted are Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Vohania, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Nitesh Bhatt, Ramesh Chandana, and Head Constable Somabhai Gori.

In May 2017, the Bombay High Court had then upheld the life sentences.

With inputs from agencies
Suchana Seth, CEO of The Mindful AI Lab, was arrested in Karnatakas Chitradurga with her sons body in a bag. The hotel staff in Goa alerted the police after finding bloodstains on a towel in her room  which she claimed were due to her monthly periods  after Seth abruptly left for Bengaluru

The story of a Bengaluru start-up CEO who allegedly murdered her four-year-old son has left many shocked.

Suchana Seth, CEO of The Mindful AI Lab, was arrested in Karnatakas Chitradurga on Monday with her sons body in a bag.

The motive behind the killing remains unknown, but there are reports that Seth is estranged from her husband.

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She was brought to Goa on Tuesday and remanded in police custody for six days by a court in Mapusa town.

But what happened? And how did the police catch Seth?

Lets take a closer look:

Seth and her son checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in north Goa on 6 January.

As per Indian Express, Seth around 1 am on 7 January, suddenly told staff she was checking out.

She asked them to arrange a taxi to take her to Bengaluru.

The staff suggested that she could take a flight to Bengaluru, which would be a cheaper option rather than hiring a taxi, which is an expensive proposition, , Calangute police station Inspector Paresh Naik said.

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But Seth insisted that she wanted a taxi.

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The staff arranged for a taxi  after which she left.

News18 reported that Seth told the driver to take her to Bengaluru as quickly as possible.

Then, when the apartment staff went to clean the room in which Seth and her son stayed, they found blood stains on a towel.

This occurred around 10 am, as per Indian Express.

The management of the apartment immediately informed the Calangute police, who then reached the spot, Naik added.

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The staff also told the police Seth four-year-old son was not seen with her when she left the apartment and that she was also carrying an unusually heavy bag.

As per News18, police then checked the CCTV footage of the hotel.

They discovered that Seth and her son entered the hotel but that she checked out alone.

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The police then called Seth and asked her about the blood stains and her missing son.

The accused told us that the blood stains were due to her monthly periods. She also told us that her son was with her friend in Margao town (in South Goa) and provided the address, the official said.

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Naik said he immediately took the help of Fatorda police (near Margao) and got to know the address given by her was fake.

The inspector later spoke over phone to the taxi driver, who was on way to Bengaluru and had reached Chitradurga district in Karnataka, to take the accused to the nearest police station.

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As per Indian Express, the police spoke to the driver in Konkani to avoid raising Seths suspicion.

The Hindu reported that the driver then drove to the police station at Ayamangala.

The police in Chitradurga then checked Seths bag in which they found the body of her son, Naik added.

The taxi driver had charged Rs 30,000 for the trip to Bengaluru. He told the police that when he picked up her luggage, he felt that the suitcase was unusually heavy, but didnt think much of it, a police officer told Indian Express.

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A team of the Calangute police then rushed to Chitradurga and obtained a transit remand of the accused, who was being brought to Goa.

The postmortem of the body would be conducted in Chitradurga, Naik said.

Police have informed about the incident to the accuseds husband, Venkat Raman, who is currently in Jakarta, he said.

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What do we know about Seths motive?

As per India Today, Seth was separated from her husband and their divorce was nearly finalised.

As per The Print, the couple married in 2010 and separated in 2020.

She was said to be displeased with a court order allowing her husband to meet their son every Sunday.

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She allegedly killed the four-year-old to stop them meeting.

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Prima facie, during our initial inquiry, the lady mentioned that she had a troubled relationship with her husband, and their divorce process was nearly finalised. There was also a court order causing distress to her. Interrogation is ongoing, and we are required to present her before the court. The motive is yet to be confirmed; this is what she conveyed to our investigators. We need to review the court order before making further statements, Nidhin Valson, North Goas Superintendent of Police told India Today.

The Print quoted police sources as saying that the boy was smothered to death  as evinced by marks on his neck.

But questions about the murder abound.

The child was found with a head injury, the throat was also slashed. If the heinous act had been done in the room, there would have been a lot more blood in the room, a police official told News18.

As per Moneycontrol, the final picture on Seths Instagram is the picture of her four-year-old son playing near an aquarium.

Posted in October 2023, it featured hashtags such as What Will Happen, Finding Losing and Wish.

According to Seths LinkedIn page, she was among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.

Her profile describes her as an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams.

It says she was a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, and a researchh fellow at the Raman Research Institute.

It also says she holds patents in natural language processing.

Seth has a Masters in Physics from the University of Calcutta and a Post Graduate Diploma in Sanskrit from the Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture.

With inputs from agencies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead a road show today. The Supreme Court will hear a plea on the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute. The CES 2024 will get underway in Las Vegas. Here are the big developments of today

Its Tuesday.

And theres a big day of news ahead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead a road show today ahead of the inauguration of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit on Wednesday.

The Mathuras Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute continues with the Supreme Court set to hear a leave petition against the Allahabad High Court order.

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The Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha is set to meet as 11 Opposition MPs suspended for unruly conduct during Parliaments Winter Session get a chance to defend themselves.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2024 begins in Las Vegas as the worlds leading tech companies come together under one roof to display their wares.

The picturesque Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is set to hold general elections today as serious economic challenges put into question its longstanding policy of prioritising Gross National Happiness over growth.

Lets take a closer look at todays big-ticket items:

Modi-UAE president roadshow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead a road show on Tuesday from outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here a day ahead of the inauguration of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

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The three-kilometre-long roadshow will start in the evening after the prime minister receives the UAE president at the airport.

The roadshow will culminate at Indira Bridge, which connects Ahmedabad with Gandhinagar. From the bridge circle, both dignitaries will head to their respective destinations in Gandhinagar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East), Ahmedabad city, Safin Hasan told reporters on Monday.

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Elaborate security arrangements are in place.

SC to hear Leave Petition against Allahabad HC order

The Shahi Masjid Idgah Committee has filed a Special Leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Allahabad High Court order in the Krishna Janmabhoomi case.

The apex court in December had refused to intervene after the Allahabad High Court approved the conduct of a scientific survey on the Shahi Idgah complex at Mathura.

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The committee has now filed the SLP through advocate-on-record RHA Sikander formally challenging the high court order, Tanveer Ahmed, secretary for the management committee of the Shahi Idgah mosque, told The Times of India.

The committee in its suit has contended that the court ought to have considered its plea for rejection of the complaint before deciding on any other miscellaneous applications in the suit.

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A total of 18 civil suits are pending in the case. Justice Mayank Jain of Allahabad High Court is hearing the case.

RS Privileges Panel meets

The Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha, chaired by Deputy Chairman Harivansh, has convened a meeting today.

The committee has various matters pending before it including the matter pertaining to the suspension of 11 MPs during the recently concluded winter session.

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The MPs will continue to remain suspended until their case is considered by the House after receiving the report of the Privileges Committee.

A total of 146 MPs, 100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha, were suspended during the recently concluded Winter session of Parliament after they brought placards and raised slogans, demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue of breach of Parliament security.

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Notably, 11 MPs from Rajya Sabha were suspended for creating grave disorder in their respective Houses on December 18 which led to their suspension and their cases being referred to the Privileges Committee.

The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha is also scheduled to meet on 12 January to discuss the suspension of three MPsK Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque and Vijayakumar Vijay Vasanthfrom the House during the Winter Session for unruly behaviour.

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CES begins in Las Vegas

The eyes of the world are on Las Vegas today where the CES is set to begin.

CES 2024, which will run from 9 to 12 January, is expected to see Artificial Intelligence dominate.

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Its the year of AI in everything, said Maribel Lopez, tech analyst at Lopez Research. If you dont have AI in your product, dont show up, its not worth talking about.

But one person who will be giving the CES 2024 a miss is OpenAI boss Sam Altman.

Funding for generative AI projects exploded last year, surging more than fivefold to $23.78 billion through the beginning of December from 2022, according to PitchBook data.

OpenAIs influence at the show despite Altmans physical absence is reminiscent of Apple and its founder Steve Jobs, whose clout was felt despite him avoiding the show, with many firms jockeying to display gadgets compatible with the companys sleek products.

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Bhutan Parliamentary polls

Who will prevail in the polls in Bhutan?

The Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) is taking on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the kingdom battles an unemployment crisis and an exodus of youth.

We dont need more new roads or bridges, farmer Kinley Wangchuk, 46, said. What we really need is more jobs for young people.

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Bhutans youth unemployment rate stands at 29 per cent, according to the World Bank.

Meanwhile, economic growth has sputtered along at an average of 1.7 per cent over the past five years.

Young citizens have left in record numbers searching for better financial and educational opportunities abroad since the last elections, with Australia the top destination.

Career civil servant Pema Chewang of the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), said the country was losing the cream of the nation.

If this trend continues, we might be confronted with a situation of empty villages and a deserted nation, the 56-year-old added.

His opponent, former Prime Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Tshering Tobgay, 58, sounded the alarm over Bhutans unprecedented economic challenges and mass exodus.

Regardless of which way it goes, China and India will be watching closely.

On this day

It was on this day in 2007 that Apple CEO Steve Jobs at Macworld Expo in Californias San Francisco introduced the one phone to rule them all.

Jobs, in his trademark black turtleneck, took to the stage to introduce, in his words, three revolutionary products.

The crowd on hand went wild. The first, he said, was a widescreen Ipod with touch controls. The second, he added, was a revolutionary mobile phone.

And the third, he said, was a breakthrough internet communicator.

Jobs paused and surveyed the crowd. These are not three separate devices, he said. This is one device.

That device, the iPhone, he vowed, would reinvent the phone.

Even Jobs harshest critics would be hard-pressed to argue that he didnt fulfill his promise.

With inputs from agencies
Suchana Seth, CEO of Bengaluru start-up The Mindful AI Lab, allegedly murdered her four-year-old son in a luxury apartment in North Goas Candolim. The 39-year-old put up only one post about the child on Instagram with a cryptic message  #whatwilhappen

In a bone-chilling incident, a Bengaluru-based start-up founder allegedly murdered her four-year-old son in Goa and travelled to Karnataka with his body before being caught.

39-year-old Suchana Seth, Chief Executive Officer of artificial intelligence start-up The Mindful AI Lab, was arrested on Monday night in Karnatakas Chitradurga district while trying to flee in a cab with her sons body stuffed in a bag, according to The Times of India.

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Heres all we know about the shocking incident.

The murder

Suchana Seth allegedly killed her young son in a luxury apartment in North Goa.

She checked into the Hotel Sol Banyan Grande in Candolim with her son on Saturday and checked out on Monday morning.

She asked the receptionist to book her a cab to Bengaluru despite being advised to take a flight instead since a cab would be expensive, the police said.

The incident was reported to the police after one of the employees of housekeeping, after she left the property, went to clean the apartment and noticed some bloodstains, according to NDTV.

The hotel management then informed the Goa police at around 11 am, and a team from Calangute police stations rushed to the spot.

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North Goa SP Nidhi Valsan, according to TOI, said that they checked the CCTV footage and found Seth to be allegedly leaving without her son. This raised suspicions, and the police interrogated the hotel staff.

The arrest

The Goa Police later contacted the cab driver and spoke to Seth over the phone, asking about her son. She claimed her son was at a friends house in Goas Fatorda and even provided the address, which turned out to be fake.

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The police called the driver again. The police spoke in Konkani to make sure Seth could not understand and asked the driver to divert the cab to the nearest police station in Chitradurga. According to TOI, by that time, the cab had already reached Chitradurga.

Following Calangute police stations inspector Paresh Naiks instructions, the taxi driver drove to the Aimangala police station without raising any suspicion on Seths part.

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Upon reaching the station, a police officer found the body of her son inside the bag she was travelling with.

The accuseds husband, Venkat Raman, who works as an AI developer, is also reaching Chitradurga and the four-year-olds body will be sent for post-mortem examination, as per a report by NDTV.

Seth is being brought back to Goa for interrogation. We have registered a murder case against Suchana Seth, who is the founder and CEO of a company, Naik told TOI.

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According to an Indian Express report, the exact motive is yet to be established, however, during preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed an estranged relationship with her husband as one of the reasons.

About the woman

Suchana Seth, the founder of The Mindful AI Lab, which focuses on advancements in artificial intelligence, has been heading the organisation for over four years, reported NDTV.

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The LinkedIn page of the organisation says the 39-year-old was among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.

As per her page on the same platform, she has been a fellow (2017-18) and an affiliate (2018-19) at the Berkman Klein Center for two years. She contributed to the ethics and governance of AI and responsible machine learning in Boston, Massachusetts, according to Indian Express. According to the Berkman Klein Centre alum page, Seth holds patents in text mining and natural language processing.

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She is also passionate about closing the gender gap in data science and leads data science workshops with organizations like Women Who Code, the report cited the website as saying.

Before establishing the company, she worked as a senior data scientist at Boomerang Commerce in Bangalore, designing data-driven products for price optimisation and intelligence.

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Seth also worked at Innovation Labs as a senior analytics consultant at the companys Data Sciences Group.

She graduated from Bhawanipur Education Society College in Kolkata with a Bachelors Degree in Physics and holds a Masters degree in Physics, specialising in Plasma Physics with Astrophysics, from the University of Calcutta in 2008, the NDTV report says. She also holds a postgraduate diploma in Sanskrit from the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.

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The only post on Instagram featuring her son was about three months ago. The caption started off with hashtags  #whatwillhappen #wish #findinglosing #lifeisbeautiful #lightinwater #fish #holiday #magicofchildhood.

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With inputs from agencies
About 500 female students from Haryanas Sirsa have written to PM Modi and CM ML Khattar, accusing a professor at Chaudhary Devi Lal University of sexually harassing them. The girls alleged that when they protested, they were threatened with dire consequences. A probe is now underway

In a horrific incident, about 500 female students from Haryanas Sirsa have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modis office and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, accusing a professor at the Chaudhary Devi Lal University of sexual harassment.

According to The Times of India, the students have alleged that the professor sexually harassed them after calling them to his chamber for many months.

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The daily newspaper also claimed that in the past, the professor was given a clean chit twice by the universitys internal complaint committee.

In the letter, also sent to the states governor, Bandaru Dattatrya, and the womens commission, the students have demanded his suspension and an inquiry led by a retired High Court judge.

Lets take a closer look at the allegations.

The allegations

The letter has accused the unnamed professor of filthy and obscene acts, as per NDTV.

It stated that the professor calls girls to his office, takes them to a bathroom, and touches us inappropriately. The girls further alleged that when they protested, they were threatened with dire consequences.

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The letter states this has been going on for many months" and that because he gives a false impression of a person of high character, the professor in question has never been held accountable.

We cant write out names and contact numbers as it will malign our own image if no action is taken by the professor. The dignity of our family will be at stake. He has political influence and has threatened to get us expelled if we speak against him, the letter read, as per TOI.

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Instead of coming to their aid, the students added that the Vice Chancellor threatened to expel us because this professor is a person of immense political influence.

He also tried to suppress the allegations by offering the students better marks in written and practical examinations, reported NDTV.

In their letter, the girls said they do not expect action against the professor until the university is forced by public opinion.

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The letter also called for an investigation by a retired High Court judge.

The fourth letter in a year

Notably, this is the fourth letter, all posted from the Khairpur post office on Hisar Road, written by the students against the professor in a year.

The TOI report claims that the first letter was sent to the university in June 2023, while the second and third letters were sent to the governor in November and December, respectively.

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After that, the university conducted an internal investigation but gave a clean chit to the professor since they couldnt find any evidence to back the allegations.

Dr Rajesh Kumar Bansal, the university registrar, told TOI, Our internal probe found the allegations baseless. But since the letter now mentions 500 girls, police and the university are taking a relook at the matter.

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According to the report, the university officials also called colleagues to record their statements but many skipped the session.

Action taken so far

A special investigation team (SIT) under 2020-cadre IPS officer Deepti Garg has been constituted to probe the matter.

The team visited the university, and statements are being recorded, Additional Director General of Police Shrikant Jadhav told NDTV.

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While speaking to the news channel, senior Sirsa police official Garg said that the statements of some of the students had been recorded, and the accused professor had also been questioned. She noted a case will be filed if a preliminary inquiry finds enough evidence.

The accused professor has reportedly denied the sexual assault allegations against him and termed them political vendettas. I am being targeted because I have been active in some work at the university. I am ready to face any probe against me, he told the TOI.

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Dr Bansal told NDTV, The police are investigating The university has its own committee, which is probing the allegations. This is a serious accusation. There is no name on the letter, but we will investigate this. Action will only be taken afterwards. Whoever is guilty will not be spared, but if someone is innocent, then their character should not be assassinated."

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He added that relevant CCTV footage had been handed over to the police. However, the letter claims the accused professor has already deleted his indecent actions from CCTV footage of his office.

A similar incident occurred months ago

It is pertinent to mention here that the letter comes months after the principal of a government-run school in Haryanas Jind was dismissed from service after being arrested for sexually assaulting girls under his care.

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According to a report by the Hindustan Times, 142 female students testified against 56-year-old Kartar Singh in front of a committee headed by the Uchana SDM, Gulzar Malik.

The Jind police registered a case against him on 30 October under Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code, after which he was placed under suspension by the state government.

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The police had arrested him on 4 November.

CM Khattar ordered the termination of his services, taking into account grave allegations of misconduct.

With inputs from agencies
The Indian Navy has deployed 10 warships, equipped with all high-tech features, in the Arabian Sea. The increased maritime surveillance comes at a time when piracy attacks and drone strikes have seen a significant rise

They are called the Guardians of the Seas and the Indian Navy is living up to its name. Amid rising piracy attacks and drone strikes by Houthi rebels, the maritime force has now deployed over 10 top-of-the-line warships in the strategic waters of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

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This comes days after the naval forces rescued 21 crew members aboard the Liberia-flagged merchant vessel MV Lila Norfolk, which had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Lets take a closer look at how the warships deployed and how they will secure the high seas.

Enhanced surveillance in the Arabian Sea

From having a mere two warships in the Arabian Sea for anti-piracy duties at the beginning of December last year, the deployment was increased to five by the middle of the same month, and now stands at 10 after recent attacks.

Last month, the Indian Navy had announced that it would deploy INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Mormugao, INS Chennai and INS Visakhapatnam into the Arabian theatre. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, INS Kolkata was deployed on the mouth of Red Sea, INS Kochi is situated south of Yemen Socotra Island, INS Mormugao is in west Arabian Sea with Chennai in Central Arabian Sea and INS Visakhapatnam was tasked to patrol the north Arabian Sea.

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Now, multi-role frigates like INS Talwar and INS Tarkash will also be deployed in the region to ensure safe passage of ships.

On 6 January, Navy Chief Admiral R H Hari had said that anti-piracy and anti-drone operations had been enhanced in the region and more such action would be taken in the near future to tackle the challenges.

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He had further directed to carry out thorough checks on the suspicious boats to ensure the safety of our merchant vessels and mariners.

Moreover, each of the deployed warships come with the presence of Marine Commandos (MARCOS). The Times of India has also reported that apart from the presence of the warships, regular ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) missions are also being flown by P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and unarmed MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones are also patrolling the waters.

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Recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea

The deployment of warships and increased surveillance in the waters come at a time when theres been a spate of attacks.

As recently as last week, MV Lila Norfolk , a bulk carrier with about 15 Indian crew members, had been taken hostage near Somalias coast. Almost immediately, the Indian Navy deployed INS Chennai and in a daring operation, Indian marine commandos intercepted, then boarded the hijacked ship, and rescued the crew .

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#IndianNavys Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea.

All 21 crew (incl #15Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel.



Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers.



The attempt of hijacking by the pirates https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV pic.twitter.com/616q7avNjg  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 5, 2024

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Prior to this, on 23 December last year, MV Chem Pluto  a chemical/ oil tanker with a crew of 21 Indians and a Vietnamese  was hit by a drone in the Arabian Sea while en route to New Mangalore port. The Indian Navy after studying the area of attack and debris found on the ship pointed to a drone attack, which was also corroborated by the US Pentagon. A Pentagon spokesperson had claimed that the MV Chem Pluto was hit a one-way attack drone fired from Iran.

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A day later, a Gabon-flagged commercial oil tanker, MV Sai Baba, on its way to India with 25 crew members, all of them Indians, also came under drone attack in the southern Red Sea.

And on 14 December last year, Malta-flagged vessel MV Ruen, with 18 on board, had been hijacked in the Arabian Sean. Days later, one of the crew members  who had sustained a bullet injury to his shoulder during the piracy incident  was moved by the Navy to INS Kochi for medical assistance. According to the New Indian Express, MV Ruen continues to remain docked off the Somalia coast.

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Not a part of Operation Prosperity Guardian

Interestingly, Indias increased surveillance comes at a time when the United States has launched a multi-national naval coalition called Operation Prosperity Guardian. India, despite being a key ally of Washington, has not committed to the operation.

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When asked about the same, a top Navy official had told The Week: At the moment, there is no reason to involve ourselves in the Operation as our interests are being protected. But of course, if we find that they are being threatened at any point of time, we are ever-ready to do the needful.

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As of now, Operation Prosperity Guardian involves the navies of Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, Spain, UK and US. The task force falls under the Combined Maritime Forces, a multinational alliance tasked with defending the worlds shipping lanes.

The Operation came into effect as the Houthis have attacked multiple merchant vessels and forced companies to suspend routes through the region.

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With inputs from agencies
PM Narendra Modis visit to Lakshadweep and the ensuing row with the Maldives has piqued peoples interest in Indias smallest Union Territory. The island state has become one of the top-searched keywords on Google. Also, enquiries for hotels have risen ten fold in less than a week

It is spread across 32 square kilometres  it is Indias smallest Union Territory  but it has become the talk of the town. We are talking about Lakshadweep, which is at the centre of the India-Maldives row.

The island state has gone viral all over India as well as internationally, courtesy Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit last week and the ensuing row with the Maldives after ministers from the neighbouring country posted derogatory tweets about India.

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We take a closer look at how Lakshadweeps popularity has surged and its possible impact.

Lakshadweep turns internet sensation

In the first week of January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his way to Lakshadweep  an archipelago of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km  as part of his outreach programme ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. During his visit, the PM chaired a review meeting on various aspects relating to the islands, and also laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 1,150 crore.

PM Modi also shared pictures of himself taking early morning walks on the beaches and trying snorkelling . In fact, one of his posts on X, said that the visit to the islands was an enriching journey of learning and growing.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

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However, it seemed that Modis posts on Lakshadweep didnt sit well with some, namely a few prominent Maldivian ministers. Three ministers from President Mohamed Muizzu s Cabinet responded to the PMs tweets with derogatory and derisive comments, one even going as far as calling Modi a clown.

This snowballed into a bigger row, with Indians firing back with their own #BoycottMaldives trend on social media and asking people to explore Indian islands. In response to the row, the Maldives government then suspended the three ministers and also stated that the views were not that of the country.

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Most-searched on Google

And it seems that the PMs visit coupled with the Maldives row has made Lakshadweep a Google trend. The worldwide interest in the island-state reached its highest point in 20 years on the search giant.

A simple search on Google in the time frame of 20 years (2004-present) for Lakshadweep shows a flat line until 2024. In fact, the governments MyGov, as well as All India Radio took to social media to share the spike in search.

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Worldwide search interest for #Lakshadweep is at its highest in last 20 years, that too by a huge margin. This huge spark in interest is the outcome of just few hours spent by PM @narendramodi in #Lakshadweep. pic.twitter.com/UaWtE5lcZD  All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 8, 2024

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Moreover, Lakshadweep was a top-searched keyword in Google for two consecutive days, coinciding with the time the PM had shared images of his visit to the island.

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Lakshadweeps administrator Praful Patel also was quoted as telling news agency PTI, The kind of inquiries the Lakshadweep administration is getting after the prime ministers visit is unbelievable. People from all over the world are expressing the desire to visit the island. This will give a big boost to its economy and generate opportunities for locals.

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Online travel portal MakeMyTrip also noted that they had observed a 3,400 per cent increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the islands.

We have observed a 3400 per cent increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit. This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a Beaches of India campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore countrys stunning beaches. Keep watching this space! MakeMyTrip said in a post on social media platform X.

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NewsFlash: We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit.



This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a 'Beaches of India' campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers pic.twitter.com/4CYb1iApZG  MakeMyTrip (@makemytrip) January 8, 2024

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Enquiries galore

Apart from the interest in the island on Google, people have also begun showing keen interest to travelling there for a holiday. Abdul Saleem P, owner of Comfort Inn, a local hotel brand, in Kavaratti island in Lakshadweep, speaking on the same, told Economic Times, We used to get an average of two or three inquiries a day. But, immediately after the PMs visit the number of calls and enquiries for rooms have increased at least 10 fold.

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Other hotel and resort operators also echoed the same, saying they were experiencing a surge in calls, with most expecting a huge boost to tourism in the islands going forward. The real impact can be gauged only after mid-February. Till then flights are fully booked and there is no capacity available, Hussain Manikfan, who is part of Lakshadweep Tourism, was quoted as telling the Economic Times.

Some express concern

However, not everyone is excited about Lakshadweeps rise in popularity. Some locals are wary that the new-found attention would lead to overtourism in the area, leading to more problems. One Lakshadweep local told The Quint that the islands face several issues which need to be addressed before the governments plan to use Lakshadweep as a tourist hub.

Other industry experts also noted that mass tourism could have a disastrous impact on Lakshadweeps ecosystem.

We have to wait and watch if Lakshadweep truly turns into Indias Maldives, but for now we can only hope.

With inputs from agencies
Authorities have restricted access to Lakshadweep to protect Scheduled Tribes who comprise around 95 per cent of the populace. The interest in the destination comes after social media users in the Maldives including three government ministers made derogatory remarks against PM Modi

Interested in visiting the beautiful island of Lakshadweep?

Despite being Indian, youll need a permit from the authorities.

But why is this so? And why is there interest in Lakshadweep?

Lets take a closer look:

A history of Lakshadweep

First, lets take a look at Lakshadweep.

The archipelago is in the Laccadive Seas off the coast of Kerala.

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Legend puts the earliest settlers on these islands to the period of Cheraman Perumal  Keralas last king of Kerala.

Perumal is said to have fled his kingdom in modern-day Kochi after converting to Islam at the urging of some Arab merchants.

A search party for Perumal led to sailors stumbling upon the islands of Bangaram, Agatti and Amini.

The arrival of the Portuguese in India was a turning point  it made Laccadives a vital spot for sea farers.

The Portuguese, who began looting ships, are said to have been repelled by being poisoned.

Some of the islands were annexed by the British East India Company in 1799 and were governed from Mangalore.

By 1854, all the remaining islands were handed over to the East India Company.

India established the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands as a Union Territory in 1956, as per The Times of India.

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It was later renamed Lakshadweep in 1973.

Comprising 36 islands with an area of 32 square kilometres, it is Indias smallest Union Territory.

Its capital Kavaratti is also its principal town.

It has 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands.

If youre planning to take a trip to Lakshadweep, you should go via Kochi.

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As per The Times of India, you can take flights to Agatti  which has the only airstrip  six days a week.

From there, you can book passage to Kavaratti and Kadmat.

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However, if youre planning to go via ship, you have seven options  MV Kavaratti, MV Minicoy, MV Amindivi, MV Corals, MV Lagoon, MV Lakshadweep Sea, and MV Arabian Sea.

The trip takes between 14 and 18 hours.

As per News18, if youre planning to visit Lakshadweep, you would do well to apply in advance

Permits are issued on a first-come-first-served basis.

Peak season is between October and March.

Why is entry restricted to Indians?

As per CNBC, the island rules state that all persons barring Lakshadweep residents need permission from the authorities to enter under the Restriction on Entry and Residence Rule 1967.

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Only government officials and members armed forces and their families are exempted from getting permission.

This is because the authorities want to protect Scheduled Tribes  who comprise around 95 per cent of the populace.

The permit form, which is available at epermit.utl.gov.in , should be duly filled in and submitted to the Lakshadweep Administration.

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The application fee is Rs 50.

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As per News18, you also have to pay a heritage fee of Rs 100 for children aged between 12 and 18 and Rs 200 for those above 18.

Indians also require a Police Clearance Certificate from the Commissioner of Police of their district.

A self-attested photocopy of the ID card and three passport-size photographs are also required.

Booking confirmation from hotel or resort and travel documents are also needed, as per News18.

Upon receiving the permit, visitors will need to submit it upon arrival.

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Foreign tourists need to have a valid passport and an Indian visa.

Why the interest in Lakshadweep?

The interest in Lakshadweep comes in the backdrop of the row between India and the Maldives.

The row kicked off after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep last week.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

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While Modi made no mention of the Maldives, social media users in that country made derogatory remarks against the prime minister.

Three deputy ministers of the Maldives government also criticised Modi  inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

The government of Maldives has since suspended three deputy ministers and distanced itself from them.

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According to Maldivian media reports, deputy ministers in the youth ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, have been suspended over their posts.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position.

The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives, the Maldivian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

India has conveyed its strong concerns to Maldives over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a number of ministers of that country.

New Delhi on Monday summoned the countrys envoy.

The remarks by the ministers have drawn a backlash in India with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives.

There were also posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trip to the Maldives in view of the row.

With inputs from agencies
While India aims to boost tourism in the Lakshadweep islands, there are plans to construct a new airfield on the Minicoy Islands which will support both military aircraft, including fighter jets, and commercial planes

While India aims to boost tourism in the Lakshadweep islands, there are plans to construct a new airfield on the Minicoy Islands which will support both military aircraft, including fighter jets, and commercial planes.

The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft, ANI quoted government sources as saying.

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Despite previous submissions to the government for the development of a new airfield in the Minicoy Islands, the recent revitalization of plans for a joint-use defense airfield is currently underway and actively progressing, according to the sources.

From a military standpoint, the proposed airfield would enhance Indias strategic capabilities, serving as a base for monitoring the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean region.

The initial suggestion for an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands came from the Indian Coast Guard, under the Defence Ministry. As outlined in the current proposal, the Indian Air Force is set to take the lead in operating from Minicoy.

The establishment of an airport in Minicoy would significantly expand the surveillance coverage of the Arabian Sea by the defense forces. Additionally, the proposed airport aims to stimulate tourism in the region as part of the governments strategic plan.

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Currently, there is only one airstrip on the island territory, located in Agatti, which imposes limitations on the types of aircraft that can operate. The recent revival of the proposal includes plans for the development of a new airport and the expansion of existing facilities.

The Minicoy Islands gained increased attention after a recent visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

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However, politicians from the ruling party in the Maldives have been critical of Indias efforts to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist attraction, expressing their dissent through social media platforms.

With inputs from agencies
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria on Tuesday said that right after Pulwama attack when India had taken action in Balakot, the message to Pakistan was loud and clear that if it doesnt return Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman India will escalate the situation

Former High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria on Tuesday said that right after Pulwama attack when India had taken action in Balakot, the message to Pakistan was loud and clear that if it doesnt return Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman India will escalate the situation.

Varthaman (now Group Captain) downed a Pakistani jet on 27 February, 2019, before his MiG 21 Bison jet was hit in a dogfight.

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Pakistan had launched the retaliation for the Balakot airstrikes a day before. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army and was released two days later.

#WATCH | Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria says "Right after the Pulwama attack, I came to India and I was part of the team which was monitoring the situation and dealing with it. The message that was going to Pakistan at that point was very clear that India was pic.twitter.com/JSKoUu5fFy  ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

Speaking to ANI news agency about his upcoming book Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan , Bisaria, who was serving as Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad during that period, said, Right after the Pulwama attack, I came to India and I was part of the team which was monitoring the situation and dealing with it. The message that was going to Pakistan at that point was very clear that India was going to escalate the situation, in case the pilot was not returned. From all that we heard from Pakistan and all the conversations that we had, we were confident that the pilot would be returned because the consequences would have been serious and this was a message that went loud and clear to Pakistans system and Pakistan then reacted.

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Bisaria said in his book he has given an account of coercive diplomacy which followed after India had taken action in Balakot and subsequent action by Pakistan, as a result of which Abhinandan was captured.

#WATCH | On Pakistan PM Imran Khan's attempt to make a phone call to PM Modi after the Balakot strike, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria says "After Pulwama, India had taken action in Balakot, and that was followed by Pakistan's operation, which it called swift pic.twitter.com/zkR2zrklqb  ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

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Ive tried to present an account of the coercive diplomacy that took place after that, to get the pilot back. There was a very credible threat of force and use of nine missilesPakistan made the choice of returning the pilot, not wanting to escalate that conflict. In trying to de-escalate the situation, the Prime Minister of Pakistan attempted to call the Prime Minister of India. The Pakistani PM then felt obliged to take a decision because the threat of force was very credible to return the pilot in order not to escalate the situation, added Bisaria.

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Referring to 2008 Mumbai 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Bisaria said back then India should have responded with a similar action that it finally gave in 2016 and 2019 with the surgical strikes and airstrikes and pain that India suffered in Punjab and Kashmir could have been lessened if India had taken hard power action.

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#WATCH | Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria says "...If you look back today, certainly in 2008, India should have given this response that it finally gave in 2016 and 2019 with the surgical strikes and air strikes. I think that the terrorism and the pain India pic.twitter.com/KQw8OHwpjX  ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

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If you look back today, certainly in 2008, India should have given this response that it finally gave in 2016 and 2019 with the surgical strikes and airstrikes. I think that the terrorism and the pain India suffered in Punjab in the 1980s could have been lessened if India had taken hard power action in the early 90s. The pain that India suffered in Kashmir could have been lessened if the point was made to Pakistan that India would use hard force as a response to meddling in either of these states, added Bisaria.

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He said India has finally found an answer in the sub-conventional space to terrorism, because now Pakistan knows it has entered its security paradigms that there would be a strong response to any act of terrorism, whether by state actors or non-state actors.

Therefore, it would know that there would be a cost to any such behaviour and therefore it would modify that behaviour, he added.

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With inputs from agencies
PR queen Roxy Jacenko has issued a blistering rant about travel rudeness after one passenger broke an unwritten rule while flying.

Public relations mogul Roxy Jacenko has issued a scathing rant after a fellow passenger broke one of the biggest travel faux pas out there.

The influencer was travelling with her son Hunter when their row-mate in the window seat began taking up too much space for the 43-year-old.

Ms Jacenko took to social media to call out the travel sin, even posting a photo to share how he was leaning into her personal space.

The passenger broke the unwritten rules of plane travel. Photo: Instagram

The PR mogul was travelling with her son Hunter. Photo: Instagram

Passenger next to me may as well put his head on my shoulder, she wrote

I was a good mother and took the middle seat instead of making my son Hunter do so.

Many frequent flyers are of the opinion that the person in the middle seat has the right to both of their arm rest, considering they are stuck between two people and dont have easy access to the window or aisle.

The Sweaty Betty founder was returning to Singapore after a quick trip to Australia to pick up high-end jewellery made for her by bespoke jeweller Nicholas Haywood.

Ms Jacenko has been setting up a new life overseas in recent months. Photo: Instagram

Which includes plenty of travel adventures. Photo: Instagram

She has been setting up a new life for her family in the southeast Asian country after deciding to join her husband in Singapore in July last year.

Ms Jacenko has spoken openly about the differences between her life in Australia compared to overseas, saying that no one knows me in Singapore.

She has also been showing off her new homes close proximity to other southeast Asian holiday destinations, sharing snaps from the familys trip to Thailand over the new year period.
The Delhi Police has recently filed an FIR registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that news portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda.

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted permission for NewsClicks human resources department chief Amit Chakravarty to turn an approver in the case filed against the news portal under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA),

The Delhi Police has recently filed an FIR registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that news portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda, according to ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also invited Timor-Leste to join International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday had a bilateral meeting with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta in Mahatma Mandir in Gujarats Gandhinagar.

After the meeting, PM Modi said, We discussed ways to further bilateral and cultural ties between our nations.

Had an excellent meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Jis influence on President Hortas life and work. We discussed ways to pic.twitter.com/RYmCKKKyhm  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2024

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According to Prime Minister Narendra Modis office (PMO), both the leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including development partnerships in energy, IT, FinTech, health and capacity building.

PM Modi also met with the delegation accompanying the visiting Timor-Leste leader.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were also present during the meeting.

PM Modi also congratulated President Horta for Timor-Lestes upcoming membership of ASEAN.

The Indian prime minister also invited Timor-Leste to join International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

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PM congratulated President Horta for Timor-Lestes upcoming membership of ASEAN.



PM invited Timor-Leste to join International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.  Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 9, 2024

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Timor-Leste President arrived in Gujarat on Monday to attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

The MEA spokesperson said it is the first Head of State level visit between India and Timor-Leste. Notably, India was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste.

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India and Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations in January 2003 and at the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on 7 September, 2023. PM Modi had announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili the capital of Timor-Leste. The decision is a reflection of the importance India attaches to ASEAN, and its relations with Timor Leste.

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Meanwhile, the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 will be held from 10 to 12 January at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The theme of the summit is Gateway to the Future to celebrate 20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of the state.

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For this years summit, there are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations. The Ministry of Development of the Northeastern region will also utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the Northeastern regions.

The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability.

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In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show.

With inputs from agencies
The penal code in India was primarily governed by the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which was enacted in 1860 during British colonial rule. While the IPC had been amended multiple times, the basic structure remained colonial and treated people as subjects of colonial power rather than citizens of a free democratic nation. Besides, IPC had become woefully outdated in addressing contemporary challenges and complexities of society. Due to significant technological, cultural, and social changes, new types of crimes and legal issues emerged that were not adequately covered by the existing penal code. We also needed a more gender-sensitive legal framework to deal with gender-based crimes. The legal system had to be made more efficient and accessible to the most disadvantaged sections of society.

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Keeping this in mind, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, were introduced to replace the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Evidence Act, respectively. BNS 2023 is a complete overhaul of IPC 1860, and it has dropped all redundant and outdated features of IPC 1860. BNS 2023 now has 358 sections instead of 511 sections in IPC. Nineteen sections have been totally repealed or removed. Twenty new crimes have been added, keeping in view the dynamics of changing society. Imprisonment sentences have been increased in 33 crimes, and the penalty of community service has been introduced in six crimes. Mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced for 23 crimes.

Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has 531 sections instead of 484 sections of CrPC, and a total of 177 provisions have changed. Fourteen sections have been completely repealed or removed. Nine new sections and 39 new sub-sections have been added. Forty-four new provisions and clarifications have been added and clarifications included. Similarly, in Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, a total of 24 provisions have been changed. It will now have 170 provisions instead of the original 167 that featured in the Evidence Act.

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A careful reading of BNS 2023 reveals that, for the first time in modern times, our laws have been made gender sensitive with emphasis on provisions that can act as deterrents for potential crimes against women. A whole new chapter titled Crimes against Women and Children has been added to deal with sexual crimes. A new crime category of gang rape of a woman below 18 years of age has been added. A gang rape of a minor girl has now been made consistent with POSCO. There is also a provision of 20 years imprisonment in all cases of gang rape. An important and far-reaching change that protects women of all strata of society is that there now are targeted penalties for persons fraudulently engaging in sexual relationships or promising to marry without any true intention of marriage.

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While the international community is still struggling with a meaningful definition of Terrorism, BNS 2023 113(1) has a cogent definition of Terrorism. Given the extreme nature of terror crimes, Terrorist acts have been made punishable with death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. Destroying public facilities and private property or causing widespread damage to critical infrastructure are covered under this section.

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Organised crime has been defined for the first time by BNS 2023. This includes armed rebellion and subversive and separatist activities threatening the integrity and sovereignty of India. Economic offences like tampering with currency notes and any embezzlement in any financial institution are now covered under the organised crime section. Small organised crimes, too, are punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years.

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Mob lynching has been recognised under a new provision which takes into account murders committed on the basis of race, caste or community. Sedition no longer exists in the new penal code. There are no laws that penalise speaking against the government of the day; however, any acts or speech that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India will attract punishment.

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Bharat Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) prescribes a time limit for initiation of criminal proceedings. A timeline has been added to 35 sections, which will make the speedy delivery of justice possible. BNSS allows reporting crimes against women through e-FIR. Including e-FIR for cognisable offences where the accused is unknown. Use of technology has been encouraged and approved at all stages of investigation till trial, which makes BNS 2023 the worlds most modern justice system. Technology will also be used to conduct search and seizure operations, including videography of the entire process of search and seizure. Checks and balances have been created to ensure police accountability, such as displaying information about attested persons prominently in every police station.

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Bharatiya Sakshya Adhniyam expands the definition of documents to include electronic or digital records, including messages, websites and locational evidence of smartphone or laptop. Statements obtained electronically are included in the definition of evidence. Electronic and digital records will now be treated as primary evidence, keeping in view the swift digitisation of India under Digital India.

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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 seeks to establish the cultural and legal identity of Independent India. The IPC 1860 imposed by external powers did not adequately reflect the values, traditions, and needs of the modern yet civilisational nation called India, which is Bharat. Replacing colonial laws provides an opportunity for India to take ownership of its legal system, enhancing a sense of empowerment and sovereignty.

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The author is a columnist and political commentator. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_s views._

Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
No matter how hard another president of Maldives is trying to push India away from this archipelago, the truth is that Maldives and India are natural partners

The weekend has proven to be a diplomatically charged one with the exchange of heated conversations between sitting ministers in the Maldives government and a section of X users in India. The controversy grew to such a proportion that the Indian government had to formally raise the issue with the Maldives and in response the Maldivian government had to issue a warning to its ministers to behave appropriately before firing three of them from the job.

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It all started with an innocuous tweet by @MrSinha_ , a Surat-based political commentator in which he claimed that the promotion of Lakshadweep Island by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hurt the tourism potential of Maldives. He also referred to the countrys government as a Chinese Puppet. The tweet went viral immediately and even caught the attention of ministers in the newly-formed government of President Mohamed Muizzu. In response to his tweet, a politician from Maldives, Zahid Rameez posted a very racist remark about Indians calling their rooms dirty and always full of smell.

Rameez is a member of President Muizzus coalition party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Not just this, a sitting minister in Muizzus cabinet, Mariyam Shiuna in a separate tweet called Indias prime minister as a clown and puppet of Israel. Shiuna, who is deputy minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts in Maldives thereafter went on a blocking spree and blocked every single Indian account that pointed out the disrespect in her remarks. X users also pointed out how another deputy minister Malsha Shareef also mocked the Indian prime minister by posting laughter emojis in reply to his tweets. Such actions of sitting ministers called for diplomatic attention by the Indian government which raised the matter with its Maldivian counterpart. The controversy created due to the actions of Maldivian politicians on social media may be a new one but all is not well between India and Maldives anyway.

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In September last year, Mohamed Muizzu secured victory in the presidential elections ousting incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a leader whose foreign policy was driven by the core tenet of India First. Unlike Solih under whom India-Maldives relations grew to great heights, Muizzu is someone who came to power through an India Out campaign. One of the strongest reasons for his victory in the presidential election was the backing by Mohmed Yameen, the original proponent of India Out campaign but is languishing in jail these days. Muizzu is now firmly in control and has even sidelined Yameen himself.

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Last heard Yameen had to float another political party, the Peoples National Front. Meanwhile, Muizzu for whom India Out was a campaign rhetoric has now started executing it as a government policy as well. At least the early signs are very worrying his first foreign visit as the president was not to India as is the tradition in Maldives but to Turkiye, a country which is increasingly taking interest in the Indian subcontinent and is clearly not close to only Pakistan anymore. President Muizzu is currently on a five-day state visit to China thus further strengthening speculations that his foreign policy will give much higher priority to Beijing instead of New Delhi.

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Under Yameen, Maldivess debt to China rose to dangerous proportions with certain estimates pegging it around $3.1 billion. In comparison, the total GDP of Maldives was only $4 billion at that time. Not just this, China also created many white elephant projects in Maldives which created a fear of Sri Lanka-like debt trap.

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While Muizzu is tilting close to China, he also met Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of COP28 last year in UAE. One of the key issues that was discussed at the meeting included Muizzus demand for the removal of 77 Indian military personnel from Maldives. This demand by Muizzu in the very first meeting with Prime Minister Modi shows how eager he is to execute his India Out campaign after finally gaining political power to do so. Muizzu also wants to re-examine more than 100 bilateral agreements that his predecessor Solih had signed with India. Not to forget his governments decision to end the joint hydrographic survey with India which was aimed at boosting Maldivess blue economy by preparing better navigational charts. However, according to Muizzus supporters who participated with him in the India Out campaign, these joint surveys were infringing Maldivian sovereignty.

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The Muizzu dispensation may harbour suspicion towards India but it is showing great confidence in Beijing. However, its turn to China is significant for Indias security concerns. Sample this, the new Vice President Hussain Mohmed Latheef chose to attend the Indian Ocean Forum organised by China and skipped the Colombo Security Conclave comprising India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Maldives. The Colombo Security Conclave is Indias attempt to increase security cooperation in the Indian Ocean of which even Maldives is a part but today the Muizzu government considers it an exclusionary arrangement as apparent in its remarks last year.

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No matter how hard another president of Maldives is trying to push India away from this archipelago, the truth is that Maldives and India are natural partners. The Maldives is a group of more than a thousand small islands which didnt even have a military of its own until the year 2006. The Indian troops that Muizzu wants to be called back by India are just 77 odd personnel who are there to operate two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft gifted by India to the Maldives. They carry out very important functions such as surveillance of exclusive economic zones in the Indian Ocean Region. India is also developing a coastal harbour for the country besides training more than 70 per cent of its defence force. India has conducted more than 500 medical evacuations using its infrastructure in the country and it remains a topmost choice for ordinary Maldivian people to seek economical medical treatment.

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Even the tourism sector which is the backbone of Maldivess economy was initially supported by Indias State Bank of India through generous financing which helped it in capacity building. Most importantly, Indians remain the second largest group of tourists to the country who even saved the countrys economy during the lean COVID-19 pandemic years. The importance of India for the average citizen of Maldives cant be denied at all. It is for this reason that a social media backlash started against Muizzus ministers by Maldivians who asked them to fall in line and behave cautiously.

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This reminds one of a similar backlash against the Yameen government as well when the tourism lobby started protesting against his anti-India stand. The people of Maldives value support from India to a great extent. This shows why the government had to fire its own ministers for disrespecting Indias prime minister. Maldives has much to gain from its relations with India and a cooperative equation between both countries is the only goal worth chasing for Mohamed Muizzu as well.

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The author is a PhD from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University. She writes on Indias foreign policy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_s views._

Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
The Lankan Navy had detained six Indian fishermen in Tamil Nadu in December. In another incident that took place that same month, the Sri Lankan navy also apprehended 25 fishermen, 12 of whom were from Tamil Nadu and 13 of whom were from Puducherry

According to a statement released by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, up to 13 Indian fisherman were returned to their home city of Chennai on Tuesday.

In a post shared on X, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka stated, Back home safely! 13 Indian fishermen were repatriated from Sri Lanka to Chennai earlier this morning.

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The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a statement that 21 Indian fisherman were repatriated from Sri Lanka to Chennai earlier on January 5. The Sri Lankan Navy seized them on suspicion of engaging in unlawful poaching within its territorial seas.

21 #Indian fishermen have been repatriated from #SriLanka to #Chennai a short while ago, the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka had posted on its official X handle.

The Sri Lankan Navy announced in a statement from December of last year that they had captured at least 33 Indian trawlers and 220 Indian fishermen in 2023.

The Lankan Navy had detained six Indian fishermen in Tamil Nadu in December. In another incident that took place that same month, the Sri Lankan navy also apprehended 25 fishermen, 12 of whom were from Tamil Nadu and 13 of whom were from Puducherry.

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The Tamil Nadu government, as well as the Center, have expressed alarm about the recent arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in October of last year to voice his concerns about the Sri Lankan Navys repeated arrests of Indian fishermen. He also reiterated his demand that the Center take the necessary steps to protect the states fishermens traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay region.

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EAM Jaishankar was also contacted by Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai on the matter. The topic was also brought up in the meeting between Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July last year.

We also discussed the issues related to the livelihood of fishermen. We agree that we should proceed with a humane approach in this matter, PM Modi said in a statement after meeting Ranil Wickremesinghe.

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(With agency inputs)
AOAV documented a staggering 122% increase in civilian fatalities caused by explosives in 2023, with major contributors being the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, along with unrest in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia

Last year, a surge in explosive incidents resulted in the highest number of civilian casualties in over ten years, marking a troubling trend, reveals recent research by the UK-based charity, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

AOAV documented a staggering 122% increase in civilian fatalities caused by explosives in 2023, with major contributors being the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, along with unrest in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia.

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International forums, including the UN, rely on AOAVs research, which the charity has presented to the UK Parliament. In 2023, AOAV identified 7,307 explosive incidents globally, a significant rise from the 4,322 recorded the previous year. These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 15,305 civilians, representing a 122% increase from 2022, with tens of thousands more sustaining injuries.

AOAV attributes a third of the global casualties to Israels war in Gaza, citing 920 explosive incidents leading to 9,334 fatalities. The charity acknowledges potential underreporting in its data but emphasizes the clear trends in explosive violence, relying on reputable media sources.

Israels military operation in response to Hamas attacks, beginning on October 7, also contributed to a drastic 226% increase in global air strikes, from 519 incidents in 2022 to 1,694 in 2023.

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While Israel asserts unprecedented measures to prevent civilian casualties, AOAVs research underscores the disproportionate impact on civilians when explosive weapons are used in populated areas. AOAV Director Iain Overton urges states to heed the stark warning presented by their data.

In 2023, state actors accounted for 77% of civilian casualties caused by explosives worldwide, with Israel identified as the most injurious state actor, responsible for over 1,000 attacks leading to 12,950 civilian casualties. Russia ranked second, causing 8,351 casualties through its war in Ukraine. Ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, Syria, and Somalia also contributed to the highest civilian casualties recorded by AOAV since 2010.

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Notably, non-state actors, including militants and proscribed groups, increased their use of explosive weapons, although AOAV recorded an 8% decrease in civilians killed by these entities.
The visit was proposed before the current diplomatic row erupted over derogatory remarks by the ministers of the Muizzu government against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, according to the report

The Maldives has proposed a visit by its President Mohamed Muizzu to India, later this month to mend the broken ties, according to a report.

According to Wion, the visit was proposed before the current diplomatic row erupted over derogatory remarks by the ministers of the Muizzu government against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India.

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President Muizzu, who assumed office in November of last year, has so far visited Turkey and the UAE and is currently on visit to China, since coming to power, marking a departure from the tradition of making India the first foreign destination for a newly-elected Maldivian president.

On a week-long visit to China, Muizzu has so far visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone in Fujian province and engaged with senior officials of the China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC). Additionally, meetings were held with prominent Chinese political figures, including Zhou Zuyi, Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Party Committee, and Zhao Long, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Fujian Province.

He will, later in the visit, meet Chinese President Xi Jinping as well.

The President Muizzu administration, which rose to power with an anti-India stance, has urged India to withdraw its troops from the country.

Interestingly, the administration acknowledges the contribution of Indian assets in humanitarian efforts. However, the current government in the Island nation has chosen not to renew the hydrographic agreement with India. This decision, coupled with derogatory remarks from Maldivian ministers directed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has strained bilateral ties.

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Muizzu visit to China comes amid Madives diplomatic row with India which began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted pictures and videos from the Lakshadweep islands in western India.

Pictures and videos of the trip went viral and the three ministers in the Muizzu administration posted disparaging remarks against PM Modi for his post on X, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

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In response to the contentious statements, the Maldivian government has taken action by suspending the ministers involved in the incident. Additionally, the government has distanced itself from these comments.

After the row, there were posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trips to the Maldives. Hashtag Boycott Maldives was also trending on social media.

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EaseMyTrip on Monday said it has suspended all flight bookings to the island nation on its website in solidarity with India.

The Maldivian foreign ministry said the government is aware of derogatory remarks made on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent the countrys position.

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Meanwhile, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) on Tuesday said that it strongly condemns the derogatory comments made on social media platforms against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India. India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as people of India have maintained with us, said MATI in a statement on Monday.

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MATI said India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the tourism industry of the Maldives.

A contributor that has greatly assisted our recovery efforts during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives, the statement added.

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It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship, the statement further added.

With inputs from agencies
The FAA grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines for inspection after the Friday night flight. The inspections are focused on plugs used to seal an area set aside for extra emergency doors that are not required on United and Alaska Max 9s

The decision taken by Alaska Airlines to stop flying one of its planes over the Pacific Ocean till Hawaii due to some warnings from a cabin-pressurization system  yet keep flying it over land  is raising questions about whether the jet should have been in the air at all.

Warning lights were activated on three flights, including the two days prior to the new Boeing 737 Max 9s horrific fuselage blowout on Friday night, according to the countrys top accident investigator. As the plane soared 16,000 feet above Oregon, a plug meant for an emergency door tore off.

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Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the maintenance crews previously had checked the plane and had cleared it to fly, however the airline decided not to use it for the long route to Hawaii over water so that it could return very quickly to an airport if the warning light reappeared.

The aircraft from Oregon to Southern California returned to Portland with no significant injuries among the 171 passengers and six staff members. However, the decision to allow it to fly over land in the first place seemed illogical to some aviation experts.

If you are afraid to take the airplane far from land, what is the reason for that? That has to be answered by Alaska Airlines, said Steven Wallace, an air-safety consultant and commercial pilot who once headed accident investigations for the Federal Aviation Administration.

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The FAA grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines for inspection after the Friday night flight. The inspections are focused on plugs used to seal an area set aside for extra emergency doors that are not required on United and Alaska Max 9s.

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Monday afternoon, United Airlines said it found loose bolts and other installation issues on door plugs that were inspected after the Alaska Airlines incident.

Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, Chicago-based United said.

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Boeing, which has had its own share of problems with various planes over the years, pledged to help address any and all findings that airlines make during their inspections.

The FAA declined to comment on whether the Alaska Airlines plane in question should have been allowed to keep flying. The agency said it would be premature to comment while the NTSB is investigating the Friday night flight.

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Seattle-based Alaska Airlines also declined to comment, saying it would need permission from the NTSB to discuss the plane and its maintenance history. We will provide information as soon as the NTSB permits us to do so, the airline said.

Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said Alaska should have grounded the plane, period. However, he and other critics said the decision to stop flying the plane to Hawaii might have averted a disaster.

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If the blowout had happened halfway to Hawaii, pilots would have been forced to fly low enough so passengers could breathe without oxygen masks, which burns more fuel. And the gaping hole in the fuselage would create drag. The plane might have run out of fuel before reaching land, experts said.

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As far as Im concerned, theres an angel in Alaska, Diehl said. Whoever made the decision to do that probably saved a lot of lives.

Other aviation insiders saw nothing unusual in the airlines decision to limit but not ground the plane after the pressurization warnings on flights Dec. 7, Jan 3 and Jan. 4  the day before the blowout.

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Whatever maintenance they performed on it, (they decided) Lets be conservative and not put this thing out over water, said John Cox, a former airline pilot and now a safety consultant. He said the intermittent nature of the pressurization warnings  three out of the planes 145 flights  might have made them suspect a bad sensor or something else.

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Its not clear whether the airline would have been required to report the warning lights to the FAA or the fact that it had limited the plane to flying over land. Wallace said rules about such reporting arent specific.

Homendy, the NTSB chair, cautioned that the pressurization warning light might be unrelated to Fridays incident, which occurred as the plane cruised about three miles (4.8 kilometers) over Oregon.

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On Monday, the FAA approved guidelines for inspecting the door plugs on other Max 9 jets and repairing them, if necessary. That move could speed the return to service of the 171 planes that the FAA grounded.

Alaska has 64 other Max 9s, and United Airlines owns 79 of them. No other U.S. airlines operate that model.

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The NTSB said the lost door plug was found Sunday near Portland in the back yard of a home.

At a news conference Sunday night, Homendy said an explosive rush of air damaged several rows of seats and pulled insulation from the walls. The cockpit door flew open and banged into a lavatory door.

Two cell phones that appeared to have belonged to passengers on Fridays flight were found on the ground. One was discovered in a yard, the other on the side of a road. Both were turned over to the NTSB.

Grounding 171 of 218 Max 9s in operation, including all those used by Alaska and United, led to flight cancellations at both carriers.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun called a companywide webcast to talk about the incident with employees and senior leadership for Tuesday.

Alaska Airlines flight 1282 took off from Portland at 5:07 p.m. Friday for a two-hour trip to Ontario, California. About six minutes later, the chunk of fuselage blew out.

Videos posted online by passengers showed a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been. They applauded when the plane landed safely about 13 minutes after the blowout. Firefighters came down the aisle, asking passengers to remain in their seats as they treated the injured.

It was extremely lucky that the airplane had not yet reached cruising altitude, when passengers and flight attendants might be walking around the cabin, Homendy said.

The Max is the newest version of Boeings venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The model went into service in May 2017.

Two Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. All Max 8 and Max 9 planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years until Boeing made changes to an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.

The Max has been plagued by other issues, including manufacturing flaws.
Zahid Rameez, a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives that is part of the government, responded to posts on X on Lakshadweep by saying the idea of the islands competing with the Maldives is delusional

Maldives politician Zahid Rameez, who faced criticism and backlash over his derogatory comments against India after Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to Lakshadweep, Tuesday wished Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Rameez is a member of Progressive Party of Maldives that is part of the government led by President Mohamed Muizzu.

Happy Birthday to the esteemed Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishanker! Wishing you a year filled with success and positive diplomatic endeavors, said Rameez in a post on X.

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Happy Birthday to the esteemed Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar!  Wishing you a year filled with success and positive diplomatic endeavors.  @DrSJaishankar https://t.co/As6U21vbLr  Zahid Rameez (@xahidcreator) January 9, 2024

He was responding to a post where EAM Jaishankar thanked PM Modi for his birthday wishes.

Late last week, Rameez reacted to pictures and video shared by PM Modi from his recent visit to Lakshadweep, claiming it to be an idea of competing with Maldives tourism.

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The pictures of PM Modis visit and snorkelling in Lakshadweep gained wide attention, people on social media have been comparing it with the Maldives, which is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches.

Rameez took a jibe at PM Modis attempt to promote Lakshadweep and spoke big about the great services for tourists in Maldives.

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In a racist rant, Rameez went on to question the cleanliness in Lakshadweep and ridiculed the standard of hotel rooms.

The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall," he said in a post on X late last week.

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In another post, Rameez accused India of copying a small economy like Sri Lanka to make money.

It is very sad that a big country like India is trying to make money by copying a small economy like Sri Lanka, he wrote on X.

The derogatory comments made by Rameez and another deputy minister Mariyam Shiuna led to diplomatic row between India and Maldives.

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Shiuna called the Indian Prime Minister a clown and puppet in now-deleted posts on X.

The post on X were taken down by the ministers after backlash on the micro-blogging site.

On Sunday, the Maldives government suspended at least three ministers who made derogatory comments on social media against India. The leadership even distanced itself from the remarks made by the ministers and urged officials not to do anything that affects ties with international partners.

With inputs from agencies
After claiming to have obtained promises from Turkey and four Arab countries to assist in reconstructing Gaza during the warsomething they had been hesitant to make before to a ceasefireBlinken landed in Israel

Tuesday saw negotiations in Israel between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Israeli military as they continued their attack in the embattled area in an effort to come up with a post-war strategy for Gaza. Palestinians were forced to flee their homes as a result of the intense fighting and shelling, which also made it more difficult for relief organisations to provide aid to the affected people.

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After claiming to have obtained promises from Turkey and four Arab countries to assist in reconstructing Gaza during the warsomething they had been hesitant to make before to a ceasefireBlinken landed in Israel.

But when it comes to how Gaza will be administered when  and if  its current Hamas authorities are overthrown, the US and Israel are still sharply split. US officials have demanded that the Palestinian Authority, which presently controls a portion of the West Bank that is under Israeli occupation, assume control of Gaza and that talks on the establishment of a Palestinian state begin again. Leaders in Israel have adamantly rejected both.

In addition, Blinken is working to stop the situation from getting worse following an increase in violence between Israel and Hezbollah and Israels vows to escalate military action in an effort to stop the terrorist groups nearly daily firing across the border from Lebanon.

Israel has been under pressure from the US to reduce its onslaught in Gaza and focus on more targeted attacks against Hamas. But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with several hundred Palestinians killed a day, according to health officials in Gaza. Israel has vowed to keep going until it has destroyed Hamas throughout the territory, in response to the Oct. 7 attack during which militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped around 250 others.

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Still, after three months of fighting, Hamas has continued to put up a fierce fight.

The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants. The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis, where ground troops have been fighting militants for weeks, and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza.

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The fighting will continue throughout 2024, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire echoed through the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where troops have been pushing in from the north, said one resident, Saeed Moustafa. They were facing heavy resistance from gunmen in the camp, he said.

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Like other refugee camps in Gaza, Nuseirat was built to house Palestinians who were driven out of homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, and over the decades it has been built up into a densely populated town housing refugees and their descendants.

Families in Nuseirats northern neighborhoods were fleeing to to other parts of the camp, Moustafa said by phone, with the sound of sporadic gunfire in the background. Some tried to head south on the Gazas main north-south road but found it blocked by Israeli tanks and turned around, he said. In leaflets, the military had told people to use another road, along the coast, to evacuate.

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Further south in Khan Younis, warplanes struck multiple areas in and around the city. It was an intense night. Bombings didnt stop, said Gaber Abu Hamed, who fled his home in Gaza City in the north two months ago.

Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, and more than 58,000 have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Nearly 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

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The U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting in central Gaza was severely hampering operations to distribute aid. Several warehouses, distribution centers, health facilities and shelters have been affected by evacuation orders from the military, it said. Some bakeries in the central city of Deir al-Balah have been forced to shut down. A U.N. warehouse was hit last week, killing a staffer, and five other staffers were detained by the military, with two still held.

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The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October. Tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water. The WHO said Sunday it has been unable to deliver supplies to northern Gaza for 12 days because of bombardment and the inability to guarantee safe passage with the Israeli military.

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OCHA said the military rejected five attempted aid convoys to the north in the past two weeks, including planned deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities. As a result, five hospitals in the north have no access to supplies, tens of thousands are without access to clean water, and the risk of disease is mounting as sewage systems fail, it said.

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On what is now his fourth trip to the Mideast since the war began in October, Blinken met Monday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog ahead of talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the War Cabinet and other officials.

Blinken said Monday that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israels war against Hamas ends. Those countries had previously resisted US calls for post-war planning to begin, insisting that there must first be a cease-fire and a sharp reduction in the civilian suffering in Gaza.

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The countries leaders agreed to work together and to coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole, Blinken said, after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the western Saudi city of Al Ula.

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Blinken did not offer specifics on potential contributions. Financial and in-kind support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could be essential to the success of any plan.

Any post-war plan for Gaza will require both Israeli and Palestinian buy-in, but Netanyahu and his government have their own ideas for Gazas future that the others will likely not accept. Netanyahu remains opposed to the concept of the two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that Saudi Arabia in particular is demanding if it is to normalize relations with Israel.
An overrun single mother of five, working three jobs, has made international headlines after she pulled a venomous black snake from a public toilet in regional Australia.

CNN, NBC, BBC, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Reuters and even the Hindustan Times have shown a curious interest in Tennille Bankes' astonishing snake rescue since she uploaded a video to TikTok last week. But she's had little time to respond.

Footage shows police standing back as Tennille calmly hauls the snake out of the Goondiwindi dunnie and into a bag.

Tennille Bankes who pulled a snake from public toilets in Goondiwindi has been celebrated internationally. Source: Wildlife Empire

Comments from abroad about the snake have been hilarious, with one man saying, "Dont let my missus know, we are heading over (to Australia) next year."

"I can't imagine living in Australia where it seems like every creature is poisonous," a woman in Louisiana quipped. Others marvelled at the size of the snake and some were concerned about how dangerous it might be.

Rescuer reveals reality of wildlife work

While international media attention might seem glamorous from the outside, 41-year-old Tennille hasn't had any time to soak it in. Since Yahoo first reported on her snake rescue a week ago, she's been busily working as a disability carer, bookkeeper and burger flipper, caring for her children aged between four and 21, and looking after the 30 rescued native animals in her care.

The Queensland mum largely self funds her wildlife rescue work and only finds time to sleep between four and six hours a night. Although she'd welcome more funding to care for native animals, she embraces her busy and unusual lifestyle.

When Yahoo spoke to her on Tuesday morning, she had just been splattered in diarrhoea by a large, sick emu she had been attending to and had to call back.

"This is my life, it's just a constant," she said moments later. "It is an incredible amount of work. I end a lot of my days crying, but Im happy."

Importance of compassion towards snakes

While the international attention is amusing, what's most important to Tennille is that the coverage is compassionate towards snakes, and that it highlights the importance of conservation. Displacement of wildlife because of development and the impact of climate change have made life difficult for many animals.

Story continues

Another snake was removed from a toilet in Burleigh Waters by a professional in November. Source: Hudson Snake Catching

Extreme weather in Queensland in recent years has resulted in increased callouts to help reptiles and amphibians who become trapped in toilets after searching out water. Most rescuers who respond to the state's marsupials, birds and reptiles are overrun and volunteer with very little government assistance or charity funding.

If you would like to donate to Tennille's rescuer service Wildlife Empire, you can do so here.

Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories.
Since Baku assumed control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, relations between Paris and Baku have become more strained. Abdoullayeva said legal authorities in Azerbaijan had ordered Ryan be initially held for four months

Bakus envoy to France announced on Tuesday that a French national was being held in Azerbaijan on suspicion of espionage, marking the latest development in the deteriorating relationship between the two nations.

Martin Ryan, a French national, was detained on December 4 on suspicion of carrying out acts of espionage, according to Leyla Abdoullayeva, who spoke with Reuters.

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The foreign ministry of France remained silent for a while.

Since Baku assumed control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, relations between Paris and Baku have become more strained.

Abdoullayeva said legal authorities in Azerbaijan had ordered Ryan be initially held for four months and that the French embassy had been notified of the arrest.

Baku on Dec. 26 expelled two French diplomats saying they were acting in a way that was incompatible with their diplomatic status.

Frances foreign ministry, which denied the Azeri claims, the next day summoned Abdoullayeva and said it was expelling two Azeri diplomats in response.

At the time of the Nagorno campaign, France repeatedly criticized Azeri authorities over the blocking of the Lachin corridor, the key road that linked Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. It has since provided military equipment to Armenia.

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In November, Frances cyber defence unit uncovered a disinformation campaign emanating from Azerbaijan that aimed to undermine Pariss capacity to hold next years Olympic Games, according to a report seen by Reuters.

(with inputs from Reuters)
Tucked away between China and India, Bhutan brought democracy to the region in 2008 when it held its first democratic election, two years after Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the previous monarch, abdicated to make way for his Oxford-educated son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

In the aftermath of COVID-19, economic growth is the primary concern in Bhutan, where voting for the final round of national parliamentary elections, which will determine the countrys fourth administration since democracy was founded 15 years ago, began on Tuesday.

The country of Bhutan is well-known for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, an economic indicator that accounts for aspects of leisure and mental health that are not included in estimates of GDP.

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Tucked away between China and India, this predominantly Buddhist country brought democracy to the region in 2008 when it held its first democratic election, two years after Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the previous monarch, abdicated to make way for his Oxford-educated son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) said voting started at 8 a.m. (0200 GMT) and will close at 4 p.m. Results are expected by Wednesday.

The country of fewer than 800,000 people, roughly the size of Switzerland, has deep economic and trade relations with its southern neighbour India, its biggest donor and economic partner.

It has no formal diplomatic relations China but is in talks with Beijing to resolve border disputes - negotiations closely watched by India, which has its own border dispute with China.

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But the border issue has not been a subject of debate during campaigning.

Nearly half a million voters are eligible to choose 47 members of parliament or National Assembly from among 94 candidates fielded by two political parties  Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won the primary round in November.

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The most important thing the Bhutanese people need is economic growth and the growth of their own, said Karma, 49, a voter from Punakha, near Thimphu. Many people are unemployed and even those who have jobs get salary that is not enough to support the growth of their family.

Both parties have similar election manifestos, in which they have vowed to boost the $3 billion economy. The country relies heavily on aid and tourism, which has failed to recover despite the scenic nation lifting pandemic restrictions in September 2022.

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They share similar views on harnessing the countrys potential for hydro-electric power, boosting agricultural growth and minimising climate change risks in the worlds first carbon-negative country.

Both the BTP and PDP parties pledge to promote investment and boost foreign exchange reserves, which according to the central bank stood at $464.66 million at the end of October, compared with $759.16 million a year ago.

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Analysts said their promises should be taken with a pinch of salt and few believed the parties would deliver on their promises if elected.

People now tend to be sceptical about promises the political parties make, as they have seen that many (past) promises remained unfulfilled, said political analyst Sonam Tshering.

In the three elections since 2008, no party has been chosen to head the government twice.

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Political parties are also aware that Bhutanese voters are much matured and discreet about whom they vote so that their votes remain secret, Tshering said.

BTP was formed in 2022 and is led by a former bureaucrat. PDP was founded in 2007 by Tshering Tobgay, who had led the government after the elections in 2013.
According to the latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, PDP won 30 out of the 47 National Assembly seats and Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats.

The Peoples Democratic Party emerged victorious in Bhutans parliamentary elections on Tuesday. According to the latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, the PDP won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats, marking its return to power, while the Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats.

This election, the countrys fourth since its transition to a parliamentary form of government in 2008 from a traditional monarchy, took place amid residents hopes for effective solutions to address the economic challenges facing the Himalayan nation. The final declaration from the Election Commission of Bhutan is expected on Wednesday.

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The Election Commission of Bhutan will make its final declaration on Wednesday. Candidates on Tuesdays ballot represented only the PDP of former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and the BTP led by former civil servant Pema Chewang.

A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the ruling centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa party. Bhutan is located between China and India, with both neighbours vying for influence in the landlocked nation of around 800,000 people. The severe economic crisis played a major role in campaigning.

According to the World Bank, Bhutans economy grew at a rate of 1.7 per cent over the past five years. With unemployment a chronic problem, an exodus of young people in search of higher education and jobs abroad is undermining the countrys economic potential.

In a bid to overcome the economic challenges, Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck announced in December plans for a megacity in Gelephu, a town on the border with the northeastern Indian state of Assam, that will have zero-carbon industries with foreign investment.

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King Wangchuk said the city-building would be mindful of Bhutanese culture and tradition and would blend with the Himalayan ecosystem. He met with top Indian business leaders who are expected to invest in the project. Construction will take place in a specially administered zone in Bhutan that has investment-friendly laws.
Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv late on Monday to brief Israeli officials on his two days of talks with Arab leaders on ending the war triggered by Hamas militants attack on Israel that by Israeli tallies killed about 1,200 people on October 7

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to meet Israeli leaders on Tuesday in his quest to prevent the Gaza conflict from growing into a regional conflagration as the Israeli military said its fight against Hamas will rage all year.

Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv late Monday to brief Israeli officials on his two days of talks with Arab leaders on ending the war triggered by Hamas militants attack on Israel that by Israeli tallies killed about 1,200 people on October 7.

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He also said he would press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government on the absolute imperative to do more to protect civilians and to do more to make sure that humanitarian assistance is getting into the hands of those who need it.

Israel must allow displaced Palestinian civilians to return to their homes in Gaza, Blinken said in response to calls by right-wing members of Israels ruling coalition for them to move elsewhere.

Israeli leaders will tell Blinken that they will not allow Palestinians from northern Gaza to return if Hamas refuses to free more of the Israeli hostages it seized on October 7, Axios reported, quoting two senior Israeli officials.

The Israeli offensive has claimed more than 23,000 Palestinian lives, destroyed much of the tiny coastal enclave and displaced most of the population of 2.3 million, creating a worsening humanitarian crisis.

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Netanyahu has vowed to pursue the drive until Hamas is destroyed. But he has come under growing pressure from the United States, his countrys closest ally, and Arab leaders to scale back the assault.

US President Joe Biden, confronted on Monday by protesters shouting ceasefire now while visiting an historic Black church in South Carolina, said he had been quietly working to encourage Israel to ease its attacks and significantly get out of Gaza.

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Israeli officials have said the operation is entering a new phase of more targeted warfare, but there was no respite in the fighting on Monday.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said a different mix of forces was pursuing holdout Hamas fighters in the north as intense operational activity focused on central Gaza and around the southern city of Khan Younis.

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Handling tough battles in both the center and south, Hagari said. The fighting will continue through 2024.

Israeli forces bombarded the eastern part of Khan Younis and the central Gaza Strip amid ground clashes, residents said.

Hamass military wing the Al-Qassam Brigades said its fighters fired missiles at Tel Aviv in response to what it called the Zionist massacres against civilians.

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And in a further sign of the war spreading, Israel killed a top commander of Hamas ally Hezbollah in south Lebanon on Monday, sources familiar with the groups operations said.

Blinken flew to Tel Aviv after talks in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to try to chart a way out of the bloodiest chapter ever of the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is his fourth mission to the region since October.

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Speaking to reporters after meeting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi oasis town of Al Ula, Blinken said he still found support among Arab leaders for Israels goal of normalizing relations.

But that will require that the conflict end in Gaza and a practical pathway to a Palestinian state, said Blinken, who held talks in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday.

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The Saudi crown prince, the kingdoms de facto ruler, stressed the importance of stopping the hostilities and forging a path to peace, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.

SPA said the crown prince - who prior to the wars outbreak had been leading a rapprochement between his country and Israel - underscored the need to ensure the Palestinian peoples legitimate rights.

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Israel, which says it is in a fight for its very survival, accuses Hamas of operating among civilians. Hamas, which is sworn to Israels destruction, denies this.

The Israeli offensive so far has killed 23,084 Palestinians; Gaza health officials say. Israel says Hamas still holds more than 100 hostages of the 240 seized in its attack on Israel.

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DANGEROUS COMBAT ZONES

Jordans King Abdullah said on Monday that indiscriminate aggression and shelling could never bring peace or security.

In remarks at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda, he said: More children have died in Gaza than in all other conflicts around the world this past year. Of those who have survived, many have lost one or both parents, an entire generation of orphans.

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The Israeli military said it had bombed an arms cache and uncovered a tunnel shaft in central Gaza and killed at least 10 militant fighters in Khan Younis.

It dropped leaflets on al Moghani in central Gaza warning residents to evacuate several districts it said were dangerous combat zones. Hamas said a sniper had killed an Israeli soldier in central Gaza.

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Nearly all of Gazas residents have fled their homes at least once and many remain on the move, often sheltering in makeshift tents or under tarpaulins.

For Aziza Abbas, 57, camped close to the southern border with Egypt, there was nowhere else to go after what she said was bombing around a school in which she had taken shelter after leaving her home in the north.

They may kill us here, it doesnt matter to them, she told the media, saying she did not want to leave Gaza for Egypt, which has closed the border fearing an exodus.
A significant portion of Interstate 80 was blocked due to whiteout conditions in northern Nebraska, while hazardous driving conditions forced Kansas to close Interstate 70 from the centre city of Russell all the way west to the Colorado border

A massive storm that dumped more than a foot of snow and gusting winds across much of the countrys centre caused whiteout conditions, forcing officials to cancel schools and government buildings in many states on Tuesday.

According to Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, up to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimetres) of snow could fall across a wide area stretching from southeastern Colorado to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, large parts of Iowa, northern Missouri, and northwestern Illinois.

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Athol, Kansas, a community in the north, saw about 8 inches (19 centimetres) of snow fall on Monday. An extra 35 inches (813 centimetres) and wind gusts of up to 40 mph (64 kph) were expected tonight, according to the Lincoln, Nebraska, weather service office.

A significant portion of Interstate 80 was blocked due to whiteout conditions in northern Nebraska, while hazardous driving conditions forced Kansas to close Interstate 70 from the centre city of Russell all the way west to the Colorado border. Authorities said that many cars fell off I-70 in the states northeastern region.

In Nebraska, federal courts in Omaha and Lincoln closed Monday, and the US Army Corps of Engineers increased the water flow at a Missouri River dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton to reduce the chance of ice jams forming. Dubuque, on Iowas eastern border with Illinois, closed its city offices Tuesday. Schools in Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa were among those also closing.

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The weather has already affected campaigning for Iowas Jan. 15 precinct caucuses, where the snow is expected to be followed by frigid temperatures that could drift below zero degrees (minus 18 Celsius).

It forced former President Donald Trumps campaign to cancel multiple appearances by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had been scheduled to court Iowa voters on Trumps behalf Monday.

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Parts of northern Missouri braced for up to a foot of snow as the system moved east. Officials in Kansas City, Missouri, said City Hall would be closed Tuesday and municipal courts would operate remotely.

Madison, Wisconsin, was under a winter storm warning until early Wednesday, with as much as 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow and 40 mph (64 kph) winds on tap. City officials canceled garbage collection to prevent residents from putting trash cans along curbs and making it difficult for snowplows to navigate.

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Northwestern Illinois was also under a winter storm warning with forecasts calling for 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) of snow by early Wednesday. The Chicago area as well as Gary, Indiana, were under winter storm advisories, with forecasts calling for up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow and wind gusts of up to 30 mph (48 kph). Snowfall rates could exceed an inch per hour Tuesday, the weather service said.

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The Illinois Tollway, a state agency that maintains nearly 300 miles (480 kilometers) of toll roads across 12 northern Illinois counties, urged drives to take a go it slow attitude.

Disruptions extended as far south as the Oklahoma panhandle, where Cimmaron County emergency managers asked citizens to stay home. More than a dozen motorists were stranded there Monday afternoon, with whipping winds and blizzard conditions leading to near-zero visibility, said Lea Lavielle, the countys emergency management director.

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At this point in time, we are advising individuals to shelter in place the best they can, Lavielle said.

Another storm was on the way that will affect the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies, Oravec said. Blizzard warnings were out for much of the Cascade and Olympic ranges in Washington and Oregon.
The population decline coincides with Chinas struggles with an aging population. By 2035, there will be more people over 60 than there are the population of United States, with the number of persons over 60 predicted to surpass 400 million. Currently, there are about 280 million people over 60

After the country abruptly ended severe lockdowns, there was likely a spike in COVID-related deaths in 2023, which caused Chinas population to decline for a second consecutive year. Meanwhile, low birth rates are maintained by low trust in the countrys economic prospects.

According to population figures released on January 17, demographers predict that fewer babies will be born in 2023 than in 20229,56 millionbecause persistent problems including high childcare expenses and gender inequalities will not be adequately addressed. Since 2016, Chinas birth rate has been falling.

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The desire to have children was further stifled, youth unemployment reached all-time highs, salaries for white-collar and civil servant jobs declined, and the property sectorwhere more than two thirds of household wealth is investedsaw a worsening crisis.

The figures will heighten worries that the growth possibilities of the second-largest economy in the world are dwindling as a result of a decline in workers and customers, and that the costs associated with retirement benefits and senior care are placing more pressure on indebted local governments.

Since Beijing abruptly lifted prohibitions in December 2022, the COVID-19 virus spread throughout Chinas 1.41 billion people early last year, and demographers predict a substantial increase in the countrys death toll.

The World Health Organization received reports from China totaling 121,889 COVID deaths, the majority of which would have happened after the limitations were removed. Beijing was criticized by the UN committee for underreporting deaths, a claim that the government has consistently refuted.

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Suspicion regarding Chinas data openness was stoked by overcrowded crematoriums and pressure on physicians not to identify deaths as COVID-related. A 70% increase in cremations was reported in January-March of last year in Zhejiang province, China, which is home to 5% of the nations population. This was an unusual development last July. Since then, the data has been removed.

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A study conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle showed that among Chinese adults over 30, between December 2022 and January 2023, there will be 1.87 million more deaths from all causes than would typically be predicted.

The population loss may be underreported in next weeks numbers, according to University of Michigan demographer Zhou Yun, in an attempt to downplay the severity of the COVID-19 effect and foster hope.

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The population decline coincides with Chinas struggles related to an aging population. By 2035, there will be more people over 60 than there are inhabitants in the United States, with the number of persons over 60 predicted to surpass 400 million. Currently, there are about 280 million people over 60.

Demographers attribute factors that discourage women from having children, such as gender discrimination and expectations that they take on the role of caregiver in the family, in addition to poor earnings and significant job instability.

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Women should share good family tradition stories, according to President Xi Jinping, who also stated that in order to actively cultivate a new culture of marriage and childbearing, which he related to national growth, this must be done.

In an effort to promote childbirth, local governments have launched a number of initiatives, such as lengthier maternity leaves, tax discounts, and housing assistance.

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The 2022 marriage rate decline to its lowest level since 1979 is one set of data suggesting decreased birth rates in 2023. In China, where the majority of unmarried women do not have access to benefits related to childrearing, marriage is considered a leading indication of births.

As the COVID backlog cleared, marriages are predicted to have increased year over year in 2023, according to official media. However, demographers stated that this would not be sufficient to allay long-term worries about Chinas aging and declining population.

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According to official media, Chinas fertility rate fell from 1.3 in 2020 to a record-low 1.09 in 2022. Along with other economies from East Asia, it is among the lowest in the world.

The Yuwa Population Research institute called on policymakers to urgently reverse a fall in newborns by providing significant family subsidies in a policy paper published in December.

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The most worthwhile investment in China today is children, it said.

(With agency inputs)
In recent years, Beijing and Washington have clashed on contentious topics ranging from trade and technology to human rights, in addition to tensions surrounding Taiwan and conflicting claims in the South China Sea

As the two countries work to place their relations on a more stable foundation in 2024, Chinas foreign minister stated on Tuesday that relations with the US stabilised last year.

In recent years, Beijing and Washington have clashed on contentious topics ranging from trade and technology to human rights, in addition to tensions surrounding Taiwan and conflicting claims in the South China Sea.

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President Joe Biden visited Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November in an attempt to defuse some of the worst tensions in decades. The discussions were deemed a moderate success by both parties.

Additionally, Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi acknowledged that relations had encountered serious difficulties at the beginning of (last) year in a speech on Tuesday at the sumptuous Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.

The veteran diplomat said Beijing expressed its solemn position, demanding that the United States change its misunderstanding of China and return to a rational and pragmatic China policy.

After hard work, the two sides have restructured communication and dialogue, and bilateral relations have stopped falling and stabilised, Wang added.

But Wangs rosy assessment belied continued key sources of tension between the powers.

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Elections are due this week in the self-ruled island of Taiwan, a key flashpoint between the US and China.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out seizing it by force, while the United States is Taiwans main security backer and has warned China against acting aggressively towards the self-ruled island democracy.

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The two sides have also clashed over Chinas increasingly assertive policy in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety despite an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis.

Wang on Tuesday stressed that Biden had pledged to Xi that the US does not support Taiwan independence during their meeting last year.

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He also framed China as a responsible power that always held fast to justice and stood for fairness as well as resolutely opposes hegemonism and power politics.

The world today is by no means peaceful, and using power for bullying is extremely harmful, Wang warned.
Kharitonov does not pose a serious threat to Putin, despite the fact that the Communist candidate usually receives the second-highest percentage of votes. In the 2004 election, he received just 13.8% of the vote as the partys nominee

The Communist Partys candidate to challenge President Vladimir Putin in the election scheduled for Marchwhich Putin is almost certain to winwas registered by Russias national elections commission on Tuesday.

The two other candidates who were authorized for the ballot last week are joined by Nikolai Kharitonov. Kharitonov, a member of the lower house of parliament, has not supported Russias military intervention in Ukraine, but he has objected to some of Putins domestic policies.

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Kharitonov does not pose a serious threat to Putin, despite the fact that the Communist candidate usually receives the second-highest percentage of votes. In the 2004 election, he received just 13.8% of the vote as the partys nominee.

Putin has dominated Russian politics since he was first elected to the presidency in 2000.

The commission last week approved Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party for the March 15-17 vote.

Both of their parties are largely supportive in parliament of legislation backed by Putins power-base United Russia party.

A Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine was rejected last month from the presidential ballot.

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The elections commission refused to accept Yekaterina Duntsovas initial nomination by a group of supporters, citing errors in the paperwork, including spelling. The Supreme Court then rejected Duntsovas appeal against the commissions decision.

Putin is running as an independent, and his campaign headquarters, together with branches of the ruling United Russia party and a political coalition called the Peoples Front, have collected signatures in support of his candidacy. Under Russian law, independent candidates must be nominated by at least 500 supporters, and must also gather at least 300,000 signatures from 40 regions or more.
According to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, Israels assault in the region has resulted in more than 23,200 Palestinian deaths since the war started, or about 1% of the territorys population, and more than 58,000 injuries

On Tuesday, Israeli authorities and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had frank discussions on Gazas post-war future as Israels military continued its offensive in the embattled territory. Palestinians were forced to flee their homes as a result of the intense fighting and bombardment, which also made it more difficult for relief organizations to provide aid to the affected population.

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Blinken stated that he was traveling to Israel bearing commitments from Turkey and four Arab countries to assist in post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza. However, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sworn not to permit the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel; instead, those countries also want to see an end to the conflict in Gaza and significant progress toward that goal.

Regarding how Gaza will be administered when  and if  its current Hamas rulers are overthrown, the US and Israel are still sharply divided. The Palestinian Authority, which presently controls a portion of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has being urged by US officials to assume control of Gaza. Although they have rejected the concept, Israeli leaders have not presented a specific solution other than granting the military complete control over the region.

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Blinken is simultaneously attempting to avert a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Following the apparent Israeli attack on Beirut last week that claimed the deputy head of Hamass life, communication between the two parties has intensified.

Hezbollah claimed on Tuesday that its detonating drones had struck the Israeli armys northern command in the town of Safed, which was farther inside Israel than the group had ever fired. According to the Israeli military, a drone that dropped at a northern base without causing any harm may have been intercepted. The base was not identified by it.

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There is lots to talk about, in particular about the way forward, Blinken told the media after meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Israel has been under pressure from the US to reduce its onslaught in Gaza and focus on more targeted attacks against Hamas.

But according to Gazas health professionals, the rate of death and damage has stayed pretty much the same, with hundreds of Palestinians dying every day. Israel responded to the October 7 onslaught, in which militants killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped about 250 more, by vowing to continue until Hamas was eliminated throughout the country.

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Even after three months of hostilities, Hamas keeps up its furious resistance.

There, the Israeli force claims to have destroyed major portions of the cityscape in northern Gaza and wrecked Hamas infrastructure. However, Israel claims that there are still pockets of militants there, and fighting persists.

The southern city of Khan Younis, where ground forces have been battling militants for weeks, and several urban refugee camps in central Gaza are now the main targets of the attack.

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According to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, Israels assault in the region has resulted in more than 23,200 Palestinian deaths since the war started, or about 1% of the territorys population, and more than 58,000 injuries. Women and children made up almost two thirds of the deceased. There is no distinction made in the death toll between combatants and civilians.

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Tuesday morning saw many airstrikes throughout the night and early hours of Tuesday in and around Khan Younis and central Gaza, where dozens of wounded and fifty-seven dead were taken to the major hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah.

(With agency inputs)
The WEF said the cooperation is possible even in the midst of competition and there are signs of strength, particularly in cooperation on climate and natural capital, trade and capital flows, and innovation and technology.

After trending positively for much of the past decade, global cooperation has started to decline after 2020 due to weakened cooperation in peace and security as well as health and wellness, a new study showed on Monday.

Launching a Global Cooperation Barometer, the World Economic Forum said cooperation is possible even in the midst of competition and there are signs of strength, particularly in cooperation on climate and natural capital, trade and capital flows, and innovation and technology.

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The barometer indicates that global cooperation was resilient in multiple dimensions from 2012 until 2020 but overall cooperation declined by 2 per cent from 2020 to 2022, the WEF said in the report released days before its annual meeting of world leaders in the Swiss ski resort town Davos. The barometer, developed in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, used 42 indicators to measure five pillars of global cooperation between 2012 and 2022. These indicators included trade and capital; innovation and technology; climate and natural capital; health and wellness; and peace and security. According to the barometer, global cooperation showed signs of strength during the years measured in pillars such as trade and capital, innovation and technology, and climate and natural capital. However, it also reflected the significant challenges the world has faced in the past three years, including reversals in global health cooperation and sharp increases in violent conflict, shown through declines in the barometers health and wellness and peace and security pillars. The barometer release follows a year that was the hottest on record and saw escalating levels of conflict worldwide, but that also brought progress on climate action, trade agreements and innovation. The greatest challenges  and the most promising opportunities  for our planet, societies and economies are not bound by borders, which means the only way to address them is through cooperation, WEFs President Borge Brende said. What the barometer shows is that cooperation on many issues is possible, even in the midst of competition and confrontation. In other words, leaders can work together despite not seeing eye-to-eye on everything, he added.

McKinsey & Company Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels said it is clear that on some dimensions the world has become increasingly divided, yet the barometer shows that when you look at the full picture, global cooperation has remained surprisingly robust over the last decade. The report also made a series of recommendations for business and government leaders, including identifying opportunities to deepen public-private partnerships in areas where they have critical operations and shared interests, such as harmonised regulation of AI and emerging technology. In addition, leaders should reimagine cooperation and practice coopetition or finding opportunities for cooperation despite broader competitive positions. They also need to use cooperation to beget cooperation, using instances of cooperation to not only advance interests in a specific area but also as an opportunity to deepen trust and explore where other alignment may exist. Companies and countries that identify robust cooperative arrangements are more likely to be more resilient  not only able to absorb a supply disruption but also to bounce back better, the WEF said. The findings and recommendations from the report are likely to be discussed in detail during the five-day WEF Annual Meeting.
Controversy continues to swirl around Canberra's annual Summernats festival, with a top cop taking a swipe at the visitors he calls "morons" involved in anti-social behaviour and hooning during the four-day event.

ACT Police Acting Inspector Mark Richardson branded festivalgoers "a sub-species of the human race" and said, while most of the revellers were well-behaved, the event unfortunately attracts "moron tourism".

The festival attracted 130,000 revheads who lined the streets with their roaring engines to celebrate their love of cars. However, the festival wasn't without its fair share of problematic behaviour, ACT Police said.

'Moron tourism' is behind the trouble seen at the Summernats event, Acting Inspector Mark Richardson said. Source: ABC

The anti-social behaviour extended beyond the festival grounds and involved loud burnouts and revs along Canberra's main roads as well as the incorrect use of electric scooters, including people doing donuts in crowded public places. There are also reports of rocks and bottles being thrown at police.

"If we set up an IQ test station at the border instead of a vehicle-testing station, wed halve our problems," Richardson told reporters on Monday following the event. "I dont know what goes through their mind, but they just havent evolved very far these people involved in these organised burnout events".

"The real car enthusiasts are not the problem, it's the moron tourism," he continued. "They were all over Canberra, and were literally just going around playing Whac-A-Mole."

A huge brawl broke out at Summernats car festival, with police now investigating. Source: TikTok

Anti-social behaviour slammed by police

Several organised burnout events were held in various suburbs kilometres from the festival. These antics have continually frustrated locals and law enforcement.

Handful of arrests made

ACT Police seized 13 cars, including a Holden Commodore for doing a burnout metres from pedestrians. The 22-year-old behind the wheel was suspended for driving in the Territory for three months. Two children and two adult passengers were also in the car during the manoeuvre, police said.

Story continues

He is expected to be charged with dangerous driving, driving an unsafely maintained vehicle, plates not properly issued, running a red light and speeding. Two people were also arrested on Saturday for anti-social behaviour.

Police are also investigating footage of a fight posted to social media between a group of crowd control officers and revellers. "The footage that we saw was quite disturbing," Acting Superintendent Rod Anderson said.

While burnouts were a popular attraction at the Summernats (above), they were also carried out on public streets away from the festival. Source: Getty

'Growing frustration' among police

The Australian Federal Police Association applauded and "agreed" with Richardsons comments in a Facebook post on Monday. It said "these comments come from a growing frustration among Australia's policing cohort regarding the behaviour of motorists on Australian roads."

"The road isnt a playground, a burnout pad or a personal race track," it wrote. "It beggars belief that some attendees feel the need to behave irresponsibly to place significant risk to the public and attending police."

"Where is the ACT Government's response in support of our police in calling out this bad behaviour? The silence is deafening."

An extra 100 officers were on duty on each day of the event, but according to the AFP, they're still "under-resourced".

"Our members across the AFP are becoming extremely frustrated. They are overworked, under-appreciated, and are the lowest-paid police officers in the country. Summernats again highlighted how understaffed our members were in dealing with such a large event," it said.

with AAP

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The earth was 1.48 degrees Celsius warmer on average in 2023 than it was in the pre-industrial era between 1850 and 1900, when people started burning fossil fuels on a large scale and released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

The world was probably at its warmest in the past 100,000 years last year, according to the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which said on Tuesday that 2018 was the hottest year on record for the planet.

The milestone was widely anticipated by scientists after multiple climate records were broken. Comparing the current month to the corresponding month in prior years, every month since June has been the hottest on record worldwide.

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This has been a very exceptional year, climate-wise  in a league of its own, even when compared to other very warm years, C3S Director Carlo Buontempo told the media.

According to C3S, 2023 will be the warmest year on record for global temperatures since 1850. Based on comparisons with paleoclimatic data records from sources including air bubbles in glaciers and tree rings, Buontempo concluded that the year was very likely the warmest in the previous 100,000 years.

The earth was 1.48 degrees Celsius warmer on average in 2023 than it was in the pre-industrial era between 1850 and 1900, when people started burning fossil fuels on a large scale and released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations committed to avoiding the worst effects of global warming by attempting to keep temperatures from rising above 1.5 Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

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The aim, which calls for an average global temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius over several decades, has not been exceeded, but according to C3S, the fact that temperatures above the level on almost half of the days in 2023 set a dire precedent.

The number of climate targets set by governments and businesses has increased, while CO2 emissions have remained persistently high. In 2023, global CO2 emissions from the burning of gas, oil, and coal reached historic highs.

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According to C3S, last year saw the atmospheres CO2 content reach 419 parts per million, the highest level ever measured.

Additionally, it was the first year that daily temperatures exceeded 1C above pre-industrial levels. Two days in November were the first time that the temperature was two degrees higher than in the pre-industrial period, C3S said.

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The previous hottest year, 2016, was 0.17 degrees higher than last year, shattering the record by a remarkable margin, according to Buontempo.

The El Nino weather phenomenon, which warms the surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean and raises global temperatures, increased temperatures in 2023 in addition to human-caused climate change.

Extreme and catastrophic weather disasters are made worse with every degree Celsius increase in temperature. The planets increased heat in 2023 led to devastating heatwaves that spread from China to Europe, excessive rain that killed thousands of people in Libya due to flooding, and the deadliest wildfire season in Canadian history.

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The effects of climate change on the economy are also getting worse. According to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, at least 25 weather-related disasters costing more than $1 billion occurred in the US. Extended dry spells devastated Argentinas soybean harvests and Spains wheat crops.

(With agency inputs)
Muizzus appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Facing a backlash following the diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to intensify efforts to send more tourists to his country.

The move came after a spate of cancellations of reservations by Indian tourists after a diplomatic row erupted over the derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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In his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday Muizzu termed China as the island nations closest ally.China remains one of our closest allies and development partners, he said.

He praised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014, saying that they delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history, according to his speech.

He urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives.China was our (Maldives) number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position, according to a readout posted on his official website. Also, Maldivian media reported that the two countries have signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island.

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Muizzus appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Muizzus government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory posts on social media.

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Also, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments. According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023.

The highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 209,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 187,118 arrivals.

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In 2022, India remained the top Maldives tourism market, with 240,000 arrivals. Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 177,000 arrivals.

Before COVID, China held the top spot with over 2.80 lakh tourists but is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy.

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As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID-19 are now restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.

Regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, Muizzu told the Forum that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers.

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He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

Maldives and China signed the FTA in December 2014 during the pro-China President Abdulla Yameen administration. However, his successor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solihs administration did not implement the agreement, according to Maldives media reports.

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He said the FTA is a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.The FTAs aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA, he said.

China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to USD 451.29 million of which Chinas exports constituted USD 451.29 million against USD 60,000 of exports from Maldives.

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Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum. The projects included the relocation of the Male Commercial Port to Thilafushi, the Velana International Airport development project, the construction of 15 more airports, and the expansion of SEZ, Maldives web portal edition.mv reported.

With inputs from agencies.
The agreement on the acceptance of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka was formalised in July 2023 during the two-day visit of Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India, where he signed the accord with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Six months following the joint announcement by the prime ministers of India and Sri Lanka, discussions have taken place regarding the accelerated implementation of the UPI payment system.

High Commissioner reiterated that #India will continue to be a steadfast partner in s economic recovery in his meeting with @CBSL Governor. Discussed early launch of UPI payment system in SL, growth in INR trade settlements and 's support in 's debt restructuring process. pic.twitter.com/LxFeymQ7oi  India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) January 8, 2024

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India has once again expressed its commitment to supporting the debt restructuring process in Sri Lanka, a nation facing financial challenges.

The agreement on the acceptance of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka was formalised in July 2023 during the two-day visit of Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India, where he signed the accord with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The most recent deliberation took place on Monday during a meeting between the High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

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High Commissioner reiterated that #India will continue to be a steadfast partner in Lankas economic recovery in his meeting with @CBSL Governor. Discussed early launch of UPI payment system in SL, growth in INR trade settlements, and Indias support in Lankas debt restructuring process, said a post on X by the High Commissioner of India in Colombo after the meeting.

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In October, Modi announced that the governments of both India and Sri Lanka are working together on fintech sector connectivity by linking the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Lanka Pay.

He announced to link UPI and Lanka Pay when he was addressing the event to launch ferry services between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka, via a video message.

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Even as Sri Lanka and India marked their 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023, New Delhi emerged as a steadfast ally of Colombo, playing a pivotal role in the debt-trapped island nations steady economic recovery.

When the unprecedented economic turmoil struck Sri Lanka last year, India swiftly extended a lifeline to the country with assistance of over USD 4 billion, surpassing the International Monetary Funds 48-month bailout of about USD 3 billion.

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On November 29, President Wickremesinghe declared that Sri Lanka is close to securing a statement of agreement from its external creditors on debt restructuring that will enable the IMF to conclude its first review of the USD 2.4 billion bailout facility approved in March 2023.

With inputs from agencies
After the three terrorists attempted to flee and an exchange of gunfire broke out between the terrorists and the security forces, the undercover agents killed the three armed terrorists who were attempting to break free

In a joint statement, the Israel Police, Shin Bet, and Israel Defence Forces (IDF) revealed that on Monday night, Israeli security forces killed three terrorists during an operation to apprehend a guy who was wanted in the Samaria town of Ikhtaba. Shin Bet is Israels anti-terror General Security Service.

After the three terrorists attempted to flee and an exchange of gunfire broke out between the terrorists and the security forces, the undercover agents killed the three armed terrorists who were attempting to break free.

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One of the terrorists was struck by gunfire from Israeli forces as he attempted to escape and was eventually apprehended.

He was found in possession of an M16 assault rifle.

(With agency inputs)
The development indicates that indirect negotiations are back on track, after the assassination of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon last week in a strike widely attributed to Israel

A high-level Israeli delegation reached Cairo last night for talks on releasing hostages held by Hamas since October 7, an Egyptian official aware of the development said on Tuesday.

The development indicates that indirect negotiations are back on track, after the assassination of senior Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Lebanon last week in a strike widely attributed to Israel.

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The talks had reportedly run into a glitch following last weeks assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut in a planned strike. Last week, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh warned that enemy prisoners will not be released except under the resistances (Hamass) conditions.

Earlier, Hamas had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators it would only release hostages if Jerusalem agreed to a complete cessation of its Gaza offensive, Haniyeh said.

The Hamas leader also signaled his willingness to join a single Palestinian governing body for the Gaza Strip, Judea and Samaria after the war.

Newly-chosen Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz vowed last week to make the return of the hostages his ministrys top priority.

On Tuesday, dozens of family members of hostages converged on the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza, with the aim of blocking aid passing into the Hamas-ruled enclave.

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We will not allow the introduction of humanitarian equipment into Gaza while the sick and wounded are held captive by Hamas, the families said in a statement.

Shai Vankert, father of hostage Omer, said: We will reach the Kerem Shalom crossing to prevent goods and medicine from entering the Gaza Strip. My son is sick with colitis, and since October 7 he has not seen a doctor. It is impossible that at this time hundreds of trucks are entering Gaza.

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Police prevented the group from reaching the crossing area, which is designated a closed military zone.
Wissam al-Tawil was a veteran of the Iranian-backed Lebanese force who took part in the 2006 cross-border kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers that triggered the last war between Israel and Hezbollah

An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Monday killed an elite Hezbollah commander, the latest in an escalating exchange of strikes across the border that has raised fears of another Mideast war even as the fighting in Gaza takes a toll on civilians.

The hit on an SUV killed a leader in a covert Hezbollah unit that patrols near the border, according to a Lebanese security officer who spoke on condition of anonymity in conformity with procedures. The commander, Wissam al-Tawil, was a veteran of the Iranian-backed Lebanese force who took part in the 2006 cross-border kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers that triggered the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, an official in the group said.

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After Hamass Oct. 7 invasion into southern Israel, which resulted in an all-out war in Gaza and lower-intensity combat between Israel and Hezbollah, he is the most senior Hezbollah fighter to have been killed. This fighting has intensified after an Israeli strike last week in Beirut killed a senior Hamas official.

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, seems to be attempting to prevent a more extensive conflict during his return to the area this week.

In other news, Israel declared that, although fighting and bombardment are still ongoing, it has completed most of the major operations in northern Gaza. Israeli soldiers are currently concentrating on the southern city of Khan Younis and the central area, from where hundreds more Palestinians have fled.

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Israeli officials say the fighting will continue for many more months as the army seeks to dismantle Hamas and return scores of hostages taken during the militants Oct. 7 attack.

The offensive has already killed over 23,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of the Gaza Strip, displaced nearly 85% of its population of 2.3 million and left a quarter of its residents facing starvation.

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Sickening scenes in Gazas overwhelmed hospitals

Medics, patients and displaced people fled from central Gazas main hospital as fighting drew closer, witnesses said Monday. Losing the facility would be another major blow to a health system shattered by three months of war.

Doctors Without Borders and other aid groups withdrew from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, saying it was too dangerous amid Israeli bombardment, drone strikes and sniper fire. That spread panic among people sheltering there. Thousands left, joining the hundreds of thousands who have fled further south, said a hospital staffer, Omar al-Darawi.

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Tens of thousands of people have sought shelter in Gazas hospitals, which are struggling to treat the continuous flow of wounded from Israeli strikes. Only 13 of Gazas 36 hospitals are even partially functional, according to the UN humanitarian office.

The Al-Aqsa hospital was struck multiple times in recent days, al-Darawi said. After the pullout, large numbers of patients who cannot be moved were concentrated on one floor to be treated by remaining doctors. They need special care, which is unavailable, he said.

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World Health Organization staff who visited Sunday saw sickening scenes of people of all ages being treated on blood-streaked floors and in chaotic corridors, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The bloodbath in Gaza must end.

More dead and wounded arrive at the hospital each day as Israeli forces advance in central Gaza, backed by heavy airstrikes. The military said Monday it had uncovered a large Hamas site for building rockets in the nearby Bureij refugee camp.

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Thousands have been fleeing the area, heading south. Fifteen members of the Ayash family crammed into a van with their belongings for the journey. Along the way there was banging, missiles, bombing, and planes, said Khawla Ayash.

Reaching Muwasi, a coastal area outside Rafah, they unloaded bags, blankets and thin mattresses and began setting up tents alongside other relatives.

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The UN childrens agency UNICEF warned that 90% of Gazas children under 2 were consuming only bread and milk.

As the threat of famine intensifies, hundreds of thousands of children face severe malnourished, with some at risk of death, said Catherine Russell, UNICEFs executive director. We cannot allow that to happen.

Dire conditions in the north

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The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October.

Entire neighborhoods have been demolished, and most of the population has fled. Tens of thousands who remain face shortages of food and water. The WHO said Sunday it has been unable to deliver supplies to northern Gaza for 12 days because of bombardment and the inability to guarantee safe passage with the Israeli military.

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Israel still battles what it describes as pockets of militants.

An airstrike early Sunday flattened a four-story home filled with displaced people in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp, killing at least 70, including women and children, according to Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gazas civil defense. There was no immediate confirmation from the Health Ministry, which has struggled to operate in the north.

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Since the war began, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed, about two-thirds of them women and children, and more than 58,000 have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the group operates in populated residential areas, but the military almost never comments on the intended target in strikes that kill large numbers of civilians. The military says it has killed some 8,000 militants, without providing evidence, and says 176 of its own soldiers have been killed in the offensive.

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Seeking to head off a wider war

Blinken focused on preventing the war from spreading as he held talks in Gulf countries and Jordan over the past two days.

For the past three months, both Israel and Hezbollah have sought to limit their cross-border exchanges. Hezbollah appears wary of risking an all-out war that would bring massive destruction to Lebanon.

But last weeks killing of Hamas deputy political leader, Saleh Arouri, in Beirut threatens to throw the two sides into an escalating spiral.

A Hezbollah rocket barrage hit a sensitive air traffic base Saturday in northern Israel in one of the groups biggest attacks of the war  an initial response to Arouris killing, Hezbollah said.

Israeli leaders say their patience with Hezbollah rocket fire is wearing thin and that if diplomacy doesnt stop it, they are prepared to go to war. They have expressed particular concern about the Radwan Force, the elite Hezbollah unit in which al-Tawil was a commander, which operates along the border.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting troops near the border, vowed to return security to the north.

We prefer that this be done without a wider campaign, but that wont stop us, he said.

Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, saying it aimed to ease pressure on Gaza. Hamas and other militants killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel that day, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people hostage, over 130 of whom remain in captivity.

In the cross-border exchanges, nearly 200 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, mostly fighters but also 20 civilians. On the Israeli side, five civilians and 12 soldiers have been killed and more than 150 injured. Tens of thousands of people in both countries have been driven from homes near the border.
Ferragnis lawyer, Giuseppe Iannaccone, confirmed Tuesday to AFP that his client had been officially listed by prosecutors in Milan on a register related to the criminal case on suspicion of aggravated fraud

Italys Instagram celebrity Chiara Ferragni is under fraud investigation for misrepresenting that the proceeds from a cake sale that was to benefit kids with bone cancer.

With 29.5 million Instagram followers, the fashion designer is at the center of a scandal after she endorsed a pandoro cake in 2022, a Christmas confection akin to a panettone, ostensibly to generate money for kids receiving medical care at a hospital in Turin.

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Last month, Italys competition watchdog discovered that consumers had been duped into thinking that their purchase of the Balocco special edition cake, which generated over a million euros in revenue for Ferragnis businesses, would go toward supporting the charitable cause.

Ferragnis lawyer, Giuseppe Iannaccone, confirmed Tuesday to AFP that his client had been officially listed by prosecutors in Milan on a register related to the criminal case on suspicion of aggravated fraud.

The procedural step does not imply guilt but indicates enough evidence to place the person under preliminary investigation.

Prosecutors in Milan did not respond to an AFP request seeking confirmation.

I am not worried because I have always acted in good faith and I am sure that this will emerge from the ongoing investigation, Ferragni, 36, said in a statement.

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Last month, the anti-trust authority fined two of Ferragnis companies and Balocco approximately 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) for implying to consumers that in buying the Pandoro Pink Christmas, released in November 2022, they would be contributing to charity.

But in fact, Balocco, based south of Turin, had months earlier made a fixed-sum donation of 50,000 euros to the Regina Margherita Hospital.

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- Communication error -

Since launching her The Blonde Salad blog in 2009, Ferragni has built up a business empire estimated by Forbes as worth $8 million per year, launching her own brand and earning lucrative endorsement contracts for everything from Evian water and Nespresso, to Dior perfume and Louis Vuitton heels.

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But the Pandoro scandal, which has made headlines in Italian newspapers for weeks, has been a significant blow to the reputation of the A-lister and her business activities.

La Repubblica reported last week that Coca-Cola shelved a television spot with the star planned for January, while Italian eyewear maker Safilo cut short a licensing deal with Ferragni in December after the watchdogs findings.

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Last month, Ferragni posted a near-tearful apology on Instagram, in which she said admitted having committed a communication error in linking her charity work with a commercial activity, adding that she would donate one million euros directly to the hospital.

She also said she would challenge the competition watchdogs fine, and were it reduced, she would contribute that sum above and beyond her one million euro donation.

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The legal problems of Ferragni may not be over, however, with newspapers reporting that prosecutors have opened a separate investigation into a similar situation, in which the star promoted chocolate Easter eggs, saying their sale would support a childrens charity.

Il Fatto Quotidiano reported last month that the candy maker made a 36,000 euro contribution to the charity, while Ferragni was paid 500,000 euros and 700,000 euros in 2021 and 2022 for her promotion.

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(with inputs from AFP)
According to data from the IMF, China is the Maldives largest foreign lender, accounting for almost 20% of the countrys total public debt. Maldives owes China almost $1.3 billion, according to data. The IMF has rated the island nations risk of foreign debt crisis as high

Speaking at an event in Fuzhou, Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu praised Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and pushed for Chinese investment in his nation, even as a diplomatic crisis with India simmered beneath the surface.

Muizzu was speaking at a Invest Maldives business event. Muizzu is currently on his first state visit to China since taking office a few months ago.

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The fact that I am here in China on my first state-level visit is testament to the commitment of His Excellency President Xi Jinping and the people of China to the Maldives. We have no doubt that China will be our closest partner in development, the Maldives President said during his address.

With the unwavering support of China, we are confident that we can attain and exceed our goals and create a prosperous future for our people, he added.

At a time when bilateral relations between India and the Maldives were already problematic, a diplomatic crisis has arisen. Following their derogatory remarks directed towards Indians and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, three ministers were suspended by the Maldives government.

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This occurred after Muizzu called for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the island nation and spearheaded the India Out campaign prior to last years elections. Also, his government has no intention of extending its arrangement with India to carry out cooperative hydrographic surveys in the waters surrounding the Maldives.

Speaking at the Fuzhou event, Muizzu lauded the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project aimed at connecting East Asia and Europe and expanding Chinas political and economic power.

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Maldives became an early party to His Excellency President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative in 2014 which has delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in the Maldivian history, he said.

The Maldives dispatched a special ambassador to the Third Belt and Road Forum, which was held in October of last year in China.

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In his remarks, Muizzu mentioned two major Maldivian initiatives that align with the goals of the BRI. Among them is a massive project to build the 25 million-passenger Velana International Airport.

The new vision for our central airport that I launched just a few days before I arrived here, and the Commercial Port Project are key strategic initiatives of my government that are in alignment with the BRI vision of land, ocean, air and digital connectivity. The government is keen on exploring and taking partnerships for these projects under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, Muizzu said.

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According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China is the Maldives largest foreign lender, accounting for almost 20% of the countrys total public debt. Maldives owes China almost $1.3 billion, according to data. The IMF has rated the island nations risk of foreign debt crisis as high.

During his speech, Muizzu stated that external financial resources and international investments were essential to the implementation of his several suggested projects.

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Politicians in the Maldives, meanwhile, have mentioned concerns about falling into a Chinese debt trap. In an interview with ThePrint, former vice president of the Maldives Ahmed Adeeb said that the countrys foreign policy had to be balanced in order to prevent its economy from following the Sri Lankan model.

In 2017, Muizzu was a Maldivian governor for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is led by China. Under the administration of the late President Abdulla Yameen, he also held the positions of housing minister and mayor of Male. Muizzu was nominated by his party to replace Yameen, who was considered anti-Indian and was barred from standing for office following his incarceration on money-laundering charges.
We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health center and taking it off when you leave, Health Minister Monica Garcia told Cadena Ser radio late Monday. I dont think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure

Spains Health Ministry announced that due to an increase in respiratory illnesses, face masks will be required in Spanish hospitals and healthcare facilities as of this Wednesday.

The majority of Spains 17 autonomous regions are against the policy, but the new leftist minority coalition government is pushing it through.

Health Minister Monica Garcia said late Monday on Cadena Ser radio, We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health center and taking it off when you leave.

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I dont see any drama in it. It is a fundamental and easy-to-understand first-order measure, she continued.

Spains hospitals have been under tremendous strain lately due to an increase in COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory cases.

Garcias ministry decided to impose the measure after failing to reach an agreement with regional health authorities, many of whom argued that mask use should be recommended but not obligatory.

Regional governments are in charge of healthcare although the central government can intervene if it deems it necessary.

Six regions have already introduced the measure and masks have been commonly used on streets and public transport and in health centers in recent months.

Spain declared a formal end to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic last July, saying people no longer needed to wear masks in health and care centers and pharmacies. Over the previous two years, Spain had gradually ended mandatory mask wearing, first in public and then on public transport.

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The country registered more than 14 million cases and some 120,000 deaths from the coronavirus.

(with inputs from The Associated Press)
As North-South tensions rose again on Friday, authorities advised people to seek refuge. No rounds were fired this time at the little strip of land immediately south of the disputed maritime boundary between the two Koreas

Kim Jeoung-hee crouched in a bomb bunker on South Koreas Yeonpyeong Island with roughly 250 other civilians, terrified and bewildered, recalling the day in 2010 when North Korean forces shelled near their houses.

As North-South tensions rose again on Friday, authorities advised people to seek refuge. No rounds were fired this time at the little strip of land immediately south of the disputed maritime boundary between the two Koreas.

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The warning, however, served as a reminder of how vulnerable Yeonpyeong remained more than 13 years after the shelling, which killed two military and two civilians and resulted in an undetermined number of North Korean deaths after South Korea shot back.

Every time I hear a bang I get scared, Kim told Reuters on Monday, standing in the same bomb shelter, a bunker buried in a hill with toilets, a small kitchen and blankets inside. Everyone is living with that nightmare.

The alarm on Friday was caused by North Koreas artillery training, which it claimed involved firing more than 200 rounds a few kilometres from the island on Friday and more over the weekend. On Friday, the South retaliated with its own live-fire drills.

The rivals acts signalled a further escalation in their rivalry. In November, North Korea said that it will station more powerful military soldiers and weaponry along its border with South Korea. This announcement came the day after Seoul halted a portion of a 2018 military agreement in retaliation for Pyongyangs launch of a spy satellite.

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With the collapse of the 2018 deal, many Yeonpyeong were afraid they will be targeted again.

Kim said he and other island leaders met with South Korean military officials earlier on Monday to air their concerns about Fridays alarm, including what he said was a lack of clarity and communication. They also requested that the military help provide food in the future, after children and elderly had to spend up to four hours underground.

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Considering what happened 14 years ago, this shouldnt have been dealt with this way, Kim said. If theres a real emergency, residents deserve to know what really is happening.

The ferry service was also suspended that day, effectively trapping residents on the island, Kim said. Everyone here has been held hostage, he said.

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Chinese fishing trawlers disappear

South Koreas Defence Ministry acknowledged it had not sent the islanders a notice when North Korea started firing on Friday, but said that was because the drills were taking place some distance away.

The ministry said it asked local authorities to send out an alert later after it launched its own exercises, as it worried North Korea might respond.

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In the future, our military will continue to strictly consider public safety-related matters and collaborate with the relevant local government, a spokesperson told Reuters.

On Monday, many of the passengers on the ferry that runs twice daily to the island were young South Korean marines in uniform, dozing or listening to music next to camouflaged rucksacks.

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Around 30% of the islands roughly 2,000 registered inhabitants are military personnel.

Off the coast a South Korean naval vessel could be seen, and marines patrolled the streets.

Chinese fishing trawlers that often crowd the waters nearby have been conspicuously absent so far in January - a further cause for concern as those vessels often disappear when tensions rise, a coast guard official told Reuters.

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This time, again they are apparently staying away, said the official who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media. Probably North Korea might have given a warning to them already.

Kim said he and his fellow islanders were scanning the horizon, waiting for the return of the Chinese fleets, and the reduction in tensions that might herald.

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We look at Chinese fishing boats and feel more comfortable, he said.
A surfer who was mauled by a great white shark at a well-known Aussie beach has become the second person to be attacked at the popular swim spot in less than a year.

The 64-year-old man was bitten on his leg at about 3.15pm on Tuesday, but managed to paddle back into shore at Blackspoint, near Elliston in South Australia. He is understood to have refused ambulance transport, despite bleeding heavily, and incredibly even managed to drive himself to Elliston Hospital.

Teacher 'paddled self into shore'

The man  a school teacher  was treated at the facility and later flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital for emergency surgery. A spokesperson for SA Health confirmed to Yahoo News the man remains under care but is now in a stable condition.

A 64-year-old South Australian man drove himself to hospital after being bitten by a shark, suspected to be a great white, yesterday afternoon. Source: 7News

According to popular surfing website Beach Grit, the man paddled himself into shore after he was "bitten between the ass and leg".

Shared along with the site's report is a photo of a surfboard with clear damage to the underside of the board, believed to be have been sustained during the shark attack.

SA Police confirmed the injuries were considered non-life-threatening, with the attack having occurred about 200 metres offshore. Yahoo News Australia has contacted SA Health for an update on the man's condition.

The man's board showed damage from the encounter. Source: Swellnet

Second attack to rock town in space of a year

Addressing the attack, District Council of Elliston councillor Fiona Matthews said the town was still coming to terms with the death of local teacher Simon Baccanello, who was killed at the same spot by a shark last year.

Its still pretty fresh for everyone, pretty raw, and this is just going to bring back memories, Ms Matthews said, The Adelaide Advertiser reported. Its not going to be good for the community, thats for sure.

Story continues

Shark attack victim, 46-year-old school teacher Simon Baccanello. Source: 9News

Baccanello, 43, was out surfing near Elliston when he too was attacked by a shark at Walkers Rock. His body was never recovered, but parts of Baccanello wet suit were found in the days after the incident.

Horror year for SA

A total of three people died as a result of shark attacks in 2023, in a horror year in the water for South Australia.

Fifteen-year-old Khai Cowley died days after Christmas after being mauled by a shark offshore at Ethel Beach, about an eight hour drive from Blackspoint in Elliston.

The youngster had been "suddenly taken ... by a white pointer at Ethel Wreck," Khai's aunt, Lauryn Barley said. The young teen was reportedly 30 to 40 metres offshore when he was mauled by the shark with his father nearby.

Khai Cowley, 15, was killed in a horror shark attack off the coast of South Australia. Source: Facebook

In October, Tod Gendle, 55, was killed by a shark off the coast of Streaky Bay where friends watched as he was dragged under the water.

Meanwhile Bridgette OShannessy, 32, was attacked at Port Noarlunga in November but shared a photo over Christmas showing her recovery after being bitten on the face. In another encounter last year, Pamela Cooke, 64, was mauled at Beachport and suffered serious injuries to both her legs while she was swimming with a group near the jetty.

with NCA Newswire

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The US remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day. The US shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, the state dept said

The US on Sunday said that Bangladesh elections were not free and fair while expressing concerns over the arrests of thousands of political opposition members.

The US remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties pic.twitter.com/nuvnR7yXkN  ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024

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The US remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, the US Department of State said in a statement.

The statement further said that the US condemns the violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it.

We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. We also urge all political parties to reject violence, the statement added.

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The US supported Bangladesh people and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.

The United States notes the Awami League party won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections, the statement said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the re-election for a fifth term in the national election, conducted on Sunday amid the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former PM Khaleda Zia, who is currently in jail.

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Furthermore, the US remained committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties, it added.

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Sheikh Hasinas party Awami League has won a fourth consecutive term in the 12th parliamentary election, marking the second lowest voter turnout since the reinstatement of democracy in 1991.

Notably, the Awami League won in five constituencies amid a boycott by the opposition BNP and 15 other parties.

Following her victory, Hasina further expressed her commitment to serving the people of Bangladesh, emphasising the responsibility she feels towards the citizens who have repeatedly voted for her.

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With inputs from agencies
The Economist published an article on 4 January which was allegedly written by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan who is currently lodged in the Adiala jail of Rawalpindi

Former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has claimed that an article published in his name by The Economist was AI-generated and that he did not write the piece himself.

On 4 January, an article was published by the British weekly newspaper, which was allegedly written by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan who is currently lodged in the Adiala jail of Rawalpindi.

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In the article, Khan had expressed apprehensions that the Pakistan election scheduled for 8 February may not take place at all. He further said, even if they do, such polls would be a disaster and farce since his party (PTI) has been denied its basic right to campaign.

According to a report by Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn, while talking to journalists allowed to cover proceedings inside the Adiala jail, Khan said he did not write the piece himself, rather it was based on points dictated by him, which were put into words using artificial intelligence (AI).

The tone and content of the article were in line with Khans historic stance, however, the federal and Punjab governments claimed it was a ghost article and observers had doubts over whether the PTI founder had personally written the piece.

In the piece, Khan has stuck to his cipher narrative, saying, I believe that the American officials message was to the effect of: pull the plug on Khans prime ministership through a vote of no confidence, or else.

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He further said within weeks our government was toppled and he discovered that former COAS Gen Bajwa had been working on our allies and parliamentary backbenchers for several months to move against us.

Pakistans caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said, It is not an issue that someone cannot write an article or a book while languishing in jail. We have the objection that the article in question has not been written by the former PTI chairman,

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As per a report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Solangi further said no such content was leaked from the jail to any media organisation and alleged that The Economist published the ghost article in the name of Khan.

The report by Dawn quoted sources close to Khan saying the article contained facts mentioned by the PTI founder at different points in time, adding that the article was simply a consolidation of facts already available on social media platforms.

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The sources further said Khan had shared these details with some visitors who met him in prison, and they may have confided them to someone in the magazine, who consolidated these facts into the shape of an article.
Gabriel Attal will succeed Elisabeth Borne, who resigned on Monday, and is the youngest French PM in modern history

Emmanuel Macron has appointed 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as the new prime minister of France. He will succeed Elisabeth Borne, who resigned on Monday, and is the youngest French PM in modern history.

Attal is also first openly gay prime minister of France.

Macron in a post on X said, he knows he can count on Attals energy and commitment.

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Who is Frances new PM Gabriel Attal?

Attal started his political career by associating himself with the Socialist party as a member, but later joined Macrons centrist party which is now known as Renaissance.

Before being named as prime minister of France, Attal, born in 1989 in Hauts-de-Seine, served as the National Education Minister of the country.

Attal is considered to be a close ally of Macron. He has already served in a variety of roles, including government spokesperson and public accounts minister.

As per a recent opinion poll, Attal is one of the Frances most popular politicians and has served as government spokesman during Covid pandemic.

He has made a name for himself as a savvy minister, easy on radio shows and also in parliament.

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Gabriel Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017, said MP Patrick Vignal, referring to the point at which the President first took office as the youngest leader in modern French history, at the time a popular figure among voters.

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Borne resigned on 8 January after days of mounting speculation about an imminent government reshuffle.

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Macron, who is seeking to give a new impetus to his second mandate before European parliament elections scheduled in five months and the Paris Olympics this summer, thanked Borne for her exemplary work in the service of the nation.

As per the latest opinion polls, Macrons party is trailing by eight to 10 points against the far-right leader Marine Le before the June vote.

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According to system in France, the president appoints the prime minister but cannot dismiss them from the post. Instead, they must ask for their resignation.

With inputs from agencies
On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. Over 20 military installations and state buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched in the violent protests.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the attack on the Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi on May 9 last year.

The arrest was made shortly after a release warrant was issued in the cipher case. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi had summoned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, who is already in custody facing cipher and graft charges, for the May 9 cases on Tuesday.

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However, Khan attended the courts proceedings via video link as he could not be produced in the court by Adiala jail authorities owing to security concerns.

During the hearing of the cases, police sought physical remand of the 71-year-old founder in the GHQ attack case, however, ATC Judge Malik Aijaz Asif turned down the request, Geo News reported.

The judge directed the police to interrogate Khan in Adiala prison, it added. On Monday, the special court formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act had issued his release orders in the cipher case.

Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued the release order of Khan, stating that the former premiers bail had been approved and he shall be released if not wanted in any other case. Despite having the release order, Khan remains behind bars due to being arrested in the Toshakhna and 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust scandal.

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On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. Over 20 military installations and state buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched in the violent protests that followed Khans arrest in a corruption case.

The party ran into trouble after the May 9 violence by its supporters. Khan and several of his party leaders have been facing numerous cases since the ouster of the party from power in April 2022 and later in the wake of the May 9 violence.

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Khan was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was incarcerated on August 5 last year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. He was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term.

Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand. He was later shifted to Adiala jail.

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With inputs from agencies.
While commercial surrogacy contracts are common in the United States, including protections for the mothers, guarantees of independent legal representation and medical coverage, they are banned in parts of Europe, including Spain and Italy

Pope Francis included the commercialization of pregnancy in an annual speech outlining threats to international peace and human dignity. On Monday, he called for a universal ban on what he called the despicable practice of surrogate motherhood.

Speaking to ambassadors attached to the Holy See on foreign policy, Francis bemoaned the fact that 2024 had arrived at a time when peace is increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost.

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Francis gave a litany of the problems facing mankind and the growing breaches of international humanitarian law that permit them, citing the war that Russia is waging in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the migrant crisis, the climate crisis, and the immoral manufacture of nuclear and conventional weapons.

But Francis also listed smaller-scale issues that he said were threats to peace and human dignity, including surrogacy. He said the life of the unborn child must be protected and not suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking.

I consider despicable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mothers material needs, he said.

Saying a child is a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract, he called for a global ban on surrogacy to prohibit this practice universally.

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Vatican teaching opposes in vitro fertilization, and Francis has previously voiced the Roman Catholic Churchs opposition to surrogacy, or what he has called uterus for rent. At the same time, however, the Vaticans doctrine office has made clear that same-sex parents who resort to surrogacy can have their children baptized.

While commercial surrogacy contracts are common in the United States, including protections for the mothers, guarantees of independent legal representation and medical coverage, they are banned in parts of Europe, including Spain and Italy.

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Russias war in Ukraine, and the threat to babies born to surrogate Ukrainian mothers, exposed the countrys thriving industry. Ukraine is one of the few countries that allow surrogacy for foreigners.

Critics say commercial surrogacy targets women who are poor and from vulnerable communities. Supporters say surrogacy gives women a chance to provide children to childless couples, and that commercial contracts protect both the surrogates and the intended parents.

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On Monday, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops quoted Francis words in explaining why the Catholic Church teaches that surrogacy is not morally permissible.

Instead, we should pray for, and work towards, a world that upholds the profound dignity of every person, at every stage and in every circumstance of life, spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said.

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In his geopolitical roundup, Francis singled out Russia by name in noting the large-scale war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It marked an unusual break with Francis usual tendency to spare Moscow direct and public blame for the invasion when expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Francis was more balanced in his lament of Israels ongoing war in Gaza, condemning Hamas Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel and every instance of terrorism and extremism. At the same time, he said the attack provoked a strong Israeli military response that had left thousands dead and created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

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He called for an immediate cease-fire, including in Lebanon, and the liberation of hostages held in Gaza, and reiterated the Holy Sees position seeking a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians and an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem.

In other comments, Francis:

Lamented various humanitarian and refugee crises in Africa, and without naming names blasted military coups and elections in several African countries marked by corruption, intimidation and violence.

Called for a respectful diplomatic dialogue with the Nicaraguan government to resolve what he called a protracted crisis. The governments crackdown on the Catholic Church has resulted in the detention of dozens of priests and bishops. The government has accused the church of aiding popular protests against his administration that he considered an attempted coup.

Called for the resumption, as early as possible, of Iran nuclear talks to ensure a safer future for all. Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had increased the rate at which it is producing near-weapons-grade uranium, reversing a previous slowdown.

Francis also said that the manufacturing of nuclear weapons was just as immoral as the possession and use of them. Francis has already changed church teaching to include the possession of nuclear weapons as inadmissible, but on Monday he included the production of such weapons as part of his overall criticism of the weapons industry.

Perhaps we need to realize more clearly that civilian victims are not collateral damage (of war) but men and women, with names and surnames, who lost their lives, he said. They are children who are orphaned and deprived of their future.
Dozens of chanting demonstrators sat at entrances to the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges across the East River, as well as at the Holland Tunnel connecting New York City with New Jersey across the Hudson River. Later, police arrested a total of demonstrators

Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked several New York City bridges and a tunnel on Monday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the three-month-old Israel-Hamas conflict before police arrested hundreds of them and reopened the roadways.

Dozens of chanting demonstrators sat at entrances to the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges across the East River, as well as at the Holland Tunnel connecting New York City with New Jersey across the Hudson River, local media reported.

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Police arrested 325 demonstrators, a New York Police Department spokesperson said, and all of the locations were cleared before noon.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the right to protest does not give people the right to block bridges.

The goal is to peacefully protest without doing major disruption to the city, some people are not just driving to and from, across our bridges to go to their place of employment, some of them are dealing with some real emergency-type issues, Adams said.

Video posted on social media during the protests showed demonstrators chanting: NYPD, KKK, IDF theyre all the same, referring to the New York Police Department, Ku Klux Klan and the Israel Defense Forces.

Protesters at the Holland Tunnel carried banners that said Lift the siege on Gaza, Ceasefire Now and End the occupation.

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The protests were organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, the Palestinian Youth Movement and the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, among other advocacy groups, they said on X, formerly called Twitter.

The siege on Gaza needs to end and Im ready to put my body on the line to end it, said one protester as she was led away by a police officer with her hands behind her back, video showed.

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In Charleston, South Carolina, protesters interrupted President Joe Bidens re-election campaign speech at the Mother Emanuel AME Church where a white supremacist killed nine Black church people in 2015.

The protesters chanted Ceasefire now, and the congregation inside the church responded with a chorus of four more years while the demonstrators were ushered out of the building.

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Ive been quietly working, quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza, Biden said after his speech was interrupted.

Israels campaign in Hamas-run Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, local health officials say, while Israel says Hamas holds more than 100 hostages of 240 seized during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed.

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Israel accuses Hamas of operating among civilians and has released videos and photos it says support the claim. Hamas, which is sworn to Israels destruction, denies the accusation.
Taiwans countrywide emergency phone alert system was activated on Tuesday following the detection of a Chinese satellite, around the same time Beijing announced the successful launch of the Einstein Probe satellite.

Taiwans countrywide emergency phone alert system was activated on Tuesday following the detection of a Chinese satellite, around the same time with Beijings announcement of the successful launch of the Einstein Probe satellite.

China launched (a) satellite which flew over the southern airspace, said the alert in Chinese. Public, please beware of your safety.

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According to a Focus Taiwan report, though the message said satellite in Chinese, the English translation of the message was: Missile flyover Taiwan airspace, be aware.

The Ministry of National Defence later said the English version was mistaken, added the report.

Chinese state media said that Beijing had successfully launched the Einstein Probe satellite using the Long March-2C carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.

The satellite entered its designated orbit, AFP quoted CCTV as reporting, adding that the launch was a complete success.

The Public Warning Cell Broadcast Service message sent via smartphone users in Taiwan warned people to watch out for their safety and report it to authorities if they found debris from unidentified objects.

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The alert came as Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was holding a press conference with foreign reporters in Taipei ahead of Saturdays election.

He assured reporters that it was a satellite, explaining that the alert was issued because of possible debris.

When a rocket is openly flying in our sky, some of their tubes or debris will fall in this region, AFP quoted Wu as telling reporters.

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Thats the reason why our national alert centre will issue this kind of alert. It has happened before, Wu added.

Saturdays election will be closely watched from Beijing to Washington as voters choose a new leader to steer the island in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Front-runner Lai Ching-te, Taiwans current vice president, accused Beijing of using all means to influence Saturdays vote.

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China has maintained a near-daily military presence around Taiwan, sending in fighter jets, naval vessels and drones.

The latest incursion came Monday when four balloons flew over the island, according to Taiwans defence ministry, while 10 Chinese warplanes and four naval vessels were also observed.

Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency said the satellite will be used to make astronomical observations, in particular mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks.

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With inputs from agencies
Ukraine has relied heavily on military and financial aid from its Western allies since the invasion in February 2022, but political wrangling has delayed the disbursement of major aid packages for this year.

Ukraine is facing a shortage of anti-aircraft guided missiles almost two years after Russias comprehensive invasion, said Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat on Tuesday.

Despite substantial military and financial support from Western allies since the beginning of the war in February 2022, political disputes have hindered the distribution of crucial aid packages for this year.

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Ihnat, speaking on Ukrainian television, acknowledged the countrys use of a considerable reserve of missiles in recent defence efforts, emphasizing the evident deficit in anti-aircraft guided missiles.

Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in the past few weeks, firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities far behind the frontline, Ukrainian officials have said.

In the latest strike this week, Russia fired 51 missiles of various types, killing at least four people and hitting civilian infrastructure, they said.

Ukraine said it shot down 18 of the cruise missiles that were fired, a much lower rate of interception than usual. Ukrainian officials attributed this to the large number of ballistic missiles fired by Russia as they are harder to intercept.

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Ihnat said that he hoped that delays over Western aid packages would be resolved soon as Ukraine depended on Western supplies not only for air defence ammunition.

We have more and more Western equipment today and, accordingly, it needs maintenance, repair, updating, replenishment, and corresponding ammunition, he said.

Yehor Chernev, a lawmaker, told Ukrainian television that the government would discuss how to strengthen its air defences at a meeting with its NATO allies this week.

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Ukrainian officials had warned that Russia was stockpiling missiles for more attacks during the critical cold months, hoping to inflict more damage on the energy grid after air strikes caused frequent power cuts last winter.

With inputs from Reuters.
Rybin, who had initially supported Putins annexation of the Donbas region, visited Mariupol, delivering a critical on-air report highlighting the slow pace of reconstruction in the war-torn city

In a tragic turn of events, Russian war journalist Alexander Rybin, 39, was discovered dead near Shakhty, Russia, after promising to reveal shocking details of gigantic corruption in Mariupol, a Ukrainian city invaded by Vladimir Putin.

The incident adds to a series of mysterious media-linked deaths during Putins ongoing war against Ukraine.

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Rybin, who had initially supported Putins annexation of the Donbas region, visited Mariupol, delivering a critical on-air report highlighting the slow pace of reconstruction in the war-torn city. Despite praising an influx of immigrants and significant funds from Russia for the reconstruction, he strongly condemned the pervasive corruption.

Rybin intended to disclose further information in a live broadcast on Rabkor, a left-wing online outlet.

Regrettably, Rybin never made it back to Moscow. His lifeless body was found on a highway near Shakhty, just 130 miles from Mariupol. Once a vibrant city of over 400,000 people, Mariupol had been devastated by Russias forces during Putins 2022 invasion, resulting in numerous casualties and leaving the city in ruins.

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Despite the official cause of death being listed as cardiomyopathy following an autopsy, Rybins bank cards and valuables remained untouched. Having previously fought in the invaded Luhansk for pro-Putin forces, Rybin became disillusioned with the Russian Spring and later reported for various Russian media outlets worldwide.

In his last report from Mariupol on December 30, Rybin expressed concern over the citys ongoing challenges, emphasizing the significant corruption and hardships faced by its residents.

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Ukrainian media outlet Obozrevatel cited Rybins remarks, indicating his observations on the post-shelling atmosphere and his suggestion of corruption in the construction sector.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Rostov Region mentioned that no signs of criminal death were initially found on Rybins body. However, an official cause of death awaits a forensic evaluation.

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Rybins demise is part of a disturbing trend of mysterious deaths among Russian media figures. Zoya Konovalova, chief editor of Russian state TV company Kuban, and Ilya Kyva, a former party leader in the Kyiv parliament, are among those who have recently lost their lives under suspicious circumstances.

These incidents coincide with a broader crackdown on dissenting voices by the Kremlin.
The attacks by Houthi rebels have targeted commercial shipping vessels transiting through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links markets in Asia and Europe following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and Israels subsequent war against the militant group in Gaza.

Singapore has decided to provide troops for a US-led international maritime security force created to counter attacks by Yemens Houthis on merchant vessels in the Red Sea, a senior minister of the Asian financial and trade hub said on Tuesday.

Singapore, strategically positioned along a crucial shipping route connecting North Asia with the rest of the world, holds a significant role in trade financing. This role has been traditionally dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea, making Singapores participation in the security force particularly relevant.

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The attacks by Houthi rebels have targeted commercial shipping vessels transiting through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links markets in Asia and Europe following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and Israels subsequent war against the militant group in Gaza.

The U.S. and its allies launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect ship traffic, and warships from the U.S., France, and the U.K. are patrolling the area.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told the Parliament on Tuesday that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) deployment will involve sending a team from the Republic of Singapore Navys Information Fusion Centre to support information sharing, and a team of planners to work with international partners on operational plans.

A senior national representative for the Republic will also be sent to the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) headquarters in Bahrain, he added. It is in our interest for Singapore to join the cause with the international community to protect and ensure that key sea lines of communication around the world remain open, especially if threatened by unlawful acts by non-state actors or terrorist groups, the minister was quoted as saying by The Straits Times newspaper.

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Dr Ng was responding to a question by a lawmaker about how the Red Sea attacks impact Singapores maritime security, and whether the SAF will be contributing to this effort. He noted that since January 7, Yemen-based Houthi forces have attacked about 20 merchant ships in the Red Sea with missiles and attempted to hijack the vessels.

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The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou, a container ship owned and operated by Denmark, was also attacked. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have said the attacks are meant to show support for Palestinian armed group Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The attacks resulted in all five of the worlds largest shipping companies suspending transits through the Red Sea, which is the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, noted Dr Ng. He said the immediate impact on Singapore from the ongoing attacks is expected to be limited, as the majority of the Republics critical supplies such as food and pharmaceuticals are delivered by air freight or do not pass through the Red Sea.

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Local manufacturers likely also have sufficient spare inventory to hedge against supply disruption, but he noted that they are worried about increased business costs.

Dr Ng said Singapore is contributing to the Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international maritime security force coalition in the Red Sea launched by the US on December 19, 2023 as it aligns with the three principles of maritime security cooperation that the city-state articulated at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2005 when the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait were threatened by piracy and sea robbery.

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The principles are that primary responsibility for maritime security lies with the littoral states; that the international community has a role to play; and that cooperation has to be in accordance with international law and respectful of the sovereignty of the littoral states.

Operation Prosperity Guardian comes under Combined Task Force 153, one of five task forces under the CMF. Singapore has been a member of the CMF since 2009. Dr Ng said the military operation is focused primarily on keeping a key sea line of communication free, just as Singapore would want the assistance of the international community if the same thing happened in regional waters.

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Nonetheless, we recognise and we have articulated that the littoral states (there) have the primary responsibility, and there must be sufficient efforts there, and thats why we encourage the littoral states and other countries to work towards a diplomatic solution so that the Red Sea problem can be mitigated, he said. Nonetheless, we recognise and we have articulated that the littoral states (there) have the primary responsibility, and there must be sufficient efforts there, and thats why we encourage the littoral states and other countries to work towards a diplomatic solution so that the Red Sea problem can be mitigated, he said.

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Separately on Gaza, Dr Ng said Singapore and the SAF have continued to monitor developments in the region and the ongoing need for humanitarian assistance. He said the SAF has accepted an invitation by the French Armed Forces to provide two medical personnel to serve on the French ship Dixmude. Docked at El Arish Port in Egypt, the Dixmude is a reconfigured hospital ship that has been treating casualties from Gaza. The SAF has accepted the offer, and plans are underway to deploy this medical team to aid civilian casualties there, Dr Ng said.

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With inputs from agencies.
Terrifying video footage has captured the moment two American women were threatened by a knife-wielding taxi driver over the cost of a ride in Bali, while its been reported the cabbie has since been caught trying to flee the country.

The frightening three-minute clip taken by one of the tourists begins with the pair begging to be let out of the taxi and asking to go to the police while travelling through Kuta, a beach and resort area in Balis south. While they offer the driver 50,000 in Indonesian Rupiah (AUD $4.80) for the fare, he insists on USD50 (A$74).

No, sir, can you let us out please, they calmly ask. You need to let us out of the car.

The taxi driver could be seen attempting to strike the girls several times before appearing to use his hand to make a cutting motion on his neck. Source: YouTube

You didnt even bring us to our location, one of the girls adds. Refusing to pull over and let his passengers leave, the driver tells them, no, no, no.

Call the police, the woman filming says to her friend, before the man interrupts, no police, no police. Its at this point that the woman attempts to pull on the handle of the car door to find it locked. Hello, excuse me! she appears to shout through the closed window before telling the driver that Im going to go to that policeman over there right now.

While she bangs on the car window her friend continues to beg the man. Let us out and Ill give you money, she says. Im going to call the US embassy! the other passenger adds. Help! Help! the girls both yell, slamming their hands on the window.

Suddenly, the driver  who has by now pulled over  appears to attempt to strike the woman with the camera. Youre going to hit us? she asks, before he strikes again, this time at the other woman. Oh my god! that woman screams. Sir please, Ill give you money, just let us out right now. Its at this point that the driver grabs an item which is believed to be a knife.

Story continues

While they continue to haggle over the price, the man can be seen trying to hit the woman filming for a second time. Ok, sir, Ill give you money, just let us out of the car, her friend pleads.

After appearing to settle on 50,000 IDR, the women try to hand the driver the cash. No, USD $50!, he shouts, before using his hand to make a cutting action at his neck.

Just give him whatever you have, the woman filming says to her friend. Ok here, is that ok? she asks. $100, ok?

The man can be seen studying the note before he turns around to the women once again. More! More! he shouts at them.

Thats all we have, the woman filming explains. The driver then turns to unlock their doors and gets out of the car. Suddenly, the passenger without the camera begins screaming. HELP! Grabbing her belongings, she flees the car, with her friend following right behind her.

The driver who's been named in online reports as Yanuarius Toebkae could face 10 years behind bars. Source: YouTube & X/githii

While the girls run out onto the street, the taxi driver can be seen getting back into his vehicle and driving away. Help! the girl filming yells at passersby before walking up to a man coming down the street. That guy just threatened us with a knife! she says. That taxi driver just threatened us with a knife!

According to reports online, the incident sparked a police investigation and a 29-year-old man was arrested at Juanda International Airport in East Java while attempting to flee the country.

Yanuarius Toebkae is expected to face charges under multiple articles of the Indonesian Criminal Code including extortion and carrying a sharp weapon, which could lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Taxi drivers at war in Bali

Bali tourism expert Wayan Puspa Negara slammed the drivers behaviour as having seriously tarnished Bali tourism in the midst of increasing tourist visits to Bali.

Strict sanctions must be given to this kind of thing, he told the Bali Sun. I condemn the drivers behaviour so that he is... processed legally as quickly as possible. Because the victim is of course the image of Bali and Balinese society at large.

The taxi industry has long been shrouded in controversy in Bali since ride-hailing apps began popping up with local private drivers moving to ban online services from popular resorts, arguing that theyre undercutting their rates and stealing customers.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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In a new survey released on Monday by Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, nine out of 10 people in South Korea said they would not eat dog meat in the future

South Koreas parliament passed a bill on Tuesday prohibiting the breeding, killing, and sale of dogs for their meat, a long-standing practice that advocates have long branded a disgrace to the country.

The measure was approved by the National Assembly by a vote of 208 to 0. It will take effect after a three-year grace period and final approval from President Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Breeding, selling, and killing dogs for their flesh can result in up to three years in jail or a fine of 30 million won ($23,000).

Dog meat has long been a part of South Korean cuisine, and at one point up to a million dogs were believed to be killed for the trade every year, but consumption has sharply declined recently, as Koreans embrace pet ownership in droves.

Eating dog meat is something of a taboo among younger, urban South Koreans, and pressure from animal rights activists has also been mounting on the government to outlaw the practice.

Official support for a ban has grown under Yoon, a self-professed animal lover who has adopted several stray dogs and cats with First Lady Kim Keon Hee  who is herself a vocal critic of dog meat consumption.

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Activists welcomed the bill, calling it history in the making.

We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality, JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, said in a statement.

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While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future, she added.

In a new survey released on Monday by Seoul-based think tank Animal Welfare Awareness, Research and Education, nine out of 10 people in South Korea said they would not eat dog meat in the future.

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Previous efforts to ban dog meat have run into fierce opposition from farmers who breed dogs for consumption. The new law will provide for compensation so that businesses can move out of the trade.

Around 1,100 dog farms breed hundreds of thousands of dogs each year which are served in restaurants across the country, according to government figures.

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Dog meat is usually eaten in South Korea as a summertime delicacy, with the greasy red meat  invariably boiled for tenderness  believed to increase energy to help handle the heat.

The countrys current animal protection law is intended mainly to prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs and cats, but does not ban consumption itself.

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Nonetheless, authorities have invoked the law and other hygiene regulations to crack down on dog farms and restaurants ahead of international events such as the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
Navy spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya, however, said that no specific date has been set for the dispatch of Sri Lankan ships, and the exact patrol area is yet to be finalised

Debt-ridden Sri Lanka s navy is gearing up to participate in a US-led mission safeguarding merchant vessels in the Red Sea from Houthi rebel attacks, according to Associated Press, citing spokesperson for the Sri Lankan navy on Tuesday.

Houthi rebels have been targeting commercial ships passing through the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait, connecting markets in Asia and Europe. This increased threat followed the 7 October attack by Hamas, leading to Israels subsequent conflict with the militant group in Gaza.

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In response, the US and its allies initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian to secure ship traffic, deploying warships from the US, France, and the UK to patrol the area.

Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya, the navy spokesperson, told Associated Press that no specific date has been set for the dispatch of Sri Lankan ships, and the exact patrol area is yet to be finalised.

The decision to send the ships drew criticism from opposition lawmakers in the island nation. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa blamed the government for spending LKR 250 million ($777,000) to send ships to fight Houthi rebels in the Red Sea when Sri Lankans are experiencing severe economic hardships at home.

State Minister of Defense Pramitha Tennakoon defended the move, saying the government wants to fulfill its global responsibilities and noting that Sri Lanka is against any form of terrorism.

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He added that Sri Lanka would incur no additional costs by joining the operations, as the countrys ships are already patrolling its vast maritime area in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka is struggling to get through the worst economic crisis in its history. The country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than $83 billion in debt  more than half of it to foreign creditors. Its economy was plunged into crisis, with severe shortages of food, fuel and other necessities.

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Strident public protests led to the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The IMF agreed in March last year to a $2.9-billion bailout package.

Sri Lanka hopes to restructure $17 billion of its tens of billions of outstanding debt.

Over the past year, severe shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicine have largely abated, and authorities have restored power supplies. But public dissatisfaction has grown over the governments efforts to increase revenues by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.

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Last week, the government increased the rate of the valued added tax and extended it to cover many essential items, including cooking gas, fuel, medicine and others.

With inputs from agencies
Lai Ching-te said dialogue could decrease cross-straits risks and peaceful development is in the best interests of both sides and the world

Peace is priceless and war has no winners, said Taiwans ruling party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te and pledged to try to engage with China if voted to power in the 13 January Taiwan elections 2024.

Addressing a press conference Tuesday in which he appeared alongside his vice presidential running mate Hsiao Bi-khim, Lai said he would maintain the status quo and pursue peace through strength if elected, remaining open to engagement with Beijing under the preconditions of equality and dignity.

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China that claims Taiwan as its own territory has denounced Lai, who is currently serving as the the vice president of the country and is the member of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as a separatist and warned that any attempt to push for Taiwans formal independence means conflict.

Despite this, Lai said dialogue could decrease cross-straits risks and peaceful development is in the best interests of both sides and the world.

However, accepting Chinas one-principle proposition is not true peace, Lai said. Peace without sovereignty is just like Hong Kong. It is fake peace.

Taiwans government rejects Chinas sovereignty assertion. Beijing has cast the islands presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday as a choice between peace and war across the Taiwan Strait.

The DPP and Taiwans largest opposition party - Kuomintang (KMT) - which traditionally favours close ties with China, have committed to bolstering Taiwans defences.

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Both say only Taiwans 23 million people can decide their future, although the KMT says it strongly opposes independence.

In its campaign, the DPP has emphasised the need to win a parliamentary majority. If that does not happen, Lai said, it will be very difficult for Taiwan to respond to challenges from China as well as domestic issues.

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Lai stressed he would continue the policy direction of incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen, will have served a maximum two terms of office. Tsai has repeatedly offered talks with China, which Beijing has rejected as it views her as a separatist.

Lai also said if elected, Taiwan would continue to build up its defence deterrence amid geopolitical tensions. Since the last election in 2020, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has markedly stepped up military exercises around Taiwan.

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The pursuit of peace relies on strength, not the goodwill of the aggressor, Lai said, vowing to bolster Taiwans military and economic strength.

Taiwan has complained over the past month of repeated intrusions by Chinese balloons over the Taiwan Strait, some of which have flown over Taiwan itself. Taiwans defence ministry has described the balloons as Chinese psychological warfare, though not directly saying they are for spying purposes.

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At a separate briefing on Tuesday, the ministry said they had not recovered any remains of the balloons and were not at the moment considering shooting them down.

With inputs from Reuters
Beijing has called Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President Lai a separatist and issued a warning that any attempt to advocate for Taiwans official independence will result in violence. Chinas claim of sovereignty is rejected by Taiwans government

As the presidential candidate of Taiwans governing party, Lai Ching-te, stated on Tuesday that, should he be elected, he would uphold the status quo and seek peace through strength while staying amenable to dialogue with Beijing on the basis of equality and dignity.

Beijing has declared Taiwan to be its own territory and framed Saturdays presidential and legislative elections on the island as a decision between peace and war on the other side of the Taiwan Strait.

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Beijing has called Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President Lai a separatist and issued a warning that any attempt to advocate for Taiwans official independence will result in violence. Chinas claim of sovereignty is rejected by Taiwans government.

Despite this, Lai pledged to try to engage with China, noting dialogue could decrease cross-straits risks, and that peaceful development is in the best interests of both sides and the world.

Peace is priceless and war has no winners, Lai told reporters in a press conference in which he appeared alongside his vice presidential running mate Hsiao Bi-khim.

However, accepting Chinas one-principle proposition is not true peace, Lai said. Peace without sovereignty is just like Hong Kong. It is fake peace.

The DPP and Taiwans largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), which traditionally favours close ties with China, have committed to bolstering Taiwans defences.

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Both say only Taiwans 23 million people can decide their future, although the KMT says it strongly opposes independence.

The DPP has emphasised in campaigns the need to win a parliamentary majority. If that does not happen, Lai said, it will be very difficult for Taiwan to respond to challenges from China as well as domestic issues.

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Lai stressed he would continue the policy direction of incumbent president Tsai Ing-wen, will have served a maximum two terms of office. Tsai has repeatedly offered talks with China, which Beijing has rejected as it views her as a separatist.

Lai also said if elected, Taiwan would continue to build up its defence deterrence amid geopolitical tensions. Since the last election in 2020, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has markedly stepped up military exercises around Taiwan.

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The pursuit of peace relies on strength, not the goodwill of the aggressor, Lai said, vowing to bolster Taiwans military and economic strength.

Economic strength

Hsiao, Taiwans high-profile former de facto ambassador to the United States, said that facing the restructuring of the global economy, Taiwan - home to the worlds largest contract chipmaker TSMC - must maintain its competitiveness and key position in supply chains.

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In order for Taiwans economic strength to grow, it is necessary to integrate with the world, Hsiao said.

Top Chinese leaders have generally avoided public comments on the vote, though Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a New Years address that Chinas reunification with Taiwan is inevitable.

Lai told reporters the election will serve as a testament to our commitment to democracy while also noting that Chinas alleged interference in this election has been the most serious yet.

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Taiwan has cited military and economic pressure and fake news from China as evidence of its attempt to interfere in the election and said it was documenting it and will publish its analysis soon after the vote.

Taiwan has complained over the past month of repeated intrusions by Chinese balloons over the Taiwan Strait, some of which have flown over Taiwan itself. Taiwans defence ministry has described the balloons as Chinese psychological warfare, though not directly saying they are for spying purposes.

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The ministry said at a separate briefing on Tuesday that they had not recovered any remains of the balloons and were not at the moment considering shooting them down.

We wont attack and destroy due to the harassment of the balloons, said Wang Chia-chun from the ministrys joint combat planning department.
Approximately five hundred passionate cyclists, wearing saffron banners featuring the Ram Mandir, the Indian flag, and the US flag, joined the three-mile-long procession of 216 cars led by eight police officers on motorbikes

Ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya later this month, members of the Hindu American community organized a massive car rally on Sunday throughout Houston, making stops at 11 temples along the way while chanting Jai Shri Ram and singing bhajans.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) has formally invited temple officials to the consecration event on January 22 in Ayodhya.

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Approximately five hundred passionate cyclists, wearing saffron banners featuring the Ram Mandir, the Indian flag, and the US flag, joined the three-mile-long procession of 216 cars led by eight police officers on motorbikes.

Houston philanthropist Jugal Malani opened the gathering at Sri Meenakshi Temple, and it ended late in the afternoon at Richmonds Sri Sharad Amba Temple.

Over a six-hour period, the procession, which was led by a truck, traversed Houstons congested roads, covering a distance of 100 miles and making stops at eleven temples.

At the temples, about 2,000 worshippers, both young and old, some of them crying, welcomed the procession with bhajans.

Three Houston volunteers, Achalesh Amar, Umang Mehta, and Arun Mundra, organized the inaugural event.

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The devotion and love shown by over 2,500 devotees gathered at various temples to car rally participants was overwhelming. Lord Shri Ram certainly resides in the heart of the Houstonians, Amar, a member of the VHPA, told the media.

(With agency inputs)
Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in California, admitted sending his Chinese handler plans for U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, operational orders, and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan.

A federal district court in California sentenced a former US Navy sailor to 27 months in prison on Monday after finding him guilty of accepting nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer and disclosing controlled and classified information about extensive US military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. justice department said in a statement.

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Petty Officer Wenheng Thomas Zhao, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and receiving a bribe last October. Zhao, who had faced a maximum of 20 years in prison, was also fined $5,500, the U.S. justice department said in a statement.

Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in California, admitted sending his Chinese handler plans for U.S. military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, operational orders, and electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system on a U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan.

Zhao chose to betray the oath he took to our country and put others at risk, said Larissa Knapp, executive assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Security Branch.

Todays sentencing demonstrates, yet again, the inability of Chinas intelligence services to prevent the FBI and our vital partners from apprehending and prosecuting the spies China recruits, she said in a statement.

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The United States has accused China of an extensive campaign of espionage and cyberattacks, a charge that Beijing rejects.

On Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said it was unaware of the details.

Im not aware of the specifics, but I would note that high-level U.S. intelligence officials said they made progress in rebuilding their spy network in China, said Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokesperson, at a regular news conference.

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America on the one hand repeatedly disseminates false information about so-called Chinese spies, and yet on the other hand openly declares it wants to launch large-scale espionage activities against China. This is a double standard.

In recent years, bilateral relations have grown tense over a range of issues including national security, trade curbs, COVID-19 and Taiwan.

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But a summit in San Francisco in November between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden was widely seen to have helped cool tensions.

China-U.S. relations saw extreme difficulty at the beginning of 2023, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday at a symposium in Beijing.

After arduous efforts, both sides restructured communication and dialogue, and bilateral relations were able to stop worsening and to stabilise.

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With inputs from Reuters.
Demographers estimate population data on 17 January to show the number of new births in 2023 falling below the 9.56 million in 2022 as long-standing issues such as gender inequality and high childcare costs remained largely unaddressed

China is likely to experience a second consecutive year of population decline in 2023, primarily attributed to a surge in COVID-related deaths following the abrupt termination of strict lockdowns.

Demographers estimate population data on 17 January to show the number of new births in 2023 falling below the 9.56 million in 2022 as long-standing issues such as gender inequality and high childcare costs remained largely unaddressed.

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The decline in Chinas birth rate has been ongoing since 2016.

Compounding factors impacting the desire for childbearing include record-high youth unemployment, declining wages for many civil servants and white-collar workers, and an escalating crisis in the property sector, which houses over two-thirds of household wealth.

The data raises concerns about the diminishing growth prospects of the worlds second-largest economy, as the decreasing workforce and consumer base, coupled with rising costs related to elderly care and retirement benefits, further strain indebted local governments.

The slower-than-expected economic recovery and the uncertainty of the future in China play a bigger role in fertility than any positive effect coming from lifting COVID curbs, Reuters quoted Xiujian Peng, senior research fellow at the Centre of Policy Studies at Victoria University in Melbourne, as saying.

Demographers expect deaths to have risen sharply, as the COVID-19 virus swept through Chinas 1.41 billion population early last year after Beijing unexpectedly removed restrictions in December 2022.

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China officially reported 121,889 total COVID deaths to the World Health Organization (WHO), with a majority believed to have occurred after the dismantling of restrictions. The WHO had criticized Beijing for alleged underreporting, a claim that Chinese officials consistently denied.

Concerns about transparency arose as crematoriums became overwhelmed, and there were suspicions of pressure on doctors not to classify deaths as COVID-related. In an unusual move in July, Chinas Zhejiang province, representing 5% of the countrys population, reported a 70% increase in cremations from January to March the previous year. However, this data has since been taken down.

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A study conducted by the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center estimated approximately 1.87 million excess deaths from all causes among Chinese individuals over the age of 30 between December 2022 and January 2023. It is essential to verify the latest information from reliable news sources or official statements for the most accurate and up-to-date details, as my knowledge is based on information available up to January 2022.

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University of Michigan demographer Zhou Yun said next weeks data may underreport the population decline to hide the magnitude of the COVID impact and project optimism.

Population data reporting in China is as much a demographic issue as it is a political event, Reuters quoted Yun as saying.

The population dip comes as China grapples with the challenge of a rapidly ageing demographic. The number of people older than 60 years is expected to increase from around 280 million currently to over 400 million by 2035 - more than the population of the United States.

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Culture of childbearing

Besides low incomes and high job uncertainty, demographers also blame gender discrimination and expectations that women assume the caretaker role in the family as factors discouraging baby-making.

President Xi Jinping said last year that women should tell good family tradition stories, adding it was necessary to actively cultivate a new culture of marriage and childbearing, which he linked to national development.

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Local governments have announced various measures to encourage childbirth, including tax deductions, longer maternity leave and housing subsidies.

One set of data pointing to lower birth rates in 2023 is the 2022 slump in marriage rates to their lowest since 1979. Marriages are seen as a leading indicator for births in China, where most single women cannot access child-raising benefits.

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Marriages are expected to have risen year-on-year in 2023, state media reported, as the COVID backlog cleared, but this would not be enough to ease long-term concerns about Chinas shrinking and ageing population, demographers said.

Chinas fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022 from 1.3 in 2020, state media reported. It is among the worlds lowest alongside other east Asian economies.

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Fuxian Yi, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Reuters that he expects new births at roughly 8 million, which he says would be the lowest since the mid-18th century when Chinas total population was below 200 million people_._

Yi says this is the ongoing effect of the one-child policy China implemented from 1980 to 2015 as smaller generations tend to have fewer babies. He also blamed economic factors.

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Peng from Victoria University estimates fewer than 9 million births, but says a dip below 8 million is a plausible scenario.

A December policy paper by the Yuwa Population Research institute urged authorities to urgently reverse a decline in newborns through generous family subsidies.

The most worthwhile investment in China today is children, it said.

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With inputs from agencies
As two New York state agencies face a lawsuit from Cayuga County municipalities over Owasco Lake watershed rules and regulations, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to bolster drinking water protections and launch a new push to combat harmful algal blooms.

Hochul, according to her State of the State agenda, will direct the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Health and Environmental Facilities Corporation to "advance and accelerate community-led programs to eliminate pollution risks to municipal drinking water supplies." The agencies will provide assistance in the development of water source protection plans.

The governor has also asked the Department of Environmental Conservation to issue new guidance for the nutrient phosphorus that contributes to the development of harmful algal blooms, which have been found in numerous New York waterways. Harmful algal blooms threatened drinking water from Owasco Lake in 2016, but the state provided funding for a fix to protect the water supplies.

Hochul is also proposing funding for the soil and water conservation districts in the eastern Finger Lakes, such as Owasco and Skaneateles, to address harmful algal blooms. This was part of her agriculture plan because it would support the planting of cover crops and culvert improvements to reduce runoff from farms.

In announcing the investments, the Hochul administration acknowledged that New York "has seen a greater frequency of reported (harmful algal blooms) that compromise our access to clean water."

"New York's natural resources are invaluable, and no one in New York should ever fear that they don't have access to clean water," Hochul said. "New York's natural beauty is unmatched, and we must take the necessary steps to keep it that way for generations to come."

Hochul outlined her annual legislative agenda one day after the city of Auburn and town of Owasco announced it was suing the state due to the ongoing fight over Owasco Lake watershed rules and regulations.

After harmful algal blooms were found in drinking water supplies nearly eight years ago, local stakeholders developed a proposal to update the watershed rules for the first time since 1984. The plan was submitted to the state Department of Health in 2020.

Last year, the health department released its own revisions that excluded many of the nutrient management provisions in the local plan. This disappointed local officials because they felt the state was not adequately addressing nutrient runoff and water quality concerns.

Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino urged Hochul to visit the Auburn area and to discuss water issues with local leaders. Save Owasco Now, a group that advocates for protecting the lake, called for strict enforcement of watershed rules and regulations.

City and town officials have received support from one of Cayuga County's state representatives. State Sen. Rachel May, whose district includes the entire county, has criticized the state's response to the locally-driven watershed rules proposal.

Although the drinking water supply is safe, local agencies are prepared for the worst-case scenario. Over the summer, the Cayuga County Health Department led a drill to practice its response if a do-not-drink order is needed.

Owasco Lake provides drinking water to nearly 50,000 county residents, including those living in the city of Auburn.
Chinese experts help farmers in Cote d'Ivoire achieve bumper harvest of paddy rice

Xinhua) 14:53, January 09, 2024

This file photo shows experts of China's agricultural technology cooperation team in Cote d'Ivoire training local farmers in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, April 29, 2023. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (China's Agricultural Technology Cooperation team in Cote d'Ivoire/Handout via Xinhua)

A farmer packs newly harvested paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a reaper harvesting paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A reaepr harvests paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a view of ripe paddy rice fields in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Farmers harvest paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Guo Guangyu (2nd L), a member of China's agricultural technology cooperation team in Cote d'Ivoire, marks the packs of newly harvested paddy rice grains with local famers in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A farmer driving a reaper harvests paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Guo Changyou (L), leader of China's agricultural technology cooperation team in Cote d'Ivoire, communicates with local farmers in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Farmers are pictured as they harvest paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A farmer driving a reaper harvests paddy rice in the Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area, in Divo, Cote d'Ivoire, Jan. 8, 2024. The Guiguidou hydro-agricultural area is a demonstration base for agricultural cooperation between China and Cote d'Ivoire, also a nationally renowned paddy rice cultivation base in the country. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On January 9, Xiaomi Auto disclosed via its official Weibo account that it recently inked collaboration agreements with 14 initial sales and service partners at their Beijing headquarters, signaling the substantial progression of Xiaomi Autos new retail model from planning to execution, promising further updates soon.

Photo credit: Xiaomi

Firmly stating their independent stance, Xiaomi Auto reiterated no plans for collaborations akin to Huaweis "Smart Selection" model with third-party automotive companies.

Right from the start, Xiaomi's strategy has been about self-reliance across the entire spectrumdesign, R&D, and manufacturingundertaken solely by Xiaomi, assuming all risks. This underscores not only Xiaomi's unequivocal commitment to the automotive industry but also their belief that total control across every stage is crucial for maintaining quality and enhancing user experiences.

Regarding the reason behind not yet disclosing prices of the vehicle model, Xiaomi Auto clarified that their recent automotive technical launch event on December 28, 2023, primarily focused on technology, where partial product information about the Xiaomi SU7, its inaugural model, was shared. Despite the whirlwind nature of the automotive industry, Xiaomi said it remains undaunted by challenges. Confidently affirming its position, Xiaomi asserts that the SU7, priced below 500,000 yuan, stands unchallenged in its class.

Additionally, Xiaomi announced the that the SU7 will also be offered with an Max variant, promising elevated performance compared to the standard edition. The SU7 Max, equipped with LiDAR, will prioritize pioneering smart driving features.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

NIO's first batch of 10 V2G destination charging stations officially launched in Shanghai

On January 9, NIO announced the official launch of its inaugural batch of 10 Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) destination charging stations in Shanghai.

Photo credit: NIO

Jaguar Land Rover boasts 25% YoY growth in annual China retail sales

Jaguar Land Rover recently announced that its annual retail sales in the China market reached 106,377 vehicles in 2023, jumping 25% year on year.

Range Rover; photo credit: Land Rover

Hyper introduces lifetime free charging services available to both new, existing car owners

GAC AION's premium electric vehicle brand Hyper, in collaboration with major industry-leading charging operators such as State Grid, China Southern Power Grid, TELD, Star Charge, and YKC, has established a comprehensive energy replenishment network featuring "Exclusive Private Piles + Exclusive Self-built Stations + Premium Cooperative Stations", according to the post on its WeChat account. The company has made a significant announcement with the launch of the "Hyper Lifetime Free Charging" initiative, extending its coverage to 90% of charging piles nationwide, and offering the convenience of instant, no-cost charging for both current and future vehicle owners.

onsemi renews long-term supply agreement with Li Auto

The leading intelligent power and sensing technology provider onsemi announced on Jan. 9 that it has renewed a comprehensive supply agreement with Li Auto, a main Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer.

Xiaomi Auto inks cooperation agreements with 14 sales & service providers

On January 9, Xiaomi Auto disclosed via its official Weibo account that it recently inked collaboration agreements with 14 initial sales and service partners at their Beijing headquarters, signaling the substantial progression of Xiaomi Autos new retail model from planning to execution, promising further updates soon.

Nissan Motor's China sales surge 40.28% YoY in Dec. 2023

Nissan Motor on January 9 unveiled its performance in China for December 2023 and the full year. Sales in December, combining both passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles, surged by 32% from the previous month to 98,873 units, which also indicates a 40.28% spike from a year ago.

FABU.ai launches 12 unmanned IGVs at Ningbo Zhoushan Port's Yongzhou Terminal

FABU.ai, an AI-driven enterprise committed to transforming production with AI technology in China, recently partnered with Ningbo Zhoushan Ports Yongzhou Terminal, signing an operational service contract to initiate the deployment of 12 Intelligent Guided Vehicles (IGVs).

RoboSense sets new annual LiDAR delivery records in 2023

Chinese smart LiDAR solution developer RoboSense announced on Monday that it has set three new product delivery records, establishing itself as a frontrunner in the global LiDAR industry.

Hesai Technology launches AT512 high-performance LiDAR product

On January 9, Hesai Technology officially launched the groundbreaking AT512 LiDAR product, a "performance powerhouse" tailored for mass-produced vehicles equipped with intelligent driving systems.

Geely's ZEEKR delivers 200,000th mass-produced vehicle

On January 8, the 200,000th mass-produced vehicle from ZEEKR, a premium electric vehicle brand under ZEEKR, was formally handed over to its owner at the Panyu Delivery Center in Guangzhou city. This also marked the inaugural delivery of the ZEEKR 007 in the South China region.

Gotion High-tech, Chery Automobile form strategic cooperation in new energy vehicle field

On January 7, Gotion High-tech's wholly-owned subsidiary, Hefei Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. (Hefei Gotion), inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Chery Automobile. The collaboration aims to extend across both passenger and commercial vehicle segments, jointly exploring opportunities in the new energy vehicle market.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In December 2023, China's domestic passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales reached 2.353 million units, marking a year-on-year growth of 8.5% and a month-on-month increase of 13.1%, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association ("CPCA").

For the whole-year performance, the country's PV retail sales totaled 21.699 million units, climbing 5.6% from the previous year.

For clarity, the passenger vehicles hereby refer to cars, MPV, and SUVs locally produced on the Chinese Mainland.

In December 2023, the retail sector of the PV market experienced a substantial uptick, fueled by a joint effort from car manufacturers sprinting towards year-end targets and regional initiatives to boost car consumption. The sales promotion efforts in December were characterized by enhanced incentives, impacting almost all manufacturers and car models, reflecting an unusual push towards the year-end sales boost, said the CPCA.

The association added the promotional intensity in December may persist, with a focus on key hotter-selling models in specific market segments, demonstrating a continued commitment to achieving sales targets through price incentives. Additionally, regional car purchase subsidies, many of which are set to conclude monthly or annually in January 2024, are expected to contribute to sustaining high sales volumes at the end of the year.

At the national level, there has been a frequent issuance of policy guidelines targeting the automobile industry, aimed at further stabilizing and expanding car consumption. China's Ministry of Commerce has actively promoted the "Hundred Cities Collaboration" automobile festival and the "Thousand Counties, Ten Thousand Towns" new energy vehicle consumption season, with evident position results generated. Many regions are continuously exerting efforts in implementing consumption-stimulating policies, and the collaborative efforts between government policies and corporate sales promotions provide stable support for the end-of-year automotive market.

In December last year, the retail PV sales of China's domestic brands reached 1.24 million units, marking a year-on-year increase of 17% and a month-on-month growth of 8%. The share of domestic brands in China's PV market for the month stood at 52.9%, showing a year-on-year growth of 4 percentage points. Cumulatively for the year 2023, the market share of China's indigenous brands reached 52%, representing a 4.6-percentage-point increase compared to the previous year.

In December, PV retail sales for mainstream joint-venture brands totaled around 790,000 units, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 7%, but a month-on-month increase of 20%. The share for German brands stood at 20.5% last month in China's PV market, remaining flat compared to the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, Japanese brands' market share was 16.5%, experiencing a year-on-year decline of 2.3 percentage points, while share for American brands reached 7.3%, showing a year-on-year drop of 1.1 percentage points.

In the last month of 2023, retail sales of premium cars reached 320,000 units, marking a year-on-year jump of 23% and a month-on-month increase of 18%. The issue of premium car shortages, which was influenced by chip supply shortages in the previous year, has been gradually ebbing. However, the demand for traditional premium cars remains somewhat subdued.

In December, there were six automakers in China whose monthly PV retail sales exceeded 100,000 units. Of them, BYD still secured the highest position by retailing around 300,000 vehicles. Among the top 10 automakers by domestic PV retail volume in the month, Dongfeng Nissan was credited the fastest-growing one compared to its year-ago performance.

Regarding annual performance, BYD topped other carmakers in China by retailing 2.706 million PVs across 2023, boasting a 50% spike from a year earlier. Among the top 10 automakers by yearly PV retail sales, SAIC-GM faced the sharpest year-on-year decrease. Besides, the two joint venturesSAIC Volkswagen and GAC Toyotaalso posted a year-over-year downturn in their 2023 retail sales.

In December, auto manufacturers in China sold around 2.714 million PVs by wholesale, showing a remarkable year-on-year growth of 22% and a month-on-month increase of 6.6%, largely fueled by the promotion from the new energy vehicle and export sectors. The country's annual PV wholesales set a historic record at 25.531 million units in 2023, representing a 10.2% year-on-year increase.

To be specific, China's domestic carmakers wholesaled 1.58 million PVs in December, registering a robust 24% year-on-year growth and a 4% month-on-month increase. Mainstream joint ventures wholesaled 796,000 units in the month, with a 17% year-on-year increase and an 8% month-on-month growth. Meanwhile, premium car wholesale volume reached 340,000 units, boasting a 27% year-on-year growth and a 17% month-on-month increase.

In December, the overall performance of major PV manufacturers was robust. There were a total of 37 manufacturers with sales exceeding one million units (an increase of 2 compared to the previous month), according to the CPCA's data. Among them, 13 experienced a year-on-year growth rate exceeding 50%, 24 saw a year-on-year growth rate surpassing 10%, while 8 recorded negative growth.

Among the top 10 automakers by whole-year PV wholesales in 2023, BYD ranked highest with a volume exceeding 3 million units, outselling the runner-up, FAW Volkswagen, by 1.165 million units. Besides, on the top 10 list, the three carmakers that faced a year-on-year downturn in annual wholesales were all joint ventures.

In December, the production PV volume reached 2.675 million units in China, showing a robust year-on-year growth of 26.6% and a modest month-on-month increase of 1.2%. Due to the substantial growth targets set across various regions, many car companies put considerable efforts into production.

Specifically, premium brands' production saw a year-on-year increase of 14% in December, but a 5% decrease compared to the previous month. Production for joint-venture brands experienced a significant 30% year-on-year growth and a 2% month-on-month increase. Chinese indigenous brands recorded a year-on-year growth of 28% and a 2% month-on-month increase in the monthly production volume.

In 2023, the overall trend of China's automobile exports continued the strong growth observed at the end of the previous year. According to the CPCA's statistics, in December, China's PV export volume (including complete vehicles and CKDs) amounted to 385,000 units, a 49% year-on-year spike and a 3% month-on-month increase. New energy vehicles accounted for 26.6% of the overall December PV exports.

Besides, the nationwide full-year PV exports reached 3.83 million units last year, marking a 62% year-on-year surge.
Dave Williams, the divisive chairman of the Colorado GOP, announced Monday that he will run to replace U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in the states 5th Congressional District and that he will remain in his party leadership position during his campaign.

Lamborn, who lives in Colorado Springs, shocked the political world Friday when he said that he wouldnt run for reelection this year to a 10th term in Congress. The 5th District, which is entirely in El Paso County, is a Republican stronghold and Lamborn has had a vise grip on the seat for nearly two decades.

Williams, a former state representative who also lives in Colorado Springs, tried to oust Lamborn in 2022, but his primary bid fell well short. Lamborn fended off Williams by 14 percentage points in an acrimonious race during which Williams tried and failed to persuade the El Paso County District Attorneys Office to bring charges against Lamborn over an attack ad.

Im 100% pro-life, 100% pro-Second Amendment and have never voted for a tax or spending increase, Williams said in an email announcing his campaign. I know that corrupt establishment politicians in both parties are to blame for the mess our country is in. Authentic Christian leadership means serving others above self and not letting failed, say-anything politicians in Washington D.C. get away with taking citizens for a ride.

Williams was elected chairman in March 2023, beating out several other candidates. His term ends in early 2025.

In an email to members of the Colorado GOP on Monday morning, Williams sought to reassure Republicans that he could both campaign and serve as chairman at the same time.

As our state party bylaws allow, I will remain as chairman through the course of the primary election where we will continue our work of rebuilding party infrastructure, preparing for caucus and assemblies, continuing our important lawsuit battles to keep President Trump on the ballot and overturn the open primary, and exposing out-of-touch Democrats for being radical and corrupt, Williams wrote. The party and its leaders will ensure fairness and transparency while avoiding any conflicts of interest as more competitors enter the CD5 race.

Williams wont be the first person to serve as chairman and run for office at the same time.

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck did just that when he served as chairman from 2019 through early 2021. The big difference, however, was that Buck was an incumbent.

Williams will be presiding over the party as he likely runs against other Republicans to represent the 5th District.

A fierce Trump ally, Williams is a controversial figure. He has embraced Trumps 2020 election conspiracies and used his position as chairman to attack fellow Republicans he doesnt believe are conservative enough, including Lamborn.

As chairman, he has struggled to fundraise for the party and attacked his predecessor, Kristi Burton Brown.

Williams also faced criticism for working as a full-time legislative aide for Republican state Rep. Brandi Bradley last year while simultaneously serving as chairman. He stepped down from his job in September after earning tens of thousands of dollars in wages and benefits.

In the legislature, Williams was known as a rabble rouser, unafraid to clash with both Democrats and members of his own party.

Other Republicans are expected to run to represent the 5th District in the coming days, possibly including former Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, who ran unsuccessfully last year to be mayor of Colorado Springs.

Eli Bremer, a former chair of the El Paso County GOP who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2022, is also eyeing the race.

Colorados congressional primary elections will be held on June 25.
Saturday Night

Partly cloudy skies early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later at night. Low 43F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- FABU.ai, an AI-driven enterprise committed to transforming production with AI technology in China, recently partnered with Ningbo Zhoushan Ports Yongzhou Terminal, signing an operational service contract to initiate the deployment of 12 Intelligent Guided Vehicles (IGVs).



Photo credit: FABU.ai

Previously, the company has expanded its footprint in the Ningbo-Zhoushan Ports Meidong Terminal by deploying 62 unmanned container trucks. This new deployment at the Yongzhou Terminal aims to establish a fully autonomous transport fleet and offer enhanced transportation services.

Throughout its six years of operation, FABU.ai has successfully developed a comprehensive set of software and hardware products tailored for the port industry. These products seamlessly integrate autonomous driving capabilities with remote control and universal dispatch management services, creating an efficient value chain that reduces costs.

FABU.ai's primary goal since its inception has been achieving "fully autonomous driving." Their autonomous transport system, FabuDrive, after several iterations, now efficiently supports six standard routes of fully autonomous operations at the Meidong Terminal, home to the world's largest unmanned container truck fleet.

The newly introduced IGVs at the Yongzhou Terminal represent a paradigm shift in horizontal transportation. Their standout feature, the absence of a leading vehicle, embodies genuine full autonomy. The IGVs offer flexible operations, supporting various modes like forward, reverse, full and semi-eight turning, and diagonal movements. Moreover, within a short span, the IGVs seamlessly integrated into Yongzhou's smart infrastructure, effectively streamlining the entire automated operation chain, alongside automated rail cranes and remote-controlled bridge cranes. These advancements are estimated to directly save over 500,000 yuan per IGV annually in labor costs.
Ministry of State Security reveals UK'S MI6 using foreign consultant for espionage targeting China

Global Times

By Liu Caiyu Published: Jan 08, 2024 08:40 AM

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Monday disclosed a case in which the British Secret Intelligence Service (known as MI6) used foreign personnel from "a third country" to engage in espionage activities against China.

Chinese security analysts warned of a potential 007-like scenario in which countries such as the UK, in line with their broader strategy of countering China, have expanded their espionage efforts beyond traditionally targeted areas to encompass economic, military, scientific, technological, and financial domains.

In 2015, MI6 developed a relationship with a foreign national, identified as Huang, who was the head of a consulting agency overseas, then established an "intelligence cooperation" relationship, according to a statement released by the MSS on its official WeChat account.

Since then, MI6 has instructed Huang to enter China multiple times under the guise of a public identity, to collect intelligence on behalf of the British side and recruit individuals for MI6. MI6 also provided professional intelligence training to Huang in the UK and equipped Huang with specialized spy equipment for intelligence communication.

Through meticulous investigation, the national security agency discovered evidence of Huang's espionage activities and took legal measures against the individual in accordance with the law and in a timely fashion, the MSS said. The MSS did not disclose Huang's nationality.

Huang provided MI6 with nine confidential-level national secrets, five secret-level national secrets, and three pieces of intelligence, according to assessments by the confidentiality department.

While investigations pertaining to the case were ongoing, the national security agency promptly notified relevant international parties and organized consular visits, ensuring the protection of Huang's legal rights.

The disclosure by China's national security organ comes as the UK has intensified its intelligence operations in China. In July 2023, MI6 chief Richard Moore told Politico that his agency is channeling more resources to China than anywhere else in the world.

The espionage case involving Huang has sounded the alarm about the severe threats to national security that China has to face, Li Baiyang, an associate professor of intelligence studies with Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Monday. "We should be wary of the '007s' around us; we shouldn't naively think that 007 is a character that exists only in films. It [espionage] is actually everywhere, [and they are] planting their spies in other countries."

In recent years, not only has the US intensified its efforts to gather intelligence and conduct acts of espionage against China, but the UK, a member of the Five Eyes alliance, has also been discreetly engaged in espionage activities. Some of their operations align with the intelligence departments of the US, particularly in China's territories such as Hong Kong, Xizang, and Xinjiang, Li Baiyang said.

While prior to the de facto case of espionage acts by the UK, the UK accused of one man spying on the UK on behalf of China. On September 11, 2023, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to the accusation, terming the alleged China's espionage against the UK as "entirely groundless."

China firmly opposes that. We urge the UK to stop spreading disinformation and stop political manipulation and malicious slander against China, Mao noted.

It is in line with the old saying of "a true thief yelling stop thief!" Both MI6 and the CIA, through their intelligence activities, align with their overarching strategy of countering China. The national security challenge confronting China is of the utmost gravity, as their efforts to counter China extend beyond specific domains and encompass economic, military, scientific, technological, and financial realms, Li Wei, an expert on national security at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

One of the characteristics of MI6's espionage activities against other countries is the utilization of individuals from a third country. The UK, which was once the master of colonies in various countries, excels at enticing nationals from these regions that were once under British rule, often by offering incentives such as green cards, mansions, or other forms of compensation, Li Baiyang noted.

To fulfill their mission of doing more to conduct espionage activities against China, back in 2020, the MI6, MI5, and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHO) openly launched a campaign to recruit Putonghua speakers. "Our Mandarin [Putonghua] linguists use their language skills to provide intelligence insights and deliver clear analysis," the ad read, according to the GCHQ which is an intelligence and security organization responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the government and armed forces of the UK.

From an alternative perspective, the disclosure underscored China's resolute determination and formidable capacity to combat espionage, Li Baiyang said. Li explained that by promptly unveiling this case, it serves as a direct message to MI6 and other intelligence agencies to exercise restraint. Regardless of the clandestine nature of their intelligence operations, China is resolutely committed to exposing and thwarting such activities.

China has a more united front in fighting against activities that endanger national security, including espionage, Chinese analysts also said. Li Wei told the Global Times that public awareness has especially been enhanced after a newly revised Counter-Espionage Law came into effect on July 1, 2023.

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Iran: We have a good interaction with neighbor's intel. services

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 8 January 2024 / 12:00

Iran foreign ministry spokesman says the country have a good interaction with intelligence services of neighbors.

Thran-ISNA- Iran foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani says on Monday that fighting against terrorism requires complementary use of security and intelligence capacities of regional countries.

In reaction to terrorist blasts in Kerman and Tehran's demand from neighboring countries to take security measures in this regard, Kan'ani said: "ISIS is an ominous phenomenon created by the intelligence and security services of non-regional countries and even some of western countries sometimes declared their direct role in creating this terrorist group".

Lat week, The terrorist bombings which were claimed by the ISIS, carried out near the burial site of Iran's late anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani during a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of his martyrdom.

The blasts left 89 people, including 76 Iranians and 13 Afghans, dead and 286 others wounded, some of them in critical condition.

Speaking in weekly press conference, Kan'ani added that "In the past years, we have witnessed the terrorist acts of this terrorist group in the region" and "Iran used its diplomatic capacities but intelligence and security cooperation between the regional countries also required."

"Fortunately, there is good cooperation between security and intelligence mechanisms of Iran and the regional countries and if it were not, we could see more terrorist attacks in the region", Kan'ani told to Isna reporter.

End Item

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China arrests foreign consultancy chief as 'spy' for Britain's MI6

There are '007s' in everyday life, not just in the movies, one newspaper warns.

By Lee Heung Yeung for RFA Cantonese 2024.01.08 -- China's Ministry for State Security said Monday it has arrested a man surnamed Huang, who heads a foreign consultancy in the country, as an alleged British spy, with one newspaper warning that there are "007s" everywhere in real life.

"Recently, the national security agency uncovered a case in which the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) used personnel from a third country to conduct espionage activities against China," state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a statement on the ministry's official WeChat account.

"The overseas national surnamed Huang is head of a foreign consultancy," it said. "In 2015, the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) developed Huang as part of an intelligence cooperation relationship."

Huang's is the latest in a string of arrests of foreign nationals and raids on foreign consultancies that come in the wake of amendments to China's Counterespionage Law in 2023, which has been criticized by investors for its vague definition of what exactly constitutes espionage.

It also appears to form part of a nationwide campaign to "awaken" China's citizens to the existence of foreign spies in their everyday lives, according to recent ruling Communist Party propaganda.

"MI6 then instructed Huang to enter China multiple times using his public identity as cover to collect China-related intelligence for British espionage and to identify personnel for MI6 to incite to rebellion," the report said, accusing the British intelligence services of giving "special spy equipment" to Huang for the purpose.

Huang had given up 12 pieces of evidence showing the leakage of "state secrets" and three other pieces of intelligence, according to the ministry.

He is currently being held under "criminal coercive measures," according to Xinhua.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declined to comment on the report at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Monday, referring journalists to the ministry's WeChat official account.

'007s around us'

The nationalistic Global Times, sister paper to Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily, drew parallels with the fictional hero of the James Bond books and movies, who is also known as "007."

"Countries such as the UK, in line with their broader strategy of countering China, have expanded their espionage efforts beyond traditionally targeted areas to encompass economic, military, scientific, technological, and financial domains," it said.

The paper quoted Li Baiyang, associate professor of intelligence studies at Nanjing University, as saying: "We should be wary of the 007s around us; we shouldn't naively think that 007 is a character that exists only in films."

"It [espionage] is actually everywhere, [and they are] planting their spies in other countries," Li told the paper, echoing recent public service announcements about "foreign spies" who have allegedly infiltrated every aspect of life in China.

Last August, the security ministry opened an official account on WeChat, calling on Chinese citizens to "enhance the awareness of counterespionage of the whole society, and form a strong joint force to maintain national security."

State media said it was a necessary move, to put all of China on an anti-espionage footing as a result of new "criminal activities" that endanger national security.

Online comic book

In an apparent bid to broaden popular participation in the nationwide spy-catching campaign, the ministry on Sunday launched an online comic book detailing a fictionalized version of its work that it said was based on a real case.

Foreign businesses and lawyers have warned in recent interviews with Radio Free Asia that the amended Counterespionage Law gives no definition of what constitutes a "state secret," a matter of national security or the national interest, but expands the definition of espionage to cover cyberattacks against government departments or critical information infrastructure.

It also gives the authorities broader powers to access data and electronic equipment and to issue travel bans to individuals.

In October, the authorities arrested a 39-year-old Chinese national, identified only by his surname Hao, whom the ministry claimed was recruited by the CIA while he was studying in Japan.

In November, the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court court in the southwestern province of Sichuan sentenced a man identified by his surname Wang to six years' imprisonment and the confiscation of 500,000 yuan (US$68,700) of his personal assets after finding him guilty of "espionage."

A Chinese lawyer told Radio Free Asia at the time that definitions in the Counterespionage Law are so vague that even government information in the public domain could be classified as a "state secret."

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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Thunder Touches Down in Germany

By Capt. Micah Welch January 5, 2024

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- At a Transfer of Authority ceremony, Task Force Thunder, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT), Mississippi Army National Guard, took command of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine (JMTG-U) mission under 7th Army Training Command (7ATC) from Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), Arkansas Army National Guard, on Jan. 5, 2024.

Task Force Thunder is now responsible for training and mentoring the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the reconstitution training at the Grafenwoehr Training Area located in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria (USAG Bavaria). The reconstitution training will aid Ukrainian soldiers in improving their abilities at multiple echelons.

Multiple honorary and special guests were in attendance for the Transfer of Authority ceremony from Task Force Bowie to Task Force Thunder, such as representatives from Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, 7ATC, USAG Bavaria, and most importantly, special guests from Ukrainian Armed Forces including Maj. Gen. Oleski Taran.

During the ceremony, Taran expressed through his translator that he was humbled to be present in Grafenwoehr, Germany, in the place where the really important training events are happening both for Ukrainian forces and U.S. Army. He added that he was most humbled to able to give the word of "ready troops" to the Ukrainian Armed Forces commander-in-chief and wished luck on the future endeavors of the 39th IBCT, and he also wished more luck and fruitful work for the upcoming 155th ABCT.

"I humbly offer you a simple 'Thank You,' on behalf of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, 7th Army Training Command and a grateful nation," said Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter, 7ATC commander, to Task Force Bowie.

"I am convinced that Task Force Thunder will carry the torch forward proudly and continue to enable war-winning readiness for the Ukraine Armed Forces," he said.

During the ceremony, Task Force Bowie cased their colors; this signifies the end of their command and duty here. Directly afterwards, Task Force Thunder walked up with Carpenter and uncased their colors, which had been cased before leaving the U.S., in Tupelo, Mississippi. Now, here in Germany, the colors fly free, signifying Task Force Thunder's duty and time in command has begun.

"The Bowie Team has been profoundly impacted by our experience here," said the outgoing commander, Col. Chad Bridges, Task Force Bowie. Bridges held up a small figurine made of rope and the colors of Ukraine. He had been given this doll by Ukrainians to remember the children of Ukraine.

Speaking directly to the Taran, Bridges said, "We have been privileged to train and support the training of your soldiers over the last nine months."

Task Force Bowie, 39th IBCT, is headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The unit had been in command of JMTG-U from April 2023 until January 2024. During their time, the unit oversaw the training of approximately 7,500 Ukrainians in platoons, battalions and brigades; on 26 different U.S. platforms and in classroom training for staff-sized elements like company commanders, platoon leaders, and noncommissioned officers.

"This mission to me has been the most significant mission I have been on", said Command Sgt. Maj. Patrick Holthusen, senior enlisted advisor for Task Force Bowie, after the ceremony. "The partnership with Ukrainians, their dedication, their work ethic, it has been phenomenal. It's been an honor and privilege to serve in this position and to work with our Ukrainian counterparts."

The Task Force Thunder incoming commander, Col. Michael Dykes, ended the ceremony addressing the 39th IBCT, "Thank you for what you have done."

"(To the) 155th, for what we are about to accomplish, it really just comes down to one word, which is victory," he said. "We are here to ensure the Ukrainian victory. Victory Thunder."

Task Force Thunder, 155th ABCT, is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, and will be the 15th rotation of Army personnel supporting the mission since JMTG-U began in 2015, which has consisting of both active and reserve components.

JMTG-U is a professional, adaptable, innovative team that trains, mentors, and supports programs of instruction on combined armed operations. Under the guidance of U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, 7ATC leads the training and is supported and supported by a myriad of other organizations from across the U.S. Army. This training of Armed Forces of Ukraine has been conducted in Germany since April 2022.

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MAGTF Stand-In Force Exercise Empowers Small-Unit Leaders, Increases Readiness in the Indo-Pacific

US Marine Corps News

7 Jan 2024 | 1st Lt. Sarah Bobrowski 3rd Marine Division

COMBINED ARMS TRAINING CENTER CAMP FUJI, JAPAN -- From Nov. 15 through Dec. 15. 2023, The Marines of 3d Marine Division demonstrated their tactical proficiency and readiness while conducting Stand-in Force Operations in the first island chain during Marine Air-Ground Task Force Stand-In Force Exercise 24.

MAGTF-SIFEX 24 is a division-level exercise involving all elements of the MAGTF focused on strengthening multi-domain awareness, maneuver, and fires across a distributed maritime environment. Led by 4th Marine Regiment, supported by Marine Aircraft Group 36 and 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, the units conducted MAGTF-SIFEX as a proof of concept for Stand-In Force operations, which included realistic SIF rehearsals at Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Japan.

This year marks the first iteration of the exercise on CATC Camp Fuji, Japan, which also saw Marine Air-Ground Task Force Training Command experts deploy a fleet support team to oversee the large-scale force-on-force training.

"Their service level insight and best practices ensured that the Regiment received quality training in the First Island Chain instead of having to return to Continental United States to validate readiness," said Maj. Devin Fultz, the future operations officer with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division.

Following initial reconnaissance support from 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing facilitated the deployment of 2d Battalion, 2d Marines and 2d Battalion, 7th Marines using CH-53E Super Stallions, ensuring the rapid dispersal and sustainment of forces. Throughout the exercise, aviation assets executed simulated air assaults, maritime strikes, adversary forces, and rehearsed armed reconnaissance and close air support.

Marines with 4th Marine Regiment carried out two company-sized force-on-force exercises in the Northern and Eastern training areas of CATC Camp Fuji, Japan. The force-on-force events offered the Marines an authentic and immersive training experience. This specialized training involved the simulation of combat scenarios, enabling Marines to refine their combat skills and enhance their readiness.

Most importantly, SIFEX 24 significantly enhanced small-unit leadership by fostering better communication, coordination, and decision-making skills among squad and fireteam leaders. This improvement was particularly evident in the Marines increased ability to adapt to dynamic training conditions at CATC Camp Fuji, Japan. Small unit leaders were able to make informed tactical decisions swiftly and effectively which increased their units' operational tempo and degrade an adversary's decision-making cycle.

Engaging in these lifelike force-on-force exercises exposed Marines to the intricacies of modern warfare, from urban combat to maritime security challenges, in the Indo-Pacific Region. This approach allowed them to adapt and refine their tactics, foster teamwork, and make sound decisions under intense pressure.

"SIFEX 24 allowed us to further develop operationally relevant readiness within the first island chain by rehearsing our concepts in a well-resourced and realistic force on force exercise," said Col. Erick Clark, commanding officer of 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division. "There is no doubt that we are ready to face an adversary wherever they may decide to test our resolve."

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January 8, 2024

Release

Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Secretary Austin's Health Status

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following update on Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin's health status:

Secretary Austin currently remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and is in good condition. He is recovering well and in good spirits. He is no longer in the Intensive Care Unit and is recovering in a more private area of the hospital. He continues to experience discomfort but his prognosis is good.

Since resuming his duties on Friday evening, Secretary Austin has received operational updates and has provided necessary guidance. He remains in contact with his senior staff. He has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DoD's day-to-day operations worldwide.

Today, Secretary Austin spoke with Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during separate phone calls. He also took an operational update from the U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Erik Kurilla along with Deputy Secretary Hicks and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.

We do not have a specific date for his release from the hospital at this time but will continue to provide daily updates until then.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3637189/

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January 8, 2024

By Joseph Clark , DOD News

Austin Continues Recovery

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has resumed the full duties of his office and remains in contact with senior advisors as he continues to recover after experiencing complications from a recent elective medical procedure, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said today.

Austin remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, where Ryder said he is recovering and is in good spirits.

"Since resuming duties on Friday evening, the secretary has received operational updates and has provided necessary guidance," Ryder said. "He has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor [Defense Department] day-to-day operations worldwide."

Austin was admitted to Walter Reed's intensive care unit on the evening of Jan. 1, after experiencing severe pain following an elective medical procedure carried out at the same hospital on Dec. 22.

Upon being admitted, Austin underwent testing and evaluation. On Jan. 2, certain authorities were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks "due to the secretary's condition, and on the basis of medical advice," Ryder said.

Members of Austin and Hicks' staff were notified that the transfer of authority had occurred through normal email notification procedures, he added.

On Jan. 4, Austin's chief of staff notified Hicks and the White House National Security Advisor of the secretary's hospitalization. Ryder noted that Austin's chief of staff had been out sick with the flu, which caused the delay in notification.

Once notified of the hospitalization, Hicks "immediately engaged on drafting a public statement and congressional outreach," alongside Austin's chief of staff, Ryder said.

Congress was notified of the secretary's hospitalization the following day, shortly before Ryder issued a statement notifying the media.

Ryder said the Defense Department is currently reviewing how it can improve its notification procedures, to include White House and congressional notifications.

"I want to underscore that Secretary Austin has taken responsibility for the issues with transparency, and the department will be taking steps to improve our notification procedures," Ryder told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon today. "I'm also personally committed to keeping you informed."

He added that "nothing is more important to the secretary of defense and the department than the trust and confidence of the American public we serve, and we will continue to work hard every day to earn and deserve that trust."

While acting as the secretary, Hicks made routine operational and management decisions for the department "and was fully authorized and ready to support the president on other military matters should the need have arisen," Ryder said.

Austin resumed his full duties as secretary on the evening of Jan. 5.

"He is no longer in the intensive care unit but is recovering in a more private area of the hospital," Ryder said. "He continues to experience discomfort, but his prognosis is good."

Ryder said the secretary would receive operational updates throughout the day.

"I expect him to be in contact throughout the day today with senior leadership of the department and the White House even as he focuses on his own recovery," he said. "While we do not have a specific date for his release at this time, we'll continue to provide updates on the secretary's status as they become available."

"We in the department, of course, all wish him a speedy recovery," Ryder said.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina host U.S. F-16s and JTAC training

The training event took place near Tuzla and was part of routine efforts by U.S. forces to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures with partner nation forces.

By U.S. European Command Public Affairs , United States European Command STUTTGART, Germany Jan 08, 2024

Two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing from Aviano Air Base, Italy, conducted bilateral air-to-ground training with joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) from U.S. Special Operations Command Europe and Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina JTACs near Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Jan. 8, 2024.

This bilateral training is an example of advanced military-to-military cooperation that contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans and throughout Europe.

"Joint military events like this are a demonstration of the United States' enduring partnership with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham, deputy commander, U.S. European Command.

"American support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's Armed Forces is ironclad, forged over years of close cooperation. For twenty years, the Armed Forces of our two countries have maintained an outstanding and robust military-to-military relationship," added Basham. "The United States continues to provide assistance that will help their armed forces modernize and become a security contributor both regionally and globally."

The training was part of routine efforts by U.S. forces to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures with partner nation forces.

The mission was supported by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, based at RAF Mildenhall, U.K., which provided aerial refueling for the F-16s and contributed to meeting all training objectives.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina share a common goal in contributing to continued stability in the region and are natural partners in their overall commitment to global security.

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The future of Sweden's security policy - speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom at the Folk och Forsvar Annual National Conference

Government Offices of Sweden

08 January 2024

Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom at the Folk och Forsvar (Society and Defence) Annual National Conference in Salen, Sunday 7 January.

Check against delivery.

Your Majesty,

Your Royal Highnesses,

Soldiers and seamen,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour to speak here at the Folk och Forsvar Annual National Conference. And it feels particularly fitting to speak about the future of Sweden's security policy as we so clearly find ourselves in a time of historic upheaval.

Everyone in this room is aware of the major geopolitical challenges we are facing: Russia's illegal attack on Ukraine and on Europe's security. The war between Israel and Hamas. Tensions in East Asia. The use of economies and technologies as weapons.

Today, I would like to speak about how Sweden is navigating in these times of upheaval. Because in this formative stage, Sweden must be actively involved in shaping the future security of our neighbourhood and of Europe.

The most important expression of us taking on this responsibility is Sweden's forthcoming membership of NATO. Membership of NATO will entail the biggest change in Swedish security policy in more than 200 years. And it will fundamentally redraw the security policy map in our part of Europe.

It will imply both great responsibilities and new opportunities to strengthen our freedom and security - not least for Swedish diplomacy.

Allow me to highlight a few aspects of this work.

Firstly: Our central starting point is that Russia will constitute a serious threat to the security of Sweden and Europe for the foreseeable future.

We must be realistic and assume - and be prepared for - a drawn-out confrontation that will continue for as long as Russia flagrantly breaches the UN Charter and the European security order.

International law is a cornerstone of Swedish and transatlantic security.

Our opportunities to influence domestic developments in Russia are very limited, but change may come quickly and without warning.

It is in Sweden's interests to limit Russia's strategic scope for action - militarily, economically and politically. And to invest in our own strength and cohesion. These are the guiding lights in Sweden's policy within the EU and NATO.

Secondly: Our military, political and economic support to Ukraine will - as the Prime Minister said in the Statement of Government Policy - be the main task of foreign policy in the years ahead. Ukraine's soldiers are also fighting for our security and our values.

Strong, predictable and sustained support to Ukraine is also our primary opportunity to restrict Russia's scope for action. Sweden is a driving force within the EU for harsher sanctions and for restricting Russia's possibilities to fund its war of aggression.

We warmly welcome the EU's decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. This is a historic decision, and one that we worked hard to pave the way for, not least during our Presidency of the Council. EU enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity.

Thirdly: Our guiding principle will be a solidarity-based alliance policy, aiming to enhance security and stability in our neighbourhood and the Euro-Atlantic area as a whole.

The cohesion and credibility in Article 5 are the foundation of NATO - politically as well as militarily. Safeguarding this cohesion means safeguarding the Alliance's strength.

This is a core Swedish interest. Sweden will be a reliable, loyal and engaged NATO member. We support NATO's 360-degree approach.

Fourthly: We will fully harness the opportunities associated with Sweden's and Finland's NATO accession in terms of strengthening security and stability in Northern Europe.

The key contribution that Sweden can make to defence in our part of Europe will be of fundamental benefit to the Alliance as a whole. Our geographical location and our military resources give us unique opportunities to contribute in a way that raises the threshold and enhances stability.

It is a matter of facilitating joint defence planning and NATO's possibilities to act collectively in Northern Europe. This too is an integral part of a policy that aims to limit Russia's possibilities to cause harm.

Fifthly: We will use Sweden's seat and voice in NATO to increase our influence on a range of security policy issues.

One of my first decisions as Minister for Foreign Affairs was a reorganisation of the Ministry, one aim of which was to increase coordination on security policy issues. This is necessary in order to meet the demands now placed on us.

NATO enjoys political and military integration of unique depth. To have an impact, we must seamlessly combine political and military aspects in a range of areas into a coherent policy.

This is particularly relevant for NATO's three core tasks: deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.

It includes challenges related to regions such as the Indo-Pacific region, the southern neighbourhood and the Arctic.

It includes issues such as terrorism, disinformation and protection of critical infrastructure.

And it includes action on new and emerging threats, with an emphasis on technology and telecommunications, innovation and space issues and the ever-closer links between economies and security.

At the same time, we must continue to strengthen the EU as a strategic actor. Contributing in a spirit of solidarity to the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and its broad toolbox is a natural cornerstone of Sweden's future security policy.

Europe needs a strong EU, and NATO needs a stronger European pillar.

Sixthly: US engagement is indispensable for Sweden's and Europe's security, and must never be taken for granted. The bilateral defence cooperation agreement is of strategic importance and is a milestone in relations between our countries.

The agreement enables us to receive rapid and early US military support if our situation should deteriorate. We have designed the agreement to strengthen security for us, for the United States and for our neighbours. It is a deterrent and stabilising agreement.

The fact that our Nordic neighbours have similar agreements is an important expression of the security and defence policy consensus in the Nordic region.

Seventhly: As the strategic landscape in Northern Europe changes, foreign and security policy cooperation in the region can develop hand in hand with the closer defence policy cooperation I just mentioned.

The need is clear in light of the deteriorating security situation. And Finland's NATO membership and Sweden's imminent membership offer a historic opportunity. For the first time ever, all of the democratic neighbours in our region are choosing the same security policy arrangements.

This year, Sweden is presiding over the Nordic Council of Ministers and coordinating the informal cooperation between the Nordic-Baltic countries (N5 and NB8, respectively). Deepening security policy cooperation in our neighbourhood is one of our priorities, along with continued support to Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia.

All of what I have described is interlinked - our membership of and role in the EU and NATO, the defence cooperation agreement with the United States, support to Ukraine, Russia policy, and deepened cooperation between the Nordic-Baltic countries. These building blocks of our future security policy are individually important, but together they form an even more important whole.

As I said at the beginning, the conditions of Swedish security policy have fundamentally changed. Prioritising these issues is no longer a choice: it is an absolute necessity.

In this new landscape, and with the solidarity-based alliance policy as our guiding light, we are shaping Sweden's security policy future within the framework of our means and together with our partners. It is a future in which we are part of a strong region, firmly anchored in the EU and in NATO. This is how we make Sweden more secure.

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Prime Minister congratulates Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for victory for fourth consecutive term

India - Ministry of External Affairs

January 08, 2024

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections.

PM Modi posted on X :

"Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh."

New Delhi

January 08, 2024

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On January 7, Gotion High-tech's wholly-owned subsidiary, Hefei Guoxuan High-tech Power Energy Co., Ltd. (Hefei Gotion), inked a strategic cooperation agreement with Chery Automobile. The collaboration aims to extend across both passenger and commercial vehicle segments, jointly exploring opportunities in the new energy vehicle market.

Under the agreement, the collaboration will span Chery's projects, including passenger cars, buses, logistics vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks. Hefei Gotion will serve as a key supplier, actively participating in project development and supply. Chery Automobile, in turn, will introduce advanced battery technologies, such as Gotion High-tech's third-generation battery cells, enhancing cooperation in battery platform standardization, cell consistency and safety, and battery big data.

Photo credit: Gotion High-tech

In addition, in emerging areas like energy storage and electric vessels, the two companies plan to jointly explore innovative business models. Leveraging their respective international market advantages, they also intend to jointly expand overseas new energy vehicle markets. Furthermore, a strengthened collaboration in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives and carbon reduction will be pursued, aiming to boost brand reputation and market visibility.

The partnership between Gotion High-tech and Chery Automobile dates back to 2012 when they began collaborating on new energy product applications. Noteworthy milestones include the bulk shipment of Gotion batteries to Chery's Karry YoYo in 2018, the formal signing of a strategic cooperation agreement in 2019, and the mass delivery of battery packs for Chery's QQ Ice Cream and other popular models in 2021. In 2022, the collaboration deepened further, witnessing an annual installation exceeding 130,000 vehicles, marking a remarkable growth of over 220% compared to the previous year.

Chery has been accelerating its new energy vehicle strategy in recent years. In 2023, all four major passenger car brands under Chery Holding Chery, EXEED, JETOUR, and iCAR  had numerous new energy vehicle models hitting the market. Chery Holding's international business was steadily improved last year, with around 937,000 vehicles exported to reflect a robust year-on-year hike of 101.1%.
Iran strongly condemns assassination of senior Hezbollah commander

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the adventurous act of the Zionist regime in the assassination of the martyr Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, one of the jihadi commanders of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Wissam Hassan al-Tawil was killed when the strike hit the vehicle transporting him in the village of Khirbet Selm on Monday.

On Monday night, Kanaani said that the Zionist regime's turning to blatant terrorist operations was the reason for the obvious weakness and helplessness of this regime in the military dimension and the painful blows inflicted on its fake heyman in the battlefield, including in the Gaza Strip.

"Such evil actions will never be able to Compensating for the irreparable failure of the regime in Al-Aqsa Storm and its three months of war-mongering against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," he added.

While warning the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, about the open and adventurous efforts of the "Zionist regime" to expand the scope of the conflict and war in the region, he added that the continuation of the war crimes of the "Zionist regime against the Palestinian citizens in Gaza and the West Bank and at the same time violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria and the open resort of this usurping regime to organized terrorism is an immediate danger to regional and global peace and security.

"The criminal Zionist regime and its supporters are definitely responsible for the consequences of such terrorist and adventurous actions," he added.

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Hezbollah conducts missile attacks against Zionist bases

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah has carried out fresh missile attacks against Zionist bases in northern parts of the occupied lands, local media reported.

Al-Ahed News said on Monday that the Islamic Resistance forces have successfully targeted a Zionist base in Shebaa Farms, inflicting fatalities on the Zionist forces.

Hezbollah has also said in a statement that it has hit a gathering of Zionist forces along the Lebanese border, killing and injuring some Zionist soldiers.

Hezbollah has reportedly targeted another gathering of Zionist forces near Jal-ul-Alam base.

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Yemen's Ansarullah vows 'painful' response to US attack

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A Yemeni Ansarullah official has promised a "painful" response to a recent attack by the US forces in the Red Sea that killed a number of Yemeni naval servicemen.

Ansarullah's Office Director Safar al-Sufi made the remarks on Monday as he met with families of those killed in the US attack, Al Jazeera reported.

"The US has opened fire on itself by targeting the Yemeni armed forces," he said, promising families of the victims that they would soon be pleased with Yemen's retaliation.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces, said last week that the US forces in the Red Sea had attacked three Yemeni boats, killing 10 servicemen.

He warned that US forces will face the consequences of targeting Yemeni boats in the Red Sea.

Yemeni forces have carried out a series of attacks against Israeli-linked ships in the strategic waterway in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

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Hamas unhappy over Arabs' lack of action on Israeli genocide case at ICJ

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the Arab and Islamic countries to file a complaint against the Zionist regime at the Hague.

The Palestinian news agency Sama quoted Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas leader, as saying that the Arab and Islamic countries must understand the situation in Gaza, because their silence means giving the Zionist regime the greenlight to destroy the enclave.

We are dissatisfied with the fact that no petition was filed by the Arab and Islamic countries in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the crimes and genocide of the Zionist regime in Gaza, as well as in support of South Africa's complaint in this regard, Abu Zuhri added.

Earlier on December 30, 2023, South Africa filed a genocide case against the Zionist regime at the ICJ over the occupying entity's relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

The filing asked the ICJ to issue an urgent order declaring that the regime was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention over its brutal war on Gaza.

It also asked the court to issue short-term measures ordering the Zionist regime to stop its war on Gaza, which it said were "necessary in this case to protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people."

The Tel Aviv regime launched the bloody war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas carried out a surprise operation into the occupied territories to respond to the regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinians.

South Africa has been a vocal critic of the Israeli war on Gaza. Last month, the country's lawmakers voted in favor of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic ties with the regime.

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Cessation of war in southern Lebanon depends on end of Gaza war: Hezbollah

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Deputy Chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement Sheikh Naim Qassem has underscored that the battle in southern Lebanon is in reaction to Israeli aggression against Gaza, so there would be no room for talking about a halt of the defensive war because it is the repercussion of the ongoing war on Gaza.

The Hezbollah official pointed that numerous representatives urged Lebanon's resistance movement to resume stability, noting that Hezbollah wants stability, which will be restored as soon as the Zionist regime stops aggression against the Gaza Strip, reported Al-Ahed News.

Following the onset of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, by Palestinian resistance groups and the Israeli regime's relentless attacks on residential and healthcare areas in Gaza, the Hezbollah movement initiated daily and heavy operations against the regime to engage a significant number of Israeli forces in northern occupied territories.

The Lebanese resistance movement has time and again warned that it will not tolerate widespread strikes against civilians in Gaza and southern Lebanon and that it will continue retaliatory attacks on Israeli positions.

Hezbollah fighters have targeted 48 military centers of the Israeli regime in northern occupied territories over the past three months and inflicted heavy damage upon the regime.

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Tens of rockets fired at US base in eastern Syria: Source

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A US base in the Al-Omar oil field in the Deir Ez-Zor governorate in eastern Syria has been targeted by 30 rockets, media outlets has reported.

The rocket attacks were launched in response to the US aggression against a truck in the paggae between Al-Qa'im and al-Bukamal on Syria-Iraq border crossing, Lebanon's Al Mayadeen cited a source as saying on Monday.

According to the source, the US base has been directly targeted by 30 rockets, in which some were injured.

Prior to today's rocket attack, al-Assad airbase located in al-Anbar governorate in western Iraq, where the US troops were present, was attacked by the Iraqi resistance fighters about a week ago.

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Continued US support for Israel could explode region: Yemen's Ansarullah

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Spokesman of Yemen's ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement Muhammad Abd al-Salam has warned that United States' continued support for the Israeli regime could lead to an explosion in the region.

Al Mayadeen news television channel on Sunday evening quoted Abd al-Salam as saying that statements by the American officials about the developments in the Red Sea and their impacts on global security are an attempt to divert attentions from Israel's crimes in Gaza.

The US should know that militarization of the Red Sea will not prevent Yemen from giving up its support for the Palestinian resistance in Gaza, he said.

Prior to this, a member of the Houthi's Supreme Political Council had said that ships sailing through Bab-el-Mandeb Strait have to declare that they have no connection with "Israel".

Crew members of the ships have to raise placards reading "we have no connection with Israel", Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi said in a post published on the X.

Ali al-Qahoum, a member of Houthi's political bureau, has also said that the Yemeni military operations in the Red Sea will continue in spite of all threats by the US, Britain and the Zionist regime.

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Missile attack on Haifa a clear message to Israel: Iraqi resistance official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A spokesman for Iraq's Nujaba Resistance Movement has said that the Sunday missile attack on Israel's port city of Haifa sent a clear message to the regime and showed that the Resistance Front will never abandon its strategic goals in the region.

Hussain al-Mousavi told Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news network that the regional resistance has clear goals, which are to shake US plans for the region and to ruin the Israeli regime's efforts in Gaza, IRNA reported on Monday.

It is not the issue of the moment, rather it is the issue of a full system aimed at confronting measures by the United States and the Israeli regime, the Iraqi resistance official said.

He stressed that the resistance is able to manage this war for a long time.

On Sunday night, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance said it had carried out a missile attack at a sensitive site in Haifa Port, located in the north of the Israeli-occupied Palestine.

Iraqi resistance groups also launched drone strikes on two US bases in Iraq and Syria as well as an Israeli base in the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday.

The groups said in a statement that the attacks were part of their resistance efforts against the US military presence in the region, and were also in response to the massacre of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli regime in Gaza.

Resistance groups in the region, from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen, have been targeting US and Israeli interests ever since the Gaza war broke out on October 7. The groups say their attacks will continue until the war and crimes against the Palestinians in Gaza are completely stopped.

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Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina wins 4th consecutive term

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured her fourth straight term in the general elections after a campaign marred by violence amid a boycott call from the main opposition party.

Hasina will serve another five years in office as media reports show her party the Awami League and its allies have won 216 seats out of 299 while ballot counting continued in some constituencies late at night.

With the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, led by former premier Khaleda Zia boycotting the poll, Hasina's coalition is expected to win the remaining seats.

A final official declaration from the Election Commission is expected on Monday.

A total of about 120 million Bangladeshis were eligible to cast their ballots but turnout was just around 40 percent, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said after the polls closed.

Meanwhile, Zia called the poll a sham and refused to accept the outcome, saying Bangladeshi voters have rejected the one-sided election.

The elections were held amid tight security as the BNP and its allies had boycotted the vote and gave a two-day strike call. There were mass arrests of opposition leaders and supporters on Sunday.

According to a prominent rights group, nearly 10,000 activists were arrested after an opposition rally on 28 October turned violent, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 people and injuring more than 5,500. It accused the government of "filling prisons with political opponents".

The opposition parties also accuse Hasina of turning Bangladesh into a one-party state and silencing dissent and civil society. But authorities blame much of the violence on the BNP, accusing it of seeking to sabotage the election.

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More Zionists wounded in battles with resistance fighters in Gaza

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Casualties among invading Zionist troops in Gaza are mounting as Israel's Soroka Hospital on Sunday confirmed the arrival of eight more injured soldiers in the past 24 hours.

The Palestinian news agency Sama says one of the injured brought to the hospital in the city of Beersheba, south of the occupied territories, is said to be in critical condition.

According to staff at Soroka, which is one of Israel's leading medical centers, 2,478 troopers have been transferred there for treatment since the beginning of the regime's war on the Gaza Strip.

Based on this report, the condition of 14 soldiers transferred to Soroka Hospital is still critical while 35 more are undergoing treatment.

Israel has so far announced 687 fatalities and over 900 injuries among its troops since the Al-Aqsa Flood operation by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas. But media reports and Palestinians say the regime is hiding the real casualty figures due to fear of public reactions.

The Saraya al-Quds and the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance movements have released numerous footage showing losses they have inflicted on the Israeli military since the regime launched a ground invasion of Gaza.

The fierce fighting is ongoing in Gaza as resistance groups are putting stiff resistance to invading Israeli forces with all available means. They have already destroyed dozens of armored vehicles and tanks inside the besieged territory.

The desperation of Tel Aviv is linked to its failure to strike a deal for a ceasefire or prisoner exchange and its resumption of bloodshed in Gaza after a brief December truce, in which, Hamas agreed on releasing 50 Israeli captives in exchange for 150 Palestinians illegally held in the regime' jails.

Since the end of the temporary ceasefire, the Zionist occupying army has been bombing and shelling Gaza relentlessly, with the overall Palestinian death toll now approaching 23,000 and nearly 60,000 others have been injured. A large number of Israeli forces have also been killed since early December, with some sources suggesting unprecedented casualties and financial losses to the Israeli regime since its creation in 1948.



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 Read the full article on Motorious

Criminals have no souls.

In west Phoenix, Linsey Maldonado, a mother of six, continues to face challenges a year after the theft of her specially modified Chevy Tahoe, vital for her daughter with autism. The vehicle, stolen from outside her home, was a heartbreaking loss, especially considering the modifications essential for her daughter's needs.

Learn about the convertible grocery getter Porsche almost made here.

ABC15 revisited Maldonado's story, first reported last January. Despite her attempt to stop the theft, the car was taken and later found in March, completely gutted. "The first thing I said, 'Where is it? Is it drivable?' And unfortunately, it wasn't. It was gutted," Maldonado recounted. Phoenix Police Department informed ABC15 that the investigation is still pending, awaiting further evidence.

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Since the incident, Maldonado has relied on Uber for transportation, limiting trips to essential destinations only. The logistics of traveling with four car seats and strollers have added significant stress to her life. "It's very stressful. It's like, I cry sometimes because it's so hard," Maldonado shared.

However, the ordeal has also revealed a silver lining. After sharing her story, ABC15 viewers and the community rallied to support Maldonado. Generous individuals gifted a newly modified car seat, and many referred her to resources for her children's care. "I'm forever grateful for everybody that reached out and helped me," she expressed.

To further support the family, an online fundraiser has been established. Maldonado's story stands as a testament to the resilience and strength of a mother navigating life's unexpected challenges and the power of community support in times of need. Her hope now is to afford another car in the future, bringing some normalcy back to her family's life.

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Zionist assassination drive won't weaken resistance: Senior Hamas member

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Israeli assassination of Hamas' Deputy Chief, Saleh al-Arouri will not weaken the resolve of the resistance, a senior member of the Palestinian movement said on Sunday.

Osama Hamdan, in a news conference on al-Arouri's assassination emphasized that the Zionist regime's action is a testimony it does not respect the security and sovereignty of any country.

"By assassinating al-Arouri, the enemy has shown that it does not find any of the international laws and treaties worth respecting", Hamdan was quoted by Arab media as saying.

The senior Hamas figure vowed to avenge the killing, saying the biggest revenge on Israel will be to expel it from occupied Palestine and liberate al-Quds, a reference to the historic Palestinian city that houses Islam's third holiest site al-Aqsa Mosque.

Saleh al-Arouri was assassinated in an Israeli drone strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut on January 2. His murder sparked condemnations, with Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah warning that "the Israeli crime will never undoubtedly go unpunished".

Israel's disgraceful failure

Elsewhere in his remarks during the news conference, Hamdan also touched on Israel's relentless bombardment and shelling of Gaza. He underlined that the occupying Zionist regime has destroyed 70% of civilian facilities and infrastructures with the aim of forcing Palestinians to leave their land.

Hamdan said that four percent of Gazans have been killed, wounded or remained missing since Israel launched its genocidal war on October 7. "The enemy is setting fire to Palestinian houses with innocent residents inside, the latest example of which, is the massacre of Abu Alba's family in southern Gaza", he added.

Nevertheless, the Palestinian resistance still insists on preserving its territory and keeps firing rockets into the heart of the occupied territories. "The resistance has many options that forced the enemy to withdraw from the northern area of Gaza and is now only concentrated in western parts," the senior Hamas member noted.

He pointed out that the Zionist enemy has not been able and will never be able to displace the Palestinians from their ancestral land and that the regime has completely failed in achieving its goals in the Gaza Strip.

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Proposal on troop withdrawal with Azerbaijan still stands: Yerevan

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 8 January 2024 / 12:05

Yerevan's proposal that Armenia and Azerbaijan should pull back troops from the two countries' border still stands, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, adding that it is ready to discuss the issue as soon as possible.

Tehran (ISNA) - "During the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Armenian side has always proposed a mirror withdrawal of troops from the interstate border, and it is still valid," the ministry told Sputnik.

The withdrawal of troops must be conducted based on the most recent maps of the Soviet Union, the ministry added.

It declined to disclose what points of the future peace agreement remain unresolved between the two South Caucasus nations, but described the recognition of the territorial integrity of both countries, the early start of the border demarcation process, and the unblocking of regional communications as Yerevan's "top priorities".

On December 14, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov called Armenia's proposal that Baku withdraw troops from the Azerbaijani-Armenian border "unacceptable" as it was not delimited yet.

In September, Azerbaijan took control over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, in a lightning offensive.

The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities declared that the unrecognized state would cease to exist from January 1, 2024. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said a peace treaty between the two countries could be signed by the end of the year.

End Item



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Hamas: Revenge is coming

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 8 January 2024 / 11:37

The assassination of martyr Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri would not change the Resistance's convictions, Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan confirmed on Sunday, vowing that revenge from the Israeli occupation entity for its crime is definitely coming.

Tehran (ISNA) - "The enemy will face a response from us that will teach it that the assassination will not weaken the Resistance," Hamdan said in a televised address.

However, he stressed that the greater revenge that the Resistance will take is the liberation of occupied Al-Quds, ending the occupation, and the return of Palestinians to their land.

"The ones who will leave the land of Palestine and go back to where they came from will be the occupying settlers," Hamdan stressed.

He went on to say, "Our land will only be Palestinian, for the Palestinian people."

Additionally, the senior Hamas official said the assassination of Al-Arouri and his companions in Beirut's Southern Suburb shows, once again, that the Israelis do not "respect laws and conventions or recognize the security and sovereignty of any state."

The intensity of the Israeli bombing of Gaza is unprecedented in recent history. Human rights organizations and war observers recently estimated that the volume of explosives dropped on the Strip during the last three months is equivalent to more than 3 Hiroshima nuclear bombs.

On that note, Hamdan said that Israel destroyed 70% of civilian homes in Gaza and put 30 of the Strip's main hospitals out of service as part of its plan to forcibly displace the Palestinian people.

He also emphasized that "voluntary migration" is a malicious slogan chanted by Nazi extremists in the occupation entity. "This plot will not be realized for we are the owners of the land and will remain in it, while they are the ones who will leave."

Addressing US-Israeli statements about forming and imposing a "new government in Gaza," which does not include Resistance factions and is under the supervision of the occupation entity, Hamdan confirmed that this scheme shall not pass.

"Gaza will only be a part of a fully sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital," he concluded.

End Item





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Civil Service Commission Approves PM Netanyahu's Recommendation to Appoint Col. (Res.) Yaron Cohen as Director of the Hostages, Missing and Returnees Authority

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

The 37th Government

08.01.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recommended that Col. (Res.) Yaron Cohen be appointed Director of the Hostages, Missing and Returnees Authority.

The appointment was approved this morning, , by the Civil Service Commission and will be submitted for Government approval.

Col. (Res.) Yaron Cohen is married and the father of five. He lives in the community of Moreshet in the Galilee, is a graduate of the IDF Preparatory Program in Eli, holds a BA in human resources and an MA in national security, and is a graduate of the National Defense College. He also served in senior positions in the IDF Personnel Directorate on the General Staff and as a staff officer in the 98th Paratroop Division and the Galilee Division.

Over the past five years, Col. (Res.) Cohen has held a senior position in human resources for Maccabi Healthcare Services.

Upon the outbreak of the war, Col. (Res.) Cohen was recruited to the staff of the Coordinator for the Hostages and Missing where he served as head of the situation assessment team.

Prime Minister's Office Director General Yossi Shelley commended the appointment [translated from Hebrew]: "Yaron brings with him experience and professionalism in this field, which is so important and sensitive, and together we will do everything for their quick return."

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Pakistan Strongly Condemns Terrorist Attack in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi area

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack that took place in Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul on 6 January 2024 and resulted in loss of several precious lives and multiple injuries.

The Government and the people of Pakistan extend their heartfelt condolences to the Afghan Interim Government (AIG) and the people of Afghanistan over the loss of innocent lives and pray for the early recovery of the injured.

Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in this hour of grief.



Islamabad

8 January 2024

11/2024

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Iran-backed militias escalate attacks on U.S. bases in Syria amid regional tensions

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:21, January 08, 2024

DAMASCUS, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pro-Iran militias have intensified their assaults in recent hours on U.S. bases in Syria, citing American support for Israel in the ongoing offensive in Gaza and the Israeli targeting of Iranian interests in Syria.

The recent escalation, reported within the past 12 hours, includes attacks on two U.S. bases in the al-Tanf area in the countryside of the central Homs province, and al-Shaddadi in the northeastern province of al-Hasakah, state news agency SANA reported.

The Iraqi Islamic Resistance claimed responsibility for the drone attacks on the two U.S. bases, vowing to continue targeting "enemy strongholds," said SANA, adding that the group targeted the largest U.S. base in Syria, the Al-Omar oil field, the previous night.

Meanwhile, the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that as many as 77 attacks have been carried out by pro-Iran militias on U.S. bases in Syria since Oct. 19.

The Britain-based watchdog group attributed these attacks to orders from the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Simultaneously, Israel has increased its assaults on Iranian interests and militias in Syria, resulting in the death of high-profile Iranian figures, including Seyyed Razi Mousavi, a senior IRGC commander. Following Mousavi's killing, the IRGC pledged "tough revenge" on Israel.

Earlier this month, the IRGC said two of its members were killed by Israeli forces "while conducting an advisory mission in Syria's Islamic resistance front."

The regional conflict, influenced by the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and the U.S. presence in Syria, is witnessing a surge in proxy attacks, making the situation increasingly complex.

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Bolivia says will join South Africa's ICJ case against Israel for genocide in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 11:06 PM

Bolivia says it will join South Africa in a legal case filed against the Israeli regime in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for committing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Information Center quoted Bolivia's Foreign Ministry as making the announcement in a statement on Monday.

La Paz said it praised the step taken by Pretoria in line with its commitment to the UN Genocide Convention.

Bolivia added that the judicial measure taken by South Africa was a "historic step" in defense of the rights of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause of liberation from Israeli occupation and aggression.

The Bolivian Foreign Ministry also called on the international community to throw its full weight behind this initiative.

It noted that the country -- along with South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros, and Djibouti -- has also presented a separate request to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the situation in Palestine.

Bolivia is the first country in Latin America to announce its support of South Africa's lawsuit.

In late December, South Africa started proceedings against Israel at the ICJ over the regime's genocide in Gaza. The lawsuit says Israel's actions are "genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnic group."

"The acts in question include killing Palestinians in Gaza, causing them serious bodily and mental harm, and inflicting on them conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction," the lawsuit says.

In early January, it was announced that the ICJ judges in The Hague will hear South Africa's case against Israel on January 11 and 12. The announcement came after the African country asked the top court to urgently declare that the Tel Aviv regime has breached its responsibilities under international law since October 7, when it launched its onslaught against Gaza.

More than 23,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed and nearly 59,000 injured in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

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Al-Qassam Brigades strikes Tel Aviv, its suburbs with barrage of missiles

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 7:28 PM

The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has launched a fresh round of strikes against the Israeli-occupied territories, targeting Tel Aviv and its suburbs in retaliation for the regime's genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

The al-Qassam Brigades bombed Tel Aviv and its suburbs on Monday with a barrage of missiles "in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians."

Palestinian media reports said the missile attack, which took place on the 94th day of Israel's brutal aggression on Gaza, sounded the sirens in Tel Aviv and about 30 cities and towns south of it.

In a similar attack on the first day of the new year, Hamas's military wing struck Tel Aviv and its suburbs with a barrage of missiles and destroyed scores of Israeli military vehicles and killed over a dozen of the regime's forces.

Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, said at the time that the Palestinian fighters also targeted an Israeli helicopter in the skies over the Gaza Strip.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 23,000 Palestinians and injured nearly 59,000 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under "complete siege" by Israel.

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Israel war minister threatens to turn Lebanon into Gaza amid rising tensions

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 5:12 PM

Israeli minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant has threatened to expand the brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip to Lebanon as tensions continue to escalate with Hezbollah across the border.

"They see what's happening in Gaza, they know we can copy and paste to Beirut," Gallant said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Sunday as he commented on rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah over the past weeks.

Gallant, however, rephrased Israel's rising fear of the Lebanese resistance movement's deterrence power, saying, "The priority isn't to get into a war" with Hezbollah.

Gallant pointed to the challenges facing Israel after the retaliatory attacks by Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups in early October, as well as a planned shift from an "intense maneuvering phase of the war" to "different types of special operations."

The Israeli minister described the October 7 Hamas-led attack on the occupied territories as the "bloodiest day" for the illegal entity. He also accused Iran of "building up military power" across the West Asia region.

"My basic view: We are fighting an axis, not a single enemy. Iran is building up military power around Israel in order to use it," Gallant claimed in the interview with the American daily newspaper.

Gallant also said the next stage of war on the Gaza Strip "will last for a long time," and underlined that Israel will not abandon its goal of "destroying" Hamas.

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in response to the Israeli regime's atrocities against Palestinians. The relentless military campaign has so far killed at least 23,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 59,000 others.

Since the beginning of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza, the frontier between Lebanon and the occupied territories has seen deadly exchanges of fire, mainly between the Israeli military and Hezbollah.

Three months of cross-border fire have killed 175 people in Lebanon, including three journalists, with reports saying Israel has repeatedly used US-supplied internationally-banned white phosphorus munitions in its attacks on Lebanon's territory.

In northern occupied territories, at least 13 Israelis, including nine soldiers, have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The assassination of Hamas Deputy Chief Saleh al-Arouri by the Israeli regime in southern Beirut on January 2 has escalated tensions between the two sides.

Hezbollah said on Saturday that it had hit an Israeli aerial surveillance base with 62 missiles in its first response to Tel Aviv's assassination of the deputy political leader of Hamas.

Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, another senior commander of Hezbollah, was killed on Monday when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle transporting him in the village of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has already warned the regime of the consequences of further escalation in the region.

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Israel assassinates Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 12:16 PM

A senior commander of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has been assassinated in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon.

Wissam Hassan al-Tawil was killed when the strike hit the vehicle transporting him in the village of Khirbet Selm on Monday.

The commander served with Hezbollah's elite Radwan ground force.

Israel has been desperate in its ground invasion of the besieged Gaza Strip since early October. The regime has achieved no objectives in Gaza, killing more than 23,000 people notwithstanding.

Southern Lebanon has also been tense ever since, with Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanging fire across the border on a daily basis.

On Monday, another Hezbollah member was also killed in an Israeli airstrike on the village of Majdal Selm.

Hezbollah has already warned the regime of the consequences of further escalation in the region.

On Friday, Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Israel is concealing the "heavy losses" it has suffered in southern Lebanon since the Lebanese resistance movement's operations against the occupying regime are "very exhausting."

The Israeli military has admitted that its strategic air base on Mount Meron was "seriously damaged" in a recent missile strike by Hezbollah.

It was a retaliatory strike by Hezbollah in the wake of Israel's January 2 assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh.

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Screen grab: american dream: the 21 savage story

Following a 10-year run, ESPNs Highly Questionable aired its final show on Sept. 10, 2021.

But while the shows legacy lives on in the form of the many now-high-profile talents it provided a platform for, it appears that it will also be depicted in an upcoming feature film.

Kind of.

On Monday, rapper 21 Savage released a music video/movie trailer for a biopic titled American Dream: The 21 Savage Story. At one point in the trailer, the rapper  played by Donald Glover  can be seen appearing on a thinly veiled version of Highly Questionable, with actors portraying hosts Dan Le Batard, Gonzalo Papi Le Batard and Bomani Jones.

You can see the full video below. The Highly Questionable scene occurs at the 2:47 mark.

Warning: Some language in the video is not appropriate.

In 2017, 21 Savage went viral for his interview on Highly Questionable after many likened his appearance to that of a supervillain. The England native would go on to become one of the biggest rappers in the world, with his 2019 arrest by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement receiving national attention and apparently serving as the inspiration for the upcoming film.

Its unclear whether American Dream: The 21 Savage Story will be an actual movie or if this is merely a music video spoofing a movie trailer. Prior to Monday, there had been no previous announcement regarding such a film, and its hard to imagine that an actor as big as Glover would have filmed scenes for a starring role before it had actually been announced.

(Its also worth noting that the Dan Le Batard-inspired character appears to be rapping along with the song, which doesnt make much sense if this is a scene from the actual movie).

Either way, Jones and his social media followers have been having fun with the Highly Questionable cameo in the video that was released on Monday.

gotta saythey didn't do a bad job with dan. not great. but they got papi looking like el coronel. i'm acting like the third guy ain't even me. https://t.co/nokKdzgcfG  bomani (@bomani_jones) January 8, 2024

Heres to hoping that this is an actual movie and not just a music video. While the portrayal of Bomani Jones might leave something to be desired, playing Papi could be the role of a lifetime.

[21 Savage]
Operation Al-Aqsa Storm 'turning point' in Palestine's anti-Israel fight: Iran general

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 11:02 AM

The Palestinian resistance movements' Operation Al-Aqsa Storm is a turning point in the Palestinian people's fight against the occupying regime, says Iran's highest-ranking military commander.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said on Monday that a number of Palestinian fighters successfully designed and carried out such great military action under complete siege in Gaza and without access to any facility.

He added that the Palestinian fighters utilized their own capacities in the operation and amazed the enemy with high capabilities and intelligence at an international level.

They have also managed to undermine Israel's security and shatter the Zionists' hope for the future, he emphasized.

The top Iranian general said that in the aftermath of the October 7 operation, the Palestinian fighters witnessed Israel's brutal crimes against the oppressed yet strong Palestinian people in Gaza and are still resisting the regime.

The Palestinian people in Gaza are not concerned about anything but are advancing their objectives, but the Zionists are suffering serious mental problems, he added.

Baqeri praised the Gazans' resistance against Israel despite great losses and blockade, saying they insist on achieving their rights to freedom and sovereignty.

The oppressed empty-handed Palestinian people resisted against Israel, he said, adding that the Zionists will definitely collapse and will fail to survive if the US stops supporting them even a single day.

The top Iranian general said the US provides Israel with several planes, bombs and various equipment every day while some regional countries also send military facilities to the regime.

He also said that several ships leave for the occupied territories every day after being loaded in some countries that falsely claim to support the oppressed Palestinian people.

Despite such large assistance to Israel, the regime's survival is completely in question, Baqeri said.

The senior commander hailed the Yemeni fighters for showing their true power in the Red Sea and preventing the passage of ships seeking to equip Israel despite having minimal facilities and being under siege.

Resistance forces in other countries such as Iraq and Syria are also trying their best to counter the Israeli regime, he said, hailing the developments as the achievements of the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense in Iran.

Israel waged the war on the strip on October 7 after the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups of Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories in response to the occupying regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, at least 22,835 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the strikes, and another 58,416 individuals injured.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

More than three months into the offensive, the usurping Israeli regime has failed to achieve its objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli captives.

Baqeri slams US hypocrisy over Iran terrorist attack

Elsewhere in his remarks, Baqeri slammed the US hypocrisy over a recent terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman, which claimed the lives of at least 91 people.

The US condemns the Kerman incident but supports and provokes the terrorists and provides them with logistic support, he said.

Washington also promotes the intelligence capability of the terrorists and trains them to carry out acts of terror in Iran and other countries, he added.

Baqeri emphasized that the Iranian nation and resistance front would tolerate such pains and continue their path "because it is a clear path."

The terrorist bombings, which were claimed by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, were carried out near the burial site of Iran's late anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani during a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of his martyrdom. The blasts left 91 people dead and 284 others wounded, some of them in critical condition.



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Hamas' tunnels cause heavy Israeli combat losses, make victory 'less certain': FP

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 10:53 AM

A vast network of underground tunnels built by the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip has caused "significant casualties" among invading Israeli forces and made Israel's victory in its genocidal war on the besieged strip "less certain," according to an American news publication.

An article run by Foreign Policy said "the tunnels have unsettled the [Israeli] forces, caused significant casualties, delayed the end of the war, and made victory less certain."

It added that the tunnels' network is "a crucial part of the military infrastructure" of the Hamas resistance movement, adding that the Israeli attempts to destroy it have been "a painstakingly slow and cumbersome" process.

Despite Israel's possession of "the most advanced military capabilities in the detection, mapping, neutralization, and destruction of tunnels", the article said, the regime has so far failed to either "deter Hamas from digging" or "lessen the challenge of fighting in a subterranean environment."

According to Foreign Policy, even "the most specialized units" of the Israeli military have "suffered losses because of booby-trapped tunnel entrances."

The US magazine said the tunnels' networks have become "deeper and more hardened", describing the resistance group's "survival underground for this long as unprecedented."

"Hamas' growing reliance on the tunnels and its elaborate construction effort have paid off. Never in the history of tunnel warfare has a defender been able to spend months in such confined spaces. The digging itself, the innovative ways Hamas has made use of the tunnels, and the group's survival underground for this long have been unprecedented."

The article ruled out that Israel can score any victory in the current war as "it has become clear that Israel cannot possibly detect or map the entirety of Hamas' tunnel network."

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 22,853 Palestinians and injured more than 58,416 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under "complete siege" by Israel.





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Jan. 7: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 10:13 AM

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 23,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women.

The operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Sunday, January 7, are as follows:

Qassam Brigades' operations on Jan. 7:

Targeted Israeli forces while they tried to enter the Al-Maghazi camp with several heavy-caliber mortar shells, leading to casualties.

Destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with an 'Al-Yassin 105' shell in Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Targeted Israeli military concentrations at the Al-Mahatta area in the city of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, with mortar shells.

Targeted and destroyed two Merkava tanks and a military bulldozer with 'Al-Yassin 105' shells, blew up two tunnels with Israeli soldiers in them, detonated a minefield where an Israeli infantry force was stationed east of Bureij, resulting in multiple casualties.

Hezbollah's operations on Jan. 7:

Eastern sector:

At around 13:45 local time, Israeli soldiers south of Al-Manara were targeted with missile weapons.

At around 15:05 local time, an Israeli military radar site in Shebaa was targeted with missile weapons.

At around 15:30 local time, an Israeli military tank was targeted at the Ruwaisat al-Assi site with a Kornet missile.

At around 16:00 local time, Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Metulla site were targeted.

At around 16:00 local time, Al-Marj site was targeted.

Western sector:

At around 15:05 local time, Israeli soldiers in Al-Malikiyah were targeted.

At around 16:00 local time, the Shomera Barracks was targeted with appropriate weapons.

At around 16:00 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted in the vicinity of the Mitat Barracks with appropriate weapons.

At around 16:00 local time, the Zarit Barracks was targeted with Burkan missiles.

At around 17:00 local time, Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Ya'ra Barracks were targeted with missiles.

Iraqi resistance's operations on Jan. 7:

Announced the targeting of a vital site in occupied Haifa with an advanced cruise missile.

Attacked the US military's Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq with drones, resulting in massive damage and casualties.

Attacked the Qasraq occupation base in Hasaka, Syrian countryside, with drones.

Targeted an Israeli military site in the occupied Golan with appropriate weapons.

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Iraqi resistance group claims Haifa missile strike, warns Israel of more crippling attacks

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 9:22 AM

The Iraqi Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba resistance movement has claimed responsibility for the missile attack against Haifa, declaring that Israel should await more crippling attacks in retaliation for its bloody war on Gaza.

Spokesman for the movement, Hussein al-Moussawi, told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television news network on Monday that the retaliatory strike conveyed a clear message to Israeli authorities that the Axis of Resistance will never abandon its strategic goals in the West Asia region.

"Resistance fighters are fairly capable of striking areas [deep inside the occupied lands] beyond Haifa," Moussawi noted.

The senior Nujaba official emphasized that the Sunday Haifa strike was not an accident, but rather, falls within a well-developed and audacious plan to confront the actions of the United States and the Israeli regime.

"The Axis of Resistance is determined to disrupt US scenarios in the region and thwart the occupying Israeli regime's schemes in Gaza," Moussawi asserted.

Moussawi also underlined that the resistance front is capable of withstanding the ongoing battle for a long time because of its resources and military potentials.

30 rockets target US-occupied base in Syria

Moreover, a barrage of rockets targeted a US-run military facility at the al-Omar oil field in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr.

Al-Mayadeen television news channel, citing an unnamed local source, reported that nearly 30 rockets targeted the installation on Monday.

The source said that the attack was in response to the US strike on a truck passing through al-Qa'im border crossing, which connects the town of Abu Kamal in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr province to the city of Husaybah in the al-Qa'im district of Iraq's western province of Anbar.

The source stressed that the rocket strike against the US-occupied military base came from nearby areas.

The United States, Israel's biggest ally, has provided the regime with a raft of arms and ammunition since the initiation of the Gaza war.

Washington has also vetoed United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire.

Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Palestinian resistance groups carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories in response to the occupying regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, more than 22,835 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes, most of them women and children, and another 58,416 individuals injured.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

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Israel admits Hezbollah damaged strategic Meron base; says their capabilities 'concerning'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 8:25 AM

The Israeli military has admitted that a strategic air base on Mount Meron was "seriously damaged" in a missile attack launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement, amid growing concerns in Tel Aviv over the group's capabilities.

The military said on Sunday that it is investigating the Saturday attack on the sensitive base in the northern part of the 1948-occupied territories to prevent similar attacks.

According to a video published by Hezbollah, the group fired a barrage of rockets and anti-tank missiles at the base, hitting two of the radar domes.

The Israeli media has reported that the occupying regime does not possess any systems to intercept the anti-tank missiles used by Hezbollah.

Eran Etzion, the former deputy head of Israel's so-called "National Security Council", also confirmed that Hezbollah is powerful and has many missiles in its possession, "some of them are very accurate and some can carry large warheads."

He warned of the consequences of any war with Hezbollah, noting that such a war would inflict severe damage on Israel "heavier than that caused by Hamas."

Besides its military capabilities, the former official confirmed that Hezbollah is also "able to read us better than ourselves and our intelligence."

He also slammed the Israeli cabinet for making "irresponsible" threats against Hezbollah, expressing his concerns about underestimating the group's capabilities and downplaying the war.

Etzion noted that Israeli calls for launching a war on Lebanon come while the regime has so far failed to achieve any of its declared goals in Gaza and failed to "control Gaza."

He warned that the war with Hezbollah would be difficult.

Amid fears of confrontation with Hezbollah, Israel's Channel 12 said Israeli officials have "really pleaded with the Americans to find a political solution in the north."

The southern Lebanese border has seen regular exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah since Tel Aviv launched its genocidal war on Gaza in early October.

Nearly three months of cross-border fire have killed 175 people in Lebanon, including three journalists.

In the northern part of the occupied territories, at least 13 Israelis, including nine soldiers, have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.

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WHO: 600 patients missing from Gaza's Al-Aqsa Hospital after Israeli hostilities

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 8:03 AM

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has no information about the locations of hundreds of patients and health workers at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

In a social media post in the early hours of Monday morning, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the world health body has received "troubling" reports about increasing combat operations and evacuation orders "near the vital Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of Gaza" forcing "over 600 patients and most health workers to leave."

"Their locations are not currently known," he said.

He noted that staff from WHO and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visited Al-Aqsa, the largest medical complex in the besieged strip.

"During today's mission, we were informed that evacuation orders and lack of safety had forced most health staff to leave. Tonight's reports indicate that only 5 doctors remain. Hospital management said health workers had no food," the WHO chief said.

Adhanom added that his staff witnessed "sickening scenes" of patients of all ages being treated on blood-streaked floors and in chaotic corridors.

He noted that the hospital has also reported urgent requirement of health workers, medical supplies and beds and their greatest need "to be protected from strikes and hostilities."

"The WHO team delivered medical supplies to support 4,500 patients needing dialysis for 3 months and 500 patients requiring trauma care," Adhanom said in his post.

"Al-Aqsa is extremely short-staffed," he added.

He quoted the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as saying that they have been forced to withdraw their staff working at Al-Aqsa Hospital and cease activities due to increasing military activity around the complex.

"Al-Aqsa is the most important hospital remaining in Gaza's Middle Area and must remain functional, and protected, to deliver its lifesaving services," the WHO chief wrote.

He warned that further erosion of the hospital's functionality cannot be permitted because "doing so in the face of such trauma, injury and humanitarian suffering would be a moral and medical outrage."

Adhanom stressed the need to put an end to Israel's "bloodbath" in Gaza, saying no hospitals are fully functioning in the north of the Strip, where another WHO mission was canceled due to "dangers and lack of necessary permissions."

He noted that a mere handful of health facilities operate in other parts of Gaza, slamming the "inconceivable" situation that the most essential need -- the protection of health care -- is not assured three months after Israel launched its war against the besieged strip.

The WHO chief announced the world medical body's plan to facilitate the much-needed deployment of an emergency medical team in a bid to support the overstretched doctors and nurses of Al-Aqsa.

"This will only be possible in a secure environment."

Earlier this month, WHO sounded the alarm over the deepening humanitarian and medical crisis in war-torn Gaza and called on the international community to take urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing Palestinians in the besieged territory.

According to the latest WHO assessments, Gaza has 13 partially functioning hospitals, two minimally functioning ones, and 21 that are not functioning at all.

Israel waged the war on the strip on October 7 after the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups of Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories in response to the occupying regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, at least 22,835 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the strikes, and another 58,416 individuals injured.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

More than three months into the offensive, the usurping Israeli regime has failed to achieve its objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli captives.

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Yemen: US insistence on support for Israeli war on Gaza would blow up whole region

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 7:08 AM

Yemen has warned that tensions could escalate in the region as the United States keeps backing Israel in its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

"The US's insistence on continuing support for Israel against Gaza could blow up the region," Mohammed Abdul-Salam, spokesman for Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement, said in a social media post on Sunday.

The United States has offered untrammeled support for Israel since October 7, when the occupying entity waged the bloody war on Gaza following a historic operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.

Since the start of the offensive, Israel has killed at least 22,835 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 58,416 others.

In solidarity with the Palestinians in besieged Gaza, the Yemeni armed forces have targeted ships in the Red Sea with owners linked to Israel or those going to and from ports in the occupied territories.

In November, they seized the Israel-leased cargo ship Galaxy Leader and turned it into a tourist attraction.

The US has formed a multinational military coalition against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea, through which 12 percent of global trade passes.

Abdul-Salam said that the US should realize that the militarization of the Red Sea will not prevent Yemen from supporting the Palestinian resistance in Gaza.

In a bid to divert public attention from the Israeli massacre in Gaza, American officials try to portray developments in the Red Sea as a threat to global interests, he added.

Separately on Sunday, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, asked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to declare they have no connection with the Tel Aviv regime.

Each ship approaching Bab al-Mandeb should broadcast the sentence, "We have no relation with Israel," he said, noting that it is a "simple and inexpensive solution" to de-escalate tensions in the Red Sea.

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UNRWA says 142 staff members killed in Gaza since beginning of Israel's genocidal war

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 6:16 AM

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) says more than 140 members of its staff have lost their lives in the Gaza Strip amid Israel's unrelenting bombardment of the besieged coastal territory.

The UNRWA announced in a statement on Sunday that 142 of its employees have been killed as a result of the ongoing Israeli onslaught, stressing that the figure marks the highest toll of casualties among UN staff in the history of the international organization.

According to the relief agency, 130 of its facilities and schools have been directly affected because of the Israeli bombardment across all neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip.

It said that the situation in Gaza, which Israel has turned into an uninhabitable place, is more perilous than the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe), when Israel was created at the expense of the forced expulsion of about 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are reportedly dying of starvation, and a humanitarian catastrophe has befallen the residents, necessitating intensified efforts to allow the flow of humanitarian aid, the UN agency noted.

Israel waged the war on the strip on October 7 after the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups of Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories in response to the occupying regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

According to the Gaza-based health ministry, at least 22,835 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the strikes, and another 58,416 individuals injured.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

More than three months into the offensive, the usurping Israeli regime has failed to achieve its objectives of "destroying Hamas" and finding Israeli captives.

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Wider Europe Briefing: Why Are The EU's Latest Russia Sanctions So Weak?

By Rikard Jozwiak January 08, 2024

Brief #1: The EU's New Sanctions Package On Russia: Weak And Watered Down

What You Need To Know: Just before the winter holidays and only a few days after a historic but turbulent European Union summit in Brussels, the bloc finally managed to agree on its 12th round of sanctions against Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

From EU officials speaking on background, I understand that the aim is to have yet another sanctions package ready for the second anniversary of the invasion on February 24 and that the Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities over the holidays convinced more officials in Brussels that further restrictive measures are needed.

That said, it still takes a while for all 27 member states to agree on new sanctions, with the latest round taking over a month to green-light. And with no consensus on how to tackle the Russian energy sector, dramatic measures are in short supply.

The biggest takeaway is that the EU, from the start of the new year, has banned imports of both natural and synthetic Russian diamonds, a business that generated over $4 billion for Moscow last year. Starting from March 1, imports of Russian diamonds processed in third countries will also be banned.

The rest of the sanctions package was much weaker tea.A few more Russian exports face EU import bans in the future -- liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), processed aluminum, pig iron, and copper wires -- which should deprive the Kremlin of an estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in revenue. The bloc will also cease the export to Russia of thermostats, static converters, resistors, propellants, and lithium batteries -- components also used in drones and other military equipment. And it will be prohibited for EU companies to provide services such as software for industrial design and for Russian nationals to hold high positions in EU companies providing crypto-asset services.

Deep Background: Senior European Commission officials briefed journalists that the 12th package would reduce Russia's war chest and close previous sanction loopholes. But looking at the final text, it seems that the EU has created new loopholes and exceptions as well. The diamond ban, for example, doesn't cover industrial diamonds. The LPG ban doesn't come into effect for another year. And some of the other import bans mentioned above also have phase-in periods ranging from between six to 18 months.

Croatia got an extension till 2025 on its exemption on importing Russian vacuum gas oil, an oil product often upgraded to diesel or gasoline, and the same goes for crude oil imports to some landlocked Central European countries. Exemptions related to the imports of certain Russian steel products were also prolonged from 2026 to 2028.

While no measures so far target the Russian nuclear sector, Hungary received legal assurances that there will be sanctions exceptions -- so-called "derogations" -- for all services related to the extension of Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant, which the Russian energy giant Rosatom is working on.

Germany also pushed for the final sanctions text to include clarification regarding what Russians traveling into the European Union can bring with them. This was after widespread media reports in the fall that some EU border guards were seizing personal items such as toothpaste and clothes. The text now notes that the EU allows "the entry into the Union of personal effects, which do not pose significant circumvention concerns, such as personal hygiene items, or clothing worn by travelers or contained in their luggage, and which are clearly intended for their or their family members' strict personal use."

While cars with Russian license plates are forbidden from entering the bloc, there are now exemptions for diplomatic vehicles entering the EU and for cars belonging to EU citizens living in Russia.

Drilling Down

Along with the new exemptions, many of the new measures are, in fact, either lacking bite or have been completely watered down from the initial proposal, seen by RFE/RL, that was first presented to member states by the European Commission in November.

Take the oil cap that was set up late last year with the Group of Seven leading industrial nations at $60 per barrel. The cap will not be touched, but Brussels is pushing for more transparency as regulators fear that extra costs -- for example, related to insurance and freight -- are being inflated to create more revenue for Russia. The problem here is that the EU can ask for more information from shipping companies but can do little in the way of enforcement.

It's a similar issue with another novelty introduced in this latest package. The EU will introduce a notification register that will list all sales of EU tankers to all third countries in order to see how many of them are now part of Russia's "dark fleet" of vessels carrying oil around the world that is priced above the cap. The dark fleet is estimated at around 200 vessels, including those from EU countries. So, there isn't an actual ban on selling tankers to Russia. This is just a transparency measure for Brussels to "understand how the chain works," according to an EU official with knowledge of the issue who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Other proposed sanctions have also been watered down. Take the list of mainly Russian companies that EU firms aren't allowed to trade with anymore because Brussels suspects them of contributing to Russia's war machine. In the original November 2023 proposal, there were 31 companies -- all Russian, apart from one from Singapore, one from Uzbekistan, and two from Kazakhstan. When the final list was published on December 18, the two Kazakh companies had been removed. When I asked a European Commission official on background why this was, I was told that it was connected to the EU's engagement with third countries.

-- all Russian, apart from one from Singapore, one from Uzbekistan, and two from Kazakhstan. When the final list was published on December 18, the two Kazakh companies had been removed. When I asked a European Commission official on background why this was, I was told that it was connected to the EU's engagement with third countries. In perhaps the starkest example of watering down, the original European Commission proposal stated that EU subsidiaries of Russian companies must get an authorization permit from Brussels to transfer funds above 100,000 euros ($109,000) either to Russia or to a third country -- a move that would potentially make it harder for Russia's EU subsidiaries to survive. What remains now -- again -- is just a notification system, meaning that the companies don't need a green light to send money out of the EU. While it may increase transparency, it certainly won't squeeze the Kremlin much economically. A European Commission official, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they weren't authorized to speak on the matter, said that certain member states were concerned that the original measure could be a heavy administrative burden for countries every time they needed to grant a potential authorization.

Brief #2: Bulgaria And Romania Partially Join Schengen

What You Need To Know: The European Union on December 30 agreed on the removal of internal border controls with Bulgaria and Romania for air and maritime traffic, with the new measures expected to come into force by March 31. For Sofia and Bucharest, this is a historic step, as the two countries have been waiting to join the bloc's visa-free Schengen Area ever since they became EU members in 2007. (Schengen now includes all of the EU member states, apart from the island nations of Cyprus and Ireland, as well as the non-EU countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.)

This is also an unprecedented step as the two countries are only being granted partial Schengen entry, as for now land border controls between the two countries and the rest of the EU will remain. This means that motorists will continue to queue at borders, such as between Bulgaria and Greece and between Romania and Hungary,to enter the de facto Schengen zone, which won't help Romanian and Bulgarian hauling companies. The decision to have, for the first time, a staged Schengen entry -- air and maritime first, followed by the opening of land borders -- could potentially be a formula used for Moldova and Ukraine and countries in the Western Balkans when they eventually join the EU.

Deep Background: The decision comes after a crushing disappointment for Bulgaria and Romania at the end of 2022 when they were blocked, but Croatia secured full entry into the Schengen Area, applicable as of January 1, 2023. That time -- as has been the case for many years -- the Netherlands wasn't satisfied that Sofia and Bucharest had fulfilled all the criteria for joining Schengen, especially when it came to the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM). The CVM was set up by the European Commission when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU to ensure progress on judicial reform and the fight against corruption in both nations and to combat organized crime in Bulgaria.

In the fall of 2023, the CVM process was formally closed for both Bulgaria and Romania. With a European Commission fact-finding mission to Bulgaria near the end of last year giving a positive assessment about Sofia's readiness to join Schengen, the Netherlands finally relented. This was confirmed at a Dutch parliamentary debate on December 20. It's possible that the Dutch change of heart was due to a desire to sign off on the Schengen issue before the likely formation of a more EU-skeptical government, led or heavily influenced by the populist Geert Wilders, who finished first in parliamentary elections in November 2023.

Drilling Down

Instead, the biggest obstacle to the pair's Schengen entry proved to be Austria. For some time, Vienna has expressed concern about including Bulgaria and Romania in the visa-free zone, citing fears of increased illegal immigration into the EU, with migrants using the two countries as transit points. The conservative-led Austrian government has taken much harder lines on many issues, notably on everything pertaining to migration, but also by delaying its approval of the EU's Russia sanctions and by watering down positive EU language on Ukraine. For context, Austria will hold parliamentary elections in the fall, in which polls indicate that the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria will comfortably finish first. In the end, Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania worked out a deal at the end of 2023, helped along by other EU member states and the United States.

Apart from the partial accession to Schengen in three months' time, there was also a commitment from Bucharest and Sofia to make several key changes in the near future. This includes a tripling of personnel from the EU's external border agency Frontex on Bulgaria's border with Turkey and beefing up security on its border with Serbia.

The Austrians are also asking the European Commission to increase financing to strengthen Bulgaria's and Romania's external borders with more fences, drones, and electronic surveillance systems. Vienna has also asked to deploy EU officials who can advise about documents for some flights at airports in Bulgaria and Romania and to conduct random spot checks upon arrival in Austria. Unsurprisingly, the Austrians are also asking both countries to take back all third-country asylum seekers, notably from Afghanistan and Syria, who have come to Austria via Bulgaria or Romania.

Perhaps the most interesting commitment from the European Union is boosting controls on the land border between Bulgaria and Romania -- a border that is already under a good deal of surveillance. Some diplomats I spoke to suggested that this might be being done to prepare for a future decision to "decouple" Romania from Bulgaria, meaning that the former will be a fully fledged Schengen member before the latter.

The reason for this suggestion is that Bulgaria is considered by Brussels to be the more problematic of the two -- mainly due to its border with Turkey, which is one of the main migration routes into the EU. While the 500-kilometer Bulgarian-Turkish border is partially fenced and guarded, there are still places, especially in the mountains, that can be used for illegal crossings, and EU officials have sometimes voiced concerns about the poor cooperation of Turkish border guards.

So, when can Bulgaria and/or Romania become full Schengen members? Few believe there will be any movement before the elections for the European Parliament in June. A joint Austrian-Bulgarian-Romanian statement issued when the deal was announced just mentioned "a commitment to discuss in 2024 a date for a possible lifting of the checks at land borders."

The statement from the Council of the EU, where ministers from each member state meet to amend and adopt laws and coordinate policies, noted that it "shall endeavor to take a decision lifting checks on persons at internal land borders," whereas the European Commission said that discussions will continue in 2024 and "a decision by the Council on this matter is expected to be taken within a reasonable time frame."

Looking Ahead

Brussels is still slowly waking up after the Christmas and New Year's holidays, but on January 10 a NATO-Ukraine Council on the ambassadorial level will be convened in Brussels in which Kyiv will brief the military alliance members about the latest barrage of Russian missiles targeting Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure. It's likely that NATO will reiterate its call on members to provide the war-torn country with more air-defense systems.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wider-europe- briefing-jozwiak-eu-sanctions-russia-weak-ukraine/32765398.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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Anger In Kyrgyzstan As Self-Proclaimed 'New God' Becomes The Latest Prison Death

By Chris Rickleton, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service January 08, 2024

ALMATY, Kyrgyzstan -- Before the interview, there was the head massage.

Arstan Abdyldaev, aka Arstan Alai, then a candidate in the 2017 presidential election, insisted on it.

Already famous for predicting the disappearance of winter and for hailing Russian President Vladimir Putin's abilities as a "complex biorobot," the businessman-turned-clairvoyant wanted to know if I could feel the energy of the universe flowing through him.

I couldn't, but he wasn't offended.

Some people could feel the connection immediately, he explained to me, smiling sympathetically. For others, it might take "years."

After the massage, he sat down with me and a colleague to discuss his and Kyrgyzstan's respective roles in saving humanity as he rolled out a second presidential bid.

The election would end with him receiving just over 0.1 percent of the vote, less than the 0.5 percent that he scooped in 2011. It was in that year that he went viral with the phrase "zima ne budet" (there will be no winter) during a press conference in which he claimed to be in possession of "the code to the future."

There was a third unsuccessful presidential bid, in the 2021 election won by current President Sadyr Japarov. But there won't be a fourth.

On December 15, after relatives raised the alarm when he failed to come home, Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) confirmed that Abdyldaev had been arrested on charges of inciting religious enmity.

Then, on January 5, according to the state prison service, he was found hanged in the canteen of a special medical and correctional institution outside Bishkek that he had been transferred to without consultation with his lawyer after experiencing what the prison service called "an unspecified personality disorder and hallucinations."

Abdyldaev is one of several public figures who have died under investigation during Japarov's three years in power -- a period that has seen the country join its authoritarian regional neighbors in the "unfree" category of international democracy indexes.

But his tragic end has a symbolic feel.

Once the only country in Central Asia where an independent candidate as mercurial and quirky as Abdyldaev could throw his or her hat into the presidential ring, Kyrgyzstan is now a country where the people who go to prison cannot be sure if they will leave it alive.

'Who Strung You Up?'

Officially, the circumstances of Abdyldaev's death are being raked over by the prosecutor-general and a commission set up by the Justice Ministry.

In comments that might foreshadow the outcome of those probes, Justice Minister Ayaz Baetov wrote in a January 5 Facebook post that surveillance footage given to the ministry by the state prison service showed "clear signs of suicidal behavior" on the prisoner's part. He did not provide any details.

Neither of Abdyldaev's children believe it was possible that he could have taken his life, however.

At his 55-year-old father's funeral on January 7, Toro Abdyldaev spoke through tears as he listed his father's long history of supporting charitable causes and offering interest-free loans to young entrepreneurs.

"If I could have one wish, I would ask [him]: 'Father, how are you? Who strung you up?'" he said during the ceremony in the village of Orok, near Bishkek, where Islamic rites were observed.

His sister, Aksana Arstanbekova, said Abdyldaev had been in "good spirits" when they last spoke and confident that he would not be spending too much more time in jail.

Both have alleged that his corpse showed bruising not concurrent with a hanging.

Another lingering question is why the authorities felt the need to arrest him in the first place.

Abdyldaev had faced prosecution before the Japarov era, in 2019, when he referred to himself as a god, having previously only portrayed himself as a prophet-type figure with visions of the world's Kyrgyz-led future.

Then, as now, the authorities opened a case into incitement of religious enmity.

Abdyldaev's supporters sprang to his defense, holding a press conference at which they called for the charges to be dropped.

"All Kyrgyz are gods," one was quoted by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service as saying at the time. "Our ancestors were gods. And we are also gods. So let them bring a criminal case against all of us, too!"

The charges were subsequently dropped.

But this time around, they stuck.

"He considers himself a 'new god,' a 'savior,' and considers other religions, beliefs, and views to be inferior, weak, and invalid delusions, and assesses them negatively," the UKMK said in a December 15 statement justifying the detention as well as raids on his property.

Speaking anonymously to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service later that week, a supporter of Abdyldaev denied these claims, as well as the UKMK's suggestions that Abdyldaev may have been intimate with some of his female adherents.

"We meet three times a week, older and younger people, both women and men. Some come specially from remote regions to listen to Arstan Alai. During his lectures he talks about a new era, a new scientific civilization. There were no conversations [against] religion. On the contrary, he says that in the new century, all religions will unite."

Abdyldaev did occasionally allow himself to venture into more political matters, however. In at least two interviews last year he called Japarov's arrival to power a "tragedy for the Kyrgyz people," foreseeing the president's eventual downfall in what would be the country's fourth revolution.

No Country For Watchdogs

Abdyldaev was one of the last people that I interviewed while living in Kyrgyzstan.

One of the first people that I interviewed there was Marat Kazakpaev, then a lecturer at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University.

His phone number had been given to me by a civil society leader. "You can phone him any time of day. He loves to talk," she promised.

Sure enough, Kazakpaev was generous with his time, and a dead certain for a fast quote on election nights. So, there was naturally a lot of shock when the analyst was suddenly jailed on high-treason charges in April 2021.

UKMK chief and Japarov friend and political ally Kamchybek Tashiev told local media that the investigation into Kazakpaev's alleged espionage had predated the duo's arrival to power, which may well have been the case.

But it was under the Japarov/Tashiev watch that Kazakpaev died on June 10, 2022, in a hospital, after first falling into a coma while in jail.

The year before, Kazakpaev had complained of being intimidated by UKMK operatives -- claims Tashiev personally refuted. By April 2022, Kazakpaev's wife, Anar Kazakpaeva, told the National Center for the Prevention of Torture that her husband's health was at grave risk.

After a medical examination that confirmed a severe case of hypertension, the center recommended Kazakpaev's release from jail for planned treatment in line with Kyrgyz law -- but the UKMK ignored the advice.

Just over a week after Kazakpaev's death, the UKMK was in the spotlight again after a noted banker accused of corruption died in his jail cell. The UKMK said that Bakyt Asanbaev had committed suicide.

But Kyrgyzstan's then-ombudswoman, Atyr Abdrakhmatova, still had plenty of questions, noting that Asanbaev had been interrogated by an investigator without his lawyer present on the eve of his death. "Then there is the question of why he was moved to a different cell...why were there extension cords and other things that would allow for something like this to happen to a person?" Abdrakhmatova told journalists.

Subsequent government investigations into the deaths failed to find any fault with the authorities.

But pro-government lawmakers were soon finding plenty of faults with Abdrakhmatova's rigorous approach to her job. In May 2023, she was handed her marching orders by parliament, which endorsed a career prosecutor as her replacement.

January 10 will mark the anniversary of the election victory that confirmed Japarov's remarkable rise to power -- from a prison cell, no less -- following postelection unrest in 2020.

Since then, the former opposition politician has overseen constitutional changes that have greatly strengthened his office and weakened parliament. He has also cracked down on online critics and trained his sights on reshaping the country in his own image -- even changing the national flag.

Of his 16 opponents in the 2021 presidential contest, at least nine have spent time in jail during his presidency, while one has now died there.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-another-critic-dead- in-prison/32766127.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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(Baonghean.vn) - The Department of Transport of Nghe An province is coordinating with the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board to propose opening the Vinh - China flight route.

Vinh International Airport. Photo: Thu Huyen

Currently, Vinh International Airport operates 9 domestic flight routes and 1 international charter route to Taiwan, with one flight per month.

On January 8, the Department of Transport of Nghe An province held a conference to summarize the transportation work in 2023 and deploy tasks for 2024.

In 2023, the Department of Transport of Nghe An province directed the comprehensive, synchronous, determined and flexible implementation of transportation activities and solutions to manage transport. Additionally, transport businesses and units invested in repairing and purchasing new vehicles to enhance the quality of transportation services.

At present, the Department is managing 323 transportation business units with a total of 7,435 vehicles. Among them are 44 passenger transport units, 258 cargo transport units, 21 mixed units for passenger and cargo transport, and 18 bus stations that have been announced to be put into operation.

In terms of air transport, Vinh International Airport currently maintains operations on 9 domestic flight routes, with a frequency of 26 to 27 takeoffs/landings per day. Furthermore, there is one international charter route to Taiwan with one flight per month. In 2023, the estimated number of passengers passing through the airport reached 2.5 million (a 5 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2022). The Department of Transport is collaborating with the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board to propose opening the Vinh - China flight route.

The Department is also collaborating with the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board and investors to accelerate the construction progress of dock number 6 at Cua Lo port, invest in some items within DKC port, and the deep-sea port of Cua Lo. In 2023, the estimated cargo volume passing through the port reached 13.3 million tons.

Regarding railway transport, the North-South railway line passing through Nghe An province stretches 95.5km, passing through 52 wards, communes, towns of 7 districts, towns, and cities, serving trains transporting goods and passengers within the province. The estimated number of passengers boarding trains at railway stations in the province reached 102,000, an 8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Furthermore, the Department is intensifying administrative reforms. In 2023, the number of procedures reduced in terms of time amounted to 24 out of 49 procedures, corresponding to an 81 out of 182-hour reduction in working time, achieving a rate of 44.5%.
U.S. Warplanes Conduct Training Exercise Over Bosnia On Eve Of Banned Bosnian Serb Day

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service January 08, 2024

Two U.S. F-16 warplanes and a tanker aircraft flew over Bosnia-Herzegovina on January 8 as part of a military exercise to demonstrate Washington's backing for the Balkan country's territorial integrity in the face of increasingly secessionist policies of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik.

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and a KC-135 Stratotanker flew as part of joint air-to-ground training involving U.S. and Bosnian forces.

The flyovers took place over the regions of the eastern town of Tuzla and northern Brcko, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.

But Bosnian media reported that the thunderous sound of jets could be heard in Banja Luka, the main city in Republika Srpska, during a ceremonial gathering on the eve of Republika Srpska Day.

January 9 is celebrated as Republika Srpska Day in the Bosnian Serb entity, although the Constitutional Court of Bosnia has twice declared the holiday unconstitutional.

The day marks the anniversary of the region's 1992 declaration of independence, which ignited the 1992-95 Bosnian War. In years past, the banned holiday has been marked in Banja Luka by parades and marches by armed police.

The embassy statement said the training exercise on January 8 was "an example of advanced military-to-military cooperation that contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans as well as demonstrates the United States' commitment to ensuring the territorial integrity of [Bosnia-Herzegovina] in the face of anti-Dayton and secessionist activity."

The statement added that the United States has underscored that the Bosnian Constitution "provides no right of secession, and it will act if anyone tries to change this basic element" of the U.S.-brokered Dayton agreement that ended the war in 1995.

Dodik has defied U.S. and British sanctions imposed over his attempts to erode central Bosnian authority and establish parallel institutions to further his longtime threats to divide the country.

The training emphasized coordination between joint terminal attack controllers from U.S. Army Special Forces and the armed forces of Bosnia. It was part of efforts by U.S. forces to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures with the Bosnian Air Force, the embassy said. The KC-135 Stratotanker provided aerial refueling to the F-16s.

According to data from the flight tracking website Flightradar24, the KC-135 Stratotanker flew from a base in Britain and made several circles over Bosnia in the Banja Luka area between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time. The flight paths of the F-16 fighter jets are not available on Flightradar24.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bosnia-f16-flyover-territorial- integriy/32765804.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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US Reportedly Fears New Israel-Lebanon War After Netanyahu Struggles in Gaza

Sputnik News

20240108

Senior IDF officers have reportedly already approved strike plans against the neighboring country where Israel is widely considered to have lost a war against Hezbollah in 2006.

The United States fears Israel will launch a major assault on Lebanon in the coming days, setting off a wider war in the region with "all hell breaking loose" according to sources in the Biden White House Sunday.

"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," said Matt Miller, a spokesman for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has sent signals in recent days that it's planning an attack on Israel's neighbor to the north after withdrawing troops from the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to "destroy" the Palestinian group Hamas there after militants launched a major attack on Israel on October 7. But IDF ground troops have faced heavy casualties even as Israeli air strikes have killed more than 22,000 in the territory.

"IDF leadership understands very well that the most they can do is severely degrade the military capabilities of Hamas," said analyst Bilal Saab in US media.

Faced with a perceived failure in his Gaza campaign and heavy unpopularity among the Israeli public, observers suggest Netanyahu is incentivized to shift his focus elsewhere. "The political logic for Netanyahu is to rebound... and have some kind of success to show to the Israeli public," said Saab.

"I'm not sure going after Hezbollah [in Lebanon] is the right way to do it because that campaign will be far more challenging than the one in Gaza," he added.

Israel stunned many observers when it launched a drone strike on Beirut last week, killing a Hamas commander there. The close US ally reportedly failed to notify Washington of the attack ahead of time.

The provocative attack in the Lebanese capital occurred on the four year anniversary of US President Donald Trump's killing of popular Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, causing observers to interpret it as a threat against another country in the region.

Netanyahu faces multiple corruption charges in Israel and faces the threat of prosecution if dislodged from his position as prime minister. With that in mind, analysts fear the longtime leader will launch a wider war in order to save his political career. US involvement could follow, especially if Iran enters the fray on behalf of its proxy forces.

Israel was previously involved in a 34-day war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, which it is widely considered to have lost. Observers say the militant group has grown stronger since then.

Israeli forces also went to war in Lebanon in the early 1980s. IDF bombing of Beirut was so intense that US President Ronald Reagan called his counterpart in Israel Prime Minister Menachem Begin to urge him to cease the attack, labeling it a "holocaust." Begin was reportedly offended by the remark, believing the term shouldn't be used to describe Israel's killings.

The IDF has reportedly already drawn up strike plans for Lebanon, according to Israeli media. Over the weekend Blinken prepared for a trip to Israel, reportedly in order to help de-escalate the situation.

But both Blinken and US President Joe Biden have a long history of strong support for Israel, with Biden even referring to himself as a "Zionist." Biden once took to the floor of the Senate to stress Israel's importance as a proxy for US interests in the Middle East, saying, "If there were not an Israel, we'd have to invent one."

The Biden administration has occasionally suggested it's attempting to control its Middle Eastern ally but has been apparently unwilling to withhold military aid or suggest material consequences for their conduct. US representatives at the United Nations have repeatedly vetoed and watered down resolutions criticizing Israel.

 Sputnik

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Israel Refuses to Allow Civilians to Return to Northern Gaza Until More Hostages Released - Reports

Sputnik News

20240108

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Israeli government will tell US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during meetings on Tuesday that Hamas must agree to a new hostage deal before Palestinians are allowed to return to northern Gaza, Axios reported, citing two senior Israeli officials.

Blinken is set to visit Israel as part of a broader trip around the Middle East, during which he also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Israeli officials will tell Blinken that Israel will restrict Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza until Hamas agrees to release more hostages, the report said on Monday. On Sunday, Blinken said that Israel must allow Palestinian civilians to return home as soon as conditions permit.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, during which they abducted approximately 240 people. In November, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of prisoners and hostages, which also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The ceasefire was extended several times, but expired on December 1.

Hamas' attack on Israel left more than 1,200 Israelis dead, leading to retaliatory strikes and a ground operation in Gaza. More than 23,000 people in Gaza have been killed as a result of the fighting.

Israeli negotiators believe that restricting the ability of Palestinians to return to northern Gaza serves as significant leverage in hostage negotiations with Hamas, the report said.

 Sputnik

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US Intel Fears Hezbollah May Defeat Israel With Expanded Weaponry, Capabilities

Sputnik News

20240108

An act of aggression in Lebanon could further damage Israel's reputation as it faces charges of genocide in The Hague this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled in recent days that he plans to launch a war on Hezbollah across Israel's northern border, but the United States is afraid the country is biting off more than it can chew.

That's according to reports in US media over the weekend as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in the Middle East to meet with leaders in the region.

"US officials are concerned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may see an expanded fight in Lebanon as key to his political survival amid domestic criticism of his government's failure to prevent Hamas's Oct. 7 attack," read one report. "In private conversations, the [Biden] administration has warned Israel against a significant escalation in Lebanon."

Israel maintains a small military during peacetime, mostly relying on reservists when conflict arises. The country has suffered heavy casualties in Gaza. Netanyahu promised to "destroy" Hamas after their October attack, but months later the Palestinian group remains powerful.

Now, US analysts believe Netanyahu is tempted to open up a second front against the group Hezbollah in Lebanon, a move they fear could draw Iran into the conflict and force the United States to enter as well.

Israel is widely considered to have lost a war with the armed group in 2006 under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Now analysts say Hezbollah is even more powerful.

Key to the group's might is its expanded arsenal in the years since that conflict.

Hezbollah possesses greater numbers of weapons of every variety the group used in 2006, and some powerful new ones as well. Experts believe the group has more than 100,000 rockets, which it says can strike all parts of Israel.

Most of them are of the unguided variety, but the group's leader Sayyed Nasrallah has claimed they are able to install guidance systems to transform them into weapons capable of precision strikes.

In addition to guided missiles, the group also has rockets capable of hitting tanks, ships, and aircraft.

Iranian weaponry makes up much of the arsenal, including Raad, Fajr, and Zilzal rockets. The group also possesses Chinese and Russian missiles.

Finally, drone warfare plays an increasingly important part in Hezbollah's strategy as it has in other recent conflicts. The group is able to assemble its Ayoub and Mersad models locally to engage in reconnaissance or deliver a small explosive payload. The unmanned aircraft, which can be easily produced, could be used to deplete Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

Experts say few other non-state groups possess the weapons capabilities of Hezbollah. Manning its weapons are 100,000 fighters, many of whom are battle hardened by experience fighting in Syria.

Israel's Western backing has long given the country an important edge, but lethal aid to the Kiev regime in Ukraine has drained much of the US' arsenal.

Additionally, US President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure over Israel's mass killing of civilians in Gaza, which may politically complicate continued American support.

If Netanyahu launches an attack in Lebanon this week, it will come as the International Court of Justice hears charges of genocide brought by South Africa. The country unveiled an 80-page claim against Israel last week, exhaustively documenting comments by Israeli officials suggesting a deliberate attempt to kill Palestinian civilians. Aggression in Lebanon may only further imperil the country's case.

South Africa's charge comes after the Anglican Church of Southern Africa recently adopted a resolution deeming Israel to be an "apartheid state."

The outlook of South Africa's ruling African National Congress is heavily shaped by decades of apartheid rule that imposed a racist and oppressive system on the country's Black population. In a post-Civil Rights Movement era, the country's white supremacist government became increasingly untenable until apartheid was abolished in the early 1990s.

Western citizens' increasing rejection of what many consider to be a similar system in Israel may also contribute to a similar slow-motion collapse there.

 Sputnik

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Hezbollah Field Commander Killed in Israeli Attack on Southern Lebanon

Sputnik News

20240108

TUNIS (Sputnik) - A field commander of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement has been killed during an Israeli air attack on southern Lebanon, various media reported on Monday.

According to the reports, the Israeli airstrike killed Wissam Al-Tawil, one of the commander's of Hezbollah's elite Radwan brigade.

Later in the day, the Lebanese movement confirmed the media reports, saying that its senior commander had been inside a car at the moment of his death.

"With utmost pride and honor, the Islamic resistance mourns the martyr, commander of the fighters for the faith of Wissam Hassan Tawil, 'al-Hajj Jawad', from the town of Kherbet Selem in southern Lebanon, who attained martyrdom," the movement added in a statement.

The situation in southern Lebanon deteriorated after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army and Hezbollah fighters regularly exchange fire in areas along the border.

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 22,800 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.

 Sputnik

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Parliamentary Elections in Bangladesh

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

January 8, 2024

The United States supports the people of Bangladesh and their aspirations for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression. The United States notes the Awami League party won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections. The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated.

The United States condemns violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it. We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. We also urge all political parties to reject violence.

Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties.

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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

January 8, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Secretary underscored the importance of urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and thanked the UAE for its extensive contributions to deliver humanitarian assistance for civilians. Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict and stressed continued U.S. commitment to securing lasting regional peace that ensures Israel's security and advances the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The Secretary and Sheikh Mohammed discussed the importance of ending the conflict in Sudan and preventing further widespread civilian harm. They affirmed their shared vision of a more secure and prosperous region and underscored the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

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The Appointment of Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar as the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

January 8, 2024

The United States of America welcomes UN Secretary-General Guterres' appointment of Ms. Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus. Ms. Holguin brings considerable foreign policy expertise to this role, and the United States looks forward to engaging with her as she undertakes her efforts to search for common ground on the way forward toward a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Cyprus. This appointment comes at a critical juncture in which direct and sustained engagement is essential, recognizing the future of all Cypriots will be impacted by these efforts. The United States reiterates its support for the UN Security Council framework for Cyprus.

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Gaza crisis: another hospital facing dire shortages, warns WHO

8 January 2024 - On day 93 of the war in Gaza, amid reports of relentless and heavy Israeli bombardment, UN humanitarians issued new reports of "significant casualties, particularly among women and children" and pleaded for overwhelmed medical teams to be allowed to continue their lifesaving work.

In central Gaza, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Sunday that medics at the only functioning hospital in Deir al Balah governorate "had been forced to cease lifesaving and other critical activities...and leave" after an evacuation order issued amid "increasing" Israeli military activity.

Only five doctors reportedly remain at Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of Gaza, where a WHO team delivered medical supplies to support 4,500 dialysis patients for three months and 500 patients requiring trauma care.

Patients treated on the floor

From Al-Aqsa, WHO Health Emergency Officer Sean Casey posted a video on X social media platform on Sunday evening showing chaotic scenes as medics treated patients on the blood-streaked floor, some of the "hundreds" being brought in for urgent treatment.

"They are seeing in some cases hundreds of casualties every day in a small emergency department," Mr. Casey said. "So, they're treating children on the floor."

Echoing those concerns, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X reported "immense needs" at the hospital, "especially health workers, medical supplies and beds. But staff said their greatest need was for their hospital, and its staff, patients and families there, to be protected from strikes and hostilities."

More than 600 patients "and most health workers" had reportedly been forced to leave the facility, Tedros said, adding that it was "inconceivable" that the protection of health care could not be counted on.

According to the UN health agency, no hospitals are "fully functioning" in northern Gaza. Another WHO mission had to be cancelled to the north on Sunday, Tedros said, "due to dangers and lack of necessary permissions". Elsewhere in Gaza, "a mere handful of health facilities operate", the WHO chief said.

In recent days casualty numbers have "increased markedly", Tedros continued, with "over 120 trauma cases and dozens of dead arriving per day due to increased shelling, gunshot wounds, crush injuries from collapsed buildings, and other war-related trauma".

WHO is also involved in plans to deploy an emergency medical team to support medical teams at Al-Aqsa. "This will only be possible in a secure environment," the UN health agency's Director-General noted.

Targets struck in north

In a separate update on the emergency confirming "intense" Israeli strikes "across (central) Deir Al Balah governorate and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah", OCHA reported on Sunday evening that Israeli forces "struck targets in Gaza city, Jabaliya Camp, Tal Az Za'atar, and Beit Lahiya" causing "a very large number of fatalities" in the Al Fallouja area of Jabaliya Camp.

Rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian armed groups also continued, the UN aid office said, amid "ground operations and fighting...across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in additional fatalities".

No end to rising toll

Latest data from the Gazan health ministry cited by the UN aid wing indicated at least 22,835 fatalities since Israeli military strikes began, in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October that left some 1,200 dead including at least 33 children and around 250 taken hostage.

OCHA also noted reports of 225 Palestinian fatalities between Friday and Sunday and almost 300 injured, with 174 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza and more than 1,000 injured since ground operatio

ns began, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.

Deadly disease threat

Amid ongoing deadly violence, UN Children's Fund UNICEF estimated that there are now approximately 3,200 new cases of diarrhoea per day among under-fives. Before the escalation in hostilities, the average was 2,000 per month.

There is also dire concern for nine in 10 children under two years old who are now in "severe food poverty" and "only getting grains (including bread) or milk" to eat.

"Time is running out. Many children already face severe acute malnutrition in Gaza," said UNICEF's Executive-Director Catherine Russell. "As the threat of famine intensifies, hundreds of thousands more young children could soon be severely malnourished, with some at risk of death. We cannot allow that to happen."

Updated information from OCHA on the number of aid trucks entering Gaza indicated that on 6 and 7 January, a total of 218 trucks carried food, medicine and other supplies through the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. Before the conflict erupted, more than 500 trucks carried aid into the Strip every day, some 60 per cent passing through Kerem Shalom.

UN Coordinator for Gaza

The new Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza officlally began her role on Monday. Sigrid Kaag will facilitate monitor and verify relief shipments coming in to the stricken enclave, in line with the Security Council resolution 2720 passed last month.

She has held a number of senior humanitarian jobs within the UN but most recently served as finance minister for the previous administration in the Netherlands.

Ms. Kaag will also have the challenging task of establishing a mechanism for accelerating aid into Gaza through States which are not party to the conflict.

She was in New York meeting the UN Secretary-General on her first day in office but will be heading to Washington DC later in the week before travelling to the Middle East.

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SECNAV Del Toro Delivers Remarks at the USNS Bethesda (EMS 1) Naming Celebration

US Navy

National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) - Bethesda, MD

Speech by Carlos Del Toro

Presented on 08 January 2024

08 January 2024

Good afternoon, everyone! It is wonderful to be with you here at National Intrepid Center of Excellence on the grounds of Walter Reed National Military Medical Centerformerly referred to as Bethesda Naval Hospitallocated in the great state of Maryland.

Thank you, Captain Austin, for the introduction, for your decades of service to our nation as a uniformed medical professional, and for your leadership here at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Governor Moore, First Lady Moore, thank you for joining us for this afternoon's celebration, and for your leadership and partnership with our Department as we work together to support the thousands of Sailors, Marines, DON Civilians, Veterans, and their families who call Maryland home.

I would also like to extend a special welcome to the representatives from Maryland's Congressional delegation, Montgomery County, as well as the hospitals, medical centers, and organizations who are with us today. We value our partnership with each and every one of you, and I cannot thank you all enough for what you do in support of our Sailors, Marines, and their families.

Every time I visit Walter Reed here in Bethesda, I am in awe of the incredible efforts by our dedicated team of medical professionals to ensure our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians, Coastguardsmen, and their families are taken care of.

Rear Admiral Via thank you for your leadership of our Navy's medical community as the Surgeon General of the Navy, and for ensuring our team here at Walter Reed is ready to meet the needs of our Fleet, our Force, and indeed our Nation.

In the Department of the Navy, we are laser-focused on the readiness of our fleet. But readiness is more than just being able to get a ship or submarine underway, or an aircraft in the airit is about making sure our personnel are physically, mentally, and medically ready to undertake their assigned missions.

And for over 200 years, our Navy has maintained a hospital facility in the Washington, D.C., area with the sole purpose of ensuring our Sailors, Marines and their families were ready to face the challenges of their day.

I and my own family were the direct beneficiaries of the outstanding care offered here at Bethesda, when in December 1993 our oldest son Chris was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.

Our world was turned upside down, but the care delivered to our son by Dr. Peter Clemons and the entire team was nothing less than extraordinary.

Chris is now 37 years old and doing well, and we will always be thankful for the support we received here during a difficult time for our family.

Now, the Navy National Medical Centerwhich merged with Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2011 to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centerhas called Bethesda home for over 80 years.

In 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt selected this location we are gathered at today after visiting some 200 sites throughout D.C. and the surrounding area.

In fact, President Roosevelt sketched out the tower for the hospitala tower that still stands todayon a piece of paper, inspired by the state capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also present at its dedication in 1942. Ladies and gentlemen, Bethesda truly is the "President's Hospital!"

But whether you're the President of the United States of America, a junior enlisted Sailor or Marine, or a family member, our Navy teamalong with their counterparts from other servicesare committed to providing everyone who walks through these doors with world-class care and support to overcome whatever challenges they are facing.

And that is why it is so important to me to immortalize this community's service and sacrifice by naming our next class of medical ships after our distinguished naval hospitals, with the lead ship named in this hospital's honorUSNS Bethesda (EMS-1).

USNS Bethesda will be a floating testament to the work of the men and women who accept orders to this storied institutionincluding trailblazers in Navy medical history like Captain Lucy Ozarin, one of our nation's first female military psychiatrists. She joined the Navy in 1943 and spent a career providing mental health support to service members, Veterans, and their families.

Captain Ozarin, Dr. Clemons, and all of our medical providers here today are heroes to so many Americans, and USNS Bethesda will forever be a reminder of your care and service to our nation.

This shipas well as all of the Bethesda-class expeditionary medical shipsis designed to provide hospital-level care in austere environments, and will serve not just our Sailors and Marines, but offer assistance and comfort to our allies and partners around the globe in times of need.

They will not replace the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy, but will supplement those ships and their missions with an expeditionary capability to be able to operate in smaller, shallower locations globally.

Most importantly, USNS Bethesda will serve as a beacon of hope and of the American people's enduring friendship to all she and her crew support around the world.

I am also pleased to announce today that our ship sponsor for USNS Bethesda will be Mrs. Dawn Moore, the First Lady of Maryland.

First Lady Moore has dedicated her life and her career to making Maryland's communities stronger.

Through her involvement and leadership across several non-profit organizations and foundations, she has championed economic and educational opportunities.

She has lent her voice and her experience to support a broad range of causes, ranging from the arts, education, health research and development, to Veteran-focused organizations.

According to naval tradition, a ship sponsor's spirit and presence guides the ship and her crew throughout her time in service, serving as the bond that connects the ship to its namesake.

I have no doubt that First Lady Moore will be that bond between USNS Bethesda, her crew, and the community of medical professionals stationed here in Maryland at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

And to welcome First Lady Moore into her new role as a sponsor of a Bethesda-class ship, we are thrilled to have Mrs. Deborah Paxton, the sponsor of USNS Balboa (EMS-2), which was announced in October, in attendance this afternoon.

To the doctors, nurses, corpsmen and staffboth uniformed and civilianhere at Bethesda, I cannot thank you enough for your continued efforts to enable our Sailors, Marines, and their families to perform at their best, ensuring the health readiness and community of our Fleet and of our Force. You keep us ready, resilient, and in the fight, and I am grateful for your service.

Again, it is a true pleasure to be with you all this afternoon to celebrate the naming of USNS Bethesda, and the proud community it represents. And now, it is my honor to introduce a proud Marylander, an Army Veteran, a Rhodes Scholar, and a fellow White House Fellow alum. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 63rd Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore!

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Residents visit a night market on May 30, 2021 in Hotan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Photo: VCG

(Global Times) On Sunday, US media CBS published an article about their trip to Xinjiang. Different from some Western media's rumors and slander against Xinjiang in the past, which are completely groundless, the CBS journalist made a relatively objective record of what was seen and heard during the tour, for example, admitting that the local people showed the reporter "everything" and that they did not see evidence of the so-called "detention centers and prisons." Instead, what they witnessed are local efforts to build high-speed trains, wind power plants and tourism, as well as ethnic dancing, local wine production, and a remodeled village. The journalists felt "the policing and the atmosphere were relaxed" in Urumqi at night.

Of course, as a US media outlet, CBS has tried to "strike a balance," such as distorting and extrapolating the facts with selective description. However, compared with other Xinjiang-related rumors that are widely known in the US and the West, it has added some objective elements, and is one step closer to the reality of Xinjiang. This report shows that Xinjiang, which successfully emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, is expanding opening-up, and the truth is being uncovered by more and more people in the outside world. The big lie that some US and Western elites have been spreading about Xinjiang is already riddled with holes and has become shaky.

In fact, no matter how CBS "walks the tightrope" between the "Xinjiang" created by the US and the West and the Xinjiang their reporters see with their eyes, it is not the only window for outsiders to learn about the reality in Xinjiang. In the past year, more than 4,300 foreign guests from nearly 400 groups from other countries and international organizations visited Xinjiang, including government officials, diplomatic envoys, religious figures, experts and scholars, media journalists and ordinary people. They visited many places in Xinjiang with their own observation perspectives and narratives, but the one thing that they all found in common was that the horrible reports about Xinjiang that they read in the Western media did not match what they actually saw and heard.

Some Western individuals always dismiss the narratives that do not align with their portrayal of Xinjiang as "propaganda" or as having received "benefits" from China. The vast majority of them have never been to Xinjiang, and the very few who have also came with a preconceived agenda. As time passes and stability and development in Xinjiang continue to grow, the achievements become more and more apparent. The "information cocoon" woven by the Western individuals is destined to be shattered.

The gates of Xinjiang are wide open, with numerous people coming and going. It is not practical to specially set up an exhibition booth for any particular individual or team, and there is no need for it. If anyone thinks they would receive such treatment in Xinjiang, they are overestimating themselves. What everyone sees and hears in Xinjiang is the most authentic daily life of the local people. Xinjiang is developing its tourism industry and warmly welcomes visitors from around the world. With its picturesque natural landscapes, charming local customs, and abundant tourism resources, Xinjiang holds tremendous potential waiting to be explored.

We observe that in recent times, although the US and the West continue to hype the Xinjiang issue, the intensity and frequency have decreased compared to the past few years. This is not to say that they have suddenly developed "good intentions," but rather many people are already aware that the allegations about Xinjiang are baseless. No matter how much they hype something that doesn't exist, it remains the same.
Blinken in Israel Amid Push to Contain Gaza War

By Nike Ching January 08, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel for talks Tuesday, as he seeks to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading in the region and to push Israeli officials to do more to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

The meetings in Tel Aviv include sessions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, opposition leader Benny Gantz and members of the Israeli war cabinet.

Blinken spoke with other leaders in the region ahead of his arrival in Israel, amid his latest diplomatic push since Hamas militants attacked Israel in October and Israeli forces launched an operation aimed at eliminating the group.

Blinken said Monday that leaders in the Middle East are determined to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading and that there is broad recognition on the need to "chart a political path forward for the Palestinians."

"The West Bank and Gaza should be united under Palestinian-led governance," Blinken told reporters in Saudi Arabia.

"The future of the region needs to be one of integration, not division and not conflict," Blinken said, adding "for that to happen, we need to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."

In a statement following talks with Blinken, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman underscored the importance of halting military operations in the Gaza Strip and the need to create conditions for restoring peace and stability.

When asked about the U.S.-led talks to normalize the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Blinken said there is "a clear interest" in Saudi Arabia, as well as in the region, in pursuing that goal but "it will require that the conflict end in Gaza, and it will also clearly require that there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state."

Saudi Arabia has paused diplomatic talks to normalize ties with Israel amid the military conflict between Hamas militants and Israeli forces.

After an Israeli airstrike killed a key Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Monday  the latest sign of a possibly widening conflict in the Middle East  Blinken told reporters it is clearly not in the interest of Israel, Lebanon, or Hezbollah to see an escalation outside Gaza and "the Israelis have been very clear with" the U.S. that "they want to find a diplomatic way forward."

Hezbollah has identified the commander as Wissam al-Tawil. Last week, senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Beirut. 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.

The United States has urged Israel to shift to smaller scale military operations in Gaza but has continued to support Israel in refusing Arab demands for a cease-fire to halt the fighting in the three-month war. Israel has vowed to continue the war until it believes the threat of future Hamas attacks has been eradicated and the militant group no longer controls Gaza, a narrow strip of territory along the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7. Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and about 240 captives taken in the terror attack.

Gaza health officials say close to 23,000 Palestinians, a large percentage of them women and children, have been killed in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Some material for this report was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.

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UN Experts Demand Accountability for Sexual Torture During Hamas' Terror Attack on Israel

By VOA News January 08, 2024

Two United Nations rights experts demanded Monday that Hamas be held accountable for a multitude of alleged crimes, including sexual torture, during its terror attack on Israel October 7.

Alice Jill Edwards, U.N. special rapporteur on torture, and Morris Tidball-Binz, special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, are independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.

Both said that a growing body of evidence points to such disturbing, grave acts of "sexual torture (including) rapes and gang rapes, sexual assaults, mutilations and gunshots to genital areas."

"These acts constitute gross violations of international law, amounting to war crimes which, given the number of victims and the extensive premeditation and planning of the attacks, may also qualify as crimes against humanity," they said in a statement.

The experts pointed to evidence of individuals burned alive and bodies found decapitated, mutilated or with trauma consistent with executions.

"Each and every victim deserves to be recognized, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or sex, and our role is to be their voice," they added.

Israel has previously criticized the U.N. for not doing enough to address such acts of violence that occurred during Hamas' terror attack, which triggered the war raging in Gaza and resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official Israeli figures.

Hamas, considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, also took around 250 hostages, 132 of whom remain captive, Israel says. At least 24 are believed to have been killed.

Israel has responded with relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and a ground invasion that has killed more than 23,000 people, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Some material for this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.

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Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain

January 08, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain. They discussed the situation in Gaza, including our shared efforts to protect civilians and increase humanitarian assistance. They further underscored the need to stabilize the Middle East region, and discussed mutual efforts to bolster regional deterrence and prevent regional escalation. The Vice President and Crown Prince condemned the Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which pose a direct threat to freedom of navigation and global trade in one of the world's most critical waterways. The Vice President underscored that Iranian-backed Houthi actions are unlawful, reckless, and put innocent lives at risk. The Vice President and Crown Prince emphasized the broad consensus as reflected by the UN Security Council statement of condemnation on December 1, 2023, followed by the statement of condemnation from 44 countries on December 19, 2023, and formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international naval coalition of more than 20 countries, including Bahrain, that are defensively patrolling the Red Sea to protect maritime traffic. They also discussed the important warning statement last week, endorsed by 14 countries, including Bahrain, calling on the Houthis to cease their unlawful attacks against commercial vessels. The Vice President reaffirmed the close and enduring bilateral relationship between the United States and Bahrain and our close cooperation on regional security, defense, intelligence, and economic ties as well as expanding cooperation in the fields of commerce, science, and technology, including through the implementation of the "Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement" (C-SIPA) that was signed last year.

###

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Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby En Route Charleston, SC

January 08, 2024

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Charleston, South Carolina

10:41 A.M. EST

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Hi, everybody.

Q Hi, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Okay, just one quick thing at the top, and then we'll get going here. So, today President Biden is traveling to South Carolina where he will deliver remarks at an event at Mother Emanuel AME Church.

We will continue  we will then continue on to Dallas, where the President will pay his respects to the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

And now I have the Admiral right behind me here, who's going to discuss the latest in the Middle East.

There he goes. There you go.

MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Karine. Just a quick update on trucks into Gaza. Over the last 48 hours, 210 trucks got in. That's good, but it's not good enough.

One of the things that  I know you know Secretary Blinken is in the region right now. He's in Saudi Arabia today, heading to Israel tonight. But that's going to be one of the things that he focuses on. It has already and will continue to see if we can't increase that humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

That's it.

Q Are you  is the U.S. concerned, on the Lebanon blast, that the Israeli strikes in Lebanon are going to increase risk of a  of a wider war?

MR. KIRBY: So, first, I'd let the Israelis speak to their operations one way or another. We're not going to confirm that  reports of their operations.

From the very beginning, we have talked about our strong desire not to see this conflict escalate or widen. And that includes the potential for a second front up in the north of the country.

We believe that the displaced people in Lebanon and displaced people in Israel have a right to return to their homes, and we want to see that happen as soon as possible.

Q What is the level of frustration at the NSC about Secretary Austin not informing the White House until later about his hospitalization? And will there be any consequences for that?

MR. KIRBY: I think  look, our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and support that he needs to  to fully recover. That's the focus.

And he has already resumed all his authorities. He's already doing all of the functions he would normally do. He's just do-  he's doing it right now from  from the hospital.

We'll  we'll  obviously, I think, as you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience. And if there's some changes that need to be made, you know, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that.

Q There are some  there are some calls for him to be fired. Is that something that the President is wanting or considering doing?

MR. KIRBY: The President's number one focus is on his health and recovery, and he looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible.

The President respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency. He also respects the amazing job he's done as Defense Secretary and how he's handled multiple crises over the last almost three years now. And very much values his advice, candor, leadership, and, again, looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon.

Q John, does the President know what elective surgery the Secretary had, even though the American people don't know? And does he know what his current symptoms are and his current health condition is?

MR. KIRBY: I know that the President had an opportunity to talk to Secretary Austin a couple of days ago, wish him well, get  see how he was doing.

I don't know the details of that conversation, and I don't know the level of the President's personal knowledge of his medical situation. And then, that would really between  be between the two men.

Your  your question about that elective procedure is really better directed to the Pentagon, not  not to us.

I want to make sure I put a fork in my answer to you. There is no  no plans or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been exu-  that he's been demonstrating.

Q John, given  John, given the delay in disclosing this, did Secretary Austin meet the President's own standard of transparency? And is the White House committed if  if President Biden had to have some kind of medical procedure, is the White House committed to releasing that information to the public in a very timely manner?

MR. KIRBY: Well, on the second question, you're a little out of my lane. That's really  but I don't want to speak for Karine, but I think the answer is yes. I mean, the answer is absolutely yes. We'll be as transparent as possible.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. I mean, the President has always put transparency at the center of his administration, from the beginning. And obviously, that's what we're going to continue to do.

So, we're going to continue to be transparent. Obviously, the Department of Defense will have more about the  more to speak to about their protocol. I just don't have anything to add on  specifically on that piece.

Q Do you think you were transparent here, though? I mean, it took days for this  for this  for people to be informed about this and at a time of, you know, conflict around the world.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: From what I 

MR. KIRBY: This 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay  no, go ahead 

MR. KIRBY: I'm sorry 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no, no, no. Go ahead.

MR. KIRBY: The  the Pentagon has talked about this. The Secretary put out a statement, took accountability for the lack of transparency. We'll let you  we'll let the Pentagon speak to the process there.

Q John  John, quickly. You mentioned you guys are taking a look at process. Does the President want an official review into what happened in him not  you know, communication not coming up through the White House?

MR. KIRBY: As I said to Jeff, I fully expect that we'll take a look at process and procedure here. We'll do what's akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this.

Q John 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q All right. Does the White House have an official view on, like, the duty of the Cabinet Secretaries and when they need to disclose this type of, you know, medical procedure or hospitalizations?

MR. KIRBY: Look, I think there's a  an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized that there's a  that that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation.

Q Can you say, was there any contact between Jake Sullivan and the Defense Secretary in those four days  January 1st to January 4th  any contact at all?

MR. KIRBY: On the morning of the 1st of January, the Secretary, as well as Secretary Blinken, Jake, other relevant officials, did have a secure conference call with the President. This was regarding operations in the Middle East. And  and so, there was  there was contact 

Q (Inaudible.)

MR. KIRBY:  and then  on the 1st of January.

Q John, you said at the beginning of your remarks that the most important thing right now is the Secretary's health. How is his health?

MR. KIRBY: That's really for Secretary Austin and the Pentagon to speak to, Jeff. That  that would be inappropriate for me to  to get into his personal health condition.

He  he did indicate that he's recovering well in his own statement. And as  again, he expects to be back at the Pentagon in the relatively near future.

Q John, the Situation Room knows how to get in touch with all senior Cabinet officials at all time. Did they know his physical 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Can you repeat the question  yeah, we 

Q  the Situation Room itself know his location? There's a board in the Situation Room. It shows where the President is at all times, the Vice President is at all times. I mean, did the Situation Room know where he was physically?

MR. KIRBY: There's a process in the  at  in the  for the Situation Room, the Ops Center, to check in every morning to get the general location of all the non-White House principals, the Cabinet officers. And there is a process of connection to the agencies to do that.

But it's generic, Peter. It's what town they're in  D.C., if they're overseas, where they are. That's the process. The  the issue of when a Cabinet official gets hospitalized, that's  that's really on the agency to inform that  that that has happened.

Q It wasn't  it wasn't the Situation Room knew and didn't put it up the chain itself?

MR. KIRBY: That is correct.

Q Okay.

MR. KIRBY: There was no  you all hear-  you all seen the press reporting on this. There was no notification or knowledge at the White House or the National Security Council until Thursday afternoon.

All right.

Q Thanks.

Q (Inaudible) 

MR. KIRBY: Yes, ma'am.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

Q (Inaudible.) He's leaving?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Oh 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wa-  Admiral.

Q Admiral. Admiral.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: J.J. had a question.

Well, since he was in earshot  he's still in earshot. J.J. had something.

Q One more. Didn't realize you were leaving already. There was some reports over the weekend about Elon Musk and some concerns about his  his drug use and the behavior that he's been exhibiting. Some of his board members concerned. Aware of that reporting? And is there  he'd had some contracts with the government. Any reaction to it? There's connections between 

MR. KIRBY: We wouldn't comment on that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We wouldn't comment on private companies.

Q So, Karine, should the American people  I'm sorry. Do you need a second?

Okay. Should the American people have confidence in Austin given his lack of transparency? And then also, do the American people need to be concerned about a lack of transparency for the President given this lapse?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to go back to Austin's statement a couple of days ago, where he has taken responsibility.

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And so, I think that's important. So, I would point you to that. And I will just reiterate that the President has complete confidence  continues to have confidence in Secretary Aust-  in Secretary Austin.

And  and as the Admiral just stated, I think the number one thing right now is for him  we want to see him back at the Pentagon  get well and back at the Pentagon.

And I'll just add one more thing is that the President  as we have shared, the President spoke to Austin  Secretary Austin on Saturday. They had a very good conversation. And again, you know, the President appreciated Austin's statement and taking full responsibility here. And I think that's what  that's what matters, is him getting back to  to the Pentagon and taking full responsibility.

Q Do you think it's necessary  to, sort of, like, tie up this issue  for Austin to articulate where  what happened? I mean, does he need to sort of explain, kind of, how the President explains when he's 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we're going to leave it to the Department of Defense to speak to this. I think they will. So, I will leave it to them to talk about their process, their protocol, the specifics  that specific question that you're asking. So, we'll leave it there to  to walk us  walk  walk all of you through the  through what happened last week.

Q Karine, there was a spending toplines agreement over the weekend. What is the administration's current view on whether a shutdown can be avoided in a couple of weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say a couple of things, since this just happened  right?  over the weekend, and just want to be on the record here.

So  so, the bipartisan funding framework congressional leaders have reached moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities. The framework reflects the funding levels negotiated as part of the bipartisan budget agreement and rejects deep cuts to programs hardworking families count on, and it provides a path to pass  to passing full-year  full-year funding bills that deliver for the American people and are free of any extreme policies.

Now it is for congressional Republicans  they have to do their jobs  they must do their jobs and stop threatening to shut down the government and fulfill their basic responsibility to fund critical domestic and national security priorities, including the President's supplemental requests. It's time for them to act. And so, that's what we expect.

As far as the process and how this moves forward, that is  certainly congressional leaders  we leave it to the congressional leaders to  to figure out how this legislative process is going to be.

But look  and we've said this over and over again  this is their basic duty, when it comes to Congress and keeping the government open and funded. This is something that they are responsible for, and they should not play politics with this.

This is  these are programs that the American people rely on. And so, we  they have to get this done.

Q Karine, just to follow up on that, you say it's the Congress's job to figure this out, but surely the White House is involved.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Can you give us a sense of who's doing what and where you see the next steps happening here?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I mean, you know this: The first go-around  right?  around the debt ceiling, the President certainly got involved  right?  and there was a bipartisan agreement that was signed  that was actually signed by the President and  and it became law. And  and it was voted by two thirds of the House  Republican House, and it was  certainly got bipartisan support in the Senate.

So, this is something that  obviously, the first go-around  that we were involved and we made it happen because we  the President understood how important it is to get this done for the American people.

As it relates to this particular deal, the  the administration was  was obviously in close touch with congressional  with congressional members of both parties throughout their negotiation process on this particular outcome. And we provided, like we always do, technical  any type of technical guidance to lawmakers. And so, that is how we were involved in this particular new iteration of this.

Q Is there anything in this deal that the President is unhappy with?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, you know, this is  if you're asking if  like, if this is con-  this is consistent, right? We believe this is consistent with the original agreement that I had just, kind of, went through that process.

And so, the framework both abides by the cap set in the bipartisan budget agreement and achieves the same levels for defense and non-defense discretionary spending that we and the  the White House and the congressional leaders agreed to last May, as I just had laid out how this process had started originally.

Q Karine 

Q Back to Sec- 

Q Sorry, you  (laughter) 

Q Back to Secretary Austin again. Could you let us know at some point if the President is aware of what landed his Defense Secretary in the ICU, at least so we know that the President is aware? If this is a secret from the President even, that's  that's a different thing.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I  I hear you  I hear  I hear you, J.J. It's just that it is not something that we can speak to, right? This is his own medical  it is  it is a private thing that  it is something that the Secretary and the Department of Defense would speak to.

As you know, they spoke on  the President and the Secretary spoke on Saturday. They had a conversation. And the President wants to see the Secretary get well, and it sounds like he's doing well, from his own statement  the Secretary  and get back to the Pentagon and continue the job that he's been doing this past couple of years  and, we believe, very well.

So, don't want to get into  into any  any specifics on that. That is really for Secretary Austin and the Department of Defense to  to speak to.

Q Karine, quickly on the  on the border talks. Are there any plans for the President to host Johnson at the White House to discuss the border? And have they had any calls or conversations recently in the last couple of weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So  and you're talking about just between the President and  and the 

Q Between the President 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Speaker?

Q  and the Speaker, yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don't have any  anything to preview for you on any conversation that he's had specifically with the Speaker.

What I can say is the President is in regular contact and conversations with congressional leaders. As you know, his team has been also in regular communication  part of the negotiation, as we saw-  talk about the supplemental. And so that's been going for some weeks  for some time now. I don't have any specific conversation between the two of them on  to preview at this time or to lay out or to announce at this time.

What I will say, though, as it relates to the supplemental: One of the negotiators  the Republican negotiator was on one of the Sunday news networks and said that he expects, essentially  I'm paraphrasing here  he expects to have something go out this week. And so, I think that's important.

We  we've always said we believe that the  the direction of the negotiations have been going in the right direction. And we appreciate that there is a bipartisan conversation happening in the Senate on border security.

Q Over the weekend, the former President referred to the January 6th detainees as  as "hostages." Does  did the  Mr. Biden see those comments? And was there any reaction or does he plan to address that at all?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, you heard  you heard from the President on Friday. He gave a  he gave a really important, critical speech on January 6th.

And I've said this, and the President has said this many times, right? What we saw on January 6th was an attack on our democracy. We saw  and not just us  the American people saw 2,000 insurrectionists, really, attack the Capitol. And we saw a confederate flag flying around in the Capitol. That's what we saw.

And not just that. We s-  police officers were injured. Some police officers lost their lives because of that event. And so, you heard you  heard that from  from the President.

As it relates to what you asked me about the hostages  look, I want to be careful. We follow the law. We don't comment on 2024. We also don't comment on DOJ investigations or legal processes.

So  but, you know, I've seen American veterans note that  how grotesque and offensive to compare those convicted of assaulting cops and attempting to overthrow the American government that veterans  that veterans have died defending innocent Americans, like an Israeli  like in Israel and  and people of other nationalities who  who were abducted during Hamas atrocities on October 7th.

So, it is  like I said, it is grotesque to make those type of comparison. And the President, you know, spoke very forcefully of how he saw January 6th and laid out there's a choice that we have to make here. There's a choice that we have to make  that the American people have to really decide.

Q It really is a condemnation  isn't it, Karine?  of  making that comparison?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I want to be careful, right?

Q Do you have to be careful?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, but  but, look, what we 

Q He referred to them as "hostages."

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, he did. And I just said about how January 6th was  was an attack on our democracy, and we have to continue to call that out. That's what the President said  right?  that's what the President said and laid out on January 6th.

And, you know, it is  look, what we saw on January 6th cannot be repeated again. And that is one of the things that the  the President is making very, very clear. And he has over the last couple of years.

And what we saw was certainly something that is a dark day for  for the history of  of this country. And so, we ca-  we get to make sure it doesn't repeat itself.

And there is misinformation, disinformation currently out there still about January 6th  right?  about  about  about that. And so, we have to call that out as well. And that's what you're going to continue to hear from this President.

Q How is the President going to assess the threat level of political violence in his speech today in Charleston? And  and is he going to specifically point to former President Trump as someone who foments violence?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, just going to be really careful and mindful here as well. But I'll say a couple of things. The Vice President, the President  I'm sorry, when the  when the President was then Vice President, he and his family worshiped at the Mother Emanuel, and that was back in 2015, to show solidarity after the heartbreaking tragedy.

And so, the President has continued to underline that we cannot forget the act of racist hate suffered by Mother Emanuel congregation and that we must continue to stand together against those kinds of sentiments as Americans.

As he said when he signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act and when he took action to protect houses of worship and when he spoke at South Carolina State University's commencement, upholding the dignity and rights of all Americans and giving hate no safe harbor are North Star -starts  Stars for this Pres-  this President. So, that's what you're going to continue to expect from him.

But I'm not going to get too far ahead of the President. You'll hear directly from him in a couple of hours.

All right? Yeah. All right. Thanks, everybody.

Q Thanks, Karine.

11:01 A.M. EST

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Blinken: Middle East Leaders Determined to Prevent Wider War

By Nike Ching January 09, 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday leaders in the Middle East are determined to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading and that there is broad recognition on the need to "chart a political path forward for the Palestinians."

"The West Bank and Gaza should be united under Palestinian-led governance," Blinken told reporters at Al Ula airport in Saudi Arabia.

"The future of the region needs to be one of integration, not division and not conflict," said Blinken, adding "for that to happen, we need to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."

In a statement following talks with Blinken, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman underscored the importance of halting military operations in the Gaza Strip and the need to create conditions for restoring peace and stability. Local media have reported that this effort aims to ensure the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve a just and lasting peace.

On Monday, Blinken met with the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and senior officials from Saudi Arabia before heading to Israel.

The chief U.S. diplomat said he would push Israeli officials for more humanitarian aid to Gaza and more protection for civilians. He also plans to discuss efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages and how to ensure the conflict does not spread to other parts of the region.

When asked about the U.S.-led talks to normalize the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Blinken stated that there is "a clear interest" in Saudi Arabia, as well as in the region, in pursuing that goal but "it will require that the conflict end in Gaza, and it will also clearly require that there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state."

Saudi Arabia has paused diplomatic talks to normalize ties with Israel amid the military conflict between Hamas militants and Israeli forces.

After an Israeli airstrike killed a key Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Monday  the latest sign of a possibly widening conflict in the Middle East  Blinken told reporters it's clearly not in the interest of Israel, Lebanon, or Hezbollah to see an escalation outside Gaza and "the Israelis have been very clear with" the U.S. that "they want to find a diplomatic way forward."

Hezbollah has identified the commander as Wissam al-Tawil. Last week, senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Beirut. 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.

In meetings Sunday with Jordan King Abdullah II and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the top U.S. diplomat spoke of the need for Israel to curb civilian casualties during the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza and significantly increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching famished Palestinians in Gaza.

But the U.S. has continued to support Israel in refusing Arab demands for a cease-fire to halt the fighting in the three-month war. Israel has vowed to continue the war until it believes the threat of future Hamas attacks has been eradicated and the militant group no longer controls Gaza, a narrow strip of territory along the Mediterranean Sea.

Jordan's royal court said King Abdullah "warned of the catastrophic repercussions" of Israel's war in Gaza against Hamas while calling on the U.S. to press for an immediate cease-fire. Israeli and U.S. officials have said they believe that a cease-fire would only allow Hamas to be able to regroup in its fight against Israeli forces.

While in Amman, Blinken also visited a World Food Program warehouse where trucks are loaded with aid for famished Palestinians in Gaza.

"The efforts right here to collect and distribute food to people in need are absolutely essential," Blinken said. "The United States has worked from day one to open access routes into Gaza."

"We continue to work on that every single day, not only to open them but to multiply them, to maximize them and to try to get more assistance, more effectively," he said. "We're determined to do everything we possibly can to ameliorate the situation for the men, women and children in Gaza."

Israel began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7. Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and about 240 captives taken in the terror attack.

Gaza health officials say close to 23,000 Palestinians, a large percentage of them women and children, have been killed in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The United States has stated its opposition to forcibly removing Palestinians from Gaza. The U.S. is also working on a postwar road map for the Palestinian territories.

"Gaza cannot, once again, serve as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Israel," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told VOA last week.

"What we ultimately want to see is Gaza and the West Bank reunited under Palestinian leadership," and "certainly there's no role for Hamas in that."

Some material for this report was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 08 January 2024 - Day 683

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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 UK Ministry of Defence reported that in late 2023, Russian politicians claimed that the Soviet counter- intelligence (Cl) organisation 'SMERSH' was being re-established. In early January 2024, an open-source image showed operatives apparently wearing SMERSH uniform patches.

An abbreviation of the Russian phrase for 'death to spies', Joseph Stalin established the original organisation which existed from 1941-1946. In the West, it became known via its fictionalised portrayal in lan Fleming's James Bond books.

It is unclear whether the new name indicates any substantive new capabilities or role for Russia's Cl function, or whether it is merely a re-badging. However, it provides another example of how the Russian authorities consciously couch the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the spirit of the Second World War, and their strong focus on the supposed infiltration of external threats into the country.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on the night of January 8, 2024, the Russian occupiers launched a massive strike on Ukraine, using cruise, air-launched, ballistic, anti-aircraft guided missiles and attack UAVs. A total of 59x Russian means of air attack were recorded: 8x Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs, 7x S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles, 4x Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles, 24x Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, 8x Kh-22 cruise missiles, 2x Kh-31P guided missiles. Critical and civilian infrastructure, industrial and military facilities were attacked. This time, Russian forces attacked different regions of Ukraine. In particular, Russian forces launched ballistic missiles at Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. Air defense destroyed 8x Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs and 18x Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles.

During the day of January 8, there were 55x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 55x missile and 16x air strikes, carried out 16x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Private residential and apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and 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. Around 30x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Zarichchya, Muraveinyk, Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Fotovyzh, Tovstodubove, Zapsillya, (Sumy oblast), Vesele, Bochkove, Budarky (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x attacks in the vicinities of Syn'kivka (Kharkiv oblast), where the Russian occupiers made unsuccessful attempts to improve their tactical situation. Russian forces launched air strikes near Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka, Tabaivka, Pishchane, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Dvorichna, Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast).

Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x assault east of Terny (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Novoselivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 2x attacks in the vicinity of Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Vasyukivka, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, New York (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 3x Russian attacks near Avdiivka, Sjeverne, Tonen'ke and 14x more attacks in the vicinities of Pervomais'ke and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 15x settlements, including Novokalynove, Berdychi, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the invaders in the vicinities of Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). In that area, the adversary made 7x failed attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Maksymil'yanivka, Mar'inka, Novomykhailivka, Kostyantynivka were under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces conducted no offensives. The adversary fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Urozhaine, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 6x assaults north of Chervone, west of Verbove and north of Novoprokopivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), where the Russian occupiers made attempts to improve their tactical situation. More than 15x settlements, including Levadne, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, P'yatykhatky, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: Russian forces fired artillery at the city of Kherson, the settlements of Zmiivka, Krynky, Tyahynka, Ivanivka (Kherson oblast), as well as Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast).

The Russian occupiers do not abandon their intention to drive Ukrainian units out of their footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro. Thus, during the day, Russian forces made 9x unsuccessful assaults. The Ukrainian troops are holding the line and keep inflicting significant losses on the Russian enemy.

The Ukrainian missile troops hit 2x ammunition depots of the russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the morning, the Russian Armed Forces launched group strikes by high-precision long-range sea- and air-based weapons, including by Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities.

In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled nine attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 32nd, 43rd, 115th mechanised brigades, 25th Airborne Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade near Sinkovka, Ivanovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 110 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, three motor vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, and two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters near Torskoye, Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, three armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery, operational-tactical and army aviation inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 24th, 28th, 42nd, 93rd mechanised brigades, 92nd Assault Brigade, and 112th Territorial Defence Brigade near Toretsk, Andreyevka, Kleshcheyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses in this direction amounted to more than 250 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled three attacks launched by the AFU 127th Territorial Defence Brigade north of Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region).

In addition, losses were inflicted on manpower of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 130 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two infantry fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by operational-tactical aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower clusters of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade and 3rd Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Rabotino and Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer.

In Kherson direction, units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 35th, 38th marines brigades, and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade on the right bank of the Dnepr River near Mikhailovka, Ivanovka, Sablukovka, and Kachkarovka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 60 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, and three motor vehicles. In addition, one AFU unmanned aerial vehicle control post and one field ammunition depot were wiped out.

Missile Troops and Artillery, attack unmanned aerial vehicles of the Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed a point of the meeting of unit commanders of the 101st Territorial Defence Brigade, 113 AFU artillery units at firing positions, as well as engaged manpower and hardware in 108 areas during the day.

Air defence units intercepted five HIMARS MLRS projectiles over the past 24 hours.

Moreover, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down near Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk People's Republic), Peski, Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Kamenka-Dneprovskaya, Novoye (Zaporozhye region), Radensk, and Golaya Pristan (Kherson region region).

In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,540 unmanned aerial vehicles, 447 air defence missile systems, 14,536 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,201 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,666 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,210 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.





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Premier requested by lawmakers to discuss Medigen vaccine case

ROC Central News Agency

01/08/2024 06:40 PM

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan passed a motion on Monday to hold a special session on Tuesday, in which Premier Chen Chien-jen () and relevant Cabinet ministries will be asked questions regarding the government's purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Taiwan-based Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.

Chen has been asked by opposition lawmakers to make the government's purchase agreement with Medigen public, and he and his colleagues are expected to face questions from lawmakers about whether the agreement was appropriate and in the public interest.

The motion was proposed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Jan. 3, four days after Vice President Lai Ching-te (), the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said in a presidential debate that he agreed with the opposition request to publicize the purchase agreement.

Lai said in the Dec. 30 debate that since the Medigen purchasing price had been disclosed, the public had the right to gain more knowledge of the deal in a bid to minimize opposition attacks.

On Monday, Taiwan People's Party caucus whip Chiu Chen-yuan () said that although his party supported the government's efforts in developing the local vaccine industry, it could not accept a purchasing deal that lacked transparency and appeared to only benefit one certain developer, indicating Medigen.

The vaccine developed by Medigen in the early phase of the pandemic was granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration on July 19, 2021.

At the time, only 20 percent of Taiwan's population had received a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, with demand hugely outstripping supply following the country's first large-scale outbreak that summer.

The EUA became controversial because it had been granted when phase III clinical trials had not been completed.

Instead, the results of the vaccine's phase II trial were analyzed using immunobridging, an approach that uses immune responses in clinical trial participants to infer the vaccine's overall level of protection.

Despite doubts about the EUA granted to Medigen, the vaccine's rollout on Aug. 23, 2021 was touted as a triumph for Taiwan's biotech sector. Many government officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen (), received a shot of the vaccine in public to demonstrate their support for the locally developed product.

Medigen disclosed in November 2022 that its NT$4.03 billion (US$130 million) agreement with the government involved a purchase of 5 million doses, of which 200,000 were donations for the government's help in funding the vaccine's development.

The average price of each of the 4.8 million paid-for doses equaled around NT$840, according to Medigen.

Of the 5 million doses, 68 percent were used, while the remaining 1.6 million expired and were destroyed, with the government stating Medigen's task had been completed.

Echoing Chiu, KMT caucus whip Tseng Ming-chung () said the KMT supported locally developed vaccines, like the efforts put in by his party to cultivate the local semiconductor industry by supporting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which has become the world's largest contract chipmaker.

However, the KMT could not support the government's move to block other vaccine purchases, Tseng said, questioning why only doses from Medigen were purchased at a time when people in Taiwan desperately needed vaccines to protect themselves.

Business tycoon Terry Gou () slammed the government for allegedly blocking his attempt in May 2021 to buy the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The government has repeatedly denied this accusation.

Taiwan eventually bought 15 million vaccines from BioNTech in July 2021 through the support of three organizations, including a foundation affiliated with the world's largest contract electronics maker Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., founded by Gou.

In a statement, the New Power Party said it supported the motion to hold a special session on the legislative floor and ask the premier to answer questions regarding the Medigen case.

Despite being urged by the opposition to publicize the purchase agreement with Medigen, the premier said last week that as the vaccine developer is a stock-listed company, the disclosure of the agreement needs approval from its shareholders.

Chen added that the government has been in talks with Medigen about publicizing the agreement.

In response to the motion to hold a special session, DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming () said it was a desperate bid by the KMT to try and win the Jan. 13 vote.

Ker said it seemed the KMT did not have any alternative campaign strategies to win, which had led to it focusing on the Medigen deal, in which, he noted, prosecutors had found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen () said in a statement on Monday that he regretted the smear tactics being used by opposition parties and that the Medigen deal had been agreed based on normal international commercial practices.

Lin said the Cabinet has repeatedly clarified details regarding the Medigen deal through written statements, videos, and its special reports at the Legislative Yuan, denying the agreement lacked any transparency.

Expressing concern, he stated that the disclosure of the Medigen purchase agreement could potentially damage the government's trustworthiness and impact the willingness of foreign vaccine developers to supply products to Taiwan in the future.

Despite these concerns, Lin assured that the premier and relevant Cabinet ministers would participate in the special session to address questions. This initiative is part of the government's efforts to dispel unfounded rumors and protect the reputation of frontline medical personnel, he said.

(By Fan Cheng-hsiang, Chen Chun-hua, Evelyn Kao, Matthew Mazzetta, Ko Lin and Frances Huang)

Enditem/kb

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Russian National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Monday, January 8, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

Murat Kurashev, 36, of Sacramento, California, pleaded guilty to a single-count indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents, Kurashev attempted to provide financial support to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State and engages in terrorism in Syria. Between July 2020 and February 2021, Kurashev used money transfer services to send approximately $13,000 to two known couriers of an HTS fundraiser. Records obtained from the money transfer services documented multiple transactions from Kurashev to the couriers in Turkey usually in increments of $1,000. The couriers retrieved the funds often within 24 hours of transfer. Surveillance footage from money transfer businesses captured Kurashev in the midst of some of the transactions.

Law enforcement's review of social media and encrypted mobile messaging discussions between Kurashev and the fundraiser, demonstrated that they believed that providing money in support of the HTS's fighters was tantamount to being engaged in violent jihad. During these conversations with the fundraiser, Kurashev mentioned that he wished he could join the fight in Syria as a mujahideen and regretted that he could only provide financial support. These conversations make clear that Kurashev was fully aware of the fundraiser's violent extremist ideology and participation and work on behalf of HTS.

Additional evidence seized by the FBI revealed that Kurashev followed the fundraiser's online presence and various social media accounts. Some of fundraiser's social media accounts that were viewed by Kurashev included solicitations for money to purchase military equipment, boots, clothing, firearms, and, in one case, a motorcycle. FBI forensic analysis of Kurashev's Apple iCloud account revealed it to be replete with violent extremist content, including a video depicting HTS fighters. It appears that Kurashev watched this video while driving his work van along Interstate 80.

Kurashev faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for March 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI's National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

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Like their Zionist ilk in Gaza, Daesh seeks massacre of innocent people: President Raeisi

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 1:50 PM

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Daesh terrorist group seeks to kill women and children just like the Israeli regime that is massacring innocent people in Gaza.

Raeisi made the statement in a meeting with Chairman of Tajikistan's National Assembly Rustam Emomali in Tehran on Monday.

He said all regional countries should actively counter terrorist groups such as Daesh which is nurtured by the US and Israel.

He emphasized that Iran and Tajikistan must promote cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crimes and smuggling of illicit drugs.

The president hailed the appropriate level of growing relations between Tehran and Dushanbe in the past two years and said the expansion of parliamentary ties would play a key role in boosting cooperation in the political and economic sectors as well.

Emomali, for his part, said Tajikistan supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and condemns Israel's killing of more than 23,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza since the beginning of its war against the Strip in October.

The top Tajik parliamentarian described insecurity as an issue of common concern between Tehran and Dushanbe and a danger to promotion of bilateral trade cooperation.

Heading a high-ranking parliamentary delegation, Emomali arrived in Tehran on Monday morning.

Iran, Tajikistan sign MoU to boost parliamentary cooperation

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Emomali signed a memorandum of understanding to improve parliamentary cooperation.

They said Iran and Tajikistan should make use of their capacities to further expand relations.

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Germany Says Tajik Held On Terrorism Charge To Be Deported To Austria

By RFE/RL's Tajik Service January 08, 2024

Police in the German city of Cologne say a Tajik national detained in late December on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack on Cologne Cathedral is wanted in Austria and will be sent there to face charges.

According to the police, the 30-year-old Tajik man will be deported to Austria, where he is suspected of plotting a terrorist attack targeting St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Prater park, a popular area for families, in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Police arrested the man, whom some reports identified as Muhammadrajab B., in the town of Wesel, about 100 kilometers north of Cologne, after detaining five people and searching a residence there.

One of the five arrested men was identified as a 25-year-old Tajik man, a resident of the German city of Norvenich.

Muhammadrajab B. is suspected of having links to the Islamic State-Khorasan extremist group.

On December 31, police in the western city of Bochum arrested a 41-year old man with German and Turkish citizenship on suspicion of involvement in the plot to attack the Cologne Cathedral. The next day, police in Bochum detained three men of Tajik and Uzbek origin, who were later released on court orders.

German media, citing law enforcement, said a car was planned to be used in an attack near the cathedral.

German media also identified a Central Asian man, Murat Tashbekovich I., who was arrested in Austria on suspicion of involvement in a plot to attack the Cologne Cathedral. Police say he met with Muhammadrajab B. in the German city of Sankt Wendel in late November.

Authorities in Cologne and Vienna have beefed up security around Cologne Cathedral and St. Stephen's Cathedral since late December.

Tajik authorities have yet to comment on the reports.

With reporting by dpa and Bild

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-terror-charges- germany-austria-cathedrals/32765844.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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Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

U.S. Department of the Treasury

January 8, 2024

As Prepared for Delivery

Good afternoon. I want to start by thanking Andrea for her leadership. Andrea, your extensive experience and deep commitment have already led to tremendous accomplishments for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. I'm very glad to start the New Year with a visit to FinCEN's office in Virginia to thank you and all FinCEN employees and to highlight the work you're doing.

It's been an exciting start to the year for FinCEN and for all of us, as the new beneficial ownership reporting requirement went into effect just last week. With this step, we're closing a loophole and sending a clear message: The United States is not a haven for dirty money.

Let me step back for a moment and talk about what led us here. Around the world, lack of transparency, specifically due to opaque corporate structures, makes it easier to conceal illicit activity. Criminals utilize front and shell companies to conceal and launder their ill-gotten gains. That, in turn, contributes to other crimes, such as corruption, tax evasion, fraud, drug trafficking, and the financing of terrorism.

Lack of transparency is a global problem. It's one that necessitates strong responses across jurisdictions. And as the largest economy in the world and home to so many companiesaincluding shell companiesathe United States must do its part, both to protect the integrity of our own financial system and to advance global efforts against illicit finance and money laundering.

The benefits of increasing corporate transparency through gathering beneficial ownership informationaput simply, knowing who owns whatastart with protecting our national security. Information on beneficial ownership will support our law enforcement colleagues in making arrests, prosecuting offenders, and seizing ill-gotten assets. It will also inform strategic, targeted actions, such as sanctions. Corporate transparency can bring economic benefits as well: protecting our financial system, reducing due diligence costs, enabling fair business competition, and increasing tax revenue.

To mitigate these risks and realize these benefits, we've taken action. In 2021, the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act was signed into law. Now, as of January 1st, many companies doing business here in the United States must report identifying information about who directly or indirectly owns or controls them. I am excited to report that, in just one week, we've received over 100,000 filings.

The requirements and the systems that support them have been designed with data security as a core priority. Companies will use a filing system through FinCEN's website and FinCEN will store the information it receives in a non-public database with rigorous controls.

We're also making reporting as easy as possible for the small businesses at the heart of the American economy so that the benefits for small businesses, and for all of us, will far outweigh what should be a relatively straightforward effort to comply. The reporting process is simple, quick, and free. A small business shouldn't need a certified public accountant or lawyer. To help companies understand the requirements, we're hard at work getting the word out. We're coordinating with federal and state government offices and partnering with the Small Business Administration to hold virtual and in-person events. We've published guidance in multiple languages, including specifically for small businesses. We have a Contact Center that is live and taking questions.

We know success will also depend on partnerships with civil society. Civil society organizations have led the way, in this country and globally, in the fight against corruption, and will continue to be key partners on work related to beneficial ownership.

Of course, FinCEN is also hard at work combatting other threats. When Andrea assumed leadership of FinCEN last fall, she emphasized the breadth and depth of FinCEN's work. It ranges from alerting consumers to fraudulent schemes, to working with financial institutions to ferret out sanctions and export control evasion schemes, to providing law enforcement agencies with critical financial intelligence. This is an impressive array of work, and I'd like to highlight a few other key areas now.

I'll start with efforts here in the United States. In November, FinCEN was instrumental in Treasury's settlement against Binance, the world's largest virtual currency exchange. This was the largest enforcement action in Treasury's history and it sent a powerful message to the broader virtual currency. In line with the U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, we are also pursuing increased transparency in our real estate and investment adviser sectors. We aim to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking early this year that will be an important step toward bringing greater transparency to residential real estate transactions, and we are considering next steps to address risks associated with commercial real estate.

FinCEN's efforts also extend beyond our borders. Last June, FinCEN helped launch the U.S.-South Africa Task Force on Combatting the Financing of Wildlife Trafficking. FinCEN forms a key part of this Administration's response to the opioid epidemic, including through its role in our newly announced Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force, which draws resources from across Treasury for coordinated action.

And FinCEN plays a crucial role to further Treasury's work in the context of an ever-evolving global landscape. FinCEN is key to efforts to oppose Russia's unjust war in Ukraine: monitoring attempts to evade sanctions and export controls and then using its findings to alert financial institutions and inform investigations. FinCEN has also been a critical part of Treasury's response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, including by bringing together global financial intelligence units to address illicit activity. Across this and other work, engagement with the private sector has and will remain critical, as FinCEN depends on the role financial institutions and other reporting companies play in identifying suspicious activity.

With that, let me congratulate FinCEN employees again on the milestone of launching the beneficial ownership reporting system. Through this and all your actions, you are making our country safer and more prosperous, and you are contributing to global security and prosperity. I look forward to seeing the continued impacts this work will have.

###

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Decision not to invite OSCE observers to parliamentary elections contrary to Belarus' international commitments

OSCE | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

WARSAW/COPENHAGEN 8 January 2024

WARSAW/COPENHAGEN, 8 January 2024 -- It is deeply regrettable that the Belarusian authorities have decided not to invite observers for the country's forthcoming parliamentary elections from OSCE states through the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), leaders of both institutions said today, adding that the decision contradicts the principle of transparency, which is essential for holding genuinely democratic elections.

"We are profoundly concerned that the decision not to invite OSCE states through ODIHR to observe Belarus' parliamentary elections will prevent the country's citizens and institutions from benefiting from an impartial, transparent, and comprehensive assessment," said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. "This is contrary to the commitments made by Belarus, and goes against both the letter and the spirit of collaboration on which the OSCE is based."

"The Belarusian government's decision to shirk its obligation to invite OSCE observers is concerning, and goes against the best interest of the Belarusian people," said OSCE PA President Pia Kauma. "I deeply regret that the Assembly is being denied the opportunity to contribute to democratic development through our observation processes, which we have done in Belarus since 1995, and urge for greater openness of the Belarusian authorities."

Elections are a central element of the democratic process, and ODIHR observes elections throughout the OSCE region using a comprehensive methodology that has been developed over many years and is used in the same way in every country. ODIHR already began engaging in consultations with Belarus in October 2023 to reach an agreement on the deployment of a pre-election needs assessment mission, an initial and crucial step in determining whether to deploy an election observation and in what format. Following the 2020 presidential election, the parliamentary elections on 25 February 2024 will be the second time that ODIHR is unable to observe elections in Belarus due to the lack of a timely invitation from the national authorities.

All OSCE states have repeatedly recognized the value of ODIHR's observation and the effectiveness of its comprehensive and objective methodology. They have also committed to inviting observers from other OSCE participating States and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to observe, as well as following up swiftly on ODIHR's election assessment and recommendations. Parliamentary observers from the OSCE PA put their political expertise and personal experience in electoral processes at the disposal of the OSCE through election observation work conducted across the OSCE region.

While ODIHR will not be able to observe the forthcoming parliamentary elections, the Office continues to watch the unfolding events in Belarus from all the areas covered by its mandate.



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Foreign Minister meets leader of Belarusian democratic opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Poland

08.01.2024

Head of Polish diplomacy RadosAaw Sikorski has met today with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her accompanying delegation.

Minister Sikorski emphasised Poland's commitment to supporting civil society in Belarus. He applauded the activities of the Belarusian democratic opposition in exile and expressed support for the country's democratic and European aspirations.

The meeting proved an opportunity for underscoring Poland's objection to policies pursued by the Minsk authorities, which since the rigged presidential election of August 2020 have continued to stamp out all symptoms of independence, with repression targeting the regime's political opponents at an unprecedented scale.

Poland has continuously called on Belarusian decision-makers to release all political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut, held in custody since March 2021, and stop the repression of Belarusian society.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on Countermeasures on US Arms Sales to China's Taiwan Region and Sanctions on Chinese Entities

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-01-07 09:00

Q: The US recently announced new arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned Chinese businesses and individualsaunder various pretexts. China said it wouldatake countermeasures.aCouldayouatellausaspecifically what thoseameasuresaare?

A: The US arms sales to China's Taiwan region inablatant violation ofathe one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiquAs, particularly the August 17ajoint communiquAaof 1982, and theaillegal unilateral sanctionsathe US has imposed onaChinese companies and individualsaunder various false pretextsaseriouslyaharmaChina's sovereignty and security interests,aundermine theapeace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,aand violateathealegitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.aChinaastronglyadeplores andafirmly opposes this and has made solemn dAmarches to the US.a

In response to these gravely wrong actions taken by the US and in accordance with China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, China has decided to sanction five US defense industry companies, namely BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat and Data Link Solutions. The countermeasures consist of freezing the properties of those companies in China, including their movable and immovable property, and prohibiting organizations and individuals in China from transactions and cooperation with them.

I would like to stress that the Chinese government remains unwavering in our resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens. We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiquAs, observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations, stop arming Taiwan, and stop targeting China with illegal unilateral sanctions. Otherwise there will be strong and resolute response from China.



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China-Maldives relations expected to reach new heights

Global Times

India's hyping so-called "pro-China" policy of Maldivian leader shows lack of confidence

By GT staff reporters Published: Jan 08, 2024 10:49 PM

The bilateral relations between China and the Maldives are expected to reach new heights as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu began his first state visit to China on Monday since taking office. Analysts noted that a number of agreements on infrastructure and tourism are expected to be signed during the Maldivian leader's visit.

However, President Muizzu's decision to visit China before India has raised concerns among some Indian media outlets, with many speculating that the Maldivian leader is pursuing an "India-out" policy and leaning toward China.

Chinese analysts said that interpreting Muizzu's China visit as being pro-China reflects the lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians. They believe that India's long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia is the root cause of strained relations with some regional countries, including the Maldives and that India should not shift the blame onto China by hyping the narrative of competition with China in the region as an excuse.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Muizzu is scheduled to pay a state visit to China from January 8 to 12. On Monday, President Muizzu and the First Lady Sajidha Mohamed arrived in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, and were greeted by senior Chinese officials upon their arrival. They also visited the Xiamen Free Trade Zone, according to the Maldivian President's Office.

During President Muizzu's stay in China, President Xi will hold a welcome ceremony and banquet for President Muizzu. The two heads of state will hold talks and attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will also meet with President Muizzu, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

President Muizzu is the first foreign head of state to visit China by invitation in 2024 and this is also the Maldivian president's first state visit to a foreign country since he took office last November, highlighting the great significance that the two countries attach to bilateral relations, analysts said.

During Muizzu's stay in China, the two sides are expected to sign a slew of cooperation documents on infrastructure construction under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), economy, climate change, green economy and tourism, analysts said.

China and the Maldives are also highly expected to further dig up the potential of bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) as President Muizzu is choosing Fujian Province as his first stop in China, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times.

Xiamen's development experience may shed light on cities of the Maldives as it has also quickly become one of the most famous tourist destination countries in the world. President Muizzu may want to draw some experience from Xiamen's development in attracting tourists as China is also a large tourist source of the Maldives, said Qian.

Moreover, Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, is a significant gateway to the maritime silk road. According to the Maldivian President's Office, President Muizzu will also attend the Invest Maldives Forum in Fuzhou, China, and meet with senior Chinese business leaders to explore avenues for strengthening socioeconomic relations between the Maldives and China.

The cooperation on infrastructure construction would also be a highlight in bilateral cooperation. Long Xingchun, a professor at the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, noted that infrastructure is of great significance to the Maldives, an island nation heavily reliant on tourism, and China holds a leading position in this field.

The previous collaboration with China has greatly contributed to the development of Maldives' infrastructure. For instance, the expansion of upgrading of Velana International Airport in the capital city of Male and the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge, the first cross-sea bridge in the Maldives built by a Chinese company, are notable achievements resulting from this partnership, Long told the Global Times.

President Muizzu, who had taken the position as the former minister of Housing and Infrastructure and former mayor of the capital city Male, has witnessed the achievements of BRI projects in the Maldives and had also praised the initiative, analysts said.

For example, in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency in October 2023, Muizzu, who was then president-elect, said, "I think the Belt and Road initiative can play a crucial role in our development and also the development of all the countries in this initiative. And definitely I see this initiative play a very crucial role in taking us forward."

President Muizzu is actively promoting pragmatic cooperation as he has fully acknowledged the importance of cooperation with China and his diplomacy is out of Maldives' true interests not to choose sides, analysts said.

Long also noted that China respects the Maldives' sovereignty and does not interfere in its domestic affairs. Unlike India, China does not exclude other countries' cooperation with the Maldives. On the contrary, China encourages and welcomes more countries, including India, to engage in collaboration with the Maldives.

India's lack of confidence

India has paid close attention to President Muizzu's visit and some Indian media have hyped that President Muizzu's visit to China broke the "tradition" of every Maldivian president choosing India as their first destination after assuming office since 2008. They also said the visit happened against the backdrop of strained ties between India and the Maldives while China is "vying" for influence with Indian in the region.

Indian media claimed that relations between the Maldives and India have become tense since Muizzu assumed power in November 2023, with some alleging that Muizzu is pursuing an "India Out" policy to distance the Maldives from India's support.

Adding to the strain, a recent controversy has emerged wherein certain Maldivian ministers reportedly made derogatory remarks on social media in response to Indian Prime Minister Modi's promotion of Lakshadweep archipelago for tourism. President Muizzu suspended the three deputy ministers, according to media reports.

India's strained relations with certain countries in South Asia can be attributed to its perception of being the regional boss. Instead of shifting blame to China, India should take a moment to reflect on its policies toward its neighbors and abandon the zero-sum mentality, analysts said.

As the president of the Maldives, Muizzu has his own considerations when it comes to the state visit to a foreign country. Muizzu's foreign diplomacy is shifting from "India first" not to "China first" but to "Maldives first," Lin Minwang, deputy director at the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Muizzu is not choosing sides between China and India, and China does not require him to do so. Instead, he is putting the interests of his own country first, said the expert.

The Indian media has attempted to exert pressure on Muizzu by hyping the so-called "pro-China" policy. This highlights India's view of itself as a hegemony in the region, expecting leaders of other countries to seek its approval, Lin said.

Long noted that Indian media's labelling President Muizzu as "pro-China' highlights that they show no respect to the Maldives and its leader; and it also shows that they lack confidence in India while facing China.

India is a significant country to the Maldives whether it is from the geographic or historical factor, and its current nervousness about President Muizzu's visit to China unveils its lack of confidence, said Long, noting that as a major country in the region, India should be more magnanimous.

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Jimmy Lai trial discloses his close connections with US political figures

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing Published: Jan 08, 2024 08:40 PM

The trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of Next Digital and three Apple Daily companies and who has been charged with colluding with foreign forces, entered its seventh day on Monday when the prosecution began reading a 61-page statement of admitted facts detailing the police's discovery of email communications on Lai's phone with his assistant Mark Simon, former US deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, and former vice chief of staff of the US Army Jack Keane, among others.

Judging by its content, it appears to be strong evidence of Lai's collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security, some legal experts said.

"One has to question whether it is necessary for a media businessman to frequently interact with US defense department personnel or political figures," Fu Kin-chi, director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and vice-president of the Hong Kong Basic Law Education Association, told the Global Times on Monday.

This raises suspicions about whether they have used Next Digital or Apple Daily to engage in subversive activities against the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government or to incite and advocate for "color revolutions" and other crimes, Fu said, noting that the prosecution will summon witnesses to further testify before the court.

Other US figures in Lai's email communications include Christian Whiton, special advisor at the US State Department; Raymond Burghardt, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan; and Wall Street Journal editor William McGurn, according to the trial record.

"Regarding the content presented in the court trial, Lai's phone and email communications were predominantly with individuals associated with US national security," Louis Chen, a member of the Election Committee and general secretary of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Monday.

Generally, it is challenging for an ordinary person to gain access to such US national security-related figures, let alone engage in such close and frequent interactions and meetings, he said.

"I trust in the professionalism of Hong Kong's judges, who will undoubtedly handle the case fairly and impartially," Chen said, noting that based on publicly available information, it can be anticipated that Lai's connections with foreign entities are very close and it's anticipated that foreign countries will continue to closely monitor this case.

The defense will then request to play all relevant footage in court, a process anticipated to last six days.

The prosecution earlier mentioned that during the anti-extradition law amendment bill protests in July 2019, Lai met with then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in the US, requesting US sanctions against Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, which was reported by Apple Daily.

In October 2019, after meeting with then US house speaker Nancy Pelosi, Lai instructed Chan Pui-man, the former deputy president of Apple Daily and one of the defendants, to interview Lai. The prosecution also pointed out that in mid-2020, before the enactment of the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, Lai, following the suggestion of Whiton at the time, proposed the addition of an English version of Apple Daily news to increase support from overseas readers.

The prosecutor had also presented 161 articles involved in the case, of which 31 were published after the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong.

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China's top anti-graft body to intensify scrutiny in finance, SOEs, healthcare, and more fields

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jan 08, 2024 04:07 PM

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the National Commission of Supervision (NCS), the country's top anti-graft body, has pledged to intensify scrutiny in areas including finance, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), healthcare, grain procurement and sale, rural revitalization, tobacco, sports, statistics and more.

Special efforts will be carried out to tackle industrial, systemic and regional corruption cases, and effectively prevent and defuse systemic risks, according to an article released on the CCDI and NCS' website on Monday.

The article highlighted that in order to decisively win the protracted and tough battle against corruption, it is imperative to consistently maintain a "high-pressure stance" and never relent in the determination to punish wrongdoing.

According to a five-year work plan of the Central Anti-Corruption Coordination Group from 2023 to 2027, the anti-corruption work will be further expanded to the primary level, with harsh punishments for misconduct including embezzlement, illegal possession and misappropriation, as well as ways to solicit bribes.

A total of 405,000 officials at all levels were punished over the first nine months of 2023, of whom 34 of were senior officials at provincial or ministerial levels, per data from the CCDI and NCS.

In recent years, the financial sector has been a focal point for anti-corruption efforts. In 2023, at least 101 individuals in the financial field were put under investigation, according to media reports.

Notably, the list includes senior officials like Liu Liange, former Party chief and president of the Bank of China, Zhou Qingyu, a former vice president of China Development Bank, and Li Xiaopeng, former Party chief and chairman of China Everbright Group.

Out of the 101 individuals under investigation, 74 are from the banking sector, 12 from regulatory authorities, seven from insurance institutions, two from financial groups, one from a securities institution, and five from other financial organizations, domestic news site Thepaper.cn reported.

The high-intensity anti-corruption campaign continues into the beginning of 2024, with the latest busted case involving Wang Yongsheng, former deputy president of China Development Bank, who was expelled from the CPC for severe violations of Party discipline and the law, the country's top anti-graft body said on Friday.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on January 8, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-01-08 19:24

China News Service: The US State Department on January 6 released the Joint Statement on the Trilateral US-Japan-ROK Indo-Pacific Dialogue, expressing their concerns over China's maritime claims in the South China Sea and escalatory behavior, and saying that they will continue their trilateral maritime security and law enforcement cooperation in accordance with international law. The three countries also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community. What's China's comment?

Mao Ning: China noted the US-Japan-ROK dialogue and their joint statement. We express serious concerns about the statement's rhetoric on China. We firmly oppose relevant countries' attempt to cobble together exclusionary groupings in the name of cooperation, grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, attack and smear China and stoke confrontation and antagonism.

The situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. China is committed to safeguarding our own territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, while properly managing differences with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation. Certain non-regional country has sought to flex muscles and incite confrontation in the South China Sea, which is not conducive to peace and stability in the region.

I want to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affairs that brooks no foreign interference. The key to keeping the Taiwan Strait peaceful and stable lies in upholding the one-China principle and firmly opposing separatist moves toward "Taiwan independence".

The Asia-Pacific is a pacesetter of cooperation, not a chessboard for geopolitical contests. We urge relevant parties to earnestly respect regional countries' effort for peace and stability, abandon the Cold War mentality, stop creating bloc confrontation and stop fueling tensions in the region.

Reuters: Taiwanese officials said three Chinese balloons detected flying over the Taiwan Strait on Sunday threatened aviation safety. Can the Foreign Ministry offer assurance that Chinese balloons flying over the Taiwan Strait are not a threat to international civil aviation?

Mao Ning: I'm not aware of the specifics you mentioned and it's not related to China's foreign affairs.

CCTV: The US has been tightening control over chip export to China and strengthening curbs on China's semiconductor companies. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: The US has been stepping up control over chip export to China and going after China's semiconductor industry in the name of national security. This is out-and-out economic bullying.

The US semiconductor export controls against China amount to discriminatory practices that violate the most-favored-nation principle stipulated in Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Blacklisting China's telecom equipment companies and prohibiting Chinese-made telecom equipment from entering the US market in the name of protecting cyber security violate the principle of general elimination of quantitative restrictions stipulated in Article 11 of the GATT. The ban also contravenes stipulations in the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. Despite its rhetorical emphasis on international rules, the US habitually ignores and breaks existing rules.

The US uses national security as a pretext to restrict chip export to China, but the measures it has taken clearly go beyond the realm of national security and have gravely hindered the normal trade of ordinary chips for civilian use. The Nvidia RTX 4090 is a consumer graphics card for video game enthusiasts. But the company has been forced to pull this product off the Chinese market due to US export controls. The US has been asking certain countries to join itself in curbing Chinese companies. This has nothing to do with security. This is pure economic coercion.

All of the above shows that the US is going after Chinese chip industry neither for national security reasons nor as part of a legitimate competition. This is unilateral bullying without principles or bottom lines that essentially denies emerging markets and developing countries the right to a better life for their people. The US behavior is taking a serious toll on the stability of the global industrial and supply chains. It poisons the atmosphere for international cooperation and fuels division and confrontation. This selfish move will inevitably backfire.

Danish Broadcasting Corporation: The Queen of Denmark Margrethe II announced her abdication of the throne on New Year's Day. She's set to give the position over to her son this week. She's visited China quite a few times during the rein and met several Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on her abdication?

Mao Ning: Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is the first western head of state to visit China after we began reform and opening up in 1978. She visited China twice in 1979 and 2014. She is an old friend of the Chinese people and made important contribution to China-Denmark relations and friendship. Our relationship with Denmark enjoys good momentum and we are ready to continue advancing our two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership together with the Royal House and the Danish people.

AFP: According to the Ministry of State Security, China's national security authority uncovered an espionage case involving the UK's Secret Intelligence Service and has taken criminal compulsory measures against the suspect surnamed Huang. Apart from what has been released by the Ministry of State Security, can you provide more information about the case? Does the Foreign Ministry have any additional comment?

Mao Ning: You may refer to the information concerning the case released on the WeChat account of China's Ministry of State Security. I have no additional information to offer.

Bloomberg: You just now had a long statement on how US export controls violate the principles of free trade in GATT. And you also said that the US is stretching national security. China has recently stopped the export of some kind of graphite or its licensing for national security reasons. There's also been a ban on the export of some kinds of rare earth processing technologies and rare earth themselves. How is this different from what the US is doing in exporting US technology to China?

Mao Ning: On the Chinese export controls you just mentioned, you can find the reasons behind these measures in previous statements and announcements released by China's competent authorities. Our measures do not target any particular country or company, which is fundamentally different from the measures deliberately imposed by the US to target particular countries and companies in the name of national security. You may ask the competent authorities for more information.a

AFP: The Ministry of Commerce announced an anti-dumping investigation into imported brandy originating from the EU. Is there a connection between this probe and the EU's investigation into Chinese EVs?

Mao Ning: I would like to refer you to China's competent authorities for your specific questions. More broadly, China is committed to high-standard opening up and the principles of market economy and the WTO rules. We are ready to provide an open, inclusive, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for EU and other international businesses that trade and invest in China. This has been our position all along and has not changed.aa

Ukrainian News Agency: On January 6, Russian military attacked residential buildings in Pokrovsky district of the Donetsk region and killed 11 civilians, including five children. Several countries in the United Nations, particularly Denise Brown, Assistant Secretary General, Permanent Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine, condemned Russian strikes and expressed the condolences to the victims' family. Does China support this position of the UN regarding the condemnation of the killing of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian military?

Mao Ning: China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We call on relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from attacking civilian facilities and protect civilians. China always believes that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. We hope all parties will work for a political settlement of the crisis, reach a ceasefire soon and jointly deescalate the situation.

Global Times: Al Jazeera released a statement on January 7 condemning Israel for killing its journalist Hamza Dahdouh during Israel's attack against southeastern Gaza. Hamza is the son of Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh whose wife, son, daughter and grandson were killed during a previous Israeli air strike. It was reported that Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP, was also killed during the attack. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: We mourn for the two journalists' death and extend our deep sympathies to Mr. Wael Dahdouh for his loss.

During the past three months, the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict has taken nearly 23,000 lives in Gaza, including over 100 media workers. According to relevant UN agency, nearly 90 percent of people in Gaza have been displaced. Despite the repeated international call for ceasefire, the fighting is still raging and killing innocent civilians every day. China strongly calls on relevant parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to exercise restraint, faithfully implement relevant UN resolutions, start an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians and prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.

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China's air force 'burned missile fuel to make hotpot': ex-officer

The story follows a US media report of missile fuel tanks filled with water, amid widespread military graft.

By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin 2024.01.08 -- Rampant corruption and funding shortfalls are eating away at the People's Liberation Army's ability to equip its own forces, according to a former People's Liberation Navy Lieutenant Colonel, who described air force personnel taking away chunks of solid missile fuel to use as fuel for meals of traditional Chinese hotpot during his time as a serving officer.

PLA Navy Lt. Col. Yao Cheng, a former staff officer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Command who fled to the United States in 2016, said corruption is rife throughout the Chinese military, and is often driven by a lack of adequate supplies or equipment.

"The budget for dinners and gifts is taken from the equipment department," Yao told RFA Mandarin, responding to a recent report from Bloomberg blaming ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's recent purge of the People's Liberation Army rocket chiefs on their failure to keep the nation's missiles fueled and at the ready.

"Some military departments have no money, and if they need money, their chief has to allocate some from the equipment budget," Yao said. "The equipment budget would have been sufficient, but not after being misappropriated."

He added: "When I was in the military, we would ... drain fuel from aircraft fuel tanks for cooking, which burns green and has no smell at all."

"When we would eat hotpot, we would take out the solid fuel in the missiles piece by piece, because there were insufficient supplies," Yao said. "I would often go along to the armory and ask them for a small round piece of solid fuel when we wanted to have hotpot."

Traditional Chinese hotpot is eaten out of a communal table-top pot that is kept constantly on the boil, as guests throw in raw meat, seafood and other delicacies to cook on demand. Pots can be fueled with anything from electricity to camping stove fuel.

Military purge

Bloomberg cited US intelligence assessments as saying that Xi's military purge came "after it emerged that widespread corruption undermined his efforts to modernize the armed forces and raised questions about China's ability to fight a war," quoting people familiar with the assessments.

"The corruption inside China's Rocket Force and throughout the nation's defense industrial base is so extensive that U.S. officials now believe Xi is less likely to contemplate major military action in the coming years than would otherwise have been the case," the agency reported.

It cited examples of missiles filled with water instead of fuel, as well as vast fields of missile silos in western China with lids that don't function in a way that would allow the missiles to launch effectively.

Xi replaced Li Yuchao as commander of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Corps - which controls the country's nuclear missiles - in July, as state media reported that Li and his former deputies Zhang Zhenzhong and Liu Guangbin had been placed under investigation by the Chinese Communist Party's disciplinary arm, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was reportedly being investigated for corrupt procurement of military equipment after being out of the public eye since Aug. 29, along with several other senior officials from the Chinese military's procurement unit, media reports said at the time.

Chinese lawmakers on Friday approved the appointment of Adm. Dong Jun, the former commander of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to the position of defense minister, state Xinhua news agency said.

Adm. Dong Jun replaced Li Shangfu, who was removed from office in October, as defense minister last month.

A person familiar with the Chinese military who gave only the surname Duan for fear of reprisals said he was unable to verify the content of the Bloomberg report, but agreed that corruption is rife in the military, which he described as a "closed and independent system."

"Corruption in the military is far worse than in local government," Duan said, citing the investigations in recent years into two former vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong and Xu Caihou, along with a number of other high-ranking Commission officials.

"Overseas media report that missiles are filled not with fuel, but with water," Duan said. "While we can't get conclusive proof of such a thing happening, it's entirely possible that it did."

Defense Department's report to Congress

Requests from Bloomberg for comment from the U.S. Department of Defense resulted in a referral to its 2023 report to Congress into China's military and defense capabilities.

In that report, the department said Xi had "strengthened and accelerated" his anti-corruption campaigns in the People's Liberation Army shortly after taking office, consolidating his grip on power in the process.

"Military discipline inspectors led by the CMC Discipline Inspection Commission have targeted individual power networks and occupational specialties historically prone to corruption," it said, citing probes into officers connected to Xu Caihou and Guo Boxiong and former Chief of Joint Staff General Fang Fenghui.

"In mid-2023 ... the PLA launched an inquiry into corruption linked to the procurement of military equipment, indicating that the PLA's anti-corruption campaign remains incomplete."

The report estimated that China's stockpile had more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of May 2023, and would likely expand that number to more than 1,000 by 2030.

"The PRC probably completed the construction of its three new solid-propellant silo fields in 2022, which consists of at least 300 new ICBM silos, and has loaded at least some ICBMs into these silos," the report said, referring to silo fields at Yumen in Gansu, Hami in Xinjiang and Ordos in Inner Mongolia.

"This project and the expansion of China's liquid-propellant silo force is meant to increase the peacetime readiness of its nuclear force by moving to a launch-on-warning (LOW) posture," it said.

A Jan. 5 commentary in the official Liberation Army Daily called for "strict management to create combat effectiveness," particularly at grassroots level, to "prevent small problems from turning into big problems."

"We must be soberly aware that violations of laws and disciplines by individual officers and soldiers at the grassroots level still occur from time to time," the paper said.

"Some still refuse to restrain themselves ... and embark on illegal and criminal paths."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.

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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Jimmy Lai's lawyers appeal to UN over prosecution witness 'torture'

Lawyers cite credible evidence that activist Andy Li's 'confession' was extracted through torture.

By Amelia Loi for RFA Mandarin 2024.01.08 -- Lawyers acting for Hong Kong pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai, who is currently standing trial under a draconian security law that cracks down on dissent, have appealed to the United Nations to investigate, saying a key witness for the prosecution was tortured before "confessing" to conspiring with Lai.

Lai's international legal team at London's Doughty Street Chambers lodged the appeal with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment over the treatment of Andy Li, among a group of 12 Hong Kong protesters captured by China's Coast Guard as they tried to flee to democratic Taiwan by speedboat.

"Credible evidence is emerging that Andy Li was tortured when in prison in China before confessing to allegedly conspiring with Jimmy Lai to collude with foreign entities to endanger national security," Lai's lawyers said in a statement on Jan. 4.

"Andy Li's evidence against Jimmy Lai - which it is suspected was coerced and obtained after he endured torture, inhuman and degrading treatment in Chinese detention, with the knowledge of the Hong Kong authorities - is central to the prosecution's case," it said.

Defense team leader and Kings Counsel Caoilfhionn Gallagher said there are grave concerns that Li's testimony against Lai was "coerced," and that his legal team are arguing that it should be discarded.

"International law prohibits reliance on evidence derived through torture, inhuman or degrading treatment," she said. "Such statements are involuntary, inherently unreliable, violate the right to a fair trial, and reliance upon them indirectly legitimises torture and taints the justice system."

Prosecutors at Lai's ongoing trial appear to be relying on Andy Li's testimony as a key plank in the case against Lai, Gallagher said.

"The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have so far failed to investigate these concerns, and in any event how could they credibly mark their own homework?" she said. "They must now answer to the United Nations."

'Collusion with foreign forces'

Replying on Friday to requests for comment from Reuters and the Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper, a Hong Kong government spokesman said it "strongly condemns and firmly opposes" the initiative by Lai's legal team, which it said was designed "to abuse the United Nations mechanisms to interfere with the judicial proceedings".

Amnesty International listed Li and the other speedboat fugitives as being at "imminent risk of torture and other ill-treatment" after their arrest on Aug. 23, 2020, after which they were held in incommunicado detention.

Following his handover to authorities in Hong Kong, Li pleaded guilty to charges of "collusion with foreign forces" alongside Lai in August 2021, after being accused of "conspiring" with Lai's aide Mark Simon and activist Finn Lau, now in exile, to ask foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong.

In May 2021, Li's family raised concerns that he was being secretly held in the maximum security Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre following his return to Hong Kong from Chinese custody. The center has a history of alleged abuses against inmates, according to media reports at the time.

Meanwhile, the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch called on the British government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, in connection with the naming of its members as "collaborators" or "co-conspirators" in Lai's national security trial.

Hong Kong Watch's co-founder and Chief Executive Benedict Rogers, the Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, or IPAC, Luke de Pulford, and Bill Browder, a financier and human rights campaigner who pioneered the introduction of Magnitsky sanctions worldwide - all British nationals - were among those named.

In a letter for Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the six Hong Kong Watch Patrons called Magnitsky-style sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, including asset freezes and a travel ban.

"John Lee has been, and continues to be, involved in activities which amount to a serious violation of the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment," the letter said, pointing to Lee's involvement in the transnational repression of prominent Hong Kong activists in exile.

Edited by Luisetta Mudie and 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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Students are coming back from the weekend and there is a chair that is empty, that wont be filled again, said Gordon Klasna, Billings School District 2s director of secondary education. A school is a family, and the schools lost a family member and so they need to work through that loss together.

School District 2 is providing counseling support to students, staff and families impacted by the fatal crash Friday evening on King Avenue West, which resulted in the death of West High School student Gavin McCombs.

The fatality is the fifth teenager in three weeks to be killed in a high-speed crash in Billings. In December, four teens were killed when the car they were in struck a pole near the Public Auction Yards in downtown Billings.

The impact of this tragedy is immeasurable, and we acknowledge the profound grief that will be experienced by all those familiar with the four young adults and their families, Superintendent Erwin Garcia wrote in his message of sympathy on the Billings Public Schools Facebook page Saturday.

In his post, Garcia stated that along with grief counseling, SD2s Crisis Team is available at schools directly impacted by the tragedy. Garcia encourages those connected to the SD2 community to reach out to one another for support.

Grieving is a journey that becomes more manageable when shared, he said. We understand the importance of coming together as a community to navigate through the challenges that lie ahead.

Klasna, who is supporting school staff, has witnessed the West High community come together this week in camaraderie. Teachers are leaning on one another and depending on each other where needed. He encourages students who are struggling with recent tragedies to reach out to their school counselors, family and friends.

The loss of a student is devastating, and I hope as a school and a community we can work through this together and support one another through this tragic loss, said Klasna.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the students involved, and we extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected, said Garcia.
Is China Benefiting From Instability In The Middle East?

By Reid Standish January 08, 2024

A rocket barrage on a strategic air base in northern Israel sent from Lebanon by Hizballah is the latest in a growing string of events in the Middle East that analysts say could boost China's standing in the region and create new opportunities for it to expand its influence.

That January 6 attack adds to other intensifying violence -- from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthis on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, strikes by Tehran-linked groups on U.S. bases in Iraq, a deadly bombing in southern Iran claimed by the Islamic State group, and the ongoing war in Gaza -- that highlight rising instability that could undermine efforts by the United States and its allies to prevent a regional escalation in the Middle East.

In the face of this fluid environment, observers have pointed to the potential diplomatic and political opportunities for China -- from siphoning U.S. attention away from the Indo-Pacific to being able to showcase its diplomatic leadership -- whose influence in the Middle East has grown extensively in the last decade.

The large-scale humanitarian crisis and mounting civilian casualties in Gaza from Israeli strikes launched in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas -- designated a terrorist group by the EU and the United States -- that killed some 1,200 people, has been an opportunity for China to blame the hostilities on the United States' Middle East policies.

At international bodies like the United Nations, Beijing has taken aim at Washington and accused it of double standards as part of what experts believe is a campaign designed to not only boost its influence in the Middle East, but across the Global South as well.

But how much sway does Beijing actually have in the Middle East and how well positioned is China to use it to further its goals in the region and beyond?

How China Approaches The Middle East Crises

China has charted a cautious policy on the Israel-Hamas war in which it has sought to contrast itself with the United States as being against foreign interventions and neutral in the conflict. But Beijing has not explicitly condemned Hamas and has grown increasingly critical of Israel as it stepped up its campaign in Gaza.

Beijing has so far managed to transform this stance into some diplomatic gains.

On November 20, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed Arabic and other Muslim ministers to Beijing for a conference as part of a diplomatic push to end the war in Gaza in a move that experts say sought to take advantage of perceived gaps in Western policy.

"China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries," Wang said. "We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Arab [and] Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people."

In the other crises in the region, Beijing has similarly looked to paint itself on the side of peace while pursuing its own interests.

China's Foreign Ministry quickly condemned the January 3 twin bombing in Iran that killed dozens but has not commented on attacks in Iraq targeting U.S. bases carried out by Iranian-backed militia groups. Beijing has spoken in vague terms about Hizballah's missile barrages into northern Israel and an assassination in Beirut blamed on Israel, making vague calls for a calming of tensions while explicitly not mentioning any group by name.

In approaching the Huthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, China has charted a slightly different course.

A Hong Kong-flagged vessel was attacked by Huthis in December and Cosco, the Chinese state-owned shipping giant that holds almost an 11 percent share of the trade market, suspended shipping to Israel through the Red Sea on January 8.

Some Chinese analysts, such as Jiang Limeng of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, which is connected to the country's Ministry of State Security, have warned that the Red Sea problems could harm Chinese interests by raising energy prices, curbing global trade, and contributing to wider instability in the Middle East. But other Chinese experts view the attacks as an opportunity.

In a video posted in late December on Douyin, the domestic Chinese sister app of the social-media platform TikTok, Xiao Yunhua, a professor at the People Liberation Army's National Defense University, argued that the Huthis "inadvertently did China a big favor" because choking the shipping lanes will likely lead to the increased use of Chinese-built and -backed railways for overland trade between China and Europe.

"The Huthis have indirectly contributed to the shift in transportation from sea to land, undermining U.S. maritime supremacy and promoting [Beijing's] international strategy of global multipolarity," Xiao said.

Is Chinese Influence Growing?

China has cast itself as a neutral geopolitical player in the Middle East and in recent years has boosted its standing with regional players like Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Energy, particularly oil, has been behind much of Beijing's recent outreach.

China is the world's top buyer of oil from Saudi Arabia -- the world's second-largest producer behind the United States -- and half of China's oil imports and a little more than one-third of all the oil burned in China, comes from the Persian Gulf, according to Kpler, a global intelligence consultancy.

China has also more than tripled its imports of Iranian oil in the past two years, according to Kpler.

China also promised Iran in 2021 to invest a reported $400 billion in the country in exchange for oil and fuel supplies, though Western sanctions against Tehran have prevented Beijing from realizing the terms of that sprawling agreement.

Beijing has also been active diplomatically.

In June 2023, China elevated its relationship with the Palestinian Authority to a "strategic partnership" -- the second-highest rank in Beijing's diplomatic interactions and Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered a three-point proposal for a path toward a two-state solution meant to achieve "a just and lasting solution to the Palestine issue."

In March 2023, Beijing also brokered a deal to help Iran and Saudi Arabia restore relations, which helped boost China's standing as a peacemaker in the region.

Analysts say that raised expectations for China to play a larger diplomatic role following the outbreak of war in Gaza, but that Beijing has so far not lived up to those expectations.

Fan Hongda, a professor of Middle East studies at Shanghai International Studies University and well-known scholar on the region, wrote in November that Beijing could face numerous problems if the Israel-Hamas war continues and instability spreads to other countries.

"With Beijing already paying great attention to the Palestinian issue, other countries -- and especially the Middle East -- are scrutinizing China's ability to respond to the Gaza-Israel war," he wrote. "This is clearly a challenge for China as well."

That warning has since played out. China's mediation efforts have largely tapered off following its November conference and China's Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, has kept a low profile since his sole visit to the region in October.

The war in Gaza has also greatly damaged Beijing's relationship with Israel, which had previously become an increasingly close partner in the Middle East and where Chinese companies invested heavily into cutting-edge technologies and strategic ports in the country.

Short-Term Opportunity Vs. Long-Term Risk

Fan also warned that the growing instability is against China's interest as it would push the region away from a focus on trade and economic investments and instead increasingly towards security. "[If] the situation in the Middle East continues to worsen, Middle Eastern leaders will inevitably focus more on national security, which is not a core area of China-Middle East cooperation," he wrote.

While China has shown that it can respond to opportunities, Fan warned that a drawn-out conflict could expose Beijing's limits in the long-run.

While Wang has spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss stabilizing the region, the United States has emerged as the only actor with enough diplomatic power to engage across the Middle East.

Blinken is currently on a regional tour that includes Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece. Meanwhile, questions remain over whether Beijing is willing or able to exercise pressure on Tehran or its partners to lower tensions.

"China can do little to convince Iran to rein in Lebanese Hizballah from attacking Israel in the north nor stop Iraqi [Shi'ite] militias from harassing American troops and diplomats," wrote Ahmed Aboudouh, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

"Even if it could, the Chinese would not go out of their way and endanger their relations with strategic partners to give Washington a free win," he added.

This situation could ultimately backfire on China should instability continue to spread, wrote Niu Xinchun, director of Middle East Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, which is run by China's Ministry of State Security and based in Beijing.

"If the Middle East really plunges into full-scale turmoil, China, as the region's largest trading partner and the largest buyer of Middle East oil, will turn out to be the biggest victim," he wrote.

Niu added that China remains the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that does not have a military base or troops stationed in the Middle East and will have less influence to use as the conversation shifts to national security issues.

"[China's] influence on the emergence and scale of crises in the region is limited," he wrote.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-benefiting-middle-east- strife/32766139.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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Gunmen kill political leader in India's West Bengal

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:26, January 08, 2024

NEW DELHI, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen Sunday shot dead ruling Trinamool Congress party leader Satyan Chowdhury in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, police said.

Chowdhury was fired upon from point-blank range in Berhampore of Murshidabad district, about 199 km north of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal.

According to locals, Chowdhury was Trinamool Congress party's general secretary for Murshidabad.

"Today a group of men on bikes fired upon 65-year-old Satyan Chowdhury from a close range. The TMC leader was rushed to a hospital for treatment. However, he was declared dead on arrival," a police official said.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the killing.

"The police are examining closed-circuit television camera footage of the area to identify the assailants," the police official said.

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Iran urges for its removal from FATF recommendations

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- In a letter of protest to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Iran's Finance Minister Ehsan Khandouzi has urged for the Islamic Republic of Iran's name to be removed from Recommendation 7 and other documents related to UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

FATF Recommendation 7 requires countries to implement targeted financial sanctions to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destructions (WMD) and their financing in compliance with UN Security Council resolutions.

UN Security Council Resolution 2231-- adopted in 2015 to implement the Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- terminated previous UN resolutions on Iran (1373, 1747, 1803, and 1929) but introduced restrictive measures, including targeted financial sanctions.

The resolution's provisions would be applicable to Iran based on one of either two conditions: up to eight years after the approval of the JCPOA and upon the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) verification.

Given the JCPOA's approval date of October 18, 2015, the first condition applies to the Islamic Republic.

Iran received a note from the UN Security Council Secretariat on October 19, which declared an end to restrictions the council had imposed on Iran's missile program.

The FATF is a non-binding regulatory institution formed by the United States and its Western allies, supposedly to counter terrorism financing and safeguard the integrity of the international financial system.

Critics, however, say the organization reflects the interests of powerful countries seeking to impose preferences on other jurisdictions, and depends on funds from Western governments.

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Terrorism a threat to all nations and governments: Iran FM spox

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said that terrorism is a threat to all nations, and those who use terror as a tool to reach their goals should be accountable.

"Terrorism is an inclusive threat to all nations and governments. Those who use terrorism for their vicious goals should know that they are also responsible for the terrorist acts conducted by terror groups and that they should be accountable too," the spokesman said on Monday at his weekly press briefing in Tehran.

Referring to the last week's terrorist attack in Iran's southeastern city of Kerman, where dozens of Iranian and Afghan nationals were killed in twin suicide blasts, Kanaani said that Iran has unfortunately been and remains a victim of terrorism.

The Islamic Republic has always stressed the danger of terrorism, he said, adding that the country has used bilateral and multilateral diplomatic negotiations as well as international mechanisms in order to uproot terrorism.

** Iran-France FMs phone call

Kanaani said that the French government condemned the recent terrorist attack in Kerman.

The two sides also discussed the critical situation in Gaza and the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stressed ending the Zionist regime's aggression, he added.

Stressing Iran's clear position regarding Gaza, he said that a contradictory action is seen behind the slogans of some Western countries and they should stop providing arms and support to the Israeli regime.

He also expressed hope that the United Nations Security Council will fulfill its duties.

Iran has made its full diplomatic effort since the beginning of the crisis three months ago and has used all its power and potential at different levels.

We are also using bilateral and multilateral negotiations and other international mechanisms to achieve this goal, Kanaani noted.

When some actors unilaterally called for an unfair solution in favor of the occupying regime, Iran officially submitted an initiative based on democracy to the United Nations, he added.

We believe that this initiative can be a solution to end this decades-long crisis in the occupied territories, he stressed.

'Technical reasons behind delay in Umrah Hajj flights'

On the delay in Umrah Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia, Kanaani said the relevant authorities at the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization have already provided extensive details about the issue, which he said was technical rather than political.

"Saudi Arabia considers itself fully committed in this regard, and the related institutions of our country are also making efforts to resolve this issue. We expressed hope that this technical obstacle will also be removed," he said.

'All countries favor end to Gaza war'

Referring to the Zionist regime's war against Gaza, Kanaani said an immediate end to the war is what all world countries fully endorse, pointing out that the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in this regard as well as widespread protests around the globe attest to this fact.

But unfortunately, he went on, the US does not allow the war to end and exerts its influence and uses its veto right at the UN Security Council to prevent the council from carrying out its duties.

"Occupation is the root cause of the Palestine issue and this problem must be resolved. This cannot be achieved based on unilateral plans that only benefit the Zionist regime, and any dialogue in this regard should be held within the framework of Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue."

The Foreign Ministry spokesman also maintained that regional issues must be resolved by regional governments and nations, adding that the US, which is to blame for most of the problems, must stop its interventionist policies in the region.

US illegal presence cause of regional insecurity

Kanaani also spoke about the situation in Iraq where resistance groups have been conducting attacks on US bases to show their protest at Washington's support for Israel's war on Gaza.

"The root cause of the insecurity in the region is the illegal presence of American forces, their interference in (the affairs of) regional countries, and of course, their support for the Zionist regime," he said, adding that Iran has its own special approach towards developments in the region.

As far as attacks against US forces in Iraq are concerned, it should be noted that American troops should leave that country based on an approval by the Iraqi parliament, and Iraqi forces will also fulfill their duties in this regard, the Iranian diplomat said.

He added that Iran has already informed Iraq that the presence of American forces, within an international coalition or under any other reason, will not help promote security and stability in Iraq and the region. Their presence is a cause of instability instead, Kanaani noted.

The United States uses its presence in regional countries against the very same countries, he further said, expressing assurance that Iraqi security and military forces are capable enough to boost security and promote stability across their country without getting help from outside forces.

The spokesman also touched upon the security situation in the Red Sea in the wake of Yemeni attacks on Israeli-linked ships in response to the regime's war on Gaza.

He blamed the Red Sea situation on the Israeli occupation as well as the support the regime has received from the US and some other countries since the Gaza war began three months ago.

"This cruel war has caused consequences which will arise if the war goes on. The situation in the region and the Red Sea is due to the crisis in Palestine. If they want tranquility to be restored in the region, they should stop the Zionist regime's crimes."

The Zionist regime is seeking to expand the war, and basically sees the nature of its establishment in regional insecurity and instability, the spokesman noted.

** Ukrainian plane crash

Once again, we sympathize with the families of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash and we try to relieve the victims' families' pain, Kanaani said.

We use all our capacity, but at the same time, we do not accept the instrumental use of some countries from this incident to exert political pressure on Iran, he added.

** Caucasus region

Iran has clear positions regarding the situation in the South Caucasus region and transit corridors, he noted.

We are making a lot of efforts to establish peace, stability, and security in the regional countries.

We emphasize that developing transit cooperation cannot be a basis for geopolitical changes and violation of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries, Kanaani said.

** Iran-Russia agreement

The agreement between Iran and Russia is related to developing interactions and is in the form of cooperation documents in various fields to ensure the interests of Iran and Russia and is not against any country, Kanaani said.

** Iran's fight against terrorism

Iran has been exposed to various terrorist groups that have targeted the security and stability of the regional countries, he said.

Iran's intelligence forces have shown that they have a high ability to safeguard the country amid a wave of regional threats and insecurities, he added.

Iran's intelligence bodies and regional and transregional countries will continue to cooperate well to create peace and security, he stressed.

Supporting Palestine

With regard to holding a meeting by the parliaments of Islamic countries on the issue of Palestine, Kanaani said any such capacity can be effective in supporting Palestine and ending the Zionist regime's crimes.

On the failures of the occupying regime's army in the Gaza war, he said the regime has not achieved any of its declared goals after three months of continuous atrocities against Gaza.

Israel has "suffered strategic and irreparable defeats and does not possess the power to confront even one regional resistance group," he said, adding that the war exposed the empty military and security grandeur of the regime more than ever.

"The crimes of the last three months showed that this regime does not adhere to any of the moral, humanitarian and international principles and laws," he stated.

'Israel brought international disgrace on itself'

According to Kanaani, the Zionist regime has brought an international disgrace on itself and has left no excuse for the self-styled human rights advocates to take its part.

On the other hand, the Palestinian nation showed how it has stood up against a regime that is armed to the teeth for 75 years, he noted.

"In the event the United States, Western countries and the allies of the Zionist regime seek to resolve the problem and stop the crimes of the Zionist regime and prevent the spread of the war, they should show their desire in a practical way, but until now, unfortunately, we have not seen such a thing from Western countries," Kanaani said, pointing out that there are many contradictions between their words and actions.

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'Iran will support Resistance until the destruction of Zionist regime'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to support Resistance forces until the total annihilation of the Zionist regime, says a top advisor to the chief commander of the IRGC Quds Force.

"The Islamic Republic will support the resistance forces until the destruction of the regime occupying al-Quds, and there is no doubt that the resistance forces alone can stand against the usurper Israel," Brigadier General Iraj Masjedi said Sunday.

He made the remarks during a commemoration ceremony of the former chief commander of the IRGC Quds Force, Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US drone strike on January 3, 2020.

"Our enemies, the Americans and the Zionists, should know that the Islamic forces will not shy away from defending their rights and their lands against the Zionists," said Masjedi, who also served as Iran's ambassador to Iraq until April 2022.

He said defending Palestine's rights is on the agenda of the Islamic Republic and that Iran will pursue the issue vigorously.

The best revenge for the unjustly shed blood is the "harsh revenge" that will be taken by the resistance forces, he asserted.

The Iranian general reiterated that Iran will continue to firmly defend the resistance forces and the Palestinian nation against the occupiers of Islamic lands.

He made clear, however, that the Palestinian resistance forces are fully capable of facing off occupation forces by themselves, as witnessed in the last 90 days, and will continue to resist against the Zionist regime.

The Zionist regime waged an ongoing war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian resistance forces carried out a surprise and unprecedented attack into the occupied territories in retaliation for the regime's intensified violence against Palestinians.

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Iran's membership to significantly boost capacities at BRICS: Deputy FM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Jan 8, 2024

Moscow, IRNA -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Coordination on Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari has said that Iran's membership in the BRICS bloc of emerging economies can significantly boost capacities of the organization in the fields of transit, energy, oil, gas and modern technologies.

Mehdi Safari said in a recently interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that BRICS is becoming a market half of the world's size.

He said the bloc now include the biggest producers and consumers of oil and gas in the world, adding that it will play an important role in the global energy market.

He also referred to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which Iran became one of its permanent members in 2023, as a regional market that can create a win-win condition for all member countries.

Both BRICS and SCO have proposed Iran to take over leadership role at some of their committees there, the Iranian diplomat added.

Iran and five other countries became full members of BRICS as of January 1, 2024.

The bloc was originally composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

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Iran warns of Israel's acts of terror, adventurism to expand war across region

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 6:13 PM

Iran warns the international community and the United Nations Security Council about Israel's overt and adventurous efforts to expand war across the region.

In a statement on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani said the persistence of Israel's war crimes against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria, and the regime's open efforts to resort to organized terrorism all pose an "immediate danger to regional and global peace and security."

He denounced the assassination of a senior commander of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, in an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon, adding, "Undoubtedly, the criminal Zionist regime and its supporters are definitely responsible for the consequences of such terrorist and adventurous measures."

Kan'ani said Israel has resorted to desperate terrorist acts which expose the regime's obvious military weakness and the heavy blow it has suffered on the battlefields, including the Gaza Strip.

"Such evil acts will never be able to compensate for the regime's irreparable defeat in [Operation] Al-Aqsa Storm and its three months of warmongering against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank," he added.

The Iranian diplomat also commended Lebanon's support for the oppressed Palestinian people in the face of the criminal Israeli regime.

He once again reiterated Iran's support for Lebanon's unity, coherence, stability and security and its legitimate right to counter Israel's acts of aggression.

Israel has been desperate in its ground invasion of the besieged Gaza Strip since early October. The regime has achieved no objectives in Gaza, killing more than 23,000 people notwithstanding.

Southern Lebanon has also been tense ever since, with Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanging fire across the border on a daily basis.

Hezbollah has already warned the regime of the consequences of further escalation in the region.

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Iran: Kerman massacre caused by those using terrorism as tool for their goals

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 11:10 AM

Iran says the culprits behind the deadly terrorist bomb attacks in the city of Kerman use terrorism as a tool to achieve their own objectives.

Speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani strongly condemned Wednesday's two explosions in Kerman by the Daesh terrorist group that killed 91 people and injured hundreds of others.

"The incident showed that terrorism is a pervasive peril to all governments and nations. Those who use terrorism as a tool to reach their objectives should be held accountable and bear responsibility for supporting terrorist movements," he added.

Kan'ani also said that the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has served the interests of the Zionist regime, highlighting confessions about the US's role in the creation of the ominous phenomenon.

He further emphasized that Iran's intelligence forces have shown that they are capable of ensuring the security of the nation amid a wave of instability in the region.

'Israeli occupation Palestine's major issue'

Regarding Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the Iranian diplomat said that firstly, the West needs to stop providing Israel with political and security support.

Secondly, he continued, the capacities of international mechanisms and the United Nations Security Council should be used to end Israel's atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Kan'ani also said that Iran believes in the rights of the Palestinian people in defiance of threats by some parties promoting unfair solutions in favor of the Zionist regime.

"We believe that Iran's initiative can ... end the Palestinian crisis. We believe that the [Israeli] occupation is Palestine's major issue and that it must be resolved," he added.

Iran has long proposed a referendum with the participation of all the original inhabitants of the Palestinian lands and their descendants as an ultimate solution to the long-running conflict in Palestine.

'Gaza war will spread if Israeli crimes continue'

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the Israeli war on Gaza could "metastasize" to the wider West Asia.

Commenting on the remarks, Kan'ani said, "If the crimes of the Zionist regime are not prevented, the scope of the war will expand. If we are witnessing the spread of the war in the region, it is the outcome of the US's negligence toward this concern."

He further stressed that regional issues are related to the governments and nations of the region and that Washington plays a destructive role in this regard.

'Red Sea incidents outcome of Gaza war'

Kan'ani also described recent incidents in the Red Sea as "an outcome of the situation in Palestine."

"The cause is the occupation and the war that is being waged against the oppressed people of Gaza with US support over the past three months. The war has had consequences in the region and if it goes on, the consequences will continue."

Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 22,835 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 58,416 others.

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Iranian, Russian Exporters Able to Conduct Payments in National Currencies - Central Bank

Sputnik News

20240108

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Russian and Iranian exporters are able to handle transactions in national currencies after the two countries integrated their financial message transfer systems, allowing banks to make direct payments without using the SWIFT payment system, Deputy Head of Iranian Central Bank Mohsen Karimi said.

"We have connected the two countries' message transfer systems to each other. This means that the banks of the two countries no longer need Switzerland to connect to each other and commercial banks of both countries can establish intermediary relations. The exporter can issue an invoice in rials to the Russian side and receive money from Russian banks in Iran," Karimi was quoted as saying by Iranian news agency Fars.

Transactions can now be made in the national currencies of Russia and Iran, the deputy chief of the Iranian central bank said.

Iranian Central Bank governor Mohammad Reza Farzin said in late December 2023 that Iran and Russia would sign a deal to trade in their national currencies instead of the US dollar in the first quarter of 2024.

In March of that year, Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ehsan Khandouzi told Sputnik that banking payment systems of Iran and Russia had been fully connected and would enable banks in both countries to open accounts for national companies and carry out direct payments.

A Sputnik

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Iran blames U.S. military interventions for regional instability

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:42, January 09, 2024

TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that many of the insecurities, instabilities and tensions in West Asia have roots in the U.S. military presence and interventions in the region.

He made the remarks at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, while commenting on the recent tensions between U.S. forces and resistance groups in Iraq and other regional states.

"Many of the insecurities, instabilities and tensions in the region have roots in the U.S. government's political, military and security interventions in the region as well as its unlimited and unconditional support for Israel," said Kanaani.

Kanaani's remarks followed an attack launched by the U.S. military on Thursday on the headquarters of the Hashd Shaabi resistance group in eastern Baghdad, which killed three people, including a leader of the Harakat al-Nujaba group that is part of Hashd Shaabi.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani said on Friday his government would soon start talks with the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq through a committee to arrange the withdrawal of foreign troops, a move he said was "a commitment that the government will not back down from."

The time has come for the U.S. military forces' pullout from the Iraqi territory, Kanaani said, adding regional countries could ensure peace, stability and security through collective cooperation without the help of transregional military forces.

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The decline of mule deer in Montana will receive added attention as Fish, Wildlife & Parks seeks nominations to an advisory council.

The department has begun rewriting its mule deer management plan and is seeking 10 to 12 people to help with the work.

As we begin the process of developing a new mule deer plan, we are really open to taking a different approach, if thats what the public wants, said FWP Director Dustin Temple in a news release. I know landowners and hunters alike have concerns with the trajectory of Montana mule deer populations. This council will help put us on the right path to a fresh plan that addresses these concerns and others.

Anyone interested in serving can fill out a form, contact the FWP Wildlife Division office at 406-444-3940 or email FWPWLD@mt.gov. Applications must be received no later than Jan. 31.

Management plan

Since 2001 the states deer populations have been managed adaptively, meaning the department sets hunting quotas based on spring population surveys, buck-to-doe ratios and the past falls hunter harvest. The departments biologists can then make recommendations based on recent information.

However, in the December Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting vice chair Pat Tabor, of Whitefish, proposed eliminating all mule deer doe harvest in southeastern Montanas Region 7, except on private land and excluding Block Management Areas.

Tabor told the group he had a deep-seated genuine concern about the sustainability of the population. When accessible to public hunters, Tabor said they just absolutely hammer, just hammer the deer in those areas.

The motion prompted a lengthy discussion, including a comment from Region 7 Commissioner Bill Lane, of Ismay, who said he was worried the proposal would further divide public hunters and private landowners.

Commission chair Lesley Robinson said she was strongly opposed to Block Management cooperators being excluded. She noted her family, who lives in Region 6, has participated in the program for 23 years.

The proposal was voted down. Tabor then changed the amendment to allow hunting on Block Management Areas and the motion passed.

Population decline

Mule deer populations have declined in southeastern Montana from their most recent peak in 2020, according to FWP. Back then, 11,000 mule deer B licenses  good only to hunt antlerless deer  were issued. This past season that was cut to 1,000 B licenses. Overall, the regions mule deer population is 48% below the long-term average.

Landowner Art Hayes III, who lives along the Tongue River in Region 7, wrote an email to the commission in support of the doe tag reduction. Although bad winters in the past have hampered deer populations, Hayes said they always recovered on public and private lands. Thats not the case anymore, he said.

Hayes said public lands in the region are now hunted harder and longer than in the past. As a consequence, deer have learned not to move from the protection of private lands.

For its part, FWP said the halt to all hunting of antlerless mule deer was unlikely to have a biologically meaningful effect on mule deer in Region 7. The agency also expressed concern about the effect on Block Management Area cooperators.

Why not Region 6?

Commissioner Jeff Burrows, of Hamilton, suggested Region 6 be added to Tabors original proposal, noting he had heard anecdotally from hunters in the area that mule deer populations were in trouble. Robinson, who lives in Dodson, agreed.

The people who are on the ground, and Im not talking about people who are just driving the roads, Im talking about people who are really on the ground, it is across the board that the numbers are down, she said.

Region 6 wildlife manager Scott Thompson said populations of mule deer have declined in parts of northeastern Montana, while some hunting districts are above average  specifically 640 in the very northeast corner of the region which was 188% above average and 600 and 670 which are around 40% above average.

As the commission debated adding Block Management participants or using damage and chronic wasting disease tags to reduce high deer numbers, FWP Director Temple weighed in.

This is getting tricky real fast, he said.

Not all mule deer hunting districts are created equal, Temple said. Conditions vary widely as its a really big state, really big landscapes.

He said the department has a lot of information to analyze and stakeholders and commissioners to talk to regarding such sweeping management changes.

New amendment

Burrows then made a motion to pass a similar resolution banning all mule deer doe hunting on public land in Region 6, which passed.

To me it seems like a no-brainer when you have a struggling population to eliminate the doe harvest, he said.

In the portions of Region 6 where mule deer populations are strong, theres concern about the potential spread of chronic wasting disease, an always fatal ailment. Thompson, the Region 6 wildlife manager, said CWD prevalence in the hunting districts that have above-average populations ranges from a high of 14% to a low of 8%. The departments goal is 5% or less.

Thompson also noted its uncertain how legislation passed last session that reduces the number of antlerless tags nonresidents can buy will affect hunting pressure. Senate Bill 281 limits nonresidents to two mule deer doe tags.

Weve heard from some hunters already, nonresidents, that they claim they wont return because of the limited opportunity, Thompson said.

Whats more, with the limit on nonresident B tags it will take more hunters to sell those tags out, since previously one hunter could have up to seven tags. Thompson speculated that change has the potential to put more nonresident hunters in the field.

Were really curious how this will impact nonresident participation, he said.

Regarding buck-to-doe ratios in Region 6, Thompson said overall there are 25 bucks per 100 does. Regionally thats a 17% decrease. HD 630, however, was down to about nine bucks per 100 does, he said. Thompson added having a high deer population doesnt necessarily translate to more bucks.

Advisory group

Although the Fish and Wildlife Commission has adjusted regulations in many areas to protect mule deer herds, FWP said a more comprehensive approach is needed.

The Mule Deer Citizens Advisory Council will represent a variety of stakeholders from around the state. The meetings will be facilitated. The facilitator will attempt to reach a consensus among members. The meetings will be public and have the opportunity for public comment.

Once the council identifies expectations for a new mule deer plan, FWP staff will work on rewriting the plan in a process that will include scoping and ample opportunity for public comment, FWP said. The goal is to have a new plan completed by the end of 2024.
Iraq's Kurdistan will never be a source of threat against any neighbor, especially Iran: Barzani

Iran Press TV

Monday, 08 January 2024 3:59 PM

President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Nechirvan Barzani says the semi-autonomous region will never become a platform for threats against Iran.

Barzani made the remarks on Monday as he paid a visit to the Iranian Consulate General in Kurdistan's capital of Erbil to offer his condolences to the Iranian people and leadership over last week's terrorist attacks that killed at least 90 people in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman.

"We have repeatedly said and today we reiterate once again that we will never be a source of threat for any of our neighbors especially the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

Iran and Iraq signed a major security pact in March under which Baghdad pledged to root out terrorist activities aimed at the Iranian territory from Kurdistan where anti-Iran groups have been operating in recent years.

Iranian authorities have urged officials in the central government in Baghdad and Kurdish officials to do more to ensure that the terrorists and their bases are completely relocated form areas near the Iranian border.

Barzani told officials in the Iranian Consulate in Erbil that there was a need for increased cooperation in the region to root out terrorism.

He also appreciated Iran's assistance to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in their fight against Daesh terrorists in recent years.

"Iran helped Iraq and the Kurdistan region a lot at the time Daesh emerged and increased its power," said Barzani.

Daesh claimed responsibility for the twin blasts that rocked a crowded memorial service held on January 3 in Kerman for Qassem Soleimani, the late Iranian general who was killed four years ago in a US drone strike near Baghdad's main airport.

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Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with President Herzog of Israel

January 08, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris today spoke to President Isaac Herzog of Israel. The Vice President reiterated our steadfast support for Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of threats from Hamas, and she again condemned Hamas as a barbaric terrorist organization that perpetrated a horrific massacre on October 7 and engaged in brutal sexual violence. The Vice President and President Herzog discussed efforts to prevent the conflict in Gaza from spreading to the broader region, including in Lebanon and the Red Sea. The Vice President and President Herzog spoke about the shift to lower intensity operations in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and the importance of protecting of civilian lives and increasing humanitarian assistance into Gaza. They discussed ongoing planning for post-conflict Gaza and progress made on that front. The Vice President reiterated U.S. positions, including that Israel must be secure, there must be no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and the Palestinians must have a hopeful political horizon. The Vice President also reiterated that the United States wants to see a more integrated, connected, and prosperous Middle East.

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19 civilians massacred by junta forces in Sagaing region

Attacks don't spare women and children.

By RFA Burmese 2024.01.08 -- Military junta soldiers massacred 19 civilians in two townships in northwest Myanmar's Sagaing region after detaining them, residents said, in the latest slaughter of civilians in the country's nearly three-year civil war.

Piles of corpses of all 19 people were discovered on Sunday near the Five Mile bus terminal located at the convergence of Kawlin, Wuntho and Pinlebu townships, local residents told Radio Free Asia.

The dead had lived in Wuntho township and Kawlin township, both of which had been seized by anti-regime People's Defense Forces, or PDFs, made up of ordinary people who have taken up arms against the junta, which took control of the country in a February 2021 coup d'etat.

Junta soldiers, already pushed back by recent advances by rebel groups, have resorted to brutality to stop residents from providing support to the PDF, residents said.

The military column that killed the civilians was headed from Paungbyin township to Kawlin and Wuntho townships, resistance forces and residents said.

They were found dead on the night of Jan. 5, the same day of their arrest, residents said, though Radio Free Asia has not yet been able to confirm the deaths with the ruling military council.

The shadow National Unity Government has been operating Kawlin township's administrative, legislative and commercial sectors since resistance forces captured the township on Dec. 3, 2023.

In coordination with Operation 1027, a series of defensive attacks by an alliance of three ethnic armies in northern Shan state launched on Oct. 27, joint forces comprising the Kachin Independence Army and local PDFs have captured Kawlin, Mawlu, Khampat and Shwepyiaye towns in Sagaing region.

Signs of atrocities

The bodies of five residents from Kawlin, whose hands and feet were tied, were collected and buried on Sunday, according to an official from the local PDF.

The bodies were those of a father and two sons, female rice merchant Khin Sein, and driver Tun Phaw Hlaing, he said. The adults were between the ages of 30 and 50.

"One of the five bodies we took away yesterday had been shot many times in the abdomen very closely," said the official who declined to be named to ensure his safety. "Another body was found with serious injury to the head."

Some 5.56-millimeter cartridges made by Myanmar's military defense industry were found near the bodies, he said.

RFA could not reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun or Sai Nai Nai Kyaw, the spokesperson for Sagaing's ethnic affairs minister, for the comment on the massacre.

Junta forces attacked civilians in Kawlin and Wuntho townships to try to recapture Kawlin township from the local PDF, said a Wuntho resident on condition of anonymity.

"They have threatened the locals with killing possible informants of the resistance forces when they advanced on Kawlin," the person said.

Kyaw Win, the UK-based executive director of the Burma Human Rights Network, said the mass killings of civilians is a war crime and a crime against humanity.

"Military troops have also committed similar crimes across the country," he said.

Women and children

Deadly attacks by junta soldiers have taken their toll on civilian women and children in Myanmar.

In December alone, nearly 40 women and children lost their lives, with most killed by airstrikes, artillery shells and gunshots, according to the Burmese Women's Union.

Of the 33 women killed, 22 had been arrested by the military junta, the women's rights umbrella organization said. The women who died in the attacks included six in Sagaing region, six in Rakhine state, four in Mandalay region, two in Mon state, three in Magway, four in Bago region, four in Shan state, three in Kayin state and one in Chin state.

"A total of 15 women died during bombardments in December, 17 women were killed by artillery shelling, and one died from a gunshot," said Wai Wai Myint, an official from the Burmese Women's Union.

Six children between the ages of 1 and 7 years old died in airstrikes by junta forces, including three in Sagaing's Paungbyin town, one in the region's Pale township, and two in Nyaunglebin township in Bago region.

Aye Myint Aung Aung, a leading member of the Women Alliance Burma, a group that emerged from protests following the 2021 coup, said women and children are not safe in conflict-torn areas of Myanmar.

"The military council will show no mercy to any civilians, and has targeted them," she told RFA. "Along routes [traveled by] military columns, they raped and killed women. These soldiers did not even have compassion for the children."

RFA could not reach a spokesman for the junta for comment on women and children casualties.

In all of 2023, nearly 400 women were killed and over 540 were arrested by the military council, according to the Burmese Women's Unions.

Translated by Aung Naing for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and 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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University student population has plunged 90% since coup

Students and instructors in Myanmar are boycotting school in droves and joining the resistance.

By RFA Burmese 2024.01.08 -- Myanmar's university student population has plummeted by more than 90% since the military's takeover nearly three years ago, according to statistics published by the junta's department of education.

Students and instructors interviewed by RFA Burmese, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns, said the decline in enrollment numbers reflects their choice to boycott the junta's education system and join the resistance movement.

On Nov. 23, the junta re-opened 47 universities across the country and 24,243 students enrolled for the 2023-24 academic years, according to statistics published by the Department of Higher Education.

But the Department of Basic Education said that 161,850 students took the university entrance exam during the 2022-23 academic year - 109,851 of whom passed.

The numbers from the two departments show that only around 22% of students who passed the entrance exam ended up enrolling at a university.

The rate of enrollment also reflects a staggering drop from that of the year prior to the military's Feb. 1, 2021, coup.

During the 2019-20 academic year, when the civilian-led National League for Democracy was still in power, 910,229 registered for the university entrance exam, of whom 291,798 passed. Of those who passed, 260,173 enrolled, or nearly 90%.

The numbers show that, under the junta, university enrollment has declined by more than 68%, while the population of university students contracted by more than 90%.

The decline also comes despite junta exhortations for students to attend universities published in state media.

Higher education 'basically stopped' under junta

When interviewed by RFA, students and instructors said that they can no longer expect to receive or provide an education that differentiates between right and wrong under the regime, and therefore had decided to suspend their studies.

Others said they could not bring themselves to attend or teach at a university amid widespread suffering in the country and would rather forgo their studies or resign than allow the junta to claim that it had returned enrollment rates to the levels seen prior to the coup d'etat nearly three years ago.

"I feel ashamed to attend university while many families have lost their homes and family members due to the junta," said one student from the University of East Yangon, who is boycotting classes and has vowed not to return until the military is removed from power.

"As a member of the young generation, I will fight to remove the military dictatorship however I can. So, I decided not to attend university."

A first year student told RFA that while some students continue to attend university classes, many others have left.

"It is their choice to do so," the student said.

Meanwhile, an associate university professor who has joined Myanmar's anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement, or CDM, boycotting state employment said that the country's higher education system had essentially ground to a halt under military rule.

"Around 60% of teachers at this level have joined the CDM," the professor said. "In reality, [the junta] aren't able to open colleges and universities [due to enrollment declines and boycotting teachers], but they did so anyway."

The professor acknowledged that "tens of thousands" of students are attending classes at the country's major universities in cities such as Dagon, Yadanabon, Mawlamyine, Magway and Monywa.

"But the country's higher education system has basically stopped due to the CDM of university teachers and students since the coup," they said.

Other sources told RFA that the junta decided to reopen schools despite having so few students enrolled in a bid to show that a sense of normalcy had returned to the country under its watch.

'Knowledge no longer protected'

An official with the shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, Federal Democratic Education Cooperation Network told RFA that a genuine education is "impossible" in Myanmar while a military regime that routinely persecutes its opponents is in charge.

"Knowledge is no longer protected under the regime," the official said. "We expect an education system that differentiates between good and evil, but this is no longer possible. We can't expect such an education amid an environment filled with injustice and corruption."

In the meantime, the NUG's Ministry of Education has launched several online programs to support an interim education for CDM students who have boycotted their schools since the coup.

An official from the ministry told RFA that students who are unable to take advantage of the interim education programs due to security concerns will be given a chance to enroll in universities in the country's post-revolution period.

"[They] will be allowed to join their original university, while assistance will be provided for those who are unable to rejoin their original universities to attend public online universities and other classes," the official said.

Attempts by RFA to contact the junta's Department of Higher Education for comment on the state of the country's university enrollment went unanswered.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and 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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Resistance groups claim capture of 2 Myanmar cities

The alliance has reportedly taken control of 13 townships since implementing Operation 1027 in October.

By RFA Burmese 2024.01.08 -- Myanmar's Three Brotherhood Alliance claimed the capture of two cities, according to a statement released Monday. The resistance group announced they stormed two junta camps on Sunday, causing troops to withdraw.

The alliance reportedly captured Hseni in northeastern Shan state on Sunday morning. The junta camp there also acts as the army's regional operational command headquarters, according to the alliance. Later that day, the allied forces moved to the city of Kutkai and seized it late at night, according to locals.

All junta troops from Hseni and Kutkai withdrew and fled to Lashio on Sunday afternoon, said one local who has been following military movements in the area.

The alliance comprises three resistance groups, including the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army, and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army. Since the Three Brotherhood Alliance's Operation 1027 began in late October, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army's fighters have claimed control of most major areas in Hseni.

The junta's regional headquarters and smaller camps are located several kilometers away from the city. The area has been under a blockade for almost two months. Troops retaliated during Sunday's attack using heavy artillery and airstrikes, a local told Radio Free Asia, asking to go anonymous to protect their identity.

The alliance attacked the camps in Kutkai multiple times earlier this month, they said, adding that junta troops responded with airstrikes on Sunday evening during the fighting.

One fighter involved in the ground battles told RFA Kutkai was entirely captured, despite the junta's heavy defense. However, others said the status of Hseni could not be confirmed at this time.

"It is true that our forces captured the whole of Kutkai city last night," said a spokesman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, asking to remain nameless for fear of reprisals. "As for Hseni, I can't confirm it, because we are not there."

Myanmar's regime has not released any information about battles in Hseni and Kutkai. RFA was unable to reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment regarding junta injuries and fatalities.

On Thursday, the alliance also overtook a military command center in northern Myanmar, claiming control of the city of Laukkai according to a statement released Friday.

Since the launch of Operation 1027 more than two months ago, the Three Brotherhood Alliance has reportedly captured 14 townships in northern Shan state and seized control of more than 200 junta camps.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

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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Fire ravages Rohingya refugee camp leaving 3,500 children homeless and 1,500 without education

UNICEF

Statement attributable to UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, Mr. Sheldon Yett

08 January 2024

DHAKA, 8 January 2024 -- "UNICEF offers its deepest sympathies to the 5,000 Rohingya refugees - including 3,500 children - who sadly lost their homes in the fire that broke out in Camp 5 of the Cox's Bazar refugee camps on 7 January 2023.

"While we are thankful that no deaths have been reported, at least 1,500 children lost access to education when 20 of their learning facilities were destroyed in the fire. As we assess the full extent of the damage, UNICEF and partners will construct temporary tents to enable children to learn whilst classrooms are reconstructed.

"UNICEF and partners worked through the night to protect and support traumatized children and their families. Let us remember, these children have already escaped violence and trauma. So, there is an urgent imperative to work closely with local authorities, UN agencies and partners to provide the most vulnerable with shelter and respond to their basic needs so that all affected children are safe, healthy and protected."

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5 killed, 14 injured in blast in NW Pakistan

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:54, January 08, 2024

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A bomb went off near a police vehicle in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, leaving five policemen killed and at least 14 others injured, rescue and police officials said.

According to the police in the area, a police truck was targeted with an improvised explosive device in Bajaur district of the province on Monday morning.

The policemen were on their way to provide security to polio vaccination teams in the district when they were targeted, said the police.

Following the incident, a heavy contingent of police, along with rescue teams, reached the area and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital, where several people are said to be in critical condition.

Security forces cordoned off the area and kicked off a search operation in the surrounding areas.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast.

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Pakistani Islamist Leader Attempts To Help Reset Ties With Afghan Taliban

By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal January 08, 2024

A senior Pakistani Islamist politician has met top Taliban leaders in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, in an attempt to revive ties between the two neighbors.

The January 8 meeting involving Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam Pakistan (JUI) political party, hoped to improve ties marred by a violent campaign by the Pakistani Taliban allied with the Afghan Taliban and the ongoing forced expulsion of more than 1 million Afghans by Islamabad.

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Taliban-led government's prime minister, reiterated that officials want smooth relations -- strained due to the forced expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan -- with the country's neighbors.

Islamabad has accused the Taliban government of giving shelter to militants of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, or other groups. Kabul denies the accusations.

"We will not allow anyone to [create problems] from our territory," he was quoted as saying by a Taliban statement after the meeting.

In recent months, Pakistan has taken steps to expel 1.7 million undocumented Afghans as part of a policy announced in October to repatriate "illegal foreigners" living on its soil.

The situation has led to chaotic scenes at some border crossings as returnees are funneled back into Afghanistan, where international aid groups are already struggling to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people displaced by insecurity and a recent spate of earthquakes and perennial drought.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's foreign minister, highlighted the plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and the losses Afghan traders endure because of frequent border closures and stranded imports in Pakistani ports.

"The trade and economic exchange between the two countries should not be sacrificed for political ends," he was quoted as saying in the Taliban statement.

Rehman agreed with the Taliban's complaints about the mistreatment of Afghans in Pakistan.

"We see this kind of attitude as a cause of the current problems between the two countries," he said in a statement issued by the JUI. "My visit aims to remove the misunderstanding between the two countries."

Rehman is visiting Kabul after the Taliban invited him last month.

Before leaving on the trip, Rehman told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that it was endorsed by Islamabad, where senior government officials briefed him on the current state of relations with the Taliban government.

He said that he would also meet the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who rarely meets foreign diplomats and political leaders.

"We will use our relations with the Taliban for the benefit of both countries," he said.

Rehman's JUI has had close relations with the Taliban since its emergence in southern Afghanistan nearly three decades ago. Many Taliban leaders were educated in madrasahs run by former lawmakers and other JUI leaders.

But it is unclear how far his visit will go to quell tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

For more than a year, the longtime allies have fallen out over the Taliban's alleged support for the TTP. Islamabad blames the group for the rising attacks that have killed more than 2,000 people since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

Underscoring the challenges ahead, the TTP claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a police vehicle on January 8.

At least five police officers were killed and 22 injured in an attack in the district of Bajaur on the Afghan border in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

The police were guarding a polio-vaccination team.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-afghanistan- islamist-party-taliban-talks/32765986.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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Five Police Officers Killed In Attack Claimed By Pakistani Taliban

By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal January 08, 2024

A roadside bomb explosion targeting a police vehicle that was guarding an anti-polio vaccination team has killed at least five police officers and wounded another 22 in northwestern Pakistan, local officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on January 8.

The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group claimed responsibility for the blast in the Mamund area of the Bajaur tribal district, one of the seven tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province that borders Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar.

Mamund is a former stronghold of the TTP, which is a separate group from the Afghan Taliban, although the two are close allies.

Regional police spokesman Muhammad Asrar told Radio Mashaal that the team of police personnel were on their way to guard polio workers performing immunizations in the area when their car was hit by a roadside bomb.

Police spokesman Mohammad Asrar said that 10 of the wounded were in serious condition at Bajaur's Khar Hospital.

Police official Kashif Zulfiquar said that the inoculation campaign has been paused in the area where the attack occurred and that all members of the vaccination teams are safe.

Islamist extremists frequently target polio vaccination teams and the security forces assigned to protect them, falsely asserting that immunization campaigns are Western plots to sterilize Muslim children.

Some parents in the northwest refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated against polio.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio has not been completely eradicated.

At least six new polio cases were reported in Pakistan last year, despite the 231-million strong nation's efforts to eradicate the disease, which can cause severe paralysis in children.

After the Afghan Taliban returned to power following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces from the war-wracked country, many TTP members have reportedly found sanctuaries in Afghanistan, using the country to launch more frequent attacks on Pakistani troops and civilians.

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-roadside-bomb-five- killed/32765313.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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Deadly Bomb Hits Pakistan Polio Protection Police Team Near Afghan Border

By Ayaz Gul January 08, 2024

Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Monday that at least six police officers were killed and nearly two dozen injured when a roadside bomb struck their truck in a remote region bordering Afghanistan.

The officers were traveling to Bajaur, a militancy-hit border district, to escort anti-polio workers on the first day of a weeklong national immunization drive. Witnesses reported that the powerful blast destroyed the police vehicle.

Rescue workers expected the death toll to increase, saying several officers among the injured were rushed to local hospitals in "critical condition." The attack prompted local authorities to suspend the polio immunization campaign in the area.

The anti-state Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing. The group, commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, actively targets security forces in areas near and on the Afghan border.

Polio Drive

Health officials said that during the immunization campaign launched Monday, anti-polio teams would go door to door across Pakistan's 159 districts to administer vaccine drops to more than 44 million children under 5.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in which the highly infectious polio virus still paralyzes children. However, the cases in both countries significantly declined in 2023, with six reported in each.

With a population of about 241 million, Pakistan came close to eradicating polio in 2021, when it reported only one case of paralysis from the virus. However, the country saw a spike in 2022, with 20 confirmed cases of infection.

The World Health Organization said last month that political instability, insecurity in some districts, and vaccination boycotts continue to hinder anti-polio efforts, particularly in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Bajaur is located.

The province had four of the six polio cases the country reported in 2023.

The WHO has cautioned that polio vaccination programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which also reported six cases last year, continue to miss many children, posing a significant risk to gains made against the crippling disease.

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A former Century High School aide accused of having a sexual relationship with a student pleaded guilty Tuesday, and will serve no jail time if she stays out of trouble the next five years.

Victoria Reiswig, of Bismarck, was given a deferred imposition of sentence and five years of supervised probation, and she will be required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 15 years. Registration is required under state law.

In deferring sentencing, South Central District Judge Bruce Romanick sided with defense attorney Chad McCabe's request over a 360-day suspended sentence recommended by Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Isaac Lees.

"I personally prefer a deferred sentence," Romanick said of the two options attorneys offered.

Under state law, successfully completing probation under a deferred sentence means that conviction may be sealed. A conviction in which a sentence is suspended is always part of a person's record.

Violating any probation conditions under either scenario means a defendant could be subjected to the maximum sentence allowed for the offense originally charged.

Had she been convicted at trial, Reiswig faced a potential of five years behind bars for felony corruption of a minor. That charge was filed last March alleging Reiswig was in a relationship with a 17-year-old male student, according to an affidavit. Reiswig was 24 at the time. Authorities allege she admitted to having sex with the boy over the 2022-23 Christmas break. After the charge was filed, Bismarck Public Schools issued a statement saying she was no longer employed.

Reiswig's sentence was handed down following statements of support offered by her mother, older sister and the father of the boy Reiswig was accused of corrupting. The father called Reiswig "a friend of the family."

"I wouldn't call my son a victim," the man said, urging a sentence for Reiswig that would be "the very best the court could offer."

The Tribune does not publish the names of sex crime victims, or any other information that could identify a victim.
Seoul declares maritime buffer zone with North ineffective

But ongoing N Korea provocations may be a diplomatic shift to use Japan to influence the U.S., says expert.

By Lee Jeong-Ho for RFA 2024.01.07 -- South Korea has officially declared that the maritime buffer zone with North Korea no longer exists, setting a precondition for Seoul and Washington to conduct reconnaissance operations near the border in response to Pyongyang's ongoing military provocations.

"North Korea has breached the September 19th military agreement over 3,000 times and has conducted artillery fire in the West Sea [Yellow Sea] over the last three days. As a result, the zone designated for the cessation of hostile actions effectively, no longer exists," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, said Monday.

Speaking to reporters in Seoul, JCS spokesperson Lee Seong-Joon said that the ongoing provocations have essentially rendered the inter-Korean agreement inactive.

In 2018, the two Koreas agreed to halt what the other has defined as hostile actions toward one another near the border, including the maritime border, the Northern Limit Line, or NLL, but the North has conducted a number of provocations since then, violating the terms of the agreement.

In November, North Korea formally declared an immediate and complete withdrawal from the military agreement, pledging to deploy its latest weaponry along the border with South Korea. The move came as Seoul suspended a part of the agreement following the North's satellite launch that violated the United Nations Security Council resolution.

With North Korea's latest provocation in the maritime border, which has effectively nullified the inter-Korean agreement, South Korea, in collaboration with the United States, may resume immediate reconnaissance and surveillance activities near the border, as indicated by South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in November.

Seoul's reaction on Monday comes as North Korea proceeded with military provocation off its western coast for three consecutive days since Friday.

According to a series of statements released by the South's JCS, North Korea carried out over 90 rounds of artillery fire north of South Korea-ruled Yeonpyeong Island between 4 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. Sunday. None landed south of the NLL.

Separately, on Saturday, North Korea also fired approximately 60 coastal artillery shells off its western coast, the JCS said.

However, this statement countered claims from the North's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong Sunday, that Seoul had misinterpreted the event. She asserted that North Korea had only detonated explosives around 60 times to mimic the sound of its 130mm coastal artillery, rather than firing actual artillery shells.

The JCS released statements later calling North Korea's actions as "comical," asserting that these actions were intended to "undermine trust in the military and incite internal conflict in the South." The JCS maintained that its military assets detected projections of North Korean artillery shells, in addition to setting off explosives.

Shelling toward islands

On Friday, North Korea launched some 200 artillery shells into waters off its western coast near South Korea's Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands. Unlike the Saturday and Sunday developments, however, the artillery firing was directed in the southern direction, and Seoul conducted "naval fire" drills by its troops to reciprocate the provocation.

North Korea has been escalating military tensions recently in the Korean peninsula as it is also restoring its guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone. South Korea has reciprocated the moves by imposing unilateral sanctions and announcing its decision to dissolve its foundation designed for facilitating the inter-Korean economic complex.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has implemented a hardline policy towards Pyongyang, with his conservative administration openly vowing to proceed reciprocal responses to North Korea's provocations.

Cheon Seong-whun, a former security strategy secretary for South Korea's presidential office noted that Pyongyang's provocation appears relatively controlled and restrained, as evidenced by the absence of artillery fire south of the NLL.

"They seem to be focusing on justifying their actions as a response to joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. There's no need for an excessive response. I believe it's sufficient to closely monitor their actions while continuing to emphasize the importance of dialogue."

The U.S. and South Korean military forces began their first joint drills for this year on Thursday, involving the U.S. Air Force asset, Rivet Joint, a reconnaissance aircraft designed for intelligence collection.

Cheon also pointed out that North Korea's actions seem to be an attempt to form a new diplomatic strategy, excluding South Korea. "They need an external threat, hence they label South Korea and the U.S. as adversaries, but at the same time, they are reaching out to Japan, as shown by the recent letter to Prime Minister Kishida. This shift warrants attention."

According to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un addressed the Japanese leader, Fumio Kishida, as "Your Excellency," expressing his "deepest sympathy and condolences" to the victims of Japan's latest earthquake.

"There is a possibility that North Korea might try to reach out and potentially influence the U.S., not through South Korea, but through Japan," said Cheon, suggesting that Pyongyang's next move could lead to the potential for dialogue between North Korea and Japan.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Taejun Kang.

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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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al 'Ula

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

January 8, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al 'Ula. The Secretary underscored the need to urgently address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and prevent further spread of the conflict. The Secretary and Crown Prince discussed ongoing efforts to reduce regional tensions, including the deterrence of Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of building a more secure, prosperous, and integrated region, including through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. They also discussed the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia

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Taiwan planning next-generation indigenous jet fighters: President Tsai

ROC Central News Agency

01/08/2024 11:49 AM

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (ee), who is nearing the end of her final term in office, said Sunday that Taiwan is preparing to develop the next generation of indigenous jet fighters, to ensure continuity of her administration's national defense policy.

In an interview with Era News in which she reflected on her two terms in office, Tsai highlighted the government's resolve to build Taiwan's autonomy in the area of defense systems.

As part of that commitment, Taiwan also plans to initiate the development of the next generation of fighter aircraft, she said, without giving any details.

Under the government's "defense autonomy" plan, it will take delivery of 66 Brave Eagle advanced trainer aircraft by 2026, Tsai said, adding that 27 have already been delivered.

"If [the plan] is interrupted, it would be difficult to resume," the president said, expressing the hope that the next president will maintain support for the development of Taiwan's defense industry.

Tsai, whose second and final presidential term ends on May 20, reiterated that her defense policy centers on Taiwan gaining "defense autonomy."

When other countries are contemplating joining forces to safeguard Taiwan, the main question is always whether Taiwan is firmly committed to self-defense, she said.

Taiwan's ongoing efforts to strengthen its defense systems are driven in part by its desire to prove its capabilities and commitment to self-protection, the president said.

Last September, Taiwan unveiled the prototype of its first indigenous submarine, the "Narwhal," which Tsai said was a milestone in the country's efforts to gain defense autonomy.

Submarine construction calls for systematic design and integration capabilities, and it is an all-encompassing undertaking that requires talent, she said.

The "Narwhal" is expected to be delivered to the Navy by the end of the year, after its testing is completed.

During the TV interview that aired Sunday night, Tsai also talked about the issue of cross-Taiwan Strait relations, saying it is the biggest challenge for "every government and president of Taiwan."

She said that in bilateral relations, there are essentially two scenarios -- either the positions of the two parties are in alignment and everything runs smoothly, or there is a conflict of interests.

When conflicts arise, it is crucial to manage the risks, Tsai said. Given the inherent differences in the relations between Taiwan and China, the government of Taiwan must navigate and mitigate those risks, she added.

Based on that perception, Tsai said, when she took office in 2016, she adopted the position of "maintaining the status quo" across the strait, and she remains committed to that concept.

Over the past eight years, relations between Taiwan and China have been tense, as the latter views Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party as proponents of Taiwan independence, according to political analysts.

(By Chung Yu-chen)

Enditem/pc

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Taiwan to allow charter flights from 13 locations in China over LNY

ROC Central News Agency

01/08/2024 06:49 PM

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Taiwan will allow charter passenger flights from 13 additional locations in China to meet the increased travel demand around the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said Monday.

In a press release, the CAA noted that regular direct flights are already offered between Taiwan and 15 cities in China.

In order to accommodate an expected rise in demand around the Lunar New Year, the agency said it is now accepting applications from carriers seeking to arrange charter flights from 13 selected cities between Jan. 31 and Feb. 20.

The 13 locations from which the charter flights will be allowed are Shenyang, Wuxi, Haikou, Changsha, Xi'an, Jinan, Hefei, Nanchang, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Dalian, Guilin, and Xuzhou.

To receive authorization for a flight, carriers should send an application, including a copy of the charter contract, to the CAA at least ten working days before the flight's scheduled departure, the agency said.

Although tourism links between Taiwan and China have been largely frozen for the past three years, there are over 300,000 Taiwanese (as of 2021) working in China, many of whom come back to visit family over the Lunar New Year.

China's government halted independent travel to Taiwan on Aug. 1, 2019, citing the poor state of cross-strait relations. It then suspended group travel in 2020. Both rules remain in effect.

Taiwan, meanwhile, halted group travel to China at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to lift its restrictions on most travelers from China.

Last November, Taiwan's transportation minister said the government was planning to ease its restrictions on Taiwanese tour groups traveling to China, and Chinese tour groups coming to Taiwan, possibly starting in March.

(By Wu Shu-fen and Matthew Mazzetta)

Enditem/kb

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Taiwan at crossroads: Who will be the island's next president?

How to deal with China is one of the central themes of the campaign.

By Taejun Kang for RFA, Hsia Hsiao-hwa and Huang Chun-mei for RFA Mandarin 2024.01.08 -- Taiwan is gearing up for a pivotal presidential election on Saturday that will shape its future relationship with China and its stance on independence. The election will decide whether to continue on the path set by the current President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), known for her independence-minded approach.

Despite never having governed the democratic island of 24 million people, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and does not dismiss the possibility of using military force to occupy it. Beijing regularly sends warplanes near the island, crossing into the Taiwan Strait. In response, the United States has increased its military exercises with allies in the region.

The incoming president of Taiwan will play a crucial role in defusing or escalating tensions between these global powers. Here are guides to each candidate and a short explanation of what the election means for Taiwan.

Lai Ching-te, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, is a former physician with a gentle demeanor who has risen to prominence in Taiwan's political landscape. He has served in various high-level positions, including as the mayor of Tainan, a major city in southern Taiwan.

Lai is particularly favored by staunch supporters of Taiwan independence, yet he has historically also garnered support from centrist voters. Viewed with suspicion by China, Lai has previously identified himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence." Lai has committed to maintaining the current President Tsai's cautious approach: that because Taiwan is already independent, it needs no further declarations.

Tsai, first elected in 2016, cannot run for a third term due to constitutional limits. Her tenure has been marked by a refusal to acknowledge Taiwan as part of China, a stance that has led to heightened tensions with Beijing, including severed formal communications and increased military pressure. Among these challenges, Tsai has successfully forged a strong partnership with the U.S. in balancing China's influence.

Despite Lai's pledges to continue Tsai's policies, his victory is not assured. The Taiwan electorate, while predominantly identifying as Taiwanese rather than Chinese, is also keen on re-establishing dialogue with mainland China. Nevertheless, should he emerge victorious, it is expected that Beijing will persist in its threats and efforts to isolate Taiwan.

Apart from that, the DPP, originally an opposition party to the Kuomintang's (KMT's) decades-long dictatorship, now faces criticism for becoming the establishment, particularly from the younger generation. Under Tsai's rule, issues like slow wage growth, high housing costs, and power shortages have become points of contention.

Hou Yu-ih, Kuomintang (KMT)

Hou Yu-ih, a robust former police officer who led Taiwan's National Police Agency in 2006, carries what a former DPP legislator describes as a "Taiwanese flavor" thanks to his background - born to street-market pork dealers in Chiayi, a pro-independence stronghold in the south.

The KMT sees his roots as advantageous, potentially helping to shed the party's elite image and attract voters beyond its traditional base of mainland Chinese immigrants and their descendants. In the previous year, Hou was re-elected as the mayor of New Taipei City, an area encircling the capital, where he is appreciated as a moderate with a reputation for effective governance.

Hou advocates for reducing tensions across the Taiwan Strait through dialogue with Beijing, aligning with the "1992 consensus." This consensus holds that both sides acknowledge the existence of "one China" but interpret it differently. This approach, used by the current leader Tsai's predecessor, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT, had eased cross-strait tensions.

However, the flexibility around this consensus may be diminishing. In 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping linked the 1992 consensus with the mainland's stringent "one China principle," suggesting a governance model for Taiwan similar to Hong Kong's. This model theoretically allows for an autonomous political system, but in practice, China has significantly eroded democratic freedoms in Hong Kong.

Ko Wen-je, Taiwan People's Party (TPP)

Ko Wen-je, originally a surgeon, made a dramatic shift to politics in 2014 when he ran as an independent candidate for the mayorship of Taipei, Taiwan's capital. His entry into politics was marked by a stunning victory over a KMT candidate despite his lack of political experience.

Four years ago, he established the TPP, positioning himself as a "rational" and "scientific" technocrat. Unlike many of his counterparts, Ko's focus has primarily been on domestic issues, such as energy and housing, rather than on cross-strait relations with China.

The TPP, under Ko's leadership, is not yet strong enough to secure a legislative majority. However, Ko's strategy seems to be positioning the party to potentially hold the balance of power in parliament. Advocating for a coalition with the KMT, Ko presents himself as offering a "third choice" to voters, aiming to strike a balance between provoking and deferring to China. However, his policies regarding China align more closely with those of the KMT.

In fact, Ko and Hou announced a partnership in November, signaling a potential threat to the DPP rule. Polls indicated that this alliance could have overturned the DPP's dominance. However, the coalition quickly unraveled due to disagreements over who would run for president and vice president, despite earlier agreements to collaborate on legislative candidates to optimize their representation in Taiwan's 113-seat parliament.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn

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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Taiwan Prepares for Contentious Presidential Election

By William Yang January 08, 2024

Taiwan will hold its contentious presidential and legislative election on January 13, with millions of Taiwanese voters expected to vote and elect a new president to lead the democratic island amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Some analysts say the election outcome could significantly impact Taiwan's direction in the next four years and the dynamics between China and Taiwan.

"It's going to be a matter of whether or not we get more of the same level of tension across the Taiwan Strait or if we see a reset of cross-strait relations," Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, told VOA by phone.

In his view, if the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins a third consecutive term, cross-strait tensions would likely remain high. And if the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party returns to power for the first time since 2016, tensions across the Taiwan Strait may be reduced.

Since cross-strait relations have traditionally been the issue that defines presidential elections in Taiwan, the three candidates have been doubling down on relevant rhetoric on the campaign trail in recent weeks.

DPP's Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's current vice president, has been framing the election as a choice between democracy and autocracy. He criticized Beijing's attempt to interfere in the election and vowed to "use democracy as a compass" to guide Taiwan through "the turbulent international situation."

Presenting the KMT as the peacemaker, the party's presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih, a former police chief, characterizes the election as a choice between "war and peace." He accused the DPP of pushing Taiwan to the brink of war with China and urged voters to use their votes to ensure stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Seeking to present himself as an alternative to the two main political parties, Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), a medical-doctor-turned-former-mayor, described the relationship between China and Taiwan as "a tumor" that should be left alone and said cross-strait relations should be handled with a combination of deterrence and the will to communicate.

Confronted with three presidential candidates who have presented different approaches to handling cross-strait relations, Taiwanese voters are also divided.

Some DPP supporters told VOA that Lai is the only candidate who is committed to safeguarding Taiwan's democratic way of life while several KMT supporters believe the China-friendly opposition party can help resume dialogue and even official communication between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"I believe the KMT candidates can help bring peace back to the Taiwan Strait because they are willing to hold dialogue with Beijing, unlike the DPP, which has been taunting China by being too close to the U.S.," Chang Shu-Shian, a 68-year-old retiree in Taipei, told VOA.

While supporters of the two main parties view cross-strait relations as an important factor that determines which candidate they support, some young voters think it's important to give a new party like the TPP, which emphasizes addressing long-standing social and economic issues troubling young Taiwanese people, a chance in the upcoming election.

"I want to show the two main political parties that voters care about more than just cross-strait relations," Stanley Chiou, a 36-year-old engineer in Hsinchu, told VOA by phone.

Since Lai from the DPP has vowed to continue Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's foreign policy and cross-strait agenda, some experts think his potential victory could ensure ties between Taiwan and the U.S. remain robust while Beijing would likely impose greater pressure on Taipei.

"Given that in recent months, Beijing's various departments and government agencies have already labeled Lai as a troublemaker and as someone who is pro-independence, I think it is likely that we will see an increase in both economic and military pressures [from Beijing] following a potential Lai win," Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group, told VOA in a video interview in Taiwan.

Other analysts say a potential KMT victory may be viewed as a setback for the Biden administration's foreign policy since the U.S. has provided Taiwan with a lot of support in recent years.

"Given the fact that U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense in the event of a Chinese military invasion, if Taiwanese people still choose a government favoring closer ties with China, it would mean Taiwanese people have less trust in Biden's policies," Austin Wang, an expert on Taiwan politics at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told VOA by phone.

Apart from showing the lack of trust in Biden's policies in Taiwan, the victory of a China-friendly new administration would also affect the U.S. election and Washington's strategy in the Asia Pacific, Wang said.

Since Nachman, of the National Chengchi University, and Wang both think Taiwan would likely have a divided government after Saturday's election, they say disagreements between different branches of the government could surface over contentious issues, such as how to handle cross-strait relations and Taiwan's defense budget.

"From current President Tsai Ing-wen's perspective, her goal is to try to cement as much policy as she can before she's out of office," Nachman told VOA. "A lot of the decisions that she's made regarding issues such as defense spending can't just be undone with a snap of a finger."

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US Opposes 'Malign Influence' in Taiwan's Elections

By Nike Ching January 08, 2024

The United States says it opposes "outside interference or malign influence" in Taiwan's elections, ahead of the island's hotly contested presidential and legislative elections on January 13.

"We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan, which is fundamentally at odds with the goal of peace and stability," a State Department spokesperson told VOA on Monday.

"We have deep confidence in Taiwan's democratic process and believe it is for Taiwan voters to choose their next leader, free from outside interference," the spokesperson added.

Washington's strong words come as China ramps up an intimidation campaign ahead of the ballot, deploying military aircraft and naval vessels near the Taiwan Strait and flying several balloons across Taiwan and near its military bases.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry accused China on Saturday of harassment and waging psychological warfare on the island's people by repeatedly sending balloons over Taiwan close to the election date.

On Sunday, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said it detected another three balloons that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to a posting in social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

China asserts Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. A Chinese spokesperson said she was "not aware of the specifics" when asked about the Chinese balloons and the concerns over aviation safety.

"It's not related to China's foreign affairs," said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a briefing on Monday.

China Urges Voters to Make 'Correct Choice'

Voters on the democratic island of Taiwan head to the polls this Saturday to choose both their president and representatives for parliament, the Legislative Yuan, in an election that is expected to have a vital impact on cross-Strait relations.

A Chinese official responsible for handling ties with Taiwan urged Taiwanese voters to make the "correct choice" in the upcoming election without specifying which candidates or parties China may prefer, though Beijing is widely seen as supporting the opposition Kuomintang or KMT party to win. Some analysts say the election of the China-friendly KMT's candidates could help promote the resumption of dialogue between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Zhang Zhijun, the head of China's quasi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, stated in a New Year's message that people in Taiwan face an important choice "between the prospects for peace and war."

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, has framed the election as a choice between democracy and autocracy. Lai, Taiwan's current vice president, has been labeled by China as a "separatist."

Presenting his party as the peacemaker, KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih characterizes the election as a choice between "war and peace."

Seeking to present himself as an alternative to the two main political parties, Ko Wen-je from the Taiwan People's Party or TPP has said the relationship between China and Taiwan should be handled with a combination of deterrence and the will to communicate.

As China ramps up its military activity around the island in the run up to the elections, Washington has re-iterated its position that the Taiwan Strait is an international waterway and cautioned the Beijing against using Taiwan's election as a pretext for instability.

"Beijing's continued provocative actions in the Taiwan Strait are indicative of its unilateral attempts to change the status quo which has preserved global peace and stability for decades," said the State Department spokesperson.

Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies or CSIS, told VOA that the last thing countries in the Indo-Pacific region want is another crisis. This sentiment is particularly pronounced amid the ongoing Ukraine war and the Gaza conflict.

He added the U.S. commitment to defend Taiwan is an important signal and indicator of the credibility and reliability of the U.S. as the security guarantor in the region, more broadly.

Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at CSIS, said China's escalating military activities are "meant to intimidate" Taiwan but he played down the possibility of an actual military conflict.

"I don't think they [escalating Chinese military activities] are the beginnings of the intention to actually attack Taiwan or create some other type of crisis through an embargo [in the Taiwan Strait] or other scenario that people have talked about."

China's Communist led government has never exercised control over Taiwan but claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy.

Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future.

The U.S. switched its diplomatic recognition from the government in Taipei to the government in Beijing in 1979. Since then, the U.S. policy has maintained that differences between the two sides should be settled peacefully, and in accordance with the will of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The United States acknowledges but has never endorsed Beijing's sovereignty claim over Taiwan. Neither does the U.S. support Taiwan independence.

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At Least 4 Dead, Dozens Wounded In Multiple Russian Missile Strikes Across Ukraine

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Current Time January 08, 2024

Russia launched a massive wave of missile strikes at Ukrainian regions on January 8, killing at least four people, wounding 45, and causing damage to civilian infrastructure and economic facilities, Ukrainian officials and the military said, as an air raid alert was declared for most of the country, including the capital, Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia had launched 51 missiles, including four hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles and 24 Kh cruise missiles from war planes, including strategic bombers.

Numerous explosions were reported in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kryviy Rih, Khmelnitskiy, and Zaporizhzhya regions.

"This morning again, unfortunately, began with a massive rocket attack," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his evening video message, adding that the number of injured had increased to 45 and that emergency and rescue operations were still ongoing in the Donetsk, Kherson, and Khmelnitskiy regions.

Two people were killed in the Khmelnitskiy region, where at least six explosions that also caused damage to infrastructure facilities were reported on Telegram by the region's state administration.

In Kryviy Rih, regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said at least one woman was killed by Russian missiles. Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the Defense Council, said the city came under massive air attack.

Ihor Ratinov, head of the local council in a Kryviy Rih district, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that city services will continue to provide assistance to the people affected.

"People are already so toughened up, it seems to me that they don't say anything anymore," he said, noting that people were emotional because it's below zero Celsius and they had no windows.

"But our people cannot be defeated. Our people are the best. Victory is ours!" he said.

A resident of Kryviy Rih identified only by her first name, Nina, described her emotions as shock because her children also live in the city, and she worried whether they were safe.

Local Telegram channels said a missile hit the building of the Sunny Gallery shopping center in Kryviy Rih, causing serious damage.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said a 63-year-old woman was killed in a missile strike in the region's city of Zmiyiv.

Synyehubov said Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, was struck by at least four missiles that damaged an industrial enterprise and an educational institution. Two people were wounded while two others were still under the rubble, Synyehubov said.

Governor Yuriy Malashko reported five explosions in the Zaporizhzhya region and said at least two people were wounded in the attacks, which also damaged residential areas.

In the city of Novomoskovsk in the Dnipropetrovsk region, a public transport minibus packed with passengers was overturned by a blast wave. Three administrative buildings, two gas stations, and a five-story residential building were damaged, Lysak said.

A total of 24 people including five children were wounded, all of whom were taken to the hospital in moderate condition, said Lysak.

Oleh Kiper, the governor of the southern Odesa region, reported that seven drones were shot down over the region, without causing any damage or injuries.

The Ukrainian military said its air defenses shot down a total of 18 cruise missiles and eight Iranian-made drones.

Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat explained on Ukrainian television that the lower-than-usual shoot-down rate was prompted by the higher number of Russian cruise missiles that are more difficult to destroy in the absence of enough advanced air-defense systems like the U.S.-made Patriot.

"They used a large number of ballistic missiles, and such targets can only be shot down by systems such as the Patriot," Ihnat said.

Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said some 300 residents had been voluntarily evacuated from the city of Belgorod following strikes launched from Ukraine.

"About 300 residents of Belgorod who have decided to move are now in temporary accommodation centers in the Stary Oskol, Gubkin, and Korochansky districts [of Belgorod region]," Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

On December 30, regional officials in Belgorod said that Ukrainian strikes on the city killed 25 people. The Ukrainian attack came in response to a massive Russian missile attack on December 29 that killed dozens of Ukrainians.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-kharkiv-air- strikes--zaporizhzhya-dnipro-russia-war/32765286.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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Three People Injured in Ukrainian Shelling of Russia's Belgorod - Governor

Sputnik News

20240108

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Three people were injured in the Ukrainian shelling of the Russian city of Belgorod on Monday evening, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Earlier in the day, the Russian armed forces prevented Ukraine's attempt to carry out a terrorist attack with the use of the RM-70 Vampire multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) by destroying 10 rockets over Russia's Belgorod Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"Emergency services are clarifying information about the consequences on the ground. According to preliminary data, three people were injured," Gladkov said on Telegram.

One woman sustained shrapnel wounds to her back, a man has shrapnel wounds to his chest, back and forearm, and another man has shrapnel wounds to his chest and an arm, the governor said, adding that all those injured were receiving necessary medical assistance and being transported to hospital.

"In the city, windows in apartments in two residential buildings were shattered. Windows in a private home were also broken, and three cars were damaged by shrapnel. Four trucks in an industrial parking lot caught fire. They have now been extinguished by emergency services. The roof of another private home in the area was damaged," Gladkov said.

A Sputnik

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T-80BVM: the 'Flying Fortress' Enters the Scene in Special Op Zone

Sputnik News

20240108

The T-80BVM, an enhanced version of the T-80BV main battle tank, has recently made its debut on the Zaporozhye front to praise from the military. Unveiled to the public in 2017, the latest model is part of Russia's impressive fleet of approximately 4,500 T-80 main battle tanks.

The T-80 family earned its moniker the "Flying Tank" by being the first mass-produced tanks with a gas turbine engine, giving exceptional mobility.

The recent T-80BVM upgrade keeps that advantage while adding better armor protection and other advanced features.

The T-80BVM introduces key upgrades, including the Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA), also seen on the latest T-90 models.

This armor provides robust defense against even tandem-charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads, and reduces the penetration of armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) rounds by over 50 percent.

Enhancements extend to rubber side skirts include built-in armor plates, cage armor for the hull and turret rear and a passive countermeasures system.

The T-80BVM builds on the already formidable protection of the T-80 series, earning its reputation as a modern armored fortress on the battlefield.

A Sputnik

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A Bismarck state lawmaker has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge accusing him of voting on legislation that provided money to private property in which he had a financial interest.

Republican Rep. Jason Dockter is co-owner of a building leased by the state Attorney General's office that incurred a nearly $1.8 million construction cost overrun. He was charged last month with speculating or wagering on official action for personal benefit, which carries a maximum sentence of just under a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. He entered a not guilty plea on Dec. 22, the day after he was charged, and an initial court appearance scheduled for Tuesday was canceled.

Dockter is scheduled for trial on May 3 in South Central District Court in Bismarck. His attorney, Lloyd Suhr, declined comment to the Tribune.

The matter of the cost overrun has dragged on since June 2022, when Attorney General Drew Wrigley disclosed it to the Legislature's Budget Section. The overrun occurred under Wrigley's predecessor, late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who died of cardiac arrest in January 2022.

Wrigley in a statement to the Tribune on Tuesday said: This matter arose under the previous administration. As soon as my administration was made aware of it, we notified the state auditor, the Legislature and the public. We have provided every bit of information that is available to us and will continue to do the same up ahead. Like everyone else, we await the results of the process playing out.

North Dakota Republican Party Executive Director Andrew Nyhus did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment Tuesday.

North Dakota Democratic-NPL Chair Adam Goldwyn in a statement said, North Dakotans have had to wait far too long for accountability. The waste, fraud and abuse that has become rampant in Bismarck show us how entrenched cronyism is in our capital. The NDGOP has completely lost any moral standing it had with voters."

The investigation

An investigative report that State Auditor Josh Gallion prepared for legislators in September 2022 noted Dockter as a co-owner of the attorney generals leased building at 1720 Burlington Drive in south Bismarck, which was retrofitted to house some divisions of the Attorney General's office. Dockter also co-owns the property management company that did the upgrades.

Dockter was Stenehjem's campaign treasurer in 2016 and 2018. The lawmaker has said he and Stenehejm were friends, but that had nothing to do with the building lease. He has said he is only a minority owner of building owner Stealth Properties LLC, and that he had nothing to do with billing or day-to-day operations. He has called the lease fair and denied any wrongdoing.

Wrigley's office recused itself from investigating because the matter involved a previous attorney general's administration. Wrigley at the request of the Legislature's audit panel forwarded the building lease matter to Montana's Division of Criminal Investigation, which in September 2023 returned a lengthy report.

The Montana report indicated that the overrun resulted from change orders and coronavirus pandemic-related issues, according to emails and interviews the investigator cited. The overrun was covered in 2021 by various attorney generals office funds and by rolling $400,000 into future lease payments, according to The Associated Press, which also reported that Stealth Properties in 2022 gave a nearly $225,000 check to the Attorney Generals office for overpayment after reconciliation.

The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation said any legal decisions were outside its scope.

Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer also declined to investigate, citing a conflict, according to Wrigley -- Liz Brocker, a former employee of the Attorney General's office who's responsible in part for ordering the deletion of Stenehjem's email account in the days after his death, is now working for Lawyer.

The charge against Dockter was filed by McLean and Sheridan County States Attorney Ladd Erickson. The complaint states that "As a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the defendant did the official action ... of voting on legislative bills appropriating money to pay for property he had acquired a pecuniary interest in, and did so in violation of (state law) and the rules of the North Dakota Legislature."

North Dakotas Republican-controlled Legislature passed laws last year to increase transparency of who owns state-leased property and to set requirements for retaining state government emails. Media records requests in July 2022 uncovered the deletions of Stenehjems email account and that of his former deputy Troy Seibel, done at the direction of Brocker, who resigned just after the deletions came to light.

We want to make sure no one has an opportunity to make an Open Record request for his emails, especially as he kept EVERYTHING. This was approved by Troy, Brocker said in her email directing Stenehjems account be deleted. She has declined to talk about the matter publicly. She has not been charged in connection with the incident.

Political talk radio hosts Joel Heitkamp and Tyler Axness, both former Democratic state senators, earlier filed complaints with the state Ethics Commission against Dockter related to his involvement in the building.

It's not clear whether the charge against Dockter was a result of the Montana investigation or the Ethics Commission complaint. Erickson was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
Russia Strikes Ukrainian Military Facilities With Kinzhal Missiles - MoD

Sputnik News

20240108

Ilya Tsukanov

Russia dramatically ramped up missile strikes targeting Ukraine's energy and military infrastructure in late December, attacking ammunition and fuel depots, airfields, military HQs, and other pertinent targets.

Russia has launched a new round of strikes against Ukrainian military targets, including military production facilities and a decision-making center, using Kinzhal missiles and other precision weapons, the Ministry of Defense has announced.

"This morning, massed strikes were carried out using high-precision, long-range sea and air-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, against facilities of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine," the MoD said in a statement Monday afternoon.

The operation included missile, artillery and drone attacks against Ukrainian forces in 108 separate areas and against 113 artillery units and firing positions. They included a strike on a facility known to be used as a meeting place by commanders of Ukraine's 101st Territorial Defense Brigade.

The MoD's report follows reports by Ukrainian media Monday morning of air raid sirens and explosions in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Khmelnitsky, Krivoy Rog and other cities and regions. Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny confirmed that Russian strikes had hit infrastructure, industrial and military facilities, but did not elaborate on the targets.

Russia dramatically ramped up its strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, military bases, military production facilities, and decision-making centers last month, in the wake of Ukrainian attacks on Russian Black Sea Fleet assets using NATO-provided naval and aerial drones. Kiev responded with terror bombings against cities and settlements in the Donbass and Belgorod, with Moscow firing back with further attacks on targets in Ukrainian rear areas.

Russia first began targeting Ukrainian energy, defense sector, command and communications infrastructure in October 2022 after a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge, but the military has sought to avoid targeting residential buildings or social infrastructure.

A Sputnik

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Andriy Yermak and Margot WallstrAm held the fifth meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 21:38

The fifth meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War was co-chaired by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot WallstrAm.

The event was also attended by: Vice-President of the European Parliament and former Minister for International Development of Finland Heidi Hautala, Chair of The Elders, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme, former Minister of Environment of Brazil Izabella Teixeira, representative of the European Union Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries ArAnas Ribokas, Member of the Swedish Parliament Rebecka Le Moine, former Member of Parliament of the Aland Islands, member of the Ecocide Alliance Simon HolmstrAm, and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

On the Ukrainian side, the meeting was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets, and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Oleksandr Bevz.

Opening the meeting, Andriy Yermak emphasized that Ukraine faced the New Year under massive Russian shelling.

"This horrific, unprovoked and very brutal war continues to kill our people, civilians and military, and to damage the environment. All of these attacks are causing enormous damage. For example, after the latest attack, the air quality in Kyiv has deteriorated significantly due to the high concentration of combustion products, chemicals and dust. The estimated environmental damage exceeded 56 billion euros with more than 3,300 documented court cases," said the Head of the Presidential Office.

He noted that Ukraine is determined to be one of the first countries in the world to bring the aggressor to justice for environmental damage.

Andriy Yermak thanked the representatives of the International Working Group for their significant work on the Environmental Compact for Ukraine. In particular, the Head of the President's Office noted the leadership of the Co-Chair of the International Working Group, Margot WallstrAm, in elaborating the document.

"This document should serve as a guide to combat the negative impact of war on nature. Not only for Ukraine, but also for the world," he emphasized.

Andriy Yermak invited the representatives of the International Working Group to Ukraine for a public presentation of the compact and its official presentation to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"The most difficult task ahead is the implementation of the compact both in Ukraine and abroad. And here we will be very grateful for your expertise and dedication. I will be glad to meet you in Kyiv and decide together on further forms of cooperation," he said.

The Head of the President's Office informed the interlocutors of the upcoming meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos. Andriy Yermak emphasized that the following points of the Formula are to be discussed during the meeting: withdrawal of Russian troops, restoration of justice, ecological safety, security commitments and prevention of escalation, confirmation of the end of the war.

"This year will not be easy. But this year can be a transformative and crucial one. We have a lot of work to do, and the environmental aspect remains our top priority. I thank you for your dedication and urge you to continue your efforts," the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.

Margot WallstrAm, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, reminded that the provisions of the Environmental Compact are part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Peace Formula.

"First of all, this compact describes the current state of affairs: the diversity and richness of Ukraine's nature, as well as the devastation of the war," she said.

Also, according to Margot WallstrAm, the Environmental Compact will contain a unified approach to assessing the environmental impact of the Russian war in Ukraine, define approaches to compensation for the damage caused, and proposals for "green" environmental recovery.

"46 recommendations have been formulated. They are directed both to Ukraine and to the international community. Many of them have to do with increasing capacity, with organization and steering of the different processes. Some concern strategy and priorities. Some are directed to organizations, partners, and governments, and they are about policy decisions and technical assistance overall," Margot WallstrAm said.

She also emphasized the importance of cooperation with the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine in recording environmental crimes of the Russian Federation.

The former Deputy Prime Minister thanked all Ukrainian and international experts, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian authorities involved in the work on this document.

Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin emphasized that 280 criminal cases of ecocide and environmental war crimes are currently under investigation, and the Russian aggressor must be held accountable for these crimes. He emphasized the importance of taking into account the environmental, scientific and legal aspects of the war's environmental consequences. Andriy Kostin emphasized that the Prosecutor General's Office, together with international experts, has developed a draft strategic action plan, which, in particular, contains recommendations for the implementation of the Peace Formula and the Environmental Compact for Ukraine. The Prosecutor General noted that today it is important to unite the efforts of international organizations, business, and the public to effectively implement the recommendations of the Environmental Compact at both the national and global levels.

First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized that Russian aggression is destroying global progress in climate protection. In particular, the aggressor's actions are killing animals, destroying forests, ecosystems, natural resources, and such significant infrastructure as the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam.

"Russia must be held fully accountable for these horrific acts," she emphasized.

The First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy emphasized the importance of collecting evidence of the crimes committed by Russia against the environment of Ukraine, bringing the aggressor to justice, as well as demining and restoring the territories of our country.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets emphasized that Ukraine suffered losses worth $400,000 due to air pollution caused by Russian shelling on December 29 and January 2. According to him, more than 5 thousand tons of CO2 were released into the air. Ruslan Strilets noted that inspectors continue to record the damage caused to the Ukrainian environment by the Russian occupiers.

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Andriy Yermak had a phone call with the Advisor to the President of Brazil

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 20:19

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Chief Advisor to the President of Brazil Celso Amorim.

The Head of the President's Office informed of Russia's recent massive missile attacks on the territory of Ukraine that caused damage to civilian infrastructure and citizens. The Advisor to the President of Brazil expressed condolences over the deaths and injuries of people.

The interlocutors also discussed preparations for the next meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos.

"The goal is to end the war and achieve peace. We have discussions on how to achieve this goal, but Brazil is a country that respects international law and the UN Charter. It is important to continue the dialogue to find a solution," emphasized Andriy Yermak.

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Terrorist must pay the most for the damage caused by terror, and Russia will pay - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 19:47

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

A brief report on this day.

Three international conversations today. First, the Amir of Kuwait. I thanked him for supporting the independence and territorial integrity of our country. I spoke about the situation in the wake of Russian terror - constant missile and drone attacks on our cities and villages. I assured him that despite everything, Ukraine will remain one of the donors of global food security and stability in general. We consistently maintain international law and appreciate all the efforts of our partners who help us and thus contribute to their own security.

Today I also spoke with the King of Bahrain. Of course, considerable attention was paid to the protection of the basic principles of international relations and to the issues of stability. I thanked him for the participation of the Bahraini representative in previous Peace Formula meetings and invited to take part in the new meeting that will take place in Davos shortly.

This evening I also spoke with the Amir of Qatar, and the issue of the release of our captives was particularly important to me. Qatar's mediation and leadership has already proven to be effective, and I am grateful for their willingness to continue to cooperate to bring home more Ukrainians, adults and children, from Russian captivity. Of course, we also discussed the work on the Peace Formula and the organization of the upcoming Peace Summit with the participation of the world majority. I thanked Qatar for supporting our humanitarian initiative "Grain from Ukraine" and our efforts to safeguard peaceful navigation in the Black Sea in general. The fact that we have resumed the navigation of civilian vessels in the Black Sea - despite all Russia's attempts to block this water area - proves that we can defend ourselves against all other manifestations of Russian aggression against our country, against the normal life of all countries that value life and people.

Today, I held a meeting on our further international agenda - this month will be eventful in terms of our foreign policy. Many steps will be taken, and I am confident that we will be able to strengthen our state. Our air defense system. Our work with partners on drones. As well as on sanctions against Russia, those that have already been imposed... It is vital to eliminate any possible schemes to circumvent sanctions. We are also working on new sanctions: the architecture of pressure on Russia must be strengthened. And another priority is to expedite practical decisions for the use of Russian assets in the interests of Ukraine and their subsequent confiscation to restore justice. The terrorist must pay the most for the damage caused by terror, and Russia will pay.

Emergency and rescue operations are still ongoing in three regions of Ukraine after the Russian army's strikes: Donetsk, Kherson and Khmelnytskyi regions. I am grateful to all the rescuers, police officers, and utility workers who are involved.

This morning, unfortunately, began with a massive missile attack once again. Kharkiv and the region, Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Khmelnytskyi region. 45 people were injured, and as of this time, four people have been reported dead. My condolences to the families and friends! The terrorist state will definitely feel our response.

I thank everyone in the world who helps Ukraine! I thank everyone in Ukraine who cares about their fellow countrymen and our entire country! Glory to our warriors!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Amir of Qatar discussed further coordination in the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 18:37

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Head of State expressed gratitude for the important mediation role of Qatar and personal position of the Sheikh in the return of Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia. The parties discussed further coordination in this direction.

The President of Ukraine praised Qatar's contribution of $20 million to the humanitarian initiative Grain from Ukraine and assured that Ukraine would continue to be a guarantor of global food security despite Russia's attempts to disrupt peaceful navigation in the Black Sea.

The interlocutors discussed in detail further implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the organization of the upcoming Global Peace Summit. Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited the Qatari representative to the next meeting of advisors in Davos.

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Head of the Presidential Office had a phone call with the Special Envoy of Pope Francis

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 15:33

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Pope Francis' Special Envoy for Peace in Ukraine, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference Cardinal Matteo Zuppi.

Andriy Yermak congratulated the Cardinal on having been awarded the Order of Merit, II class, in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 860/2023.

"This is a recognition of your personal role in supporting Ukraine and the mission to return Ukrainian children. I am very proud of our cooperation and appreciate everything you do for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. I hope that in the near future we will have the opportunity to hand over the award to you," said the Head of the Presidential Office.

Andriy Yermak briefed his interlocutor on the situation in the wake of the massive missile attacks that Russia has carried out against Ukraine over the past ten days.

He noted Matteo Zuppi's participation in the meeting of the International Coalition Bring Kids Back UA and expressed hope that the Holy See would accede to the adopted declaration. The Head of the President's Office also thanked for the initiative regarding the summer vacation of Ukrainian children in Italy.

Andriy Yermak discussed with Cardinal Matteo Zuppi the upcoming meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos, where a session on humanitarian issues is also slated.

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President of Ukraine and the King of Bahrain held the first conversation

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 15:09

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this was the first conversation between the two heads of state, and last year, Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani paid his first visit to Ukraine.

"I hope that the establishment of contacts at the highest level will turn a new page in the Ukraine-Bahrain relations," the Head of State noted.

The President of Ukraine and the King of Bahrain discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, global food security and support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the participation of the Bahraini representative in previous meetings of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and invited Bahrain to take part in the next meeting to be held this month in Davos.

The Head of State spoke separately about the measures taken by Ukraine to maintain unimpeded grain exports via the Black Sea and thus ensure global food security.

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Andriy Yermak had a phone call with the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 14:26

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a phone call with Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See Pietro Parolin.

Andriy Yermak congratulated Cardinal Pietro Parolin on being honored with the high state award of Ukraine - the Order of Merit, II class.

"The recent awarding of Your Eminence with a high state decoration confirms your personal significant contribution to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Head of the Presidential Office emphasized.

The parties discussed the consequences of the recent massive missile attacks on Ukrainian populated areas carried out by the aggressor, in particular, on December 29, as well as January 2 and 8.

"Russia continues to destroy civilian infrastructure and homes of Ukrainians. But despite these challenges, we continue to work and fight. Our morale is very strong and we believe in our victory," he said.

Andriy Yermak and Pietro Parolin discussed the Vatican's involvement in the implementation of the humanitarian aspects of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, in particular the Bring Kids Back UA initiative to return illegally deported Ukrainian children.

The parties also discussed preparations for the next meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos, and, in particular, the participation of a representative of the Holy See in it.

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President of Ukraine and the Amir of Kuwait discussed cooperation in energy and agricultural sectors

President of Ukraine

8 January 2024 - 14:04

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with the Amir of the State of Kuwait His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The Head of State thanked the interlocutor for Kuwait's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, voting for key Ukrainian resolutions at the UN and timely assistance in the provision of generators for the winter period.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the interlocutor of countering missile terror, which Russia resumed during the New Year holidays.

The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the energy and agricultural sectors.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine ensures freedom of navigation in the Black Sea remaining a guarantor of global food security, as well as makes every effort to restore a just peace.

"We are actively working on the next steps to implement the Peace Formula. The voice and position of the Gulf countries are important in this regard," the Head of State noted.

The President invited the representative of Kuwait to attend the next meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos, as well as to take part in the preparation of the upcoming Global Peace Summit.

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NEW YORK, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) between February 2, 2022 and October 26, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the February 6, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline.



SO WHAT: If you purchased GM securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the GM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=21020 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 6, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) GM downplayed concerns with its vehicles airbags and the need to record additional warranty accruals for related product recalls; (2) GM overstated the extent and efficacy of its efforts to analyze defects in its vehicles airbag inflators; (3) Cruise LLCs (Cruise) autonomous vehicles (AV) and/or AV technology were less safe and well-developed than defendants had led investors, regulators, and the general public to believe; (4) accordingly, regulatory approval of Cruises AV products was unsustainable and the prospects for widespread regulatory approval and adoption of Cruises AV products were overstated; (5) all the foregoing subjected GM to an increased risk of governmental and/or regulatory scrutiny and enforcement action, significant legal liabilities, product recalls, and reputational harm; and (6) as a result, defendants public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the GM class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=21020 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:



Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

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www.rosenlegal.com
Colleagues on Monday were remembering longtime Mandan state Sen. Dwight Cook for his years of service and influence on state tax policy. Cook died on Sunday at age 72 in a Bismarck hospital.

Cook, a Republican who was first elected in District 34 in 1997 and served in the North Dakota Senate for six terms, announced in 2019 that he would not seek reelection. His legislative experience, which spanned more than two decades, included a marked focus on the states economic policy and a stint of more than a decade as the chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee. The Republican also authored a bill in 2017 that helped North Dakota start collecting taxes from online retailers.

Former state Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, worked with Cook for the majority of his time in the Legislature. Wardner was first elected in 1999, just two years after Cook, and he remained in the chamber until his retirement in 2022. He remembered Cook as a dependable legislator with a strong work ethic whose policy work has shaped the states tax code for years to come.

His fingerprints are all over the Century Code, especially in the tax area, but in other places, too, Wardner said. But you know what, there's a lot of legislators that are still there today, both in the House and the Senate, that remember some of his principles.

With a measure to abolish property taxes potentially making it on this years ballot, Wardner lamented the loss of one of the states longtime tax experts. Cook spent so much time visiting with the states tax department that it was almost like he was one of the employees, he said.

In an exit interview with the Tribune in 2019, Cook said his work on streamlining tax code and the collection of online sales tax, as well as property tax reform efforts, were among the highlights of his career. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that states can collect sales taxes from online retailers.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said in a statement Monday that Cook helped build a more prosperous North Dakota.

As a small business owner, he understood the challenges facing our economy, which informed his tireless work as chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Committee, said Hoeven, who served a decade as governor during Cook's time in the Legislature.

Cook in 2019 helped lead a tribal oil tax sharing compromise with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. He co-sponsored the "Operation Prairie Dog" bill -- an ambitious piece of legislation that funded local infrastructure improvement through oil tax revenue -- and was also involved in the creation of the states $8.9-billion Legacy Fund oil tax savings account.

"Sen. Cook was a beloved statesman and an exceptional leader in shaping tax policy for the benefit of all North Dakotans during his 22 years of dedicated service in the Legislature, Gov. Doug Burgum said in a statement. Were also grateful for his service to his country in the North Dakota Air National Guard and to his community through Kiwanis and other organizations."

Wardner said during his time as majority leader, he came to depend on Cook, who was often the first legislator to arrive at the Capitol. Cook's business background, which included the ownership of Cook Industrial Sales, informed his service, Wardner said, but so did his interactions with his constituents.

He wasn't just another legislator, just another guy who thought he knew something about taxes, Wardner said. He did his homework. And he would make sure he had his facts right. He was respected.

Funeral arrangements are pending, according to Beuhler-Larson Funeral and Cremation Service.
Claremont, California, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

In the landmark 1974 case the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that non-English speaking students who need additional English instruction must be granted that instruction according to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Claremont, CA (Jan 8, 2024)  Claremont Graduate Universitys School of Educational Studies will host a webinar on January 22 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lau vs. Nicholsthe landmark U.S. Supreme Court case affirming bilingual education as a civil right in U.S. schools. 50th Anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court Lau v. Nichols: From Meaningful Instruction to Equitable Access to Multilingualism will take place on January 22 from 4:00pm - 6:30pm (PST). The webinar will feature a brief keynote from US Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education and Director for the Office of English Language Acquisition Montserrat Garibay and will bring together two nationally distinguished panels that include: the Lau plaintiff lawyer, school district superintendents, policy experts, and academics to examine issues of advocacy, civil rights, legislation, policy implementation, and practice. To attend the webinar visit here.

"The Lau decision is more relevant and important today than it was 50 years ago. We must reaffirm the civil rights of millions of U.S. public school students whose native language is not English and move towards a multilingual educational system for all students," said Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, Senior Research Fellow at Claremont Graduate University and moderator and organizer of this Lau 50th anniversary event.

Lau vs. Nichols concerned the San Francisco Unified School District and its nearly 3,000 non-English speaking students of Chinese ancestry. Although some of these students were provided with additional English instruction, not all were. Those students who were not (including Kinney Kimmon Lau) filed a lawsuit against the school district arguing that their rights under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Section 601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were violated. The court did not rule on the 14th Amendment Equal Protection motion, but it did vote unanimously (9-0) that the students rights were violated under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The failure of the San Francisco school system to provide English language instruction to approximately 1,800 students of Chinese ancestry who do not speak English, or to provide them with other adequate instructional procedures, denies them a meaningful opportunity to participate in the public educational program, and thus violates  601 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination based "on the ground of race, color, or national origin," in "any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance," and the implementing regulations of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Pp. 414 U. S. 565-569.

Among the education and law luminaries participating on the webinar panels will be the following:

Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, Senior Research Fellow at Claremont Graduate University and moderator and organizer of the Lau 50 th anniversary event

50 anniversary event Edward Steinman, Retired Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law and Lau Plaintiff Lawyer

Kenji Hakuta, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University

Martha Hernandez, Executive Director, Californians Together

Shantel Meek, Founding Director, Childrens Equity Project, Professor of Practice, Arizona State University

Celina Moreno, President and CEO, IDRA

Karling Aquilera-Fort, Ed.D Associate Superintendent San Francisco Unified School District

Cristina Alfaro, Associate Vice President of International Affairs Executive Director, Center for Equity in Biliteracy Education Research Professor of Multilingual and Global Education

Eugene Garcia, Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University

Magaly Lavadenz, Leavey Presidential Endowed Chair in Ethics and Moral Leadership Founding Executive Directors, Center for Equity for English Learners, Loyola Marymount University

Pedro Martinez, CEO, Chicago Public Schools

Michael Robert, Superintendent, Osborn School District

Trish Morita-Mullaney, Associate Professor, Purdue University

Contact:

Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos,

Ph.D.Senior Research Fellow School of Educational Studies

Claremont Graduate University

oscar.jimenez-castellanos@cgu.edu



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Helsinki, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boyden, a premier global leadership and talent advisory firm, is delighted to welcome Petri Leino to its partnership in Finland.



Carita Lahti, Managing Partner of Boyden in Finland comments, We have known Petri for many years and we are delighted that he is joining our team in Helsinki. He is a recognised authority on leadership for organisations evolving their businesses in the digital age and will bring deep, cross-sector experience to our clients.

Petri Leino works with organisations in the private and public sector, family-owned and publicly quoted companies as well as private equity firms. He enables clients to identify the right leaders for emerging opportunities in fast growth sectors such as healthcare, technology & software, IT services & consulting, telecoms and professional services.

Petri Leino, Partner, Boyden Finland adds, I am very pleased to join a firm with such a strong reputation in Finland and worldwide. Boyden provides a breadth and depth of experience invaluable to clients as they manage economic and organisational change. The firms consultative approach is vital for both private and public sector clients restructuring and pursuing new opportunities, realising their potential with the right boards and senior leadership talent.

Petri has extensive knowledge in executive search and talent consulting, and over 20 years in management consulting and training services with clients ranging from the Nordic regions, to Europe and the United States. He has extensive business expertise in process and performance management, change management, partnerships, business transformation, solution business and restructuring.

Petri was previously Senior Partner and Member of the Group Management Team in a boutique management consultancy and training services company. Other leadership roles include Vice President, Business Operations Finland at Scalable Software.

Petri holds a Masters degree in Administration from University of Vaasa. He is also listed in the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA).

About Boyden

Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2023. For further information, visit www.boyden.com.

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EssilorLuxottica showcases its smart and hearing aided eyewear innovation with first appearance at CES 2024 in Las Vegas

The Companys booth will showcase Nuance Audio, first-of-its-kind glasses with advanced hearing solution, as well as Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and other innovative solutions in the world of optics

Charenton-le-Pont, France (January 9, 2024  7:00 am CET)  For the first time, EssilorLuxottica will exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas January 9-12 2024, showcasing the Companys bold moves in consumer technology.

A leading designer, manufacturer and global distributor of top-quality eyecare and eyewear products, EssilorLuxottica is home to brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Sunglass Hut and LensCrafters. Almost 50 years ago, EssilorLuxottica removed the stigma of wearing prescription glasses by turning a necessary medical device into an iconic fashion accessory. Since then, the Company has reimagined what a pair of glasses can do for the person who wears them.

Throughout our 10-year smart eyewear journey, we have honed our R&D, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities through several partnerships and product releases, including the recent introduction of Ray-Ban Meta. At CES, we will take our place among the worlds leading innovators with a product, Nuance Audio, that has the potential to improve quality of life for over a billion people, said Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO at EssilorLuxottica.

At its booth (#8725) in CESs North Hall, the Company will showcase a prototype for Nuance Audio, a pair of beautiful glasses with advanced hearing technology built in seamlessly. Hearing solutions is an underpenetrated market where, similar to vision care decades ago, consumers are averse to wearing traditional corrective devices for a number of reasons including their visibility, discomfort and price.

Designed for consumers with mild to moderate hearing loss, Nuance Audio will eliminate the psychological barrier that has stood in the way of adoption of traditional hearing aids integrating proprietary state of-the-art open-ear hearing technology into fashionable eyeglasses. Nuance Audio is expected to launch in the market starting with North America in the second half of the year.

The EssilorLuxottica booth will also feature Ray-Ban Meta, its iconic Ray-Ban glasses with built-in cameras, open-ear audio, AI-powered solutions and the ability to livestream and take calls hands-free, as well as the Groups new HELIX division with Vision(X), an intelligent and interconnected platform that will help modernize eyecare practices offering a full range of innovative digital solutions including tele-optometry and big data services for the world of optics.

Nuance Audio, Ray-Ban Meta and HELIX are a testament to EssilorLuxotticas commitment to moving the eyewear industry forward into a new era of interconnected and AI-powered devices and solutions.

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COP28 Debrief Breakfast  London Business School

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the wake of the influential COP28 Debrief Breakfast , United Renewables is poised to announce its ambitious plans for 2024, marking a significant step forward in the renewable energy sector. This strategic move, influenced by the outcomes of COP28, positions the company to address the challenges and seize the opportunities in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

The COP28 Debrief Breakfast , hosted by ESG Books, the Climate Bonds Initiative, and the Wheeler Institute at London Business School, brought together industry leaders for a critical discussion on the intersection of climate change, finance, and policy. United Renewables played a pivotal role in these conversations, shaping a forward-thinking strategy that responds to the global need for sustainable energy solutions.

United Renewables' Vision for 2024:

Ramping Up Renewable Energy: Aligned with the global goal to triple renewable energy by 2030, United Renewables is expanding its portfolio of green energy projects.

Aligned with the global goal to triple renewable energy by 2030, United Renewables is expanding its portfolio of green energy projects. Innovating in Green Finance: The company is at the forefront of developing financial models that drive investment in sustainable technologies.

The company is at the forefront of developing financial models that drive investment in sustainable technologies. Advocating for Systemic Change: Recognising the urgency of climate action, United Renewables is pushing for broad changes across industries to achieve rapid decarbonisation.

Recognising the urgency of climate action, United Renewables is pushing for broad changes across industries to achieve rapid decarbonisation. Setting New Standards: As a leader in renewable energy, United Renewables is committed to raising the bar for sustainability and innovation.

Join United Renewables on Its Exciting Journey

United Renewables invites everyone to be part of this transformative journey towards a sustainable 2024. By staying informed about climate change and the company's initiatives and progress, individuals and organisations can contribute to a collective movement towards a greener future.

To learn more about United Renewables' plans for 2024 and its role in shaping the future of energy, please visit United Renewables Website .

About United Renewables:

United Renewables is at the forefront of the renewable energy sector, dedicated to providing diverse green energy solutions, including solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. The company is committed to fostering sustainable futures, reducing global carbon footprints, and empowering communities through innovation and environmental stewardship.

About the Conversations on Climate Podcast:

United Renewables' Conversations on Climate podcast , now nearing the end of its second season, offers enlightening insights on climate change. The podcast combines academic knowledge with practical industry experience, covering topics from game theory to algae-powered innovations. Season 2, developed in collaboration with the London Business School Alumni Energy Club, provides a roadmap for professionals navigating the climate conundrum.

For the latest episodes and updates, subscribe to the Conversations on Climate Channel on YouTube , Apple Podcasts , Podbean , and Spotify .

For all related articles .

Conversations on Climate is a joint production of United Renewables and the London Business School Alumni Energy Club.

Conversations on Climate brings world-leading thinkers from business and academia together to share their expertise on the subject of climate change. Guests include Sir Andrew Likierman, Julio Dal Poz, Professor Jean-Pierre Benoit, Professor Ioannou, Tara Schmidt, Professor Dan Cable, Professor Zoe Chance, Professor Lynda Gratton, Tom Gosling, Eduardo Famini Silva, Dr. Linda Yueh, Yariv Cohen, Francois Ortalo-Magne, Professor Randall Peterson, Matt Winning, Abel Martins Alexandre, Dr. Marcel Olbert, Professor Rupert Merson, Costas Markides and Professor Brian Caulfield.

Contact Information:

Isabella Hawke  Sales and Marketing Consultant



United Renewables



Phone: +447624457139



Email: IIhawke@unitedrenewables.co.uk



Web: unitedrenewables.co.uk

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db7e40db-63a3-46c4-b1b5-2932317b2a94
Dublin, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Mobility and the Employment of Overseas Nationals Training Course" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The law and best practice around global mobility and the employment of overseas nationals is a fast-moving area. Are you aware of the latest changes and how they can impact your business?

This intensive training programme covers everything the in house lawyer needs to know when considering the employment of overseas nationals, including the risks involved and best practice. This one-day event will cover the most relevant, and fast changing, topics in the world of immigration with a focus on the UK. From the impact of Brexit, to the seismic shifts in working practices caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this session will ensure you are fully up to date.

Why you should attend?

Get to grips with the latest updates in immigration best practice

with the latest updates in immigration best practice Understand the risks involved in getting it wrong and what that could mean for your business

the risks involved in getting it wrong and what that could mean for your business Examine the primary recruitment routes available to employers

the primary recruitment routes available to employers Clarify the processes you need to follow to remain compliant with employment law

the processes you need to follow to remain compliant with employment law Expand your knowledge of discrimination law and how to ensure inclusivity

your knowledge of discrimination law and how to ensure inclusivity Learn about agile working and the implications of cross border flexible working

This event is primarily aimed at in-house lawyers but it will also be of interest and value to HR personnel and people managers looking to recruit overseas nationals.

Key Topics Covered:

Prevention of illegal working

This session will cover a detailed look at the rules and policies around the prevention of illegal working policies, including the new (and soon to be mandatory) online verification procedure, the proposed changes in right to work verification for settled individuals and British citizens, and the implications of the Covid-19 concessions. Whilst many businesses believe they are compliant, this is actually rarely the case due to the frequent changes introduced.

Immigration options

This session will provide an overview of all UK immigration options for non-settled individuals looking to live lawfully in the UK for the purposes of work. It will cover all the primary routes employers should be aware of when looking to recruit an individual from overseas, and help them decide the most appropriate way forward. This will include:

Sponsor licencing

Skilled workers

Intra-company transfers (and the proposed new 'Global Mobility' route)

Non sponsored work options

Family options

Immigration compliance and discrimination

This session will show you how to ensure you remain compliant with your obligations under immigration rules and policies, whilst also ensuring you remain compliant with employment law and the avoidance of discrimination to ensure inclusivity.

Global flexible working

With an increased focus on agile working, which is often across country borders, many employers are not aware of the full implications of this. This session will therefore look to provide a high level overview of all the risks when faced with cross border flexible working, including the immigration, tax, employment, health and safety and data security considerations.

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/aqddjj

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.
Dublin, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Educational Furniture Market: Analysis By Material, By Product, By Application, By Distribution Channel, By Region Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global educational furniture market was valued at US$4.85 billion in 2022. The market value is expected to reach US$6.19 billion by 2028. The educational furniture market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.36% over the years 2023-2028.



The global educational furniture market is poised for significant expansion, projected to soar at an accelerating pace. This growth trajectory is underpinned by several key drivers. One such factor is the continual surge in enrollment rates across schools and universities worldwide. Additionally, the rising disposable income among consumers contributes to increased spending on quality educational furniture. Government initiatives aimed at enhancing educational infrastructure also play a pivotal role in propelling this market forward.

Furthermore, the proliferation of schools and educational institutions fuels the demand for specialized furniture. Beyond these factors, evolving classroom dynamics and a heightened focus on creating conducive learning environments further amplify the market's potential. Collectively, these catalysts drive the anticipated growth, reflecting a robust trajectory for the global educational furniture market.



Market Segmentation Analysis:

By Material: The report identifies four segments on the basis of material, namely; wood, plastic, metal, and others. In 2022, the wood sector held a prominent position in the market, while the metal segment is anticipated to experience the most rapid growth in the projected timeframe.

By Product: The report identifies four segments on the basis of product, namely; Seating Furniture, Storage Units, Lab Furniture and Others. The seating furniture segment held the major share of the global educational furniture market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period.



By Application: On the basis of application, the report identifies three segment, namely; Classroom, Library & Labs, and Others. The classroom held the highest share in the market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period.



By Distribution Channel: The report identifies two segments namely based on distribution channel, Offline and Online. Offline segment held the highest share in the market. Offline channel operates through physical stores, showrooms, dealerships, and direct sales representatives.



By Region: In 2022, North America led the market, propelled by escalating enrollment rates, a surge in demand for high-quality educational furniture, and the rise of blended learning approaches. Market players strategically positioned themselves to capitalize on these trends, strengthening their market presence and fostering further growth.



Meanwhile, the educational furniture market in the Asia Pacific region, encompassing key regions like China, Japan, India, and South Korea, is dynamic and rapidly evolving. Its growth is driven by rapid urbanization, population expansion, and the consequent need for more educational institutions and furniture.



Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:



The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the landscape of the educational furniture market. As educational institutions transitioned to remote or hybrid learning models, there was a temporary slowdown in the demand for traditional classroom furniture.

However, the pandemic also accelerated the need for adaptable, technology-integrated furniture suitable for flexible learning environments. Schools and universities began investing in furniture conducive to remote learning setups, such as ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks, and technology-compatible solutions like charging stations and video conferencing furniture.



Moreover, the heightened awareness of health and safety led to a surge in demand for easy-to-clean, antimicrobial furniture to maintain hygienic environments within educational settings. Supply chain disruptions and material shortages impacted production and delivery, causing delays and affecting market dynamics. Overall, the pandemic prompted a shift in furniture requirements towards more versatile, tech-savvy, and hygienic options, emphasizing adaptability to changing learning environments, both in traditional classrooms and remote setups.



Competitive Landscape:



The global educational furniture market is fragmented, with increasing number of large and medium sized players accounting for the majority of market revenue, and presence of a substantial number of regional market players with limited business offerings and customer base.

However, in developed economies, such as the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and Japan, a selected number of market manufacturers dominate the global market with their strong brand recognition and competitive positioning.

Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers

Rising Enrollment Rates In Schools And Universities

Increase In Disposable Income

Government Initiatives

Upsurge In Number Of Schools

Challenges

High Upfront Costs

Fluctuations In Prices Of Wood

Market Trends

Smart Education Furniture

Growing Popularity Of Ergonomic Furniture

Increasing Focus On Sustainability

Active Learning Environments

Customized Furniture

Evolution Of Educational Practices

The key players of the global educational furniture market are:

Steelcase Inc.

MillerKnoll, Inc.

Vitra International AG

Falcon

VS America, Inc.

KI

OfficeLine

British Thornton

Virco Mfg. Corporation

Fleetwood Group, Inc.(Fleetwood Furniture)

Hertz Furniture

Metalliform Holdings Limited

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fllf7c

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.
LONGUEUIL, Quebec, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Azimut Exploration Inc. (Azimut or the Company) (TSXV: AZM) (OTCQX: AZMTF) is pleased to report exciting assay results from the first hole of the maiden 5,000-metre core drilling program on the Galinee Property (the Property) in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada. Based on a visual examination of the drill core, other significant lithium intercepts are expected from this program.

Azimut and its partner SOQUEM Inc. (SOQUEM) have ranked the Galinee Property as one of their top priorities for 2024. Following receipt of the results of this maiden program, a new drilling campaign will be designed to accelerate the definition of the mineralized zone. A property-scale comprehensive prospecting phase will also be conducted over the summer. Azimut is the operator of the work program.

In addition to Galinee, eight (8) of Azimuts other properties will be subject to lithium exploration programs in 2024 (see About Azimut section below). Azimut holds the largest multicommodity mineral exploration portfolio in Quebec (gold, copper, nickel, lithium) and is one of the provinces most active explorers.

HIGHLIGHTS (see Figures 1 to 7 and Table 1)

Hole GAL23-001: 2.48% Li 2 O over 72.7 m (from 139.5 m to 212.2 m) including:

3.38% Li 2 O over 18.0 m (from 174.0 m to 192.0 m)

3.27% Li 2 O over 12.7 m (from 199.5 m to 212.2 m)

1.30% Li 2 O over 7.0 m (from 323.4 m to 330.4 m)

The main objective of this maiden drilling program was to test the down dip extension of the deposit defined on the adjacent Adina property, where Winsome Resources Ltd (Winsome) announced an initial inferred mineral resource estimate of 59 million tonnes at 1.12% Li 2 O (Winsomes press release of December 11, 2023).

The previously disclosed visual observations of spodumene pegmatites in the Galinee drill core supported the downdip extension of the Adina deposit onto the Property ( see press releases of October 23 and November 29, 2023 ).

The visual examination of the drill core also indicated a roughly east-west-trending lithium zone with a strike length of 700 metres at Galinee. This zone remains largely open to the east and south. More drilling will better define the geometry and true thickness of the pegmatite bodies. Initial data suggest a shallow dip to the south ranging from subhorizontal to 15 degrees.

To date, seventeen (17) holes have been drilled, totalling 4,914.9 metres. Eleven (11) holes (including GAL23-001) have cut significant spodumene mineralization. Pending assay results will be reported as soon as they become available.

Spodumene crystals generally range from a few to 50 centimetres long, with greyish-beige to greenish-beige colours. A portable LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) analyzer was used to confirm the presence of lithium. Other associated minerals include quartz, white feldspar, tourmaline and, less frequently, garnet, apatite, lepidolite and colombo-tantalite. Holmquistite, a typical lithium-bearing amphibole formed at the margins of lithium-rich pegmatites, has also been observed. The host rock is dark green amphibolite.

Regional Analysis and Property-Scale Exploration Potential (see Figures 8 to 11 )

Galinee displays a strong exploration potential supported by the project database and the results recently acquired by other companies on surrounding properties.

Emerging lithium district:

Known lithium pegmatite occurrences appear spatially correlated with the Trieste Formation, a sheared mafic greenstone belt with ironstones, partly bounded by paragneisses. Trieste has a relatively distinct low magnetic footprint, which comprises thin, strongly magnetic interlayed horizons. At the current stage of exploration, spodumene pegmatite mineralization roughly delineates a regional corridor 18 kilometres long by 1 kilometre wide.

As previously disclosed ( see press releases of June 13 and October 23, 2023 ), the Galinee Property and other neighbouring projects are marked by well-defined lake-bottom sediment anomalies in elements that are widely recognized as pathfinders for LCT pegmatites (lithium-cesium-rubidium-gallium-tin).

Recent exploration results in the area indicate good spatial correlation between lithium mineralization in the bedrock and proximal lake sediment anomalies in pathfinder elements for LCT pegmatites. These anomalies can then be used as a key criterion to define exploration targets in underexplored sectors. Notably, most of these lake sediment anomalies are spatially superimposed to the Trieste Formation, which appears thus far to be the main host for LCT pegmatites in the area.

Only a very small part of the Galinee Property has been explored for lithium to date:



The currently drilled area, in the northernmost part of the Property, is part of a much more extensive prospective zone continuing for 12 kilometres further east and over 21 kilometres along the northwest side of the project. In the southern half of the Property, several sectors with 22 kilometres of cumulative strike also display a favourable geological context coupled with attractive lake sediment anomalies.



At Galinee, target definition and ranking is also supported by lithogeochemical data, till sampling results and remote sensing analysis.

At the scale of the James Bay region, certain aspects of Galinees context are comparable with the apparent regional context for the CV5 lithium deposit (Patriot Battery Metals):



Spodumene pegmatite bodies hosted in sheared mafic greenstone belts belonging to the La Grande Subprovince, close to the tectono-metamorphic boundary with the Opinaca Subprovince. Presence of peraluminous post-tectonic intrusions (Vieux Comptoir and/or Tilly suites). Well-defined lake sediment geochemical anomalies (lithium-cesium-rubidium-gallium-tin) spatially related to lithium mineralization.



Drilling Contract and Analytical Protocols

Chibougamau Drilling Ltd of Chibougamau (Quebec) is drilling with a core diameter of BTW.

Core samples are sent to ALS Laboratories in Val-dOr (Quebec) for ICP multi-element analysis (laboratory codes: ME-MS61, ME-MS89L, ME-ICP82b). Azimut applies industry-standard QA/QC procedures to its drilling programs. All batches sent for analysis include certified reference materials, blanks and field duplicates.

The lithium content related to spodumene mineralization can only be accurately determined by assay analysis. The true widths of the drill intervals have not been determined at this stage. Grab samples are selective by nature and unlikely to represent average grades.

The Galinee Property

The Galinee Property (649 claims, 335 km2) is a 50/50 joint venture between Azimut and SOQUEM, operated by Azimut. The 36-kilometre-long project is about 50 kilometres north-northwest of the Renard diamond mine (Stornoway) and 60 kilometres south of the Trans-Taiga Road, a regional highway.

Qualified Person

Dr. Jean-Marc Lulin (P.Geo.) prepared this press release as Azimuts qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Rock Lefrancois (P.Geo.), Vice President of Exploration, and Francois Bissonnette (P.Geo.), Operations Manager, also reviewed the contents of this press release.

About SOQUEM

SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec, is dedicated to promoting the exploration, discovery and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. A proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebecs mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research, and strategic minerals to be well-positioned for the future.

About Azimut

Azimut is a leading mineral exploration company with a solid reputation for target generation and partnership development. The Company holds the largest mineral exploration portfolio in Quebec (Canada). Its wholly owned flagship project, the Elmer Gold Project, has advanced to the resource stage with a strong exploration upside. The Company also controls a strategic land position for copper-gold, nickel and lithium (see the document: Azimut in Numbers).

In addition to Galinee, eight other properties will be subject to lithium exploration programs in 2024:

JBL1* Pilipas (Ophir option) Corvet* (Rio Tinto option) Pikwa (SOQUEM JV) Kaanaayaa* (Rio Tinto option) Pontois* (SOQUEM JV) Wapatik* (Mont Royal option) Dalmas* (SOQUEM JV) * Azimut is operator

The Company uses a pioneering approach to big data analytics (the proprietary AZtechMine expert system) enhanced by extensive exploration know-how. Azimuts competitive edge is based on systematic regional-scale data analysis and concurrently active projects. The Company maintains rigorous financial discipline and a strong balance sheet, with 85.2 million shares issued and outstanding.

Contact and Information

Jean-Marc Lulin, President and CEO

Tel.: (450) 646-3015

Jonathan Rosset, Vice President Corporate Development

Tel: (604) 202-7531

info@azimut-exploration.com www.azimut-exploration.com

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Companys current expectations regarding future events related to the drilling results from the Galinee Property. To the extent that any statements in this press release contain information that is not historical, the statements are essentially forward-looking and are often identified by words such as consider, anticipate, expect, estimate, intend, project, plan, potential, suggest and believe. The forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause such differences, particularly volatility and sensitivity to market metal prices, the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, imprecision in reserve estimates, recoveries of gold and other metals, environmental risks including increased regulatory burdens, unexpected geological conditions, adverse mining conditions, community and non-governmental organization actions, changes in government regulations and policies, including laws and policies, global outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities, as well as other development and operating risks. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this document. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required to do so by applicable securities laws. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Report filed on SEDAR+ for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Companys business.

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.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stellar, the first payment bracelet in Vietnam has been impressing young people in Vietnam thanks to its flexible experience, which was proved at DigiLounge#4 "Revealing Stellar - a pioneer in the new payment style of GenZ" held by OMverse.







Experts shared about Stellar's campaign, which aimed at GenZ.

Launched in mid-November 2023, Stellar payment bracelet resulted from a strategic combination between the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank) and Omega Media (a member of OMverse). While MBBank is named in the top 5 prestigious Vietnamese commercial banks in 2023, Omega Media is a pioneer in performance marketing.

Integrating two debit and credit chips in one device, it gives customers convenient one-touch payment without a network connection or battery charging. With 18 options of design, color and individually designed personality charms, this payment-fashion friend is also waterproof and dust resistant, suitable for all types of weather and outdoor activities of Gen Z. Priced at an affordable price, only about 16 USD, it attracted many young people between the ages of 25 and 40, who love technology, fashion and are always ready to try new things.

The launch of the Stellar payment bracelet marked a breakthrough in product marketing and brandformance in the banking and finance industry and impressed leading marketing experts in Vietnam. This was also the topic of DigiLounge#4 "Revealing Stellar - a pioneer in the new payment style of GenZ" organized by OMverse. Many experts attended the event, such as Mr. Mai Huy Phuong - Deputy Director of Digital Banking Department, MBBank; Ms. Van Trinh - CEO of Fantastic Eggs; Mr. An Dang - CEO of Omega Media - Ho Chi Minh City Branch and Mr. Dzung Le - CEO of Omeez.

Through two sharing sessions on "Application of Brandformance in the Banking Industry through Product Innovation" and "From Product Marketing to Brandformance", these experts discussed what made a groundbreaking campaign aimed at Gen Z - the first payment bracelet in Vietnam. At the same time, the experts deep dived into user trends, opportunities and challenges in the Vietnamese market in 2024.

The highlight of DigiLounge#4 was experiencing the one-touch payment style with Stellar right at the event. Many C-level and marketing managers from large enterprises in Vietnam were surprised with how time-saving and convenient Stellar was and enjoyed special charm sets with many humorous and bold messages created by the Gen Z designers. They are optimistic that Stellar could completely develop further towards Gen Alpha.

A representative from Omega Media shared that Gen Z in Vietnam has been always looking for new experiences, so the banking and finance industry also needs innovative products to keep up. The launch of Stellar  when technology meets fashion in a bracelet - was timely and could contribute to creating new payment trends.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34d516bf-de51-4f3b-a000-7d762aa8ae00
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FIREWEED METALS CORP. (Fireweed or the Company) (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF; FSE: M0G) is pleased to report its best drill intersection from Boundary Zone to date, as well as other spectacular assay results from its 2023 exploration at the Macmillan Pass (Macpass) Project, Yukon, Canada.



Highlights

Best intersection drilled to date at Boundary Zone: hole NB23-028 intersected 143.95 m (50 m true width) grading 14.45% zinc, 1.15% lead, and 60.0 g/t silver, including 28.71 m (10 m true width) grading 25.52% zinc, 1.27% lead, and 91.3 g/t silver.

Successful step-out holes continue to increase the extents of known zinc mineralization and demonstrate the high-grade tenor of the Boundary Zone mineralization.

Hole NB23-022 intersected 66.11 m (18 m true width) grading 7.13% zinc, 0.97% lead, and 54.8 g/t silver.

Assays are pending for 19 remaining drillholes including six more from Boundary Zone, and 11 holes from the Tom deposit, and two holes from the Jason deposit.

CEO Statement

Brandon Macdonald, CEO, stated, I am excited to start the year able to say that we have intersected our best-ever Boundary Zone drill intersection. We stepped out 140 m along strike from NB22-002 and NB23-007 and hit a spectacular intersection in NB23-028, further supporting our interpretation that there is a continuous high-grade feeder zone within the stratiform unit at Boundary Zone. We now have multiple wide and high-grade intersections that highlight the potential for another large zinc system within this exceptional critical minerals project.

Summary

The mineralization from drill holes in this release primarily comprises stratiform (layer-parallel) and massive (>50% sulphides) sulphides in the western and central areas of Boundary Zone. This mineralization is sub-vertical with sharp margins, occurring from near-surface to at least a depth of 450 m and across a strike length of 550 m. Another stratiform body is present in holes NB23-029 and NB23-029D1 that requires additional drilling to accurately model. We also report intersections of vein and breccia mineralization that occur on both sides of the tabular stratiform sulphide zones. The intersection in hole NB23-028 demonstrates high zinc, lead, and silver grades that are interpreted as forming from higher temperature fluids in association with a feeder system supplying metals to a mineralized system.

Results

The drill holes in this release are located in the central and western areas of Boundary Zone and targeted the stratiform to massive sulphide body with a focus on stepping out from known feeder-style mineralization. NB23-028 intersected a broad, high-grade interval of massive sulphides rich in zinc, lead, and silver that are correlated with this interpreted feeder zone. Stratiform massive sulphides were also intersected in NB23-022 and NB23-029. Stratiform sulphides intersected in NB23-022D1, NB23-029D1 are associated with a separate zone that requires additional drilling and interpretation. Breccia and vein mineralization was also intersected in NB23-028, NB23-029, NB23-029D1 and NB23-031.

Table 1: Assay highlights for holes included within this release for the 2023 drilling program, Boundary Zone

Drillhole Interval From (m) To (m) Interval Width (m) Est. True Width

(m)  Zinc (%) Lead (%) Silver

(g/t) Bulk Density (t/m3) NB23-022 Primary 282.65 348.76 66.11 18 7.13 0.97 54.8 4.47 NB23-028 Primary 91.9 111.3 19.4 N/A 3.65 0.04 5.1 3.09 NB23-028 Including 94.72 98.1 3.38 N/A 8.55 0.07 8.1 3.39 NB23-028 Primary 196.1 203.8 7.7 N/A 9.95 0.04 12.7 2.86 NB23-028 Including 197.6 202.3 4.7 N/A 14.23 0.06 17.9 2.91 NB23-028 Primary 305.6 449.55 143.95 50 14.45 1.15 60.0 3.75 NB23-028 Including 310.35 314.5 4.15 1.4 14.55 4.69 163.0 3.89 NB23-028 Including 321.79 350.5 28.71 10 25.52 1.27 91.3 3.90 NB23-028 >Including 327.6 337.74 10.14 3.5 32.72 1.34 109.8 4.06 NB23-028 Including 420.31 439.61 19.3 6.7 19.06 1.12 62.7 4.00 NB23-029 Primary* 24.14 51.95 27.81 N/A 4.28 0.06 11.9 3.08 NB23-029 Including* 24.14 31.57 7.43 N/A 9.21 0.05 13.8 3.07 NB23-029 Primary* 79.27 108.45 29.18 N/A 2.93 0.02 4.6 2.77 NB23-029 Primary 238.82 255.44 16.62 N/A 8.74 0.03 11.1 3.09 NB23-029 Including 239.82 245.44 5.62 N/A 18.39 0.06 23.6 3.49 NB23-029 Primary 400.87 412.5 11.63 Unknown 7.49 1.66 34.7 3.14 NB23-029 Including 402.82 408.38 5.56 Unknown 13.21 0.96 34.1 3.42 NB23-029 Primary 514 519.76 5.76 Unknown 6.32 1.50 34.6 3.06 NB23-029 Primary 580.43 618.83 38.4 Unknown 3.06 0.08 8.2 3.47 NB23-029 Including 580.43 582.86 2.43 Unknown 11.91 0.36 26.6 4.39 NB23-029 Including 601.94 604.88 2.94 Unknown 13.21 0.09 21.5 4.30 NB23-029D1 Primary 416.75 437.5 20.75 Unknown 5.20 2.05 52.6 3.80 NB23-029D1 Including 423.5 430 6.5 Unknown 8.43 3.27 82.3 4.17 NB23-031 Primary 142.4 148.9 6.5 N/A 7.33 0.05 14.5 2.92 NB23-031 Primary 235.57 240.16 4.59 N/A 7.33 0.02 7.7 3.23 NB23-031 Primary 373.33 377.6 4.27 N/A 7.95 0.01 3.3 2.81 NB23-032 Primary 412.55 430.92 18.37 8 4.25 0.14 12.7 3.27 NB23-032 Including* 412.55 417 4.45 2 7.55 0.19 17.3 2.96

*denotes intervals with recovery of less than 85%. N/A: Not Applicable due to the variable shapes of breccia and vein mineralization.

 See Data Verification for a description of true width calculations

Fireweed continues to successfully intersect pyrite-sphalerite-galena as stratiform massive sulphides, laminated mineralization, veins, and breccias in the 2023 step-outs (Photos 1 to 3). Mineralization has been intersected in every step-out hole that has been completed to depth. Assays have been received for 34 Boundary Zone holes (Tables 1 and 2). Brief summaries of mineralized zones within all other 2023 holes are listed in Table 3. Summaries for new drill results reported in this news release are as follows:

Hole NB23-028 intersected a 143.95 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 14.45% zinc, 1.15% lead, and 60.0 g/t silver with an estimated true width of approximately 50 m, including 28.71 m (estimated true width 10 m) of 25.52% zinc, 1.27% lead, and 91.3 g/t silver, further including 10.14 m (estimated true width 3.5 m) of 32.72% zinc, 1.34% lead, and 109.8 g/t silver. Two intervals of vein and breccia style mineralization were also intersected, 19.40 m grading 3.65% zinc and 5.1 g/t silver, and 7.70 m grading 9.95% zinc and 12.7 g/t silver.

intersected a 143.95 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 14.45% zinc, 1.15% lead, and 60.0 g/t silver with an estimated true width of approximately 50 m, including 28.71 m (estimated true width 10 m) of 25.52% zinc, 1.27% lead, and 91.3 g/t silver, further including 10.14 m (estimated true width 3.5 m) of 32.72% zinc, 1.34% lead, and 109.8 g/t silver. Two intervals of vein and breccia style mineralization were also intersected, 19.40 m grading 3.65% zinc and 5.1 g/t silver, and 7.70 m grading 9.95% zinc and 12.7 g/t silver. Hole NB23-022 intersected 66.11 m of stratiform massive sulphide with an estimated true width of 18 m grading 7.13% zinc, 0.97% lead, and 54.8 g/t silver, including 50.08 m (14 m true width) of 7.99% zinc, 1.12% lead, and 61.7 g/t silver.

intersected 66.11 m of stratiform massive sulphide with an estimated true width of 18 m grading 7.13% zinc, 0.97% lead, and 54.8 g/t silver, including 50.08 m (14 m true width) of 7.99% zinc, 1.12% lead, and 61.7 g/t silver. Hole NB23-29D1 is a directionally-cut secondary splay hole from NB23-029 and intersected 20.75 m of stratiform massive sulphide grading 5.20% zinc, 2.05% lead, and 52.6 g/t silver, including 6.50 m of 8.43% zinc, 3.27% lead, and 82.3 g/t silver. This intercept of stratiform mineralization correlates to a separate, distinct body from the primary tabular massive sulphide.

is a directionally-cut secondary splay hole from NB23-029 and intersected 20.75 m of stratiform massive sulphide grading 5.20% zinc, 2.05% lead, and 52.6 g/t silver, including 6.50 m of 8.43% zinc, 3.27% lead, and 82.3 g/t silver. This intercept of stratiform mineralization correlates to a separate, distinct body from the primary tabular massive sulphide. NB23-029 intersected a 5.76 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 6.32% zinc, 1.50% lead, and 34.6 g/t silver, as well as an 11.63 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 7.49% zinc, 1.66% lead, and 34.7 g/t silver. Four intervals of vein and breccia style mineralization were also intersected: 27.81 m grading 4.28% zinc and 11.9 g/t silver; 29.18 m grading 2.93% zinc and 4.6 g/t silver; 16.62 m grading 8.74% zinc and 11.1 g/t silver; and 38.40 m grading 3.06% zinc and 8.2 g/t silver.

intersected a 5.76 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 6.32% zinc, 1.50% lead, and 34.6 g/t silver, as well as an 11.63 m interval of stratiform massive sulphide grading 7.49% zinc, 1.66% lead, and 34.7 g/t silver. Four intervals of vein and breccia style mineralization were also intersected: 27.81 m grading 4.28% zinc and 11.9 g/t silver; 29.18 m grading 2.93% zinc and 4.6 g/t silver; 16.62 m grading 8.74% zinc and 11.1 g/t silver; and 38.40 m grading 3.06% zinc and 8.2 g/t silver. Hole NB23-032 intersected 18.37 m of stratiform massive sulphide with an estimated true width of 8 m grading 4.25% zinc, 0.14% lead, and 12.7 g/t silver, including 4.45 m of 7.55% zinc, 0.19% lead, and 17.3 g/t silver with an estimated true width of 2 m.

intersected 18.37 m of stratiform massive sulphide with an estimated true width of 8 m grading 4.25% zinc, 0.14% lead, and 12.7 g/t silver, including 4.45 m of 7.55% zinc, 0.19% lead, and 17.3 g/t silver with an estimated true width of 2 m. Hole NB23-031 intersected three zones of breccia and vein style mineralization: 6.50 m grading 7.33% zinc and 14.5 g/t silver; 4.59 m grading 7.33% zinc and 7.7 g/t silver; and 4.27 m grading 7.95% zinc and 3.3 g/t silver.

intersected three zones of breccia and vein style mineralization: 6.50 m grading 7.33% zinc and 14.5 g/t silver; 4.59 m grading 7.33% zinc and 7.7 g/t silver; and 4.27 m grading 7.95% zinc and 3.3 g/t silver. Hole NB23-022D1 is a directional cut off NB23-022 and intersected a 2.50 m interval of sulphide mineralization grading 5.13% zinc, 0.43% lead, and 33.8 g/t silver.

See Tables 1 to 4, Long Section MM, Cross Sections CC, JJ, KK, LL, Q-Q, and Maps 2 and 3 below for further details.

Step-out drilling at Boundary Zone targeting the massivestratiform zone has resulted in the visual identification of many wide intersections of zinc-lead mineralization with assays pending. The most significant intersections can be seen on Long Section MM and are listed here:

NB23-034 intersected 49 m of stratiform massive sulphide.

NB23-035 intersected 15 m of stratiform massive sulphide.

NB23-036 intersected 45 m of stratiform massive sulphide.

NB23-037 intersected 110 m of feeder-proximal laminated to massive sulphide.

NB23-038 intersected 13 m of stratiform massive sulphide.

Out of the 40 holes drilled at Boundary Zone in 2023, 36 were step-out holes that tested the vein mineralization, laminated stratiform mineralization, and massive sulphide zones. The geometry and stratigraphic sequence intersected in these holes continue to support the idea that the laminated and massive sulphide mineralization are part of the same geological layer at Boundary Zone, forming an approximately tabular stratiform zone. Step out drilling down-dip intersected abundant galena, supporting the presence of the conceptual feeder zone. The mineralization in the massive stratiform layer extends from surface to at least 450 m down-dip, over 550 m in strike with a variable true thickness that is shown on Long Section MM, thinning around the edges and reaching thicknesses of up to 50 m at its widest point.

Extensive vein and breccia mineralization at Boundary Zone occurs both stratigraphically above and below the main stratiform laminated massive sulphide zone. This mineralization forms within a halo approximately 100 m to 150 m wide on both sides of the stratiform laminated zone and is interpreted as a stockwork of randomly oriented veins and breccia zones. Many wide intervals of vein and breccia style sphalerite mineralization have been encountered in 2023 step-out holes and four infill holes (Table 3).

2023 Drill Program

The 2023 program achieved 22,500 m of drilling mostly focused on Boundary, Tom, and Jason zones in addition to five metallurgical drill holes at Mactung (Map 1). Use of directional drilling, in which multiple secondary drill holes are initiated at depth from one primary hole, saved an estimated 1,800 m of drilling compared to traditional drilling of multiple new holes from surface for a total equivalent metreage of 24,300 m in 2023.This was Fireweeds largest ever program and the biggest drill program in Yukon in 2023.

About Fireweed Metals Corp. (TSXV: FWZ; OTCQB: FWEDF; FSE:M0G): Fireweed Metals is a public mineral exploration company on the leading edge of Critical Minerals project development. Fireweed is well-funded, with a healthy balance sheet, and has three projects located in Canada:

Macpass Project (Zinc-Lead-Silver) : Fireweed owns 100% of the district-scale 940 km 2 Macmillan Pass (Macpass) Project in Yukon, Canada, which is host to one of Earths largest undeveloped resources of zinc*, a critical mineral. The Tom and Jason zinc-lead-silver deposits have current Mineral Resources 1 (11.21 Mt Indicated Resource at 6.59% zinc, 2.48% lead, and 21.33 g/t silver; and 39.47 Mt Inferred Resource at 5.84% zinc, 3.14% lead, and 38.15 g/t silver) and a Preliminary Economic Assessment 2 (PEA). In addition, Boundary Zone, Tom North and End Zone have significant zinc-lead-silver mineralization drilled but not yet classified as mineral resources. The Project also includes large blocks of adjacent claims with known showings and significant upside exploration potential.

Fireweed owns 100% of the district-scale 940 km Macmillan Pass (Macpass) Project in Yukon, Canada, which is host to one of Earths largest undeveloped resources of zinc*, a critical mineral. The Tom and Jason zinc-lead-silver deposits have current Mineral Resources (11.21 Mt Indicated Resource at 6.59% zinc, 2.48% lead, and 21.33 g/t silver; and 39.47 Mt Inferred Resource at 5.84% zinc, 3.14% lead, and 38.15 g/t silver) and a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). In addition, Boundary Zone, Tom North and End Zone have significant zinc-lead-silver mineralization drilled but not yet classified as mineral resources. The Project also includes large blocks of adjacent claims with known showings and significant upside exploration potential. Mactung Project (Tungsten) : The Company owns 100% interest in the 37.6 km 2 Mactung Project located adjacent to the Macpass Project. Recently announced mineral resources for Mactung (41.5 Mt Indicated Resource at 0.73% WO 3 and 12.2 Mt Inferred Resource at 0.59% WO 3 ) 3 make it the worlds largest high-grade resource of the critical mineral tungsten*. Located in Canada, it is one of the rare large tungsten resources outside of China*.

The Company owns 100% interest in the 37.6 km Mactung Project located adjacent to the Macpass Project. Recently announced mineral resources for Mactung (41.5 Mt Indicated Resource at 0.73% WO and 12.2 Mt Inferred Resource at 0.59% WO ) make it the worlds largest high-grade resource of the critical mineral tungsten*. Located in Canada, it is one of the rare large tungsten resources outside of China*. Gayna Project (Zinc-Lead-Gallium-Germanium): Fireweed owns 100% of the 128.75 km2 Gayna Project located 180 km north of the Macpass Project. It is host to extensive mineralization including Critical Minerals zinc, gallium and germanium as well as lead and silver, outlined by 28,000 m of historical drilling. A recent reevaluation of the geology indicates the potential for high-grade Kipushi-style massive sulphide mineralization.



Qualified Person Statement

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Fireweeds VP Geology, Dr. Jack Milton, P.Geo. (BC), a Qualified Person as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

In Canada, Fireweed (TSXV: FWZ) trades on the TSX Venture Exchange. In the USA, Fireweed (OTCQB: FWEDF) trades on the OTCQB Venture Market (www.otcmarkets.com) and is DTC eligible for enhanced electronic clearing and settlement. In Europe, Fireweed (FSE: M0G) trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Additional information about Fireweed and its projects can be found on the Companys website at FireweedMetals.com and at www.sedarplus.com

ON BEHALF OF FIREWEED METALS CORP.

Brandon Macdonald

CEO & Director

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.

Data Verification

The diamond drill core logging and sampling program was carried out under a rigorous quality assurance / quality control program using industry best practices. Drill intersections in this release are NQ2 size core (50.5 mm/ 1.99-inch diameter) with recoveries typically above 85% unless otherwise noted in the results tables. After drilling, core was cleaned, logged for geology, structure, and geotechnical characteristics, then marked for sampling and photographed on site. Certain cores were selected for core scanning. The cores for analyses were marked for sampling based on geological intervals with individual samples 2 m or less in length, with 1 m samples within mineralized zones. Drill core was cut lengthwise in half with a core saw; half-core was sent for assays reported in this news release, and the other half is stored on site for reference. Bulk density was determined on site for the entire length of each assay sample by measurement of mass in air and mass in water. Sample duplicate bulk density determinations and in-house bulk density standard determinations were each made at a rate of 5%. Since 2017, four in-house bulk density standards (mineralized drill core from the Tom deposit that span a range of densities) have been used and show an acceptable long-term precision. Certified standard masses are used to calibrate the scale balance used for bulk density determinations.

A total of 5% assay standards or blanks and 5% core duplicates are included in the sample stream as a quality control measure and are reviewed after analyses are received. Standards and blanks in 2023 drill results to date have been approved as acceptable. Duplicate data add to the long-term estimates of precision for assay data on the project and precision for drill results reported is deemed to be within acceptable levels. With the exception of samples from NB23-031, samples were sent to the Bureau Veritas (BV) preparation laboratory in Whitehorse, Yukon, where the samples were crushed and a 500 g split was sent to the BV laboratory in Vancouver, B.C to be pulverized to 85% passing 200 mesh size pulps. Clean crush material was passed through the crusher and clean silica was pulverized between each sample. The pulps were analyzed by 1:1:1 Aqua Regia digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-ES/ICP-MS) multi-element analyses (BV Code AQ270). All samples were also analyzed for multiple elements by lithium borate fusion and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) finish (BV Code LF725). Over-limit lead (>25.0%) and zinc (>24.0%) were analyzed by lithium borate fusion with XRF finish (BV Code LF726). For BV samples, silver is reported in this news release by method AQ270, and zinc and lead are reported by LF725 or LF726. Samples from NB23-031 were sent to AGAT labs in Calgary. Samples were crushed, of which 500 g was split and then pulverized to 90% passing 75 microns. Clean crush material was passed through the crusher and clean silica was pulverized between each sample. The pulps were analyzed by Aqua Regia digestion followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-OES/ICP-MS) multi-element analyses (AGAT Code 201-074). All samples were also analyzed for multiple elements by lithium borate fusion and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) finish (AGAT code 11-323). For AGAT samples, silver is reported in this news release by method 201-074, and zinc and lead are reported by 11-323. Bureau Veritas (Vancouver) and AGAT (Calgary) are independent, international ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratories.

Assay values may appear rounded to one decimal place but are given in full in Table 1, Table 2, and Cross Sections where zinc and lead grades are reported to two decimal places.

Results in this news release are length and bulk-density weighted averages as would be used in a Mineral Resource estimate. Length and bulk-density weighted averages have been reported as these most accurately represent the average metal-content of the intersections.

True widths for primary intervals are estimated by measuring perpendicular to strike within the short axis of a stratiform wireframe that has been constructed in 3D around the mineralized intercepts at Boundary Zone based on assay results, geological logging, stratigraphic correlation, and bedding measurements from oriented core. The massive sulphide mineralization and laminated mineralization at Boundary Zone are mostly stratiform (oriented parallel to bedding), therefore the true width, or thickness, of the zone is estimated perpendicular to both the strike and dip direction of bedding. Vein and breccia mineralization at Boundary Zone are interpreted to be stockworks with variable shapes and true widths cannot be accurately estimated, therefore only intersected widths are reported, and true widths are marked as N/A in the assay tables. True widths are rounded to the nearest metre for widths over 10 m and to the nearest 0.1 m for widths less than 10 m, as this better reflects the precision of the estimates. True widths should be regarded as approximate as these are derived from an estimation that uses a preliminary interpretation of the geological model. True widths for nested intervals (marked as Including in results tables) are estimated using a ratio of included to primary intersected widths to attribute appropriate portions of the true width of the primary interval to the nested intervals.

Sphalerite and galena have been identified visually by experienced core logging geologists, and licenced professional geoscientists, and confirmed by portable XRF (X-Ray fluorescence). No absolute visual estimates of mineral abundances or inferences of potential zinc or lead grades have been stated for holes without assay values in this news release.

Cautionary Statements

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and information (forward-looking statements). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to interpretation of drill results and projections of mineralization, future work plans, the use of funds, and the potential of the Companys projects, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects, "anticipates, "believes, "intends, "estimates, "potential, "possible, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will, "may, "could, or "should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Company management and reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on 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 but are not limited to, exploration and development risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, expenditure and financing requirements, general economic conditions, changes in financial markets, the ability to properly and efficiently staff the Companys operations, the sufficiency of working capital and funding for continued operations, title matters, First Nations relations, operating hazards, political and economic factors, competitive factors, metal prices, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulations and oversight, permitting, seasonality and weather, technological change, industry practices, uncertainties involved in the interpretation of drilling results and laboratory tests, and one-time events. The Company assumes no obligation to update forwardlooking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections or other factors, except as required by law.

Footnotes and References

* References to relative size and grade of the Mactung resources and Macpass resources in comparison to other tungsten and zinc deposits elsewhere in the world, respectively, are based on review of the Standard & Poors Global Market Intelligence Capital IQ database.

1: For details, see https://www.sedarplus.ca/ Fireweed Technical Report titled NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Macmillan Pass Zinc-Lead-Silver Project, Watson Lake and Mayo Mining Districts Yukon Territory, Canada filed on https://www.sedarplus.ca/ on February 23, 2018, and Fireweed News Release dated January 10, 2018. .

2: For details, see https://www.sedarplus.ca/ Fireweed Technical Report titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Macmillan Pass Project Yukon Territory Canada filed on https://www.sedarplus.ca/ on July 9, 2018, and Fireweed News Release dated May 23, 2018. This Technical Report includes a Preliminary Economic Analysis disclosing an economic analysis of mineral resources that is preliminary in nature and does not include any mineral reserves. It is equally emphasized that the mineral resources disclosed within this Technical Report are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

3: For details, see Fireweed news release dated June 13, 2023 Fireweed Metals Announces Mineral Resources for the Mactung Project: the Largest High-Grade Tungsten Deposit in the World and the technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report, Mactung Project, Yukon Territory, Canada, with effective date July 28, 2023 filed on https://www.sedarplus.ca/





Map 1: Macpass Project and Mactung Project locations





Map 2: Location of 2023 Boundary Zone drillholes, cross sections and long section MM. See below for sections.





Map 3: Mineralized intervals in 2023 drilling and pre-2023 drilling defining a stratiform laminated to massive sulphide zone that is connected at depth (purple polygon) and a broader envelope of vein, breccia, and other stratiform zinc mineralization, showing significant areal extent (within green dashed line).





Long Section MM  Estimated true thickness interpretation and selected intersections with zinc grades shown within the laminated to massive sulphide stratiform zone of pyrite-sphalerite-galena mineralization at Boundary Zone including midpoints of holes with assays pending. Halo vein and breccia mineralization is not included in this long section.





Cross Section CC  Including analytical results for hole NB23-032 and visually confirmed mineralization for hole NB23-033





Cross Section JJ  Including analytical results for hole NB23-031





Cross Section KK  Including analytical results for hole NB23-028 and visually confirmed mineralization for holes NB23-033, NB23-035, and NB23-037





Cross Section LL  Including analytical results from Holes NB23-029 and NB23-029D1

Cross Section QQ  Including analytical results from Hole NB23-022 and NB23-022D1 as well as visually confirmed mineralization for hole NB23-038





Photo 1: High resolution core scanning image of stratiform and massive to semi-massive sulphide mineralization in NB23-028 (330.2 m to 340.1 m)





Photo 2: High resolution core scanning image of sphalerite-pyrite-siderite vein mineralization in NB23-029 (237.5 m to 247 m)







Photo 3: High resolution core scanning image of sphalerite-pyrite-galena-siderite breccia and massive sulphide mineralization in NB23-029 (598.4 m to 607.9 m)

Table 2: NB23-017, NB23-018, NB23-019, NB23-020, NB23-021, NB23-024, NB23-025, NB23-026, NB23-027, NB23-030 drill results

Drillhole Interval From (m) To (m) Interval Width (m) Est. True Width (m)  Zinc (%) Lead (%) Silver (g/t) Bulk Density (t/m3) NB23-022 Entire Hole 0.00 386.00 386.00 N/A 1.84 0.26 15.5 3.04 NB23-022 Primary 282.65 348.76 66.11 18 7.13 0.97 54.8 4.47 NB23-022 Including 282.65 332.73 50.08 14 7.99 1.12 61.7 4.78 NB23-022D1 Entire Hole 0.00 448.00 448.00 N/A 0.07 0.02 1.5 2.76 NB23-022D1 Primary 378.50 381.00 2.50 N/A 5.13 0.43 33.8 3.12 NB23-028 Entire Hole 0.00 477.00 477.00 N/A 5.65 0.43 23.3 3.15 NB23-028 Primary 91.90 111.30 19.40 N/A 3.65 0.04 5.1 3.09 NB23-028 Including 94.72 98.10 3.38 N/A 8.55 0.07 8.1 3.39 NB23-028 Primary 196.10 203.80 7.70 N/A 9.95 0.04 12.7 2.86 NB23-028 Including 197.60 202.30 4.70 N/A 14.23 0.06 17.9 2.91 NB23-028 Primary 305.60 449.55 143.95 50 14.45 1.15 60.0 3.75 NB23-028 Including 306.44 443.23 136.79 48 14.90 1.18 61.7 3.77 NB23-028 >Including 310.35 314.50 4.15 1.4 14.55 4.69 163.0 3.89 NB23-028 >Including 321.79 350.50 28.71 10 25.52 1.27 91.3 3.90 NB23-028 >>Including 327.60 337.74 10.14 3.5 32.72 1.34 109.8 4.06 NB23-028 >Including 420.31 439.61 19.30 6.7 19.06 1.12 62.7 4.00 NB23-029 Entire Hole 0.00 629.50 629.50 N/A 1.17 0.08 4.4 2.93 NB23-029 Primary* 24.14 51.95 27.81 N/A 4.28 0.06 11.9 3.08 NB23-029 Including* 24.14 31.57 7.43 N/A 9.21 0.05 13.8 3.07 NB23-029 Primary* 79.27 108.45 29.18 N/A 2.93 0.02 4.6 2.77 NB23-029 Primary 238.82 255.44 16.62 N/A 8.74 0.03 11.1 3.09 NB23-029 Including 239.82 246.22 6.40 N/A 17.05 0.06 21.6 3.40 NB23-029 Including 239.82 245.44 5.62 N/A 18.39 0.06 23.6 3.49 NB23-029 Primary 400.87 412.50 11.63 unknown 7.49 1.66 34.7 3.14 NB23-029 Including 400.87 412.00 11.13 unknown 7.79 1.66 35.3 3.15 NB23-029 Including 402.82 408.38 5.56 unknown 13.21 0.96 34.1 3.42 NB23-029 Primary 514.00 519.76 5.76 unknown 6.32 1.50 34.6 3.06 NB23-029 Including 515.50 519.76 4.26 unknown 7.73 1.91 39.7 3.16 NB23-029 Primary 580.43 618.83 38.40 unknown 3.06 0.08 8.2 3.47 NB23-029 Including 580.43 582.86 2.43 unknown 11.91 0.36 26.6 4.39 NB23-029 Including 601.94 604.88 2.94 unknown 13.21 0.09 21.5 4.30 NB23-029D1 Entire Hole 0.00 689.50 689.50 N/A 0.31 0.11 3.4 2.84 NB23-029D1 Primary 416.75 437.50 20.75 unknown 5.20 2.05 52.6 3.80 NB23-029D1 Including 423.50 430.00 6.50 unknown 8.43 3.27 82.3 4.17 NB23-031 Entire Hole 0.00 574.00 574.00 N/A 0.46 0.01 1.9 2.83 NB23-031 Primary 142.40 148.90 6.50 N/A 7.33 0.05 14.5 2.92 NB23-031 Including 142.40 147.40 5.00 N/A 8.76 0.06 16.5 2.96 NB23-031 Primary 235.57 240.16 4.59 N/A 7.33 0.02 7.7 3.23 NB23-031 Primary 373.33 377.60 4.27 N/A 7.95 0.01 3.3 2.81 NB23-032 Entire Hole 0.00 493.34 493.34 N/A 0.36 0.04 3.0 2.94 NB23-032 Primary 412.55 430.92 18.37 8 4.25 0.14 12.7 3.27 NB23-032 Including* 412.55 417.00 4.45 2 7.55 0.19 17.3 2.96

* Denotes intervals with recovery of less than 85%; N/A: Not Applicable due to the variable shapes of breccia and vein mineralization.

 Entire hole intervals contain large continuous sections of very low grade or not mineralized material (below 2% zinc)intersections of continuous higher-grade material (>2% zinc) are listed as Primary and Included intervals and represent mineralized material.

 See Data Verification for a description of true width calculations

Table 3: 2023 Drilling Summary

Drillhole Length (m) Zone Significant Intersection Type NB23-001 460 Boundary Results disclosed Jul 26 Step Out NB23-002 351 Boundary Results disclosed Jul 26 Step Out NB23-003 418 Boundary Results disclosed Jul 26 Step Out NB23-004 432 Boundary Results disclosed Aug 22 Step Out NB23-005 234 Boundary Results disclosed Aug 22 Step Out NB23-006 373 Boundary Results disclosed Aug 22 Step Out NB23-007 461 Boundary Results disclosed Aug 22 Step Out NB23-008 385 Boundary Results disclosed Aug 22 Step Out NB23-009 67 Boundary Hole abandoned and redrilled as NB23-011 Step Out NB23-010 96 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-011 289 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-012 452 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-013 551 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-014 223 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-015 339 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-016 460 Boundary Results disclosed Oct 24 Step Out NB23-017 96 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-018 195 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-019 560 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-020 414 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Infill NB23-021 442 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Infill NB23-022 386 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-022D1 448 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-023 181 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-024 402 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Infill NB23-025 580 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-026 111 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-027 396 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Infill NB23-028 477 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-029 640 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-029D1 689 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-030 526 Boundary Results disclosed Nov 30 Step Out NB23-031 574 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-032 495 Boundary Results disclosed this release Step Out NB23-033 681 Boundary Narrow Zone Encountered Step Out NB23-034 580 Boundary Wide Zone Encountered Step Out NB23-035 552 Boundary Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out NB23-036 397 Boundary Wide Zone Encountered Step Out NB23-037 544 Boundary Wide Zone Encountered Step Out NB23-038 427 Boundary Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-001 143 Tom North Minor Mineralization Encountered Step Out TS23-002 182 Tom North Minor Mineralization Encountered Step Out TS23-003 299 Tom West Wide Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-004 369 Tom West Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-005 407 Tom West Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-006 137 Tom West Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-007 215 Tom West Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-008 428 Tom West Moderate Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-009 749 Tom South Wide Zone Encountered Step Out TS23-009D1 747 Tom South Wide Zone Encountered Redrill TS23-009D2 821 Tom South Wide Zone Encountered Step Out JS23-001 631 Jason South Narrow Zone Encountered Step Out JS23-001D1 665 Jason South Wide Zone Encountered Step Out BX23-001 219 Boundary South No significant mineralization Exploration BX23-002 144 Boundary South No significant mineralization Exploration KB23-001 368 Kobuk No significant mineralization Exploration KB23-002 284 Kobuk No significant mineralization Exploration

Table 4: Drill Hole Collar Information

Drillhole Zone Length (m) Easting Northing Elevation (m.s.l) Azimuth () Dip () NB23-001 Boundary 460 422297 7010471 1185.86 211.99 -76.42 NB23-002 Boundary 351 422235 7010525 1194.57 214.06 -70.22 NB23-003 Boundary 418 422235 7010525 1194.57 213.40 -78.00 NB23-004 Boundary 432 422171 7010556 1203.00 213.91 -78.08 NB23-005 Boundary 234 422058 7010589 1207.95 199.63 -49.74 NB23-006 Boundary 373 422171 7010556 1203.00 215.44 -70.02 NB23-007 Boundary 461 422058 7010589 1207.95 206.37 -86.43 NB23-008 Boundary 385 422171 7010556 1203.00 215.83 -60.07 NB23-009 Boundary 67 422058 7010589 1208.67 198.54 -75.41 NB23-010 Boundary 96 422241 7010385 1150.41 212.28 -45.00 NB23-011 Boundary 289 422058 7010589 1208.67 201.59 -75.40 NB23-012 Boundary 452 422289 7010534 1200.90 211.75 -69.90 NB23-013 Boundary 551 422072 7010666 1233.59 214.94 -77.68 NB23-014 Boundary 223 422241 7010384 1150.86 213.68 -70.83 NB23-015 Boundary 339 422241 7010385 1150.41 213.36 -84.00 NB23-016 Boundary 461 422274 7010600 1216. 70 209.88 -72.96 NB23-017 Boundary 96 422279 7010359 1142.67 191.27 -46.90 NB23-018 Boundary 195 422279 7010359 1142.67 190.21 -65.21 NB23-019 Boundary 561 422289 7010534 1200.90 209.95 -81.31 NB23-020 Boundary 414 422465 7010510 1191.44 204.85 -63.35 NB23-021 Boundary 442 422391 7010500 1190.07 201.97 -77.01 NB23-022 Boundary 386 421948 7010672 1232.44 178.85 -74.18 NB23-022D1 Boundary 448 421948 7010672 1232.44 177.78 -74.00 NB23-023 Boundary 181 422449 7010351 1145.42 211.82 -49.18 NB23-024 Boundary 405 422348 7010550 1203.82 199.65 -50.18 NB23-025 Boundary 582 422343 7010620 1219.03 196.94 -74.05 NB23-026 Boundary 111 422449 7010351 1145.42 210.02 -65.44 NB23-027 Boundary 451 422348 7010550 1203.82 197.18 -72.46 NB23-028 Boundary 467 422222 7010587 1209.75 211.38 -65.44 NB23-029 Boundary 630 422124 7010731 1250.31 196.21 -75.67 NB23-029D1 Boundary 690 422124 7010731 1250.31 196.21 -75.67 NB23-030 Boundary 526 422535 7010614 1214.65 211.44 -62.01 NB23-031 Boundary 574 422329 7010671 1235.88 207.69 -69.87 NB23-032 Boundary 493 422165 7010640 1224.09 210.08 -62.01 NB23-033 Boundary 681 422228 7010663 1233.01 211.31 -73.88 NB23-034 Boundary 580 422138 7010674 1237.24 199.07 -72.40 NB23-035 Boundary 552 422228 7010663 1232.97 199.00 -72.02 NB23-036 Boundary 398 422289 7010534 1200.89 212.26 -59.46 NB23-037 Boundary 544 422228 7010663 1232.94 204.73 -66.10 NB23-038 Boundary 427 422001 7010675 1233.60 179.75 -68.10 TS23-001 Tom North 143 441761 7004226 1492.16 075.08 -49.66 TS23-002 Tom North 182 441761 7004226 1492.16 074.97 -80.38 TS23-003 Tom West 299 441676 7004024 1445.00 074.17 -68.51 TS23-004 Tom West 369 441694 7003884 1463.34 067.38 -71.48 TS23-005 Tom West 407 441761 7003770 1510.00 063.25 -75.35 TS23-006 Tom West 137 441779 7004076 1485.36 065.15 -50.08 TS23-007 Tom West 215 441779 7004076 1485.36 065.23 -78.04 TS23-008 Tom West 428 441816 7003717 1538.00 089.53 -88.95 TS23-009 Tom South 749 442363 7003106 1747.29 351.97 -82.00 TS23-009D1 Tom South 748 442363 7003106 1747.29 351.97 -82.00 TS23-009D2 Tom South 821 442363 7003106 1747.29 351.97 -82.00 JS23-001 Jason South 631 436722 7002304 1185.00 228.15 -83.90 JS23-001D1 Jason South 665 436722 7002304 1185.00 228.15 -83.90 BX23-001 Boundary Expl. 219 421752 7010127 1114.70 035.16 -50.19 BX23-002 Boundary Expl. 144 421637 7010243 1137.50 014.78 -49.83 KB23-001 Kobuk 368 418651 7012138 1311.00 006.19 -51.12 KB23-002 Kobuk 284 418754 7011620 1225.00 006.00 -65.24

Coordinates listed in NAD83 UTM Zone 9N.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1158338-4312-4aba-800a-8193b0d27f03

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ebb84e7-b244-41ab-bf25-aae15fcf8371

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e927b4cc-b537-47d4-aee5-e56cf9cac079

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0afca3a9-8acb-42eb-969b-7e8b8534ed13

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1d84bd9-2d71-4193-b6e4-5097665e582e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a44d5267-1c77-41e9-9ef9-e539bdbbffda

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/471c940b-8055-4ca9-9379-a1373787acc4

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a17f7190-af4f-4deb-bc3a-1ad32b6f85f9

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd3d066d-ccdb-4887-a210-1c67b50919ad

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdf8cc63-4d84-4b73-939b-de2dd92dd1e2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c52aecc-c6c2-4e2a-8f22-e3eb226c718c

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3156728-417b-4cfe-a5ca-1f9f8dcfd671
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN  IBN, a multifaceted communications organization engaged in connecting public companies to the investment community, is pleased to announce the release of the latest episode of The Bell2Bell Podcast as part of its sustained effort to provide specialized content distribution via widespread syndication channels.



The Bell2Bell Podcast delivers informative updates and exclusive interviews with executives operating in fast-moving industries. Bell2Bells latest podcast features Jose Gabriel Diaz, CEO of Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ), a global infrastructure and holding company in the cannabis industry.

To begin the interview, Diaz provided an introduction to MedCana and its business model.

We are a U.S.-based holding company focused on developing infrastructure and cannabis companies around the world, Diaz said. Right now, the focus is primarily on markets outside of the U.S. that have already fully legalized pharmaceutical (and possibly some recreational) cannabis. We're looking at Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Spain and most of Europe, as well as Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay Our focus, initially, is not going to be into the United States, until there is a 100% guarantee that everything were doing is on the legal side.

The focus is for MedCana to develop these companies that weve acquired outside of the U.S. to grow a presence in these international markets. It's not just cultivation that we're doing, however. MedCana is an infrastructure company. We also have two other very important companies. One is focused on software to make sure that certifications are being managed by our companies, but not just our companies. These are software products that we will be selling to other companies as we develop them.

We also are very focused on infrastructure development of not just cannabis but technology in agriculture. Cannabis requires a tremendous amount of technology, greenhouses, irrigation and control systems. Instead of us purchasing from another company, we decided to take a majority stake in an established Colombian company that is already exploding So, its developing these markets for the companies that we bought with the licenses. It's also focusing on infrastructure and software, along with the electronic resource planning and software management of these companies.

Join IBNs Stuart Smith and Jose Gabriel Diaz, CEO of Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ), to learn more about MedCanas leadership team, as well as its recent milestones and operational goals for 2024.

To hear the episode and subscribe for future podcasts, visit https://podcast.bell2bell.com .

The latest installment of The Bell2Bell Podcast continues to reinforce IBNs commitment to the expansion of its robust network of brands, client partners, followers, and the growing IBN Podcast Series . For more than 17 years, IBN has leveraged this commitment to provide unparalleled distribution and corporate messaging solutions to 500+ public and private companies .

To learn more about IBNs achievements and milestones via a visual timeline, visit: https://IBN.fm/TimeLine

About Software Effective Solutions (d/b/a MedCana)

Software Effective Solutions/MedCana is a global infrastructure and holding company in the cannabis industry. Currently, MedCana has five companies focused on pharmaceutical cannabis production and one software company focused on managing processes for plant-to-patient operations. The recent acquisition an irrigation and greenhouse technology company has rounded out MedCanas portfolio of companies. MedCana's initial focus is on developing clients and companies in Latin America, with an initial focus in Colombia and partnerships with laboratories, research facilities and hospitals throughout the world.

For more information, visit the companys website at www.MedCana.net

About IBN

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Through our Dynamic Brand Portfolio (DBP), IBN provides: (1) access to a network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets; (3) Press Release Enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) full-scale distribution to a growing social media audience; (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions; and (6) total news coverage solutions.

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North Dakota Health and Human Services has issued a standing order making the life-saving drug naloxone available at no cost to North Dakota Medicaid members.

Naloxone is commonly used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. It's sold under the brand names Narcan and Evzio and comes in two forms, a nasal spray and an injectable liquid.

The HHS order allows North Dakota Medicaid-enrolled pharmacies to dispense over-the-counter naloxone products at no cost to Medicaid members.

Naloxone is a critical tool in addressing the overdose epidemic, HHS Medical Services Division Director Sarah Aker said. Making this lifesaving medication available at no cost means more Medicaid members will have a meaningful chance to receive services and supports to improve their health and well-being.

HHS worked with the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy to create the order, which is in effect for one year and must be renewed annually.
Lorton, VA, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BusPatrol, the largest school bus safety technology provider, today announced a significant growth investment from GI Data Infrastructure. This investment will enable BusPatrol to continue to rapidly scale and diversify products within the public safety space, building on its industry-leading position. GI Partners joins FIT Ventures as investors in BusPatrol.

Founded in 2017, BusPatrol is the leader in school bus safety solutions. BusPatrol partners with school districts, law enforcement agencies, and municipalities to deter illegal and dangerous passes of stopped school buses. BusPatrol provides partners with best-in-class technology that modernizes school bus fleets, including a fully turnkey platform for capturing and processing violations. Beyond stop-arm enforcement, BusPatrol also offers school districts cloud-connected internal cameras and telematics data, so schools are empowered with the technology they need to ensure their students a safe journey to and from school.

Brendan Scollans, Managing Director and Co-Head of the Data Infrastructure Strategy, and Jerry Stapp, Managing Director from GI Partners said, BusPatrol is now embedded in over 20,000 school buses across 16 states, providing a critical public service focused on child safety. School buses represent the largest fleet of municipal infrastructure in the Country, and we are excited about the significant growth trajectory ahead given the Company's leading market position and the compelling proposition for school districts. Karoon and the rest of the leadership team have a clear vision, and we look forward to partnering with them to build on BusPatrols extensive track record.

As a result of the investment from GI Partners, BusPatrol has significant capital to deliver its safety solutions to additional school districts across the country and to enhance its industry-leading offering.

Karoon Monfared, Chief Executive Officer at BusPatrol, said, GI Partners meaningful investment is a testament to our differentiated offering, our operational excellence, and most importantly, our customer impact. As a GI Partners portfolio company, we have a significant opportunity in front of us to grow additional market share and expand into new and exciting verticals. Were thrilled to embark on this new chapter and to have GI as a partner.

FIT Ventures has been a significant investor and equityholder in BusPatrol since 2017 and remains committed to the long-term vision and growth strategy of the business.

Watching BusPatrol establish its first-mover advantage as the largest player in school bus stop-arm safety and becoming the only turnkey, full-fleet solution offered in the industry has been impressive. Investing in high-growth companies with a differentiated approach is core to our mission, and BusPatrol is a prime example. GI Partners shares this belief, and we are delighted to be working with them to accelerate BusPatrols leading position, said Sam Pai from FIT Ventures.

Advisors

Moelis & Company LLC served as exclusive placement agent to BusPatrol in the transaction. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP served as BusPatrols legal advisor. Ropes & Gray LLP acted as GI Partners legal advisors and Alvarez and Marsal acted as its commercial advisors.

About BusPatrol

BusPatrol is a safety technology company with the mission of making the journey to and from school safer for the 27 million children who step onboard a school bus each day. BusPatrol's safety programs create a culture of responsibility around illegal passes. BusPatrols equity first approach protects every child on every bus in its partner communities while modernizing fleets with the latest cutting-edge safety technology. For more information, please visit www.buspatrol.com.

About GI Partners

GI Data Infrastructure is a sector-focused investment strategy of GI Partners. Founded in 2001, GI Partners is a private investment firm with over 150 employees and offices in San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Greenwich, Scottsdale, and London. The firm has raised more than $42 billion in capital and invests on behalf of leading institutional investors around the world through its private equity, real estate, and data infrastructure strategies. The private equity team invests primarily in companies in the healthcare, services, and software sectors. The real estate strategy focuses primarily on technology and life sciences properties as well as other specialized types of real estate. The data infrastructure team invests primarily in hard asset infrastructure businesses underpinning the digital economy. For more information, please visit www.gipartners.com.

About FIT Ventures

FIT Ventures is a family office investment firm headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, with offices in Boca Raton, Florida. The firm oversees and manages a variety of investments focusing on private equity, real estate, and public equities. The management team of the fund is comprised of professionals with extensive experience in supporting all aspects of M&A and corporate finance activities. For more information, please visit www.fitventures.com.

Attachment
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZEFIRO METHANE CORP. (the Company, Zefiro, or ZEFI), which works to reduce methane emissions by plugging orphaned oil and gas wells across the United States, took numerous steps in 2023 to help establish the market for producing carbon credits linked to remediating potentially hazardous methane leaks. These innovative, industry-leading actions include:







October 2023: As a subcontractor to North Wind Site Services, LLC, Zefiros subsidiary Plants & Goodwin, Inc. completed the very first plugging operation of an orphaned gas well in New York State using federal funding. Pictured above is Basil Seggos (Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) at a press conference on the site of the well (located in Holland, New York) shortly after it was plugged.

Readers using news aggregation services may be unable to view the media above. Please access the Investors section of the Companys website for a version of this press release containing all published media.

Through these groundbreaking actions and landmark commercial initiatives, Zefiro has bolstered its capacity to help private entities and government agencies address one of the nations most immediate public health risks. According to the latest expert estimates, there are more than four million unplugged oil and gas wells spread out across 26 different states, with an unknown amount of these sites leaking potentially hazardous gases. The Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that methane emissions are at least 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of trapping heat in the atmosphere. Additionally, unplugged wells that leak methane have been found to seriously threaten the environmental well-being of their surroundings, including public spaces, private properties, and local farmland. Due to these factors, the immediate environmentally friendly solution and direct community health benefits that Zefiros plugging operations provide can be translated into a diverse portfolio of long-term, independently verified, and uniquely valuable carbon credits.

For further details regarding the current position of Zefiro's business, please refer to the Companys Amended and Restated Preliminary Prospectus, filed with the British Columbia Securities Commission on November 3, 2023. This document can be accessed by clicking here or through Zefiros profile on SEDARs website.

In the absence of scalable solutions to plug the increasing number of unplugged oil and gas wells in the United States, we have forged an innovative and effective approach to tackling this nationwide crisis while driving meaningful business value, said Talal Debs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zefiro Methane Corp. Zefiro is proud to have worked with private enterprises, landowners, and government officials throughout 2023 to address this legacy problem. Through strategic acquisitions and a growth-driven playbook, we hope to build upon this momentum in the years to come.

Since our inception, Zefiro has strived to help turn the tide on an environmental problem that has threatened the well-being of too many communities across the globe, said Tina Reine, Chief Commercial Officer, Zefiro Methane Corp. The bold steps we have made this year display a healthy and growing appetite among our partners and customers for the type of innovative, bespoke nationwide services we provide. We firmly believe that our field-tested plugging operations and portfolio of certified carbon credits is the long-awaited solution that rewards investors, protects public health, and safeguards our natural resources for future generations.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

ZEFIRO METHANE CORP.

Talal Debs

Talal Debs, Founder & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Zefiro Investor Relations

1 (800) 274-ZEFI (274-9334)

investor@zefiromethane.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

Rich Myers - Profile Advisors (New York)

media@zefiromethane.com

(347) 774-1125

About Zefiro Methane Corp.

Zefiro develops methodologies to reduce methane emissions by plugging orphaned and abandoned oil/gas wells, while originating carbon offsets. Under executive leadership to include the former carbon market team at J.P. Morgan, Zefiro actively deploys crews to decommission wells throughout the United States. With unprecedented global demand for carbon offsets as corporations and institutions work towards net-zero targets, Zefiro is strategically aligning with industry leaders for a greener future.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seeks, believes, plans, expects, intends, estimates, anticipates and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking information in this press release includes statements regarding the Company, the Companys business, the industry in which the Company operates, the Companys opportunities, strategies, competition, expected activities and expenditures as the Company pursues its business plan, the adequacy of the Companys available cash resources and other statements about future events or results. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse general market and economic conditions; (ii) changes to and price and volume volatility in the carbon market; (iii) changes to the regulatory landscape and global policies applicable to the Company's business; and (iv) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment where technologies are in the early stage of adoption. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions, including assumptions regarding general market conditions, the availability of financing for proposed transactions and programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of outside service providers to deliver services in a satisfactory and timely manner. The forward-looking information included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company 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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/68c0be7b-d8a7-43db-a27e-74ddc385f9b8
NEW FREEDOM, Pa., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nexterus, a world-class supply chain management and third-party logistics (3PL) services provider, announces the company just turned 78 years old. The family-owned business has now had four generations of executive leaders from the Polakoff family serve the company.



We are thriving in the supply chain industry thanks to our excellent employees, clients, and partners, says Sam Polakoff, CEO and Chairman of Nexterus. Over the years, our innovative executives have cemented Nexterus as a leader in providing freight management and supply chain services for small to mid-size companies, helping these businesses to improve efficiencies, and grow profits.

By outsourcing to a 3PL, small to mid-size companies gain supply chain transparency and visibility to help them mitigate disruptions in their supply chains, says Ryan Polakoff, President of Nexterus. Our legacy is to help businesses overcome supply chain challenges, optimize processes and strategically grow.

Highlights from the last 78 years include:

Abraham Allan Polakoff

President & Founder, 1946-1967

Started the company to meet the physical distribution needs of small to mid-sized companies and help them navigate the regulated world of U.S motor and rail transportation. The company was founded in Baltimore City, as Transportation Bureau of Baltimore (TBB).

Jay Polakoff

President, 1967-1999

CEO & Chairman, 1967-2000

During his tenure, Jay moved the company from Baltimore City to northern Baltimore County. He created a subscriber service to act as the traffic (logistics) department for small and mid-sized enterprises. In the late 1980s, TBB developed what is believed to be the first Transportation Management System (TMS) in the industry. In the early 1980s, when the trucking industry deregulated, TBB was one of the first domestic property broker license holders to specialize in LTL as a niche. TBB became the first 3rd party customer of most major LTL carriers in the U.S.

Sam Polakoff

President, 1999-2022

CEO, 2015- Present

Chairman, 2000- Present

Sam got his start with the company in 1975 and began blazing trails, leading to exponential growth for TBB, which soon rebranded to TBB Global Logistics to represent the companys revenue & service proliferation. Sam expanded the companys service portfolio by launching the companys first formalized sales & marketing departments and I.T. department. Sam also launched new divisions such as freight payment and supply chain services and grew the company through acquisition in the early 2000s, acquiring two customs brokerage/international freight forwarding firms. The company moved to South Central Pennsylvania in 2002, where it still resides today. In 2016, Sam led the rebranding of the company from TBB Global Logistics to Nexterus. In 2022, he founded BrillDog to create the countrys first supply chain management system (SCMS) to aid small and mid-sized companies.

Ryan Polakoff

President, 2022-Present

Ryan began with the company in 2003 and worked many years in sales & operations before ascending to leadership. He worked hand-in-hand with his father, company CEO, Sam Polakoff, to rebrand the company to Nexterus. Under Ryan's leadership, the company has reimagined its approach to sales and marketing and, added services beyond freight management, including supply chain design & optimization, contract network warehousing, and parcel contract engineering & management.

Nexterus has been fortunate to add many new diverse accounts over the last few years and remains industry agnostic, proudly serving the supply chain needs of many different verticals.

Nexterus had a nice year of industry recognition in 2023 and was thankful to receive the following awards:

Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive Top Software & Tech Award

SupplyChainBrain Great Partner Award

Inbound Logistics Top 100 Logistics IT Provider

Food Logistics Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers Award

Supply & Demand Chain Executive- Top Supply Chain Projects Award

Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive Women in Supply Chain Award- Lisa Flohr, Director of Operations

About Nexterus

Nexterus solves urgent and complex supply chain issues, applying expertise and technology to manage and optimize global supply chains. As America's oldest private, non-asset-based, third-party logistics (3PL) company, Nexterus helps small and medium-sized companies better compete through the power of their supply chains. With best-in-class strategies and services, Nexterus allows clients to build their businesses without being distracted by complex supply chain challenges and tedious tasks, allowing these companies to improve productivity, efficiencies, and customer service. Please find us at nexterus.com (https://www.nexterus.com).

For More Information, contact:

Becky Boyd

MediaFirst PR

Cell: (404) 421-8497

Email: becky@mediafirst.net

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d3494ed-ef31-4488-9858-c2e6d120354d
Dublin, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S Predictions 2024 What to Expect in the Year Ahead" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Coming off a tumultuous year for the banking industry, financial institutions are keeping an eye on their own books and the outside world. As they look to 2024 and beyond, banks, financial technology companies, credit unions and consulting firms are evaluating their risk after 2023 brought the second, third and fourth largest bank failures in U.S. history. Meanwhile, Washington looks to tighten its grip on oversight of the financial industry.



Leaders in the industry are split on whether the regional banking crisis is over, although they're mostly united on how they'd like the federal government to respond to it. By a wide margin, finance professionals think Republican policies would benefit them more than Democratic ones, and are hoping for Republican victories in the 2024 elections when it comes to their business. At the same time, new opportunities are presenting themselves, and leaders in the financial industry are excited about how to incorporate them - especially artificial intelligence - into their organizations.



With all this in mind, this report analyzes the ways that companies across financial sectors are planning for 2024.



Key Topics Covered:

Introduction

Key findings

Research methodology

Regional banking crises

Politics and policy

Technology

Changing behavior

Conclusions

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l0zw5m

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.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed unprecedented economic turmoil, resulting in contracting markets and dwindling returns worldwide.



Private Equity and other investment sectors find themselves navigating an exceptionally challenging and unpredictable landscape. In an environment with limited profitable opportunities, preserving dry powder appears to be a prudent choice. An alternative, however, has emergeda haven for investors with substantial resources.

Private Equity and other investment sectors are operating

in challenging and unpredictable environments today

Introducing GDP Capital's PE-BOND Fund LP, one of Private Equity's latest offerings poised to make waves on the international stage. In today's dismal or negative return environment, this fund has the potential to significantly enhance your return on investment while offering a sense of security.

GDP Capital's investment structure is nothing short of unique, possibly the first of its kind. Here's why it stands out:

A Private Equity structure fortified with the security of a bond.

Investments are channelled into government-approved projects.

Capital invested is backed by government guarantees and repaid within a 10-year horizon.

GDP Capital secures equity in the involved companies and their respective projects, each contributing dividend.

The Fund mandates a minimum commitment above US$25 million, making it ideally suited for Sovereign Wealth Funds, Retirement Funds, Institutional Investors, Endowments, Insurance Companies, Banks, Family Offices, and major investment firms.

A Balance of High Returns and Capital Safety:

"While structuring the fund, we overcame numerous hurdles to satisfy governmental, legal, regulatory, and investor requirements. After two years of meticulous development, potential investors are displaying keen interest," commented Gurmit S. Sidhu, the founder and Managing Director of GDP Capital Limited, on the fund and its offerings.

With an adept team comprising tax and legal advisors, investment bankers, and political analysts, GDP Capital Limited stands ready to support top-tier investors in surpassing their investment objectives.

This unique investment Fund, set to launch in January 2024, is spearheaded by GDP Capital Limited, a Private Equity Fund Manager incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and regulated by the BVI Financial Services Commission (BVI FSC).

GDP PE-BOND Fund LP represents an extraordinary opportunity for investors seeking capital safety and accelerated returns.

Explore the Merits Further:

Astute investors who recognize the benefits offered by GDP Capital may wish to delve deeper into its merits. For additional details, please visit: www.gdpcapitalltd.com

About GDP Capital Limited:

GDP Capital Limited is a Private Equity Fund Manager incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and regulated by the BVI Financial Services Commission (BVI FSC). The firm collaborates with stable and investor-friendly governments seeking funding for priority projects to expedite economic development and achieve real GDP growth.

Funding is extended for viable and strategically significant government projects contributing to sustainable economic growth. While initially focusing on Asia, the company has expansion plans for other global regions. Given the substantial funding requirements of governments, GDP Capital provides institutional investors with the assurance of government guarantees, facilitating investments ranging from US$100 million to US$1 billion.

Media Contact:

Investor Relations

pr@gdpcapitalltd.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a9a601f-7cd5-459c-b4f7-f42d96113ccd
NEW YORK, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lowey Dannenberg, P.C. a preeminent law firm in obtaining redress for investors, is investigating breaches of fiduciary duties involving the directors and officers of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (Spirit AeroSystems or the Company) (NYSE: SPR).



If you are a purchaser of Spirit AeroSystems common stock and wish to participate, learn more, or discuss the issues surrounding the investigation, please contact our Radhika Gupta (rgupta@lowey.com) or Andrea Farah (afarah@lowey.com) or you can call us at 914-733-7212 to know more about this investigation.

About Lowey Dannenberg

Lowey Dannenberg is a national firm representing institutional and individual investors, who suffered financial losses resulting from corporate fraud and malfeasance in violation of federal securities and antitrust laws. The firm has significant experience in prosecuting multi-million-dollar lawsuits and has previously recovered billions of dollars on behalf of investors.

Contact:

Lowey Dannenberg P.C.

44 South Broadway, Suite 1100

White Plains, NY 10601

Tel: (914) 733-7256

Email: investigations@lowey.com
Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LBMC Technology Solutions proudly announces the promotion of Bryan Wilton from Chief Revenue Officer to President. This strategic move comes at a pivotal moment as the company experiences exponential growth, necessitating a more focused leadership structure to sustain growth and drive innovation.

In his new capacity as President, Bryan Wilton will assume responsibility for overseeing day-to-day operations, aligning the company with its vision and reinforcing LBMC Tech's esteemed culture. This elevation of responsibilities for Wilton allows Stacy Schuettler, the CEO, to concentrate more deeply on steering the broader aspects of the business, including vision refinement and strategic initiatives critical to sustaining the company's growth momentum.

"Bryan's promotion comes at a crucial time for LBMC Tech," CEO Stacy Schuettler commented. "As LBMC Technology Solutions continues to grow and scale, this transition in leadership responsibilities is imperative for us to ensure laser-focused operations across all facets of our business. Bryan's contributions have been instrumental in driving our growth trajectory, and I am confident that his leadership as President will ensure our continued success."

"I am honored to take on the responsibilities of President at LBMC Technology Solutions. I am committed to continuing our journey of delivering unparalleled technology solutions to our clients, driving operational efficiency, and further solidifying our position as an industry leader," said Wilton.

Bryan is an industry veteran who brings a wealth of expertise to this elevated position, having demonstrated a profound commitment over the past five years to driving growth and fostering strong client relationships within LBMC Technology Solutions, added Schuettler. His strategic insights and dedication to excellence position him perfectly to lead the company in this expanded role.

About LBMC Technology Solutions

LBMC Technology Solutions has served clients nationally, with a concentration in the Southeast, for the past 26 years. LBMC Technology Solutions offers a broad portfolio of services and solutions that help clients improve efficiency, drive productivity, and reduce complexity in their businesses, specializing in the sale, implementation, and support services for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Content Services/Document Management solutions. In addition, LBMC provides critical business support services to include security and remote managed IT services, business intelligence, and custom software development, empowering businesses to leverage innovative solutions to achieve their goals through technology. For more information, visit our website.

About LBMC

LBMC is a 2023 Forbes Best Tax and Accounting Firm, one of the Southeasts largest accounting and business consulting firms, and an Accounting Today Top Firm in the Nation serving approximately 11,000 clients with diverse needs across a spectrum of industries. Primary client groups include privately-owned middle market companies in the healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and private equity space. LBMC has more than 850 team members, with offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC today is an industry leader in financial, human resources, technology, cybersecurity, and wealth advisory services for businesses and individuals. For more information on LBMCs experts and comprehensive services, visit lbmc.com or call 615.377.4600.

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Dublin, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Pathogen or Plant Disease Detection and Monitoring Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Application, Product, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring industry was valued at $1.76 billion in 2022, and it is expected to grow with a CAGR of 9.68% during the forecast period 2023-2028 to reach $3.03 billion by 2028.

This growth of the pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring market is likely to be driven by the growing need for food security and quality, particularly in developing nations, where substantial losses in crop production and challenges in post-harvest management are attributed to plant diseases. Additionally, the progress in developing new and inventive methods for detecting plant pathogens, including biosensors, point-of-care devices, remote sensing, and nanotechnology, presents the potential for swift, dependable, and cost-effective solutions in in-field diagnostics.

Introduction of Pathogen or Plant Disease Detection and Monitoring

Cutting-edge technology for rapid and accurate detection and continuous monitoring of pathogens or plant diseases, revolutionizing agricultural health and crop management. The global market for plant disease and pathogen detection involves the development, production, and sale of crucial tools and services for agriculture and horticulture. These tools play a vital role in early disease identification, enabling timely intervention and management strategies to protect crops and ensure food security.







Factors such as climate change, international trade, intensified agriculture, and regulatory guidelines are driving the market's growth. The industry faces a significant threat, with plant pathogens causing up to a 40% annual loss in yield for economically important crops. Invasive pests contribute to a yearly financial burden of at least $70 billion and play a role in the global decline of biodiversity.



The report "Scientific Review of the Impact of Climate Change on Plant Pests" underscores the urgent need for effective pest management strategies. The pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring market is poised for substantial growth due to rising global food demand, new diseases driven by global trade and climate changes, and technological advancements such as biosensors and remote sensing. Advanced detection methods, such as those used by Planet Labs PBC with satellite imagery and analytics, are crucial in safeguarding agricultural productivity and food security.

Factors Influencing Market Expansion:

Increasing Global Trade and Transportation

Growing Concerns for Food Security and Safety

Environmental Regulations and Compliance

Advancements in Diagnostic Technologies

Market Segmentation:



Segmentation 1: by Application

Open Field

Controlled Environment

Based on application, open-field applications in agriculture involve the use of advanced tools and techniques for rapid disease or pathogen identification in outdoor settings. The LAMP-PCR kit, developed by University of Florida researchers, is a notable example employing loop-mediated isothermal amplification for quick DNA amplification without a thermal cycler. This portable diagnostic kit, equipped with a battery-powered device and a smartphone app, facilitates on-site detection of plant pathogens such as citrus canker and tomato yellow leaf curl virus in under an hour. Future opportunities in plant pathogen detection focus on advanced diagnostic kits, remote laboratory services, and digital platforms incorporating IoT and AI. The success of these advancements relies on technological progress and their demonstrated benefits to farmers, promising a more efficient and effective approach to disease detection in agriculture.



Controlled environment applications in indoor agriculture, such as greenhouses and labs, employ precise and sensitive techniques such as culture-based approaches, PCR-based methods, and sequencing-based techniques for pathogen identification and genomic data analysis. Notably, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology is adapted for diagnostic kits, offering rapid and accurate detection of specific DNA or RNA sequences of plant pathogens. These portable CRISPR-based kits provide on-site use in greenhouses with advantages in specificity, sensitivity, and speed over traditional methods. The future market in controlled environments includes opportunities for advanced diagnostic kits, digital services for remote monitoring and predictive modeling, and specialized lab services, presenting a comprehensive approach to plant pathogen detection with tailored testing and expert advisory services.

Segmentation 2: by Product

Diagnostic Kits

Digital Solutions

Laboratory Services

Based on product, utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as remote sensing and data analytics, digital services enable real-time monitoring in agriculture. This combined approach enhances both accuracy and speed, effectively addressing food security concerns and facilitating proactive disease management. Plant disease detection and monitoring technology have seen significant advancements, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, where deep learning revolutionizes the identification of issues through image analysis. Tools such as Plantix on smartphones empower farmers to collect and share georeferenced data on diseases, while remote sensing methods, employing drones or satellites, provide broader-scale monitoring of crop health. The integration of multispectral sensors in drone and satellite technology further advances plant disease detection, capturing images in various light wavelengths for real-time monitoring. This not only reduces pesticide use but also contributes to improved crop yield and quality.



Laboratory services employ established techniques such as PCR and microscopy for precise plant pathogen detection, with notable examples such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Lab, which specializes in accredited biochemical and molecular diagnostics. Recent technological advancements in plant disease detection include commercially available devices with advanced imaging technologies and the rapid growth of portable point-of-care diagnostics utilizing PCR and immunochromatography. A noteworthy trend is the integration of blockchain technology in laboratory and digital services, aiming to enhance traceability, transparency, and secure sharing of plant pathogen detection data. This integration has the potential to bolster confidence in agricultural supply chains by ensuring a more secure and verifiable data-sharing environment.



Diagnostic kits play a crucial role in swiftly and precisely detecting plant diseases through molecular techniques that identify pathogen DNA or proteins. The adoption of advanced molecular methods, such as PCR, immunology, and biosensors, is on the rise due to their ability to offer faster and more precise plant pathogen detection compared to traditional methods. Recent advancements in these diagnostic kits include the incorporation of nanotechnology and biosensors for rapid and precise detection, the integration of point-of-care devices with the Internet of Things (IoT) for on-site diagnosis, and the development of more versatile kits capable of detecting multiple pathogens in a single assay. These innovations contribute to minimizing crop losses, improving pest control, and preventing disease outbreaks by facilitating swift and informed disease management decisions.

Segmentation 3: by Region

North America - U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Rest-of-North America

Europe - Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Rest-of-Europe

China

U.K.

Asia-Pacific - Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, and Rest-of-Asia-Pacific

South America - Argentina, Brazil, and Rest-of-South America

Middle East and Africa - South Africa, Turkey, Israel, and Rest-of-Middle East and Africa

Plant pathogen detection in North America is driven by the increasing demand for food security and adherence to international trade regulations and standards. Advancements in molecular techniques and point-of-care devices offer fast, specific, and cost-effective on-site diagnosis. The emergence of new plant diseases and pests due to climate change and human practices necessitates improved detection methods. The availability of research and development funds, regulated diagnostic labs, and major industry players further support growth in this field. Overall, plant pathogen detection is crucial for mitigating crop losses and ensuring food quality in the region.

Recent Developments in the Global Pathogen or Plant Disease Detection and Monitoring Market

In July 2021, EarthDaily Analytics unveiled the launch schedule for its upcoming constellation of Earth observation satellites. This satellite constellation is poised to significantly enhance geospatial analytics capabilities across various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, environment, financial services, defense, and intelligence. Construction of the new generation of satellites commenced in July 2021, and launches were scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024.

In August 2023, Agdia Inc. launched the Thrips Spot Viruses ImmunoComb as a new addition to their ImmunoComb product line. This groundbreaking offering integrates three established ImmunoStrips into a convenient format, providing growers with an effective tool to identify and address plant viruses that exhibit similar symptoms and share a common insect vector.

In September 2023, Abingdon Health plc joined forces with the U.K.-based B-Corp design agency Morrama Ltd to accelerate the development of environment-friendly housings for lateral flow tests. Collaborating under the newly established venture, Eco-Flo Innovations Ltd, the partnership aims to invest in sustainable design solutions tailored for the lateral flow market. This market has been pivotal in both COVID-19 diagnostics and plant health assessments for many years.

Planet Labs PBC acquired Sinergise in March 2023. This acquisition enhances the company's data analysis capabilities, potentially contributing valuable insights to plant pathogen detection by bolstering the platform's ability to provide detailed and comprehensive information relevant to agricultural and environmental monitoring.

Demand - Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities



Market Drivers: Rising Threat of Fungicide Resistance Crops

The pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring market is experiencing growth due to heightened fungicide use, the development of new fungicides, and the urgency to manage fungicide resistance. This market can play a crucial role by providing tools for rapid, precise, and cost-effective diagnosis of fungal diseases and resistance status in the field. Moreover, it offers solutions for integrating various disease management methods, such as biologicals, conventional fungicides, and novel compounds, to achieve sustainable and effective control of fungal diseases.



A 2021 United Nations-backed study emphasizes that climate change is exacerbating the impact of pests on crucial agricultural crops, posing heightened risks to global food security and the environment. The increasing prevalence of plant diseases, driven by climate change, global food trade, and pathogen evolution, underscores the necessity for robust surveillance to safeguard the global food supply. Key technologies in this domain include disease sensors, high-throughput sequencing, predictive modeling, and data analytics. Furthermore, the market is influenced by interdisciplinary collaborations involving plant pathology, precision agriculture, plant development, risk assessment, genetic diversity, and microbial interactions.

Market Challenges: Lack of Accuracy and Sample Security

Traditional molecular techniques, such as serological and nucleic acid-based assays, face challenges such as inaccurate results due to complex sample preparation, lengthy diagnostic timelines, and specialized laboratory requirements. These methods may struggle with identifying asymptomatic or latent infections and differentiating between viable and non-viable pathogens. Additionally, sample security is a concern, with the risk of contamination, degradation, or loss during transportation, storage, or processing compromising result integrity. These challenges impede widespread adoption across various settings, increasing operational costs and diminishing profitability.



GM crops have significantly transformed agriculture, contributing to increased productivity, economic prosperity, and food security. While these crops offer improved disease resistance, their widespread adoption poses a challenge for plant disease detection. The adoption of Bt corn has expanded due to resistance against corn rootworm and earworm, extending beyond its initial focus on the European corn borer pre-2003. Similarly, the adoption of Bt cotton is influenced by the severity of occurrences of tobacco budworm, bollworm, and pink bollworm. This trend is evident in the provided table for the U.S., a leading adopter of agricultural technology globally.

Market Opportunities: Innovations in Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Point-of-care diagnostics (POCD) are transforming disease detection by providing rapid, accurate, and cost-effective testing near the patient or infection site, eliminating the need for specialized laboratories. The growth of the pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring market is anticipated to be driven by the adoption of innovative digital techniques. POCD tools and kits are becoming essential for timely disease analysis, offering immediate solutions, facilitating effective surveillance, and minimizing production losses in agriculture.



Integrated devices, such as smartphones, wearables, and IoT, are enabling real-time data collection and analysis related to plant health. These devices cover parameters such as soil conditions, temperature, humidity, nutrient levels, pest presence, and disease symptoms. They also facilitate remote sensing and diagnosis of plant diseases using cutting-edge technologies such as AI, machine learning, computer vision, and spectral imaging. This technological advancement is revolutionizing agricultural practices by allowing for more precise and efficient management of crop health.



The widespread use of advanced assay technologies, including in-field diagnostics, plays a pivotal role in the early detection of plant pathogens. This early detection significantly reduces agricultural losses, benefiting both farmers and the industry.

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The featured companies have been meticulously chosen, drawing insights from primary experts and thorough evaluations of company coverage, product offerings, and market presence.



Among the prominent players in the global pathogen or plant disease detection and monitoring market, private ventures and innovative startups dominate, commanding approximately 85% of the market share in 2022. The remaining 15% is held by public enterprises.

Some prominent names established in this market are:



Company Type 1: Public Companies

Abingdon Health

Planet Labs PBC

Company Type 2: Private Companies

Agdia, Inc.

BIOREBA AG

Creative Diagnostics

Drone Ag

Libelium Comunicaciones Distribuidas S.L.

Dronegy

Ceres Imaging

Agricolus

FIXAR-AERO, LLC

GeoPard Agriculture

Key Attributes

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 137 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $1.91 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $3.03 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.6% Regions Covered Global

Industry Outlook

Market Definition

Ongoing Trends Leveraging Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Precision Disease Detection

Ecosystem/Ongoing Programs Consortiums, Associations, and Regulatory Bodies Government Programs



Business Dynamics

Business Drivers Rising Threat of Fungicide Resistance Crops Frequent Outbreaks of Emerging Plant Diseases

Business Challenges Lack of Accuracy and Sample Security Rapid Adoption of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) or Gene Adopted Crops

Market Strategies and Developments Business Strategies Product Development and Innovations Market Development Corporate Strategies Mergers and Acquisitions Partnerships, Collaborations, and Joint Ventures Snapshot of Corporate Strategies Adopted by the Key Players in the Market

Business Opportunities Innovations in Point-of-Care Diagnostics Rapid Adoption of Integrated Solutions



Case Studies

Libelium Comunicaciones Distribuidas S.L. - Agribio cooperative Case Study

Ceres Imaging - Cardella Winery Case Study

Start-up Landscape

Funding Analysis Total Investment Leading Investment by Start-Up Companies



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ybxeln

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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Westford,USA, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, the global unified communications market is experiencing robust growth, primarily fueled by the imperative for businesses to enhance their communication and collaboration capabilities in an ever-evolving digital environment. Key drivers of this burgeoning market include the pressing need for companies to boost productivity levels, streamline communication costs, and elevate customer satisfaction.

Get sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/unified-communications-market

Browse in-depth TOC on the "Unified Communications Market

Pages - 157

Tables 59

Figures  75

The anticipated introduction and widespread adoption of 5G technology, coupled with high-speed internet connectivity, are poised to catalyze significant growth in the unified communications market during the forecast period. This boost is primarily attributed to the increasing demand for video and audio conferencing solutions that require high-speed connections with minimal latency.

Prominent Players in Global Unified Communications Market

Microsoft Corporation

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Avaya Holdings Corp.

Mitel Networks Corporation

Unify GmbH & Co. KG

NEC Corporation

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Ribbon Communications Inc.

ALE International

RingCentral, Inc.

IBM Corporation

BroadSoft, Inc.

BT Group plc

8x8, Inc.

ShoreTel, Inc.

Fuze, Inc.

West Corporation

Star2Star Communications

Intrado Corporation

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/unified-communications-market

On-premise Segment Expected to Dominate due to Widespread Adoption of Single-Use Chromatography

On-premise segment has maintained a stronghold over the global unified communications market, contributing significantly with a substantial market share of approximately 46.80% in 2022. Nonetheless, this dominance is poised for a gradual decline in the upcoming years. This anticipated shift is attributed to the expected decrease in sales of the latest on-premise UC licenses and systems.

The market in Europe emerged as the dominant force in the global unified communications market in 2022. This significant market dominance can be attributed to several key factors driving the region's adoption of Unified Communication systems. The increasing prevalence of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) services in workplaces has played a pivotal role in shaping this trend.

Hosted Unified Communications Segment is Expected to Witness Notable Growth due to Significant Cost Advantages

Hosted unified communications segment is poised for remarkable growth, with an anticipated CAGR exceeding 20.4% in 2022. This impressive surge in adoption can be attributed to several key factors, primarily the significant cost advantages of hosted UC solutions in the global unified communications market.

Regional markets Asia Pacific is poised for substantial growth in the unified communications market, with an anticipated CAGR of approximately 21.7% projected from 2023 to 2030. This remarkable expansion can be attributed to several key factors driving the region's adoption of unified communications solutions.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the unified communications market has been recently conducted in this report. The report encompasses various aspects, 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 endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Key Developments in Global Unified Communications Market

In 2023, Zoho Corporation unveiled its latest Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) platform, Trident. This innovative offering is designed to accelerate digital adoption within businesses by integrating two of Zoho's prominent applications, Zoho Cliq and Zoho Meeting. Trident aims to enhance communication capabilities and foster improved collaboration among teams, catering to the evolving needs of modern enterprises.

In 2022, Microsoft Teams, a leading player in the communication and collaboration arena, introduced various new features to its communication channels. These updates included connecting with external stakeholders seamlessly and expanding the platform's reach and versatility.

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Key Questions Answered in the Global Unified Communications 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?

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Ottawa, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global life science tools market size stood at USD 122.58 billion in 2023, and grew to USD 136.17 billion in 2024, as a result of the growing R&D and technology advancements, a study published by Towards Healthcare a sister firm of Precedence Research.



Report Highlights:

North America dominated the life science tools market in 2022 with over 42.3% market share.

Asia Pacific region is projected to grow at the fastest rate due to rising healthcare infrastructure and growing strategic alliances among market players.

The COVID-19 pandemic has notably impacted the life science tools market.

Advancements in R&D augment the demand for life science tools.

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According to WHO, collaboration and digitalization have played critical roles in bringing COVID-19 vaccines and therapies to market at an unprecedented rate, saving an estimated 750,000 lives in the United States and Europe alone, and raising demand in the global life sciences tools market.

Life sciences tools refer to various instruments, equipment, reagents, and software used in biological research, diagnostics, and drug discovery. These tools are essential for studying and manipulating biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and organism levels. Examples include DNA sequences, mass spectrometers, microscopes, gene editing tools, and various analytical instruments. Life sciences tools are crucial in advancing and understanding biology, enabling medical discoveries, and facilitating the development of new therapies and diagnostic methods.

The life sciences tools market has experienced growth due to advancements in technology, increased research activities, and rising demand for personalized medicine. Emerging fields like genomics, proteomics, and synthetic biology have driven the demand for sophisticated tools like next-generation sequencing and gene editing technologies. Additionally, the collaboration between academia and industry and government initiatives have fueled innovation, expanding the market for life sciences tools. Overall, the growing biological mechanisms and development of targeted therapies have contributed to the expansion of this market.

Life sciences tools encompass various technologies used to study living organisms. Critical applications include Genomics, Proteomics, Cell Biology, Bioinformatics, and Diagnostic Tools. The continuous advancement of life sciences tools enhances understanding of living systems and contributes to breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.

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Several key life science technologies contribute significantly to the market's growth. These technologies drive innovation, enhance research capabilities, and play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of biological processes. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have revolutionized genomics research by enabling rapid and cost-effective DNA sequencing. This has led to breakthroughs in understanding genetic variations, identifying disease markers, and advancing personalized medicine. CRISPR-Cas9 has transformed molecular biology, allowing precise and targeted editing of genes. This technology has immense potential for understanding gene functions, developing therapeutic interventions, and creating genetically modified organisms for various applications.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has Notably Impacted the Life Sciences Tools Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a surge in the life sciences tools market as the urgent need for diagnostics, research, and vaccine development intensified. Increased demand for molecular and immunoassay kits, digital solutions, and advanced life support machines has led to a growing market for companies providing these essential tools. The race to develop rapid diagnostics for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has prompted innovation, resulting in new products and technologies that contribute to expanding the life sciences tools market during these challenging times.

For Instance,

In December 2021, Siemens Healthineers received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for their breakthrough COVID-19 rapid test.



Gene-based technologies, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are widely employed for COVID-19 detection. In COVID-19, gene therapy may play a role in developing treatments or vaccines.

For Instance,

The mRNA vaccines, like the ones developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, utilize a form of gene therapy. These vaccines introduce a small piece of genetic material (mRNA) into cells to instruct them to produce a viral protein that triggers an immune response.



In addition, advancements in recombinant DNA technology are expected to expand the number of ongoing clinical trials for gene therapy.

For Instance,

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration found more than 200 applications annually for cell and gene therapy clinical trials.

the Food and Drug Administration found more than 200 applications annually for cell and gene therapy clinical trials. In October 2020, the National Institute of Health's database shows more than 3600 trials on COVID-19 that had been conducted around the world.

The pandemic has underscored the importance of advanced technologies and tools in responding to global health crises, leading to increased investments in life sciences research and development. This sustained healthcare and life sciences focus has propelled the market's growth.

For Instances,

In 2021, The BIONDA biomarker database compiled detailed information on biomarker candidates from various PubMed articles without disease-specific limitations. It sources data from PubMed abstracts, UniProt, and Human Disease Ontology, utilizing automated text mining methods for regular updates.

The BIONDA biomarker database compiled detailed information on biomarker candidates from various PubMed articles without disease-specific limitations. It sources data from PubMed abstracts, UniProt, and Human Disease Ontology, utilizing automated text mining methods for regular updates. In 2021, DisGeNET is a discovery platform containing one of the most extensive publicly available collections of genes and variants associated with human diseases. The current version of DisGeNET (v7.0) includes 1,134,942 gene-disease associations between 21,671 genes, 30,170 diseases, disorders, traits, and 369,554 variant disease associations between 194,515 variant and 14,155 diseases, characteristics, and phenotypes.

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Advancements in Research and Development Augment the Demand for Life Sciences Tools

Continuous R&D efforts lead to developing new and advanced life sciences tools with improved capabilities. Innovations in technologies such as genomics, proteomics, and molecular biology contribute to expanding the market by offering researchers more sophisticated and efficient tools for their work. R&D efforts often result in the creation of novel life sciences tools and instruments. The introduction of analytical devices and diagnostic tools attracts interest from researchers and institutions looking to enhance their capabilities, thereby driving market growth.

For Instances,

In 2020, According to the National Science Board, a handful of countries dominated the global research and development spending landscape. The United States accounted for 27%, while China contributed 22%, representing nearly half of the worldwide R&D efforts.

According to the National Science Board, a handful of countries dominated the global research and development spending landscape. The United States accounted for 27%, while China contributed 22%, representing nearly half of the worldwide R&D efforts. In 2021, IQVIA has planned 5,500 new clinical trials exceeding 2 million for the 1st time.

IQVIA has planned 5,500 new clinical trials exceeding 2 million for the 1st time. In 2021, there has been a notable increase in venture capital deal activity and investment inflows in the United States. This surge is attributed to growing interest in the life sciences sector, resulting in over 2,000 deals and a total deal value of $47 billion.

there has been a notable increase in venture capital deal activity and investment inflows in the United States. This surge is attributed to growing interest in the life sciences sector, resulting in over 2,000 deals and a total deal value of $47 billion. In 2022, the FDA approved most new drugs (72%), which accelerated the growth and emergency use authorization.

the FDA approved most new drugs (72%), which accelerated the growth and emergency use authorization. In 2021, US-Digital Health Startups aimed at R and D in biopharm and medtech received $5.8 billion in funding. The COVID-accelerated adoption of objective world evidence and decentralized trials piqued investor interest. Overall,2021 was a record-breaking year for US-based digital health startups, with US$29.1 billion raised across 729 transactionsnearly double the previous record of US$14.9 billion raised in 2020. Nearly 23 exist via merger or acquisition per month, nearly double the monthly average of 12 in 2020.

US-Digital Health Startups aimed at R and D in biopharm and medtech received $5.8 billion in funding. The COVID-accelerated adoption of objective world evidence and decentralized trials piqued investor interest. Overall,2021 was a record-breaking year for US-based digital health startups, with US$29.1 billion raised across 729 transactionsnearly double the previous record of US$14.9 billion raised in 2020. Nearly 23 exist via merger or acquisition per month, nearly double the monthly average of 12 in 2020. In 2021, Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are changing how people treat genetic and intractable diseases and the entire pharmaceutical ecosystem. There were 2,261 ongoing global cell, gene, and tissue clinical trials, with 1,129 industry-sponsored and 1,132 academic/government-sponsored trials.

The Increasing Costs of Life Science Tools Serve as a Constraint to the Market Growth

The accessibility of these sophisticated life sciences tools becomes restricted due to their elevated costs. Smaller organizations, educational institutions, or research labs with constrained financial resources may need help to afford the equipment. This limitation in accessibility creates an uneven playing field within the scientific community, potentially impeding the pace of discoveries and advancements.

Additionally, the high costs associated with research and development efforts in life sciences contribute significantly to the financial burden. The need for constant innovation and the incorporation of advanced technologies in tools for genomics, proteomics, and other disciplines within life sciences requires substantial investments. This financial demand can hinder the progress of research initiatives, especially for smaller research institutions or companies with limited budgets.

Furthermore, the high costs can hinder the widespread adoption of life sciences tools across diverse sectors. Healthcare, agriculture, and environmental science industries benefit from life science research advancements. However, the financial barriers may prevent these sectors from fully embracing the latest tools, slowing down the application of life sciences innovations in practical settings.

The impact of the elevated costs is a constriction of the overall expansion of the life sciences tools market. It affects the pace of scientific breakthroughs and introduces challenges in achieving a more inclusive and widely applicable approach to utilizing advancements in life sciences across various domains. Addressing these cost-related constraints is crucial for fostering a more accessible and equitable landscape for life science advancements.

Advancement in Life Sciences Technology Opens Up New Opportunities for Growth and Innovation

In the dynamic landscape of the life sciences tools market, continuous innovation catalyzes growth and development. Novel technologies and advancements create avenues for researchers and industry professionals to discover groundbreaking solutions and address evolving challenges in the field. This ongoing innovation propels scientific discovery and presents new business opportunities, fostering competitiveness and driving progress within the life sciences sector.

In the life science industry, advancements in understanding drug interactions with patients' genetic makeup have spurred improvements in targeted therapies. Recent developments in predictive analytics and robust genetic profiling enhance the manufacturing of biological therapeutics, meeting the growing demand. The application of recombinant DNA technology in producing biologics is rising, driving market growth and positively impacting treatment outcomes while reducing drug development costs. The ongoing advancements in life sciences tools further amplify this growth trajectory.

These technologies are widely used in Life Sciences. It includes,

Automation: Laboratory process automation is becoming more common, reducing manual labor and increasing efficiency. This trend is especially important for high throughput experiments, where automation can significantly improve workflow and reduce errors.

Laboratory process automation is becoming more common, reducing manual labor and increasing efficiency. This trend is especially important for high throughput experiments, where automation can significantly improve workflow and reduce errors. Data Analysis: To derive meaningful insights from the growing volume of data generated by life science experiments, advanced data analysis tools are required. This trend has resulted in the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms that can assist researchers in making sense of large amounts of data.

To derive meaningful insights from the growing volume of data generated by life science experiments, advanced data analysis tools are required. This trend has resulted in the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms that can assist researchers in making sense of large amounts of data. Single-cell Analysis: Advances in single-cell analysis tools have enabled researchers to study individual cells, revealing insight previously hidden in bulk tissue analysis. This trend is especially important in fields like cancer research and development biology.

Advances in single-cell analysis tools have enabled researchers to study individual cells, revealing insight previously hidden in bulk tissue analysis. This trend is especially important in fields like cancer research and development biology. CRISPR Technology: The development of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has transformed genome editing, allowing researchers to precisely modify genes in a variety of organisms. This technology has created new opportunities in gene therapy, drug development, and agricultural biotechnology.

The development of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has transformed genome editing, allowing researchers to precisely modify genes in a variety of organisms. This technology has created new opportunities in gene therapy, drug development, and agricultural biotechnology. Multi-Omics Approaches: Multi-omics approaches analyze multiple types of biological data, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics.



For Instance,

In 2021, half of the new drugs that will be launched in the U.S. had their original product patents filed by emerging biopharma companies (EBPs).



Collaborative research initiatives among significant market players involve converting newborn stem cells from umbilical cord tissue and blood into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), creating novel market opportunities in life sciences tools.

Browse More Insights of Towards Healthcare:

The global generic drugs market size surpassed USD 439.37 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 738.53 billion by 2032 expanding at a CAGR of 5.3% between 2023 and 2032.



size surpassed USD 439.37 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 738.53 billion by 2032 expanding at a CAGR of 5.3% between 2023 and 2032. The global non-invasive aesthetic treatments market size is estimated to grow from USD 58.8 billion in 2022 to around USD 188.3 billion by 2032, registered at a 12.4% CAGR between 2023 and 2032.



size is estimated to grow from USD 58.8 billion in 2022 to around USD 188.3 billion by 2032, registered at a 12.4% CAGR between 2023 and 2032. The global cell and gene therapy market size was estimated at USD 14.2 billion in 2022 to surpass around USD 117.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 24% between 2023 and 2032.



size was estimated at USD 14.2 billion in 2022 to surpass around USD 117.1 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 24% between 2023 and 2032. The global cell therapy manufacturing market was valued at USD 3.92 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 16.40 billion by 2032, growing at 16% CAGR from 2023 and 2032.



was valued at USD 3.92 billion in 2022 to reach around USD 16.40 billion by 2032, growing at 16% CAGR from 2023 and 2032. The global asthma treatment market size to grow from USD 25 billion in 2022 to reach USD 36 billion by 2032, registered at a CAGR of 3.4% between 2023 and 2032.



Mass Spectrometry Advancement Drive Lifesciences Tools Market Growth

The growth in the life sciences tools market, mainly attributed to mass spectrometry, signifies a pivotal role in advancing research, diagnostics and various applications within the life sciences field. Mass spectrometry is a powerful analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, providing detailed information about the composition, structure and characteristics of molecules, and it contributes to the growth of the life sciences market globally.

Mass spectrometry plays a vital role in drug discovery and development. It facilitates the analysis of drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and the identification of potential biomarkers, enhancing the efficiency of drug development. Ongoing advancements in mass spectrometry technologies, such as high-resolution and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), contribute to improved sensitivity, accuracy, and throughput. This drives adoption across various life sciences applications. Automation and integration of mass spectrometry systems with other analytical techniques enhance workflow efficiency. This is particularly valuable in high-throughput screening, where large-scale analyses are more streamlined and time-efficient.

In clinical settings, mass spectrometry is used for diagnostic purposes, such as detecting and quantifying disease-related biomarkers. It enhances the precision and reliability of diagnostic tests, contributing to personalized medicine approaches. Mass spectrometry continues to find new applications, ranging from lipidomics to glycomics, expanding its utility in studying different classes of biomolecules. This versatility attracts researchers across diverse scientific disciplines.

The technique's versatility, coupled with its applications in diverse scientific domains, positions it as a cornerstone technology driving advancements in research, diagnostics and drug development within the life sciences industry.

Geographical Landscape

The rapid adoption of genomics, proteomics, oncology, and diagnostic screening primarily drives North America's dominating market of life sciences tools. The robust growth is attributed to the increasing utilization of genomic medicine, biopharmaceuticals and novel technologies for diagnosing and treating clinical disorders in the United States and Canada. The well-regulated environment in North America facilitates the approval and utilization of genomic and tissue-related technologies, further contributing to its dominance in the life sciences tools market.

For Instance,

In 2023, Avida Biomed developed high-performance target enrichment workflows with unique features for clinical researchers. The acquired firm employs next-generation sequencing methods to investigate cancer.



The UK, a prominent hub for life sciences research, emphasizes the crucial role of science funding for transformative innovations benefiting patients and the public. Collaboration between academia, industry, and individuals with lived experiences is essential to address healthcare challenges like mental health, addiction, and obesity. These complex conditions necessitate life sciences innovations. This collective ingenuity significantly contributes to driving the growth of the life sciences tools market.

The projected period anticipates the Asia Pacific region to experience the highest growth, driven by global companies' investments and endeavours to leverage untapped opportunities and expand their influence. Additionally, the region's cost-effective manufacturing and research-friendly environment are poised to significantly contribute to expanding life science tools and technologies.

For Instance,

In 2022, FUJIFILM Corporation announced the acquisition of the Atara Biotherapeutics T-Cell Operations and Manufacturing (ATOM) facility. This strategic move aims to produce commercial and clinical treatment, including Tcell immunotherapies.



Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the life sciences tools market is dynamic and diverse, characterized by numerous key players and emerging companies. This Landscape is also influenced by ongoing technological advancements, strategic collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and a constant emphasis on innovation to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving sector. Regional players and startups focusing on niche markets contribute to the diversity and competitiveness within the life sciences tools industry.

Recent Developments

In 2023, QIAGEN established a strategic agreement with California-based population genomics company Helix to diagnose genetic disorders.

QIAGEN established a strategic agreement with California-based population genomics company Helix to diagnose genetic disorders. In 2022, Tebentafusp-tebn got approval from the FDA to treat metastatic uveal melanoma with monoclonal antibodies.

Tebentafusp-tebn got approval from the FDA to treat metastatic uveal melanoma with monoclonal antibodies. In 2021, mAbxience got approval from the FDA for monoclonal antibodies treating different types of cancer. FDA approvals of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer.



Market Players

Illumina

Agilant Technology

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Bio-Rad Laboratories

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD)

PerkinElmer

Merck KAaA

Waters Corporation

Bruker Corporation

Quigen

Market Segments

By Technology

Genomic Technology

Cell Biology Technology

Proteomics Technology

Lab Supplies & Technologies

Other Analytical & Sample Preparation Technology



By Product

NGS

Sanger Sequencing

Nucleic Acid Preparation

Nucleic Acid Microarray

PCR & qPCR

Flow Cytometry

Mass Spectrometry

Separation Technologies

Electron Microscopy

NMR

Others



By End User

Biopharmaceutical Companies

Government & Academic Institutes

Industrial Applications

Healthcare

Others



By Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

The Middle East and Africa



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Towards Healthcare is a leading global provider of technological solutions, clinical research services, and advanced analytics to the healthcare sector, committed to forming creative connections that result in actionable insights and creative innovations. We are a global strategy consulting firm that assists business leaders in gaining a competitive edge and accelerating growth. We are a provider of technological solutions, clinical research services, and advanced analytics to the healthcare sector, committed to forming creative connections that result in actionable insights and creative innovations.

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Huge meal [1]

By Helga Novak [2]

Translated by xia23 [3]

I am seldom in this town. I am here by chance.

I have a female friend in this town. We are very close. We write to each other extensively and intimately.

Im here by chance. I dont want to meet my female friend. I only stay here for a day. I dont have time. If I meet her, I have to devote myself to her. She takes full possession of me. She says, what do YOU do here, or what do you DO then here, or what do you do then HERE. I say, absolutely nothing. She pulls me. She drags me along. She says, you do not call me. I say, I just want it now. She says, then it is terrific, that we meet each other. I say, ya. I ask, arent you on your way to your work? She says, absolutely not, I have a day off for doing housework. I say, you have so many things to wash. She says, I dont think of that to wash, since you are already here. I say, is here a movie theater near here? She says, a movie theater. Go to a Cafe shop first.

She takes my arm. She says, when do you arrive here. I say, yesterday evening. She says, that is then impossible. And where have you slept? I say, in a hotel. She says, but, but. We take your luggage immediately and bring it to my place. I say, that is not worth the trouble, I leave in the afternoon. She says, you leave in the afternoon, you cant do that to me. I say, Im not evil, I have no time. She says, what is your plan. I say, nothing special. She says, by the way what does the relationship turn out. I say, what relationship. She says, the relationship in your letter next to the last. I say, in my letter next to the last. She says, his name is Roland or Ronald. You already know what I mean. I say, oh that. She says, why is that. You have written pages long about him and that would be at your wits end. I say, he is out. She says, an easy way out. That is fantastic. I say, ya. Is here no movie theater?

We go to Kaiserallee street. We sit in a coffee shop and smoke. She says, why do you have only your movie. We havent had a real talk with each other. I say, none. She says, have you had already breakfast? I say, no. She says, I get some food for us to eat. I say, Im not hungry. She says, but you have to have a huge meal, would you like to have an open sandwich or cake? I say, nothing.

She goes to the counter. She takes two trays. She talks with a waiter. I leave the coffee shop through the exit to the Konigstrae street.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1]. Kraftig essen. P. 63. Der Weg zum Lesen. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, Fort WorthTokyo. 1985

[2]. Helga Novak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helga_M._Novak

https://literaturfestival.com/en/authors/helga-m-novak/

[3]. Note: The author's writing style is rarely seen. I almost have to translate the story liturally. The author's sentences and the story are extremely short, exactly as described as "a laconic, tender and bitter picture of love" [2].
WASHINGTON, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) marks the one-year anniversary of the agency accepting applications through the Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program, the SBAs primary certification vehicle to expand federal contracting opportunities for all Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). This effort is part of the Biden-Harris Administrations commitment to expanding access to resources for veterans and other underserved populations. Since the VetCert Programs transfer to the SBA, VetCert approved more than 10,000 applications from VOSBs and SDVOBs, averaging a remarkable 15-day processing time.

"SBAs VetCert, in just its first year of operation, has delivered a platinum standard of customer experience in this critical veteran small business certification program. With new policies, processes, and technology, weve simplified doing business with the federal government for Americas military community, said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. We have now approved over 10,000 applications during the first year of SBA leading the VetCert program, which is a huge milestone as supporting our veteran entrepreneurs with access to government contracting promotes innovation, competition, job creation, and wealth generation  which is a win for the American people and economy.

The VetCert program is SBAs primary certification vehicle for VOSBs and SDVOSBs, important classifications that enable those businesses to qualify for sole-source and set-aside federal contracting awards. Certified VOSBs are eligible to compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs, while certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts government-wide.

The Agency began accepting applications on Jan. 9, 2023. The National Defense Authorization Act 2021 granted a one-time, one-year extension grace period to self-certified SDVOSBs until Jan. 1, 2024. Any SDVOSB company that applied to VetCert before the end of the grace period is still authorized to vie for federal-wide SDVOSB set-aside contracts until a program determination is made. Since the grace period ended at the start of the new year, self-certified SDVOSBs that did not apply before the deadline are encouraged to complete their applications as soon as possible to ensure they will be able to continue to do business with the federal government as certified contractors.

The SBA implemented several improvements to streamline the certification experience for veteran entrepreneurs. Those improvements and other notable accomplishments in the first year of implementation of the VetCert program include:

Provided veterans with a central support platform for their small business certification needs.

Provided reciprocal certification for businesses with remaining eligibility in the women-owned small business (WOSB) and 8(a) programs.

Created a more business-friendly approach by streamlining the application process and aligning ownership and control requirements across the VetCert, 8(a), and WOSB programs.

Established the VetCert web-based Veterans Case Management System (VCMS) material change module in May 2023. This key change allowed veteran-certified companies to report changes in ownership company structure and veteran status.

Retained the best customer-friendly aspects of prior veteran certification programs. The VetCert customer call center and mailbox were transferred from the Veterans Affairs program. The SBA also maintained the ability to correct business documents during the process and direct contact with case processing agents at every phase. A robust Frequently Asked Questions library was re-established as part of the VetCert Program. To date, 42,525 VetCert customer service responses have been completed by the VetCert Verification Support personnel.

Rolled out the VetCert VCMS recertification module in September 2023, approximately four months before the first recertification applications were due. The recertification process also retains legacy streamlined concepts that ensure accurate and fast VetCert determinations.

Began offering monthly virtual VetCert webinars starting in Fall 2023 for any interested veteran applicants starting the veteran certification process.

Registration for the January VetCert webinar can be found at: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/30a4093b-6b0f-4caf-a782-a7d32d60b8f1@3c89fd8a-7f68-4667-aa15-41ebf2208961

Background on the Veteran Small Business Certification Program

To be eligible to apply for the Veteran Small Business Certification Program, an applicant must:

Be considered a small business, as defined by the size standard corresponding to any NAICS code listed in the businesss SAM profile.

Have no less than 51% of the business owned and controlled by one or more veterans.

For certification as a SDVOSB, have no less than 51% of the business owned and controlled by one or more veterans rated as service-disabled by the VA.

For those veterans who are permanently and totally disabled and unable to manage the daily business operations of their business, their business may still qualify if their spouse or appointed, permanent caregiver is assisting in that management.

Eligible new applicants certified by the SBA after Jan. 1, 2024, will receive the standard three-year certification period.

The SBA database of certified veteran-owned small businesses now has over 25,000 firms, including those that were certified before the transfer to the SBA.



For the latest information on the Veteran Small Business Certification program, visit sba.gov/vetcert, reference the programs FAQs or email vetcert@sba.gov.

All changes to the certification process, along with new eligibility requirements may also be viewed at: federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/29/2022-25508/veteran-owned-small-business-and-service-disabled-veteran-owned-small-business-certification

###

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit sba.gov.
Beverly Hills , Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Growing Our Future podcast host Aaron Alejandro sits down with Kay Allison Crews, Certified Professional Parliamentarian Teacher (CPP-T) and Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP), to discuss the topic of how you can Preside with Grace, Confidence and Humor in her career field. Crews has been serving the FFA as their parliamentarian, both in Texas and nationally for several years. I have come to love working with the FFA, Crews says, who Alejandro calls a subject matter expert behind the scenes.

Alejandro starts the podcast with his same question he asks everyone: What are three things you are grateful for today? Crews says she thought a lot about the question before the podcast so she was prepared. First of all, Im grateful for my health, Crews says, who is a family caregiver and values her ability to take care of others. She is also grateful for her education, because no one can take that away from her. And finally, she is grateful for her friends, who have supported her along the way. Alejandro also expresses his appreciation for family, friends and his job.

Crews then talks about the credentials she carries, including the professional registered parliamentarian credential, which she obtained by demonstrating her skills before a small group of her peers. There are various steps to gain certified credentials, and she was able to fulfill all necessary requirements. Crews says there are only about 50 people who hold both of the credentials she has.

Growing up in Huntsville, Texas, she says she grew up in a family that valued democracy, and parliamentary procedure is a lot about democracy, about fairness and equity and justice; in meetings in organizations. Due to her fathers roles within the school system, she learned a lot about democratic values, which set her on her path very early in life. Her mother also helped her, when she allowed her to attend some womens group meetings in Washington, D.C. Being nice is never a bad plan, she says of the values she learned from both of her parents.

Crews says her journey officially started when she took a class in parliamentary procedure in order to better understand the rules of organizations she was joining in college. She now teaches the same class she took and said it was her beginning into the life she has now.

Crews emphasizes the importance of parliamentary procedure skills in today's world, as decisions are constantly being made in meetings. She highlights that having a good command of parliamentary procedure and understanding the basics of democracy can give individuals a competitive edge in the job market, particularly for those seeking to become involved in student government, boards and committees.

Crews also shares her personal experience of learning parliamentary procedure as a freshman in high school, and how it has benefited her throughout her professional career. She says it is a unique and valuable skill that can be useful in a variety of industries, including labor unions, political parties and even elevator repair organizations.

There are a lot of things you can do, and take this knowledge and expand on it, Crews says of her background. Crews believes young people should consider learning parliamentary procedure, because it can equip them with the skills needed to make effective decisions and run meetings efficiently. Everywhere you go for the rest of your life, there are going to be meetings. Decisions are going to have to be made, Crews explains.

Listen to the full podcast interview by Aaron Alejandro with Kay Allison Crews on your favorite podcast channel.



In this podcast, the host and guest cover:

Would becoming a professional parliamentarian be rewarding?

What are some examples of jobs a student could pursue if choosing to be a professional parliamentarian?

How does pursuing a career in parliamentary procedure give someone a competitive edge in the job market?

How do we let voices be heard in democracy by using parliamentary procedure?

About the Podcast Host and Guest

The Texas FFA Foundations purpose is to strengthen agricultural education and the Texas FFA program, so each student can develop their potential for personal growth, career success and

leadership in a global marketplace.

Learn more about the Texas FFA Foundation at mytexasffa.org.

Learn more about Kay Allison Crews at dallasparliamentarian.com.

Media Communications

Mission Matters Podcast Agency distributes the Growing Our Future Podcast

Inquiries: adamtorres@missionmatters.com

Media contact and published by KISS PR az@kisspr.com

Attachment
Annapolis, Maryland, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a new year begins, Alchemi Design, a leading marketing firm renowned for its creative and strategic solutions, reflects on a year of significant achievements and milestones. Celebrating 18 years of design service in the marketing industry, Alchemi Design has continued to reinforce its position as a trailblazer in the field. This year, the firm notably shone as a silver sponsor of the prestigious Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit (MTTS), where it played a pivotal role in shaping the event's schedule and award programs, further cementing its reputation as a key player in the tourism and marketing sectors.

A Silver Sponsorship That Made a Golden Impact

Alchemi Design's silver sponsorship at the Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit was not just a title but a testament to its commitment to promoting tourism and local businesses in Maryland. The firm's involvement went beyond financial support, playing an instrumental role in the creation and design of the summit's overview and the prestigious award programs. These contributions were pivotal in the summit's success, offering a platform for industry leaders to connect, learn, and grow.

18 Years of Creative Marketing

2024 marks a significant milestone for Alchemi Design as it celebrates 18 years in the business. Since its inception, Alchemi Design has been at the forefront of the marketing industry, offering a blend of traditional and digital marketing solutions tailored to the needs of distinctive clients. The firm's commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction has been the cornerstone of its longstanding success.

Looking Ahead: Continued Excellence and Innovation

As Alchemi Design looks towards the future, it remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of marketing. With a deep understanding of the evolving landscape and a commitment to leveraging the latest technologies and strategies, Alchemi Design is poised to continue its legacy of excellence.

"We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished this year, especially our involvement in the Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit and looking forward to continuing work with the Maryland Tourism Coalition," said Meagan Connolly, Founder, at Alchemi Design. "As we celebrate our 18th anniversary, we look back at our journey with gratitude and forward to the future with excitement. We remain committed to delivering creative and impactful marketing solutions that drive success for our clients."

For more information about Alchemi Design and their services, visit www.alchemidesign.com.

About Alchemi Design

Alchemi Design is a full-service marketing firm known for its innovative and strategic approach to marketing and design. With 18 years of experience, the company specializes in a range of services, including graphic design, digital marketing, branding, and event marketing. Having worked with clients in specific areas such as service industries, tourism, and hospitality, Alchemi prides itself on adapting unique strategies for each client to provide solutions that best resonate with their intended audience.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Locus Technologies (Locus), a trailblazer in Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) software solutions, proudly announces expansion of its ESG application to include support for the requirements of the new European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU CSRD).



The EU CSRD mandates increased transparency and accountability in corporate reporting, focusing on sustainability metrics, environmental impact, and social responsibility. In response to these emerging regulations, Locus has developed a comprehensive application, seamlessly integrated into its award-winning Locus Platform, to assist companies in efficiently adhering to the EU CSRD guidelines.

Neno Duplan, CEO and Founder of Locus emphasized the significance of this innovative solution, stating, "The support for EU CSRD requirements underscores our commitment to empowering businesses with the tools necessary to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. With the EU CSRD regulations presenting new challenges, our platform's capabilities will enable companies to streamline their reporting processes while fostering a culture of sustainability and accountability."

The expanded application integrates robust features tailored to simplify data collection, streamline reporting workflows, and enhance compliance management. It continues to unify vertical applications via the single horizontal platform to help customers avoid multiple data inputs and promote the concept of input once and use many times. By leveraging advanced analytics and automation, Locus aims to facilitate seamless adherence to the EU CSRD requirements, enabling organizations to concentrate on sustainable business practices and operational excellence.

The CSRD will require companies to report against the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Many disclosures required under ESRS are data intensive and require companies to gather thousands of data points. For some companies, disclosure requirements begin as early as 2025. Non-compliance can result in financial and administrative penalties.

With a proven track record in providing leading-edge EHS and ESG software solutions, Locus continues to spearhead advancements in compliance, sustainability, and corporate responsibility across diverse industries and geographies.

About Locus Technologies

Locus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), Sustainability, and EHS Compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997 Locus Technologies pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS Compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Chevron, Sempra, Corteva, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, Onto Innovations, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus.

Locus Technologies' headquarters is in Mountain View, California.

For further information regarding Locus Technologies and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit www.locustec.com or email info@locustec.com.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN -- 1Konto proudly announces significant enhancements to its flagship platform, 1KPrime. The upgraded 1KPrime platform elevates liquidity to USD levels for major fiat currencies and digital assets, including pairing with stablecoins USDC, USDT and top cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH. This development positions 1KPrime at the forefront of financial trading services, providing a sophisticated platform for institutional on-ramps, deep liquidity and efficient global settlements.



Edwin Handschuh, co-founder and CEO of 1Konto, reflects on this milestone, stating: "We're not just expanding our services; we're reshaping the landscape of international settlements. Our enhanced market access empowers clients to venture into new territories like the Euro Zone, Great Britain and beyond with unparalleled ease. This is more than liquidity; it's a doorway to global opportunities and diversified revenue streams."

1KPrime's role extends beyond liquidity provision, positioning itself as a comprehensive partner for entities engaged in multi-currency transactions. The platform facilitates connection with core digital asset use cases, offering a unique blend of services tailored to the specific needs of its clients.

Talha Chaudhry, Head of Trading at 1Konto, emphasized the strategic advantages for U.S. firms: "We're breaking down international barriers, offering companies a gateway to the global stage with competitive pricing and efficient settlement processes. Our focus is on harnessing macroeconomic benefits and capitalizing on worldwide opportunities."

In anticipation of the upcoming bull market, 1KPrime's platform provides strategic advantages for client outreach and 24/7 market engagement through OTC, Web App and API channels.

Key Features and Benefits:

Comprehensive Market Coverage: Access to major global currencies, including EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, MXN, NZD, SEK and ZAR, catering to a diverse global client base.

Access to major global currencies, including EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, MXN, NZD, SEK and ZAR, catering to a diverse global client base. Integrated Trading Services: A one-stop solution combining liquidity, multi-asset settlement and institutional access.

A one-stop solution combining liquidity, multi-asset settlement and institutional access. Global Expansion Opportunities: Empowers domestic and international firms to penetrate new markets, fostering growth and revenue diversification.

Empowers domestic and international firms to penetrate new markets, fostering growth and revenue diversification. Enhanced Risk Management: Streamlined operations and foreign currency hedging to improve risk management and client service.

Streamlined operations and foreign currency hedging to improve risk management and client service. Corporate Treasury Advantages: Enables corporate treasuries to manage foreign currency conversions more efficiently than traditional banking institutions.



1KPrime remains committed to empowering financial entities to confidently navigate the global markets. These platform enhancements underscore 1KPrime's dedication to innovation and client-focused solutions in the dynamic world of digital and fiat trading.

About 1KPrime:

1KPrime, a key service of 1Konto, is a premier provider of digital and fiat liquidity. It offers seamless global market access focusing on deep liquidity and comprehensive market coverage. Catering to a diverse clientele, including banks, custodians, broker-dealers, OTC desks, funds, family offices, payment service providers, and corporates, 1KPrime optimizes trading operations and market engagement.

About 1Konto

1Konto is a leading digital asset liquidity provider that offers advanced trading technology and liquidity solutions to its clients. The company is committed to providing its clients with the best possible service, competitive pricing and a white-glove experience.

For more information on 1Konto's OTC desk and other services, please visit www.1konto.com or email curtis.crispin@1konto.com.

Wire Service Contact

InvestorWire (IW)

Los Angeles, California

www.InvestorWire.com

212.418.1217 Office

Editor@InvestorWire.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8b58e931-8bb3-4558-b9a2-f184cd99e74a
SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meriwest Credit Union announces the appointment of Chad Maze as Chief Operating Officer of the credit union. In this role, Chad will spearhead all member-centric functions, including retail banking, contact centers, marketing, community development, business development, wealth management, mortgage, and commercial lending.



Chad brings over 30 years of experience in retail banking, wealth management, and lending within the credit union and banking industries. He joins Meriwest Credit Union from Ohio where he served as Chief Operating Officer for a large, community focused credit union. Chad has also held prominent roles in retail banking, lending, wealth management and strategy leadership at some of the USs largest financial institutions. Chad holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Arizona State University.

"We are thrilled to welcome Chad with his wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team," said Lisa Pesta, Chief Executive Officer of Meriwest Credit Union. "His passion for the industry is evident, and I am confident that his contributions will be instrumental as we work together to serve our community, deliver best-in-class financial services, and exceed member expectations."

Its quite an honor to be selected to join one of the best credit union teams around, said Chad Maze, Chief Operating Officer. I look forward to working with this talented Meriwest team to continue delivering an advice-based, member experience.

Chad Maze's appointment as the new Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer highlights Meriwest Credit Union's commitment to strengthening its leadership team and enhancing its member-focused operations. With his diverse background and track record of success, Chad will play a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives that promote growth, innovation, and exceptional member experiences.

About Meriwest Credit Union

Founded in San Jose, California on May 5, 1961, Meriwest Credit Union, one of Silicon Valleys largest and most established financial institutions, provides proactive, personal, convenient, and innovative financial services to over 80,000 families and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Pima County, Arizona. Meriwest, with assets in excess of $2.3 billion, offers a wide array of personal banking, business banking, and wealth advisory products and services to members. The credit union was voted Best Credit Union in Silicon Valley in the Mercury News 21st Annual Readers Choice Awards, Americas Best Small Employers by Forbes Magazine in 2023, and a Best Place to Work by the Silicon Valley Business Journal 2020 through 2023. More information can be found at www.meriwest.com.

Contact:

Helen Grays-Jones

Meriwest Credit Union

Community Relations Manager

Direct Line: 408-365-6328

hgrays@meriwest.com
ATLANTA, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nations leading builder of luxury homes, is hosting a two-day Community Showcase event across the Companys new home communities in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. Taking place on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 21, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., home buyers are invited to spend an afternoon exploring exceptional luxury home communities. Toll Brothers experts will guide attendees through spacious and stunning model homes, quick move-in homes, and onsite amenity centers, providing an insider look at the 20+ distinct Toll Brothers communities across Atlanta.



We are looking forward to giving our home buyers behind-the-scenes tours and showing off the beautiful model homes, clubhouses, and amenities at our luxury communities across Atlanta during this very special event, said Eric White, Division President of Toll Brothers in Georgia.





Guests will enjoy light refreshments while walking through professionally decorated and landscaped model homes located in the most sought-after locations in Georgia. Toll Brothers Sales Consultants will be on hand to answer questions and provide home buyers with insights on the latest trends in home design and the personalization options available through the unique Toll Brothers Design Studio experience.

Toll Brothers homes and communities are perfectly situated throughout the entire Atlanta, Georgia area. The Companys communities allow home buyers to be close enough to experience everything Atlanta offers, with a choice to be right in the city's hub, or in exclusive suburbs like Decatur.





For more information about Toll Brothers communities and to RSVP for the event, call 888-686-5542 or visit https://www.tollbrothers.com/rsvp/1742/GA-ATL_2599193-georgia-community-showcase.

About Toll Brothers

Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 56 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TOL. The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states.

Toll Brothers was named the #1 Home Builder in Fortune magazines 2023 survey of the Worlds Most Admired Companies, the eighth year it has been so honored. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com.

2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse the products or services of, Toll Brothers.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/acb7107c-f0f2-4d18-b364-39b206ba3264

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ac96fb7-5463-427b-9990-b844d210f6ad

Sent by Toll Brothers via Regional Globe Newswire (TOLL-REG)
RADNOR, Pa., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (ChargePoint) (NYSE: CHPT). The action charges ChargePoint with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the companys business, operations, and prospects. As a result of ChargePoints materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, ChargePoints investors have suffered significant losses.



CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CHARGEPOINT LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/chargepoint-holdings-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=chptf&mktm=r

LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JANUARY 29, 2024

CLASS PERIOD: JUNE 1, 2023 THROUGH NOVEMBER 16, 2023

CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:

Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ktmc.com

Kessler Topaz is one of the worlds foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field as well as the firm itself which is continuously recognized with awards for the successful results weve achieved. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.

DEFENDANTS ALLEGED MISCONDUCT

Throughout the Class Period (June 1, 2023 through November 18, 2023), Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) ChargePoint was experiencing higher component costs and supply overruns for first generation DC charging products; (2) as a result, ChargePoint was likely to incur impairment charges; (3) as a result of the foregoing, ChargePoints profitability would be adversely impacted; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants positive statements about ChargePoints business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

The truth began to emerge after the market closed on September 6, 2023, when ChargePoint announced its second quarter 2023 financial results and revealed a $28.0 million, or 19 percentage point, inventory impairment charge. As a result, ChargePoint reported a second quarter GAAP gross margin of 1%, down from 17% in the prior years same quarter. On this news, the price of ChargePoint common stock declined $0.77 per share, or nearly 11%, from a close of $7.06 per share on September 6, 2023, to close at $6.29 per share on September 7, 2023

Then, on November 16, 2023, after the market closed, ChargePoint announced its preliminary third quarter 2023 financial results and revealed a $42 million non-cash inventory impairment charge. ChargePoint attributed the impairment charge to product transitions to better align inventory with current demand, resulting in an expected third quarter GAAP gross margin of negative 23% to negative 21%. Furthermore, ChargePoint reported preliminary revenue results had fallen to levels below expected. Finally, ChargePoints CEO and CFO were both replaced, effective immediately. On this news, the price of ChargePoint common stock declined $1.11 per share, or more than 35%, from a close of $7.06 per share on November 16, 2023, to close at $3.13 per share on November 17, 2023.

WHAT CAN I DO?

ChargePoint investors may, no later than January 29, 2024, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages ChargePoint investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against ChargePoint, Khan v. ChargePoint Holdings, Inc., et al., Case No. 23-cv-06172, is filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE

WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?

A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

Jonathan Naji, Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(484) 270-1453

info@ktmc.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agnes and Stephen Reading have endowed an additional $1 million to double the size of the Reading Nursing Scholarship program for Washtenaw Community College (WCC) students.



The Ann Arbor philanthropists and WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca today announced the gift on campus alongside student benefactors.

The Reading Nursing Scholarship endowment now totals $2 million and provides 20 full-ride nursing scholarships each year for WCC students. Scholarships are awarded primarily based on need to students planning to transfer to Eastern Michigan University (EMU) to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

In 2022, the couple established the Reading Scholars program with a $1 million endowment to cover tuition, books, uniforms, clinical fees and other costs for nursing students.

We know firsthand the impact nurses have on their patients, and we know WCC trains the best. Because of WCCs low tuition rates, our gift goes a long way and enables even more students to focus on their rigorous studies without having to worry about how theyre going to pay for school, Stephen Reading said.

In addition to the $2 million endowment to fund scholarships in perpetuity, the Readings have given $100,000  $50,000 each in 2022 and 2024  to jumpstart students enrolling with the award.

WCCs nursing program has earned the highest accolades, and graduates an average of 120 nurses each year.

Last summer, the National League for Nursing named the college a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education, the only community college and one of just nine nursing programs nationwide to earn the honor.

We are beyond thankful for the generosity of Agnes and Stephen Reading. Our students work so hard in their nursing program and care so much about others. It is deeply gratifying to see them supported in this way, President Bellanca said.

Since the Reading Scholar program was established, 33 WCC nursing students have been awarded the scholarship.

A number of student scholarship recipients attended todays announcement and luncheon.

To have someone recognize your efforts and understand how hard you are working is like finding a piece of hay in a needle stack. Noticing my potential and giving me a chance to succeed is something the Reading family has done to make it possible for my dreams of becoming a Registered Nurse to come true. Thank you, said student JaNay Madison of Redford. She likened the scholarship recognition to finding a piece of hay in a needle stack because she is deeply appreciative of the award in what can be a painful journey.

Madison said her two daughters have inspired her to persevere.

I want to provide myself as a living example to show that hard work does pay off. I want to be someone my children look up to and can boast with confidence that their Mom is someone that they can be proud of, Madison said. With the assistance from this scholarship, it has lowered the height of my hurdles to cross that finish line. I will be forever grateful to the Reading family for this.

Reading Scholarship recipients Raymond Apostoleris and Marcus Apostoleris, twin brothers from Chelsea, also attended the announcement.

This scholarship means a great deal to me because it lets me focus on my studies. The Reading family has given me the opportunity to achieve my dream with minimal stress and financial freedom. Thank you, Mr. Reading and Mrs. Reading, Raymond Apostoleris said.

The Readings are amazing people for giving us the chance to fully focus on nursing. I cant thank them enough for this wonderful opportunity, Marcus Apostoleris said.

About Washtenaw Community College

Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Michigan, educates students through a wide range of associate and certificate programs in areas such as health care, business, STEM and advanced transportation and mobility. The college also works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs to meet the regions workforce talent needs.

For more information about Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3b027a5-46c2-4ec9-9dd5-b2dafbed6b3e




Toronto, ON, Canada, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Carbon Inc. (the "Company") (TSX-V: CCB) (OTC: BRUZF) (Frankfurt: U7N1) announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with former Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer, Olga Nikitovic, to settle an aggregate of $145,417 of accrued management fees in consideration for the issuance of an aggregate of 4,406,575 common shares in the capital of the Company (the Common Shares) at a deemed price of $0.033 per share (the Debt Settlement). Ms. Nikitovics tenure with the Company concluded in December 2021.



The board of directors and management of the Company believe that the proposed Debt Settlement is in the best interests of the Company because it allows the Company to preserve its funds for operations. The Debt Settlement is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Common Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period.

CANADA CARBON INC.



Ellerton Castor

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Contact Information

E-mail inquiries: info@canadacarbon.com

P: (905) 407-1212

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking information (forward-looking information) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the Debt Settlement. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: compliance with extensive government regulations; domestic and foreign laws and regulations adversely affecting the Companys business and results of operations; the impact of COVID-19; and general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

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.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 08, 2024 - Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. (CSE:RFLX) (OTCQB:RFLXF) (FSE:HF2) ("Reflex" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed a first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the "Private Placement") for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD$575,000. Pursuant to the Private Placement, the Company issued 5,750,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of CAD$0.10 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share (each, a "Share") and one (1) common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable into one (1) Share at an exercise price of CAD$0.15 until January 4, 2026.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds raised from the Private Placement to undertake advanced exploration and development activities on the Ruby Graphite Project and for general working capital. All securities issuable in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws of four months and one day from the date of issue, expiring on May 5, 2024. No finders fees were paid in connection with the closing of the first tranche.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or under any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Paul Gorman

CEO & Director

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp.

Suite 915 - 700 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 1G8

Canada

Tel: (778) 837-7191

Email: info@reflexmaterials.com

About Reflex Advanced Materials

Reflex Advanced Materials Corp. is a mineral exploration company based in British Columbia. Its objective is to locate and, if warranted, develop economic mineral properties in the strategic metals and advanced materials space. It is focused on improving domestic specialty mineral infrastructure efficiencies to meet surging national demand by North American manufacturers. The Company is working to advance its Ruby Graphite Project, located in Beaverhead County, Montana, and ZigZag Property, located in Thunder Bay Mining Division, Crescent Lake Area, Ontario.

For more information, please review the Company's filings available at www.sedarplus.ca and visit the Company's website at www.reflexmaterials.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or" should" occur or be achieved. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the closing of the Private Placement, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, and the use of proceeds from the Private Placement are 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Reflex, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. 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 and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete exploration work, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Reflex does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 9, 2024 - Cascadia Minerals Ltd. ("Cascadia") (TSXV: CAM) is pleased to provide results of the 2023 exploration program at the PIL Property, located in the prolific Toodoggone porphyry copper-gold and epithermal precious metals district of northern British Columbia, Canada. Work in 2023 included a TITAN deep induced polarization ("IP") geophysical survey at the PIL South target, as well as prospecting and mapping focused primarily in the underexplored northeastern portion of the property, at the Spruce target.

PIL 2023 Exploration Summary

Deep IP survey at the PIL South target identified a classic porphyry signature below shallow historical drilling that intersected typical high-level pyrite mineralization and alteration;

The IP survey signature underlies a 2.5 x 2.0 km gold-copper  molybdenum soil and rock sample anomaly at surface;

Prospecting at the Spruce target identified significant copper, silver and molybdenum samples along a 2.6 km trend;

Spruce rock sample highlights include 9.01% copper with 212 g/t silver and 0.26 g/t gold in float, and 3.75% copper with 101 ppm molybdenum in outcrop; and

Planning is underway for 2024 exploration, including diamond drilling at PIL South in 2024 to test the porphyry target at depth and geophysics and mapping to prepare Spruce for drilling.

"We are very encouraged by the deep IP survey at the PIL South target as it returned compelling indications of porphyry copper mineralization at depth, beneath historical shallow drilling. We plan to undertake our first diamond drill program at PIL this summer, focusing on testing PIL South at depth," said Graham Downs, Cascadia's President and CEO. "The prospecting results from the recently identified Spruce target are also very exciting. We have now defined a 2.6 km mineralized trend in this area with alteration profiles suggestive of porphyry mineralization. We will continue to systematically advance Spruce in 2024, with geophysics, surface work, and drilling if warranted."

Figure 1 - PIL Property Copper-in-Soil Map

Figure 2 - PIL South Copper-in-Soil Map

Figure 3 - PIL South TITAN IP Chargeability Section A-A'

Figure 4 - PIL South TITAN IP Resistivity Section A-A'

Figure 5 - Spruce Target Map

PIL South TITAN IP Survey Results

A TITAN deep IP geophysical survey was conducted at the PIL South target in 2023, in an area with strong surface mineralization, limited historical drilling, and a strong response from a shallower conventional IP survey completed in 2022. Two perpendicular TITAN IP lines were completed, totaling 4.8 line-km (Figure 2).

Results of this survey are suggestive of the potential for a buried porphyry target underneath the shallow historical drilling. The chargeability response exhibits a broad zone of very high-chargeability around a deeper zone of moderate chargeability, suggestive of a pyrite halo around the core of a porphyry system (Figure 3) at the 1,200 m elevation level. The resistivity response shows a core zone of moderate resistivity with moderate chargeability values that could represent the potassic core (Figure 4).

Three shallow historical drillholes were completed by a previous operator at this target in 2003, with no significant intercepts of copper mineralization. Core from these holes were reviewed in detail this season and exhibits high-level alteration signatures (propylitic to sericite alteration), as well as zones of significant pyrite, and short intervals of anomalous copper and gold. This supports the interpretation of the IP signature, suggesting the presence of a pyrite shell - intersected by historical drilling - potentially adjacent to the potassic core of a porphyry that has never been drill tested.

Cascadia plans to drill-test this hypothesized potassic core in 2024, embarking on its first diamond drilling campaign at the PIL property.

Prospecting and Mapping Results

Fieldwork in 2023 included the collection of 420 soil samples and 186 rock samples. Exploration was focused on the Spruce and PIL South areas, with expansion of soil grids at both targets (Figure 1). Contour sampling and prospecting was also completed in various underexplored areas between the two targets.

Rock sampling at Spruce identified mineralization in float and outcrop across a 2.6 km trend northwest of the original 2022 discovery outcrop, in an area that has seen no historical exploration. Grab samples returned results including 3.75% copper with 101 ppm molybdenum in outcrop, 2.07% copper in outcrop, and 9.01% copper with 212 g/t silver and 0.26 g/t gold in talus (Figure 5). The alteration assemblage and trace element signature of samples in this area are strongly suggestive of porphyry style mineralization at depth. Given the extensive nature of mineralization at Spruce, planning is underway for follow-up work in 2024.

Soil sampling results extended the known PIL South anomaly further to the east, and identified a new area of potential mineralization 3 km south of the Spruce target (Figure 1). These areas will be further evaluated in 2024.

Property Geology and Mineralization

The 151 km2 PIL Property is located in the heart of the 90 x 20 km northwest-trending Toodoggone district in northern British Columbia, within the eastern part of the Stikine Terrane. The Stikine Terrane is juxtaposed against the Quesnel Terrane by the 1,000+ km long, deep seated, crustal scale strike-slip Teslin-Thibert fault approximately 8 km northeast of the property boundary. Stikine and Quesnel Terranes are characterized by similar Late Triassic to Early Jurassic volcanic-plutonic arc complexes that host numerous porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum mines, deposits and prospects including Red Chris (Newmont Mining), Galore Creek (Teck/Newmont), Kemess (Centerra Gold), and Mount Milligan (Centerra Gold). Numerous epithermal gold-silver projects are also found in the region, including Brucejack (Newmont Mining), Ranch (Thesis Gold) and Lawyers (Thesis Gold).

The Toodoggone district is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Early to Middle Jurassic Hazelton Group and the coeval Early Jurassic Black Lake Plutonic intrusive complex. There is a prominent northwest-trending regional structural fabric with the strata in the Toodoggone disrupted by several steeply dipping normal faults, strike-slip faults and thrust faults.

The Property is under option from Finlay Minerals Ltd., and Cascadia has the ability to acquire a 70% interest in the project by making a series of staged payments and work expenditures. For more details on the Property, please visit our website at www.cascadiaminerals.com.

About Cascadia

Cascadia is a Canadian junior mining company focused on exploring for copper and gold in the Yukon and British Columbia. Cascadia's flagship Catch Property in the Yukon hosts a brand-new copper-gold porphyry discovery where inaugural drill results returned broad intervals of mineralization, including 116.60 m of 0.31% copper with 0.30 g/t gold. Catch exhibits extensive high-grade copper and gold mineralization across a 5 km long trend, with rock samples returning peak values of 3.88% copper and 30.00 g/t gold.

In addition to Catch, Cascadia is conducting exploration work at its PIL Property in British Columbia and the Sands of Time and Rosy properties in the Yukon, as well as evaluating additional regional opportunities. Cascadia has approximately 37 million shares outstanding and its largest shareholders are Hecla Mining Company (19.6%) and Barrick Gold (7.5%).

QA/QC

Analytical work for samples was completed by ALS Canada Ltd., with sample preparation in Kamloops, BC, and geochemical analyses in North Vancouver, BC. Rock samples were fine crushed before a 250-gram split was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Gold was determined for core samples by the Au-AA23 procedure which involves fire assay preparation using a 30-gram charge with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. Multi-element data for 48 elements was determined for by the ME-MS61 procedure, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by inductively couple plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy ("ICP-AES") and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry ("ICP-MS"). Overlimit values for copper, silver, lead and zinc were determined using the ME-OG62 procedure, which involves a four-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES analysis.

Soil samples were dry-screened at 180 micron, with analysis conducted on the fine fraction. Soil samples were analyzed for gold and 50 other elements by the AuME-TL43 procedure which involves aqua regia digestion of a 25-gram split with an ICP-AES and ICP-MS finish.

Results referenced in this release represent highlight results only. Below detection values for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and molybdenum have been encountered in drilling, rock and soil samples in these target areas.

The technical information in this news release has been approved by Adam Coulter, M.Sc., P.Geo., VP Exploration for Cascadia and a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of Cascadia Minerals Ltd.

Graham Downs, President and CEO

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 note regarding forward-looking statements:

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required by securities laws.

SOURCE Cascadia Minerals Ltd.
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States.

Vancouver, BC - TheNewswire January 9, 2024 - Apex Resources Inc. ("Apex" or the "Company") (TSXV:APX) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the "SPA") to acquire all the shares of an arm's length corporation holding a 100% option over the consolidated mineral rights of the Lithium Creek Property (the "Property") in Nevada, USA (the "Acquisition").

Acquisition Highlights

 Consolidation of a large scale land package, comparable in size and geology to Albemarle's Silver Peak Mine in Clayton Valley, Nevada.

 Location: Situated off a major highway, in an area of historic basin development and geology associated with lithium mineralization.

 Very Limited Modern Exploration: Lithium exploration and development has not been seriously conducted in the area.

 Significant Infrastructure in Place: The district has substantial infrastructure including roads, railways, highways, permits, national and local power and a skilled workforce in neighboring towns and cities.

 Accelerated Pathway to Exploration: Utilizing the infrastructure and a Tier 1 exploration

team can result in accelerated results.

Mr. Jay Roberge, President Apex Resources Inc. stated, "We are very pleased to announce this acquisition which offers Apex shareholders exposure to the potential of a low-cost lithium brine project targeting a "Made in America" battery supply chain, ideally located in the prolific State of Nevada, home to the only commercial lithium brine production in the USA and the first Tesla Gigafactory in the USA."

The Lithium Creek Property

The Lithium Creek Property consists of 40 claims covering 800 acres of unpatented placer mining claims located on public lands controlled by the Bureau of Land Management, within Churchill County, Nevada, USA.

Surface mapping, shallow brine sampling and nearby producing geothermal aquifers provides strong evidence for a large, preserved and untapped lithium-boron bearing brine body to exist proximal to two lithium-boron prospects, each displaying brines with lithium in anomalous concentrations at shallow depths.

Lithium Creek Location Map

https://apxresources.com/site/assets/files/5405/location-map.jpeg

Lithium bearing brines were discovered in shallow waters (1-2 meters below surface) via sampling from a series of historic shallow wells and hand dug pits. Laboratory analyses indicate lithium concentrations range from 18 mg/L in shallow surficial groundwater brines to 330 mg/L proximal to property claims. Boron is also present at concentrations up to 400 mg/L. Modern exploration for lithium and boron bearing brines or clays have not been attempted in this part of Nevada.

The prospects are in or near outflow zones from geothermal upwelling in the vicinity of certain geothermal systems. Geothermal fluid is understood to liberate lithium from rhyolitic tuffs and lithium bearing clays. This upwelling appears to manifest at the ground surface as an area of diffuse perennial discharge of brine waters with concentrations of lithium ranging up to 20 mg/L in the creek flowing through the southern portion of the property and is expected to influence the potential lithium brine reservoir in the basin.

The conceptual model for the property is similar to the conceptual model for Clayton Valley, Nevada. Clayton Valley contains the only commercially operating closed basin lithium brine mine operation in North America. The model holds that groundwater recharge from infiltration of precipitation and underflow through lithium rich volcanic material collects in a structurally closed basin where it can be enriched and concentrated through geothermal processes.

Geothermal waters in Clayton Valley historically emanated as surficial geothermal springs with lithium concentrations of approximately 40 mg/L prior to brine pumping. These geothermal waters are expected to be of meteoric source with elevated temperatures due to the high geothermal gradients in the region. The model suggests some of these waters make their way through the basin fill in Clayton Valley via fault planes, joints, and other natural fractures. Basin fill materials, containing lithium in solid form, are then leached by interaction with the local groundwater. This interaction could release lithium that is absorbed or associated with highly soluble phases. Lithium contained in the exchangeable layers of clays may also be released due to the increased weathering rates of the elevated temperature fluids and cation exchange through contact with basin inflow water. These interactions likely have been occurring over the timeframe of the Pliocene and are conceptual to the formation of the lithium brines that are produced from Clayton Valley.

The conceptual model described for the lithium brine system at Clayton Valley also fits the conceptual model for lithium brine occurrence at the Property. Existing data strongly suggests the project claims are located within hydraulically closed basins with multiple structural boundaries. The claims are expected to be proximal to discharge zones from convective upwelling of geothermal systems. Drill results from a proximal geothermal field suggest brines generated from these systems are in contact with smectite clays, rhyolitic ash flows and tuffs which could provide ample source material for soluble lithium. Figure 2 provides a conceptual model for the Clayton Valley lithium brine deposit and the Lithium Creek brine prospect.

Image: Conceptional Model for Basin Brine Aquifer System

https://apxresources.com/site/assets/files/5405/lithium-storage-model.jpeg

Exploration work near the discovery area can commence immediately with a view to begin drill testing when targets are refined. Press releases should be anticipated regularly over the coming weeks and months, subject to receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.

Transaction Summary

Pursuant to the SPA dated January 8, 2024 between the Company and 1434001 B.C. Ltd. ("1434001"), the Company shall acquire all of the shares of 1434001 in exchange for a cash payment of USD $80,000.00 and the issuance of 18,000,000 common shares of Apex (the "Payment Shares"). The Payment Shares are subject to release restrictions as follows: 12.5% of the Payment Shares will be released on closing of the Acquisition and an additional 12.5% of the Payment Shares will be released every 3 months after the closing date. Upon completion of issuing all Payment Shares, 1434001 will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, which holds an exclusive option to acquire a 100% interest in the Property (the "Option"). There will be no finder's fees payable with respect to the Acquisition. The terms of the Option provide for 1434001 to acquire 100% of the Property by completing the following:

Date for Completion Option Payment (USD) Exploration & Development Expenditures (USD) Down Payment (non refundable) $50,000 (Paid by 1434001) 1st Anniversary of Effective Date* $100,000 $300,000 2nd Anniversary of Effective Date $150,000 $500,000 3rd Anniversary of Effective Date $300,000 $1,000,000 4th Anniversary of Effective Date $600,000 $2,000,000 5th Anniversary of Effective Date $1,200,000 $3,000,000 6th Anniversary of Effective Date $Nil $5,000,000 TOTAL $2,400,000 $11,800,000

*The Effective Date of the Option is August 25th, 2023.

Financing and Issuance of Stock Options

1.The Company plans to complete a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 11,430,000 units at a price of $0.07 per unit (the "Unit") for gross proceeds of up to $800,100 (the "Financing"). Each Unit is comprised of one Apex common share and one share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one Apex common share at an exercise price of $0.12. The Warrants will have an expiry date of two years from the date of issue (the "Expiry Date"). If at any time prior to the Expiry Date, the Company's common shares trade at or above a price of $0.20 per common share on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") for a period of 10 consecutive trading days commencing four months plus one day after the issue date, the Company may, at its option, accelerate the Expiry Date by issuing a press release announcing such acceleration (the "Acceleration Press Release"), and, in such case, the Expiry Date shall be deemed to be the 30th day following the date of issuance of the Acceleration Press Release.

In addition, the Company has granted 1,500,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers, consultants and advisors to the Company in accordance with the Company's Stock Option Plan. The incentive stock options are exercisable at $0.10 per share for a period of five years.

The planned Acquisition, Financing and grant of incentive stock options are subject to approval by the Exchange. All shares issued pursuant to the SPA, Financing and exercise of warrants will be subject to a four month hold period from the closing date.

Qualified Person and NI 43-101 Disclosure

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Geoffrey Baldwin, P.G. (Lic. No. 10037), a Qualified Person who is independent of Apex and who acts as Apex's Qualified Person. Mr. Baldwin has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person as defined in the 2014 Edition of the "CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves."

About Apex Resources Inc.

Apex is a mineral exploration company engaged in the business of the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties. Apex's common shares trade under the symbol "APX" on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V).

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

Apex Resources Inc.

Jay Roberge

President

Ph. +1(778)895-0247 or info@apxresources.com website: www.apexresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term in defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("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. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: receipt of regulatory approvals; risks related to fluctuations in metal prices; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing to fund the planned work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; changes in planned work resulting from weather, logistical, technical or other factors; the possibility that results of work will not fulfill expectations and realize the perceived potential of the Company's properties; risk of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in the work program; the risk of environmental contamination or damage resulting from Apex's operations and other risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Denver, Jan. 09, 2024 - As previously announced, on December 12, 2023, Intrepid Potash Inc. ("Intrepid," the "Company," or "our") (NYSE:IPI) entered into a Third Amendment to the Cooperative Development Agreement (the "Amendment") with XTO Holdings, LLC ("XTO Holdings") and XTO Delaware Basin, LLC, as successors in interest to BOPCO, L.P. ("XTO Delaware Basin," and together with XTO Holdings, "XTO"). The Amendment has an effective date of January 1, 2024.



As consideration under the Amendment, on January 2, 2024, Intrepid received a payment of $45 million from XTO, which was in addition to an initial payment of $5 million received from XTO on December 12, 2023. The Amendment also provides that Intrepid will receive an additional one-time payment equal to $50 million as an "Access Fee," which XTO will pay within 90 days upon the earlier occurrence of (i) the approval of the first new or expanded drilling island within a specific area to be used by XTO, or (ii) within seven years of the anniversary of the effective date. XTO is also required to pay additional amounts to Intrepid as an "Access Realization Fee," up to a maximum amount of $100 million, in the event of certain additional drilling activities by XTO. Pursuant to the Amendment, among other things, Intrepid agrees to support and not oppose XTO's development and operation of XTO's oil and gas interests within the Designated Potash Area ("DPA").

Bob Jornayvaz, Intrepid's Executive Chairman and CEO commented: "This Amendment furthers our goal of cooperation and the efficient co-development of resources within the DPA. The consideration received under the Amendment brings us closer to our goal of creating sustained value for shareholders and will be instrumental in allowing us to pursue opportunities across our asset base."

Petrie Partners acted as the financial advisor to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Amendment.

About Intrepid

Intrepid is a diversified mineral company that delivers potassium, magnesium, sulfur, salt, and water products essential for customer success in agriculture, animal feed and the oil and gas industry. Intrepid is the only U.S. producer of muriate of potash, which is applied as an essential nutrient for healthy crop development, utilized in several industrial applications and used as an ingredient in animal feed. In addition, Intrepid produces a specialty fertilizer, Trio, which delivers three key nutrients, potassium, magnesium, and sulfate, in a single particle. Intrepid also provides water, magnesium chloride, brine, and various oilfield services.

Intrepid serves diverse customers in markets where a logistical advantage exists and is a leader in the use of solar evaporation for potash production, resulting in lower cost and more environmentally friendly production. Intrepid's mineral production comes from three solar solution potash facilities and one conventional underground Trio mine.

Intrepid routinely posts important information, including information about upcoming investor presentations and press releases, on its website under the Investor Relations tab. Investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll at intrepidpotash.com, to receive automatic email alerts or RSS feeds for new postings.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements contain known and unknown risks and uncertainties (many of which are difficult to predict and beyond management's control) that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from anticipated or projected results. An extensive list of specific material risks and uncertainties affecting Intrepid is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and other quarterly and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Intrepid undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events.

Contact

Evan Mapes, CFA, Investor Relations Manager

Phone: 303-996-3042

Email: evan.mapes@intrepidpotash.com




A Xiang Mi Xian 41-87 Bowne St.; 347-542-3606 Anhui ban mian from the all-but-impossible-to-Google shop A Xiang Mi Xian. Photo: Hugo Yu

About 10 minutes from Flushings main drag, beyond the crowds and the food courts, is a restaurant quietly serving what may be the neighborhoods best new bowl of noodles. A Xiang Mi Xian opened a few months ago on a strip of Bowne Street next door to a laundromat; its existence feels like an unintentional secret. When I stumbled across it, it had no website or any digital presence at all, really, and Google confuses the business with the spaces previous tenant, Beef Bar. (The situation is not helped by its SEO-proof English name: Asian Rice Noodles.) But the restaurant shouldnt be a secret at all because of its Anhui ban mian.

What arrives on the table is a soup thats rich and savory, filled with thick wheat noodles, the broth dyed bronze by the spices. (The kitchen is generous with star anise and takes a lighter hand with chile, so theres only a touch of heat.) From the first sip, its clear that this is no purifying broth for a January cleanse: The bowl is packed with chunks of beef, a slab of braised tofu, some bok choy, and a whole egg. The highlight, though, is the meatball. Its a little sweet and soft on the inside with a crispy exterior. (Extra meatballs can be added for a price; do this because you wont want to share.)

The rest of the menu bops around China from Yunnan (crossing-the-bridge noodles) to Hunan (stinky tofu) to Sichuan (pickled fish). There are several renditions of intestines as well as spicy rock snails and stir-fried silkworm chrysalis. Theres a sweet-and-sour tomato broth, with big hunks of brisket thats delicious sour, and a plate of well-fried chicken with a lot of mala going on. The restaurants name suggests rice noodles should be ordered  skip them. Go instead for the dry-pot potato chips, polygonal slices of thickly-cut potato dressed with sesame seeds, scallion, chile sauce, and spears of scallion and shallot. Its a great warm-up to the soup.

As I was slurping down my own $15 bowl of ban mian, I couldnt think of any restaurants operated by people from Anhui around New York. A Xiangs owners arent from there either. One of the owners  the big boss  is from Hebei, but they think they have the capability to do this kind of dish, the restaurants manager, who gave me only his first name, Daniel, joked.

As it turns out, this Anhui ban mian isnt even from Anhui province. As the journalist Hatty Liu writes in The World of Chinese, the dish traveled north from Anhuis Taihe County, where its made with mutton, to Hebei, where its beef based. Its considered a dish of Shijiazhuang, which is this giant transit hub. Lots of roads, lots of train lines go through it, she tells me. Shijiazhuang doesnt have a long-standing, distinctive culture of its own, Liu explains, but what it does have is a lot of migrants  including from Anhui.

There are 1,700 registered ban mian shops in Shijiazhuang, according to the writer Jiahui Sun, with straightforward names like Anhui Flat Noodles, Anhui Authentic Flat Noodles, Anhui Traditional Beef Banmian, and so on. That this soup has now ended up in New York is one aspect of its seemingly unlikely journey from Taihe County and Anhui, where Sun says it isnt particularly well known. Shijiazhuang is a city of immigrants  it is very inclusive, she says. People love noodles, so ban mian could quickly get accepted.

The wheat noodles are extra wide. Photo: Hugo Yu

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Hotel Nikko Guam has announced the appointment of its new general manager, Yusuke William Shinozaki, who brings with him a wealth of international hospitality experience and a passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences.

The appointment was effective Jan. 1, 2024.

We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Shinozaki as the new general manager of Hotel Nikko Guam. His extensive experience, leadership qualities, and commitment to hospitality excellence align seamlessly with our vision for providing unparalleled guest experiences, Ken Yanagisawa, president of P.H.R. Ken Micronesia, Inc., said in a news release Tuesday.

Born in Japan, Shinozakis career in the hospitality industry began in the United States, where he pursued higher education in hospitality management.

His career path led him to various roles across Asia, including sales manager at a leading Japanese hotel chain in China and positions with Marriott International in Vietnam and Thailand.

Shinozakis experience in Guam started at Guam Marriott Resort & Spa, where he served as director of sales.

His commitment to excellence and deep understanding of hotel management led him to Hotel Nikko Guam, where he was director of rooms, assistant general manager at Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, and most recently, acting general manager at Hotel Nikko Guam.

Beyond his contributions to the hospitality industry, Shinozaki also serves as the chairperson for the Guam Community College Hospitality Program Industry Advisory Group, showcasing his commitment to nurturing talent within the local community.

PHR leadership changes

This announcement comes as part of broader leadership changes within P.H.R. Ken Micronesia, Inc., which the company announced in December.

Ken Yanagisawa assumed the role of president and Ben Ferguson as vice president.

Hotel Nikko Guam congratulates Mr. Shinozaki on his new role and expresses gratitude to Mr. Yanagisawa for his leadership over the years. The hotel looks forward to a continued legacy of exceptional service under Mr. Shinozakis guidance, the hotel said.
When master of CHamoru dance Vince Reyes learned that the Inetnon Gef Pago cultural arts program won the Lewis Prize for Music with a $500,000 award, he jumped for joy, was overwhelmed with emotions, and realized just how far their small group from the south has come.

Definitely a proud moment for Guam, for our youth. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratefulness, Reyes told the Pacific Daily News.

Reyes, director of Inetnon Gef Pago, said it still feels surreal that a little program from a small village with big dreams has won a national prize.

Inetnon Gef Pago previously received international awards for their cultural performances, but this is the first time they have earned a national recognition based on the program itself and the impact of its music in perpetuating the CHamoru culture and elevating the community.

The Lewis Prize for Music, a philanthropic music arts organization, each year recognizes a number of outstanding creative youth development groups across the U.S., offering prizes ranging from the $50,000 Catalyst Awards to the $500,000 Accelerator Awards.

It hopes to inspire leaders to work together to ensure every young person has the opportunity to access transformative music learning, performance and creation.

The Lewis Prize for Music has identified Vincent Reyes of Inetnon Gefpago Cultural Arts Program as one of those leaders, the organization said in announcing the winner. Inetnon Gefpago is an award-winning program whose mission is to promote awareness and pride in Chamorro heritage through performance arts.

Membership in Inetnon Gef Pago begins in high school where students undergo extensive training to be members of the performing group.

Selected students will then continue to represent Guam at major on island events and folk festivals around the world.

Half-million funding

Inetnon Gef Pago is one of the recipients of the Lewis Prize for Musics 2024 Accelerator Awards, which comes with a $500,000 funding.

Its the biggest financial award weve gotten. So where do we plan on spending it? First, we want to listen to our youth, to our community, what are the most important needs post-pandemic and post-Mawar. We want to collaborate with other youth development programs, Reyes said.

Whatever the outcome would be, he said the goal is to expand the Inetnon Gef Pago cultural arts program.

Back in November, the Lewis Prize for Music (www.TheLewisPrize.org.) announced that Inetnon Gef Pago was one of the 11 Accelerator Awards finalists.

The official announcement of winners is Jan. 9.

According to the Lewis Prize for Music, over $3 million in funding will give young people access to music education, strengthen the well-being of their communities, and put music at the center of efforts to establish equity.

Founded in 2017 by philanthropist Daniel R. Lewis and CEO Dalouge Smith, The Lewis Prize for Music believes young people with access to high-quality music learning, performance, and creation opportunities will mature into thriving individuals.

Inequitable systems often fail to prioritize music learning in young peoples lives. As a result, too many young people are not supported to express themselves creatively. This stifles young peoples potential to become powerful citizens, who through musical pursuits learn to contribute positively to their communities.

By supporting music leaders across the country to continue their great work, The Lewis Prize for Music seeks to inspire others to ensure every young person has the opportunity to access transformative music learning, performance, and creation that benefits them and their communities.
The man suspected of fatally shooting a 60-year-old Korean tourist was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound while police officers were approaching a parked vehicle in Yona, while the getaway driver has been placed in custody, Police Chief Stephen Ignacio said during a late Tuesday night press conference.

The suspect in custody has been identified as Stefen Keanu Paulino Camacho, 26, of Yona, Ignacio said.

The Department of Corrections released his photo early Wednesday morning.

GPD was able to zero in on the suspects five days after the Korean tourist was shot dead on the night of Jan. 4.

Vacationing on Guam

The victim and his wife were vacationing on Guam to celebrate their retirement. An SUV approached them from behind while they were walking from Gun Beach to The Tsubaki Tower. A passenger exited the vehicle brandishing a firearm, and demanded the couple's belongings. A struggle ensued and the husband was shot.

He died at the Guam Regional Medical City Friday morning.

The victim's wife and other family members that came to visit after the incident have gone back to Korea.

At an 11 p.m. Tuesday press conference, Ignacio gave details about the events leading to the visitor's passing.

The tourist was shot in the stomach, he said. The suspects fled using the vehicle, and with the purse they stole from the couple, he added.

Detectives from GPD's Criminal Investigation Division began an investigation, along with other law enforcement agencies to find the suspects.

Concerned citizen came forward

Ignacio said using surveillance footage from various businesses, detectives identified the suspect vehicle as a 2011 silver Toyota 4Runner.

During the investigation, a concerned citizen came forward with information that corroborated information being developed by police.

Police searched for the vehicle.

The suspects

Police conferred with the Office of the Attorney General and obtained a warrant for the vehicle and identified the individuals they learned were responsible for the robbery and murder.

Tuesday night, GPD Special Operations Division executed the warrant in Yona and apprehended one of the suspects, Camacho.

Camacho, of Yona, spoke of his involvement and his role as the getaway driver, Ignacio said. He later added that Camacho will face charges of murder, robbery and possibly a crime against a vulnerable victim.

The suspect vehicle was also located and impounded.

While police converged on a vehicle parked at a residence where the second suspect was located, a single gunshot wound was heard from within the vehicle.

"Upon approaching, police officers located the second male suspect who was deceased from a single gunshot wound discovered to be self-inflicted," Ignacio said.

The police chief thanked the numerous businesses that contributed to the investigation.

"Without their support we would not have come to a quick resolution," he said, adding that more than 20 businesses shared video with police detectives.

Camacho has prior arrests for assault and disorderly conduct, while the unnamed suspect has a criminal record for drug possession and an outstanding warrant.

During question-and-answer, Ignacio said despite the "unthinkable crime," Guam remains a safe place to visit.

News of the Korean tourist's fatal shooting on Guam spread fast in South Korea. Korea is Guam's main tourism market. Guam's still-struggling tourism industry, has arrivals that are nearly 39% of what they used to be prior to the pandemic.

Ignacio said that the investigation also revealed other Tumon areas that are concerning because they are dark and lack surveillance cameras. He said that part of that could include aerial surveillance at the few access points to Tumon.

The Guam Visitors Bureau offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrests and conviction in the case.
A man on pre-trial release in a drug case from last month has been accused of ramming cars with his bicycle as workers sat in a parking lot Monday morning, according to a magistrates report filed in Superior Court.

Masson Keith Debevoise, 23, was charged Tuesday with two counts of criminal mischief as a third-degree felony with a notice of commission of a felony while on felony pre-trial release.

At 7:52 a.m. Monday, police responded to a disturbance call at the Bank of Guam in Mangilao. A bank worker said she and a coworker were sitting in their cars in the parking lot when Debevoise began hitting their vehicles with his bicycle.

The woman drove off and returned when she thought he was gone, but when she got back, Debevoise arrived and struck her car with his fists as he yelled at her, according to the complaint.

The womans coworker reported that Debevoise was riding his bike and talking to himself when she arrived, and then threw his bike at her car. Both vehicles were damaged, according to the complaint.

When police arrived, Debevoise was yelling at people in the two parked cars as the bicycle lay on the ground.

When the officer identified himself, Debevoise apologized and said, I didnt mean to do anything. I just feel like Im being oppressed.

Debevoise was on pre-trial release after he was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in a drug-free school zone, both as third-degree felonies.

On Dec. 11, 2023, officers found him asleep at a bus stop in front of Bishop Baumgartner Memorial Catholic School in Sinajana. He had a glass pipe in his pocket and a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine, according to charging documents in that case.
The Guam Department of Labor on Tuesday announced that the new local law requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy and childbirth for employees will be enforced as soon as rules are finalized.

Public Law 36-118, also known as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, was signed on Nov. 9, 2022.

While the law became effective a year later or on Nov. 9, 2023, the administrative rules are still being finalized.

Guam Labor, in a statement, said it is preparing for enforcement of the law once the Administrative Adjudication Act rule-making process is completed.

The law requires employers to make reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy and childbirth for an employee, unless an employer can demonstrate that accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operations of the business.

Under the law, employers are not allowed to force affected employees to accept accommodations other than those that are reasonable; deny employment opportunities related to the pregnancy or childbirth of a qualified employee; require an employee to take leave, whether paid or unpaid, if another reasonable accommodation can be provided, relative to the pregnancy or childbirth of an employee; or take adverse action against an employee requesting or using reasonable accommodation related to their pregnancy or childbirth.

Proposed fines for violations of the law include $1,000 for the first offense, and no less than $1,000 but no more than $2,000 for subsequent offenses.

Guam Labor encourages employers to work with their human resources to prepare for enforcement of the law. The proposed rules for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act can be viewed on dol.guam.gov.

For more information or additional guidance, one can contact the Fair Employment Practice Division at GDOL at (671) 300-4544.
Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Art San Agustin said his agency would like to partner with Guam Community College in helping to address workforce development at Public Healths vacated Mangilao facility.

San Agustin spoke about the plan during a hearing on Speaker Therese Terlajes Bill 222-37, which would set the property to be a central community health center, administrative office for Public Health, and any other related purposes as approved by the governor.

The Mangilao property has sat vacant since 2019 after a reported electrical fire.

Before then, the Mangilao building housed many Public Health services like birth and marriage certificates and health certificates, as well as provided medical and dental services.

There is another bill that also seeks the use of the old property in Mangilao. Bill 221-37 would authorize the transfer of the former Public Health headquarters in Mangilao to GCC to build a new nursing annex that will accommodate other health care careers.

San Agustin said Public Health is willing to partner with GCC to use the facility to help grow health care careers on island.

Instead of having two bills that compete for the use of the property, the two government agencies can partner together to not only provide services to residents, but also grow new health care professionals, he said.

Let us not work in silos. Let us work collaboratively together, San Agustin said.

He said its part of the bigger picture to help strengthen the islands health care system by working collaboratively together.

If its just for training, where will they practice? If its just for services, where can they get training? As the director of Public Health and Social Services, how can I discount an effort to build workforce capacity? A workforce that will someday perhaps be working in Public Health and Social Services, he said.

He spoke with GCC President Mary Okada and said both of them are amenable to work together.

Assessment

Department of Public Works Director Vince Arriola told senators a request for proposal to solicit a firm that could do a complete assessment of the building, including looking at the structure, plumbing, electrical and other areas could go out in the next few weeks.

The RFP will need to go to the attorney generals office for approval before its issued out, he said.

The assessment can help answer the question of whether the building can be renovated or rehabilitated to bring it up to code or if it will have to be razed and start anew, Arriola said.

The assessment is going to be comprehensive and because its a large building, it will be a lot to review, he added.

Arriola expects once the contract is awarded, it will take about 60 to 90 days to get an answer back about the building.

San Agustin said plans for the Mangilao building should wait until the assessment is complete.

Let us work through this. Lets design and put the concepts together for GCC and Public Health and Social Services and lets see what happens with the assessment of the structure, he said.

If the recommendation is to demolish the building, it could mean a blank slate to start, and he and Okada can come to the table to discuss concepts on how to move forward in partnership with GCC. For example, GCC is able to get grant funding that may require ownership which can be discussed so everyone can benefit, he added.

They share a common interest in creating a model childcare center and perhaps childcare services for students who want to attend University of Guam and GCC, San Agustin said. Other training opportunities with other private entities could also be engaged to come to the training site to build workforce.

As I say, that we are still going to be providing public health and social welfare services at the central public health facility like immunizations, vital records or applications for public welfare programs, he said.

The idea is to become a training and service location and thats what the island really needs, not just about who owns the property. He suggested holding a roundtable after the assessment to see how best to move forward with the Mangilao property.

Why only now?

Several senators voiced concerns on why its taken this long to get an assessment of the building in the first place. Senators said its been four years since the Mangilao building was shut down and they were disappointed that only now the government is moving to have a full assessment of the building.

Sen. Joanne Brown pointed out that during her time as head of the Port Authority of Guam, one of the buildings had a fire that left some parts charred and caused extensive smoke damage, and it was fixed within a reasonable time.

From what she understands, the Public Health facility didnt get the same type of damage. She said she couldnt understand how the building remained unoccupied for years if there wasnt even a fire that burnt the building.

Arriola said from his understanding, the electrical system in the building may have had issues because too many things were added onto the system without expanding the capacity.

And because the building has sat idle for years, other issues could be found.

San Agustin said for the past years, Public Health had been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, putting most of its efforts and focus on responding to the virus. He said he did send a letter to Arriola asking for an assessment of the building because he doesnt have the expertise to evaluate the state of the building.

$1M yearly rent

Since the programs that used to be housed at the Mangilao facility moved out, Public Health spends about $1 million in rent every year to house them at various locations around Guam, the director said.

He said 17 locations are being contracted for Public Health, but some of those locations were already being rented even when the central facility was opened.

We pay rent today. Those rental dollars can be redirected for us to sustain and maintain the structure, both interior and exterior, grounds maintenance, security, interior cleaning, AC maintenance and so forth, San Agustin said.

The speaker, author of Bill 222, said she doesnt deny workforce development is needed for the island and supports the efforts, but the Mangilao property needs to be reopened to increase health care services on Guam.

She said many residents relied on services provided at the central facility and it needs to be a priority for Public Health. Some Public Health employees have reached out to her and her office, urging the building be reopened so they can provide services to the people of the island.
A man who was on pre-trial release when he committed another felony has been sentenced to nine years in prison, according to a news release from Attorney General Douglas Moylan.

In December, a jury found Ray David Flores Jr. guilty of strangulation as a third-degree felony and assault as a misdemeanor.

Flores, 30, had pending charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and theft at the time of the assault. Committing a felony while on felony release carries a sentence of between five and 25 years.

Prosecutors asked Judge Vernon P. Perez to sentence Flores to the maximum 29 years in prison.

Perez imposed the maximum three-year sentence for strangulation and one-year sentence for assault, and added five years for the commission of a felony while on felony pre-trial release.

Moylan said the victim in the case, Steven Scroggs, was assisting a woman in distress when he was attacked by Flores.

At sentencing Judge Perez identified drugs underlying this case, and that convict Flores could have killed the female crime victim, were it not for Mr. Scroggs bravery, Moylan said in the news release.

Moylan said the case was an example of the catch, release and reoffend, where suspects on pre-trial release commit new crimes and create new victims.

Deterrence occurs when judges sentence criminals to harsh jail time, sending a clear, just and strong message throughout our community that the people of Guam will catch, convict and lock up criminals, he said.




Haiti - FLASH : Appointment for the VITEM 3 humanitarian visa temporarily closed - UPDATE 9am





The Brazil Visa Application Reception Center operated by (BVAC) operated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti informs the general public that we had to TEMPORARILY close the site for processing. appointment for the VITEM 3 humanitarian visa https://via.iom.int/appointment/booking/cavb



The number of people trying to access the platform generates traffic which congests and slows down the system. The technical team is working hard to resolve the problem and make the system operational tomorrow morning (Tuesday January 9, 2024), "we apologize for this situation and count on your understanding and patience."



In the meantime please note that it is not necessary to create an account but you will need a valid and personal email address. You will be asked for some quick personal information to make the appointment. We encourage the applicant to make an appointment directly.



You will receive information by email. Please make sure to follow them to finalize your appointment. Make sure you receive confirmation of the appointment. Making an appointment is free.



Only a fee of US$60 for file processing is required per beneficiary and payable to Sogebank once your appointment is secured.



Make sure your documents meet the requirements for filing as processing fees are non-refundable. Also make sure to include working phone numbers where you can be reached.



Required documents : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41363-haiti-flash-humanitarian-visa-vitem-3-for-brazil-required-documents-and-appointments.html



Phones : 2817 0320 / 3163 6075 / 31709307 / 49101117 and 36688490

Email : iomhaitivrf@iom.int

BVAC address : Street E. Pierre, 11 (United States Embassy area). Tabarre 27, Port-au-Prince - Haiti



Updated 09-01-2024 - 9am

The Brazil Visa Application Center operated by IOM informs the general public that the site for making an appointment for the VITEMIII humanitarian visa (https://via.iom.int/ appointment/booking/cavb) will not be operational today Tuesday January 9, 2024. 



The number of people trying to access the platform generates traffic which congests and slows down the system. The technical team continues to work to facilitate the resumption of service. We apologize for this situation which impacts appointment scheduling. THANKS.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41356-haiti-flash-visa-for-brazil-good-news.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Culture : The Art Center won its bet and kept its promises in 2023





In a note for the new year 2024, Michele Duvivier Pierre-Louis, President of the Board of the Art Center (Centre dart), is pleased that the Center has won its bet and kept its promises to "make the year 2023 a once again dedicated to the promotion of Haitian art, artisans and artists.



[] The year opened with the launch of two workshops, the first of which, led by the visual artist Pascale Monnin, allowed around fifteen young people loyal to the activities of the Art Center to journey with the artist between literature poetry, drawing, and other mediums in a tribute to Jacques Stephen Alexis, polyphonic character of our literary and political world whose birth centenary was commemorated in a thousand ways in 2022.



The second workshop was entrusted to Mario Benjamin, whose fame extends beyond our borders, who was able to bring together more than ten artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to transform individual imaginations into multiple creations on the theme of violence. The works produced were the subject of an exhibition at Maison Dufort supported by the French Embassy in Haiti, which attracted hundreds of visitors for several weeks. The year ended with the exhibition of the winners of the "Support for Creation" competition with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Haiti.



Recurring activities were able to be maintained, such as training, Discovery Days, Art Cinema, Support for artists, etc... but also training of staff in specialized international centers, with the aim of strengthening their capacities in specific areas, documentary archives, collection management, maintenance of works of art. Also in terms of international relations, the Executive Director was invited to UNESCO headquarters in Paris for a meeting on the importance of documentary heritage. The Haitian Art Society welcomed him during a meeting in California, where he was able to present the activities and the reconstruction project of the Art Center.



[...] If we can count everything that could have been done in 2023, and the above is only part of it, it is not easy to predict what 2024 will be like. Uncertainties persist regarding our collective future, and the warning signs that reach us in half-tone do not dispel our fears, do not answer our questions. But this year 2024 must be that of the fundraising campaign for the construction of the new premises of the Art Center.



[...] A special thank you to the members of the Board , to financial partners such as the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, the Fondation Connaissance et Liberte-FOKAL, the Fondation pour le Rayonnement de lArt Haitien. A big thank you also to the Executive Director and the staff; and to all artists, men and women of all ages who continue to create astonishment by transcending contingencies with dignity and pride.



Happy New Year 2024 !"



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Meeting on the Operation Vigilante Sentinel (OVS) system

The leaders of the unified command "Homeland Security Task Force - Southeast (HSTF-SE)" met Monday with the charge d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Haiti, Eric Stromayer, to discuss the Operation Vigilante Sentinel (OVS) system. and other maritime security initiatives in the Caribbean at the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District Seven office in Miami, Florida.



The former PM before Judge Al Duniel Dimanche

Yesterday January 8, 2024 in the morning, former Prime Minister Claude Joseph responded to the invitation of Judge Al Duniel Dimanche concerning an alleged case of corruption at the CNE. "As a statesman, I have respected the constitutional prerogatives of the judiciary. My conscience remains serene in accordance with my convictions," he declared.



155 cases of rape in GrandAnse

In its annual report on rape cases in Grand'Anse, the human rights organization IDETTE, reveals a total of 155 cases of rape and 26 attempted rapes against women and girls in Grand'Anse in 2023. This represents an increase from 2022, when there were 149 cases, and 2021, with 107 cases.



19% in favor of the arrest of...

According to a survey presented Monday by the Center for Political and Diplomatic Studies in Petion-ville, 19% of the population opt for the arrest of all those who fuel insecurity, and 38% believe that the multinational force will be a success.



Assistance for 277,000 displaced Haitians

Did you know that "US Agency for International Development (USAID ) provided assistance to 277,000 displaced Haitians in 2023 ? This assistance includes food, vouchers and money transfers. In addition, USAID distributed hot meals to internally displaced people in around 60 informal sites in the capital. USAID remains committed to addressing the root causes of economic fragility and food insecurity in Haiti through activities emphasizing resilience, agricultural growth, and sustainable water systems.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Jeff Simon Semi-Retired Columnist and Critic Follow Jeff Simon 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

I'm having trouble with 2023.

Yes, I know that it's been over for days, but the films of 2023 are giving me far more headaches for my annual best list than is usually the case. I find myself in marked disagreement with a whole lot of prevailing opinion.

The two that I was most impressed by are each, in understandable ways, not cut out for large commercial audiences. Popcorn movies, they're not.

One of them  "Maestro"  is about Leonard Bernstein, the greatest single American figure in the world of classical music, a subject which, when pop culture exploded in the '60s, became progressively less appealing to mass audiences. The film has further been battered by its natural audience because of its obvious strategy of suppressing Bernstein's prodigious intellectuality at every opportunity and sticking to the one subject that actor, director and co-writer Bradley Cooper could understand, i.e. a complex and transfixing love story. It's always been my guess that Cooper knew right from the get-go how far over his head he was and so, with the approval of adviser/overseers Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, he stuck to the things he had experience dealing with. He left the fancy stuff to others.

The result, somewhat incredibly, has its own integrity. It isn't demeaning at all. Simplified, yes, but not demeaning. In fact, it's quite moving and occasionally even brilliant. This is far from what I expected. It's also far from the majority view.

The other film that knocked me out was walloped in the puss by New York Times chief movie critic Manohla Dargis ("a hollow, self-aggrandizing art-film exercise set in Auschwitz during the Holocaust"). The L.A. film critics' prize for year's best no doubt helped Jonathan Glazer's "Zone of Interest" to be announced for a Buffalo theater opening on Feb. 2. Even so, when the top critic for the New York Times has skunked a movie as forthrightly as Dargis did in her review, its commercial chances are hobbled at best.

I've been a reader and partisan of Dargis' work for decades, and I expect to continue that for as long as I can foresee. But I stoutly disagree with her about "Zone of Interest." I think it's a masterpiece.

The deepest trouble the film has, though, is that its basic subject matter is not only off-putting  when not outright repellent  but its manner is bone-freezingly matter-of-fact.

This is the Holocaust without Oskar Schindler exempting everyone he could. This is the major atrocity of 20th century history without Spencer Tracy and Richard Widmark  American rectitude doesn't come more rectitudinous than that  presiding over the Nuremberg trials.

"Zone of Interest" isn't easy to watch. It's a horror film but told brilliantly at emotional remove. It takes Emily Dickinson's advice: It tells the truth but it tells it slant.

And that's what makes it so powerful. It also makes it so difficult for people to stick with.

One of the most affecting responses to the Holocaust itself was the series of experiments by psychologist Stanley Milgram to explore the human capacity to obey "authority." What Milgram investigated was the question that flattened so many presumptions about "civilization," i.e. how much cruelty could putatively "civilized" members of the middle class afflict others with? How did one of the world's emblematically "civilized" nations put millions of fellow creatures into the gas chambers, cremate their bodies in industrial numbers with industrial efficiency and then go home for dinner with the family?

That's what filmmaker Jonathan Glazer explores in "Zone of Interest," a film I would submit impossible to watch without being moved for tiny periods to avert your attention.

It's filmmaker Glazer's version of the late Martin Amis' novel. The difference is that Glazer  unlike Amis  actually names his central figure, Rudolf Hoss, longtime Auschwitz commandant.

We only see inside the camp itself once and even then we see only the stern visage of one of its presiding soldiers. The difference between that and what we usually register in the film is the full horrific sound of the camp. Except for those few seconds, the sound of Auschwitz is only a constant murmur of vicious shouts and wretched screams which we overhear separated from the foreground action by a wall. There is too all that visible smoke on occasion  and presumably, the accompanying odor.

But we're not there to explore the camp itself but rather its ruling family, the Hosses  Mrs. Hoss, for instance, who jokes that she's the "queen of Auschwitz" and tries on freshly delivered fur coats which have been confiscated from Jewish women, now imprisoned in the camp and prepared for extermination.

Trains full of of Jews arrive daily.

What Milgram wanted to know is "how do human beings routinely inflict organized pain and horror on other human beings?" Obedience to authority was one of his answers.

Jeff Simon: Taylor Swift's Time magazine cover is another sign of her seemingly endless influence "The message is clear: pop cultural phenomena the size of Taylor Swift are no longer to be underestimated  especially in a world where every day there are journalists, authors, politicians, historians, etc. telling us that the very nature of America itself is on the ballot in 2024," writes Jeff Simon.

But Glazer's film goes way beyond that. So too does it go way beyond Hannah Arendt's idea of "the banality of evil" in her book about Adolf Eichmann. What Glazer is showing us is the full pulsating horror of that banality. That, in this film, is just what happens in another "zone"  the one on the other side of the wall full of smoke and noise and stench.

A great and harrowing film, but I understand why commercial troubles of one sort or another were always its destiny.

Nor are those two the only films on my list to have  as they like to say these days  "issues."

Here, in no particular order, besides "Zone of Interest" and "Maestro," is my list of the year's best films.

1. "American Fiction." The year's recurring sin in 2023 seems to have been "third act problems" in its better movies  i.e. extraordinary beginnings and superb narrative premises that dissipate at the end. In this film, Jeffrey Wright is terrific all the way through playing a serious black writer who, out of disgust, writes a savage parody of a big-selling "ghetto" novel only to find that his vicious and pseudonymous parody is a critical favorite and a smash hit beyond anything he ever wanted to write, much less actually wrote. For the first two-thirds, it's superb. Jeffrey Wright remains superb. The narrative employing him doesn't.

2. "The Holdovers." In an upper-class boarding school during the Vietnam War, an American history teacher is forced to take charge of the students not going home for the Christmas holidays as well as the school's cook. Paul Giamatti is the witheringly sarcastic teacher. More third act troubles here. It would seem that the brilliant film maker Alexander Payne thought so too because he filmed an alternative ending which some people have seen. In that one, the ending didn't focus on the film's major figure played by Gamatti but its cook, who is the "holdover" most wounded by life at this academy and its snobberies. Western New York native Kevin Tent remains Payne's gifted film editor.

3. "Oppenheimer." Christopher Nolan's story of the birth of the atomic bomb. It's standard, but effective Important Filmmaking American Style about a subject that even dogs and cats and cable news commentators know is serious.

4. "Killers of the Flower Moon." Scorsese's truth-based story about the ways white colonizers in the American West felt justified in wrestling the country's vast mineral wealth from its Indigenous population. The Scorsese stock company  starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro  is in fine form and there's an affecting major debut performance by Lily Gladstone.

5. "Poor Things." More third act woes. For its first third, Emma Stone's performance in this Frankensten-ish tale of living beings sewn together out of spare parts gives her a chance to show how much fun a gifted performer can have when the part she's playing allows her radical leeway with every step and breath she takes. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.

6. "May December." The backdrop here is the Mary Kay Letourneau case here about a teacher who had an "affair" with a sixth-grade pupil. It's about the escalating manipulations of the teacher (played by Julianne Moore) and the ambitious actress (Natalie Portman) who has been signed to play her in a movie. Directed by Todd Haynes. Before it's over, we're left to wonder who is looking at whom in the mirror?

7. "Anatomy of a Fall." Sandra Huller, another of the year's great performers  she is always seen at distant remove in "Zone of Interest"  shows what a fully grown-up and competent woman looks like in a film where she's accused of dire things.

8. "Leave the World Behind." Directed by Sam Esmail of "Mr. Robot" fame. Good adapted novel of apocalyptic doings with a starring performance by Julia Roberts caught in the act of allowing herself to be seen as snappish and domineering while being married to Ethan Hawke. With Mahershala Ali.

Music Documentaries of the Year: "Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity" and "Little Richard: I Am Everything."
TUESDAY, Sept. 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Nurses, health technicians and health care support workers face a higher risk of suicide than the general U.S. population does, an alarming new study shows.

Researchers pointed out these workers have to perform stressful tasks while caring for ill patients and managing heavy workloads, with little control over patient outcomes.

Not only that, but health care workers' relationship roles are often characterized as having a kind of a high achievement and a perfectionistic or compulsive personality traits that can make them excessively devoted to their work and have trouble taking time off, said study first author Dr. Mark Olfson, a professor in Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry. And all of this can contribute to poor self-care and delay them recognizing a need for help. There's also a lot of stigma that continues just around mental health care.

The study, published Sept. 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association,, looked at a nationally representative group of more than 1.8 million adults ages 26 and older in data that spanned from 2008 through 2019.

Health care workers were divided into six groups -- physicians, registered nurses, other health care-diagnosing or treating practitioners, health technicians, health care support workers, and social/behavioral health workers -- and compared them with non-health care workers.

Analysis of the data showed that health care support workers, registered nurses and health technicians were more likely than non-health care workers to die by suicide. Meanwhile, doctor suicide rates were roughly the same as those in the general population, at annual standardized suicide rates of 13 for every 100,000 people. The report also found that health care work is more strongly associated with suicide risk among female workers.

In previous research, Olfson also found that registered nurses, social workers and other behavioral health workers are at significantly greater risk for drug overdose death compared to non-health care workers.

Past studies have examined mental health among physicians, but this new study noted that little was known about the mental health of the approximately 95% of remaining workers in the health care industry.

The study also doesnt include data from the pandemic, which triggered elevated levels of stress and burnout among health care workers.

Mayer Bellehsen, founding director of the Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery and the Feinberg Division of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families, both at Northwell Health in New York, said changing the health care system to better support workers would be a tall task.

There are numerous levels of change that need to be occurring, from directly addressing access and stigma around mental health to creating environments that are sufficiently resourced and supportive, with lower emphasis on productivity demands, said Bellehsen, who was not involved with the study.

In addition, "more emphasis on empowering health care workers to be able to deliver the clinical care that they want, in a way that they feel is also respecting their ability for autonomy would help, he said.

As for what loved ones of health care workers can do, Bellehsen said its important to pay attention to changes in loved ones' emotions, behaviors and mood, and do not take it lightly if you suspect that someone is having a change in their mental health.

"Make sure to reach out and ask questions around how a person is doing, including being comfortable with directly asking if somebody is having thoughts of suicide," he added. "If so, link them into resources that can help.

For people who feel their lives are at risk, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number is available to call or text 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

More information

For more on the risk of suicide, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

SOURCES: Mark Olfson, MD, MPH, professor, psychiatry, medicine and law, and professor, epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City; Mayer Bellehsen, PhD, founding director, Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience and Recovery and Feinberg Division of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families, Northwell Health, New York; Journal of the American Medical Association, Sept. 26, 2023
(CNBC) We are moving clearly into a different super cycle. Super cycles are commonly defined as lengthy periods of economic expansion, often accompanied by growing GDP, strong demand for goods leading to higher prices and high levels of employment.

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The National Coalition saw its popularity creep up from 22.6 to 22.9 per cent, the Finns Party from 17.0 to 17.6 per cent, the Christian Democrats from 3.6 to 4.1 per cent and the Swedish Peoples Party from 3.6 to 3.9 per cent.

POPULAR SUPPORT has crept up for all members of the ruling right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), shows the latest opinion poll commissioned by YLE .

The National Coalition is increasingly clearly the most well-supported party in Finland, Tuomo Turja, the research director at Taloustutkimus, commented to YLE on Thursday.

Support for the Finns Party, he added, appears to have settled around the 17-per-cent mark. Thats roughly where it has been already for four consecutive months.

Popular support for the four ruling parties thereby stands at 48.5 per cent.

The Social Democratic Party held comfortably on to its status as both the most popular opposition party and second most popular party in general, despite seeing its popularity decline by 1.3 percentage points to 21.0 per cent.

Turja pointed out that support for the opposition party dipped by more than a point for already the second consecutive month. The party, he added, is losing support primarily to the sidelines rather than to other parties, with a relatively large share of people who voted for it in the previous elections now describing themselves as undecided.

Elsewhere, the changes are fairly minor. Support for the Centre fell by 0.4 points to 10.1 per cent, while the Left Alliance saw its popularity stay at 8.6 per cent. Similarly to the Social Democrats, the Green League saw its popularity fall by 0.7 points to 7.7 per cent as its supporters appeared to disengage, said Turja.

Taloustutkimus interviewed 2,581 people for the poll between 29 November and 2 January. Over two-thirds, or 1,868 of the interviewees were able and willing to reveal which party they would vote for if the parliamentary elections were held now.

The results have a margin of error of 1.9 points.

The polling period coincided with political debate about the situation at the eastern border and the parliament approving widespread cuts to social security benefits.

The governments message has been that the Finnish public economy is in weak condition and something has to be done. It may be that the governments message has resonated with voters, analysed Turja.

The opposition, meanwhile, was unable to challenge the government  at least in a way that would have elevated its popularity.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing the creation of workforce development centers that would help the state meet a rising need for trained workers in advanced manufacturing.

Hochul, in her State of the State address on Tuesday will propose establishing One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships, or ON-RAMP. The network would consist of workforce development centers in strategic, high-impact locations in upstate New York, according to the governors office.

The centers would offer credentials and training related to advanced manufacturing and focus on providing opportunities for disadvantaged populations, the governors office said. The centers would focus on upstate regions.

Tech hub partners in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse team up for $75M funding push Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse realized their best shot at getting designated as a federal tech hub was by working together. When it comes to chasing economic development, it's a different tack for them.

Hochuls plan calls for establishing four workforce development centers spanning upstate New York, along with a flagship facility in Syracuse overseen by CenterState CEO, an economic development organization. Three additional centers would be established in upstate New York on a competitive basis, particularly in the Capital region and along the I-90 corridor encompassing Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

Hochuls office said ON-RAMP is seeking to replicate the model of the Northland Workforce Training Center, which revitalized a vacant industrial building on Buffalos East Side with space for training programs.

The proposal would build on the tech hub designation a federal government agency recently awarded to the combined Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse region. The three regions are jointly competing for up to $75 million in funding in the federal competition.

The governors proposed workforce centers also would help address an ongoing concern: supplying enough tech workers to meet current demand, let alone the demand expected to arise from big tech-related projects on the way.

Micron Technology plans to build a chip-making complex outside Syracuse with a potential total investment of $100 billion. Closer to home, Edwards Vacuum plans to invest $319 million in a plant in Genesee County to supply the semiconductor industry. Meanwhile, Advanced Micro Devices has established two upstate locations, one each in Monroe County and Dutchess County.

With 21st-century businesses like Micron, Edwards Vacuum and AMD ready to make their home in upstate New York, ON-RAMP will be a critical tool to ensure that New Yorkers are trained with the skills they need to be part of New Yorks manufacturing resurgence, Hochul said in a statement. This network of training centers along the I-90 tech Corridor will help to fill the jobs of tomorrow and build the next generation of high-skilled workers upstate.

The Buffalo Niagara region hopes to benefit from a spinoff effect from those projects. The region has taken steps to increase its pool of manufacturing workers, through programs at Northland designed to meet employers immediate needs. And the newly formed Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition is focusing on getting more workers trained.

But the Buffalo Niagara regions tech sector remains undersized compared to other parts of the country. A recent Brookings report said the Buffalo Niagara region had just 0.2% of the nations jobs in key tech industries, from software development and computer systems design to web publishing. Rochester had the same, tiny percentage.

The joint bid by Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to be named a tech hub has put the three upstate regions in the hunt for a combined $75 million. Their combined effort  under the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub banner  focuses on cultivating upstate New Yorks semiconductor industry.

The tech hub designation put the 31 areas  out of nearly 250 other applicants  in the running to win federal funding through the tech hub program. But only five to 10 are expected to be awarded funding, as the federal government aims to promote innovation outside of hotbeds like the Silicon Valley.

In the first phase of the tech hub competition, applicants were asked to say why they deserved to be tech hubs, based on their assets. In the second phase, they are being asked to submit proposals for how they would put the funds to work, if awarded money.

The proposals are due by Feb. 29. The U.S. Economic Development Administration expects to announce the winners of the funding this summer.

Backers of the joint bid say securing $75 million would be a boost. But they also view the funds as akin to seed capital, kickstarting tech hub development plans that could also attract funding from the private, philanthropic sector and public entities.

The NY-SMART partners hope if Congress commits additional funds to the tech hub program down the road, beyond the initial $500 million, the region could tap into even more funding.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., championed the legislation that created the tech hub program, and he has advocated choosing upstate New York for a tech hub, giving the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse bid a prominent ally.
Buffalo gunman sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatal 2020 shooting

A Buffalo man who admitted to a fatal shooting in 2020 was sentenced Monday before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes to 20 years in prison, according to the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors said Mahzhee X. Young, 31, shot the victim, David D. Moore, 27, multiple times with an illegal gun outside of a corner store on East Ferry and Grider streets in Buffalos Genesee-Moselle neighborhood at about 11:18 p.m. on June 9, 2020. Moore was transported by private vehicle to Erie County Medical Center, where he died from his injuries a short time later.

On Oct. 4, 2023, Young pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection to the fatal shooting.

Barnes also sentenced Young on Monday to five years of post-release supervision.

District Attorney John J. Flynn commended Buffalo Police Department Homicide Squad Detectives Ray Krug and Mark White for their investigation of the case.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Eugene T. Partridge III of the Major Crimes Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Justin H. Caldwell of the Homicide Bureau.

 Harold McNeil
Recently, Filmmaker Aneek Chaudhuri has concluded his Hindi feature-film titled The Zebras  Dark Start. The film features Sharib Hashmi, Usha Banerjee and Priyanka Sarkar. Revolving around the issue of Artificial Intelligence and its growing influence, the film has formed an individual opinion on the topic. Shot mostly in Kolkatas Chinatown, The Zebras is likely to hold a downtown look and falls under the genre of Crime-Drama.

Produced by Yulin Productions, Aneek has helmed the film with a methodical approach and likewise has chosen the actors. Being able to direct feature films for a span of more than 7 years, the director has grabbed eyeballs with global films like White, Cactus, Jharokh etc. While Cactus is archived in the Oscars, the other films have been awarded and nominated internationally. This is Usha Banerjees third collaboration with Aneek Chaudhuri after the much acclaimed Jharokh and the yet-to-be-released The Tale of a Santa and his Moth. Usha Banerjee is a trained Classical dancer and had been awarded for her performance in Jharokh.

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The article focuses on Usha Banerjee who portrays a documentary photographer in The Zebras  Dark Start and Aneeks experience in directing her in this film. To begin with, lets talk to Aneek about his experience while shooting the film.

Experience in shooting the film

Well, its been tough of course! We waited a lot at the pre-production table to grab a financer; the journey has always been likewise. And once we were able to get the producer, we could say that the project was on board. During shooting, we had to work for more than 17 or even 18 hours a day and that needed an equilibrium of commitment from every other individual. And it paid well, I must say. And Usha, personally had to bear a lot; right from the beginning, she had put extra effort for the scenes. She has been very good, I must say. She has always been involved from the inception stage and it is mostly like we are working with a similar mindset.

Talk about the characters a bit and how did Ushas character evolve

Sharib Hashmi plays the character of a middle-class guy who is trapped in his marriage; he is an avid follower of Korean films and is an amateur photographer; Priyanka Sarkar plays a model who had escaped from the mundanity of her village and how is an established model. Usha Banerjee portrays a documentary photographer who is a narcissist and is very much similar to someone she knows. I wont say who! Besides, she is the hunter in this film who is unapologetic with her deeds. She is not the same in her real life, but she portrayed it well. Her character evolved quite well and its mostly up to the audiences to decide.

This is your and Ushas third work together. Comment on the ease of working together

Well! As I already said that its like we start working on any project together. Its our project and very close to us. Its not just a director directing his actress, its like we are on the same page. So, its really easy working together! And after the shoot is done, we collaborate a lot on the post-production too together.

Share an interesting anecdote related to the film

I am not a person who is very close to nature. Usha is! Therefore, I can say that she had helped me a lot while writing this film. There were interesting insights on the film and it was truly a collaboration that I seek in the future too. Other than this, there have been slight disagreements during the shoot and its a part and parcel of any film shooting. Nothing exciting about it!

The film runs for a duration of more than 2 hours and it is meant to be released for international audiences too. The Zebras can be termed to a Pan-Asian film really well because of the Korean link. Moreover, the director adds, The film is likely to cater to the audiences in Asia as well as Europe, apart from India. This is not likely to be a film with a linear narrative and is all prepped up to thrill the audiences soon.

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 the journey of life, uncertainties are inevitable. While we cannot predict the future, we can certainly take steps to safeguard our loved ones and ourselves financially. One such proactive measure is opting for term insurance at an early age. Term insurance offers a plethora of benefits and embracing it in the early stages of life not only provides financial security but also ensures cost-effectiveness.

There are multiple term insurance plans that you can buy online. The benefits and coverage offered may however differ. You can explore term insurance plans available at the Bajaj Finance Insurance Mall. First, let us explore more about term insurance.

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What is term insurance and its benefits?

Term insurance is a type of life insurance that provides coverage for a specific term or period. If the insured person dies during the term, the policy pays a death cover to beneficiaries. It offers pure protection without cash value accumulation, making it cost-effective. Given below are the benefits of buying a term insurance policy:

Affordability: Young individuals enjoy lower premiums, making term insurance a cost-effective choice.

Young individuals enjoy lower premiums, making term insurance a cost-effective choice. Financial security: Provides a substantial lump sum to beneficiaries, ensuring their financial stability in the event of the policyholder's demise.

Provides a substantial lump sum to beneficiaries, ensuring their financial stability in the event of the policyholder's demise. Long-term planning: Aligns with extended financial responsibilities, offering coverage during critical life stages.

Aligns with extended financial responsibilities, offering coverage during critical life stages. Health advantage: Securing coverage early locks in favorable terms and avoids complications related to health issues in later years.

Securing coverage early locks in favorable terms and avoids complications related to health issues in later years. Flexibility: Adaptable coverage allows policyholders to adjust their plans according to evolving life circumstances, ensuring relevance and effectiveness over time.

Things to consider when buying a term insurance plan at an early age

Given below are a few things to remember when buying a term insurance plan:

Coverage assessment: Determine an adequate sum assured based on financial needs.

Determine an adequate sum assured based on financial needs. Policy duration: Align the policy term with long-term financial goals and responsibilities.

Align the policy term with long-term financial goals and responsibilities. Premium affordability: Ensure premiums fit comfortably within your budget.

Ensure premiums fit comfortably within your budget. Riders and add-ons: Explore and choose relevant additional coverage options.

Explore and choose relevant additional coverage options. Insurer's reputation: Select a reputable insurance company with a strong financial track record and high claim settlement ratio.

Multiple online portals provide term insurance plans that suffice all your needs and requirements. One such plan is the Group Sampoorna Jeevan Suraksha, offered through Bajaj Finance Limited. It is an ideal and affordable plan for people looking to buy term insurance at an early age.

Group Sampoorna Jeevan Suraksha  All you need to know

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limiteds Group Sampoorna Jeevan Suraksha is a Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Micro Group Life Insurance Pure Risk Plan that provides a life cover starting at a premium of Rs. 499*. Given below are the key benefits offered under this plan:

The plan is available in two variants: Premium of Rs. 499* for coverage up to Rs. 1 lakh. Premium of Rs. 998* for coverage up to Rs. 2 lakh.

The policy provides death cover in case of the insureds unfortunate demise during the policy term.

Any Indian citizen between the age of 18 and 50 years is eligible to buy this plan.

The level cover remains the same throughout the tenure of which the policy is valid.

On surrender by a member, the higher of the Guaranteed Surrender Value (GSV) and Special Surrender Value (SSV) is payable.

Apart from these benefits, the journey to buy this plan is completely paperless and 100% digital. No documents are required to be submitted at the time of purchasing this plan. Considering the affordability of this plan, people can easily afford to buy it at a younger age and secure their family for a better financial future in case of an unforeseen loss.

Disclaimer:

T&C Apply. Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL) is a registered corporate agent of third party insurance products of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited, HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited, Future Generali Life Insurance Company Limited, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited, SBI General Insurance Company Limited, ACKO General Insurance Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited, Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited, Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited , Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited, Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Company Limited and Care Health Insurance Company Limited under the IRDAI composite CA registration number CA0101. Please note that, BFL does not underwrite the risk or act as an insurer. Your purchase of an insurance product is purely on a voluntary basis after your exercise of an independent due diligence on the suitability, viability of any insurance product. Any decision to purchase insurance product is solely at your own risk and responsibility and BFL shall not be liable for any loss or damage that any person may suffer, whether directly or indirectly. Please refer insurer's website for Policy Wordings. For more details on risk factors, terms and conditions and exclusions please read the product sales brochure carefully before concluding a sale. *Insurance Premium quoted is for a healthy male between 18-50 years of age and is inclusive of taxes. Tax benefits applicable if any, will be as per the prevailing tax laws. Tax laws are subject to change. BFL does NOT provide Tax/Investment advisory services. Please consult your advisors before proceeding to purchase an insurance product. URN No. BFL/Advt./23-24/219

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. This information does not constitute a financial advice.
The Buffalo Public Schools do not want to plummet from the financial cliff that will arrive later this year with the end of Covid-19 relief funds, nor does it want to lay off teachers or support staff hired using federal resources for academic and social-emotional recovery.

So district officials have to answer this question: Is it realistic to trim $90 million in expenses, including the salaries of 314 employees, to balance the budget without layoffs?

Were doing everything in our power to avoid layoffs, Buffalo Schools Chief Financial Officer Jim Barnes told the School Board last week during a work session.

Its a really critical time, added Superintendent Tonja M. Williams.

District leaders have laid out a preliminary plan that highlights areas  such as existing vacancies, staff retirements and a reimagining of summer school  where money could be saved without issuing pink slips. This strategizing might temporarily ease the fears of teachers and student support staff  like the four school counselors who spoke out at last months School Board meeting.

Rich Nigro, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, said Friday that the union representing 3,800 teachers has not been involved in any budget discussions with the district. He acknowledged its early in the budget process  which runs January through May  but he thinks teacher involvement early on would help the superintendent and her 19-member cabinet understand the classroom impact of proposed cuts.

Everything on paper is clean, he said, but when you put it into action, it can get messy.

He emphasized that theres not an adversarial relationship between the union and district. Until theres meaningful communication about a transition plan, its natural for his membership to worry, the union president said.

You dont know whats coming down the pipe next, said Nigro. Maybe youre looking at the seniority lists. Ive been there. Its not a fun position to be in.

Money-saving strategies

There are several ways the district can reallocate $30 million to continue paying the 314 employees hired using American Rescue Plan (ARP) and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money. Those staffers include teachers and student support staff such as school psychologists, social workers and mental health counselors, but also security officers and some administrators.

Potential strategies include a new approach to personnel vacancies  positions budgeted for but ultimately not filled  and an altered response to retirements. Buffalo Schools has about 280 vacant positions, Barnes said, but the CFO said in previous years that vacancy savings have been a convenient way to swing a potential budget deficit into a surplus. If vacancies were eliminated, that wiggle room would vanish.

While a hiring freeze is already active, the district could also save money by not filling positions when employees retire. Across the districts unions, about 300 people retire each year, Barnes said.

Sharon Belton-Cottman tabbed for second-straight term as Buffalo School Board president Sharon Belton-Cottman, the Ferry District representative, was nominated to continue as president for a second year, and received votes from all eight board members who attended the reorganization meeting in City Hall.

Nigro, School Board President Sharon Belton-Cottman and more board members shared reservations about eliminating vacancies and not replacing retirees. The union president said that while he applauds the districts efforts to avoid direct layoffs, indirect measures would likely further increase the burden felt by teachers.

Its reduction through attrition, Nigro said. Youre still losing support for students.

Theres a related disagreement over terms of the teachers contract, too, in which the district believes negotiations featured a financial projection that included cutting 160 vacant teacher positions and reducing teacher overtime and extra-activity expenditures by 50%. Nigro said BTF treasurer Joseph Montante, who participated in bargaining, has no recollection of any such agreement.

Belton-Cottman used the example of a struggling school that did not have a Spanish teacher for the last few years despite attempts to hire. Her argument was that just because some roles are difficult to fill does not mean they are not valuable. West District representative Jennifer Mecozzi suggested equity issues across the district could grow from removing vacancies; her goal is to avoid further separation between successful and struggling schools.

Changes to summer school, Buffalo Schools collaboration with Say Yes for summer camp and even the structure of after-school programming are on the table, too.

On the non-staff side, progress is afoot to cut costs not directly related to student achievement. Through a late-semester call to district department leaders to identify such expenses, Barnes said the cabinet in December had accumulated $33 million worth that could be eliminated  ranging from $10 million in savings related to HVAC to a reading series  with another $6 million to be reviewed by the cabinet next week.

Were scrubbing everything, Williams told the board.

A difficult task

A one-time budget adjustment for the expiration of Covid relief is inseparable from weighing the districts long-term challenges.

District administration has said repeatedly that its current staffing level is unsustainable in the face of declining student enrollment. Enrollment is one of the chief factors that determines how much outside money the district receives. A graph shared by Barnes shows enrollment has dropped from 31,050 in 2018 to 27,713 this school year, while staffing has jumped from 5,331 to 5,721 over the same period.

The decrease in students has led to smaller class sizes and underpopulated schools in respect to their buildings. Right-sizing the district has been a frequent district talking point over the last several months; combining classrooms or schools have been mentioned as possibilities to more efficiently use resources.

What is Phil Rumore's legacy? It depends on whom you ask His critics argue that settling five contracts over 42 years is not a sterling ratio, but Rumore believes his stubbornness paid off, especially in his final contract, when a growing contingent of teachers pressured him to come to terms.

Union protections, however, limit class sizes, a hallmark of Phil Rumores legacy as the teachers union leader for four decades. That was an important point to At-Large Board Member Larry Scott, too. We have to be trying our best to keep class sizes manageable, he said.

Consolidating has its own risks. Nigro used as an example the districts decision this summer to quietly eliminate the smallest classrooms for students with autism, transitioning from six students, one teacher and one aide to eight students with the same staff. That decision, Nigro said, is one hes consistently heard about from frustrated teachers over the first four months of the school year.

Right-sizing schools could inhibit progress on major district focuses like appropriate adult supervision for school safety and extra supports to help English language learners reduce the achievement gap.

Theres nuances that folks dont see and consider when looking at dollars, he said.
Air India Express on Tuesday unveiled its latest sale on domestic flights across major channels for bookings made until January 11 and for travel till September 30. Under the NeuPass rewards programme, the logged in members who have Highflyer and Jetsetter badges, will get priority services under Xpress Ahead as complimentary.

The Air India Express Time to Travel Sale' has fares starting from 1,799. There are attractive deals on flight routes including Bengaluru-Chennai, Delhi-Jaipur, Bengaluru-Kochi, Delhi-Gwalior and Kolkata-Bagdogra, along with discounted sale fares across its network.

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Under the NeuPass rewards programme, the logged in members with

Highflyer and Jetsetter badges, will get priority services under Xpress Ahead as complimentary.



The members of the Tata NeuPass Rewards Programme can also earn up to 8% NeuCoins, in addition to exclusive member benefits like exclusive deals on meals, seats, baggage, change and cancellation fee waivers and more, Air India Express said in a statement.



In addition to loyalty members, students, senior citizens, SMEs, dependents, and members of the armed forces can also avail special fares on the airlines award-winning mobile app and website, airindiaexpress.com.

Air India Express operates over 325 flights daily, connecting 31 domestic and 14 international airports, with a fleet of 63 aircraft, comprising 35 Boeing 737s and 28 Airbus A320s.

The airline launched its refreshed brand identity, inviting travellers to Fly as You Are with digitally empowered personalisation.

Domestic air passenger rose to 9 per cent in Nov 2023

According to an official data released last December, domestic air passenger traffic had surged to nine per cent to more than 1.27 crore in November 2023, PTI reported.

Official data by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed that airlines flew 1.27 crore passengers in November compared to 1.17 crore in the year-ago period.

"Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-November 2023 were 1,382.34 lakhs as against 1,105.10 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 25.09 per cent and monthly growth of 9.06 per cent," the aviation regulator said. Air India's domestic market share remained unchanged at 10.5 per cent in November.
The row between India and Maldives escalated as many celebrities and notable personalities came out in support of promoting tourism to Lakshadweep. However, this tourism campaign came as a blessing for the stock of a small-cap firm. The shares of a small-cap were massively boosted by the 'Chalo Lakshadweep' campaign

Praveg, a small-cap company based in Ahmedabad, saw its shares soar 20 per cent in view of the 'Chalo Lakshadweep' campaign. Notably, Praveg is a luxury resort company which is currently developing a tent city in Lakshadweep.

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Shares of Praveg hit their 52-week-high on Monday after rallying to a high of 1037.50, as shareholders discovered the link of the Ahmedabad firm with Lakshadweep, and how it could see a spike in revenue and sales amid the 'Chalo Lakshadweep' campaign.

Praveg shares were in view after it received a work order from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep to set up, maintain and manage at least 50 tents at the Agatti Islands, turning it into a luxury tourist attraction.

This luxury tent city will offer many commercial activities to tourists such as scuba diving, destination weddings, corporate functions etc. The work order is for three years, and can be extended by up to two years, reported Economic Times.

Government platform MyGov also said on Monday that the global search interest regarding Lakshadweep touched its all-time high in 20 years, prompted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

India-Maldives row and 'Chalo Lakshadweep'

The online skirmish began when Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared photos from his visit to Lakshadweep on January 4, where he was seen snorkelling and exploring the beaches. Soon, netizens started comparisons between Lakshadweep and Maldives, with the tourism of the latter hugely driven by Indians.

While no government official said anything about the Lakshadweep tourism promotion having a Maldivian link, multiple politicians from the neighbouring country started using derogatory and abusive language towards PM Modi, causing a massive social media backlash and boycott of the Maldives by Indians.

Several Indian celebrities jumped on the bandwagon, asking Indians to explore Lakshadweep and other Indian islands and locales, suggesting them as an alternative to Maldives.
As the threats to cargo vessels on the Red Sea spikes after recent incidents, India can potentially see a drop in exports by around $30 billion, as exporters hold back on shipments due to rising fears. Indian Navy rescued a hijacked cargo ship from the Houthis (PTI)(PTI)

Last year's export total stood at around $451 billion, and the rise in the fears regarding cargo ships on the Red Sea can see a drop of around 6-7 percent, said an initial assessment by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a New Delhi-based thinktank.

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Sachin Chaturvedi, the director general of the thinktank told Bloomberg, "The crisis in the Red Sea would indeed impact Indias trade and may lead to further contraction." However, the government hasn't released any estimates of loss of exports due to the Red Sea crisis.

In view of the rising threats on the Red Sea, the number of vessels passing through the Suez Canal has also dropped by 44 percent, as compared to the average first half of December 2023, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd, a unit of the worlds largest ship broker.

Red Sea is one of the most relied upon export routes for India as it is the primary route for shipping to Europe, the US East Coast, the Middle East and African countries. The Modi government is in process of holding talks with export commission councils to ensure a safe passage for export vessels.

Cargo ship threats on Red Sea

In the middle of the war between Israel and Hamas, Yemens Iran-backed Houthi militants have resorted to targeting vessels passing through the Red Sea with missiles over the past few weeks. The Houthis say they are going after any vessels that have a connection with Israel.

Last week, India sent a warship to the Arabian Sea where a Liberian-flagged vessel said it was hijacked near Somalias coast. The Indian Navy said it successfully rescued the ship. However, this has sparked major fears amid Indian export cargo ships.

According to Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations, the rising threats has prompted the Indian exports to hold back on around 25 percent of their cargo ships transitioning through the Red Sea.

India usually exports a variety of goods including petroleum products, cereals, and chemicals using the Red Sea route. Exports in the current fiscal year are already flagging with a 6.5% contraction in the April to November period from a year ago, according to government data.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)
JetBlue said Monday that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airlines president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier. The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. In pic, a JetBlue airplane is shown at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. (File)(AP)

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

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Geraghty said she was honored to get the new job, and said she was looking forward as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, said he will retire for health reasons.

The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, its time I put more focus on my health and well-being, Hayes said in a statement.

The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. It comes as JetBlue waits for a federal judge in Boston to decide whether it can purchase Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a bid to grow quickly into a challenger to the biggest U.S. airlines. The Justice Department sued to block the deal, and a trial was held last fall.

Hayes, 57, is a former British Airways executive who joined JetBlue in 2008 and became CEO in 2015. He pushed the airline to start transatlantic flights and create a partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines. The deal with American was disbanded, however, after the Justice Department successfully sued to kill it.

JetBlue is the nations sixth-biggest airline by revenue, slightly behind No. 5 Alaska Airlines. Hayes has pursued mergers for several years to draw closer in size to American, Delta, United and Southwest.

JetBlue tried to buy Virgin America in 2016, but it was outbid by Alaska Airlines. In 2022, Hayes prevailed as JetBlue beat out Frontier to strike a deal with Spirit, the nation's biggest low-fare airline.
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a meeting with the Group Chairman and CEO of Emirati multinational logistics company DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, where they discussed plans to further bolster investment in India. HT Image

In a post on X, PMO said the discussions revolved especially around creating sustainable, green, and energy-efficient ports, and world-class sustainable logistic infrastructure.

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After the meeting with the prime minister, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said his Group has invested almost two-and-a-half billion dollars and is going to invest more in the next three years.

"We have a long history in India we are more committed," Sulayem said.

"As a market and as a trade partner India is respected around the world. We are also discussing specific areas and lands around the world in Africa mainly for Indian entrepreneurs to manufacture."

"Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Central Africa, East Africa and this is something we're going to do now encouraging Indian companies to manufacture in the designated area, and these are the main issues we discussed today."

DP World is in India for for close to two decades now.

"Our operation and knowledge of the market gives us the courage and the confidence and the policies of prime minister," the CEO said.

Speaking on CEPA agreement and how it benefitted the two countries, he said, "India anyway enjoys an amazing relation. After the signing of the CEPA agreement, a lot of products are today going even more to India and more from our country to India."

It would be important to see what fresh investment plans DP World commits here at the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was initiated by Narendra Modi in 2003, then chief minister, to put Gujarat on the world map of trade and industry. The tenth edition of the Summit will be held from January 10 to 12, 2024. For the smooth conduct of the event, several committees have been formed to look after various aspects of the summit. (ANI)
The 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is set to commence on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the event in Ahmedabad. This year's summit also marks the celebration of 20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success. The 10th edition of the 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit' is scheduled to commence on Wednesday and will run until Friday.

Initially envisioned in 2003 by Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister, the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit has transformed into a highly esteemed global platform, a release from Prime Minister's Office said. It is a renowned forum fostering business alliances, exchanging knowledge, and forging strategic partnerships, all aimed at fostering inclusive growth and sustainable development.

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Inauguration

On Wednesday, approximately at 9.45 am, PM Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Following this, he will engage in discussions with CEOs from leading global corporations. Later in the day, around 5.15 pm, the prime minister will head to GIFT City to interact with influential business figures during the Global FinTech Leadership Forum.

What to expect in this 10th edition of the summit?

-Celebration of 20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat programme highlights Gujarat's progression from attracting investments in 2003 to striving for global leadership by 2024. Curtain raiser events are planned in New Delhi and Mumbai.

-With 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations, this year's Summit is set to witness extensive global participation. Additionally, the ministry of development of North-Eastern Region aims to use the platform to showcase investment prospects in the North-Eastern regions.

-The summit will feature diverse events such as seminars and conferences on globally relevant subjects like Industry 4.0, Technology, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility, Renewable Energy, and the path towards sustainability.

-Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organization (iDEX-DIO) will exhibit futuristic technologies in unmanned solutions, artificial intelligence, cyber security, advanced materials, etc. This participation aligns with iDEX, the flagship scheme of the ministry of defence launched by PM Modi in 2018.

-Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show: Inaugurated prior to the summit on Tuesday, the event showcases companies displaying products crafted with cutting-edge technology. Focus sectors include E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy, and Smart Infrastructure.

Here is the map of trade show venue:

Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show will be open for business on Wednesday and Thursday, and then for the general public for two more days. (Source: Vibrant Gujarat official site)

More about Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show

The trade show operates for two days for business engagement, Wednesday and Thursday, followed by two days open to the general public. Participating countries include Australia, Tanzania, Morocco, Mozambique, South Korea, Thailand, Estonia, Bangladesh, Singapore, UAE, UK, Germany, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Russia, Rwanda, Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam, showcasing their respective industries.

With 1,000 exhibitors focusing on research, the show spans across 13 halls, each dedicated to different themes such as 'Make in Gujarat' and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The show highlights women empowerment, MSME development, new technology, green and smart infrastructure, and sustainable energy.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)'s stall features a modified Su-30 MKI aircraft capable of integrating indigenous air-to-ground BrahMos missiles weighing 2500 kg and having a range of nearly 300 kms. HAL has produced 220 Su-30 MKI aircraft and overhauled 100 Su-30 MKI units. Additionally, HAL's Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) will be on static display during the Vibrant Gujarat summit.
Mumbai, Jan 9 (PTI) White collar hiring in India witnessed a 16 per cent decline in December compared to the year-ago period due to cautious hiring sentiments in IT, BPO, education, retail and healthcare sectors, a report said on Tuesday. HT Image

"We observed marginal sequential growth of 2 per cent in December hiring activity compared to November, driven by non-IT sectors. However, the IT sector continued to be significantly impacted pulling the overall index down by 16 per cent against last year signalling a longer wait for a complete recovery in IT hiring," Naukri.com Chief Business Officer Pawan Goyal said analysing the Naukri JobSpeak Index.

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According to the Naukri JobSpeak Index, sectors like BPO, education, retail, and healthcare displayed cautious hiring sentiments, witnessing a year-on-year decline of 17 per cent, 11 per cent, 11 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, in job offers in December.

Hiring in the IT sector reflected the trend seen in the second half of 2023, the report noted.

The sector witnessed a decline of 21 per cent in hiring during December 2023, against the same month last year and a fall of 4 per cent compared to the preceding month of November 2023.

However, full stack data scientist, IT infrastructure engineer, and automation engineer were some of the job roles that saw decent hiring despite a cautious job market for the IT industry, it added.

Although new job offers in the oil and gas sector were not spectacular in December 2023, it stayed at the level witnessed in the same month a year ago.

The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly index representing the state of the Indian job market and hiring activity on new job listings and job-related searches by recruiters on the resume database of Naukri.com.

Meanwhile, the report found that the hospitality sector continued its growth momentum in new job offers with a 4 per cent increase in hiring compared to December last year.

The job growth for this sector is highest in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR. Senior professionals with over 16 years of experience emerged as the most sought-after candidates for hiring in the sector.

The pharma sector saw an increase of 2 per cent in hiring in December 2023 compared to the corresponding month of 2022, it said, adding that the sector experienced maximum growth in new job offers in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Mumbai.

The report also revealed that non-metro cities outshined their metro peers in terms of hiring in December 2023.

Vadodara registered a annual growth of 3 per cent in new job offers last month, the report said, adding that the growth is noticeably better than that of metros.

Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata registered declines of 24 per cent, 23 per cent, 23 per cent, 17 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively, it added.
After the shocking murder of a four-year-old boy in Goa allegedly by his mother, a start-up CEO from Bengaluru, police officials recounted the series of events that led to her arrest. Nidhin Valsan, North Goa Superintendent of Police spoke to the media on Tuesday about the shocking murder of a four-year-old boy at the hands of his CEO mother.(ANI)

Nidhin Valsan, North Goa Superintendent of Police, on Tuesday told reporters that the accused woman requested for a taxi to travel to Bengaluru from her hotel in Goa after the alleged murder. She insisted on a taxi despite the hotel staff's advise to travel by flight, as it is more cost effective, Valsan said.

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ALSO READ | Start-up CEO kills 4-year-old son in Goa, caught while fleeing with the body to Bengaluru

A woman asked the hotel staff to arrange a taxi for Bengaluru...After the checkout, when the hotel staff went to clean the room, they found red-coloured stains which they assumed to be blood. The staff immediately informed the police, he told news agency ANI.

Cops rushed to the hotel and tried to contact the woman. When they interrogated her about her son, she said he was staying at a friend's house, Valsan said.

ALSO READ | Who is Suchana Seth  start-up CEO arrested over 4-year-old son's murder in Goa?

The police reached the hotel and tried to contact the woman through the driver. The police inquired about the woman's son to which she said that the child had been staying at a friend's place. However, the police found the address provided by the woman to be fake, he added.

The driver was asked to take the car to the police station and on checking the luggage, the police found the body of the boy, he stated.

ALSO READ | Grisly double murder rocks Mohali, bodies found on railway track

An FIR has been registered in the matter and the woman was arrested immediately. The motive behind the shocking murder is yet to be ascertained.

(With ANI inputs)
Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday in Bengaluru, informed his office. His health condition is stable, and he is being quarantined at Raj Bhavan. Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot tests positive for Covid-19(ANI/Twitter)

Also Read - Bengaluru's Peenya flyover to stay shut for 3 days next week. Full details

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In an announcement, the office of Karnataka Governor said, Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka has tested positive for Corona. He is being continuously monitored and his health is stable. Presently, he is being quarantined at residence. The scheduled programmes/appointments stand cancelled till further intimation.

On Monday, Karnataka recorded 279 new Covid-19 cases. The state also reported three new deaths, as opposed to one death registered on Sunday. The state's positivity rate also plunged down from the staggering 8.61 per cent to 4.38 per cent.

With 235 recoveries, the southern state's active caseload stood at 1,222. Karnataka's total Covid tally was at 40.93 lakhs. Of the 279 fresh infections, 134 were from Bengaluru alone, making up for 593 active cases in the tech city, the daily bulletin from the health department noted.

The Karnataka government has already advised senior citizens and pregnant ladies to use masks when they venture out in public places. The state health department is also directed to increase the number of tests in the state.
In a joint operation, Haryana chief ministers flying squad and Jind police apprehended 10 Bangladesh nationals, including two women and a minor girl, on Tuesday. They were residing without valid documents, said police officials. They have been booked under various sections of the Foreigners Act, said DSP Ashish (HT photo)

A spokesman of the Jind police said they along with the CMs flying squad raided a bleaching house in Paju Khurd village in Jind and apprehended 10 Bangladesh nationals who were found residing illegally.

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While being interrogated, they introduced themselves as West-Bengal residents and on further questioning, they confessed that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. They were working as labourers at the bleaching house and failed to prove their identities. They have been booked under various sections of the Foreigners Act, said DSP Ashish.
New York State will need 180,000 new teachers over the next decade to take the place of those retiring from the profession, according to state officials.

A program to address the shortage, strengthen the workforce and promote diversity in the teaching ranks will pour more than $3 million into Western New York to help combat the problem.

The Empire State Teacher Residency Program fully or partially funds masters degrees for aspiring teachers who take on a full year of residency, much like other professions.

WNY Teacher Residency Program grows at Canisius College The WNY Teacher Residency Program is among a growing number of residency programs being hailed as the wave of the future for recruiting and training new teachers to ease a widespread teacher shortage.

Erie 1 BOCES has been awarded $3.12 million out of a total of $4.8 million in the second round of funding. The money will support 104 teacher residents in 21 school districts across the region.

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed the program in her 2022 State of the State address, and it has supported more than 450 teacher residents across the state.

The program subsidizes masters degree programs and teacher residents are partnered with mentors, who supervise the teacher in training. The aim is to increase teacher retention rates by improving the experience for teachers in their first years of teaching.

The funds from this grant allow the teachers to follow the model of other prestigious professions. These residencies are full-year, paid mentorship opportunities, no different than internships offered in other industries, Steve Graser, director of Professional Development and Instructional Technology Resources for Erie 1 BOCES, said in a press release. While the teacher residents gain meaningful on-the-job experience, students in our region benefit from having an additional educator in the classroom.

Erie 1 BOCES will partner with Buffalo State University, Canisius University, Niagara University and the University at Buffalo to place students.
Two inspectors of Delhi Police were killed when their car rammed into a truck near Kundli border in Sonepat district on Monday night. The mangled remains of the car in which the two inspectors were travelling when the accident occurred near Kundli border in Sonepat district on Monday night. (HT Photo)

Police identified the two as Dinesh Beniwal, who was posted in the North West District Special Staff and Ranveer Singh Chahal, who was posted at Adarsh Nagar police station in Delhi.

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Dinesh Beniwal

Ranveer Singh Chahal

Beniwal belonged to Dadanpur village in Jhajjar and Chahal was from Narwana in Jind.

According to a police spokesman, the incident took place around 11pm on Monday when a truck driver suddenly applied brakes and the car rammed into it.

Beniwal was driving the car when the accident took place amid dense fog. They were going to Sonepat from Delhi.

The bodies were sent to Sonepat civil hospital for post-mortem examination, the spokesman added.
A board of two doctors from the civil hospital on Monday conducted a post-mortem on the body of a South Sudan national, who was found dead in a rented accommodation in Sarabh Nagar. Sub-inspector Amrinder Singh, SHO at Sarabha Nagar police station, said that the police will take action according to the chemical examination report. (Getty image)

The doctors, including Dr Damanpreet Singh and Dr Ankur, said that though the body of Morday Mody Yocobo, 24, did not have any injury marks, they have sent the viscera samples for chemical examination to ascertain the cause of death.

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The health of Yocobo, 24, who was pursuing his bachelors degree in a citys private college deteriorated on Saturday. He was rushed to a private hospital by his friends. The doctors referred him to civil hospital where he was declared dead.

Sub-inspector Amrinder Singh, SHO at Sarabha Nagar police station, said that the police will take action according to the chemical examination report.
Two men were detained for allegedly trying to enter the farmhouse of film actor Salman Khan in Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district and later allowed to go after questioning, a Navi Mumbai police official said on Monday. Two men were detained for allegedly trying to enter the farmhouse of film actor Salman Khan in Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district and later allowed to go after questioning, a Navi Mumbai police official said on Monday.

The incident took place on January 4 in the farmhouse situated in Waze village, he added.

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The two persons, hailing from Punjab, had come to Mumbai a few days ago and were staying in the northern suburb of Borivali in the metropolis, the official said.

They made duplicate Aadhaar cards to show in case anybody stopped them, the official said, adding the duo had also been to the residences of actors Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and John Abraham.

Since they were keen to meet Salman Khan, someone told them they should try to visit the actors Panvel farmhouse, following which they came to Waze village. A security guard at the farmhouse found them moving suspiciously, after which the two were detained for trying to enter the place without authorisation, he said.

The Panvel Taluka police station was informed and personnel from there detained the two and charged them under Indian Penal Code sections 448, 465, 467, 474 for house trespass, forgery of valuable security, possession of forged document and other offences, the official added.

The duo was allowed to go after inquiry and have been served notices to appear in court in connection with the case, the official said.

Incidentally, Salman Khan has been given Y+ category security by Mumbai police following threats issued to him by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The actors father, renowned scriptwriter Salim Khan, had also received a threat letter at the time after which a case was registered at Bandra police station.
Nearly a week after a 27-year-old woman was shot dead at a hotel in Gurugram, police are yet to find her body and have extended their search to canals in Punjab, based on the statements of the arrested suspects, officers associated with the case said on Monday. Divya Pahuja, an accused in the alleged fake encounter of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, was out on bail after spending seven years in prison. She was killed on January 2. (HT)

Divya Pahuja, an accused in the alleged fake encounter of dreaded gangster Sandeep Gadoli, was out on bail after spending seven years in prison. She was killed on January 2. Police said she was allegedly blackmailing Abhijeet Singh, 56, a hotel owner in the city, who purportedly shot her dead at one of his properties.

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Singh, and his employees Hemraj, 28, and Om Prakash, 23, were arrested in connection with the case. Police also recovered BMW car used to transport the body from Patiala in Punjab, but the two men who allegedly disposed of the body  identified as Balraj Gill and Ravi Bandra  are yet to be found, and six days after her murder, Pahujas body remains missing.

Read | Divya Pahuja's murder: Body was still in Gurugram hotel when police first visited. What happened next?

The murder came to light after Pahujas family, unable to contact her, approached the police suspecting foul play.

Subsequently, a police team reached Singhs hotel on Tuesday night, found bloodstains, and then accessed CCTV footage which showed two men dragging a body wrapped in a bed sheet and loading it into a blue BMW sedan.

Last week, Patiala police said investigators in Gurugram had intimated them to begin a search operation to trace the vehicle  which bears Delhi registration number  after CCTV footage of various toll plazas indicated that the car had entered Patiala district.

Also Read | 'Blackmail, body moved in BMW': What we know about model Divya Pahuja's murder in Gurugram

The car was found at the parking lot of the New Patiala Bus Stand, and had several bloodstains, police said.

A senior police officer said that after abandoning the BMW in Patiala, Gill and Bandra boarded another car and travelled to Udaipur in Rajasthan. We are conducting raids to arrest the suspects and we have some leads regarding their whereabouts, he said, on condition of anonymity.

Police also said that they believe that the body has been dumped somewhere in Patiala, near the Ghaggar river canals, on the basis of the statements given by the arrested suspects during questioning.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Vijay Pratap Singh said that they have formed teams to monitor the search operation. We are checking CCTV footage of the area to know the route the absconding accused took so that we can check other canals as well where they could have thrown the body, he said.

Police on Monday arrested Megha Phogat, 20  a friend of Abhijeet Singh, the prime accused  on charges of allegedly helping the hotelier dispose of Pahujas belongings after the murder, including the victims iPhone.

Police said she works as a porter at the hotel and met Singh in December, when she delivered a parcel to him and received a hefty tip.

DCP Singh said they arrested Phogat and were questioning her to know the sequence of events, and her role in the murder. The suspect was aware of the murder and was called to the room seeking her help to dispose of the body. She got frightened and refused to take the body and went out, the officer said.

She revealed that Abhijeet Singh also handed over the murder weapon to her to dispose of. She took it and kept it in her bag and threw it somewhere. We are yet to recover them, he said.

According to the DCP, Phogat was produced before the district court on Monday and was sent to two days police remand.

According to police, Gadoli, who was charged with a string of murders, was shot dead at a hotel in Mumbai on February 6, 2016.

However, the Mumbai Police alleged that jailed gangster Virendra Kumar alias Binder Gujjar conspired with Haryana Police personnel to eliminate Gadoli, who was lured into a trap with the help of Pahuja, Gadolis then girlfriend.
Thane Thane, India - January ,08, 2024: On the occasion of Police Foundation Day, Thane Police has recovered the stolen goods and jewelery of the citizens and returned them to the citizens ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Monday, January ,08, 2024. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo )

40-year-old Prashanti Malik, a resident of Ghodbunder Road in Thane, was disheartened when the gold jewellery gifted by her late father during her wedding was stolen from her house. She did not believe that the police could actually recover the valuables, and was not even ready to lodge a theft case. But, her joy had no bounds on Monday when Thane police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre and his team presented her with the same gold jewellery, recovered from her maid.

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Malik was just one of the many Thane residents who were handed back their stolen or missing properties recovered by the police on Monday at a special ceremony held at Dr Kashinath Ghanekar auditorium in Vasant Vihar in Thane West. Items including jewellery, electronic devices like mobile phones, laptops and vehicles lost or stolen worth 9.35 crore recovered by 35 police stations of Thane police commissionerate were returned to their rightful owners in the presence of Dumbre.

The occasion was the Maharashtra Police anniversary, also celebrated as Police Raising Day. Maharashtra police was set up on January 2, 1961 and then Prime Minister presented the state police flag to the police on this day. The Police Raising Day is celebrated on January 2 each year and several citizen-centric activities are held to mark the occasion.

On the occasion of Police Foundation Day, Thane Police has recovered the stolen goods and jewelery of the citizens and returned them to the citizens ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Monday, January ,08, 2024. (Praful Gangurde / HT Photo)

Speaking to HT an emotional Malik said, Two months ago, my jewelry worth 3 lakh was stolen from my home. Initially, I didnt know it was my maid, but I was not in state to handle this loss because the jewellery was a gift by my father during my wedding. He had bought it with his hard earned money and was precious to me.

Malik said her family asked her to file an FIR immediately. But, I didnt actually expect that I would get it back. I had heard that recovering stolen goods was not easy. I still filed an FIR. After nearly a month, I got a call from police to come and verify my jewellery as they have nabbed the accused.

I am really thankful to Thane police for returning this to me. It is more important than just the monetary value of this jewellery, she said after senior officials handed her the valuables as neatly wrapped and labelled.

Similarly grateful to the police was 56-year-old Thane resident Vijay Chandgude who lost cash 25 lakh in May 2023 to swindlers who lured him to invest in a business opportunity and then fled with the cash. The accused told me that they have contacts with nationalised banks who auction gold jewellery and they could give it to me with the GST bill but the deal would be all cash. But, when I reached the spot, some fake police turned up and confiscated my bag and ran away., said Chandgude adding, This money was part of my savings for the past 10 years and I was very distraught when it was stolen in this manner. Thankfully, the Srinagar police recovered most of the amount after arresting the accused. I am really thankful to the police and each member of the team.

Another Thane resident was very happy after he got his mobile phone three years after it was lost during a visit to the market. He with no hopes of recovering the phone and could not believe it when he got a call that his phone will be returned soon.

Apart from handover ceremony, the Srinagar police station had organised a painting competition for children. 423 students from 19 schools run by Thane Municipal corporation participated in the competition which had Daughters Rescue, Daughters Education, Gram Swachhta Abhiyan, Road accidents Increasing Traffic in the City, and Maharashtra Police - a Friend of the People as topics.
MUMBAI: Two HSC dropouts were arrested by crime branch officials for defrauding several international job seekers of crores of rupees. Officials said the modus operandi of the duo would be to open overseas placement agencies in posh malls and collect money from aspirants by making tall promises of placing them in reputed companies and then absconding. They would then open another agency in a new place. HT Image

By using this trick, the police said, the two accused duped several people to the tune of over 2 crore. They opened placement agency offices in malls located in Bhandup, Khar, Mira Bhayandar and Marine Drive.

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Officials attached to Unit 8 of the crime branch said the arrested two are identified as Shahid Hussain Mohammad Hussain Shaikh, 29, a resident of Jogeshwari East and Mohammad Nazim Mohammad Shabbir Manihar, 45, a resident of Malad.

We had received a tip-off about a job fraud racket cheating people by promising them jobs in foreign countries. Accordingly, inspector Laxmikant Salunkhe and his team worked on the case and picked up the two accused, said Raj Tilak Roushan, deputy commissioner of police, crime branch. He said the accused had opened offices in Bhandups Dream Mall, in Khar, in Mira-Bhayandar and opposite Churchgate railway station.

They would stick posters and distribute pamphlets at various stations about visas and jobs in Kuwait, Singapore and Dubai. Once people approached them, they would take them to a private laboratory and get their medical tests done to gain their confidence. They would charge various amounts to the applicants in the name of visa, medical and other documentation, and thus after taking money from candidates simply close down the offices one fine day  mostly a month after opening the same, said Roushan.

The police suspect that the duo have duped hundreds of aspiring candidates of over 2 crore. We already have details about over 100 people the duo has duped of between 80,000 to 1 lakh each. They said they would target mostly the lower strata of skilled labourers like plumbers, carpenters, welders, electricians, masons and packaging helpers, said the police officer.

They would approach candidates with fake names, give them forged documents like offer letters from firms and companies from foreign countries and switch off their mobile phones after closing down offices. They, however, used to send the passports and other original documents of the candidates to their address by couriers, said Mahesh Desai, assistant commissioner of police, crime branch.

Desai added that the duo has been duping job aspirants in this fashion at least since 2016 but has one case registered against them at the Bhandup police station. He said they are expecting the number of duped candidates to increase, as the investigation progresses.
Following the Innova car crash near Vasundhara late Sunday night that resulted in the death of two policemen assigned to provide security cover to a builder, the Ghaziabad police have booked the private developer and his driver on charges of murder, senior officers in the know of the matter said on Tuesday, adding that the case was lodged on a complaint given by the victim families. The mangled remains of the Toyota Innova that was involved in a crash in Vasundhara late Sunday night. (Sakib Ali /HT Photo)

According to police, developer Nikhil Chaudhary, his driver Manoj Sharma and the two police security personnel -- Jai Om Sharma from Delhi Police and Jaivir Singh Raghav from the Ghaziabad police -- were travelling in the Innova when it crashed into the road median late Sunday night beneath the Hindon elevated road.The SUV was thrown up in the impact of the crash and landed on several parked cars nearby, police said

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The two policemen were severely injured and were declared dead while being rushed to a hospital. The police detained Sharma after the incident but Chaudhary managed to leave the spot unhurt.

In this connection, the families had given a police complaint alleging murder. They have alleged that the two men were murdered and the suspects tried to portray it as an accident. We have registered an FIR of murder against Chaudhary and his driver. The driver has been detained for questioning while Chaudhary has been picked up for questioning. One CCTV footage near the spot indicates that it was an accident. Chaudhary told us that he was driving the car in an inebriated state, said Nimish Patil, deputy commissioner of police (trans Hindon).

Although we have registered an FIR of murder, there is no evidence which have come forth so far to suggest that there was foul play. The autopsy report has not indicated any suspicious injuries apart from those sustained in the crash. Also, no motive has come to light so far. We are investigating and questioning the two men. Our teams are trying to collect more CCTV footage from near the incident site, Patil said, adding that the FIR was lodged at the Indirapuram station.
The CEO of a Bengaluru-based AI start-up was on Monday arrested while fleeing in a taxi after murdering her four-year-old son at a Goa hotel and stuffing his body in a bag. Suchana Seth, 39, was arrested by the Karnataka Police from Chitradurga. The CEO along with her son had checked into the hotel on January 6 in North Goas Sinquerim.(Representational image)

The CEO along with her son had checked into the hotel on January 6 in North Goas Sinquerim.

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The crime came to light after a hotel staffer, who was cleaning the room after Seth had checked out of the hotel, noticed blood stains on the sheets, prompting the hotel management to inform the police.

According to the police, Seth killed her son using a sharp weapon and after committing the act, asked the hotel management to arrange for a taxi to travel back to Bengaluru insisting that she wanted to travel by road. CCTV footage examined by the police revealed she had checked out of the hotel alone.

She initially told the police she had left her son with a relative in South Goa, but the story didnt check out. We called the cab driver and asked him to report to the nearest police station. She was nabbed with the help of Karnataka Police in Chitradurga district while on the way to Bengaluru, the officer at the Calangute Police station said.

A team from the Calangute Police left for Karnataka to secure the custody of the woman for interrogation. The police are yet to establish a motive for the crime.
The Orissa high court has lifted its stay on the process sterilisation of stray dogs after the state government told the court that it has issued a notification with regard to constitution of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Implementation and Monitoring Committee as per a directive of the Supreme Court. As per the Livestock Census of 2019, Odisha has the second highest number of stray dogs (17 lakh) after Maharashtra. (Representative image)

The dog sterilisation drive in the state had been on hold in the state since July last year following a public interest litigation in the Orissa high court alleging violation of animal birth control program norms in Bhubaneswar. A PIL was filed in the Orissa High Court alleging that the Odisha government had been undertaking dog sterilisation without a monitoring committee.

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The Supreme Court of India had issued a directive to all the states to constitute a state level monitoring committee for the Animal Birth Control Programme.

The bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dr. Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi and justice MS Raman on Monday lifted the stay order.

The 2023 Animal Birth Control Rules require stray dogs to be caught, vaccinated, neutered, and released back.

Over the last few years, dog bite cases across the state have been steadily going up due to steep rise in dog population. In December last year, the Orissa high court had ordered the Puri Municipality to pay a compensation of 10 lakh to the family of a four-year-old boy who died after being bitten by stray dogs.

The National Human Rights Commission in May last year took suo motu cognizance of the increasing incidents of stray dog bites reported at the Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer in Cuttack noting that the hospital management appeared to have neglected to adhere to the Charter of Patients Rights issued by the commission.

Answering a query in Lok Sabha last year on the menace of dog bites, minister of state of health and family welfare Satyapal Singh Baghel informed that Odisha saw 64,642 dog bite cases in the year 2022 while it was 59,085 in 2021. On average, 25 to 40 new dog bite cases per day were reported in May, June and July, he said adding the breeding season (October, November and December) is when dogs are the most aggressive. Odisha is among the top 10 states in the country that saw the majority of dog bite cases last year.

As per the Livestock Census of 2019, Odisha has the second highest number of stray dogs (17 lakh) after Maharashtra.

The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development department runs the ABC programme in 12 urban areas - Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Angul, Jagatsinghpur, Baripada, Berhampur, Balasore, Bhawanipatna, Rourkela and Jajpur.
A 65-year-old man and his 8-year-old grandson were shot dead in their sleep in Bihars Purnea district late Monday night, police said. According to people aware of the matter, the land dispute was the reason behind the incident. (Representative file image)

Superintendent of police (SP) Aamir Jawaid said the incident happened due to mutual enmity adding that the police started a probe from all possible angles.

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According to police, Chaturi Mandal and his grandson were sleeping together in their house at Kalambagh village in Dhamdaha area of Purnea district when criminals broke into the house and shot both of them in their sleep, killing them on the spot.

Also Read: One held for Hoshiarpur village sarpanchs murder

SP Jawaid said forensic science laboratory (FSL) team reached the site and collected evidence and bodies were sent to government medical college and hospital in Purnea for postmortem.

Police forces have been deployed in the area to check further escalation of post incident violence

According to people aware of the matter, the land dispute was the reason behind the incident.
South Buffalo hasnt had one of its own as mayor since Jimmy Griffin left office in 1993. And yet, a significant amount of the regions political power remains in the tight-knit, mostly Irish American neighborhoods south of the Buffalo River.

Thats largely due to the thousands of cops, firefighters and civil servants who hold government jobs and who vote in droves each November. Mayor Byron Brown learned that lesson two years ago when he rode those votes to an improbable write-in victory against India Walton.

But pols from South Buffalo are also snagging some of the areas top political posts. Barring a massive upset, it appears the 26th District Congressional seat of Rep. Brian Higgins will move only a short distance down Abbott Road when it passes from Higgins to State Sen. Tim Kennedy.

South District Council Member Chris Scanlon, whose late father, John P. Scanoots Scanlon, was a top political aide to Griffin, has sewn up the presidency of Buffalos Common Council, replacing outgoing Ellicott Council Member Darius Pridgen.

Its happening in the legal arena, too, with Mike Keane snagging the Democratic endorsement for Erie County District Attorney and his wife, State Supreme Court Justice Lynn Wessel Keane, receiving a promotion this week to the Appellate Division. (They reside in Orchard Park, but they are still part of a large South Buffalo political family.)

Across Delaware Avenue, South Buffalos influence extends to the Erie County Sheriffs Office, where it seems Sheriff John Garcia has surrounded himself with former graduates of Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School.

Scanlon isnt saying much about this, or about whether he has mayoral ambitions. He tends to play his cards pretty close to the vest.

But it all means that when pols from across Western New York descend on the Buffalo Irish Center in March for the unofficial start of the political season, for many of the big shots, it sure will feel a lot like home.

Notes

Scanlon isnt the only pol who may be thinking the mayors office could be in his future. State Sen. Sean Ryan is known to have mayoral ambitions of his own, and sources say he flexed some of those political muscles in the recent contest for Common Council president. Theres a fascinating backstory into that power scramble that Ill explain at a later date.

Check out some of my colleagues recent reporting, including Jerry Zremskis insightful look at Rep. Nick Langworthys first year in Congress and Barbara OBriens story about the mixed reaction to a new state law that moves many local elections to even-numbered years (Democrats like it, Republicans dont).

One thing you can cross off your Democratic bingo sheet is Erie County Dem Chair Jeremy Zellner pulling a Langworthy and picking himself for the 26th District Congressional seat. Rumors have circulated suggesting that was a possibility, but Zellner recently confirmed to The News that such an arrangement is not under consideration.

Quite a coup by incoming Ellicott Council Member Leah Halton-Pope to snag the majority leader title immediately upon taking office. It would be interesting to know whether her appointment, as well as that of Lovejoy Council Member Bryan Bollman to president pro tempore, was contingent on their votes for the new council president.

West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson, a Republican, is also being mentioned as a possible GOP candidate to take on Assembly Member Pat Burke. So far, Joe Flatley of South Buffalo is the only announced candidate.

Congratulations to Diamond Jim Tamol, Riy Mallahi and the guys at The Square podcast on another year of unfiltered and entertaining local political discussion. Their recent episode with an Erie County Board of Elections official about the intricacies of vote-counting and canvassing was informative and important, especially in these times where voter fraud is increasingly being thrown out by candidates who lose elections but who dont want to admit that they lost.
The Delhis Crime Branch has arrested a wanted criminal from Bihars Muzaffarpur district, 10-years after he was on the run during his parole period, officials said on Tuesday. The man got 15-days parole in the name of his daughters wedding in 2013 and went untraceable after that (Representational Image)

The criminal, identified as Ram Naresh Sahni, is a native of Bairiya village under Sahebganj police station of the district.

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He was arrested late on Monday from Mohammadpur-Balmi locality falling under Motipur police station. Police said that Ram Naresh faces more than 18 criminal cases registered with New Delhi, Nalanda, East Champaran and Muzaffarpur related with robbery, murder, extortion and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases.

Police said that Ram Naresh was arrested and forwarded to judicial custody in 2012 by Delhi police on the charges of carrying contrabands. Police recovered 39 kgs ganja from his possession. In 2013, he got 15-days parole in the name of his daughters wedding and went untraceable after that. However, he did not go back to prison after that. Police said that orders were issued to seize sureties made for him and arrest him. The Delhi court had on July 10, 2014 declared him absconder.

Officials said that despite letters written by the superintendent, District Jail, Delhi to the authority concerned to arrest the absconding accused, police failed to arrest him for 10 years. Earlier, a case was registered against him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) in 2013.

Delhi crime branch, got a tip off that proclaimed offender in a NDPS Act case was hiding in Muzaffarpur. After tracing Ram Nareshs location, a special team was formed and dispatched to Muzaffarpur, leading to his arrest, said an official familiar with the matter.

The under-trial prisoner who had jumped parole in 2013, was arrested and handed over to Delhis crime branch, who brought him on transit remand, said SHO of Motipur police station, Mukesh Kumar, adding that he faces 12 criminal cases lodged with Sahebganj police station alone.
Delhi University has extended the registration date for DU Financial Support Scheme 2024. The last date to apply is till January 17, 2024. Candidates can check the official notice on the official website of DU FSS at dsw.du.ac.in. DU Financial Support Scheme 2024: Registration date extended till January 17

The Schedule for the submission of the hard/ printed copy of the application form has also been postponed. It will be released on DSW website on January 19, 2024.

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DU Financial Support Scheme 2024: How to apply

All those candidates who are eligible to apply can follow the steps given below to apply online.

Visit the official website of DU FSS at dsw.du.ac.in.

Click on registration link available on the home page.

Fill the registration page and click on submit.

Once done, download the confirmation page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Eligibility Criteria

As per the official notice, a full-time bonafide student studying in any UG/ PG Degree program at a Department/ Institution/ Centre of University of Delhi belonging to the following categories is eligible to apply. However, students enrolled in the B.Tech/ Five Year Integrated Law Program are not eligible.

Students whose family income is less than or equal to 4 lakh will get upto 100 percent fee waiver and students whose family income is between 4 lakh to 8 lakh will get upto 50 percent fee waiver. For more related details candidates can check the official website of Delhi University.

Official Notice Here
Brace yourselves, anime fans! The long-awaited Doctor Elise Episode 1 is almost here, and we've got all the details you need before the premiere. Get ready for a journey into the captivating world of reincarnation, surgeons, and a touch of drama! Doctor Elise Episode 1 premieres on January 10, 2024, on Crunchyroll.(X)

Doctor Elise Episode 1 release date and time:

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Mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at 9:30 pm JST. For the global audience, the episode drops on Crunchyroll roughly one hour later. Here's a sneak peek into when you can catch it based on your timezone:

Pacific Time: 4:30 AM

Eastern Time: 7:30 AM

Greenwich Mean Time: 12:30 PM

Central European Time: 1:30 PM

Indian Standard Time: 6:00 PM

Philippine Standard Time: 8:30 PM

Japanese Standard Time: 9:30 PM

Australia Central Standard Time: 11:00 PM

Where to watch Doctor Elise Episode 1:

Crunchyroll is your go-to destination for Doctor Elise's adventures.

Also Read | Winter 2024 anime season - All anime releases of January and where to watch them

What to expect from the Doctor Elise Episode 1:

Episode 1 will likely introduce us to Aoi Takamoto, formerly an evil empress named Elise. Prepare for a dose of drama, as Aoi navigates the challenges of being a surgeon in a modern world, attempting to atone for past mistakes. Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions and surprises!

What Is Doctor Elise anime about:

Doctor Elise follows the journey of Aoi Takamoto, a surgeon with a unique past. Reincarnated from an evil empress to a modern-day healer, she faces the opportunity to rewrite her destiny. With medical knowledge from the future, Aoi aims to prevent a tragic fate and embark on a journey of redemption.

Doctor Elise Episode 1 cast and characters to look out for:

While specifics about the cast aren't highlighted, keep an eye out for the complex character of Aoi Takamoto. Her journey promises to be both heartwarming and thought-provoking.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 9 (ANI): Actor Bobby Deol is currently enjoying the success of his recent release 'Animal' in which he played the role of the antagonist Abrar Haque. HT Image

Bobby, on Tuesday, took to Instagram to express gratitude for showering love on his character. He wrote, "Falling short of words to describe this feeling. Grateful to each and every one of you for showering #TeamAnimal & Abrar with unconditional love."

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C14EN7ENI05/

He shared a BTS video from the movie. In the video, he also said that 'Jamal Kundu' is his favourite song from the movie.

He also revealed that if the character has the superpower it would be that he wants to give peace to the world.

At last, he shared that if one dialogue is given to Abrar that would be 'Tu aur tu, ishar aa."

Talking about Bobby's recent release 'Animal,' on December 1, it 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)
Pakistani actor Mahira Khan has paid a tribute to late Indian star Parveen Babi. Mahira decked up in a shimmery rani pink saree and had her hair cut at the 11th hour to resemble the legendary style icon from India. She has also revealed how difficut it was for her since she was still recovering from her multiple fractures in the foot. Also read: Pakistani actor Mahira Khan shares pics from her mehendi ceremony, fans are reminded of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani's Kabira Mahira Khan (right) channels her inner Parveen Babi.

Mahira Khan turns Parveen Babi for camera

Taking to her Instagram Stories, Mahira shared a video of the photo shoot in which she is seen moving like Parveen Babi in the pink saree. The video also includes an interview clip of Mahira in which she is seen talking about how she got inspired from Parveen Babi. So I remember seeing this Time magazine cover and it had the gorgeous Parveen Babi on it. It's because of that cover that I actually watched her films. Some of her songs I just love. She was so beautiful, such a style icon, she says. She also sings a few lines of Parveen's popular song from the film Namak Halal - Jawani Janeman Haseen Dilruba.

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Mahira Khan shows glimpses of her photo shoot.

Mahira Khan on dealing with her foot injury

In another video, she is seen in a silver kurta outfit, standing in front of a giant screen with Parveen Babi's songs playing on it, as if getting into the mood to turn a muse. She shared on her Instagram Stories, "This was a tough shoot, my first since my foot injury (three fractures in my right foot to be precise). I couldn't move much and I was hating it. The team was sooo loving and caringlove you guys @lovefuryal @museluxe."

More about Mahira Khan

Mahira Khan is one of the biggest film stars in Pakistan. Some of her most popular films are Bin Roye (2015), Ho Mann Jahaan (2015), Superstar (2019) and The Legend of Maula Jutt (2022). She was also seen opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 Bollywood film, Raees. She tied the knot for the second time with Salim Karim in October last year. She also has a teenage son, Azlaan.

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Adam Driver has revealed that he is not coming back to the Star Wars franchise to reprise his role as Kylo Ren. In a new interview with the SmartLess podcast, the actor cleared the air about his character reappearing in the next films of the franchise and said he is not doing any films with them. (Also read: Check out potential changes to take the prequel trilogy in Star Wars to new heights) Adam Driver as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars franchise.

What Adam said

During his appearance on the SmartLess podcast, when Adam was asked about a potential return to the Star Wars franchise, the actor had a clear response. He said, "Theyre doing stuff, but not with me. Im not doing any more. When the host asked Youre done because the characters done? he replied with a yes.

About the next Star Wars film

For the unversed, Daisy Ridley is set to return to the Star Wars franchise as Rey in a new film following the events of 2019s The Rise of Skywalker. It will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) and written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders). The film makes Obaid-Chinoy the first woman and first person of colour to direct a Star Wars feature film.

Adam on his character arc in the Star Wars franchise

Adam had talked about his character Kylo Ren last month on The Rich Eisen Show. He said that his character's arc altered from the original plan over the course of his three films which were The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). "This character was the most confused and vulnerable, and by the end of the three movies, he would be the most committed to the dark side... The last one, it changed into being, you know, about them and the dyad, and things like that. And evolving into Ben Solo. That was never a part of it. He was Ben Solo from the beginning, but there was never a version where wed see Ben Solo when I first signed up for it," he said.

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The 81st Golden Globe Awards were held on Sunday, January 7, in Beverly Hills, California. Among the A-listers who attended the glamourous night was Van Helsing fame Kate Beckinsale. The 50-year-old English actress joined Don Cheadle to present the award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama. However, her night was cut short due to an immediate visit to the hospital. English actress Kate Beckinsale arrives for the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7, 2024. (Photo by Michael TRAN / AFP)(AFP)

Kate Beckinsale rushed to hospital dressed in Atelier Zuhra gown

The Underworld star ditched the Golden Globes afterparty and rushed to the hospital, still dressed in her striking silver gown by Atelier Zuhra. Her reason for the sudden visit to the hospital was to comfort her step-father Roy Battersby, 87, who had been admitted after suffering a stroke. Battersby has also been battling two forms of cancer, as per Hello.

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Beckinsale shared a carousel of pictures from the Golden Globes and the hospital visit later that night on her Instagram. In the series of pictures shared on Tuesday, the Pearl Harbor star documented her entire outing. She captioned the post, Golden globes 2024 start to end. The first few slides featured her moments from the red carpet and on-stage award presentation alongside Cheadle.

Kate Beckinsale rushed to hospital after Golden Globes(Instagram/@katebeckinsale)

In the later pictures, she was seen sitting in the hospital room where his stepfather was admitted. In one of the pictures, she can be seen eating a late-night snack while surrounded by her close aides. Meanwhile, she can be seen scrolling on her phone with her feet up while sporting a pair of reading glasses.

Fans show support for Kate Beckinsale during the tough time

Her post has garnered over 69K likes so far and a pool of supportive messages from her fans. One fan commented, Sending all my love for the last two pictures.. Another one wrote, Love that last photo. After everything and all the hoopla, family is all that matters. One more said, What a beautiful dress and a beautiful end to the day. You have your priorities where they belong.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard has revealed that she would like Millie Bobby Brown to play her role if a movie or show were to be made on her. "It's funny, because I always wanted Millie Bobby Brown to play me. I think she'd be good at playing me," she said in an interview with Access Hollywood. Gypsy Rose Blanchard has revealed that she would like Millie Bobby Brown to play her role if a movie or show were to be made on her (Photo by Jamie McCarthy / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP, photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

Blanchard added that she has not watched The Act on Hulu, which is based on her life and her mothers murder. Here, Joey King played Gypsy and Patricia Arquette played her mom, Dee Dee Blanchard.

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Blanchard said she chose not to watch the Hulu drama as she would not like to relive the trauma she went through. "I'm sure that Joey King did an amazing job playing me. I actually heard an audio clip of her doing my voice, and I think she got it spot-on," she said.

The murder of Dee Dee Blanchard

Blanchard, who was accused of helping her boyfriend murder her abusive mother, was released from prison on parole on December 28. Back in 2016, Blanchard pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. She admitted that she asked her boyfriend to fatally stab her mom to death in her sleep.

Bhanchard, now 32, was sentenced to just ten years in prison after attorneys learned how she was abused by her mother. She experienced Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which some kind of illness is faked, induced or exaggerated in a child by their caregiver. Dee Dee successfully convinced doctors and other people around her that Blanchard battled leukaemia and muscular dystrophy among other illnesses.

Blanchard confessed that she was in the house when Nicholas Godejohn, her partner, stabbed Dee Dee to death. She admitted that she did nothing to stop the crime.

Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2019 for the murder of Dee Dee. He confessed that he committed the crime only because Blanchard convinced him to, according to court filings, CNN reported.
KGF fame actor Yash urged fans to refrain from hanging banners, chasing bikes and clicking dangerous selfies, after the death of his three electrocuted fans. Talking to the media, the actor also promised to extend financial help to the families who lost their loved ones after visiting them. Yash celebrated his 38th birthday on Monday. Also read: Yash on his way to meet kin of 3 fans who got electrocuted while putting up birthday banners Yash talks about death of his fans on his birthday.

Yash reacts to death of his fans

After visiting the bereaved families, Yash told the media, If you wish me wholeheartedly, from wherever you are, that is the best gesture for me. Tragic incidents like these make me fear my own birthday. This is not how you show fandom.

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Please don't show your love like this. I want to request you all. Don't hang banners, don't do bike chases and take dangerous selfies; my intention is for all of my audience and fans is to grow in life as I do. If you are a true fan of mine, then do your work diligently, dedicate your life to yourself and be happy and successful. You are the ones who mean everything to your families, you should aim to make them proud."

Three of Yash's fans got electrocuted while putting up birthday banners on his 38th birthday in Surangi, Karnataka. The deceased persons have been identified as Hanamanta Harijan (21), Murali Nadavinamani (20), Naveen Ghazi (19). Three more were seriously injured and were admitted to Lakshmeshwar Hospital for treatment.

Yash to fans: Be responsible first

I don't like to demonstrate popularity by exhibiting the love of my fans. I will always keep the showcasing to a minimum, even if my fans are upset about it. But my intention is not to disappoint anyone. If you respect me, then be responsible first. Parents are waiting for you at home. It is not about monetary support that one can extend, but we can not bring back the dead, the KGF star further added.

Yash had previously told fans via a post on X that he would not be able to meet fans on his birthday as he would be away. Revealing the real reason why he didn't want to celebrate his special day in the first day, the actor said, "This year, I didn't want to celebrate my birthday because COVID cases are rising. There shouldn't be any harm from our end. That's why I kept it simple and decided to celebrate only with my family."

When he was asked if he would provide financial support to the affected families, Yash said he would.

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Sivakarthikeyan is considered one of the most bankable stars in Tamil cinema today and has delivered a hattrick of superhits from 2021. He has just completed a decade in the industry and on January 12, his much-hyped sci-fi film Ayalaan is set to hit theatres on the occasion of Pongal. Helmed by R Ravikumar, the film stars Rakul Preet Singh, Isha Koppikar, Yogi Babu, and Karunakaran, and has music by maestro AR Rahman. Also read: Sivakarthikeyan responds to trolls at Ayalaan pre-release event Sivakarthikeyan, in chat with Hindustan Times, talk about Ayalaan.

Sivakarthikeyan says that despite the delay in the release of Ayalaan, he is happy with the film and cant wait for the audience to watch it. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the Tamil star opens up about the film, his journey and even his salary.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Tell us about your upcoming film, Ayalaan. The movies release was delayed by three years

This is a fantasy film  what happens when something extraordinary happens in everyday life? What would happen if an alien came into your normal life? The idea was interesting, and when I heard the story, it was exciting. At every stage of the film, as we shot and added computer graphics (CG), the story evolved, and that was exciting. You need a lot of patience to make a film like this (Smiles).

We completed the film shoot by February 2020, but we couldnt start CG work till the Covid-19 pandemic settled down. The CG company shut down due to Covid-19, and we couldnt work on it for two years. There were also financial issues, which got resolved but that also delayed the film.

Despite all these issues, are you happy with how Ayalaan has turned out?

Yes, I am. Thats the reason why we put the film on hold. Even when the financial issues came up, we wanted to sort them out and make the kind of film we had in mind. If it was a regular film, we could have looked at cutting out a song or some scenes and so on to finish the film faster and reduce the budget. But Ayalaan is not that kind of a film. We either do it the way we had envisioned it, or we drop the film  thats what our thought process was. I am convinced we have made the film we wanted  an entertaining film for the audience.

Maaveeran was about a cartoonist and heroism. Doctor was about an apathetic army doctor who saves the day. Don was about a clash between a college student and the founder. All were superhits. Your films are all a little different  is this a conscious decision?

Initially, I was doing only commercial films, and they were all appreciated by the audience. My film market started to grow, and there was a minimum guarantee for my films. I was hesitant to experiment because I didnt want my films business to be affected. Then I thought, why not give it a shot? My decisions on such scripts are instinctive  one aspect is that the audience should like it; the other is that it should give me scope for performance. When I signed Maaveeran, director Madonne Ashwin hadnt won the National Award yet, but I was sure I wanted to work with him.

I am very conscious that my producer should not suffer losses because of me. I am clear that I will experiment in such a way that it doesnt impact the business of the film. Just because I feel like doing something different, I cant expect the producer to take a financial risk.

You are one of the top five Tamil heroes now and theres a lot of debate about male actors and their salaries.

As I said, I analyse every film project I sign on. Right from the beginning of my career, I havent taken a fixed salary for every film I sign  its different for every film. If the risks are higher for a producer, I lower my salary. I dont commit to any salary before I know what film I will be doing and who the director would be. I look at the size of the project and then decide on my remuneration. For instance, Doctor was an experiment, and Ayalaan is very different. I am trying to find a balance between my creative desires and the business of the film  I want them both to be satisfied.

Youve just completed one decade in Tamil cinema as an actor and are seen as a star who can deliver for a producer. How do you see your growth?

I am working in Kamal Haasan sirs production now with director Rajkumar Periasamy. This is a totally different film from what the audience would have seen me in. When I saw some of the footage of this film, I realised how big a journey it has been for me in the last 10 years. Looking back from when I was an anchor, to today, where I can capture the audience with my on-screen performance, its a huge evolution. In the last 10 years, the learnings Ive had, the successes, failures, and mistakes Ive made - everything has been an education for me. I was an outsider who came into the film industry, and every film was part of the learning curve for me. Ive learnt you need to be aware of your strengths, and weaknesses, be cautious and constantly keep improving. There is never a point in this career when you can say  this is it, I know everything or can do everything.

Who is your idol in Tamil cinema?

Rajini sir (Smiles). He is an entertainer, and I always wanted to be an entertainer. Rajinikanth sirs journey is inspiring, and it gave me hope that I could also do it. After entering the Tamil film industry and seeing what this world is like, I have more respect and more love for Rajini sir.

Do you feel pressure before a film release? Do you get affected by failure?

Definitely! A movie is opinion-based, and its important for me to know how people react to the film. The first day of release is tense. If a film doesnt do well, Ill be by myself for a few days. Only after 10 days or so I analyse what went wrong and try to avoid it. But there are so many factors as to why a film doesnt work - right from the time of release to whether it was the first half, second half, my role, etc. A films failure upsets me for some time, then I move on to the next project.

Do you ever want to direct a film?

I was an assistant director to director Nelson Dilipkumar (of Doctor, Beast, Jailer). But after entering the industry, I realised how tough a job it is (Laughs). I have a desire to direct a film one day.

What do you wish for in 2024?

That my festival release Ayalaan should be appreciated by the audience. We have made this film with a lot of love and hope, and I want the audience to enjoy it. This is what is foremost in my mind. Ayalaan is made for kids, but its not a kiddish film  it is a film for adults as well. When you look at Hollywood superhero films, they are meant for all. Ayalaan is like that though kids will find it more attractive. Its a kid-friendly alien, which I think the kids will love.

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ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochuls priorities for 2024 include improving mental health care, boosting artificial intelligence research and tackling the financial and public safety concerns of state residents.

Hochul announced these and other agenda items in her State of the State address Tuesday in the Assembly chamber at the State Capitol.

A 181-page packet provided to reporters laid out a litany of 204 policy proposals that Hochul will introduce in the coming days and weeks.

Hochul proposes workforce training centers to boost manufacturing Hochul in her State of the State address on Tuesday will propose establishing One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships, or ON-RAMP. The network would consist of workforce development centers in five "strategic, high-impact locations," according to the governor's office.

Working together, we will provide a better life to New Yorkers, with a commonsense agenda focused on fighting crime, fixing our mental health system and protecting New Yorkers hard-earned money, Hochul said in her prepared remarks.

The table of contents alone in the advance materials runs for seven pages and covers a wide array of topics.

She quoted the philosopher Taylor Swift and Theodore Roosevelt in her address but did not mention what her office has previously deemed the asylum-seeker crisis.

Still, Hochul in her speech, which ran for just over an hour including numerous breaks for applause and standing ovations, and in her prepared materials, kept returning to the themes of public safety and health care.

Public safety

Expanding the list of crimes eligible to be prosecuted as a hate crime.

Introducing legislation to make it easier to shut down unlicensed sellers of cannabis.

Eliminating the cap on the number of state Supreme Court judges to ease a court backlog.

Gov. Hochul seeks to improve infant, maternal mortality rates in New York Hochul said she will propose in Tuesday's State of the State address a half-dozen initiatives intended to improve infant and maternal mortality rates in the state.

Introducing new strategies to make it easier to bring domestic abusers to justice, particularly in high-risk cases.

Expanding college programming to all state prisons to reduce rates of recidivism and ease inmates transition to life outside prison walls.

Preventing organized retail theft by, in part, forming a joint operation dedicated to the problem and funding enforcement efforts by local police and prosecutors. The chaos must end, Hochul said.

We have people coming from Monroe County, Cattaraugus County, different counties in Western New York, who are coming into Buffalo and committing crime in our retail stores, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, who attended the address, said afterward. And its organized and its multi-county. So her idea about using the State Police and our crime analysis centers, which are multi-county entities, in helping this is a great idea.

Health care

Transforming the states health care safety-net system to ensure access for patients and financial stability for hospitals and streamlining the approval process for new health care facilities.

Improving the resilience of hospitals and other health care centers in the face of cyberattacks.

Boosting the health care workforce through enhanced recruiting and retention and easing barriers to entering this field. The governor also seeks to make it easier for health care workers licensed in other states to practice in New York.

Gov. Hochul eyes new approach  for some  to boost literacy in New York schools The governor said her "Back to Basics" plan would make sure students receive foundational, evidence-based instruction in reading. And Hochul said she will propose legislation providing $10 million to train 20,000 teachers across the state in what is known as the "science of reading."

Expanding access to affordable health care services, particularly primary and pediatric care.

Spending opioid settlement money on initiatives to tackle this epidemic, as the governor put it in her prepared remarks, by, for example, distributing millions of fentanyl and xylazine test strips and doses of naloxone medication.

Making sure residents have access to gender-affirming health care.

Opening 200 new psychiatric inpatient beds for people who need specialized mental health care, including those who have a history of interactions with the criminal justice system. This is the defining challenge of our time, Hochul said.

Creating new mental health courts and providing better supervision of people who have a mental health diagnosis and are on parole.

Providing critical health care services to young people who are in distress, including clinics in schools that wish to host them.

Hurt people will hurt somebody else. And until their hurt is fixed, theres a likelihood of them hurting somebody else. So I appreciate the focus on mental health, said Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo.

Next weeks scheduled release of Hochuls 2024-25 state budget plan will provide more financial and policy details.

Unlike Hochuls first two legislative sessions as governor, when federal Covid-19 aid still flowed, the states financial outlook is cloudier today. Last September, for example, Hochuls budget director ordered a spending freeze in state agencies.

Its on us, as responsible adults, to make the hard yet necessary decisions to use taxpayer dollars creatively and responsibly, she said in her prepared remarks.

Hochul in the days leading up to the speech previewed some of the themes of her address. Those areas of focus included: enhancing consumer protections; improving reading scores and literacy among schoolchildren; boosting infant and maternal mortality; and providing swimming instruction and safer pool options for the public.

Hochul on Tuesday unveiled several proposals designed to boost business activity, particularly in the upstate region where the economy historically lagged.

There was a time when our greatest export was our children, Hochul said.

Now, Western and Central New York are a federally designated technology hub and soon will reap the benefits of Micron Technologys planned chip-making plant outside Syracuse.

She announced her interest in offering workforce training and development linked to the tech hub.

Hochul proposed offering competitive grants to research universities and colleges to help retain international entrepreneurs. Participating graduate students would have an opportunity to obtain university-sponsored visas to keep performing and commercializing research.

Hochul wants to launch another round of the states FAST-NY program, which helps prepare sites capable of hosting large-scale economic development projects. The state in 2022 allocated $200 million to help develop sites through the program.

Along with plans for launching new workforce development centers around the state, Hochul also wants to expand the use of apprenticeships.

And she wants to establish an Empire AI consortium of academic institutions in New York to drive innovation and research in artificial intelligence by sharing access to specialized computing power.

While governors tend to roll out a wealth of proposals in their State of the State speeches, getting them passed into law is another matter.

Last year, for example, a major focus in Hochuls address was boosting housing development across New York  800,000 units over the next decade  through a mix of incentives and, if communities didnt meet their goals, the right to bypass local zoning restrictions.

This proposal ran into opposition from local governments and legislators and Hochul dropped this plan.

Hochul on Tuesday criticized this legislative inaction and said she is reviving a housing development push this year. It would eventually add 100,000 units  including the potential construction of up to 15,000 new units on state-owned sites  to address obscenely high housing costs in the state, she said.

Its a Band-Aid where we need reconstructive surgery, Hochul said.

Peoples-Stokes opposed last years proposal because, she said, its not appropriate to dictate zoning rules to communities.

Theres got to be a better way to get people to understand that its important to build housing that people can afford to live in, she said Tuesday.

We need to build more housing, said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, speaking at the State Capitol after the speech. In Erie County, its a perfect example of that, as we have the highest number of people working in nearly 20 years, but we still have thousands of jobs open. We need more people to come here. And the only way to do that is to make sure that housing is affordable.

News Business Reporter Matt Glynn contributed to this report.
Rukshar Dhillon is surprisingly laid back when we catch up with her. Shes confident that her upcoming film, Vijay Binnis Nagarjuna, Ashika Ranganath, Raj Tarun, Allari Naresh and Mirnaa Menon co-starrer Naa Saami Ranga will do well once it releases on January 14 for Sankranthi. Penned by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada, the film is rumoured to be a remake of the 2019 Malayalam film Porinju Mariam Jose. Ask her about it and she says, I think the story is so strong, I looked at it as a fresh script instead of a remake. In a candid chat with Hindustan Times, she opens up about the films story, her experience shooting for it and more. Rukshar Dhillon says the ensemble cast of Naa Saami Ranga are like family now(Instagram)

My role is anything but meek

Set in the 1980s, Naa Saami Ranga deals with the eco-system of a village and how Nagarjunas character Ranga solves the villagers issues. Playing one of those villagers is Rukshar, who falls for Raj Taruns Bhaskar. This was a time period where falling in love was taboo and my role as Kumari will explore that, she says.

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But she adds that her character is anything but a damsel-in-distress in the film, saying, Kumari is a village belle who has been brought up protected, always living in her familys shadow. But all she wants is true love and she fights for it. Back then, many women wouldnt stand up for themselves like she does in the film. I love that shes not meek.

Ive never played a role like this before and had great fun. I know its an ensemble cast, but I said yes because my role has its own importance. Its a great opportunity for me.

Rukshar Dhillon and Raj Tharun in a still from Naa Saami Ranga

Nagarjuna and I would chat about cinema

Rukshar reveals that when she first went on-sets, she was apprehensive about Nagarjuna. I thought he would be uptight, hes anything but that, she says, adding, I had a blast shooting with him because hes so easy to work with, hes so charming off-screen too.

The duo even bonded over their love for old cinema, she states. We would discuss cinema, he would tell me how things would function when he started out. It made me realise how far weve come regarding filmmaking, says Rukshar.

Nag sir gave me acting tips that helped me perform better. He taught me how to pay attention to small details that make a difference in improving expressions.

Nagarjuna in a still from Naa Saami Ranga

It was like working with family

Working with an ensemble cast isnt always the best experience for everyone but Rukshar says her experience was nothing short of fun. Naa Saami Ranga is a pakka festival film thats meant to be enjoyed with family and friends. So its no wonder that off-screen too it felt like working with family. We never had a moment where it got awkward because all the actors just wanted to deliver a great film, she says.

Rukshar also believes the films music adds a lot to the story, unlike some films where its a hindrance, adding, The film has music by Oscar-winner MM Keeravaani and it just poured life into the story. Despite being set in the 80s, the film feels relevant even in 2024. More than anything, its a film that made her feel like she wasnt dragging herself to work. Nothing matches the high of working on a good scene, this film gave me plenty of those moments, she says.

We never know how a film will work so I believe the process should be a good time. Its important that I feel excited not just about the film, but the people I work with also.

Rukshar loves gorging on the delicacies her family makes for Lohri(Instagram)

Sankranti fever

Speaking about the festive season, she said, Lohri and Pongal are believed to mark the beginning of a new year. Nothing makes me feel refreshed like this festival does. I love gorging on sweets when Im in Hyderabad and the aate ka prasad (wheat offering) that my family makes when Im back home. Lighting the bonfire and burning away everything negative is a feeling unmatched.

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MCU is celebrating the new year with its latest action miniseries, Echo. The 5-episode action-adventure series is releasing today on Disney+ Hotstar. Based on the Marvel comic of the same name, it is created by American producer and television writer Marion Dayre. Here's everything you need to know before watching Echo: Marvel's Echo airs today on Disney+

Why was Echo delayed?

Echo was initially scheduled to be released last year on November 29. However, showrunners faced a setback amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, forcing them to push the release date by months. The long-awaited Marvel series finally released on Disney+ today (January 9).

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The cast and crew of Echo

The latest Marvel series, Echo is directed by Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie. Its lead cast includes Alaqua Cox, Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene, and Zahn McClarnon.

What is Echo about?

The official synopsis for Echo according to The Direct, reads: Marvel Studios presents Echo in which Maya Lopez struggles to reconnect with her Native American roots while balancing aspirations tied to a life of crime as successor to the brutal legacy of Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin. In the first episode, we are introduced to Maya Lopez and her struggles.

Marvel's official website describes Echo as Streaming exclusively on Disney, the origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.

Fans excited as Echo airs today

Following Echo's release on Disney+ Hotstar today, Marvel fans flocked to social media to express their excitement.

One fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, #Echo is BRUTAL, UNFLINCHING & RELENTLESS. Alaqua Cox & Vincent DOnofrio bring a level of RAWNESS and DEPTH to the MCU not seen since the Daredevil series. Its storytelling is intricate and captivating, while the action is rich & ruthless, making it the first must-watch of 2024.

You are watching ECHO for Daredevil & Kingpin. I am watching ECHO for HER, the cultural topics AND The street level set up overall. We are NOT the same, Another fan wrote on the platform.
Rashid Khan, aged 55, passed away in a city hospital on Tuesday after valiantly battling cancer for over four years. He is survived by his son, two daughters, and wife. HT Image

Possibly the last living legend of Rampur Sahaswan gayaki (style of singing), Rashid Khan was recognised as the 31st generation of Sangeet Samrat Mian Tansen, as detailed on his official website.

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Known for his mastery in the 'Vilambit Khayal' gayaki, he captivated millions of Hindustani vocal classical music enthusiasts for more than three decades.

Born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Khan's initial training was under his maternal grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. In April 1980, he relocated to Kolkata at the age of 10 when Nissar Hussain Khan moved there with his grandfather.

Rashid Khan's debut concert took place when he was just 11, and by 1994, he had gained recognition as a musician.

Deeply influenced by Hindustani classical music from an early age, Rashid Khan commenced his music lessons under the guidance of his grandparent, Inayat Hussain Khan.

In the realm of musical traditions, the Rampur-Sahaswan gayaki shares a close kinship with the Gwalior gharana. This particular style is defined by its medium-slow tempos, richly resonant voice, and intricate rhythmic play.

Rashid Khan weaves together a narrative deeply influenced by maestros such as Ustad Amir Khan and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Proficient in the art of the tarana, much like his guru Nissar Hussain, he infused his renditions with a distinctive personal touch.

While demonstrating a shared mastery of instrumental stroke-based styles, reminiscent of Nissar Hussain's renown, Ustad Rashid Khan gravitated towards the khayal style, presenting it in a manner uniquely his own.

While excelling in Hindustani vocals, Rashid Khan also showcased his proficiency in playback music, contributing to blockbusters such as "My Name is Khan," "Jab We Met," "Isaaq," "Manto," "Mausam," "Bapi Bari Ja," "Kadambari," and "Mitin Masi."

Rashid Khan was recognised for his innovative approach, blending Hindustani vocals with genres like Sufi and collaborating with Western instrumentalist icon Louis Banks. He engaged in 'jugalbandis' with sitar artist Shahid Parvez.

Khan's Rabindra Sangeet (songs of Rabindranath Tagore) album, 'Baithaki Rabi,' released in the mid-2000s, showcased his versatility.

Commenting on the album at the time of its launch, Khan stated, "I believe a musician cannot complete his circle or journey without having sung 'Rabindra Sangeet.'

"I am ready for criticism, but this is my way of imbibing Gurudev's song, internalizing the meanings and 'bhab' and interpreting in my way without deviating from the swaralipi."

A familiar face at classical concert conferences like Dover Lane, Behala Classical Festival, and ITC SRA Sangeet Sammelan, Rashid Khan remained active during the Covid-19 outbreak. He hosted classical music sessions at home with his son, also a skilled classical music artist, which were streamed online.

Apart from Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, Rashid Khan was conferred with the West Bengal government's state honour, Bangabhusan in 2012.
The taste of Lucknow is world class and its not just the palate of locals that report it. Top chefs, food travellers and experts have recognised it too. Recently, the online travel guide Taste Atlas, too listed it in the list of 100 Best Food Cities of the World. The five Indian cities that figured in the elite list were Mumbai (35), Hyderabad (39) New Delhi (56), Chennai (65) and Lucknow (92). Variety of kebabs, biryani, chaat and other street food delicacies makes city's food class apart. In frame are Kakori Kebab prepared by Chef Imtiyaz Qureshi and Chef Ishtiyaque Qureshi

We find out what makes Awadhi and local cuisine a class apart.

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Iconic joints

Tundey Kababi joint in Aminabad, Lucknow

The iconic food joints in the Akbari Gate locality, Chowk, Aminabad, Lalbagh and Press Club area have become bigger and have branched out to malls, various parts of the city and abroad as well.

The original Tunday Kebabi, established in 1905, still serves in traditional style. My father Mohd Usman established the Aminabad joint and then we opened at Kapoorthala, Lulu Mall, at Omax Chowk and Al-Karama (Dubai). We have secretly guarded recipes which make our delicacies special and loved, so we dont offer franchise and operate ourselves with quality, hygiene and standard operating procedure in place, says its owner Mohd Faizan.

Abu Bakar at Idrees Biryani(Deep Saxena/HT)

Idrees Biryani run by brothers Abu Bakar and Abu Hamza has not branched out at all and believes in preparing fresh biryani in small batches which is usually sold out by 7-8 pm. Mubeens hotel operation from wee hours to way past midnight is testimony to foodies love for Awadhi delights. Similar is the situation at Raheems hotel for kulcha-nihari and variety of pasandas.

Its love for our chicken masala, biryani and kebabs that we have branched out in various parts from street food to fine-dining, says Arshi Jamal of Dastarkhwan food chain.

Street food

Besides the main Awadhi delicacies whats very special about this city is street food. As much as I relish kebabs and biryani, I love savouring makkhan malai, roasted shakarkandi, boiled singhara and chaat-papdi options which makes street food very special, says celebrity chef Goila.

The turnout for chai, samosa and bun-makkan at Sharmaji Ki Chaai, long queues at Bajpai Kachori, mattha at Chanakya sweets in the morning, piping-hot milk, lassi and rabri at Koneshwar Temple crossing at Chowk and the huge rush at Chatori Gali near 1090 Crossing is a testimony of Lucknows street-food culture.

Sweet delights

Malai Gilouri at Ram Asrey Sweets

From yesteryears Prakash Kulfi to todays Chanakyas kulfi that is sold by weight, its a popular delight that locals and visitors love to try.

The city boasts of many sweets from mango delicacies, seasonal sweets but one thing that is cut about rest is malai gilouri and its kesaria counter. A delicate sweet, which is highly perishable. Its something every Lucknowite is proud of, says Raghuvansh Behari Gupta of 219-year-old Ram Asrey Sweets.

Seasonal delicacies like gajar-ka-halwa, sohan halwa, kali-gajar-ka-halwa, makkhan malai and other sweet delights make the food platter wider.

King chaat

Hardayal Maurya Chotu showcasing basket chaat at Royal Cafe (Deep Saxena/HT)

City chaat culture has a long history and it has become bigger and better with time. Chef Hardayal Maurya Chotu, popular as chat king on social media, says, I have been making chaat for over 50 years and it was in 1992 that by mistake I created basket chaat at Royal Cafe and today similar delicacies are sold everywhere. I must have served people from 183 countries so far and I am sure they remember the taste. We keep innovating and educating people in this art.

Today tikki, matar and now several varieties of pani-batasha and other variants are available at all restaurants and nook and corner of the city.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Lucknow ka khana bahut itmenaan ka hai and thats embedded in the culture of slow cooking and refinement. There is a lot of impact of culture in its food. I see a lot of good happening in the food world, which, in the larger picture, is going towards our roots and tradition.

Chef Ranveer Brar

I am very happy that both at iconic food joints and traditional families people take pride in their food and cooking process. Purane sheher ke logon ki mehnat hai and woh unki identity that they take pride in taking the culture and food legacy forward. We need to celebrate our food and keep the rooted and traditional cooking methods alive.

Chef Ishtiyaque Qureshi

My father Padma Shri Imtiaz Qureshi is instrumental in taking the finnesse of kebabs and dumpukth (slow cooking) dishes to top five stars hotels which in turn became world famous. He inherited it from his gurus and the family, who served in Nawabi kitchens, where refinement and its impact on taste and body used to be the subject of research. Old families are still carrying forward the tradition in their homes. Lucknows food has a blend of nazakat, mohabbat aur itmenaan.

Chef Kunal Kapur

Lucknows culinary charm lies in its rich Mughlai and Awadhi influences over the years. From the iconic Kebabs to the aromatic Lakhnavi Biryani, the citys cuisine is a celebration of the art of spices and slow-cooked perfection. Lucknows culinary heritage is defined by its street food, featuring kebabs, curries, breads, chaats and kulfis. Its not just a meal; its a journey through history and tradition, making Lucknow food an integral part of the citys cultural identity.
New Delhi: Although India conveyed a verbal demarche to Maldives envoy Ibrahim Shaheeb on Monday, Male will not take any further action on the suspended three junior ministers till President Mohammed Muizzu returns from his visit to Beijing tomorrow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu.(PTI file)

While New Delhi is livid over derogatory and uncalled for comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the three junior ministers, many on Raisina Hill believe that the ministers had sanction from the President to take on India before he embarked on a fundraising trip to China. Given the Xi Jinping regimes strategic interest in setting up bases in the Indian Ocean like Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambantota in Sri Lanka, it is understood that Beijing will provide aid on interest through the Chinese Exim Bank to Male to build infrastructure in the island nation.

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Incidentally, China had also asked permission from President Muizzu to allow the surveillance vessel Hong Yang 3 to conduct deep sea exploration off the coast of Maldives between January and May 2024. The permission to that vessel has not been granted till now.

Given the politics that Muizzu is playing against India, Male is expected to further harden its stance till the Majlis election in April 2024. President Muizzus anti-India stance is quite evident as he made Turkey the first port of call after he was sworn in. He then secured a USD 200 million loan from UAE-Saudi Arabia during his visit to COP28 in Dubai in December. And now he has made a trip to Beijing much to the chagrin of India.

Winning the Maldives election on the Out India campaign, Muizzu wants India to take back the unarmed IAF and Indian Navy crew for flying two ALH helicopters and one offshore patrol vessel and replace them with civilian crew. Even though there is not a single Indian trooper with arms deployed in the Maldives, Muizzu has tried to convey as if the previous Ibrahim Solih government had given permission to New Delhi to deploy troops in the island nation.

While New Delhi has made it clear that the onus of repairing bilateral ties damaged by uncalled for remarks by junior ministers lies on Male, it is quite evident to India that Muizzu will play the anti-India card to get financial support from adversaries of New Delhi. Last time Sri Lanka played this game and went down the economic drain.
An additional 6.4 crore homes are required by 2036 because of growth in population, according to CREDAI-Liases Foras. The additional housing requirement by 2036 due to the population growth is 64 million in India," the joint report said. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Realtors' apex body CREDAI, in collaboration with data analytic firm Liases Foras, launched an industry report at the New India Summit held in Varanasi.

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The additional housing requirement by 2036 due to the population growth is 64 million in India," the joint report said.

In 2018, the housing shortage in India was 29 million houses, it pointed out.

"Therefore, the total estimated housing demand by 2036 in India is 93 million," CREDAI-Liases Foras report said.

The report mentioned that it is widely expected that the next wave of real estate growth will stem from Tier II, III regions.

Housing demand was strong last year, which also witnessed over 19,050 RERA registrations at Pan-India level with 45 per cent projects falling in the residential segment.

Boman Irani, President, CREDAI, said, "The rapidly growing Indian population and economy has resulted in accelerated demand and supply of homes, while also improving home buyers' purchasing power and inclining them to buy bigger houses."

Housing in tier II and III cities will witness a sharper trajectory, he said.

Manoj Gaur, Chairman, CREDAI, said: "2023 was a remarkable year for all real estate stakeholders and we expect this demand trajectory to sustain in 2024 and beyond."

Pankaj Kapoor, Founder and Managing Director, Liases Foras, said, "Indian real estate currently stands at an extremely important junction with sustained demand and supply greatly contributing to the GDP while showcasing a definitive way forward for reaching the USD 5 trillion goal."
PATNA: A young couple who eloped in 2021 and returned home were shot dead along with their one-year-old daughter on Tuesday evening, hours after they met the 23-year-old mans parents and were on their way to their new house about 2 km away. Nawgachhia SP Sushant Kumar Saroj said the incident took place at about 4:30pm in Nawtolia village under Gopalpur police station of Bihars police district. (Representative Image/X/nawgachiapolice)

The incident took place at about 4:30pm in Nawtolia village under Gopalpur police station of Bihars Nawgachhia police district.

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Nawgachhia superintendent of police (SP) Sushant Kumar Saroj said the woman, Chandni Kumaris father and brother, were the prime suspects. Chandni Kumars father Pappu Singh, and her brother, Dhiraj Kumar, intercepted them when they were on the outskirts of Nawtolia village to their new house, thrashed them with an iron rod and then shot them, one by one.

Chandni, 21, her husband Chandan Kumar Singh, 23, and their daughter died on the spot.

Chandni and Chandan were from the same caste. A police officer said their families, however, had been against their wedding because they were also from the same village and neighbours and was considered inappropriate.

By the time they eloped in 2021, police said, they had been in a relationship for four years.

Police said Chandan Kumar Singhs family appeared to have opened up to the idea of reconciling with their marriage. But Chandnis family made it clear that they did not want her anywhere close.

The SP said the couple had spoken to local police officers about the threat to their lives from Chandnis family and had been told that this was not the right time. They nevertheless decided to visit without keeping the local police in the loop.

Multiple teams have been formed to arrest Pappu Singh and his son, the district police chief said after visiting the spot where the three were shot dead. Forensic teams have also collected the samples from the spot and additional forces have been deployed to maintain peace.
Police in Gujarats Dahod were closely monitoring the 11 men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and murdering her seven relatives during the 2002 Gujarat riots, a police officer said a day after the Supreme Court on Monday quashed the early release of the convicts. A protest rally in support of Bilkis Bano in Kolkata in August 2022. (AFP/File)

Police superintendent Balram Meena said that arrangements were put in place at Singvad village in Dahod, where the convicts live, a day before the verdict. We have taken all necessary steps to ensure that law and order is not disturbed. We are aware of the whereabouts of all the convicts and most of them are home. A couple of them are out to attend some social function and we are monitoring them closely, he said.

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Meena said that police were in touch with convicts over their phones while denying media reports that they were incommunicado. He added that arrangements were made in anticipation of the order of the Supreme Court, which has asked the convicts to surrender within two weeks.

Bano, who moved the Supreme Court in November 2022 saying the freeing of the convicts had shaken societys conscience, said she collapsed when those who destroyed her family and terrorised her existence were released early. I felt I had exhausted my reservoir of courage. Until a million solidarities came my way.

Bano, who relocated from her native Randhikpur village along with her family due to safety concerns days before the verdict, acknowledged thousands of ordinary people and women who stood with, spoke to her, and filed pleas on her behalf. 6000 people from all over, and 8500 people from Mumbai wrote appeals; 10,000 people wrote an Open Letter, as did 40,000 people from 29 districts of Karnataka. To each of these people, my gratitude for your precious solidarity and strength. You gave me the will to struggle, to rescue the idea of justice not just for me, but for every woman in India. I thank you, Bano said in a statement.

The Supreme Court said the Gujarat government was complicit with the prisoners and wrongly exercised its power to order their premature release while scrapping the remission. It said Gujarat usurped the power of Maharashtra, where the convicts were tried, to grant it.

The court nullified a 2022 judgment directing Gujarat to consider the remission applications of the 11 convicts, saying it was obtained by playing fraud.

Bano was three-month pregnant when she was gang raped. Her three-year-old daughter was among seven of her relatives killed in the riots, which claimed the lives of 1,000 people.

The burning of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims that left 59 people dead in Godhra in February 2002 triggered the riots. Bano and her family were among those trying to escape from Randhikpur to Devgadh Baria when they were attacked in a forested region days later. The attack left 14 people, including seven members of Banos family, dead.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra, sharing a copy of an RTI seeking the cost of works done at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor of wanting personal development at the cost of Delhi's development. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (PTI)

Posting the copy of the RTI on X, formerly Twitter, Patra wrote, Proof that Arvind Kejriwal wants his personal development at the cost of Delhi's development. The RTI reply received from the Delhi government shows that Rs. 29,56,35,074/- were spent on only civil works at the residence of the Delhi CM.

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The information was sought by a Maharashtra resident Ajay Basudev Bose. In his application, Bose asked for Amount spent on Civil, Plumbing, Electrical, Sewage, Carpentry works at the official Residence of Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal from date 31st March 2015 to 27th December 2022.

Responding to the application, the RTI stated, Total expenditure incurred during the period from 2015 to 2022 is Rs. 295635074/- for Civil works only.

He also asked for the names of the contractors hired for work and the amount paid to them from 31st March 2015 to 27th December 2022.

Naming the contractors the RTI informed, Munzareen Ahmad = Rs. 21,89,666; M/s M.A. Builders = Rs. 8,76,626; Mohd. Arshad = Rs. 17,21,649; and M/s A.K. Bulders = Rs. 29,08,47,133.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, posting the RTI, said on X, Sheeshmahal of Kejriwal has curtains wroth crores, toilet seat worth lakhs & obscene spending. Even mere civil works saw Kejriwal splurge almost 30cr. YEH HAI AAM ADMI!

Congress and BJP MLAs have been accusing Kejriwal of spending crores on the renovation of his official residence.

The BJP has been criticising Kejriwal and the AAP, alleging that 45 crore was utilised for the renovation of the chief minister's residence at 6, Flagstaff Road between 2020-22. In response, the AAP has countered, asserting that the BJP is attempting to divert attention from genuine concerns by highlighting this issue.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said that a missing part, a washer has been found in the Aft Rudder Quadrant on one Indian Boeing 737MAX airplane during the inspection of the aircraft fleet, and an action for rectifying it is in process. Sharing the details, the watchdog said that the checks of the wing emergency exits have been completed for 32 aircrafts(File)

Read here: DGCA asks airlines to conduct inspection after Alaska aircrafts door blows out

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Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, has also recommended a one-time inspection of all Boeing 737MAX airplanes present in the fleet before January 10.

Indian Boeing 737MAX fleet of 40 airplanes consists of Akasa Air (22), SpiceJet (9) and Air India Express (9). Inspections on 39 aircraft have been completed with nil findings except on one aircraft wherein the missing washer was found.

Rectification action as per recommendations of Boeing has been taken prior to release of this aircraft. Inspection on the remaining one aircraft will be completed prior to release for service.

The development came in after an international operator, last month, had discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance. In wake of this, Boeing had recommended all the airlines to conduct an inspection of their B737 Max fleet.

Meanwhile, the aviation regulator on Monday had said that the inspection of operational Boeing 737-8 Max planes has been completed which was ordered as a precautionary measure in the wake of an incident involving an Alaska Airlines aircraft last week.

"These checks have been satisfactorily performed on the operational fleet of Boeing B737-8 Max aircraft by Air India Express (4), SpiceJet (8) and Akasa (20). Akasa Air fleet includes one B737-8 200 aircraft which has a mid-cabin door on which the operational check has also been completed satisfactorily," the DGCA said in a statement.

Sharing the details, the watchdog said that the checks of the wing emergency exits have been completed for 32 aircrafts to ensure proper closing of all over wing emergency exits.

Akasa Air released a statement on Monday saying that according to the guidelines issued by the aviation regulator, it has completed a thorough inspection of its entire fleet of in-service Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

"We can confirm that there are no adverse findings. We can also confirm that there was no disruption to our operations during this time," it said.

SpiceJet also said it has conducted a thorough inspection of its Boeing 737 Max fleet as per the directives. "No adverse findings were identified during this inspection. Our flight operations remained unaffected and continued to operate as usual," the airline said in a statement.

An Air India Express spokesperson said the inspection of its planes were completed within the given time frame. Indian airlines do not have Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft in their fleets now.

Read here: Indonesia temporarily grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes

The inspection of the Boeing fleet was ordered as a precautionary measure on January 6 following an incident involving Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft which resulted in an in-flight departure of a mid-cabin door plug, and rapid decompression of the airplane.

(With bureau, agency inputs)
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of a new AI consortium Monday that aims to secure New Yorks place at the forefront of the artificial intelligence industry  and the University at Buffalo stands a chance to be the site of the new partnership dubbed Empire AI.

Hochuls office released the announcement ahead of her 2024 State of the State address Tuesday in Albany.

UBs new AI Institute taps technology to aid kids with speech challenges A team of UB researchers is working to develop AI tools to help the nation's short supply of speech language pathologists provide more individualized interventions for millions of children who need more speech-language services than they are getting in school.

The new consortium will launch a state-of-the-art AI computing center in upstate New York to be used by the states leading institutions to promote responsible research and development, create AI jobs and unlock AI opportunities for the public good, Hochul said.

Empire AI will include seven founding institutions  Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the State University of New York, the City University of New York (CUNY), and the Simons Foundation.

The University of Buffalo is under consideration as a potential site, the announcement said.

UB to receive $20M federal grant for artificial intelligence research The new UB AI Institute for Exceptional Education will use the grant to further applications that can assist students with communication disabilities and improve their educational outcomes, Sen. Charles E. Schumer said.

UB is already home to a supercomputing center and multimillion-dollar AI research projects. Last year UB was awarded a highly competitive, five-year, $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, which is developing AI systems to diagnose and treat young children with speech and language challenges.

Access to the computing resources that power AI systems is prohibitively expensive and difficult to obtain, Hochuls release said. These resources are increasingly concentrated in the hands of large technology companies, who maintain outsized control of the AI development ecosystem. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large.

Empire AI will bridge this gap and accelerate the development of AI centered in public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development will also help educational institutions incubate the AI-focused technology startups of the future, driving job growth, the announcement said.

The consortium will be funded with over $400 million in public and private investments, including up to $275 million from the state in grant and other funding, and more than $125 million from the founding institutions and other private partners, Hochul said.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi made the case for UB as a potential site for the consortium.

UB has been known nationally and internationally as a leader in AI and data science for over four decades, Tripathi said.

Tripathi said UB already has more than 200 faculty working on numerous foundational and use-inspired AI projects.

UB is ready to leverage its supercomputing infrastructure to create AI and data science solutions for our states and worlds most challenging problems, he said.

Besides its National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, UB is top among all New York universities and colleges in receiving support from the NSFs Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, the federal governments primary vehicle for establishing state-of-the-art computing infrastructure at U.S. colleges and universities, Tripathi said.

UB scientists are conducting groundbreaking AI research at UBs Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and its Center for Information Integrity, which recently was awarded a $5.75 million NSF grant to help older adults spot online scams and disinformation.

UBs other current AI-related research projects include using AI to treat brain aneurysms, spot Type 2 diabetes trends, help first responders during natural disasters, modernize manufacturing systems, predict disease progression during aging, and develop new materials for space applications, from satellite sensors to cosmic radiation shields, Tripathi said.

Hochul envisions Empire AI as a partnership of New York State research universities that will help fundamentally change the AI landscape, accelerate research and innovation and create sustained economic impact across the state.

Tripathi described it as a tech hub where public and private research institutions alike can together leverage the vast possibilities of artificial intelligence to solve a spectrum of societal problems  whether in medicine, education, finance, social justice, sustainable technologies or entrepreneurship.

Private partners already on board to invest in Empire AI include the Simons Foundation and Tom Secunda, the governors office said.

The Simon Foundations Flatiron Institute is a community of scientists working to advance research through computational methods, including data analysis, theory, modeling and simulation. Secunda is co-founder of Bloomberg LP and the Secunda Family Foundation, which provides millions of dollars a year in grants to conservation, healthcare, scientific advancement and other causes.

Hochul has also directed the state Office of Information Technology Services to issue a first-of-its-kind AI Policy, which establishes principles and parameters for responsible use of AI by state agencies. The policy will ensure that agencies remain vigilant about evaluating the risks of using AI systems and protecting against unwanted outcomes, the governors office said.
Hyderabad Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday constituted a cabinet sub-committee to look into the implementation of six guarantees, promised by the Congress before the recent assembly elections in the state. Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday constituted a cabinet sub-committee to look into the implementation of six guarantees, promised by the Congress before the recent assembly elections in the state. (PTI)

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting convened by the chief minister with senior ministers and higher officials and nodal officers of Praja Palana, a 10-day long programme held by the state government from December 28 to January 6, to receive applications from eligible beneficiaries of the six guarantees.

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The cabinet sub-committee will be chaired by deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and ministers D Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy will be the members.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Vikramarka said in all, applications were received from 12.58 million people seeking assistance from the government for various guarantees. Of them, 10.59 million applications pertained to five different guarantees and the remaining 19.92 applications pertained to other guarantees, he said.

The applications were received from the people at Praja Palana programmes held in 12,769 gram panchayats and 3,623 municipal wards. In the gram panchayats, 11.14 million people submitted their applications. As many as 3,714 official teams were involved in the receipt of applications through 44,568 counters, the deputy chief minister said.

He said the government had appointed a senior IAS officer for each of 10 erstwhile common districts and five zones of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to conduct Praja Palana programme. The government directed that the digitisation of all the applications be completed by January 17, but the officials sought time till the month end for a fool-proof data entry after due verification, he said.

State information minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said the digitisation of applications for six guarantees was being done with the help of 30,000 data entry operators. As promised, we shall implement all the guarantees within 100 days of the completion of our government, Reddy said.

He said once the data-entry process was completed, there would be physical verification of the applicants. The details of the applicants would be displayed online between January 25 and 30. The applications would be linked to Aadhaar cards and ration cards of the beneficiaries in order to prevent misuse of the schemes.

Our objective is to see that the genuine beneficiaries would get the benefits of our guarantees, the minister added.
In a bid to improve access to movies in theatres for people with hearing and visual impairments, the ministry of information and broadcasting has proposed that producers must submit two versions of their film to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for certification --- one for public view, and the other with accessibility features such as audio descriptions, open/closed captioning, and Indian Sign Language interpretation. Movies that are dubbed in more than one language will need to provide at least one accessibility feature for the hearing impaired and visually impaired within six months from the implementation of the guidelines. (HT file photo)

The MIB has invited comments from the public on its guidelines of accessibility standards in the public exhibition of feature films in cinema theatres for persons with hearing and visual impairment until February 8.

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Licensed movie theatres will need to ensure that they either have dedicated shows with accessibility options for the hearing/visually impaired, or have dedicated equipment (such as mirror captions, smart glasses with closed captioning, separate with closed captions below the main screen, headphones/earphones with audio description), or use mobile apps to provide simultaneous closed captions and audio descriptions. Movie theatres must provide these features within three years of implementation of these guidelines.

The plan proposes that such accessibility features must be present in at least two devices per 200 seats in a regular show since as per the 2011 Census, 2.21% of the Indian population has these disabilities. Exhibitors must develop a self-regulatory mechanism to provide the required number of seats within three years, the plan suggests.

Movies that are dubbed in more than one language will need to provide at least one accessibility feature for the hearing impaired and visually impaired within six months from the implementation of the guidelines. Movie submissions for the National Film Awards, the Indian Panorama Section of the International Film Festival of India, Goa, and the Mumbai International Film Festival must include closed captioning and audio descriptions from January 1, 2025.

The proposed guidelines require exhibitors to make annual action plans for the next three years, with roadmaps for local stakeholder consultations with relevant persons with disabilities to consider whether a particular area has more people with visual or hearing impairments. The MIB also wants cinema owners to train their customer service staff on how to serve people with disabilities.

The implementation schedule will be monitored by the CBFC, the appropriate government under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, film producers, and movie theatre licensees, as applicable. The MIB will also set up a committee, half of whose members will be people with hearing/visual impairment and representatives from the film industry, to monitor the implementation of the accessibility standards.

Annually, the CBFC must collect and publish information about the different accessible services provided in the certified feature films, and the quality of standards for different accessibility measures.

The appropriate government must also annually collect and publish information about the steps taken by the film industry and theatres to create awareness about accessibility of movies, consultation done by the film industry and theatre licensees with organisations of people with disabilities.

If accessibility features are unavailable in a theatre, a person may file a complaint with the theatre licensee and can escalate it to the licensing authority after 45 days.

These guidelines will only apply to feature films certified by the CBFC for public exhibition in movie theatres for commercial purposes.

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, mandate streaming platforms like Netflix to provide appropriate access services which include closed captioning, subtitles and audio descriptions for people with disabilities.

The proposed Broadcasting Bill, which will regulate all content on TV and streaming platforms, empowers the MIB to issue accessibility guidelines. If these guidelines are not met, the MIB could impose a financial penalty, amongst other measures, of up to 50 lakh for the first contravention and 2.5 crore for a subsequent contravention within three years.
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 9 (PTI) Hours after he praised MP Shashi Tharoor and said it would be difficult to defeat the Congress leader from the state capital in the near future, veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal clarified that his words were misinterpreted and claimed the saffron party will win from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. HT Image

Rajagopal, former union minister who lost to Tharoor in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, had at a function here on Monday evening said the Congress MP's ability to sway people's minds was the reason for his repeated wins from the constituency.

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"That is why he is able to win again and again from Thiruvananthapuram. I doubt that anyone else will get an opportunity to win (from Thiruvananthapuram) in the near future," he had said while speaking at the N Ramachandran Foundation award ceremony.

Tharoor had touched Rajagopal's feet and hugged him after his speech.

However, hours later, in a late night Facebook post, the veteran BJP leader said that his comments were in the context of Tharoor having won more than once from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

Rajagopal, the first-ever BJP MLA from the state after his win in the 2016 Assembly polls, said in the changed political scenario coupled with the efficiency of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, there was a possibility of the saffron party winning in the state capital, if the party activists and members work hard.

He also said that at present, Tharoor's presence in the Lok Sabha constituency was only nominal and that would adversely affect his prospects.

The veteran BJP leader said that what he said in his speech was a figurative expression of opinion and his personal and political stand was that "the BJP would win from Thiruvananthapuram this time" (upcoming Lok Sabha polls).

Meanwhile, convener of the ruling LDF in Kerala, E P Jayarajan, on Tuesday said Rajagopal's remarks praising Tharoor "indicate the beginning of a BJP-Congress unity in the state."

Jayarajan said the veteran BJP leader's speech at the event indicates that his party probably has no intention of competing against Tharoor or fielding a candidate from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

"His (Rajagopal) statement has created anxiety in the people. His remarks praising Tharoor is a political problem. He made a statement announcing the victory of Shashi Tharoor even before the Lok Sabha polls began.

"This indicates the beginning of a BJP-Congress unity in Kerala," the LDF convener told reporters in Kannur.

Rajagopal's remarks on Monday came at a time when the BJP is attempting to win at least a few key seats in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Monday met to discuss for the first time, seat sharing arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, with the former expressing the desire to contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the Capital, and the latter seeking to expand the scope of the discussion to include an alliance in Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana. Congress and AAP leaders after the meeting in New Delhi on Monday (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

The Congress leaders, however, told AAP representatives that their current mandate was limited to discussing seat sharing in Delhi. Specifically, HT learns, the Congress leaders made sure to not even mention Punjab, given the reservations of the partys local unit against an alliance with the AAP.

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The Congress was represented by the head of its national alliance committee, Mukul Wasnik, and panel members, including former Union minister Salman Khurshid, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the partys Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely and senior leader Mohan Prakash, were present.

The AAP was represented by Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak and Delhi cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj. A senior Congress leader present at the meeting said the two sides reaffirmed to work in an alliance but avoided talk of specific seats. That will be taken up in the next meeting, this person added.

Also Read | We want only one candidate against BJP on each seat: Avinash Pande

It was a good meeting. On behalf of AAP, Delhi chief minister had sent senior leaders. And the national alliance committee formed by Congress president (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji met here we discussed for two hours on a host of issues including how to fight in different seats in the Lok Sabha. We will continue our talks. And in few days, we will meet again and will try to give a final shape to our seat sharing, Wasnik said.

The AAP leadership didnt comment on the negotiations. But leaders aware of the matter said that the party furnished electoral data since 2019 to demand seats in Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana.

Wasnik, however, refused to divulge the details of the talk. I cant comment on what issues were discussed. Please wait for a few days. Together we will contest the elections with vigorous preparation and defeat BJP, he said.

Also Read | INDIA may take call on key posts in 10-15 days: Mallikarjun Kharge

In an internal meeting of the Congress, its Delhi unit leaders had told the alliance committee that they want to contest four seats in the national capital. Neither party has a sitting member of the lower house from Delhi; all seven Lok Sabha MPs in Delhi are from the BJP. IUn the 2019 election, the Congress ended up with a 22.5% vote share in the state, and the AAP with 18%. But AAP has 62 of the 70 seats in the union territorys assembly.

It was the first formal seat sharing meeting of the two sides which have been opposed to each other till about a year ago. So, it was important to listen to each others point of view and avoiding rushing into seat negotiations. One can call it a confidence building exercise where sharing of perception was important, said the first leader present in the meeting.

On Sunday, the Congress alliance panel met JDU and RJD leaders in Patna, formally kickstarting seat sharing talks with its allies. Some INDIA allies, including the Trinamool Congress, JDU and AAP were becoming impatient with the delay, which is crucial to the alliances prospects and existence.

Trinamools top leadership has already offered two seats to the Congress in West Bengal but the state unit is unhappy with the offer. Congress Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has argued that the Congress won those two seats in 2019 even without the TMCs support.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday accused West Bengal police of diluting the charges pressed against accused persons in the Sandeshkhali case in which a team of the federal agency were attacked by a mob when it went to raid the house of a Trinamool Congress leader. The ED team was attacked in West Bengal on Friday. (PTI)

The ruling party, meanwhile, has alleged that one of the officers in the ED team, which went to raid the house of the TMC leader at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas on Friday, is named as an accused in a Central Bureau of Investigation case.

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Indian Penal Code sections dealing with charges such as attempt to murder, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant and dacoity were dropped from the first information report registered by state police, the federal agency said in a statement. The agency has not been given a copy of the FIR, it alleged.

We will take strict action against whoever has taken the law in their own hands, said state police chief Rajeev Kumar.

Also Read | FIR filed under bailable sections, claim ED officials over attack on probe team by TMC cadre

On Friday, a team of ED officials was attacked when they went to raid the house of Shahjahan Sheikh, a local TMC leader with close links with arrested state food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal. Central force personnel accompanying the ED team were also attacked. Three ED officers had to be hospitalised.

The magnitude of the scam was enormous and the proceeds of crime received and transferred by just one suspect was 9,000-10,000 crore, the ED said in its statement. Around 2,000 crore has been transferred to Dubai, it claimed.

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday sought a clarification from the Mamata Banerjee administration as to why Sheikh hasnt been arrested and whether he is in India or has fled from the country.

Read | 'Jungle raj' going on in West Bengal, says Sarbananda Sonowal; TMC hits back

Sheikh Shahjahan is here only. Fake news is being spread that he might have fled to Bangaldesh. He is taking legal opinion. The state police will ascertain whom to arrest, Sukumar Mahato, TMC legislator of Sandeshkahli, told the media. But as far I know, he was not there in the house when the ED went to raid and he has nothing to do with the attack.

On Sunday, top brass of the Central Reserve Police Force and ED met Bose at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, following which the governor sent a strong warning to state police. The ED has issued a look out notice against Sheikh.

The CBI is conducting a probe against EDs assistant director Rajkumar Ram in connection with a corruption case. He has been named in the CBIs FIR. It is unfortunate that the ED officer, who went to investigate a case against a TMC leader and broke open locked doors, is involved in a corruption case himself, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

The TMC has no moral right to say this. A specific case is pending against the newly appointed DGP (director general of police). Names of at least 100 police officers of the state police, including senior IPS (Indian Police Service) officers and a few who have recently retired, have cropped up in the investigation during the coal and cattle smuggling scams, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari told media persons.
Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old chief executive officer of artificial intelligence company Mindful AI Lab who allegedly killed her four-year-old son in Goa and then travelled with the body to Karnataka, is estranged from her husband. Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old chief executive officer of artificial intelligence company Mindful AI Lab, with her son.

Suchana Seth has told the police that the divorce proceedings with her husband were on, superintendent of police (North) Nidhin Valsan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

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What Goa Police said about Suchana Seth's husband

Suchana Seth hails from West Bengal and has been living in Bengaluru.

Seth's husband Venkat Raman is from Kerala.

The estranged husband is currently in Indonesia's Jakarta and he has been informed about the incident.

Some media reports claimed that the couple tied the knot in 2010, and their son was born in 2019. However, disputes led to them filing for a divorce in 2020.

Under pressure and driven by the desire to stop Venkat Raman from seeing the boy, Seth allegedly planned a trip to Goa with her child.

What's the motive behind the murder?

The police officer said the motive behind the murder was yet to be known as the woman has not been interrogated so far as she is being brought to Goa from Karnataka.

The SP said that the motive behind the murder would be established only after her interrogation.

He said the exact cause of his death would be established only after a post-mortem is conducted.

What we know about the case

Suchana Seth checked into a rented service apartment in North Goa's Candolim on January 6 along with her son, Calangute police station inspector Paresh Naik said.

After staying there for a couple of days, Seth told the apartment staff that she wanted to go to Bengaluru for some work and asked them to arrange for a taxi, Naik said.

The staff suggested that she could take a flight to Bengaluru which would be a cheaper option rather than hiring a taxi which is an expensive proposition, the cop said.

The woman insisted that she would travel by taxi only, and a vehicle was arranged on January 8 on which she left for Bengaluru early morning.

Later, when the apartment staff went to clean the room in which she stayed, they found blood stains on a towel, he said. The management of the apartment immediately informed the Calangute Police.

The staff also told the police that Seth's four-year-old son was not seen with her when she left the apartment and she was also carrying an unusually heavy bag, he said.

The police then called her and asked her about the blood stains and her "missing" son.

The woman replied that the blood stains were due to her monthly periods. She added that her son was with her friend in Margao town in South Goa and provided the address.

Naik said the police immediately took the help of Fatorda Police (near Margao) and came to know the address given by her was fake.

The inspector later spoke over the phone to the taxi driver, who was on way to Bengaluru and had reached Chitradurga district in Karnataka, to take the accused to the nearest police station.

The police in Chitradurga checked the woman's bag in which they found the body of the child, Naik said.

A Calangute Police team then rushed to Chitradurga and obtained a transit remand of the accused, who was being brought to Goa.

(With inputs from agencies)
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that the hackers attempted to hack his Facebook account. Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma (ANI)

Sarma said that the attempt was made today evening. He also said that preliminary investigation hinted that hackers might be operating from Pakistan.

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"Unknown hackers made an attempt to hack my Facebook account this evening. Preliminary information suggests the hacker might be operating from Pakistan. Investigation is underway to identify the perpetrators", the chief minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier on Monday, Sarma highlighted a fake video where his distorted speech was showcased. While sharing the fake video on his X platform, he said that a malicious attempt was being made to distort his speech through a fake video.

The Assam CM also expressed concern over vested groups with criminal intentions spreading misinformation.

"See for yourself, as elections approach, how vested groups distort a speech with the criminal intention of spreading disinformation and communal disharmony. The long arms of the law will catch up with these elements," Sarma said in an X post.

Assam's Director General of Police (DGP), GP Singh quickly repsonded to the Sarma's complaint saying the CID would register a criminal case and investigate the matter.

"Noted Sir. CID Assam would register a criminal case and investigate people behind," DGP Singh said.
In a historic development, India is poised to chair and host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee session in New Delhi from July 21 to 31 this year, the Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma said on Tuesday. UNESCO(HT File)

This marks a significant milestone as the first instance of a country leading and hosting the prestigious committee. The event positions New Delhi as the focal point for global discussions on preserving cultural and historical heritage, presenting a momentous opportunity to showcase India's rich cultural legacy on the world stage.

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As per the official statement by UNESCO, At the 19th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023), the World Heritage Committee decided that its 46th session will take place in India.

Following a proposal by the authorities of the State Party of India, and in consultation with the UNESCO Director-General, the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee will take place from July 21 to 31, 2024 in New Delhi, India, the statement by UNESCO added.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is a specialised UN agency to foster global peace and national security through collaborative efforts in education, arts, science, and culture.

The crucial UNESCO World Heritage Committee session convenes annually, comprising representatives from 21 member states. Its primary function is to contribute significantly to the expansion of the esteemed list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in preserving cultural and natural treasures.
The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry or MATI has said it strongly condems the derogatory comments made by some deputy ministers on social media platforms against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after his visit to Lakshadweep. A worker carries national flags of Maldives in Male. (AFP)

The MATI said India has always been a first responder to crises throughout Maldives's history.

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"The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India. India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as people of India have maintained with us," said MATI in a statement on Monday.

It also said India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the tourism industry of the Maldives. A contributor that has greatly assisted our recovery efforts during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives, the tourism industry said.

Also Read | Maldives vs Lakshadweep: Only one airline operates a flight to Indian island

It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship, it added.

The statement comes even as EaseMyTrip, one of Indias biggest online travel platforms, suspended flight bookings to the Maldives, amid a diplomatic row.

Our company is entirely homegrown and made in India, Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, wrote on X, (formerly Twitter). We have decided that we will not accept any bookings for Maldives.

Another travel booking platform, MakeMyTrip, said it had seen a 3,400 per cent rise in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep since the prime minister's visit and would launch a new Beaches of India campaign for local travellers.

Pitti of EaseMyTrip wrote on X that he wanted Lakshadweep to become an international destination.

Also Read: India trade body urges tour operators to stop promoting Maldives amid row

With Indians the biggest group of visitors to the Maldives, the spat threatens a key sector of the economy in the strategically important archipelago of over five lakh people that sits west of Sri Lanka. The fallout comes on the back of growing tensions between India and the Maldives since a new President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in September last year.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Monday called upon domestic traders and exporters to refrain from conducting business dealings with the Maldives.

CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said the derogatory comments targeting Modi have been deemed unacceptable by the business community, and this call to boycott aims to express solidarity and register disapproval against such disrespectful behaviour.

Maldives ministers suspended

Deputy ministers in the youth ministry Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid have been suspended over their posts against India. The Maldivian foreign ministry earlier said the government was aware of the "derogatory remarks" on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position.
India on Monday summoned the Maldivian envoy to the external affairs ministry to express its strong concerns over derogatory comments made against the country and its top leadership by several leaders of the ruling party in the Indian Ocean archipelago, people familiar with the matter said. Ibrahim Shaheeb, Maldives Envoy exits the MEA at South Block, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI )

The development came a day after the Maldives government suspended three deputy ministers over the derogatory comments posted on social media and distanced itself from the remarks, which it said didnt reflect the views of the administration.

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The people said on condition of anonymity that Maldives high commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb was summoned to the external affairs ministry on Monday morning and informed about Indias strong concerns over comments by certain Maldivian ministers made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

These concerns were also conveyed to the Maldivian foreign ministry by the Indian mission in Male on Sunday.

Also Read | India gave a befitting reply to Maldives, says Lakshadweep administrator

In a related development, the Indian mission said high commissioner Munu Mahawar held a pre-arranged meeting on Monday with Ali Naseer Mohamed, ambassador at large in the Maldivian foreign ministry, to discuss bilateral issues.

Mondays development marked a further downturn in India-Maldives relations following the coming to power of the government led by President Mohamed Muizzu, perceived to be pro-China.

Muizzu, who began a nearly weeklong visit to China on Sunday at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, has called on India to withdraw 77 Indian military personnel posted in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and an aircraft. Muizzu has also cast aside the India First policy of his predecessor, Ibrahim Solih, and said the Maldives is opposed to any presence of foreign military personnel.

Maldives and China are set to sign several agreements to enhance trade, development and socioeconomic cooperation during Muizzus visit. At a meeting with officials of a Chinese state-run firm, Muizzu underscored Chinas significance as a valued ally and an integral collaborator and expressed the aspiration to take bilateral ties to new heights.

Also Read | Ex-foreign minister notes 'element of racism' in India-Maldives diplomatic row

The latest row erupted over the weekend after several Maldivian leaders, including the deputy ministers, reacted to posts on social media describing Lakshadweep as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives following Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent visit to the islands.

The Maldives government initially distanced itself from the derogatory remarks of these leaders and subsequently suspended Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid as deputy ministers in the ministry of youth empowerment, information and art.

The three deputy ministers had criticised Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project islands as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

Zahid Rameez, a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives that is part of the government, responded to social media posts on Lakshadweep by saying on X that the idea of the islands competing with the Maldives is delusional. Shiuna made a derogatory post on X that referred to the Indian premier as a puppet of Israel. She later deleted the post but screen grabs of it were widely shared on social media.

Their remarks were widely criticised in India by ministers and celebrities, who urged people on social media platforms to explore domestic tourist destinations such as the Lakshadweep islands. There were also posts on social media that said some Indians were cancelled trips to the Maldives because of the row.

The tourism industry contributes a major part of the GDP of the Maldives, with visitors from India accounting for the largest numbers among the overall figures for 2023. According to the tourism ministry of the Maldives, of the 1.8 million tourists who visited the country last year, Indians were at the top spot with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia (209,146) and China (187,118).

The controversy triggered a social media backlash, with the hashtag BoycottMaldives trending briefly during the day. The chief executive of EaseMyTrip said the flight and hotel booking website will suspend bookings for the island nation. In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings, Nishant Pitti, EaseMyTrip CEO, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
UBS holds an optimistic outlook about the performance of A-share companies this year on the back of expected improvements in profitability, stabilizing economic fundamentals and more supportive policies, analysts at the Swiss banking company said at a news conference on Monday. The MSCI China Index is expected to jump 15 percent in 2024, propelled by the companies' 7 percent revenue growth and 10 percent earnings' increase over the next 12 months, said Eric Lin, head of UBS Greater China research. In general, MSCI China companies' revenue is positively correlated to China's GDP growth. Since China's GDP growth is estimated at 4.4 percent in 2024, the 7 percent revenue increase is attainable, said Lin. Commodity prices will further decline in 2024. This will lower companies' costs and improve their profits marginally, he said. The property sector's impact on the economy is likely to weaken in 2024, which is another positive factor in companies' profitability, he added. The current price-to-earnings ratio of the MSCI China Index is eight. The low PE ratio of Chinese equities points to opportunities that can hardly be found in other markets, whether developed or emerging, Lin said. On the outlook for the A-share market, UBS Securities' China equity strategist Meng Lei said that the "worst period is over" and they have changed to an optimistic tone for the following months. The earnings per share of the blue-chip CSI 300 index is likely to be 8 percent in 2024, Meng said. China's nominal GDP growth in 2024  estimated at around 5.3 percent and higher than last year's 4.6 percent  will accelerate the rebound in A-share companies' profitability, he added. Industrial companies' profits grew by 7.7 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This can be interpreted as the start of companies' profitability recovery, but such a recovery has not been reflected in the stock market yet, said Meng. Other assets, such as government bonds, commodities and foreign exchange reserves, all seem to have been priced into China's economic recovery. However, it seems the Chinese stock market did not truly reflect the nation's stabilizing economic fundamentals last year, he said. Going forward, China will introduce more solid supportive monetary, fiscal and property policies. There is still room for further lowering the reserve requirement ratio. The favorable policy environment will help drive up stock market performance, he added. Meng further said that one major reason for the relatively lackluster performance of the A-share market last year was a lack of confidence, which was a result of the sluggish performance of mutual fund firms. According to UBS' calculations, the top 100 heavyweights in mutual fund companies' portfolios have always outperformed the A-share average since 2010, with the year 2023 serving as the only exception. The median stock price of these top 100 companies dropped 6 percent last year, while the median stock price of A-share companies climbed 4 percent during the same period. The less-than-stellar performance of mutual funds has impaired investor confidence. Retail investors would rather buy stocks on their own than direct their money toward mutual fund firms, giving a cold shoulder to new products from mutual fund companies. This has made it more difficult for mutual fund firms to receive new financing. The firms have to reduce their exposure to certain heavyweight stocks to manage risks. The net asset value of mutual fund products has thus been affected, creating a vicious circle, said Meng. However, such a reduction in heavyweight stocks actually started in mid-2021 and may be approaching an end, Meng said. Therefore, investor sentiment may pick up in the following months, he added. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.42 percent to close below the 2,900-point level on Monday, while the Shenzhen Component Index shed 1.85 percent. A-share listed semiconductor companies reported the biggest daily slump of 3.32 percent on average. shijing@chinadaily.com.cn


The same day Kristie Hunnell decided to take a break from the board of a Buffalo animal rescue group, she filed the paperwork for her own nonprofit organization.

Buffalo Underdogs Rescue was born five years ago this month in partnership with the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter and a nine-kennel shelter in eastern Texas that serves as a home to dogs that need extra attention.

We never, ever give up on our dogs, Hunnell said of her group, which she calls BUR for short.

The East Amherst resident has been a part of the rescue circuit in Western New York for almost a decade, but the group she founded focuses on her passion within it: saving medically needy dogs that often otherwise go overlooked and unadopted.

BUR rescues, rehabilitates and places dogs with pre-existing health conditions with families that agree to love them. The dogs arrive in the region with conditions including amputated limbs, missing eyes, heartworms and other challenges.

Bulldogs, hound dogs and Yorkies  along with other breeds small to large and younger and older  arrive in Buffalo from a shelter in Jasper, Texas.

They have such an incredible need for local rescues to pull dogs, Hunnell said, referring to the overpopulation problem that has stressed animal shelters nationwide. We will never rescue ourselves out of the overpopulation problem.

Spaying and neutering are the only way to counter the unprecedented rise, she said.

A rise in surrendered dogs has contributed to the problem, and Hunnell understands why. Since she started her rescue, food costs have doubled, she said, and thats before considering other expenses for dogs with special medical needs.

Every month, BUR spends $40 per dog on heartworm prevention medication, a cost from $700 to $1,500 depending on the sizes and number of dogs.

Other diseases also can strike. Of the 1,300 dogs the organization has rescued, it has lost a dozen to the deadly parvo disease, caused by a virus.

Last summer, five pups driven by a volunteer from Jasper to Western New York began to show parvo symptoms. The volunteer ended up taking them to an animal hospital in Ohio, where two weeks worth of vet bills topped $45,000. They all survived, Hunnell said with a sigh of relief.

Everything that can go wrong usually does, but rescue is such a passion, she said. You kind of have to roll with the punches.

BUR operating money comes from Western New York donors and goes toward vet bills, which makes it hard to afford a facility, Hunnell said. Its website, buffalounderdogs.com, includes links to donate and volunteer, as well as photos of dogs up for adoption.

The organization is considering meat raffles and other fundraisers to bolster support.

BUR is a foster-based program. After the group pulls dogs out of shelters, its members place them in a foster home and put a 10-day health hold on them. During that time, the dogs are quarantined and closely monitored for medical problems, including parvo, kennel cough and other health conditions.

During this decompression period, the BUR team and the foster family also get to know the dogs nature, Hunnell said. Since most of the intakes are adult dogs with past trauma, it is essential to try and understand the canines needs.

Are they animal-friendly? Can they be around kids? Do they prefer being an only dog?

These are things you can only learn with time at a foster home, Hunnell said.

When dogs arrive from Texas or the shelter in Buffalo, they are immediately taken to their foster homes. The rescue provides and pays for everything, including food, kennels and toys. Every dog goes in with a BUR-bag that includes a collar, leash, blanket, snacks and toys.

We try to do right by our dogs and our adopters to make sure we are not passing on any problems to anybody else, Hunnell said.

Dogs that do not get adopted remain with the foster families. BUR has about 160 volunteers on its rescue team and 40 active foster families at any given time. Of the 21 dogs at the rescue early last month, 14 were up for adoption. Twenty-five new dogs joined them Dec. 16 from the partner shelter in Texas.

The adoption process is fairly simple. There are no preapprovals at the rescue. Every dog is entitled to a home visit, after which it is taken back into its foster home while the family decides if they want to adopt the dog.

Some dogs are fortunate to have been adopted at the very first meet and greet, but others, including Anya, who is pregnant, still await adoption.

A mixed breed dog, Anya was found walking along a busy Texas highway when a good Samaritan dropped her off at the Jasper shelter, Hunnell said. A mother to 11 puppies who have all since been adopted, Anya waits in her Tonawanda foster home for a forever home.

Older dogs do not get adopted as quickly as puppies, Hunnell said, adding they deserve their own happily-ever-afters, especially due to possible traumatic experiences with previous owners.

Adoptive families often go above and beyond to make older dogs feel comfortable in their new homes, Hunnell said. She talked about an older dog named Gill, found abandoned in a Texas parking lot hairless, wounded and in need of emergency medical attention. He cost BUR thousands of dollars in vet bills.

Thats the price you pay when you save dogs that are medically needy, she said.

She never regrets the cost, and said others are generous with the rescues, too.

Gill, for instance, found his forever family, which ended up carpeting their entire home to help counter his fear of walking on laminated floors.

Hunnell, who lost her husband unexpectedly in 2021, finds comfort in saving such special adult dogs, especially in Western New York.

Its unlike any other place, she said. I am very connected to our love of rescue in this area.
India refused any prescriptive policies on the use of coal on behalf of the Global South at the United Nations climate summit held in Dubai in December, environment minister Bhupender Yadav said on Monday. Union minister Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI Photo)

He was speaking at the launch of a book titled Modi Energising A Green Future that has been edited by a number of experts, including RK Pachnanda, chairman of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission, and Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, among others.

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There were talks of seeking permission for coal expansion in India, but the country rejected the move, Yadav said. They said (during the negotiations) for your coal sector you must take permission. We declined. We raised the issue on behalf of the Global South. We also said if there are fossil fuel subsidies for poverty eradication, that should be allowed to continue, the environment minister said.

No country can develop without energy, Yadav said. It is clear that for energy transition, developed countries should make funds available to the Global South and transfer technology, he said.

An Oxfam report has pointed out that there is no definition of climate finance and we do not know how much climate finance has been delivered, Yadav said. This time, after strong advocacy by India and other developing countries, member countries agreed to come up with a definition of climate finance, he added.

At the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, developed countries pledged $100 billion in climate financing for developing nations every year, starting 2020. When the issue of delivering on the commitment of $100 billion came up in Dubai, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said around $90 billion was delivered, Yadav said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi played an important role in forging a consensus that resulted in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Once the pact was agreed upon, India made big commitments to contain the global rise in temperatures through its nationally determined contribution (NDC). Two of the quantitative NDCs were increasing renewable energy capacity to 40% and to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35% by 2030 from 2005 level, Yadav said. India is the only G20 country to have achieved these 2030 goals in 2021.

India has been a voice of the Global South in the global climate negotiations, the minister said. In the past 200 years, developed countries have utilised most of the carbon space, led a very anthropocentric life leading to the crisis of climate change and now they cannot transfer their mitigation burden on developing countries, he said. India is championing this cause for developing countries.

India is focused on increasing renewable energy, hydrogen and biofuels capacity. From a policy perspective, on energy, on desertification of land and on biodiversity, we have policies for all in India, Yadav said. Environmental action should be about access to energy and coexistence. It should be also about mindful consumption.

Yadav and Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar were among the contributors to chapters in the book published by Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation and Pentagon Press.
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on Monday urged all the tourism and trade associations in the country to stop promoting Maldives amid a row over anti-India remarks made by some Maldivian ministers. The chairman of the trade body, Subhash Goyal, issued a statement for all the tourism associations as a patriotic Indian in the larger national interest. Several online travel companies including EaseMyTrip have already suspended all flights to the Maldives.

This is in spite of the fact that Indians are one of the biggest sources of foreign exchange and creation of jobs in the Maldives. Please divert all such enquiries to Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways, and other destinations which can be promoted in the Indian Ocean area are Srilanka, Mauritius, Bali, and Phuket, the ICC chairman wrote in a statement.

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Goyal also appealed to all the Indian carriers operating in Maldives to suspend their operations and think of operating in Lakshadweep islands under the Udaan Scheme.

I appeal to members of FHRAI and the Hotel Association of India to seriously look at investing in Lakshadweep islands as in the future it will give you better returns on your investment than Maldives. I have already asked STIC Travels to stop selling Maldives, the statement read.

Online travel company EaseMyTrip has suspended all flight bookings to the Maldives. On Monday, MakeMyTrip claimed that a massive 3400 per cent surge was recorded in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the union territory.

India-Maldives row

A massive controversy erupted last week after the deputy minister of Maldives, along with some other ministers, made racist remarks targeting India and mocked Modi's attempt to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist destination. The comments also triggered Indians on social media, with several people, including celebrities, joining the call to boycott the island nation.

As India took up the issue with Male, the Maldivian government distanced itself from the derogatory remarks made by the leaders saying their opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives.

The government believes that the freedom of expression should be exercised in a democratic and responsible manner, and in ways that do not spread hatred, and negativity, and hinder close relationships between the Maldives and international partners. The relevant authorities of the government will not hesitate to take action against those who make such derogatory remarks, the Maldives government said in a statement.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Maldivian authorities suspended three ministers - Mariyam Shiuna, Malsha Shareef, and Mahzoom Majid - for their anti-India remarks.
New Delhi The 14th and the final round of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK will enter the last lap from Wednesday and are likely to take up remaining issues such as business mobility, Scotch whiskey, automobiles, farm products, pharmaceuticals, rules of origin, and a separate pact to boost bilateral investments, three officials with direct knowledge of the matter said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with UK PM Rishi Sunak during the COP28 in December.(PTI)

The new round of negotiations, scheduled to start on January 10, is expected to be the most difficult because of technical issues and sensitivities, they said, requesting anonymity. We expect that this could be the final round and possibly political leaderships from both sides may intervene in case of a stalemate, one official said.

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We already held a long 13th round and resolved almost all matters barring some of the contentious matters. The most difficult part comes always at the end in all such negotiations. However, an amicable resolution of all concerns raised by both parties are must for the success of any trade pact, a second person said.

Also Read | Rajnath Singh arrives in UK for defence, security dialogue

The 13th round of negotiations for the trade pact took place from September 18 to December 15.

One of the key issues is business mobility, a third official said. India wants easier movement of its professionals in the UK, which should not be mistaken by asking for a liberal immigration rules, he said. Indias demand of liberalising business mobility for short-duration visits is only to facilitate trade between the two countries, particularly in services, and it is not related to the larger emigration issue, he added.

Indian industry was unwilling to offer import duty concessions to British manufacturers without London allowing easier mobility for Indian professionals, HT reported on October 3. If business mobility, or easier temporary movement of Indian professionals to the UK for business purposes, is taken out of the negotiations, there wont be any significant gain for India as most Indian goods (more than 60% of total merchandise) already have duty-free access to the UK market, and most of the other items attract a low tariff of 5%, the report said.

The UK is seeking greater access to the Indian market for items such as dairy products, automobiles including electric vehicles, and Scotch whiskey. India has a high import duty on automobiles (100%) and whiskey (150%). Indian industry has expressed its willingness to substantially reduce tariffs in automobiles and whiskey, provided London reciprocates as per the Indian conditions.

They must treat premium Indian whiskies at par with Scotch on a reciprocal basis, as some Indian brands are more popular than regular Scotch brands, the third officialsaid. London is not willing to classify an Indian product as a whiskey unless matured for at least three years, headded. In the Indian climatic condition, 12-18 months are enough. Beyond that the losses (due to evaporation) would make Indian products unviable, he said.

The India-UK FTA negotiations was launched on January 13, 2022 and 24 out of total 26 chapters have been mutually agreed and the two partners converge on many points in the remaining chapters, he said. The talks are lingering, initially due to a change in the leadership in the UK, and later due to the differences between the two sides over violent protests by Khalistani elements in London and other British cities.

Compared to the ongoing talks with the UK, India expeditiously concluded two major FTAs in 2022. The first round of negotiations for a India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was held on September, 2021, the FTA was signed February 18, 2022 and it entered into force from May 1, 2022. Similarly, negotiations for India-Australia FTA started on September 30, 2021 and concluded on a fast-track basis by the end of March 2022. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) was signed on April 2, 2022. The pact was ratified by the parliaments of the two countries in November that year and the FTA was operationalised on December 29, 2022. Now the two countries are pursuing a wider deal, a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
Hyderabad: The plan to build three capitals for Andhra Pradesh will remain unrealised in the current tenure of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy because the Supreme Court has declined to entertain his governments petition to settle the legal dispute over the issue till April, people familiar with the matter said. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy (ANI)

Last week, there were two important developments in the apex court in regard to the state governments plan to build three capitals  administrative capital at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati and judicial capital at Kurnool -- instead of a single capital city at Amaravati, as was proposed by the previous Telugu Desam Party government headed by N Chandrababu Naidu.

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In the first development, a division bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices Sanjeev Khanna and Deepankar Dutta on January 3 refused to entertain a plea to take up an urgent hearing on a special leave petition filed by the state government on September 17, 2022, that challenged the verdict of the state high court of March 3, 2022, declaring Amaravati as the only capital.

The two-judge bench said it would take a decision only after hearing the arguments of both the sides comprehensively in April. Andhra Pradesh will most likely elect a new government in March or latest by April.

The state had every right to decide the location of its capital and there was nothing in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act that said the state should have only one capital, the counsel argued on behalf of the state government.

The state government had in November 2021 withdrawn its earlier bill on the formation of three capitals, he pointed out. Therefore, the high court verdict against three capitals had no validity, he argued.

But the top courts bench said there was no scope for granting a stay on the high court judgement without hearing the arguments of the respondents, the farmers of Amaravati in this case. The bench gave four weeks to the respondents to present their counter arguments before posting the case for further hearing to April.

In the second development, the same division bench on January 5 turned down another plea of the state government petition for an urgent hearing on its petition challenging the high court order stalling construction of some 50,000 houses for weaker sections of society in the new residential zone (R-5 zone) of Amaravati by changing its master plan.

This zone was previously earmarked for industries, businesses and other commercial purposes in the master plan for the Amaravati capital area. Farmers in Amaravati opposed the change and moved the high court in July 2023, which on August 3 granted a stay on the housing project.

The bench deferred the hearing on the special leave petition to April, when it will also hear the petitions on the Amaravati issue, indicating that there will be a status quo on the housing programme.

The houses were sanctioned by the central government on plots already distributed among the beneficiaries, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued for the state government. The Supreme Court bench, however, said there was no hurry in the construction and posted further hearing on the issue in April.

In a related development, the state high court on December 23 granted a stay on the governments plan to shift the chief ministers camp office and that of all his cabinet colleagues to Visakhapatnam on the pretext of reviewing the developmental programmes in north coastal Andhra region. It was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Amaravati farmers, who challenged the governments decision and its impact on Amaravati.

Fate of three capitals stymied

The developments in the Supreme Court and the state high court have virtually put paid to Jagan Mohan Reddys ambitious plan to form three capitals for the state, at least during his present tenure.

There are indications that the elections to the state assembly in Andhra Pradesh are likely to be held in the last week of March. In 2019, the assembly elections were held on April 11. Since the Supreme Court deferred the hearing on three capitals issue to April, there is no possibility of the chief minister implementing his decision or even shift his camp office to Visakhapatnam till the state elections are held.

The three capitals plan is now a gone case. There might be some hope for Jagan to revive it only if he comes back to power for a second term by winning the assembly elections, but only subject to a positive verdict from the Supreme Court, said Mallu Rajesh, political analyst based in Visakhapatnam. If the YSRCP (YSR Congress Party) loses the elections and the TDP comes back to power, Naidu will certainly withdraw the SLP in the Supreme Court and go ahead with the development of Amaravati as the capital city.

The TDP chief, addressing a rally at Tiruvuru in Krishna district on Sunday, said that it was unfortunate that Andhra Pradesh had no capital city for the past five years due to lopsided policies of the state government. Had Amaravati city been completed, it would have become another Cyberabad by now. In another three months, the TDP would come to power and develop Amaravati as a world-class city, Naidu said.

The plan was getting delayed due to legal hurdles, said Y V Subba Reddy, YSRCPs in-charge in Visakhapatnam. Jagan will start functioning from Visakhapatnam soon after overcoming all the legal hurdles, he said.
The Union government will facilitate the setting up of one cooperative society in every village, which can now enter the retail pharma business and bridge healthcare gaps in rural India by dispensing inexpensive generic medicines, Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah said on Monday. Union home minister Amit Shah arrives to chair the 'National PACS Mega Conclave' on Primary Agricultural Credit Societies as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday (ANI)

India will have nearly 200,000 primary agricultural cooperative societies or PACS in the next five years, up from about 63,000 now, which will act as business centres and boost the rural economy, Shah said, launching a national conclave of cooperative societies with representatives from five states.

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Shah said 241 PACS have so far opened Jan Aushadi Kendras, or state-backed generic drug stores, across the country that will ensure rural poor and farmers avail the benefits of generic medicines at affordable rates.

Opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras through PACS would strengthen PACS as cooperative organisations, besides expanding the reach of quality and affordable medicines, said Union health and fertilisers minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who also addressed the event.

The Modi government had passed the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in August last year to modernize the countrys nearly 100-year-old cooperative sector. A cooperative is a business jointly owned by members of the entity who share profits and losses. Indias largest dairy brand Amul for instance runs on a cooperative model.

Also Read | Now rural poor can get affordable medicines through Jan Aushadi Kendra: Amit Shah

There are over 800,000 cooperatives in the country, out of which 63000 operate as PACS. So far, the governments Jan Aushadi Kendras were largely in cities benefiting the urban poor. Now this benefit is being extended to the rural poor, Shah said.

Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadi Kendras, a chain of generic drug stores, provide generic medicines to general public, which cost 50-90 per cent less than their branded versions.

In the last six months, 4,470 applications from PACS were received. Out of these, in-principle approval has been given to 2,373 PACS. Around 241 of them have started operating Jan Aushadi Kendras, Shah said.

Shah further said despite India being a top global supplier of medicines, about 600 million poor people cant afford medicines. However, the Modi government took steps to streamline Jan Aushadi Kendras to ensure the poor get medicines at a lower price.

Shah gave store code certificates to representatives of five PACS at the event. PACS have been able to expand their business activities to open Jan Aushadi Kendras due to a set of new model byelaws that every state has adopted, he said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.

Also Read | No operators for Janaushadhi stores at three Chandigarh hospitals

In the past 9 years, the poor have been able to save approximately 26,000 crores of through the Jan Aushadhi Kendras, Shah said.

More than 2,000 types of generic medicines and around 300 surgical items are made available through these kendras to citizens at affordable prices.

Our PACS now runs a common service centre, which offers facilities such as rail ticket reservations. We are also running a Jan Aushadhi store from this month, said Vimal Pradhan, a PACS president from Himachal Pradesh, who attended the event.

Shah said cancer medicines, which cost about 2,250 in the open market are sold at 250 in these generic stores. Why PACS were shutting down? The main reason was that in the byelaws of PACS there was no provision to do other business activities apart from agri-credit. So, we came out with a model byelaw including a provision to do 22 different activities, Shah said.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has been issued a notice by party's Tamil Nadu disciplinary committee over his remarks comparing the popularity of Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported news agency ANI. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram(PTI)

Disciplinary panel chief KR Ramasamy issued the show-cause notice to the son of former Union home minister P Chidambaram after the latter reportedly claimed that PM Modi is more popular than Rahul Gandhi during a television interview with a Tamil news channel, according to NDTV.

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During the interview, he also expressed his faith in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), while the Congress actively opposed the use of EVMs, citing concerns about their reliability.

On Monday, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh expressed his dissatisfaction over the response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) over concerns related to EVMs. Last month, he had written to the poll body seeking appointment for a delegation of INDIA bloc parties, to put forth their views on the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

Karti Chidambaram last week appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the issuance of Chinese visas.

Dubbing the ED summons as routine drills and 'futile exercise', the Congress MP fromTamil Nadu's Sivaganga said, "These are routine drills with the (Lok Sabha) elections now approaching. There's not much else to it. I have answered many summonses before. This was just a repeat of what I had already done before. It's a futile exercise."

The Congress leader is alleged to have received 50 lakh to illegally facilitate visas for 263 Chinese nationals to complete work on a power project in Punjab.

The probe agency filed a money laundering case in the Chinese visa 'scam' case in May 2023.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chouhan on Tuesday said that the photos disappear from hoardings just like horns from a donkeys head' when a person is no longer holding a top post.



Addressing an event of spiritual movement Brahma Kumaris in Bhopal, Chouhan said,"Life is filled with joy when we set a goal to do work for others. I still don't have time. I am constantly busy. It is good that we are getting a chance to work away from politics. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.(ANI file)

"There are leaders like Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) who live for the country. But there are many who see colours. If you are a Chief Minister, (such people say) 'bhaisahab your feet and hands are like a lotus'. But when one is no longer (on the chief minister's post), (his) photos disappear from hoardings like the horns from a donkey's head," PTI quoted the BJP veteran as saying.



Chouhan, 64, stepped down as the chief minister to make way for Mohan Yadav last month. The change of guard took place after the Bharatiya Janata Party recorded a landslide victory in the assembly elections held last year, winning 163 out of 230 seats. The Congress finished a distant second with a seat tally of 66.

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But this is not the first time when Chouhan has quipped about losing the CM post after helming the state on four occasions. Recently, the BJP leader had said that sometimes one has to go on vanvas after coronation.



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, he had told a gathering in his constituency Budhni.
Hyderabad, Jan 9 (PTI) Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has decided to embark on a tour of all districts in the state after January 26. HT Image

Reddy, who is also the state Congress president, met leaders of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Hyderabad districts separately here and exhorted them to work hard for the party's victory in the upcoming general elections, a release from his office said Monday night.

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His first public meeting as part of the party's poll campaign will be held at Indravelli in Adilabad district.

Reddy had attended his first mammoth public meeting in Indravelli after taking charge as the Telangana PCC president in 2021.

Now, he will attend the first public meeting in Indravelli after assuming office as Chief Minister.

Unlike the former Chief Minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao), Revanth Reddy said he would be accessible to MLAs (after January 26), the release said.

The CM would be available to the MLAs in the Secretariat three days a week between 4 pm and 6 pm every day.

Reddy called on party leaders to work with more enthusiasm in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

"CM Revanth has set a target to win more than 12 out of 17 MP seats for the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana," it added.

The Congress had won three seats in Telangana in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The celebrated music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan, undergoing treatment for prostate cancer at a hospital in Kolkata passed away on Wednesday. The 55-year-old artist, was on a ventilator and was receiving oxygen support. Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan

"We tried our best but failed. He passed away at around 3:45 PM," an official of the private hospital where Khan was admitted said.

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Speaking about Rashid Khan's death, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said, "This is a great loss for the entire country and the entire music fraternity. I am in a lot of pain as I still can't believe that Rashid Khan is no more."

The musician's health took a downturn after experiencing a cerebral attack last month. The 55-year-old from the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana initially received treatment at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. However, at a subsequent stage, he opted to continue his treatment exclusively in Kolkata. According to sources, Khan was initially responding positively to the treatment.

Born in Uttar Pradesh's Badayun Rashid Khan, who is also the nephew of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, received his initial training from his maternal grand-uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (19091993).

His musical talents were first recognized by his uncle, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, who provided initial training in Mumbai. However, the primary training was received from Nissar Hussain Khan, initially at his residence in Badayun.

At the age of eleven, Rashid Khan delivered his debut concert, and in the subsequent year, 1978, he graced the stage at an ITC concert in Delhi. Following this, in April 1980, when Nissar Hussain Khan transitioned to the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) in Calcutta, Rashid Khan, at the age of 14, also became a part of the academy.

Khan ventured into blending classical Hindustani music with lighter musical genres and engaged in experimental collaborations, including concerts with Western instrumentalist Louis Banks. Additionally, he showcased his versatility by participating in jugalbandis, sharing the stage with sitarist Shahid Parvez and other musicians.

(With inputs from PTI)
Delhi's Patiala House court on Tuesday granted permission to NewsClick's human resources (HR) department chief Amit Chakravarty to turn an approver in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case lodged against the news portal over allegations of receiving foreign funds through Chinese firms to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. NewsClick HR Head Amit Chakravarty (HT_PRINT)

The court also granted pardon to Chakravarty over an application he recently moved to seek the court's permission to turn an approver. Chakravarty's move could spell trouble for NewsClick's editor-in-chief and founder Prabir Purkayastha.

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The HR head also claimed that he was in possession of "material information" about the case which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police.

The development came days after the court granted Delhi Police a 60-day extension of judicial custody to complete its investigation into the case against Chakravarty and Purkayastha.

Both the accused were arrested in October last year after the police concluded raids at around 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states including residences of journalists associated with the news portal.

They were charged with terrorism under UAPA, while, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted its searches on the firm's premises. A case under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) has also been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to the FIR, the news portal was being allegedly funded by Chinese firms to propagate pro-China agenda. It also alleged Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the police.

(With inputs from agencies)
WAJIMA, Japan  Thousands of people made homeless by a powerful earthquake on the western coast of Japan were coping with weariness and uncertainty a week after the temblor left at least 180 dead and dozens missing.

The rescue effort since the magnitude 7.6 New Years Day quake has drawn thousands of troops, firefighters and police, who picked through collapsed buildings Monday hoping to find survivors.

Authorities warned of the danger of landslides, exacerbated by a heavy snowfall, around the quake's epicenter on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The landscape blanketed in fluffy white revealed burned and crumbled houses, ashen blocks of a city, highways with gaping holes and cracks.

The deaths included 70 people in Wajima, 70 in Suzu, 18 in Anamizu and the rest were spread among four other towns. At least 323 people were still unaccounted for, a jump from some 100 earlier in the day as rescuers pore over a list of the region's population. Another 565 people were injured, and 1,390 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged.

A tsunami of several feet followed the initial major quake, adding to the damage. Aftershocks have continued daily.

Japanese meteorological officials warned strong quakes could persist for another month. Their frequency, while gradually diminishing, remained high compared to past quakes, totaling more than 1,000.

For the residents, recovery work has barely started. Shuji Yoshiura, a fisherman, said his boats were damaged and he could not go out on the sea.

Before the quake, Wajima was a tourist town with a shopping street offering seafood and traditional crafts. Much of it was destroyed in the fires that broke out after the Jan. 1 disaster.

Kentaro Mitsumori, who runs a corner grocery shop, slept in his car with his wife to guard against looting. Their store still stands but has no lock, electricity or running water. Everything sold out in three days. But he plans to close his business.

Even if I manage to fix up the place, there just arent going to be enough customers. I dont know how Wajima can survive, he said.

Nearly 30,000 people staying in schools, auditoriums and other evacuation centers worried about infections as cases of COVID-19 and other illnesses popped up.

In the shelters, people were still sleeping on cold floors. After initial help of a piece of bread and a cup of water for each person a day, more aid is allowing some facilities to begin serving hot food cooked in huge pots.

People were delighted by the temporary bathing facilities set up by soldiers, sitting in the hot water they had missed for days.

Still, exhaustion and stress are wearing them down. Many are in mourning. The main quake struck on New Years Day, a time for families to gather in Japan. Some survivors said they were all alone because they lost their loved ones.

Mizue Kaba, 79, was lucky she survived, as did her daughter, son-in-law and grandson, who were visiting on New Year's from Osaka in central Japan.

Kaba is sleeping at a school, and no one is sure what might happen when schools open in a week after the New Years break.

Three stoves were not enough to heat the school's big hall, and more heaters arrived.

Its so cold, Kaba said.

Photos: Earthquake hits western Japan, triggering tsunami warnings
Indias economic growth in 2023-24, the last year of the second Narendra Modi government, is expected to be 7.3% as per the first advanced estimates released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on January 5. To be sure, we only have actual GDP numbers until the September quarte

India would have been the fastest growing major economy in the world even with a 6.3% GDP growth.(iStock Photo)
The Centre on Tuesday asked the Manipur government to evaluate the representation to delist Kukis from the list of scheduled tribes of the state. A police patrol party in a violence-hit area of Manipur. (AFP)

Imphal-based Maheshwar Thounaojam, national secretary of Republican Party of India (Athawale), had filed a representation asking for delisting Kuki-Zo tribals from list of SC/ST.

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According to letter shared by Thounaojam, the letter has been forwarded by ministry of tribal affairs to the state government as its view is needed.

In this regard it is to state that Scheduled Tribes are notified under Article 342 of the Constitution. Government of India had on 15.6.1999 (and further revised on 25.6.2002 and 14.9.2022) approved modalities for determining claims for inclusion in and other modifications in the list of STs, the letter stated.



"Only proposals recommended and justified by the State government concerned and agreed to by the RGI as well as NCST are considered for amendment of legislaton," the tribal affairs ministry's letter stated.



In a Facebook post, Thounaojam said,"Today I got the reply to my letter submitted to the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs regarding deletion of the Nomadic Chin Kuki from the list of Schedule Tribe of Manipur, the Ministry said that modifications related to ST list must be recommended and justified by the State Government and later should be recommended by the Registrar General of India (RGI) as well as National Commission for Schedule Tribe(NCST)."



Manipur has been battling ethnic violence since May 3 last year when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for ST status. More than 180 people have been killed and several hundreds injured in it.
The civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said that one Indian B737Max aircraft was found with a lose hardware and an action for rectifying it is in process. Boeing had recommended all the airlines to conduct an inspection of their B737 Max fleet after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance. (Representative Image)

This came in after an international operator, on December 28, had discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance. As a result of this, Boeing had recommended all the airlines to conduct an inspection of their B737 Max fleet.

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DGCA said that based on information from an operator of a missing nut and washer in the Aft Rudder Quadrant (a metal fitting) on a Boeing 737 MAX airplane, Boeing recommended a one-time inspection of all Boeing 737 MAX airplanes before January 10 for possible loose hardware.

Inspections on 39 aircraft (out of 40) have been completed with nil findings except on one aircraft wherein a missing washer was found, DGCA said.

Rectification action as per recommendations of Boeing has been taken prior to release of this aircraft, it added.

A comment on the development from Boeing is awaited.

Inspection on the remaining one aircraft will be completed prior to release for service, the regulator added.

As per the DGCA, India has a fleet of 40 Boeing 737 Max which is operated by Akasa (22), SpiceJet (9) and Air India Express (9).

However, in a statement issued on December 30, Boeing said, The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied.

It had, however, out of an abundance of caution, recommended operators to inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and inform them of any findings.

We have informed the FAA (of the US) and will continue to keep them aware of our progress, it said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he arrives to take part in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. PM Modi and UAE President will hold a roadshow in Ahmedabad.

PM Modi in Gujarat highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Ahmedabad for a two-day visit to Gujarat, where he will be inaugurating the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The summit will be held from January 10 to 12, 2024. This year's theme for the summit is Gateway to the Future....Read More

Announcing his visit to Gujarat today, PM Modi wrote on X, Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this Summit. The coming of my brother, HH Mohamed Bin Zayed is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarats growth and created opportunities for several people.

Not just PM Modi, but UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also attended the event today. PM Modi will also embark on a roadshow in Ahmedabad after receiving the UAE President at the airport on Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday, PM Modi met with top CEOs and business leaders.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the heads of state of Mozambique and Timor-Leste on the margins of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit on Tuesday and discussed ways to bolster bilateral ties and cooperation with both countries. Mozambique President Nyusi thanked Modi for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 (X/)

At his meeting with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Modi expressed his commitment to support the countrys development priorities and suggested the two sides can enhance air connectivity to boost business and people-to-people relations.

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The two leaders discussed ways to further bilateral ties, including in defence, counter-terrorism, energy, health, trade and investment, agriculture, water security, mining, capacity building and maritime cooperation, the external affairs ministry said in a readout.

Nyusi thanked Modi for the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. He also thanked India for backing various development projects and capacity building programmes and for its support in maritime security.

The two leaders also discussed issues related to cooperation at multilateral forums, including the UN. Modi appreciated Nyusis participation in the Voice of the Global South Summit in January and November 2023.

At his meeting with President Jose Ramos Horta, the first head of state or government of Timor-Leste to visit India, Modi reaffirmed Indias commitment to build a vibrant Delhi-Dili connect. In September 2023, India announced the opening of its mission in Timor-Leste.

Modi offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare. He invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the external affairs ministry said in a separate readout.

Horta sought Indias support in meeting Timor-Lestes development priorities, particularly in healthcare and capacity building in IT.

Modi congratulated Horta for the in-principle decision by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope that the full membership will be attained soon. The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific and continued cooperation in multilateral forums.

Modi appreciated Timor-Lestes participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit and the leaders agreed that developing countries should synergise their position on global issues.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday reacted to the ongoing diplomatic tensions with Maldives over derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the latter takes everything 'personally' after he came to power in 2014. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge(ANI)

"After Narendra Modi came to power, he is taking everything personally. At the international level, we should keep a good relationship with our neighbours...We should act according to time...We cannot change our neighbours..." news agency ANI quoted Kharge as saying.

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The party president also urged for having good relations with the neighbouring nations.

However, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar came out in support of PM Modi and condemned the derogatory remarks. He said that one should respect the prime minister's post and any such comments won't be accepted.

He is the Prime Minister of our country and if anyone from any other country holding any position makes such comments on our PM, we won't accept it. We must respect the PM's post. We won't accept anything against the Prime Minister from outside the country, ANI quoted Pawar as saying.

A controversy was erupted after three Maldivian leaders Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, made derogatory remarks against PM Modi and mocked his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

India strongly raised the matter with Male and the island nation's top opposition leaders slammed the ruling establishment over the row. Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed also denounced the comments as "appalling" against PM Modi.

In a now-deleted post, Shiuna made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi. A council member Zahid Rameez also mocked the Indian leader. The remarks triggered a furious response in India, with the Maldives government rejecting the derogatory remarks, stating that they did not represent the views of Male.

Last week, the Maldivian government also suspended three deputy ministers who made the derogatory social media posts against PM Modi.

On January 2, PM Modi visited the union territory and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkelling. In his visit to Lakshadweep, he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than 1,150 crore.

(With inputs from ANI)
Police in Dehradun, during their investigation into the Reliance Jewellery showroom robbery case in the city, foiled a heist planned in Mehsana, Gujarat and arrested one of the members of the Bihar-based gang that was behind a spate of robberies across states, officers aware of the matter said. HT Image

The accused was identified as Vikas Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur. Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dehradun Ajai Singh said that the probe pointed them to a wider nexus that involved meticulously planned heists in different parts of the country. Our multiple teams have been conducting raids in different states and gathering relevant information for our investigation into the Reliance Jewellery showroom. We got an input that members of a Bihar-based gang, run by key accused in the Dehradun robbery case Shashank Singh (25), who worked with jewel thief Subodh Kumar, were planning to carry out a major robbery in Mehsana, SSP Singh said.

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We shared this information without counterparts in Gujarat and stationed a team there. After collection of necessary inputs about the accused, we arrested Vikas Kumar, a member of Shashanks gang, in a joint operation with Gujarat Police when he was on the recce of the jewellery store on their radar, he added.

During questioning, the accused confirmed the plan to carry out a robbery at the jewellery store, and that he was staking out the area for several days, the SSP said.

According to police, the arrested accused was facing three criminal cases in Vaishali and Patna districts of Bihar.

Meanwhile, the Dehradun Police is bringing the key accused in Reliance Jewellery showroom robbery case, Shashank, to the city on a three-day transit remand. The accused was lodged in Beur jail in Patna before getting bail on January 6. Hours later, he was arrested from a public place, said a police officer privy to the investigation.

He (Shashank) revealed he along with Subodh had targeted Manappuram Gold showroom in Barrackpore, West Bengal and robbed 28kg of gold in 2016. Then they targeted the Muthoot Finance branch in Asansol and robbed 55kg of gold in 2017. However, the two parted ways and operated their gangs separately, Singh said.

So far, 11 accused have been arrested in the case.

On November 9, five people robbed jewellery worth at least 14 crore from a Reliance Jewellery showroom in Dehradun.

The recovery of the loot continues to remain a challenge for the investigators. Were are working on it. The way they operate, its hard to connect the dots, the SSP had earlier said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the security establishment during the annual police and intelligence chiefs conference that concluded to Sunday to create joint task forces (JTFs) in the northeastern states for counter-insurgency operations along the lines of those in the left-wing extremism (LWE) theatre, people familiar the development said on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the government officials to visit the last border villages so that the local population feels safe (ANI)

The JTFs, officials who didnt want to be named, may be formed between the states, central paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies for coordinated operations to give a blow to the insurgents, particularly those operating in areas bordering Myanmar and flee to the other side after carrying out attacks.

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A similar format is currently followed in states affected by left-wing extremism, with forces of several states including Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Jharkhand often carrying out operations jointly with the paramilitary forces.

Also Read | PM Modi lauds Navy commandos for pulling off daring rescue

A blueprint for the JTFs in the north-east will soon be prepared. It could be two states like Assam and Arunachal Pradesh coming together, or Manipur and Nagaland joining hands to carry out operations, said one of the officers cited above.

The JTFs, said a second officer, will deal with a whole gamut of security challenges like insurgent groups, illegal entry of persons, drugs and gold smuggling, etc.

The people cited above added the Myanmar situation and free-movement regime (FMR) at this border was also discussed in detail in one of the sessions during the director generals of police/inspector generals of police (DGPs/IGPs) conference. Under the FMR with Myanmar which borders four Indian states -- Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh -- every member of the hill tribes, who is either a citizen of India or a citizen of Myanmar and who is resident of any area within 16km on either side of the international boundary can cross the border on production of a pass with on years validity and can stay up to two weeks per visit.

The government is planning to end the FMR to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, as reported by HT last week.

Apart from the JTFs, illegal immigration and drugs smuggling activities at the Indo-Myanmar border, there was discussion on Chinas activities as well, said the second officer.

The PM has asked the government officials to visit the last border villages so that the local population feels safe.

Besides, the PM asked the police and intelligence chiefs of to think imaginatively to convey the emotional spirit behind recently enacted three criminal laws, which he said were framed with a citizens first approach.

The three-day annual conference was held in Jaipur from January 5 to 7, in which discussions took place on various national security issues and progress on last years agenda points.
Extending a "sincere apology" for the hurt caused by the derogatory remarks by some of its deputy ministers against the Indian Prime Minister and Indians, the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) on Tuesday urged EaseMyTrip CEO Nishant Pitti to re-open flight bookings to Maldives, ANI reported. A general view shows people at a beach in Maldives' Hulhumale on December 26.(AFP)

In a letter to EaseMyTrip co-founder Prashant Pitti, MATATO said that the now-suspended ministers do not reflect the sentiments of Maldivians in general.

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We want you to know that the bonds connecting our nations transcend politics. We consider our Indian counterparts not just as business associates but as cherished brothers and sisters, it said in the letter.

The body said that tourism stands as the lifeblood of the Maldives, contributing over two-thirds of our GDP and providing livelihoods to approximately 44,000 Maldivians who work directly in the tourism sector.

"The potential adverse impact on tourism holds the power to unleash severe repercussions on our economy, affecting the lives and well-being of many, the body added in the letter, , according to ANI.

It added that MATATO feels compelled to underscore the paramount importance of foresting ties with all countries, particularly with South Asian neighbours.

We firmly believe the collaborative efforts and open communication are essential in preserving friendly relations, facilitating trade, and encouraging cultural exchanges between our nation to remain strong and unhindered, the travel body of Maldives said.

Amid an online campaign to boycott Maldives, EasemyTripon Monday announced to suspend all Maldives flight bookings.

Standing in support of India, Pitti, the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the online travel company, wrote on social media X (formally Twitter): In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings.

The EaseMyTrip CEO also asked the travellers to Say no to Maldives bookings and explore the wonders of Ayodhya and Lakshadweep.

Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles. We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited! he had added.

India-Maldives row



On Sunday, the Maldivian government suspended three deputy ministers for derogatory social media posts against Prime Minister Modi following a backlash with India strongly raising the matter with Male and the island nation's top opposition leaders slamming the ruling establishment over the row.

The three deputy ministers criticised Modi for his post on 'X' following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

Several Maldivian media outlets, quoting officials, reported that deputy ministers in the youth ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, have been suspended over their posts. The controversy erupted on a day President Dr Mohamed Muizzu embarked on a week-long visit to China.

All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their post effective immediately, said Ibrahim Khaleel, spokesperson for the President of Maldives.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side had conveyed its concerns over the derogatory remarks to the Maldives.

Following his recent visit to Lakshadweep, Modi highlighted the stunning beauty of the islands and the incredible warmth of its people in a post on X and said: For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.

This spurred several posts on social media urging Indians to visit Lakshadweep instead of the Maldives because of the pro-China tilt of the government in Male. Muizzu, who assumed office last November, also broke with convention by announcing recently that he would visit China before travelling to India. New Delhi is usually the first port of call for Maldivian presidents but Turkey was the first country to which Muizzu made a bilateral visit.
PANAJI: Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old founder of a tech startup arrested on Monday on charges of killing her four-year-old son at a Goa hotel, was upset about an adverse court ruling in connection with her childs custody, a Goa police officer said on Tuesday. Police said investigators are yet to piece together the sequence of events that led to the little boys death. (videograb/PTI video)

Seth, chief executive officer of AI Mindful Lab, was arrested in Karnatakas Chitradurga district 400km from the Goa hotel with the body of her four-year-old stuffed into one of her luggage.

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She has said that she was not on good terms with her husband and there is a divorce proceeding which is at the final stages. She said there was a recent court order concerning the custody of the child which she was not happy with, North Goa superintendent of police Nidhin Valsan said, citing the initial round of questioning of the woman.

Valsan said her husband, who was in Indonesia, had been told to come to Goa to record his statement in connection with his sons murder

Valsan said police teams were yet to piece together the sequence of events that led to the little boys murder.

Suchana Seth, who describes herself as a data scientist and an artificial intelligence ethics expert on her LinkedIn page, flew from Bengaluru to Goa with her son on January 6 and checked into the Sol Banyan Grande hotel in North Goas Candolim. Her reservation was till January 10.

Valsan said the child may have died on January 7.

The officer said Suchana Seth called the front desk past midnight and called them to book her a cab that could take her home to Bengaluru.

The hotel staff suggested that she travel by flight. It would have been cheaper and faster. Bengaluru was about 600km away and it would take about 11 hours by road. There were many flights including some in the morning that she could take.

But she insisted she wanted to go by taxi. The hotel arranged an Innova taxi and she left the hotel at about 1am on January 8 (night intervening Sunday and Monday), Valsan said. Her son wasnt with her when she left.

As the hotel staffers learnt later, the little boy was in one of the bags that she took back.

The hotels cleaning staff raised an alarm the following morning after they spotted blood stains in the room.

The Calangute police station officers questioned the hotel staff who confirmed her suspicious behaviour the previous night. A police officer phoned Seth to enquire about her sons whereabouts.

She initially told the police she had left her son with a friend at Margao in south Goa. But the address that she gave was on verification found to be fake. We called the cab driver and told him to drive to the nearest police station. She was arrested at the Aimangala police station of Karnataka Police in Chitradurga district, a police officer said.

The childs body was found stuffed in a luggage bag following which Seth was detained by the Aimangala police, Valsan said.

We have produced Seth before a local magistrate and secured a transit remand. She is being brought to Goa for interrogation. The body of the child is preserved at a government hospital in Chitradurga where the postmortem will be conducted, Valsan added.

The Calangute police have been told by their Karnataka counterparts that the child may have been smothered or strangled. It is not clear if the blood stains in the room were of Seth or her child.

Seth earlier worked in the USA where she spent two years at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
Sara O. Naples, the first woman to serve as City of Buffalo corporation counsel, held the highest position a woman had ever attained in city government when she took office in January 1985.

An assistant corporation counsel for seven years before her appointment by Mayor James Griffin, she was unanimously approved by a stubborn Common Council that had turned thumbs down five times on Michael L. Broderick, the mayors first nominee for the post.

If appointments such as this were made by the mayor, we wouldnt have the battles that take place, then-Majority Leader James W. Pitts said.

She succeeded her husband, John J. Naples, who had retired a few months earlier as the citys top lawyer. She served for two years.

Im not a political person, she told Buffalo News reporter Paula Voell after taking office in 1985. Im not a public person either. I havent done anything shocking or surprising. Im a conventional, orthodox sort of person. I just like to do my work.

She died Dec. 21 in her home in Palm Springs, Calif., after a short period of declining health. She was 102.

Born Sara Rose Oronzi in Palermo, Sicily, she was the only child of Nicholas Oronzi, an Italian soldier and policeman, and Pauline Montana Oronzi.

She came to the U.S. as a child and grew up on Buffalos West Side, where her parents operated an embroidery business, producing fancy table linens and wedding attire for wealthy families.

Both my parents were determined I had to excel in school, Mrs. Naples told Voell. They believed strongly in higher education, in a profession. If I came home from school with marks in the high 80s, my parents wondered why they couldnt be in the 90s.

My mother felt my place was in getting an education and playing the piano. And I dont mean sitting down for half an hour to practice. I mean coming home from school at 3 oclock and sitting at the piano until 6.

She became a top student and a piano prodigy, performing at many recitals and social events as a teen. She earned the highest grade average in Hutchinson Central High School, 98.1, during one term in her senior year.

After she graduated at the age of 16 in 1937, her parents encouraged her to study music in Italy. She was enrolled at the Royal Academy in Rome for 18 months until her family called her back to Buffalo in October 1939, fearing that she would be caught up in World War II.

She set aside her musical aspirations and entered the University of Buffalo Law School, the only woman in a class that began with 36 students.

While attending UB, she was associated with the Legal Aid Bureau and attorneys Adrian Block and Isadore Setel, who had offices in the Liberty Bank Building. She continued with their firm after she received her bachelor of law degree in January 1944 and was admitted to the bar the following year. She continued practicing after she was married to John J. Naples in January 1947.

In 1952, she became deputy chief clerk in what was then Erie County Childrens Court and left in 1954 when she became a mother.

Associated with her husbands firm, Naples & Sicherman, while raising their four children, she maintained a limited real estate and surrogate practice, the kind of thing you could adjourn if the sitter didnt show up, she said in 1985.

She then served as in-house counsel for Benderson Development Corp. for five years until 1978, when she went to City Hall and oversaw tax foreclosures.

In retirement, she and her husband moved in Palm Springs in the late 1980s after wintering there for a few years.

Her son Nicholas said she kept proficient on the piano through weekly sessions with a teacher and continued driving until she was 100.

In Buffalo, she was president of the West Side Womens Republican Club and the Womens Counsellors Club of Buffalo, and was an officer in Italian cultural groups.

In Palm Springs, she was active in numerous charitable organizations and was a managing member of her homeowners association. A devout Catholic, she was a lector and Eucharistic minister at Our Lady of Solitude Church in Palm Springs.

Survivors include two daughters, Paula Naples, a realtor in Los Angeles, and Rachel Maria Naples, an actress and writer for film and television; two sons, John, a composer and music director for St. Joseph Cathedral in San Diego, Calif., and Nicholas, a hotel and resort developer and operator; and two grandchildren.

Her niece, Nancy Naples, is a former Erie County comptroller. Her husband died in 2002.

A celebration of her life was Jan. 10 in Forest Lawn Mortuary, Cathedral City, Calif.
Artificial intelligence startup's chief executive officer Suchana Seth, who was arrested for allegedly killing her four-year-old son in a service apartment in North Goa, had tried to commit suicide after the gruesome act, police said.



Seth, who hails from West Bengal and had been living in Bengaluru, was arrested by the Goa Police from Chitradurga in Karnataka. She has been sent to police custody for six days by a local Goa court.



After smothering her son to death in a room at the service apartment in Candolim, Seth reportedly cut her left wrist with a sharp object, a senior police officer told PTI.



According to police, Seth told the interrogators that she and her husband were estranged and the divorce proceedings were underway. The 39-year-old chief executive was also upset over the custody battle for her son. Suchana Seth, CEO of Bengaluru-based The Mindful AI Lab, who is accused of killing her son, being brought to Mapusa Court in North Goa,(PTI)

The police official said that the blood stains found on a towel in the apartment were due to the slashing of her wrist. After allegedly killing her son, Seth had stuffed the body in a bag and left for Bengaluru in a taxi on Monday.



The hotel staff, who went to clean the room, found blood stains on the towel. The hotel management informed the Calangute Police. A police official dialled up the taxi driver and asked him to take the accused to the nearest police station in Chitradurga.



A Goa Police team reached the Karnataka town and got Suchana Seth on a transit remand. "The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained. We have got six days police custody of the accused and we will thoroughly interrogate her," the official said.



ALSO READ: Why did Suchana Seth kill 4-year-old son? Where is her husband?



Seth has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act, said the official.



According to Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan, Seth's husband is from Kerala. He is currently in Jakarta (Indonesia) and has been informed about the incident.
Amidst the ongoing standoff between the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan and the state government on the appointment of vice chancellors to three universities, governor R N Ravi on Tuesday withdrew three notifications he had issued last year on the matter. Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi. (File)

The governor is hopeful that the government will now constitute search committees including a nominee of UGC (University Grants Commission) chairman in line with the judgments of constitutional courts, the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

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However, he also sought that the state withdraws its three notifications and go forward by issuing fresh notifications for constituting search committees in line with the UGC regulations 2018 and judgments of the Supreme Court and high courts.

Governor Ravi cited a judgement of the Madras high court from December 19 last year directing the Government of Puducherry and the Puducherry Technological University to take immediate measures to amend statutory provisions governing the varsity to bring it in conformity with the UGC Regulations 2018.

In view of this clear enunciation of the law, the Honble Governor of Tamil Nadu, in his capacity as Chancellor of the Universities concerned is confident that in deference to constitutional proprietary and legality, the Government of Tamil Nadu would withdraw its Notifications the Raj Bhavans statement said, adding, ..and awaits appropriate action from the Government of Tamil Nadu at the earliest in this regard to ensure that the cause of higher education and (the) future of several hundred thousand students in the State are not adversely affected.

Last November, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court petition challenging the notifications issued by the governor who is also the chancellor of the state-run universities. Following a direction by the top court to chief minister M K Stalin and governor to meet to iron out pending issues, the former led a delegation of senior ministers and bureaucrats to the Raj Bhavan on December 31.

This issue began on September 6, when the governor announced that three search-cum selection committees to appoint vice-chancellors to the University of Madras, Bharathiar University in Coimbatore and the Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University in Chennai will be constituted. He also introduced a fourth member in the committee by nominating a person on behalf of the Chairman of the UGC. Hitherto, the process was that the governor, government and the university would appoint a nominee each to form a three-member search-cum selection committee.

On September 13, the higher education department under the then minister K Ponmudy (who has been disqualified from his post after being convicted in a corruption case in December 2023) issued a notification for a search-cum-selection committee by excluding the nominee of the UGC chairman. This angered the governor, who called the governments actions an act of impropriety and demanded that the state withdraw their notification. As a result of this standoff, the three universities have been headless for months which prompted the state to move the Supreme Court on the matter.
Three recent events offer a striking glimpse into Indias complex neighbourhood strategy. The core of this strategy  call it Plan A  rests on having a friendly regime in power in the vicinity, shaping politics in subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, ways to influence a favourable outcome, and using this proximity to address security concerns, including limiting Chinas ingress, and deepen economic, connectivity, commercial and people-to-people linkages. Recent events in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Maldives, in different ways, represent an unstated strategy in action. (HT PHOTO)

If, largely due to domestic considerations and the rise of nationalism that often assumes an anti-Delhi tone, or Beijings direct intervention, an elected regime in the region adopts either a not-so-friendly or even a hostile attitude to India, Plan B rests on maintaining a working relationship with whatever regime is in power, incentivising the regime with the lure of cooperation, showing very clearly the power of the Indian market and economic costs for that country if political or security redlines are crossed, and waiting for the opportune time to nudge domestic political processes in a more friendly direction.

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Recent events in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Maldives, in different ways, represent this unstated strategy in action.

Plan A: Nurturing friendly political arrangements

Both in Dhaka and Kathmandu, Delhi has official interlocutors it is relatively comfortable with. But this did not happen purely on its own. Sheikh Hasina has been in power for 15 years and this weekend, she was elected as prime minister for the fourth consecutive term with Awami League getting a comfortable majority. The election was controversial, primarily because Hasina launched a fierce crackdown on the opposition, refused to entertain any compromise on governing arrangements during elections, and the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), chose not to participate in the polls.

Concerns over democratic backsliding in Dhaka had reached a crescendo in western capitals, particularly Washington DC; segments of the substantial Bangladeshi diaspora in these countries lobbied hard with governments to crack down on Hasina; and the entire international human rights machinery hoped to avoid a repeat of the last two polls when Hasina, with Indian support, scored comfortable electoral wins.

Indeed, there was a minority counter-view even in Delhi which pointed to the perils of Awamis approach, how it had enabled Chinas growing ingress in Bangladesh and done quiet deals with Islamists, the need to review Delhis view on BNP, which, faced with an existential crisis, was willing to be more open that it had in the past in listening to Indias concerns, and the dangers of choking off democratic channels of dissent.

But Delhi stuck to its old calculus given the political comfort levels with Hasina. She may not be ideal but she was by far the better democratic option in Bangladeshi politics given that the alternative was Khaleda Zias outfit which had, in the Indian assessment, clearer and deeper political links with Islamist outfits and would be equally, if not more, authoritarian as it had been in its past stints.

As one official explained, If Hasina fell, it means BNP was back. If BNP was back, it meant Jamaat was back. If Jamaat was back, it meant ISI was back. If ISI was back, it meant Chinas security presence was even more intense. And if Dhaka had a government that was internally reliant on Islamists and externally reliant on Pakistan, it meant that our Northeast was even more fragile. It is a no-brainer that we would support Awami.

Doing this however, meant keeping differences with the US manageable. India sought to persuade the US of its point of view  and it did find a sympathetic audience in parts of the administration, especially in the security corridor, that could see that fighting about Bangladesh wasnt worth harming the relationship with India and there were perils of an extremist regime.

Delhi also facilitated conversations between Hasina and Joe Biden at G20 and it was perhaps due to Indias position that NSA Jake Sullivan met Hasina in Washington DC last year. But the State Department, the US embassy in Dhaka, the BNP-linked diaspora, and human rights groups kept up the pressure, with the US conveying to India its concerns about Hasinas track record and the dangers of an election without credibility.

Hasinas electoral win will come with questions of legitimacy, especially in the absence of a robust political battle, low voter turnout, and concerns over the lack of a level playing field. Governing, keeping her party together, channeling discontent that exists within Bangladeshi society through democratic channels, and maintaining the fine balance between Delhi and Beijing while improving ties with the West will be challenging. And make no mistake: Hasinas political calculus is primarily domestic and her win is due to her domestic machinations.

But India has got its way too for now, and will be a prime beneficiary of the mandate in Dhaka. It will bank on Hasina to continue with her security approach that doesnt allow anti-India groups to flourish on Bangladeshi soil and her economic approach that revives the lost chains of connectivity between regions where there must be smoother cross-border movement of goods, services, and people through legitimate channels. And both Hasina and Delhi will bank on the West eventually coming around despite token statements.

Now turn to Nepal where external affairs minister S Jaishankar made his first trip of 2024. It was a success on the bilateral front, with agreements and operationalisation of agreements on hydropower cooperation, connectivity, Indian assistance projects, and more.

But this too did not happen on its own. Just go back a year and the late 2022 elections had resulted in a coalition government between two communist formations led by Maoist leader Prachanda and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist or UML) leader K P Oli, who, during his recent terms in office, adopted a distinctly pro-China policy approach and encouraged the anti-Indian nationalism that is often the dominant strain of Nepals hill politics.

But Prachanda only went with Oli because his pre-poll partner, the Nepali Congress (NC)s Sher Bahadur Deuba, backtracked on a promise to make him PM. Within a month, primarily because he felt more comfortable with the NC, but also because of a nudge from India and the US, Prachanda got back together with Deuba. The power structure now looked different. A veteran Congress politician, Ram Chandra Poudel, became the President, a ceremonial position in principle that has operational political power in practice. Prachanda, Deuba, and a third communist leader, Madhav Nepal, struck a power-sharing arrangement for the next five years to keep Oli out.

And unlike in Dhaka where both were at loggerheads, both Delhi and Washington DC worked together to support the new arrangement in Nepal which promised a balanced approach to ties with China and internal democratic checks and balances.

Just like in Dhaka, those who lost out, primarily Oli and his acolytes in civil society, decided to adopt an even more stringent anti-Indian posture. But the state-to-state relationship with Kathmandu has not just steadied but deepened on the three parameters that matter to India  security, connectivity, and economics  even as issues that haunt the relationship  particularly due to Nepals decision to unilaterally change its map and claim territory India controls and considers its own  are kept in cold storage for now.

Plan B: Working relationships with difficult regimes

India has been through a learning curve over the past decade as a result of three fundamental changes in neighbouring countries. One, there is a domestic surge in nationalism in these countries just like there is in India  and if Indian nationalism is based on enemies within and outside, the nationalists in smaller countries thrive on manufacturing the image of India as the enemy or the adversary whose influence has to be curtailed.

Two, there is the proliferation of social media and the rise of a younger generation that doesnt share the same historical and political links with the Indian leadership and Indian society. This has resulted in the public sphere in these countries immediately articulating real and often perceived grievances with India and making it a political issue. The third and most critical change is Chinas willingness and enhanced abilities in shaping the politics of these countries to turn it away from India.

When these trends first became visible, Delhis default response was to punish the political regimes that were internally ultra-nationalistic and externally pro-China. But this strategy had costs. India came across as unwilling to accept democratic mandates. It alienated the support base of these groups and fuelled even more ultra-nationalism of dominant groups (think Sinhala chauvinists in Sri Lanka or hill chauvinists in Nepal), and it gave China the appearance of being a benign actor.

But over the years, India has adopted a more patient approach in most cases. This rests on five pillars. Accept the democratic mandate in neighbouring capitals even if it is not to ones liking, especially if security interests arent directly or immediately threatened and if the ability to shape the outcome is limited. Develop working relationships with neighbouring regimes and narrow down your core interests to specific redlines that must not be crossed. Show the benefits of cooperation and engagement. Make it clear that public hostility to India and unfriendly policies will result in denial of market access in various forms. And wait for China to fumble in messy democracies and make mistakes and become the target of nationalist outrage just as India has been for decades.

Take Maldives. In the past decade, India had to first deal with a hostile regime led by Abdulla Yameen. It was able to leverage domestic discontent and carve out an electoral coalition to replace Yameen in the last election to ensure a more friendly setup in Male. Plan A worked well with Ibraham Mohamed Solih for the last five years as he adopted an India-first policy. Here too, unlike Dhaka, India and the US were on the same page, with the Americans even deciding to open an embassy in Male.

But with the recent elections, equations changed once again with Mohamed Muizzu taking charge. He made his foreign policy orientation clear - relative distance from India, greater Islamist solidarity, more emphasis on Maldives political autonomy, and deeper links with China.

But Delhi didnt react rashly. It went to its Plan B. It welcomed the election results. It kept discussions on Maldives push to remove Indian military personnel from the islands private recognising the local nationalism at play. On the sidelines of COP28, Modi met Muizzu. And the Indian message to Male was clear  we are not out to subvert you but dont hurt our interests either. It did something similar with KP Oli in Nepal between 2018 and 2020 and developed a far more cordial relationship with him than is publicly known, even supporting him in internal political battles against Prachanda, before Oli pushed the issue of the disputed border onto the centre stage and local political realities in Kathmandu changed.

But in both the case of Maldives under Muizzu and Nepal in the past under Oli, India used the one big tool that makes it so attractive to neighbours, even if neighbouring political elites are loath to admit it in public and prepare their home audiences for it. And that tool is of market access. In the case of Nepal, India made it clear that it wont buy hydropower from Chinese-built projects, it wont give air route clearances to make Chinese-built airports viable, and it wont encourage infrastructure projects driven by dreams of trilateral China-Nepal-India cooperation which are driven by Beijings aim of using Kathmandu to access the Indian market in the Hindi heartland.

And now, even though official Delhi was clearly adopting the strategy of patience, with the outbreak of the rather bizarre Lakshadweep vs Maldives social media battle, it does appear that Delhi is making it clear to Male that it can choose to adopt whatever foreign policy approach it wishes, but there will be costs. Crossing lines, including directly attacking Modi, will result in an environment where Indian tourists, a key source of earnings and revenues, will think hard before picking the islands of Maldives as their next holiday destination.

This strategy runs the risk of alienating public opinion in these countries further against India. But it isnt as blunt a tool as a blockade; indeed, if that is a coercive approach, the denial of market access is a sovereign choice. And within that, there is a conscious attempt instead to ensure that, at the popular level, India doesnt take actions that hurt citizens directly but shows to political elites that their foreign policy and internal political choices will have consequences in terms of the relationship with India and India too will have to respond to domestic public opinion - and it is up to the citizens and leaders in the neighbourhood to make informed choices accordingly.

The Modi-Ajit Doval-S Jaishankar approach to the region has delivered mixed results. It has enhanced Indias presence, improved project implementation and delivery, led to unprecedented connectivity, and created leverage for India in new ways. It has also resulted in more substantive bilateral cooperation, taking the focus away from Delhis role in domestic politics.

At the same time, structural changes in these states and a more difficult geopolitical environment have increased challenges, and Indias involvement in domestic politics of these countries, while both a part of a historic continuum and necessary in dealing with immediate crises, continue to lead to unintended consequences.

But the experience in Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh shows that India is constantly adapting. The new handbook involves shaping democratic verdicts when possible, including by turning a blind eye to democratic deficits if core interests are at stake; respecting electoral verdicts, even unfavourable ones, when necessary; working with external partners especially the US where interests converge but also adopting an independent line when interests diverge without affecting overall strategic ties with DC; influencing politics in smaller states in discreet ways that dont inflame public opinion; building leverage through deeper economic and infra connections and keeping up channels of communication with different segments of society; and deploying a carrot and stick policy to deliver on core security and economic goals for the Indian state.
Bengaluru: Three men were electrocuted while putting up a cutout to celebrate the birthday of Kannada film star Yash in Gadag district on Monday, police said. Police said three men were electrocuted while putting up a cutout to celebrate the birthday of Kannada film star Yash in Gadag district on Monday. (HT Archives)

The deceased were fans of actor Yash, whose real name is Naveen Kumar Gowda Three others sustained serious injuries in the incident and were rushed to a nearby hospital.

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While tying up a banner to an electric pole, Naveen Gaaji (20), Hanumantha Harijan (24) and Murali Naduvinamani (20) of Suranagi village in Lakshmeshwar taluka of the district came in contact with a live wire and lost their life, police said.

Lakshmeshwar Police Station has initiated an investigation into the matter.

Three of them were electrocuted and three were injured while putting up the banner, said Babasaheb Nemagouda, Gadag superintendent of police. The banner had a metal frame that was in contact with a HESCOM wire. A case has been initiated at the Lakshmeshwar police station. We will investigate this soon, he added.

Chandru Lamani, Shirhatti MLA, who visited the scene, appealed to the public to avoid setting up metallic frame banners.

In response to the tragedy, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of 2 lakh for each of the families of the deceased. In a statement the chief minister said, Saddened to hear the news of the death of three youths due to electrocution while building the birthday flex of actor Yash in Surangi village of Lakshmeshwar taluk of Gadag district.

The boys who were supposed to live have died carelessly, the families who believed in them are in trouble and to help those families, I have ordered compensation of 2 lakh rupees each to the deceased unfortunate, he added.

Yash, known for his role in KGF, had previously informed his fans through a post on January 4 that he would be unable to meet them on his birthday, as he was away for the shooting of his upcoming movie Toxic, including an international filming schedule. However, following the tragic incident, Yash visited the families of the deceased fans. After arriving at Hubballi airport on Monday evening, he proceeded to the village by car to offer his condolences.

Leader of the opposition R Ashok said that the government should restrict the use of such cut-outs. What happened in Gadak is sad. Film actors should tell their fans not to install such cut-outs that could lead to such tragedies and the government should also prohibit such cut-outs, he said.
Tamil Nadu inked deals worth 6.64 lakh crore at the two-day Global Investors Meet that concluded in Chennai on Monday. As many as 631 memorandums of understanding were signed during the investment summit, the state government said in a statement. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin with Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa along with other dignitaries at the valedictory ceremony of the Global Investors Meet-2024, at Nandambakkam in Chennai. (PTI)

The investments were from sectors such as green energy, electric vehicles, global capability centres and non-leather footwear. The proposed investments are expected to generate more than 26 lakh direct and indirect jobs across the state. We have attracted an unprecedented 664,180 crore of investments, chief minister M K Stalin said at the event.

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Tamil Nadu, which is a local leader in electronics and automobiles, was buoyed by the investments received in the third edition of the meet. The investment pledges will lay a strong foundation for the states growth for the next 20 years, Stalin said. They were also distributed across the state to ensure balanced development across the region, he added.

Stalin also announced the constitution of a committee to follow-up on the MoUs signed at the event to ensure that they are converted into actual investments. You will always have access to my office, Stalin promised investors.

This was the first investors meet under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government. It surpassed promised investments in the two previous meets by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime in 2015 and 2019 under late J Jayalalithaa and Edapaddi K Palaniswami, respectively. The earlier editions drew investment pledges worth 242,160 crore and 268, 296 crore, respectively, but several firms dropped their plans in the following years.

After the DMK formed the state government in May 2021, it framed an ambitious plan to become a $1 trillion economy by 2030. The investors summit was organised in pursuit of that goal. Representatives from nine countries, including the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Denmark and South Korea participated in the event, which included discussions with industry experts and economists.

Although the state did not release a full list of investors, the major firms include Tata Power, which on Monday pledged an additional investment of 70,800 crore in the renewables sector. Singapores Sembcorp pledged 37,538 crore, the Adani Group promised an investment of 42,768 crore and Leap Energy pledged 22,800 crore.

Singapores high commissioner Simon Wong announced that companies from the island nation will invest 31,000 crore in the state. Three Taiwanese footwear firms, TKG Takewang, Hong Fu and Long Yin Investment, which manufacture shoes for global brands such as Nike, will invest 3,750 crore.

On Sunday, one of the major deals was by Vietnamese automaker VinFast Auto, which promised to invest 16,000 crore ($2 billion) to build an electric vehicle factory in Thoothukudi.
Soon after the 2016 terror attack on an Indian Army base at Uri, the US confronted then Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif with evidence of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agencys role in the assault, according to a new book by former envoy Ajay Bisaria. Former high commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, has released a new book (HT)

The US ambassador to Pakistan met Sharif after the incident in September 2016, which resulted in the death of 19 Indian soldiers and which was attributed to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and handed over a file containing among other nuggets, information of the ISIs complicity in planning the Uri attacks, Bisaria writes in Anger Management.

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So compelling was the evidence, it fuelled Sharifs resolve to confront the Pakistan Army and put in motion a series of events that led to the PML-N party chiefs ouster from his position in 2017 and forced him to go into self-exile in 2018.

The role of the US in confronting Sharif over the Uri attack has not been reported before. Though Bisaria doesnt name the US envoy to Pakistan who met Sharif, the post was then held by David Hale.

Also Read | China, Pakistan designated by US as 'countries of particular concern'

The January 2016 terror attack on the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot, also blamed on JeM, and the Uri attack derailed prospects created for better India-Pakistan ties by Prime Minister Narendra Modis invitation to Sharif to join his inauguration in 2014 and Modis surprise visit to Lahore in 2015 to attend the wedding of Sharifs granddaughter.

Sharif, dismayed by the information provided by the US on the ISIs role in the Uri attack, summoned a meeting of civilian and military leaders at the Prime Ministers Office to discuss the matter. Then Pakistan foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry made a presentation which stated the country faced diplomatic isolation and there was a demand for some visible action against JeM following an investigation of the Pathankot attack.

The meeting was first reported by Pakistans Dawn newspaper in October 2016 and led to the controversy that became known as Dawngate. Bisaria writes that an angry and embarassed [Pakistan] army saw this as the tipping point; a civilian was rocking the boat and publicly questioning a carefully considered security policy of deploying militants in the neighbourhood.

Bisaria adds: The time had come to remove Nawaz Sharif. The army started playing up allegations of treason against a prime minister who had dared to question a core national interest.

Also Read | Repeat of Pulwama attack: Rajya Sabha MP questions Centre over Poonch ambush

By July 2017, Pakistans Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from holding public office over graft allegations about his familys links to offshore companies detailed in the Panama Papers. However, subsequently, former Pakistani chief justice Saqib Nisar was secretly recorded as saying that the military institutions had asked for Sharif to be sentenced.

Bilateral relations were dealt another body blow by the February 2019 suicide attack in Pulwama, which killed 40 Indian troopers and was again blamed on JeM. Bisaria provides details of how India and Pakistan came to the brink of firing missiles at each other, with Modi deciding to up the ante after the capture of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan  an episode Hindustan Times first reported in March 2019.

The Pulwama attack came in the aftermath of Indias conversations with the Pakistan Army to sensitise them to Indias concerns on violence and terrorism. Without giving details, Bisaria writes that since he had no mandate to meet then army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, he could be creative and communicate with Pakistans most powerful man through people close to him.

The Indian side made it clear it no longer had the patience for words and the no talks with terror policy was a fact, and this position could change if Pakistan showed sincerity in tackling anti-India terror. In this context, two basic tests would be a fall in cross-border infiltration and handing over of 26 Indians wanted by India for terror attacks, Bisaria writes.

Bajwa conveyed Pakistans sincere desire to end terrorism, but signalled in mid-2018 that we would continue this conversation once the government was in place in Islamabad, Bisaria writes, referring to the election in 2018 that led to the formation of government by Imran Khan.

As tensions over the Pulwama attack dissipated and pressure grew on Pakistan to crack down on terror groups, Bisaria writes he was told by a Western envoy close to Pakistans military that he was optimistic that Indias actions had triggered a rethink by Pakistan Army. Bisaria adds Indias counter-terror diplomacy after the Pulwama attack was focused and contained some blunt speaking.

This diplomacy, which too hasnt been reported earlier, had 10 messages, including a clear signal that Indias threshold of tolerance of terrorism had come down and the country was determined to take swift, surgical, and resolute action against the terrorists. India was encouraged by then premier Imran Khans reiteration that Pakistani territory wouldnt be used for terrorism but wanted to see these promises translated into action.

India was willing to work with Pakistan to ensure sustained, credible and verifiable action against terrorists but wanted JeM, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen to be banned and their leaders detained by Pakistan, and the Indian side was willing to discuss modalities for an informal dialogue with Pakistan on terrorism and ways of tackling it. Islamabad should also use this opportunity to tackle what for Pakistan were good terrorists, Bisaria writes.

The world community should deploy the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to counter terror financing and demand that Pakistan commit to timelines to stop terror funding. At the same time, India was willing to work on humanitarian issues to build trust, such as the exchange of prisoners and the Kartarpur Corridor, Bisaria adds.

Bisaria said in an interview that he chose Anger Management as the title as these were two dominant motifs running through 75 years of bilateral ties. One was anger starting from the foundational moment of Partition, the anger of two wars, Pakistans anger about the Kashmir issue and later, Indias anger about terrorism, he said.

When we talk of policy, management has been a motif for the essential proposition that this is a relationship which is far too complex, entangled and governed by history to be resolved. So, what we can do is manage it from not taking uglier turns and from becoming a nuclear conflagration.

Besides looking at bilateral relations in every decade since the independence of both countries in 1947, Bisaria relied on the writings of past envoys to Islamabad, including Sri Prakasa, the first high commissioner, and JK Atal, who was high commissioner for less than two months in 1971 and whose papers were found in an attic.

Bisaria also argues in the book that India would have been better placed to tackle terrorism emanating from Pakistan if it had responded more robustly after the 2008 Mumbai attacks by the LeT.

I think we were perhaps too soft on Pakistan in the 1980s when it supported terrorism in Punjab, and that could have prevented some of the terrorism we faced in Kashmir in the 1990s. If we had responded in the 1990s in the same manner as weve done recently, perhaps we would have prevented the all-India terrorism that happened in the northeast, and from the Parliament attack to Mumbai, he said.

While the Indian side spent time ascertaining the adversarys threshold after both India and Pakistan went nuclear in 1998, Bisaria said he believes that after 2008, the thresholds were much clearer and therefore policy should have been to make a more informed decision about countering terrorism.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Ahmedabad on January 8 night and is currently on a two-day visit to Gujarat. During his visit, the prime minister will be inaugurating the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 on Wednesday, January 10. A model of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 placed at a roadside ahead of the summit, in Gandhinagar (PTI)(PTI)

The summit will take place from January 10 to 12.

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The theme of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit this year is 'Gateway to the Future'. This year marks 20 years of the summit and will see participation from as many as 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024: All you need to know

PM Modi will be inaugurating the Vibrant India Global Summit 2024 on January 10 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The inauguration ceremony will take place at 9:45 am on Wednesday, after the prime minister meets with global CEOs and leaders.

After the launch of the summit, Modi will also inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show at 3pm on January 10. The summit will take place from January 10 to 12. This is the tenth edition of the summit, and the theme is 'Gateway to the Future'.

The concept of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit was prepared in 2003 when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state. The summit will see a large number of projects and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the government and global companies, advancing industrial and technological growth in Gujarat.

This year, the ministry of development of North-Eastern Region will utilise the platform to showcase investment opportunities in North Eastern states.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is also expected to show its capabilities during the summit and trade show. Elon Musk's Tesla plant in Gujarat is expected to be discussed, but the government has not confirmed in this regard.

In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world-class state-of-the-art technology. E-mobility, start-ups, MSMEs, blue economy, green energy and smart infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show, said the PIB release.
Suchana Seth, 39, chief executive officer of a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence start-up company, Mindful AI Lab, was arrested for allegedly killing her four-year-old son in Goa. Suchana Seth travelled with the body to neighbouring Karnataka after allegedly killing her son, a police official said on Tuesday. Suchana Seth, chief executive officer of Mindful AI Lab.

Suchana Seth was arrested by the Goa Police from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Sunday night, the cops said, adding the motive behind the killing was not yet known.

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Who is Suchana Seth?

According to Suchana Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the CEO of start-up Mindful AI Lab and was among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.

Her profile description says Suchana is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs.

Suchana Seth has been a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute, it says.

She also holds patents in natural language processing.

Superintendent of police (North) Nidhin Valsan said the woman hails from West Bengal and has been living in Bengaluru, while her husband Venkat Raman is from Kerala.

The estranged husband is currently in Indonesia and has been informed about the incident, Valsan said.

What we know about the case
The Supreme Court judgment on Monday scrapped the premature release of 11 convicts, sentenced to life in 2008 for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat communal riots, striking a fine balance between the legal principles and the curious facts of the case  even as it came down hard on the Gujarat government. A file photo of Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped during the 2002 riots in Gujarat. (PTI)

It regretted that 20 years later, the turn of events and the Gujarat governments conduct justified the original decision to shift the trial outside the state to ensure fairness and justice, while touching upon a raft of key legal issues that will go a long way in criminal law jurisprudence.

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The judgment by the bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan cements some concrete principles of criminal laws that must ascertain justice for the victims of crime and compliance of the State with the rule of law.

Right of a victim to directly move the Supreme Court against remission

Banos writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution was challenged by several convicts. They argued that her plea should not be entertained by the top court because allowing a victim to challenge remission orders through a writ petition could open floodgates of litigation. The convicts said that she must approach the high court where the alternative remedy of filing a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution was available. They also pointed out that the only legal remedy Bano could avail of in the apex court was to file a curative petition against the dismissal of her review petition that had assailed the May 2022 order of the Supreme Court whereby the Gujarat government was asked to take a call on the remission of the convicts.

The judgment by the bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan cements some concrete principles of criminal laws.(HT graphic)

But the bench shot down all these contentions. Justice Nagarathna, writing the judgment, highlighted that the right to file a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution is also a fundamental right and that Bano has filed her writ petition under Article 32 to enforce her fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution, which speaks of right to life and liberty, and Article 14, which deals with right to equality and equal protection of the laws.

The object and purpose of Article 32, which is also recognised to be the soul of the Constitution and which is a fundamental right in itself, is for the enforcement of other fundamental rights in Part-III of the Constitution. We think that the aforesaid constitutional remedy is also to enforce the goals enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution, which speaks of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, stressed the judgment.

Also Read | Bilkis Bano issues statement after Supreme Court verdict. Read full text here

It noted that the expanded notion of access to justice also includes speedy remedy, adding that Banos petition cannot be dismissed on the grounds of availability of an alternative remedy before the high court under Article 226 or on the ground of its maintainability under Article 32. The judgment further said that the high court could not have been in a position to take a view on Banos petition even otherwise since a contentious decision of the Supreme Court in May 2022 was involved.

Remission does not wipe out the crime

In its 251-page judgment, the bench dwelled upon the concept of remission and the principles governing the statutory provision under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that empowers a state government to release life term convicts after they complete at least 14 years in jail.

The bench remained emphatic that in the case of a remission, the guilt of the offender is not affected, nor is the sentence of the court, except in the sense that the person concerned does not suffer incarceration for the entire period of the sentence but is relieved from serving out a part of it.

An order of remission, the court said, does not wipe out the offence. It also does not wipe out the conviction. All that it does is to have an effect on the execution of the sentence... An order of remission thus, does not in any way interfere with the order of the court; it affects only the execution of the sentence passed by the court and frees the convicted person from his liability to undergo the full term of imprisonment inflicted by the court even though the order of conviction and sentence passed by the court still stands as it is, it added.

Also Read | I smiled for first time in 1.5 years: Bilkis Bano after SC cancels remission of 11 convicts

Citing a spree of Supreme Court judgments in the past, the bench maintained that although a convict cannot claim remission as a matter of right, once a law has been made by the appropriate legislature, it is not open for the executive authorities to surreptitiously subvert its mandate or not apply it equally.

A convict undergoing a sentence does not have a right to get remission of sentence. However, he certainly does have a right to have his case considered for the grant of remission... the power of remission cannot be exercised by an appropriate government arbitrarily and the decision to grant remission has to be well informed, reasonable and fair to all concerned, it said.

Why the Gujarat government was not the appropriate government to grant remission

The CrPC clothes the appropriate government with the power to suspend the execution of a sentence or remit the whole or any part of the punishment to which a person has been sentenced. Referring to pertinent clauses of the CrPC, the bench held that the government of the state within which the offender is sentenced has to be the appropriate government for the purposes of considering a remission plea.

The aforesaid consistency is significant in as much as the intent of the Parliament is, it is only the government of the state within which the offender was sentenced which is competent to consider an application for remission and pass an order remitting the sentence of a convict. This clearly means that the place of occurrence of the incident or place of imprisonment of the convict are not relevant considerations, held the bench, ruling that the Gujarat government lost the jurisdiction to consider the remission pleas after the trial was shifted to Maharashtra by an order of the Supreme Court.

The court declared that even in a case where the trial has been transferred by this Supreme Court from a court of competent jurisdiction of a state to a court in another state, it is still the government of the state within which the offender was sentenced which is the appropriate government, having the jurisdiction as well as competency to pass an order of remission under Section 432 of the CrPC.

Therefore, it is not the government of the state within whose territory the offence occurred or the convict is imprisoned which can assume the power of remission... It is the State of Maharashtra, which had the jurisdiction to consider the application for remission vis-a-vis the convicts as they were sentenced by the special court in Mumbai, said the bench, stating the only course available to the Gujarat government was to reject the convicts pleas citing lack of jurisdiction.

The remission orders passed by the Gujarat government in August 2022 had no legs to stand, said the bench, adding the impugned orders of remission are lacking in competency and hence a nullity.

May 2022 order of the Supreme Court is per incuriam for ignoring precedents

Curiously, the two-bench judgment on Monday not only declared the May 2022 order of a coordinate bench to be a nullity because it was obtained by concealment of relevant facts by one of the convicts in the case but also held the previous order to be per incuriam because it was contrary to the previous judgments of the Supreme Court on the meaning of appropriate government for granting remission.

While it is usually a larger bench that can declare an order or a judgment of a smaller bench as per incuriam, the two-judge bench on Monday dubbed the May 2022 order of another two-judge bench per incuriam, holding that the 2022 order directing the Gujarat government to consider the remission pleas was passed contrary to the relevant CrPC provisions and the judgements of the Constitution bench and other benches of the Supreme Court.

 It was observed that uniformity and consistency are cores of judicial discipline. But, if a decision proceeds contrary to the law declared, it cannot be a binding precedent, it said.

It added: A decision rendered by ignorance of a previous binding decision of its own or of a court of coordinate or higher jurisdiction or in ignorance of the terms of a statute or of a rule having the force of law is per incuriam. Such a per incuriam decision would not have a precedential value. If a decision has been rendered per incuriam, it cannot be said that it lays down good law, even if it has not been expressly overruled.

Gujarat government was complicit, aided convicts

The judgment reproached the Gujarat government for trying to defend its action by arguing that it had no option but to decide the remission pleas in the wake of the May 2022 order of the top court.

The state of Gujarat has acted on the basis of the direction issued by this court but contrary to the letter and spirit of law, maintained the bench, criticising the state for a manifest abuse of discretion -- usurpation of power.

It noted that even though the Gujarat government had itself submitted in the top court that it was not the appropriate government under the CrPC to grant remission to the convicts, the state went ahead and ordered for premature release of the 11 convicts instead of seeking a review of the May 2022 order.

Had the state of Gujarat filed an application seeking review of the said order and impressed upon this Court that it was not the appropriate government but the State of Maharashtra was the appropriate government, ensuing litigation would not have arisen at all. Complying with the said order (May 2022) can also be said to be an instance of usurpation of power, said the bench.

The state of Gujarat has acted in tandem and was complicit with the convict who had approached the court for a direction to the state to consider the remission plea, lamented the bench. This is exactly what this court had apprehended at the previous stages of this case and had intervened on three earlier occasions in the interest of truth and justice by transferring the investigation of the case to the CBI (in 2003) and the trial to the special court at Mumbai (in 2004), it said.

According to the bench, the Gujarat government would have filed a review petition seeking correction of the May 2022 order if it had concerns about the rule of law and the judgments of the Supreme Court. By failing to do so, the earlier orders of this court in the matter have been vindicated and more importantly, rule of law has been breached.

Commenting on the text of the remission orders, the court rued that all 11 orders were stereotyped and cyclostyled, reflecting complete non-application of mind.
NEW DELHI: The Maldives government proposed a visit to India by President Mohamed Muizzu after he assumed office last year but the trip couldnt go ahead for a variety of factors, including strained bilateral relations, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. President Muizzu reiterated his demand for the withdrawal of some 77 Indian military personnel at his meeting with Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who represented the Indian government at his inauguration (AFP FILE PHOTO)

Ties between India and the Maldives, earlier one of the main beneficiaries of New Delhis Neighbourhood First policy, took a further hit last week after several leaders close to the government in Male made derogatory remarks about India and its leadership last week. Muizzus government suspended three deputy ministers over the comments.

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The people said on condition of anonymity that the Maldives government had broached the proposal for a presidential visit shortly after Muizzu assumed office last November. However, the atmosphere at the time had already been vitiated by the anti-India campaign of Muizzus party during the presidential election and his demand for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel deployed in the Maldives to operate two helicopters and an aircraft, the people said.

Also Read | The Taste With Vir: Tourism and the India-Maldives diplomatic row over anti-Modi posts

Such visits cant be scheduled so quickly when bilateral relations are strained, one of the people cited above said. Following the presidents visit to China, a trip to India looks even more unlikely.

Muizzu reiterated his demand for the withdrawal of some 77 Indian military personnel at his meeting with Union minister Kiren Rijiju, who represented the Indian government at his inauguration. Subsequently, Muizzu travelled to Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), breaking with the convention of Maldivian presidents making their first foreign trip to India.

Bilateral ties plunged to a fresh low last week after several Maldivian leaders, including the deputy ministers, reacted to posts on social media describing Lakshadweep as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives following Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the islands.

The Maldives government distanced itself from the derogatory remarks and suspended Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid as deputy ministers in the ministry of youth empowerment. India summoned the Maldivian envoy in New Delhi to the external affairs ministry on Monday to convey its strong concerns over the derogatory comments.

Amid reports of Indian tourists cancelling holiday plans in the Maldives, Muizzu, who is on a visit to China, on Tuesday backed efforts for China to regain its position as the number one source of foreign tourists in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Two state-owned enterprises of China and the Maldives signed an agreement to develop a $50-million integrated tourism zone at Hulhumale island.

Outlining his countrys plans to develop the tourism sector at the Invest Maldives Forum in Fuzhou, Muizzu said: China was our number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position.

Describing China as one of the closest allies and development partners of the Maldives, Muizzu said his government is committed to ensure quick implementation of the free trade agreement (FTA) signed with China in 2017.

According to figures from the Maldives tourism ministry, India was the top source of foreign tourists in 2022 and 2023. A total of 240,000 Indians visited the Maldives in 2022, followed by 198,000 Russians and 177,000 British nationals. In 2023, a total of 209,198 Indians visited the archipelago, followed by 209,146 Russians, and 187,118 Chinese nationals.
It is good news that fluoride will be restored to Buffalos drinking water this summer. But it was missing for too long and, worse, Buffalo residents knew nothing about it unless they happened to read the small print at the end of an annual water report.

This lack of transparency about a critical public health issue is even more worrying for the amount of time it went on. It suggests the possibility of inadequate notifications about other serious municipal issues and  at the very least  casts doubt on the citys ability to complete important upgrades in anything approaching a timely manner.

When Buffalo News reporter Charlie Specht revealed in 2022 that the City of Buffalo had not been fluoridating its drinking water since 2015, parents were shocked. Those who spoke to The News noted that they had assumed that community water fluoridation, common throughout the country since 1945, was also happening in Buffalo. That is why Philip and Annie Reed were surprised to learn that their son Jonas, 7, had five cavities in his teeth when he visited his dentist in fall 2022.

Another family, the McWhites, believe that the lack of fluoride in Buffalos water was to blame for their son Cole, 4, having to get 8 crowns on his teeth. They, and other Buffalo parents, have sued the city in State Supreme Court for not adequately informing the public about when and why it made this critical change.

The reasons for the change made sense: Buffalo needed to update its method for delivering fluoride and make sure that the new process would not have a corrosive effect on the water systems many lead pipes.

However, there were no public announcements or press releases. Attention-getting flyers were not inserted into residential water bills. The omission of fluoride is important enough to call for all three of these strategies. Community water fluoridation is considered one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century  along with vaccines and the recognition of tobacco as a health hazard  by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another concerning factor here is the lengthy process and repeated delays as the city worked with the University at Buffalo to test the new system. First, fluoride was to be restored in 2016, then 2017, and then 2019  a point at which the city stopped giving completion estimates in its annual water reports.

With residents dental health at stake, this pace should have been safely accelerated.

Finally, the announcement that fluoride would be restored this summer came only two days after area dentists once again appeared before Buffalos Common Council. Pediatric dentist Dr. Emily Friedan said she and other dentists have noticed an astounding difference in dental decay among children in the city, adding, The past seven years of secrecy and the current inaction is health inequity at its worst: depriving those of a proven health measure. Come on, we can do better.

Area dentists had not been providing supplements because they had been told water additions would have resumed months ago.

Then, like magic, the announcement came that state approval of the citys fluoride upgrade plan had been received.

Fluoride will be back, and that is good. But, as Friedan said, Buffalo can do better, both with transparency and with service to its citizens.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath has said he would be happy to see more IITians join the national space agency. Isro chairman S Somanath speaks to the media on the solar mission Aditya-L1 entering Halo Orbit, in Bengaluru on Saturday. (ANI)

My task is not only to identify people and leaders who will be able to execute the tasks, especially youngsters who will able to design those things in the coming 25 years. That's why I am excited to come IIT, Somanath said recently at an event in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay.

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The ISRO chairman continued: In fact, I had given a talk at IIT-Madras. Though possibly you would have heard me speaking about IITs and their contribution to the space programme, I won't be getting into that domain at all today. But I hope there will be...I would be happy to see more IITians joining the space programme, and contributing towards nation-building.

During his 54-minute-long address, Somanath also outlined ISRO's upcoming projects, including the human space flight mission Gaganyaan, and more.

While all of you are excited about the space now, after Chandrayaan-3, I'm excited more about the possibilities that are there in front of us in the future, he remarked.

Not many from IITs join ISRO

In an October 2023 interview, Somanath noted how engineers do not join ISRO due to the pay structure there.

Our best talents are supposed to be engineers from IITs. But, if we go and try to recruit from there, no one joins, the space agency chief lamented.

He recounted an experience when his team went to an IIT campus to recruit engineers, but 60% of candidates walked out the moment the salary structure was shown in the presentation.

The students there saw the highest pay that they could ever get in the ISRO. That was it, Somanath recalled.
Katrina Kaif and Ananya Panday are total fashionistas. While Katrina is known for her girl-next-door aesthetic when it comes to her personal wardrobe, Ananya embraces Gen-Z sartorial elements in her OOTDs. The two stars recently shared stunning pictures of themselves dressed in gorgeous black-coloured outfits on Instagram. Katrina wore a full-length dress, and Ananya set the streets of London on fire with her coo-ord trench and skirt look. Scroll down to see what they wore and why you should add these looks to your winter wardrobe. Katrina Kaif and Ananya Panday look chic in black in two gorgeous fits. (Instagram)

Katrina Kaif and Ananya Panday look chic in new pics

Katrina Kaif took to Instagram recently to share pictures of herself from the promotion schedule of her upcoming film, Merry Christmas. "A day in Dilli #merrychristmas #jan12," she captioned the photoshoot. Meanwhile, celebrity stylist Mohit Rai posted Ananya's photos on Instagram. The clicks are from Ananya's London holiday, and Mohit captioned them, "Postcards from London." Scroll down to see how Ananya and Katrina styled their looks and take inspiration from them to glam up your wardrobe.

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Coming to Katrina's OOTD, the actor wore a black floor-length maxi dress. It comes in a chic black hue decorated with white polka dot patterns and features a turtle neckline, puffy shoulders, full-length sleeves with cinched cuffs, a gathered design on the front, an ankle-length hem, and a figure-hugging silhouette. She styled the ensemble with strappy high heels, no accessories, darkened brows, kohl-lined eyes, rouge on the cheeks, mascara on the lashes, mauve lip shade, and centre-parted open silky long tresses.

Katrina's outfit is a perfect pick for winter. Generally, we pack away our dresses for the cold season. However, such maxi dresses are a great sartorial pick in the chilly weather by levelling up your layering game. You can style the outfit with a trench coat or a blazer in relaxed fitting and heeled boots.

Meanwhile, Ananya Panday wore a chic co-ord look in the pictures clicked during her night out in London while holidaying with her rumoured beau Aditya Roy Kapur. Ananya wore a faux fur trench coat in a printed black and grey shade, a matching mini skirt, and a black sweater.

While Ananya's coat has wide-notch lapel collars, full-length sleeves, calf-length hem, and an open front, the skirt has a high-rise waist, slit on the front, short hem length, and a fitted silhouette. Knee-length boots, sheer black tights, and a black top handle bag completed the look. Lastly, she glammed up the winter-ready fit with a no-makeup look, open locks, and a mauve lip shade.
January offers two long weekends for travel enthusiasts. The first spans from January 13th to 15th, aligning with the festivities of Makar Sankranti, Lohri, and Pongal. The second long weekend falls around Republic Day on January 26th, which is a Thursday, followed by Friday and Saturday, providing a three-day break. Here are some destinations you can consider visiting during these long weekends from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Republic Day Long Weekend: Spots near Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata(Unsplash)

Places to travel from Delhi.(Pinterest/Unsplash)

From Delhi

Kalsi: Located between Chakrata and Dehradun near Dakpatthar in Uttarakhand. It is a heritage town having Ashoka rock edicts.

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Viratnagar: Previously known as Bairat or Bairath, this place is an archaeological site located in the northern part of Rajasthan, India.

Kasauli: This cantonment town is a six-hour drive from Delhi and about an hour and a half from Chandigarh, making it the perfect weekend destination.

Places to travel from Mumbai.(Unsplash/Pinterest)

From Mumbai

Vengurla: Situated almost 500 km from Mumbai, on the Konkan coast, this place is renowned for its beautiful beaches, lush greenery, and historical sites.

Dahanu: Located around 134 km from Mumbai, this place is famous for its chikoo orchards and is a major producer of this fruit.

Amboli: Nestled at an altitude of 2,000 feet in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, Amboli is a hill station that offers a perfect retreat for nature lovers and trekkers.

Places to travel from Bengaluru.(Unsplash/Pinterest)

From Bengaluru

Skandagiri Hills: Also known as Kalavara Durga, is a mountain fortress located near the town of Chikballapur in Karnataka. The Skandagiri trek is one of the most popular in the state.

Chikmagalur: Chikmagalur is known for its natural beauty and coffee plantations. It is approximately 240 kilometres (149 miles) by road from Bengaluru.

Kalaburagi: This town in north Karnataka is famous for its interesting sites, such as forts, temples and mosques.

Places to travel from Kolkata.(Pinterest/Unsplash)

From Kolkata

Narajole: Situated in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, Narajole is known for its rural setting and agricultural activities.

Mandarmani: Located approximately four hours from Kolkata, Mandarmani is one of the most popular beach destinations for the residents of West Bengal.

Serampore: This riverside town is situated approximately 30 km from Kolkata and is a historic town located in the Hooghly district of West Bengal, India.
 Humare saath kutton ki tarah bartav kartein hein, hume humesha dhutkarte rehte hein aur apne paas nahi baithate  (They treat us like dogs, always condemn us and do not allow us to sit near them.)

During a visit to one of the prisons in Punjab, Asha (name changed), an undertrial prisoner talked to me about the degrading treatment she received from fellow women inmates. She described it as worse than that meted out to dogs. This, she further added, is only because she belongs to a Scheduled Caste and was a ragpicker. She said she is loathed by other inmates to the extent that no one even wants to sit beside her. Despite being an undertrial, Asha is also made to do menial work inside the prison like washing utensils in the kitchen.

This is one of the several often unreported incidents of caste-based discrimination that prisoners face in jails across India. A specific study we conducted at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) on the condition of prisons in Punjab, brought to light the above incident.

CHRIs in-depth reports on the condition of prisons in Haryana and Punjab were cited by journalist Sukanya Shantha in her investigative report on 'Caste-based discrimination and division of labour inside prisons in India. She has now filed a PIL on this issue in the Supreme Court.

The first set of orders passed by the apex court in this matter is a welcome step to check the practice of caste-based discrimination inside prisons.

The court has sought responses within four weeks from 11 states where the jail manuals still sanction caste discriminatory practices within prisons. Responses have also been sought from the Union home ministry and the Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration, Vellore.

Ground report

CHRIs studies of prison conditions in Haryana and Punjab throw light on the common practice of inmates with better means and regular family contact getting their personal work and prison authorities getting other menial prison work done by inmates who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Once incarcerated, prisoners not only rely on emotional support but also financial assistance from their families. Within the prison walls, inmates are responsible for covering expenses such as PCO services for communication with lawyers and family, as well as prison canteen purchases for daily essentials like oil, toothpaste, and detergent.

There are many inmates who either have limited family contact or no contact at all. Often for months, they are unable to meet family members for prison mulaqaats or meetings. These inmates struggle as they have access to minimal or even no financial resources.

Consequently, those without family visits find it challenging to access essential facilities like the canteen or PCO services, prompting them to engage in labour for fellow inmates. The work involves cleaning barracks, washing clothes and utensils of other inmates, and even cleaning bathrooms and toilets as most of the jails do not have dedicated staff for these duties. In such scenarios, lawyer fees are also managed by inmates themselves.

Discriminatory jail manuals

It is crucial to recognise that prisons are under the jurisdiction of individual states, each governed by its specific prison manual. Unfortunately, many of these manuals are dated and discriminatory, especially concerning the division of labour based on caste and class. The PIL filed in the Supreme Court reveals the presence of discriminatory provisions in the prison manuals of more than 10 states.

In the landmark case of Sunil Batra vs the Delhi Administration, the Supreme Court upheld that, fundamental rights do not flee the person as they enter prisons. Thus, Constitutional Guarantees of equality and non-discrimination under Articles 14,15,17, 21 and 23 extend to prisoners and it squarely places an obligation on every prison administration to upload these rights. The outdated prison manuals that continue to have discriminatory rules violate the constitutional guarantees of dignity and equal treatment.

CHRI's study points out that while on one hand, the Punjab Jail Manual lays down safeguards against undue interference in religious and caste matters of individual inmates, on the other, it uses discriminatory language. Under Rule 748, it is stated that if there are no female prisoners of suitable caste for conservancy work, paid sweepers shall be taken into the female enclosure and Rule 636 states that Sweepers shall be chosen from Mehtar or similar caste. Even after amendments to the Punjab jail manual in 2021, these caste-discriminatory provisions have not been done away with.

Issues of class and caste inequalities among inmates are significantly more pervasive within prison walls. These problems often remain unreported due to the inherently closed nature of the prison institution. The very nature of incarceration leaves the inmates at the mercy of the prison authorities with little recourse to external fora of grievance redress. In the absence of adequate legal representation this means, they are completely at the mercy of the jail authorities who go by antiquated jail manuals.

What needs to be done

At the onset, all states should pro-actively amend their respective jail manuals and remove discriminatory rules. It is crucial for the concerned authorities, particularly prison departments and legal service authorities, to promptly identify and address instances of discrimination within prisons. A board of visitors for prisons, consisting of official and non-official visitors, must be constituted in all states for external monitoring of prisons.

Another set of measures should include providing inmates with essential items regularly, minimising the need for them to work for others to access such necessities from prison canteens. Additionally, prison authorities should appoint sweepers and cleaning staff in all prisons.

Sabika Abbas is Programme Officer, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi. The views expressed are personal
The Tamil collection of poetry, Akananooru, composed 2,000 years ago cites a triumphant Rama conversing under a banyan tree at Dhanushkodi. This mention in the Sangam age literature quintessentially illustrates how Lord Rama personifies Bharats civilisational connect. This month, a 550-year-long epochal wait will finally culminate to herald the civilisational renaissance of Bharat, when Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi takes part in the pran pratistha ceremony at Ayodhyas Ram Mandir. Since time immemorial, Hindu temples have symbolised the continuity and cultural unity of Bharatvarsha. A standing testimony to the plural nature of our sanatana dharma is Tiruchirappallis Srirangam temple. Even today a separate Thulukka Nachiyar (Thugluk Princess) shrine exists in the temple premises as a tribute to the Sultans child, who had given up her life at its sanctum sanctorum for Lord Vishnu.

Beginning with the Islamic invasions of the early 8th century until the Mughal rule, key Hindu religious landmarks were systematically targeted. While some may whitewash religious motives as political or motivated by loot, the blunt reality was a mercenary mindset teeming with intolerant iconoclasm. Mahmud Ghazni raided India 17 times in the 11th century, ravaging the Mathura temple and breaking Somnath temples jyotirlinga. Malik Kafur, the slave general of Alauddin Khilji, burned down the southern temples of Belur, Chidambaram and Rameshwaram. Destroying the Bhadrakali temple in Warangal, he plundered the tutelary deitys Kohinoor diamond. Muhammad Bin Tughlaqs army pillaged the Puri Jagannath temple, Sikandar Shah pilloried the Anantnag Sun temple and the Saptakoteshwar temple was destroyed by Bahmani invaders. Ayodhyas Ram Mandir was demolished by Baburs army while Aurangzeb ransacked Kashi Vishwanath, and Krishna Janmabhumi and hewed the Vrindavan Gobind Dev temple into half. These onslaughts were aimed at annihilating the very foundations of our Sanatan Sanskriti.

With the British turning a Nelsons eye to temple restoration, institutional reluctance and restriction prevailed post-Independence. PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951 told KM Munshi, his cabinet colleague spearheading the Somnath Temple reconstruction efforts, that I do not like your trying to restore Somnath. It is Hindu revivalism. Nehru wrote to President Rajendra Prasad that he did not like the idea of him being associated with the opening of the Somnath temple, which Prasad ignored. Ironically, Nehru had averred that dams were the temples of modern India.

Like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt and maintained many temples with her personal fortune. It was during a visit to the smaller temple built by her near the desecrated Somnath mandir that Sardar Patel resolved to reconstruct it. Now PM Modi has been at the forefront of our cultural and dharmic revival. His vision of a modern Viksit Bharat is inextricably intertwined with reconnecting our people to their parampara.

The Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme was launched in 2014 to improve infrastructure and integrate holy destinations. Phase 1 of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor connects the iconic temple and the ghats along the Ganga, ensuring easy movement of devotees. The temple premises having been expanded manifold, now honour Ahilyabai Holkar and Adi Shankaracharya with their statues. In 2022, the 800-crore Mahakal Lok Corridor, the longest in the country, was unveiled. The 900-km-long Char Dham highway development project was initiated, connecting Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The Kamakhya temple corridor in Guwahati is being revived while the Saptakoteshwar temple in Goa has been reopened this year. PM Modi unfurled the dhwaja atop Gujarats Kalika temple after five centuries. After the abrogation of Article 370, cultural restoration is underway in Jammu and Kashmir at 123 identified places.

Underlining that our civilisation is not just limited to India, PM Modis government has endeavoured to reclaim our heritage abroad by restoring the Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Talaimannar, Sri Lanka and Cambodias Angkor Wat complex. While the Indian government has committed to building a Ramayana circuit in Nepal, PM Modi will be inaugurating the first-ever temple in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi, next month.

Be it installing the sacred Sengol in the new temple of our democracy or showcasing the Konark temple before world leaders during G20, PM Modi is playing a pioneering role in strengthening our dharmic edifice. He has pertinently observed that the geographical arrangement of the four dhams, 12 jyotirlingas, and the concept of our Shaktipeeths connecting different corners of our country is an expression of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat spirit. The resplendent Ram Mandir being constructed with public donations from all communities will signal the resurgence of Bharats sanatan sanskriti, now firmly poised to guide the world.

CR Kesavan, a former member of Prasar Bharati Board, is with the BJP. The views expressed are personal
Since the attacks initiated by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and Israels retaliatory counter-offensive, many observers have wondered about the role of Iran in this conflict. Although the Iranian authorities did not spell out their role in the Gaza conflict, and Hamas leaders have been careful not to mention Iran in the context of the October 7 operation, Tehran likely knew about Hamas plans. Iran did not acknowledge or support Hamas and showed no willingness to fight for the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Hamas attack, of course, was of no help to the Palestinian cause, but only created an anti-Israeli (not to say anti-Jewish) public sentiment in many Arab countries. As for Irans position towards the war in Gaza, it is clear that the chaos in West Asia has strengthened the position of the Ayatollahs while delivering a severe blow to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor project formulated during the G20 summit in New Delhi. Consequently, the Hamas attack has also complicated Israels normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia and greater economic cooperation with some other Arab nations. On a different note, the international attention drawn to the war in Gaza provided Iran with the possibility of diverting global public opinion from the urban unrest of 2022-2023 and the political oppression inside the country.

The Iranian authorities have neither the military power nor popular backing to destroy the State of Israel. But the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could instigate its proxy militias to target Israeli citizens in the region or beyond. Israel and the United States have been dealing with Irans proxies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Yemen. While the Houthis are no more in a position to win the conflict in Yemen, Hezbollah will be destroyed if it enters a war with Israel. Therefore, it seems clear that despite its apparent posture to destroy the State of Israel, the Iranian leadership prefers that the current conflict remain limited to Gaza.

Clearly, at this stage, Tehran does not support any widening of the fighting with Israel beyond Gaza. Yet, from Irans point of view, the damaged image of the Benjamin Netanyahu government could tie up Israels resources in its indirect confrontations with Iran.

As for Tehran, it is trying to profit from the international focus on the Gaza war to cover up the long list of its crises. The Iranian authorities are expecting the lowest turnout ever in the March elections to elect a new parliament as well as the assembly of experts, an 88-seat body of Islamic jurists that will likely determine the successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This is understandable. There is massive alienation of Iranians from the political system of the Islamic republic. The economic and political discontents of the Iranian population are reflected in the social tensions arising over efforts to impose the hijab. The morality police that was dispersed after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 has been re-established in a new form. There is also an alarming rise in the emigration of young, educated and professional Iranians to Europe and North America.

All these developments may be influencing Iranian officials to shift their stance from a policy of calling for Israels destruction to joining a regional consensus in favour of a two-State solution. On October 31, 2023, Tehran voted in favour of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly that declared that a two-State solution is the only way to resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict. Though the vote was rejected by the Iranian hardliners and criticised by Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the hardline Kayhan newspaper and a close associate of Ayatollah Khamenei, it shows that Tehran does not want to stand apart from the consensus in the Muslim world on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Finally, how the situation in Gaza evolves is important for the Iranian government given the fact that the conflict risks uncertainties and difficulties for Tehran. It is also critical for the Iranian regime to remain vigilant and not cross the red line with Israel. The conflict in Gaza has revealed the complexities and contradictions of the political situation in West Asia. Though both the Iranian and Israeli authorities are looking for ideological victories in the Gaza war, they also want to avoid any direct clash that could harm their interests and security in the long run. Both countries have been careful that the conflict in Gaza does not spill over to Lebanon, despite the daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah across the Lebanon-Israel border.

As for Israel, it can continue the war in Gaza for the next several months without worrying about a direct military engagement with Iran. Iran is strategically comfortable as long as Israel does not attack its nuclear facilities even while supporting its proxies in the region. What this Great Game in West Asia also teaches us is that sometimes in history, even enemies need to agree upon a set of disagreements.

Ramin Jahanbegloo, a dissident Iranian philosopher, is director, Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace at OP Jindal Global University. The views expressed are personal
The first time I heard about the Maldives was in 1988. A group of mercenaries had arrived in the country by sea and had tried to overthrow the government. The then president of the Maldives, Abdul Gayoom, a great friend of India, phoned Rajiv Gandhi who was then prime minister and asked for his help. Could India send the Indian air force to repel the invasion, he asked. Contrary to what we think now, India never became a big source for tourists to the Maldives. For a start, there werent even enough flights. And because hotel rates were so high, Indians preferred to holiday elsewhere. (Instagram/@discoversoneva [Representation Image])

I wondered how this would work. From all accounts, the mercenaries had been largely successful and Gayoom was hiding out in his palace, clutching desperately to the one international phone line that was open, talking to Delhi.

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But Gayoom insisted that an Air Force operation would be no problem because the airport was on a different island from the capital. And his government still controlled the airport island.

A different island?

At that stage, few of us knew that the Maldives was not a single land mass but a collection of many small islands. The capital, Male, was on one island. The airport was on another. And each resort hotel occupied an entire island. All that the mercenaries had achieved was to seize control of most of the island where Male was located.

Rajiv agreed to help. Indian forces went in. The mercenaries fled. The coup failed. And Gayoom was secure once again.

In those days, the Maldives was not the luxury destination it was later to become. There were resorts but they were mostly downmarket and catered to European package tourists. Few Indians went there on holiday though the Taj group ran two resorts there.

By the early 1990s, my curiosity about this island nation became so intense that I finally took an Indian Airlines flight from Trivandrum (there were very few flights from India to the Maldives), was received at the small airport by a Taj employee who had turned up on a motor boat and went on to spend a week at one of the Taj resorts.

The resort, it has to be said, was pretty basic. It had an all-inclusive rate which meant that everyone had to eat the same horrible food from a rubbish buffet. Eventually I gave up and began eating the staff canteen food (dal, sabzi and rice) which was far better.

But none of this mattered. The islands were just so beautiful and the water was so clear that you could see the bottom of the ocean. So, the quality of the food seemed to be of little consequence. Confronted with so much natural beauty, who needed gourmet food or luxurious accommodation?

I havent stopped going to the Maldives ever since. And I have seen, first-hand, how much everything has changed. It was an Indian-origin hotelier, Sonu Shivdasani, who opened the first luxury resort (Soneva Fushi) and launched the Maldives as a global destination. Now, it has some of the most beautiful resorts and the highest room rates in the world. Obviously, many people like the natural beauty more when it comes with luxury.

When I first went, nearly all the resorts were a boat ride away from the airport. But as the number of hotels went up, you needed seaplanes to reach them. Eventually, the Maldivian government created a network of domestic airports and internal flights on other large islands. It built a bridge connecting the airport island to the city of Male. And Male itself, which had been a very small town (I once walked from edge to edge in 20 minutes) became a big city with lots of reclaimed land and tall buildings.

Contrary to what we think now, India never became a big source for tourists to the Maldives. For a start, there werent even enough flights. And because hotel rates were so high, Indians preferred to holiday elsewhere.

All this began to change during the pandemic when European tour groups stopped coming to the cheaper and the more mid-priced resorts. The Maldives turned to India in desperation, our tourists flocked there, took advantage of special rates and soon every bikini-sporting Bollywood starlet wanted to pose for a photo-shoot at a Maldives beach resort.

Post-pandemic, the number of flights has finally gone up and more Indians are flying to the Maldives. Most are still going to the cheaper resorts but a fair number of high-profile, rich people (including movie stars like Akshay Kumar, a Maldives regular) holiday at the top resorts.

While all this has been going on, political developments have taken place in parallel, but have been largely ignored by tourists. While Gayoom, who regarded himself the father of the nation, was a great friend of India, his successors have examined other options. The Chinese have cultivated successive Maldivian governments, not because they like to snorkel or hang out on the beaches but because they want a naval base and also because they want to encircle India.

The Chinese have tried this sort of thing before, with Sri Lanka, for instance, with disastrous results for Sri Lanka but there are many politicians in the Maldives who seem keen on China anyway. Within domestic Maldivian politics there are pro-India and pro-Chinese factions.

None of this affects tourists who fly directly from the airport to resort islands, bypassing Male and its politics. But it does have consequences for Maldives-India relations. The intemperate statements made by some Maldives ministers last week have been condemned by other Maldivian politicians and even the current government (which is broadly pro-China) has taken action against those who spoke out of turn.

The Indian response has been calibrated. Official statements have been high-minded but we have unleashed trolls and have made film stars tweet against the Maldives. The idea, presumably, is to preserve official deniability but still rattle hostile Maldivian politicians.

In pure tourism terms, the campaign is noisy but may have little effect in the long-run. The absence of Indian tourists will hurt the cheaper resorts but by next season they will have found other target groups.

More significant is the diplomatic fall-out. I doubt if any small nation in Indias sphere of influence can afford to make an enemy of the biggest power in the region. China may well be more powerful than India but it is a long way away.

Thats why the Maldivian government is now engaging in damage control. But yes, there is always a danger that politicians who are not used to governance may say something stupid that further damages relations.

Hopefully, New Delhi and Male will sort out this unnecessary quarrel. The relations between India and the Maldives are deep and long-standing. It would be a shame if inexperienced politicians damaged those ties.
DLF said its newly launched luxury housing project Privana South in Gurugram generated sales of more than 7,200 crore in a matter of 72 hours, showing that its bet on a booming real estate segment in India is paying of thanks to rising disposable incomes and an increase in demand. The response for DLF's newly launched luxury project Privana South in Gurgaon has been overwhelming and the project has been subscribed 4.5 times. This is akin to Hollywood blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie. It is also similar to that of a new Apple phone launch, said Aakash Ohri, Joint Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, DLF Home Developers Ltd.

The sale ahead of the official launch has attracted buyers from across India and the world, including Africa for the first time, especially Tanzania and Kenya, Aakash Ohri, Joint Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, DLF Home Developers Ltd, told Hindustan Times Digital.

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The company informed the exchanges on January 8 that it has sold more than 1,000 luxury housing units that are part of its latest offering Privana South in Gurugram, for 7200 crore, within three days of pre-launch. The project is spread across 25 acres (about 10 hectares) in Sectors 76 and 77.

Also Read: DLF sells luxury residences in Privana South in Gurugram for over 7,200 crore ahead of official launch

The response has been overwhelming and the project has been subscribed 4.5 times. This is akin to Hollywood blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie. It is also similar to that of a new Apple phone launch, said Ohri.

The prices

The prices for the newly launched units are similar to the Arbour launch last year. Ohri also said that the average ticket size for this project is 7 crore, with ticket prices ranging from 6.25 crore to 7.15 crore.

We have gone in for responsible pricing. Prices have been kept at the same level as last years Arbour launch, he said.

End-users versus investors and buyers profile

The end-user versus investors ratio is 80:20, he said.

Buyer profiles include corporate honchos, lawyers, doctors, non-resident Indians from across the world, he said.

We have had both end users and investors buying into the newly launched luxury project. Buyers are from across the country and the world - US, Africa (Tanzania and Nigeria to start with), United Kingdom, South East Asia and the Middle East, he said.

DLF and Apple phone

The response is akin to a new Apple phone launch. DLF customers are used to being part of the DLF ecosystem much like Apple customers. They love the experience and are willing to wait for the new launch and continue to stay with the brand, he said.

The enclave will comprise 1,113 luxury residences across seven towers. These would be 4 BHK apartments and penthouses. DLF Privana South will be part of a larger development, DLF Privana spread over approximately 116 acres in Sectors 76 and 77, the company said.

Also Read: Inventory worth over 1400 crore sold in newly launched projects in Haryana: DLF

To discourage bulk bookings, each buyer was allotted only one unit, with about 25% of the sales coming from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and a booking amount of 50 lakh, as opposed to the industry standard of 10 lakh.

We dont promote repeat customers. Those who received a unit in Arbour last year did not get a preference for the new launch, Ohri told HT Digital.

The project has been designed by architectural firm ARCOP. The 1,113 luxury residences spread across seven towers will be fully fitted-out. These are 4 BHK 3500 sqft units.

Construction is likely to begin in the next fiscal and the handover will be as per RERA guidance, he said.

DLF surpasses 2023-24 sales guidance, say sources

Sources said that DLF has surpassed its 2023-24 sales guidance of 13,000 crore in the first three quarters with the pre-launch of DLF Privana South. Ohri refused to comment.

DLF has more launches planned in the current quarter in Gurgaon in the luxury segment, they said.
Former kickboxer, Andrew Tate, recognised for his controversial comments, recently engaged in a social media spat interaction with Dr. Kirti Patel, a gynecologist and medical influencer. The exchange centered around comments regarding Andrew's physique. Andrew Tate checks his mobile phone inside the Court of Appeal building in Bucharest, Romania, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)(AP)

Initial post and commentary

Tate News shared a shirtless photo of Andrew with the caption, "I dont sleep with vaccinated women." Dr. Patel seized the opportunity to express her perspective on the attractiveness of such body types, sharing personal experiences of declining dates with individuals exhibiting similar physical attributes.

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I cannot say enough how this body type is maybe only attractive to gay men. I have literally turned down dates with gym bros with ripped abs in the past because I find this body type suggestive of aggression and narcissism. I bet other women feel the same, sh e wrote.

Andrew responded with a photo of Dr. Kirti and a caption, asserting his objective to achieve arms as substantial as her nose. The response prompted mixed reactions from followers, with some finding humor in the exchange and others questioning the appropriateness of the comment.

Extended interaction

Andrew continued the interaction with subsequent posts, sharing additional photos and implying evidence contrary to Dr. Patel's stated preferences. The exchange unfolded with a serious undertone, emphasising varying perspectives on body image and personal choices.

Self-attributed titles

Andrew labeled himself as funny and hilarious, creating monikers like "Top G" and "Top Striker." He engaged in wordplay by coining the term "Kirtius" in reference to Dr. Kirti, contributing to the ongoing conversation with a touch of wit.

The exchange concluded with Andrew making remark on Dr. Kirti calling her a "disgusting nose guardian" before acknowledging the late hour with a suggestion to go to bed. The conversation left followers reflecting on the nuances of online communication and the intersection of humor with more serious topics.
New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): Former Diplomat Ajay Bisaria has said that India's response to terrorism after the Mumbai attacks in 2008 should have been similar to 2016 when New Delhi carried out airstrikes in Balakot. HT Image

In an interview with ANI, Bisaria asserted that the pain suffered by India through terrorism in Punjab in the 1980s could have lessened if New Delhi had taken a "hard power action" in the 80s or early 90s. Bisaria said the pain India suffered in Kashmir could have lessened if it was been made clear to Pakistan that India would use hard force as a response to meddling in either of the states.

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Asked about India's response to terrorism after the Mumbai attacks, he stated, "I would make the argument that while there are multiple dynamics at play at any given point of time and we need to judge decisions taken by policymakers at different points of history based on what is available to them as information and as the options. But, I think that by perfect hindsight, if you look back today certainly in 2008, India should have given this response that it finally gave in 2016 and 2019 with the surgical strikes and air strikes and I make an even deeper point here."

"I think that the terrorism and the pain India suffered in Punjab in the 1980 s could have been lessened if India had taken hard power action in the 80s or early 90s. Similarly, in the 90s, the pain that India suffered in Kashmir could have been lessened if the point was made to Pakistan that India would use hard force as a response to meddling in either of these states," he added.

He stated that terrorism happening all over India in the 2000s could have been prevented if India had taken action.

"And similarly in the 2000s, when there was terrorism happening all over India. I think that could have been prevented if we had taken action in the 90s. So I think certainly if it had entered Pakistan's calculus that India would respond very sharply and with force punitive or preventive to stop terrorism, then the responses in Pakistan of using terrorism as a low-cost option would have been different," he said.

Earlier in 2016, India carried out a surgical strike under the aegis of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian Army conducted surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and destroyed terrorist launch pads and killed many terrorists, on September 29, 2016. The strikes were in retaliation for a terrorist attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, 2019.

Former Indian Ambassador to Pakistan has said that India has finally found an answer in subconvential space to terrorism.

Speaking about India's approach in dealing with terrorism, he said, "Well that is the argument certainly that we make that India has finally found an answer in the subconventional space to terrorism because now Pakistan knows it has entered its security paradigms that there would be a strong response to any act of terrorism, whether by state actors or non-state actors and therefore it would know that there would be a cost to any such behaviour and therefore it would modify that behaviour."

Ajay Bisaria has written a book, 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan. In the book, he has shared many instances between India and Pakistan, including India's response after the Balakot strike, the meeting between former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Agra in 2001.

On the abrogation of Article 370, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria said, "(Abolition of) Article 370 was something that took Pakistan by surprise, they did not expect this to happen. They hadn't really expected this to happen and I think it was a symptom of India saying that our Kashmir policy is separate from our Pakistan policy which is foreign policy and this is an internal adjustment that we are doing with."

"Pakistan has no locus in it and Pakistan wanted to react to it but its options were very limited because it could not at that point use hard power. There was a strong power differential between the countries so what they thought was the easiest option was to ask the High Commissioner to leave and therefore I was asked to leave. But that was simply in a sense a lazy option that you have to express anger somehow. So, you do it by asking the Indian head of mission to leave. But that was not something that Pakistan could seriously think about and consider and have a policy on how to deal with," he added. (ANI)
The US has said that elections in Bangladesh were not free or fair and noted that Awami League won the polls. It has expressed concerns over the arrest of opposition activists, condemned the violence during the elections, and regretted that all parties didnt participate in the polls. But Washington DC has also said that it was committed to partnering with Bangladesh in the Indo-Pacific, deepening economic and people-to-people links, and supporting human rights and civil society in the country. Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (AFP)

On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller offered the first official American response after polls in Bangladesh over the weekend saw Awami League return to power for the fourth consecutive time and Sheikh Hasina become PM for the fifth time. In the run-up to the polls, Washington had expressed concerns over violence and arrests in Bangladesh and imposed visa restrictions on Bangladeshi security personnel, officials, ruling party members, and others who, the US alleged, were undermining the democratic election process.

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The issue also emerged as a point of divergence between the Indian government, which has been supportive of Hasina, and the US administration.

After Hasinas comfortable return to power in a relatively low-turnout election boycotted by the main opposition force  the Awami League won 75% of the seats while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Khaleda Zia stayed out  the US said it supported the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh for democracy, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.

In a formulation that is notable for its matter-of-fact tone, the State Department said, The United States notes the Awami League party won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections. There was neither a welcome nor a note of congratulations for the new government, but the statement did not reject the electoral results either and recognised the outcome.

Saying that the US remained concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day, the State Department categorically added, The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated.

The US also condemned the violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it. We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. We also urge all political parties to reject violence, Miller said.

But in a sign that it may not allow its concerns over the election to close doors for bilateral collaboration, the US also underlined the importance of the relationship with Bangladesh with a commitment to continue working together in strategic, economic, and political domains.

The statement said, Looking ahead, the United States remains committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties.
Nearly three years after a mob attacked the US Capitol to block the peaceful transfer of power, US President Joe Biden on Friday launched his campaign for the upcoming presidential elections with a direct and fierce attack on Donald Trump, making the protection of democracy and rejection of political violence its central theme. US President Joe Biden delivers a speech to mark the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol at a campaign event at Montgomery County Community College, in Blue Bell, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Friday . (REUTERS)

Evoking George Washington for whom the fight against British Empire in the quest for American freedom and democracy was a sacred cause, Biden warned voters in the November elections that said that they had nearly lost America on January 6, 2021, when supporters of former president Trump had stormed the Capitol building  the seat of the US Congress  in a bid to stop Bidens certification as the winner of the 2020 elections.

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This is not rhetorical, academic, or hypothetical. Whether democracy is still Americas sacred cause is the most urgent question of our time, and its what the 2024 election is all about, he said. America, as we begin this election year, we must be clear: Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot.

Biden termed Trumps attempts to overturn a free and fair election by force and violence following his defeat, including by encouraging the rioters as they attacked the Capitol, among the worst derelictions of duty by a president in American history.

Trump exhausted every legal avenue available to him to overturn the election  every one. But the legal path just took Trump back to the truth that I had won the election and he was a loserNow, in 2024, Trump in running as the denier-in-chief  the election denier-in-chief, he said.

Over the course of his nearly 35-minute speech, Biden lambasted Trump for refusing to follow the Constitution; encouraging political violence and celebrating January 6 insurrectionists even in his current campaign; promising revenge and retribution and putting forward a policy agenda of overturning federal rules, regulations and even articles of the Constitution; using language that echoes Nazi Germany; expressing admiration for authoritarian leaders, including North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin; seeing politics as an all-out war rather than as a method of peacefully resolving differences; leading the Make America Great Again (MAGA) extremist agenda; and refusing to say that he will accept the results if he loses the elections this year.

Bidens speech was carefully curated with the incumbent president speaking at Pennsylvanias Valley Forge, which holds an important place in the US war of independence. The date of the speech was also significant because of the multiple legal challenges Trump faces for his role in the insurrection, including a criminal indictment in Georgia for attempting to subvert the results, and a federal indictment for his role in both subverting results and then encouraging the mob which attacked the Capitol. Trumps actions have also impacted his candidacy itself with the states of Colorado and Maine blocking him from the Republican primary ballots on the grounds that he was an insurrectionist  decisions the US Supreme Court is expected to rule on in February.

Biden used his speech to underline Trumps centrality in what happened on January 6, claiming, Trumps mob wasnt a peaceful protest. It was a violent assault. They were insurrectionists, not patriots. They werent there to uphold the Constitution; they were there to destroy the Constitution. Trump wont do what an American president must do. He refuses to denounce political violenceYou cant be pro-insurrectionist and pro-American.

Biden claimed that America was exceptional because it was founded not on ethnicity or geography or religion, but on the idea that all its inhabitants were equal. He contrasted this with the vision of dictatorship that Trump, Biden claimed, had quite clearly spelt out as his agenda.

The choice is clear. Donald Trumps campaign is about him, not America, not you. Donald Trumps campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. Hes willing to sacrifice our democracy, put himself in power, the Democratic president said.

The overall timing and thrust of the speech was clearly a way for the Biden team to recover lost ground and remind voters that irrespective of the policies on which they may disagree with him, the much bigger task of preserving American democracy was at stake. The president is under tremendous political strain due to low favourability ratings, a Congress that is unwilling to support Ukraine in pushing back the Russian invasion, a spiraling immigration crisis on the southern border, a perception that economy isnt doing well, and Israels brutal war against Gaza which is also fracturing the Democratic coalition. Besides, as all things stand, the elections are set to be a Biden-Trump rematch, in which the latter holds a slight lead  39%-37%, according to USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll published on January 3.

MAGA voices who know the truth about Trump on January 6th have abandoned the truth and abandoned democracy. They made their choice. Now the rest of us  Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans  we have to make our choice, Biden said.The 2024 Democratic primary schedule begins next month with South Carolina, which gave Biden his first win in the 2020 primaries. The party expects his victory there to serve as a beacon for voter support for his re-election.

Trump on Friday mocked Bidens criticisms at a rally in Iowa , which will hold the first Republican primary caucus on January 15 and where he is leading comfortably. He called Bidens rally a pathetic fear-mongering campaign event and attacked him for abusing Washingtons legacy. He also alleged that Biden was a threat to democracy.

They have weaponised government, and he is saying I am a threat to democracy, Trump said, reiterating a claim that his Republican Party has been making as a defence for the multiple cases against Trump.
The Air India (Kanishka) Flight 182, bound for London after picking up passengers in Toronto and Montreal, disappeared from radar off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985. A bomb - planted on the plane in Canada in an act of terror - exploded on board, killing all 329 people on board, including 280 Canadians. HT Image

In a statement issued on National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Air Disasters, Trudeau said, "We solemnly remember the victims of all air disasters, including Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (Flight PS752), Air Ontario Flight 1363, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and Air India Flight 182."

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As we pay tribute to the victims of air disasters, we offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones," he said, adding that the country will continue to work with its partners to create a "safer, more peaceful world, where everyone can travel in security."

Announcing that Canada's next step for the downing of Flight PS752 by Iran in 2020 would be jointly filing its case before the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council, the prime minister said, "We are taking concrete action, along with our international partners, to hold Iran accountable for this senseless tragedy."

He said that Canada continues to fight for "justice and accountability" for the families of the 176 people killed in the downing as "members of the International Coordination and Response Group for the victims of Flight PS752."

"We stand in solidarity with Canadians at home and around the world who have lost loved ones to these tragedies," he said.

Asserting that Canada continues to stand with and support the families and loved ones affected by air disasters, Trudeau said, "Through the Commemorative Scholarship Programme launched last October, we will disburse 176 scholarships over five years to honour the memory of victims of Flight PS752. This year, we will award 32 scholarships, including six to candidates with close family ties to the victims of Flight PS752."
China has detained a foreign national who was the head of an overseas consulting firm for allegedly spying on behalf of the United Kingdom, as reported by CNN. China's civilian spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), said in a statement that it had apprehended an individual surnamed Huang working with Britain's MI6 while leading a foreign consultancy. The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China. (File Photo)(REUTERS)

However, the agency did not mention Huang's full name, gender or nationality, nor identified the company they worked at.

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Huang started working with MI6 in 2015 on intelligence matters, with the British agency directing Huang to travel to China multiple times to collect intelligence and identify potential assets for it, MSS said in its statement.

MI6 provided Huang with training as well as professional spying equipment for the exchange of intelligence and communications, the MSS added.

It further alleged that Huang ended up providing Britain with 17 pieces of intelligence, including several "national secrets."

During the MSS investigation, Huang was given access to consular visits from their home country in accordance with the law, it said.

Moreover, the British Embassy in Beijing referred CNN to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for comment on the case. However, the FCDO did not immediately respond to their request.

This comes after China embarked on a months-long crackdown on international consulting firms, as reported by CNN.

Earlier in May last year, the state security authorities said that they had raided several offices of Capvision, an advisory network with headquarters in Shanghai and New York.

The announcement came after Chinese officials closed the Beijing office of Mintz Group, a US corporate due diligence firm, and questioned employees at the local branch of top consultancy Bain.

Meanwhile, the measures were part of wider efforts by Beijing to increase oversight of what it says is sensitive information pertaining to national security, according to CNN.

Later, Capvision said in October that it had successfully completed a national security inspection overseen by the Chinese government and come up with new compliance measures to address concerns.

Reportedly, the MSS, which oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas, is typically known for keeping a low profile.

But recently, it has expanded communications with the public, including launching an account on WeChat, the ubiquitous social networking platform in China, CNN reported.

The agency has further used the platform to call on "all members of society" to join its fight against foreign spies, particularly after the passage of a counter-espionage law that took effect in last July.

That law has also spooked businesses that are worried about whether the expanded scope could lead to higher legal risks.
Israel's Transport Ministry on Tuesday said it was trying to clarify Chinese shipper COSCO's decision on a reported halting of shipping to Israel. The container ship COSCO Development.(AP)

Israeli media this week reported that COSCO had suspended shipping to Israel. The company has yet to comment.

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"The Administration of Shipping and Ports is working with the relevant parties to clarify the Chinese shipping company's announcement to stop sailing to Israel," Israel's Transport Ministry said in response to a Reuters query.
The party of Bhutan's former prime minister Tshering Tobgay won general elections with nearly two-thirds of seats in parliament. Tobgay's People's Democratic Party (PDP) "wins the 2024 National Assembly general elections with 30 seats" while the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) took the remaining 17, local media reported.

What were the main issues of the elections?

Bhutan's former prime minister Tshering Tobgay.(AFP)

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Bhutan's election commission is expected to release the final results tomorrow of the polls which were dominated by serious economic challenges that have called into question the country's longstanding policy of focussing on "Gross National Happiness" over growth. All parties are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy which measures its success by the "happiness and well-being of the people".

Who is Tshering Tobgay?

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Tshering Tobgay is expected to become Bhutan's PM for the second time. He was leader of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 2008 after the start of the reign of the present king.

Tshering Tobgay, 58, a former civil servant and a conservation advocate holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's in public administration from Harvard. He served as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.

What are the challenges Tshering Tobgay faces?

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Bhutan's youth unemployment rate stands at 29 percent, according to the World Bank. Economic growth has sputtered along at an average of 1.7 percent over the past five years which Tshering Tobgay said was because of "unprecedented economic challenges and mass exodus".

One in every eight people were "struggling to meet their basic needs for food" and other necessities, statistics showed while Tshering Tobgay's electoral rival, BTP leader Pema Chewang warned the country was losing the "cream of the nation".

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"...view detail
The party of Bhutan's former prime minister Tshering Tobgay won general elections with nearly two-thirds of seats in parliament. Tobgay's People's Democratic Party (PDP) "wins the 2024 National Assembly general elections with 30 seats" while the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) took the remaining 17, local media reported. Bhutan's former prime minister Tshering Tobgay.(AFP)

What were the main issues of the elections?

Bhutan's election commission is expected to release the final results tomorrow of the polls which were dominated by serious economic challenges that have called into question the country's longstanding policy of focussing on "Gross National Happiness" over growth. All parties are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy which measures its success by the "happiness and well-being of the people".

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Who is Tshering Tobgay?

Tshering Tobgay is expected to become Bhutan's PM for the second time. He was leader of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 2008 after the start of the reign of the present king.

Tshering Tobgay, 58, a former civil servant and a conservation advocate holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's in public administration from Harvard. He served as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.

What are the challenges Tshering Tobgay faces?

Bhutan's youth unemployment rate stands at 29 percent, according to the World Bank. Economic growth has sputtered along at an average of 1.7 percent over the past five years which Tshering Tobgay said was because of "unprecedented economic challenges and mass exodus".

One in every eight people were "struggling to meet their basic needs for food" and other necessities, statistics showed while Tshering Tobgay's electoral rival, BTP leader Pema Chewang warned the country was losing the "cream of the nation".
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh called on Muslim states on Tuesday to provide Palestinian militants with weapons, as the group's war with Israel rages in the Gaza Strip. Israel-Hamas War: Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, speaks during a press conference.(AP)

"We see countries of the world pouring weapons into the occupation (Israel)... The time has come (for Muslim states) to support the resistance with weapons, because this is... not the battle of the Palestinian people alone," Haniyeh said in a speech in Doha, according to a transcript shared by the group with journalists.

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Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it targeted a command base in Israel Tuesday in retaliation for the killings of one of its commanders in Lebanon and the Hamas deputy leader.

The movement said it targeted the "enemy's northern command centre" in the city of Safed with several drones" as part of its response to the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri on January 2 and Hezbollah field commander Wissam Tawil on Monday.

The Israeli army confirmed that a "hostile aircraft" had come down at one of its bases in the north.

"No injuries or damage were reported," it added.
China's leading state-run daily has written a scathing article on the ongoing tensions between India and Maldives, stemming from the disparaging remarks made by three ministers of Mohammad Muizzu dispensation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India.



The article published in the Communist regime-run Global Times makes scathing observations at India's stand in the entire controversy, calling it a lack of confidence among Indian political leaders.



Last week, Prime Minister Modi shared pictures from his trip to union territory Lakshadweep wherein he had inaugurated key development projects. The pictures of him taking a stroll on the beach and snorkelling had gone viral.



However. Maldives' deputy minister for youth empowerment Mariyam Shiuna made derogatory remark at the PM on social media platform X. Although she deleted the post, but the damage had been done. Soon, the internet was flooded with calls to boycott Maldives, that depends largely of tourism.



The controversy escalated at a time when the island nation's president Mohammad Muizzu is on a state visit to China where key agreements on infrastructure and tourism are expected to signed. Male distanced itself from the remarks after India made it clear that the unsavoury remarks made by the junior minister was uncalled for and unacceptable. On Sunday evening, Maldives suspended the three ministers over their anti-Modi remarks.



The Chinese analysts continued their attack on India, calling it a long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia as the root cause of its strained relations with some regional countries including the Maldives. They have warned New Delhi to not shift the blame on to China by hyping the narrative of competition with Beijing as an excuse.



ALSO READ: From defence to infra development, how India has always stood with Maldives Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and his wife Sajidha Mohamed being welcomed on his arrival at Xiamen, in Fujian on Monday.(The President's Office, Maldives)

India should not shift the blame onto China by hyping the narrative of competition with China in the region as an excuse.

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Continuing its attack, the Chinese mouthpiece article has advised India to reflect on its policies towards neighbours and abandon its zero-sum mentality.

Lin Minwang, deputy director at the Center for South-Asian Studies at Fudan University, told the state-run newspaper that Muizzu's foreign diplomacy has shifted from India First to Maldives First. Defending the Maldives president who fought and won elections on India Out plank, the expert said that Muizzu is not choosing sides between India and China but putting interests of his own country first.

The Global Times article accused the Indian media of trying to exert pressure on Muizzu by hyping the pro-China policy.
Hezbollah said that it targeted a command base in Israel in retaliation for the killings of one of its commanders in Lebanon Wissam Tawil and the Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri. Iran-backed group said it targeted the "enemy's northern command centre" in the city of Safed with several drones" as part of its response to the killings. The Israeli army confirmed that a "hostile aircraft" had come down at one of its bases in the north but no injuries or damage were reported. Israel-Hamas War: Smoke rises following what the Israeli armed forces say was an air strike on Hezbollah targets at a location given as Lebanon.(Reuters)

Top Hamas official Saleh Arouri and six others were killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut last week while Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil was killed in a drone strike becoming the most senior member of the group to be killed in recent months.

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The Israeli military said its air defense system was activated to try to intercept hostile aircraft and that a projectile struck the base while Hezbollah later said it also attacked at least three Israeli posts along the border.

In Lebanons village of Ghandouriyeh, an Israeli drone strike hit a car, killing three Hezbollah members a day after Wissam Tawil was killed in a drone strike in a nearby village.

Hezbollah started attacking Israeli military posts following the deadly October 7 assault on southern Israel by Hamas. Hezbollah said that by keeping Israels northern front active, they are helping reduce pressure on Hamas in Gaza. The group has lost 150 fighters in the near-daily exchanges of fire.
Crosta & Mollica's James Orr (Handout)

As jobs go, James Orrs takes the biscuit. Or 52 slightly different varieties of biscuit, at his last tasting. Orr is the entrepreneur behind Crosta & Mollica, the Italian food brand he has spent the past 13 years building into a 42 million-a-year empire.

He flies to Italy every three or four weeks, scouring their best bakeries and kitchens to find the best sweet biscuits and savoury snacks to add to his range.

Its definitely a job that involves eating a lot of Italian food, Orr, who is 50, laughs. He reckons hes tried thousands of breadsticks over the years - and his taste buds are clearly spot on: the entrepreneur's annual grissini sales would stretch around the world when placed end-to-end.

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Crosta & Mollicas black and white stripy packaging has become a staple in foodie Londoners kitchens.

The company itself is light: we dont own any production sites, but work with a large number of different Italian producers, from small,family-owned bakeries in Puglia who make our grissini, to technology-packed industrial kitchens which retain the traditional ways of producing at scale.

It all started when Orr, who lives in Clapham and Guernsey, studied agriculture at university then secured a first job at a firm importing Italian peaches and nectarines for Sainsburys. They sent me around Italy and thats when I started to meet the farmers. I was travelling from region toregion, and learnt first-hand how much love Italians put into crafting their food. I believed the UK deserved a better quality of at-home Italian food - our supermarket shelves at the time had disparate brands, quality, and prices - no range on a shelf that was tied together. And I could see the way to do it.

So after, as Orr puts it, moonlighting for a while he quit his job in 2009, and spent 12 months finding suppliers and creating a brand: I had no money so I roped in a friend and together we came up with a basic black andwhite branding. He speculatively contacted a Waitrose buyer, who very generously guided me through the development of my distant Italian dream into a commercial proposition.

Story continues

When Crosta & Mollica - it translates as crust and crumb in Italian - launched in 2010, the first products were Pane Pugliese and Torinesibreadsticks. I spent a long, long time cultivating a great relationship with suppliers. Thats what made the difference.

Dealing with Italian suppliers also meant navigating Italys unspoken rules: I learnt - the hard way - that in a certain hotel in Naples, ifyou park you Fiat 500 outside the reception desk, it will be stolen. This happened to me twice before I realised it wasnt just unlucky! It was a nightmare because you cant simply tell the Hertz desk - I had to go to the local police station, fill in forms, and missed my flights home.

Whilst many start-ups today are hungry for big funding pots from the start, Orr was far more cautious. It was important to me that we wereprofitable from day one. Initially in 2009 I put in 50,000, from my savings and an Amex card. Then I remortgaged my home around two years later to continue to grow the business. Sticking to steady, organic growth meant Crosta &Mollica has not - until this month - raised funds: we have a strong balance sheet and the business is cash generative.

Turnover hit 5 million by 2016 - then came the Brexit vote. The EU referendum was a defining moment for us - the pound devalued overnight,causing our margins to disappear. It left us with no choice but to ask our suppliers to cut prices, and increase our prices to customers."

Orr worked hard to reassure European colleagues, and managed to grow the business to 22 million revenues by 2020  when, of course, came the pandemic.

The early reports of Covid 19 in Europe began in Italy - our UK warehouses started to become uncomfortable with lorries arriving from Italy and were refusing drivers permission to get out of their cabs, Orr recalls. Demand soared, though: we benefited from increased consumer demand seeking restaurant-qualityfood in the comfort of the home.

Crosta & Mollica is now sold across Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op, Ocado and elsewhere; sales grew 35% last year, withnew frozen desserts, gelato, pasta and sauces, plus ready meals. International expansion to France, Holland, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg now provides 12% of revenues.

This month it sealed investment from private equity backer Perwyn, which involved food industry veteran David Milner joining as chair."Im still enjoying the business as much as the day that I started it, says Orr, but we are significantly larger than I ever dreamed we would be.

Founded: 2009

Turnover: 42 million

HQ: ClaphamStaff: 25
Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was on Tuesday arrested in a case related to the attack on the Pakistan Army headquarters in Rawalpindi on May 9 last year, soon after his release warrant was issued in the cipher case. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan (Reuters/File)

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi had summoned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, who is already behind bars in cipher and graft cases, in May 9 cases on Tuesday. However, Khan attended the court's proceedings via video link as he could not be produced in the court by Adiala jail authorities owing to security concerns.

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Judge Ijaz Asif of the Anti-Terrorism Court Rawalpindi conducted hearings of at least 12 cases linked with the May 9 riots against Khan and others.

During the proceedings, police chief of the Royal Artillery Bazar Police Station, which is in the vicinity of the General Headquarters (GHQ), informed the court that Khan was arrested in the GHQ attack case as he was nominated in the case.

Police also requested for 71-year-old Khan's physical remand but the judge turned down the plea and asked police to meet him at the jail for probe.

On Monday, the special court formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act had issued his release orders in the cipher case.

Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued the release order of Khan, stating that the former premiers bail had been approved and he shall be released if not wanted in any other case.

Despite having the release order, Khan remains behind bars due to being arrested in the Toshakhna and 190 million pound Al-Qadir Trust scandal.

On May 9, 2023, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. Over 20 military installations and state buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched in the violent protests that followed Khan's arrest in a corruption case.

The party ran into trouble after the May 9 violence by its supporters. Hundreds of rioters were arrested in the days after the attack and booked on various charges.

Khan and several of his party leaders have been facing numerous cases since the ouster of the party from power in April 2022 and later in the wake of the May 9 violence.

Khans opponent alleged that he was behind the violence, a charge he denied.

He was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022. He was incarcerated on August 5 last year, after an Islamabad court sentenced him to three years in jail in the Toshakhana case. He was lodged in the Attock District Jail to serve his prison term.

Later, his sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, but then he was arrested in the cipher case and remained in the Attock jail on judicial remand. He was later shifted to Adiala jail.
Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday requested China to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to his country amid a diplomatic row over derogatory remarks by his ministers against India and Prime Minister Modi. Muizzu's comment comes as he is on a five-day state visit to China. Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu delivers a statement.(Reuters)

In his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian province, Mohamed Muizzu termed China as the island nation's "closest" ally.

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"China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," he said, praising Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects launched by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2014. The project delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history, he said. The Maldivian president urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives.

"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said.

The two countries also signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in Maldives, it was reported. This comes as a diplomatic row erupted between the two counties following remarks by some Maldivian ministers against PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit post. All three deputy ministers were suspended while the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the comments.

In his speech, Mohamed Muizzu- seen as a pro-China leader- said that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives economic base and ensuring economic security. He also focussed on the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China in December 2014.

He said the FTA is a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries, adding, The FTAs aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA.

The president also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum which included relocation of the Male Commercial Port to Thilafushi, the Velana International Airport development project and the construction of 15 more airports.
Toronto: As the trade talks between Ottawa and New Delhi remain frozen, the Indo-Canadian chambers of commerce are undertaking missions to India in an attempt to bridge the gap in the economic relationship between the two countries. ICCC president Muruarilal Thapliyal, who is leading a trade mission to India beginning on January 29. (Credit: ICCC)

The Toronto-headquartered Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) will take a delegation to India for a visit from January 29 to February 9, while the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (CHCC) has one in progress.

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Discussing the purpose of their trade mission, Murarilal Thapliyal, president of the 46-year-old ICCC, said, We are trying to bridge the gap between India and Canada. Trade and business should not suffer because the economy depends on it. We want to take one step ahead to improve the relationship.

ICCCs India trade mission comes with the objective of uniting Canadian innovation with Indian ingenuity. Beginning on January 29 and ending on February 9, Thapliyal estimated that at least 20 businesspersons would join the mission which will traverse six states, with stops in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Dispur and Dehradun.

Thapliyal rued the fact that Canada was missing from the Vibrant Gujarat Summit but hoped ICCCs delegation would help promote business and trade between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the CHCCs mission to India began on January 1 and will end on January 13, but, other than India, will also include Nepal and Bangladesh.

Trade ties between the two countries have suffered since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Days before that statement, Canada paused negotiations with India towards an Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA). A five-day Team Canada trade mission scheduled for October last year and led by Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng was postponed indefinitely.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake off central Japan caused strong shaking but no tsunami warning has been given yet, the government said as per news agency AFP. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake struck off the Sea of Japan coast, rattling the same part of the country where a powerful earthquake flattened parts of central Japan on January 1. Its aftershocks caused widespread destruction with the death toll surpassing 200 with just over 100 still unaccounted for, authorities said. The 7.5 magnitude quake on New Year destroyed buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula. Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes off central Japan, no tsunami warning(Representational)

Japan's New Year earthquake rescue operations

Rescuers are still battling against time to clear the wreckage as well as reach almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities, authorities have said as data from Ishikawa showed that 202 people were confirmed dead, up from 180 earlier in the day, with 102 unaccounted for, down from 120.

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More than 1,200 aftershocks have rattled the area since as the number of missing has more than tripled the number to 323 with most of the rise related to badly hit Wajima.

Snow in earthquake-hit region

Heavy snow has complicated relief efforts as almost 30,000 people were living in 400 government shelters while almost 60,000 households were without running water and 15,600 had no electricity supply.

What Japan PM said on rescue operations

Japan prime minister Fumio Kishida instructed ministers to make efforts of resolving the state of isolation (of communities) and continue tenacious rescue activities at a daily disaster-relief government meeting. He also urged secondary evacuations to other regions outside the earthquake-hit area.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said on Tuesday that officials at the Arctic penal colony where he is serving a 19-year sentence have isolated him in a tiny punishment cell over a minor infraction, the latest step designed to ramp up pressure on President Vladimir Putin's fiercest political foe. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a screen via video link from the IK-2 corrective penal colony in Pokrov in May 2022.(Reuters)

Navalny said in a social media statement relayed from behind bars that prison officials accused him of refusing to introduce himself in line with protocol and ordered him to serve seven days in a punishment cell.

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The thought that Putin will be satisfied with sticking me into a barracks in the far north and will stop torturing me in the punishment confinement was not only cowardly, but naive as well," he said in his usual sardonic manner.

Navalny, 47, is jailed on charges of extremism. He had been imprisoned in the Vladimir region of central Russia, about 230 kilometres east of Moscow but was transferred last month to a special regime penal colony  the highest security level of prisons in Russia  above the Artic Circle.

His allies decried the transfer to a colony in the town of Kharp, in the Yamalo-Nenets region about 1,900 kilometres northeast of Moscow, as yet another attempt to force Navalny into silence.

The remote region is notorious for long and severe winters. Kharp is about 100 kilometres from Vorkuta, whose coal mines were part of the Soviet gulag prison-camp system.

It is almost impossible to get to this colony; it is almost impossible to even send letters there. This is the highest possible level of isolation from the world, Navalny's chief strategist, Leonid Volkov, has said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Navalny has been behind bars since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin. Before his arrest, he campaigned against official corruption and organised major anti-Kremlin protests.

Also Read | Russian opposition leader Navalny gets 19 more years jail on extremism charges

He has since received three prison terms, rejecting all the charges against him as politically motivated. Until last month, Navalny was serving time at Penal Colony No. 6 in the Vladimir region, and officials there regularly placed him in a punishment cell for alleged minor infractions. He spent months in isolation.

At the prison colony in Kharp, being in a punishment cell means that walking outside in a narrow concrete prison yard is only allowed at 6:30 a.m., Navalny said on Tuesday.

Inmates in regular conditions are allowed to walk after lunch, and even though it is the polar night right now, still after lunch it is warmer by several degrees," he said, adding that the temperature has been as low as minus 32 degrees Celsius, or minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Few things are as refreshing as a walk in Yamal at 6:30 in the morning, he wrote, using the shorthand for the name of the region. (AP)

GRS GRS
Maldives politician Zahid Rameez, who faced online backlash over his derogatory comments against India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recennt visit to Lakshadweep, wished external affairs minister S Jaishankar on his birthday on Tuesday. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (PTI)

Happy Birthday to the esteemed Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar! Wishing you a year filled with success and positive diplomatic endeavors, Zahid Rameez wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

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Rameez was responding to a post where Jaishankar thanked PM Modi for his birthday wishes. Modi wrote, Birthday wishes to Union Minister @DrSJaishankar Ji. His dedication and contributions in shaping Indias foreign policy have been exemplary. May this year bring more success and good health as he continues to serve our nation with dedication.

Jaishankar responded, Thank you Pradhan Mantri @narendramodi for your kind birthday wishes. Your vision is a constant inspiration as we work towards our nations growth and development.

The row erupted last weekend after Maldivian politicians, including Rameez who is a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives and deputy minister Mariyam Shiuna, reacted to posts on social media describing Lakshadweep as a tourist destination that rivals the Maldives following Modis recent visit to the islands.

The Maldives government on Sunday suspended at least three ministers who made derogatory comments on social media against India and its leadership even as it distanced itself from the remarks and urged officials not to do anything that affects ties with international partners.

Rameez boasted of the great services for tourists in Maldives and took a jibe at Modi's attempt to promote Lakshadweep. He called out the idea of competing with Maldives' tourism. In a racist rant, Rameez went on to question the cleanliness in Lakshadweep and ridiculed the standard of hotel rooms.

Rameez said on X, The move is great. However, the idea of competing with us is delusional. How can they provide the service we offer? How can they be so clean? The permanent smell in the rooms will be the biggest downfall.
Ukraine's power grid operator said on Tuesday severe winter weather left more than 1,000 towns and villages without electricity in nine regions and urged residents to conserve power as the energy system has been weakened by Russian strikes. Rescue workers clear the rubble on the debris of destroyed building after Russian attack in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (AP)

Electricity consumption was at this week's highest levels as temperatures fell to about -15 C in many parts of the country, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

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"The consumption level continues to grow due to the considerable drop in temperature across the country," it said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that electricity consumption in the morning was already 5.8% higher than the day before.

"As of this morning due to bad weather - strong winds, ice power was cut off in 1,025 settlements."

The weather caused significant damage to distribution networks with strong winds, frost, and a thick layer of ice on equipment, which delayed repair works, Ukrenergo said.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of southern Mykolaiv region where 215 towns and villages have been cut off from electricity, said ice on electricity cables was over 5 cm thick.

Ukrenergo said the power system was already working at maximum capacity and urged residents to save electricity as much as possible and avoid using several electrical appliances simultaneously to help the system cope.

"Currently, electricity is enough to supply all commercial and household consumers. But a big increase in consumption creates an additional load on power plants, which are already operating at maximum, and they need to increase generation very quickly and considerably and that can lead to technological disruptions," Ukrenergo said.

Ukraine had to import electricity from neighbouring Romania and Slovakia to be able to meet the demand, it said.

Ukrenergo said that Ukranian thermal power plants were still recovering from last winter's massive Russian strikes and solar power plants could not work at full capacity due to dense clouds and bad weather.

Last winter Russia targeted the Ukrainian power system with thousands of missiles and drones, causing frequent blackouts for millions of people.

Thermal power stations accounted for about a third of all electricity produced in Ukraine before the war.

Ukrenergo also reported more damage to electricity networks in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions which are near to the frontline and within the reach of artillery shelling.
Kate Middleton was left heartbroken after an argument with her husband Prince William over where to send their oldest son to high school, it was reported. Prince William wants Prince George to attend his alma mater Eton College when he turns 13. Kate Middleton is not at all happy with this idea, an insider told In Touch Weekly as the princess does not want Prince George to go to an all-boys boarding school. Prince William-Kate Middleton: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales.(Reuters)

Kate was horribly bullied at her first boarding school, and cant bear the thought of George suffering through that," the insider claimed as per the report. Kate Middleton attended Downe House, an all-girls boarding school in Berkshire and later transferred to the coeducational Marlborough College. She wants to send her son there, the report claimed.

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Eton College is located close to Windsor Castle and was attended by both Prince William and Prince Harry.

Kate thinks sending George to such a stuffy, upper-crust institution goes against all of their efforts to modernise the monarchy, the source told the outlet adding that Prince William and Kate Middleton have argued almost endlessly about sending Prince George to board at Eton.

Kate long disagreed with her husband about sending him away, even though its tradition, it was reported but the Prince of Wales has seemingly won the argument, with Kate Middleton finally giving in.

More about Eton College

The elite school was founded by King Henry VI in 1440. Its alumni include Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson. Several royal family members have also graduated from Eton, including the late Queen Elizabeths first cousins Prince Edward, Prince Richard, and Prince Michael. Prince William was the first senior royal to be educated at the institution. Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte currently attend the co-ed prep educational institution Lambrook.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is begging his allies to give weapons to Moscow in order to bolster its invasion of Ukraine, British defense minister Grant Shapps said following a US report that claimed Russia used short-range ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in airstrikes across Ukraine. Russia-Ukraine War: Russia's president Vladimir Putin is seen.(AFP)

Grant Shapps said, The world has turned its back on Russia, forcing Putin into the humiliation of going cap in hand to North Korea to keep his illegal invasion going.

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He added, "In doing so Russia has broken multiple [United Nations Security Council] resolutions and put the security of another world region at risk. This must stop now. Together with our partners we'll make sure North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia.

This comes as Russia increased aerial attacks on Ukraine as US said that some of the assaults were conducted with North Korean-provided weapons as intel pointed out that at least one ballistic missile provided by North Korea was fired by Russia on December 30.

Russia could also be reaching a deal with Iran for additional short-range missiles, US noted. Amid Ukraine war, Western countries supported Kyiv and issued sanctions on Russia while supplying Ukraine with billions in military aid and weapons. Russia has turned to allies like Iran and North Korea as Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu vowed to strengthen ties between Moscow and Pyongyang after meeting with North Korean counterpart, Kang Sun Nam last year.

Meanwhile, a wave of Russian strikes killed four people across Ukraine as authorities in the Russian border city of Belgorod evacuated hundreds due to Ukrainian shelling.

"Overnight on 8 January, 2024, the enemy launched a massive attack on Ukraine," the country's air force said.
January 3 marked three years to an air strike authorised by former United States president Donald Trump, which killed the Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, chief of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was in Iraq at the time. During a commemorative gathering for the fallen general in Kerman, Iran, a suicide bombing killed 84 people and injured several more last week. The Islamic State (IS formerly ISIS) took responsibility for what is one of the worst attacks in post-1979 Iran, by casualty count alone.

Why is IS at war with Iran?

Post 9/11, Iran under the reform-minded President Mohammad Khatami effectively allied with the United States against the Taliban and other jihadist groups in Afghanistan. Even as differences between Washington and Tehran morphed into adversity, the Islamic Republics fight against these groups almost invariably found common targets with the United States. However, unlike the latter, which embarked on its war on terror following 9/11, Shia Irans fight against jihadist groups had a longer history  both before and after they morphed into the Islamic State, these groups bore a militant aversion to minority Shia Muslims, considered heretical apostates by Salafi and Sunni orthodoxy.

Consequently, as IS evolved into a militarily potent territory-seeking caliphate-aspiring force that tore through Iraq and Syria starting in early 2014, Iran was harder pressed to respond to the threat long before Washington was drawn into the war. The urgency was created by the imminent threat to Shiisms holiest sites in Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, as well as the increasing proximity of the war to Irans own borders.

Although Iran-backed forces have perpetrated several crimes against Iraqi Sunnis in the past, IS displayed its sectarian ruthlessness in massacres like that of Camp Speicher in 2014 where it murdered between 1,500 and 1,700 unarmed cadets of the Iraqi Army, most of whom were Shia recruits separated from Sunni cadets (one of the worst acts of terror following 9/11).

Notwithstanding the Byzantine complexities of the Syrian civil war, just as the US-led coalition, along with local Kurdish allies, fought IS from the air, Irans IRGC and its Quds Force headed by Gen Soleimani weaved together new Shia (and some Sunni) resistance groups to back the Iraqi Army and fight IS. By the time the IS capitulated in 2019 at Baghuz Fawqani, Iran and its famed general were already the principal adversaries for whatever fighters remained of the Islamic State.

Target on the back

As IS morphed into a more traditional terror group that acted through low-cost high-value suicide attacks in urban areas, Iranian cities and towns were prime targets, leading to a string of bombings and shootings between 2016 and 2023, including an attack on Irans Parliament and Ayatollah Khomeinis mausoleum off Tehran in 2017.

Essentially, two factors continued to inform IS' hostility to Iran  its pre-existing ideological commitment to killing apostate Shias, now supplemented by a martial commitment to inflicting a thousand cuts on an enemy that was significantly responsible for the loss of the caliphate that they sought to establish.

It is also this combination of factors which distinguishes IS from other largely Sunni militant groups such as Hamas, which have long enjoyed Iranian support. Hamas single-point focus on resisting the Israeli occupation through militant means aligns it with Tehrans anti-Israel goals in the region. Though both Hamas and IS are majorly Sunni in composition, IS is set apart by its support for Salafism, which seeks a more radical revival of orthodox Sunni Islam. In fact, IS publicly denounced Hamas in 2015, given its alignment with Iran. This distinction re-emerged as a clarification in popular discourse after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, called Hamas Hamas-ISIS after its October 7, 2023 terror attack on the country.

An overlooked aspect

It is easy to get lost in the current fog of the larger ongoing West Asian crisis. Most news reports, not necessarily wrongly, hook the Kerman attack with Israels war in Gaza, the Houthi Red Sea campaign, and the Iran-US proxy war in Iraq. However, the Kerman attack is proof of an older Iranian worry  more concrete since August 2021  that the Talibans return will infuse anti-Shia groups in Afghanistan with new energy. US intelligence officials, according to Reuters, said that the attacks were perpetrated by ISIS-Khorasan, the Afghanistan chapter of the group where the locus of decision-making has largely shifted  and which has issued repeated threats to Iran before major IS attacks, such as at the Shah Cheragh shrine in 2018.

After the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban, even as the latter was making numerous assurances to Pakistan on the Durand Line (located at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border) and to the West on womens rights, Tehran sought to gain its own assurances that the group did not harbour anti-Shia militants in Afghanistan. The Taliban has, thus far, reneged on all fronts. Particularly, its failure to mount an effective counter to ISIS-K and anti-Shia attacks has more than once drawn criticism and concern from Tehran, even as ISIS-K publicly declared in October 2021 that it would target Shia Muslims globally, after attacking an Afghan Shia mosque, killing 47. Hence, even as Iran continues the good cop approach to the Taliban today, the Kerman attack is likely to divert the Quds Forces resources, should Kabul persist in its ineffectiveness.

Bashir Ali Abbas is a Research Associate at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research, New Delhi, and a South Asia Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center, Washington DC. Views expressed are strictly his own.
Denier previously served as CEO of the leading US mobile brokerage

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /CNW/ -- Webull , a leading commission-free trading platform with over 40 million downloads globally, today announced the promotion of Anthony Denier, former Webull US CEO, to Group President. He will be responsible for managing the company's regulated businesses across the globe, including all licensed broker-dealers.

(PRNewsfoto/Webull Securities (Australia) Pty Ltd)

Denier has an established track record of delivering results for Webull over his 6+ year tenure. In his new role, Denier will continue to accelerate the company's initiatives, including the expansion of its US headquarters, and securing access to capital markets worldwide. He will also manage Webull's external communications, amplify corporate governance, and enhance global compliance efforts and culture.

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"In a short amount of time, Webull has grown exponentially across the world," said Anthony Denier, Webull Group President. "With retail investing constantly changing, Webull prides itself on innovative offerings that provide users with seamless trading experiences. I am grateful to my team who consistently goes above and beyond to create best-in-class products and look forward to overseeing Webull's continued success."

Denier is one of the founding members of Webull US, one of the business's core entities. Since joining Webull in 2017, he has proven himself to be a valuable asset to the company, leveraging business and management skills. Amid a complex macro-environment for markets, Denier brings a high-level understanding of the brokerage business and ability to adapt to evolving challenges.

Webull provides retail investors with 24/7 access to financial markets worldwide. Users can put investment strategies to work by trading global stocks, ETFs, options, and fractional shares, through Webull's trading platform, which is currently available in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Canada.

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For more information on Webull and its offerings, please visit www.webullcorp.com.

About Webull

Webull is a leading digital investment platform built on next generation global infrastructure. The Webull Group is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida and backed by private equity investors located in the United States, Europe and Asia. Webull serves tens of millions of users from over 180 countries, providing retail investors with 24/7 access to global financial markets. Users can put investment strategies to work by trading global stocks, ETFs, options and fractional shares, through Webull's trading platform, which is currently available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Canada. Webull also offers investment education services, with lessons covering a wide range of topics. For more information about Webull, visit Webull's corporate website at https://www.webullcorp.com.

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At least seven police officers have been kidnapped in Ecuador by criminals, the police said on Tuesday, and authorities reported a series of explosions a day after President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. Soldiers check cars during a security operation on the alternative road to the Turi prison, in Cuenca, Ecuador, on January 9, 2024.(AFP)

Noboa, son of one of the country's richest men, took office in November promising to stem a wave of drug trade-related violence on the streets and in prisons which has been growing for years.

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Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency - a tool used by his predecessor to little success - on Monday, enabling military patrols, including in prisons, and setting a national nighttime curfew.

The measure was a response to the apparent escape of Adolfo Macias, leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence, and other recent prison incidents, including hostage-takings of guards.

Three police officers working the night shift were kidnapped in the southern city of Machala, police said on social media on Tuesday, while a fourth officer was taken by three criminals in Quito.

Another three officers were kidnapped in Los Rios province, police said later on Tuesday, after a patrol was hit by an explosive.

"These acts will not remain in impunity," said the police, who have given no details on whether the kidnappers have issued demands.

The municipal government for Quito said there had also been an "explosion" on a pedestrian bridge in the capital. The blast had caused no injuries, but the city government asked in a statement for reinforced security amid the "unprecedented" crisis.

A Reuters witness saw a greater-than-usual military presence around government buildings in central Quito.

The police said there were further explosions in the provinces of Esmeraldas and Los Rios, while the mayor's office in the city of Cuenca confirmed another and the attorney general's office said it was investigating one in Guayaquil. Local media have also reported explosions in Loja and Machala.

Authorities have not given a cause for any of the explosions and no one has claimed responsibility.

Noboa has said he will not negotiate with "terrorists" and the government has blamed the recent incidents of prison violence on Noboa's plan to build a new high security prison and transfer jailed gang leaders.

Prisons agency SNAI said a group of prisoners had also escaped from a penitentiary in Riobamba, including accused gang member Colon Pico, who was allegedly involved in an attack plot against the attorney general. Seventeen of the 39 escapees have been recaptured, the prosecutor's office said.

Some Ecuadoreans demanded action beyond the state of emergency.

"The previous government declared them and they were ineffective. Noboa needs to take more drastic measures, go out with the police and armed forces to impose order," said Marcelo Gordillo, 42. "He must take the bull by the horns."

Noboa plans to hold a plebiscite this year focused on security efforts.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito, additional reporting by Tito Correa and Karen ToroWriting by Julia Symmes CobbEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Rosalba O'Brien)
South Korea said that North Korean weapons are being used by Hamas in its war with Israel. South Koreas spy agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), released a photo of a North Korean rocket part to show Hamas using an F-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher. It was manufactured in North Korea, South Korea said adding that it is collecting and accumulating specific evidence regarding the scale and timing of North Koreas supply of weapons to Hamas and others, but currently its difficult to provide them, considering source protection and diplomatic relations." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (AFP)

Hamas- which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union- attacked Israel on October 7 and killed almost 1,200 people to which Tel Aviv responded with an offensive that has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians.

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This week, Voice of America reported, that Hamas used North Korean weapons with a picture showing an F-7 rocket with Korean characters engraved on it. The NIS said its assessment is the same as the VOA report" but North Korea has denied its weapons were used by Hamas to attack Israel. These are groundless and false rumor", state news agency North Korean Central News Agency said in October. Then, North Korea accused the US of seeking to divert the blame for the war from itself to a third country but Pyongyang has also been said to be supplying weapons to Russia.

Earlier, a Ukraine official said that Russia attacked Kharkiv with missiles supplied by North Korea. Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson for the Kharkiv prosecutor's office, said the missile hit the city of Kharkiv on January 2. It was visually and technically different from Russian models as "the production method is not very modern. There are deviations from standard Iskander missiles, which we previously saw during strikes on Kharkiv. This missile is similar to one of the North Korean missiles," he said.
Face masks will be mandatory in hospitals and healthcare centres in Spain amid a surge in respiratory illnesses. The measure is being imposed despite opposition from most of Spain's 17 autonomous regions. People wearing face masks as a precaution walk inside a hospital in Barcelona(AP)

We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health centre and taking it off when you leave, Spain's health minister Monica Garcia said, adding, I don't think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure of the first order."

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Spike in respiratory illnesses

Spain's hospitals have come under immense pressure in recent weeks following a spike in cases of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The health ministry tried to secure an agreement with regional health authorities, many of whom argued that mask use should be recommended but not obligatory, but failed. After this, the government imposed the rule as regional governments are in charge of healthcare but the central government can intervene if it deems it necessary.

Where has the measure been imposed?

Six regions have already introduced the measure and masks are being used on streets, public transport and in health centres in recent months.

What about Covid in Spain?

Spain declared a formal end to the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic last July. Then the government said that people no longer needed to wear masks in health and care centres and pharmacies after which Spain gradually ended mandatory mask wearing, first in public and then on public transport. The country registered more than 14 million cases and some 120,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
Spikes jut from the beaches of Taiwan's Kinmen island, military checkpoints serve as traffic roundabouts and bunkers double up as tourist cafes -- reminders everywhere of the conflict decades earlier with Chinese communist forces. Campaign posters of 2024 Taiwan presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih from the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) at the KMT party branch in Kinmen. (AFP)

Kinmen, which lies 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Taiwan island but only seven kilometres from the Chinese mainland, was a battlefield frontline for the nationalists who fled to Taiwan in 1949, and the target of frequent bombardments up until 1979.

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Now Kinmen residents are preparing to vote in a crucial presidential election on Saturday that is being watched closely from Beijing to Washington, and whose winner will set democratic Taiwan's course over the next four years.

"Xiamen, Kinmen -- their doors face each other," said Lin Ma-teng from his courtyard home on Lieyu, Kinmen's closest inhabited islet to China.

The southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen, which Lin refers to, is close enough to Kinmen to be clearly visible across the narrow strait.

"Big guns, small guns, they shell at each other," the 79-year-old former serviceman said.

"Thankfully, Kuomintang held Kinmen," he added, referring to the nationalists who today make up Taiwan's oldest political party.

One-time opponents of the Chinese Communist Party, Kuomintang (KMT) has evolved into a political bloc that today sees the economic fortunes of modern Taiwan linked to a close relationship with Beijing.

China has long claimed Taiwan as part of its territory, with President Xi Jinping -- who has never ruled out the use of force to bring it under Beijing's control -- describing "unification" as "inevitable".

- 'Already independent' -

For the majority of the island's 23 million people accustomed to democratic life, joining authoritarian China is unthinkable.

In Taiwan's election, KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih is going up against Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has shaped its platform on sovereignty from China.

The previous vote in 2020 saw a historic landslide for the DPP's Tsai Ing-wen, who enraged China with her stance that Taiwan is "already independent".

Over Tsai's eight-year tenure, Beijing refused to engage with her government, ramping up tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Besides sending in unprecedented numbers of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan, Beijing also staged two massive war games in recent years -- flying missiles to surrounding waters and simulating a blockade of the island.

These actions have upped global worries of a conflict, even if it is "unlikely in the near term", Amanda Hsiao of the International Crisis Group told AFP.

"The extent to which tensions will be kept under check in the next four years will depend on how the next president approaches defence reform, and manages relations with Beijing and Washington."

- 'Future of democracy' -

China's bombardments of Kinmen only stopped in 1979 when the United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.

This is a position maintained today even as Washington becomes Taipei's most important ally and its key weapons provider.

Meanwhile, US-China relations have plummeted, with the two superpowers tussling over technology exports, spying concerns and human rights issues -- but also on the status of Taiwan.

Xi warned US President Joe Biden in November that Washington should "stop arming Taiwan" and "support China's peaceful reunification", while Biden in turn urged him to "respect the electoral process" of the democratic island.

Given its close historical ties to China and the proximity to the mainland, the majority of tiny Kinmen's residents support KMT.

But DPP enjoys broad support among the younger generations who do not identify as Chinese.

"I definitely won't support KMT," said 27-year-old Angela Huang, visiting on holiday from Taiwan's southwestern Tainan city.

"People are more aligned with KMT here because of all the ex-soldiers who live here... In (mainland) Taiwan, there's not really as many," she tells AFP.

Huang said she would definitely vote on Saturday but has still not decided between DPP and the smaller opposition Taiwan People's Party.

Taiwan "remains the sole democracy in the Chinese-speaking world", political scientist Wei-ting Yen of Franklin and Marshall College said.

"In an era marked by democratic backsliding... Taiwan's election is crucial as it exemplifies a thriving democracy in Asia."

- 'Different political systems' -

Kinmen's wartime relics are popular attractions for Taiwanese tourists.

Visitors can watch uniformed staff re-enact a cannon "firing" at China, pose for selfies with abandoned tanks, and marvel at anti-communist slogans still painted on shophouses.

"Our existence is the Chinese people's hope," read one sign painted on a doorframe.

Across the water in the Chinese city of Xiamen, a crimson sign lit up at nightfall: "One country, two systems unify China".

Retired serviceman Lin said maintaining the "status quo" -- in which Taiwan neither declares independence nor becomes part of China -- is the best way forward.

"We are two different political systems after all. No matter how rich China has become... we don't admire that," he said.

We would like things to stay the way it is.
Thailand is proposing a ban on recreational use of cannabis and hefty penalties on offenders under a new bill that seeks to end a legal vacuum after the country became the first in Asia to decriminalize the plant. Thailands cannabis industry has been operating in a gray area, as the plant was decriminalized in 2022.(AP)

Smoking of marijuana and its use in any other forms for recreation will be banned under the draft bill that was published by the Health Ministry on Tuesday. The use of cannabis plant or its products will be limited for medical and health purposes.

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The draft legislation is the latest attempt by authorities to regulate the industry after an earlier bill failed to win parliament backing. It also meets Prime Minister Srettha Thavisins election pledge to restrict the use of marijuana to medical purposes due to concerns over addiction.

Under the proposed bill, anyone who smokes cannabis for recreation will face a fine of up to 60,000 baht ($1,720). Those selling cannabis or its extracts for recreational purposes face up to one year in jail or 100,000 baht in fines, or both.

Thailands cannabis industry has been operating in a gray area, as the plant was decriminalized in 2022 before lawmakers could agree on how to regulate the industry.

The new government is seeking to end the regulatory vacuum that has led to the mushrooming of thousands of dispensaries all over the country. They sell everything from cannabis buds to oil extracts containing less than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol  the psychoactive compound that gives users a high sensation.

Under the proposed rules, advertising or marketing campaigns for cannabis buds or extracts, or any devices used in smoking will be prohibited. Driving while high on cannabis is also punishable with a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or one year in jail.

The government will also tighten licensing rules for cannabis planting, sales, exports and imports. Once the new rules take effect, growers will need to apply for a license within 60 days, while existing dispensaries can continue to operate before renewing their permits.

The government hasnt moved to reclassify the plant as a narcotic again, which would have entailed longer jail terms and fines.

The public and industry stakeholders have until Jan. 23 to submit feedback on the bill. The health ministry may still make changes to the bill before submitting it to the cabinet, which will send it to the parliament for approval.
UAE's president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan mocked Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the later asked him to pay unemployment stipends to Palestinian workers who were barred by Israel from entering its territory after the October 7 Hamas attack. Sheikh Al Nahyan sarcastically told the Israeli premier, Ask Zelensky for money- referring to the Ukrainian president. Benjamin Netanyahu made the request to Al Nahyan a few weeks ago. Israel-Hamas War: President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan looks on during a meeting.(Reuters)

Axios reported that UAE president suggested Volodymyr Zelensky could pay for the workers with the foreign aid that Ukraine was getting amid Russia war.

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The notion that Arab countries will come in to rebuild and pay the bill for whats currently happening is wishful thinking, an official from the UAE told Axios adding that UAE leader was shocked by the request as he thought Israel was asking it to pay for a problem created by its war in Gaza. This comes as it was reported that Israel wanted the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to help rebuild Gaza after the war.

Other Arab countries have also said that will not pay for the reconstruction of Gaza where Israel's offensive has claimed more than 23,000 lives, destroyed much of the enclave and displaced most of its 2.3 million residents.

Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that over one lakh Palestinians from the West Bank had permits to travel to Israel for work but were prevented after Hamas attacks in October last year that killed 1,200 Israeli citizens.

This comes as US top diplomat Antony Blinken urged Israel to "avoid further civilian harm" in the besieged Palestinian territory during a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu where he reaffirmed US "support for Israel's right to prevent the terrorist attacks of October 7 from being repeated".

Antony Blinken also "stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza", the US state department said.
Ukraine has a deficit of anti-aircraft guided missiles nearly two years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Tuesday. Russia-Ukraine War: Rescuers work at the site of a Russian missile strike in an area in the village of Rivne near the Pokrovsk town, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk.(Reuters)

Ukraine has relied heavily on military and financial aid from its Western allies since the invasion in February 2022, but political wrangling has delayed the disbursement of major aid packages for this year.

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Ihnat told Ukrainian television that Ukraine had used a "considerable reserve" of missiles defending itself against recent attacks, and added: "It is clear that there is a deficit of anti-aircraft guided missiles."

Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine in the past few weeks, firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities far behind the frontline, Ukrainian officials have said.

In the latest strike this week, Russia fired 51 missiles of various types, killing at least four people and hitting civilian infrastructure, they said.

Ukraine said it shot down 18 of the cruise missiles that were fired, a much lower rate of interception than usual. Ukrainian officials attributed this to the large number of ballistic missiles fired by Russia as they are harder to intercept.

Ihnat said that he hoped that delays over Western aid packages would be resolved soon as Ukraine depended on Western supplies not only for air defence ammunition.

"We have more and more Western equipment today and, accordingly, it needs maintenance, repair, updating, replenishment, and corresponding ammunition," he said.

Yehor Chernev, a lawmaker, told Ukrainian television that the government would discuss how to strengthen its air defences at a meeting with its NATO allies this week.

Ukrainian officials had warned that Russia was stockpiling missiles for more attacks during the critical cold months, hoping to inflict more damage on the energy grid after air strikes caused frequent power cuts last winter.
In a startling revelation, actor Dan Aykroyd shared his experience with an unidentified flying object (UFO), what he described as a enormous, grey, balloon-like object, devoid of lights and comparable in size to a Macys Day Parade balloon. Actor and musician Dan Aykroyd (AP )

During an interview with Fox News on Monday, the Ghostbusters actor claimed that he has spotted UFOs at least four times and the most amazing sighting came while he was staying in a hotel with his friends.

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"The most spectacular one that I saw was bout 50 feet away from me and on the 23rd floor of a hotel in Montreal," Aykroyd said.

There were no lights at all, it was just a big, grey object that looked like a Macy's Day Parade balloon, the Hollywood legend added.

Also Read: Is Hawaii a hot spot for UFOs? New documentary uncovers surreal details

Dan Aykroyd details UFO sighting experience

Aykroyd described how the object hovered around 50 feet away from him while he was on the 23rd floor of a hotel in Montreal, Canada. He stared at it for about ninety seconds before it floated away, dispersing over the St. Lawrence River. The actor and musician emphasised the sighting's distinctiveness by stating that neither helicopters nor conventional planes could account for it.

"We looked out the window, and there was this big grey object, 100 feet long, 50 feet high, with what looks like a bunch of grapes underneath it, you know?" he said.

It just sat there, and we got a good look at it for about a minute and a half and then it kind of turned slowly, no sound, and it just drifted off. We ran into the hall and saw it drift into the St. Lawrence River," he added, insisting that I know what I saw and I know I had a witness with me.

Also Read: North Carolina man recounts UFO sighting that left him with a feeling of dread: Felt like there was a higher power

Miami police debunks rumor of alien at Bayside mall

Days after bizarre claims that 10-foot-tall alien had touched down in Florida went viral on social media, Miami police dismissed the rumors, saying "there were no aliens, UFOs, or ETs."

The rumors began on New Year's Day when a video surfaced on the internet that purportedly showed a huge figure walking outside Bayside Marketplace, a downtown Miami shopping center, as dozens of police cruisers with flashing lights encircled it.

However, police claim that the blurry, close-up footage, which was recorded from multiple levels above, is not at all unearthly.
Bill Ackman takes the stage to provide clarity on the controversies surrounding his wife, Neri Oxman. The focus is on her reported connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Brad Pitt, with Ackman aiming to dispel any misconceptions. Bill Ackman, chief executive officer and portfolio manager at Pershing Square Capital Management(REUTERS)

Jeffrey Epstein's link to MIT

Diving into the Epstein connection, Ackman reveals that Neri Oxman's lab received a $150k grant from Epstein during her tenure at MIT. Stressing the brevity and professionalism of their interaction, Ackman explaind that the meeting was orchestrated by the head of the MediaLab, portraying Epstein as just one of many donors Oxman presented her work to.

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She met him once at @MIT (and never again) at the request of the head of the MediaLab. He was presented to her as a donor no different from the hundreds of other donors over the years she was asked to present her work to at the request of the administration, Ackman wrote on X. The meeting with Epstein included Joey Ito, head of the MediaLab and her boss, and another one of the most respected members of the MIT senior faculty. She was invited by Epstein to multiple dinners and she never accepted an invitation or saw or spoke to him again, he wrote.

Dinner invitations and 'orbs' gift

Further detailing the interaction, Bill Ackman discloses that Epstein extended multiple dinner invitations to Oxman, all of which she declined. He highlights a unique aspect of the relationship  Oxman's contribution of resin sculptures, or 'orbs,' as customary gifts for MIT MediaLab donors. The context suggests a routine practice rather than a personalized connection.

At some point, she was asked to give him one of the orbs, small resin sculptures that her group made, which MIT used as gifts for donors to the university. Neris group made many of the gifts for MIT MediaLab donors as her work is unique and beautiful, Ackman added.

Neri Oxman's regret and MIT's concealment

Acknowledging Oxman's remorse for accepting funds from Epstein, Ackman provides insight into her public apology to students. He highlighted MIT's attempt to conceal Epstein's donations, drawing attention to a New Yorker expose that uncovered the university's efforts to keep the financial ties under wraps.

Neri Oxman's Brad Pitt connection

Responding to claims about Oxman's involvement with Brad Pitt, Ackman clarifies that Pitt's visits to Oxman's lab were strictly professional. Pitt expressed interest in Oxman's work, visited her lab for a cultural architecture project, and met Oxman once in San Francisco  a connection Ackman deems entirely professional and non-controversial.

He came to visit Neris lab once or twice, and she met him once in San Francisco in connection with a cultural architecture project idea he was working on that did not go forward. There was nothing questionable about her relationship with the actor. It was totally professional, Ackman wrote.

Plagiarism allegations against Bill Ackman's wife

Addressing recent plagiarism allegations against Oxman, Ackman implies a connection between these claims and his public criticism of MIT's President. He suggests a possible agenda behind the timing of these accusations and urges a closer examination of the circumstances.

Bill Ackman's response to criticism

In response to criticism from White House Correspondent Simon Ateba, Ackman staunchly defends his family, arguing that the allegations against Oxman are part of a larger agenda. He emphasizes the need for facts to surface before drawing conclusions, framing the situation as blowback for his public stand against MIT's President.
Days after Claudine Gay resigned as president, Harvard's interim leader Alan M. Garber, in his first statement to the university since taking office, expressed regret over her departure and urged affiliates to unite in order to ease tensions on campus. Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber 76, who has served in his role since 2011, became Harvards interim president following Claudine Gays resignation last week.(X)

Calling on the campus community to "bridge the fissures" that divide them in the midst of what he called the most painful and disorienting time in the institution's history in the past 50 years, Garber wrote: Since I first arrived here as an undergraduate in 1973, I cannot recall a period of comparable tension on our campus and across our community.

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That tension has been exacerbated by concerns about how we address and combat antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bias; safeguard free expression; and foster a climate of mutual understanding, he added.

Also Read: 'Yes, I made mistakes': Claudine Gay addresses plagiarism accusations, offers 'few words of warning' after resignation

Claudine Gay's resignation has added a deep sense of loss, says Garber

In his Monday email addressed to members of the Harvard community, Garber reiterated his commitment to the University and acknowledged the unusual crisis that resulted in his selection as school's acting president. "Its crucial that we bridge the fissures that have weakened our sense of community and, through our words and deeds, affirm the immense worth of what we do here, notwithstanding our shortcomings, he said.

He further said that Gay's decision to step down amid the controversy added a deep sense of loss on Harvards campus.

Garber (76), who is Jewish, was among the first to publicly apologise for the university's November 2023 statement on the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza.

Also Read: After Harvard shakeup, Bill Ackman guns for MIT President for plagiarism check

Claudine Gay resigned amid claims of plagiarism and antisemitism backlash

As Congress continues to look into Harvard's treatment of plagiarism claims against Gay and its response to antisemitism, Garber's first significant duty as president will be leading the university out of its ongoing leadership crisis.

Garber took over as interim president last Tuesday after Gay stepped down from the post. Allegations of plagiarism in Gay's scholarly work and criticism to the University's handling of antisemitism on campus dominated the final months of Gay's presidency, the shortest in the University's history.

Gay, in an op-ed in The New York Times following her resignation, stated that she fell into a well-laid trap at that hearing, admitting that 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.
Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls - HUMBER NEWS

The United Nations most senior expert on violence against women has accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of putting womens dignity, safety and security at risk, after it emerged it is set to call for people to have the right to self-identify as the opposite sex.

Reem Alsalem has written to the WHO to say such an approach could undermine the legitimate requirement for women and girls to have access to female-only spaces  such as toilets, changing rooms and rape crisis centres.

The UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls said it was vital there were checks on people who change gender, to ensure females can expect a life in dignity, safety and security that is free from violence.

It comes after the WHO, which is an agency of the UN, was accused of choosing a group of blatantly biased activists and medics to develop its first global guide to transgender care.

It is inviting 21 expects to meet at its headquarters in Geneva next month to work on the guidance, which will focus on the provision of gender-affirming care, including hormones and also legal recognition of self-determined gender identity.

But, in her letter to the WHO, Ms Alsalem said there were serious questions over the use of hormones in gender care  and said those harmed by hormones should have their voice heard.

She criticised the health body for relying on advice from GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality), which has conducted research concluding that improved access to legal gender recognition is a required intervention.

Maintain access to female-only spaces

It is not sufficient to assert that this is a required intervention without considering the human rights-related impacts of legal recognition of self-identified gender identity on wider affected groups, such as women and children, including girls, including the legitimate need in some circumstances to maintain access to female-only spaces, and to ensure the right of all women and children, including girls to a life in dignity, safety and security that is free from violence, she said.

Story continues

The WHO faced criticism earlier this month when it emerged the guideline development group was packed with trans activists and medics who work on gender affirming healthcare.

The group does not include any of the growing number of professionals who have raised concerns about the impact of puberty-blocking drugs on young people.

Ms Alsalem said: The majority of the guideline development group (GDG) clearly have strong, one-sided views in favour of promoting hormonal gender transition and legal recognition of self-asserted gender.

Of the 21 announced GDG members, not one appears to represent a voice of caution for medicalising youth with gender dysphoria or the protection of female-only spaces.

Among those not invited, she said, were experts from European public health authorities who have taken the lead on developing an evidence-based, and consequently, cautious, approach to youth gender transitions (e.g. England, Sweden, and Finland) as well as experts in adolescent development and autism, and organisations representing gays and lesbians.

She added: The GDG also lacks other vital stakeholders voices, such as those of patients harmed by the expanded access to hormones (including trans-identified individuals and de-transitioners) as well as parents of youth with post-pubertal onset of gender dysphoria.

While experts worldwide have not developed a consensus regarding this phenomenon, which began to emerge only around 2015, a growing number of public health authorities are deeply concerned with the proven harms of medical gender inclusive care for those persons that wish to acquire identity or expression that is different from the gender and sex that they were observed with at birth.

A powerful intervention

Helen Joyce, from the gender-critical group Sex Matters, said: The special rapporteurs letter to the director-general of the World Health Organisation is a powerful intervention.

Ms Alsalems letter exposes the WHOs scandalous approach to developing new guidance on treating trans-identifying people, particularly the short time-frame given for comments, the unbalanced group developing the guidelines and the uncritical endorsement of gender self-ID.

From challenging the Scottish Government on its plans to embed self-ID in law to raising concern about the threats against women and girls for expressing opinions on sex-based rights, Ms Alsalem has been fearless in tackling institutional trans activism.

She is a heroic defender of womens freedom of belief and speech.

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Three people are reportedly dead after a shooter opened fire at a Super 8 motel in rural Minnesota. The gunman is also said to have died. Police had to issue a shelter-in-place order for the community after the shooting broke out around 7 pm on Monday, January 8. Three people are reportedly dead after a shooter opened fire at a Super 8 motel in rural Minnesota (Getty Images/iStockphoto - representational image)

At this time, it is unclear if there are other injuries. More details have yet to be released on what prompted the shooting. The incident took place at the motel near Big Lake Road and Highway 33 in Cloquet, around 20 miles from Duluth. The gunman was found dead too, but it is unclear where they were discovered and how they died.

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After the shooting started, police urged about 12,000 people to ask locals to shelter in their homes. About an hour later, police finally lifted the order.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Tom Zambori said he saw lots of flashing lights at the scene, across which he worked. Cece Houle, another resident close to the scene said, I'm okay and there is an active shooter.

The story will be updated when we have more information.
An explosion at a historic Texas hotel in Fort Worth on Monday blew out windows, littered downtown streets with large sections of debris from the building and injured 21 people, including one who was in critical condition, authorities said. A view of damage and debris as first responders react to an explosion at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. January 8, 2024 in this screen grab obtained from social media video. Jordan Bass/via REUTERS(Jordan Bass via REUTERS)

The blast flung doors and entire sections of wall onto the road in front of the 20-story hotel, where authorities said rescue crews found several people trapped in the basement. Fifteen people were taken to hospitals, including six whose conditions were described as semi-critical by MedStar, which provides ambulances and emergency medical services in Fort Worth.

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More than two dozen rooms were occupied at the Sandman Signature Hotel at the time, officials said. Authorities said they believe a gas leak caused the explosion  which happened in the middle of the afternoon at the start of the workweek  and said the hotel had been undergoing construction.

There was debris. There was insulation. There was office furniture, Charlie Collier, 31, told The Associated Press. He was working nearby when he said he saw a large flash and what sounded like thunder.

ALSO READ| Vehicle rams into White House gate, driver arrested

Everything that was in the first couple floors of the building was blown out all over the street, he said.

The Sandman Signature Hotel is in a busy area of downtown about one block from the Fort Worth Convention Center. Footage from news helicopters showed firefighters picking their way through the piles of drywall, shattered glass and mangled metal that coated the street outside the hotel. Authorities urged people to avoid the area.

Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said a restaurant in the building had been under construction but said it was not definitive that is where the blast occurred.

Rebecca Martinez was among those in nearby buildings who recalled hearing a loud crack and seeing a wall of dust and debris sweep through the city streets. Stepping outside to see what happened, she came upon a man and a woman leaned up against a fire hydrant.

The man was all bloody, his face was all bloody, Martinez said. Then I started smelling natural gas, real intense and I thought, I might need to get away from here.

Moments later, she said, authorities evacuated her building and some of the surrounding neighborhood.

ALSO READ| Historic US mission to moon in jeopardy, facing failure after 'critical loss' of fuel

Paula Snider, a delivery driver for UPS, was doing a pickup nearby when she said she heard a large boom and saw a puff of black smoke. A large piece of metal grating landed under her truck and another dropped nearby.

I jumped out and took off running, she said.

A grey haze covered normally busy streets of downtown Fort Worth as firefighters walked through layers of debris. Remnants of the building lay scattered across the street and over parked vehicles, and gaping holes could be seen on the ground.

Trojacek said investigators were working with federal investigators to determine the cause of the blast. The scene had left rescue teams unable to immediately reach some parts of the building.

We had reports of people trapped down in the basement, and because of the explosion that took place, some of those access areas were either covered up or it didn't feel safe at that point to get people down into, Trojacek said.

Technicians from Atmos Energy, a Dallas-based natural gas distributor, were examining the blast site Monday. A spokesperson for the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state's oil and gas regulator, said an agency inspector was also on the scene and working with local authorities.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein's list: Who is Nadia Marcinkova, the late paedophile's global girl?

Northland Properties Co., the Canadian company that owns the hotel, said in a statement that it was working with officials to determine how the explosion occurred and how much damage it caused.

The safety and well-being of our team members and guests is our priority, the company said. We are working with those who have been injured to fully support them at this time.

According to the hotel website, the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel has 245 rooms and was built in 1920 as the Waggoner Building, named after cattle rancher and oilman William Thomas Waggoner. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.
Another set of Jeffrey Epstein documents unsealed on Monday, January 8, revealed that an accuser once claimed former President Donald Trump allegedly had sexual relations with one of her unnamed friends on regular occasions at Epsteins home. In various emails to then-New York Post columnist Maureen Callahan in 2016, Sarah Ransome claimed she had copies of tapes made by Epstein of his high-profile friends, including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Trump and British business magnate Richard Branson. An accuser once claimed she had copies of tapes made by Jeffrey Epstein of his high-profile friends, including Donald Trump and British business magnate Richard Branson (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton, New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File, TANNEN MAURY / AFP)

She confided in me about her casual friendship with Donald. Mr. Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her pert nipples, Ransome wrote about her friend in one email, which went public with the sets of documents that were unsealed over the last few days.

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I also know she had sexual relations with Trump at Jefferys NY mansion on regular occasions, she added.

However, in another email later that year, Ransome walked back on the allegations. I would like to retract everything I have said to you and walk away from this, according to the filing, adding that only bad things and pain for my family would come from going public.

Ransome, years later in 2019, wrote in a New Yorker article that she invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday, Trump advisor Steven Cheung said, These baseless accusations have been fully retracted because they are simply false and have no merit.

The newly-released documents also include a string of photographs produced by Ransome, Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, herself and other young women on the paedophiles private island, according to ABC News. Back in 2017, she filed a lawsuit against Epstein, Maxwell and other alleged co-conspirators under the pseudonym Jane Doe 43. She said that Jean Luc Brunel, a French model scout and associate of Epstein, took some of the photos and gave them to her.

Ransome now lives in London. She never produced the tapes and was deposed as a witness in the Virginia Giuffre versus Ghislaine Maxwell litigation in 2017.
A new set of Jeffrey Epstein documents unsealed on Monday, January 8, revealed that Google co-founder Sergey Brin vacationed on Jeffrey Epsteins paedophile island with his ex-wife Anne Wojcicki, who was his fiance back then. Epstein accuser Sarah Ransome claimed in a string of 2016 emails that she met the duo on the paedophiles private island. The emails were sent to journalist Maureen Callahan at the time. Google co-founder Sergey Brin reportedly visited Jeffrey Epstein's island(AFP file)

At the time, Ransome said she would share with Callahan some photos from the time, including one that showed her with Brin and Wojcicki. I also have other photos [sic] of the Epstein girls and I, whilst on the Island including a couple of pictures of me with Sergey Brin and his then finance Anne Wojcicki, Ransome said in the email, according to New York Post.

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I met the pair when they visited the Island for the day as Sergey wanted try out his new kite surfing equipment as he had only just started surfing and was very eager to try out his new equipment with us girls, she continued.

It was reported in the past that Epstein, back in 2004, helped bring Brin on as a client of JPMorgan Chase.

Ransome, in these emails, also claimed that former President Donald Trump allegedly had sexual relations with one of her unnamed friends on regular occasions at Epsteins home. She added that she had copies of tapes made by Epstein of his high-profile friends, including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Trump and British business magnate Richard Branson.

However, in another email later that year, Ransome walked back on the allegations. I would like to retract everything I have said to you and walk away from this, according to the filing, adding that only bad things and pain for my family would come from going public. Ransome, years later in 2019, wrote in a New Yorker article that she invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour.
Jan 9, 2024 5:07 PM IST

Years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in federal custody at the Manhattan Correction Center in New York on August 10, 2019 his brother claims it wasn't suicide.

Sexual offender, on suicide watch, was found in his cell just after 6:30 a.m. He reportedly used a length of orange bed sheet tied to the cells bunk bed to hang himself. Suspicion arrises after claims that security cameras in the Secure Housing Unit where Epstein was being held werent recording all throughout the previous night. Prison guards reportedly slept and Epstein was left without a cellmate despite prison psychologists direct orders.

Then-Attorney General Bill Barr had called the situation a perfect storm of screw-ups.

Within a week a medical examiner had ruled the death a suicide, meaning no further investigation was required. Eventually, a 128-page report was produced by the Department of Justice which concluded prison staff made errors and blamed long-standing operational challenges for Epsteins death.

There appears to have been no investigation once it was ruled a suicide, they saw no reason to dig deeper," Epstein's brother told The Post.

It seems like a cover up. Why cant I find his pre-hospital care report and why cant I get the 911 call?
Prince Andrew has broken cover for the first time since he was named in newly released court documents. The Duke of York was seen leaving his residence, Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, hours after one of the Jeffrey Epstein victims alleged that the billionaire had kept sex tapes involving prominent people, including Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton. Britain's Prince Andrew, Duke of York.(AFP)

The disgraced Duke of York, who has vehemently rejected all allegations, looked dejected as his former friendship with Epstein came back into limelight. He was pictured driving his green Range Rover all alone.

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Sarah Ransome, who said she was a victim of Epstein, stated that Prince Andrew was filmed having sex by the US financier. But a firm representing Epstein's lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, highlighted that the claims "manifestly lack credibility".

Following the uproar surrounding his association with Epstein, Prince Andrew withdrew from public life and stopped using his royal title. He reportedly paid millions of pounds to resolve a legal lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of molesting her. The Duke of York claimed that he never met Giuffre.

Also Read: King Charles to withdraw Prince Andrew's security funding over Jeffrey Epstein list

Will King Charles exile Prince Andrew following the latest revelations?

King Charles will not exile his brother following the latest revelations, seemingly fulfilling the promise he made to his mother late Queen Elizabeth II, reported the Mirror, citing royal insiders.

Charles promised his late mother he would not abandon Andrew once she was gone and that remains the situation unless, of course, he finds himself engaged in a criminal matter, they said.

According to an insider, Prince William believes that Prince Andrew's connections to the late Epstein will "haunt" the Royal Family.

William was very clear [that in his view] Andrew can not be trusted, the source said.

What Sarah Ransome said on the Duke of York?

Sarah Ransome wrote, When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffery. Thank God she managed to get a hold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her. Frustratingly enough Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that! After two hours of trying to convince my friend to come forward with me, I eventually managed to persuade her to send me some of the video footage which she kept, implicating all three men mentioned above. I personally can confirm that I have, with my own two eyes, seen the evidence of these sexual acts, which clearly identifies Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Richard Branson having sexual intercourse with my friend. When my friend eventually had the courage to speak out and went to the police in 2008 to report what had happened, nothing was done and she was utterly humiliated by the police department where she went to report what had happened with Epstein, Clinton, Branson and Prince Andrew."
A bombarding allegation that Jeffrey Epstein secretly filmed his influential friends, including former US president Donald Trump, Sir Richard Branson, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, having sex with young women has been dismissed by the Virgin boss as baseless and unfounded. Richard Branson firmly denies Jeffrey Epstein 'Sex Tape' accusations(Reuters)

The claim was made by Sarah Ransome, one of Epsteins alleged sex slaves, who said she had seen the sex tapes herself and was ready to testify in court.

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She wrote in a letter to a New York Post journalist in 2016, When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffrey.

I personally can confirm that I have, with my own two eyes, seen the evidence of these sexual acts, which clearly identifies [them] having sexual intercourse with my friend. I will be more than willing to swear under oath and testify in court.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein list: Shocking allegations about sex tapes of Richard Branson, Donald Trump mentioned in new docs

She also claimed that Donald Trump had sex with many girls at Epsteins paedophile properties.

Sex tape allegation was baseless and unfounded": Branson

The letter was part of the latest batch of court documents that were unsealed by a US judge in relation to Virginia Giuffres civil lawsuit against Ghislane Maxwell, Epsteins former girlfriend and alleged accomplice.

However, a spokesman for Sir Richard said the sex tapes allegation was baseless and unfounded and referred to a 2019 article in the New Yorker magazine that reported that Miss Ransome had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour and make him believe she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me.

The same letter was also used by Epsteins lawyer Alan Dershowitz to argue that Miss Ransome manifestly lacks credibility.

Who is Sarah Ransome?

Miss Ransome, 38, the daughter of Lord Macpherson, the second baron of Drumochter, has previously spoken out about how she was raped by Epstein up to three times a day after being lured by Maxwell when she was a 22-year-old aspiring model.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein list: Fourth batch names Virgin founder Richard Branson, Donald Trump's sex tapes

She was one of 11 women who gave statements at Maxwells sentencing hearing in New York in 2022, where they described how the British socialite had ruined their lives.

This is the first time that her claims about Epstein recording Andrew, Sir Richard and Clinton have been revealed in court documents.

The sex tapes theory has been a persistent rumor in the Epstein case. Two other victims, Maria Farmer and Virginia Roberts Giuffre, have said that they saw a room full of CCTV monitors at Epsteins $65million mansion in New York, some of which showed cameras in the bathrooms.
The New York Post reported that Nadia Marcinkova, a former associate of the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has disappeared from her home after a court released new information about the case. Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Nadia Marcinkova vanishes as the court exposes high-profile figures.(Reuters/Flickr-Nadia Marcinkova)

The documents reveal how Epstein, the notorious paedophile, operated a sex trafficking ring with the help of some prominent figures. Among the names that were disclosed were two ex-presidents of the US, a member of the British royalty, and several A-listers.

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Marcinkova is one of the most enigmatic and secretive figures in the Jeffrey Epstein saga. She was brought to the US by Epstein in 2001 when she was only 15 years old. He often referred to her as his Yugoslavian sex slave, based on the accounts of other victims.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein list: Fourth batch names Virgin founder Richard Branson, Trump's sex tapes

Nadia Marcinkova-'Yugoslavian sex slave'

According to reports, Marcinkova became an abuser herself over the years and remained loyal to Epstein. She frequently travelled with him on his private jet Lolita Express, which was named after the young girls it carried. It is unclear if Marcinkova ever served as Epsteins pilot. She has been alleged to have recruited and abused victims for Epstein, but she has never been charged for her role.

In a 2017 video, Marcinkova is seen pulling a stunt on a flight instructor at a Palm Springs airport. She pretends to be a diligent aviation student, but then astonishes everyone with her amazing aerial maneuvers. After landing, she switches to a glamorous model persona.

Marcinkovas testimony, in which she repeatedly invoked her right to remain silent, was made public on Friday as part of a large batch of documents that were unsealed this week.

The documents are from a 2015 lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was one of the many girls who were exploited by Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein list: Discredited allegations about sex tapes of Richard Branson, Donald Trump mentioned in new docs

On Wednesday, a New York judge started to reveal the identities of people who were connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case, the US financier who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex crimes.

Some of the notable names that were exposed in the documents, which consist of nearly 1,000 pages of testimonies and statements, were former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, physicist Stephen Hawking, and pop star Michael Jackson.
As the US Supreme Court is set to review a Colorado ruling removing Donald Trump from the state ballot, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley said that the former president shouldn't be removed from the ballot, vowing to defeat him "fair and square" without anyone's assistance. Nikki Haley became the first Republican to challenge former boss Donald Trump, who launched his bid in November.(REUTERS)

During a Fox News town hall in Iowa on Monday night, Republican presidential candidate Haley said: No, he shouldn't be taken off the ballot and the Supreme Court needs to rule quickly before other states start to do this.

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"This is one of those, don't open a door if you don't want to see what happens this is a door we don't need to open. I will defeat President Trump fair and square. I don't need anybody throwing him off the ballot to do it."

On February 8, the US Supreme Court will hear a plea from Trump on whether a Colorado top court's ruling could prevent him from appearing on the March Republican presidential primary ballot. In December, the Colorado court voted to remove the ex-president from the ballot, citing the 14th Amendment and his alleged involvement in the January 6th riot at the US Capitol, which Democrats have referred to as an "insurrection."

Also Read: Nikki Haley roars past Donald Trump in New Hampshire poll within 4 points

Nikki Haley says Americans can decide if they want Trump on ballot

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, lambasted Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that you can't tell people what to think and how to live.

But this started back with COVID. The idea that you have people telling people what to do, how to think, how to live, all of that, that's wrong. If they can do this to him, they'll do it to someone else. We can't have others saying, I don't think he should be on the ballot. I think Americans can decide on their own whether they want him to be on the ballot or not, she said.

Trump launches sharpest attack on Haley to date

Ahead of the Iowa and New Hampshire primary contests, Trump on Friday launched his most scathing attack on GOP opponent Haley. He also mocked her over failure to mention slavery when she was asked at a New Hampshire town hall what led to the Civil War.

Calling Haley an establishment figure, Trump claimed that she was "in the pocket of" establishment funders. He mentioned that donors who backed President Joe Biden had contributed to the campaign of Haley.

Several states have made an attempt to bar Trump from the presidential primary due to his involvement in the Capitol riot. Colorado, however, was the only state where a case against Trump made it all the way to the state Supreme Court. Last week, Shenna Bellows, the Democratic secretary of state for Maine, prevented Trump from running in the state's presidential primary ballot. Following this, Trump filed a lawsuit against Bellows.
Prince Andrew faces security bill as Epstein list's abuse claims mount. Newly released documents name Prince Andrew in Epstein lawsuit(AP/Reuters)

The Telegraph reported that King Charles is planning to stop paying for the security of Prince Andrews Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, amid growing pressure over the sexual abuse allegations against him.

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The Duke of York, who has no clear source of income, will have to find a way to cover the costs of security and maintenance for the 30-room mansion, which needs major repairs.

The move comes as Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader and former chief prosecutor, supported calls for the police to investigate the claims made against the Duke in newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein's US court papers.

ALSO READ| Prince Andrew will reject King Charles' efforts to evict him from royal mansion over Epstein list: Report

The papers are part of a 2015 defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, who allegedly procured minor girls for Epstein. Ms Giuffre accused the Duke of abusing her when she was 17, including in London, and of groping another young woman at Epsteins New York home in 2001.

The Duke of York has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

What Sir Keir has to say

Sir Keir said, I think wherever theres a complaint made its inevitable that it should be looked at.

I mean, we have to start with the victims here and look at what allegations have been made. Ive seen the headlines on this, not the detail but frankly whoever it is, where there are allegations, credible allegations made, then of course they should be looked at.

ALSO READ| King Charles to withdraw Prince Andrew's security funding over Jeffrey Epstein list

Sir Keir was the director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, when Ms Giuffre published a photo showing the Duke with his arm around her waist and gave an interview to a newspaper detailing how she was trafficked to London, where she claimed she met the royal for the first time.

A former senior Cabinet minister criticised Sir Keirs comments, saying, This raises issues as to Starmers own failure when DPP to ask key questions. His latest intervention appears to be an attempt to rewrite his own history as DPP.

Police will not lodge any more case on Prince Andrew

On Friday, the Metropolitan Police said that an investigation had not been opened.

In October 2021, the force decided to take no further action against the Duke after examining legal documents from the civil case brought by Ms Giuffre. The disclosure of the papers reignited questions about the Dukes royal status.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein list: Richard Branson's alleged sex tapes mentioned in court docs

Efforts to move him to Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor home that used to belong to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have been unsuccessful.

The Dukes lease allows him to live in the property until 2078, but it also requires him to keep it in good condition.
NEET PG to be conducted on July 7th

Delhi [India] Published : January 9, 2024



The world-renowned The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) examination 2024 exam has been delayed for two months, according to the schedule released today.



The conduct of the NEET-PG 2024 examination which was earlier notified to be tentatively held on 3rd March 2024 stands rescheduled. The NEET-PG 2024 shall now be conducted on 7th July 2024.



"The cut-off date for eligibility to appear in the PG 2024 shall be 15th August 2024", the circular stated further.



The COVID-19 disruption is one of the major concerns behind this recommendation, as students will complete their internship by June-July 2024, the sources said.



NEET PG is an eligibility-cum-ranking examination, serving as the single entrance test for admission to Doctor of Medicine (MD), Master of Surgery (MS) and Postgraduate Diploma courses under the NMC Act, 2019. (ANI)



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After a chaos broke out at the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, a lot of mystery and speculation hit the internet over the discovery of a secret tunnel . Viral videos of the unrest showed Jews demolishing wooden structures and mysteriously entering from a hidden subterranean tunnel. New York Police discovered a secret tunnel under a synagogue.(X)

The Chabad students, who were all in their late teens and twenties, were the ones who initiated the mayhem in response to cement trucks that had arrived to cover the hidden mysterious passageway, according to the Jewish news organisation, Forward. Many refused to come out of the tunnel, and as a result, the New York Police Department arrested 10 people, Crown Heights reported.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Netizens stunned at the events that unfolded at Chabad-Lubavitch HQ

Meanwhile, the viral footage of the chaos and the passageway has sent shockwaves across the internet, prompting people to speculate what the tunnels were used for. A couple of pictures from the tunnel showed a baby rocker and a stained mattress in the passageway.

While the incident has enraged the Chabad community who is now calling for prompt action, one user on X (formerly Twitter) shared the video of the tunnel and asked  Why is their a baby highchair in that tunnel?

Is that A STAINED MATTRESS PULLED FROM A SECRET TUNNEL BEHIND A SYNAGOGUE WALL in NYC???? another user wrote.

Why was the tunnel dug?

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement against the synagogue leadership involves the two sides disagreeing over who owns the hundred-year-old house legally. The Chabad is one of the largest groups of Hasidic Jews in the world. The reason why the tunnel was being dug is unclear.

However, the website Forward.com reported that the tunnel was meant to be used to reach an abandoned women's mikvah, or ritual baths. It added that the tunnel was meant to expand the synagogue, but it is unclear how that could be done.

After the incident, an NYPD spokesperson told the Daily Mail, On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 1530 hours, police responded to 911 calls of a disorderly group outside of 770 Eastern Parkway, within the confines of the 71 Precinct.

Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals unlawfully entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall. At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody. Charges are pending. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident, the spokesperson added.
Before appearing in a federal appeals court hearing in Washington, DC on Tuesday, former US President Donald Trump threatened to prosecute his successor Joe Biden if he returns to the White House. Ex-US President Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"If I don't get immunity then crooked Joe Biden doesn't get immunity," Trump said in a video posted on social media. "Joe would be ripe for indictment. This comes as appeals court is probing the limits of Trump's broad immunity claim in 2020 election case as his lawyers argued to judges that he was immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

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Trump, who lost to Biden in the 2020 election, has established a commanding lead over his competitors for the Republican presidential nomination. The Iowa contest on Monday is anticipated to be an easy win for him.

Trump's lawyer says criminal probe would not be possible without House's impeachment

During heated oral arguments on Tuesday, a federal appeals court questioned the boundaries of a wide claim of presidential immunity made by Trump. His attorney argued that presidents are exempt from criminal prosecution for activities performed while in office, unless they are first impeached by the House and found guilty by the Senate.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a panel of three judges, questioned whether the same reasoning would hold up in the event if the president carried out several unlawful deeds, such as ordering the assassination of a political opponent or selling pardons.

Could a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That is an official act, an order to SEAL Team Six, Appeals court Judge Florence Pan asked to Trump's attorney.

John Sauer, Trump's lawyer, contended that a criminal investigation would not be possible without the House's impeachment and the Senate's conviction.

Special Counsel cautions court against Trump's attorney view

A member of special counsel Jack Smith's team, James Pearce cautioned the court that adopting Sauer's interpretation of a former president's criminal liability after being impeached and found guilty by both chambers of Congress is "wrong for textual, structural, historical reasons, and a host of practical ones."

Never in our nation's history until this case has a president claimed that immunity from criminal prosecution extends beyond his time in office The president has a unique constitutional role, but he is not above the law, Pearce told the court.

"It would mean that if a former president engages in assassination, selling pardons, these kinds of things and then isn't impeached and convicted, there is no accountability for that individual," he stated.

As the lower court has already ruled that Trump is not completely immune from prosecution, Sauer requested the DC court, if it rules against Trump and allows the prosecution by Smith to proceed, to postpone its decision in order so that the former president could appeal to either the full D.C. Circuit or Supreme Court.

Judges remain skeptical of Trump's absolute immunity claim

During the roughly 90-minute hearing, the three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit expressed particular skepticism with the claim that he had absolute immunity from prosecution.

I think it is paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law, the circuit judge Karen Henderson, a George HW Bush appointee, told Trumps attorney Sauer.

After the court hearing, Trump addressed the media and reiterated that I feel that as a president, you have to have immunity, very simple.

"You cant have a president without immunity," he added. "You have to have, as a president, you have to be able to do your job.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has significantly narrowed the gap with former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary race in New Hampshire, according to latest CNN Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire. Trump has maintained a lead with 39% support among likely Republican primary voters, while Haley trails at 32%. Other candidates, such as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, lag behind with 12% and 8% respectively. Nikki Haley narrows gap with Trump in New Hampshire primary race in New Hampshire(AP)

Nikki Haley's support up 12% since November

Haley's support has seen a notable increase of 12 percentage points since the last CNN/UNH poll in November. This growth is particularly evident among undeclared voters, where she has gained 18 points, and among ideologically moderate voters, where her support has increased by 20 points. These gains coincide with her campaign efforts in the state, including an endorsement from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The dynamics of the New Hampshire primary electorate, with a larger share of moderate and less staunchly partisan voters, contribute to the strength of Haley's challenge against Trump. While Trump leads among conservatives, registered Republicans, and those without college degrees, Haley surpasses him among moderates, undeclared voters, and college graduates.

Only 54% Haley supporters are loyal and will definitively back on her

Despite Trump's overall lead, Haley's supporters appear less firmly committed compared to Trump's base. Only 54% of Haley's backers have definitively decided on her, in contrast to the solid 80% support for Trump. The poll also reveals that there is room for shifts in the race, as 45% of those supporting other candidates are still undecided.

Trump holds a 47% favorable rating vs 39% for Haley

In terms of favourability, only Trump and Haley are viewed more favourably than unfavourably among likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire. Trump holds a 47% favorable rating, while Haley has a 39% favorable rating. The ratings for all major candidates have declined since September, with notable decreases for candidates like Ron DeSantis.

69% Republican primary voters in New Hampshire back Trump over eligibility

Regarding Trump's eligibility to run in Maine's GOP primary, about 69% of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire oppose the ruling based on the 14th Amendment's "insurrectionist ban." A majority believe partisan politics influenced the decision, and only 39% attribute a significant amount of responsibility to Trump for the events of January 6, 2021.

The poll also highlights a divide between Trump supporters and those who don't back him, both in New Hampshire and among the state's residents as a whole. While Trump's approval rating stands at 42% among likely GOP primary voters, 57% disapprove. In the Democratic field, despite not filing for the primary ballot, President Joe Biden leads with 69% of likely Democratic primary voters planning to write in his name.

The CNN New Hampshire poll, conducted from January 4-8, involved 1,864 New Hampshire adults, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Likely Republican and Democratic primary voter results have error margins of plus or minus 3.2 and 3.9 percentage points, respectively.
United Airlines has said that loose bolts were found on door plugs of several Boeing 737 Max 9 planes during inspections after a panel blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight recently. Dozens of 737 Max 9s were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday, January 6, after the horrific incident on Alaska Flight 1282. This prompted various inspections. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft grounded at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, US, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024 (Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg)(Bloomberg)

Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, United Airlines said in a statement, according to CNBC. These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Boeing had earlier asked airlines to carry out inspections of the Max 9s in their fleets. We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards, Boeing said in a statement. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.

No one was seriously injured in the recent accident. However, the panel that blew out produced such a terrific force that a few headrests and seat backs were ripped from the cabin. The cockpit door was also violently flung open, initial details of a federal safety investigation suggested. Thankfully, no passenger sat in the two seats located next to the panel that would later blow out.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the impact of the incident could have been much worse at cruising altitude when crews and passengers generally walk around the cabin.

The missing part that blew off was later found in a Portland backyard, the National Transportation Safety Board announced. Bob, a Portland school teacher, contacted the agency after he found the part in his yard, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy previously said at a news conference, according to CNN.
On Monday (Jan 8), a security breach occurred at the White House when a driver rammed his vehicle into an outer gate of the presidential residence. The Secret Service confirmed the incident, which happened around 6 pm local time, and took the driver into custody for further investigation. A member of the U.S. Secret Service stands at the site of a vehicle crash on a perimeter gate of the White House, while U.S. President Joe Biden was away on a trip, in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Leah Millis(REUTERS)

US Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi issued a statement saying, Shortly before 6 pm, a vehicle collided with an exterior gate on the White House complex. We are investigating the cause & manner of the collision.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The incident did not pose any threat to President Joe Biden, who was not present at the White House at the time. However, it caused significant traffic disruptions at 15th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, a busy intersection near the White House.

ALSO READ| Historic US mission to moon in jeopardy, facing failure after 'critical loss' of fuel

The Washington DC Police Department arrived at the scene and removed the suspects vehicle from the gate. Guglielmi announced that the traffic closures were lifted after an hour of the incident.

White House breach is not new

This incident comes on the heels of another accident involving US President Bidens motorcade. A few weeks ago, a Delaware man was charged for crashing into the presidential convoy by mistake.

The White House has been under heightened security measures in recent years, especially after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The National Park Service built a 13-foot fence with reinforced posts around the White House in 2021 to prevent intruders from scaling over it.

ALSO READ| Historic Texas hotel explosion leaves 21 injured, downtown Fort Worth scattered with debris

One of these breaches occurred in 2017, when a man climbed over the fence and wandered around the property for more than a quarter of an hour before being caught  with then-president Donald Trump inside the mansion.

Another one happened in 2014, when a troubled US Army veteran who had a knife in his pocket ran across the lawn and entered the building while Barack Obama was president.
The White House has said that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will keep his job, despite the controversy over his delayed disclosure of his hospitalisation last week. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized earlier this week due to complications from a medical procedure, the Pentagon said January 5, 2024 at a time when Washington is facing a growing crisis in the Middle East. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)(AFP)

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters, There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job.

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Mr Austin, 70, was still in hospital on Monday morning, according to Kirby.

The White House and the Pentagon came under fire after it was revealed that Austin had been in hospital for three days before President Joe Biden was informed.

Austin is second only to the president in the command structure of the US military and is expected to be ready to handle any national security crisis at any moment.

ALSO READ| What happened to US Defence Secy Lloyd Austin? Pentagon tight-lipped over secret ICU stay

White House is investigating

Kirby said on Monday that the White House would investigate the incident and learn from it.

Well do whats akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this, he said.

He added that the presidents main concern was Austins health and recovery and that he hoped to see him back at the Pentagon soon.

On Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman said that Austin had an elective medical procedure on 22 December and went home the next day.

However, on the night of 1 January, Austin felt severe pain and was taken to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC, said Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder.

ALSO READ| Prince Andrew faces Royal security bill over Epstein abuse claims

He said that Defense Secretary was put in the intensive care unit (ICU) partly because of hospital space considerations and privacy.

Austin resumed his full duties on Friday, but he was still in hospital, though not in the ICU.

In a statement on Saturday, the former four-star general admitted his mistake and promised to do better.

I recognise I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better, he said.
South Korea's spy agency National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that the young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be his likely heir. NIS said, for the first time, that it considers Kim Ju Ae, who is reportedly 10 years old, as her father's probable successor, referring to analysis of her public activities and the state protocols provided to her. Kim Ju Ae was seen for the first time just over a year ago and is called by the North Korean state media as Kim Jong Un's "most beloved" or "respected" child. Photos and footage of her accompanying her father at public events have also been shared by the country's media which points to her increasing political standing. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (C) with his daughter Ju Ae. (AFP)

Earlier reports claimed that she is the Kim Jong Un's second of three children, and that the first child is a son. North Korea, one of the world's most secretive nations, has not confirmed whether Kim Ju Ae has any siblings.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Kim Ju Ae's first public appearance

She made her first public appearance in November 2022 as she watched a long-range missile test launch with her father Kim Jong Un. Although, Kim Jong Un was not mentioned in North Korean state media before they became adults.

North Korea analyst Jean H Lee said that the events she has been attending tend to involve "weapons and missiles".

"When you look at these pictures she's front and centre. She is there. It's like this tableau of father, mother, daughter. And I think what people noticed, of course, first and foremost was, 'oh my gosh, he's presenting his daughter'. What does that mean?", she said.

Will she succeed Kim Jong Un?

How likely is she to succeed her father?

An analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said that Kim Jong Un likely believes his daughter has the capacity to succeed him. Cheong Seong-Chang said the North Korean leader's obesity appears serious.

"It won't be surprising even if he collapses tomorrow. By accompanying her father on major events, it's like she's learning kingship and building a human network at a tender age," he said.

While Jean H Lee said Kim Ju Ae's appearances are a "cultivation of the Kim family, monarchy and dynasty".

I'm sure there is in some part a strategy of trying to portray themselves, kind of like the Royal Family in the United Kingdom, the expert said.
Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said on Tuesday he was worried that Israel might have breached international law in Gaza, and that the advice he had received so far was that Israel was compliant but there were questions to answer. Israeli soldiersare seen on armoured personnel carriers (APC) at a position in southern Israel along the border with the Gaza(AFP)

Asked during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers if Israel could be vulnerable to a challenge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over whether their actions were proportionate, Cameron said the stance was "close to that."

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Britain has backed Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas attacks but also called on its military to show restraint and act within international law in its offensive in Gaza that has laid waste to much of the Palestinian enclave.

Cameron did not directly answer lawmakers about whether he had received legal advice that Israel might have broken international law, but said some incidents had raised questions over whether there had been breaches.

"Am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed, or whatever? Yes, of course," Cameron said as he took questions from parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Cameron said that there was always a "question mark" over whether a given incident broke international law, which lawyers would examine and then advise him over.

"The advice has been so far, that they (Israel) have the commitment, the capability and the compliance (with international law), but on lots of occasions that is under question."

Amid growing international concern over the huge Palestinian death toll from the Israeli assault, as well as a deepening humanitarian crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Israeli leaders to do more to avoid further harm to non-combatants and to protect civilian infrastructure.
People-to-people exchanges, especially educational ones, play a key role in the bigger picture of United States-China relations, and sometimes the events with the most impact "occur quietly", said an expert on Sino-US educational cooperation. "I'm hopeful that as we continue the dialogue in 2024, we will see even more progress that will help to sustain and support the continuation of educational exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," said Denis Simon, a distinguished fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies, in an interview with China Daily. Simon most recently served as a clinical professor of global business and technology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. He also was vice-president and executive vice-chancellor of Duke Kunshan University, a joint venture of Duke University in the US, Wuhan University in Hubei province and the city of Kunshan, Jiangsu province, from 2015 to 2020. Simon emphasized the role of exchanges in overall US-China relations. "If we can maintain the progress and maintain the discussion, I'm hopeful that the education relationship can insulate itself to some degree from these larger problems," he said. "Sometimes these kinds of people-to-people diplomacy occur quietly. They're not accompanied by a lot of fanfare and noise, but they accomplish a great deal," he said. Simon said the first post-COVID US-China Higher Education Dialogue, held in New York in September, was "extremely successful".The event, co-hosted by the Institute of International Education and the China Education Association for International Exchange, involved about 15 Chinese universities and a similar number of US universities. "The discussions covered every aspect of the bilateral education relationship", including undergraduate education, graduate education, university research collaboration and also policy issues like visa issues that are affecting the bilateral education exchange, Simon said. "I think that we can keep talking and have dialogues like this and have them conducted in such an open and frank way. That gives me great hope," he said, adding that relations involving education are still in a "transitional phase". "We've gone from a height of having 370,000 Chinese students in the US before COVID, and now we're down to about 289,000," Simon said. "We're starting to see some recovery, of course, in this post-COVID era. But it's yet unclear whether or not we're going to go back to the good old days of big numbers wanting to come to the United States." On the other hand, the number of US students in China "is really limited", he said, noting that the number peaked at about 15,000 around 2011, while by 2022 it was around 400. "The ability of our two countries to understand one another really does depend on the young people who are crossing the Pacific, learning about each other's cultures and countries, learning to speak the languages," he said. "And if they don't achieve that, then the United States, in particular, is going to suffer because we will not have a generation of professionals, whether they're in business, government or academia, who have a deep understanding of the situation in China, and that does not bode well for the long term," he added. 'Wonderful gesture' During the November summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in San Francisco, Xi said that China was ready to invite 50,000 young people from the US to participate in exchange and study programs in China over the next five years. Simon said it was "a wonderful gesture" by China's president. "Because I think he, too, realizes, as do many, many of my Chinese friends, that Americans need to have access to China and need to have an experience living and working with Chinese counterparts," said Simon. "And now there's a whole new generation of students who want to study China in terms of its global role," Simon said. "That means they want to understand more about China's environment policy, China's health policy, China's policies about food security, and all sorts of things that influence the way China interfaces with the rest of the world."


What happens to a camp when its owners decide they no longer can maintain the property?

A handful of locals are so dedicated to a camp that they bought it from the Girl Scouts of America of the Northwestern Great Lakes because of its significance in their lives. Now they are figuring out how to run it for the next generation.

This is my home. I have grown up here since I was 6. I was a camper for 13 years. I was a counselor for a year. I was assistant director for a year. I worked for Girl Scouts for five years. And I think saving the camp is important, Nicole Verdon said. I want to be a part of this process. I want to save this place.

In October 2022, the Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes announced the divestiture of Camp Nawakwa. Girl Scouts of America said the organization could no longer maintain the rural Cornell camp. Former campers and staff decided the location, founded in 1936, was a worthy use of their money, time and energy.

They formed a nonprofit organization called Our Nawakwa Inc. Its members hope to offer opportunities at the camp site to youth groups.

Located just off of Highway E in northern Chippewa County, Nawakwa offers a stunning location with a dining hall, 22-acre lake and indoor and outdoor programming space.

The purchase cost the group of volunteers $730,000, according to Sherry Jasper, the Our Nawakwa Inc. board president, former camp staff member and volunteer. But its worth the effort, Jasper said.

Think of the reward, the payoff for what this place is, what it means. At the end of the day, we want kids to be able to come here and have the same life-changing experiences we did.

Lisa Herrmann manages the property and said the situation is unprecedented.

Its wonderful. Its hard. Its a ton of work, but I want to see this place survive. It is truly special. Ask anyone who has been here. It is absolutely worth it, she said.

Jasper said purchasing the camp has put the group into uncharted territory.

We dont know exactly what it will look like or if it will work  developing a nonprofit specifically dedicated to saving this place has been quite an experience, Jasper said. But we are so connected to the camp. It matters so much. We are willing to try to make it viable, though it does mean dissociating from the Girl Scouts, officially. Thats been very hard. But we want this place to survive. The location, the land, the buildings  it really, truly matters.

The vision of Our Nawakwa is to strengthen youth and community by developing leadership skills, providing environmental education and promoting health and wellness through property rental and support services.

There are about 11 people involved in the venture.

We are building the plane as we fly, Jasper said. This is the camp we can save.

McDonell Area Catholic Schools president Molly Bushman said she is interested in renting the space for students.

We know this place and care deeply about its survival. Within our Catholic liberal arts education, nature study, retreats and, of course, your typical physical activities, such as a camp, would provide are all conducive to a Catholic liberal arts education. So the space could absolutely be an extension of the campus, she said. "We are looking at creative future planning efforts to make use of the space for nature study retreats, or traditional camp activities for students."

Jasper said she wants to ensure Nawakwas legacy now and for future generations.

We believe strongly in the mission of camp. We want people to have access to this place and have meaningful experiences here in nature. We want to help people enjoy and learn from their time in nature. And we want them to know this space in the same way we did, to learn from each other she said.

Maintaining the site is mostly going to fall to volunteers, Jasper said.

Were just at the point of hiring someone to run the business side of things, she said.

Missy Brozek, brand and communications director of the Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, said the decision to sell the space came after years of property review from their council. She said the Girl Scouts wanted to preserve the camp and its function.

We had a lot of conversations where we realized that while the location couldnt be ours anymore, we wanted to see it survive. I could not be happier to see this group of locals buy the place and try to preserve it for Girl Scouts, for everybody that loves it, she said.

Our Nawakwa
Building on the success of the brand in the region, the 110-key new-build hotel will open its doors in 2024, offering a world-class hospitality experience to guests visiting the city.

IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies, has announced the signing of a management agreement to open voco & Suites Jeddah, in partnership with Rusd Group. With project currently in advance stages of construction, the new built hotel is set to open its doors in September 2024. The latest signing in Saudi Arabia underscores IHG's commitment to further strengthen its presence across the Kingdom.

As a distinctive, lifestyle brand, voco offers a premium experience to guests, combining the informality and charm of an individual hotel with the quality and reassurance of a global and respected brand. Loved by guests and the owners, voco has seen phenomenal success in the MENA region with multiple signings and opening in recent years across markets such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Lebanon and Egypt

Situated in a prime location, voco & Suites Jeddah will overlook the Red Sea and is in close proximity to the new Jeddah Downtown, known as Jeddah Central Development  a mega project by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The hotel is ideally situated for both leisure and business travelers, being a mere 5-minute drive from the Corniche promenade and the renowned Red Sea Mall. voco & Suites Jeddah is also a short drive from the Royal Court, making it an ideal choice for government officials and high-end guests seeking premium stays.

Strategically located on Jeddah Beach Road, the 110-key voco & Suites Jeddah will feature a wide selection of uniquely characterized rooms, including suites with thoughtful comforts  true to the brand. Furthermore, the hotel's R&B offering will feature three distinct dining options, including an all-day dining, a specialty restaurant, and a cozy coffee shop, offering diverse culinary experiences. voco & Suites Jeddah will also be equipped to cater to the business needs of domestic and international guests, featuring four venues for meetings and events. Other amenities include a fitness centre and a swimming pool, ensuring a well-rounded and enjoyable stay for guests.

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: "Jeddah is an up-and-coming modern commercial hub that has long served as a gateway for pilgrimages to the lslamic holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. The city, second largest in Saudi Arabia, is known for its sparking beaches, beautiful outdoor venues, and several other inconic landmarks. Recognising the potential of its hospitality sector, we are set to bring voco & Suites Jeddah; representing a significant milestone for IHG Hotels & Resorts as we continue to expand our presence in the vibrant and dynamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"The new voco addition reflects our unwavering commitment to providing distinctive and memorable experiences for our guests. Moreover, the prime location, coupled with unique offerings of the voco brand, reinforces our dedication to delivering true hospitality that goes beyond expectations."

Dr. Saleh Malaikah, Chairman, Rusd Group, commented: "It is an honour to partner with one of the world's leading hotel companies in bringing voco & Suites Jeddah to this dynamic city. With IHG's significant presence and commitment to Saudi Arabia, there is no doubt that the group is leading in offering memorable and enjoyable experience for every guest visiting the Kingdom. With IHG's expertise in hospitality, strength of the brand, power of enterprise and a world class loyalty programme, we are truly confident in the success of voco & Suites Jeddah."

IHG currently operates 40 hotels across five brands in Saudi Arabia, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, and voco, with 36 hotels in the development pipeline set to open within the next three to five years. IHG has recently opened their new Saudi headquarters in Riyadh located at the heart of the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD).
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI) and CapitaLand Wellness Fund(C-WELL), have jointly acquired a freehold lodging property in Singapore. Ascott and C-WELL each holds a 50% stake in the lodging property.

This is C-WELL's first acquisition since announcing its first close in end-October 2023. C-WELL is CLI's inaugural wellness and healthcare-related real estate fund anchored in Southeast Asia. The value-add fund will focus initially on Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. With a target fund size of S$1 billion on an upsized option, C-WELL will invest in single or mixed-used assets that span the healthcare, medical, wellness and preventive care spectrum.

Located in Singapore's downtown core district within walking distance to both Bugis and Bencoolen MRT train stations, the 308-unit property will be upgraded and rebranded under Ascott's award-winning lyf (pronounced 'life') brand as demand for experience-led social living grows. The property will remain operational throughout the renovation period and be unveiled as lyf Bugis Singapore in mid-2024.

lyf Bugis Singapore will focus on health and active wellness, offering a wide range of amenities including shared spaces and dining options that provide opportunities for social interaction, and fitness facilities that enable guests to stay healthy while on the go. In-house wellness activities curated by the property's Ambassador of Buzz will not only encourage meaningful engagement amongst guests, but also seek to drive mindfulness for individuals. A comprehensive suite of telehealth, telecounselling and travel security advisory services will be available to guests at lyf Bugis Singapore as part of Ascott CARES commitment to improve the overall wellness of its guests. Partnerships with healthcare and wellness operators are also being planned to offer guests easy access to medical services.

lyf Bugis Singapore is set to be a green-certified property. The property will include sustainability features such as a room occupancy detection system and an upgraded cooling system. The property is expected to obtain the Green Mark GoldPLUS certification from Singapore's Building & Construction Authority.

Hotel website
The SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District has opened its doors in San Francisco California, and invites travelers to experience one of the newest hotel brands in the industry - SureStay Hotels, comprised of four distinctive brands offering traditional and longer stay travelers' comfort and value while away from home.

The SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District will provide guests with an experience they can count on, and the amenities today's travelers have come to expect. SureStay's service promise reflects the brand and the hotel's commitment to providing quality service and value to its guests.

Located at 1940 Lombard Street in San Francisco, California, the hotel features 37 well-appointed guest rooms with beautiful blues and yellows livening up the property throughout. Each guest room is furnished with upgraded flat screen TVs, bedding, linens and flooring. The SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District offers an open-air courtyard, complimentary breakfast and free wireless internet - providing guests with the superior comfort and utmost value they want out of their stay.

The property's location is optimal for guests interested in exploring some of San Francisco's most visited areas, including Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and Lombard Steet. The hotel's convenient location provides guests with easy access to the Alcatraz boat terminal, Painted Ladies and Golden Gate Bridge. In addition to the nearby attractions, SureStay by Best Western San Francisco Marina District is minutes away from bus and cable car stops, allowing guests to easily access the best of San Francisco.

Hotel website
The Setai, Miami Beach, an award-winning leader in luxury hospitality and the hotel of choice for the sophisticated international traveler, is delighted to announce the appointment of Rodrigo Formoso as Director of Sales.

In his new role at The Setai, under the leadership of Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, Ivan Bauza Iraola, Formoso will leverage his extensive sales and marketing experience to drive sales growth and serve as an ambassador for the hotel in the leisure market - a pivotal role for the property. His primary focus will be leisure sales strategy across the U.S., working closely with the nation's top travel agencies.

Formoso has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality sector, working with some of the world's leading luxury hospitality brands, including Ritz-Carlton, Kempinski, and Grand Fiesta Americana Hotels and Resorts. Most recently, he served as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Kempinski Hotel Cancun, where he was instrumental in successfully rebranding the hotel from The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. His tenure in these roles demonstrates a consistent track record of achieving sales targets and effectively managing significant client portfolios.
Lawmakers will bring forward a bill to fund the construction of UW-Madisons new engineering building, among other projects, that was one of the most significant aspects of the deal struck last month between the Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and Assembly Speaker Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester.

The bill, LRB-5439, would amend the states approved capital budget plan to approve state borrowing for the new $347 million engineering building, renovations for three decades-old UW-Madison Lakeshore residence halls and $78.4 million to repair the exterior facades on two of UW-Whitewaters aging academic buildings. The bill also would provide $45.4 million to demolish uninhabitable buildings, which include facilities at UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Green Bay.

Sponsored by Vos, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and other Republican lawmakers, the bill is being brought forward to fulfill the agreement, a narrative shared with lawmakers last week.

The deal came after a monthslong battle over the UW systems diversity, equity and inclusion staff and programming. Started by Vos earlier during the budget process last year, he and other Republicans made good on a promise to cut $32 million  or about what they estimate the UW system spends on DEI every two years  from its budget and also declined to fund the new UW-Madison engineering building and withheld pay raises approved as part of the state budget over DEI.

The facilities bill is the priciest piece of the deal, equating to about $740 million of the $800 million agreement, which the UW Board of Regents initially rejected but ultimately approved.

In return for $800 million in UW system investment, Republicans are requiring that UW system administrators reclassify a third of DEI employees, or 43 positions, as student success employees over the next two academic years.

The building approvals are one of many aspects of the deal given a time restriction. Last month, Republicans on the Legislatures Joint Committee on Employment Relations approved pay raises for nearly 35,000 UW system employees after Vos had withheld them for two months over DEI staff and programming. That vote needed to take place by Dec. 31.

The Legislature is required to approve state borrowing for the projects no later than Feb. 22 before being sent to Gov. Tony Evers. Its unclear whether Evers would sign the bill, but hes been open with his criticism of the deal. In an interview last week with WISC-TV, Evers called the deal rotten and said the UW system should not have needed to negotiate to access staff pay raises already approved in the budget.

Other aspects of the deal, some of which do not have firm timelines attached, are in committee. Two bills  one that would give UW system schools the difference between what Minnesota students pay in tuition compared to Wisconsin students instead of having it go into the states general fund, and another that would require the UW system to automatically admit Wisconsin high school students in the top percentages of their class  had public hearings scheduled for Tuesday, but those were canceled.
Omni Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Doane as its new Chief Commercial Officer. With over 20 years of hospitality experience, Doane brings a wealth of expertise from his previous senior executive roles with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and most recently as Chief Commercial Officer at Accor North America.

Doane will report directly to President Kurt Alexander and oversee the development and execution of Omni's integrated commercial strategy across Omni's current portfolio of hotels and resorts in the United States and Canada. He will oversee all disciplines within marketing including brand and tactical marketing, public relations, partnerships, social media and digital platforms (omnihotels.com). He will also be responsible for oversight of Omni's global and hotel sales organizations, revenue management, the Select Guest Loyalty program as well as distribution and customer service.

The appointment of Doane is particularly significant as Omni has invested over $2 billion into its portfolio over the last five years and has committed $1.5 billion in portfolio enhancements over the next five years.

In his senior leadership roles at Fairmont Raffles Hotels International and Accor, Doane consistently surpassed top-line revenue goals, elevated loyalty membership, and captured greater market share year after year.

Doane actively contributes to the industry by serving on the HSMAI CMO and Foundation Boards as well as the US Travel CEO Board and the Plug & Play Hospitality Vertical Advisory Board. Doane holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Denver, CO - Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight), the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry, today announces that for the fourth consecutive year it has been recognized as the industry leader in the following categories:

Best Rate Shopping & Market Intelligence

Best Hotel Rate Parity

Best Business Intelligence

Overall - Top 10 People's Choice (#4)

This unprecedented success underlines Lighthouses dedication to innovation, data quality, and unparalleled customer service. The company's consistent performance in these categories is a testament to its commitment to empowering over 65,000 hoteliers with cutting-edge solutions and insights.

In 2023, the company underwent a significant rebranding, transitioning from OTA Insight to Lighthouse. The rebrand unified various products and acquisitions under a seamless unified commercial platform. The rebranding also introduced new features, including advanced business intelligence tools, insights into the short-term rental market, as well as a revamped user experience.

We are immensely proud to receive these Hotel Tech Report Awards for the fourth time. Our consistent performance over the years is a clear indication of our unwavering commitment to excellence and customer success. These awards are not just wins for the Lighthouse team, but for all our customers , who inspire us to push the boundaries of whats possible in hotel technology. Sean Fitzpatrick, CEO of Lighthouse

The Hotel Tech Report Awards are renowned for recognizing outstanding technology providers in the global hotel industry. Each year over 2.5 million hotel industry professionals use HotelTechReport.com to make informed technology purchasing decisions. The HotelTechAwards determine the best hotel software products across every category based on customer feedback and key proprietary data signals such as integration compatibility, organizational health, market share, partner network strength, and customer support quality.

Some hotel tech companies have mastered working with smaller properties while others have been outstanding partners for large enterprise and corporate hospitality. Lighthouse is a rare breed of company truly in a league of its own with thousands of hoteliers raving about the product on our platform from across the globe and even more impressively from small independents all the way to large corporate chains. Lighthouse masterfully delivers a rapid pace of innovation while maintaining top tier customer support levels all packaged in an easy to use and easy to understand user interface. Jordan Hollander, CEO of Hotel Tech Report

Experience the power of Lighthouse today. Sign up for a demo of the Lighthouse platform here.

About Hotel Tech Report

HotelTechReport.com is the hotel industrys leading online research platform for technology buying advice and insights. Each month HTR helps more than 250k+ hotel owners and operators from the worlds leading hotel companies discover and vet the best digital products to run and grow their hotel businesses.

About Lighthouse

Lighthouse (formerly OTA Insight) is the leading commercial platform for the travel & hospitality industry. We transform complexity into confidence by providing actionable market insights, business intelligence, and pricing tools that maximize revenue growth. We continually innovate to deliver the best platform for hospitality professionals to price more effectively, measure performance more efficiently, and understand the market in new ways.

Trusted by over 65,000 hotels in 185 countries, Lighthouse is the only solution that provides real-time hotel and short-term rental data in a single platform. We strive to deliver the best possible experience with unmatched customer service. We consider our clients as true partnerstheir success is our success.

www.mylighthouse.com

OTA Insight
CHARLESTON, SC  After significant internal and portfolio growth in 2022, leading hospitality management company Charlestowne Hotels once again celebrates a successful year bookended by exciting expansion, numerous accolades for its properties and executives, and advances in its corporate structure and technology.

Charlestownes 2023 growth was characterized by deeper expansion into the Midwest and college towns, heightened work with soft brands, and the growth of our revenue and marketing services for properties around the country. We also continued to transform our corporate structure and redefine our leadership model, launching a refreshed website to introduce our new VPs and directors and showcase the forward-thinking work were doing to provide our partners with best-in-class service. Kyle Hughey, CEO of Charlestowne Hotels

Among other high-level positions, Charlestowne promoted longtime employee Max Spangler to VP of Technology. The company also launched its Rooms for Growth incentive program, which enables employees to stay at any Charlestowne-managed property at special rates.

HOTEL OPENINGS + DEVELOPMENT

In 2022 & 2023, Charlestowne Hotels focused efforts on becoming more involved with soft brands, adding two properties: The Memphian(Memphis, TN) and Hotel Marcel(New Haven, CT), the latter of which is the first and only 100% electric zero emission hotel in the United States. Portfolio growth continued in 2023, with highlights including:

Hotel Verdant (Racine, WI): Once the Zahns Department Store building, this 80-room adaptive reuse property is Charlestownes sixth in the region. Hotel Verdant is on track to become a LEED Certified boutique hotel thats both friendly to the environment and inspired by it, incorporating hygge into its design aesthetic. Charlestowne also oversees its two restaurants: Marguerite and Eave.

Once the Zahns Department Store building, this 80-room adaptive reuse property is Charlestownes sixth in the region. Hotel Verdant is on track to become a LEED Certified boutique hotel thats both friendly to the environment and inspired by it, incorporating hygge into its design aesthetic. Charlestowne also oversees its two restaurants: Marguerite and Eave. The H Hotel (Midland, MI): This 139-room, AAA Four-Diamond property transitioned from a Dolce by Wyndham to an independent property in October. Its first property in Michigan and seventh in the Midwest, Charlestowne is now overseeing the management of this iconic community staple, along with its three on-site restaurants: Cafe Zinc, One eighteen, and Oxygen Lounge. A go-to for area events, the hotel has 25,000+ square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space.

This 139-room, AAA Four-Diamond property transitioned from a Dolce by Wyndham to an independent property in October. Its first property in Michigan and seventh in the Midwest, Charlestowne is now overseeing the management of this iconic community staple, along with its three on-site restaurants: Cafe Zinc, One eighteen, and Oxygen Lounge. A go-to for area events, the hotel has 25,000+ square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space. Little Mod Hotel (Charlottesville, VA): Charlestownes 13th property in a university market, Little Mod is a 20-room hotel situated in a 1960s revitalized building, charming guests with nostalgia, groovy furnishings, whimsical F+B offerings, and an unapologetically hip vibe. The management companys third Virginia-based property, Charlestowne also oversees the airstream-style food truck, The Mod Pod.

Charlestownes 13th property in a university market, Little Mod is a 20-room hotel situated in a 1960s revitalized building, charming guests with nostalgia, groovy furnishings, whimsical F+B offerings, and an unapologetically hip vibe. The management companys third Virginia-based property, Charlestowne also oversees the airstream-style food truck, The Mod Pod. Starkville, MS: Charlestowne also took over the management of three best-in-class properties at Mississippi State University: Comfort Suites Starkville (which has now been converted to an independent hotel under Charlestownes management), Courtyard by Marriott Starkville, and Hampton Inn Starkville.

PORTFOLIO + LEADERSHIP ACCOLADES

Charlestowne properties continue to reign as the best in the country, thanks to highly personalized operations, marketing, and revenue management strategies that set each asset apart from its competition. Most notably, three Charlestowne-managed properties were honored in TripAdvisors Best of the Best Awards, which recognize the 25 most exceptional hotels in the U.S. (Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, IL, and The Spectator and French Quarter Inn in Charleston, SC).

Other stand-out industry accolades in 2023 included:

Top Charlestowne executives were also recognized as leaders in the industry:

LOOKING AHEAD + AREAS OF FOCUS

Charlestowne is well-poised to maintain its stronghold in the management of boutique, independent, and soft-branded assets.

In 2024, well develop properties in Charleston, Santa Fe, and Orlando, as we remain focused on strategic growth in beloved and emerging tourism markets, Hughey says. Out west, we have plans to rebrand and relaunch a ski-in/ski-out resort in Aspen, Colorado, coinciding with a full property renovation slated to debut in October 2024. With the support of our new corporate infrastructure and our best-in-the-industry leaders, well also explore opportunities to partner with hotels with larger key counts.

Key areas of ongoing advancement in 2024 will include technology (both at the corporate and property levels), F+B programming, and the management of alternative lodging with experimental programming, with announcements to be shared in the coming months.

For more information about Charlestowne Hotels and their innovative approach to management, visit CharlestowneHotels.com.

About Charlestowne Hotels

For more than 40 years, Charlestowne Hotels has been recognized for its management of lifestyle hotels and is consistently ranked by top industry publications as one of the leading hospitality management companies for independent, collegiate markets, soft brands + brands, condo hotels and adaptive reuse properties. The company's family of individual hotels includes a portfolio of 60+ properties and 40+ food & beverage outlets located in urban city centers, secondary cities, and resort destinations. Charlestowne's management expertise encompasses all phases of operations, inclusive of day-to-day management, new development, property renovations + repositioning projects, and hotel transitions. Charlestowne properties consistently achieve above-average RevPAR growth and receive some of the country's top travel accolades including topping the "best hotels" lists by Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today and TripAdvisor. To achieve this, Charlestowne treats each property like its own brand, working with owners and on-site teams to implement lifestyle operations, revenue optimization and strategic marketing that elevate the property's unique story and enhance the guest experience. For more information visit www.CharlestowneHotels.com.
Image credit: Nicholas Worley

Pauline Brettell sifts through the trends that are directing the travel industry, to identify how these are impacting on hotel design both in terms of guest expectations and design deliverables

Authenticity and experience are clearly the prevalent buzzwords in the travel industry as we shift our focus into 2024 and, now more than ever, the role hotel design plays in this process, is key. While the primary touchpoints that are visibly shaping hotel designs are not necessarily new  conversations around sustainability, hybrid hospitality, wellness have been going on for some time  what is new, are the the nuances and layers being devoted to these trends and how they are being integrated into the fabric of a project rather than adorning the surface.

Image credit: JW Marriott

Authentic experiences housed within a hotel that reflects its location, with a design that is as much a part of the experience as the local cooking class, is now all part of the expectation. In addition, travellers want to feel like they are actively supporting local communities and discovering something special. This immersive hospitality used to be the realm of alternative travel companies and small boutique hotels, but is becoming increasingly mainstream with the bigger brands embracing the concept. Take for example, the JW Marriott Madrid, where the history of the building  previously one of the oldest perfumeries in Madrid  has been incorporated into the design and the details, which includes giving guests the opportunity for a scent training workshop.

Image credit: Locke

Breathing design into the brand

With the design element of the hotel becoming a key factor on where guests choose to lay their personal hats, the designer is becoming part of the brand story and in many cases, brands are using designers to differentiate a property rather than making it fit into a brand standard. Locke has embedded this into its story, championing local design and community as part of its ethos. New properties are developed in tandem with the in-house design team and independent designers  Ember Locke openend in 2023, with interiors by Atelier Ochre and House of Dre, while more recently its Zurich property opened showcasing a collaboration with London-based design studio, Sella Concept.

Image credit: Locke

Hotel group Touriste have excelled at this, again, incorporating the designer into the brand story with properties like Hotel de la Boetie, brought to life by designer Beata Heuman who brings her imaginative take on Parisian style to her first hotel venture. Hotel de la Boetie follows the trend of each of the Touriste portfolio, all of which have been designed by fashionable designers, with every one representing a design moment in time.

Image credit: Simon Brown / Touriste

Spa beyond limits

Wellness is another trend that is not only here to stay in all its guises, but in 2024, is predicted to be on steroids. No longer confined to a yoga class in the basement, in some cases it has actually become the brand, as with the immersive health and fitness brand from Kerzner International, Siro. What is new in this arena, is the expectation of personalisation, with guests in the luxury sector expecting not only wellness offerings, but ones which are curated to their needs. Additionally, wellness is being seen in a more holistic way, integrated into the fabric of a building and its people.

Image credit: Pnoe Breathing Life

Like all trends in the design arena there is a symbiotic relationship between them, as boundaries blur and nothing exists in isolation. Keeping the concept of authenticity at the core, these threads then run through the wellness offering as we see them increasingly being inspired by the location and the local culture  if the hotel is in or near a woodland, forest bathing finds itself on the agenda, while treatments on offer are increasingly taking inspiration from local plants and medicinal traditions. Ancestral Handmade Hotels has built this into its concept as a new regenerative wellness brand, aiming to revive and celebrate ancestral wisdom and tribal traditions at every step.

An additional file in the wellness folder is sleep and  according to a recent trend report form Hilton  travellers in 2024 will be investing in sleep with everything from pillow menus to circadian lighting, sleep and the quality of it, becoming a part of the hotel design conversation.

Low-carbon-impact design

Sustainability and low-impact design is fast becoming daily practice, having been spearheaded by the more agile, smaller boutique brands, with examples like 1 Hotel Mayfair and room2 paving the way. In both of these examples, sustainability is not just about getting rid of single-use plastic, but has been developed as part of the brand story and importantly, the company strategy. People and planet are both part of the process, with B Corp Certification becoming a benchmark.

Image credit: room2

The threads of sustainability again have become interwoven with the move to localisation, as brands need to be both sympathetic to local concerns and proactive in helping the community address local issues, to be seem as a force for good in the sustainability story. One of the fundamental points in all of this, is that while issues and concerns around questions of the environment have been around for some time, it is now being explored and embedded on a deeper level. It is about where the food that shapes the menu is sourced, it is about how far those roses on the reception desk have travelled, it is not only about what that candle next to the bed is made from, but also who made that candle and under what conditions. Alongside this, is a healthy expectation of transparency.

Shop while you stay

Retail is now increasingly part of the hotel experience fabric, with guests being able to  at the flash of a qr code  buy the handwoven throw that has been part of the experience. Product is part of the local story and being able to take a page out of the hotel design book home, extends the holiday. Retail is also, in many cases, the most direct and visible way of supporting the local community, from curated art work by local artists, cooking experiences by local groups or handcrafted items. Guests, quite literally, buy into the brand story via design.

An interesting example of this is Aman Cabana  a travelling, aspirational pop-up that will be taking luxury and branded collaborations to Aman locations across the globe during the course of 2024.

Image credit: Aman

On the flip side of all the talk about localisation and storytelling, which is generally a more immersive and tactile approach, is the role of technology, which is becoming increasingly important but, at the same time, kinder in its role in hotel design. Technology is now more about improving and simplifying, rather than complicating. While in some cases it is at the forefront, from the front desk through to room service, it is now more about controlling the functionality of the building and contributing to the sustainability of a design. It is about removing human error and ensuring lights, water and air temperature not only work for the guests, but work efficiently for the environment as well, while at the same time (co-incidentally?) cutting costs!

This article originally appeared on Hotel Design.
Best Western Plus Lake Jackson Inn & Suites

HVS, as the sole and exclusive advisory firm to ownership, present thes opportunity to acquire the 64-key Best Western Plus Lake Jackson Inn & Suites, a limited-service hotel asset in Lake Jackson, Texas. Lake Jackson is situated approximately 55 miles south of Houston, and its economy is anchored by the petrochemical industry. A more hands-on owner/operator will have the opportunity to acquire a limited-service hotel in excellent physical condition with upside to restructure the hotels operations by reducing expenses and improving NOI flow-through.

Ideal Opportunity for an Experienced Owner/Operator

The 64-key count is considered an ideal size for an experienced owner/operator.

Operational Upside for a New Operator to Improve NOI Flow-Through

Based on the year-end 2022 financial statement, the hotel achieved a gross operating profit (GOP) of 17.9%, with an NOI flow-through of less than $75,000.

Looking at comparable operating statements of similar assets, the average GOP was 45.0% to 50.0%. Thus, this represents an ideal opportunity for a more aggressive operator to improve operations and increase NOI flow-through.

Per the October 2023 STR Report, the hotel ranked fourth out of six competitive hotels in terms of occupancy and third out of six in terms of ADR. As the newest hotel in its competitive set, a more prudent and hands-on operator should be able to capture more transient demand and transition the hotel into a market leader.

Well-Maintained, High-Quality Physical Product

The hotel opened in 2015, and ownership has maintained the property exceptionally well by implementing a monthly inspection of all guestrooms.

Given the property's very good physical condition, a minimal change-of-ownership PIP is expected.

Since opening, the hotel has consistently achieved Best Westerns M.K. Guertin award, an annual recognition of the top fifty Best Western-branded hotels with exemplary performance in quality, guest satisfaction, and brand compliance.

Per Best Westerns latest quality assurance report, the hotel scored an Outstanding overall rating of 971 out of 1,000.

Discount to Replacement Cost

Based on current pricing guidance, the property is priced below replacement cost at $83,000 per key.

To construct a similar limited-service hotel asset with comparable amenities, the estimated all-in investment would be a minimum of $120,000 per key.

Best Western Franchise

Per Best Western, the brand boasts the most competitive franchise fees, allowing owners to drive more revenue to the bottom line.

New franchisees will benefit from the automatic franchise transfer agreement to operate the hotel.

Excellent Location Among Strong Corporate & Leisure Demand Generators

The property benefits from an excellent location near strong corporate demand generators, including Dow Chemical's Lake Jackson campus and Shintech's Freeport facility.

A large commercial zone on the opposite side of Texas Highway 288/332 is also home to many prominent petrochemical-related corporate demand generators, including Dow Chemicals company plant, BASF Chemicals, and SK Primacor Americas.

Other impactful corporate demand generators in the market include Wood Group, Phillips 66, Freeport LNG, Fluor, Jacobs Engineering, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., and Schlumberger.

For leisure travelers, the property is conveniently located near popular attractions such as the Sea Center Texas Aquarium, Brazos Mall, Lake Jackson Recreation Center, Lake Jackson Historical Museum, Urban Air Trampoline, and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, as well as the beaches along the Gulf Coast.

The property is located roughly ten miles from Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport and just an hour's drive from Houston and Galveston, convenient for both business and leisure travelers.

Expanding Petrochemical Market

Per the Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County, plant expansions underway represent approximately $3.9 billion of capital investment. Freeport LNG - Natural Gas Liquefaction Train 4 ($2.4 billion) Ascend Performance Materials Texas Inc. - Technology Modernization ($130 million) Maxter Healthcare Phases 1 & 2 - Medical/Surgical Glove Manufacturer ($340 million) Maxter Healthcare Phases 3 & 4 - Medical/Surgical Glove Manufacturer ($200 million) Volkswagen - Vehicle Import and Processing ($115 million) The Dow Chemical Co. Freeport - Polyethylene Plant ($715 million)

With the peak of construction estimated to bring thousands of temporary workers over the next few years, the hotel is well positioned to take advantage of the economic growth and expansion, including the associated increase in lodging demand, during that time.

Management Availability

The hotel asset is being offered free and clear of any management encumbrances, providing an investor with the flexibility to revamp the operational strategies of the current operator.

For inquiries please visit here to execute the Confidentiality Agreement.
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Local governments and state agencies would be prohibited from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to anybody on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin under a proposed constitutional amendment Republicans began circulating last week.

The measure is the latest step in Wisconsin Republicans fight against government-run diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Republican lawmakers recently struck a deal requiring the Universities of Wisconsin to restructure their DEI programs, and GOP legislative leaders have said they plan to scrutinize similar programs in state agencies.

Critics of the programs say they keep otherwise qualified applicants from getting into schools or receiving employment because theyre not from a disadvantaged community. Supporters of the programs say they aim to ensure everybody is on an equal footing.

The proposal released Friday requires hiring decisions across all state governmental entities to be based on merit, fairness and equality, a conservative rejoinder to DEI with its own acronym (MFE), bill authors Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, and Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, told legislators in a memo seeking support for the measure.

This is another blatant attempt by legislative Republicans to foment culture wars instead of addressing the issues facing Wisconsin, Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said. Assembly Democrats see these attacks for what they are, and we will continue to stand against GOP efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The amendment would apply to everything from public universities and school districts to municipalities and state agencies.

Unlike bills, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers cannot veto constitutional amendments. The measures must pass two successive legislative sessions before voters have the final say. If enacted, amendments can only be reversed through the same amendment process or by a court order.

Several federal laws already prohibit discrimination based on sex, race, color, nationality or religion. Spokespeople for the bill authors didnt immediately explain how adding the language to the state Constitution would add further protections.

The proposal is modeled on a similar state constitutional amendment that was adopted in Michigan in 2006 and later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the GOP authors said.

The University of Michigan states the prohibition of discriminatory or preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender or nationality does not in any way mean that diversity is no longer a permissible, indeed compelling, interest. But Black student enrollment at the school fell by 33% in the six years after the proposals enactment, the American Civil Liberties Union said.

Similar to the Michigan amendment, the Wisconsin Republican authors included a stipulation designed to keep the proposal from running afoul of federal law, clarifying the amendment does not prohibit action that must be taken to establish or maintain eligibility for any federal program, if ineligibility would result in a loss of federal funds to the governmental entity.

Spokespeople for the ACLU of Wisconsin didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.
Behind The Weeknds success from the beginning to After Hours til Dawn

The Weeknd had a record-breaking year between the European leg of the After Hours til Dawn tour and the release of his HBO show, The Idol, but its clear that the After Party has only just begun.

by Jubran Haddad from the Chartmetric Blog

Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye had an exceptional summer, quite unlike any other. It all began with the HBO premiere of The Idol on June 4, which he co-created and starred in. Two days later on June 6, the After Hours til Dawn tour kicked off in Lisbon, Portugal, with sold-out shows across multiple cities, concluding in London on August 18. The tour, following a successful North American leg, showcased The Weeknds evolution since his 2009 debut, from House of Balloons to Starboy to After Hours. His ability to reinvent his sound and maintain global relevance over a decade reaffirmed his status as a musical icon.

miss you  this summer belongs to europe XO pic.twitter.com/2wVk24hjvJ  Abel Tesfaye (@theweeknd) March 29, 2023

But, that was just the beginning. Throughout the summer, he dropped several singles for the show, such as Popular, featuring Madonna and Playboi Carti, which surpassed 358.8 million streams, and a cover of John Lenons Jealous Guy. Additionally, he joined forces with Travis Scott and Bad Bunny on K-POP, a track that garnered over 201.5 million streams. On top of that, he even broke a few records, including attendance records with 160k fans at London Stadium over two nights and the record for the first artist to sell out two nights at Milans Ippodromo La Maura in Italy.

A Global Icon

The Weeknd has solidified his status as a global music sensation with chart-topping hits that have garnered billions of Spotify streams. From Blinding Lights, which has gotten nearly 3.9 billion plays since its release in November 2019, to Starboy, released in September 2016, with over 2.8 billion streams, his catalog is a testament to his global appeal. Tracks like The Hills, Die For You, and Save Your Tears have also captivated audiences worldwide, each boasting over a billion Spotify streams.

He currently ranks as the second most-listened-to artist on Spotify, with 103.7 million monthly listeners and a dedicated following of 74.58 million followers, with his fan base coming from all over the world. In the past year, he has gained an additional 24.7 million new monthly listeners, a 31.2% increase. He has a strong global reach: his top five countries by Spotify monthly listeners are the United States, the Philippines, India, Mexico, and Indonesia and his top cities are Mexico City, Jakarta, London, Sao Paulo, and Sydney.

Following the successful first leg of his After Hours til Dawn tour in North America, which included a live album and an HBO concert film, the tour headed to Europe for the summer. According to the current audience data, he performed in nearly all of his top European countries and cities and even did multiple shows in cities such as Stockholm, Paris, and London. Overall, this leg of his tour consisted of 30 shows in 22 cities across Europe.

Setlist

The setlist for the tour featured permanent songs performed in most shows, primarily from Tesfayes 2020 album After Hours and the 2022 album Dawn FM, as well as some of his biggest hits. Unlike the first leg of the tour, in which the setlist remained consistent throughout the leg, the setlist saw changes in most shows, where Tesfaye surprised the fans with bonus tracks, which were played only a few times or even only once during the tour. Most of these tracks were from his debut album Kiss Land and the compilation album Trilogy, tracks that he hasnt played in over ten years, in addition to some songs from The Idol.

What makes this intriguing is how these live performances had a tangible impact on Spotify streams. Unlike the conventional TikTok-to-Spotify or TikTok-to-Shazam pipeline for music discovery, the tour has shown an interesting effect where the live concert experience influences streaming. An example of this is the song Tears In The Rain, released in 2013 as part of Tesfayes debut album, Kiss Land. The track was performed by Tesfaye at all stops on the tour after first being played in Stockholm on June 17 (the fourth show of the tour). Two days later on June 19, there was a sudden increase in Spotify streams, which has continued to grow ever since. Similar increases were also seen in the Shazam and Genius views of the song.

Tears In The Rain is considered a deep cut from his extensive catalog and may have resonated with newer fans introduced to it through the live setlist. The immersive and emotional experience of witnessing the live song might have sparked a newfound appreciation, leading them to seek it on streaming platforms. Furthermore, attendees social media posts and word of mouth can also spark curiosity and FOMO among fans who didnt attend, driving fans to repeatedly stream the song to connect with the broader fan community.

Moreover, this sheds light on the evolving dynamics of fan communities and the challenges of reconciling long-time enthusiasts experiences with the artists current global appeal. While some argue that being a fan of The Weeknd is now more mainstream, with the artists widespread popularity evident in Spotify numbers, stadium concert attendance, and TikTok trends, others express nostalgia for the earlier, more niche XO fan culture, who were there since the original days of Tears In The Rain.

Streaming Boost

During the summer, his Spotify streaming activity went through two phases. The first phase, which took place from June 3 to July 22, centered on his weekly new music created for The Idol. It consisted of six separately released EPs between June 9 and July 3, 2023, which were released around the premiere of each episode.

The second phase was from July 22 to August 19, in which he collaborated with Travis Scott and Bad Bunny on K-POP and then on CIRCUS MAXIMUS with Scott (again) and Swae Lee. The collaborations were part of Scotts fourth album, UTOPIA, and his fantastic performances in these songs, in addition to big shows in Milan and London for his tour during this time period, helped him achieve a new milestone and break a record as the first artist to reach 113 million Spotify monthly listeners.

When a popular artist like The Weeknd performs abroad, it often leads to increased streaming of their songs by local fans and concert attendees as a result of excitement and anticipation for the live event. During the tour, there were notable spikes in his Spotify monthly listeners in multiple cities. After his second Stockholm show on June 18, his local listenership increased by 11.2k the next day, and 7.7k the day after, marking the greatest daily increase since January 2, 2022 (20.6k) in the city. This surge can likely be attributed to the tour rather than the release of a new EP, due to how sizable the increase was and the lack of significant changes for the prior EPs for The Idol.

Similarly in Milan, there was a significant increase in his Spotify monthly listeners following his performances on July 26 and 27, with a growth of 13.6k on both July 27 and July 28. This was the highest increase since July 26, 2022 (32.4k). His monthly listeners grew by an average of 12.5k per day over the next three days, thanks to two sold-out nights and a crowd of around 160k attendees.

With a record-breaking 87k tickets sold for a traditional concert set-up at Wembley Stadium, Tesfaye witnessed a significant surge of 39k Spotify monthly listeners in the city. This increase marked the most substantial change in his Spotify monthly listeners in London since November 2, 2018, and stood out as the highest one-day increase throughout the entire European leg. The surge in monthly listeners suggests that, with a large number of fans attending the show and wanting to listen to his music before the event, local fans were highly engaged with his music.

Charts

Consequently, artists tracks may climb the local charts, potentially reaching higher positions or even debuting when they are on tour. In this case, the immediate effect of the tour was seen on the Spotify Daily Top 50 and Apple Music Daily Top 100 charts in the days leading up to and following the concert. The countries with the highest new peaks for his songs on Spotifys Daily Top 50 were Ireland (4), the Czech Republic (4), Belgium (5), and Estonia (18), all of which were countries where he performed. For example, on August 12, the same day of the show in Estonia, 14 of the 50 tracks on the countrys Spotify Daily Top 50 chart were by or featured The Weeknd, including House of Balloons and The Hills.

The impact was more noticeable on the Apple Music Daily Top 100, where 75 new peaks or debuts were observed across various countries. For instance, the song I Cant Feel My Face (released on June 8, 2015) achieved new peak positions in nine nations. In the Netherlands, The Hills jumped 63 positions to number 34 the day after the second show in the city.

Yet, the tours impact extended beyond the borders of the countries where he performed. For instance, neighboring countries like Latvia and Lithuania saw shifts in their Spotify Daily Top 50, featuring songs like Blinding Lights, Moth To A Flame, and Lost In The Fire, correlating with the date of the shows in the neighboring country Estonia.

Social Media

From videos of the Hajime Sorayama robot statue in the middle of the stage to videos of fans singing along or even The Weeknd himself singing with a fan, #TheWeekndConcert has over 1.3 billion views on TikTok. With that, endless official and fan-made sounds were used. For instance, Moth To A Flame jumped from 26.1k posts on June 6 to 32k on August 18, a growth of 22.6%. The Hills increased slightly since June 23, jumping from 307.4k posts to 332.4k, a growth of 8.13% by August 18.

Tesfayes adept use of social media platforms became integral to the tour experience. Before any show, he posted teases of songs he might perform, adding unpredictability and engagement to each tour stop. For instance, he hinted at the inclusion of fan favorite High for This in Amsterdam. Fans were left speculating whether he would surprise them with such a rare gem during the show. He ended up teasing and performing the song, fulfilling fans anticipation.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct168Z7PX1_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

For established superstars, social media is primarily used to interact and engage with their fans and promote new releases. It is more of a tool for fan retention, rather than discovery or shaping their public image. However, The Weeknd saw a remarkable surge in his Instagram following from May 29 to June 28 of this year. He gained an impressive 3.5 million new followers in just that one month, indicating that despite his fame, he continues to attract new fans.

Going on Tour is His Vacation

From the different setlists per city, surprising fans, and the thrill of live performances, there is something for everyone to take away from this tour, whether you are an artist or a fan. Its a celebration of more than a decade of great artistry, dedicated fandom, and, ultimately, the entire alternate world of The Weeknds persona. As he sings in Snowchild, Going on tour is my vacation.

Unfortunately, The Weeknd is now experiencing an extended vacation from this vacation. After the recent South American leg, he is now faced with the disappointment of postponing tour dates in Australia and New Zealand due to unforeseen circumstances. Despite this setback, the memories created during this summer will endure as one of the highlights of his career, forever holding a special place in the hearts of his European fans. Til next time, Abel Tesfaye  hope to catch you at the After Party.

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Around 50 people were at Park Square on Saturday to rally for Democracy. PreviousNext

Activists Stand for Democracy in Pittsfield on 3rd Anniversary of Insurrection



The event was organized by the Berkshire Brigades.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  With a presidential election coming up, activists say it is especially important to protect democracy in 2024.



"Three years ago for the first time in the history in this country, the president of the United States instigated a revolt that led to the capital of our Congress being breached. It didn't happen in the Civil War, it didn't happen in the War of 1812 when they burned the White House," state Sen. Paul Mark said in Park Square on Saturday.



"For the first time in American history, the Capitol was invaded by people trying to stop the counting of electoral college votes so no matter what anyone else thinks about policy, as Republican candidates for the presidency are saying, Donald Trump is not fit to serve as our president."

Around 50 people gathered on the third anniversary of the insurrection for a standout organized by the Berkshire Democratic Brigades as part of the Four Freedoms Coalition. On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the House chambers attempting to disrupt the certification of the electoral college vote and the election of Joseph Biden.

The Associated Press reports more than 1,200 people have so far been prosecuted for misdemeanor and felony crimes related to the attack on the Capitol. Hundreds more are expected to be arrested in the coming year and Trump is scheduled to stand trial in March for trying to overturn the election.

"This attack on our democracy didn't just happen. It's been happening slowly for the past 10 years. Human rights for all people in totality have never existed. There has always been some marginalized group of humankind excluded from their freedoms under our Constitution. This is our history. We must not repeat it," Berkshire NAACP President Dennis Powell said.



"Blacks were denied the right to read. Now having the right to read what we want or should read or want our children to read is under attack right here in our community and here as we enter into 2024, with all the bills and laws passed, every humans right to vote is still under attack. Voting is our democracy. It is how we fight the evils within our country and our government. At the polls."



State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier asked the crowd "What is it that democracy looks like?" and attendees joined her in saying "This is what democracy looks like."



Attendees recognized that young people were missing from the standout and Farley-Bouvier said it is important to look at who is not there and how they can be engaged over the next several months because "Democracy itself is on the ballot this year" and we need to "Get ready for the fight of our lifetime" to save it.



"Now whether we go back to when George Washington made the decision to step down from the presidency itself or whether he resigned his commission from the Army, we can say that for 240 years we had a democracy," she said.



"We had a peaceful transfer of power until three years ago when we came inches, inches away from losing that and so we have to ask each and every one of us has to really look inside ourselves and say, what is it that we will do to save that democracy. Were here today. That is a really good step but we have a long way to go to November 2024. We've got to take on that work and take it very, very seriously."

"And then I think about Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940s when he stood up for the four freedoms, on Jan. 6. I don't think that's a mistake. I think that is purposeful and I think that we all need to be alert, alive, caring, and helping one another."
Williamstown Gathering Info on Livestock at Request of State Agency

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  An attempt by the town's health inspector to cooperate with a state agency sparked a minor controversy on social media over the weekend.

On Sunday, a user posted anonymously on the "Williamstown Mass. Info & Issues" Facebook page an image of a form the the health inspector sent to area farms seeking information about the number and types of livestock they keep and acknowledging consent for the town's regular inspections of agricultural operations.

"Since when do we need an application for farm animals, did we get rid of right to farm??" the Facebook user posted. "im not sure if im being pranked or not"

There was no "prank" involved. Nor was there an attempt by Town Hall to take away "freedom" as was posited in one of the 42 comments the post garnered by late Monday afternoon.

On Monday, Town Manager Robert Menicocci explained that the Health Department is both formalizing an existing practice of annual inspections and complying with a request from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

"[MDAR] wants us to go out and do the inspections on their behalf ... but also have a census available," Menicocci said.

"What we've seen in other states is bird flu happens. If a commercial enterprise needed to cull their flock or herd, the state wants to know what else is in the area."

Compiling a census allows the town to provide such information in the event of an emergency, he said.

"If COVID taught us anything, it is that we need to have a good handle on control of viruses and things like that," Menicocci said.

The form from the town, titled "Keeping of Farm Animals Application," is signed by Health Inspector/Animal Inspector Ruth Russell, who late last year took over for longtime inspector Jeffrey Kennedy, including his regular duties of inspecting farms in town.

A member of the town's Agricultural Commission weighed in to the Facebook discussion on Sunday to point out that Russell merely has a "different approach" to the existing practice.

"I know that Jeff [Kennedy] was required to make a comprehensive list of animals [in] his jurisdiction," Averill Cook wrote in reply to another commenter. "From a governing body viewpoint it is very important. Be happy you don't live in England, Denmark, Holland where they have a more comprehensive routine.

"If there is a time where we had a 'Mad Cow' outbreak I believe given the lack of accountability here we would be in trouble to solve the problem. I do like the fact that 'all' cattle need to be tagged and tracked now and I know all are not. other animals I am unsure of and would welcome your suggestions."
Dalton Cable Advisory Commission Recommends Attorney

DALTON, Mass.  The Cable Advisory Commission continued its efforts in negotiating a new contract with Charter Communications during its meeting on Monday evening.

During the meeting, the commissioners spoke to attorney William Solomon over the phone, during which they reiterated some of their priorities during the negotiation process.

These priorities include adding to the contract a 5 percent gross revenue, capital funds, funding for fiber optic cables to enhance connections, and updated equipment needed to handle this upgrade.

The commission voted to recommend hiring Solomon for the negotiations. Although Solomon does not usually charge less than $225 an hour he agreed to charge the town $200 an hour for his service because he enjoys the work.

Solomon has worked for other cities and towns in Massachusetts on contracts and negotiations for cable contracts.

The last time the town had a contract was in 1997 with Time Warner Cable, which was purchased by Spectrum in 2016.

The 1997 contract requires that Time Warner Cable give the Dalton Community Cable Association 5 percent of the gross revenue, which is used as the operating budget

In the new contract with Charter Communications, commissioners urged the need to retain this percentage.

Commissioners and station manager Michael Sinopoli urged the need for new equipment as the current equipment is outdated. They also requested that upgrading to high definition be included in the contract.

The fact that the association is on its current coaxial cabling could be problematic because of the possible quality of the signal and high cost of upgrading, Solomon said.

They would also like to have added to the contract a requirement of Charter Communications providing Dalton Community Cable Association a contact person to expedite troubleshooting.

Solomon will be sending the legal services agreement draft to the town manager and commission Chair Rachel Branch.

He is going to create an outline of the issues based on the commission's discussion and will also set up an additional two meetings to discuss their needs and interests.
Pine Cobble Names Head of School

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Pine Cobble School in Williamstown has appointed Dr. Alana Harte, a longtime educator, head of school as of Jan. 1, 2024, according to a December announcement sent to the school community by its board of trustees.

Dr. Harte joined Pine Cobble in 2020 and served, most recently, as acting head of school, and prior to that, assistant head of school, dean of students, and reading specialist.

She earlier held various positions in other schools, including eleven years as a middle school English teacher, and previously served as an equity consultant and qualitative researcher. She received an EdD in Educational leadership from Southeastern Louisiana University, an MSEd in supervision and administration from Southern University and A&M College, and a BA in English language arts from Hunter College in New York City.

In the board's announcement, Leticia Haynes, chair of the board of trustees, wrote of Dr. Harte:

"Her instructional expertise will be invaluable as we move Pine Cobble forward with a vision for greater curricular strength and deeper integration of the character pillars with values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She will continue to enhance the school's traditions of engagement with nature, the arts, and sports and community building, while ensuring Pine Cobble provides outstanding academic and character education for all of our children."

"I am honored to have been selected as the next head of school at Pine Cobble School," Harte said. "I am drawn in particular to the school's commitment to strong academics, to community, and to upholding character pillars for its students, as well as its being an equitable and inclusive space. I'm looking forward to us connecting with the greater community meaningfully and frequently."
Greylock Federal Credit Union Promotes Branch Manager at West Street

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Greylock Federal Credit Union announced the promotion of Crystal Garneau to branch manager of its West Street branch in Pittsfield.

"I am thrilled about Crystal's tenure as manager of the West Street branch," said Senior Vice President, Retail Services Robert Sims. "This is our busiest location and I couldn't think of a better person to lead the team there."

In her role, Garneau oversees all activities for the West Street branch, manages the location's 15 staff, and plays an active role in business development. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, originating mortgage and home equity loans, overseeing branch compliance, originating and underwriting consumer loans, and maintaining a wide variety of member accounts.

Garneau started her career with Greylock as a branch training and development specialist in December 2021. Prior to joining Greylock, Garneau was a manager with Wayfair, a branch manager with Berkshire Bank and a multi-unit team leader with H&R Block.

"I loved my role in Training and Development," Garneau said, "but I really look forward to working in a role where I can more directly help the members."

Garneau earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University in June 2023. A lifelong resident of the Berkshires, Crystal currently resides in Pittsfield with her son Logan and their two cats.
Vexos Establishes New Facility in Mexico Published: 09 January 2024 by Tyler Hanes by Tyler Hanes

JUAREZ, MEXICO  Vexos has added to its presence in North America with a new 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility here.

The new facility is a greenfield site designed to address growing customer demand and to support future growth, and complements Vexos' existing locations in North America  Markham, Ontario, Canada; LaGrange, OH; and Vancouver, WA; as well as Asia  Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Dongguan, China.

Launching in the first quarter, Vexos Juarez will mirror the equipment and capabilities of Vexos Markham, and will be managed by the Vexos Markham team. The facility is expected to obtain ISO 9001 certification in 2024, the company said.

"With the establishment of the Juarez facility, Vexos Inc. continues to position itself as a leader in the electronic manufacturing industry, ensuring its ability to meet the evolving needs of its global customers. The Q1 2024 launch is eagerly anticipated as Vexos looks forward to extending its legacy of excellence in manufacturing and engineering solutions says Wayne Hawkins, general manager, Vexos Markham.

"This strategic expansion underscores our commitment to meet the growing demands of our customers and provide them with the highest quality products. Our investment in this state-of-the-art facility in Juarez represents a significant step in our mission to strengthen our North American presence," said Paul Jona, President & CEO, Vexos.
PLDT Enterprise is expanding its strategic partnership with Zoom, the leading pioneer in cloud-based communication and collaboration tools, with major plans for the year. This continued partnership is a testament to the commitment of both organizations to empower and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines, as they continue to embrace mobility and remote work flexibility in 2024.

A milestone moment that closed 2023 as PLDT Enterprise and Zoom reinforce their commitment to supporting SMEs digital transformation in 2024.

The collaboration between PLDT Enterprise and Zoom comes as SMEs are gearing up for a promising year in 2024, emerging and growing from the challenges posed by the pandemic. With over a million SMEs in the Philippines, there are tremendous opportunities to further empower this segment and address their digitalization requirements, providing them with all the tools and platforms necessary for their success.

More Than Just Connectivity

The partnership between PLDT Enterprise and Zoom was first initiated through the shared vision of supporting the evolving needs of SMEs. SMBIZ, with its dedicated team of experts, serving thousands of SMEs nationwide, recognized the importance of delivering more than just connectivity. PLDT Enterprise aims to empower SMEs by introducing viable business tools, digital solutions, and platforms that will assist them in growing their businesses effectively.

One of the key offerings resulting from this partnership is the Zoom Phone bundle, a cloud telephony solution that supports mobility and enables SMEs to conduct business on-the-go. This aligns perfectly with the trend of SMEs evolving from basic tools of trade to platforms that facilitate flexible work options and mobility.

Euan Toralballa, Head for Small and Micro Business at PLDT Enterprise, expressed his enthusiasm for this growing partnership, saying, "Our SME advocacy drives us to seek innovative solutions and strategic partnerships to help them thrive. This collaboration with Zoom is a testament of our vision to support their digital transformation journey."

Stephen Liu, Channel Manager, Asia Pacific at Zoom, added, We are excited to work with PLDT Enterprise more this 2024 in bringing Zooms communication and collaboration solutions to the SME community. Our joint efforts will empower SMEs to stay connected and competitive in todays fast-paced business landscape.

The Philippines' top innovators and future-thinkers coming together, symbolizing the strengthened partnership between PLDT Enterprise and Zoom in empowering SMEs in the Philippines. From L-R: Eds Faustino, Business Head for Digital Inside Sales NCR at PLDT Enterprise, Eugene Aldecoa, Business Head for NCR at PLDT Enterprise, Rafael Davila, Business Head for Regional Luzon, SMBiz at PLDT Enterprise, Euan Rex Toralballa, Head of Small and Micro Business at PLDT Enterprise, Stephen Liu, Channel Manager for Asia Pacific at Zoom, Vinayak Patil, Training Lead for Asia Pacific at Zoom, Maikee Farrales, SMB Sales Manager at Zoom Philippines, MC Arenas, Product Manager at PLDT Enterprise, Angelo Cabrera, SMB Account Executive at Zoom Philippines, Gerald Sobrevinas, Category Head for Enterprise Communications and Collaboration at PLDT Enterprise, and Emma Andino, SMB Account Executive at Zoom Philippines

Further, Together

As part of their partnership, PLDT Enterprise and Zoom continue to move further together, reflecting their joint commitment to helping SMEs in their digital transformation journey and achieve sustainable growth. Through PLDT Enterprises Sulong, SME thrust, SMBIZ's role in driving the growth and transformation for SMEs has been emphasized in the past year, supported by its advanced technology solutions, driving digital transformation for these enterprises through cutting-edge technology solutions, strategic partnerships, as well as enabling sustainable growth and optimized customer experiences.

The partnership between PLDT Enterprise and Zoom signifies a significant step forward in empowering SMEs in the Philippines. It addresses the challenges faced by this vital segment of the economy and offers concrete benefits and use cases that will enable them to thrive in 2024 and beyond.
GRAND ISLAND  Three Conestoga Mall businesses  Dees Hallmark, the Incredible Bulk and LensCrafters  will close their doors this month.

Dees Hallmark and the Incredible Bulk have no plans to reopen anywhere else in Grand Island. An employee at LensCrafters, which will close Jan. 20, said the company hasnt given any indication if it will reopen elsewhere.

The leases for both the Hallmark store and the Incredible Bulk are expiring.

They are among the stores currently operating in the south end of the mall, as Conestoga Mall is being transformed into Conestoga Marketplace.

Dees Hallmark needs to vacate its space by Jan. 31, but may close before then, said owner Colleen Belitz, who lives in Columbus.

Belitz used to own a total of three Hallmark stores  in Columbus, Beatrice and Grand Island. Now the only one left will be in Beatrice. Shes owned the Grand Island business for about 10 years.

Belitz has checked other possible sites in Grand Island. We have, yeah. Since we werent provided a spot in the redevelopment.

She said she's been looking around for eight or 10 months and talked to several landlords in Grand Island. Theyve all been really helpful, but we just could not find a spot that worked.

Initially, it looked as though Dees Hallmark could stay in the mall.

When this first started, they did come in and ask if we were interested in a space. And we of course said yes. But she found out later that we werent in their plans for what they wanted the redevelopment to be.

The Incredible Bulk, a part of the mall since 1988, will close its doors this weekend. When it does, the mall will say goodbye to two of its fixtures.

Randy Price of Lincoln has owned the Incredible Bulk for 24 years.

Because of reduced foot traffic in the mall, This last year has been horrible, Price said.

The number of tenants has been reduced from more than 100 to about 15, he said. And its just cost me money every month.

The mall is being redeveloped by Woodsonia Real Estate.

Price believes Conestoga Marketplace will be an asset to Grand Island. But he doesnt like the way Woodsonia has treated the current tenants.

He doesnt believe he could have stayed in the mall after his lease expires Feb. 1.

They offered me so many different things, he said. The last thing Woodsonia representatives told him, in nice words, was that they dont want little mom and pop stores anymore in here, he said. They said we wont renew your lease. So could I have gone on? Nope, I dont think so.

I think what theyre doing in Grand Island to that mall is fantastic for Grand Island. But what they did to Incredible Bulk was classless. And thats a fact, he said.

With the stores closure imminent, people have been taking nostalgic pictures with Kathy and the sign, said Price, who formerly owned two Incredible Bulk stores in Lincoln.

A Hastings woman has purchased the Incredible Bulk name and a sign from Price. So a store of the same name will probably continue in Central Nebraska.

The Journal Star's most memorable photos of 2023
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Narendra Modis photos from the serene beaches of the Lakshadweep archipelago have unwittingly ruffled feathers in the Maldives, exposing faultlines in the two countries close relationship under Males new China-leaning president.

The pictures from his recent visit to the tiny Indian Ocean outpost showed a side of the Indian prime minister that is not often put on display  Mr Modi was seen walking on sun-kissed white beaches and snorkelling in the islands turquoise-blue waters.

It was clearly an effort to promote domestic tourism, as Modi said he was in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and gushed that for those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list of destinations to visit. No other country was mentioned in the posts.

But after many responded by suggesting Lakshadweep could be Indias own Maldives, comparisons between the two quickly became an ugly virtual slugfest.

It has led to a full-blown diplomatic crisis between the two neighbours, which were already tense after the pro-China Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu won an election last year on an India Out campaign  pledging to remove Indian troops stationed in the archipelago and embrace closer ties with Beijing instead.

Some Maldivians suggested Modi was deliberately promoting Lakshadweep in order to undermine the Maldives travel industry, with the countrys economy heavily dependent on tourism. An estimated 200,000 Indians visit the Maldives for holidays every year.

The row escalated when it emerged that members of Muizzus cabinet were among those weighing in, calling Modi an economic terrorist and aiming xenophobic remars against him and Indians at large.

The row has enveloped some of Indias wealthiest celebrities, hundreds of whom took to Twitter/X to promote Lakshadweep. Indians also denounced Maldivian politicians for their derogatory remarks about Modi and called for a boycott of travel to the nation.

Experts in India suggested Male crossed a line with personal and racist attacks on Modi that would ultimately harm the image of their own country.

Three ministers who worked for the archipelagos Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts called Modi a "clown", "terrorist" and "puppet of Israel" in posts on X, according to the Reuters news agency. Most of the posts have since been deleted.

Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid were the ministers who led the attack on Modi and were swiftly suspended by the Maldivian government.

What a clown. The puppet of Israel Mr Narendra diver with life jacket, said Shiuna, who also compared India to cow dung in a now-deleted tweet.

The foreign ministry in Male distanced itself from the comments by the ministers.

The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives, the Maldives foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Indian foreign ministry, which is yet to react to the issue, summoned the Maldives envoy to India on Tuesday over the remarks.

Harsh V Pant, vice president for studies and foreign policy at the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation thinktank, tells The Independent that the incident blew up from Modis seemingly innocuous photos in part because of the growing perception that Muizzus new government is anti-India from the outset.

This whole episode crossed a line and I think therefore you saw it reverberating in the social media space as Mr Modis visit to Indias territory or even its promotion did not warrant such backlash and vicious personal attack, Pant says.

He says it would be counterproductive for the Maldives to be associated with xenophobic views and could cause wider harm to its image, particularly for a country whose economy is so reliant on welcoming foreigners.

Indian travel company Ease My Trip waded into the controversy and said it was suspending all flights and packages to the Maldives, while promoting Lakshadweep instead. In a statement to The Independent, Prashant Pitti, the CEO of the company said their decision would impact 240,000 annual bookings that are made through the platform.

He said bookings to the Maldives surged by approximately 40 per cent last year as compared with 2022, but that nationalism is greater than any personal interest.

Former Maldives president Ibrahim Solih, who was considered pro-India, said: India has always been a good friend to the Maldives and we must not allow such callous remarks to negatively impact the age-old friendship between our two countries.

A beach in Maldives

Muizzu met Modi in Dubai on the sidelines of the Cop28 summit and raised his demand for the withdrawal of all Indian troops stationed in the country. India has a small contingent of 75 military personnel in the Maldives, an island archipelago of just over half a million people, to maintain three maritime rescue and surveillance aircraft that were donated by the Indian army.

The row also coincides with Muizzus five-day visit to China this week, one of his first bilateral foreign trips since becoming president. It is being seen as a diplomatic snub to India and a departure from the tradition of previous Maldivian leaders visiting India first after taking office.

Muizzu made his first official visit to Turkey after he took over in November. No visit to India has yet been confirmed by either country, though some media reports claimed one was being planned for later in January before the current diplomatic row erupted.

Both India and China have heavily invested in the Maldives. In 2014 Male became part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative that envisages building networks of ports, railways and roads to expand trade and Chinas influence across Asia, Africa and Europe.

Muizzu has explicitly not made an anti-India comment since coming to power, Pant says. But actions speak louder than words, and he is signalling with his visit to China and pressure campaign on India to remove troops.

Lakshadweep is a largely under-developed chain of tropical islands off Indias southwestern coast that requires a special permit for entry, even for Indian nationals. The island is made up of 36 islands and it is known for its pristine coral reefs, crystal-clear waters, and diverse marine wildlife.

The Indian archipelago is much smaller in terms of land area, number of islands, population and infrastructure when compared to the Maldives, whose shorelines are dotted with luxury resorts, overwater bungalows and vibrant coral reefs.

Tourism accounts for almost 28 per cent of the Maldives GDP, with Indian nationals making up the largest number of foreign visitors in 2023 at 209,198, according to the Maldives tourism ministry. This is in part after it became popular among Bollywood celebrities, who regularly post images from visits for a get-away or honeymoon.

The Maldives is 300 nautical miles off mainland Indias western coast and just 70 nautical miles from Lakshadweeps Minicoy island.

Its strategically important placement in the Indian Ocean makes it an important neighbour for India and if the government in Male is not friendly to Delhi and inclined towards its adversaries then it becomes a question of India also drawing some red lines, Pant says.
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The chief executive of an Indian artificial intelligence (AI) company has been arrested after being accused of killing her four-year-old son at an Airbnb property in the tourist state of Goa.

Suchana Seth, the co-founder of startup Mindful AI Lab, was arrested on Monday while she was returning to Bengaluru city allegedly with the body of her son in her luggage.

The 39-year-old woman checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in North Goa on 6 January along with her son, the local police said.

During the early hours of 8 January, Ms Seth asked the apartment staff to arrange for a taxi to travel over 600km by road from Goa to Bengaluru in Karnataka state.

The next morning the apartment staff raised an alarm after spotting red stains in the room, which they assumed was blood, North Goa superintendent of police Nidhin Valsan said in a press conference on Tuesday.

The management of the apartment informed the local police, who rushed to the spot and prima facie found the stains to be of blood.

When asked about the stains over call, she claimed that it was due to her menstrual cycle and that she had left her son in Margao town with a friend, according to the police.

The police asked the driver of the taxi to take the vehicle to the nearest police station without Ms Seths knowledge after the address provided by her turned out to be fake.

Upon inspection at a police station in Karnatakas Chitradurga district, the corpse of the boy was discovered in the luggage bag.

She was arrested eight hours into her journey and charged with murder. Ms Seth was later brought back to Goa to be presented before the district court.

The child's body was left behind in Chitradurga district for autopsy, the police said.

Authorities were trying to ascertain the motive behind the crime.

Ms Seth belongs to Indias eastern state of West Bengal and is married to a man from the southern state of Kerala. Her estranged husband Venkat Raman lives in Jakarta and has been asked to return to India, the police added.

Ms Seths LinkedIn profile suggests she is an AI ethics expert and data scientist.
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The UK and the US have raised an alarm over the conduct of the 12th general election in Bangladesh, saying it was not credible, free, and fair.

Sheikh Hasina was elected Bangladeshs prime minister for a fifth time on Sunday in a virtually opposition-less election marred by violence.

Her Awami League party secured three-quarters of the seats in the 300-member parliament. Independent candidates took 62, the Jatiya Party  the third largest  took 11, and three smaller parties got three seats.

Several members of the ruling party were allegedly fielded as "dummy" independent candidates in the election in a show of false participation and fairness. Ms Hasinas main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia, boycotted the general elections, saying that it would be a futile and unfair exercise under her administration.

Critics of the government raised an alarm over the countrys slide into authoritarianism, crackdown on opposition parties, and the constant effort to throttle dissent through arbitrary detention and unchecked political violence.

Nearly 25,000 members of the BNP have been arrested since rallies against the government turned deadly with at least 14 people killed since mid-2023.

People confront with police during the 12th general election in Chattogram (REUTERS)

"The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day," State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said.

"The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated."

He added: "We encourage the government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable."

Washington, one of Dhaka's largest trading partners, reacted strongly to Dhaka's domestic political crisis by announcing visa restrictions against the countrys officials for undermining the democratic election process.

The UK on Monday said Dhaka did not meet the standards of conducting a free election, citing acts of intimidation and violence that took place in the run-up to the 7 January polls.

"Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process. These standards were not consistently met during the election period," the British government's foreign office said in a statement.

"We are concerned at the significant number of arrests of opposition party members before polling day," the statement added.

Sunday's election saw just 41.8 per cent of the 119.6 million eligible voters turn out to cast their ballot, compared with over 80 per cent in the last election in 2018.

At least 18 arson attacks preceded the vote, including four deaths in an arson attack on a passenger train on Friday. On election day, a supporter of an Awami League candidate was stabbed to death in Munshiganj district near the capital, Dhaka, officials said.

A journalist sustained injuries after being assaulted by members of the ruling party for documenting alleged vote rigging.

The 76-year-old daughter of the country's founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, first became prime minister in 1996. This will be her fourth consecutive term in office.

"The election was free and fair," she told reporters, playing down the opposition boycott. "Each political party has right to take decision, absence of one party in election does not mean democracy is absent," she added.

A group of foreign observers suggested that the election was "held peacefully and with the participation of the common people". Canada issued a clarification that it had not deployed any election observers to monitor the polls.

"Any individual who identifies as a Canadian observer is acting independently. Their views have not been endorsed by the Government of Canada," the Canadian high commission said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

India, Russia and China  three key allies of Hasina  were some of the first nations to congratulate the leader on her victory.

I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections, Indias prime minister Narendra Modi said. We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh.

Beijings ambassador Yao Wen praised a long-established friendship with Dhaka in a statement.

We demand the immediate cancellation of the dummy election, resignation of Hasina and formation of a non-party neutral government for holding a fresh election, senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said.
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The head of a housing industry body has said she fears more housebuilders could collapse following Stewart Milne Group entering administration with the loss of more than 200 jobs.

Administrators Teneo were appointed on Monday for the housebuilder, which is headquartered in Aberdeen, halting construction on sites across Scotland, with 217 roles being made redundant.

Jane Wood, chief executive of Homes for Scotland, which represents more than 200 members, said she is very worried about more firms going bust.

We are very worried about it and we are worried the social and economic impact is not understood for housing Jane Wood, Homes for Scotland

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme on Tuesday, she said she is greatly saddened by the group going into administration.

Asked if she is concerned more housebuilders could go the same way, she replied: We are very worried about it and we are worried the social and economic impact is not understood for housing. Its a force for good, it affects all of our lives. Its a human right, at the end of the day.

She added: Our ask would be that the Scottish Government needs to demonstrate that it does recognise the sectors concerns and takes urgent action  that the provision of new homes for all tenures for everyone in Scotland who wants to live and work here is prioritised because it is urgent now.

We cant keep doing the same thing and expecting the houses that we need to be built and our businesses, like Stewart Milne and other housebuilders, to remain sustainable.

Teneo said in a statement that failure to sell the business or secure a viable restructure meant the difficult decision was made to place Stewart Milne Group and six Scottish subsidiaries into administration.

Adele MacLeod, of Teneo, said, The downturn in the UK housing market combined with an extensive sales process not resulting in any viable offers has ultimately led to the need for the directors to place Stewart Milne Group Limited and some of its subsidiaries into administration, regretfully with some immediate redundancies.

We continue to assess all the options in respect of the groups Scottish development sites and encourage any party with an interest to get in touch.

Teneo said no further construction is being completed, at this time and people who have reserved a home but not yet moved in will be contacted.

Former Aberdeen FC chairman Stewart Milne set up the eponymous business in 1975.

He said in a statement: I am devastated by this totally unexpected outcome of the sale process and struggling to accept it, given the profound impact it will have on employees, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers.

Stewart Milne Group was up for sale and, following significant interest, two bids were submitted. The bank has not accepted either bid and withdrawn its funding.

I tried everything I could to find a way to achieve a better outcome for the business and the people who depend on it.

I believe one of the bids could have delivered a comparable, financial return to administration and, crucially, allowed the business to continue to operate, safeguarding hundreds of jobs and protecting livelihoods.
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Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep are back together again.

The two actors both attended the 2024 Golden Globes on Sunday (7 January) at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California. Streep and Seyfriend are known for starring as mother and daughter in the 2008 movie musical, Mamma Mia!, and the 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Seyfried was posing for photos on the red carpet ahead of the awards show, when Streep walked up next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The Mean Girls star quickly brushed off her excitement and regained her composure to keep taking photos.

Many people took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share how excited they were to see the sweet reunion. They did this for me personally, one person joked on the platform.

Another person agreed, writing: AAAAAH !!!! Sophie and Donna reunited.

Such a cute moment, a third X user wrote.

Despite the fans fawning all over the reunion, Seyfried has previously admitted that she and the cast of both Mamma Mia movies are open to having another reunion on the big screen with a third film.

Back in 2020, Colin Firth - who played Harry Bright, one of Streeps love interests and Seyfrieds potential father - had discussed the possibility of a third Mamma Mia! film, following the critical and commercial success of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Speaking to Sky News, Firth revealed that he was unable to provide any solid details on whether a third Mamma Mia! film is in the works. However, he admitted at the time that he was keen to return to the franchise, adding the rest of the cast - which includes Pierce Brosnan, Dame Julie Walters, and Dominic Cooper - would also be up for reprising their roles.

We can always dream, he said. Im sure that you wont find anybody that wouldnt be keen to show up for it.

The likelihood of [a third Mamma Mia! film] I cant comment on, you know, he added.

The first Mamma Mia! film was released in 2008, based on the 1998 stage musical set to the music of Swedish pop hitmakers, ABBA. While many of the bands beloved songs have already been featured in the first two Mamma Mia! films, Firth suggested that there was still more mileage to be found in them. I suppose there are more songs, he said. Or why not use them all again?

Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer also expressed interest in a third movie, telling Variety in 2020 that it was meant to be a trilogy.

I think one day there will be another film, because theres meant to be a trilogy, you see. I know Universal would like me to do it, she told the outlet.

Most recently, Craymer told Deadline that a third movie is in the earliest stages of development. The producer also expressed an interest in bringing back Streep to reprise her role, despite killing her off in the sequel. There is a story there, and I do think Meryl should come back, and if the script is right, she would, I think, because she really loved playing Donna, she said.

Even Streep herself said shed come back, joking in an interview with Vogue last September: Im up for anything.

I told Judy if she could figure out a way to reincarnate Donna, Im into that. Or it could be like in one of those soap operas where Donna comes back and reveals it was really her twin sister that died, the Oscar winner said, adding: We may have to call it Grand-Mamma Mia! by the time we make it!
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Gillian Anderson made a bold statement on the 2024 Golden Globes red carpet with her style choice.

The 55-year-old actress wowed in a magnificent white gown with vaginas embroidered all over. On 7 January at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, for the 81st annual awards ceremony, Anderson decided to step out in a unique strapless ensemble with risque detailing.

In conversation with Deadline before the ceremony, The Fall star encouraged people to take a closer look at her outfit. It has vaginas on it, she proclaimed.

Designed by Gabriela Hearst, the garments sophisticated, classy structure was juxtaposed with the intricate lining forming little pictures of the female anatomy. But the detail isnt the only reason why Anderson chose the piece.

For so many reasons. Its brand-appropriate, Anderson noted.

Viewers at home thought the Hollywood stars fashion was remarkable and alluring. Fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts.

(Getty Images)

Gillian Anderson said Sex Education may have ended but it is NOT over, one viewer wrote.

The vaginas on Gillian Andersons dress, oh mother isnt a strong enough word, another said, indicating their praise.

One woman agreed: Gillian Anderson wearing a dress embroidered with vaginas oh she is and will always be the moment.

Are those vulvas on Gillian Andersons dress I love her so much, a fourth added.

For more on what the stars wore to the Golden Globes, read up on our best dressed from the evening. You can also find The Independents live coverage of the event as it happened here.
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A couple in their fifties have traded hotels for holiday house swaps and are making the most of their retirement by swapping with other keen travellers, visiting three countries in 2023 free of charge, with one fellow house swapper even naming their baby after their daughter.

Sinead McWalters, 56, a retired teacher, discovered HomeExchange, a house swapping site, in January 2023 and, after listing her house for just 24 hours, she received her first request.

Since then Sinead has gone to Turin in Italy and travelled across Portugal, and most recently is visiting Spain, staying in homes along the way while offering her own home to holidaymakers.

The mother-of-three says that staying in local homes allows her family to fully experience the countries they visit and the community atmosphere on the site gives her faith in humanity.

The family have been able to bond with their fellow travellers so much that one couple named their baby after Sineads daughter.

Sinead and Ronan particularly bonded with a couple they home swapped with in Turin, Italy (Collect/PA Real Life) ( )

Sinead, who lives in south-east Ireland with her husband Ronan, 55, also a retired teacher, and has three grown up daughters, told PA Real Life: The hosts of places weve stayed at have been so friendly  they give us restaurant recommendations and one place they even gave us their museum passes and their bikes to use. Its such a different experience than staying in hotels.

Youre not in a touristy area so you really get to appreciate the local culture and we get a really deep insight into their way of life.

It was not until January 2023, when Sinead read a newspaper article, that she discovered the concept of home swapping with other holidaymakers.

Used to camping or staying in hotels, Sinead recalled wanting to give home swapping a try after her husband had recently retired  freeing up their time to see more of the world.

Telling her husband Ronan about the website, they decided to list their house and, within 24 hours, they received their first request.

Surprised by how quickly people had responded to her listing, Sinead and Ronan had their first exchange firmed up by February and began speaking to a couple in Turin, Italy, and chose to do their swap with them in June 2023.

Sinead said: Weve always travelled an awful lot but we tend to stay in hotel rooms and missed the comforts of home while we were away.

Discovering HomeExchange, we knew it was worth exploring and we couldnt be happier. Its just a fantastic system and weve met some wonderful people.

Since their first swap the couple have toured Europe, staying in eight different houses around Portugal and most recently exploring Malaga, Spain.

Sinead is currently exploring Malaga, Spain (Collect/PA Real Life) (Sinead is currently exploring Malaga, Spain (Collect/PA Real Life))

Sinead and Ronan are often abroad but say they are not interested in making money from their home swaps.

Sinead said: Its not a financial thing, I dont like asking people for money because I think it takes the whole feeling out of it and goes against the ethos of it.

Sometimes the couple stay at home while people visit, calling it a hospitality stay, where they are on hand for tips or help.

Sinead added: We never rent out our bedroom during home exchanges so we use the spare rooms for guests.

When were also home, we give them their privacy and have a separate sitting room that they can relax in, and they have their own private bathroom.

Often though, we find that people who come to visit want to talk to us about their plans and share their experiences. Theyre always so positive and its lovely.

Were also on hand if they need a babysitter and they want to go out for a date night, which were happy to do.

Weve always been massive travellers and I still love camping but its a summer activity, and now that weve retired we want to be able to go away all year round and weve found that home exchanges are far more comfortable than other travel alternatives.

Our experiences have been lovely through home swapping, its so welcoming and caring and just gives you a lot of hope in humanity.

In fact, Sinead and Ronan bonded so well with another couple that they wanted to name their baby after Sinead.

She said: They are a couple from Turin and they really wanted to call their baby after me but their friends and family made them realise that it would be unpronounceable in Italian.

So instead they named their little girl after my daughter Meabh, but are spelling her name the English way  Maeve.

Now the family are on their latest adventure through the home exchange website, escaping the January blues in favour of Malaga, Spain.

Sinead added: At a hotel or an Airbnb, youre usually in the centre, in a really touristy area, but through HomeExchange weve been able to stay in local neighbourhoods and its given us a deep insight to the local culture and way of life.

Its an experience you would just never get otherwise and we love being able to connect with other people.

HomeExchange has given me so much hope for humanity. The trust, transparency, welcome, generosity is far greater than I would ever have imagined.
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The reporter at the Golden Globes who lost her four-carat diamond ring has given people an update on whether she found it.

Keltie Knight, a correspondent for E! News, was interviewing celebrities from the red carpet at the 81st annual Golden Globes when she discovered that a diamond was missing from the ring she was wearing on her finger. Despite her pleading with many people to help her locate it, the diamond has still not been found.

Hi everyone! Golden Globes emergency. If youre a celebrity and you see a four-carat diamond on the red carpet, please return it Keltie Knight at E! because its gone and, um, its real, Knight said in an Instagram video shared to her account, shortly after the red carpet kicked off.

In the video, Knight also held up the ring in question, which was clearly missing the large centre stone.

Knight shared a photo showing her crawling around looking for the diamond on the red carpet to her Instagram Story. According to Knight, she likely lost the ring while she was posing for photos on the red carpet. Clue #1: I had the diamond when I finished makeup because we cleaned it, she wrote. When I did photos it was gone.

In an update shared to her Instagram Stories, Knight revealed that shed finished her red carpet duties but still hadnt been reunited with her diamond. Update: finished the red carpet and now in bath with Jersey Mikes and still no diamond, she wrote, alongside a photo of her eating a sandwich.

Following the chaotic event, Knight told E! News exactly what happened after she lost the diamond. The correspondent said she called the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, where the Golden Globes took place, but they told her if someone found the diamond they would likely keep it. I was discouraged to say the least, Knight said.

Despite her production team looking all over for the stone, Knight admitted that they couldnt find it either. It is also not insured, she added. But I have had some people reach out and offer a replacement.

Since the Golden Globes, many people have turned to Knights Instagram to leave several comments about the status of the missing diamond. I need to know if you found the diamond. I have so much anxiety rn, one comment read.

Not me just staring at the diamond to see if it falls out in the hotel so I can just be like, Oh Ms Keltie its in the robe, another commenter wrote.

Knight losing her diamond was just one of the many memorable moments from the awards show. In addition, Cillian Murphy accepted his Golden Globe award with lipstick all over his face. The Irish actor was given the award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in Motion Picture, Drama for his role in Oppenheimer.

Before accepting his award on stage, Murphys wife Yvonne McGuinness gave him a kiss on his face and attempted to wipe the red lipstick from his nose. While giving his acceptance speech for the award, the Peaky Blinders star asked the audience: First question, do I have lipstick all over my nose? Im just gonna leave it.
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Thom Browne will return to New York Fashion Week for the February 2024 showcase.

Last year, the designer decided to forego the Spring/Summer 2024 presentations in September after debuting his Haute Couture collection in Paris for the first time ever. However, following his year hiatus from the fashion festivities at home, Browne is scheduled to show on 14 February, capping the upcoming seven-day affair.

This wont be the first time Brownes presented on Valentines Day. On 14 February 2023, the famed artist gave a nod to his partner, Andrew Bolton, at the end of his Fall 2023 Read-to-Wear show. Promptly after taking his bow, the romantic handed Bolton a box of chocolates.

The couple, whove been dating since 2011, recently purchased property upstate in Germantown, Teviotdale. Built in 1973 and designed by Walter Livingston, the home, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places, once belonged to Robert Fulton. This is the second property Browne and Bolton have bought  the 1920s Sutton Place mansion owned by Anne Vanderbilt being their first.

The new property seems to be Brownes muse for his Pre-Fall collection, reconfiguring era-appropriate codes to be reflected in his new garments and accessories. While weve seen the brand perfectly encapsulate recherche structuring in bolder couture pieces, resort, and ready-to-wear, Browne seems to step away from his unexampled style for this collection. Instead, Americas pioneer tailoring is revisited with fitted jackets, matching accordion mid-length skirts, and long overcoats.

Additionally, Brownes Pre-Fall womenswear line pays homage to Edgar Allan Poes Macabre and the poets trademark raven with a new bag like the brands iconic Hector. The raven, and roses, are reflected elsewhere in the collection, stitched and printed on a few fabrics. Tartan and tweed can be seen in the collections suiting as well.

For the official lookbook, models cast dark shadows with bold black lipstick  a salute to an omnipresence of horror, historically and presently.

When asked whether he thought his new home in Germantown was creepy, Browne told Womens Wear Daily: Well, its a little creepy now because it needs so much work. But were looking forward to the project.

Thom Brownes stamp  a red, white and blue stripe  is not lost, appearing on jacket arms and pockets, as well as handbag and heel tags. Bermuda bags are made to be more Browne with handles made from faux tortoiseshell, not wood. Thus, celebrating and manipulating Ivy style.
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A shopper exposed a boutique for allegedly upselling a Shein swimsuit for $40, four times the products original price.

In a TikTok video, Lauren Harris (@laurharr22) shared with viewers a blue bikini with Shein tags still attached being sold at a boutique. The bikini was priced at $40, even though it sells for a paltry $8 on Sheins website.

If your boutique is selling Shein clothes for 4x the price, Harris wrote in the videos overlaid text. At least take the tags off and hide the evidence.

The video, which Harris shared the previous week, has since gone viral and garnered more than 1.5 million views on the social media platform. Viewers took to the comment section to express similar frustrations with small businesses passing off merchandise from fast fashion companies like Shein and Temu as their own.

One person commented, THIS is why I hesitate to go to boutiques or small shops I swear every time I pay like $70 for a dress and its damaged within the first three uses.

All these boutiques I see selling $6 temu slippers for $35-40 has me gagged, another person wrote, to which Harris replied: Like I get they need to increase prices to make some sort of profit but like at least do brands where we dont know how much they really cost.

This is why I dont trust most boutiques, a third added. To avoid running into this issue, one commenter shared that she does reverse image searches on items shes thinking of buying from small boutiques and businesses. This is why I reverse image search online boutique photos, they wrote. Most of the clothes are on Shein or AliExpress.

It isnt just brick-and-mortar boutiques that have been called out for selling overpriced clothing from cheap, fast fashion companies, but also online boutiques  also known as ghost stores or doppelganger brands according to Vox  that do the exact same thing on platforms like Instagram.

In a 2021 video, video essayist Lisa Fevral explained that online boutiques such as Cider, Kollyy, Emmiol, and Juicici notably capitalise on trends and relentlessly target consumers with ads. But one simple Google search can show you that these brands all sell clothes from the same Chinese suppliers.

These companies are clearly targeting young women, but it seems like theyre trying to adjust their language to appear more sustainable or ethical while not changing much about their practices, Fevral explained to Vox. Theres no way any company can keep up with TikTok styles and trends unless they are producing a lot of very cheap clothing.

However, in the retail industry, the practice of ordering wholesale clothing from overseas is commonplace. Whether it's Instagram boutiques or Macys, reselling cheap clothing for 200-500 per cent is how many businesses can make a profit. Fashion United describes wholesale as the sale of goods in bulk to other companies, with the majority of wholesalers supplying styles to boutiques, department stores, or online stores, who ultimately sell the goods to consumers.
The attorney for a former corrections officer who is suing the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services alleging sex and race discrimination says prison investigators' behavior was "beyond the pale" when they tested her newborn to determine if she'd had sex with an inmate based on rumors.

"I would submit that the evidence as a whole shows that Ms. Barnes was treated very differently than a person would have been treated if they were white or if they would have been a male," said Mary Barnes' attorney, Joy Shiffermiller.

At a hearing this week, the Attorney General's Office, which represents the prison, asked Lancaster County District Judge Andrew Jacobsen to dismiss the case, saying everything prison employees did stemmed from "very serious allegations" being made against her.

In 2020, the Lincoln woman sued the Corrections Department alleging that, as a Black woman, she was treated differently than white, male staff members at the Lincoln Correctional Center, which since has become part of the Reception and Treatment Center.

Barnes started working there in April 2017.

Shiffermiller said in late summer of 2018 Barnes complained to a sergeant about a Black inmate harassing her and was told to write a report, which was to be delivered to a prison major. But it was put on hold because her superiors wanted to collect more incident reports about the inmate first.

In the meantime, the harassment continued, she said.

Shiffermiller alleged staff members treated Barnes differently, too.

During a staff search in October 2018, Barnes was asked how she was able to afford a Gucci-brand wallet; and a week later a staff member had her scroll through her smart watch so she could search it, when others' smart watches weren't searched.

And on Oct. 10, 2018, Barnes was taken to a small, dark room and interrogated by two captains, both non-Black men, and asked personal questions about her family and whether they ever had been incarcerated.

Shiffermiller said they told Barnes an inmate told them she had been texting him, against prison rules. They told her they believed she had "introduced so much contraband into the facility that it almost started a riot."

Everything was "black and white," they told her, and if she didn't confess she would be sent to jail. Then they left her to sit in a dark room for about two hours, the attorney said.

The prison later determined that Barnes hadn't committed the acts alleged.

But, that night, when she got home she emailed her lieutenant, described the interrogation and said she no longer felt safe coming to work. Later that month, she got a letter from a major saying DCS was contemplating bringing disciplinary action against her for failing to show up for work for more than two weeks.

Barnes ultimately lost pay and health insurance over her absence.

On Nov. 6, 2018, two days before a scheduled disciplinary hearing, an investigator from DCS's central office went to her home and asked her to provide a DNA sample from her daughter to determine her paternity, a move Shiffermiller called "beyond the pale."

She said Barnes consented because she had nothing to hide.

"I cannot imagine how embarrassingly humiliating it must have been for Ms. Barnes to be accused of having a baby with an inmate. And to say that that is not based on gender is incredible," she told Jacobsen on Wednesday.

On the other side, Assistant Attorney General Erik Fern said confidential informants had alleged that Barnes was the source of illegal contraband coming into LCC and was engaging in sexual acts with an inmate.

"NDCS rightfully and correctly began an investigation," he said.

Fern said investigators searched the inmate's cell and found a cellphone and, on it, texts that appeared to coincide with Barnes' work schedule and maternity leave and that referenced Barnes' sister's nickname on social media.

Then came the Oct. 10 interview investigators had with Barnes.

"Really everything stems from these very serious allegations that were very, very correctly investigated," Fern said. "And, importantly, Mary Barnes was found not to have committed these acts. There was insufficient evidence for that."

He said in discrimination law the case law is clear. An employer's nondiscriminatory reason need not be fair or accurate. As long as their motivation was not race or sex.

Jacobsen took the matter under advisement.

The Journal Star's most memorable photos of 2023
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A woman has claimed she wasnt allowed to enter a New York City speakeasy because of her attire.

Alexandra Yvette couldnt believe it when she was turned away at the door of a bar this past weekend for wearing vintage fur. The stunned artist took to TikTok to share what happened, admitting she thought the bouncer was joking when they told her to please go.

I got kicked out of a bar in New York for wearing fur, Alexandra proclaimed in her 8 January video. I didnt get the memo that wearing fur in New York is like, really offensive. It was vintage, um, it was like a mink coat from the 30s. So it was very old.

I do feel like, I know some people dont agree with that. But personally, its never bothered me. I would never buy a fur coat new, Yvette continued.

Unfortunately, the creators coat choice was not in line with the regulations of the bar she tried to go to.

Yvette said: I walked up this bar, it was a speakeasy. And the man was like: Is your coat real? Not thinking that the bouncer was going to deny her entry for being honest, she said, Yes.

I said: Yes, its real. Its really old, Its from the 30s, Yvette noted.

To her surprise, the man didnt care that the coat was vintage. According to him, any real fur isnt allowed in the establishment.

I thought he was joking, so I kind of looked at him and was like: Really? she explained. And he was like: Yeah, please go.

It was such an intense moment. I almost wanted to cry. It felt like such a weird rejection, and I was questioning my morals, Yvette continued.

Viewers pointed out how the no fur rule wasnt uncommon in New York. In fact, The Back Room, a speakeasy in lower Manhattan, clearly states on its website that it does not allow Real Fur.

Other TikTok users admitted theyve experienced the same treatment for their animal fur garments.

Someone made a big stink about my vintage fur coat at a party once until I pointed out their leather shoes, belt, and purse, one person wrote.

Another added: I bought a fur coat from a thrift shop and got shamed by a worker at the thrift shop.

One supporter said: Even as a vegetarian Im cool with vintage furs bc its better than it going to waste. You look pretty! Dont stop being you.

So odd! Id never buy fur new, but Ive thrifted or got it second hand at vintage shops. Itll end up in a landfill if we dont use it. Its ethical, someone else remarked.

The Independent has contacted Yvette for a comment.
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Indonesia has temporarily grounded three Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners, following an incident last week in which an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.

The three aircraft, grounded since Saturday, belong to the Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air. The decision was made by the country's Transportation Ministry in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the safety and security of flight operations.

An emergency landing on Friday by the Alaska Airlines jetliner prompted U.S. federal authorities to ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The FAA grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines for inspection. The inspections are focused on plugs used to seal an area set aside for extra emergency doors that are not required on United and Alaska Max 9s.

The grounded Lion Air planes use a mid-cabin emergency exit door that is different than the one on the Alaska Airlines plane involved in the incident, said Adita Irawati, a Transportation Ministry spokesperson.

Danang Mandala Prihantoro, a spokesperson for Lion Air, said the airline has taken preventive steps by grounding the planes and is carrying out further inspections on the mid-cabin emergency exit door."

In 2019, Indonesia temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 jets to inspect their airworthiness after a Lion Air plane of that model crashed in October 2018, killing all 189 people on board.
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A judge in Haiti has issued arrest warrants for more than 30 high-ranking officials accused of government corruption, including numerous former presidents and prime ministers.

The warrants, issued Friday and leaked on social media over the weekend, accuse the officials of misappropriation of funds or equipment related to Haitis National Equipment Center. The center is responsible for using heavy machinery for tasks such as building roads or clearing rubble, especially after earthquakes.

Among those named are former presidents Michel Martelly and Jocelerme Privert, as well as former prime ministers Laurent Lamothe, Jean-Michel Lapin, Evans Paul and Jean-Henry Ceant.

None of those named in the arrest warrant could be immediately reached for comment, although Privert and Lapin issued statements denying the allegations.

No one has been arrested in the case. No further details about the investigation were immediately available.

Judge Al Duniel Dimanche has requested that those accused meet with him for questioning as the investigation continues. The judge could not be immediately reached for comment.

It is common for Haitian government officials accused in a criminal or civil case to ignore arrest warrants or requests for questioning and face no punishment as they accuse judges of political persecution. It is also rare for any high-ranking Haitian official to be charged with corruption, let alone face trial.

Local newspaper Le Nouvelliste obtained a copy of a statement issued by Lapin in which he says that he was never officially notified of the arrest warrant. He also said that at no time during his 32-year political career did he ever become involved with the National Equipment Center.

I have also never requisitioned or requested the use of any equipment from this institution for my personal needs or for loved ones, he said.

Privert issued a statement accusing the judge of acting maliciously and thoughtlessly. He also asserted that the Court of First Instance in the capital of Port-au-Prince has no jurisdiction over the actions taken by presidents, prime ministers and ministers in the exercise of their functions.

Former prime minister Claude Joseph, who is not named in the arrest warrant, said he met with the judge on Monday in case he could help with the case.

No one, regardless of the position you held in the state, is above the law, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of the meeting. If a judge decides to abuse his office by abusing justice, that is his business. I will not despise the justice of my country. I will be present.

____

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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The United States has warned that ongoing celebrations of a Bosnian Serb self-proclaimed national holiday could amount to a criminal offense.

The holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the countrys devastating four-year war that killed more than 100,000 people.

The US embassy has said those celebrating were in violation of Bosnias constitution and a 1995 peace agreement.

The embassy in Sarajevo urged Bosnia's legal authorities to investigate any violations of law related to the marking of January 9 as the day of the Republika Srpska entity, which is what the part of Bosnia run by ethnic Serbs is called.

The issue is not the celebration of the holiday, but rather the decision to do so on January 9, the statement said.

During the war, Bosnian Serbs expelled and killed Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslims, and Croats from the territories they controlled.

Nationalist pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The conflict ended in 1995 in a US-brokered peace agreement. The so-called Dayton accords created Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities in Bosnia, held together by weak joint central institutions.

Bosnian Serbs, however, have sought to gain as much independence as possible. Nationalist pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik has openly called for secession from Bosnia, defying US and British sanctions imposed over his policies.

On Monday, two US fighter jets flew over Bosnia in a demonstration of support for the Balkan countrys territorial integrity.

Tuesday's planned celebrations in the northwestern town of Banja Luka include a parade of police forces. Simultaneous fireworks will be held in the evening in Bosnian Serb towns and in Belgrade, the capital of neighboring Serbia.

Serbia's populist leader Aleksandar Vucic has congratulated Dodik on the holiday, pledging support to Bosnia's territorial integrity but also complaining of alleged efforts to wipe out the existence of Republika Srpska."

Serbia, Vucic said, will strongly resist any annulment or humiliation of Republika Srpska.

Vucic is a former ultranationalist who support the aggression against non-Serbs in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. He now says he is pro-European but Dodik remains a close ally and the two meet on a regular basis.

In this photo provided by the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a crew prepare an US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also last week warned that the designation of Jan. 9 as Republika Srpska's national holiday amounted to an act of discrimination and was unconstitutional.

Bosnia's Constitutional Court has ruled against the date in the past.

Dodik has dismissed Western criticism, saying that the Serbs have the right to celebrate an own holiday as they choose. At a ceremony on Monday, he reiterated that the Serb goal remains a Serb state in these areas."

Western countries fear that Russia could try to stir up trouble in the Balkans to avert attention from the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was launched by Moscow nearly two years ago. Dodik is a Kremlin ally.

Bosnia is seeking entry into the European Union, but the effort has been stalled because of slow reform and inner divisions.
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Watch live as now-former French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne hands over the reins to her successor, Gabriel Attal, at the premiers official residence, Hotel Matignon, following her resignation earlier this week (9 December).

Mr Attal, the current education minister, becomes Frances youngest-ever Prime Minister at 34-years-old - and the first to be openly gay.

I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the rearmament and regeneration project that I announced, said French President Emmanual Macron on Mr Attal.

The president announced the resignation of the Prime Minister on Monday, 8 January, as he prepares to unveil a cabinet reshuffle and breathe new life into his presidency.

Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it, the presidency said in a statement on Monday.
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Four people have been charged over an alleged plot to smuggle hundreds of Australian native reptiles from Sydney to Hong Kong.

Police released 257 reptiles, mostly lizards, that had been found tightly bound in small containers for export, New South Wales state Police Force said in a statement Monday.

Police estimate each reptile would sell for an average 5,000 Australian dollars ($3,365) on the black market, making the haul of protected species worth more than AU$1.2 million ($808,000).

The rescued reptiles were handed to various zoos and wildlife parks to be examined by veterinarians before being released into the wild, police said.

A police strike force to investigate illegal reptile exports was established in September last year after nine packages containing 59 lizards were intercepted on their way to Hong Kong.

Three men and a woman aged from 31 to 59 have been arrested at various New South Wales locations between Dec. 20 and last week, police said.

They have been charged with various offenses relating to the alleged smuggling operation.
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The sentencing of members of a drug-addled abuse ring which held rape nights and put a child in a microwave has been delayed again, for another three months.

Children were subjected to a horrifying campaign of abuse at several Glasgow locations, including a drugs den where heroin and crack cocaine was used which became known as the beasty house by victims.

In November seven members of the ring were found guilty of abusing children in crimes described as plunging the depths of human depravity, in which they were given with drugs and alcohol and subjected to group attacks.

Iain Owens, 45, Elaine Lannery, 39, Lesley Williams, 41, Paul Brannan, 41, Scott Forbes, 50, Barry Watson, 47, and John Clark, 46, were all found guilty of rape and sexual assault.

Over a two-month trial at Glasgow High Court last year, jurors heard horrifying details of their crimes, including the attempted murder of a girl who was put in a microwave, forced to eat dog food, and hung by her clothes from a nail, as well as being chased by people wearing a devil mask on various occasions between 2015 and 2019.

Owens, Lannery, Williams and Brannan were also found guilty of attempted murder, however Clark was acquitted of the charge.

Iain Owens at the High Court in Glasgow (James Chapelard )

On Tuesday Lord Beckett further adjourned the case until 5 April but said there could be further delays.

He said: It is not certain that it will be possible to deal with this on 5 April. Theres a distinct possibility because of the nature of the task faced by risk assessors that there will be further delays.

An order for lifelong restriction monitors high-risk offenders for the rest of their lives if they are deemed suitable for release from prison after serving a minimum punishment period.

Criteria considered include if the abusers would potentially seriously endanger the lives or physical or psychological wellbeing of the public at large.

Elaine Lannery at the High Court in Glasgow (James Chapelard )

An eighth member of the group, Marianne Gallagher, 38, was convicted of assaulting a child who said they were punched, kicked and had a plastic bag put over their head, but cleared of all other charges. Her sentence has been deferred until 6 January 2025.

A further three people  Mark Carr, 49, Richard Gachagan, 45, and Leona Laing, 50  were acquitted of all counts.

Jurors heard how five of the group made one child dress in lingerie and dance in a sexualised manner on various occasions between 1 October 2018 and 19 June 2019, before she was raped by male members of the group.

Instead of intervening to protect the youngsters, the women clapped, cheered and encouraged the abuse, with some filming the attack, the court heard.

Owens, Williams and Brannan were also found guilty of drugs offences for supplying diamorphine and cocaine.

An allegation that the group used an Ouija board to call on spirits and demons causing the child victims to believe that they could see, hear and communicate with spirits and demons and making them take part in witchcraft was dropped part way through the trial.

Marianne Gallagher, 38, had her sentenced deffered at the High Court in Glasgow after being found guilty of assaulting a child. She was cleared of all other charges. (PA)

Judge Lord Beckett told the abusers to expect a very substantial prison sentence for the grave and repeated crimes. He said the common denominator for seven of the defendants was the abuse of a very young child.

The common denominator was the repeated sexual assault of a very young child, payment was sought and accepted, some of the events were filmed. This extraordinary depravity was repeated on a number of occasions.

All the sex offences are of extreme gravity and accompanied for some of you by attempted murder, Lord Beckett said.
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A former chief inspector of prisons has accused the government of announcing panicky measures to tackle the prisons capacity crisis.

Nick Hardwick, now a professor of Criminal Justice at Royal Holloway University, has called for a radical rethink to save the creaking justice system, which sees inmates trapped in squalid, overcrowded conditions in their cells for 23 hours a day.

Nick Hardwick has called for a radical rethink to save the creaking justice system (iStock/Getty)

Prisons are so full justice secretary Alex Chalk announced a series of emergency proposals in October, including releasing some prisoners early and controversial proposals to rent prison space overseas.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, the former HM Chief Inspector of Prisons from 2010 to 2016 said the measures do not solve the fundamental problem that prisoners are serving longer sentences, with terms up 5.4 months on average since 1993.

He said: The latest government forecast now predicts the prison population will rise to 94,400 by March 2025 and up to 106,3000 by March 2027. The governments long-term strategy is to build an addition 20,000 prison places at a staggering capital cost alone of 4 billion.

But prison building has not kept pace with the speed of the population increases and so when the system finally ran out of room back in October, Alex Chalk, one of the better Justice Secretaries we have had in recent years (it was not a problem of his making) announced a series of frankly panicky measures to create some space.

Nick Hardwick has called for a radical rethink to save the creaking justice system (DAVID SANDISON)

These ranged from releasing some prisoners up to 18 days early, delaying sentencing for some convicted prisoners and installing temporary prefabricated cell units in a few prisons where there was the physical space to do so.

Although he welcomed proposals to suspend most short prison sentences as sensible, he said: The reason for the increase in the prison population is not that we are sending more people to prison but that we are sending people to prison for longer - if you think of it like a bath, the water is coming in at the same rate but the outflow is blocked so the bath fills up and simply scooping some of the water out does not solve the fundamental problem.

He issued calls for a proposed Prison Capacity Statement to be binding, so when capacity is reached convicts have to wait to serve their sentence or others are released in early. He also suggested a Citizens Assembly should be formed to help the government navigate the issues around prison capacity and sentencing.

His comments come as he gave evidence to MPs with other prison experts on overcrowding.

Rob Allen, an independent consultant on Prisons, Probation and Youth Justice, told the Justice Committee that he was flabbergasted that the government was treating housing prisoners overseas as a serious proposal, with no plans as to how the prisons will be managed and inspected or for families to be able to maintain contact.

Frankly I dont think its really a very legitimate way of running a penal system to transfer people in that way, he told MPs.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)

Richard Garside, director of The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, added: I am not sure that its actually a serious proposition.it doesnt mean they can get away with obligations nationally and internationally towards prisoners in terms of human rights.

If I was trying to find 300 places in the prisons system I can certainly think of better ways and cheaper ways and more effective ways then ending up offshore.

He called for the government to look again at thousands of unreleased inmates languishing under now defunct imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences, many of which have served more than a decade longer than their minimum tariff.

If the government would just do something rather more energetic to expedite the release of IPP prisoners who are over tariff I think that would have quite a big impact on the prison population quite quickly, he added.

Mark Day, of the Prison Reform Trust, told the hearing renting space overseas was an expensive and complicated way of increasing prison capacity.

He said there were practical, moral, ethical questions about whether its right that we should be sending people from UK jurisdictions to other countries.

I think its quite an extraordinary proposal yes and I do question how serious the government really is about pursuing it.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: Public protection is our priority which is why were keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars for longer while reforming short sentences and getting more prisoners into work to help break the cycle of reoffending.

Were also creating an additional 20,000 modern prison places  the biggest prison expansion programme since the Victorian era  with over a quarter already built, helping to rehabilitate offenders and keep our streets safe.
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Four people have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death at a railway station in south-west London.

The Met Police said four males, one of which was also stabbed near the station, had been arrested after a man in his 20s was found dead at Strawberry Hill station in Twickenham.

British Transport Police were called to the station at 11.53pm, where the victim was found dead with a serious injury consistent with a stab wound.

The Met Police were then called to a nearby road at 11.56pm, where they found a 16-year-old boy, who was arrested in connection with the first stabbing, with a non life-threatening stab wound to his leg.

BTP attended alongside the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service. The Met said it was assisting with the investigation.

A man in his 20s was found dead with a serious injury consistent with a stab wound at Strawberry Hill station, Twickenham (Google Maps)

Detective Chief Inspector Sam Blackburn said: This is a senseless act of violence which has seen the tragic death of a young man. This investigation remains in the early stages and the station will remain closed while we continue our enquiries.

I urge anyone with information that may help us piece together the moments leading up to this to contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 630 of 08/01/24. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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A father took out his bad temper on his adopted two-year-old daughter, who was murdered after he bashed her head against a wall.

Jan Gholami, 33, has been found guilty of murdering Zahra Ghulami at the familys Gravesend home in May 2020, just one year after the toddler left Afghanistan to come and live in the UK.

Jurors heard that Zahra had suffered a skull fracture caused by significant impact with significant energy and was pronounced dead in hospital two days later.

Gholami denied the accusations as well as denying allegations of older injuries before Zahras death, including that he banged her head against the wall and fractured her skull on an earlier occasion.

Prosecutor Sally Howes KC said: Because this is what you do. You bang peoples heads against walls.

Jan Gholami has been found guilty of murdering his adopted daughter (PA)

Because youve done this before and Zahra had survived, you just walked away and went to Tesco.

Despite Ghulami claiming that she had fallen down the stairs, he was convicted of murder and child cruelty at Maidstone Crown Court. His wife Roqia Ghulami, 32, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of cruelty of a person under 16 in a unanimous verdict.

Former farmer Gholami, originally from Afghanistan, told jurors he went to the supermarket that morning and was informed upon his arrival home that Zahra had fallen and was vomiting.

He claimed that he tried to call for an ambulance but because he does not speak English, he did not understand their questions and instead took a taxi to hospital.

He denied hurting his children, saying he loved them.

The shop worker previously said: If I would do such things I wouldnt come to this country. There was a lot of violence in Afghanistan already.

The reason I came to this country was for the welfare of my children.

The girls cause of death was given as severe head injury and skull fracture by Professor Charles Mangham, an osteoarticular pathologist. During examinations, doctors found evidence of older injuries, which included a skull fracture, and a healing fracture to her arm and shoulder blade.

Jurors were told Gholami came to the UK in January 2016 while his wife Ghulami was still in Afghanistan with their children.

The couple adopted Zahra in 2017 after a family friend, Zahras father, felt unable to look after her after his wife died in childbirth.

This occurred when Ghulami was in Afghanistan and the adoption was approved by village elders.

In January 2019, Gholami applied for asylum for his wife from the UK, and she arrived with the children to join him.

Described as a bright, intelligent child, Zahra was said to have beenhighly curious and wanted to find out about everything over the course of her short life.

The court also heard evidence of alleged domestic abuse by Gholami against Ghulami, with a neighbour claiming she saw the killer punch his wife in the face outside their home.

Ghulami had informed a police officer and a social worker that he would beat her, sometimes by slapping her or banging her head against a wall, and that she was scared he would kill her.

Gholami and Ghulami, of Oak Road, Gravesend, denied murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.

Judge Mr Justice Wall will sentence Gholami on February 16, and Ghulami at a date to be decided.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Ross Gurden said: Zahra had her life taken away from her by two people who had a responsibility to love and care for her.

Jan inflicted the injuries on Zahra whilst Roqia was completely aware of his behaviour and failed to intervene and prevent Zahra from being injured.

Zahra would have been six now, she would have started school and would be learning about the world around her, but instead her young life was cut short through violence inflicted by Jan, who should have been caring for her.
  ,      !
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Workers at Amazons new flagship fulfilment centre have voted to join ongoing strike action at the company, GMB union has announced today.

Employees at the Birmingham warehouse will down tools on Thursday 25 January, the anniversary of the first ever official strike action at a UK Amazon warehouse.

Amazons new 500 million Birmingham fulfilment centre opened its doors at the end of 2023 and will be the third Amazon workplace to face strike action.

Amazon faced nearly 30 days of strike action in the last twelve months, with more than 1,000 workers taking part in industrial action to mark the retail giants Black Friday event in November.

The Coventry centre, site of the Black Friday November action, was considered one of the busiest in Amazons UK operations, one of only two similar sites.

Amazon staff members on a GMB union picket line outside the online retailer's site in Coventry, as they take part in a strike in their long-running dispute over pay, held on Black Friday (PA)

A worker told The Independent in November: Some of my colleagues are doing multiple jobs barely seeing their partners or kids, she said.

Amazon is one of the richest companies in the world, its founder is busy building rockets yet the people who made him that fortune are on the breadline, going to food banks, pawning items to make ends meet.

She said that working at the company was both physically and mentally draining as heavy lifting for ten hours a night took its toll and injuries occured.

Rachel Fagan, GMB Organiser, said: The industrial chaos Amazon faces isnt going to disappear; its growing every day.

Were just weeks into the new year, but are already seeing the strike action spread to new Amazon workplaces.

For workers to down tools at Amazons new Birmingham HQ, just weeks after it opened its doors, goes to show how furious Amazon workers in the UK are.

One year on from the first strike day the message from GMB members at Amazon is the same; recognise our union and end poverty pay.

It is the third strike action for Amazon in the UK (REUTERS)

Amazon have said the action will cause zero disruption for customers.

An Amazon spokesperson told The Independent: Just 19 GMB Union members out of our 2,000 Sutton Coldfield fulfilment centre colleagues have voted in favour of industrial action. It will cause zero disruption for our customers.

We regularly review our pay to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits. By April 2024, our minimum starting pay will have increased to 12.30 and 13 per hour depending on location, thats a 20% increase over two years and 50% since 2018.

We also work hard to provide great benefits, a positive work environment and excellent career opportunities. These are just some of the reasons people want to come and work at Amazon, whether its their first job, a seasonal role or an opportunity for them to advance their career.
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An alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein has said that she stands by her claims that the late paedophile financier kept sex tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson  and is willing to testify under oath.

Sarah Ransome made the bombshell claims  which all three men deny  to a reporter in 2016, according to newly unsealed court documents filed by a firm representing Epsteins lawyer Alan Dershowitz in 2017, who sought to undermine Ms Ransomes credibility.

Prince Andrew, Mr Clinton and Sir Richard all deny the allegations, with a spokesperson for the latters Virgin Group saying: Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a sex tape is entirely false. The allegations are baseless and unfounded. The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.

Sarah Ransome told ITVs Good Morning Britain that she would be willing to testify under oath (screengrab)

They added: We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. In 2019 she admitted to The New Yorker that the tapes had been invented.

Mr Clintons spokesperson also directed The Independent to the 2019 New Yorker article, which reported Ms Ransome as saying she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour, and to make him believe that she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me

But Ms Ransome alleged on Tuesday that her retraction had been in response to threats that she and her family would be harmed.

There are videos that exist and the people that know they exist, Ms Ransome told ITVs Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, adding: Im sure they are very frightened of them being released.

Asked how she knew there were cameras on the island, she replied: Its no secret that everything was recorded. Multiple victims have come forward confirming my account, along with others.

Ive also seen recordings in his [Epsteins] office.

Pressed on why she had backtracked on the allegations previously, Ms Ransome said: In the time I was with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell amongst others regularly enforced that if I ever did come forward, myself and my family would be harmed.

Sarah Ransome gave a victim impact statement ahead of Ghislaine Maxwells sentencing for sex trafficking (Gabriele Holtermann/PA)

Ms Ransome, the South Africa-born grandaughter of Scottish lord Gordon MacPherson, first became entagled with Epstein when she moved to New York in 2006 at the age of 22, and has alleged being used as nothing more than a sex toy with a heartbeat and soul by the disgraced financier and his associates.

She claims to have been raped three times a day on Epsteins private island, and to have twice attempted suicide after being abused by the financier.

Her claims in 2016 about the existence of sex tapes involving a friend of hers were included in hundreds of newly unsealed documents which formed part of a civil claim by Andrews accuser Virginia Giuffre against Epsteins accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, which was settled in 2017.

Jeffrey Epstein lived the high-life from his accumulated wealth with his ex-partner Ghislaine Maxwell (US District Court for the Southe)

Despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail, Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 after being sentenced in New York in 2022 to 20 years in prison for sex trafficking. Ms Ransome gave a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing.

The British socialite has indicated her desire to appeal, with her lawyers claiming victims had faded, distorted and motivated memories. Her appeal is scheduled to be heard next November.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
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Rishi Sunaks government is under increasing pressure to speed up compensation payments to victims of the Post Office scandal and to get their wrongful convictions quashed.

Ministers have been holding urgent meetings with judges and other officials to discuss ways forward since MPs returned to parliament following the Christmas holidays.

Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, hinted on Tuesday that the government was considering an emergency bill to quash all 800 Horizon IT scandal convictions at once.

Meanwhile, Paula Vennells, the former Post Office boss, handed back her CBE after coming under intense pressure over her handling of the scandal, which has been brought back to public attention following the ITV docu-drama series Ms Bates vs The Post Office.

What are the compensation payouts?

There are three ways subpostmasters have been claiming compensation from the Post Office following the scandal.

The first is the money paid out by the Post Office to those wrongly convicted. In December, it said 32.4 million had been paid - that includes 30 full and final settlements worth 17.3 million, while a remaining 63 claims are yet to be fully settled.

There is also the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, formerly called the Historical Shortfall Scheme, which was launched in 2020 for postmasters who experienced shortfalls due to the Horizon system given.

A total of 2,645 postmasters have agreed settlements of 117 million through the scheme, according to the Post Office - but have so far received 92 million.

A Stamp Scheme for Postmasters scheme was also run for discrepancies in stamp stock.

Sub-postmasters celebrate the high court ruling in 2019 which led to 39 having their convictions quashed (PA)

The Post Office recently said it had reduced the amount held for compensation payments from 487m to 244m due to a lower number of payments than previously expected.

Meanwhile, the government announced in September that anyone wrongly convicted will receive an up-front compensation sum of 600,000, without the need to bring the claim to the Post Office.

Recap - what exactly is the Post Office scandal all about?

The Horizon IT system is accounting software, designed by Japanese company Fujitsu, which saw accounts automated after subpostmasters entered their sales figures via a touchscreen.

Due to faulty software, subpostmasters started experiencing unexplained shortfalls in their accounts and were liable for losses under their contract with the Post Office, with subpostmasters being ordered to pay back the money that was lost.

But despite concerns being raised, Post Office prosecuted more than 700 operators for offences such as theft and false accounting based on the information from Horizon between 1999 and 2015.

Decades on, the Post Office says on a page dedicated to the scandal on its website: We are sincerely sorry for past events and recognise both the impact on individual lives and the length of time any victims have waited for justice."

The corporate acceptance came after a High Court judge ruled in 2019 that Horizon contained a number of bugs, errors and defects and there was a material risk that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.

What impact did it have on the accused?

Previously dismissive of the glitches in the Horizon technology, Post Office laid the blame of the financial discrepancies at the hands of those people who ran the branches.

Not only did that result in criminal convictions, it also damaged hundreds of lives; not just those of the accused, but also the partners, children and friends.

Tragically, the pain was too much for four sub-postmasters, who were believed to have taken their own lives due to scandal. They are father-of-two Martin Griffiths, who died aged 59 in 2013, mother-of-two Fiona McGowan, who died aged 47 in 2009, wife Louise Mann, who died in 2012, and Peter Huxham who died aged 63 in 2020.

More than a dozen also died of other causes before they were able to get justice.

The stress of the dispute led to marriage breakdowns and victims suffering health conditions and addiction. A loss of income, in some cases because of efforts to balance the branch books, has resulted in bankruptcies.

Victory for campaigners - what happened?

Many of those wrongly accused refused to stand down and after years of civil cases, a group of sub-postmasters led by the Justice for Subpostmaster Alliance won a High Court ruling in 2019.

That ruling, which found the Horizon system at fault for creating shortfalls in branch accounts, was then upheld on appeal in 2021 and resulted in the overturning of convictions for 39 subpostmasters.

The Post Office also agreed to settle a civil claim brought by 555 claimants for 57.75 million, which after legal fees worked out as 12 million shared amongst the group.

In a written judgment, Lord Justice Holroyde said: By representing Horizon as reliable, and refusing to countenance any suggestion to the contrary, POL [Post Office Limited] effectively sought to reverse the burden of proof: it treated what was no more than a shortfall shown by an unreliable accounting system as an incontrovertible loss, and proceeded as if it were for the accused to prove that no such loss had occurred.

Wrongful convictions in numbers

In the wake of the High Court ruling, more cases have come forward and more convictions have been overturned.

A total of 93 convictions have so far been quashed, including the initial 39 subpostmasters.

However, not all appeals have been successful with 54 cases in which convictions were upheld after appeal, people refused permission to appeal or applications withdrawn.

The Post Office said five cases were going through the appeal courts, and it said a total of 25 with convictions had still not been contacted.

Why are we taking about it again now?

As is often the case, a television drama has brought this scandal back to the forefront of peoples minds with ITVs drama Mr Bates v The Post Office aired last week. The show centred on postmaster Alan Bates fight for justice against his and fellow operators convictions.

The four-part show has led to renewed public outrage with a petition set up to strip former Post Office boss Paula Vennells of her CBE. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who was postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012, has also been criticised for failing to meet Mr Bates in 2010.

A petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells to lose her CBE has received more than 1 million signatures (Teri Pengilley for The Independent)

Since the show was broadcast, 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers.

There is also an independent public inquiry taking place led by Sir Wyn Williams which is looking over the scandal with testimonies and documents from managment and victims.

On the first day of the inquiry in 2022, Jason Beer QC said: Lives were ruined, families were torn apart, families were made homeless and destitute, reputations were destroyed, not least because the crimes of which men and women were convicted  theft, fraud, false accounting  all involve acting dishonestly.

The inquiry is expected to be completed this year.

Who has been held to account?

No Post Office or Fujitsu executives have been held accountable for the faulty system - although the publishing of the independent review could change that.

The Metropolitan Police has also said they are looking at potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions; for example, monies recovered from subpostmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions.

A Post Office spokesperson said: Were doing all we can to right the wrongs of the past, as far as that is possible, and to date offers of compensation totalling more than 138million have been made to around 2,700 postmasters, the vast majority of which have been agreed and paid. Interim payments continue to be made in other cases which have not yet been resolved.
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Depression, prison time, moving country, and attempted suicide. These are just some of the tales told by the victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

Errors made by the 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.

Speaking to The Independent, some of these former postmasters shared their horrific stories, including tales of attempted suicide, physical abuse and exile abroad. None of them has received full compensation.

A renewed focus on the scandal comes amid a new ITV drama, Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, which has re-sparked interest in the ongoing scandal.

Scotland Yard said on Friday night that officers were investigating potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions; for example monies recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions.

Scotland Yard is investigating potential fraud and Rishi Sunak has called for further assistance for victims of the scandal (PA/EPA)

Prime minister Rishi Sunak also told the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that ministers were looking every which way we can to help those embroiled in the scandal, including the option of exoneration. A petition calling for former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to lose her CBE has attracted more than a million signatures.

Several people took their own lives due to the stress and 60 of the victims have died before finding any justice at all, with accusations tearing peoples lives apart, and many losing their jobs and homes.

One of those people was Janet Skinner, who began working for the Post Office in 1994 and soon worked her way up to become a postmistress in Bransholme, Hull. Then Horizon was introduced.

Janet Skinner was put on suicide watch after she was wrongly jailed for false accounting (Supplied)

Having never had previous issues with her work, Ms Skinner soon noticed that her totals never balanced once the software was put in place.

After calling the helpline, she was told any shortfall would be her responsibility to make good as per her contract. But in 2006 her employers came to do an official cash audit and found a shortfall of just under 60,000.

Ms Skinner, who was 35 at the time, was accused of stealing the money, had her keys taken from her, and was suspended.

This sounds naive but when they came I was actually relieved, she said. I thought they were going to figure out what was happening and find what the problem was.

But when she was told she would be tried in Hull Crown Court in 2007, the reality sank in.

She took a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to false accounting in the hopes of avoiding jail, but was sentenced to nine months in prison.

The 53-year-old told The Independent: I remember standing in the dock and the judge saying I was untrustworthy and stealing from pensioners.

I was a complete and utter mess. Standing there having someone say these things about me when I hadnt done anything was the worst thing in the world.

She was then sent to New Hall prison in Wakefield for six weeks, and was put on suicide watch.

Ms Skinner with her friend and fellow former Post Office employee Tracy Felstead, who also wrongly spent time in prison (Supplied)

After leaving prison, Ms Skinner lost her home and was forced to pay the Post Office compensation of 11,000.

It wasnt until almost a decade later that Ms Skinner realised she was not alone and eventually had her conviction overturned in 2021. However, almost three years on, she is still yet to receive her full and final compensation.

Another victim, 57-year-old Sathyan Shiju, attempted suicide when he lost his home and businesses after being accused of stealing over 20,000 from his post office in Tolworth, southwest London.

Mr Shiju was a postmaster when a branch audit in 2006 showed the massive Horizon shortfall. The father, who also had another grocery store nearby, was interviewed under caution by post investigators and says he was immediately suspended and subsequently dismissed by the Post Office.

Sathyan Shiju is still fighting for justice after he was accused of stealing over 20,000 from the Post Office, sending him into a spiral of depression (Supplied)

It didnt sink in until they took away the post office and then my nightmare started, he told The Independent.

No one would speak to me, not even my MP. There were some days I received ten instances of abuse. People threw things on me, spat on me and called me a P***.

My businesses failed and my houses got repossessed. I used to be a really confident guy but this completely ruined me. I didnt have anyone to talk to and get it off my chest so I tried to commit suicide.

Mr Shiju also explained the impact of the accusations on his daughter: I only have one daughter and she was the one who opened the door when I was about to [commit suicide].

My wife and daughter took me back to India to be with my family and my daughter was sitting next to my bed every day and night because she was afraid I was going to do something.

Eventually, Mr Shiju returned to the UK in 2015, but he says his wifes family still refuse to speak to him and did not attend his daughters wedding, as they believe he is a thief.

In 2020 he was accepted into the Horizon Shortfall Scheme but says he has only been offered just over 12,000 in compensation and his case is continuing.

Chris Head was in 2006 celebrated as Britains youngest subpostmaster, at just 18 (Supplied)

When approached by The Independent, the Post Office said it couldnt comment on individual cases.

Across the country in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Christopher Head, a former postmaster, also felt forced to leave the country after he lost his livelihood.

Once crowned the youngest sub-postmaster in Britain, in 2006 at the age of 18, Mr Heads tenure came to an abrupt end when he was accused of theft and fraud by the Post Office in 2015.

After five months his case was dropped, but the organisation insisted he still paid back the 88,098 they claimed he had stolen.

I knew then that it was really serious and it was a lot of money that I couldnt repay, he said. They interviewed me and when they sat me down and read me all my rights it really hit home.

Mr Head was left unable to find work after the accusation and felt his only option was to seek work abroad.

A civil case was opened against Mr Head but was put on hold after Alan Bates brought a case against the Post Office to the High Court. This gave Mr Head hope but was not enough to salvage his livelihood.

Mr Head has since campaigned for justice for himself and hundreds of other sub-postmasters who were wrongly accused of theft (Supplied)

Mr Head, now 36, returned home in 2019 and he was among hundreds of sub-postmasters who finally won a High Court case against the Post Office, in a 58m settlement that year.

Despite still struggling to find employment, Mr Head says he was only offered 13 per cent of his claim and believes the Post Office has no intention of restoring justice.

A petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells to lose her CBE has received more than 1.1 million signatures, with the number rising fast (The Independent)

Meanwhile, former counter clerk Tracy Felsted is evidence that even some of the earliest cases are yet to be fully resolved.

Ms Felstead was convicted of stealing more than 11,000 from the Post Office and jailed for six months when she was just 19.

She landed her job at Camberwell Green post office in south London when she left school in 1999. Returning from a family holiday in 2000, she was told there was a shortfall of 11,500 in her till.

After a gruelling trial at Kingston Crown Court in 2001, she was found guilty of theft and false accounting and sentenced to six months in prison.

It was horrendous and Ive never been so scared in my life, the now 41-year-old said. I tried to commit suicide twice during the trial and my family was destroyed. I remember having to leave a family friends wedding because I had to go into a psychiatric unit.

Tracy Felstead was just 19 when she was sent to prison for a crime she did not commit (Supplied)

Ms Felstead finally had her conviction overturned in April 2021, but her three-month stay in prison continues to impact her life and she says she is yet to receive full and final compensation.

She said: The day I got out felt surreal but it was also very isolating. I found it hard to have doors closed and to this day I dont have a door in my kitchen or living room because I panic.

I want to now close that door and live my life with my children and just live a happy life.

In response to these stories, a Post Office spokesperson said: We fully share the aims of the current public inquiry, set up to establish what went wrong in the past and the accountability for it. We are acutely aware of the human cost of the scandal and are doing all we can to right the wrongs of the past, as far as that is possible.

Both Post Office and government are committed to providing full, fair and final compensation for the people affected.

To date, offers of compensation totalling more than 138m have been made to around 2,700 postmasters. Interim payments continue to be made in cases which have not yet been resolved.
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Jeffrey Epsteins former lawyer Alan Dershowitz has said he suspects Prince Andrew was pressured by his mother Queen Elizabeth II to settle the civil sexual assault case against him.

The Duke of York reached a multimillion-pound settlement in February 2022 with Virginia Giuffre, the Epstein victim who accused Andrew of sexually abusing her while she was underage in the United States.

But Mr Dershowitz, who worked for Epstein from 2008, has now claimed that he believes the Duke of York made a terrible mistake in paying millions to settle the case.

Alan Dershowitz has suggested Prince Andrew made a terrible mistake (AP)

I think he made a terrible mistake. I suspect he was pressured by his mother to make that mistake, Mr Dershowitz told Times Radio on Tuesday.

If he had fought that case, I believe he would have won  I believe the case would have been dismissed on a variety of grounds  but he didnt want to sit through a deposition, or people around him didnt want to sit through a deposition, so he settled the case.

Often you settle cases not because youre guilty of what youre charged [with], but because you dont want to admit other things that youve done.

He added: I feel sorry for Prince Andrew for this reason; assuming everything they say about him is correct, the woman who accused him was over the age of consent.

She apparently bragged about it to her friends, and she collected millions and millions of dollars for that... yeah, I feel sorry for him.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre reached a multimillion-pound settlement in 2022 (US Department of Justice/PA)

The allegations levied at Epstein and the paedophile financiers associates have again come to the fore after a US judge ordered the release of hundreds of court documents relating to a defamation lawsuit brought by Ms Giuffre against Epsteins former partner and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, which was settled in 2017.

The trove includes 40 documents of evidence from Johanna Sjoberg, who has claimed that the Duke of York touched her breast while sitting on a couch at Epsteins Manhattan apartment in 2001.

Further extracts saw arguments resurface from Maxwells lawyers, who claimed that Ms Giuffres allegations of having sex with Prince Andrew in a bathtub while she was underage were obvious lies because the bathtub in question was too small for a man of his size to enjoy a bath in, let alone sex.

Documents unsealed on Monday also included emails filed to the court by Mr Dershowitzs lawyers in an attempt to discredit Epstein accuser Sarah Ransome. These appear to show Ms Ransome claiming to a reporter that Epstein had secretly filmed and kept tapes of Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson having sex.

All three men reject the claims. A spokesperson for Mr Bransons Virgin Group said: Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a sex tape is entirely false. The allegations are baseless and unfounded. The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.

They added: We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. In 2019 she admitted to The New Yorker that the tapes had been invented.

Mr Clintons spokesperson also directed The Independent to the 2019 New Yorker article, which reported Ms Ransome as saying she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour and to make him believe that she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me.

But Ms Ransome alleged on Tuesday that her retraction had been in response to threats by Epstein that she and her family would be harmed, and claimed she would be willing to testify under oath, as she told ITVs Good Morning Britain: There are videos that exist.
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Two British nationals are being held hostage by Hamas, David Cameron confirmed in his first full questioning by MPs since returning to government late last year. The foreign secretary also said he had concerns that Israel may have acted in breach of international law in the Middle East conflict, but that it was not his job to make a legal adjudication about the countrys actions.

During a tense exchange with SNP MP Brendan OHara, Lord Cameron said he had seen information in respect of the crisis that is deeply concerning but would not say whether he had received legal advice suggesting that laws had been breached.

The former prime minister told the Commons foreign affairs select committee: If youre asking me am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed or whatever  yes, of course Im worried about that, and thats why I consult the Foreign Office lawyers when giving this advice on arms exports.

Lord Cameron also called on Israel to restore the water supply in Gaza, and confirmed that the two hostages were still being held along with others who are very connected to Britain.

He said the government is doing everything we can to relieve suffering. An estimated 240 people were taken prisoner in Gaza after Hamass 7 October attacks against Israel. Some 105 were released during a ceasefire in November.

Pressed on whether it is a breach of international law to turn water off in an occupied territory, Lord Cameron refused to answer. His permanent under secretary in the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Robert Barton, said it is a breach of international law.

Foreign secretary David Cameron confirmed the number of British hostages still being held in Gaza (PA Wire)

Tory chair of the committee Alicia Kearns pressed Lord Cameron on whether he had received any advice saying that Israel is in breach of international law. I cant recall every single piece of paper put in front of me, he said.

But, in a bid for caution on the part of the Israeli government, he added that he would have differences with how Israel has responded to the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

More than 22,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its attack on the territory, with the vast majority of victims being women and children, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry.

Speaking after the committee hearing, Ms Kearns said that she did not think Lord Cameron had provided clear answers to MPs on the issue of Israel and international law. She told BBC Radio 4s PM programme that she believed Israel, as an occupying power in Gaza, had breached international humanitarian law.

The reality is that it is not always for courts to make determinations, she said. On issues such as international humanitarian law, and whether or not it has been broken or not, I made the point to him [that] he has previously made those determinations from the despatch box as prime minister.

Relatives of a man killed in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday prepare for his burial (AFP)

The foreign secretary also that said a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine is possible, as the conflict in Gaza rages on. Out of a crisis should come some opportunity, Lord Cameron said.

Asked if the two-state solution, which would see Israel remain alongside an independent Palestinian state, is remotely feasible after the bitter war, he replied: Yes, youve got to hope that its feasible.

Rishi Sunaks spokesperson was asked whether the prime minister shares Lord Camerons concerns that Israel may be violating international law. He replied: Its an issue we continue to keep under review, and obviously we have made our views clear to the Israeli government at a number of levels on this.

It came as US secretary of state Antony Blinken urged Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet to maintain a path towards the creation of a Palestinian state.

Mr Blinken, who toured Israels Arab neighbours for talks on plans for the future governance of Gaza and integration in the Middle East, said earlier that he would be discussing the way forward for the war during the meetings.

He met one-on-one with Mr Netanyahu at Tel Avivs Kirya military base, and then with the war cabinet that was formed in the wake of the attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants.

Antony Blinken, left, meets with Israels foreign minister Israel Katz, second right, on Tuesday (Getty)

Repeating the Biden administrations support for Israels right to prevent a repeat of the attacks, Mr Blinken stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

As well as trying to damp down regional tensions, Mr Blinken has been discussing plans for the future governance of Gaza, which could involve Israels Muslim-majority neighbours.

Mr Blinken earlier met with Israels president Isaac Herzog and foreign minister Israel Katz. He told Mr Katz there were opportunities for regional integration and connectivity but we have to get through this very challenging moment.

In the meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Blinken reiterated the need to ensure lasting, sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including by the realisation of a Palestinian state, Mr Miller said.

Mr Blinken was also set to meet with families of hostages taken by Hamas, and discuss the relentless efforts to bring them back.

Several dozen protesters gathered outside the hotel where Mr Blinken was having meetings and called for a ceasefire to secure the release of hostages.
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Watch as David Cameron faces questions from the Foreign Affairs committee for the first time in his new role as foreign secretary on Tuesday, 9 January.

The former prime minister appeared before the committee at Portcullis House, which explored Lord Camerons approach to his new role, his broader vision and strategy for the UKs foreign policy, and scrutinised his long-term priorities for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

It came after Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell warned that the risk of famine in Gaza is stark amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Mr Mitchell said: UK ministers are lobbying the government of Israel hard and regularly to allow more aid in and reduce the numerous constraints that are hindering many aspects of our and others efforts to help Gazan civilians.

Nevertheless the risk of famine is stark and the foreign secretary and other ministers throughout the Government are pushing the need to address this with the Israeli government.
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Sir Ed Davey has accused Post Office bosses of unleashing a conspiracy of lies as he mounted a defence of his role in the Horizon IT scandal.

The Liberal Democrat leader, who was postal affairs minister from 2010 to 2012, has been accused of fobbing off victims of the scandal.

And former Post Office branch managers, hundreds of whom were given criminal convictions after faulty Horizon accounting software, developed by Fujitsu, made it appear money was missing.

Ex-postmasters have urged Sir Ed to look in the mirror and consider stepping down.

But, in an interview with The Guardian, Sir Ed lashed out at the people in the Post Office who were perpetrating this conspiracy of lies.

He said it is important to get to the truth and that they are held to account.

Liberal Democrat sources have told The Independent that Sir Ed is being scapegoated in a general election year, in a bid to damage Lib Dem hopes in the Tory blue wall.

And Lord Arbuthnot, a former MP who sits on the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and campaigned for the postmasters when he was an MP, told Sky News the focus on Sir Ed was a bit of a red herring.

Addressing his time as postal affairs minister, Sir Ed said: We were reassured time and again that the Horizon system was working. We were told there werent that many postmasters affected. We were just told so many lies, he said.

We absolutely have to have these people completely exonerated  their convictions must be overturned. The Post Office lied to judges and the courts.

But the newspaper said he refused to apologise for his role in the scandal as he issued a personal defence.

Sir Ed went on to question why the Conservatives had awarded former Post Office boss Paula Vennells a CBE, amid mounting pressure to rescind the gong. A petition calling for her to be stripped of the honour has gathered more than a million signatures.

They knew all about this, he said. Id like to know who signed it off. It was a bizarre decision given that this was clearly in the public domain.

The Tories have been attacking Sir Ed over the scandal, with Conservatives fearing a threat posed by the Lib Dems at the next general election.

Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson accused him of having taken the side of the employers over the workers.

This man, this Ed Davey, has not really looked at both sides of the story. He took the side of the Post Office employers and sadly many went to prison due to him not listening, Mr Anderson told GB News, which employs him as a presenter.

But he really should be coming out now - instead of making excuses, instead of saying he was lied to, he should properly apologise, make a public apology in Parliament to these people that sadly took their lives, the families of these victims, and the people who went to prison.

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.
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Disgraced former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has been urged to tell the truth about her role in the Horizon IT scandal after she bowed to intense public pressure and returned her CBE.

The former chief executive said she was truly sorry for the devastation caused to staff who were falsely accused of fraud, amid outrage that saw 1.2 million people demand in an online petition that she hand back her honour.

Campaigners and MPs welcomed her decision to give up the award  but said Ms Vennells still had questions to answer about her role in the scandal at the public inquiry, which resumes this week.

Follow the latest updates on the Post Office scandal on our live blog.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk revealed that Rishi Sunak is actively considering an emergency bill to quash all 800 Horizon scandal convictions at once.

No 10 said the judiciary had not challenged the governments proposal to overturn the convictions, after crunch meetings were held on Tuesday  and suggested that a legislative plan would be announced in the coming days.

It comes as:

Ministers were urged to explain why Ms Vennells was given a Cabinet Office job after the scandal broke

No 10 said Fujitsu  the IT giant at the centre of the scandal  will be held accountable

Some 100 new potential victims are reported to have got in touch with lawyers following the broadcast of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office

Around 1,000 people affected by the Horizon scandal face a looming tax deadline

Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells has handed back her CBE, saying she is truly sorry (Teri Pengilley for The Independent)

In a statement on Tuesday, Ms Vennells said she was truly sorry for the devastation caused to staff and their families whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted.

She said she had listened to calls from campaigners for the honour to be revoked after the ITV drama thrust the scandal into the spotlight, adding that her CBE would be returned with immediate effect.

Ms Vennells said: I continue to support and focus on cooperating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.

Convicted subpostmasters said they were glad the petition had worked. Former subpostmistress Jo Hamilton said it was a shame it took just a million people to cripple her conscience.

Ms Hamilton, who was wrongfully convicted in 2008 of stealing thousands of pounds from the village shop she ran in Hampshire, said: It shows the people have spoken  about everything, really.

Varchas Patel, whose father Vipin was wrongfully convicted of fraud in 2011, added: Now the big question for me is who gave her that CBE?

No 10 responded to Ms Vennells move, saying: We think that is obviously the right decision. Mr Sunak had said on Monday that he would strongly support any decision by the official body that reviews honours to revoke her CBE.

Rishi Sunak welcomes the decision by Paula Vennells to return her CBE, says No 10 (PA/EPA)

Ms Vennells was chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019. The public inquiry  which reconvenes on Thursday  has already been told that she sent a company-wide Horizon defence piece as early as 2009, while serving as a senior executive, in an effort to defend the IT system.

Ms Vennells and other board members have also been accused of taking the decision in 2015 to sack independent investigators Second Sight, who had been looking into what had gone wrong with the Horizon software.

Labour MP Kevan Jones  who has campaigned on behalf of those affected by the scandal  told The Independent that Ms Vennells still had questions to answer, as he urged her to explain her role in the affair.

Asked if Ms Vennells entitlement to a Post Office pension could be re-examined if she was found to have wronged the subpostmasters, Mr Jones said: Lets see what the inquiry brings out. The government needs to explain some things. Why was she given a post at the Cabinet Office?

Senior Tory Sir David Davis told The Independent that the matter of bonus and pension payments awarded to Ms Vennells and other executives may have to be looked at  but only after the inquiry and police investigation have finished.

Im sure those questions will be asked, said the former cabinet minister  arguing that it is important to set up a proper process with a view to criminal convictions for those behind the scandal.

National officer Andy Furey of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Post Office staff, said the decision by Ms Vennells to give back her CBE was a token gesture compared to what real justice would look like.

The union leader said it would only be right for her to return any bonuses she received from the Post Office  believed to amount to around 2.2m  while the relevant authorities must give serious consideration to bringing criminal proceedings against her.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk says an emergency bill is being considered (PA Wire)

Meanwhile, the justice secretary told MPs that the government is now giving active consideration to the proposal for new legislation that would clear the 800 or so subpostmasters who were convicted, adding: I expect to be able to make further announcements shortly.

Mr Chalk also said he would make sure that the government had exhausted all alternatives before taking radical action, referring to the introduction of new legislation. But No 10 later said the judiciary, during a meeting with Mr Chalk, had not raised any significant challenges over the plan to quash convictions.

Tory peer James Arbuthnot, who sits on the Horizon compensation advisory board, said he expects the government to come up with an exceptional law to deal with the matter. The campaigning peer said: We need to deal with a mass miscarriage of justice in a mass way, a way that doesnt force people to go cap in hand individually to the court.

Mr Sunaks ministers are also looking at changing the rules around private prosecutions brought by the Post Office and other companies, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said earlier.

MPs have also called for Fujitsu  the firm behind the faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as if money was missing from sub-post offices  to be told to pay compensation to wronged Post Office staff.

In 1999, Horizon, a defective IT system manufactured by Fujitsu, 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 as a result of the stress.

The scale of the governments involvement with Fujitsu is significant. Since 2012, the public sector as a whole has awarded the company almost 200 contracts worth a combined total of 6.8bn, according to analysts Tussell.

Around 43 of those contracts are still in operation  worth a total of 3.6bn  including the contract for the Post Office Horizon system.

No 10 said on Tuesday that Fujitsu would be held accountable, legally or financially, if the public inquiry finds that the company blundered in the Horizon scandal.

But the PMs spokesperson did not say the government would stop awarding contracts to the company if it was found to be at fault  saying only that the conduct of companies in general would be considered as part of the procurement process.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says the Post Office fed him a conspiracy of lies (PA)

MPs on the business select committee have asked Fujitsu bosses to answer questions in parliament on Tuesday next week  with Labour chair Liam Byrne saying it is vital that Fujitsu confess how they got it so wrong. The company has not responded.

It comes as lawyers acting for the former subpostmasters said that more than 100 new potential victims of the miscarriage of justice had been in touch since the airing of ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Only 93 of between 700 and 900 convictions have so far been overturned.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey  who has been accused this week of fobbing off victims of the scandal while he was postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012  lashed out at the people in the Post Office who were perpetrating this conspiracy of lies.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the Conservatives still need to explain why Ms Vennells was awarded a CBE and was able to keep her job as a director in the Cabinet Office after her involvement in the scandal was exposed.

It also emerged that around 1,000 people who have been affected by the Horizon scandal are facing a looming tax deadline. But HMRC said it wants to reassure any postmasters who are struggling to meet the 31 January deadline as a result of late top-up payments that any penalties or associated interest will be cancelled.
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Justice secretary Alex Chalk is holding crunch talks with judges on Tuesday to expedite clearing the names of hundreds of subpostmasters wrongfully convicted in the Horizon IT scandal.

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said the discussions are under way as Rishi Sunaks government considers ways to overturn many more convictions  including possible legislation.

Ministers intend to move very quickly to resolve the issue, he said, after the miscarriage of justice was brought into the spotlight by an ITV drama.

Mr Stride told Times Radio Mr Chalk was in talkks with senior legal figures and judges to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible.

It could see hundreds of former branch managers exonerated in one go  something both Tory MPs and Labour are pushing the government to do.

Rishi Sunak has said were on it, vowing to right the wrongs of the Horizon IT scandal (PA/EPA)

On Sky News, Mr Stride said talks were taking place on Tuesday morning: So this is something that is happening hour by hour. Its not something thats going to happen next week. It is happening right now and we intend to move very quickly.

A solution could be announced by the end of the week, the cabinet minister said. More than 700 branch managers were given criminal convictions after faulty Horizon accounting software, developed by Fujitsu, made it appear as though money was missing.

Mr Stride was challenged over the slow pace of them being cleared and whether the government was asleep at the wheel.

I wouldnt accept that, he said, pointing to the public inquiry examining what went wrong being set up some years ago and the payout of 138 million of compensation.

Asked whether Rishi Sunak as chancellor was slow to pay out compensation to subpostmasters, Mr Stride said: No, I dont think that is a fair charge at all.

MPs have called for Fujitsu, the firm behind the faulty Horizon accounting software that made it look as if money was missing from shops, to pay for compensating wronged Post Office staff.

Mr Stride suggested the company might have to stump up if the inquiry concludes it blundered, saying it wont necessarily just be the taxpayer who is on the hook for this money.

But he stopped short of saying the Japanese tech firm should be barred from being awarded millions of pounds of government contracts while the Post Office inquiry is ongoing. My view is that we need to wait to see what the inquiry decides in terms of culpability.

Ministers are looking at changing the rules around private prosecutions by companies, Mr Stride said, amid calls including from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to strip prosecution powers from the Post Office.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake announced a new, independent panel to review compensation disputes  calling the scandal one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nations history.

A petition calling for the former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells to lose her CBE has received more than 1 million signatures (Teri Pengilley for The Independent)

However, Tory MPs urged to the government to go further and come up with legislation to overturn convictions en mass.

All of the cases depend on one single lie, the former minister David Davis told the BBC. I see no real reason why you cant have a mass case on that basis.

Ex-justice secretary Robert Buckland also called for legislation to deal with all the cases together. I think the government does have space in which it can make some moves here, he said.

However, Dominic Grieve, former Tory attorney general, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that legislation was not a particularly commendable approach  warning that it may not get rid of convictions.

Prof Graham Zellick KC, former chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, said the body could do this job very quickly rather than have MPs overrule the judicial system.

The senior Tory also said Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has big questions to answer on his role in the Horizon scandal as postal affairs minister between 2010 and 2012.

Sir Ed lashed out at the people in the Post Office who were perpetrating this conspiracy of lies in an interview with The Guardian.

Reports suggest that 50 new potential victims have approached lawyers since ITVs Mr Bates Vs The Post Office was broadcast. The Post Office is wholly owned by the government.
Iranian Crypto Exchange Bit24.cash Reportedly Exposes Sensitive Data of Nearly 230K Users

Iranian crypto exchange Bit24.cash users reportedly suffered a significant data breach exposing sensitive data of nearly 230K citizens. However, the exchange dismissed the allegation as wholly untrue.

The breach was attributed to an alleged misconfigured storage system used by the exchange, according to a team of researchers at Cybernews, who initially brought the allegations to light.

The misconfigured MinIO object storage system was left unprotected, granting access to S3 buckets containing users KYC documents. The data had information including consent letters, passport information, and credit card details, the researchers explained.

With access to such comprehensive personal and financial data, malicious actors could impersonate individuals, gain unauthorized access to accounts, execute fraudulent transactions, and potentially cause substantial financial and personal harm to the affected users.

Cybernews researchers later said that the storage is now secure and inaccessible.

Bit24.cash is among the top 5 largest crypto exchanges in Iran, according to TRMlabs insights. The nation adopted a pro-crypto stance in 2019 to circumvent the sanctions imposed against it.

Bit24.cash  Wholly Untrue



In response to the claims, the exchange vehemently refuted the allegation calling it inaccurate and misleading.

Hossein Amini, a security engineer at bit24.cash, assured that there is no evidence of data breach or unauthorized access to sensitive data and that user security remains Bit24.cashs utmost priorities.

The reference to a misconfigured MinIO instance granting access to S3 buckets containing KYC data is wholly untrue and does not align with our system architecture or security protocols, Amini said. He confidently asserted that their MinIO instance and S3 buckets remain secure.

Several breaches have occurred in the past due to unsecured access to users information. The recent potential breach of Strike, a Bitcoin Lightning-based payment platform, flagged by online sleuth ZachXBT, claimed to have exposed private emails of users.
 Close Related video: Paula Vennells recommends managing all of your finances digitally in resurfaced 2012 clip

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Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is to hand back her CBE following the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters.

The former chief executive, who ran the Post Office while it routinely denied there was a problem with its Horizon IT system, was appointed a CBE in December 2018.

In a statement, Ms Vennells said: I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the Inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence.

I am, however, aware of the calls from subpostmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.

I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

It comes after demands for her to return the honour intensified after an ITV drama returned the widespread miscarriage of justice to the spotlight and a petition to see her lose the honour attracted more than 1 million signatures.
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Rishi Sunak has promised not go any further in strengthening his Rwanda deportation bill, a top Tory MP has claimed.

The prime minister has assured centrist former deputy PM Damian Green that the contested asylum policy will not be toughened up.

It comes amid pressure from right-wing Tory MPs to amend the bill when it returns to parliament to make sure it is sufficiently robust.

Mr Sunaks plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, deemed illegal by the Supreme Court in November, has split the Tory left and right.

Right-wing MPs are demanding a backup bill, designed to salvage the policy, is strengthened to allow the government to override international laws such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Moderate MPs from the One Nation caucus have threatened to vote the bill down if it risks breaching Britains international obligations.

Now Mr Green, chairman of the One Nation caucus of more than 100 Tory MPs, has told the New Statesman: The Prime Ministers looked me in the eye and said that he doesnt want to go any further.

So I am fairly optimistic.

Rishi Sunak has apparently assured centrist former deputy PM Damian Green that he will not toughen up the Rwanda policy (Christopher Furlong/PA) (PA Wire)

But one Tory MP on the right of the party hit back, telling The Independent: Well he looked us in the eyes and said he was open to discussing amendments to strengthen the Bill.

I guess time will tell.

And, in a warning to MPs and ministers agitating for the bill to override international law, he said the centrist caucus would snap.

He said: The Prime Ministers got within an inch of what I would regard as acceptable. Almost all our members voted for second reading with the clear message of thus far and no further and dont take that extra inch, which some colleagues of the right of the party want us to do.

What this Rwanda bill has shown is that actually we are like a piece of elastic that can be stretched and stretched but will, in the end, snap.

Breaking the law is what snaps it.

It has also emerged Mr Sunak delayed signing a new deportation treaty with Rwanda last year over fears of distracting the Supreme Court.

Home Office ministers were privately pushing to have the plan B treaty in place last summer to start the process of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Daily Telegraph reported.

But in Sir James Eadie, the first Treasury counsel who led the Governments legal defence of the policy, rejected the plans on the grounds it would be a thoroughly unwelcome distraction to the Supreme Court proceedings and was not a good idea.

The legal advice was accepted, Number Ten overruled the Home Office, no proper work was done on a Plan B and the Government still lost the Supreme Court case. So they lost six months that they could ill afford, claimed a Tory source told the Daily Telegraph.

It comes ahead of Labour tabling a vote in parliament calling for the release of documents relating to the policy.

The party will ask for any documents that show the cost of relocating each individual asylum seeker to Rwanda as well as a list of all payments made or scheduled to be made to Rwandas government.

It will also ask for the governments internal breakdown of the more than 35,000 asylum decisions made last year and an unredacted copy of the confidential memorandum of understanding ministers reached with the East African country.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the governments refusal to come clean on the cost of the Rwanda scheme is totally unacceptable.

Damian Green (ITV / Peston)

The Conservatives should stop dragging out this chaos and come clean about the real costs and problems, Ms Cooper said.

So far costs are apparently rising to 400 million of taxpayers money with more Home Secretaries than asylum seekers sent to Kigali and it is only likely to cover less than 1% of those arriving in the UK.

It comes after the BBC revealed No10 papers from March 2022, a month before the Rwanda plan was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson, which showed that Mr Sunak had doubts about the idea.

The documents show he was also concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to Africa and wanted to limit the numbers.

Ms Cooper said: We now know Rishi Sunak had huge doubts about the scheme when he was Chancellor and weve heard he tried to cancel it in the leadership campaign.

It is totally unacceptable that the Conservatives have refused to come clean on the full costs of the failing Rwanda scheme.

Mr Sunak on Monday stressed the importance of the Rwanda policy and insisted he never said he was going to axe the policy, but did not deny considering it.

He said: I didnt say I was going to scrap it. I mean thats completely false. Of course I didnt.

Mr Sunak said it was his job as then chancellor to ask some probing questions and scrutinise money spent on taxpayers behalf.

But ultimately he backed the policy because I believe in this scheme, the Tory leader said, stressing the need for a deterrent for illegal immigration.

The bill, which passed a crunch vote in the Commons last month, will likely return to the house for debate this month.
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Rishi Sunaks wife has donated her controversial shareholding in Koru Kids to charity, amid fears her involvement had become an unnecessary distraction for the company.

Akshata Murty gave her stake in the childcare agency to ShareGift, a charity which accepts donations in the form of shares, last month.

The company said Ms Murty made the decision after her investment became an unfair distraction, adding that she wishes for the company to be able to focus on its work and growth. She owned around 1 per cent of the company, it is understood.

It caused a storm for Mr Sunak when he was found to have breached parliaments rules by failing to properly declare Ms Murtys shares in the agency, which was boosted by last Marchs budget.

The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, announced incentive payments of 600 for childminders joining the profession, and 1,200 if they join through an agency, like Koru Kids, which Akshata Murty has shares in.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Quizzed on the rationale for the disparity, Mr Sunak cited a reflection of the fact that they are through intermediaries so there are additional costs.

Koru Kids was one of six childminder agencies listed on the governments website at the time, and welcomed the new incentives as great.

It said a bonus of 1,200  yes double would be paid if you come through an agency like Koru Kids who offer community, training and ongoing support.

Parliaments commissioner for standards Daniel Greenberg opened a probe into the shareholding after criticism from Mr Sunaks political opponents.

He concluded Mr Sunak had inadvertently breached the code of conduct by failing to declare Ms Murtys financial interest in Koru Kids and the PM apologised for the mistake.

Mr Sunaks wifes wealth has often been a source of controversy for the PM since The Independent revealed last April she was avoiding tax through non-dom status.

She is the daughter of Indian IT billionaire NR Narayana Murty, who founded the tech giant Infosys.

Last week Labour claimed questions remain about a company owned by Mr Sunaks wife which is now being wound up.

Pat McFadden, Labours national campaign co-ordinator, wrote to the government amid reports that her investment vehicle Catamaran Ventures UK is being liquidated.

Another of Ms Murtys investments made headlines in May last year, when it was revealed by the Sunday Times that Catamaran held shares in Study Hall, an education start-up which had received almost 350,000 of UK grant money

Mr McFadden asked what the impact of Catamarans winding up would be on Study Hall and any other companies in which Catamaran retains a stake, as well as whether the company would be fulfilling all its liabilities to the British taxpayer by arranging to pay any outstanding taxes.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty disembark their plane as they arrive at Tokyo Airport ahead of the G7 Summit on May 18, 2023 (Getty Images)

On Tuesday, the founder and chief executive of Koru Kids, Rachel Carrell, said: When Akshata Murty made the decision to invest in Koru Kids, she was one of the first, and we are delighted that she believed in Koru Kids enough to invest in our mission to give parents greater access to high-quality, flexible childcare.

The childcare sector in the UK is one of the most expensive in the world - and we at Koru Kids will continue to campaign for greater investment and to improve access to wrap-around care for families, but this message was lost in the media attention surrounding this investment.

As we move into 2024, we need to ensure that school-age children are not left behind in any new plans that materialise from the governments levelling up plans for childcare, without any distractions for our business.
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Labour has increased its huge poll lead over the Conservatives, with the latest YouGov survey putting Sir Keir Starmers party on more than double the support of the Tories.

The opposition has received a five-point poll bounce, increasing its lead over Rishi Sunaks party to a mammoth 24 points.

YouGov puts Labour on 46 per cent  more than double Tory support on 22 per cent. Sir Keir also has a big lead over Mr Sunak on who will make the best PM, with 30 per cent backing to 18 per cent.

It comes as Sir Keir warns Labour MPs that the Tory prime minister could still call a surprise general election in the spring.

The Labour leader told his troops to get ready to campaign within months, despite Mr Sunak saying he wanted to go to the polls later in the year.

Speaking to his MPs at the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday night, Sir Keir also warned of a potentially dirty election campaign  having vowed to fight fight with fire.

Keir Starmer has warned his MPs that Tories will fight dirty campaign (PA Wire)

Sir Keir said: In their desperation, they will attempt anything. We will be prepared for any eventuality, ready to take them on whenever they find the courage to give the public a say.

The Labour leader also said Mr Sunaks party would unleash a gauntlet of fear and doubt  arguing that Tories know that belief that things can be better is their biggest threat.

Sir Keir also made a joke about Mr Sunaks meetings with former No 10 strategist Dominic Cummings at the gathering in parliament.

Weve even learned he is trying to get the old gang back together by getting Dominic Cummings involved, he said. Sadly for Sunak, Cummings eyesight seems to have improved enough that he can spot a car crash when its presented to him and he turned them down.

Mr Sunak raised the prospect of a lengthy and bitter campaign when he said last week that it was his working assumption that he would call the election in the second half of the year.

Rishi Sunak under pressure to release Rwanda plan documents (PA Wire)

Meanwhile, Labour will table a vote in parliament on Tuesday calling for the release of documents relating to the Mr Sunaks Rwanda deportation policy.

The vote  which will be part of a humble address on the opposition day debate in the Commons  will ask for any documents that show the cost of relocating each individual asylum seeker to Rwanda, as well as a list of all payments made or scheduled to be made to the countrys government.

It will also ask for the governments internal breakdown of the more than 35,000 asylum decisions made last year and an unredacted copy of the confidential memorandum of understanding ministers reached with the East African country.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the governments refusal to come clean on the cost of the Rwanda scheme is totally unacceptable.

It comes after the BBC said it has seen No 10 papers from March 2022, a month before the Rwanda plan was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson, which showed that Mr Sunak had doubts over the impact of deporting migrants to Kigali.
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Two cell phones were recovered from the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet that had an inflight explosive episode as it flew across Oregon over the weekend.

The incident occurred on Friday just as the plane was making its way to Ontario, California.

During a news conference on Sunday, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy confirmed that the devices were recovered by residents in the area where the door plug fell from the structure.

Some community members found a cell phone in a yard and a cell phone on the side of the road and contacted us and handed them in, she said.

One of the devides, which appears to be an iPhone, still appeared to be completely intact and functional after it dropped from 16,000 feet in the sky. The cell phone still had part of a charger attached to it.

One of those residents appeared to have posted his discovery to X, formerly Twitter, writing, found an iPhone on the side of the road Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282.

Ms Homendy praised the work of community members with their assistance in the investigation.

I want to thank the community, she said. Every single time the NTSB asks the community to come together, provide photos, provide videos, look for something, report back in, it happens.

She said cell phones can be used as key evidence in investigations to help determine how tragedies occur, adding that the agency plans to sift through the devices before returning them to their owners.

Meanwhile, all types of Boeing 737 Max 9s have been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration until the agency is satisfied that they are safe.

At the end of the news conference, Ms Homendy returned to the podium to confirm that officials have located the door plug that fell from the plane. She explained that a man she referred to only as Bob discovered it in his backyard and alerted officials. The man is a schoolteacher in Portland, Ms Homendy said.

Were going to go pick that up and make sure that we begin analyzing it, she said.
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Part of a Boeing 737 Max 9 was ripped off an Alaska Airlines plane as it made its way over Oregon toward California on Friday forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Portland, where the flight originated.

Its still not clear why the incident occurred but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it would be launching an investigation into the cause of the alarming episode.

Approximately 171 customers and six crew members were on board flight 1282 and several people sustained injuries from the blowout. All have now been medically cleared, the airline said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided to ground all models of the aircraft until they undergo inspections, which will include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components and fasteners.

Operators must also complete corrective action requirements based on findings from the inspections prior to bringing any aircraft back into service. The inspections are expected to take approximately four to eight hours per plane. The decision is expected to impact 171 aircrafts worldwide.

How it happened

A door plug, a specific panel of the fuselage near the rear of the aircraft, blew out of the side of the plane seven minutes after the flight departed from Portland on Friday around 5pm and was only three miles or 16,000 feet up in the sky.

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (National Transportation Safety Board)

Two seats next to the panel were torn off but had no passengers in them. Most of whats known about what happened next has come from passengers and officials who have spoken out about the event.

One passenger, who described her experience on TikTok, said she felt the plane drop and worried that she wouldnt survive. Videos posted to social media showed a large rectangular hole in the side of the panel as wide as a refrigerator.

As the flight crew tried to make sense of what had occurred they could be seen in the footage reassuring passengers. Its not clear what caused the incident, but officials are investigating.

Three infants and four minors were on board the plane. The infants were being held in their caregivers laps, officials said, and were reported safe, though one child had their shirt ripped off.

History of the aircraft

Speaking at a news conference on Sunday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the planes auto pressurization fail light illuminated during three previous flights, causing the airline to suspend operating the aircraft overseas to Hawaii.

Ms Homendy said the airline made the decision so that if the light turned on again, the plane could safely make its way to an airport. One of those flights happened in December 2023 and the other two took place this month.

An additional maintenance check of the plane was ordered but had not been completed by the time of Fridays flight.

Still, Ms Homendy said its not clear that theres a correlation between the lights that illuminated and the expulsion of the door plug. The agency plans to review documentation of all defects since Alaska Airline began operating the aircraft in October.

The same type of aircraft model has been the subject of previous controversy.

In October 2018, a faulty sensor activated an anti-stall system that caused a flight to crash after it departed from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers and crew. That same year, an Ethiopian Airlines flight was lost with 157 people on board.

This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport (Elizabeth Le)

Problems that emerged during incident

At the press conference, Ms Homendy said that communication became a critical issue after the blowout occurred. Flight attendants were not able to get information from the flight deck, she said, adding that the flight deck was also struggling to communicate.

She described the moments after the incident as chaos and very loud between the air and everything happening in the aeroplanes cabin. Another issue that occurred was the loss of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which wouldve had recordings of the pilots on board responding to the emergency.

Ms Homendy said that data was lost because a circuit breaker was not pulled and the system automatically resets after two hours. She said the agency has conducted at least 10 investigations that involved overwritten CVRs.

The official said the agency has called on the FAA to increase the time the recordings need to be saved from two hours to 25 hours.

Cockpit voice recorders arent just convenient for the NTSB to use in investigations or the FAA to use in investigations, Ms Homendy said. They are critical to helping us accurately pinpoint what was going on.

And its key to safety.

How is Alaska Airlines responding

As of 4pm ET on Friday, the airline decided to cancel all of its remaining flights for the day, totalling around 160 flights that impacted 23,000 people. In a written statement, the company said it expected the disruption to last until mid-week.

On Sunday, the airline cancelled 170 flights and issued 140 cancellations for Monday.

We recognise that additional questions remain about the details surrounding Flight 1282 that we are unable to address at this time, the statement read.

Because this is an active investigation, we must receive permission from the NTSB to provide information about the aircraft and its prior maintenance. We will provide information as soon as the NTSB permits us to do so.

Addressing the situation, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said, I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent way.

We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available, he said.

My heart goes out to those who were on this flight  I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants. We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and are working to support guests who are travelling in the days ahead.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-990ER flight 337 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida lands at Portland International Airport in Portland on 6 January (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

How this will impact future travel

Soon after the incident occurred hundreds of flights were cancelled in order for the aeroplanes to undergo inspection. On Monday, United Airlines announced it had found loose bolts on multiple of its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. The company operates 79 of the aircraft.

The inspections are expected to be completed this week.

Experts say that long-term changes stemming from the Alaska Airlines incident are potential reforms at Boeing, the company that supplies the aircraft model.

(Boeing) has to stop giving lip service to the idea that they put safety over profits because right now it looks like they put speed to the marketplace over safety, aviation trial attorney Robert Clifford told CNN, adding that the company will likely be responsible for paying airlines for lost revenue.

They put the need to have a competitive advantage against Airbus over safety, he said. Both Airbus and Boeing own more than 90 per cent of the commercial plane market share. Mr Clifford stated that the repercussions from the incident were minor because it happened 16,000 feet in the air.

If something like this happened at 30,000 feet, everyone would perish, he told the outlet.
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Workers were preparing to replace the roof at an apartment complex in Florida when they made a horrific discovery.

A babys body was found inside a box in a trash bin outside the complex on Monday morning, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Police responded to the 1700 block of Rodman Street in Hollywood, just south of Fort Lauderdale, around 8am.

They began lifesaving measures, but the baby was unresponsive, Hollywood police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said in a statement.

Ms Bettineschi said an investigation is underway, but offered no additional details about the baby.

John Mitala, who owns Infinity Roofing, told the newspaper that one of the workers spotted the box, which didnt belong to the company, and opened it. They immediately called the police.

The guys were shook, Mr Mitala said. No one expects something like that. Its really affected the entire company.

Police began lifesaving measures, but the baby was unresponsive (AP)

Roger Cote, an area resident, told CBS that the news was upsetting to him. He also recalled that the dumpster being there for several weeks.

They change it once in a while. Ive been here for 12 years and its the first time Ive heard of something like this, he said. Its unbelievable. Its like if people dont want a baby they could have gave it up to the firemen or leave it at a hospital.

It definitely hurts. (Some) people try to make babies but they cant make babies, they cant conceive. They could have placed it up for adoption, he added.

Florida state law, supported and promoted by the Miami-based A Safe Haven, allows parents to surrender newborns to firefighters and hospital workers without giving their names, CBS reported.

Its just gut-wrenching and Ive been here for 40 years, Eugene Yakymiw, another area resident, said. I never, never ever, weve never had things like this. Im just like, I dont know, its shocking, its disgusting.
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An Illinois woman has admitted to helping her mother kill Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, a 19-year-old whose baby was cut from her womb in 2019.

Desiree Figueroa, 29, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of first-degree murder, according to Cook County court records.

The 29-year-old has also agreed to testify against her mother, Clarisa Figueroa, who is also facing murder charges, in exchange for a 30-year sentence, CBS 2 reported.

The Figueroas had already been indicted on multiple counts, including murder, kidnapping, dismembering a body, and concealing a homicide in the deaths of Ochoa-Lopez and her baby, Yovanny.

Clarisa Figueroas boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, also pleaded guilty last year to one count of obstruction of justice for helping cover up the murders.

He was sentenced to four years in prison, but was released after being given credit for already spending three years and eight months in jail.

From L-R: Clarisa Figueroas boyfriend, Piotr Bobak, Clarisa Figueroa, and Desiree Figueroa, 29

Police and prosecutors have accused Clarisa Figueroa of plotting for months to acquire a newborn after her adult son died of natural causes.

Investigators said she told her family she was pregnant and posted an ultrasound and photos of a room decorated for a baby on her Facebook page.

She later met Ochoa-Lopez on a Facebook page for pregnant women in March 2019 before the two women first met in person around 1 April 2019, when Ochoa-Lopez went to the Figueroas house and left unharmed, prosecutors allege.

The teenager then returned three weeks later to accept Clarisa Figueroas offer of free baby clothes.

When Ochoa-Lopez arrived, police believe Clarisa Figueroa and her then-24-year-old daughter Desiree strangled the young woman to death with a cord and cut the baby from her womb with a butcher knife, according to prosecutors, before the Figueroas wrapped the teens body in a blanket, put it in a plastic bag and dragged it outside to a garbage can.

Hours after, first responders received a call from Clarisa Figueroa, who claimed her newborn child was not breathing. When first responders arrived, the child was blue.

The baby was then taken to hospital where he died two months later.

A memorial for Marlen Ochoa-Lopez

Police did not connect the disappearance of Ochoa-Lopez and Clarisa Figueroas ill child until 7 May, when friends of Ochoa-Lopez provided police access to her Facebook account.

At that point, authorities saw that Ochoa-Lopez and Clarisa Figueroa had corresponded the day of the disappearance, and DNA tested the young child.

The DNA test determined that the child was of Ochoa-Lopez and her husband, Yovani Lopez.

A warrant allowed the police to search the Figueroa home, where they found cleaning supplies and evidence of blood in the bathroom and hallway, according to the Associated Press.
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DNA testing has identified a decapitated woman who was found in a California vineyard 13 years ago, according to Kern County officials.

The body has been identified as Ada Beth Kaplan, 64, of Canyon Country, California, NBC News reported.

Police found her remains on 29 March 2011, at the Grapevine Vineyard in Arvin, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office.

The body was missing a head and thumbs when it was discovered. Police also determined the remains had been posed, according to KGET, a broadcaster in nearby Bakersfield.

Previous attempts to identify the body were unsuccessful, and the woman was eventually interred as a Jane Doe at Union Cemetery.

The nonprofit group DNA Doe Project, a group that uses DNA testing to identify previously unidentified remains, took interest in the case and began testing in an effort to determine the woman's name. The project began building a family tree for the woman based on a DNA profile, which they hoped would lead them to potential relatives.

The group located a pair of family members living on the East Coast they believed may have been related to the woman. They provided DNA for testing, which ultimately led the group and the sheriffs to positively identify the body as Ms Kaplan.

Kern County detectives found that a missing person's report was never filed for Ms Kaplan, which made identifying her more difficult.

Kern County Sheriff detectives followed up on the investigation and interviewed family members and it was learned that a missing person report was not filed on her, they said.

The sheriff's spokesman at the time, Ray Pruitt, told KGET at the time of the discovery that he was shocked by the scene.

Ive never seen anything like that in my life, Mr Pruitt said. Ive seen some pretty gruesome crime scenes and this was just  it was creepy.

He explained that the remains appeared to have been posed for discovery.

It appeared that the blood had been drained from the body, he said. Why did they take the time to drain the blood from the body? The crime scene itself was very clean. Honestly it looked like somebody had taken a mannequin, removed the head of the mannequin and posed it on the dirt road.

The coroner's office has yet to formally determine a cause of death for Ms Kaplan. No suspects have been arrested in her death.
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A doctor who allegedly fatally poisoned his wife has had his charges upgraded to first-degree murder.

Dr Connor Bowman, 30, was arrested back in October after authorities investigated the sudden illness and death of his wife, Betty Bowman, 32, who died on 20 August.

Mr Bowman, a former resident at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota whose training ended in early October, had allegedly tried to stop his wife from having an autopsy and demanded she be cremated immediately, claiming her death was natural and that she did not want to be a cadaver, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KAAL.

However, the medical examiners office stopped the cremation due to the suspicious circumstances and found that Ms Bowman had died from the toxic effects of the gout drug colchicine, something she had not been prescribed.

Mr Bowman was allegedly found to have been researching colchicine and how much it would take to kill someone with it.

He was charged on Thursday with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder with intent, the Olmsted County Attorney announced last week.

Bowman has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder with intent (Olmsted County Jail)

The suspect also looked up his wifes weight in kilograms and multiplied it by 0.8 to try and work out a lethal dosage for colchicine, the complaint read.

His search history also included Internet browsing history: can it be used in court? delete Amazon data police and food v. industrial grade sodium nitrate.

Betty, also a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic, initially was hosptialised in Rochester with symptoms similar to food poisoning, but her condition got rapidly worse when she started to experience cardiac issues, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.

While his wife was ill, Mr Bowman suggested that she was suffering from a rare illness called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH, but tests for that came back inconclusive.

During the month Betty died, Mr Bowman was working as a poison specialist and used University of Kansas-owned devices to do his research on colchicine and sodium nitrate.

The couple were allegedly having marital troubles and Mr Bowman was in debt (Macken Funeral Home)

A woman from the university stepped forward to tell investigators about his search history, saying he had not had any calls about colchicine, nor did any other employees.

After his wifes death, her loved ones reported to authorities that her husband may have been after her $500,000 life insurance policy, with one of Bettys friends saying that Mr Bowman may have been in debt, Fox9 reports.

During a search of Mr Bowmans home, police found a receipt for a $450,000 bank deposit, the complaint said, according to NBC News.

Legal documents also said a tipster came forward saying they were having marital issues and were considering divorce.

Mr Bowman will be arraigned on 16 January and faces a possible life sentence without the possibility of parole if convicted of his charges, the county attorney said, per the outlet.
Singapores MAS Adds Crypto Wallet imToken to its Investor Alert List

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has recently added the non-custodial crypto wallet imToken to its Investor Alert List.

The list provides a record of unregulated persons who may have been wrongly perceived as being licensed or regulated by MAS.

The inclusion of imToken on the alert list signals MASs push to enhance investor protection and prevent avenues for illicit crypto activities.

Per the regulators official website, the crypto wallet has been added to the alert list on December 5, 2023.

MASs decision to flag imToken raises regulatory alarm among investors regarding the use of non-custodial wallets.

This is because there has been a constant increase in users adopting non-custodial wallets. A Statista data revealed that there were 81 million users as of 2022, using a non-custodial wallet.

These wallets offers users greater control over their private keys and crypto assets. However, opens avenues for increased regulatory attention due to the potential risks associated with it.

Singapores regulator has been stringent on monitoring and regulating the crypto ecosystem. MAS in 2021 blacklisted Binance exchange, leading to Binance relocating its operations to Dubai.

MAS has also flagged BKEX digital asset exchange on December 8, which recently ceased its operations, shutting down the platform entirely.

ImToken Responds



In a response to the regulators decision to add imToken to the alert list, the non-custodial wallet responded to its users concerns on X (Twitter).

Response Regarding the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Listing imToken on the IAL imToken is a non-custodial Web3 wallet providing decentralized wallet services to global users, including users in Singapore. As imToken is headquartered in Singapore and has not applied for  imToken  Crypto Wallet (@imTokenOfficial) January 9, 2024

ImToken noted that the reason for listing is because the platform has not applied for a financial business license in Singapore.

We are currently actively communicating with MAS to clarify the distinctions in our business model to get imToken removed from the Investor Alert List.

Further, the crypto platform assured its users that their assets remain unaffected due to imTokens decentralized nature.
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The parents of the 17-year-old who carried out a mass shooting at his Iowa high school have said they had no inkling he intended the horrible violence he was about to inflict.

Dylan Butler, 17, opened fire inside Perry High School in Iowa on 4 January as students returned from their Christmas break.

One sixth-grader, 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, was killed and seven others were injured, including Perry High School principal Dan Marburger  who is believed to have put himself in harms way in an apparent effort to protect students  as well as two other staff members and four students.

Butler, a former student at the school, was found dead on the scene. Police said the teenager died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

While the teenagers motive for the attack is now under investigation, his parents have spoken out, describing his attack as senseless.

As the minutes and hours have passed since the horrors our son Dylan inflicted on the victims, the Perry School and the community, we have been trying to make sense out of the senseless, Jack and Erin Butler said in the statement. We are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable.

Iowa school shooter Dylan Butler (Dylan Butler/Tik Tok)

They added that they are cooperating with investigators as they try to provide answers to the question of why our son committed this senseless crime.

Investigators have said they are reviewing reams of electronic and physical evidence theyve gathered and are interviewing dozens of witnesses to better understand what happened and why.

Authorities are also analysing Butlers posts on TikTok and Reddit in the lead-up to the shooting.

Moments before the shooting, Butler posted a final chilling video on his since-deleted TikTok account. In the video, Butler posed in a bathroom stall at the school with a blue duffle bag at his feet along with the caption: now we wait.

It was accompanied by the song Stray Bullet by the German band KMFDM  also used on the personal website of Eric Harris, one of the shooters involved in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

Investigators also found other photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the Associated Press.

Butler, who authorities said acted alone, was described as a quiet person who had been bullied for years by his former classmates.

Iowa school shooter Dylan Butlers final TikTok post (Dylan Butler/TikTok)

Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said that Butler had been bullied relentlessly since elementary school.

They added that the bullying had escalated recently, when his younger sister started getting picked on, too. Officials at the school didnt intervene, they said, and that was the last straw for the shooter.

He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment, Yesenia Roeder Hall said.

Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no, she added.

Khamya described Butler as the kindest person ever.

He was there for us when we needed him, and we tried to be there when he needed us, which clearly we werent there for him enough, she added through tears.

Following the shooting, several hundred students and other protesters marched on the state Capitol on Monday in Des Moines about 40 miles away from Perry to push for tighter gun control laws in the state.

As of July 2021, Iowa does not require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for a person buying a handgun without a permit.

In light of the shooting, the White House urged Congress to pass gun control legislation that would enact universal background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms and pass a national red flag law.

Our students and teachers deserve to know that their schools are safe spaces and to focus on learning, not duck and cover drills. More must be done to keep our schools and communities safe, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
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A group of six people, including two young children, have been missing since August  and police say the adults all have one thing in common  they all openly follow a self-proclaimed prophet and rapper with a massive social media following.

After they seemingly vanished without a trace from a rental home in St. Louis, an investigation by the Berkeley Police Department in Missouri was launched, but months later, there are still no answers about their whereabouts

These people are gone, and it blows my mind, Major Steve Runge told The Independent.

Mikayla Thompson, 25, of St. Louis; Naaman Williams, 30, of Washington, D.C.; Gerrielle German, 27, of Lake Horn, Mississippi; Ashton Williams, 2, of Lake Horn; MaKayla Wickerson, 36, of St. Louis; and Malaiyah Wickerson, 3, of St. Louis, were all living in the same St. Louis house briefly before they disappeared.

They were last seen on 13 August 2023 at a Quality Inn Hotel at 55 Dunn Road in Florissant, Missouri.

When police searched the house, they found it left as if the individuals had just gone to the store and were expecting to return.

Food was still in the microwave, laundry was still in the washing machine, and left behind were several valuables including a closet full of shoes worth thousands of dollars.

Police also discovered an altar, items wrapped in copper, and other odd findings that led them to believe the adults were fully living this cult, Major Runge said.

Neighbors saw the group practicing daily meditation or worship in the backyard. Sometimes they were clothed, sometimes they were naked (Berkeley Police Department)

The investigation revealed the group had become a part of a spiritual cult and they follow the teachings of Rashad Jamal, a self-proclaimed prophet who has tens of thousands of followers across multiple social media platforms, according to a Berkeley Police statement.

Jamal, who was convicted of various crimes in Georgia, was sentenced in August to 18 years in prison, the statement noted.

It is extremely troubling to the family members of all of the missing people. The level of disconnect these cult members have demonstrated with friends and family members is unfathomable, according to police.

"We have learned that similar cult members travel at great lengths to live off the grid and stay with fellow cult members and that their economic status does not appear to be a factor.

Mother pleads for help as search continues for cult members in Missouri

Major Runge, who has been investigating the groups whereabouts for nearly five months, said that neighbors noticed some abnormal behaviours before they vanished.

Neighbors reported seeing these people outside daily worshiping the sun, he said. When it was raining, they would come outside naked and run around the yard. They were digging up things in the yard.

Mikayla Thompson, 25, of St. Louis; Gerrielle German, 27, of Lake Horn, Mississippi; and MaKayla Wickerson, 36, of St. Louis, spotted at a store prior to their 13 August disappearance (Berkeley Police Department)

Major Runge said the missing adults went by aliases that pay tribute to certain gods and goddesses  which has been reported as a common theme among many of Jamals followers.

Ms Thompson called herself Antu Anum Ahmat, Mr Williams called himself Anubis Aramean and Ms Wickerson called herself Intuahma Aquama Auntil, according to police.

Major Runge said Jamals followers believe in polygamy, are anti-government, encourage followers to go off the grid and that there is a total disconnection from family and friends.

Whats most concerning, he told The Independent, is that the missing individuals had a vast social media presence before they disappeared. They made their money off readings and selling things.

But as of 13 August, theyve gone silent, he said.

I am God

Rashad Jamal (White) created The University of Cosmic Intelligence  an online religious group with thousands of followers.

According to its website, The University of Cosmic Intelligence is geared toward enlightening and illuminating the minds of the carbonated beings, a.k.a. your so called Black and Latino people of Earth.

I am a god, and all of my people, the Black and Latino people, are gods. And we were made in the image of our creator, Jamal said in a video posted in May 2022.

Therefore, I am an extension of Her/Them, and I am the creator and destroyer of my reality, so I take full responsibility for all events that I have experienced through this lifetime, for this is what we call shadow work in the spiritual realm.

Jamel has a massive following on social media with nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok, more than 10,000 followers on X and 90,000 followers on Instagram.

Naaman Williams, 30, of Washington, DC, has been missing since August (Berkeley Police Department)

In his videos, he makes wild claims that birds are actually drones operated by the US government to spy on its citizens, that the Mississippi River is really the Nile River and that Arizona is a gateway to Africa.

In August, Jamal was found guilty of child molestation and sentenced to 18 years in prison, according to court documents. Later that same month, he filed a motion for a new trial, citing the States failure to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The only law I had broken was speaking out against oppression, Jamal said in a YouTube video posted last week. The only thing I am guilty of is freeing the minds of my people and speaking out against this system, and Ill never back down from that.

Mother of missing woman living her worst nightmare

Makayla Wickerson, 25, and her three-year-old daughter were two of the six people living in the rental home near St. Louis Lambert International Airport for months before the group vanished, police said.

Her mother, Cartisha Morgan, said she is living her worst nightmare.

She said she began to worry when she had not heard from Ms Wickerson or her three-year-old granddaughter since March when the woman cut off all communication with her family, quit her corporate job and maxed out her credit cards.

Ms Morgan said her daughter had been manipulated by an online cult led by Jamal.

Mental illness is real. Manipulation is real, she said. There are a lot of things going on out here, and we just need to be aware of it.

If you see something thats off, please take measures to get them help as quickly as possible. I would have never imagined that Id never have known where my daughter and granddaughter are right now, Ms Morgan added.

Cult followers accused of murder

In 2022, several of Jamals followers were accused of committing two separate murders in Alabama.

Damian Winslow Washam allegedly used a sword to kill his own mother and injure his disabled uncle and brother, according to The Daily Mail. He was later cleared of the charges due to reason of insanity.

Krystal Diane Pinkins and Yasmine Hider were sentenced last month for killing 22-year-old Florida college student Adam Sinjee in August 2022.

Krystal Pinkins, left, and Yasmine Hider, right, were sentenced last month for killing Adam Sinjee (Clay County Sheriffs Office)

Pinkins and Hider - who were living off the grid - flagged down Simjee and his girlfriend, Mikayla Paulus, in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama, and told them they needed help with their car, sheriffs officials said.

Hider pulled a gun on them after they stopped to help and ordered them to drop their belongings and walk into the woods.

Simjee also then pulled his gun and an exchange of gunfire ensued, with both Simjee and Hider being hit.

Hider has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, while Pinkins has been sentenced to life.
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An American fugitive who allegedly faked his death and posed as an Irish man to try to swerve a rape allegation has been extradited to Utah.

Nicholas Rossi, 36, was removed from the United Kingdom on Friday after leaving on a private flight from Edinburgh Airport after losing his final appeal against extradition in December, BBC Scotland reported.

When asked about Nicholas Rossi, a spokesperson for Police Scotland would only confirm to outlets that we assisted partner agencies with the extradition of a 36-year-old man.

Mr Rossi is wanted in Utah in connection to the rape of a woman that allegedly happened in 2008, the Utah County Attorneys Office previously said.

The discovery came after the Utah Department of Public Safety reviewed old sexual assault testing kits and found that the 2008 Utah case matched the same identity as a sexual assault case in Ohio, where the suspect was Nicholas Rossi, the attorneys office said in a press release last year.

Were looking forward to having him back and moving this case forward, Tim Taylor, the Utah County Attorneys Office chief of staff, told NBC News.

He also is facing complaints against him for alleged domestic violence in Rhode Island.

Mr Rossi lost his final appeal in December (Getty Images)

Mr Rossi turned up at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, suffering from Covid in December 2021 when he was arrested after being recognised.

He claimed to authorities for months that he was a man called Arthur Knight, an orphan from Ireland who had never set foot in America, yet a Scottish judge ultimately ruled he was, in fact, Nicholas Rossi.

The suspect asserted he was a victim of mistaken identity, saying that authorities had taken his fingerprints while he was in a coma to connect him to Nicholas Rossi, the Associated Press reported

The fugitive also claimed that the tattoos he had, which matched those of Rossi, were also given to him while unconscious in hospital.

Prosecutors believed that Mr Rossi had used at least 10 aliases to evade being arrested and even brought up medical records from doctors who cared for him, claiming that he faked seizures and did not have any existing lung problems.

Mr Rossi would turn up to court with an oxygen mask and speak in a British accent.

An obituary posted on EverLoved.com claimed that on 29 February 2020, Nicholas Alahverdian, a name that was used by Mr Rossi, had passed away months after he said he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Before his apparent death, he told media in Rhode Island of his diagnosis and claimed he had weeks to live.

News outlets at the time picked this up and reported on his death, but his former lawyer and former foster family started to question if the news of his death was accurate.

Mr Rossi is also being investigated after he was arrested in October under suspicion of another allegation of rape in Chelmsford, Essex, in 2017.

People convicted of rape in Utah are typically sentenced to five years to life, according to the Utah criminal code.
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A man who made false sexual assault claims against Hollywood executives has been jailed for four years.

Los Angeles resident Rovier Carrington, 34, was sentenced on Monday following his guilty plea to making a false declaration before a court during a lawsuit in 2018, the Southern District of New York Attorneys Office announced on Monday.

Carrington filed a civil lawsuit in which he accused Hollywood executives of sexually assaulting and defrauding him. The suit sought $100m in damages.

In announcing the sentence, US Attorney Damian Williams called Carringtons scheme to collect millions through the lies a brazen attempt to manipulate the court system.

In the lawsuit, Carrington submitted several fake email chains to the court that alleged to show he was sexually assaulted and defrauded.

He claimed that he was the great-grandson of one of The Three Stooges actors and was also a writer and actor, but the alleged assaults had prevented the production of his reality television show.

To help cover up his lies, Carrington deleted two of the email accounts, returned a phone he had used to send the emails and did not show up to court to be questioned about the emails, the attorneys office said.

After this, the court decided to dismiss the civil case and imposed sanctions on Carrington, stating: These emails were fabricated, and that was bad enough, but the deactivation of the accounts, the efforts undertaken to really foreclose what is necessary discovery in this case, and the stream of lies to me, necessitate the sanctions that I am imposing.

Carrington did not stop there. After his case was dismissed, he attempted to bring it to another court, violated an injunction issued by the court and accused the court of taking bribes.

He was arrested in California in 2021 on a perjury charge for fabricating the emails.

Carrington eventually pleaded guilty but still went on to file another lawsuit seeking $1bn making similar allegations.

On top of his four-year sentence, he was also given three years of supervised release.

His sentence was more than twice what prosecutors had requested, according to the Associated Press.

The prosecutors wrote in a pre-sentence submission that Carringtons fraudulent behaviour could encourage the false perception that many such claims are fraudulent, chilling others from bringing meritorious sexual assault claims.

Carringtons defence team said that their client was remorseful for the mistakes he made and looks forward to moving past this case and to the next stage of his life.
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Newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents have described bombshell allegations about sex tapes involving Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson.

In emails sent by Epstein victim Sarah Ransome  sections of which were included as exhibits in one of the filings unsealed on Monday  she said that an unnamed friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson and that these encounters had been filmed by Epstein and that she herself had later seen the sex tapes.

The unsealed extracts were included along with a letter sent by attorneys representing Alan Dershowitz in 2017, seeking to undermine Ms Ransomes credibility.

In a New Yorker article released two years later in 2019, Ms Ransome admitted that she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behaviour, and to make him believe that she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me.

Ms Ransome, who delivered a victim impact statement at Ghislaine Maxwells sentencing for sex-trafficking charges, said in one of the newly released emails that the friend had sent her the explicit footage.

She said that the footage does clearly identify the faces of the men.

Thank God she managed to get ahold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her, she said.

Frustratingly enough, Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that!

Ms Ransome also detailed an alleged sexual relationship between the unnamed friend and the former president Mr Clinton.

Jeffrey Epstein and the former US president Bill Clinton (Netflix)

She alleged that her friend had to have sexual intercourse with Clinton in Epsteins New York Mansion just off Fifth Avenue on numerous occasions.

In the messages, Ms Ransome said that her friend later came forward to report what happened with Epstein, Clinton, Branson and Prince Andrew to the police in 2008 but said that nothing was done and she was made to feel like a dirty whore and a liar.

A couple of months later, her friend was allegedly approached by Special Agents Forces Men sent directly by Hilary [sic] Clinton herself, in order to protect her presidential campaign in 2008, Ms Ransome claimed.

They heavily intimidated her, ruffled her up (luckily she took photos as evidence) and was then forced to sign a confidentiality agreement which ensures that she can never come forward publicly implicating her husband, she claimed.

Ms Ransome went on to allege that the friend was given a substantial payout directly from the Clinton Foundation to keep her quiet.

She alleged that if her friend was to break the agreement to stay quiet, she is dead.

The woman also allegedly tried to sue Epstein for damages but was severely bullied and threatened by his attorney, Mr Dershowitz  a man who she claimed she also had sexual relations with and who was also heavily involved in Epsteins paedophile ring.

She alleged it was a complete conspiracy as Mr Dershowitz had also helped fund Ms Clintons 2008 presidential campaign.

Ms Ransome went on to claim that she had backed up the footage and had sent it to various different locations throughout Europe with only one other person close to me, knowing where their locations are, just in case anything happens to me before the footage is released.

The Independent has reached out to representatives for the Clintons, Mr Branson and Prince Andrew for comment.

Epstein victims Elizabeth Stein, left, and Sarah Ransome in 2022 (AP)

On behalf of Mr Branson, a Virgin Group spokesperson pointed to the New Yorker report, saying: In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ransome admitted that she had invented the tapes. We can confirm that Sarah Ransomes claims are baseless and unfounded.

Prince Andrew has previously denied all wrongdoing related to Epstein.

He stepped down from public life and was cast out as a working royal amid the backlash over his friendship with the convicted sex offender. The duke also paid millions of dollars to settle a civil sexual assault lawsuit brought by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, who claimed he sexually assaulted her as a minor.

Mr Clintons spokesperson told CNN on 3 January  after his name surfaced in the earlier batches of documents  that it has now been nearly 20 years since President Clinton last had contact with Epstein and denied that the former president ever had any knowledge of Epsteins crimes.

Elsewhere in the documents released on Monday, Ms Ransome also made accusations against former president and GOP 2024 candidate Donald Trump.

She alleged that another friend was one of the many girls that had sexual relations with Donald Trump  including alleged encounters that took place at Epsteins New York townhouse.

She confided in me about her casual friendship with Donald. Mr Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her pert nipples, she claimed.

She then described in graphic detail how Mr Trump allegedly caused pain to the victims nipples  and claimed she saw the resulting injury first hand.

I also know she had sexual relations with Trump at Jefferys NY mansion on regular occasions as I once met Jen for coffee, just before she was going to meet Trump and Epstein together at his mansion, she claimed.

Mr Trump is yet to respond to The Independents request for comment.

In another email submitted by Mr Dershowitz in the court filing, Ms Ransome wrote that she will make sure that neither that evil b**** Hillary or that Paedophile Trump gets elected.

I will also make sure that everyone on the God damn planet sees [sic] that footage and photos [sic] and will release them to Wiki leaks [sic] by Sunday. I will take down Epstein and his bunch of f*** wit cronies myself!!!!!!!!!! I have also gone to a Russian newspaper, she allegedly wrote.

In another, Ms Ransome wrote: My emails have been hacked. I have reached out to the Russians for help and they are coming to my aid. Thank goodness for Anonymous!!!! I will make sure that they all go behind bars. I have already sent everything I need to so, the CIA, hacking my emails etc were too late. I also have numerous devices, with systems that are unhackable and I have film footage all over Europe itching to be released.

She wrote in another that Clinton and Trump must pay for what they did to us as must the rest of the men that were involved in their seedy inner circle.

In another email, Ms Ransome appears to speak of her fears about coming forward with her allegations against Epstein  for fear that bad things will happen if she does.

I would like to retract everything I have said to you and walk away from this, she writes.

Its not worth coming forward and I will never be heard anyhow and only bad things will happen as a consequence of me going public and I know this to be true.

This will just create pain for my family and I and they have already helped me pick up the pieces once before and I cant ask them to do that again I guess one person cant make a difference.

Mr Dershowitzs lawyers wrote in the letter accompanying the emails that they are a necessary antidote to Ms Ransomes deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility.

Mr Dershowitz and Ms Ransome have also been reached for comment by The Independent.

Mr Dershowitzs name has cropped up in other court documents unsealed last week in the civil case. He has denied all wrongdoing.

Ms Giuffre previously claimed that she was trafficked by Epstein to Mr Dershowitz for sex. Three years later, in November 2022, Ms Giuffre admitted that she may have made a mistake in identifying Mr Dershowitz as one of her abusers.

None of the individuals Ms Ransome made the allegations against have been charged with any crime in connection to Epstein.

Ms Ransome has spoken out publicly on many occasions about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell.

She claimed that she once tried to flee Epsteins Caribbean island of Little Saint James  known as paedophile island  by swimming off into shark-infested waters after she was raped three times in a single day.

In a deposition  an extract of which was released on Monday  Ms Ransome described Epsteins sex trafficking ring as a constant influx of girls  while Maxwell was his main right-hand woman.

There was a constant influx of girls. There were so many girls. There were girls in Miami, she claimed.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein (via Reuters)

There were guests coming. There were  Its like, Im sure if you go into a hookers brothel and see how they run their business, I mean, its just general conversation about whos going to have sex with who and, you know  what do you talk about when all do you is have sex every day on rotation? I mean, what is there to talk about?

The latest dramatic allegations have come to light as documents from a 2017 lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre against Maxwell continue to be unsealed by a New York court.

Ms Giuffre filed the defamation lawsuit against Maxwell in 2015, after she accused her of lying about the years-long abuse she had suffered at the hands of Epstein and some in his inner circle.

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.

The Miami Herald sued for the release of the sealed documents while Maxwells legal team sought to block it.

Around 2,000 pages of documents were first unsealed in 2019, with further documents released over the following years.

But, this current trove of documents remained sealed  and the names of hundreds of people associated with the dead paedophile were kept secret, known only as Jane and John Doe.

Then, in a landmark ruling last month, US District Judge Loretta Preska ruled that the trove of documents could be released and the names unsealed in full after 1 January.

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.

Many have previously been connected to Epstein in media reports, lawsuits and Maxwells trial testimony, and some of the documents have already been released in part or in full as part of other court cases.

Several more court documents  and names  are expected to be released over the coming days.

An individual being named in the documents does not necessarily mean they are accused of any wrongdoing.

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.
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Fresh accusations against Jean-Luc Brunel, the late Parisian model agent alleged to have arranged depraved gifts for Jeffrey Epstein, have resurfaced in newly unsealed documents relating to the disgraced financier.

Brunel, who was said to have trafficked dozens of women and girls to Epstein, died by suicide at the La Sante prison in the French capital last year. He was found dead in a prison cell while awaiting trial on charges of raping a minor.

The 76-year-old  once nicknamed the king of the catwalk  was there after being arrested in December 2020 following claims by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre that he used her as a sex slave while she was still a minor. The suicide came days after Ms Giuffre agreed a multi-million out-of-court settlement over her allegations of sexual abuse by Prince Andrew  claims he has always strongly denied.

It brought an end to the life of a man some have suggested was even more debased than his American billionaire friend. Brunel is said to have systematically raped girls and women over three decades.

His vast riches made him so apparently untouchable that frustrated French detectives trying to nail him had labelled him the ghost.

Brunel with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on the billionaires private jet (US District Attorneys Office )

Who was Jean-Luc Brunel?

Paris-born Brunel was a model talent scout who rose to be boss of the Karin Models agency in the 1970s. He is credited with helping turn the business into a fashion powerhouse, while discovering several supermodels including Christy Turlington and Milla Jovovich.

So renowned did his reputation become for making stars that young women, the model Desiree Gruber reportedly said in 1988, starved themselves [to] parade for Jean-Luc Brunel.

Jerry Hall, Sharon Stone and Monica Bellucci were among the famous faces who had worked with him.

He met Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1980s. Maxwell, in turn, introduced him to her then-partner, Epstein.

The pair, court documents suggest, bonded over a shared love of the high life and an interest in underage girls.

They appear to have come to an agreement that, while Brunel travelled the fashion globe, he would scour each city for girls he could groom for Epstein.

Not even the fact that Brunel was kicked out of the agency in 1999  following a BBC report into abuse in the industry  could deter the pair. They simply set up a new business, MC2 Model Management, and continued in the same vein.

Soon after Epsteins death in July 2019, however, a French judicial inquiry into Brunels conduct was opened. Evidence gathered led to a warrant for his arrest  which was executed as he attempted to flee to Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

The late Parisian model agent Jean-Luc Brunel (BFM TV)

Previous allegations against Brunel

Dozens of models had accused Brunel of rape and sexual harassment by the time of his death. In one claim made in US court documents, it is said that MC2 was little more than a front for trafficking teenagers and young women.

Jerome Bonnouvrier, the celebrated French modelling impresario who died in 2009, is said to have told one journalist: Jean-Luc is a danger.

Yet almost all of the accusations came later  meaning they fell outside the 20-year limit for prosecuting sex crimes in France. Brunel  who was twice married and twice divorced  always denied any wrongdoing but, even if he had not, he could not have been prosecuted.

That was until Ms Giuffre came forward in 2019. Responding to a new English-language plea for any victims of Brunel to come forward, she told authorities

It was the first time investigators had allegations they could actually prosecute and what ultimately led to Brunels arrest at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Ghislaine Maxwell with Jean Luc Brunel in 2006 (PA)

In a lawsuit filed by the Miami US Attorneys Office in 2015, claims by Ms Giuffre emerged that accused Brunel of gifting 12-year-old French triplets to Epstein for his birthday. The lawsuit had sought to revoke Epsteins sweetheart deal with Florida prosecutors, which landed him in jail for just 13 months after he pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor during the initial investigation into his sex trafficking ring.

Ms Giuffre claimed that Epstein had bragged after sexually assaulting the minors.

He went on to tell me how Brunel bought them in Paris from their parents, offering them the usual sums of money, visas, and modeling career prospects, the documents, obtained by MailOnline, read. Laughing the whole way through, Jeffrey thought it was absolutely brilliant how easily money seduced all walks of life, nothing or no one that couldnt be bought.

More allegations emerge in newly unsealed filings

The recently unsealed documents relating to Epstein stem from a 2015 defamation suit brought by Ms Giuffre against Maxwell. The suit was settled in 2017 but troves of filings remained under seal, until now. In an unveiled motion filed by the attorneys for two victims, Epstein is accused of trafficking Jane Doe 3 to Brunel many times.

Brunel has been a model scout for various modelling agencies for many years and apparently was able to get passports for young girls to work as models, the motion read. He would bring young girls (ranging to ages as young as 12) to the United States for sexual purposes and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein.

The complaint alleged that Brunel targeted girls from impoverished backgrounds and lured them with modelling contracts. Jane Doe 3 also claimed she saw Brunel engage in illegal sexual acts with dozens of underage girls.

Epstein also forced Jane Doe #3 to have sex with Brunel on numerous occasions, at places including Epsteins mansion in West Palm Beach, Little St. James Island in the US Virgin Islands ... New York City, New Mexico, Paris, the south of France, and California, the filing added.

Brunel is found dead in his cell

Brunel was found dead by officers at La Sante prison, in Paris, at 1am on 19 February 2022. He was awaiting trial for charges of rape and trafficking of minors.

A night patrol found his lifeless body, said an investigating source. A judicial inquiry has been launched, and early evidence points to suicide.

His legal team have already supported this contention but insisted his action was not prompted by remorse or the fear of repercussions for what he is accused of doing.

His decision was not driven by guilt, but by a deep sense of injustice, they told Le Monde newspaper.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after blocking off traffic to three major New York City bridges and a tunnel.

The demonstration sealed off entrances to the Holland Tunnel and the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, with protesters wielding banners that read ceasefire now and end the occupation.

More than 300 people were arrested, according to a spokesperson for the New York Police Department, who said the locations were blocked for about an hour and a half on Monday.

Several groups took part in the demonstration, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Democratic Socialists of America.

One protester, Rachel Himes, told The New York Times the point of blocking off these major thoroughfares was to remind people of the struggles of people in Gaza.

Protestors block Brooklyn Bridge during a pro-Palestinian demonstration demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestinian conflict on Monday, 8 January 2024, in New York (AP)

In Gaza, of course, people have limited mobility, no freedom of movement, they cannot leave, even if they want to, they move place to place, then those places are bombed, Ms Himes said. We wanted to create that condition temporarily in Manhattan.

Another individual who took part in the demonstration, Mon Mohapatra, echoed this sentiment. We are trying to show how it feels to be trapped in a city you cant leave, Ms Mohapatra told the Times.

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, which killed about 1,200 people, Israel has waged a brutal military offensive, killing about 23,000 Palestinians. Nearly 85 per cent of Gazas 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes, and a quarter of the population is starving , according to the United Nations .

At a press conference Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged the pain of innocent lives being lost right now, but criticized the protesters approach.

The right to protest does not give one the right to block bridges and tunnels, as we saw this morning, Adams said. The goal is to peacefully protest without doing major disruption to the city.
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Senator Bob Menendez has accused the federal government of a smear campaign to persecute him in the public eye over the corruption charges he is facing in court.

Mr Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, is accused of participating in bribery schemes and using his political influence to aid the Egyptian and Qatari governments.

The senator was initially indicted alongside his wife in September for allegedly participating in a scheme connected to the Egyptian government, but has since faced two superseding indictments in October and earlier this month relating to a scheme involving Qatar. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Mr Menendez questioned his two most recent charges, arguing that all of the information in the superseding indictments was available to the Justice Department since the beginning of the process.

Why did the government not proceed with all of these accusations from the beginning? he asked. The answer is clear to me. By filing three indictments  it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press. It poisons the jury pool and it seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion.

The United States attorneys office is engaged not in a prosecution but a persecution, Mr Menendez added. They seek a victory, not justice.

Senator Bob Menendez has accused the federal government of a smear campaign to persecute him (AP)

Mr Menendez, who had corruption charges against him dropped after a 2017 mistrial, was accused last autumn of being an unregistered foreign agent of Egypt and accepting gifts  including gold bars  while serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A superseding indictment filed last week, which broadens the timeline of the bribery scheme, alleges Mr Menendez accepted gifts from Fred Daibes, a co-defendant and New Jersey businessman, in exchange for his assistance in securing millions of dollars from an investment fund with ties to the Qatar government.

Mr Menendez allegedly accepted luxury watches, a gold bar and cash, in exchange for introducing Mr Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family, who was also a principal of the Qatari Investment Company, as well as publicly making positive statements about Qatar.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Mr Menendez accepted the gifts knowing that Mr Daibes expected him to induce the Qatari Investment Company to invest with Dabies which included taking action favorable to the Government of Qatar.

The superseding indictment also alleges a Qatari official provided a relative of Mr Menendezs wife, Nadine Menendez, tickets to the 2023 Formula One Grand Prix  at the request of the New Jersey senator.

Mr Menendez and his wife have also been accused of attempting to cover up the bribery scheme, as well as trying to repay more than $20k worth of bribe money under the guise of loans. The couple allegedly used the money to pay for a Mercedes-Benz and home mortgage payments.

So far, Mr Menendez and the four co-defendants have pled not guilty to the charges.

In his Senate speech, he reiterated his innocence, saying: There is no evidence of the giving or receiving of cash and gold bars.

In fact, there has been and will be at trial a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues, a truth that proves I am entirely innocent of the charges.

Growing emotional, he added: After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee. But I have never violated the public trust. I have been a patriot for and of my country.

Nadine Menendez with her husband in 2022 (AP)

Since the allegations arose, at least four Democrats, including Rep Andy Kim and New Jersy First Lady Tammy Murphy, have announced campaigns to unseat Mr Menendez, whose seat is up for re-election this year, while the majority of Democrats have supported calls for the Senator to resign.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters last week that Mr Menendezs behavior as reported in these indictments is way below the standard of a senator, and its deeply disappointing and disturbing to me.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has supported expelling Mr Menendez from Congress, introducing legislation late last year that would kick the New Jersy senator off his committees and deny him access to classified information.

On Tuesday, Mr Menendez said he was alarmed by such attempts to unseat him.

I am, however, alarmed that the greatest and most ardent defenders of the Constitution in this body are among the most vociferous in calling for my resignation, he said. They would deny me due process and undermine the fundamental principle of our law that in America you are innocent until proven otherwise by a jury of your peers.

Members of the Senate are not above the law, he added. They are not beneath it, either.
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Republicans failed to impeach Maine's top election official for her decision to take Donald Trump off the state's ballot for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot.

The Maine House of Representatives voted 80-60 along party lines to reject the impeachment resolution against Maine Secretary of State Shanna Bellows. She is the first secretary of state to bar a candidate from running for president under the US Constitution's insurrection clause, according to the Associated Press.

Ms Bellows called the impeachment attempt an exercise in political theatre and has said she will adhere to any rulings  such as a judgement from the US Supreme Court  regarding Mr Trump's removal from the ballot.

Republicans have argued that removing Mr Trump from the ballot would disenfranchise the 300,000 voters who selected him in the 2020 election.

Congressman Michael Soboleski called Ms Bellows' decision "election interference of the highest order." His colleague, James Thorne, said they did nothing but "further divide the political banner between the parties, and indeed the people of the state of Maine."

The impeachment proposal called for an investigation into Ms Bellows's decision. Had it moved forward, it would have required a trial in the state's Senate, where Democrats control the majority.

Democratic lawmakers praised Ms Bellows' actions. Congressman Kevin O'Connell said she "faithfully discharged her oath of office." He referred to Ms Bellows as an "honorable person" who should not be removed from office for executing the duties of her position.

"You might disagree with her decision, and some folks do. But every government official has an obligation to follow the law and fulfil their oath to the Constitution," he said.

She specifically cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in her decision. That section prohibits individuals "engaged in insurrection" from holding public office.

The former president was also removed from the ballot in Colorado. That decision has been appealed to the US Supreme Court.
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The White House and the Pentagon said they would review why president Joe Biden and some other top officials were kept in the dark about defence secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalisation.

The alleged lack of transparency over Mr Austin's hospitalisation triggered a political furore, with Republicans, including former president Donald Trump, demanding Mr Austins resignation. The Pentagon on Monday said Mr Austin had no plans to step down.

White House officials tried to justify the initial lack of information, saying that a key staffer was out with the flu.

The 70-year-old retired four-star general went to the hospital on 22 December for an "elective procedure" but one serious enough that Mr Austin temporarily transferred some of his authority to his deputy Kathleen Hicks. He went home the following day.

He was taken back to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by ambulance and put into intensive care after experiencing severe pain on New Year's Day. The White House was allegedly not informed that the defence secretary was in the hospital till 4 January in a stunning lack of transparency about the gravity of his illness.

The Pentagon on Monday said Mr Austin was no longer in intensive care and rejoined duties on 5 January, but it was not known when he would be released. He allegedly made calls to national security Advisor Jake Sullivan, General Erik Kurilla who heads US troops in the Middle East, and other senior national security leaders.

"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job," national security council spokesperson John Kirby said.

He added that the defence secretary's failure to inform his bosses would be subjected to a "hotwash" to see if procedures need to be changed.

Mr Austin said in a statement released on Saturday: "I recognise I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better."

"But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure."

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Mr Kirby said there is an "expectation" among members of president Biden's cabinet that if one of them is hospitalised, "that will be notified up the chain of command".

The defence secretary sits just below the president at the top of the chain command of the American military and his duties require him being available to respond to any national security crisis.

Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder acknowledged that he and other public affairs and defence aides were informed on 2 January about Mr Austin's hospitalisation but did not tell the military service leaders or the security council until 4 January. "I want to offer my apologies and my pledge to learn from this experience, and I will do everything I can to meet the standard that you expect from us," he said.

Maj Gen Ryder said staff in the defence secretary's front office will review notification procedures, including whether regulations, rules or laws were broken, and will take steps to improve the notification process.

He said when Mr Austin was taken back to the hospital on 1 January, he was "conscious but in quite a bit of pain" and spent that evening undergoing tests and evaluation. The next day, "due to the secretary's condition and on the basis of medical advice", some authorities were transferred to Ms Hicks through a standard email notification that often does not provide the reason for transfer.

"There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him," Elise Stefanik, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

Mr Trump said the defence secretary should be fired for his "improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty".

"He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was, or might be," the 45th president wrote on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Gen Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, underwent an open heart surgery on Monday and is expected to return to office.

Gen Smith was hospitalised on 29 October after suffering a cardiac arrest near his home at the Marine Barracks in Washington. The Marines said Gen Smith underwent a successful surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart, which was the cause of his cardiac arrest.

"He is in good condition and continues to recover at the hospital among family members and his doctors," an official statement said. "Following his rehabilitation, Gen Smith will return to full duty status as Commandant."
HARRISBURG  Many people played cowboys and cowgirls while they were growing up, dreaming of a life filled with horses.

Some actually achieved that dream then went on to enter their horses in the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Horses dominated the first three days of the agricultural extravaganza.

Jaegen Keeney looked intense on Saturday after mounting a bull whose weight approached a ton. Appearing calm but alert, the Columbia County teenager wrapped a rope around one hand, lifted the other, tightened his thighs around the bull and took a deep breath.

Time seemed to stop. The Pennsylvania High School Rodeo Association competition crowd fell silent. When the stock men opened the gate, Keeneys bull exploded out of the gate and into the New Holland Arena. Now came the competition between a strong bucking bull and the determined cowboy who hung on with all his might.

He was still hanging on eight seconds later, then slid off the bull and rolled out of the way so he wouldnt get trampled. He finished first in the competition.

Ive gone to rodeos all my life with my mom, Keeney said. I always thought bull riding was cool. The first time I tried it, I didnt last long. So I bought a bull named Fifty Blindside and practiced on him. I got better. The Farm Show is the biggest event Ive ever won.

Bull riding, the high point for many rodeo fans, is considered by some to be the nations most dangerous sport. It attracts men eager to test their strength and courage against a fearsome looking opponent.

Pennsylvania Farm Show rodeos, sponsored by the Pennsylvania High School Rodeo Association and featuring cowboys and cowgirls from Pennsylvania and nearby states, almost transport the audience back to the Old West where rodeos showcased cowboys courage, stamina and ability.

These days, rodeo is a high school sport in which horses gallop, steers run, bulls buck, equestrians hang on for the ride and the audience hangs onto the ends of their seats. The Farm Show began with a display of patriotism, with songs and all of the rodeo contestants gathered on the New Holland Arena floor holding an oversized flag.

Cowgirls star, too, especially Katie Robertson of West Pennsboro Township, who competed in barrel racing, pole bending and goat tying at the rodeo. The Commonwealth Charter Academy senior said she rides daily.

Ive been in rodeos since I was 5 years old, she said. This is my third and last year to be in the rodeo at the Farm Show.

Working with horses is a family hobby for her family. Katies grandmother, Donna Walborn, owns a farm in West Pennsboro Township where she keeps seven horses. Katies mother, Ronnie Nailor, also has participated in rodeos.

Horses are like potato chips, she said. You cant have just one.

Katie Robertson gave a nearly flawless performance in barrel racing, racing her horse into the arena then speeding around three separated barrels without knocking them over.

Kace Hollenbach of Middleburg got a lot of applause when he won steer wrestling. While on horseback, he chased a steer, leapt off his horse, then wrestled the steer to the ground in just under eight seconds.

Team roping, in which one mounted rider ropes the front of the steer and the other rider ropes the feet, required precision and luck. Brock Beltz of Palmyra and Tate Ondrik took first prize in this.

Other events were done individually. These included calf roping, won by Beltz; barrel racing, won by Kyra Kauffman of Port Royal; pole bending where cowgirls gallop around several poles without touching them, won by Mariah Byers of Quarryville; and breakaway roping won by Taylor Reeber of Thomasville.

Other riders were just as determined to show off their skills, despite the snow over the weekend. On Sunday, draft horses took center stages for an afternoon of hitch events.

This year, a team of six Belgians owned by Sherwood Grove Farm of Tunkhannock was the only entry in the six-horse hitch. The crowd applauded and took pictures as the six draft horses thundered into the arena with two horses as each lead team, two in the middle as the swing team and two at the rear as the wheel team.

Twenty-four hooves clip clopped their way around carrying the powerful and graceful horses and the red wagon. On command, the team walked, reversed directions and lined up. As the day went on, teamsters led horses in a four-horse hitch and various other hitches.

Mullet Monday

Monday proved to be a hair raising day at the Farm Show when several hundred people crammed around a small stage to watch the events first mullet contest.

Sixty-six contestants younger than 18 and 26 adults strutted on a stage and tossed their heads to show off their versions of the 1980s hairstyle known for being short at the top, front and sides, but long in the back.

Some tried to look ultra cool, wearing sunglasses and cowboy hats. One sported a mullet and a Mohawk. Several parents carried toddlers with mullets onto the stage. One toddler appeared bewildered and kissed his mother.

Neil Finkenbinder, 2, of Duncannon, wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and sunglasses, won the under age 18 category. Pete Brubaker, 54, of Elizabethtown won the over 18 category and the top prize, Best in Grow, for his hairstyle that hes had since 1985.

I have a mullet because I dont conform to what others do, Brubaker said. Its a fun style and I enjoy it. Ill be back next year to defend my title.

Heavy Metal Hair Salon in Philadelphia sponsored the competition, awarding winners baskets of hair care products and gift certificates to that salon. Jason and Brittany Goldberg, salon owners, said they were amazed at the popularity of the contest and vowed to continue it.

FFA convention

Hundreds of FFA members in blue and gold jackets filled the New Holland Arena on Monday for the FFA midwinter convention.

These included FFA members from Cumberland Valley High School, Big Spring High School, Greenwood High School and Newport High School.

More than 1,000 students from throughout Pennsylvania attended the annual convention where nearly 970 students received their corduroy blue jackets with gold letters and another 504 received keystone degrees.

We have nearly 9,000 people here today, Mike Brammer, Pennsylvania FFA executive director, said while looking at the stands and the 1,800 chairs on the floor. Pennsylvania has more than 15,000 students in FFA and 155 ag education programs in the states 500 school districts. Wed like to see more.

Gracie Elliott, Cumberland Valley High School senior and a FFA member for four years, said the organization has taught her leadership, public speaking and agriculture information. She said she plans to go to Penn State and major in ag education.

FFA, which originally stood for Future Farmers of America, used to emphasize production agriculture with its focus on cows, plows and sows. These days, the majority of FFA members dont live on farms. Now, city and country youths alike belong to FFA.
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Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are calling for an investigation into how the White House spent days unaware that defence secretary Lloyd Austin was in hospital at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland, following what the Pentagon has described as an elective medical procedure.

On Monday, representatives Mike Rogers and Adam Smith  the Alabama Republican and Washington Democrat who serve as chair and ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee  issued a rare joint statement calling for a probe into how Mr Austin, a retired four-star US Army general, all but disappeared for a week without anyone in the White House being any the wiser.

Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretarys current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretarys responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the president and Congress, they said. Transparency is vitally important  secretary Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.

Some Republicans, including former president Donald Trump, have called for Mr Austin to be sacked or step down, but President Joe Biden has expressed confidence in his top defence official and its unlikely that he will resign his post.

Here is what we know about the situation:

Mr Austin had elective surgery in late December

According to the defence department, the Pentagon boss underwent an unspecified surgical procedure on 22 December and subsequently returned home after being discharged from hospital the next day.

But on 1 January, the 70-year-old retired soldier was rushed by ambulance from his home to Walter Reed, which until 2011 was known as the National Naval Medical Centre, after he reported suffering from what the Pentagon press secretary, Air Force Major General Pat Ryder, described in a statement as severe pain.

Gen Ryder said that Mr Austin spent the next several days in the hospitals intensive care unit, in part due to hospital space considerations and privacy.

Top Pentagon aides knew of Mr Austins hospitalisation early on

According to Gen Ryder, senior aides to Mr Austin  including Gen Ryder himself  were briefed on his admission to hospital the day after he was admitted, Tuesday 2 January.

The Air Force officer told reporters at Mondays Pentagon press briefing that he took responsibility for failing to communicate what had transpired.

I recognise that I should have tried to learn more and to press for an earlier public acknowledgment. So I offer my apologies and my pledge to learn from this experience, he said.

Austin transferred some of his authority to his top deputy on 2 January

Gen Ryder said that Mr Austin was accompanied to Walter Reed by members of his personal security team when he travelled to Walter Reed on 1 January. He also told reporters that the defence secretary formally transferred some of his authorities to deputy defence secretary Kathleen Hicks on 2 January due to the secretarys condition and on the basis of medical advice.

That same day, Ms Hicks and her staff, as well as Mr Austins staff and members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were notified of the transfer through regular email notification procedures.

Ms Hicks wasnt told why Mr Austin transferred his authority to her

According to the Pentagon spokesperson, Ms Hicks wasnt told that Mr Austin had been hospitalised, only that she was being delegated some of his powers.

Such a move isnt unusual or uncommon, and General Ryder told reporters that the deputy defence secretary made routine operational and management decisions for the department over this period and was fully authorised and ready to support the president on other military matters should the need have arisen.

The White House didnt learn about Mr Austins location for four days

Although the White House Situation Room conducts daily check-ins with cabinet departments to keep tabs on cabinet secretaries locations, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday that the tracking is relatively rudimentary and limited to what city a given official is in at any given time.

The White House said President Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, did not learn of Mr Austins hospitalisation until Thursday, which is also when Ms Hicks learned that Mr Austin was at Walter Reed.
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The Michigan Republican Party slid further into chaos over the weekend after its embattled leader refused to accept a vote to remove her from her post.

Roughly 45 members of the party's 107-strong governing committee met in a closed session on Saturday to eject Kristina Karamo as chair, according to local media reports.

But Ms Karamo has insisted that their vote was "illegitimate" and had "no legal standing" under the party's bylaws, declaring: "I am still chair of the Michigan Republican Party."

The dispute is now likely to entangle the national Republican Party or even end up in court, with Ms Karamo vowing to take "swift and decisive action" against anyone involved in what she called an "attempted coup".

It marks a new depth of tumult for Michigan's state GOP, which remains dogged by fundraising problems and riven with in-fighting  sometimes to the point of violent brawling  even as the 2024 election looms.

"The allegations that chairwoman Kristina Karamo has been removed are categorically false," said the state party's official account on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday afternoon.

"The rogue faction of anti-grassroots operatives who conducted this unlawful process will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly based on the rules of the Michigan GOP bylaws."

Ms Karamo was overwhelmingly elected by grassroots activists last February on a promise to rebuild the party and rescue its finances in the wake of massive losses in the 2022 midterm elections.

As in many local Republican parties, the Michigan GOP's embrace of election denialism and domination by hard-right activists has reportedly led to a funding crisis as big donors withhold their money.

But Ms Karamo, herself a staunch election conspiracy theorist, has failed to win them back, and opponents now accuse her of exacerbating the party's debts while heightening internal divisions.

All that came to a head last week on Saturday when a group of committee members voted to oust Ms Karamo and replace her with co-chair Malinda Pego, in a session that Ms Karamo insists was invalid under party bylaws.

About 71 of the party's 107 committee members were represented at the meeting either in person or by proxy, according to The New York Times, which was enough to constitute a quorum according to the bylaws.

But while proxies do count when establishing a quorum, they do not count towards the actual tally of votes required to eject a leader or change the bylaws.

That left Ms Karamo's fate to just 45 members who were present in person. According to The Detroit News, they voted overwhelmingly to oust her.

Some Karamo supporters also told The Michigan Advance, a non-profit news site, that party officials had nominated proxies to represent them without their permission, effectively packing the meeting.

The meeting's organisers said that this was permitted by the bylaws, which allows some officials to select a proxy on behalf of a committee member who has not nominated their own.

Petitions with the required signatures requesting the meeting and vote to remove former chairwoman Kristina Karamo... were submitted accordingly, and pursuant to the Michigan Republican State Committee bylaws, before the vote was taken and passed with over the needed threshold, Ms Pego said.
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As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who will listen, This is not your grandfathers Republican Party.

That has never been more evident than when examining the way the 2024 Republican presidential candidates approach the topic of Ukraine.

Support for Ukraine is dividing the GOP field. Several candidates believe the US should continue to support the war effort  a stance that adheres to more traditional Republican foreign policy beliefs.

For years, leaders in the GOP like George W Bush sounded alarms about Russia and supported Nato membership for Ukraine.

But in more recent years, notably under former president Donald Trump, modern conservatives have embraced isolationism.

A number of other Republican candidates, including Mr Trump  the current frontrunner, have expressed support for this.

This is a rundown of what the GOP presidential candidates have said about Ukraine

Donald Trump

While president, Donald Trump tried to pressure Volodymyr Zelensky into announcing an investigation into the Biden family (AFP via Getty Images)

While president, Mr Trump attempted to withhold military assistance to Ukraine to get Ukrainian Preisdent Volodymyr Zelensky to open an investigation into Mr Biden, who Mr Trump saw as his main rival in 2020.

During an infamous press conference in Helsinki, Finland, Mr Trump sided with Mr Putin when asked if he believed Russia had interfered in the 2016 US election, as outlined by the US intelligence community.

More recently, Mr Trump has argued that all aid to Ukraine should be put on pause until federal agencies provide evidence regarding what he claimed were corrupt business dealings by Mr Biden and his son.

During a July rally in Pennsylvania, Mr Trump argued that Mr Biden was dragging the US into the war.

The US Congress should refuse to authorize a single additional payment of our depleted stockpiles  until the FBI, [Department of Justice] and [Internal Revenue Service] hand over every scrap of evidence they have on the Biden crime familys corrupt business dealings, Mr Trump said in reference to what Republicans have claimed are allegations of bribery against Mr Biden.

The GOP has been unable to provide any evidence of the supposed scheme.

Mr Trump appeared on Fox News in March, saying that he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours with Zelensky and with Putin.

And theres a very easy negotiation to take place. But I dont want to tell you what it is because then I cant use that negotiation  itll never work. But its a very easy negotiation to take place. I will have it solved within one day, a peace between them. Now thats a year and a half. Thats a long time. I cant imagine something not happening, he added. The key is the war has to stop now because Ukraine is being obliterated.

Mr Trump has also been ambivalent about his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato). While president he equivocated over whether he would back Article V, which states that an attack on any one of the defence pacts 31 members constituted an attack on all of them. The article has only been invoked once, by the US following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

He is also reported to have wanted to pull the US out of Nato.

Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was forced to walk back his initial dismissive comments about the conflict (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Florida governor does not believe the US should be involved in Ukraine but walked back his comments calling the war a territorial dispute.

In March, Mr DeSantis called the war a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia and said it should not be one of the USs national interests to get involved.

He faced backlash for diminishing the severity of the war and later clarified that he was only referring to the fighting in Donbas and Crimea when he called it a dispute.

Since then, Mr DeSantis has steered away from making too many comments on the war.

In April, he said he supported a ceasefire, saying its in everybodys interest.

He told the Japanese English-language weekly Nikkei Asia that You dont want to end up in like a [Battle of] Verdun situation, where you just have mass casualties, mass expense and end up with a stalemate.

During debates, hes made it clear he would not support sending US troops to Ukraine.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy has sought to link the war to the presidents son (Getty Images)

Mr Ramaswamy opposes the US intervening in Ukraine, has suggested Ukraine should concede territory to Russia and made mocking remarks about President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Of the candidates, Mr Ramaswamy has displayed the most anti-Ukraine rhetoric calling the country anti-democratic.

In August, the tech entrepreneur suggested that the US is aiding Ukraine because of Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings  a reference to unsubstantiated allegations made by congressional Republicans.

He suggested Russia and Ukraine should make an agreement to end the war  one in which Ukraine would make major concessions to Mr Putin by handing over the eastern Donbas regions and blocking Ukraine from joining Nato.

I dont think it is preferable for Russia to be able to invade a sovereign country that is its neighbour, but I think the job of the US president is to look after American interests, Mr Ramaswamy told ABC News.

During the third GOP debate in November, Mr Ramaswamy referred to Mr Zelensky as a comedian in cargo pants and mocked the Ukrainian president for allegedly celebrating a Nazi.

The reference was to an incident in September where Mr Zelensky applauded for a Ukrainian-Canadian veteran who was later found to have served in a Nazi-aligned military unit during World War II. Mr Zelensky, who is Jewish, lost family members during the Holocaust.

Nikki Haley

Nikki Haley says supporting Ukraines defence of its homeland also sends a start message to China over its threats to Taiwan (Getty Images)

The former UN ambassador believes it is in the USs best interest to support Ukraine.

A win for Ukraine is a win for all of us because tyrants tell us exactly what theyre going to do, she said on CNN.

Ms Haley has said that a Ukrainian victory would send a broader message to warn China about attacking Taiwan, that it would push Iran to not build nuclear weapons, and urge North Korea to move away from ballistic missile testing.

She has been critical of Mr Bidens slow and weak reaction to helping Ukraine.

Chris Christie

Chris Christie meeting Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv (via REUTERS)

Mr Christie supports sending US military aid to Ukraine and visited the country earlier this year.

Like Ms Haley, Mr Christie believes it is in the USs best interest to support Ukraine.

None of us like the idea that theres a war going on and that were supporting it, but the alternative is for the Chinese to take over, the Russians, the Iranians and the North Koreans, the former New Jersey governor said on CNN.

He noted that some kind of compromise with Russia may be required at some point and that the US should be part of the negotiations at a time when Ukraine can protect the land thats been taken by Russia in this latest incursion.

He argued that Mr Trump set the groundwork for the invasion and echoed 2016 comments by former Secretary of State and then-Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, calling him Putins puppet.

He compared Mr DeSantis to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who unsuccessfully attempted to appease Adolf Hitler ahead of the Second World War.

Asa Hutchinson

Asa Hutchinson, US Republican presidential hopeful, speaks during his Fair Side Chat at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 15, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

The former Arkansas governor said on CNN last year that it would be a mistake to withdraw funding for Ukraine in this extraordinary fight against Russia and Russias aggression against the sovereign territory of Ukraine.

Im very much supportive of Ukraine. I believe theyre fighting a battle that helps reflect a free Europe, he added.

He has also said that the US should help Ukraine win quickly, according to Politico.

He called Mr DeSantis naive for suggesting the US doesnt have a vital interest in the conflict.

The GOP needs to have leaders who understand the importance of the strength of America and our utilization of that strength in the cause of freedom, he said.

To dismiss this as something unimportant to the security of the United States is naive and not in our historic traditions, he told McClatchy.
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Former president Donald Trump is set to begin his final conquest of the Republican Party a week from Monday when the Iowa Caucuses kick off. The twice-impeached-four-times-indicted former president remains the prohibitive favorite, leading his nearest competitors by double digits.

But despite the fact that Mr Trump will almost certainly be the Republican nominee, a majority of Republican senators have not endorsed him. So far, only 18 of the 49 senators in the Republican conference in the Senate have endorsed Mr Trump despite his widespread popularity, according to Business Insider.

Sens Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Iowas two Republican senators, have maintained their neutrality in the name of preserving the caucuses.

I dont know that I will, Ms Ernst told The Independent when asked whether she will make an endorsement after the caucuses.

Republicans in the Senate have always had a more contentious relationship with Mr Trump than House Republicans. Despite Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voting to acquit Mr Trump for his role in the January 6 riot, Mr McConnell squarely blamed the former presidents words. In addition, 139 Republicans in the House voted to object to the election results whereas only eight senators did.

Sen John Kennedy of Louisiana, who was one of only eight senators who voted to object to the 2020 presidential election results, is typically one of the most verbose senators. But when asked whether he endorsed Mr Trump, he said I dont have anything for you.

Sen Mike Rounds of South Dakota also passed on endorsing Mr Trump after Sen Tim Scott of South Carolina suspended his campaign for president. Mr Scott failed to gain traction as many non-Trump Republicans chose to get behind fellow South Carolinian, former governor Nikki Haley.

But Mr Rounds said he would not make any endorsements at the moment.

I'll wait and see farther down the line, who I think will be the best candidate for the Republican Party, he told The Independent. Because as Republicans, I think we feel very strongly that we have to change administrations.

Conversely, many of the senators Mr Trump endorsed in the 2022 midterm election said they would support him.

I think it's a foregone conclusion he's gonna be the nominee, Sen Eric Schmitt of Missouri told The Independent. In 2022, before the Republican primary, Mr Trump ambiguously endorsed Eric, since Mr Schmitt and former governor Eric Greitens both were running for the open Senate seat. Mr Schmitt deferred to his colleagues when asked why some Republicans did not endorse Mr Trump

I'll leave that up to them, but I think there's growing momentum and he's going to be the nominee, he's gonna win, he said.

Sen Rick Scott of Florida, who is up for re-election this year, elected to support Mr Trump rather than fellow Floridian Governor Ron DeSantis, with whom he has a contentious relationship.

I think you'd have to ask them, Mr Scott told The Independent about why his colleagues have not endorsed Mr Trump.

Sen JD Vance of Ohio, whom Mr Trump endorsed in 2022, said many Republicans secretly do not want Mr Trump to be the nominee.

I think, look, the more depressing answer is that a lot of Senate Republicans actually don't like Donald Trump and I think they're gonna have to get over it because hes going to be our nominee and hes going to be our next president, Mr Vance told The Independent.

Sen Mitt Romney of Utah, who has become Mr Trumps biggest critic in the Senate, said many Republicans dont want to be on the losing side of a campaign. He noted how Ms Haley, his closest competitor, has a difficult race ahead of her.

Because theyre almost certain that hes going to become the nominee, Mr Romney told The Independent. People typically want to go with the person that thinks gonna win. And I think weve known from the beginning that he was a prohibitive favorite he still is. I think Nikki Haley has a shot but its a long shot.

Indeed, Mr Scott, Ms Haleys former competitor, has not endorsed in the GOP primary. Meanwhile, South Carolinas other Republican Sen Lindsey Graham, who once called Mr Trump a jackass, endorsed Mr Trump early.
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Longtime Republican political operative and Donald Trump loyalist Roger Stone has been accused by a media outlet of discussing the assassination of Democratic politicians.

Mr Stone  who received a pardon from Mr Trump after he was jailed for obstructing a federal investigation into the former president's ties to Russia  reportedly made comments to an NYPD officer about killing congressmen Eric Swalwell and Jerrold Nadler, according to an exclusive story from Mediaite.

Mediaite claims to have a recording of the conversation, but it has not made the recording public.

Its time to do it, Mr Stone allegeldy told NYPD officer Sal Greco. Lets go find Swalwell. Its time to do it. Then well see how brave the rest of them are. Its time to do it. Its either Nadler or Swalwell has to die before the election. They need to get the message. Lets go find Swalwell and get this over with. Im just not putting up with this s*** anymore.

The conversation allegedly took place in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Stone for comment.

The publication further claims that it spoke with a source familiar with the discussion, and insisted that Mr Stone was being serious.

It was definitely concerning that he was constantly planning violence with an NYPD officer and other militia groups, the source reportedly said, according to Mediaite.

Both Mr Swalwell and Mr Nadler serve on the House Judiciary Committee, which  at the time the alleged conversation took place  was planning on investigating the pardon Mr Trump offered Stone.

The source reportedly told Mediaite that Mr Stone "hates" the two Democrats, and "had been at war" with them for "years."

The publication made a similar allegation last week, reporting that Mr Stone was also caught on tape asking Mr Greco to "punish" US Attorney Aaron Zelinsky, who led the prosecution's case against him during the Mueller probes.

He needs to be punished, Mr Stone allegedly told Mr Greco in the recording. You have to abduct him and punish him. That has to be done. It will be easy to abduct him because he is a weakling.

When reached for comment by Mediaite, Mr Stone reportedly said that the audio recordings were generated by AI.

Total nonsense," Mr Stone reportedly said. "Ive never said anything of the kind; more AI manipulation. You asked me to respond to audios that you dont let me hear and you dont identify a source for. Absurd.

He further denied the claims on his X/Twitter account.

"I never spoke about assassinating anyone. Fake Mediaite can't produce the recording they claim to have and, contrary to their claim, Newsweek never contacted me for comment," Mr Stone said in response to a Newsweek story covering the alleged audio.

Mr Greco reportedly denied offering further comment about the conversations, claiming readers would not be interested in "ancient political fodder."
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News networks should be taken off air and investigated for treason. The nations top military official should be executed. A state judge presiding over a trial against him, and the attorney general suing him, should be arrested. People seeking asylum in the US are poisoning the blood of our country and should be turned away if they dont accept our religion. Drug dealers should get the death sentence. Liberal Jews are voting to destroy America and Israel. The regime will root out political opponents who live like vermin.

Donald Trumps latest violent, authoritarian visions in his 2024 campaign for the presidency are building on his platform of self-described retribution.

They are also increasingly colliding with the multiple criminal investigations and lawsuits against him, as prosecutors and judges hope to rely on gag orders to rein in his rhetoric, which has invited hundreds of abusive messages and credible death threats from his supporters against the judges and prosecutors involved.

Not that those orders ever stopped him  he violated a gag order in his civil fraud trial in New York, twice, incurring $15,000 in fines, paid by check from one of his attorneys.

After an appeals court judge temporarily paused a gag order that prohibited all parties in the case from disparaging the courts staff, Mr Trump repeatedly unleashed on the courts chief clerk, the attorney general suing him, and the judge overseeing the case, as well as members of his family. That gag order is back in place.

He sees the criminal indictments and civil cases against him as part of a Democratic conspiracy that is weaponising the federal government to keep him away from the White House, and he appears ready to do the same to his political opponents if hes elected.

In a late-night post on his Truth Social on 28 November, he said that the four grand jury indictments, 91 criminal charges, fraud lawsuits and sexual abuse and defamation claims against him have opened Pandoras Box, and he warned President Joe Biden to stop them before its too late.

Trump calls political opponents vermin

The leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president is giving his supporters permission to dehumanise and degrade his political opponents as he does, priming their acceptance of political violence against the other side, while absolving them of responsibility for it, according to urgent warnings from scholars and legal analysts.

Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of authoritarianism and the author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, writes that violence is now Trumps brand.

His depiction of political opponents and non-white immigrants as existential threats, defence of January 6 rioters who stormed the US Capitol to overturn election results, and his praise for authoritarian leaders join his broader campaign to re-educate Americans to see violence as justified, patriotic, and even morally righteous, according to Ms Ben-Ghiat.

But to get people to lose their aversion to violence, savvy authoritarians also dehumanize their enemies, she added. Thats what Trump is doing. Hitler used this ploy from the very start, calling Jews the black parasites of the nation in a 1920 speech. By the time Hitler got into power in 1933 and translated dehumanizing rhetoric into repressive policies, Germans had heard these messages for over a decade.

In his Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler wrote about the contamination of the blood and the poison which has invaded the national body from an influx of foreign blood, words behind the so-called great replacement conspiracy theory that has also fuelled white supremacist groups, racist mass shootings and far-right media commentary.

Mr Trump has invoked literal blood and soil rhetoric in recent weeks. In a September interview with right-wing media outlet The National Pulse, he said migrants who seek asylum in the US come from prisons  mental institutions and insane asylums.

We know theyre terrorists. Nobody has ever seen anything like were witnessing right now. It is a very sad thing for our country. Its poisoning the blood of our country, he said.

At a September rally in Iowa, where he pledged the largest domestic deportation operation in American history if hes elected, Mr Trump said migrants are infecting the blood of the country and destroying our country.

Donald Trump appears at his civil fraud trial in New York on 6 November. (via REUTERS)

Roughly three months from Super Tuesday, as Mr Trump coalesces Republican support as the presumptive GOP nominee, with scant warnings or criticism from members of his party, what remains of any inter-party fights about the partys future are likely to merge with Mr Trumps warpath.

The Republican Party has largely adopted Mr Trumps grievance- and resentment-based politics relying on his volatile language, said Shane Burley, author of Why We Fight: Essays on Fascism, Resistance, and Surviving the Apocalypse and Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It.

Thats the entire reason for the GOP to exist at this point, he told The Independent. With Trump leading one [wing] and national conservatives leaving the other. Both are based on re-channeling class anxiety into a sort of nationalist, racist, xenophobic and angry framework. Thats their entire existence now. Thats the status quo.

Mr Trumps campaign views him as the only legitimate candidate, he needs to go back, we need to take out the deep state, Mr Burley said. Its a very basic hero narrative, which is why when Trump loses again, if Trump loses again, and hell say that he was stolen, there could be real serious acts of violence.

That cruelty is the point theme will define how they build an electoral strategy, period, he says. That may end for them with the election, but it moves into peoples lives in really profound ways. Thats going to echo out through all kinds of institutions.

The Independent has requested comment from Mr Trumps campaign.

Trump suggests using DOJ and FBI to indict political rivals

During his presidency, Mr Trump called journalists and news outlets fake news roughly 2,000 times, according to an analysis from The Independent. His attacks amounted to an average of more than one daily broadside against the press and build on a long legacy of attempts to undermine his critics that continued well after his time in the White House.

Mr Trump routinely labels journalists the enemy of the people, has threatened to throw them and their sources in jail, and pledged to investigate networks for treason.

Our so-called government should come down hard on them and make them pay for their illegal activity, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social on 28 November, the same night he vowed to prosecute his political rivals. Much more to come, watch!

His threats to weaponize the presidency against media outlets that are critical of him are shameful and dangerous, just like his prior rants about imprisoning journalists and their sources, Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Independent in the wake of Mr Trumps threats to NBC.

Nows the time to make sure that a potential second Trump administration doesnt have the tools to carry out his anti-press agenda, he added.

J Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge appointed by Republican president George HW Bush, told MSNBC that the purpose and the intent of Mr Trumps attacks are to delitigimise the very institutions seeking to hold him accountable in the face of multiple criminal trials.

The former president, unfortunately, has largely succeeded in doing exactly that, Mr Luttig said.

Millions of Americans  roughly 4.4 per cent of the nations adult population  believe violence is justified to keep Mr Trump in the White House, according to a July report from the University of Chicagos Project on Security & Threats research centre. Violent support for the former president surged following his first federal indictment, the report found.

A separate survey of Americans after the 2022 midterm elections found that a significant percentage consider political violence  including violence, threats, intimidation or harassment  acceptable in certain scenarios, with roughly 20 per cent of respondents believing such violence was at least a little acceptable if their preferred candidate lost an election.

The prohibitively high cost to the nation at this point, over the last three years, if not longer, [is that] the former president has normalized his behavior and his delegitimising and dehumanizing rhetoric into our political culture, where it will stay forever, Mr Luttig said.

Donald Trump speaks at a campaogn rally in Iowa on 18 November. (Getty Images)

Lawyers for New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James argued that a gag order is necessary to protect the safety of the courts staff surrounding a civil trial alleging fraud in the Trump family business.

A sworn statement from a top security official with the state courts system revealed that hundreds of threats, disparaging and harassing comments and antisemitic messages have followed Mr Trumps attacks.

Mr Trumps attorneys have downplayed those threats, claiming that the sole cognizable justification to gag the former president is that an unknown third party may react in a hostile or offensive manner to his speech.

On his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump also shared a series of conspiratorial posts from far-right activist and failed congressional candidate Laura Loomer, who has amplified a series of unsubstantiated claims about Judge Engoron and his disgusting wife, children, brother, niece and nephew, none of whom seem to have anything to do with the fraud case in New York.

I hope their children are watching, she said on her Rumble platform. We have your minor daughters TikTok account.

Federal appeals court judges also are mulling whether to gag Mr Trump in his election interference case, aiming to balance First Amendment protections around political speech while addressing the wave of threats and harassment unleashed by Mr Trump and his supporters towards the prosecutors, judges, witnesses and prospective jurors involved in the cases against him.

A recent filing from US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smiths team described that dynamic as part of a pattern, stretching back years, in which people publicly targeted by Mr Trump are subject to harassment, threats, and intimidation.

Mr Trump seeks to use this well-known dynamic to his advantage, the filing added, and it has continued unabated as this case and other unrelated cases involving the defendant have progressed.

Its a dynamic depicted across hundreds of court filings and sentencing memos for defendants convicted in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, with rioters using Mr Trumps own words and relying on a false belief that the 2020 election was stolen from him to call for the deaths of elected officials, prepare their assault inside the halls of Congress, break into the building, fight off law enforcement, and force lawmakers to stop the certification of millions of Americans votes.

When Mr Smiths team updated its gag order appeal to include reports of the scale of threats in the New York case, attorneys for the former president called them irrelevant to the case.

US District Judge Beryl Howell, who has presided over dozens of January 6 cases, warned that the stolen election narrative behind the attack presents an ongoing threat nearly three years later.

My DC judicial colleagues and I regularly see the impact of big lies at the sentencing of hundreds of people convicted in connection with the attack, she said in rare public remarks from Washington DC on 28 November.

We are having a very surprising and downright troubling moment in this country when the very importance of facts is dismissed, or ignored, she said. Thats very risky business for all of us in our democracy. ... The facts matter.

Thousands of Donald Trumps supporters surround the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021. (AP)

But the former presidents rhetoric bombards a media ecosystem that is largely failing to keep up. Trumps authoritarian, deeply frightening behavior (at least for those who want to continue living in a democracy) has become so normalized that most people simply ignore it, according to former US attorney Joyce Alene White Vance. We live in a very dangerous moment.

His recent violent statements have received relatively limited coverage across major TV news networks, according to analysis from Media Matters, which tracks right-wing media.

Major outlets devoted dramatically less coverage to Mr Trumps vermin statement compared to coverage of the basket of deplorables comment from his 2016 rival Hillary Clinton, the group found. NBC, ABC and CBS provided 18 times more coverage of Ms Clintons comment than Mr Trump labeling his political opponents vermin on their combined morning, evening and Sunday morning political talk shows, according to one analysis.

Print reports in the five highest-circulating US newspapers that mentioned Ms Clintons statement outnumbered Mr Trumps by 29 to one.

Media Matters also found that Mr Trumps poisoning the blood of our country statement, his pledge to turn away migrants who dont like our religion, his accusations that Jewish Americans are voting to destroy the US and Israel, and his claim that the terrorist group Hezbollah is very smart received fewer than two hours of TV news coverage total within the two weeks after he said them.

When experts are sounding the alarm about the similarities between a likely US presidential nominees rhetoric and that of genocidaires, it warrants much more significant attention from journalists at leading news outlets, wrote Media Matters senior fellow Matthew Gertz.

In a column that followed a widely criticised Univision interview with the former president, influential Spanish-language news anchor Jorge Ramos warned against normalising Mr Trumps antidemocratic threats and giving him an open microphone to broadcast his falsehoods and conspiracy theories.

We must question and fact-check everything he says and does, Mr Ramos wrote.

I am convinced that journalists have two great responsibilities. One is to report reality as it is, not as we wish it would be, he wrote. And the other is to demand an accounting from those in power and to challenge them.
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One of Donald Trumps co-defendants in his election subversion case in Georgia is accusing, without direct evidence, that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship with a special prosecutor hired to lead the sprawling racketeering case.

In a last-minute filing to try to have his charges dismissed, defendant Michael Roman  a former Trump campaign official  alleges that Ms Willis and prosecutor Nathan Wade have violated laws regulating the use of public monies, suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest, and have violated their oaths of office.

The filing from attorney Ashleigh Merchant does not provide any concrete evidence to support the claims but cites sources with knowledge to allege they had an ongoing, personal relationship that should disqualify them from prosecuting the case.

Mr Roman, who is charged alongside more than a dozen remaining co-defendants in the Fulton County case, is accused of coordinating a fake elector scheme to fraudulently certify Mr Trumps victory in the state after the 2020 presidential election.

He is charged under the states RICO Act and faces a count of conspiracy to impersonate a public officer; two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery; two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; and conspiracy to commit filing false documents. He has pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for the district attorneys office said a response to the allegations will be made in a court filing.

She alleges that they traveled together to Californias Napa Valley and Florida and took cruises on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. The filing does not include documentation of the allegations.

Wade is being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to prosecute this case on her behalf, according to the filing. In turn, Wade is taking Willis on, and paying for vacations across the world with money he is being paid by the Fulton County taxpayers and authorized solely by Willis.

The motion  filed on the deadline for pretrial motions to the court  asks a judge to dismiss the indictment against Mr Roman, and disqualify Willis, Wade and their respective offices and firms from  participating in this matter any further.

It also repeats an accusation that because Mr Wades two oaths of office were not filed in court prior to his work on the case, he is not a duly authorised special prosecutor.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has already rejected that argument, stating that such requirements do not apply to contractors working on single cases, and that the defendants didnt establish any constitutional violations or other issues in the grand jury process that would warrant the cases dismissal.

Georgia State University College of Law professor Anthony Michael Kreis said that the allegations, if true, its a big political problem  more so than a constitutional one that implicates defendants rights.

Stephen Gillers, a professor emeritus at New York University Law School, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that if the allegations are substantiated, Ms Willis could be considered conflicted in the investigation and prosecution of this case and independent professional judgment her position requires.

But that does not mean that her decisions were in fact improperly motivated, he added.

On Monday, Mr Trumps legal team filed three fresh motions to have his case thrown out, claiming that he has presidential immunity from actions while in office, that he was already acquitted for similar allegations in his second impeachment trial, and that he was never told that what he was doing in the state  where he is charged as part of an alleged racketeering scheme to unlawfully subvert the states election results  could be prosecuted.
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Attorneys for Donald Trump claim that the former president didnt have fair notice that his attempts to reverse his Georgia loss in the 2020 presidential election could result in criminal charges against him.

A flurry of filings in Fulton County Superior Court on Monday argue that the sprawling election interference case against Mr Trump consists entirely of core political speech at the zenith of First Amendment protections.

Attorneys for the former president want the case dismissed on grounds that he has presidential immunity from actions while in office, that he was already acquitted for similar allegations in his second impeachment trial, and that he was never told that what he was doing in the state  where he is charged as part of an alleged racketeering scheme to unlawfully subvert the states election results  could be prosecuted.

Our country has a longstanding tradition of forceful political advocacy regarding widespread allegations of fraud and irregularities in a long list of presidential elections throughout our history, therefore, President Trump lacked fair notice that his advocacy in the instance of the 2020 presidential election could be criminalized, according to his attorneys.

The filings come one day before Mr Trump is expected to appear inside a courtroom in Washington DC, where his attorneys will try to convince a three-judge appeals court panel that he should be immune from prosecution in a parallel federal case charging him with conspiracy and obstruction for his attempts to overturn 2020 results.

In Georgia, Mr Trump is charged alongside more than a dozen co-defendants  including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former attorney Rudy Giuliani  who allegedly made up a criminal enterprise to overturn the states election results, from using a so-called fake elector scheme to falsely assert his victory in the state and pressuring election workers and state officials, to seizing vote information from machines in another county in the state.

Four of his original co-defendants in the Fulton County case  including Trump-allied attorneys Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell  reached plea deals with prosecutors.

Mr Trump and his remaining co-defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wants a trial to begin in August 2024.

During a court hearing in Atlanta last month, attorneys for Mr Trump argued that he shouldnt be on trial until he leaves the White House, should the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president be elected to a second term.

Can you imagine the notion of the Republican nominee for president not being able to campaign for the presidency because he is, in some form or fashion, in a courtroom defending himself? Mr Trumps attorney Steve Sadow told Judge Scott McAfee last month.

Asked by the judge whether Mr Trump should then face trial in 2025, if he wins, Mr Sadow suggested that he shouldnt be on trial until at least January 2029, at the end of his term.

The answer to that is, I believe that under the Supremacy Clause and his duties as president of the United States, this trial would not take place at all until after he left his term of office, Mr Sadow said.
At the 2024 China Ice and Snow Tourism Development Forum held on Friday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, Harbin Ice and Snow World was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest ice and snow park, with an area of 816,682.5 square meters.

The park, which combines ice, snow, sound and lights, officially opened for its 25th consecutive year. Tourists can marvel at more than 1,000 works of art made of more than 250,000 cubic meters of ice and snow or participate in numerous activities, including a 521-meter ice slide, the longest built at the park to date.

A giant Ferris wheel in the shape of a snowflake has been built to provide a unique experience in the dazzling world after dark.

The 40th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival  the city's annual winter gala  kicked off at the park, welcoming tourists from around the world.

"Heilongjiang has plentiful ice and snow resources. It is also the birthplace of China's modern ice and snow industry," Heilongjiang Governor Liang Huiling said at the opening ceremony. "Currently, Heilongjiang is vigorously developing cultural tourism and carrying out activities to promote the ice and snow economy."

The park's popularity has aided the development of the whole province's snow and ice economy, she added.




The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit group that owns and operates the Monticello estate of the Founding Father and former president, announced on Tuesday that it plans to purchase its historic neighbor Michie Tavern.

Alongside the $11.75 million deal last year to buy the 400-acre Jefferson Vineyards, the foundation will soon manage a considerable stretch of state Route 53, otherwise known as Thomas Jefferson Parkway, keeping private development well away from Jeffersons mountaintop.

I think it was one of the last properties that exist along the Route 53 corridor we felt we wanted to preserve to ensure that the approach for generations is what it is today, Tobias Dengel, chair of the foundations board and CEO of Charlottesville-based tech firm WillowTree Apps, told The Daily Progress on Tuesday. Thats our mission: To ensure when people hit the traffic light and come up the mountain, they feel this is a different and special place.

A sale price will not be publicly disclosed until after the deal is finalized sometime in the spring, according to Dengel. However, the 6.7-acre Michie Tavern site was most recently assessed at $2.63 million, according to Albemarle County records.

The tavern is in no way original to the site on the parkway. The tavern was first built by Scotsman William Michie in 1784 at another location closer to Earlysville in Albemarle County.

It originally served as a house for the Michie family, but after travelers started turning up looking for food and shelter, the family obtained a license to operate as a tavern. The commonwealth took over the property in 1910, when the Michies could no longer support it, before ownership transitioned first to the Via family and then to one Josephine Henderson in 1927.

Henderson, the daughter of a well-to-do Tennessee family and a partner in her husbands shirt manufacturing business Henderson-Nervene, owned a house on Cameron Lane in Charlottesville and witnessed droves of tourists visiting Monticello. So, she secured Michie Tavern as an investment in the tourism boom of the Roaring 20s, and as a storage unit for her many antiques, and had it moved piece by piece closer to the Charlottesville areas premier tourist attraction via horse, wagon and truck.

For years, Monticello visitors have been passing that landmark on their way to Jeffersons estate. And for years, the nonprofit that runs that estate has been considering acquiring the land it sits on.

The Michie Tavern is obviously an iconic location in the community. If you look at the brown landmark signs in the area, a lot of them also mention Michie Tavern, Dengel said.

The foundation bought the right of first refusal on the property back in 1973, according to Dengel, and the easement on the nearby Saunders-Monticello Trail in 1997.

For decades, I think its been a critical piece of our mission to ensure that the approach to Monticello, which a huge majority of people go to up Route 53, is preserved as historic, Dengel said.

Little is expected to change at the tavern.

All existing reservations will be honored, and guests can expect the same great service and delicious food that has made Michie Tavern a favorite for both locals and visitors, reads a foundation statement announcing the news.

For more than half a century, the site has been owned and operated by the MacDonald family. In the statement announcing the planned acquisition, Executive Director Greg MacDonald is quoted saying his family is proud of what its accomplished at Michie Tavern over that tenure.

We are delighted that Michie Taverns future will be in the capable hands of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation so future generations can continue to enjoy the wonderful experience we worked so hard to create. I would like to sincerely thank our hardworking staff, local customers, and our visitors from all over the globe who have supported Michie Tavern for the past fifty-five years, MacDonald said.

Hes been a long-term great partner, and this was just a very, very natural fit, Dengel said of MacDonald. A significant number of tour buses that come up to Monticello stop at the tavern before or after visits, so its always been a very symbiotic relationship.

The change will mean more Monticello-themed items in the taverns gift shop, and the foundation will be coordinating how to bring food from the tavern to the mountaintop and Jefferson Vineyards.

Two of the key missions of the Foundation are preservation and education, Dengel said in Tuesdays statement. This transaction will ensure that Monticellos principal entrance corridor and the Saunders-Monticello Trail are protected and preserved, allowing visitors to continue to enjoy a scenic journey to Monticello for generations to come.
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The federal judge overseeing Donald Trumps election interference case and the prosecutor who brought it before the court both appear been targeted by swatting incidents at their respective homes.

Police and fire trucks arrived at Judge Tanya Chutkans home after false reports of a shooting on Sunday night, reported NBC News.

A police report obtained by the outlet states that officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to a call at around 10pm and that the judge, who was not named in the report, was at home when they arrived on the scene.

The unnamed resident told officers that she was not injured and that there was no one in her home.

A police spokesperson told NBC News that the department had determined no shooting took place.

A swatting typically involves a fake emergency call to 911 operators that can lead to heavily armed and armoured law enforcement teams being dispatched.

It is the latest swatting incident to take place in recent weeks, with the Maine secretary of state who blocked Mr Trump from the 2024 primary ballot also targeted.

On Monday NBC reported that special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the prosecution of Mr Trump over election interference and his handling of classified documents, was swatted at his Maryland home on Christmas day

Police were reportedly told that Mr Smith had shot his wife, only to be called off when US Marshals protecting the residence assured them that it was a false alarm.

Police and fire trucks arrived at Judge Tanya Chutkans home after false reports of a shooting on Sunday night

Ms Chutkan is the judge overseeing Mr Smiths federal case brought by Mr Smith against the former president, and has already been targeted by Mr Trump on social media and faced threats from his fans.

Texas woman Abigail Jo Shry, 43, was arrested and charged in August 2023 with transmitting a threat to injure a person via interstate commerce.

An affidavit in the case states that she allegedly called the judge on 5 August and left a threatening voicemail message for her.

Hey you stupid slave, prosecutors say that Ms Shry said before referring to the judge using the N-word.

You are in our sights, we want to kill you.  If Trump doesnt get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly, b, the message allegedly continued.

You will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it.

Mr Trumps trial is set to start in March unless the US Supreme Court rules on an immunity claim made by the Republican.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him during a court appearance in August.

This story was updated at 9:12pm on 8 January 2023 to add details of an additional swatting event against special prosecutor Jack Smith.
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Former president Donald Trumps lawyer told a three-judge panel of the US Court Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that a president would be immune from prosecution unless impeached and convicted, even if he was accused of having ordered a rivals murder by the US military.

During arguments in a Washington DC courtroom on Tuesday, Trump attorney D John Sauer told Judges Michelle Childs, Florence Pan and Karen Henderson that Mr Trump is immune from prosecution under the impeachment and double jeopardy clauses of the US Constitution, citing the Senates 2021 acquittal of the ex-president on charges that he incited the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Judge Florence Pan, a 2022 appointee to the circuit court by President Joe Biden, almost immediately began a rapid-fire questioning of Trump attorney D John Sauer over his contention.

She asked Mr Sauer if, hypothetically, a president could order the killing of a rival by the US military or sell pardons and be immune from any legal consequences.

I understand your position to be that a president is immune from criminal prosecution for any official act that he takes as president even if that action is taken for an unlawful or unconstitutional purpose, is that correct? she said.

He replied that prosecution would only be allowed following a conviction by the Senate.

She interjected to repeat the query after Mr Sauers filibustering answer: I asked you a yes or no question. Could a president who ordered SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival ... would he be subject to criminal prosecution?

He replied: Qualified yes  if he is impeached and convicted first.

He later added that in his view, such a president would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.

James Pearce, the Assistant Special Counsel who argued the case for the US government, said Mr Sauers comments portended an extraordinarily frightening future because his view would place presidents largely outside and above the law.
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A trio of judges on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appeared to be sceptical of former president Donald Trumps claim that he enjoys sweeping immunity from prosecution as an ex-chief executive during arguments in a Washington DC courtroom on Tuesday.

With Mr Trump present in the courtroom, not far from where a riotous mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol just three years ago, all three members of the three-judge panel expressed at least some level of doubt at the arguments put forth by Mr Trumps attorneys, who were appealing a district court judges decision denying him the immunity that would prevent him from being tried on charges related to his efforts to unlawfully remain in office after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

Judge Florence Pan, a 2022 appointee to the circuit court by President Joe Biden, almost immediately began a rapid-fire questioning of Trump attorney D John Sauer over his contention that presidents cannot be prosecuted absent a conviction following an impeachment trial in the Senate.

She asked Mr Sauer if, hypothetically, a president could order the killing of a rival by the US military or sell pardons and be immune from any legal consequences.

I understand your position to be that a president is immune from criminal prosecution for any official act that he takes as president even if that action is taken for an unlawful or unconstitutional purpose, is that correct? she said.

He replied that prosecution would only be allowed following a conviction by the Senate.

Mr Sauer also argued to the court that prosecutors position against immunity would allow a US Attorney in Texas to somehow prosecute Mr Biden after the end of his term for mismanaging the border allegedly.

His arguments appeared to receive a critical reception from the two other judges on the panel, Judge Michelle Childs and Judge Karen Henderson.

Judge Childs, a recent appointee to the court under Mr Biden who was also under consideration for the US Supreme Court seat now held by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, suggested that there has never been any presumption of post-presidency immunity for ex-presidents, citing Gerald Fords pardon of Richard Nixon after Nixons resignation from the presidency.

The pardon, she said, indicated an assumption that you could be prosecuted.

In response, Mr Sauer argued that Nixons potential prosecution would have been for private conduct and attempted to distinguish that case from Mr Trump, who he claimed was being prosecuted for official actions taken to question election results.

But Judge Florence Henderson, a veteran of the court who was appointed by President George W Bush, suggested that the immunity Mr Trumps attorneys are seeking is in conflict with the presidents basic responsibilities.

I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law, she said.

The attorney appearing for Special Counsel Jack Smiths office, James Pearce, told the panel that the governments position is that there is no immunity for ex-presidents for any criminal acts.

The President has a unique constitutional role [but] is not above the law, he said. Separation of powers principles, constitutional text, history, precedent, and other immunity doctrines all points to the conclusion that a former President enjoys no immunity from criminal prosecution.

Mr Pearce added that at minimum, the court should not recognise any form of immunity in this case, citing the fact that Mr Trump is alleged to have conspired to overturn the results of a presidential election.

Asked whether the government believes the court has jurisdiction to hear the case at this stage under court precedent limiting criminal appeals before a trial has taken place, Mr Pearce told the court that the governments interest is in doing justice and serving the public interest by moving quickly to a trial.

Citing arguments from Mr Trumps attorneys who claimed that denying Mr Trump immunity would result in a glut of prosecutions of ex-presidents every time the White House changes hands from one party to another, Judge Henderson asked Mr Pearce how the court could craft an opinion that would avoid opening the floodgates to political prosecutions.

He replied that previous investigations of presidents, such as the long-running probe into then-president Bill Clinton in the 1990s, didnt result in Mr Clinton being charged with any crimes.

The fact that this investigation did doesn't reflect that we are going to see a sea change of vindictive tit-for-tat prosecutions in the future. I think it reflects the fundamentally unprecedented nature of the criminal charges here, he said.

Never before has there been allegations that a sitting president has, with private individuals and using the levers of power, sought to fundamentally subvert the democratic republic and the electoral system. And frankly, if that kind of fact pattern arises again, I think it would be awfully scary if there weren't some sort of mechanism by which to reach that in criminally.

The charges against Mr Trump stem from a multi-year federal investigation into his and his allies efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 election as detailed in a 45-page indictment outlining three alleged criminal conspiracies and the obstruction of Joe Bidens victory, culminating in a mobs violent breach of the US Capitol.

Last month, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Mr Trumps motion to dismiss the case on his immunity grounds, writing in a 48-page ruling that his four-year term did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens.The office does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass, nor do former presidents enjoy any special consideration after leaving office, when they are subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office, according to Judge Chutkan.

Last month, the US Supreme Court declined the special counsels request to fast-track a review of Mr Trumps immunity claims, letting the appeal play out as scheduled at the appellate court.

But an appeal of any outcome from Tuesdays hearing could likely head right back to the nations high court, potentially causing delays and pushing the start of Mr Trumps trial back from the 4 March start date set out last summer by Judge Chutkan.

Mr Smiths office has warned judges and the Supreme Court that ongoing litigation could push a timeline further into the election year, opening the possibility of courts deciding whether to try Mr Trump as a president-elect.

If the appeals judges dismiss Mr Trumps claims, his attorneys could request a re-hearing with a full panel of appellate judges or take the case to the Supreme Court.

Justices are already scheduled to consider another major constitutional question of whether he can disqualified from public office under the scope of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits anyone who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office.
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Donald Trump simply walked away when asked if he would discourage his followers from violence as he ended a press conference in Washington, DC after attending a hearing at the Districts US Court of Appeals.

Will you tell your supporters now, no matter what, no violence? a reporter asked Mr Trump as he left the briefing. The former president, whose second impeachment came after he was accused of inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection, refused to answer and kept walking out of the room.

I did absolutely nothing wrong, working for the country, and I worked very hard on voter fraud  And we found tremendous voter fraud. We have a list of it.  Determinative fraud, Mr Trump told the press after the hearing detailing his legal teams argument that hes immune from prosecution in the election interference case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

A president has to have immunity. The other thing is I did nothing wrong, Mr Trump claimed.

Mr Trump was quickly criticised for not discouraging violence among his supporters.

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at a Washington hotel on Tuesday 9 January 2024 (AP)

Alex Zeldin, a columnist for The Forward, wrote on X: Trump will burn everything down in the name of keeping himself out of prison. Thats why hes running. Thats why he wont say no violence.

Former GOP Congressman Joe Walsh wrote: Trump has always wanted there to be violence committed in his defense. He wanted violence on January 6th, and hell want violence again this year.

Anti-gun violence advocate Fred Guttenberg added: As my friend @WalshFreedom knows, I never thought Trump would run. I lost a bet with Joe over it. I also said to him 2 years ago that if he does run, it will be a hedge against his criminal exposure and he will incite violence to stay out of prison. Of course he wont answer.

Newsletter writer John Stoehr said, Violence and the threat of violence are probably why hes the frontrunner.

Writer Michael Freeman noted that He was thrilled that his mobs ransacked the Capitol for him and, if he loses, its not going to bother him if they do it again.

Of course, I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social after the immunity hearing he hopes will end the January 6 case against him. I wasnt campaigning, the Election was long over. I was looking for voter fraud.

Mr Trump appeared in front of a panel of three judges  Michelle Childs, Karen LeCraft Henderson, and Florence Pan.

The judges pressed Mr Trumps lawyer John Sauer on the claim pushed by the former presidents legal team that hes covered by the right not to be tried for actions during his presidency  pushing for examples of precedent including explicit mentions that a president is immune.

Mr Sauer argued that President George W Bush hadnt been charged with obstruction of justice after falsely leading the country into the Iraq war on false pretences and asked if President Barack Obama should be charged with murder for civilians killed in drone strikes.

He added that there was no prosecution of President Bill Clinton after he pardoned Marc Rich, a fugitive whose ex-wife made large contributions to the Clinton Presidential Center and the Senate campaign of then-first lady Hillary Clinton.

The argument of the Trump team appeared to hinge on the impeachment clause.

Mr Sauer repeatedly argued that Mr Trump would only be subject to prosecution if he had been impeached and convicted by Congress, something he narrowly escaped twice after being acquitted with the help of Senate Republicans.

By that standards, Judge Pan in particular pressed for a yes or no answer from Mr Sauer on if a Senate conviction is a requirement for Mr Trump to be prosecuted, something Mr Sauer appeared unwilling to give a one-word answer to.

The judges and the government prosecutors put forward the examples of a president ordering the Navy SEALs to kill a political rival or a critic, selling pardons or military secrets, and simply resigning before being impeached  would such a president be immune from prosecution?

Judge Pan noted that the impeachment clause narrowed the issue since Mr Sauer agreed that a president could be prosecuted following a conviction by Congress  meaning that a presidents immunity is not absolute.

All your other arguments fall away if you concede that a president can be prosecuted, Judge Pan told Mr Sauer.

Mr Sauer cited on several occasions the worry of the founding fathers of criminal prosecution being used to crush a presidency.

Pointing to Mr Trump and raising his voice, Mr Sauer claimed that President Joe Biden was prosecuting his top political rival, despite there being no evidence that Mr Biden has given any directions to the Department of Justice regarding his predecessor.

If a president has to look over his shoulder every time he has to make a controversial decision, worrying about this could send me to jail when my opponent comes into office  that damages the presidency, he added.

Speaking for the Department of Justice, lawyer James Pearce argued that Mr Trump is attempting to claim that his presidential immunity extends beyond his time in office, noting that in the 1974 case of US v Nixon, the court held that a president doesnt have executive privilege in immunity from subpoenas or other actions by civil courts.

At least since Watergate, it has been accepted that former presidents are subject to prosecution, Mr Pearce said.

He pushed back against the notion shared by the Trump legal team that the prosecutions of Mr Trump open the floodgates of political prosecutions, noting that the probes into Mr Clinton did not lead to charges and that the investigations into Mr Trump did lead to charges does not mean that well have a future of tit-for-tat prosecutions.

In his closing statement, Mr Sauer argued once again that the Trump prosecutions will open the floodgates. Ironically, its his client who has promised to make that future reality when he previously suggested that if he returns to the White House, he may have Mr Biden indicted.

At the press conference after the hearing, Trump lawyer John Lauro appeared to contradict the legal teams immunity argument when he said, Joe Biden could be prosecuted for trying to stop this man from becoming the next president of the United States.
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A US Navy officer has been sentenced to two years in jail for providing sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer, the US Justice Department said.

Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, California, received at least $14,866 in bribe in exchange for secret military information from the Chinese intelligence officer during his service at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme.

He pleaded guilty on October 2023 for one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe.

Zhao was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Monday and fined $5,500.

Zhao passed sensitive information, including plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Indo-Pacific theatre, operational orders and electrical diagrams and blueprints for ground and air radar systems in Okinawa, Japan among several other documents.

Mr Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military, said assistant attorney general Matthew G Olsen.

He added that the Justice Department is committed to combating the Chinese governments efforts to undermine our nations security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts.

US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma seen from Kakazutakadai Park in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture (AFP via Getty Images)

He received the payments in 14 transactions between August 2021 and at least May 2023.

He entered restricted military and naval installations to collect and record" information, the justice department said, adding that he used "sophisticated encrypted communication methods" to transmit the information.

He used to destroy evidence of his communication and concealed his relationship with a Chinese spy.

Zhao is a US citizen who was born in China after immigrating to the US in 2009. He enlisted in the navy five years after he became a citizen in 2012.

Another US Navy member, Jinchao Wei, 22, was arrested around the same time as Zhao in late August and charged with spying for the Chinese agents. Mr Wei, who served on the assault ship the USS Essex, is accused of handing dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing operations of US ships to Chinese intelligence.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said it was not aware of the details of Zhaos cases and accused the US government of hyping up espionage cases.
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Watch live as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily briefing on Tuesday, 9 January.

The briefing comes as US federal appeals court judges in Washington heard arguments about Donald Trumps claims of immunity from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results.

The briefing is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET.

Mr Trump appeared in front of a panel of three judges  Michelle Childs, Karen LeCraft Henderson, and Florence Pan.

The judges pressed Mr Trumps lawyer John Sauer on the claim pushed by the former presidents legal team that hes covered by the right not to be tried for actions during his presidency.

Mr Sauer argued that President George W Bush hadnt been charged with obstruction of justice after leading the country into the Iraq war on false pretences.

Mr Sauer then asked if President Barack Obama should be charged with murder for civilians killed in drone strikes.
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Eleven years ago, Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), delivered a speech elevating the gun advocacy nonprofit after 20 elementary school children were shot and killed in Newtown, Connecticut.

That day, Mr LaPierre stood on a stage in a sophisticated dark suit and did what his lawyer said he believed one of his duties was as the executive vice president: talk to people to enlist their support for the NRA.

The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, Mr LaPierre said.

His words shocked those in mourning but resonated with gun rights advocates, just as they had over the two decades that Mr LaPierrebecame the face of the organisation.

But Monday afternoon, the recently resigned Mr LaPierre sat in a plain blue suit adjacent to a twelve-person jury in a New York courtroom, awaiting opening arguments in New York Attorney General Letitia Jamess trial against him and two other former or current NRA executives.

This time, Mr LaPierre just listened as Sarah Rogers, a lawyer representing the gun advocacy group, argued, The NRA is not Wayne LaPierre.

Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, arrives to a courtroom in New York on Monday 8 January 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The position and power Mr LaPierre held for 32 years are under the microscope in the case of alleged corruption  brought by Ms James in 2020.

The New York attorney general alleges that for years, Mr LaPierre routinely abused his authority to conceal payments or reimbursements from the organisation for luxury trips taken on private jets, yachts or black-car service, expensive gifts for friends, employees or vendors, private security, lavish meals and more.

Ms James alleges that Mr LaPierre maintained power by retaining employees regardless of experience or skills that he believed would aid him in controlling the organisation  this includes his current co-defendants, former CFO Wilson Woody Phillips and general counsel John Frazer.

It also included a former defendant, former chief of staff Joshua Powell, who reached a settlement agreement with the AG last week.

Ms James said in her complaint.

In total, the allegations paint Mr LaPierre as an autocratic executive who kept a leash around those in high-up positions in order to get what he wanted  something Monica Connell, an assistant attorney general, summed up by calling Mr LaPierre the king of the NRA

The NRA allowed Wayne LaPierre  to operate the NRA as Waynes World for decades, Ms Connell said during opening arguments on Monday.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (REUTERS)

For years, stories about power struggles between former executives and Mr LaPierre have circulated the news cycles. Infighting between NRA leaders in 2019 revealed there was an alleged coup to try and oust Mr LaPierre.

But when members of the NRA were asked whether or not they were confident in Mr LaPierres leadership, they overwhelmingly voted yes.

Mr LaPierre, who is largely credited with amplifying the pro-gun movement in the US, had spent a great deal of his time at the NRA helping diffuse tension between mass shootings and firearms.

Aside from his comments about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, he also pointed the finger at a 2017 Las Vegas shooters access to bump stocks and accused Democrats of exploiting the Parkland school shooting for political gain.

Undoubtedly, Mr LaPierres commitment to the NRA helped elevate its status to what its as known today.

But the organisation has also faced some blows over the last few years  membership dropped from nearly six million in 2018 to under five million in 2021. Between 2020 and 2021 the organisations revenue also faced a dip of more than $50m.

Then, amid a chaotic number of controversies, Ms James made a promise during her campaign for attorney general that she would investigate charities, including the NRA, for financial improprieties.

Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Association, addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on February 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida (Getty Images)

Mr LaPierres attorney, Kent Correll told jurors on Tuesday that Mr LaPierre served his role at the NRA well, honorably and honestly.

He argued that Mr LaPierres trips on yachts and private jets were necessary for networking to help the NRA meet its goal of advocating for the Second Amendment while maintaining Mr LaPierres safety.

As CEO and executive vice president, Mr LaPierre saw his duties as going out and meeting people to understand different viewpoints on guns and gun policy  including the president of the United States.

He saw his duty as broader than sitting in an office, in a headquarters, reviewing contracts and invoices, Mr Correll said. He travelled a lot because he viewed his duty as being with people.

That travel included the occasional yacht trip which Mr Correll said he too would embark on if invited. Additionally, Mr Correll blamed an advertising agency for forcing Mr LaPierre to purchase expensive clothing  on the companys dime  to maintain a certain image.

NRA general counsel John Frazer arrives to a courthouse in New York, Monday, 8 January 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The NRA maintains that Mr LaPierre repaid the money he owed with interest.

Ms Rogers, an attorney at Brewer, Attorneys & Counsel representing the NRA, clearly distanced the organisation from the former CEO and executive vice president, painting the gun advocacy organisation as a victim of executives wrongdoings while also keeping Mr LaPierre in good light.

The truth you will learn about Mr LaPierre during this trial is that he has been a valuable and visionary leader, of this association and of gun rights, Ms Rogers said.

She added that Mr LaPierre was not always a meticulous executive.

Over the next six weeks, the jury will hear testimony to determine whether or not the NRA, Mr LaPierre, Mr Wilson and Mr Frazer are liable for breaking state not-for-profit laws and what money, if any, they owed back to the NRA.

Initially, Ms James had sought to dissolve the NRA and remove Mr LaPierre from his role. But the judge overseeing the case dismissed the dissolvement and Mr LaPierre resigned from his position on Friday  citing health reasons.
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A man was flown to hospital for treatment after being bitten by a shark off the coast of South Australia.

The 64-year-old, who has not been named, was reportedly surfing in the Eyre Peninsula when he sustained a bite to his leg.

He had been about 200 metres offshore at Blacks, Elliston when the incident happened, surfing website Swellnet reported.

A picture shared by the website showed the mans surfboard with large bite marks on it.

The man was able to swim back to the shore and presented to Elliston Hospital on Tuesday with a wound on his leg, Southern Australia Ambulance said.

His condition was described as stable and he was due to be flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment.

It comes less than two weeks after a teenager died following a shark bite he sustained while also surfing in South Australia.

Khai Cowley, 15, was attacked by a suspected great white shark with his father off remote Ethel Beach on the Yorke Peninsula west of his hometown of Adelaide , authorities said.

His death was the third fatal shark attack in the waters off South Australia state in recent months.

Surfers died in shark attacks in remote parts of South Australia in May and October. Their bodies were never recovered.

South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said there have been 11 fatal shark attacks in the states waters since 2000.

The fact that three of those fatalities occurred since May is startling and is of concern, he told Nine Network television Friday.

Malinauskas said there was little the government could do to make beaches safer outside Adelaide, the state capital and its most populous city.

Outside the state, a 16-year-old girl killed by a bull shark in a river in the west coast city of Perth in February was the only other fatal shark attack in Australia during 2023.

Adelaide-based shark expert Andrew Fox said the increase in shark attacks in South Australia this year, including two non-fatal attacks, was difficult to explain.

He said overcast conditions like those at Ethel Beach on Thursday can embolden sharks to attack.
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The Vaticans new doctrine chief is raising eyebrows over a book he wrote as a young priest describing orgasms in graphic terms.

The out-of-print, Spanish-language book penned by now-Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, entitled The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality, is similar in tone to another Fernandez book that sparked scandal soon after he was appointed, Heal Me With Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing.

Neither title was included in the list of publications the Vatican provided when Pope Francis named Fernandez as prefect of the Vaticans Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and gave him marching orders to radically change the offices course.

Pope Francis (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Argentine theologian had been known as Francis theological ghostwriter and has already shaken up the Catholic Church with a flurry of official decrees on issues such as allowing transgender people to serve as godparents.

The Mystical Passion, published in Mexico in 1998, is a short expose about mystical-sensual experiences with God.

In its final chapters, Fernandez delves into orgasms, including graphic descriptions of male and female sexual anatomy and his commentary about sexual desire, pornography, sexual satisfaction and domination, and the role of pleasure in Gods mystical plan.

Its explicitness suggests at least familiarity with sex and orgasm that would seem uncommon for a celibate priest.

At one point, describing the female orgasm, he concluded that women are often insatiable and may crave more, purportedly because of ample blood flow during a climax.

Fernandez has refused several requests for comment from The Associated Press, and didnt respond when asked Monday for clarification about The Mystical Passion. In comments to some Catholic media, he said he wrote the book when he was a young priest, would never write such a thing now and had ordered its publication halted soon after it first came out after he realized it could be misunderstood.

In comments to Crux, an online Catholic website, Fernandez said he had written The Mystical Passion after having conversations with young couples who wanted to better understand their relationships. It was a similar comment he gave in explaining why he wrote Heal Me With Your Mouth.

The Mystical Passion, which was unearthed by traditionalist Catholic blogs in Italy and Argentina, Messa in Latino and Caminante Wanderer, respectively, resurfaced Monday as conservative and traditionalist Catholics have heightened their criticism of Fernandez following the publication of a declaration from his office approving blessings for same-sex couples.

Vatican Pope Epiphany (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The declaration, which was approved by Francis on Dec. 18 and published a day later, sparked a remarkable backlash among bishops around the world, with some national bishops conferences in Africa, Poland and elsewhere flatly saying they wouldnt implement it.

The pushback prompted Fernandez to issue an explanatory note last Thursday insisting that the declaration wasnt heretical but acknowledging that its provisions may not be applicable at least immediately in parts of the world. He allowed that further pastoral reflection may be necessary.

While LGBTQ+ Catholics have hailed Fernandezs openness to making the Catholic Church a more welcoming place, conservatives have been vocal in their outrage.

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, the retired head of the Vaticans liturgy office, was the latest high-ranking prelate to denounce the declaration known as Fiducia Supplicans, saying it was the work of the devil and insisting on previous church teaching declaring homosexual acts to be intrinsically disordered.

Sarah praised those bishops conferences in Africa that have rejected the declaration and said he joined in their ranks.

In doing so, we are not opposing Pope Francis, but we are firmly and radically opposing a heresy that seriously undermines the church, the body of Christ, because it is contrary to the Catholic faith and tradition, he wrote in an essay published by Vatican columnist Sandro Magister.

To date, the reaction to The Mystical Passion has been fiercest among traditionalist and conservative Catholic commentators on social media. Coupled with recent comments from one of the Vaticans most respected canon lawyers, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, saying the church should open discussion on allowing priests to marry, many on the Catholic right sense the ground is shifting.

The Wanderer, a conservative Catholic newspaper in the United States, said the revelations about Fernandezs book were cause for alarm and confirmed the direction of Francis 10-year pontificate.

If this is not grounds for immediate removal of Cardinal Fernandez from his post at the Doctrine of the Faith and the repeal of the the document Fiducia Supplicans  this pontificate along with our church will be heading further into the abyss, wrote Joseph Matt, the newspaper president, in an online editorial.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, didnt respond when asked if Francis still had confidence in Fernandez to lead the doctrine office, whether he knew about The Mystical Passion and why it wasnt included in the list of publications provided by the Vatican when Fernandez was appointed on July 1.
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Face masks will become mandatory in hospitals and healthcare centres in Spain this week following a surge in respiratory illnessess.

The Spanish minority coalition government imposed the measures despite opposition from most of Spains 17 autonomous regions, who argued the measures should be recommended but not obligatory.

The move comes after hospitals have faced pressure following a spike in cases of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses throughout the country.

We are talking about putting on a mask when you enter a health center and taking it off when you leave. I dont think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure of the first order, health minister Monica Garcia told Spanish radio.

Six regions have already introduced the measure and masks have been commonly used on streets and public transport and in health centers in recent months.

Face masks will become mandatory in hospitals and healthcare centres in Spain this week (AP)

In the UK, face coverings are needed in clinical areas of three Leicester hospitals despite masks no longer being required by law.

Leicester Royal Infirmary, the Leicester General and Glenfield Hospital require the masks in covered wards and emergency department waiting areas.

The masks are not be mandatory in non-clinical spaces like offices, lifts, restaurants and corridors, according to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

In the United States, hospitals in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory for patients and providers.

The reintroduction of face masks in Spain comes amid a surge in respiratory illnesses (AP)

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said the decision was made to avoid mass staff shortages caused by sickness.

And in Greece, officials reintroduced the advisory advice of wearing masks indoors amid a surge of Covid cases throughout the country.

In the UK, scientists warned the government had let its guard down over Covid as concerns grew over the new BA.2.86 coronavirus variant.

At the moment weve let our guard down and were quite blind to whats going on, said Professor Lawrence Young of the University of Warwick.
Already stung by the recent recusals of two local judges, the Albemarle County Commonwealths Attorneys Office has now been told it must recuse itself from the prosecution of one of the estimated 300 participants in the racist torch-bearing mob that marched across University of Virginia Grounds in 2017.

The ruling was made Monday after a contentious, hourslong hearing overseen by Judge H. Thomas Padrick Jr.

Looking at the totality of the evidence thats been presented, there is an appearance of a conflict, and the Commonwealths Attorneys Office should recuse, Padrick said in his ruling.

In granting the defense motion to appoint a special prosecutor for the case of Jacob Joseph Dix of Clarksville, Ohio, Padrick stressed that his ruling should not be seen as an attack on prosecutor W. Lawton Tufts, whom he called certainly admirable.

Tufts, the man who has been prosecuting the torch cases and who was the hearings primary subject, appeared stung in court Monday. An assistant commonwealths attorney, Tufts afterwards declined to take the outstretched hand of Peter Frazier, the defense attorney who successfully argued the motion.

Not after all the stuff you pulled, Peter, Tufts told him.

As the legal combatants departed the courtroom, Jim Hingeley, the county commonwealths attorney who argued the bulk of the matter in Albemarle Circuit Court, told The Daily Progress hed be making no further comment than his already-noted objection to Padricks ruling.

Frazier, by contrast, seemed to savor his victory.

Judge Padrick made the correct decision, said Frazier. It was inappropriate for this commonwealths attorney to prosecute this case.

Over the course of the nearly four-hour hearing, Frazier repeatedly hammered at Tufts for his relationship with groups such as Black Lives Matter and Showing Up for Racial Justice, communicating security concerns with leaders of those progressive organizations before and during the torch-lit march on Aug. 11, 2017, which served as a prologue to the violent Unite the Right rally-turned-riot the next day. Frazier showed the court emails he obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request that appear to show Tufts offering to research legal issues for people and groups that opposed Unite the Right.

He worked with, interacted with and collaborated with the counterprotesters, Frazier argued.

The planned Unite the Right rally never actually took place, as clashes between hundreds of White nationalists and detractors turned into violent chaos on the streets of Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. After it was decreed an illegal assembly and dispersed from the tiny downtown park, once named Lee Park for the statue of the Confederate general at its center, avowed neo-Nazi James Fields of Ohio drove his vehicle into a crowd of people, killing anti-racist counterprotester Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others. Fields today is serving a life sentence for his crimes in federal prison in Springfield, Missouri.

Tufts took the stand as the fifth witness on Monday. Noting that he wasnt a prosecutor in 2017 and was just looking out for the safety of his community, he also bristled at the notion that his office was making a political stand with its prosecutions, something that Frazier had argued.

Im not prosecuting an idea, testified Tufts. They carried a torch, they surrounded a group of people, and they wouldnt let them out.

Tufts was referring to the events the night of Aug. 11, 2017, when the torch-bearing mob surrounded counterprotesters at the statue of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson in front of the UVa Rotunda. They brandished their torches at the counterprotesters, some of them students, and chanted Jews will not replace us and Blood and soil.

On the stand, Tufts said that if the accusation is that hes being accused of opposing Nazis and racists, he had an admission.

Then lock me up, said Tufts. Im guilty.

Even before his ruling, Padrick, who stepped into the case after Judge Cheryl Higgins recused herself, gave hints about his thinking.

Do you want to continue in this case? he asked Hingeley.

Yes, judge, we do, answered Hingeley, whose 2019 election to the prosecutors seat pitted him against an incumbent prosecutor who claimed that Virginias Klan-era law prohibiting the use of fire for racial intimidation, sometimes called the cross-burning statute, did not apply to what occurred on UVa Grounds in 2017.

Thus far, there have been four convictions among the hundreds who participated in the 2017 gathering. The two men who have been sentenced have received six-month jail terms.

So let me ask you this, Padrick continued, why did it take six years to bring the indictment?

Many things, answered Hingeley, recounting his predecessors stance. The investigation had to be reinitiated.

Dix, the man whose case triggered Mondays ruling, has blasted the delay in his case. While he harbored views some might consider White nationalist when he was 22, Dix, now 28, said he has changed.

Im kind of on trial for a past life, Dix told The Daily Progress after the decision was rendered Monday.

It is unclear how much of his worldview has changed. Dix maintained that it is admirable to be proud of ones heritage and that he still opposes the removal of Charlottesvilles state of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, the decision which triggered Unite the Right.

I thought it was an attack on my culture, said Dix.

In the wake of the Mondays ruling, legal minds were wrestling with the news.

Its pretty unusual that a whole prosecutors office would be recused, said University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias. I think thats pretty rare.

Tobias said that even when theres really no conflict, judges strive for fairness.

Judges are sensitive to appearance and might rule on the side of the defendants right to be protected and in terms of the public trust in the judicial system, he told The Daily Progress.

At least one member of the gallery, which numbered around 10 and was a larger crowd than in most cases, was public defender Jonathon Ray Packard. He represents another defendant who participated in the 2017 march whose case has yet to reach a resolution. Will this ruling affect his clients case?

That is unclear at this point, said Packard. The Commonwealths Attorneys Office will have to decide if the decision applies to all the defendants.

Hingeley may need to decide soon. His office is slated to go to back to court in a motions hearing in another case on Jan. 23.
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Emmanuel Macron has named 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as Frances new prime minister  the youngest in the countrys history.

Moving from the post of education minister, Mr Attal is the countrys most popular politician in recent opinion polls. He has made a name for himself as a savvy minister, at ease on radio shows and in parliament.

Mr Macron is seeking to put a bruising 2023 behind him, with pension and immigration reforms sparking protests and spats in parliament. Mr Macron lost his absolute majority shortly after being re-elected in 2022. He needs a boost to try and improve his chances of a good result in Junes European elections, where Mr Macrons camp is facing a threat from the far right. Opinion polls show Marine Le Pens National Rally party ahead in opinion polls by around eight to 10 percentage points.

Mr Attal will also become the first openly gay prime minister in Frances history. He has a civil partnership with French MEP Stephane Sejourne, who is also close to Mr Macron. Mr Sejourne warned this week that an energetic campaign is needed to convince people that there are other alternatives to radicalism, to extremes. He also said that the wider issues that all European nations face  immigration, the climate crisis, and the threat from Russia  require action, with populists and the extreme right having relied primarily on the inability [of national governments] to solve problems.

It will now be the job of Mr Attal to lead the French government into those elections. Mr Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, is deeply wary of both the far right and anti-EU populists gaining influence, with them rising in the polls in a number of nations, not least his own. A poor result for Mr Macrons Renaissance party and any multi-party alliance they find themselves in will likely also hit Renaissances domestic standing. Mr Macrons second term lasts until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term.

Frances president Emmanuel Macron with Attal (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Attals appointment is certainly an eye-catching one, with the combined age of Mr Attal and Mr Macron, 46, a year less than that of US President Joe Biden. The youngest president in [Frances] history is appointing the youngest prime minister in [Frances] history. I want to see it as a symbol of audacity, Mr Attal said. Polls show that he is by far the most admired member of the Macron government - competing at the same level as the presidents main enemy, Ms Le Pen, and her 28-year-old colleague Jordan Bardella.

I know I can count on your energy and your commitment, Mr Macron posted on Twitter/X in a message to Mr Attal. The president made a reference to Mr Attal reviving the spirit of 2017. That was the year Macron shook up French politics, and shot to a surprise victory as Frances youngest-ever president on a pro-business centrist platform aimed at reviving one of the worlds biggest economies. Mr Macron will work with Mr Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to continue in their posts.

Mr Attals rise has been rapid. A decade ago he was an obscure advisor in the health ministry. According to friends, Mr Attals political ambition was set in motion when he attended a demonstration against Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marines father, when the far right leader was voted into the second round presidential run-off against Jacques Chirac in 2002. He joined the Socialist party in 2006, before leaving to join Macrons newly formed centrist political party En Marche, which later became La Republique En Marche (LREM) and then Renaissance. He was seemingly inspired by Mr Macrons vow to reset the rulebook of centrist politics.

He rose to become a government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, during the Covid-19 pandemic, a job that made him well known to the French public. He was then named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister, one of the most prestigious positions in the French government.

Macron is trying to head off the threat of the populist and popular politician Marine Le Pen (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Attal quickly announced a ban on long robes in classrooms, which took effect with the new school year in September, saying the garments worn mainly by Muslims were testing secularism in the schools, a typically no-nonsense decision.

MP Patrick Vignal, who belongs to Mr Macrons Renaissance party, said Mr Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017 and that he is clear, he has authority.

Mr Attal is well respected in parliament, but he will face the same issues that his predecessor Elisabeth Borne did over her 20 months in the post. Namely, a resurgent Ms Le Pen, a parliament where pushing through new laws is a struggle thanks to the lack of a government majority, and a president in Mr Macron who seems unable to define what he wants his second term to achieve.

Opposition leaders were quick to say they did not expect much from the change in prime minister, with Mr Macron himself taking on much of the decision making. Elisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal or someone else, I dont care, it will just be the same policies, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure told France Inter radio. Some politicians also pointed to Mr Attals privileged Parisian background and sought to paint him as out of touch with the needs of French citizens during a cost of living crisis.

By appointing Gabriel Attal ... Emmanuel Macron wants to cling to his popularity in opinion polls to alleviate the pain of an interminable end to his reign, Mr Bardella, the president of the National Rally party said. Instead, he risks taking the short-lived education minister with him in his fall.

But Mr Macron will be hoping that his new prime minister is being underestimated, knowing that he is used to having to fight his corner. The son of Yves Attal, a lawyer and film producer of Tunisian-Jewish descent who died in 2015, and Marie de Couriss, who is descended from Orthodox Christians from Odesa in Ukraine, Mr Attal told Liberation: My father said to me, Perhaps youre Orthodox but youll feel Jewish all your life, mainly because youll suffer antisemitism because of your name. Mr Attal also recently told on national television how he suffered bullying at middle school, including homophobic harassment.

Too many French doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future. I think in particular of the middle class ... who get up every morning to go to work ... and sometimes cant make ends meet, Mr Attal said after the aannouncement, promising to work to control our destiny and free up Frances potential.
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A court in New Caledonias capital Noumea finally banned the practice of culling sharks which was implemented in response to a series of attacks last year.

A series of shark encounters in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory located in the South Pacific Ocean, resulting in the death of an Australian tourist, prompted officials to consider their culling.

However, the court said the systematic culls were disproportionate in regard to the aim of protecting human life.

The ruling was made public on 28 December.

Local authorities had earlier expressed concerns that the presence of sharks might deter tourists and pose ongoing risks to locals.

New Caledonia ranks 13th in the world for the number of shark attacks, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Yet, scientists advocate for research rather than lethal measures as the appropriate response.

The court criticised the lack of scientific evaluation of the impact of culling programmes. The decision followed a complaint from the environmental group Ensemble pour la Planete (EPLP), which will receive compensation of $3,301 from local authorities.

Noumeas municipal authorities were reportedly planning on filing an appeal against the administrative court decision.

Last year in February, a 59-year-old Australian tourist Chris Davis was killed in a shark attack in Noumea. That is when the local authorities decided to act. They temporarily shut down the year-round access to the capitals tropical beaches and also implemented a citywide prohibition on swimming in coastal areas.

While expressing satisfaction with the court ruling, EPLP remains concerned about the potential for culling to resume under different conditions.

Signage at a lifeguard station warns of risk of shark attacks and indicates the presence of a perimeter of supervised swimming area protected by a newly-installed maritime net barrier at a beach along the Baie des Citrons bay in Noumea, New Caledonia, 6 December 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Martine Cornaille, president of EPLP, said: We are worried because the judges left open the door to these culls in other conditions.

Earlier, Noumeas mayor Sonia Lagarde reiterated that there was an overpopulation problem and that we need to get rid of a certain number of [sharks] as a justification for the cull.

Shark scientist and behavioural ecologist, Dr Johann Mourier, told Forbes in August last year that culling campaigns seldom prove effective. Culling campaigns rarely work, they only serve to appease the population because of the emotion surrounding shark incidents.

Several environmental organisations, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature, strongly criticised the culling of sharks. The targeted bull and tiger sharks, removed from local protection lists, are deemed vulnerable species.

Eric Clua, a senior scientist and expert on shark ecology and behaviour told ABC News last year in May that the local council had made a rash decision to cull the sharks. Sharks play a key role in the natural system and culling campaigns will just [make that an unbalanced] ecosystem, he said.
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Watch as Antony Blinken spoke from Tel Aviv after meeting Israeli government officials on Tuesday, 9 January.

The US secretary of state visited the country as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continued.

He held talks on Tuesday as he sought to establish a plan for Gaza's future beyond the conflict.

Mr Blinken has said he has secured commitments from four Arab nations and Turkey to help rebuild Gaza after the war.

He is also trying to stop the fighting from spreading after an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

A top figure in Hezbollah was killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon, stoking fears the war in Gaza could spread across the Middle East.Lebanese media reported that Wissam Tawil, a commander of Hezbollahs elite Radwan forces, was killed in an airstrike on his vehicle in the south of the country.

Israels military did not comment but said it hit Hezbollah targets in response to cross-border attacks.
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A private spacecraft attempting to carry out the first US landing on the moon since Apollo has probably failed, its engineers have said.

Peregrine Mission One blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida as planned on Monday morning. But roughly seven hours into its journey, it was hit with a run of technical problems that have left the mission seemingly doomed.

Astrobotic, the company behind the launch, said the spacecraft had failed to point properly towards the sun. That meant that its batteries were not charging and the mission looked likely to be in peril.

Engineers managed to improvise a series of commands that were sent to the spacecraft, and it eventually pointed its solar panels towards the sun as it should. Astrobotic said the batteries were successfully charging.

Peregrine Mission One is carrying a host of science projects and instruments developed by scientists around the world (PA)

However, it later said that a propulsion system failure meant that the spacecraft was undergoing a critical loss of propellant. While its engineers were working to try and stabilise this loss, Astrobotic suggested that the mission had probably failed.

Given the situation, we have prioritised maximising the science and data we can capture, the company said. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.

Peregrine Mission One is carrying a host of science projects and instruments developed by scientists from around the world. They had aimed to better understand the moon, including the availability of resources  information that could be key to a plan to establish a base on its surface as part of Nasas Artemis programme.

Nasa hopes to send humans back to the lunar surface next year. Eventually, it hopes to build a base there, with a view to launching journeys onward to Mars.

The Peregrine mission is also carrying other cargo, including human remains and the DNA of former presidents including John F Kennedy. The plan to drop the remains onto the moons surface prompted some criticism from the Navajo Nation, whose president said that doing so would amount to the desecration of this sacred space.

If it had been successful, Peregrine Mission One would have been the first commercial American spacecraft in history to achieve a soft landing on the moon, and the first US spacecraft to land on the lunar surface since the Apollo missions around 50 years ago. Only four countries have ever accomplished this feat.

Astrobotics Peregrine lander as imagined after its landing on the moon (Astrobotic)

A second lander from a company in Houston, Texas, is due to launch next month.

Nasa gave the two companies millions to build and fly their own lunar landers. The space agency wants the privately owned landers to scope out the moon before astronauts arrive, while delivering tech and science experiments for Nasa as well as for other countries and universities.

The last time the US launched a moon-landing mission was in December 1972. Apollo 17s Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt became the 11th and 12th men to walk on the moon, ending an era that has remained Nasas pinnacle.

The space agencys new Artemis programme, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, looks to return astronauts to the moons surface within the next few years. First will come a lunar fly-around with four astronauts, possibly before the end of the year.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Samsung has unveiled a new AI-powered smart fridge which can recognise food items placed inside it and recommend recipes based on those ingredients.

The Bespoke 4-Door Flex fridge with AI Family Hub+ was one of a number of products announced with substantial AI built in as the South Korean firm laid out plans to further increase its use of AI technology.

Unveiling its new products ahead of the CES technology show in Las Vegas, Samsung also announced a high-end 8K television  the Neo QLED 8K QN900D  which uses AI to automatically upscale lower resolution content, as well as to analyse and boost voices and background noise to improve the viewing experience.

The increased deployment of artificial intelligence to boost the consumer experience when using gadgets is expected to be a key trend during the annual technology convention, which is attended by some of the biggest names in the industry.

Elsewhere on Monday, car firm Volkswagen announced it was integrating AI chatbot ChatGPT into its cars from this year.

Samsung said its new smart fridge is capable of recognising up to 33 different food items and recommend food recipes based on the items it identifies, while users can also set use by dates on items and be notified by their fridge to use them to help reduce food waste.

Samsung also confirmed it was expanding its use of AI in its home appliances, including its new AI Laundry Combo washer-dryer, which will use AI to automatically personalise laundry cycles and learning user habits.

In addition, upgraded AI in the firms new vacuum and robot mop cleaner, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo, can better detect different floors and even carpet lengths, as well as stains, to improve its cleaning capabilities.

JH Han, the tech giants chief executive of device experience, said AI will enable connected devices to improve daily lives while remaining non-intrusive and in the background.

With the emergence of artificial intelligence, smarter, better experiences will redefine how we live, he said.

Samsungs broad portfolio of powerful devices, along with the pursuit of open collaboration, will help bring AI and hyper-connectivity to all.

Elsewhere, Samsung also announced new partnerships with two car manufacturers around better linking smart homes and cars, and energy management around electric car charging and home energy use.

Through a deal with fellow Korean firm Hyundai, users will be able to link their smart home and car, meaning users will be able to turn the heating on their car in advance of using it, as well as control smart home controls such as heating and garage doors from within their connected car.

And through a new link-up with Elon Musks Tesla in the US, Samsung users will be able to manage the energy use of any electric vehicle charger they have, as well as any of Teslas other energy products, such as its Powerwall home battery and solar panel management system, via its SmartThings Energy platform.

At CES, Samsung also announced its robot companion Ballie  first announced in 2020  had been updated to now be able to interact with other smart home devices and project video and images on walls to help with daily tasks, such as video calling or reminders.
The Chase star Mark Labbett has revealed how he wooed his girlfriend with a gold Tobey Carvery card.

Labbett and Hayley Palmer appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday 9 January and discussed how they first got together after the National Television Awards in 2022.

Ive heard a lot of chat up lines, but Ive never heard: Ive got a Tobey Carvery gold card before, Palmer said.

I was like Wow, okay, this is pretty impressive.

Labbett went on to explain that the gold card offers a little bit of discount at Tobey Carvery and is good for treating people.

He also discussed his weight loss during the appearance.
Conditions on the Bibby Stockholm barge are harrowing and humiliating, a Labour MP has claimed.

Nadia Whittome met with asylum seekers housed on the vessel and asked them about the conditions on board.

The men I met said it felt like living in a prison, Ms Whittome said, adding that their testimony was emotional and harrowing.

Conditions are cramped, but their ability to leave the barge is restricted... theyre searched not only on the way in but also the way out. Its time-consuming and its humiliating.

Ms Whittome shared further testimony from Bibby Stockholm residents in the video she posted on social media and vowed to fight for an asylum system that treats people with dignity and care on her return to parliament.
Emergency services surrounded the Sandman Signature Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday (8 January) after a major incident.

Fort Worth Fire Department urged people to avoid the downtown area as it worked with multiple other emergency responders on the incident.

Police echoed the fire departments calls for bystanders to stay away from the hotel and said loved ones could reunite at Sundance Square.

Footage showed debris scattered close by the hotel, which is in the Waggoner Building on Houston Street dating back to 1920.
Michael Gove appeared to have an injury to his face as he arrived at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 9 January.

The housing secretary also appeared on BBC News with a mark visible on his forehead.

It came as the government announced proposals to bring in a strict time frame for landlords to fix problems under legislation named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Landlords will have to make emergency repairs within 24 hours under the proposals.
Matt Harmon has loved wine for a long time.

The 31-year-old Charlottesville native remembers cooking with his father as a young boy and watching him try to find the best wine to pair with family dinner. Years later, Harmon has started to do the same, going to vineyards, tasting different wines from different places, and learning what makes each vintage, each varietal special.

I just fell in love with the whole process of wine and what it could be, he told The Daily Progress one afternoon at King Family Vineyards in Crozet.

Wine differs from other alcohols, Harmon said, because there is so much variety. A vodka drinker may not be interested in bourbons, and a scotch drinker may not have the taste for gin.

With wine though, its like theres something for everybody, he said. Theres all these different ranges, and from that I loved the idea of everybody having the opportunity to enjoy something together.

So he was surprised to find that despite being in one of the worlds premier wine regions  just last year the Charlottesville area was named Wine Enthusiasts Wine Region of the Year  many of his friends didnt share his interest.

There were a lot of people who were my age and who looked like me that felt a little uncomfortable going to wineries, he recalled. They dont know much about the wine, they are a little intimidated by the pairings and the atmosphere. So what I wanted to do was take the winery atmosphere and apply it to other areas of life where people are already hanging out.

Harmon loved wine. He knew about the community it can build between people, not just the elites sitting at prix fixe dinners and sommeliers studying bouquets and mouthfeels.

As the founder of Harmony Wines, Harmon has sought to make the wine-drinking community as diverse as wine itself. Instead of navigating the wine-colored seas on their own, Harmon helps steer people to comfortable coves and safe havens, where they can drink, learn and immerse themselves. Harmony Wines offers tours and tastings in the wine country surrounding Charlottesville, private events and even its own canned wines.

Harmon said he established Harmony Wines in direct response to the world of wine as he saw it.

Id go to a three-course dinner and try some cool wines from different places in the world, and Id be the youngest person by like 40 or sometimes 50 years, he said. It was still a pleasurable experience, but the atmosphere could be stuffy to the point of gatekeeping, not the sort of thing that would attract more people like him: Black, young, professional.

I want to have a taco or a burger with this wine and talk about the latest album that came out or play music that I want to hear or be with friends that are my age, he said.

Traditional wine events can be intimidating for people new to wine, effectively serving as a barrier for those who would otherwise like to learn more. Charging $100 for a three-course meal is not a great way to broaden the wine community, he said. And that community needs to grow as the Monticello wine country surrounding Charlottesville grows; the booming industry doesnt just need customers, it needs advocates, neighbors with know-how.

For too long, Harmon said, the oenophile community was catering to a particular type and not the full range of drinkers.

The atmosphere isnt lending itself to something I want to be at. So at minimum, if you can change the atmosphere, a lot of people are going to be a little bit more receptive to go in and try something new, he said. I think there was a huge audience that was being, I dont want to say forgotten, but definitely not catered do.

Harmons work is filling that void. He partners with food trucks, local chefs, small businesses. He compares some of his private events to rooftop parties in Washington, D.C.

I wanted to take that experience and kind of dumb it down and say, You can still enjoy wine while listening to Drake or Rick Ross or whoever, he said.

Instead of a fancy three-course meal  which he admits he loves himself  wine is served with burgers and tacos.

Things that people are going to cook on an everyday basis that makes them feel like youre having the wine experience, but its not too elevated to the point where I dont understand whats going on, he said.

Instead of a long list of options that can overwhelm people new to the wine world, Harmon offers a few select bottles, often procured from local vineyards in the Monticello wine country. The limited options allow people to learn what they do and dont like, and Harmon teaches them about each bottle (or can, as the case may be) as they drink.

When you come in the door its not What do you like to drink? Its This is what were pouring, this is why it takes like this, this is what to pair with it, he said. It gives people the opportunity to learn about the wine, figure out what they like without feeling the pressure of being in front of a bunch of people they dont know.

Harmon is now four years in business at Harmony, introducing people in Charlottesville to new wine and introducing Charlottesvilles wine to new people.

After Wine Enthusiast announced the area was named Wine Region of the Year, the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau reached out to Harmon to narrate a new commercial advertising the wine country. The world depicted in that commercial is the sort of wine-drinking community Harmon aspires to build: it is colorful, it is fun, it is active, it is a full orchestra, it is a bass beat, it is everything for everyone.

Together, lets honor the past, toast to the present and pay tribute to a future yet uncorked, Harmon can be heard over the clinking of glasses, swelling music and hearty laughter. Heres to the land, the legacy and our historic vines in new roots.
Members of the British public have backed calls for former Post Office boss Paula Vennells to be stripped of her CBE.

A petition to see her lose the honour has attracted more than 1 million signatures after ITV aired a drama about the Horizon IT scandal.

Ms Vennells first became involved in the company in 2007, before being promoted to chief executive in 2012 and stepping down in 2019.

She was then awarded a CBE in the same year for her services to the Post Office and charity causes.

Take it away, one person told GB News.

She ruined peoples lives, another said.
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Armed militia stormed a television studio during a live broadcast in Ecuador carrying shotguns, pistols, and homemade bombs, after the countrys president issued a decree declaring 22 gangs as terrorist organisations.

Police arrested 13 gunmen who took over television station TC in the city of Guayaquil during a live broadcast on Tuesday, forcing staff onto the floor in footage beamed to thousands of homes.

The channel, which was back on-air for its evening news broadcast, said two employees were injured in the incident.

The terrified host was seen praying to the camera as a shotgun was held to his head, while other attackers showed off grenades and sticks of dynamite to the audience. The group shouted that they had bombs as what sounded like gunshots were heard in the background.

The masked men stormed the studio before the feed was cut (Reuters)

The newspaper El Universo said reporters on the interrupted El noticiero news programme messaged groups begging for help. One read: They want to kill the lot of us. Help us. The channel broadcast live for at least 15 minutes before the signal was cut off. During the transmission, someone was heard yelling: Dont shoot!

Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room, across from the studio, when the group of masked men entered the building. One of the men pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, Manrique said.

I am still in shock, Manrique said in a phone interview. Everything has collapsed .... All I know is that its time to leave this country and go very far away.

Suspects handcuffed at the TC television studio after police arrived (X/Ecuador Police)

Some of the assailants ran from the studio and tried to hide elsewhere in the building when they realised they were surrounded by the police, she said.

Half an hour after the gang stormed onto the set, police entered the building and later announced a number of arrests had been made. Police in Guayaquil confirmed 13 arrests and social media posts showed photos of young men lying on the floor with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.

Ecuador Police said on Twitter/X they had managed to release the hostages. Local media outlets have also reported armed factions entering the Maldonado Hospital and the University of Guayaquil.

Inmates stand on the top of Turi jail during a prisoner riot in Cuenca (AP)

The incident followed the kidnappings of at least seven police officers and a series of explosions, a day after president Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency.

Mr Noboa issued a 60-day state of emergency on Monday, after a convicted gang leader disappeared from his prison cell, giving authorities the ability to suspend rights and mobilise the military in places like prisons.

In the southern city of Machala, Quito, and Los Rios seven police officers were kidnapped in three separate incidents. Three officers taken in Machala were later freed and 10 arrests were made, the police said.

Explosions were reported in Esmeraldas and Los Rios as the attorney generals office said it was investigating one in Guayaquil. No one has claimed responsibility for the explosions so far.

The crisis developed after the leader of Los Choneros gang Adolfo Macias, known as Fito, vanished from his cell, with authorities unable to find him or explain his disappearance. Ecuadors prosecutors office tweeted on Monday that it had filed charges against two prison guards as part of the investigation into the case which it is considering a prisoners escape.

An Ecuadorean police helicopter flies over the TC television studio (AFP via Getty Images)

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs considered by authorities as responsible for a spike in violence over the past years that reached a new level last year with the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.

The politician had said that the criminal group led by Fito threatened him, but so far authorities havent directly accused Macias or his group of being behind Villavicencios murder.

Los Choneros and other similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over drug trafficking routes and control of territory, including from within detention facilities, where at least 400 inmates have died since 2021, according to authorities.

Experts have acknowledged that gang members practically rule from inside the prisons, and Macias is believed to have kept controlling his group from within the detention facility.

President Noboa, an heir to a fortune built on the banana trade, took over in November saying his governments main objective is to reduce violence.

His administration said the violence was a reaction to the presidents plan to build a new high-security prison and transfer jailed gang leaders.

Todays events show that the actions and decisions taken by the national government are gravely affecting criminal structures, and as an answer they have created a wave of violence to frighten the populace, Admiral Jaime Vela, head of the joint command of the armed forces, said after a security meeting with the president.

The US condemned Tuesday's "brazen attacks", saying Washington was closely coordinating with president Noboa and stands ready to assist. Brazil, Colombia and Chile in the neighbourhood extended their support for the Ecuadorian government.

Ecuadors domestic crisis prompted Peru's government to declare an emergency in the north along its border with Ecuador.

The Chinese embassy and consulates general in Ecuador announced a temporary closure from 10 January until further notice.
Neighbours and the Dalkey Community Council objected to the planned new home in the garden of Monte Alverno

John Feeney, a Dalkey resident who paid 5.85m for Monte Alverno, a house on Sorrento Road, in 2021, is contesting a refusal by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to allow him to build a new four-bedroom family home in its garden.

Mr Feeney is lodging an appeal to An Bord Pleanala against the councils decision to refuse planning permission for the contemporary-style residence at one of Irelands most exclusive addresses.

Neighbours and the Dalkey Community Council objected to the scheme, and the council subsequently ruled that the proposal is not considered to be contextually appropriate in terms of its scale, height, massing and alignment.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council concluded that the proposed development would have a negative impact on the special characteristics of Monte Alverno and the adjoining Vico Road Architectural Conservation Area (ACA), and would have an adverse impact on the appearance, sylvan character, setting and amenity of Monte Alverno House, a protected structure.

The council said the proposed family home would set a poor precedent for similar-type development and would seriously injure the amenities of the area.

Mr Feeney has now employed a planning consultant, Kevin Hughes, to lodge an appeal against the decision.

Mr Hughes has told the planning appeals board that the proposed new dwelling has been designed to ensure the protection of the character of the area, providing for a residential development which makes use of under-utilised land on a well-serviced site.

The planning consultant contends that the planned home underwent significant changes before being presented to the council in order to ensure a proposal that would protect the architectural heritage and visual amenity of the area.

Mr Hughes also contends that due to the revised scale, mass and separation distance, the proposed dwelling will have no negative impacts on Monte Alverno.

The planning consultant also pointed out that the proposed house has been reduced in height by 300mm, the length of the first floor has been reduced by 2.5 metres, and there has been a reduction in overall floor area of 30 sqm.

He states that due to the topography of the site and the split level, the dwelling will have minimal visual impact, and setbacks will allow the building to blend in with the environment.

Mr Hughes said the applicant has further revised the scheme for An Bord Pleanala in order to further reduce the impact on Monte Alverno, thereby addressing the councils concerns.
Lansdowne Oil & Gas claims consumers will pay the price of failing to extract oil and gas off Cork coast

Lansdowne Oil & Gas, the exploration minnow that was a junior partner in the Barryroe offshore project, has told investors its extraordinary that Eamon Ryan, the Environment Minister, last year blocked the development of the oil and gas field, given the findings of a recent review of Irelands energy security.

Lansdowne, now a cash shell, held 20pc of the now lapsed Barryroe exploration licence. It told investors that following an equity placing in December, its now focused on pursuing a near 100m arbitration claim against the Irish Government under the international Energy Charter Treaty.

It is the companys view that the long-delayed report on Irelands energy security has taken a blinkered approach, driven entirely by environmental dogma, and will ensure that Irelands energy insecurity will persist to 2030 and beyond and that the Irish consumer, already paying some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, will face additional cost burden, Lansdowne said.

Last year Barryroe Offshore Energy  which controlled 80pc of the field  was told its application to pursue the development project in the SEL1/11 licence area 50km off the south-west coast of Ireland had been turned down. Barryroe believes the oil and gas field could hold billions of euro worth of fossil fuels.

Mr Ryan told Barryroe last year he was not satisfied as to the financial capability of the applicants. The assessment concluded that the permit application was satisfactory from a technical perspective, according to the company.

The Department of the Environment said its decision followed extensive engagement over several years between the applicants and its Geoscience Regulation Office in relation to the application.

Green party leader and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

The assessment showed that the application did not meet the criteria necessary to satisfy the terms of the legislation and associated guidance, it said. This includes the technical competence of the applicant and the financial resources available to it.

Shareholders in Barryroe Offshore Energy approved a plan last October to allow beef baron Larry Goodman inject up to 6.5m into it in order to help shift its focus to green-energy projects. That wiped out other shareholders.

Lansdowne told investors that the energy-security report published in November had highlighted concerns about the security of Irelands gas and oil supplies. These deepened following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

In 2022, 82pc of Irelands energy needs came from imports  48pc of energy used in 2022 was from imported oil and nearly 31pc from natural gas, Lansdowne said.

It pointed out that 74pc of Irelands natural gas last year came from imports via two interconnectors with the UK.

Given all of the above, it is extraordinary that Eamon Ryan blocked the progress of the Barryroe oil and gas field, the company told investors.

Mr Ryan is placing all his faith in developing offshore wind at scale and at pace, it claimed. As recognised in the McCarthy Report on the Security of Electricity Supply, the ambition to decarbonise has not been matched by sufficient management of the project delivery risks, with evidence of an underestimation of risk in the sector.
The medicine accelerator campus will double the combined workforce of APC and VLE. Photo: Stock image

APC and VLE Therapeutics, two Irish-owned drug-development companies, are to create 300 jobs on foot of a 100m expansion in Dublin.

The investment will fund a new 130,000 sq ft medicine accelerator campus in Cherrywood, south Dublin, and will double the companies combined workforce.

The two firms claim they are the largest employer of research and development scientists in the Irish pharmaceutical sector, and say their new combined team will number more than 600 scientists, digital experts and manufacturing professionals.

The two Enterprise Ireland-supported firms partner with leading pharma companies in order to bring lifesaving medicines to market faster, and at lower cost.

They are currently working on more than 35 treatments for illnesses including cancer, respiratory disease, Alzheimers, HIV and more.

Dr Mark Barrett, the chief executive officer and co-founder, said the investment solidifies the firms confidence in the biopharma ecosystem in Ireland as a global hub.

This new expansion will further strengthen our competitiveness through increased integration of the latest developments in sustainability, artificial intelligence, and breakthrough science, he said.

It will enable our team to reimagine and transform medicine development and manufacture.

APC was founded in 2011 by Dr Barrett and Professpr Brian Glennon of the UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering in Dublin with a view to streamlining the drug research and development process.

VLE was founded in 2021 by APCs shareholders and is focused on manufacturing.

The expansion is being supported by Enterprise Ireland, the state development agency for home-grown firms, which is to announce its 2023 results this morning.

Leo Clancy, the Enterprise Ireland chief executive, said the new campus would further enhance Irelands global reputation as a leader in the life-sciences sector.

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said the new campus demonstrates the capacity of Irish-owned businesses to become world leaders in their field.

He added: The Government, through Enterprise Ireland, is committed to scaling and building globally impactful Irish multinationals that will help drive the Irish economy forward and create high value jobs at home.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after IDA Ireland  Enterprise Irelands counterpart for foreign investment  reported a small increase in medical and pharmaceutical jobs last year, despite a slowdown in exports from the sector.

IDA chief executive Michael Lohan and Mr Coveney have both predicted further jobs growth in 2024 thanks to a small increase in foreign investment last year.
Inside the Competition Authoritys ruling on Dawn Meats takeover of Kildare Chilling

Farmers willingness to travel up to 100km to secure a better price for their livestock was key to the CCPCs approval of the merger, despite farm orgs concerns over reduced competition

The Kildare Chilling factory in Kildare town. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Ciaran Moran Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30

Irish farmers willingness to sell their cattle to plants far outside their local area for a better price was among the reasons the States competition authority gave the green light to Dawn Meats recent takeover of Kildare Chilling.
Since 2007, 28,086 breaches have been recorded by the Department of Agriculture. Photo: Roger Jones

Farmers were fined almost 550 on average for breaching their nitrates limits, new figures from the Department of Agriculture has shown.

A total of 2,926 farmers were fined 1,605,648 in 2022, following compliance checks by the Department.

The limits prescribed in the regulations for the application of organic manure to land, including that deposited by animals are 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare, or for those who hold an approved derogation, 220 or 250 kg N/ha.

Under the current Nitrates Action Programme, a lower limit of 50 kg N/ha applies for commonage land held by both derogation and non-derogation farmers.

The Departments Nitrates Section carries out an annual 100pc compliance check on all farmers, regardless of derogation status, to monitor compliance with the limits.

All farms are subject to an administrative check to confirm their compliance with their respective limit, for the year in question.

Penalties are deducted from EU area-based payments for those found to be in breach of their limit.

Checks are conducted a year in arrears as farmers have the full year to farm and a deadline of 31 December annually to submit records on possible measures taken to reduce the total nitrogen on the holding.

These measures include; the export of organic manures through on-line declaration and verification, temporary movement of animals, and renting of additional land.

Since 2015, the Department has handed out over 10.6m in fines to farmers found to have breached their limit.

Since 2007, 28,086 breaches have been recorded by the Department. Over 120,000 farmers apply for direct payments each year.

Meanwhile, farmers around the country are faced with a cut in their derogation from the 250kg N/ha limit down to 220kg from the beginning of January 2024.

The majority of farmers are aiming to retain their overall cow numbers, making changes to their system to meet the new limit. The most common changes include contract rearing of all calves, acquiring more land and slurry export.

The IFAs Stephen Arthur is now worried that farmers are being conditioned to accept a reduction to the standard 170kg limit within the next two years.

Arthur said farmers have been shown no tolerance and that more time is needed to allow for new measures to take hold in improving water quality.
Frightening waning of agricultures influence in Leinster House, TD warns

Fianna Fail veteran Michael Moynihan also calls for dairy exit scheme and improved financial incentives for climate measures

Cork North-West TD Michael Moynihan feeding suckler cows on his farm.

Niall Hurson Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30

The waning of agricultures influence in the corridors of Leinster House has been described as frightening by one of Fianna Fails veteran TDs.
Japanese Wagyu beef is some of the most expensive beef in the world and is renowned for its marbling, where the fat is dispersed throughout the muscle. Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan

A new Wagyu beef programme aims to process 150 head of cattle weekly in Ireland, with a payment of 200 per calf being promised to farmers who join.

Warrendale Wagyu, which works with over 750 farmers in the UK, announced that it is extending its offering to Ireland, in partnership with Munster Bovine and Kepak.

Wed certainly like to get to 50 slaughter cattle per week as soon as we can. We think theres an opportunity to get up to around 150 in the medium term MD managing director Tom Richardson told the Farming Independent.

The calves will all be born, reared and slaughtered in Ireland. This is about serving Wagyu in the Irish market while also using the export links with our partner, Kepak, on it to help move some content to the continent where appropriate.

According to the group, it will be of strong interest to dairy farmers looking for a guaranteed market outlet for their calves, as well as having environmental and economic benefits.

Farmers who produce Wagyu under this heifer and steer programme will benefit from a guaranteed 200 payment for their four-week-old calf, it says, as well as an additional 50 premium to the breeder after the animal has been processed.

Theres two bulls were providing and the farmers buy the straws from Munster Bovine. We select bulls on meat quality but we cant ignore calving ease which Wagyus have as well as growth rates and fertility, Richardson continued.

Kepak has a basket of customers and with our experience were confident that we will have the demand for consistent quality Wagyu cross dairy out of Ireland.

We think thats the trend of the market: consistency, quality and people maybe eating a little less meat and trading up and wanting really great quality meat.

Japanese Wagyu beef is some of the most expensive beef in the world and is renowned for its marbling, where the fat is dispersed throughout the muscle.

For farmers interested we will follow up with a bit more detail of the scheme and our expectation in terms of vaccinations protocol, the type of cow we want and things like, Richardson said.

From there well follow up with visits and a simple contract which is about giving both parties some security and confidence in the scheme.
Munster and Leinster lead the way as tightening supply boosts sales

Springvalley farm, a dairy holding on 145ac at Summerhill in Co Meath, at 2.875m made the highest price in North Leinster

The average price for an acre of land sold at auction in 2023 reached 15,223 in a market that saw an increasing shortage of farming ground and record prices.

A survey of 135 public auctions held throughout the year, undertaken by the Farming Independent, shows the highest price per acre was paid for land in Munster at 17,377/ac, with South Leinster next at 17,069/ac.

North Leinster land is making 14,008/ac, while the average price of land in Connacht/Ulster rose by 35pc to 9,343/ac.

According to auctioneers, a continued tightening in the supply of land for rent or sale is putting upward pressure on prices as dairy farmers adjust their herds or land holdings to accommodate the terms of the Nitrates Directive.

There is also considerable pressure on land supplies from solar farms in the Greater Dublin Area, with some estimates putting the acreage to be dedicated to solar in Meath alone at 5,000ac.

The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grants and SEAI grants, making funds of up to 97,000 available for derelict houses, have made smaller parcels of ground with ruins far more valuable across the country.

There was 22pc less land sold at auction in South Leinster in 2023, with revenue down by 22pc. Local auctioneer David Quinn described the market as a game of two halves.

The first part of the year was the continuation of a bubble that started in 2022, when high prices reflected the strength of the dairy sector and other sectors. However, the second part of the year saw prices settle back, he said.

Farming Independent Land Price Review

The amount of land for sale in Munster was slightly down on last year, while revenues in the province were up by 15pc.

North Leinster had the liveliest land market with 10pc more land sold in 2023, while revenues were up by almost 11pc. Connacht/Ulster saw a 19pc increase in land sold at auction and a 14.5pc increase in the revenue generated. Nevertheless, the overall acreage sold was down.

In a move that could take some pressure off prices, business buyers may be less likely to invest in farmland since new taxation conditions introduced in the Budget require landowners to own land for seven years before rental income can be regarded as tax exempt.

A total of 6,691ac was sold at auction, representing a decline of 7pc on the amount of land sold at auction last year.

The non-residential portion of sales netted a combined total of 101.86m and when residences are included, the total is 108.32m, representing a slight increase from the 107.92m spent in 2022.

It was the year of the medium-sized farm, with only 14 auctions out of 135 featuring farms of over 100ac and just three of those exceeded 200ac.

Auctioneers across the country described a buoyant market where demand outstripped supply.

Trim auctioneer Thomas Potterton said it was the first year he had a 100pc clearance at auction with no withdrawals.

James Butler of Savills said that despite wider economic fluctuations, demand continues to outstrip supply. The rarity of standalone, commercially viable farms ensured competitive interest and premium prices".
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) announced it agreed a deal to sell its portfolio of data centres and edge sites to BDx Indonesia a joint venture between IOH, BDx Data Centers, and Lintasarta for IDR2.6 billion (US$170m)

BDx Indonesia is a partnership between IOH, BDx Data Centers (BDx), and Lintasarta. Some of the sites are located in the following cities: Jakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Medan, Makassar, Bandung, and Semarang, including ten strategic sites connected to six domestic and five international subsea cables.

Indonesian banks  BCA, Bank Permata, and Bank Bukopin will loan the cash to BDx Indonesia for the acquisition. FTI Capital Advisors acted as the financial advisor to Indosat in this transaction.

IOH noted the new portfolio will enhance its ecosystem by enabling interconnection between enterprises and several cloud providers, content delivery networks and digital finance companies over Internet Exchanges (IXs), cloud onramps, and private interconnects involving multiple telco providers leading to distributed digitalisation enablement across Indonesia.

After the transaction, BDx Indonesia will have a total IT capacity of 150MW+ in Indonesia across ten operating carrier-neutral colocation facilities in all major cities.

IOH President Director and CEO Vikram Sinha said: We're honoured to play a role in shaping Indonesia's digital future through this impactful collaboration. This transaction underscores our dedication to building a sustainable business and propelling Indosat's evolution from Telco to TechCo. Collaborating with BDx Indonesia not only enhances our customer service but also reinforces our commitment to connecting and empowering every Indonesian. Crucially, aligning our strategic goals will enable Indosat and BDx Indonesia to elevate the nation's technological landscape.
Teagascs policy was drive on up until recently, new IFA President Francie Gorman has said, adding that Irish farmers are the unsung heroes of climate action and biodiversity.

Addressing agricultures efforts to tackle climate change with media at the Associations AGM in Bluebell Co Dublin today, Mr Gorman said that the best farmers have always adopted the advice that came from the likes of Teagasc.

Up to a very short number of years ago, the mantra was more, more, more and drive on. Its really only in the last two to four years that this focus on climate change and emissions has really grabbed the attention of everybody, including us.

Irish farmers, he said have made huge changes to reduce emissions and improve biodiversity, however, he warned extreme words and actions of a small but vocal minority risk turning farmers off.

Most farmers and most environmentalists agree that our grass-based family farm structure needs to be defended and supported. It is the extremes - on both sides - that are polarising the debate, he said.

Gorman said it was frustrating that the Minister for Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture have not lived up to their side of the bargain.

The delay in payments through the ACRES scheme and the TAMS scheme to support farmers in such initiatives as building more nutrient storage and erecting solar panels is an abject failure by the Minister and his officials.

Farmers faith in the Department of agriculture to design and operate schemes has been shattered, he said.

I believe farmers are willing to do even more if a more ambitious environment scheme was put in place, such as an inclusive farmer-friendly scheme that would pay up to 15,000 per farmer. With the Climate and Nature fund announced in last years budget, I believe this can be achieved, he said.

The new IFA President said that he will tackle the first issue that comes onto his desk in the most proactive way in order to get the best possible delivery for farmers.

If you dont handle that right, people will say this lad is a soft touch and hes going to roll over on everything, he said.

Its not within the first 100 days, its actually how you deal with the first issues that come to the fore.

Mr Gorman was asked what the future of the associations offices at the Irish Farm Centre in Bluebell, Co Dublin.

Id always like to have a presence in Dublin, but what this is going to look like in 10 years time is something that will have to be looked at as well, he said.

Were in a different environment working from home now. You know it yourselves in the Journal, FBD across the road, were all kind of one big - if you want to call it - maybe one big family here.

The same footprint is not here as it was previously and thats going to have to be looked at.

The Farming Independent asked the IFA President if he has confidence in the Government and Minister Charlie McConalogue.

Ive met Charlie McConalogue on many occasions, at shows during the summer, hes a very very active Minister for Agriculture, he replied.

Im not going there. Im going to sit down and discuss the issues with him and try to get a resolution.

Mr Gorman said he is happy to work with Sinn Fein, were the party to be elected to Government.

Irrespective of who is elected, we will sit down and work with them, he said.

They [Government] has taken farmers' support for granted. That is no longer the case. I dont believe that any political party can take farmer support for granted in the next election.

If they want to court farmer support they need to engage with us and come forward with policy that will deliver for farmers.

Mr Gorman said he would not support a farmers' political party in Ireland. If we got into the political space, we would be gone in five years because we wouldnt have an association, he continued.

Whatever political party it is, whether its the current government, the opposition, or any new party that might come on board, we will engage with every one of them in an equal and fair manner.
Galway County Council is conducting door-to-door enquiries after a number of recent sheep attacks resulted in the killing of nine animals.

The council explained that over the last few weeks a total of nine sheep have been killed in three separate attacks in the Tuam area.

The attacks occurred in Rahogarty North, Brownsgrove, with the latest incident having taken place in the early hours of January 4.

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Galway County Council explained: The dogs involved in the attack have yet to be identified thus far. This matter has also been reported to The Gardai and the Irish Farmers Association and the Council will continue to liaise with them where necessary.

Galway County Council dog warden service will be conducting door-to-door enquires in the area including licensing and microchipping checks over the next number of days following these incidents and we would ask that all dog owners ensure that their dog is never let out unsupervised, particularly at night, and are under control at all times.

Attacks on sheep can result in economic losses to the farmer, for which the dog owner can be held liable under the Control of Dogs Act.

If you witness an incident of sheep worrying or damage to livestock in Galway County, please report it immediately to Galway County Council, Tel: 091-509510 Email dogwardens@galwaycoco.ie and An Garda Siochana.
Animations demonstrate effects of climate change in 2023 - the hottest year on record

The 1.5C safe limit for global temperature rise was breached every second day last year, setting a dire precedent for the years ahead.

Scientists today officially declared 2023 the worlds hottest year since data collection began, warning that records were tumbling like dominoes.

Breaches of the 1.5C threshold occurred on almost 50pc of days  an unheard-of level of exceedances.

For the first time, two days exceeded 2C.

The EUs Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has records since 1850, said the year was exceptional but signalled what lay ahead in the absence of dramatic reductions in greenhouse gases.

Average temperature for 2023 was 1.48C above that in 1850-1900, the period before the burning of coal, oil and gas spiralled, causing the rapid rise of greenhouse gas emissions.

That is perilously close to the 1.5C limit accepted by 195 countries in the 2015 Paris Agreement as the level to which global warming must be restricted if climate change is to be kept from escalating dangerously.

Global surface air temperature anomalies 1940-2023

Already unprecedented heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires have affected almost every part of the world and much worse is anticipated if temperatures continue to climb.

Almost half the days in 2023 exceeded the 1.5C limit and by the end of January or February, it is expected the average over the preceding 12 months will also surpass 1.5C.

The Copernicus team stressed the Paris Agreement had not been breached as it pertains to long-term, sustained exceedances rather than one year, but they warned 2023 sets a dire precedent.

Director, Carlo Buontempo, said the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was urgent.

The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilisation developed, he said.

This has profound consequences for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavours.

Deputy director, Samantha Burgess, said 2023 saw climate records tumbling like dominoes.

It was the first year that every day was at least 1C warmer than in the pre-industrial period.

Two days in November were more than 2C warmer. The Paris Agreement states that long-term sustained temperature rise must never be allowed reach 2C.

Global average sea surface temperatures were persistently and unusually high, reaching record levels from April to December.

Antarctic sea ice was at a record low for eight months and the extent of Arctic sea ice was close to its record low.

Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere grew higher than ever recorded.

Carbon dioxide concentration reached 419ppm (parts per million) compared to 280ppm in 1850. Concentrations of methane reached 1902ppb  2.5 times as much as in 1850.

Carbon emissions from wildfires increased by 30pc, driven largely by massive fires in Canada.

A critical factor in 2023s heat was exceptionally high sea surface temperatures which caused marine heatwaves in many regions, including Ireland.

El Nino, a cyclical warming of Pacific ocean temperatures that has a knock-on effect on global conditions, began last summer and is still an influence but the Copernicus team said it did not fully explain the marine heatwaves.

They suspect heat coming from the deeper ocean to have been a factor which would add another troubling element to 2023.
A serial thief who went into the teachers office at a Dublin college and stole a laptop computer has been jailed for eight months.

Mother-of-one Joy Conlon (38) was sentenced after she admitted the theft, as well as other offences including the shoplifting of clothes and baby food from city-centre stores. Conlon, of Meath Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court.
An air passenger arrested when he arrived in Ireland on New Years Eve with duty-free goods stolen from the UK was spared jail but shoplifted again the next day when he went to Dublin Airport for his return flight, a court has heard.
Latest | Dublin stab death: Gardai probe whether convicted killer took taxi home after he was attacked

Kevin Walsh (34) was previously convicted of killing a man in 2005

Kevin Walsh (34) died in hospital on Sunday night following an assault in Dublin over the weekend

Robin Schiller and Conor Feehan Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 07:40







Detectives are investigating if a convicted killer who was stabbed took a taxi home after the attack before he collapsed and later died.
Executed at Mountjoy for murder: The stories of the prisoners to be exhumed this month

Excavation planned so the remains of a prisoner pardoned in 2015 can be returned to family for burial

Excavation of Dublins Mountjoy Prison this month will look to exhume the bodies of people executed at the jail up until the 1950s

Tabitha Monahan Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30

The excavation of Dublins Mountjoy Prison is set to take place this month, and will look to exhume the bodies of people executed at the jail up until 1954.
The failure to adequately document the recovery of bodies in the wake of the Stardust fire means it is not possible to perform any meaningful analysis of the likely effects of the fire on those who perished in the blaze, an expert witness has told an inquest.

Dr Richard Shepherd also told the jury today that his review of photographs taken in the aftermath of the disaster during postmortem examinations confirmed that the mortuary facility was overwhelmed and for a time "completely inadequate", with victims having been placed on the floor beneath some of the mortuary tables.

The witness, a retired consultant forensic pathologist with more than 35 years experience who was engaged by Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane to review all of the original postmortem reports and materials from 1981, also told the jury at Dublin District Coroners Court today that any exit doors which are immovable for any reason would present a significant issue for those trying to escape.

That is partly because the exit doors are where people are likely, by definition, to congregate in an emergency, he said. And if any of those doors are obstructed in any way it's clearly going to cause a significant problem.

The Stardust inquest has now moved into a new phase and has begun hearing evidence from expert pathological witnesses into the cause of death of the 48 young people who lost their lives in the nightclub fire at the Artane disco in the early hours of Valentines Day 1981.

Expert witnesses on behalf of families represented by Phoenix Law were also sworn in before the jury. The court heard consultant forensic pathologists Dr Benjamin Swift and Dr Nat Carey, who both have decades of experience in a number of cases including the Grenfell tower fire investigation, will also give evidence to the inquest during this module.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane noted that the evidence which will be heard in this module is very personal evidence for each of those families who lost loved ones.

Dr Cullinane informed relatives that cases will be dealt with alphabetically.

She told the families that they can be reassured that, whether they observe the proceedings for this aspect of the hearings or whether they choose not to, this very personal evidence will be dealt with in the most respectful manner that I can achieve.

Addressing the jury, the coroner said this is an important module in relation to a number of findings that they will have to make at the conclusion of these inquests.

Dr Cullinane reminded the panel that their findings must be made separately at an inquest.

The coroner said the evidence heard to date applies to all of those persons who lost their lives in the same way and will inform the jury of their ultimate findings.

She reminded the jury that in any inquest, findings much be made in relation to the identity of the deceased, to the date and place of death and the cause of death in each case.

This is scientific, clinical, medical, complex evidence, she said, adding that notwithstanding this, it's up to you, members of the jury, to make the ultimate findings.

In his review of the disaster victim identification procedures following the fire, Dr Shepherd noted that the management of victims of mass fatality incidents has changed very significantly in the over 40 years since this fire, driven by changes in forensic science and forensic medicine, changes in societal approaches to these incidents and very importantly by pressure applied by the relatives of victims.

He said in 1981 the approach to mass fatalities appears to have focused solely on the speedy recovery of the victims and their examination so the bodies could be released to the families for burial as quickly as possible.

The doctor said it appeared that this simple approach to fatality management was designed to comply with the legal processes of identifying the victims and establishing a cause of death but had little or no consideration of the wider aspects of the investigation of the incident.

He noted that there was little formal documentation of the recovery of the bodies from within the club.

Although a plan recording the positions of the bodies is available there was no attempt to correlate those positions with specific individuals, he said.

The consultant pathologist said modern practice would mean that each fatality would be allocated a unique number at the time of recovery and that unique number would be attached and would be the identifier throughout the process of recovery examination and identification.

The failure to adequately document the recovery process means that it is not possible to perform any meaningful analysis of the likely effects of either the fire itself or the fire fumes on individuals or groups of individuals, he said.

The witness said such an analysis would undoubtedly have been very useful, as was noted by the then State Pathologist Dr John Harbison in his report in April 1981.

In response to a question from the coroner, Dr Shepherd said that if a precise plan had been available, it was possible but not certain that experts could have identified groups of changes such as groups of chemicals and groups of things linked to people in specific areas.

He said the site recovery of 42 bodies is recorded on the fire brigade plan, indicating that the site recovery of six individuals was not known, adding it was likely those not recorded were included in those taken to hospital.

He noted that a number of the bodies were recorded as being close to exits 5 and 2A respectively and so were likely to have been recovered by the fire brigade as they entered the building.

In his review, Dr Shepherd also noted that the facilities available for the pathological examinations of the victim of mass fatalities has always been a significant problem as indeed has the provision of suitable day-to-day public mortuary facilities by the authorities.

He said the facilities available in the aftermath of the Stardust fire were never designed to be adequate for managing a mass fatality, with only a small number of postmortem tables and limited refrigeration.

It was apparent from Dr Harbisons report in April 1981 that he considered the facilities to be very significantly inadequate for many reasons and the witness said his own review of the photographs taken during the postmortem examinations confirmed that the mortuary facility was overwhelmed.

In addition to the general disorder seen in the background, the number of personnel in the room would have added to the difficulties, he said. Dr Shepherd added that the presence of victims placed on the floor beneath some of the mortuary tables in some photographs indicated that body storage was, at least for some time, completely inadequate.

He said in his opinion, the quality of the pathological examinations of the victims was very variable.

Dr Harbison performed full and relevant examinations and produced detailed reports containing much useful information, he said, but the reports from the other pathologists were extremely variable and few recorded anything more than the very basic facts and offered little or no interpretation.

The witness said despite Dr Harbisons position as State Pathologist and his established knowledge and skills, he did not seem to have had control over how the examinations were performed or how the reports were prepared and said these pathologists appeared to have worked as a separate entity rather than as a member of a team.

The variability of approach and the quality of reports especially when combined with the absence of information  has resulted in an inability to analyse many of the forensic aspects of these deaths, he added.

Dr Shepherd also highlighted improvements in the use of DNA identification techniques and said a highly specialised variation of this technique was applied in 2007 to the five victims who were initially unidentified.

In his overview on survivability, Dr Shepherd noted there were approximately 850 people in the building on the night of the fire and 48 deaths, representing about 5pc of those present, with 128 - or 15pc of those present  injured. That the fire was survivable was demonstrated by the 80pc who escaped uninjured, he said, while the fact that it was potentially lethal was demonstrated by the 20pc who were injured or died.

He said some individuals would have collapsed and died very quickly while others would have survived for longer periods before collapsing and dying while a third group comprised those who were injured but who were found quickly and taken to hospital.

Dr Shepherd said variability in survival could be accounted for by a combination of individual characteristics and the fact that within the space of the building the patterns of heat and concentrations of the many noxious fire fumes would have been variable and constantly and rapidly changing.

The witness said in this context, survivability was dependent on three things; having the ability to move  in other words being conscious and not confused or injured  having the ability to identify a route to safety such as signage visibility and having free movement along that route to safety.

He said factors which could affect free movement would be congestion due to large groups of people, obstructions such as furniture and lastly exit doors.

He said an exit door that isnt openable for whatever reason would present a significant problem.

Dr Shepherd agreed with Des Fahy KC, representing a number of families, that if a person reached a locked door this would increase the risk and said it would also mean that they were more likely to have to return to a more toxic environment.

Dr Shepherd agreed with Simon Mills SC, a members of the coroners legal team, that one factor not identified but which could have made a difference was the availability of trained staff who could have assisted in an emergency in pointing patrons towards the exits.

In an overview of a report on toxicology, Dr Shepherd said increasing temperatures result in damage to the external body surfaces and to the airways and lungs that are exposed to heat.

He said the oxygen available in the atmosphere to support life is reduced while at the same time concentrations of many noxious chemicals in the fire increase rapidly.

The reduction in available oxygen can result in increasing confusion and a reduction in consciousness which may significantly affect decision making and reduce the ability of an individual to escape the fire, he added.

The inquest continues tomorrow
Gardai investigating the discovery of a married couple found dead in their home at the weekend have not ruled out the possibility that both died of natural causes.

Paul and Morag Kavanagh, aged in their mid 70s and early 60s respectively, were initially suspected to have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

However, investigators are now examining the possibilty that the pair died naturally, ahead of the probable release of post-mortem results tomorrow.

The well-respected husband and wife were discovered at their home in Killasonna, on the outskirts of Granard town in north Longford, at around 8pm on Saturday evening.

The fresh development in the case comes after much of the focus of the garda investigation initially centred on possible carbon monoxide poisoning being involved.

Gardai have since confirmed that while an investigation is under way, the scene itself was not preserved, with nothing suspicious being identified when officers arrived at the property on Saturday evening.

A file will now be prepared for the local coroners court.

The property itself is situated along a rural road, a short distance from Kilasonna National School in Granard.

Neighbours and friends of the couple said locals were still coming to terms with news of the tragedy.

Ber Fagan, a family support and community development worker at Granards Lus Na Greine Family Resource Centre, told of how both the late Ms Kavanagh and her daughter had been highly regarded among their peers and in the local community.

I couldnt believe it, she said.

Its just horrendously sad and I think it will have a ripple effect in the community for sure because they were known and very well liked.

Ms Fagan said while she did not know the late Mr Kavanagh personally, she said his wife was someone who was known for her personable, compassionate demeanour.

She was a very kind person and was very involved, she said.

My children would have gone to the same national school as her youngest daughter and she was very involved in the school and parents group and she was just a very kind and giving person.

Local postmaster Padraig McNamara echoed those sentiments, saying the local community had been left numbed by the events.

People are just in total shock as to what has happened, he said.

What more can we say? We are just all shocked.

Local Fianna Fail councillor, PJ Reilly, issued his deepest sympathies to the family of the man and woman, who he said were well-regarded within the community.

There is complete shock in the area as to what happened, Mr Reilly said.

I just knew them to see, they were a very quiet couple.

They are living in the area about 25 or 30 years and their children would have gone to the local school. They would be well got. The community are in shock over it.
Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Indian service provider Bharti Airtel, has announced that it will power over 20 million smart meters for Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL), the largest private sector power transmission company in India.

Airtel says that through its robust nationwide communications network it will deliver reliable and secure connectivity for all AESLs smart meter deployments. In addition, Airtels smart metering solutions, powered by NB-IoT, 4G and 2G, will help AESL to ensure real-time connectivity and uninterrupted transfer of critical data between smart meters and headend applications.

The solution will also come powered with Airtels IoT platform  Airtel IoT Hub  which enables smart meter tracking and monitoring with advanced analytics and diagnostic capabilities, in addition to real-time insights and services that empower customers with enhanced control over their energy consumption.

Adani Energy Solutions says it has an order book of over 20 million smart meters from the power utilities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.

The deal could also offer useful support for government-level initiatives such as the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme and the Smart Meter National Programme.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, CEO, Airtel Business (India), says: Indias smart metering programme is one of the most significant policy reform measures undertaken by the government. These meters are critical building blocks for smart grids and fundamental enablers for the digitalisation of the power sector.

Kandarp Patel, CEO, Adani Energy Solutions Ltd, adds: Our partnership with Airtel marks a critical step towards realising the vision of a smarter, more efficient grid for all.
Two Irish-Palestinian sisters are walking hundreds of kilometres in an effort to raise tens of thousands of euro for their relatives in Gaza.

Sara Abu Selmia and her sister Emma are walking more than 300 kilometres across January to raise money for approximately 100 relatives who have been displaced during the conflict in Gaza since October.

Sara Abu Selmia explained where the idea to fundraise for their relatives in Gaza came from: The biggest thing is probably this feeling of helplessness almost, sitting and watching whats going and how can we make a difference or doing something to help.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th January 2024

Im 26 and my sister is 22 and she gets to go to college and study every day, and have dreams and aspirations and I have a career that I get to progress in but we have cousins are own age in Gaza and it was kind of almost that guilt of how different our lives are versus theirs.

So it was looking at what the next six, 12 months will be of their lives and thinking how could we do something to get them back on their feet.

She said that they wanted to do a fundraiser that could help contextualise what Palestinians have gone through during the mass displacement of people from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Sara said that her relatives had to move from an area where they were all living close by over fears that three generations could have been killed in a single strike.

Theyve only ever known living all together and now theyre all being separated from each other.

It is a small thing, but it is another element for them to be dealing with.

She said that as time has progressed, more and more homes have been destroyed and some of her relatives are now living in tents.

Over the month of January, the sisters are running and walking 320km to represent the 40km that each of their eight aunts and uncles travel by foot with their families when they were displaced from their home in northern Gaza to Rafah in the south.

We thought the story of the journey our aunts and uncles have taken and that 320km is a big undertaking for us spread out over a month, and it is something they had to do overnight.

Sara Abu Selmia said the money raised will go directly to their family, many of whom work in hospitals in Gaza.

The Abu Selmia family

The money raised will be distributed to those in greatest need to try and rebuild their lives after the war.

She said she is able to stay in touch with some of their relatives through social media, but internet cuts has made it difficult to get through.

Every day when we wake up its checking for proof of life, which even to say out loud is insane.

But, yeah, just touching base and making sure theyre OK, keeping track of where everyone is.

She said she hoped the money raised can alleviate one small stress from their day, which may be to buy food, get access to clean water, or other necessities.

Its a drop in the ocean.

Its never going to be enough but if the generosity of the Irish people can help with that, theres such a sense of community over there that they will look to their left and right and make sure that they can eat that day.

Asked how the first week of walks has went, Sara Abu Selmia said: The walks have been going good, cold, but weve been wrapping up.

It is so lovely.

When we started, me and Emma would do it but now people have reached out and asked if they can do 10km with us and I think we basically have people booked in for every day of the week.

It has warmed our hearts for sure, the generosity and kindness from people.

As of Tuesday morning, the sisters have raised more than 30,000 euro through their GoFundMe.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has dismissed speculation that his name could be put forward to become the next president of the European Council after the surprise resignation of Charles Michel.

The former prime minister of Belgium announced on Tuesday that he would stand as a candidate in the European Parliament elections in June after four years in the key EU job.

He will step down as chairman of the 27 heads of EU governments in July, prompting speculation on who will replace him.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Foreign Affairs minister and Tanaiste Micheal Martin were named among the contenders for the role in a report by the Irish Times.

"I was flattered to read that article but it's not the case," Mr Varadkar said in response on Tuesday.

"My anticipation is that President (Ursula) von der Leyen will be reappointed to the position as president of the (European) Commission.

"That's by no means guaranteed but if she goes again, I would certainly anticipate that she'd be reappointed and, certainly in my case, that would mean that the EPP (European People's Party) position, if you like, is gone."

If the EC president position was held by the EPP, the president of the European Council would have to come from a different political grouping.

"I don't think I'd be even on the shortlist, even if I wanted to be."

Speaking about Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin's prospects, he said: "As far as I know, it's his intention to run for election and continue to lead his party, and hopefully form another government with Fine Gael, but I think Micheal can speak for himself."

Before Christmas, Mr Martin said he was "very focused" on his job as a minister and as leader of Fianna Fail ahead of local and European elections in 2024.

He said his aim was to "keep your feet on the ground" despite speculation of a job in Europe.

It comes after Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe's name was linked to a possible role at the International Monetary Fund, as its managing director Kristalina Georgieva's tenure draws to an end this year.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath's name is also in the mix as Ireland's next EU commissioner nominee.
A man who had been arrested following an early morning assault in Co Westmeath that left a man in critical condition has been released without charge.

The man, in his 50s, had been arrested in relation to the serious assault on Patrick Street, Mullingar.

Gardai say a file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The incident took place outside a premises at around 1.40am on Sunday morning, 7 January.

Gardai were alerted to the disturbance, which involved two men, shortly afterwards.

A man in his mid 50s was rushed to Regional Hospital Mullingar by emergency services and was later transferred to Dublins Beaumont Hospital, where his condition had been described as critical.

The scene was preserved for forensic examination and investigations are ongoing.

Investigating gardai had earlier appealed for witnesses to come forward.

A spokesperson said: Any persons that were in the vicinity of Patrick Street, Mullingar between the hours of 1am to 2am on the morning of Sunday, January 7, 2024 that have video footage of this incident are asked to make it available to investigating gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Mullingar Garda station on 044 938 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Drugs and cash were seized as part of a garda raid in Castleisland.

A man is due in court tomorrow following the seizure of drugs, firearms, ammunition and cash in the course of a search operation in Castleisland over the weekend.

The man, aged in his 40s, who was arrested by gardai on Sunday has now been charged.

He is expected to appear before a sitting of Killarney District Court tomorrow morning, January 9.

Gardai in Kerry seized two firearms, ammunition, 35,000 worth of drugs and 2,365 in cash following the search operation.

As part of Operation Tara, Gardai attached to the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search operation of a residence in the town on Sunday, January 7.

In the course of the operation two firearms and ammunition, cocaine with an estimated street value of 35,000 and 2,365 cash was seized.

The drugs seized are subject to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland (FSI).

A man in his 40's was arrested as part of the investigation and is currently detained at a Garda Station in County Kerry pursuant to Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

Investigations are ongoing.
A cut in delays faced by patients on public hospital waiting lists last year means 57,000 fewer are in the queue longer than 10 to 12 weeks, the targets set by Slaintecare.

The figures, to be brought to the Cabinet by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly today, show last years waiting-list initiative, which aimed to reduce the numbers facing these delays by 10pc, was exceeded and an 11pc reduction was achieved.

However, the number of patients joining waiting lists continued to increase and the rate of additions was around 12pc  about 188,000 more than in 2022 and over 23pc higher than in 2019.

Mr Donnelly will tell the Cabinet the HSE is attributing the increases to population growth, immigration and the ageing population. 

The memo said last year was the second year in row that waiting-list numbers fell. Before that, they had not fallen since 2015. Over 177,000 more patients were removed from acute hospital waiting lists last year compared with 2022.

Since the Covid peak, there has been a 27pc reduction in the number waiting longer than the Slaintecare targets  which equates to 170,000 people.

Outpatient attendances were nearly 82,000 higher than projected last year. In spite of this, the overall waiting list still decreased by 4pc.

The average outpatient waiting time reduced from 9.7 months to 7.5 months, a 23pc drop.

The memo said the progress delivered last year, both in terms of reducing waiting lists overall and in terms of improving waiting times, was achieved against the backdrop of significantly increased demand for scheduled care services.

It said last year, Mr Donnelly and HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster held weekly meetings on waiting lists with the heads of hospital groups.

Under the Budget for last year, 443m was allocated to tackle hospital waiting lists.
There were dozens of CCTV cameras, but no clue where she is  disappearance of Jean Tighe four years ago was plagued by confusion from the start
Independent councillor Christy Burke made the claim as Green councillor Janet Horner said it was a really regressive step that took away possibilty of bringing our streets and laneways and city back to life

Harbour Court, which will have its public right of way rescinded

Harbour Court, off Abbey Street, is to be closed to the public

A laneway in Dublin city centre will no longer be open to the public due to persistent anti-social behaviour, intravenous drug use and illegal dumping.

Dublin City councillors voted at last nights monthly meeting to extinguish the public right of way to Harbour Court, off Abbey Street.

The street runs between Marlborough Street and Eden Quay, and links to the back of multiple properties.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th January 2024

North inner city Independent councillor Christy Burke said: This is where the gangs and the groups formed during the Dublin riots on OConnell Street in November.

Cllr Burke claimed that the laneway was renowned for drug dealing, injecting drugs and other activity that he would not mention here.

I would not walk through it. It is not safe for men, women or children, he said.

He stressed he would like to see future proposals put forward on the use of the laneway and asked that other councillors opposing the motion put alternatives forward for the street.

I dont want to see it closed forever, Cllr Burke added.

However, Green Party councillor Janet Horner said she was strongly against the proposal which she described as really regressive, adding that it denies people the possibility of navigating the city more easily.

She said the council was taking a real step backwards by shutting down areas and putting up fences and no-go areas and that the proposal offered nothing for the wider community there.

Cllr Horner said the council was taking away the opportunity for permeability and imagination and the possibility of bringing our streets and laneways and city back to life.

Cllr Donna Cooney described the extinguishment of the public right of way on the laneway as an awful pity.

Its not just a laneway that goes nowhere. These are lanes of history and once they are closed, they are gone. I really think we should do everything we possibly can in terms of animating them, she said.

Making them places where they become safe to use so that they dont become places where you have anti-social behaviour and various things happening, she said.

Cllr Cieran Perry said he had reluctantly supported closures all over the area because the city could not police its laneways.

We cant enforce our anti-drug dealing laws around the main streets of Dublin so we simply cant in laneways, he said.

Cllr Mannix Flynn said he would like to see a comprehensive report from Dublin City Council on how many laneways had had their rights of way rescinded and how they were going to be used in future.

There is no doubt that these laneways are really dangerous and used as public laboratories, with drugs and people sleeping rough in them. This is a health and safety issue.

Dublin City Council and the Arts Council need to stand up to the mark and see how we can use them going forward, he said.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said 'we need to take action that will slow the numbers coming in'.

Ukrainians who come to Ireland from later this month will be trained and supported to find work.

New Ukrainian arrivals will have their welfare cut later this month after the Cabinet approves laws for lower rates today.

The Government has decided to cut weekly payments of 232 to 38.80, in line with what asylum-seekers currently receive in direct provision.

More than 100,000 Ukrainians who are already here will not be impacted by the changes.

Under this legislation, Ukrainians will now receive the Daily Expense Allowance of 38.80 a week, down from the current rate of 232 a week.

Refugees fleeing war in Ukraine will be trained and receive skills support to help them find jobs through local Intreo offices.

Ukrainians receiving welfare will have to engage with the Department of Social Protections Public Employment Services.

The Government has said the new lower welfare rates will bring Ireland in line with the offerings of other European countries.

New Ukrainian refugees will also be given 90 days in state accommodation and be responsible for sourcing housing themselves afterwards.

Government sources expect the new proposals will kick in at the end of the month.

More than 102,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the State since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

The Government initially decided to cut supports for Ukrainian arrivals last autumn, however, the 90-day limit on state-provided accommodation caused a row in government, with Fianna Fail not wanting to take on the burden of housing migrants.

The moves come as the State struggles to house refugees and asylum-seekers.

We need to take action that will slow the numbers coming in so weve got more time to catch up on accommodation and other issues, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said previously.

The Fine Gael leader said it makes sense to look at what other western European countries do and see that our offering is something similar to that.

Meanwhile, Housing Minister Darragh OBrien is set to bring to the Cabinet a voter information notice on the upcoming referendums in March on a womens role in the home and on care and the family. The notice sets out what voters will be getting in the post, including the wording of the referendums.
Teachers returning to Ireland from abroad receiving no incremental credit for their work in other countries is absolutely unfathomable given the shortage in teachers, the Teachers Union of Ireland has said.

Currently, teachers returning home from work in private schools outside the EU are placed on the first point of the teachers salary scale despite the significant and demonstrable experience they gained while abroad.

This affects Irish teachers returning from work in countries including Dubai and Australia.

TUI president David Waters said: Second-level schools across the country are experiencing unprecedented struggles in putting teachers in front of classes, yet the Department of Education still refuses to properly facilitate a highly qualified and significantly experienced cohort in returning to Irish schools.

"This really puts into question the commitment at Government level to properly tackling this crisis.

A survey of principals and deputy principals carried out in 104 second-level schools by the TUI in October found just 1pc believe enough is being done by Government to tackle teacher shortages.

Some 77pc of schools said they advertised a position for which no teacher applied and 64pc had unfilled vacancies due to problems with recruitment and retention.

These dedicated professionals have honed their skills in diverse environments, gaining a wealth of relevant knowledge and an international perspective, Mr Waters said.

Now more than ever, we need to dismantle the barriers and deterrents that are preventing them from returning home to use their expertise within our own education system.

Mr Waters said many teachers would choose to continue teaching outside of Ireland or work in another sector when they returned home.

"Ultimately, it is students who will lose out.

"Aside from tackling the recruitment and retention crisis, their return would also have significant educational value, bring a diverse range of teaching practices, methodologies and fresh perspectives to classrooms.

It would also assist in imparting a global perspective to students in our increasingly interconnected world.

The TUI is calling on the Department of Education to tackle shortages by improving teaching allocations so schools can offer full hours to new teachers  70pc of second-level teachers start on contract with less than full hours.

The union is also calling for the restoration of posts of responsibility such as principal and deputy principal to pre-2009 levels to provide a career path for teachers and ease administrative workloads.

The two-year Professional Master of Education (PME) should be reduced to one year to cut costs and remove a barrier to what is becoming an unaffordable profession for too many, the union said.
Maynooth, Co Kildare was crowned the cleanest town in Ireland this week in the final Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey for 2023.

Described as spotless, the town was praised for the beauty of its university campus and the conditions of its Main Street. It pipped Mallow, Co Cork and Sligo town for the top spot.

Locals from towns previously named the cleanest in Ireland spoke to the Irish Independent about how the big win inspires the community and what goes into keeping up momentum and maintaining award-winning cleanliness.

Naas, Co Kildare

Kildare is becoming something of a hotbed for cleanliness with Maynooths win this year being preceded by a two-in-a-row for nearby Naas.

Thats no accident  local councillor Bill Clear, the chair of Naas Tidy Towns, said theres a Tidy Towns WhatsApp group where the neighbouring groups in towns across the county share information and support each others efforts.

"We all work very close together and Kildare County Council is an umbrella for all of us. Theyre very good for helping us out and bringing us in for training, he said.

"We highly value the IBAL award, were very proud of it and weve got an awful lot of recognition, a lot of people have been very complimentary to us."

Mr Clear said local residents seeing the success of their town being crowned Irelands cleanest encourages them to get involved in keeping the effort going.

"Younger couples who have moved into the area find they have a bit of time or they bring the kids out with them, he said.

"We also find that schools bring their kids out. Theyre very keen to help and do things in their area.

Naas Tidy Towns organises its volunteers by having people adopt an area to look after, like the street a resident lives on or the area surrounding a school.

"It would be quite common for our volunteers to see litter and just pull over the car to pick it up.

"People get very proud of their town that way which is great to see, and Im very proud of our town, he said.

Fermoy, Co Cork

Fermoy in east Co Cork became the centre of some controversy in October last year when a guest on Graham Nortons red chair described the town as a horrible, horrible place.

However, it was named Irelands cleanest town in the 2018 IBAL ranking and the work to keep things clean continues.

Project lead of Fermoy Tidy Towns Paul Kavanagh said reaching the top of the ranking is all about concentrating efforts on picking up litter. One of the initiatives that has worked well is the setting up of community bins.

"By winning the aware we were able to go into estates and say listen, you have a problem here and invariably wed be told they have no place to put their litter, he said.

"Its very simple, we give an old waste bin to a community where they have a problem, we give them a roll of bags and you tie a knot in it every second Sunday and chuck it in your own bin.

The town doesnt make an appearance on this years rankings, but thats no indication that locals have stopped keeping Fermoy clean.

Rather than keep awarding the same towns with a high mark every year  Fermoy maintained a high rank in the years following its win  IBAL has focused more on Midleton and 2023 runner-up Mallow.

"It gave the town a huge boost and it told us everything wed done had worked, Mr Kavanagh said.

"Its a matter then of keeping it going, adding to it and keeping everybody aware in the town of whats happening and making sure litter doesnt congregate.

"Put one bottle up on the window therell be two there tomorrow, three there the following day.

Ennis, Co Clare

Ennis Tidy Towns board member Cormac McCarthy was quick to heap praise on local volunteers, a large base of people the town is incredibly fortunate to have.

The largest town in Munster, Ennis was named the cleanest in Ireland by IBAL in 2017 and has consistently been near the top of the rankings.

"Winning and doing well really galvanises the community, particularly when we come within a point or two of winning. It keeps that energy going, he said.

Mr McCarthy said its important for volunteers not to lose heart with Ennis ranked 12th in this years IBAL survey, and this doesnt take away from the amazing work still being done locally.

He said the symbiotic relationship between Ennis Tidy Towns and Clare County Council is vital to maintaining the local area.

"Its very hard to progress if you dont have a strong relationship with your county council. Theres so much collaboration and when youre close to winning it, when youre at the top level its incredibly professional and its year round.

"Were not the poor cousin in terms of voluntary labour. If you removed the Tidy Towns in the morning and all the volunteers, there would be an absolute collapse in terms of the cleanliness and projects in our country.
Nigerian operator Globacom has denied reports that it still owes MTN Nigeria interconnection charges despite regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) suggesting otherwise.

The NCC notified subscribers on Monday that approval had been granted for the partial network disconnection of Globacom from MTN Nigeria, due to non-settlement of interconnection charges. However, a Globacom source apparently told journalists in Lagos that the amount owed  N1.6 billion (about US$ 1.8 million)  had been paid.

The public pre-disconnection notice was signed by the Nigerian Communication Commissions (NCC) Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, and posted on the commissions Twitter page.

It referred to repeated, failed, attempts at resolution of the debt issue and noted that Globacom lacked significant or justifiable reasons for failing to pay the interconnect charges.

Globacom customers will not be able to make calls to the MTN network within ten days from 8 January, although they will still be able to receive calls. The notice says that the disconnection will subsist until otherwise determined by the Commission.

The disconnection is apparently covered by provisions in the Nigerian Communications Act (2003) and Guidelines on Procedure for Granting Approval to Disconnect Telecommunications Operators (2012).

Statistics are hard to come by, but NCC figures from last March suggest that MTN still has the most mobile subscriptions in Nigeria, estimated at 92.71 million. Globacom is second, with 60.76 million, followed by Airtel (60.30 million) and 9mobile (13.07 million).
Lucinda OSullivans restaurant review: I could have happily stayed all day at new Dublin wine bars Cellar 22 and Row Wines

Delighted by the recent uptick in city wine bars, our critic was more than happy to try out two new spots in the capital

Kilkee crab rosti and chicken, nduja and sweetcorn croquettes at Row Wines. Photo: Lucinda O'Sullivan

Lucinda OSullivan Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30

I was in a subterranean haven at Cellar 22, a new wine bar on St Stephens Green, where Randy Crawford was belting out her 80s hit, One Day Ill Fly Away, over the sound system, and I honestly could have stayed there all day. In fact, this is not just any cellar. It has a considerable hospitality history down the years, having once been The Country Shop, opened in 1930 by Muriel Gahan, a staunch pioneer of the Irish Country Womens Association, eventually closing its doors in the 1970s.
I t takes cast-iron courage to be the older female partner of a much younger man. Apparently, the world doesnt like large age gaps, judging by the unrelenting attention given to Brigitte Macron, and the question of her 70 years versus her husband Emmanuels 49. A quarter century of difference, surely a little extreme for some, considering she probably went through her menopause when he was a mere 25.

The gimlet-eyed attention given to the state of Brigittes face by certain online magazines, and their consequent reproduction of photographs designed to make her look as cruelly haggard as possible, is noteworthy, not to mention the stream of triumphant declarations by anonymous commentators that she wears a wig. So what? Thinning hair can be a feature of ageing, except that men have the choice of not wearing a wig, of shaving their pate and sporting a high-sheen gloss that would cut the eye out of your head on a sunny day.
Historians have a neat way of describing things as inevitable once they have happened. But there are times when events are moving so predictably towards cataclysm that to fail to intervene is almost to be complicit.

After three months of indiscriminate bloodshed, frantic diplomatic moves are being made to attempt to prevent the bombardment of Gaza escalating into an all-out regional war.

The US and its allies in the Group of Seven (G7) are engaged in a desperate attempt to end the military phase of the war before the region explodes in a conflagration. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is spearheading talks in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Up to 30,000 people are now thought to now have died in Gaza and its entire population of 2.3 million is believed homeless. Germanys foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was in Israel and the EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell was in Lebanon, reflecting the level of international concern.

As the tragedy goes on, Jordans King Abdullah has accused Israel of creating a whole generation of orphans. He believed more than 30,000 people, mostly women and children, had been killed or were missing.

He has also posed two highly pertinent questions which protagonists on both sides should ponder: How can indiscriminate aggression and shelling bring peace? How can they guarantee security, when they are built on hatred?

King Abdullah was speaking at the Rwandan Genocide Memorial site after being briefed on the exhibits that evoke the horrors of the 1994 killings. He said Rwandas experience teaches us we must fight the dehumanising rhetoric that fuels conflict. His words have resonance. Despite a descent into hate-fuelled carnage towards the end of the last century, conciliation was still possible.

Your story can be a beacon for us all  how the people of this country took action after this unspeakable crime of crimes, and worked towards reconciliation, to heal old wounds and prevent genocide from happening again, he told the audience in Rwanda.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Ms Baerbock told Israel it had a duty to protect Palestinians in the West Bank after Mr Blinken had earlier sounded the wider alarm in Doha. This is a conflict that could easily metastasise, he said before heading to Abu Dhabi.

It already has. Yet Israel has steadfastly resisted calls for restraint. The toll on innocent victims since Hamas first attack in October can not be allowed to continue. An entire population is paying a price for the actions of a few. Hamas and Hezbollah must end their attacks, and the remaining hostages must be released. But Israel, too, must end the unacceptable blocking on essential aid and protect civilians.

In the red mist of conflict, it is too easy to lose sight of the end. But if the past has anything to teach us, it is  as Martin Luther King Jr reminded us  that war is a very poor chisel for carving out tomorrow.
While your front-page article on planning permission (Thousands build without planning but they still get away with it, Irish Independent, January 6) and the accompanying story inside did an excellent job of highlighting the widespread flouting of planning rules, it failed to mention the huge difficulties facing those objecting to such activities.

Having opposed a series of large, unauthorised structures whose continued existence blights a greenfield site in rural Ireland, I have first-hand experience of just how daunting those obstacles are.

Despite the developers claims that they believed their activities were exempt from planning permission, cutting no ice with either the local council or An Bord Pleanala, their development remains in place almost four years later.

Already struggling to handle a sizeable backlog of cases, underfunded and understaffed local councils are required to jump through a variety of unnecessary bureaucratic hoops before such eyesores can be removed. In the meantime, the cash-rich developers in this and other cases are just sitting back and laughing at those of us who follow the rules.

Given that a general election is due soon, surely it is high time a principled politician began advocating a root-and-branch reform of this hopelessly ineffectual legislation.

John Fuery, Roscommon

Prince Andrew should cut his losses and run while he still has the chance

With the recent Epstein listing showing Prince Andrew as a contact and apparently a regular guest, it seems his return to royal duties in Britain is less likely than ever.

Does anyone really care? The job of a royal is substantially about smiling (which is not a regular Prince Andrew skill), cutting ribbons (generally easy so long as the person doesnt try running away), meeting and greeting people and making contacts, although it should only be with proper people. Others on the current list are doing that well enough.

Maybe its best to retire by your own hand rather than by someone else leaving you in a remote office

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

Ireland now a big act on world stage, where many performances fall flat

It was so nice to see three Irish actors nominated for this years Golden Globes, with Cillian Murphys Best Actor award the icing on the cake. Its great news, especially in a time when one cant listen to the news without being reminded that the world is overrun with bad actors.

Joe Murphy, Finglas East, Dublin 11

Neoliberalism will take Ireland on a path which leads to a worrying place

Jim Stack tells us he is more worried about the social policies of the far left than he is about the racism and anti-immigrant sentiment of the far right (Irish Independent, Letters, January 6).

Personally, I am far more concerned about neoliberalism, which appears to have captured what used to be termed the centre, or middle ground, of our political discourse.

Neoliberalism takes right-wing economic theory and joins it with left-wing, social ideology.

Of course, this phenomenon is not unique to Ireland. It has been the overarching political position across most of the Western world for some time now.

Many multi-billion-dollar global corporations cloak themselves in a veil of touchy-feely, right-on causes while simultaneously vehemently opposing unions, exploiting and polluting the poorest countries and introducing bogus self-employment and zero-hour contracts for beleaguered staff.

Our leaders speak incessantly on the world stage about our Western values. Meanwhile, Gaza is being flattened, Europe is reliant on fracked US or Qatari gas, the cost of living is through the roof and billions of euro continue to be pumped into Ukraines endless, grinding war with Russia.

In recent years we have become familiar with Brexit, Trump, Bolsonaro, Milei and Wilders, but none of it happened in a vacuum. I would argue that Ireland is not immune to the spread of similarly calamitous political contagion either.

Paddy Sharkey, Hollywood, Co Wicklow

Family law has improved  so why look to force women into workplace?

In the last 25 years in Ireland, there have been increases in maternity leave entitlements, both paid and unpaid. We have also seen the introduction and expansion of parental leave, paternity leave and parents leave.

All of these measures have been touted by the Government of the time as progressive, and ensuring that parents and their children get to spend more time together. So, what could be more progressive, and a logical extension of the above policies, than a constitutional commitment that no mother should be forced by economic necessity to work outside the home?

If only the Government would honour it and not try to remove it.

E Bolger, Dublin

We recognised Palestine as a state in 2014 and its time we honoured that

Tanaiste Micheal Martin was recently quoted as saying: In that context, the recent comments by Israeli ministers calling for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza are utterly unacceptable and inflammatory. Gaza is Palestinian land and is an integral part of a future state of Palestine.

This is just a word salad designed to ensure we remain on the fence. We need to move from words to action and enact what the Dail passed in 2014  a unanimous vote recognising the state of Palestine. History will record whether we just talked a good game and then stood back.

John Cuffe, Co Meath

If we want Joe Biden to depose a regime, then we should look beyond Israel

Brendan Butler suggests that Joe Biden should depose Benjamin Netanyahus government before the entire region is engulfed in conflict (The US has used its power to remove regimes in the past: why not Israel?, Irish Independent, Letters, January 8).

However, it was Hamas, not Netanyahu, that broke a ceasefire and invaded Israel on October 7, raping, torturing, killing and kidnapping civilians. Netanyahu didnt start the war between Saudi Arabia and Yemens Houthis. He has had nothing to do with the tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over water resources. He didnt start the civil war in Sudan or the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Perhaps Mr Butler should seek another villain for the US to depose?

Karl Martin, Dublin 13
Jockey Davy Russell and his Partner Kyle Vincent during Dancing with the Stars

Miriam Mullins is ready for Dancing With The Stars floor

Dancing with the Stars has returned to Irish screens for a seventh season with eleven celebrities hitting the dancefloor doused in sparkles and fake tan.

And this years series sees two well-known Cork competitors battling for the coveted Glitter Ball trophy.

Champion jockey Davy Russell from Youghal donned a slick black ensemble and danced the paso doble to Crazy Horses by The Osmonds, with professional partner Kylee Vincent.

Jockey Davy Russell and his Partner Kyle Vincent during Dancing with the Stars

The sportsman received a huge round of applause from the audience and a solid combined score of 19 points from the three judges: Arthur Gourounlian, Loraine Barry and Brian Redmond.

TikTok star and RedFM radio presenter Miriam Mullins used Cork city as the backdrop for her pre-performance video.

She took her professional partner, Montel Hewson, on tour of the Rebel City before admitting shell miss home for the few weeks in Dublin.

Miriam and Montel performed a quickstep to Alphabeats song Fascination.

She skipped around the dancefloor in a stunning orange dress and received a decent score of 18, along with constructive feedback from the judges.

The top dance of the night was from Drag Race winner Blu Hydrangea who scored a whooping 24 for a cha-cha-cha.

Down the other end of the scoreboard was actor Rory Cowan who scored 11 points for his Charleston. Luckily, for all the contestants there were no eliminations for the first week of the show.

Dancing with the Stars continues every Sunday at 6.30pm on RTE One.
Several councillors voiced their dismay at 96FM's recent decision to cut the time slot in half for the popular 'Oldies and Irish' show during the full council meeting on Monday, January 8.

The show, hosted by Derry OCallaghan, now airs from 12pm to 2pm on Sundays, down from its previous four-hour slot from 10am.

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The two morning hours are now filled by a show presented by Ryan Tubridy.

Mr Tubridy recently teamed up with Virgin UK and as part of his new deal, he will present the Sunday morning show across the Wireless Ireland radio group of stations, which includes Corks 96FM.

Fianna Fail councillor Ann Marie Ahern said the issue had been raised with her by concerned constituents and she suggested writing a letter to management at 96FM. There has been a big outcry with regards to Derry OCallaghan having his time reduced. It is ingrained in households in County Cork listening to Derry OCallaghan on a Sunday morning. We should write to 96FM expressing our disappointment and ask that the original time that he used to play be reinstated where possible, she said.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th January 2024

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn who seconded the motion said Oldies and Irish had a dedicated following. A lot of people used to look forward to Derry OCallaghan. He is there since 1991. He had a large and dedicated number of followers. A lot of people are very upset. Derry is renowned and he used to put on a tremendous show. It was a great mixture which covered all ages. They should look at this again.

It was a very popular programme, said Independent councillor Ben Dalton OSullivan. I was surprised with the amount of people who have been saying this to me since the announcement came out. There were four hours on a Sunday morning where the majority of the artists being played were Irish music artists. They relied on that programme to promote their music. It is very disappointing.

Labour Party councillor James Kennedy criticised the disgraceful decision by 96FM,while Independent councillor Frank Roche outlined the importance of country music in rural areas.

Fine Gael councillor John OSullivan expressed his fears that a precedent has been set which will have repercussions for local content. The local broadcasting license is for the provision of local content for local areas. Im very concerned that if this precedent starts, that content can be filmed in from London, New York or wherever and that local content will be affected. We should write to the Minister for Communications to review whether or not content being beamed from other locations is fulfilling the local radio license perspective.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th January 2024

It is going to be a big issue. If this is allowed to happen, what is going to stop all the other radio stations and programmes being beamed in from abroad. All our local stations will be undermined. We should ask the minister to look into whether the terms and conditions of the license are being met and they should be reviewed to ensure the local content is maintained because it is very important, he added.

It was subsequently agreed that the local authority would write a letter to the management of Corks 96FM calling for a reinstatement of the full four hours of Oldies and Irish.

A letter on behalf of Cork County Council will also be sent to the Minister for Communications, Eamon Ryan seeking clarity on the terms and conditions of the local broadcasting license.
New Social Democrats councillor Chris Heinhold pictured with Cllr Liam Quaide and their party leader Holly Cairns who is a TD for Cork South West

A new councillor from the Social Democrats was co-opted onto Cork County Council on Monday, January 8 to fill the vacancy left after the recent resignation of Ross OConnell.

Cllr Chris Heinhold, who owns two restaurants in Bantry was co-opted into the council last Monday which brings the number of councillors in the council chambers back to 55 elected representatives.

Social Democrats councillor Liam Quaide who proposed the nomination of the new councillor said Mr Heinhold is very tuned in to the many challenges that constituents in County Cork face. He owns two businesses in Bantry and he is a parent of young children. He is very tuned in to the challenges in housing, cost of living and all the other social issues that our constituents face. I think Chris will be a great addition to Cork County Council and a very strong candidate for the Social Democrats in Bantry in the upcoming election.

Cllr Quaide also paid tribute to his former party colleague Ross OConnell. I would also like to thank Ross OConnell for his very valuable contributions to the role over the past four years and wish him the very best.

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Independent councillor Paul Hayes who formally seconded the nomination for Cllr Heinhold stated said he is looking forward to working with the new councillor in the months ahead and he also wished Ross OConnell all the very best for the future.

Fianna Fail councillor Seamus McGrath extended a warm welcome to Cllr Heinhold and said all elected representatives will certainly work with him on key issues.

Fine Gael councillor John Paul OShea also echoed the sentiments of his political colleagues. I am looking forward to working with Cllr Heinhold over the next few months before the local elections. I wish him all the very best.

Im sure he will work hard for his community, said Labour Party councillor James Kennedy. I want to welcome Chris to Cork County Council. I also want to thank Ross for the good service he gave to his community over the last four years.

The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn said he is looking forward to working with the new councillor. I want to pay tribute to the outgoing councillor Ross OConnell. He worked extremely hard, but because of work pressures he couldnt juggle both together. I welcome our new councillor and I look forward to working with you.

The Chief Executive of Cork County Council Valerie OSullivan said the new councillor is joining a very impressive team. I want to welcome Cllr Heinhold to the chamber. He is joining a very impressive group of elected members. Cllr OConnell will be missed. We really appreciated his participation, particularly in the Western Division.

The new Social Democrats councillor Chris Heinhold expressed his thanks to his colleagues for their warm welcome. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone in County Hall for welcoming me and to all the council members for making me so welcome. I am really looking forward to working with everyone.
Business owners near Harbour Court in Dublin city centre have supported a decision to close off the laneway used as a portable loo and for open drug dealing.

Dublin City Council (DCC) this week voted to close off the laneway running between Marlborough Street and Eden Quay, and linking to the back of multiple properties.

A number of pubs, restaurants and other businesses face directly back to the street renowned for its use as a public toilet.

One woman who lives in the city centre and works in the Abbey Theatre, which is directly across from the street, says she is delighted the lane is closing.

Id be delighted if the lane closed because its very smelly and dangerous, Yvonne Kelly said.

Id never go through it, but youre always kind of watching it in case; youd be afraid there are people hanging around it.

Its disappointing to be working in the national theatre and this is the area thats around it; thats the condition of our city now, and its very sad, she added.

Harbour Court is notorious as a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Pic: Gerry Mooney

I would never ever walk through any of the lanes; they dont feel safe, aside from the needles, dirt and whatever else youd see there.

It would be nice if there were functioning shortcuts, but these are not safe, and I think people who do walk through them are mental.

Businesses like Wynns Hotel Dublin and lots of other pubs and restaurants that are right on Harbour Courts doorstep have been lobbying for its closure since 2009.

A spokesperson for the hotel said: We are definitely happy about this decision.

Harbour Court in Dublin city centre will be closed off to the public. Pic: Gerry Mooney

If there was a solution or something that could be done, we would be in favour of it, but we dont see that happening. It took us 14 years nearly or more to get it closed.

We call it the citys largest portable loo because thats what its used for.

They also cited multiple occasions when hotel clients have written to them speaking about terrible experiences theyve had on Harbour Court.

Sandra, from Club Travel based on Abbey Street, whose back door opens onto Harbour Court said: Today is the cleanest its ever been; this is absolutely spotless.

It is horrible working next to this street. We have stabbings here, we have fights, there used to be bins here with people doing drugs behind them which are now gone.

The place is cleaned here regularly but its impossible to maintain. Its okay in the morning but its so dark here at night and dodgy, you really wouldnt know what to expect when you walk outside, she added.

She also pointed out the signage on the street which she estimated was there for roughly two weeks stating that people could not urinate or defecate here.

Warning signs on a doorway in Harbour Court. Pic: Gerry Mooney

A barman from Mooney's pub and restaurant said the closure was positive news for the area.

I do think that if they close it down, youre going to see this street cleaned up by 60 or 70pc, he added.

He also said other businesses located on Eden Quay, which link to the back of Harbour Court, experience terrifying scenes.

They get deliveries to their back doors, and they need to be as quick as possible to close the doors because of whats happening there, he said.

I park my car there sometimes; I probably shouldnt, but on some occasions Ive come back and theres a used needle on my car bonnet.

Im glad its happening, but it is just shifting the problem to another back lane nearby.

A spokesperson for DublinTown said the business support group notes the decision by Dublin City Council to close access to Harbour Court.

DublinTown believes this is the right decision in the current circumstances. The lane has been prone to anti-social behaviour and is not currently used as an access route within Dublin City Centre.

In the longer term, DublinTown is committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to develop sustainable strategies that would enable the lane to be brought back into more engaged use.
City centre, Tallaght and north inner city labelled littered in latest survey

Dublin city centre slipped to littered, alongside Tallaght and the north inner city in the latest IBAL report

Urgent attention is needed to address the fairly big litter problem in Dublins north inner city, according to one TD.

While Irish towns displayed encouraging progress in the latest Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) report, Dublin city centre slipped to a classification of littered, alongside Tallaght and the north inner city.

Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan suggests that understanding the reasons behind the issue and identifying the perpetrators are crucial parts of the solution.

Ms Hourigan acknowledges that a huge majority of people in the area are doing their best to manage waste correctly.

The idea of using CCTV to tackle illegal dumping in the city is being discussed again by Dublin City Council, following past concerns around GDPR and privacy.

Dublin City Council is further along with this than some other councils; theyre leading the way to some extent because its so badly needed in the inner city, Ms Hourigan said.

CCTV is really targeting repeat offenders in specific areas. In fairness to the team of people who work in the north inner city, they cant be faulted.

Theres a tide of litter coming in every day, and when theyre finished, theyre practically starting all over again, she added.

Deputy Hourigan, along with Green party councillor Janet Horner, sent a letter last year with their observations on waste strategies they are currently developing.

This addresses concerns around the draft National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy, particularly focusing on waste, litter and dumping management in Dublins north inner city.

One specific focus of the letter addresses the challenges inner-city communities face, including difficulties in negotiating bin contracts and irresponsible landlord behaviour.

Several specific suggestions are made, including the introduction of brown and green bins, shared bins for waste separation, legislative changes for landlord accountability, and a shift towards the remunicipalisation of waste collection.

However, other politicians have different views on the issue, with Councillor Ray McAdam believing the idea of naming and shaming through the use of CCTV is the best solution to tackling the problem.

Councillor McAdam told the Irish Independent that, in terms of the level of contact from people in his local area, one-third to 50pc is about arranging for illegally dumped materials or litter to be cleaned from the streets.

Today, when I look at my emails, I have four separate incidents of domestic waste dumped overnight, he said.

He suggests that new legislation enabling local authorities to use CCTV cameras in a proactive way to identify individuals responsible for illegal dumping would be the best way to stop the practice from occurring.

I believe we must go one step further and reintroduce the policy of naming and shaming, Councillor McAdam said.

We used that policy roughly five to six years ago in Phibsboro, North Strand and Stoneybatter.

We were able to identify those responsible for illegal dumping and put images and posters up at those locations. The dumping stopped overnight, he added.

At that time, the Data Protection Commissioner intervened so that the council could not use images.

If we can name and shame tax offenders, surely to God we can name and shame those involved in illegal dumping, he said.
The funeral Mass for Charlie Curtin (83)  who sustained serious injuries in a road-traffic collision just days before Christmas and passed away over the weekend  heard how the warmth of his personality was matched only by the warmth of the fire constantly burning in the fireplace in his home.

The two-car crash happened on the main road between Abbeyfeale and Castleisland on December 23, just after 10am. Charlie was rushed to hospital in a critical condition following the incident on the N21 at Knockbrack, Knocknagoshel.

Four other people travelling in the second car were also taken to hospital for assessment following the accident.

The pensioner, who was from Meenleitrim South in Knocknogoshel, was much loved in his local community, as demonstrated by the outpouring of love at his funeral on Tuesday, which was held in St Marys Church, Knocknagoshel.

Symbols of Charlies life were brought to the altar, including a photo of Charlie and his beloved dog; a sod of turf which symbolised the warmth of his home, where he always had a fire lit to welcome his family and friends; a DVD of Brendan Grace, which symbolised Charlies love of comedy; and, finally, a photo of Charlie and his brothers, taken when they travelled on holidays together.

A member of Charlies family spoke at the funeral and remembered Charlies warm personality and love of comedy.

Charlies family stretched far and wide across the globe to locations such as London, New York and New Jersey so, in a sense, you could say that he [Charlie] was loved all over the world, the family representative said.

As children and adults, weve many fond memories of Charlie, especially the many great Christmases we spent in our nan and grandads house with Charlie, where we were all sure of being in for a night of great laughs, sing songs and some slagging and banter, they continued.

We were reminded earlier of Charlies love of Brendan Grace, and many nights were spent after dinner, watching Brendan Grace on the television, where Charlie knew, word for word, everything that was being said.

We often joked that it was great if we ever needed to be home early because Charlie would have had the punch line said 30 seconds before Brendan Grace did, they added.

The family said that they wished to thank all those who came to the funeral to pay their respects to Charlie, as well as a number of Charlies close friends.

In addition, the family extended a sincere thank you to the staff at the ICU in University Hospital Kerry for their tender and loving care for Charlie.

Following the Mass, Charlie was buried in the Old Cemetery in Brosna.
The Mayor of Beit Sahour in the West Bank, Hani Al-Hayek, has written to councillors of Tralee Municipal District in County Kerry thanking them for their support and solidarity in the wake of ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Beit Sahour is a town east of Bethlehem in the Bethlehem Governorate of the State of Palestine, under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority. The historic twinning of Tralee and Beit Sahour took place in 2018 when the then Sinn Fein councillor Pa Daly proposed the merger that was passed unopposed.

Beit Sahour has not escaped the conflict since October 7 with reports of daily clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police being overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

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In November 2023, Sinn Fein tabled a motion of solidarity with Beit Sahour and the Palestinian people at a Tralee MD meeting. The gesture brought an immediate response from Mayor Al-Hayek who wrote to Kerry County Council in late November.

Since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7 when 1,139 innocent people were killed and hundreds more taken hostage, over 23,000 innocent people in Gaza  including close to 10,000 children  have been killed in Israeli reprisals.

Al-Hayek wrote: Your kindness and solidarity through the resolution adopted by the members of Tralee Municipal District has gone straight into our hearts as your compassion and thoughts are very much appreciated.

He said Tralee MD had the courage and bravery to send solidarity when most of its international partners did not take such action.

Sadly, we are being annihilated in front of the whole world without any country to take ground actions to stop the daily massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. But we pray and keep the hope alive that this war will end soon and the results after it will be to the benefits of the Palestinians, as we have been longing for freedom for the past 75 years, he said.

Hani Al-Hayek concluded: On behalf of Beit Sahour, I once again thank you all sincerely for your brave resolution and for your remarkable stand with us in such dark times. Be sure that Beit Sahour will also and always stand with Tralee in all situations.

The official signing of the twinning ceremony took place at Kerry County Council in March 2019 and was attended by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine in Ireland, Ahmad Abdelrazek.
Kilkenny has been listed as an area that is Cleaner than European Norms

Kilkenny was found to be 'Cleaner than European Norms' according to IBAL. Photo: Getty Images

Efforts to reduce litter and improve cleanliness in Kilkenny have paid off as the county ranked fourth out of 40 Irish towns and cities in the Irish Business Against Litter Survey (IBAL).

The annual survey is a comprehensive assessment of litter levels across Ireland and takes into account factors including cleanliness of streets, public areas, approach roads and general wasteland.

Kilkenny was joined in the top five by Maynooth in first place, followed by Mallow, then Sligo. Kilkenny came in fourth and Mullingar took the final top five position.

Ten out of eight Kilkenny sites surveyed by IBAL received the top litter grade, while no Kilkenny site was found to be heavily littered.

Top-ranking sites in Kilkenny included the Bottle Bank at St Canices Car Park, St Kieran's Street, The Mall, High Street and Kilkenny Castle Park.

These sites weren't just good with regard to litter, but the overall presentation and maintenance of the sites was listed as excellent.

Mayor Joe Malone expressed his pride in Kilkenny's achievement and stated: "This ranking is a reflection of the dedication and hard work put in by our community, the Kilkenny City Area Office, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful and business owners.

"Kilkenny's successful approach to tackling litter has not only enhanced the aesthetics of the City but has also positively impacted tourism and economic development. A cleaner and more attractive City encourages a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, while also attracting potential investors and businesses. This achievement presents an opportunity for Kilkenny to further strengthen its reputation as an exceptional destination.

What sets Kilkenny apart is its decrease in litter, leading to a significant improvement in overall cleanliness, explained Mags Whelan, Environmental Awareness Officer at Kilkenny County Council.

This achievement is the result of numerous initiatives implemented in recent years, aimed at reducing litter and promoting responsible waste management practices. The collaborative efforts by authorities, community groups and volunteers, our local Tidy Towns group Keep Kilkenny Beautiful and residents alike have played a crucial role in achieving this remarkable progress.

Nationally, for the first time since surveys began 20 years ago, no area was found to be seriously littered. Although litter levels rose slightly nationwide, over 60% of towns surveyed were deemed clean in 2023.

Waterford City was again named the cleanest city, ahead of Galway. These were the only cities to be judged clean, with Cork City Centre improving to moderately littered . However, Dublin fell to littered, alongside Limerick.

While, this recent report saw improvements in litter levels across the country, the IBAL argues that these levels will only get better once the Deposit Return Scheme is in place next month.

The scheme will see consumers pay a deposit of 15 cent on cans and up to 25 cent on plastic bottles, refundable on their return.

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"This latest survey shows these items to be present in just under half of the hundreds of sites we surveyed, explained Conor Horgan, spokesperson for the IBAL.

This scheme will remove a large portion of this litter and bring about a significantly cleaner environment in 2024. While there may be some inconvenience for consumers, the prize is a very real, and a very immediate one.

However, Conor argues that the next area of focus needs to be on addressing the rise in coffee cup litter, which is now close to peak-Covid levels.

"Coffee cups were found at over 30% of the 500+ sites surveyed. We are concerned at potential delays in introducing a coffee cup levy. We believe this action is needed to stamp out a product which is out of step with the circular economy.

"Irrespective of how recyclable or compostable take-away cups are, these statistics show too many of them are ending up on our streets.
A man in his 50s remains in a critical condition in hospital following an alleged assault in Mullingar during the early hours of Sunday morning

A man in his 50s arrested in connection to a serious assault of a man in Mullingar over the weekend has been released without charge.

The man, who is from the Mullingar area, was arrested yesterday afternoon after a man in his mid 50s was transferred to Dublins Beaumont Hospital following an incident on Patrick Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath in the early hours of Sunday morning.

At approximately, 1.40am Gardai were alerted to a disturbance outside a premises on Patrick Street, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath involving two men.

The alleged victim, who is also from the county Westmeath area, sustained a serious head injury as a result.

He was initially brought to Mullingars Midland Regional Hospital, but due to the seriousness of his injuries, was later transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Gardai are now expected to compile a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to determine the next course of the investigation.

In the interim, detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward to assist them wither their inquiries and have likewise appealed for anyone with video footage of the incident to make it available to investigating Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Mullingar Garda station on 044 938 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
The people of Enniscorthy made their voices heard during a vigil for the people of Palestine on New Years eve.

The vigil was organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign and saw hundreds of campaigners line the riverfront in Enniscorthy as a mark of solidarity with the people of Palestine and to demand a ceasefire.

Posting to their social media South East Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign shared their thoughts after the vigil.

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This is for the 21,672 known martyrs, and 56,185 injured and wounded civilians of Palestine since the 7th October. Our thoughts from 2023 into 2024 are with you and your cause for liberation from occupation, they wrote

Thank you to all who attended our NYE Ceasefire Vigil. This is just the beginning- if youre based in Wexford or the southeast and want to play your part in continuing the fight for Palestine in Ireland, contact us today by DMing South East IPSC or through southeast@ipsc.ie," they added.
The group of 14, including two children, were discovered after they made a panicked phone call to UK police, who then alerted Irish authorities

Gardai have launched an investigation into human trafficking after 14 undocumented migrants were found in a refrigerated container that arrived at Rosslare Europort.

The 12 adults and two children found in the lorry had been forced to cut a hole in the container as they struggled to breathe, it has emerged.

A local first responder said it was fortunate nobody had died in the incident on Monday after one of the three women in the group made a desperate call to the UK police, who then alerted the Irish authorities.

Gardai are investigating after the ten Kurdish people from Iran and Iraq, including two girls, as well as three people from Vietnam and one from Turkey were discovered on the vessel from Zeebrugge in Belgium around 3am on Monday.

Gardai are now liaising with their foreign counterparts as they investigate the incident and are interviewing the 14 with the help of interpreters. The migrants are in the care of the International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) and Tusla, the child and family agency, is also involved.

A garda spokesperson urged anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may appear, to contact them.

"The nine men, three women and two girls have been assessed by medical personnel and have been deemed to be in good health, the spokesperson said.

Gardai attached to Wexford Garda Station, supported by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, are investigating all of the circumstances of this incident. They are liaising closely with international counterparts through Europol in The Hague.

The ships crew are assisting An Garda Siochana with these enquiries.

It is understood they are trying to find out at what point they entered the lorry, which was loaded near Paris before travelling to Zeebrugge.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said there is relief that there were no fatalities among the 14 people.

They were assessed by medics before being transferred for processing by the international protection service.

We have to do everything we can to try and avoid such carriage and passage because it is dangerous and a risk to the lives of those who are put on or go on to those trucks, said Mr Ryan.

We have to do what we can to reduce it but you cannot completely eliminate it. Weve seen that with the UK Government and France, trying to stop that passage.

It is practically impossible to completely avoid it.

He said people are making the crossing because they are desperate and Ireland has obligations under international law to provide refuge where appropriate.

Rosslare Europort.

Speaking to RTEs Morning Ireland, Mr Ryan added: We also stand up for human rights in our country. Weve always stood by the UN charter for human rights, central to our position.

Part of that is we have to respect and manage, to the best of our ability, refugee rights.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee also said that it was fortuitous that there were no deaths in the incident.

I was extremely concerned to learn of the discovery of 14 people, including three women and two children, in a refrigerated lorry at Rosslare Port on Monday and I would like to thank the emergency services for their initial response, she said in a statement.

Thankfully, I understand that all the people are in good health.

We know from past experience that similar situations have led to tragic fatalities. This was an extremely hazardous undertaking and it is only fortuitous that the same did not happen yesterday.

An Garda Siochana are investigating the matter with assistance from international partners. I would appeal to anybody with any information that might assist with the ongoing investigation to contact An Garda Siochana, Minister McEntee said.

The migrants were uncovered after one of the people inside the trailer rang the UK police to inform them they were inside the container on board the ferry.

An Garda Siochana took over a part of the terminal building in Rosslare to greet the 14 individuals on arrival and a number of units from the National Ambulance Service were on hand to administer medical attention as required.

All on board the refrigerated trailer were understood to be in good health and once they were fully checked, they were brought by An Garda Siochana to CityWest in Dublin for processing.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th January 2024

A source confirmed that those on board the trailer were primarily Kurdish nationals and, following medical examinations, they were brought to the nearest processing centre.

"Theres very little involvement locally, the source said. We just bring them on to the nearest processing centre, which I believe is CityWest in Dublin. From there, the initial processing of their details and documents will be carried out before they are taken to an accommodation centre and a decision will be made around whether they apply for political asylum.

Local county councillor and Operations Resource Manager with the National Ambulance Service Ger Carthy said that it was fortunate that this latest incident hadnt resulted in tragedy. He said the migrants had been forced to cut a hole in the refrigerated container they were in as they gasped for air.

In 2001, 13 people were discovered in a container on the back of a truck which had arrived into Ireland via Rosslare Europort. Eight of them, including four children, suffocated and died.

"This was a huge multi-agency response in the early hours of Monday morning, Cllr Carthy said. Thankfully, it was a successful conclusion on this occasion with no life lost.

"Weve had major tragedies of this nature in Wexford in the past. Obviously, a certain amount of this activity will happen with Rosslare being a major port, but human trafficking is a major issue and its horrific to think that there are people out there making a lot of money off the backs of desperate people keen to escape terrible circumstances at home.

It was quite a challenging and dangerous trip for anyone to make and I believe they had difficulty breathing in the trailer and may have had to break a hole in the side of it to access some air, he told RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland on Wednesday.

Thankfully we dont have an outcome similar to the early 2000s when a container came into Rosslare and there were a number of deceased people in it, Cllr Carthy said.

The Independent councillor said he believes the smuggling of refugees will be more frequent following a significant increase in capacity at Rosslare Europort.

We are going to have more and more of it but we have a very robust immigration system and staff at the port will hopefully identify these issues going forward, he said.

It should alert the Government that we are going to see more and more of this with the current crisis across the worl.

Cllr Carthy said there are already ongoing protests in Rosslare regarding a derelict hotel that was bought and was due to be turned into a nursing home.

However, he said it was found that the Government had engaged with the possibility of turning it into an International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) centre, with plans to bring in 700 asylum seekers.

The people of Rosslare would like their nursing home which they were promised and planning permission granted for, he said.

The site is currently subject to a planning decision by An Bord Pleanala, which Cllr Carthy said may not see a final decision made for a couple of months.

Rosslare is at saturation, we currently have over 400 IPAS and Ukrainian refugees. It is only a small population of 1,200 people. Its about saturation, its about distribution and fairness.

The people of Rosslare dont see any fairness coming from the current Government and indeed the Department of Integration, he added.

Meanwhile, Eugene Drennan, haulier and former president of the Irish Road Haulage Association said the truck loaded south of the Paris area, came north of the French capital and then took its mandatory break as the driver has to by law in a services area.

After his break, having started his journey in the morning, he did his checks, Mr Drennan told Morning Ireland.

He stressed that the people were put on board by a very professional gang and had to be helped by the gang as the truck was a fully sealed refrigerated trailer.

The access was either through the back doors or through the roof. Either which way, we believe they went through the doors and they had to have had assistance.

He stressed that drivers are checking every day when they hear noises and must get the help of the authorities, who do not always come.

And you must remember, drivers are very much solo, driving in the dark of the night alone along the coast of France. It is not an easy place to be solo with a lot of hungry people trying to get to the UK.
Wicklow musician Smoothboi Ezra  now known as Ezra Williams  who was selected to join RTE2fms Rising list in 2022, has now made it onto the shortlist for the RTE Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2023 for their debut album Supernumeraries.

The album was described as exploring insecurities, human interactions and expressions of intimacy and love in all its complex forms and received rave reviews upon its release last year.

The multi-instrumentalist produces all their own music and following the placement on the Rising list, received a share of a 10,000 bursary along with nine other artists and a significant push from 2FM extensively across the station. Previous musicians on the list that went on to stardom include Fontaines DC, Denise Chaila, Dermot Kennedy, Jafairs, Lyra, Pillow Queens and Wild Youth.

After emerging in 2018 with Thinking Of You, the artist began uploading their acoustic tunes to SoundCloud, and four years later, their breakthrough single My Own Person earned a sync on Netflixs Heartstopper soundtrack, leading to millions of streams.

That helped catapult the 21-year-old, who is studying contemporary applied art  ceramics, glass and textiles  in Corks Crawford College. Not bad for someone who organically grew their fan base over five odd years at home. And by the time they made their Other Voices debut in May last year, they had amassed over 80 million streams globally with what RTE described as their masterful introspective songwriting.

Other nominees pitted against Ezra Williams for album of the year are Grian Chatten  Chaos For The Fly; CMAT  Crazymad, For Me; John Francis Flynn  Look Over The Wall, See The Sky; Kojaque  Phantom of the Afters; Lankum  False Lankum; Rachael Lavelle  Big Dreams; Soda Blonde  Dream Big; The Murder Capital  Gigis Recovery; The Scratch  Mind Yourself.

Adam Fogarty, Head of Music at RTE 2FM, said: "The RTE Choice Music Prize is an important annual event in the wider Irish music landscape, and were delighted to be able to continue to celebrate all that is great about Irish music and Irish artists.

"The inclusion of the Irish Artist of the Year, Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Classic Irish Album categories for the second year running, coupled with the longstanding Irish Song of the Year and the preeminent Irish Album of the Year prizes allow us to more broadly represent the incredible past, present and exciting future of Irish music.

The Irish Album of the Year 2023 will be announced live from Vicar St on RTE 2FM in a special show on Thursday, March 7 and will feature live performances from some of the shortlisted acts.
A petition for a parliamentary vote on the issue of assisted dying has received more than 10,000 signatories.

The petition to Parliament was inspired by Dame Esther Rantzen, who has stage four lung cancer and has signed up for Swiss-based Dignitas, and calls for a free vote by MPs on the issue.

A free vote means MPs will not be under the whip system so they are not under pressure from their party to vote in a particular way.

Once a petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the Government responds, and if 100,000 people sign, a debate in Parliament is considered.

Calling for a parliamentary debate and a vote, the petition says: Terminally ill people who are mentally sound and near the end of their lives should not suffer unbearably against their will.

We believe dying people in the UK should have the option of requesting medical assistance to end their lives with dignity, through a safe and compassionate system with strict eligibility criteria and safeguards.

Dame Esther Rantzen said she is considering the option of assisted dying if her lung cancer treatment does not improve her condition (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Without this, too many are taking matters into their own hands with tragic consequences.

The Daily Express petition is in conjunction with campaigners Dignity In Dying and has been backed by Dame Esther.

Last month, Dame Esther, 83, called for the free vote, saying that she is considering assisted dying if her condition does not improve.

She told BBCs The Today Podcast that it would be painful for her family to watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times and I dont want that to happen.

Dame Esther also expressed concern that her family could not travel with her to Dignitas, an assisted dying organisation, as the practice is illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The maximum prison sentence for assisted dying is 14 years.

A report into assisted dying and assisted suicide in England and Wales is due to be published by the Health and Social Care Committee.

An Assisted Dying Bill, which would have allowed some terminally ill adults to ask for medical help to end their life, went before the Commons in 2015 and was rejected by MPs.

There was also a Bill proposed in the House of Lords during the 2021/2022 session which reached a second reading in the chamber.
Jamie Dornan is back for season 2 of The Tourist with Danielle Macdonald

Jamie Dornan in the new series of The Tourist

Jamie Dornan has opened up about a horrific near death experience in Jamaica and some of the scary experiences he had with photographers at the beginning of his career.

The Co Down actor told the Sunday Times that he was violently mugged while in Jamaica.

It was absolutely horrific, he said.

Dornan visited Jamaica in 2006, when he was in his early 20s but the trip wasnt quite what he expected.

I was a wee bit stoned because thats what you do in Jamaica. It was late at night, it was very bad, he said.

Dornan was reluctant to share the full story of the night but said his assailants held a gun against him through a jacket (he didnt see it but said it felt like a real gun) and they had a machete in full view.

He said it was a genuinely terrifying experience. I thought I was going to die, he said.

The Holywood actor is best known for starring in the Fifty Shades franchise, Sir Kenneth Branaghs Oscar-nominated Belfast and more recently, BBC Ones The Tourist.

In his younger years, Dornan was a model and he opened up about some of the creepy interactions he had during his modelling career.

Once, when he was around 20, he was being shot by an older photographer who was adamant that they should have lunch together afterwards.

I said no and got dressed, came out and he was naked in the kitchen making spaghetti bolognese.

Appalling! Unless thats just how he cooks? I ran out.

He also detailed another incident where a photographer purposefully walked into his changing room while he was undressing, acting like it was a mistake but then only half-closed the door.

Its just weird s***, now that I look back at it. Voyeuristic, strange, very uncomfortable stuff.

Jamie Dornan is back for season 2 of The Tourist with Danielle Macdonald

Dornan became a huge success after appearing on the Channel 4 reality show Model Behaviour in 2001.

He appeared in advertising campaigns with the likes of Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Eva Mendes.

Dornan said he was often camera shy and a career in acting was much more appealing than one in modelling.

I look back at it with more pride now. I probably had more embarrassment about it, especially when acting was kicking off in a bigger way and I was like, No, f*** that, I am an actor now. 

Dornan is currently booked and busy, saying he attributes a lot of his ambitions to the way he was raised.

I am now just in a place  and this might change by next week  that I accept that things are obviously good. I work all the time.

Ive always felt like Im someone who has a point to prove or something.

I think a lot of that comes from being quite small when I was a kid and always thinking I had to work harder to stand out on a rugby pitch. Im very fuelled by a F*** you, watch this sort of energy.
Four barn owl chicks defied the odds this winter as the latest recorded brood in Northern Ireland to date (Handout/PA)

Christmas came early for a group of conservationists in Co Down thanks to an extremely late winter brood of barn owls.

The discovery of four chicks in November  one of the latest recorded in Northern Ireland to date  surprised and shocked conservationists from Ulster Wildlife, who inspected the nest site at Ballycruttle Farm under licence from Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
The two men were arrested at the palace of Polish President Andrzej Duda (pictured). Photo: REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Two Polish lawmakers ordered by a court to go to prison have been arrested at the presidential palace, local media reported on Tuesday, escalating a conflict between the nationalist head of state and the new pro-European government.
Thats going to be the least of it: Donald Trump claims US is facing a bloodbath if he loses November election
The Big Picture: US desperate to stop a full-blown war from engulfing Middle East

Israel told by Biden administration not to escalate situation with Hezbollah, but fears remain

US secretary of state Antony Blinken, left, with Qatar's prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during Blinken's week-long trip to the Middle East. Photo: AP

John Hudson  Washington Post Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30







President Joe Biden has sent his top aides to the Middle East with a critical objective: Prevent a full-blown war from erupting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The Duke of York with Virginia Giuffre, centre, and Ghislaine Maxwell (US Department of Justice/PA)

The bath in which Britains Duke of York was accused of sexually attacking a 17-year-old was too small for a man of Prince Andrews size to enjoy a bath in let alone sex, newly unsealed legal documents claim.
Donald Trump refused to sign pledge not to overthrow US government

Former president abstained from loyalty oath when submitting papers for Illinois ballot

US presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Clinton, Iowa, over the weekend. Photo: Getty

Joe Sommerlad  UK Independent Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 03:30







Donald Trump refused to sign a loyalty oath pledging not to call for the US government to be overthrown when he registered to appear on the Illinois 2024 primary ballot, the Chicago Sun-Times has reported.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Tampa (Florida)/IBNS: Florida became the first state in the United States to import certain drugs from Canada which could save the US state an estimated $150 million annually.

The decision was made after the allowance was given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Having set up a federal regulatory agency decades ago to ensure patent drug prices are not excessive, Canada has resisted such import plans for years.

Canada has said that it is following safeguards to prevent shortage of prescription drugs that Florida is importing from Canadian wholesalers to treat such conditions as HIV/AIDS, diabetes and hepatitis C.

I want to assure Canadians that they will continue to have access to medications they need when they need them, Canada's federal Health Minister Mark Holland said in a media statement.

Canadians can be confident that our government will continue to take all necessary measures to protect the drug supply in Canada.

According to Health Canada there are provisions under the Food and Drugs Act that prohibit certain drugs from being sold outside of the country if that sale could cause, or worsen, a drug shortage in Canada.

A Health Canada spokesperson had said in a media statement that it is actively monitoring the Canadian drug supply and continues to ensure that Canadians have access to the drugs that they need.

Historically, weve had some pretty devastating drug shortages in CanadaIm skeptical that it will actually come to fruition in its current form, but we want to make sure that were diligent about reviewing it and making sure that were not missing something.

Joelle Walker, vice president of public affairs for the Canadian Pharmacists Association was reported saying and urged Canadians not to rush out to stock up on their prescriptions, which could trigger shortages.

Innovative Medicines Canada, a trade group that represents about 50 pharma companies, said allowing Florida to import drugs meant for Canadians could disrupt Canadas health-care system.

Canada simply cant supply drugs to Florida, or any other U.S. states, without significantly increasing the risk and severity of drug shortages nationwide, David Renwick, interim president of Innovative Medicines Canada, said in a statement.

The U.S. market is nearly 10 times bigger than Canadas, and allowing drugs that were intended for Canadians to be exported to the U.S. would harm Canadian patients and disrupt our health-care system.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Florida the go-ahead to buy cheaper wholesale prescription drugs from Canada, which has reignited fears of drug shortages in this country.

Calling the FDAs decision reckless, the head of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said that ensuring patients have access to needed medicines is critical, but the importation of unapproved medicines, whether from Canada or elsewhere in the world, poses a serious danger to public health."

"PhRMA is considering all options for preventing this policy from harming patients.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Photo courtesy: PIB

New Delhi/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the country's largest Global Trade show on Tuesday in Gandhinagar, one day ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will lead a road show from outside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport this evening, and then he will hold a meeting with CEOs of top global corporations.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, including the President of Timor Leste and President of Mozambique.

On January 10 (Wednesday), he will inaugurate the tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad late Monday night.

Modi was received by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil and Governor Acharya Devvrat.

This tenth Edition of the Summit will celebrate 20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success.

The summit is being held from January 10 to 12 , 2024, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, under the theme of 'Gateway to the Future, as per the statement from the Prime Minister office on Sunday.

Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was conceptualised in 2003 by Modi, who was then the state Chief Minister.

"The summit today evolved as one of the most reputed global forums for business collaboration, knowledge sharing and strategic partnerships for inclusive growth and sustainable development," said PMO.

After inaugurating the summit, Modi will hold a meeting with CEOs of top global corporations.

Later he will travel to GIFT City where, at around 5:15 PM, he will interact with prominent business leaders in the Global FinTech Leadership Forum, said the PMO.

There are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations for this years Summit.

The Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions.

In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state of the art technology.
Photo courtesy: UNI

Kolkata/UNI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director Rahul Navin arrived in the city on Tuesday, four days after his officials were attacked during a raid at TMC leader Sahjahan Sheikh's house in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, official sources said.

The ED chief arrived at the Dumdum airport at around 2315 hours and had a meeting with three ED officials there for an hour before leaving the airport for a night halt in a hotel.

Sources said the ED chief will have meetings with the officials to review the ground reality of the situation.

ED's Kolkata office had already dispatched detail report regarding the attacks on Friday at two places - Sandeshkhali in N 24 Parganas where Sahjahan Sheikh, accused of orchestrating attacks on the ED officials as well as the CRPF, and in Bongaon where former municipality chief Shankar Addya alias Daku lives.

While the ED officials returned from Sandeshkhali abandoning the search operation fearing for life, its team at Bongaon arrested Addya, accused of his involvement in the ration distribution scam.

At least three ED officials were injured, one of them received head injury, and their vehicles were vandalized by a group of supporters of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh.

Sources said the visiting ED director Rahul Navin, will preside over an indoor meeting with his officials at CGO complex at Salt Lake.

The ED on Saturday issued a lookout notice for fugitive Sheikh, who is still evading arrest.

Meanwhile, the ED suspected that the PDS scam ranged in between Rs 9,000  10,000 crore, of which Rs 2000 crore was seemingly transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh.

"The ED initiated investigation into the PDS Scam based on various FIRs registered by West Bengal Police wherein various private persons were allegedly found in unauthorized possession of PDS ration and involved in bogus procurement of paddy.

"During ED investigation, it has been revealed that proceeds of crime were generated and shared among various persons by adopting various modus operandi, " the central probe agency said in a statement.

The ED said during the investigation, it was revealed that such persons allegedly laundered the Proceeds of Crime (POC) using the corporate identity of various companies, invested in the acquisition of various immovable properties and also transferred part of said POC to certain companies under the control and beneficial ownership of (former Food Minister) Jyoti Priya Mallick.

"During further investigation, searches were conducted at various Full Fledged Money Changers (FFMC) companies and associated persons on January 5 last and relevant evidence was seized during the search.

"The investigation carried out so far indicates that the magnitude of the scam is enormous, and the proceeds of crime received and further transferred and layered by one suspected person are suspected to be at least to the tune of Rs. 9,000  10,000 crore and out of that, Rs. 2000 Crore were also suspected to be transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh," the ED statement added.

In this regard, former Bongaon (in North 24 Parganas district) Municipalty Chairman Sankar Addhya (resident of Bongaon), who has owned and controlled many FFMC companies, was arrested and produced before a. Special PMLA Court, Kolkata, which granted him 14 days of ED custody.
Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

New Delhi/IBNS: Two opposition MPs of Maldives have demanded the sacking of President Mohamed Muizzu amid the ongoing controversy over critical comments made by the country's ministers against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, media reports said.

Ali Azim and Meekail Naseems are the two MPs who have demanded steps to sack the President, who is viewed as pro-China, amid the brewing tension between the two countries.

India-Maldives diplomatic row

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Maldivian envoy to India Ibrahim Shaheeb on Monday (January 8, 2024) and conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi who posted pictures from Lakshadweep.

As per reports, the Maldives High Commissioner was seen arriving at the MEA office building and leaving a short while later.

The Ministry summoned the envoy amid the ongoing row between India and the Maldives over derogatory remarks made by Maldivian leaders against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep.

Maldives government's reaction to Ministers remarks

The Maldives government has distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers. Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.
Photo Courtesy: UNI

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited Ayodhya and offered his prayers firstly at Hanuman Garhi and then at Lord Ram temple.

The CM also wished for the well-being and happiness of the people of Uttar Pradesh during his worship. Prior to this, he had performed worship and rituals here on December 29.

After worshipping at the two temples, he also reviewed the projects and schemes related to Ayodhya's development as well as took stock of progress in Ram Temple.

(With UNI inputs)
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Top Indian and Nepali officials attended the 11th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation when an agreement on Long Term Power Trade was signed.

"The 11th meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on Power Sector Cooperation (JSC), co-chaired by Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India and Mr. Gopal Prasad Sigdel, Secretary (Energy), Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, was held in Chitwan on 5 January 2024," read a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

"The meeting followed the signing of the Agreement on Long Term Power Trade between India and Nepal on 4 January 2024," the statement said.

This was preceded by the 11th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Power Sector Cooperation (JWG) held on 3 January 2024 that was co-chaired by D. Sai Baba, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power andNabin Raj Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal in Kathmandu.

These meetings comprehensively reviewed the bilateral power sector cooperation between India and Nepal, including power trade and the implementation of hydropower projects and transmission lines.

The progress made in various bilateral committees, including Joint Technical Team (JTT), was also discussed.

"The modalities of cross border power trade through 132 kV and below transmission lines were approved during the meeting. This assumes special significance as three new 132 kV lines i.e., second circuit of Raxaul (Bihar, India) -Parwanipur (Nepal), second circuit of Kataiya (Bihar, India) -Kusaha (Nepal) and New Nautanwa (Uttar Pradesh, India)-Mainhiya (Nepal) were inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister of India and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal on 4 January 2024," the statement said.

These lines add about 200 MW transmission capacity enhancing the overall transmission capacity between India and Nepal to 1400 MW.

Further, the New Nautanwa-Mainhiya transmission line is the first connection between Nepal and the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.

Achieving progress on the India-Nepal Joint Vision Statement on Power Sector Cooperation issued during the visit of Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Nepal to India in April 2022, both sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the Joint Hydro Development Committee (JHDC) soon.

Power Secretary Shri Pankaj Agarwal also called on Honble Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal, Mr. Shakti Bahadur Basnet before the JSC.

The two sides agreed to continue the discussions on the subject and decided to meet soon for the next sessions of the JWG/JSC meetings to be organized by the Indian side.
Photo Couresy: PMO India X page

PM Narendra Modi met Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, on 9 January 2024 in Gandhinagar when he expressed his strong commitment to support Mozambiques development priorities.

"Both leaders held productive discussions on ways to further bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence, counter terrorism, energy, health, trade & investment, agriculture, water security, mining, capacity building and maritime cooperation," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The Prime Minister suggested that the two countries could work to enhance air connectivity to give a boost to business, culture and people to people relations.

President Nyusi thanked the Prime Minister for the inclusion of African Union (AU) in the G-20.

The two leaders also discussed issues related to cooperation in multilateral fora, including the UN.

The Prime Minister fondly appreciated President Nyusis participation in the Voice of the Global South Summit in January and November 2023.

President Nyusi thanked India for the various development projects and capacity building programmes as also for its support in the area of maritime security.

Both leaders agreed to remain in touch and maintain the pace of high level political contacts between the two countries.
Photo Courtesy: Suchana Seth X page

Start-up founder Suchana Seth's last Instagram update was about her four-year-old son whom she allegedly murdered at a hotel in Goa.

Suchana Seth, 39, who was the founder of artificial intelligence start-up Mindful AI Labs, was arrested by police from Karnataka.

Police reportedly arrested Seth from Karnatakas Chitradurga district, nearly 400 km away from the Goa hotel, where the crime was allegedly committed, with the body of her four-year-old stuffed into one of her luggage.

Meanwhile, in her last Instagram post, she shared an image of ger son playing near an aquarium.

Her Instagram post caption read: "#whatwillhappen #wish #findinglosing #lifeisbeautiful #lightinwater #fish #holiday #magicofchildhood."

This was the only post about her son on the Instagram page.

According to reports, Seth is separated from her husband and their divorce procedure is currently in the final stage.

She has said that she was not on good terms with her husband and there is a divorce proceeding which is at the final stages. She said there was a recent court order concerning the custody of the child which she was not happy with, North Goa superintendent of police Nidhin Valsan told Hindustan Times, citing the initial round of questioning of the woman.

Valsan said her husband, who was in Indonesia, had been told to come to Goa to record his statement in connection with his sons murder.

What allegedly happened in Goa?

According to reports, Seth flew from Bengaluru to Goa with her son on January 6.

She checked into the Sol Banyan Grande hotel in Candolim.

Her hotel was reserved till January 10.

Valsan told Hindustan Times the child may have died on January 7.

The officer said Suchana Seth called the front desk past midnight and called them to book her a cab that could take her home to Bengaluru.

The woman was suggested by hotel staff to take a flight instead of going by cab, to which the woman denied and insisted that she wanted to go by cab.

But she insisted she wanted to go by taxi. The hotel arranged an Innova taxi and she left the hotel at about 1am on January 8 (night intervening Sunday and Monday), Valsan told the newspaper.

Her son was not with her when she departed from the hotel.

The cleaning staff of the hotel raised an alarm on the following morning when blood stains were spotted in the room.

Following the development, police reportedly phoned Seth to enquire about her sons whereabouts.

A police officer told Hindustan Times: "She initially told the police she had left her son with a friend at Margao in south Goa. But the address that she gave was on verification found to be fake. We called the cab driver and told him to drive to the nearest police station. She was arrested at the Aimangala police station of Karnataka Police in Chitradurga district."

The child's body was found in a luggage bag.

Who is Suchana Seth?

As per her LinkedIn profile, Seth is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs.

Her profile claimed she is on the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List.

It mentions her role as a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute.

She is the CEO and founder of The Mindful AI Lab.

She is also holding a first-class M.Sc. degree in Physics from the University of Calcutta.

She specialises in Plasma Physics with Astrophysics.

Previously, she completed her BSc in Physics from Bhawanipur Education Society College in Kolkata
Image tweeted by PM Modi from his Lakshadweep Island visit

Lakshadweep has been ruling the headlines since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the archipelago last week, and the diplomatic spat after three Maldivian ministers posted derogatory comments against the PM for highlighting the serene beaches of the islands.

The controversy stirred by the Maldivian ministers, who were subsequently removed from their posts, elicited strong reactions from social media users, and soon #BoycottMaldives began to trend in India.

The entire episode has piqued the curiosity around Lakshadweep, making the Indian island the most searched topic on Google in India.

Located off the coast of Kerala or the Malabar Coast in the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep is all set to get the attention it has been awaiting.

In an interview with CNN-News18, Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel stated that the island's prospects experienced a positive shift following the Prime Minister's visit.

The Lakshadweep administration expects to receive Rs 20,000 crore in investments soon, bringing it to a level comparable with the Maldives.

However, if it had not been Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indias post-colonial Home Minister, the islands would have been captured by Pakistan. Sardar Patel played a crucial role in preventing Pakistan from taking over the tropical paradise of Lakshadweep. His contributions were instrumental in shaping post-British India, according to reports.

After India gained independence in 1947, the subcontinent underwent partition, resulting in the creation of West Pakistan and East Pakistan on opposite borders, both with a Muslim majority.

Meanwhile, Lakshadweep, a Muslim-majority region situated 496 kilometers off the coast of Kochi, was left untouched.

It was only later that Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and leader of the Muslim League, turned attention to Lakshadweep, which had a 93 percent Muslim population, although it was relatively minor in the broader context of Pakistan, said reports.

Reports suggest that Sardar Patel understood the strategic significance of these islands and immediately instructed officials in southern India to dispatch a ship with security troops to the area.

According to the reports, Pakistan had also deployed a ship to capture the islands.

However, Indian forces were successful in reaching the islands first, hoisting the tricolour flag.

This turn of events forced the Pakistani ship to retreat to its port.

In his October 2019 Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Modi explained how India's 'Iron Man,' referring to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, not only consolidated dispersed major princely states like Hyderabad and Junagarh but also safeguarded Lakshadweep from being claimed by Pakistan.
In image Lakshadweep Island/ courtesy: Wikimedia commons

New Delhi/IBNS: As India is looking to promote the Lakshadweep Islands as a tourist destination, the government plans to develop a new airfield at the Minicoy Islands to facilitate both military and commercial aircraft, media reports said.

"The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft," government sources told ANI.

Even though the proposals were on for developing this new airfield in the Minicoy Islands in the past too, this plan of having a joint-use defence airfield has been revived in recent times.

The airfield would give India a strong military base to keep an eye on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.

The Indian Coast Guard was the first force under the Defence Ministry to suggest the development of an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands.

As per the present proposal, the Indian Air Force would be in the lead to run the operations from Minicoy.

The airport at Minicoy would also give the defence forces the capability to extend their area of surveillance in the Arabian Sea while providing a boost to tourism in the region.

The island territory has been the Centre of discussion recently ever since the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi there last week.

In image PM Modi visiting Lakshadweep Island recently/ courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Politicians in the Maldives' ruling party have been trying to criticise the Indian plans to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist attraction and have tweeted against India.

The same has angered social media users who have now called for a boycott of Maldives and rather promoted Maldives as a more viable destination.
In images (L-R): Ajay Bisaria, AbhinandanVarthaman & PMModi

Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, has revealed some untold secrets about the return of IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistan where he said that India's message was loud and clear that if Islamabad doesnt return Varthaman (now a Group Captain), New Delhi will escalate the situation.

Bisaria, a High Commissioner to Pakistan in 2019, in his new book 'Anger Management', has highlighted some volatile periods between India and Pakistan ranging from the issue of terrorism in Kashmir to the capture of Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian Air Force Pilot deployed after the Balakot's Air Strikes to repel an attack by Pakistan's Air Force

The book reveals how India secured the freedom of Abhinandan Varthaman who spent 60 hours in Pakistan captivity.

Bisaria revealed that Pakistan PM Imran Khan tried to reach PM Modi on a late-night call but was snubbed.

Eventually, Pakistan was "spooked" by India's "serious threat of escalation".

After Pulwama, India had taken action in Balakot, and that was followed by Pakistan`s operation, which it called swift retort in India and as a result of which, an Indian pilot, Abhinandan, was captured. I have tried to present an account of the coercive diplomacy that took place after that, to get the pilot back," Bisaria said in an interview with ANI.

"There was a very credible threat of force and use of nine missiles...Pakistan made the choice of returning the pilot, not wanting to escalate that conflict. In trying to de-escalate the situation, the Prime Minister of Pakistan attempted to call the Prime Minister of India. The Pakistani PM was then felt obliged to take a decision because the threat of force was very credible to return the pilot in order not to escalate the situation, he said.

#WATCH | Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria says "Right after the Pulwama attack, I came to India and I was part of the team which was monitoring the situation and dealing with it. The message that was going to Pakistan at that point was very clear that India was pic.twitter.com/JSKoUu5fFy  ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who had shot down Pakistan Air Force's F-16 fighter jet in a dogfight after the Pulwama terror attack, was captured by Islamabad in 2019.

After almost three days, Varthaman was handed over to India as a "peace gesture" by the neighbouring country amid international pressure.

The dogfight took place when India had countered the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which was carried out by the Pakistan-based militant organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), with an airstrike.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has urged tourism and trade associations of the country to stop promoting Maldives and divert all enquiries towards Indian islands like Lakshadweep.

"Please divert all such enquiries to Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands which are even better than Maldives in many ways and other destinations which can be promoted in the Indian ocean area are Srilanka, Mauritius, Bali, Phuket etc," Subhash Goyal, who heads the Expert Committee on Tourism at ICC, said in a statement as quoted by Business Today .

He also urged tour operators to suspend their operations in Maldives given the 'anti-India feelings' expressed by the Island Nations' ministers recently which triggered a diplomatic row between the two nations.

India-Maldives diplomatic row

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned the Maldivian envoy to India Ibrahim Shaheeb on Monday (January 8, 2024) and conveyed strong concern over remarks posted on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per reports, the Maldives High Commissioner was seen arriving at the MEA office building and leaving a short while later.

The Ministry summoned the envoy amid the ongoing row between India and the Maldives over derogatory remarks made by Maldivian leaders against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep.

Major Indian travel agencies take steps

Travel company MakeMyTrip (MMT) said it observed a 3400 per cent spike in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited it recently.

"We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit," the company posted on X.

NewsFlash: We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit.



This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a 'Beaches of India' campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers pic.twitter.com/4CYb1iApZG  MakeMyTrip (@makemytrip) January 8, 2024

"This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a 'Beaches of India' campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore countrys stunning beaches. Keep watching this space!" the company further said.

Several Indian celebrities have been urging citizens to visit Lakshadweep and joined the #ExploreIndianislands trend on social media platforms.

Travel booking website EaseMyTrip on Monday said it cancelled all Maldives flight bookings after a diplomatic row erupted with India over remarks against Indian PM Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Supporting India, Nishant Pitti, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Indian online travel company, wrote on X: "In solidarity with our nation, @EaseMyTrip has suspended all Maldives flight bookings #TravelUpdate #SupportingNation #LakshadweepTourism #ExploreIndianlslands #Lakshadweep #ExploreIndianIslands @kishanreddybjp@JM_Scindia@PMOIndia@tourismgoi@narendramodi@incredibleindia."

In a separate post, he urged people to visit Ayodhya or Lakshadweep.

"Embark on a journey with @EaseMyTrip to discover the enchanting beauty of Ayodhya and the pristine allure of Lakshadweep! Immerse yourself in rich culture and breathtaking landscapes. Say no to Maldives bookings and explore the wonders of Ayodhya and Lakshadweep," he said.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry or MATI reacts to recent development

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry or MATI, meanwhile, condemned the remarks made by Maldivian ministers against Indian PM Narendra Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

"The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India," MATI said in a statement.

The organizations described India as 'closest neighbours and allies'.

"India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as people of India have maintained with us," read the statement.

The statement said: "India has also been a consistent and significant contributor to the Tourism Industry of the Maldives. A contributor that has greatly assisted our recovery efforts during COVID-19, right after we re-opened our borders. Since then, India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives."

Maldives government's reaction to Ministers remarks

The Maldives government has distanced itself from the remarks made by its ministers. Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said that these remarks against foreign leaders are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.
Photo Courtesy: 4.0 International/Wikimedia Commons

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday strongly condemned Israel's assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, denouncing it as a "despicable terrorist operation."

Nasser Kanaani made the remarks in a statement, reacting to the killing of Wissam Hassan Tawil, a high-level commander from Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, and another Hezbollah member, Adham Cherri, earlier on Monday by an Israeli drone attack targeting their car in the village of Khirbet Selm.

The spokesman warned the international community and the United Nations about the consequences of Israel's "blatant and adventurist bids to widen the scopes of the regional conflict," saying "Israel's war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank are concurrent with its violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria" and its "flagrant resorting to organized terrorism has posed a danger to regional and international peace and security."

He stressed that Israel and its supporters were no doubt responsible for the consequences of such "terrorist and adventurist moves."
image credit: twitter.com/@GabrielAttal

Paris/IBNS: France President Emmanuel Macron, looking to restore his second term, appointed Gabriel Attal as France's youngest prime minister ever at the age of 34 on Tuesday.

Attal, who is also the country's first openly gay prime minister, pledged to be audacious and move quickly to assist the middle class in coping with the rising cost of living.

"The youngest president in (France's) history is appointing the youngest prime minister in (France's) history. I want to see it as a symbol of audacity," Attal was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Macron aims to move past his divisive measures in order to increase the prospects of his centrist party in the upcoming Parliament elections, as per Attal, who is a rising star in French politics.

Attal replaced Elisabeth Borne, the only other woman French Prime Minister, who stepped down after 20 months in office.

She battled the absence of a majority in parliament throughout that period.

There has been a rising public dissatisfaction over high living expenses in France and the controversial pension reform from the previous year.

The same has negatively impacted Macron's standing and prospects in the EU election, where his party is well behind Marine Le Pen's far-right.

With no working majority in the legislature, Macron has struggled to get his second term's reform plan through and is now focusing on more cooperative goals including an attempt to achieve full employment.

In recent months, surveys have shown Attal to be among the most well-liked politicians in France.

As a government spokesman during the COVID pandemic, the Macron-supporter gained widespread recognition and developed a polished communication style.

It might take Macron and Attal a few days to announce the new administration. According to an Elysee staffer, this week's Wednesday cabinet meeting is unlikely to happen, Reuters reported.

Macron, who was reelected in 2022 but found it difficult to manage a more tumultuous parliament, has indicated that change is needed in recent weeks.

The reorganisation is anticipated to heighten the competition among Macron's team to follow him in the 2027 presidential election.

Along with Attal, possible contenders include former prime minister Edouard Philippe, interior minister Gerard Darmanin, and finance minister Bruno Le Maire.
Photo Courtesy: Imran Khan Instagram page

Rawalpindi Police on Tuesday arrested former Pakistan PM and cricket icon Imran Khan in GHQ attack case pertaining to May 9 mayhem.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi had summoned the PTI founder, who is already behind bars in cipher and grafts cases, in May 9 cases on today (Tuesday), Geo News reported.

The former Pakistan PM attended the proceedings of the court via video link as he could not be produced in the court by Adiala jail authorities due to security reasons.

During the hearing of the cases, RA Bazar Police Station officials sought physical remand of the PTI founder in May 9 cases, however, ATC Judge Malik Aijaz Asif turned down the request, the newspaper reported.

The ATC judge even asked the police to interrogate the PTI founder in Adiala prison.

In May last year, Khan's supporters resorted to violence and ransacked military installation incuding GHQ in protest against the arrest of the party chief in graft case.
The recent podcast by Michael Rubin, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, with Shukri Hilowle for the Brown Pundits has reignited the debate surrounding the Khalistan movement in North America.

Rubin asserted that this movement, advocating for an independent Sikh homeland, lacks organic legitimacy within India and is instead manipulated by external forces, primarily Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Pakistans Shadow: A Puzzling Connection

Rubins claim stems from observations of seemingly coordinated activities and suspicious economic backing of some proponents in Canada. He argues that this movement, far from being a grassroots campaign, exploits the open arms of Western multiculturalism while harboring illiberal intentions. Rubin points to certain Canadian districts with sizable Sikh populations as Trudeaus political targets, potentially fueling pandering to appease these vocal yet potentially unrepresentative factions.

The Discrepancy: Peaceful Majority vs. Loud Minority

Rubin highlights the stark contrast between the silent majority of peaceful Sikhs in India and the clamorous few in the West. He draws upon the principle of the squeaky wheel, suggesting that the most vocal, even if not the most representative, often grab the spotlight. This highlights the true extent of public support for the Khalistan movement within the broader Sikh community, both in India and abroad. There are no takers for the impractical, theocratic idea of Khalistan in India, and the

Economic Intrigue: Punjab, Immigration, and Exploitation

Another intriguing aspect raised by Rubin is the economic disparity within the Sikh community. He notes that despite Punjabs relative prosperity compared to other Indian states, theres a significant flow of both legal and illegal immigration from the region to North America. This, coupled with the potential for manipulation by organized crime within new immigrant communities, paints a complex picture of economic motivations potentially intertwined with the Khalistan movement.

In the eye-opening podcast, Michael Rubin tears away the mask of the Khalistan movement in the West, revealing a sinister opportunism lurking beneath the surface. These fringe elements, Rubin argues, exploit the open arms of Western multiculturalism as a mere launching pad for their self-serving agenda: political clout. Disconnected from the peaceful majority of Sikhs in India, they manipulate the anxieties of a small immigrant community and weaponize them for personal gain, all under the convenient guise of an independent homeland. Their cries for Khalistan ring hollow, drowned out by the deafening opportunism that fuels their every move.

(Photo and text courtesy: Khalsavox.com)
Photo Courtesy: Seanathan Bates X page and screengrab grab from X

iPhone users can feel relaxed when it comes to the durability of the device and this was proved during the recent mid-air crisis faced by an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland in Oregon to Ontario in California which made an emergency landing after take-off after a window and a piece of fuselage blew out in midair.

The flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 ft (4,876 m) before returning to Portland International Airport, media reports said.

Now, a man's X post might give users of iPhone some moment to relax as he claimed he found the gadget still in aeroplane mode with half a battery, on the side of a road.

He also shared an image of the phone on X.

Found an iPhone on the side of the road... Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282 Survived a 16,000 foot drop perfectly in tact!



When I called it in, Zoe at @NTSB said it was the SECOND phone to be found. No door yet pic.twitter.com/CObMikpuFd  Seanathan Bates (@SeanSafyre) January 7, 2024

X user Seanathan Bates wrote: "Found an iPhone on the side of the road... Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA1282 Survived a 16,000 foot drop perfectly in tact!"

"When I called it in, Zoe at @NTSB said it was the SECOND phone to be found. No door yet," he said.

Oregon mid-flight blowout

A passenger airline made an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon on Friday (January 5, 2023) after a section of its fuselage blew open mid-air.

The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 returned to Portland 35 minutes into its flight to California after an outer section, including a window, fell, reported BBC.

The airline major said the aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members.
Photo Caption: Blast rocks hotel in Texas. Photo Courtesy: X page video grab

At least 21 people were injured after an explosion rocked a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday (January 8, 2024).

At least 21 people were injured in the blast at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, according to a spokesperson for MedStar as quoted by CNN, which provides emergency medical services and operates ambulances in the area.

The condition of one of the persons is critical.

"At approximately 3:32 p.m. multiple 911 calls were received for a fire at the Sandman Hotel located at 810 Houston St," Fort Worth Police posted on X page

"The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to the structure fire call and it was immediately updated to an explosion call at the same location. The Fort Worth Police Department assisted with street closures and clearing out parking garages in the immediate area," the police said.

"The latest report on injured individuals is 21. One of those was critical, four seriously injured and 14 of those were transported to a local hospital. One of the injured was self-transported to a hospital," the post said.

Police have started investigating the incident.

At approximately 3:32 p.m. multiple 911 calls were received for a fire at the Sandman Hotel located at 810 Houston St.



The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to the structure fire call and it was immediately updated to an explosion call at the same location. The Fort Worth  Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) January 9, 2024

A woman at The Ashton Hotel in the region said the blast sounded like a huge firework.

We heard the noise, Cheila Sanchez told CNN. It moved the hotel. I was like, Whoa, what happened? Just heard this loud boom! I didnt know exactly what happened.

At least two floors of the 20-storey building's facade were blown out onto the street and into a parking lot, local media reported.

Investigators believe the blast was caused by natural gas, Sara Abel, spokesperson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told local media as quoted by Xinhua.

"There is a smell of gas in the area and there are windows and things that were blown outside of the structure," said Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, told the news agency.

The hotel opened last May following an extensive reconversion of the Waggoner Building which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, said the hotel's website, noting that "many of the original features" were retained during the reconversion.
On November 22, 2023, the historical drama film Napoleon was released in theaters. The picture, which was directed by the renowned Ridley Scott, received mixed reviews. Two months after its theatrical debut, Napoleon is now finally accessible to watch online.

Where To Watch Napoleon On OTT?

You can rent Napoleon on Prime Video, BookMyShow, YouTube Movies, and Google Movies for Rs 499.



Imdb

When To Watch Napoleon On OTT?

Napoleon has already started streaming on above-mentioned OTT platforms.



Joaquin Phoenix talks about Napoleon Bonaparte

Joaquin said in a Columbia Pictures interview that he knew very little about the well-known military commander before taking on the movie and that he was somewhat aback by some of the details he learned.

"I found him to be a much more complex person than I initially imagined, especially the dynamic between him and Josephine (his first wife)," Joaquin said. "I found him mysterious, and that mystery is something that is always interesting to explore.

imdb

Variety claims that Scott referred to Phoenix as "the best player of damaged goods" in an interview, which is why Phoenix was a natural fit for the role of Napoleon.

The actor claimed that choosing to participate in another Scott-directed movie wasn't too difficult.

The truth is, there was just a very nostalgic idea of working with Ridley again, Phoenix said. I had such an incredible experience working with Ridley on Gladiator, and I was so young. It was my first big production. I really yearned for that experience again, or something similar. Hes approached me about other things in the past, but nothing that felt like it would be as demanding for both of us. And so I really liked the idea of jumping into something with Ridley that was going to be that.



imdb

All You Need To Know About Napoleon

Napoleon, a dramatic historical-epic film directed by Ridley Scott, chronicles the ascent to power of Napoleon Bonaparte and his protracted French invasion effort. The movie also focuses on his relationship, which was equally passionate and self-destructive, with Josephine, his Empress and the love of his life. Joaquin Phoenix plays Napoleon in the film, while Vanessa Kirby plays Josephine.

Napoleon also stars Vanessa Kirby, Matthew Needham, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Catherine Walker, and Anna Mawn in key parts in addition to Joaquin Phoenix.

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)


Amid escalating tensions between India and Maldives that has people including several celebrities boycotting Maldives, Bipasha Basu celebrated her birthday on Jan 7 in the same country. It is the same day when Indians were raging against the country after three ministers in the new Dr Mohamed Muizzu-led Cabinet made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India.

Bipasha Basu trolled for Maldives vacation

Twitter

Amid the raging controversy, Bipasha Basu uploaded videos and photos from her visit in which she was seen flaunting her curves in a red monokini.

She was slammed for posting about the trip to Maldives amid the chaos.

"Whole of your own Indian film industry is boycotting Maldives, but you are promoting it. Shame on you guys," a social media user wrote. "Bipasha being an informed citizen and changing your next trip to Lakshadweep would be a great example for your fans," said another one. "Ok now, stop advertising/promoting Maldivian resorts after the spit that happened! Lets be more responsible towards being the best Indian nagaric," another user said. "You could afford the resort because of the fame and money that India gave you. And you dont have any responsibility in return? Boycott the country which insults you!" a comment read. "Whole of your own Indian film industry is boycotting Maldives, but you are promoting it. Shame on you guys to be a paid stooge".



While the trip was pre-planned and she visited Maldives before the controversy happened, people were upset about the photos and videos she posted on Instagram thereafter.

Twitter

Meanwhile, other Indian celebrities have started a Lakshadweep campaign under hashtag #ExploreIndianIslands. From Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Jacqueline Fernandez and Shraddha Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Kartik Aaryanm, John Abraham and R Madhavan, Bollywood stands united to hail the beauty of Indian islands.

PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep on January 2 and shared several pictures, including an exhilarating experience after he tried his hand at snorkelling. In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches and the pristine blue skies and the ocean, and tagged them with a message that read, For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


1. Rohit Shetty Meets Real Hero Of 12th Fail IPS Manoj Sharma, Says 'Worked With Him During Covid'

Instagram

Meet the real hero of '12th Fail' Manoj Kumar Sharma, had the honour of working with him during the Covid, at that time he was serving for Mumbai police," he wrote.



2. Aquaman Actor Jason Momoa And Lisa Bonet File For Divorce Two 2 Years After Their Break Up

AP

"We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times... A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception... feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring," read their statement." And so, we share our Family news that we are parting ways in marriage."



3. 'Arjun Reddy Meets Bhabhi 1': Fans On Vijay Deverakonda And Rashmika Mandanna's Engagement News

Twitter

Others discussed if the news was true. "I have some coorgi friends and as per one of the chick this is a huge news in some parts of Kodagu as well! Cant vouch but I do think its true. Theyve been dating for a while now and vacationing together, giving subtle clues."



4. Mushtaq Khan Was Paid Less Than Akshay Kumar's Staff In Welcome, Says They Spend Money On Stars

Twitter

While we recognise the actor by his face, most of us might not know his name. Mushtaq Khan who is best known for movies like Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, and Jodi No.1 among others, has worked in the industry for over three decades, and it's sad to know that he was paid less than Akshay Kumar's staff in 2007 movie Welcome.



5. 'Family Is Toxic': Fans Reacts As Vicky Jain's Dad Complains About Ankita Lokhande To Her Mom

Twitter

In the promo, Ranjana Jain can be seen discussing Vicky and Ankita's fights and arguments on the show with the latter. This is when she tells her, "The day you kicked Vicky, your father-in-law- immediately called up your mother. I asked her, 'Did you also kick your husband like this?'".

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Five hundred female college students from Haryana's Sirsa have accused a professor at the Chaudhary Devi Lal University of sexual harassment. In a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office and Chief Minister ML Khattar, the girls complained against the accused and demanded his suspension, as well as an inquiry led by a retired High Court judge.

Copies of the letter have been sent to Vice Chancellor Dr Ajmer Singh Malik, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, and National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma, along with senior state government officials and selected media organizations.



manohar-lal-khattar

Contents of the letter

The letter accuses the professor of "filthy and obscene acts". According to the letter, he calls girls to his office, takes them to a bathroom, and "touches private parts, and (does) obscene things with us". The girls said that when they protested, they were threatened with "very bad" consequences.

The letter claims this has been going on "for many months" and, "... because he gives a false impression of a person of high character", the professor in question has never been held accountable.



According to a report by the Times of India, the letter mentioned that the university's internal complaint committee gave the professor a clean chit twice.

The girls also claimed the Vice Chancellor, rather than coming to their aid, "threatened to expel us... because this professor is a person of immense political influence..." The Vice-Chancellor also reportedly tried to suppress the allegations by offering the girls better marks in written and practical examinations.



SIT formed

A special investigation team (SIT) is set to probe the matter, police said. "We immediately constituted the SIT under IPS officer Deepti Garg. (The SIT) is taking statements. It has already taken statements from many people," Additional Director General of Police Shrikant Jadhav said.



The SIT has already visited the university, and statements are being taken, he said.



Accused professor's statement

The accused professor has denied the sexual assault allegations against him. The professor called the accusations "political vendetta", saying, "I am being targeted because I have been active in some work at the university. I am ready to face any probe against me".

BCCL

This is the fourth letter written by the students against the professor. The TOI report said that the first letter was sent to the university in June 2023. After that, the university conducted an internal investigation but found no evidence to back the allegations against him. Two more letters were sent to the Haryana Governor in November and December and he directed the university to conduct the probe, but the professor got the clean chit again.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
Up to 7,500 pieces of bamboo have been sent all the way from Assam to Ayodhya to construct barricades and set up camps for the highly-anticipated Ram Mandir inauguration. On 4 Jan 2024, a container truck filled with bamboo pieces collected from the Lampi area near Boko was dispatched to Ayodhya.

ANI

But what makes this even more remarkable is that the bamboo sent for the Ram temple inauguration had been planted by specially-abled people.



Bamboo saplings planted by Divyangjan

The members of the All Assam Divyanga Versatile Association from Assam's Kamrup district have sent the 7,000 bamboo pieces to Ayodhya.

Moreover, the bamboo saplings were planted by specially-abled people or divyangjan from Lower Langpih village, situated along the Assam-Meghalaya border, Business North East reports.

Lower Langpih has a 15,000-odd population, of whom 200 are divyangs.

The bamboo was collected from the Lampi area, stacked at Gohalkona Kacharipam, and then loaded onto a container truck.

Best quality 'bijli' bamboo being donated

Business North East

The bamboo being donated is the 'bijli' bamboo, which is used for fencing and construction purposes in Assam.



"Life is harsh for a divyang in the hilly terrain. With no source of income except for selling naturally grown ginger and broomsticks, their economic condition is bad. Despite this, we are sending 7,500 logs of 9ft long bijli bamboo to Ayodhya without charging any money from the organisers. This type of bamboo is traditionally used for fencing and construction purposes here in Assam due to its durability and strength," said Jhil Choudhury, secretary of the central committee of Sodou Asom Divyang Bahumukhi Unnayan Santha which is an association of divyangs in the state.

Assam is all set for the day

The Assam government has declared January 22 a "dry day" in the state to commemorate the Ram temple consecration.

ANI

The idol of Lord Ram will be installed in the Ayodhya temple at an auspicious time in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22. Besides the PM, scores of chief ministers from NDA-ruled states and more than 6,000 people are scheduled to attend the ceremony in Ayodhya.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
In a shocking incident, a woman entrepreneur has been arrested by the Karnataka Police for the murder of her four-year-old son in Goa.

The accused, identified as Suchana Seth, the CEO and founder of Bengaluru-based Mindful Al Lab, was arrested on Monday while fleeing Goa in a car with the body of her son stuffed inside a suitcase.

TWITTER

Who is Suchana Seth?

According to her LinkedIn profile, Seth is "an AI ethics expert and data scientist with experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs and holds patents in natural language processing. She also claims to be on the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List.

The 39-year-old had checked into Hotel Sol Banyan Grande in Candolim, Calangute, with her son on Saturday evening.

Seth checked out from the hotel on Monday morning and left in a taxi for Bengaluru, which is nearly 150km away.

Left for Bengaluru on car

Despite the hotel's receptionist telling her that a flight would be cheaper, Seth allegedly insisted on travelling by road, after which they booked a cab for her.

But things took a shocking turn when the hotel staff noticed blood stains while cleaning room number 404, where she was staying.

Twitter

On checking the CCTV visuals, the staff also noticed that Seth's son, who was with her when she checked in on Saturday, was missing when she left.

How police nabbed her

The hotel staff immediately alerted the Calangute Police, who called the cab driver and spoke to Seth from his phone.

When asked about her son, Seth told the cops that he was with her friend at Fatorda.

However, the police soon found out that the address which she had provided was fake.

Suspecting something was amiss, the cops once again dialled the cab driver, spoke to him in Konkani, and told him to take the cab to the nearest police station without her knowledge, The Times of India reported.

Representational Image

The driver took the car, which had already crossed the Goa border, to the Aimangala police station in Chitradurga District.

When the Chitradurga Police checked the suitcase, they were shocked to find the body of the 4-year-old boy stuffed inside.

Seth, who was arrested, was taken to Goa late on Monday.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Russian National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Murat Kurashev, 36, of Sacramento, California, pleaded guilty to a single-count indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to court documents, Kurashev attempted to provide financial support to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State and engages in terrorism in Syria. Between July 2020 and February 2021, Kurashev used money transfer services to send approximately $13,000 to two known couriers of an HTS fundraiser. Records obtained from the money transfer services documented multiple transactions from Kurashev to the couriers in Turkey usually in increments of $1,000. The couriers retrieved the funds often within 24 hours of transfer. Surveillance footage from money transfer businesses captured Kurashev in the midst of some of the transactions.

Law enforcements review of social media and encrypted mobile messaging discussions between Kurashev and the fundraiser, demonstrated that they believed that providing money in support of the HTSs fighters was tantamount to being engaged in violent jihad. During these conversations with the fundraiser, Kurashev mentioned that he wished he could join the fight in Syria as a mujahideen and regretted that he could only provide financial support. These conversations make clear that Kurashev was fully aware of the fundraisers violent extremist ideology and participation and work on behalf of HTS.

Additional evidence seized by the FBI revealed that Kurashev followed the fundraisers online presence and various social media accounts. Some of fundraisers social media accounts that were viewed by Kurashev included solicitations for money to purchase military equipment, boots, clothing, firearms, and, in one case, a motorcycle. FBI forensic analysis of Kurashevs Apple iCloud account revealed it to be replete with violent extremist content, including a video depicting HTS fighters. It appears that Kurashev watched this video while driving his work van along Interstate 80.

Kurashev faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for March 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBIs National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heiko P. Coppola for the Eastern District of California and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

This story has been published on: 2024-01-09. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Another former Maldives minister has come out in support of Narendra Modi amid disrespectful remarks against Lakshadweep and PM Modi by a few members of the government of President Mohamed Muizzu.

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'India has been our 911 call'

Ex-defence minister of the archipelago, Mariya Ahmed Didi, said that the derogatory comments against PM Modi demonstrate the "short-sightedness" of the Maldives government.

Mariya Ahmed Didi said, "... India has been our 911 call; whenever we need it, we give a call, and you all come to our rescue. That kind of a friend. When you see such disparaging remarks about friends like this, it is sad for everyone concerned."

"I would think as close friends, as neighbours, as part of the global community, and we would keep our international commitments and Maldives government, would keep our traditional foreign policy of being friends with everyone," she said.

"We've always had an India first policy, and I hope they continue it, that they recognize that you're the closest neighbour, that you will be the people who have always come and will come in the future also when the need arises and to have the sentiments of the Maldivian people because we have always gone to India for medical treatment as well," she added.

"When we do not have the facility to attend to certain illnesses in Maldives. Even otherwise, when we had the Covid, we got the vaccines also under Indian aid. We've had so much cooperation between the two countries. We have cooperated with each other from time immemorial, and it is not feasible for us to even think that we can replace our closest neighbour...," the minister said.

Massive uproar after disparaging comments

A massive uproar erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep.

In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi over his visit to the Indian island cluster. Her post even featured images of PM Modi from his visit to Lakshadweep.
A couple from Noida has made a sincere appeal that has resonated deeply with society, offering an incredible prize of Rs 1 lakh for the safe return of their cherished pet cat, Cheeku.



The adorable photos of Cheeku on the missing cat poster have quickly gone viral, spreading sympathy and anxiety around Noida.

As the community comes together to help spread the word and assist in reuniting Cheeku with its nervous guardians, the couple's heartfelt initiative highlights the deep link between pets and their owners.

Who Is This Cat?

Credit: X

The missing cat is a Persian cat with white hair on its neck.



According to the poster, the cat is named Cheeku and is 1.5 years old. It went viral in Noida and on social media.

What Happened With The Cat?

To find their lost pet cat, a couple from Noida has posted posters all over the city's walls and pillars.

Additionally, a Rs. 1 lakh cash prize has been announced for the finder of this cat.

The research indicates that Ajay Kumar, who resides in Sector 62's Harmony Apartment with his family, needs to find their cat, "Chiku." The couple posted posters throughout Sector 62 and the neighbouring areas on Sunday.

Pamphlets have also been distributed in addition to this.

Credit: X

The booklet describes the cat as around 1.5 years old, ginger in colour, and distinguishable by the white hair on its neck.

Meanwhile, police reported that, although they had received a complaint, they had not yet located the cat.

When Did The Cat Go Missing?

Credit: X

The cat was missing from his parents for the last 15 days.



Where Can You Check Out The Poster?

You can check out the post on X shared by @SachinGuptaUP.

     , 1    



 62        24                     pic.twitter.com/Sy6qk6gGQ9  Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) January 8, 2024

How Did The Internet React?

Following its online sharing on X, the post was viewed by over 4,920 users.

The cat was said to have gone missing on December 24, and the poster was allegedly found in Noida's Sector 62.



Iske jagah dusri billi chalega kya  Muskan (@MuskiHere) January 8, 2024

Sheru wala scene to nhi hai   PRAKASH (Jay Bhim) (@SILENTINSOCIAL) January 8, 2024

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People from across India are showering the newly constructed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya with special gifts, showcasing an extraordinary outpouring of love and compassion.

These offerings range from a world clock and a dazzling gold bow and arrow to intricate jewellery and complimentary "Shree Ram" tattoos, among various other presents. The diverse gifts underscore the myriad ways individuals express their love and faith.

When Is The Consecration Ceremony (Pran Pratishtha) Scheduled?

Credit: X

January 22 marks the Pran Pratishtha, or consecration ceremony, of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the grand celebration.

From The Heart Of India: Diverse Offerings Enrich Ram Mandir In Ayodhya

Devotees of Lord Ram have presented numerous gifts, specifically crafted for the magnificent temple in Uttar Pradesh, extending their offerings to the Ram temple foundation.

In anticipation of its imminent inauguration this month, the trust has received a myriad of unique and invaluable gifts from both within the nation and beyond.

Let's explore some of the remarkable gifts:

1. Necklace With 5000 American Diamonds And 2 Kg Silver

#WATCH | Surat, Gujarat: A diamond merchant from Surat has made a necklace on the theme of the Ram temple using 5000 American diamonds and 2 kg silver. 40 artisans completed the design in 35 days. pic.twitter.com/nFh3NZ5XxE  ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023

A Surat-based diamond dealer showcased extraordinary craftsmanship by creating a necklace with the Ram Mandir as its centerpiece. The stunning piece features over five thousand American diamonds and is crafted from two kilogrammes of silver.



The intricate design of the necklace was meticulously completed by approximately 40 artisans in a span of 35 days, as reported by ANI. The string of the necklace is adorned with carvings depicting key characters from the Ramayana.

2. Around 3,000 Gifts Arrive From Sita's Home In Nepal

Credit: AP7AM

Around five hundred devotees of Lord Ram embarked on a significant journey from Nepal to Ayodhya. With the aim of bestowing blessings upon Shri Ram and Mata Janaki, these devout followers presented over 3,000 unique gifts, ranging from cash, clothing, fruits, and candies to valuable metals like gold and silver. The procession commenced from Janaki Mandir in Janakpur on January 4, reaching Ayodhya two days later on January 6.

3. Vegetable Vendor's Ingenious Gift: World Clock Developed & Presented To Ram Temple

Credit: Authindia

As a gesture of reverence, a vegetable vendor presented the first-ever world clockcapable of displaying time in nine different countriesto the Ram temple. In 2018, Anil Kumar Sahu, the 51-year-old vegetable vendor, designed and patented the global clock with the Indian government. He generously gifted the 75-cm clock to the Ram Temple Trust's General Secretary, Champat Rai. Additionally, Sahu has donated two more clocksone to Hanuman Garhi and another to the Ayodhya Junction railway station and the main shrine.



4. Golden Bow and Arrow Gifted by Mahavir Temple Trust

Credit: CNBC TV18

President Kishore Kunal of the Mahavir Temple Trust in Patna, Bihar, has made a distinctive gesture by presenting Shri Ram Lalla with a golden bow and arrow. Additionally, the Trust is generously contributing Rs 10 crore towards the construction of the Ram temple, with the final installment expected before the much-anticipated Pran Pratishtha event.



The symbolism of the Dhanush holds special significance in the sacred connection between Mithila and Ayodhya, as it was after Shri Ram successfully broke the bow that Sita's marriage took place.

Crafted by a renowned Chennai-based company, the gold bow and arrow are anticipated to arrive in Ayodhya by January 12, heightening the excitement for the upcoming consecration event.

5. Nagpur Tattoo Artists Extend Free 'Shri Ram' Tattoos To 1,000 Devotees

#WATCH | Nagpur, Maharashtra: Tattoo artist Hritik Darode has made an offer for Ram devotees before consecration in Ayodhya that he will make a tattoo of Lord Ram's name on the hands of 1001 people for free. A large number of people came to register for this. pic.twitter.com/lkllLd3KOj  ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2024

Nagpur-based tattoo artist Hritik Darode extended a unique offer to Ram devotees ahead of the Ayodhya consecration. He is generously providing free tattoos with Lord Ram's name on the hands of 1001 individuals. The response has been overwhelming, with numerous enthusiastic registrations, including from women.



6. Vadodara Devotee Creates 1,100 Kg Lamp for Ram Temple

Credit: DeshGujarat

For the inauguration of the Ram Temple, Arvindbhai Mangalbhai Patel, a devout resident of Vadodara, Gujarat, crafted an immense lamp weighing 1100 kg. Standing at 9.25 feet in height and 8 feet in width, the lamp, made of brass and copper, has a capacity to hold 851 kg of ghee. Constructed from Panchadhatu, an alloy of five metalsgold, silver, copper, zinc, and ironthe lamp underwent several months of development, with success achieved on the fifth attempt. The farmer-devotee expressed his desire to present this symbol of love and reverence to Lord Ram.



7. Hyderabad Witnesses 8000-Kilometre Padyatra Pilgrimage Delivering 9 Kilograms Of Golden Padukas

Credit: TOI

Challa Srinivas Sastry of Hyderabad, Telangana, is undertaking a remarkable padayatra, covering 8000 kilometres, to present a nine-kilogram pair of golden padukas to the Ram Temple. Valued at Rs 65 lakh, these padukas symbolise Sastry's deep devotion and respect for Lord Ram. Beginning his journey on August 5, 2020, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the temple's foundation stone, Sastry has traversed 108 cities and 11 states, collecting alms and blessings from locals. His commitment includes delivering the padukas to Ram Lalla on January 21, 2024, a day prior to the inauguration, upon his arrival in Ayodhya.



8. Indian Chef Preparing 7,000 Kg Of 'Ram Halwa'

Credit: Instagram

Nagpur-based chef Vishnu Manohar announced plans to prepare 7,000 kg of the traditional sweet delicacy 'Ram Halwa' for pilgrims attending the opening of the Ram Temple. The chef, holder of the World Record for the longest cooking period, will require 900 kg of rava, 1000 kg of ghee, 1000 kg of sugar, 2000 litres of milk, 2500 litres of water, 300 kg of dry fruits, and 75 kg of cardamom powder for the halwa's production. Notably, a massive kadhai weighing between 1300 and 1400 kg will be utilised in the preparation. The prasad, in the form of halwa, will be distributed to the devotees.



9. Chennai-based Jeweller Sends Puja Items Made Out Of Pure Silver

#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Puja items made of pure silver will be sent to Ram Temple in Ayodhya by a Chennai-based jeweller. These items will be used daily during prayers. pic.twitter.com/fuZ1se4yvz  ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2024

The Ram Temple in Ayodhya will receive puja items made of pure silver from a jeweller in Chennai, according to ANI.

From January 22 onward, the temple will host sacred ceremonies that will be enhanced by the artistic splendour of this painstakingly produced silverware, which is meant to be used every day during prayers.

According to reports, the jeweller, who would like to remain unidentified, described his project as "a token of reverence and devotion towards Lord Ram."

It is anticipated that the exquisitely created and handcrafted puja objectssuch as lamps, Kalash, thalis, and other necessary things used in the daily ritualswill be sent to Ayodhya well in advance of the consecration event, which is set for January 22.

What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments.



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People establish acquaintances and bond with strangers when they travel to distant nations, regardless of the language barrier.



Whether it's striking up a conversation at a cafe, seeking directions, or participating in group activities, the shared context of being in an unfamiliar place encourages people to connect, share stories, and build relationships that might last beyond the duration of their travels.

Who was the person who experienced great hospitality in Vietnam from the locals?

X Screengrab

A man from India took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a bond he developed with a cafe owner in Vietnam. Suji stated that when he visited Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, in 2022, he went to a cafe for beverages.



What did the group do about the linguistic barriers?

There was a linguistic barrier between him and the cafe owner because he did not know Vietnamese and the proprietor did not speak English. So they communicated via Google Translate. Surprisingly, he stated that the owner invited him and his friend to a dinner with his family.

X Screengrab

"For me, this symbolises true hospitality. I stopped by a cafe in Hanoi in 2022 for a drink. Despite the language barrier (I do not speak Vietnamese, and the proprietor does not speak English), we spoke via Google Translate. Surprisingly, the owner issued an offer for the two of us to join his family for supper!" he wrote.



How did he find the Vietnamese people?

"Despite the language barrier, I found Vietnamese people to be some of the friendliest in Southeast Asia," a social media user said. "Been there; done that! "I was amazed at how even some street hawkers were openly using smart phone apps to translate the bargaining negotiations," remarked another. Check out the viral post here.

To me, this exemplifies true hospitality. While in Hanoi  in 2022, I visited a cafe for drinks. Despite the language barrier (me not speaking Vietnamese and the owner not understanding English), we communicated through Google Translate. Surprisingly, the owner extended an pic.twitter.com/Q5LPVRHrRL  Sujit  (@Skh27) January 7, 2024

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Never in their wildest dreams did three schoolgirls from a village tucked away in a rural section of Karur district anticipate that their passion for music and dance would one day lead them down an uncharted path: attempting to go to a foreign country with little money and no passports.

Who were the girls found running away to meet BTS?

Instagram Screengrab

The girls, all 13 years old and pupils in Class 8 at a state-run school, decided to travel all the way to Seoul, South Korea's capital, to meet their idols.



"They took a firm decision to somehow meet the BTS stars and shortlisted the seaports of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to take a ship to South Korea, and they eventually chose Visakhapatnam," the official told PTI.

When did they leave the house?

On January 4, the girls secretly left their homes and travelled to Chennai via rail from Erode, near Karur. Because the girls did not come home, their parents filed a complaint with Karur police, who notified authorities across the state and launched a search.

Despite having only  14,000 in savings, the teenagers were optimistic about their ability to survive. After much struggle, they were able to secure a room at a Chennai hotel on Thursday night and believed they could take a ship to Seoul without passports.



On Friday, their desperate attempts to move forward pulled them from pillar to post, and they ran out of energy. They had no choice but to board a train from Chennai to return home.

How did the authorities find them?

They were housed at a state-run institution in Vellore district, and their parents were summoned. Counselling sessions were held for both the youngsters and the parents.

Instagram

Parents were asked to make appropriate arrangements to care for their children so that they may receive help and guidance. Following counselling, the children were returned to their home district with their parents, where they boarded a train on January 6.



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Indias Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the interim budget 2024 for PM Modi led BJP government just a couple of months ahead of Lok Sabha Elections.



The interim Budget 2024 will be presented next month, with the hopes of crores of taxpayers and other segments of the economy pinned on it. With just about three weeks left for it, let us bring to you all the FAQs on the upcoming interim Budget 2024 to help you get more clarity about it.

FAQs On Interim Budget 2024

businesstoday

1.When will Interim Budget 2024 be presented?

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will likely present the Interim Budget 2024 on February 1, 2024, at 11:00 AM.

2.When will the Budget Session start and end?

The Budget Session of Parliament is expected to begin in the last week of January and conclude in April.

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3.When will President Murmu address the Parliament?

India's President Droupadi Murmu will officially open the Budget Session by addressing both Houses of Parliament on the first day.

4.What is an "Interim Budget"?

An interim budget serves as a temporary framework for managing provisional expenditures over a short duration, usually spanning a few months, until a new government takes office at the central level.

The conclusion of the financial year on March 31st corresponds with the typical transition period to a new government in late May or early June. The interim budget is strategically crafted to meet the financial requirements and tackle revenue considerations of the recently established government during this interim period. Following the inauguration of the new government, a comprehensive budget for the remaining portion of the fiscal year is typically presented in July.

Despite being presented for the entire year, similar to a regular budget, the interim budget is subject to constraints imposed by the Election Commission. These constraints aim to prevent the government from implementing policies that could unduly influence the general public before the commencement of voting.

Also Read: From Election To Budget: 5 Big Events In 2024 That Can Make Or Break The Stock Market

5.When did the budget-making process begin?

reuters

The Ministry of Finance had started working on the Budget on September 4, 2023.



6. What has FM Nirmala Sitharaman said about Budget 2024?

Last month in December, FM Sitharaman had mentioned that the interim Budget 2024 will be 'devoid of any spectacular announcements'. She said the budget will only be tabled for the expenditure of the government till a new government is formed after the 2024 general elections.

"It is a matter of truth that the February 1, 2024 budget that will be announced will just be a vote on account because we will be in an election mode. So the budget that the government presents will just be to meet the expenditure of the government till a new government comes to play."

Also Read: Answered: All Your FAQs & Queries Regarding UPI

7. What is a 'vote-on-account'?

In the lead-up to elections, it becomes impractical to a present comprehensive budget. That is why the government introduces an interim budget. The vote-on-account, which is passed through the interim budget, is a mechanism through which the government requests Parliament's endorsement for funds required adequately to cover expenses until the establishment of a new government. In essence, a 'vote on account' refers to the temporary authorization granted by the parliament to the government for expenditure.

Also, while the interim budget comprises both expenditures and receipts, encompassing the financial aspects of the government, a vote-on-account specifically details the government's incurred expenditures, providing a focused overview.



8. When Was The Last Interim Budget Presented?

ET

The Union Interim Budget 2019 was presented by the then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on 1st February 2019. The Budget session had began at 11 A.M.



9. When Will The Full Budget 2024 Be Presented?

After the Lok Sabha elections' results are announced around May 2024, the government thus formed will present the full Budget 2024 in July.

10. Is it mandatory to present an interim budget?

No, it's not mandatory to present the interim Budget. The vote-on-account option is open to the government. However, governments usually choose to adopt an interim budget during election years.

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
The Public Power Corporation secured European funding for the further development of the DEI network of ultra-fast chargers (HPDC), through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding mechanism.In the

DEI blue: European funding for the installation of fast charging points -  
Barely few hours after her suspension, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has invited the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, to its headquarters located in Jabi, Abuja over an alleged N585m scandal.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, today, announced Edus immediate stepdown from office through his Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

However, an operative of the EFCC, who confirmed the development to Daily Trust, disclosed that the anti-graft agency had earlier recommended the immediate suspension of the Minister in order to pave way for the ongoing investigation.

READ MORE: Tinubu Suspends Betta Edu, Orders EFCC To Probe Her

The source noted that the commission had immediately swung into action immediately the President ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged of payment of N585.189 million grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.

He said: Our investigation into the alleged payment wont be thorough if we didnt recommend the Ministers suspension. Her suspension will give us liberty to do our job thoroughly as directed by the President.

An official invitation by the commission has already been sent to her. We expect her to honour the invitation to give proper insight into the issue at hand. So, we expect her to arrive here anytime soon.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, has dismissed allegations of certificate forgery against him, denouncing them as a ploy for distraction and blackmail orchestrated by shameless politicians and their associates ahead of the 2024 governorship election.

Information Nigeria reports that the accusations surfaced in a statement from the Ondo State Redemption Initiative (OSRI), signed by its President, Adebayo Ogunsanmi, and Secretary, Jide Oriola, in Akure.

Responding to these claims, Governor Aiyedatiwa issued a statement on Monday through his spokesman, Ebenezer Adeniyan.

He asserted his awareness of the mischievous plans by certain political figures in the State to launch fresh, unsubstantiated allegations against him.

In the statement titled Certificates: the blackmailers are at it again, Aiyedatiwa expressed that these elements, having failed in previous attempts to tarnish his image, particularly surrounding the death of his former principal, late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, have resorted to blackmail.

Undeterred by the alleged smear campaign, the Governor declared his commitment to focusing on his responsibilities and not succumbing to the distractions orchestrated by those with ulterior motives.

READ ALSO: Akeredolus Performance Monumental, Difficult To Surpass; We Have To Sustain His Legacies  Gov. Aiyedatiwa

He said, Our attention has been drawn to the mischievous plans by some political actors to embark on fresh unsubstantiated allegations against the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

After failing woefully with their attempts to paint the governor in bad light with the stories around the death of the former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, these desperate elements have resorted to blackmail. The first of such is to use faceless groups and individuals to make allegations of certificate forgery against the governor.

A governorship aspirant last night (Sunday) held a meeting with some individuals at a popular hotel in Akure where he gave the directive to those present to write stories alleging that the governor used forged certificates to contest the election.

Adeniyan added that the allegation was part of the plot allegedly aimed at discrediting the governor ahead of the upcoming September governorship election in the state.

Mr. Governor contested in a joint ticket with his former principal in the 2020 governorship election and his credentials were duly submitted to the INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) and they are in the public domain.

Mr. Governor remains committed to delivering on his promises to develop Ondo State and will not be distracted by the shenanigans of shameless politicians and their cronies, he added.
In the aftermath of a crisis, rebuilding trust is a paramount challenge for businesses and individuals alike.

Navigating the path to recovery requires more than just damage control; it demands strategic and thoughtful approaches to restore confidence and uphold a positive reputation. In this discussion, we delve into expert strategies designed to guide you through the intricate process of rebuilding trust post-crisis. From transparent communication to proactive measures, lets explore the actionable steps that can pave the way for a resilient and positive resurgence.

Join us in this insightful conversation as our experts unravel the intricacies of trust rebuilding and empower you with the knowledge needed to emerge stronger from challenging times in this weeks edition of Lets talk.

Lets Talk.

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Sally Branson, Crisis Authority and Reputation Specialist, Managing Director at The Sally Branson Consulting Group

Sally Branson, Crisis Authority and Reputation Specialist, Managing Director at The Sally Branson Consulting Group

Dont believe the gurus  There is no quick fix when things are bleak and hard in a crisis.

Resolve and repair takes willing work and authentic communication. A modern crisis calls for modern crisis management. Stakeholders and consumers expect to be treated with respect; good communication is the basic tenant of respect. Old-school crisis management relied on spin  those days are long gone. Its 2024; we expect more.

Authentic leadership resonates in a crisis.

The real work of reputation management isnt done in the acute phase. How a company acts in a crisis should just be a matter of executing a process. Why? Because all the nitty-gritty of a crisis  regardless of what it is  should be planned well in advance during times of calm. Who will be the spokesperson? What will we say if we dont have answers? What is our timeline for a response? How can we make sure the people most important to our business know whats going on?

Every business is almost always in a state of pre- or post-reputational crisis, its just the scale and level of damage that differs. Just as important as the pre-crisis planning, though, is the post-crisis phase, where lessons are learned. Its when a business reviews what worked, what didnt, what needed to be improved.

There is a saying, Dont let a good crisis go to waste. Time and time again, Ive seen businesses and reputations grow from what they learned in their darkest days.

Even the most strategic of leaders can falter if they dont have a clear path of action, steps to take, and a plan that is in place and ready to go, regardless of the crisis. Rebuilding isnt easy, but we need to make sure the response to a crisis, doesnt become bigger than the crisis itself is  we can learn this lesson from watching the big players who failed these tests in 2023.

Paul Edgington, Principal Partner at Structured Innovation

Paul Edgington, Principal Partner at Structured Innovation

A leaders response during a crisis can make or break a business and career. When a crisis hits, its the CEOs chance to shine, or to burn. Here are four key strategies to shine:

Alignment is crucial. Misalignment between top leaders can turn a crisis into a disaster, except when the Board has decided that the CEO is to blame and should be replaced. Avoid hiding behind intermediaries. CEOs should not delegate crisis management to PR firms or communication specialists. Take personal control of the situation, ideally with the leadership team by your side. Speak honestly and directly, avoiding excuses, legal jargon, or corporate language. Address the issue openly, show empathy for stakeholder concerns, lay out a clear action plan, and offer reassurance. Communicate effectively and authentically; its the right move, even if advisors caution against it. Maintain an ongoing dialogue. Rebuilding trust doesnt mean endlessly revisiting the crisis. Discuss the issue, then pivot to positive developments. Show the organisation has learned, improved, and is delivering tangible benefits to customers.

CEOs and leaders must show they are not just moving on and hoping people forget. Stakeholders value courage, honesty, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This is the path to regaining and maintaining trust.

Mollie Eckersley, Operations Manager ANZ at BrightHR

Mollie Eckersley, Operations Manager ANZ at BrightHR

Rebuilding trust with your clients and prospective clients after a crisis is no easy task, but its not impossible either.

With the challenges that businesses face in the current landscape, building resilience and adapting quickly to adverse circumstances are necessary skills for long-term survival. When a crisis does occur, the first step is to take accountability and maintain transparency. Showing your clients the efforts youve taken to rectify a misstep is often just as valuable in the trust-building process as actually fixing the misstep.

Listening to client feedback and incorporating their needs into your product or offering is another great way to maintain a positive reputation, regardless of whether youve experienced a crisis. This is relevant to all businesses, whether youre engaged in the tech space, selling products or offering services. At the end of the day, showing your customers that youre committed to improving their experience with you builds loyalty and keeps your clients coming back to you.

Danica Bunch, Australian Award Winning Strategic PR and Crisi PR Specialist, DanicaB PR

Danica Bunch, Australian Award Winning Strategic PR and Crisi PR Specialist, DanicaB PR

After a crisis, rebuilding trust and maintaining a positive reputation requires a strategic approach that addresses both the immediate aftermath and the long-term perception of your organisation. Firstly, engage in open communication; acknowledge the issue and express genuine remorse where necessary. Transparency is paramount. Outline the steps taken to rectify the situation, ensuring these measures are visible and verifiable. Next, leverage your existing relationships with media and stakeholders, providing them with timely updates and access to key figures within your organisation. This creates a narrative of accountability and responsiveness.

Next, evaluate your crisis response to identify any shortcomings in your approach. Implement improvements and communicate these changes to the public, demonstrating a commitment to learning and betterment. Reinforce your core values through consistent messaging and actions aligned with these principles. To regain trust, actively participate in community initiatives, showing a dedication to the well-being of those impacted by the crisis.

Consistently monitor public sentiment through social media and direct feedback, adapting your strategy as needed. Remember, trust is rebuilt through sustained, consistent effort and a demonstrated commitment to your stakeholders. Over time, a proactive and transparent approach can restore a damaged reputation, turning a crisis into an opportunity for growth and renewed trust.

Ashley Watkins, Vice President ANZ at Trend Micro

Ashley Watkins, Vice President ANZ at Trend Micro

As cybercrime reports are consistently on the rise, businesses need to prioritise cyber preparedness now more than ever. As we enter a new year, building a strong response plan in anticipation of an incident, centred around proactivity and transparency before, during and post-incident, could make all the difference in a potentially reputation-ruining incident.

Step one should be critically evaluating your data policies and your cybersecurity culture. Assess whether you are retaining unnecessary customer data that could be detrimental if exposed, and ensure that your team undergoes rigorous cyber awareness training to avoid common pitfalls like falling victim to phishing emails. Address fundamental cyber hygiene concerns and, given the typically limited IT resources of SMBs, consider leveraging a managed detection and response (MDR) service to monitor networks, servers, emails, and endpoint data.

In the unfortunate event of a cyber attack, implement a systematic response plan. Investigate the anatomy of the attack and understand the who, what, where, when and how. Moreover, effectively communicate this information internally and externally as this will help build confidence in your ability to be transparent and take necessary action. Also, take this information as a learning to improve your response plan and further bolster your resilience. As a leader, invest in collaborative efforts with the broader industry, sharing insights, learnings, and best practices to strengthen your cybersecurity culture and solidify your commitment to collective cybersecurity endeavours.

Nina Thomas, Founder and Director at Harmonic Advisory

Nina Thomas, Founder and Director at Harmonic Advisory

If you havent already, take responsibility and apologise meaningfully. To rebuild trust, the people who matter to your business need to know youre sorry for what happened and that youre taking steps to ensure it doesnt happen again.

Develop a strategic response to prevent any knee-jerk or emotional reactions that might create further problems.

Talk with your key stakeholders  face-to-face. Reputational repair starts when you acknowledge the crisis, take responsibility and show how things are going to change. This means walking the talk.

Face-to-face communication with the people who matter most to your business should be an absolute priority, even if it means getting on a plane. Looking people in the eye goes a long way to rebuilding trust and has the power to save your business.

Yet, Ive seen more Chairs and CEOs shy away from this than I can count. Imagine youre a customer, investor or employee attending an EGM, AGM or town hall and the CEO and Chair are standing at the door to greet you and listen to your concerns. Its disarming, brave and shows they are committed to change.

Finally, keep communicating. This doesnt mean continually apologising, it means keeping the lines of communication open so youre listening and people can see change. Eventually, they will start to trust youre doing the right thing.

Darren Reid, Senior Director of Asia-Pacific and Japan at Carbon Black

Darren Reid, Senior Director of Asia-Pacific and Japan at Carbon Black

The first step to rebuilding trust after a crisis is to take responsibility for the situation and acknowledge the ways that people have been affected. This means offering sincere apologies and actively seeking solutions to rectify the issue. Secondly, while all the information surrounding the situation may not be immediately available, its important to maintain regular and transparent communication with those who have been affected. This means being honest about what went wrong and sharing new information when it comes to light.

Taking responsibility, being transparent, and communicating regularly help to reassure stakeholders that the company understands their concerns and is addressing the issue, which is critical to maintaining a positive brand image and earning back trust after a crisis.

Kathryn Goater, Co-CEO and PR Director at Media-Wize

Kathryn Goater, Co-CEO and PR Director at Media-Wize

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is neglecting to analyse the specific risks that may affect their business and interests.

While the timing of a crisis might be unexpected, that doesnt mean you cant be ready for one.

You may not be able to avoid a crisis, but being prepared means you can rebuild trust and not have your reputation tarnished.

Be proactive and continuously identify potential risks and scenarios that could harm your brands reputation. You can map the risks on a matrix where you assess the likelihood and impact of each risk. Risks that are highly likely and high impact need strong communication plans.

During a crisis transparency and accountability are paramount. Trying to hide information from the media or customers, not taking responsibility and not owning the agenda and neutralising negative sentiment by clearly demonstrating empathy is a recipe for magnifying the issue and making it take longer for it to subside.

Adopt an open and honest approach to address the situation. Avoid withholding information and dont give vague responses that can fuel speculation and damage your credibility. Communicate promptly and proactively through multiple channels, such as social media, media releases, and direct communication with stakeholders. Take responsibility for any mistakes or shortcomings and outline the steps being taken to rectify the situation.

Ben Jones, Head of Cyber Security at Mackay Goodwin

Ben Jones, Head of Cyber Security at Mackay Goodwin

Following a cybersecurity crisis, the first step to rebuilding trust is to maintain open, honest, and frequent communication with stakeholders. We saw the results for companies like Optus and Medibank, where the companies responses were not transparent or timely.

To avoid a PR disaster and rebuild trust, businesses should inform affected customers about the breach as soon as possible, providing regular updates about the investigation and recovery process.

Companies should also accept responsibility for the breach. Genuine apologies can go a long way in rebuilding trust. More importantly, these apologies should be followed by concrete actions to rectify the situation and prevent future incidents.

Outlining to your customers the measures taken to mitigate the risk of future breaches is crucial and will demonstrate a your commitment to cybersecurity and customer safety.

Lastly, all companies should practice active listening. They should be responsive to customer concerns, answering questions honestly and providing support where necessary. This demostrates a business values customer opinion and is willing to make changes based on their feedback.

In essence, transparency, responsibility, action, and responsiveness are key to restoring trust and maintaining a positive reputation after a cyber crisis. To be honest the same principles apply across any crisis.

Louise Cruice, General Manager at BBS Communications Group

Restoring trust after a crisis can make or break a business. Given many organisations will face a crisis, its important to have a strategy in place to rebuild once the dust settles. With the right approach, its possible to steer yourself and your team through a crisis, emerging with a stronger culture and reputation.

From a communications perspective, the following steps are critical:

Repair trust with employees.

While some businesses get the initial response right externally, it can take longer to rebuild trust internally. Authenticity is critical now to set the tone for where to from here with your team. Salvage morale and trust early with open, two-way communication. Dont hold back.

Turning off or dialling down general marketing and communications following a crisis could create further brand damage. Fight the temptation to hold on communicating until things improve. Instead, review planned activities to ensure they are sensitive to crisis impacts on customers and stakeholders. Think long-term.

Proactively minimise the impact of future crises. Have a long-term crisis management plan to address the same issue, should it happen again, along with all other possible crisis scenarios. After all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Brenton Steenkamp, Cyber Partner at Clayton Utz

Brenton Steenkamp, Cyber Partner at Clayton Utz

The ability of a business to manage and deal with cyber challenges pivots on the advice they receive encompassing all aspects of a cyber risk or incident, not just the legal elements. Clayton Utzs cyber practice offers a multi-dimensional viewpoint, a combination of boardroom advisory, consulting, technology, data analytics, forensic, legal and crisis management.

Working with a team that provides an end-to-end digital forensics incident response (DFIR) will provide fast and insightful advice in the event of a cyber incident or data breach. DFIR technologist experts can unearth what went wrong, how it happened, what information has been compromised and identify where it is and how to fix it.

This will not only offer the know how to effectively produce relevant insights for legal teams, clients and regulators and in the context of investigations, but will also offer reassurances that the source of the breach has been determined meaning that tangible steps can be taken to remedy and rectify the issue so it cannot happen again, helping to rebuild trust and maintain a positive reputation.

Amber Daines, Founder and Chief Communicator at Bespoke Co.

Amber Daines, Founder and Chief Communicator at Bespoke Co.

Trust is everything in business. Rebuilding trust is a long-term process after a crisis, whether it be something internal like a CEO charged with illegal dealings or an externally driven event like a fatal terrorist attack on a plane.

Reputations take years to build and moments to crush in a 24/7 media landscape and fuelled by the always on social media world where staff, customers and bystanders all have a view on events.

Companies tend to use social media well to get positive messages out but not so well when problems hit, even though most customers will turn to social media when trouble strikes. Too often companies develop their social media profile but through the lens of acquiring customers rather than protecting their brand. In a crisis situation, you have to be very thoughtful about what is going out and make sure you are not clashing with your other communications like running shiny paid ads or fancy events.

The brands that have a positive and solid legacy can survive and thrive again after scandals if they take stock and really turn their attention to doing better consistently- it starts with listening and taking on all feedback to regroup.

Luke Dean Weymark, Co-Founder and Co-Director at Compass Studio

Lead with actions, not words. If something goes wrong publicly and you need to own up to a mistake, do it. But keep in mind that how you put in place real change is what youll be judged on moving forward. If you get called out for greenwashing, dont just go dark or change the creative in you ads; youll need to address systematic and operation change win back that trust.

Once youve taken ownership of any mistake, you need to rebuild the trust of consumers and stakeholders. You need to make real change and go as far in the opposite direction of what got you in hot water in the first place. Got called out for greenwashing? Become the greenest, most sustainable brand in your industry. Cybersecurity breach? Invest in the most secure systems you can and build your marketing around trust, safety and consumer advocacy.

Look at Thankyou, who pivoted out of their number one product in 2013  bottled water  after criticism of how they were contributing to waste. Now theyre one of the most recognisable brands on shelves and highly respected for their commitment to doing better, even if theyre reaping the rewards years later.

Roxy Sinclair, Director at Sinclair Communications

A business will be defined and judged, not by the fact a crisis occurred in the first place, but by how it handles itself in the hours and weeks following.

The time for crisis planning is not during one. Taking a systemic approach to anticipate potential worst-case scenarios, before they occur, and developing proactive strategies for use in their unfortunate event, can drastically reduce detrimental impact on the brand.

To retain trust and loyalty in the wake of a crisis, businesses need to:

Act quickly and show up  The longer you take to react, the worse an issue will become so move fast. Whether by filming a video, speaking to the media or answering the phones, be available and present.

 The longer you take to react, the worse an issue will become so move fast. Whether by filming a video, speaking to the media or answering the phones, be available and present. Apologise and take ownership  be honest, show genuine remorse, acknowledge and admit fault and say sorry to those affected. Authenticity and integrity go a long way so make sure you mean it.

 be honest, show genuine remorse, acknowledge and admit fault and say sorry to those affected. Authenticity and integrity go a long way so make sure you mean it. Communication is key  outline what measures youve implemented to prevent the issue occurring again. Ensure public information is constantly updated so customers can find what they need quickly and easily.

 outline what measures youve implemented to prevent the issue occurring again. Ensure public information is constantly updated so customers can find what they need quickly and easily. Go above and beyond  Surprise and delight your customers to make them feel truly valued. Give back to the communities in which you operate, embed sustainable business practices, look after your employees and share all your positive news stories.

Candice Gersun, Director at Reconnect PR

It is absolutely crucial to take full responsibility for the situation at hand in order to rebuild and maintain trust. This can be effectively achieved by issuing a comprehensive statement or press release, which should address the issue head-on, ensuring transparency, openness, and empathy throughout. It is imperative to openly address the root cause of the crisis by conducting a thorough and unbiased investigation. This should be followed by the implementation of effective, sustainable solutions that prevent future occurrences. In your press release, as well as on various social media platforms, it is beneficial to emphasize the positive measures your company is actively undertaking to rectify the situation. These actions demonstrate a commitment to resolution and improvement. Additionally, ensure that a well-informed spokesperson is readily available to engage with the media, providing clear, consistent, and factual updates. This spokesperson should embody the values of sincerity, empathy, compassion, and transparency, representing the companys dedication to resolving the issue and maintaining public trust. It is through these concerted efforts that confidence can be restored and the business can move forward positively. Rebuilding trust can take time and does not happen overnight. Actions speak louder than words. An ongoing PR and social media campaign can illustrate actions that have been implemented.

Alex St Claire, Account Director at SBM

Alex St Claire, Account Director at SBM

To rebuild trust and maintain a positive reputation after a crisis, important steps must be taken before the crisis occurs. Pre-crisis preparations include the creation of a comprehensive crisis communications kit and crisis communications training for spokespeople. Conducting crisis scenario rehearsals contribute to a streamlined and effective response.

It is vital that all staff members are aware of the authorised communication protocols. If, or when, a crisis unfolds, coordinating responses through a crisis communications team and utilising prepared holding statements for initial communication help ensure centralised communication for a cohesive and professional response.

Post-crisis, provide transparent and timely updates and conduct a comprehensive review of the incident response. By incorporating lessons learned into refined crisis communication processes, organisations can demonstrate a commitment to transparency, responsiveness and integrity. Ultimately, this paves the way for rebuilding trust and maintaining a positive reputation.

Julie Cooper, Senior Content and Communications Manager, AZK Media

Julie Cooper, Senior Content and Communications Manager, AZK Media

Facing a crisis is never on anyones wish list, but the reality is, it happens. Recent mishaps highlight the vital importance of not just being ready for a crisis but also responding swiftly when one arises.

Technology giants like Amazon, Netflix and Uber have elevated expectations around speed and convenience, shaping a landscape where instant gratification is the norm.

This lies in stark contrast to decades past when companies could internally navigate a crisis, taking time to formulate a plan before issuing a public response. Today, the rules are much different. With that in mind, here are 5 key steps to consider when rebuilding trust and maintaining a positive reputation after a crisis:

Acknowledge mistakes promptly, taking full responsibility without deflecting or playing the blame game. Foster transparent and honest communication with stakeholders, providing timely updates. Act decisively by implementing corrective actions and showcasing a sincere commitment to Change. Initiate an ongoing dialogue, actively listening to concerns and incorporating feedback to rebuild trust over time. Prioritise ethical practices, community engagement and social responsibility to foster a positive perception.

Lastly, remember that trust takes years to build and only a moment to lose. Rebuilding requires patience  its a marathon, not a sprint. So maintain the momentum and commitment over time.

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The Labour Party has reacted to the resignation of Doyin Okupe, former Campaign Director of its Presidential Campaign Council in the last election.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had earlier reported that Okupe tendered his resignation letter to the party, citing that ideological differences was the reason for his exit.

Reacting to the development while speaking to Daily Trust on Monday, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, insisted that Okupe has always been a People Democratic Partys man.

He said: Yes, we received the letter from Dr. Doyin Okupe, tendering his resignation as a member of the Labour Party. We want to say that we wish him very well in his pursuit of his political career. We in the Labour Party cherish the moment we had with him.

After a short time, December 2022, when he had cause to leave the campaign based on some legal issues, we thank him for the contributions he made when he was the chairman of the DG of the campaign.

READ MORE: It Is Time To Move On  Doyin Okupe Dumps LP

We wish him very well. We want to say that he is saying that he is leaving because he is a Liberal Democrat, while the Labour Party is a Social Democrat.

It is also a good thing because he is not expected to be in a territory where his ideological bent will be confused or different. He has always been a PDP man, so the Labour Party expects that he will return to anywhere he wants to be.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says he resigned years back from New Planet Project Limited, a company that got a consultancy contract from the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation.

Tunji-Ojo spoke on Monday when he appeared on Channels Televisions Politics Today.

Information Nigeria reports that Tunji-Ojos name was mentioned in the crisis that has been rocking the humanitarian ministry since the past week.

Betta Edu, the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, had also come under scrutiny after documents were leaked wherein she made an illegal request to transfer N585 million to a private bank account and approved flight fares for her ministry staff to Kogi state which has no airport.

READ ALSO: N585m Scandal: Suspended Minister, Betta Edu, Denied Access To Tinubu At Aso Villa, As EFCC Invites Her For Interrogation

Edu said her request followed due process but Oluwatoyin Madein, Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), to whom she had made the request to transfer the aforementioned sum, said she did not execute it.

Madein said public funds should not be paid into any private bank account as requested by the minister.

Reacting, Tunji-Ojo said: Almost five years ago I resigned as director of the company, so Im not a director. I resigned on 1st of February, 2019, you can go to the back.

The company was registered on March 3, 2009 at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) 10 years before he was first elected as a House of Representatives member.

The Minister represented Akoko north-east/Akoko north-west federal constituency in Ondo state between 2009 and 2023 before he was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, has sentenced one Olawale Olarewaju, to life imprisonment for raping a teenage girl in Lagos State.

Olarewaju, a guard, was convicted and sentenced by the Judge on Monday.

The Judge also chided the Ikoyi Custodial Centre for the loopholes in its operation, accusing the centre of being behind the delay in hearing the case and delivering justice.

The defendant had been in prison custody for eight years before his conviction yesterday.

He said: The defendant was in the Ikoyi Custodial Centre and remained there for about eight years from the day of his remand until he was produced before me on January 3, 2023 for arraignment.

The proceedings demonstrated gaps in the operation of the Nigeria Correctional Service.

It is mind-boggling to hear that the defendant has been in Ikoyi Custodial Centre since 2016 but was brought to court for the first time in 2023.

The correctional centre was directly responsible for the defendants long period of awaiting trial and this is appalling.

In his judgment, Oshodi held that the prosecution proved the ingredients of defilement with charge number LD/2359C/2016 against the defendant.

The judge stated that the survivor, testified before the court that she was 13 years when the defendant had carnal knowledge of her and that the convict was a security guard at a construction site.

He said that the survivor told the court that the convict forcefully had sex with her when she went to fetch water at the site.

Oshodi said: The prosecutrix gave her testimony and said that she went to fetch water at the construction site where the defendant (convict) worked when he came from her back, closed her mouth, and found herself in the room with him.

READ ALSO: Bandits Kill Village Head In Taraba, Farmer In Kaduna, Abduct Scores

She said that the defendant tore my clothe, and forcefully had sex with me and I started having pains in my vagina.

She testified further that she informed her parents about the incident and her father reported the case at the nearest police station.

The prosecutrix further told the court that she was taken to Mirabel Medical Centre for examination.

Oshodi said that the evidence of the survivor was substantiated with that of her father who was the Prosecution Witness Two.

He said the survivor gave a vivid and unshaken testimony of what the defendant did to her.

I believe her.

The defendants denial does not hold water as he admitted knowing the prosecutrix but made a u-turn during cross-examination that he did not know her.

He also admitted that the prosecution came to the compound to fetch water, Oshodi said.

The judge held that Olarewaju contradicted himself and made his evidence-in-chief unreliable.

He thereafter convicted him of the charge and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Oshodi said that the convicts name should be entered in the Sexual Offences Register maintained by the Lagos State Government.

During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses while the defendant testified as the sole witness.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Daniel Bwala, has commended the decision of President Bola Tinubu for suspending his Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Betta Edu.

Recall that Tinubu handed the directive in a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who also announced the suspension over the N585m scandal in the ministry.

Reacting to the development in a tweet made available yesterday, Bwala, a strong ally of the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar hailed the President for his action.

He said: Again @officialABAT is showing that when there is a credible substance in an allegation he will act in public interest. He has suspended the beauty pageant minister. Give it to him.

Meanwhile, in another post, Bwala showed a video where the embattled minister was responding to journalists over the scandal.

READ MORE: EFCC Invites Suspended Tinubus Minister Over N585m Scandal

He said: This video clip is self-incriminating in the sense that she was well aware that the funds were meant to be transferred from the CBN account DIRECTLY into the accounts of beneficiaries.

YET she acted otherwise. Sad that a young and intelligent minister fell short of the glory of that office. She betrayed the trust of @officialABAT who put faith and confidence in the youth by appointing a reasonable number of them into various offices. Mr President, pls treat this as an exception because all youth are not the same.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refused to grant access to Betta Edu, the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Ministers vehicle was turned away from the presidential villa in Abuja, according to a Television Continental News video.

Information Nigeria reports that Tinubu gave his approval for Edus immediate suspension earlier in the day.

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesman, in a statement said: In line with his avowed commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability in the management of the commonwealth of Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspends the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, from office with immediate effect.

The President further directs the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into all aspects of the financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as one or more agencies thereunder.

The suspended Minister is hereby directed to hand over to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and she is further directed by the President to fully cooperate with the investigating authorities as they conduct their investigation.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Suspends Betta Edu, Orders EFCC To Probe Her

Furthermore, the President has tasked a panel that is headed by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to, among other functions, conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes with a view to conclusively reforming the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.

These directives of the President take immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Edu, has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to visit its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, about the alleged N585 million fraud.

According to a reliable source within the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the anti-graft agency, has previously suggested to the President that the Minister be suspended in order to allow for a thorough investigation.

The source further noted that the commission swung into action immediately after the President ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged payment of N585 million grant meant for vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun and Lagos states into a private account.

We have invited the suspended Minister, Betta Edu. The invitation letter was sent to her immediately after her suspension was announced by the President. Were are expecting her at the headquarters any moment from now, the source told Punch.
Super Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen forward, Victor Boniface, has been ruled out of the African Cup of Nations that starts on January 13th in Cote d Voire after picking up a groin injury.

Boniface was said to have sustained the injury during the 2-0 loss to Guinea in a pre-AFCON game on Monday.

The 23-years old is expected to return to Germany for medical treatment and might be out for about six weeks.

The Bayer Leverkusen striker, led this out via his X handle, expressed his heartbreak and wished his colleagues good luck in their campaign.

READ MORE: Guinea Beat Super Eagles In Abu Dhabi Ahead Of AFCON 2023

He wrote: U20 Nations Cup got injured 7 days before Nations Cup, a devastated Boniface wrote on his X account late Monday. Super Eagles got injured 6 days before the Nations Cup Only GOD knows why.

Good luck guys Wish you all the best at AFCON.

His withdrawal comes as a worry for Jose Peseiro with Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho still in a race against time to be fit for Nigerias opening game vs Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, January 14.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the Super Eagles are scheduled to be in Lagos on Tuesday for a farewell dinner organized by the Lagos State Government before they depart for the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast on Wednesday, January 10.

https://twitter.com/boniface_jrn/status/1744458601496711339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1744458601496711339%7Ctwgr%5Ea888bf6849f0410d770b9e7f5ed5cdcf333edf53%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.channelstv.com%2F2024%2F01%2F08%2F2023-afcon-nigeria-suffer-major-blow-as-injury-rules-out-boniface%2F
Nigerian street musician Habeeb Okikiola, better known by his stage name Portable, has celebrated the New Year with a status upgrade.

To reward himself for his hard work, the controversial musician spent millions on a brand new Mercedes.

Portable took to his Instagram page to release clips of his new whip, noting that when one door shuts, three more open for him.

He revealed that he spent his money to purchase his car and showed thankfulness to his Creator.

In his words; One door closed three more opened. Na my money I carry buy this one oooo!!! Big God don do am again.. opelope Olorun ota oba yo mi, ori loyo mi tony motana ika ton lo benz. IKA OF AFRICA Akoi Grace Wey No Dey Disgrace.

Taking to the comment section, many celebrated him as they admonished him to avoid crashing his new whip.

READ MORE: Yul Edochie Appreciates Father For Celebrating Him Uniquely On His Birthday

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In the 2024 budget breakdown, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has revealed plans to allocate N1 billion for roadshows, rebranding, furniture, and investment promotion.

Out of the total budget of N14.1 billion, the ministry aims to spend N500 million on rebranding and investment promotion, with an additional N500 million earmarked for furniture fittings.

The budget distribution indicates that recurrent expenditure will absorb N6 billion, while capital expenditure will utilize N8 billion.

Personnel cost is allocated N5.12 billion, overhead costs are set at N905 million, while capital expenditure is designated to consume N8.13 billion.

A detailed breakdown of the budget includes N582 million for the rehabilitation and repair of office buildings, N500 million for creating new offices and partitioning at the Ministrys headquarters building, and N500 million for implementing trade facilitation under the one-stop export window program.

Additionally, N300 million is allocated for digitising and onboarding the retail export platform.

READ ALSO: N1.6bn Budget Is For Nigerias Trade Office In Geneva, Not Foreign Trip  Minister

Notably, the budget includes N1 billion for the survey, feasibility, and development of a pipeline of investable assets for foreign and local investments.

Another N1 billion is allocated for establishing a Trade Intelligence Unit.

The move to establish a Trade Intelligence Unit was prompted by the Ministrys admission that it lacks data on Nigerias trade balance with other countries.

Recall that the Industry Minister, Doris Uzoka-Anite, acknowledged this shortfall while addressing a Senate committee, expressing the ministrys commitment to rectifying the issue.

The Trade Intelligence Unit aims to generate and store data related to Nigerias balance of trade, providing essential insights into the nations exports and imports.

The budget signals a strategic effort to address gaps in trade data and enhance the ministrys capabilities in managing trade relationships.
Kidnappers arrested in Anambra State recently, have confessed to Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, how they use Facebook to get their victims.

The Anambra State Police Command, on Monday, highlighted the suspects confession, stating how they use attractive pictures of women on Facebook to entice their victims.

Speaking at a press conference held in Awka, Aderemi Adeoye, the Commissioner of Police in the State, revealed the individuals were among suspects arrested by the command since December 1, 2023.

According to him, the command has successfully arrested approximately 30 individuals believed to be involved in criminal activities.

Out of these arrests, 12 were related to kidnapping, nine to armed robbery, six to cultism, and three to insurgency across the State.

Adeoye further disclosed that the Force were able to recover 11 vehicles, 12 firearms, and 40 rounds of ammunition from the suspects during this period.

READ ALSO: Abductors Of Seven Family Members Demand N30m Ransom

The Commissioner of Police reported that a gang of attackers killed two police personnel at Uga Roundabout in the Aguata Local Government area of the State.

He mentioned that the culprits were traced to their camp in Ogboji forest, where two of them were fatally shot by the police.

Operatives, he said, apprehended a notorious armed robber and kidnapper from Oba, Emmanuel Orjiakor, who sustained gunshot injuries during an encounter with the Anambra Vigilante Group.

Moreso, Obinna Ekwunife, aged 27, was arrested on December 1 in connection with the kidnapping of Emmanuel Tobechukwu, who paid a ransom of N9 million to a Point of Sale operator.

Upon interrogation, they confessed to be involved in the kidnap of one Obioma Godswill from Delta.

They further stated that they normally lured their victims using Facebook accounts with pictures of beautiful ladies, to their hideout, where they keep them and collect ransom before they are released, he said.
The Philadelphia Orchestra is adding a seasoned American conductor to its artistic leadership team. Marin Alsop, who served as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestras music director for nearly a decade and a half, will become Philadelphias principal guest conductor starting this fall, the orchestra announced Tuesday.

Alsop has not been one of the orchestras most frequent visitors, but in recent years her appearances have gained in frequency and visibility  including a last-minute Carnegie Hall appearance last April leading the Philadelphians in no less a perilous piece than The Rite of Spring.

Ive always loved working with the orchestra and I think weve had a good rapport over the years. I think the timing just was right, Alsop said of her new Philadelphia post, which begins with a three-year contract.

Her first appearance with the orchestra was more than three decades ago, in 1990. She was 33 years old, music director of two small orchestras, and leader of the Concordia Orchestra, an ensemble she started herself to gain podium experience.

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Alsop recalls her Philadelphia Orchestra debut  a formidable program of works by John Adams, Toru Takemitsu, Roy Harris, and Bela Bartok  as her first big opportunity. At the time, and until very recently, a woman on the podium in Philadelphia was a rare sight.

They gave me a huge subscription concert  an all-orchestral subscription concert. Ill never forget the experience, and also the trust that they put in a kid.

Alsop is now 67, and the fact that the orchestra chose a principal guest conductor with vast experience rather than an upstart talent is significant.

Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. president and CEO Matias Tarnopolsky calls Alsops decades of experience a valuable perspective to bring, and noted her rich legacy within the American musical scene as well as [her place as] somebody who has really set a path for women conductors.

Alsop brings a very broad perspective on the repertoire, which we appreciate greatly, Tarnopolsky said, and an artistry and energy and a warmth in her interpretation that is profoundly appealing to the musicians of the orchestra and audiences alike.

Case in point: Last May, Alsop led the orchestra in its second annual Pride Concert, which featured some head-spinning variety: a Lady Gaga song, a movement from Jennifer Higdons Concerto for Orchestra, and the suite from The Marvels film.

Not that she neglects the standard repertoire.

A precise and transparent, yet terrifyingly alive Rite of Spring is how a New York Times critic described the performance of that piece last season at Carnegie, when she replaced Philadelphia music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin on short notice.

Alsop trained at the Juilliard School and is currently chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chicagos Ravinia Festival. As music director of the Baltimore Symphony from 2007 to 2021, she is the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

Tarnopolsky says Alsops appointment does not mean any less of a presence in Philadelphia for Nezet-Seguin, who also leads the Metropolitan Opera and keeps a busy calendar of musical projects outside of Philadelphia. Hes the first to step in whenever theres a cancellation [of another conductor], said Tarnopolsky. He really feels intensely his responsibility to the musicians and audiences of Philadelphia and Ive been really struck by his musical and institutional leadership in the last years.

Alsop follows Nathalie Stutzmann, whose final concerts in her three-year tenure as principal guest conductor are this April. Plans for Alsop are still developing, but shes already signed on for some high-profile assignments, including leading the orchestras tour to China in the fall of 2024 and the world premiere of Gabriela Lena Franks Picaflor in March of 2025.

In terms of repertoire, Alsop has a wide range  from Tchaikovsky and Barber to contemporary composers like Jessie Montgomery and Malek Jandali.

When considering whether to perform a new work or champion a particular composer, she says shes listening for an authentic sense of voice and personality.

But, in addition: I think music has to have some kind of narrative. With a narrative, it becomes human and transports us, so I guess Im always looking for the story, she says. And you could even say, in this time we live in, Im even more interested in the moral of the story  you know, that there is a reason for this to be here.

Every principal guest conductor makes the job their own, and the key, Alsop says, is about finding artistic gaps that arent already being heard  composers and particular pieces, but also soloists and new ideas for the organization in general.

Its one of those jobs where you have to go day by day and adapt and see how it feels.
Once again, its that annual moment when the globes major tech players gather in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Spanning from January 9 to 12, numerous large and small companies will present their latest innovations, ranging from TVs and laptops to experimental technologies and electric vehicles. The predominant theme this year is the integration of generative artificial intelligence, with brands expected to incorporate AI into our everyday devices. Despite the AI focus, CES promises a myriad of other exciting developments that extend beyond artificial intelligence, fueling our anticipation for whats in store at the event.

Here are some of our favourites:

Beamo Thermometer Takes Wellness to the Next Level

Withings has introduced the Beamo, a revolutionary four-in-one health device that goes beyond traditional thermometers. Resembling a game stick, the Beamo integrates a thermometer, electrocardiogram (ECG), oximeter, and stethoscope in a single, portable device. Unveiled at CES 2024, this innovative health tool offers a quick health checkup by providing insights into various aspects of your well-being.

Compact and smaller than a smartphone, the Beamo allows users to measure their temperature at home while also offering wellness metrics similar to advanced wearables and smartwatches. Depending on where it is applied on the body, the device provides information on blood oxygen levels, heart rate readings, and even functions as a digital stethoscope to capture chest sounds.

With expected clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration in June, the Beamo will be available for purchase at $250. This all-in-one health companion aims to streamline health monitoring with convenience and efficiency.

Era of See-through TVs

LG has introduced a transparent OLED screen that seamlessly transforms from a mesmerizing fish tank display to a substantial 77-inch television. In a departure from competing technologies, LGs creation is not just a prototype but a tangible product set to hit the market later in 2024. This innovation addresses the challenge of large black TV screens dominating living room walls when not in use, offering a sleek and transformative solution.

Samsung, not to be outdone, showcases its own foray into transparency with the debut of the first transparent version of its Micro-LED display technology at CES 2024. Samsung claims that its Micro-LED technology, compared to existing options, produces brighter, clearer images and boasts increased transparency. However, its worth noting that Samsung considers this transparent Micro-LED tech a concept and not yet available in the market.

AI Revolutionizes Dental Care

In the realm of dental hygiene, artificial intelligence takes center stage with the Oclean X Ultra Wi-Fi Digital Toothbrush. This cutting-edge toothbrush features an algorithm-controlled motor, offering five brush modes tailored to specific needs. Its interactive touchscreen visually guides users to areas they may have missed during brushing, while an AI voice guide assists in enhancing brushing techniques. Additionally, the toothbrush is equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to sync it with their home network and store brushing history for later analysis on a dedicated app. Boasting an impressive 40 days of battery life through wireless charging, the Oclean X Ultra is set to be available for purchase in the U.S. in the fall, priced at $130.

Samsung AI for All CES 2024 announcements

During CES 2024, Samsung unveiled its innovative approach to incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) for an intuitive user experience across their devices. The company showcased AI-enabled features in Visual Display Products and Digital Appliances, aiming to bring novel experiences to households.

One of the highlights was the introduction of the Galaxy Book4 series, equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors and a range of generative AI features. Notably, these laptops can utilize a Samsung smartphone as a web camera. Samsung also presented the Neo QLED 8K QN900D, featuring an integrated AI Processor, NQ8 AI Gen. This processor boasts an 8 times larger AI neural network and a two times faster NPU compared to its predecessor. It enhances tasks such as automatic upscaling of low-resolution content to 8K, and AI is utilized for voice amplification.

The company showcased an updated version of Ballie, a Samsung AI robot initially introduced in 2020. Expanding AI integration beyond traditional devices, Samsung introduced the Bespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator. This refrigerator includes a massive 32-inch display with AI Vision Inside and AI Family Hub. Additionally, the Bespoke AI Laundry Combo now features an AI Hub with a 7-inch LCD screen. Lastly, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo employs AI for an efficient cleaning experience.

XReal Air 2 Ultra AR Glasses priced at $699

XReal is set to make waves at CES 2024 with the announcement of its latest AR glasses  the Air 2 Ultra. Priced at $699 these sunglass-like AR glasses are positioned to rival devices like the Meta Quest 3. Despite being nearly twice the cost of the XReal Air 2, the Air 2 Ultra boasts more powerful hardware, featuring 6DOF tracking and a dual 3D camera setup for scanning and mapping the surrounding environment.

The AR glasses come equipped with two high-resolution 1080p screens, one for each eye, offering up to 500 nits of peak brightness and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Remarkably, the device weighs a mere 80 grams while packing such advanced hardware. Compatibility spans across macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

The XReal Air 2 Ultra AR glasses are slated to hit markets including the US, the UK, China, Japan, and more via the official website, promising an immersive augmented reality experience for users.

Belkin unveils Worlds First DockKit-Compatible Stand for iPhones

Belkin has made waves with the announcement of its groundbreaking Auto-Tracking Stand Pro with DockKit, touted as the worlds first DockKit-compatible stand designed specifically for iPhones. Priced at $179.99, this motorized stand not only facilitates 15W wireless charging but also introduces an innovative movement tracking feature, ensuring individuals remain in the frame even as they navigate the room.

The Auto-Tracking Stand Pro boasts an impressive 5-hour battery life without the need for a power supply. Users have the flexibility to activate or deactivate the tracking feature at their convenience with the touch of a button, adding a level of control to the interactive experience. This stand caters to the modern users needs, combining functionality with cutting-edge technology.

Dell unveils cutting-edge Alienware Gaming Laptops

Dell has raised the bar in the gaming laptop arena with the introduction of three high-performance Alienware branded models at CES 2024. The Alienware m16 R2 boasts a redesigned form factor and upgraded hardware, the Alienware X16 R2 stands out as one of the thinnest and most premium 16-inch gaming laptops produced by the company, and the Alienware m18 R2 is a powerhouse featuring an expansive 18-inch display.

The Alienware m16 R2 introduces a new stealth mode, allowing users to swiftly disable all lighting effects with the press of F2. All three laptops are fueled by Intel Core Ultra H series processors and offer up to RTX 40 series mobile graphics cards. With up to a 240Hz refresh rate display, these gaming laptops promise an immersive and smooth gaming experience. Additionally, each laptop features an upgraded 1080p web camera to enhance video communication.

In terms of pricing, the Alienware m16 R2 starts at $1,649.99, the Alienware X16 R2 is priced at approximately $2,099.99, and the Alienware m18 R2 kicks off at around $1,899.99. The availability of these laptops in select markets is set to commence on January 11, 2024, marking a new era for gaming enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge performance and design in their portable gaming devices.

Lenovo unveils worlds first ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid

Lenovo has taken a bold step in laptop innovation with its latest announcements at CES 2024. The standout reveal is the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid, hailed as the worlds first 2-in-1 laptop running both Android and Windows OS. This groundbreaking device combines the versatility of a 2-in-1 form factor with the seamless integration of two operating systems, offering users a unique and flexible computing experience.

Additionally, Lenovo introduced a range of new laptops in the popular Yoga series. The lineup includes models such as the Yoga Slim 7i (14-inch), Yoga Pro 7i (14-inch), Yoga Pro 7 (14-inch), Yoga Pro 9i (16-inch), and the Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (14-inch). These laptops feature OLED screens with up to 3K resolution, providing stunning visual experiences. Furthermore, the inclusion of a Bowers & Wilkins soundbar enhances the audio quality, delivering an immersive multimedia experience.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Super series

NVIDIA is set to launch three new graphics cards in the RTX 40-series Super lineup this month, promising improved performance at competitive price points. Addressing concerns about the pricing of the RTX 4080, NVIDIA is replacing it with the RTX 4080 Super, which will be available at a reduced price of $999 starting January 31st.

This $200 price cut is expected to exert pressure on AMDs Radeon RX 7900 XT ($899) and XTX ($999) cards. In addition to the RTX 4080 Super, NVIDIA is introducing the RTX 4070 Super on January 17th, priced at $599, and the RTX 4070 Ti Super on January 24th, priced at $799. While the RTX 4070 Ti is being phased out, the RTX 4070 will continue to be available at a more affordable price point of $549.

Intel announces new 14th Gen HX gaming laptop processors with clock speeds up to 5.8GHz

Intel has officially launched its 14th Gen HX gaming laptop processors, featuring an impressive clock speed of 5.8GHz. In contrast to the recently introduced Intel Core Ultra series, these processors do not include a neural processing unit (NPU) but prioritize delivering enhanced overall performance.

The flagship model, the Core i9-14900HX, is highlighted for its gaming prowess, outperforming the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX according to Intels claims. With 24 cores and the capability to reach 5.8GHz, it supports up to 192GB of RAM. This focus on performance positions it as a formidable option in the gaming laptop market.

In addition to the gaming laptop processors, Intel has expanded its lineup with new entry-level desktop CPUs. The Core i9-14900, featuring a 24-core CPU and a 65W base TDP, and the Intel Core i7-14700, equipped with a 20-core CPU, were also announced.

Asus ROG Phone 8, ROG Phone 8 Pro and ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition

Asus has unveiled its latest additions to the gaming-focused ROG Phone series, introducing the ROG Phone 8, ROG Phone 8 Pro, and the ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, all models feature a substantial 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED screen. Running on the Android 14 operating system, these devices boast IP68 water and dust resistance for added durability. A robust 5,500mAh battery supports 65W fast charging.

A notable improvement comes in the camera setup, featuring a 50MP primary Sony IMX890 sensor, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a 32MP lens offering 3x optical zoom.

to be continued..

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Ramanan Raghavendran, a Penn graduate, replaces investment banker Scott Bok, who quit as chair last month under pressure from billionaire donors, Jewish alumni, politicians, and other critics, followed quickly by the departure of university president Liz Magill. Read more

As new chairman of the University of Pennsylvanias 49-member board of trustees, venture capitalist Ramanan Raghavendran will lead at a crucial time for the Ivy League school, Philadelphias largest private employer.

He replaces investment banker Scott Bok, who quit as chair last month following the departure of university president Liz Magill under pressure from billionaire donors, Jewish alumni, politicians, and other critics.

Under Penns board statutes, Raghavendran will convene a consultation committee of trustees, deans, faculty, staff, and students and a search committee mostly from consultation committee members to review candidates for Magills replacement. The trustees executive committee will recommend a final candidate to the board for a vote.

Calls for Magills ouster and other changes at Penn were led by Apollo Global Management leader Marc Rowan and fellow billionaires on Penns Wharton School advisory board, who said Penn administrators were not clear or forceful in rejecting staff, student, and visitor statements against Jews and Israel. Penns undergraduate student body is about one-sixth Jewish, higher than the general population, but half of what it was in the 1980s.

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After Magills resignation, Rowan sent trustees a warning that Penns next president may fare no better if the trustees and other leaders dont change the culture and review the political orientation of the Ivy League university.

Raghavendran was approved unanimously Jan. 4 as chair by his fellow trustees.

He graduated from Penn in 1989 with bachelors degrees in computer science from Penns engineering school and economics from Penns Wharton business school. Hired initially by management consultant McKinsey & Co., he took South Asia and global tech investing roles at East Coast venture capital organizations, including General Atlantic, Insight Partners, TH Lee Putnam, Kubera, and Staley Capital. Since 2012 he has chaired his own India-focused social venture firm, Amasia.

Mid-career he earned a masters in liberal arts from Penn, joined the trustees and the executive committee, and headed the Penn Arts and Sciences advisory board.

Raghavendrans appointment has been cheered by longtime fans such as Vijay Kumar, dean of Penns engineering school.

Kumar said he and colleagues are grateful that Raghavendran has accepted this responsibility, calling him the kind of alum Benjamin Franklin might have imagined  someone who understands the useful, which our students learn from professional schools, and the ornamental, which is about human, societal values and, of course, the arts and humanities. More importantly, he is a great listener, thoughtful and deliberate in his approach, and a problem solver.

Hopes are high among some critics of past administrations, too.

I hope that Penns administrators and board under Raghavendran will foster a campus environment that de-emphasizes identitarianism and oppressor-against-oppressed paradigms, and rather cultivates a campus where opinions, ideas, or political preferences may be grappled with, debated, and heard, said Aseem R. Shukla, a professor of surgery. I am eager to see the end of an era where campus administrators and the loudest faculty wield veto power on who can speak and what ideas may be expressed.

Raghavendran agreed to respond to several Inquirer questions, though he declined to comment on the controversies that led to Boks and Magills resignations. The interview was edited for clarity and space.

Why did you agree to serve as chair at this challenging time?

Primarily out of a sense of duty. I owe Penn and its people much of what is good in my life. We were in a difficult moment, and I felt a deep sense of obligation to stand up and be counted.

The great goals of the institution  for instance our core educational mission of advancing knowledge and tackling hard problems  continue to be our North Stars. For me personally, I am most focused on rebuilding trust and connection with the entire Penn community: faculty, students, alumni, parents, staff, and more.

Boards hire presidents. How will you describe Penns top job to applicants?

We are very, very lucky to have [Penn medical school dean J. Larry Jameson, as interim president]  I believe Dr. Jameson could be the president of any leading higher education institution in the world.

I believe all such positions come with pressure. That is true in every realm of human endeavor. And yet there is a steady supply of motivated, talented, passionate, and experienced human beings who emerge, every time. Penn is an extraordinary institution and for the right person will be an extraordinary opportunity.

As I said on the occasion of my announcement as board chair, I believe great American universities, like the University of Pennsylvania, are the most important repositories of all that defines, and is good and laudable about, our modern civilization. Penns purpose, from its founding to this moment, is to create knowledge, share it for good, and educate the next generation. Our job as leaders is to continue to support that purpose.

You took both engineering and business degrees as an undergrad. How did you come to these programs?

Pretty much every student at Penn, then and now, is bright and driven. [My] path  reflects my milieu in India, where I attended high school; that was a very engineering-centric cohort. Coming to Penn completely opened my eyes to all the possibilities of a flexible educational environment. Academics were certainly always a priority in my family, but since my father was a fighter pilot, it is fair to say this was a new direction for my family.

What from your Penn experience prepared you for your career as a multinational investor?

The one theme I would call out from my professional career that is directly relevant to my Penn work is the idea of serving as a trusted counselor to the CEO. That has been essentially the entirety of my professional life in venture capital.

That role, and the style that comes with it, has been of great help to me [including in positions at Penn]. At each stage, with each new role, I have always sought to be a trusted counselor and to bring a deep appreciation for the complex stresses that leaders face while, of course, always holding people accountable, as they do me.

Why did you decide to return to college and study liberal arts?

Inherent in doing two undergraduate degrees at once is the misfortune of having most of your elective options evaporate. As a result, I felt a consistent gap in my education, specifically in the humanities and the social sciences.

I was made aware of the Penn [masters of liberal arts] program by a friend, and it immediately felt like the right fit. It is essentially a part-time degree program in the liberal arts for working professionals with busy lives. I took courses in anthropology, sociology, and creative writing, and wrote a capstone project on identity. It was a life-changing experience, and I cannot recommend it enough for anyone interested in the liberal arts.

My Stanford M.L.A., while bearing the same degree name, is somewhat different. I am midway through it and expect I will need to put it on hold, as the limited discretionary time bucket just evaporated. I expect to write a thesis on digital culture.

Why, with your engineering and Wharton background, were you drawn to join and lead the Arts and Sciences advisory board at Penn?

Hand-wringing about the humanities has been going on for a very, very long time. I can tell you that the humanities at Penn are thriving and prospering  in terms of undergraduate and graduate interest, quality of academic work, donor support, any number of other criteria.

As for my own interests, as can be seen by my pursuit of the M.L.A.s, I am a true believer in the importance of the liberal arts for a well-rounded education. I see it even in my dual-degree classmates from long ago  almost invariably the courses they remember and treasure the most are in the liberal arts.

My day job is all about technology and business. I really wanted my Penn work to be very different, and it was logical to go deep into the liberal arts.

Since a controversy in 2013 over an invitation to future India Prime Minister Narendra Modi that left all sides complaining, Penns South Asian enrollment and faculty have since grown. What can be learned from that?

Penn has welcomed undergraduates and graduate students from India for a long time. What you are seeing more of at places like Penn simply reflects the continuing changes in societal demographics. This is not especially notable in my view. We have seen similar ebbs and flows at other times with other communities, and I expect this will be different in 30 years and 100 years.
Witnesses to the crash told police that Arbetina Johnson-Lowery was trapped inside her totaled minivan, screaming for someone to "Get [her] baby," according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for her arrest. Read more

A Norristown woman didnt properly secure her 14-month-old son into his car seat on Sept. 30 when she got behind the wheel of her Mazda minivan while high on narcotics, prosecutors said Monday.

And when she crashed into the back of a stopped SEPTA bus in East Norriton, the infant came out of his restraints, receiving injuries that later led to his death.

Arbetina Johnson-Lowery, 35, was charged on Jan. 5 with homicide by vehicle, DUI, accidents involving death while not licensed, reckless endangerment and related offenses. She was released on $500,000 unsecured bail.

There was no indication she had hired an attorney.

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 READ MORE: A Doylestown woman pleaded guilty to killing a mother of two while driving drunk last year

Investigators responding to the crash, which occurred on Old Arch Road and East Johnson Highway in East Norriton, found Johnson-Lowery trapped inside her vehicle, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for her arrest. A SEPTA bus at the scene had significant damage to its front end.

Witnesses had already helped free her son from the totaled van, and medics had transported the boy to Suburban Hospital. The injuries to his head and face were so severe, he was airlifted to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where he later died, the affidavit said.

 READ MORE: Pregnant woman faces up to 60 years in prison for DUI crash that killed two state troopers and a civilian

Other witnesses told police that Johnson-Lowery had been driving recklessly before the crash, hitting another vehicles bumper before colliding with the front of the bus as it was unloading passengers. After the crash, Johnson-Lowery screamed for bystanders to Get [her] baby, the affidavit said.

As investigators worked to free Johnson-Lowery from her van, they saw an empty bottle of Yukon Jack whiskey, as well as a cigarette box that had two marijuana cigarettes and a packet of cocaine inside of it.

Police also found a car seat in the back of the van that had been properly installed. However, the seat was meant for a newborn, and Johnson-Lowerys son was too big to be safely secured by its straps, according to the affidavit.

 READ MORE: A Norristown man caused a fatal DUI crash that killed his coworker, Montco DA says

At Jefferson Abington Hospital, where Johnson-Lowery was taken for treatment, doctors drew her blood because of the seriousness of the crash, the affidavit said. It later tested positive for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and Bromazolam, a designer benzodiazepine drug similar to Xanax.

Investigators found that Johnson-Lowerys license had been suspended since 2018, and her cars registration had been suspended due to a lack of insurance, the affidavit said. She also had three active arrest warrants at the time of her arrest from Montgomery County for failing to appear for court proceedings.
Franklin Towne Charter High School is shown in this May file photo. Read more

A charter school has raised a new issue with its case against the Philadelphia School District, challenging as unconstitutional the portion of Pennsylvania law under which the board seeks to revoke its charter.

The move comes after the school board began charter revocation proceedings against Franklin Towne Charter High School over allegations of lottery manipulation that shut out students from certain zip codes and schools.

Franklin Towne, a high-performing charter in Northeast Philadelphia that educates 1,300 students, sued the Philadelphia School District in October, asking a judge to force the school system to replace the hearing officer assigned to hear the nonrenewal case.

Pointing to a report issued this fall examining allegations of racial bias in Philadelphia charter authorization and closure, Franklin Townes lawyers said the hearing officer, Rudy Garcia, should be disqualified. Garcia is an independent hearing officer but has run most of the districts revocation and nonrenewal proceedings, issuing findings and recommendations on whether the school board should vote to close a charter.

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Although the report found that the district, which authorizes and decides the fate of Philadelphias charters, engaged in no overt bias, the report recommended that the school board stop using Garcia for most hearings as this practice has created the appearance of an improper bias toward the Board of Education and has resulted in a lack of trust in the system from the charter school sector.

Now, in addition to that challenge, lawyers for Franklin Towne say that while the district is within its rights under Pennsylvania law to revoke a schools charter, the law expressly permits the unconstitutional commingling of prosecutorial and adjudicative functions of the district in the revocation process, in violation of fundamental due protections afforded by both the Federal and Pennsylvania State Constitutions.

Translated, that means its objecting to Garcia serving both as both a neutral arbiter and the person who essentially decides the charter schools fate.

A judge will consider the emergency injunction motion at a hearing scheduled for Jan. 26.

Franklin Towne continues to operate, as all schools do during the revocation process; if the schools charter is revoked, it would have to close, but that seems unlikely, given the schools academic performance.

But the revocation process and the hearing it triggers will make Franklin Towne publicly account for what happened with its lottery.

School board members, when they voted to begin revocation proceedings, called out the schools blatant racist practices that they have been on alert for for quite some time, and just chose to ignore and said the alleged rigging was analogous to cheating, and its illegal.

District and board officials have called out Franklin Towne for its demographics not reflecting the citys. The school enrolls a higher-than-expected percentage of white students.

A top Franklin Towne official told The Inquirer that former Franklin Towne chief executive Joseph Venditti fixed the lottery to keep out students from certain zip codes  most of which are majority-Black  and schools and siblings of some students with academic and behavioral challenges. Venditti has since left the school.

The whistleblower, Patrick Field, has sued Franklin Towne for retaliating against him. Field was put on administrative leave from his position as chief academic officer five days after The Inquirer story about his allegations was published.
Starting in 2026-27, Pennsylvania schools will be required to provide a mandatory course in personal financial literacy worth at least half a credit. Read more

During a recent lesson on budgeting and credit cards, Chris Santes students at Mastery Charter School-Pickett were brimming with questions  and some misconceptions.

They thought the more credit cards they had, the better for their credit, Sante said. He told the seniors  some of whom already had credit cards  that in some cases, opening too many lines of credit could actually hurt their credit score.

Similar discussions may soon be playing out in classrooms across Pennsylvania. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, a new law will require high schools to provide a course in personal financial literacy worth at least half a credit that students will have to take in order to graduate.

No offense to biology teachers or calculus teachers, but this class is going to be information they are going to use every day of their life, said State Sen. Chris Gebhard (R., Lebanon), who proposed the requirement that became law last month.

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Pennsylvania is one of 25 states that have enacted a personal finance requirement  a trend that has been advocated by groups like Next Gen Personal Finance, a nonprofit pushing for all high school students to take a semester of personal finance before graduating.

Christian Sherrill, director of advocacy for Next Gen, said the groups Mission 2030 Fund hired a lobbyist in Pennsylvania and worked with Gebhard to craft the legislation, which made Pennsylvania one of eight states to adopt a requirement in 2023.

We want students to be able to make smart decisions about money in the real world, Sherrill said, noting that high school students are already making financial decisions  whether saving for a car, or deciding what path to take after high school.

While momentum is definitely building around states adopting course requirements, Sherrill said, the next challenge is implementation  a process that has yet to be worked out in Pennsylvania.

 READ MORE: Gov. Phil Murphy signs a law to make N.J. first state to require media literacy for K-12

The new law didnt mandate what topics schools must include in teaching financial literacy. Instead, it directs the Pennsylvania Department of Education to develop model curriculum and resources, aligned with state academic standards reviewed by the state Board of Education.

The state Board of Education is currently working on updating those standards to incorporate financial literacy, said Mackenzie Christiana, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

The school boards association had pushed back on the initial proposal, arguing that local districts should have authority over graduation requirements. But without a mandate, Gebhard said, theres too much inequity in which students have access to financial literacy education  with most schools already offering the courses located in more affluent areas, according to Gebhard.

 READ MORE: Pennridge approves cut to social studies requirements despite widespread opposition

There was also disagreement over what form the requirement should take. Gebhard said the legislation was crafted to require that personal finance be a stand-alone course, though Christiana said the school boards association believed schools could teach financial literacy within current courses and meet the new laws requirements.

An education department spokesperson didnt respond to requests for comment.

In Pennsylvania last year, 63% of high school students had access to a personal financial course, according to Next Gen. In Philadelphia, however, the share appears to be smaller.

Of 68 city high schools surveyed in 2021-22, 14 said they offered a personal finance class, said Kerry Woodward, executive director of Philadelphia Financial Scholars, a nonprofit aimed at expanding financial literacy education.

Students are being sent out into the world with potentially no safety net, facing financial decisions that can benefit or harm them for years to come, Woodward said.

To address that gap, Philadelphia Financial Scholars offers free curriculum, lesson plans, and professional development to schools implementing personal finance courses. The group is currently working with 28 schools, including Mastery-Pickett, where seniors now take personal finance three days a week.

The Germantown charter has been teaching personal finance for years, providing it as a companion to instruction other days of the week about applying to colleges and other postsecondary options. But this is the first year the school has used programming and training provided through Philadelphia Financial Scholars.

The course, taught by Sante, has covered topics such as budgeting and banking  including, for instance, the reasons to have a bank account, rather than just CashApp. (Among them: protecting their money and earning interest, said Sante, a former history teacher.) Still ahead is a project about buying a car, tasking students with evaluating different options and learning about loans and interest.

The class has garnered high levels of student engagement, said principal Margaux Munnelly. She observed a recent lesson, when during a discussion about restrictions on people younger than 21 having credit cards, students objected, saying card applicants should instead be required to take a class like that at Pickett.

They were so passionate, Munnelly said. They were immediately connecting that this course puts them on a stronger path for their own personal finances moving forward.

She said it makes a ton of sense to mandate personal finance education, but how its put into practice matters. In addition to quality curriculum and professional development, Munnelly said, ideally, showing schools additional funding would help ensure a successful rollout.
Amanda and Randy Rucker, who own the critically acclaimed River Twice in South Philadelphia, are taking over Twenty Manning, which will wrap its nearly quarter-century run near Rittenhouse Square later this winter.

The Ruckers will call it Little Water and describe it as a contemporary coastal restaurant that celebrates the ecological diversity of life by the sea. It is inspired by their experiences living along the Gulf Coast, as well as in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Like River Twice, Little Water will share the ethos of sustainability, local sourcing, and seasonal ingredients. Mother Nature is at the forefront of everything we do, they said.

Little Water, due to open in early summer, will have an a la carte menu and will be open for lunch and dinner five days a week. River Twice serves a four-course, fixed-price menu.

Twenty Manning will operate until the liquor license is transferred, likely in 45 to 60 days, said owner Rob Wasserman, who said it was time to pass the torch to the bistro at 261 S. 20th St. Wasserman, who also owns Rouge, bought Twenty Manning in 2018 from founder Audrey Taichman, who had opened it in 2000 on the former site of Carolinas and Beaujolais.

About the Ruckers

Randy Rucker, 44, was a semifinalist for James Beard best chef award in 2011 for his work at Bootsies Heritage Cafe in his hometown of Tomball, Texas, which was also a semifinalist that year for the Beards best new restaurant. At a house party in Houston, he met Wynnewood-born Amanda Highbloom, who was attending design school. The couple moved east in 2016. He became culinary director of two restaurants on Marthas Vineyard and an executive chef at a restaurant in Mystic, Conn., before they moved to Philadelphia and got married.

Amanda Rucker, 35, designed River Twice, which they opened in 2019 at Passyunk Avenue at Tasker Street, across from the Singing Fountain. They have a 3-year-old daughter.

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In his first review of River Twice four years ago, headlined, A Texas star chef relocates magic to South Philly, Inquirer critic Craig LaBan marveled at Ruckers balance of gastronomic preciousness (for some cheffy tweezer food) and genuine rustic oomph (e.g. Ruckers signature burger)  two traits that dont often coexist.

About Twenty Manning

Twenty Manning  its name reflecting its location at the corner of 20th and Manning Streets  was the stylish, bar-equipped companion to Audrey Claire, Taichmans groundbreaking BYOB down the block at its opening.

Twenty Manning underwent several concept changes through the years  notably Southeast Asian fusion stylings under chef Kiong Banh  before settling on its current Middle Eastern-inspired menu.

Taichman later opened Cook, a demonstration kitchen, on the same block; during the pandemic, it morphed into its current incarnation, Cork, a bottle shop.

At the time of his 2018 purchase of Twenty Manning, Wasserman also bought Audrey Claire, which he renamed as Charley Dove. That BYOB, at the corner of 20th and Spruce Streets, is now open for private parties. Last year, Wasserman opened Vinyl, a nearby nightspot, with a partner.
Philadelphias dining scene is a longtime success story. Three decades ago, Philadelphia was the first city outside of New York to warrant its own edition of the Zagat Survey. For at least a decade, the influential James Beard Foundations awards roster has brimmed with its chefs, restaurants, and professionals. National food publications routinely name Philadelphia restaurants to its best-of lists.

If Philadelphia is such a star on the dining stage, why is there no Michelin Red Guide covering its restaurants?

There is no easy answer. Meanwhile, Philadelphia civic boosters are clamoring for a local edition of the French-based guide, arguably the standard-bearer among ratings providers around the world.

The tire company introduced the guides in 1926 as a promotional tool and they now cover restaurants in 25 countries, predominately in Europe and Asia. Michelin published its first American edition in 2006 for New York City and has since featured other cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington. The guides sell the cities culinary cachet by awarding stars and Bib Gourmand status.

Michelin [would] seal the deal and brand us officially as a premier eating and dining destination, said Ellen Yin, owner of such restaurants as Fork, High Street, and a.kitchen and last years winner of the Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur.

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Andrew Festa, who handles media inquiries for Michelin North America, said the guide is always evaluating potential new destinations but declined to say if Philadelphia is even being considered. Last year, Philadelphia was the eighth U.S. destination to be covered by a Michelin Green Guide, an overall travel guide also published by Michelin but edited by a different team.

Festa, by email, said Red Guide inspectors evaluate whether an areas culinary scene is advanced enough for a Michelin Guide selection of restaurants and whether the culinary landscape has potential for growth. If they determine that is the case, the process might begin for the guide to be established in that area.

The city may have to pay for it

What it also will boil down to is money. While Michelin inspectors work anonymously and independently to choose and review the restaurants, the company often relies on tourism boards to fund marketing and promotions.

Its been widely reported that tourism boards have paid Michelin hundreds of thousands of dollars for the privilege, notably a reported three-year deal with South Florida worth $1.5 million. But not Boston. According to Eater, Bostons tourism board had initial talks but refused to pay, on the grounds that Michelin would showcase only a small portion of its restaurants.

Robin Bloom, director of content for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the bureau has been in touch with Michelin about interest in Philadelphias getting a Red Guide but did not know how much it would cost to cinch a buy-in.

Bloom said that if Michelin reaches out with interest and a price, well rally our partners to make it happen. The PHLCVB had funding for the Green Guide in its budget, she said.

She said the public could advocate for a Philadelphia Red Guide by emailing Michelin at michelin.guides@michelin.com.

Not surprisingly, Philadelphias food professionals want Michelin. Nicole Cashman, whose public relations companys roster includes Stephen Starrs restaurants, said the city saw a direct increase in culinary tourism and business when the Beard Foundation began hosting events and the local restaurants started winning more awards. The Michelin Guide would help take all of this to the next level, she said.

Michelin awards stars with their reviews  1 (worth a stop), 2 (worth a detour), or 3 (worth a journey). Beard honors the owners, chef, and restaurants themselves and does not review.

Yin said Michelin stars would generate more than dollars and prestige. They would also draw even more talent via those aspirational chefs who want to work for a Michelin-starred restaurant and may overlook Philadelphia because we dont currently have stars, she said. Bringing in a fresh talent pool continues to make us better.

Further, Yin said, as our scene has evolved, the bar has continuously been raised in restaurants of all types, and if Michelin [recognizes] the diversity of Philadelphias dining scene, it will continue to ensure that our industry and industry jobs continue to thrive and provide an opportunity to all. Hopefully, the arrival of Michelin will continue to support collaboration between our chef community and even more connection between businesses of all sizes.

Local criticism

When Michelin enters a market, the local critics naturally take notice. Tom Sietsema, the Washington Posts longtime food critic, said Michelins arrival in Washington in 2016 was a big deal, as it was one of the first U.S. cities outside of New York to be covered by a guide.

As the hometown critic, Sietsema acknowledges that he might have a little different take on Michelin. Initially, he said, he quibbled with some of its selections as elitist; he said Michelin has improved.

But he said he was uncomfortable with how the guide defines the D.C. market. For instance, good for the Inn at Little Washington for scoring three stars, he said. But its a couple of hours from big Washington, and no other Virginia restaurant is included. Michelin also has included some temporarily closed restaurants, such as Reverie in Georgetown, which shuttered after a fire in summer 2022. Those kinds of inclusions dont really foster credibility or trust, Sietsema said. But Michelin nevertheless let it keep its star, and I think thats kind of ridiculous. I think someone like a local critic wouldnt let that stand.

The local audiences also know their local critics, he said. We dont know who these people are. Pete Wells [at the New York Times], you know, Craig LaBan [at The Inquirer], you know. They have an archive of work. You can look at their bios. You can decide, Oh, I like this critic or I dont like this critic, but at least you know who we are and where were coming from.

Is there any downside to having Michelin in a city?

Well, from a chefs perspective, no, Sietsema said. I mean, from my standpoint, I think all competition is good. It keeps people on their toes. It keeps people mindful of whats going on. So I welcome competitors.
Said A. Ibrahim, the first Black medical school dean at Thomas Jefferson University, has big ideas for putting one of the nations oldest medical schools at the forefront of training next-generation physicians.

Ibrahim, a physician and health equity researcher, took the helm at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at the beginning of December. He most recently worked as a senior vice president at Northwell Health, the largest health care system in New York State.

Ibrahim, who is from East Africa, lived in Philadelphia early in his career, working as a lab tech sequencing DNA for The Wistar Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated research hub. He left to attend medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and later earned a masters degree in public health at Harvard University.

He has also worked as chief of medicine at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and vice chair of medicine at University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine.

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Ibrahims research focuses on how race, income, and other socioeconomic factors affect access to care and health outcomes. Diverse health-care providers are critical to addressing decades of health disparities, and he sees his new role as an opportunity to help build that workforce.

We are going through both great opportunities, in terms of the future of medicine, and great challenges to the people we serve, Ibrahim said. This is an opportune time to join this expanding system, so I can impact the future generation.

Ibrahim spoke with The Inquirer in an interview that has been edited for length and clarity.

What about the position and Philadelphia appealed to you?

The reason Im here and why this job excites me is I want to be part of the effort to make Jeffersons medical school and health system part of the community of Philadelphia. I want the community to see Jefferson as one of its own, and for Jefferson to be part of the community. To do that, we have to train the right students in the right setting, recruit the right faculty, and promote the scientific community. The way we discover future medicines is by doing the research. I want to make sure the Jefferson community is part of that.

What are the lessons you want to impart on incoming medical students?

Ive been studying how health care is delivered to people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. What Ive learned is we have a long way to go to make sure that the great cures in science are accessible to all, that people can afford the medications they need. We want to be able to train physicians who really care about the community and the relationship with the patient.

The relationship between patients and physicians used to be a very trusting relationship, but its eroded. Technology is growing so fast and medical knowledge accumulates so fast, its a challenge. Do we have the setting to train the kind of physicians and health care workforce thats ready to meet the challenges of the community and make sure the technology doesnt do harm? Are we training the kind of people who are able to build relationships, think for themselves?

The workforce of the future really needs to reflect the communities they serve. I believe strongly that we have to build a diverse and inclusive workforce thats ready for the challenge and that will elevate the communities.

How do you plan to advance diversity at Jefferson?

We need to reach college students early  as early as eighth grade  and expose them to careers in medicine. The way you create a more diverse pool of students is by raising the awareness that young people can go into medicine regardless of their background.

We also need to find ways to make the cost of medical school manageable for those who cant afford it. Its very expensive to go to medical school. We need to raise funds for scholarships for students from low economic backgrounds.

To attract a diverse student population, we also have to have diversity of leadership and staff.

 READ MORE: Thomas Jefferson University president who liked controversial tweets resigns

How will you use social media, after Jeffersons former university president came under fire for liking controversial Tweets and resigned?

Social media is a reality that many of us live with. The central issue is being able to connect with students  thats the goal and the most important aspect. My goal is to connect with them in the ways they feel comfortable connecting.

 READ MORE: Jefferson plans to acquire Lehigh Valley Health Network, forming a 30-hospital network

What does Jeffersons potential acquisition of Lehigh Valley Health Network mean for the medical school?

Some trainees will come from that area, and our trainees  medical students, residents, fellows  will have more opportunities to go there and train under different settings. The combination of Lehigh Valley, which serves a larger rural community, with our urban community provides us a much richer and diverse community for our students to get more training.

Theres also the research advantage: The larger the size of the health system, the better opportunity to do good research. We have a much larger data set. We want to study patients from different social backgrounds  rural and inner city.
Shannon Maldonado, owner of Yowie hotel, in one of the rooms at Yowie in Philadelphia. Read more

Shannon Maldonado, founder and creative director of Yowie hotel, designs each of the rooms around a special something, something.

Sometimes its a cool lemon yellow, rusty terra-cotta, or minty green accent wall. Other times, a plush cobalt or chocolate couch is the focal point of one of the boutique hotels 13 suites. Maldonado designs around a single element, like a funky rug with giant perforated holes that look like cute, oversize polka dots, surrounding it with coffee tables, beds, and lamps fashioned from natural blond and mahogany-hued wood. Overnight guests are stylishly welcomed to the cozy, South Street escape.

But these sleek rooms are for more than just enjoying weekend getaways in Philadelphia: They double as shopping showrooms. Maldonado wants guests to live with the framed abstract art, velvety furniture, perforated rugs, and ceramics. And if they like  no, love  what they see, perhaps they will be inspired to take something home with them. Nearly everything in Yowies hotel rooms is for sale and available for purchase at the gift shop. In-room catalogs read like glossy magazines, list specific pieces for purchase, and provide design notes with key details.

Her idea is working. The hotel has been open for just five months and sells a few pieces a week. Weve already had guests purchase books, ceramic pieces, a mattress, and a work of art from our lobby, said the 40-year-old entrepreneur. We hope to start bringing interested guests to view the larger furniture pieces in the new year. Some pieces from the Yowie collection youll spot if you book a night: wall art by Mimi Gallagher ($1,100), custom ceramic artwork by Jeff Rubio (from $550), and an armless dining chair by Trnk ($2,395). But guests may also find a chic piece from West Elm. In Maldonados eye-pleasing world, design does not discriminate, but it does require a keen eye for mixing and matching.

Born and raised in South Philly, Maldonados unique sense of style isnt driven by whats happening in New York, Los Angeles, or in the showrooms of other Philadelphia designers. In fact, she bristles at comparisons. Conscious not to overdesign, Maldonado is no fan of tchotchkes. They create clutter, and clutter is the enemy of good design. Books and plants are welcome add-ons, though, artfully placed in many of the hotels floor-to-ceiling bay windows, creating warmth.

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Maldonados innate sense of style speaks to the home decor aspirations of others. How else can you explain her deft use of yellow? One of her favorite colors, many find it difficult to work with, but its her gift shop and hotels signature hue. Ive just always liked the color, Maldonado said matter-of-factly.

In 2005, Maldonado graduated from New Yorks Fashion Institute of Technology with a bachelors degree in fashion and design. She worked as an assistant designer at Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren before landing gigs as a senior designer at American Eagle and Urban Outfitters.

She spent more than a decade in the fashion industry mastering color and creating private label products for seasonal collections. A frequent traveler, she wondered what it would be like to curate her own gift shop and retail space. In 2016, she opened Yowie in Queen Village, named after an Australian bigfoot. The name  and the store  caught on, becoming a space to shine light on independent local designers like Cloud 9 Clay and Frunzi Ceramics.

Im very comfortable reaching out to people, Maldonado said. Its that simple. I work with hundreds of people a year on these projects.

Yowie was featured by design websites and national magazines like Bon Appetit. In 2017, Olivia Kim, the senior vice president of creative merchandising at Nordstrom, discovered Maldonado on Instagram, leading to several Yowie pop-ups in Nordstroms, bringing the designers she worked with even more attention. Maldonado designed the interior of the Deacon, a boutique hotel on Christian Street (the former First African Baptist Church), developed by husband-and-wife team Everett and Valerie Abitbol and Bill Vessal. The Abitbols and Vessal are also partners in Yowie.

Maldonado grew out of her Queen Village digs, expanding the concept of dynamic minimalism into a hotel. The new Yowie on South Street between Second and Third Streets was once two rowhouses that were combined into one building. Visitors self check-in, and many of the rooms feature kitchenettes and living room spaces, so guests can feel like they are in their very own upscale city apartment  at least for a night or two. Guests also receive handwritten notes and a list of things to do in Philly, much like a bed and breakfast. Free access to toiletries offers the perks of an upscale hotel. In September, Maldonado and Everett Abitbol were named Boutique Design magazines Up-and-Coming Hotelier.

Prices start at $179 for a one-bedroom king to $300 for a two-bedroom suite.

With a coffee shop on the ground floor, Maldonado teamed up with ReAnimator Coffee Roasters to open every day from morning through early evening.

An artist in her soul, Maldonado is proud that Yowie is a place for artists to work on their crafts, display their work, and rest their heads.

I was ready to do something on my own, Maldonado said. I was ready to try something new, create a new challenge for myself. I didnt know that it would evolve into this.

Yowie hotel and shop, 226 South St., Philadelphia, Pa., 19147, (215) 346-6337, helloyowie.com
PORTLAND, Ore.  The decision by Alaska Airlines to stop flying one of its planes over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii due to warnings from a cabin-pressurization system  yet keep flying it over land  is raising questions about whether the jet should have been in the air at all.

The nations top accident investigator says warning lights were triggered on three flights, including each of the two days before the brand-new Boeing 737 Max 9 suffered a terrifying fuselage blowout Friday night. A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off the plane as it flew 16,000 feet above Oregon.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said maintenance crews checked the plane and cleared it to fly  but the airline decided not to use it for the long route to Hawaii over water so that it could return very quickly to an airport if the warning light reappeared.

Fridays flight was headed from Oregon to Southern California, and made it back to Portland without serious injury to any of the 171 passengers and six crew members. But the decision to allow it to fly over land in the first place struck some aviation experts as illogical.

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If you are afraid to take the airplane far from land, what is the reason for that? That has to be answered by Alaska Airlines, said Steven Wallace, an air-safety consultant and commercial pilot who once headed accident investigations for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA grounded all Max 9s operated by Alaska and United and some flown by foreign airlines for inspection after the Friday night flight. The inspections are focused on plugs used to seal an area set aside for extra emergency doors that are not required on United and Alaska Max 9s.

Monday afternoon, United Airlines said it found loose bolts and other installation issues on door plugs that were inspected after the Alaska Airlines incident.

Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, Chicago-based United said.

Boeing, which has had its own share of problems with various planes over the years, pledged to help address any and all findings that airlines make during their inspections.

The FAA declined to comment on whether the Alaska Airlines plane in question should have been allowed to keep flying. The agency said it would be premature to comment while the NTSB is investigating the Friday night flight.

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines also declined to comment, saying it would need permission from the NTSB to discuss the plane and its maintenance history. We will provide information as soon as the NTSB permits us to do so, the airline said.

Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said Alaska should have grounded the plane, period. However, he and other critics said the decision to stop flying the plane to Hawaii might have averted a disaster.

If the blowout had happened halfway to Hawaii, pilots would have been forced to fly low enough so passengers could breathe without oxygen masks, which burns more fuel. And the gaping hole in the fuselage would create drag. The plane might have run out of fuel before reaching land, experts said.

As far as Im concerned, theres an angel in Alaska, Diehl said. Whoever made the decision to do that probably saved a lot of lives.

Other aviation insiders saw nothing unusual in the airlines decision to limit but not ground the plane after the pressurization warnings on flights Dec. 7, Jan 3 and Jan. 4  the day before the blowout.

Whatever maintenance they performed on it, (they decided) Lets be conservative and not put this thing out over water, said John Cox, a former airline pilot and now a safety consultant. He said the intermittent nature of the pressurization warnings  three out of the planes 145 flights  might have made them suspect a bad sensor or something else.

Its not clear whether the airline would have been required to report the warning lights to the FAA or the fact that it had limited the plane to flying over land. Wallace said rules about such reporting arent specific.

Homendy, the NTSB chair, cautioned that the pressurization warning light might be unrelated to Fridays incident, which occurred as the plane cruised about three miles (4.8 kilometers) over Oregon.

On Monday, the FAA approved guidelines for inspecting the door plugs on other Max 9 jets and repairing them, if necessary. That move could speed the return to service of the 171 planes that the FAA grounded.

Alaska has 64 other Max 9s, and United Airlines owns 79 of them. No other U.S. airlines operate that model.

The NTSB said the lost door plug was found Sunday near Portland in the back yard of a home.

At a news conference Sunday night, Homendy said an explosive rush of air damaged several rows of seats and pulled insulation from the walls. The cockpit door flew open and banged into a lavatory door.

Two cell phones that appeared to have belonged to passengers on Fridays flight were found on the ground. One was discovered in a yard, the other on the side of a road. Both were turned over to the NTSB.

Grounding 171 of 218 Max 9s in operation, including all those used by Alaska and United, led to flight cancellations at both carriers.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun called a companywide webcast to talk about the incident with employees and senior leadership for Tuesday.

Alaska Airlines flight 1282 took off from Portland at 5:07 p.m. Friday for a two-hour trip to Ontario, California. About six minutes later, the chunk of fuselage blew out.

Videos posted online by passengers showed a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been. They applauded when the plane landed safely about 13 minutes after the blowout. Firefighters came down the aisle, asking passengers to remain in their seats as they treated the injured.

It was extremely lucky that the airplane had not yet reached cruising altitude, when passengers and flight attendants might be walking around the cabin, Homendy said.

The Max is the newest version of Boeings venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The model went into service in May 2017.

Two Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. All Max 8 and Max 9 planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years until Boeing made changes to an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.

The Max has been plagued by other issues, including manufacturing flaws.
File picture of police yellow tape. Photograph taken during crime scene investigation on Redfield just below Market Street in Philadelphia, Friday, April 15, 2022. Read more

Authorities say a four-year-old boy who was first reported as missing from West Philadelphia and then falsely reported as having been fatally struck by a car, was beaten to death in early December and put in a trash can, as police continue to search for the childs body.

Police began searching for Damari Carter after 6ABC passed along a tip about a child missing from West Philadelphia, according to police records. As police began to investigate, they got in touch with the the childs grandfather, who told police that his daughter, Dominique Bailey, told him her child had been fatally hit by a car and that his body was in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, records said.

But after contacting the Philadelphia Police Department Crash Investigation division and local hospitals, detectives could not find any evidence of a fatal car collision involving Damari, according to records.

After statements to police last week from Bailey, when she told authorities of her involvement in Damaris death, she was charged with murder, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, false reports, tampering with evidence, and abuse of corpse, and related crimes. Her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, of the 3800 block of Reno Street, was also charged with murder, conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, false reports, tampering with evidence, and abuse of corpse, and related crimes.

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A spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office declined to comment Monday afternoon as to who investigators believe killed Damari.

We think he was beaten to death, Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said Monday afternoon. Of course we dont have a body, but we have other evidence that leads us to believe that.

In a statement to police January 4, Bailey said she and Damari had been staying with Spencer after moving to Philadelphia from Texas in late November, according to police records. Bailey initially told police Spencer was with Damari at the time the child was fatally struck by the car, records show.

On January 5, police executed a search warrant at the residence on the 3800 block of Reno Street, found Spencer at the house and brought him in for questioning, records show.

That same day, Bailey told police she had seen Spencer beat Damari frequently, often leaving the child with severe bruises, according to police records. After police showed her video retrieved from Spencers cell phone that showed Damari with bruises, Bailey ultimately told police that Damari had died the night of Dec. 7, 2023, after Spencer beat the child, finding Damari cold to the touch in a wicker chair in the living room when she went to kiss him goodnight, police records said.

Bailey told police Spencer put the child in a trash can that had a bag in it, but did not tell police where Damaris body ended up, according to police records. As of Monday, police were still searching for Damaris body.
While Vietnam's pepper export volumes soared by 16.6% to 267,000 tons in 2023, the value dropped by 6% to US$912 million, according to the Vietnam Customs.

The average export price of Vietnamese pepper, which constitutes 60% of global supply, dropped by 19.4% from the previous year, to US$3,420 per ton.

Black pepper made up 71.2% of Vietnam's exports, and white pepper comprised the remainder.

The U.S. remained the top purchaser of Vietnamese pepper, accounting for 23.5% of the total export value, followed by China 14.1%, India 5.4% and Germany 4.3%.

The U.S. decreased its pepper imports from India in favor of Vietnamese pepper, which is recognized for its favorable pricing and improving quality.

The Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association notes that Vietnamese pepper holds a competitive edge over other pepper-exporting nations such as Indonesia and India, bolstered by the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, which has slashed the import tax on ground and crushed pepper to the EU to zero.

It is forecast Vietnam's pepper export will slow down because domestic supply is no longer abundant. The pepper inventory in 2024 will be at its lowest in many years.

This years pepper crop is projected to decrease by 10-15% to around 165,000 tons due to smaller cultivation areas and unfavorable weather conditions.
A proposed plan to rehabilitate Philadelphias Welcome Park was completely derailed within 72 hours of its announcement. Read more

A proposed plan to rehabilitate Philadelphias Welcome Park was reversed within 72 hours of its announcement.

The pitch to remove a statue of William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, sparked a wave of outrage that ultimately led to the National Park Service withdrawing its proposition.

The plan ended the same way it started: through a set of tweets.

This is a look at how X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) shaped the fate of Welcome Park in a matter of days.

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 READ MORE: William Penn statue will not be removed from Welcome Park, says National Park Service in sudden reversal

Friday, Jan. 5: The Independence National Historical Park account tweeted a link to a news release announcing the proposed plans

The news release announced a proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park  a park commemorating the founding of Pennsylvania on the land where Penn once lived  and make visiting a more inclusive experience.

The National Park Service, which did not immediately return a request for comment, aims to rehabilitate the park for Americas 250th birthday celebration in 2026. The park, located on Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, has fallen into disrepair with rows of broken granite floor. Patrons also say it lacks adequate seating.

The proposal included a new planted buffer and the addition of a ceremonial gathering space with circular benches.

It also mentioned removing the Penn statue and the model of his Slate Roof House and not reinstalling them.

The park has also been the site of some resentment among Indigenous groups. John Penn, William Penns grandson, gave its plot to the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations from the Iroquois Confederacy) in 1755. In a recent trip to the park to reconnect with tribal land located there, six women from the Iroquois Confederacy said they felt anything but welcomed by the lack of grass, trees, or water.

I felt it had been choked and that it wasnt a true representation of the original intentions of the space, Louise McDonald (Native name Wakerakatste), a Mohawk Bear Clan Mother from Akwesasne, N.Y., told The Inquirer in 2020. It just seemed to be purposely buried with a cover-up narrative. There certainly seems to be a feeling of erasure intended to remove any spirit that would imply that we were once there.

The NPS cited discussions with Indigenous nation members to expand how Philadelphias Native American history is told.

The agency invited the public to submit feedback on the proposal starting Monday. Over the weekend, its initial tweet was viewed about a million times.

Saturday, Jan. 6: NPS tweet began making waves

Its hard to say exactly whose tweet sparked the weekends firestorm of outcry.

But several tweets from high-profile conservative X accounts, including @TimOnPoint  who has 18,000 followers  and local conservative personality Jack Posobiec  who has more than 2 million followers  criticizing NPS proposal began making waves Saturday.

Sunday morning, Jan. 7: Conservative media began writing about the proposal

West Virginia-based columnist and Fox News contributor David Marcus reposted the park services original tweet along with commentary Sunday morning,

Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York also tweeted about the proposal.

I first learned about the proposal just a few minutes before [posting], when I saw a tweet retweeting a post from the Independence NPS account linking to the Jan. 5 press release, York told The Inquirer on Tuesday. He read the release before tweeting to his more than half a million followers with a link to the NPS. I wrote a tweet and linked to the Park Service[s] release, and that was it.

York and others tweets led to articles  among the first from media outlets local and beyond  about the Penn statues proposed removal in mostly conservative outlets including the Post Millennial and Breitbart.

Sunday afternoon, Jan. 7: Local politicians began tweeting about the proposal

That day, local politicians  including state Sen. Scott Martin (R., Lancaster)  began reacting to the news and public outcry.

I can confirm Senator Martin first heard about the proposal on Twitter shortly after the news broke, so its certainly fair to say that the platform played a outsized role in the swift reversal of this policy, a spokesperson for Senator Martin said.

Monday evening, Jan. 8: National Park Service withdrew proposal

Monday was supposed to mark the beginning of the 14-day public feedback period for the proposal. Instead, the agency announced on Twitter it was withdrawing the plan altogether.

Internet archives show the project was listed on the park services website for public comment Monday morning before being removed.

No changes to the William Penn statue are planned, the National Park Service posted in a tweet. In a news release accompanying, NPS said the plan was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.

On X, Gov. Josh Shapiro reposted the announcement.

Im pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statute, he wrote.

Rich Zeoli of 1210 WPHT talk radio, who had previously promoted a Fox News appearance to discuss the proposal, said on X the segment was bumped because of the plans withdrawal.

Within the replies of Shapiros tweet, many celebrated  including the owner of the platform that housed most of the proposals outcry: Elon Musk.

Responding to Shapiros tweet about the National Park Service withdrawing its pitch, Musk wrote, Yay!
Philadelphia civic boosters are clamoring for a local edition of the Michelin Guide, the worldwide restaurant arbiter. Read more

Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Its Tuesday, folks. Dont forget to grab your umbrella  heavy rains today will leave Philly at risk for flooding for days, with winds likely to take down trees and power lines. Heres whats driving all the rain.

Philly is a star on the dining stage, and civic boosters are clamoring for a local edition of the Michelin Red Guide. Our lead story unpacks why the city is still waiting on the worldwide restaurant arbiter to rate its food scene.

 Erin Reynolds (@morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Michelin published its first American edition in 2006 for New York City and has since featured the likes of Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia is notably absent. Our dining scene is a longtime success story (it was the first city outside of New York to warrant its own edition of the Zagat Survey), but were still waiting on the Michelin mark of approval.

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Why? It could boil down to money. While Michelin inspectors work anonymously and independently to choose and review restaurants, the company often relies on tourism boards to fund marketing and promotions.

Robin Bloom, director of content for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, said that if Michelin reaches out with interest and a price, well rally our partners to make it happen. Shes not sure, though, how much it would cost to cinch a buy-in.

Keep reading to learn what local restauranteurs and chefs say a few Michelin stars would mean for Phillys culinary landscape.

The National Park Service wants to renovate Old Citys Welcome Park. That included, briefly, a plan to remove the centerpiece statue of William Penn, and redesign the space to highlight Native American history. But, in a sudden reversal, the National Park Service said the statue will stay.

The park, located on Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, was built on the site of Penns home, and is named for the ship that transported him from England.

Its since fallen into disrepair, and the National Park Service wants to rehab the park in time for the 250th birthday celebration of America in 2026.

Plans for the statues removal were met with pushback  mainly from Pennsylvanias Republican leadership. House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler called it an absurd and revisionist view of our states history and intended to introduce a resolution encouraging the National Park Service to halt the plan.

Well, it did. The National Park Service said Monday evening that there will be no changes to the William Penn statue, but that plans to rehabilitate the park will continue.

This is not the first time in recent years Philadelphia has seen a struggle over statues. We dig in here.

What you should know today

 Trivia time

This Philly native just won their first Golden Globe.

A) Colman Domingo

B) DaVine Joy

C) Quinta Brunson

D) Sheryl Lee Ralph

Think you know? Check your answer.

What we're...

 Anticipating: Inquirer columnist David Murphy is hosting a Reddit AMA today at 12 p.m. If you have questions about the struggling Eagles as they enter the postseason, he has answers. Join in here.

 Admiring: The Pa. Farm Shows 1,000-pound butter sculpture. According to Inquirer reporter Kristen A. Graham, it did not disappoint.

 Touring: An early 1900s Victorian in Francisville gets a modern touch.

 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: Victory Brewings new collaboration partner on a thoroughly Philly ale

KAYAK TEST

Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Mike Vaupel who correctly guessed Mondays answer: Tower Theater.

Photo of the day

Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer! Paola Perez will be back in your inbox tomorrow.
If shortstop Bryan Rincon had been a second-round pick "hed be on everybodys list" says Preston Mattingly, Phillies assistant general manager, player development. Read more

Aside from the signing of Aaron Nola, this has been a quiet winter for the Phillies. There is not a big to-do list. Adding a reliever, some starting pitching depth, and a backup outfielder is about all it entails.

But at their minor league complex in Clearwater, Fla., things are about to get quite busy. On Monday, the Phillies began a high-performance camp for 60 of their prospects. It will run through Feb. 9.

It seems as good a time as any to provide an update on those prospects. So, while fans eagerly wait for the Phillies to make a transaction, we will provide a weekly report on two prospects the organization is excited about. This series will run through January.

 READ MORE: Kyle Schwarber is still the Phillies best leadoff choice

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This week, well start with two who have caught the attention of multiple teams: shortstop Bryan Rincon and catcher Eduardo Tait. At least three teams have approached the Phillies about packaging Tait and Rincon in trades, but the Phillies havent budged. Here is why they are so high on them:

Bryan Rincon

Rincon, who turns 20 next month, was born in New York but moved to Venezuela at a young age, and returned to the U.S. to attend high school in Pittsburgh. He wasnt a prospect, per se  the Phillies took him in the 14th round of the 2022 draft  but he has quickly turned heads. Rincon didnt crack MLB.coms top 30 Phillies prospects list in 2022. In 2023, he sat at No. 28. FanGraphs ranked him No. 5 on its 2024 list of Top 26 Phillies prospects.

He should be on every list, said Preston Mattingly, the Phillies assistant general manager for player development. If he was a second-round pick, hed be on everybodys list. Everybody is a little bit late on him, but I mean, we know what we have internally.

Rincons two biggest draws are his plate discipline and defense. He was a gifted defender to begin with, with good hands and footwork, but hes elevated that skill to a new level. Rincon has been putting in extra work with minor league infield coordinator Adam Everett to make his movements more efficient. The work has paid off.

 READ MORE: Aaron Nola and then ...? Whats next for the Phillies as the offseason enters 2024

Mattingly said Rincon is positioning himself to get to balls he wouldnt have in the past.

You can always improve little things, whether its angles, whether its footwork, but hes well ahead of most kids his age, Mattingly said. I think hes one of the better shortstop defenders in the minors. Honestly, hes one of the top two or three.

Rincon, a switch-hitter, hits for contact. His walk rate and strikeout rate are almost identical. He had 59 walks in 81 games at low-A Clearwater in 2023 and only 63 strikeouts while batting .228. After he was promoted to high-A Jersey Shore, he batted .258 with nine walks and 13 strikeouts in 18 games.

He isnt known for hitting for power (eight home runs last season), but the Phillies believe that will come. Rincon has steadily been building strength, and thanks to some work on timing at the plate, has been more consistent with his barrel lately. This led to harder contact in 2023. His hard-hit rate jumped from 16% in 2022 to 25% in 2023 , which suggests hes trending in the right direction. He likely will start his 2024 season with Jersey Shore.

Eduardo Tait

Tait, 17, is a left-handed-hitting catcher out of Panama. He was signed to a minor league contract last January and immediately made a strong impression in the Dominican Summer League. Tait hit .333/.400/.517 with a .917 OPS and three homers through 44 games. Hell likely be playing in the United States in 2024.

Finding a power-hitting catcher isnt easy, so Tait has quickly landed atop the Phillies prospect leaderboards. He sits at No. 23 on MLB.coms 2023 list, and No. 6 on FanGraphs 2024 list.

 READ MORE: How Johan Rojas is preparing to be the Phillies regular center fielder in 2024

The next stop in his development will be learning some plate discipline. He had 31 strikeouts in 147 at-bats in 2023, with 12 walks. The Phillies would like him to work on chasing less.

Theyve been proactive in making that happen. For all of last year, Tait worked with Edwar Gonzalez, the Phillies Latin American hitting coordinator, to make better swing decisions. Gonzalez has been encouraged by the results.

Because hes so talented and so young, hes going to move fast, Gonzalez said. So, were just trying to avoid any challenges when he gets to high A, double A, where hes seeing higher-caliber pitching. So its speeding up the process for him, because these are things that take at-bats.

Weve been teaching him about pitch movement, what the ball is going to do, where the ball has to start to be a strike. Eliminating zones to get more pitches in the zone. Hes very smart and very committed to getting better. To me, thats what makes him special.

 READ MORE: The Phillies pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto revealed their challenges in breaking through in Japan

Tait has also been working hard on improving his defense behind the plate. Gonzalez said hes been working on blocking, throwing, and receiving drills, as well as improving his overall game management.

He takes a lot of pride in his catching as well, Gonzalez said. So thats huge for a kid who is 17 years old with that much offensive ability. The fact that he values that, that he wants to be a really good catcher, too, thats huge. Because hes going to be special if he does both of those things.
Overhead view of Manayunk Canal as seen from Manayunk Bridge on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Read more

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. And climate change is projected to make the problem worse: Future floods are expected to be bigger and more frequent across the region.

Nearby, property owners in New Jersey and Delaware face some of the highest risks in the nation for flooding over the next few decades, according to First Street Foundation. The nonprofit, focusing on flood risk research, says that is thanks to rising temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans causing hurricanes to reach farther north.

If your house floods, no matter when it happens, you can rest assured youre not the only one dealing with this. Heres what to do about it:

Does my insurance cover flood damage?

Heres the reality: If you have one inch of water in your home, fixing the damage can cost about $25,000, says the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Flood insurance can help. Experts recommend buying flood insurance if you own a home, no matter where you live. More than 20% of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones, FEMA reports, and most homeowners and renters insurance doesnt cover flood damage.

But remember, its not just weather that causes flooding. Plumbing problems and clogged gutters can cause floods, too. But, the good news: Your homeowners insurance will take care of some of this. Most policies cover sudden water damage, like an unexpected broken pipe. The exception: Damage caused by lack of maintenance, like a slow leak thats been trickling for weeks, isnt typically covered.

 READ MORE: How to file an insurance claim for flood damage

How much is flood insurance?

The cost of flood insurance depends on a variety of factors like your homes proximity to a flood zone and how much it would cost to repair your home in the case of a flood, according to FEMA, which operates its own National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Nationally, almost half of NFIP flood insurance policies cost $1,000 or less. FEMA reports roughly another third of policies nationwide cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per year.

Expect to pay up to a couple thousand dollars per year. Flood insurance through NFIP in Pennsylvania can cost $86 per month on average, according to digital insurance agency Policygenius. The same Policygenius analysis reports that Philadelphians spend an average of $968 on flood insurance per year.

Pennsylvania Insurance Department maintains a list of licensed private insurers online.

Am I in a flood zone? Is my house in a flood zone?

Golden rule: The closer your home is to a body of water  like rivers, lakes, and streams  the closer your home is to a flood zone.

Penn State University and FEMA teamed up to create an interactive map of flood zones in Pennsylvania. You can see whether your address falls into a flood zone at pafloodrisk.psu.edu.

High-risk flood zones, which bring about more expensive insurance policies, are also referred to as a 1% Annual Chance Flood Hazard (or a one in 100-year flood hazard) because thats the probability of a flood occurring in that flood zone. Moderate-risk flood zones have a 0.2% Annual Chance Flood Hazard (or a one in 500-year flood hazard).

Using your states interactive flood zone map tool, you can see if your property falls into a flood zone and is at increased risk of flooding.

In Philadelphia, if you live near the coasts of the Delaware or Schuylkill River, you are most likely in a flood zone. The farther away your home is from the rivers on either side of the city and deep South Philadelphia, the less likely you are to live in a flood zone, according to Penn States flood map data.

In addition to taking precautions and avoiding flooded areas during the storm, residents need to stay vigilant and follow emergency alerts after the storm passes, said Joe Grace, spokesperson for Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. Areas along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers may see peak flooding in the days after a storm, leading to potential issues in neighborhoods near the water and possible road closures.

What to do first after a flood

Depending on the source and severity of the flood, you may need to relocate immediately and deal with the damage later. In the case of a natural disaster, try your best to contact local authorities, and seek out temporary shelter if needed. Sign-up for text alerts from the Citys Office of Emergency Management by texting ReadyPhila to 888-777.

When its safe to return indoors, the City of Philadelphias Flood Guide says that your first step is turning off the electricity to the area thats been flooded. If you cant access your circuit breaker without walking through water, call an electrician. Until the electricity is turned off, the water could cause electrical shocks.

If flooding is coming from a water source inside your own home, immediately locate your main water valve and turn it off. It can usually be found near your hot water heater or in a garage or basement.

Document the damage

Pull out your smartphone or camera before diving into cleaning. If you have insurance, photos and videos will help support your claim when you file. Document both damage to the house and its contents. (If renting, call your landlord immediately.)

American Red Cross has some additional details on what to document for an insurance claim, including creating a list of all damaged items.

Safety remains the priority here. Gear up with rubber boots and gloves before going into an area thats been flooded. Floodwaters can carry sewage and other hazardous materials like oil and gasoline, according to FEMA.

Pump out the water

The first step in the cleaning process: Eliminating any remaining standing water by pumping, mopping, and/or opening clogged drains.

When pumping out a flooded basement, do it in stages. You also want to wait until theres no standing water left in the yard around your home. Pumping too early or too fast could cause structural damage to your home.

When you pump water out all at once, pressure from water-saturated soil on the outside of your home may cause your basement walls to collapse. The Red Cross recommends pumping about one-third of the water per day.

Bring furniture like chairs, couches, and bedding outside to dry in the sun. Mattresses should be thrown out, according to The Red Cross.

Disinfecting after a flood

After cleaning up the water, its time to start cleaning everything else. Again, wear protective gear, and open any windows or doors to improve ventilation.

Depending on the situation, floodwater may be contaminated with sewage or other dangerous bacteria. Be prepared to toss a lot, and take breaks when you need them. Its normal for this process to feel overwhelming, both physically and emotionally.

Remove all mud and dirt first as disinfectant wont work until the dirt and grime are gone, according to the CDC.

Throw away food, medicine, and drinks that may have come in contact with floodwater. This includes canned goods, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples, and containers with food or liquid that have been sealed shut. When in doubt, throw it out, says the Red Cross.

Also toss items that absorb water and cant be disinfected, like mattresses, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, and paper products. If youre filing an insurance claim, store everything temporarily outside your home. You want to hang on to damaged items until your claim is processed.

Dispose of all wet ceiling tiles, wet insulation, baseboards, and drywall to a level roughly four feet above the flood water line, says the Citys Flood Guide. You may also need to rip up your carpet. You can try saving it by wet vacuuming and shampooing it, but if it isnt able to dry completely, it needs to go.

Then its time to salvage what remains. Sanitize anything that was touched or may have been splashed by floodwater, including counters, cabinets, work surfaces, utensils, cookware, and toys. The Citys Flood Guide recommends using soap and water first, and then wiping down surfaces with a diluted bleach solution, made from one gallon of clean water mixed with  cup of bleach. Use the bleach to also wipe down wood and metal studs, twice over, before allowing them to air-dry.

Preventing mold after a flood

If a flooded area isnt taken care of properly, it will haunt you long after youre finished cleaning. Mold can harm both your furnishings and your health.

Mildew and mold develop within 24 to 48 hours of water exposure and will continue to grow until the source of moisture is eliminated, says FEMA.

This makes it important to clean and dry the flooded area as soon as possible. Its also one reason why you have to remove porous, slow-to-dry materials, like drywall, ceiling tiles, carpeting, upholstered furniture, rugs, bedding, clothing, curtains, books, and papers.

When finished cleaning, use fans and dehumidifiers to speed drying times.

If mold develops, deal with it immediately. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice for getting rid of it yourself. Depending on the severity, and whether or not youre immunocompromised, you may need to hire a professional mold remediation service. The CDC advises that you also get your heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system checked. If the system was flooded with water or becomes infiltrated with mold, turning it on will spread mold throughout your house, and youll need a professional to clean it.

Grace Dickinson contributed to an earlier version of this report.

 READ MORE: Our best Philly tips: Read our most useful stories
Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) renewed his call for the expulsion of indicted Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) shortly after Menendez defended himself in a Senate floor speech. Read more

WASHINGTON  As a reporter asked Sen. John Fetterman about his renewed call to expel Sen. Bob Menendez, Menendez got off the elevator near Senate chambers and walked by.

Ask him, Why are you still here? Fetterman said to reporters  and to Menendez  as he passed.

The exchange came the same day Menendez defended himself in a speech on the Senate floor after additional corruption charges were filed against him last week and as Congress convenes for its first week this year.

Menendez, in a 20-minute speech Tuesday morning in a mostly empty Senate chamber, argued the government is conspiring against him to sway public opinion and a potential jury pool and implored colleagues to reserve judgment. He said the alleged favorable actions hes accused of making in exchange for bribes amount to the innocuous everyday work of a senator.

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Why did the government not proceed with all of these accusations from the beginning? Menendez said. The answer is clear to me. By filing three indictments  it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press and seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion.

It was the first time the New Jersey Democrat, who has maintained his innocence, has addressed the charges against him on the Senate floor since he was charged. The initial indictment in September alleged Menendez acted as a foreign agent for Egypt in exchange for bribes.

Last week prosecutors filed additional charges accusing Menendez of providing favorable statements for Qatar to help a New Jersey real estate developer as part of an ongoing bribery scheme.

Menendez was forced to step down from his powerful post leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after he was first charged. Prosecutors said the senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, accepted bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car over the last five years from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for a variety of corrupt acts.

Menendez has vehemently defended himself and, on Tuesday, argued advocating for businesses to come to the state fell under his duties as a senator. While he acknowledged hed made positive statements about Qatar and Egypt, he highlighted instances when hed also publicly criticized those countries.

He told reporters he has not decided whether to seek reelection, noting he didnt announce until March the last time he ran.

Fetterman has been Menendezs loudest critic and the lone voice among Senate Democrats advocating for his expulsion. The two men were together for a Democratic luncheon ahead of their hallway collision in which Fetterman compared the situation to the House expulsion of Republican Rep. George Santos, whose ouster followed an indictment for fraud, theft and money laundering charges.

How can we chuck Santos, but keep a sleazeball like him around? Fetterman said of Menendez.

And Fetterman dared Menendez to run for reelection. I dare him to  I think hes probably polling at about four percent. Menendez had support from just 6% of New Jersey likely voters in a recent poll, trailing U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D., N.J.) and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, who have both announced theyll seek the seat.

Asked whether hes pressed Democratic leadership to draft a resolution, Fetterman said Democrats needed to show an interest in such a move. Thats really up to them to just make the votes.

The Pennsylvania Democrat introduced a resolution in November calling for sanctions against Senate members indicted on certain federal charges. The proposal, which has not advanced, would have a direct impact on Menendez.

In his Tuesday speech, Menendez said the case against him set a dangerous precedent.

It opens a dangerous door for the Justice Department to take the normal engagement of members of Congress with a foreign government and to transform those engagements into a charge of being a foreign agent, Menendez said.

Fetterman scoffed at the description. I wish he would come up with an explanation of why you have gold bars in your mattress and gigantic wads of cash hanging around.

Menendez referenced the cash and gold bars in his address and said he would provide at trial a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues.

He declined to tell reporters what that explanation was. Well go through that in trial. I dont think I should litigate my case in the press unlike what the government is doing.
About 1.2 million people live either in Pittsburgh or the middle-class suburbs and small manufacturing towns that surround it in Allegheny County. Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post Read more

In 2022, the Pittsburgh Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization based in its namesake city, doled out almost $800,000 worth of grants for environmental causes. One, for $60,000, went to a smaller nonprofit addressing climate injustice. Another, for the same amount, went to a group addressing environmental exposures that impact public health.

The same year, the foundation spent just over $75,000 on lobbying  and retained one of the top firms in Pennsylvania, a shop called Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, which has long represented a suite of clients with a different set of aims in mind: those from the fossil fuel industry.

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney is one of five powerful lobbying firms across the state named in a recent report by environmental research and advocacy organization F-Minus that found that Pittsburgh  more than any other big U.S. city  is entangled in the most extreme embrace of fossil fuel lobbyists. The five firms identified are retained by oil and gas companies, environmentally minded groups as well as city government  a dual-loyalty situation that threatens to undermine local climate goals and the states progress on its greenhouse gas reduction goals, according to the report.

The reports authors identified Pittsburgh after looking at states with big cities where key functions of the citys public life  government, public schools and philanthropy  all share lobbyists with fossil fuel companies. The southwestern Pennsylvania city, which sits in the heart of shale gas country, beat out cities like New Orleans, which must reckon with Louisianas oil and gas and petrochemical industry, and other Keystone State cities like Philadelphia, which came second in the authors analysis.

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These lobbyists pose a problem for climate-related causes and the environmental groups that employ them, argues report author James Browning, founder of F-Minus. While its theoretically possible that an individual lobbyist might be able to compartmentalize work between clients, he believes its unavoidable that one with deeper pockets wouldnt hold more sway.

Fossil fuel companies have far more money and clout and gravity and so the magnets are always going to move in their direction, he said.

While representing the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Riverlife and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, for instance, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has also represented natural gas producer EQT, pipeline company Kinder Morgan and Koch Industries, the report notes.

Koch has been tied to an effort to fight a state carbon trading program. Meanwhile, Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney is a member of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a natural gas industry trade group that has sought to discredit research on the health effects of fracking and advocated against health and safety setbacks, protective buffers between fracking wells and homes, schools and hospitals.

Its conceivable that these clients could lobby on opposite sides of the same bill. So, which client would get more attention from the firm? Likely the one with more money on the table, Browning believes.

That environmental groups have to retain fossil-fuel lobbyists at all points to a deeper problem in state politics, F-Minus argues. Multiclient lobbyists are often described as gatekeepers to state officials, the site says. That leaves even small players that lack hefty lobbying budgets without much choice but to buy in.

Its a tragedy of our system; its a stuck place to be, says Michael Pollack, executive director of March on Harrisburg, a nonprofit anticorruption advocacy group. The city of Pittsburgh should be able to talk directly to the state government without the need to go through a room full of ex-legislators and staffers who are armed with gifts, campaign contributions, side job offers, [and] access to deep dark money pockets.

Among other firms that represent conflicting interests on climate is Malady & Wooten, which boasts its time-tested relationships and unparalleled access to the decision makers. The firm has represented the city of Pittsburgh  a city with an ambitious climate plan and a successful play to divest its pensions from fossil fuels  since 2017. It has also represented ExxonMobil  owner of XTO, an active natural gas player in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale  since 2010; Sunoco between 2018 and 2019; and gas plant operator Invenergy since 2019.

Long Nyquist & Associates, which represents the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia zoos, also represents Shell, owner of a heavily polluting petrochemical facility in southwestern Pennsylvania and the most heavily subsidized project in the state. Allegheny Strategy Partners, which represents medical institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, also represents coal major CONSOL. And One+ Strategies, which recently hired a former staffer of Gov. Josh Shapiro, has represented Kinder Morgan, pipeline operator with 865 miles running through Pennsylvania, and EQT, a Pittsburgh-based fracking giant. It also represents the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, an advocate for clean water and healthy forests and wildlife.

Browning has seen firsthand how well-meaning campaigns can end up in such a stuck place. Around two decades ago, he, too, was lobbying a state government: Working as an antitobacco lobbyist, he was urging legislators in Maryland to enact a ban on indoor smoking in restaurants. It was in this role that he encountered a colleague lobbying on the same issue, whod also been retained to lobby on behalf of automakers at the same time. Browning was struck by the irony of someone pushing for indoor pollution mitigation while representing a major source of outdoor air pollution.

Apply that same critique to climate and youll come up with hundreds of examples of lobbyists playing both sides of the climate crisis, he said.

Though F-Minus is less than a year old, the report is the product of Brownings personal decades-long endeavor to track fossil fuel lobbyists and the array of other interests and industries they represent.

The final product  a searchable registry of state fossil fuel lobbyists and all of their unrelated clients  took years to create because states lobbying disclosure requirements differ so greatly and are often opaque and abstruse, requiring expert knowledge or acute patience to navigate. Pennsylvania, for its part, requires lobbyists to disclose their clients and expenditures, but does not require them to disclose with whom theyre meeting and on what bills. Rather, it asks for a subject, which can be broad  Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, for instance, listed infrastructure as a topic area on its third-quarter 2023 registration. Despite its Rolodex of fossil fuel clients, the firm made no reference to energy on this form.

Good, detailed transparency is not there, Pollack said. We dont really know what [these firms are] doing on behalf of [their] principals.

A registry like that of F-minus can offer environmental groups the information they need to make decisions about where to put their money  and provide activists with a tool to hold these groups accountable.

March on Harrisburg has pushed for policy reforms that, broadly, take the money out of politics, like gift bans and campaign contribution limits. Browning sees his research as serving a different divestment call  urging environmental groups and public institutions to stop funding fossil fuel lobbyists.

Its a call to action, he says. Cut ties with lobbyists who represent fossil fuel companies.
One of the regions wettest winter periods on record has added a significant chapter to an already disruptive legacy, with widespread flooding and downpours driven by tree-downing winds more appropriate to a tropical storm  and, evidently, it wont be over even when its over.

After hours of certifiable nastiness, the worst of the winds and rains were expected between 9 p.m. Tuesday night and midnight, said Alex Staarmann, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.

The rains were expected to shut off before the calendar flips to Jan. 10, he said, but flooding is forecast to persist Wednesday along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and on the usual-suspect streams such as the Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County, and the Brandywine Creek, in Chester County. Another rainstorm is expected Friday into Saturday. But, hey, something resembling actual winter is due to return next week.

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This latest storm had a decidedly un-wintry feel as potent winds from the southeast drove temperatures deep into the 50s Tuesday night, along with sheets of rain. The wind and rain took down trees and closed roads, canceled Amtrak trains, swelled streams, and knocked out power to at least 150,000 utility customers in the region.

Numerous schools in the region announced late openings for Wednesday.

A gust of 59 mph was recorded in New Castle County, Delaware, and surges of heavy rain moved the National Weather Service to issue a blanket flood warning, in effect until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, for Phillys Pennsylvania neighboring counties and northern Delaware, as up to three inches of additional rain was expected atop what had already fallen.

Several overburdened streams sloshed over their banks, and major flooding was forecast along Chester Creek, in Delaware County, and the Brandywine at Downingtown.

The storm contributed to the partial collapse of a roof at the Royal Inn motel in Bellmawr, Camden County, said Daniel DiRenzo, Bellmawr fire chief/Office of Emergency Management coordinator. No injuries were reported.

The wind and rain associated with a massive storm affecting virtually the entire East Coast were to wind down during the early-morning hours, but the weather service warned that gusts could reach 55 mph in the immediate Philly region and maybe as high as 70 along the Jersey coast.

 READ MORE: Philly is one of top cities most at risk of extreme rains

New Jersey declared a state of emergency, and counties activated emergency plans. Lt. Andrew Napoli of the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit said officers would be deployed to flood-prone areas such as West Philadelphia along Cobbs Creek; Manayunk along the Schuylkill; and Columbus Boulevard by the Delaware River.

The weather service posted a buffet of advisories and warnings, including a flood watch for the entire region in effect through Wednesday afternoon, a coastal flood warning for areas along the lower Delaware River, a wind advisory for inland areas, and a high-wind warning Tuesday night into Wednesday for the Jersey Shore counties.

Said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly: Its a bad situation.

The flooding outlook

As predicted, the rain and wind increased during the night Tuesday, and the fact that they were blowing from the southeast could exacerbate flooding problems in the region, the weather service said.

The winds will push Delaware Bay waters northward, increasing the tidal threat on the lower Delaware.

Plus, they would enhance rainfall on the mountain areas to the north. Winds blowing upslope give air an extra lift, thus increasing rain potential. Some of that water, along with snow melt, is likely to find its way into the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers and have downstream effects Wednesday.

Its a lot of water thats going to be coming down the river, said Martin.

Moderate flooding was forecast along the Delaware at Washington Avenue for late Tuesday night, which could lead to more road closures, the weather service said, with minor flooding expected both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

Along the Delaware at Burlington, moderate flooding was likely during the early morning and early afternoon Wednesday, with minor flooding Thursday afternoon.

The Schuylkill was forecast to crest just below the moderate level at 30th Street about noon Wednesday, and reach the moderate threshold at Norristown during the afternoon. A flood warning was in effect for the Schuylkill at Norristown from early Wednesday until early Thursday.

Power outages

With the saturated ground, the strong winds have brought down some trees and knocked out service to electric-utility customers. In addition, the winds are due to shift to the southwest early Wednesday, and that wind shift cant be a good thing on vulnerable limbs, said Paul Dorian, a Valley Forge-based meteorologist with Arcfield, a commercial weather company.

Spokespeople for Peco and Atlantic City Electric cautioned that outage-causing winds also can impede restorations. They said crews cant use their bucket trucks if winds reach 30 mph.

Of some concern was the possibility that even stronger winds will be crossing the region about 5,000 feet up, said Dave Dombek, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. A thunderstormwasnt out of the question, and that could transport some of those more-potent winds to the surface, he added, in which case, youre looking at damage.

About the wetness

Philly is coming off its third-wettest December on record.

But almost as forgotten as the Eagles winning streak was a bone-dry October that lapped into November. On Nov. 21, the interagency U.S. Drought Monitor had the entire region under its abnormally dry category, with most of Chester County and half of Delaware County in moderate drought. The dry spell ended abruptly that day, and two daily rainfall records fell the next month.

Yet, for 2023, total precipitation finished closed to normal for the year, despite the 7.92 inches in December.

Even more precipitation fell in December 2009  a month that included two feet of snow  and in 1996, which was snowless.

 READ MORE: The rains keep coming; the snow doesn't

In those years, the rains backed off in January. This time around, they show no signs of doing so.

In fact, another rainstorm is due Friday into Saturday, with perhaps another flooding threat. The rain will be accompanied by a warm surge, with temperatures soaring into the 50s, said Dombek, but thats the caboose for the really mild air for awhile.

He said a cooldown will come in pulses, and after that, its like, Katie, bolt the door.

Stay tuned.

Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.
Its important right now that insurers do the right thing by Queenslanders and all Australians who are going through these disasters, he said. Overall, I have to say I think insurers have improved their performance and their responsiveness to consumers in recent years, but the last thing that people want to see happen right now is to be duded by an insurance company through finding some kind of a loophole.
Airlines are scrambling to launch direct services between Southeast Asian tourist hubs and China, the world's largest tourism market before Covid broke out.

Cambodia Airways on Saturday began flights between Phnom Penh and Chongqing, Chinas most populous city with a population of over 31 million, the Khmer Times reported.

The twice weekly service is on Mondays and Saturdays.

The carrier also flies to Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Macau, Sanya, Jinan, Jieyang, and Haikou.

Cambodia attracted 498,250 Chinese visitors in the first 11 months of last year, or 10% of all foreign arrivals.

Singapore-based Jetstar Asia recently launched a direct service to Wuxi City on two days a week.

It said on its website that the frequency would be doubled from Jan. 15.

Singapore received 1.23 million Chinese tourists in the first 11 months of last year.

Malaysian budget airline Thai AirAsia plans to launch flights, five a week, between Bangkok and Shanghai starting on Feb. 2.

Vietnamese budget carrier Thai Vietjet plans to start direct flights from Bangkok to Beijing on March 1. It already flies to Shenzhen and Hangzhou, Nation Thailand reported.

Thailand expected to get five million Chinese visitors last year but only managed 3.51 million out of a total of 28 million arrivals.

This year it is eyeing eight million Chinese visitors after the two countries agreed to waive visas for each other's citizens starting in March.
If you have received a suspicious email from ASIC, you can notify us by [sending] us an online inquiry with details and/or an attachment of the suspicious email [or deleting] the suspicious email, it said. Our team will review your online inquiry and will reach out to you if we need further information. Alternatively, you can call ASIC's Customer Contact Centre on 1300 300 630 for verification if you are unsure whether you have received the email from ASIC.
Many of the products and solutions my team has developed over the past decade have become industry standards today, and I am constantly ideating new products and strategies to stay relevant in this industry, he said. But it is not just because of the products and services that I have created that I have had influence, but also through mentorship and speaking engagements.
[USAA] claims to respect and honor the men and women in our nations military and their families who support them. But as shown by its pricing of automobile insurance policies and its deceptive business practices, USAA respects and honors current and former military officers more than it does current and former enlisted personnel, the initial complaint stated.
Tapped to lead the unit are Clare Swirski and Drew Dutton, with the latter relocating to the UK from Debevoises New York office to join his co-head. Dutton came on board the firm in 1999 in the US before he became a partner in the Paris office in 2007. Prior to returning to New York, Dutton led the Asia-Pacific insurance practice while based in Hong Kong.
A Yale professor has filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit against a prominent Harlem church after it did not hire her for its senior pastor job.

The suit brought by Eboni Marshall Turman accuses Abyssinian Baptist Church and the search committee chair of treating her unfairly because she is a woman.

The church and the chair dispute these allegations and called the search process fair and rigorous. The church spokesperson said in a statement that Marshall Turman had an impressive background but fell short of some key unspecified requirements.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages from the defendants as well as an injunction forbidding any hiring-related gender discrimination.

Due to varied beliefs on whether women can have authority over men, the Black church broadly has been a minefield for women aspiring to pastoral leadership. Beyond that, the question of who gets to preach from the pulpit has caused deep rifts in denominations and congregations all across Christian America. Over its 215-year history, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City has earned a reputation as the flagship of the Black church in America.

Based in Harlem, it became a famous megachurch with the political rise of the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. perhaps the most influential of the many men who have led the congregation. Powell, pastor from 1937 to 1972, served in Congress for 26 years.

Among the countless believers making Abyssinian their spiritual home was Eboni Marshall Turman, who came to believe she could become the first woman to be the churchs senior pastor. She rose through the ranks and in 2007 became the youngest pastor ordained in Abyssinians history.

Dozens Applied

After longtime senior pastor Calvin O. Butts III died in 2022, Marshall Turman  by then a professor at Yale Divinity School  was among dozens of people who applied to fill the vacancy.

She was full of optimism that she would be chosen. Instead, she wasnt even a finalist, and is so convinced that sexism was the key factor that she has now filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Abyssinian and its search committee of gender discrimination.

Along with the church, the lawsuit  filed Dec. 29  specifically names the search committee chair, Valerie S. Grant, accusing her of behaving inappropriately by asking Marshall Turman questions and pressing issues not broached with her male counterparts.

Gender discrimination motivated the decision not to hire (Marshall Turman), a fact discussed openly during meetings of the Committee, including by Grant and another Committee member, who said that Abyssinian would only hire a woman as its Senior Pastor over my dead body,' the complaint states.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages from the defendants for lost wages, lost benefits, other economic damages, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and mental distress, as well as an injunction forbidding any hiring-related gender discrimination.

Church Response

The Harlem church and Grant, who also is a board member of Morehouse College in Atlanta, disputed the lawsuits discrimination accusations.

While she and others were considered for the role because of their impressive backgrounds, she ultimately fell short of some key requirements for the role, where other finalist candidates prevailed and moved forward in the process, said Abyssinian spokesperson LaToya Evans. In her statement, she said the church is prepared to defend itself against the allegations.

While she and others were considered for the role because of their impressive backgrounds, she ultimately fell short of some key requirements for the role, where other finalist candidates prevailed and moved forward in the process, said Abyssinian spokesperson LaToya Evans. In her statement, she said the church is prepared to defend itself against the allegations.

Grant, who described the search process as rigorous, said Marshall Turman was one of 11 people who advanced from a 47-applicant field. While some committee members may have felt she was the strongest candidate, she did not receive enough votes to advance to the next round, Grant said.

Due to varied beliefs on whether women can have authority over men, the Black church broadly has been a minefield for women aspiring to pastoral leadership. Beyond that, the question of who gets to preach from the pulpit has caused deep rifts in denominations and congregations all across Christian America.

Marshall Turman, who did not respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment, researches gender politics in Black churches and related issues. It also is the focus of her forthcoming book.

I further interrogate theological erasure and violence against Black women in Black churches, she said about Black Womens Burden: Male Power, Gender Violence, and the Scandal of African American Social Christianity in a September post on Facebook.

Currently, life is tracking my theory.

Male Finalists

The remaining Abyssinian finalists are men. The lawsuit gives reasons why Marshall Turman believed she stood a real chance of filling Abyssinians top job, including being told by committee members that she was the obvious pick and being held in high esteem by Calvin Butts, her ministry mentor.

Grant said the process was designed to be fair to everyone.

I have an issue with people characterizing this process as discriminatory and designed to deny opportunities to women, she said. Its simply not the case.

The process was the same for every candidate, she said, adding that her job was to tell the committee to set their biases aside. Some wanted an older person, or a younger one; some wanted the candidate to be married and others wanted them to have existing connections to Abyssinian, she said.

She took issue with the lawsuits accusations against her own interviewing of Marshall Turman. Grant explained that every candidate was asked a series of common questions, and additional ones tailored to each person were asked as well. Grant said Marshall Turman was asked certain questions that other candidates did not get because she was the only woman candidate.

When Butts died in October 2022, after a bout with cancer, Marshall Turman felt that God had called her to the moment.

She wrote an application to Abyssinians senior pastorate that reflected her credentials, including a Master of Divinity and doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and experience on the Abyssinian staff as a minister for Christian education.

Butts called her the best assistant he had ever had, and the smartest, too, according to the lawsuit.

Invited to Apply

Marshall Turman was among those invited to apply.

But after not making it to the final round, she alleged in a Facebook post on Sept. 23, 2023, that the hiring process was tainted by secrecy and gender bias. She contended that Abyssinian deacons had worked alongside an energized group of Morehouse supporters and committee leadership to systematically eliminate all female applicants from the pool of candidates.

I write only to underscore that gender bias has no place in Gods house, Marshall Turman continued in her post. Moreover, gender bias is illegal in the City of New York in 2023 no matter the prior legacy of the organization involved.

Among the remaining contenders for the open senior pastor job are the Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson, formerly of the historic Bright Hope Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, and Derrick Harkins, who was recently working for Marcia Fudge at the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development.

For years, as detailed in the book, Witness: Two Hundred Years of African American Faith and Practice at the Abyssinian Baptist Church of Harlem, New York, womens treatment in the church has been an unsettled issue among its members.

In her book, Toward a Womanist Ethic of Incarnation: Black Bodies, the Black Church and the Council of Chalcedon, Marshall Turman critiqued the Morehouse social gospel tradition, even interviewing Butts.

In terms of Black woman as pastoral leaders, Butts told Turman that at Morehouse the thought of women as pastoral leaders had never crossed his mind. It was not an issue at Morehouse, said Butts, in an excerpt from the book. I just never even thought about it.

She described finding herself in a world where Black women arent listened to, but also one in which their labor is essential to Black survival.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits New York Church
PartnerRe Ltd. announced that effective April 1, 2024, Jacques Bonneau will retire from the company and Philippe Meyenhofer will succeed him as chief executive officer and take his place on the Board of Directors.

As part of the transition, Jon Colello, CEO, P&C Americas, assumes the added role of president of PartnerRe Ltd., with executive responsibility for all non-life underwriting, reporting to Meyenhofer. During the interim period, Bonneau will delegate most of his duties to Meyenhofer and Colello to ensure a smooth transition.

Meyenhofer joined PartnerRe in 2010 and has held positions of increasing leadership since that time, most recently as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and CEO, Specialty Lines. He was appointed to head of Specialty Casualty PartnerRe Global in 2013, to head of Europe P&C in 2016, and gained the additional responsibility of deputy CEO P&C in 2018. In 2020, he was named CEO of PartnerRes Specialty Lines. Meyenhofer will continue to be based in the companys Zurich office.

Colello is a member of PartnerRes Executive Leadership Team. Since joining PartnerRe in 2019, he has had executive responsibility for leading PartnerRes Property & Casualty business in the US, Canada and Latin America, as well as for the companys Health business in the US. He will continue to be based in Stamford, Conn.

Effective immediately, Christian Mitterer assumes the role of CEO of Specialty Lines, while Ingrid Gjonaj joins the Executive Leadership Team as CEO, P&C EMEA. Mitterer is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and has served in various senior roles since joining PartnerRe in 2012, most recently as CEO P&C EMEA. Gjonaj started with PartnerRe in 2006, and during this time, she has held senior positions in legal, and underwriting in Specialty Casualty, P&C and currently serves as head of region, Western and Southern Europe.

The fact that we are in the position to appoint PartnerRes next CEO and president from within the company speaks to the strength and depth of talent in the organization, commented Thierry Derez, chairman of PartnerRes Board of Directors. Together, Philippe and Jon bring a wealth of industry experience, proven business and leadership skills, and strong track record in underwriting combined with a deep knowledge of PartnerRe clients, brokers and employees.

Derez thanked Bonneau for his stewardship as CEO and president over the past three and a half years.

Under his leadership, the companys business, strategic positioning, financial results, and operational excellence have been strengthened in important ways. Jacques also led the successful transition to Covea ownership. Jacques has been a very dedicated and strong leader, and we wish him all the best in his retirement, Derez added.

I am proud of what we have achieved and the progress weve made in our various business and support units and operations with the improvement in our executional performance and delivery for our numerous stakeholders, Bonneau commented. I am confident PartnerRe is well positioned for future success and Philippe, Jon and the Executive Leadership Team provide continuity with their in-depth knowledge and insight of PartnerRes people and business.

Source: PartnerRe
In early 2021, former executives with the Auto Club Insurance Co. of Florida, affiliated with AAA, decided to form a new property insurance company in Florida  even before state lawmakers made monumental changes that curbed claims litigation and costs. Since then, Tampa-based Loggerhead Reciprocal Interinsurance Exchange has grown to more than 20,000 policies in force, through new business and assumption of policies from the state-created Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and from Bankers Insurance Co., which ceased writing homeowner policies in Florida in 2022.

In the next few months, Loggerhead is poised to jump into the ranks of the top 10 carriers in Florida after it assumes more than 100,000 HO and DP policies from Progressive, which announced in September 2023 it was nonrenewing many of its residential policies in the state.

Insurance Journal spoke with Loggerhead co-founder and CEO, Jim Santo, about how Loggerhead came to assume the large book of business from Progressive and how it has benefited from a calmer, less-litigious Florida market. The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

IJ: Tell us about the Progressive deal and what it means for policyholders and agents.

The deal was announced in late September. Progressive is non-renewing 115,000 customers. And really, how many we end up with depends on two things: 1.) How many agencies want to participate in the replacement policy offering and 2.) How many customers convert or take up.

So, not all agencies have opted in at this point. And we have yet to see how many customers opt in once they get their offers. Our plans are to make offers on all the policies, for agencies that opt in. Were not going to make an offer if the agency doesnt opt in, because we wont have a contract with them.

Theres one exception to that: High-value homes. Im talking $3 million-plus, coverage A. Thats maybe 40 to 50 policies out of 115,000. So, essentially, were making replacement policy offerings to all of them.

IJ: Youre talking about Progressive-appointed agencies?

Yes. I would say that for 200 to 300 of the agencies, we already have a relationship with them. The others have to make a decision on whether they want to sign an agreement with us. And I expect most, if not all, of them to do that. Loggerhead had done a similar agreement with Bankers Insurance. So were nine months into a 12-month process of providing replacement policy offerings to Bankers customers.

Bankers in early 2022 announced that they were exiting the Florida personal lines market, and that was 20,000 offers. We only had one agency opt out of that. So its going to be really small, the opt-outs. But we do expect a couple of agencies to opt out.

IJ: On those Banker policies, can you say how many offers were accepted by policyholders?

Were currently converting about 60%. Again, we made offers to 100%.

With Progressive, we expect the take-up rate to be much higher. We feel Progressive has appropriate premiums. So, customers are not going to see increases like they did with the Bankers one, so we should see a higher take-up rate.

From my seat, I would have liked it to have been higher with Bankers, but I understand how things shake out. And Bankers had done a lot of re-underwriting. So if there is a segment of the market that there is capacity for, its good quality business with a newer roof on it. And thats what that book was. So there were some options for those folks.

IJ: On the Progressive policies, can you say what the average premium increase might be? Loggerheads rate stabilization plan indicates rates will remain roughly the same for at least three years.

Were going to price match. As long as youre plus or minus 40% to our premium, were going to match the expiring premiums. So most people will be pretty close to what theyre paying.

IJ: Do you expect the premium to increase next year?

In total, we think they (Progressive premiums) are price-adequate. Now, policy by policy, some will come up, some will come down. Basically, the way our rate stabilization works is over three years, you navigate to our premiums. By year three, youre no longer compared back to your Progressive premium. Its the Loggerhead premium, the rates that we file with the state. Its a trend over time to smooth people up or down to where they should be.

IJ: Can you say how this deal with Progressive came about? A couple of years ago, Slide Insurance and Florida regulators created some controversy when Slide was allowed to take thousands of St. Johns Insurance and United Property & Casualty Insurance policies.

We have a really good working relationship with the Progressive team, the former American Strategic team, which is right across the bridge from us in St. Pete. (Progressive Corp. owns the parent company of ASI, American Strategic Insurance Corp.) We were fully aware of how the Progressive home office would talk about Florida and the need to rebalance. And thats the key word that they used in all of their communications with media  a rebalancing. And they wanted to partner with a company that they knew would handle it the right way. And they were familiar with us.

Most of us are former colleagues at AAA. Customer service is a hallmark of our company. So they knew we would treat the agents the right way and the customers the right way. So we got to talking to them, and knew there was going to be a need for nonrenewals. This started a while ago. It got hung up in a (hurricane) moratorium where you couldnt non-renew policies. Then they were getting a rate increase. Then finally the decks cleared so that they could move forward with their rebalancing efforts and we were able to step in and provide this capacity to the policyholders and agencies out there.

IJ: Have you heard any complaints from other carriers who may have wanted to take on these Progressive policies?

No complaints. I think there are a few who wish theyd been able to partner. Theyve approached some of the agencies to try and get them to convert, but our process is as seamless as it can be. If you think about a customer, they have to go out and find replacement coverage: They have to call their agent or call companies directly and provide all of their policyholder data and property data. We already have that because we had a data transfer. So were able to provide them a firm offer price and they can just go in and pay. Were already underwritten them, so they qualify. So theyre not going to go through 15 minutes on the phone and find out theyre not eligible. And were not requiring them to go out and get new inspections, so theyre saving money on that. Most companies would require new inspection reports.

At 120 days out (near the end of January), Progressive sends their nonrenewal and that will explain about Loggerhead and that we will be making an offer of coverage. Then 90 days out, they will get our offer of coverage, showing them the policy information and the price. They go into our customer portal or website, register their account and review their policy.

IJ: Did the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation have to approve?

We worked jointly with Progressive and OIR. Progressive worked closely with them, given the sensitivity to what they were doing. Theres no formal approval or consent order. It was all just discussions and meetings with OIR.

IJ: Why are these policies more attractive to you guys than they were to Progressive? I mean, how is it projected to be profitable for Loggerhead, but not Progressive, to hold on to these policies?

Florida represents 6.5% of all single-family dwellings in the U.S. but more than 17% of all homes insured by Progressive Home are in Florida, thus the rebalancing. It should not be thought of as non-renewing bad business or unprofitable business. As it relates to DP-3, they are exiting this product and decided to insure only owner-occupied homes.

IJ: Socotra, an insurtech firm, put out a news release about this. What does Socotra do for Loggerhead?

Socotra is our billing and policy management platform. We partnered with them in summer 2022. With them, our team, and Ernst & Young consultants, we stood up our HO-3 product and that put us in a position to do the Bankers policy offers and enabled us to do a small Citizens takeout. And in May of 2023 we began selling new business through independent agencies. The Progressive deal is for the HO-3, single-family residential policies, and DP-3, the rental dwelling policies. So were partnering with Socotra to build out the DP-3. And since the Sept. 29 announcement, were going to have that built, to start sending offers out in February. Theyve been a good partner for us.

IJ: I know reciprocals seem to be popular these days. Have you had any push-back on that? Do agents or policyholders question that approach?

No. Agents are really quite familiar with that model now. A lot of that groundwork was done ahead of us. We were prepared to have informational pieces and FAQs, but we really didnt need to do that. Agents are handling it, and our customer service team is equipped to walk through with customers on what the attorney-in-fact does and why they sign a subscriber agreement.

IJ: Why go the reciprocal route instead of more-customary carrier business models?

The technical, industry answer is that it truly is a more efficient capital play for an investor. The other pitch is that there are no shareholders. The policyholders own the company. There are no dividends to shareholders. The results of the company will dictate the premiums that people pay.

IJ: How many policies in force does Loggerhead have now?

Between the assumed Bankers, Citizens and all the converted policies, at years end we were at 21,000 policies.

IJ: So if you get, say, 100,000 in Progressive policies, that will really put you up there in size for Florida carriers.

Yes. Its a big deal.

IJ: Can you talk about your capital investment, where your funding comes from?

Sure. We have a $30 million surplus note that launched the company. Our sole and lead investor is Francis Chou, an asset manager. He owns Chou Associates and runs about five mutual funds. He has an insurance background and owns a workers comp insurance company called Stonetrust Commercial, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Going forward, hell be able to provide us additional funds in the form of a surplus note. And were also going to utilize quota-share reinsurance to support the Progressive book of business.

IJ: How are things in Florida after the legislative reforms in the last few years?

We benefited from the reforms because everything we have is after that. Given our backgrounds, we operated in the environment of assignments of benefits and attorney representation and litigation. We feel like we had some operational advantages in avoiding some of that but you cant avoid it all. We were prepared to enter the market with or without the reforms, but obviously with those, things have gone well.

The frustration for folks is that premiums have continued to rise (after the reforms were enacted). When the reforms were made, most companies were rate-inadequate or underpriced, so they still needed to catch up. They just didnt need to catch up as much, after the reforms. Nobody likes to hear that message, though: Well, your premiums didnt increase as much as they would have. So thats the frustration from the Legislature and those who say, My premiums still went up. So, you have to balance that. But if everyone had been priced where they needed to be, then I think, yeah, there would have been rate decreases. Reinsurance costs continued to increase and that had nothing to do with the reforms.

This year, the Jan. 1 (reinsurance renewal) news was that things have stabilized. So, hopefully on June 1, when all the Florida companies go out and get their reinsurance, there wont be further rate increases. I dont think the Legislatures going to do anything on that, but if theres any one thing they could do, it would be to provide additional capacity through the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, particularly at lower retention levels. That would be a true premium savings that could be passed on to customers.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the status of Bankers Insurance Co. Bankers withdrew from the Florida homeowners insurance market in 2022 but maintains its licenses in 49 states and continues as a commercial specialty carrier in the Southeast.

Topics Florida
New Mexico marijuana regulators revoked the licenses of two growing operations in a rural county for numerous violations and have levied a $1 million fine against each business.

One of the businesses, Native American Agricultural Development Co., is connected to a Navajo businessman whose cannabis farming operations in northwestern New Mexico were raided by federal authorities in 2020. The Navajo Department of Justice also sued Dineh Benally, leading to a court order halting those operations.

A group of Chinese immigrant workers sued Benally and his associates, and claimed they were lured to northern New Mexico and forced to work long hours illegally trimming marijuana on the Navajo Nation, where growing the plant is illegal.

In the notice made public by New Mexicos Cannabis Control Division, Native American Agricultural Development was accused of exceeding the state`s plant count limits, of not tracking and tracing its inventory, and for creating unsafe conditions.

An email message seeking comment on the allegations was not immediately returned by Benally. David Jordan, an attorney who represented him in the earlier case, did not return a phone message Tuesday.

The other business to have its license revoked was Bliss Farm, also located in rural Torrance County within miles of Benally`s operation. State officials said the two businesses, east of Albuquerque, are not connected in any way.

The state ordered both to immediately stop all commercial cannabis activity.

The illicit activity conducted at both of these farms undermines the good work that many cannabis businesses are doing across the state, Clay Bailey, acting superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, said in a statement. The excessive amount of illegal cannabis plants and other serious violations demonstrates a blatant disregard for public health and safety, and for the law.

State regulators cited Bliss Farm for 17 violations. Regulators said evidence of a recent harvest without records entered into the state`s track and trace system led the division to conclude that plants were transferred or sold illicitly.

Adam Oakey, an Albuquerque attorney representing the group of investors that own the operation, told The Associated Press in an interview that the company had hoped the state would have first worked with it to address some of the issues before revoking the license.

We did our best to get into compliance but we fell below the bar, he said, adding that he`s afraid the state`s action might discourage others in the industry from coming to New Mexico.

The company already has invested tens of millions of dollars into the operation and will likely have to go to court to reopen the farm, Oakey said.

As for Native American Agricultural Development, regulators said there were about 20,000 mature plants on site, four times more than the number allowed under its license. Inspectors also found another 20,000 immature plants.

The other violations included improper security measures, no chain of custody procedures, and ill-maintained grounds with trash and pests throughout. Compliance officers also saw evidence of a recent harvest but no plants had been entered into the state`s track-and-trace system.

The violations were first reported last fall by Searchlight New Mexico, an independent news organization. At the time, Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch told the nonprofit group that the tribe and the Shiprock area still deserved justice for the harm done previously by the grow operation that had been set up in northwestern New Mexico years earlier.

Federal prosecutors will not comment, but the New Mexico Attorney General`s Office confirmed Tuesday that in general it continues to investigate, with our federal partners, potential criminal activity within the New Mexico cannabis industry.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cannabis Mexico New Mexico
News Release - Vancouver, British Columbia - January 9, 2024 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Breaking Rare earth metals news - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals" or the "Company") (TSX-V:DEFN / OTCQB:DFMTF/ 35D: FSE) is pleased to announce the Q4-2023 execution of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) ("Ucore") to explore collaborative opportunities as both companies move towards their respective commercialization efforts for a North American rare earth element ("REE") supply chain. As one of the first projects under this MOU, Defense Metals will ship a mixed rare earth carbonate sample from its Wicheeda REE project to Ucore's Kingston, Ontario, RapidSX Commercialization and Demonstration Facility ("CDF").

SGS Canada Inc. in Lakefield, Ontario, will ship the sample to Ucore's CDF on behalf of Defense Metals. This sample was generated during 2023 hydrometallurgical piloting test work performed on concentrate produced by earlier flotation pilot plant testing of a 26-tonne bulk sample from Defense Metal's wholly-owned Wicheeda REE project in British Columbia.

Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, commented:

"We expect to ship a mixed rare earth carbonate sample in the next few weeks to Ucore's demonstration plant for testing. The Wicheeda project is being developed as a viable source of REE from North America and as more processing and separation facilities become operational in the future, the demand for REE feedstock will be increasingly important. This MOU with Ucore is a further step in that direction to be part of the Western world's REE supply chain."

Pat Ryan, P.Eng., Chairman and CEO of Ucore, stated:

"The opportunity to align closer with Defense Metals is strategically important. The MOU lays out the framework wherein Defense Metals' technically strong and readily accessible North American REE resource can be further processed and refined using Ucore's Canadian-founded technology, RapidSX. Receiving the sample mixed rare earth carbonate at our Kingston CDF will start the process of determining what may be possible between the companies as we collectively look to fuel the 21st-century energy transition."

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Project has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (B.C.), Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, and a consultant to the Company, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101.

About the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project

Defense Metals' 100% owned, 8,301-hectare (~20,534-acre) Wicheeda REE Project is located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia; population 77,000. Wicheeda is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is near infrastructure, including hydro power transmission lines and gas pipelines. The nearby Canadian National Railway and major highways allow easy access to the port facilities at Prince Rupert, the closest major North American port to Asia.

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 Deposit located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "DEFN", in the United States, trading symbol "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 "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to advancing the Wicheeda REE Project, the expected shipment of the sample to Ucore and the expected timeline, the potential collaboration with Ucore, 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, accuracy of assay results, performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, interpretation of geological, engineering and metallurgical data, 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, engineering and metallurgical results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration, metallurgy 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 and other viruses and diseases on the business of the Company, 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 forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

All information in this news release concerning Ucore has been provided for inclusion herein by Ucore. Although the Company has no knowledge that would indicate that any information contained herein concerning Ucore is untrue or incomplete, the Company assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any such information.

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Continued strong demand for housing has seen the price of a three-bed semi-detached home in Cork city rise by 4% in the past year, now costing an average of 370,000 as supply struggles to keep pace.

Up from 355,000 in December 2022, a new survey conducted by Real Estate Alliance found that prices across both Cork city and county are expected to rise by a further 4% in the next twelve months as housing demand continues to outstrip supply.

Across Cork County, the average price of a three-bed semi-detached home increased by 2% in 2023, totalling 222,500 in December, up from 217,500 in the same period one year ago.

"Demand for property for both new and second-hand homes in the West Cork area continues to be good, with continuing overseas interest in the latter part of the year, said Michael ODonoghue of REA ODonoghue & Clarke, Bantry.

First-time buyers accounted for just 15% of purchases in both city and county, with one-fifth of sales being attributed to landlords selling. The average time taken to sell in the county in the three months ending in December was five weeks, the survey showed.

Mr O'Donoghue also noted that while the level of bidding slowed somewhat, there remains a "steady demand in relation to all property types which should continue into 2024 throughout the county.

Overall demand continues to be good, with a mixture of both cash purchasers and mortgage approved clients."

The REA Average House Price Index concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland's typical stock home, the three-bed semi-detached, which the estate agents says gives "an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide."

Nationally, estate agents are predicting three-bed semi prices to rise by 3% in 2024.

REA has also said that a record shortage of supply has driven a 1.5% rise in the last three months in the capital, but only in houses under a certain price, meaning that the average three-bed semi in the capital is now selling at 511,667.
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Active leadership and ownership of the Libyan people is clearly required to achieve an inclusive political process, said Ambassador John Kelley.
Southern Ireland is the EU's land of milk while Castilla y Leon in Spain is its breadbasket.

For statistical purposes, the European Union is divided into 242 regions, and Eurostat has announced that the Southern Ireland region produced the highest value of milk of all 242 regions in 2021, the most recent year for which these figures are available.

The Southern Ireland region of the EU comprises counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford. According to Eurostat, these counties produced 2.4bn worth of milk in 2021. Southern Ireland topped Bretagne in France (2bn), and Lombardia in Italy (1.8bn). Five other regions generated milk to a value of at least 1bn. They were Pays-de-la-Loire and Basse-Normandie in France, Weser-Ems and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany, and Galicia in Spain.

Southern Ireland was one of eight regions where the share of the value of milk production was at least 40% of the value of total agricultural output in 2021. Dairy supplied 43.5% of the region's value of total agricultural output. In only four other regions was dairy so important. They were Friesland in the Netherlands (47.3%), Regiao Autonoma dos Acores in Portugal (46%), Franche-Comte in France (45.6%), and both Salzburg and Vorarlberg in Austria (43.5% each). Pohjois- ja Ita-Suomi in Finland (42.7%), and Cantabria in Spain (41.3%) also got more than 40% of agricultural output from milk in 2021.

In another 14 regions, the share of the value of milk production was between 30% and 40% of the value of total agricultural output. These regions were in Germany (six regions), the Netherlands (three regions), Sweden (two regions), Austria (one region), Spain (one region), and in France (one region).

With the EU producing 58bn of milk in 2021, Southern Ireland produces more than 4% of this. This contributed in turn to both Ireland's 10.1bn of total agricultural output, and Southern Ireland's 5.5bn.

Cereals with 64.4bn of output in 2021, together with milk, account for just under 30% of the value of total EU agricultural output.

The Castilla y Leon region of Spain produced the highest value of cereals, 2. 3bn.

Unfortunately, both Southern Ireland and Castilla y Leon are far from being the most agriculturally prosperous regions in the EU. They are well behind Andalucia in Spain, where much of the 14.5bn of agricultural output in 2021 came from the region's intensive forced cultivation of fruits grown under hothouse conditions. The region's sea of greenhouses is clearly visible from space.

As for Southern Ireland, many in the dairy industry fear that threats to Ireland's nitrates derogation will topple the region from its EU-leading position as a milk producer.

Already, about 2,096 Irish farmers with a whole farm stocking rate greater than 220 kg of N/ha (in 2022) are affected by the reduced Nitrates Derogation stocking rate upper limit in 2024. Their stocking rate must be reduced below 220 kg (averaged over the calendar year). This means some cattle must be culled, or enough slurry exported off the farm, or extra land acquired, or using the services of a contract rearer.

The worst-hit counties are Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Laois, Monaghan, and Wexford.

The ongoing review of the Nitrates Action Programme required by the European Commission may identify further Irish areas that will have to move in 2025 from the current maximum derogation stocking rate of 250 kg N/ha.

Unless water quality can be improved, Ireland may not be able to get the derogation renewed again at the end of 2025.

Only Ireland and Denmark have the derogation.

In about 17 months, a vote of the 27 member states will determine if Ireland's derogation is renewed again at the end of 2025. Most of the 27 do not have the derogation themselves and see it as a competitive advantage that Ireland has.
The South African princesses are coming and they want their stick back.

Princess royals Ncedisa Maqoma and Princess Mamtshawe Zukiswa Kona of the Xhosa nation flew into Dublin on Monday to view, for the first time, their ancestor Chief Maqomas sacred warriors stick which was looted and brought to Ireland 150 years ago.

Maqoma was a commander of the Xhosa forces fighting against British rule in the South African wars of the 19th century. He was imprisoned and died on Robben Island in 1873.

Chief Maqoma. Picture: WikiCommons

Culture Minister Catherine Martin is now being called on to facilitate the return of his stick to his descendants by the South African scholar, poet and playwright Nandi Jola, who first discovered the existence of the stick last year.

The stick is not an object to us. Its not an artefact to us. Its a family heritage. Its a family story. Its also a narration of their history that was never told, Jola told the Irish Examiner.

Jola was sitting in a cafe in South Africa last summer when she first met the princesses.

Culture Minister Catherine Martin is being called on to facilitate the return of Maqoma's stick to his descendants

I was there just having a coffee and you know when youre amongst royalty by how theyre dressed. They dont dress in ordinary clothes  they always have their royal regalia. I was inquisitively asking who their ancestors were and told them about my research, she said.

They said oh our ancestor was killed on Robben Island. For me, that was like ding. I asked who their ancestor was and they said 'Maqoma'.

Jola was curating an exhibition to mark the 150th anniversary of Maqomas death when she discovered his chiefs stick is currently stored by the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks.

Violation

Maqoma mustnt have been long dead when they took his stick, that is a violation. Culturally, the significance of the stick is that his nation can never rise again, she said.

The museum allowed Jola to view the stick, which inspired her to write and self-finance a play about it.

Mamtshawe  The Rise Of Maqoma will debut in Collins Barracks little-known theatre on Tuesday, starring three South African actors, Jola, and most importantly, Maqomas actual stick. It will be the first time it has ever been displayed in public in 150 years.

The two princesses will be allowed to view the stick in private beforehand.

Thats going to be so emotional for them because they are fifth generation since Maqomas death, said Jola.

Playwright Nandi Jola: 'I dont want it to be downplayed as a photo opportunity for the museum to be seen as a place that champions diversity. Its a place of colonial loot'

She believes the princesses would like the stick back.

Of course, its their stick. It belongs to them. Thats what I want for them. This is about repatriation and restitution. I dont want it to be downplayed as a photo opportunity for the museum to be seen as a place that champions diversity. Its a place of colonial loot, she said.

Ms Martin set up an expert committee on the restitution of historically and culturally sensitive objects in Ireland last year. A department spokesperson said the repatriation of such objects at the National Museum of Ireland would be done on a case-by-case approach.

They said Jolas play offered perspectives and opportunities to engage with and discuss the legacy of these collections.

Mamtshawe  The Rise Of Maqoma is at Collins Barracks, Dublin 9 on Tuesday, from 2 to 4pm.
Gardai who responded to a call for help in a residential area in Cork City were challenged to a fight by a man who caused the disturbance.

Denis Cullen, of Courtown Drive, Knocknaheeny, Cork, also verbally abused officers calling them "c***s" and referring to one officer as a "pig w**ker".

Sergeant Gearoid Davis said: Gardai responded to reports of Denis Cullen arguing with a woman. On arrival at Courtown Drive, gardai spoke to Denis Cullen.

He was intoxicated and unsteady on his feet. His speech was slurred and there was a strong smell of intoxicants. He was shouting aggressively at gardai and people in the estate.

He shouted at gardai: 'F*** ye, ye c***s, Ill box her, Ill fight you, ya pig w**ker.

Mr Cullen, 38, pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and being so intoxicated he was a danger to himself or others.

He was arrested at 11.15pm that night and had to be handcuffed due to his aggressive nature as he was brought to Gurranabraher Garda Station.

After hearing the evidence and defence submissions made by solicitor Frank Buttimer, Judge John King read aloud his note of the insulting language Mr Cullen used to gardai. This is disgraceful behaviour, the judge commented.

Mr Buttimer replied: No argument. And my client makes no argument about it either.

He said as the defendant could not remember what he had said he was also taken by surprise when Mr Buttimer informed him of the Garda evidence in relation to the insulting language.

Judge King asked if the accused would do community service to avoid three weeks in jail. Mr Buttimer said the defendant would be glad to do so. He was ordered to do 80 hours of community service instead of the jail term.

Mr Buttimer said during his submission in the hearing: He has asked me specifically to convey his apologies to Sgt Davis and asked that this is conveyed to his colleagues.

He has mental health concerns. Regrettably, he had consumed vodka. That did not agree with him. He does not have alcohol difficulties as such.
A Clare TD is pushing for a public inquiry into the death of Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitriona Lucas in 2016.

A verdict of death by misadventure was returned at the end of the inquest into her death in November. Now, independent Clare TD Michael McNamara says he will be pushing for a public inquiry, following a letter from the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan last month.

The letter was written after Minister Ryan was requested by the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to respond to a question in the Dail from Mr McNamara seeking a public inquiry into the death of the 41-year-old mother of two.

She died after the Kilkee Coast Guard Delta rigid inflatable boat (RIB) she was on capsized during a search for a missing man on September 12, 2016. She was the first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to lose her life during a mission.

While the letter to Mr McNamara outlined that a working group has been set up within the Department of Transport to oversee the implementation of recommendations issued by the jury at the inquest, no reference is made to a public inquiry.

The letter highlighted that investigations had been carried out by the Health and Safety Authority and the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and that the findings of the inquest are fully accepted.

However, Mr McNamara said he will be meeting with the Lucas family shortly and he intends to keep pushing for an inquiry.

The working group set up within the Irish Coast Guard will drive the implementation and tracking of the recommendations, according to Minister Ryan.

The recommendations include:

Each Coast Guard station should take appropriate steps to ensure Irish Coast Guard volunteers are aware of relevant exclusions for Coast Guard vessels, and where possible, display same clearly at the base station;

An immediate ongoing review of training of Coast Guard volunteers/staff should provide up-to-date training for capsize incidents;

An ongoing review should take place of suitability of all safety gear, including helmets, to ensure safety in operational conditions;

There should be urgent implementation/education of all lessons learned and recommendations of all reviews into Coast Guard incidents;

Measures should be taken to ensure that all Coast Guard vessels are fitted with voyage data recorders;

There should be establishment of an appropriate centralised safety management/portal for identified risk issues on a confidential basis;

The Irish Coast Guard should consider ongoing training for the officer-in-charge (OIC) and deputy OIC as appropriate at units.
Legislation which will cut the rate of welfare for newly-arrived Ukrainians to Ireland will be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will bring to Cabinet new legislation to reduce welfare payments for Ukrainians/url], following a decision taken by Government before Christmas. Under this legislation, Ukrainians will now receive the daily expense allowance of 38.80 per week, down from the current jobseekers' rate of 232 per week.

The legislation will also provide that those receiving the new weekly payment will be required to engage with the Department of Social Protections Public Employment Services (Intreo), where they will receive training and skills support to help them into employment.

The proposals also include time-limiting State-provided accommodation to 90 days before people would be asked to find their own housing or take up pledged housing from homeowners.

Once Ukrainian refugees leave State accommodation centres, they will be able to claim a higher rate of welfare payment, if they qualify.

Those in State accommodation will still be entitled to the full child benefit payment under the new scheme, which will require the passage of legislation in January.

Children will still be entitled to enrol in schools and will be bussed to alternative schools should they be forced to move.

It is understood that the legislative changes will come into effect in the coming weeks, once they pass the Oireachtas.

Speaking last month after the Government agreed the moves, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that it was to bring the Irish offering into line with other Western European countries, some of which, he said, had not welcomed as many Ukrainians as Ireland on a proportionate basis.

The Government has said the measures are being taken because of housing supply pressure, and Ireland continues to expect about 500 arrivals per week.

By Christmas, more than 101,200 people had arrived from Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, with 74,500 Ukrainians living in state accommodation and 57,000 in fully serviced accommodation.

More than 16,000 Ukrainian people are currently in employment, according to Government figures. These figures also indicate that Ireland now hosts 2.3% of all beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU. Ireland's population is 1.2% of the EU's overall population, according to Eurostat.

Health waiting lists

Cabinet will also hear from Health Minister Stephen Donnelly that a pledge to cut waiting lists by 10% was met in 2023. Last year also saw a reduction of almost one third (32%) on those waiting longer than 12 months.

Mr Donnelly will bring a memo outlining how there was an 11% reduction in the numbers waiting longer than 10/12 weeks, meaning 57,000 fewer people are waiting longer than the agreed Slaintecare targets than at the end of 2022.
WHEN we arrived at the Jally childrens home at the end of a maze of tiny higgledy-piggledy streets, in the less salubrious neighbourhoods of Pondicherry  out raced happy smiling children.

Yes thats the cliche description, except this time the cliche is apt.

The children milled round the man known as 'Bruno J'. To these children, he is their papa.

Here in this haven live 50 girls and young women  a mix of orphans from impoverished families, street children, and Roma children. They clearly love Bruno and he just as visibly loves them.

At the end of another nearby street is a similar home for the Jally boys and young men. Under Indian regulations, the girls and boys need to be accommodated in homes not less than 500m apart.

There is an astonishing story behind all of this, but an equally compelling concept that aims to live up to the promise of this being home.

It all started by accident, or as Indians tend to believe through karma.

Bruno J was a successful young business man in Chennai, the big city north of Pondicherry. He came down with a debilitating pulmonary disease and, on doctors orders, he had to leave the polluted big city for some place with cleaner air.

What better place to start a new life than Pondicherry, a coastal city about the size of Cork? It used to be a French enclave on Indias south-east coast until independence. Once dubbed the French Riviera of the far east, it is still a massively popular resort.

White Town, the old quarter, clings to the magnificent Bay of Bengal and is lined by beautiful colonial buildings, monuments, churches, and parks. When Bruno J came to town, he began to rebuild his media career from a small rented office in the bustling congested city. He had just one intention, try to rebuild his life.

Like songbirds chirping for crumbs, little boys would ask him for food. At first he just handed out bits of food and hoped they would go away. But soon he began to see things differently. He would invite them into his office, put movies on a spare computer and give them proper food. More children came and, instead of shutting his door, he decided to rent a small house where he could offer a place for them to sleep, get regular meals, clothing, and education.

An idea resolved in his head to establish a proper home. A place where they would feel loved and safe, and where they could stay in education, learn skills, and get a stake in society.

Little by little, the Jally Home concept took shape. He made links with people in Belgium, Spain, Australia, and Britain. Big fundraising drives overseas helped his little foundation buy land and build tiny houses.

Whats different about Bruno Js vision? Well for one thing, he says: My children need to sleep in proper beds, not on the floor like you see in other homes. Straight away his vision is on another page. Its not about shelter, its about nurture. That vibe is every place here, the children are happy, they know they are loved, and they feel the love.

Even in India, a country of 1.4bn people, Bruno Js work stands out. In 2019, prime minister Narendra Modhi presented him with a President of India award for his pioneering and selfless work.

Out at the very edge of the city is another arm of Bruno Js mission, his Samugam settlements.

One is a large Roma community, the other is home to a Narikuravar tribal group. In the hierarchy of Indian society people from these communities are at the very bottom. There is no place for them in the city, either physically or socially. There are no facilities, no transport, no jobs in this place. Somehow Bruno J persuaded the government to build a narrow tarmac strip on what was a dirt track.

In wet weather, the old track was impossible to navigate  now some services can get there in rain or shine. Most residents have to walk that 5km track to reach the nearest place where they can get public transport.

Bruno J also persuaded the government to give him a narrow strip of land, onto which he was able to construct tiny houses for the Roma people. Still, they mostly live in makeshift shelters as squatters on private land. The tribal people live on another strip of self-constructed homes.

For now, they all have a sort of place to stay. However, a time-bomb is ticking. Gradually, the city is edging towards the settlements. At some point this wasteland will become prime development real estate. What then for the people who have settled here for two decades?

Unless I can find some way to buy this land for the foundation, they will be cleared away from here, Bruno J says.

The land is for sale, I know the man selling it, but we dont have the money.

If they did have the money, they could build proper homes and facilities that wont get flattened by the next cyclone. Will it be a cyclone or shiny new housing that disperses this ramshackle community? Neither if Bruno J can get the funds.

His foundation is a bit like the children who came to his door so many years ago. He needs someone, somewhere to help him find funds.

In the meantime, he is putting his hands in his own pockets just to keep it afloat.

He is devising long-terms sustainability plans. Women in a small workshop up-cycle old saris, the famous wrap-around dresses worn by Indian women.

Indian women love their fashion, so they are high quality and beautiful, he says. In the workshop they get new lives as dresses, bags, and all kinds of fashion items.

Like Mahatma Ghandis Salt March, Bruno J is taking one determined forward step every day  hopeful that others see how necessary his mission is and join him in that journey over the horizon.

For more information, see: samugam.org.

Seamus O Tuama is chair of the ASEM LLL Hub (Asia-Europe) for collaboration on lifelong learning research in 51 countries. It is supported by the Government of Ireland and hosted by University College Cork.
Ireland is the loneliest country in the EU, according to a recent report. In the face of such a concerning analysis, we must do all we can to foster vibrant communities and tackle this increasingly common feeling of isolation.

According to the study, almost 70% of loneliness supports in Ireland are provided by the community and voluntary sector, a term that refers to a wide network of charities, community groups, and social enterprises across Ireland. These supports include Family Resource Centres, Mens Sheds, call services, and befriending networks.

Most of the specific interventions cited by the study are designed for older adults, with relatively few aimed directly at younger people. This is perhaps unsurprising, as loneliness supports for young people arent generally referred to as such; we call them sports clubs, choirs, swimming lessons, crafting sessions, film screenings, and skate parks instead.

So, while the study focused on supports which used keywords associated with loneliness in their descriptions, loneliness is, in fact, already being challenged by the community and voluntary sector, even when it is not directly named. Youth organisations, outdoor groups, residents associations, community gardens, parent support groups, and even boardgame societies may not directly cite loneliness in their mission statements, but they all play a part in addressing both the causes and consequences of this issue.

Volunteering is also a powerful force in the fight against loneliness. While it may not be our first reason for signing up to clean the local beach, drop off hygiene supplies to a housing service, or shake a bucket with the Christmas choir, volunteering brings with it opportunities to meet new people and make all-important connections.

Taken as a whole, this network of activities and supports offers a powerful guard against loneliness and has the potential to help mitigate other societal issues.

A recent report by The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that young people who live in areas with a strong social infrastructure experience more positive outcomes than those who do not. A strong social infrastructure includes, among other things, sports facilities and other spaces which provide opportunities to meet up and socialise. Having such infrastructure is associated with a lower risk of depression, higher social trust, and greater confidence in the State, media, and the healthcare system.

The absence of this infrastructure must be addressed at all levels of policymaking. This includes making sure that local services can offer opportunities that wouldnt otherwise exist. The ESRI report found that civic engagement (specifically, volunteering in local services) may provide a cushion for younger people without access to strong social infrastructure. Active participation in these activities leads to greater trust in the State, which in turn leads to greater social cohesion; something that is desperately needed in these increasingly divisive times.

Loneliness, somewhat ironically, is rarely experienced by itself; it tends to occur alongside other issues in peoples lives. That is why proper social infrastructure must be widely available regardless of individual circumstances. Poor physical and mental health correlates with higher levels of loneliness. So do lower levels of income and education. Any overall attempt to tackle loneliness must address these inequalities.

It is in the community and voluntary sector that we find many existing support and advocacy organisations. Access to housing, healthcare, literacy supports, and disability services, to name just a few, play just as big a part as specific loneliness interventions.

A strong community and voluntary sector plays a pivotal role in combatting loneliness and bolstering community resilience. The sector has proven itself in recent years to have the agility and capacity to respond effectively to multiple crises  from housing to health, political unrest to migration  and our government praises its essential work often.

Most of the specific interventions cited by the study are designed for older adults, with relatively few aimed directly at younger people.

Yet funding for the sector has not recovered since the cuts implemented in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, while demand for our services and supports has increased exponentially since then. The impact of inflation on both the sector and the people who look to it for support has been very severe.

We are expected to do so much more with so much less. Communities need funding that they can count on into the future  so organisations can plan and develop their services instead of simply struggling to exist. They need funding that reflects the reality of what it costs to make services available to people, including non-optional expenses like financial oversight and basic utilities.

Our sector has moved quickly to help people during the parallel crises of covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and the cost of living. Every day we see dedicated people work to better communities across Ireland. One need only look at the We Act campaign (www.weact.ie) to see the power of diversity and innovation at play.

As a representative voice for the sector, we at The Wheel know how central a role it plays in addressing Irelands epidemic of loneliness. But this vital role in supporting change must be recognised, understood, and adequately resourced if we want our community and voluntary sector to remain strong enough to push back against this growing tide of loneliness.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks in Israel on Tuesday as he seeks a plan for Gazas post-war future.

The talks came as Israels military pushed ahead with its offensive in the beleaguered territory.

Heavy bombardment and fighting shook refugee camps, sending Palestinians scrambling to find safety and hampering aid groups efforts to get relief to the population.

Mr Blinken arrived in Israel after saying he had secured commitments from four Arab nations and Turkey to help in rebuilding Gaza after the war, something they had been reluctant to promise before a stop in fighting.

Flares rise over the Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel (Leo Correa/AP)

But the US and Israel remain deeply divided over how Gaza will be run when  and if  its current Hamas rulers are defeated.

US officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which currently governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take over in Gaza and for negotiations to resume on the creation of a Palestinian state.

Israeli leaders have staunchly refused both.

Mr Blinken is also trying to prevent the conflict from spreading after an escalation in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and threats by Israel to step up military action to put an end to almost daily fire across the border from Lebanon by the militant group.

The US has pressed Israel to scale down its offensive in Gaza to more precise operations targeting Hamas.

But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with several hundred Palestinians killed each day, according to health officials in Gaza.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and I met today in Al Ula and discussed the importance of urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict. pic.twitter.com/hHp3rml4Uq  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 8, 2024

Israel has vowed to keep going until it has destroyed Hamas throughout the territory, in response to the October 7 attack during which militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped around 250 others.

After three months of fighting, Hamas has continued to put up a fierce resistance.

The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants.

The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis, where ground troops have been fighting militants for weeks, and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza.

The fighting will continue throughout 2024, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire echoed through the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where troops have been pushing in from the north, said one resident, Saeed Moustafa. They were facing heavy resistance from gunmen in the camp, he said.

Like other refugee camps in Gaza, Nuseirat was built to house Palestinians who were driven out of homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, and over the decades it has been built up into a densely populated town housing refugees and their descendants.

Families in Nuseirats northern neighbourhoods were fleeing to other parts of the camp, Mr Moustafa said.

Some tried to head south on the Gazas main north-south road but found it blocked by Israeli tanks and turned around, he said. In leaflets, the military had told people to use another road, along the coast, to evacuate.

Antony Blinken, left, attends a meeting with Israels foreign minister Israel Katz, second right, in Tel Aviv (Evelyn Hockstein/AP)

Further south in Khan Younis, warplanes struck multiple areas in and around the city.

It was an intense night. Bombings didnt stop, said Gaber Abu Hamed, who fled his home in Gaza City in the north two months ago.

Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, and more than 58,000 have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.

The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Nearly 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting in central Gaza was severely hampering operations to distribute aid.

Several warehouses, distribution centres, health facilities and shelters have been affected by evacuation orders from the military, it said.

Some bakeries in the central city of Deir al-Balah have been forced to shut down. A UN warehouse was hit last week, killing a worker, and five others were detained by the military, with two still being held.

In northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October, tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Sunday it has been unable to deliver supplies to northern Gaza for 12 days because of bombardment and the inability to guarantee safe passage with the Israeli military.

OCHA said the military rejected five attempted aid convoys to the north in the past two weeks, including planned deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities.

As a result, five hospitals in the north have no access to supplies, tens of thousands are without access to clean water, and the risk of disease is mounting as sewage systems fail, it said.

On what is now his fourth trip to the Mideast since the war began in October, Mr Blinken met Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday ahead of talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the War Cabinet and other officials.

A woman takes pictures of a burned car used by the senior Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil, who was killed on Monday, in Kherbet Selem village, south Lebanon (Hussein Malla/AP)

Mr Blinken said on Monday that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israels war against Hamas ends.

Those countries had previously resisted U.S. calls for post-war planning to begin, insisting that there must first be a cease-fire and a sharp reduction in the civilian suffering in Gaza.

The countries leaders agreed to work together and to co-ordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilise and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole, Mr Blinken said, after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the western Saudi city of Al Ula.

Mr Blinken did not offer specifics on potential contributions. Financial and in-kind support from the UAE and Saudi Arabia could be essential to the success of any plan.

Any post-war plan for Gaza will require both Israeli and Palestinian agreement, but Mr Netanyahu and his government have their own ideas for Gazas future that the others will likely not accept.

Mr Netanyahu remains opposed to the concept of the two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, something that Saudi Arabia in particular is demanding if it is to normalise relations with Israel.
Russias recent escalation of missile and drone attacks is stretching Ukraines air defence resources, a Ukrainian air force official said on Tuesday, leaving the country vulnerable in the 22-month war unless it can secure further weapons supplies.

Intense Russian air attacks force us to use a corresponding amount of air defence means, air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat told national television. Thats why we need more of them, as Russia keeps increasing its (air) attack capabilities.

As soldiers on both sides fight from largely static positions along the roughly 1,500-km (930-mile) front line, recent Russian attacks have used large numbers of various types of missiles in an apparent effort to saturate air defence systems and find gaps in Ukraines defences.

The massive barrages  more than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in Kyiv  are also using up Ukraines weapons stockpiles.

Ukraine uses weapons from the Soviet era and more modern ones provided by its Western allies. Authorities want to build up the countrys own weapons manufacturing capabilities, and analysts say those plants are among Russias recent targets.

At the moment, we are completely dependent on the supply of guided air defence missiles, for both Soviet and Western systems, Mr Ihnat said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that we lack a very concrete and understandable thing, that is air defence systems, to protect civilian areas and troop positions.

We lack (air defence systems) both on the battlefield and in our cities, he told a Swedish defence conference.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu declared that Kyivs efforts to bolster its firepower wont change the situation on the line of contact and will only drag out the military conflict.

We retain the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact, he said. We will consistently continue to achieve the objectives of the special military operation  the Kremlins language for the war in Ukraine.

It was not possible to verify either sides battlefield claims.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has increasingly targeted Moscow-occupied Crimea and Russian border regions with long-range strikes.

In the latest strike, on Tuesday, two drones fell on the premises of a fuel and energy facility in the Russian city of Orlov, about 250km (150 miles) from the Ukraine border, Governor Andrei Klychkov said.

Three people were injured and a fire broke out but was quickly extinguished, he said.

The UK Ministry of Defence pointed to repeated signs of shortcomings in Russias air defences. Ukrainian strikes on military targets in Crimea on January 4 demonstrate the ineffectiveness of Russian air defences in protecting key locations, it noted on Tuesday.

Volunteers and residents clear the debris of an apartment building heavily damaged after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv on Tuesday (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

The Kremlins forces show no signs of easing off their winter campaign. In what officials called the biggest aerial barrage of the war, Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones on December 29, killing 62 civilians across the country. On January 1, Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones across Ukraine.

Russia has expanded its own production of missiles and drones, analysts say, and has begun using short-range missiles provided by North Korea.

Ukrainian officials have pleaded with the West for more weapons, especially air defence and artillery shells.

However, a plan by the administration of US President Joe Biden to send to Kyiv billions of dollars in further aid is stuck in Congress, and Europes pledge in March to provide one million artillery shells within 12 months has come up short, with only about 300,000 delivered so far.

US-made surface-to-air Patriot missiles give Ukraine an effective shield against Russian airstrikes, but the cost is up to $4m per missile and the launchers cost about $10m each, analysts say.

Such costly support is essential for Ukraine, a US think tank said.

The continued and increased Western provision of air defence systems and missiles to Ukraine is crucial as Russian forces continue to experiment with new ways to penetrate Ukrainian air defences, the Institute for the Study of War said.
A Pakistani court has indicted imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on charges of retaining state gifts from when he was in power, including jewellery from Saudi Arabias government, authorities said.

The latest indictment is another blow to Khan and his political party ahead of parliamentary elections on February 8.
In the final days of last year, Russia escalated its attacks against Ukraine. As the aerial strikes continued into the new year, the Russian military introduced a new component: missiles manufactured in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Korea, or North Korea. Russia has become increasingly isolated on the world stage, and theyve been forced to look to likeminded states for military equipment. As weve been warning publicly, one of those states is North Korea, said United Sates National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby.

On the 30th of December 2023, Russian forces launched at least one of these North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine. This missile appears to have landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region, he said.

And on January 2nd, Russia launched multiple North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine, including as part of its overnight aerial attack. Were still assessing the impacts of these additional missiles.

Noting that this is a significant and concerning escalation, Mr. Kirby said that these actions would have concerning security implications  for the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.

In return for its support, we assess that Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Russia, including fighter aircraft, surface-to-air missiles, armored vehicles, ballistic missile production equipment or materials, and other advanced technologies, he said.

In response to Russias acquisition of arms from third-party actors, which also include Iran, in violation of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, the United States, along with its partners and allies, is prepared to take a number of steps.

First  we will demand that Russia be held accountable for yet again violating its international obligations, said John Kirby.

Second, we will impose additional sanctions against those working to facilitate arms transfers between Russia and the DPRK and Iran.

Third, we will continue to release information to the public and expose these arms deals, as we are doing today, because we will not allow countries to aid Russias war machine in secret.

But here is the bottom line: The most effective response to Russia's horrific violence against the Ukrainian people is to continue to provide Ukraine with vital air defense capabilities and other types of military equipment, said John Kirby. Iran and the DPRK are standing with Russia. Ukrainians deserve to know that the American people and this government will continue to stand with them.
Polish police have arrested two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge in the palace of President Andrzej Duda, in a dramatic escalation of a stand-off between the new and previous governments.

Mr Duda had welcomed Mariusz Kaminski and Maciej Wasik  members of the former ruling party  into the presidential palace as police went to their homes to arrest them.

Polish media reported the men were arrested inside the palace. Warsaw police gave no details, saying only that the arrest was in accordance with the court order.

I just want the president to be aware of what his political friends have tricked him into. They are the ones setting a trap for him, not me

The development is the latest in an escalating dispute between the new government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland for eight years until last month after its defeat in a general election in October.

Mr Duda is closely aligned with Law and Justice and is making it clear that he will oppose Mr Tusks agenda. Mr Dudas second and final term runs until mid-2025.

Mr Tusk accused the president of going along with actions by Law and Justice to create chaos and instability after its electoral defeat, saying he must stop this spectacle, which is leading to a very dangerous situation.

The prime minister claimed the president was obstructing justice by giving the wanted men refuge. At a news conference, he read out a section of the penal code which he alleged Mr Duda had violated, and carries a prison term from three months to five years.

I just want the president to be aware of what his political friends have tricked him into. They are the ones setting a trap for him, not me, Mr Tusk said.

The dispute centres on former interior minister Kaminski and his ex-deputy Wasik, who came out of the palace briefly to speak to journalists.

Andrzej Duda (Andreea Alexandru/AP)

We are not hiding, Kaminski said. We are currently with the president of the Republic of Poland until evil loses.

The pair were convicted of abuse of power for actions taken in 2007 when they served in an earlier Law and Justice-led government, and were sentenced in December to two years in prison. They insist they are innocent.

A court on Monday issued orders for police to arrest them and deliver them to prison.

After Law and Justice won power in 2015, Mr Duda issued a pardon to Kaminski and Wasik after they were convicted of abuse of power but before their appeals had gone to a higher court, allowing them to take high government positions.

Many legal experts said presidential pardons are to be reserved for cases that have gone through all appeals.

In June, Polands Supreme Court overturned the pardons and ordered a retrial.

President Andrzej Duda, centre, with Stanislaw Zaryn, Maciej Wasik, Mariusz Kaminski and Blazej Pobozy (President Palace/Jakub Szymczuk/AP)

On Tuesday, Mr Duda invited Kaminski and Wasik to his palace for a ceremony where he appointed two officials who had worked for them as his new advisers. His office posted a photo of him posing with all four.

After the ceremony, Kaminski and Wasik went outside and told reporters that police had searched their homes while they were away. They then went back inside the presidential palace, where they remained for several hours.

Parliamentary speaker Szymon Holownia postponed a planned session of the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, which had been scheduled to start on Wednesday, until next week.

Kaminski and Wasik, who were re-elected as legislators in October, said they wanted to take part in the session, even though Mr Holownia and others insist that, under the law, their guilty sentences strip them of their parliamentary mandates.

The speaker said the situation had created a deep constitutional crisis that does not guarantee that the Sejms deliberations this week would be peaceful.

Mr Tusks allies welcomed the arrests, saying they marked a return to officials being held accountable. Let this be a warning to politicians for the next generation, foreign minister Radek Sikorski said.

Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki was among Law and Justice officials who voiced outrage, describing the arrested men as political prisoners.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently completed his fourth visit to the Middle East since the horrific attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7th. In his meetings with leaders, he stressed the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading:

We share a commitment to ensure that the conflict does not expand, and I think we also share a commitment to use the influence, the relationships, the ties that we have with different parties in the region to try to avoid escalation and to deter new fronts from opening. This is not just a regional issue; its a matter of global concern.

Secretary Blinken discussed how to protect civilians in Gaza and to get more humanitarian assistance to them. He also talked about how to free the remaining hostages.

Indeed, Secretary Blinken reiterated Americas determination to see all hostages released:

To those still being held hostage, to their loved ones, to their families, I promise you this: The United States will continue to work relentlessly to bring you home, to get you together with your family and loved ones.

There has been progress on increasing the aid getting into Gaza, said Secretary Blinken, but it is still insufficient to meet the massive need. We continue to raise with Israel the need to do everything possible to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

As Israel moves to a lower-intensity phase of its military operation in the north, the United Nations can also play a crucial role in evaluating what needs to be done to allow displaced Palestinians to return home, said Secretary Blinken:

Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot and they must not be pressed to leave Gaza. We reject the statements by some Israeli ministers and lawmakers calling for a resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. These statements are irresponsible, theyre inflammatory, and they only make it harder to secure a future of a Palestinian-led Gaza with Hamas no longer in control and with terrorist groups no longer able to threaten Israels security.

All of us feel a stake in forging the way forward, declared Secretary Blinken. All of us recognize that we have to work together. That is the only way forward, and it cannot wait.
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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.
ELKO  This years Festival of Trees auction raised $44,120, which was distributed to the five charity partners selected by the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority Board of Governors.

The 2023 Charity Partners are Great Basin Childrens Advocacy Center, Horizon Hospice Inc., Northern Nevada Moses Project, Northern Nevada RAVE Family Foundation and Wells Family Resource Center. Each received $8,824 on Friday, Dec. 15.

The continued support and generosity of area residents, business owners and service organizations made the 33rd annual Festival of Trees a tremendous success. The ECVA extends its gratitude to all who participated in the event by donating items for auction and those who purchased the beautiful items contributed. The funds will help these local nonprofits in their continued efforts to serve area residents.

This years theme was A Small Town Christmas, and for the first time in the events history those attending the event were able to vote on their favorite tree, as well as which item they felt best followed the theme.

Northern Nevada Regional Hospital took home the honor of winning Peoples Choice and Best Theme for their tree donation, titled Smallest Town Christmas.

Auction items were available for in-person and online viewing Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 at the Elko Conference Center.

The community contributed over 150 items to the auction, with over 490 active bidders, an increase in registered bidders from the previous year. Story time took place over two days at the 2023 Festival of Trees, and children were treated to a story before viewing the items on display  with over 800 children participating.

We encourage the community to participate in the 34th annual Festival of Trees taking place Dec. 4 through Dec. 7, 2024, in the Elko Conference Center. A theme hasnt yet been determined and updates will be communicated as additional plans and details are made.

Visit ExploreElko.com and follow the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority on Facebook and/or Instagram @ExploreElko for updates and more information.
JACKPOT  An Idaho man is accused of pulling a knife on an Elko County sheriffs deputy as he was being arrested on a domestic battery charge.

Raymond J. Carra, 41, was arrested Jan. 6 at Cactus Petes Hotel and Casino on charges of first-offense domestic battery, assault with a deadly weapon in which the victim is a first responder, assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person and resisting with the use of a dangerous weapon other than a firearm.

He was also charged following a background check with a fugitive from justice warrant from Ada County, Idaho, after failing to appear in court, according to law enforcement. Carra also has a non-extradition warrant from California.

According to court documents, law enforcement was called to the Jackpot casino on a report of a woman needing medical attention.

The deputy said the woman was frightened and skittish and was taken to a private room for an interview.

She told law enforcement she was afraid Carra would kill her if she wasnt in their room and he hit her and caused injuries. The deputy said he saw bruises on her chest, left shoulder, left arm and right ear. The chest bruise appeared to be recent.

The deputy searched for Carra in the casino and was told he was at the front desk asking for the womans whereabouts.

After Carra refused to give his last name, he immediately became nervous and tense and started backing away when the deputy asked him to put his hands behind his back.

A deputy said Carra drew a knife, saying, I have a knife. He then fumbled the knife and the deputy tased the suspect in the right leg and abdomen.

He was arrested without further incident.

Carras bail was set at $233,140.
State Superintendent Jhone Ebert is greeted by the Adobe Middle School cheer squad and the Adobe orchestra on Monday.

(Left to right)

Ann Marie Dickson, Jhone Ebert, and Megan Peterson of the Nevada Department of Education, along with ECSD Superintendent CJ Anderson, greet students on a tour of Elko County schools.
An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo
01/09/2024



Area law enforcement leaders gather in the Southeastern Leadership Command College. (JSU Photo / Alyssa Cash)

By Buffy Lockette

JACKSONVILLE, Ala.  Alabama police officers who aspire to lead departments and agencies now have access to a program specifically designed to help them reach their goals. Jacksonville State University has officially opened Southeastern Leadership Command College, dedicated to preparing law enforcement officers for senior leadership roles.

For more than 50 years, Jacksonville State has been the torchbearer for police education and training in Northeast Alabama," said JSU President Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. during a ribbon cutting on Jan. 8. "Over the past decade, the university has widened its reach, offering comprehensive training and resources to support officers at every stage of their careers throughout the State of Alabama."

The university is home to the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy, which has trained 15,000 law enforcement officers on campus since it was established in 1972. Additionally, the JSU Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation offers top-ranked degree programs for students pursuing careers in law enforcement, including the states only Bachelor of Science in Forensic Investigation.

Jacksonville State has a long and established history in law enforcement training. The Board of Trustees is committed to making this program the gold standard for the nation. We look forward to serving the state and serving citizens with the best law enforcement training in the country.

-- Randy Jones, JSU Board Chair

To support the continuing education of law enforcement statewide, Jax State has developed several unique training programs over the past decade, including the Center for Applied Forensics, Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement  funded and supported by the Alabama Legislature as well as the Alabama Investigator Academy  and the new Command College.

Jacksonville State has a long and established history in law enforcement training, said Randy Jones, chair of the JSU Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is committed to making this program the gold standard for the nation. We look forward to serving the state and serving citizens with the best law enforcement training in the country.

Southeastern Leadership Command College will build on the universitys existing programs, providing professional development to senior leaders  such as police chiefs and sheriffs  while grooming those at the sergeant and lieutenant levels for leadership roles. It is housed at the universitys facility at the former Fort McClellan, along with its fellow law enforcement programs:

The Center for Applied Forensics , which provides education, technical expertise and investigative services to law enforcement agencies across the state, training more than 4,000 officers, processing more than 400 crime scenes and solving 324 cases to date. Its new Cold Case Program is working to help departments close unsolved homicide cases.

, which provides education, technical expertise and investigative services to law enforcement agencies across the state, training more than 4,000 officers, processing more than 400 crime scenes and solving 324 cases to date. Its new is working to help departments close unsolved homicide cases. The Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement , which supplements the education and training of police officers across the state. To date, it has hosted 166 training sessions on a variety of topics, serving approximately 6,000 officers.

, which supplements the education and training of police officers across the state. To date, it has hosted 166 training sessions on a variety of topics, serving approximately 6,000 officers. Alabama Investigator Academy, a partnership between the Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement and the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC), trains newly promoted investigators across Alabama. Its the first program of its kind in the state.

When you look at the value of what JSU has done, it is not just the investment in law enforcement  it is the fact that you have told a mother whose child is a victim of a violent crime that we are going to support you in finding the person who committed that offense and find justice, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said during the ribbon cutting. While you have had a broad impact on people who have come through these doors, its the communities in which they came from where you will make the most impact.

Command College is now enrolling students in its first cohort, set to begin in March. The nine-week program will center on general management and leadership principles, including conflict resolution, fiscal responsibilities, and the political, legal and social environment in law enforcement. Admission is open to any Alabama police officer who holds the rank of sergeant or above. The program is free for sworn law enforcement officers in Alabama.

For more information, contact the Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement at CBPLE@jsu.edu.
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Featured)  Nothing illuminates the mutant perversion of Zionism under Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (Bibi) more clearly than this: He proposes to forcibly evict all Palestinians from Gaza (Palestine), and move them to Congo. This is what Great Britain proposed in 1903, as a solution to the Jewish problem. Rather than allow Jews to immigrate to Palestine and create a new Jewish homeland, they proposed to move them to Uganda, where the British Crown had plenty of room.



Colonial Uganda, H/t British Online Archives

Bibis empowerment of Israeli Proud Boys such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Belezel Smotrich, gives him the chutzpah and hubris to openly discuss a forced migration, couched in Orwellian doublespeak to call it a voluntary migration.

The notion to resettle Gazan war refugees in the Congo came from Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, though some Israeli officials deny it is being seriously considered. This very proposal illustrates the deeply corrupt ideology that Zionism has become under Bibi: A movement that began to save Jews from the Holocaust has mutated into a murderous government, devoted to war crimes against other people, and to expel them from their own historical homeland.

Under Bibis leadership, Zionism has become a driving force in global anti-Semitism. It was already at an all-time high since WWII because of Donald Trumps enabling and promotion of American and European Nazi movements. Anti-Semitism has been a scourge of so-called Western civilization for centuries. In the 21st Century it has been escalated by ignorance on both ends of the political spectrum for different reasons. Right-wingers have always hated Jews, and Evangelicals want to round us all up and send all the Jews to Israel so they can solve the Jewish problem, with their own forced migration. Its the pre-requisite for their long-awaited Apocalypse. Anti-Semitism has escalated on the left in recent years out of the willful failure to distinguish Zionism as a political movement, from Judaism the religion. Republican Jews in the US are also fueling anti-Semitism, AND our own demise at the same time, with their self-hating loyalty to Trump.

Zionism began as a movement for survival, in reaction to centuries of brutal pogroms in Europe, culminating with the Holocaust, when six million Jews were brutally murdered en masse, along with gays, gypsies (Roma), dark-skinned people, and the mentally and physically disabled. Zionism began as a secular agrarian movement in the latter third of the 19th Century. The Jewish presence in Palestine began to slowly increase as Jews left Europe and slowly migrated to Palestine, where they lived harmoniously through the early 20th Century, with organic migration among the native Palestinians, Arabs and Druze populations who never left. As political Zionism gained momentum and the pace of immigration increased beyond absorption capacity, thats when conflicts began.

When the 1st Zionist Congress was led by Theodore Herzl in 1897 in Basle, Switzerland, the goals were simple:

The promotion of the settlement of Jewish agriculturists, artisans, tradesmen and manufacturers in Palestine. The organization and uniting of all Jews by means of appropriate local and international institutions, in accordance with the laws of the various countries. The strengthening and fostering of Jewish national sentiment and national consciousness. Preparatory steps toward obtaining the consent of governments, where necessary, to achieve the Zionist purpose

It contained no expression of Jewish nationalism, per se; nor a religious obligation to fulfill a Biblical prophecy. Zionism began as a secular, agrarian movement. At the 1905 7th Zionist Congress, they rejected the Uganda project proposed two years earlier, and agreed to focus on creating agricultural and industrial settlements in Palestine. However, numerous Jewish leaders opposed any formation of a Jewish State in Palestine, as an impediment to the arrival of the Messiah. They felt the creation of an artificial political state would disrupt the spiritual return.

Bibis goal of wiping out Hamas is only a cover for his real agenda of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, according to Prof. Juan Cole. Bibis notion of voluntary immigration, is a fiction intended to euphemize his own war crimes, as he prosecutes a gratuitous war to avoid the consequences of his crimes against Israel.

Democracy Now! Israels Push to Expel Residents of Gaza

Now Israel has bombed the last hospital in central Gaza, forcing Doctors Without Border and relief agencies to abandon their patients for their own lives. They have bombed people out of their homes, destroyed all infrastructure, killed 22,500 people and injured 57,000. They even killed three Israeli hostages who survived 49 days in captivity, escaped and were trying to surrender. Bibi doesnt care if his campaign of Palestinian genocide kills a few Israelis in the process. This is not an act of Judaism, but gross political murder.

Clearly, forced immigration of Palestinians is Israeli policy now. Of the proposal to deport 1.1 million destitute war refugees, Ben-Gvir said, On the subject of voluntary emigration I think its the right solution. But he also conflated American political rivals as being in a fictional alliance. When asked about possible objections from the Biden administration, Ben-Gvir said, Nikki Haley supports it, it is voluntary. Haley hopes to run against Biden and cant speak for his agenda. Ben-Gvir revealed that strategy all along has been to inflict so much misery on Gazas Palestinians, that they will want to go anywhere but their bombed out homes as he said, hundreds of thousands will leave now if given the option.

Haley has already become invested in the mass deportation of Palestinians. The Times of Israel reports she said, They should go to pro-Hamas countries  Qatar, Iran, Turkey send them there Those are pro-Hamas countries. Haley told ABC News, They should be going to the Rafah gate and [have] Egypt take them. Thats a non-starter as Egypt cant absorb them, and it gives Israel cover for war crimes from an American politician. But Haley lacks the standing tell any country to accept immigrants, given her position on US immigration. She also lacks any understanding of historical and political realities, namely that Turkey is part of NATO.

The Hamas massacres put a quick freeze on the regular, massive demonstrations in Israeli cities challenging Bibis legitimacy. It was an Israeli point of pride that 1000s of protesters and military objectors suddenly closed ranks to defend the nation. But now that the patriotic responses have led to more Israeli deaths, including hostages killed by friendly fire, the movement to oust Bibi has quickly escalated. As with Trump, Bibi is now running on belligerence and fear alone. A chat page on Haaretz illustrates the growing opposition to Bibis efforts to remain in power, with Israeli commenters saying:

Get Netanyahu out now. Urgently. He is a destroyer of the dreams of Israels founders, and a clear and present danger.

An IDF/Shin Bet coup supported by the public.is the only way. ASAP.

If Bibi goes, so goes the war. So goes the premiership. So goes the coalition. So goes the war on democracy.

Some Israeli leaders deny that the Congo proposal is the agenda, and others object; this proposal will hopefully go nowhere, especially with US State Departments expressed disapproval, calling it inflammatory and irresponsible. The global focus now is to strengthen efforts by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to heal, nurture and heal as many refugees as possible, and whatever can be done to mitigate Israels genocidal campaign in Gaza.
MONTREAL, QC, Jan. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Auxico Resources Canada Inc. (CSE: AUAG), (OTCQB: AUXIF) (the "Company" or "Auxico") is pleased to announce results from the Company's 2023 exploration and sampling program conducted on the Minastyc Property, a Company-controlled critical mineral project located in Puerto Carreno, Vichada, Colombia. A total of 72 samples (64 samples excluding control samples) were collected across 27 pits over a distance of 2 km on the Minastyc Property. The results indicate the presence of Rare Earth Elements in all samples. The majority of pits identified other critical minerals such as tantalum, niobium, tin and lithium.

The Company's sample campaign ("2023 sampling campaign") conducted on the Minastyc Property was conducted by Ricardo Sierra and Julian Salgado, the Company's Qualified Persons. Samples were taken across a Phase 1 area, a section of the Property previously defined in the Company's issued PTO Report (work program submitted to the Colombian National Mining Agency in February 2022), prepared by Ambiente y Comunidad Consultores S.A.S (AMCO) from Bogota. The western part of the Minastyc Property was also sampled during this campaign.

Summary of the 2023 sampling campaign:

A project visit was conducted under the direction of Wilder Quiceno, mining engineer, and Ricardo Sierra , the Company's geologist, to identify and georeference various pits where points were selected to systematically cover the project area and then a stratigraphic survey was carried out.

, the Company's geologist, to identify and georeference various pits where points were selected to systematically cover the project area and then a stratigraphic survey was carried out. A total of 361 pits were identified on the Minastyc Property ( refer to Figure 1 ) based on compiled data; according to what was observed, mineralization and the minerals of interest are hosted in gravel-size fragments primarily found on surface, with a depth of between 1 and 2 metres, where the majority of samples taken were in this stratum. Other stratigraphic horizons containing fine sands and clays also contain rare earth elements.

) based on compiled data; according to what was observed, mineralization and the minerals of interest are hosted in gravel-size fragments primarily found on surface, with a depth of between 1 and 2 metres, where the majority of samples taken were in this stratum. Other stratigraphic horizons containing fine sands and clays also contain rare earth elements. A total of 72 samples were taken across 27 pits ( refer to Figure 2 ), from different geological horizons, extending across a strike length of ~2 km on the Minastyc Property, with sample sizes between 2-5 kg/tonne.

), from different geological horizons, extending across a strike length of ~2 km on the Minastyc Property, with sample sizes between 2-5 kg/tonne. Analyses were conducted via the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method by the certified laboratory of Impact Global Solutions (IGS), located in Delson, Quebec . ICP-MS is a highly sensitive chemical analysis method that yields quantitative results on elements and their isotopes in parts per million. The following conclusions have been made: Rare earth minerals including cerium, dysprosium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, lanthanum, samarium, and erbium are present in all 64 samples, including rubidium present in 64 samples, and terbium found in 49 samples. Tin was present across 46 samples and lithium across 31 samples. These samples have yet to be concentrated, and the average silica content for the 64 samples exceeds 37%. A simple silica elimination screening method can be used to concentrate the larger fraction size gravels.

. ICP-MS is a highly sensitive chemical analysis method that yields quantitative results on elements and their isotopes in parts per million. The following conclusions have been made: Data from previous work conducted on the Property outline that the highly-prospective TA Area and Area 50, which lie ~1.6 km apart, both returned various high grades in concentrates. The previously issued NI 43-101 Report indicated a representative 3.2-tonne bulk sample taken from two locations on Area 50. A 7.7 kg fine concentrate returned TREO with grades 68.32% and 65.67%, respectively, and a concentration ratio of approximately 425:1.

A report as it relates to the 2023 sampling campaign will be subsequently filed on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and will be available on Auxico's website following receipt of final results.

Figure 1: Total of 361 pits identified in the Minastyc Property, classified by depth.

Figure 2: Total of 27 pits selected for stratigraphic survey and 2023 sampling campaign at the Minastyc Property.

Mark Billings, Chairman of Auxico Resources Canada commented, "The 72-sample campaign was an interesting insight into the vast potential of the Minastyc Property, with new critical minerals such as lithium that were previously not indicated in other result batches, enhancing the highly prospective nature of the project. The updated and new NI 43-101 Reports provide the necessary insight into the projects' potential feasibility and aggregate data collected across various work programs to paint a picture of Minastyc's potential, further validating the economic possibilities and concepts of operation."

Qualified Person

Mr. Ricardo Sierra, B.Sc. of Science a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM 3078246), is a qualified person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release and in relation to the Minastyc Project in Vichada Colombia. Mr. Ricardo Sierra is an independent technical consultant to Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

About Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

Auxico Resources Canada Inc. ("Auxico") is a Canadian company that was founded in 2014 and based in Montreal, trading on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) under symbol AUAG and on the OTCQB Market under symbol AUXIF. Auxico is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Colombia, Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Additional information on Auxico can be found on the Company's website (www.auxicoresources.com) or on SEDAR (www.sedarplus.com) under "Auxico Resources Canada Inc."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 signed. 

Mark Billings

Chairman, Auxico Resources Canada Inc.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cell: +1 514 296 1641

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the planned studies, drill program and the development of the Minastyc Project, its sampling program, indications and other mining projects and prospects thereof, related to the Company's operations in Bolivia, Colombia and/or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

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.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. 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.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking information as a result of various risk factors. These factors include, among others, uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets. The reader is referred to the Company's public filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors, and their potential effects, which may be accessed through the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Except as required by securities law, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC  TheNewswire -- January 9, 2024  Imperial Mining Group Ltd. (the Company or "Imperial") (TSXV:IPG) OTCQB:IMPNF) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Guy Bourassa to the position of Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Pierre Neatby, the current President and CEO will remain President and take on the role of Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Bourassas appointment will add visionary leadership to Imperials management team as well as bring additional valuable critical metals experience to the Company as it focuses on developing its flagship Crater Lake scandium project.

Jeff Swinoga, Chairman of the Board commented With Guy and Pierre, we are pleased to have two executives of high calibre advancing the Crater Lake Project and Imperial forward. Guys visionary leadership, deep experience in advancing mining projects into production as well as his insights in the critical metals space will benefit all of our shareholders as we target moving the Crater Lake project forward through Feasibility and eventually construction.

Mr. Bourassa will focus on overall strategy, communication and financing for Imperial. Mr. Neatby will focus on market development, progressing the Pre-Feasibility Study and day-to-day operations of the Company.

I am very pleased that Imperial was able to attract an experienced executive of the caliber of Mr. Bourassa. Guy and I have known each other for a number of years and we look forward to working together. said Mr. Neatby.

I am excited to join the team of Imperial Mining Group and advance the Crater Lake Project. I believe deeply in the untapped value of scandium and look forward to growing this Company into a leader in the sector. said Mr. Bourassa.

In addition, Mr. Bourassa is recommended as a candidate for Director of the Company in Imperials management proxy circular for the Annual and Special Meeting which will be held on February 6, 2024.

Mr. Guy Bourassa is an experienced Mining Executive with deep networks in Quebec and around the world. He was the Founder, Director and acted as President and CEO of Nemaska Lithium Inc. from January 2008 to February 2020. Over the past 30 years, he has held the roles of President, CEO and Director in numerous Quebec-based junior mining companies. He has a great depth of experience and knowledge of the critical metals space.

Mr. Bourassa will be granted 2.5 million options on January 9 at a price of 10c per share. These options will be valid for 5 years and will vest under the following schedule: 25% on the date of the grant, 25% 6 months later, 25% 12 months from the grant date and the final 25% 18 months from the grant date.

ABOUT IMPERIAL MINING GROUP LTD.

Imperial is a Canadian technology metals company focused on advancing its flagship Crater Lake scandium and rare earth project in Quebec. Imperial is publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as IPG and on the OTCQB Exchange as IMPNF and is led by an experienced team of mineral development professionals.

For further information please contact:

Imperial Mining Group Ltd.

Pierre Neatby President and Chief Operating Officer

Phone: +1 (514) 360-0571 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fig House Communications (IR) Rebecca Greco +1 (416) 822-6483 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) ("EMP Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the highlights of Hub City Lithium Corp.'s ("HCL") preliminary economic assessment (the "PEA") on the Viewfield Lithium Brine Project, Saskatchewan. The PEA outlines the estimated production of battery-quality lithium carbonate equivalent ("lithium carbonate" or "LCE") over a 23-year period, which represents an estimated a pre-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 55% and a pre-tax net present value ("NPV") of $1.49 billion USD, at an 8% discount rate.

Preliminary Economic Assessment Highlights

Pre-tax $1.49 billion USD NPV, at an 8% discount rate;

NPV, at an 8% discount rate; Pre-tax IRR of 55% which represents a payout duration of 2.1 years;

Total capital expenditures ("CAPEX") of $571 million USD inclusive of both direct and indirect capital costs, including $52 million USD in contingency;

inclusive of both direct and indirect capital costs, including in contingency; All-in operating costs ("OPEX") of $3,319 USD per tonne LCE, $40 million USD annually, including all direct and indirect costs;

per tonne LCE, annually, including all direct and indirect costs; 23-year project-life producing a total of 282,090 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate, an average of 12,175 tonnes LCE per year;

Weighted average lithium concentrations of 128 mg/L from 7 target zones over the project life (range of 84 mg/L to 259 mg/L);

PEA encompasses approximately 11,000 net hectares, or 14% of Hub City Lithium's lands in Southern Saskatchewan

Preliminary Economic Assessment Results

Values Production (LCE) 12,175 tonnes/year Project Life 23.2 years Total Capital Cost $571 million USD Average Annual Operating Costs $40 million USD Average Selling Price (LCE) $20,000/tonne USD Pre-Tax Net Present Value (8% discount) $1.493 billion USD After-Tax Net Present Value (8% discount) $1.066 billion USD Cash Operating Costs $3,319 / tonne USD Pre-Tax Internal Rate of Return 55 % After-Tax Internal Rate of Return 45 % Payback Period (Pre-Tax) 2.1 years Payback Period (After-Tax) 2.4 years Profitability Index (PI8% Before-Tax) 3.2 Profitability Index (PI8% After-Tax) 2.3

Rob Gamley, EMP CEO, commented, "We are very pleased with the results of this Preliminary Economic Assessment. With payback in approximately two years, a 23-year project life and a pre-tax IRR of 55%, our Viewfield project is clearly a world class Lithium asset. The PEA study underpins a significant property value and highlights the benefits of excellent brine concentrations, low operating costs and close proximity to local infrastructure in one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world. The outstanding metrics demonstrated in the PEA represents a highly attractive scenario for EMP shareholders and supports the remarkable potential of this project as we quickly move to a commercial pilot."

Project Development

The PEA encompasses 11,000 net hectares of land at Viewfield project area, representing 46% of Hub City Lithium's Viewfield land holdings and only 14% of Hub City Lithium's total land holdings in Southern Saskatchewan.

The development plan employed in the PEA has been broken into three distinct units:

Wellfield: includes all production wellbores, disposal wellbores and pipeline networks. Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE"): includes infrastructure related to pre-filtration and DLE operations. Koch Technology Solutions ("KTS") was the DLE technical partner selected for the PEA. Concentration, Refining and Conversion ("CRC"): includes all infrastructure downstream of DLE required to refine and convert lithium chloride eluent into battery grade LCE. Saltworks Technologies ("Saltworks") was the CRC technical provider selected for the PEA.

Based on production testing and fluid analysis conducted by HCL in 2023 in the Viewfield project area, in addition to publicly available lithium testing throughout the area, it is expected to see lithium grades of 84 mg/L to 259 mg/L in the seven target members of the Duperow within the PEA lands. Over the life of the project, an average weighted concentration of 128 mg/L has been estimated.

Exploitation of the resource will occur in two production stages via multi-leg, horizontal wellbores. All project capital (minus end-of life capex) is allocated at the beginning of the project, with production estimated to commence in Q1 2027.

Stage 1: Wymark C, D and E (Years 1-7) These zones are the shallowest and highest concentration (160 mg/L to 259 mg/L) zones and will be produced first through to depletion Average LCE output during Stage 1 is 18,850 tonnes per year with average OPEX of $2,332 per tonne USD

Stage 2: Wymark A, B and Saskatoon A, B (Years 8 onward) These zones are lower concentration (84 mg/l to 145 mg/L) and will be exploited after depletion of Wymark C, D and E Average LCE output during Stage 2 is 10,200 tonnes per year with average OPEX of $4,166 per tonne USD



Note: A recovery factor of 50% of Total Lithium in Place was estimated for the PEA

A total of 36 multi-leg production wells will be drilled to exploit 7 target members of the Duperow, in addition to 30 vertical disposal wells to dispose of spent brine and process water. A network of underground pipelines will be constructed to transport the large water volumes from the wellheads to a DLE site for extraction and concentration to lithium chloride, and from there the eluent will be transported via pipelines to a CRC site for refining and conversion into battery-grade LCE. A total of five DLE sites and two CRC sites will process a daily average of 62,000 m3/day of brine, resulting in an average output of 12,175 tonnes per year of battery-grade LCE.

Capital Costs

The anticipated capital costs are:

Capital Costs Description Costs (MM USD) Wellfield Infrastructure Wellbores, associated equipment and pipelines $138.9 DLE and Surface Equip Infrastructure (Koch) Pre-filtration and DLE $147.9 CRC and Surface Equip Infrastructure

(Saltworks) Concentration, Refining and

Conversion $232.5 Contingency Applied to direct capital costs $51.9 Total $571.2

Operating Costs

The anticipated operating costs are:

Description Total Annual

Costs (MM

USD) Cost Per

Tonne

LCE (USD) Wellfield Electrical, field personnel,

repair and maintenance,

lease rentals and tax, etc. $13.6 $1,115 DLE and Surface Equip

(Koch) Pre-filtration, electrical, gas,

water, LSS media, field personnel, etc. $8.6 $711 CRC and Surface Equip

(Saltworks) Chemicals, electrical, gas,

field personnel, repair and

maintenance, etc. $18.2 $1,493 Total $40.4 $3,319

Sensitivity Analysis

The economic sensitivities are as follows:

LCE Price (USD/Tonne) After-Tax NPV 8%

(USD Million) After-Tax IRR Base ($20,000) $1,066 45 % Base -20% ($16,000) $728 34 % Base +20% ($24,000) $1,403 56 %

Lithium Pricing and Production

A detailed future pricing study for lithium carbonate was not completed for this PEA. A constant price of $20,000 USD per tonne of battery-grade lithium carbonate was chosen by reviewing publicly available pricing data and peer released economic assessments of similar lithium resources. Certain industry peers have used a constant price of $25,000 USD per tonne LCE in PEAs released over the last 12-months, however in-light of current global pricing for lithium, Hub City Lithium selected a base case of $20,000 per tonne with price sensitivities included at +/-20%.

Taxes and Royalties

The PEA outlines the taxes based on both the Canadian Federal Government and the Province of Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan corporate income tax rate is 12 percent. The basic Canadian Federal Corporate tax rate is 38% of the Company's income and 28% after federal tax abatement. After all tax holidays, the Company's net federal tax rate is 15 Percent, with a total combined tax rate of 27 percent.

The majority of the Viewfield project area is on Crown land and is subject to Crown royalties. Within the Province of Saskatchewan, the Crown royalty rate is estimated at 3%, with a one-year royalty holiday for each facility hub. The balance of the Viewfield project area is subject to freehold royalties which commercial terms vary based on individual lease agreements.

Mineral Resource Estimate Incorporated into PEA

The following sets forth the total inferred resource incorporated into the PEA:

Viewfield Phase 1 Total inferred resource net to Hub City Lithium is 692,288 tonnes LCE

Concentrations in the 7 target zones of the Duperow range from 84 mg/L to 259 mg/L, with a weighted concentration of 128 mg/L

Wymark D tested 259 mg/L, the highest recorded concentration to date in Canada

Viewfield Project Area - Q1 2024 Field Pilot

Subsequent to the press release dated December 5, 2023, Hub City Lithium has completed its Treatability Study ("Study") with Koch Technology Solutions, whereby 1,000 litres of feed brine from the Viewfield project area was tested for compatibility with KTS DLE technology. The Study was done in preparation for a DLE field pilot (one of the first in Canada) on the Hub City Lithium well that previously tested 258 mg/L of Lithium. The pilot, scheduled to begin in Q1 2024, will treat Viewfield brine and convert it into a highly concentrated lithium chloride eluent. It's expected to run for 3 to 4 months and will operate 24/7, processing approximately 6,500 - 9,000 litres of feed brine per day.

Quality Assurance and Qualified Persons

The Preliminary Economic Assessment was prepared by Sproule Associates Limited. ("Sproule") with the assistance of the contractors outlined below. All contractors completing the report are Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101 and are independent of the Company. The National Instrument 43-101 PEA report will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) within 45 days.

Sproule Associates Limited: Sproule is a global energy consulting and advisory firm that helps companies, investors and governments minimize risk and optimize business decisions. Ms. Meghan Klein ("Klein"), P.Eng., is the Sr. Manager Engineering at Sproule and a Qualified Person for the PEA.

Red Tree Exploration Inc. ("Red Tree Exploration"): Red Tree Exploration is an independent Geological consulting company with experience in oil and gas, lithium and helium evaluations. Mr. Trevor Else ("Else"), P.Geo., is a Qualified Person for the PEA and the President of Red Tree Exploration.

Koch Technology Solutions: Koch Technology Solutions is a technology licensing business, a part of Koch Engineered Solutions. KTS creates value for its customers across a growing portfolio of technologies including the polyester value chain, the refining industry and lithium extraction fields. Mr. Marc Egbers ("Egbers"), is a Qualified Person for the PEA and the Director of Li-Pro Direct Lithium Extraction Commercial Solutions with KTS.

Saltworks Technologies: Saltworks is a team of engineers, scientists and builders focused on the innovation, construction and delivery of full-scale systems to treat industrial wastewater and refine lithium into a battery-grade product. Mr. Ben Sparrow ("Sparrow"), P.Eng., is a Qualified Person for the PEA and CEO of Saltworks.

Each of Klein, Else, Egbers and Sparrow are independent Qualified Persons in accordance with NI 43-101 and have reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

PEA Cautionary Note

The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty the estimates presented in the PEA will be realized.

About EMP Metals

EMP Metals is a Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company focused on large scale resources using direct lithium extraction ("DLE"). EMP Metals, in partnership with ROK Resources Inc., currently holds 196,000 net (79,300 hectares) acres of Subsurface Dispositions and strategic wellbores in Southern Saskatchewan. For more information, please go to the Company's website at www.empmetals.com

Abbreviations

Li2CO3 Lithium Carbonate H2O Water Na Sodium Ca Calcium Cl Chlorine SO4 Sulphate Fe Iron Al Aluminum Cu Copper Ni Nickel Wt% Weight Percentage Wppm Weight Parts per Million Mg/l Milligrams per Litre EDITDA Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Depreciation M3 Cubic Meter

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. EMP Metals cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond EMP Metals' control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to EMP Metals' limited operating history, ability to obtain sufficient financing to carry out its exploration and development objectives on its mineral properties, obtaining the necessary permits to carry out its activities and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, EMP Metals undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Alleged victims of political repression in Gambia hailed a landmark day for justice on Monday as former Interior Minister Ousman Sonko stood trial on charges of crimes against humanity committed under the regime of ex-dictator Yahya Jammeh.

Sonko, who denies the accusations, appeared at Switzerland's Federal Criminal Court in the southern city of Bellinzona.

"We have been waiting for this day to happen," former political opponent Demba Dem, one of the plaintiffs, told AFP outside the court.

Sonko's lawyers have asked for the case to be dismissed. The court is not set to respond before 1:00pm (1200 GMT) on Tuesday.

The trial is taking place under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows countries to prosecute alleged crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide regardless of where they were committed.

Sonko is accused by Swiss prosecutors of "having supported, participated in and failed to prevent systematic and generalised attacks as part of the repression carried out by the Gambian security forces against all opponents of the regime".

The charges span from 2000 to 2016 and include nine counts of crimes against humanity.

He is accused of having "deliberately killed, tortured, raped and unlawfully deprived individuals of their liberty in a serious manner".

Dem said: "I want to see those who are accused (of committing) crimes brought to justice."

He said he hoped "justice will be done" and the trial would "serve as a good example to other dictators" and deter atrocities.

- 'Sick to the stomach' -

The proceedings are likely to last a month and a verdict is not expected before March. If convicted, Sonko could face life imprisonment.

Jammeh ruled The Gambia with an iron grip from 1994 to 2016, and Sonko was the West African nation's interior minister from 2006 to 2016.

There are 10 complainants in the case, according to Trial International, a Geneva-based NGO, including eight "direct victims".

The complainant parties arrived together at the court, brandishing signs reading: "Bring Jammeh and his accomplices to justice."

Plaintiff Ramzia Diab, a former lawmaker, said outside court that she was "sick to the stomach".

"I was shocked to hear his defence lawyer saying that Sonko does not accept that Yahya Jammeh was a dictator," she told reporters, welling up.

"It's bringing back all my emotions all over again! Because I was right there. I was tortured. I was molested."

Binta Jamba, a former opponent, was also attending the trial.

"I didn't see the dead body of my husband. I don't know where they buried him," she told journalists.

- Legal landmark -

Sonko, who turns 55 on Tuesday, has been in custody since his arrest in Switzerland in January 2017 after applying for asylum following his sacking.

He was detained after a complaint by Trial International.

Following a six-year criminal investigation, the Swiss attorney general's office indicted Sonko in April 2023.

Trial International says he is the highest-ranking state official ever to be tried in Europe for international crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Alice Autin, of the NGO Human Rights Watch, said the case was "an important step in the search for justice and an end to impunity for everything that took place in The Gambia".

Sonko is accused of committing the alleged crimes first within the army, then as inspector general of the police, and finally as a government minister.

In 2011, Switzerland enshrined into law the right to judge serious crimes alleged to have taken place abroad -- provided that the suspect is on Swiss soil.

Sonko's lawyer Philippe Currat argued Monday that under the principle of non-retroactivity, his client should not be tried for any alleged acts before this date.

He furthermore requested the entire case be dismissed, claiming there had been violations of the fundamental rules of procedure, and sought around 800,000 Swiss francs ($945,000) in reparations for his client.

Sonko, who is set to speak on Tuesday, calmly listened to the discussions on procedural questions, while taking notes.
Just about a half-hour ride north out of Euston station, passing green farms and fields of sheep, one comes to the tiny hamlet of Bletchley Park, Englands super-secret code decryption center.

For history buffs, this WWII operation was like the American Los Alamos with respect to gathering the elite of their nations geniuses in one patch that at its largest girth consisted of over 9,000 individuals working collectively to break the German military codes.

Located within a stones throw from the railway station, the operation looks more like a college campus that is centered around a large Tudor style mansion house, complete with ancient trees and central lake.

Once inside the complex, you see the huts where the code breakers toiled away for millions of man-hours with the onward drive that what they were doing would save the lives of their fellow countrymen. As it is said, the breaking of the Nazi code from work completed at Bletchley led to decisive victories for the Allies and shortened the war by at least two years

Upon entering one of the museum buildings you run smack into a pristine Enigma machine carefully preserved in a glass display case. This was it. The electro-mechanical monster they were trying to replicate and pull its innermost secrets from.

Initially sold as a piece of commercial equipment and found in high end office stores, the Enigma machine allowed messages you wanted to send to be completely turned into code without the possibility of anyone extracting your information  it was that good. Invented before the close of the First World war by Arthur Scherbius, a German electrical engineer, the mechanism consisted of several rotating wired wheels that made electrical contacts to scramble the message as you typed it in letter by letter.

We have all played around with codes as a kid, and the one you usually start off with is the alphabet substitution code. You write a list of the letters in the alphabet and right next to them write another with twenty-six other letters that represent the code. For example, the A in the first column may be represented by an M, the B by a K and so on. These are relatively easy to break because the letter most often used in the English language is a e followed by a, i, r, o, t, and so on.

So, if your coded message contains a lot of Js, you could make the logical assumption that J stands for E. In operation, you would simply type your message in, one letter at a time and in the back of the keyboard a light would illuminate showing you what letter to use in your coded message. But Scherbiuss machine was unique and went a step further. After you typed the letter, a rotor spun one notch in the machine changing all of the letter linkages.

You need a new sheet of paper with different corresponding letters and this continued throughout the entire message. A message such as: Sell all MSFT would look like: TXBD JPF EEWP. Because of the rotor mixing the letter linkages after each push, the possibilities of breaking the code became hopelessly smaller. To make matters worse, there were usually three rotors  each one routing the electrical current differently, and to top it off the signal was sent back through the rotor stack by a reflector device at the end, making the effect double. Naturally, the person at the other end can easily decode your message by setting up the machine in the playback mode, pressing the code message one at a time and recording what lights come on.

The Enigma code machine was thought to be so secure that it was adopted by the German Navy in 1926 and by the German Army several years later. In all 40,000 were in use during the war years. So how did such an onerous code mechanism come to be broken? This is a good story.

The basic idea put forth by Alan Turing, one of the scientists working on the project, was that only a machine could offer the speed in which to break the code. It could never be done by hand as some people started out to do.

One important finding by the Bletchley team was, because of the design reflecting the signal back through the rotors, a letter could never be encrypted to itself. This property was of great help when short sections of plain text found in the ciphertext effectively eliminated the rotor path suggestion (remember at the beginning nobody actually knew the wiring of any of the rotors used, so educated guesses as to the rotor design had to be initially made.

The full story of how the Enigma code was broken at Bletchley is an interesting tale that involves spies, scientists, some good people and some not so good people.

This all happening at the same time the Germans were adding additional rotors to their machines bolstering security, ensuring messages were un-readable.

Although tedious, in the end the work paid off by being able to discover the German U-boat Wolf Pack positions in the Atlantic, breaking the Japanese codes, and helping the Allies to victory by noting German Gen. Erwin Rommels positions and weakness in North Africa.

Also the information of concentrated German positions in western Europe before the Normandy Landings.
Vincent Lurquin talks to us in a relaxed way, not afraid to be frank. A lawyer for 40 years, he first specialised in immigration law, before defending accused persons before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 1999. At the same time, he began a political career at local and regional level in Brussels, first with Ecolo, after the party adopted a clear line in favour of regularising undocumented migrants, and then with DeFI, a party in the center of the Belgian political spectrum.

But while being jovial and bon vivant, the lawyer is pessimistic.

The discussion begins and his speech contrasts with the good humour of this informal meeting at Troisieme Acte, the restaurant below the imposing Brussels courthouse favoured between noon and 2pm by gourmets of the small judicial world. "The investigations conducted by Belgium into crimes committed during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, under the law on universal jurisdiction, are polluted by considerations of a purely political nature," says Lurquin bluntly. "Today, the foreign policy of Paul Kagame [strong man and president of Rwanda for nearly 30 years] hangs over these trials organised in Belgium against presumed genocidaires. The Rwandan justice system is not independent. The problem lies in having an international justice system that cooperates with dictatorial countries."

"A truth chosen by Kigali

As president of the Movement against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia (MRAX), Lurquin travelled to Rwanda in August 1994. "A number of us from various human rights organisations were among the first to go to Rwanda after the genocide. We made it as far as Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but we entered Rwanda via Uganda. There were a million refugees in Goma. It was a struggle for survival. Everyone was running to Goma, and in Rwanda there was no one! My first vision was of the little church in Nyamata [in southern Rwanda]. We pushed open the door and there were hundreds of dead bodies, people who had been dead for weeks. I also saw mass graves still open, full of bodies," he recalls with emotion.

"In the case currently on trial in Brussels, the Belgian examining magistrate did not investigate," he believes. "It was the Rwandan public prosecutor who carried out the investigation and pointed out to the Belgian judge the people to be questioned. And the magistrate went to see these witnesses in the presence of a member of the Rwandan public prosecutor's office. She did not look for defence witnesses. So I don't think it's respectful of the rights of the defence, and it's not respectful of the victims either, to have the truth chosen by Kigali. In trials that matter for history and remembrance, the history must be well written. What we are doing today in these Belgian trials is no longer judging the genocide, but supporting the Kagame regime."

We move closer the telephone which is recording in the noisy environment of conversations and clinking cutlery. "For example, you have witness hearings that are conducted solely in Kinyarwanda, without an interpreter, in the presence of the Belgian examining magistrate, Lurquin continues. How do you expect her to understand anything? These hearings are then transcribed and sent to Belgium, where they are translated into French. It is at this point that the judge knows what the witness has said, without having any opportunity to question them on it. Imagine that! This is nothing more than a semblance of justice.

Nostalgia for international justice

The lawyer sits up and tempers his words. "That doesn't mean that international justice can't work or that we shouldn't continue to judge genocide," he says.

The 64-year-old recalls the years he spent defending accused persons at the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania. There Vincent Lurquin assisted one of the first men prosecuted for the Tutsi genocide, during which at least 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda between April and July 1994. In his view, the fact that the ICTR allowed defence lawyers to investigate on site was a better guarantee of equality of arms between the prosecution and defence.

"My most vivid memory of the ICTR is obviously the first trial I was assigned to, that of Emmanuel Bagambiki, who was prefect of Cyangugu. He was acquitted after eight years of investigation. There the accused had to say on the first day of the trial whether they were pleading guilty or not guilty, then we received a fairly summary indictment, which mentioned in a few words the charges against the accused. After that, the defence and prosecution went their separate ways to gather information. So I travelled around Rwanda for years looking for witnesses. And they came, because we had a real witness protection system. In Belgian trials, the few defence witnesses travel on the same plane as the prosecution witnesses and stay in the same hotel," he tells us.

Lurquin also found himself "on the other side of the looking glass", as he puts it, when in 2007 he was given responsibility for legal representation of the victims in the Democratic Republic of Congos Ituri conflict before the International Criminal Court (ICC). It was a "quite extraordinary" experience, he says, but not one that he wanted to prolong. "I found it interesting to include the victims in the judicial debate, which was not the case at the ICTR, but then you had to include them at all levels of the proceedings. I didn't have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, for example, or to give information I had gathered that was different from the prosecutors," he explains. "I also remember raising the idea of being able to ask not just for individual reparations but also for reparations for the community, such as rebuilding schools, which I believe is essential if we are to move towards reconciliation, but that was not possible.

Father-daughter partnership, a new dynamic

So what can still motivate a criminal lawyer, committed to the defence of human rights but somewhat disillusioned, to continue his work in proceedings that he no longer considers effective and fair?

"What motivates me is my daughter," confides this leading member of the Brussels bar.

At the Place Poelaert courthouse, it is increasingly common to see father and daughter side by side. The duo of Vincent and Juliette Lurquin made their debut in a landmark trial in 2022 and 2023, defending a Rwandan accused in the Brussels bombings trial, and then went on to defend Seraphin Twahirwa. When told that the young trainee lawyer is lucky to have the benefit of her father's experience, Vincent Lurquin laughs. "I have to admit that I'm the lucky one to have her. I'm 64, after all," he points out. "In any case, I can see that she has the humanity needed to defend someone accused of the worst crimes.

Above all, the lawyer feels a duty after what he saw in Rwanda. "It's extremely important to remember all that. We need justice for reconciliation," he says. "Judicial language should be listened to by politicians, because politicians sometimes do exactly the opposite of what we do when we try to dispense justice. That's another reason why I think the people's jury is important when we have problems that affect humanity so closely. Citizens listen to everyone, whereas professional judges no longer do. Juries can judge crimes against humanity, because this humanity is common to everyone. We are dealing with the problem of absolute evil. Jurors realise that we are not judging genocide but people. They say to themselves: 'how would I have reacted? -- something that professional judges no longer ask themselves. I think that we must continue to dispense justice in universal jurisdiction trials, but that it is a complicated form of justice."

A quick look at the time. We've gone over schedule. Lurquin has ignored the ringing on his mobile, but this time he gets up and puts on his jacket. "I've got a client waiting for me at the prison," he says apologetically.
Jisoo will reportedly make her comeback as she gears for for a new project.

BLACKPINK Jisoo Starts Working on Her Comeback Drama 'Influenza'

BLACKPINK Jisoo became a trending topic on SNS after the idol-actress was spotted filming in Seoul. It has been said that she is filming the new zombie-themed series "Influenza."

Jisoo was spotted filming today  Our actress Jisoo  pic.twitter.com/6Ohgv5kI94  For Kim Jisoo (@forkimjisoo95) January 8, 2024

On January 8, a fan spotted BLACKPINK Jisoo while in the middle of filming at a nearby neighborhood in Seoul.

It has been said that the actress was filming "Influenza," a novel-based series of the same name, in which the story revolves around soldier Jaeyoon and his girlfriend Yeongju, who, having just informed of their breakup, find themselves in a survival mood against a zombie attack within Seoul's high-rise building civil defense unit.

According to the source, Park Jung Min will take the role of Jaeyoon, while Jisoo is Yeongju.

Once details about the series are confirmed including the cast and its release date, "Influenza" marks Jisoo's comeback to the small screen following her debut series "Snowdrop."

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: BLACKPINK Jisoo Dating 2023: Is Ahn Bo Hyun Her Ideal Type?

This is already gaining anticipation from the fans and viewers as they are excited to watch the actress in a new series and see what improvements she has for her much-awaited return.

BLACKPINK Jisoo Aims to Be Better

On January 4, the idol-actress appeared as a guest on Hyeri's YouTube channel. She was Hyeri's first guest on the new content that the "Reply 1988" star prepared. At that time, the two exchanged stories about their careers and mostly about their personal lives.

Since it's a new year, they talked about the things they want to do for the rest of 2024.

Jisoo humbly and honestly said, "For me, I want to do better than her' or ' I want to be like her,' I don't often have these thoughts. I only look at myself. I should do better than my past self."

Furthermore, you can see more of Jisoo's solo activities through her social media accounts as she is also busy working as a brand ambassador for a huge fashion luxury brand Dior. She became the official global ambassador of Dior in 2021, after working with the brand's beauty line since 2019.

She's also busy attending fashion shows, galas, and other exclusive events about the brand.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 Hallyu Happenings That Shook 2023: Ahn Bo Hyun & Jisoo Romance, Ryu Jun Yeol & Hyeri Split, More!

What can you say about BLACKPINK Jisoo's next drama appearance? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
"Alienoid 2" cast Kim Tae Ri and Ryu Jun Yeol took a trip down memory lane as they recalled the first time they'd met each other.

While some had unforgettable first encounters, the actress revealed that she had a bad first impression of the "Reply 1988" star.

In an episode on PD Na Young Seok's YouTube channel, "Alienoid 2," cast Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Tae Ri, and Kim Woo Bin dished on their first encounter with each other and experiences filming the movie.

Here's What Happened to Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Tae Ri's First Encounter

"Alienoid" is Kim Tae Ri and Ryu Jun Yeol's second project together. The first is back in 2018, when they headlined the drama film "Little Forest" with Jin Ki Joo, Moon So Ri, and more.

According to Kim Tae Ri, she had a hard time connecting with Ryu Jun Yeol when they first met.

"Everything he said seemed like a lie to me. It made me curious. I thought Ryu Jun Yeol was hiding behind a mask and was determined to find out what was behind it one day," she added, causing laughter among cast members and PD Na.

READ MORE: Kim Tae Ri Reveals Process She Went Through Before Her Major Hair Transformation

However, Ryu Jun Yeol explained his side and pointed out their differences.

"At first, she asked me some questions. Since we both debuted around the same time, we had similar concerns and made the same mistakes."

The actor also mentioned that after he and Kim Tae Ri spent time together and talked a lot, this is where they realized how different their personalities were.

While Ryu Jun Yeol described himself as someone who is "pretty laid-back" and "rarely gets nervous," his "Alienoid 2" co-star is different, adding that she "has a lot on her mind."

Interestingly, this is where the actor recalled the time he unintentionally annoyed the actress.

"Kim Tae Ri later told me she was quite annoyed after talking to me for the first time. I remember her telling me, 'I'm nervous about doing this. Don't you feel the same way?' and I replied, 'But why? Isn't it simply a matter of following these steps?'"

Instead of explaining her side, the award-winning actress corrected Ryu Jun Yeol and said that it was the way he said it that bothered her.

"It felt like you were saying, 'There's nothing in this world that can make me anxious,'" she shared, adding that the actor was giving off a different vibe at the time.

'Alienoid 2' Cast & Release Date

After the success of the movie's Part 1, Kim Tae Ri, Ryu Jun Yeol, and Kim Woo Bin reprised their roles in "Alienoid 2."

Joining a mix of returning and new cast members, the sequel includes Honey Lee, So Ji Sub, Yeom Jung Ah, Kim Eui Sung, and more.

Following the high anticipation from viewers, fans got to see "Alienoid 2" in theaters on January 10.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Kim Tae Ri Reveals to Have More Affectionate Scenes With Ryu Jun Yeol in 'Alienoid 2'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Ji Chang Wook is beginning the year with a jam-packed schedule as the South Korean hearthrob stars in the new drama "The Mantis."

From his back-to-back K-dramas in 2023, viewers will get to see the 36-year-old actor in an upcoming series.

Ji Chang Wook Selected to Headline 'The Mantis'

In an exclusive report cited by Ten Asia, Ji Chang Wook plays one of the lead stars in "The Mantis."

The drama is a remake of the 2017 French drama with the same title that focuses on a serial murder case.

READ MORE: Ji Chang Wook Reveals True Feeling After Being Labeled as 'King of Rom-Com'

The incidents mimic those of a woman who was imprisoned for being a serial killer a long time ago.

Ji Chang Wook's new drama will be produced by Merry Christmas and is looking into starting production anytime this year.

Meanwhile, Ji Chang Wook teams up with Go Hyun Jung, who was initially offered to play the female lead.

Back in November 2023, the actress' agency, IOK Company, announced that the actress was courted to headline the upcoming drama series and is "currently reviewing and discussing the offer."

Following the news about the actor, Ji Chang Wook's agency, has responded and clarified that the actor declined the casting offer due to schedule conflicts.

What's Next for Ji Chang Wook?

In 2024, Ji Chang Wook stars in multiple K-dramas, which only means that fans will get to see more of the actor as he plays various characters.

Among the many lineup projects for the South Korean hearthrob is the drama series "Sculpture City."

Directed by Kim Chang Ju of "Hard Hit" and penned by Oh Sang Ho, the genius behind "Taxi Driver" seasons 1 and 2, and "Fabricated City," the upcoming series also stars Doh Kyungsoo.

The series depicts the story of a man who used to live an ordinary and simple life; however, things changed after an incident that made things turn into hell.

This is where he meets the villain, who manipulates individuals and sculpts real hell into people's lives.

In addition to Ji Chang Woo's list of K-dramas is the crime drama "Bulk" with Ha Yoon Kyung and Jo Woo Jin.

Furthermore, fans get to see the actors in the historical K-drama "Queen Woo," Kim Moo Yeol, Jeon Jong Seo Jung Yoo Mi, and Lee Soo Hyuk.

Taking place in Goguryeo, Ji Chang Wook transforms into King Go Nam Moo, who married Woo Hee, who is set to become the first woman in history to become queen twice.

Meanwhile, versatile actor Kim Moo Yeol takes on the role of Prime Minister Eul Pa So,, who becomes the king's trusted advisor

"Celebrity" actress Jung Yumi plays the queen'ssister, WooSSun,n while Lee Soo Hyuk will be the drama's villain as he portrays the violent Prince Go Bal Ki.

As of this writing, drama officials have yet to confirm the show's schedule, but fans are looking forward to seeing Ji Chang Wook as a King.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Ji Chang Wook Replaces Cha Eun Woo in Upcoming K-drama 'Bulk'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
In a recent development, actor Ji Chang-wook has opted out of the upcoming drama 'Praying Mantis' citing scheduling conflicts.

A spokesperson from his agency, Spring Company, confirmed the news, stating that although Ji Chang-wook was approached for the project, he had to decline due to an incompatible schedule.

'Praying Mantis': A Thrilling Tale of Imitation and Murder

'Praying Mantis' unfolds as a gripping thriller, revolving around a woman imprisoned for her connection to a past serial killer.

The plot takes an intense turn when a mysterious figure begins replicating her actions, initiating a new series of murders.

This domestic remake of the French drama of the same name gained attention upon its Netflix release in December 2017.

YOU MIGHT ALSO INTERESTED IN: My Demon Records Its Lowest Viewership Rating Ahead of Finale

Earlier Reports Debunked: Clarification on 'Praying Mantis' Casting Rumors

Contrary to earlier reports by Ten Asia, which suggested Ji Chang-wook's confirmed casting in 'Praying Mantis,' the official statement from Spring Company dismisses such claims.

This clarification puts an end to speculations surrounding the actor's involvement in the thriller, leaving fans curious about the casting choices for this highly anticipated drama.

Initial reports hinted at Go Hyun-jung being considered for the lead role in the Korean adaptation of 'The Mantis.'

Co-produced by Merry Christmas and Mega Monster, the series is poised to commence full-scale production within the year.

Ji Chang-wook's Rising Stature

Ji Chang-wook's recent acclaim for his role in the JTBC drama 'Welcome to Samdali' has positioned him as a sought-after talent.

Portraying Cho Yong-pil, a charismatic bad weather forecaster at the Jeju Meteorological Administration, Ji Chang-wook has garnered favorable reviews for infusing warmth, emotion, and excitement into the character.

As he steps into the lead of 'Praying Mantis,' fans are eager to witness his versatility in navigating the complexities of this thrilling tale.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Welcome to Samdali's' Sensational Surge  Jo Yoon-seo & Han Eun-seong's Jaw-Dropping 9.8% Record

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Michelle Williams.
A Palestinian boy displaced by the Israeli bombardment plays with an umbrella outside a makeshift tent in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2023. Two Palestinian sisters in Newfoundland are among families across Canada applying for a limited number of special visas they hope will rescue their loved ones from the Israel-Hamas war. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Hatem Ali
LAS VEGAS  A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot in Nevada over Trumps role in the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising after the judge found the Texas man who filed the case lacked standing to do so.

U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, cited other federal district court decisions, including those in New Hampshire and South Florida, to reject similar cases filed by John Anthony Castro. Castro, 40, is a longshot Republican presidential candidate who has filed lawsuits to remove Trump from the ballot in multiple states under the argument that Trump is ineligible under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Courts have found that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit, Navarro wrote, citing evidence that Castro is running for office simply to pursue these lawsuits against Trump.

Navarro pointed to a Castro quote in an Associated Press article, in which he stated, Im not going to lie and pretend my candidacy is anything more than trying to enforce the United States Constitution, and thats what Im here to do.

Castro filed to run in the states presidential primary, while Trump is running in the Nevada GOPs presidential caucus.

Navarro declined to rule on the merits of Castros argument, though one court has done so as Trump challengers have pursued similar lawsuits in dozens of states. Castro's suit appears to be the only one in Nevada making such an argument.

Most notably, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled last month that Trump is disqualified from being president under the 14th Amendment, a Civil War-era provision that bars from office any person who engaged in insurrection or rebellion after taking the oath of office.

Trump has appealed that decision, and the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case on Feb. 8, the same day as the Nevada GOP caucus.
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas issued a carefully-worded statement in response to an online column posted by Coun. Ron Cannan. Neither man said quite what they're widely believed to have said, Courier columnist Ron Seymour observes.
Sophomore biochemistry major excels at Kennesaw State

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 9, 2024

RaNya Malone The combination of a high school English essay assignment, a love of science and having an aunt who is a scientist led RaNya Malone to major in biochemistry at Kennesaw State University.

For that high school essay assignment, Malone needed to interview someone in a career that interested her. She always admired her aunt, Sparkle Malone, who earned her doctorate in environmental science from the University of Alabama. When RaNya asked her for a recommendation, the elder Malone recommended her former classmate, KSUs assistant professor of chemistry Carl Saint-Louis.

That conversation led to RaNya enrolling in KSU, and in just three semesters, she has already made an impact. She joined Saint-Louis laboratory her first semester, she has co-authored a published paper in a prestigious journal, she spent summer 2023 in a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates, and she has presented her research at KSUs Symposium of Student Scholars.

There are so many opportunities here at Kennesaw State, and I want to take advantage of them, she said. I feel like Ive found a home in Dr. Saint-Louis lab and here at KSU.

Saint-Louis pointed out several traits Malone has that make her a brilliant addition to the undergraduate and graduate students working in his group.

Shes incredibly curious, very humble, a very hard worker, and shes a leader now, Saint-Louis said. Now that other chemistry students have seen an underclassman have success in the lab, I have other freshmen and sophomores seeking opportunities.

Those opportunities extend beyond the College of Science and Mathematics complex on KSUs campus. Malone conducted research in fluorescent spectroscopy, which is the process by which the chemicals that infuse LED screens are made, in the Saint-Louis lab. Positive results from that research helped Saint-Louis own work, and the professor presented the study at a conference at Georgia State University.

In attendance at the conference was Tomoyasu Mani, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Connecticut who hosts undergraduate researchers each summer under a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). Impressed with the research, Mani encouraged Saint-Louis to persuade Malone to apply for the experience.

Months later, Saint-Louis gave a chemistry presentation at Alabama, hosted by professor of chemistry Ryan Summerspresenting Malones research and again impressing a scientist with a research opportunity. Ultimately, Malone had two summer REU opportunities, and spent Summer 2023 at UConn for 10 weeks, working on Manis research and learning more about how a laboratory works.

To my knowledge she is the first KSU freshman to have a single funded REU opportunity let alone two, Saint-Louis said. And she was part of a cohort of five students out of hundreds who applied. These opportunities are usually reserved for upperclassmen, so what she has already accomplished is truly impressive.

Malone admitted she felt a little overwhelmed at first in the UConn lab, but she channeled her curiosity and absorbed as much information as she could. Her task involved synthesizing molecules for studies in physical chemistry, which she has applied to her ongoing work in the Saint-Louis lab.

Malone said chemistry just made sense to her the first time she encountered it in high school. After chatting initially with Saint-Louis, she knew she wanted to make it her academic focus at Kennesaw State. Now, she sees even more chemistry in her futureanother REU this summer and next, a Ph.D. after graduation in 2026, and a career in pharmaceuticals.

Chemistry is important to me because its a subject that resonates with my curiosity about the world, she said. The applications of chemistry are everywhere, from the pharmaceuticals that improve our health to the materials shaping our daily environment. I see chemistry as not just a subject of study but a key to unlocking solutions and making a positive impact on the world around us.

 By Dave Shelles

Photos by Matt Yung

Related Stories

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - Former Defence Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa, has been accused of being a deadbeat father by a Congolese lady.

The aggrieved lady wrote to blogger Cyprian Nyakundi and alleged that she sired a kid with the former CS when she was living in Kenya and since they parted ways in 2003, he has never supported his child.

She has been desperately looking for him in vain for years.

When she got his phone number recently, she called him to ask for financial support.

Wamalwa reportedly lied to her that he will communicate and then switched off his phone.

She alleges that their child is yet to join school due to lack of fees.

Check out her message to Cyprian Nyakundi.
CARSON CITY  The Nevada State Republican Party on Friday agreed to drop a lawsuit against the state that had sought to stop next months presidential preference primary  ending a monthslong legal battle and ensuring both the state-run primary and the party-run caucus will be held in early February.

Nevada lawmakers created the new primary system in 2021, but the state GOP argued in an initial filing last May that the law would prevent party leaders from opting for the states existing caucus model in 2024. A Carson City District Court judge sided against the party in July, ruling that both a primary and caucus could move forward under the law.

State party Chair Michael McDonald said in July the lawsuit was intended to avoid confusing voters and wasting taxpayer dollars on a primary election that would not count toward Nevadas delegate count for the Republican nomination.

The party filed an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court in August, but it was never heard. Attorneys representing the state and Nevada Republican Party filed the joint stipulation to dismiss the appeal last week.

Reached by phone on Monday, attorney and Republican National Committeewoman Sigal Chattah  who represented the state GOP on the case  argued the district court ruling was not a loss, because it still allowed the party to decide to bind its delegates through the caucus, rather than the primary.

Last year, the party decided to continue its case, Chattah said, because first and foremost, the [presidential primary] is a waste of money.

Why is the Nevada taxpayer going to be on the hook for a primary that is completely irrelevant? Chattah said.

However, she declined to explain the timing of the partys decision to drop the lawsuit last week, just one month before the scheduled primary, citing confidential settlement discussions.

A spokesperson for Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

The state-run primary will continue as scheduled on Feb. 6, while the party-run caucus will occur Feb. 8.

The proximity of the two contests has created ongoing confusion within the party rank and file, as voters receiving primary ballots have questioned why major candidates  including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both caucus participants  are not included.

Separately, the competing caucus and primary processes have drawn intraparty criticism, amid charges from Trump opponents that the rules surrounding the caucus were designed to favor the former president. That criticism has largely centered on a rule barring super PACs from participating in the caucus itself  a blow that would have an outsized effect on DeSantis, who has relied heavily on a pair of outside super PACs to buoy his campaign in early primary states.

The caucus also came under fire from Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who called the confusion over the dueling contests, and their separate pools of candidates, unacceptable.

In addition to Trump and DeSantis, other caucus candidates include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and pastor Ryan Binkley.

On the state-run primary ballot, which will not count for delegates, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only major candidate remaining who has not suspended their campaign. She will appear alongside former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as well four, little-known long-shot candidates, John Anthony Castro, Heath Fulkerson, Hirsh Singh and Donald Kjornes.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative, Gladys Shollei, has promised to assist President William Ruto in weeding out corrupt cartels at the Judiciary.

Speaking on Sunday at AIC Sugutek in Soy Constituency, Shollei said she will ensure the Executive speaks the same language as the Judiciary.

Seeking the Head of State's confidence, Shollei reminded Ruto that she has never failed him, adding that his policies will pass seamlessly.

"I shall begin to work on it.

It will never happen again.

I will not tell you what we'll do with them, but we shall deal with the ignorance of the Judiciary.

I have never failed you, and I will not fail you on this one.

So take heart that it shall be done, and your policies shall pass," she said

Shollei spoke a week after President William Ruto breathed fire at the Judiciary accusing it of being used by corruption cartels to sabotage Government agenda.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General, Wilson Sossion, has broken his silence after a great number of students failed to perform well in the KCSE 2023 exams.

Only 22.27% (201, 133 candidates out of 899, 453 candidates) qualified to get the minimum qualification (C+) of direct entry to university.

In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Sossion expressed concerns over majority of candidates scoring Ds and Es, urging the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to invest in employing qualified teachers without categorizing schools under national, Extra County, county or sub-county.

Invest in teachers for every school; not national schools but all schools without categorization because that is promoting discrimination and inequity.

A school is a school and that school must have a qualified teacher in the classroom all the time, he said.

If you check the schools that have posted As, they have gone the extra mile to hire BoM teachers.

Tenwek High School; out of the 100 teachers in the staffroom, 50 teachers are employed by the BoM, he further said.

Sossion also urged TSC to reward teachers who have performed well so that they can be motivated further.

How many teachers have we seen being rewarded for doing well?

The President has reinstated both direct and indirect promotions.

I would expect that TSC lays out a plan so that teachers who have done well are motivated.

Quality report and review of every schools performance, he said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Tuesday, January 9, 202 4- Akothee has described her Swiss ex-husband, Denis Schwezier alias Omosh, as a serial liar.

Akothees children, specifically her eldest daughter, Vesha, had earlier figured out that Omosh was a liar and even warned her.

Vesha noted that Omosh was delusional and warned her mother.

However, she chose to ignore the red flags.

Omosh would reportedly manipulate Akothee and one time, he took control of her social media accounts.

After their lavish wedding and honeymoon, she came to learn that his ex-girlfriend had taken her own life in 2019.

He was such a liar. So my children figured him out earlier.

So Vesha told me mum, your guy is delusional. This guy is delusional.

When he wanted to manipulate me, we got out of honeymoon and we came to Kenya then he went to Switzerland.

Thats when things unfolded. I learnt his girlfriend committed su**** in 2019, Akothee said.

When I asked him he gave excuses. He claimed he is not the problem and blamed the women he has dated in the past, Akothee added.

Akothee parted ways with Omosh a few months after their lavish wedding which was attended by prominent figures among them Raila Odingas wife, Mama Ida.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Tuesday, January 9, 2024  Former US President, Donald Trump has asked that the criminal conspiracy case against him in Georgia be thrown out, arguing that he is protected from prosecution under presidential immunity.

Trumps immunity claims in the Georgia case, filed on Monday, January 8 as part of a motion to dismiss state-level criminal charges against the former president, are similar to those argued by his defense team in the federal election subversion case.

The indictment in this case charges President Trump for acts that lie at the heart of his official responsibilities as President. The indictment is barred by presidential immunity and should be dismissed with prejudice, the motion filed by Trumps lawyer in the Georgia case reads.

Trump's lawyers have repeatedly asserted that Trump was working in his official capacity as president when he allegedly undermined the 2020 election results and therefore has immunity.

Trumps attorney argues that the specific acts in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indictment lie squarely within the outer perimeter of the Presidents official duties.

The official duties claimed by Trump's legal team includes Trumps public statements about the administration of the 2020 election, communicating with the Justice Department about investigations related to the election and urging the Vice President and Members of Congress to exercise their official responsibilities consistent with the Presidents view of the public good.

Organizing slates of electors in furtherance of that effort to have Congress exercise its responsibilities falls within the Presidents official duties as well, Trumps lawyer argues.

As such, Trumps indictment in both the Georgia and federal case are unconstitutional because presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts unless they are impeached and convicted by the US Senate.

Steve Sadow, lead counsel for Trump in the Fulton County case, also noted in a statement they previously sought to dismiss the case on First Amendment grounds, which the courts havent yet decided.

On Tuesday, the DC US Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments by attorneys for Trump and special counsel Jack Smith over the same two claims of immunity, a hearing Trump himself is set to attend.

Fulton County prosecutors said they want the trial to begin in early August 2024, which could potentially be directly in the middle of Trumps presidential election campaign if he wins the Republican nomination.

Trumps legal team is invoking the supremacy clause of the US Constitution to try to shield him from criminal prosecution in Georgia.

In court filings, Trumps team argues the state-level justice system cant interfere with federal duties. This argument, if successful, could further expand the protections around the presidency, even more so than what Trump argues related to protections he believes he should have under presidential immunity.

The Supreme Court has held that states cannot use their criminal law to interfere with actions that are inseparably connected to the functioning of the national government. There can be no doubt that the election of the President of the United States is so connected to the function of the national government, his attorneys wrote.

Trumps legal team also filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him on double jeopardy grounds, saying that the indictment should be dismissed because he was already impeached and tried in the Senate, where he was acquitted for his role in the January 6, 2021, riots.

Also, Trumps lawyers argue the Georgia case should be dismissed on due process grounds, claiming the former president lacked fair notice that his baseless claims about widespread election fraud could be criminalized.

Our country has a longstanding tradition of forceful political advocacy regarding widespread allegations of fraud and irregularities in a long list of Presidential elections throughout our history, therefore, President Trump lacked fair notice that his advocacy in the instance of the 2020 Presidential Election could be criminalized, Trumps lawyers write

Due process bars courts from applying a novel construction of a criminal statute to conduct that neither the statute nor any prior judicial decision has fairly disclosed to be within its scope, they added


Tuesday, January 9, 2024  There has been an explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.

Authorities and other law enforcement personnel raced to the scene of the gas explosion after the first call came in at 3:32p.m on Jan. 8.

Emergency responders have declared a mass casualty incident.

At least 21 are reported to have been injured.

Footage from the scene shows windows blown out and a possible floor collapse in the interior of the hotel located at 810 Houston Street.

Numerous witnesses have reported hearing the explosion miles away. Police are urging everyone to avoid the area.

Public Information Officer for the Fort Worth Police Department, J. Pollozani said 21 people were injured. Pollozani said one patient is critical and four were seriously injured.

According to FWFD, 19 patients were treated on the scene, one took themselves to a hospital and there are not any deceased officials are aware of at this time.

Three of those injured were employees of Musume, the restaurant inside the Sandman Hotel.

The hotel was operational at the time of the explosion and there were 26 rooms occupied.

Watch a video from the scene below.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024  A Russian war journalist has been found dead after vowing to release new details of 'gigantic corruption' in the Vladimir Putin-invaded Ukrainian city Mariupol.

The body of Alexander Rybin, 39, was discovered by a roadside near Shakhty, in Russia's Rostov region, on Saturday, January 6.

Rybin reportedly died after a visit to occupied Mariupol in which his on-air report criticised the Putin regime for its slowness in rebuilding the war-blitzed city which the dictator sees as a holiday location for Russians on the Azov Sea.

The reporter revealed an influx of immigrants to undertake the reconstruction and a huge money pumped in from Russia. He also slammed the 'gigantic corruption', and vowed to reveal more details in a live broadcast on left-wing online outlet Rabkor after returning to Moscow. Sadly, he never got back to the capital.

According to Mail Online, he was found dead on a highway near the city of Shakhty, which sits around 20 miles from the Ukrainian border and 130 miles from Mariupol.

The city was fully captured by Moscow's forces on May 20, 2022, when the last Ukrainian troops, who had hunkered down in the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, surrendered to the invading army.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - President William Ruto is getting desperate and petty if a statement issued by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Communications Chief, Philip Etale, is anything to go by.

In a statement to Kenyans on Tuesday, Etale said that the Interior Ministry has written disciplinary letters to Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs who met Kisii County Governor, Simba Arati.

This is serious, I thought the Constitution says the National Govt and County Government are interdependent under Article 6 (2).

Chiefs meeting Governor Simba Arati has become a crime, Etale lamented on his X handle.

One of the Chiefs who requested anonymity, confirmed receipt of the letter from the Interior Ministry and wondered why they are opposed to local administrators attending the Governors development meetings.

The chief said the meeting they attended was about development matters like the mass distribution of mosquito nets and bursary disbursement.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Tuesday, January 9, 2024  South Korea's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday to ban the eating and selling of dog meat, a move that will end the controversial centuries-old practice amid growing support for animal welfare.

The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote in a move hailed as 'history in the making' by activists.

'This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals,' the legislation reads.

Breeding, selling, and slaughtering dogs for their meat will be punishable by up to three years in prison or 30 million won (18,000) in fines under the new law, which will come into effect after a three-year grace period.

Some angry dog farmers said they plan to file a constitutional appeal and launch rallies in protest.

Dog meat consumption, a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula, is neither explicitly banned nor legalised in South Korea.

Eating dog meat was once seen as a way to improve stamina in the humid Korean summer. But the practise has become rare and largely limited to some older people and specific restaurants as more Koreans consider dogs as family pets and as criticism of how the dogs are slaughtered has grown.

Activists say most dogs are electrocuted or hanged when slaughtered for meat, though breeders and traders argue there has been progress in making the slaughtering more humane.

Recent surveys show more people want its ban and a majority of South Koreans don't eat dog meat any longer. But the surveys also indicated one in every three South Koreans still oppose the ban even though they don't eat dog meat.

The government would offer assistance to farmers and others in the industry for shutting down their businesses or shifting to alternatives. Details of outlawing the industry would be worked out among government officials, farmers, experts, and animal rights activists, according to the bill.

Humane Society International called the legislation's passage 'history in the making.'

'I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea, but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement,' said JungAh Chae, executive director of HSI's Korea office.

The legislation left farmers extremely upset and frustrated.

'This is a clear state violence as they're infringing upon freedom of occupational option. We can't just sit idly,' said Son Won Hak, a farmer and leader of a farmers' association.

Son said dog farmers will file a petition to the constitutional court and launch rallies in protest. He said farmers will meet Wednesday to discuss other future steps.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has joined his boss, President William Ruto, in attacking the Judiciary after it delivered some rulings that are unfavourable to the Kenya Kwanza Alliance Government.

Speaking in Nandi County during the Tinderet Barngetuny Mountain Run on Sunday, Gachagua faulted the Judiciary for constantly issuing rulings that have affected Government operations.

Gachagua particularly faulted judges for suspending the State's Affordable Housing and Social Health Fund programmes saying the judges are suspending it because they have better alternatives than ordinary Kenyans.

"Why are these people stopping the President from helping ordinary Kenyans without houses or jobs?

These judges should know that they are also Kenyans and they should not live in Utopia," he stated.

According to Gachagua, the judges should be alive to the situation the country finds itself in.

He argued that Kenyans want the Government to implement the Housing Levy to create affordable houses and jobs for the youth.

Gachagua remarked that the Judiciary was oblivious of Kenyans' needs leading to them ruling against the Government.

The Kenyan DAILY POST


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - A man who works for a leading technology company in Nairobi has been found dead, days after he went missing under mysterious circumstances in his home village of Chepkosom, Elgeyo border.

Nicolas Kipruto (nicknamed Kap Arap Mutai), an employee of Lauser Technologies, was last seen by his sister and wife on Wednesday, January 3rd, around midnight.

His friends dropped him off at his home, only for him to vanish.

Kiprutos sister said she heard the sound of his Probox car being parked, went to greet him, and then woke up his wife to welcome him.

However, when they returned to the parking lot, they found that Nicolas had vanished, leaving behind his phone and shoes.

His friends, who had left on a motorbike, claimed they did not see him leave the compound and had no idea where he could have gone.

It is believed that his friends drove him home in his Probox because he was heavily intoxicated and left shortly after, only for him to disappear mysteriously.

He left his phone behind and disappeared while bare footed.

Kiprutos body was found floating at Chepkosom dam, 300 metres from his home, 7 days after he went missing.




President Vo Van Thuong (R) and Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly Rosen Dimitrov Jeliazkov. (Photo: VNA)

At a reception for the Speaker in Hanoi on January 8, President Vo Van Thuong believed that the visit will generate an impetus to bolster the Vietnam-Bulgaria traditional ties and mark a significant milestone for the beginning of celebrations for the 75th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties in 2025, thus elevating the bilateral relations to a new height.

Jeliazkov, for his part, informed the host about his successful talks with Chairman of the Vietnamese NA Vuong Dinh Hue. He wished that both sides would actively carry out existing cooperation mechanisms, including meetings of the Vietnam-Bulgaria Inter-Governmental Committee.

Expressing a desire for collaboration with Vietnam in trade, investment, national defence and security, he noted that the Bulgarian delegation had paid working trips to several Vietnamese localities and found out that there remains untapped potential of cooperation between the two countries localities, especially in economy and people-to-people exchanges.

He also welcomed Vietnam's initiative to send Vietnamese language teachers to Bulgaria.

The Speaker wished that Vietnam would serve as a bridge to facilitate cooperation between Bulgaria and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as between ASEAN and the European Union (EU).

In reply, President Vo Van Thuong affirmed that Vietnam always values its relationship with Bulgaria. He took this occasion to thank the European country for training thousands of Vietnamese students, experts and skilled workers in various fields; supporting Vietnam in the ratification of agreements with the EU, including the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement just before NA Chairman Hues visit to Bulgaria in September 2023; in multilateral and bilateral mechanisms; and in Vietnams bid for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 tenure.

He wished that both sides would further step up foreign political relations, including holding more regular exchanges of parliamentarians to share professional experience as well as locality-to-locality exchange activities.

The Vietnamese leader proposed Jeliazkov and the Bulgarian NA continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals living and working in the country. Additionally, he urged Bulgaria to back and push forward the European Commission (EC)s removal of yellow card warning against Vietnams seafood products.

He also suggested continued collaboration and sharing of visions on global and regional issues, and urged the Bulgarian NA to support Vietnam and ASEAN's stance on settling disputes through peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight; raising voices and calling on parties concerned to fully and seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), negotiate and build a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is practical, effective and in accordance with international law.

The host and guest agreed to direct agencies of both countries to actively step up bilateral cooperation activities, leading up to the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025./.


Tuesday, January 9, 2024 - Controversial televangelist, Victor Kanyari, has narrated how his baby sister, Starlet Wahu, met her death at an Airbnb in South B, Nairobi.

Wahu, who was a socialite, was stabbed by her lover identified as John Matara who is already in police custody.

Speaking during his Sunday sermon, Kanyari said Wahu met Matara online and they decided to have a relationship.

Kanyari said Matara convinced Wahu that he was wealthy and the sister had an undying appetite for men with money (filthy rich men).

When they began dating, the man invited her out for drinks and a meal, he told her that he was very rich.

Nowadays girls love rich men, so when she saw he is rich and she is a socialite, they go to a certain club, they then rent a house later for the night," Kanyari said.

Kanyaris statement is a confirmation that the late Wahu loved rich men like many ladies in Kenya and they are often referred to as gold diggers.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
The Democratic Party president-general who doubles as the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, has pledged to continue pushing for a national dialogue and promotion of human rights this year.

He made the remarks while speaking to the media on Tuesday at the party headquarters in Kampala.

Mao boasted of his achievements in 2023 both as DP president and minister, noting that he set the agenda for the country and that all stakeholders are calling for a national dialogue.

He said that it is through a national dialogue that several unanswered questions that Ugandans need clarity about will be addressed.

Mao also revealed that in February, he will present a National Action Plan on Human Rights to the Cabinet.

He vowed to work hard as Justice minister to ensure that each constituency in the country gets a magistrate to reduce case backlog in courts to enable timely justice for the victims.
VALLETTA, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Institute on Ageing, United Nations - Malta (INIA) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) online with China's Henan University of Chinese Medicine (HUCM) to foster collaboration in the field of ageing training.

According to the MoU, the two sides will work together to establish a training center of the INIA in Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province.

At the signing ceremony, INIA Director Marvin Formosa expressed optimism about the partnership, highlighting the institute's longstanding amicable relationship with China and its established collaborations with various Chinese governmental organizations and research institutions.

He said that the INIA has trained a large number of management professionals and staff in China.

Peng Xin, vice principal of the HUCM, said that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a unique effect and role in chronic disease rehabilitation, care, nursing, and health preservation of the aged. Peng outlined the collaborative goals of enhancing research and training exchanges, underscoring the commitment to promoting TCM's contribution to the research of aging and dementia diseases.

The INIA, an international institute on aging inaugurated by the United Nations and the Government of Malta in 1988, provides multidisciplinary education and training related to ageing, while also acting as a catalyst for the exchange of information concerning aging welfare.

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in October 2023 the global demographic shift towards an aging population, where the number of individuals aged over 60 is expected to double by 2050, reaching nearly 2.1 billion.

Editor: WXL
By Jackson Onyango

The outgoing Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament Mr Mathias Mpuuga is set to hand over the office this Wednesday, January 10, 2024, after serving for two and a half years.

The National Unity Platform appointed Nakawa West MP, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi to replace Mpuuga two weeks ago.

Briefing my brother Joel Ssenyonyi on the operations of LoP ahead of the official handover of the office tomorrow, Mpuuga captioned a picture of him and Ssenyonyi on Tuesday.

The changes could be effected during the Tuesday resumed sitting of Parliament from the festive season break.

Ssenyonyi still serves as the chairperson of the Committee of Parliament on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).

The changes had Mpuuga appointed a Commissioner of Parliament, the top decision-making organ of Parliament.
By Peter Sserugo

President Museveni will to- day address the nation on matters concerning the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels a group,which has terrorised both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for decades.

According to the Presidential Press Unit (PPU), the President will also address Ugandans on several other security-related issues in the country.

The PPU wishes to inform the general public that HE the President of the Republic of Uganda/Commander-In-Chief of the UPDF, Gen (Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, will brief the nation on the progress of operations against ADF terrorists and other security-related issues, the PPU statement, which was released yesterday, read in part.

The presidential address comes weeks after suspected ADF rebels killed more than a dozen people in Kamwenge District in two separate attacks in December 2023.

Despite the successful operations against the ADF rebels by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), where more than 300 rebels have been killed including some of their leaders while others were captured, the rebels continue to terrorise the two countries and have killed at least 64 Ugandans in the last six months.

During his recent comments on the ADF attacks, Mr Museveni emphasised that the UPDF and the Congolese ar-

my, through Operation Shujaa, are deter- mined to wipe out the rebel group and their leaders who are still hiding in DRC.
Government has urged Ugandans to be vigilant before logging into any social media platform.

This has been disclosed by the executive director of National Personal Data Protection under the Ministry of Information, Technology and National Guidance, Stella Alibateese, at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala while launching the 2024 data privacy campaign ahead of the International Data Privacy Day.

The day is celebrated internationally on 28th January every year and Uganda will be marking this day on January 31, 2024.

According to Alibateese, most Ugandans rush and sign on terms of various social media platforms and end up losing their privacy when the said platforms release their private information.

She thus advised Ugandans to embrace the Data Protection and Privacy Act, which the government enacted in 2019, and among the terms provided under the Act urges Ugandans to protect their data by regulating the collection and processing of personal information.

It also provides for the rights of the persons whose data is collected and regulates the use or disclosure of personal information among others.

Among the penalties for those who breach the law include being jailed for 3-10 years or a fine of 2% of the gross annual revenue depending on the nature of the case.
Passengers check in at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a bullet train pulling into Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers board a train at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers wait to board a train at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This aerial photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a train departing from Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

This photo taken on Jan. 8, 2024 shows a train pulling into Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Passengers wait to check in at Xinchang Railway Station in Shengzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan. 8, 2024. The Hangzhou-Shaoxing-Taizhou intercity railway, China's first high-speed railway controlled by private capital, celebrated its 2nd anniversary of operation Monday. With a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the railway has delivered a total of 20 million passengers since it started operation. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Editor: JYZ
Patricia Brennan-Barrett of Castlecomer has been awarded an OBE in the Kings first Birthday Honours list.

Accompanied by her family Patricia, who spent most of her years in Harrow, London, attended a ceremony at Windsor Castle where the award was given by Prince William.

Patricia was given the honour in recognition of her 36 years of service to further education, which has seen her play a key role in developing the post-16 education and skills agenda across the East Midlands and work tirelessly to develop a commercial culture to tackle increasing competition within the sector continually improving quality.

Under her leadership, Northampton College has raised 156 places in the National Achievement Rate Tables in just five years to become one of the UKs top colleges and the regions leading FE provider, now ranked seventh out of more than 266 colleges for 16 to 18 year old education and training.

Eldest daughter of Peggy and the late Miko Brennan, Sunlight Villas, she is a mine of information and an inspirational woman to speak to. Patricia and her siblings Kieran, John and Milo were born in Harrow, London.



Patricia Brennan-Barrett OBE with her mum Peggy Brennan at the family home Sunlight Villas, Kilkenny Street, Castlecomer

It is a real privilege to be part of such an important sector that makes a difference to so many people, said Patricia.

Supporting the next generation of workers to equip them with the skills they need to make an impact in the world is something I am particularly passionate about.

Patricia, who worked in London for 25 years before making the switch to Northampton, is passionate about developing support mechanisms for students with any form of additional needs or disadvantage and her innovative approach has impacted the lives of so many.

She has tirelessly championed the work of students with any form of additional needs or disadvantage at a national level and has given evidence to the Education Select Committee and House of Lords Select Committee. As a key member of the national SEND Policy Group, Patricia has worked with DfE colleagues to help reform education policy in England.

Patricia has committed her life to young people and her determination to go above and beyond has changed thousands of lives, said Patrick Leavey, Deputy Principal at Northampton College.

She is completely committed in helping to support the regions post-pandemic economic and social recovery. She is more than a principal. She is a leader, a visionary, and a pioneer. She has truly made a difference.

Patricia, who was conferred with a Masters Degree in Special Education and Teaching from the University of Hertfordshire, has an impressive CV.

Appointed principal of Northampton College in August 2013, previously she held posts as the deputy principal of Havering College, Hornchurch, London; head of faculty, College of North West London; head of learning support, Greenhill College, Harrow; deputy head teacher, Kilburn School South Kilburn; teacher Gayton High School, Harrow.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday called for advancing the Party's self-reform and winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

After persistent anti-corruption efforts over the past 10 years of the new era, an overwhelming victory has been achieved in the fight against corruption, with the gains fully consolidated, Xi said.

"But the situation remains grave and complex," Xi noted.

"We should be fully aware of new development in the fight against corruption and the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption," Xi said, urging more efforts to win the tough and protracted battle.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang attended the meeting.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CCDI, presided over the meeting.

Xi noted that 2023 marks the first year that the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress are implemented on all fronts.

The CPC Central Committee has unswervingly advanced the Party's self-reform and deepened its efforts to promote full and rigorous Party self-governance, which has guaranteed that the new journey gets off to a good start, he said.

As the world's largest Marxist governing party, the CPC faces the strategic question of how to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall, and how the Party can remain steadfast in its commitment to never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, he said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, in its great endeavor of promoting full and rigorous Party self-governance, the CPC has, based on Comrade Mao Zedong's first answer of "putting the government under the supervision of the people," found a second answer to the question -- advancing the Party's self-reform, he noted.

Over the past 10 years, through the practice and theoretical exploration of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, a series of important theoretical results have been accomplished, Xi said, adding that these results theoretically answer the major questions including why the CPC should carry out self-reform, why it is capable of self-reform, and how it can promote self-reform.

Xi pointed out nine important issues to advance the Party's self-reform:

-- the fundamental guarantee is to uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee;

-- the fundamental purpose is to guide the great social revolution;

-- the fundamental guidance stands as the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era;

-- the strategic target is to break the historical cycle of rise and fall;

-- the main direction is to tackle the special challenges that a large party like the CPC faces;

-- the effective method is to improve the systems for exercising full and rigorous self-governance;

-- the focus is to forge strong Party organizations and cultivate highly-committed Party members;

-- the key task is to improve Party conduct, enforce Party discipline and fight corruption;

-- the strong impetus is from the integration of self-regulation and oversight from the people.

Xi stressed that, in order to advance the anti-corruption campaign in the new era, continuous efforts should be made to eliminate the breeding grounds and conditions for corruption.

He called for coordinated actions to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to become corrupt, as well as persistent efforts to expand the scale and extent of anti-corruption campaigns, and regular and long-term measures to prevent and curb corruption.

Xi underlined the importance of enhancing the Party's centralized, unified leadership in the fight against corruption.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining a tough stance against corruption and said that in the continued grave and complex situation, there is no possibility of stopping, slackening or compromising the anti-corruption campaign.

Combating corruption in the form of collusion between officials and businesspeople should be the priority, Xi said, urging efforts to crack down resolutely on the profit-driven abuse of power and prevent various interest and power groups from infiltrating the political arena.

Xi called for greater efforts to rectify corruption in the finance, state-owned enterprise, energy, medicine and infrastructure project sectors, as well as efforts to punish graft occurring on people's doorsteps.

Deepening reform is necessary to stem the spread of corruption, Xi noted, calling for an integrated early warning and punishment mechanism, and for the strengthened handling of new and disguised forms of corruption.

Underscoring the need to improve the legal system that fights corruption, Xi said national anti-graft legislation should be promoted continuously, and the Supervision Law should be amended in pace with the times. He also called for an education campaign on discipline within the Party.

Xi urged redoubled efforts to tackle and punish acts of bribery, and efforts to retrieve and address the illicit interests gained by those who give bribes.

He urged constant and rigorous efforts to purify the political eco-system, prevent the rules of business dealings from entering into the Party, and persistently rectify misconduct in the selection and appointment of officials.

Efforts should be made to promote a culture of integrity in the new era, carry forward the proud traditions and venerable conduct of the Party, and ignite Party members' lofty ideals and pursuits, Xi noted.

Stressing the importance of fostering strengthened familial ties, values and traditions, Xi urged efforts to ensure leading officials establish good discipline values among their families and relatives.

Noting that discipline inspection and supervision agencies are important forces driving the Party's self-reform, Xi said that these agencies should be loyal, reliable and pure in an absolute manner.

Xi ordered efforts to build a strengthened contingent of disciplinary inspection and supervision cadres, as well as efforts to forge them into an "iron army" that the Party can trust and that can meet the people's expectations.

While presiding over the plenary session, Li Xi said that Xi's speech made strategic plans for the advancement of the fight against corruption, calling for the thorough study and implementation of the spirit of the speech, as well as Xi's important ideas for the Party's self-reform.

Li urged efforts to advance full and rigorous Party self-governance and self-reform to provide a strong guarantee for building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI opened on Monday. Li delivered a work report on behalf of the CCDI standing committee on Monday afternoon.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, addresses the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on Jan. 8, 2024. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), delivers a work report on behalf of the CCDI standing committee during the third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 8, 2024. The third plenary session of the 20th CPC CCDI opened on Monday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Editor: JYZ
Over the past 24 hours, during large-scale bad weather, DTEK power engineers managed to restore power to 218,000 families in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

"The cyclone and snow storms led to power outages in Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions. In 24 hours, DTEK power engineers managed to supply power to 194,000 customers in 637 populated areas in Odesa region," the energy holding reported on Tuesday.

DTEK also repaired 137 overhead lines and 1,457 transformer substations in this area.

In addition, the energy holding's specialists returned power to almost 24,000 houses in 107 populated areas in Dnipropetrovsk region, restoring the operation of 77 power lines and about 800 transformer substations.

The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine earlier reported that as of the morning of January 9, due to the bad weather, which is not abating in the country, 1,025 populated areas were cut off from power. In particular, in Dnipropetrovsk region, almost 29,000 consumers in 324 populated areas remained without power supply; in Odessa region, 268 populated areas faced blackout.
Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak has said at the fifth meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War that Ukraine is ready to be among the leading countries that will hold the Russian Federation accountable for the harm caused to the environment, the press service of the head of state reports.

"This horrific, unprovoked and very brutal war continues to kill our people, civilians and military, and to damage the environment. All of these attacks are causing enormous damage. For example, after the latest attack, the air quality in Kyiv has deteriorated significantly due to the high concentration of combustion products, chemicals and dust. The estimated environmental damage exceeded EUR 56 billion with more than 3,300 documented court cases. Ukraine is determined to be one of the first countries in the world to bring the aggressor to justice for environmental damage," Yermak said.

The fifth meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War was co-chaired by Yermak and former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallstrom.

The Head of the President's Office informed the interlocutors of the upcoming meeting of national security advisors and political advisors to the heads of state on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula to be held in Davos. Andriy Yermak emphasized that the following points of the Formula are to be discussed during the meeting: withdrawal of Russian troops, restoration of justice, ecological safety, security commitments and prevention of escalation, confirmation of the end of the war.

"This year will not be easy. But this year can be a transformative and crucial one. We have a lot of work to do, and the environmental aspect remains our top priority. I thank you for your dedication and urge you to continue your efforts," the Head of the President's Office emphasized.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Periods of snow. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Variably cloudy with snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the low to mid 30s. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A few flurries are possible. Low 27F. 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 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Hackers from the Blackjack group, allegedly related to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), hacked the Moscow Internet provider M9com and demolished its servers, an informed source told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

"We are talking about 20 TB of deleted data: the company's official website, branch websites, mail server, cyber protection services, and so on. As a result, some Moscow residents were left without the Internet and television," the agency's interlocutor said.

Data from the company's mail server and client databases were also posted online. Hackers called the attack on M9com a "warm-up" as part of a retaliation campaign for a hacker attack on the servers of the Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar.
Following her previous scandal, Jeon Somi's TikTok has been flooded with negative comments. Keep on reading to learn why.

Jeon Somi's TikTok Flooded With Negative Comments Following Past Scandal

Jeon Somi continues to be under fire following a previous controversy, leading to a swarm of hate comments being left on her TikTok account.

Back in December 2023, Jeon Somi uploaded a "get ready with me" video to her TikTok. At the start of her video, she is seen taking a sip from a green Starbucks tumbler. That scene was also used in the thumbnail of her TikTok video.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Jeon Somi's Biggest Fansites Close Down - Why Are They Disappointed With Idol?

This short snippet from TikTok earned major backlash. This is because Starbucks is currently the target of a major boycott movement, with many claiming the company is pro-Israel amid the Israel-Palestine Gaza conflict.

Despite Starbucks claiming they have no political affiliations, the company recently garnered flak for suing Workers United after the union shared pro-Palestine sentiments on social media. The company sued the union for using the brand's name and logo, stating it "angers customers" and could potentially damage the brand's reputation.

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Due to the conflict, Jeon Somi earned backlash for being tone-deaf to the current situation in Gaza. Many believed she knew of the situation because she is one of the idols known for being "chronically online," or someone who always keeps up with trends.

Following the backlash, Jeon Somi took down the controversial TikTok. However, she did not publicly apologize for her actions. Instead, during a chat with a fan, she said she made some "dumb moves" but will continue to spread love to everyone. She hopes that she will also receive some love back.

IN OTHER K-POP NEWS: Hanteo Music Awards 2023 Nominees Revealed: SNSD Taeyeon, SEVENTEEN BSS, More Receive Nods!

After a brief period of not uploading to her account, Jeon Somi has resumed activities on the platform. However, her return was not widely accepted. Many people criticized her for returning without making a statement and mocked her for her Starbucks video.

Some comments read,

"Where is your Starbucks cup that is full of blood?"

"Somi, you forgot your cup."

"Starbucks queen!"

While her fans attempted to defend Jeon Somi, the backlash was louder.

FOR YOU: 20+ Best K-pop Songs of 2023: 'Let Me In,' 'Cupid,' 'Standing Next To You,' More!

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below.

Jeon Somi Recent Activities

On August 7, 2023, Jeon Somi released her EP, "Game Plan," with the lead single "Fast Forward." In December 2023, she released "Ex-Mas" in collaboration with Big Naughty.

READ MORE: 15 Hottest K-pop Idols in 2023: BTS Jimin, Red Velvet Irene, MORE!

In May 2023, Jeon Somi was named the ambassador for The North Face.

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
The number of Russian persons on Western sanctions lists more than doubled in 2023, according to statistics from the X-Compliance system.

As of December 31, the UN, United States, EU, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Japan, China and Ukraine sanctions lists, monitored by X-Compliance analysts, directly named 33,714 persons involved, of which 18,483 were foreign persons and 15,231 Russian. A year ago, these figures were respectively 24,101, some 16,297 and 7,804.

Russia is represented on the lists by 8,410 individuals and 6,821 companies (a year ago - 4,832 and 2,972).

Among Russian companies included in the sanctions lists, 13.2% are engaged in wholesale trade, 9.7% in research and development, 7.3% in production of computers, electronics and optics, 5.2% in the provision of financial services, and 5.1% in software development.

According to the "50% rule," which is applied within the framework of the sanctions lists of OFAC (the USA), the European Union and the UK (HM Treasury), sanctions also apply to companies that are not directly named in these sanctions lists, but which those listed own by 50 percent or more. As of December 31, some 4,643 Russian companies were at risk of this rule being applied.
Russian authorities are reportedly illegally deporting Ukrainian civilians to Russia and holding them in penal colonies and pretrial detention centers without charges, investigations, trials, access to lawyers, or designated release dates, according to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russian authorities have detained thousands of Ukrainian civilians in penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers in Russia and occupied Ukraine for opposing the special military operation  without formal records of their detention, without initiating criminal or administrative cases, and without ongoing investigations, so the detainees do not formally exist in the Russian penitentiary system and have no access to lawyers, the message reads.

It is reported that some former Ukrainian civilian detainees stated that Russian authorities treated them like subhumans and tortured them.

According to ISW, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reportedly responded to a request about one of the detained civilians, stating that Russian authorities are holding the detainee in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, however the Geneva Convention prohibits the taking of civilian hostages who are non-combatants. Also, there is currently no mechanism in international law for the release of civilians from captivity, and the Geneva Convention only allows for POWs to be exchanged for other POWs.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories stated that there were 4,337 Ukrainians in Russian captivity as of November 2023, including 763 civilians, but the BBC noted that these numbers rely on data from the Red Cross, which does not always have access to places where Russian authorities hold Ukrainian civilians, including detention centers and penal colonies in occupied territories. Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets stated that about 25,000 Ukrainian civilians are missing and that Russian forces may have kidnapped a significant number of the missing individuals. The BBC quoted the Ukrainian Find Ours project as estimating that there may be about 7,500 Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained in Russia and occupied Ukraine, the report reads.

It is reported that Russian and Ukrainian human rights activists have identified more than 30 penal colonies and pretrial detention centers in which Ukrainian civilians have been reportedly detained.

ISW reports that the Russian Federation continues to forcibly deport children from the occupied regions of Ukraine under the guise of sending them on vacation. The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on January 8 that there are more than 450,000 Russian military personnel in Ukraine as of December 2023.
ATK

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 9: In a groundbreaking move, Rawbare, a trailblazer in lifestyle fashion, has officially launched its latest venture, 'MissG,' a female-centric lifestyle brand that promises to redefine elegance and empowerment.

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The 'MissG' collection is a testament to Rawbare's commitment to celebrating the strength and individuality of modern women. The brand aims to provide a unique fusion of style and substance, offering a diverse range of products that cater to the multifaceted lives of women today.

From chic apparel to accessories, 'MissG' encapsulates the spirit of confidence and sophistication. The brand's ethos revolves around empowering women to embrace their authentic selves, fostering a community where individuality is celebrated.

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The launch comes with an exclusive collection that reflects the diverse tastes and preferences of the brand's target audience. Rawbare invites women to explore 'MissG' and be a part of a journey that goes beyond fashion - a journey that embraces the essence of every woman.

Rawbare's 'MissG' is set to make waves in the industry, offering a fresh perspective on female lifestyle fashion. The brand's dedication to empowering women and promoting self-expression positions 'MissG' as a beacon of inspiration for the modern woman.About Rawbare:

Rawbare is a leading lifestyle brand dedicated to redefining fashion through innovation and authenticity. With a commitment to quality and a passion for empowering individuals, Rawbare continues to make a mark in the ever-evolving world of fashion.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therawbare/

Website: www.rawbare.com

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday concluded its arguments on the framing of charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the Pul Bangash killing case.

The CBI said that there are eyewitnesses who saw Jagdish Tytler instigating the mob during the 1984 riots. There is sufficient material to frame charges against the accused, Jagdish Tytler.

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The counsel for Tytler sought time to argue on the point of framing of charges. Special CBI judge Rakesh Syal listed the matter on January 22, 2024.

During his arguments, CBI's Counsel read over the statements of four eyewitnesses, including Surender Singh, who saw the accused instigating the mob after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

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Advocate Manu Sharma submitted that he received certified copies of the records of previous cases. He needs time to study the record. This case is related to the alleged killing of three Sikhs, Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh in front of Pul Bangash Gurudwara on November 1, 1984. Congress leader Jagdish Tytler is accused.

The CBI had filed a Supplementary charge sheet against him in May 2023. On August 5, Tytler appeared before the court against the summons issued by the court after taking cognizance of the supplementary charge sheet. Thereafter, he appeared through video conferencing.

Earlier, he was granted anticipatory bail on August 4 by the session court after hearing his bail application. The CBI filed the supplementary charge sheet on May 20. On May 20, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a charge sheet against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to anti-Sikh riots in 1984, following the assassination of the then Prime Minister of India on October 31, 1984.

Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, then Member of Parliament, has been named as accused in the chargesheet.

In a statement, the CBI mentioned that the agency had registered the instant case in November 2005 on an incident wherein Gurudwara Pul Bangash at Azad Market, Bara Hindu Rao, Delhi, was set on fire by a mob and three persons, namely Sardar Thakur Singh, Badal Singh and Gurcharan Singh were burned to death on November 1, 1984, near Gurudwara Pul Bangash.

The Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry was set up in the year 2000 by the Government of India to inquire into the incidents of anti-Sikh riots of the year 1984 in Delhi. After consideration of the Commission's report, the Ministry of Home Affairs (Government of India) issued directions to the CBI to investigate the case against the then Member of Parliament and others.

During the CBI investigation, evidence came on record that on November 1, 1984, the said accused allegedly instigated, incited and provoked the mob assembled at Gurudwara Pul Bangash at Azad Market, Delhi, which resulted in the burning of Gurudwara Pul Bangash and the killing of three Sikh persons by the mob, apart from burning and looting of shops. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 9 (ANI): Pulivarthi Nani, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in-charge of Chandragiri, was taken into police custody following his campaign against alleged voting irregularities on Monday.

Nani has been actively opposing what he perceives as attempts by the YSR Congress Party to manipulate elections and prevent them from being fair.

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The situation escalated when Nani attempted suicide by dousing himself with petrol. The police promptly intervened, dousing him with water to prevent a tragedy. After this incident, Nani was taken into custody.

Nani's detention has sparked controversy, with accusations of police misbehaviour towards political activists. This incident has intensified the ongoing political unrest in Chandragiri and raised questions about the methods used by authorities in such situations. (ANI)

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(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati, January 9: The Assam budget for 2024-25 will be presented by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog on February 12, an official said on Tuesday. The third Budget Session of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government will begin from February 5.

The Assam Legislative Assembly has issued a notification calling the sitting of the House at 9:30 am on February 5. When contacted, Assam Assembly Principal Secretary Hemen Das told PTI that the Budget Session will conclude on February 28 and it will have a five-day break for sittings of the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs). Assam Budget 2024: Opposition Parties Disrupt Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's Speech.

"The annual budget for next fiscal will be presented on February 12," he added. The Assam Cabinet on November 16 last year had recommended holding the Budget Session of the present Assembly from February 5 to present the state's financial statement for the 2024-25 fiscal.
New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at around a dozen locations in Gujarat and Maharashtra in a case related to the leakage of question and answer papers of the railway recruitment examination.

A senior CBI official confirmed that raids are underway at around 12 places including Surat, Amreli, Navsari, Mumbai, Buxar and others in a case related to leakage of question and answer papers of the General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) conducted by the Railway Recruitment Centre, Western Railways, Mumbai which led to the recovery of digital evidence and incriminating documents.

Also Read | Delhi: Man Arrested For Duping 40 People on Pretext of Providing Flats, Misappropriating Funds of More Than Rs 5 Crore.

A case was registered on a complaint from Western Railway, against certain officials of Railways and others including unidentified officials of a Mumbai-based private company on the allegations of leaking question and answer papers of the exam.

It was alleged that the computer-based test for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Non-Graduate) Jr Clerk Cum Typist and Trains Clerk against GDCE Quota, was held on January 1, 2021, in which a total of 8,603 candidates appeared in the 28 examination centres across six cities such as Ahmedabad, Indore, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Mumbai.

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Some candidates were allegedly provided the paper through WhatsApp messages and few candidates were physically shown the question papers through mass gathering. It was also alleged that the said firm was appointed as the Examination Conducting Agency.

It was further alleged that the candidates appearing in the GDC Examination were supplied with question papers along with answers prior to the commencement of the examination after payment of money. Moreover, after a few days of examination, they were also allegedly supplied examination results through an unverified WhatsApp link.

An investigation into this matter is underway. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has dismissed the petition of businessman Neeraj Singhal seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case.

The bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan passed the judgement on January 8, 2024 said, it cannot be said that the arrest of the petitioner is illegal. Under the circumstances, I am of the view that the petition challenging arrest as well as the bail petition deserve to be dismissed and are accordingly dismissed, said the judge.

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Neeraj Singhal's bail plea stated that he is a businessman and was the ex-promoter, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of M/s Bhushan Steel Ltd. (BSL). However, under proceedings initiated under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, BSL was acquired by Tata Steel in terms of the order dated May 15, 2018, passed by the National Company Law Tribunal.

Before BSL was taken over by Tata Steel, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs exercised its powers under Section 212(1)(c) of the Companies Act, 2013, an order dated May 3, 2016, ordering an investigation into the affairs of BSL by the Serious Fraud Investigation Officer ("SFIO"). The SFIO filed a complaint under various provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, including Section 447 and under Sections 409/467/468/471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

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The Directorate of Enforcement registered the subject ECIR under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), alleging that the petitioner is involved in one of the biggest banking frauds coupled with the offence of money laundering. It is alleged that the petitioner has caused a loss to the public to the tune of more than Rs. 46,000 crore.

According to the ED, the petitioner, in connivance with other accused person business entities, knowingly resorted to the illegitimate acquisition of loan funds in the name of BSL and other group companies and indulged in the laundering of proceeds of crime through a complex web of more than 150 companies having a common core, i.e., ownership and control of Neeraj Singal and Bharat Bhushan Singal.

According to the petitioner, he has cooperated with the investigation of the respondent since he has appeared before the Directorate of Enforcement about 14 times and has supplied documents that run into approximately 7,500 pages, comprising bank statements and balance sheets of all 148 companies for the period 2009-2017.

Later on, the petitioner received a summons dated June 3, 2023, from the respondent directing him to appear on June 9, 2023. On June 9, 2023, the petitioner failed to appear before the respondent due to his alleged illness and requested that his appearance be postponed to some other date or that he be allowed to appear. through video conferencing. On the said date, the petitioner also sent his authorised representative to appear before the respondent, stated the plea. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here have proposed a solution to ensure fair compensation for food delivery agents and minimise the platform costs, officials said on Tuesday.

The solution called "Work4Food", developed by an IIT-Delhi team, was recently presented at the prestigious International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence.

Also Read | Delhi: Man Arrested For Duping 40 People on Pretext of Providing Flats, Misappropriating Funds of More Than Rs 5 Crore.

According to the officials, the gig economy model has been a driving force in the food-delivery industry, making it difficult for the delivery agents to secure their rightful earnings. Additionally, food-delivery platforms have faced challenges in increasing the delivery fees beyond a certain point, creating a complex dilemma for all the stakeholders involved.

"We have developed an order-assignment algorithm (that determines which delivery agent gets which order) to ensure that each delivery person earns more than the minimum wage. To achieve this without increasing the cost for the platforms or the consumers, we recommend utilising the delivery workers more efficiently and reducing the habit of over-provisioning," said Abhijjnan Chakraborty, a professor at the computer science and engineering department of IIT-Delhi.

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"Since the platforms gather a lot of data, by looking at historical patterns, they can predict the supply-demand dynamics in a particular location at a particular time and accordingly, onboard delivery workers if there is a need," he added.

Chakraborty explained that Work4Food's minimum income guarantee, coupled with the flexibility it offers to the platforms in onboarding delivery agents based on the demand-supply dynamics, minimises unnecessary travel -- a common practice among the delivery agents to strategically position themselves for the next order.

"This can have a long-term effect on reducing the air pollution caused by vehicular emissions, at least until the entire delivery fleet transitions to battery-operated vehicles. While online food-delivery companies often cite the gig nature of the work and operational constraints as barriers to implementing local minimum-wage guarantees, the novel solution promises to address the issues," he said.

Besides Chakraborty, the other members of the team that has developed the solution are -- Sayan Ranu and Amitabha Bagchi, professors at the same department, and PhD scholar Anjali.

"We believe that our proposed solution has the potential to revolutionise the way food-delivery platforms operate in India, creating a win-win situation for all the parties involved -- delivery workers, platforms and customers -- representing a significant step toward achieving fairness and equity within the food-delivery industry", Bagchi said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, January 9: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) in the Land for a job scam money laundering case. The charge sheet consists of a total of 4751 pages. ED has named Bihar's former CM Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and Amit Katyal. Two firms, AB Export and AK Infosystems, have also been accused.

Special CBI judge Vishal Gogne directed ED to file an e-copy of the charge sheet and documents today itself. The matter has been listed for consideration on cognizance January 16, 2024. ED's Special Public Prosecutors Manish Jain and advocate Ishan Baisla apprised the court that the Yadav family members are beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime. Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi, Misa Bharti and Tejashwi Yadav Granted Bail by Delhis Rouse Avenue Court in Alleged Land-for-Jobs Scam Case (Watch Video).

Land-For-Jobs Case: Lalu Yadavs Wife Rabri Devi, Daughter Misa Bharti Named By ED In Charge Sheet

Katyal has been arrested and is in custody. The other accused persons have been charged without arrest. His firm was charge-sheeted in the CBI case as well. On November 23, 2023, the Rouse Avenue Court sent businessman Amit Katyal, promoter of AK Infosystems, to judicial custody. He was arrested by the ED in an alleged land-for-jobs scam case. Katyal is said to be a close aide of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The Delhi High Court had refused to quash Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceedings against Amit Katyal, who is accused of engaging in transactions with the family members of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and Others Granted Bail by Delhi Court in Land-for-Job Scam Case (Watch Video).

Earlier the lawyers for Katyal had submitted that original FIR registered on May 18, 2022 by CBI and the period of transaction is 2004-09. ED registered ECIR on August 16, 22 in relation to this. CBI has concluded the investigation and I am cited as a protected witness. My arrest is illegal and is contrary to Section 19, Lawyer argued for Katyal.

According to the ED's in March month, based on the specific intelligence inputs, searches were conducted at 24 locations at various places in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai and Ranchi in the Railways Land for Job Scam, which resulted in the recovery of unaccounted cash of Rs 1 Crore, foreign currency including USD 1900, 540 grammes of gold bullion and more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery (worth approximately Rs 1.25 crore), as well as several other incriminating documents, including various property documents, sale deeds, etc held in the names of family members and benamidaars, indicating illegal accretion of huge land bank and electronic devices.

Searches resulted in detection of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 600 crore at this point of time, which is in the form of immovable properties of Rs 350 crore and transactions of Rs 250 crore routed through various benamidaars, ED stated. According to the ED PMLA investigation conducted so far, several pieces of land at prominent locations in Patna and other areas were illegally acquired by the family of the then Rail Mantri, Lalu Prasad Yadav in lieu of jobs provided in railways. The current market value of these land parcels is more than Rs 200 crore. In this regard, several benamidars, shell entities and beneficial owners for these lands have been identified.

Further, investigation under PMLA revealed that the property situated at New Friends Colony, Delhi (independent 4-storey bungalow registered in the name of M/s A B Exports Private Limited, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and his family) was shown to have been acquired at a value of mere Rs 4 lakhs, the present market value of which is approximately Rs 150 crore. It is suspected that a huge amount of cash from crime has been infused in purchasing this property and a few Mumbai-based entities dealing in the gems and jewellery sector were used to channel the ill-gotten proceeds of crime in this regard.

The property has been, on paper, declared the offices of M/s A B Exports Private Limited and M/s AK Infosystems Pvt. Ltd.; it is being exclusively used as residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav. During the searches, Tejasvi Prasad Yadav was found to be staying at this house and was found to be using this house as his residential property.

ED investigation has found that four parcels of land acquired by the family of Lalu Yadav for just Rs 7.5 lakhs from poor Group-D applicants were sold to Syed Abu Dojana, an ex-RJD MLA by Mrs. Rabri Devi with huge gains of Rs 3.5 crore in a collusive deal. The ED investigation further revealed that a major portion of the amount thus received was transferred to the account of Sh. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.Investigations revealed that, in a similar fashion, lands were taken from several poor parents and candidates in lieu of Group D jobs in the Railways. It has been revealed during the investigation that in many railway zones, more than 50% of recruited candidates were from Lalu Yadav families' constituencies, according to ED.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
In Kyiv, during the dismantling of a warehouse damaged as a result of a Russian missile attack on December 29, 2023, another dead person has been found, Kyiv City Military Administration reports.

"During the dismantling of destroyed building structures in a warehouse in Shevchenkivsky district, signs of another deceased were found. These data were confirmed by the reconciliation of the national police," the message on the Telegram channel says.

Thus, by now it is known about 33 dead as a result of the strike on Kyiv on December 29.
New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined a petition challenging the Delhi Prison rule that restricts the right of inmates to meet family members or consult a lawyer to two meetings a week.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal said it was not inclined to interfere with the Delhi High Court order against which the appeal was filed.

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The bench said it is a policy decision and the absence of such restrictions would make it difficult for jail authorities to handle affairs at the prisons.

"I heard counsel for the petitioner. We are not inclined to interfere," the bench stated in its order.

Also Read | PFIs Plea Opposing Centres Ban Before HC: Delhi High Court Renotifies Hearing on Popular Front of Indias Plea Challenging Five-Year Ban.

Earlier, on February 16, 2023, the High Court declined to relax the Delhi Prison rules that restrict the right of inmates to consult a lawyer to two meetings a week.

The High Court said the decision to cap the total number of visits was taken after careful consideration of the facilities available in prisons, the availability of staff, and the number of undertrials.

The petitioner advocate, Jai Anant Dehadrai, prayed that the prison rules should provide for an interview with legal advisors from Monday to Friday an unlimited number of times.

The petitioner, in the interim, had prayed for visits of the legal counsel to their clients in Delhi prisons more than twice a week.

The petitioner had contended that limiting the number of visits by family members, relatives, friends, and legal advisers to twice a week is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution as it limits the rights of an undertrial to have adequate resources for legal representation. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to the two children of suspended Delhi government official Premoday Khakha, who was arrested for repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl in his care multiple times at his residence between November 2020 and January 2021.

A bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Rajesh Bindal granted anticipatory bail to Khakha's daughter Prateeksha and son Harsh Prateek while taking note that they had joined the investigation.

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The official's son and daughter were accused of abetting the crime.

"After going through the statement, hearing counsel on both sides and perusing the material on record, we are of the view that these Special Leave Petitions can be disposed of, directing the release of the petitioners on bail in the event of their arrest on furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000 subject to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer and further subject to the conditions stipulated under Section 438(2), Cr.P.C. The Special Leave Petitions stand disposed of," the order of the apex court on January 8 stated.

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Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Shubhashis Soren appeared for Khakha's children in the top court.

Suspended Delhi women and child development (WCD) department official Premoday Khakha, 51, was arrested in August last year for repeatedly raping the minor girl in his care multiple times at his residence in Burari between November 2020 and January 2021.

When she became pregnant on January 21, 2021, she informed Khakha's wife, Seema Rani, about who allegedly gave her abortion pills. Both Khakha and his wife are currently in judicial custody.

It was alleged that the minor victim is the daughter of a person known to the accused. Police had arrested the couple after recording the statement of the victim.

Police had registered under sections of rape, the POCSO Act and other sections of the India Penal Code.

The trial court had dismissed their petition in September last year. On October 11, 2023 the Delhi High Court declined their anticipatory bail plea. Thereafter, they approached the Supreme Court. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Patiala House Court has allowed Amit Chakravarty, HR head of news portal NewsClick, to turn approver in the case registered by Delhi Police under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that News Portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda.

The Additional Sessions Judge, Dr Hardeep Kaur has last week allowed an application by Amit Chakravarty that he wants to become an approver in the case and is ready to give full disclosure in the matter. While allowing his plea to be approver in the case, the court also grants him a pardon in the matter.

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Amir Chakravarty has recently moved an application under relevant sections to turn approver in the case.

The approver, an accomplice who decides to testify against the co-accused in exchange for a pardon, is subject to examination and treatment under the CrPC.

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Safeguards are in place to prevent coerced or deceitful confessions, and the approver's testimony must be supported by corroborative evidence as per the law.

Recently, the Patiala House Court of Delhi granted the Delhi Police Special Cell a further 2 months time to complete the investigation.

On December 19, 2023, the police had moved an application in Patiala House Court seeking an extension of time to complete the investigation in the case. The police had sought three more months to complete the investigation into the matter.

The Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur later allowed the Delhi Police plea and granted 60 days further time.

Meanwhile, the court also extended the judicial custody of Prabir Purkayastha and other in the matter till January 2024.

Earlier, the court dismissed Newsclick's founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha's application, which sought directions to release his electronic devices seized by Delhi Police.

In October last year, the Delhi Police arrested Purkayastha and Newsclick HR Head Amit Chakraborty under the provisions of UAPA.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell, in its FIR against Purkayastha, stated that the People's Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd., has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in place of crores of illegally routed foreign funds as part of a conspiracy.

The FIR further stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of a conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, and security of India. (ANI)

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Pauri (Uttarakhand) [India], January 9 (ANI): Four people were killed in a vehicle crash accident near Chila Barrage Power House in the Lakshman Jhula police station area of Pauri district on Monday.

The forest department vehicle crashed due to a technical fault. 10 forest department employees, including two rangers and a warden, were on board. The accident occurred during the speed trial of the vehicle when it crashed near the Chilla powerhouse.

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Four forest department personnel died on the spot. The SDRF team rescued five injured people and immediately hospitalised them at AIIMS in Rishikesh for treatment. A female forest worker fell into the canal. The search operation to find the missing female worker was halted at night due to darkness.

The Uttarakhand Forest Minister condoled the deaths of four forest department personnel.

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"I came to know about this tragic incident in which four of our personnel, including two rangers, were killed. An SDO is missing. Five have been injured and hospitalised. I have ordered an investigation into this case. I pray to God that the bereaved family gathers the courage to face the situation."

Anil Chanyal, SDM Yamkeshwar, Pauri Garhwal emphasised that a search operation to rescue missing forest department personnel is underway.

"Details on how the crash happened are awaited. The search is underway to find the missing forest personnel." (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Gensol Engineering on Tuesday said it will invest Rs 2,000 crore to set up an EV manufacturing plant in Gujarat.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed with the Gujarat government as part of the investment promotion activity for Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.

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The project will generate around 1,500 jobs in the region, Gensol said in a regulatory filing.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

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"The Rs 2,000 crore investment stands as a testament to our confidence in the state's commitment to sustainable growth and green manufacturing. We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership that propels Gujarat to new heights in the EV revolution," said Anmol Singh Jaggi, Co-founder, Gensol Group.

The proposed EV manufacturing plant will be a powerhouse of innovation, churning out a diverse range of cutting-edge EVs across segments, catering to both commercial and personal vehicle space, the company said.

The 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is scheduled from January 10-12, 2024.

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Tel Aviv, Jan 9 (AP) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on Israel to work with moderate Palestinian leaders on plans for a post-war Gaza.

Israel has so far ruled out calls to allow the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza and instead talked about maintaining open-ended military control over the territory. The US has said a revitalised authority should return to Gaza.

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Israel must stop taking steps that undercut the Palestinians' ability to govern themselves effectively, Blinken said Tuesday.

The authority was ousted from Gaza when Hamas seized power in 2007.

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Israel must be a partner of the Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people and living side by side in peace with Israel, he added.

He said Arab leaders across the region are ready to assist, but only through a regional approach that includes a pathway to a Palestinian state. (AP)

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Dubai [UAE], January 9 (ANI/WAM): Dubai is set to host the World Congress of Medical Informatics (MedInfo), the flagship meeting of the International Medical Informatics Association in 2027, becoming the first city in the Middle East, North Africa region to welcome the event.

The winning bid was led by the Emirates Health Informatics Society and supported by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and Emirates Health Services, alongside other key stakeholders.

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Built around Dubai's strong track record in hosting international business events, the successful bid for MedInfo 2027 was further underpinned by Dubai's focus on innovation, digital preparedness and sustainability in the healthcare space.

As the preeminent gathering of the global biomedical and health informatics community, the biennial MedInfo focuses on the scientific exchange of current research and thinking. Moreover, it is an excellent opportunity for formal meetings and informal networking of IMIA's global membership.

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The most recent MedInfo took place last year in Sydney, attracting over 2,500 local and international delegates, and thanks to Dubai's easy accessibility and connectivity, the 2027 edition is expected to provide IMIA with improved reach into new markets in addition to enhancing MedInfo's appeal to first-time attendees.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, said, "Dubai's success in bidding for MedInfo 2027 underlines the confidence that international associations across all sectors, including healthcare, have in bringing their major congresses to Dubai, and the powerful platform our city provides for knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking. It also reflects the culture of collaboration in Dubai and the ability of entities across the public and private sectors to come together to showcase the city's strengths as a meeting destination.

"Driven by the emirate's visionary leadership and our commitment to achieve the goals set out in the D33 Economic Agenda, Dubai continues to consolidate its status as a global hub for trade, enterprise and innovation in addition to attracting talent and investment. Biomedical and health informatics professionals attending MedInfo 2027 will be able to see this first-hand and also enjoy a world-class event in a thriving global city within close proximity to key markets. We will continue to support Emirates Health Informatics Society in planning for this event, maximising attendance, ensuring it makes a strong impact and leaves a lasting legacy."

Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, stated, "Dubai's exceptional track record in innovation and digitalisation, visionary leadership, and world-class infrastructure led to winning bids to host global events such as the 21st World Congress of Medical Informatics - MedInfo and various other international summits. In addition to its commitment to knowledge sharing by bringing together global leaders, decision-makers, scientists, experts, and specialists, Dubai will always be recognised as a pivotal gateway to the future, offering the most interactive, open, and advanced platform in the world."

"Dubai's role as a host for any global event is synonymous with success, and this expectation extends to the forthcoming Informatics Conference. Anticipated to be a significant event at the local, regional, and international level, the conference's agenda and themes are sure to attract substantial participation," he added.

He also emphasised that the Dubai Health Authority places paramount importance on medical informatics, recognising its pivotal role in decision-making, policy formulation, and strategic planning. Highlighting the authority's significant strides in data and information systems, alongside cutting-edge technologies, intelligent solutions, analytical tools, and forward-thinking initiatives, he also commended the Emirates Health Informatics Society for securing the hosting rights for the conference. He extended his heartfelt congratulations to the division and expressed gratitude for both its dedicated efforts and the collaborative contributions of all strategic partners, which collectively led to this noteworthy achievement.

The event is the latest to be added to the pipeline of major conferences and congresses taking place in Dubai over the coming years, including key global medical and healthcare gatherings, that contribute to visitor growth and the continued development of Dubai's knowledge economy. Dubai Business Events, part of DET and the city's official convention bureau, has worked closely with DHA and Emirates Medical Society (EMA), as well as individual societies under its umbrella including Emirates Health Informatics Society, through its Al Safeer Congress Ambassador Programme to identify, bid for and win these critical events. (ANI/WAM)

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Gandhinagar, January 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique as the latter arrived here to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The encounter, laden with significance, was heightened by President Nyusi's previous association with the state, having pursued a course at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

PM Modi expressed his delight at the meeting, highlighting the special nature of the meeting due to President Nyusi's ties with Gujarat. PM Modi took to X to share the memorable occasion, saying, "Glad to have met President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique in Gujarat. The meeting was made special by the fact that he has an old association with the state, having studied a course at @IIMAhmedabad. Our talks focused on defence, trade, energy, cultural linkages and more." PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, Releases Commemorative Coin and Stamp (Watch Videos).

The discussions between the two leaders delved into a comprehensive range of subjects, underscoring the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship. Key focal points included defence collaboration, trade partnerships, energy cooperation, and the rich tapestry of cultural linkages that bind India and Mozambique. Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi arrived in Gujarat on Tuesday morning and was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

PM Narendra Modi and Mozambique President Nyusi Hold Talks:

Glad to have met President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique in Gujarat. The meeting was made special by the fact that he has an old association with the state, having studied a course at @IIMAhmedabad. Our talks focused on defence, trade, energy, cultural linkages and more. pic.twitter.com/Ykg3tNRylO  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2024

In a post shared on X, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "A warm welcome to President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit. CM @Bhupendrapbjp of Gujarat received President Nyusi at the airport." PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Gujarat's Mahatma Mandir.

The theme of the summit, held from January 10 to 12, is 'Gateway to the Future' to celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". Several world leaders, including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Upon arrival in Gujarat, PM Modi in a post shared on X stated, "Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this summit. The coming of my brother, Mohamed Bin Zayed, is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarat's growth and created opportunities for several people." PM Narendra Modi Hugs Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Pats His Back During Bilateral Meeting in Gandhinagar (Watch Video).

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from January 10-12 in Gandhinagar. There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's Summit. Further, the Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions.

The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability. In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show.
Colombo, Jan 9 (PTI) India and Sri Lanka have together launched multiple works costing USD 91.27 million across the island nation to upgrade the railway network which will enhance the mobility of goods and services and boost economic activity.

Sri Lanka's Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr Bandula Gunawardena and High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha ceremonially launched the multiple works on Sunday, a release from the office of the High Commission of India said here.

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Minister of Transport Gunawardena thanked India for the support extended to Sri Lanka, especially in the transport sector.

The Indian High Commissioner expressed happiness that as a long-standing development partner of Sri Lanka, India had executed projects for the development and rehabilitation of Sri Lanka's Northern and Southern Railway line over the past several years in line with the priorities and requirements of the Government of Sri Lanka.

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Jha also underscored the importance of the modernisation of railways in enhancing the mobility of goods and services in Sri Lanka thereby boosting economic activity.

The cost of the entire project is USD 91.27 million of which the second phase of rehabilitation from Maho-Anuradhapura is scheduled to be completed in a period of six months, the release added.

The works launched on Sunday include track rehabilitation work at Galgamuwa Railway Station and commencing upgradation of the railway line including ancillary works from Maho to Anuradhapura.

It also included the second phase of a Line of Credit project for track rehabilitation from Maho-Omanthai (128 kms) being undertaken by an Indian Public Sector company, IRCON, under an Indian Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 318 million.

Appreciating the work carried out by IRCON in Sri Lanka in the past few years, Gunawardena called for greater cooperation between the two countries in the railways sector.

Sri Lanka's State Minister of Mass Media Shantha Bandara and senior officials from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Transport were also present at the event.

Railways has been one of the priority sectors for the Government of India's assistance to Sri Lanka. To date, India has executed projects of over USD 1 billion in the railways sector under five Indian LOCs.

India's public sector company, IRCON, started its operations in Sri Lanka in March 2009 and has contributed towards the modernisation of Sri Lanka Railways by reconstructing the entire railway line network in the Northern Province (253 Km) and upgradation of Southern line (115 km).

It has also contributed to ensuring safety and reliability through a modern signalling and telecommunication system on a 330-km stretch of Railway line.

India's support to Sri Lanka under its various LOCs has continued despite the debt standstill announced by the Government of Sri Lanka in April 2022.

In September 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Highways of Sri Lanka and IRCON International signed a new contract for the design, installation, testing, and commissioning of a signalling system for Sri Lanka Railways, from Maho to Anuradhapura for USD 14.90 million under an Indian LOC, the release added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Tel Aviv [Israel], January 9 (ANI/TPS): Israeli soldiers took control of Hamas's Bureij Battalion headquarters which included a massive underground weapons manufacturing facility--the largest such site found since the beginning of the war, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday night.

The complex was located in and beneath the densely populated area of Bureij in central Gaza.

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Soldiers of the IDF's 188th and Golani brigades uncovered several tunnel shafts reaching a depth of approximately 30 meters and, following precise intelligence, exposed a terrorist stronghold used to manufacture weapons.

The soldiers also located many other underground production facilities used for the manufacturing of long-range rockets, explosives and accuracy enhancers for Hamas's mortar shells, light weapons and UAVs. Additionally, the forces killed dozens of terrorists in the area.

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In the area, soldiers found components for long-range rockets that could be fired from the Gaza Strip as far as northern Israel, as well as mortar shells, explosives and ammunition. Some of the rockets produced have a range of 100 km.

The IDF said the area was connected by underground tunnel shafts to wider tunnel network used to transport weapons to Hamas battalions throughout Gaza.

Photos and videos released by the military showed rocket components, molds for making parts, an underground elevator shaft, and assorted weapons.

Since the beginning of the war, Hamas has indiscriminately fired thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Iran is known to provide support and know-how to help Hamas produce its own rockets.

At least 1,200 people were killed in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on Oct. 7. The number of men, women, children, soldiers and foreigners held captive in Gaza by Hamas is now believed to be 129. Other people remain unaccounted for as Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains. (ANI/TPS)

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Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force Yuriy Ihnat did not confirm the recently reported information about the alleged downing of the first Shahed-238 kamikaze drone with jet engine on the territory of Ukraine.

"How can we confirm it if we cannot find it? Let the one who has found it confirm, show, talk about it. It seems, we have discussed this issue before. Iran presented Shahed-236, in black color. After that presentation, the occupiers started to paint in black ordinary Shaheds as well," he said on the national telethon on Tuesday when asked whether the Air Force could confirm the downing of a Shahed drone with jet engine over Ukraine.

Earlier, it was reported in social media that the first Shahed-238 kamikaze drone with jet engine, which had reached the middle of the country, might have been shot down on the territory of Ukraine.
Augusta, Jan 9 (AP) Democrats who control the Maine Legislature on Tuesday turned back a Republican effort to impeach the state's top election official for her decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The Maine House voted 80-60 along party lines against an impeachment resolution targeting Shenna Bellows, the first secretary of state in history to block someone from running for president by invoking the US Constitution's insurrection clause.

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Bellows has called the impeachment effort political theatre, and has vowed to abide by any legal ruling on her decision to keep Trump off Maine's March 5 primary ballot, which is under appeal in Maine Superior Court.

Republicans are furious over Bellows' conclusion that GOP frontrunner doesn't meet ballot requirements. They argued that her decision disenfranchised the more than 300,000 voters in Maine who chose Trump in the last election.

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GOP Rep. Michael Soboleski, of Phillips, called the secretary's action election interference of the highest order and a fellow Republican, Rep. James Thorne, of Carmel, said the secretary's action does nothing but further divide the political banner between the parties, and indeed the people of the state of Maine.

There has been no conviction in a court of law. She is not a judge. She is not a jury. And I believe that the people feel absolutely disenfranchised, added Rep. Katrina J Smith, a Republican from Palermo.

But they had faced long odds in seeking retribution against the Democrat.

The proposal called for a panel to investigate Bellows' actions and report back to the 151-member House for an impeachment vote. If the proposal had moved forward, then there would have been a trial in the 35-member Senate, where Democrats also have a majority.

Rep. Kevin O'Connell, of Brewer, said Bellows faithfully discharged her oath of office. He called her an honorable person who should not be removed from office for simply doing her job.

You might disagree with her decision, and some folks do. But every government official has an obligation to follow the law and fulfil their oath to the Constitution, he said.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment prohibits those who engaged in insurrection from holding office. Some legal scholars say the post-Civil War clause applies to Trump for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election and encouraging his backers to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

So far, Colorado is the only other state to bar Trump from the ballot. That decision by the Colorado Supreme Court is currently under appeal to the US Supreme Court.

On Monday, Trump's lawyers asked a judge to pause his appeal of Bellow's decision to allow time for a US Supreme Court decision that could render it moot. But the attorney general's office, which is representing Bellows, objected to the effort to delay the legal appeal.

Bellows, 48, is Maine's 50th secretary of state and the first woman to hold the office, beginning in the role in January 2021 after being elected by lawmakers.

The former state senator also served as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine from 2005 to 2013 and worked on successful drives to legalize same-sex marriage, same-day voter registration and ranked choice voting.

While Maine has just four electoral votes, it's one of two states to split them, so the state could have outsized importance in what's expected to be a close race. Trump earned one of Maine's electors when he was elected in 2016 and again in 2020 when he lost reelection. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 9 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta in Gujarat's Mahatma Mandir. PM Modi shook hands with the Nobel Peace Laureate and the two leaders warmly greeted each other.

PM Modi also met with the delegation accompanying the visiting leader.

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External Affairs S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were also present during the meeting.

Timor-Leste President had arrived in Gujarat on Monday to attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Also Read | Washington: Vehicle Crashes Into US White House Exterior Gate (Watch Video).

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel welcomed him at the airport.

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that it is the first Head of State level visit between India and Timor-Leste. Notably, India was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste.

In a post shared on X, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste welcomed by CM @Bhupendrapbjp of Gujarat as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit. This is the first Head of State level visit between the two countries, marking a significant milestone in bilateral partnership."

India and Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations in January 2003 and at the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on September 7, 2023, Prime Minister announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili the capital of Timor-Leste. The decision is a reflection of the importance India attaches to ASEAN, and its relations with Timor Leste.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar.

The theme of the summit, held from January 10 to 12, is 'Gateway to the Future' to celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success".

Upon arrival, PM Modi in a post on X wrote, "Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this summit. The coming of my brother, Mohamed Bin Zayed, is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarat's growth and created opportunities for several people."

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. This 10th Edition of the Summit will celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success".

There are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations for this year's Summit. Further, the Ministry of Development of the Northeastern region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the Northeastern regions.

The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability.

In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the latter arrived in Gujarat on Tuesday (Photo/ANI)

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 9 (ANI): UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening to take part in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him at the airport and the two will hold a roadshow in the city today.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and other officials were present at the airport to welcome the UAE President.

The UAE President was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour upon his arrival.

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Apart from the UAE President, other world leaders including Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta are attending the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Gujarat's Mahatma Mandir.

Upon arrival in Gujarat, PM Modi in a post shared on X stated, "Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this summit. The coming of my brother, Mohamed Bin Zayed, is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarat's growth and created opportunities for several people."

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from January 10-12 in Gandhinagar.

There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's Summit. Further, the Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions.

The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability.

In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies are displaying products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London [UK], January 9 (ANI): Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday night.

During his visit, the defence minister will discuss bilateral issues with his counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an official press release.

Also Read | US Designates China, Pakistan As 'Countries of Particular Concern' for Severe Violations of Religious Freedom.

Notably, this marks the first visit of a sitting Indian Defence Minister to the UK in 23 years.

The Defence Minister would be accompanied by a high-level Ministry of Defence delegation, comprising senior officials from DRDO, Service Headquarters, the Department of Defence, and the Department of Defence Production.

Also Read | Hezbollah Commander Eliminated: Israeli Strike Kills Wissam Al-Tamil in the Latest Escalation Linked to the War in Gaza.

As per the Ministry, both leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of defence, security and industrial cooperation issues.

Rajnath Singh is also expected to call on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hold a meeting with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron.

He will further interact with the CEOs and industry leaders of the UK defence industry and meet with the Indian community there.

Notably, India and the UK are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Talks for FTA between India and the UK started in 2022 and the 12th round of negotiations took place from August 8-31 this year.

The India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was launched in 2021 along with the India-UK Roadmap 2030, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The Roadmap is a commitment to a partnership that delivers for both countries.(ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Singapore, Jan 9 (PTI) Singapore will contribute troops to a US-led international maritime security force formed to respond to attacks by Yemen's Houthis against merchant vessels in the Red Sea, a senior minister of the Asian financial and trade hub said on Tuesday.

Singapore is in the midst of a major shipping route to north Asia from the rest of the world and plays a critical trade financing role that is widely dominated by China, Japan and South Korea as well as the rest of the world.

Also Read | Debt-Ridden Sri Lankas Navy Prepares To Join US-Led Naval Operations Prosperity Guardian Against Houthi Rebels in Red Sea.

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told the Parliament on Tuesday that the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) deployment will involve sending a team from the Republic of Singapore Navy's Information Fusion Centre to support information sharing, and a team of planners to work with international partners on operational plans.

A senior national representative for the Republic will also be sent to the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces' (CMF) headquarters in Bahrain, he added.

Also Read | Shark Attack in Mexico: Man Killed by Great White Shark While Fishing for Scallops Near Playa Tojahui.

"It is in our interest for Singapore to join the cause with the international community to protect and ensure that key sea lines of communication around the world remain open, especially if threatened by unlawful acts by non-state actors or terrorist groups, the minister was quoted as saying by The Straits Times newspaper.

Dr Ng was responding to a question by a lawmaker about how the Red Sea attacks impact Singapore's maritime security, and whether the SAF will be contributing to this effort.

He noted that since January 7, Yemen-based Houthi forces have attacked about 20 merchant ships in the Red Sea with missiles and attempted to hijack the vessels.

The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou, a container ship owned and operated by Denmark, was also attacked.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have said the attacks are meant to show support for Palestinian armed group Hamas in its war with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The attacks resulted in all five of the world's largest shipping companies suspending transits through the Red Sea, which is the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, noted Dr Ng.

He said the immediate impact on Singapore from the ongoing attacks is expected to be limited, as the majority of the Republic's critical supplies such as food and pharmaceuticals are delivered by air freight or do not pass through the Red Sea.

Local manufacturers likely also have sufficient spare inventory to hedge against supply disruption, but he noted that they are worried about increased business costs.

Dr Ng said Singapore is contributing to the Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international maritime security force coalition in the Red Sea  launched by the US on December 19, 2023  as it aligns with the three principles of maritime security cooperation that the city-state articulated at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2005 when the Malacca Strait and Singapore Strait were threatened by piracy and sea robbery.

The principles are that primary responsibility for maritime security lies with the littoral states; that the international community has a role to play; and that cooperation has to be in accordance with international law and respectful of the sovereignty of the littoral states.

'Operation Prosperity Guardian' comes under Combined Task Force 153, one of five task forces under the CMF. Singapore has been a member of the CMF since 2009.

Dr Ng said the military operation is focused primarily on keeping a key sea line of communication free, just as Singapore would want the assistance of the international community if the same thing happened in regional waters.

Nonetheless, we recognise and we have articulated that the littoral states (there) have the primary responsibility, and there must be sufficient efforts there, and that's why we encourage the littoral states and other countries to work towards a diplomatic solution so that the Red Sea problem can be mitigated, he said.

Separately on Gaza, Dr Ng said Singapore and the SAF have continued to monitor developments in the region and the ongoing need for humanitarian assistance.

He said the SAF has accepted an invitation by the French Armed Forces to provide two medical personnel to serve on the French ship Dixmude.

Docked at El Arish Port in Egypt, the Dixmude is a reconfigured hospital ship that has been treating casualties from Gaza.

The SAF has accepted the offer, and plans are under way to deploy this medical team to aid civilian casualties there, Dr Ng said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9: The LBS Centre for Science and Technology released the admit cards for the Kerala State Eligibility Test examination today, January 9. The Kerala SET 2024 exam is scheduled to take place in January 2024. Candidates who will be appearing for the Kerala State Eligibility Test examination can visit the official website of LBS Centre at lbsedp.lbscentre.in to check and download the admit card.

It must be noted that candidates will have to use their registration ID or registered mobile number and access key received via SMS to download the admit card. Bedies candidates also have the option to recover the forgotten site access key. The Kerala SET exam will be conducted on January 21. NEET PG 2024 Exam: National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Examination Likely in First Week of July; No National Exit Test This Year, Say Reports.

Steps to Download Kerala SET Admit Card 2024:

Visit the official website of LBS Centre at lbsedp.lbscentre.in .

. On the homepage, click the Kerala SET January 2024 admit card link.

Enter using your login credentials.

Your hall ticket for the Kerala SET exam will be displayed on the screen.

Check the admit card thoroughly.

Take a printout for future reference.

For the Kerala SET 2024 examination, there will be two papers, with the first paper containing two parts - one part on General Knowledge and the other part on Aptitude in Teaching. The second paper of the Kerala SET exam will be on the subject of specialisation of the candidate at the postgraduate level. There are a total of 31 subjects to choose from. Delhi Police Announces Constable PE&MT Exam 2024 Schedule at delhipolice.gov.in, Know How to Download Admit Card.

Applicants must remember that the duration of each paper is 120 minutes, and there is no negative marking in the Kerala SET examination. For more details, candidates can check the official website of the LBS Centre for Science and Technology.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2024 10:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, January 9: A Iranian man was arrested in Delhi and heroin, valued at over Rs 5 crore, smuggled from Afghanistan recovered from him, a Special Cell official said on Tuesday. The member of international drug syndicate has been identified as Mohsen Vahedi, 29, a resident of Iran's Torbatejam and the recovered heroin was smuggled in India from Afghanistan via Iran.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Alok Kumar said that on January 1, a police team was on checking the records of foreigners etc. residing in the hotels situated in the area of south district, and on suspicion, thoroughly checked the record of an Iranian guest in hotel Sunroof Residency, Hauz Rani, in Malviya Nagar area. Drugs Racket Busted in Delhi: Six Arrested for Selling for Supplying Narcotics to Students via Social Media, Delivery Apps.

During the checking, police recovered one kg fine quality of Heroin from him. "Vahedi disclosed to have been indulging in drug supplying racket in Delhi/NCR," said the DCP. On his interrogation, it was revealed that he is a member of a big international narcotic drug cartel and procured the heroin from drug lord Habeeb, operating from Afghanistan.

Vahedi also disclosed that quality of heroin, manufactured and smuggled from Afghanistan is much superior and on high demand internationally as well as in India as comparison to the heroin manufactured from opium in legalised cultivated areas in India. Delhi: Anti-Narcotics Task Force Busts Inter-State Drug Trafficking Syndicate, Seizes Heroin Worth Rs 1.5 Crore.

"From the last 5-6 years this new route has become prominent for smuggling of heroin in other parts of the country from Delhi to Tehran," the DCP said. "Though the heroin brought from Afghanistan is costly, it is of very good quality manufactured from legally grown opium in traditional areas of Bareilly, Badaun, Barabanki in UP, Mandsaur in MP, and Jhalawar, Chhitorgarh, and Bhawani Mandi in Rajasthan," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2024 11:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, January 9: A Delhi court on Tuesday granted permission to NewsClick's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty to become an approver in the case lodged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over allegations that the media outlet received money to spread pro-China propaganda. Chakravarty had filed the application before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur, seeking pardon in the ongoing case.

The judge allowed Chakravarty, who claims to possess material information that he is willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, to turn an approver in the case. During the last hearing, police sources had indicated that the agency will make a decision regarding supporting his application after thoroughly reviewing the information he provides in his statement. NewsClick Row: Delhi Police Question Activist Gautam Navlakha in Mumbai (Watch Video).

The court, on December 22, had granted 60 more days to Delhi Police to complete the investigation after it had moved an application before the court seeking an extension of three months. NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha is in judicial custody till January 20.

The police application sought an extension for the maximum period allowed under the law, which is 180 days from the day of the accused's arrest in cases filed under special acts, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The application stressed on the voluminous nature of documents and evidence in the case, stating that the agency needs to visit various locations outside Delhi, contributing to the expected delay. NewsClick Row: Court Reserves Order on Delhi Polices Plea Seeking More Time for Probe Against News Portal Founder-Editor Prabir Purkayastha.

The Special Cell had registered an FIR in connection with the case on August 17 under different sections of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code against NewsClick. In August, a New York Times investigation accused NewsClick of being an organisation funded by a network linked with US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, to allegedly promote Chinese propaganda.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2024 06:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
To check ICAI exam results, candidates will have to use their roll numbers and registration numbers. Candidates should also visit the official website of ICAI at icai.org in to check their exam results.
The Delhi High Court has renotified to February 13 the hearing of Popular Front of India's (PFI) plea challenging the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal's decision to uphold the five-year ban imposed on the organisation by the Central government.
Ukrainian, Romanian Presidents discuss increase in volume of Ukrainian exports through joint border crossings to 4 mln tonnes

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Romania Klaus Iohannis discussed by phone on Tuesday the possibilities for further expanding the capacity of border crossing points to increase the volume of Ukrainian exports.

"Monthly Ukrainian exports through Romania increased from 2 million tonnes to 3 million tonnes, and we discussed ways to increase the capacity of border crossings to achieve the target of 4 million tonnes," Zelenskyy said in his Telegram channel.

The head of the Ukrainian state thanked Romania for supporting the decision to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU and for its willingness to share its positive experience of European integration.

Zelenskyy also briefed President Iohannis about the continuation of air terror on the part of Russia and noted the importance of further cooperation with partners to strengthen Ukraine's air shield. Bilateral cooperation was also discussed, including the training program for Ukrainian F-16 pilots.

As the President of Ukraine reported in Telegram channel, the parties agreed to begin work on bilateral security guarantees based on the G-7 Vilnius Declaration.

According to Zelenskyy's press service, the Romanian President, in turn, highly appreciated the legislation adopted by Ukraine on national minorities.
A viral video on social media has sparked concern as it appears to show the staged kidnapping of American YouTuber IShowSpeed in Brazil. The video depicts individuals dressed as goons, wielding sticks and wearing face masks, attempting to kidnap the popular content creator. The staged nature of the incident raises questions about the motives behind the prank and its potential impact on online content creation. Breathtaking Moment: Kochi Skies Witness Magical Convergence of Vande Bharat Express and Airplane in Viral Clip.

IShowSpeed Kidnapped

IShowSpeeds kidnapping in Brazil  ( New angle of the prank. ) pic.twitter.com/uSgsE0Xkfy  LaughTherapyHub (@LaughTherapyHub) January 9, 2024

IShowSpeeds kidnapping in Brazil  ( New angle of the prank. ) pic.twitter.com/DPhZLcVVqs  The 1% Mindset (@selfemprovement) January 9, 2024

Staged Kidnapping of IShowSpeed

IShowSpeeds kidnapping in Brazil It was later revealed to be a prank on the YouTuber. pic.twitter.com/zfR3zPMGYe  Daily More (@MoreDailyClips) January 9, 2024

IShowSpeeds kidnapping in Brazil  ( New angle of the prank. ) pic.twitter.com/7PhvqUKuRs  DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) January 8, 2024

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
The commercial US spacecraft has experienced technical problems, developing a fuel leak that will allow it to operate in space but not touch down on the moon.Representatives from the private space company Astrobotic Technology on Tuesday announced that the Peregrine commercial lunar lander will not complete its mission as planned, saying there is "no chance" of the vessel landing softly on the moon as intended.

Also Read | US Moon Mission: US-Based Astrobiotic Technology's Peregrine Lunar Lander Suffers 'Critical' Fuel Loss on Its Way To Moon.

Astrobotics reported that the vessel had developed a fuel leak after it was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Monday, leaving it with roughly 40 hours worth of propellant by Tuesday.

Also Read | Will AI Help Us Talk to Animals?.

Scientists on Tuesday sought to determine what the vessel's mission would now be, saying it could still be operated "as a spacecraft."

Launched with the new Vulcan rocket  developed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin under the joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA)  the Peregrine experienced a "propulsion system issue" on its way to the moon.

That meant that it was also unable to correctly position itself to charge its batteries as its solar panels were not facing the sun, an issue that engineers were able to resolve.

"The team continues to work to find ways to extend Peregrine's operational life," said Astrobotics.

Despite the fact that the vessel would not complete its mission as planned, Astrobotics said engineers continued to receive important data that will allow it to test component and software operability for future missions.

This is a devloping story, more to come...

js/rt (AFP, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 10, 2024 12:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Christian Ziegler is now officially the former chairman of the Florida State Republican Party after the party decided to oust him over his sex scandal and sexual assault investigation.

His wife, Moms For Liberty Co-Founder Bridget Ziegler, is also facing calls to resign from her school board position from more conservative voices in the party after it also came out that she had a threesome with her husband and the woman accusing her husband of sexual assault.

While Ziegler has not been criminally charged with anything yet, he was removed from the state party's leadership with a unanimous vote, according to Blaise Ingoglia, former Republican Party of Florida Chairman and current member of the Florida Senate.

His removal came after other party leaders suspended him and removed all his authority as state party chairman last month. He has been facing calls to resign from some of the biggest names in the state's GOP, including Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Rick Scott, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, the latter himself facing sexual assault allegations with minors.

Ziegler has since been denying all allegations levied against him. According to the affidavit obtained by CNN, he, his wife, and the victim originally planned a threesome but Bridget Ziegler could not make it. The woman canceled since she originally agreed so she could do it with the Moms For Liberty co-founder. However, the now-ousted Republican chairman still allegedly went to her house and sexually assaulted her there despite her refusing him.

Surveillance video captured the embattled Republican leader arriving at his accuser's home. She accused him of raping her in the bar stool but Ziegler maintains their encounter was consensual.

Florida Republican Party Decided on Christian Ziegler Replacement Already

Following his ouster, the Florida Republican Party then voted on who would be the one to replace him and they decided on Vice Chairman Evan Power to become the new chairman of the party. Power himself stated that the party is "moving forward" from Ziegler and his sex scandals.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Legal Problems Grow as Reports Indicate Kenneth Chesebro Cooperating With Multiple Investigations

However, the new Florida Republican Party chairman did acknowledge that there is a pause in the fundraising ahead of the 2024 elections as they did not anticipate lingering effects from the scandal surrounding Ziegler.

"I think it's a blip on the radar," he told local Florida PBS affiliate WGCU. "I think we're going to be able to pick up today fundraising-wise and move the party forward. So, I don't think there's going to be a long-term impact. I think you're going to see us win big again in November."

Christian Ziegler Investigation Looking Into More Than Just Rape

Last month, police combed through much of Christian Ziegler's online activities, seeking access to his Instagram messages, videos, and photos, including those that were under the "vanish" mode that makes them disappear from the app.

According to Politico, he is not just being investigated for sexual assault, but also if he violated Florida's anti-voyeurism laws as he may have also recorded his sexual encounter with his accuser, who allegedly told police that she did not consent to being recorded.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Rape Case: Judge Allows Grab 'Em by the P*ssy' Tape as Evidence

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: GOP ousts Chairman Christian Ziegler - ABC Action News
A convicted leader of one of Ecuador's most powerful drug gangs, Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito," has mysteriously disappeared from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence, AP reports.

Authorities are investigating whether he escaped, echoing a similar incident a decade ago.

Ecuador authorities reported on Sunday that Fito, the leader of Los Choneros gang, was not in his cell, and as of Monday, his whereabouts remain unknown.

Ecuador's prosecutor's office has filed charges against two prison guards as part of the investigation, treating the case as a "prisoner's escape."

President Daniel Noboa has declared a national state of emergency, enabling the suspension of certain rights and the mobilization of the military, specifically addressing the need to confront crime within prisons.

READ NEXT: Ecuador: Gang Leader Moved to Maximum Security

Adolfo Macias and Los Choneros Gang

Macias, alias "Fito," was sentenced in 2011 to 34 years in prison for various crimes, including drug trafficking and murder, according to Reuters.

Los Choneros is a notorious criminal organization associated with extortion, murder, and drug trafficking, accused of exerting control over Ecuador's main prisons.

"We're grateful for the courage and commitment of the law enforcement forces, who, in an operation involving more than 3,000 people, have intervened in the prison in search of the most-wanted prisoner," said presidential spokesman Roberto Izurieta during the press conference.

Rival criminal organizations frequently clash within Ecuador's overcrowded prisons, resulting in more than 400 inmate deaths since 2021.

ADolfo Macias, a significant figure in Los Choneros, has been implicated in various criminal activities, including the killing of a prominent individual named Villavicencio, who had received death threats from him.

Fito's Brazen Actions Behind Bars

Ecuador gang leader, Fito, known for his brazen actions, recently released a "narcocorrido," a music video glorifying his criminal exploits, partially recorded inside the prison, per BBC.

The video features the Mariachi Bravo duo singing alongside Macias's daughter, known as Queen Michelle, praising her father as a "man of honor."

"I take my hat off to you, Fito, my dad," his daughter croons, claiming that "through his veins, good blood flows".

The footage suggests a breach of the ban on electronic devices within the prison.

Despite being behind bars, the Ecuador gang leader has a history of eluding authorities. In 2013, he and 17 other inmates escaped from La Roca, a prison within the larger compound.

They fled on boats on the River Daule but were captured four months later. Macias has been incarcerated since then.

It remains unclear whether the Ecuador gang leader managed to leave the prison compound in the port city or is hiding within.

Authorities are actively searching the prison complex, which houses five penitentiaries and over 12,000 inmates.

Adolfo Macias had previously been briefly transferred to a smaller, supposedly safer jail within the compound but was moved back after a successful appeal by his lawyer.

The Ecuador gang Fito leads, Los Choneros, primarily engages in drug trafficking and extortion, establishing connections with Mexico's powerful Sinaloa cartel.

The disappearance of such a high-profile criminal raises concerns about the efficacy of Ecuador's prison system and the challenges authorities face in maintaining control and preventing escapes.

READ MORE: American Fugitive Nicholas Rossi Extradited to US

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: An operation is underway in Ecuador to find their "most-wanted prisoner", who disappeared from jail - From The Telegraph
The tensions between Guyana and Venezuela continue as their spat over the Essequibo region may get even more thanks as a US Department of Defense official is set to visit Guyana on Monday and Tuesday, a move that may anger Caracas even further after the United Kingdom sent a warship to conduct military exercises with the Guyanese military.

The visit was confirmed by the US State Department, with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere Daniel P. Erikson being the one visiting Guyana in a US push for a "U.-Guyana bilateral defense and security partnership in support of regional stability."

While Guyana and Venezuela agreed in a summit in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to avoid the use of force in their long-simmering feud over Essequibo, Guyana has been beefing up its forces and cozying up to the US and the UK in case Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro breaks his word. Both countries have still deployed troops to their border and these troops have stayed there even after the agreement.

As Reuters noted, the Essequibo region, which is rich in oil and mineral resources and is vastly populated, is generally recognized as part of Guyana. However, Venezuela has recently revived its claims after major oil and gas discoveries, with Maduro launching a referendum to claim Essequibo as part of Guyana.

Currently, Western diplomats have been urging Brazil President Lula, whose country shares borders with both Venezuela and Guyana, as well as having friendly relations with Maduro, to mediate in the dispute.

As for Erikson, he is slated to meet not just with top Guyanese officials, but also military leaders and representatives for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during the 2-day visit.

READ MORE: Latin America Politics 2023: Election, Conflicts, Other Major Issues in the Region

Guyana Sends New Ambassador to Venezuela Amid Essequibo Row

As the two South American countries continue their spat over Essequibo, Guyana has now sent a new ambassador to Venezuela, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles. This was announced by Guyana's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Robert Persaud, on X (previously Twitter).

"Wishing a successful tour of duty to our new Ambassador to Venezuela Dr Van West-Charles as he prepares for Caracas on January 15 after which he will present his letters of credentials to the president of Venezuela," said the Guyanese foreign affairs secretary in his post.

According to the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian, he is the son-in-law of late Guyanese president Forbes Burnham and served as the Head of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) under the former APNU+AFC administration.

The Complicated History of Essequibo

Venezuela and the Essequibo region were originally colonies of Spain. However, Essequibo eventually came under the control of the Dutch and then the British as Venezuela remained under the Spaniards before getting its independence. When the claim over the territory came into question, an 1899 arbitration ruling sided with Guyana.

However, the Venezuelans did not accept this ruling and claimed that the Americans and Europeans colluded to cheat their country out of the land. Guyana has maintained the accord since, but Venezuela never really accepted it. As for Maduro, he is only reigniting the claims after more oil was found in the region.

READ MORE: Guyana Culture: Essequibo Identifies More as Guyanase and Not With Venezuela

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Essequibo, the oil and mineral-rich region disputed by Venezuela and Guyana  FRANCE 24 English
As Republicans continue to grasp at straws with the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan admitted their strongest evidence was testimony from Devon Archer. However, that piece of evidence has a few problems as Archer, the former partner of Hunter Biden, son of the president, admitted under oath that he did not find any wrongdoing on the part of Joe Biden himself.

Jordan and his fellow Republicans have been branding Joe Biden and his family members as a mob-like family peddling Joe Biden's position to foreign entities. Trump supporters in the MAGAverse have been eating these allegations up despite the lack of concrete evidence that this is really happening, but while it works in the court of public opinion, the argument falls flat in the actual court of law.

During an appearance on Fox Ne3ws, Jim Jordan stated, "The most damning evidence we got thus far is what we got from Devon Archer, Hunter Biden's business partner because he says what they were selling was the brand."

"Remember, there's no business here. They're selling access to the brand. The brand is the big guy. The brand is Joe Biden. Devon Archer said that" the Ohio congressman added. However, Archer has debunked those claims when he admitted that Hunter Biden was only selling the illusion of access to his father, not actual access to it.

According to Newsweek, Archer admitted he is not aware of any wrongdoing on the part of the president, and he had no knowledge of Joe Biden having involvement with Burisma and rejected claims that the president and Hunter Biden each accepted a $5-million bribe from an official from the company. He said these under oath.

Jim Jordan May Have Just Confessed They Have Nothing in Joe Biden Impeachment Inquiry

His admittance that the Devon Archer testimony is their most "damning piece of evidence" against Joe Biden may have been to spin to Fox News viewers that they have strong evidence against the president, but for those who know better, this can also be admitted as a confession that they actually have nothing.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Received Millions of Dollars From China, Other Countries While US President

The "star witness" that the Republicans have, the one they call the "most damning piece of evidence against Joe Biden," has admitted under oath that President Joe Biden had never been involved with Burisma and did not talk with his son's associates. He also did not take any bribes, according to Archer himself.

Democrats quickly drew attention to the massive holes in the Republican's arguments with Archer's testimony. As MSNBC noted, "If the most damning evidence House Republicans have is Archer debunking their claims, then House Republicans haven't received any damning evidence."

Donald Trump Allies Behind Joe Biden Impeachment Inquiry Also Involved in January 6

Meanwhile, as House Republicans continue to flounder with the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry, a new report produced by the Congressional Integrity Project and obtained by the Guardian revealed that some of the people spearheading it are also involved in planning the January 6 Capitol Insurrection.

The report noted that some House Republicans, particularly those loyal to Donald Trump, were "key players involved in Trump's scheme to overturn the election in 2020 are the very same Republicans leading the bogus impeachment effort against President Biden."

Among the names mentioned in the report include House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, and House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, "all of whom continue to push Trump's debunked conspiracy theories and wage a crusade to impeach Biden."

READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jim Jordan CRASHES AND BURNS on Fox News - Brian Tyler Cohen
Representative Matt Rosendale, a Montana Republican, has announced plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Fox News reports.

The move comes in the wake of the Pentagon's delayed revelation of Austin's hospitalization last week, sparking concerns and criticisms.

Rosendale accuses Austin of jeopardizing national security through actions such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the border migrant crisis, and an incident involving a Chinese spycraft above the continental U.S.

Matt Rosendale asserts, "Sec. Austin knowingly put the American people in danger and compromised our national security when he allowed a spy balloon from a foreign adversary to fly over Malmstrom Air Force Base - home to ICBMs - and allowed the Chinese Communist Party to gather intel on American citizens."

Furthermore, he alleges a pattern of dishonesty, emphasizing Austin's lack of transparency about his health last week, which was only disclosed by the Pentagon on Friday, four days after his admission.

A report revealed that even high-level officials in the White House and Pentagon were unaware of Austin's hospitalization until Thursday.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Impeachment Inquiry

Criticisms Mount Over Lack of Transparency

Despite the controversy surrounding Austin's delayed disclosure, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder emphasizes that Austin, who has secure communications access, remains engaged in monitoring global operations.

The absence of transparency regarding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's health has garnered bipartisan criticism, as per USA Today.

The Pentagon's failure to announce Austin's hospitalization promptly and his failure to inform Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks for several days have been denounced as breaches of norms for senior officials.

Questions are being raised about whether Austin's actions comply with rules and procedures, with the White House facing scrutiny over the handling of the situation.

President Biden Stands Firm Amid Calls for Action

Senior administration officials have stated that President Joe Biden is not considering firing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, despite the controversy surrounding the delayed disclosure of his hospitalization.

The president reportedly would not accept a resignation if Austin were to offer one, according to POLITICO.

The Pentagon had already conveyed that Austin has no plans to resign and remains committed to his duties.

Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have called for Austin's dismissal, questioning his decision to keep his hospitalization a secret.

However, Biden, known for his loyalty and preference for continuity, is expected to stand by Austin.

The president and the secretary had their first conversation since the hospitalization on Saturday, with Biden expressing eagerness to see the secretary back at the Pentagon soon.

As the situation unfolds, the lack of transparency surrounding Lloyd Austin's health has intensified the political debate, with implications for the Biden administration and the defense leadership.

The articles of Lloyd Austin impeachment proposed by Rep. Matt Rosendale underscore the gravity of the situation and set the stage for further political deliberations.

READ MORE: US Capitol Riot: Mike Pence Fires Back at Donald Trump's Claim

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: White House wasn't notified of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization for several days - From CBS Evening News
In a dramatic incident on Monday afternoon, an explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Texas left 21 people injured and prompted evacuations, with initial indications pointing to a possible gas leak as the cause, according to ABC News.

According to the Fort Worth Fire Department, the Texas hotel explosion occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time, sending heavy debris across a block and causing significant damage.

The injured include employees from the Musume restaurant, which is housed within the hotel.

One person is reported to be in critical condition, with 14 others transported to area hospitals.

Fire department officials revealed that a gas leak was part of the incident, though it remains uncertain if it directly caused the Texas hotel explosion.

Craig Trojacek, spokesperson for the Fort Worth Fire Department, mentioned during a news conference, "We do know that there was some construction that was being done down at the restaurant. We're not 100% sure that that's where it actually started at this point in time."

Firefighters conducted rescues in the Texas hotel's basement, and a sweep revealed one person who was initially unaccounted for. The investigation into the incident's cause is ongoing.

READ NEXT: Texas Chemical Explosion

Eyewitness Accounts and Restaurant Injuries

Eyewitness Cheila Sanchez from The Ashton Hotel, located approximately a block away, described the Texas hotel explosion as akin to a massive firework, per CNN.

The incident, she said, occurred around 3:20 PM, causing a sudden and intense disturbance.

Musume restaurant employees suffered injuries, and the restaurant, fortunately, closed during the explosion, provided updates on their stable condition via a Facebook statement.

Images from the scene depict debris scattered outside the Texas hotel, with sections of the building's facade visibly torn off.

Despite the extensive damage, there is no current indication that the incident is of a criminal nature, as reported by a federal law enforcement source.

Reyne Telles, Fort Worth Chief Communications Officer, noted the presence of a plume of smoke visible above high-rises and scattered debris around city hall.

Search and Rescue Operations and Hotel Background

Later in the day, fire department spokesperson Trojacek informed the public that 26 hotel rooms were occupied during the Texas hotel explosion, NBCDFW noted.

A thorough search concluded at approximately 5:30 p.m., with no additional victims found. The stability of the building is set to be assessed post-search and rescue.

As of 6 p.m., the number of injured rose from 11 to 21, with varying degrees of severity. Thankfully, no fatalities have been reported.

The explosion took place within the W.T. Waggoner Building, a historic 20-story tower constructed over a century ago, currently serving as the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel.

The building's history, initially housing the National Bank of Commerce in 1920, underwent restoration in 1985 and transformation into a hotel in 2019.

Fire officials acknowledged ongoing construction at the site, but the exact nature and potential contribution to the Texas hotel explosion remain undetermined.

READ MORE: Iowa School Shooting

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Fort Worth hotel explosion: Witnesses describe 'loud, violent explosion' that injured 11 - From FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Donald Trump recently mocked late senator and war hero John McCain for shooting down his attempt to repeal universal healthcare, and his daughter, former "The View" host and conservative commentator Meghan McCain, is pushing back.

Not long after the embattled former president mocked her father in a speech during a campaign event in Iowa, Meghan McCain took to X (formerly Twitter), and she did not hold back, calling Donald Trump a "piece of sh**."

"My dad was an American hero. An icon. A patriot that will be remembered throughout history. I cannot buy a bagel without someone approaching me about how much they loved and miss him," she wrote on X. "Trump is a piece of shit, election-denying, huckster whose own wife won't campaign with him."

As the Huffington Post noted, John McCain had been a thorn in Trump's side ever since he campaigned for the presidency, and Trump had been more than happy to make fun of McCain being a political prisoner during the Vietnam War, as well as the injuries he sustained while being tortured by the North Vietnamese.

Trump has since been triggered whenever John McCain is mentioned, so much so that a warship named USS John McCain was forced to go out to sea when Trump visited a US naval base in Japan because he wanted it "out of sight" when he visited.

What Did Donald Trump Say About Late Senator John McCain in Iowa?

During his campaign stop in Iowa, Trump talked about the now-failed July 2017 ObamaCare repeal bill that he and his loyalist senators were pushing. In his final act of defiance in his career as a politician, McCain famously voted with a thumbs down.

"Obamacare is a catastrophe, nobody talks about it. You know, without John McCain, we would have had it done," he told the Iowa crowd. "But John McCain, for some reason, couldn't get his arm up that day, remember?"

READ MORE: Donald Trump Received Millions of Dollars From China, Other Countries While US President

This was a reference to McCain not being able to lift his arms up after repeated torture in Vietnam, making him one of the biggest advocates against torture in the US while he was still alive.

The effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, did not pass the Senate with a final vote of 49-51, with the deciding vote being John McCain. Three Republicans joined every single Democrat to vote against the repeal, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Donald Trump Trying to Throw Out Georgia Election Case Again

Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate is facing several criminal cases, including one in Georgia where he is accused of trying to interfere with the state's election. Now, Trump is trying to have the case thrown out again as he argued that he is protected from prosecution under presidential immunity.

"The indictment in this case charges President Trump for acts that lie at the heart of his official responsibilities as president. The indictment is barred by presidential immunity and should be dismissed with prejudice," the motion in Georgia read.

However, critics have often challenged this argument, saying that Trump and his followers were not acting on behalf of Donald Trump, President of the United States, but on behalf of Donald Trump, presidential candidate, and if he is acting as a candidate, he is not immune from prosecution.

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: 'Trump is a piece of s***' Meghan McCain slams Trump after mocking her father...again - MSNBC
Lisa Bonet, 56, known legally as Lilakoi Moon, has officially filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years, Jason Momoa, 44, according to Hollywood Reporter.

The divorce documents were submitted in Los Angeles County court on Monday, nearly two years after the couple publicly disclosed their separation.

The divorce petition cites irreconcilable differences as the grounds for the split.

Notably, the filing specifies that neither party seeks financial support, and both have come to an agreement on the division of their assets.

The legal documents also outline a joint custody arrangement for their 16-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son.

Momoa, renowned for his roles in the Aquaman movies and Game of Thrones, married Bonet in 2017, although they first crossed paths in 2005.

The separation date, according to the legal filing, is noted as October 2020, preceding their public announcement by over a year.

The divorce proceedings are anticipated to take six months before a Los Angeles judge finalizes the divorce.

This marriage was Momoa's first, while Bonet was previously married to musician Lenny Kravitz, with whom she shares a daughter, Zoe Kravitz.

READ NEXT: Hugh Jackman Divorce

Public Announcement and Co-Parenting

Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet first met in 2005, but they didn't marry until 2017, per Fox News.

The legal document indicates the couple's separation date as October 2020, which is over a year before publicly announcing their separation.

The divorce is expected to be granted by a Los Angeles judge in six months.

This was Momoa's first marriage, while Bonet was previously married to musician Lenny Kravitz. The couple shares a daughter, Zoe Kravitz, who recently got engaged to actor Channing Tatum.

When announcing their split in January 2022, Bonet and Momoa shared a joint statement on Instagram.

They mentioned feeling the impact of transformative times, acknowledging the unfolding revolution, and stated that they were parting ways in marriage.

The couple emphasized making their separation public to go about their lives with dignity and honesty, expressing that the love between them carries on in evolving ways.

They concluded with a commitment to their children and a wish for love to prevail.

Co-Parenting Gestures Post-Separation

Despite their divorce, Momoa has been spotted engaging in considerate acts towards Bonet.

He was seen delivering a Christmas tree to Bonet's Malibu home in December, showcasing a collaborative and amicable approach to co-parenting their children, Lola, 14, and Nakoa-Wolf, 13, ET Online noted.

Sources close to the couple affirm their commitment to maintaining a friendly relationship for the sake of their family.

Even after 20 years together, including 16 years as a couple and five years of marriage, they are dedicated to supporting each other's happiness.

On social media, Momoa publicly displayed his support for Bonet and their blended family.

In November, he commented on Lenny Kravitz's birthday Instagram post for Bonet, demonstrating the continued respect and affection between the ex-spouses.

The positive gestures and statements reinforce the couple's commitment to fostering a healthy post-divorce relationship.

As the legal proceedings unfold, both Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa are navigating this significant life change with an emphasis on respect, mutual support, and co-parenting collaboration.

READ MORE: Taylor Swift Fans Slam New York Times

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Lisa Bonet finally files for divorce from Jason Momoa 2 years after announcing breakup - From Page Six
A secret meeting took place in December between Ukraine, its Group of Seven allies and a small group of Global South countries to try to rally support for Kyiv's conditions for holding peace talks with Russia, Bloomberg has reported.

"The previously undisclosed Dec. 16 meeting of national security advisers was held in Saudi Arabia and followed larger, publicized gatherings aimed at countering Moscow's attempts to divide and paint Ukraine and its allies as unwilling to negotiate an end to the war," it said.

The secrecy was aimed in part at making participant countries feel more comfortable about joining.

"The smaller format allowed for a freer, more frank discussion on Ukraine's so-called peace formula and plans for moving that process forward as well as principles for potentially engaging with Russia in future, the people said," the agency said.

According to Bloomberg's sources, there was no major progress at the latest meeting, held in Riyadh. Ukraine and its G-7 allies continued to resist calls from the Global South nations to engage directly with Russia.

While top officials from India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey joined the December meeting in Riyadh, other major Global South nations who had come to some of the previous larger sessions  notably China, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates  did not send their representatives, the people said.

Beijing is seen by many of the participating countries as key to influencing Moscow given close ties between the two. Brazil, which is presiding over this year's Group of 20, contributed a written statement.

Kyiv and its G-7 allies reaffirmed their view that a just peace needs to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin's goals hadn't changed and he's shown no sign of being serious about wanting substantive negotiations and has failed to respect past agreements. The allies made clear they will continue backing Ukraine, and the EU and the United States said they were confident that the support packages would be agreed.
Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Oscar Mayer, is recruiting for its next class of Hotdoggers to drive its Wienermobiles around the country for the year.

Heres what you need to know about whos eligible to apply and how you can snag one of these roles while they are still hot.

Who is eligible to become a Hotdogger?

Kraft Heinz is looking for recent college graduates, who will act as brand ambassadors for Oscar Mayer.

The company is looking for outgoing, creative, friendly, enthusiastic, graduating college seniors who have an appetite for adventure and are willing to see the country through the windshield of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the company said.

For candidates, having a bachelors degree in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising or marketing is a plus.

What does the Hotdogger role entail?

Each of the 12 drivers selected for the Hotdogger position will visit more than 20 states in the hot-dog-shaped vehicle, serve as an official Oscar Mayer spokesperson at company events and travel more than 200,000 miles.

The successful hires will also document their travels on several social media platforms.

But competition for one of these hotdogger roles is intense. According to USA Today, less than 1% of applicants get chosen for these positions. With these statistics, it is easier to get into an Ivy League university than to get chosen for one of these roles.

What are the perks for the Hotdogger role?

The full-time job comes with a base salary of $35,600, $150 weekly allowance for meals and personal travel, 18 days of paid time off, and all hotel expenses, team apparel and health benefits are covered by the company, according to the job posting.

How do you apply for the Hotdogger role? Whats the deadline to apply?

Potential Hotdogger candidates can apply online anytime before Jan. 31, 2024.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
UPDATE: Lehigh Valley school districts announce early dismissals Friday amid presidents visit

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the Lehigh Valley on Friday, the White House announced Tuesday.

The first-term Democrat is scheduled to travel to the Allentown area, according to a White House news release. Additional details were slated for later release.

The President will discuss how communities across America are coming back thanks to Bidenomics and his Investing in America agenda, which have ushered in a small business boom, created good-paying jobs with rising wages, strengthened local economies, and lowered costs for hardworking families, the release states.

Biden also visited the Lehigh Valley on July 28, 2021, speaking on American business at the Mack Trucks plant in Lower Macungie Township.

As scheduled, the visit comes a week after Biden spoke last Friday in southeastern Pennsylvanias Montgomery County, focused on the 2024 presidential election.

Biden on Friday warned that Donald Trumps efforts to retake the White House in 2024 pose a grave threat to the country. Following a stop at Valley Forge, that visit came the day before the third anniversary of the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol by then-President Trumps supporters aiming to keep him in power.

Following last weeks Pennsylvania stop, Biden on Monday denounced the poison of white supremacy in America, declaring at the site of a deadly racist church shooting in South Carolina that such ideology has no place in America, not today, tomorrow or ever. The visit was tied to courting Black voters he needs to win re-election.

Fridays scheduled visit is days before the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Jan. 15, the nations first event on the presidential election calendar. Iowa Republicans will choose between backing Trumps re-election bid or one of his challengers, led by front-runners former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. New Hampshires first-in-the-nation primary follows Jan. 23. Biden is the likely Democratic candidate for president this year.

Bidens visit comes as the Lehigh Valleys congresswoman, third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, faces another re-election challenge, as does U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

In Washington, D.C., Biden has been embroiled in a controversy surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who had been hospitalized for days without informing the president or other top officials. The White House and Pentagon said Monday they were investigating the circumstances of the communication breakdown. Austin has prostate cancer and his recent secretive hospitalization was for surgery and later to treat a urinary tract infection related to that operation, doctors said Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Giacomos Italian Market and Grille has established itself as a favorite place for Easton area folks to grab a cheesesteak.

Now the owner of the College Hill mainstay plans to open a second store.
While winter officially began less than three weeks ago and the days are already getting longer, the start of Daylight Saving Time 2024 is only a little more than two months away.

Clocks will spring forward one hour overnight on at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.

The sun will set at around 6:02 p.m. in eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 9. The following day, after the time shift and the end of standard time, sunset is at 7:03 p.m. The sun will, however, rise nearly an hour later  at about 7:20 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, after coming up at 6:22 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, according to timeanddate.com.

Spring will officially arrive at 11:06 p.m. on March 19.

In the meantime, the amount of daylight we have each day in the northeastern United States will continue to slowly increase. On Jan. 16 the sun will set at 5 p.m. or later for the first time since Daylight Saving Time ended in early November.

Daylight Saving Time, sometimes incorrectly referred to by the plural Daylight Savings Time, begins the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November. This year it concludes on Nov. 3, 2024 at 2 a.m.

Until 2007, Daylight Saving Time began at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in April and ended at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October.

While most states change clocks for Daylight Saving Time, there are some holdouts.

Most of Arizona and all of Hawaii does not observe Daylight Saving Time. In addition, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not participate in Daylight Saving Time.

Indiana didnt start observing Daylight Saving Time until 2006.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 allows states to exempt themselves from observing Daylight Saving Time.

In Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley legislators have proposed varying ideas. Among the bills reintroduced in the 2023-24 are Rep. Ryan Mackenzies (R-Lehigh) call for permanent daylight savings, and Sen. Lisa Boscolas (D-Lehigh/Northampton) idea to put Pennsylvania in Atlantic Standard Time, which would accomplishing the same practical effect by permanently setting the state one hour ahead of Eastern time.

In New Jersey, four bills were introduced in the state Legislature in 2022 that would have establish Daylight Saving Time as the official time year-round, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Two are pending, but any bill would need authorization of the U.S. Congress to be implemented as federal law does not allow year-round Daylight Saving Time.

While the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022, the House of Representatives didnt act on it so it never reached the desk of President Joe Biden.

In 2023, 12 U.S. senators re-introduced the bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

Nineteen states have either passed resolutions or passed legislation calling for permanent Daylight Saving Time, the NCSL said.

A CBS News poll in 2022 showed 46% of Americans prefer year-round Daylight Saving Time, with 33% wanting year-round Standard Time and the remaining 21% happy to continue to switch back and forth.

Daylight Saving Time begins again on March 10 when clocks turn ahead one hour at 2 a.m.

What role did Benjamin Franklin play in Daylight Saving Time?

Benjamin Franklin is credited with coming up with the notion of making better use of the days light. While visiting Paris in 1784, Franklin came to believe that sunlight was being wasted during the day. In a joking letter to the editors of a Paris newspaper, Franklin proposed a tax on all Parisians whose windows were closed after sunrise.

He believed that this would encourage the economy of using sunshine instead of candles, according to Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time.

During World War I, the German Empire implemented an idea that most resembles the Daylight Saving Time that we observe today.

Believing that it would conserve fuel during the war, the German Empire in 1916 became the first to switch its clocks to save daylight.

In 1918, the U.S. enacted the first Daylight Saving Time law as a way to conserve fuel. It was reintroduced during World War II.

The U.S. put nationwide, year-round daylight saving into effect during World War II starting on Feb. 9, 1942, thinking it would help conserve energy, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Nicknamed War Time, it remained in effect until September 1945 when Japan surrendered.

In 1973, President Nixon signed into law the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act, which made DST permanent in the U.S. This helped reduce confusion throughout the country with some regions of the U.S. participating in the practice and some regions opting out. The law was redacted less than a year later, though.

A common misconception is that Daylight Saving Time was implemented as a way to improve farming practices. However, this is a myth.

During the early adoption of the practice in the U.S., farmers were among the biggest opponents of Daylight Saving Time, believing that it would disrupt their farming practices.

Not really, even though that was cited in the 2005 Energy Policy Act that extended Daylight Saving Time by a month.

A study three years later by the U.S. Department of Energy determined that the extended daylight throughout the year of 2005 saved a mere .5% in electricity use per day and only about .3% over the entire year.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Poland Andrzej Duda discussed issues of cooperation in the defense sector by phone on Tuesday, with an emphasis on the key needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to Zelenskyy's press service, he expressed gratitude for Poland's consistent unwavering support for Ukraine as Ukraine's constant ally on the path to joining the EU and NATO.

"Our common border must be a real European border. A border of unity. There should be no borders between our peoples," the president said.

Poland's support for the European Union's historic decision to open negotiations with Ukraine was noted. The leaders also discussed issues of ensuring financial and political support for Ukraine from the EU.

The presidents exchanged views in the context of the approaching NATO Washington summit and the expected decisions of the Alliance. The interlocutors said interaction between Ukraine and Poland is an important element of a common European home.

"I am convinced that the future of Ukraine and Poland lies in unity, mutual support and mutually beneficial cooperation," the head of the Ukrainian state said.

Zelenskyy also highly appreciated Poland's support for the Ukrainian peace formula and thanked for the decision to participate in the Polish representative in the next meeting at the level of advisers to state leaders in Davos.

It is noted that the leaders discussed issues of cooperation in the defense sector with an emphasis on the key needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

In addition, Zelenskyy briefed his colleague about the recent massive Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian territory, which led to the death of civilians and the destruction of civilian objects, and noted the need to strengthen Ukrainian air defense to create a reliable air shield.

The head of the Ukrainian state separately raised the issue of Poland joining the Joint Declaration of the G7 Leaders on Security Guarantees for Ukraine.

The leaders also discussed the schedule for further bilateral contacts.
Giovanni Carli said Microsoft charged him twice for an online purchase of Microsoft 365 Family, previously called Microsoft Office. He said the company wouldn't give him a refund.Courtesy Erik Yadlovski
Services have been announced for Bishop C. Hopeton Clennon, senior pastor of Bethlehems Central Moravian Church, who died Sunday.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 20 at the Sanctuary of Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church St. The service also will be live-streamed on Centrals YouTube Channel. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St. in Bethlehem. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

A memory tribute may be placed at www.cantelmifuneralhome.com.

Our hearts profoundly grieve for a pastor, a bishop, a friend and a person bigger than any words can describe him, the Lehigh Conference of Churches announced, along with the service information, on Tuesday.

Clennon, 63, died at noon Sunday surrounded by family, representatives of the Moravian Church Northern Province announced Monday morning. The family shared he was at peace during his passing.

Born in Jamaica, Clennon was a graduate of the University of the West Indies and the United Theological College of the West Indies. He was ordained in 1983 and served the Jamaica Province of the Moravian Church before moving to the United States in 1989, according to a bio on Central Moravian Churchs website.

In the Northern Province, Hopeton served as pastor of Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth; as well as Faith Moravian Church in Washington, D.C.; and the Moravian Church of Downey, near Los Angeles, California.

In 1998, Clennon was made the 320th bishop of the worldwide Moravian Unity.

He was installed as senior pastor of Central Moravian in January 2013, serving the then-900-member congregation. He replaced the Rev. Carol A. Reifinger, who retired the prior year.

Prior to starting his ministry at Central Moravian, Clennon also served as chaplain of then Moravian College, now Moravian University, and Moravian Theological Seminary.

Clennon also was a man of many interests, including an avid stamp collector and a world traveler, his obituary states. He was a driving force in the renovation of Camp Hope in Jamaica, which helped shape his youth. His passion for helping others led him to secure funding to improve elementary schools in Jamaicas impoverished areas, ensuring that the light of education would shine upon the faces of children just as it had on his life, according to the obit.

Clennon leaves behind his wife, Shelia Clennon, who is employed as an educator in the Bethlehem Area School District, and the couples adult children, son Andrew Clennon of Bethlehem; daughter Danielle Landis and son-in-law Jared of Limerick; and daughter Hope-Elizabeth Clennon-Hibbert and son-in-law, Randy of New Jersey. He also leaves behind two grandchildren, Nathaniel and Grace; and sisters, Evett Joy Barnett of Los Angeles, California; and Bethinia (Betty) Edwards of Jamaica.

Clennon was predeceased by parents Enos Leopold Clennon and Iris May (Jones) Clennon, as well as his late sisters, Andrea Mae Clennon and Denese Clennon, according to his obituary.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Central Moravian Church, 73 W. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018 for Camp Hope (Jamaica), and the future of the elementary schools in Jamaica.

Expressions of sorrow and other sentiments continue to pour in from social media from several area congregants, organizations, businesses and city officials. Many commented on the pastors smile and laughter, calling it infectious, and described the loss in the community as immeasurable.

We lost a hero in our city, Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds posted on Facebook, along with his wedding photo of the pastor presiding over the ceremony. Bishop Hopeton Clennon meant everything to so many of us. He didnt need to tell you how to live, he just showed you. Care, love, empathy, joy.

Representatives of Lancaster Moravian Church shared on Facebook how Clennon led their fall retreat and mentored congregants. Domaci home decor shop owners Warren and Derrick Clark of Bethlehem posted on their business Facebook page how welcomed the couple were by the pastor and supported in their business endeavors.

Thank you, Reverend Hopeton, for your sincere kindness and for being a light to so many, the Clarks stated. May your example inspire a new generation of religious leaders.

Editors note: This story has been updated with more details from Bishop C. Hopeton Clennons obituary.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
After white-tailed deer hunting, no big-game species draws the interest of Pennsylvania sportsmen like black bears. The Keystone State is renowned for its bruin-hunting opportunities, as well as the extremely large bears it gives up annually.

Over the years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has expanded its bear hunting opportunities to help keep the states growing bruin population in check, with harvests climbing, on average, over the past two decades. In fact, in 2019 sportsmen took 4,657 bruins, the most ever in a single year. Last year, however, hunters took less than 3,000 bears, the lowest total in 16 years.

According to the PGC website, preliminary data indicates hunters took 2,919 bears during the 2023 hunting seasons, which is down from the 3,171 taken in 2022 and the lowest harvest since 2007, when 2,362 bears were taken.
The chair of the Sussex County GOP was named to a newly drafted position at Warren County Community College in December.

Joseph Labarbera was named dean of accountability at the college.

In his new role, Labarbera will oversee implementation of the colleges strategic plan, which was adjusted last summer following changes mandated by the colleges response to the COVID pandemic.

Labarbera will also oversee employee evaluations, directing the Human Resources Department, guidance of the colleges research and planning functions, and procedural cues for all grant applications and project direction at the college, a job listing states on communitycollegejobs.com states. The posted salary for the position is up to $90,000.

College President William Austin, who returned from a six-month sabbatical in November 2023, said the new role will handle all of the responsibilities that conflicted with his other roles, like overseeing the colleges drone program.

Those things eat up an inordinate amount of productive time for me, Austin said. Were a small institution and it became clear that we needed a new set of eyes Im extremely excited.

The role of dean of accountability exists at many colleges, Austin said. Its typically identified as the dean of effectiveness in most cases.

Labarbera is a former Company Grade Officer for the U.S. Marine Corp. and a former Company and Field Grade Officer for the U.S.. He retired as a professional soldier after more than 21 years of service.

In 2020, Labarbera obtained a masters degree in finance from Syracuse University Martin J. Whitman School of Management. He is presently a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, (or PwC), an audit and tax collections firm, according to a profile attributed to him on Linkedin.

In 2019, Labarbera was appointed as chairman of the Sussex County GOP.

Efforts to reach Labarbera for this story were unsuccessful.

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Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter.
There's no therapy better than laughter and the entry by a Laois Macra Capers team into the national Capers competition is based on both.

On Saturday, January 13, the talented young members of Mountmellick Macra Capers team will represent their community and Laois in the National Capers semi-final in Cavan.

With a show called Therapy Vibes, the group will compete with five other counties around Ireland, each offering 20 minute variety shows with a mix of singing, dancing, comedy and historical pieces.

There are 13 teams in the national semi finals with some Cork and Kilkenny teams having already competed to get to the semi finals. Cavan macra hosts six teams on Saturday and three of them will go through to the All Ireland. Kerry Macra hosts seven, choosing another three finalists.

Mountmellick Macra Capers cast.

The final six successful teams, hoped to include the Laois entry, will go forward to the final on February 3 in Ovens in Cork.

The cast have been busy rehearsing since October on their fun entertaining show.

They are: Colette Cashin, Aaron Kane, Amy Strong, Andrew Dunne, Aoife Mallon, Aoife Oxley, Alanah Conroy, Nathan Flanagan, Conan Kirwan, Kellie Fox, Jade Feeney, Micheal Kilheeney, Joanne Teehan and Sophie Ahern.

Their eight act 20 minute show is packed with comedic acting, solo singing, and dancing to hits from the Barbie movie and Abba.

Therapy Vibes is produced by AC Reynolds and choreographed by Louise Ahern, with Maryse Lennon on Lighting and Sound, and Chris Joyce, Kevin Scott keeping backstage running smoothly.

Mountmellick has a winning record and the producer is hopeful they can win again.

"Mountmellick has a strong association with the National Capers competition. The last time we competed was in 2022 when we successfully reached the finals and won the competition outright, taking the prize winners trip to Edinburgh in March 2023.

"This was a huge occasion for our club, having competed in 12 finals previously and not taking home gold, it meant a great deal to many people dedicated to our club.

"Our members thoroughly enjoy this competition. There is something for everyone and the comradery and enjoyment we have gotten at rehearsals over the last few months has been wonderful.

"We have 14 team members and as well as the people listed in our show, we have gotten huge guidance from past and current members, whom we thank whole heartedly. Some of our team members have never performed on stage before so this is an exciting time for them," she said.
RTE News has confirmed the appointment of journalist, Gail Conway, as its new Midlands Correspondent, covering for colleague Sinead Hussey for the duration of her maternity leave.

Gail has worked as a multi-media journalist in RTE since 2018 reporting across television, radio and online news including RTEs Six One News, Nine OClock News and most recently RTE's foreign news desk.

She reported on Russias invasion of Ukraine as well as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war following the attack on October 7. She also worked on assignment in RTEs Northern Ireland office covering the UK and NI Assembly elections, as well as the return to power-sharing in 2020.

Earlier this year, the Westmeath native, reported on King Charles' Coronation in London.

A magical start to 2024. So grateful to all the staff at the @_TheNMH who helped bring our little man into the world this day last week. A special thanks to @DrShaneHiggins8 whos care and kindness will never be forgotten. It was a long journey but we got there. pic.twitter.com/SaCWl7uqNE  Sinead Hussey (@SineadHus) January 9, 2024

Gail Conway holds a BA Hons degree in Media and Business Management from Manchester University, during which time she also worked at Granada Television. She went to school in Our Ladys Bower Secondary School in Athlone.

She began her career as a young journalist in the Midlands and her first job was reporting for her local radio station Midlands 103. She also freelanced for the Athlone Voice newspaper contributing to the lifestyle pages and covering local elections.

She left the Midlands to work as a reporter and also worked as head of news and sport in regional radio station Beat 102-103 in the south-east.

In 2017, she moved to Dublin to work as a freelance reporter with Newstalk, Today FM and Virgin Media before later joining RTE.

Gail is a native of Athlone and is returning to the town to take up the role. She says she is looking forward to reconnecting with the people and the issues affecting them across the region.

This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Im delighted to return to the region where I started my journalism career, and where I grew up. I have seen first-hand how life in the Midlands has changed from when I was a little girl. Now I want to return to my roots and engage with people from the Midlands and allow their voices and issues be heard in the national news.
A male college student from County Kildare has been accused of the assault and sexual assault of an adult female.

The allegations were detailed at Naas District Court on Thursday, January 4 last.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was told by garda who was sworn in that the man, who was accompanied in the courtroom by his mother, allegedly choked the woman, pulled her hair, grabbed her breasts and bit her on the cheek.

It was also alleged that he digitally penetrated her.

According to the garda, the accused stopped the alleged assaults 'when he noticed that she was crying.'

The injured party was also present in court during this court session, and was similarly accompanied by a relative.

'MINOR' CONNECTION

When the garda in question informed Judge Zaidan that the two parties are 'minor acquaintances', the judge decided to impose reporting restrictions in order to protect the identity of the alleged injured party.

The judge was told by Garda Sergeant David Hanrahan that the Director of Public Prosecutions indicates a trial on indictment in the Circuit Court in relation to the case.

BAIL CONDITIONS

When the garda who took to the stand said that there was no objection to bail being granted for the accused, Judge Zaidan remanded the defendant on continuing bail until the case resumes on a date in March.

As part of his conditions, the man must: have no direct or indirect contact with the alleged injured party or State witnesses; he must lodge his own bond of 1,000; and he must provide his phone number to gardai and be contactable at all times.

A book of evidence is expected to be served on this date.

If you have been affected by this article, you can find resources to help you by contacting Samaritans Ireland at jo@samaritans.ie or by ringing 116 123.

You can also find additional resources at the Rape Crisis Centre at http://drcc.ie.
Kildare-based producers have been asked to enter into this years Grow with ALDI programme.

ALDI is calling on producers from across County Kildare to take part in this years programme, which, according to a statement from the supermarket giant, 'helps producers propel their business forward and gain unprecedented access to Irish shoppers.'

The supermarket continued: "Grow with ALDI is a supplier development programme like no other, helping the most exciting and innovative small to medium sized businesses build their brand and take the next step on their entrepreneurial journey.

"Undertaken in partnership with Bord Bia, Grow with ALDI champions Irish and gives ALDI customers the opportunity to support native small businesses at great value price points."

According to ALDI, all products will be assessed by a judging panel with successful applicants having their products launched in all 161 ALDI stores nationwide in May.

For this year's programme, TV personality Cassie Stokes has been brought on board by ALDI as brand ambassador for Grow with ALDI 2024.

Commenting on her role, Cassie Stokes said: I am delighted to be teaming up with ALDI for this years Grow with ALDI programme.

"Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Ireland and how passionate I am about Irish food, supporting local and discovering new products and Grow with ALDI embodies that ethos."

She continued: "We are calling on foodie entrepreneurs and small business owners to enter before the deadline in order to be in with the chance to grow their business and get their product on shelves at ALDI stores nationwide this year.

"We cannot wait to see the entrants!"

Speaking about his experiences with Grow with ALDI, Matthew Collins, of The Sibly Food Company, said: "In 2022, I took a chance and applied for Grow with ALDI.

"It was one of the best decisions I made for my business, and I havent looked back."

He added: "The confidence and exposure it gave me as a young entrepreneur was invaluable."

"If any small business out there is thinking of applying for this years Grow with ALDI, I say go for it... you wont regret it!"

Fiona Twomey, Global Retail Specialist at Bord Bia, also said: "Bord Bia proudly partners with ALDI to deliver the Grow with ALDI programme.

"The programme has been integral to the success of numerous Irish food and drink companies over the past seven years allowing producers to scale their business in a sustainable way, and we look forward to seeing what great products make to stores this May!"

Lastly, Rachael O'Connor, Buying Director at ALDI Ireland, also chimed in with her views on the Grow with ALDI programme  she said: "At ALDI, we are passionate about platforming Irish produce and offering meaningful support to producers as they take pride of place on our shelves.

"Its fair to say that over the last seven years, Grow with ALDI has become one of our most popular initiatives giving our customers access to quality Irish produce at great value price points and allowing shoppers to choose Irish."

"We proudly partner with Bord Bia to offer mentorship and guidance to producers every step of the way," she concluded.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Applicants and finalists will receive mentorship along the way from ALDI and Bord Bia, covering the buying process, supply chain management and even social media marketing.

Among the programmes success stories is The Sibly Food Company.

Founded by Matthew Collins from County Cork, The Sibly Food Co started when Matthew began making energy balls from scratch for his friends and classmates in college.

After selling them at a Christmas market, he started receiving hundreds of orders per week and soon developed a loyal customer base around Cork and Kerry.

Matthew was chosen to take part in Grow with ALDI 2022 and had his products stocked in ALDI stores nationwide.

He was subsequently selected as one of the winners and was awarded a core contract.

Now in its seventh year, applicants from food and non-food categories are invited to submit their product for consideration in Grow with ALDI 2024 from now until to January 26.

For more information on the Grow with ALDI programme, visit www.ALDI.ie/grow.

UPDATE: the deadline for Grow With ALDI 2024 applications has been extended until January 30.

Pictured L-R: Cassie Stokes joins Rachel O'Connor, Buying Director at ALDI Ireland, alumni of the Grow with ALDI programme Matthew Collins, Deborah Crowley and Kieran Wall, with Fiona Twomey of Bord Bia, to celebrate the launch of Grow with ALDI 2024. Photograph: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland.
A woman who stole cosmetics from a Naas pharmacy told a staff member she was doing it to be sent back to prison.

She then waited outside the store for the gardai to arrive

The woman said she wanted to return to custody to avoid abusing drugs and alcohol and to get treatment for his addictions.

Before Naas District Court was Jessie Connell, 26 , whose address was given as 20 Castle Park, Athy, for the theft of two beauty sets valued at 33.90 at Dalys pharmacy, South Main Street, Naas on November 21.

Garda Eoghan Keogh told the court that when the woman was charged at Naas garda station she replied the only reason I did it was to go into custody.

He added she picked up two items to deliberately get arrested.

The woman was standing outside the pharmacy and made no effort to leave.

Defending solicitor Jackie McManus said she had been told to plead guilty on behalf of the defendant.

Ms McManus said the woman could have left the scene but she waited there because she wants to go to prison.

It is a very sad and unusual case because the defendant wants to get treatment for addiction to crack cocaine, heroin and alcohol, said McMcManus, adding that there are not treatment beds available.

She added the woman is strung out and said it is sad that she feels the need to commit a crime to get treatment.

Ms McManus added: It is shocking and an indictment of the government and Minister for Justice that she should have to do this. She came to court on her knees looking for help.

Read more Kildare news

The defendant told the court she cannot be in her own home with brothers and sisters on drugs.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said there are not enough treatment centres providing residential treatment.

He said if he had the power to do so, he would send her to a treatment centre.

He said he could not send the woman to prison because the circumstances of the alleged theft meant there was no intention on her part to deprive the owner of the goods.

He described the case as a cry for help and said the women needs serious treatment

The case was struck out.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence recommends that the parliament to approve at second reading bill No. 10062 on improving the procedure for processing and using military records data and obtaining the status of combatant during martial law.

The committee made this decision at a meeting on Tuesday, Member of Parliament Iryna Friz (European Solidarity faction) has said.

"The committee decided to recommend bill No. 10062 for second reading. Eleven [members of the committee voted] in favor, five abstained," she said on Facebook page.

Representatives of the European Solidarity and Holos factions abstained from making this decision since the version of the bill approved by the committee contains amendments that were not intended by it, Friz said.

"In particular, almost four pages of text of amendments to the law were added, which were not adopted by parliament during the first reading of the bill. [] Consequently, the committee made a decision that violated the current Regulations. Instead of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine submitted this in a separate bill, the committee members actually legalized the violation of the actual law on the Regulations," the parliamentarian said.
43 per cent of Kildare households are still reliant on high carbon fuels for home heating.

Thats according to a new report published today by Liquid Gas Ireland (LGI), which examined national trends in home heating energy sources based on Central Statistics Office Census data from 2011 to 2022.

'The role of liquid gas in providing accessible lower carbon heating for Irish homes' has revealed how 43 per cent of all households in Kildare currently rely on high carbon fuels including oil, peat and coal.

Commenting on the report findings, LGI's Policy Director, Philip Hannon, said: "Its clear that a wider suite of options is urgently required to accelerate the decarbonisation of homes by 2030.

"Both lower carbon liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), renewable BioLPG and, in time, dimethyl ether (also known as rDME, which is produced from renewable and recycled carbon feedstock), can and are playing a key role in helping rural Irish homes meet their energy needs while simultaneously lowering carbon emissions."

Mr Hannon continued: "By adopting a mixed technology approach that embraces lower carbon and renewable fuels, the Government can expand more accessible alternatives to the 46 per cent of homes currently using high carbon fuels; this would deliver cleaner air and lower emissions in rural areas in line with our 2050 net zero targets.

"Rural communities should be offered the technology choices that meet their unique needs through secure, clean, and efficient lower-carbon fuels.

"LGI strongly argues that a 'mixed technology' approach, which supports the use of lower carbon LPG and renewable liquid gas (BioLPG and / or rDME) through the installation of renewable ready gas boilers, as well as heat pump technology, would help achieve this."

MONEY CONCERNS

Mr Hannon also discussed the cost barrier facing many househoulds considering on decarbonising their current home heating systems.

He said: "Older homeowners represent a large cross-section of society; a large majority of Irelands lowest BER rated homes are occupied by older people, many of whom are on low incomes, rely on a single income stream or have limited savings.

"This presents a significant cost barrier when considering decarbonising their heating systems through retrofitting and heat pump installation.

"Furthermore, many people are put off by the intrusive and time-consuming nature of a deep retrofit, with concerns that the process could prove to be very disruptive.

"For much of this group currently using high carbon fuels, the heat pump solution simply isnt an affordable option... this is where embracing a mixed technology approach can provide a 'Just Transition' to decarbonisation for a wider representation of society."

Mr Hannon explained that, in his view, smaller, more targeted improvements may act as a more suitable and practical option which allows older members of society 'to engage in Irelands decarbonisation journey.'

"Lower carbon, cleaner LPG and renewable BioLPG have an important role to play here as part of a mix of lower carbon energy options," he added.

Mr Hannon further elaborated on the point of Irelands ageing population in the context of heating homes: "The average age of Irelands housing stock presents another ongoing challenge to achieving the governments retrofitting targets, with 65 per cent of all houses built before 2001... this equates to just over 1.2 million homes, which are typically less energy efficient and more costly to heat.

"For a heat pump system to work efficiently in these older properties, there is a high probability that a deep retrofit of the building will be required which can be prohibitively expensive, leaving homeowners with limited alternative options to decarbonise.

"As clean burning fuels with low levels of air and particulate pollutant emissions, lower carbon LPG and renewable BioLPG offer alternative heating options for households that want to switch from high carbon solid fuels.

"To reach ambitious climate action targets, the government must acknowledge the role of liquid gas in providing accessible lower carbon heating for Irish homes."

STATISTICS

Key findings from LGIs analysis of the aforementioned Census data include:

46 per cent of all households nationally rely on either oil, peat, or coal.

The total number of households in Kildare using oil for home heating has increased slightly since 2016 by 318 to 30,564 (61 per cent).

5 per cent of Kildare households continue to use peat, while one per cent rely on coal.

188,981 households nationally are occupied by a person aged 65 years and older living alone. Of this group, 86,057 (46 per cent) rely on oil for central heating, 9,818 (5 per cent) use peat, and 9,587 (5 per cent) rely on coal.

Only 39 per cent of Irelands housing stock  827,634 homes  had a valid energy efficiency (BER) rating at the end of 2022 and less than 20 per cent had ratings of B2 or above.

The average age of Irelands housing stock presents another challenge to achieving the governments retrofitting targets, with 65 per cent of all houses built before 2001. This equates to just over 1.2 million homes, which are typically less energy efficient and more costly to heat.

The report also notes that a large majority of the households still using high carbon fuels are located outside major urban centres, in areas off the natural gas grid and in older building stock.

In many instances, switching to an electric heat pump system is not logistically viable or is prohibitively expensive for these households, thus leaving the homeowners with limited alternative options to decarbonise.

Further information on the LGI can be found at www.lgi.ie.
Doctors have issued a warning over a rise in scabies outbreaks across Ireland, with a shortage of some treatments contributing to a rise in cases.

Scabies is a very common itchy skin condition caused by a tiny mite that gets under the skin and lays eggs. It usually presents with itching, which can affect the whole body and can be worse at nighttime. An associated rash can be present in affected areas of skin and in particular, it may be seen in skin folds, for example between fingers and toes.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) there were 27 reported scabies outbreaks in 2023, compared to just 9 in 2022.

Most were reported in congregate settings, including 10 in nursing homes and 8 in residential institutions, while four outbreaks occurred in private households.

Scabies can spread from person to person through skin-to-skin contact, including during sexual contact. Once infected, it can take 3 to 6 weeks for symptoms to occur and can spread to others during this time.

Scabies is not usually a serious condition, but it does require correct management to cure and prevent further spread. If you think you have scabies, seek advice from your GP or pharmacist. They can provide you with skin creams and information around additional measures required to treat and clear the infection.

Check if you have scabies

The symptoms of scabies are:

intense itching, especially at night

a raised rash or spots

The rash or spots may look red. They are more difficult to see on brown or black skin, but you should be able to feel them.

The rash can appear anywhere, but it often starts between the fingers.

It can take up to 8 weeks after the mites get under your skin for the scabies rash to appear.

It usually spreads across the whole body, but not the head.

You may develop a rash on your head and neck if you:

are an older person

are a very young child

have a weakened immune system

Treatment for scabies

If you think you have scabies, seek advice from your GP or pharmacist and follow the treatment and management recommendations promptly.

If you have scabies, it is possible that other household members and sexual contacts may also have it, even if they do not have symptoms. It is therefore important that all close personal household members and sexual contacts are informed and follow the same treatment and management recommendations that you have been advised at the same time, in order to successfully manage the infection and prevent re-infection or further spread.

Scabies is usually treated with creams applied directly to the skin in addition to other measures. To ensure successful treatment it is essential that you apply the prescribed cream correctly following the manufacturers instructions and leave it on for the recommended duration of time. A second application is required one week later to complete the treatment.

How to stop scabies spreading

Anyone can get scabies. It has nothing to do with poor hygiene. You cannot get scabies from pets.

People who live or work closely together in nurseries or nursing homes are more at risk.

wash all bedding and clothing on the first day of treatment - 50 degrees Celsius will kill the mites

put clothing that cannot be washed in a sealed bag for 3 days until the mites die

stop babies and children sucking treatment from their hands by putting socks or mittens on them

do not have sex or close physical contact with anyone until you have finished the full course of treatment

do not share bedding, clothing or towels with someone who has scabies

If you think you have scabies, seek advice from your GP or pharmacist and follow the treatment. For more information, visit hse.ie/conditions/scabies/.
Over 300 people are in Irish hospitals with Covid-19, according to the latest figures.

Since this Tuesday morning, 364 people were recorded as being in hospital with confirmed cases of Covid-19.

There are 15 people in ICU with the viral respiratory disease. These figures come after warnings made by the HSE that a spike in cases is to be expected this time in January.

According to national statistics, provided by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and the HSE, there was a positive rate of 12.1% in those who took Covid-19 tests in the last week, some 7,200 people.

Known to spike this time of year and this week in January, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster warned that we are going to hit the height of the flu into this week which figures seemed to have since confirmed.

That will tail on into the following week, so we are expecting significant pressure on the system, Mr Gloster said. He also urged people to consider vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza.
Many people across Ireland are looking to see what they can do to make a new start in 2024 and this could be your perfect opportunity as Aer Lingus is delighted to start the New Year with a recruitment drive to hire up to 30 qualified B1/ B2 CAT A engineers.

Successful candidates from across the country will not only be part of a dynamic team but will also have the unique opportunity to work on the most up-to-date aviation technology and more sustainable aircraft, including the Airbus Neo series.

Aer Lingus is one of Irelands leading employers and takes immense pride in offering a work culture that encourages exciting career progression, providing numerous opportunities for ongoing training and skills development.

The engineer recruitment programme is now open for applications. Newly recruited engineers will benefit from a highly competitive salary package, including pension contributions and travel perks for the employee, their family and friends.

Amidst its current period of expansion, Aer Lingus is gearing up for its largest summer schedule to date, where it will be flying to new destinations in Europe, Sicily, Crete, and Turkey, as well as to Denver and Minneapolis St. Paul in the United States.

The recruitment of skilled engineers is a pivotal step in ensuring the airline remains at the forefront of technology, sustainability, and customer satisfaction.

The airline's commitment to growth and improving sustainability is underscored by the arrival of further new aircraft in the next year, including two A320neos, and becoming the first airline in the world to take delivering of the Airbus A321 XLR.

Prospective candidates must hold a current unrestricted EASA Aircraft Maintenance B1 and/or B2 Licence (ideally Airbus A320/A330 Type rated).

To join the dynamic team in Aer Lingus, shaping the future of aviation, go to https://aerlingus-career.talent-soft.com/job/job-b1-b2-engineer_432.aspx
The Irish nursing home sector is increasingly reliant on a small number of profit-driven international operators, according to a new report carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ERSI).

This reliance on private operators who are more likely to open nursing homes in more densely populated, "high demand" areas could lead to a shortage of rural nursing home beds.

The report, which examines developments in the nursing home sector since the pandemic, shows that 38% of nursing home beds are now operated by 15 private operators, 14 of which are funded by private equity firms.

These larger operators have moved from "passive price acceptors to strong negotiators, potentially driving up prices", and now "dominate" the supply of long-term residential care (LTRC) beds.

The ERSI report has called for more stringent oversight on private equity ownership of nursing homes, and warned that it could bring about "regional inequalities".

It noted that there were 336 nursing home beds available in Ireland following the pandemic, down to 31,728 beds in December 2022, from 32,064 in February 2020.

The majority of these beds were lost in rural areas, while Dublin and satellite counties saw an increase in bed numbers.

The decline was "partly due to the closure of smaller private LTRC homes in rural areas" and "the closure of 693 beds" in public care homes.

However Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Waterford saw bed numbers increase "driven by the opening of large (>150 beds) LTRC homes by private equity funded owners and operators".

"Driven by profit motives, private providers are likely to establish homes in high-demand areas and where NHSS (Nursing Home Support Scheme) payments are highest, thereby exacerbating existing inequalities in LTRC supply," the report said.

The report indicates that "regional inequalities are likely to increase further", and that by the end of 2024 "private equity funded owners and operators are set to open several other large facilities", all in counties that already boast a relatively high supply.

Despite a proposed shift by the 2021-2030 National Development plan from a 20:80 public-private split in the LTRC provision, "the dominance of private provision has increased to 83%".

"530 beds that will be built will help increase public supply" and planned community nursing units will "fail to turn the tide from private provision", according to the report.

Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler has welcomed the report, and a spokesperson for the minister said that "the Government is committed to seeing greater public sector involvement in the residential care of older people in Ireland and to move over time towards a needs-based model of funding and pricing for the nursing home sector."
A student has sparked debate online after he gave his comments about whether or not Irish should be compulsory in schools.

Speaking as an audience member on this Monday's Upfront with Katie Hannon on RTE, a UCD student had his say on the situation, saying: "I'm hugely passionate about history, but I wouldn't force people to join UCD history club. Why should I be forced to sit in an Irish class I don't enjoy?"

Why should I be forced to sit in an Irish class I dont enjoy?



The #RTEUpfront audience have their say on whether Irish should be compulsory in schools. pic.twitter.com/qqBzhdc4t9  Upfront with Katie Hannon (@RTEUpfront) January 8, 2024

These comments sparked agreement and criticism from the public via social media.

Many disagree with the system, calling Irish a "dead language" and asking for reform of the curriculum. Others, enjoy the aspect of keeping close to Irish culture through learning the language, and some even wish they had taken it more seriously while at school, later regretting not having kept it up later in life.

One X user wrote: "I enjoy holidays. Doesn't mean I will lead a better life if I go on a continuous holiday. Life is tough, you need to learn, grow, overcome weakness, get stronger, lose, win, etc. Learning Irish, will only help you increase your ability to learn, amongst other things."

I enjoy holidays. Doesn't mean I will lead a better life if i go on a continuous holiday. Life is tough, you need to learn, grow, overcome weakness, get stronger, lose, win, etc. Learning Irish, will only help you increase your ability to learn, amongst other things.  Cllr Trevor Gilligan Peace Commissioner Dublin (@trevorgilligan) January 9, 2024

Another user said: "How can someone claim to love history without knowing what happened to the Irish language?"

Such guff! How can someone claim to love history without knowing what happened to the Irish language?  Marie Brady (@MarieTBrady) January 9, 2024

Others have admitted their regrets with not seeing "the value" in learning the language. "When I was in school, I had the same attitude as this guy and didnt see the value in learning Irish. Now that Ive matured, my biggest regret in life is not learning the Irish language to a better standard. That is EXACTLY why it needs to be mandatory."

When I was in school, I had the same attitude as this guy and didnt see the value in learning Irish.



Now that Ive matured, my biggest regret in life is not learning the Irish language to a better standard.



That is EXACTLY why it needs to be mandatory. #RTEUpfront https://t.co/yEuRpymW13   Sean  (@SCLaw98) January 9, 2024

On the other side, there were others who agreed with the student's point, and believed it should be up for discussion.

"This young man should get the benefit of deciding for himself. He sees no value in doing Irish for the Leaving Cert, so why force him."

This young man should get the benefit of deciding for himself. He sees no value in doing Irish for the Leaving Cert, so why force him.



Just because we were forced to doesn't mean we should foist it on the next generation as some citizen rite of passage.  William Kennedy (@_williamkennedy) January 9, 2024

"Irish should be optional after junior cert. Theres no point in forcing it on students. Let the ones who want it carry it forward stronger."

The hate for this fella in the comments is weird. It would be great if we all knew our native language fluently but we dont. Irish should be optional after junior cert. Theres no point in forcing it on students. Let the ones who want it carry it forward stronger  David oconnell (@davidocMUFC) January 9, 2024

The debate continues and stresses the need for a thoughtful discussion on balancing cultural preservation and possible discussions around individual choice in Irish language education.
PNY Unveils the NVIDIA GeForce RTXtm SUPER 40-Series GPU Family





PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PNY announced today the arrival of the new VERTOtm GeForce RTXtm 4080 SUPER 16GB, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER 16GB, and RTX 4070 SUPER 12GB graphics cards to its lineup of NVIDIA GeForce RTXtm GPUs.

PNY Unveils the NVIDIA GeForce RTXtm SUPER 40-Series GPU Family

The latest generation of RTX, GeForce RTXtm SUPER 40-series graphics cards are blazingly fast, offering gamers and creators an unparalleled boost in performance, neural rendering, and many more cutting-edge platform features. They are fueled by the revolutionary NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture; a major advancement in GPU technology which empowers accelerated content production techniques, amazing AI capabilities, and hyper-realistic gaming experiences.

The new GeForce RTX SUPER GPUs are the ultimate way to experience AI on PCs. Specialized AI Tensor Cores deliver up to 836 AI TOPS to deliver transformative capabilities for AI in gaming, creating and everyday productivity. PC gamers demand the very best in visual quality, and AI-powered NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) Super Resolution, Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction combine with ray tracing to offer stunning worlds. With DLSS, seven out of eight pixels can be AI-generated, accelerating full ray tracing by up to 4x with better image quality.

Supercharged Performance and Speed

The PNY XLR8 Gaming GeForce RTXtm 40 SUPER series line of GPUs will be available in three different configurations: GeForce RTXtm 4080 SUPER, GeForce RTXtm 4070 Ti SUPER, and GeForce RTXtm 4070 SUPER all powered by the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture, providing enhanced gaming realism, powerful real time ray tracing, extreme overclocking capabilities, and cutting-edge features to accelerate the way you game. These PNY VERTOtm GPUs, which include on-board memory of 16GB or 12GB GDDR6X, are factory-overclocked for maximum performance. Tap into unprecedented power to break through performance barriers and effortlessly power through your graphics demands at all resolutions, even up to 8K.

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PNY's VERTO line of graphics cards now include the latest GeForce RTX SUPER 40-series GPUs. These graphics cards will be available with triple fan or dual fan coolers, VGA support kits, and EPIC-X RGBtm lighting. Thanks to each card's unique cooling features, you will experience high power cooling even during the most taxing games and content production. To effectively transport heat, the GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is carefully constructed with eight heat pipes and three 100mm fans. Three fans and seven heat pipes are included into the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. The GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER was also developed with cooling in mind, demonstrated by the two 90mm fans on the compact twin fan design and the three 90mm fans on the XLR8 Gaming triple fan design. Across all 6 graphics card designs, the fan hubs are equipped with dual ball bearings, which help to reduce friction and result in a more silent operation, as well as a longer fan life. Additionally, each model incorporates a copper baseplate and an aluminum backplate to provide additional cooling and to protect fragile components.

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The PNY XLR8 Gaming GeForce RTX SUPER 40-series offers players worldwide unmatched gameplay and realism thanks to its astounding processing power. Enjoy improved performance and stability in all of the best games. Play the most sophisticated and graphically stunning AAA games and feel like a pro thanks to the dynamic mix of ultra-fast memory and performance. You can rely on PNY's broad lineup of GeForce RTX SUPER 40-series graphics cards to provide an updated approach to PC gaming, elevating the standard for visual graphics and establishing the benchmark for the best possible gameplay experience.

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NVIDIA GeForce RTXtm and NVIDIA RTXtm professional GPUs are built for the era of AI. Powered by NVIDIA's industry-leading GPU architecture, RTX GPUs feature specialized AI Tensor Cores that deliver cutting-edge performance and transformative capabilities for AI in gaming, creating, everyday productivity, and more. With RTX, you unlock the full potential of AI on Windows PCs today and in the future.

Overclocking and ARGB Customization

The PNY XLR8 Gaming GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, RTX 4070 Ti SUPER and RTX 4070 SUPER VERTO GPUs feature exciting EPIC-X RGB lighting. With infinite ARGB lighting choices, it provides the ultimate customized lighting experience. Show off your creative side and fully customize your lighting display with PNY's VelocityXtm control software. Personalize and track important statistics such as the core clock, memory clock, core temperature, fan speed, RGB lighting, and more using VelocityX.

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4080 SUPER 16GB XLR8 Gaming VERTOtm EPIC-X RGBtm Overclocked Triple Fan DLSS 3

16GB GDDR6X (256-bit)

Triple Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

EPIC-X RGBtm

Overclocked

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4080 SUPER 16GB VERTOtm Overclocked Triple Fan DLSS 3

16GB GDDR6X (256-bit)

Triple Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

Overclocked

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4070 Ti SUPER 16GB XLR8 Gaming VERTOtm EPIC-X RGBtm Overclocked Triple Fan DLSS 3

16GB GDDR6X (256-bit)

Triple Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

EPIC-X RGBtm

Overclocked

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4070 Ti SUPER 16GB VERTOtm Overclocked Triple Fan DLSS 3

16GB GDDR6X (256-bit)

Triple Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

Overclocked

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4070 SUPER 12GB XLR8 Gaming VERTOtm EPIC-X RGBtm Overclocked Triple Fan DLSS 3

12GB GDDR6X (192-bit)

Triple Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

EPIC-X RGBtm

Overclocked

PNY GeForce RTXtm 4070 SUPER 12GB VERTOtm Overclocked Dual Fan DLSS 3

12GB GDDR6X (192-bit)

Dual Fan

PCI Express 4.0

DisplayPort 1.4a and HDMI 2.1

Overclocked

Product Availability

Available at BestBuy.com, Amazon.com, PNY.com, and other eTail partners

RTX 4070 SUPER on January 17, 2024 ( 9AM EST / 6AM PST )

( / ) RTX 4070 Ti SUPER on January 24, 2024 ( 9AM EST / 6AM PST )

( / ) RTX 4080 SUPER on January 31, 2024 ( 9AM EST / 6AM PST )

Keep Current on PNY Technologies and XLR8 Gaming news.

Follow @pnytechnologies and @XLR8Gam1ng on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and join our corporate community on LinkedIn.

About PNY Technologies and XLR8 Gaming

Established in 1985, PNY Technologies, Inc. celebrates over 35 years of business excellence as a leading manufacturer and supplier of Flash Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives, Solid State Drives, Computer Memory Upgrade Modules, Cables, NVIDIA GeForce Consumer Graphics Cards, NVIDIA Professional Graphics Cards, NVIDIA Tesla supercomputing inferencing cards, NVIDIA DGXtm Systems, NVIDIA Networking Solutions, and PNY GPU powered servers and workstations. The company's photography-videography, mobility, 3D gaming-visualization, and business solutions are widely available from major retail, e-tail, and wholesale outlets internationally. Headquartered in the USA, PNY maintains facilities in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

XLR8 Gaming, PNY Technologies' brand designed for gaming and modding enthusiasts, powers their journey towards the ultimate PC experience.

1 The PNY logo is a registered trademark of PNY Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  2024 PNY Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact:

PNY Technologies, Inc

[email protected]

SOURCE PNY

8 january 2024 at 14:24

News published onand distributed by:
First Student Secures Additional Clean School Bus Program Funding from EPA





EPA award will allow First Student to outfit more school districts with electric buses

CINCINNATI, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, First Student, the leading school transportation provider in North America, and industry leader in electrification, secured an additional round of funding through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean School Bus Program to accelerate the deployment of electric school buses across the U.S.

The EPA award will enable First Student to deploy more than 370 new electric school buses in school districts across the United States, bringing zero-emission student transportation to more communities. These awards are significant for the environment. Replacing just one diesel school bus with an electric school bus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54,000 pounds each year. This investment will also accelerate First Student's commitment to transition 30,000 diesel-powered school buses to electric by 2035 by allowing it to further scale its EV production and deployment capabilities.

"We thank the Environmental Protection Agency for these awards and for accelerating the equitable deployment of electric school buses across the U.S. First Student looks forward to continuing our partnership with the EPA as we work to fulfill our commitment to transition 30,000 diesel school buses with clean, electric-powered school buses by 2035," said First Student Chief Executive Officer and President John Kenning. "As the largest student transportation provider in the country, and the leading operator of electric school buses, our team has the resources and expertise to not only bring students to and from school safely, but also work with districts, utilities and municipalities to build the necessary charging and maintenance infrastructure for the future. We appreciate the EPA's recognition of the turnkey nature of our proposal and are excited to continue modernizing fleets and improving the environmental health of the students and communities we serve."

First Student's application to the EPA's Clean School Bus Program highlighted the company's expertise and resources in assisting school districts with the transition from fossil fuel to electric school buses. In awarding the grants, the EPA recognized First Student's ability to bring utilities and municipalities together with school districts in order to build the charging infrastructure and create a seamless experience for schools.

First Consulting, First Student's team of internal expert consultants, is available to collaborate with school districts to streamline the process of implementing, managing and maintaining electrified fleets. As the leading operator of electric school buses in North America, this team can leverage their extensive experience to ensure a smooth transition for school districts, focusing on safety and efficiency in pursuit of environmental sustainability.

"This award is a huge win for the future of America's electric school bus fleet. Electric school buses provide cleaner air and quieter, safer rides for students and the communities where they operate, ensuring that they start their day ready to learn and achieve their full potential," said First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews. "First Student has both the resources and expertise to assist districts, utilities, and municipalities develop the requisite charging and maintenance infrastructure to carry the EPA's vision forward. We thank the Environmental Protection Agency for recognizing First Student's proposal and the potential of our team to transform transportation safety and environmental stewardship."

The Clean School Bus Program allocates funds for school districts to help cover the cost of replacing fossil fuel school buses with zero-emission vehicles. Today's award represents the second batch of funding First Student has received through the program. In November 2022, the EPA granted First Student with funds to provide 12 school districts with of a total of 170 electric school buses.

About First Student

As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry's strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of about 40,000 buses. For more information, visit firststudentinc.com.

Contact: Jen Biddinger

513.362.4600

SOURCE First Student

8 january 2024 at 14:30

News published onand distributed by:
BGL Announces the Real Estate Sale of the Asheboro Dermatology & Skin Surgery Center





CHICAGO, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the real estate sale of the Dermatology & Skin Surgery Center of North Carolina, totaling approximately 6,746 rentable square feet in Asheboro, North Carolina, to TM Medical Properties, LLC. BGL's Healthcare Real Estate Investment team served as consultants to the seller in the transaction.

BGL's Healthcare Real Estate Investment team served as consultants to the seller in the transaction.

The Dermatology & Skin Surgery Center performs a wide variety of services related to clinical dermatology, surgical dermatology, MOHS surgery, melanoma, moles, cysts, and other skin growths. Due to continued growth, the practice now has 17 providers and six practice locations in Asheboro, Seven Lakes (West End/Pinehurst), Kernersville, Thomasville, Albemarle, and Cary. The Asheboro location, led by Dr. Todd Williams and Dr. Steve Kimmel, averages 115 patients a day Monday through Thursday, and an average of 50 patients on Friday, totaling an average case volume of 510 patients per week.

BGL's Healthcare Real Estate Investment team is a leading advisor to private and institutional healthcare organizations, offering capital market strategies and solutions, including sale/leaseback transactions, asset disposition, debt/equity recapitalization, private placement, and tax-deferred UPREIT structures. With our investment banking and brokerage professionals working together seamlessly to ensure fluid transactions, we help our clients maximize their healthcare real estate investment and valuation.

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, business valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and New York, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 35 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.

SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

8 january 2024 at 19:24

News published onand distributed by:
Russian occupiers shelled one of the settlements in Bilozersk community of Kherson region, as a result of which a spouse was injured, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has said.

"According to the investigation, on January 9, at about 15:00, Russian troops shelled one of the settlements of Bilozersk community. As a result of the attack on the village, the spouses were injured. The victims are receiving medical assistance. At the time of the shelling, both were at their place of residence," the PGO said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday evening.

Under the procedural leadership of Oleshkiv District Prosecutor's Office of Kherson region, law enforcement officers started a pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings into violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).


Razer Pioneers the Future of Gaming at CES 2024 With Multiple Product Announcements and Razer Blade 14 Pre-order Now Live





(CES 2024) ? Razertm, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, once again redefines the future of gaming with its latest showcase at CES 2024. This year marks the debut of the revolutionary Razer Sensa HD Haptics shown on the Project Esther concept, the new Razer Iskur V2 gaming chair, a new addition to the Razer Gamer Room line, and the unveiling of the next generation of Razer Blade laptops across three chassis sizes. These game-changing announcements come alongside sustainability initiatives and ergonomic breakthroughs, highlighting Razer's ongoing commitment to pioneering the gaming industry.

RAZER'S CES 2024 NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Introducing Razer Sensa HD Haptics 1 debuting with Project Esther ? Meet the World's First HD Haptics Gaming Cushion. Razer Sensa blurs the lines between physical reality and the virtual world via the Project Esther concept display at CES 2024. A demonstration of Razer Sensa's transformative capabilities, every in-game explosion and subtle heartbeat becomes palpable reality.

Razer Sensa blurs the lines between physical reality and the virtual world via the concept display at CES 2024. A demonstration of Razer Sensa's transformative capabilities, every in-game explosion and subtle heartbeat becomes palpable reality. A New Generation of Razer Blades ? Power, Portability, and World's First Innovations.

The new Blade 14, Blade 16, and Blade 18 deliver unparalleled performance and innovative display technology. Highlights include:

Razer Blade 14: Pre-order Now Live Available for Pre-Order Today. At 0.71" thin and 4.05 light, the Razer Blade 14 melds power and portability for gamers on the go. With the all-new AMD Ryzentm 9 8945HS processor and up to NVIDIA GeForcetm RTX 4070 Laptop Graphics with a QHD+ 240Hz display, Blade 14 offers unrivaled performance in its compact form, making it the most portable Razer Blade available. Blade 14 is now available for pre-order at Razer.com, RazerStores and Authorized Retailers.

Razer Blade 16: High-Performance Meets High-Definition with the World's First OLED 240Hz 16" Display Equipped with an i9-14900HX processor and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTXtm 4090 graphics, the Blade 16 is a powerhouse, offering unparalleled performance in a sleek anodized aluminum unibody. Featuring the world's first 240Hz OLED 16" Display in collaboration with Samsung, and boasting a record-setting .2ms response time, the Razer Blade 16 supports GeForce RTX technologies to maximize the immersion of more than 500 games and apps.

Razer Blade 18: A Glimpse into the Future As a CES 2024 sneak peek, Razer offered a first look at the Razer Blade 18 featuring the world's first 4K 165Hz 18" display and leading the charge with Thunderbolttm5, the latest from Intel's high-performance connectivity protocol. Coming later this year, Razer Blade 18 is set to redefine the large-format gaming laptop category, boasting ultimate connectivity.



Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair ? The Pinnacle of Gaming Comfort with Unmatched Lumbar Support.

Featuring one-of-a-kind 6D adjustable and adaptive lumbar support system, the Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair was meticulously designed to conform to the natural curvature of the spine. The system's spring-loaded mechanism adapts to body weight and posture allowing for complete customization through its integrated lumbar curve adjustments. With high-density foam, reactive seat tilt, EPU-grade synthetic leather and 4D armrests, the Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair is the ultimate gaming throne.

Featuring one-of-a-kind 6D adjustable and adaptive lumbar support system, the Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair was meticulously designed to conform to the natural curvature of the spine. The system's spring-loaded mechanism adapts to body weight and posture allowing for complete customization through its integrated lumbar curve adjustments. With high-density foam, reactive seat tilt, EPU-grade synthetic leather and 4D armrests, the Razer Iskur V2 Gaming Chair is the ultimate gaming throne. Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar ? The Future is Bright

Razer elevates immersive gaming atmosphere with its latest addition to the Aether Game Room collection. With lighting, front and rear facing LEDs, the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar stands out with its ultra-high Color Rendering Index (CR) of 95. Powered by Matter, the new universal standard of smart home connectivity, the Aether Monitor Light Bar is designed to work seamlessly in any connected setup.

Razer elevates immersive gaming atmosphere with its latest addition to the Aether Game Room collection. With lighting, front and rear facing LEDs, the Razer Aether Monitor Light Bar stands out with its ultra-high Color Rendering Index (CR) of 95. Powered by Matter, the new universal standard of smart home connectivity, the Aether Monitor Light Bar is designed to work seamlessly in any connected setup. Razer USB C Dock ? One Connection. Infinite Possibilities.

The Razer USB C Dock for Windows and Mac desktops and laptops brings 11 ports (4 USB-A, 2 USB C, 1 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 HDMI, a 3.5 mm audio combo jack and UHS-I SD/MicroSD card slots) for comprehensive connectivity. The new Razer USB C Dock delivers HD display output, Immersive 7.1 sound and powerful charging capabilities in a robust, lightweight design.

The Razer USB C Dock for Windows and Mac desktops and laptops brings 11 ports (4 USB-A, 2 USB C, 1 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 HDMI, a 3.5 mm audio combo jack and UHS-I SD/MicroSD card slots) for comprehensive connectivity. The new Razer USB C Dock delivers HD display output, Immersive 7.1 sound and powerful charging capabilities in a robust, lightweight design. Razer Delivers with New Sustainability Achievements and Goals ? A Core Focus on the Environment. Sustainability remains a core focus in all of Razer's operations and CES 2024 sees the company taking a key step towards a sustainable future with two key announcements: Razer announced today that beginning in 2024 onwards, all new base Razer PC peripheral products will incorporate recycled materials. Following an announcement at RazerCon 2023, Razer has announced that the Basilisk V3 Pro and Basilisk Ultimate are the world's first consumer electronics products to be certified with an Environmental Product Declaration by UL Solutions.

? Unveiling AI and New Updates for Razer Software ? New Synapse and the Chroma App Now Available in Open Beta . These latest software updates underscore Razer's dedication to innovation, offering an overhauled, streamlined experience for customization. Available today at Razer.com. Razer Axon's Expanded Chroma Generate with AI: Part of Axon Create the expanded Chroma Generate AI allows users to apply matching Chroma RGB effects to any image within Axon's wallpaper library, allowing users to create and synchronize the visual and lighting experience. The New Razer Synapse Now Available in Open Beta : The new Razer Synapse is now live and features up to 30% faster performance with a revamped multi-threaded architecture and streamlined interfaces. Standalone Razer Chroma App and Windows Dynamic Lighting: RGB without Synapse. A one-stop solution for all Chroma RGB customization needs, the brand-new app allows users to apply Quick Effects or utilize Chroma Generate to add lighting effects to personal images.

? . These latest software updates underscore Razer's dedication to innovation, offering an overhauled, streamlined experience for customization. Available today at Razer.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS

More details, pricing and availability on Razer products and concepts showcased at CES 2024 can be found HERE.

MEDIA ASSETS

Please find the Razer CES 2024 press kit HERE.

ABOUT RAZER

Razertm is the world's leading lifestyle brand For Gamers. By Gamers.

The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.

Razer's award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops.

With over 200 million users, Razer's software platform includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher).

Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the world's largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets.

Founded in 2005, Razer is dual headquartered in Irvine, California and Singapore, with regional headquarters in Hamburg and Shanghai and 19 offices worldwide.

__________________________

1 ?HD Haptics' as used in the context of Razer Sensa HD Haptics is based on the specifications published by the Haptics Industry Forum. For detailed information regarding the specifications, please refer to the High Definition Inertial Vibration Actuator Performance Specification published by the Haptics Industry Forum, available at https://github.com/HapticsIF/HDActuatorSpec/blob/main/High%20Definition%20Inertial%20Vibration%20Actuator%20Performance%20Specification.pdf.

Razer ? For Gamers. By Gamers.tm

press.razer.com

8 january 2024 at 21:05

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ISCT Leads Global Scientific Consortia to Respond to Recent FDA Report on Risk of T-Cell Malignancy in Patients Following CAR T-Cell Immunotherapies





VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT), the global society of clinicians, researchers, regulators, technologists, and industry partners dedicated to the translation of cell and gene therapy (CGT) into safe and effective therapies to improve patients' lives, today announces the publication in Nature Medicine of an expert consortium commentary addressing a recent statement from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that it is investigating serious risk of T-cell malignancy in patients who received treatment with BCMA- or CD19-directed autologous CAR T cell immunotherapy 'Unanswered questions following reports of secondary malignancies after CAR-T cell therapy'.

New ISCT publication in Nature Medicine led by Dr. Bruce Levine addresses risk of malignancies following CAR T therapies

ISCT aligns with the FDA in support of the need for thorough investigation and transparency. ISCT and its leaders firmly agree that the benefits of CAR T therapies continue to outweigh potential risks in the vast majority of cases and recommends that centers with cell therapy expertise should continue to make commercial CAR T products available to patients when it appears to be the best option available.

Emphasizing that 34,000 patients worldwide have received commercially available CAR T cell immunotherapies, the commentary notes that the observed rate of 20 reported cases of T cell malignancies is notably lower than that reported for more conventional alternative treatments. The true nature and frequency of these malignancies are yet to be confirmed and important patient characteristics such as age, prior, immune status, whether the CAR gene is present in the T cell lymphomas, the landscape of genetic mutations carried by patients in these case, and other clinical features such as the time from CAR T infusion to the development of T cell lymphoma, are unknown and need to be taken into consideration to fully evaluate the greater risk of these therapies.

The commentary led by ISCT in collaboration with leaders from American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), and immunotherapy developers and clinicians, follows the recent statement from the FDA that there are risks of malignancies with all currently approved BCMA -directed and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous CAR T cell immunotherapies. These include tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi), axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartustm), Idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma), and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvyktitm).

Speaking on the recent FDA statement, Bruce Levine, ISCT Immediate Past President and Lead Author on the publication, stated "The fundamental question from this report is whether or not there is a causal link between CAR T therapy and these rare T cell malignancy cases and in how many patients. Currently, there are too many unknown factors related to the 20 reported cases making it premature to establish the magnitude of what appears to be a very low risk. In alignment with the FDA's stance, we maintain that the benefits of CAR T therapies still outweigh the potential risks in the majority of cases.

Risks from CAR T cell therapy should be contextualized against other standard treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These therapies, which exhibit substantial long-term side effects, including genotoxicity and an increased predisposition to secondary cancers, have significantly higher rates of subsequent malignancies than the rate reported for patients following CAR T cell immunotherapies.

In the interest of patients and patient safety, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to offer patients access to these life-saving therapies while simultaneously conducting thorough investigations."

The FDA hopes to provide the community with additional information by the first part of 2024.

Read the full publication Unanswered questions following reports of secondary malignancies after CAR-T cell therapy.

About the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

Established in 1992, the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) is a global society of clinicians, regulators, researchers, technologists, and industry partners with a shared vision to translate cell and gene therapy into safe and effective therapies to improve patients' lives worldwide.

ISCT is the global leader focused on pre-clinical and translational aspects of developing cell and gene-based therapeutics, thereby advancing scientific research into innovative treatments for patients. ISCT offers a unique collaborative environment that addresses three key areas of translation: Academia, Regulatory, and Commercialization. Through strong relationships with global regulatory agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners, ISCT drives the advancement of research into a standard of care.

Comprising over 3,000 cell and gene therapy experts across five geographic regions and representation from over 60 countries, ISCT members are part of a global community of peers, thought leaders, and organizations invested in cell and gene therapy translation. For more information about the society, key initiatives, and upcoming meetings, please visit https://isctglobal.org, @ISCTglobal.

SOURCE International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

9 january 2024 at 05:15

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Applied Insight Expands National Security Footprint With Acquisition of Zavda Technologies





Applied Insight LLC, a cloud and technology services leader in the government market backed by The Acacia Group, announced today the successful acquisition of Zavda Technologies LLC, a fast-growing, veteran-owned technology and data services company. The strategic move deepens Applied Insight's footprint in the national security community and provides the Zavda team with wider opportunities for career advancement. It also strengthens Applied Insight's network and systems engineering and security, data analysis, and software development capabilities to better support the dynamic needs of the intelligence community.

"We are excited to welcome the Zavda team to our Applied Insight family," said Larry Denton, Chief Growth Officer of Applied Insight. "Many of us have worked closely with the Zavda team for over a decade on multiple key initiatives. The synergies between our organizations in technical expertise, customer knowledge, and employee-centric culture made joining forces a strong and easy fit and a natural evolution to our relationship. Our combined teams will be exponentially more powerful in serving our country's most critical national security needs."

Since 2006, Zavda has provided national security customers with advanced analytics, software development and systems engineering services supporting the intelligence mission. As a service-disabled veteran, economically disadvantaged and woman-owned company, Zavda's mission is to design and deliver technology and data solutions that meet today's demanding mission requirements and conduct research and development to stay ahead of the technological curve.

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with Applied Insight, creating an even more capable partner to our national security customers," said Stacy Trammell, Founder and CEO of Zavda. "We've enjoyed a successful working relationship with members of the Applied Insight team over many years. Coming together makes total sense in terms of strengthening our support for the mission and creating new professional opportunities for the Zavda team. Together, we are a powerful blend of experience, talent and product innovation, positioning us to make a more substantial contribution to sustaining our national security."

Applied Insight has mentored Zavda as a protege since 2018. The teams also collaborated through a successful joint venture, Bravo Zulu Intelligence Solutions, to pursue and win new growth opportunities in the national security arena. Under this initiative, the joint venture provided next-generation analytics and data visualization, infrastructure development and modernization, and anomaly detection capabilities using technologies that included machine learning and Agile software development.

The company's acquisition of Zavda is the latest step in Acacia's strategy to build the most capable cloud-centric product and professional services business working at the heart of the U.S. intelligence mission. Through a combination of exemplary performance and precision acquisition, Applied Insight is now one of the largest mid-tier providers of cloud, data and engineering products and services supporting U.S. national security.

Monument Capital Partners acted as exclusive financial adviser to Zavda on this transaction and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman provided its legal counsel.

Learn more about Applied Insight at www.applied-insight.com.

About Applied Insight

Applied Insight is a trusted go-to partner of government and industry for innovation in cloud, networking, data and cyber operations, renowned for its deep customer knowledge and rapid problem solving through a unique blend of human experience and technical expertise. Applied Insight's products and expertise have been honed and proven at the epicenter of the defense and intelligence mission. They apply that experience to design, deliver and manage highly secure cloud, networking, data, and cyber services and solutions across the public sector. Applied Insight has the scale to tackle the most complex challenges for our customers and the agility to solve them at the speed they demand. Learn more at applied-insight.com. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About The Acacia Group

The Acacia Group is a specialist investment firm building stronger businesses by harnessing the power of digital transformation. We work closely with management teams as engaged and supportive partners, fostering resilient cultures of collaboration and innovation to make our portfolio companies more valuable to their clients, employees and co-investors. By empowering skillful leaders, nurturing exceptional talent, investing in innovation and building distinctive brands, we create the qualities businesses need to achieve lasting success. For more information, visit The Acacia Group or follow us on LinkedIn.

9 january 2024 at 08:15

News published onand distributed by:
Medicilon appoints Dr. Zhang Haizhou as President of Preclinical R&D Unit





BOSTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Medicilon appoints Dr. Zhang Haizhou as President of Preclinical R&D Unit.

Medicilon, the pioneer integrated pharmaceutical R&D preclinical services that offers chemistry, DMPK/PD, CMC, toxicology (GLP and non-GLP, we have 2000+ monkeys are available in house), biology services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies around the world. Since 2009, Medicilon's preclinical experimental base has established research processes and quality systems that conform to international standards. It has successively passed AAALAC, GLP, NMPA, FDA, TGA, EMEA, etc., providing global pharmaceutical companies and research institutions with comprehensive preclinical pharmaceutical research and professional development services. The Medicilon Preclinical R&D Unit is composed of experienced experts and international advanced technology platforms to support clients' projects and promote the new drug industry. The joining of Dr. Zhang Haizhou will further strengthen Medicilon's strength and competitiveness in preclinical research.

Dr. Zhang Haizhou holds a PhD in Toxicology from Indiana University, USA. He is a pharmaceutical industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the R&D of small and large molecule drugs. Prior to joining Medicilon, Dr. Zhang had working experience in health authorities, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and CROs. As a seasoned executive and experienced R&D leader, he also has hands-on experience of preparing R&D and BD strategy, regulatory documents such as IND/CTA, NDA/MAA etc. and experience of building R&D teams, operation/compliance systems and initiating and managing collaborations with key business partners.

As an expert in pharmaceutical R&D, Dr. Zhang Haizhou also served in various international organizations. He was a review expert of National Key Innovative Drug R&D Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and also served as an invited guideline reviewer of NMPA and has participated in drafting and reviewing >10 guidelines including the guideline on biosimilars issued in Feb. 2015. He is the Vice Chair of Chinese Society of Quality Assurance in Toxicological Research, a committee member of Drug Safety Evaluation and Research Committee, Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Drug Toxicology and Safety Evaluation Committee, Chinese Society of Pharmacology. In addition, Dr. Zhang was the founding group leader of the RDPAC Preclinical Focus Group, a former member of board of directors of Chinese Society of Toxicology and Genetic Toxicology Association (USA), etc.

Dr. Chen Chunlin, founder of Medicilon, said: "We are pleased to have Dr. Zhang Haizhou join us. His rich experience will inject new vitality into Medicilon. "

Website: https://www.medicilon.com/

SOURCE Medicilon Inc.

9 january 2024 at 08:30

News published onand distributed by:
Lumen selects Atos for multi-year mainframe modernization





PLANO, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announces that it has been selected by global telecommunications company, Lumen, to modernize its mainframe services in a multi-year deal.

Atos offers Lumen a 'cloud-like' mainframe scalability providing everything from computing power to innovation

Atos will provide Lumen with a new mainframe platform to support its most critical applications. Three data centers operated by Lumen will be brought together into a single Atos-operated US hub to provide best-in-class infrastructure.

The mainframe-as-a-service solution, offers Lumen a 'cloud-like' mainframe scalability that provides everything from computing power to service management and innovation. Consumption-based charging allows Lumen to adjust the service as its capacity needs change. Atos will also provide 24/7 hardware, software and technical support alongside monitoring and operations.

Lumen and Atos will migrate the mainframe workloads into Atos' Hub through carefully phased migration to ensure service levels are maintained at all times.

Michael Grunberg, CEO North America, Tech Foundations, Atos said "By transforming Lumen's mainframe, we will bring the company security, agility, and the opportunity for innovation while supporting their business transformation objectives. We look forward to deepening the relationship and creating opportunities to extend our collaboration in the future."

Chad Naeger, Lumen CIO said "Our mainframe is a central computing backbone and is pivotal to our business operations. It demands the highest level of stability and security to power our operations. We have entrusted Atos to modernize our Mainframe environment, confident in their expertise, experience, and ability to propel our transformation goals."

Atos has more than 45 years of experience in mainframes and has been a Global IBM Platinum and Global Strategic Business Partner for more than 20 years. Atos has been recognized by Information Services Group (ISG) in July 2023 as a leader in mainframes for the second year in a row.

Lumen has one of the largest, most deeply peered networks in the world. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, Lumen meets their customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. These services will be delivered to Lumen's U.S. operations only.

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 105,000 employees and annual revenue of c. ? 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on Euronext Paris.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

About Tech Foundations

Tech Foundations is the Atos Group business line leading in managed services, focusing on hybrid cloud infrastructure, employee experience and technology services, through decarbonized, automated and AI-enabled solutions. Its 52,000 employees advance what matters to the world's businesses, institutions and communities. It is present in 69 countries, with an annual revenue of ? 6 billion.

About Lumen Technologies:

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data, and applications ? quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies.

SOURCE Atos Origin

9 january 2024 at 09:00

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Keepit Secures $40 Million in Refinancing From HSBC Innovation Banking to Boost Growth





Keepit has today announced HSBC Innovation Banking, the global, specialised banking partner for businesses in cutting-edge sectors, has provided a $40 million refinancing package in partnership with The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO). The new funding frees up capital for further investments in international expansion, hiring, business operations, and product development as Keepit continues to scale and build out its market-leading platform for SaaS data protection.

Founded in 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Keepit is a leader in SaaS backup and recovery and the world's only vendor-independent cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection. The new $40 million refinancing package from HSBC Innovation Banking follows Keepit's $30 million Series A funding round in 2020, and a total of $22 million debt financing in 2022 from Silicon Valley Bank UK, now HSBC Innovation Banking, and Vkstfonden, now the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO), the national promotional bank and export credit agency of Denmark.

Keepit will use the fresh capital to sustain the current growth trajectory and continue its substantial expansion strategy. The organisation has strategically leveraged funds to propel its growth by introducing innovative products and advancing platform development for cutting-edge data protection solutions.

The debt facilities have been instrumental in fortifying the company's offerings for future sustainability. Notably, Keepit has made substantial allocations to enhance its go-to-market strategy, including market expansion, targeted outreach to enterprise-scale clients, and the augmentation of its partner program. These initiatives collectively underscore Keepit's endeavours to solidify its standing within the global data protection industry.

Morten Felsvang, CEO and co-founder at Keepit, commented:

"We are very proud to have the continued backing of HSBC Innovation Banking. This refinancing is a long-term commitment ? it not only strengthens our capital structure but is an infusion of confidence in our capabilities on all levels. And it means that we can continue our growth strategy at full throttle."

Jean-Laurent Pelissier, Managing Director and Head of Enterprise Software at HSBC Innovation Banking UK, commented:

"We're delighted to continue our relationship with Keepit by providing this new facility, which will support Keepit to further its presence across new geographies, grow its team and innovate across its product offering. Our agility, expertise, international and robust network is also helping businesses like Keepit to scale and open up a world of opportunity as they reshape our world. This is an exciting milestone in our long-term partnership with Keepit and we're proud to be part of this next step in the company's journey alongside the EIFO."

Anders Christian Andersen, Senior Director, SME Digital Platforms at EIFO, commented:

"Cybersecurity is among the Top 10 biggest risks in the world of today. Keepit provides a solution to how businesses around the world can address the issue and safely back up their data. We have been part of Keepit's financial journey since 2019, and we see great potential for further growth in the company. Being part of this refinancing package, together with HSBC Innovation Banking, we reconfirm our trust in the company."

Notes to Editors

About HSBC Innovation Banking

HSBC Innovation Banking provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity and venture capital industries. HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is a subsidiary of HSBC Group, benefiting from its stability, strong credit rating and international reach to help fuel its growth.

 2024 HSBC Innovation Bank Limited. All rights reserved.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited (trading as HSBC Innovation Banking) is not licensed to undertake banking business or to undertake any other regulated activity in Denmark or Sweden.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited (trading as HSBC Innovation Banking) is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK (Company Number 12546585). HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (Firm Reference Number 543146). HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is part of the HSBC Group.

HSBC Innovation Bank Limited is committed to making its website and related documents accessible to everyone. Learn more on www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/accessibility

About EIFO

The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) is the national promotional bank and export credit agency of Denmark combined in one new financial institution. EIFO provides a single point of access for Danish companies as well as for their foreign and domestic business partners who need risk-tolerant government capital. Across all sectors EIFOs main objective is to support the growth, export and green potential in Danish startups and SMEs with loans, guarantees and Equity Investments.

Learn more on www.eifo.dk/en/

About Keepit

Keepit provides next-level SaaS data protection for companies with data stored in the cloud. Keepit is the world's only vendor-neutral and independent cloud dedicated to SaaS data protection based on a blockchain-verified solution. Keepit protects data in key business applications, including Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure AD, Google, and Salesforce. Headquartered in Copenhagen with offices and data centers globally, Keepit is trusted by thousands of companies worldwide to protect and manage their cloud data.

For more information visit keepit.com or follow Keepit LinkedIn.

9 january 2024 at 09:05

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How AI will Evolve from Research to ROI in 2024





2023 was the year of AI enterprise adoption, with 55% of organizations adopting AI into their workflows, according to a recent report from McKinsey & Co. This adoption has been led by Large Language Models (LLMs) that promised to fulfill numerous use cases across the digital workplace. However, the failure of LLMs to live up to their hype will be the story of 2024, as generic models become relegated to consumer-centric applications and enterprise users turn to smaller, more targeted AI models, purpose-built to meet their business needs.

Over the past year, companies have shown their willingness to experiment with AI, but long-term success relies on the ability of AI to solve specific business problems and achieve positive outcomes ? and LLMs are failing to meet those expectations. There are growing concerns around the quality, accuracy, and security of these models, to the extent that companies are already prohibiting employees from using ChatGPT to shield their data, and the broader market is filing lawsuits to prevent the use of their data for model training.

This calls into question the long-term sustainability and financial viability of LLMs, which take billions of tokens to train. Without a steady influx of good, clean and cheap data, it will become increasingly difficult and expensive to build, deploy, and refresh models. Adding to this pressure is the ongoing GPU shortage, impacting the computing capabilities and running costs of AI models, with some companies having to wait almost a year to access these chips. Combined with challenges of hallucinations, data privacy, ethics, data traceability, and responsible AI, you have a perfect storm of headwinds facing LLMs going into 2024.

While some predict a slowdown in AI adoption as a result of these challenges, at Aware we predict the opposite. Instead of giving up on AI, businesses will look for more accurate, cost-effective and custom models that solve real, complex business problems.

Trends to Watch in 2024

AI's purpose shifts from research to ROI

LLMs were created by research teams exploring the capabilities of AI technology, rather than as models designed to solve specific business problems. As a result, their capabilities are broad and shallow ? writing a fairly generic email or press releases, for example. For the modern business, they have limited capabilities beyond that, requiring more data to produce results with any depth.

While the AI landscape used to be dominated solely by OpenAI, major names in the tech world are beginning to outperform ChatGPT with their own LLMs, including Google's new Gemini model. However, due to the broad capabilities of these new large language models, the text and image-based benchmarks used to determine the model's prowess were just as general. These benchmarks ranged from simple multi-step reasoning to basic arithmetic.

If an AI company's gauge for a successful Generative AI platform is how correctly it can complete rudimentary math equations, that has little to no relevance for the work of an enterprise organization. Realizing this, companies will increasingly prioritize AI solutions designed and built to solve real use cases and drive tangible ROI.

Companies truly recognize the value of their data

Data serves as fuel for LLMs ? data traditionally sourced from end-user prompts, books, articles, social media sites and more. This method of training models provides the broad plane of knowledge LLMs are known for, but raises data leakage and security concerns. Failure to manage this data's usage creates blind spots that bad actors can attack and jeopardize a company's place in the market. These blind spots can be found in almost any internal data reservoir. Worst of all, this accessible data could house troves of personal identifiable information, leading to serious future compliance issues. To address these issues, as many as 75% of businesses worldwide are beginning to prohibit the use of LLM solutions like ChatGPT in hopes of identifying solutions that can better protect their ingested data.

This emerging drive to secure proprietary data has brought the sheer volume of enterprise data to the forefront. This data exhaust, originating from anything from collaboration data to support tickets, holds deep insight into the risks and opportunities that sit within a business. Recognizing the value of the data they hold, companies will seek to secure it by taking a "hybrid cloud by design" approach, rather than "hybrid cloud by default." Ultimately, data protection will emerge as a key pillar in a successful AI strategy, and companies will move towards prioritizing AI solutions that are trustworthy and responsible.

Beyond internal data troves, companies in 2024 will begin using AI Models to proactively analyze external sources, like Reddit, in order to gauge customer, employee and the general public sentiment. This data is begging to be harnessed and companies will be looking for an opportunity to extract these insights. By analyzing content on public external platforms, companies could be made aware of issues months in advance. The same is true for competitors, who will be able to harness this publicly available data, giving them a leg up on the perceptions of their biggest competitors.

Hybrid and targeted AI Models supplements - and maybe overtakes - LLMs

The push toward AI that drives value for enterprises will force companies to pursue hybrid strategies ? the coexistence of open-source, closed-source and custom targeted language models trained on very specific internal data sets for very specific use cases.

Targeted Language Models like Aware are like classic car restorations built on a unique knowledge and through a set of unique experiences.

Closed-source platforms such as Anthropic's offerings are like luxury sedans, providing power and security alongside a concierge service.

Open-source options (Hugging Face, for example) are like Formula One race cars ? fast and agile, but require technical expertise.

Each of these models house their own benefits, with closed-source bringing security, industry models bringing specificity, and open-source bringing agility for those that have the technical resources to use them.

This will be especially important when the company's proprietary or sensitive data requires stricter controls to meet compliance and legal obligations. Targeted models can help teams develop intellectual property around machine learning as a competitive advantage, training them on closely curated datasets while reducing reliance on large engineering teams or GPU instances that can add cost and complexity. Combined with the judicious use of larger AI models when appropriate, businesses can invest in solutions that fulfill their specific needs.

The rise of MLOps to manage new workflows

MLOps businesses offer managed infrastructure, running AI and ML models that provide simpler management and reduced operating expenses. As the nascent market matures, customers will elect their preferred deployment option. Data Teams will become software teams. DevOps created a movement within software development that empowers developers to run the software they wrote. The same thing is happening in data. Products have filled those needs by mapping each of the core functions and responsibilities in the MLOps movement. The most sophisticated data teams run like software engineering teams with product requirement documents, ticketing systems and sprints so they can create efficient and scalable models. And with the MLOps market size increasing by nearly 40% by the end of the decade, End-to End Data Science and ML Ops functions will emerge as a hot career path.

Human-Centered Intelligence. AI makes enterprise data actionable

Data is everywhere, and it's growing exponentially. As businesses get a handle on managing their data and using it to train AI models, they must also consider what they will do with the results AI provides. Decisions, not dashboards, will be the yardstick by which AI is measured. The ability to make decisions faster and with greater certainty will fuel the future of AI as businesses continue to iterate and refine models that drive progress with precision.

As a result, Humans & AI will emerge as partners within enterprise work environments, not rivals. The outputs of AI should amplify, not replace, workers' natural abilities. When organizations harness AI to augment human capabilities, they unlock tremendous value by scaling human-centered intelligence across the enterprise, driving greater efficiency and dependability from a workforce.

Before companies can derive results from AI-driven platforms, it is most important to determine if their choice of data platform is a) accurate and b) cost-effective. This is where targeted AI models shine, with performance metrics from these models providing over 85% fewer false negatives and false positives when tested against LLM competitors.

On top of greater accuracy, narrowly trained models prove more cost-effective than large-scale LLMs; platforms like Llama-2-13b's operating budget can reach a staggering $182,000 per month, whereas targeted offerings cost below $1,000 per month.

ROI is everything to the enterprise. No matter how great the allure of AI may be, it has to bring a clear benefit to a workforce, not just be another line on a budget sheet. This can only come from internal data troves lying in wait to be utilized effectively.

About Aware

Conversations are at the heart of every enterprise. Aware's AI-Powered Data Platform connects workplace conversations across the enterprise and transforms daily conversations into the contextual intelligence leaders need to shape the trajectory of any business. Aware's natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision (CV) models are purpose-built to understand the unique human context of workplace conversations taking place on Slack, Teams, WebEx by Cisco, Zoom, and WorkJam. Aware equips the world's most iconic brands to apply that contextual intelligence to solve a broad set of use cases, from Experience Management and Cybersecurity to eDiscovery, supported by platform APIs that connect these insights into existing workflows for over 2,500 different applications. Using Aware, companies can finally combine a meaningful employee experience and enhanced customer experience with the operational rigor needed to thrive in the future of work. Aware was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

9 january 2024 at 09:05

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Atlanta Rural Digital Health Innovator Announces Exciting Rebranding with a New Name and Identity as myphysician360





Physician 360, Inc., a digital health company that addresses the needs of the medically underserved in rural areas, is pleased to announce a significant milestone in its evolution as it unveils a new corporate identity.

After careful consideration and strategic planning, myphysician360, formerly known as Physician 360, is thrilled to announce its rebranding and significant expansion of its telemedicine services provided through local community pharmacists in rural communities. This strategic move not only represents a new chapter in our organization but also reinforces our commitment to making healthcare accessible and affordable for everyone.

A New Name, A Broader Vision

"We are thrilled to introduce myphysician360 as the next chapter in our company's journey," said CEO Michael Muchnicki. "This rebranding represents a strategic move to position the company for future success by partnering with insurers and the local trusted community pharmacist. Our commitment to excellence remains unwavering, and we are excited about the opportunities this change brings."

The new name, myphysician360 captures the essence of the company's renewed personal focus and its dedication to delivering exceptional services in the health care sector. The new name reflects our dedication to creating personalized healthcare experiences for each patient, with a focus on convenience and accessibility. Our commitment to rural communities, where medical resources are often scarce, is stronger than ever. Starting in 2024, myphysician360 will be partnering with numerous insurance companies to ensure our services are more affordable and accessible than ever. This collaboration means that more patients can benefit from our telemedicine services under their existing health plans, making quality healthcare a reality for everyone regardless of their location.

The name myphysician360 represents a strategic shift that aligns with our continued growth through expanded insurance offerings, and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our clients. The rebranding initiative is not just a change in name but a reflection of our dedication to staying at the forefront of industry trends and providing unparalleled solutions to our customers.

Key elements of the rebranding include a modernized logo, an updated website, and a refreshed visual identity that conveys the company's forward-thinking approach.

The company invites clients, partners, and the media to explore its new website at www.myphysician360.com and engage with myphysician360 on social media platforms to stay updated on the latest developments.

About myphysician360

myphysician360 is leading Digital Health innovation in rural America, providing a solution to improve access to care through the company's national network of rural community pharmacies. myphysician360's value proposition serves health plans, pharmacies, and patients by directly addressing the many challenges in rural healthcare in America. myphysician360 operates in all 50 states and is supported by its medical group of Board-Certified Internal Medicine clinicians providing on-demand primary and urgent care 365 days a year. To learn more, visit www.myphysician360.com

9 january 2024 at 11:05

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COPE Health Solutions Launches First Pediatric Hospital Scholar Program with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)





COPE Health Solutions is poised to launch its first pediatric COPE Health Scholars Program through a partnership with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), a pediatric healthcare system in Southern California.

The COPE Health Scholars programs are experiential educational and career ladder programs that support students and community members to grow their career in healthcare with educational and training opportunities. The program offers clinical and administrative rotations with nurses, doctors, other care team members and administrators by providing direct patient care and preparing the Scholar's with a career growth pathway.

When the program launches at CHOC in January 2024, it will become the first pediatric health site in the nation to offer this innovative program.

The COPE Health Scholar program is designed for high school graduates, college students and career changers, combining online coursework with a minimum of 280 hours of in-person experience at CHOC and access to best-fit training and job opportunities.

"COPE Health Solutions has a long history of delivering high value experiential education directly linked to targeted career training and job placement, improving access to care, quality and diversity of the health care workforce through the Health Scholar program. Many of our current Scholars and alumni are interested in pursuing careers in pediatrics and this program allows individuals to get a fully immersive experience filled with training and jobs opportunities to work across a broad spectrum of healthcare," said Margaret Peterson, RN, MSN, PhD, Principal and Health Workforce Solutions Leader with COPE Health Solutions.

CHOC and COPE Health Solutions will welcome their inaugural cohort of Health Scholars in early 2024.

About COPE Health Solutions

COPE Health Solutions is a national tech-enabled services firm with a population health management analytics software solution Analytics for Risk Contracting (ARC), collaboratively implementing proven products with payer and provider clients to power success in risk arrangements and development of the future workforce. Our multidisciplinary team provides payers and providers with the experience, capabilities, and tools needed to plan for, design, implement, and support strategy development and execution. We are driven by our passion to help transform health care delivery, align financial incentives to support population health management, and build the workforce needed for value-based care.

About the Health Scholar Program

The COPE Health Solutions Health Scholar program provides participants with unique experiential education, mentoring, shadowing, targeted job training and placement, and a career ladder in health care. To accommodate participants' work, education and other commitments, the flexible program can be finished in three to 15 months, based on the number of four-hour shifts attended per week. Graduates of the Health Scholars Program receive a certificate of completion from the Keck Graduate Institute, a member of the Claremont Colleges. Participants have access to additional career training and priority access to jobs.

9 january 2024 at 12:05

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Russian occupiers sent two attack UAVs of Shahed type to the village of Krasnopillia community, Sumy region, as a result of the attack, a hit was recorded at the local House of Culture, information about the victims is being clarified, the regional military administration said.

"This evening, the enemy once again attacked the border area of Sumy region. The Russians sent two UAVs of the Shahed type to the village of Krasnopillia community. They hit the local House of Culture. Households and power grids were damaged. All necessary services are working on the spot. Information about the victims is being clarified," the administration said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday evening.
A CONCERNED Limerick resident is calling for the banning of glyphosate, a harmful toxin used in weedkillers.

Katie Baseman who lives in Limerick city is urging Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) to follow the footsteps of other local authorities such as Cork and Dublin and ban the toxic chemical as there is a lot of misinformation going around about glyphosate.

Glyphosate is a harmful chemical that, when ingested, can cause throat irritation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The chemical has also been linked to Parkinsons Disease and is a potential carcinogenic, however, according to the US EPA, the toxin is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.

Ms Baseman is looking for the weedkiller to be banned except in special circumstances including the controlling of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed.

Green Party councillor for Limerick City East, Sean Hartigan has made two attempts to call for the banning of glyphosate at council meetings over the last number of months, receiving no support.

At the September meeting of the Metropolitan District of Limerick, Mr Hartigan moved that LCCC should introduce a total ban on the use of glyphosate or other toxic chemical pesticides by council staff and contractors, except in exceptional circumstances, such as control of alien invasive species.

It was agreed to refer this Notice of Motion to the Climate Action, Biodiversity and Environment Strategic Policy Committee the following month.

However, at that meeting, no member of the committee was willing to second the motion.

Ms Baseman says she has asked Green Party members in Cork as to how they managed to get a motion passed on the banning of glyphosate. She was told they had a lot of public support behind them.

There was a lot of information about glyphosate handed out, and they had media information circulating and people got together and said that they didnt want this anymore, Ms Baseman said.

Im trying to raise awareness here (in Limerick) because I dont feel that we have that same support here, she added.

A breakdown of the usage of glyphosate was revealed at the September meeting of the Metropolitan District.

The council wishes to advise that weed spraying is no longer permitted in the annual grass-cutting contract. Strimming is the method of weed removal for this contract. This has been in place for the last two years. The council also wishes to advise that weed spraying is not carried out in the Councils various Parks throughout the city and county. Every possible effort has been made to minimise the use of glyphosate, a spokesperson for the council's Parks Department said.

Even though the Parks Department is trying to minimise the use of glyphosate, the amount used annually has been consistently rising since 2019.

The annual usage now stands at over 600 litres of glyphosate.
RTE News has confirmed the appointment of journalist, Gail Conway, as its new Midlands Correspondent, covering for colleague Sinead Hussey for the duration of her maternity leave.

Gail has worked as a multi-media journalist in RTE since 2018 reporting across television, radio and online news including RTEs Six One News, Nine OClock News and most recently RTE's foreign news desk.

She reported on Russias invasion of Ukraine as well as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war following the attack on October 7. She also worked on assignment in RTEs Northern Ireland office covering the UK and NI Assembly elections, as well as the return to power-sharing in 2020.

Earlier this year, the Westmeath native, reported on King Charles' Coronation in London.

Gail Conway holds a BA Hons degree in Media and Business Management from Manchester University, during which time she also worked at Granada Television. She went to school in Our Ladys Bower Secondary School in Athlone.

She began her career as a young journalist in the Midlands and her first job was reporting for her local radio station Midlands 103. She also freelanced for the Athlone Voice newspaper contributing to the lifestyle pages and covering local elections.

She left the Midlands to work as a reporter and also worked as head of news and sport in regional radio station Beat 102-103 in the south-east.

In 2017, she moved to Dublin to work as a freelance reporter with Newstalk, Today FM and Virgin Media before later joining RTE.

Gail is a native of Athlone and is returning to the town to take up the role. She says she is looking forward to reconnecting with the people and the issues affecting them across the region.

This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Im delighted to return to the region where I started my journalism career, and where I grew up. I have seen first-hand how life in the Midlands has changed from when I was a little girl. Now I want to return to my roots and engage with people from the Midlands and allow their voices and issues be heard in the national news.
The Arvind Kejriwal -led government in Delhi has scrapped the provision requiring speed governor certificates for commercial vehicle owners during fitness checks, transport department officials said on Tuesday.

Till now, all commercial vehiclesboth passenger vehicles and goods carriers including autorickshaws, cabs, buses and temposhad to submit the certificates issued by speed governor manufacturers or dealers during fitness checks or the fitness renewal process.

The speed-limiting devices act like a cruise control system in motor vehicles.

Earlier in 2018, the Delhi government had notified fitting of speed governors in commercial transport vehicles, including light passenger vehicles, registered before October 1, 2015, limiting the maximum speed to 80 kmph.

A circular recently issued by the department said, Central Motor Vehicle Rules clearly stipulates that the vehicle manufactured on or after 1st October 2015 shall be equipped or fitted by the vehicle manufacturer either in the manufacturing stage or at the dealership stage, with a speed governor having pre-set maximum speed for different class of transport vehicle"

Now, the speed-limit certificate is mandatory for vehicles registered before 2015 for vehicles that are registered after October 1, 2015, the certificate of speed governor will be required only at the time of registration of the vehicle by the registering authority competent to do the registration of the vehicle," the circular added.

The effectiveness of the speed governor for heavy vehicles inspected at Vehicle Inspection Unit Jhuljhuli will be continued through the automated testing station at the time of fitness.

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JetBlue said January 8 that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airlines president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier.

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty said she was honored to get the new job, and said she was looking forward as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value" for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, said he will retire for health reasons.

The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, its time I put more focus on my health and well-being," Hayes said in a statement.

The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. It comes as JetBlue waits for a federal judge in Boston to decide whether it can purchase Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a bid to grow quickly into a challenger to the biggest U.S. airlines. The Justice Department sued to block the deal, and a trial was held last fall.

Hayes, 57, is a former British Airways executive who joined JetBlue in 2008 and became CEO in 2015. He pushed the airline to start transatlantic flights and create a partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines. The deal with American was disbanded, however, after the Justice Department successfully sued to kill it.

JetBlue is the nations sixth-biggest airline by revenue, slightly behind No. 5 Alaska Airlines. Hayes has pursued mergers for several years to draw closer in size to American, Delta, United and Southwest.

JetBlue tried to buy Virgin America in 2016, but it was outbid by Alaska Airlines. In 2022, Hayes prevailed as JetBlue beat out Frontier to strike a deal with Spirit, the nation's biggest low-fare airline.

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
Theres a new task on the 2024 to-do list for founders: Make sure you cant get Altmaned.

While startups have ousted leaders before, the entrepreneur world was stunned to see the board of hot artificial-intelligence company OpenAI fire Sam Altman just before Thanksgiving. He had been the face of one of the biggest successes of the year and suddenly he was out. In startup land, founders and advisers say they started discussing new ways to protect themselves.

Altman eventually made it back to OpenAI in a countercoup. But the tension at one of the countrys biggest startups is playing out in a longstanding debate about who should control a burgeoning company. It is an inherent conflict in business, with founders wanting protection for their jobs while investors want it for their money.

Among startups, tougher economic conditions have recently given venture capitalists and investors the upper hand. After OpenAI, founders are going to try to regain their footing.

Eric Ries, founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and something of a corporate governance guru and go-to mentor among the Silicon Valley set, said his phone has been ringing off the hook.

My really niche, weird hobby suddenly became mainstream," he said. All of a sudden, founders realized if this can happen to Sam, this can happen to anyone."

Ries has a system of hurdles founders can set up that would make it harder for a board to move against a companys mission or management. The most protective moves, Ries and lawyers say, are implementing supervoting shares or dual-class shares, which give founders ultimate control over their companies. These structures create multiple classes of shares to give founders, and sometimes early employees or investors, voting control.

Proponents of dual-share classes say they protect a companys mission and prevent investors from making decisions on short-term benefits. They cite a young Mark Zuckerbergs ability to turn down a 2006 offer from Yahoo to buy Facebook for $1 billion, against the initial advice of other board members.

Investors are less keen on these structures. In 2017, the S&P 500 said it would bar new companies from entering its index if they had multiple share classes, but later altered its stance.

Several startup founders said they are exploring how to get new share classes for their companies in the wake of OpenAI, including Adam Laor, co-founder of Sinatra, which builds software for insurance companies that underwrite the hospitality industry, and Paul Yacoubian of Copy.ai, a copywriting and marketing software company that uses OpenAI technology.

Yacoubian said he watched with anxiety the OpenAI saga, both for his company and his own position.

For the first few days I was most worried about whether OpenAI would keep functioning for us," said Yacoubian. After we got a bit out of that, my big question was, Am I going to get thrown out of my own company as CEO even if were crushing it?"

Founders who have been ousted themselves, like Roger Beaman, said they learned that lesson the hard way.

In 2021, Beaman was finalizing details on a financing round that would value his young company at around $75 million. Overnight, he was stripped of his chief executive role. Beaman, who overcame a troubled youth of addiction before he became sober, said it was still difficult to talk about getting pushed out.

Theres been no more painful experience in my life," Beaman said.

Beaman said he was pushed out before an equity stake he was eligible to own had vested. At his new company, Novel, Beaman set up a double-trigger clause to his vesting schedule. If he is fired or if the e-commerce technology company is acquired, he will receive a years worth of vesting. His second time around, Beaman said he also chose his early investors carefully, paying close attention to how they treated founders in the past.

Other founders are thinking about how to build softer bulwarks in their board. Ries is encouraging a mission pledge that adds some legal language in how a board should make decisions. Others are just trying to get board members they can trust.

A few days after Altmans firing, Max Bregman went out to dinner with seven other founders in Phoenix. Over pizza, they asked how they could protect themselves.

At 22 years old, Bregman is young even by startup-founder standards. In March, he co-founded BreatheEV, which builds software for electric-vehicle-charging stations.

Bregman said he wants to steer clear of career board members who he thinks can be conflicted. He said he was also exploring a separate ethics board or an ethics pledge for his board members.

Someone on your board should have the best intentions for your company. They shouldnt be more worried about alliances with other board members," he said. Setting the framework up now when not as much is at stake is important for the future."

Write to Corrie Driebusch at corrie.driebusch@wsj.com
A controversy that began online last week has escalated into a diplomatic tussle, straining the ties between India and Maldives. The conflict began after three Maldivian ministers, now suspended, made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sparking a backlash from India. Some Indian social media users are calling for a boycott of the Maldives, potentially affecting the strong trade and interpersonal ties between the two countries.

India has been a key contributor to the Maldives' tourism, ranking as the second-largest source of tourists in the first 11 months of 2023, with 183,371 visitors, latest available Maldives official data shows. Russia topped the list with 191,617 tourists visiting Maldives during the same period.

Data from the Maldives' ministry of tourism reveals a notable surge in Indian tourist arrivals to the island nation following the covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, the country welcomed 166,030 Indian tourists, but due to global travel restrictions in 2020, the numbers significantly dropped to 62,960. However, as travel restrictions gradually eased, there was a remarkable rebound in 2021, when 291,787 Indian tourists visited the Maldives. The trend continued into 2022, although there was a slight decrease in numbers to 241,382.

The Maldives depends on various countries for its import of goods. India was the second-largest contributor in 2022, constituting over 14% of the country's total imports. According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Indias exports to Maldives have increased from $170.59 million in 2014 to $496.42 million in 2022. In 2022, imports from India witnessed a 56% surge.

Amid the dispute, a local Chinese newspaper report has urged India to adopt a more "open-minded approach", further escalating tensions. New Maldives President Mohammed Muizzu is currently on an official tour to China, a move seen as a snub to India given his pro-China stance. (Other recent presidents used to visit India first.) Over the years, both India and China have been neck-and-neck in making a mark in Maldives' import market. According to IMF data, India has demonstrated steady growth, with its share in Maldives' total imports increasing from 8.55% in 2014 to 14.12% in 2022. China's share has exceeded Indias for several years, but was lower in 2022.

On Monday, India summoned Maldives High Commissioner Ibrahim Shaheeb. Numerous celebrities and individuals are using social media platforms to encourage tourists to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of Maldives. The ongoing dispute has led to some individuals reportedly opting to cancel their previously scheduled trips to the Maldives.
Ten times a second an object shaped like a thick pizza box and holding a silicon wafer takes off three times faster than a manned rocket. For a few milliseconds it moves at a constant speed before being halted abruptly with astonishing precisionwithin a single atom of its target. This is not a high-energy physics experiment. It is the latest lithography machine dreamed up by ASML, a manufacturer of chipmaking tools , to project nanoscopic chip patterns onto silicon wafers. On January 5th Intel , an American semiconductor giant, became the first proud owner of this technical marvels initial components for assembly at its factory in Oregon .

View Full Image Graphic: The Economist

Like the outwardly unassuming machine, its Dutch maker is full of surprises. The companys market value has quadrupled in the past five years, to 260bn ($285bn), making it Europes most valuable technology firm (see chart 1). Between 2012 and 2022 its revenues and net income both rose roughly four-fold, to 21bn and 6bn, respectively. At the end of 2023 ASMLs operating margin exceeded 34%, staggering for a hardware business and more than that of Apple, the worlds biggest maker of consumer electronics (see chart 2).

Such stellar performance, which is likely to shine even more brightly when ASML reports quarterly results on January 24th, is now routine. The firm holds a monopoly on a key link in the worlds most critical supply chain: without its kit it is next to impossible to make cutting-edge computer processors, such as those that go into smartphones and data centres where artificial intelligence (AI) is trained. With global semiconductor sales forecast to double to $1.3trn by 2032, every big country and every big chipmaker wants ASMLs gear. The company has become so important in the Sino-American techno-tussle that, as it emerged at the start of the year, President Joe Bidens administration pressed ASML to cancel planned deliveries of even its older machines to China.

View Full Image Graphic: The Economist

Yet ASMLs spectacular success is also underpinned by two other, less obvious factors. The company has created a network of suppliers and technology partners that may be the closest thing Europe has to Silicon Valley. And its business model ingeniously combines hardware with software and data. These unsung elements of ASMLs success challenge the notion that the old continent is incapable of developing a successful digital platform.

ASMLs complex machines perform a simple task. They project the blueprints of computer chips onto photosensitive silicon wafers. In 1986, when its first model was delivered, individual transistors measured micrometres and the companys kit was almost like a glorified photocopier, explains Marc Hijink, a Dutch journalist and author of FocusHow ASML Conquered the Chip World", a new book. Today, with transistors shrunk by a factor of a thousand, ASML lithography gear is possibly the most sophisticated equipment ever sold commercially.

ASML and its partners pulled off this incredible shrinking trick with engineering that has a science-fiction ring to it. The process starts with powerful lasers incinerating droplets of molten tin, each no thicker than a fifth of a human hair and travelling at more than 250km per hour. This produces extremely short-wavelength light (extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, in the jargon) which is then reflected by a set of mirrors so smooth that the biggest imperfection is no bigger than the distance grass can grow in a millisecond. To make all this worth a chipmakers whilethe latest model costs more than $300mand expose enough chips, the object that holds the wafer, called a table", has to accelerate faster than a rocket and come to a stop at exactly the right spot.

To get an idea of what it takes to build such a device, pay a visit to a nondescript factory in Neukolln, a neighbourhood of Berlin. This is where ASML makes, among other things, mirror blocks", the main part of a wafer table. These are sturdy pieces of a special ceramic material, a square 8cm thick and measuring about 50cm on each side. Some get polished, measured, repolished, remeasured and so on, for nearly a yearuntil they are exactly the right shape, including allowances for the fact that they will sag a few nanometers once installed.

The factory is emblematic of the companys unusual network of suppliers. Although its owner, Berliner Glas, was acquired by ASML in 2020, it lives halfway between being an independent company and a unit of the Dutch parent. Something similar is true of the 800 or so mostly European firms that help put together ASMLs machines. ASML only owns stakes in a few of them. Yet their interdependence makes them act like a single organisation.

ASML outsources over 90% of what it costs to build one of its engineering marvels and directly employs fewer than half the estimated 100,000 people the feat requires. This is partly owing to history. When the company was spun out of Philips, a Dutch electronics giant, in 1984, ASML seemed stillborn. Its idea to build a silicon stepper", the original name of the chip-copying machine, was promising. But it had not much else going for it, in particular no production lines. It instead relied on specialist suppliers, many of them also former Philips units, such as VDL, a contract manufacturer.

Outsourcing is also a function of technology. The different parts of a lithography machine are so cutting-edge that doing it all could easily overwhelm any single company. You have to decide where you add the most value and let others do the rest," explains a former ASML insider. Semiconductor economics likewise favours not doing everything yourself. The chip industry is prone to booms and busts, because demand moves up and down much more quickly than manufacturers can install capacity. Prices rise and fall as shortages turn to gluts. Makers of chipmaking gear are exposed to the same cycles. That makes keeping all the assets in-house risky; better to transfer some of that risk on to suppliers, who can in turn limit it by catering to customers who work to different business cycles.

The required hyper-specialisation prevents the risk-reducing double sourcing that is prevalent in many other industries. In the case of ASML, technical demands are so high and production volumes so low (it shipped 317 machines in 2022) that it would be uneconomical to manage several suppliers for a single part even if they could be found. For such crucial components as lasers and mirrors, which are made by Trumpf and Zeiss, two German firms, respectively, it is impossible. Wayne Allan, who is in charge of sourcing on ASMLs board, talks of co-dependency".

The upshot is that ASML mostly limits itself to being the systems architect. It decides who does what, defines the interfaces between the key parts of its machines, which it calls modules", and carries out research and development. This setup makes it easier to test the pieces and transport the machines (shipping the latest model to Intel involved 250 crates and 13 containers). It also gives suppliers more freedom, including to experiment with novel technologies.

It all works because ASML has cultivated a culture of trust and transparency while preserving elements of competition. Suppliers are not squeezed to the last penny. Quite the opposite: We need them to stay healthy," says Mr Allan. Information flows freely throughout the network, particularly between ASML, Trumpf and Zeiss. Engineering teams from different firms work together, patents are shared, as is some financial data and, sometimes, profits. At meetings you cant tell who is from which firm," reports a former Zeiss executive.

At the same time, many suppliers compete with each other indirectly, for instance providing similar parts for different generations of ASMLs machines. If a supplier runs into trouble, ASML dispatches a rapid intervention force, sometimes even if such help is not welcome. As a last resort, ASML can buy a supplier, as was the case with Berliner Glas.

It is this loosely coupled structure that allowed ASML to outcompete its more vertically integrated rivals, reckons Willy Shih of Harvard Business School. Nikon and Canon, two Japanese firms which once led the market for lithography machines, never managed to commercialise the more complex EUV kit. (Canon is trying to stage a return with nanoimprint" lithography, which physically stamps chip designs onto wafers.)

ASML is now entrenching this dominance by complementing its hardware with software and data. When real rockets take off, their trajectory is wobbly and needs to be smoothed out by a guidance computer, which collects data to predict and adapt their course. A wafer table in a lithography machine is similarly likely to miss the mark at first. The same is true of the rest of the device. It is only with the help of lots of data and machine learning, a type of AI, that they can be fine-tunedand made more accurate. This is rapidly turning ASML into an AI platform.

Once Intel has received all the modules for its new machine, it will take about two weeks to put the thing together. Adapting it to its new location will take several months. Bits may have moved in transport, gravity may be slightly different in Oregon than in Veldhoven and other machines nearby may create interference. Tests will collect reams of data and trigger adjustments. We have thousands of knobs we can turn to put it into a perfect state," says Jos Benschop, another ASML board member.

ASML also uses the data from one machine to turn the knobs of others. Of the roughly 5,500 devices it has sold since its founding 39 years ago, 95% are still in operation and many send data home to headquarters. That will make its products even better, leading to more chipmaking, which generates even more dataand so on, in a flywheel" more typically associated with digital services such as internet search. Even if Canon, Nikon or a Chinese competitor finally managed to build EUV machines as powerful as ASMLs, it would not be able to catch up with the Dutch firm, argues Pierre Ferragu of New Street Research, a research firm. Its mathematically impossible, as long as ASML keeps collecting data from all the installed base."

If rivals cannot topple ASML, can anything? Physics is one potential hurdle. Even with the best AI, you cannot shrink transistors for ever (certainly not in a commercially viable way). If technical requirements become too otherworldly the supplier network may unravel. Economics is another. Chipmakers may recoil at ASMLs data hunger, which extends to other linked devices in their factories. Some have apparently started to push back against its digital expansion, insiders say.

Then there is geopolitics. ASMLs share price dipped after news broke about the cancelled deliveries to China. The worry is less over lower sales; ASML cannot build its machines fast enough anyway. Of greater concern is the risk that strict export controls could in time push China to build its own chipmaking-gear industry. That could one day threaten ASMLs position at the centre of the industry. For the time being, though, the companys network and its network effects remain indomitable. Who said Europe couldnt do tech?

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
India is considering granting ISI certification to Nepal-made cement, pavers blocks, and electrical products, two officials said, in a bid to enhance strategic and economic relations with its South Asian neighbours.

The Indian StandardsInstitute (ISI) mark, mandated for imports, requires a quality validation certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which operates under the ministry of consumer affairs.The certification ensures that imported products meet Indian standards.

Queries emailed to the ministries of commerce, consumer affairs, the director general of BIS and the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi, did not elicit a response till press time.

One of the officials cited above said the consumer affairs ministry is reviewing proposals from Nepali manufacturers, who have also urged their government to support these discussions. The ministry is vetting the provisions for granting ISI certification, which is mandatory for introducing foreign goods in Indian markets."

India mainly imports vegetable oil, textiles, engineering goods, spices, jute products and chemicals from the landlocked Himalayan nation. Indian imports from Nepal fell from $1.3 billion in 20210-22 to $838 million in 2022-23.

Indian exports to Nepal fell to $4.7 billion in April-November 2023 from $5.42 billion in the same period a year ago.

Nepal mainly imports petroleum product, engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, electronic goods, textiles, rice, vegetable, fruit and tobacco from India.

Indian partners of Nepali firms are eager to import cement and other products to assert their ownership in the firms, said the second person.

Given the geopolitical importance of Nepal in South Asia, India is making its efforts to iron out the differences and cement a strong strategic relationship to restrict the interventions in Nepal by China," Abhash Kumar, assistant professor of economics at Delhi University, said.

If we aim to redirect trade flow from South Asia towards China, it has to be a tangible economic diplomacy, ensuring an assured market for our smaller neighbours like Nepal. It is one way to bring strategic partners in the core of our policy framework," said Dattesh Parulekar, assistant professor, international relations, Goa University.

Given we have a long border with Nepal, we have to leverage the fact that it has to be seen from an economic opportunity prism instead of an exclusively security prism," Parulekar said.

If the government allows ISI certification to Nepali cement and electrical products, it will add to the government coffers (through duty)," said Ashish Singh, a cement trader from Bihars Katihar, which shares a border with Nepal.

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Steven Teixeiras use of his girlfriends laptop began innocently enough when she asked him to keep an eye on her work email while she went to fitness classes and ran errands.

As they weathered the pandemic from their apartment in Queens, N.Y., he gave in to temptation. His sweetheart worked as an executive assistant at Morgan Stanley, and her calendar invites included meetings about planned mergers and acquisitions that involved the investment bank.

Teixeira, a compliance executive at a payment-processing company whom she intended to marry, used the information to trade in advance of the deals. It netted him thousands in profits, promises of Rolex watches from friends he tipped off, and the scrutiny of federal officials probing insider trading. He pleaded guilty to a dozen fraud charges in June.

There is a rich history in securities fraud of pillow talk" cases, in which insider traders glean confidential information from romantic partners. The Covid era offered a twist: Secrets werent spilled in the bedroom or over a bottle of wine, but during the humdrum routine of two adults working from home.

During Covid, there was an uptick in brazen conduct," said Edward Imperatore, a defense lawyer at law firm Morrison & Foerster. In a work-from-home environment, people acted with more impunity."

Another recent case snared a boyfriend who was training to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Seth Markin pleaded guilty in December to trading on information he purloined from his lawyer girlfriend, an associate in the Washington office of law firm Covington & Burling.

In 2021, she was working on a pharmaceutical acquisition from her one-bedroom apartment, where Markin spent days at a time. According to prosecutors, she trusted him because he told her he had a security clearance, was going to be an FBI agent, and wanted to marry her.

Prosecutors said Markin passed on tips that led to at least 20 people trading based on confidential information. I knew that my behavior was wrong," Markin told the judge during his plea hearing. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Representatives for the FBI and Covington declined to comment.

In Teixeiras case, he was aided by a mouse-jiggler he bought that ensured his girlfriends laptop wouldnt lock when she wasnt using it, according to court documents. He has been cooperating with prosecutors and is scheduled to testify this year at the trial of his former friend, Jordan Meadow, who at the time was a stockbroker with Spartan Capital Securities. Meadow made more than $700,000 trading on Teixeiras information and used the tips to advise clients who made millions, prosecutors allege.

Yo you see UFS," Meadow texted Teixeira, referencing the stock symbol of a company involved in a $3 billion deal, according to the indictment. He then asked for more non-public information, texting, Feed me."

Meadow has pleaded not guilty to the eight charges he is facing. Lawyers for Meadow and Spartan declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Morgan Stanley, and a lawyer for Teixeira didnt respond to requests for comment.

In 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission settled with a New Jersey man who it accused of illegally trading on inside information he heard when his domestic partner, who worked in marketing for an IT company, participated in calls from home, including an 11:30 p.m. videoconference in a home-office adjacent to their bedroom. Although he typically discussed his trades with her, in this case he hid them, executing the transactions from his work office, the SEC said. The man, who didnt admit wrongdoing, paid $180,000.

One thing hasnt changed since the earliest days of pillow talk: It is usually the men who cant resist the urge to take advantage of their confidential information.

Insider trading is an equal opportunity crime," said Dixie Johnson, a partner at law firm King & Spalding who advises companies on how to avoid such situations. But the cases we see usually have involved men doing the trading."

Not that female romantic partners have always been innocent bystanders. In 2002, adult-movie actress Kathryn Gannon, known on screen as Marylin Star, pleaded guilty to trading on tips from an investment bank CEO with whom she was having an affair. She was sentenced to three months in prison.

A decade later, former beauty queen turned hedge-fund consultant Danielle Chiesi pleaded guilty to securities fraud for her role in a sprawling insider-trading ring. In a sentencing submission, she blamed a toxic relationship with her bossand lover of 20 yearswho urged her to get inside information.

One challenge for prosecutors is determining whether the partner who is privy to the information was in on the crime, said former federal prosecutor Brendan Quigley.

Do they say, Oh, my God, I would never give information to my spouse or significant other? It depends not only on what actually happened, but also on the nature of their relationship," said Quigley, who prosecuted insider-trading cases in Manhattan.

For defense lawyers, pillow-talk cases can be difficult to handle at trial, particularly if one partner testifies against another. To a juror, this is the bad boyfriend," said Imperatore, the defense attorney. Hes acting badly in a relationship in a way that goes beyond the four corners of insider trading."

Not surprisingly, many such relationships dont survive. Teixeira and his girlfriend split up, as did Markin and his.

Former Playboy CEO Christie Hefner and her husband, William Marovitz, divorced about a year after the SEC accused him of illegally trading Playboy stock based on information gleaned from his wifedespite her explicit instructions not to. Marovitz didnt admit wrongdoing in a 2011 settlement.

One woman whose husband recently settled insider-trading charges involving confidential information related to her employer said coping with the allegations strengthened their bond.

It felt like an injustice," said the woman, who wasnt identified in court papers. It brought us closer together."

Write to Corinne Ramey at corinne.ramey@wsj.com
Defense Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, together with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valeriy Zaluzhny and Chief of the General Staff of the AFU Serhiy Shaptala, visited the defense positions of the Ukrainian forces in the vicinity of Kupyansk.

Commander of the Khortytsia Group of Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky informed them about the situation around Kupyansk where the Ukrainian defenders constanly repulse enemy's attempts to attack. The Russian occupation forces have no success in this direction, the Defense Ministry's press service said.

"I was honored to meet with the commanders of the detachments that are fighting in this direction. I reported on the situation and current challenges. Decisions will be made in the near future  the enemy won't enjoy them," Umerov said.
The Biden administration issued a new rule Tuesday intended to put more gig workers on company payrolls, a change that could reverberate across many industries, most notably at ride-share and food-delivery companies such as Uber Technologies and DoorDash.

The rule, which will go into effect in March, would impose a stricter test to determine whether companies can classify their workers as independent contractors. It would replace a 2021 rule finalized by the Trump administration.

The new regulation could affect millions of workers across a range of industries, including healthcare, restaurants, construction and transportation, though affected businesses could seek to pursue legal action to block the rule.

Some of the companies that appear to be in the crosshairs of the Biden administration rule believe it wont immediately change their underlying business models and that the policy would be subject to interpretation by courts.

This rule does not materially change the law under which we operate, and wont impact the classification of the over one million Americans who turn to Uber to make money flexibly," Uber said in a statement.

Contractor or employee?

Independent contractors dont receive federal labor protections such as minimum wage, workers compensation or unemployment benefits. Some companies improperly count their employees as contractors to avoid paying for those protections, Labor Department officials said.

Under the new rule, if a worker can be counted as a contractor would depend on factors such as whether the job is primarily permanent or temporary, how much control an employer has over work performance or how integral a workers job is to the overall business.

This rule provides greater clarity and consistency in determining a workers status," said acting Labor Secretary Julie Su.

The administration first proposed the rule in October 2022 and received about 55,000 comments, Labor Department officials said.

The rule could reignite a longstanding debate over how ride-share and food-delivery drivers are classified. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and others consider their drivers independent contractors and have fought costly legal and regulatory battles to preserve that status.

California set the tone

In 2020, the companies mounted the most expensive ballot measure in Californias history that exempted them from reclassifying drivers as employees in the state. At the time, Uber told voters that such a reclassification would force it to employ a smaller pool of workers and require it to spend millions of dollars to hire additional staff that would monitor and track drivers, causing gig workers to lose the flexibility that they currently enjoy. Those costs, Uber said at the time, would push ride prices to increase between 20% and 120% in California. California voters supported the companies ballot initiative by an overwhelming majority.

The California vote set the tone for gig-worker legislation in the rest of the country. Washington state passed a law preserving the companies independent contractor model in 2022. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and others are planning a California-like ballot initiative in Massachusetts later this year.

Business groups have generally opposed the rule. In a December 2022 letter to the Labor Department, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said that the rule would raise uncertainty among employers by imposing a nebulous, multifactor balancing test."

The AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions, by contrast, said in 2022 that the proposed rule would protect workers from unscrupulous employers.

The full effect of the rule wont likely be known until it has been interpreted by the court system, said Peter Norlander, a management professor at Loyola University Chicago who studies the gig economy.

Pretty soon youre going to have a test case or multiple cases where a worker says Im being treated like an independent contractor and I should be treated like an employee," he said. I think the ultimate resolution of this is to be determined."

Write to David Harrison at david.harrison@wsj.com and Preetika Rana at preetika.rana@wsj.com
Maintaining their upward trajectory for the third trading session, shares of Easy Trip Planners , one of Indias largest online tech travel platforms, jumped another 5.65% in today's trade, reaching 45.80 apiece. Today's spike in the stock has resulted in a cumulative gain of 12.10% in three sessions.

Following the controversial remarks made by three Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India, the company on Monday announced the suspension of all flight bookings to the island nation on its website, claiming that 'nationalism' is greater than any 'personal interest'.

Also Read: Maldives tourism industry condemns remark on PM Modi's Lakshadweep post: India always been 1st responder to 10 points

Nonetheless, analysts said that the company's decision to suspend bookings to the Maldives is expected to have a limited financial impact. Further, the stock also reacted positively following the company's board approval of fundraise of up to 1,000 crore on January 02.

The funds will be raised through the combination of equity shares and warrants convertible into an equivalent number of equity shares of the company to be issued on a preferential basis, according to the company's exchange filing.

Also Read: MakeMyTrip observes 3400% increase in Lakshadweep searches amid Maldives row

EaseMyTrip Insurance Broker business

Meanwhile, the company ventured into the insurance broker business by incorporating a new subsidiary named EaseMyTrip Insurance Broker. The new entity will help the travel services provider add a new revenue vertical and enhance its business for insurance brokers and related services.

Easy Trip Planners is a small-cap online travel platform with a market capitalisation of over 8,115 crore. The company offers a comprehensive range of travel-related products and services catering to the needs of passengers travelling domestically as well as travelling to and from international destinations.

Also Read Yatra Online stock trading below its IPO price but Investec sees 51% upside; here's why

After experiencing two consecutive years of positive performance in CY21 and CY22, the company's shares witnessed a significant drop of 23.47% in CY23. They have bounced back in the current month, with a gain of 13.51% so far.

In terms of financials, the company reported a 69% YoY improvement in its consolidated net profit, reaching 47 crore in Q2FY24, while its revenue from operations surged to 142 crore, a 31.48% surge over Q2 FY23's revenue of 108 crore.

Disclaimer: We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

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Zerodha Mutual Fund announced the launch of the Zerodha Nifty 1D Rate Liquid ETF, an open-ended exchange-traded fund (ETF) replicating/ tracking the Nifty 1D Rate Index. The fund is expected to be listed on the NSE and BSE exchanges by January 24, 2024.

The scheme opened for public subscription on January 08, 2024, and will close on January 12, 2024. The scheme re-opens for continuous sale and repurchase within five business days of allotment of units under the new fund offer (NFO).

What kind of mutual fund scheme is this?

This is an open-ended ETF replicating/tracking the NIFTY 1D Rate Index. This product is suitable for investors seeking

Short-term savings solution

Investment in securities covered by the NIFTY 1D Rate Index.

What is the main objective of investing in this fund?

The investment objective of the scheme is to invest in Tri-Party repo on Government securities or treasury bills (TREPS). The scheme aims to provide investment returns that, before expenses, correspond to the returns of the NIFTY 1D Rate Index, subject to tracking error. There is no assurance or guarantee that the investment objective of the scheme will be achieved.

Vishal Jain, CEO, Zerodha Fund House said, This new product from ZFH marks the arrival of liquid ETFs that offer a Growth NAV for the first time in India. This feature makes it easier to track the ETF's performance. Additionally, the returns are taxed only when the ETF is sold, as compared to daily divided which is taxed continuously. To further enable more retail investors, the ETF will have a lower ticket size, starting with an NAV of 100."

How may one invest in this scheme?

Investors can invest under the scheme with a minimum investment of 500 per plan/option and in multiples of Re 1. There is no upper limit for investment.

Under normal circumstances, the asset allocation of the scheme will be as follows:

Instruments Indicative allocations (% of total assets) Risk Profile Minimum Maximum Tri-party repo on Government Securities or T-bills, Reverse repo & Cash and Cash equivalents 95% 100% Low G-sec(s) and/or T-bills with a residual maturity of up to 30 days. 0% 5% Low

Are there similar mutual funds in the market?

To date, only Mirae Asset Mutual Fund and HDFC Mutual Fund have launched the Mirae Asset Nifty 1D Rate Liquid ETF and HDFC Nifty 1D Rate Liquid ETF, respectively.

How will the scheme benchmark its performance?

The performance of the scheme will be benchmarked to the performance of the Nifty 1D Rate Index. The index uses the overnight rate provided through the Tri-Party Repo Dealing System (TREPS) for the computation of index values.

Are there any entry or exit loads to this scheme?

This scheme involves no Entry Load", which means that investors do not have to pay anything to park their earnings in this scheme. The Exit Load" would also be Nil".

Who will manage this scheme?

Apurv Parikh is the designated fund manager of this scheme.

Does the fund contain any inherent risk?

The scheme involves Low Risk" as per the details mentioned in the Scheme Information Document and is best suited to investors willing to understand that their principal will be subject to low risk only. However, investors should consult their financial advisors if they doubt whether the product is suitable for them.

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Ghaziabad near Delhi which comprises the National Capital Region is likely to be renamed soon. Amid demands by Hindu outfits in Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad may have a new name soon and would therefore join the list of places renamed in the state.

What will Ghaziabad be known as?

BJP councillor of ward number 100, Sanjay Singh had put forward the proposal on January 8. The civic body of Ghaziabad has put this proposal on the January 9 board meeting agenda reported The Times of India. There seems to be no hurdle in proceeding with the process as BJP enjoys comfortable majority in the civic body in the state.

As per the proposal to be discussed today, the new suggested names are Gajnagar and Harnandi Nagar. Harnandi Nagar name was coined as it resonates with the Hindon River, which flows past the city.

Sanjay Singh said, "The board has adopted my proposal and will hold a discussion on it on Tuesday. Primarily, I have proposed two names - Gajnagar and Harnandi Nagar. He added, "Ghaziabad holds a significant place in history. It's high time the city is accorded its rightful place," reported TOI.

Over the renaming of Ghaziabad region, Ghaziabad mayor, Sunita Dayal said, "This is the first time the matter will be being discussed at the executive level," reported TOI. Sunita Dayal informed that requests about renaming of the place were frequent but for the first time, these requests will be officially entertained at the executive level.

The head priest of Dudheshwar Nath temple, Mahant Narayan Giri is the leader of the pack requesting for renaming of Ghaziabad. Two years back, Mahant Narayan Giri met UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and submitted a memorandum. He said, "The CM assured me he would look into our demands. I had suggested that Ghaziabad should be named either Gajprastha, Dudheshwarath Nagar or Harnandipuram," reported TOI.

Mahant Narayan Giri suggested names- Gajprastha, Dudheshwarath Nagar and Harnandipuram in view of the epic Mahabharat. While providing explanation for his suggestion he said, "In Mahabharat, the area that is Ghaziabad today was once a part of Hastinapur, just 40km from here. This was a forested area and home to many wild animals like elephants. Since Gaj means elephant, the name Gajpura or Gajnagar may be apt," reported TOI.

UP District Gazetteers of Meerut which is a government booklet of records that was last published in 1966 also mentions elephants.

The seventh edition of the Gazetteer states, "Both in the Mahabharata and the works of Kalidasa, there is mention of huge and dense forests to the north of Hastinapur where it appears elephants lived in large numbers... This place is known by many other names and it is probably not a mere coincidence that they are mostly synonyms of the word meaning elephant."

The word 'Ghaziabad' can be traced along history, Gazetteers states, "In 1739, Nadir Shah of Iran invaded the country and sacked Delhi, causing disruption in the neighbouring districts. In 1740, Ghazi-ud-din founded Ghaziuddinnagar." However, Ghaziuddinnagar was shortened to Ghaziabad with the opening of the railways in 1864 by the British.

Places renamed in Uttar Pradesh recently

Allahabad was renamed to Prayagraj in 2018 under BJP led UP government. Since then, calls to rename Ghaziabad have grown over the years.

Faizabad junction was renamed Ayodhya Cantonment in 2021 by the Railways and Jhansi railway station was renamed Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station.

Moreover, in December of 2023, the Union Home Ministry agreed to change the names of Mundera Baazar in Gorakhpur district to Chauri-Chaura and Telia Afghan village in Deoria district to Telia Shukla.

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The Israeli embassy in India expressed support for promoting tourism in Lakshadweep on January 9, amidst the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and the Maldives. The statement from the embassy highlighted their previous involvement in the desalination program in Lakshadweep, initiated at the request of the federal government. The embassy expressed Israel's readiness to resume work on this project immediately. To showcase the captivating beauty of Lakshadweep, the embassy shared several images featuring the island's pristine beaches and majestic underwater landscapes.

We were in Lakshadweep last year upon the federal government's request to initiate the desalination program. Israel is ready to commence working on this project tomorrow. For those who are yet to witness the pristine and majestic underwater beauty of Lakshadweep islands, here are a few pictures showing this island's enchanting allure," the Israel embassy said in a post on X.

Simultaneously, the Maldivian envoy to India was summoned to the external affairs ministry on January 8, where strong concern was conveyed regarding disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi made by several Maldivian ministers on social media. In response to Modi's post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, the Maldivian ministers criticized it, suggesting that it aimed to promote the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. Subsequently, three deputy ministers in the Maldivian government were suspended for their remarks.

The Maldivian foreign ministry clarified that the government is aware of derogatory remarks on social media against foreign leaders but emphasized that such expressions represent personal views and do not reflect the official position of the country.

Meanwhile, Former Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi on January 8 said that derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrate the "short-sightedness" of the Maldives government, adding that India has been a reliable ally, assisting in various sectors, including defense, and criticized any attempt to undermine the longstanding relationship.

She further expressed disappointment over disparaging remarks, highlighting India as the "911 call" for the Maldives, always coming to their rescue in times of need.

"It is the short-sightedness on the part of the present administration... We are a small country who are friends with all, but we cannot deny that we share borders with India. We share similar security concerns. India has always helped us. They have been helping us even in the defence sector with capacity building, providing us with equipment, and trying to make us more self-sufficient,"Mariya Ahmed Didi said.

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Assam police confiscated different types of contraband worth 100 crore in what can be called the state's biggest-ever drug haul on Tuesday. The police also arrested four drug peddlers in Karimganj district.

The joint operation was carried out by the special task force of Assam police and Karimganj district police. The drug peddlers were transporting drugs into the state from Mizoram.

"This is probably the largest drug seizure in eastern India in terms of market value. The drugs confiscated are worth at least 100 crore in the market," STF deputy inspector general Parthasarathi Mahanta told PTI.

The inspector general also said that the prices of narcotics have gone up due to continuous and effective operations and aggressive actions by Assam Police.

We got input about the movement of drugs from Mizoram and initiated the operation. We intercepted a car bearing Mizoram registration plate at Suprakandi under Nilambazar police station (in Karimganj) at around 2.15 pm on Tuesday," Mahanta explained.

Acting on the tip, the police team searched the vehicle and recovered 5.1 kg of heroin, 64,000 Yaba tablets, and four packets of foreign cigarettes concealed inside the side body panels of its trunk.

Out of the four people arrested, one is a woman from Mizoram. She along with two others apprehended hail from Thenzawl in Mizoram, while the fourth in an inhabitant of Karimganj itself, the DIG said.

The successful operation also earned applause from the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Praising the police officials in his X post, the Assam CM wrote, BIGGEST EVER DRUGS HAUL WORTH OVER 100 CRORE. In a joint operation by @STFAssam & @karimganjpolice at Suprakandi a huge quantity of drugs have been recovered 5.1 kg heroin 64,000 YABA tablets 4 packets of foreign cigarettes 4 people have been arrested in this connection. Superb job @assampolice."

In response to Assam CM's appreciation, Assam Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh said, "Grateful for the appreciation and recognition Sir. Our commitment to fulfill your resolve of a drug-free Assam is unwavering."

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A Bengaluru CEO has allegedly killed her 4-year-old son in Goa, said police on Tuesday, adding that the 39-year-old woman travelled with the body to Karnataka, according to PTI reports.

Police informed the woman is a startup founder, Suchana Seth, who killed the boy in an apartment in Goa. She hired a taxi to carry the body and kept it inside a bag while travelling to Karnataka, the cops added.

They said the CEO has been arrested and charged with murder. The child's body has been recovered by the cops, the report said.

She stayed in an apartment in North Goa's Candolim, witnesses claimed. They said blood stains were seen in the house.

The official also said that the motive behind the murder is yet to be known as the accused woman has not been interrogated so far as she is being brought to Goa from the neighboring state.

A team of Goa police, which is investigating the case, is currently in Chitradurga district in Karnataka. The accused has been formally placed under arrest and is being brought to Goa. She will be here by this afternoon," said Superintendent of Police (North) Nidhin Valsan.

The accused has been booked by the Calangute police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act, he added.

Who is Suchana Seth?

1) Suchana Seth is the Chief Executive Officer of a startup called Mindful AI Lab. She was among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021, according to her LinkedIn page.

2) Suchana is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs," her profile description read.

3) Suchana Seth has held research fellowships at the Raman Research Institute, the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, and Data & Society as a Mozilla Fellow, it added.

4) She is also a patent holder in natural language processing.

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Suchana Seth, the chief executive officer (CEO) of a start-up company, was accused of killing her four-year-old son in Goa. The Goa police arrested the accused from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Monday night.

She was brought to Goa on Tuesday afternoon, following which she was presented before a court in Mapusa town. "The court remanded the accused to six days of police custody," a police official was quoted by PTI as saying.

Here's all you need to know about the murder case so far:

1. How the murder came to light: Police said the woman, with her son, had checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in North Goa on January 6. She stayed there for two days.

Later, she informed the apartment staff that she wanted to go to Bengaluru for some work and asked them to arrange for a taxi. She went to Bengaluru in the taxi on Monday, January 8. Later, when the apartment staff went to clean the room in which she stayed, they found blood stains on a towel, PTI reported.

ALSO READ: Delhi teen commits murder over Biriyani

2. What police found: The staff of the apartment informed police that her son was not seen with her when she left the place. Police later spoke over phone to the taxi driver, who was on the way to Bengaluru and had reached Chitradurga district in Karnataka, to take the accused to the nearest police station.

The police in Chitradurga (Karnataka) then checked the woman's bag in which they found the body of the child. Police added that the accused woman had stuffed the child's body in her "luggage".

ALSO READ: Child appears before Supreme Court during his murder case hearing, says Im alive'

3. What the accused told police: Police had also called the accused and enquired with her about the blood stains and her "missing" son. "The accused told us that the blood stains were due to her monthly periods," police said.

She also told police that her son was with her friend in Margao town (in South Goa) and provided the address. However, when enquired, police got to know the address given by her was fake.

ALSO READ: How Maya gang, led by a teenager, murdered Amazon Manager and terrorised Northeast Delhi

4. The motive: Superintendent of Police (North) Nidhin Valsa said that the motive behind the murder would be established only after her interrogation. "What she has told us till now is that she and her husband were estranged and that they are currently undergoing divorce proceedings," he said. As per NDTV, Suchana Seth told police during interrogation that her relationship with her husband remained strained and that she was unhappy over a court order.

ALSO READ: Delhi University student stabbed to death, 2 persons held; father says 'no word from Police till now'

5. About the accused: According to Suchana Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of start-up Mindful AI Lab and was among the top '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021'. She is 39 years old.

Police told PTI that the accused woman hails from West Bengal and has been living in Bengaluru, while her husband is from Kerala. "Her estranged husband is currently in Jakarta (Indonesia) and he has been informed about the incident," Valsan said.

READ MORE HERE: Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth kills 4-year-old son in Goa. Who is the startup founder?

(With inputs from agencies)

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Following the Pulwama terror strikes in 2019, the then prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan made frantic attempts to communicate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone in an attempt to prevent a full-blown military crisis, a new book written by the former high commissioner to Pakistan showed.

In his new book, Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan, former diplomat Ajay Bisaria claimed that Pakistan had credible information on nine missiles that India had prepared to launch into Pakistani territory. Also Read: India declines offer of special envoys from China and other countries after Balakot strikes As per the book, while anticipating an Indian missile attack, fear-stricken Imran Khan pulled out all the stops and requested a midnight call with PM Modi to bring the situation under control. The call was arranged by the then-Pakistani high commissioner Sohail Mehmood, who contacted his counterpart in Delhi. Also read: Pulwama attack: From Balakot airstrike to fears of nuclear war "At around midnight, I got a call in Delhi from Pakistani high commissioner Sohail Mahmood, now in Islamabad, who said that PM Imran Khan was keen to talk to Prime Minister Modi. I checked upstairs and responded that our Prime Minister was not available at this hour but in case Imran Khan had any urgent message to convey, he could, of course, convey it to me. I got no call back that night," Basaria mentioned in his book. Also Read: Uri, Balakot sent much needed message: says EAM Jaishankar on India's counter response to terrorism The events unfolded a day after the Balakot airstrikes conducted by the Indian Air Force on terror hideouts in Pakistan on February 26, 2019. These strikes were in retaliation for a terrorist attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, 2019.

In the book, Bisaria also wrote, India was asked to desist, since this was an unprecedented act of aggression and an action tantamount to open war. While Pakistan's media reported the demarche on ceasefire violations by India, the story of the potential missile launch was held back that night but released in a background briefing by ISPR on March 4, with some embellishments. Several media reports appeared in March, detailing the conversations around the missiles between India and Pakistan and through global interlocutors."

Following the Balakot strike, Bisaria says in his book, The next day, we got the breaking news that Khan had said that Pakistan would repatriate Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the IAF pilot who had been captured after his plane went down in Pakistani territory, as a peace gesture." The former diplomat termed the release of the Indian pilot a result of India's "coercive diplomacy."

"India's coercive diplomacy had been effective, India's expectations of Pakistan and of the world had been clear, backed by a credible resolve to escalate the crisis," says the book.

Prime Minister Modi had later said in a campaign speech: 'Fortunately, Pakistan announced that the pilot would be sent back to India. Else, it would have been 'Qatal ki Raat', a night of bloodshed, the former diplomat has written in his book.

"PM Modi did mention this in his speech. He did refer to this episode but Imran Khan also referred to this episode in his own speech in Parliament, that he had made an attempt to talk to the Indian PM. There was a conversation in Pakistan's parliament also, which has been reported by a Pakistan MP. He mentioned that both, then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and then army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa came to brief the MPs and said there is a serious danger of the crisis escalating and India taking hard action and therefore, we should return the pilot..." Ajay Bisaria stated in his book.

(With inputs from ANI)

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A massive row was triggered after the Maldives deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavory references to PM Modi's Lakshadweep visit.

The Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, in a post that has now been deleted, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi. Following this, the deputy ministers in the youth ministry Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna, and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid have been suspended over their posts. The Maldivian government also distanced itself from Shiuna's remarks, saying her opinion does not reflect the government's views. Speaking about the ongoing India-Maldives row, Blue Star Air Travel Services Director Madhav Oza said, If we look at the overall picture then India-Maldives connections have improved over the last few years..." There are eight direct flights from all over India to Maldives...Almost 1,200-1,300 passengers fly to Maldives each day...There is a possibility of 20-30% cancellations now," he told ANI.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) has also come in support of India and strongly condemned the derogatory remarks made by the ministers on PM Modi's post on Lakshadweep.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemns the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi as well as the people of India," the official statement read.

India is one of our closest neighbors and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the Government as well as the people of India have maintained with us," it added.

It also stated that India has been a consistent and significant contributor to the Tourism Industry of Maldives which has greatly assisted its recovery efforts during COVID-19.

Since then, India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives. It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship," MATI said.

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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium Alexander De Croo on Tuesday.

As the presidential press service said, the head of state congratulated Belgium on the start of its presidency of the Council of the European Union. The president noted the December decision of the European Council to open negotiations on Ukraine's accession and expressed hope that with the support of Belgium, our state would make significant progress in the implementation of further formal steps on this path.

The interlocutors, at the same time, noted the importance of unblocking European financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 50 billion.

Zelenskyy briefed the Prime Minister of Belgium about recent Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities and communities and emphasized the need to bolster Ukraine's air defense system.

The leaders discussed bilateral defense cooperation and coordination of European defense assistance to Ukraine.

The leaders paid special attention to the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. In particular, they discussed the next meeting of national security advisors and foreign policy advisors to the heads of state in Davos, preparation of the Global Peace Summit and consolidation of international support for the Ukrainian vision of a just peace.
Amid an ongoing row with the Maldives, the Indian government is planning to build a new airfield at Minicoy Island of Lakshadweep which would be capable of operating civilian and military aircraft, including fighter jets, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday citing sources.

"The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft," ANI quoted government sources as saying.

Previously, proposals for the development of a new airfield at Minicoy Island were submitted to the government. The proposal, now revived, has been presented to the government again, with the intention of joint usage.

The move aims not only to promote tourism in the Lakshadweep islands but also to strengthen the surveillance capabilities over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region, with the development of the airfield.

The proposal for the airfield was first put forth by the Indian Coast Guard, making it the first force under the Defence Ministry to do so. The current proposal suggests the Indian Air Force will lead the operations from the airfield, located in Minicoy Island.

The Minicoy airport, once operational, will enhance the defence forces' surveillance capabilities in the Arabian Sea. Additionally, it will stimulate regional tourism, as outlined in the government's plans.

Currently, the Lakshadweep Islands house a single airstrip in Agatti, which restricts the variety of aircraft. This move follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the region last week and the controversy with Maldives that swiftly followed.

Also Read | InsuranceDekho joins BoycottMaldives trend, stops travel insurance to Maldives

Lakshadweep has been the centre of discussion and attraction since the visit by PM Modi there last week. Politicians in the Maldives' ruling party, the Maldivian Democratic Party, have been trying to criticise the Indian government's plans to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist attraction and have tweeted against PM Modi and India.

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MUMBAI , NEW DELHI : Businesses looking to open shop in Gujarats Gift City are struggling for office space, as the demand for real estate has far outstripped supply in the special economic zone (SEZ).

Companies are staring at wait times of several months to a few years before new office space opens up for leasing, multiple real estate executives, consultants and business owners said. They also said monthly office rentals have more than doubled from 40-50 per square foot two years ago to around 90-120 per sq. ft.

In the interim, authorities of the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (Gift City) are asking companies to rent seats in co-working spaces to start business even as they continue to scout for dedicated office space.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Three years ago, there was little demand. But since then, a lot of companies have started coming," said Dhruv Patel, president of the Ahmedabad chapter of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India.

When the bullion exchange, currency exchange, and Gift Nifty started here, a lot of traders, funds and bankers came along. Today, the demand is far greater than the supply," he added.

Demand is expected to rise further after the government recently allowed the sale of liquor in Gift City, which is situated in the dry state of Gujarat. A ban on alcohol sales was a deterrent for many professionals considering a transfer to Gift City, and that could now change.

According to latest data from the IFSCA, as of September 2023, Gift City had 23 offshore banking units (OBUs), 70 brokers, 19 clearing members and five global custodians. Gift City also has 68 schemes operated by various alternative investment funds and 73 insurance funds registered.

There are also 136 asset leasing entities that are typically into aircraft, engines and ship leasing. There are also 54 entities providing ancillary services such as law firms and consultants.

Originally, the government had envisaged a limited scope for Gift City, in rivalling global hubs for fund management and banking like Singapore and Luxembourg. The widening scope of Gift City has made it more attractive to businesses from diverse sectors.

In the last few years, the government has started to position Gift City as an innovation hub not just for the BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) sector but also for sectors like higher education," said a senior consultant.

Suddenly, a diverse set of entities ranging from domestic brokers to aircraft leasing entities want to open shop. It will take some time for the commercial space to catch up with the demand," he said.

Gift City does not allow virtual registrations, unlike some other global financial hubs, making it mandatory for companies to have a physical presence there. To alleviate the shortage of available office space, the authorities have made an interim provision to allow companies to get registered in the SEZ by leasing out a minimum of four seats in co-working spaces.

Unlike the shiny skyscrapers adorning the skyline of Gift City, these are relatively smaller constructions where companies can rent out workstations as required. There are around three such temporary co-working spaces operational in the SEZ and more are under construction.

Companies operating from co-working spaces, available at around 20,000 per seat, can get a licence to operate in Gift City for up to five years.

To cater to immediate space needs, a temporary space was set up in a dome structure, featuring lockable cubicles," said Jaxay Shah, founder and CMD of Savvy Group. Initially, there was some scepticism and uncertainty among prospects regarding the concept and the construction timeline. However, once the structure was built and operational, people understood the innovative approach and the practicality of the setup."

The Savvy Group has multiple commercial and residential real estate projects in Gift City, including Pragya Accelerator-1, a co-working space with 500 seats. The temporary co-working setup was constructed in just three months, Shah said. Savvys second co-working space, Pragya Accelerator-2, is expected to be operational by March.

Several firms have taken the co-working option to get their operations running in Gift City, including Australias Deakin University. The institution is setting up a campus in Gift City and has leased 25,000 sq. ft of real estate space in a co-working space, one of the people cited above said.

The IFSCA has given permits for several new buildings to alleviate the space crunch, and the situation is expected to ease in couple of years.

There are 20-25 buildings under development and around 25-30 more applications are pending. In 2-3 years, the shortage will be under control and resolved," said Taral Shah, the MD of Shivalik Group, a leading real estate developer in Ahmedabad. It has four projects in Gift City.

While the real estate shortage may get resolved, many believe that prices are unlikely to see a downward trajectory in GIFT City.

Real estate is becoming premium and in the next few years, we expect demand to increase further," said a Mumbai-based hedge fund manager who wants to open shop in Gift City. Commercial spaces in most global financial hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dublin are expensive for the same reason: big companies want space and they are willing to pay a premium."
Amid a diplomatic row with neighbouring Maldives following derogatory remarks' against the Indian prime minister, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said PM Narendra Modi takes everything 'personally' after he came to power in 2014.

"After Narendra Modi came to power, he is taking everything personally. At the international level, we should keep a good relationship with our neighbours...We should act according to time...We cannot change our neighbours..." ANI quoted Mallikarjun Kharge as saying. Also Read | Lakshadweep: India plans new airport at Minicoy Islands for civil, military aircraft

The Congress president also called for good relations with the neighbouring nations.

However, condemning the derogatory remarks against the Indian prime minister, the leader of NCPan INDIA bloc ally--Sharad Pawar came out in support of PM Modi. The NCP leader said that one should respect the prime minister's post and any such comments won't be accepted.

He is the prime minister of our country and if anyone from any other country holding any position makes such comments on our PM, we won't accept it. We must respect the PM's post. We won't accept anything against the prime minister from outside the country," ANI quoted Pawar as saying.

A diplomatic row started soon after the Indian prime minister shared a series of photos on microblogging site X (formerly known as Twitter) promoting tourism in the Lakshadweep Islands. But the post was responded to by some prominent Maldivian social media users including three Maldivian ministers Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid with derogatory remarks against India and PM Modi.

However, rejecting the derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Modi, the Maldives government said they did not represent the views of Male. The Maldivian government also suspended the three deputy ministers who made the derogatory social media posts against PM Modi.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed also denounced the comments as "appalling" against PM Modi.

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned derogatory remarks made by some officials.

"India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the government as well as the people of India have maintained with us," MAITI said in a statement.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit on Wednesday. UAE president Mohamed Bin Zayed will attend the event as Chief Guest alongside several other world leaders and industry experts. This year's summit will also mark 20 years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success.

According to details shared by the Gujarat government, there will be more than 1,000 exhibitors from 20 countries participating in the trade show. 33 countries are participating as partners while around 100 countries are participating as visiting trade shows. The venue will have 13 halls based on various themes  including Make in Gujarat and Self-reliant India. Vibrant Gujarat Summit LIVE Updates Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event at 9.45 am on Wednesday in Gandhinagar. The trade show will be open to business visitors on January 10-11 and to the public on January 12-13. 5 things to know about the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit It was first conceptualised in 2003 under (then) chief minister Narendra Modi. The first edition of the Summit was held during the Navratri festival with more than a 1000 delegates and dignitaries spanning 45 countries.

PM Modi inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show 2024 on the eve of the main summit. This is an exhibition spread across 2 lakh square metres in multiple halls at the Helipad Ground Exhibition Centre with participants from 20 countries.

The 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held in Gandhinagar from January 10 to 12 with the theme Gateway to the Future. There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations involved in this years Summit.

United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be the chief guest for Wednesday's inaugural event. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting and inked several MoUs after his arrival on Tuesday evening. The PM also held bilateral meetings with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta and Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi  both of whom will be attending the Summit.

The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old CEO of artificial intelligence startup Mindful AI Lab, arrested for allegedly killing her four-year-old son in Goa, tried to commit suicide, police said on Tuesday.

She smothered her son to death in a room at a service apartment at Candolim in Goa, and then tried to commit suicide by cutting her left wrist with a sharp object, said the police.

Suchana Seth was arrested from Chitradurga in adjoining Karnataka on Monday night. After allegedly killing her minor son in Goa, she then travelled with the body to neighbouring Karnataka.

On Tuesday, she was brought to Goa and remanded to police custody for six days by a court in Mapusa town.

Earlier, Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan said that the accused has been booked by the Calangute police under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act.

The motive behind the murder is not known yet.

Suchana Seth and her husband were estranged and currently undergoing divorce proceedings.

She has been living in Bengaluru, while her husband is from Kerala.

What she has told us till now is that she and her husband were estranged and that they are currently undergoing divorce proceedings," Valsan said.

Her estranged husband is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia and he has been informed about the incident, said the police.

According to the police, on January 6 Suchana had checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in North Goa along with her son. After staying there for two days, she informed the apartment staff that she wanted to go to Bengaluru for some work and asked them to arrange for a taxi.

On January 8, a vehicle was arranged, in which she left early in the morning.

Later, when the apartment staff went to clean the room, they found blood stains on a towel.

After that, the police were immediately informed by the apartment staff.

The staff also informed that she was carrying an unusually heavy bag and her four-year-old son was not seen with her when she left the apartment.

Later, the police in Chitradurga after being alerted by the Goa police checked Suchana Seths bag in which they found the body of the child.

The blood stains found on a towel in the service apartment were due to the slashing of Suchana Seths wrist, according to the police.

Who is Suchana Seth

Suchana Seth hails from West Bengal.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she is the CEO of the startup Mindful AI Lab.

Suchana is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs," says her profile page.

She has been a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute.

She was also among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on January 9, embarking on a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The theme of this summit, held from January 10 to 12, is 'Gateway to the Future,' marking a decade of Vibrant Gujarat's success.

Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this Summit. The coming of my brother, HH Mohamed Bin Zayed is very special.I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarats growth and created opportunities for several people," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Top 10 things to know about Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024

Global Participation: Over the years, the Vibrant Gujarat Summit has evolved into a global platform, witnessing participation from 135 countries and over 2000 exhibitors. This year's summit attracted global leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The 3-km-long roadshow will start in the evening after the PM receives the UAE President at the airport, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-East), Ahmedabad city, Safin Hasan.

Gateway to the Future: Its theme is 'Gateway to the Future'. This edition will celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's Summit.

PM Modi to meet top CEOs and leaders: PM Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, and CEOs of top global corporations during his three-day visit to Gujarat from January 8 to 10, the PMO had said in a release.

Record Investments: The Gujarat government anticipates signing numerous investment pacts during the summit. The state has been a magnet for foreign direct investment (FDI), attracting USD 55 billion in the last two decades, with 37,059 crore or USD 4.9 billion in FDI for 2022-23 alone.

Gujarat's Economic Impact: The state's auto sector, securing 13% of Gujarat's FDI, outshines India's national average with only 5%. Gujarat's auto exports contributed significantly, reaching 12 lakh crore in the financial year 2022-23, constituting 33% of India's total exports.

Expectation of Tesla Presence: While Gujarat hopes for a record number of investment pacts, officials remain non-committal on the participation of Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk.

3D Security: To ensure effective communication during the summit, a dedicated frequency channel and control rooms equipped with CCTV for security monitoring were established. "3-D mapping of venues (where programmes are to be held) has been carried out using drones, and essential CCTV, PTZ cameras, and parking zone cameras have been strategically installed," said, Virendra Singh Yadav, Range DIG, Gandhinagar.

Previous Edition Success: The 2019 edition of the summit witnessed a record 28,360 projects and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed, underscoring the summit's growing importance.

HAL's Participation: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) showcased its capabilities at the 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show 2024,' aligning with the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision.

Global Recognition: Hank Schouten, Chairman and Founder of Schouten Europe company, acknowledged significant opportunities in India, particularly in the plant-based protein sector.

(With Inputs from Agencies)

HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICS More Information

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The Gujarat government will introduce a special Vibrant Bharat Thali for exclusive golden cardholders for 4,000 at the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 which is scheduled to commence on January 10, Wednesday, in Gandhinagar.

The delegates will be served their first meal in the afternoon with the title Taste of India, followed by The Taste of Gujarat thali with khichdi and curry for dinner. These thalis will offer different kinds of vegeterian dishes, according to PTI reports. On the second day, these delegates will be served different flavors of millet and a special networking dinner with some cultural programs will be organized on the last day of the three-day mega summit.

Speaking to PTI, Vikas Sood, General Manager of Hotel Leela, Gandhinagar said, We will serve pure vegetarian food, crafted to ensure a low carbon footprint and bring in a carbon neutral event."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived in Ahmedabad for a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. He was received by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel along with Gujarat BJP chief CR Patil, and Governor Acharya Devvrat.

The theme of the summit, held from January 10 to 12, is 'Gateway to the Future' to celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". The summit will be attended by several world leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

This edition will also feature prominent industry leaders like Lakshmi Mittal of ArcelorMittal, Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group, Uday Kotak, and Sameer Nigam of PhonePay.

It is expected that the event will break its 2019 record of 28,360 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signings, according to Rahul Gupta, vice chairman and managing director of the Gujarat Industries Development Corp.

The summit can also strengthen ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following PM Modi's visit to the COP28 summit in Dubai in December.

The summit will explore sectors like semiconductors, green hydrogen, e-mobility, and space manufacturing. With over 100,000 registrations, a significant increase from 48,000 in 2019, and 32 partner countries compared to 15 in 2019, this edition is set to be a record-breaker.

(With PTI inputs)

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day, is celebrated on January 9 to mark the contribution and achievements of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, from South Africa to India in 1915, who led India's freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first celebrated in 2003. Its format was later revised in 2015 to celebrate the event once every two years and to hold theme-based conferences during the intervening period with participation from overseas diaspora experts, policy-makers, and stakeholders. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Date Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be celebrated on January 9, 2024. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Organiser The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs. It is held in different cities, to showcase the diversity and progress of different regions of India. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: History Pravasi Bharatiya Diva was first celebrated in 2003. It was an annual event earlier, but in 2015, the government revised its format to celebrate PBD once every two years. To date, 17 conventions have been held. The last Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated in the Indore of Madhya Pradesh in 2023.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Theme

The theme of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is chosen to reflect the current priorities and concerns of the Indian diaspora. The theme of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2021 was Contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat" and 2023 was "Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India's Progress in Amrit Kaal"

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards

Another aspect of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards. The awards were initiated in 2003 by the Indian Government to recognize the achievements and contributions of NRIs and PIOs in various fields such as education, science and technology, arts and culture, social work, public service, trade and industry, and philanthropy.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Significance

These conventions provide a platform for the overseas Indian community to engage with the Indian government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.

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The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has cancelled the procession scheduled for January 17 that would have allowed devotees to catch a glimpse of the new idol of Ram Lalla. Rather, the trust will now arrange a tour of the new idol inside the premises of the Ram Janmabhoomi on 17 January, the information given by a senior functionary of the Trust said, citing crowd management concerns raised by the security agencies.

The decision was taken by the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after a meeting with the Acharyas of Kashi and senior administrative officials.

According to the Ayodhya district administration, it was discussed in the meeting that it would be difficult to control the crowd as devotees and pilgrims will rush to have the 'darshan' of the new idol of Ram Lalla when it is taken out in the city.

Earlier on Monday, The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Trust announced that the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is complete and is awaiting the Pran Pratistha ceremony scheduled for January 22. Dozens of guests, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the grand ceremony, which will witness Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in the sanctum-sanctorum (garbhagriha).

With less than two weeks to go until the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration, the State Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said that the department will start helicopter services soon as a large number of visitors are expected to attend the ceremony. The minister, however, did not give a specific date. The services will start before January 22."

Meanwhile, Ayodhya is also preparing for a month-long celebration of Ramkatha, the epic narration of the Ramayana. From January 8th until 24 March, the festival will see renowned spiritual figures narrate the tale of Lord Rama's life and teachings. This event aims to immerse devotees in the essence of the Ramayana and provide a platform for spiritual enlightenment.

PM Modi has also urged citizens to light a 'Shri Ram Jyoti' in their homes and celebrate Deepavali on January 22, when the Pran Pratishtha ceremony will take place at the Grand Temple in Ayodhya.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)

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Republic Day 2024 : Republic Day, celebrated on January 26, marks the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1950. The Republic Day Parade will commence at 10:00 am from Vijay Chowk. The viewers willing to witness the parade should be seated by 9:30 am. National Stadium in Delhi will mark the last stop to the parade spanning a distance of five kilometres.

Also read: Rehearsals for 75th Republic Day begin today in Delhi

The parade that runs along Rajpath showcases India's rich culture and history. People from all over the country come to see the parade, which includes cultural performances, military displays and more. Indian nationals can take reserved or unreserved sets that are priced at 500 or 20 respectively. However, the booking for tickets begins from tomorrow onwards, January 10. The tickets will be available until January 25 but limited number of tickets will be available per day.

Here are steps to buy tickets online:

Visit the Ministry of Defences official web portal at www.aamantran.mod.gov.in. Login or create a new account. Fill in personal details such as name, birthdate, mobile number, etc. Verify the authentication code sent to registered mobile number (OTP). Choose the desired event from the options that include FDR Republic Day Parade, Republic Day Parade, Beating the Retreat. For verification purpose, provide attendee information and upload an original Photo ID. Secure tickets by completing the online payment process.

Here are steps to buy tickets offline:

Visit an authorised offline outlet or designated ticket counter for Republic Day events. Provide identity proof and fill out a physical form with personal details including name, birth date, mobile number, etc. Choose the desired event from the options that include FDR Republic Day Parade, Republic Day Parade, Beating the Retreat For verification purposes, provide attendee information and provide a photocopy of the original Photo ID. Secure tickets by completing the payment process.

Offline tickets will be available at IDTC Travel Counters, the Government of India Tourist Office and DTDC Counters. Moreover, Departmental Sale Counters will sell the tickets from 10 am to 5:30 pm daily while the Parliament House Reception Office will sell the tickets from 11 am to 4 pm. Government of India Tourist Office will remain closed on Sundays while the Parliament House Reception Office will remain closed on weekends and holidays.

Also read: India invites French President Emmanuel Macron as Chief Guest for Republic Day 2024 celebrations

Viewers who wish to watch the parade from the comfort of their homes can stream it online on the Doordarshan Official YouTube Channel or Press Bureau of India (PBI) Website. Doordarshan will broadcast the parade Live on television as well.

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Ukraine has contracted domestically produced robotic turrets for the first time, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said.

"We are technologically strengthening the army with Brave1  the state has contracted ShaBlia robotic turrets for the first time," Fedorov said in his Telegram channel on Tuesday.

As Fedorov clarified, ShaBlia is a bulletproof automated system for machine guns that helps fighters remotely destroy the enemy. It is thanks to remote operation that the turret saves the life and health of machine gunners.

"ShaBlia is an innovation and an example of a weapon of modern warfare," the Deputy Prime Minister said. According to him, the development has moved from a start-up to a sustainable project, which is contracted by the government.

"Our task is to help create innovations so that they reach the battlefield faster, are used faster, we receive feedback and there are more of these innovations. We must seed startups and allow young entrepreneurs to create projects that change the situation on the battlefield. Technologies help save life for our soldiers and be effective," Fedorov said.
The record global temperatures that spawned heavy rainfall, disastrous floods and raging wildfires in 2023 will likely continue in 2024.

The findings were reported Tuesday by the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service in the first analysis to declareafter months of speculationthat 2023 was the hottest year since record-keeping began in the mid-1800s.

2023s global average temperature, the study found, was 14.98 degrees Celsius, or 58.96 degrees Fahrenheit.

That average was 1.48 degrees C, or 2.66 degrees F, hotter than the preindustrial baseline, creeping ever closer to the 1.5 degrees C threshold the worlds nations have agreed to keep warming below to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilization developed," said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service.

The record temperatures were caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions and by the ocean releasing heat to the atmosphere for the past three years during the La Nina ocean circulation pattern, according to the Copernicus report.

We had the suppression for three years in a row," said Sarah Kapnick, NOAAs chief scientist. And then suddenly all this heat was released through these marine heat waves around the world."

Not every storm or heat wave is caused by climate change, and not every city, state or country hit record temperatures in 2023. However, climate scientists say that rising global temperatures increase the likelihood of more periods of heavy rainfall, more heat waves more droughts and more wildfires.

The Copernicus report found that each month from June to December in 2023 was warmer than the same month in any previous year. It is likely that a 12-month period ending in January or February 2024 will exceed 1.5 degrees C above the preindustrial levels, according to the report.

As the temperatures rose, wildfires fueled by heat and drought drove thousands of people from their homes and spewed harmful smoke hundreds of miles from the flames.

In August, dry weather and strong winds from Hurricane Dora fueled the deadliest U.S. fire in over a century, killing 100 people and destroying much of the historic town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

In Canada, wildfires scorched more than 45 million acres from May to October, above the previous record of 17.5 million acres, according to Canadian government figures. A total of 240,000 residents from nearly 300 communities were evacuated during the wildfire season.

The warmer the atmosphere, the more efficient the atmosphere is in sucking the moisture out of dead vegetation on the forest floor," said Michael Flannigan, professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia. The drier the fuel, the easier it is for a fire to start and spread, leading to higher intensity fires that are difficult to impossible to extinguish."

Smoke from Canadas wildfires drifted south across the Northeastern U.S. and Midwest this past summer, and tiny particles of soot that are 2.5 microns or less in width, known as PM2.5, posed a health threat to millions of residents, especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young and those with underlying health conditions.

Extreme heat fueled fires in northern and central Greece, killing at least 21 people, and burning 312 square miles in late August and early September, the biggest wildfire this century in Europe.

In Chile, hot dry weather and strong winds caused wildfires that killed 26 people and injured more than 1,000. More than 741,000 acres were burned, according to NOAA.

Powerful rain events also created havoc across many parts of the globe.

A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, seeding stronger rain storms, according to Jonathan M. Winter, associate professor of geography at Dartmouth College.

We have a warmer ocean, so that can give storms more fuel, more water vapor and more liquid to work with" as the ocean water evaporates into the atmosphere, Winter said.

Between Dec. 26, 2022, and Jan. 17, 2023, San Francisco received 17.6 inches of rain, while nearby Oakland set a 23-day rainfall record with 18.3 inches of rain. The storms destroyed homes and businesses and cost the lives of 17 people across California, according to a Jan. 11 statement by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Moodys RMS, a catastrophe risk management and modeling firm, estimated the California storms and resulting floods in January 2023 caused $5 billion to $7 billion in damage to the U.S. economy.

On April 12, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was drenched with 25 inches of rain, flooding streets and homes and closing the citys airport.

In mid-July, catastrophic flooding occurred across much of Vermont, washing out roads and bridges, putting the capital of Montpelier under several feet of water and damaging thousands of homes and businesses, according to NOAA. The highest 48-hour rainfall total was 9.20 inches in Calais, Vt.

In September, Storm Daniel swept through Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey before hitting northeastern Libya on Sept. 10 and 11. Al-Bayda, Libya, recorded 16.3 inches of rainfall in 24 hours, while resulting floods destroyed much of the city of Derna, made worse by the collapse of two dams. An estimated 4,300 were killed, according to the United Nations.

On Dec. 18 and 19, parts of New England, including Maine, received as much as 8 inches of rain that caused severe flooding, damage and power outages along several rivers and killed five people across the Northeast.

If El Nino, the pattern that causes the eastern Pacific Ocean to warm, continues as expected, global atmospheric temperatures will likely remain well above normal in 2024, according to Kristopher Karnauskas, associate professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Karnauskas noted that although planet-warming emissions of CO2 have declined slightly in the U.S. since 2008, they have risen globally for decades.

Theres no reason to expect a slowdown of the warming in 2024," Karnauskas said.

Write to Eric Niiler at eric.niiler@wsj.com
Amid the ongoing calls by Indians to boycott tourism in the Maldives and instead explore domestic destinations, the President of the island nation Mohamed Muizzu urged China to increase efforts to attract more tourists to his country.

Also Read: India-Maldives row: Around 1,300 passengers fly to, says Blue Star Air Travel Services

During his five-day visit to China, President Muizzu, known for his pro-China stance, termed Beijing as the island nation's "closest" ally. While emphasising the close alliance between Maldvies and China, Muizzu praised China as a key partner and urged it to increase investment.

"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," according to a readout posted on his official website.

Also Read: InsuranceDekho joins BoycottMaldives trend, stops issuance of travel insurance to Maldives amid diplomatic rift

Apart from showering praises on China, he also commended the transformative infrastructure projects initiated through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the Maldives.

While speaking at the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province, Muizzu highlighted the significance of China as a vital ally and development collaborator. He specifically requested heightened efforts to regain China's position as the primary market for Maldivian tourism, citing China's prior status as the leading source of tourists before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also Read: Lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians, say Chinese analysts amid India-Maldives tension

Maldives-China sign USD 50 million projects for tourism

During his visit, the Maldives' president signed a USD 50 million project with China to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island, reported PTI citing local media reports.

The project is another indication of increasing proximity between the two nations, signifying collaborative efforts between the two. On the other hand, relations between India and the Maldives are weakening day by day. The Indian boycott campaign against Maldives tourism began after a Maldives minister made derogatory comments about PM Modi after he visited Lakshadweep. This incident led to cancellations of reservations by Indian tourists.

The Maldives government has taken steps to address the situation by suspending three deputy ministers responsible for the derogatory social media posts and receiving strong condemnation from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) against such comments. However, the rampant boycott campaign against the Maldives has led to a significant number of cancellations by Indians.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina swept the countrys 7 January elections to achieve a fourth straight term in power, with her Awami League party winning a heavy majority of the parliamentary seats up for contest. It is another matter that these were not contested in any real sense, as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had boycotted the polls. This was reflected in a dismal voter turnout of about 40%, less than half the 2018 figure. The BNP had demanded elections to be held under a neutral administration that may have instilled confidence, but the opposition party faced strong-arm tactics instead in a crackdown on protests, leaving the result all too predictable. In spite of tight security across this country of 170 million, several eruptions of violence were reported, with at least a dozen polling centres and a couple of schools set on fire in the hours before voting. As PM for a decade-and-a-half, Hasina was allegedly in a scramble to get poll candidates onto ballots to keep up the pretence of a free election capturing the popular will. Whether people accept this election or not, it is important to me," she said, speaking of her accountability to my people."

While Hasina retains her title as the worlds longest serving female head of government, a review of her leadership of Bangladesh would reveal why her victory suits India. In comparison with the rightist BNP, the Awami Leagues politics has not had Islamist bearings and has been keener to retain warm ties with New Delhi going back to the 1971 liberation of Bangladesh from what was West Pakistan. Given our shared past, this bilateral relationship makes sense, and Hasina has struck a political balance that favours its stability. As PM, her policies also appear to have done the Bangladesh economy a good turn. What was once seen as a byword for deprivation has witnessed impressive gains on poverty alleviation, school enrolment, micro-finance and welfare provisions, even as textile and apparel exports took off to generate jobs and lift its per capita output to a level rivalling Indias. While Hasinas achievements are commendable, political repression cannot be overlooked. Civic freedoms have been in a tailspin, with global monitors notching Bangladesh down. Even online critics are said to face the harsh end of a digital security law that can take the shape of a rod wielded by Dhaka.

The next election due in the subcontinent is on 8 February, when Pakistan is expected to hold National Assembly polls whose validity is under a cloud because former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has been hobbled in various ways. Khan was ousted in 2022 as PM in an Assembly vote he alleges was rigged by the military establishment against him at Americas behest. According to an invitation piece in The Economist by Khan, a US State Department official got the Pakistani ambassador in Washington to convey a cipher message" to the effect of pull the plug on Imran Khans prime ministership through a vote of no confidence, or else." Whatever the truth, its a dramatic charge, one that reflects poorly on how power is wielded in Pakistan. From behind bars on various charges, Khan may justifiably be warning that his country is headed for an electoral farce" as his party is being denied the right to campaign freely. This isnt good for India either. To forge reliable relations, we need real representatives to work with, and for that, we require a revival of democracy around us.
The year 2023 marked the beginning of Chinas push to promote its modernization. It was also a year of economic recovery following three years of covid prevention and control. Towards the end of the year, we saw many discussions about Chinas economy. The annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing on 11 and 12 December reviewed Chinas economic situation and decided 2024s priorities. It concluded that the fundamental trend of Chinas economic recovery and long-term positive outlook has not changed.

Chinas economic growth momentum remains strong: In the first three quarters of last year, Chinas gross domestic product (GDP) reached more than RMB 91.3 trillion (about $12.7 trillion), growing 5.2% year-on-year, which is among the highest for fast-growing economies. China will contribute a third of global economic growth in 2023. The International Monetary Fund raised Chinas growth estimate to 5.4% for 2023. JPMorgan Chase, UBS and Deutsche Bank have also increased their estimates for the Chinese economy to above 5.4%. During the recent New Year holiday, 135 million domestic trips were made, up 9.4% on a comparable basis from the same period in 2019; and domestic tourism generated 5.6% higher revenue than it did in the same period of 2019. Market institutions widely expect that China can achieve its annual growth target of around 5%, which was set at the beginning of last year.

A shift from high-speed to high-quality growth has greatly improved the efficiency of development in China: In 2023, Chinas total automobile exports will rank first in the world. In the first three quarters, combined exports of new-energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products equalled more than $110 billion, up more than 40% year-on-year. The total installed capacity of renewable energy has historically exceeded coal power. Key components of clean energy equipment such as photovoltaic modules and wind turbines account for 70% of the global share. The green industrys development has leapfrogged. Chinas self-developed large passenger aircraft, C919, is set to go into commercial operation and enter a new phase of development. Delivery of the first domestically-built large cruise ship made China the fifth largest cruise ship builder in the world. All these indicate that Chinas economy has been transitioning from high-speed growth to high-quality development.

China remains a promising land for global investment: China strives to foster a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment for global enterprises, and create as well as share development dividends with the world.

Since 2017, China has revised the negative list on foreign investment access for five consecutive years, making it shorter and shorter. Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the removal of all restrictive measures on foreign investment in manufacturing at the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum in October. Actually-utilized foreign direct investment (FDI) in China increased by 5% to reach an annual record of $189.1 billion in 2022. In the first three quarters of 2023, there have been year-on-year increases in investment from France (121.7%), the UK (116.9%), Canada (109.2%), Switzerland (76.9%) and the Netherlands (32.6%), respectively. Data shows that foreign companies have not slowed down their deployment in China, but continue to add new investments and launch new projects, casting a vote of confidence in the Chinese economy.

Chinas door to the outside world will only open wider: China is applying high standards to its implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), while it works to align with the high-standard economic and trade rules of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and Digital Economy Partnership Agreement to advance the process of acceding to these two agreements and expand a globally-oriented network of high-standard free-trade areas. Since the establishment of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone 10 years ago, China has set up 22 pilot FTZs.

Also, in 2023, BRI cooperation ushered in its second Golden Decade". The sixth China International Import Expo and the first China International Supply Chain Expo were successfully held. China is taking more proactive and promising actions to build a broader agenda of opening up its economy across more areas and in greater depth.

In 2024, China aims to apply its new development philosophy on all fronts, speed up the building of a new development paradigm, promote high-quality development, and continue to harness its strong innovation capacity, huge market, sound infrastructure, complete industrial chains and high-quality human resources. China will expand high-level opening up, further ease market access, and share with the rest of the world new opportunities created by Chinese modernization.

China is a source of certainty and positive energy in a world battling economic uncertainties. It complements the outstanding performance of Indias economy, creating an eye-catching scenario in the East. China and India can give countries around the world new opportunities and the world economy a stronger impetus by cooperating with each other while maintaining rapid economic growth.
The formative period of a leaders career is pivotal in sculpting her professional identity and trajectory. This phase, often fraught with challenges and uncertainty, marks the transition from academic shelter to the real-world arena, demanding self-sufficiency and strategic acumen. Here are five essential skills that can provide a competitive edge to emerging leaders at this critical juncture. The first of which is reading books.

Ironically, most youngsters stop reading as soon as they graduate, partly because our education system is oriented more towards the passing of exams than absorption of knowledge. However, reading is possibly the most powerful force multiplier for a budding leader. The ability to consume knowledge at a high rate accelerates mental and professional maturity, and that ever-increasing knowledge base enables better opportunity spotting, inter-disciplinary dot connections and superior decision-shaping. While reading online news, editorials and long-format articles is good, thats incomparable to reading books that cover the subject with far more depth and nuance than an opinion piece, which by definition can only be the opinion of an individual and not the complete picture. One of the best investments young leaders can make is to master speed-reading as a skill, and more importantly implement the discipline of reading every single day. Reading also forms the bedrock of the second essential skill, which is the ability to write well.

As American historian David McCullough pointed out, Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly and that is why it is so hard." Stringing some sentences together is not writing well. To write a summary of a complex situation and present solutions in a simple, compelling and effective manner is a powerful and rare skill. It requires the ability to think before expressing oneself, which is why many competitive examinations test vocabulary and firms like Amazon require leaders to write a note specifying the objective, context and decision points as an essential precursor to any meeting. Also, at junior levels, one of the most powerful ways for a leader to increase her value to the organization is being able to take copious notes during meetings, arrange them into action points and present them to the meeting champion. It virtually guarantees an invitation to every meeting thereafter.

The third skill is an adjunct to the above two and that is learning new languages. And not just for the obvious reason of being able to communicate in a different one. Mastering a new language (even if it is just at spoken levels) creates new neural connections, enhancing the ability to view the same situation from different perspectives. Speaking the language of team members or subordinates also strengthens bonds. This is precisely why officers in the armed forces and the bureaucracy are mandatorily required to learn languages of the teams they lead. Fortunately, unlike the civil services, whose officers have to learn the language of their parent cadres (both spoken and written), most young corporate leaders need to put in a few hours of dedicated practice to attain just conversational fluency. There can be no better example of empathetic leadership than a leader who demonstrates the willingness to learn the language of the people she leads. I can vouch for this from personal experience. Troops do not care about the accuracy of their leaders language; instead, they cherish her sincere attempt to speak theirs.

The fourth skill is speed mathematics. Business is a numbers game and those who can calculate scores rapidly will always top those who cant. One of my mentors narrated an incident about a CFO who possessed this uncanny ability to calculate complex numbers in his head. During a negotiation with labour unions, the CFO just glanced at the demands of the union and seemingly arbitrarily agreed with the majority of them, rejecting just two. On the face of it, it seemed a victory for the union, but what the CFO had been able to do was calculate the long-term financial implications of each demand and concede many which had low impact, while rejecting the ones that were high. He came across as a large-hearted and decisive negotiator.

The last skill is an ability to remember the names and personal details of colleagues, subordinates and other stakeholders. Most political and religious leaders have honed the ability to make every person feel special precisely because they remember their name. Now many of us might complain that we dont have a good memory for names. Well, one of the most powerful business leaders of India taught me how he worked on this every day. He would memorize the names of 50 people every day and revise 10 from the previous day. He not only knew the importance of remembering names, but also knew that not having a gifted memory was no excuse for not attaining this crucial skill.

Of course, these skills are not just stepping stones for budding leaders; they are perpetual assets that enrich a leaders journey at every stage. In a dynamic corporate landscape, these competencies can act as differentiators between a leader who merely functions and one who inspires and transforms.
WASHINGTONThe legal reckoning for Donald Trump enters a critical stretch Tuesday as a Washington federal appeals court considers the former presidents claim that he is immune from prosecution on charges he plotted to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump is planning to attend the arguments at a courthouse mere blocks from the Capitol and is expected to sit in on a hearing Thursday in his civil-fraud case in New York, with the Iowa caucuses less than a week away. Though Trump isnt required to be there, his presence in court reflects how his legal defense has merged with his presidential ambitions as he seeks to capitalize on a torrent of criminal jeopardy and cast himself as the target of politicized prosecutions.

His approach appears to be resonating, at least among Republican stalwarts. He enters the GOP primary season with a prohibitive lead in the polls and a 2024 calendar filled with opportunities for more legal sparring, including at the Supreme Court.

What youre about to see in a whole variety of different cases are some very direct challenges to some basic ideas we have about the rule of law and whether or not people who assume high office retain personal responsibility and accountability for wrongdoing," said Frank Bowman, a professor emeritus at the University of Missouri. This is foundational stuff."

For Trump and his legal team, the arguments before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit come with high stakes. His success or failure, and the timing of any decision, could dictate when his federal election-interference trial beginsor whether it proceeds at all.

Trumps lawyers are urging the appeals court to toss the case, arguing that a former president cant face criminal prosecution for official acts" unless first impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate. They have framed Trumps efforts to reverse the election results as legitimate exercises of his power falling within the outer perimeter of his responsibility as president.

They all reflect President Trumps efforts and duties, squarely as Chief Executive of the United States, to advocate for and defend the integrity of the federal election, in accord with his view that it was tainted by fraud and irregularity," Trumps lawyers wrote.

Special counsel Jack Smiths team has countered that those efforts, including the assembly of fake slates of electors, should be viewed not as those of an officeholder fulfilling his responsibilities but of a candidate seeking office.

Those alleged acts were carried out by and on behalf of the defendant in his capacity as a candidate, and the extensive involvement of private attorneys and campaign staff in procuring the fraudulent slates as alleged in the indictment underscores that those activities were not within the outer perimeter of the office of the Presidency," Smiths team argued in a late December court filing.

Trumps pretrial defenses are moving through the courts while, on the campaign trail, he and President Biden are addressing the Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the 2020 election in divergent terms. Speaking in Valley Forge, Pa., on Saturday, Biden marked the three-year anniversary of the Jan, 6, 2021, Capitol attack with a speech warning of the threats he said Trump posed to American democracy. Trump, meanwhile, has called those convicted the J6 hostages" and has suggested he would pardon them.

However the D.C. Circuit rules, the appeal has already achieved one desired outcome for Trump: delay.

In light of Trumps legal challenge, the district judge overseeing his case agreed last month to temporarily freeze the criminal proceedings pending the appeal. That pause immediately raised questions about whether the trial will begin as scheduled on March 4. Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Trumps immunity arguments earlier in December, ruling that the Constitution doesnt confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass."

Ahead of Tuesdays arguments, legal scholars said Trumps appeal strikes at a central tenet of the U.S. legal system: equal justice under law. Those experts said Trumps legal challenge amounted to a Hail Mary that would likely reach the Supreme Court.

But timing is key, they said. Even if the D.C. Circuit and then the Supreme Court reject Trumps immunity defense, a delayed decision could prove a Pyrrhic victory for Smiths team, potentially pushing the trial past the 2024 election. If Trump wins election, he could seek to have the federal charges against himself dismissed.

Hoping to avoid a drawn-out appeal, Smiths team took the extraordinary step last month of seeking to bypass the appeals court and have the Supreme Court immediately take up Trumps immunity claim. The justices declined to do so, leaving the appeal initially in the hands of the three-judge appeals panel.

If the immunity question rises to the justices, it will bring to three the number of cases tied directly to Trump they will rule on before July. On Friday the Supreme Court agreed to hear his appeal of Colorados landmark ruling that he is an insurrectionist and unfit for public office. And last month the justices said they would consider whether prosecutors exceeded the scope of federal obstruction laws in hundreds of criminal cases relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and in Smiths case against Trump.

In court papers with the D.C. Circuit, both sides have underscored that a former president has never previously been charged with committing crimes while in office. The unprecedented nature of the case has left the courts without directly applicable legal precedent on whether presidents have criminal immunity for their official actions.

Trumps legal team has highlighted a 1982 decision involving President Richard Nixon, in which the Supreme Court held that presidents enjoy absolute immunity from civil lawsuits related to their official acts. Smiths team has pointed to Nixons acceptance of a pardon amid the Watergate scandal in 1974 as reflecting the consensus view" that a former president can face prosecution after leaving office.

In court papers, Trumps lawyers have also argued that the former presidents indictment threatens to open an era of politically motivated retribution that will plague our Nation for many decades to come and stands likely to shatter the very bedrock of our Republicthe confidence of American citizens in an independent judicial system."

For their part, prosecutors have said Trumps view of the law threatens to license presidents to commit crimes to remain in office.

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 lawmakersthereby hamstringing any impeachment proceedingto ensure that he remains in office unlawfully," Smiths team wrote.

In a social-media post Monday confirming his plans to attend Tuesdays hearing, Trump wrote that Biden would be ripe for indictment."

If I dont get Immunity, then Crooked Joe Biden doesnt get Immunity," Trump said.

By weaponizing the DOJ against his Political Opponent, ME," he added, Joe has opened a giant Pandoras Box."

Write to C. Ryan Barber at ryan.barber@wsj.com and Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com

View Full Image Donald Trumps Immunity Appeal Opens New Campaign Front
Shadia Abu Middin had fled Israels war against Hamas twice. Then on Dec. 31, Israel told the 44-year-old mother of four in Gaza to run again, but she didnt know where to go.

Palestinians are fleeing into an ever-shrinking section of the Gaza Strip as Israels offensive enters its fourth month and its military asks the enclaves residents to leave more areas it says are unsafe. The Israeli warnings are pushing people to concentrate into just one-third of the strip, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says. In effect, the ground available to its 2.2 million people has shrunk to an area slightly larger than the Bronx.

Those fleeing in the most-recent round of evacuations face an even deeper state of confusion and exhaustion than previous waves. Internet and communications systems are limited after months of war. Israel has largely banned the entry of fuel for cars, so Gazans are resorting to carts towed by horses and donkeys.

They are sheltering in abandoned buildings, sleeping in the street or pushing into already crowded U.N.-run schools that serve as shelters. Diseases such as hepatitis are spreading, aid groups say. Food and clean drinking water are scarce and Gazans are chopping down trees for firewood.

Abu Middin and her family, including the four children, left the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza after Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets urging civilians to evacuate. The Israeli military expanded its ground operations in the area in late December, with Israeli soldiers fighting militants in the Nuseirat camp and other locations close to it.

The family packed blankets and some clothes, and first arrived in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah. Concerned that the advancing Israeli military could make Deir al-Balah its next target, they began scouting for other optionsthis time in the city of Rafah at the southern end of the strip that borders Egypt.

Rafah is so crowded we barely could find a spot to pitch a tent," said Middin.

They found one in a tent camp near Rafah and fashioned their own tent from plastic sheeting, and they are searching for a more permanent place to live, she said. Other families received tents handed out by aid agencies.

Around 1.9 million people, or 85% of the strips population, have been displaced by the war, the U.N. says. A million of them are squeezed into Rafah, an area with a pre-war population of 275,000 that has become the epicenter of the humanitarian crisis.

The U.N. and other aid agencies say they face many hurdles in delivering aid to central and northern Gaza because of the fighting. Even in Rafah, which relief agencies reach more easily, humanitarian operations are under immense pressure because of a lack of supplies and other challenges posed by the war.

The humanitarian community has been left with the impossible mission of supporting more than two million people, even as its own staff are being killed and displaced, as communication blackouts continue, as roads are damaged and convoys are shot at, and as commercial supplies vital to survival are almost nonexistent," Martin Griffiths, the U.N.s humanitarian aid chief, said last week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel would need to take control of the Gaza Strips southern border with Egypt to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into the enclave. If the fighting expands southward into some of the last-available areas of refuge, it could further escalate the humanitarian crisis by pushing people to flee yet again, though it isnt clear where they would go.

For Israel, the concentration of displaced civilians will shape any future military operation in the area. An Israeli military official said that any effort to seize control of the border would likely be limited to an area about 500 meters to 1 kilometer from the border, and that the army would avoid a large-scale clearing operation in Rafah.

I dont think that were going to see what happened in the city of Gaza in the south of the Gaza Strip," said the official, adding that the army would instead wage a long, lower-intensity campaign to erode Hamass capabilities in the south.

Fleeing to another country isnt an option for most people living in the Gaza Strip, whose borders are sealed by both Israel and Egypt. Entry to Egypt is limited to a tiny minority who are able to obtain a special permit. Brokers promising to negotiate exit for Gazans are charging fees that have soared into the thousands of dollars, residents say.

Israel launched its offensive on Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 storming of southern Israel by Hamas militants that killed around 1,200 people, including massacres of partygoers at a music festival and residents of small towns near Gaza. Israels military operation is aimed at toppling Hamas from power and it has urged a series of civilian evacuations across the enclavestarting in the north and spreading increasingly to parts of central and southern Gaza.

More than 23,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since the operation began, according to Palestinian health officials, whose numbers dont distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Israel initially told displaced Palestinians to go to an area called Al-Mawasi, a stretch of land about 9 miles along the Mediterranean in Gaza. The U.N. says the area is simply too barren and too small to accommodate hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Some Gazans have gone there simply looking for anywhere to stay as the conflict continues.

Israeli officials say the evacuation warnings, issued via social media and in paper leaflets dropped from the sky, are essential to minimize the risk posed to civilians in areas of intense hostilities. They are also aimed at giving the military a freer hand to battle Hamas, which Israel says has embedded itself among the civilian population.

While the IDF makes these efforts to evacuate the population out of the line of fire, Hamas systematically attempts to prevent the evacuation of civilians by calling on the civilians to ignore the IDFs requests," an Israeli military spokesperson said in response to questions about the evacuations, using the abbreviation for the militarys official name, the Israel Defense Forces. Hamas has denied using human shields and says Israel is shelling Gaza indiscriminately.

In the first evacuation order shortly after the war began, Israel urged more than a million people to leave the north of the strip, including the populous Gaza City. The Israeli military said in response to questions that civilians cannot return at this time because the northern Gaza Strip remains an active and dangerous combat zone, with no change in the situation."

A second wave of evacuations has taken place since the end of a cease-fire in late November. Under a new approach designed to allow for more limited evacuations, the Israeli military issues warnings using a system that divides the Gaza Strip into a numbered grid.

Some people have remained in the areas covered by the evacuation notices because they are unable or unwilling to leave. The old, sick and wounded might not be able to flee, while others fear the dangers of traveling during the war or are concerned that they wont be allowed to return home.

Palestinians in Gaza and humanitarian groups also reject the notion that anywhere in Gaza is safe for civilians, pointing to Israeli strikes that have hit areas where the Israeli military has instructed people to go, including Rafah. Since the war began, at least 308 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in U.N.-run shelters, according to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

Israel accuses Hamas of operating in and near U.N. facilities and says that it takes steps to protect civilians. Israel also doesnt say that the areas it has designated for civilians are safe and instead uses language describing them as safer."

Even those who manage to reach southern Gaza safely are faced with a dire situation. A U.N. report last month said that 90% of the population was suffering from high levels of acute food insecurity" with most people skipping meals every day.

Its beyond apocalyptic," said Bushra Khalidi, a policy lead at Oxfam, an antipoverty charity. It makes you question your entire humanity to hear the stories coming out of Gaza."

Write to Jared Malsin at jared.malsin@wsj.com
INDIA bloc's seat-sharing woes seem to mount with each passing day as the appointed committee by the Congress opens talks with its regional allies for the seats in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. While evident trouble was witnessed in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh , now Bihar's Janata Dal (United) has also joined the wagon.

After the Trinamool Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT), it is the Janata Dal United that has been firm in its demand for 16 seats in Bihar.

JD(U) says Nitish Kumar should be PM face

Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) leader Gopal Mandal reiterated his jab at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and said, The next Prime Minister should be Nitish Kumar. He travelled across the country and created the INDIA alliance. No one is capable of becoming the PM other than Nitish Kumar".

Kharge?...I don't even know his name. No one knows him, everyone knows who Nitish Kumar is... Even if we give 40 seats to Congress, will they be able to win? Congress will not be able to win a single seat in Bhagalpur...Congress maybe the biggest party in the country but not in Bihar," Mandal was quoted by ANI as saying.

This is not the first time when Mandal has been dismissive of Kharge. Last year in December, he said no one knows Kharge and said the public will not accept him, referring to the Congress president as Kharge-Farge".

JD-U leader KC Tyagi on Monday said the JDU and RJD are in a position to counter the BJP in Bihar, had won 16 seats and will not compromise there.

The JDU leader also took a dig at Congress stating that the latter is only worried about the party.

"Congress is free to decide on the convener. They are worried about their own party, and we are worried about the alliance," Tyagi said. '

Speaking on the Prime Ministerial face of the mega alliance, KC Tyagi said, "The Janata Dal-United is the organising body of the INDIA bloc. Nitish Kumar is the face behind the formation of the alliance, and this post is far bigger than that of the convener."

The JDU currently holds 16 seats in Bihar; 17 are held by the BJP and the RJD does not have any Lok Sabha seat in the state.

TMC vs Congress in seat allocation for Bengal

Seat sharing has found itself on troubled roads when in West Bengal where Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury sparred over the number of seats that would be given to Congress.

Reportedly CM Mamata Banerjee had said that two seats would be allocated to Congress, which the grand old party alleges is already the seats they have won in. CM Mamata Banerjee has been hinting on the ability to go solo for the Lok Sabha Elections in 2024 for West Bengal.

According to an NDTV report, Congress is now pushing to get 10 seats (which includes the two it won in 2019 polls). In the 2019 polls, the Trinamool won 22 seats, the Congress won two (Behrampore and Malda South), and the BJP secured 18.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "doing a gimmick" before the Lok Sabha Elections. She said, "Yesterday I was asked about Ram Mandir... I believe in a festival which takes everyone together, talks about everyone..."

In a veiled attack on the BJP, Banerjee raised an objection over "disregarding people of other communities". She said, "Do whatever you want, you are doing a gimmick before the elections, do it, I have no problem but disregarding people of other communities is not right."

ALSO READ: Ayodhya Ram Mandir: From politicians to celebrities, who all are invited to consecration ceremony? Check full list here

"I will never allow discrimination between Hindus and Muslims as long as I live...," Banerjee was quoted by ANI as saying on Tuesday. She was addressing a public programme at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district.

Meanwhile, she was quoted by PTI as saying, "The BJP is doing it (Ram Mandir inauguration) under court instruction but doing it before Lok Sabha polls as a gimmick show." She added, "I don't believe in dividing people on religious lines."

ALSO READ: Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony: Cops discuss alternative routes, security arrangements

The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people expected to attend the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony.

Ahead of the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy said that no major village will be left across the nation where the Pran Pratishtha ceremony will not be watched live.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha Elections are scheduled to take place this year. The Election Commission is yet to announce the dates for the polls.

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How smooth or difficult the seat-sharing talks have been for opposition parties so far? The INDIA bloc, a coalition of 26 opposition parties, has already started brainstorming over the number of seats they would like to contest the Lok Sabha Elections on. However, the Congress seems to be in a hot-spot as most of the regional parties have refused to any comprise in the seat-sharing aspect.

The Congress had reportedly informed its state units that it is considering to field candidates in 255 seats of the total 543 seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Here's a look at how seat-sharing talks are going on in different and what different political parties are demanding:

Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power in Delhi. The national capital has seven Lok Sabha seats. According to India Today, the AAP offered three Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Delhi. Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that the Congress expressed its keenness to contest the East Delhi, North East and Chandni Chowk seats.

Delhi and Punjab are two regions where the AAP and the Congress have remained at loggerheads. As these reports surfaced, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said, We don't have the details whether they would offer us three or four seats. There was no clarity whether there would be an alliance in Delhi or not."

Punjab

The AAP is currently ruling Punjab. Punjab has 13 Lok Sabha seats. As seat sharing talks are underway with the Congress, sources told India Today that the AAP has expressed willingness to give six seats to the Congress in the border state.

However, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said on January 4, The AICC (All India Congress Committee) has told us to compete on all 13 seats... We have prepared to compete for all 13 seats. We will discuss the candidates and strategy to contest elections in the coming 3-4 months."

Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) has been firm in its demand for 16-17 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. According to PTI, a close aide of Kumar had earlier made it clear that for the JD(U), a number less than 16, its current strength in Lok Sabha, was out of question.

Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has also demanded 17 seats, leaving for seats for the Congress, Indian Express reported citing sources.

ALSO READ: INDIA bloc struggles for consensus as Lok Sabha polls near, Congress spars with TMC, JD(U) over seat-sharing

Amid the speculations that the Congress has been asked to settle for not more than four Lok Sabha seats, state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "The Mahagathbandhan as a whole, including the JD(U), will suffer if the Congress fights only four seats, though it is not our case that we be given nine just because we had contested that many in 2019."

As of now, the JD(U) holds 16 seats in Bihar; 17 are held by the BJP and the RJD does not have any Lok Sabha seat in the state.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. Shiv Sena (UBT faction) leader Sanjay Raut has already said his party will contest on 23 Lok Sabha seats. Meanwhile, the NCP is likely demand 10-11 seats.

Besides, the Congress leaders reportedly decided that they should get 22-23 seats in the seat-sharing formula. However, Sanjay Raut had said earlier that Congress to start negotiating from zero when discussing the seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that the Congress may have to concede on a few seats and contest on 17-18 seats in the state.

Sanjay Raut said recently, "There is no fight (regarding seats) in Maharashtra...There can be some differences on 2-3 seats but we will have a discussion over it..." Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said, "Seat sharing in the MVA will be smooth... Seats will be shared based on merit and the MVA has to defeat the BJP on all seats for which, the entire plan is ready..."

Apart from this, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar appealed to the Shiv Sena (UBT) to ally with the VBA for Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra if Maha Vikas Aghadi members fail to finalise a seat-sharing formula. He said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the VBA can contest 24 seats each in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Gujarat

Gujarat has 26 Lok Sabha seats. Just ahead of seat-sharing talks with the Congress, Arvind Kejriwal declared jailed party MLA Chaitar Vasava as the party's candidate from Bharuch seat for Lok Sabha elections 2024. The AAP has sought one Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, according to India Today report.
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Vitaliy Polovenko announced the decision taken to terminate all contracts with companies associated with businessman Ihor Hrynkevych.

"Regarding the position of the Ministry of Defense on the Hrynkevych case: the position is as follows: after the publication of the article in the media, the Ministry of Defense immediately decided to terminate those contracts that were previously concluded by the Ministry of Defense," he said at a press conference on the topic "Light industry is for transparent procurement: Ukrainian uniform for Ukrainian defender!" at Interfax-Ukraine.

In December 2023, the court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention with the possibility of posting bail of UAH 429.44 million to the Lviv businessman who offered one of the leaders of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) a bribe of $500,000 for assistance in returning seized property.

As reported, in 2023, the State Bureau of Investigations opened criminal proceedings into transactions involving the purchase of clothing and linen for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Hrynkevych's companies won 23 tenders to supply the Ministry of Defense with clothing worth more than UAH 1.5 billion. However, many contracts were not implemented, and some were not completed in full or at inflated prices. According to preliminary estimates, the amount of losses could reach more than UAH 1 billion.

The SBI detained the Lviv businessman while trying to give a bribe of $500,000 to one of the heads of the Bureau. The bribe was offered for assistance in the return of property seized from companies under his control during a criminal investigation.

In December 2023, the court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention with the possibility of posting a bail of UAH 429.44 million to the Lviv businessman who offered one of the heads of the Bureau a bribe of $500,000 for assistance in returning seized property.
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The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) continues to be a focal point for investors eyeing opportunities in Southeast Asia. As Thailands economy exhibits signs of growth and the influx of Chinese tourists remains robust, certain sectors, particularly real estate, have attracted significant attention. In this light, we delve into the top three real estate companies on the SET that investors should consider, given the prevailing economic dynamics.

1. Sansiri Public Company Limited (SIRI)

Sansiri stands as one of Thailands leading property developers, known for its innovative residential projects that cater to various segments of the market. With the increase in Chinese tourism, the demand for quality residential spaces, particularly in prime tourist locations, has surged. Sansiris strategic locations and commitment to sustainable development make it a favorable pick. Their recent projects have shown promising sales numbers, bolstered by both local demand and overseas interest, particularly from China.

2. Pruksa Real Estate Public Company Limited (PS)

Pruksa Real Estate has carved a niche for itself by focusing on affordable housing solutions without compromising on quality. As Thailands economy continues to grow, theres an increasing need for affordable yet modern housing, which aligns with the companys offerings. Furthermore, with Chinese tourists looking at potential investment opportunities in Thailands real estate sector, Pruksas diversified portfolio positions it well to capitalize on this trend. Their innovative designs and emphasis on community living make them a compelling investment choice.

3. Ananda Development Public Company Limited (ANAN)

Ananda Development has been at the forefront of developing urban living spaces that resonate with modern lifestyles. Given the steady influx of Chinese tourists, theres a heightened demand for urban residential spaces that offer both luxury and convenience. Anandas focus on developing properties in strategic locations, combined with their reputation for delivering quality projects, makes them a top contender for investors. Their recent partnerships and joint ventures signify their intent to capitalize on Thailands burgeoning real estate market.

Economic Growth and Chinese Tourism: Catalysts for Growth

Thailands economic resilience, coupled with the consistent growth in Chinese tourism numbers, provides a favorable environment for the real estate sector. Chinese tourists, enamored by Thailands cultural richness and scenic beauty, are increasingly viewing the country as not just a holiday destination but also an investment hub. This shift in perception offers a lucrative opportunity for real estate companies that can cater to the evolving needs of this demographic.

Furthermore, Thailands strategic location within Southeast Asia, combined with its robust infrastructure development plans, makes it an attractive destination for both local and foreign investors. As the government continues to implement policies aimed at bolstering economic growth and enhancing tourism infrastructure, the real estate sector stands to benefit significantly.

Conclusion

The Stock Exchange of Thailand presents a myriad of opportunities for investors keen on tapping into the countrys growth story. For those eyeing the real estate sector, companies like Sansiri, Pruksa Real Estate, and Ananda Development offer promising prospects. As economic growth continues to accelerate and Chinese tourism numbers soar, these companies are well-positioned to deliver value to their stakeholders. However, as with any investment, conducting thorough due diligence and consulting with financial advisors is paramount to making informed decisions.

Shayne Heffernan
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed four documents on cooperation in the field of energy, Trend reports.

The two countries signed:

- "Memorandum of Understanding on Investment Cooperation on Electricity Transmission Projects between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Investment of the United Arab Emirates",

- "Framework agreement on strategic cooperation on enhancing the use of renewable and clean energy potential in Azerbaijan and enabling green energy export operations",

- "Calendar of events for the Implementation of 1 GW of Onshore Solar and Wind Projects in Azerbaijan"

- "Strategic cooperation agreement between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR)

The Memorandum of Understanding envisages the establishment of a framework for investment cooperation, especially in transmission projects, grid development, and the exchange of technical expertise and experience in the energy sector.

In addition to the 2 GW onshore solar power, 2 GW wind power, and 6 GW offshore wind power projects, the strategic cooperation document includes rooftop solar, green hydrogen, green ammonia, synthetic methane, sustainable aviation fuel production, and green energy export projects, as well as exploring investment opportunities.

The calendar of events for the implementation of 1 GW of onshore solar and wind energy projects in Azerbaijan reflects measures for the realization of two solar and one wind energy project for 20242027.

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They also state that 17.6% of Tennessee children under 18 live below the poverty line.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has held an expanded meeting with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Trend reports.

The meeting was attended by brother of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and son of the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed Al Nahyan.

The meeting was followed by a ceremony to exchange signed documents as part of the visit.

The trip featured the signing of several key agreements, including the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Finance of the United Arab Emirates, Protocol of Intent between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between ADA University and Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, Memorandum of Understanding on Investment Cooperation on electricity transmission projects between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Investment of the United Arab Emirates, Framework Agreement on Strategic Cooperation on enhancing the use of renewable and clean energy potential of Azerbaijan and enabling Green Energy Export Operations, Calendar of Events for the implementation of 1GW solar and onshore wind projects in Azerbaijan and the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between ADNOC and SOCAR.

The negotiations continued during a one-on-one meeting.
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RTE News has confirmed the appointment of journalist, Gail Conway, as its new Midlands Correspondent, covering for her colleague, Longford's Sinead Hussey for the duration of her maternity leave.

Gail has worked as a multi-media journalist in RTE since 2018 reporting across television, radio and online news including RTEs Six One News, Nine OClock News and most recently RTE's foreign news desk.

She reported on Russias invasion of Ukraine as well as the ongoing Israel-Hamas war following the attack on October 7. She also worked on assignment in RTEs Northern Ireland office covering the UK and NI Assembly elections, as well as the return to power-sharing in 2020.

Earlier this year, the Westmeath native, reported on King Charles' Coronation in London.

Gail Conway holds a BA Hons degree in Media and Business Management from Manchester University, during which time she also worked at Granada Television. She went to school in Our Ladys Bower Secondary School in Athlone.

She began her career as a young journalist in the Midlands and her first job was reporting for her local radio station Midlands 103. She also freelanced for the Athlone Voice newspaper contributing to the lifestyle pages and covering local elections.

She left the Midlands to work as a reporter and also worked as head of news and sport in regional radio station Beat 102-103 in the south-east.

In 2017, she moved to Dublin to work as a freelance reporter with Newstalk, Today FM and Virgin Media before later joining RTE.

Gail is a native of Athlone and is returning to the town to take up the role. She says she is looking forward to reconnecting with the people and the issues affecting them across the region.

This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Im delighted to return to the region where I started my journalism career, and where I grew up. I have seen first-hand how life in the Midlands has changed from when I was a little girl. Now I want to return to my roots and engage with people from the Midlands and allow their voices and issues be heard in the national news.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: January 09 2024

Aviation Operations Teacher Evan Damadeo's students intern every Thursday and Friday afternoon for a full year at AAM at Republic Airport.

(L to R): Student interns Dylan McConn (Port Washington UFSD), student intern Ashton Heeralal (Valley Stream CHSD), American Airpower Museum Volunteer Steve Korin, student intern Liam Reynolds (Oceanside UFSD), and student intern Alex Rosenkrantz (East Meadow UFSD). They are standing in front of the Museums WWII Douglass B-25 Mitchell Bomber.

American Airpower Museum is partnering with the Nassau BOCES Joseph M. Barry Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center, offering internships for local high school students pursuing various careers in aviation. One example is the current internship program for Aviation Operations Teacher Evan Damadeo's afternoon classes of graduating seniors.

Mr. Damadeos students intern every Thursday and Friday afternoon for a full year at American Airpower Museum (AAM) at Republic Airport. His students are responsible for maintaining the Museums military aircraft by cleaning and waxing them. They also learn about aircraft mechanical systems and aviation history while working at the Museum. Barry Techs industry partner Lawrence Starr, Museum Manager, has mentored Barry Tech high school student interns at AAM for 10 years!

Mr. Damadeo graduated with a Bachelor of Aeronautical Science Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he obtained his Commercial Single and Multi-Engine Instrument Airplane Rating, plus a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument while completing college. He is also Chief Flight Instructor and General Manager of a local Fixed Based Operator located on Long Island since 2015.

Other Barry Tech courses prepare students for the Federal Aviation Administration Private Pilot Written Exam, plus provide aircraft flight training that can be credited toward a Private Pilot License. Some students supplement their flight training at Republic Airport with private lessons enabling them to complete their first solo flight and earn their Private Pilot License while still in high school!

Barry Tech of Westbury is a CTE center for 11th and 12th grade students from Nassau schools. Aside from Aviation Operations, other internships cover Automotive Repair, Carpentry, Computers, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Dental Assistant, Fashion Design, HVAC/Plumbing, Law Enforcement and Nursing, among others. After a two-year internship, students receive certificates and pursue part and/or full-time jobs, or even college, based on their excellent Barry Tech educational experience.

If you are a business who would like to partner with Barry Tech, take their students as interns or hire them, please contact Lauren Engels, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, at (516) 622-6864, and/or email lengels@nasboces.org. If your son/daughter is interested in attending one of Barry Techs career and technical education CTE programs, please have them speak with their High School Guidance Counselor for more information.

The American Airpower Museum is an aviation museum located on the landmarked former site of Republic Aviation at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY. The Museum maintains a collection of aviation artifacts and an array of operational aircraft spanning the many years of the aircraft factory's history. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Educational Foundation Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.
Israel Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv on January 9. (Photo credit: Elad Malka/Israel Ministry of Defense)

Nine Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on January 8, one of the deadliest days for IDF soldiers since the ground campaign began in Gaza on October 27. The IDF has now lost 519 soldiers since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Six of those killed in Gaza on January 8 were killed in a mistaken detonation of demolition explosives that were being laid. The high losses came as Hezbollah also carried out a kamikaze drone attack on Israels Northern Command in the city of Safed. The two incidents underscore the reality that Israel faces possible escalation on two fronts amidst pressure for it to reduce the intensity of its campaign in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on January 9, where he met with Israeli officials including Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. They met at the Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv. Minister Gallant reflected on changes in combat tactics in the northern area of the Gaza strip, which will enable the State of Israel to achieve its goals in the war. In this regard, he emphasized that operations in the region of Khan Younis will intensify and continue until Hamas leadership is detected, and Israeli hostages return home safely, Gallants office said in a statement about the meeting.

They also discussed wider regional threats posed by Iran and its proxies. Gallant has often referred to threats in seven arenas in the region, from Yemen to the West Bank and northern Israel. An increase in the pressure placed on Iran is critical, and may prevent regional escalation in additional arenas, Gallant said, without specifying the arenas to which he was referring. However on January 8, the IDF said it had eliminated Hassan Hakashah in Beit Jann in Syria. He was a central figure responsible for rockets fired by Hamas from Syrian territory toward Israel in recent weeks. Since the beginning of the war, Hakashah directed Hamas terrorist cells which fired rockets from Syria toward Israeli territory. The IDF reiterated that it would not allow terrorism from Syrian territory. An IDF spokesperson reiterated that the IDF will not tolerate threats against northern Israel from Lebanon.

This desire to concentrate on Hezbollah threats in the north was clear from Gallants meeting with Blinken during which he said Israel was prioritizing the return of Israels northern residents to their homes. 80,000 Israelis were evacuated from dozens of communities along the northern border in October due to Hezbollah attacks.

Israel has carried out several high-profile strikes inside Lebanon. A Hezbollah commander in charge of drone operations was killed on Tuesday. He was targeted near a funeral for another key Hezbollah commander of the terrorist groups elite Radwan force. Hamas deputy commander Saleh al-Arouri was also killed on January 2 in Beirut. Israel did not take credit for eliminating Arouri, but Iran and Hezbollah have both blamed Israel.

IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on the evening of January 8 that Israel would continue to operate against Hamas leaders and said Israel targeted a series of Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including military sites belonging to the organization. We responded with fire to areas from which launches were identified toward Israeli territory.

Hezbollah is expanding its attacks on Israel, as well. By targeting Safed and an IDF base on Mount Meron, the highest mountain in northern Israel, Hezbollah has illustrated it can target key IDF installations in the north. Israel has a plethora of air defenses to counter these threats, but even symbolic damage is important to Hezbollahs messaging surrounding threats of further escalation. Hezbollah has increasingly relied on drones or UAVs in these attacks. On the afternoon of January 9, the IDF said that it detected additional drone infiltration: One of the targets was successfully intercepted by the IDF Aerial Defence Array, the IDF said. Israels air defenses include the Iron Dome system for short-range threats and Davids Sling and Arrow systems for medium- and long-range ballistic missile threats.

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.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and the US State Department aknowledge their week basis for criticism of religious freedom in Azerbaijan, Prof. Brenda Shaffer, faculty member of the US Naval Postgraduate School, told Trend in an exclusive interview.

"USCIRF and the Department of State stopped publishing their reports with footnotes, since they know that the weak basis for their claims could open them up to legitimate criticism. The latest report on Azerbaijan, for instance, where it does quote sources, refers to the Soros-funded Eurasianet, and the Forum 18, a murky group registered in Denmark. Both are biased," she said.

According to Prof. Shaffer, for most of the past decade, the USCIRF has recommended to the US Department of State to designate Azerbaijan and the states of Central Asia to be included on its Special Watch List for violations of religious freedom.

"Over the years, some of the Central Asian states have also appeared on USCIRF's Countries of Particular Concern, which is a more severe designation. USCIRF and consequently the State Department's focus on Azerbaijan and Central Asia is of course nonsensical. These countries are of course exceptionally welcoming to religious and ethnic minorities. In contrast to most Muslim-majority countries, Azerbaijan and the Central Asian states not only allow freedom of religion, but freedom from religion, and protects the secular from religious coercion. For instance, in many reports over the year, USCIRF and the State Department criticized Azerbaijan for not allowing girls to be covered with hijab in public schools. In contrast, Azerbaijan sees this policy as protecting young girls from potential religious coercion," she pointed out.

Brenda Shaffer rightly noted that Azerbaijan, as well as Central Asia, have succeded in protecting themselves from violence and terrorist attacks.

"Every year, in its criticism of Azerbaijan and Central Asia, USCIRF routinely advocates for the rights of Islamic extremists, that have used violence. Most of these they advocate for are funded and connected to Iran. For instance, each year the report discusses the Muslim Unity Movement that has conducted terrorist attacks in Azerbaijan, including killing two policemen. In recent months, Iran has been wreaking havoc across half the Middle East - Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. In contrast, the governments in Azerbaijan and Central Asia have been successful in protecting their publics from Irans destabilization and violence. I am sure that the people of Azerbaijan and in Central Asia are happy about these policies. Washington really does get it," the expert explained.

The current report on religious concerns in Azerbaijan is also sloppy and full of contradictions, Prof. Shaffer noted.

"For instance, the report raises concerns about Armenian Churches in Karabakh, yet it refers to the October 2023 United Nations report that it 'saw no damage...to cultural or religious structures' in Karabakh. The USCIRF report has many inaccuracies, including it mentions that 100,000 Armenians lived in Karabakh prior to the September 2023 anti-terrorism operations. This is not correct. At most, 55,000 Armenians were living in Karabakh in September 2023. Of them, 12,000 were soldiers from Armenia, not local Armenians. With their families, the contingent from Armenia itself numbered close to 30,000. Baku allowed them to depart in civilian clothes, if they agreed to lay down their arms," she said.

Further speaking, Prof. Shaffer added that Azerbaijan is home to many other religious communities, despite being a Muslim-majority country.

"Azerbaijan is home to many Christian communities. Azerbaijani Christians were among Azerbaijan's fighters in the 2020 war, as they identify strongly with their homeland. Azerbaijan is also home to the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. This community expresses that not only is it safe and free in Azerbaijan, but that the state gives conditions for this community to prosper. If USCIRF and the US Department had their way, and Iran funded Islamic extremists were able to operate freely in Azerbaijan, these communities would be in danger," Brenda Shaffer concluded.
Luxembourg would have run out of fruit already if it had to feed itself

If Luxembourg were reliant on the fruit it produces itself, it would have already run out on Tuesday, an association of farmers has said, pushing for more support for local agriculture.

While Luxembourg counts more than 1,800 farms and uses more than 132,000 hectares of land for farming, the vast majority is used for cattle and dairy farming or to produce crops used as animal feed.

That leaves the country able to provide just 2% of the fruit it would need to be self-sufficient, the Letzebuerger Landesuebstverain, an association of fruit growers in the country, said in a press release on Tuesday, calling the day the Grand Duchys Fruit Overshoot Day, in reference to Earth Overshoot Day.

Local fruit production is enough for just nine days of the year, the group said, calling this unsatisfactory.

Importing fruit means a higher carbon footprint and creates water scarcity in other regions  such as in Spains south. Imported produce can also be subject to less strict environmental and labour standards, the association said.

One of the problems faced by growers is that they struggle to obtain permits to build water storage facilities. While the country has faced increasingly dry summers and risk of drought, these would largely be replenished with rainwater. The rainy start to 2024, which led to floods last week, would have been an opportunity to store water for later, the farmers said.

Pilot projects submitted to the previous government three years ago have failed to cut through red tape, the Landesuebstverain said, adding that it hopes that the new coalitions pledge to simplify bureaucracy and paperwork around water storage will help.

The previous administration also failed to approve the construction of greenhouses. Until today, there isnt a single greenhouse in Luxembourg. But several greenhouse projects were implemented near the border region, which now deliver fruit and vegetables to the Luxembourg market, the press release said.

While Luxembourg over-produces beef and dairy compared to its population, pork, poultry, eggs, fruit and vegetables are underproduced.
Apple uses AI all throughout its products already, usually just referring to such features as Machine Learning, and even has custom AI inferencing hardware called a Neural Engine in all its chips. But when it comes to generative AI like sophisticated chatbots (ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Bard), image generators (Dall-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion), music generators (Amper, MuseNet), and code generation (GitHub CoPilot), Apple appears to be sitting on the sidelines.

But not for long! Multiple rumors say that iOS 18 will begin a big push into generative AI from Apple. Were talking Siri with gen-AI chat, Apple Music-generated playlists, and maybe even things like image generation or tools for Photos, iMovie, and so on.

We expect Apples values and unique take on how it deploys software and services is going to make Apples gen-AI tools a little different from what were used to. The companys push for privacy, on-device processing, and an urgent need to protect the companys reputation for safety and trust will all have an impact on Apples AI tools.

Next-gen Siri

This is going to be Apples biggest challenge. Siri is the AI product from Apple, the one from which Apples AI prowess will be judged in the public eye. Its the most visible, and one of the first and biggest brands in AI.

Its also the most natural fit for the sort of large language model (LLM) AIs that are all the rage today, like ChatGPT and Bard. Apple has its own LLM foundation called Ajax, which some reports claim is quite sophisticated.

Siri will get a massive boost with the infusion of generative AI. Foundry

Apples going to want to do as much of this on-device as possible. Its critical from a privacy and safety standpoint, but its also a big advantage in responsiveness, battery efficiency, and just being able to use Siri when you may not have a decent internet connection.

Whats more, doing a lot more on-device could give Siri a big advantage in its ability to hold natural-seeming conversations. It can use data on your phone, like the places you go, the people and objects in your photos, the apps you use, and more, to feel like it knows you. Siri could feel more like a friend than any other conversational AI, all without ever sending any personal data anywhere.

Thats a huge technical challenge because LLMs require a lot of RAM to run. Even limited-size LLMs require gigabytes of RAM, and our smartphones often dont have gigabytes to spare. And nobodys going to care about the technical feat of running an LLM on-device if the output isnt any good. Whether its fair or not, everyday users will compare Siris conversational capabilities against the latest online AI chatbots that run on big server farms.

Apples researchers recently published a paper called LLM in a Flash: Efficient Large Language Model Inference with Limited Memory that tackles this very issue. It describes an efficient way to use flash storages strengths to reduce memory overhead and increase the performance of LLMs. In other words, Apple is working hard to make sure a high-quality LLM can run entirely on-device on an iPhone.

But thats just one of the big challenges a gen-AI-enhanced Siri will face. There have been numerous examples of users easily tricking todays chatbots into saying something that seems racist, sexist, antisemitic, or other problematic speech, all because of the data upon which they were trained. Theyll also be confidently wrong about important information. Apple has a huge spotlight on everything it does, and this kind of performance, even unintended, could be very damaging to Apples reputation.

To at least help ensure that Apples AI gives reasonably accurate results about factual matters, Apple is looking to license content from major news organizations to help train its AI. Its a good ideaits easy to make an AI that serves as a front-end to a search engine and create a new summary, but using high-quality and authoritative reporting about events is a good way to bake more trust into the core of the system.

Running a high-quality LLM entirely on the iPhone will be a tough task. Chris Martin / Foundry

Obviously, while Apple will want to make as much of its generative AI run on-device as possible, its going to need to connect to the internet for much of the same information that Siri connects to the internet today (even though it can do a lot offline). Current weather or traffic information, current events, looking up random facts, can my dog eat broccoli?, and so many other queries require internet access, and this will certainly remain true in a new gen-AI-enhanced Siri. Apple will undoubtedly go to great lengths to let us know that the things we ask are anonymized and kept as private as possible.

Using generative AI in creative tools is another place where Apple has huge opportunities in front of it, but a tricky minefield to navigate.

Googles Magic Eraser removes objects from photos by identifying and segmenting them out then inpainting the area with generated imagery. Its a neat trick and something Apple users would love to have. And its just the beginning. Generative AI could extend a photo beyond its original bounds. Apple can already identify specific people in your photo librarywhat if you could pick one by name to add to a photo?

These would be awesome and fun tools, but it breaks the trust in the camera system. iPhone pictures are already heavily manipulated, but at least they dont wholly remove or add subjects. Apple would need to make sure that images manipulated with these kinds of tools have metadata and other identifiers that can be used to know theyve been manipulated.

Googles Magic Eraser is a good example of generative AI on a phone. Foundry

One-tap consumer photo manipulations are one obvious area where Apple could add a lot of value with generative AI, but there are many more. Imagine finishing your iMovie or Final Cut Pro video project and creating a completely original, royalty-free music backing track by simply describing it in a few words. AI could take a 3D scan of your face (similar to Face ID) and generate the Memoji that most closely resembles the real you.

More creative image generation isnt the kind of thing we expect Apple to get involved in. An Apple equivalent of Dall-E or Midjourney doesnt seem to fit in their product portfolio. But there are lots of apps that use these tools to take existing photos of people and create avatars in wild styles, making you look like a Normal Rockwell painting, Disney princess, or Pixar character. They can also replace backgrounds and alter lighting to produce really creative and fun portraits.

Its not hard to imagine Apple using generative AI in the filters it builds into features like the Contacts Poster editor or the Clips app to give you similar capabilities, or even running in real-time during FaceTime conversations.

The challenge with generative AI for creative tools is not in finding places where they can fit, its in making sure theyre safeboth from a legal standpoint (not plagiarizing or infringing copyright) and a social standpoint (not producing anything that doesnt fit with Apples values).

Convenience and productivity features

Apples biggest opportunity may be in the least-sexy area of AI: building features for convenience and productivity. Just as Microsoft is building AI tools into Office, Apple will eventually have to build AI features into its iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote). Its not the kind of stuff that grabs headlines or makes memes, but it can be very useful. Instead of static templates, you could ask an AI to build a one-page resume and it will take care of everything for you, perhaps with a few extra questions answered. It could generate an entire properly formatted cover letter from a short prompt. Need help building a presentation? Let AI build your deck from a few major bullet points, an audio recording of your accompanying speech, or some photos.

One of the best uses of generative AI is to create concise summaries of papers, articles, and so on. Apple is said to be considering such a feature, which may express itself as either a Siri feature or a Safari feature (or both).

AI-generated Apple Music playlists are rumored to be on the way. Thats not especially new or exciting, but maybe Apple intends to put a twist on it. The company could use the data it has access to on your iPhone to to determine your current activity (driving, working out, studying, walking outside), the current weather and time of day, and your Apple Music listening history to generate just the right playlist for right now, entirely on-device.

Shortcuts should be a huge target for Apples AI efforts. Its such a powerful tool, but I have yet to meet a non-techie who even uses them at all. I would wager Shortcuts use is far less than 5 percent of iPhone users, and far fewer than 1 percent create their own shortcuts. Its not programming, but the step-by-step scripting, as simple as it is, is far too intimidating for most users. Imagine AI that could take a simple text or voice description of what you want to do and build a shortcut for you! Its a simpler task than code generation AI, and thats already quite popular.

Speaking of which, it would be almost crazy for the next major version of Xcode not to include AI code generation (at least for Swift, which Apple would like to push more heavily). There are already Source Editor Extensions for Xcode that do AI code generation, but Apple would probably want something built-in that can run entirely on local hardware. Indeed, Mark Gurmans latest Power On column suggests Apple will do just that.

These kinds of features are low-hanging fruit for Apple because theyre uncontroversial. They dont stand much chance of making problematic images or audio, or of spitting out hate speech, all because the training data wasnt curated carefully enough. But theyre also not the sort of things that get everyday users excited, that people share online and get millions of users to go out and get a new iPhone.

Whatever Apple does with AI in its software this year, it has one massive advantage over all the ChatGPTs, Bings, and Stable Diffusions of the world: Its built-in. Apples tools will be automatically downloaded to a billion iPhones, and even in cases where they compete with third-party tools, theyll be the default. Thats a huge advantage and opportunity, but its also a massive responsibility, so at least for a while the third-party tools will probably remain more capable if only because they dont have to be quite so cautious.
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

Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev said the investigation of the fire in the Republican Perinatal Center has been taken under control by President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, Trend reports.

"On the instructions of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, we are at the scene of the incident. The investigation into the fire at the Republican Perinatal Center is under the control of the country's leadership," the prosecutor general noted.

He went on to note that a criminal case has been opened regarding the violation of fire safety rules and negligence.

"The incident occurred at night. Relevant authorities were informed, and necessary measures were taken," he explained. "The fire was quickly extinguished within a short period, preventing its spread to other sections of the hospital. Unfortunately, the lives of four infants could not be saved. It will take time to carefully investigate all events. Those responsible will be brought to justice," the official said.

The fire occurred at the Republican Perinatal Center located on Yusif Safarov Street in the Khatai district of Baku. As a result of the fire, three people were hospitalized in the toxicology department of the Clinical Medical Center due to smoke inhalation.

They received necessary medical services, and their condition is stable; they are planned to be discharged for outpatient treatment.

In the Republican Perinatal Center's neonatal intensive care unit, the bodies of four infants undergoing treatment were found.

The Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case under Articles 225.3 (Violation of fire safety rules resulting in the unintentional death of two or more persons) and 314.3 (Negligence resulting in the death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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A strategy to alleviate low staffing at a Cape Cod communitys emergency call center has put the towns firefighters at odds with their local government.

Amid a nationwide shortage of emergency dispatchers, firefighters in Falmouth were asked to fill shifts in their towns 911 call center, a job for which they say they are inadequately prepared, according to legal filings. The firefighters also claim they will be forced to respond to calls with fewer hands, putting themselves and Falmouths citizens at risk.

Town leadership says the opposite is true and that the changes were necessary with dispatcher staffing at a critically low level.

Their dispute is now headed to court.

Read more: Falmouth apartment fire on Main Street injures multiple people

The town took the action to enhance the safety of the public, police officers and firefighters in the face of an undisputed dispatcher staffing shortage, Falmouth Town Manager Mike Renshaw said by email Monday.

He stressed that emergency responses in Falmouth will not be compromised.

The Falmouth Communications Center, which handles 911 calls for the town, is authorized for a staff of nine dispatchers, but its ranks have been depleted in the last year, Renshaw said. The center now has three full-time dispatchers, one of whom is on medical leave, he said.

In October, with five dispatchers on staff, Renshaw issued an emergency order directing the Falmouth Police Department to have officers dispatch their members to calls, according to Renshaw and a legal filing from the firefighters union. After more dispatchers left their jobs, Renshaw said the town also asked the fire department to help staff the 911 call center.

Read more: Transcripts of 911 calls from Lewiston shooting released by Maine authorities

Late Friday evening, Falmouth Firefighters Local 1397 filed an emergency motion in Barnstable Superior Court, asking a judge to order the town to pause its plan to have first responders fill vacant dispatcher shifts.

In part, the lawsuit says the on-duty firefighters detailed to work the emergency call center do not have the state-mandated training to work as dispatchers.

The towns actions not only jeopardize the safety of Falmouth residents but also place our firefighters in precarious positions outside their assigned duties, the union said in a statement.

According to legal filings from the union, a call in early January involving a carbon monoxide scare was delayed by eight to 10 minutes due to the detailed firefighters lack of experience and training in dispatch.

Renshaw said the town is working to fill the vacant dispatcher positions.

Communities across the country have struggled to staff their emergency call centers as dispatchers report experiencing burnout, handling more frequent calls and feeling undertrained, according to the Associated Press.

A nationwide survey conducted last year by Carbyne, a cloud technology company focused on emergency services, found 82% of dispatchers said their call center was understaffed.

Karima Holmes, vice president and head of public safety at Carbyne and former director of the Office of Unified Communications in Washington, D.C., told the AP that staffing issues worsened during the pandemic and, like many jobs in public safety, it suffered from image problems after the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

People are not coming to the job because of people turning away from wanting to have public safety careers, Holmes said. But you add to that issues with lower pay, dealing with increased call volumes and people feeling burned out, and it becomes difficult to get people into the profession.

The lawsuit from the Falmouth firefighters union names the town and Renshaw as defendants. The sides are due in Barnstable Superior Court on Jan. 16, according to court records.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this story.
Its never too early for spooky season, and the cast of the 1993 Halloween film Hocus Pocus already has plans to come back to the Witch City for spooky season in 2024.

The City of Salem said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Jan. 3. that the films cast will return to Salem Oct. 11-13, and that theyre bringing friends.

Last year, actors Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Thora Birch, and Jason Marsden signed autographs and took pictures with fans in honor of the 30th anniversary of the classic Halloween movie.

The meet-and-greet attracted more than 250 fans, according to the event organizer, Its Just a Buncha Halloween. The cast also hosted a Halloween party at BitBar.

This year, all four actors will be returning to Salem and possibly a couple more, Marsden told MassLive in an email Tuesday.

While most details about the event were kept under wraps, Marsden did confirm that there will be a Halloween-themed ball at the Hawthorne Hotel, a special tour, screening, and meet-and-greet.

The actor also confirmed that the meet-and-greet will be indoors this year. A full lineup of events has yet to be released. Marsden is hoping tickets will go on sale before the spring. More information can be found online.
Three people have died in a Nahant home with elevated levels of carbon monoxide, according to authorities.

Police and fire personnel were sent to a house on Cottage Street Monday night to check on the people there, according to a press release from the North Shore town. They found the bodies of three adult family members as well as elevated carbon monoxide levels in the home, according to Police Chief Timothy Furlong and Fire Chief Austin Antrim.

Authorities said foul play is not suspected and Furlong said in the release there is no danger to the community.

People were asked last night around 10:45 p.m. to avoid the area while investigators, including the Nahant Police and Fire departments and State Police detectives assigned to the Essex County District Attorneys Office were on the scene.

Cottage Street is a dead-end road with about five houses on it only a couple blocks away from Stony Beach and Nahant Bay, according to Google Maps.

Wonderful people  salt of the earth. Wonderful people. You wouldnt get better people. Just wonderful. Its shocking, neighbor Ted Mahoney told WCVB.
A Boston man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a manslaughter charge in connection with a fatal stabbing in Roxbury in 2021.

Derrell Sanford, 29, changed his plea on the same day that jury selections began for his trial in Suffolk Superior Court. Two other men were charged in connection with the killing of Ricardo Garcia, 34, who authorities said died protecting his girlfriend on Aug. 8, 2021.

Jury selection will continue, however, in the murder trial against Dravon Robinson, 39, who was arrested in Sept. 2021, at his home in Mattapan, NBC 10 Boston previously reported.

A third man, Karonn Brown, was convicted by a Suffolk County grand jury of first-degree murder in November 2023, according to Tina Nguyen, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office.

On Aug. 8, 2021, the three men were driving in Roxbury and approaching women in the area, according to a news release by Nguyen. They approached Garcias girlfriend, left their car, and confronted her.

Garcia ran over to defend his girlfriend and the three men beat and stabbed Garcia to death, according to Nguyen. Video surveillance captured a majority of the incident.

Robinson was the driver of the car during the incident and participated in the incident, Nguyen said. Sanford is Browns son, who also participated in the beating and stabbing of Garcia.
On Monday, a judge impounded a motion to disqualify the Norfolk County district attorneys office from pursuing the murder case against Karen Read, the Mansfield woman charged in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John OKeefe.

The motion, submitted by Reads defense team, will not be public for the next two weeks after Judge Beverly Cannone described a desire to protect the integrity of the federal grand jury proceedings in her order to seal the documents. The federal grand jury proceedings reportedly refer to federal authorities looking into the handling of the investigation of OKeefes death.

Read, 43, is currently out on bail and a trial is set to start in March. Arguments on the motions to sanction and bar the district attorneys office, along with a motion to dismiss the case, are slated for Jan. 18
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The government of the country has instructed to investigate the incident that occurred this evening at the Republican Perinatal Center, to identify and strictly prosecute those responsible, said Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov, Trend reports.

Alakbarov noted that the investigation of the incident was taken under the control of President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

A fire broke out at the Republican Perinatal Center in Baku on the night of January 8. Bodies of four children treated in the intensive care unit for newborns of the Center were found.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A driver who went viral online for driving on the wrong side of Interstate 93 in Boston on Sunday was approached by Massachusetts State Police, and found to be a 76-year-old man from Lynn, State Police said Tuesday.

At around 9:15 p.m., Massachusetts State Police received 10 phone calls about a wrong-way driver heading south on the northbound side of Interstate 93, State Police told MassLive. Callers said the driver hit several oncoming vehicles.

Read more: Boston man pleads guilty to fatal stabbing of man protecting girlfriend

The Instagram account @boutbeantown shared a video of the car, a 2015 Toyota Corolla, driving in the wrong direction on the I-93 near Savin Hill Beach.

State Police worked with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to shut down the northbound side ahead of where the Corolla was driving. Several plow trucks were positioned across the highway north of Exit 11 in Milton to block the car from driving any further.

Read more: Man charged with child enticement after incident at Walgreens in Ludlow

After the car rolled to a stop, troopers approached the driver, who was extremely confused and stated that he did not know where he was, State Police said. Troopers determined his condition was due to an underlying health condition and not impairment.

The Lynn man, whom State Police did not name, was driven back to the South Boston Barracks and had his car towed. Arrangements were made for a friend of the man to pick him up. The friend spoke with troopers about the mans driving.

A trooper cited the Lynn man for a wrong-way violation, and issued an immediate threat notice with the Registry of Motor Vehicles to have his license suspended.
WEST SPRINGFIELD  Advocates will be outside of West Springfield Town Hall at 5 p.m. on Tuesday to stand up for neighborhood schools, in particular Mittineague Elementary School, which might close by the end of this school year.

They keep saying kids are resilient, but why make them be resilient, if they dont have to be? asked resident Erin Placey.

The committee meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Town Hall.

We want to let the School Committee know that we are paying attention, we are watching, and we are invested. We want to save neighborhood elementary schools, Placey said. We want them to slow down and dont rush the decision. They can apply next year. ... The community is not ready to move forward with this.

Last year, an outside review of West Springfields enrollment and school building conditions warned that continuing to operate Mittineague could not be justified financially, according to Superintendent of West Springfield Schools Stefania Raschilla.

In December, the School Committee revealed possible long-term plans that could include the relocation of Mittineague students to the Philip G. Coburn Elementary School, repurposing the building for a free full-day preschool program for all 3- and 4-year-old children, and a relocation staff to other positions within the district.

Additionally, other plans would include redrawing district lines, reviewing class sizes and teacher-to-student ratios at each school and researching transportation costs. These options also would increase the districts Chapter 70 per-pupil funding, because of the increased enrollment.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has said shes disappointed, by the resignation of embattled former Harvard University President Claudine Gay and the process that led to it.

I was disappointed to see her step down; disappointed in the process, and disappointed in how it all unfolded, Healey, a Harvard graduate, said during a Tuesday interview on WGBH-FM radio in Boston.

In an Ask the Governor segment broadcast from the Boston Public Librarys central branch on Copley Square, the Democratic governor took particular aim at U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who led the charge for the resignation of Gay and other elite university presidents in the wake of a stormy appearance before a congressional panel late last year.

The idea that the likes of Elise Stefanik will call into question the value of higher education, really galls me, Healey said, referring to the Republicans support for former President Donald Trump and her efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which were based on the false premise that the contest was stolen.

Gay, the second woman, and first woman of color, to serve as Harvards president in the universitys 386-year history, stepped down on Jan. 2, amid accusations of plagiarism in her published scholarly work, and her response to lawmakers questions about the universitys handling of incidents of antisemitism on campus.

Some on the right, such as conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo celebrated Gays resignation a in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

This is the beginning of the end for DEI in Americas institutions. We will expose you. We will outmaneuver you, Rufo wrote. And we will not stop fighting until we have restored colorblind equality in our great nation.

Allies on the left, such as activist and educator Ericka Hart, called out what they described as the discrimination and racism that Gay had to endure, MassLive previously reported.

We (Black and non Black people of color) have to really sit with how these institutions do not give two s**** about us and will see us out expeditiously if we do not follow their white supremacist agenda, Hart wrote in a Jan. 4 Instagram post.

Speaking to WGBH-FM on Tuesday, Healey said it was important to understand the broader context of whats happening, referring to the congressional hearing and the firestorm of criticism that followed in its wake.

While Gay and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, whose resignation preceded Gays, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth apologized for their lawyerly answers to lawmakers, they nonetheless really missed the moment on where we need to be, Healey told the station.

We need to denounce antisemitism and Islamophobia and violence on campus, Healey said, adding that there is still there is a systematic effort right now by some on the far right to go after higher education right now. Thats what you see with the calls to defund higher education.

In an appearance in New Hampshire last week, Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley suggested that, if elected, she would go after universities tax-exempt status as a way to bring those institutions to heel if they ignored incidents of violence on campus.

The second you go after their wallet  thats when they change every bit of their personality, Haley said in response to a question by a man who identified himself as a Harvard graduate, the Boston Globe reported.

Healeys comments Tuesday echoed those she made to MassLive during a year-end interview in her State House office in December.

Asked whether she was personally disappointed by the controversy surrounding Gay, who had then not yet resigned, Healey said she considered the issue in terms of the work that we need to do going forward.

I think its ... become increasingly important as you look at the tenor of whats happened in this country. You know, you go back to Jan. 6 [2021] and an insurrection ... And even before that where we saw, it seemed like, this increase in divisiveness and hatred, Healey told MassLive. We saw the rise of antisemitism. We saw the rise of transphobia. We saw the rise of all sorts of things that ... were most unfortunate; the rise of white supremacy.

And I think its against that context that, you know, my attitude both as governor, and as a graduate of one of those institutions, is how do we be constructive in this time? What do we need to deliver to our students? What do we need to deliver to our community? What do we need to stand for?

And, you know, I think ... this moment has given, I think, everyone the opportunity to focus on and do just that. Because the status quo ... wasnt working in some respects. So you know, that thats how I feel about it ... Im sensitive to people who are ... Jewish expressing concern and fear. Also, Muslim residents expressing concern and fear, Healey continued.

Theres a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety out there. And weve got to find a way to come together, [to] work together, and move our communities forward and move the state forward. And thats what my teams been setting about doing ... and well continue to do [it] over the coming days and weeks, she said.
Boston was among the U.S. cities that saw a record increase in antisemitic hate crimes over the last two years, charting a 56% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes by the end of 2022, according to a newly released report.

The 23 anti-Jewish hate crimes recorded in Boston between 2021 and the end of last year were the most since the FBI began collecting the data in 1991, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. The data were first reported by Axios.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased in Boston after the start of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas last October, Axios reported, citing the new data. Hate crimes against Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians also increased during the same time period, Axios further reported.

Overall, Boston recorded 158 hate crimes against all impacted groups by the end of 2022, a 7% increase from the year before.

The 14 crimes reported against Jewish residents in Boston in 2022 marked a 56% increase from the year before. Crimes against the citys transgender residents rose by a similar amount during the same time period. And the 30 hate crimes against gay males rose by 67%, the largest such increase among all groups, according to the report.

In pure numbers, hate crimes against the citys Black and African American residents led the way in the new data, with 41 such incidents in 2022, a 13% decrease from the 47 incidents logged in 2021, the data show.

There were 16 hate crimes targeting Bostons Asian residents in 2022, a 33% decrease from the 24 such incidents reported in 2021, the data show.

Nationwide, religion-targeted hate crime continued to both climb and diversify [in 2022], rising 27%, in major American cities  quadruple the percentage increase for overall hate crime in surveyed cities that year, the reports authors noted.

Jewish Americans were again the most targeted, population, with 470 hate crimes in 2022 or 78% of the religion total and a 28% increase, according to the data. Hate crimes against Muslims followed, with an 8% share, 50 crimes, and a 16% jump, according to the report.

Catholics saw a 13% drop to 26 hate crimes, while those of other non-Christian faiths were up 117% to 25, the data show.

The new data mirror a similar report released last October by the ADL, which charted an alarming increase in antisemitic hate crimes after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, a terrorist group.

The ADL said it recorded a total of 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7-23, 2023, 190 of which were directly linked to the war in Israel and Gaza.

In comparison, during the same period in 2022, ADL received preliminary reports of 64 incidents, including four that were Israel-related, the ADL data showed. An interactive map of where incidents occurred last October can be found on the ADLs website.

During the annual menorah lighting on Boston Common last December, faith and political leaders spoke of the importance of fighting back against hate crimes, especially during the heightened atmosphere since the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

This year, as we celebrate Hanukkah in Greater Boston, our family in Israel continues to fight a war for its survival. Hanukkah is the holiday that celebrates the triumph  the physical and spiritual triumph  against those who try to do us harm and who try to strike fear in our hearts, Rabbi Marc Baker, the president and CEO of the Boston-based Combined Jewish Philanthropies, said.
(*This story was updated at 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2023, with additional reporting.)

With New Hampshires first-in-the nation primary about three weeks away, Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley trails former President Donald Trump by 7 points in a new poll, confirming a recent surge for the former South Carolina governor, despite some political missteps.

The twice-impeached former president, who also faces four criminal indictments, leads the primary field among likely Republican primary voters, taking 39% support, according to the CNN/University of New Hampshire poll released Tuesday.

Haley, who served as Trumps ambassador to the United Nations, came second at 32% in the poll of 1,864 voters, including 919 likely Republican voters. Its a 12-point jump since the last CNN/UNH poll last November, the cable news outlet reported. The margin of error in that cohort was 3.2%, according to the poll.

The rest of the GOP primary field finished far behind Haley in the new poll, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie logging 12% support; entrepreneur entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 5%, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson with less than 1%.

Haleys support was particularly strong among undeclared voters, which is how New Hampshire defines independent voters, taking 43% of the vote, the poll showed. She also took a clear majority of support, 55%, among self-identified moderate Republican voters, who might be seeking an alternative to Trump.

The former president continued to hold a commanding lead among self-identified conservative voters, taking 60% support among that voting bloc, according to the poll, a 40-point advantage over Haley. The former president also led Haley among male voters, and those aged 65 and older, according to the poll.

The poll, conducted, which was conducted between Jan. 4 and Jan. 8, comes after Haley endured several days of negative headlines in late December after failing to note that slavery was a cause of the American Civil War. She quickly had to correct the record.

In a separate Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY poll, Trump held a 20-point lead (46%-27%) over Haley in New Hampshire, but trailed President Joe Biden by about 7 points, the Boston Globe reported on Tuesday.

Granite State voters head to the polls on Jan. 23.
A Waltham-based photonics company is departing for Pittsburgh, continuing an exodus of businesses and residents from the Bay State, MassLive has learned.

Excelitas Technologies Corp. will move its headquarters to the Steel Citys Strip District neighborhood this summer, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiros office.

The western Pennsylvania city, home to such major research institutions as Carnegie-Mellon University, already is famed for its friendliness to technology and life-science firms.

The company has promised to create at least 250 jobs in Pittsburgh over the next four years in exchange for a $2.3 million grant through the commonwealths Pennsylvania First program, which provides funding for machinery and equipment; job training; infrastructure and land and building improvements, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Developments website.

The company also has been encouraged to apply for research and development tax credits, Shapiros office said. The Keystone State outbid Ohio to land the company, which has committed to a 12-year lease in the Strip District, a neighborhood noted for its cultural attractions and Italian food options.

The company will invest $2.3 million and will also retain at least 20 existing jobs statewide, Shapiros office said in its statement.

For the past year, Ive been telling the world that Pennsylvania is open for business  and Excelitas clearly agrees, Shapiro said in a statement obtained by MassLive. We are competitive as hell, and todays announcement that Excelitas chose Pennsylvania over Ohio is a huge win for Pittsburgh and our entire Commonwealth.

Excelitas is a leading player in a growing field and their presence in Pittsburgh will not only create jobs and real opportunity for Pennsylvanians, but it sends a clear signal that Western Pennsylvania is a national hub for life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and more, Shapiro continued. I look forward to welcoming the Excelitas team to Pittsburgh and helping them succeed here in Pennsylvania.

The company is focused on delivering innovative, high-performance, market-driven solutions to meet the technology needs of its expansive customer base, that includes the life sciences, microelectronics, automation, aerospace and defense markets, according to Shapiros office.

It already has a campus in suburban Philadelphia. And it boasts some 8,000 workers in North America, Europe and Asia.

Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region have developed a significant high-technology presence, combined with a strong work ethic and an engaged state and local leadership who understand the value of job creation, the companys CEO, Ron Keating, said in a statement. These factors provided attractive competitive differentiators when we undertook our site selection process. We would like to thank Governor Shapiro and his administration for their strong and compelling support.

The news also comes as an early win for new Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, a former state lawmaker, who took office this month. In a statement, the Democrat said she was delighted to have the companys global headquarters in the city.

We think they will be right at home with the other leading life science, space, and technology companies that headquartered in our region, Innamorato said.

The news, however, comes at a tough time for Massachusetts. On Monday, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced she was trimming $375 million in spending from the state budget in response to lagging tax revenues.

Corporate tax collections totaled $619 million in December, which was $21 million, or 3.2%, below benchmark, and $6 million, or 1%, less than December 2022, according to state Department of Revenue data.

Data released last week by the mover United Van Lines also showed more people left the Bay State than moved in during 2023, MassLive previously reported. A study released last year by the Pioneer Institute pointed to the states tax burden as one of the prime motivators for those who were leaving.

In a year-end interview with MassLive last month, Healey said a $1 billion tax relief package that lawmakers passed, and she signed into law last October, would improve the states economic competitiveness with its suite of corporate tax breaks.

The administration is focused on crafting a state that is more affordable, more competitive, and more equitable, Healey told MassLive.
Some parts of Massachusetts could see another five inches of snow during a storm on Tuesday afternoon. Its a second coating on the heels of the first Noreaster in 2024, according to the National Weather Service.

As of Tuesday morning, all of the state was under at least one weather watch, warning or advisory from the NWS including those for high winds, winter weather, and flooding.

The snow and is expected to hit in the afternoon across southern New England from west to east, the NWS said.

Western Massachusetts will see its precipitation begin as snow between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the NWS said, while Eastern Massachusetts precipitation will be rain-only starting between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The greatest accumulations of snowfall are expected across far northwestern Franklin County. Forecasters said Worcester Countys higher terrains could see 1-2 inches, with localized amounts of 3 inches or more near the New Hampshire border.

The northern slopes of the Berkshires may see 2-4 inches, with 5-inch isolated totals in the northeastern slopes, the NWS said. Though the Winter Weather Advisory is currently only slated for Franklin and Hampshire counties, it could expand to Worcester County.

However, the snowfall in Western Massachusetts will be a quick punch at 1 inch or more per hour, forecasters predicted, as it will be a race against time as warm air rushes in to change over the precipitation to rain later in storm.

Say goodbye to the snowy landscape as heavy rain is expected to fall across all of southern New England, NWS forecasters wrote.

Forecasters are predicting heavy rainfall across southern New England as the storm changes and mixes from the snow, with a widespread total of 2-3 inches. In addition, the rain will cause snowmelt, and in turn, the potential for serious flooding along the southern border of Massachusetts.

Temperatures are expected to warm rapidly from the 30s and 40s to the 40s and 50s, which will obliterate the snowpack south of the Massachusetts Turnpike with flooding expected to be most problematic for northern Connecticut and Rhode Island, the NWS predicted.

The snow already on the ground in Massachusetts from the weekend, along with the 1-4 inches expected at the start of the storm on Tuesday, should act as sponge for most of the rain that falls in the storm and reduce flooding in most of the state, forecasters said.

Coastal flooding is still a possibility, however, for the Cape & the Islands and for Eastern Massachusetts, NWS cautioned.

The highest winds from the storm are predicted to be along the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with southeast winds ranging 30- to 40-miles per hour and gusts of 65 mph.

The warning has been issued starting 5 p.m. Tuesday until 1 p.m. Wednesday for parts of northeastern and southeastern Massachusetts, including Essex, Bristol and Plymouth counties and the Cape & the Islands.
From tree pose to downward dog: Yoga enthusiasts and newcomers alike gathered at Yoga Root at Westport Quay last weekend for an experience that left everyone feeling rejuvenated and inspired for the year ahead. Over 320 participants joined the two-day event, which took place on January 6 and 7, was a remarkable celebration of yoga, community, and wellness.

Throughout the weekend, Yoga Root opened its doors offering a unique opportunity to experience a wide range of yoga classes for free. From Beginners to advanced sessions tailored for fitness enthusiasts and athletes, participants enjoyed a taste of the diverse offerings available on the studio's schedule.

Emer Askins enjoying the free yoga session

We are thrilled to see so many faces old and new across the weekend who are either taking up yoga for the first time or getting back into their practice after some time away. Theres a great sense of community here and wed encourage anyone who missed out on the weekend to check out our website where they can still avail of our intro offer or join one of our beginner's courses coming up soon says Derrick Harshberger senior yoga teacher at The Yoga Root.

Excitement was in the air as everyone who made a purchase during the Open Weekend automatically entered a draw to win fantastic prizes. Lucky winners walked away with coveted rewards, including free memberships, blissful Voya seaweed baths at The Coast Hotel, and vouchers to spend at neighbouring businesses at The Quay like The Towers, Tertulia Bookshop, and The Creel.

For those who missed the Open Weekend but are still eager to embark on their yoga journey, Yoga Root is offering a special deal on their first month's membership. Additionally, aspiring yogis can join one of their upcoming Beginners Yoga Courses starting next week by visiting their website at www.theyogaroot.org.
MAYO politicians have blasted the short notice given to the community of Ballinrobe regarding the housing of 50 refugees in a disused hotel, with one branding it as a disaster.

A round-the-clock protest against the housing of male international protection applicants was dropped yesterday afternoon (Monday) after it emerged that families  not single males  were to be housed at Gannons Hotel on Ballinrobes Main Street. A number of people maintained a presence at the building on Monday night, with families expected to move into the premises later this week.

In September, The Mayo News reported that there were discussions regarding the use of the property for Ukrainian refugees after renovations took place at the hotel last summer.

Local county councillors, Senators and TDs first learned of the proposal to accommodate 50 men at the hotel there after receiving a briefing document by the Department of Children, Disabilities, Equality, Integration and Youth on Thursday, January 4.

Speaking to The Mayo News following confirmation that families were to be accommodated at the 12-bedroom hotel, local county councillor Damien Ryan (Fianna Fail) labelled the communication from government regarding the issue as a disaster from start to finish.

Cllr Ryan also doubled down on his calls for a national and local strategy on refugee accommodation and for a full audit of locally available services.

Tourism impact

At present, 20 percent of all Failte Ireland-registered tourist beds in Mayo are being used to accommodate refugees.

This is less than Clare  which has the highest at 33 percent  but above the national average.

Our tourism model dropped significantly in 2023 and thats as a result of the amount of beds thats taken out of the system. It needs to be representative of the population, said Cllr Ryan.

Theres nothing at all wrong with saying that. Theres higher percentages in some of these counties. Let's get it up to a national average and then we can look at more.

When asked how the government could balance the percentage of refugees accommodated in counties without sufficient accommodation, Cllr Ryan claimed that there was quite an amount of accommodation available in other counties.

We have a vacancy problem with commercial and retail in all the urban centres so theres an opportunity there for vacancy as well, he said.

Huge upset

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring said that Mayo had already taken more than its fair share of international protection applicants and refugees and branded the lack of consultation with Ballinrobe people prior to last week as simply not acceptable.

There should be extensive engagement and conversations about a proposal of this nature. Also, services should be put in place before International Protection applicants are brought into an area, said Deputy Ring.

With Mayo taking in over 5,000 refugees  this represents 3.84 percent of our population versus a national average of 2.3 percent. Dublin, which has all the services, is at 1.53 percent. Galway and Roscommon have about 50 percent less than Mayo when compared to their populations.

I feel that Mayo have done more than their fair share; the figures speak for themselves.

Fellow Fine Gael TD Alan Dillon said that the lack of notice given prior to refugees being moved to Ballinrobe had caused huge upset but said that migrants should not be linked with bad behaviour or criminality should not be linked.

There is no evidence base for this, and such talk or language must be completely ruled out. We must stop the spread of false stories and rumours, and remain balanced, firm, fair, and factual, he stated.

Deputy Dillon also acknowledged the positive contribution of migrants to healthcare, voluntary organisations and businesses in Mayo before calling for a national conversation on how to tackle the challenges of migration.

Fianna Fail Minister of State Dara Calleary also issued a statement on the matter, saying that Mayos experience in welcoming refugees had been positive.

The key is that communities are involved, that information is shared and that potential resource challenges, eg in health or education, are identified and invested in at an early stage, stated Minister Calleary.
THE Chairman of Ballinrobe Community Development Council has hit out at negative comments made about Ballinrobe over the weekend.

Speaking to The Mayo News in the aftermath of protests over the proposed accommodation of 50 male international protection applicants at a local hotel, Frank Keane insisted that Ballinrobe is a vibrant town that is at full employment.

Mr Keane, who owns a local playschool, criticised the lack of notice given to the community council prior regarding the arrival of 50 international protection applicants to JJ Gannons Hotel on Ballinrobes Main Street.

Fifty people from families are expected to arrive at the 12-bedroom hotel in the coming days, which Mr Keane said will require extra funding for local services.

Ballinrobe is a vibrant town and we can handle all these things quite well. Its down to the funding, he said.

But Ballinrobe is a vibrant town. It was painted over the weekend as a desperate and derelict town, which is absolutely isnt. Some person said on the protest that there was massive unemployment, that there was no employment in the town at all. Were at full employment and its wrong that people come in and taint a town like that over a weekend.

Mr Keane said that local people were seen as collateral damage as a result of the short notice regarding the initial proposal, which he said fuelled protests over the weekend.

A lot has happened over the weekend, and we will learn a lot from it obviously. The biggest thing is the lack of information, the lack of timely information and the lack of transparency, he said.

Were in a small town. If you put 50 people into Ballinrobe, everyone knows everyone, its no comparison to putting 50 people into the middle of Dublin where they wouldnt be noticed. Its a totally different comparison. People have to think of this when they are in high office when they are making their policies and procedures and putting them in place.

We were seen as collateral damage over the weekend because of the policies that people were adhering to, he added.

A small number of people waited outside the front of the hotel on Monday night despite the protest being disbanded earlier that afternoon.

A Facebook page with over 2,400 followers called Ballinrobe Says No, which was used to organise the protests, has also been removed for the social media platform.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Two more important documents were signed last month in Baku. One of them was inked between the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan with respect to the creation of the Joint Investment Fund with a financial capacity of one billion dollars. The second noteworthy document pertains to the information and communication sector, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said at an expanded meeting with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Trend reports.

Emphasizing the great successes achieved by the United Arab Emirates under the leadership of President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the head of state expressed confidence that his visit to Azerbaijan would further cement the strategic partnership between both countries and enhance friendly and brotherly relations between the two peoples.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan has expressed condolences over the fire breakout in the Perinatal Center, said in the publication of the Embassy in X (Twitter), Trend reports.

"Heartbroken about the tragic fire at the Republican Perinatal Center, which claimed the lives of four lovely children. Our sympathies are with the Azerbaijani people during this sad time, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May God rest their souls in peace," the publication reads.

A fire broke out at Baku's Republican Perinatal Center on the night of January 8. The center is located on Yusif Safarov Street in Baku's Khatai district. Three patients were hospitalized in the Clinic Medical Center's toxicology department as a result of smoke poisoning caused by the incident. Their condition was determined to be stable after they received the necessary medical care. It is planned to send them home for outpatient care. Four children treated in the center's newborn intensive care unit were found dead.

The Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case under Articles 225.3 (violation of fire safety rules resulting in the death of two or more persons by negligence) and 314.3 (negligence resulting in the death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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by Colin Kirkland , January 8, 2024

Duolingo, the popular language-learning app, has laid off around 10% of its contractors while increasing the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) features to create new content for its platform.

Duolingo is no stranger to AI, having launched AI chatbots in 2016 and Open-AI's ChatGPT 4 last year, but this marks the first time there may have been jobs lost at the company because of it.

We just no longer need as many people to do the type of work some of these contractors were doing, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg. Part of that could be attributed to AI.

The spokesperson, who did not attribute the layoffs to AI outright, said the job reduction is not a straight replacement of workers due to AI usage. Many of the companys full-time employees and contractors use AI technology in their daily work.

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Like many app developers, Duolingo has been increasing its investment in AI over the past year. In a November letter to shareholders, chief executive officer Luis von Ahn said the company would use generative AI to create new content dramatically faster, including scripts to shows that help teach users languages, character voices, and feedback for premium subscribers.

The company has been working on expanding its educational offerings, with new lessons in music and mathematics.

None of the companys 600 full-time employees were affected by this recent job cuts, but it underscores the fears many professionals have about generative AI replacing them, or making their positions obsolete.

In June, the online homework-helper Chegg, announced that it will be cutting 4% of its workforce and figuring out how to incorporate generative AI into its tutoring services.

Recent moves made by some major tech companies have not quelled suspicions around the possibility of job cuts either.

In November, for example, Amazon laid off hundreds of employees working on its Alex voice assistant unit in order to focus its resources and efforts on generative AI, which can create software code, intelligent text responses and more from short prompts.

After laying off 12,000 people last year, Google has new plans to further restructure and potentially consolidate its staff in its ad-sales unit, citing goals to use AI among its internal ad sales teams for tasks like scanning websites, automatically generating keywords, and creating headlines and images.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 8, 2024

Meta Platforms is pressing a federal district court judge to stay a Federal Trade Commission administrative proceeding that could result in an order prohibiting the company from monetizing teens' data.

In papers filed late last week, Meta tells U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly it will face irreparable harm unless he halts an administrative hearing at which the company will be forced to litigate before its litigation adversary, and without the procedural protections inherent in federal court litigation.

Meta's argument comes in a battle with the FTC dating to May, when the agency proposed modifying a 2020 settlement by adding terms banning Meta from using minors' data to fuel ad targeting or algorithms. At the time, the FTC served Meta with a demand to appear at an in-house administrative proceeding, following which the agency could issue the new restrictions on teens' data.

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Meta sued in federal court to prevent the FTC from moving forward with the hearing, arguing that the 2020 settlement was approved by Kelly and therefore could only be modified by him or another federal judge.

Kelly rejected that argument in November, ruling that he lacked jurisdiction to intervene in the current dispute.

Meta has appealed that ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The company also is asking Kelly to block the FTC from moving forward with an administrative hearing while the appeal proceeds.

Metas appeal presents serious legal issues, the company writes in its most recent papers, elaborating that it will argue fundamental principles of contract interpretation prohibit the FTC from attempting to unilaterally change the settlement terms.

Meta's claim centers on the structure of the 2020 consent decree, which stemmed from charges that Meta allowed Cambridge Analytica and other outside developers to access users' data. The consent decree required Meta to pay $5 billion, and also called for the company to implement new privacy oversight and obtain an independent assessment.

When the FTC sought to modify that decree in May, it alleged that an evaluator had identified gaps and weaknesses in the company's privacy program, and that between 2017 and 2019, Meta's Messenger Kids had coding errors that allowed children to communicate with people who hadn't been approved by parents, in violation of representations about the feature.

Meta says the 2020 settlement terms were attached as an exhibit to the 2020 stipulated order, and integrated into that order. The company essentially argues that when it agreed to settle the charges, it believed any change in terms could only be ordered by a court.

Depriving Meta of its bargained-for forum and process for modification of the stipulated order and forcing it to relitigate a settlement agreement that was entered as this courts consent decree will cause Meta irreparable harm, the company writes.

The FTC argued in papers filed late last year that Meta can't show it will suffer irreparable harm as a result of an administrative proceeding because it will be able to appeal an administrative order to a federal court.
by Ray Schultz , January 8, 2024

Joan Acocella, the long-time cultural critic who wrote for The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books, has died at age 78.

The cause was cancer, according to The New York Times.

In one of her feats as a journalist, Acocella went with acclaimed dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov to his birthplace of Riga, Latvia, for his first performances there since defecting from the Soviet Union in 1974.

While performing Twyla Tharps Pergolesi at the Latvian National Opera, Baryshnikov gave them double barrel turns, he gave them the triple pirouettes in attitude (and then he switched to the other leg and did two more), Acocella wrote in The New Yorker in 1998, according to the Times. He rose like a piston; he landed like a lark. He took off like Jerry Lee Lewis; he finished like Jane Austen. From ledge to ledge of the dance he leapt, sure-footed, unmindful, a man in love.

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David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, said: There was no greater experience than going to a dance performance with her and watching the occasional urgent note being taken, and then her mouth agape with wonder, but also the occasional eye roll.

Joan Barbara Ross was born in 1945, in San Francisco and grew up in Oakland.

As a harbinger of things to come, the precocious young author wrote her Ph.D dissertation on how artists and intellectuals in Paris and London reacted to Serge Diaghilevs Ballets Russes from 1909 to 1914.

She is survived by her partner Noel Carroll; two grandchildren; a sister, Victoria Aguilar; and a brother, Mark Ross.
by Ray Schultz , January 8, 2024

Employees at the Evansville (Indiana) Courier & Press, a Gannett newspaper, are forming a union.

They expect to be represented by the NewsGuild, part of Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Gannett purchased the paper in 2016. Since then, faced with declining resources, journalists have been doing the work of three people.

The union charges that employees have been informed repeatedly that there will be no hires, or any pay raises.

"We love our jobs and want to continue serving the community," says reporter Jon Webb, according to the union. "We believe unionizing is the best way to ensure that happens."
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 9, 2024

New Jersey lawmakers on Monday passed a privacy bill that requires companies to allow residents to opt out of targeted advertising, meaning ads based on people's online activity over time and across nonaffiliated sites or apps.

The measure, which hasn't yet been signed by Governor Phil Murphy, also requires companies to obtain people's opt-in consent before processing sensitive data, such as information that reveals a consumer's race, ethnicity, religion, health condition, sexual orientation, immigration status or precise location.

If enacted, the bill additionally would also prohibit companies from knowingly serving targeted ads to teens under 18 without their consent. The measure will take effect January 2025, if signed.

As with recent privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Montana, Texas, Oregon and Delaware the bill requires companies to allow people to reject targeted advertising via a universal mechanism like the Global Privacy Control. Such mechanisms allow people to opt out of all targeted advertising, as opposed to opting out company-by-company.

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The New Jersey bill additionally requires companies to refrain from creating profiles of people who activate a universal opt-out tool.

Advocacy group Consumer Reports generally praisedthe bill, particularly the provisions requiring companies to honor opt-out mechanisms. That organization has said universal tools give consumers an easy and usable way of asserting privacy rights.

But some business groups and ad industry organizations opposed the measure, arguing it was being rushed through the legislature.

New Jersey lawmakers significantly amended the bill in the last two weeks of the year, including by adding the mandate to honor universal opt-outs -- a mandate the ad industry has traditionally opposed.

An overly hasty legislative process without time to seek input from affected stakeholders on the new amendments is likely to result in avoidable inconsistencies and unnecessary regulatory ambiguity, the Association of National Advertisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies, Interactive Advertising Bureau, American Advertising Federation and Digital Advertising Alliance said last week in a joint letter to the state legislature.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 9, 2024

Data broker Outlogic, formerly X-Mode, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges by promising to refrain from selling sensitive location data, the agency said Tuesday.

The proposed settlement also requires the company to delete all sensitive location data it unlawfully collected, and models or algorithms derived from that information.

The Constitution protects Americans from unchecked government surveillance, including digital location tracking, FTC Chair Lina Khan posted to X on Tuesday.

She added that Americans similarly deserve protection from unchecked corporate surveillance.

The settlement order defines sensitive locations as including medical facilities, religious organizations, correctional facilities, labor union offices and shelters for domestic violence victims or refugees. Another settlement term requires the company to obtain people's affirmative consent before using even non-sensitive location data.

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If finalized, the order will mark the first time the FTC has banned a company from using, selling or disclosing sensitive location data, the agency's commissioners said Tuesday in a joint statement.

The FTC's complaint, also unveiled Tuesday, alleged that X-Mode obtained location data from more than 300 apps -- including games, fitness trackers and religions apps -- that include X-Mode's software development kit, which transmits users' precise geolocations.

X-Mode allegedly sold the raw location data in combination with users' mobile ad identifiers (pseudonymous alphanumeric strings), allowing third parties to tie specific individuals to locations. Recipients included hundreds of businesses in industries ranging from real estate to finance, as well as private government contractors, the FTC alleged.

X-Modes location data associated with [mobile ad identifiers] could be used to track consumers to sensitive locations, including medical facilities, places of religious worship, places that may be used to infer an LGBTQ+ identification, domestic abuse shelters, and welfare and homeless shelters, the complaint alleged.

The location data could be used to track consumers who have visited womens reproductive health clinics and as a result, may have had or contemplated sensitive medical procedures such as an abortion or in vitro fertilization, the FTC wrote. Using the data X-Mode has made available, it is possible for third parties to target consumers visiting such healthcare facilities and trace that mobile device to a single-family residence.

The FTC additionally alleged that until recently, the broker didn't exclude sensitive locations from its datasets.

While the company made some disclosures regarding data sales, it failed to fully reveal the extent of its practices, according to the FTC.

For instance, in some cases the data broker allegedly said app users location data would be used for ad targeting and analytics, but actually sold the data to government contractors.

That information would have been "material to consumers in deciding whether to use or grant location permissions to mobile apps," the agency said in its complaint, which claimed the data broker engaged in unfair practices.

In other cases, X-Mode allegedly harvested mobile ad identifiers and location data from Android users who had activated a setting that was supposed to opt them out of ad targeting, and then provided access to marketers and other third parties.

X-Mode provided access to this data so that its customers could, among other things, build profiles about those consumers and serve them personalized advertising, the complaint alleges.

The FTC will decide whether to finalize the agreement after a 30-day public comment period that will start when the agreement is published in the Federal Register.

An Outlogic spokesperson stated Tuesday that the company disagrees with the FTC's "implications."

Since its inception, X-mode has imposed strict contractual terms on all data customers prohibiting them from associating its data with sensitive locations such as healthcare facilities, the spokesperson said, adding that the new restrictions will not require any significant changes to business or products.

John Davisson, director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, says the FTC's proposed order represents both a milestone settlement and the tip of the iceberg.

The order imposes real, piercing consequences on X-Mode and will make it much harder for the company to track and profit off of our movements through the world, he tells MediaPost.

This settlement should be a springboard for across-the-board rules that rein in the abusive data practices of brokers like X-Mode.

X-Mode isn't the only company to draw the FTC's attention. In 2022, the agency sued mobile data broker Kochava for allegedly selling sensitive location data. Kochava denies that it violated any laws, and has asked U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill to dismiss the agency's complaint.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, January 9, 2024

Accenture has agreed to acquire the technology and design agency Work & Co., which will become part of Accenture Song. Terms werent disclosed.

The agency blends design, technology, and innovation to help companies create breakthrough digital products and experiences including mobile apps, commerce platforms, retail experiences, digital kiosks, generative AI applications and more.

advertisement advertisement Founded in 2013, Work & Co has earned multiple honors for digital products it strategized on, designed, and developed, including Fast Companys Innovation by Design Awards, Times Best Inventions list, and CES Innovation Awards.

The agency has also been recognized by Forbes as one of the Most Consequential Agencies in business.

The New York-based agency, led by Founding Partner Mohan Ramaswamy, has worked with blue chip firms and brands like Pfizer, UnitedHealthcare, Apple, Gatorade and Google. It has close to 400 employees in the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

David Droga, CEO at Accenture Song, stated: I have admired Work & Cos client work, distinct model, and strong leadership for years. It's little wonder they are widely considered as one of the world's very best digital product companies. So, as Song continues to grow significantly, we will continue to bring more and more tech expertise and creative excellence into our Song family.
A member of the parliament belonging to the Papua New Guinea parliament is to face the trial for knowingly infecting others with HIV virus. He will be the first person in the country to face the court for spreading the deadly virus.

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The unnamed MP could be jailed under a 2003 law that made it an offence to knowingly pass on the HIV virus, The Nation newspaper in Papua New Guinea reported.The paper said police were confident they had gathered enough evidence to prosecute after looking at medical records and interviewing the man's two partners before they died of AIDS.The police investigation began after a complaint was made by relatives of one of the MP's partners. She died two weeks after being interviewed. A second partner of the MP was also interviewed by police and died three weeks later.According to infectious diseases expert John McBride, AIDS is now the primary cause of death for those admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital. McBride, of James Cook University in Australia, warned that more than 1.5 million people - or one third of the country's current population - could be infected by AIDS by 2015.Peter Piot, the head of the UN AIDS agency, UNAIDS, said at an international conference in Japan last year that AIDS had moved into the general population in Papua New Guinea."It's the one that I would see that could have an African-type epidemic," Piot said of Papua New Guinea, a country with a population of 4.5 million."That's the one country, I would say I think is really getting out of hand."--Edited IANS
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Azerbaijani authorities arrested a French citizen, Martin Ryan, on espionage charges on December 4, 2023, Ambassador of Azerbaijan Leyla Abdullayeva told Agence France-Presse (AFP), Trend reports.

The ambassador said that judicial authorities ordered his detention for a period of four months, adding that the French Embassy in Baku was immediately notified of the arrest.

The identity of one of the arrested for espionage activities carried out by the French Foreign Intelligence Service in Azerbaijan has become known.

The CEO of the Baku-based company Merkorama LLC Martin Ryan was manipulated by the French agent of the 2nd DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who engaged him in secret cooperation and was subsequently expelled from Baku.

According to information circulated in the Western press, investigations and arrests carried out by the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan in early December 2023 resulted in the exposure in Azerbaijan of an extensive network of agents of French intelligence services involved in various operations in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, several countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Dozens of French spies were identified in a short period, some of whom had been operating in Azerbaijan at one point or another, and some of whom continued to work undercover in various countries and reputable international organizations.

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9.PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

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Mensa Brand Technologies Pvt Ltd

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will visit Azerbaijan, where he will also take part in the opening of the Children's Creativity Center in Fuzuli, in the near future, Kazakh Ambassador Alim Bayel told Trend.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center, which is being built at the expense of Kazakhstan, took place in the liberated city of Fuzuli in March 2023.

The art school will be located on an area of 1.5 hectares. The two-story building of the center will have an area of 2,708 square meters. Each floor will have 300 seats.

The necessary conditions will be created for teaching 600 students in shifts.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Military History Matters has curated a list of 2023s best military history titles: the nominees for this years MHM Book Awards. Our selection includes some of the best-researched, most-insightful, and most-readable titles reviewed and featured in the magazine over the last year. But we need your help to select the winners!

Gold, silver, and bronze prizes are up for grabs in the race for MHM Book of the Year, which will be awarded to the title our readers feel has made the greatest all-round contribution to the study of military history.

Read the reviews of all 12 titles below. And click here to vote.

Voting has now closed, and the winners will be announced shortly

The MHM Book Awards is sponsored by The Cultural Experience, a leading international tour company that offers expert-led holidays to historical and culturally significant destinations throughout the world. For more information about the company, please visit their website.

On a Knife Edge: how Germany lost the First World War

Holger Afflerbach

Cambridge University Press

Holger Afflerbachs On a Knife Edge reassesses why the First World War ended as it did, based on a close analysis of the German experience. Yet the decisions, motives, and challenges facing Germanys allies and enemies are also brought into the narrative. As well as being well-researched, finely balanced, and highly readable, this book advances several thought-provoking arguments.

Click here to read the full review

The Commanders: the leadership journeys of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel

Lloyd Clark

Atlantic Books

George Patton, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel were arguably the three outstanding battlefield commanders of World War II. In this biography, Lloyd Clark gives us a vivid portrait of each of his subjects characters and careers. The Commanders effectively bridges the gap between academic and popular history.

Click here to read the full review

Mercy: humanity in war

Cathal J Nolan

Oxford University Press

Cathal J Nolan reflects on the profoundly human quality of mercy in warfare  which must be the most merciless environment possible  and all the surprising, unpredictable, and irrational forms it can take. Above all, this book  which covers conflicts as diverse as the Vietnam War and The Troubles  is an argument for violence that is restrained, measured, and proportionate to the cause. Make your forces merciful, Nolan warns, or you will surely lose.

Click here to read the full review

The Great Defiance: how the world took on the British Empire

David Veevers

Ebury Press

David Veevers presents this alternative narrative of the First British Empire, telling the story from the perspective of many peoples and cultures of Britains attempts to dominate them. A lively and provocative book, which is bound to ruffle feathers in some quarters, The Great Defiance is also important, for it argues passionately that much of the history of this period is distorted,

Click here to read the full review

Bismarcks War: the Franco-Prussian war and the making of modern Europe

Rachel Chrastil

Allen Lane

The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 was launched by the French Emperor Napoleon III  but it was truly Bismarcks war, with the Prussian Chancellor emerging victorious in terms of territory gained and status acquired. This book by accomplished historian Rachel Chrastil is the first new account of the period in 20 years, and is a valuable addition to the coverage of an often-neglected conflict.

Click here to read the full review

Footsloggers: an infantry battalion at war 1939-45

Peter Hart

Profile Books

Britains poor bloody infantry did most of her fighting and dying during World War II. Peter Hart has assembled a portrait of one of these units, the 16th Durham Light Infantry (DLI), chronicling all the boredom, horror, and humour of their war. Footsloggers is an authentic account, whose universal truths about frontline soldiering will resonate with readers of every generation.

Click here to read the full review

Revolutionary Spring: fighting for a new world, 1848-1849

Christopher Clark

Allen Lane

Sir Christopher Clark has an established reputation for crafting insightful historical narratives that explore complex periods of change and turbulence across the European continent. His latest book is in keeping with this reputation, offering a comprehensive overview of how the political trends of the early 19th century contributed to the revolutionary outbreaks of 1848 and subsequent counter-revolutionary responses.

Click here to read the full review

The Savage Storm: the battle for Italy, 1943

James Holland

Bantam Press

James Holland seeks to explore the campaign to seize Italy from the build-up of the landings at Salerno in September 1943 through to the Battle of Ortona in December the same year. The significance of the Italian campaign is deeply illustrated for a new audience through a compelling narrative, making The Savage Storm a remarkable achievement by a historian at the height of his powers.

Click here to read the full review

Women in Intelligence: the hidden history of two world wars

Helen Fry

Yale Books

Helen Frys latest book explores the lives of the many hundreds of women who worked in intelligence-gathering in Britain and abroad over 30 years, as intelligencers, codebreakers, spies, secret operatives, handlers, and double agents. The detail of this book demonstrates not only the thoroughness of Frys research, but also that, without the contribution of women during the two world wars, the outcome of both of them would have been very different.

Click here to read the full review

Conflict: the evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine

General David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts

Harper Collins

This ambitious undertaking from two authors with very different backgrounds considers the current conflict in Ukraine within the long-term perspective of warfare since 1945. General David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts have delivered a wide-ranging and well-written guide to a turbulent and transformative era of military history.

Click here to read the full review

Rome and Persia: the seven hundred year rivalry

Adrian Goldsworthy

Basic Books

The two empires of Rome and Persia would uncomfortably abut one another for seven centuries in a fraught relationship filled with numerous wars, but also with long periods of peace and extensive trading contacts. Historian Adrian Goldsworthy examines their hot and cold confrontation over a tremendous span, running from the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD, in this thorough and insightful book.

Click here to read the full review

To Besiege a City: Leningrad, 1941-42

Prit Buttar

Osprey Publishing

Leningrad  todays St Petersburg  was a key military target in the early years of the Second World War, although Stalin himself never cared for the city, believing it to be too isolated. Prit Buttars latest book is a well-written new account of the first year of the siege, providing horrifying insights into the murderous Nazi plan to blockade the city and the half-hearted Soviet attempts to relieve it.

Click here to read the full review
The Pentagon on Monday attempted an explanation following its bombshell announcement late last week that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been secretly hospitalized for days in the intensive care unit -- without the White House or Congress being notified.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon's top spokesman, in a public briefing that went for more than an hour, blamed a series of issues -- including Austin's chief of staff coming down with the flu and his own failure to follow up -- for the public and key government officials being unaware the defense secretary was sidelined at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland.

Despite the Pentagon's explanation, it remained unclear exactly how or why Austin, a cabinet secretary and the civilian head of the military -- who was still hospitalized but back in control of the Pentagon on Monday, effectively hid a health emergency for nearly four days from not only President Joe Biden but also Congress and the American people.

Read Next: Marine Units Rotating to Indo-Pacific Don't Have Their Own Counter-Drone Capabilities, Commanders Say

For any cabinet official, the White House chief of staff would typically be informed about their whereabouts and whether they may be out of reach for a period, said Peter Feaver, a professor and expert on civil-military relations at Duke University who was a White House adviser to former President George W. Bush.

Because the defense secretary is in the chain of command, there is usually even more care to ensure lines of communication aren't broken, he said.

Members of Congress demanded answers following the Pentagon announcement late Friday that Austin was hospitalized, and some Republicans called on him to resign, including former President Donald Trump, who is the front-runner for the party in the upcoming presidential election.

At the Monday briefing, Ryder said Austin was out of the intensive care unit and that "his prognosis is good." The defense secretary had received operational updates, including his presidential daily brief on Monday, he added.

Austin's health issue and the medical procedures he underwent beginning last month were not disclosed by the Pentagon.

The entire saga began Dec. 22 when Austin underwent "an elective medical procedure" at Walter Reed, Ryder told reporters. He said that he didn't have any more details on what the procedure was.

However, Ryder said that, during the initial procedure and a day-long hospital stay, Austin transferred "certain operational authorities" to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. He described that transfer as fairly common and something that can also occur when Austin plans to be in a location with little or no communication. Other authorities transfer automatically, he added.

As a result, Ryder said that it is also common for Hicks to receive such a transfer without knowing why and not think to ask more questions.

The situation escalated when, on the evening of Jan. 1, Austin began experiencing severe pain and was transported by ambulance back to Walter Reed, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.

"He was conscious, but in quite a bit of pain," Ryder said.

Ryder said that Austin again transferred some of his authorities the next day to Hicks, who was vacationing in Puerto Rico, according to an NBC report. At this point, the Pentagon's understanding of who was aware of Austin's condition becomes murky, but it's clear that at least some officials, in various positions of authority, started to learn of the hospitalization.

Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, knew of his situation. However, she was out with the flu and, according to Ryder, this "caused a delay in these notifications."

While it appears that the authority to pass the news along was her responsibility, Magsamen wasn't the only one aware of Austin's condition. Ryder said that Austin's junior military aide met with him that day, suggesting his senior military adviser, Lt. General Ronald Clark, was also somewhat in the loop.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown, was notified. Ryder also admitted to reporters that he and Chris Meagher, the assistant to the secretary for public affairs, knew their boss was in the hospital at this point, as well.

Ryder didn't answer a question about whether Magsamen's failure to pass on the message that Austin was in the ICU was because of her illness or because she was ordered to not do so.

In a statement released Saturday, Austin said that he was taking full responsibility for the "transparency issues."

Others, such as the Joints Chiefs chairman, may have felt that it wasn't their place to spread the news.

"I don't know that it's necessarily Gen. Brown's responsibility to notify the service departments -- he's an adviser to the secretary and the president," Ryder said.

Two days later, on Jan. 4, Magsamen finally notified Hicks and the White House -- specifically National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan -- that Austin was in the hospital.

Feaver, the Duke professor, said it's not unusual for the deputy defense secretary to receive little explanation for routine delegations of authority. But he said that a hospitalization should warrant more explanation.

Even if Austin wanted privacy, Feaver said, his staff should have pushed back.

"It was a baffling decision, based on what is publicly known right now, Monday afternoon, and raises questions about bad judgment or dubious staff work," Feaver said. "It's a chink in his armor in terms of presenting as a sure hand on the tiller."

It appears that the notification on Thursday finally triggered larger-scale action on the part of Pentagon officials. After learning that Austin was hospitalized, Hicks, along with Magsamen, "immediately engaged on the drafting of a public statement and congressional outreach," Ryder said.

It would be another day, Friday, before either Congress or the public would learn that Austin was in the hospital, finding out within hours of each other. The military heads of all the military services were also notified Friday, according to Ryder.

For his own part, Ryder said that, while he was aware of the hospitalization earlier than most, "I didn't feel at liberty at that stage to disclose that information" and he didn't ask any follow-up questions for his press briefing Thursday.

"In retrospect, I should have asked those hard questions and I should have pushed for an earlier public acknowledgment," Ryder conceded, before adding that he "will do better next time."

What also loomed large in the hourlong briefing is how many questions Ryder didn't or couldn't answer.

Left unanswered were questions about whether the White House knew about the original medical procedure in December; whether Austin or his wife told anyone to conceal the hospitalization; who at the White House normally needs to be notified of a secretary's inability to perform his duties; what Austin's staff was telling the White House about his schedule while he was in the ICU; how often Austin was unconscious; and whether the secretary could walk on Monday.

Ryder also couldn't immediately say whether there was a Defense Department instruction governing reporting requirements for such a scenario.

Outrage on Capitol Hill

The Pentagon's failure to quickly notify the White House and Congress of Austin's hospitalization ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are demanding answers about why they and top officials weren't informed of the situation sooner. With Ryder still unable to answer key questions Monday, it was unclear whether the department's cleanup effort would be enough to quell Congress.

"This concerning lack of transparency exemplifies a shocking lack of judgment and a significant national security threat," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the fourth highest-ranking House Republican and a House Armed Services Committee member, said in a statement Monday. "There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him and a congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction of duty."

GOP Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Rick Crawford of Arkansas, as well as Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have also said Austin should resign or be fired.

Most lawmakers have not gone that far yet, but Republicans and Democrats alike expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and demanded an explanation.

"I remain concerned that vital chain-of-command and notification procedures were not followed while the secretary was under medical care," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement Monday. "He is taking responsibility for the situation, but this was a serious incident and there needs to be transparency and accountability from the department.

"This lack of disclosure must never happen again," Reed said. "I am tracking the situation closely, and the Department of Defense is well aware of my interest in any and all relevant information."

Reed and Austin spoke on the phone Sunday, Ryder told reporters Monday, though the spokesman could not answer who initiated the call.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement Saturday suggested that a law requiring congressional notification in the event of an executive branch vacancy should have applied. Ryder on Monday said that the department was "considering the impact of any statutory reporting requirements and we'll provide updates as appropriate."

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a former Green Beret who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, posed a series of questions on social media over the weekend, including what authorities were delegated, whether Hicks had authority in the nuclear chain of command, and whether combatant commanders and service secretaries knew of any change in the chain of command.

"I don't know whether it's more concerning that the chain of command literally didn't exist for multiple days or the White House apparently communicates so little with the Pentagon that nobody noticed the defense secretary missing at a time of two major wars!" Waltz posted on the social media site X.

The Pentagon now says that it has started a review -- run by Austin's office -- of how it could improve notification procedures, to include the White House and Congress.

"We need a new normal," Ryder said. "We're gonna go back and look at how this works to make sure that we're taking into account the situation, learning from it and doing better next time."

Despite the controversy, Austin's job appears safe. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday that "there is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job."

Related: The Pentagon Adds New Details about Austin's Secretive Hospital Stay and the Delay in Telling Biden
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced new funding for research into the potential use of psychedelic substances to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in former military personnel.

The VA on Friday issued a request for applications from researchers and academic institutions on potential research into the safety and efficacy of psychedelic drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin -- the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" -- and other compounds to address mental health conditions.

According to the VA, it is the first time in nearly six decades the department will fund such research and comes amid a growing but cautious optimism among the veteran community and Congress that the drugs, widely associated with illicit party culture, could offer breakthrough treatments for the unseen wounds of war and military service.

Read Next: Staff Warned About the Lack of Psychiatric Care at a VA Clinic. They Couldn't Prevent Tragedy.

"Veterans and VA researchers have told us about the potential promise of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions for some time," VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal said in a statement Friday. "Now is our chance to study this potential method of treating veterans with PTSD and major depression across the country."

VA researchers previously have conducted studies on the use of psychedelics, including MDMA, known also as the recreational drug molly or ecstasy, and psilocybin, but those studies have been funded by private institutions.

Officials did not say how much funding the department plans to award researchers for the studies. The details of the request for application were not available as it has yet to be published online.

In September, VA researchers and scientists met with other federal health officials for a conference on psychedelic-assisted therapies that combine the use of psychedelic substances with psychiatric therapy.

At the time, Elnahal said VA researchers are interested in determining how to support the research nationwide and build the infrastructure needed to expand clinical trials in light of success by organizations such as the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which has completed two clinical trials on the potential of MDMA to treat PTSD and has filed a New Drug Approval application with the Food and Drug Administration for the controlled substance.

VA officials said the research, which will involve substances that are tightly restricted under federal law, will be "completed under stringent safety protocols." The VA will work with the FDA as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration to ensure compliance with federal law, officials said.

The fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 22, required the Defense Department to establish a process also to fund research on psychedelic substances for mental health conditions.

The law also gave the defense secretary flexibility to let active-duty service members participate in clinical trials involving psychedelic therapies, but it did not mandate the requirement.

Under the legislation, the Defense Department must submit a report on the research as well as the number of active-duty members participating, their clinical results and whether they were able to return to duty.

Among the psychedelics that would be covered by the law are MDMA; psilocybin; 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine -- a fast-acting psychedelic substance derived from toad venom also known as 5-MeO-DMT; other "qualified plant-based alternative therapies;" and ibogaine, a compound found in the roots of an African shrub that has been used for centuries in spiritual and healing ceremonies.

On Friday, as the VA announced its new funding, scientists at Stanford University published research in the journal Nature that showed, when combined with magnesium, ibogaine "safely and effectively" reduced anxiety, PTSD and depression symptoms in a study involving 30 U.S. special operations veterans.

The study was sparked, according to Dr. Nolan Williams, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, by veterans who had been traveling to Mexico for ibogaine treatments.

Researchers wanted to determine whether data would back up the improvements in symptoms that had been reported by the veterans.

According to the study, participants experienced average reductions of 88% in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression symptoms and 81% in anxiety symptoms relative to how they were before treatment.

"No other drug has ever been able to alleviate the functional and neuropsychiatric symptoms of traumatic brain injury," Williams said in a statement released by the university. "The results are dramatic, and we intend to study this compound further."

VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement Friday that the VA is dedicated to exploring the potential of psychedelics to "improve the health and quality of life for veterans."

"Our nation's veterans deserve the very best care, and VA is constantly supporting innovations to deliver that," McDonough said.

Related: Veteran Psychedelic Therapy Gets Cautious Support at First House Hearing of Its Kind Since 1960s
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The Organization of War, Labor and Armed Forces Veterans of Azerbaijan will monitor the process of the early presidential election scheduled to be held on February 7, said Jalil Khalilov, the Deputy Chairperson of the organization, Trend reports.

He noted that the lists of members of the organization will be submitted to the Central Election Commission (CEC) in the coming days.

"Our organization and its many members have always played an active role in the life of the country. The organization will also pay close attention to the presidential election process. I trust that our veterans will effectively do this responsible work and make a valuable contribution to a fair and democratic political process," Khalilov concluded.

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Airmen and Space Force Guardians are being encouraged to apply for prep classes to get ready for Army Ranger School, the incredibly difficult tactics course with a historically low graduation rate.

The Department of the Air Force, in a recent press release, said it is searching for members from both services to enroll in the grueling course and encouraged them to take the leap.

"It's been called 'a laboratory of human endurance,' testing the physical, mental and spiritual grit of the officer and enlisted leaders who undertake it," the Air Force said in the release. "It's the Army Ranger School, and the Department of the Air Force is looking for airmen and Guardians who are ready for the challenge."

Read Next: VA to Fund Research on Using MDMA, Psilocybin to Address Mental Health Disorders in Veterans

The 62-day course is filled with difficult physical training and exercises designed to educate participants on elite squad and platoon tactics. During Ranger Assessment Phase week at Ranger School, candidates must complete 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups, a five-mile run in 40 minutes, and six chin-ups, according to the Air Force. It ends with a 12-mile march with each candidate carrying roughly 35 pounds.

Each year, an estimated 4,000 candidates attempt the program. The Air Force first began sending airmen to Ranger School in 1955; since then, around 350 have graduated from the course, according to the service.

Roughly 40% of service members who attempt Ranger School graduate, the service said. To help prepare, the Air Force developed a type of Ranger Assessment Course in the mid-1980s in an attempt to send the best candidates who were most likely to succeed.

The next Air Force Ranger Assessment Course, or RAC, is set for early spring at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas, according to the service, and airmen and Guardians from any career field can attend the 19-day prep school.

"While the majority of Ranger School attendees come from combat arms career fields, individuals from other Air Force specialty codes can also attend if they meet the necessary prerequisites and requirements," Gabriel Rodriguez, readiness training and RAC program manager at the Air Force Security Forces Center, said in the release.

Last year, for the first time ever, a Space Force Guardian also graduated from the two-month course, clearing the requirements of the physical training and exercises.

Capt. Daniel Reynolds, with the 4th Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, graduated from Ranger School at Fort Moore, Georgia, in October.

Reynolds graduating from Ranger School was not only a first for the Space Force, but bucked criticisms and stereotypes that Guardians aren't as active as members of the other military service branches.

Reynolds encouraged Guardians and airmen to think long and hard on why they'd want to attend.

"A significant proportion of people who fail the course do so because they arrived without deciding that the experience was something that their life needed," Reynolds said in the release. "Take the time to decide for yourself what your reasons for Ranger School are, and how important joining the community is to you. When you're more cold, wet, tired and hungry than you've ever been in your life, those reasons will be what you will lean on to carry you through."

Related: Guardian Gets Ranger Tab in First-Ever Achievement for Space Force
Car enthusiasts and the military community are coming together over one U.S. service member's wild car-buying experience. The saga revolves around an unnamed service member overseas, a shady dealership and a very special Dodge Challenger -- and don't worry, it has a happy ending.

The story begins on Dec. 26, 2023, when automotive YouTuber Butter Da Insider posted a video recounting the story of a U.S. service member who, according to the video, had recently purchased the exclusive Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 for $124,741. The buyer is currently deployed to Iraq, so his wife and father were planning on picking up the car from the Mac Haik dealership on his behalf in early January 2024. Instead, the service member discovered that the dealer sold the car out from under him in what now appears to be a frenzy of markups and quick sales without regard for who had originally ordered the limited-edition vehicles.

The story sparked outrage among fellow auto enthusiasts and military veterans on YouTube and garnered substantial media coverage in the car world; after all, nobody likes seeing an active-duty service member screwed over, let alone one deployed overseas.

"I want to see if Mr. Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Dodge and the person who constantly reminds us of 'the Brotherhood', and Mr. Mac Haik, CEO of Haik Enterprises, will you guys act and make the situation right?" Butter Da Insider asked in his initial video. "Or will you sit around and let your employees backstab an active member of the military that's currently deployed in the Middle East?"

Keep in mind that the car in question is not your average Challenger, and the service member couldn't just pick another one off the lot or take his business to another dealership. The Demon 170 is the fastest production car in company history and a passionate sendoff to a model that is no longer in production. The car's supercharged V8 produces 1,025 horsepower and 945 pound-feet of torque, fires drivers from zero to 60 mph in 1.66 seconds, and crushes the quarter mile in 8.91 seconds at 151.17 mph. For the uninitiated, numbers like that are all but unheard-of in the world of production vehicles.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 isnt just fast at the drag strip; it sells out of inventory pretty fast, too. (Dodge)

According to auto journalist Patrick Rall at StellPower, who claims to have spoken to the service member in question, there wasn't another car in the country that matched what the buyer had ordered, namely an F8 Green paint job and a list of special-order options. To complicate matters, production of the Challenger had already ceased, so Dodge couldn't just build another one.

Fortunately for the screwed-over service member, one of the people following this catastrophe was Kuniskis, the aforementioned CEO of Dodge whom Butter Da Insider challenged to make the situation right -- and he was clearly not pleased with the way things were shaking out.

As it turned out, Kuniskis had reserved 40 SRT Demon 170s for a contest to reward high-performing dealerships, and StellPower reports that Kuniskis recalled one of those vehicles, set it aside for the service member and offered customization -- including a new factory paint job -- through the company's $30,000 Jailbreak program at no cost. Oh, and the car is set to be sold at MSRP with no dealer markup. All in all, StellPower reports that the current deal is better for the service member than the original purchase by about $80,000.

The service member ordered his Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 in a color called F8 Green, an excellent choice. (Dodge)

It's nice to know that Dodge, already the most popular automotive brand among service members and veterans, stands behind the military community in a meaningful way, but it's not where the story ends: The service member is still deployed and has yet to take possession of the car. And when that happens, it won't be a routine transaction at a local dealership. Instead, Dodge plans to bring the service member to Jay Leno's legendary private garage where he can take the keys in style.



This isn't the first time a service member has felt wronged by a car dealership. Everyone who serves or has served in the military probably knows someone who got a raw deal from a salesman who took advantage of their inexperience and government-backed paycheck. But this story is a welcome reminder that there are still people in the business who genuinely care about service members and will go to great lengths to take care of them.

Kudos to Dodge CEO Timothy Kuniskis, congratulations to the service member on his epic new ride, and cheers to hilariously powerful American V8s. The Brotherhood of Muscle is alive and well.

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Veterans leaving the military should always prepare as much as possible for the civilian job market. No matter how long they've served, military members should get every bit of education and training benefit they can for their chosen career while on active duty. It just makes sense; after separating, a lot of benefits are no longer available.

Some of those benefits include industry certifications in areas like project management, Amazon Web Services, wealth management and more -- so many more. But even after leaving the military, there are many, many organizations that want to help, and some will even help you find a job when those certifications are complete.

Should you take every certification class available? Absolutely not. But you should be prepared with the certifications necessary for your chosen career. Here are a few places to get them for free.

1. Military COOL

This is not a snarky clapback; "COOL" stands for Credentialing Opportunities On-Line, and it's available for members of every branch to learn about the civilian qualifications, apprenticeships and licensing requirements necessary to do their military job (or actually, any job) in the civilian world. Once they know what certifications they need, military members can apply for vouchers to pay for eligible credentialing exams, recertification fees and maintenance fees.

COOL is open to officers and enlisted alike at the DoD COOL portal.

2. United Services Military Apprenticeship Program

Many skilled trade careers in America come with civilian apprenticeship requirements. This program, called USMAP for short, allows active-duty service members to complete the requirements for their chosen career field while still serving in the military. Once completed, certificates are provided through the Department of Labor.

Check out eligible trades and requirements at the USMAP portal.

3. American College of Financial Services

Many sectors and industries require certifications, and the wealth management industry is one of them. For those with an interest in becoming a wealth management, financial services or retirement income certified professional, the ACFS has you covered. It also has programs for education and underwriting. Find out more by reaching out to ACFS' Center for Military and Veterans Affairs.

4. Act Now Education's "3 CERT"

Transitioning military members, veterans, spouses and dependents can get a well-rounded jump on civilian life with the 3 CERT Program, which offers eight weeks of job preparation training, a tailored business suit, headshots, resume writing assistance, an employment workshop, mock interviews and job placement assistance. It also provides industry certification training, preparation and exam vouchers for CompTIA Security+ or Splunk, Professional Scrum Master, PMI Project Management or CompTIA Project+.

5. Act Now Education "CERT2SUCCESS"

Similar to Act Now's 3 CERT program, this option is slightly more streamlined and offers different certification programs. The CERT2SUCCESS certification also works similarly with training and prep courses, capped with an exam voucher. Candidates can study ISC Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), CYBERAB Certified Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Professional (CPP), Professional Scrum Master, PMI Project Management Professional, or a cloud or cybersecurity-related certification.

Act Now Education also offers military-connected persons free access to Coursera, which has more than 7,000 online courses, including certifications in IBM and Google Cloud development. Learn how to get free Coursera access here.

6. NPower

NPower's mission is to help military veterans and underserved communities launch digital careers. Vets can master the fundamentals of the information technology world through its certifications in IT, cloud computing and cybersecurity. NPower also offers a SkillBridge association for veterans still on active duty and includes 16 weeks of instructor-led training, opportunities for internships and certifications, mentoring and job placement assistance.

7. Onward to Opportunity

It should come as no surprise that the private sector is looking for the veteran work ethic. In teaming with Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), corporations help veterans transition and find career pathways through the IVMF Onward to Opportunity program. Veterans start by taking a career development course and then can move into training and certification programs in CISSP, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Project+, CCNA, PMP and more.

8. Purdue University Northwest

This program is actually open to all American citizens and permanent residents and offers some cybersecurity certifications in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence and digital forensics, as well as tried-and-true fields like system administration CompTIA A+, CompTIA Linux+, CompTIA Security+ and more.

Click here to learn more about applying.

9. Agile for Patriots

Veterans and military spouses can get no-cost certifications and training through Dallas-based nonprofit Agile for Patriots. "Agile" doesn't mean the nonprofit is quick-moving (though it might be). Agile refers to the project management technique and its certification requirements. Learn to become a certified Agile Scrum Master by starting on the Agile for Patriots website.

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Be sure to get the latest news about post-military careers as well as critical info about veteran jobs and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox.
The Nationals havent made many notable acquisitions this offseason. They signed middle reliever Dylan Floro and former top prospect Nick Senzel to affordable one-year pacts and plucked infielder Nasim Nunez from the Marlins in the Rule 5 draft. Its not all that surprising that a still-rebuilding Washington team coming off a 71-91 showing hasnt been aggressive, but GM Mike Rizzo had suggested at the Winter Meetings the team was open to a multi-year free agent pickup in the right situation (link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com).

With all of $4.25MM in free agent spending committed to Floro and Senzel, there should still be financial room at Rizzos disposal. That doesnt guarantee theyll hand out any kind of significant deal, particularly with a lack of great options in the middle tiers of free agency. Yet itd be a surprise if the Nationals were finished with their offseason activity. One area where some kind of addition seems likely: a left-handed bat.

Both the Talk Nats blog and MLB.coms Jessica Camerato suggested in late December that Washington was looking to bring in left-handed power. The Nats best lefty or switch-hitting bats  CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz, Luis Garcia and Jake Alu  all have middling pop. Only the Guardians had a lower ISO (slugging minus batting average) against right-handed pitching in 2023. Acquiring a lefty power source makes plenty of sense.

Its hard to see Washington spending at the level itd take to land Cody Bellinger. Even though hes young enough to be a veteran cornerstone for a team that could more realistically seek to compete by 2025, the Nationals have a pair of top center field prospects in James Wood and Dylan Crews. Theyre also still faced with the MASN rights uncertainty and on the hook for significant money to Patrick Corbin, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzers deferrals in the short term. Its probably not the right time for a top-of-the-market splash.

Well look a few tiers down. Where might that search lead Rizzo and company?

Free Agency

Brandon Belt Joey Meneses (coming off a league average offensive showing) stands in the way.

(coming off a league average offensive showing) stands in the way. Joc Pederson top 15 rate in the majors. Pederson is a limited player. Hes best served as a DH and is mostly limited to facing right-handed pitching. He still has life in the bat, though, even if last years results were underwhelming.

top 15 rate in the majors. Pederson is a limited player. Hes best served as a DH and is mostly limited to facing right-handed pitching. He still has life in the bat, though, even if last years results were underwhelming. Eddie Rosario

Joey Gallo

Trade Possibilities

Its tougher to identify great fits on the trade market in the absence of many clear rebuilding teams. The Nationals could theoretically take a bigger swing at a player with an extended control window (e.g. Alec Burleson, Jesus Sanchez). Thats not an easy task to pull off, particularly since Washington is probably reluctant to part with significant prospect talent. There are a few veteran bats whod make some sense as speculative trade candidates for a lesser return.

Josh Bell Juan Soto trade. Bell has changed uniforms twice more since that deadline blockbuster, signing with the Guardians before being flipped to the Marlins last summer. The switch-hitting first baseman struggled in Cleveland (.233/.318/.383) but generally turned things around in South Florida (.270/.338/.480). That reasonably strong finish wasnt enough for Bell to forego a $16.5MM player option for the upcoming season. It stands to reason the Fish would be happy to get out from under the bulk of that deal if the Nationals were interested in a reunion.

trade. Bell has changed uniforms twice more since that deadline blockbuster, signing with the Guardians before being flipped to the Marlins last summer. The switch-hitting first baseman struggled in Cleveland (.233/.318/.383) but generally turned things around in South Florida (.270/.338/.480). That reasonably strong finish wasnt enough for Bell to forego a $16.5MM player option for the upcoming season. It stands to reason the Fish would be happy to get out from under the bulk of that deal if the Nationals were interested in a reunion. Seth Brown didnt expect to trade Brown. Thats presumably more about Oakland feeling that other teams wont meet their ask than an indication they wouldnt consider offers on a 31-year-old platoon player. Brown is a career .237/.305/.471 hitter against right-handed pitching. He can play first base or the corner outfield and is under arbitration control for three seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts him for a $2.4MM salary.

didnt expect to trade Brown. Thats presumably more about Oakland feeling that other teams wont meet their ask than an indication they wouldnt consider offers on a 31-year-old platoon player. Brown is a career .237/.305/.471 hitter against right-handed pitching. He can play first base or the corner outfield and is under arbitration control for three seasons. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts him for a $2.4MM salary. Mike Yastrzemski : Yastrzemski is projected for a $7.3MM salary in his second-to-last arbitration season. He hit 15 homers in 381 plate appearances a year ago, running a .233/.330/.445 line overall. The Giants arent likely to urgently shop Yastrzemski, but the singing of Jung Hoo Lee pushes him from center field to the corner opposite Michael Conforto. Trading Mitch Haniger paved the way for a Lee, Conforto, Yastrzemski outfield supplemented by righty-hitting Austin Slater, but the Giants also have Luis Matos, Wade Meckler and Heliot Ramos as options on the grass.

Minor League Deal Candidates

Each of these players has turned in above-average offense from the left side in their careers. None hit free agency under great circumstances. Choi had an injury-plagued 2023 campaign that kept him to 39 games without much production. The other four players were either non-tendered or elected free agency after an outright.

Meadows has missed most of the past two seasons attending to anxiety; it is unclear if hell be in position to return next year. Ford and Vogelbach are largely limited to DH, while Walsh hasnt been the same since he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in 2022. None of these players are likely to be Washingtons top acquisition, but theyd be viable depth targets if the Nats wanted a second lefty bat on a minor league or low-cost MLB pact.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. To include persons wishing to vote outside of the country in the voter lists, the applicable electoral districts have been approved, said Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan Rovzat Gasimov during the meeting of the CEC, Trend reports.

On December 7, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on holding an extraordinary presidential election in the country on February 7, 2024.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
SOUTHFIELD, MI  A Michigan couple, the parents of six children, were killed over the weekend in a head-on crash with a stolen pickup truck that was fleeing from state police near Detroit, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

Ryan Ambrosio, 45, and Jennifer Dormitorio Ambrosio, 43, both of Farmington Hills, were pronounced dead at the scene, the report said.

The Ambrosio children range in age from 2 to 9. A GoFundMe set up for their benefit has raised more than $230,000 as of 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9.

RELATED: 2 killed, 2 injured after stolen truck chase ends in head-on crash in Detroit

The suspect vehicle was traveling the wrong way on Lodge Freeway near Civic Center Drive in Southfield with its headlights off when it crashed into the victims GMC Terrain around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. The Ambrosios were on their way home from a date night.

The 35-year-old male driver and a 29-year-old female passenger of the stolen truck were seriously injured in the crash and were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The case has been handed over to the Oakland County prosecutor for possible charges.
AUBURN HILLS, MI  A Michigan aquarium is celebrating the arrival of a new shark species.

The two Epaulette sharks named Rosie and Riveter made their public debut at Sea Life Michigan Aquarium in Auburn Hills this month. This species (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is a brand-new addition to the aquariums family of sharks, bringing the total number of species up to six.

Epaulette sharks are unique because theyre often seen walking on the ocean floor with their fins rather than swimming. This adaptation, along with their slender bodies, allows them to easily navigate around coral reefs and other intricate habitats.

They get their name from the black circles behind their pectoral fins that resemble military epaulettes.

Their favorite food is squid, said Jordyn Wilson, marine biologist at Sea Life Michigan Aquarium. Theyre trained to feed off a pole, so well be able to make sure theyre getting the right amount of food and vitamins.

Rosie and Riveter arrive at the facility at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets from the Chicago-areas Brookfield Zoo. Guests will find the new sharks walking on the sandy bottom of the Stingray Bay exhibit among other sharks, stingrays, a 6-foot green moray eel and dozens of tropical fish.

In addition to Epaulette, the five other shark species guests can meet at Sea Life include: Nurse Shark, Dwarf Nurse Shark, White Spotted Bamboo Shark, Blacktip Reef Shark, and Coral Catshark.

Sea Life Michigan is a 26,000-square-foot aquarium. It is the 7th Sea Life location in the United States, and the 42nd in the world. It features 1,500 creatures, including sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, rescued green sea turtles and more.
SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI  An investigation is ongoing into a police shooting at a Michigan apartment complex this morning, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

A Shelby Township Police officer shot someone at Shelby Oaks Apartments near West Utica and Mound roads in Shelby Township, near Detroit, the report said.

Details are limited. The circumstances of the shooting are unclear. No information has been released regarding injuries or the shooting victims identity.

The Macomb County Sheriffs Office is investigating the incident, the report said.
WEXFORD COUNTY, MI  A Michigan man has been charged after he reportedly shot a service dog he thought was a coyote.

Michigan State Police in Cadillac say the incident occurred on an improved driveway near N. 33 Road in Wexford Countys Colfax Township at approximately 5:20 p.m. on Nov. 27.

Troopers said the man and his dog, an American Kennel Club registered German Shepherd named Smokey, were approximately 1,000 feet from their home when the dog was shot while walking off leash about 12 feet in front of the owner.

Smokey was wearing a black collar, and the owner was wearing an illuminated headlamp, police said.

The owner said he heard an extremely loud gunshot and heard Smokey yelp before he spun in a circle, fell and died.

The owner yelled Hey you just shot my dog and later confronted a man leaving the area in a truck. He was later identified as 65-year-old Douglas Alan Barnes of Harriette

Barnes told the owner and police he thought he had shot a coyote. Troopers seized his firearm, a 7MM Browning Model 81 lever action rifle with a Bushnell Banner Power Scope set on 3-times zoom.

Police said it was approximately 104 yards from where Barnes said he was hunting to the center of the driveway where Smokey was shot. A search of the scopes model number indicates at 100 yards, the field of view at 3X zoom is 40 feet, police said.

A report was submitted to the Wexford County Prosecutors Office and an arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 29. Barnes turned himself in at the Wexford County Jail on Jan. 5.

He was arraigned in the 84th District Court in Wexford County for klling/torturing animals and reckless/negligent use of firearm. His next scheduled court appearance is at 2 p.m. on Jan. 23.
A Florida man is facing charges after allegedly hiding a 16-year-old girl in his home with plans to marry her, police said.

Investigators used information from the online video game World of Warcraft to the missing Ohio girl, WCJB/Gray News reports. She had logged in at a home in Dunnellon, Fla. The residence belongs to 31-year-old Thomas Ebersole who was also logged in at that location.

When police confronted Ebersole at his home, he initially denied knowing the victim but eventually revealed that she was hiding there, and he planned to make her his wife, the report said. He also admitted that he had driven to Ohio to meet her and bring her back to Florida.

Ebersole was arrested and lodged at Marion County Jail. He is charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, interfering with the custody of a minor and sheltering an unmarried minor, the report said. He was denied bond.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- A 26-year-old man was found dead at a Milan-area prison on Monday, according to prison officials.

Romio Xavier Hawkins, 26, was found dead around noon Jan. 8, at the Federal Correctional Institution Milan, 4004 Arkona Road in York Charter Township, according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
CHELSEA, MI - Utility rates for electricity are going up in Chelsea for the first time in more than four and a half years.

Chelsea City Council voted on Monday, Jan. 8, to OK a range of cost hikes for customers of Chelsea Light and Power  increases recommended by an outside consultant to stabilize the five-year financial outlook of the city utility.
A bartender smiles as she serves up cocktails on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at Flint's new downtown rooftop bar Simmer, located on the sixth floor of the Hilton Garden Inn. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May
MONTCALM COUNTY, MI  A man was seriously injured in a crash when his truck went off the road and later rolled several times before coming to a stop, Montcalm County sheriffs deputies said.

The mans injuries were considered life-threatening, police said.

Sheriffs deputies were called just before 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, to a rollover vehicle crash along U.S. 131, near M-82, in Reynolds Township.

Police said a 55-year-old Benson, Arizona man was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck northbound on U.S. 131 when the vehicle went off the right side of the road. The truck exited the road between the off-ramp and the travel lanes of the highway.

After the pickup left the road, it struck an embankment and overturned several times before coming to a rest on its passenger side.

The man was extricated from the vehicle and taken to an area hospital for treatment.

A witness told police they saw the truck driving erratically right before the crash. The driver did not appear to be wearing his seatbelt and alcohol is believed to be a factor, police said.

The crash remains under investigation.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  With early, in-person voting in the presidential primary election starting in nearly a month, heres how, when and where you can vote early in Grand Rapids.

Early, in-person voting in Grand Rapids for the Feb. 27 presidential primary begins Feb. 17 and ends Feb. 25.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Azerbaijan is worldwide recognized as a tolerant country, veteran and honorary officer of the security agencies of Azerbaijan, Colonel Azer Garayev told Trend, commenting on the report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

"Azerbaijan has established equal opportunities for representatives of all religious denominations. Nonetheless, the US State Department is attempting to disregard these realities," said Garayev.

Garayev noted that the Armenian lobby is behind anti-Azerbaijani statements and reports in the US in most cases.

"The US State Department report is not an exception in this regard. It was prepared by an Armenian nationalist, one of the leaders of the Armenian Assembly of the US Daniela Ashbakhyan. This is one of the reasons why the report contains biased views regarding Azerbaijan," he said.

He noted that representatives of religious confessions in Azerbaijan, and people of different faiths sharply condemned this biased act by the US.

"They voiced the actual situation in Azerbaijan. There are enough of their interviews on this matter for national and foreign media," Garayev said.

According to him, the State Department, on the one hand, points to non-existent problems in its report and, on the other hand, ignores obvious facts.

"For some reason, the US State Department does not want to see that Armenia has kept the territory of Azerbaijan under occupation for almost 30 years and destroyed and vandalized religious monuments," Garayev added.

Garayev also emphasized that the safety of its citizens is a key concern for the Azerbaijani state.

"We have witnessed more than once that certain radical groups and their patrons, under the cover of religion, tried to create a threat to the Azerbaijani government and erode its security. All these attempts were immediately stopped thanks to the vigilance of Azerbaijani security bodies, and this will continue to be the case. The fight against religious radicalism and extremism in our country will always be at a high level. The US State Department should not mislead the international community with its biased reports," he concluded.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  No one wouldve expected Dustin Rhines to be standing before a federal judge accused in a conspiracy to alter emissions controls on heavy-duty diesel engines.

He had dreamed of becoming a diesel-engine mechanic. He jumped at the chance to join Diesel Freak in Gaylord.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Political commentator and author Melissa Harris-Perry will deliver the keynote address Monday at a Grand Rapids event commemorating the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Harris-Perry is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, the federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader at an annual MLK Day event hosted by Grand Valley State University, Davenport University and Grand Rapids Community College.

The event, now in its 38th year, is free and open to the public and will take place at the Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. in downtown Grand Rapids.

This is the 38th year for the annual MLK Day celebration. The first federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was celebrated in 1986. Former President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law creating the holiday in 1983. However, it wasnt until 2000 that all 50 states observed it for the first time.

Harris-Perry is the author of the award-winning books Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, and Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes and Black Women in America.

She is also the founder and president of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, an independent organization that aims to advance justice through intersectional scholarship and action, according to her website.

Harris-Perry currently serves as the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University in the Department of Politics and International Affairs, the Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and the Program in Environment and Sustainability.

Previously, Harris-Perry was the host and managing editor of The Takeaway, a daily public radio broadcast and podcast from WNYC Studios that ran for 15 years before it ended last summer. She also hosted a political talk show on MSNBC from 2012-2016, according to her biography on the Wake Forest website.

Higher education leaders say they hope Harris-Perrys address will bring unity to the West Michigan community by offering insight into the relevance of Kings messages today.

At a time when our world is filled with violence and conflict, its more important than ever to reflect on and be inspired by the life and lessons of Dr. King, GVSU President Philomena Mantella said in a statement. Higher education plays an important role in developing inclusivity and equity and were honored to partner with GRCC and Davenport on this important event.

GRCC President Charles Lepper said he encourages the West Michigan community to reflect on Kings life and legacy and look for ways to create a more just and equitable society.

By joining forces, we have the power to cultivate a profound sense of belonging and establish an inclusive, hospitable, and respectful environment not only within our campuses but also across the globe, Lepper said in a statement.

Kings leadership was instrumental to the success of the Civil Rights Movement. He led nonviolent protests such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott (Dec. 5, 1955, to Dec. 20, 1956) and the 1963 March on Washington. In 1964, he was the youngest to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at 35 for his nonviolent campaign against racism.

Davenport President Richard Pappas said that despite societal struggles playing out nationwide, he is encouraged that West Michigan can come together as a community and commit to inclusivity and diversity.

We find strength in our joint mission to keep fighting injustice and magnifying what we know to be good and what we hear in Dr. Kings timeless message, Pappas said.

Sponsors for this years event include Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Consumers Energy, Corewell Health, Foster Swift, Mercantile Bank and Warner Norcross and Judd, according to a news release from GVSU.

Harris-Perry has several talks scheduled across the state in honor of MLK Day next week. She will be the keynote speaker at GVSUs MLK Day event at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the Kirkhof Center, located at 1 Campus Dr. in Allendale, in the Grand River Room.

She is also scheduled to deliver the keynote address at an MLK Day event at Saginaw Valley State University on Wednesday, Jan. 17. The 15th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Celebration is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts at Saginaw Valley State University. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested.
ROCKFORD, MI -- Fans of the fantasy series Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas will have a chance to get a limited-edition copy of the newest book next month.

A midnight release party is planned as part of the excitement for the upcoming book at the Grand Rapids-area library.
JACKSON COUNTY, MI  Organizations in Jackson County are gearing up for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with celebrations, speakers and community dinners.

The official MLK Day holiday is Monday, Jan. 15. Here are some of the 2024 events taking place on that day and throughout the weekend before.

MLK Diversity Breakfast

The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual MLK Diversity Breakfast from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the American 1 Credit Union Event Center, 128 W. Ganson St., at Keeley Park/Jackson County Fairgrounds

The event will honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., while also promoting community collaboration and motivating youth for excellence, according to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerces website.

This years community celebration features Jackson Native Aidan Sova, who serves on the Growing Michigan Together Council for the state of Michigan as well as the board of trustees for the Ann Arbor District Library.

This years event also includes a video presentation showcasing childrens artwork that represents the work of Martin Luther King Jr., a project created by Jackson School of the Arts.

Registration is required to attend and can be made here. Individual tickets cost $75 each.

More information can be found on the MLK Diversity Celebrations website.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Remembrance

The Jackson County Branch NAACP No. 3142 is hosting a Morning of Remembrance for Martin Luther King, Jr. at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at Lily Missionary Baptist Church, 1117 WG Wade Dr.

The event will feature keynote speaker the Rev. Michael Young of Leslie Congregational United Church of Christ. The theme is I Am Not Done Dreaming Yet, according to the events Facebook page.

The event is a free and open to the public. Donations are accepted and will go toward the Harold White, Sr. Scholarship Fund which benefits College Students of Color with financial assistance, according to the Facebook page.

Dungytreei Heritage Foundation MLK Celebration

The Dungytreei Heritage Foundation is hosting a free MLK Community Dinner at 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1107 Adrian St.

The event will include keynote speakers Kelly Higgins, a Jackson High School senior accepted at Harvard, as well as Larry Green, Maurice Imhoff, Farina Brooks and Golden Gibson. There will also be music performance and face painting for kids.

Transportation is provided by texting 517-240-3511 or by sending an email to care@dungytreeiheritagefoundation.org.

More information can be found on the events Facebook page.

Did we miss something?

If you have information on another Martin Luther King Jr. event in Jackson County or surrounding area thats not listed here and would like to have added to this list, email Chloe Miller at cmiller@mlive.com.

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BARRY COUNTY, MI  A 40-year-old Barry Township man is facing multiple charges stemming from a December icident that prosecutors and police are calling domestic terrorism.

Christopher Charles Mickey, 40, has been charged with false report or threat of terrorism, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, fleeing and eluding a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon and reckless driving, according to court records.
LAWTON, MI -- A senior care facility in Southwest Michigan was cited for violations after an inspector found residents living there were not given their medication as prescribed by their doctors.

Inspectors came to White Oaks, an assisted living and memory care facility at 300 White Oak Road in Lawton in July 2023 to interview staff and look at records, which resulted in violations. The facility violated a rule that says medication must be given or taken pursuant to label instructions, according to state documents.

White Oaks I and White Oaks II, units where seniors live at the facility, were both cited in violation of the rule on Aug. 11, 2023. Each are licensed as an Adult large group home with a capacity of up to 20 people.

Medication administration records revealed multiple residents were chronically out of medications for multiple days and weeks for at least four months, the state of Michigan violation says.

A state inspector found multiple medication issues, as shown below.

A review of Medication Administrations Records (MARs) shows residents were put of medications for several days per month over a span of months. (LARA violation screenshot)LARA violation

The states corrective action modified White Oaks license to provisional status, Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Spokesman Jeffrey Wattrick told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.

Provisional license means the facility is temporarily unable to conform to the requirements of a regular license prescribed in state law. The provisional permit temporarily allows a licensee to conform with licensing requirements.

The facility license cannot be renewed if it does not correct the issues, Wattrick said.

LARA takes these violations very seriously as the health and safety of people are of paramount concern, Wattrick said in an email responding to questions from MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.

White Oaks is about 20 miles southwest of Kalamazoo in Van Buren County.

White Oaks is working directly with the state regulatory agency to address concerns that have been presented, White Oaks Executive Director Kathleen Sparrow-Dinzik said in a written message. The facility would not comment on some specifics because of privacy concerns, she said.

White Oaks developed and submitted a corrective plan to the state as required, Sparrow-Dinzik said.

We value the guidance of the agency and what they do to help provide support and oversight to communities, Sparrow-Dinzik said, adding that White Oaks has a long history of compliance with regulations.

The facility is working with medical and pharmacy partners to ensure it can deliver medications to residents timely and appropriately based on physician prescriptions, she said.

We have taken this opportunity to enhance our training and internal oversight to ensure we meet resident and family needs, Sparrow-Dinzik said.

Medication errors are cited often in Michigan, Wattrick said. The agency can not provide a count of how often the issue happens in Michigan, because its database is not capable of being that specific, Wattrick said.

One resident who experienced the medication errors was Virginia Allen, according to her daughter, Nanette Townsend. Allen was moved into White Oaks in spring 2022 at age 84 after being diagnosed with dementia and developing a need for memory care.

Townsend now questions the choice after learning her late mother was not given her prescribed medication at times.

Townsends complaints about medication errors helped spur the investigation and eventual state violations. The violations confirmed multiple residents did not receive medications as prescribed.

Allen died Nov. 7, 2022.

Soon after moving to White Oaks, Allen began complaining to Townsend that she was having bad heartburn. It caught Townsends attention because her mother was prescribed medication for it.

Allen was being treated for congestive heart failure and had been on hospice before her death, Townsend said. Besides the heartburn medication, Allen was on a heart valve replacement medication among others, Townsend said.

Townsend did not report the issue to the state until after her moms death, fearing her mother may face unfair treatment.

Townsend shared her concerns with state of Michigan regulators in June 2023. Inspectors came to the facility in July to interview staff and look at records, resulting in several violations.

Townsend wonders if her mother would have had a higher quality of life in her final days if the family would have taken her to a facility other than White Oaks.

I was extremely angry, Townsend said about finding out her mother was not being given medications.

She urges people to check in on their loved ones personally to ensure they are getting their medications.

The Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive now offers free email news alerts. Click here to sign up for alerts or for the daily 3@3 Kalamazoo roundup of news. Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page here.
MUSKEGON, MI  Problems started brewing after a man learned his ex-wife was allowing the couples two-year-old child to be around the womans new boyfriend  a registered sex offender.

Roughly three weeks before that man  Julius Muhammad  was killed, a judge granted Muhammads request that the child couldnt live or be around the offender, Glenn Davis.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  Removal of mute swans in Muskegon Lake, possibly by sharpshooters, has been endorsed by the cities of Muskegon and North Muskegon.

The nonnative mute swans are considered an invasive species that aggressively drive out other waterfowl, including ducks, loons, geese and native trumpeter swans.
NEWAYGO COUNTY, MI  A Newaygo County man could face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of being in possession of an explosive with unlawful intent.

Luke Isaac Terpstra, 30, was arraigned in 78th District Court on one count of explosives - posession of bombs with unlawful intent, Newaygo County Prosecutor Worth Stay announced Monday, Jan. 18.
Checks should soon be going out to Michigan workers wrongly accused of unemployment fraud.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29 to settle a $20 million class action lawsuit brought against the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency in 2015. If approved by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Douglas Shapiro, more than 3,000 people will get settlement checks later this year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. The father of Frenchman Martin Ryan, who was arrested in Azerbaijan on suspicion of espionage, has revealed that his son was involved in espionage.

In an interview with the AFP news agency, Martin's father, Richard, let slip that during a phone conversation with his son, Martin noticed a link between his case and the diplomatic tension between France and Azerbaijan.

"One day he told me: they wanted to use me as a pawn," explained Richard Ryan, highlighting that his son "hinted at two exiled diplomats, thinking they could get away with it".

The question arises: how could French intelligence officers, who were expelled for espionage and had diplomatic immunity, want to use Martin Ryan "as a pawn"?

Azerbaijani authorities arrested Martin Ryan on espionage charges on December 4, 2023. The CEO of the Baku-based company Merkorama LLC Martin Ryan was manipulated by the French agent of the 2nd DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), who engaged him in secret cooperation and was subsequently expelled from Baku.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to France Leyla Abdullayeva revealed that judicial authorities ordered his detention for a period of four months, adding that the French Embassy in Baku was immediately notified of the arrest.

Investigations and arrests carried out by the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan in early December 2023 resulted in the exposure in Azerbaijan of an extensive network of agents of French intelligence services.

Dozens of French spies were identified in a short period, some of whom had been operating in Azerbaijan at one point or another, and some of whom continued to work undercover in various countries and reputable international organizations.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva has made a statement on the special report published by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom on Azerbaijan in 2023 and the inclusion of Azerbaijan in a special watch list of the US State Department, Trend reports.

Aliyeva stated that members of many religions have traditionally lived in a peaceful and cordial environment in Azerbaijan. Multiculturalism and tolerance have lately been embraced as governmental policies, and the country has implemented a number of steps to promote interreligious dialogue. Moreover, Article 25 of Azerbaijan's Constitution prohibits restrictions on human and civil rights and freedoms based on race, religion, language, sex, origin, creed, ethnic, political, or social association.

"It is no surprise that Azerbaijan is one of the world's most religiously tolerant countries, with an exceptional model of multiculturalism and interreligious dialogue and no incidences of antisemitism or other religious prejudice. Along with mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches, including an Armenian church, and Jewish synagogues operate in our country as places of worship for believers," she said.

"Clear signs of this fact include the establishment of conditions for people to freely hold their religious views, the high degree of protection of the right to freedom of conscience, and the virtually perfect absence of complaints to the Ombudsman on this matter," the ombudsman continued.

"In this regard, in the annual report on the state of religious freedoms in the countries of the world, prepared by the US Department of State, we consider it biased to mention Azerbaijan among the countries violating religious freedom," she added.

Once again, we state that the information contained in this report about our country has no basis; we consider it important to conduct a responsible, realistic, and fact-based analysis, not allowing double standards in preparing such documents," Alieyeva said.

The Ombudsman also added that despite what was mentioned in the report, for many years Azerbaijan suffered from the policy of occupation, ethnic cleansing of Armenia, and mass destruction of religious-historical monuments belonging to our people. We would like to remind once again those who compiled this report that numerous cemeteries belonging to Azerbaijanis have been destroyed and desecrated, including mosques and places of worship, as well as the falsification of religious monuments, on lands that have been under occupation for almost 30 years, including now in the territory of Armenia.

"These facts give grounds to say that behind the report prepared by the US State Department, there is a biased policy aimed at creating a prejudiced opinion about Azerbaijan in the world community," said the ombudsman.

Azerbaijani ombudsman constantly draws attention to ensuring equal rights for all, regardless of religion, language, race, and other grounds. At the same time, Azerbaijan builds its policy based on the principle "No one should be left behind" reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the concept of uniting efforts of all for the sake of further strengthening the existing stability, multicultural and tolerant environment in the country, and friendly and brotherhood relations between local peoples.

"As the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, I would like to emphasize once again that the publication of such groundless and biased reports and statements by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom is unacceptable," said the statement.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The fire outbreak in the Republican Perinatal Center in Baku is related to electricity, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev told reporters, Trend reports.

According to preliminary data, the children who died in the fire received burns. After the examination, it will become clear whether the causes of their death are the result of burns or suffocation, Aliyev noted.

The fire occurred at the Republican Perinatal Center located on Yusif Safarov Street in the Khatai district of Baku. As a result of the fire, three people were hospitalized in the toxicology department of the Clinical Medical Center due to smoke inhalation.

They received necessary medical services, and their condition is stable; they are planned to be discharged for outpatient treatment.

In the Republican Perinatal Center's neonatal intensive care unit, the bodies of four infants undergoing treatment were found.

The Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case under Articles 225.3 (Violation of fire safety rules resulting in the unintentional death of two or more persons) and 314.3 (Negligence resulting in the death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce a one-year non-degree program in three fields  Digital Media and Communications, Agriculture, and/or Tourism and Hospitality Management, hosted by a community college in the United States. The program is fully funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Up to four Azerbaijani students will be selected for the program, which will be offered for a year from July 2024 to June 2025. It will also include a pre-program orientation in June 2024. The selected students will study at a community college in the United States alongside other American and international students. This is a non-degree program. Students will be expected to return to Azerbaijan upon the completion of the program. The U.S. State Department will provide tuition and financial assistance for the duration of the program in the United States.

*Students are not allowed to work in the United States during their studies and are highly discouraged to take upon any other courses during the program.

For more information please contact: [email protected]

Please send your documents to Gulchin Seyidova, recruitment coordinator, at

[email protected]

Please note that the subject line in your email should be: CCI - 2024

List of documents to be presented for CCI program:

Application Form (attached to this announcement) Copies of High School Diploma and Transcripts Motivation letter addressing why this program, and what the applicants interest in the chosen field is and why. Copy of ID Card or Passport English language test, if available - Students must meet minimum language requirements to enroll in credit-bearing classes Medical form will be required of selected applicants

Deadline  January 26, 2024

Eligibility:

- Nominees need to be able to demonstrate their interest in and commitment to studying in the digital media and communications track as it is described.

- Is a citizen, national or permanent resident qualified to hold a valid passport issued by Azerbaijan

- Is currently residing in Azerbaijan

- Is 18 years or older by July 1, 2024.

- Has successfully earned a secondary school diploma by the time of start of the program.

- Is a 1st or 2nd year College student.

- Nominees without substantive post-secondary education will be given placement priority.

- Applicants from an underrepresented group and/or underserved community will be given preference.

- Has demonstrated commitment to the selected field of study through some academic or professional experience. The program aims to identify participants with proven skills or interest and limited professional experience in the fields of study offered.

- Has solid working knowledge of English language

- Has limited or no overseas study experience.

- Nominees with no prior overseas study or travel to the United States will be given placement priority.

- Submits a complete original application.

- Is able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa and meet the program conditions to maintain that status.

- Is willing and physically able (with accommodations as required) to complete the program in its entirety, including activities or travel that may be programmed on any day of the week, possibly including early morning or evening hours.

- Is committed to returning to their home country after completion of the program and satisfying the J-visa two-year residency requirement.

- Is able to begin the academic exchange program in the United States in July 2024.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The US Embassy in Azerbaijan has expressed condolences, following the fire breakout in the Perinatal Center in Baku, Trend reports.

"We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the four young children who lost their lives in the fire today at the Republican Perinatal Center. We wish those who suffered related injuries a fast recovery," the embassy wrote on its page on X (Twitter).

A fire broke out at Baku's Republican Perinatal Center on the night of January 8. The center is located on Yusif Safarov Street in Baku's Khatai district. Three patients were hospitalized in the Clinic Medical Center's toxicology department as a result of smoke poisoning caused by the incident.

Their condition was determined to be stable after they received the necessary medical care. It is planned to send them home for outpatient care. Four children treated in the center's newborn intensive care unit were found dead.

The Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case under Articles 225.3 (violation of fire safety rules resulting in the death of two or more persons by negligence) and 314.3 (negligence resulting in the death of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Manish M. Suvarna is Senior Correspondent at Moneycontrol. He writes on the Indian money markets, RBI, Banks and NBFCs. He tweets at @manishsuvarna15. Contact: Manish.Suvarna@nw18.com
Meghna Mittal MEGHNA MITTAL is Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9 Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mikayil Jabbarov held an online meeting with First Vice President and Head of Client Services Group at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Jurgen Rigterink, the Ministry of Economy told Trend.

The meeting focused on projects implemented in Azerbaijan with the Bank's support, prospects of cooperation with Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC, possibilities of expansion of joint activities of the parties in the field of renewable energy sources, and improvement of the information technology ecosystem.

The Minister of Economy highlighted that Azerbaijan prioritizes the growth of relations with the Bank as well as the use of best practices and innovative technologies in cooperative projects with the EBRD. He emphasized the necessity of addressing with the EBRD important projects in the sphere of energy, particularly renewable and alternative energy, the Data Center "Government Cloud" (G-Cloud) project, and other sectors.

Jurgen Rigterink noted that the portfolio of cooperation covers important issues and globally significant initiatives by Azerbaijan to develop the partnership. The EBRD First Vice President emphasized the significance of the fact that Azerbaijan has been chosen to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) this year and expressed the Bank's willingness to support Azerbaijan in this regard.

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Sohil Sehran is a journalist with 10 years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital media. He covers politics and national affairs at Moneycontrol. He tweets @SohilSehran
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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.
Kayezad E Adajania heads the personal finance bureau at Moneycontrol. He has been covering mutual funds and personal finance for the past two decades, having worked in Mint and Outlook Money magazine. Kayezad was the founding member of Mints personal finance team when it was set up in 2009.
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Namita S Kalla is a senior journalist who writes about different aspects of modern life that include lifestyle, health, fashion, beauty, and entertainment.
Lakshadweep, India's smallest Union Territory is in the spotlight and trending on Google Search too after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the island last week.

PM Modi expressed admiration for Lakshadweep's tranquil charm. He posted pictures of his undersea exploration on microblogging site X and shared his "exhilarating experience" of the islands located in the Arabian Sea.

"For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my stay, I also tried snorkelling - what an exhilarating experience it was," he wrote.

Also Read | Maldives Fallout: MakeMyTrip, Ixigo clock massive spike in searches for Lakshadweep

But, did you know Indians too need an entry permit for Lakshadweep.

Here's why:

As per the rules, every person, who is not a native of Lakshadweep, shall have to obtain a permit. The reason for this, as per the Lakshadweep Tourism website, is to protect the Scheduled Tribes residing there.

How to Apply?

While applying online, one needs to visit the ePermit portal (https://epermit.utl.gov.in/pages/signup), create an account, and fill out the form with the necessary details.

Through this process, the expected time for you to receive the permit via e-mail is 15 days before your trip

While applying offline, one has to download the application form from the Lakshadweep Administration website or get it from the District Collectors office in Kavaratti.

After filling in the details, and attaching the documents, one has to submit them to the Collectors office. The second process may take longer.

Also Read | Top things to do in Lakshadweep as more Indians are ditching Maldives for this Indian archipelago

Documents Required





A passport-sized photograph



A photocopy of ones valid ID proof (Aadhaar card, voter ID, driver's license etc.)



Proof of travel (flight tickets or boat reservation details)



Booking confirmation from the place of accommodation



The application fee is Rs 50 per applicant, and the heritage fee is Rs 100 for children aged between 12 and 18.

For individuals above 18, the heritage fee is Rs 200.

Who is Exempted?

According to the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (Restriction on Entry and Residence) Rules, 1967, every person, who is not a native of these islands, shall have to obtain a permit in the Prescribed Form from the Competent authority, for entering into and residing in these islands. Only the Government Officials and Armed Forces members working or visiting these islands and their family members are exempted from this.

Also Read | Bollywood celebrities rally support for domestic tourism amid Lakshadweep-Maldives row
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. East North flank at Shah Deniz field of Azerbaijan is expected to be launched in early 2024, bp Azerbaijan told Trend.

"We are at final stages of preparations and expect to start up the East North flank early next year," said the company.

In total 21 wells have been drilled for Shah Deniz 2. These include five wells on the North flank, four wells on the West flank, four wells on the East South flank, five wells on the West South flank and three wells on the East North flank.

The Istiglal rig delivered the SDF03z well recompletion activity and commenced completion operations on the SDF05 well.

During the third quarter of 2023, the Shah Deniz Alpha platform rig was on warm stack.

Shah Deniz produced 24.8 billion cubic meters of gas from January through November 2023, as compared to 23 billion cubic meters in the same period in 2022. As such, the fields production rose by 4.35 percent year-on-year.

Shah Deniz participating interests are: bp (operator  29.99%), SGC (21.02%), LUKOIL (19.99%), TPAO (19.00%) and NICO (10.00%).



The proven reserves of Shah Deniz are estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas and 240 million tons of condensate.

Follow the author on X: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years.
January 09, 2024 / 11:51 AM IST

Irfan Amin Malik is a freelance journalist based in J&K. He tweets @irfanaminmalik
Tim Culpan is a technology columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. Based in Taipei, he writes about Asian and global businesses and trends. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication
Manish Anand is Delhi-based journalist. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day

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_
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, January 9. Turkiye's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, and Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister, Zheenbek Kulubaev, signed a Cooperation Program for 20242026, Trend reports.

According to Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this program outlines further advancements in collaborative efforts to strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation.

The document was signed during Turkiye's FM visit to Kyrgyzstan. During this visit, the FM's of Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye discussed the current status and prospects for further enhancing bilateral relations between the two countries.

Moreover, in Bishkek, the 6th meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Group between Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye took place. As a result of this meeting, a joint statement was adopted.

During the meeting, the sides expressed readiness to cooperate in boosting the bilateral trade levels between Kyrgyzstan and Turkiye, including through the establishment of a bilateral Kyrgyz-Turkish investment fund.

As part of the visit, meetings between Hakan Fidan and the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Zhaparov, as well as with the Speaker of the Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) of Kyrgyzstan, Nurlanbek Shakiev, are scheduled.
A cruise that offered passengers the adventure of a lifetime  a three-year voyage around the world with stops at the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, among other bucket list destinations  was abruptly cancelled weeks before it was scheduled to set sail. Now, consumers are trying to get their refunds.

Turned out, Life at Sea Cruises was missing one of the key components to make passengers dream vacation a reality  a ship.

Ships are, as you might imagine, expensive and after Life at Sea reportedly scrapped plans to refit one of its own vessels, it couldnt raise enough money to purchase a new ship, according to several media outlets that have covered the fallout from the sudden cancellation, which is drawing comparisons to the Fyre Festival debacle

Yet for months, as chaos unfolded behind the scenes, passengers who paid tens of thousands of dollars for their spot on the cruise  some withdrawing from their retirement savings or selling their home to help pay for the trip  were assured that the ship would set sail from Istanbul for its 1,095-day, 140-country journey on Nov. 1 as scheduled.

Some of those passengers became stranded in the Turkey port city.

Theres a whole lot of people right now with nowhere to go, and some need their refund to even plan a place to go  its not good right now, said one passenger in November, according to CNN

Another passenger told NPR , Some people read the headlines and think, Oh, that was a scam, but I really did my homework before I put a deposit down. For example, the passenger said she had attorneys look into the companys background.

But it wasnt enough and now she is just one of many aggrieved consumers waiting for Life at Seas to refund her.
Can you imagine an internet service-provider buying or borrowing bandwidth from an established player and selling it dirt-cheap to customers? Well, this is what is happening right now in the credit information and credit score space. Bajaj Finserv has launched Credit Pass, a credit monitoring tool that gives unlimited access to monthly credit score updates for as low as Rs59 for six months or at Rs99 for a comprehensive premium plan for 12 months. Bajaj Finserv's Credit Pass is powered by TransUnion CIBIL Ltd (formerly Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd- CIBIL), India's largest credit information company. However, CIBIL also sells its subscription plans starting from Rs550 per month to Rs1,200 for a year.

Interestingly, Bajaj Finserv's Credit Pass offers almost the same things that CIBIL provides. Bajaj Finserv's Credit Pass offers a personalised credit dashboard, monthly CIBIL score updates, credit factors tracking, credit health reports and predictive tools like a credit score simulator (under the premium plan). Anyone can subscribe to Credit Pass.

CIBIL also offers unlimited access to a dashboard, score simulator, personalised loan offers, and 24x7 credit monitoring with email and SMS alerts.

CIBIL, as a credit information company (CIC), is regulated under the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act. Bajaj Finserv, on the other hand, is an unregistered core investment company under the core investment companies (Reserve Bank of IndiaRBI) direction. Bajaj Finserv is the parent of Bajaj Finance Ltd and holds a 74% stake each in Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Ltd and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Ltd.

From the point of view of end-users or financial consumers, there are two important points to consider before buying Bajaj Finserv's Credit Pass. First and most important, while you may see your credit score updates or credit health dashboard, Bajaj Finserv cannot help you in case of wrong data or credit scores. This is because it is the job of credit information companies like CIBIL. However, CIBIL cannot make any change in the credit information report (CIR) unless the respective bank or financial institution confirms the information.

Knowing the credit score helps in getting a loan on better terms. If the score is low, one can take corrective action and follow the right steps to improve the credit score as well.

Secondly, credit information companies are mandated to protect the privacy of customer data. Section 29(1) of the CIC Act states: "Every credit information company shall observe, except as otherwise required by law, the practices and usages customary among credit information companies, and it shall not divulge any information relating to, or to the affairs of, its members or specified users."

However, this may not apply to Bajaj Finserv since the company does not fall under the CIC Act.

Interestingly, Paisabazaar.com also allows registered users to check and download credit reports online for free. "We have a partnership with all four leading credit bureaus, including CIBIL, that enables you to check, track and build your credit score at absolutely zero cost," Paisabazaar says

Many banks and financial institutions which are members of credit information companies like CIBIL, also offer free credit scores to their customers. For this, they seek authorisation from the customer to run a credit score check on the customer profile. The only issue is that they also seek blanket permission to be contacted by their representative over the phone or email.

Most loan spam callers in India notoriously use the name Bajaj Finance with ease and social media is inundated with complaints about relentless spam calls and sales calls by company agents. Despite efforts by the telecom regulator, there is no respite for mobile or phone users from the spam menace. So be careful before sharing your mobile number or email ID with any unauthorised entity to obtain anything, including your credit score, free.

Given the importance of the credit report in an individual's financial matters, RBI, through a notification dated 1 September 2016, made it mandatory for all four credit information companies in India to provide one free credit report, including credit score, once every year (January-December), to individuals on request in case their credit history is available with the CIC.

The free credit report provided is detailed and includes the same information provided to banks and other lending institutions. This practice is in line with the global practice, where all credit bureaus are mandated to provide one free credit report annually. ( Read: How To Get Your Credit Report for Free?

Interestingly, at the start of this year, RBI held a meeting with CICs, raising concerns about them utilising customer data for consulting and analytical purposes. CICs also have a fiduciary role and it is unclear what checks & balances are employed in sharing customer data and access to credit scores with financial services companies.

We sent an email to CIBIL asking if the CIC is ready to share its data with other financial market players who can offer services like Bajaj Finserv's Credit Pass, whether Bajaj Finserv will get access to customer data shared by all financial institutions to CIBIL and how the CIC will handle privacy and data safety concerns of the customer. We have not received any reply from CIBIL till writing this story. We will update this article with their reply as and when we receive it.
On Tuesday, despite the opening sharply higher, following a strong US rally, Nifty and Sensex sold off in the afternoon. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 2241 stocks advanced, 1606 declined and 97 remained unchanged, with an advance decline ratio of 1.39, indicating positive closing of stocks in broader markets. The trend of the major indices on Tuesdays trading is given in the table below.

On NSE, 157 securities advanced and closed at a new 52-week high whereas 5 securities sank to close at their new 52-week lows. In sectoral indices, Nifty Auto, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Infrastructure were among the biggest gainers. Nifty Media, Nifty FMCG and Nifty PSU Bank among the biggest losers.

Tata Power (+0.58%) subsidiary -- Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) has signed two Memoranda of Understandings with the Government of Tamil Nadu to support in the development of the state's renewable energy landscape and accelerate India's clean energy transition.

GE Power India (-1.42%) has received a purchase order from NTPC for Supply of Spares and Repair of HP Inner Casing Module. Broad consideration or size of the order is Rs10.3 crore.

Lemon Tree Hotels (+2.04%) has signed a Franchise Agreement for upcoming hotel in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh under the Companys brand- Lemon Tree Hotel.

Aurobindo Pharma (+0.43%) has received Establishment Inspection Report for Unit VI-B, classifying the facility as Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI).

Larsen & Toubros (+1.65%) (L&T) construction arm -- L&T construction has secured an order from HITES (A Mini Ratna PSU) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for its Buildings & Factories (B&F) Business.

BEML (-0.06%) has bagged orders from Ministry of Defence for supply of Mechanical Minefield Marking Equipment Mark-II. The orders are valued at approximately Rs329.87 crore.

Ashok Leyland (-0.45%) has earmarked investments of Rs1,200 crore in Tamil Nadu, for taking up overall business expansion over the next three to five years.

SBC Exports (-0.26%) has received work order from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology through NICSI, New Delhi for providing office support, project management support and rollout services.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories (-0.18%) is recalling over 8,000 bottles of a generic medication used to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ from the US market due to a packaging error.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs12.75 lakh on five cooperative banks, including three from Gujarat and one each from Telangana and Tamil Nadu, for non-compliance with the directions issued by the banking regulator.

The highest penalty of Rs7 lakh has been imposed on Navsarjan Industrial Cooperative Bank Ltd from Gujarat. Other banks fined by RBI include Mehsana Jilla Panchayat Karmachari Cooperative Bank Ltd and Halol Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd from Gujarat, Stambhadri Cooperative Urban Bank Ltd from Telangana, and Subramanianagar Cooperative Urban Bank Ltd from Tamil Nadu.

Navsarjan Industrial Cooperative Bank failed to comply with directions on the placement of deposits with other banks by primary urban cooperative banks (UCBs), RBI directions on know your customer (KYC) and contravention of the Banking Regulation Act(BR Act).

"The statutory inspection of the Bank conducted by RBI concerning its financial position as of 31 March 2022 and examination of the inspection report (IR), risk assessment report (RAR) and all correspondence revealed that Navsarjan Industrial Cooperative had breached inter-bank gross as well as counterparty exposure limits. The Bank had not reviewed risk categorisation of accounts as per prescribed periodicity and not transferred eligible amount to Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund," RBI says.

The Mehsana Jilla Panchayat Karmachari Cooperative Bank was fined Rs3 lakh for non-compliance with RBI directions on placement of deposits with other banks by primary UCBs and contravention of the BR Act. The Bank had breached the prudential inter-bank counterparty exposure limit and not transferred eligible amounts to DEA Fund.

Stambhadri Cooperative Urban Bank and Subramanianagar Cooperative Urban Bank faced penalties of Rs50,000 and Rs25,000, respectively, due to their non-compliance with the RBI directives and guidelines about loans and advances granted to directors, their relatives, and entities in which they hold an interest. Both banks were penalised for extending loans to a director and the director's relatives.

Statutory inspection for the year ending 31 March 2022 and examination of the IR, RAR and all related correspondence revealed that Halol Urban Cooperative Bank from Gujarat sanctioned a loan where a relative of one of the directors of the bank stood as guarantor, breached prudential inter-bank counterparty exposure limit and not paid interest in matured term deposits from the date of maturity till the date of their repayment at the applicable rate.

Further, RBI says its action against these five banks is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the banks with their customers.
Press Release

January 9, 2024 IMEE: IS POWER TRANSMISSION IN MIF'S MANDATE TOO? Senator Imee Marcos remains unconvinced that investing part of the Maharlika Fund in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) was the right way to solve power transmission problems nationwide. "Why should the MIC (Maharlika Investment Corporation) spend money to improve the performance of the NGCP when it is regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)? Why should we use public funds when regulatory measures are available?" the senator asked, citing provisions in Republic Act 9136 - the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. The NGCP itself said funding was not a problem, but Marcos questioned how the NGCP has been spending its net income. "The problem of NGCP is not lack of cash but lack of performance. The NGCP's comprehensive income totaled PhP 307 billion in the past 14 years, of which PhP 239 billion or more than 77% has been distributed to shareholders, even as the NGCP claimed PhP 309 billion in transmission upgrades," the senator noted. Calling for a review of the NGCP's franchise in Senate Resolution 832, Marcos said the "alarming lack of improvement" in the NGCP's power transmission capacity has caused "automatic load-dropping incidents and grid-level outages, inadequate procurement of ancillary services to prevent outages, and delays in the completion of grid projects lasting as long as seven years." "We could have avoided the recent power outage in Panay if the Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project and the Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection Project were finished on schedule. Now, billions have been spent with no ROI (return on investment) in sight," the senator said. Marcos said that instead of investing in the NGCP, the government should exclude unfinished projects in the computation of the private corporation's rates. "This will incentivize the NGCP to finish projects before recouping costs," she explained. "There should be penalties for delays," she added, citing the recent decision of the ERC to exclude ongoing projects in resetting rates of the NGCP. Right-of-way problems and the long process of obtaining permits from local governments also contributed to the delay in the NGCP's interconnection projects. Marcos recalled former President Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order No. 30, which created the Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) and recognized energy projects as Projects of National Significance. "Given the problem of permitting faced by NGCP projects, the inclusion of the respective leagues of LGUs in the EICC can help in simplifying the process," he senator recommended. IMEE: KASAMA BA ANG POWER TRANSMISSION SA MANDATO NG MIF? Hindi kumbinsido si Senador Imee Marcos na ang pag-invest ng bahagi ng Maharlika Fund sa National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) ang tamang paraan upang malutas ang mga problema sa power transmission sa buong bansa. "Bakit kailangang gumastos ang MIC (Maharlika Investment Corporation) upang mapabuti ang pagganap ng NGCP kung ito ay regulado ng Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)? Bakit natin dapat gamitin ang pondo ng publiko kung pwede namang ipatupad ang mga regulasyon?" tanong ng senador, na nagtukoy sa mga probisyon ng Republic Act 9136 - ang Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. Sinabi mismo ng NGCP na wala silang problema sa pondo, ngunit pinagdudahan ni Marcos kung paano ginagastos ng NGCP ang kanilang net income. "Ang problema ng NGCP ay hindi kakulangan ng pera kundi kakulangan sa pagganap. Ang kabuuang kita ng NGCP ay umabot sa PhP 307 bilyon sa nakaraang 14 taon, kung saan ang PhP 239 bilyon o higit sa 77% ay ibinahagi sa mga shareholder, habang sinasabing naglaan ang NGCP ng PhP 309 bilyon para sa mga transmission upgrade," pahayag ng senador. Sa panawagan niya para sa pagsusuri ng prangkisa ng NGCP sa Senate Resolution 832, sinabi ni Marcos na ang "nakababahalang kakulangan sa pagpapabuti" ng kapasidad sa power transmission ng NGCP ay nagdulot ng "automatic load-dropping incidents at grid-level outages, hindi sapat na pagkuha ng pantulong na serbisyo upang maiwasan ang mga outage, at pagkaantala sa pagkumpleto ng mga proyekto ng grid na tumatagal ng hanggang pitong taon." "Maaring na-iwasan natin ang kamakailang power outage sa Panay kung natapos sa takdang oras ang Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project at ang Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection Project. Ngayon, bilyon-bilyon ang nagastos ngunit walang inaasahang ROI (return on investment)," sabi ng senador. Sinabi ni Marcos na sa halip na mag-invest sa NGCP, dapat tanggalin ng gobyerno ang mga hindi natapos na proyekto sa pagkalkula ng bagong singil ng pribadong korporasyon. "Ito ay magbibigay-insentibo sa NGCP na tapusin ang mga proyekto bago mabawi ang gastos," paliwanag niya. "Dapat may mga parusa para sa mga pagkaantala," dagdag pa niya, na nagtukoy sa kamakailang pasiya ng ERC na hindi isama ang mga ongoing project sa pagkalkula ng bagong singil ng NGCP. Ang mga problema sa right-of-way at mahabang proseso ng pagkuha ng permit mula sa mga lokal na pamahalaan ay nagdulot rin ng pagkaantala sa mga interconnection project ng NGCP. Binanggit ni Marcos ang Executive Order No. 30 ng dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, na lumikha ng Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) at kinilala ang mga proyektong pang-enerhiya bilang Projects of National Significance. "Sa harap ng problema sa pagkuha ng permit ng mga proyekto ng NGCP, ang pagkakasama ng mga liga ng mga LGU sa EICC ay makakatulong na simplehan ang proseso," rekomendasyon ng senador.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 9. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Iran and Tajikistan to establish a joint innovation and technology center, Trend reports.

According to Tajikistan's parliament, the memorandum was signed by Rustam Emomali, the Chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan and Mayor of Dushanbe, and Rouhollah Dehghani, Iran's Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.

The document was signed with the aim of fostering scientific and technical cooperation between Tajikistan and Iran, advancing relations in the sphere of technology and knowledge-based economy.

The signing took place at the Iran House of Innovation and Technology, which Emomali visited during his official trip to Iran.

The House of Technological Innovations houses a center showcasing the country's latest scientific and nanotechnological advancements in various sectors, including food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, animal and poultry feed, medicinal plants, among others.

Iran's House of Technological Innovations collaborates with foreign governmental and scientific institutions to expand the export of scientific products and foster joint scientific and technical cooperation between Iran and other countries.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, January 9. Mobile operators in Tajikistan should prioritize improving the coverage of mobile communication waves throughout the country and advancing mobile services in 2024, Beg Sabur, the Head of the Communication Service under the Government of Tajikistan, said, Trend reports.

According to the Communication Service, this statement was made during a meeting of responsible individuals in the telecommunications field and representatives of mobile operators in Tajikistan.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the matters concerning the modernization of base stations and the provision of mobile communication services. According to Sabur, the demand for mobile communication, especially internet services, is increasing day by day among the population and across various sectors.

Additionally, during the meeting, the inclusion of base stations and their components in the GSM/UMS/LTE/5G standards from China in collaboration with the Huawei Technologies Tajikistan Company was discussed.

The participants also analyzed and considered the establishment of a domestic laboratory for manufacturing communication equipment, particularly communication base stations. It was highlighted that the primary goal of establishing such an enterprise is to reduce the country's telecommunications market dependence on foreign technologies.
Department of Corrections Director Fred Bordallo, second from left, stands with three corrections officers alongside two 2023 Toyota 4Runner SUVs to be used by the agency's Parole Services Division.
Flavored e-cigarette products are seen on a store shelf in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., June 23, 2022.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 9. Turkmenistan and Turkiye have affirmed their commitment to continue the planned course of comprehensive cooperation development, Trend reports.

This pledge was conveyed during a meeting between Turkmenistan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, and the recently appointed Ambassador of Turkey to Ashgabat, Ahmet Demirok, who handed copies of his credentials.

During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide variety of bilateral cooperation topics, including political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian concerns.

They also indicated shared interest in expanding inter-parliamentary collaboration and interacting with international organizations such as the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Collaboration, and others.

Special emphasis was placed on the importance of continuing to organize high-level visits and relationships.

In this context, the importance of the practical implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, held on October 25-26, 2023, to Turkiye, was noted.

Meanwhile, the development of cooperation between Turkey and Turkmenistan is gaining new prospects in various fields, including economy, trade, culture, and energy.

Both countries are striving to strengthen mutually beneficial relations by supporting joint infrastructure projects, expanding trade flows, and cooperating in the energy sector, which contributes to sustainable development and strengthens regional stability.

Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
House Speaker Mike Johnson View Photo

Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter to the White House urging President Biden to immediately take executive actions available under existing immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration.

Johnson was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here is the full text of the letter:

The southern border of our nation is being overrun and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is at a breaking point. This catastrophe requires your administrations full attention and commitment, particularly since Senate Majority Leader Schumer adjourned the Senate yesterday for the year without considering the commonsense solutions in our House bill (H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023) or taking any other legislative action to address the matter.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, CBP encountered a record 2.48 million illegal aliens at our southern border, in addition to nearly 670,000 so-called got-a-ways. On average, more than 8,400 illegal aliens entered our country every single day over the last year. While those numbers are shocking, they are projected to be even worse in FY2024. Just this week, the record for illegal crossings in a single day was broken yet again.

The wide-open border has caused unspeakable human tragedy for migrants and certainly for our own citizens. During FY2023, CBP seized enough fentanyl to kill the entire U.S. population, and fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45. Countless children and adults have been victims of human trafficking and cartels have been emboldened and enriched. Local communities have been devastated and terrorists and dangerous criminals have entered illegally and dispersed across our country. We are now more vulnerable to a terrorist attack on our homeland than ever.

All of this is the direct result of your administrations policies. You have clearly undermined Americas sovereignty and security by ending the Remain in Mexico policy, reinstating catch-and-release, suspending asylum cooperative agreements with other nations, ignoring existing restraints on the abuse of parole, and halting border wall construction. You also undermined Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) core mission, and even used a smartphone app to facilitate the release of border crossers into the United States.

Foreseeing this catastrophe, the House of Representatives led in developing reforms to secure Americas borders. We passed H.R. 2 more than six months ago, but Senate Democrats have refused to act on it. While a bipartisan group of Senators has begun extensive negotiations over the past few weeks to try to find a compromise, they have not yet been able to finalize an agreement. Statutory reforms designed to restore operational control at our southern border must be enacted, but the crisis at our southern border has deteriorated to such an extent that significant action can wait no longer. It must start now, and it must start with you.

I urge you to immediately take executive actions available to you under existing immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration. Immediate executive actions should include the following:

End catch-and-release, and either turn back or detain all illegal aliens encountered between ports of entry.

Cease exploitation of parole authority, and ensure it is granted solely on a case-by-case basis instead of using parole for entire classes of aliens.

Reinstate previous, and pursue new, asylum cooperative agreements and begin to negotiate with Mexico to reinstitute the Remain in Mexico program.

Expand the use of expedited removal so that more aliens are screened and immediately removed if they cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.

Immediately renew construction of the border wall.

I also urge you to utilize Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to regain operational control of the border. That provision empowers the President to suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate if the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

Sincerely,

Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 9. The excise tax rate for RON-80 in Uzbekistan will increase by 12.2 percent from April 1, 2024, while the rate for other high-octane fuel brands will remain unchanged, Trend reports.

This is stated in the amendments to the Tax Code in connection with the adoption of the main directions of tax and budgetary policy for 2024.

Excise tax on RON-80 gasoline will increase by 12.2 percent, or from 303,000 to 340,000 soums (from $24.51 to $27.50) per ton. Excise tax rate on the sale of this brand of gasoline to final consumers will increase from 425 to 476 soums (from $0.034 to $0.039) per liter, or from 565,000 to 633,000 (from $45.71 to $51.21) soums per ton.

The rates for RON-91 and higher do not change, and will remain at the level of 303,000 soums ($24.51) per ton for producers and 425 soums ($0.034) per liter when sold to final consumers.

Earlier, Uzbek Ministry of Economy and Finance announced that as a result of this, 1 liter of RON-80 gasoline will rise in price by 1 percent, or 88 soums ($0.0071).

Excise duty on diesel fuel will increase from 291,000 to 326,000 soums (from $23.54 to $26.37) per ton for producers and from 425 to 476 soums (from $0.034 to $0.039) per liter, or from 516,000 to 578,000 soums (from $41.74 to $46.76) per ton at retail. Excise duty on ECO diesel fuel (excluding synthetic) will increase from 262,000 to 293,000 soums (from $21.19 to $23.70) per ton.

Excise duty on more environmentally friendly fuel - LPG - will increase from 425 to 476 soums (from $0.034 to $0.039) per liter when sold to the final consumer, or from 807,500 to 904,000 tons per ton, compressed gas - from 605 to 678 soums (from $0.049 to $0.055) per cubic meter.

Uzbekistan established a zero excise tax rate for RON-80 gasoline in December 2022, which allowed to form the price of gasoline of this brand at the level of 6,050 soums ($0.49) per liter. The zero rate expired on December 31, 2023.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 9. Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov met with Suma Chakrabarti, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on economic development, good governance and international cooperation, Trend reports.

During the meeting, the sides discussed issues of improving the processes of resolving contentious issues, introducing effective mechanisms to promote the country's investment potential, as well as measures to develop foreign trade.

Earlier, a protocol aimed at improving the investment environment in Uzbekistan was signed during a session of the Foreign Investors Council in Uzbekistans Tashkent. The document included proposals for enhancing the investment climate in Uzbekistan.

Moreover, Uzbekistan has attracted more than $22 billion of foreign investments in 2023.

According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, the total number of active firms and organizations with foreign investments in Uzbekistan reached 13,353 in the first 11 months of 2023, highlighting the growing global interest in Uzbekistan's commercial potential.

In addition, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover exceeded $50 billion from January through October of 2023.

As per data provided by Uzbekistan's State Statistics Committee, the recorded number reflects a 25.2 percent increase of $10.3 billion compared to the same period last year.
Yves here. Weve reported on a major lawsuit against Bayer officials and advisers over its colossal-value destroying acquisition of Monsanto. Monsanto should have been recognized as a garbage barge due to looming liability for glyphosate, but as the case explains in gory detail, key actors had bad personal incentives plus a track record of acquisition incompetence. Here the issue is again Monsanto making and selling cancer-implicated products, but this is the tail end of its role as the only US producer of PCBs for decades.

This case of Monsanto trying to wriggle out of PCB-related liability from decades ago, and a tiny community fighting against being made a toxic waste dump for PCB contamination cleanup, is noteworthy. First is the appeal of a David versus Goliath struggle where residents of a low income area are not standing pat in the face of health risks. Second is the role of documentary evidence. Here the Town of Lee has found evidence that Monsanto knew it was selling a highly dangerous product and allegedly illegally colluded with its customer GE in how Monsanto indemnified its customer GE.

Needless to say, the use of a cancer index as part of a Monsanto-GE deal will hopefully cut through a lot of Monsanto attempts to obfuscate.

By Dana Drugmand. Originally published at The New Lede

(By National Ocean Service.)

The former Monsanto company  now owned by Bayer AG  illegally cut a secret deal with General Electric Co. decades ago to try to shield itself from liability related to PCB contamination in western Massachusetts, engaging in a conspiracy that continues to wreak harm on the region, according to new complaints from local officials.

In a January 2 letter sent to several local, state, and federal officials, including President Joe Biden and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, officials from the town of Lee, Mass., said they believe a 1970s-era deal between Monsanto and GE in which GE agreed to release Monsanto from liability for PCB contamination violated the Massachusetts Civil Conspiracy Law. The town plans to file charges against Monsanto this month, the letter states. Lee officials also accuse the EPA of failing to adequately investigate the arrangement between the two companies.

Attached to the letter are internal corporate documents, including a cancer index detailing a long list of Monsanto employees diagnosed with cancer dating back to 1949. The company spreadsheet notes where the employee worked, what type of cancer they suffered and  for many of the workers dates of death. Monsanto was the sole manufacturer of PCBs in the United States from the 1930s through the 1970s.

The move in Massachusetts comes amid mounting community outrage over the construction of a new toxic waste dump in Lee in Berkshire County near a location where GE used polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS) for decades in manufacturing electrical transformers. GE discharged the chemical waste into the nearby Housatonic River.

PCBs have long been linked to an array of human health concerns, including leukemia and other cancers. In one studyof nearly 400 children, researchers found that detection of PCBs in the home was associated with a 2-fold increase in risk for acute lymphocytic leukemia. PCBs are also known to be harmful to fish and wildlife. They do not easily break down, making eradication difficult.

Monsanto manufactured PCBs for use in coolants and lubricators in electrical equipment. Internal corporate records revealed through litigation show the company continued to sell PCBs for years while knowing they posed health risks and publicly downplaying the risks. One such document cited by Lee officials shows that Monsanto specifically warned some customers about threats from PCBs to animal and marine life and the fact that they did not easily break down in the environment. The United States banned PCBs in 1979 but PCB pollution remains pervasive.

And though Monsanto had agreed to stop selling PCBs for most uses by the early 1970s, it continued selling them for some uses under the condition of indemnification with its industrial customers, including GE. According to a Bayer webpage on PCB litigation, the indemnity agreements involved Monsanto and six former customers that accounted for approximately 93% of PCB sales.

Under the federal Superfund law, the EPA is overseeing GEs removal of PCB-contaminated sediment from the Housatonic river and allowing GE to deposit over 1 million cubic yards of the lower-concentration toxic material into a lined landfill to be built near the river in the town of Lee. Legal challenges to the 2020 agreement, which was negotiated behind closed doors, have been unsuccessful.

In their letter, Lee officials cite expert guidance warning the health risks from the landfill could be catastrophic to the residents of Lee, and they note that the small community, which has a population of roughly 5,800 people, is generally a low-income area. Locating the landfill in Lee is an environmental injustice, the letter states.

According to Lee officials, the internal documents from Monsanto and GE are relevant to the river cleanup plan because the indemnification agreement between the companies was never disclosed to EPA nor to the First Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld a dismissal of environmental groups lawsuit over the cleanup plan last year.

Tim Gray, a resident of Lee and founder and executive director of the Housatonic River Initiative, one of the groups that challenged the EPA-approved plan, said he is hopeful about the towns new attempt to hold Monsanto accountable in court.

I think we have a chance, Gray said.

Several communities across the United States have sued Monsanto over PCB contamination and related health and environmental impacts. Last month, a jury in Washington state found Monsanto liable for $857 million in damages owed to former students sickened by PCB exposure from leaking light fixtures at a school. In western Massachusetts, a series of lawsuits have been filed against GE and Bayer/Monsanto on behalf of Pittsfield-area residents and families suffering cancers and other diseases they blame on PCB exposure at an elementary school.

The Town of Lee initially filed a lawsuit against Monsanto last spring for knowingly selling a harmful product; the case was dismissed in May 2023 without prejudice, meaning the town could refile.

Bayer issued a statement in response to the Lee letter and allegations, stating, in part:

This potential case has no merit. Monsanto continues to believe it reflects an unprecedented attempt by the Town of Lee to impose environmental liability on a manufacturer that did not dispose of PCBs in or near the Town and is not a party to a PCB-related settlement under which the Town agreed to create a PCB disposal site. After accepting a share of a $55 million settlement payment to host a PCB disposal site, the Town now moves to sue Monsanto, which was not a party to its agreement, attempting to hold the Company liable for the environmental nuisance and trespass created by its own decision to host a Town dump.

The Monsanto-GE agreement was a routine commercial agreement between two sophisticated companies that were doing business together, and we deny that it was improper in any way. The agreement is only between GE and Monsanto, it did not (and could not) release any party from liability to third parties. The agreement had (and has) no impact on any legal liability adjudged by courts or assigned through administrative agencies like the EPA.

We stand by our statement as Monsanto manufactured bulk industrial PCBs and sold them to sophisticated third party companies, including GE, who used them in the manufacture of building materials like transformers and fluorescent lights which they, in turn, sold to customers. Monsanto provided information to its own customers about the risks and benefits of these products  which the Town itself acknowledges.

Lee Select Board Chair Bob Jones said the companys narrative is false.

Quite frankly weve got a multibillion corporation walking slipshod over the communities in the Housatonic River corridor, Jones said. We hear every day in the press about the threat of the demise of democracy in America. This is it, case in point, Main Street America, small towns like Lee being forced to have a dump.
George Orwells iconic novel 1984, published in 1949, raised the spectre of Big Brother. This nightmare has now been brought to reality by a Conservative government supposedly rolling back the state.

As readers may recall, in the summer of 2023 the term debanking briefly became de rigueur in the British press. London-based private bank Coutts had just decided to close Nigel Farages bank account for what he alleged were political reasons. The resulting scandal claimed two senior scalps  those of Dame Alison Rose, the CEO of Coutts parent bank and Big Four lender, Natwest Group (formerly known as RBS Group) and Coutts chief executive Peter Flavel  and led to a sharp sell off of Natwest shares.

In the wake of the scandal, the UK government has proposed new rules to ensure that British politically exposed persons (PEPs), who have been entrusted with a prominent public function, are treated by banks and other financial institutions as inherently lower risk than overseas politicians.

The Government is fully committed to tackling money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption, but it will always work to ensure this is done in a proportionate, risk-based way that avoids undue burdens on law-abiding citizens, said Bim Afolami, economic secretary to the Treasury, in mid-December. Unless, that is, you are a recipient of public benefits and/or a state pension.

A Financial Data Dragnet

The governments Orwellian-dubbed Data Protection and Digital Information Bill  which, according to Stephen Cragg KC, appears to be designed to downgrade the safeguards on the use of personal data for big business and government  includes a proposal to grant the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) fresh powers to obtain data from banks and building societies to help detect breaches of eligibility rules for benefits, such as universal credit.

The DWP can already access the financial data of benefit recipients but it must first demonstrate that there is a reasonable suspicion of benefit fraud and error. But as the Financial Times reported in December, the new powers would allow [the DWP] to access anonymised data for a large number of accounts without prior suspicion, enabling it to probe individual accounts in some cases.

The government argues that the DWP needs these new powers to reduce fraud and error within the welfare system, currently estimated to cost in excess of 8 billion each year. The DWP itself paints itself as a victim of scaremongering over the new measures, arguing that the new powers would only be used in cases of suspected fraud or error, not otherwise. Yet what it is essentially demanding is the ability to use a bulk financial data dragnet on benefits claimants while insisting that it will not use said dragnet for the vast majority of people.

The third-party data-gathering powers that the DWP is taking are only broad to the extent that this ensures that they can be future-proofed, said Jonathan William Berry, 5th Viscount Camrose, a British hereditary peer and Conservative politician, in a recent session of the House of Lords. This is because the nature of fraud has changed significantly in recent years and continues to change significantly. The current powers that the DWP has are not sufficient to tackle the new kinds of fraud that we are now seeing in the welfare system.

A Significant Intrusion

The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill already comfortably passed through the House of Commons on 29 November 2023, with a whopping 269 votes in favour to just 31 against. Predictably, the Kier Starmer-led Labour Party was more or less on board with the bills proposals. A Labour Party spokesperson said We support the Bill before the partys MPs proceeded to abstain on the vote. The bill now awaits passage in the Lords.

The UK Information Commissioner John Edwards, whose powers will be substantially diluted by the same Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, has warned that granting the DWP the power to probe the bank accounts of welfare recipients would allow significant intrusion of privacy rights. He also told parliament that while the measure is a legitimate aim for government, given the level of fraud and overpayment cited, I have not yet seen sufficient evidence that [it] is proportionate.

Prem Sikka, a Labour member of the House of Lords and an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, says the bill, if passed in its current form, will put the bank accounts of 22.4 million people, including 12.6 million recipients of the state pension, under constant financial surveillance:

The Bill uses developments in electronic transactions and artificial intelligence to place the poor, disabled, sick, old and pregnant women under surveillance. It gives Ministers and government agencies powers to direct businesses, particularly banks, and financial institutions, to mass monitor individuals receiving welfare payments, even when there is no suspicion or any sign of fraudulent activity. No court order is needed and affected individuals will not be informed. The Bill enables Ministers to make any further regulations without a vote in parliament.

For interested readers living in the UK, the campaign group 38 Degrees has set up a petition demanding that it should be Britains scandal-tarnished MPs, rather than the British public, who have their personal finances closely scrutinised. The creator of the campaign, Lee Morgan, wrote a letter to Baroness Jenny Jones, a former deputy mayor of London for the Green Party, expressing his deep concerns regarding the governments recent proposals to grant arbitrary access to citizens bank accounts . That letter included the following paragraphs:

While I understand the importance of ensuring financial transparency and preventing illicit activities, the proposed plan seems to compromise the fundamental right to privacy. Granting the government unrestricted access to citizens bank accounts without clear guidelines or oversight poses a significant threat to personal liberties [T]he essence of democracy lies in the empowerment of citizens and the protection of their rights. Arbitrary access to bank accounts infringes upon the right to privacy, a cornerstone of individual freedom. A government granted unchecked authority risks transforming into an entity that undermines the very principles of a democratic society, as citizens become subjects of unwarranted surveillance. Moreover, the potential for abuse in such a system is profound. History has shown that unchecked power can lead to authoritarianism, with governments exploiting broad authority for personal, political, or discriminatory purposes. Citizens must resist any erosion of checks and balances that prevent the abuse of power, as arbitrary actions have the potential to oppress individuals, stifle dissent, and foster an environment of fear. The right to privacy and protection against arbitrary intrusion is not only a legal safeguard but a critical component of personal autonomy. Citizens should resist any encroachment on this autonomy, as it underpins the ability to freely express opinions, engage in private transactions, and lead lives without fear of unwarranted government interference. A collective stand against arbitrary access to bank accounts is a defence of the very essence of individual liberty.

After receiving the letter, Baroness Jones raised the issue in the House of Lords:

 @GreenJennyJones: "Would MPs be okay if the banks had the ability to raise red flags on THEIR accounts?" Bank spying powers are being justified as a measure to deal with benefit fraud. This unprecedented invasion of our financial privacy must end. pic.twitter.com/IKMJb1zuY7  Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) January 7, 2024

Also speaking in the House, Lord Prem Sikka said:

George Orwells iconic novel 1984, published in 1949, raised the spectre of Big Brother. This nightmare has now been brought to reality by a Conservative government supposedly rolling back the state. The government has already undermined peoples right to protest and withdraw labour, now comes snooping and 24/7 surveillance of the bank, building societies and other accounts of the sick, disabled, elderly, poor and unfortunate  all without a court order.

The Palantir Connection

There is, of course, a US angle to this story. In August 2023, The Guardian reported that the CIA-seed funded Silicon Valley firm Palantir had written to Tom Pursglove, the UK disabilities minister, to brief him on technology it had developed, promising that it could help the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rapidly recover large amounts of fraud.

For the moment there is no confirmation that Palantir will actually be providing the technology for the DWPs financial data dragnet, but the timing is suspicious. If true, it means that Palantir will be simultaneously managing the health data of around 50 million NHS patients, helping the UK government hunt down benefits cheats by spying on the financial data of potentially millions of working and middle class families, and providing data services to the UK military. That is a lot of sensitive data for one company to handle, especially one so closely tied to the US military-intelligence industrial complex.

I have said this in a previous post but it bears repeating: Since decoupling from the European Union, its rules and regulations, the UK government has taken the country in a progressively more authoritarian direction. This is, of course, a generalised trend among ostensibly liberal democracies just about everywhere, including EU Member States, as they increasingly adopt the tech-enabled trappings and tactics of more authoritarian regimes, such as restricting free speech, cancelling people and weakening the rule of law. But the UK is most definitely at the leading edge of this trend.

Unfortunately, the problem of unfettered financial surveillance is likely to get a whole lot worse rather than better if/when central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) go live. Given their programmable nature, CBDCs will make it even easier for commercial banks, through their prospective role as public interface providers (PIPs), to de-bank politically inconvenient customers, at the behest of the government or central bank, or impose other limits on peoples financial activity.

Governments and central banks in the West insist that digital central bank money will be convenient, safe and stable. They also promise never to use it as a tool of surveillance or control, that it will not be programmable, and that it will coexist with cash, not supplant it. But the word of most governments and central banks holds little weight these days.

Heres Edward Snowden explaining why CBDCs are extraordinarily dangerous, using the Central Bank of Brazils smart contract with Ethereum (which we actually covered here last August) as a case in point:

 "They can see every bill everywhere all the time"@Snowden explains why #CBDCs are extraordinarily dangerous to privacy as we know it. YOU can email your MP to tell the Gov't to shelve plans for a UK Spycoin https://t.co/p44pkJndDb Credit | @Logos_network pic.twitter.com/qJUENhOggv  Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) January 5, 2024

If the Central Bank of Brazils recent actions provide a taste of some of the dark ways in which CBDCs could  and will, if launched  be used (i.e., to freeze, confiscate, or move funds belonging to an account holder), the British governments actions offer an indication of who is likely to be on the receiving end most of the time (i.e., the working and middle classes, and certainly not the political, financial and business elite). That is probably why there is still no public debate, let alone consultation, regarding their development and eventual roll out.
Yves here. The dog bites man mention of Thomas Friedman, although amusing, results in a headline that does not hone in on an important and revealing chapter in the sorry process of Israels systematic undermining of the dignity and quality of life of Palestinians. Author James Zogby participated in US efforts to build up businesses in Gaza so as to create a viable economy. Israel thwarted them at every turn. And then some in the US officialdom decided to back the Israel intransigence.

By Dr. James J. Zogby, the author of Arab Voices (2010) and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. Originally published at Common Dreams

Last week, the New York Times carried a lengthy Tom Friedman article, What Is Happening to Our World. In it, Friedman makes the claim that Hamas could have turned Gaza into Dubai if only they had made the right choices in 2005. I hold no brief for Hamas. Their suicidal policies have brought terrible pain to Palestinians, but Friedmans argument, which Ive heard others make, is so fanciful and ahistorical that it must be rebutted.

The reasons for the Palestinian Territories lack of development go back 10 years before the fateful elections of 2005 that brought Hamas to power. I know because I was there and watched this disaster unfolding in real time. While Palestinians were not without fault, it is cruel to blame them for Israeli policies that deliberately strangled the Palestinian economy and the failure of the US to take effective measures to counter them.

From 1993 to 1996, I co-chaired a project, Builders for Peace, launched by Vice President Gore to promote U.S. investment in the Occupied Territories. In that capacity, I chaired the session on the Palestinian economy at the 1994 Casablanca Economic Summit and traveled to the region with Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. And on several occasions, I led delegations of U.S. business leaders to the West Bank and Gaza to promote business partnerships that would spur economic development.

We were motivated by a World Bank study that observed that the Palestinian private sector in the territories could be the engine for growth if they could secure investment and had the opportunity to freely engage in trade with the outside world. We knew, as Vice President Gore noted, that expanding economic opportunities wouldnt bring peace, but that without these opportunities achieving peace would be impossible.

Our initial delegation visits gave us hope. Prominent US businesses were impressed with the Palestinian businessmen they met, and some deals were struck. In the months that followed, it became clear that the Israelis were unwilling to allow Palestinians or their US partners to import raw materials or export finished products without Israeli control or an Israeli middleman. As a result, the deals we had lined up collapsed.

The problem ran deeper. One day I received a call from an official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There was a shipment of 50,000 flower bulbs the U.S. had tried to get into Gaza. The bulbs sat awaiting Israeli clearance for so long that they rotted. Israel didnt want competition for its own flower exports. The Agriculture Department had enough funds for another shipment of bulbs but didnt want to risk the expenditure if the result would be the same.

In frustration, in 1995, I wrote a lengthy memo to President Clinton. I also testified with a number of my colleagues from BfP before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee detailing the Israeli impediments to investment and economic growth in Palestinian lands.

In my letter and testimony, I noted that the situationless than two years after Oslohad become dire. Israels closure of Palestinian lands and imposition of internal checkpoints across the West Bank following Baruch Goldsteins massacre of Muslims in the mosque in Hebron had taken a toll in Palestinian support for peace. Settlements were growing, as was Palestinian unemployment. In the West Bank unemployment was over one-third of the workforce, while in Gaza it had reached a staggering 62%.

Specifically citing Gaza, I noted:

Despite promises from the international community, not a single job-creating infrastructure project has begun. Open sewage remains a serious health hazard. Instead of real progress, Palestinians got observers, studies, pledges, and unfulfilled promises, and blame. Young Palestinians want nothing more than to have a job, live a meaningful life, raise a family and see them prosper. Their anger is the product of despairborn of fear and frustration that they have no future. If peace is to survive, we must attack this crisis with all the resources and capabilities we have to show Palestinians that the promise of peace can be realized.

Our asks were straightforward: that the Palestinian private sector be able to secure investments; that Israel be pressured to allow Palestinian businesses to import and export with the outside world; and that international donor funds be directed to job-creating projects. One of my BfP Jewish colleagues noted that the onus was on the US and Israel, not the Palestinians, to make these happen.

While President Clinton and the Senators expressed support, our recommendation that Israel be pressured to let go of the reins and allow Palestinians to breathe and grow was rejected by the administrations peace team. They argued that any pressure on Israel would impede their negotiating efforts.

All this happened in the 1990s, not 2005. In a real sense, Hamas didnt create the mess; they inherited and preyed off of the despair that was left to them by Israels suffocating control and US neglect and acquiescence. Hamas handled it badly, to be sure, but the reason why Gaza didnt become Singapore, which is what Yasser Arafat had set as his North Star, or Dubai, had less to do with Hamas choices and more to do with those who failed Palestinians and peace.
Carbon dioxide isnt a pollutant: Its making the whole world GREENER, says late theoretical physicist and mathematician

Though he passed away in 2020, British-born American theoretical physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson (1923-2020) taught the world some very important lessons about climate change that persist through time, including the fact that the ever-dreaded-among-climate-lunatics element known as carbon dioxide (CO2) isfor the planet rather than bad.

Back in 2015, Dyson participated in an interview with Conversations that Matter in which he explained that the many climate models used by global warming fanatics to predict the environmental future are only suitable for understanding what the climate is doing now, or what it did in the past.

"As measured from space, the whole earth is growing greener as a result of carbon dioxide, so it's increasing agricultural yields, it's increasing the forests, and it's increasing growth in the biological world  and that's more important and more certain than the effects on climate," Dyson explained.

Dyson, in case you are unfamiliar with him, was a renowned expert in climate matters. He is among the most celebrated figures in 20th century physics, having pioneered extensive work in quantum field theory, astrophysics, random matrices, mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics and engineering.

(Related: Many others also agree that CO2 is not a "pollutant," but rather a necessary element that keeps the planet alive and thriving.)

Don't worry: The climate won't hurt you

Back in 2006, Dyson published a work called "The Scientist as Rebel" in which he openly questioned  gasp!  the role of human activity in global warming and climate change. Two years later, he participated in an interview with Physics World in which he basically debunked the climate industry as a money grifting operation.

In Dyson's view, all the money being spent addressing climate change would be better used to address "other problems that are more urgent and more important such as poverty, infectious diseases, public education and health." Dyson also clarified at the time that no matter what happens with the climate, it "will not do us any harm."

"There is man-made climate change," Dyson would later admit in his 2015 interview with Conversations that Matter. "It's a question of how much and is it good or bad."

"First of all, we don't understand the details. It's probably much less than it's generally claimed and the most important thing is that there are huge non-climate effects of carbon dioxide which are overwhelmingly favorable [and] which are not taken into account."

Dyson would add that, as measured by satellites, "the whole Earth is growing greener as a result of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

Dyson's work in climate matters dates all the way back to 1978 when he first began studying the effects of CO2 in the atmosphere on vegetation. He discovered all the way back then that CO2 is vital for agriculture, plant life and all sorts of other growth in the biological world.

"And that's more important and more certain than the effects on climate," he said.

While CO2 levels have increased about 40 percent since the time when Dyson first began studying it, "about half of that has gone into raising vegetation," Dyson revealed before his passing.

"It's enormously beneficial to both food production and also to the biodiversity, preservation of species and everything else that's good."

Dyson cited research dating even further back to 1960s Japan when Japanese climate expert Suki Manabe developed the world's very first climate model evaluating the effects of increasing CO2 on the planet. Based on this, Dyson determined that Manabe's climate model, along with all other climate models that would be produced thereafter, point to one thing and one thing only:

"These climate models are excellent tools for understanding climate but they're very bad tools for predicting climate."

The latest news about the manipulative scam known as climate change and global warming can be found at GreenTyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) is investigating the cause of a destructive fire that consumed a two-story e-bike factory in the Inner West of Croydon, Sydney, on Jan. 5.

FRNSW Superintendent Joshua Turner expressed concern about the hazards associated with lithium batteries and electricity storage units within the e-bike repair center. "Crews found it was an e-bike repair center, so the risk of lithium batteries and storage units of electricity was their primary concern. Lithium batteries maintain a high level of heat when they're on fire, and they don't go out as easily as other fuel sources. Fire rescue is doing a lot of work in researching lithium batteries and the effect it's going to have on firefighting in the future," he said.

According to reports, the fire originated in a small building behind a row of shops on Elizabeth Street. More than 60 firefighters and 15 fire trucks from the FRNSW battled for over two hours to control the fire, which started at 5 a.m.

The firefighters tackled the flames from the outside of the e-bike factory due to concerns about a potential structural collapse. The footage and photos captured the ferocity of the flames as it engulfed and scorched e-bikes within the factory.

Police were also present at the scene to ensure the safety of nearby residents. Superintendent Trent Lawrence suggested that it is too early to determine the cause of the fire.

"There may be some power interruptions for some of those local residents. There are some houses at the rear; there may be some exclusion zones for residents, but only minors at this stage; and we have police on the scene assisting with road closures," he said.

Fires related to electric vehicles on the rise
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 9. Uzbekistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Muzaffar Madrakhimov met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic Lubomir Frebort on January 8, 2024, Trend reports.

During the meeting, the sides discussed relevant issues on the Uzbek-Czech agenda, as well as preparations for bilateral events in the near future.

Opportunities for active promotion of economic diplomacy have been considered. Possibilities for advancing the implementation of previously reached agreements on joint projects in a number of spheres from mechanical engineering to alternative energy were also discussed.

The sides also exchanged views on the prospects for cooperation in the field of labor migration, building up cultural, humanitarian and tourist exchanges.

Meanwhile, the Uzbek-Czech Business Forum was held on October 11, 2023 in Prague as part of the official visit of the delegation of the government of Uzbekistan to the Czech Republic.

Following the results of the business forum, the parties reached important bilateral agreements on the development of partnership in the field of innovative technologies, agriculture, food, pharmaceuticals, and transport, as well as electrical engineering, textiles, metallurgy, banking and financial areas.
Study reveals many hair care products contain a potentially dangerous compound that can harm the environment and humans

People often use hair care products to keep their hair healthy and lustrous, but are these products really safe? According to the alarming results of one study, some hair care products often contain decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, a volatile compound more commonly known as D5

In many countries, particularly those in the European Union (EU), the amount of D5 that can be used in products is limited because the compound has been found in aquatic ecosystems and marine life.

D5 also has lubricating properties. The ingredient gives a slippery and silky feeling when applied to the skin and hair, and it allows a product to spread more easily. This is why D5 is used in medical implants, lubricants, sealants and windshield coatings.

Details of the study were published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. D5, also known as cyclopentasiloxane, is used in different personal care products, such as:

Antiperspirant

Concealer

Deodorant

Eyeliner

Eye shadow

Foundation

Hair conditioner

Hair detangling products

Hair spray

Hairstyling gel and lotion

Lipstick

Moisturizer with SPF

Shampoo

Sunscreen

Waterproof mascara

D5 can harm the respiratory tract, liver and nervous system

The scientists who conducted the study reported that D5 has been found to "lead to adverse effects on the respiratory tract, liver, and nervous system of laboratory animals."

Unlike the EU, the U.S. is not restricted in its use of D5 in personal care products. Because of this, a research team made up of experts from Indiana University and Purdue University tried to find out what, if any, amount of D5 is safe, particularly in indoor settings.

The study findings revealed that common leave-in hair care products expose people to a potentially toxic amount of D5. The exposure also increases when using appliances like hair straighteners. (Related: 7 TOXIC ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products.)

Researchers conducted the study in a specially controlled environment at Purdue University called the "Zero Energy Design Guidance for Engineers" (zEDGE).

zEDGE is a tiny house that allowed the researchers to control the air temperature, humidity and ventilation in different rooms, including the bathroom.

During 46 experiments, the scientists instructed the volunteers, who were between the ages of 18 and 65, to go through their typical hair care routine within the zEDGE under different air environments.

Using the zEDGE, the research team would make changes such as turning the exhaust fan on high, opening windows and venting air to the outside.

According to initial measurements, the study participants could inhale up to 20 milligrams (mg) of D5 per 20-minute hair session in a room without ventilation.

The researchers also reported that the volunteers with longer hair were exposed to 2.5 to 5.4 more emissions than individuals with short hair. Additionally, if the volunteers used appliances to heat their hair, exposure increased.

The worst offender was hair straighteners, which increased an individual's exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 145 percent, versus a curling iron, which increased exposure by at least 65 percent.

To avoid exposure, the scientists recommended avoiding the products altogether.

If this isn't an option, they said the next best solution would be to run an exhaust fan while using such products. The researchers explained that turning on a fan could reduce peak exposure by at least 70 percent, and the concentration is reduced by up to 95 percent after 20 minutes.

However, even using a fan has disadvantages. The researchers said that exposure to the chemicals didn't stop with the person who coifed their hair.

Depending on the ventilation system, other people, including those outdoors and in urban environments, could be at risk for exposure to VOCs, particularly D5.

While past research showed that wash-off products containing D5 are not toxic to humans, animals or aquatic organisms, the silicone-based chemical can also accumulate.

The EU has enforced a strict limit on D5 because of how much it accumulates in the water. Experts have voiced their concerns because the chemical bioaccumulates through the food chain once it builds up in a body of water.

Visit Chemicals.news to learn about other harmful chemicals used in hair care products and how to avoid them.

Watch the video below to learn how organic jojoba oil can help support healthy hair and skin.

This video is from the Health Ranger Store channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Common chemicals in shampoo and soap found to increase diabetes risk in women.

CHEMICALS LIST: Toxic ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products.

Personal care products are responsible for a large amount of smog hanging over cities.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Healthline.com

CosmeticsAndToiletries.com

Brighteon.com
Good or bad? High levels of HDL or good cholesterol may be linked to dementia, reveals study

Earlier studies have suggested that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is associated with several health benefits, such as promoting heart health. But, according to a recent study, high levels of HDL cholesterol could be linked to a greater risk of dementia

The study, which was led by Monash University in Melbourne, involved thousands of volunteers from Australia and the United States. The study ran for more than six years and the findings were published in the journal Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific.

Cholesterol is a lipid or a waxy type of fat. It is produced by the liver, but people can also receive cholesterol by consuming it from food products from animals, and the ingested cholesterol is then transported throughout the body by blood.

The body needs cholesterol to:

Help form cell membrane layers

Help the liver make bile for digestion

Produce certain hormones

Produce vitamin D

There are two primary types of cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

Very low-density lipoproteins are a third type of cholesterol that carry triglycerides or the fat the body stores up and uses for energy between meals.

LDL is called bad cholesterol because it can build up on the walls of blood vessels, which then narrow the passageways. If a blood clot forms and gets stuck in one of these narrowed passageways, it can trigger a heart attack or a stroke.

HDL is often called good cholesterol because it absorbs other types of cholesterol and carries them away from arteries and back to the liver, which then eliminates it from the body. Additionally, HDL cholesterol is called "good" cholesterol because it can remove other types of cholesterol from the bloodstream.

HDL: Good or bad for overall health?

While conducting the study, scientists recorded 850 incidences of dementia in 18,668 participants. The research team discovered that volunteers with high HDL cholesterol of more than 80 milligrams per deciliter had a 27 percent greater risk of dementia.

They also reported that there was a 42 percent increase in dementia risk for volunteers older than 75.

High HDL cholesterol was linked to an increased risk of all-cause dementia in both middle-aged and older individuals.

"The association appears strongest in those 75 years and above," explained the researchers.

Even considering different variables such as country, age, sex, daily exercise, education, alcohol consumption and weight change over time, the researchers advised that the link between high HDL cholesterol and dementia remained "significant." (Related: Study: Lifes Essential 8 could help you live healthier longer.)

Monira Hussain, a senior research fellow at Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the study findings can be used to help improve understanding of dementia, but more research is needed.

Hussain said while it has been confirmed that HDL cholesterol has a crucial role in cardiovascular health, the study suggests that continued research can help shed more light on the "role of very high HDL cholesterol in the context of brain health."

Hussain added that it is worth considering very high HDL cholesterol levels in prediction algorithms for dementia risk.

Researchers recruited a larger cohort for the HDL/dementia risk study

For the study, the research team recruited 16,703 Australians older than 70 years, along with 2,411 people older than 65 years from the United States.

The volunteers examined during the research had no physical disability, cardiovascular disease, dementia, or life-threatening illness at the time of recruitment for the study. They were also "cognitively healthy."

According to the scientists, while several studies have indicated a connection between HDL cholesterol and adverse health events, evidence regarding its connection to dementia remains unknown.

The researchers said an analysis of a medical database examining the link between high HDL cholesterol and dementia revealed that there was only one study from Denmark that established a link.

"Only one study of cohorts from Denmark was identified which suggested that high HDL-C is associated with dementia in people aged 4768 years," said the scientists.

Because early-onset dementia may have a different pathophysiology than late-onset dementia, the researchers advised that it is important to extend these results to well-characterized prospective studies of older individuals who are cognitively intact at the study onset.

The data analysis was conducted between October 2022 and January 2023, before publishing the study.

The scientists said their study is the "most comprehensive study" to report high HDL cholesterol and the risk of dementia in the elderly.

Watch the video below as Dr. Zoe Harcombe dispels myths about fiber, fat and cholesterol.

This video is from the DC Learning to Live channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Experts say LDL cholesterol may not be as bad as previously believed.

Study: Older adults who regularly use the internet have LESS DEMENTIA RISK than non-regular users.

Study: Microplastics accumulate in the brain and cause behavioral changes associated with dementia.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Healthline.com

Brighteon.com
ISIS gearing up for blood-soaked comeback amid Gaza conflict

The specter of a resurgent ISIS, formally known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, looms amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, prompting concerns among experts who fear the group may exploit the current chaos to stage a blood-soaked comeback.

These worries were exacerbated when ISIS claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing in Iran that resulted in the tragic loss of 103 lives.

The implications of such a resurgence are particularly alarming given the escalating tensions in the region, with formidable players like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran expressing steadfast support for Hamas in its conflict with Israel.

Against the backdrop of threats exchanged between these powerful groups and the persistent battles between Hamas and Israel in the battered Gaza Strip, experts are sounding the alarm that the volatile environment might offer ISIS an opportune moment to launch new attacks.

Recalling its dark legacy, ISIS had garnered global attention for its brutal and terrorizing acts, compelling then-U.S. President Barack Obama to authorize airstrikes against the group's strongholds in Iraq.

The organization claimed responsibility for a myriad of heinous acts, including over 300 beheadings between 2014 and 2017.

By 2015, ISIS had established control over significant parts of Iraq and Syria, engaging in fierce battles with various nations, including the U.S., Britain and Turkey.

However, sustained and coordinated international efforts led to significant setbacks for the group, and by the beginning of 2018, its territorial influence had markedly diminished.

In a pivotal moment in late 2019, the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, took his own life during a U.S. raid, dealing a substantial blow to the group's leadership.

For several years thereafter, ISIS maintained a relatively low profile, and world leaders considered the threat neutralized. (Related: Canada: ISIS terrorist slashes victims throat; leaders whitewash Islam, media pushes 'mental illness.')

Recent attacks raise concerns about ISIS resurgence

However, the recent attacks in the Middle East have reignited concerns about the potential resurgence of this extremist group.

Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, a researcher from the Middle East Forum, underscores that ISIS is actively seeking to reclaim dominance and instill fear in the lives of people once again. Al-Tamimi emphasized that the group's fundamental goals remain consistent  waging jihad against all perceived enemies to establish a territorial Caliphate that aspires to rule the world.

As tensions continue to escalate in the region, including drone strikes targeting top leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah, there is a growing fear that ISIS may exploit the situation to gain global support and attention.

By appearing more active, analysts believe that ISIS aims to rally support, recruit new followers and potentially receive financial assistance.

Colonel Richard Kemp, a retired British Army officer with nearly 30 years of service, provides insights into why ISIS might claim responsibility for these horrific bombings. He suggests that the group may be attempting to rally support for itself, utilizing the global attention focused on the conflicts in Gaza as an opportunity to regain prominence. With the world's eyes fixed on the intense battles between Hamas and Israel, ISIS may perceive an opening to garner support, showcase its continued relevance and attract recruits.

Additionally, the executive director of The Henry Jackson Society, Alan Mendoza, warned that ISIS is "rearing its ugly head once more" and expresses concerns about what the group might do next. He said ideological terrorist groups like ISIS never truly disappear and, with the Middle East at a very volatile point, the remaining extremists within ISIS might seek to exploit tensions and carve out space for themselves to operate once more.

Watch ISIS-K claim responsibility for the Iran bombing.

This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas is ISIS, vows MILITARY ACTION against Gaza Strip.

ISIS-affiliated smuggler helped migrants illegally enter the U.S. via Mexico.

AI chatbot tries to get British anti-terrorism advisor TO JOIN ISIS.

Sources include:

TheSun.co.uk

Brighteon.com
LinkedIn co-founder and major Dem donor has visited Epstein island, recently donated $250,000 to Nikki Haley super PAC

LinkedIn co-founder and Democrat billionaire with ties to Jeffery Epstein , Reid Hoffman, recently donated $250,000 to help Nikki Haley in an attempt to keep former president Donald Trump from winning the GOP nomination.

(Article by Sara Higdon republished from ThePostMillenial.com)

According to the New York Times, Hoffman's donation came after the chief executive for JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon urged Democrat donors to donate to Haley through the SFA Fund Inc. super PAC.

Hoffman admitted in May that he had visited Epstein's Caribbean island Little St. James. He told the Wall Street Journal, "It gnaws me that, by lending my association, I helped his reputation, and thus delayed justice for his survivors."

Then-MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito said that Hoffman "attended a few fundraising events at [his] request, including one trip to Little St. James, after [he] confirmed to Reid that Mr. Epstein had been an approved donor target for MIT in accordance with university rules and regulations.

The Times noted that Hoffman also helped fund a civil lawsuit against former President Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll who alleged that he raped and defamed her. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon reportedly said Hoffman was a "Trump hater of just epic proportions."

The National Pulse reported that Hoffman also "contributed more than $600,000 to the legal defense fund of Bean LLC  otherwise known as Fusion GPS, the company responsible for the creation of the Steele Dossier." The now-discredited Steele Dossier made claims that Trump conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 election.

Haley has been vocal about being willing to accept donations from "Anybody that wants to come to support the cause." She said on Fox News, "Whether theyre Republican, independent or Democrat, were going to take them."

In a statement on X, Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) said that "Haley should return that money," after it was pointed out Hoffman had visited Epstein's private island.

Earlier last month Reid Hoffman donated $250,000 to Nikki Haleys super pac. Hoffman has also helped fund the frivolous E Jean Carroll Lawsuit against President Trump. Haley should return that money! https://t.co/trSyyGEZuC  Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) January 4, 2024

Over the last few days, unsealed documents regarding Jeffrey Epstein and his associates have been released. Among those named in the documents was former President Bill Clinton, whose name appeared 73 times. The 2016 Democrat nominee for president, Hillary Clinton's name appeared once regarding all communications with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Read more at: ThePostMillenial.com
Active-duty and retired military members call for accountability over harms caused by VACCINE MANDATES in open letter

A group of more than 200 active-duty and retired military service members demanded accountability for the harms caused by the illegal Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates implemented in U.S. military branches.

The group voiced out its demands in a Jan. 1 letter, calling out prominent military leaders like retired Gen. Mark Milley  former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to the letter, Milley and other high-ranking "military leaders broke the law; trampled constitutional rights; denied informed consent; permitted unwilling medical experimentation; and suppressed the free exercise of religion."

These actions, the group alleged, resulted in "continued financial, emotional and physical suffering by many service members  including debilitating vaccine injuries, increased veteran homelessness and deaths."

Moreover, the letter stated that the group has "exhausted all internal efforts to rectify recent criminal activity within the armed forces." Those responsible, it added, have "refused to resign or take any other action to hold themselves accountable" or to "repair the harm their policies and actions have caused." Given this, the signatories pledged to "do everything morally permissible and legally possible."

Navy Cmdr. Robert A. Green Jr. led the signatories of the open letter. Several whistleblowers also affixed their signatures to the letter, including former Army Lt. Col. Dr. Theresa Long and former Army Maj. Dr. Sam Sigoloff. Former Navy Cmdr. Dr. Lee Merritt, who hosts the "Merritt Medical Hour" on Brighteon.TV, also signed the letter.

Green told the Defender that he penned the letter in response to the lack of movement from the armed forces leadership after several years of attempts by him and others. "They're not trying to repair the harms and/or do what's right to fulfill their own oaths to the Constitution," he lamented.

No escape for military leaders behind vaccine mandates

The letter expounded on some of the actions the signatories will undertake to restore this accountability. These include convening courts-martial for both active-duty and retired officers responsible for vaccine mandates; introducing legislation to remove retirement income for complicit leaders; and training others to "safeguard against such leadership failures hereafter."

Green admitted that the courts-martial would require a change and leadership, and neither him nor his fellow signatories in the letter have that authority. But a secretary-level official or the president can order these court-martials to be convened.

"There are eight or 10 veterans who are running for office at the state and federal level who made that pledge for accountability with us," said Green, adding that "folks need to get involved" for meaningful change to happen to the laws. He continued: "Let's replace those people with real American patriots who understand the Constitution and the value system that we were founded on."

According to the letter, change will be "a continuous process with a long-term time horizon"  something Green reiterated. "We didn't get into this mess overnight. We've gotten into this mess over decades, so it'll probably take decades to clean up," he said.

"This problem is not going to go away. For the leaders who did this, this is your problem and we're going to hold you accountable  regardless of whether you make it to retirement or not."

The Defender pointed out that the letter borrows heavily from the Declaration of Independence. According to signatory and former Army Lt. Col. Bradley Miller, the references to the fundamental document were "deliberate and meaningful." Miller resigned from the Army in protest of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (Related: Highly decorated US military officer resigns in protest of COVID vaccine mandate.)

The erstwhile Army officer said he and his fellow signatories "believe that we have suffered a long train of abuses that has come to a head with the unlawful COVID-19 shot mandate." He continued: "We would be negligent in our duty to uphold our oaths to the Constitution, as well as negligible in our loyalty to our countrymen, if we permitted the continued demise of one of our most hallowed institutions."

Visit MedicalTyranny.com for more stories about COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the military.

Watch retired Green Beret Ivan Raiklin talk about the letter penned by Green that called for accountability over military vaccine mandates.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

House Republicans introduce bill to reinstate military service members discharged for not complying with COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Dr. Sam Sigoloff tells Mike Adams: Pentagon's vaccine mandate was legally written but applied in an ILLEGAL manner.

Military servicemen call for an end to the Pentagon's vaccine mandate.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Brighteon.com
North Korea fires 200 rounds of artillery shells toward South Koreas Yeonpyeong Island

North Korea has fired over 200 rounds of artillery shells off its west coast, targeting South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island. In response, South Korea swiftly issued an evacuation warning to the approximately 2,000 island residents, condemning the act as a provocative move.

This incident is similar to the 2010 attack on Yeonpyeong, which resulted in four casualties. Fortunately, this time, the artillery shells did not breach South Korean territory, landing in the buffer zone between the two nations.

The timing of this aggressive move is alarming, following North Korea's complete suspension of a military deal with South Korea aimed at easing tensions. (Related: South Korea accuses North Korea of supplying Russia with over 1M ARTILLERY SHELLS in exchange for advanced technologies.)

The decision to unleash artillery raises concerns about regional stability and the potential for an escalation in hostilities. This event marks North Korea's first artillery firing into the sea since December 2022, highlighting the sporadic nature of such provocations. There were nine similar incidents in 2022, emphasizing the recurring challenges in maintaining stability in the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea's prompt response, including issuing an evacuation warning, underscores the government's commitment to the safety of its citizens. International observers and neighboring countries are closely monitoring the situation, stressing the importance of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.

The resumption of such artillery attacks raises questions about the effectiveness of past diplomatic engagements and efforts to maintain stability.

The suspension of the North-South military deal complicates prospects for peaceful coexistence, potentially impacting regional security.

As the situation unfolds, diplomatic channels are likely to be activated to address the provocation. The international community, including the United Nations, is expected to condemn North Korea's actions and call for restraint to prevent further escalation.

This incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance in the Korean Peninsula, where tensions can quickly escalate. It underscores the need for sustained diplomatic efforts to address root causes and work toward a lasting solution for peace and security.

Residents of remote South Korean islands told to evacuate

Residents of remote South Korean islands evacuated to bomb shelters as instructed by the military before the South fired live rounds toward the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL) border.

South Korea's military reported no civilian or military damage caused by North Korea's artillery fire. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik characterized the act as provocative, escalating tension and threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The North Korean artillery shells landed on the northern side of the sea border, according to a South Korean military spokesman, who highlighted ongoing monitoring efforts with the cooperation of the U.S. military.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stated that Marine brigades on Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands demonstrated an overwhelming operational response by firing at sea south of the NLL border. Mechanized artillery and tanks were involved in the South Korean drills.

China, North Korea's main political ally, urged restraint and called for a resumption of dialogue between the two sides.

Yeonpyeong, home to over 2,000 residents and troops, is about 120 km west of Seoul, accessible by ferries taking nearly three hours.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, noted that North Korea firing artillery during winter drills in the area was not unusual. However, he highlighted the difference this year, with Kim Jong-un publicly disavowing reconciliation and unification with the South.

The disputed waters near the NLL have witnessed deadly clashes, including the sinking of a South Korean corvette in 2010 and the 2010 artillery attack on Yeonpyeong island. North Korea has warned of a spiraling situation toward war, attributing it to perceived dangerous moves by the U.S. and South Korean militaries.

In November, North Korea declared an agreement signed in 2018 aimed at de-escalation and preventing accidental fighting near the border as no longer valid. This followed South Korea's decision to resume drills near the border, breaching the earlier agreement to cease military exercises in the area. Both Koreas have pledged crushing military responses if attacked.

Watch a report about North Korea firing shots near South Korea.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

U.S. threatens additional sanctions on North Korea if the communist nation inks arms deal with Russia

North Korea says new spy satellite took photos of U.S. bases in Guam

North Korea scrambles fighter jets after U.S. spy plane enters its economic zone

Sources include:

YourNews.com

ArabNews.com

Brighteon.com
CASHING IN: Orders at worlds top defense companies soar amid geopolitical conflicts

A recent analysis from the Financial Times (FT) found that the world's top defense companies have been receiving high orders of military supplies  from tanks to fighter jets to missiles  because of developing and ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

According to 15 defense groups, including the largest U.S. contractors as well as United Kingdom's BAE Systems and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace, the combined order backlogs were $777.6 billion, up from $701.2 billion two years earlier, or about a 10 percent increase. This is by the end of 2022, which is the latest for which full-year data is available. It continued into 2023 and in the first half of the year, when the backlogs stood at $764 billion driven by surging war risk in Ukraine and the South China Sea, governments felt forced to continue placing orders. "The explosion of a possible regional conflict in the Middle East will likely result in surging orders in 2024," FT included in the article.

Per the provided graph, reported currencies other than U.S. dollars are converted using rates on Dec. 15. RTX and L3Harris figures are included from 2020 and 2019, respectively, due to mergers. Thales figures include civil businesses in avionics and space and exclude disposed transport business from 2021. Rheinmetall figures from 2021 include orders and other agreements. Hanwha figures are for land forces. Airbus does not disclose H1 backlogs.

Also, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, total global military spending increased 3.7 percent in real terms in 2022 to a new record high of $2.24 trillion. Moreover, Hanwha recorded the biggest rise in new orders based on the FT analysis, with its backlog soaring from $2.4 billion in 2020 to $15.2 billion at the end of 2022. The said firm, which makes the K-9 self-propelled howitzer tank, has benefited significantly from Ukraine-related orders, in particular from Poland.

Defense stocks have soared as war risk surges. Morgan Stanley Capital International's (MSCI's) global defense benchmark is up 14 percent on the year and breaking out to new highs.

"The reality is lead times for policymaking, budgets and placing orders are so long that the invasion of almost two years ago is only just appearing in orders and barely in revenues, except for a few shorter-cycle specialists such as Rheinmetall," analyst at Agency Partners Nick Cunningham said.

Biden announces last authorized military package to Ukraine

Amid the soaring orders as the conflict drags on, Ukraine continues to press for more funding from Western allies and the U.S. is by far the largest contributor of arms, based on the following information by the Kiel Institute through the end of October.

However, President Joe Biden's administration announced before the year ended the final drawdown of weapons and military equipment from the country's stockpiles under the existing presidential authorization. The $250 million package includes air defense munitions, additional ammunition for High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), 155 mm and 105 mm artillery ammunition, and anti-armor munitions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "Our assistance has been critical to supporting our Ukrainian partners as they defend their country and their freedom against Russia's aggression," Blinken said. The arms and equipment were being provided under previously directed drawdowns for Ukraine. (Related: Executive branch warns U.S. is OUT OF MONEY, almost out of time to help Ukraine.)

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also stated last week that Biden was planning one more military aid package in December, but that assistance after that would require an agreement in Congress, where the prospects for a deal are uncertain. "When that one's done ... we will have no more replenishment authority available to us, and we're going to need Congress to act without delay," Kirby said on December 18. So, Blinken urged Congress to act swiftly on new aid for Ukraine, "to advance our national security interests by helping Ukraine defend itself and secure its future."

Meanwhile, the European Union will miss its target of supplying Ukraine with 1m artillery shells by March 2024, according to the German defense minister. Also, a 50 billion EU aid package was blocked by Hungary. Poland also said in September that it would stop supplying Ukraine with weapons in a dispute about the country's grain exports.

Visit MilitaryTech.news for more related stories.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

FT-Com.EzProxy.Brunel.ac.uk

VOANews.com

BBC.com
Slow collapse of the MSM shows the majority of Americans waking up to the reality that biased national media is indeed the enemy of the American people

In the late 1970s the national American media had the trust of the majority of the people, but as they gravitated to the left of the political aisle over the years, that trust slowly dwindled, and by the end of 2023 only 7% of adults have a 'great deal' of trust in news media , with 38% saying they have 'none at all.'

(Article by Susan Duclos republished from AllNewsPipeline.com)

In 2015, after Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President, the media became the "enemy of the people." Not because Trump called them that, but because to stop Trump from being elected instead of Hillary Clinton, they started pushing "fake news."

This isn't opinion, it was documented with links, and screen shots, by Sharyl Attkisson, where she kindly referred to the false news presented by the MSM as "mistakes." 151 items from August 2016 to January 16, 2021, with an addition six added in after Trump was no long in the White House.

Please note that doesn't includes the lies, misrepresentations, and misinformation published from 2015 when Trump announced up until August 2016. An example of that would be the headline lies after Trump's announcement claiming he called all Mexican's rapists, when his actual words seen within the publications showed he mentioned that some of who come here illegally over the border are rapists.

News reports since then proved Trump right.

I would detail more of that, but I'd like to jump forward to present day, as one of the largest American news outlets, Washington Post, is now losing $100 million per year. Not only that but their online engagement has been cut in half over the last four years.

Four years ago, the Post boasted 139 million monthly visitors. By the end of last year, it had less than 60 million

Of that audience, less than one in five read more than a single article per month.

For the record, just the one million could keep ANP going until Stefan and I drop dead, and still have enough to leave some to our children.

Top that off with the fact that in early December 2023, Washington Post Guild went on a mini strike, where 750 members walked out for a day, which almost no readers even noticed. Their demands, considering how often Wapo and other liberal news outlets lie to the American people they are supposed to inform, are outrageous.

The Guild wants a minimum salary of $100,100 for reporters, and management is offering only $73,000. The parties are also separated by annual cost-of-living demands.

Wapo is not the only outlet suffering from self-inflicted wounds.

COLLAPSE OF THE MSMS....

2023 was a horrible year for national liberal media outlets, and 2024 is likely to to continue that trend.

Some of the key points from a TheWrap article published on MSN:

 Broadcast, print and digital outlets collectively saw 2,681 journalism job cuts in 2023, up 48% from 1,808 in 2022 and 77% from 1,511 in 2021.

 In Nov.-Dec. alone "Conde Nast, G/O Media, Vice Media and Vox Media have all cut staff, most of whom already had layoffs earlier this year. (Vice filed for bankruptcy in June.)"

 A research study in 2022 by Northwestern University's Medill School found that some 2,500 dailies and weeklies have shut down since 2005. The study predicted that a third of American newspapers that existed roughly two decades ago will be out of business by 2025.

Of course the handwringing by the likes of some such as Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, the national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, is nothing short of tone deaf.

"The health of the journalism industry is closely tied to the health of our democracy," Blaize-Hopkins added. "When layoffs happen, the public becomes less informed, which puts our very democracy at risk."

Ok, let us all say it, America is Republic, not a Democracy.

In my opinion, after having spent years documenting many of the MSM lies, misinformation, selectively edited video, and retractions after the fake news already filtered throughout America, the Republic is better off with less, honest media, than more dishonest media outlets.

Media defenders will claim that "mistakes happen," but when every mistake flows in one direction, against one political party, it becomes less a mistake and clear media bias, a lies to get the political result they want.

Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com
Western nations deploy ships to protect underwater infrastructure following Balticconnector pipeline incident

Finnish and British troops engaged in a routine naval training exercise are shifting their focus to protecting undersea infrastructure, particularly in the Baltic Sea, after an incident involving the Balticconnector pipeline.

The pipeline, which transports gas between Estonia and Finland, was damaged in October, potentially by the trailing anchor of a Chinese-flagged, Russia-bound commercial ship.

While the intention behind the damage is yet to be determined, Western military planners are not waiting for answers. The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), comprising 10 countries, has decided to deploy ships, including the U.K.'s Mounts Bay, to protect critical undersea infrastructure in response to the rising threat of hybrid or gray-zone warfare.

This move reflects the increasing vigilance of Western nations in defending against unconventional forms of warfare, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and infrastructure sabotage, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. (Related: Gasgrid Finland and Elering detect "unusual" leak in Finland-Estonia offshore pipeline in Baltic Sea.)

The Balticconnector incident exposed vulnerabilities in the security of critical undersea infrastructure, prompting a proactive response from the JEF.

The incident, along with previous breaches like the Nord Stream bombing, has raised concerns about the potential impact on Europe's energy security.

The response from the JEF involves joint efforts by like-minded nations to deter adversaries from disrupting the extensive network of gas pipelines and communications cables in the Baltic Sea. The deployment of ships, including Mounts Bay, emphasizes the collaborative approach needed to protect undersea infrastructure effectively.

The Balticconnector incident, while not conclusively attributed to hybrid warfare, serves as a test scenario, highlighting the technical feasibility of damaging critical underwater infrastructure deliberately.

Experts: Reacting to incidents like that is important

Experts stress the importance of reacting to such incidents, considering them potential tests that demonstrate the technical capabilities of adversaries to inflict damage on critical infrastructure. The threat to gas pipelines is particularly significant for Europe's energy security, as a substantial portion of German homes relies on gas heating. With the diversification of gas sources by several countries, safeguarding the supply chain remains crucial.

The response also involves international cooperation, with Finnish and Estonian authorities collaborating with their Chinese counterparts to investigate the ship, Newnew Polar Bear, suspected of causing the damage. The incident has prompted discussions about reinforcing undersea infrastructure against potential threats, including the possibility of adding physical protection, such as extra concrete, and enhancing surveillance in international shipping lanes.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has established the Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell to coordinate efforts among various stakeholders, including private companies, national governments, to identify and address threats to undersea infrastructure. The cell aims to leverage data and technology to swiftly identify attackers, sending a strong deterrent signal.

While challenges exist, advancements in sensor technologies such as fiber optic cables capable of sensing objects near infrastructure, are seen as potential game-changers.

The surge in naval deployments by the JEF is part of a broader effort to increase deterrence and protect critical undersea infrastructure.

The Mounts Bay, along with other ships, is poised for deployment in the Baltic Sea, reflecting the readiness of the JEF navies to address the challenges posed by hybrid warfare.

Following swift investigations, the Finnish and Estonian authorities identified a Chinese-flagged merchant vessel, the Newnew Polar Bear, destined for Russia, as a focal point of the inquiry. The vessel's anchor was found near the damaged pipeline, and subsequent photographs taken in the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia revealed it without an anchor shortly after the incident.

While the investigation has yet to conclusively determine whether the incident was accidental or intentional, northern European states perceive it as a potential instance of hybrid warfare.

Jukka Savolainen, an expert at the European Center of Excellence for Combating Hybrid Threats in Helsinki, considered the incident as a test, demonstrating the technical feasibility of undermining critical underwater infrastructure.

Watch this video about the Balticconnector pipeline getting destroyed.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russian officials: Biden ordered Nord Stream pipeline bombing.

BLAME GAME: USA blames Ukraines leaders for Nord Stream pipeline bombing.

Biden admin responsible for blowing up Russias Nordstream pipeline, explosive new report reveals.

Sources include:

Politico.eu

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Brighteon.com
Senior Education Department official RESIGNS over Biden admins continued support for Israel

A senior official at the Department of Education (ED) has tendered his resignation over the Biden administration's ongoing support for Israel.

Tariq Habash, a senior political appointee of President Joe Biden at the ED, has become the second high-profile official to leave the current administration. The Palestinian-American Christian cited the White House's failure to condemn the "genocidal campaign" of the Israeli government against innocent Palestinians.

In his resignation letter, Habash  formerly the special assistant in the ED's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development  accused the administration of turning a blind eye to the atrocities in Gaza and lamented the erasure of his identity amid the ongoing conflict.

"As a Palestinian-American, I bring a critical and underrepresented perspective to the ongoing work on equity and justice. But now, the actions of the Biden administration have put millions of innocent lives in danger, most immediately for the 2.3 million Palestinian civilians living in Gaza who remain under continuous assault and ethnic cleansing by the Israeli government," he wrote. "Therefore, I must resign."

"For 75 years, my relatives have never been allowed to return to their familial homes. Millions of Palestinians have faced decades of occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid, and the Biden administration's passive acceptance of this status quo is wholly out of line with democratic values. Our government continues to provide unconditional military funding to a government that is uninterested in protecting innocent lives."

Habash argued that he "cannot be quietly complicit as this administration fails to leverage its influence as Israels strongest ally to halt the abusive and ongoing collective punishment tactics that have cut off Palestinians in Gaza from food, water, electricity, fuel and medical supplies  leading to widespread disease and starvation."

Biden facing discontent from both his party and the public

Habash's resignation underscores the growing discontent within the Biden administration regarding its stance on the Israel-Hamas war. The administration has resisted calls for a ceasefire despite the three-month-long offensive that resulted in a humanitarian disaster, with over 22,000 Palestinians killed and more than 80 percent of the Gaza Strip's population displaced.

Tensions within the administration and Congress have reportedly escalated in recent months, with officials expressing frustration over Biden's approach to the conflict. In October of last year, officials at the Department of State were said to be preparing a dissent cable demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and truthful public messaging to address the crisis.

In November, more than 500 alumni of the Biden election campaign penned a letter urging a ceasefire. White House interns followed suit in early December, sending a letter to Biden that called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The interns' letter also condemned the "ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people."

Moreover, a recent poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College shows that 48 percent of young Americans believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. (Related: Biden: Israel LOSING SUPPORT across the globe due to indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.)

According to the poll, three-quarters of young Americans stated that Israel is not doing enough to avoid civilian casualties. This sentiment reflects a broader dissatisfaction with how Biden handles the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with over 70 percent of young respondents expressing disapproval.

The poll reveals a generational division among younger Americans and those aged 65 and above. The older age group tends to support the continued backing of the military campaign in Israel, while younger individuals, ages 18 to 29 years old, are more critical. Nearly 70 percent of the younger respondents believe that Israel should stop the war even without securing the hostages and eliminating Hamas. Additionally, 46 percent of young people sympathized with the Palestinians, compared to the 27 percent who sympathized with Israel.

Watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he stresses the need to root out Hamas completely.

This video is from the TestimonyOfTheTwoWitnesses.com channel on Brighteon.com.

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Corporations like McDonalds, Starbucks that support Israel are receiving massive backlash, boycotts over support for genocidal bombings of Gazans.

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Biden finally admits that Israel is "losing support" as a result of its "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net 1

MiddleEastEye.net 2

Brighteon.com
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 9. Acting Governor of Tashkent Shavkat Umurzakov met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Uzbekistan Yu Jun in Uzbekistan's Tashkent on January 8, Trend reports.

Umurzakov noted that the two countries are linked not only by historical relations, but also by common modern views on diplomatic, trade-economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. He expressed gratitude for the visit and said that a favorable investment and business environment for both local and foreign companies has been created in Uzbekistan and especially in Tashkent on the initiative of the head of state.

Shavkat Umurzakov also said that the time has come to discuss promising projects along with major projects currently being implemented jointly with Chinese companies. He emphasized the need to increase China's participation in projects related to pharmaceuticals, infrastructure development, construction, and furniture production.

In response, Yu Jun thanked for the reception and noted that Uzbekistan has established itself as a reliable partner worthy of trust in all spheres, including politics, diplomacy and business.

He also thanked for opportunities created for diplomatic corps, noted similar positions in international relations, and said that the Chinese side encourages not only trade-economic and political cooperation, but also the development of relations in culture, education, exchange of experience.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue the dialog in order to develop mutual cooperation between Tashkent and China's regions.
Feds and AT&T continue with invasive DAS program, collecting millions of phone records ILLEGALLY

The Data Analytical Services Program (DAS), formerly called the Hemisphere Project and funded through the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, is a police-state surveillance program that collects millions of phone records illegally.

The Draconian DAS system allows police and other law enforcement "personnel" at all levels, including federal, state and local, to access over a TRILLION phone records of AT&T customers, and anyone else contacting those customers via an AT&T switchboard. Here's the scariest part.

Worse than the NSA surveillance and illegal invasion of Americans' privacy we all know about thanks to NSA-insider and whistleblower Edward Snowden, DAS also collects location information, within one hour of a call made.

Zero judicial oversight of illegally collected phone records with location data tracking for communist-style government tyranny, all kept secret for years

The Hemisphere program was purposely kept out of the public eye, and the records can be accessed with a simple administrative subpoena, never requiring review from a judge before issuing. More than 4 billion call data records are added to the illegal spy records daily, all accessible and equipped with Geo-time, 3D mapping and analysis tools for any kind of "investigation" law enforcement agencies decide they want to run with.

DAS also features an obscure funding mechanism that helps it evade privacy impact assessments, meaning skirting legal requirements used for nearly all other surveillance programs. Have you been talking to anyone who uses the AT&T network? Every call you make is traced, tracked, recorded, catalogued and handed over to the police-state spies for watching your every move.

Does the 14th Amendment still exist?

Why does the US government, at all levels, spy on law-abiding American citizens daily? Is this an apparatus for disqualifying political adversaries? Is this a platform for censoring and imprisoning Conservatives who vote for Trump and talk about the Democrats fixing elections? Is this spy program set up for human trafficking operations? What ever happened to 14th amendment rights and equal protection laws for privacy?

DAS uses the "chain analysis" technique for spying, which tracks and records calls of anyone who talks to a criminal "suspect" for any reason. Talk about "gray area" for policing people. This tracking information even provides the addresses of those subscribed, and has been running for more than a decade.

Guess who helps fund this mass domestic spying platform? You guessed it, the White House and their Office of National Drug Control Policy, even though trillions of calls are recorded and catalogued that are non-drug-related. Do you live in a "high-intensity drug trafficking area?" That could be any metropolitan city in America, or anywhere else the DA, ATF, or FDA says it is. It's that simple.

Who will be arrested for a "thought crime" next? Are you so much as THINKING about protesting the next election if the Democrats use falsified mail-in ballots (made in China) and Dominion vote-flipping machines again? Think again. The AT&T-sponsored police-state is listening to your thoughts, calls, and knows your precise location:

Of course, AT&T refuses to comment at all to anyone ever about the program. Any subpoena from anyone called an "administrator" is enough for AT&T to spy on every phone call made by anyone in a big city, talking to a possible criminal, or simply mentioning the fact that the Democrats staged January 6th, fixed the 2020 election, and helped orchestrate the largest genocidal wipeout of humans in history by pushing the COVID mRNA jabs on everyone.

This has been a public service announcement from Natural Health News. Tune your scamdemic frequency to Censored.news for truth news about US government spy programs (where they spy on millions of Americans illegally) thats being censored from the rest of media as you read this.

Sources for this article include:

JustTheNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Epic.org
Hamas commander involved in October 7 attacks killed during an Israeli airstrike

Israel has eliminated Adil Mismah , identified as the commander of the Nukhba Company, during an airstrike in Gaza.

Mismah played a pivotal role in orchestrating the attack on Israel that took place on October 7, resulting in the loss of 1,200 lives, with over 200 individuals taken as hostages and transported back to the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) provided detailed insights into Mismah's involvement, highlighting that he led a group of militants into the Israeli Kibbutz Kissufim and directed armed individuals to launch attacks on other kibbutz communities, including Nirim and Be'eri. Simultaneously, the IDF executed a targeted raid on the command and control center of fighter organizations located in Shejaiya, Gaza City.

The operation yielded substantial results, with ground troops recovering large quantities of weapons near a mosque.

In addition to the mission against Mismah, the IDF forces destroyed a launch post and neutralized a militant cell responsible for mortar shell attacks on Israeli forces. (Related: Israel killed more Palestinians in 2023 than in any year since 1948.)

Another mission involved identifying and neutralizing a militant launching rockets in the Gazan city of Khan Yunis.

These recent military actions align with Israel's strategic plan to withdraw forces from Gaza in the coming months. The shift in focus involves redirecting efforts toward targeted operations against Hamas while minimizing reliance on artillery and air strikes.

Despite this tactical adjustment, Israeli officials have emphasized that the conflict will persist, as outlined by IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. He stressed the necessity for prolonged fighting throughout 2024.

While some reservists are set to return to their families this week, preparations for sustained combat activities in the coming year are already underway. These adaptations are designed to ensure meticulous planning and preparation for the challenges that lie ahead, reinforcing the IDF's commitment to addressing additional tasks and warfare throughout 2024.

Israel's actions constitute genocide

Raz Segal, the program director of genocide studies at Stockton University, unequivocally asserts that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a "textbook case of genocide."

Segal identifies three genocidal acts by Israeli forces, including killing, causing serious bodily harm and implementing measures calculated to bring about the destruction of the group. He points to explicit statements of intent from Israeli leaders, citing President Isaac Herzog's remarks during an Oct. 13, 2023, press conference.

Segal said Herzog's language, labeling all Palestinians as "an enemy population," may demonstrate intent and contribute to proving genocide.

Other experts, including City University of New York professor Victoria Sanford and David Simon from Yale University, share concerns about the potential genocidal campaign in Gaza. Sanford draws parallels between the situation in Gaza and the Guatemalan genocide, emphasizing the lived experiences of the affected populations.

Over 100 scholars and organizations, including Sanford and Segal, signed a letter urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action, stating that the "Israeli intention to commit genocide visibly materializing on the ground."

Sanford supports a lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, accusing the U.S., including President Joe Biden, of not taking sufficient measures to prevent genocide.

However, scholars such as Ben Kiernan and Hinton believe that Israel's actions, while indiscriminate and causing civilian casualties, might not meet the legal definition of genocide. Kiernan said crimes against humanity, particularly extermination, are more likely charges for both Hamas and some Israeli officials.

Hinton, on the other hand, noted that the characterization of a "textbook case of genocide" might draw on a social scientific understanding, considering settler colonialism and the gradual erasure of a group.

Watch this video about the Gaza war scenes not being shown in Israel.

This video is from the alltheworldsastage channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Time.com

Brighteon.com
Hezbollahs initial response to assassination of top-ranking Hamas leader involved striking Israeli intelligence base with more than 60 rockets

The Lebanon-based Hezbollah political party is fighting back against Israel over its assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in a south Beirut neighborhood last week.

According to reports, Hezbollah recently launched its "initial" response to al-Arouri's assassination, which included unleashing more than 60 rockets on communities in northern Israel, many of which were long evacuated following the October 7 Hamas attack.

Alert sirens could be heard in about 90 towns and settlements in Northern Israel as Hezbollah issued a statement declaring that the bombardment is "part of the initial response to the crime of assassinating the great leader Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri."

In a follow-up statement, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said some 40 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards the Mount Meron area, which is home to a critical IDF base that oversees Israeli operations in nearby Syria.

Hezbollah admitted to launching 62 "various types of missiles" against the Meron air control base in the retaliatory attacks, which according to Israel saw no casualties.

(Related: Remember the wild rape claims made by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after the October 7 attack? Gallant made them all up.)

Lebanon's Hezbollah-linked Almayadeen says Meron attack hugely significant

Almayadeen, a Hezbollah-linked Lebanese media outlet, reported that the attack on Meron is hugely significant because of how important the base is to Israel's strategic regional operations.

Located just eight kilometers from Lebanon's southern border, Meron overlooks the Lebanese towns of Rmeish, Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras. It also occupies the summit of Mount Jarmaq in northern occupied Palestine, rendering it the highest peak within the Gaza Strip.

"Sitting at an altitude of approximately 1200 meters above sea level, the base sprawls across an area of up to 150,000 square meters, with a substantial portion of the surrounding areas believed to be under its control for military and intelligence purposes," reported Almayadeen, noting that Meron primarily serves as an aerial surveillance center.

"It is the sole facility responsible for managing and controlling air operations toward Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Cyprus, as well as the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin. Moreover, this base acts as a central hub for electronic warfare interference in the mentioned directions, staffed by a significant number of elite Israeli officers and soldiers."

Ever since October 7, Hezbollah has been targeting and degrading Israeli's vast military infrastructure along the Lebanese border. The extent of the damage caused to Meron in the most recent attack is still largely unknown as Israel remains tight-lipped about the situation.

In response to the most recent Hezbollah attack, the government of the European Union (EU) is calling for restraint throughout the region. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it is "imperative" for Israel and Lebanon to avoid a regional escalation in the Middle East.

"It is absolutely necessary to avoid Lebanon being dragged into a regional conflict," he stated, adding a warning specifically to Israel that "nobody will win from a regional conflict."

"We are seeing a worrying intensification of exchange of fire across the Blue Line," Borrell added, referring to the current demarcation line between the two countries that was established by the United Nations (UN) following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon in 2000.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to further retaliate against Israel for the assassination of al-Arouri. In a recent speech, Nasrallah said he will not even think of negotiating a ceasefire with Israel until the Jewish state stops attacking Gaza.

IDF, meanwhile, has stated that it launched multiple airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, also releasing footage showing attacks on buildings and a rural site that supposedly housed a "terrorist squad, launch site, military buildings and terrorist infrastructure."

The latest news about the Israel-Gaza war can be found at Chaos.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Calls increase for investigation against Britains Prince Andrew after new details emerge surrounding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein

A lobbying group in the United Kingdom has petitioned London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to open a new investigation into the country's disgraced Prince Andrew after courts in the United States unsealed a new tranche of documents related to the late convicted pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

The new documents, unsealed in two batches by Senior Judge Loretta Preska of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, identify over a hundred associates of Epstein, including Andrew, as mentioned in the trial of Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's sex trafficking victims, and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former lover and associate in his crimes. (Related: Jeffrey Epstein's private calendars and emails reveal his connections to top officials, celebrities and even royalty.)

During the trial, Giuffre alleged that the prince sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Another Epstein victim, Johanna Sjoberg, alleges that the prince sexually assaulted her while Giuffre was also there.

Anti-monarchy lobbying organization Republic said on Thursday, Jan. 4, that it had reported Andrew again to MPS detectives, urging the police to open a new investigation against the prince and claiming that the authorities did not properly look into the allegations against him the first time.

But the MPS said in a statement that it will not be conducting any new investigations against Andrew because it claims that no "new and relevant information" came out of the released documents.

"We are aware of the release of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein," said the MPS. "As with any matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention we will assess it. No investigation has been launched."

Andrew could be evicted from royal property

When information first came to light that Andrew sexually assaulted underage girls with the help of Epstein and Maxwell, he was stripped of most of his titles and removed from official royal duties.

Andrew, currently the eighth in line to inherit the throne of the U.K., had almost entirely been frozen out of participating in any royal duties and from holding any public role as a member of the royal family. He only occasionally appears at family events, such as during the family's annual Christmas reunions, Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022 and his older brother King Charles II's coronation in 2023.

Now, the latest documents seemed to "crystalize" to Charles his determination to solve the "Andrew problem." This could lead Charles to renew a push to evict Andrew from Royal Lodge, the 98-acre crown estate with a 30-room mansion where the prince lives with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.

Charles has reportedly been attempting to evict Andrew from Royal Lodge since early last year, but plans failed after Andrew simply refused to leave and after Ferguson spent weeks in the house recovering following surgery for breast cancer.

The prince continues to deny all accusations of wrongdoing or of having had any relationship with Giuffre and Sjoberg, both of whom have accused Epstein of abusing them at his mansion in Manhattan and in Little Saint James, Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Watch this Jan. 5 episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses Jeffrey Epstein's close ties to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

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Epstein and his lover Ghislaine Maxwell were Mossad operatives BLACKMAILING famous personalities with videos of them bedding underage girls, book claims.

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Sources include:

Expose-News.com

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Geopolitical analyst warns of economic chaos should Iran shut down Strait of Hormuz

For international investor and geopolitical expert Nick Giambruno, Iran could cause immediate global economic chaos while energy prices skyrocket should it decide to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz , a narrow strip of water that links the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world and the single most important energy corridor.

Five of the world's top 10 oil-producing countries (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait) border the Persian Gulf. So does Qatar, which is the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. There is no alternative route, Giambruno warned. Moreover, the strait's narrowest point is just 3.2 kilometers wide and according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, more than 40 percent of global oil exports, or around 21 million barrels -- more than $1.5 billion worth -- of oil pass through the body of water daily.

"And that's not considering the immense amount of LNG, which is about 33 percent of the world's daily exports and other goods transiting the Strait," the international investor pointed out and proceeded to warn that since Iran is located in a commanding geographical location, it can shut down the strait and there's not much anyone can do about it. "It's Iran's geopolitical trump card," he claimed.

Iran has declared that it will close the strait if Israel or the United States attacks it, and the potential outbreak of regional war in the Middle East, with the prospect of the destruction of Israel and the collapse of the petrodollar system, could force the U.S. to act against Iran this time. Analysts and market observers say the conflict could prompt the United States to tighten sanctions on Iran, which may spur Tehran to take retaliatory action against ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Worse, if a closure happens, it would take weeks for the U.S. military to reopen it and nobody knows if it would even be successful. The Millennium Challenge 2002 war game suggested it wouldn't be. (Related: In 2002, the Pentagon conducted $250 million Millennium Challenge war game to demonstrate "ease" of defeating Iran  and LOST.)

Giambruno also cited that should the sea passage get blocked by Iran, 21 million barrels of oil could be removed from the global market. Today, global oil production is approximately 94 million barrels per day, which means about 22 percent of the worldwide oil supply could disappear. Also, should a war break out, the price of oil will be at least as severe as it was during the 1973 oil shock, which saw oil prices go up four times, the analyst predicted. A similar move today could see oil prices above $300 a barrel.

The investor's prediction was the same as a hardline Iranian lawmaker's sentiment, who said that if the Hamas-Israel conflict worsens, Tehran might enter the war and close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Hassan Norouzi was asked how Iran is planning to play a role in the war and he was quoted as responding that "Resistance forces in Palestine, Syria and Iraq are sufficient, but if the situation becomes critical and we are asked [for assistance], it is possible that we would go to war against Israel to support the resistance."

Asked about what Iran would do if Bidens regime entered the conflict, he replied, "The United States does not dare to enter directly. If it does, it will face difficult conditions. Even if it attacks, the Middle East and Western Asia's resistance forces can counter. It's also not unlikely that we could close the Strait of Hormuz. If America directly aids Israel in a war, we will close the Strait of Hormuz," he warned directly.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also threatened a wider war if attacks continued against Hamas. "The continuation of war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the Axis. And naturally, the Zionist entity and its supporters will be responsible for the consequences," he stated.

U.S. claims to deter Iran's attacks against shipping vessels

Back in October 2023, Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command said that the decision in July to send F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to the Persian Gulf, along with a naval destroyer and an amphibious assault group that included 2,500 U.S. Marines, seems to have resonated with Iranian officials. "The increased presence of surface vessels that went in combined with our airpower has deterred Iran from taking any actions against maritime shipping," Grynkewich told members of the Defense Writers Group in Washington. "It has had good effects."

In July, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the additional U.S. capabilities to the region after Iran attempted to seize two commercial tankers in international waters off the coast of Oman, which followed Irans successful seizure of two oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz just months earlier. The U.S. Navy reported that Iran has seized or harassed almost 20 ships in the region over the past two years.

Meanwhile, reports from Iran's state-run media on some of the ship seizures have said Irans actions have been part of efforts to combat illegal fuel smuggling and they have claimed that at least some of the vessels were in Iran's territorial waters.

Chaos.news has more stories related to the escalating conflicts in the Middle East.

Sources for this article include:

InternationalMan.com

IranIntl.com

VOANews.com
ISIS claims responsibility for twin bombings in Iran that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Thursday, Jan. 4, claimed responsibility for two bombings that killed nearly 100 people and injured hundreds more in Iran.

On Wednesday, Jan. 3, two bombs exploded in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman during a ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the United States. As head of the IRGC's special forces unit, the Quds Force, Soleimani is considered an icon by supporters of Iran's regime.

The blasts occurred within long lines of people gathered to mark Soleimani's assassination. They killed at least 84 people and wounded an additional 284. Iranian government officials noted that many of the wounded are in critical condition, so the death toll could further rise. This is the deadliest terrorist attack to occur in Iran since 1978.

In a statement posted on Telegram channels affiliated with the Islamic State, the terrorist organization claimed two ISIS members detonated explosive belts in the crowd in Kerman. The Islamic State's hardline Sunni Islamic ideology considers Iran and its majority Shia Muslim population to be apostates and legitimate targets for attacks. ISIS previously claimed responsibility for a mass shooting at a Shia Muslim shrine in 2022 that killed 15 people. (Related: AI chatbot tries to get British anti-terrorism advisor TO JOIN ISIS.)

Iran shutting borders to limit chances of ISIS militants coming into the country

On the same day the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings, Iranian government spokespersons noted that the country was bolstering security along the country's borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, the first tangible sign that Tehran suspected the attack to be the work of ISIS militants.

"We have points on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan that are a priority for blocking," said Minister of the Interior Ahmad Vahidi.

One of Tehran's main goals will be to limit the amount of traffic crossing through border checkpoints. The government is already scheduled to discuss tighter security along the border with the Taliban.

The Islamic State has an affiliate  the Islamic State Khorasan Province, known as ISIS-K  that is primarily active in Afghanistan and could have been responsible for the attack. Aaron Zelin, an Iran expert for the think tank the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted that Tehran has repeatedly accused ISIS-K of being behind many foiled terrorist attacks in the past few years.

The IRGC has promised to conduct a "harsh response" against ISIS, describing the attack as a "blind and spiteful act to induce insecurity in the country and take revenge on the love and devotion of the great nation of Iran."

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber told reporters in Kerman that those responsible would receive "a very strong retaliation" that would be meted out to them "by the hands of the soldiers of Soleimani," referring to the Quds Force.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi similarly condemned what he called a "heinous and inhumane crime." Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei similarly vowed revenge for the bombings.

Authorities plan to hold a mass funeral service for those killed. Initial plans were for a mass service to be held on Friday, Jan. 5, but these were later scrapped, possibly over security concerns in Kerman. Instead, mass protests erupted in Iran on Friday.

Watch this clip from Fox News reporting on ISIS claiming responsibility for the twin bombings in Kerman.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

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In 2002, the Pentagon conducted the $250 million Millennium Challenge war game to demonstrate "ease" of defeating Iran  and LOST.

ISIS-affiliated smuggler helped migrants illegally enter the U.S. via Mexico.

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Kim Jong-Un to NoKor military: ANNIHILATE South Korea and the U.S. if provoked

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has instructed the Korean People's Army (KPA) to "thoroughly annihilate" South Korea and the U.S. if they start a military conflict.

He issued this order in a speech delivered during a meeting with Pyongyang's top officials on Dec. 31. "If the enemy opts for military confrontation and provocation against the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], our army should deal a deadly blow to thoroughly annihilate them by mobilizing all the toughest means and potentialities without [a] moment's hesitation," said Kim reportedly said, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim's remarks echoed the rhetoric of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) year-end meeting for 2023. During the five-day summit, he charged America with raising "various forms of military threat." Previously, Kim  the WPK's general secretary  disclosed plans to put three more satellites into space and continue to develop Pyongyang's weapons arsenal this year. (Related: Kim Jong-Un dismisses top general, calls for WAR PREPARATIONS.)

The North Korean leader also denounced Seoul as "a hemiplegic malformation and colonial subordinate state" whose society is "tainted by Yankee culture" during the WPK meeting. He stressed that the KPA must employ all available means as well as nuclear weapons to "suppress the whole territory of South Korea" in the event of a confrontation.

Since 2022, North Korea has performed more than 100 missile tests  prompting the U.S., South Korea and Japan to expand their joint military drills. Aside from this show of force, Pyongyang has also tried to bolster its relationships with longtime allies China and Russia. The two nations blocked attempts by Washington and its partners in the United Nations Security Council to harden sanctions on North Korea over its weapons tests.

In turn, the U.S. and South Korea  formally the Republic of Korea (ROK)  extended their military and political cooperation in 2023. This came amid the North  formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)  carrying out a record number of weapons tests and launching its first spy satellite into orbit.

North Korea no longer seeking reunification with its southern neighbor

During the Dec. 31 meeting with the KPA's top brass, Kim said he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, citing the "uncontrollable crisis" that was sparked by Seoul and Washington. KCNA later reported that on Jan. 1, North Korean officials met to enforce an order by Kim to either break up or reorganize organizations handling relations with South Korea.

According to the state-owned news outlet, this move lines up with Pyongyang's directive to alter the principle and direction of the North's battle against the South. There was no quick explanation of how that might change inter-Korean relations, which have been stalled for a long time.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said during his New Year's Day address that he would bolster his military's preemptive strike, missile defense and retaliatory capabilities in reply to the North Korean nuclear threat. "The ROK is building genuine, lasting peace through strength, not a submissive peace that is dependent on the goodwill of the adversary," Yoon stated.

A day before, South Korea's Ministry of Defense warned that if the North tries to use nuclear weapons, forces from South Korea and the U.S. will punish Pyongyang forcefully and cause the demise of the Kim government.

According to experts, small-scale military conflicts between Pyongyang and Seoul could occur this year along the fortified border. They also predict that North Korea could test-launch intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the American mainland and other primary modern weapons.

Follow WWIII.news for more news about North Korea and Kim Jong-Un.

Watch the video below about North Korea's Hwasong-15 ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns of nuclear war, orders military to get ready for possible U.S.-led invasion.

North Korean leaders promise to annihilate the US by end of century.

Blinken admits having real concerns over military ties between Russia, North Korea.

U.S. threatens additional sanctions on North Korea if the communist nation inks arms deal with Russia.

Sources include:

AlJazeera.com

ABCNews.go.com

Brighteon.com
Floridas top doctor calls to STOP all COVID-19 injections due to potentially hazardous contamination

Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, has called for doctors to stop recommending the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines.

The Sunshine State's top doctor said in a press release that "nucleic acid contaminants" present in the approved mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna could deliver "contaminant DNA" into human cells. In particular, he zoomed in on the presence of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) complexes and the simian virus 40 (SV40) promoter  which has been linked to cancer.

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have always played it fast and loose with COVID-19 vaccine safety, but their failure to test for DNA integration with the human genome  as their own guidelines dictate  when the vaccines are known to be contaminated with foreign DNA is intolerable," Ladapo said. (Related: FDA ends official covid "vaccine" protocol, now says people should receive no more than one mRNA dose  and no more boosters).

LNPs, which are utilized to deliver mRNA in the COVID-19 vaccines into human cells, could also be an equally efficient vehicle for delivering contaminant DNA into human cells. Meanwhile, the presence of SV40 in the injections may also pose a unique and heightened risk of DNA integration into human cells.

Back in December, Ladapo sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen about this concern. According to the Florida Department of Health (FDH), the state surgeon general's Dec. 6, 2023 letter raised questions about the safety assessments and the discovery of billions of DNA fragments per dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.

Concerns about the danger of mRNA vaccines growing

Back in 2007, the FDA published guidance on regulatory limits for DNA vaccines. The regulator outlined important considerations for vaccines that use novel methods of delivery regarding DNA integration. According to the FDA, DNA integration could theoretically impact a human's oncogenes  the genes that can transform a healthy cell into a cancerous cell  resulting in chromosomal instability.

The guidance touched on the biodistribution of DNA vaccines and how such integration could affect unintended parts of the body. Based on the FDAs recognition of unique risks posed by DNA integration, the efficacy of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine's LNP delivery system and the presence of DNA fragments in these vaccines, it is essential to human health to assess the risks of contaminant DNA integration into human DNA.

"The FDA's response does not provide data or evidence that the DNA integration assessments they recommended themselves have been performed. Instead, they pointed to genotoxicity studies  which are inadequate assessments for DNA integration risk. In addition, they obfuscated the difference between the SV40 promoter/enhancer and SV40 proteins, two elements that are distinct," Ladapo said.

"DNA integration poses a unique and elevated risk to human health and to the integrity of the human genome, including the risk that DNA integrated into sperm or egg gametes could be passed onto offspring of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients. If the risks of DNA integration have not been assessed for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, these vaccines are not appropriate for use in human beings."

Ladapo ultimately pointed out that the mRNA COVID-19 injections "have a terrible safety profile at this point in the pandemic." He concluded: "You know, I'm not sure anyone should be taking them  and that's the honest truth."

Visit DangerousMedicine.com for more stories about the dangers caused by the contaminated mRNA COVID-19 injections.

Watch this clip about researchers creating an aerosolized mRNA vaccine.

This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

MIT professor and health analytics expert issues public call to STOP all mRNA vaccination immediately.

Pfizers mRNA vaccine makes aberrant proteins, warn experts concerned about autoimmunity.

Bill Gates announces $40M investment to develop mRNA VACCINE in Africa.

COVID vaccine mRNA in breast milk shows CDC lied about safety.

Moderna developing new mRNA flu vaccine for upcoming avian influenza plandemic.

Sources include:

En-Volve.com

100PercentFedUp.com

Brighteon.com
Trump LEADS among Hispanic and under-35 voters in new poll

Former President Donald Trump appears to have begun 2024 on a high note, leading among Hispanic voters and those under the age of 35. Results of the poll conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University were released on Jan. 1.

The poll surveyed 1,000 likely U.S. voters between Dec. 26 and Dec. 29, 2023. According to its results, Trump leads among voters under the age of 35  with 37 percent of the cohort supporting the former president compared to the 33 percent supporting incumbent President Joe Biden.

It found that 39 percent of Hispanic respondents back Trump, compared to only 34 percent for Biden. Four years earlier in 2020, Biden drew in 65 percent of Hispanics  more than double the 32 percent of votes Trump received from the group. It also found that the former president has the support of 12 percent of Black voters, mirroring the percentage of votes he garnered during the 2020 election.

Moreover, the poll found that Trump (39 percent) leads Biden (37 percent) among American voters overall by two points. Seventeen percent of the poll's respondents support a third party option, according to the Post Millennial. Upon further scrutiny, 20 percent of Hispanic and Black voters and 21 percent of younger voters said they will support someone other than Trump or Biden.

Trump's lead (37 percent) over Biden (34 percent) expands to three points when third-party candidates are included in the equation. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gained the most support among the potential third-party candidates at 10 percent. (Related: Trump gains 9-POINT LEAD over Biden in Pennsylvania poll.)

"Although Trump hasn't grown support among Black voters, he has closed the deficit because third-party voters come off of Biden's support among Blacks," said David Paleologos, director of Suffolk's Political Research Center. "A young voter or a person of color voting 'third party' is a vote away from Biden, and a vote away from Biden is a vote for Trump."

Biden's stance on major issues disliked by many young Americans

According to The Hill, young progressives have been disappointed over Biden's refusal to take further action on priorities such as climate change and voting rights. Student loan repayments resumed after his efforts to forgive a significant amount of debt were blocked by the Supreme Court. His backing of Israel in its war with Hamas is also disliked by many younger Americans, who are typically more sympathetic to Palestinians affected in the conflict.

The poll also made voters describe their level of enthusiasm for their candidate on a scale of one to 10. Forty-four percent of Trump supporters described their enthusiasm as a 10 out of 10, while only 18 percent of Biden supporters described their enthusiasm for their candidate in the same way.

Several respondents also shared to USA Today their thoughts about Trump. Seventy-eight-year-old Republican Joyce Masumoto from California's Orange County said the former president "has integrity." She continued: "Biden and the Democrats [are] always bringing up Trump; he's not even doing anything and they're blaming things on him."

Republican-leaning independent voter James Traylor, 45, said he is considering a vote for Kennedy. Despite this, the resident of Forney, Texas said he would vote for Trump over Biden.

"I voted for him the first time around [in 2016] and I was happy with his presidency," said Traylor, a member of the Forney City Council. "[I] voted for him a second time [in 2020]."

Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Watch Bill O'Reilly explain why former President Donald Trump governed better than his Democratic predecessor and successor.

This video is from the Newsclips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Mainstream media DISMAYED by poll result showing Trump leading Biden by 9 points in hypothetical head-to-head matchup.

Polls: Trump's approval rating among Black and Hispanic voters the highest a Republican has enjoyed in 50 YEARS.

Poll: Trump LEADS Biden in five key swing states  Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

Polling indicates Trumps nomination by the Republican National Convention is ALL BUT GUARANTEED.

Sources include:

ThePostMillenial.com

USAToday.com

Brighteon.com
The early weeks of January will bring colder conditions and a snowy outlook in the Pacific Northwest, including in Seattle and Portland. The potential heavy snow can cause slower commutes and dangerous travel conditions in the region.

Homeowners should also watch out for the colder conditions in the Northwest this week due to the blast of Arctic air. Hypothermia and frostbite are also likely due to the extreme cold, especially for older adults, children, outdoor workers, people with no heating system and those with medical conditions.

In the Southeastern US, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of severe thunderstorms and tornado threats this week. Homeowners should check for tornado advisories in the area, especially during the night.

Meanwhile, the weather prediction warned of heavy snow in the Western US and Northern Rockies this week. Over a foot of snow can spread over Montana, Idaho and Sierra Nevada on Wednesday.

Limiting outdoor activities is also recommended to avoid travel hazards, including blizzards, travel disruption and extreme cold. When planning to go out, homeowners should always monitor the latest forecasts.

Weather in the Pacific Northwest: Challenging Commutes And Heavy Snow

The latest weather forecast showed that significant snow can unload in the Northwestern US and Northern Rockies. The snow can also spread over Portland and Seattle with chilly temperatures.

Stormy conditions unfold over British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest with a chance of rain. Colder conditions are expected in Salt Lake City, Spokane, Calgary and Boise.

Rainy outlook can unload in Seattle, Portland and Medford. Motorists traveling in said areas should be extra careful due to snow, reduced road visibility and slippery roads. In this week, the snow is expected in the following areas:

Calgary

Spokane

Boise

Salt Lake City

Portland

Seattle

Vancouver

Sacramento

On Friday, the colder air will spread over Redding, Fresno, Las Vegas, Denver, Rapid City, Bismarck, Helena and Seattle. In higher elevation or mountainous areas, blizzards can likely emerge.

On Wednesday, winter storms can unload in the Pacific Northwest and Western US. Homeowners should anticipate several feet of snow with gusty winds reaching up to 60 mph.

On Thursday or Friday, the threat of storms can move over the Central US. Residents are advised to stay tuned with the latest forecasts this week.

Also Read: Gulf Coast Weather Forecast: Nocturnal Tornadoes, Thunderstorms Likely in Northeast Texas, Mississippi Coast

Challenging Weather in the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard

The latest weather forecast warned of blizzard conditions in the Plains and Upper Midwest. In the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast, residents should watch out for severe weather outlooks and damaging winds.

Significant river and coastal flooding is also likely. Low-lying areas are at risk of moderate to troublesome flooding, including in New England.

Related Article: Icicles Dangers in the US: How to Keep Safe From Extreme Cold This Winter

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World New
The amendments made to the charter of 'Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia' on December 30, which included the addition of the position 'Honorary Chairman' held by Bidzina Ivanishvili, were published on January 8.According to the updated charter, the party's political council will approve the prime minister's candidacy upon the nomination of the honorary chairman.According to the same charter, similar to the chairman of the party and the political council, the honorary chairman has the authority to call for an extraordinary congress of the party by their decision.As per the same charter, similar to the chairman of the party and the political council, the honorary chairman has the authority to call for an extraordinary congress of the party by their decision.The honorary chairman of the party is a member of the political council, alongside the party chairman and 15 members elected by the party congress. The honorary chairman, the party chairman, or not fewer than one-third of the members of the political council can convene a meeting of the political council.Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili stated that, in accordance with the government's decision, new living spaces will be provided for up to 1000 large families living in difficult conditions. The government has allocated a total budget of 50 million GEL for the program.According to Azarashvili, a family with three or more minor children, all of whom are registered in the unified database of socially vulnerable families at the Social Service Agency, can be a beneficiary of the program.The government states that the goal of the program is to support socially vulnerable, homeless families with many children and create decent living conditions for them."The beneficiary of the program can be a family with three or more minor children, all of whom are registered in the unified database of socially vulnerable families at the Social Service Agency. The program can be used by families whose members are not registered in the unified electronic database of displaced or eco-migrant families at the IDPs, Eco-Migrants, and Livelihood Provision Agency.Also, if a homeless family member has not already received a living space from the state or appropriate monetary compensation for purchasing a living space.After evaluating these and other criteria, the relevant commission will decide on housing the families. The program will last until the end of 2025, and families will be housed in any administrative-territorial unit of Georgia." the statement reads.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program is no longer of interest to Western countries, especially the US, said Hamidreza Gholamzadeh, an Iranian analyst on international issues, Trend reports.

According to Gholamzadeh, it is not attractive for US President Joseph Biden to focus on the investigation of the issues of the JCPOA.

If Biden puts the JCPOA issue on the agenda, if he brings the US back to the deal, or softens sanctions against Iran, he will become a target of Republicans, Gholamzadeh said.

On the other hand, taking into account the events in the Middle East, the US president does not intend to face pressure in the name of "privileging Iran" in foreign policy, he added.

"In general, the JCPOA is not a priority in the policy of any of the countries within the 4+1 group (the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and the US," the analyst said.

Irans nuclear program was the subject of the JCPOA, a deal signed by Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) on January 16, 2016. However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed new sanctions on Iran as of November 2018, affecting its oil exports and freezing its assets abroad. More than 700 banks, companies, and individuals were also targeted by the sanctions.

In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA decreased by 2030 percent.

---

Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur
The recent report warned of climate change and rising temperatures in Florida. Hotter surface temperatures can threaten the coral's health and survival.

Researchers have been monitoring the state of the coral reef in the Florida region. Coral reefs play a significant role in the marine environment. Fish and marine animals can likely become affected by hotter surface temperatures.

In Florida, researchers raised concerns about the impact of climate change on coral reefs. With coral ecological services, the decline in health can have devastating effects on ecosystems.

Rising Temperatures Impact on Coral Reef System in Florida

According to recent reports, coral reefs have suffered from many challenges:

global warming

human exploitation

deep-sea mining, pollution

destructive fishing practices,

climate change

extreme weather events

When climate change intensifies, it can likely affect their survival, especially the food security for human populations. In the recent report, the researchers monitored the corals in Florida, especially in the Cheeca Rocks.

Ian Enochs, a marine scientist and from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Miami, explained that the reef looked different. The mass bleaching of corals can have devastating effects on animal and ocean health.

The report highlighted that prolonged bleaching can become catastrophic. Researchers checked the area to check on the aftermath of heatwaves.

Florida is no stranger to rising temperatures. In 2023, the region recorded high sea temperatures. In July, the seawater temperatures reached like a hot tub in Florida, reaching 37.8C (100F) near the Manatee Bay.

At the Cheeca Rocks, the area has been known with healthy corals. It is a sanctuary preservation area to protect the inshore patch reefs and a popular place for snorkelers. However, the researchers discovered that Cheeca Rocks is vulnerable to threats of rising temperatures and climate change.

For instance, the species of staghorn and elkhorn have suffered from widespread decline. Climate change can make it more challenging for all corals to survive exacerbated by human destruction and alarming pollution.

Meanwhile, researchers are finding ways to study and breed more heat-resilient corals in parts of the US, especially in Florida. The unprecedented temperatures can significantly threaten their survival amidst the problem of climate change.

Also Read: Climate Change Causes Frequent Extreme Heat Waves, Forecast

Corals in Florida

Florida is home to different colorful coral species. People can find the rare staghorn corals with tangled dense thickets. However, rising temperatures can put at risk the endangered coral. The other coral species are the following

Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata)

(Acropora palmata) Boulder Star Coral (Monstastrea annularis)

(Monstastrea annularis) Great Star Coral (Montastraea cavernosa)

(Montastraea cavernosa) Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites)

Related Article: Widespread Warmth Recorded in North-Central US in December 2023

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News
Dirty cruise ships will be banned from entering Norway's fjords starting in 2026. The move is meant to protect the European nation's unique natural environment, according to reports.

This comes after the Norwegian government determined that fuel emissions from these vessels are detrimental to the health of both the fjords and the people who live near them.

Norwegian lawmakers have decided to protect the country's fjords by halting marine diesel oil and mass tourism from damaging the climate surrounding the natural structures. However, local authorities will still allow ships that are powered by alternative fuels to visit its fjords. This means that vessels using conventional, climate-damaging fuel like diesel will be included in the ban.

Norway Dirty Cruise Ship Ban

Norway welcomes several millions of foreign travelers each year. Approximately 1 million of these individuals embark cruise ships to see the country's west fjords.

In the Geiranger Fjord (Geirangerfjord) area, it is reported to receive 815,000 visitors, including 315,000 cruise ship passengers, according to the Norwegian Centre for Transport Research's Institute of Transport Economics.

For years, some tourist-carrying cruise ships visiting the Norwegian fjords are burning marine diesel oil, which have been found to damage the ecosystem surrounding the colossal natural wonders.

Due to the ecological and environmental threat, the Norway dirty cruise ship ban aims to halt the polluting vessels. However, local livelihood that relies on tourism is reportedly at stake due to the ban since most cruise ships rely on fuel oil, instead of harnessing alternative green energy.

In a statement reported on January 4, Espen Barth Eide, Norway's foreign minister and former environment minister, stated that cruise ships are responsible for polluting Norwegian fjords. It is for this reason that all parties in the Norwegian Parliament voted for a zero-emission policy.

Also Read: Fjords are Carbon Reservoirs and Play a Role in the Global Carbon Cycle [Study]

Norway Fjords

Created by glaciers, a fjord is a long, narrow, and deep sea inlet or lake drain. It consists of steep land or cliffs on its sides. The often-shallow opening connected to the sea is called the mouth of the fjord. This natural physical geography can be found among the beautiful Norway fjords.

Aside from Norway, fjords are primarily found in Antarctica and the Arctic region, particularly in countries like New Zealand, Chile, Canada, Greenland, and the US state of Alaska. Fjords may seem to be well-crafted but they were formed by giant glacier tongues that passed through several ice ages and were responsible for shaping the landscape.

Although Norway fjords or similar structures have stood the test of time, modern anthropogenic emissions of fuel and greenhouse gases pose a threat to these structures.

In the case of Norway, the dirty cruise ship ban will ensure the protection of the fjords. Yet, various reports suggest it could damage the tourism industry concerning the visiting of fjords and purchase of products related to them.

Related Article: Methane Alert: Scientists Find Leak in Algerian Desert; Fjord Emissions in Heavy Storms
Great white sharks seemed to have returned to South African waters recently, making shark spotters to be back in action as well. Renewed threats are underway as the ocean's second apex predator has made a comeback that is several years in the making.

It can be recalled that within a decade ago, multiple great whites left their natural habitats off the coast of South Africa due to a duo orca, named "Port" and "Starboard." Both killer whales are notoriously known for eating the liver of the ferocious sharks that they preyed on.

While the predatory fish is a danger to swimmers, local authorities and conservationists are weighing measures to protect both great white sharks and humans, not just the latter. Aside from life-threatening currents and waves, the waters surrounding South Africa are also known for the risk of shark attacks.

Great White Sharks Return

Great white sharks have been spotted off the beaches of South Africa in early December for the first time in over four years. Their return is also a security concern since these marine animals in the past were responsible for fatal attacks on swimmers. Yet, the sharks' comeback also signify the absence of the duo orca, which were reportedly the reason why they left in the first place.

The duo pair of male killer whales Port and Starboard gained popularity in 2015 after scuba divers found several dead broadnose sevengill sharks off the coast of South Africa. Since then, scientists blamed the deaths of different sharks to the duo orca, which made a bizarre feat of killing 17 sharks in one day.

Further evidence of the bizarre shark killings occurred in 2017 and 2019, when bodies of great white sharks washed up ashore with only their livers "eaten out" from their bodies. The succeeding years will also see the confirmation that orcas (not only Port and Starboard) stalks and attacks sharks in a strategic way.

Also Read: Killer Whales 'Port' and 'Starboard' Return in South Africa, Duo Ate Livers of 17 Sharks in One Day

South Africa Shark Attacks

Shark encounters, either fatal or not, do occur in different parts of the world. While the ocean is a vast and treacherous place, there are coastal areas where beachgoers face a heightened risk of encounters with sharks.

In the past, victims of shark attacks include swimmers, divers, and surfers. Based on records, South Africa in one such place where the presence of sharks has been instilled in the minds of locals.

Since 1905, there have been a total of 109 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, followed by 90 in KwaZulu-Natal, 60 in Western Cape, and one in East London. This South Africa shark attacks data is according to the International Shark Attack File.

In 2022, a Cape Town woman was mauled to death in a fatal shark attack off a beach in the Plettenberg Bay area of South Africa. The victim, who was with her husband and child at that time, was found dead in a popular tourist area.

Related Article: Dozens of Sharks Avoid South African Waters as Killer Whale Duo 'Port' and 'Starboard' Hunt Them
Experts found out that Egyptian vultures improved their flight and migration performance in relation to their early life and acquired experiences.

The study explained that two types of experience affect animals' behavioral proficiencies and, accordingly, their fitness. These include their early-life experience, which is an animal's environment during its early development, and acquired experience or the repeated practice of a specific task.

Researchers explained that how these two experience types and their interactions affect different proficiencies is still an open question.

Migratory Proficiencies

In the study, they looked into the interactions between these two types of experience during migration, which they believed was a critical and challenging period.

They had compared migratory proficiencies between birds with different early-life experiences and explain these differences by testing fine-scale flight mechanisms. They utilized data collected by GPS transmitters during 127 autumn migrations of 65 individuals to study the flight proficiencies of two groups of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus), which is a long-distance, soaring raptor.

The two groups differed greatly in their early-life experience, one group being captive bred while the other one was a wild hatched.

The study emphasized that both groups improved their migratory performance with acquired experience, exhibiting shorter migration times, longer daily progress, and improved flight skills, specifically more efficient soaring-gliding behavior.

It noted that the observed improvements were mostly apparent for captive-bred vultures, which were the least efficient during their first migration but were able to catch up in their migratory performance already in the second migration.

Researchers have shown how the strong negative effects of early-life experience were offset by acquired experience.

''Our findings uncover how the interaction between early-life and acquired experiences may shape animals' proficiencies and shed new light on the ontogeny of animal migration, suggesting possible effects of sensitive periods of learning on the acquisition of migratory skills,'' scientists said.

Read Also: Rare Egyptian Vulture Spotted in the UK for the First Time in 150 Years

Declining Population

The Vulture Conservation Foundation defined the Egyptian Vulture as the world's only tool-using vulture and Europe's smallest and only true long-distance migratory vulture.

The species is considered globally endangered and is the only European vulture which population is declining.

So far, the population of Egyptian Vultures in Europe is in crisis, with a dramatic 50% decline in the last 40 years across its range and 80% decline in the numbers found on the Balkan Peninsula alone.

Around 80% of the population left in Europe are found on the Iberian Peninsula, with the remaining populations across the range isolated and highly fragmented.

Experts said that Europe's migratory vulture is facing pressure not just in Europe but across its entire migration flyway.

It was believed that the loss of habitat, decrease in food supply, collisions with electricity infrastructure and poisoning from the use of agricultural chemicals in both Europe and in sub-Saharan Africa are all threats faced by these small vultures.

The species' annual migration also poses significant risks with over 50% of young birds not surviving during their first travels to their overwintering grounds.

The good news is that many conservation initiatives from groups are currently working to preserve and boost the Egyptian Vulture population in Europe as well as in other regions.

Related Article: Endangered Vultures in Southeastern Europe on the Brink of Extinction Due to Human Activity




Hundreds of native Australian lizards and reptiles worth more than $1 million have been captured by New South Wales Police before being allegedly illegally shipped to Hong Kong.

Illegal Export Of Reptiles

Raptor Squad detectives discovered over 260 lizards in homes or in shipped packages after an investigation into the illegal reptile trade began in September of last year.

According to the NSW Police, a criminal syndicate was catching Australian reptiles in the wild and transporting them to Hong Kong for financial gain.

When the animals were transferred overseas, they were allegedly kept in horrible conditions and crammed into small containers, chip packs, cylinders, and purses.

Before being placed in separate containers, they were supposedly firmly bound and covered in material

After nine shipments containing 59 live lizards were confiscated en route to Hong Kong, a 41-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man were captured on Pendle Hill in December and charged with illegally exporting native wildlife.

Police said they later discovered 16 native lizards and eggs in a crate sent to Hong Kong, as well as another 60 in a storage room at Pendle Hill.

On December 29, 2023, a 59-year-old man was detained after his vehicle was stopped in Panania. He faces 13 charges, including intentionally directing the actions of a criminal group and exporting restricted native species without permission.

A 31-year-old man was also arrested on January 5 after 118 lizards, three snakes, eight eggs, and 25 dead reptiles were discovered in an East Hills apartment.

At Grenfell, another search warrant found four lizards hidden in suitcases.

The NSW Police discovered 257 lizards and transported them to various zoos and wildlife parks for veterinarian examinations.

Based on an average of $5,000 per lizard, the total worth of all reptiles seized is around $1.2 million.

Read Also: Smugglers Are Exploiting Australia's Rare Reptiles for Profit

High Demand Overseas

According to the police, the 59-year-old guy was behind the operation, the 31-year-old man was in charge of catching the lizards, and the 54-year-old man and 41-year-old woman were in charge of transporting and exporting the lizards.

The authorities added that the 31-year-old suspect went "into remote areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia" on a regular basis, trapping lizards and bringing them back to Sydney.

Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis of the Raptor Squad called the crime "cold-blooded and cruel."

"Thankfully the trapped reptiles were found alive and have since been sent to various local zoos and local wildlife parks for health examinations before they will be ideally released back into the wild," he said.

The scheme was thwarted by postal facilities, who discovered the lizards after screening the parcels they were in before notifying authorities.

After seizing a cargo of live lizards heading for Hong Kong, Strike Force Whyaratta was formed in September last year to investigate illicit native animal and reptile exports.

Reptiles are in high demand on the international market and are collected for a variety of reasons, including pet and therapeutic uses.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, Hong Kong is a key global transit point for the illegal trade in live animals.

On a research published in 2022 by the ADM Capital Foundation, four million live animals from at least 84 nations were smuggled into the city over a five-year period.

Related Article: Authorities Seized IUCN Red List Endangered Sailfin Lizards in the Philippines
Experts said that global heating amplified by the El Nino phenomenon as well as burning of fossil fuels could push the temperatures to as much as 1.7C.

According to James Hansen, former NASA scientist who was known for alerting the world to the dangers of climate change in the 1980s, global heating, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the El Nino climatic event, would push temperatures to as much as 1.7C (3F) above the average experienced before industrialization in May.

Faster Acceleration Of Global Heat

Experts said the 1.5C ceiling cannot be considered breached until a string of several years exceed this limit. They noted that the circumstance is considered to happen most likely at some point in the 2030s.

Hansen explained that the heating of the world from greenhouse gas emissions is being reinforced by impacts, such as the melting of the planet's ice. He added that this makes the surface darker and therefore absorbing even more sunlight.

Hansen further said that "the 1.5C global warming ceiling has been passed for all practical purposes because the large planetary energy imbalance assures that global temperature is heading still higher.''

To recall, Hansen earlier said that global heating is accelerating faster than is currently understood and will result in a key temperature threshold being breached. He explained that the planet's climate is more sensitive to human-caused changes than scientists have realized until now.

This means that a "dangerous" burst of heating is expected to be unleashed, which will later push the world to be 1.5C hotter than it was, on average, in pre-industrial times within the 2020s and 2C hotter by 2050.

Experts said that climate change is characterized by delayed response and amplifying feedbacks.

They said that delayed response makes human-made climate forcing a threat to today's public and future generations because of the practical difficulty of reversing the forcing once consequences become apparent.

Feedbacks determine climate sensitivity to any applied forcing. Scientists have found out that Earth's climate is very sensitive-more sensitive than the best estimate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-which implies that there is a great amount of climate change in the pipeline.

They stressed that extraordinary actions are needed to reduce the net human-made climate forcing as is required to reduce global warming and avoid highly undesirable consequences for humanity and nature.

Read Also: 2023 Has 50% Chance of Becoming the Hottest Year on Record: NOAA Says

2023 Hottest Year

Officials previously said that the global temperature in 2023 would be more than 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer compared to pre-industrial levels.

Due to this, the year 2023 was seen to be the hottest year on record.

The figure was close to the 1.5-degree threshold in the Paris climate agreement, and this was beyond which scientists say humans and ecosystems will struggle to adapt.

Researchers have said 2023's exceptional warmth is the result of the combined effects of the El Nino phenomenon as well as the human-caused climate change.

So far, a series of deadly heat waves and remarkable record-breaking temperatures have hit several continents this year, while the unprecedented ocean heat blanketed much of the globe.

Related Article: 2023's Global Temperature Will Be More Than 1.4 Degrees Celsius Warmer Than Pre-Industrial Levels
Scientists in the United Kingdom have discovered "exciting and significant" new insights into how German soldiers used a crater in the Hawthorn Ridge blast site to their advantage during World War I.

Hawthorn Ridge Explosion

It has been shown that the British mine explosion that signaled the start of the Battle of the Somme produced a crater that allowed German forces to advance into No Man's Land.

By July 1, 1916, British forces had laid 19 mines beneath German lines and stuffed the tunnels with 40,000lb of explosives, which they planned to blow to provide cover for an infantry attack.

However, in an admitted military blunder, the mines were exploded 10 minutes before the advance, alerting the Germans to the plot and allowing them to take cover.

An archeological survey of the Hawthorn Ridge site has revealed that Germans used the crater rim as part of their front line, even tunneling out from it to advance their position in No Man's Land.

It gave German soldiers time to take defensive positions in the newly formed crater, resulting in more than 57,000 British fatalities on the first day of the conflict, including 19,000 killed.

In the 107-year-old crater, researchers have unearthed the remains of an undiscovered part of a German trench with barbed wire, known as a fire bay.

"We found physical evidence for the first time of how German soldiers had consolidated part of the crater left behind after the explosion, and actually used it to their advantage as a new defensive position," Dr. Jamie Pringle, a forensic geoscientist at Keele University.

Military historian stressed that Germans swiftly mastered the art of capturing craters and exploited it.

"Our study has provided new evidence of the strongpoint the Germans built from the captured crater in the middle of No Man's Land that doomed the British attack to failure," said Prof. Peter Doyle, a military historian at Goldsmiths, University of London, who was part of the team.

Read Also: The Disastrous Beirut Explosion Was So Brutal That It Disturbed Earth's Ionosphere - Scientists

Exciting And Significant

The researchers also discovered multiple impact holes from Allied shells and an unexploded British shrapnel artillery round with its time-fuse still intact, assumed to be one of many that did not explode.

They also discovered an empty ammunition box for a Vickers, a sort of heavy machine gun popular during both World Wars.

The study also claims that British forces blew up a second mine on November 13, creating a new crater.

They said that this bombardment was more successful, assisting them in capturing the ridge and the surrounding Beaumont Hamel settlement.

Dr Kris Wisniewski, a forensic science lecturer at Keele University, described the investigation of the "historically significant crater" as "exciting and significant."

He added that by using drones with imaging cameras, experts were able to remotely image a probable sap or shallow tunnel to the north west of the crater, demonstrating German mastery of no man's land after the initial detonation.

Related Article: Criminal Charges Against Tour Operators? Not possible - Experts on White Island Crisis
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Irans nuclear talks with the US are unlikely to resume before the US presidential election on November 5, 2024, said Hadi Khosroshahin, an Iranian analyst on international affairs, Trend reports.

Khosroshahin stated that the current situation is not conducive for new negotiations, as both sides have many disagreements on various issues.

The analyst added that the only way to make progress on the nuclear issue is to have secret and confidential dialogues between the security officials of both countries, as it happened in May last year without the medias knowledge.

He added that such dialogues could lead to a new informal deal that would prevent the US from imposing new sanctions on Iran and Iran from violating the limits set by the JCPOA. He said that this would help to maintain a low level of tension for the time being.

Irans nuclear program was the subject of the JCPOA, a deal signed by Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) on January 16, 2016. However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed new sanctions on Iran as of November 2018, affecting its oil exports and freezing its assets abroad. More than 700 banks, companies, and individuals were also targeted by the sanctions.

In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran.

According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA decreased by 2030 percent.

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Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur
Nvidia has hit back at allegations that it had stolen business secrets from French automotive company Valeo, saying in a new court filing that it had cooperated with local authorities and found no trace of Valeos code in its internal systems.

In a lawsuit filed against Nvidia by Valeo in November, it was alleged that Mohammad Moniruzzaman, a former Valeo employee, inadvertently exposed stolen source code from Valeo during a videoconference call with both Nvidia and Valeo employees.

Valeo accused Nvidia of benefiting from the stolen code, which Moniruzzaman admitted to taking, as per the November filing.

The November filing also said that Moniruzzaman admitted to German police that he stole Valeos software for use at Nvidia, and authorities found Valeo documentation and hardware pinned on the walls  a constant reference tool for him while working at Nvidia.

But Nvidia has entirely denied these allegations and has asked a court to dismiss the case with costs.

Nvidia has never wanted or needed Valeos alleged trade secrets, but it has no practical use for them either, it said in the filing, explaining that Valeos use of older, conventional technologies and task-specific components for different vehicle areas is entirely different from Nvidias end-to-end integrated approach.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed confidence that a solution to the conflict in the Middle East can be found that will provide security to Israel and at the same time meet the interests of the Palestinians, Trend reports.

"I am convinced that there is a path to the future that can bring lasting peace and security to Israel and meet the aspirations of the Palestinian people," Blinken said.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.
Gopi had worked in the circulation of a Vernacular daily and has been working in the Kudumbasree juice shop at East Fort for quite some time.
"They were included in the (ST) list of Manipur but how they were included needs to be re-examined. Before making a comment, we have to form a committee consisting of all tribes (of the state)," Singh told reporters here.
Furthermore, the project marked the erection of the first steel bridge, spanning 70 meters, across NH 53 in Surat, with more bridges in various stages of fabrication. Work on six river crossings, including Par, Purna, Mindhola, Ambika, Auranga, and Venganiya, has been completed, while progress continues on the Narmada, Tapti, Mahi, and Sabarmati rivers. Noise barriers are being installed along the viaduct to minimize operational noise.
The outcome will determine whether TT will continue in the ministerial position. He assumed office just eight days ago and had not yet taken charge. It is noteworthy that TT, even before becoming an MLA, was appointed as a Minister of State in the BJP government, a move strongly opposed by the Congress, which complained to the Election Commission.
Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, police said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. Gabriel Attal, who until now served as Minister of Education, has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France, Trend reports.

The decision was made by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Attal became the youngest prime minister in the history of France, at 34 years of age.

On January 8, Macron dismissed Elisabeth Borne, who had served as Prime Minister since May 2022.

Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Naina Pahuja, sister of Divya, told the media that the investigation should be handed over to the CBI as soon as possible so that the truth can come out.
Haji Siddiqui Mollah, chief of the TMC-dominated panchayat in Sandeshkhali, said he doesnt believe that Shahjahan fled from the area. He is very much in the area and overseeing partys affairs because the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held this year. Shahjahan is not person who will get scared and flee. But I have no idea where he is. Had I been aware of it, I would have been with him, he said.
We dont want to politicise the Manipur issue at all by starting it from the state. We need to feel the pulse of the people and give a message that we are with the people of Manipur. Thats why, we decided to start the yatra from the state, Venugopal further said.
Since 2003, the 54-year-old lawyer has been providing pro-bono services to Bilkis for the 2002 Gujarat riots, continuing her legal support to date. In 2019, the Supreme Court awarded the highest-ever compensation in an Indian court for a rape case, ruling in her favour and mandating the state to provide restitution. The unprecedented decision reflected the acknowledgement of the severe physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon her by the perpetrators. "In India, it takes a long time to get justice. Nevertheless, our judiciary is one of the best at giving justice to all," Gupta said.
"Undertook a historic journey to Madinah, one of Islams holiest cities included a visit to the periphery of the revered Prophets Mosque, Al Masjid Al Nabwi, the mountain of Uhud, and periphery of the Quba Mosque  the first Mosque of Islam. The significance of the visit to these sites courtesy Saudi officials, intertwined with early Islamic history, underscores the depth of our cultural and spiritual engagement," said Minister Irani.
The Indian High Commission in Maldives expressed concerns about the comments with the Maldivian foreign office. Meanwhile, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is in China for an official visit. He has refrained from making any comments on this issue, even though the three deputy ministers have been suspended.
The convict then moved the SC without disclosing the CBI opinion and his approaching the Maharashtra government. A bench had on May 13, 2022 directed the Gujarat government to consider the plea for Shahs for premature release, holding that the government of the state where the offence had taken place has the jurisdiction to decide the application. Nullifying the order, the court said it was obtained fraudulently.
The ED alleged Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav sold four land parcels "illegally" acquired from appointees in the Railways to Meridian Construction India Ltd., a company related to Syed Abu Dojana, a former RJD MLA, and the "proceeds of crime" so obtained by Rabri Devi and Hema Yadav were further transferred through a maze of transactions to A B Exports Pvt Ltd and Bhagirathi Tubes respectively.
The Supreme Court had initially set a deadline of December 31 for issuing the order, but Speaker Narvekar requested an extension until January 10 to deliver the final decision on the MLAs disqualifications.

Sources have indicated that the Maharashtra State Assembly Speaker has drafted the order, which has been sent to experts in Delhi for legal scrutiny. This order will eventually be submitted to the Supreme Court and subjected to further examination.
He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. France's President, Emmanuel Macron, has nominated a youthful politician, Gabriel Attal, as Prime Minister.

Who is Gabriel Attal?

Gabriel Attal was born on March 16, 1989, in Clamart. Attal, 34, became the youngest prime minister in French history.

In 2006, he joined the Socialist Party; later, in 2016, he changed the party to the "Forward!" (currently "Renaissance").

While a Socialist Party member, Attal backed Segolene Royal's presidential bid in 2007. After joining the "Forward!" party, he backed Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign in 2017.

Despite his youth, Attal has a wealth of experience in several roles inside the French government. From October 16, 2018 to July 6, 2020, he served as Secretary of State to the Minister of National Education and Youth. On July 6, 2020, he was named Secretary of State to the Prime Minister and the French government's official representative.

From May 20, 2022 to July 20, 2023, Attal served as Minister delegate for Public Accounts, reporting to the Minister of the Economy, Finance, Industrial, and Digital Sovereignty. Following that, he was appointed Minister of National Education and Youth, a position he held until his most recent appointment.

Gabriel Attal's partner is Stephane Sejournet, a French politician and member of the European Parliament who leads the current French president's party (the Renaissance).

Is it a coincidence that Macron picked the partner of his party's leader as Prime Minister? Hardly, but this is not the case.

Stephane Sejournet is an ardent Armenian supporter who advocates for Armenian concerns in both France and the European Parliament. For example, he initiated multiple anti-Azerbaijani resolutions passed by the European Parliament.

Stephane Sejourne is proud of his efforts to "protect" Armenians, about which he often shares publications on his social networks.

Recently, he called on Europe to support the Armenians: "We support the Armenian people. France cannot act alone. Europe must play its role".

The partner of new French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's advocacy for Armenian interests will undoubtedly have an impact on the latter's posture.

In other words, if anyone had hoped that changing the head of government would result in a shift in France's current biased posture toward Azerbaijan, this is simply a naive misbelief.

In this situation, the "hope" died first, rather than last.
Nation

No presiding officer wants to suspend members but legislature's dignity can't be hurt: Om Birla

In a democracy, when members violate the dignity and decorum of legislature, it does not send out a good message, Birla said.
Nation

No truck with ally Dushyant, Haryana BJP MLAs want to go it alone in polls

They believe that the party can safely piggyback on the popularity of PM Modi and can return to power in the state for the third time.
After Meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Social Media "Had an excellent meeting with Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Jis influence on President Hortas life and work. We discussed ways to further bilateral and cultural ties between our nations."
NEW DELHI: After the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) push, the National Medical Commission (NMC) members have posted their assets on their official website. Seven members, including officiating chairman Dr B N Gangadhar and presidents of all the boards have declared their assets. This paper has done a series of stories on how the NMC members, despite being at the helm for three years, had not posted their assets on the official website, thus violating the NMC Act 2019.
Modi likely to visit larger states 2-3 times

It is anticipated that larger states like Bihar and UP will receive 2-3 visits, while smaller states can expect at least one visit. As part of this strategy, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Bihars West Champaran on January 13, as the BJP focuses on winning a substantial number of Lok Sabha seats in the state. Furthermore, the visit following consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22 is expected to

send a strong message to the electorate in preparation for the 2024 elections.
The apex court had granted time to the Speaker till January 10 to pass the order after hearing a plea filed by MLA Sunil Prabhu of the Uddhav Thackeray group, seeking direction to the Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, the current chief minister. The state elections are due next year, nearly six months after the parliamentary polls.
"My request is to take this case seriously and keep in mind what the Supreme Court has said about whoever is involved in this heinous crime. The Maharashtra chief minister and home minister should take this case seriously," Pawar said.
The Forest Department was conducting a trial of an electric vehicle in the tiger reserve when an accident occurred on the Chilla Canal Road after the vehicle had exited the forest. According to sources, the demonstration vehicle had been showcased to Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal a few days prior, and he had

directed its trial within the forest. The current fleet of Gypsies operating in Uttarakhand's Tiger Reserve is becoming obsolete, prompting auto vehicle companies to present demonstrations of their vehicles in the area.
The other victim was declared dead by the doctors at AIIMS-Patna. Later her body was sent for postmortem. The residents of the area ascertained the identity of the victims and subsequently their family members were informed about the incident. The ASP said that a sniffer dog was pressed into service to trace the exit route of the accused. A forensic team also visited the spot to collect fingerprints and other scientific evidence. However, no breakthrough has been made in the case so far, he added.
Resident Shishupal Singh Rawat reported that late on Monday night, there was a smell of gas in the area, but no one paid much attention to it. By morning, the smell had intensified significantly. At that point, a resident went to the plot to investigate and found a strong odour and heard the sound of gas leaking from there. Immediately, the police were informed about the situation.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 9. The United States hopes to end military operations in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone within a few weeks, an unnamed American official said, Trend reports.

According to the information, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will express to Israel the need to end the military campaign in the near future and demand increased accuracy in target selection in order to minimize civilian casualties. Blinken is also convinced that Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah are seeking to avoid escalation of the conflict, and Middle Eastern countries have expressed a desire to normalize relations with Israel.

A combined attack was carried out on Israel on October 7. From the beginning, a massive rocket attack began from the territory of the Gaza Strip, followed by the penetration of militants by land, water, and air.

Israel declared a state of war after a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a mass gathering of reservists.
CPI general secretary D Raja pointed out that the statement on the remission of convicts, labeling it as obtained by fraud and suppression of facts, has highlighted the hollowness of the BJPs assertions regarding womens safety and empowerment. He shared a news report on the verdict and remarked that under PM Modis leadership, the BJP had taken extreme measures to shield rapists and murderers.
Former soldier gives agriculture machinery on hire

Gurbinder Singh Bajwa (51), an ex-serviceman-turned-farmer, interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of the five beneficiaries across the country. Bajwa, who has been farming for the last 23 years, told Modi that they started a custom hiring centre eight years ago with government subsidy and are now providing agricultural machinery on hire to around 400 small farmers within a radius of 30 to 35 kilometers. He also listed seven advantages to the farmers due to the hiring of this machinery, including reduction in stubble burning.
Suchitra Mohanty: Are you happy with the present system of court judgments that have been pronounced and the post-retirement posting of judges?

My instincts tell me, and these are not my instincts alone. These are instincts of Supreme Court judges who have never accepted any assignment after retirement from the top court. My instinct tells me that the Supreme Court judgeship is such a high pinnacle that after that nothing comes anywhere near it. Let us learn to use the wisdom of retired Supreme Court judges who can think about greater things. I think we should use them as a very important asset of society, but I dont think that we should give them assignments. I am very clear on that. But there may be many other implications that have to be considered. Should the judges retire at 65? I have a view that they shouldnt.
The ED claimed in a press statement that the magnitude of this "scam" was "enormous" and proceeds of crime transferred by a suspect amounts to Rs 9,000-10,000 crore, out of which Rs 2,000 crore are "suspected to be transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh".
The woman's medical examination has been conducted and her statement has been recorded. The accused will be produced in court on Wednesday, he said.
In the Spring of 2019, the worlds biggest dance of democracy was underway in India. As the dust settled on February events we received requests in April for visas for Pakistani journalists. I was all for sending Pakistani media in for the journalists to see the scale and efficiency of Indias electoral process. The concern in India was that the coverage was unlikely to be balanced and objective. It was too soon after the events of February to expect unbiased reports in Pakistans press. The visas finally did not come through
When the West perforce swallowed the insult (for such it was), a new world order was effectively tabled in front of the comity of nations, oppositional to that of the one proposed by George HW Bush in September 1990 during his address before a joint session of Congress, where he said, with the expansiveness of the inordinately privileged, A hundred generations have searched for this elusive path to peace, while a thousand wars raged across the span of human endeavour. Today that new world is struggling to be born, a world quite different from the one weve known.  And one thing more: In the pursuit of these goals America will not be intimidated.
Superintendent of Police Dharmander Kumar Meena said, We were tracking the movement of the car and stopped it at Aymangala toll, where we found the bag in which the body of the child was found and then detained the woman. Later she was handed over to the Goa police."
Speaking with press persons in the airport here, Kharge said that it is all rumours and at the time of elections to the Lok Sabha such matters should not be brought up. "This is the time to see that the guarantees given to the public should reach the people at the right time and the chief minister Siddaramaiah is doing it in the right manner," the AICC President said.
Karnataka

Start-up CEO tried to kill self after murdering her son in Goa apartment: Police

The motive behind the gruesome murder was not immediately known, but Seth told the police she and her husband were estranged and that their divorce proceedings were currently underway.
Hublot takes on a Chinese trinity ; a symbol: an eastern dragon also known as the loong ; two ancient art forms: paper cutting and marquetry ; an artist: Chen Fenwan

Drawing inspiration from the traditional Chinese art of paper cutting, the Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon layers its hands, wheels and H-shaped screws to form a 3D silhouette of an eastern dragon. Hublot presents a rubber strap with a marquetry design for the very first time. Created in collaboration with the Chinese artist Chen Fenwan, this limited edition of 88 pieces is the perfect fusion of tradition and modernity, combining metaphors and symbols in the spirit of Hublot: first, unique, different!

In the Chinese calendar, 2024 marks the return of the Dragon, which comes around every 12 years. This celestial creature, revered in Chinese culture, is associated with prosperity. A symbol of luck, strength and wisdom, the dragon is also an imperial icon that embodies life and immortality. Loong is a symbol, an icon, and the universal auspicious meaning is the foundation of Loong culture.

Equivalent to the year 4722 in the Chinese calendar, 2024 marks the year of the Wood Dragon. Through artist Chen Fenwans paper-cutting expertise, Hublot pays homage to wood through the natural fibres that form the soul and spirit of paper.

Chen Fenwan  Hublot

So, can you recognise whats hidden within the dragon?

This piece is a metaphor for the Art of Fusion and the art of continually reimagining materials and their areas of expression. A symbol of Hublots philosophy, the Hublot creates a different way to interpret times, through its distinctive features. The components of its pieces: hands, cogs or screws, are positioned in multidimensional layers to form a dragons silhouette created in paper cut-outs by the Chinese artist Chen Fenwan. The dragons head made up offive layers that alternate between hands, wheels and H-shaped screws, with a body and scales that extend onto the strap. The colours, reflect those of the paper cut-out sculpture created by Chen Fenwan.

A metaphor for the Art of Fusion

Celebrating the Year of the Dragon, this watch is also a metaphor for the Art of Fusion embodied by the eastern dragon. Also known as the Loong, it takes on the features of nine different animalsthe eyes of a prawn, the horns of a deer, the mouth of a bull, the nose of a dog, the whiskers of a catfish, the mane of a lion, the long tail of a snake, the scales of a fish and the claws of an eagle. A dragon whose metamorphosis has taken place over several thousands of years. Under Chen Fenwans touch, this sacred animal, talisman and totem, celebrates one of the greatest cultural legacies of Chinese art: the art of paper cutting. This is a craft that originated in China around 2,000 years ago, coincinding with the invention of paper. Chinese paper cutting has been on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2009 and is used to express the moral principles, philosophies and aesthetic ideals of its creators. It is used in festivities to honour events such as weddings and births, and paper-cut decorations symbolising happiness and good luck are intrinsic to Chinese New Year celebrations.

Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon  Hublot

Hublot invites Chinese Tradition into 2024 with a Hublot first: a rubber strap with a marquetry design

Hublot has invited Chinese artist Chen Fenwan to combine traditional Chinese sculpture in the round with contemporary art, creating a majestic and dynamic loong, which conveys an auspicious atmosphere as it rises to the heavens. This artwork symbolizes the ever-renewing totem of life. Expressing Hublots philosophy Be First, Unique and Different.

In a 42 mm titanium case, Hublot transposes the layered effects of paper cutting into a multi-level dial construction overlaying a base panel with several levels of appliques that incirporate the aesthetic codes of Hublots components.The dragons silhouette extends onto the rubber strap, which features a rubber marquetry motifa first for Hublot. Each of the dragons scales is coloured and nano-vulcanised to be integrated into the strap. This delicate decorative operation is carried out entirely by hand and takes around 8 hours per strap. The Spirit of Big Bang Titanium Dragon, offered in a limited edition of 88 pieces, comes with a second, titanium-grey Velcro fabric strap. Tthis Chinese New Year celebration features an HUB1710 automatic movement and power reserve of 50 hours.
Speaking on the international collaborations, Karmalkar said the three MoUs aim at development of a collaborative relationship in academics and research through various joint projects and faculty exchange. The MoUs were signed in the presence of the deans and faculty of IIT-Bhubaneswar during the visit of around 40 delegates from different universities and institutions to the institute.
PM Modi meets Prez of Timor-Leste in Gandhinagar

New Delhi, Jan 9

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to the President of Timor-Leste, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, and his delegation to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. This is the first ever Head of State or Government level visit between the two countries.

PM Modi also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

He congratulated President Horta for ASEANs in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon.

President Horta thanked the Prime Minister for the invitation to participate in the summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT.

The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

President Horta expressed strong support for Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena.

The Prime Minister appreciated Timor-Lestes active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergize their position on global issues, the official statement added.

(IANS - Posted on 09 January 2024)

PM Modi meets Prez of Timor-Leste in Gandhinagar

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Poonam Pandey cancels Maldives shoot, says our unity, respect for our nation should always come first

Mumbai, Jan 9

Actress and model Poonam Pandey has decided to cancel her upcoming shoot in the Maldives after anti-India barbs by ministers of the Island country.

These ministers implied that the visit aimed to promote Lakshadweep as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives.

Expressing her unwavering support, she posted on 'X', "It is essential to uphold the dignity of our country and its leaders. I stand firmly with the decision to suspend those who have shown disrespect towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our unity and respect for our nation should always come first."

(IANS - Posted on 09 January 2024)

Poonam Pandey cancels Maldives shoot, says our unity, respect for our nation should always come first

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Mahira Khan channels her inner 'gorgeous, style icon' Parveen Babi

Mumbai, Jan 9

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan paid a tribute to late Indian star Parveen Babi and talked about how she was left impressed with the veteran diva's Time magazine cover that she went on to watch her films.

Mahira's Instagram story also features an interview clip of the Pakistani star in which she is seen talking about how she got inspired from Parveen Babi.

"So I remember seeing this Time magazine cover and it had the gorgeous Parveen Babi on it. It's because of that cover that I actually watched her films. Some of her songs I just love. She was so beautiful, such a style icon," she said.

In another video, she is seen in a silver kurta outfit, standing in front of a giant screen with Parveen Babi's songs playing on it.

She said: "This was a tough shoot, my first since my foot injury (three fractures in my right foot to be precise). I couldn't move much and I was hating it. The team was sooo loving and caring... love you guys @lovefuryal @museluxe."

In the shared videos, Mahira was also seen crooning some few lines of Parveen Babi's song from the film Namak Halal - Jawani Janeman Haseen Dilruba.

(IANS - Posted on 09 January 2024)

Mahira Khan channels her inner 'gorgeous, style icon' Parveen Babi

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Timor-Leste President to support India's permanent membership in UNSC

New Delhi, Jan 9

President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta on Tuesday expressed strong support for Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

PM Modi re-affirmed Indias commitment to build a vibrant "Delhi-Dili connect. In September 2023, he had announced the opening of the Indian Mission in the country. He offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare including traditional medicine and pharma. He also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

He congratulated President Horta for ASEANs in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon.

President Horta thanked the PM Modi for the invitation to participate in the Summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT, official added.

The PMO said that the two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena. Prime Minister appreciated Timor-Lestes active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergise their position on global issues.

The PMO said that the bilateral relationship between India and Timor-Leste is anchored in shared values of democracy and plurality. India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002.

(IANS - Posted on 09 January 2024)

Timor-Leste President to support India's permanent membership in UNSC

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Kate Middleton, the wife of Britain's Crown Prince William, celebrates her 42nd birthday on January 9 this year. The Duchess has become an integral part of the royal family and a favorite of British subjects. Her love story with the prince was the basis for the books, but Catherine is an interesting person in her own right.

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The mother of the Duke's three children, as it turned out just a few years ago, knew for sure that William was her destiny. OBOZ.UA will tell you some interesting facts about the birthday girl.

While studying at boarding school, Kate Middleton had a poster with William's photo hanging in her room. The princess's school friends told the biographers of the book William and Catherine: Their Story that she was obsessed with the prince.

"When we were sitting with my girlfriends and discussing the guys we liked, Kate always said that she was not interested in anyone and that no one could compare to William," the commentary reads.

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At the time, the future lovers had not yet met. This changed a few years later when the future princess was studying at the University of St. Andrews.

Although the story of the couple looks quite romantic, the princess herself did not tell her subjects that she dreamed of becoming the duke's wife while she was still at school.

Another fact known to a small circle of the Duchess's fans is her passion for photography. After graduating from university, Kate Middleton planned to master this profession professionally, but royal duties forced her to reconsider her life plan.

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However, her passion has not disappeared. Nowadays, the future queen's camera lens usually shows her children and family, and Kate's shots are often used by Kensington Palace as official photos.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about the best images of Kate Middleton in 2023. The wife of the Prince of Wales attends dozens of formal, royal, charity, and social events every year.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A few flurries are possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph..

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The most extensive clinical study into liver cirrhosis ever conducted worldwide has been announced by Newcastle University, University of Edinburgh and leading research-driven global biopharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim.

The ADVANCE (Accelerating Discovery: Actionable NASH Cirrhosis Endpoints) study will be the most detailed observational study of its kind enrolling the largest number of patients and providing a detailed analysis of liver health.

This will not only enhance the understanding of NASH cirrhosis, but also help to identify translational biomarkers that will accelerate the development of future therapies.

Approximately 444 million people worldwide are estimated to live with a condition referred to as nonalcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH), an inflammatory liver disease that is caused by accumulation of fat in the liver. Over time, NASH causes the formation of scar tissue leading in many cases to liver cirrhosis. This can result in serious complications, including liver failure or liver cancer and may result in the patient needing a liver transplant. Currently there are no approved medicines for cirrhosis and so there is an urgent need for earlier diagnosis and new medicines to prevent MASH cirrhosis progression to liver failure, or to reverse the scarring of the liver once cirrhosis is established.

This 30M study is funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and reflects the company's commitment to improve the lives of people living with cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases (CRM). The study will be led by researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh, along with collaborators across Europe.

Professor Quentin Anstee, Professor of Experimental Hepatology at Newcastle University and Consultant Hepatologist at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who is coordinating the global study explained; "Building on Newcastle's internationally recognized expertise in translational liver research, this study will reveal the fundamental disease processes driving cirrhosis".

"We aim to work out why, even at the most advanced stages of liver disease, there is substantial variation in how the disease progresses with some people remaining well for many years whilst others rapidly experience liver failure or develop liver cancer. Working internationally with our collaborators, we will then use this knowledge to improve how patients are diagnosed, and to help develop new medicines."

"Cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for up to 20 million deaths annually," said Lykke Hinsch Gylvin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Boehringer Ingelheim. "At Boehringer Ingelheim we are focusing on understanding the whole patient and how to target specific disease mechanisms to address interconnected CRM diseases. We are very excited to work with our partners in the ADVANCE study to better understand the underlying disease processes and to bring much needed new treatments to patients with liver cirrhosis."

Professor Neil Henderson, Professor of Tissue Repair and Regeneration at the University of Edinburgh and co-lead on the study, said; "Liver disease has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Therefore, there is a huge need to develop potent, new treatments for liver scarring. To help address this, over the last several years we have harnessed a new technology in Edinburgh called single cell RNA sequencing. Using this new technology has allowed us to study human liver scarring in high definition for the first time, and we hope that this state-of-the-art approach will allow us to accelerate the discovery of much-needed new treatments for patients with liver disease." His team is being supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University's commercialization service.

The study will include 200 patients with cirrhosis. Participating patients will be recruited at specialist liver clinics at hospitals across the UK and Europe or through referral by their treating physician. This study will enroll patients, who have been diagnosed with or are thought to be at risk of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis due to fatty liver disease (Metabolic-dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), formerly termed Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)).

Participants will initially undergo a biopsy to collect a small sample of liver tissue so that detailed changes in gene expression in the liver can be assessed using advanced scientific techniques. They will then have blood tests and state-of-the-art MRI scans performed at regular time points over the next two years. The data generated will be combined to allow researchers to see how disease-related changes evolve in the body as cirrhosis progresses.

The international research consortium is led by doctors at Newcastle University (UK) and Edinburgh University (UK), working closely with scientists at Boehringer-Ingelheim, and includes specialist doctors and researchers at universities and hospitals across Europe from Antwerp University Hospital (Belgium), Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris (France), Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (UK), Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust (UK), University of Seville (Spain), University of Turin (Italy), and Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (Spain).

Anyone interested in taking part should discuss it with their treating physician.

Yvonne's story

Retired primary school headteacher, Yvonne Gray, was diagnosed with the liver disease metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASLD) more than a decade ago.

The 68-year-old, from Sunderland, UK, is a governor of the national adult liver patient charity group, LIVErNORTH, and strongly supports the ADVANCE study.

She said: "When I was diagnosed with my liver disease back in 2010, not much was generally known about MASLD, let alone any research being done into it.

"Although very common, MASLD is a largely silent disease that sneaks up on patients. Apart from fatigue and a constant discomfort in the upper right side of my abdomen, I was only aware of symptoms of my other conditions, not realizing that my, so far undiagnosed, liver disease was progressing.

"I had 'mild changes' in my liver function blood tests and was only referred to a liver specialist after another consultant, dealing with my other conditions, asked for their opinion. Following a biopsy, I was shocked to be told my liver was at stage three of a four stage disease - the fourth stage being cirrhosis.

"I am excited and relieved that this research offers hope of better diagnostic tests so people are identified sooner, and at the possible discovery of new treatments that could prevent cirrhosis, or even reverse it."

As an active member of LIVErNORTH, and the mother of a 39-year-old daughter, who has recently been diagnosed with MASLD, Yvonne is keen to get more patients involved in research to help raise awareness and find better treatments.

Yvonne added: "I am so appreciative, grateful, and lucky that I live in a region where world-leading research into MASLD is being undertaken by Newcastle University.

"I would encourage all liver patients to discuss getting involved in this innovative research with their own doctors."
Research is shedding light and potentially expanding options for patients living with Medulloblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer.

Medulloblastoma is a cancer impacting both very young and school-aged children.

When children get this type of brain tumor, they experience the process of the tumor blocking flow of fluid around the brain.

This can cause severe headaches, vomiting, sleepiness, fussiness, and difficulty walking and coordinating movements.

Treatment is intense, involving high dose chemotherapy, surgery, and sometimes radiation or stem cell transplants.

During these months long treatments, children may lose hair, lose weight, be unable to eat and experience lots of upset stomachs.

Medulloblastoma is also a complex disease with many different genetic causes, making a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment impossible.

Unfortunately, many patients with certain forms of medulloblastoma do not respond well to treatment. This research is critical in helping us begin to understand how medulloblastoma works on a genetic and cellular level so that patients can be treated, and new therapies can be developed, accordingly." John Prensner, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Biological Chemistry and one of the study's senior authors

The research

Prensner's group paired up with the team of Sebastiaan van Heesch, Ph.D., research group leader at the Princess Maxima Center for pediatric oncology in the Netherlands, to examine several groups of patients, some of which experienced the most aggressive form of the cancer and had the poorest outcomes.

Many of those patients had biological and genetic factors that exacerbated their cancers, including the cancer gene MYC.

Prensner's team and their collaborators took a new hypothesis on how MYC might be functioning and how that might be implicated in cancer.

"The twist that we put on it is to ask the question, what if this MYC is doing important functions outside of what we know to be genes in these cancer cells?" Prensner said.

Damon Hofman, a Ph.D. student in the Van Heesch group at the Princess Maxima Center and one of the first authors of the study, added: "For the first time, we identified and studied the role of essential microproteins in medulloblastoma.

"The micro-protein ASNSD1-uORF appeared to be essential for MYC cancer cells. The fact that these previously overlooked tiny proteins are so important for the survival of this kind of cancer cell is fascinating and underscores the importance of expanding research into other childhood cancers."

With further understanding of MYC and other genetic, biological, and cellular factors, providers can then learn how to intervene with these cancers.

Furthermore, the research could support development of therapeutics that could target the molecular process allowing cancer cells to grow.

This study may be newer, but Prensner's interest in medulloblastoma is not.

His experience began early when he was a medical student; he was moved by the patients he met who were living with the tumor.

"I've never forgotten, not just the patients, but the families. That's why it's been so important to me to try to use the interests and training that I have in the scientific fields to think about how we can really unlock new areas of understanding about this disease to get these patients better choices," he said.
The body's immune response to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may play a role in causing damage in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a new study led by UTHealth Houston.

EBV infection has long been associated with multiple sclerosis, but how the infection might contribute to multiple sclerosis has not been clear. More than 95% of people have been infected with this prevalent virus; however, it typically remains in its latent stage and doesn't cause any issues. In some cases, though, the T-cells specific for the EBV infection may cause problems.

Study: Expanded T lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients are specific for Epstein-Barr-virus-infected B cells. Image Credit: 3d_man / Shutterstock

Now, research led by first author Assaf Gottlieb, PhD, assistant professor with the Center for Precision Health at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, and senior author J. William Lindsey, MD, professor in the Department of Neurology with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, demonstrates that T-cells specific for EBV-infected cells are present in high numbers in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with multiple sclerosis at its earliest stages.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers obtained blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from eight patients in the process of multiple sclerosis diagnosis. They stimulated cells from the patient's own blood with multiple different stimuli, including EBV-infected lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from the same person, cell-free EBV, varicella zoster virus (chicken pox), influenza virus, and candida; they then used RNA sequencing for T-cell receptors to determine which of the stimuli the cerebrospinal fluid T-cells were responding to.

"We saw a clear signal of enrichment of T-cells specific for LCL in the cerebrospinal fluid from the multiple sclerosis patients," said Gottlieb, who is also a faculty member with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. "This pattern was very different from what we observed in other neurologic diseases, suggesting it is unique to multiple sclerosis."

On average, 13% of the T-cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with the first symptoms of multiple sclerosis are specific for autologous B lymphocytes infected with EBV, demonstrating a clear link between EBV and multiple sclerosis.

In the most expanded cerebrospinal fluid clones, which are highly likely to play a role in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis, the abundance of LCL-specific T-lymphocytes is even higher, at 47%.

T-cells for the three other common infections did not show a similar abundance in the cerebrospinal fluid.

"This work demonstrates that T-cells specific for LCL are present in the cerebrospinal fluid at the earliest stages of the disease," said Lindsey, the Opal C. Rankin Professor in Neurology at the medical school. "This strongly suggests that these T-cells are either causing the disease or contributing to it in some way. We have experiments in progress to define what these cells may be doing."

EBV is a member of the herpes virus family that spreads most commonly through bodily fluids, especially saliva, and can cause infectious mononucleosis, among other illnesses.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects over 1.8 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization. Symptoms vary widely between patients, but some people with severe multiple sclerosis may lose the ability to walk independently. There is no cure for the disease.

Co-authors included H. Phuong T. Pham, Ph.D., formerly with the Department of Neurology at McGovern Medical School and now with The University of Texas at Dallas, and Jerome G. Saltarrelli, Ph.D., with the medical school's Department of Surgery. The research was funded by the Opal C. Rankin Professorship in Neurology and by a pilot grant from UTHealth Houston.
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation, continues to lead the way with first-to-market concepts to help laboratories achieve goals faster and with greater accuracy. The company today announces it has developed the first commercially available anti-TRBC2 conjugated antibody for flow cytometry, providing greater clarity to clinical researchers in the identification of T-cell neoplasms in areas including cancer research.

Traditional approaches to identify clonal T-cell expansion have been complex and challenging, relying on the assessment of abnormal antigen expression, which is often difficult to clearly identify and can overlap with reactive T-cell subsets. B-cells can offer a richer and more simplistic solution, with the detection of clonal B-cell expansion enabled by the staining of both surface kappa and lambda immunoglobulin light chains utilizing flow cytometry.

The TCR constant  chains 1 and 2, or TRBC1 and TRBC2, are randomly selected during T-cell development in the thymus and are mutually exclusive. Normal T-cell populations include a mix of the two, while clonal populations include only one. TRBC1 and TRBC2 staining using flow cytometry offers a low-cost, rapid, and specific T-cell clonality test. Both can be conjugated to any dye in the Beckman Coulter Life Sciences portfolio through Custom Design Services either as a standalone conjugated antibody, or part of liquid or dry custom panels.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has been committed to T-cell research for more than 25 years as we launched our Beta Mark TCR V Repertoire Kit, and weve aggressively continued to innovate and raise the bar with solutions for this pioneering method to help labs ensure greater accuracy with fewer touchpoints. This advancement creates a revolutionary step forward in reducing complexities while providing clearer results in the important area of T-cell cancer research. Pietro Lopriore, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Cytometry Business Unit

Currently for Research Use Only (RUO), the company is pursuing development of a diagnostic version for commercial availability.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic showed the immediate need to address the inequality in vaccine coverage. Equitable access to vaccines has been far from ideal despite calls from national organizations and scientists.

A recent Humanities and Social Sciences Communications study highlighted the inequality in COVID-19 vaccine coverage and the effect of religious attitudes on real-world vaccination uptake.

Study: Pro-religion attitude predicts lower vaccination coverage at country level. Image Credit: BaLL LunLa/Shutterstock.com

Background

Important social-cultural factors, such as beliefs, societal norms, and religious influences, are not emphasized enough while addressing the issue of vaccine inequality.

Research has shown that trust or mistrust in science could influence the willingness to get vaccinated. However, it is unclear whether differences in trust in science across countries could account for the heterogeneities in vaccination rates across countries.

It has also been documented during the COVID-19 pandemic that stronger religious faith could lead to lower vaccine uptake. Religious people turned to their beliefs for psychological relief instead of scientific measures.

Another reason why such people delay or refuse vaccination is that they believe this to be against the will of God. Although religion and science do not always contradict, the tension between them with regard to the vaccination challenge is clear.

About this study

This paper argues that trust in science versus religion could explain the heterogeneity in vaccination rates across countries. Several high-quality public datasets were used to highlight the inequality in global vaccine coverage and analyze the role of trust in science or religion.

The COVID-19 Our World in Data (OWID) database was used to gauge vaccine coverage. It collects data from over 200 countries.

The 2018 Wellcome Global Monitor and the 20172022 World Values Survey Wave 7 were used for data on science-religion choice and science trust.

Additionally, to understand vaccine inequality due to income differences across countries, the authors used data on country classification data from the World Bank database. Overall, 214 countries covering 99% of the global population were included for further analyses.

Key findings

The science-religion-related variables, i.e., religious faith, science trust, and science-religion choice, at a country level, were closely linked to real-world vaccination coverage.

Countries with greater trust in science also showed higher vaccination coverage, although this relationship was surprisingly not very robust. Recent research has also analyzed this relationship at the individual level where trust in science positively affected vaccination-related behaviors.

Variables such as religious faith and science-religion choice were more robustly associated with vaccine uptake. It should be noted that although religious faith could hinder vaccine uptake, this is a complex issue because the teachings of religion are different and may vary by denomination.

Indeed some recent studies have shown an inverted U-shaped pattern of association between vaccine uptake and religious faith. Science religion could be a better predictor; for instance, countries with more people who trust science when science conflicts with religion are higher on vaccination coverage and faster on vaccination speed.

Broadly speaking, lower vaccination rates are associated with higher religious beliefs but this effect could be mitigated by greater support for vaccines by religions.

As an example, Islamic and Christian leaders have openly supported COVID-19 vaccination. Thus, vaccination intentions can be enhanced if endorsed by religious authorities.

The relationship between trust in science, religious faith, and vaccine uptake is quite intricate. While one can derive a crude prediction, the actual association between these variables, at the individual and country level, is complex and is governed by an array of other social-cultural characteristics.

These relationships are beyond the simple linear models that this paper studied. Future research should delve deeper into the potential higher-order interactions between these key variables of interest.

Conclusions

The vaccine inequality, as of mid-2022, was very high. This paper advocated for more attention to countries social-cultural characteristics, which could have an impact on vaccine hesitancy.

Here, science-religion-related variables were able to account for a part of the observed inequality, therefore, offering key insights in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In religious countries, vaccine hesitancy could be driven by the idea that it does not align with religious beliefs. The religious authorities could play a crucial role in elucidating how vaccination and religion may not be at odds.

More resources should be diverted to scientific education as it could lead more people to choose science should it potentially conflict with religion.

Raising the rate of vaccination is crucial to ending the pandemic and greater education and correct information can help us achieve that.
Vlad Byvalin, who is responsible for the show "Alcomics," addressed all Ukrainian women who were offended by stand-up comedian Victoria Taran's clumsy "joke" about "happy widows." He apologized to the women who had lost their husbands and explained that at first he thought the context was about girls who were "looking for fathers."

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Looking at it from that angle, the "humor" seemed funny and appropriate. A corresponding post appeared on his Instagram page, but it seems that this was not enough for the military.

"I am writing from the club's page on my own behalf. My name is Vlad Byvalin and I am responsible for this 'show'. I sincerely apologize to all the widows of Ukraine. This joke was not supposed to be posted on the Internet. I missed the mark because I perceived this joke as directed at women looking for "dads," which was the context in which it was intended. We did not intend to offend anyone, let alone somehow touch upon the topic of our military and their wives, we all understand the difficult situation in the country," the statement reads.

In the future, Byvalin promised to pay closer attention to everything that comes on the program and apologized once again on behalf of the entire team.

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Below the photo, soldier Oleksandr Tsarevsky emphasized that the apology looks like the team is sorry that the "joke" was broadcast.

"That is, an apology for the fact that it got out? And to tolerate such "humor", in your opinion, is okay? That is, it's okay to mock the wife of the deceased, even behind the eyes? Are you all f*cked up on the comic front?" the soldier asked.

Another soldier, Rustam Givazovych, call sign "Barman," also did not appreciate Byvalin's apology. He wrote: "The fact that this joke came out shows how far you are from the war. No, you do not understand the situation in the country, otherwise this joke would not have even occurred to you. To understand, invite the military to your parties. They will be able to explain in an accessible way why it is not ok. This would be the best reminder and deterrent against such f*cks. At the moment, this is the bottom, guys. And there are not enough apologies."

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The soldier also added that he was ready to "visit" the comedians, look into their eyes and "have a conversation for mutual understanding."

Radio host Tatyana Troshchinskaya also spoke about the situation. She also emphasized that the apologies of all those involved in the scandal look insincere.

"The post with the video was removed from the Stolichnyi Standup page when Alina Mykhailova noticed it and reacted to it. And they apologized. And this is also indicative. Watch how they apologized: the joke does not reflect their position, Victoria is not a resident of the Stolychnyi Standup. They posted the video on their page because they didn't know the context - they didn't know it was about military wives. I don't know where and in what context these comedians, stand-ups and traveling groups of comedians live. Where did they find the context in which there are no widows, orphans and mothers who have lost children," the journalist wrote.

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As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the first to respond to the "joke" in the public sphere was a well-known servicewoman Alina Mikhailova, who buried her beloved, an outstanding soldier Dmytro Kotsyubaylo (call sign "Da Vinci") in March last year.

Recently, similar incidents have happened to Kvartal 95, which made an unfortunate joke about Siskadovsk and Diesel Show with their show about a family in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
PFAS are chemicals that may cause cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. Research from orebro University now suggests that these chemicals affect people as early as the fetal stage of development.

We see that PFAS likely has a great metabolic impact, which suggests an increased risk of certain diseases later in life." Matej Oresic, professor of medical sciences

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of synthetically produced chemicals used in a wide range of everyday products worldwide. They are often called "forever chemicals" since it takes a very long time for these substances to break down naturally and can remain in the bodies of humans and animals for many years.

There is strong evidence that PFAS can affect both the immune system and metabolism and exposure to certain levels of PFAS is associated with cancer, diabetes, and a variety of other diseases. These chemicals have been used since the 1950s in a wide variety of products, such as non-stick frying pans, ski boots, water-repellent clothing, and food packaging. They are also common in makeup and skin creams.

Researchers at orebro University, Professor Paul A. Fowler of the University of Aberdeen, and other researchers have published a unique study involving 78 fetuses in the prestigious journal The Lancet Planetary Health. It is the first study of its kind in which researchers have conducted extensive metabolic profiling and measured PFAS in human fetuses.

"We found PFAS in the livers of the fetuses, and unfortunately, the results provides strong evidence that exposure to these forever chemicals in the womb affects the unborn child," says Professor Paul Fowler. "Those exposed to higher levels of PFAS have altered metabolism and liver function long before birth."

The researchers consider it likely that at least some of these effects will be persistent and likely increase the risk of metabolic diseases in adulthood.

"We were surprised by these chemicals' strong association with changes to the fetal metabolism. It's similar to certain metabolic changes occurring in adults. Specifically, we found that PFAS exposure is linked with modified bile acid and lipid metabolism in the fetuses," says Tuulia Hyotylainen, professor of chemistry at orebro University.

The liver plays a significant role in human well-being.

"Changes in the central metabolism can profoundly affect the whole body. In particular, changes during fetal development can have long-lasting consequences for future health," says Matej Oresic.

The likely impact of PFAS is similar to the changes that occur as a result of metabolic diseases like diabetes and fatty liver. The 78 fetuses analysed by the researchers were voluntarily aborted between weeks 12 and 19 and considered essentially healthy.

Several types of PFAS are banned by the EU, where regulations are stricter than in, for example, China. Diseases such as childhood obesity and diabetes have skyrocketed in China in recent years. Researchers believe that PFAS and other environmental chemicals may be one of the causes of this increase.

"A connection is very likely. And it may turn out that exposure to harmful chemicals has a comparable or even greater impact than lifestyle when it comes to certain diseases," says Matej Oresic.

He and his colleagues at orebro University hope their research will contribute to greater awareness and stricter regulation of PFAS.

The article "In utero exposures to perfluoroalkyl substances and the human fetal liver metabolome in Scotland: a cross-sectional study" was published in The Lancet Planetary Health on 8 January 2024. The study was led by Tuuila Hyotylainen, professor of chemistry and Matej Oresic, professor of medicine, both from orebro University, as well as Paul A. Fowler, professor and researcher at the University of Aberdeen.
After Iowa lawmakers passed a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in March, managers of an LGBTQ+ health clinic located just across the state line in Moline, Illinois, decided to start offering that care.

The added services would provide care to patients who live in largely rural eastern Iowa, including some of the hundreds previously treated at a University of Iowa clinic, saving them half-day drives to clinics in larger cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.

By June, The Project of the Quad Cities, as the Illinois clinic is called, had hired a provider who specializes in transgender health care. So, Andy Rowe, The Project's health care operations director, called the clinic's insurance broker to see about getting the new provider added to the nonprofit's malpractice policy.

"I didn't anticipate that it was going to be a big deal," Rowe said. Then the insurance carriers' quotes came. The first one specifically excluded gender-affirming care for minors. The next response was the same. And the one after that. By early November, more than a dozen malpractice insurers had declined to offer the clinic a policy.

Rowe didn't know it at the time, but he wasn't alone in his frustrating quest.

Nearly half the states have banned medication or surgical treatment for transgender youth. Independent clinics and medical practices located in states where such care is either allowed or protected have moved to fill that void for patients commuting or relocating across state lines. But as the risk of litigation rises for clinics, obtaining malpractice insurance on the commercial marketplace has become a quiet barrier to offering care, even in states with legal protections for health care for trans people. In extreme cases, lawmakers have deployed malpractice insurance regulations against gender-affirming care in states where courts have slowed or blocked anti-trans legislation.

Five months after starting his search for malpractice insurance, Rowe said, he received a quote for a policy that would allow The Project to treat trans youth. That's when he realized finding a policy was only the first hurdle. He expected the coverage to cost $8,000 to $10,000 a year, but he was quoted $50,000.

Rowe said he hadn't experienced anything like it in his 20 years working in health care administration.

Insurance industry advocates argue that higher premiums are justified because the rise in legislation surrounding gender-affirming care for minors means clinics are at increased risk of being sued.

"If state laws increase the risk of civil liability for health professionals, premiums will be adjusted accordingly and appropriately to reflect the level of financial risk incurred by the insured," Mike Stinson, vice president of public policy and legal affairs at the Medical Professional Liability Association, an insurance trade association, said in an emailed statement. If state laws make an activity illegal, then insurance will not cover it at all, he said.

Only a few states have passed laws preventing malpractice insurers from treating gender-affirming care differently than other care. Massachusetts was the first, when lawmakers there passed legislation that says insurers could not increase rates for health care providers for offering services that are illegal in other states.

Since then, five other states have passed laws requiring malpractice insurers to treat gender-affirming health care as they do any other legally protected health activity: Colorado, Vermont, New York, Oregon, and California (similar legislation is pending in Hawaii).

"This was a preventative measure, and it was met with full acceptance by both the insured and the insurers," said Vermont state Sen. Virginia "Ginny" Lyons, a Democrat who co-sponsored the state's law. She said lawmakers consulted with both physicians and malpractice insurance companies to make sure the language was accurate. Insurers just wanted to be able to clearly assess the risk, she said.

Lyons said she hadn't heard of any providers in Vermont who had trouble with their malpractice insurance before the law was enacted, but she was concerned politics might get in the way of doctors' ability to offer care. In March 2022, The Texas Tribune reported that one Texas doctor had stopped offering care because his malpractice provider had stopped covering hormone therapy for minors.

Lawmakers in some states have gone further and revised malpractice provisions to restrict access to gender-affirming care, often while bans on offering that care to trans youth are stalled in court. In 2021, Arkansas became the first state to ban gender-affirming care for trans children. When that ban was held up in court last year, the governor signed a new law allowing anyone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to file a malpractice lawsuit up to 15 years after they turn 18.

Similar laws followed in Tennessee, Florida, and Missouri, all extending the statute of limitations on filing a malpractice claim anywhere from 15 to 30 years. (Another was introduced but not passed in Texas that would have stretched the statute of limitations to the length of the patient's life.) Typically, malpractice suits must be filed within one to three years of injury.

The civil liability that those laws created has forced at least one clinic to stop offering some treatments. The Washington University Transgender Center in Missouri said the law subjected the clinic to "unacceptable level of liability."

Alejandra Caraballo, a civil rights attorney and clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, said there has been "a concerted effort on the part of anti-trans activists to utilize malpractice insurance as a means of eliminating care."

She likens the strategy to laws that have long targeted abortion providers by increasing "legal liability to chill a certain type of conduct."

Anti-trans activists have drawn attention to a small number of "detransitioners," who have filed lawsuits against the doctors who provided them with gender-affirming care, she said. She believes those lawsuits, filed in such states as California, Nebraska, and North Carolina, will be used to lobby for longer statutes of limitations and to create the perception that liability for providers is increasing.

For independent clinics, like The Project in the Quad Cities, and small medical practices that purchase their malpractice insurance on the commercial marketplace, those tactics are restricting their ability to offer care. Many providers of gender-affirming care are protected from rising premiums such as health centers that receive federal funding, which are covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act, or academic medical centers and Planned Parenthood clinics, which are self-insured. But a small number of independent clinics have been priced out.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a state that, like Illinois, has protected access to gender-affirming care, family medicine physician Anjali Taneja said the clinic where she works is running into the same trouble getting coverage.

Casa de Salud, where Taneja is the executive director, has provided gender-affirming care to adults for years, but when the clinic decided to start offering that care to younger patients, insurers wouldn't issue a malpractice policy. The clinic was quoted "double what we paid a few years ago," just to cover the gender-affirming care it offers to adults, Taneja said.

The red tape both Casa de Salud and The Project are encountering has prevented treatment for patients. When Iowa's ban on gender-affirming care took effect Sept. 1, officials at The Project had hoped to offer services to the transgender youth who previously sought care an hour west at the University of Iowa's LGBTQ Clinic. Instead, Rowe said, patients are making the difficult decision between going without treatment or commuting four hours to Chicago or Minneapolis.

After months of fundraising, The Project has almost enough money to pay for the $50,000 malpractice policy. But, Rowe said, "it's a tough swallow."
In a recent study published in Nutrients, researchers assessed night eating syndrome (NES) symptomatology in Greek-origin people and its possible links with circadian rhythm.

The study concentrated on three different chronotypes: morning, intermediate, and evening. People with a morning chronotype typically favor early to bed and early to rise routines, in contrast to evening types who perform best later in the day.

Gaining a better understanding of Night Eating Syndrome (NES) symptoms can aid in creating tailored chronotherapy treatments. These treatments aim to alleviate NES symptoms, thereby reducing their negative impact on overall health.

Study: Beat the Clock: Assessment of Night Eating Syndrome and Circadian Rhythm in a Sample of Greek Adults. Image Credit: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock.com

Background

Night eating syndrome (NES) is a type of Other-Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) characterized by excessive food intake during the evening and night hours at a frequency of at least twice a week.

People with this condition are commonly obese or overweight, sleep poorly, and remain in depressed mood. They also have an urge to eat upon nocturnal awakenings.

Studies have established a link between the circadian (circa about and diem day) system and energy metabolism, with the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) playing the central role in this phenomenon. It regulates sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and body temperature to synchronize the circadian clock to the external environment.

Any disruption to circadian rhythm referred to as chronodisruption, manifests as metabolic disturbances, such as increased blood pressure, obesity, and elevated fasting blood sugar.

Its misalignment with inadequate sleep can also affect brain function, further exacerbating metabolic disorders and sleep disturbances.

About the study

For the present study, researchers used a limited sample of 533 adults from Greece and Cyprus to examine NES symptomatology and its association with chronotype.

They recruited people online through social media, and the data collection process began in May 2021 and continued till July 2021. After each participant provided their informed consent for survey participation, the team collected data from them and kept it anonymous.

All participants recruited in this study completed the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) comprising 14 questions, with each contributing to the total NEQ score, spanning between zero and 52.

A NEQ score exceeding 25 points indicated confirmed NES, while a score of 30 had high specificity.

Overall, NEQ helped assess the psychometric properties and severity of NES, but positive screening did not always coincide with NES diagnosis.

The team used another questionnaire called Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Mood (SCRAM) to assess each participants circadian rhythm, sleep quality, and mood.

Participants self-reported their body weight and stature, which helped the team compute their body mass index (BMI); BMI  25 kg/m2 and < 30 kg/m2 indicated overweight, and BMI  30 kg/m2 indicated simple obesity.

The team used independent samples t-tests to determine gender-associated variations between continuous variables, a chi-square test to explore differences between categorical values, and logistic regression models to explore the relationship between the NEQ and the SCRAM questionnaire in total and sub-scales.

Finally, they used Cronbach  to assess the internal reliability of the instruments used, with values >0.6 and >0.8 indicating an acceptable level of reliability and a good fit, respectively.

Results

The authors noted a trend towards higher NES-positive screening among overweight and obese people compared to those with normal body weight, even though the total NEQ and SCRAM raw scores in different BMI categories were comparable.

Accordingly, the observed prevalence of NES was relatively high, with 17.8% (NEQ threshold  25) and 8.1% of the participants (NEQ threshold  30) diagnosed with NES.

The mean NEQ for the sample was 18.0  7.4, with no differences observed between sexes. In sub-analyses, there was no association between NES and BMI and NES and sex of the participants.

When using the NEQ threshold  30, NES incidence was positively associated with the morning chronotype; however, the average total SCRAM score of the sample was moderate, indicating most participants had the intermediate chronotype.

Additionally, there was a negative association of SCRAM with Good Sleep, and each point increment in the depression score increased the odds of NES by 6%. Thus, depression appears to largely affect NES symptomatology.

Conclusions

The study sample size did not allow for generalizations, so more research is required to understand whether observed elevated NES symptomatology in this study was limited to the Greek population at a single time point.

Furthermore, the finding that NES was associated with the morning chronotype may be an artifact due to the relatively low internal validity of the SCRAM questionnaire.

Thus, further research is warranted to test the tool in more generalizable samples and determine its testretest reliability and predictive and discriminant validity.

Overall, NES remains an independent clinical entity requiring further investigation for its pathophysiology and management.
The leading car manufacturer Renault India has kickstarted the year 2024 with a bang. The company has included some latest features in Kwid, Kiger, and Triber, making them more advanced and competitive in the segment. The brand has also introduced new variants for these variants as well, allowing customers to have more options to choose from.

The mentioned products will hit the market with enhanced safety features, improved built quality and noticeable cosmetic updates. The French carmaker has also informed it has a plan to release five products in the next three years. To spread roots globally, the brand is also set to invest 3 billion euros in the international market, making India a part of its investment plan.

Here are Key highlights of 2024 Lineup

Starting from 2024 Kwid. It has been launched at the starting price of Rs 4.69 lakh (ex-showroom), while the top model goes up to Rs 6.32 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated model now will come with improved safety features, noticeable cosmetic changes, and improved built quality.

The company has also introduced three new dual-tone exterior body colors for the Climber series, making it look bolder and better in the segment. The RXL(O) variant now comes with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, making it a value-for-money in the segment.

2024 Renault Triber

The updated model has been dropped in India at the starting price of Rs 5.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It comes with some new features such as a driver seat armrest,

power-fold outside rear-view mirrors (ORVM), an updated 7-inch TFT instrument cluster, wireless charger, add comfort to the occupants while they are on the go.

In addition, it also gets a new Stealth Black body colour. Apart from this, the RXT variant now gets a rearview camera, a rear wiper, rear AC with dedicated AC control & vents for the 2nd and 3rd rows, and LED cabin lamps across all variants.

2024 Renault Kiger

Talking about the changes in the 2024 Kiger series. The latest luxurious semi-leatherette seats with a leatherette steering wheel have been offered. On the technical front, it gets one of the advanced and trending welcome-goodbye sequences with auto fold outside rear-view mirrors (ORVM) feature.

The overall road appearance of the model also has been improved. Now it gets a red-colored brake caliper on the TURBO engine. The four-wheeler boasts a long list of features that includes auto AC, power-fold ORVM introduced from the RXT(O) variant, cruise control on RXZ ENERGY variant & LED cabin lamps on all variants.
VinFast Auto Ltd, the Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has unveiled plans to establish an integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu as part of its strategy to enter the worlds third-largest automobile market.

The company is set to invest USD 2 billion in the state, with an initial commitment of USD 500 million for the projects first phase. The investment is projected over five years from the commencement of the project, marking a significant move for VinFast in expanding its presence in the Indian EV market.

VinFast Auto Ltd is on the verge of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu state government for the establishment of an electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Thoothukudi. The company envisions this facility to evolve into a leading hub for electric vehicle production in the region, with a capacity to manufacture up to 150,000 units annually. The official signing of the MoU is anticipated during the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (GIM), scheduled from January 7 to 8 this year.

The MoU demonstrates VinFasts strong commitment to the sustainable development and vision of a zero-emission transportation future. We believe that investing in Tamil Nadu will not only bring considerable economic benefits to both parties, but will also help accelerate the green energy transition in India and the region, Tran Mai Hoa, Deputy CEO of Sales and Marketing, at VinFast Global said as per ET Auto.

The company stated that it plans to expand into India to take advantage of growth opportunities in what it called the worlds most populous nation and rapidly expanding EV market. Furthermore, construction on the plant is expected to start anytime in 2024. The Vietnamese EV giant went on to say that this programme is an essential component of VinFasts plan to fortify its supply chain and forge a solid foothold in important markets in preparation for international growth.

It is projected that the construction of VinFasts integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu will create between 3,000 and 3,500 new jobs in the state. Apart from generating employment opportunities and enhancing the competencies of the nearby labour force, VinFast is committed to promoting gender parity and providing prospects for professional growth to the community.

Additionally, VinFasts green transport development project is the companys third manufacturing project and the biggest investment in Tamil Nadu history. The Tamil Nadu government has stated that it will provide cleared land for manufacturing facilities, uninterrupted power supply, and other infrastructure support on a best-effort basis, while also discussing charging station opportunities to steer towards a clean mobility future.
The commerce ministry has set up a task force to identify and resolve trade barriers being faced by exporters in other countries, a move which would help provide greater market access to domestic goods, an official said.

The development assumes significance as many times Indias exports suffer from these barriers such as time taking prior registration requirements and unreasonable domestic standards/rules in many countries.

We have constituted a task force within the ministry where we will be looking at the trade barriers, and technical barriers. The ministry has been focusing on how to improve systems, and improve standards, the official said.

The ministry is also looking at improving mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with different countries so that product standards are as per the requirements of the importing countries.

Standards for goods and services should help in promoting global trade and not act as non-tariff barriers, the official added.

According to a report of the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India needs to act in a fast-track manner for removal of non-trade barriers (NTBs), being faced by domestic exporters in different countries like the US, China and Japan, to achieve one trillion dollar outbound shipment target for goods by 2030.

It has asked for upgrading domestic systems, in cases where Indian products are rejected due to quality issues; and retaliating if unreasonable standards or rules continue to obstruct exports from New Delhi.

Key Indian exports that routinely face high barriers include chillies, tea, basmati rice, milk, poultry, bovine meat, fish, chemicals products to EU; sesame seed, black tiger shrimps, medicines, apparels to Japan; food, meat, fish, dairy, industrial products to China; shrimps to the US; and bovine meat to South Korea, the report has said.

According to the report, the other products which face these barriers include ceramic tiles in Egypt; chili in Mexico; medicines in Argentina; microbiological reagents in Saudi Arabia; electrical, medical devices, household appliances in Brazil; veterinary pharmaceuticals, feed additives, Machinery in Russia.

Most non-tariff measures (NTMs) are domestic rules created by countries to protect human, animal or plant health and the environment. NTM may be technical measures like regulations, standards, testing, certification, pre-shipment inspection or non-technical measures like quotas, import licensing, subsidies and government procurement restrictions.

When NTMs become arbitrary, beyond scientific justification, they create hurdles for trade and are called NTBs (non-tariff barriers).
With each year that goes by, more and more Indian students are studying overseas. About 1.3 million Indian students studied abroad in 2023, according to the Indian Student Mobility Report 2023, which was just published by the Global Conclave. In many nations, there has been a sharp rise in the number of overseas students since the Covid pandemic. This has resulted in some problems like lack of adequate housing. As a result, these nations are now enforcing tighter guidelines for graduate/postgraduate and study visas. In this article, we aim to inform you about some changes in immigration laws implemented by some countries, particularly for student visas.

Australia

Australia is very popular among Indian students. According to government figures, at least 1.09 Indian students were studying here in the year 2022. The number of Indian students studying here is continuously increasing. In the year 2019, 73808 students went to Australia to study. However, due to the Covid pandemic, this number reduced to 33629 in 2020 and 8950 in 2021.

Recently, the Australian government announced that international students would now be required to have high scores in English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo English Test. Now the IELTS score for temporary visa has been increased from 6.0 to 6.5. Whereas for student visa it has been increased from 5.5 to 6.0

United KIngdom/Britain

Based on the findings of the Immigration Advisory Committee study, Britain has declared that over 7.50 lakh students in the nation enrol in independent and language schools annually to pursue higher education and other courses. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reduced immigration as a result of this. This includes the declaration that it is forbidden for overseas students to bring their families to the United Kingdom. In order to relocate family to the United Kingdom, they must pursue a postgraduate degree. A students visa cannot be changed into a work visa until their studies are finished. The cost of a visa has also been raised by Britain to Rs 51,787.

Canada

Beginning on December 1, 2023, the government of Canada has mandated that Post Secondary Nominated Learning Institutes verify each applicants acceptance letter directly with IRCC. In addition, starting on January 1, 2024, the minimum amount for foreign students residing in Canada has risen from 10,000 Canadian dollars to 20,635 Canadian dollars.

France

According to the new guidelines, the French government has now increased the two-year post study visa to five years. The government has said that students who have spent even one semester in the country for Masters or above studies can now avail of a five-year short arm Schengen visa and also look for job opportunities.

Ireland

The Irish government will now give a two-year post study visa. This means that foreign students completing masters degrees will now be able to stay here for two years,. whereas PhD holders can stay for three years.

Italy

Indian students pursuing graduation in Italy will now be able to stay here for an additional 12 months. According to government data, a total of 5,897 Indian students were present in Italy on study visa in 2022

United States Of America

The USA had announced new rules last year to curb fraudulency in student immigration. Students who are seeking for F, M, and J student visas have been advised to create profiles and make appointments using the information from their passports. The visa application centre will deny your request if you arrive for your appointment with the incorrect passport number.
The Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan (RBSE), Ajmer issued a warning on January 8 against a fake date sheet that is being circulated on social media. The warning is for Class 10 and 12 students who are going to appear for their board exams this year. Taking to social media, the RBSE Ajmer put out a tweet stating that they have not released any kind of timetable yet. Rajasthan Board has not released any kind of (Time Table) yet, please do not pay attention to (Fake Time Table), the board posted on X (formerly Twitter).

  :-       ( Time Table )    ,  ( Fake Time Table )     ll @Rajasthanboard Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan Ajmer (@Rajasthanboard) January 8, 2024

When RBSE Ajmer releases the Class 10 and 12 date sheet 2024, candidates will be able to download it from the official website at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in. As per the Rajasthan board, the RBSE Class 10 and 12 theory examinations will be conducted from February 15 to April 10, this year.

Reports state that more than 20 lakh candidates are set to appear for the Rajasthan Board Class 10 and 12 exams 2024. Reportedly, about 9 lakh students have registered for the Class 12 board exam, and around 13 lakh candidates will be appearing for Class 10 exams this year.

RBSE Class 10 and 12 date sheet 2024: How to Check

Students can download the RBSE Class 10 and 12 date sheet when released:

Step 1: Go to the official website at rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in

Step 2: Look for and click on the link that says- RBSE Class 10th, 12th date sheet on the homepage.

Step 3: As a new page opens, the subject-wise timetable for both classes will appear on the screen.

Step 4: Check the date sheet and download the page.

In 2023, the Class 12 exams took place from March 9 to April 12, beginning with psychology. The exams began at 8:45 am and ended at 11:30 am. Exams for Class 10 took place between March 16 and April 11 last year.

The RBSE Class 12 board practical exams were held from February 15 to 28, 2023, and the theory exams were held from March 24 to April 26, 2023, between 8:30 am and 11:45 am. Furthermore, the Class 10 final exams were held between March 31 and April 26 from 8:30 am to 11:45 pm.

The overall Class 10 pass percentage in 2023 was 90.49 per cent, a 7.6 per cent increase from the previous year. Girls outperformed boys, with a 91.3 per cent passing percentage, while boys only managed an 89.78 per cent pass percentage. In the Arts stream, the board recorded an overall passing percentage of 92.35 per cent, while in Science and Commerce, it was 95.65 per cent.
The School Education Department, Tamil Nadu (TN) is preparing to turn primary and middle government schools into smart classrooms. When primary and middle government schools reopen for the new academic year in June 2024, classrooms will have been digitally transformed, making them more fun and engaging through audiovisual learning materials.

According to The New Indian Express report, the Tamil Nadu school education department plans to spend Rs 700 crore over the next few months to install smart classrooms in 25,000 primary schools and hi-tech labs in 7,904 middle schools. As per officials, all primary schools, including those run by other departments, will be transformed into smart classrooms with interactive display panels, cameras, and essential facilities, while hi-tech labs will each have ten computers.

Reportedly, the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation has started the tendering process for the project, which will include five years of operation and maintenance. While we have hi-tech labs in high and higher secondary schools already, we have encountered challenges in maintaining the facilities. To tackle this, we have included operation and maintenance as part of the tender for the first five years, a senior official from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department said, as quoted by The New Indian Express.

Sources reveal that the government allocated Rs 275 crore in the budget to introduce smart classrooms and hi-tech labs in phases, but they are now being implemented all at once to ensure uniform learning.

Elementary education director, S Kannappan, reportedly stated that all primary and middle school teachers, about 75,000 of them, will also get tablets. This will allow teachers to share materials and access department-provided content from the comfort of their own homes to prepare for upcoming classes, reports add.

To streamline the delivery of instructional materials to these schools, the department also intends to establish central command centres. At the departments call centre, a help desk will also be established to handle any maintenance-related inquiries. There will also be training for primary and middle school teachers on how to use the facilities.

An administrator or teacher will also be assigned for maintenance, given the dearth of personnel in middle schools to oversee the hi-tech labs.

To support the digital transformation, Samagra Shiksha, an integrated school education programme, has already requested that primary and middle schools set up broadband connections with a minimum speed of 30 Mbps and a maximum monthly cost of Rs 1,500.
On the night of January 7-8, the 81stGolden Globe Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles, USA, bringing together hundreds of world-famous stars. The backstage of such events usually turns out to be much more interesting than what is available to the viewer's eyes. And the best part is usually during the commercial breaks, when celebrities can gossip with each other, make jokes and, of course, take memorable selfies.

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This year, Variety journalists managed to sneak into the celebrity lair. They witnessed behind-the-scenes communication and shared some insights with their readers.

"The Golden Globes is a gala dinner that is broadcast live. The stars who leave their tables in the magic circle area in front of the cameras cannot return to their seats until it's time for a commercial break. There are no exceptions. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto, Robert Downey Jr, Carey Mulligan, Bill Hader, Timothy Chalamet, Brie Larson, Billie Eilish and others were among the celebrities who had to wait patiently at different times of the broadcast for the green light to sit down again. Influence and status don't matter here: if you don't have time to return to your table during the break, you have to wait for the next opportunity.

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For public figures, such ceremonies become an opportunity to discuss gossip or agree on potential cooperation. Journalists noticed that actor Joaquin Phoenix and Mattel CEO Inon Kreutz were having a very long dialog before the ceremony began. At the third hour of the show, Florence Pugh and Hunter Shafer were chatting animatedly with several other women at the bar in the back of the ballroom. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep was bombarded with requests for selfies as she visited the ladies' room. The Oscar-winning star did not refuse anyone, although she clearly did not like the inability to get to the restroom.

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Mark Hamill, the star of the cult "Star Wars" movie, was at the center of a "mystical" incident at the ceremony. Journalists joke that he "brought an invisible force with him". When the actor was announcing the winners in one of the categories, he "praised" the award for the "open bar" in his speech. At the same second, a loud sound of breaking glass was heard throughout the hall.

And as "The Diplomat" star Keri Russell performed onstage with Ray Romano, the audience was distracted by a uniformed firefighter making his way through the thick of the tables on the right side of the room. Eagle-eyed viewers at home were able to see the tall Beverly Hills Fire Department officer walking behind the pair as Russell and Romano went about their envelope-opening duties.

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Pedro Pascal, star of the TV series The Last of Us, attracted a lot of attention that evening. First, he appeared at the ceremony with a broken arm, which was securely wrapped in a brace. He explained to Variety that he fell down the stairs at his family's home and is awaiting surgery later this month. The actor expects to be ready to return to work in time for the start of filming the second season of The Last of Us in mid-February.

In addition, during commercial breaks, Pedro Pascal tried to "play a prank" on Matt Damon, who was sitting at the next table, with a phone call. The actor laughed out loud when he realized that he was talking to a colleague's voicemail, not Damon himself.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about all the winners of the Golden Globe 2024 award . This year, the winners were announced in 27 categories. A lot of bets were placed on the already iconic movie Barbie, which was presented in 9 nominations at once. However, the "gloomy" competitor of the pink comedy, "Oppenheimer", won the most awards.

We also showed a selection of the best female looks on the red carpet. See how Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lopez and others looked and impressed in the article. And read about fashion failures at the Golden Globes here.

OBOZ.UA also wrote about men's looks that impress with their style. Find out which actor surprised us the most by following the link.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
TV actor Ali Merchant and his wife Andleeb Zaidi changed their honeymoon trip to the Maldives at the last minute and decided to visit Thailand instead. His decision came in the backdrop of the India-Maldives row. Sharing a picture of himself and his wife clicked inside the aircraft, the actor said, Opted for a sudden change in honeymoon plans Maldives to Thailand this time. Putting my country first, always. Next destination, Lakshadweep! Thanks to PM Narendra Modi for letting us discover this beautiful island.

Opted for a sudden change in honeymoon plansMaldives to Thailand this time. Putting my country first, always Next destination, Lakshadweep! Thanks to PM Modi for letting us discover this beautiful island. #PrioritizingCountry #BoycottMaldives#ExploreIndia pic.twitter.com/SpYf53nMZP  Ali Merchant Official (@AliAMerchant) January 8, 2024

Ali Merchant married his long-term girlfriend Andleeb Zaidi in Lucknow, last year in November. The couple shared their joy with the rest of the world by posting the first photos from their wedding on social media. Ali Merchant and his wife were dressed royally for their wedding. Ali Merchant wore a cream-coloured sherwani, and his wife is spotted twinning with him.

Sharing the pictures, He wrote, And now we can hang out forever, Happily ever after starts now. I see us not as promises but as privileges; I get to laugh with you, cry with you, care for you, and share with you. I get to run with you, walk with you, build with you, and live with you. I get to have you be the person I spend the rest of my life with. I get to be there for you and support you. I dont have to honour and cherish you; I get to because I am in love with you.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ali Mercchant (@alimercchant)

On the work front, Ali Merchant has been a part of series like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Lock Upp 1, Bandini and Yeh Hai Aashiqui. He will soon be seen in the Bollywood film produced by Nawazuddin Siddiquis brother. Andleeb, on the other hand, is a model.
The war in Gaza continues for the fourth month in January as missiles, rockets and drones struck targets around the Middle East as the United States, Israel and others clashed with Iran-allied militant groups in the region.

Palestinian militants reported fierce ground combat in southern Gaza, where Israel says its focus has shifted along with the territorys centre three months into the war. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, have engaged in regular cross-border fire during the war.

Hezbollah announced the killing of a commander- Wissam Hassan Tawil for the first time since October. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah military sites in Lebanon on Monday.

The Israeli army have also killed a central figure in Syria responsible for Hamas rocket attacks, naming him as Hassan Akasha.

Meanwhile, there is an ongoing campaign against shipping in the Red Sea by Yemeni rebels sympathetic to Hamas, which is being attacked by the US Navy.

Israel and its US allies are facing two realities amid the war in Gaza: The Gaza-based Hamas militant group is far from alone as it battles for its survival. And, the US and Israel, by launching an all-out campaign to eliminate Hamas, are also confronting simultaneous attacks from armed militant groups linked with Hamas and Iran.

Heres a breakdown of the armed groups facing the United States and Israel in the Middle East, a look at what unites some of them and whats different about each.

Armed Groups Active in Middle East

The US is scrambling to quell attacks by a range of armed groups that are allied to Iran and to each other. They are:

 Hamas in Gaza;

 powerful Hezbollah in Lebanon:

 smaller militias in Iraq and Syria;

 Houthis in Yemen

These groups have escalated attacks on US, Israeli or global targets within their reach since Israel launched its war in Gaza on October 7. The aim of Iran and of the armed groups at large is to aid Hamas with attacks that distract the focus of Israel and the US and making the military, economic and political costs of continuing the war against Hamas too great for Israel and US.

The groups dont necessarily want further additional escalation themselves, as they dont stand a chance against the strongest militaries in case of an all-out confrontation. But under the leadership of the late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in 2020, the far-flung array of Iranian-allied militias knitted themselves into a more cohesive network.

Who are the Players?

Hamas

The Palestinian group Hamas is based in Gaza and was founded in 1987 at a time of widespread protests against Israels occupation.

It has ties to one of the Sunni worlds most prominent groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in the 1920s. Hamas has vowed to annihilate Israel and has carried out suicide bombings and other deadly attacks on civilians and Israeli soldiers.

Hamas seized control of Gaza by force in 2007, the year after it won parliamentary elections there with 44% of the vote. Israel has kept Gaza under a devastating blockade ever since, restricting movement of people and goods in and out of the territory. Hamas receives backing from Arab and Muslim countries, including Qatar and Turkey.

Although a Sunni Muslim group, Hamas leaders have moved closer to Shiite Muslim Iran and its allies over the years. Israels far-right government had sidelined any attempt at a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian political agreement, and world attention faded away.

Hezbollah

Hezbollah was formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, where it is based. The Shiite militant group is one of the strongest members of the Iran-allied alliance, militarily and organizationally.

It took part in repeated attacks against the United States through the mid-1990s, including the deadly 1983 bombing of a US Marines barrack in Beirut, Lebanons capital. Its military wing is stronger than the countrys armed forces.

A 2006 war with Israel provoked by Hezbollahs kidnapping of Israeli soldiers devastated southern Lebanon and Beirut. Many ordinary Lebanese are deeply fearful of a new war with Israel in the wake of the Gaza fighting. Wary of a repeat of the war itself, Hezbollah has lobbed rockets and missiles across its southern border into Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.

Houthis

Houthis in Yemen, have launched rockets, missiles and drones at commercial vessels during the Gaza war. It is overseeing one of the worlds most vital shipping routes for oil and trade and forced some major shippers to change route and threatens a potentially major toll on the worlds economy.

Formally known as Ansar Allah, the Yemeni group is one of several armed groups vying internally for power in fractured, impoverished Yemen. While Shiite Muslim, its of a different branch than Iran.

The group is at odds with Yemens government and seized control of Yemens capital in 2014 and soon controlled much of the north. After Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates opened attack in 2015 in an unsuccessful attempt to rout the Houthis, the Houthis moved increasingly close to Iran as a source of materiel support.

The Houthis, who have limited popular support in Yemen outside of their immediate base, are seen as more independent of Iran in their actions than some of the other groups in the alliance. The strikes on shipping since Israel launched its campaign in Gaza are some of the Houthis first outward-facing attacks, other than at its Gulf enemies.

Iran-allied Militias in Syria and Iraq

There are several smaller Iranian-backed militant groups that have battled with US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria for years. These groups mount sporadic attacks against bases in the region where US troops are deployed to fight Islamic State group insurgents.

There has been a dramatic spike in attacks by Irans proxies in Syria and Iraq since the open of the war between Israel and Hamas. Iraq says it is working with the US to contain the militias there. On Thursday, the US unleashed an airstrike against the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad, killing a high-ranking militia commander. It was an attempt to discourage more attacks.

(With inputs from Associated Press)
Investigators on Sunday said they have found the airplane door that blew off a Boeing airliner mid-flight over Oregon on Friday and hoped it would provide physical evidence of what went wrong.

Images posted on social media showed a gaping hole where the side panel had blown out, with emergency oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

The emergency, which saw no major injuries, prompted airlines and safety bodies around the world to ground some versions of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets pending inspections, with dozens of flights cancelled.

What Initial Investigation Suggest?

The gaping hole in the side of the Alaska Airlines jet opened up where aircraft maker Boeing fits a plug to cover an emergency exit that the airline does not use. The plugs are on most Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

A door plug is a cover panel used to fill an unneeded emergency exit in planes with smaller seat configurations.

The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily grounded those planes until they undergo inspections of the area around the door plug.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board, led by the boards chair, Jennifer Homendy, arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday to begin an investigation that is likely to last a year or longer. Homendy declined to discuss possible causes when she briefed reporters on Saturday night.

Immediate Inspections

The FAA said on X that it is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight.

It added that around 171 aircraft worldwide would be affected, with each inspection taking four to eight hours.

US-based Alaska and United Airlines fly the largest number of MAX 9 planes of any carrier and said on Sunday they had grounded their aircraft for inspection.

Other airlines with smaller MAX 9 fleets, including Turkish Airlines, said they did the same. Boeing has so far delivered about 218 of the 737 MAX planes worldwide, the company told AFP.

The plane manufacturer late Sunday said its chief executive Dave Calhoun has set an all-employee safety meeting for Tuesday at the companys factory in Washington state, and cancelled a leadership summit.

Why The Plug is There?

Some larger Boeing 737s have emergency exits on fuselages behind the wings to meet a federal requirement that planes be designed so passengers can evacuate within 90 seconds even if half the exits are blocked.

The more passenger seats there are on a plane, the more exits are required.

Some carriers, including Indonesias Lion Air and Corendon Dutch Airlines, cram more than 200 seats into their Max 9s, so they must have extra emergency exits. However, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines configure their 737 Max 9s to have fewer than 180 seats, so the planes dont need the two mid-cabin exits to comply with U.S. evacuation rules.

On Alaska and United, the only two US airlines using the Max 9, those side exits near the back of the plane are replaced with a permanent plug the size of an exit door.

Who Installs the Plugs?

A spokesman for Spirit AeroSystems, which is unrelated to Spirit Airlines, confirmed to The New York Times that the company installed door plugs on Max 9s, including the plug on the Alaska Airlines plane involved in Fridays incident.

The spokesman told The Associated Press that the plugs are assembled into 737 fuselages at Spirits factory in Wichita, Kansas, but declined further comment.

The Boeing Supplier

Spirit is Boeings largest supplier for commercial planes and builds fuselages and other parts for Boeing Max jets. The company has been at the center of several recent problems with manufacturing quality on both the Max and a larger plane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Last year, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems discovered improperly drilled fastener holes in a bulkhead that keeps 737 Max jets pressurized at cruising altitude.

Were There Warnings?

The Boeing jetliner was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights, Homendy said Sunday.

Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so that if the warning light reappeared, the plane could return very quickly to an airport, she said at a news conference.

Homendy cautioned that the pressurization light might be unrelated to Fridays incident and more investigation was required.

Other Fuselage Blowouts

There have been rare instances of holes opening in the fuselages of airliners. In most cases, they have been the result of metal fatigue in the planes aluminum skin.

In the most horrific case, a flight attendant for Aloha Airlines was blown out of the cabin of a Boeing 737 over the Pacific Ocean in 1988 after an 18-foot-long (5.4-meter-long) chunk of the roof peeled away. Her body was never found. The tragedy led to tougher rules for airlines to inspect and repair microscopic fuselage cracks before they tear open in flight.

In 2009, a hole opened in the roof of a Southwest Boeing 737 flying 35,000 feet over West Virginia. And in 2011, a 5-foot (1.5-meter) gash unfurled in another Southwest Boeing 737, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing at a military base in Arizona. No one was injured in either of those cases, both of which were blamed on metal fatigue.

(With inputs from Associated Press)
Israel and South Africa face off at the UNs International Court of Justice (ICJ) from Thursday, after Pretoria accused Israel of genocidal acts in Gaza.

South Africa, the first country to file a suit against Israel, urged ICJ judges to order Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza. It also alleged that Israel has engaged in, is engaging in, and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The case is one of at least three Israel is potentially facing as its actions against Hamas come increasingly into the crosshairs of international law.

What is International Court of Justice?

The ICJ also called the World Court is the highest UN legal body established in 1945 to deal with disputes between countries. however, it is different from the treaty-based International Criminal Court, also in The Hague, which handles war crimes cases against individuals.

The ICJ rules on disputes between states and while its decisions are legally binding, it has limited power to enforce them.

What could the ICJ do?

South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, according to which a genocide is any acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

The country has sought emergency orders from the ICJ  provisional measures, which means the court does not have to necessarily agree with Pretorias fundamental case. It must instead judge whether there is a risk of irreparable prejudice to the rights of the Palestinians.

At the provisional measures stage, the Court would not be making a determination that a genocide is unfolding in Gaza, said Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University.

Instead, the Court would only be evaluating whether there is a risk of irreparable prejudice to rights held under the Genocide Convention, in particular the right of the Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts that threaten their existence as a group, Rose told AFP.

Pretoria has asked the court to issue several orders: for Israel to immediately suspend its Gaza offensive, to stop forced displacement, to enable humanitarian access, and to preserve evidence.

The ICJ can order all of the measures requested by South Africa. It could decline to order anything. It could order something completely different, or even decide it is not competent to judge.

What Follows Next?

After the court decides whether or not to apply emergency measures, it will then look at the broader case on the merits  South Africas charge that Israel is in breach of the UN Genocide Convention.

Since Israel and South Africa are both parties to the ICJ, its rulings are binding on both of them. However, Israel is tightly shielded by the US and the World Court lacks enforcement power.

The decisions of the ICJ  often known as the World Court  are binding upon countries and cannot be appealed.

However, the ICJ has no way of enforcing its rulings and they are sometimes completely ignored. In March 2022, the ICJ ordered Russia to immediately suspend its invasion of Ukraine  a directive Moscow has ignored.

Celine Bardet, an international law and war crimes expert, said any decision would be at a symbolic level.

In 2019, Gambia, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), petitioned the court against Myanmar over its atrocities against the Rohingya people.

In a previous genocide case, Bosnia accused neighbouring Serbia of masterminding a genocide of Bosnian Muslims during the 1992-95 war. In 2007, the ICJ ruled that genocide had been committed during the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. However, the judges said there was not enough evidence that the Serbian government had been directly involved in the slaughter. Nonetheless, they found Serbia guilty of violating the convention by failing to prevent genocide.

How long does this take?

The ICJ is not known for its speed but provisional measures take priority over all other cases and a decision can be relatively quick  a matter of weeks.

A ruling of the broader case on the merits on the other hand will probably take several years. The ICJ is still deliberating on Gambias case against Myanmar from 2019.

South African authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the ICJ has fixed a hearing for January 11-12. The ICJ has scheduled a hearing of the case that South Africa has triggered. This is set down for 11-12 January 2024 at the Hague. Our lawyers are currently preparing for this, Clayson Monyela, spokesperson for South Africas Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said on X, formerly Twitter.

Why South Africa?

South Africa has brought the case against Israel because both countries have signed the UN Genocide Convention, drawn up in 1948 as the world vowed never again after the Holocaust.

Its filing states that Pretoria is acutely aware of the particular weight of responsibility in accusing Israel of all countries of breaking the Genocide Convention.

But it also says that no attack can justify alleged breaches of the Convention and that Israel has its own obligation as a signatory to prevent genocide.

South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the governing African National Congress (ANC) party often linking it to its own struggle against apartheid. The two countries have cut off diplomatic ties over the issue.

What other cases are there?

The ICJ rules on disputes between countries and is often confused with the International Criminal Court (ICC), also based in The Hague, which prosecutes war crimes by individuals.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan has an open investigation into events in Gaza and has vowed to step up his probe.

Five countries including South Africa called in November for an ICC investigation into the Gaza war, and Khan says his team has gathered a significant volume of evidence. International legal experts have told AFP that war crimes have probably been committed by both sides.

Finally, the United Nations has asked the ICJ to look into the legal consequences of Israels actions in the Palestinian Territories. This will be an advisory opinion and will not focus on the military operation after October 7.

(With inputs from agencies)
Police on Tuesday arrested a 21-year-old man from Mumbai for allegedly kidnapping a minor girl who was residing in a hostel in North Goa, an official said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi told reporters the accused, Akshay Tayde, originally from Bhopal, was arrested for kidnapping the 14-year-old girl residing in the hostel in Mapusa town, 9km from state capital Panaji.

However, the motive behind the abduction was not yet know, he said.Dalvi said the hostel warden had filed a complaint against an unknown person after the girl went missing.

The girl stepped out to go to a Mapusa market on January 7, but did not return to the hostel, said the police officer, citing the complaint. Based on the complaint, the police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code section 363 (kidnapping) and also the Goa Childrens Act against the unknown person.

Dalvi said during technical surveillance, the accused was identified and he was found to be moving with the victim in Mumbai, around 600km from Goa.He said Goa cops contacted their counterparts in Mumbais Naupada police station who helped in tracing the accused.

Tayde was brought to Mapusa from Mumbai after he was placed under arrest, said Dalvi.
Sarairasi, a small hamlet inhabited by the Suryavanshis, who claim to be the descendants of Lord Ram, on the outskirts of Uttar Pradeshs temple town Ayodhya, is silently gearing up for the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony slated to be held on January 22.

Women are busy making brisk purchases while men can be spotted buying colourful turbans and nagra shoes from the local market. The muddy courtyards are freshly coated with cow dung and clay and the painted houses and colourful rangolis give a clean, crisp look to Sarairasi that is completely drenched in festivities.

People here said January 22 would not only mark the day of Pran Pratistha but end the 500-year-old pledge taken by their ancestors that they will not wear a turban, leather shoes and use an umbrella until Lord Ram is re-installed in the Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.

Whether marriage or any other occasion, none of us sported a turban, considered to be the pride of the people belonging to the Thakur community, in the last 500 years. January 22 will be a historic day for all of us and other Suryavanshis of Ayodhya. Its the day when the 500-year-old pledge, taken by our ancestors to not use an umbrella, wear a turban and leather shoes, will finally get over, said Shiv Vijay Singh alias Nawab Singh, who claims himself to be the 11th generation of Thakur Gajraj Singh, the Suryavanshi, who was the first to take the pledge.

The descendants of Thakur Gajraj Singh, however, expressed their resentment for not being invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya. It is sad that despite the contribution of our ancestors, we have not been invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. Nevertheless, we are happy that the very purpose for which our ancestors took the pledge and laid their lives, is being meted out, said Vijay Singh.

Locals from the village said January 22 would mark the day of Holi and Diwali for them. Besides the people from Sarairasi, those belonging to the Suryavanshi community from nearly 115 villages in and around Ayodhya, too have geared up for the Pran Pratishtha in their own way.

What was the 500-Year-Old Pledge?

According to the rural folklore, when Baqi Tashqandi alias Mir Baqi, a commander in the 16th century, was made governor of the province of Awadh during the reign of first Mughal emperor Babur, he founded the Babri Masjid and first visited Ayodhya.

On his visit to Ayodhya, he was amazed to see the popularity of Lord Ram, but destroyed the Ram Temple following which Thakur Gajraj Singh, a Suryavanshi, took the pledge to not to cover their head or wear a turban, which is the pride of the people from the Thakur community, until they get a roof above the idol of Lord Ram.

My great grandfather called upon around 90,000 people including those from the Suryavanshi and other communities who got united and attacked the Mughal forces in order to save the temple. But the armed Mughal forces crushed them including Thakur Gajraj Singh to death and constructed the Babri mosque thereafter. With this, the pledge of my great grandfather remained unfulfilled. However, since Lord Ram is going to Virajman (seated) at his place on January 22, our long-pending pledge will get fulfilled, explained Vijay Singh, while highlighting his familys history.

A book named Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Ka Prachin Itihas published by Pandit Dwarika Prasad Shiv Govind Pustakalaya, Ayodhya, has a mention about Thakur Gajraj Singh on Page 47. Thakur Gajraj Singh who resides near Surya Kund died in a fierce battle fought in Ayodhya against the Mughal forces that attacked Ram temple. The Mughal forces then ordered demolition of his house. Singh descendants, who pledged not to wear a turban, leather shoes and use umbrellas, still reside in the area, the book read.

Historian Call It a Folklore

The local historians called it a folklore as they said there are no formal documents or evidence to support the claim of the villagers. Raghuvansh Mani, who has penned several books on the history of Awadh, said there are several stories doing the rounds. There is no authentic document to support the fact that the locals entered in a battle with Mughal forces for demolishing the Ram temple, Mani said.

A descendant of Thakur Gajraj Singh, Harish Chandra Singh, 71, said, We are fortunate to see our ancestors wish getting fulfilled. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our chief minister Yogi Adityanath for making this day a reality.

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple will take place at 12.20 pm on January 22 in Ayodhya. The organisers of the ceremony began distributing the sacred akshat (rice, grams mixed with turmeric and ghee) on the New Years Day and will continue doing so till January 15 (Makar Sankranti). More than 7,000 guests from India and abroad, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to be present at the inauguration of Ram Temple. Over 1 lakh devotees are expected to reach Ayodhya for the ceremony.
In a shocking incident, a 39-year-old businesswoman from Bengaluru on Monday was booked for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son in North Goa and travelling back to Karnataka with his body in a bag.

The accused  Suchana Seth  had checked out of the service apartment in North Goas Candolim on Monday morning. While cleaning the apartment, a housekeeping staff had found bloodstains there.

Seth, who was back in Karnataka by now, was detained at Aimangala police station in the Chitradurga district based on an alert from the Goa Police. She was later arrested by Goa Police and produced before the magistrate court at Mapusa which sent her to six-day police custody.

DID THE COPS FIND THE CHILDS BODY?

Calangute police stations inspector Paresh Naik told Times of India that the 39-year-old founder and CEO of AI startup  Mindful AI  had given a Bengaluru address when she checked into room 404 at Hotel Sol Banyan Grande on Saturday.

She had booked the room via Airbnb and asked the hotel for checkout on the intervening night of January 7-8.

A hotel staffer said that Seth had asked for a taxi to go back to Bengaluru. Although the staffer suggested that flying back would be a more efficient option, she persistently stuck to wanting a taxi. The hotel, later, arranged a local taxi for her.

Nidhin Valsan, North Goa SP, noted that a police team reached the hotel at around 11 am after being informed about the bloodstain.

Valsan said that they examined the CCTV footage and found Seth to be allegedly leaving the service apartment without her son.

Naik said that he had even contacted the taxi driver and asked him to speak with Seth. As Naik questioned her, she claimed that she left her son at a friends house in Fatorda and even provided him with details about the house. The address, however, was later found to be fake.

The next time Naik called the taxi driver, he conversed with him in Konkani and slyly asked him to visit a nearby police station without Seths knowledge. Reportedly, by that time, the taxi was in the Chitradurga district.

Following Naiks instructions, the taxi driver apparently drove to the Aimangala police station without raising any suspicion on Seths part.

Upon reaching the station, a police officer checked the car, only to find the childs body in a bag. Though the motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, but indeed, Naiks intuitions about the body turned out to be true.

The childs body has been sent for post-mortem, an official involved in the probe said.

Sources said that it is being investigated whether the motive behind the murder was Seths tension over her marital separation.

The officer said that Seths husband, Venkat Raman,  who is currently in Indonesia  has been informed and he is coming back to India.

The transit remand process is underway, he added. Soon after, she will be brought to Goa and produced before a court for further investigation.

The SP noted that the crime scene will be recreated once Seth is brought back to Goa.

Police have booked Seth under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 302 and 201.

WHO IS SUCHANA SETH?

Suchana Seth is the founder and CEO of the artificial intelligence (AI) startup, Mindful AI Labs. Her LinkedIn profile, describes her as an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs.

Being a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University and a research fellow at Raman Research Institute, Seth also holds patents in natural language processing.

Apart from this, she is also on the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List, her LinkedIn bio says.
The 39-year-old CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup had tried to commit suicide after killing her four-year-old son in a service apartment in North Goa, police said on Tuesday.

The incident reportedly occurred on the intervening night of January 7 and 8 in a service apartment hotel located in North Goas Sinquerim.

Suchana Seth allegedly disposed of the childs body in a bag, loaded it into a taxi she had ordered from the hotel she was staying at, and asked the driver to head towards Bengaluru.

ALSO READ: #WhatWillHappen: Bengaluru CEOs Last & Only Post About Son on Instagram

She was arrested by the Goa police while fleeing in a taxi in adjoining Karnataka, when the hotel staff where she stayed, went to clean the room in which she stayed and found blood stains on the towel.

What We Know in Suchana Seth Case So Far?
The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission granted by the Gujarat government to the 11 convicts of the 22-year-old Bilkis Bano gangrape case, ordering them to report back to authorities within two weeks.

Whats Next for the Convicts of Bilkis Bano Gangrape Case?

The 11 men convicted of raping then five-month pregnant Bilkis Bano and killing her family members during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat walked out of prison on August 15, 2022, when the Gujarat government granted them remission.

The 11 convicts now have a few options before them including approaching the Maharashtra government with a request for remission of their sentences and filing a review petition before the Supreme Court.

ALSO READ: Bilkis Bano Case: Complete Timeline of Events from 2002 Riots to SC Verdict

The Supreme Court, on January 8, 2023, overturned the Gujarat governments decision ruling that the state, where an offender is tried and sentenced, is only competent to decide the remission plea of convicts. Since the trial and conviction took place in the Bombay High Court, Maharashtra was the competent government to grant remission in this case.

According to an Indian Express report, while the convicts may approach the Maharashtra government in future, the state has its own remission policy. According to the Maharashtra Government Resolution (GR) dated April 11, 2008, the minimum sentence prior to any remission is at least 18 years.

However, a separate clause in the policy for brutal crimes against women, says convicts would be eligible for remission only after serving 28 years in prison.

If the convicts of the Bilkis Bano case decide to approach the Maharashtra government, this clause is most likely to apply in their case, according to a report in Bar and Bench. This, however, means that the convicts will have to serve time in jail for another 12 years, till 2036.

According to a report in First Post, the other option the convicts can exercise is to file a review petition before the Supreme Court. The apex court, however, doesnt necessarily entertain all review petitions filed, which are heard by the same bench that had passed the judgement.

A review petition, which has to be filed within 30 days of the pronouncement of the verdict, can be filed on three grounds:
Conspiracy to slap rape charges, threats to kill, giving supari (contract to kill) to Maoists and other mercenaries  here is how a jailed accused, Prem Prakash, has allegedly been trying to deter senior investigators of the Enforcement Directorate in Jharkhand.

Accusing Prem Prakash of directly handling the proceeds of the alleged illegal mining scam on behalf of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the ED, in a special leave petition (SLP) submitted before the Supreme Court last month, has made several shocking claims. This is also the first time Sorens name appeared on an official document in connection with the Rs 1,000-crore alleged stone mining scam in Jharkhands Sahibganj.

The investigation established that the accused, Prem Prakash, was involved in laundering the proceeds of crime obtained from illegal stone mining at Sahebganj whose quantum exceeds more than Rs 1,000 crore. It surfaced that the accused was directly handling the proceeds of crime on behalf of the present Chief Minister in cash through Pankaj Mishra (constituent assembly representative of the Chief Minister from Sahibganj) and was later laundering them into the companies under his control and linked entities, the ED said in the petition.

Prem Prakash, whose name appeared in two scams  illegal stone mining and a land deal  was arrested by the ED last year and is lodged in Jharkands Birsa Munda jail.

The Enforcement Directorate has issued seven summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren, which he chose to skip, calling them politically motivated and bad in law. The investigators later raided offices and residences of Sorens associates and some senior IAS officers. After the raids, the ED in a statement said it seized several incriminating documents and evidence from the premises.

The directorate, in its SLP, seeking that the accused be moved to another jail, said he was operating from the jail with the support of the jail authorities and the state government to intimidate, threaten and slap false charges, including rape complaints and cases under the sections of SC/ST Act against the ED officers.

The central investigating agency also claimed that the accused had allegedly paid cash to a witness who later turned hostile. The petition, accessed by News18, is now pending before the court.

It further added that the accused was supported by senior government officials, including the superintendent and warden of the correctional home.

Conspiring with Maoists, Gangsters & Govt Officers

The directorate has attached related evidence, including screenshots of CCTV footage and other documents, with the petition to establish that the source information received by the agency was also corroborated by its probe into the inputs.

Prem Prakash is hatching conspiracies to derail the investigation with other influential persons, including the Jail Superintendent and the Jailor of Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar, Ranchi. These two jail officials are facilitating him in the conspiracies of Prem Prakash. It has surfaced that Prem Prakash initially tried to establish connections with the Maoists who are languishing in the Judicial Custody at Birsa Munda Central Jail, Hotwar, Ranchi for targeting the officials of the Directorate of Enforcement who are associated with cases linked to him. He also established contacts with certain gangsters lodged in the Jail for the above purposes (sic), stated the agency in its petition.

In the above connection, information was also being received from the credible sources that Prem Prakash in connivance with the jail officials is doing frequent meetings with outsiders to influence and threaten the witnesses as well as to rope in the officials with frivolous cases (sic), the directorate added.

Mentioning the modus operandi of the accused in intimidating a prime witness who later turned hostile before the trial court, the ED said: It is pertinent to mention that few days before, one of the prime witnesses of the illegal stone mining case, namely Vijay Hansda, turned hostile before the trial court and later it is also gathered that he has filed frivolous cases under the Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and has also given statement under section 164 of CrPC against the officers of the Directorate of Enforcement.

In this case, the FIR was lodged at the Dhurwa Police Station, Ranchi and the action of the police was very swift in registering the FIR and getting the statement of the said Vijay Hansda recorded u/s 164 of the CrPc. The above facts corroborate the involvement of the said accused Prem Prakash and the assistance given to him by certain government officials, it added.

News18 reached out to senior members of the ruling JMM. A senior leader said that the central agency is making false claims.

As elections approach, the BJP is getting restless seeing Soren Ji calm and composed. He is in the state and attending office, holding meetings every day. These are politically motivated cases and there is no legal standing of such cases, added the leader, requesting anonymity.
Partnership offers a possibility to further develop and apply in new therapeutic technique, said the marketing manager of Slovenian software and electronics company Cosylab.

People rest in the shade of a tree from the sun at a park in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, July 3, 2022. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)

LJUBLJANA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian software and electronics company Cosylab attaches great importance to the Chinese market and believes in its vast potential," Urska Agnic, head of marketing at Cosylab, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding in April with an industrial park in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province.

"Our Chinese partners were especially enthusiastic about our software for radiation therapy, such as the Treatment Planning System (TPS) and the Automated Affordable Radiation Therapy (AART) system," Agnic said.

This photo taken on Aug. 21, 2023 shows containers loaded on the container ship Cosco Shipping Virgo at Meishan port area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port in east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Wei Yijun)

She said that partnership offers a possibility to further develop and apply in new therapeutic technique.

"Partners in the quoted innovative cooperation already provide all the necessary goodwill and technical and business knowledge, and the cooperation project enters the most critical financing stage," Agnic said.

Cosylab has more than 300 engineers and scientists. Agnic said the company is the only specialized developer of software products and functionality for advance radiation therapy in Slovenia and its vicinity.

She said that so far, cooperation between Chinese and European researchers has mainly occurred in agriculture, biotechnology, biodiversity, food and climate change.

This photo taken on Nov. 6, 2022 shows the MRIdian Linac magnetic resonance guided radiation therapy system exhibited at the Fosun Health booth in the medical equipment and healthcare products exhibition area of the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Currently, new ventures are being explored, especially using Slovenia's know-how in software for radiation therapy of cancer, Agnic said.


Russian poet Lev Rubinstein, who opposed Russia's war in Ukraine, was hit by a car in Moscow. He is in the intensive care unit of the Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care, where he was operated on, with numerous fractures and a head injury.

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This was reported online by his relatives and friends. It is noted that he was put into a therapeutic sleep after the operation.

Russian media reports that the 76-year-old writer was hit on a pedestrian crossing on Obraztsova Street. Judging by the video of the accident, the driver did not have time to slow down and hit Rubinstein.

Lev Rubinstein is a Russian poet, publicist, essayist, columnist, public figure, member of the Union of Russian Writers (1991), and winner of the NOS-2012 literary prize for his book Signs of Attention.

In 2014, he participated in the congress "Ukraine-Russia: Dialogue" held on April 24-25, 2014 in Kyiv. In September of the same year, he signed a statement demanding "to stop the aggressive plans: to withdraw Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine and to stop propaganda, material and military support for separatists in the South-East of Ukraine".

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In 2014, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine's Donbas, Rubinstein appealed to Ukrainians to forgive the Russians for not stopping the "madman" Putin.

"Try to forgive us for not having the strength or will to stop our madmen who are ready to cover our country, my country, with such an unimaginable shame that will take several generations to wash away. Try to forgive us. And even if you can't, there's nothing you can do: I know that we deserve your contempt," the Russian poet wrote.

In 2019, the writer stated that he was extremely surprised and "disappointed" by the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

In 2021, Rubinstein defended the Memorial organization, which was recognized as a foreign agent in 2016. The Russian Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit to liquidate it.

The poet then emphasized that if the society is liquidated, Russia will become "just a territory with a population that thinks of nothing."

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, on January 6, journalist Alexander Rybin, who covered news from the "L/DPR" through many pro-Kremlin publications, was found dead in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. A week earlier, he had appeared in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reporting on the corruption of the "authorities."

Only verified information is available on OBOZ.UA Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The civic body in Ghaziabad has put forth a demand on their board meeting agenda to rename the district for the first time on Tuesday. The move comes after repeated demands by Hindu outfits for the same, following which two options have emerged  Gajnagar and Harnandi Nagar.

BJP Councillor, Sanjay Singh on Monday made a move to induct the issue of renaming in the agenda of the meeting. The saffron party has a comfortable majority in the corporation.

In a conversation with Times of India regarding the proposal tabled by him, Singh said, The board has adopted my proposal and will hold a discussion on it on Tuesday. Primarily, I have proposed two names  Gajnagar and Harnandi Nagar. Ghaziabad holds a significant place in history. Its high time the city is accorded its rightful place.

Following the renaming of Allahabad to Prayagraj in 2018, there has been several demands to rename the NCR district  Ghaziabad. over the last few years.

One of the faces who is leading the effort of renaming is the head priest of Dudheshwar Nath temple, Mahant Narayan Giri.

He met the chief minister Yogi Adityanath in 2022 and submitted a memorandum. The CM assured me he would look into our demands. I had suggested that Ghaziabad should be named either Gajprastha, Dudheshwarath Nagar or Harnandipuram, Giri said as quoted by TOI.

On being asked about why the three names have been proposed by him Giri said that in Mahabharat, the area that is Ghaziabad today was once a part of Hastinapur, which is located just 40km from there.

This was a forested area and home to many wild animals like elephants. Since Gaj means elephant, the name Gajpura or Gajnagar may be apt, he said.

In the UP District Gazetteers of Meerut, a government booklet of records that was last published in 1966, the name of elephants are mentioned. Both in the Mahabharata and the works of Kalidasa, there is mention of huge and dense forests to the north of Hastinapur where it appears elephants lived in large numbers This place is known by many other names and it is probably not a mere coincidence that they are mostly synonyms of the word meaning elephant, as per the seventh edition of the Gazetteer.

Talking about Harnandi Nagar as an option, Giri said that the name, alluded to the Hindon river, which flows past the city.
The Indian Navy has now deployed over ten warships in a bid to intensify its maritime presence in the region starting from the north and central Arabian Sea to the Gulf of Aden to deter any piracy attempts and drone strikes.

The Indian Navy Chief  Admiral R Hari Kumar  in an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18, had mentioned how the naval force was investigating the MV Lila Norfolk hijack case and inspecting the boats in the vicinity.

The deployment of the warships also comes with the presence of Marine Commandos (MARCOS). Officials noted that the Indian Navy is the resident power of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and will do whatever it can to safeguard the national interest of India and make the region free, fair, and open for global trade.

The enhanced maritime security operations are being conducted by the nation independently, a Times of India report said, adding that, India has abstained from being a part of the US-led multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian launched in the Red Sea in December.

The multinational operation was launched in the backdrop of the attacks on civilian as well as military vessels in the region by the Houthi rebels of Yemen.

India has pressed on maintaining a undeterred presence in the Arabian Sea amid the escalating threat of piracy and drone attacks on commercial ships.

The aim is to assist in stabilising the situation in the Arabian Sea, while promoting net maritime security, an officer was quoted as saying.

Predator is also being used for surveillance. Consistent ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions are being undertaken by the already deployed long-range P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and sea guardian drones. Both of these provide high-resolution live feeds for the Navy officials to inspect and study.

The Navy had already deployed INS Kochi, INS Kolkata, INS Mormugao along with INS Chennai and multi-role frigates INS Talwar and INS Tarkash. Dornier and helicopters were also deployed for maritime surveillance and security purposes.

The Indian Navy is working in close coordination with the Coast Guard to ensure effective surveillance of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Just last week, INS Chennai and its elite commandos successfully rescued 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, from a bulk carrier in the North Arabian Sea and santitised it in a swift operation.

#IndianNavys Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea.All 21 crew (incl #15Indians) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel.Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers. The attempt of hijacking by the pirates https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV pic.twitter.com/616q7avNjg  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 5, 2024

Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal had said that the INS Chennai was in the vicinity of the MV Lila Norfolk and rendered support to restore the power generation and propulsion besides assisting her commence voyage to next port of call.

ALSO READ | Bharat Mata Ki Jai: Indians on Liberian Ship Cheer; Navy Hunts For Pirates Involved in Hijacking

Dismissing any misconceptions about the preparedness of the Indian warships, an officer said that Navy warships are equipped with a vast range of guns, short and medium-range air defence missiles, and jammers.

The Navy although is not a part of the multinational operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea, but information and coordination with all the friendly foreign countries such as the US, UK and France takes place on a regular basis.

The Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) is also on alert. The Navys Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) also plays a crucial role in maintain maritime security.

In addition, the Indian Navy is also working in close coordination with the other national maritime agencies to monitor the overall situation and ensure safety of the merchant vessels.
KERALA LOTTERY STHREE SAKTHI SS-397 RESULT ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results for the Sthree Sakthi SS-397 lucky draw for Tuesday, January 9. Check the district-wise full list of winning numbers below.

ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Result Today LIVE: Akshaya AK-634 WINNERS for January 14, 2024; First Prize Rs 70 Lakh!

FULL LIST OF WINNING NUMBERS FOR STHREE SAKTHI SS-397 LOTTERY

WINNING NUMBERS FOR CONSOLATION PRIZE WORTH RS 8,000 ARE

SA 761080

SB 761080

SC 761080

SD 761080

SE 761080

SF 761080

SG 761080

SH 761080

SJ 761080

SK 761080

SL 761080

WINNING NUMBER FOR 1ST PRIZE WORTH RS 75 LAKH IS SM 761080 (ATTINGAL)

Agent Name: SHINE D T

Agency No: T 3795

WINNING NUMBER FOR 2ND PRIZE WORTH RS 10 LAKH IS SB 265572 (THIRUVANANTHAPURAM)

Agent Name: P THANKARAJAN

Agency No: T 2356

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 3RD PRIZE WORTH RS 5,000 ARE

0414 0549 1634 1673 2499

2576 2653 2702 3201 3830

3879 4417 4535 7191 7497

7568 8639 9094

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 4TH PRIZE WORTH RS 2,000 ARE

0199 0649 2533 7084 7394

7549 7818 8629 8638 9397

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 5TH PRIZE WORTH RS 1,000 ARE

0606 0877 2695 4300 4444

4634 5040 5730 5997 6233

6583 6689 6797 7283 7376

7453 7839 8314 9122 9911

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 6TH PRIZE WORTH RS 500 ARE

0214 0308 0313 0996 1088

1683 1932 1945 2129 2200

2571 3039 3339 3417 3818

3883 3933 4001 4109 4292

4326 4528 4731 4922 4952

5046 5055 5130 5165 5348

6067 6115 6402 6687 6881

7474 7560 7655 7737 8050

8220 8225 8397 8880 8892

8978 9040 9042 9091 9242

9893 9981

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 7TH PRIZE WORTH RS 200 ARE

0018 0246 0521 1310 1504

1506 2084 2145 2304 2685

3277 3349 4630 4819 4936

5986 6173 6294 6438 6525

6690 6791 6941 6991 7049

7163 7356 7665 7670 7783

7850 7865 7923 8023 8081

8361 8405 8921 8935 9114

9126 9160 9394 9497 9974

WINNING NUMBERS FOR 8TH PRIZE WORTH RS 100 ARE

0055 0107 0116 0205 0292

0334 0345 0507 0707 0855

0988 1007 1070 1119 1200

1272 1339 1343 1607 1620

1637 1652 1662 1743 2085

2106 2170 2301 2370 2395

2484 2517 2579 2675 2680

2727 2807 2822 2823 2830

2949 2968 2978 3031 3245

3421 3453 3456 3739 3846

3885 3960 4173 4291 4457

4467 4493 4617 4763 4832

4890 4892 5000 5126 5215

5232 5244 5337 5359 5398

5453 5607 5614 5634 5718

5825 5943 6114 6134 6140

6204 6252 6277 6427 6590

6678 6716 6806 6977 6982

7083 7180 7386 7588 7645

7687 7760 7761 7820 7824

7872 7941 7995 8019 8032

8052 8072 8193 8409 8511

8548 8597 8637 8741 8775

8841 8851 8864 9088 9359

9574 9677 9691 9705 9738

9797

ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Xmas New Year Bumper BR-95 Lucky Draw on January 24; First Prize Rs 20 Crore, Check GUESSING NUMBERS

KERALA LOTTERY RESULT: STHREE SAKTHI SS-397 PRIZE STRUCTURE

1st Prize: Rs 75 lakh

2nd Prize: Rs. 10 lakh

3rd Prize: Rs. 5,000

4th Prize: Rs. 2,000

5th Prize: Rs. 1,000

6th Prize: Rs. 500

7th Prize: Rs. 200

8th Prize: Rs. 100

Consolation Prize: Rs. 8,000

HOW TO VERIFY KERALA STHREE SAKTHI SS-397 LOTTERY RESULTS?

Individuals can verify their Sthree Sakthi SS-397 lottery results through two methods: by visiting the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department at www.keralalottery.info or by personally visiting the Kerala Government Gazette office for ticket authentication.

HOW TO COLLECT YOUR PRIZE MONEY?

To determine if they have won, individuals can cross-check their ticket numbers with the winning numbers published in the Kerala Government Gazette. If the numbers align, they are eligible for a prize. Prize winners are required to claim their rewards within 30 days at the Kerala lottery office in Thiruvananthapuram. It is essential to present the winning ticket and valid identity proof for verification during the claim process.

Xmas New Year Bumper BR-95 Lucky Draw on January 24; First Prize Rs 20 Crore

The Kerala State Lottery Department will hold Xmas New Year Bumper BR-95 lucky draw on 24 January 2024. The winner of the first prize will get Rs 20 crore. You can try your luck by purchasing ticket worth just Rs 400 from an authorised agent in stae state.

The tickets will be available in 10 series  XA, XB, XC, XD, XE, XG, XH, XJ, XK, XL.

Xmas New Year Bumper BR-95 Lottery Prize Structure
Amid the promotion of Lakshadweep islands for tourism, the Centre plans to develop a new airfield at the Minicoy Islands there that would be capable of operating military aircraft, including fighter jets, along with commercial ones.

ALSO READ | Lakshadweep On Mind? Heres How You Can Reach Island, Get Permit Online

The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft, government sources told ANI.

According to government sources, the length of the runway would be around 2,500 meters and it would be a dual purpose airport. Apart from the Navy, Coastguard and Indian Air Force, civil aviation companies would also use this base. It will be a major refuelling centre for ships from the SouthEast Asia or Europe and also a hub commercial shipping. There are also plans to construct many five-star resorts. This would be a major tourist attraction like Bangaram. With Minicoy close to the Maldives, it will be a major challenger.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be among the people of Lakshadweep. I am still in awe of the stunning beauty of its islands and the incredible warmth of its people. I had the opportunity to interact with people in Agatti, Bangaram and Kavaratti. I thank the people of the pic.twitter.com/tYW5Cvgi8N Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

The island territory has been the centre of discussion and attraction since the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi there last week. Politicians in the Maldives ruling party have been trying to criticise the Indian plans to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist attraction and have tweeted against India, leading to a diplomatic row.

PM MODIs FIRST LAKSHADWEEP VISIT IN 2017

Minicoy is very close to shipping channel number 9, one of the busiest sea routes of the world, and daily around 300 ships pass through this channel.

ALSO READ | Modis Lakshadweep Pride, Maldives Envy: Deep Dive into Diplomatic Row Over PMs Archipelago Pics

PM had visited the Minicoy islands in 2017, to take stock of the damages during the cyclone. He had visited the Lakshadweep islands, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to oversee the damage done by Cyclone Ockhi.

PM @narendramodi chairing the meeting to review the situation arisen due to #CycloneOckhi in Lakshadweep pic.twitter.com/jtI3h3xAsG PIB India (@PIB_India) December 19, 2017

DEVPT STUCK IN THE PAST

Even though the proposals have been moved to the government for developing this new airfield in the Minicoy Islands in the past too, this plan of having a joint-use defence airfield has been revived in recent times and is being actively progressed, they informed. From the military point of view, the airfield would give India a strong capability as it can be used as a base to keep an eye on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.

The Indian Coast Guard was the first force under the Defence Ministry to suggest the development of an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands. As per the present proposal, the Indian Air Force would be in the lead to run the operations from Minicoy. The airport at Minicoy would also give the defence forces the capability to extend their area of surveillance in the Arabian Sea. The airport at Minicoy would also provide a boost to tourism in the region, as has been planned by the government. There is only one airstrip in the island territory at the moment, which is in Agatti and it can also limit the types of aircraft. The proposal for the development of a new airport and extending the present facilities has been revived recently.

With ANI Inputs
From pristine beaches to breath-taking snorkelling experience, Lakshadweep has it all. Photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Indias smallest Union Territory sparked a frenzy on social media among travellers in India and abroad, even resulting in a diplomatic row with Maldives where three ministers  who are now suspended  made derogatory posts against PM Modi and India.

A barrage of support poured in from prominent Indians, including Bollywood A-listers like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and John Abraham to sportspersons like Sachin Tendulkar, PV Sindhu, and Suresh Raina who made a beeline to promote tourism in Lakshadweep, urging Indians to explore Indian islands.

The Lakshadweep administration is expecting over Rs 20,000 crore in investments in the coming days to pitch it in the same league as Maldives. The Indian island has been consistently the most searched place on Google from India ever since.

But very few seem to know that after Independence, Pakistan was about to snatch it from India. Lakshadweep would very well be a Pakistan-occupied territory had it not been for the swift action by Indias Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

After India attained Independence in 1947, the sub-continent was partitioned, with West Pakistan and East Pakistan on the two sides  both Muslim majority. Meanwhile, another Muslim-majority area  unimportant for Pakistan in its grand scheme of things  was left unperturbed 496 km off the cost of Kochi. Focus on Lakshadweep, which had 93% Muslim population, came later for Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Muslim League leader who created Pakistan.

In his October 2019 Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi described how Indias Iron Man not only unified scattered important princely states like Hyderabad and Junagarh but also saved Lakshadweep from Pakistan.

Soon after Partition in 1947, our neighbour had cast an eye on Lakshadweep; a ship bearing their flag was sent there. When Sardar Patel was informed of this, he wasted no time in initiating stern action. He urged the Mudaliar brothers, Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar and Arcot Laxman Swamy Mudaliar to immediately undertake a mission with (the) people of Travancore to Lakshadweep and take the lead in unfurling the Tricolour there, the PM had said.

Ramaswamy Mudaliar was the 24th and last Dewan of Mysore while his brother Laxman Swamy Mudaliar was a renowned physician who also happened to be the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University for almost 20 years. Both of them were born into a Tamil-speaking family in Kurnool.

Following Sardar Patels orders, the Tricolour was promptly unfurled in Lakshadweep and what PM Modi referred to as nefarious dreams of the neighbour were crushed.

After this incident, Sardar Patel asked the Mudaliar brothers to personally ensure all assistance for (the) development of Lakshadweep. Today, Lakshadweep is contributing significantly in Indias progress. It is an attractive tourist destination too. I hope you get the opportunity to visit the picturesque islands and its pristine beaches, the Prime Minister told the nation in the 2019 Diwali edition of Mann Ki Baat.
The Maldives is not only a hub of Islamic State (ISIS) operatives but also of Pakistan-based terror groups and narcotics smugglers as well, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 on Tuesday. A Lashkar-e-Taiba base was also identified there in the past, they added.

Narcotics trade is very common in the inhabited Islands and it is linked with gangsters lodged in local jails, the sources said.

The Maldives, they said, is facing a major problem from radical Islamic fundamentalists who are funding the local governments with the involvement of some big business houses.

In the greed to grow, these business houses have been drawn towards Chinas Ministry of State Security (MSS) and Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the sources said.

According to them, many Lashkar leaders have settled in the Maldives to expand their global activities.

This after then union home minister P Chidambarams intervention in 2010 for the safety of Indian tourists when it was decided that the Maldives would not give refuge to Lashkar operatives following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.

In South Asia, narcotics and terror networks are often interlinked, the intelligence sources said.

According to them, key ISIS-K operative Umar Nisar Bhat (aka Qasim Khorasani) who was arrested in 2021 by agencies said in his confession that he was in regular touch with the Bangladesh and Maldives-based Islamic Ameer (chief), and he could have used that to expand terrorist propaganda networks.

Khorasani was in contact with Pakistani national Huzaifa-al-Bakistani, who was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan. On his interrogation, Indian agencies gave this data to the FBI and later he was arrested by them, said the sources.

Khorasani told Indian agencies that his main aim was cyber propaganda and literature, and for this reason, he was in touch with Maldives-based ISIS modules and used to get material against India, they added.

According to the officials involved in the Umar Nisar interrogation, he was about to turn into Ansari (soldier) due to the material supplied by the Maldives-based ISIS chief but got caught in the initial stage.

Agencies are not ruling out the Maldives being a safe haven for terror activities and a hub of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Pakistani groups.

The 2019 Sri Lanka attack was also initially linked to the Maldives by agencies investigating the matter.
A 35-year-old woman was killed allegedly by her boyfriend who strangled her in a room of a hotel in Navi Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.

Based on a tip-off, the Mumbai police apprehended the accused from his house in the western suburb of Saki Naka here in the early hours of the day, an official said.

The police had received information that the accused, Shoeb Sheikh (24), had committed an offence and was planning to flee to his hometown, he said.

On interrogation, the accused revealed that he had checked into a hotel in Navi Mumbai with his girlfriend Amy alias Amit Ravindra Kaur (35) on Monday, the official said.

Sheikh suspected Amy of having an affair and allegedly strangled her in a fit of rage. He then left the hotel, he said.

Following the revelation, the Turbhe police were informed about the murder and a team was dispatched to the hotel, where the victims body was found in the room, the official said.

The victim was a manager with a private sector bank and lived in the Sion Koliwada area, he said.

Sheikh has been arrested under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the official added.
PM Modi Ahmedabad Visit LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived in Ahmedabad to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024 and related programmes. The Prime Minister will be joined by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the chief guest for the summit.

PM Modi is set to welcome the President of UAE at Ahmedabad Airport on Tuesday, January 9. Following this, the two leaders will begin a roadshow from the airport to Gandhi Ashram. The Vibrant Gujarat Summit will also witness the presence of UAE Minister of State for Trade Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and a full delegation business community from the Gulf nation.

PM Modi Meets Welcomes Deakin University To Collaborate With Indian Universities

Vice Chancellor of Australias Deakin University Iain Martin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar, where they had a productive discussion on enhancing collaboration between government and academic institutions about cybersecurity. The Prime Minister welcomed Deakin University to collaborate with Indian universities to promote research and innovation.

PM Modi Meets CEO of Micron Technology

CEO of Micron Technology, Sanjay Mehrotra, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarats Ahmedabad. PM Modi landed in the city earlier this morning ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

#WATCH | Gandhinagar, Gujarat: CEO of Micron Technology, Sanjay Mehrotra meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/Klfl6RYGue ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

PM Modi Holds Bilateral Meeting with President of Timor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Hort in Gujarats Gandhinagar.

#WATCH | Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste, in Gandhinagar.#VibrantGujaratGlobalSummit pic.twitter.com/hV7ZyVBwxp ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

President of Mozambique Arrives in Ahmedabad

President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi arrived in Ahmedabad for the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit on Tuesday. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel received the President at the airport.

PM Modi lands in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Ahmedabad on Tuesday morning to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this Summit.

The coming of my brother, HH Mohamed bin Zayed is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarats growth and created opportunities for several people, he added.

Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this Summit. The coming of my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed pic.twitter.com/Ygaajg4TfM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 8, 2024

Gujarat Vibrant Summit 2024

The Tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from January 10 to 12, 2024 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The theme for this years summit will be Gateway to the Future. This edition will celebrate 20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success.
Not just India but the world is looking forward to the momentous Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. Keeping this in mind, all preparations are being made to make the event a grand success. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who himself will be part of the event, has a special message for his cabinet colleagues.

Sources say the PM during the cabinet meeting held in the national capital last Friday said, Ram Mandir building is a celebration of faith and sacrifice of crores and crores of Ram Bhakts. That is the message that needs to trickle down.

While all the ministers are expected to be present in their respective constituencies with the Lok Sabha elections also not far away, they need to take adequate precautions to ensure that any controversy or controversial remarks are avoided, he is believed to have said.

Nobody should get provoked by the comments made by the opposition. And do not get trapped in any such gimmick, the Prime Minister conveyed to his colleagues, according to sources. This after several opposition leaders expressed fears about the breakout of communal clashes in the run-up to the much-awaited ceremony.

All roads lead to Ayodhya with the buildup to the ceremony to take place on January 22 in the presence of PM Modi, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and governor Anandiben Patel apart from others.

The organisers have sent close to 8,000 invitations for the grand ceremony, including to many celebrities like Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Kangana Ranaut, Ranveer Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt.
Suchana Seth, the CEO of The Mindful AI Lab arrested for the murder of her four-year-old son, reportedly did not want her estranged husband to meet her child, and hence killed him.

A report by India Today quoted Goa DGP Jashpal Singh as saying that a local court had granted the father permission to meet his child on Sundays. However, the accused woman did not want her estranged husband to meet their son.

The report further quoted top police sources as saying that the couple tied the knot in 2010, and their son was born in 2019. However, disputes led to them filing for a divorce in 2020.

Under pressure and driven by the desire to stop her ex-husband from seeing their son, the accused planned a trip to Goa with her child. She killed the child in the hotel room in North Goa ahead of the scheduled meet, IT stated.

Police is yet to find the real motive but officers suspect that the sour relationship with husband Venkat Raman led to the horrific crime. Their divorce proceedings are in the final stage, said Nidhin Valsan, Superintendent of Police, North Goa.

#WATCH | Panaji: On the murder of a four-year-old boy in Goa, North Goa SP Nidhin Valsan gives details. https://t.co/JX2GFdT0XN pic.twitter.com/RyYcXz6LfN ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2024

A report in NDTV stated that during interrogation Suchana told police that her relationship with her husband remained strained and that she was unhappy over a court order.

Officials said her husband was in Indonesia at the time of the incident. We have informed him about the murder and asked him to return to India, Valsan said.

The 39-year-old chief executive officer was arrested by Goa police from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Sunday night after she travelled with the dead sons body to the south Indian state.

According to Seths LinkedIn page, she is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of start-up Mindful AI Lab and was among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.

She checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in North Goa on January 6 along with her son, Calangute police station inspector Paresh Naik said.

After staying there for two days, she informed the apartment staff that she wanted to go to Bengaluru for some work and asked them to arrange for a taxi, he said.

The staff suggested that she could take a flight to Bengaluru which would be a cheaper option rather than hiring a taxi which is an expensive proposition, he said.

The accused insisted that she would travel by taxi only, and accordingly a vehicle was arranged on January 8 in which she left early morning.

Later, when the apartment staff went to clean the room in which she stayed, they found blood stains on a towel, Naik said.

The management of the apartment immediately informed the Calangute police, who then reached the spot, he said.

The staff also informed that the womans four-year-old son was not seen with her when she left the apartment and she was also carrying an unusually heavy bag, he said.

The police then called the accused and enquired with her about the blood stains and her missing son.

The accused told us that the blood stains were due to her monthly periods. She also told us that her son was with her friend in Margao town (in South Goa) and provided the address, the official said.

Naik said he immediately took the help of Fatorda police (near Margao) and got to know the address given by her was fake.

The inspector later spoke over phone to the taxi driver, who was on way to Bengaluru and had reached Chitradurga district in Karnataka, to take the accused to the nearest police station.

The police in Chitradurga checked the womans bag in which they found the body of the child, Naik said.

A team of the Calangute police then rushed to Chitradurga and obtained a transit remand of the accused, who was being brought to Goa.
On January 8, the wreckage of an unknown missile was found near Volgograd, Russia. It was discovered by utility workers who went to clear snow from a railway crossing located near the village of Velikiy Morets, Volgograd region.

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The incident was reported on the Russian Telegram channel Astra. Local authorities refrained from commenting on the origin of the missile, but the media noted that fragments of Russian missiles had previously been found near Volgograd, which were lost by the occupation forces during attacks on Ukraine.

"The question of what is it will be answered by the Ministry of Defense. All necessary services are already on the spot. No one was injured. Work is underway. That's all I can say," said Galina Zueva, head of the village of Velykyi Morets, Yelansky district.

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In 2022, missile debris was already found in the area. At the time, the authorities only reported the destruction of the wreckage but did not recognize whose missiles they were or where they were aimed. Later, however, ASTRA found that on December 16, 2022, additional fuel tanks from Russian missiles fell on the land of locals. No one was injured but a barn in the village of Dubovoe was damaged.

Earlier, it was reported that explosions occurred in the Russian city of Belgorod on the evening of Monday, January 8. An air raid alert went off in the town. Propagandists claimed that Ukraine had allegedly shelled the city and that air defense systems were "working."

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As OBOZ.UA reported, earlier, governor Gladkov addressed the residents of the Belgorod region. He advised Russians to evacuate from the "shelling of peaceful neighborhoods" to the regional center.
Suchana Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence start-up, who is custody for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son, is said to have been frustrated since her divorce and was also trying to prevent her son from meeting his father and her ex-husband, sources in Goa Police told News18.

The heinous incident reportedly occurred on the intervening night of January 7 and 8 in a service apartment-hotel located in North Goas Sinquerim.

Seth allegedly disposed of the childs body in a bag, loaded it into a taxi she had ordered from the hotel she was staying at, and asked the driver to head towards Bengaluru.

News18 has learnt that Seth had been mandated by the court after her divorce proceedings in 2020 to allow her ex-husband to meet the child on Sundays. She had reportedly not been honouring the arrangement. The child was born in 2019 after the couple married in 2010, an officer close to the investigation said.

What Happened in Goa?

According to North Goa Superintendent of Police, Nidhin Valsan, Suchana Seth made a call to the hotel staff asking them to provide her with a taxi to travel to Bengaluru as she had an urgent matter to attend to. The hotel staff, while trying to help her with her request, also tried to advise her that flying back to Bengaluru would be more economical and convenient. However, Seth is said to have been insistent that she wanted to travel by road and asked them to arrange it.

She immediately checked out, put her luggage in the taxi arranged by the hotel. After the check-out, when the housekeeping staff went to the room, they found red stains on the bed, which they suspected was blood. They informed the local Calangute police and PI Paresh, along with his team, reached the hotel. Prima facie it looked like a (blood) stain, so attempts were made to contact Seth, SP Valsan said.

Speaking to News18, SP Valsan said the investigation is in a very nascent stage and more details on why and how the crime was committed are expected after interrogation.

As part of the investigation, the police, while checking the CCTV footage of the hotel, found that Suchana Seth had entered the hotel with a child, but checked out alone.

We contacted the lady through the phone of the driver and asked her where the child was. She claimed that she had left him at the residence of a friend in Margao. On insisting for the address, she shared an address in Fatorda. On checking, we found that the address was fake, Valsan further stated.

The Goa Police also lauded the presence of mind of PI Paresh who communicated with the driver in Konkani and asked him to drive the car to the closest police station in the area he was in.

What Happened in Karnataka?

After taking the taxi, Seth is said to have told the driver to take her to Bengaluru as fast as he could. They crossed the border to Karnataka and were near Hiriyur when a call was placed by PI Paresh to the driver.

We found that they were at the time in Chitradurga, near the Aimangala Police station. We requested the Aimangala police officials to check the car and the luggage and they found the childs dead body in it. A cognizable case under IPC was filed based on the complaint of the manager of the hotel that Seth had stayed, and an arrest was made, said Valsan.

Chitradurga SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena told News18 that the childs body has been kept in Hiriyur for post-mortem, and the police are also awaiting the arrival of the father of the child.

The father has been working abroad, and he is expected to arrive in Hiriyur. We detained her based on the Goa Police request and found the body of the child, Meena said.

The accused is now in the custody of the Goa Police after she was taken on a transit remand from Chitradurga, Karnataka, on Monday.

Questions to be Answered

A Goa Police official working closely with the investigation said there are many loopholes in the case.

The child was found with a head injury, the throat was also slashed. If the heinous act had been done in the room, there would have been a lot more blood in the room, the police official told News18.

Another question that is also being raised is why there was no blood found in the lobby of the hotel if the body was lugged across the hotel lobby, the official added. A thorough investigation is being conducted and post-mortem details are also awaited, he further said.

Who is Suchana Seth?

Suchana Seth founded The Mindful AI Lab, an AI-tech startup, in 2019. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, she served as a senior data scientist at Boomerang Commerce, contributing to the creation of data-driven products for price optimization and intelligence. With two patents to her name, she also had been in the role of a senior analytics consultant at Innovation Labs Data Sciences Group.

Seth had been an affiliate at the Berkman Klein Centre, focusing on the ethical aspects and governance of Artificial Intelligence and Responsible Machine Learning in Boston, Massachusetts.

She holds a Masters degree in Physics, specializing in Plasma Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Calcutta in 2008, a Post Graduate Diploma in Sanskrit from the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, and a Bachelors degree in Physics (Honours) from Bhawanipur Education Society College, Kolkata.
Suchana Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru-based AI start-up and one among the top 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics 2021, grabbed the headlines on Tuesday morning after she was accused of killing her four-year-old son in North Goas Candolim. Seth was caught by the police while she was carrying the childs body in a bag to Karnataka.

The CEO and founder of the Mindful AI Lab was detained at Aimangala Police Station in the Chitradurga district in Karnataka after the service apartment staff, where she stayed in Goa, informed the police about the possible crime. The incident was reported after the housekeeping staff while cleaning the apartment found bloodstain.

According to sources, Seth is originally from West Bengal. Her husband, with whom she allegedly shares an estranged relationship, however, is from Kerala.

Who Is Suchana Seth?

According to the Mindful AI Labs website, Suchana Seth is an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience in mentoring data science teams, and scaling machine learning solutions at startups and industry research labs. Apart from this, she is also a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society.

She was also a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute.

The CEO and founder of the Bengaluru-based start-up was named in the list of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021. Sharing the tweet of Women in AI Ethics, Seth in 2020 wrote, Honored to be part of this group of amazing group of women doing critically important work!

Before founding The Mindful AI Lab, Seth was a Senior Data Scientist at Boomerang Commerce in Bengaluru. She used to design data-driven products for price optimisation and intelligence. She was also associated with Innovation Labs. Seth used to work as a senior analytics consultant at the companys Data Sciences Group.

Seth also holds a Masters degree in Physics specialising in Plasma Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Calcutta.
The Supreme Court has held that a tenant cannot claim adverse possession, as in such a case, only possession is permissive in nature against landlords. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Rajesh Bindal allowed an appeal against the Allahabad High Courts 2012 order, which has set aside judgements of the first appeal court and the trial court and dismissed a suit by the plaintiff for being barred by limitation.

The dispute is related to a 3,500 sq ft plot in Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh. The plaintiff claimed the title of the open piece of land through a registered sale deed of January 21, 1966, from the erstwhile Zamindar Rai Bahadur Mohan Lal. They also claimed to have received possession pursuant to the sale deed.

In 1975, when the appellant tried to raise the construction over the land purchased, the defendants objected and caused hindrance giving rise to the filing of the suit in question on May 28, 1975, seeking a relief of injunction with alternative relief for possession.

The defendant-respondent contended that there had been prior proceedings between Rai Bahadur Mohan Lal and his co-sharers and their tenants (ancestors of the respondent) in the year 1944 where a suit was filed for arrears of rent with respect to Plot No. 1019, 1022, and 1023. Under the settlement between the zamindar and co-sharers, the land in question came to Siddheshwari Narain and Deep Chandra in a private partition, and as such these co-sharers became the owners of the land.

The apex court, however, said the High Court fell in serious error by dismissing the suit of the appellant on the ground of limitation as according to it, the defendant respondent had matured their rights or rather perfected their rights by adverse possession having continued so since 1944 when the first suit for arrears of rent was filed.

Among the reasons, the top court said the High Court has not dealt with the findings recorded by the trial court and the first appeal court with respect to the issue of Limitation and the evidence considered by them. The High Court while hearing the second appeal under section 100 of Code of Civil Procedure, and having re-appreciated the findings to disturb findings of fact, committed an error, it said.

It also pointed out the High Court has not recorded any finding that the plaintiff appellants were not the owners or that they have failed to prove the ownership. The suit of the year 1944 was for the arrears of rent and not relating to any dispute of possession. The defendant respondents were tenants and therefore their possession was permissive as against the then landlords. There was no question of them claiming any adverse possession from 1944, the bench said.

In our considered view, the plaintiff appellants got their ownership/title under the registered sale deed on 21.01.1966. The dispute for possession vis-a-vis the defendant respondents would arise only after the said date and not on any date prior to it. Admittedly from the date of the sale deed, the suit was filed within the period of 12 years in May, 1975. Even if it is assumed that the defendant respondents were in possession from prior to 1944, their possession could not have been adverse even to The Zamindars as they were tenants and their tenancy would be permissible in nature and not adverse. There were no proceedings for possession prior to 1966, the bench said.

The HC also noted that the first appellate court having recorded a specific finding that the land in suit was not covered by Zamindari Abolition as it was non-agricultural land, the claim of ownership from the date of abolition of zamindari was also without any merit. The finding has not been disturbed by the High Court. The defendant respondents thus having failed to establish their title, would have no right to retain the possession, it said.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2024: Every year on January 9, India celebrates Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as NRI Day, to recognize and honour the invaluable contributions of the Indian diaspora around the world. Its a day to acknowledge the achievements of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who have made significant contributions to their adopted countries while still cherishing their Indian heritage.

It is also a day to appreciate the vast and vibrant Indian diaspora, celebrate their achievements, and strengthen the bonds that connect them to their motherland. Its a reminder that the Indian spirit continues to shine brightly on a global stage, and its contributions continue to shape a better future for all.

Embassy of India in Oslo commemorated the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Lier on January 6, 2024, celebrating the stories of the first-generation Pravasis in Drammen and Lier. Over 150 people attended, engaging in interactive panel discussions and enjoying bhangra dance. pic.twitter.com/dwibYhUNqM India in Norway (@IndiainNorway) January 7, 2024

PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS: HISTORY

The day holds historical significance as it marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915. Gandhi, himself a Pravasi Bharatiya, led the Indian independence movement upon his return, inspiring countless others to fight for their homelands freedom.

The first official Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in 2003, and since then, it has become a platform to connect the Indian diaspora with their roots and encourage their continued engagement with Indias progress.

PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS: SIGNIFICANCE

NRIs and PIOs play a crucial role in various sectors, including:

EconomyThey contribute significantly to Indias foreign exchange reserves through remittances and investments. Science and TechnologyMany NRIs are leading figures in cutting-edge fields, promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration. Culture and ArtsThey act as ambassadors of Indian culture and traditions, enriching the global landscape. Social DevelopmentTheir philanthropic endeavours support various social causes and contribute to Indias development.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrates these contributions and fosters a sense of unity and pride among the Indian diaspora. It serves as a reminder that regardless of their geographical location, Indians remain connected to their cultural and historical roots.

QUOTES AND WISHES FOR NRI DAY
Salman Khan is one of the biggest celebrities and enjoys a huge fan following. On Monday, two men were booked for breaking into his Panvel farmhouse. Well, a few hours later he was spotted at the private airport in Mumbai. Salman opted for a casual look as he was seen coming out of the airport and posing for the shutterbugs.

In the video, shared by Viral Bhayani, we can see Salman wearing a black colour shirt paired with jeans. He is looking very handsome even in casuals. Before heading towards his car, Salman even waves at shutterbugs. As soon as the video was shared, fans were seen dropping heart emojis in the comment section.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

On Monday, a report claiming that two trespassers who were trying to enter Salman Khans farmhouse Arpit in Navi Mumbai were held, following farmhouse manager Shashikant Omprakash Bhargavs complaint to the police. The incident occurred on Thursday evening at 4 pm, when the security guard of the farmhouse spotted two individuals trying to breach the boundary wall of the premises.

As per a report by Hindustan Times, when Shashikant was alerted by security guard Mohammad Hussain, he immediately reached the main gate of the farmhouse. Upon his arrival, they questioned the trespassers who claimed their names were Mahesh Kumar Ramnivas and Vinod Kumar Radhesham and they belonged to Uttar Pradesh. Despite the interrogation, when the duo were unable to give out coherent answers, Shashikant informed the police.

At the police station, the trespassing duo revealed that their names were Ajesh Kumar Omprakash Gila and Gurusevak Singh Tej Singh Sikh respectively. As for their occupation, Ajesh Kumar Omprakash Gila is a furniture trader and Gurusevak Singh Tej Singh Sikh is a carpenter from Punjab.

Back in April, when he received the threat, Salman said on Aap Ki Adalat, I am going everywhere with full security. I know whatever is going to happen will happen no matter what you do. I believe that (refers to God) that he is there. It is not that I will start roaming freely, it is not like that. Now there are so many Sheras around me, so many guns are going around with me that I am myself scared these days.

On the work front, he was last seen in Tiger 3 co starring Katrina Kaif.
Siddharth Jadhav is one of the popular actors of Marathi film industry. He has also played prominent roles in the Golmaal franchise, helmed by director Rohit Shetty. Apart from movies, Siddharth Jadhav also has a background in theatre. The actor recently paid a visit to a theatre event, Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad, which is currently being held in Pune. There are many cultural programmes that are being held there. Siddharth Jadhavs outfit at the event has now gone viral. He is seen wearing a custom designed kurta for the event. In the latest viral photos, Siddharth is seen wearing a kurta with the imprint of all the famous Marathi plays. He is seen flexing his unique outfit for the occasion. On the left side of the Kurta, the names of the famous Marathi plays such as Natsamrat, Vastraharan, Moruchi Mavishi and All The Best are visible.

Siddharth Jadhav is also seen wearing sunglasses in the pictures. He thanked designer Sailey for making this Kurta for him. He further said that he loves theatre and called himself as the servant of this art form.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Siddharth jadhav (@siddharth23oct)

Fans loved Siddharth Jadhavs outfit. They flooded the comments section of the post with the heart and fire emojis. The Asur 2 fame actor Amey Wagh called the photos lovely in the comment section of the post. After watching the post, Siddharth Jadhavs fans also shared their favourite Marathi plays in the comments. Tumcha mulga karto kay my first and most favourite natak I have watched, said one of the users.

On the first day of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad, many folk artists like Vasudev, Pingala, Potraj, Gandhari and Dashavatar graced the show with their performances. Many theatre artists from the Chinchwad area showcased their abilities. Many serial actors were also seen attending the event apart from Siddharth Jadhav.
Rajasthan minister of state Surendra Pal Singh lost the election to the Karanpur assembly seat by a margin of 11,283 votes to his Congress rival on Monday, an embarrassing defeat for the BJP days after it formed government in the state.

The BJP nominee was inducted into the Bhajanlal Sharma ministry on December 30, ahead of the polling on January 5. The minister of state (Independent charge) was later allocated Agriculture Marketing Board, Indira Gandhi Canal Department and Minority Affairs Department.

Under the rules, he had to get elected as an MLA within six months of his appointment as a minister.

According to the chief electoral office, Congress candidate Rupinder Singh Koonar bagged 94,950 votes as against Singhs 83,667. There were 18 rounds of counting.

Following his defeat, Singh resigned from his post.

Chief Minister Sharma forwarded the resignation letter of Minister of State (Independent charge) Surendra Pal Singh and it has been accepted by the Governor with immediate effect, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said.

This is the second time Singh has faced defeat in Karanpur constituency. He was defeated by Koonars father Gurmeet Singh in the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections.

The election for the Karanpur assembly seat was postponed in the last year election due to the death of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh. The Congress then fielded his son from the seat.

I am thankful to the people of Karanpur who voted for me even central ministers had come for campaigning (but) people rejected them and made democracy win, Koonar told reporters after his win.

Congress leaders congratulated Koonar even before the final results came in.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the people of Karanpur have defeated the pride of the BJP.

Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Congress candidate Shri Rupinder Singh Koonar for his victory in Srikaranpur. This victory is dedicated to the public service works done by the late Gurmeet Singh Koonar, he said.

In a post on X, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said, The public has taught a lesson to the BJP, which flouted the code of conduct and morality by making its candidate a minister during the elections.

When the constitutional institutions of the country forget their responsibilities, then justice is done in the public court. This mandate is a slap on the BJPs dictatorship and undemocratic policy, he said.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, The people of Karanpur have broken the arrogance of BJP. Congress candidate Shri Rupinder Singh Koonar has won from there.

The arrogant leaders of BJP will have to understand that even if they make someone a minister, it is the people who make them peoples representatives, Ramesh said.

Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also thanked voters of Karanpur for choosing the Congress.

I am happy that the self-respecting people of Karanpur have expressed faith in the customs and ideology of the Congress and have chosen progress, prosperity and their secure future, he said on X.

With Koonars victory, the number of Congress MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly has increased to 70.

The BJP had won 115 of the 199 seats that went to polls on November 25. Bhajanlal Sharma, a first-time MLA, was sworn in as the chief minister on December 15.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that central probe agencies were scripting dramas to conduct raids at houses of TMC leaders as the BJP is scared of her party.

Her statement came four days after a mob assaulted Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid at TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikhs residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district last week in connection with the ration distribution scam.

The TMC had charged the ED officials with inciting locals leading to the situation.

Actually, they (BJP) are scared of the TMC. That is the reason in the name of conducting raids, they (central agencies) are scripting dramas and arresting TMC leaders. They are thinking that by arresting TMC leaders, they will be able to vacate the area and the BJP will have an open ground to play, Banerjee said at a programme at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district.

But winning elections will not be that easy, she said adding: We will not give an inch of land without fights. Without taking any name, the TMC chief cautioned people that keeping gold at home has become risky as mice and bats are moving around to take them away.

They will loot your money which you have earned and saved, she said.

Banerjee said Saradha Group director Sudipto Sen, the main accused in the chit fund scam, was arrested in Kashmir and her government distributed Rs 200 crore to the poor who had invested there.

She said, You have arrested several people in the name of chit funds. You can do that. We also do not support chit funds (scams). But have you given money to the common people? Alleging that the CPI(M) started chit fund scams, the TMC boss said not a single leader of the Left party was arrested. Now, you keep on blaming the TMC for everything  for cattle (scam), coal (scam) and others Even if there is a blot on a piece of cloth, you blame the TMC, she said.

Referring to the Bogtui village massacre of 2022, in which 10 people were killed in Birbhum district, Banerjee said that her government has provided jobs and compensation to the family members of those who lost their lives.

Banerjee also hit out at the Centre for not releasing the funds due to West Bengal for MGNREGA and other schemes and instead directing the state government to paint everything in saffron.

Saffron is the colour of the sadhus. We respect them. But tell me why will we use the BJP colour? Even if they are giving us a Re 1 project, they are asking us to use the BJPs logo to that. I am ready to use the logo of the Government of India or the West Bengal government but not that of a BJP, she said.

The TMC boss said that her party was not scared of the BJP and would never surrender to them.

Describing the CPI(M) as a terrorist party, Banerjee said she would never compromise with them.

We will continue our fight and never surrender to the BJP. And will also not compromise with the terrorist CPI(M) party which has played with severed heads of people for 34 years. Keep this in your mind, she said.
Former Karnataka deputy chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa is a man who takes pride in his deep-rooted Hindutva ideology, is unabashedly anti-Muslim, and enjoys stoking controversies.

The leader made yet another controversial statement in the midst of hectic preparations for the Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony at Ram Temple in UPs Ayodhya on January 22.

The former minister asked Muslims to vacate all mosques that he claims have been built after desecrating temples, or face dire consequences. He had earlier claimed that churches and mosques were built in Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath after demolishing temples.

There are two more places, including Mathura, that are under consideration. The matter is in court, and when the verdict is delivered  whether it is today or tomorrow  we will construct temples wherever mosques have been built. My suggestion is that it would be advantageous for you (Muslims) to vacate voluntarily; otherwise, there may be repercussions, he said.

How many may get killed, we dont know; we cant predict what could happen. We dont know, Eshwarappa added while speaking at a Hindu workers convention in Belagavi.

This is not the first time Eshwarappa has made such provocative comments. Last year in May, the senior BJP leader claimed that 36,000 temples were destroyed across the country to build masjids. He said the Mughals had destroyed temples and built mosques over them.

Let them build mosques elsewhere and offer namaz, but we will not tolerate them doing so in mosques built over our temples. I am telling you now, all the 36,000 temples will be reclaimed by Hindus using legal means  not one masjid will be standing, he had said. This statement had come up when a Hindu temple-like structure was found underneath an old mosque in Malali on the outskirts of Mangaluru.

Eshwarappa is among the Karnataka BJPs triumvirate, alongside BS Yediyurappa and the late former Union minister Ananth Kumar, who built the party from the grassroots level and opened its first-ever account in southern India.

Hailing from the Kuruba community, the same as Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Eshwarappa has been the state BJP chief since as far back as 1993 when the saffron party had just four MLAs in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The following year, the BJP saw a massive jump in support and won 40 seats. Eshwarappa was credited for that win.

He has served as a minister in every BJP government in Karnataka and was made the Deputy Chief Minister during Jagdish Shettars regime in 2008.

Feeling sidelined by the party, an upset Eshwarappa had floated his own apolitical party, called the Sangliana Rajanna Brigade in 2017. It was only after Amit Shahs intervention that he pulled back and dissolved the forum.

With a political career spanning over four decades, Eshwarappa was among the senior BJP MLAs who were asked not to contest in the May 2023 Assembly elections by the BJP high command. Aged 75, Eshwarappa had to fall in line and step aside as he had reached the unofficial age bar in the BJP for leaders to contest polls or hold offices in the party.

In April 2022, Eshwarappa resigned as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister following the suicide of civil works contractor Santosh Patil, who had accused him of demanding 40% commission for road works in Belagavi. Despite being cleared by a police probe, Eshwarappa couldnt convince the party high command to reinstate him, or even give him an election ticket.

Then in the Opposition, the Congress quickly made Eshwarappa a poster boy of corruption and launched a campaign against the BJP, alleging its government demanded a 40% commission, and people were killing themselves due to the corrupt demands. The Congress built the Pay CM campaign on this issue, successfully coming to power in Karnataka.

In the 2023 Karnataka elections, Eshwarappa again created controversy by stopping his speech when interrupted by the azaan from a nearby mosque. He criticised the high decibel used and questioned if Allah was deaf.

In another election speech in the run-up to the Karnataka polls, he expressed that the BJP didnt want any Muslim votes in elections, labelling the Congresss manifesto as one that aimed to appease the Muslim community.

Eshwarappa, who declared his commitment to making India a Hindu nation, warned Muslims to cooperate with Hindu festivals if they are to live in Hindustan.

You (Muslims) are in Hindustan, and if you come between the Hindu festival of Ganesh, then you will all face problems. I am giving a warning. Why should I make an appeal? It is their duty to cooperate, Eshwarappa had said.

He had led the funeral procession of Bajrang Dal worker Harsha, who was allegedly hacked to death by a local Muslim gang in February 2022. Despite police warnings, he took out the procession, resulting in a violent clash between communities in the communally sensitive district of Shivamogga.

In May, he also made a remark about the Tricolour being replaced by the saffron flag, drawing strong criticism from the Congress.

In September 2019, Eshwarappa controversially claimed that only patriotic Muslims voted for the BJP in the 2018 Assembly polls, labelling others who did not vote for the BJP as pro-Pakistan and anti-national. He also said that the BJP did not give tickets for Muslims as the latter did not trust the party.

Having been elected from Shimoga as an MLA or an MLC since the 1990s, Eshwarappa claimed that in his constituency, which has around 8-10,000 Kuruba (his community) votes and over 50,000 Muslim voters, he has not once gone to a single Muslim seeking their vote.

Despite that, I have won elections, he said.
The Congress is excited about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra beginning on January 14 from Manipur to Mumbai. The party hopes it rejuvenates its cadre which has been demoralised by three recent losses in state elections. But this excitement is not shared by its allies in the INDIA front. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has been the first to air a view that has many takers in the alliance. He said, Before the start of the Congress partys Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, seat-sharing of the INDIA bloc must be done in UP.

This is exactly the point raised by many others like Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Trinamool Congress (TMC). Significantly, the yatra crosses through many states where seat-sharing talks are to take place, like Bihar, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The way the places have been marked plus the fact that the Congress has announced coordinators for all the Lok Sabha seats has raised doubts in the mind of one of its alliance partners. They feel that the Congress has a plan, which it is not sharing.

But the Congress is in a hurry. It wants to stitch up most of the seat-sharing talks before the 14th as after that most of its top leaders will be busy with the yatra, which is clearly Rahul Gandhi-centric. The urgency is evident as Congresss national alliance committee headed by Mukul Wasnik has been fixing meetings with INDIA partners like JD(U) and Aam Aadmi Party. Not that these talks have yielded much, but the reason is clearly that, for the Congress, the yatra is the priority. This has irked some of the allies as they feel that the yatra should also have been an alliance jodo effort. Or that it would have been good optics if the alliance partners had been part of this yatra officially and it was not just a Congress programme.

Jairam Ramesh has, however, clarified that wherever the yatra crosses through a state where allies are present, the invitation has been given to them to join. This is what happened during the first phase of the yatra when the NCP, for example, had joined.

The other annoyance for the allies is that they want seat-sharing talks to begin and be finalised when the auspicious period begins as per the Hindu calendar on January 14. Akhilesh Yadav has said this openly.

But with the Congress going ahead with the talks, the allies see this as yet another example of the Congress trying to be the big brother.
The content we consume strongly influences our thoughts and moods. This is actively used by Russian propaganda to promote its narratives, in particular through Google search and the YouTube video service. That is why media literacy experts advise not only to avoid such content but also to block it.

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How to do it? OBOZ.UA has put together a step-by-step guide. By following these steps, you will at least severely limit the access of Russian content to your feed. It is also very desirable to secure children's accounts and gadgets in this way.

Change the language of your Google account

You've probably noticed that even after a query in Ukrainian or English, the search engine may return results in Russian. This may be due to language settings.

Sign in to any Google service, such as Gmail, or use the Chrome browser if you are logged in to your account with it.

In the upper right corner of the screen, click on your account icon and select "Manage your Google account".

In the "Personal information" section, scroll down to "Preferred languages".

Select Ukrainian as your primary language: this will let the service know that it is popular and in demand, and then use the "Other languages" option. If you see Russian in your list, delete it by clicking the trash can icon.

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Over time, the amount of Russian content in your search results will decrease to almost zero.

It may take some extra effort on your part as well. Try not to click on Russian-language search results even if they appear in the first line. Over time, the system will realize that you are not interested in such results.

Also, use the "-ru" command in the search bar. If you add it to your query, Google will automatically filter out all results from the .ru domain zone.

Customize your browser

Search engines and large content platforms also respond to the language settings in the browser you use. That's why it's important to change it to Ukrainian.

This option can be found in the program's settings menu. Select "Ukrainian" and the browser will switch to it in all its management options and services.

After that, clear your search history and browser cache. The program will soon adjust to your preferences.

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"Train" YouTube

You can't customize the video service in the same way as Google, but YouTube can monitor your behavior and eventually adapt to it. Therefore, it is up to you to determine how often Russian content will be included in your recommendations. You can take the steps listed below.

Don't watch Russian videos. You will have to deliberately limit yourself to this for some time. Fortunately, the platform will quickly realize that you are not interested in such videos and will stop pushing them.

Instead, try to watch as much Ukrainian content as possible. For example, ask your friends to recommend interesting channels.

Remove all Russian channels from your subscriptions. Instead, subscribe to Ukrainian channels.

When you see Russian content in the recommendations, hover your mouse over the preview of the video and click the three dots to the right below it. This will open the control menu. Select the "Not interested" option, or even better, "Don't recommend videos from this channel." The platform will remember your choice.

And don't forget to interact with high-quality Ukrainian content: like and comment channels. This way, YouTube will understand that you are interested in what you have watched and will promote this video to other users.

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Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you what Ukrainians searched on Google in 2023 most often.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA on Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
PM Modis visit to Lakshadweep has made the island state a viral sensation on social media this week, which has been further strengthened after the latest row with Maldives. Lakshadweeps search results on Google have touched 20-year high, not only for India but globally as well, which shows its current popularity among people and travelers.

PM Modis visit to Lakshadweep caused a significant surge in online searches about the islands. This worldwide search interest is currently at its highest in the last 20 years, indicating a renewed fascination with its natural beauty and cultural richness, as mentioned by MyGov on social media this week.

PM @narendramodi's visit to Lakshadweep caused a significant surge in online searches about the islands. This worldwide search interest is currently at its highest in the last 20 years, indicating a renewed fascination with its natural beauty and cultural richness#Lakshadweep pic.twitter.com/z1Cqx5HzOL MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) January 8, 2024

Thats not all, even the online travel platforms have seen demand for tickets to Lakshadweep increase multifold in the last 48 hours, which suggests more people are now willing to consider going to the island state than go all the way to Maldives and spend their money in another country. Some travel sites have even decided to stop taking bookings for Maldives as the diplomatic tensions between India and the country reached new heights recently.

PM Modis visit to Lakshadweep has piqued peoples interest and suddenly they realise they have a Maldives-like option available within their shores, so understandably they want to explore the uncharted shores by travelling, and maybe even spending money to help the people earn their living.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has openly criticised The New York Times and called its lawsuit against it without merit, stating that the publication is not telling the full story.

In the blog post titled OpenAI and Journalism, OpenAI has come forward and explained why it disagrees with the claims in The New York Times lawsuit and how it is working with news organisations to create new opportunities for mutual benefit.

For those uninitiated, The New York Times sued OpenAI and its backer Microsoft for alleged copyright infringement by using its reporting to train GPT, its Large Language Model (LLM) behind ChatGPT, and therefore, directly competing with Times content. Furthermore, the lawsuit also emphasises that this move can threaten high-quality journalism by not allowing news companies to protect themselves and lose out on monetisation.

OpenAI Says The New York Times Manipulated Text Prompts, But It Still Wants To Work With It

In the post, OpenAI notes that the regurgitations that The New York Times reported appear to be from years-old articles that have already made their way to third-party websites. It seems they intentionally manipulated prompts, often including lengthy excerpts of articles, in order to get our model to regurgitate, OpenAI said.

It added: Even when using such prompts, our models dont typically behave the way The New York Times insinuates, which suggests they either instructed the model to regurgitate or cherry-picked their examples from many attempts.

Despite this, OpenAI says that this isnt a permissible user activity, not typical, and not a substitute for The New York Times. The company hopes that a constructive partnership is established between it and the Times, especially considering the rich history of the publication.

OpenAI Says ChatGPT Is Helping Journalists With Time-Consuming Tasks

The company notes that it aims to support a healthy news ecosystem and create mutually beneficial relationships. It says the companys tools, such as ChatGPT, are already helping reporters and editors by assisting them in analyzing public records and translating stories. Moreover, it also displays real-time content with attribution in ChatGPT, which facilitates new ways for news publishers to connect with readers.

Notably, the AI giant has already partnered with organizations including Associated Press, Axel Springer, American Journalism Project, and NYU.
A group of doctors in Algeria, a country in North Africa, recently made a shocking discovery. A 35-year-old stone baby foetus was found in the womb of a 73-year-old woman. The woman had complained of stomach pain. X-ray scans of this elderly womans stomach revealed shocking pictures of the stone foetus. According to the report published on the Al Arabiya website, this incident occurred in 2016. The foetus was found to have aged around seven months and weighed 4.5 lbs. Experts opined the Algerian woman had carried the stone baby for 35 years without even realising it. The woman, however, is said to have lived a normal life. This woman suffered from a rare condition called Lithopedion. According to the National Library of Medicine, this term is made from the Greek words lithos (stone) and paedion (child). It is used to describe an abdominal ectopic pregnancy in which the foetus dies but cannot be reabsorbed by the mothers body. The dead foetus is retained in the abdominal cavity, forming a calcium shell around it.

As per the report published in Al Arabiya, the woman had previously undergone medical treatment. Her unborn baby, however, went undiscovered until 2016. Dr Kim Garcsi talked to ABC News in an earlier interview regarding it. He works in the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, USA. He said that the calcification of the tissue protects the mother from infection but this also means the foetus can remain undetected for decades. According to Dr Kim, Most of the time people find these and [sometimes] even after theyre found and dont do anything about it because theyre totally asymptomatic.

As of now, only 290 cases of lithopedion have been documented in the world, according to a 1996 paper. This paper has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. The earliest recorded incident of this case was in 1582 at the autopsy of a 68-year-old woman in the French city of Sens. This incident was described in a thesis by the physician Jean dAilleboust. The woman had carried her lithopaedion for 28 years.
In an emotional revelation on CNN News Central, veteran anchor Sara Sidner disclosed that she is currently battling stage 3 breast cancer. The 51-year-old journalist shared the shocking news with viewers, urging them to prioritise regular screenings and self-examinations.

Sidner urged her viewers to pause and think of eight women whom you love and know in your life. She emphasised the alarming statistic that one in every eight women will experience or has experienced breast cancer at some juncture. Despite her seemingly low-risk factors, the 51-year-old anchor shared, I am that one in eight in my friend group. I have never been sick a day in my life. I dont smoke, I rarely drink, breast cancer does not run in my family, and yet here I am with stage 3 breast cancer.

Please for the love of God get your mammograms and do your self exams. I want you to thrive my sisters. pic.twitter.com/jIuW8WwSb2 Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) January 8, 2024

During the heartfelt on-air moment, Sidner brought attention to an even more alarming reality: Black women are 40% more likely to succumb to breast cancer than their White counterparts.

So to all my sisters, Black and White and Brown out there, please, for the love of God, get your mammograms every single year. Do your self-exams, try to catch it before I do, she continued.

The journalist expressed gratitude for her breast cancer diagnosis, stating that she has thanked cancer for choosing her. This experience has reshaped her outlook on life. Regardless of the challenges faced, she acknowledges that she remains deeply enamoured with life.

Sidner highlighted the significance of each day, emphasising that with every breath, theres cause for celebration as she remains in the company of her co-anchors and family. She conveyed that the ability to experience love, laughter, and tears is, in her view, fulfilling and substantial.

In an interview with People Magazine, Sidner revealed that her journey with breast cancer began with a routine mammogram during her coverage in Israel. Upon her return to the United States, a biopsy confirmed her worst fears  the lump she had noticed months earlier was cancerous and at an advanced stage. The news initially left her in silence, processing the gravity of the situation privately.

However, she soon found the strength to face the challenges ahead. I just made a decision. Im like, No, youre going to live and youre going to stop this and youre going to do every single thing in your arsenal to survive this. she told People Magazine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Lakshadweep has undeniably sparked a surge in searches for the location. Consisting of 36 islands, this smallest Union Territory of India has experienced an unprecedented increase in popularity. Data from MyGovIndia reveals that the global search interest in the islands has now reached its highest point in the last two decades. The official X (formerly Twitter) page of MyGovIndia shared a graphical representation illustrating the increased search interest in the Lakshadweep Islands. PM Narendra Modis visit to Lakshadweep caused a significant surge in online searches about the islands. This worldwide search interest is currently at its highest in the last 20 years, indicating a renewed fascination with its natural beauty and cultural richness, MyGovIndia mentioned.

PM @narendramodi's visit to Lakshadweep caused a significant surge in online searches about the islands. This worldwide search interest is currently at its highest in the last 20 years, indicating a renewed fascination with its natural beauty and cultural richness#Lakshadweep pic.twitter.com/z1Cqx5HzOL MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) January 8, 2024

While the official data indicates a global surge in searches for the Lakshadweep Islands, there is also a reported increase in interest from travel platforms and tour operators.

Online travel aggregator MakeMyTrip, for instance, has reported an astonishing 3400% increase in on-platform searches specifically for Lakshadweep. This surge in interest suggests a heightened curiosity and desire among travellers to explore this picturesque destination.

In a post shared on January 8, the travel platform said, We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since the Honorable PMs visit.

They further mentioned, This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a Beaches of India campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers to explore the countrys stunning beaches.

NewsFlash: We have observed a 3400% increase in on-platform searches for Lakshadweep ever since Honorable PMs visit.This interest in Indian beaches has inspired us to launch a Beaches of India campaign on the platform with offers and discounts to encourage Indian travellers pic.twitter.com/4CYb1iApZG  MakeMyTrip (@makemytrip) January 8, 2024

On his visit to Lakshadweep, PM Modi attempted snorkelling and called it an exhilarating experience. He shared pictures of his attempt at the activity and recommended adventure enthusiasts to consider adding Lakshadweep to their bucket list.

For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my stay, I also tried snorkelling  what an exhilarating experience it was! he wrote on X along with the pictures of him wearing a snorkel mask and a life vest.

For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.During my stay, I also tried snorkelling  what an exhilarating experience it was! pic.twitter.com/rikUTGlFN7  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

During his 2-day visit to the archipelago, PM Modi also inaugurated the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection. He also went on to lay the foundation stone for the renovation of the primary healthcare facility in the area.
The prominent airline  IndiGo has increased charges for front-row seats with extra legroom to Rs 2,000. The updated rates, applicable to an A321 aircraft with 222 seats, have been posted on the airlines website. Opting for a window or aisle seat in the front row will now incur a Rs 2,000 charge, while an aisle seat in the same row will cost Rs 1,500. The second and third rows have a flat rate of Rs 400 for all seat types. Passengers who prefer not to purchase a preferred seat can choose any available free seat or be assigned one at no cost during airport check-in, as per the information on IndiGos website.

These charges are consistent for A321 planes with 222 seats and A320 aircraft with 180 seats, as indicated on the airlines website.

The news did not sit well with online users, and many expressed their dissatisfaction with the airlines decision.

Here are some of the reactions:

Some users took a humorous approach to express their discontent, suggesting, Please start charging passengers for breathing on your aircraft also. Add a POS machine on your washroom door so that passengers can tap their credit card for usage. Im afraid we will soon see a tip box on the emergency exit door that can only be accessed after tipping.

After eliminating fuel charges, IndiGo has now raised seat-selection fees, escalating its ancillary charges for seat allocation.XL seats will now be priced up to Rs 2000. Previously ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 1500, the prices have been adjusted to Rs 150 to Rs 2000, pic.twitter.com/igxTCD7W1s  JetArena (@ArenaJet) January 8, 2024

Another humorously speculated, After some time, those few seats which are so-called free will be without a cushion!!!

After eliminating fuel charges, IndiGo has now raised seat-selection fees, escalating its ancillary charges for seat allocation.XL seats will now be priced up to Rs 2000. Previously ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 1500, the prices have been adjusted to Rs 150 to Rs 2000, pic.twitter.com/igxTCD7W1s  JetArena (@ArenaJet) January 8, 2024

Continuing the criticism, a user predicted the airlines next potential charges, stating, Next charges would be for using the loo. Using the reading light. Using napkins. Using cushion seats. Breathing. Blah blah.

Next charges would be for using the loo. Using the reading light. Using napkins. Using cushion seats. Breathing. Bhal blah..   (@ideasingh) January 9, 2024

Some users suggested a redefinition of the term Budget Operator in light of the airlines decisions.

They should redefine the word Budget Operator.  South2South (@phenomenon75) January 9, 2024

Expressing concern about public funding, a user pointed out the need for a cap on services, particularly when many of these companies are backed or capitalized by Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Banks, which indirectly involves taxpayers money.

There should be a cap on services when majority of these companies are also funded or capitalized by PSU Banks, which is tax payers money indirectly. Amol Patil (@amol_patil) January 9, 2024

Humorously projecting the potential consequences of continued price increases, a user joked, If this continues, we will have to take a loan to buy an Indigo ticket in the year 2040.

If this continues , we will have to take a loan to buy an Indigo ticket in the year 2040 https://t.co/1C4Y1gaa0Q Aditya Kondawar (@aditya_kondawar) January 9, 2024

Notably, IndiGo recently announced the discontinuation of fuel charges for passengers, a move that is expected to result in airfare reductions of up to Rs 1,000 on specific long routes.
In recent years, Vietnam has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations for Indians. According to data from the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, it is estimated that over 125,000 Indians traveled to Vietnam in 2022, and over 250,000 traveled between January and August in 2023. While affordability and a simplified visa regime that offers e-Visa, encourage Vietnamese tourism amongst Indians, it is ultimately the hospitality of the locals that wins over travelers. Recently, an Indian man recalled a heartwarming gesture of hospitality by a cafe owner in Vietnam. On Sunday, an X user who goes by the username Skh27 shared a photo that showed him and his friend dining with a Vietnamese family in their home, alongside videos of the train passing through Hannois famous train street.

He wrote, To me, this exemplifies true hospitality. While in Hanoi in 2022, I visited a cafe for drinks. Despite the language barrier (me not speaking Vietnamese and the owner not understanding English), we communicated through Google Translate. Surprisingly, the owner extended an invitation for dinner with his family for the two of us!

To me, this exemplifies true hospitality. While in Hanoi  in 2022, I visited a cafe for drinks. Despite the language barrier (me not speaking Vietnamese and the owner not understanding English), we communicated through Google Translate. Surprisingly, the owner extended an pic.twitter.com/Q5LPVRHrRL Sujit  (@Skh27) January 7, 2024

This post soon gathered over 22,000 views. Many people took to comments to share their pleasant experiences in Vietnam. An X user wrote, Been there, did that! Was mesmerised as how even some street hawkers were openly using smart phone apps to translate the bargaining negotiations. Another asserted, Vietnamese people are very friendly and helpful, and they dont try to scam tourists, unlike other countries.

Recently a similar post showcasing the sweet gesture of a Japanese duo on the bullet train went viral. Abdullah Ghazanfar, a choreographer and video editor living in Japan, was traveling from Tokyo to Osaka when he tried to take a photo of Mount Fuji from the trains window. A Japanese duo that was sitting near the window ducked down so that Ghazanfar could get a better picture. Somehow Ghazanfar managed to take a wholesome photo that showed them bending down to accommodate Ghazanfars photo opportunity. Soon this photo went viral.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Upworthy (@upworthy)

Ghazanfar added more context to the viral photo and wrote, Just wanna clarify that what makes it extra wholesome is that I didnt ask them to move. They saw me trying to half-heartedly take it from across the aisle and give up when I couldnt. They then did this so I could get a better view and encouraged me to try again.
Another former Maldives minister has come out in support of Narendra Modi amid disrespectful remarks against the Indian prime minister by a few members of the government of President Mohamed Muizzu. Ex-defence minister of the archipelago, Mariya Ahmed Didi, said that the derogatory comments against PM Modi demonstrate the short-sightedness of the Maldives government.

She added that India has been a reliable ally, providing assistance in various sectors, including defense, and criticized any attempt to undermine the longstanding relationship.

Didi further expressed disappointment over disparaging remarks, highlighting India as the 911 call for the Maldives, always coming to their rescue in times of need.

ALSO READ | India Has Always Helped Maldives Sail Through Crisis  Covid Vaccines to $1.3-Billion Lines of Credit

It is the short-sightedness on the part of the present administration We are a small country who are friends with all, but we cannot deny that we share borders with India. We share similar security concerns. India has always helped us. They have been helping us even in the defence sector with capacity building, providing us with equipment, and trying to make us more self-sufficient,Mariya Ahmed Didi said.

She said that Maldives and India are like-minded in their quest for democracy and respect for human rights. Its a very short-sightedness on the part of the present government to really think that we can really try to not keep the age-old relationship that we have always had with India she said.

A day ago, Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer had said that these remarks against foreign leaders are unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.

He stated that the Maldives remains committed to fostering a positive and constructive dialogue with all its partners, particularly its neighbours.

A massive uproar erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modis recent visit to Lakshadweep.

On January 2, PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an exhilarating experience of him trying his hand at snorkelling.

In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi over his visit to the Indian island cluster. Her post even featured images of PM Modi from his visit to Lakshadweep.

(With inputs from ANI)
Several Maldivian opposition leaders have demanded newly elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu and his government to resign, accusing him and his ministers of jeopardising India-Maldives relationship.

Maldivian leader Azim Ali was the latest elected lawmaker to demand the resignation of Muizzu and his ministers for insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and making racially derogatory remarks targeting Indians. He also called the opposition leaders to move a motion of no-confidence to oust the newly elected government.

Here is a list of comments made by Maldivian politicians backing India and criticising Muizzu for his comments:
Maldivian officials on Tuesday said the nation is looking forward to engaging with India to extend existing cooperation on all matters related to bilateral ties as well as on other pending matters. Maldivian officials familiar with the developments told CNN-News18 that they are awaiting the dates for the visit of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu to New Delhi. They said Muizzus visit was discussed during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the COP28 United Nations Climate Summit in UAE last year.

Indian officials familiar with the developments told CNN-News18 that the Maldivian President is welcome to India whenever he visits.

Maldives President Muizzu is currently visiting China.

Relations between the island-nation and India have entered a strained phase after Maldivian ministers insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and used racially derogatory comments to insult Indians.

The Maldivian government has suspended those ministers and distanced itself from those comments.

Muizzu departed tradition and visited Turkey, the UAE, and China after assuming presidency after the November elections. During his electoral campaign he said he will take Maldives-China cooperation to new levels if voted to power.

His mentor is Abdulla Yameen, the creator of India Out campaign and former president who was jailed for corruption, under whom he served as construction minister. Muizzu, the former mayor of Male, appeared to back the India Out campaign during his electoral campaign as well.

During his visit in China, Muizzu expressed his interest in becoming part of the Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit with whom he is expected to discuss infrastructure development projects in Maldives led by China.

He also highlighted his vision for the expansion of the central airport and commercial port in Maldives and signalled that his government would explore partnerships under the framework of BRI.

China also commented on the ongoing row between India and Maldives and said in an editorial published in a state-run newspaper that it did not ask the island nation to reject India and is aware of the historical ties between both countries.
Every corner of this land is unique and special. Wherever you look, you will find something interesting and unusual. This applies not only to man-made wonders but also to natural wonders. Today we will tell you what locations you need to visit if you are planning a trip to Japan. So, sit back and start your acquaintance with the oriental culture.

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Mount Fuji

Let's start with the sacred symbol of the state. This is not just a mountain but an inactive volcano. It is considered safe for visitors. Its last eruption was in 1707-1708.

So don't be afraid to go there. Various settlements are quietly located at its foot. The Japanese trust the heavens and are not going to move from their native land. They also believe that if you climb this peak, you can get enlightenment of the mind and purification of the soul.

It's worth climbing here at least for the local scenery. To say that they are beautiful is an understatement.

Inuyama Castle

The white marble fortress is located in the city of the same name. It is the oldest bastion in the whole country. It proudly stands on a rocky hill and its stone walls are protected by the turbulent Kiso River.

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The first mention of the outpost dates back to the 15th century. According to official information, its construction lasted 23 years. But upon completion, it was constantly being restored. And it's not about wars or revolutions. The fact is that the fortress was built in a seismically active zone, so it often collapses and needs careful maintenance.

The castle is home to one of Japan's national treasures. We are talking about the main tower, built in the style of the AzuchiMomoyama period. The structure of the building is divided into three external tiers, four internal floors and two basements. By the way, this look is considered to be more modernized, although the last time the citadel was radically changed was in 1617.

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Gion district in Kyoto

This is the famous geisha quarter, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. You should visit it at least once in your life. You can see not only traditional Japanese actresses but also touch the ancient history on the picturesque streets.

It is here that the only school where little girls are taught the art of geisha is located. From the age of seven, parents send their daughters to learn various skills. Here they learn vocals, dancing, makeup, how to wear a kimono properly, how to play the samisen, and, of course, how to talk to men.

Only here can you see this culture without changes and interpretations. So be sure to add this location to the list of places you plan to visit while traveling in Japan.

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Kyoto International Manga Museum

A real paradise for fans of Japanese comics. The exhibition hall was opened relatively recently - in 2006 - and has already managed to win the attention of many travelers. Currently, the collection contains more than 200 thousand copies. Among them are rare postwar books and magazines from the Meiji period.

The Kyoto Exhibition Hall is open every day except Wednesday. It is also closed during the New Year holidays. So if you like this kind of art, be sure to visit it, but make sure to plan your route in advance to get inside.

Tokyo TV tower

To see Tokyo in the palm of your hand, be sure to visit this location. Moreover, anyone can climb it. This is not just another tall building but a real star of the city. Most tourists are sure that the spire is somewhat reminiscent of the famous Eiffel Tower.

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Today it is the tallest landmark in the world, standing 634 meters high. It has two observation decks that can be reached by high-speed elevators. It offers incredible views and even Mount Fuji.

National Bunraku Theater

We recommend that couples with children visit Osaka. Here, puppet shows are performed to the accompaniment of a traditional Japanese musical instrument. The characters are also different from ours. The puppets are made almost as tall as an adult. Kids will definitely be surprised.

Todai-ji Temple



The most sacred place in the whole country, symbolizing the spirit and cultural beliefs of the Japanese. The first mention of the complex dates back to 728. At that time, Emperor Shomu built a tomb on this land for his one-year-old son, who died of an unknown illness. Subsequently, the monarch issued a decree to build a new church, which would be respected by the Buddha himself, whose 15-meter statue adorns this place. It is said that more than 2,600,000 subjects worked on it.

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Many tourists come to this shrine from all over the world. The building itself often appears in movies and TV series.

Japan is a beautiful country with an incredible cultural heritage. They know how to preserve traditions and keep up with the times. They create incredible technologies and hold tea ceremonies at the same time. Everything is beautiful here, and you have to feel it and see it with your own eyes.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you what food to try abroad.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Amid a spate of cancellation of reservations by Indian tourists, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu appealed to China on Tuesday to intensify efforts to send more tourists to his country. This comes following a diplomatic row that erupted over the derogatory remarks made by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muizzu, who is on a five-day state visit to China termed China as the island nations closest ally, in his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday.

China remains one of our closest allies and development partners, he said.

In his speech, Muizzu also praised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014. He further said that the projects delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history.

He also urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives. According to a readout posted on Muizzus official website, he said, China was our (Maldives) number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position.

Also, Maldivian media reported that the two countries have signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island.

Muizzus appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Muizzus government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory posts on social media. Also, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments.

According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023.

The highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 209,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 187,118 arrivals.

In 2022, India remained the top Maldives tourism market, with 240,000 arrivals.

Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 177,000 arrivals.

Before COVID, China held the top spot with over 2.80 lakh tourists but is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy.

As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID are now restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.

Regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, Muizzu told the Forum that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers.

He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries. Maldives and China signed the FTA in December 2014 during the pro-China President Abdulla Yameen administration. However, his successor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solihs administration did not implement the agreement, according to Maldives media reports.

He said the FTA is a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries. The FTAs aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA, he said.

China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to USD 451.29 million of which Chinas exports constituted USD 451.29 million against USD 60,000 of exports from Maldives.

Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum.

The projects included the relocation of the Male Commercial Port to Thilafushi, the Velana International Airport development project, the construction of 15 more airports, and the expansion of SEZ, Maldives web portal edition.mv reported.

(with PTI inputs)
A convicted leader of one of Ecuadors most powerful drug gangs has vanished from the prison where he was serving his sentence, and authorities were investigating whether he escaped like he did a decade ago from another facility.

Ecuadorian authorities reported Sunday that Adolfo Macias, alias Fito and leader of Los Choneros gang, wasnt in his cell, and by Monday they hadnt found him or explained what had happened.

Ecuadors prosecutors office tweeted Monday that it had filed charges against two prison guards as part of the investigation into the case which it is considering as a prisoners escape.

Also Monday, President Daniel Noboa announced that he decided to decree a national state of emergency, a measure that lets authorities suspend peoples rights and mobilise the military in places like the prisons.

Without directly mentioning the gang leaders disappearance, Noboa said in a message on Instagram that he wont stop until he brings back peace to all Ecuadorians, and that his government has decided to confront crime inside the prisons.

The decree will be in effect for 60 days. States of emergency were widely used by Noboas predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, as a way to confront the wave of violence that has affected the South American country.

Police general commander Cesar Zapata told the media Sunday night that Macias had disappeared from his cell, and that they were investigating.

Macias was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organised crime. He was serving a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison of the port of Guayaquil, and he was scheduled on Sunday to be transferred to a maximum security facility in the same city.

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached a new level last year with the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.

The politician had said the criminal group led by Fito threatened him, but so far authorities havent directly accused Macias or his group of being behind Villavicencios murder.

Days after Villavicencios killing, Macias was moved out of La Regional to the maximum security prison in the same large complex of detention facilities in Guayaquil, but he was returned to the same lighter security prison within less than a month without any explanation.

In February 2013, Fito fled from a maximum security facility, but he was recaptured a few weeks later.

Los Choneros and other similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over drug trafficking routes and control of territory, including from within detention facilities, where at least 400 inmates have died since 2021, according to authorities.

Experts and authorities have acknowledged that gang members practically rule from inside the prisons, and Macias is believed to have kept controlling his group from within the detention facility.

President Noboa, an heir to a fortune built on the banana trade, took over in November saying his governments main objective is to reduce violence.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday met his British counterpart Grant Shapps and held fruitful discussions on a wide range of issues related to defence cooperation, security and also on enhancing defence industrial cooperation.

Singhs visit comes after a gap of 22 years, with the last one by an Indian defence minister to the UK dating back to January 2002.

Had an excellent meeting with UK Defence Minister, Mr. Grant Shapps. We reviewed the full range of India-UK defence relations. We had fruitful discussions on a wide range of issues pertaining to defence cooperation, security and also on enhancing defence industrial cooperation, Singh said in a post on X.

Shapps stressed that the relationship between UK and India is not transactional, instead both countries are natural partners with many commonalities and shared goals, the Indian Ministry of Defence said of the meeting described as very warm with a fruitful exchange of ideas.

Singh noted with appreciation the growing strategic convergence between the two countries, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The bilateral meeting was followed by the signing of two agreements  an MoU on conduct of bilateral international cadet exchange programme, and a Letter of Arrangement between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and UKs Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) on defence collaboration in research and development.

These documents will provide impetus to the people-to-people exchanges particularly among the youth, and larger area of defence research collaboration between the two countries, the ministry noted.

Shapps greeted Singh for a ceremonial Guard of Honour welcome at Horse Guards Parade in the heart of Whitehall, the UK government headquarters, before he was invited to inspect the special parade in Hindi. The ceremonial parade by the British Armys Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards and the Band of the Irish Guards was made up of 48 rank and file members in their regimental colours.

At the request of the UK Secretary of State for Defence, The Right Honourable Grant Shapps, Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards, immaculate in their athol grey greatcoats and black bearskin caps, presented a Guard of Honour on Horse Guards Parade for Rajnath Singh, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement.

The Captain of the Guard, Captain Zacharias Faja, invited the Indian Defence Minister to inspect the Guard of Honour in Hindi, showing the ultimate respect to the esteemed visitor, the statement noted.

Framed by the Old Admiralty building on one side, No. 10 Downing Street on the other, and with a clear view of Buckingham Palace, the regiments represented on iconic parade grounds were among the most historic in the British Army and have a reputation for their dual role excellence in combat operations and ceremonial duties for almost 400 years.

India is an equal partner for the UK, and that friendship is highly valued, as todays Guard of Honour testifies, the MoD said.

India and the UK are committed to a partnership that delivers for both countries. That shared vision is for revitalised and dynamic connections between our people; re-energised trade, investment and technological collaboration that improves the lives and livelihoods of our citizens; enhanced defence and security cooperation that brings a more secure Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific and India-UK leadership in climate, clean energy and health that acts as a global force for good, it said.

The ministry said the countries are working together under the Defence Consultative Group, embarking on a new, ambitious Strategic Collaborative Partnership on research, innovation, technology and industry to develop transformational defence and security capabilities to tackle common threats and the operational challenges of the future.

Visits like this help to increase understanding about our shared military capabilities, objectives and priorities, all of which are vital for a stronger UK-India strategic partnership, it added.

Earlier, Singh began his UK tour with a visit to Mahatma Gandhis statue at Tavistock Square in central London.

Accompanied by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and members of his delegation, Singh paid floral tributes to the Father of the Nation at the memorial which dates back to the 20th century.

The iconic sculpture of Gandhi in a meditative pose is the site of annual Gandhi Jayanti and Martyrs Day commemorations by members of the Indian diaspora, some of whom had gathered in the square to interact with the minister.

Ninth January is a symbolic date from the perspective of Mahatma Gandhis return from South Africa to Mumbai in 1915, which is commemorated in the form of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in India, marking the rich contribution of the Overseas Indian community towards the development of the country, noted the Indian Ministry of Defence.

Later on Tuesday, Singh visited Ambedkar Museum in north London to pay tributes to the Dalit rights activist and architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, before offering prayers at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, known as Neasden Temple in London.

Singh, accompanied by a Ministry of Defence delegation of senior officials from DRDO, Service Headquarters, Department of Defence, and Department of Defence Production, arrived in London on Monday night on a three-day visit.

Besides a dialogue with Shapps, he is expected to call on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and hold a meeting with Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

The Raksha Mantri will also interact with defence industry leaders at a roundtable event and later meet representatives of the Indian community at a reception organised by the High Commission of India in London before heading back early on Thursday.
Taiwan issued a national emergency alert on Tuesday as China launched a satellite, days before the self-ruled island holds a crucial presidential election that has heightened security worries.

The alert came hours after election front-runner Lai Ching-te, Taiwans current vice president, accused Beijing of using all means to influence this weekends poll, which will set the course of cross-strait ties for the next four years.

Phones across Taiwan blared with a presidential alert at about 3:15 pm (0715 GMT), around the time Beijing announced the successful launch of its Einstein Probe satellite, which it says will gather astronomical data.

China launched (a) satellite which flew over the southern airspace, said Taiwans alert in Chinese, urging the public to stay safe.

The English part of the message described it as an air raid alert warning of a missile flyover Taiwan airspace, but officials said this was a mistranslation.

The defence ministry later apologised for the mistake, saying the default message in English had not been updated.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was giving a news conference about the elections when the alert message buzzed on mobile phones, interrupting his address.

He explained that the alert was issued because of possible falling debris.

When a rocket is openly flying in our sky, some of their tubes or debris will fall in this region, Wu told reporters.

He said the launch was part of a pattern of grey zone activities by Beijing aimed at intimidating Taiwan.

With this kind of threat against Taiwan, I think we should be clear-eyed, we should not be provoked, Wu said.

 No illusions 

Earlier Lai warned voters to have no illusions about China maintaining peace, but said that he would keep the door open for exchanges with Beijing if he takes power.

Saturdays election will be closely watched from Beijing to Washington as voters choose a new leader to steer the island in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, rejecting the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) governments stance that the island is already independent.

Beijing has maintained a near-daily military presence around Taiwan  with four Chinese balloons moving across the sensitive median line on Monday, the latest in a series of incursions that Taiwan and conflict experts say is a form of grey zone harassment.

Lai said that while China interferes in every election in Taiwan, the latest efforts are the most serious.

In addition to political and military intimidation, (it is using) economic means, cognitive warfare, disinformation, threats and incentives, he told reporters.

It has resorted to all means to interfere with this election.

 Hong Kong warning 

President Tsai Ing-wen, who is leaving office after reaching the two-term limit, won a landslide in the last election in 2020.

She was carried to victory by the Taiwan publics fears of becoming like Hong Kong, which had seen Beijing crack down on dissent by implementing a national security law after city-wide protests for greater freedoms.

Under her administration, Beijing has refused all high-level communications with Tsai and ramped up political and military pressures against Taiwan.

Lai said Tuesday that as long as there is parity and dignity, Taiwans door will always be open for exchanges and cooperation with China under his leadership.

But we cannot have illusions about peace. Accepting Chinas one-China principle is not true peace, he said, referring to a Beijing doctrine that Taiwan is a part of China.

Peace without sovereignty is just like Hong Kong. It is a false peace.

Touting deterrence as a main defence policy, Lai said the DPPs pursuit of peace relies on strength, not on the goodwill of the aggressor.

The goodwill of invaders cannot be relied on  if you look at Tibet and Xinjiang in the past, or Hong Kong today, these are all good examples, Lai said.

His opponents on Saturday include Hou Yu-ih, a former police chief and mayor with the Kuomintang (KMT), a party which has long encouraged closer cooperation with China.

Hou has said that Lai  who has previously dubbed himself a pragmatic worker for Taiwans independence  represents a danger to cross-strait relations.
Pakistan on Tuesday rejected the US secretary of state Antony Blinkens designation of the nation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act even though minority communities in the country allege they face threats to their freedom of worship and other religious rights.

I have designated Burma, the Peoples Republic of China, Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom, US secretary of state Antony Blinken said last week in a press release.

Pakistan in its response said the nation is a pluralistic country, with a rich tradition of interfaith harmony. While categorically rejecting the tag, Pakistan said it implemented wide-ranging measures to promote religious freedom and protect minority rights.

The Pakistan foreign office said the tag was discriminatory, unilateral and subjective and such steps undermine that shared goal of Islamabad and Washington to advance religious freedom globally.

Pakistan strongly believes that the contemporary challenge of religious intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia can be best countered through constructive engagement and collective efforts based on mutual understanding and respect. With a similar spirit, Pakistan has bilaterally engaged the US. Pakistans concern about the designation is being conveyed to the US side, the Pakistan foreign office said in its statement.

Pakistan has been criticised globally for not checking the usage of its archaic blasphemy laws which miscreants use for targeting religious minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Ahmaddiya Muslims and people belonging to other minority faiths.

Accusations of blasphemy were used by irate mobs to burn down a church and a Christian neighbourhood in Pakistans Faisalabad in August 2023. In 2021, irate mobs attacked a century-old temple in northwestern Pakistan after accusing a man of blasphemy. The lynching of Sri Lankan businessman Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot also led to global criticism of Pakistans blasphemy laws.

Forced conversions, kidnappings and forced marriages are also rampant in Pakistan with the government failing to take adequate action to stop these activities.

The US secretary of state also designated China as a nation of particular concern with respect to religious rights. Though it steered clear of citing any particular reason, China has been criticised for its treatment of the Uyghur population.
Mars is known to be the only planet in the solar system that is entirely inhabited by robots. And in the near future, the MAGGIE solar-powered airplane may join the iron "settlers" of the red planet.

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According to NASA, the concept of such an aircraft was selected as part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. The purpose of this program is to promote the development of innovative ideas proposed by representatives of the scientific community.

NIAC has been operating since 1998 and allows NASA-selected projects to receive funding to conduct early-stage technological research that could lead to future applications.

Recently, NASA announced 13 concepts that will receive a total of up to $175 thousand in grants. This money will be spent to help the developers of the ideas prove the feasibility of their concepts and present the prospects for technology development.

One of the most interesting conceptual vehicles that has received approval from NASA is a Mars aerial vehicle called the Mars Aerial and Ground Global Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE). The idea was proposed by Gecheng Zha, professor of aerodynamics at the University of Miami and president of Coflow Jet LLC. It will be a compact fixed-wing solar-powered aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).

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"The bold missions that NASA undertakes for the benefit of humanity begin with an idea, and NIAC is responsible for inspiring many of those ideas. The Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars and the instruments on the MarCO deep space satellites can trace their lineage back to NIAC, proving that there is a path from a creative idea to mission success," said NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Free.

The MAGGIE Martian aircraft will be capable of traveling at Mach 0.25 (approximately 300 km/h) with a cruise lift coefficient of 3.5 (higher than conventional subsonic aircraft in the rarefied atmosphere of Mars).

A full battery charge will last for 7.6 Martian days (a Martian day or Sol is almost 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth). The flight range at an altitude of 1 km above the surface of Mars will be 179 km.

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In general, according to preliminary calculations, MAGGIE will be able to cover a little more than 16 thousand km in a Martian year, which lasts 668 sols.

Zha said that the aircraft will have an advantage over other Mars exploration robots because it can reach any part of the planet.

"It has a global range. It can go anywhere on Mars. All previous rovers can only explore a certain point on Mars. Their ranges are very limited. MAGGIE can explore not only the surface of the planet but also the atmosphere as it flies," Zha said.

The professor also believes that the VTOL system, if it proves to be successful in the Martian aircraft, can give impetus to the development of similar technology on Earth, where it will be used for flying electric vehicles for the public.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you about the six main space missions of 2024.

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The Pentagon has said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin does not plan to offer the president his resignation, and several Biden administration officials said he wouldn't accept it anyway. Austin is in hot water for not telling a long list of people who might need to know that he was checking into a hospital , including President Biden. But Austin's boss doesn't intend to fire him or push him out of his job, Politico reports. "Austin's going nowhere," a senior administration official says.

Still, Biden was irked by the episode, as were White House aides. Austin issued a statement Saturday accepting responsibility for the breakdown. On Monday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the president "respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency." Kirby, too, said Austin will remain in his job. While everyone outside the Pentagon was shut out, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr., was told the day after Austin was admitted, per ABC News.

Something similar happened last month, Reuters reports. The chief Pentagon spokesperson said that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and stayed overnight for an elective procedure. In that case, Austin also transferred some of his authority to deputy defense chief Kathleen Hicks, Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said. White House officials weren't told about that stay, either. In both cases, no one has said what the medical issue was. Austin is out of intensive care but still in the hospital, the Pentagon said. (More Lloyd Austin stories.)
UPDATE

Jan 19, 2024 3:25 PM CST

Police in Florida have decided not to file rape charges against Christian Ziegler, who was removed this month as the state Republican Party's chair. Ziegler had videotaped a sexual encounter with his accuser, which police reviewed, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports. "The video showed that the encounter was likely consensual," police said in a statement Friday, adding that that left them without probable cause to charge Ziegler with sexual battery. The woman had told police that she and Ziegler had planned to have sex with his wife, Bridget Ziegler, who didn't show up. The accuser told police she didn't know she was being recorded, and the department said Friday it has asked prosecutors to consider a video voyeurism charge against Christian Ziegler.

Jan 8, 2024 5:35 PM CST

After pushing him toward the door for weeks, Florida Republicans put the matter to a vote on Monday, removing Christian Ziegler as state party chair. The resolution came behind closed doors in a meeting in Tallahassee, Politico reports. Ziegler is the subject of a police investigation after a woman accused him of raping her. The Republican Party of Florida suspended him last month, canceled his authority and salary, and demanded he resign. Instead, Ziegler has kept his head down; he did not attend Monday's meeting.
The Fulton County district attorney has been accused of hiring her romantic partner as the special prosecutor in her office's prosecution of former President Trump for alleged election interference. In what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution refers to as a "bombshell" court filing, Michael Roman (a former Trump campaign official who is charged alongside Trump and others in the Georgia case) seeks to have the charges against him dismissed on the basis that they are unconstitutional, as well as for Fani Willis, her entire office, and special prosecutor Nathan Wade to be barred from involvement in any future prosecution of the case. According to the legal experts consulted by the conservative Washington Times , "The allegations, if true, could kill the criminal case against the former president."

The filing also alleges both Willis and Wade benefited financially from the

"improper" arrangement, ABC News reports. It claims Wade used some of the almost $654,000 his law firm has so far received from the DA's office to pay for pricey vacations he then took with Willis. The filing offers no proof of the relationship other than the word of sources close to both Willis and Wade, but an attorney for Roman also says she reviewed a case file related to Wade's ongoing divorce proceedings, which was later sealed, leaving her unable to say what she learned from it. She has asked a judge to unseal it. The court filing also alleges Wade's appointment was not approved by the county's board of commissioners, and raises questions about his qualifications for leading the prosecution of Trump.

Neither Willis' office nor Wade have publicly responded; the DA's office says it will do so through its own court filings. But Trump, not surprisingly, did: The former POTUS wrote on social media, "ALL CHARGES AGAINST ME, AND OTHERS, SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY DROPPED, WITH APOLOGIES, AND MONETARY DAMAGES FOR THE ILLEGAL AND HIGHLY POLITICAL PERSECUTION OF INNOCENT PEOPLE." Also Monday, Trump's lawyers filed court papers arguing that the Georgia case should be dismissed because his actions in the state were all part of his official duties as president, and thus he has broad immunity, Politico reports. (More Fani Willis stories.)
The parents of the 17-year-old who killed a sixth-grader and wounded seven others in a shooting at his small-town Iowa high school last week said in a statement Monday that they "had no inkling he intended the horrible violence he was about to inflict." The shooter's parents said in the statement that they are cooperating with investigators as they try "to provide answers to the question of why our son committed this senseless crime," the AP reports. "As the minutes and hours have passed since the horrors our son ... inflicted on the victims, the Perry School and the community, we have been trying to make sense out of the senseless," Jack and Erin Butler said in the statement. "We are simply devastated and our grief for the deceased, his family, the wounded and their families is immeasurable."

Their son took his own life after killing one student and wounding Perry High School's principal, two other staff members, and four other students on the first day of classes after winter break, leaving some with significant injuries. The family of 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff is planning to hold his funeral Thursdayone week after the shooting happened. Investigators have said they are reviewing reams of electronic and physical evidence they've gathered and are interviewing dozens of witnesses to better understand what happened and why. An FBI spokesperson said the agency didn't receive any tips or information concerning the gunman through its National Threat Operations Center before the shooting.

The Butlers said they were grateful for the "grace we have been shown in public and private" since the shooting. There has been an outpouring of support for the family, with some residents offering support on the town Facebook group and volunteers offering to bring them meals. In an interview with the AP Friday night, the first words Ahmir's mother, Erica Jolliff, said were mourning the boy who killed her son. "We send our condolences to the family of [the gunman], they're in our prayers and we're truly sorry for his loss as well," she said.

story continues below

Even those not directly affected either knew someone with a child at the school or were close to the shooter's family. His father is director of the city's airport after serving as its public works director for years, where he won praise helping clean up Perry after a devastating wind storm in 2020. His mother has also owned a small business and served on a city development board. (The principal, who was wounded, reportedly tried to distract the shooter.)
Authorities described the scene as "creepy." In 2011, the body of a woman was found "posed in an intentionally degrading way" on a dirt road at a vineyard in Arvin, California, per SFGate . Even more horrific, the body was drained of blood, with its head and thumbs removed. "I've seen some pretty gruesome crime scenes," but "I've never seen anything like that in my life," a Kern County Sheriff's Office rep told KGET soon after the discovery. Some 13 years later, the woman has been identified as Ada Beth Kaplan, 64, of Santa Clarita, California, reigniting a search for her killer.

Initially unable to identify the woman through missing persons reports, the Kern County Medical Examiner's Office in 2020 teamed up with DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit volunteer group that uses forensic genealogy to identify unidentified deceased persons. Though the woman's DNA was linked to "known genetic profiles of several distant cousins ... genetic genealogists had to build a family tree of eight generations to begin to piece together closer blood relations," per SFGate. The woman was found to be of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and, in July, connected to two living family members on the East Coast. They gave DNA samples, confirming the dead woman as Kaplan, and noted she had never been reported missing.

SFGate found a 3-year-old Ada Beth Kaplan living in the Bronx, New York, in 1950 census records. She was living in the Canyon Country neighborhood of Santa Clarita when she was murdered, then likely transported to the Grapevine Vineyard in Arvin, about 15 miles southeast of Bakersfield, authorities say. They were unable to determine a cause of death due to the state of her remains. However, "the manner of death was homicide," the sheriff's office said in a release, per NBC News. Anyone with information on Kaplan is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 661-487-4553. (More murder stories.)
Japan has long been the world's top exporter of automobiles, but that reign is now over. China has overtaken it for the No. 1 spot, and it's no blipBeijing's lead is expected to "solidify" in 2024, reports the South China Morning Post. The Wall Street Journal assesses the numbers and sees a "tectonic shift for the global industry" at play. Coverage:

Numbers: China sold an estimated 5.26 million vehicles overseas last year, roughly 1 million more than Japan, according to newly released stats from the China Passenger Car Association, per Reuters.
Farmers blocked highway access roads and snarled traffic in parts of Germany on Monday with their tractors, launching a week of protests against a government plan to scrap tax breaks on diesel used in agriculture. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unpopular three-party coalition infuriated farmers last month by drawing up plans to abolish the diesel tax breaks, as well as a car tax exemption for farming vehicles. The proposals were part of a package to fill a $18.6-billion hole in the 2024 budget, reports the AP .

The government climbed down partially last week, saying that the car tax exemption would be retained and the cuts in the diesel tax breaks would be staggered over three years. But the German Farmers' Association said it was still insisting on the plans being reversed fully and would go ahead with a "week of action" starting Monday. In some areas, farmers used tractors to block entry roads to highways. Notably, several hundred tractors and other vehicles gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

The protests are under scrutiny after a group of farmers on Thursday prevented Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from disembarking a ferry in a small North Sea port as he returned from a personal trip to an offshore island. That incident drew condemnation from government and opposition figures and the farmers association. Authorities have warned that far-right groups and others could try to capitalize on the protests. Farmers association chief Joachim Rukwied told RBB Inforadio on Monday that "we will ensure we are not infiltrated" by such groups. Of the government's partial climbdown, Rukwied said: "This is absolutely insufficient. We can't carry this additional tax burden."

(More Germany stories.)
A man from upstate New York is Russia's latest arrestee. The Moscow Times reports that Robert Romanov Woodland, believed to be in his early 30s, has been hit with drug charges there, accused of the "illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, production, [and] processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their [analogs]," according to a Moscow court statement. Per Interfax, Woodland was busted by cops buying nearly 5 grams of an unnamed drug, and was also accused of having the stimulant mephedrone in his possession.

The court says that Woodland, who hails from Saranac Lake, New York, and holds dual US-Russian citizenship, will be held at least until March 5. According to Russian law, if found guilty of the crimes he's accused of, Woodland could see eight to 20 years behind bars, as well as an "unlimited" fine, per NBC News. Woodland granted an interview in 2020 to a Russian tabloid, noting that he'd been born in the Russian region of Perm in 1991, then adopted by a US couple when he was 2. He says he met his biological mother decades later, then returned to live in Russia.

"I've decided to stay in my home country forever," Woodland, an English teacher who appears to live in a Moscow suburb, said at the time. Analysts suspect that detaining Woodland, as well as other Americans, is Russia's way of holding leverage over the US amid Russia's war in Ukraine, per the AP. Other US nationals currently being held by Russia include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been awaiting trial on espionage charges since being detained last March, and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who's been held in Russia since 2018, also for espionage. (Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said he wants to "find a solution" on Gershkovich and Whelan.)
Updated after the hearing's conclusion. Amid the often-confusing barrage of developments in the four criminal cases of Donald Trump, Tuesday offered a pivotal one. A federal appeals court heard arguments on a fundamental Trump defense claimthat he's immune from prosecution, reports the Wall Street Journal. (The hearing is part of the federal election interference case brought against Trump by special counsel Jack Smith.) Should the three-member court side in Trump's favor, the case could "unravel," writes David Leonhardt at the New York Times. However, all three judges sounded skeptical about the immunity defense, notes Politico. It's not clear when their decision will be released, but they have pledged to move quickly.

'Critical day': Even if Trump loses, he will almost certainly go to the Supreme Court. It's part of a strategy to delay any resolution until after the 2024 election, because he could try to quash the pair of federal cases against him should he win re-election. Smith hopes to start the trial March 4, though that seems unlikely given the legal wrangling over the immunity issue. All in all, "today is a critical day for determining how Trump's trials are likely to play out this year," the Times' Alan Feuer tells Leonhardt.
On January 8, powerful explosions occurred on the railroad in the Sverdlovsk region of the Russian Federation, damaging a tanker with oil products. It then turned out that the incident was caused by an explosive device.

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Several explosives were found in the railroad warehouse. This was reported by Russian media.

After the explosion, the train with the tanks was stopped at the San-Donato station, a few hundred meters from the Gazprom Neft refinery. It is worth noting that the Russian authorities have not yet reported the exact amount of explosives involved. But, according to preliminary data, there were several devices on the train.

One explosive was captured in a photo on a tanker belonging to Gazpromtrans LLC. This legal entity with billions of rubles in authorized capital belongs to Gazprom.

In turn, Kremlin propagandists clarified that the explosion occurred near the San-Donato railway station. They also said that the explosive device was attached to a fuel tanker that had been filled at a nearby oil depot.

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Security forces in Nizhny Tagil said that as of January 9, they were still searching for three suspects who may have been involved in the tanker explosion.

On January 8, an explosion occurred on the railroad in Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast. The first reports in Russian resources about the explosion near Nizhny Tagil appeared around 14:30 Kyiv time.

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Earlier, it was reported that explosions occurred in the Russian city of Belgorod on the evening of January 8. An air raid alert went off in the town. Propagandists claimed that Ukraine had allegedly shelled the city and that air defense systems were "working."
New Hampshire's primary is just two weeks away, and a pair of polls shows that Nikki Haley is at least chipping away at Donald Trump's lead. One even has the lead down to single digits, cementing her place as the clear No. 2 in the race, reports Politico.

7 points: A poll from the University of New Hampshire and CNN has Trump up 39% to 32% over Haley in the state. Haley has gained 12 points since November, particularly among independent voters. The only other candidate to crack double digits was Chris Christie at 12%. Should Christie withdraw, Haley would likely close the gap with Trump even more, the poll suggests.
Astrobotic Technology says there's no longer any hope of its Peregrine probe landing on the moon. In an update posted on X Tuesday, the Pittsburgh-based company said that due to a fuel leak detected hours after liftoff Monday, "there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon," the Guardian reports. "However, we do still have enough propellant to continue to operate the vehicle as a spacecraft," the company said. Astrobiotic said it now plans to keep the lunar lander in space for as long as possible to gain information for its next mission around a year from now, report the AP . It said it was able to point Peregine toward the sun, allowing it to recharge its solar batteries.

The company had aimed to land Peregrine on the moon on Feb. 23 for the first US moon landing in more than 50 years and the first ever by a private company. The goal now "is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power," the company said Tuesday. "We are in a stable operating mode and are working payload and spacecraft tests and checkouts."

The spacecraft is carrying numerous scientific instruments and five tiny moon rovers. It is also carrying cremated human remains, which the Navajo Nation objected to, along with hair samples from George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy. NASA said in a post on X that it is working with Astrobotic to "identify the root cause of the propulsion issue and evaluate how it affects NASA's five science investigations aboard the spacecraft." The agency added: "Space is hard." (More moon lander stories.)
Roughly three out of four stocks in the S&P 500 ended lower, but Nvidia rallied 1.7% to another record. It's one of Wall Street's most influential stocks because of its massive size and helped to limit the S&P 500's losses, the AP reports.

Eversource Energy tumbled 7.8% for one of the worst losses in the S&P 500 after it said it could take a hit of up to $1.6 billion against its results for the end of 2023. It's negotiating the sale of its stake in several offshore wind projects, and it may need to account for a lower value for them due to several challenges. Unity Software fell 8% after it said it will cut about a quarter of its workforce, or 1,800 positions. Boeing was also falling again, but not as much as on Monday, the first trading day after one of its jets flying for Alaska Airlines suffered an in-flight blowout. Its stock was down 1.4% after tumbling 8% Monday. Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages and other parts for Boeing, swung from a loss to a gain of 0.1%

Elsewhere in the airline industry, JetBlue Airways lost 10.2% after its chief executive, Robin Hayes, said he will step down for health reasons. He will be replaced by JetBlue's current president, Joanna Geraghty, who will become the first woman to lead a major US airline. On the winning side of Wall Street, Illumina jumped 4.6% after the biotechnology company said it expects to report stronger revenue for the end of 2023 than analysts had expected. Urban Outfitters climbed 7.7% after it said total sales at its stores, including Anthropologie, during the final two months of the year strengthened by 10% from 2022 levels.

(More stock market stories.)
"What has been particularly impressive is the transparency in the robust proceedings as well as the religio-cultural empathy at a time when many families were finding out the circumstances of the death of their loved ones," Abdur Razzaq said.

"This is not only the largest and most complex inquest in New Zealand's history, but also one which has both national and international prominent media coverage.

"Navigating the religious nuances, complying with the legal processes, respecting the wishes of all the 51 families and focussing on the 10 issues of the First Phase have needed a level of understanding and patience for which we consider Judge Windley and her team should be commended."

The federation's praise came following its review of the First Phase inquest.

"Whilst there have been some logistical and related issues, such as the limited funds for overseas families of the shuhada [martyrs] to attend and the issue of naming the terrorist, the First Phase of the inquest has been most productive in finding out the specifics of what happened," Abdur Razzaq said.

"In this context, FIANZ would like to stress that the approach has not been to blame anyone, since it was plainly obvious that everyone tried their utmost on the day, but to ensure that lessons are learned for the future."
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In the occupied Crimea, the Russian invaders are making systematic efforts to prepare for defense as they take seriously the possibility of Ukrainian troops approaching the peninsula. In particular, they are creating firing points, building fortifications, and forming "terrorist defense" units.

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This was reported on the Telegram channel of the ATESH military movement of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars on January 9. "The occupiers are preparing to defend Crimea! For months, we have been recording the occupiers' systematic efforts to prepare for the defense of Crimea," the message reads.

According to the guerrillas, the enemy is setting up firing points on the occupied peninsula, building new fortifications and strengthening old ones, as well as forming a "terrorist defense" and strengthening patrols.

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"The invaders are seriously considering the possibility of the Ukrainian Defense Forces to approach the peninsula. Only 65 kilometers separate them from their goal. "ATESH and Crimeans are waiting to open the internal front. No defense structures will help the occupiers. Crimea will be liberated!" the resistance movement said.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- On January 4, powerful explosions were heard in the occupied Crimea near Sevastopol and Yevpatoriia: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the defeat of the enemy's command post, and the Southern Defense Forces said that very significant losses were inflicted on the enemy's defense system.

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- DIU said that as a result of a comprehensive special operation, prepared jointly with the Armed Forces, Russian radar positions at the seized airfield in Saky were attacked. As a result, the invaders lost their ammunition warehouses and several radar systems.

- The ISW noted that Ukrainian missiles and drones are successfully penetrating enemy air defense and that the campaign itself is aimed at reducing the occupiers' ability to use Crimea as a bridgehead and rear for defense operations in the south.

- Andrii Cherniak, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, said that the latest strikes on Crimea are only part of a broader plan to liberate the peninsula.

Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa lauded the successes and strides of Bahrains tourism sector. HM the King cited its expansion following the launch of many projects, facilities, and tourist resorts, which reflects the Kingdoms attractive environment for tourism investments.

He noted that tourism has become vital sector, and an important tributary of the national economy. His Majesty was speaking as he visited yesterday a number of vital projects in the Southern Governorate, including the Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain.

HM the King affirmed that the kingdom is making steadfast strides towards more development and progress, which will consolidate its success and advancement, as well as strengthen its competitive potential, increase its achievements and maintain its gains.

HM King Hamad praised the Kingdoms rich historical, civilisational, cultural, heritage and tourism monuments and landmarks, entitling it to be an ideal destination for visitors and tourists, which has enhanced its prestigious status and distinguished presence on the regional, Arab and international tourism map.

Warm welcome During his visit, HM the King, who was accompanied by His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HMs Personal Representative and President of the Supreme Council for Environment, was welcomed upon arrival by Marie Berengere Chapoton, the General Manager of Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Southern Governor, and several officials.

He toured the hotel, and was informed about its modern facilities, luxurious resorts and recreational areas. His Majesty was briefed about the development stages of the mega hotel and resort project, as well as the various advanced services it provides.

HM King Hamad expressed his admiration for the hotels designs and distinctive modern facilities, noting that it will boost the tourism sector in the Kingdom and contribute to its diversity and continuous progress. He wished those in charge of Raffles Al Areen Palace Bahrain continued success.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Sameer Nass, Chairman of the Union of Arab Chambers and Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has been honoured with The Arab Personalities Award for the Most Influential Figures in Corporate Social Responsibility for the year 2023.

The award was in the honorary category by the Regional Network for Corporate Social Responsibility.

This recognition comes as a testament to Nasss impactful efforts and significant contributions to promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ensuring its sustainability.

On receiving the award, Nass emphasized the crucial role of corporate social responsibility in advancing societies and fostering humanitarian, charitable, and voluntary concepts.

He underlined that social responsibility is not only a business principle but an integral part of their religion and deeply rooted in Bahraini society.

Expressing gratitude to the Regional Network for Corporate Social Responsibility, Nass commended their efforts in promoting CSR initiatives and thanked the organization for the honour bestowed upon him.

Nass took the opportunity to call on all entities, both private and civil institutions, urging them to enhance the concept of responsibility and broaden their activities.

He stressed the importance of collective efforts to achieve the well-being of people and elevate societies towards a better future.

This recognition serves as a testament to Nasss commitment to fostering positive change and making a lasting impact in the realm of corporate social responsibility.
Recently, a document, according to which the Dubnensky Machine-Building Plant JSC, which manufactured and is currently repairing and modernizing X-22/32 missiles after long-term storage, was tasked with integrating a cluster warhead into this weapon. This task was set back in 2023, but for what purpose does the Russian Defense Ministry intend to carry out such modernization and what threats does it pose to Ukraine?

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Read more about this in the material of the joint project of OBOZ.UA and the Suprotyv Information Resistance group.

What are X-22 missiles?

To begin with, we should pay attention to the X-22 missile itself, which has never been intercepted by Ukrainian air defense. This is not because these missiles are so elusive and have no alternatives, but because they have not yet flown into the range of Patriot and SAMP/T SAMs, which in theory have all the capabilities to intercept the X-22.

The shortage of "modern" and "high-precision" missile weapons forced the command of the Russian occupation forces to unpack the warehouses with Soviet X-22 missiles in 2022. Since May 2022, they have intensified the use of these missiles, which were adopted in 1968 and, even by the standards of that time, were not very good at their performance, especially in terms of accuracy and reliability of the fuel system.

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In fact, from the very first days of the resumption of the use of the X-22, the Russians became convinced that the problems of these missiles had not evaporated. Not only were they just as inaccurate and subject to high propulsion system failure rates but they also demonstrated a critical dependence of accuracy and reliability on range.

In fact, using this missile at its maximum range (600 km) increased the deviation from the target by an order of magnitude. The maximum deviation recorded for the entire period of the war was three kilometers! From May to June 2022, more than 10 X-22 missiles failed to hit their targets.

The range also affected the reliability of the X-22 fuel system. The longer the missile flew, the higher the risk of engine failure in flight. During the shelling of the Odesa region in 2022, at least two X-22s fell into the sea due to a fuel system failure.

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As a result, the Tu-22M3 long-range bomber-missile carrier from the 52nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (stationed in Shaykovka) in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation began to conduct regular and very intensive training flights and launches of the X-22 at the Dubrovichi aviation training ground in the Ryazan region since June 2022. Such actions have shown that the conditionally effective range of the X-22 does not exceed 150-200 km: the rest of the range dramatically increases the likelihood of fuel system failure and deviation from the target.

I've reminded you what the X-22 missiles are, but what if they receive a cluster warhead? What kind of threat would they pose to us then?

X-22 with a cluster warhead

Cluster warheads were very popular in the U.S.S.R., especially in missiles and rockets for MLRS, as almost all Soviet weapons were characterized by low accuracy. The use of cluster warheads made it possible to increase the possibility of hitting a target, albeit with a smaller charge.

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It is quite logical that the X-22, known for its low accuracy, could be equipped with a cluster warhead. Of course, we cannot talk about using the entire volume of its native warhead of 960 kg, but its filling, theoretically, can exceed several hundred identical submunitions, such as 9N210.

The 9N210 is the main high-explosive fragmentation warhead of the 9M55K Smerch and 9M27K Uragan MLRS. One such submunition weighs 1.85 kg with an explosive weight of 300 grams. At the same time, the 9M55K1 warhead (weighing 243 kg) contains 72 such elements, or 133 kg. That is, 110 kg of the warhead volume of a rocket projectile is occupied not by the warhead but by related structural elements and empty space.

Thus, the estimated net weight of submunitions for the X-22 warhead, using the 9N210 as an example, can be about 600 kg and contain more than 300 elements identical to the 9N210. But I should point out that all these figures depend on how ergonomically and rationally the space is used by Russian "specialists".

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And I emphasize: I do not claim that the X-22 will be filled with 9H210 or 9H235, I used them only to illustrate the possibilities of forming a cluster warhead.

Now the most important thing is to determine what targets X-22s will be used to hit and how dangerous will they be?

In the almost two years since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian-backed militants have rarely used X-22s against military targets. They have used them mainly to strike civilian objects, energy infrastructure, and warehouses.

The most famous terrorist strikes using X-22 were on June 27, 2022, against the Amstor shopping center in Kremenchuk, July 1, 2022, against a residential apartment building and recreation center in Serhiivka, and January 14, 2023, the most destructive and bloody strike was against a multi-story residential building in Dnipro, killing more than 45 people and leaving 1,700 homeless.

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It is unlikely that Russia will radically change the tactics of using these missiles, although given the number of submunitions, this weapon could well be used against a concentration of Ukrainian troops or equipment as it would allow strikes over large areas. In particular, the Russian occupation forces may try to launch these missiles at Ukrainian airfields, but such facilities, which are in constant use, are beyond the effective use of the X-22.

All of this indicates that if cluster warheads are successfully integrated into X-22 missiles, the Russian Federation will continue to use them in the rear of Ukraine, including the peaceful cities. On the one hand, the cluster warhead reduces the effect of point destruction, but on the other hand, it leads to more micro-destruction over a larger area.

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In other words, the Russians have moved from pseudo-point destructive impact to covering a larger area of destruction. This, for example, can be used by them in attempts to strike at energy infrastructure, during which there is a very high probability of missing the object with an X-22 missile, but if you add numerous explosives...

I emphasize that the use of cluster munitions in urban areas is a war crime and the risk of civilian casualties is growing. Therefore, this modernization cannot be called anything other than an improvement of the weapon of terror against the civilian population.
PRESENTED BY AMAZON WEB SERVICES IN COLLABORATION WITH UQAM'S FACULTY OF SCIENCE

MONTREAL, Jan. 9, 2024 /CNW/ -

Headlines

Header of the press release for the Women and Girls in Science event. (CNW Group/Montreal Science Centre) 4 areas of the Women and Girls in Science event (CNW Group/Montreal Science Centre)

Join us on Saturday, February 10 , for the 7th edition of Women and Girls of Science at the Montreal Science Centre!

, for the at the Montreal Science Centre! Come explore science and tech thanks to four exciting activity formats and 24 booths featuring science specialists such as L'Oreal, Ubisoft, AWS, and Les Pieds en haut.

and featuring science specialists such as L'Oreal, Ubisoft, AWS, and Les Pieds en haut. Two special talks: CNRS Research Director Audrey Dussutour will talk about blobs and microbiologist Chloe Savard (aka Tardibabe on social media) will talk about tardigrades .

will and microbiologist on social media) will . Event tickets cost the same a regular exhibition ticket plus an $8 surcharge for access to one of the talks. Learn more and buy.

cost the same a regular exhibition ticket plus an surcharge for access to one of the talks. Proceeds from the event will go to support the Montreal Science Centre Foundation.

The Montreal Science Centre's Women and Girls of Science event  What's it all about?

Organized to mark the United Nations' International Day of Women and Girls in Science, this local event is designed to encourage young girls to explore careers in science and tech. Last year's edition was a roaring success thanks to the newly established collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) which helped attract 3,600 visitors! Taking place on Saturday, February 10 at the Montreal Science Centre, this year's 7th edition will feature another incredible program ! The event is focused on women and girls, but is open to everyone, and will offer visitors four different activity formats:

Talks: Presented from the Science Centre's own IMAXTELUS theatre, the first two talks (one in English and one in French) will be led by Audrey Dussutour , Research Director at CNRS (France's national scientific research centre) and specialist in animal behaviour and expert in ants and blobs. She will talk to audiences about fascinating acellular organisms known as blobs. The third talk will be given by none other than microbiologist Chloe Savard (aka Tardibabe on social media) who will talk about tardigrades and her interesting career path that took her from music to microscopy. All three talks will be hosted by marine biology expert and comedian Vikie Pedneault (aka Biolovik on social media) who will also host a panel discussion that will feature Nicole Foster (Amazon Web Services' Global Director of AI and ML) and biologist Megane Deziel, winner of the 2023 UQAM Women in Science Fund's doctoral-level Leadership award. Both will talk about their careers and experiences as women in the world of science and tech .

Workshops: Exciting experiments designed to engage and challenge visitors will be presented by Les Neurones atomiques, Faucon-Educ and the Centre de demonstration en sciences physiques. Workshops will let visitors explore all sorts of fascinating things like how to dissect disgorged pellets, how electrical circuits work, and how to make and tune a string instrument. Hands-on science for every taste!

Discovery Space: For a full day, nearly two dozen exhibitors including the Canadian Space Agency, Ubisoft, The Neuro, the SAT, and more will welcome young visitors in the Discovery Space to explore code, virtual reality, biology and so much more and offer them unforgettable experiences to inspire them to think about becoming the scientists of tomorrow. The AWS team will help visitors build their own lava lamp and explore density and the chemical reactions it can produce, learn how to make slime and explore the different states of matter and the properties of non-Newtonian fluids, and learn to make their own harmonica and explore the science of sound and vibration.

Demos inside our exhibition halls: UQAM's Faculty of Science will be present in our exhibition halls to wow visitors with riveting scientific demonstrations.

The Science Centre's educators will host a special activity inside the Explore exhibition centred on their experience raising blogs!

will host a special activity inside the exhibition centred on their experience raising blogs! Plus! Top up your visit with the pop-up exhibition about women researchers in comics (called Chercheuses en BD, presented in French) produced by the Montreal Comic Arts Festival, the Consulate General of France in Quebec, and the FRQNT (Quebec's research fund on nature and technology).

This phenomenal day-long event will feature digital art, biology, chemistry, programming, cosmetics, aerospace science, video games something for everyone! More details.

Aligned Partners Focused on the Future

For a second year, Amazon Web Services returns as the event's title sponsor in alignment with the mission of its AWS InCommunities program to invest in innovative programs that have a lasting impact on the local communities where AWS builds and operates its data centres. UQAM's Faculty of Science is also back as collaborating partner for the 5th year in a row, reaffirming its commitment to promote gender equity in the fields of science and tech and to its frontline role in educating the scientific leaders of tomorrow.

In an effort to promote accessibility, the event's partners and the Montreal Science Centre Foundation will offer 90 event tickets to organizations working with young girls ages 10 to 17 from less privileged backgrounds to offer them a chance to take part in this exceptional day of science. What's more, all proceeds from the event will go to support the mission and work of the Science Centre Foundation. Click here to make a donation to the Foundation.

"The 7th edition of the Women and Girls of Science is the most ambitious yet. I'm convinced that the event's vibrant content will bring young visitors to aspire to a career in science. A wonderful day filled with discovery and made possible by the support of our strong and purposeful partners."

-Cybele Robichaud, Montreal Science Centre Director

"The Montreal Science Centre does exceptional work in making science accessible and exciting for young people. AWS is proud to support, for a second consecutive year, the flagship Women and Girls in Science event, helping to ignite the curiosity of the next generation of women leaders in this promising field."

-Rejean Bourgault, Country Leader and Managing Director

"UQAM's Faculty of Science is proud to support this event for the fifth year in a row. Much like our bursary program for women in science, our support is yet another concrete expression of our university's engagement to promoting careers in science and making them more accessible to women."

-Isabelle Marcotte, Assistant Dean of Research, UQAM Faculty of Science

About the Montreal Science Centre

The Montreal Science Centre, a division of Canada Lands Company, is a complex dedicated to science and technology that welcomes more than 600,000 visitors annually. It is best known for its accessible, interactive approach and for showcasing local innovation and know-how. Its major partners are Amazon Web Services, Energir, The Beat 92.5, TELUS, and La Presse.

SOURCE Montreal Science Centre

For further information: Old Port of Montreal Corporation Press Contact: Steven Poitevin, Public Relations Manager, [email protected], 514 838-4593
Three days ago an Alaska Airlines operated Boeing 737 Max 9 lost a door plug as seen in the photo. A three foot by six foot opening was left where the door plug was. The flight was three miles (14850 feet) off the ground so the decompression and other issues were not catastrophic. The pressure dropped from 14.09 psi to about 11.64 psi. The plane was able to get to below 10,000 feet and then return the airport.

A door plug is used to fill a doorway and held together by 12 stop fittings, which prevent the door plug from becoming dislodged. In this case, the plug was not used for a functional door.

United and Alaska Air Boeing 737 Max 9 planes were grounded by the National Transportation and Safety Board. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have found loose hardware during inspections of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes. Loose bolts have been found on door plugs of several (at least five) Boeing 737 Max 9 planes during inspections.

Alaska has 65 of the Max 9 planes. United has 79, which makes United the biggest operator of the jet model. Boeing, which has spent years trying to clean up a host of quality defects, while also ramping up aircraft production, including of the 737 Max. The 737 Max is Boeings best-selling aircraft, with more than 4,000 orders to fill. However, the more common Max 8, which is not affected by the grounding, makes up the majority of those orders.

Diagram of a Boeing 737-9 mid-cabin door plug and components (Source: Boeing) pic.twitter.com/7qPF5MGAOX  NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) January 8, 2024

WATCH LIVE: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy briefs the media at 8:00 p.m. PT on Fridays accident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on a Boeing 737-9 MAX https://t.co/NM3ETSiDlw  NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) January 9, 2024

A teenager sitting in the row where the door plug blew out had his t-shirt ripped off his body by the wind blowing out the hole.



Video Explaining Technical Details About the Boeing 737 Max 9 and Plug Doors

The video focus on the construction and securing of the plug option. This is in response to the incident to Alaska Airlines flight AS 1282 whose mid-cabin emergency exit door plug detached in-flight whilst climbing through 16,000ft on 5 Jan 2024.

Contents:

0:58 Introduction

1:24 The Plug Option

3:57 Construction

7:26 Securing The Door

11:39 Alaska Airlines 1282

14:38 Fallout
Interview of a Chinese researcher behind the detection of a weak signal indicating a Meissner effect in near-room-temperature superconductors described the differences in their work.

UPDATE from the Original Korean Team: New Article with highlights of what was said by Sukbae Lee on Jan 9, 2024.

The China researcher was interviewed by two people involved with managing Arxiv.org.

With copper-substituted lead apatite below room temperature, [china researchers] observe diamagnetic dc magnetization under magnetic field of 25 Oe with remarkable bifurcation between zero-field-cooling and field-cooling measurements, and under 200 Oe it changes to be paramagnetism. A glassy memory effect is found during cooling. Typical hysteresis loops for superconductors are detected below 250 K, along with an asymmetry between forward and backward sweep of magnetic field. The experiment suggests at room temperature the Meissner effect is possibly present in this material.

The China researchers started with LK99 materials.

They added the use of a hydrothermal treatment, which was not reported by the Koreans.

They modified the formula using Sulfur to fix the problem of random positioning of copper.

The correct placement of Sulfur ensures the more correct positioning of copper in the copper substituted lead apatite.

LK99 has two circles, outer and inner.

Copper should be substituted on the outer circle.

In the China researchers opinion, the copper should be substituted on the inner circle.

LK99 had random copper substitution which would result in less predictable superconducting effects.

His South China group also did the microwave absorption effect which also supports the conclusion of some superconductivity.

The material is in the powder phase and the percentage of active material is low.

The transition is between 250k (-23 celsius) and 300k (27 celsius).

There are ten LK99 research groups in China communicating on social media. They share information and he is waiting for some of the other nine groups to replicate.

They hope to a result in one or two months will show a consistent drop in resistance.

There are continuing to work to get the full proof of the resistance drop. They are seeing some very low resistance readings and sometimes very high readings. They have to make better materials.

China Experiment Arxiv Papers LK99

The arxiv paper with copper-substituted lead apatite below room temperature that suggests at room temperature the Meissner effect is possibly present in this material.

Chinese universities and research labs have published experimental evidence in support of LK99 as a room temperature superconductor (microwave absorption). The amount of superconducting material that is made in pile of LK99 powder is small. The LK99 needs to have precisely located copper and phosphorous. This leaves one dimensional molecular chains of superconducting material. All previous superconductors have been found to absorb microwaves. It is the nature of superconducting material that they exclude magnetic fields and thus the electronic and magnetic behavior is observed based on interaction with microwaves.

Original Korean Team APS Presentation Planned in Two Months  Also Added Sulfur to the Formula

We synthesized materials, Pb10-xCux(P(O1-ySy)4)6O1-zSz (PCPOSOS), called PCPOSOS, which exhibit superconducting behavior at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. These materials displayed characteristics of a superconductor, including zero resistance, the Meissner effect, and partial levitation when placed on a magnet (arXiv: 2307.12037). The partial levitation is caused by an inhomogeneity in the magnetic field of the magnet and occurred within the range of critical magnetic fields, Hc1 and Hc2. That is, the magnetic field of the magnet increased with going from center to the edge of magnet. The magnet had approximately 2000G at the center and approximately 3,000G at its edge. The levitation occurred near center. This indicates the center of the magnet is close to Hc1. It disappeared between center and the edge near Hc2, with Hc1 being much smaller than Hc2, because the magnetic moment at Hc2 is much smaller than that at Hc1. When the magnet is slightly moved, the levitation returns to its original position. This phenomenon is analyzed as flux pinning, which is typical of a type-II superconductor. Moreover, the quantum-locking phenomenon, characteristic of a Type-I superconductor, may appear. However, we interpret PCPOSOS as a Type-II superconductor. We will show two videos of levitations and two videos of magnets.
The victory of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine would be a disaster not only for our country but also for Western countries. Therefore, Ukrainians should be given the tools necessary to destroy the enemy, which they are doing successfully.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosaw Sikorski made this appeal to the US Congress in an interview with CNN. He emphasized the need to pass legislation as soon as possible to continue financial support for the Ukrainian army.

"The victory of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine would be a disaster not only for Kyiv but also for Ukraine's neighbors, Europe and the entire system of the American alliance," Sikorski emphasized.

"Ukrainians need to be given the tools they need to do their job. And they are doing a great job. They have destroyed half of the Russian army for a few percent of the annual US defense budget," the minister reminded.

"The cost of stopping Putin after he conquers Ukraine will be much, much higher than the cost of supporting Ukraine," Sikorski is convinced.

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Earlier, Sikorski called for Ukraine to be provided with long-range missiles to destroy sites from which Russia launches missiles and drones, as well as command centers. He also called on the West to strengthen sanctions against Russia and cut off the channels of smuggled components for missile production.

As reported by OBOZ.UA:

- Polish Foreign Minister said that by the end of this decade, Ukraine should win the war and become an EU member within internationally recognized borders. At the same time, Poland's strategy towards Ukraine remains unchanged.

- Sikorski is convinced that the civilized world will not be able to ensure the defeat of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin through tactical clashes. Therefore, the diplomat is convinced that Europe must mobilize all its efforts to ensure that Russia is defeated.

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Only verified information on our Telegram OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The first Shahed-238 with a jet engine was shot down in Ukraine. It was flying at a speed of about 500 km/h.

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The kamikaze drone managed to reach the middle of the country. This was reported by Ukrainian serviceman, communications, electronic warfare and intelligence specialist Serhiy "Flash" Bezkrestnov.

"The first Shahed-238 with a jet engine was shot down on the territory of Ukraine. It flew to the middle of the country. It was traveling at a speed of over 500 km/h. I did not think they would appear here so quickly," the statement said.

The military added that the new drones do not have any "Reich superweapons" - they have a regular charge.

At the same time, Shahed-238 has a high speed, which complicates the work of mobile groups, but not air defense. At the same time, according to Bezkrestnov, the drones will now fly faster and have better maneuverability.

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It is worth noting that the Shahed-238 with a jet engine was first introduced by Iran in November 2023.

The Shahed-238 was introduced in three versions with different guidance systems. The classic version of the drone is equipped with an autonomous guidance system and GPS signals. The second version has an infrared guidance system. Such drones can be used to hit heat-contrast targets, including military equipment behind enemy lines.

Another modification of the Shahed-238 is likely to have a radar guidance system. These drones could become an analog of anti-radar missiles that target the radiation of search radar stations.

Valeriy Ryabykh, an expert and development director of the Defense Express information and consulting company, believes that the black color of the Shahed is a publicity stunt that does not affect combat performance. However, the black color coating may make it difficult to identify it, as the main way to do so in the area of operation of mobile groups is sound and searchlight beams.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Air Defense Forces of Ukraine shot down eight Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones on the night of January 7-8. All enemy targets were neutralized in the sky over the southern regions.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Veteran journalist and publisher Dele Momodu has faulted the British Broadcasting Corporation, BCC, documentary exposing the alleged secret lifestyle of the late founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, Temitope Balogun Joshua.

Momodu said its unfortunate that TB Joshua cant defend himself against the mirage of allegations leveled against him by some people close to him during his lifetime.

Posting on X, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain wrote: FREE ADVERT Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua in his lifetime suffered loads of attacks. And even in his death, he continues to generate controversies. Unfortunately, hes not here to defend himself.

Recall that BBC had accused him of several atrocities, including r@pe and torture.

According to the documentary released by the BBC on Monday, no fewer than 25 eyewitnesses accused T.B Joshua of sexual assault, physical abuse, fabricated miracles, and trauma.

The investigative report spanning over two years said five Britons accused TB Joshua of rape and forced abortions in a secretive Lagos compound spanning almost 20 years.

Also, the late televangelist was accused of faking his miracle healings, which were broadcast to millions of people around the world.




The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has clarified his alleged involvement in an alleged N438.1 million consultancy contract between New Planet Project Limited and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under the suspended Minister, Betta Edu.

Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended Edu over corruption allegations on Monday.

Shortly after Edus suspension, reports emerged that the Minister paid a company owned by the Minister of Interior a total amount of N438.1 million for consultancy services.

The company, New Planet Project Limited, was one of the numerous consultants awarded contracts from N3bn given out by the suspended Minister for the National Social Register contract, the report stated.

Reacting, Tunji-Ojo, while appearing on Channels TV Politics Today on Monday night, said that he founded the company ten years ago but resigned from directorship in 2019 when he contested for the House of Representatives.

The Minister, who described the report as shocking, said he was not involved in the day-to-day running of New Planet Project Limited.

He said, I have to say this: I saw it and was shocked because the company in question was where I was the director. About five years ago, I resigned my directorship.

Yes, I founded the company ten years ago. In 2019, when I got to the House of Representatives, I won the election precisely, and I resigned. I resigned on 4th February, 2019, with a Certified True Copy of Corporate Affairs Commission as far back as 2019 to prove this.

Edu has been under the storm in the past three days over a leaked memo dated 20th December, 2023, instructing the Federations Accountant General to pay money meant for vulnerable groups into a private account.




President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the Chief Executive Officers of Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Babatunde Irukera and Director-General/CEO, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Alexander Ayoola Okoh





A statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President on Monday, noted that the dismissed chief executives are directed to hand over to the next most senior officer in their respective agencies, pending the appointment of new Chief Executive Officers.





The presidency said by this directive of the president, their removal from office takes immediate effect.





Ngelale also noted that the action was in conformity with plans to restructure and reposition critical agencies of the Federal Government towards protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers and providing a strong basis for enhanced contributions to the nations economy by key growth-enabling institutions.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rejected the N100 million fine imposed on it by a federal capital territory (FCT) high court for violating the rights of Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Emefiele had instituted a fundamental human rights suit against the federal government, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), and the EFCC.

He claimed that they breached his rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement.

He also said despite court orders directing his release, he was kept in detention.

On Monday, the high court ordered the federal government and the EFCC to pay N100m in damages to Emefiele over the violation of his rights.

Reacting in a statement, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the court failed to consider that Emefiele was held in detention with a valid court order.

The decision failed to take cognizance of the fact that the former CBN boss was held with a valid order of court. Consequently, the Commission will approach the Court of Appeal to set it aside, he said.

Emefiele was first arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in June after he was suspended by President Bola Tinubu.

He was granted bail in the sum of N300 million on November 22, 2023.




Embattled former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, returned home on Monday night after hours of interrogation by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.





She is expected to return on Tuesday for further clarifications on sundry issues that the anti-graft agency flagged in the course of its preliminary investigations.





The former Minister submitted herself for investigation at the headquarters of the EFCC on Monday.





Farouq is being probed over the sum of N37,170,855,753.44 that was allegedly laundered under her watch.
* More than 1,200 individuals have been charged with federal crimes over the riot, with over 700 having pleaded guilty, making it one of the biggest criminal investigations in American history.

* Three years on, the events of Jan. 6, 2021 are still a major point of contention between Democrats and Republicans, at a time of bitter partisan rivalry in Washington.

* The riot, with divided views among voters, would be a factor in the upcoming presidential elections, according to observers.

Supporters of Donald Trump gather near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

by Xiong Maoling, Sun Ding, Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- As the United States marks the three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, in which an angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building, questions linger about how it happened, who is responsible, and how it would continue to shape U.S. politics.

With the upcoming presidential election, the Capitol riot continues to fuel U.S. political turmoil amid an intensifying division between Democrats and Republicans, and could bring more chaos and turbulence.

STAIN ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, refused to concede to his Democratic opponent Joe Biden and repeatedly claimed that there was widespread election fraud. On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters violently broke into the Capitol building, and interrupted the certifying process of the 2020 presidential election, prompting hundreds of lawmakers to evacuate in panic.

"I think all of us, myself included, had images of a mass-shooting event," said Democratic Senator Peter Welch, former House representative who posted video updates on X, formerly twitter, as the chaos unfolded. "It was terrifying in the moment."

More than 1,200 individuals have been charged with federal crimes over the riot, with over 700 having pleaded guilty, making it one of the biggest criminal investigations in American history.

Trump was also charged with obstructing an official proceeding and three other counts stemming from his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The deadly attack, which killed five people and injured hundreds of police officers, is a "landmark stain" on American democracy, according to a CNN report published in June 2021.

"American democracy had near-death experience," and the country's air of invulnerability was shattered in the Capitol riot, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News reported in January 2022.

Over half of Americans, or 55 percent of respondents, noted the Capitol riot was an "attack on democracy that should never be forgotten," according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week.

This photo taken on July 21, 2022 shows a public hearing held by the U.S. House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Al Drago/Pool via Xinhua)

GROWING PARTISAN DIVIDE

Three years on, the events of Jan. 6, 2021 are still a major point of contention between Democrats and Republicans, at a time of bitter partisan rivalry in Washington.

Democrats refer to the events as a serious attack on U.S. Democracy. They maintain that then-outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters -- at the behest of Trump himself -- engaged in an "insurrection" in a bid to disrupt the election process.

Republicans, meanwhile, contend that Jan. 6 was simply a protest that got out of hand, and Trump has been accusing Democrats of conducting a "witch hunt" against him.

Majorities of Democrats and independents believe the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was an attack on democracy, while more than 7 in 10 Republicans say that too much is being made of the attack and that it is "time to move on," according to the Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

Corey Greenburg, 52, an office worker in Washington, D.C., called the events of Jan. 6 an "outrage" and "insurgency," telling Xinhua that it threatened democracy.

Shauna Eland, 71, a retiree in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, told Xinhua that the events were merely a protest.

The Jan. 6 riot "created new dividing lines within the U.S. political class," Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua, adding that it's "a major test of the American system."

Security staff in the U.S. Capitol building reacting to the chaotic situation in a video feed from NBC news is displayed on a screen in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

MORE CHAOS

The political fallout continues even three years later. Some U.S. states have pressed to keep Trump off the ballot in 2024, citing a constitutional provision that disallows anyone who had attempted to overthrow the government from holding office.

Colorado Supreme Court's ruling two weeks ago marked the first time a U.S. state court has agreed that Trump should be disqualified from the 2024 presidential election, citing the rarely used insurrection clause.

Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the ruling, and the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider it, setting up a historic case ahead of the presidential election.

The riot, with divided views among voters, would be a factor in the upcoming presidential elections, according to observers.

The Jan. 6 events "will inevitably play a role this year" in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential elections, Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua.

If, as seems likely, Trump is the Republican nominee, Republican officials will have a powerful incentive to downplay Jan. 6 and embrace Trump, Galdieri said.

Noting that this was a winning issue for Democrats in 2022 in many swing states, Galdieri also expects it will be "a central part" of the Biden campaign's case against Trump.

Greg Cusack, a former member of the Iowa House of Representatives, told Xinhua that the Capitol riot will continue to fuel U.S. political turmoil three years later, and he is concerned about more violence in this country.

"It has already begun," Cusack said, noting that some statehouses were falsely alerted to bomb or other threats last week.


Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has warned his successor Grant Shapps that London risks "falling behind" in its military support for Ukraine. He explained that the British government has not yet announced a budget for supporting our country for the next few years.

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Wallace made this statement on Monday, January 8, during a speech in the House of Commons. This was reported by The Guardian.

The former minister told parliament that in June, before he left the government, he had formally requested between 2.3 and 2.6 billion in military aid funding for Ukraine, but that no announcement had been made since.

"If we don't start making an announcement soon, we will fall behind many of our European colleagues who are already ahead of us in our support," Wallace said.

For his part, Grant Shapps praised the work of his predecessor. He refused to talk about specific figures, but said that Wallace "will not be disappointed, and he won't have to wait too long."

The UK has provided Ukraine with 2.3 billion in military aid for two consecutive years, but although this year's funding was announced six months in advance, next year's budget has not yet been approved.

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To recap, the UK Ministry of Defense announced the transfer of hundreds of missiles for air defense systems to Ukraine. The ministry emphasized that the Ukrainian state should have everything it needs to protect itself from Russian massive attacks.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that the West cannot allow Ukraine to lose the war with Russia, as it means that the world will slide into an authoritarian era. Allowing dictators and autocrats to rule the world is extremely dangerous, so democratic countries should help Ukraine, no matter how much it costs them.
Music executive, Tunji Balogun, popularly known as Tee Billz, has accused Davido of bullying his ex-wife, Tiwa Savage.

He claimed that the DMW boss threatened to send thugs after her, adding that it was not the first time he would be bullying the mother of his child.

Tee Billz via his Instagram page, had queried what people would do if someone threatened to send boys [thugs] to the mother of your son and this is the third time hes bullied her.

He noted how he has tried respectfully to reach out to Davido and the response is always arrogant and nonchalant.

Tee Billz has been calling out Davido for allegedly disrespecting his family, threatening to teach him a lesson.

His outburst come days after Davido and Tiwa Savage unfollowed each other on Instagram.
Pope Francis has called for a global ban on surrogacy.

Surrogacy is a process in which a woman carries and delivers a child for a couple or individual through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Speaking on Monday in a 45-minute address to Vatican-accredited diplomats, the pope described surrogacy as deplorable, adding that a child is a gift and never the object of a contract.

I consider deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mothers material needs, he said.

Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally.

Pope Francis remarks comes just weeks after he had formally permitted Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, many of whom support surrogacy and use it to have children.

The declaration had stirred controversy on the Catholic churchs stance on homosexuality. But the church had said the blessings were not justification or endorsement for the life they lead.

Pope Francis remarks are likely to antagonise pro-LGBT+ groups.

The Catholic church has long opposed surrogacy as well as IVF, for a variety of ethical and theological reasons.

The practice is illegal in many countries around the world, as well as in Italy, the country that surrounds the Vatican.

In June 2022, Francis reportedly told a delegation of the Federation of Associations of Catholic Families in Europe that surrogacy was an inhuman and increasingly widespread practice in which women  almost always poor women  are exploited and children are treated as merchandise.




The Senator representing Borno South and Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, says President Bola Tinubu must end the looming cabals in his presidency.





Ndume stated this while speaking in an interview with The Tribune.





The senator, who lauded President Tinubu for suspending his embattled Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, for proper investigation of financial sleaze in her ministry, however, pointed out that the axed Minister did not act alone but with connivance with certain individuals who have since formed a cartel in the Tinubu Presidency.





He warned that, if not curbed, the looming political cabal could destabilize the administration of President Tinubu.





According to Ndume, the removal of the minister would send a strong signal to other ministers in Tinubus cabinet that their principal would not tolerate corruption.





Ndume noted that the move will bring back confidence in his government, and Nigerians will begin to take his administration seriously.





He said, What President Tinubu has done is very timely. The suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is a welcome development. It will allow the relevant agencies to conduct a proper investigation.





Some people in the same position Tinubu is in would not have acted. But as the leader in charge, he acted swiftly, and the minister has been suspended. We should commend the president. This is something Nigerians should commend.





But the president should not stop there. There is an emerging political cartel within the corridors of power. The president must not act swiftly and dismantle the cartel.





If theyre not stopped, theyll be stronger and worse than the cabal. The president must not allow that to happen. I dont think what the minister did was an isolated case. I dont think she acted alone.
Remember when is the lowest form of conversation, Tony Soprano once said.

So lets not be sentimental about this.
Sleeping on the street means hardly sleeping at all, say Gail Bey and William Beck, friends whove spent many nights outdoors over the past few years, most recently in the doorways, bus shelters and parking lots along Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newarks industrial South Ward.

You dont feel safe. You dont get no rest, said Bey, 53, who said she worked as a civic activist before circumstances and substance abuse overwhelmed her. Referring to Beck, she added. You watch out for each other.
Pancakes are, of course, a breakfast staple. Who doesnt love those round, fluffy hot cakes drizzled with a glistening maple syrup? Now, theres a new type of flapjack on the New Jersey block.

Its the pancakes thicker, jigglier cousin: the souffle pancake.
MORE: After total nightmare, Santillos gets good news

There may be no more revered pizzeria in New Jersey than Santillos Brick Oven Pizza in Elizabeth, and the fire that severely damaged the building Saturday sent shock waves through New Jerseys pizza community.
The Sears space at Newport Centre mall may not be empty for long.

The popular old-school arcade and video game-themed restaurant will take over a portion of the huge space at the Downtown Jersey City mall, a source with knowledge of the plan told The Jersey Journal.
A Bayonne teen has been arrested and a dozen packages stolen from homes on the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor were recovered and returned, authorities said.

Gabriel Valle, 18, was charged with third-degree theft after his arrest in the area of Constitution Avenue at 9:58 p.m. on Jan. 4, Bayonne Capt. Eric Amato said.

A Bayonne sergeant on patrol in the area at 9:50 p.m. was alerted by an off-duty Jersey City police officer who saw a person pushing a shopping cart filled with packages in an area that had been plagued with numerous acts of package thefts, Amato said.
The endorsement of a South Jersey congressman by Jersey Citys city council president for Bob Menendezs U.S. Senate seat may have come as a surprise to many, but some political insiders say it was just one chess piece being moved in a quietly intense dispute between Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Union City Mayor/state Sen. Brian Stack.

Last week, Council President Joyce Watterman surprisingly endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who represents all of Burlington County and parts of Mercer and Monmouth counties, in a Democratic primary race against Tammy Murphy, Gov. Phil Murphys wife. The plot twist here is that Watterman is part of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, which has already endorsed Murphy.
On Monday, January 8, White House officials met with representatives of the U.S. defense industry. They discussed support for Ukraine's access to advanced American equipment and weapons.

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Reuters reports this with reference to representatives of the US presidential administration. It is noted that the meeting was attended by about 12 executives of American companies working in the technology and defense industries.

"Key members of the National Security Council met with industry executives from Fortem Aerospace, defense technology companies such as Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR.N) and Anduril Industries Inc, and drone manufacturer Skydio," the statement said.

The meeting was convened by Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor. Its goal was to "renew the focus on helping Ukraine overcome key technological challenges that are holding back its progress and momentum on the battlefield.

In particular, it was about the need of our Defense Forces for unmanned aerial systems, means of combating enemy UAVs, and solving the problem of demining.

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Joe Biden's administration noted that this meeting gave them the opportunity to learn about the new capabilities of the US defense industry. They hope that the U.S. government will be able to facilitate the implementation of these innovations for Ukraine.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, representatives of the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States have reached an agreement on the controversial issue of the country's migration policy. The text of the agreement may be published this week. Thus, there is a chance that the US Congress will unblock tens of billions of dollars to help Ukraine.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Jets fans are chipping in to help the family of a Bills fan who was killed in Miami on Sunday.

After Buffalos 21-14 win over the Dolphins, a Bills fan from Ontario was shot following an altercation outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, according to police who spoke to WGRZ in Buffalo. According to the family, the fan is Dylan Isaacs, 30. Police say the suspect is still at large, according to WGRZ.

BUY JETS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER

Soon after, Ashley Cooke, who identifies herself as a community member and family friend who wants to assist the family during this difficult time, set up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the family with a goal of $50,000.

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,000 people have donated more than $75,000 to the fund, which is intended to bring (Isaacs) home and make funeral arrangements after his senseless murder, Cooke wrote.

On Tuesday, fans posted the GoFundMe page on the Jets Reddit page, which has a robust community of more than 135,000 members, urging people to help out a family in need. Jets fans promising to contribute set aside divisional rivalries to make sense of this type of violence.

According to WGRZ:

Miami police said a fight started involving him and his friends outside the stadium that escalated to a suspect exiting their vehicle, firing multiple rounds and striking Dylan.

Disgusting that people do this over a game, one commenter promising to chip in posted. You might have undying loyalty to your team but no matter what, at the end of the day, it is indeed just a game. Its guys mostly younger than me playing a game. Its not worth killing anyone over. Its not even worth fighting with someone over.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.
A 38-year-old man fatally crushed by a loading ramp at a Middlesex County auto parts store had been working at the location for just eight days when he was killed, according to family members.

Orlando Feliciano, of New Brunswick, was identified by family members as the worker who died in the Dec. 28 incident at Fenix Parts Rahway in Woodbridge.

All he really wanted to do was take care of his family, said Carmen, Felicianos wife of 15 years and mother of their surviving 12-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

Feliciano was born and raised in Newark, where he was the youngest of three brothers but stood out as the family jokester, said Jennie Crespo, Felicianos aunt.

He was just so funny. You couldnt be sad around him said Crespo.

At the same time, Feliciano was someone people could count on in a serious situation, his aunt said.

He was always reaching out to us, ready to help anyone. Well miss him terribly, said Crespo.

When he wasnt working, Feliciano enjoyed entertaining family, fitness, cooking, and posting videos to his YouTube channel.

He was always the one to bring the family together, the glue, said brother Isaiah Feliciano.

Prior to starting work at Fenix Parts Rahway, Feliciano held numerous jobs in construction and delivery, said his wife, Carmen.

Hes always been a very handy man, Carmen said.

A GoFundMe page has been created to support Felicianos surviving wife and children.

Fenix Parts, the parent company of Fenix Parts Rahway, said last week it was investigating the circumstances of this accident.

OSHA also confirmed it was investigating the incident. It has up to six months to complete its investigation, according to the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Public Affairs.

OSHA is investigating the Dec. 28 incident at Fenix Parts Rahway in which Orlando Feliciano, pictured here, sustained fatal injuries.Photo courtesy of Carmen Feliciano

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
A Canadian national, described by investigators as a prolific vendor of fentanyl, was charged Tuesday with distributing and importing the deadly drug throughout the country including to numerous people in New Jersey by way of the dark net.

Michael C. Wozney, 38, of Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada was charged by a 14-count indictment with seven counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and seven counts of importation of a controlled substance into the United States, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

From June 2019 through September 2020, Wozney was accused of selling fentanyl on multiple dark net marketplaces and completing hundreds of transactions there, the office said.

The dark net is a part of the internet not accessible by most internet browsers and designed to allow users to conduct transactions anonymously.

Wozney allegedly advertised the sale of numerous fentanyl products, including substances that he described as close to pure and DANGEROUS LEVEL, investigators said.

He then shipped his customers fentanyl orders in a manner that was designed to evade detection and seizure by border officials and other law enforcement authorities, officials said.

When officers seized shipments, he was accused of reshipping the orders and alerting customers that he was changing his mailing practices so that he would not get caught, the office said.

Wozney now faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million for each count he was charged with Tuesday, authorities said.

Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
Two people were injured Monday evening in a fire at a vacant Lakewood building, police said.

The site, which once housed a lumberyard, has been uninhabited for some time and the people who were injured were believed to be squatters, Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith told NJ Advance Media.

They were both taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, Staffordsmith said. The severity of the injuries was unclear.

The cause of the blaze was unknown, but as of 8 p.m., it was under control, officials said.

The commercial site, located at 133 Ocean Ave., covers just over three acres and is currently owned by Hampton Development, LLC, according to property records. The company could not immediately be reached. The site is currently for sale.

Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
This is about the New Voter Empowerment Act, which has been signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. It allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary nominating elections, as long as they turn 18 before the next general election.

Instead of allowing children to vote, New Jersey should be teaching these kids math. The voting law has a nice-sounding name but could cost us dearly.
Minors under 21 in New Jersey will not face a $50 ticket if they are caught with alcohol, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday, as he rejected legislation that would have imposed the fine for booze but not for marijuana.

In a written message to the Democratic-controlled state Legislature, the Democratic governor conditionally vetoed the bipartisan bill (A5610), which lawmakers introduced to repeal a controversial part of the 2021 laws legalizing marijuana for people 21 and older in New Jersey.

Hours later, both the state Assembly and Senate accepted the changes and voted to approve the revised legislation, 35-0 in the Senate and 66-5 in the Assembly.
Tuesdays winter storm wont bring any snow, but New Jersey will be hit with heavy rain and a high probability of power outages, forecasters warned Tuesday.

Meteorologists said the dynamic and intense storm expected dump up to 3 inches of rain on the state and trigger widespread flooding and potential power outages as winds gust up to 65 mph Tuesday night.

Theres a lot of rain associated with this system, AccuWeather.com meteorologist Isaac Longley said Tuesday afternoon. Its a very dynamic system. This is a very intense storm system that were dealing with. The power could very well go out.

More weather: 13 towns where serious river flooding is predicted as dangerous storm hits region

By 2 p.m. it was raining across New Jersey and the storms intensity is expected to pick up into the evening. The heaviest of the rain will fall from 3 p.m. until midnight, according to the National Weather Service.

AccuWeather.com says regional power outages are likely in New Jersey on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2024.AccuWeather.com

A variety of flood watches, flood warnings, high wind warning and wind advisories are in effect across the state until Wednesday.

Longley noted Dunkirk, New York, in the Buffalo area had already registered a hurricane-force wind gust of 74 mph and the Jersey Shore can expect similar gusts Tuesday evening and overnight. Gusts could reach 60, 65 maybe even approaching 70 mph, Longley said.

That has Longley very concerned about outages and flooded roads. Already, hundreds of thousands of people across the southeast are in the dark.

Folks are going to want to prepare for power outages, the possibility of flooded roads, Longley said. Travel is certainly not recommended.

As of 2:30 p.m., less than 2,000 homes and businesses across New Jersey had lost power, but winds had not picked up much yet.

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency Tuesday afternoon as of 5 p.m. Tuesday and several school districts called for an early dismissal.
UPDATE: 13 towns where serious river flooding is predicted as dangerous storm hits region

A very rainy, windy day is expected in New Jersey with flooding likely and power outages possible as the heaviest of the downpours take place from about mid-afternoon to late Tuesday night.

The first raindrops are expected later this morning in South Jersey and by early afternoon precipitation is expected to have overspread the entire state, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

Right now, that looks like its going to happen down toward the Delaware Memorial Bridge, probably around 11 a.m., and then it will spread across the rest of the state within an hour or two, said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the Mount Holly office. So by 1 p.m or so it should be raining up in New York City metro.

The rain wont seem like much at first, but Martin says we shouldnt relax  the heavy stuff wont arrive until mid-afternoon.

At first it will be relatively light  the heavier stuff will hold off. Its not going to be drizzle but its not going to be the downpours were going to have later, he said.

Latest rain forecast for most of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware as of Tuesday night, Jan. 9, 2024.National Weather Service

The heaviest of the rain is expected to fall between 3 p.m. and midnight, the weather service said in its morning forecast discussion. From 2 to 3 inches is expected in North Jersey with up to 2 inches elsewhere.

There is a 90% chance of at least 2 inches of rain falling across northern New Jersey, according to the weather services Weather Prediction Center.

The rain will be accompanied by 25 to 35 mph winds inland that gust as high as 45 to 55 mph. Along the Jersey Shore 35 to 45 mph winds could gust as high as 55 to 65 mph at times. Widespread minor to moderate flooding is also in the forecast, along with street river flooding, especially in North Jersey due to snow melt.

Moderate to heavy to rain is then expected to fall until late tonight with some rain lingering through the overnight hours, the weather service said.

Here are the watches, warnings and advisories for New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy also declared a state of emergency starting at 5 p.m.

High wind warnings

Six New Jersey counties are under a high wind warning  Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Monmouth and Ocean  effective from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 4 a.m. Wednesday. In those counties, forecasters are expecting steady southerly winds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts as high as 65 mph.

A high wind warning is also in effect in Hudson County from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday. Winds of 20 to 30 mph could gust as high as 65 mph.

Heavy rain falling Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night will push some New Jersey rivers close to major flood stage and others above major flood stage, forecasters say.National Weather Service

Wind advisories

All of the states other counties are under a wind advisory, which isnt as severe as a high wind warning but still indicates wind gusts can be strong enough to cause tree damage and spark power outages.

The wind advisory will be active in most of northern, central and southern New Jersey from 5 p.m. Tuesday through 3 a.m. Wednesday, with steady winds of 25 to 35 mph expected and gusts up to 55 mph.

The strongest winds are expected to occur this evening, and these could be locally enhanced with a narrow line of intense showers tonight, the weather service said Tuesday morning

A wind advisory will be in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties. Winds of 20 to 30 mph might gust up to 55 mph.

Flood watch

A flood watch is in effect across the entire state. Although its not as urgent as a warning, it puts the public on notice that theres a strong potential for flash flooding on streets, as well as longer-duration flooding along rivers, streams and other waterways.

The storm is expected to dump 2 to 3 inches of rain in many areas of the state. All that rain will be falling on a ground that is already saturated from several major storms during the past three weeks  combined with extra runoff from melting snow in the states northern region.

UPDATE: Flood warnings issued as storm ramps up. Major flooding predicted near some rivers.

Coastal flood warnings

Coastal flood warnings have been issued for low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, effective from 9 p.m. Tuesday through 4 a.m. Wednesday.

A coastal flood warning for Cumberland County will be active from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday.

A coastal flood warning for Salem County will be active from 7 p.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Coastal flood advisory

An advisory will be in effect from 5 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday in Hudson County, eastern Bergen, eastern Essex and eastern Union.

An advisory for Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean runs from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Len Melisurgo contributed to this report

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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When one pictures the life of an author, they might picture an irregular schedule with periods of writers block broken by a sudden mad rush of ideas sending them into a late-night caffeinated frenzy.

And sure, this can be a reality for some. But after two decades in the business, New Orleans resident Jami Attenberg has it down to much more of a science, consistently writing a book about every two years for the last 18 years.

In winter, she thinks about what shes writing and why shes writing it. When spring comes, she preps for writing, making a game plan on how to make her process more productive and efficient. Summer is for the actual writing, and fall is for regrouping and rewriting.

But even seasoned professionals need inspiration. Thats why in 2018, when she found herself on deadline, Attenberg and a friend challenged themselves to write 1000 words a day for two weeks. After sharing about it online, thousands of people joined in and formed a community to support and encourage each other along the way, tagging their posts #1000WordsofSummer. Some even wrote books out of it.

Attenbergs book 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, out Tuesday, is a collection of writing advice, guidance and musings from her and a bunch of fellow authors including Roxane Gay, Celeste Ng, Carmen Maria Machado, Issac Fitzgerald and New Orleanian Maurice Carlos Ruffin.

The most common writing advice in the book isnt earth-shattering. It basically boils down to: just go write. Get words on the paper, and worry about editing them later.

Writing, for me, is all about momentum, writes Amanda Mull, a journalist for The Atlantic.

A throughline in 1000 Words is Attenbergs unabashed love for writing. The sensation when I push and lay with the words is the purest I will ever feel, she writes.

Susan Orlean, a New Yorker staff writer and author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book, shares that romanticism for the craft.

I love the pure experience of it, she writes. I love making sentences do what I want them to do. I love the carpentry of the process, the cobbling together of the words, the sturdy little structures made when you line them up a certain way.

Meanwhile, others have more of a love-hate relationship with the writing process. Lauren Oyler, critic and author of novel Fake Accounts, says she often describes writing as torturous, but a torture thats necessary.

But what I take from this is that some uncertainty, discomfort, and yes, distance is essential  that I need to feel like Im looking for something in my own mind, she writes.

Just as the authors in 1000 Words have different relationships to writing itself, their methods for creating also vary  showing just how individual the writing process truly is.

Some like to write in silence, like poet Ada Limon, who finds that deep listening inspires creativity.

If we are really listening, though, the world opens up in a way that it doesnt to everyone all the time, she says. It opens as a way of being generous to us, a reward for listening.

Others like to create in chaos. Rebecca Carroll, editor at large at feminist media collective The Meteor, writes in the kitchen while her son and husband are in the living room watching TV or overhearing her sons trap music blaring from his headphones.

My writing is in conversation with the tenor of our lives, Carroll writes.

In fact, a big part of the process, many say, is accepting the mess and powering through the frustration of the initial drafts not being perfect the first time.

Quite often, its the messiest work that holds all the fun, writes Kristen Arnett, essayist and author of Mostly Dead Things. The garbage is a hell of a good time.

At one point, Attenberg asks the reader to consider how technology plays into their writing. She prefers to write by hand at first, as does fiction writer and journalist Alexander Chee, who says he finds it less intimidating than typing in a computer document.

Fitzgerald, author of the memoir Dirtbag, Massachusetts, goes on walks and brings a notepad with him, while Attenberg reads her favorite writings to spark creativity of her own.

Writing takes a lot of work and self-discipline. Thats why through all the different writing methods, many of the authors in 1000 Words stress the importance of trusting oneself and believing that what one has to say is worth sharing with the world.

That means tossing aside self-imposed expiration dates or concerns about what others might think. Even calling oneself a writer is a significant step, according to Gay.

You have to go into this believing you are worth being heard, Attenberg says.

Baldwin & Co. hosts a 1000 Words launch party at 6 p.m. Tuesday with Ruffin and Jacques Pierre Francois leading a conversation with Attenberg. Find tickets here.

Then, after stops in other cities, Attenberg will be back in New Orleans Jan. 25 for a write-along with Katy Simpson Smith at Blue Cypress Books at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.
As the Met Office issues cold weather warnings across the country, the UKs largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, has issued its own warning, advising owners to keep their dogs away from ice.

Many dogs love to swim but with these freezing temperatures, they may find their usual spot frozen over. While it might be tempting to let them run on this ice, Dogs Trust is warning that this could be dangerous for both dogs and owners alike. The ice may not be thick enough to take your dogs weight, and they could fall through into the freezing water underneath.

The charity strongly advises that, if your dog does fall through the ice, you should never be tempted to go in after them. While it may be hard to resist the instinct to save your dog, the effects of cold water shock on people can be fatal. It can cause heart attacks, even in the relatively young and healthy, and the involuntary gasps and panic caused by sudden immersion in cold water can increase the chance of inhaling water directly into the lungs.

You could also inadvertently put your dog at more risk as anyone who may be able to help, such as the fire service, will prioritise your rescue over the safety of your dog.

Instead, encourage your dog to swim back to you, and if you need help in an emergency, call 999.

Jenna Kiddie, Head of Canine Behaviour at Dogs Trust says:

Temperatures have dropped significantly over the last few days, and many ponds and lakes have frozen over. While these might provide tempting opportunities for your dog to explore, ice can be incredibly dangerous for both you and your dog.

If you are walking your dog anywhere near a frozen lake or pond, keep them on a lead. If your dog does fall through the ice, dont enter the water to save them as this could lead to you requiring an emergency rescue, and could cause you serious harm.

Ice is not the only risk facing dogs and their owners in this weather. To help ensure dogs remain healthy and happy, the nations largest dog welfare charity has published some easy-to-follow guidance.

Stay warm - Dogs feel the cold just like we do, so it is important to keep them warm. Some breeds grow thick furry coats all year round, so, as the weather gets colder, consider letting your dog's fur grow longer to give them added protection. Some shorter-haired pooches and puppies may need a little bit of help staying warm, so consider buying them a sensible winter coat. Wearing a coat is a new experience for some dogs and needs to be introduced in a gradual and positive way. Keep your dog on the lead - Snow can be disorientating for dogs, and they can become easily lost in it. Make sure your dog is wearing a collar and ID tag, and their microchip details are up to date. Wipe after walking - Make sure you wipe your dogs legs, feet and stomach after a walk, as grit from the roads and dampness from rain or snow can irritate their skin. Avoid antifreeze  It is highly poisonous but tasty to dogs. Make sure you always keep antifreeze and other chemicals well out of reach and be sure to quickly mop up any spills. Always seek veterinary advice if you think your dog has ingested any. Increase visibility - Your own safety is important too. Before heading out for a walk, make sure that you are dressed appropriately for the weather with a suitable coat and shoes, and ensure you and your dog are visible. As the days grow shorter, consider wearing a high-vis jacket, and use a reflective collar, lead, high visibility coat or flashing collar for your dog. Coats and flashing collars should be introduced gradually to ensure dogs are comfortable wearing them. Check your lead - Regularly check your dog's leads, collars and harnesses to make sure theyre all functioning safely and wont get damaged by winter weather, as wet weather can cause metal clips to rust. It can be trickier to do up lead clips and attach them to collars and harnesses when it's cold, so do this indoors if you can. Consider indoor games - You might be spending more time indoors if the weather's very bad, so always make sure your dog has plenty to do. Indoor games like hide and seek, or 'find it', are fun and mentally stimulating for your dog. Hide a toy for them to search for and play with them as a reward when they find it. Long-lasting tasty chews, or rubber food-releasing toys and enrichment games are useful for giving your dog something enjoyable to do that is mentally stimulating.

For further information on keeping your dog safe and happy over the winter, visit: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/ dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/ seasonal/cold-weather-advice
Napoleon, OH (43545)

Today

Snow showers. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
Nothing simulates the conditions of an actual structure fire as effectively as an actual structure fire, touched off in controlled training conditions.

Drivers passing by the Sisters District Ranger Station on Saturday, December 30 felt a certain amount of anxiety as thick smoke and fire arose from one of the several buildings on the District's campus. The obsolete building, once used as a dormitory, was in the way of the new 14,000-square-foot headquarters building to be constructed this year.

Rather than demolish it, the Forest Service donated it to Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) for a live fire training exercise, a rare opportunity for firefighters to gain real word experience. That the structure, about 1,400 sq. ft., also had a basement was a bonus, there being so few in the area.

It was a day-long exercise involving some 50 firefighters and instructors from departments in Sun River, Bend, Portland, Black Butte Ranch and Jefferson County. A second training day was conducted on the same site on Saturday, January 6. The effort was organized by SCSFD under the direction of Deputy Chief Tim Craig with a major assist from Jason Ellison, Deputy Chief of Black Butte Ranch Fire District.

While the major goal was to acquaint newer and younger firefighters with live action fire the event was equally important for those personnel qualifying as instructors. Teachers teaching teachers if you will.

After a thorough briefing and safety review at the Community Hall, personnel headed for the scene leaving behind adequate crews who could respond to calls. The morning was devoted to smoke. Thick with varying velocity.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) most fire deaths are the result of smoke inhalation rather than burns. NFPA notes that every 20 seconds somewhere in the United States a fire department is responding to a fire. Once a minute, a fire is occurring in a home or other building that most likely has occupants. Fire experts find that most fires today occur in a person's home or vehicle and generally involve one or two victims.

A fully-developed indoor fire can reach or exceed temperatures of 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. Even one breath of this very hot air can be lethal. Inhaling superheated gases can burn your respiratory tract whether or not the gases present are toxic. Those who suffer burns are at even greater risk as burn victims often have injuries to their lungs from inhaling hot smoke. Over 50 percent of people with severe burns and smoke inhalation die.

Tyler Wallace, a young firefighter from SCSFD, was one of those making his first live fire event.

"We have hours and hours of classroom training. We work hard on learning about smoke behavior, but it was nothing like going into that building filled with smoke. There was no light at all. Totally dark. It was like being blind," Wallace told The Nugget, as he exited from the building.

Trainers and stagers create the smoke by burning hay bales in a burn barrel.

Zack Oubelqasse, another young firefighter from the Black Butte Ranch team, was also making his first live fire entry.

"It's everything we learned in the classroom right before our eyes. Suddenly it all came to life," he said.

He and Wallace admitted that there was a certain thrill to being that close, both using the word "fun" in their description of the day's activities. Both took their work seriously, but allowed that the day provided a good deal of personal satisfaction.

Like everybody on scene, the pair had trained in Conex boxes, specially designed steel structures that resemble ocean shipping containers.

"They are a good training tool and make for a reasonable facsimile of a burning building, but they are nothing like a real wooden structure," Craig said.

The morning gave way to the afternoon's main event - igniting the structure. Fueled with wooden pallets and a few dead Christmas trees, the building was soon bursting with flames. The flames could have been quickly extinguished, however the building was allowed to burn to the ground.

Ellison explained that it's essential for firefighters to observe closely and understand fire behavior. Fire behavior can be characterized as the manner in which a fire reacts to the interaction of fuel, weather, and topography - the "fire behavior triangle." The four main parameters used to describe fire behavior include: rate of spread, fireline intensity, flame length, and flame height.

All on hand expressed satisfaction with the day's yield. It was all repeated again last Saturday with a second, smaller building about 200 yards from the first. It too stood in the way of the new construction and had a basement.

That building had been the offices of the Forest Service's fire team - an irony not lost on the gathered firefighters.
Suppose a twice-elected president sought to serve a third term despite text in the U.S. Constitution limiting presidents to two elected terms? Borrowing trouble? Sure, but could she succeed? Spoiler alert: Maybe so.

Lawyers use fictional stories like that  called hypotheticals in the trade  to anticipate issues that could arise in future controversies.

In Constitutional Cliffhangers, A Legal Guide for Presidents and their Enemies (2012), law professor Brian Kalt borrows six kinds of trouble in a series of what-if short stories about future presidencies. Kalts foresight converges with current events near the bullseye of some of todays fiery debates about the Constitution. For example: Is President Trump immune from criminal prosecution? See chapter one. And, if convicted and sentenced for a federal crime before winning election, could the newly inaugurated President Trump pardon himself? See chapter two.

Kalt fairly presents detailed arguments on all sides of each of his stories. In addition to the stories already mentioned, he considers: Complications arising from a dispute about a presidents continued fitness for office (Section 4 of the 25th Amendment); What happens if the Speaker of the House and the Secretary of State simultaneously claim to be the sole lawful successor to an assassinated president who had no vice president; and whether an ex-president can be impeached (Article II, Section 4). Kalt offers potential solutions in his final chapter.

Extensive endnotes and comprehensive summaries of the arguments mark this as a serious and scholarly book. Reading it is like climbing Black Butte. Most people moving at their own pace will finish the hike. Everyone who summits will be rewarded.

Kalt asserts that political self-interest usually predicts how politicians will behave. In his stories, the tension creating the interesting issues often arises between rival politicians driven by political self-interest to pursue their conflicting ambitions to a bitter end.

It would be unfair to fault Professor Kalt for giving relatively short shrift to the possibility that self-sacrificial statecraft might defuse in a constitutional cliffhanger. Hed have written Profiles in Courage instead of his own book if he had spun six yarns about politicians sacrificing short-term ambition to larger long-term public interests.

But hope and history suggest that a few leaders will occasionally take the high road.

Is it impossible for us to imagine, for example, a president with sufficient maturity to avoid even the appearance of criminal activity? Such a president wouldnt need to worry much about whether she is immune from prosecution or can pardon herself.

And we dont have to rely on faith alone to imagine politicians who may subordinate their individual interest to the greater good.

Vice President Mike Pence surely must have known that he was sacrificing his political future in refusing to unilaterally reject the electoral votes submitted by several states on January 6, 2021. Yet he repeatedly resisted heavy pressure to put his finger on the scale.

In the razor-thin contest of 2000, Vice President (and candidate) Al Gore strenuously disagreed with the Supreme Courts post-election ruling for George Bush in Bush v. Gore. But, his legal options in court having been exhausted, Gore didnt pursue his individual self-interest by taking the battle to Congress via Pennsylvania Avenue. Instead, he conceded to Bush the day after he lost in the Supreme Court. He said he did so For the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy. Weeks later, on January 6, 2001, he had the duty of presiding over the electoral vote count that sealed his defeat. On that day, a surprisingly good-humored Gore gaveled down 14 objections and denied five motions  all from friends on his side of the political aisle. Any of the objections or motions could have derailed the process and kept alive Gores very faint hope of reversing the Supreme Courts ruling in Congress.

On those occasions, Pence and Gore arguably put the national interest above their individual political self-interest. As you read Kalts book, consider how a little less self-interest and a little more statecraft might change the cliffhangers he describes.

Constitutional Cliff- hangers is available through Paulina Springs Books in Sisters.

Now back to that would- be third-term president. Imagine a president in her second term whose vice president has been brought to heel so thoroughly that he answers how high whenever the president tells him to jump. Both are nominated for and elected to the others former office. Then the newly-elected president (the spineless former vice president) resigns. The newly-elected vice president (the former president) becomes president for her third term  all without having violated the text of the constitutional limit to two elected terms.

A three-term president sounds crazy, right? But stranger things have nearly happened. Read chapter six of Kalts book for all the arguments.

The author formerly served as Deputy Attorney General of Oregon. In 2017 he retired from the representation of clients. Between 2019 and December 29, 2023, he volunteered as a Circuit Judge Pro Tem in Oregons 22nd Judicial District.
Sandburgs marching band got the 2024 off to an exciting start by participating in the New Years Day parade in London.

When the band was invited to the parade in March, Duncan Sandys, the British Lord Mayor of Westminster and great-grandson of Winston Churchill, called it the greatest event in the greatest city in the world.

He said the band would be a part of a parade with 80,000 participants and would march in front of a half-million people while 340 million would be watching on television from across the world.

Though the band has performed in big parades all over the country, this was the first time the Eagles performed outside the U.S.

Stewart Bailey is the longtime director of the band, assisted by Brian Hillhouse.

Gracias resigns

Melissa Gracias, who served on the D230 board since 2013, resigned from her post Nov. 30.

Gracias, who was school board president, wished continued success to the students and staff of District 230 saying in a news release, I have truly enjoyed being a part of the 230 family.

In addition to serving as board president, Gracias was the chairwoman of the boards Student Services Committee. She also was the district delegate at the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Melissa provided distinguished service for 10 years, District 230 Superintendent Robert Nolting said in a news release. It has been a privilege to serve with her, and she will be missed. On behalf of the entire district, we wish her well.

The board will choose a replacement by Jan. 29 to serve until the next election in April 2025.

It may decide to hold a special meeting in January, during which the board may interview candidates for the vacancy in closed session. A candidate is scheduled to be appointed at the Jan. 25 board meeting.

Andrew media center renamed

The Andrew media center has been renamed in honor of Dorothy Davis Turner, teacher and founder of the first high school in the Orland Park area.

Andrew students spent the year researching the districts history and the education and teaching contributions made by Turner.

Turner taught and founded the first high school in Orland Park in the mid-1900s.

Her efforts to open a local high school shifted the area from an agricultural to a more suburban area.

Our work, from researching Turners sacrifices to dialoguing with important collaborators, was a key experience for these AP Literature students, teaching them about how to bring change to their community and the steps involved, Andrew teacher Sheila Sullivan said in a news release. This project directly correlates to the District 230 mission statement about empowering young people to impact their communities.

Agreement reached

The district and its Educational Support Professionals Association approved a 4-year contract in December after several months of federal mediation.

The ESPs and Board of Education ratified a contract with a 21.89% compounded wage increase over the next four years, beginning in the current school year.

The agreement comes after nearly nine months of negotiations.

The ESP Association and School Board/District Leadership have been in federal mediation since August working to resolve items in a challenging and unpredictable economic climate, Superintendent Robert Nolting said in a news release. The agreement represents a four-year contract that is both fair and reasonable for our support staff and fiscally responsible for the D230 taxpayers.

See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament See the District 230 United girls make strong showing in lacrosse tournament
GARY  Police said they responded over the weekend to a report of a robbery only to learn the alleged victim had been shoplifting when made to surrender the stolen items to an armed man, who went on to steal his coat and cell phone as well.

Woman choked, robbed at Region gas station, police say "She reports feeling dizzy and that she was pulled out of the vehicle and robbed of her phone," police said.

Gary police said they were called out around 2:38 p.m. Saturday to the 600 block of Jackson Street where a 35-year-old Gary man said he had been shoplifting from the Family Dollar store at 500 W. 5th Ave. when he was confronted by a teller, but managed to flee.

The man then saw another man he knows, who allegedly demanded at gunpoint that he give him the stolen items to be returned, police said. When he turned the items over, the gunman allegedly stole his coat and phone.

The suspect fled in a tan Chevy Impala, police said.

The case is being investigated by Gary police detective David Umbarger, who can be reached at 219-881-1210.
GRIFFITH  Vague threats, which prompted a lockdown Monday morning among Griffith Public Schools and a search by bomb-sniffing dogs, turned out to be unfounded and resulted in no security breaches, Griffith Police Detective Cmdr. Jim Sibley said.

"Media reports suggest that several school districts throughout Indiana experienced similar threats," he said.

Porter County man sentenced in family sex crime The girl reportedly told police DeBoe "has a little problem" involving exposing himself and seeking her involvement in sexual activity.

The initial threats were received Monday morning by the school district and a suicide hotline.

"These messages, though vague and indirect, were promptly forwarded to the Griffith Police Department and school administrators for thorough investigation," Sibley said.

All Griffith schools were promptly placed on lockdown and parents were notified, he said.

The Lake County Sheriff's Department provided bomb-sniffing dogs to aid in the investigation.

"A comprehensive physical search of school buildings was conducted, complemented by a meticulous review of the schools' robust security systems, including video footage," according to Sibley.

"Fortunately, both the physical search and the review of security systems revealed no breach that would compromise the safety of students or staff," he said. "Subsequently, in consultation with the police administration, the lockdown was lifted."

Region mom sentenced in torture death of her 4-year-old son LAPORTE  The mother of 4-year-old Judah Morgan, whose young tortured body was found dead in October 2021, was sentenced to 42 years behind ba

Additional threats came in, but were promptly determined to be not credible, Sibley said.

"In response to these incidents, an increased police presence, comprising uniformed and non-uniformed officers, will be maintained at the schools throughout today (Monday) and in the immediate future," according to Sibley.

"The Griffith Police Department reiterates its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for such threats and vows to utilize all available local, state and federal resources to identify and prosecute the individual or individuals responsible for the fear and disruption caused," he said.
CROWN POINT  A Merrillville man was charged last week with grabbing a woman's genitals multiple times at a Hobart bar in December.

Nigel Phillips, 21, was arrested Thursday on a charge of sexual battery and posted a $2,000 cash bond Friday, according to court records.

When police arrived on Dec. 16 to Cagney's Saloon at 236 Main St. in Hobart, people were "pouring" out of the front door of the business, according to information in a probable-cause affidavit.

Bouncers at the front of the bar were pointing at Phillips and said he touched a woman inappropriately and then fist-fought multiple others, police said.

Phillips approached the victim while she was talking to her friends and said, "You want some of this? Are you trying to talk to my baby mama?" and then touched her genitals, according to the affidavit.

The victim said the touching was not consensual and the incident left her "speechless," police said.

Phillips then fought multiple people who were trying to defend the victim, the affidavit said.

Witnesses identified Phillips as the man who was involved, police said.

When officers tried to detain Phillips, he resisted and swung his arm, police said.

The second time officers tried to detain him, he clenched his fist and pulled away, police said.

Officers were eventually able to handcuff him and take him into custody, polce said.

Phillips was also charged with resisting law enforcement, public intoxication and battery, all misdemeanors.
A 26-year-old Portage man, serving a 20-year-sentence after pleading guilty to having a 16-year-old girl repeatedly produce sexually explicit photos and videos with a 4-year-old girl, died at a federal prison in Michigan, officials said.

Romio Xavier Hawkins was found unresponsive Monday at the Milan prison, and life-saving efforts were not successful, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said in a statement.

No further details were available.

Hawkins had been at Milan for 13 months after pleading guilty in 2022 to producing child sexual abuse images.

Hawkins admitted to law enforcement that he possessed more than 1,000 images and 300 videos containing child pornography, including materials featuring toddlers and infants, according to United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Wanted man nabbed after camera alerts police of his vehicle, report says A Porter County police officer said he was patrolling in the area of U.S. 12 and Ind. 149 around 6:30 p.m. Thursday when he was alerted by the license plate recognition system that a vehicle linked to a wanted man was nearby.

Hawkins was sentenced in July 2022 by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, Hawkins instructed the young girl to produce the sexually explicit material on multiple occasions between January and February 2021.

Milan is a low-security prison, 50 miles southwest of Detroit.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Developers Jeff Ban and Jeff Buchko will give a presentation to the Crown Point Rotary Club.

Ban and Buchko, of Development Vision Group, will address the club at its weekly lunch meeting at 12:10 p.m. Jan. 24. The gathering at the Youche Country Club at 2301 W. 129th Place in Crown Point is open to the public.

"The Development Vision Group, known for its commitment to excellence and innovative approaches to community development, will share insights and perspectives on their experiences and the evolving landscape of the industry," the Crown Point Rotary Club said in a press release. "This dynamic duo brings a wealth of expertise, leadership, and vision to the forefront, making them exceptional choices to address the Crown Point Rotary Club."

Ban is the principal co-chairman of the Development Vision Group. Buchko is the president.

The Development Vision Group has been developing the Point 65 business park, which is at the southeast corner of I-65 and State Road 231 in Crown Point. It also developed the booming Beacon Hill development that's home to tenants like Lakeshore Bone & Joint, Hampton Inn and Suites, Code Ninjas, Starbucks, Rosati's and Eli's Golden Apple Restaurant and Pancake House.

"The Crown Point Rotary Club is excited to host Jeff Ban and Jeff Buchko, recognizing their significant contributions to community development," the Crown Point Rotary Club said in a press release. "Club members and guests alike are eager to gain insights into the innovative strategies employed by the Development Vision Group to create vibrant and thriving communities."

The Crown Point Rotary Club meets weekly in Crown Point and often has a guest speaker. It aims to make a positive impact through community outreach, service projects and greater connection among local leaders. It follows the motto, "Service Above Self."

For more information, visit www.crownpointrotary.org.
While teacher's pay in Indiana rose $2,000 in 2023 from the previous year, it still trailed behind average salaries for educators in neighboring states, according to data from the state's Education Employment Relations Board.

The average teacher's salary statewide in 2023 was $58,531, up from $56,609 in 2022, according to IEERB's 2022-23 teacher compensation report.

While state law requires a minimum salary of $40,000 for full-time, the lowest reported teacher's salary was $38,000, while the highest was $108,318.

Despite the raise, teacher's pay in Indiana lagged behind other Midwest states. Wisconsin's average teacher's salary was $61,858, while Ohio's average pay stood at $71,495, according to the IEERB.

A bill filed in this legislative session seeks to raise the required minimum teacher's salary to $60,000.

The average teacher's salary in Northwest Indiana was slightly lower than the statewide average  at around $57,700. Crown Point Community School Corp. had the highest average salary in the Region, at $71,250. The next highest average salaries were in Lake Central schools at $67,371, and Duneland schools at $66,117.

Tri-Township schools had the lowest average salary for educators in Northwest Indiana at $40,894, nearly $10,000 less than the second-lowest average salary in the area  Lake Station schools at $50,245.

A majority of districts negotiated new collective bargaining agreements with their teachers' unions during the beginning of the school year. Educators in River Forest and Union Township schools saw the largest pay bumps of $5,000 and $6,000 respectively.

No agreement has been made yet between the School City of Hammond and its teachers, with the Hammond Teachers' Federation casting a vote of no confidence in the district's administration last month.

The union is planning on picketing at the Hammond schools' administration building on Tuesday evening.

Average teacher's salaries in Northwest Indiana

Crown Point Community School Corp. $71,250 Gary Community School Corp. $64,396 Griffith Public Schools $59,959 School City of Hammond $61,820 Hanover Community School Corp. $56,876 School Town of Highland $56,784 Lake Central School Corp. $67,371 Lake Ridge Schools $56,227 Lake Station Community Schools $50,245 Merrillville Community School Corp. $56,347 School Town of Munster $61,645 River Forest Community School Corp. $51,040 School City of East Chicago $56,308 School City of Hobart $62,488 Tri-Creek School Corp. $58,440 School City of Whiting $53,804 LaPorte Community School Corp. $56,907 Michigan City Area Schools $54,813 New Durham Township Schools $54,702 New Prairie United School Corp. $53,802 South Central Community School Corp. $51,496 Tri-Township School Corp. $40,894 Hebron Schools $58,665 Duneland School Corp. $66,117 East Porter County School Corp. $52,488 Portage Township Schools $57,767 Porter Township School Corp. $56,669 Union Township School Corp. $61,899 Valparaiso Community Schools $63,337

Where do teacher salaries stretch the furthest? Where do teacher salaries stretch the furthest? Teacher salaries stretch furthest in these southern metros K-12 teacher salaries stretch most in Washington state metros Top metros for postsecondary teachers: Northeast flounders, Southwest dominates Metros where real income for teachers lags by thousands of dollars
GARY  Eddie Melton is a man with a plan.

The newly-elected mayor laid out what he hopes to achieve in his first 100 days in office during a Monday Gary Chamber of Commerce meeting. Held at the Marquette Park Pavilion, the luncheon was the Gary Chamber of Commerce' first meeting of the year. Monday was also Melton's eighth day in office; throughout the past week Melton has continued to round-out his leadership team, appointed Glenn Johnson to the Gary School Board and organized a garbage cleanup campaign in Gary's major corridors.

Melton said his team has "hit the ground running" and is ready to transform the Steel City.

"I welcome you to the greater Gary, Indiana," Melton told the crowd of city officials and business leaders. "If Indiana is the heartland of America, then Gary is the heart beat of this nation."

With the Gary's proximity to four major highways, three rail lines, a deep water sea port, the Gary/Chicago International Airport and the Indiana Dunes National Park, Melton said the city is "poised for greatness." However, he said the city's most valuable asset is its people.

"For over 100 years it was the steel, from U.S. Steel that made this nation what it is today," Melton said. "That's what we're cut from."

However, achieving the greatness Melton predicts won't happen overnight. That's why, using community feedback, Melton has crafted a plan for his first 100 days in office. The 18-page plan, which is available at eddiemelton.com, covers everything from economic development to education.

Many of the goals Melton mentioned during the Chamber luncheon involved creating specific commissions or task forces to deal with different city issues. Melton plans on creating an ethics reform advisory commission to create a culture of morality and transparency within City Hall, he is also creating an Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Council, a Public Health Advisory Council for seniors, a Housing Task Force that will work to address homelessness and create more quality housing in the city, and an education roundtable that includes Indiana University Northwest, Ivy Tech, the Gary Community School Corporation and local charter schools.

Currently, the Melton Administration working to stabilize city finances by renegotiating certain contracts and implementing other cost-saving measures. Over the next few weeks, the city will put out a Request for Proposals for street light and traffic light repairs.

Many of Melton's long-term goals rely on key organizational partnerships. A group of local contractors, led by Rieth-Riley Construction have come together to demolish up to 100 vacant homes in the Aetna neighborhood, which is part of the Miller Transit Development District. The city will only have to pay for demolition disposal costs, Melton said work will likely begin in the next few weeks.

Melton is looking to combat blight by partnering with Gary Schools, the Gary Housing Authority and private land owners to create a long-term plan for the city's many vacant properties and by working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and local law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal dumping.

"These aren't things that are wishful thinking, these are things that are getting ready to happen," Melton assured the crowd.

During the Monday Chamber luncheon, Melton also announced new members of his leadership team. Gary School Board President Michael Suggs will be his Chief Operating Officer, Carla Morgan, former East Chicago city attorney, has been named corporation counsel, William Allen has been named city engineer and former Gary Common Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade has been named director of parks. Melton said all of new appointees are Gary residents.

Melton previously named Ellis Dumas chief of staff, Marcia Hardinson his executive assistant, Larry Tillman II fire chief and Derrick Cannon Sr. police chief. Melton said he will continue to announce the rest of his leadership team throughout the next few weeks.

PHOTOS: First Gary Common Council meeting of 2024 Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting Gary Common Council reorganization meeting
A synagogue in Michigan City got a bomb threat that's now being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Michigan City Police Department spokesman Steve Westphal said the Sinai Temple at 2800 Franklin Street in Michigan was emailed a bomb threat Monday morning.

"The Michigan City Police Department responded to that call. We reached out to the Porter County Sheriffs Department and the Valparaiso Police Department to have them bring their bomb detection dogs to the temple. A complete search of the building was conducted by the dogs and officers."

A search determined the building was clear.

"No explosives were found and the building was deemed safe," Westphal said. "From there, the FBI was contacted and this matter is being turned over to them for continued investigation."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 1,124 anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available.
A Northwest Indiana woman was crowned the 65th Indiana State Fair Queen.

Alexxys Standish, who was Miss Newton County 2023, is the first Newton County representative to be named Indiana State Fair Queen.

She was picked from more than 80 candidates. She will represent the Indiana State Fair around the state, traveling 6,500 miles to more than 45 countries in the summer. Her job will be to raise awareness about the state fair in Indianapolis, which seeks to showcase "agriculture and youth in an educational and entertaining environment."

Established in 1852, it runs for 15 days every August, when it features 4-H exhibition, agricultural education and a smattering of deep-fried foods.

The first runner-up was Maya Narayan of Elkhart County, the second runner-up was Sadie Herring of Vigo County, the third runner-up was Alex Kerkhove of White County and the fourth runner-up was Hannah Martinez of Steuben County.

Finalists from Jay County, Whitley County, Delaware County, Marion County and Washington County founded out the top 10.

Avery Shrider from Wabash County was named Miss Congeniality.

Standish is pursuing a career in occupational therapy.

She plans to seek a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Indiana University Indianapolis, aiming to specialize in pediatrics.

The Indiana University student is active in a number of community causes such as the Kentland Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana Volunteer Fire Association and the Miss Flame Organization.

She also volunteers for the Newton County 4-H organization, Junior Achievement and cancer research.

For more information, visit www.indianastatefair.com.
HAMMOND  Federal prosecutors are opposing any reduction to the prison term of former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich.

Buncich asked a federal judge in November to cut his 151-month sentence  of which he's served 72 months  to 121 months, or less, based on a recent, retroactive revision to the federal sentencing guidelines for defendants with no prior criminal history and little chance of reoffending.

In response, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Temkin argues on behalf of U.S. Attorney Clifford Johnson in a Friday court filing that Buncich does not qualify for the reduction, and even if he did, Buncich's sentence already accounts for the limited possibility he could commit the same crimes again.

Buncich, a Democrat, was convicted in 2017 of bribery and honest services wire fraud after accepting thousands of dollars in bribes from towing companies in exchange for lucrative towing contracts with the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

Temkin said Buncich is disqualified by rule from receiving a reduced prison term because his sentencing included an aggravating-role enhancement based on the former sheriff's position as the organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants or was otherwise extensive.

"His aggravating-role enhancement means he does not qualify for a zero-point reduction. That is enough to deny his motion," Temkin said.

However, even if Buncich were potentially eligible, Temkin said Buncich's original sentence already was adjusted for his low recidivism risk given his limited chances of once again holding a public office where he could betray the public's trust by accepting bribes.

"This was all in front of the court in 2020. No less than 151 months imprisonment was warranted then, and no less is warranted now. Nothing has changed. Neither should Buncichs sentence," Temkin said.

A ruling on Buncich's sentence reduction request is expected in coming months.

Buncich, 78, currently is scheduled to be released from the federal inmate medical center in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 5, 2027, federal prison records show.

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
American distillers have been turning their attention to single malts, defined in Scotland as whisky produced in one distillery from 100 percent malted barley. In the United States these rules are usually followed, but have yet to be mandated by government regulators; it should happen soon. In Wassaic, N.Y., in the Hudson Valley, John Dyson is betting on the appeal of American single malts at his Tenmile Distillery. A former state Commissioner of Agriculture and Tourism who owns Millbrook Vineyards & Winery nearby and Williams Selyem winery in California, Mr. Dyson hired Shane Fraser, a master distiller from Scotland, to run the distillery. Their Little Rest Whisky, with whisky spelled as it is in Scotland since the distillery produces the spirit as is done in Scotland, is the second edition, recently released after a very limited first run. Its light bronze and scented of toast and honey, with notes of hazelnuts on the palate, and excellent to sip with or without ice. If terroir can shape a whiskey, this one evokes the gentle, welcoming Hudson Valley. The distillery also produces gin and vodka.

Tenmile Distillery Little Rest Single Malt, $100 for 750 milliliters, tenmiledistillery.com.
After Joe Bidens speech on Friday marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection and laying out the democratic stakes of the next election, Mitt Romney pronounced himself unimpressed. As a Biden campaign theme, I think the threat to democracy pitch is a bust, the Utah Republican told a New York Times reporter. Biden needs fresh material, a new attack, rather than kicking a dead political horse.

If he is right, its as much an indictment of America  including the American media  as of the Biden campaign. It would mean that Donald Trump has already broken us, so frying Americas circuits that we can no longer process the authoritarian peril right in front of us.

Whether or not it was savvy for Biden to center his first campaign speech of the year on the danger Trump poses to democracy, his words had the virtue of being true. Trumps assault on democracy isnt just part of his past, Biden said in the speech. Its what hes promising for the future. Hes being straightforward. Hes not hiding the ball.

Romney almost certainly shares Bidens sense of foreboding; as his biographer McKay Coppins wrote, after Jan. 6, Romney became obsessed with the fall of great civilizations throughout history. This is a very fragile thing, he said of Americas democratic experiment. Authoritarianism is like a gargoyle lurking over the cathedral, ready to pounce.
This week in the Republican-led House, G.O.P. representatives plan to kick off their formal effort to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary who has been one of their favorite punching bags.

Over in the Senate, a group of Republicans is pressing to finalize and announce an emerging deal they have negotiated with Mr. Mayorkas in a series of high-stakes talks about how to address the surge in migration at the U.S. border with Mexico.

The disconnect highlights a broader split among Republicans that could complicate Congresss efforts to reach an agreement on new border policies  and further imperil the push to fund the government and send additional aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks. While the House G.O.P. has pushed a hard line on immigration, insisting on severe restrictions and the ouster of the Biden administration official who oversees it, some Senate Republicans have instead sought to force a compromise on the issue, relying in part on Mr. Mayorkas to seal the deal.

For more than a year, Mr. Mayorkas has been a prime target of congressional Republicans, especially in the House, who have accused him of intentionally flouting the law to allow migrants and illicit drugs into the country. But in recent weeks, Mr. Mayorkas has emerged as a key player in the bipartisan Senate talks, which aim to satisfy G.O.P. demands that a border crackdown be part of any deal to speed security assistance to Ukraine.
Voters in Iowa are about to cast their ballots, and were back, ready to guide you through what promises to be an election year like no other.

Im Lisa Lerer, the founding writer of On Politics. As youd expect at this time of year, Im writing to you from chilly Des Moines, where I just outran some serious snow to cover the final week before the caucuses.

Typically, this is a period of the political calendar known for drama. Candidates race across the state, attack ads flood local television and Caseys general store does rapid business in breakfast pizza.

This year is  not that, exactly. Donald Trump leads the polls by more than 30 points, despite visiting the state infrequently compared with his rivals. His expansive advantage has transformed the Iowa caucuses into a contest for second place. If none of Trumps five rivals chip away at his lead, the caucuses could become more like an early coronation.
Nikki Haley was repeatedly challenged over policy views that veer away from her more conservative rivals during an hourlong town-hall event on Fox News on Monday, but she stood her ground  and called Donald J. Trump an agent of chaos and Ron DeSantis a liar.

With the Iowa caucuses one week away, Ms. Haley has much ground to make up against the front-runner and former president, Mr. Trump, but a second-place finish ahead of Mr. DeSantis, the Florida governor, could propel her into New Hampshire, which hosts the first primary of 2024.

Ms. Haley has consistently attacked Mr. DeSantis, but on Monday evening, she took some swipes at Mr. Trump as well, saying he copped out on the United States international alliances, lied about her record and brought turmoil with his presidency.

Chaos follows him, and we cannot be a country in disarray, she said before a live audience in Des Moines that greeted the jab with applause.
In northwestern Iowa on Monday, Vivek Ramaswamy addressed, unprompted, a question that has trailed him throughout his presidential bid: Why should voters choose him instead of Donald J. Trump, the former president whom he routinely and staunchly defends?

Rather than breaking with Mr. Trump, who leads Mr. Ramaswamy by 50 points or more in national polls, voters who support Mr. Ramaswamys proposals have often recognized his alignment with Mr. Trump on numerous issues. Many suggest instead that Mr. Ramaswamy would make a strong vice president or future president.

With under a week until the Iowa caucuses, and as he polls in a distant fourth place in the state, Mr. Ramaswamy has addressed those concerns without wavering in his support for Mr. Trump.

If you think theyre going to let this man get anywhere near the White House again, I want you to open your eyes, Mr. Ramaswamy told around 20 voters in Le Mars, Iowa. (In recent weeks, he has leaned into conspiracy theories on the campaign trail.)
A driver crashed into an exterior gate near the White House shortly before 6 p.m. Monday and was taken into custody, the Secret Service said, adding that the agency was still investigating whether the crash was intentional.

We can definitively say that theres no risk to the complex or the adjacent neighborhood, and the investigation into his motivations continue, Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the Secret Service, said in a statement.

President Biden was not at the White House during the crash.

Images from the scene showed the back of a gray sport utility vehicle with a Virginia license plate stopped before a security checkpoint at the perimeter of the White House complex. No damage was visible, but the photos did not show the front of the car.

The Washington fire department also responded to the incident and said shortly after 7 p.m. that it had cleared the scene. Mr. Guglielmi posted on the X platform shortly after 7:30 p.m. that the vehicle had been cleared by the local police and that the streets around the White House that had been closed to traffic would be reopened.
Violence that included sexual atrocities committed during the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7 in Israel amounts to war crimes and may also be crimes against humanity, two United Nations human rights experts said on Monday, following months of frustrated accusations from Israel and womens groups that the U.N. was ignoring the rape and sexual mutilation of women during the Oct. 7 invasion.

Alice Jill Edwards, a special rapporteur on torture, and Morris Tidball-Binz, a special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the growing evidence of sexual violence in the days wide range of brutal attacks was particularly harrowing, noting allegations of sexual assault, gang rape, mutilation and gunshots to the genital areas.

In a statement, they called for full accountability for the multitude of alleged crimes, and urged all parties to agree to a cease-fire, abide by international law, and investigate any crimes alleged to have occurred during the fighting.

These acts constitute gross violations of international law, amounting to war crimes which, given the number of victims and the extensive premeditation and planning of the attacks, may also qualify as crimes against humanity, they said. There are no circumstances that justify their perpetration.

Israeli officials say about 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage on Oct. 7. Investigators with Israels top national police unit, Lahav 433, have been gathering evidence of cases of sexual violence but have not specified a number. Hamas has denied the accusations of sexual violence.

Reacting to the experts statement on Monday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said on social media: Harrowing. Hamas horrific acts of sexual violence must be immediately and unequivocally condemned.
Israel launched strikes into southern Lebanon on Monday against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia, which said one of its senior commanders had been killed there, adding to concerns that Israels fight against Hamas in Gaza could erupt into a wider regional war.

Hezbollah and Israel have shelled and fired rockets at each other frequently over the past three months, in some of the most intense fighting along the Lebanese border since Israel and Hezbollah were at war in 2006.

The killing of the commander came amid Secretary of State Antony J. Blinkens latest trip to the Middle East, part of the Biden administrations efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from spreading to other fronts, and as Israeli officials issued new warnings to their adversaries.

During a visit to northern Israel on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers guarding the border that Israel was ready to do whatever is necessary to restore security to the north.
Donald Trump appeared today in front of an appeals court panel in Washington to argue that he is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election because they arose from actions he took as president. The three judges on the panel seemed unconvinced, suggesting that they are unlikely to rule in the former presidents favor.

All three judges who heard Trumps appeal seemed pretty skeptical, my colleague, Alan Feuer, told me.

The panel appeared particularly wary when Trumps lawyer said during the hearing that a president could assassinate a political rival and still be shielded from prosecution unless the Senate first convicted him at an impeachment proceeding. However, the judges looked torn at times about how broadly they might rule; one suggested that a decision to deny immunity could result in a flood of partisan prosecutions of former presidents.

The appeals court is expected to make its ruling fairly quickly. Regardless of the decision, the issue of immunity is likely to reach the Supreme Court, where the justices will determine not only whether the case goes to trial, but when. Trump has been trying to push the trial back until after the 2024 election, when a victory could lead to charges being dropped.
Federal regulators on Tuesday said Boeing was revising its instructions for how airlines should inspect its 737 Max 9, delaying the manufacturers effort to get the jet back in the air after a panel in one of the planes blew out during a flight late last week.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the company would change the instructions it had released on Monday based on feedback, but the agency did not provide more details. Instructions on how to comply with F.A.A. rules are often drafted and distributed by airplane manufacturers, with input from airlines and the federal agency to ensure that they can be consistently followed by technicians.

Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing, the F.A.A. will conduct a thorough review, the F.A.A. said in a statement. The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service.

The announcement that Boeing was revising the instructions comes after two airlines reported finding loose parts in the area of the panel that is under inspection.
Billions of people will vote in major elections this year  around half of the global population, by some estimates  in one of the largest and most consequential democratic exercises in living memory. The results will affect how the world is run for decades to come.

At the same time, false narratives and conspiracy theories have evolved into an increasingly global menace.

Baseless claims of election fraud have battered trust in democracy. Foreign influence campaigns regularly target polarizing domestic challenges. Artificial intelligence has supercharged disinformation efforts and distorted perceptions of reality. All while major social media companies have scaled back their safeguards and downsized election teams.

Almost every democracy is under stress, independent of technology, said Darrell M. West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank. When you add disinformation on top of that, it just creates many opportunities for mischief.
One of televisions longest-running soap operas is about to start a new chapter.

Donald J. Trump has not appeared for a live interview on Fox News since April 2022, a nearly two-year stretch of chilliness between the former president and the channel whose airwaves he once relied on to cement his status atop the American right.

In that period, all of Mr. Trumps Fox News interviews were pretaped, a notable precaution for a network that paid $787.5 million to settle a defamation lawsuit fueled by the former presidents mendacious claims about the 2020 election. That changes on Wednesday, when Mr. Trump will appear live on the network for a town hall in Des Moines ahead of the Iowa caucuses.

The relationship between Mr. Trump and the Rupert Murdoch-owned network has featured more drama than a season of Real Housewives. But Wednesdays event is not only a turning point and a potential ratings winner for Fox News: It is also the former presidents first live interview on any major news network since he went on CNN last May, an event that drew harsh criticism for the volume and velocity of his unfiltered false claims.

Mr. Trump has not exactly been silenced. He refused the invitations of several networks to participate in live Republican primary debates. And he has agreed to numerous pretaped interviews, including an appearance on NBC in September that also prompted complaints from viewers who berated the network for providing him a platform.
When he joined The Los Angeles Times as its top editor nearly three years ago, Kevin Merida was hailed as a leader who would restore calm to a newsroom that had been buffeted by cost-cutting and corporate ownership battles.

Now, hes exiting with little warning, an abrupt departure that leaves the largest news organization in the West in a state of flux.

Mr. Merida told staff members on Tuesday that he was stepping down after considerable soul-searching about my career.

He did not specify exactly why he was leaving, but he did say that his last day would be on Friday.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, the biotechnology billionaire who owns The Times, said in a note to the newspapers staff that he and Mr. Merida had mutually agreed that Mr. Merida should leave.
The numbers are in, and scientists can now confirm what month after month of extraordinary heat worldwide began signaling long ago. Last year was Earths warmest by far in a century and a half.

Global temperatures started blowing past records midyear and didnt stop. First, June was the planets warmest June on record. Then, July was the warmest July. And so on, all the way through December.

Averaged across last year, temperatures worldwide were 1.48 degrees Celsius, or 2.66 Fahrenheit, higher than they were in the second half of the 19th century, the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service announced this week. That is warmer by a sizable margin than 2016, the previous hottest year.

On Friday, scientists at NASA similarly found the global average temperature in 2023 was about 1.37 degrees Celsius higher than preindustrial levels, while according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, last year was 1.34 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial average.
The Norwegian Parliament voted on Tuesday to authorize the opening of parts of the Norwegian Sea to seabed mining exploration, a move that reflects rising international demand for the metals needed to build batteries for electric vehicles worldwide.

The decision clears the way for prospectors to look for seabed deposits between Norway and Greenland, mostly above the Arctic Circle, in areas under Norways national jurisdiction.

Proposals for mining exploration in both international waters and coastal areas like those off Norway have encountered stiff opposition from environmentalists who say that not enough is known about the life at the bottom of sea to authorize mining.

Initially, the work in Norway will involve collecting information about the amount of metals in the seabed and what harm large-scale mining might cause to aquatic life.
The agencys label, which was primarily aimed at doctors, was supposed to sound an alert about the 25-year-old medication, Singulair, also known by its generic name, montelukast. But it barely dented use: The drug was still prescribed to 12 million people in the United States in 2022.

Children face the greatest risks of the drugs ill effects, and while usage by minors did decline, it was still taken by 1.6 million of them  including Nicole Simss son. Ms. Sims had no idea why, at 6, her son started having nightmares and hallucinations of a woman in the window. When he told her that he wanted to die, Ms. Sims went online, desperate for answers.
It arrived without fanfare or explanation, marked Lot No. 313 at the J. James Auction House in Plymouth, Mass. A simple flag, bearing an E and a C alongside a compass star, against a red, white and blue background.

Few would see it and care. But in New York City, alerts sounded on phones and computer screens. Could it be?

Some flags mark a place and a moment: I was here. See me. This flag had served that purpose once, more than 70 years ago at the bottom of the world, where it had been carried by one of the most famous men alive.

To anyone in America in the 1930s and the decades that followed, Adm. Richard E. Byrds name was attached to the extreme limits of human exploration in the uncharted Antarctic. His exploits to the so-called White Continent played out in breathless newspaper coverage in real time: Byrd, in Isolation, Reports Blizzard. New York City threw him not one, not two, but three ticker-tape parades.
Dyluis Rojas and his wife and children fled first from Venezuela and later from Colombia and Chile, crossing deserts, jungles and rivers with one goal: to make it to the United States and stay there.

The family arrived in June 2022. Less than a year and a half later, they were elated when they received news that their asylum application had been approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, one of the federal agencies that processes immigration matters. Mr. Rojas and his wife could soon begin to work. They would eventually be able to apply for green cards.

Then, a few days later, another letter arrived, with the same date and signed by the same official. It said that Mr. Rojass asylum claim had been deemed not credible and that he had not been granted asylum. The family faced the possibility of deportation.

We were at zero all over again, Mr. Rojas said.

It is unclear why two opposing notices were issued and which one will stand. Immigration lawyers said that Mr. Rojass situation seemed highly unusual, but that miscommunication by and within government agencies was not uncommon. Now, the family is waiting again, uncertain about their fate.
As New York City faced a worsening homelessness crisis in recent years, officials repeatedly sought to hide the reality on the ground, according to a city investigation released on Tuesday.

The investigation came after reports that homeless families stayed overnight at a Bronx intake office in the summer of 2022, violating a legal mandate requiring the city to provide them shelter. The former social services commissioner, Gary Jenkins, delayed reporting the violation and did not give a full accounting of the situation to the mayors office, according to the 49-page report by the New York City Department of Investigation.

Investigators found that city officials had failed to identify at least six other previously unreported violations of the rules that are meant to prevent families from being without shelter overnight.

At the same time, officials intentionally manipulated public data about the number of families eligible for shelter from 2017 until 2022  under the mayoral administrations of Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams  to make the problem appear less severe, the report found.
Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to deny charges that he accepted bribes to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar and defiantly warned colleagues that they could be next.

Mr. Menendez, in an extraordinary speech, accused the Justice Department of targeting him in a public smear campaign, saying prosecutors brought indictments based on baseless conjecture, not facts and dribbled out new accusations to erode his public standing.

He explained his conduct, laid out in the federal charges, as acts of routine statesmanship, not corruption. And he claimed, without further explanation, that it would become clear at trial that there was no evidence that gold bars and cash authorities found in his home were bribes.

The United States attorneys office is engaged not in a prosecution, but a persecution, Mr. Menendez said, growing emotional at times. They seek a victory, not justice.
Since arriving from Venezuela four months ago, Joana Rivas has slowly found some semblance of stability in New York City, picking up occasional cleaning jobs and enrolling her 9-year-old daughter at a public school in Manhattan.

As she navigates her new city, a crucial anchor for Ms. Rivas has been the free housing she was given at a hotel-turned-shelter near Times Square. On Tuesday, however, her time at the shelter ran out. Ms. Rivas had to keep her daughter home from school and pack their belongings to go and apply for new housing.

Tonight, I dont know where well go, Ms. Rivas, 39, said outside a welcoming center for migrants in Midtown Manhattan. I came here just to see what they would tell me, with the hope that my daughter has somewhere to stay tonight.

New York City has begun to evict dozens of migrant families that had reached their 60-day limits on stays in the homeless shelter system, the latest effort by the city to urge more of them to leave and find permanent housing. Nearly 70,000 migrants are living in a patchwork of hotels, homeless shelters and giant, winterized tents set up by the city.
January is a time for setting goals and agendas. Gov. Kathy Hochul spent the past week outlining the themes for the State of the State Message she will deliver today. Here's a recap of the main proposals she has discussed:

Last year there were tensions in Albany: Legislative leaders said Hochul, a moderate Democrat, had stood in the way of a deal on housing initiatives. Left-leaning Democrats in the Legislature also clashed with her over issues ranging from the states bail laws to her nominee to be the states top judge. Today those Democrats will be listening for indications that Hochul will be receptive to policy concessions this time around.

I asked Grace Ashford, who covers state government for the Metro desk, to assess Hochuls proposed agenda  and tell us what she will be listening for.
A defense attorney for the National Rifle Association on Tuesday fought back against a civil suit by the State of New York, arguing that the actions of the N.R.A.s leader, who spent fortunes on luxuries and travel, were not those of the organization itself.

The trial in a Manhattan courtroom comes as the nations most prominent gun lobby has been roiled by internal divisions, including the announced resignation last week of Wayne LaPierre, its leader for more than three decades. He was at the organizations head as it became a powerhouse in American politics, batting back gun control efforts at the local and federal levels.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for the group, Sarah Rogers, tried in her opening statements to distance the organization from Mr. LaPierre, telling jurors that while he was a valuable leader, he was not always a meticulous corporate executive.

The N.R.A. is not Wayne LaPierre, Ms. Rogers said.

Ms. Rogers told the jury that no dollars donated to the N.R.A. were misspent, while also touting the groups gun education and safety programs, womens initiatives, and hunting and conservation advocacy.
It was only when I attempted to make small talk with my visibly squirming seatmate on a Raleigh-Durham to New York flight that I realized it was me causing that look of horror on his face, rather than the slight turbulence we had been experiencing since takeoff. A friendly chat, I had thought, might help distract him from flight anxiety. But then I noticed his eyes  wide with fear  were fixed on my computer screen, which displayed an investigative report on an airplane crash I had been reading.

I slammed the laptop shut, stammered an apology and mumbled about how these detailed crash reports were, in fact, highly comforting, and it had just slipped my mind where I was, and it hadnt been my intention to spread worry 

Well, never mind.

But its true. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation report reads like a how-to book for pulling off miracles and achieving seemingly incredible levels of safety. These reports renew ones faith in what humanity can achieve if we apply our brainpower and resources to it.

But they also remind us that, much like liberty, these exceptional levels of commercial airline safety require eternal vigilance against the usual foes: greed, negligence, failure to adapt, complacency, revolving doors at regulatory agencies and so on.
This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email transcripts@nytimes.com with any questions.

There is a concept in Judaism called Chillul Hashem. Its one of the greatest sins that a human being can commit. And it is to do something that would bring Gods name itself into disrepute. It seems to me that forcing Palestinians in Gaza into a situation where their choices are either death or expulsion is Chillul Hashem, a sin for which there, actually, in Jewish law, cannot be atoned for.

In a more historical vein, it strikes me as a profound and deeply disturbing irony that a people whose own history has been marked by mass expulsion now has a state that is speaking in our name and enacting policies that are very likely going to create mass expulsion of other people.

My name is Peter Beinart. Im the author of The Beinart Notebook on Substack. Im also editor-at-large of Jewish currents. And Ive been writing for The Times about the war in Israel and Gaza. The conventional wisdom in the United States is that Israel doesnt have a plan for what it wants to do in Gaza after it succeeds in toppling Hamas from power.

But if you listen to Israeli government officials and you look at the consequences of this war on the ground, you can see that at least some in Israels government do, indeed, have a strategy, or at least a preference. That strategy is not only to depose Hamas from power, but it is to force many Palestinians in Gaza to leave the territory themselves. Israels conduct of the war since Hamass massacre on October 7 has virtually made the Gaza Strip unlivable.

85 percent of people have been forced from their homes. Close to 70 percent of the homes themselves have been damaged or destroyed. And a very large percentage of people are now at risk of famine. So Gaza has become a place thats extraordinarily difficult to live in.

Within six days of Hamass attack on October 7, there was a paper that was issued by Israels intelligence ministry that suggested that Israel should try to force Gazans out of the Gaza Strip into the Sinai region of Egypt. Egypt has not opened its borders so that people from the Gaza Strip in any significant number can leave the Gaza Strip, but Egypt faces a massive international debt that it needs to pay this year. It owes $28 billion to international creditors. And that economic weakness, according to some reports, makes Israeli leaders believe that Egypt is vulnerable to international pressure to open its border.

These population transfers would mean that Palestinians in Gaza, most of whom are already from the families of refugees that were expelled or who fled in fear in 1948, that their descendants or even they themselves would be forced to become refugees a second time. Palestinians know in their bones that they could be expelled because they were expelled at least once before. Israel was created through the expulsion of more than half of the Palestinians who were then living in the territory that became Israel.

Thats why the Gaza Strip is so overcrowded, because most of the people who live there, their families are not originally from Gaza. Theyre from whats now parts of Israel, and their parents or grandparents or great-grandparents were expelled to what is now the Gaza Strip. And Israel has continued expulsion since then. There was another large scale expulsion when Israel conquered the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967. There are expulsions taking place in the West Bank to this day.

Palestinians know because of their family and national history, that Israel has tried to solve its Palestinian problem by forcing Palestinians out. And the Biden administration has said, clearly, that it does not want this to happen. But there is a contradiction between the Biden administrations rhetoric and its actions, because its policy is actually giving Israel the green light, which is to say that the massive US military aid to Israel, which has been ongoing through this war, and diplomatic support at the United Nations, has been unconditional.

I would like to see the United States go beyond mere words of condemnation and make it clear that the United States will not fund the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. I want US diplomats to understand that the forced expulsion of a population or part of a population is a war crime. It is the kind of thing that will stain the conscience of every nation that is complicit in it and stain the legacy of every US government official who is complicit in it.

I want US government officials to fear that this will be their legacy and to ensure that its not. And I would like Jews in Israel and the United States to think about how our ancestors who endured the kinds of things that Palestinians in Gaza are enduring now might think about what we are doing today.
Bruce Falck long dreamed of following the example set by his father, who ran a construction company in Johannesburg, South Africa: He wanted to build a house designed specifically for his family.

My dad was a civil engineer, and he built both of the houses I grew up in, said Mr. Falck, 52, a former Twitter executive now working on a start-up. I always thought of building a house as something a dad does for his family.

In 2011, he came close. Mr. Falck and his wife, Lauren Weitzman, now 41, who works at Google, bought a house in San Francisco, hiring the architecture firm Studio Vara to do a gut renovation. But just as construction was about to begin in 2013, the couple had a change of heart.
In December 2020, astronomers documented a burst of highly energetic light in one of the most distant galaxies ever observed. But less than a year later, the papers claims lay in limbo. Other scientists said it had merely been a passing satellite.

I was a bit sad that the gamma ray burst turned out to be just an artificial satellite, said Krzysztof Kaminski, an astronomer at the Astronomical Observatory Institute in Poland who said he matched the position, time and brightness of the discovery to an orbiting spacecraft.

Linhua Jiang, an astronomer at Peking University in Beijing who led the original finding, said his team stood by their work, adding that the probability of a satellite passing directly in front of the distant galaxy at exactly the right moment was minuscule at best.

The dispute likely will not be the last time that scientists argue over whether a passing satellite is being mistaken for an astronomical discovery.
The high-altitude chase started over Cape Canaveral on Feb. 17, 2023, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched. Thomas Parent, a NASA research pilot, was flying a WB-57 jet when the rocket ascended past the right wing  leaving him mesmerized before he hit the throttle to accelerate.

For roughly an hour, Mr. Parent dove in and out of the plume in the rockets wake while Tony Casey, the sensor equipment operator aboard the jet, monitored its 17 scientific instruments. Researchers hoped to use the data to prove they could catch a rockets plume and eventually characterize the environmental effects of a space launch.
Abbas Ganbay

The Turkish Ministry of Trade reported that Turkiye in January-December 2023 reduced exports of steel products to Azerbaijan by 15.1 percent compared to the same period last year to $114.2 mln, Azernews reports.

In December, Turkiye reduced exports of steel products to Azerbaijan by 35.3 percent compared to the same month in 2022 to $8.5 mln.

It should be noted that in January-December 2023, Turkiye's exports of steel products decreased by 29.2 percent compared to the same period last year to $14.9 bln.

In December this year, Turkiye exported steel products worth $1.4 bln, 2.1 percent more than in November last year.

It was noted that Turkiye exported $14.9 bln worth of steel products in the last 12 months (December 2022-December 2023).
Every generation gets the extraterrestrial invasion its times demand. In 1938, conflicts simmering in Europe meant that a radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds became a panic-inducing news event in America. In the McCarthy era, manufactured paranoia about Communists led to movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1958). The terrors of the Cold War coincided with the skittering xenomorph of Alien (1979), a conscienceless creature willing to destroy humanity to ensure its own survival.

Then, in 1982, just a few years before perestroika, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial introduced a different kind of alien  an adorable, empathic being in need of human assistance. This presaged a new attitude  open-minded, quasi-scientific  on shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94) and The X-Files (which first ran from 1993 to 2002), leading to comedy, the ultimate dismissal of alien exceptionalism. Sci-fi sitcoms like 3rd Rock From the Sun (1996-2001) and The Neighbors (2012-14) treated visitors from other worlds not unlike the Beverly Hillbillies: just more fish out of water.
Roundabout Theater Company, the biggest nonprofit operating on Broadway, is planning to stage a jazz-inflected production of The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivans famed 19th-century comic operetta, in the spring of 2025, the organization said Tuesday.

Next season it also plans to stage the first Broadway productions of two plays: English, Sanaz Toossis work about a group of Iranians trying to learn English, which won last years Pulitzer Prize in drama, and Yellow Face, David Henry Hwangs semi-autobiographical play sparked by the controversy over the casting of a white performer as a Eurasian character in the original production of Miss Saigon.

All three shows will be staged at the Todd Haimes Theater, which is currently called the American Airlines but is about to be renamed for the Roundabout chief executive and artistic director who died last year after four decades with the organization.

The announcement, which also includes plans for two Off Broadway plays and the promise of an Off Off Broadway work, indicates that Roundabout is planning its most robust season since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, a financially devastating period that, for Roundabout, has been followed by fewer productions and smaller casts. Although revivals of classic musicals were once Roundabouts bread and butter, The Pirates of Penzance will be the first musical production to begin at Roundabout in six years.
With the new year come wonderful new opportunities to explore the Golden State.

California has 279 state parks, which cover more than a million acres in all, from 230 feet below sea level at the Salton Sea to more than 10,000 feet above at the snowy summit of Mount San Jacinto. The state park system, the biggest in the nation, preserves impressive waterfalls and wildlife reserves, some of the worlds largest trees and the states most stunning flowers.

Today, I have some recommendations for state parks to visit in the winter, no matter what sort of vacation youre craving. And you can now check out free vehicle day-use passes for most state parks from your local library.

Happy traveling.

Learn more about the infamous Donner Party.

Donner Memorial State Park, a 10-minute drive west of Truckee, is a window into the travails of the 87 members of the Donner Party, settlers who were snowed in while trying to cross the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846-47 and who resorted to cannibalism to survive. The park offers miles of hiking trails and ranger-led snowshoe walks, as well as gentle terrain for cross-country skiing.

Get up close to elephant seals.

Ano Nuevo State Park is one of my favorite places to visit in winter. Its one of the few spots in North America where you can see elephant seals, massive animals who have made a remarkable recovery from the brink of extinction. They can be seen at the park year-round, but December through March is when they come ashore to mate, give birth and nurse their young. Park docents offer guided walks every day until March 31. Read more about reserving a spot on a tour.
After watching a growing series of tents and other makeshift shelters spread into city parks and sidewalks, officials in northwestern Montana decided it was time for a crackdown on homelessness.

In Kalispell, city leaders approved an ordinance to punish motorists who give money or supplies to panhandlers. They shut off water and electricity at a city park where some were seeking refuge. The county commissioners wrote an open letter to the community early last year, warning that providing shelter or resources to homeless people would enable them and entice more of them into the area.

It is our hope that our community will be unified in rejecting all things that empower the homeless lifestyle, the commissioners wrote.

But in the year since that call to action, the purge effort has done little to resolve a problem that is still apparent  even now amid the frigid depths of winter  on the streets of a city better known as a gateway to scenic ski slopes and Glacier National Park.
A United States Navy sailor who sent an intelligence officer working for the Chinese government photos of American military installations and details of naval training exercises in Asia was sentenced to more than two years in prison on Monday.

The 27-month sentence in federal court for the sailor, Wenheng Zhao, also known as Thomas, was lighter than those handed out to some other American citizens convicted of spying for China over the years. In 2019, a former C.I.A. officer, Kevin Patrick Mallory, received more than 20 years.

The case is a reminder of a broader espionage shadow war that has accompanied the intensifying rivalry between China and the United States.

American officials are worried in part because China has been building up its main intelligence agency and investing in wider recruitment, including of American citizens. Beijing, for its part, has offered rewards of tens of thousands of dollars to Chinese citizens who report spies, as part of a call for mass vigilance against foreign enemies.
A U.S. congressional committee has asked the Commerce Department to look into whether a giant technology company controlled by the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates should be put under trade restrictions because of its ties to China.

The company, G42, specializes in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and is overseen by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, the national security adviser of the Emirates and a younger brother of the countrys ruler.

It has signed recent agreements with prominent American technology companies, including Microsoft, Dell and OpenAI. A Silicon Valley chip firm, Cerebras, is building a supercomputer for G42 to create and power A.I. products.

But in a letter sent to the Commerce Department on Wednesday, the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said the company works extensively with Chinas military, intelligence services and state-owned entities, according to a copy obtained by The New York Times. The letter was signed by the chairman of the committee, Representative Mike Gallagher, Republican of Wisconsin.
As Democrats amplify their concerns about President Bidens status with Black voters, South Carolina has emerged as a proving ground for his campaign: one where he can test his message to a predominantly Black electorate and use it as a largely ceremonial launchpad for his re-election.

At events over the last few days, both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris offered reverential, policy-heavy re-election pitches to largely Black audiences and celebrated the Black organizers and community leaders who helped deliver the White House to Democrats, starting with those in the Palmetto State.

They also drew a contrast with former President Donald J. Trump and other Republican leaders, whose election denialism and efforts to whitewash history, they said, threaten the progress that Black Americans have spent generations fighting for.

Black voters have expressed frustration with the Biden administration for falling short on key campaign promises, and have shown less enthusiasm for Mr. Bidens re-election in polls and interviews. But in South Carolina, both Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris aimed to highlight the lesser-known victories their administration has notched over the last three years, and they argued that a second term would allow them to achieve even more. Black voters disaffection with Democrats, campaign aides and allies argue, is rooted in their lack of awareness of the White Houses accomplishments rather than in fundamental flaws with the Biden-Harris ticket.
It may feel as if there is little suspense over who is likely to win the Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa on Monday.

But in Iowa, the unexpected can be the expected and a win is not always a win. The result could shape the future of the Republican Party at a time of transition, and the future of the Iowa caucuses after a difficult decade. It could help determine whether Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador, presents a serious obstacle to Donald J. Trumps return to power  or whether Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, will be forced out of the race.

Heres a guide to some possible outcomes and what they mean for the contenders:

A Trump victory

All the assumptions about a big Trump night mean that the former presidents biggest opponent may turn out to be expectations  and not his two main rivals on the ballot, Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis. Mr. Trump and his campaign have set the bar high. Mr. Trump has run as an incumbent, not even debating his opponents. His aides say they think he can set a record for an open race by finishing at least 12 points ahead of his nearest rival.

And for Mr. Trump, that could be a problem.

Trump has been polling around 50 percent plus or minus, said Dennis J. Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Des Moines. If he were to come in at 40, thats a flashing yellow light. That suggests weaknesses and uncertainty.
The two lawyers who will be squaring off in court on Tuesday to debate the issue of whether former President Donald J. Trump is immune to charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election both have experience in high-profile appeals, but they come from different sides of the legal aisle.

Arguing the case on behalf of the special counsel, Jack Smith, will be James I. Pearce, a career federal prosecutor who has worked in both the Justice Departments public integrity section and in the appellate section of its criminal division. Mr. Pearce has taken part not only in several sensitive legal battles that Mr. Smith has waged during the prosecution of Mr. Trump on the election interference charges, but he has also played a crucial role in supporting the cases against hundreds of rioters who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

It was Mr. Pearce, for instance, who argued the governments side at countless hearings in Federal District Court in Washington when riot defendants sought the dismissal of an obstruction charge that is central to the Jan. 6 prosecutions. Mr. Pearce also argued in favor of the charge in front of the same federal appeals court he is appearing before today.

Last month, the Supreme Court said it would consider the scope of the obstruction law, and Mr. Pearce is likely to play a role in defending it in front of the nine justices as well.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has been hospitalized for the past week because of complications after he had prostate cancer surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said in a statement on Tuesday.

A hospital official said Mr. Austin was admitted on Jan. 1 with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain after he underwent what the hospital characterized as a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as a prostatectomy the week before. The defense secretary, who had developed an infection, was put in intensive care, where excess abdominal fluid was drained.

Since then, his infection has cleared, according to the statement, from Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut at Walter Reed.

In finally releasing the details of the ailment that had taken Mr. Austin  second only to the president in the military chain of command  out of action during crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, the Pentagon sought to fix its own unforced error. Mr. Austin had tried to protect his medical privacy; instead, his secrecy inflated the hospitalization into a full-blown national security crisis.
A three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Washington heard arguments on Tuesday in a momentous case over former President Donald J. Trumps claim that he is immune from criminal charges for the efforts he took to overturn the 2020 election.

A ruling by the court  and when it issues that decision  could be a major factor in determining when, or even whether, Mr. Trump will go to trial in the federal election case.

Here are some takeaways:

All three judges signaled skepticism with Trumps position.

The judges on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit appeared unlikely to dismiss the charges against Mr. Trump on grounds of presidential immunity, as he has asked them to do. The two Democratic appointees on the court, Judge J. Michelle Childs and Judge Florence Y. Pan, peppered John Sauer, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, with difficult questions.

Judge Karen L. Henderson, the panels sole Republican appointee, seemed to reject a central part of Mr. Trumps argument: that his efforts to overturn his loss to President Biden cannot be subject to prosecution because presidents have a constitutional duty to ensure that election laws are upheld.
A federal appeals court expressed deep skepticism on Tuesday about former President Donald J. Trumps claim that he is immune from charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election, suggesting that it is unlikely to rule in his favor on a central element of his defense.

As Mr. Trump looked on, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit peppered his lawyer D. John Sauer with tough questions about his assertion that his client could not be prosecuted for actions he took while in the White House. The judges seemed incredulous when Mr. Sauer said a president could use the military to assassinate a political rival and be shielded from prosecution unless the Senate first convicted him at an impeachment proceeding.

At another point, Judge Karen L. Henderson, the panels sole Republican appointee, seemed to reject a central part of Mr. Trumps argument: that his efforts to overturn his loss to Joseph R. Biden Jr. cannot be subject to prosecution because presidents have a constitutional duty to ensure that election laws are upheld.

I think its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate the criminal law, Judge Henderson said.
The panel that will hear arguments over Donald. J. Trumps claim that he is immune from prosecution in the election subversion case includes a Republican appointee who is no stranger to cases involving the former president, along with two fairly recent Democratic appointees.

Judge Karen L. Henderson, a graduate of the University of North Carolina law school, joined the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1990. Nominated by President George H.W. Bush, she is one of the few Republican appointees. In other cases involving Mr. Trump, she has generally been more willing than many of her colleagues to rule in ways favorable to him.

In November 2019, Judge Henderson was in the dissent of an 8-3 ruling by the full appeals court that Mr. Trumps accounting firm must turn over eight years of his financial records to Congress. She was also part of a panel that ruled in February 2020 that Mr. Trumps former White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, was immune from being subpoenaed to testify before the House; several months later, the full court reversed that decision.

And in June 2020, Judge Henderson was part of a panel that ordered a district court judge to immediately dismiss a case against Mr. Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. That would have blocked the district court judges plan to scrutinize the circumstances by which the Trump-era Justice Department sought dismissal of the case even though Mr. Flynn had pleaded guilty. The full appeals court reversed that decision over her objections, too.
Less than a week before Iowans decide whether to slingshot Donald J. Trump toward another presidential nomination, his schedule looks like this: Go to Washington for an appeals court hearing on Tuesday. Pop into Iowa for a Fox News town-hall event on Wednesday  and then make an expected return to court on Thursday, this time in New York.

He is not scheduled to hold another rally in Iowa until Saturday, two days before the caucuses.

As Mr. Trump flits between the presidential trail and the courtroom, his campaign has deployed a web of high-profile conservative allies to help fill the gaps and make his case across the state, a strategy that the former president may be more likely to turn to this year as his legal issues keep him occupied.

Over the last months, Mr. Trumps campaign has set up smaller rallies with Republican luminaries who, among the presidents right-wing base, have achieved a kind of political celebrity.

To start its efforts in January, the campaign last week held events with Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Eric Trump, one of Mr. Trumps sons. This week, Ben Carson, Mr. Trumps former secretary of housing and urban development, is scheduled for two appearances in eastern Iowa.
The White House was caught off guard once again on Tuesday when it learned that Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had been diagnosed with prostate cancer a month ago and had surgery to treat the disease under general anesthesia on Dec. 22 without notifying either President Biden or his staff.

The new revelations exacerbated the frustration in the West Wing, where officials were still dealing with the discovery that Mr. Austin, 70, had been secretly hospitalized last week for complications resulting from a condition that the Pentagon did not disclose even to the White House until Tuesday morning.

While aides to the president said he would not fire Mr. Austin, they acknowledged the breakdown in communications and moved to assert new discipline over the administration. Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House chief of staff, ordered a review of procedures and sent a directive to cabinet secretaries making clear that they are to inform the White House when they are unable to perform their duties.

Notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and White House Chief of Staff in the event of a delegation of authority or potential delegation, Mr. Zients wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The New York Times. This notification should occur when agencies anticipate or are preparing for a delegation of authority and again when the delegation occurs. He added that he wanted any such notification in writing.
The start of the new year often brings lofty ambitions.

Its 2024  time to exercise and eat better, says a nagging voice, somewhere deep in your brain. What about learning to knit?

Its enough to make anyone feel anxious.

For those who already struggle with anxiety, these heightened expectations can be even more distressing. Especially because research suggests that many of us dont complete our New Years resolutions.

So we asked several psychologists for resolutions specifically tailored to people with anxious tendencies. And we broke them down into bite-size steps so you can notch your successes along the way.

But dont feel pressure to tackle these tips just because its January.

Its OK to take stock of your life at any moment and say, Hey, what can I do differently? said Regine Galanti, a psychologist and author in Cedarhurst, N.Y., who specializes in treating people with anxiety disorders. Its about changing our lives to look the way we want.
South Koreas lawmakers on Tuesday outlawed the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption, a centuries-old practice that is unpopular and rare today.

Dog meat was once more common, and remained so in the decades after the Korean War when the country was destitute and meat was scarce. It is used in a well-known dish that Koreans call bosintang, or soup good for your body. But the practice became increasingly shunned as incomes, pet ownership and concern for animal welfare rose steadily in the late 20th century.

Today, many South Koreans, especially younger people, see eating dog meat as appalling. About 93 percent of South Korean adults said they had no intention of consuming dog meat in the future, and 82 percent said they supported a ban, according to a survey conducted last year by Aware, an animal welfare organization in Seoul.

This is history in the making I never thought I would see in my lifetime, Chae Jung-ah, the director of Humane Society International Korea, said in a statement by the group. She added, We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs.
Taiwans defense ministry issued an urgent alert Tuesday about a Chinese satellite launched on a rocket flying over the island, an alarming message that interrupted the final days of campaigning before a major election and spurred accusations of a political ploy.

The alert was sent to mobile phones across the island of 23 million people, where presidential and legislative assembly elections will be held Saturday. In English, the initial alert cautioned there was a missile flyover  an error quickly corrected by Taiwanese officials.

It was a satellite, not a missile, President Tsai Ing-wen said during a campaign stop in the southern city of Kaohsiung. Dont worry.

Taiwans defense ministry issued a statement about an hour later, apologizing for the mistake. But by then, the warning had created an awkward scene for the governing Democratic Progressive Party or D.P.P.
Antony J. Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, and a Saudi ambassador asserted on Tuesday the possibility of diplomatic recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia if the Israeli government alleviates the suffering of residents of Gaza and puts Palestinians on a path toward statehood.

During meetings in Tel Aviv, Mr. Blinken said Israel had real opportunities to strengthen ties with Arab nations, as he sought to find a political endgame to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and calm regional violence arising from the conflict, even as Israel says it is slowing down major combat operations in Gaza.

Mr. Blinkens comments were a reference to his declaration on Monday night, after talks at a Saudi royal camp in the desert, that Saudi Arabia and other countries remained interested in eventually building normal diplomatic relations with Israel despite the destruction in Gaza. But Arab leaders insist Israel must end the Gaza war first and work toward a Palestinian state, Mr. Blinken said  a position at odds with the Israeli government.

A senior Saudi official made similar points on Tuesday, in the strongest signal since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the start of the war that Riyadh remains open to talks of normalization, as long as Israel takes concrete steps that would benefit Palestinians.

In an interview with the BBC, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabias ambassador to Britain, said that the kingdoms talks with the United States about normalization had revolved around an endpoint that included nothing less than an independent state of Palestine.

While we still  going forward even after Oct. 7  believe in normalization, it does not come at the cost of the Palestinian people, Prince Khalid said.
With a vast chasm between how Israelis see the war in Gaza and how much of the world does, Israels leaders have taken to adopting different rhetoric when addressing the two audiences about how its military campaign against Hamas will be conducted over the year ahead.

Israeli officials have begun to tell the international news media that its forces are shifting to a less intense phase of operations, particularly in northern Gaza, amid international alarm at the scale of destruction and civilian casualties in the territory.

But after those comments were published on Monday, Israeli leaders sought to reassure the Israeli public that they remained committed to a long-term war in Gaza to destroy Hamas, even if the military tactics are shifting.

The messages are not incompatible, analysts say: The pace of a war can ebb without the conflict ending. But they say the differing rhetoric reflects the Israeli governments effort to placate an international audience in the short term, in order to pursue its goals over the long term.
For a few fleeting moments, the two-story house on the edge of Bureij, a ruined town in central Gaza, still felt like a Palestinian home.

Bottles of nail polish, perfume and hair gel stood untouched on a shelf. A collection of fridge magnets decorated the frame of a mirror. Through a window, one could see laundry, hanging from a neighbors washing line, swaying in the gentle breeze.

But despite the trappings of home, the house now has a new function  as a makeshift Israeli military barracks.

Since Israeli ground forces recently fought their way into this part of central Gaza, a unit from the militarys 188th Brigade has taken over the building, using it as a dormitory, storeroom and lookout point.
Carmen DellOrefice is known as the oldest working model in the fashion industry. She was discovered on a bus when she was only 13 years old, and she is still working today, at age 92.

Carmen DellOrefices first contact with the fashion world was a flop. After being approached by the wife of photographer Herman Landschoff while riding a bus to ballet class when she was only 13 years old, DellOrefice saw her test photos go nowhere fast. But she was destined for greatness, and just two years later, at age 15, she graced the cover of Vogue Magazine for the very first time, after becoming a favorite model of photographer Erwin Blumenfeld. Last year, at age 92, Carmen DellOrefice was featured on the cover of Vogue Czechoslovakia, this time as the oldest working model in the world.

Photo: Carmen DellOrefice/Facebook

Growing up in New York with her mother, DellOrefice didnt have an easy chldhood. She had her amily struggled financially, and she recalls being so malnourished that photographers had to pin back dresses and stuff the curves with tissue. They didnt even have a telephone in the house, so Vogue had to sen runners to summon her for shoots. Her modeling work was hardly enough to support the family so she and her mother also worked as seamstresses to make ends meet.

Her personal life wasnt aa fairytale either. She married Bill Miles in the early 1950s, a man who exploited her career by picking up his wifes modeling agency checks, allowing her only $50 allowance from her earnings. They divorced and Carmen married photographer Richard Heimann, who left her after she decided to retire from modeling in 1958.

A precarious financial situation convinced Carmen DellOrefice to return to modeling in 1978, and in just a few years time, she was already gracing the covers of fashion magazines again. She has been working hard ever since, appearing in magazines, advertising campaigns and even climbing the catwalk for various fashion brands. She has been doing it all, and despite being well into her pension years, she shows no sign of sstopping.

Men and women should care for themselves and love themselves. One of the secrets to maintaining beauty is doing what you do for a baby, nurturing and feeding the baby with love, the 92-year-old said in a recent interview. Thats what we should do with ourselves: nurture ourselves, love ourselves, and give that kind of energy to ourselves.

In 2022, at the age of 91, Carmen DellOrefice stripped naked for a risque photoshoot, and last year she graced the cover of several fashion magazines, including Vogue Czechoslovakia, LOfficiel India, and Schon China. She continues to prove that age is just a number and that some people really do age like wine.

Back in 2019, we featured 96-year-old Alice Pang, Asias oldest fashion model, but considering she had only started modeling at 93, she was technically a beginner. Carmen, on the other hand, has decades of experience under her belt, so she deserves the title of oldest working fashion model
A HEARTBROKEN family is seeking the public's help to locate Barney, their family pet who went missing in Co Limerick.

Barney, a white and orange mini Shetland, is missing from his home in Lisnagry, on the Newport Road.

In an appeal shared on social media, Barney's family said: "We are all heartbroken. He is white and orange in colour with an orange face and a white marking on his forehead."

According to his owner, as Barney is "very short", he could be mistaken for being a foal.

"He is microchipped. He is currently under weight due to illness. We want to get him back home where he will be safe and warm.

Any information regarding his whereabouts would be appreciated," they added.

If you have any information on Barney's whereabouts, you can contact his family via 0879210459.
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

How strange to be living through it a second time, however different the form.

I'm thinking, of course, about a devastating set of totally unexpected attacks on one's homeland. On September 11, 2001, it was the World Trade Center in downtown New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., with almost 3,000 people dying thanks to a modest number of al-Qaeda hijackers. On October 7, 2023, it was the Israeli borderlands, where Hamas struck devastatingly with 1,200 Israelis dying and 240 being kidnapped. And here's the unnerving thing: the responses of the administrations of George W. Bush in 2001 and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently were eerily similar.

The Bush administration promptly launched what it called a "Global War on Terror," promising to eradicate terrorism across significant parts of the planet. The disastrous and devastating invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 followed, along with conflicts across South Asia, the Greater Middle East, and Africa. Brown University's Costs of War Project estimates that almost a million people died in the carnage of those years, including more than 400,000 civilians, while that war on terror would also be responsible for an estimated 3.6 million or more "indirect deaths." In a similar fashion, Prime Minister Netanyahu and crew responded to the October 7th horror with the full-scale bombing, invasion, and devastation of the tiny Gaza Strip, the deaths (already) of significantly more than 20,000 Palestinians, the uprooting of most of that strip's two million-plus residents, and the wounding of so many more in an area that now essentially lacks all necessary supplies and resources, including hospitals. (The limbs of more than 1,000 wounded children have reportedly been amputated without anesthetics.)

And as with the Global War on Terror, if the Netanyahu crew continues on its path to hell, what's happened in Gaza so far is likely to be just the beginning of who knows what horrors in the Middle East (and even beyond). How that will, in the end, affect Israel we don't yet know, but today TomDispatch regular Karen Greenberg explores some of the ways in which the effects of that all-American disaster, the Global War on Terror, launched 22 years ago, are still in some strange fashion with us. She offers a vivid look at what that disaster of a "war" changed here, even as U.S. military and intelligence outfits were devastating other parts of the planet. And while you read her account, try to imagine both where the Israeli version of such a war might all too devastatingly lead and how it might change the very essence of Israel, the Middle East, and even perhaps our world. Tom

Sunsetting the War on Terror -- Or Not

The Stubborn Legacy of America's Response to 9/11

By Karen J. Greenberg

This week marks the 22nd anniversary of the opening of the Guanta'namo Bay detention facility, the infamous prison on the island of Cuba designed to hold detainees from this country's Global War on Terror. It's an anniversary that's likely to go unnoticed, since these days you rarely hear about the war on terror -- and for good reason. After all, that response to al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks, as defined over the course of three presidential administrations, has officially ended in a cascade of silence. Yes, international terrorism and the threat of such groups persist, but the narrative of American policy as a response to 9/11 seems to have faded away. Two and a half years ago, the Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from the 20-year-long Afghan War proved to be a last gasp (followed the next summer by the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, successor as al-Qaeda's leader after Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011).

But Guanta'namo, a prison that, from its founding, has violated U.S. codes of due process, fair treatment, and the promise of justice writ large isn't the only unnerving legacy of the "war" on terror that still persists. If indefinite detention at Guanta'namo was a key pillar of that war, defying longstanding American laws and norms, it was just one of the steps beyond those norms that still persist today.

In the days, weeks, and even years following the attacks of September 11th, the U.S. government took action to create new powers in the name of keeping the nation safe. Two of them, more than two decades after those attacks, are now rife with calls for change. Congress created the first just a week after 9/11 (with but a single no vote). It authorized unchecked and unending presidentially driven war powers that could be used without specified geographical limits -- and, strangely enough, that power still remains in place, despite recent congressional efforts to curtail its authority. The second, the expansive use of secret surveillance powers on Americans, is currently under heated debate.

War Powers

The very first new authority created in the name of the war on terror was the Authorization for the Use of Military Force, or AUMF, passed by Congress one week after the 9/11 attacks. It gave the president the power "to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations, or persons."

Unlike past declarations of war or authorizations for war in American history, it was staggeringly vague. It named no actual enemy or geographical locations. It made no reference to what conditions would end the hostilities and the power of that authorization. It was in essence "a blank check" for presidential war powers, as Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), the single member of Congress to vote no on its passage, warned at the time and has reiterated over the years.

It was also a game-changing authorization. Not only did it lack specifics, but it stripped Congress of its constitutionally authorized power to declare war. In the war on terror, Congress would defer to the president who could decide on his own when and where to launch attacks.

Over the course of the last two-plus decades, that 2001 AUMF has been used repeatedly to do exactly what Barbara Lee feared -- namely, broaden the president's power to commit acts of war against not just the terrorist groups who conspired in the 9/11 attacks, but groups in countries far and wide. According to the Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute, as of 2021, it had been used in at least 22 countries, including Afghanistan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iraq, Kenya, Niger, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, and Yemen.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

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"Unless we take drastic action there will be famine," Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the U.N., told the Security Council on Dec. 22, 2023, as it prepared to adopt a resolution expanding humanitarian relief in Gaza. She recalled an alarming visit to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. "Thousands of trucks trying and failing to enter through a choke point, a crossing that was only ever intended to be for pedestrians."

click here

[After a long sabbatical doing myriad other tasks, like establishing a new branch of the United Nations in Santa Fe, New Mexico with Undersecretariats that have been detailed 3 years, thanks to the creative mind of OpEdNews Publisher, Rob Kall, as UN Santa Fe Founder, I will be bringing you updates in a compendium of news articles and major truth forums on YouTube and other media (not social media, like Facebook), but the real thing. We are firmly dedicated to helping Robert Kennedy Jr. win two terms (2024-2032), because that is how long it will take to bring clear thinking and non-pLandemic Health back to the USA and other nations.]

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Amy Goodman: South Africa Files Case Against Israel at International Court of Justice over "Genocidal" Gaza War

.youtube.com/watch?v=ypxiFjrM8RA

ICJ HEARING JANUARY 11 OR 12, 2024: VERSUS BIDEN, Secretary of State Antony BLINKEN, AND Secretary of Defense, Lloyd AUSTIN III

South Africa has filed a case at the main judicial body for the United Nations, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

"I believe South Africa will win an order against Israel to cease and desist from committing all acts of genocide against the Palestinians," says Francis Boyle, an international human rights lawyer who won two requests at the ICJ under the Genocide Convention of 1948 for provisional protection on behalf of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina against Yugoslavia.

Boyle says Israel has a history of listening to the United States' orders to stop its assaults on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. "We here in the United States of America have the power to stop this."

_________

[Francis Boyle is a friend of mine from 4 years ago when I started the process of establishing UN Santa Fe!]

[Francis Anthony Boyle (born March 25, 1950] (Wikipedia) is an American human rights lawyer and professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law. He has served as counsel for Bosnia and Herzegovina and has supported the rights of Palestinians and indigenous peoples.

Early life, education and practice

Boyle has stated that he "was born Irish", and does not consider himself to be a "White North American". He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Chicago in 1971. He earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1976 and Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Harvard University in 1983. Boyle practiced tax and international tax law with Bingham, Dana & Gould.

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Portland police officials said late Monday that they found the suspect who prompted a police manhunt in the Centennial neighborhood.

Police arrested 25-year-old Zachary Drazner after finding him hiding in a shed.

Earlier in the evening, Drazner fled when U.S. Marshals tried to arrest him around 4:50 p.m. near Southeast 166th Avenue and Southeast Haig Drive.

Police said Drazner may have been armed, and they alerted residents in the area of Southeast 164th Avenue to Southeast 167th Avenue between Southeast Haig Drive to Southeast Bush Street to stay inside.

Drazner had been wanted on multiple warrants in connection with allegations he drove recklessly, threatened an ex-girlfriend and stole catalytic converters in separate incidents in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

 Beth Slovic, bslovic@oregonian.com, 503-221-8551

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I agree with columnist Steve Duin sometimes, and I often get a perspective different than mine. His recent commentary on Multnomah County was really good. However, I almost stopped reading when he called former president Donald Trump a dictator, (The vicious paralysis of Multnomah County: Steve Duin column, Dec. 30). Really? Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland and Salem all suffer from a liberal hubris that borders on dictatorship. There is no substantive movement; it is all political grandstanding, pandering, and - as Duin did - pointing at the Orange Man to scare half or so of this states electorate into looking the other way.

The huge tax burden and the gobs of money thrown toward the problems, mysteriously never reaching them, is the very swamp to which Trump often refers. Big government is not the answer. Neither is demonizing the opinions and viewpoints of others.

Biden opened the border. It seems like he cant remember yesterday. Trump is bombastic, but he can talk without a teleprompter. I wish we had more choices. But to use Trump as Duin did to apparently scare us into action is just more distraction from solving our issues. Oregon needs brave problem solvers, but we just keep getting people trying to scare Oregonians into voting against anyone who is a Republican and, thus, a follower of demonized Orange Man.

Jim Muir, Tualatin

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
Gov. Tina Kotek announced Tuesday the state exceeded its goals to add more shelter beds, house more people experiencing homelessness and prevent more evictions.

Across the state, communities created 1,032 low-barrier shelter beds, surpassing the 600-bed goal, 1,293 households moved into homes, exceeding the initial goal of 1,200, and 8,886 households facing eviction remained housed, surpassing the 8,750-household goal, she said.

The work was funded by an unprecedented emergency $155 million approved by the Legislature early in 2023.

One year ago, I told Oregonians that ... it would take collaboration to act at the scale and urgency this humanitarian crisis demands, Kotek said in a statement. Now, we are continuing the fight to bring housing stability to more Oregonians.

Locally, Multnomah County and the city of Portland met and exceeded shelter and housing goals that Kotek set for them when she awarded the money last year.

The city and county created 140 new shelter beds, housed 191 individuals or families experiencing homelessness and prevented another 1,474 households from being evicted, officials said Tuesday.

We prioritized urgency and collaboration, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement. These are families who arent on the street because their eviction was prevented. These are individuals who arent in a tent on the sidewalk because they are safely sleeping in a shelter bed.

All 140 new shelter beds are in the citys mass sleeping pod site along Powell Boulevard, known as the Clinton Triangle. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler generated controversy and pushback when he announced the city would push unhoused people to live together in by far the largest government-created encampment in the state. But the huge encampment with group amenities has shown early success.

Many individuals who had previously refused to move into group shelters agreed to move into a pod at Clinton Triangle, Wheeler said.

When handing out proceeds of a $200 million housing and homelessness package she shepherded through the Legislature last March, Kotek ordered counties to meet specific numeric goals by Jan. 10, 2024. The state distributed the emergency funding in late April and created local oversight committees to push progress forward in local communities.

Multnomah County received nearly $16 million for rehousing and shelter work and an additional $5.4 million for eviction prevention rent assistance.

One day shy of the deadline, on the first anniversary of Kotek taking office, the state released preliminary data that showed progress across the state.

A large part of shelter bed creation within Multnomah County was led by Wheeler, with his push for creation of the citys first mass alternative shelter site. With 161 sleeping units, it predominately features tiny homes with options for people to sleep in tents if they prefer.

Since opening in July, 70 people whove stayed there have moved into permanent housing and 47 more are in the process of doing so. Overall, the site has served 329.

Im thankful that the state has supported the citys vision of providing a new shelter type ... to directly serve unsheltered adults in Portland, Wheeler said in a statement. We are proving that this work can be successful as we all work together to reduce homelessness from local communities across Oregon. These goals would not have been met without the mass site.

The county also slightly surpassed the rehousing goal the governor set, to move 186 households from homelessness to housing. Multnomah County inched past that by housing 191 individuals or families, the county reported.

Partnership with the city of Portland was essential to achieving this goal, the press release stated. While a minor number of households were rehoused directly from the streets, the vast majority of housing placements were from the city shelter sites including the citys seven safe rest villages and its new large alternative shelter.

Those 181 households were not the only people housed in 2023, though. Hundreds of other households found new apartments through local funding.

The county also slightly surpassed the governors eviction prevention goal, with 1,474 households receiving eviction prevention rent assistance. Koteks goal for the county was 1,426 households. Officials primarily connected with households on eviction court dockets, officials said. Outreach workers visited them at the courthouse or knocked on families doors directly, they said.

It took an additional $1.2 million in federal funding on top of the states allocation for this project to reach the benchmark.

The county allocated additional resources to support this work after learning the expected cost per household had exceeded the states initial estimates, the press release stated.

Im proud of our providers and partners for stepping up  lets keep moving forward with this same focused action, Vega Pederson said.

In addition to providing the $155 million in emergency funding last year, the Legislature also approved an additional $316 million during the typical biennium budget setting process.

Kotek said she will sign a new executive order Tuesday to ensure the work to urgently shelter and house Oregonians continues. Measurable outcomes for the new order will be developed in collaboration with local communities based on need and capacity and will be announced by the end of February, her office said.

Nicole Hayden writes about homelessness for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com.
The left door plug on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 slid off its hinges, disconnected from the fuselage and blew off the airplane, federal officials said Monday, providing a detailed account of the mechanics of what they believe happened Friday.

Its unclear if the four bolts intended to prevent the door plug from disconnecting were in place, National Transportation Safety Board aerospace engineer Clint Crookshanks said at the late news briefing, accompanied by the board chair.

The accident happened minutes after the plane lifted off from Portland International Airport at 5:07 p.m. Friday. The sudden decompression tore a shirt off of a young passenger but did not cause any serious injuries. The captain circled back to the airport and landed.

Federal actions have taken several tacks since the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered all airplanes of the same model to be grounded and inspected. United Airlines has said its inspections revealed loose bolts connected door plugs to airplane frames and Alaska Airlines said it has found loose hardware, too.

This is a diagram of a Boeing 737-9 mid-cabin door plug and componentsBoeing via the NTSB

Whether similar issues caused or contributed to the door plug blowing off midair on Friday wont be known for sure until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its analysis, which involves reviewing records, inspecting the airplane frame and door plug and interviewing crew members, among other necessary steps.

We are in a fact-finding phase of the investigation, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at an earlier press briefing. The analysis of how this happened occurs later on.

The door plug is installed by sliding it into hinges on the fuselage and is held in place by a combination of 12 fasteners  six on either side of the plug  that press against each other like a high-five, Homendy and Crookshanks explained Monday. Four bolts prevent the plug from sliding upward on the hinges.

The exam to date has shown that the door in fact did translate upward, all 12 stops became disengaged, allowing it to blow out of the fuselage, Crookshanks said.

The agency has not recovered the four bolts and is not sure whether they were in place to begin with, he said. Lab tests should answer that question, Homendy said.

The NTSBs search for answers claimed a major victory with a Portland teachers discovery that the door plug had landed in the trees in his side yard. Bob Sauer, a science teacher at Catlin Gabel, contacted the NTSB on Sunday and inspectors retrieved the door plug from his yard early Monday.

Im sure he was a hit at school today, Homendy said.

The agency is still looking for the door plugs bottom hinge fitting  a green and circular piece of metal with a hole in it  and a spring, though the pieces arent critical to the investigation, Homendy said.

The press event Monday was the last on-site briefing of the investigation, the chair said.

 Fedor Zarkhin

Office: 503-294-7674; Cell: 971-373-2905; fzarkhin@oregonian.com

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The City of Bandon is considering closing its trail system. In an agenda report for the Jan. 9 council meeting, City Attorney Shala Kudlac noted that local municipalities have been advised by its insurance provider  to close City-owned and maintained improved trails as a precaution and to avoid potential liability.

Bandon isnt the only local government to discuss such drastic measures as municipalities across Oregon are faced with increasing levels of legal risk when accommodating recreation users.

The issue started in 2019 when a woman named Nicole Fields fell while crossing a bridge owned by the City of Newport. Fields sued, but the city claimed recreational immunity in its defense.

That law protects landowners who dont charge a fee to access their property for things like hiking. It only applies to land improved for recreation and is meant to encourage landholders to develop their property for public use.

If someone is accidentally injured while using the area for recreation, the owners arent liable for damages. But in the case Fields v. City of Newport, the injured woman said she wasnt using the bridge for recreation. And in 2023 Oregons Court of Appeals upheld her argument.

Scott Winkels, a lobbyist with the League of Oregon Cities, says local governments are trying to determine whether keeping trails open is worth the new risk created by the precedent in the Newport case.

It blows a pretty big hole in our understanding of what our liability was prior to this ruling, Winkels said.

He says the courts decision puts more weight on the mindset of the person using the land than the intent of the property owner.

A trail that was built for a recreational purpose but is used by somebody walking to work instead of driving  is that recreational? he said.

City/County Insurance Services Oregon, which insures many local governments in the state, including Bandon, has recommended their clients close trail systems. So far, some cities have. The City of Waldport closed the Waziyata Trail and Tillamook County closed the Tire and Short Beach trail in Oceanside. City officials in Ashland say theyre currently keeping the Southern Oregon towns trail system open.

Winkels hopes the state Legislature will provide guidance on the issue during the February legislative session. If not, he says, more could close this summer.

This story was originally posted on ijpr.org and is used with permission.
Anam Cara Cellars wine tastings take place at the dining room table of co-owners Sheila and Nick Nicholas. The vineyard view from their front window includes lazily drifting clouds backed by the north-facing side of Parrett Mountain. The view is easily one of the prettiest in the Willamette Valley.

I recently sat down at that table to learn more about Anam Cara, which means soulmate or friend of my soul in Celtic, from Sheila Nicholas.

Anam Cara is best known for: While Nicholas answered, Elegant pinot noirs that are honest and authentic, Ill add something else  Anam Cara Cellars makes a superb dry riesling capable of long-term aging.

Must try current release: 2022 Anam Cara Cellars Nicholas Estate Pinot Noir ($44  13.5% ABV).

This ruby-hued estate wine rested for 11 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which were new. Its floral aromas include lavender and peppery nasturtiums mixed with dark raspberries and a tiny bit of caramel. The tangy acidity lights up flavors like blackberries and an espresso with a lemon twist.

The back label suggests several food pairings, but the one that caught my eye was savory pies. Now I know what Im serving with my wifes legendary pastry-topped haggis pie at this years Burns Night dinner.

History: Nick Nicholas, a California native, met Sheila, who originally hails from eastern Scotland, while they were working in London, England.

The couple moved to the United States in 1981 to marry and eventually open a series of pizza parlors named La Prima in Saint Helena, Calistoga, and Angwin, California. Local Napa Valley winemakers were smitten with La Primas pies, leading to bartering. We traded large pepperoni pizzas for many California cult cabernet sauvignons, Nicholas said.

Nicholas, who was also working at the time in public relations for the wine industry, said that she and Nick eventually caught the winemaking bug. Their only problem was that land in their neighborhood was beyond their reach financially.

Inspired by visits to two of her Willamette Valley winery clients, the Nicholases bought 70 acres in Sherwood and moved to Oregon in 2001 to plant their vineyard. The land they purchased was once part of Chehalem Mountain Orchards property that covered thousands of acres and dated back to the turn of the previous century.

At an elevation of 600 feet in one of the narrowest sections of the Chehalem Mountains, this vineyard site has a near constant airflow that keeps it drier in the rainy season and cooler during the summer. The winds also offer protection against early frosts and mildew pressure.

After selling a large portion of their property to the owners of Rain Dance Vineyards in 2014, the Nicholases retain five acres of pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling vines on their hilltop perch.

What we dont know: When the Nicholases planted a new section of pinot noir vines in 2008, they extended a row to add two special cuttings. The cuttings, which came from The Eyrie Vineyards, were given away by the Lett family to those in attendance at Eyrie Vineyards co-founder David Letts memorial service that year.

Pro tip: Joining Anam Caras wine club is a smart move. Sheila Nicholas is a charming host with a wry sense of humor and a gentle Scottish accent courtesy of her Fife upbringing. The wines are worth accumulating, and the opportunity to meet Missy, the intrepid vineyard dog, should not be missed.

Biggest inspiration: Nicholas said she was inspired by Willamette Valley veterans such as Susan Sokol Blosser, David Adelsheim, Harry Peterson-Nedry, and Rollin Soles, who gave freely of their time and expertise when she and her husband were starting out.

One piece of advice that sticks with Nicholas was offered as rains poured down on her first Willamette Valley harvest. Remember that we had just come from the Napa Valley, where rain at harvest is considered a disaster. I remember Rollin telling me, Girl, dont worry.

One thing I wish we had known when we first started: Given the expensive turn the market has taken, I would have purchased more glass bottles in bulk, Nicholas said.

Last book read: Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris.

Where to buy: Anam Cara wines are available through the winerys website or at Total Wine & More locations across the country.

You can also find Anam Caras wines at the Portland Fish Market in Southeast Portland and 503 Uncorked in Sherwood. To enjoy an Anam Cara wine with a meal, head to either Subterra Restaurant or The Allison Inn in Newberg.

By appointment, 22222 SW Nicholas View Drive, Sherwood, anamcaracellars.com or info@anamcaracellars.com.

-- Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. He can be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To read more of his coverage, go to oregonlive.com/wine
Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - With no let-up in fighting across Gaza, the UN health agency pleaded on Tuesday for better access across the enclave, where relief is arriving too little
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's Minister of Culture and Cognitive Development, Mabrouka Toghi, on Monday stressed the importance of the inclusion of 21 cultural, archaeological and natural sites on the World Heritage List of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), and its cultural connotations
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan prime minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al Dbaiba, has stated that the delay in examining the issue of replacing the fuel subsidy, which has become a drain on the State budget and from which citizens do not benefit, is unacceptable
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Al Dbaiba, on Tuesday stressed the need to develop cooperation between civilian and military institutions, epecially to improve the efficiency of those affiliated to the military
Nigar Hasanova

Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed four documents on energy cooperation, Azernews reports.

The signed documents include the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Investment of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on investment cooperation on electricity transmission projects, the Framework Agreement on Strategic Collaboration in further strengthening the renewable and clean energy capacities of Azerbaijan and enabling Green Energy Export Operations, the Calendar of Actions (roadmap) for the construction of onshore solar and wind power plants with a capacity of 1 GW, and the Strategic Partnership Agreement between SOCAR and ADNOC.

The MoU envisages the creation of a framework for investment cooperation in the energy sector, especially in electricity transmission projects, the development of the network, and the exchange of technical knowledge and experience. The strategic cooperation document covers cooperation and investment opportunities in new areas such as rooftop solar projects, green hydrogen, green ammonia, synthetic methane, sustainable aviation fuel production, and export of green energy, along with 2 GW solar and 2 GW wind onshore projects and 6 GW offshore wind energy. The Calendar of Actions (roadmap) for the construction of 1 GW of solar and wind onshore projects to be installed in Azerbaijan reflects the implementation measures of 2 solar and 1 wind energy project for 20242027.
Gould Paper Acquires Stake in French Paper Distributor EFP-Chavassieu

Jan. 9, 2024 - Japan Pulp & Paper announced that its subsidiary, Gould Paper Corporation (OVOL USA), has acquired shares in EFP-Chavassieu  a paper, paperboard and non-woven fabric distributor based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France  through its OVOL Holdings France.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

According to Japan Pulp & Paper, EFP handles printing, communication, packaging and industrial paper mainly in the French market.

"With this acquisition of shares, the OVOL Japan Pulp & Paper Group will organically leverage EFP's strong relationships with European suppliers and the OVOL Japan Pulp & Paper Group network, including Gould Paper France (Head Office: Paris, France) and Japan Pulp & Paper GmbH (Head Office: Dusseldorf, Germany), to expand and diversify its business in the European market," Japan Pulp & Paper said in a press release.

OVOL USA is among North America's largest distributors of printing, publishing and business papers. OVOL USA, together with its parent company, Japan Pulp and Paper, has offices in virtually every major city the world over.

With headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Japan Pulp and Paper Company Limited sells and distributes pulp, paper, containerboard, paperboard, and a wide range of paper-related products.

SOURCE: Japan Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd.
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Francois Turretin (1623-1687) was a Genevan-Italian Reformed scholastic theologian and renowned defender of the Calvinistic (Reformed) orthodoxy represented by the Synod of Dort, and was one of the authors of the Helvetic Consensus (1675). He is generally considered to be the best Calvinist apologist besides John Calvin himself. His Institutes of Elenctic Theology (three volumes, Geneva, 16791685) used the scholastic method. Elenctic means refuting an argument by proving the falsehood of its conclusion. Turretin contended against the conflicting Christian perspectives of Catholicism and Arminianism. It was a popular textbook; notably at Princeton Theological Seminary, until it was replaced by Charles Hodges Systematic Theology in the late 19th century. Turretin also greatly influenced the Puritans.

This is a reply to a portion of Institutes of Elenctic Theology (Vol. 2, 18th Topic: The Church; XI. The Infallibility of the Church). I utilize the edition translated by George Musgrave Giger and edited by James T. Dennison, Jr. (Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, Phillipsburg, New Jersey: 1992 / 1994 / 1997; 2320 pages). It uses the KJV for Bible verses. I will use RSV unless otherwise indicated. All installments of this series of replies can be found on my Calvinism & General Protestantism web page, under the category, Replies to Francois Turretin (1632-1687). Turretins words will be in blue.

*****

It is evident that the church often erred under the Old Testament. The Israelite church erred when Aaron made the golden calf and built an altar before it (Ex. 32:2, 5). Now it makes little difference whether this was done by the well-ordered judgment of the church or by a tumultuary concourse of people, provided it appears that the rulers of the church themselves with the people fell into such a sin. Nor does it relieve the matter whether for a long time or for a little while they remained in that sin. It is sufficient that such a crime was committed in order to prove that the church was not infallible. And although Aaron had not as yet been consecrated a priest in solemn manner, still that he had been already designated and determined upon by God and acknowledged by the people is evident even from the fact that the priests are ordered to sanctify themselves (Ex. 19:22) and that the people came to him to make the calf (which they would not have done unless they now regarded him as a priest).

Turretin goes on at great length chronicling sins of the Israelites as recorded in the Old Testament. I have dealt with this question: Dialogue with a Lutheran on Ecclesiology & OT Indefectibility Analogies (vs. Nathan Rinne) [11-22-11]. I wrote in this dialogue (presently condensed):

The Old Testament proto-Church did not have the Holy Spirit and express promises from God that it would be protected and never defect. The Holy Spirit was only given to select individuals in the old covenant: but now to every baptized Christian and in greater measure to Church leaders. There are promises of indefectibility, too, that go even further than what was present in kernel form in the old covenant. What remains constant in the old covenant is Gods mercy towards his always-straying children, and holding to His covenants despite their rebelliousness. Hence we have the notion of remnant. But that is distinct from institutional indefectibility (that is also present in the old covenant, though less dramatically than in the new). The new covenant is quite far beyond the old, and Catholicism is the fullness of the development of a Church and the new covenant and Christian post-pentecostal age (developed from the previous old covenant system). The new covenant new wineskins are far more advanced. If the institution of religious leadership even in the old covenant was indefectible, so that there was never a time that Israel lacked true, obedient leaders altogether, how much more so should we expect this to be the case in the new covenant? Nehemiah 1:9 shows that Gods presence is directly dependent on obedience: if you return to me and keep my commandments . . . (cf. Lev 26:3-4). Therefore it is not unconditional as the new covenant indefectibility of the Church is. But this is not the case in the new covenant and Church Age. The promises are unconditional. God will do what He promises regarding protection of the Church and her doctrine: the powers of death shall not prevail against the Church (Matt 16:18); period. Its not based on obedience. God brings it to pass. End of story. I am with you always, to the close of the age (Matt 28:20); no conditions again. Its an absolute statement. God wills and declares and promises it, so it will happen, and cannot not happen. Peter falters and denies Christ three times, but after he is filled with the Holy Spirit it is a different story. Jesus prays for him in a special way because he is the leader of the Church: I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail (Lk 22:32); and indeed it doesnt, after Pentecost. This is a type and shadow of papal infallibility, as is being given the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:19): only given to Peter; and all the implications of that (rightly understood, in light of its OT precursors). God Himself protects the doctrine of the Church from being corrupted. This is the entire point. If it were left up to men, this wouldnt happen, but when God wants something done (in this case, preservation of true doctrine and theology and moral teaching), it is done. The prophets are the most analogous to the infallibility of popes, as I have argued in my book against sola Scriptura. But they were not part of the religious system; they were outside of it: usually rebuking the corrupt people in it. The difference in the new covenant is that God promises to protect the institutional system of the Church from error (it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us  Acts 15:28: the Jerusalem Council). The Church is a far more spiritually advanced entity. Here are the biblical arguments from St. Francis de Sales book, The Catholic Controversy, that caused me to revise my position on the indefectibility of the old covenant institutional religious system (passages: RSV; all comments are his own, except for a few of my bracketed interjections): Exodus 32:26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORDs side? Come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Did not Aaron the High Priest adore the golden calf with all his people? [Protestant argument for complete defectibility] Answer: Aaron was not as yet High Priest, nor head of the people, but became so afterwards. And it is not true that all the people worshipped idols:  for were not the children of Levi men of God, who joined themselves to Moses? (pp. 60-61) 2 Chronicles 15:3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law; Elijah lamented that he was alone in Israel (1 Ki 19:14) [I, even I only, am left]. Answer: Elijah was not the only good man in Israel, for there were seven thousand men who had not given themselves up to idolatry [1 Ki 19:18: I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal], and what the Prophet says here is only to express better the justice of his complaint. It is not true again that if all Israel had failed, the Church would have thereby ceased to exist, for Israel was not the whole Church. Indeed it was already separated therefrom by the schism of Jeroboam; and the kingdom of Judah was the better and principal part; and it is Israel, not Judah, of which Azarias predicted that it should be without priest and sacrifice. (p. 61) Isaiah 1:4-6 Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. [5] Why will you still be smitten, that you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. [6] From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, . . . . . . these are forms of speaking, and of vehemently detesting the vice of a people. And although the Prophets, pastors and preachers use these general modes of expression, we are not to understand them of each particular person, but only of a large proportion; as appears by the example of Elijah who complained that he was alone, notwithstanding that there were yet seven thousand faithful. [1 Ki 19:14, 18] S. Paul complains to the Philippians (2:21) that all seek their own interest and advantage; still at the end of the Epistle he acknowledges that there were many good people with him and with them. [4:10, 14-18] (p. 61)

If the fall of the synagogue was predicted, so also was the fall of the Christian church. If it could happen that while Christ was living and speaking on earth, the church so disgracefully erred, what hinders this also from being the case today, Christ being now absent and received into heaven and speaking only in the Scriptures?

1 Timothy 3:15 (the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth) does. The example of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), led by Peter the first pope, and its proclamation, agreed-to by the Holy Spirit, promulgated by St. Paul throughout Turkey (Acts 16:4) also does; and of course Matthew 16:18, where Jesus proclaims, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. If we want to go by the Bible, one of its teachings is the infallibility and indefectibility of the Church and the pope who leads it. We cant simply pick-and-choose from the inspired, inerrant revelation of Holy Scripture what we prefer and what we arbitrarily want to ignore.

From the various predictions, from which it is evident that the church of the New Testament should err. In 2 Thess. 2, Paul (speaking of

the apostasy of the last days) says, The day of the Lord shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (vv. 3, 4).

Ive already dealt with this in my past treatment in this series of sinners in the Church. The antichrist is obviously merely an anti-pope, and as such carries no force against papal infallibility, which refers to true popes, not merely false ones wo claim to be so.

Now if such and so great an apostasy was to have place in the church, who would say that the gift of infallibility belongs to it?

But its not in the church; this is my argument. Its wolves in sheeps clothing.

as often as the Scripture of the New Testament uses the word apostasias or the verb aphistemi, it denotes a defection from the faith (Acts 21:21; 1 Tim. 4:1).

Indeed. Individuals have committed apostasy, or never were Christians. Acts 21:21 refers to false charges against Paul, that he supposedly wanted all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses. That has nothing to do with the alleged fall of the entire Christian Church. Nor does 1 Timothy 4:1, which merely states that some will depart from the faith. So what? That says northing about an entire Church. Church doctrine is not affected by things like this. It is what it is:

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.

Mention is made of an apostasy which was to come (namely from faith) by the man of sin and the son of perdition, i.e., a remarkable apostate who should be the author of this so great defection, . . .

Hence it is evident that this apostasy can refer to nothing else than the general defection which should arise in the Christian church by the advent of Antichrist. . . .

Since from all these it appears that deadly errors were to have a place in the church, everyone sees that infallibility cannot be predicated truly of her.

The texts that Turretin claims prove a supposed general defection do not in fact do so.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 . . . that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, [4] who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

Nothing general there; this is merely referring to one usurper. Hes obviously, manifestly not a Christian at all, since He claims falsely to be God. And who are the ones that Paul says are taken in by this? Its the ones who are damned; who refused to accept the truth. It obviously couldnt be every professed Christian, or the entire Church, lest everyone be lost!:

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, [10] and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, [12] so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

He cites the following passage, thinking its a prooftext for his view:

Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

But the reply to his misuse of it is right in the text: the elect cannot be led astray (its not possible) by virtue of the fact that they are the elect (and as such cannot not be saved). Therefore, the entire Church cant fall away. Likewise, Acts 20:28-30 talks about some folks being led astray, but by no means all. So it proves nothing for his case.

Note especially the book of Revelation, where the great Babylonian harlot and the mother of fornications is said to intoxicate the kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the world with the wine of fornication (i.e., idolatry, chaps. 17 and 18). On this account, God calls his people out from her, lest sharing in her sins they may also partake of her destruction.

This is beyond silly. Turretin assumes that all of this material about Babylon in Revelation 17 and 18 is somehow describing the Church. But the word church never appears in the two chapters. The Church is never called Babylon in Holy Scripture. The very notion is absurd. Gods people here are being called out of the world-system, that rebels against God. As I wrote about before, early in the book of Revelation, when Jesus rebukes six of the seven churches, He still uses the words church and churches to describe them. He never denies that they are parts of the true Church (like Turretin does) because sin can be found in them.

Thus we see no general defection here. The rebellion that Turretin takes to be the apostasy of the entire Church, is merely that of the reprobate, according to Paul. Its a presupposed false notion and false tradition of men that Turretin superimposes onto the biblical text (eisegesis). Its simply not there.

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Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 4,500+ free online articles (the most comprehensive one-stop Catholic apologetics site) or fifty-five books have helped you (by Gods grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them.

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PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. Heres also a second page to get to PayPal. Youll see the term Catholic Used Book Service, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

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Photo credit: [Lutheran] Augsburg Confession: session of 25 June 1530 (1630), by Johann Durr (1600-1663) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Summary: As part of my series of replies to Calvinist Francois Turretin, I provide the biblical basis for the indefectibility of the [Catholic] Church, and address objections.
Lenovos Yoga line has always been able to twist itself into different forms, but the newest addition announced at CES 2024 puts a unique spin on ityou get two displays joined by a hinge in the Book 9i. But while this laptop looks as if its the Microsoft Surface Duo reborn, you can do a heck of a lot more with it.

When paired with its detachable keyboard and cover, you can bend the Yoga Book 9i not just into a traditional clamshell form, but dual landscape or dual portrait mode, a tented set of displays, and side-by-side screens. And, most importantly, its not hampered by a mobile operating system: It runs Windows 11.

Looking to pick up a brand new laptop? Check out PCWorlds roundup of the best laptops available right now.

Lenovo Yoga laptops

The many novel forms of the new Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. Lenovo

Lenovo calls the Yoga Book 9i the first full-size dual-screen OLED laptop, with specs that easily go head-to-head with rivals. This new model weighs just 2.95 pounds and boasts a 13.3-inch display, Intel 14th-generation Core i7 U-class CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, up to 32GB LPDDR5X memory, up to a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and a rotating Bowers & Wilkins soundbar. Anyone whos ever wanted a Surface Duo with Windows is finally in luck.

In addition to the Yoga Book 9i, Lenovo revealed seven other laptops coming to the lineup, along with AI features aimed at creatives. Lenovos Creator Zone software leans on generative AI to convert text prompts to imagesand with its powerful new 16-inch Yoga Pro 9i laptop, you also get Image Training, which lets you teach a local AI to create images in the vein of your usual style and preferences. Both it and the 14-inch Yoga 9i also pack an AI chip (Lenovo AI Core Chip) to power AI-driven optimizations for performance, battery life, and cooling efficiency.

The Yoga Pro 9i will sport your choice of an Intel Core 5, 7, or 9 H-series CPU, up to RTX 4070 laptop graphics, up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory, up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, a six-speaker array with enhanced bass, and either a 32002000 IPS display rated at 400 nits brightness or mini-LED panel rated at 1200 nits. Dont need quite so much stuffed into a laptop? The 14-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i is a lighter, 2-in-1 alternative that steps down to an Intel Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5x memory, up to 1TB M.2 SSD, and a rotating Bowers & Wilkins soundbar with four speakers. For the screen, you can choose between a 28001800 or 38402400 OLED panel with 400 nit brightness.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is one of four new Yoga laptops that still sport the lines well-known 360 hinge. Lenovo

More affordable options start with the 14-inch Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i and Yoga Pro 7. The Slim 7i features an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc graphics, up to 32GB LPDDR5X, up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2, and a 14-inch 19201200 OLED screen with 400 nit brightness (either glass or matte). The Pro 7 packs in an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, up to RTX 4050 laptop GPU, up to 16GB LPDDR5X memory, up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD, and a 14.5-inch 25601600 90Hz with 350 nit brightness (either glass or matte). For those living in Europe, Africa, or the Middle East, a Yoga Pro 7i will be available, with Intel Core Ultra processor options, up to a newer RTX 4050, and more memory.

Those on slimmer budgets can look at the Yoga 7i, a 2-in-1 thatll come in a 14-inch and 16-inch versions. These convertibles will feature Microsofts new Copilot keyfurther pushing the AI future that the tech industry is going big on. Inside youll find a Core Ultra 7 U-series CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, up to 16GB LPDDR5x memory, and up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD.

Of the new Lenovo Yoga models announced, only the Yoga Book 9i, Yoga 9i 2-in-1, and Yoga 7i (both 14- and 16-inch) have the Yoga lines famed 360 hinge. Three of the others go to just 180 degrees, while the Pro 9i only goes to 150 degrees.
Some of us have had a fascination with tech that transforms into other tech, ever since we saw Soundwave pop out his robot cassette tape and it turned into a robo-dog. Perhaps a similar fan came up with the latest Lenovo ThinkBook Plus design. Rip the screen off this otherwise unassuming laptop and you get a 14-inch Android-powered tablet. Unlike other tablet-laptop hybrids a la the Surface or Yoga form factors, this is literally two devices in one.

In its standard operating mode, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid (woof, what a mouthful) is a conventional mid-range laptop. That includes a Core 7 Ultra processor, 32GB of RAM, a terabyte of Gen 4 storage, and an Arc GPU (though Lenovos stat sheet doesnt say if its integrated or discrete). The battery is pretty roomy for the chassis size at 75 watts, and youll find two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports and a fingerprint reader. All of that is in the standard laptop body, because the screen is very much its own beast.

When connected to the base station, its a 14.5-inch OLED with 2.8K resolution, offering touch with optional pen input. Its pretty darn good as laptop screens go, but if you break it off, youll find that its a tablet powered by Android 13 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. Slyly hiding beneath that OLED panel (which is massive for a tablet, equal to Samsungs largest Galaxy) is 12GB of dedicated RAM and 256GB of storage. The tablet has its own USB-C port for data and charging (though itll recharge automatically from the laptop battery when docked) and its own Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and internal 38-watt battery.

Lenovo

When docked the two pieces share the front-facing HD camera (infrared for Windows Hello) as well as the rear dual-camera setup, 13MP + 5MP. But if you want to use both devices at the same time, you have a few options. The ThinkBook Plus can use its ARM-based hardware to run Android apps in Windows 11 via Hybrid Stream, which Lenovo describes as a low-latency picture-in-picture system. But you can retain access to Windows with the Android tablet detached  just plug in a monitor to the bottom half of the gadget and youre ready to use it again. The keyboard and trackpad keep working in this headless mode, and you can play Hearthstone on the tablet (or do something productive, I suppose).

Lenovo

What if you want to run the whole thing as an Android-based laptop? No problem. While docked you can touch a Function button, at which point Windows fades into the background and Android comes to the foreground, with your keyboard and trackpad accessible to the Google-fied interface. And yes, the tablet has access to the Google Play Store and all standard apps.

The ThinkBook Plus name is one thats associated with this kind of form factor experimentation. Previous iterations of the laptop have included bonus e-ink screens and secondary displays next to the keyboard. And while theyre interesting, they never seem to stick around and actually influence the laptop world the way the original Yoga has. Given that this sort of hybrid Android device has been tried before (the Asus Transformer line comes to mind  probably why I ranted about Soundwave in the intro), I kind of doubt that this will catch on.

Lenovo

In order to succeed, this needs to make more sense than simply carrying a standard laptop and a tablet together. Given that the combined weight of the ThinkBook Plus is 1.76 kilograms, just shy of four pounds, its hardly the lightest 14-inch laptop around. It is an elegant little combination, especially if you rely on Android apps on a daily basis. But it also has a starting price of $1,999, or at least thats Lenovos intention for its launch in the second quarter of this year. For that price, I think Id rather have a nice T- or X-series laptop with around the same specs, and the latest iPad.

But who knows, Lenovo might just have a transforming hit on its hands. Well find out later this year.
Smart doomsday preppers invest in solar-powered or hand-cranked radios to keep in touch with other future survivors of the zombie apocalypse. Add Lenovos hand-cranked mouse and keyboard to your consumer catalog of the end times.

Deep within the bowels of the Wynn Hotel, just blocks away from the Las Vegas Convention Center and CES 2024, Lenovo is showing off its latest laptops and more, all looking ahead toward a brighter, more connected future. But if society collapses, Lenovo has you covered then, too.

Lenovos 12,800 dpi wireless mouse looks ordinary enough: two primary buttons, a couple of secondary buttons, and a thumb rest that favors right-handers. (Lefties like myself will apparently be the dominant caste, the Eloi of the new world, leaving right-handed Morlocks to do the unpleasant tasks like data entry.)

The Lenovo mouse can either use a dedicated dongle or just plain Bluetooth.

Lenovos wireless mouse looks innocuous enough to survive a cursory inspection by a race of mutated giant bugs. Mark Hachman / IDG

Below the mouse, though, is something unusual: a pull-out crank. Yes, a hand crank: Spin the wheel for a few minutes, and youll generate enough power for 30 minutes of use.

Beware of spinning it too energetically: If the handle breaks off, youll put mankinds future in the hands of touchpads. (Or perhaps it will be the iconic Lenovo TrackPoints time to shine, once again.)

Underneath, however, theres a secret: a hand crank. Mark Hachman / IDG

The wireless keyboard is more optimistic. It, too, is wireless, but it has two power options. Theres a small Surface Dial-like knob in the upper left-hand corner. Spin it for 5 minutes, and youll generate enough power for 30 minutes of use. But theres an array of solar panels, too, that can be used for charging.

That gives humanity an option: Live deep in the earth in sealed, possibly lightless vaults and spin the wheel to maintain power, or use the suns energy to generate enough power to try and hack into the global AI that is trying to eliminate all organic life. Not bad, huh?

Lenovos wireless keyboard proof of concept. Just the thing for camping: or surviving an AI run amok. Mark Hachman / IDG

In less dramatic terms, you could also simply spin away while on your next Zoom call.

These are all officially labeled as proofs of concept. Okay, thats fine. Well keep your secret safe, Lenovo. But just remember to save us a pair when the aliens arrive and were all forced to fend for ourselves amid the last remnants of human society.
We declared the War on Cables the hottest PC trend of 2023 after Computex last summer and at CES 2024, the concept got real. Asus was busy showing off its vision for desktop PC without visible internal cabling  dubbed BTF for Back to the Future  and hot damn is it slick. Better yet, this wire-free initiative is kicking off in mere months, with most of the major PC case vendors pledged to support it.

The Asus BTF concept moves all the major cable and power connections for your components to the back of the motherboard (get the BTF name now?) for a pristine design aesthetic in the main part of your case. MSI and Maingear are promoting a similar concept dubbed Project Zero, but a key difference between that and Asus BTF is the way they handle graphics card cabling.

Look ma, no wires! Brad Chacos/IDG

Project Zero still has you routing those big, beefy GPU cables directly to the standard position on your graphics card, somewhat blemishing the no-wires aesthetic. Asus BTF, on the other hand, adds a proprietary, smaller 600 watt PCIe slot to both compatible graphics cards as well as compatible motherboards, eliminating even GPU wires. Its deliciously sleek while also helping combat GPU sag. (BTF motherboards will also work just fine with standard GPUs if you prefer.)

The front of BTF motherboards dont have any traditional connectors for power or data cables Brad Chacos/IDG

instead, theyre all moved to the rear of the motherboard and hidden inside the rear of your case. Brad Chacos/IDG

BTF motherboards will be price a little higher than their traditional counterparts  they need more, thicker shrouds on the front to account for extra soldering points necessitated by moving the power connectors to the back  but it shouldnt be too bad. Asus representatives told me the company is targeting roughly a $30 price premium for a BTF mobo. The company is also releasing new cases that are compatible with BTF builds as well as traditional ATX motherboards.

Asus plans to roll BTF out to the masses via kits at first, so unsuspecting buyers dont accidentally purchase graphics cards and motherboards that cant be used with traditional components. First up is an all-white Asus TUF-branded kit with the specialized TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super BTF White Edition, targeting a roughly $1,500-$2,000 total system price when it rolls out sometime around February.

The ROG Strix BTF kit. Brad Chacos/IDG

For the ballers among us, Asus is also planning on releasing a high-end, black-and-RGBd out ROG Strix kit close to the end of the quarter, powered by the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 BTF Edition with that special 600W connector. Both kits will have motherboards and cases matching their respective GPUs aesthetic, which you can read all about on Asus Edge Up blog.

But wait! Thats not all.

While these initial sales will focus on pre-bundled kits, Asus hopes the BTF initiative will spur a new revolution in custom PC building. To that effect, its already teamed up with most of the major PC case vendors to create the BTF Alliance. Through this partnership, youll have your choice from a wide range of PC cases that are fully compatible with our BTF motherboards, Asus says.

Aerocool, be quiet!, Cooler Master, Corsair, Inwin, Lian Li, Phanteks, Silverstone, and Thermaltake all have BTF cases in the works, with the first models expected to be announced later in the first quarter.

See the tiny, extra 600W PCIe connector on the TUF 4070 Ti Super BTF White Edition? Brad Chacos/IDG

It plugs into this new PCIe slot on BTF motherboards. Brad Chacos/IDG

Thats an impressive sign of support for the exciting, yet fledgling BTF concept. Will Asus also be able to rally other motherboard and graphics card makers to their side or will rivals be more inclined to toss their lot in with MSIs Project Zero campaign? Or will other PC makers and consumers even care at all?

One things for certain: Its exciting to see innovation coming to the traditional PC desktop experience and the War on Cables is just getting started in earnest.

Stayed tuned to PCWorld for all the latest and greatest PC gear from the CES 2024 floor, all week long!
The South African presidency has dismissed social media reports claiming President Cyril Ramaphosa had been taken ill and was admitted to a military hospital in the capital, Pretoria.



This is after Mr Ramaphosa failed to attend a meeting organized by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday in Mpumalanga province.



The ANC announced that Mr Ramaphosa had been excused from the meeting due to an unexplained emergency.



The announcement sparked rumours and speculations about the president's health.



"The president is fine, he was never hospitalised, and there was no emergency," presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.



Mr Magwenya said the president decided to spend the rest of the day at home "ahead of a busy week", terming the rumours "malicious".

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Elon Musk is allegedly taking illegal drugs including ecstasy and cocaine, a lifestyle choice that is concerning his executives and board members at this companies, the Wall Street Journal reports.



In recent years, some executives and board members at his companies and others close to the billionaire have become increasingly concerned that his drug use is fueling his erratic behavior.



Their concern for the tech tycoon's health extends towards the potential consequences for his six businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, sources told the Journal.



Musk is bound up with and essential to the value of his companies, potentially putting at risk around $1 trillion in assets held by investors, tens of thousands of jobs and big parts of the US space program.



Alex Spiro, an attorney for Musk, said that the CEO told the Journal Musk 'regularly and randomly drug tested at SpaceX and has never failed a test.'



Musk smoked marijuana on the Joe Rogan show and has publicly discussed his prescription for the psychedelic-like ketamine.



However, witnesses told the Journal that the X owner has also used LSD, cocaine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms, often at private exclusive parties around the world where guests have to sign NDAs and hand in their phones to avoid photos being taken.



In 2018, for example, he took multiple tabs of acid at a party he hosted in Los Angeles, the Journal reported.



The next year he allegedly consumed magic mushrooms at an event in Mexico and in 2021 took ketamine recreationally with his brother at a house party in Miami.



The billionaire has even taken drugs with current SpaceX and former Tesla board member Steve Jurvetson, according to the Journal.



Those close to the 52-year-old are now reportedly concerned that the extent of his drug taking could cause of health crisis or a crisis for his businesses.



SpaceX is the only U.S. company now approved to transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station.



However, illegal drug use would likely be a violation of federal policies that could jeopardize SpaceX's billions of dollars in government contracts.



Musk's drug use and the volatile behavior it can exacerbate has already led to resignations at the top of Musk's businesses, the Journal reports.



Linda Johnson Rice, a former Tesla director, allegedly became increasingly concerned with Musk's drug taking and so frustrated with his behavior that she didn't stand for re-election to the company's board in 2019, people familiar with the matter told the publication.



Serious concerns over Musk's drug taking were raised in 2017 when at a SpaceX meeting about the Big Falcon Rocket prototype Musk was slurring his words and rambled somewhat incomprehensibly for fifteen minutes, according the the Journal's sources.



SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell reportedly stepped in and took over the meeting.



After the meeting SpaceX executives reportedly talked privately about their concerns that Musk was on drugs.



One described told the Journal the event was 'nonsensical,' 'unhinged' and 'cringeworthy.'



In 2018 Musk was in hot water with NASA after publically smoking marijuana with Joe Rogan.



This raised concerns among executives and board members as its showed the potential business impact Musk's behavior could have.



Board members were again concerned that Musk may have been under the influence of drugs when he tweeted his intentions to take Tesla private in 2018.



The tweet brought on an SEC investigation and resulted in Musks agreement to step down as Tesla chairman for a time.

Source: Dailymail









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A former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, has suggested that election petitions that do not succeed should attract sanctions.



That, he said, was to prevent election petitions from becoming a wanton fashion.



He said it appeared that some candidates rushed to court with election petitions alleging manipulation of results primarily to placate their financiers and supporters.



That, Dr Afari-Gyan said was to ensure that they (candidates) were given another chance.



"The rush can cause undeserved injury to the reputation of the Electoral Commission (EC) and unnecessary intimidation of the courts, the longest serving Chairman of the commission said and cited Nigeria where there were 1,000 petitions before the courts after the 2023 elections.



Lecture



Dr Afari-Gyan said this yesterday in a public lecture in Accra to commemorate the Constitution Day which fell on January 7, organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and the One Ghana Movement.



The lecture also featured two former Attorney-Generals and Ministers of Justice, Joe Ghartey and Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong and a former Commissioner of the Commission on



Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short, as guest speakers.



Dr Afari-Gyan said in view of the importance of judicial functions in election, there was the need for collaboration between judiciary and the EC.



That, he said, was to institute a programme of continuous education for judges on elections, adding that such a programme would improve the delivery of electoral justice "which in turn would contribute to electoral accountability and the consolidation of democracy".



"Free and fair elections are indispensable for the health of our democracy.



We must all understand that it is an onerous responsibility to deliver free and fair elections, and that it is in our collective interests as citizens, irrespective of our positions in society to help the EC in any way we can to deliver free and fair elections," he said.



Mistakes



The former Chairman of the EC said mistakes occurred in elections, but genuine election mistakes could really be discovered and corrected.



To deter deliberate wrongdoing, Dr Afari-Gyan said by instituting a stringent regime of punishment for willful wrongdoing all persons connected with the conduct of elections must be held strictly accountable for their actions.



All categories of election workers must be familiar with the applicable regime of sanctions during their training and any infraction must be seen to be published.



Representation



On representation of the people, the former EC boss said a sizeable group of people should not be denied representation in Parliament for a long time.



That, he said, was because that was clearly inconsistent with the idea of representative governance.



Again, Dr Afari-Gyan said an election case should not be dismissed forthwith on a technicality like "the case was not filed in time because the lawyer brought a write instead of a petition".



"For all you know, the candidate and the voters do not know the filing deadline let alone the difference between a writ and a petition," he said.



Trust



For her part, Mrs Appiah-Oppong cited the Afrobarometer reports and pointed to the decline in public trust in the EC.



She, therefore, called on the EC to make the principles of accountability and checks and balances paramount in the upcoming election without room for any tiny error.



The former Attorney-General under the National Democratic Congress administration, also appealed to the judiciary to treat election-related lawsuits with urgency.



1992 constitution



Mr Ghartey, who is also a former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the 1993 Constitution had served the country well adding: We would hasten slowly in our quest to totally amend the constitution.



He also suggested that candidates who run to court knowing that their cases lacked merit must be fined and barred from holding public office over a period of time.



That, he said, would help reduce the workload on the court and contribute to increased public confidence in the judiciary.

Source: Graphiconline









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Former President John Dramani Mahama has reacted to President Akufo-Addos Constitutional Day broadcast in which he said Mr Mahama has not congratulated him three years after his election victory in 2020.



In a post on social media, Mr Mahama said it was "unconscionable" that three years after tragic events in Election 2020, President Akufo-Addo has also not uttered even a word of sympathy.



On a rather sad note, it is unconscionable that three years after these tragic events, our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has not uttered even a word of sympathy to the bereaved families. The perpetrators of these murders continue to walk as free men and still hold on to positions of authority and power, Mr Mahama wrote.



There were some disturbances in the Techiman South constituency of the Bono East Region during the 2020 elections.



The incident resulted in the firing of gunshots following an intervention by the security personnel deployed to maintain law and order.



It resulted in some injuries and the death of two people.



Akufo-Addo's condemnation in 2020



President Akufo-Addo in his victory speech in 2020 condemned the violence recorded at Techiman and another one at Odododiodoo during the 2020 general elections and said it should not repeat itself again.



Delivering his victory speech, President Akufo-Addo said the country must work to avoid the repetition of such events in future.



"I condemn in no uncertain terms the isolated incidents of post-electoral violence in Odododiodio and Techiman that led to a few regrettable deaths."



"May their souls rest in peace. We must work to avoid the repetition of such events in future," President Akufo-Addo said in December 2020.



Constitutional Day broadcast



In his broadcast to the nation ahead of the Constitutional Day, January 7, 2024, President Akufo-Addo said by common consent, all well-meaning Ghanaians have agreed that the democratic form of governance is the most preferable, and all must do everything possible to guarantee the longevity of the 4th Republic.



President Akufo-Addo said all stakeholders, that is the Electoral Commission, the political parties and their leaders, the electorate and citizenry, should work to assure the consolidation of Ghanaian democracy, and help the country maintain the pride of place on the continent as a model of democracy in Africa.



At the end of it all, he said, there should be no lingering doubt about the legitimacy of the election, and the winning candidates, on the conclusion of the process, should receive the unalloyed support of all. That is how we can strengthen our democracy and the peace and stability of our nation.



It was at that juncture that, President Akufo-Addo said, "on a lighter note, three (3) years on, I am still waiting for my main opponent [John Mahama] in the 2020 elections to congratulate me on my victory.



It is in reaction to lighter note of no congratulations after three years that Mr Mahama on his part, is also saying that, "On a rather sad note, it is unconscionable that three years after these tragic events, our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has not uttered even a word of sympathy to the bereaved families. The perpetrators of these murders continue to walk as free men and still hold on to positions of authority and power





Source: Graphiconline.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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U.S. News & World Report has released its best jobs rankings for 2024.

The rankings offer a look at the best jobs across 17 categories and take into account the most important aspects of a job, including growth potential, work-life balance, job safety, employment rate and salary.

Nurse practitioner captured the No. 1 spot on this years list.

Health care workers are critical to our overall well-being, Erika Giovanetti, money expert at U.S. News, said in a news release. Nurse practitioner rose to the No. 1 spot as this years best job. The 10-year outlook for the occupation is strong with one in three of the top 100 jobs being in health care  an increase from one in four in the 2023 rankings. Future growth and a high median salary make this career sector appealing as well.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields and health care support jobs captured all of the lists top 10 jobs. The top five jobs have a median salary between about $99,000 and $128,000.

With the 2024 job market exhibiting an appetite for web development, engineering and science-based professions, it is no surprise that STEM occupations make up nearly one-quarter of the Best Jobs rankings, Giovanetti said. The strong future job prospects and salary opportunities for many of these roles are a clear indicator for expansion in this industry.

While salaries are important, that was only one metric that the publication used.

To calculate the best jobs, U.S. News draws data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. Jobs are then scored using five component measures: future prospects, wage potential, employment, job safety and stability, and work-life balance.

The 2024 Best Jobs rankings examine the same collection of jobs that were considered for the 2023 rankings, which included jobs with the largest number and percentage of projected openings from 2021 to 2031, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The overall metrics U.S. News used to calculate this years rankings were:

Future prospects (30%).

Wage potential (25%).

Employment (20%).

Job safety and stability (15%).

Work/life balance (10%).

Here are the top 10 best jobs, according to U.S. News and World Report:

Speech-language pathologists evaluate, diagnose and treat people with speech, language or swallowing difficulties. They work with many types of patients, including stroke victims who are relearning to speak, babies who have trouble swallowing, people who speak with a stutter and children with language delays.

Median salary: $84,140

Actuarial science is a discipline that uses mathematics, statistics and financial theory to measure, manage and mitigate financial risk and uncertainty. Actuaries are essential to insurance companies, and theyre increasingly finding niches in other businesses.

Median salary: $113,990

Data scientists use technology to glean insights from large amounts of data they collect. Its a field that requires statistics, quantitative reasoning and computer programming skills. On top of all that, you need to be a good communicator so you can report your research findings and explain how they address a larger question youre trying to answer.

Median salary: $103,500

Information security analysts are responsible for protecting information in an organizations computer systems from data breaches and cyberattacks. Since lots of sensitive data is stored electronically these days, including bank account numbers and passwords, these professionals are crucial.

Median salary: $112,000

Medical and health services managers are the planners, directors and coordinators who work behind the scenes to keep hospitals, nursing homes, group practices and other health care facilities running efficiently. In short, they are super-organized professionals.

Median salary: $104,830

Physician assistants, also known as physician associates, are ubiquitous in the medical world. They use their medical expertise to examine, diagnose and treat patients, working closely with other health care professionals as a team to provide patient care.

Median salary: $126,010

Information technology managers, or computer and information systems managers, help organizations navigate the labyrinth of modern technology. These important employees have the responsibility of delivering short- and long-term visions for a companys technology needs and goals. Even though most IT managers have the technical chops to execute the various jobs of the workers they supervise, they are more likely to be spotted in a meeting room than a server room.

Median salary: $164,070

Software developers invent the technologies we sometimes take for granted. For instance, that app that rings, sings or buzzes you out of a deep sleep every morning? A software developer helped design that. And when you roll into the office and turn on your computer, clicking and scrolling through social media, music and your personal calendar  developers had a big hand in shaping those, too.

Median salary: $127,260

Financial managers oversee the finances of major companies, agencies and other organizations. Along with their teams, they coordinate accounting and produce financial reports, cash-flow statements and profit projections. To comply with various financial laws and regulations, they must pay attention to detail. Aside from working with numbers, financial managers must also help other members of their organization understand their complex reports, which requires significant communication skills.

Median salary: $139,760

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education. Extra schooling allows these health care professionals to take patient histories, perform physical exams, order labs, analyze lab results, prescribe medicines, authorize treatment plans and educate patients and their families on continued care.

Median salary: $121,600

For a complete list of the 100 best jobs, click here.
Rite Aid has announced it has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey to sell its Elixir Solutions business to MedImpact Healthcare Systems Inc. an independent pharmacy benefit solutions company.

When Rite Aid announced almost three months ago that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company said it had entered into an agreement with MedImpact Healthcare Systems to acquire Elixir.

Elixir, a pharmacy benefits and services company, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rite Aid.

Rite Aid acquired Envision Pharmaceutical Services for $2 billion in 2015. In 2020, the company rebranded Envision Pharmaceutical Services to Elixir.

We are pleased to receive this key approval toward the sale of our Elixir business to MedImpact, Jeffrey S. Stein, Rite Aids CEO and chief restructuring officer, said in a news release. We are confident the transaction with MedImpact maximizes the value of the business and best positions Elixir to support clients, members and customers long into the future. We are grateful to the Elixir team for their hard work and dedication throughout this process.

The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024. Until closing, Elixir remains part of Rite Aid and will continue operating as normal.

Rite Aid previously announced that Elixir Insurance was not included in Rite Aids Chapter 11 process or the proposed transaction with MedImpact, and it is continuing to operate and serve members as usual.

Rite Aid is based in Philadelphia and had previously been based in East Pennsboro Township for decades.

Since Rite Aid first announced it had filed for bankruptcy, it has announced that it would be closing more than 300 stores.

We are continuing to make progress with our court-supervised process and are moving forward with our Rite Aid 2.0 Plan. We remain focused on providing leading healthcare products and services to the customers that we serve every day, Stein said.
Cold cases are all about the passage of time. The battle is to make sure justice delayed doesnt become justice denied for the victims and their families.

Dauphin Countys renewed battle to solve nearly a dozen cold cases that date back decades is about time, too.
Theres a shopkeeper killing from 1972. A police lieutenant gunned down trying to halt a bank robbery in 1981. A Bosnian immigrant shot dead in her driveway in 2010. A mother who disappeared without a trace in 2001 and is presumed dead. A prostitute beaten to death, her body found in the Susquehanna River in 2001.

These cold cases are among 11 unsolved homicides across Dauphin County that District Attorney Fran Chardo has identified for further investigation by his offices first-ever full-time cold case detective.
A 13-year-old from Indiana County won the Incredible Angel Food Cake contest Sunday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Logan McGlinn was awarded a blue ribbon and $500 prize for his angel food cake topped with lemon buttercream.

More than 70 cakes were entered in the contest held at the Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg. Second place prize was awarded to Shelly Long, of Dillsburg, and third prize to Jeanine Kitzmiller, of York County.

Cakes are judged on flavor, appearance, creativity and toppings, among other metrics. Contestants compete at county and community fairs to become eligible to compete on the statewide level at the Farm Show.

Other baking competitions include best apple pie and chocolate cake.

The Farm Show runs through Jan. 13 under the theme Connecting Our Communities. The event is free, but parking is $15.

Heres McGlinns winning recipe:

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 3/4 cups extra fine sugar (divided)

1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour (spooned & leveled)

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 large egg whites, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium-low until foamy, about 1 minute. Switch to medium-high and slowly add the 1 cup of sugar. Whip until soft peaks form, about 5-6 minutes. Fold in the the vanilla.

Mix flour, 3/4 cups sugar and salt in a small bowl. In three additions, slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. To avoid deflating or a dense cake, do not add the flour mixture all at once. Sift and very slowly fold in several additions.

Pour and spread batter into an un-greased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven, then cool the cake completely upside-down set on a wire rack, about 3 hours. Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake release.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1 heaping tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

5 cups powdered sugar

Zest a large lemon. Juice lemons. Add the butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest to mixer. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.) Scrap the mixture down from the sides of the bowl. Add five cups of powdered sugar to the butter/lemon mixture. Start your mixer on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.
Big Hill Ciderworks in Gardners, Adams County, won the Secretary of Agriculture Cup for Best in Show in the 2024 Farm Show competition for Pennsylvania ciders.

Its Kingston Black is named after the apple it is sourced from. According to the Big Hill website, Kingston Black is perhaps the most esteemed of all English cider varietals. This single-varietal dry cider has earthy notes, soft tannins and a rustic complexity thats reminiscent of Old World ciders. It has an 8.2% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Heres a link to all of the ciders that Big Hill produces.

According to its website, the business started as a dream of two guys  Ben Kishbaugh and Troy Lehman who met in a car dealership in 2006. Lehman had been making wine and cider since 2002 and Kishbaugh started to homebrew while living in Detroit a few years after they met. Eventually, both would leave the auto industry and buy farms. From there, they took their dream and opened Big Hill Ciderworks in 2013.

The farm and taphouse is located at 338 Georgetown Road.

Armstrong Valley Winery, in Halifax, Dauphin County, which won a Governors Cup in the wine competition, also placed two entries among the award winners in the cider competition.

Here are the remainder of the award winners, by category:

Class I: Modern Dry

1st - Ploughman Cider - Dornick

2nd - Ottos Brewery - Keewaydin Semi-Dry Cider

3rd - Brother Monk Ciderworks - Dutch Run Dry Cider

Class II: Modern Sweet

1st - Keewaydin Semi-Sweet Cider

2nd (tied) - Bucktail Cider Company - Land Locked

Bucktail Cider Company - Big Pocono

Brother Monk Ciderworks - Chesapeake Divide Hard Cider

Five Maidens Cider Company - Semi Sweet Cider

3rd (tied) - Armstrong Valley Winery - Bad Girl Cider

Punx Ciderworkx - Petals

Class III: Traditional

1st - Big Hill Ciderworks - Kingston Black

2nd - Ploughman Cider - Rosedale

3rd - Ploughman Cider - Stark

Class IV: Sour Cider

1st - Big Hill Ciderworks - Manchurian

2nd - Ploughman Cider - Froderick

3rd -Frecons Cidery - Was Hael

Class V: Fruited Cider

1st - Deep Roots - Troublemaker

2nd - Ottos Brewery - Keewaydin Apple Cherry Cider

3rd - Five Maidens Cider Co - Pineapple Cider

Class VI: Hopped Cider

1st - Armstrong Valley Winery - Bad To The Bone

2nd - Brother Monk Ciderworks - Hopped Dry

3rd (tie) - Punx Ciderworx - Hoppy Hog

Five Maidens Cider Co - Charlie!!! Goes to Idaho

Class VII: Spiced Cider

1st - Punx Ciderworks - Pumpkutawney

2nd - Five Maidens Cider Co - Cider Donut Cider

3rd - Deep Roots - Apple Crisp
Kudos to you if you count yourself among the legions of resolution-makers who have sworn off alcohol in the spirit of Dry January  the ubiquitous start-of-the-year rite of passage that calls for abstinence from booze, at least for a month.

The wisdom of such a decision is praised by just about every medical journal or health organization in the world. Studies show that quitting alcohol - even for a month  imparts a slew of health benefits from improved sleep, weight loss, lower blood pressure to improved heart and liver health (not to mention a more robust wallet).

With your palette and taste buds recalibrated during this alcohol hiatus, its the perfect time to expand your beverage horizons and open yourself to new and unusual libations.

Weve rounded up a few to get you started. In some parts of the world, these drinks are favored and enjoyed by millions  and with good reason. All have unique and enticing flavor profiles, are easy to make or buy and some even have amazing health benefits.

If you are not motivated to follow recipes to try to make them at home, you can find them on menus of many restaurants across the region.

Not only will you expand your beverage profile, but you might also learn about the rich culinary traditions of global cultures.

Indian Lassi

Look in any community in central Pennsylvania and you will likely find enclaves of Southeast Asians and some of our favorite restaurants. Pennsylvania is home to over 600,000 Asian Americans, and Indian Americans make up the largest subgroup of that category.

Our neighbors give us the Indian Lassi (pronounced more like luh in luscious  and not the famed TV dogs name). This traditional Indian beverage comes in a myriad varieties - from mango to strawberry and blood orange to savory spice profiles  but regardless of the flavor, it packs a gut-satisfying experience of yummy full-fat, frothy ice cold drink.

These yogurt-based drinks are easy to make. Here is one recipe we particularly like from the great Indian cooking website TwoSleevers.

Of course, if you feel daunted to try it at home, head to your neighborhood Indian restaurant and order one.

Your tastebuds will thank you and other body parts as well: Lassis are packed with probiotics, calcium and Vitamin D.

Aguas frescas and horchatas offer a wide variety of flavor options to explore. Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

Horchata de Ajonjoli

I file this one under the category: You dont know what you are missing until you try it.

I grew up drinking Horchata de Ajonjoli (or-CHA-tah day oh-hone-ho-LEE), although it was a treat and not an everyday drink. This Puerto Rican drink is made from sesame seed milk, but varieties are found across Latin America and even parts of Southeast Asia and Africa  any warm climate where sesame seeds are grown and people are looking to cool off from the scorching heat!

If you have tried oat or almond milk, you will be familiar with the concept of plant milk, but ajonjoli is just a bit different - a little nuttier and creamier. Did we say delicious? And its often spiced with cloves, star anise and cinnamon.

Dont be intimidated: This one is pretty easy to make. My grandmothers pantry was forever at the ready for her to whip up some horchata de ajonjoli. The basic concept is to toast the sesame seeds and soak overnight with spices. You can experiment with different milks - oat, almond, barley, even tinned milk or just let the pureed sesame seeds speak for themselves. We found the CaribbeanTrading Company offers up a good recipe.

Need more persuasion: Long a folk medicine food, sesame seeds are packed with healthful goodness including 5 grams of protein per 3-tablespoon serving. They are known to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, protecting against heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Few beverage experience pack a wealth of nutrition and serenity as much as Matcha, the traditional Japanese green tea. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)

Matcha

Not so long ago matcha - the powdered green tea emblematic of Japanese culture - was veiled in the mysteries of ritual and ancient ceremonies. In more recent years, the growing demand for matcha has spilled over into most coffee shop retailers in America, not to mention as an ingredient in ice cream, chocolates, lattes and even skin care products.

You are not alone if you feel a little intimidated by matcha. For starters, theres an entire stratosphere arguing the purity and authenticity of what makes true matcha. Well leave that to the cultural experts, and focus here on getting you to try matcha - yes, even the prepackaged stuff sold at your favorite home goods purveyor.

Here are the basics: matcha is a Japanese green tea powder made from finely powdered dried tea leaves that you whisk into hot water to create a frothy beverage.

Matcha is unlike other teas you may have had, especially if you are fond of herbal teas. Matcha has a slightly bitter taste that resonates with its rich, high chlorophyll green hues.

Talk about nourishment: matcha packs a wallop when it comes to its nutrient prowess. Matcha is rich in catechins and thus contains a slew of antioxidants (and yes caffeine too) and is known to promote heart health, protect the liver, promote brain function and aid in weight loss.

In learning about matcha and how to prepare it, you might just broaden your cultural outlook. You will learn about an ancient ritual and experience a sublime beverage that may bring a little harmony and tranquility and who doesnt need that in 2024?

Aguas frescas

Thank our neighbors across the southern border for this concoction - a marriage of fruits, vegetables, sugar and creativity.

Agua fresca literally translates to fresh water, and the popular drink knows no limit to its variations. Its three main ingredients - fruit, water and a sweetener (typically sugar) lay the basis for endless varieties of flavors: watermelon, pomegranate, pineapple, peach and banana, among them.

Here are some recipes offered by Food & Wine. You dont need much to make a batch of aguas frescas: a blender and maybe a fine-mesh strainer.

Tapioca balls settle at the bottom of the glass and give bubble tea its signature look and drink experience. File photo

Bubble tea

If you havent tried bubble tea, or boba tea, you are in for a treat. While Taiwan lays claim for introducing bubble tea to the world, Asian countries en masse have laid claim to their versions of the drink. (If you are a fan of K-dramas you may have gone out of your way to get a frothy mug of bubble tea).

Bubble tea comes in many flavors and varieties, from sweet and fruity to chocolate and even more savory styles such as red bean and pumpkin spice.

Your bubble tea will be served up frothy and bubbly with an oversized straw. Thats because one of the components of bubble tea - in addition to the milky tea and fruit infusion - is tapioca pearls, which create the bubbles that settle at the bottom of the glass. Youll want the large straw to get at all the chewy goodness. (This one you eat and drink!)

You can have your bubble tea hot or cold, although most social media influencers and K-drama idols have largely popularized the icy cold version.

Youll find bubble tea at any Asian grocery outlet or eatery; but these days even mainstream beverage companies have it on the menu. You can even find tin bubble tea sold in six packs.

Bubble tea has marginal health benefits. The tea components offers some antioxidant properties but bubble tea can be high in sugar and might not be the healthiest drink choice for some people.
As temperatures drop, plenty of people out there are looking for a good snuggle to keep themselves (and someone else) warm.

And there are plenty of places in Pennsylvania that could aptly provide the backdrop to some good wintertime cuddling. One, however, was recently shown in the spotlight.

New York Travel Guides  which, according to its about page, is a digital publication that focuses on a large variety of topics including great things to do [in New York City], cultural attractions, and the citys food scene  created a list last year regarding the 140 most romantic small towns in the United States.

The cities included on this list were determined after New York Travel Guides researchers seeded a list of 600, then graded them across four main categories: romantic places to stay; romantic activities; historic adventure and scenery; and cozy coffee shops and restaurants.

As far as Pennsylvania representation goes, Gettysburg was placed among the final rankings in the 97th overall spot.

According to a press release from Destination Gettysburg!, this isnt the first time Gettysburg has been deemed romantic: U.S. News & World Report included the historic area among its own top 20 most romantic places to stay in the Keystone State.

Even if you and your sweetheart dont consider yourselves history buffs, youll find plenty of other reasons to visit Gettysburg, reads U.S. News. An array of cozy restaurants, boutique shops and historic B&Bs make Gettysburg one of the most romantic getaways in Pennsylvania.

Just be sure to mind the ghosts.
By DAVID KOENIG, CLAIRE RUSH and TOM KRISHER, The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Federal investigators say a door panel slid up before flying off an Alaska Airlines jetliner last week, and they are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off.

The comments Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board came shortly after Alaska and United Airlines reported separately that they found loose parts in the panels  or door plugs  of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, Chicago-based United said.

Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s, Initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft.

The findings of investigators and the airlines are ratcheting up pressure on Boeing to address concerns that have grown since the terrifying fuselage blowout Friday night. A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off the plane as it flew 16,000 feet above Oregon.

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the door plug from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP, file)AP

Boeing has called an online meeting for all employees Tuesday to discuss safety.

The company, which has had problems with various planes over the years, pledged to help address any and all findings that airlines make during their inspections of Max 9 jets. Boeing has delivered more than 200 to customers around the world, but 171 of them were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday until the door plugs can be inspected and, if necessary, fixed.

The door plugs are inserted where emergency exit doors would be located on Max 9s with more than about 200 seats. Alaska and United have fewer seats in their Max 9s, so they replace heavy doors with the plugs.

The panels can be opened for maintenance work. The bolts prevent the mechanism from moving upward on rollers when the plane is in flight.

During Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday night, roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke  for reasons the investigators dont fully understand yet  allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 stop pads that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, NTSB officials said at a news briefing in Portland.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the safety board was investigating whether four bolts that help prevent the panel from sliding up on rollers were missing when the plane took off from Portland or whether they blew off during the violent, explosive decompression event.

An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to return to Portland International Airport after a section of the fuselage suddenly blew out of the plane Fri., Jan. 5., 2023. (Submitted photo, file)Courtesy photo

The interior of the plane suffered extensive damage, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land safely. Officials say there were no serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.

The lost door panel was found Sunday near Portland in the backyard of a school teachers home. NTSB officials said it will be sent to the agencys lab in Washington, D.C., for detailed study that might help pinpoint why the plug broke loose.

Alaska and United have canceled hundreds of flights since the weekend because of their grounded planes.
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  A crippling fuel leak forced a Pennsylvania company on Tuesday to give up on landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Astrobotic Technologys lander began losing fuel soon after Mondays launch. The spacecraft also encountered problems keeping its solar panel pointed towards the sun and generating solar power.

Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon, Astrobotic said in a statement.

Astrobotic had been targeting a lunar landing on Feb. 23, following a roundabout, fuel-efficient flight to the moon. It could have been the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years, and the first by a private company. A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month.

Only four countries have pulled off a successful moon landing.

In this image released by Astrobotic Technology, an image from a mounted camera shows a disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (Astrobotic Technology via AP)AP

The company said the new goal was to keep the lander operating as long as possible in space, in order to learn as much as possible for its next mission a year or so from now. Flight controllers managed to keep the spacecraft pointed toward the sun and its battery fully charged, with another 40 hours of operations anticipated.

The Pittsburgh-based company did not elaborate on why the Peregrine landers propellant system failed just hours into the flight.

NASA paid Astrobotic $108 million to fly its experiments to the moon on this mission, part of the agencys commercial lunar program.
By HYUNG-JIN KIM, The Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Koreas parliament on Tuesday passed a landmark ban on production and sales of dog meat, as public calls for a prohibition have grown sharply over concerns about animal rights and the countrys international image.

Some angry dog farmers said they plan to challenge the bills constitutionality and hold protest rallies, a sign of continued heated debate over the ban.

After a three-year grace period, the bill would make slaughtering, breeding and sales of dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027 and punishable by two to three years in prison. It doesnt provide any penalties for eating dog meat.

Dog meat consumption, a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula, is neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea. It has long been viewed as a source of stamina on hot summer days. Recent surveys show more than half of South Koreans want dog meat banned and a majority no longer eat it. But one in every three South Koreans still opposes a ban even though they dont consume it.

The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. It will become law after being endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol, considered formalities since his government supports the ban.

This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals, the legislation says.

Dog farmers beat their drums during a rally against the government-led dog meat banning bill in front of the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, file)AP

The bill offers assistance to dog farmers and others in the industry in shutting down their businesses and shifting to alternatives. Details are to be worked out among government officials, farmers, experts and animal rights activists.

Dozens of animal rights activists gathered at the National Assembly to celebrate the bills passage. They carried large photos of dogs, chanted slogans and held placards reading Dog meat-free Korea is coming.

Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and in some African countries. But South Koreas dog meat industry has drawn more attention because of the countrys reputation as a cultural and economic powerhouse. Its also the only nation with industrial-scale dog farms. Most farms in South Korea raise about 500 dogs, but one visited by The Associated Press in July had about 7,000.

Farmers were extremely upset by the bills passage.

This is a clear case of state violence as they are infringing on our freedom to choose our occupation. We cant just sit by idly, said Son Won Hak, a farmer and former leader of a farmers association.

Son said dog farmers will file a petition with the Constitutional Court of Korea and hold demonstrations. He said farmers will meet on Wednesday to discuss other steps.

There is no reliable official data on the exact size of South Koreas dog meat industry. Activists and farmers say hundreds of thousands of dogs are slaughtered for meat each year.
UPDATE: 4-year-old among two fatalities in central Pa. house fire: coroner

Two people were killed in a house fire Monday morning in York County.

The house fire, which took place at the 2400 block of Black Rock Road in West Manheim Township, was first reported at 10:42 a.m., according to Ted Czech, spokesman for York County Department of Emergency Services.

When fire crews arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames, Czech said.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, and another died at UPMC Hanover, according to York County Coroner Pam Gay. She also said the names and genders will not be released until the family is notified.

A helicopter was dispatched to the scene, according to emergency dispatch reports.

Czech said the initial 911 caller reported at least two explosions, which were unconfirmed. He said the fire was under control at 12:07 p.m. Investigators were still on the scene as of 3:25 p.m.

According to a report from the Evening Sun, firefighters had to enter through a bedroom window to remove one of the victims in the two-alarm fire. That same person was also taken to UPMC Hanover.

The Evening Sun said the second victim was found in the garage, which was submerged in flames.

Three firefighters were also taken to a local hospital for evaluation, according to the Evening Sun. Two other occupants who were already outside of the home were evaluated and denied medical care.

A pet cat and a dog in the home were unaccounted for, according to the Evening Sun.

The cause of the fire is unknown.
A child and an adult were killed in a house explosion in York County on Monday morning, authorities say.

The York County coroners office late Monday night identified the victims as a 4-year-old boy and a 79-year-old man. Their names will be released on Tuesday, the coroner said.

The coroners office was dispatched to a home located in the 2400 block of Black Rock Road in West Manheim Township at 11:44 a.m. and found the man dead at the residence. His time of death was listed as 12:47 p.m.

Subsequently, authorities were notified that there was another fatality at a hospital related to the house fire, the coroners office said.

The child was pronounced dead at 12:28 p.m., soon after arriving at the hospital.

The Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal said the house fire was caused by careless smoking, as the 79-year-old man was using a wheelchair and smoking in an enclosed garage while on oxygen, which caused the tanks to explode.

The entire structure was heavily damaged, according to the coroners office.

There were other people reportedly in the residence at the time of the fire, and they were taken for treatment, the coroners office said. Their conditions were not reported.

The next of kin have been notified, the coroners report said.

West Manheim Township police and the fire marshal are investigating.
Independence National Historical Park has withdrawn the review of a draft proposal to rehabilitate Welcome Park and closed the public comment period, the National Park Service (NPS) said Monday.

The preliminary draft proposal, which was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review, is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned, according to the press release, which continued: The National Park Service remains committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews, the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years.

A proposal to renovate and redesign a Philadelphia park steamed some members of the state GOP as well as many online commenters, mainly because it involved removing a statue of William Penn. The National Park Service unveiled its proposal on Jan. 5 to make Welcome Park a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.

The redevelopment would offer an expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia as well as a new planted buffer on three sides, and a ceremonial gathering space with circular benches, according to the proposal.

Said Gov. Josh Shapiro in a post Monday evening on X: My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. Im pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue  right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.

Pa. Sen. Bob Casey added similar sentiments on his X account: I heard concerns that there were plans to permanently remove William Penns statue from Welcome Park. After checking in with the Department of the Interior, Im pleased to report that there are no plans to remove William Penn at this time.

The park is located on the site of William Penns home, the Slate Roof House, and is named for the ship, Welcome, which transported Penn to Philadelphia. The design and construction of Welcome Park was funded by the Independence Historical Trust and was completed in 1982, the release said.

Updates on the project can be found on the parks website at www.nps.gov/INDE.
DALMATIA  A boy who fatally shot his father Sunday in Northumberland County likely saved the lives of others, authorities say.

The boy, who was not identified, killed Tracey L. Adams, 47, after Adams fatally shot his stepsister Brandi S. Hauck, 31, they said.

Adams had declared his intention to kill everyone in the residence near Dalmatia, investigators said they were told.
Story by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters.
Republican Senate candidate David McCormick worked to cement a vital part of his base in this years U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania - rural voters - with a visit to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg Monday.

Speaking at a meeting of PA Ag Republicans, McCormick said he believes agriculture has been underserved by President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress like U.S. Sen. Robert P. Casey, whom McCormick is planning to oppose this year.

McCormick is not facing any serious opposition for the Republican nomination.

The Pennsylvania race is widely seen as one of a handful on which majority control of the Senate could hinge.

McCormick, 58, who retired in early 2022 as chief executive officer of Bridgewater Associates, a major Wall Street investment firm, ticked off a handful of reasons why he said farm families and others in the states agricultural world should give him a vote.

First, McCormick promised strong support for energy policies, like full development of Pennsylvanias natural gas resources, that he said will help reduce fuel costs for farmers and other consumers.

Biden and his Democratic allies, McCormick said, have failed to let the American energy economy develop for environmental and other reasons, and he argued thats why fuel prices are still 30 percent higher than when President Biden took office in January 2021.

Thats a direct consequence of saying: Were going to transition our economy away from carbon. Were going to make it much more difficult to get permits. Were not going to support the Keystone pipeline. Were not going to do a bunch of things that would make us energy dominant in the world, McCormick said.

He promised make immigration a dual priority as a senator: First, by working to fix a porous Southern border that has seen historically large numbers of undocumented migrants coming into the United States via Mexico.

But he also proposed changes to legal immigration in ways that could make it easier for farm employers to bring in guest workers to fill chronic labor shortages.

We can do two things at once, and theyre very compatible: Stop the flow of illegal immigrants; and reform our legal immigration system in a way thats great for America, McCormick said.

McCormick said he would support revoking normal trade relations status with China until the government there allows fair access to its markets by American farmers and other producers, and proves it is doing more to stem the flow of chemical precursors that lead to the production of fentanyl on Americas doorstep.

Finally, McCormick promised to support a major cause of the American dairy industry - permitting public schools to sell whole and 2 percent milk varieties in their cafeterias again.

Dairy advocates have long argued their best chance to develop a next-generation market for milk is being unfairly blocked by Obama-era regulations that prohibited whole milk in schools in the name of battling childhood obesity.

McCormick vowed to be a strong supporter of the whole milk bill, which passed the House of Representatives in December but still needs Senate passage. McCormick noted U.S. Sen. John Fetterman is a co-sponsor of the Senates version of the bill; Casey, so far, is not.

I grew up on a family farm from the time I was a kid, McCormick said Monday, referring to his childhood in Bloomsburg, where he continues to own his familys farm, 300 acres of which he said is still actively cultivated. I bailed a few bales of hay in my life and Ive trimmed a lot of Christmas trees.

But Im not a farmer... Thats a title that you earn and I havent earned that title. But Ive worked around it, and I worked around enough to know how important it is to Pennsylvania, McCormick told his audience Monday.

And if Im fortunate enough to be elected to the Senate, I will carry that clarity of the importance of agriculture to the Senate.

Casey, who is seeking his fourth term in the Senate, made his own visit to the Farm Show on Saturday.

According to Lancaster Farming, he said then that hes hopeful of seeing a new Farm Bill pass Congress this year, and his top priorities for it are making sure it programs combat hunger, wisely using the unprecedented amount of funding available for conservation, and strengthening ag export markets.

Casey also said, the paper reported, he will oppose Republican-led efforts to cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.

In recent years, SNAP has served 41 million people per month and Casey said that funding is more than a moral question. The money, which recipients immediately spend, provides an economic boost. When we pass a robust SNAP program and funding for it, everyone in the country benefits, he said.

,
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer

Earth last year shattered global annual heat records, flirted with the worlds agreed-upon warming threshold and showed more signs of a feverish planet, the European climate agency said Tuesday.

In one of the first of several teams of science agencies to calculate how off-the-charts warm 2023 was, the European climate agency Copernicus said the year was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. Thats barely below the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit that the world hoped to stay within in the 2015 Paris climate accord to avoid the most severe effects of warming.

And January 2024 is on track to be so warm that for the first time a 12-month period will exceed the 1.5-degree threshold, Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said. Scientists have repeatedly said that Earth would need to average 1.5 degrees of warming over two or three decades to be a technical breach of the threshold.

The 1.5 degree goal has to be (kept) alive because lives are at risk and choices have to be made, Burgess said. And these choices dont impact you and I, but they impact our children and our grandchildren.

The record heat made life miserable and sometimes deadly in Europe, North America, China and many other places last year. But scientists say a warming climate is also to blame for more extreme weather events, like the lengthy drought that devastated the Horn of Africa, the torrential downpours that wiped out dams and killed thousands in Libya and the Canada wildfires that fouled the air from North America to Europe.

In a separate Tuesday press event, international climate scientists who calculate global warmings role in extreme weather, the groups leader, Imperial College climate scientist Friederike Otto said we definitely see in our analysis the strong impact of it being the hottest year.

The World Weather Attribution team only looks at events that affect at least 1 million people or kill more than 100 people. But Otto said her team was overwhelmed with more than 160 of those in 2023, and could only conduct 14 studies, many of them on killer heat waves. Basically every heat wave that is occurring today has been made more likely and is hotter because of human-induced climate change, she said.

FILE - A person drinks a bottle of water in the shade as temperatures are expected to hit 119-degrees (48.3 Celsius) July 20, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)AP

Antarctic sea ice hit record low levels in 2023 and broke eight monthly records for low sea ice, Copernicus reported.

Copernicus calculated that the global average temperature for 2023 was about one-sixth of a degree Celsius (0.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the old record set in 2016. While that seems a small amount in global record-keeping, its an exceptionally large margin for the new record, Burgess said. Earths average temperature for 2023 was 14.98 degrees Celsius (58.96 degrees Fahrenheit), Copernicus calculated.

It was record-breaking for seven months. We had the warmest June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Burgess said. It wasnt just a season or a month that was exceptional. It was exceptional for over half the year.

There are several factors that made 2023 the warmest year on record, but by far the biggest factor was the ever-increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that trap heat, Burgess said. Those gases come from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Other factors including the natural El Nino  a temporary warming of the central Pacific that alters weather worldwide  other natural oscillations in the Arctic, southern and Indian oceans, increased solar activity and the 2022 eruption of an undersea volcano that sent water vapor into the atmosphere, Burgess said.
Tuesdays storm is expected to bring several inches of rain to Harrisburg following the citys first plowable snow in over a year. But heres why officials say they are not worried about flooding in the city.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Monday afternoon for a large portion of central Pennsylvania and is calling for 1.5 to 3 inches of rain from Tuesday morning until Wednesday morning in Harrisburg. Heavy winds  25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph  are also expected throughout the region.

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline and Public Works Deputy Director Austin Griffin on Monday noted that heavy rains historically cause the Paxton Creek to flood the area of Maclay and Cameron streets, a high-traffic intersection outside of the ongoing Pennsylvania Farm Show.

However, the Susquehanna Rivers low water level of around 5.3 feet will allow rain and leftover snow to drain from the Paxton Creek into the Susquehanna, preventing flooding, according to Enterline.

We are not really concerned about flooding. There could be some localized flooding, make no mistake about it because of the snowfall. But as far as significant travel issues, we do not expect them to occur at this point, Enterline said.

When asked if there were any areas where flooding is a concern, Enterline said the current forecast doesnt model any significant flooding but drivers should remain cautious.

If theres standing water and the road is flooded. Do not drive through it, he said. I dont want to see you drown, and I dont want to see my guys have to come out and rescue you, Enterline added.

The Susquehannas water level is expected to reach 11 feet by Thursday, but should not reach flooding levels of 17 to 20 feet, according to Enterline. The river usually sits around five to six feet around this time of year.

Harrisburg City Public Works has already prepared for potential flooding, fallen trees and power lines, and other hazards caused by the rain or wind by loading trucks with barricades and notifying crews they are on standby until Wednesday afternoon, Griffin said.

Enterline acknowledged the difficulties heavy rain can bring but said Tuesdays storm is not like a summer storm, where multiple inches of rain accumulate in less than a few hours, but rather a long, drawn-out rain that will accumulate over about 36 hours.
Mike Holtz Wins WSOP.com NV/NJ Player of the Year; Zach Gruneberg Takes PA Title

January 09, 2024 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Although he knew it would happen by the summer, Mike "BrockLesnar" Holtz officially secured the WSOP.com Player of the Year award in Nevada/New Jersey at the end of December.

The same online poker award in Pennsylvania went to Zach "CaptainLevi" Gruneberg. Both players have something in common beyond their online prowess  they're also skilled live poker tournament players.

Nevada Online Poker Legend Does it Again

Mike "BrockLesnar" Holtz

Holtz, who won the award in 2021, has been crushing it on WSOP.com Nevada for quite a few years now. If you play in the multi-table tournaments (MTTs) regularly, you'll frequently see his screen name, "BrockLesnar," among those who reached the money.

When PokerNews caught up with the online poker star during the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, he gave himself -800 odds to win Player of the Year, essentially saying there wasn't much of a shot he'd fall out of first place before the end of the year.

"I had (the lead) up to 10k or so points ahead in July but when December started we were 2,200 points apart, so I was very concerned about losing."

As it turns out, he was spot on with his prediction, although Qinghai 011POKERDR Pan did give him a bit of a race. Holtz finished the year with 95,306 points, about 6,000 more than Pan. No other player hit the 70,000 mark, with Krista "Pollux" Gifford in third place at 68,437 points. Gifford finished runner-up by a wide margin to Holtz in 2021.

"It feels fantastic to win Player of the Year again," Holtz said. "Im relieved after a long hard battle with 'pokerdr' that I came out on top. I had done really well early on and had a commanding lead from the start. I had (the lead) up to 10k or so points ahead in July but when December started we were 2,200 points apart, so I was very concerned about losing it at the last second."

Holtz admitted chasing Player of the Year is "stressful" as it requires consistent positive results throughout the year and many hours of grinding. Contenders can't take much time off or another player will pass right on by them. After winning it for a second time in three years, "Brock" said he will continue playing online and live, including some travel to certain events, but "won't be going for Player of the Year" in 2024.

"I really want to get into content creation," says the online poker crusher. "I think the vast majority of online pros are corny as hell. When you envision an online crushers setup you would think multiple monitors, charts everywhere, calming music, etc. For me the truth is I play on a laptop in my kitchen. I'm playing other video games at the same time and or watching TV. I'm playing with my dogs half the time and Im doing this while Im running over everyone in the player pool."

Holtz, who also finished 15th in the live WSOP Player of the Year race last summer and has over $550,000 in The Hendon Mob results, beat some tough competition, including World Poker Tour (WPT) co-commentator Tony "Panoramic" Dunst (ninth place), and AJ "sacakewalk" Sacher, the defending champion.

For winning the award on the Nevada/New Jersey shared liquidity platform, Holtz received $10,000 in cash, a WSOP.com Player of the Year ring, and $1,500 in online tournament tickets.

2023 WSOP.com Nevada/New Jersey Player of the Year Standings

Place Player Points 1 Mike BrockLesnar Holtz 95,306 2 Qinghai 011POKERDR Pan 89,404 3 Krista "Pollux" Gifford 68,437 4 Benjamin "MrLarryDavid" Felson 59,726 5 Josh "YoelRomeo" King 56,354 6 Aram "X69Podheiser" Zobian 55,835 7 "HuniDeGrande" 55,177 8 Jonathan Art.Vandelay Dokler 54,488 9 Tony "Panoramic" Dunst 52,417 10 AJ "sacakewalk" Sacher 50,993

Mike Holtz Wins 2021 WSOP.com Player of the Year

Gruneberg Wins a Close Race in Pennsylvania

Zach Gruneberg

Over on WSOP.com Pennsylvania, the battle for Player of the Year was closer, but Gruneberg grinded it out to the finish line, thanks in part to a number of WSOP Circuit Online deep runs in the Fall.

"CaptainLevi" won his sixth WSOP Circuit ring in September when he took down a $215 buy-in no-limit hold'em online event for $7,769. He reached nine final tables in WSOPC online events during the last four months of the year.

"We have a really solid community of players in Pennsylvania that all know each other which to me adds to the fun and competitive nature of things like Player of the Year," Gruneberg said.

Gruneberg, who racked up 45,147 POY points, faced a tough battle from "Albertcamus," a player who finished just over 2,000 points off the lead. Justin "yumdubz" Vaysman took third place, quite a bit behind the top two performers at 31,763 points.

David "DrKool" Kuder was the first to ever win WSOP.com Pennsylvania Player of the Year in 2022. He had another solid year on the virtual felt, but inevitably finished in ninth place this time around (22,345 points).

Much like Holtz, Gruneberg received $10,000 in cash, a ring, and $1,500 worth of tournament tickets on WSOP.com. The 2023 champion, also like Holtz, is an accomplished live player as well. Even more accomplished. Gruneberg has over $2.2 million in live tournament cashes, including a $490,617 score for finishing runner-up to Jesse Sylvia in the 2016 WPT Borgata Poker Open.

Gruneberg said he decided to make a serious run at Player of the Year "a few months back." Another player in his Pennsylvania Discord group who goes by the name "Tators" proclaimed he would win POY. That fueled Gruneberg's fire.

"The journey was quite an exciting one because going into late November early December, I was buried by 4,000 points," the PA champion stated.

Putting in the volume, playing well, and running hot at the right time sparked Gruneberg out in front at the finish line. He said he final tabled "80% to 90% of the events" in the latter months to take the lead and "never looked back."

"DrKool" Wins First Ever WSOP.com PA Player of the Year

2023 WSOP.com Pennsylvania Player of the Year Standings

Place Player Points 1 Zach "CaptainLevi" Gruneberg 45,147 2 "Albertcamus" 42,955 3 Justin yumdubz Vaysman 31,763 4 "ArnoldSlick" 28,389 5 Casey "sdddave" Hatmaker 24,585 6 Michael FutureWhale McNicholas 23,962 7 Dean "TheRealYoshi" Morrow 23,433 8 "Griffith_" 22,860 9 David "DrKool" Kuder 22,345 10 Andrew "LoveToLose" Porter 22,182

Sharelines Mike "BrockLesnar" Holtz wins 2023 WSOP.com Online Player of the Year.
"Svarozhits" Takes Down Last 888poker Mystery Bounty Main Event Before the XL Winter Series

January 09, 2024 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor

The 888poker XL Winter Series is only days away, and players are hoping to go into the $2 million guaranteed festival in hot form. Montenegro's "Svarozhits" is doing precisely that after they came out on top in the final $109 Mystery Bounty Main Event before the XL Winter Series kicks off in earnest this coming weekend.

Including re-entries, 1,172 players bought into the latest Mystery Bounty Main Event, ensuring the $100,000 guarantee was beaten by an impressive $117,200. Day 1 concluded with only eight players in the hunt for the title and with the largest mystery bounties having found new homes.

"c0rbl1meguv" busted in 95th place, but not before claiming a $3,000 bounty. Denmark's "bagedag" fell one place later having also opened an envelope containing a $3,000 prize. However, it was 14th place finisher, "ingeruRO14" of Romania who reeled in the largest mystery bounty, one worth $10,000! Add that to their other bounties and regular prize pool award, and "ingeruRO14" walked away with $11,676, the most of any other player.

$100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 philbert32 United Kingdom 5,145,710 129 2 DelPieroooo 3,138,401 79 3 dedect888 Brazil 2,663,226 67 4 gremistaAAKs Brazil 2,452,518 61 5 Svarozhits Montenegro 2,185,550 55 6 iwantjob Sweden 729,428 18 7 YAMAHA1311 Ukraine 634,508 16 8 edtastylez92 630,659 16

The final table lost its first player ten minutes into proceedings. "YAMAHA1311" opened with a nine big blind raise, with pocket sixes under the gun, leaving themselves 1.1 big blinds behind. The action fell to "DelPieroooo" in the small blind and they shoved; "YAMAHA1311" called and was shown ace-king. Pocket sixes remained good on the flop, but an ace on the turn was enough to see "YAMAHA1311" crash out.

A short-stacked "edtastlez92" was the next player heading for the exits. The action folded to them in the cutoff, and they open-shoed for 6.1 big blinds with pocket queens. "DelPieroooo" called on the button with ace-seven. Like in the previous elimination hand, an ace landed on the turn, and the player count was reduced by one.

The final six became five with the shock exit of "philbert32." Their demise was a shock because they had over 80 big blinds when six-handed play began, and was the chip leader. They lost more than half their stack with ace-king versus the suited ace-king of "gremistaAAKs" thanks to the flop falling all diamonds, with the chips going in preflop. They got the rest of their stack into the middle with ace-jack and lost, ironically, to the ace-king of diamonds in the hands of "DelPieroooo."

Over $2 Million Guaranteed in the 888poker XL Winter Series from Jan. 14 Check out the schedule

Sweden's "iwantjob" bowed out before "philbert32"'s seat had gone cold. "gremistaAAKs" opened on the button, "iwantjob" three-bet all-in from the small blind for 9.4 big blinds with suited king-jack, and "gremistaAAKs" called with suited ace-four. Neither player paired their hole cards, and "gremistaAAKs" scooped the pot courtesy of their ace-kicker.

Four-handed play lasted almost 40 minutes, ending with the demise of "dedect888." They were left with less than one big blind after losing with ace-queen versus the pocket sixes of "gremistaAAKs," and busted the very next hand.

Five minutes after "gremistaAAKs" busted, the final three players discussed the possibility of a deal. A deal was agreed after some deliberation, and play resumed to decide the eventual champion and the final bounties.

Third place went to "gremistaAAKs" after a losing a coinflip with ace-ten versus the pocket sevens of "Svarozhits." That hand gave "Svarozhits" a four-to-one chip advantage over their final opponent.

It took less than ten minutes for "Svarozhits" to press home their advantage. The final hand saw "DelPieroooo" unable to find a fold with second-pair after "Svarozhits" set them all-in on the river having turned a heart flush.

$100,000 Mystery Bounty Main Event Final Table Results

Rank Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 Svarozhits Montenegro $657 $7,525 $8,183* 2 DelPieroooo $578 $7,428 $8,006* 3 gremistaAAKs Brazil $1,197 $7,315 $8,513* 4 dedect888 Brazil $578 $3,877 $4,455 5 iwantjob Sweden $459 $2,869 $3,328 6 philbert32 United Kingdom $1,159 $2,136 $3,296 7 edtastylez92 $238 $1,606 $1,844 8 YAMAHA1311 Ukraine $779 $1,216 $1,995

*reflects a three-handed deal

XL Winter Series Starts January 14

The eagerly anticipated 888poker XL Winter Series begins this Sunday, January 14, with the firs three of 35 numbered events. Those events are the $55 buy-in $40,000 Mini Opening, the $109 buy-in $120,000 guaranteed Opening, and a $525 buy-in High Roller Opening that has $50,000 guaranteed.

Running alongside that trio of tournaments are three side events plus Day 1s for the $25 buy-in Mystery Bounty Mini Main Event that has $100,000 guaranteed and the $888 buy-in Mystery Bounty Main Event with its juicy $1 million guaranteed prize pool.

Sharelines Here's how the final table of the 888poker $109 Mystery Bounty Main Event went down.
PN Podcast: Bots, Negreanu's Losses, MI Player Kidnap Update & Guest Clemen Deng

January 09, 2024 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

On the first episode of the New Year for the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen discuss poker bots on ACR, the risk of playing on unregulated sites, and offer an update on the Michigan poker player who was found zip-tied on the side of the road after allegedly being kidnapped.

They then dive into Daniel Negreanu's poker tournament losses from 2023, his early win in 2024, and what's happening down at PokerGO Studio. There, Richards caught up with this week's guest, Clemen Deng, who has been a rising star in the high-roller streets.

Finally, they wrap up by paying respect to Kara Scott, who parted ways with 888poker after eight years as an ambassador, reveal results for various Player of the Year (POY) races, and debate whether or not Jon Letzkus, the suspect in Las Vegas Strip area shooting, should be labeled as a poker player.

Listen to those stories and more on the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast.

Time Stamps

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show  tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen on Twitter.

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here!

*Lead image courtesy of the WPT.

Sharelines PokerNews Podcast: Bots, Negreanu's Losses, MI Player Kidnap Update & Guest Clemen Deng
Audio has surfaced of Roger Stone talking to a New York City police officer about assassinating Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).

Mediaite got the audio and reported:

Its time to do it, Stone told Greco. Lets go find Swalwell. Its time to do it. Then well see how brave the rest of them are. Its time to do it. Its either Nadler or Swalwell has to die before the election. They need to get the message. Lets go find Swalwell and get this over with. Im just not putting up with this shit anymore.

A source familiar with the discussion told Mediate they believed Stones remarks were serious. It was definitely concerning that he was constantly planning violence with an NYPD officer and other militia groups, the source said.

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Roger Stone is a Trump confidante who is also viewed as the former presidents connection to the right-wing militia movement. Stone was at the Capitol for the 1/6 attack with the Proud Boys and used Proud Boys as his security team.

The recorded conversation took place weeks before the 2020 election when both Swalwell and Nadler served on the House Judiciary Committee and were investigating Trumps pardon of Stone. There is nothing like plotting the assassination of the people who are conducting the investigation to lend credibility to the idea that a pardon might not have been on the up and up.

Trump and his gang make Richard Nixon look like a church picnic.

Donald Trump and those in his orbit are not politics as usual, and it is a grave mistake ever to treat them that way.

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.
Trumps immunity appeal in federal court was shattered when a judge asked Trumps lawyer if a president has immunity if they order Seal Team 6 to kill a political rival.

The judge asked,  Could a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That is an official act. An order to SEAL Team Six.

Trumps lawyer answered, He would have to be impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.

The judge asked again, But if he werent, no criminal liability for that?

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After Trumps lawyer tried to cite the Founders and Marbury v. Madison, the judge asked again, I asked you a yes, no, yes or no question. Could a president who ordered SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival who was not impeached would he be subject to criminal prosecution?

Video:

Trumps immunity argument gets destroyed when a federal appeals court judge asks, Could a president order S.E.A.L. Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? That is an official act and order to Seal Team 6? pic.twitter.com/yUhZy8iTbQ  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 9, 2024

Trumps lawyer, If he were impeached and convicted first.

The judge summed it up, So, your answer is no.

Trumps legal argument is based on the idea that presidents can only be criminally prosecuted if they are impeached and convicted first.

If this is true, Trumps own claim that he is going to have President Biden indicted if he wins the White House is impossible.

The court system has been cutting through Trumps baseless legal arguments since he tried to claim that the 202o election was stolen.

Trumps arguments on immunity are so weak that the courts are cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. Having audio of the hearing broadcast is valuable because it negates Trumps lies and allows the American people to hear the courts in action.

Donald Trump is trying to use this hearing as a political stunt, but by calling attention to it with his presence, he is spotlighting the weakness of his arguments.

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.
As the city of Aiken moves toward an agreement with the Aiken Corporation to build a mixed-use building downtown, the discussions of an agreement could take place in public.

The council voted 6-1 to reject entering executive session to discuss the agreement between a 5 p.m. work session and its 7 p.m. meeting Monday evening.

An executive session offers the city council a chance to discuss matters outside the public eye. South Carolina law, specifically the Freedom of Information Act, limits the circumstances when a city council can enter into executive session.

One of those limited circumstances is to discuss potential contractual arrangements, like the possible Aiken Corporation agreement. Though it can discuss the agreement, the council cannot vote (or agree to vote) in executive session.

Aiken Mayor Teddy Milner said holding the executive session would make it look like there was something to hide as the city moved toward an agreement with the Aiken Corporation.

"Here's what I believe: if anything we discuss or consider in executive session can be discovered through the Freedom of Information Act then that business should be discussed in the public," Milner said.

After Milner's comment, Councilwoman Lessie Price made the motion to reject entering executive session.

Price said she felt that unless it was absolutely necessary to have an executive session to discuss dollars and cents with a private entity, the city council needed to have the discussions publicly.

There is no private entity involved in the potential agreement.

If the city proceeds with a model similar to the Amentum building, the agreement would involve the city (owner of the land), the nonprofit and closely related to the city Aiken Corporation (owner of the building) and the federally owned Savannah River National Laboratory (the potential tenant.)

Councilwoman Andrea Gregory seconded Price's motion.

"Executive sessions are for protecting a private party from a contract agreement," Gregory said. "This is city business. It belongs to the taxpayer."
Spartanburg editor

Matthew Hensley is editor for Post and Courier Spartanburg.

Matthew came to Spartanburg from the Aiken Standard, where he spent nine months as digital editor. Before that, he was managing editor of the Index-Journal newspaper. During his eight-year stint in Greenwood, he led the newsroom to more than 200 awards and four President's Awards for Excellence from the South Carolina Press Association and was involved in The Post and Courier's statewide investigative collaboration, Uncovered.

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Congressman Joe Wilson recently visited the southern border, and he said what he saw there was "madness" and "puts American families at risk."

Wilson spoke about his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border during a news conference held Monday morning at the Aiken County Government Center, where he discussed his 2024 legislative priorities.

He is a Republican representing the Second Congressional District. The district includes Aiken County, Barnwell County and most of the Columbia suburbs. He has represented the district since 2001.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., led a delegation of more than 60 Republican members, including Wilson, of the House to Eagle Pass, Texas, last Wednesday.

Eagle Pass is located in southwestern Texas across the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras, Mexico. The community is located in the same border patrol sector as Del Rio, Texas, where thousands of Haitian migrants gathered under a bridge in 2021.

"What I witnessed and heard was madness," Wilson said in a news release about the trip.

Border patrol agents are overwhelmed by thousands of unaccompanied children and tens of thousands of aliens crossing illegally, Wilson continued in the news release.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, border patrol agents have had over 6.76 million encounters at the "Southwest Land Border" according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics.

The border has national security implications, Wilson said Monday.

More than 300 people on the terrorist watch list, drug smugglers and human traffickers have used the border to enter the country, Wilson said in the news release.

"Hundreds of people on the terrorist watch list have come into our country, putting American families at risk," Wilson said Monday. "It was recently revealed by the FBI that there could be imminent attacks in the United States."
Everybody doesnt need a Taj Mahal but nobody needs to be in a school thats leaking or doesnt have broadband access, Massey said, going on to contrast the relatively suburban and urban advantage of having robust career and technical education offerings at the high school level with the lack of these programs in more rural districts.

Bouncing off earlier reports on the status of the South Carolina workforce, other lawmakers, in both the South Carolina Senate and House, said theyll be working on separate legislation that will ease up on some regulations and that will promote full employment within the healthcare industry.

Section by section, going through all the regulations, doing a cost-benefit analysis and making sure that only those regulations that are necessary to protect the public interest are in place is work already begun because more onerous regulations lead to higher prices, said Beaufort Sen. Tom Davis, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry.

Davis said his focus is also on scope of practice in medical affairs.

What we mean by that is having all medical professionals practicing to their full scope of competency, he said: medical professionals today are only providing a portion of the care theyve been trained to provide because the law only allows them to practice within those more stringent perimeters, he said.

We sync that up and as a consequence you have patients having more access to nurse practitioners. We did the same thing with physicians assistants. And weve been doing this on a piecemeal basis, Davis said, adding that now the goal is to sync training with practice in a way thats comprehensive.

Expand scope of practice on the supply side, he said, and you expand patient empowerment on the demand side.

South Carolina initiated the process of increasing the potential for expanded healthcare access when the General Assembly last year began repealing laws that have long defined South Carolina as a certificate of need state.
The same sort of hateful deceit that fueled the white supremacist massacre of nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in 2015 still poisons American politics today, much of it spread by Donald Trump, President Joe Biden said from the pulpit of the historic church Jan. 8.

In a sermon-like speech that marked the start of his 2024 reelection bid, Biden connected the racist lies that fed the Charleston tragedy to the recent resurgence of political violence that climaxed at the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot  it, too, fueled by falsehoods.

The lies that led to Jan. 6 are part of a broader attack on the truth in America that we all have seen before, Biden told hundreds of attendees who packed Mother Emanuel to capacity.

Biden, speaking from the same pulpit that once hosted W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr., forcefully denounced the former president as the leader of that assault.

He compared Trumps false claim contending the 2020 presidential election was stolen to the Lost Cause mythology which claimed the Souths cause behind the Civil War was a heroic one and which formed the basis of the Emanuel shooters hateful ideology.

Once again, there are those who are trying to turn a loss into a lie, Biden told the majority Black audience, many of them clergy in collars or parishioners. Here in Charleston, you know the power of truth.

The speech was a return to the themes Biden campaigned on in 2020  the battle, as he put it, for the soul of the nation.

Over the weekend, Trump slammed Biden as incompetent and said the four criminal cases against him, two related to Jan. 6, and efforts to bar him from the ballot under the 14th Amendment are antidemocratic.

Biden said he was inspired to run in 2020 by the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., three years earlier, and the presidents campaign has indicated it intends to make 2024 about the threat they say Trump poses to democracy.
As severe weather swept across the region Jan. 9, the number of delayed flights in and out of the Lowcountry's largest airport started to climb.

What started as a few delays early this morning grew to 32 by 2:30 p.m., along with seven cancellations, according to the aviation tracking website Flight Aware. Nationwide, there have been about 16,000 flights delayed and 1,600 canceled so far, the site reported.

The route between Charleston International and Hartsfield-Jackson International in suburban Atlanta had the most delays.

Airport officials said it was business as usual, and airlines will continue to operate until the control tower, which the Air Force manages, advises that runways should close.

Travelers are advised to check the status of their flights throughout the day.

Two of the four cancellations reported this morning were United Airlines flights related to the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, according to the carrier's website.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines also each reported cancellations, which were likely weather-related.

Elsewhere in SC

Columbia Metropolitan Airport has reported 16 delays and three canceled flights by mid-afternoon, according to Flight Aware. Of the delays, three were to Hartsfield near Atlanta and two were from Hartsfield to Columbia.

Greenville Spartanburg International Airport in Greer has reported 28 delays and one canceled flight today. Of the delays, 15 were for arriving flights.

By mid-afternoon Myrtle Beach airport has reported 8 delays and two cancellations, with Savannah/Hilton Head International reporting 30 delays and three canceled flights.
The government's decision to ground of all U.S.-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 jets trickled down to the Lowcountry on Jan. 8.

Charleston International reported four canceled flights Monday  two for Alaska Airlines to and from Seattle and two for United Airlines to and from Houston, according to Flight Aware.

The companies' websites show the flights were on 737 Max 9 planes.

Alaska and United are the only two U.S. carriers that own that particular version of the aircraft.

Seattle-based Alaska said in a written statement that the grounding has significantly affected its operations.

Cancellations will continue through the first half of the week, it said.

United issued a similar statement.

It's unclear when the planes will be allowed to fly again.

Both airlines urged passengers who are scheduled to fly with them this week to check their respective websites.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. airlines on Jan. 6 to ground and inspect all 737 Max 9s after a fuselage part called a door plug failed and blew out over Oregon late Friday.

The FAA said that the jets will remain grounded until the inspections are completed.
A seasonal nonstop route to California's busiest airport is returning to Charleston International, connecting the Holy City to the City of Angels.

Breeze Airways will launch twice-weekly flights on Monday and Friday between the Lowcountry and Los Angeles International Airport, starting May 3.

One-way fares start at $129 for tickets purchased by Jan. 15 for travel by Sept. 3.

LAX is a major gateway, often touted by airport and tourism officials as a high-profile market to connect Charleston to national and international visitors.

Charleston International CEO Elliott Summey said the service is "a key strategic objective" to grow business and leisure travel.

The Utah-based airline also flies nonstop from Charleston to 20 other destinations, more than any of the airport's other 12 carriers.

Breeze recently announced a twice-weekly flight between the Lowcountry and Stewart International Airport near Newburgh, N.Y., starting Feb. 16.

The airline also will touch down in Myrtle Beach for the first time, serving the Grand Strand with flights initially three times a week to Providence, R.I., on Feb. 15, and twice weekly to Tampa and Charleston, W.Va., on May 10.

Tom Doxey, Breeze's president, said in a statement the airline was eager to bring back the coast-to-coast flights.

LA and Charleston are two of the most popular cities in the country for visitors," Doxey said, noting that the flight adds convenience and comfort.

The only other transcontinental service offered through the North Charleston airport is Alaska Airlines' Seattle flight.
A Johns Island affordable housing project for low-income senior citizens that ran into a funding shortfall two years ago has closed the gap.

Nix Development announced in a written statement this week that the company and its two partners recently finalized a $25.9 million financing package for the proposed 72-unit Esau Jenkins Village at Maybank Highway and Bohicket Road.

A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for February, according to the developers. The rental units are expected to be ready for residents in about 16 months.

Maryland-based Nix is working on the project named for the late Johns Island civil rights activist with the nonprofit Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care Corporation and Ward Mungo Construction LLC.

The 61 one- and 11 two-bedroom apartments in two, three-story buildings will be for seniors who make up to 60 percent of the annual median income for the area. The amenities will include a community room, fitness center, computer station, walking trail and outdoor gathering space.

Raymond Nix of Maryland-based Nix Development said the partnership looks forward to delivering quality affordable housing for seniors and a modern living experience for one of Charlestons most vulnerable populations.

Abraham Jenkins, son of the projects namesake and a former longtime administrator at Sea Island Comprehensive Health Care, said the development is the culmination of our parents quest for clean, decent and affordable housing on Johns Island.

The financial backers include Citibank and PNC Bank and several public agencies, such as the state of South Carolina, the city of Charleston and federal American Rescue Plan Act proceeds administered by the S.C. Community Loan Fund for Charleston County.

The Johns Island development has been in the works for nearly four years. It ran into a funding crunch in late 2021 after the state reformed its low-income housing tax-credit system by placing limits on the program, causing a $1.7 million shortfall.
A onetime Mount Pleasant-based business owner who was among the first to be charged in the government's "Operation Brace Yourself" probe is to be sentenced this week. Read moreMajor SC Medicare fraud case shifts to the penalty phase after 5 years
BLUFFTON  Human waste is leaching into the May River. A trio of entities recently committed millions to clean it up.

With final approval from Beaufort County Council in late 2023, the county, the town of Bluffton and the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority will partner on a sewer project that, once complete, will drastically cut the number of septic tanks contaminating the May River.

The $7.9 million plan aims to install sewer facilities within the Stoney Creek watershed near Bluffton  an area identified as a major contributor to the pollution of the May River's headwaters.

The project takes action on a long-discussed but stagnant goal to curb the detrimental impact of human-made pollutants contaminating the river.

Years of planning turn to action

Larry Toomer grew up fishing on the May River. He's watched oyster beds and shorelines erode, tides rise and new boats crowd the waters.

In the early 2000s, the fisherman also watched the population of his sleepy waterfront town boom. Since 2001, Bluffton's population has increased from about 2,500 to more than 32,000 people.

Toomer owns the Bluffton Oyster Co., which holds the exclusive lease to commercially harvest oysters on the May River.

He doesn't believe the river's health is solely intertwined with Bluffton's rise in population, but as the town grew, the May Rivers water quality declined. In 2009, the Department of Health and Environmental Control shuttered shellfish harvesting on a 4-mile stretch at the rivers headwaters due to fecal coliform bacteria from human waste.

The health of the river was a major motivator for Toomer when he ran for Town Council in 2012 and was part of his platform in his 2023 bid for mayor  an election he won in a landslide.

He said the recently approved sewer project has been a long time coming.

Waste from wildlife was initially blamed for the increase in fecal coliform bacteria along the river, but when the town spent millions to better understand where and how the contamination was occurring, officials determined human waste was to blame.
It was a day for shamrocks and shenanigans on March 16 along Middle Street on Sullivan's Island, as lads, lasses and decked-out canines of all ages celebrated St. Patrick's Day. A swarm of green-clad revelers gathered to ring one of the world's most storied and highly-anticipated holidays at Read moreRocky road to Dublin: Irish eyes smiling on Sullivan's Island
About 1 p.m., the bells atop Saint Michael's Church jubilantly tolled  not to mark the hour, but the installation of Charleston's newest mayor.

Across Broad Street, William Cogswell, a real estate developer and former state lawmaker, along with six City Council members, had just been sworn in on the steps of City Hall. Following the Jan. 8 ceremony, Cogswell told reporters he was excited to "roll up my sleeves and get to work."

The 48-year-old won a Nov. 21 runoff election against two-time incumbent John Tecklenburg, who called the ceremony to order before wishing the incoming administration great success and officially passing the gavel.

Cogswell promised to take risks and find common ground on the growing pains he said most affect Charleston. Among them, he listed affordability, sea-level rise, traffic congestion and crime.

Success in these endeavors will require an approach as unique as this city, Cogswell said during his inaugural remarks. Challenges are real, but they are surmountable. ... It's time to take the best of both sides and to find that nexus between the old and the new.

Cogswell began his address by noting the size of the crowd that sprawled across Broad Street  at least 400 chairs were unfolded and more bundled-up well-wishers stood  and the fact that President Joe Biden was campaigning less than a mile away.
FOLLY BEACH  Residents voted to place limits on vacation rentals last February. Almost a year later, rental operators and full-time residents remain at odds.

The issue has spilled into a new year and turned the island into a place some longtime residents say they dont recognize.

Trash cans overflowing. Loud vacationers with an affinity for partying into the night. Fireworks in the street.

These are a few of the situations that a handful of full-time Folly residents say theyve been experiencing living next to short-term rentals on typically quiet residential streets.

If you have a short-term rental on both sides, it's not just people coming in and screaming. Basically, you don't know who's coming next door, Ann Peets, a member of the Folly Beach Residents Association, said.

Folly has transformed from a nice place to live into a nice place to stay for a long weekend, some contend. A woman who has lived on the island for a decade said when she first moved here there was one short-term rental on her street. Now, there are nine.

Peets, who supported the license limits, said that capping short-term rental licenses was a solution to the adverse effects of vacationers piling into Airbnb's every weekend.

Some of the investors and realtors live here but the majority are off the island, and while they make money here and they certainly run businesses here, they are not the people that are here all year, Peets said.

Other full-timers dont seem to mind the coming and going.

Ellen Stoler rents out a room in her small home on the island, a stone's throw away from the beach. The license she operates under is an OSTR license, or owner-occupied short-term rental license. She can rent her home for up to 72 days a year, whereas someone with an investment short-term rental license can rent for 365 days.

She considers her rental to be an opportunity to relax and connect with nature  not a party house. Visitors from across the country have become friends, checking on her during hurricane season and even offering to return the favor of hospitality.
LINCOLNVILLE  With a boost from the National Park Service, one of this city's most-recognized native daughters is spearheading plans for her hometowns first public park to tie its future wellness with its historically rich past.

Pernessa Seele recently learned that her application for technical assistance had been accepted, making Lincolnvilles park concept one of seven projects across the Southeast to earn expert support from the park services Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. With 35 years of service within the NPS partnership division, the RTCA works with municipalities to develop outdoor recreation, conservation, historic preservation and economic development projects within their communities.

The recipients  located in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee  were selected through a competitive process and will receive assistance to help protect and enhance local rivers, trails, greenways and open spaces.

The park service looks forward to helping with the Lincolnville project to interpret the citys rich history, said Bill Lane, a landscape architect with the RTCA Program.

"Weve already done two site visits to meet with Pernessa and some of the other stakeholders, he said.

Pernessa Seele (copy) (copy) Pernessa Seele unlocks Wesley Methodist Church, the Lincolnville congregation. She is working with the National Park Service to create a new p

Lincolnville acquired the 2 acres for the future park in 2017 through a grant from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program, said Mayor Enoch Dickerson III. The program awards funding assistance for green spaces to towns and communities through revenue generated by a half-penny sales tax passed in 2004.

Dickerson noted that $18,000 remains from the $93,000 grant used to buy the land at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Pickens Street. That money could be used for site improvements, such as clearing, grading, graveling and bumper installation in the future green spaces parking area.

That land is mainly wetlands, and the idea for it is to make it a natural walking trail park. I think it will be a great attraction for the citizens of Lincolnville if we can get it done, said Dickerson, who has an informational meeting with the Greenbelt program on Jan. 10. He described the old Lincolnville jail and the towns first firehouse as two of the structures that the park would tie together as part of its historic preservation component.
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Spark Benefits introduces expanded health finance solutions, including lifestyle and notional accounts, to continue to cater to the evolving needs of consumers.HUDSON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 /Avidia Bank , a $2.5 billion mutual community bank dedicated to providing communities with robust financial solutions and top-notch customer service, proudly releases Spark Benefits , a solution designed to redefine the landscape of financial benefit accounts by consolidating diverse consumer account offerings into a unified platform.This innovative initiative is a strategic partnership with Lynx , an API-first fintech platform for finance and healthcare that unlocks end-to-end solutions to administer the broadest selection of healthcare financial accounts. The launch of Spark Benefits provides an enhanced solution that includes expanded benefit accounts beyond health savings accounts (HSA), including lifestyle benefit accounts, individual coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA), and all other notional account types."Our decision to launch Spark Benefits stems from our commitment to adapt and cater to the evolving needs of our customers," said Robert Conery , EVP/Chief Operations Officer "The collaboration with Lynx allows us to integrate cutting-edge technology, empowering us to offer a comprehensive suite of enhanced capabilities that extend beyond traditional HSAs." Recognizing the evolving needs of today's financial health market, Avidia Bank has diligently worked to expand its current and new market capabilities. Avidia Bank's proactive approach to meeting the demands of all-sized employer groups, third-party administrators, and financial institutions has culminated in the development of Spark Benefits. Avidia Bank not only addresses the needs of its clients with the launch of Spark Benefits but also extends its support to other benefit administrators. These administrators can leverage Spark Benefits' enhanced capabilities, with both white-label and embedded options available. This strategic initiative underscores Avidia Bank's commitment to providing comprehensive solutions that cater to the varied demands of the financial landscape.Spark Benefits is set to offer additional accounts and capabilities, including limited-purpose flexible spending accounts (FSA), health reimbursement accounts (HRA), dependent care accounts (DCA), transit/commuter accounts, with integrated investment and e-commerce capabilities."This collaboration underlines the shared dedication of Lynx and Avidia to providing customers with exceptional financial value and innovation," said Matthew Renfro , Co-founder and CEO of Lynx. "Our partnership empowers Avidia to seamlessly enhance their offerings through our versatile API capabilities, addressing the market's call for comprehensive financial health solutions. Our platform is designed to cater to diverse customer needs-whether it's integrating our technology seamlessly into their existing system or entrusting our team to manage the entire experience." The flexible nature of Lynx's APIs has enabled the seamless integration of healthcare financial services into the Spark Benefits platform, allowing customers to manage savings, payments, and healthcare-related purchases efficiently.About Avidia BankWith beginnings reaching back to 1869, Avidia Bank is a $2.5 billion mutual community bank dedicated to providing communities with strong and efficient financial solutions and exceptional customer service. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Avidia keeps banking straightforward, trustworthy, and reliable, all while prioritizing building relationships and giving back to the community. For more information, visit AvidiaBank.com or contact L.Westbrook@ avidiabank.com About Lynx Lynx is the premier API-first fintech platform for healthcare that unlocks APIs and end-to-end solutions to administer a broad selection of healthcare financial accounts and key wraparound services like e-commerce and investments. By helping clients embed these functions directly into their existing UI/UX, the platform makes it easy for consumers to access, manage, and engage with their healthcare and financial services like never before. Own the experience at lynx-fh.com Media ContactAnna Stevenson anna@ york.ie York IESOURCE: Lynx
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Episode Six Earns Placement on Built In's Best Places to Work and Best Midsize Places to Work in Austin Lists for Second Consecutive YearAUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Built In today announced thatEpisode Six(E6), a leading global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and ledger infrastructure, was honored in its 2024 Best Places To Work Awards. For the second consecutive year, E6 earned a place on theBest Places to WorkandBest Midsize Places to Workin Austin lists, where the company is headquartered. The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, from startups to those in the enterprise, and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in large tech markets across the U.S."Being included on Built In's Best Places to Work in Austin lists for the second consecutive year is a testament to how much we value our employees, who we owe our success to," saidJohn Mitchell , CEO and Co-Founder of E6. "We look forward to continuing to build upon the positive feedback we're receiving from our team to maintain a culture that motivates and rewards them for the innovative work we're doing, which is changing the payments landscape around the world." Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits candidates are searching for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI and other people-first cultural offerings."I'd like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 Best Places to Work winners," saysMaria Christopoulos Katris . "I am truly inspired by these companies that have risen to the challenge of fostering a positive work environment, maintaining a strong brand, and ensuring employee satisfaction. The future is filled with promise and we are so excited to see what lies ahead." In addition to E6 being recognized by Built In, the company was also recognized in American Banker's 2023Best Places to Work in Fintech . 2023 marks a repeat win for this recognition, as well.These accolades are only one part of the monumental year E6 had in 2023. Last year, E6 announced a $48M Series C financing, which expanded its go-to-market efforts, strengthened global market leadership, and helped the company scale. E6 also partnered with First Fidelity Bank to offer a next-gen BaaS solution which went live with its first customer Unifimoney, helped TransPecos Banks launch its extensive credit card offering, and expanded into the Nordics through its partnership with Montonio, an e-commerce checkout orchestration platform. Additionally, E6 announced the appointment of its first CRO, Brian Muse-McKenney, and launched Business Now, Pay Later', a first-of-its-kind solution that enables financial institutions to offer B2B installments to SMEs.Today, E6 operates globally across 40 countries, with approximately 183 employees. For more information visitwww.EpisodeSix.com ###About Built InBuilt In is creating the largest candidate generation platform for technology professionals globally. Monthly, millions of the industry's most in-demand professionals visit the site from across the world. They rely on our platform to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers and find opportunities at companies whose values they share. Built In also serves thousands of innovative companies from startups to the Fortune 500. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them reach otherwise hard-to-hire tech professionals. www.builtin.com About Built In's Best Places to WorkBuilt In's annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. Best Places to Work is distinct because its algorithm selects tech companies that build their offerings specifically around what tech professionals value in a workplace. Winners are announced in early January 2024. https://employers.builtin.com/best-places-to-work/ About Episode SixEpisode Six (E6) is a global provider of enterprise-grade payment processing and digital ledger infrastructure for banks and companies looking to offer payments to their customers. E6 delivers the innovative capabilities needed to compete with disruptors by augmenting existing infrastructures. Flexibility, adaptability, and resilience are built into the core of E6's TRITIUM platform ensuring clients maintain a market-leading position. E6 operates globally across 40 countries with an expanding team located in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia. Investors include HSBC, Mastercard, SBI Investment Co., Ltd., Anthos Capital and Avenir. For more information, visit www.EpisodeSix.com orLinkedIn .Media ContactDavid YaghutielCaliber Corporate Advisersdavid@ calibercorporateadvisers.com408.449.6971 SOURCE: Episode Six
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / National plaintiffs law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP encourages investors in ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. ("ChargePoint" or the "Company") (NYSE:CHPT) who suffered losses from purchasing or otherwise acquiring the securities of ChargePoint between June 1, 2023 and November 16, 2023 to contact us immediately regarding a pending securities fraud class action against ChargePoint. The deadline to apply to be lead plaintiff is January 29, 2024.Class Period: June 1, 2023 - November 16, 2023Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: January 29, 2024Case information: lieffcabraser.com/securities/chargepoint Contact us: Email or text investorinfo@ lchb.com or call 1-800-541-7358ChargePoint is an electric vehicle infrastructure company. Its core business involves providing networked solutions for charging electric vehicles, including the ChargePoint cloud subscription platform and charging hardware.The action alleges ChargePoint made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that it was experiencing elevated component costs and supply overruns for first generation direct current ("DC") charging products and, as a result, the Company's business and prospects were much worse than defendants claimed.On September 6, 2023, after the market closed, ChargePoint reported its second quarter fiscal year 2024 financial results, including an "$28.0 million, or 19 percentage point, inventory impairment charge." The Company stated the "inventory impairment charge was taken to address legacy supply chain-related costs and supply overruns on a particular DC product." As a result, ChargePoint reported a second quarter generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") gross margin of 1%, down from 17% in the prior year's same quarter. On this news, the Company's share price declined $0.77 per share, or 11%, from its closing price of $7.06 on September 6, 2023, to close at $6.29 per share on September 7, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.Then, on November 16, 2023, after the market closed, ChargePoint released preliminary financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, which included 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." As a result, the Company expected to report "GAAP gross margin of negative 23% to negative 21%." ChargePoint also reported revenue had fallen to "$108 million to $113 million, as compared to $150 to $165 million as previously expected." Moreover, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer were both replaced, effective immediately. On this news, the ChargePoint's share price declined $1.11 per share, or 35%, from its closing price of $3.13 on November 16, 2023, to close at $2.02 per share on November 17, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume.About Lieff Cabraser Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with over 120 attorneys in offices in San Francisco, New York, Nashville, and Munich, Germany, is an internationally recognized law firm committed to advancing the rights of investors and promoting corporate responsibility. Recognized as a "Plaintiffs' Powerhouse" by Law360, Lieff Cabraser has litigated some of the most important civil cases in the United States, and has assisted clients in recovering over $129 billion in verdicts and settlements. For over 50 years, Lieff Cabraser has remained committed to ensuring access to justice for all.CONTACT Sharon LeeLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP415 956-1000 slee@ lchb.com SOURCE: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 29, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CHPT), if they purchased the Company's 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.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of ChargePoint and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-chpt/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byJanuary 29, 2024 .About the LawsuitChargePoint 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 Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com 1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / At the end of 2023, Chemours held its first official Community Impact Month, focused on giving back and getting involved in the local communities around its global sites. An exciting extension of the company's community engagement efforts, employees worldwide showed up in force to support their Chemours neighbors in unique and valuable ways.Altamira, MexicoChemours Altamira plant site employees participated in the CZECH 2023 simulated safety drill that asked teams to work with the local community, including a school, daycare, and emergency responders, to ensure everyone's safety. In the same month, Altamira employees also partnered with Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico TecNM to continue developing the next generation of environmental and chemical engineers. They spent the day visiting a rural area near the site, Tamaulipas, and saw a biodigester that converts waste into renewable energy and organic fertilizer.Deepwater, New Jersey, USAThe Chambers Works site in New Jersey partnered with Salem County Community College (SCCC) to attend Ag Day at the Salem County Fairgrounds near the plant. Employees spoke with over 300 seventh and eighth-grade students from nine nearby schools about Chemours, its local operations, agriculture applications, and more. The event was part of Chemours' ongoing Vibrant Communities grant with SCCC Partners in Education to foster countywide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.ChinaEmployees in China hosted their seventh annual Chemours Magical Science Camp, a public science program intended to encourage children between the ages of nine and 13 to explore the captivating realm of science. With over 980 participants from over 28 provinces and cities, and an online live stream that reached almost 3,500 cumulative viewers across multiple platforms-Chemours Magical Science Camp has become a local favorite of students and science teachers alike.Corpus Christi, Texas, USAEmployee resource groups (ERGs) at the company's Corpus Christi site touched the community in multiple ways. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the local Chemours Women's Network donated over $5,000 to the American Cancer Society and its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, with the Chemours team coming in second place. The site also hosted over 20 sixth to eighth-grade girls from Leon Taylor Junior High for a plant tour and opportunities to learn about the many STEM career pathways available at Chemours. The Corpus Christi Veteran's Network (VetNet) ERG also participated in two events to support military veterans: Smoke On the Water and VetFest 5K. Smoke on the Water is a BBQ competition that benefits veterans, first responders, and their families. The VetFest Virtual 5K Walk/Run allows participants to run, ride, or walk their way through their community to celebrate our military and raise money for Stop Soldier Suicide, an organization leading the fight against veteran suicide.DeLisle, Mississippi, USADeLisle employees were busy with several meaningful events for the community. During the two different career fairs-the Hancock High School Career Fair and Bay High Career Fair-Chemours volunteers spent time with students and talked about careers in operations, maintenance, and engineering. Employees also took part participated in the Renew Your River program. The award-winning campaign to clean up rivers, lakes, and creeks has removed significant amounts of debris and trash from the waterways in Southeast Mississippi.El Dorado, Arkansas, USAChemours employees at the El Dorado site volunteered at the South Arkansas Developmental Center for Children and Families (SADCCF), which provides day programs for people with developmental disabilities. The team cleaned up and mulched the organization's playground area for infants and toddlers, spent time with the children, and built a much-needed walkway for them to be able to push wheelchairs and strollers to the gazebo play area. Fayetteville, North Carolina, USAEmployees at our Fayetteville Works site worked closely with their local Chemours Black Employee Network and Chemours Native American Employee Network to donate 50 books by Black, Brown, and Native American authors to Connections of Cumberland County, a local walk-in day resource center serving single women and women with children who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The organization was grateful for the donation, adding the books to its library and giving some of them as presents to the children it sponsors.La Porte, Texas, USAChemours La Porte employees found two ways to support its local community. First, the site's Chemours Women's Network chapter hosted a Breast Cancer Awareness Month event, where it celebrated breast cancer survivorship and honored those who have lost their battle with the disease through an educational session and a walk. Several employees also went to ChemFEST partner school, Alief Middle School, to teach eighth graders about acids and bases in chemistry. Over 400 students tested the pH of six different solutions with litmus paper, played a Kahoot! of the periodic table, and asked Chemours employees about their jobs.Monterrey, MexicoEmployees from Chemours Monterrey site renovated the Antonio Vivaldi kindergarten with help from the General Services department of Apodaca City. They painted playground equipment and rooms across the campus, replaced damaged classroom locks and light bulbs, and cleaned green areas. Because of their efforts, more than 400 students will have a better place to study.Johnsonville, Tennessee, USAChemours New Johnsonville employees participated in several activities, including beautifying natural areas the site sits between -- the Tennessee River and Johnsonville State Park. Additionally, for a bit of extra fun for a good cause, employees could pay to "flock" someone's yard with flamingos, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Association. Employees also knitted and donated over 100 scarves for those in need, kicked off a coat drive for nearby students, delivered safety Halloween bags for local schools, and attended a high school career fair.Offerman, Georgia, USAChemours Offerman Mineral Sands plant hosted over 250 eighth-grade students from Pierce County Middle School as part of the students' physical science curriculum. Students could see and learn hands-on about heavy mineral mining and processing, as well as heavy equipment safety and water treatment processes.Parkersburg, West Virginia, USAChemours continued to deepen its partnership with Discovery World on Market through its first quarterly Science Saturdays with local youth. Employees led a fun science experiment for
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Dollar General Corporation ("Dollar General" or "the Company") (NYSE:DG) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Dollar General securities between May 28, 2020 and August 30, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/dg Case Details:The Complaint alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Dollar General stores were chronically understaffed and suffering from logistical and inventory management problems which left stores with tens of millions of dollars' worth of outdated and unwanted inventory, mispriced goods, and lost and damaged items; (ii) large backlogs of unsellable merchandise had built up at Dollar General's stores, which inventory had not been timely written down due to understaffing and Dollar General's failure to manage its inventory; (iii) the allotment of employee hours per store per week imposed by Dollar General management placed employees in virtually impossible situations where assigned tasks, including those necessary to effective store operations, could not be completed within the allotted time; (iv) Dollar General was systematically overcharging customers for items upon checkout above the listed price in violation of state laws, including state law violations identified by state regulators in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio; (v) Dollar General's reported revenue and earnings during the Class Period were artificially inflated by defendants' over-pricing scheme; (vi) Dollar General's failure to manage store inventories and accurately price items upon checkout risked the loss of customers, lower sales, adverse regulatory actions, and reputational fallout; and (vii) Dollar General was not on track to achieve its guidance during the Class Period and such guidance lacked a reasonable factual basis.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/dg or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Dollar General you have until January 26, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / January 8, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have untilJanuary 26, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 28, 2020 and August 31, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Dollar General and would like to discuss your legal rights and how the case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-dg/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byJanuary 26, 2024 .About the LawsuitDollar General and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On August 31, 2023, the Company announced its 2Q 2023 financial results, disclosing among other things, cuts to its FY23 sales and profit outlook, decreases in operating profits of 24.2% and EPS of 28.5%, and that it "expect[ed] an incremental operating profit headwind of up to $170 million in the second half of 2023," consisting of $95 million for markdowns on existing inventory and $75 million on increased store personnel to support inventory and pricing control measures.On this news, the price of Dollar General's shares plummeted $19.16 per share, or 12%, on August 31, 2023, on unusually high trading volume of more than 19 million shares.The case is Washtenaw County Employees' Retirement System v. Dollar General Corporation, et al., 23-cv-01250. A subsequent case expanded the class period, Edmonds v. Dollar General Corporation, et al., 23-cv-01259.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com CONTACT: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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The growing holding company is starting the year on a high note with its latest acquisitionSAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Off to a fast start in 2024, Dura Software has recently completed the acquisition of the Asset Management CRM solution provider, Satuit Technologies. Satuit provides a highly customizable Asset Management CRM and investor portal for investment professionals, hedge funds, wealth management, private equity, and real estate markets.Satuit offers no-code, out-of-the-box solutions for CRM, client reporting, and a fully integrated investor portal, eliminating the need for custom development or third-party implementation. The platform seamlessly combines document delivery with data, news feeds, video, and other web content while streamlining the client reporting process. Like other Dura portfolio companies, Satuit offers both cloud-based or on-premise solutions, ensuring optimal client scalability and efficiency.Commenting on the acquisition, Dura Software CEO Paul Salisbury said, "We are thrilled to start 2024 quickly by welcoming Satuit to our portfolio. Satuit's CRM solution, that specifically serves the asset management needs of professional investors, aligns well with our portfolio of niche software products and services. We believe strongly in the product and are excited to be partnering with the Satuit team moving forward." About Dura SoftwareDura Software is an expert in acquiring, owning, and operating "Hyper-Niche" software businesses. Over the coming years, Dura will work to continue to expand by acquiring additional great businesses and by generating sustained profitable growth from business operations. Dura Software is based in San Antonio and operates a portfolio of companies that includes 6Connex, dbtech, DVSAnalytics, Eventory, Fenestrae, Infinity, IT Retail Pro, Lane, Moki, Nordic IT, Oxlo, Paperwise, Revegy, SecureVideo and Vertex Systems. https://www.dura.software/contact-us About Satuit TechnologiesSatuit Technologies is a provider of cloud-based and on-premise Asset Management CRM and investor portal solutions. Its innovative platform provides out-of-the-box, no-code CRM solutions for CRM and client reporting solutions, eliminating the need for custom development or third-party implementation. Satuit's robust products cater to buy-side investment professionals, hedge funds, wealth management, private equity, and real estate markets.Contact InformationChris WilliamsCEOcwilliams@ dvsanalytics.com Paul SalisburyCEOpaul@ dura.software SOURCE: Dura SoftwareView the original press release on newswire.com
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Combining cutting-edge technology, autonomous driving capabilities, and a transformative vision, Robobus offers a glimpse into the future of transportation. Through the integration of AI-based generative design chassis platforms and dieless forming technology, Robobus achieves remarkable cost-effectiveness, making it an attractive solution for smart transportation providers. PIX Moving and TIER IV invite you to witness the unveiling of Robobus at CES and join them on this exciting journey as they reshape the future of mobility.LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / In June 2023, TIER IV and PIX Moving entered into partnership through "fanfare", an innovative solution designed to accelerate the production of AD-enabled electric vehicles. This solution offers white-label EV models, empowering customers to commercialize these vehicles under their own brand names and efficiently incorporate AD features, further boosting the autonomous mobility ecosystem worldwide.Robobus at CES 2024 Combining cutting-edge technology, autonomous driving capabilities, and a transformative vision, Robobus offers a glimpse into the future of transportation at CES 2024Based in Japan, TIER IV is a pioneering company in autonomous driving technology, dedicated to reimagining intelligent vehicles. With a strong focus on safety, innovation, and open-source software, TIER IV aims to empower people and revolutionize the way people live and interact with transportation. As the pioneering force behind Autoware, the world's largest open-source AD project, TIER IV aims to make the autonomous technology accessible to all.PIX Moving is committed to developing and manufacturing urban mobility vehicles to drive the next-gen smart mobility ecosystem. So far PIX Moving has produced a wide range of smart vehicles including autonomous shuttle Robobus, on-demand Moving Space and electric mini EVs, ultimately realizing the two-way mobility and interaction between "human" and "space".With complementary strength from each side, PIX Moving joined "fanfare" and partnered with TIER IV to supply the white-label autonomous driving Robobus for the Japanese market. The autonomous driving industry is experiencing significant growth and evolving trends worldwide for the past 10 years."The Japanese Government is at the forefront of the Level 4*1 AD initiative, with a goal to deploy Level 4 AD services in at least 50 regions by 2025 and 100 regions by 2027 in Japan. The Fanfare solution initiated by TIER IV is aiming to solve the challenges in procuring affordable EVs certified for Level 4 AD services for meeting the high demand in Japan." -from TIER IV press releaseNow TIER IV and PIX Moving are taking their "fanfare" collaboration to the next level and expanding its scope by presenting the Robobus at CES 2024. In an era of rapid technological advancements and the quest for sustainable transportation solutions, Robobus stands out as a game-changer. This collaboration between PIX Moving and TIER IV brings together the expertise of two innovative companies to supply white-label driverless buses that are set to revolutionize urban mobility.Besides transporting people, Robobbus also redefines vehicles as "Moving Spaces". With customizable interiors, RoboBus can transform into meeting rooms, personal libraries, gyms, or even cafes, catering to diverse needs and preferences. This versatility opens up new possibilities for businesses and individuals alike, fostering a unique and personalized mobility experience.As CES 2024 approaches, the excitement surrounding Robobus continues to build. PIX Moving and TIER IV invite industry professionals, tech enthusiasts, and innovators to experience the future of urban mobility firsthand and to witness the unveiling of Robobus at CES as they reshape the future of mobility.Visit the TIER IV booth #6658 West Hall as it kindles more innovative sparks of intelligent vehicles and autonomous driving technology worldwide in joint efforts with PIX.Contact InformationNancy LeeInternational Business Directornancy@ pixmoving.com (86)18111991219Related FilesRobobus Product Intro 2023 EN_compressed.pdf SOURCE: PIX MovingView the original press release on newswire.com
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / January 8, 2024 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until January 26, 2024to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Fisker Inc. (NYSE:FSR), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's 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.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Fisker and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-fsr/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byJanuary 26, 2024 .About the LawsuitFisker 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 Fisker's 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 Fisker's 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 Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com CONTACT: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / RayonierThe Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour is an intense, immersive experience that allows teachers to witness the work of professionals across many aspects of the forestry industry.Originally published on Rayonier.com There is an air reminiscent of the first day of school when 40 strangers sit down in the classroom together for the first time at the Hampton Inn in downtown Fernandina Beach. Instead of doing the teaching, today these school teachers, homeschoolers and one school principal are here to be the students. They have come from all over the state of Florida to learn about the forestry industry.Some came to the Florida Forestry Teachers' Tour with goals, wanting to get answers to questions they had about how the industry works; looking to incorporate forest-focused field trips into their curriculum; or wanting to learn about job opportunities to share with their students. Others came unsure what to expect but ready to learn.By the end of the week, many of these same teachers will be in tears as the tour comes to a close. They will build friendships over long days outdoors. They will meet forestry workers who will change the way they see the world. And, as they will share with one another in a closing discussion, they will finish the week with a new level of respect for the industry that has such a huge impact on their lives-but that they had known so little about. Until now.Day 1: A forestry legend sets the stageThere's no one better than Ed Barnard to introduce newcomers to forestry. The retired forest pathologist has served as the tour's emcee for more than 20 years. He is the first person the teachers meet."Prepare yourselves for an extravaganza of experience and exposure to the breadth and depth of the forestry profession," Ed tells the group as he kicks off a presentation about the industry. "All the way from growing trees to processing trees into logs to creating pulp and paper, chemicals, cellulose, and lumber products. The complete picture and the whole cycle of regeneration, starting it all over again. The process from A to Z."Within minutes, it's clear this isn't the typical classroom-based continuing education program teachers are used to. In fact, they will be on a bus before 6:30 tomorrow morning, touring key components of the industry until after the sun sets.And Ed will be there at every step. He'll ride along with the teachers on the bus each day, answering questions and sharing his own perspective. He will share laughs and pull more than a few good-natured practical jokes. There's also a good chance that, by the end of the week, he'll fight back tears right alongside the teachers as they share how the tour has changed their perspectives.Day 2: A mill, a burn, and a family farmNow donning their forest boots and orange vests, the teachers are ready to experience the forestry industry up close and personal. The day begins in the West Fraser Sawmill in Whitehouse, Florida.The teachers walk through the mill, watching how logs become lumber in a matter of minutes."Nothing goes to waste," explains General Manager Jerome Worthy, pointing out that even the bark is used to create a mulch product and the sawdust is used in wood pellets.Later this same morning, the teachers watch as a Florida Forest Service team demonstrates how controlled burns are used as a tool in forestry.One teacher asks how wild animals fare in a controlled burn."If you watch during a burn, you'll see the wildlife evacuate. Even the bugs! When the burn completes, you'll see them come right back into that same forest," a ranger answers.The bus travels to several more sites before days' end, giving the teachers a chance to see how the military manages forest land at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center; to see what a teaching forest is like at the University of Florida's Austin Cary Forest; and to meet a family that has owned and managed the same farm for multiple generations."When people ask me what it would take for me to sell this land, I tell them, I remember planting that forest with my grandfather. What price would you put on that?'" Kelly Mosley tells the teachers. "To us, it's priceless." Day 3: Harvesting, sustainable forest management and some shocking revelationsAs the sun is rising this morning, the tour bus is pulling into a harvest site so the teachers can see firsthand what happens when it's time for trees to become products.Watching as a heavy equipment operator systematically fells trees and sorts them for different logging trucks, the teachers have many questions about what happens during a timber harvest."How old are these trees?" "What kind of products will they become?" "When will this forest be replanted?"Fernandina Beach High School Biology Teacher Angie Kindler writes notes as quickly as she can."Something that I had always questioned was a statistic about how many trees they plant to replace the ones that they harvest," she says. "I got that answer today, so that's something that I'll be able to bring back to my students." In fact, in sustainable forestry, multiple trees are planted for every tree harvested.Next, the bus goes deep into the forest for lessons about sustainable forest management led by Rayonier foresters. The group discusses sustainability certification and what it takes to prove a forest is sustainably managed. They talk about the lifecycle of the forest. And they show how foresters protect water quality at every step.Today also includes a pulp mill tour and a lesson about the incredible ways forest byproducts play a role in scent manufacturing.Day 4: Reflecting on lessons learnedThe tour wraps with a group discussion on the final morning. Everyone gets a chance to share how their perspectives about forestry have changed.Before long, some are in tears, shocked at how much they didn't know and ready to incorporate entirely new lessons about forestry into their curricula."I think the greatest takeaway for me has been, I didn't really realize that companies and foresters are way more concerned about the environment than the public," says Michelle Fisher, a high school biology teacher from Tampa. "The people that we've met on this tour, they don't seem like they're in it for the money and this kind of stuff. They seem like they're bigger tree-huggers than I ever thought about being. And I thought I was a pretty big tree-hugger." While the tour slightly changes from year to year, it is always action-packed with experiences around many different aspects of forestry. The Florida Forest Service hosts it with support from the Florida Forestry Association, Project Learning T
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Samples Taken from Newly Staked Ground Return up to 22.7g/t AuLONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Golden Metal Resources plc (LSE:GMET)(OTCQB:GMTLF), a strategic development and mineral exploration company focused on Nevada, USA, is pleased to announce a new high-grade gold (Au) - silver (Ag) - copper (Cu) bedrock discovery has been outlined from rock samples taken on ground recently staked at the Company's 100% owned Garfield project located within the prolific Walker Lane Mineral Belt in Nevada, USA ("Garfield" or the "Project").The claim staking follows the high-grade rock sample results from Garfield which returned up to 23.92% CuEq1, which the Company announced on 11 December 20232.HIGHLIGHTSAs a result of the very promising results received late in 2023, the Company promptly moved to secure additional ground adjacent to the Project that was prospective for further high-grade porphyry and skarn-type mineralisation. While third party staking in the broader district has recently increased significantly, the Company was able to successfully secure an additional 26 claims (bringing the Project total to 65 claims) located predominantly southeast and northeast of the 'High-Grade Zone' at Garfield, representing the most compelling target area found on the Project to date. High-grade copper-gold-silver mineralisation has now been defined over a circa 4km2 area, the full extent of which is now covered by claims 100% owned by Golden Metal, potentially representing a large and well mineralised copper-gold-silver deposit.Five rock samples were taken from this newly staked ground and all of these returned high-grade gold-silver-copper assay results including up to 22.7g/t gold. This highlights the significant potential of the greater Garfield Project claim holding. The results from the newly named 'Pamlico Au Zone' are outlined below: SampleGold Assay GradeSilver Assay GradeCopper Assay Grade72333618.35 g/t>100 g/t (overlimit)1.89%7233377.5 g/t47.5 g/t0.42%7233389.97 g/t>100 g/t (overlimit)0.28%72333922.7 g/t81 g/t0.24%7233404.98 g/t66.6 g/t0.74%Detailed geochemical analysis of the previous Garfield samples, as well as the latest round of results, is underway in conjunction with a review by geochemist Simon Griffiths through his consulting firm 3PX. Further results and next steps will be communicated to the market as soon as possible. Oliver Friesen, CEO of Golden Metal, commented:"Despite normal slowdowns over the traditional Christmas/New Year season, following the receipt of the December results from Garfield we knew the importance of securing not only more ground, but understanding the potential of this newly staked area. My thanks to our in-country operational team for mobilising to the field and completing this work so expeditiously."To our excitement, all samples taken from the newly staked claims have delivered exceptional gold-silver-copper assay results and the greater Garfield Project continues to deliver for our shareholders."We look forward to updating the market with further results and next steps, however I can say from my experience, and understanding of the Project, geologically and geographically, I consider Garfield holds the potential for a major metal discovery. Therefore, we will push this Project forward at some pace." MEDIAFigure 1: Garfield Project map showing location of historic rock sample results as well as the 2023 results (Copper).Figure 2: Garfield Project map showing location of the 2023 rock sample results (Gold).Figure 3: One of the new claim posts being positioned at Garfield (Note all claims in Nevada must be physically staked out, requiring operational teams to mobilise to the field to secure new ground).PROPERTY OWNERSHIPGolden Metal holds a 100% interest in the Garfield Project through its wholly-owned Nevada operating company, Golden Metal Resources LLC. A 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty ("NSR Royalty") Interest, of which 1% can be bought back at any time for US$1,000,000, is payable to Sunrise Resources plc (LON:SRES). The NSR Royalty covers the original Garfield Project claims as well as a 1 mile radius outside of those claims which covers roughly half of the current 'High-Grade Zone' footprint.COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENTThe technical information contained in this disclosure has been read and approved by Mr Nick O'Reilly (MSc, DIC, MIMMM, MAusIMM, FGS), who is a qualified geologist and acts as the Competent Person under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Mr O'Reilly is a Principal consultant working for Mining Analyst Consulting Ltd which has been retained by Golden Metal Resources plc to provide technical support.REFERENCES1 Copper Equivalent ("CuEq") was calculated using a copper price of US$3.7687/lb, a gold price of US$2,021.40/Oz and a silver price of US$24.09/Oz with recoveries assumed to be 100% as no metallurgical test data is available.2 Company announcement, Garfield Project: High-Grade Copper & Gold Overlimit Assay Results, dated 11 December 2023This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).Forward Looking StatementsThis announcement contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated future events and anticipated results that are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such as general economic, market and business conditions, competition for qualified staff, the regulatory process and actions, technical issues, new legislation, uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans, uncertainties resulting from working in a new political jurisdiction, uncertainties regarding the results of exploration, uncertainties regarding the timing and granting of prospecting rights, uncertainties regarding the timing and granting of regulatory and other third party consents and approvals, uncertainties regarding the Company's or any third party's ability to execute and implement future plans, and the occurrence of unexpected events.Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors.For further information visit www.goldenmetalresources.com or contact the following:Golden Metal Resources plcOliver Friesen (CEO)Tel: +44 (0) 20 7583 8304Cairn Financial Advisers LLPNomi
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 23:00:26

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We're excited to announce our groundbreaking collaboration between the BeOnAir Network of Media Schools and the First Class Broadcasting Corporation. Together, we've created a platform that will showcase the captivating content of our talented alumni and aspiring podcast creators.CLEVELAND, OH / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / At the BeOnAir Network, we believe in the power of podcasts to captivate and inspire. Our goal is to provide a collaborative and creative space for our alumni podcasters to shine, reaching new levels of visibility and prominence. Being a member of our podcasting network offers access to shared resources, opportunities to showcase skills, and the networking and promotional power of the BeOnAir Network to reach a wider audience and enhance exposure. The platform will also provide BeOnAir media students with opportunities for collaborations and internships.With the BeOnAir Podcast Network, we're committed to offering a cost-effective solution for our alumni to enhance their podcast brands. Our partnership with First Class Broadcasting allows us to take this network to a whole new level. "As an alumnus, I'm proud to partner with Ohio Media School on the creation of the BeOnAir Podcast Network. Through our working relationship, OMS and FCB are providing a unique opportunity to creators that will help give them a leg up in this diverse and competitive market." - Darvio Morrow, CEO of The First Class Broadcasting Corporation"I'm almost jealous of this opportunity  Take it from somebody who has built a network from the ground up, I wish I had this opportunity when I started as this would have made things a great deal easier." The BeOnAir Podcast Network fosters creativity, fuels collaboration, and strives for podcasting excellence. With our extensive cross-promotional opportunities, the BeOnAir brand hopes to redefine the world of podcasts and provide opportunities for our alumni and our network to gain a competitive edge in the crowded podcasting world.Podcast Host Tonia Tyler, from "Coffee with T" Podcast which features 20-minute conversational interviews on various topics ranging from personal growth to business strategies and more, shared why she chose to join: "This was an opportunity to connect and collaborate with other podcasters in this great space of like-minded podcasters. Also, if you're looking to build your podcast, your visibility is your strength, and the value I saw with the BeOnAir Podcast Network in terms of co-branding, collaboration and marketing immediately drew me in." On the BeOnAir Podcast Network, there's something for everyone. Whether you're a pop-culture enthusiast, a politics junkie, or in search of a good laugh, we've got you covered. We're thrilled to invite alumni of BeOnAir Network of Media Schools and podcast enthusiasts from all walks of life to join us on this exciting adventure.Get ready to grab your headphones, sit back, and join us on this journey to explore the vast world of podcasting. The BeOnAir Podcast Network is where talent takes flight and creativity flourishes. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity.Contact InformationJohn GirardNational Director of Marketing and Brand Management for the Beonair Network of Media Schoolsjgirard@ beonair.com 5189561385SOURCE: BeOnAir Network of Media SchoolsView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 17:01:46

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Strategic Partnership Reveals Untapped Insights in Gastroenterology Data for Research AdvancementPALO ALTO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Lynx.MD , a leading medical data intelligence platform, announced a new partnership with Allied Digestive Health (ADH), a company of Assured Healthcare Partners (AHP). ADH is a specialized care group focused on enhancing the well-being of patients grappling with gastrointestinal diseases. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the expansion of Lynx.MD's industry-leading gastroenterology data library that empowers researchers and developers in the biopharma and MedTech sectors with real-world data. Lynx.MD leverages cutting-edge AI and privacy technologies to extract insights from structured and unstructured healthcare datasets. With this partnership, Lynx.MD gains access to a wealth of specialized data curated with Allied Digestive Health, further enhancing their already extensive gastroenterology real-world data resources, including imaging, video, and lab data."The analytical insights derived from ADH's comprehensive data on the progression of diverse diseases are pivotal in enabling the enhancement of Gastroenterology care," said Sap Sinha, Chief Operating Officer of Allied Digestive Health. "These insights support early detection and preventive care by facilitating research that establishes connections between symptoms and different care protocols. This rich data pool, which encompasses diverse communities of New York and New Jersey, will be instrumental in bolstering clinical research and fostering the development of innovative drugs." This collaboration is poised to drive innovation in biopharma and MedTech by providing researchers with a comprehensive and unique data repository for gastroenterology research. It reinforces Lynx.MD's commitment to supporting the entire healthcare ecosystem, including providers, life science researchers, biopharma, and MedTech companies."We are excited to partner with Allied Digestive Health, a trusted name in the field of gastrointestinal care. This union allows us to strengthen our gastroenterology data library, benefiting researchers and developers who are dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes," said Dr. Robert Eisdorfer, a gastroenterology specialist and co-founder serving as the Chief Medical Officer of Lynx.MD The partnership between Lynx.MD and Allied Digestive Health will facilitate more extensive and impactful research in the gastroenterology domain, ultimately leading to advancements in patient care and the development of innovative healthcare solutions.About Lynx MD Lynx MD is a secure data network and medical intelligence platform that gives the healthcare ecosystem the ability to quickly and safely access real-world health and patient data to accelerate diagnostic and therapeutic solutions and to improve patient outcomes. Lynx MD turns traditional data access control models upside down by making complex real-world data available for innovation within a secure, dedicated cloud environment that protects patient privacy. www.lynx.md About Allied Digestive Health Allied Digestive Health is a leading gastroenterology and hepatology practice with 60+ locations throughout New Jersey and New York, specializing in colon cancer screening, and the treatment of Celiac Disease, GERD, and IBD. Allied Digestive Health is committed to empowering gastroenterologists to deliver compassionate, high-quality, and comprehensive care through an unparalleled patient experience. Their team, comprised of gastroenterologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants work together to uphold the highest standards of care. Learn more atallieddigestivehealth.com .About Assured Healthcare Partners Assured Healthcare Partners (AHP) provides capital solutions supporting growth, consolidation, and repositioning opportunities in the healthcare services industry. AHP combines its flexible capital with company and sector-specific research, as well as an extensive industry network and internal team of specialized healthcare resources, to unlock value for portfolio companies and investors. For more information about AHP, visitahpartners.com ###Contact:Victoria Holl Vp of MarketingLynx.MD victoria@ lynx.md 650-248-4262SOURCE: Lynx MD
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:48:40

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RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 /Issuer Direct Corporation (NYSE American:ISDR) (the "Company"), a leading communications company, today reported that their Newswire brand has launched its new Media Suite subscription. This powerful platform allows Public Relations professionals to engage the media, pitch and monitor brands, incorporating a branded media room and news distribution platform.As the industry evolves, standing out and capturing the right media attention has become increasingly more challenging and concurrently imperative to growing one's brand and customer base. With this understanding, the Newswire team has spent time examining the traditional Public Relations workflows and built a solution to address these challenges and needs. Our new Media Suite product offering provides communication professionals with the opportunity to build their story, incorporate AI if desired, effectively pitch the media, and monitor their internal brand as well as the competitive landscape. This is all accomplished with our unique blend of human curation and advanced AI engine (AImee) that ultimately serves as the foundation of an easy-to-use workflow we branded as our Media Suite."I am very pleased to be a part of the exciting new product launch today - our Media Suite platform is a pivotal milestone for the company in that we finally are able to meet our customers and the market with a full corporate communications solution, specifically in public relations, where the total addressable market annually is over $5 billion," said Brian Balbirnie, Chief Executive Officer at Issuer Direct. "As one of the industry's fastest-growing news distribution platforms, we believe we can continue this market share momentum by delivering this recurring subscription product, not only to our current customers but also to new customers looking to find a comprehensive communications solution. Our product team has done a tremendous job integrating our AI engine, AImee, throughout the entire storytelling journey, from creating a story to improving the pitch - all the way to analyzing articles in the market by our proprietary algorithm that emphasizes media mentions into and with our monitoring tools." With three subscription options available, including Media Suite Starter, Media Suite Plus, and Media Suite Enterprise, companies can select the level of support they need to reach their goals.In a recent interview with PR Week, Balbirnie shared his optimism on how the Media Suite will meet the evolving needs of Newswire's customers.Whether it's a startup looking to make waves, or an established brand wanting to maintain and strengthen its relevance, Newswire offers a customizable Media Suite subscription, tailored to a brand's unique needs.To learn more about Newswire's Media Suite and how it can maximize your media engagement and elevate your brand's visibility, visit newswire.com About Issuer Direct CorporationIssuer Direct is a leading communications company, providing solutions for both Public Relations and Investor Relations Professionals for over 17 years. Our comprehensive solutions are used by thousands of customers from emerging startups to multi-billion-dollar global brands, ensuring their most important moments are reaching the right audiences, via our industry-leading newswire, IR website solutions, events technology, and compliance solutions. For more information, please visit www.issuerdirect.com About NewswireNewswire is a media technology company that provides its clients with press release distribution services that help build brand awareness, earn media mentions, increase online visibility, improve search engine optimization performance, generate sales, and more.In addition to press release distribution and its Press Release Optimizer, Newswire offers the Media Suite, which bundles its most powerful products into one easy-to-use platform that helps companies maximize their engagement with the media. Newswire's relentless commitment to customer satisfaction and its passion for customer performance, paired with its innovative product offerings, continue to help companies of all sizes and industries around the globe deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.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. To learn more about Newswire and its industry-leading press release distribution and media suite platform, visit https://www.newswire.com Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could," are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance, or achievements for many reasons. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, including but not limited to the discussion under "Risk Factors" therein, which the Company filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov For Further Information:Issuer Direct CorporationJennifer Hammers EVP Sales & Marketingjennifer.hammers@issuerdirect.com (919)-481-4000Brian R. Balbirniebrian.balbirnie@issuerdirect.com (919)-481-4000SOURCE: Issuer Direct Corporation
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:01:24

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Noram Lithium Corp. ("Noram" or the "Company") (TSXV:NRM)(OTCQB:NRVTF)(FRA:N7R) announces that its Founder and Executive Chairman, Sandy MacDougall, will be taking a medical leave of absence, effective immediately. Mr. MacDougall is expecting to return to the Executive Chairman role on or about April 1, 2024.The Board of Directors has appointed independent director Mr. Cyrus Driver as Interim Chair until Mr. MacDougall returns.For additional information:Contacts:Investor Relations at ir@ noramlithiumcorp.com Website: www.noramlithiumcorp.com Phone: +1.604.553.2279ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSCyrus DriverInterim ChairAbout Noram Lithium Corp.Noram Lithium Corp. (TSXV: NRM | OTCQB: NRVTF | Frankfurt: N7R) is focusing on advancing its 100%-owned Zeus Lithium Project located in Clayton Valley, Nevada an emerging lithium hub within the United States.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 Statement Regarding Forward Looking InformationThis news release may contain forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding, among other things, plans for ongoing development of the Zeus Lithium Project. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, regulatory approval processes, results of further exploration work, and availability of capital on terms acceptable to the Company. Although Noram believes that the assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, including that all necessary regulatory approvals will be obtained in a timely manner, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Noram 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 applicable securities laws.SOURCE: Noram Lithium Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:45:33

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IBM: Modernizing workforce development programs can benefit low-income and adult learners at different stages in their livesNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / IBM Originally published by Workingnation.com By Justina Nixon-SantilIf there is a bright spot of bipartisan hope for Congressional action, it's in support of the American workforce. In early December, the U.S. House of Representatives - a body once paralyzed for weeks by fierce partisanship - introduced two pieces of bipartisan legislation which would free up more federal funds and remove red tape for more Americans to obtain in-demand skills needed to enter the workforce and advance in their careers.This past year, the rapid acceleration and adoption of artificial intelligence has shined a spotlight on the need for people to be prepared to work alongside technology. And for many, the most accessible way to obtain new skills is through quality short-term programs, including online learning.Adoption of flexible learning and working models are seemingly at an all-time high - thanks in part to the rise of remote work and online learning during COVID - yet Americans have difficulty accessing federal resources for short-term training and quality online programs. Fortunately, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce advanced two different pieces of legislation - both with strong bipartisan support - to remedy this problem and make learning more affordable and accessible for Americans who need it most.The Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act would allow low-income students and learners to access federal funds, including for quality short-term and online learning courses. A Stronger Workforce for America Act would modernize our public workforce system and dedicate more funding toward quality programs for in-demand skills to help more Americans enter the workforce and continue advancing in their careers. Together, these pieces of legislation represent an urgent and viable opportunity for Congress to seize this session.Employers such as IBM know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We recognize that a college degree is not the only credential that signifies workforce readiness and competency. It's critical for Congress to support multiple pathways to obtaining skills that help make learning and workforce development affordable and accessible regardless of a person's place, pace, or path. Which is why IBM recently announced a commitment to skill two million people in AI by the end of 2026, with a focus on underrepresented communities through IBM SkillsBuild.Currently, millions of working adults and students who enroll in short-term programs to upgrade their skills and compete in today's job market must predominantly pay out of pocket. This, of course, creates barriers for many and excludes low-income Americans from some of the fastest growing and most in-demand careers in technology.Having time and being able to control one's schedule is a privilege most working adults don't have. Limiting federal funding to programs that tie students to being at a physical location at a preordained times excludes many and ignores the realities of today's adult learners.Outdated barriers like this exist throughout America's workforce and education programs, further separating the needs of workers from the demands of learning institutions. Instead, these two pillars should be working together to fill in-demand positions more quickly in critical sectors such as AI and cybersecurity.The IBM Policy Lab's Technology Workforce Playbook for the U.S. outlined several policy recommendations for Congress to approach these challenges holistically for students, professionals, and those in between looking to make a career change - and we are thrilled many of our recommendations were incorporated into these bipartisan bills.As we usher in the new year and members of Congress return to Washington from their districts, we're welcoming advancement of these two smart, bipartisan bills. As such, IBM urges the House to keep the momentum going and swiftly pass the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act and A Stronger Workforce for America Act and send to the Senate for immediate consideration.It's time for Congress to modernize workforce development programs and recognize the importance of flexibility for low-income and adult learners at different stages in their lives.Justina Nixon-Saintil is IBM's Chief Impact Officer and Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from IBM on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: IBMWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/ibm Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: IBM
By Azernews

Laman Ismayilova

Renowned for its scenic beauty, Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve never ceases to amaze local residents and foreign guests.

The reserve is a must-see attraction for history and archaeology enthusiasts.

Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve covers a total of 420 hectares and consists of three historical sites: the Ancient City, Salbir, and Gala.

This territory contains the remains of the ancient city of Gabala, which for 900 years was the capital of Caucasian Albania until the 4th century BC.

Archaeological research on the territory of the reserve was conducted for the first time in 1926 under the guidance of archaeologist Davud Sharifov.

Since 2005, archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography have begun archaeological excavations in this area at the initiative and with the financial support of the Azerbaijan-Korea Cultural Exchange Association SEBA (Seoul-Baku).

Thanks to the joint activities of South Korean specialists, archaeological excavations in the reserve began again in 2009.

Moreover, the Gabala Archaeological Centre was built in the reserve in accordance with modern requirements.

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, attended the opening ceremony of the Archaeological Centre during his visit to Gabala in 2014.

The archaeological centre consists of two exhibition salons (museums), a modern restoration laboratory, a conference hall, a library, an archaeological foundation, and auxiliary premises.

Material and cultural samples discovered during archaeological excavations in the area are recorded, transferred to the center's fund, and shown to visitors in the exhibition hall.

The most ancient materials in exhibition halls date back to the Palaeolithic period. This material was discovered during a field survey in 2011 and 2012 in the villages of Boyuk Amili, Soltannukha, Hajialili, and Garadeyin.

Among the exhibits are many stone tools made from flint and sandstone, including hand axes, blades, etc.

Around 3,544 local and foreign tourists visited Gabala State Historical-Artistic Reserve last year.

Some 2607 of those who visited the reserve were local tourists, and 937 were citizens of foreign countries.

The majority of foreign tourists came from Poland, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, England, Ukraine, Latvia, the USA, and Turkiye.

Those who visited the reserve were given detailed information about the archaeological excavations conducted periodically in the area, the works carried out in the territory of the reserve with the organisation and financial support of the SEBA (Seoul-Baku) Azerbaijan-Korea Cultural Exchange Association, as well as the exhibits displayed in the Gabala Archaeological Centre.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:15:52

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Summary: ORM Consultants, a leading platform in reputation management, is pleased to announce the launch of its innovative solutions aimed at safeguarding and enhancing the reputations of businesses on a global scale.CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / To address the latest approach, ORM Consultations unleashes innovative reputation management solutions for businesses worldwide. The platform focuses on the imperative need for comprehensive reputation protection. The unveiling of these advanced solutions marks a significant milestone in ORM Consultants' mission to be the primary guardian of corporate prestige.ORM Consultants' innovative reputation management solutions revolve around the removal and suppression of negative elements that can adversely affect businesses. The services encompass:Removal of Negative News Articles - ORM Consultants leverages its expertise to eliminate detrimental news articles that can tarnish a company's reputation. Through a strategic and ethical approach, the team works diligently to erase the negative narratives and present clients in a positive light across digital platforms.Removal of Negative YouTube Videos - Recognizing the impact of visual content, ORM Consultants extends its capabilities to eradicate negative YouTube videos that may harm a brand's online perception. By deploying advanced techniques, the company ensures the removal of detrimental video content, promoting a positive online presence for its clients. Removal of Mug Shots - ORM Consultants understands the sensitivity surrounding mug shots and their potential impact on individuals and businesses. The company employs a meticulous process to remove mugshots from online sources, safeguarding the personal and professional reputations of its clients. Removal of Negative Reviews - Negative reviews can significantly influence consumer perception. ORM Consultants employs strategic measures to address and eliminate negative reviews, emphasizing the positive aspects of a business and mitigating the impact of unfavorable feedback. Suppression of Negative News Articles - In addition to removal, ORM Consultants specializes in the strategic suppression of negative news articles. By pushing down unfavorable content in search engine results, the company helps clients regain control over their online narrative and ensures that positive information takes precedence.Furthermore , ORM Consultants stands as a reliable platform, providing unparalleled reputation management solutions that prioritize the removal of negative elements and the promotion of positive online narratives. The launch of these services underscores ORM Consultants' unwavering commitment to being at the forefront of innovation in the field of reputation management.About ORM Consultants:ORM Consultants is a leading reputation management firm dedicated to safeguarding and enhancing the reputations of businesses and individuals. With a commitment to excellence and a client-centric approach, ORM Consultants employs cutting-edge strategies to navigate the complex landscape of online reputation management.MEDIA DETAILS:Person Name: Scott WrightCompany Name: ORM Consultants Webmail:info@ ormconsultants.org Website URL: www.ormconsultants.orgLocation: ChicagoSOURCE: ORM Consultants
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 09:50:45

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PETERBOROUGH, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / As we embark on a new year, the persistent concern over millions of consumers being perplexed about their pension options remains. Particularly for those who have saved into defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, understanding how to transform pension savings into a suitable income can be challenging. Retirement Line, a leading authority in pension solutions, has unveiled a comprehensive report shedding light on retirement income choices for the UK annuity market in 2024. In this press release, we explore the valuable insights provided by Retirement Line to help individuals navigate their pension options and make informed decisions about their financial future.Retirement Line emphasises the prevailing confusion among consumers, especially for individuals in their 50s and early 60s with savings in a DC pension scheme. The complexity arises from the flexibility inherent in DC schemes, making it essential for individuals to have a clear understanding of how to access their pensions. Recent reports, including one from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), indicate that over 40% of UK individuals in this age group " do not know how they plan to access their pensions. "In response to this challenge, Retirement Line has compiled a quick guide to assist individuals in understanding their options at retirement when holding a pension pot in a DC personal or workplace pension scheme.Retirement Line clarifies the fundamental difference between DC pensions and defined benefit (DB) schemes, stressing the importance of not conflating the two. While DB schemes provide a predetermined and guaranteed retirement income based on final or average salary, DC pensions involve building a personal pension pot through contributions made by individuals and employers. The flexibility of DC schemes, becoming more common due toauto-enrolment , introduces choices that individuals must navigate as they approach retirement.For individuals with a DC pension pot, Retirement Line highlights three primary options for generating income after the age of 55: lump sum withdrawals, drawdown, and annuity purchase.Retirement Line underscores the option of keeping the pension invested in the existing scheme, known as Uncrystallised Funds Pension Lump Sum (UFPLS). This approach allows periodic lump sum withdrawals, with the first 25% of each withdrawal subject to taxation. UFPLS is presented as a suitable choice for those deferring a more long-term decision to a later date.Transferring funds to a drawdown provider offers flexibility in taking withdrawals whenever needed. Retirement Line notes that individuals can first take a lump sum of up to 25% tax-free, with subsequent withdrawals being taxable. Drawdown provides more flexibility in investment choices compared to lump sum withdrawals.Retirement Line discusses the option of purchasing an annuity, which transforms pension savings into a guaranteed income for life or a fixed term. While providing a stable income shielded from market fluctuations, annuity purchase sacrifices the potential for investment growth. The income from an annuity depends on various factors, and Retirement Line suggestsobtaining estimates to make informed decisions .Retirement Line acknowledges the apparent daunting task of choosing between these options and recommends leveraging the government-backedPension Wiseservice. Individuals aged 50 or over, with funds in a DC scheme, are entitled to a free 60-minute consultation with a pension's expert through Pension Wise. Additionally, Retirement Line encourages individuals to consider professional financial advice or guidance to gain a deeper understanding of their options and implement a chosen solution effectively.Beyond pensions,Retirement Line advocates for a well-rounded retirement planthat may include additional income sources such as savings and investments, downsizing, equity release, and government support.Paul Wilson, CEO of Retirement Line, stated, "Our goal is to empower individuals with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their retirement income. This report serves as a valuable guide to navigate the complexities of pension options, ensuring a secure and comfortable financial future." About Retirement Line:Retirement Line is a leading authority in pension solutions, committed to providing expert guidance and comprehensive resources to individuals navigating their retirement income choices. With a focus on transparency and education, Retirement Line empowers individuals to make informed decisions for a secure financial future.Media Info:Name: Craig SlaterOrganization: Retirement LineEmail: craig.slater@retirementline.co.uk Website: https://www.retirementline.co.uk/ Phone: 01733 973 038Address: FREEPOST RTAC - BBSJ - TBTT, 52 Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8JB, UKSOURCE: Retirement Line
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:02:06

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StealthGPT's AI Bypass: Revolutionizing Digital Content Creation by Mastering the Art of Bypassing Even the Most Advanced AI Detectors Including TurnitinMIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Today marks a monumental day in the realm of AI technology as StealthGPT proudly announces the launch of AI Bypass, a new undetectable AI. This cutting-edge tool is designed to flawlessly bypass major AI detectors, positioning itself as an essential asset for users requiring AI-humanized content.Evade Turnitin Detection AI Bypass consistently bypasses Turnitin AI detection. What is AI Bypass? An Innovation for Content GenerationAI Bypass is not just another tool; it's a focused solution born from the most popular use-case of StealthGPT's suite - the AI Bypasser/Humanizer. While StealthGPT offers diverse tools like Content and Essay Generators, AI Bypass hones in on one primary objective: defeating all major AI detectors, notably Turnitin.Proof of Excellence: AI Bypass Against Top AI DetectorsThe effectiveness of AI Bypass isn't just a claim; it's a proven fact. Research reveals the world's best undetectable AI is StealthGPT, which is using its custom-built technology to power AI Bypass. According to groundbreaking studies that included scanning thousands of pieces of content from AI detectors and undetectable AIs, StealthGPT and AI Bypass rank as the best undetectable AIs in the world. Our tests, using content generated by ChatGPT and run through AI Bypass, have shown exceptional results beating the following AI detectors:GPTZero Originality.ai CopyLeaks Turnitin"Our AI Bypass tool represents a quantum leap in AI technology, effortlessly outsmarting AI detectors and redefining the boundaries of AI-generated content," said Jozef Gherman, founder of StealthGPT.AI Bypass: Is It Right for You?AI Bypass is tailored for users who prioritize speed and efficiency in bypassing AI detection and being undetectable. It's a streamlined version of StealthGPT, offering a lightweight, faster, and more cost-effective solution.Key Differences: AI Bypass vs. StealthGPTPurpose: AI Bypass focuses solely on bypassing/humanizing while StealthGPT offers a broader range of tools.Pricing: AI Bypass plans are more affordable, though with a lower word allowance than StealthGPT.Speed: AI Bypass boasts a significantly quicker response engine due to its singular focus.Efficiency: Both tools are unparalleled in beating AI detectors like Turnitin, GPTZero, and Originality consistently. Final Verdict: A New Era of Undetectable AI ContentIn conclusion, both StealthGPT and AI Bypass stand as pillars of innovation in creating undetectable AI content. While StealthGPT offers a comprehensive suite, AI Bypass excels in speed and efficiency, making it an ideal choice for specific needs. The decision is now yours to choose the tool that aligns best with your requirements.Contact Information Zachary KatkinDirector of Marketingzach@ stealthgpt.ai (239) 273-4113SOURCE: StealthGPTView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 19:00:29

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TOKYO, JAPAN / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Sushi Ginza Onodera, Inc. ("Sushi Onodera" or the "Company"), a food service company operating high-quality sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, and makiyaki restaurants across three regions, announced that its parent company, Onodera Group, has won the highest bid of 114.24 million yen for a 238 kg bluefin at the annual First Tuna auction held at Toyosu Market in Tokyo on January 5, 2024. This marks Onodera Group's fifth successful bid of the first auction and the fourth consecutive win since 2021.The First Tuna auction, commonly known as "Hatsu-Seri" in Japan, stands as a tradition deeply rooted in Japanese culinary culture. This traditional event not only marks the onset of the New Year but is also thought to usher prosperity and good fortune for businesses. Beyond its cultural significance, the Hatsu-Seri also presents a unique marketing opportunity for the successful bidder, as the event garners extensive coverage in both Japanese and international media, providing an invaluable opportunity for the Company to enhance the awareness of the "Ginza Onodera" brand."We are pleased and honored to announce our fifth successful bid for the bluefin tuna at the Hatsu-Seri," said Sushi Onodera CEO Shinji Nagao. "With this event deeply embedded in Japan's culinary culture, we are eager to leverage this success and carry the momentum forward in the New Year, especially as we look to go public in the near future. The extensive coverage by both Japanese and international media during this traditional event provides a prime opportunity for us to further enhance the prominence of the Ginza Onodera brand, as we look to continue expanding our premium restaurants across Japan and the United States in 2024."About Sushi Ginza Onodera, Inc.Sushi Onodera is a food service company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, operating thirteen premium sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, and makiyaki (firewood cuisine) restaurants in three regions around the world. Sushi Onodera is a wholly owned subsidiary of LEOC Co., Ltd., a Japan limited company, establishing the "Ginza Onodera" brand in 2013 and began operations in the U.S. and Tokyo. Sushi Ginza Onodera Los Angeles has been awarded a Michelin Star for four consecutive years and counting ('20 - '23). Makiyaki Ginza Onodera has been awarded a Michelin Star for four consecutive years and counting ('21 - '24). Sushi Ginza Onodera New York was awarded a Michelin Star for five years ('17, '18, '19, '21, '22). The slogan, "From Ginza to the World", embodies the Company mission of spreading refined Japanese culture throughout the world by providing every customer with high-quality dishes to create an authentic Japanese cuisine that immerses customers in a rich, traditional cultural experience. For more information, please visit https://www.sushionodera.com/ About ONODERA GROUPONODERA GROUP is engaged in a wide variety of businesses including food, human resources, health, and sports, including LEOC Co., Ltd., which serves meals at more than 2,800 locations nationwide. Based on our corporate philosophy of "Joy and Inspiration to Customers," "Growth and Happiness to Partners," and "Contribution to Society," the Company will continue to take on additional challenges as a leading company in creating happiness for each individual. For more information, please visit https://www.onodera-group.jp/ Investor Relations Contact:John Yi and Steven ShinmachiGateway Group, Inc.949-574-3860 Onodera@ gateway-grp.com SOURCE: Sushi Ginza Onodera
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:26:26

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Organizations partner to provide food, daily essentialsATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Atlanta-based Americold and Feed the Children teamed up with several community partners - throughout the month of December to distribute food and essentials to children and their families. Food and essentials were distributed in communities across the US this holiday season in Atlanta, GA., Sebree, KY., Amarillo, TX., Springdale, AR., and Miami, FL.The organizations teamed up to support children and families in underserved communities by providing each community partner with Food and essentials for 400 families, supporting 2,000 families in total.Community partners including AAAD, Landon's Hope, Catholic Charities of TX Panhandle, Feed 479, and Joshua's Heart Foundation. Each family received a 25-pound box of food including canned vegetables, cereal, peanut butter, mac and cheese and water; and a 15-pound box of personal-care items, such as shampoo, razors, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products to distribute to families."We are always humbled when given the opportunity to work together for the good of others. Through our collaboration with Feed the Children and Americold this holiday season was a little brighter for families receiving non-perishable groceries, household and personal items, books, and gifts. Feed the Children has always been a valued partner for Joshua's Heart Foundation, and we look forward to many more years of serving the together," said Claudia McLean, executive director of Joshua's Heart.Today, 1 in 5 children in the U.S. lives in a food-insecure household, meaning that they don't always know how or when they will get their next meal. Lower-income families now confront hardships like higher food and gas prices and sustained economic uncertainty. By working together, the organizations aim to provide access to additional resources so families can help stretch their budgets further.Americold is committed to defeating hunger. Playing an integral role in the food supply chain, Americold owns and operates 243 temperature-controlled warehouses around the world, with approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of storage. Its facilities connect food producers, processors, distributors and retailers to consumers, ensuring that food is preserved and protected on its journey from farm to fork."Our partnership with Feed the Children is incredibly meaningful because it is one way that we show our commitment to fighting hunger and to giving back in the communities where we live and work. We're proud of the unique ways we are able to support their efforts to provide for families experiencing food insecurity," said George Chappelle, CEO of Americold.This is part of a continuing partnership between Americold and Feed the Children to provide food and resources to underserved communities that will continue into 2024. During the six-year partnership, Americold has donated critical funds to Feed the Children as well as travelled hundreds of thousands of miles providing complimentary temperature-controlled transportation services of chilled and frozen goods. Together, the organizations have helped feed hundreds of thousands of families across America.Feed the Children believes it takes everyone - the nonprofit sector, corporations, community organizations, government officials and food suppliers - to come together to do good for those who need it. When efforts are combined, a greater impact is achieved."It is only through partnership that we can reach at-risk families during the holiday season," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "No child should go without, and Feed the Children is thankful for our partnerships that can help ease the burden many families are facing. If you are fortunate enough to experience joy and generosity around your own holiday table, you can make a tremendous difference when you give from your heart." About AmericoldAmericold is the world's largest publicly-traded REIT focused on the ownership, operation, acquisitions and development of temperature-controlled warehouses. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Americold owns and operates 243 temperature-controlled warehouses, with approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet of storage, in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America. Americold's facilities are an integral component of the supply chain connecting food producers, processors, distributors, and retailers to consumers. Visit www.americold.com for more information.About Feed the ChildrenAt Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. To learn more about how to help Feed the Children create a hunger-free holiday season for children and families across America, visit feedthechildren.org/nohungerholidays and follow us on Instagram @feedthechildrenorgFor more information, please contact:Kelly Frey | Kelly.Frey@feedthechildren.org Carrie Snodgrass | carrie.snodgrass@feedthechildren.org SOURCE: Feed The Children
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 15:02:21

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NEW YORK / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / VentureFuel, the independent innovation advisory firm, today announced the recipients of its prestigious Visionary and Venture of the Year awards. Marty Guay, VP of business development at Stanley Black & Decker, was named the 2023 Visionary of the Year, and Inworld AI, the leading developer platform for multimodal AI characters, was awarded the title of 2023 Venture of the Year. The annual awards, established in 2017, recognize and celebrate the change agents propelling industry and societal innovation and transformation.Guay, with over three decades' experience as a corporate innovator, has spent the past six years working with startups, academia, venture capital and global corporations to create business value opportunities for Stanley Black & Decker, a worldwide leader in Tools and Outdoor. At Stanley Black & Decker, Guay is responsible for the inception of the company's accelerator program, where he successfully connects startups with technological and commercial relationships inside the organization and throughout global ecosystems. Guay sits on the advisory boards of multiple startups and serves as a board member of the state of Connecticut Governor's Workforce Council and as a liaison to the Business Roundtable. In addition to these roles, Guay also oversees the company's global philanthropy program that is focused on closing the skilled trades gap through its Grow the Trades program.Inworld AI, led by a team of conversational AI pioneers and experts, uses advanced AI to build interactive characters whose personalities, thoughts, memories, and behaviors are designed to emulate social human interaction. Founded in 2021, Inworld is a recent graduate of the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Generative AI Accelerator run in partnership with VentureFuel. Last month, Inworld announced a multi-year partnership with Microsoft to develop AI toolsets to assist and empower creators in dialogue, story, and quest design."Marty and Inworld exemplify the spirit of innovation and vision that we aim to celebrate with the Visionary and Venture of the Year awards," said Fred Schonenberg, CEO of VentureFuel. "Marty's work at Stanley Black & Decker and Inworld's progress in driving commercial applications of innovative technologies showcase a commitment to pushing boundaries and driving transformative change, which aligns strongly with VentureFuel's mission." VentureFuel partners with leading organizations to ignite change by building innovation engines customized to corporations' startup collaboration needs. Since its founding in 2014, VentureFuel has worked with companies such as Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs, Dick's Sporting Goods, AARP Foundation, and the State of California, providing innovative solutions to their most significant challenges through programs like corporate accelerators and commercial pilots.The Visionary of the Year award reflects VentureFuel's dedication to supporting the pioneers embracing new opportunities to drive outsized results, rethink traditional business models, and reshape society. In recognizing and celebrating these leaders, VentureFuel hopes to inspire others to blaze new paths through innovative solutions that power the future.Both awardees will be honored at a virtual event on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, from noon-1 p.m. ET. For more Visionary and Venture of the Year recognition event details or to RSVP to attend, visit venturefuel.net About VentureFuel:Founded in 2014, VentureFuel is an independent innovation advisory firm that helps the world's best organizations commercialize innovation through startup collaboration. VentureFuel provides organizations like Comcast NBCUniversal, Dick's Sporting Goods and the AARP Foundation customized innovation solutions to address specific corporate goals, close strategic capability gaps and accelerate transformation with less risk. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net , LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. You can listen to The VentureFuel Visionaries podcast on Apple, Spotify, Simplecast, or wherever you get your podcasts.Contact InformationCarolina CalkinsPR Managercarolina@ intelligentrelations.com SOURCE: VentureFuelView the original press release on newswire.com
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Victory Battery Metals (CSE:VR)(FWB:VR6)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Victory" or the "Corporation") announces that the Corporation has terminated the Georgia Lake Property Option Agreement that it entered into on April 11, 2022 and will have no further interest in the property. 100% of all rights, title and interest will revert back to Yeomans Geological Inc.The Corporation will pay a total of $15,000 in full and final settlement of the Option Agreement, in the form of shares of the Company to be issued to Yeomans Geological Inc., subject to CSE approval.The Company will issue 300,000 Common Shares at a deemed price of $0.05 per share. The Common Shares issued will be subject to a four month hold period.For further information, please contact:Mark Ireton, PresidentTelephone: +1 (236) 317 2822 or TOLL FREE 1 (855) 665-GOLD (4653)E-mail: info@ victorybatterymetals.com About Victory Battery Metals VICTORY BATTERY METALS (CSE:VR) is a publicly traded diversified investment corporation with mineral interests in North America. The Company is also actively seeking other exploration opportunities.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 release.Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward- looking statements. The Company 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 securities laws.SOURCE: Victory Battery Metals Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-01-09 16:25:22

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ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Fizen.io , a company providing payment solutions for Web3, has completed a token sale funding round, raising 480,000 USDT. This significant milestone aims to enhance the financial capabilities and development of Fizen.io Fizen.io offers three main products: Fizen Super App, Fizen Pay, and Fizen Ramp, all designed to optimize the experience of cryptocurrency transactions and payments globally.The seed funding round, concluded in December 2023, attracted notable attention from the investment community. With active participation from angel investors, especially those with extensive knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, Fizen.io successfully raised 480,000 USDT in just one week.Angel investors not only appreciated Fizen.io's business model but also provided credibility to the project and its founding team. They are not only investors but also crucial partners, supporting Fizen.io not only financially but also in areas such as marketing and business development.Since the project's inception in January 2022, Fizen.io has attracted 700,000 USDT from co-founders and strategic investors such as Sotatek, VNext, Tomochain. The newly raised funds have elevated Fizen.io's total funding to 1,180,000 USDT.Leo Vu, CEO and Co-founder of Fizen.io , shared his insights, stating, "We have dedicated two years to focus on building our product and refining our business model. Most blockchain projects lack a clear business model and fail to generate revenue from their operations. This often results in unsustainable businesses that can only survive for a short period within the market cycle. Our approach at Fizen.io is grounded in a very traditional mindset - building a company with a profit-generating business model. Fizen.io can operate based on profits from sales and related payment services. This resilience enables Fizen.io to withstand the market's ups and downs in the cryptocurrency space. When we ourselves feel confident in Fizen.io's business model, product, and user base, that's when we started fundraising through token sales. The initial Seed token sale was executed successfully, receiving much support and appreciation from angel investors." With the enhanced resources, Fizen.io will focus on marketing and user growth. The other token fundraising rounds will continue and it is anticipated that Fizen.io's token ($FIZEN) will be listed on cryptocurrency exchanges in Q2, 2024.This represents a crucial step, marking the strong, secure, and steady development of Fizen.io Fizen Super App - a mobile app for buying, holding, and spending cryptocurrencies for many real-life items.Fizen Pay - software for businesses to accept cryptocurrency payments and exchange to fiat money anywhere in the world.Media Contact:- Contact name: Ms. Su Nguyen- Email: su@ fizen.io - Website: https://fizen.io/ - City: Zurich- Country: Switzerland- Community: https://link3.to/fizen SOURCE: Fizen.io
Salem Bazoum, son of Nigers ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, has been released, the countrys military tribunal announced.

The 22-year-old was arrested and detained alongside his parents by putschists who overthrew his father in a coup last July.

According to Aljazeera, the younger Bazoum was released provisionally by the tribunal. It did not say anything about the fate of the president.

Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, commending the release said It is a logical step in bringing normalcy back to the country and the region in general.

Mr Tuggar, also the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, revealed that Khadija Bazoum, wife of the president, was also released. He offered no details about their whereabouts.

He reiterated the call to the government led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani to hasten the release of President Bazoum from its custody and allow him to fly to a third country as a step towards further talks on lifting sanctions and to initiate the transition to constitutional rule in the interest of the people, peace and stability of Niger and the region.

A source close to the removed president told the AFP news agency that Salem Bazoum had left Niamey for Lome, the capital of Togo, where he arrived on Monday evening.

READ ALSO: ECOWAS Court orders Niger junta to release President Bazoum

Aljazeera reported that a statement by the Togolese government confirmed a deal for the younger Bazoums release after mediation from Togo and Sierra Leone, but gave no details about his whereabouts.

On Monday, Togos Foreign Minister Robert Dussey was in Niamey, where he met with Nigers military-appointed prime minister, according to Nigerien public television.

President Bazoum remains in detention where he has been since the coup in July 2023.

After the coup, ECOWAS imposed strict sanctions on Niger in a bid to get the putschists to reinstate the ousted president but they have remained resolute.

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President Bola Tinubu has summoned the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, over his alleged involvement of the controversial N438 million contract scandal involving the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

The Nation newspaper reports that Mr Tunji-Ojo was summoned by the president on Tuesday.

The minister is expected to explain his role in the contract awarded to New Planet Project Limited, a firm linked to him.

A leaked memo being circulated online showed that a firm linked to the minister, received a substantial sum labeled as consultancy fees from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Mr Tunji-Ojo had earlier in a television interview denied any involvement in the contract, explaining that he resigned his directorship of the company in 2019.

I am not a signatory to the company, he said.

And actually, I was shocked because the company in question was a company where I was a director. About five years ago, I had resigned from my directorship.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said he co-founded the New Planet Project with his wife 15 years ago but resigned as a director in 2019 upon winning a seat in the House of Representatives.

However, he remained a shareholder in the company.

Of course, to the best of my knowledge, public service rules do not prohibit public officers from being shareholders. What public service rules say is that you cannot be a director of which I had resigned about five years ago.

President Tinubu, on Monday, suspended Mrs Edu for allegedly diverting over N585 million to a private account.

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A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned a fresh N1 billion suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the federal government until 4 March for hearing.

Justice James Omotosho adjourned the matter following the absence of counsel for Mr Kanu in court.

When the case was called, Mr Kanu, who was the applicant, was not represented in court while the defendants lawyers were in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, had filed the latest suit for the enforcement of his fundamental rights while in detention.

In the originating motion dated and filed 4 December, 2023, the applicant sued the Nigerian government, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), State Security Service (SSS) and its director-general as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

The suit was filed pursuant to Order II, Rules 1 & 2 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009, among others.

Reliefs Kanu is seeking

In the motion, the detained IPOB leader prayed for eight reliefs.

Mr Kanu is seeking a declaration that the respondents act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents pertaining to facilitating the preparation of his defence which were brought to him at the respondents detention facility by his lawyers, amounted to denial of his rights to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.

He is seeking a declaration that the respondents act of refusing or preventing his counsel from taking notes of details of counsels professional discussions/consultations with him at SSS detention, with said discussions/consultations relating to preparation of his defence, amounted to denial of his right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defence by legal practitioners of his own choice.

He is also seeking a declaration that the respondents act of eavesdropping on his confidential consultations/conversations with his lawyers on matters relating to preparation of his defence during the lawyers visitations amounted to denial of applicants right to be given adequate facilities for the preparation of his defence and to be defended by legal practitioners of his own choice.

Mr Kanu described the acts as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and constituted an infringement of his fundamental right to fair hearing as enshrined and guaranteed under Section 36(6)(b) & (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 7(1)(c) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

The IPOB leader, therefore, is seeking an order of injunction restraining and prohibiting the respondents from their act of forcible seizure and photocopying of confidential legal documents brought to him at the detention facility by his lawyers.

An order of injunction restraining and prohibiting the respondents from their act of refusing or preventing the applicants counsel from taking notes of details of counsels professional discussions/consultations with the applicant during the counsels visitation with the applicant at the premises of respondents detention facility.

An order of injunction restraining and prohibiting the respondents from their act of eavesdropping on the applicants confidential consultations/conversations with his lawyers on matters relating to preparation of applicants defence during the lawyers visitations with the applicant at the detention facility.

Mr Kanu is also seeking an order compelling the respondents to issue an official letter of apology to him for the infringement of his fundamental right to fair hearing.

He is also seeking the court to make an order mandating the respondents to jointly and severally pay the sum of N1 billion as damages for the mental, emotional, psychological and other damages he suffered as a result of the his rights breach.

What government lawyer told court

Meanwhile, the counsel for the federal government and the attorney-general of the federation, Enoch Simon, a chief state counsel from the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that they were only served with the hearing notice.

Mr Simon said they had not been served with the originating process in the matter. He said he came to court out of respect for the court.

Counsel for the SSS, Idowu Awo, corroborated Mr Simons statement.

We were not served as well, he said.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until 4 March for hearing, and ordered that a hearing notice be issued and served on the applicant.

(NAN)

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The Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, on Monday, said state governors in the country answer the title of Chief Security Officer but dont have control over security officials in their states thus making it difficult for them to tackle security challenges.

Mr Yahaya, a member of Nigerias ruling party, APC, is also the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum. He spoke in an exclusive interview with BBC Hausa monitored by PREMIUM TIMES.

The governor stressed the need for the creation of state police in the country due to peculiar security challenges in states.

I think the federal government needs to look at the security arrangements in the country, Mr Yahaya said. For example, as a state governor, if I call the police commissioner (in my state), or ask him to do something, he would say he has to inform the Inspector General of Police because thats the only person he receives orders from. Likewise the military commander in the state. Thats what all of us (governors) go through. So, I think there is the need for us to have an overall review of how the security system works.

Mr Yahayas request is not new. Many Nigerians have called for the decentralisation of Nigerias police and other security agencies as a way of tackling the security challenges affecting the country. Opponents, however, say such decentralised system could be used for political hatchets by governors and local government chairpersons.

In his interview, the Gomber governor said it is time for Nigeria to have state police.

Some states wanted to create state police to have proper control of the security situation in their ways. I think its time to look at that request because of the situation weve found ourselves in, Mr Yahaya said.

He said though many states now have vigilantes and other local task forces, governors should have control over conventional security agencies.

The Gombe governor also spoke on the efforts of the Northern Governors Forum in tackling challenges in the region.

Mr Yahayas complaints on Nigerias security archictecture is similar to that of the former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

In 2018, Mr Yari announced that he has relinquished his title of Chief Security Officer following intense terror attacks in the state.

Disturbed by growing insecurity, governors in South-west states created a regional security force, Amotekun, in 2020. Although the federal government initially opposed the creation, it later allowed it.

The governors said the security outfit would complement federal security agencies in the six states of the sub-region in tackling insecurity. Each state in the region controls its own Amotekun force.

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President Bola Tinubu has slashed the number of officials that will accompany him and other top government officials on any foreign trip.

The measure, according to the Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, is part of massive cost-cutting measures.

Speaking while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Mr Ngelale said the cost-cutting exercise affects the entire apparatus of the federal government including the office of the President, vice president and the first lady.

According to the new policy, the President has directed that local security agencies should be used for his protection whenever he travels to any state instead of travelling with a high number of security details from Abuja.

He also stated that the same measure should be adopted for both Vice President Kashim Shettima and First Lady, Remi Tinubu.

Additionally, when any international travel is being approved, the following limits have been placed on all ministers of the Federation. Four members of their staff, appointees and the like will be allowed to travel with a minister on an official trip, Mr Ngelale said.

There was widespread criticism by many Nigerians after it was reported that Nigeria has one of the largest delegations to the recent COP28 Climate change conference held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The presidents spokesperson on Tuesday said henceforth, heads of government agencies will be limited to two only two members of staff on any trip.

Giving a further breakdown, Mr Ngelale said for any international trips, Mr Tinubu has directed that no more than 20 individuals will be allowed to travel with him.

That number will be cut down to five in the case of the First Lady. Additionally, the number in the entourage on official international trips for the Vice President will be cut to five, the number that will be placed as a limit on the wife of the Vice President is also five, he said.

In terms of local trips, Mr Ngelale said the President has approved a new limit of 25 members of staff to accompany him on domestic trips within the country.

The Office of the First Lady is now limited to 10 staff members to accompany her on official trips within the country. The Vice President will be limited to 15 members of staff on official trips within the country, while his wife will be limited to 10 members of staff.

Mr Ngelale explained that the number of officials on local trips is higher than those on foreign trips because international trips are costlier.

 The President is determined to bring total sanity and prudence to the management of the Commonwealth of our people.

READ ALSO: Tinubu sacks heads of two federal govt agencies

As a result of this, the President has directed that every federal MDA also including the office of the president itself and the Office of the Vice President as well as the offices of the first and Second Ladies, are affected and bound by this directive of the president.

Henceforth, the President is insistent that the notion of government wastage, the notion of recurrent expenditure being in excess, the notion that government officials will be allowed to conduct their affairs in a way that is different from what we are asking of Nigerian citizens with respect to prudence and Cost Management, those days are over, Mr Ngelale said.

The presidential spokesperson said all heads of agencies are expected to comply strictly with the new directive or risk being penalised.

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Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has dissolved his cabinet and appointed new one as part of transition process for the incoming administration in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Kogi Governor-elect, Usman Ododo, will take over from the Bello administration on Jan. 27.

Those affected by the dissolution included; Heads of agencies, parastatals and other appointees, although some of them were reappointed alongside the new members of cabinet.

Yahaya Bellos media aide, Onogwu Muhammed, in a statement on Monday in Lokoja, said the governor made the pronouncement at the end of the states Executive Council Meeting held on Monday at the EXCO Hall of the governors office.

The governor said his decisive and strategic action became imperative as his administration would soon come to an end.

This significant move serves as a recalibration of the governance trajectory and signifies the initiation of the comprehensive transition process as my New Direction Administration gracefully concludes its tenure.

Government officials affected by this announcement are instructed to ensure a thorough and proper handover process, transferring all pertinent government documents, property, and materials to the permanent secretary of their ministries or senior government officials stationed in their respective offices,  he said.

Mr Bello, however, commended the affected officials for exemplifying unparalleled commitment, diligence, and unwavering patriotism throughout their tenure.

He wished them success in their future endeavors, a sentiment he extended to all heads of agencies and other appointees whose roles were now concluded.

The governor disclosed that those retained included; the Secretary to the Government of Kogi, Mrs Ayoade Folashade-Arike, retired Navy Commodore Jerry Omodara; State Security Adviser, Mr Sunday Faleke, Deputy Chief of Staff and Mr Oricha Umaru Shaibu, Director-General, Government House Administration.

Also retained were; Mr Mohammed Sanni Ibrahim, SAN, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abubakar Bashir Mohammed, Commissioner for Solid Mineral and Natural Resources, Kingsley Olorunfemi Fanwo, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mohammed Ihiezue Abdulmutalib, Commissioner for Rural and Energy Development and Asiru Idris Asiwaju, Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning.

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Others were; Abdulsalam Ozigi Momodu, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Wemi Jones, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Yakubu Yusuf Okala, State Auditor-General, Musa Bashiru Ohu, Special Adviser to the Governor (government House Imam) and Hadi Ametuo, Special Adviser on Political Matters.

The rest were; Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, Personal Physician to the Governor, Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Sunday Bamidele Ayenibe, Director- General Protocol, Afolabi Joseph Raji, Special Adviser on Special Duties II, Moses Okezie-Okafor, Director-General, Research and Development, and Ahovi Salami Ibrahim.

All domestic staff to the governor and deputy governor including those of their spouses are not affected.

The new appointees to fill the vital vacant positions in the state included; Habibat Oyiza Tijani, States Accountant-General, Abdulrazaq Muhammed, Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Auditor-General for Local Governments, Kadiri Mohammed Okeji, Special Adviser on Finance, Isah Taofeeq, Director-General, Project Monitoring Agency.

To strengthen the security architecture of the state in the area of intelligence and information gathering, Bello also appointed Security Advisers from all the Federal Constituencies of the state.

The security advisers included; Goke Okparison, Zonal Security Adviser, Okene/Ogori, Mustapha Aliyu Akaaba, Zonal Security Adviser, Ajaokuta, Salami Joseph Omuya, Zonal Security Adviser, Adavi/Okehi, Olorunleke Moses, Zonal Security Adviser, Kabba/Ijumu and Muhammed Mundi, Zonal Security Adviser, Lokoja/Koton Karfe.

Others were; Pius Kolawole  Yagba, Kabiru Adaji  Dekina/Bassa, Ayuba Nana  Ankpa and Abu Odoma -Idah.

According to Governor Bello, the appointments take effect immediately.

The governor, however, tasked the newly appointed officials on total commitment, unwavering patriotism, and steadfast dedication in the discharge of their duties.

The governor added that efficiency, competence, and relentless pursuit of progress must be prioritised.

(NAN)

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The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has released a new guideline that will determine the fare that states can charge pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj.

The commission resolved that each state would determine its cost based on factors like accommodation and feeding. It said there will no longer be a uniform fare to be charged by the states.

Jalal Arabi, NAHCONs acting chairman, disclosed this during a meeting with representatives of state welfare boards and private operators in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Mr Arabi, in a statement issued by NAHCON spokesperson, Fatima Usara, on Monday, briefed the boards and private operators on the outcome of the meeting between NAHCON and the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

According to the statement, Mr Arabi informed the stakeholders that each state will have to negotiate the cost of accommodation and feeding to determine the rates they are going to charge pilgrims.

The NAHCON chairman informed the meeting that there will not be uniformed Hajj fare this yearthe cheaper a states cost of accommodation and feeding, the cheaper the states Hajj fare, the statement reads.

Mr Arabi further encouraged states to  take advantage of the service providers open market to negotiate cost-effective services for their pilgrims. States are to plan their individual menus which would be used during negotiations.

Getting good space in Muna

PREMIUM TIMES reported the hardship Nigerian pilgrims had to endure during the 2023 hajj exercise in Muna because of the limited bed space, and the long distance between the Nigerian tents and Jamrat.

Over 52,000 Nigerian pilgrims were without shelter during the five-day stay at Muna during the Hajj rites.

Feeding was also a major challenge in Muna.

Speaking on accommodation in Muna, Mr Arabi said the Saudi government has guaranteed closer proximity to Jamrat if Nigeria pays its deposit early enough.

The only way NAHCON would be guaranteed proximity to Jamrat in Mina is through early payment of deposit.

The predicament of space in Mina is not a NAHCON concern alone, the Kingdom is looking at ways of expanding the capacity of tent city, Mr Arabi was quoted to have said at the meeting.

The statement also said there are further preparatory engagements in Saudi Arabia, stating that NAHCON will pay a working visit to Mutawwif company, General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Car Syndicate for pilgrims transportation, Adillah in Madina and others.

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Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has decried strange delay to transmit his case file to the Federal High Court from the Supreme Court.

Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to the IPOB leader, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

The Supreme Court had, on 15 December 2023, ordered the continuation of Mr Kanus trial on terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

But Mr Ejimakor said Mr Kanu strongly condemned the unusual delay to transmit his file to the lower court despite the order issued by the Supreme Court.

The special counsel said Mr Kanu spoke when he (Ejimakor) visited the IPOB leader on Monday at the facility of the State Security Service (SSS).

The IPOB leader, according to the statement, described the delay as unacceptable and frowned at the Supreme Court for failing to carry out its own order on the transmission of the case file to the Federal High Court, Abuja

In a case where Kanu has been in detention (for two and half years) and it is in public and judicial knowledge that he is grievously ill, one would expect that it should not take almost one month to certify the judgment and transmit the case file to the Federal High Court. And from what we are hearing, it might as well take over a month, Mr Ejimakor said.

The lawyer said it is ironic that judgments were readied and delivered on Election Petition Cases in as little as a day or two and made available to parties but the IPOB leaders case has lingered for over two years without judgment.

In particular, given the fact that Kanus case cannot go forward without his case file being physically transmitted to the Federal High Court and the judgment thereof certified, any prolongation of taking these steps becomes legally injurious to Kanu, as he continues to be detained without any immediate prospects of trial and exoneration, he said.

The special counsel urged the judicial and administrative leadership of the Supreme Court to take prompt steps to transmit Mr Kanus file to the Federal High Court and make certified true copies of the judgment available to his lawyers.

This is what the justice of the case demands at this point in time, he stated.

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 judgment on the appeal on 15 December, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja.

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Some journalists and human rights activists on Monday called for stronger institutions to manage abuses emanating from religious places.

Speaking shortly after a private screening of the BBC Africa Eye Documentary on the late Temitope Joshua, popularly known as TB Joshua, the lead Pastor of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), the activists also said religious organisations must be intentional about addressing such abuses when reported.

During a short panel session after the documentary screening, Ghanaian undercover journalist, Anas Anas, and Esther Alaribe of Women Radio commended the Africa Eye team for the project.

I think its a strong, great film with watertight evidence and I cant see how anyone can downplay the impact, Mr Anas said, adding that the documentary looked at the gross human rights abuses perpetrated by TB Joshua.

It is the fact that we have a canker in our African society that we have not developed the courage to handle through hook and crook. We have not developed the courage to speak to it in our society and I think BBC Africa Eye has done it.

Responding to why the documentary was important even though the subject is no longer alive, Ms Alaribe said it would always be part of the history.

For the generation whom we have told this story, decades to come, if that churchs name is still standing, we will always remember this film. We will always remember this story.

So now, I am pushing out to our institutions in Nigeria. What are we going to do? What are we saying, yes the pastor is late but the institution, the church in question was built in his name, the actions in his name. These survivors would never hear the name of this church and remain the same. Who is checking the activities going on in the church at the time? This is not an attack on the church.

Witness, Activists speak

Saudatu Mahdi, the secretary-general of Womens Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), said religious organisations have the responsibility to investigate abuses and punish perpetrators.

She likened the reception of the documentary to the perception of people in the early days of the fight against Violence Against Women.

In the beginning, people used to think that we cook figurespeople felt we were cooking figures because we want Oyinbos (Whites) to give us money, she said.

Today, violence against women is in everybodys face. The excesses in our faith spaces are also going to hit us hard. In the same way we spoke about HIV/AIDS, we are either affected or infected. We are either perpetrators or survivors.

She called on the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) to lead the charge among the leadership of the two major religions in Nigeria. She said NIREC is supposed to be the sounding board for the two major religions.

When the Vatican gave in to looking at paedophilia, it wasnt easy but today we know better. Today, the church no matter how small is able to hold its own people to account, she said.

Whether people get compensation or not, the first is that it is acknowledged as a criminality. The second is that somebody needs to be held accountable. Third, our systems need to be strong, synergetic and intentional about addressing these issues.

One of the interviewees in the documentary present at the screening, Paul, said he and Bisola, another interviewee, started the journey of exposing the late TB Joshua more than 10 years ago. Mr Paul said he faced several forms of attack from the loyalists of the late pastor.

This is a project, I and sister Bisola started in 2009 when we released a video The Deception of the Age. It was everywherePeople came out and said no they are lying against him but I know I was saying the truth, he said.

I lay underground quiet for seven and half years. I cant work anywhere. I cant do church anywhere. I cant do anything. I just lay on the ground, living with the help of some friends and other people.

He noted that no Nigerian volunteered to speak because they were still scared.

He said: These ladies that spoke now, they are from South Africa, UK, US. No Nigerian has spoken because they are scared. Fear is just an illusion.

If theres a freedom to say that all the girls that were violated, raped at the synagogue should come out, you would be scared. If he can have the courage to do this to the white, is it then our people that were going at the age of 10, 11.

Cleric Speaks

A cleric, Peter Ogunmuyiwa, a member of the Christian Association of Nigeria, noted that the association has no power to punish any member of any church.

He said the churches are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), giving the government powers to investigate and punish perpetrators of any evil act.

He said: I think the problem is the system and the state. For instance, many people expect that CAN should have a way of curbing or checkmating some of these things but the Christian Association of Nigeria does not have legislative powers to do that.

The only constituted authority to deal with all these institutions, all these criminalities that we are talking about is the state, the government. Up till now, if a church misbehaves in Nigeria today, the Christian Association of Nigeria does not have any power to sanction any church because they are being registered by CAC without recourse to CAN.

The Documentary

For the documentary, the BBC Africa Eye team interviewed more than two dozen former members of the SCOAN who accused the late Mr Joshua of sexual assault, manipulation and forced abortion among others.

The interviewees, former members of SCOAN from Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom who lived at the Synagogue in Lagos, relayed the stories of abuse they faced and witnessed from Mr Joshua.

The late pastor was also accused of skewing the narrative around the collapse of his guest house where more than 100 people died in 2014. PREMIUM TIMES former Investigations Editor, Nicholas Ibekwe, had also exposed Mr Joshua bribing journalists with N50,000 in the hope of skewing the reportage of the incident.

The cleric died shortly after the BBC Africa Eye team interviewed the first set of victims in 2021.

The three-part documentary has also generated mixed reactions from social media users across the world. While some were horrified by the revelations, others questioned why the documentary was released after his death and when he could not defend himself.

About TB Joshua

T.B. Joshua is one of the most influential religious leaders of the 21st century. But he is as controversial as he is popular.

Some of the earliest scandals that rocked Mr Joshua and his SCOAN ministry were by a former ally, Bisola Johnson, who wrote a book accusing the cleric of sexual slavery, manipulation, diabolism, deceit, and contrived miracles.

Late broadcaster and investigative journalist, Kola Olawuyi, in the late 1990s, ran a series on his Nkan Mbe radio programme, where he spoke to several former backroom staff and members of the SCOAN who accused the pastor of all manners of atrocities including occultism at the church.

In 2016, PREMIUM TIMES revealed that Mr Joshua and his wife had incorporated a shell company, Chillon Consultancy Limited, on 20 June 2006, in the British Virgin Island (BVI), a notorious offshore tax haven. The cleric dismissed the story as false. However, this newspaper published original documents he submitted while registering the company, in a follow-up story.

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The police in Imo State, south-east Nigeria, have arrested a suspect involved in the kidnap of a traditional ruler in the state, Samuel Ohiri.

Mr Ohiri is the traditional ruler of Orodo, a community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

Henry Okoye, the police spokesperson in the state, disclosed this on Tuesday in Owerri, the state capital, according to a report by the Nation newspaper.

Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the unnamed suspect was also allegedly involved in the kidnap of an official of the FRSC in the state, Sabinus Ugwuebu.

The two victims, Messrs Ohiri and Ugwuebu, were kidnapped a few days ago at various locations in the state.

The police spokesperson said the suspect was arrested when police operatives busted a camp belonging to suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the state.

He said the suspected IPOB/ESN camp, located at Ihite-Owerri in Orlu Local Government Area of the state, was raided by the operatives at about 3.30 a.m. on Tuesday in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian military which resulted in a shootout with the hoodlums.

Mr Okoye said the suspect was finally arrested after the shoot-out while others escaped with gunshot injuries.

The arrested suspect, who is believed to be a member of the ESN terrorist group may lead (security agencies) to where the kidnapped victims are, he said.

On searching the camp, we recovered road safety uniforms of the kidnapped officer, Sabinus Ugwuebu, the spokesperson added.

One pump action gun, two double barrel guns, two single barrel guns, 54 rounds of live cartridges, military uniforms, six motorcycles and a box containing locally made explosives were among the items recovered from the suspects, according to the police.

A concerted investigative effort is in progress to arrest the fleeing suspects and possibly rescue the kidnapped victims, the police spokesperson stated.

Mr Okoye reiterated that the police in the state would continue to work closely with the military and other security agencies to fight crimes in the state.

He vowed that the police in the state will not rest until the kidnapped victims are released and the suspects prosecuted.

IPOB, a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria, has been linked to some deadly attacks in the two regions.

However, the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

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The federal government has announced plans to formalise one million businesses across Nigeria at a discounted rate.

It also said it would establish a world-class fashion in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Tuesday when he launched the Expanded National MSME Clinic in Makurdi, marking the first stop on a nationwide journey to empower small and medium-sized businesses.

MSME Clinic, the first of its kind under President Bola Tinubus administration, aims to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by breaking down barriers and providing crucial resources.

Benues pioneership of the MSME Clinic sets the stage for a nationwide rollout scheduled to traverse Ebonyi, Ogun, Delta, Kaduna, Borno, Katsina States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in a meticulously planned itinerary for the first half of 2024.

This will culminate in the National MSME Awards, a celebration of entrepreneurial spirit coinciding with World MSME Day, on 27 June in Abuja.

Addressing a mammoth crowd of entrepreneurs and stakeholders at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) square in Makurdi, VP Shettima emphasised the federal governments commitment to creating a thriving MSME ecosystem.

He acknowledged the crucial role MSMEs play in job creation and economic development, even as he pledged the governments unwavering support to empower them.

We have everything to guide your ambition, Mr Shettima assured while delivering his speech titled, Benue State: Nurturing Enterprises, Embracing Prosperity.

Stating that President Tinubu is committed to resolving the bottlenecks affecting the MSME space in Nigeria and will persist until these issues are resolved, the VP noted that the N75 billion loan scheme from Bank of Industry (BOI) and Access Banks discounted N50 billion fund offer is already in place as crucial financial support for entrepreneurs.

He said, We currently have in place a N75 billion 9 per cent single-digit loan from BOI. Additionally, Access Bank has made N50 billion of their fund available to MSMEs at a discounted rate of 15 per cent, which could significantly increase based on loan performance. Mr President is committed to resolving the bottlenecks affecting the MSME space in Nigeria and will persist until these issues are resolved.

The vice president hailed the states industrious spirit and entrepreneurial drive, describing it as a beacon of inspiration for the entire country.

This clinic isnt just about fulfilling President Tinubus promise, said Mr Shettima, adding that its a tribute to Benues unmatched work ethic and entrepreneurial drive.

Lauding the states dedication to agriculture, art and commerce, he pointed out that these stand as a testament to the remarkable productivity ingrained within the core of Benue State.

Every business owner in Benue, whether in Makurdi or Otukpo, Gboko or Katsina-Ala, is a priority, he added.

World-class fashion hub

Mr Shettima also announced plans by President Tinubu for a world-class fashion hub in Makurdi, dedicated to the states thriving tailoring cluster which, according to him, is set to be operational within 90 days.

Now, hear another piece of good news from Mr President: His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed, has unveiled the plan to establish a world-class fashion hub in Makurdi for use by small businesses in the tailoring cluster in the state. This hub will be ready in 90 days, the vice president stated.

Earlier in his address, the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, said Benue State is open for business, just as he emphasised the states commitment to supporting and empowering small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) as a key driver of economic growth.

The governor highlighted the diverse range of MSMEs thriving in Benue, from organic food producers like Andor Global Foods to innovative motorcycle builders and traditional attire weavers.

He also celebrated Aorkwagh Farms work in regenerative farming and the Made in Benue brands creativity as examples of the states entrepreneurial spirit.

Mr Alia who lauded their contributions to local agriculture, healthy living and cultural heritage, however, acknowledged the challenges faced by MSMEs, including insecurity, regulatory hurdles, and access to finance.

He assured participants that his administration was actively tackling these issues by streamlining processes, removing bottlenecks and enacting laws against extortion, including matching ground.

Also, the Benue State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Orpin Alumo, noted that the MSMEs Clinic will mark the turning around of Benue State, moving it from a civil service state to an industrial state.

Other dignitaries at the MSME Clinic Launch included Deputy Governor of Benue State, Sam Ode; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh; Chief Judge of Benue State, Maurice Ikpambese; members of the National and State Assemblies, and members of the State Executive and Security Council, among others.

The vice president was joined at the event by heads of key agencies, including the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

The clinic also promises immediate access to working capital, formalisation assistance through the CAC, and export guidance from NEPC. Agencies like NAFDAC and SON were present at the launch to facilitate product certification, while FIRS offers tax advisory services.

More humanitarian aid

Meanwhile, while in Benue, Mr Shettima also visited the Ichwa IDP camp in Makurdi, offering solace and support to those displaced by conflicts.

He met with families, listened to their stories of loss and displacement and assured them of President Tinubus unwavering commitment to their well-being.

The VP promised continued humanitarian aid, and explored avenues for skills development and livelihood opportunities within the camp, pledging to expedite the process of safe resettlement.

Stanley Nkwocha

Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications

(Office of The Vice President)

9th January, 2024

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A new report from the Reuters Institute suggests many media leaders are worried about their prospects in the year ahead, with almost two-thirds expressing concerns about plummeting referral traffic from social platforms.

suggests many media leaders are worried about their prospects in the year ahead, with almost two-thirds expressing concerns about plummeting referral traffic from social platforms. Up to 48% of the managers surveyed think there would be very little money for publishers in any licensing deal with AI platforms and 35% believe that most of the money would go to big publishers.

Reader revenue is still the top priority for most of the news publishers surveyed and many report moderate or stable subscription numbers despite economic troubles and subscription fatigue.

These are some of the findings from Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024, an annual report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, embargoed until Tuesday 9 January 2024, 00.01 GMT. The report, authored by Senior Research Associate Nic Newman, is based on a survey of 314 CEOs, editors and digital leaders from 56 countries. Here are the key findings:

1. Publishers worry about a sharp decline in referral traffic

Almost two-thirds (63%) of the media leaders surveyed say they are worried about a sharp decline in referral traffic from social platforms. Data sourced for this report from data analytics provider Chartbeat shows that traffic to news sites from Facebook fell 48% in 2023, with traffic from X (formerly known as Twitter) declining by 27%.

In response to these developments, the priorities of news publishers are changing. Up to 77% in our sample say they will focus more on their own direct channels in the next year, with a fifth (22%) resorting to cutting costs and a similar proportion (20%) experimenting with alternative third-party platforms. In terms of news formats, most of our respondents say theyll create more video (+64 net score), more newsletters (+52), and more podcasts (+47), but broadly the same number of news articles  as they lean into some of the few remaining areas of audience and advertiser growth.

When considering third-party platforms, newsroom leaders say they will focus much less on Facebook and X and will put more resources into WhatsApp (+61 net score) and Instagram (+39) following Metas decision to open up broadcast channels for publishers. Interest in video networks such as TikTok (+55) and YouTube (+44) remain strong while Google Discover is becoming a more important but volatile referral source.

Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate and author of the report, said:

Reaching audiences online is getting tougher as Facebook pulls back from news and X becomes less welcoming for publishers. The big fear is that search traffic may be next, as AI-powered results provide answers directly in the interface, rather than offering so many links to news sites

2. Publishers are pessimistic about any deals with AI companies

As awareness and usage of AI platforms grows around the world, some news companies aim to sign licensing deals with AI platforms. But the newsroom leaders we surveyed are not optimistic about any benefits being equally shared. Around half of our respondents (48%) felt that there would be very little money for any publisher and a third (35%) believed that most of the money would go to big publishers.

Many of the publishers we surveyed see important benefits in the use of artificial intelligence. Back-end news automation (56%) is considered the most important use of the technology, followed by offering better recommendations (37%) and commercial uses (28%). Publishers are ambivalent about using AI for content creation. More than half or our respondents consider it the biggest reputational risk.

3. Only half of the executives surveyed are confident about the prospects of journalism in the year ahead

Only half (47%) of our sample of editors, CEOs and digital executives say they are confident about the prospects for journalism in the year ahead, with 12% expressing low confidence. Concerns relate to rising costs, declining advertising revenue, a slowing in subscription growth and increasing legal and physical harassment. Reasons to be cheerful include the hope that closely fought elections in the US and elsewhere could boost traffic despite the risks that this boost will be temporary and further damage trust.

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Publishers continue to invest in subscription and membership models, with a large majority of those surveyed (80%) saying this will be an important revenue stream, ahead of both display and native advertising. Most of those operating a paid model report either a slight increase, or stable subscription numbers in the last year, despite a difficult economic outlook and challenges of subscription fatigue.

Things might get even tougher this year as more platforms launch premium services, including ad-free and privacy-friendly offerings. Our report predicts this might push publishers towards bundling of digital news and non-news content as they try to lock in existing customers. All access subscriptions will likely include games, podcasts, magazines, books, and even content from other publishers.

4. Publishers bet on explainers and solutions stories to fight news avoidance

Selective news avoidance and news fatigue remain a major source of concern for media companies looking to sustain interest in news from Gaza and Ukraine. Strategies that publishers consider very important to counter these trends include better explanation of complex stories (67%), more solutions-oriented or constructive approaches to storytelling (44%) and more inspirational human stories (43%). There was less support for commissioning more positive stories (21%) or entertaining (18%) news.

Our report predicts that AI tools that change the language of news to improve relevance and understanding for particular audiences will be an increasing feature of the news landscape in 2024. Social news-reading app Artifact, for example, can summarise a news story in different styles and adapt it to different audiences. Bots, apps and browser extensions with similar capabilities may spread rapidly in 2024, putting pressure on news organisations to create similar features.

Our methodology

314 people completed a closed survey in late November and early December 2023. Participants, drawn from 56 countries, were selected because they held senior positions (editorial, commercial, or product) in traditional or digital-born publishing companies and were responsible for aspects of digital or wider media strategy. The results reflect this strategic sample of industry leaders, not a representative sample.

Contact and more information

For more information, interview requests or a copy of the report, please contact Eduardo Suarez at eduardo.suarez@politics.ox.ac.uk or Matthew Leake at matthew.leake@politics.ox.ac.uk.

About the author

Nic Newman is Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute and lead author of the Digital News Report and an annual study looking at trends in technology and journalism. He is also a consultant on digital media, working actively with news companies on product, audience, and business strategies for digital transition.

About the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is dedicated to exploring the future of journalism worldwide. The Institute receives core funding from the Thomson Reuters Foundation and is based in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. It was launched in November 2006 and developed from the Reuters Journalist Fellowship Programme, established at Oxford 37 years ago. In addition to the fellowship programme for mid-career journalists from around the world, the Institute hosts leadership development programmes and research projects focused on the future of journalism. See https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/

Funding acknowledgement

This piece of research was supported by Google as part of its Global News Initiative.

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The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Monday ordered the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay N100 million to former central bank chief Godwin Emefiele as damages for his prolonged detention over corruption allegations last year.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Adeniyi, in his judgement on Monday, restrained the federal government and its agents, including the EFCC, from arresting Mr Emefiele unless an order was obtained through a competent court.

The judge, Olukayode Adeniyi, that the commissions detention of Mr Emefiele in the course of his investigation was a violation of his right to liberty.

The judge gave the ruling in a suit brought by Mr Emefiele challenging his detention for several weeks by the EFCC.

The EFCC has, however, vowed to appeal the judgment, saying Mr Emefiele was detained based on a court order.

The decision failed to take cognizance of the fact that the former CBN boss was held with a valid order of court. Consequently, the Commission will approach the Court of Appeal to set it aside, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said in a Monday statement.

The judge held that the respondents  the federal government and its agents  needed not incarcerate the applicant in order to carry out an investigation for a long period against the provisions of the law.

 No material placed before the court to show that the release of the applicant will in any way interfere with the investigation of allegations preferred against him.

 The first respondent as a creation of the law is constantly bound by the law.

 The remand order that was not obtained properly is considered to be a fragrant violation of the fundamental right of the applicant.

 The facts placed before the court show that he was incarcerated beyond the period stipulated by the law with charging him to court.

He held that the agents of the government who are in charge of arrest and detention should abide by the provisions of the law.

He added otherwise, they would be liable to pay compensation to a person whose fundamental right was violated.

The judge further held that it is not the length of time that determines violation of fundamental rights but the illegality of the action.

Mr Emefiele had sued the federal government, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the chairperson of the EFCC and the commission itself before the court to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.

Mr Emefiele sought a declaration of the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since 10 June2023 and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on 26 October 2023 without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondents in defiance of several valid subsisting court orders for his release amounts to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

He, therefore, among others sought an injunction restraining the respondents from further arresting and or further detaining him up on his release by the court without proffering a criminal charge against him.

He also sought damages of N1 billion in his favour for the violation of his fundamental rights.

EFCC is currently prosecuting Mr Emefiele on procurement fraud charges before another judge of the FCT High Court, Hamza Muazu.

A Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, engaged by the Tinubu administration, has reported discovering 593 bank accounts located in the United States, United Kingdom and China in which the CBN under Mr Emefiele, allegedly kept Nigerian funds without authorisation by the Board and Investment Committee of the bank.

The investigator also said it discovered how billions of naira were allegedly stolen by Mr Emefiele and other officials from the CBNs accounts including a fraudulent cash withdrawal of $6.23 million  about N2.9 billion at the then official exchange rate of N461 to a dollar.

Mr Obazee disclosed these in his report in which he recommended the prosecution of Mr Emefiele and at least 13 other individuals, including his deputy governors, for alleged gross financial offences.

Mr Emefiele vehemently denied the allegations and threatened a legal action to clear his name.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, fixed 22 January for judgement in a suit filed by the Rivers House of Assemblys Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the National Assembly and others.

The judge, James Omotosho, adjourned the matter for judgement after counsel for the parties presented their arguments for and against the case.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Rivers State House of Assembly and Mr Amaewhule are 1st and 2nd plaintiffs in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023.

In the amended originating summons filed on 11 December 2023 by their team of lawyers including Ken Njemanze, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ferdinand Orbih, also a SAN, among others, the plaintiffs sued the National Assembly, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader as the 1st to the 5th defendants,respectively.

The House of Representatives Speaker, House Deputy Speaker, House Majority Leader, House Minority Leader, Clerk to the National Assembly were also sued as the 6th to the 10th defendants, respectively.

They also sued the Governor of Rivers tate, Attorney-General of Rivers, Commissioner of Finance, Accountant-General of Rivers, Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Inspector-General of Police and Edison Ehie, who was also listed as Rivers State House of Assemblys speaker in the suit, as the 11th to the 17th defendants, respectively.

The plaintiffs sought an order of injunction restraining the 1st to the 10th defendants from entertaining any request from the 11th defendant (Governor Fubara) to take over the performance of the functions of Rivers State Assembly, including its role to make laws for the peace, order and good government of Rivers in respect of matters that are within its constitutional and legislative competence.

They sought an order of injunction restraining Governor Fubara from impeding or frustrating the assembly under Amaewhules leadership as its speaker.

They equally sought an order restraining Mr Fubara as well as the 12th, 13th and 14th defendants from withholding any amount standing to the credit of the Rivers State House of Assembly in the states Consolidated Revenue Fund, including salaries and emoluments due and payable to the speaker, deputy speaker and other members of the house as well as to the clerk, deputy clerk and other members of staff of the assembly.

Alternatively, they sought an order of injunction restraining them from denying the assembly of the due funds for running its affairs including the payment of salaries, allowances, emoluments and meeting its financial obligations no matter how described, among other 11 reliefs.

Hearing

Upon resumed hearing on Monday, the judge, Mr Omotosho, granted the application for joinder filed by Mr Ehie.

Mr Ehie, who also listed himself as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, was joined in the suit as the 17 defendant and the court made an order deeming all processes filed by him as being properly filed.

Plaintiffs lawyer, Mr Njemanze informed the court that contrary to insinuations, he did not file any motion of discontinuance of the case.

We are ready to proceed on the substantive matter but we have a motion pending. It is a motion filed on 15 December 2023. We are asking for the restoration of the status quo as of 29 November 2023, he said.

The senior lawyer said that pursuant to the order of the court made on 11 December 2023, the plaintiffs amended the originating summons in the suit in which they sought 11 reliefs and raised six questions for determination.

He said the 26-paragraph affidavit was deposed to by Mr Amaewhule, the 2nd plaintiff.

He also said that on 15 December 2023, a motion on notice was filed, seeking an order to restrain Mr Fubara, the states attorney-general, the finance commissioner, and the accountant-general from continuing the demolition and destruction of the house of assembly complex in Port Harcourt.

We are saying that they want to deter us from performing our constitutional duties despite the order my lord made ex-parte, he said.

He said they ignored the order even after it was extended.

In this situation, you have the power to discipline all the parties, he said.

Mr Omotosho then said he read online that the issue had been settled.

But Mr Njemanze said, As of the time we came, the House of Assembly was performing its work, but now, they are being interfered with.

The lawyer, who informed the court that only about four members passed the states budget, urged the court to grant their prayers.

On his part, counsel for the 1st to 10th defendants (the National Assembly and its officials), Joshua Musa, a SAN, said he filed a counter affidavit on 14 December 2023.

He said the circumstances that could necessitate the invitation of the National Assembly to take over the assembly had not arisen.

K. A. Imafidon, who appeared for Governor Fubara, told the court that his client instructed them to withdraw all that they filed in the suit

We have a motion on notice seeking to dismiss the plaintiffs suit dated 11 December and filed 12 December 2023. We also filed a motion on notice dated and filed on 11 Decmeber 2023 to set aside the interim.orders made in this suit on 3 November 2023.

We have a counter-affidavit in opposition to the plaintiffs motion on notice for interlocutory injunction dated 12 December and filed the same day, etc

We sought to withdraw them and urge the court to grant our prayer, he said.

M. O. Ojo, who appeared for Ehie (17th defendant), however prayed the court to stand down the matter on the grounds that the information he had was that the parties had settled their differences.

He pleaded with the court to grant his request to allow his senior to take over the matter.

The judge, Mr Omotosho, who said he had gone through the court file and did not see any notice of discontinuance of the case, however granted Mr Ojos plea.

Upon resumed hearing, Oluwole Aladedoye, a SAN:, who now announced appearance for Mr Ehie, said notified the court that the 2nd plaintiff attended a meeting convened by the president where the decision was taken for the settlement of the disputes.

The judge then asked if there was a term of settlement before the court.

If that was the position, why did you move the motion for joinder, he said.

Moving his motion, Aladedoye said a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court was filed on Dec 18, 2023.

According to him, the preliminary objection prays for an order striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

Besides, he said a counter affidavit was also filed. We also filed on Dec 18 in response to the amended originating summons with one exhibit.

The lawyer urged the court to dismiss the suit.

I have a question for the plaintiff. Do you think we can still continue with this matter in view of the submission of counsel for the 17th defendant that the president had settled the issue? Mr Omotosho asked MR Njemanze.

Responding, Mr Njemanze said he was aware that President Tinubu invited all the parties, except the National Assembly officials (1st to 10th defendants), to a meeting.

And at that meeting, it was agreed that the 11th defendant (Mr Fubara) and his supporters shall withdraw all pending suits.

Secondly, it was also agreed that the plaintiffs shall withdraw the notice of impeachment against the governor.

The notice of impeachment has been withdrawn and the assembly is sitting fully but the governor has failed to withdraw the suit he, as governor, filed at Rivers State High Court.

What we are supposed to do under the agreement, we have done. If tomorrow, I am instructed to withdraw, I will do so. We are for peace, he responded.

Then the judge asked Mr Aladedoye: Who is the 17th defendant and in what capacity did you file this suit?

The senior lawyer responded thus: As at the time your lordship adjourned on 7 December 2023, and up until Mr President convened the meeting, the 17th defendant was the speaker of Rivers Assembly. (NAN)

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The 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, destroyed 233 illegal refineries during Operation Still Waters 3 in four states in 2023.

The refineries were destroyed in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta and Rivers states.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) the division, Jamal Abdussalam, made the declaration on Monday in Port Harcourt on the side-line of the 2023 West African Social Activities celebration of the army.

Mr Abdussalam, a major-general, said the division also arrested 1,112 suspected oil thieves during the special military exercise in the four states.

In 2023, we successfully completed scheduled exercises with a lot of positive gains. Worthy of note is the field training exercise tagged Exercise Still Waters 3.

The exercise has gone a long way in curtailing criminal activities and other heinous crimes in the 6 Divisions area of responsibility.

Over the duration of the exercise, we were able to make 1,112 arrests; destroyed 233 illegal refineries, and seized 1,111,900 million litres of illegally refined petroleum products.

Troops also impounded 72 trucks and other vehicles and recovered more than 356 arms and ammunition during the period, he said.

Mr Abdussalam assured that the army would consolidate on its achievements to enable the federal government to attain its set target for crude oil production in 2024.

According to him, the army can only meet expectations if troops remain dedicated, focused, and committed in the discharge of their collective responsibilities.

We must ensure zero tolerance for oil theft and activities that will affect peace and stability across the Niger Delta and the country as a whole.

We will continue to contentiously perform our constitutional roles to defend democratic values.

We will not rest, and we will continue to go after criminals who attack us until we get them and make them to pay a higher price for their crimes, he stressed.

The GOC also gave the assurance that the division would do whatever it takes to ensure that crude oil output rose in 2024.

(NAN)

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The Anambra State Government has suspended the traditional ruler of Neni Community, Damian Ezeani, for conferring chieftaincy title on Ifeanyi Ubah, the Senator representing Anambra South District.

Neni is a community in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State South-east Nigeria.

The State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, disclosed this in a letter addressed to the traditional ruler.

The commissioner of police in Anambra State and the director of State Security Service in the state were copied in the letter dated 8 January.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the traditional ruler conferred the chieftaincy title of Odenjinji Neni on the Senator on Monday, hours before the letter announcing his suspension surfaced.

Why the suspension

Mr Nwabunwanne said in the letter to the monarch that the Code of Conduct for Traditional Rulers in Anambra State provides that no traditional ruler can confer chieftaincy title on anyone from outside his community without obtaining the permission of the traditional ruler of the recipients community.

The commissioner said the state government, in the interest of security, order and good governance of the state, has in addition to the code of conduct equally issued a directive to the effect that no such chieftaincy title should be conferred by a traditional ruler on anybody without obtaining clearance from his ministry.

He explained that, among other reasons, the regulation was intended to curtail observed abuses, including a growing trend of trading chieftaincy titles for money and bringing traditional institutions to ridicule and disrepute.

We have received confirmed reports that you, as the traditional ruler of Nneni, conferred such a phantom chieftaincy today (Monday) on one Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in violation of the Code of Conduct and without clearance the ministry, Mr Nwabunwanne told the traditional ruler.

READ ALSO:

In the light of the above, and for order and good governance, I am directed to inform you that Mr Governor has in exercise of his powers under Section 2 (c) of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers (Amendment) Law, 2020, suspended your recognition as traditional ruler of Neni until further notice, the commissioner announced.

He asked the traditional ruler to show cause why his certificate of recognition should not be withdrawn in line with the Traditional Rulers Law.

In the meantime, you are advised in your own interest, to stop parading yourself forthwith, as the traditional ruler of Neni Community, he added.

Ifeanyi Ubah at a glance

Mr Ubah was re-elected senator in the 25 February 2023 general elections for the Anambra South District under the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP).

But Mr Ubah, shortly after being inaugurated as a senator in June 2023, defected to the All Progressives Congress.

He hails from Otolo, Nnewi, a community in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state.

He was a governorship candidate of the YPP in the 2021 governorship election in the state which was won by the incumbent governor, Mr Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

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The suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, over suspected illegal financial transactions, on Monday, has sparked reactions among Nigerians.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the scandal, which includes the approval of payment of N585.2 million into a private account of a civil servant.

Mrs Edu came under criticism from Nigerians for authorising the transfer of the N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of grants for vulnerable Nigerians.

In response to the public outrage, President Tinubu suspended the minister on Monday, and directed a thorough investigation of the scam by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission has since summoned her to appear for questioning at its headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

The revelation and subsequent suspension of Mrs Edu coincide with ongoing probe of her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, over alleged corruption in the handling of N37.1 billion social intervention funds during her tenure.

Reactions

Commenting on the development, many Nigerians have hailed President Tinubu for his response to the scandal. They also called for an impartial probe into the allegations, which they noted wad the essence of the suspension of the official.

Reacting via his X handle, D. H Bwala, a spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the February 2023 election, said, Again @officialABAT is showing that when there is a credible substance in an allegation he will act in the public interest. He has suspended the beauty pageant minister. Give it to him.

Aliyyu Abubakar similarly praised President Tinubus decision, saying, BAT is the best leader Nigeria needs at this critical time.

John Iyanu also expressed his support for the president. Good! Now investigation can come up, the X user wrote.

Also hailing the suspension of the minister, Auwal Skinny wrote on X that, As expected, if it wasnt done well question the president.

Tweeting via @Aliyu_turare, another user on the platform stated, Group of thieves Make you send them to prison with immediate effect nonsense. Now its time to pay Npower beneficiary stipends then.

READ ALSO:

An X user also tweeted via @kaurday applauding Mrs Edus suspension. He who comes into equity must come with clean hands. Betta Edu exposed fraud but overlooked the need to maintain her integrity in the process. Betta Edu Beta Edu.

Some former participants of the N-Power, a work-for-cash social assistance scheme under the social intervention programme during the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, who believed they were shortchanged, also demanded the prosecution of all individuals involved in the misappropriation of social intervention funds in the ministry.

Remain, Mr Hamza Director of Fund and other Directors, all they are Scammers. Justice for N-power Batch C2 9 months Stipend, Muhammed Bello wrote.

@EXCELLENCE_FG tweeted, God will expose all those behind the delay in Npowerians Stipends. God bless TINUBU. 

Group of thieves. Make you send them to prison with immediate effect nonsense. Now its time to pay Npower beneficiary stipends then, stated Musa Aliyu.

@Akinrinleola stated that, As many as those behind our unpaid stipends, theyll never know peace.

Speaking on Channels Televisions Politics Today, on Monday, former spokesperson for then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, said the suspended minister expressed surprise over the humanitarian affairs admission of making the transfer of the money into a private account.

I was surprised when I saw the ministrys statement saying it transferred money into a private account. It is an infraction of financial regulations, he said.

He said many government officials had gone with impunity for so long. He stated that the transaction was a departure from the financial regulations guiding the conduct of public officers.

Issues

A few days after Mrs Edu ordered the suspension of an official for alleged financial impropriety, documents leaked to the public showed that she ordered the payment of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of Grants for Vulnerable Nigerians.

A leaked memo showed that the minister had in December, requested Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant general of the federation, to transfer the money from the account of the National Social Investment Office to the private account of Bridget Oniyelu, the accountant of a federal government poverty intervention project called Grants for Vulnerable Groups, a project under Mrs Edus ministry.

The request contravenes various sections of Nigerias Financial Regulations 2009 meant to prevent fraud and other forms of corruption in government business.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved judgement on an appeal filed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State seeking the affirmation of his election, which was nullified by the lower court, the Court of Appeal, in November last year.

Mr Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 525,299 votes to beat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda, who garnered 481,370 votes during the 18 March governorship poll in Plateau State.

The governors election was upheld by the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos, the state capital.

However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in its judgement delivered on 19 November 2023, overturned Mr Mutfwangs victory, prompting him to file an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the lower courts decision.

The Supreme Courts decision on the case will be final.

At the hearing of the appeal on Tuesday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by John Okoro, took arguments from lawyers to parties in the case.

After a frenetic session of arguments between Mr Mutfwangs lawyer, Kanu Agabi, and Mr Yilwatdas counsel, J.O Olatoke, the Supreme Court said a date for judgement would be communicated to parties in the suit.

The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a verdict on the matter before 16 January, when the appeal will expire.

Arguments

At Tuesdays sitting, Mr Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the Supreme Court to allow this appeal, set aside the judgement of the court below and affirm the victory of the governor.

He contended that Mr Yilwatdas petition challenging the governors victory was speculative on the grounds that the petitioner alleged non-compliance with electoral laws during the conduct of the election, but in another breath acknowledged that Mr Mutfwang polled a majority of the lawful votes.

Mr Agabi informed the court that the sole issue before the court was the allegation of non-qualification against the governor.

The Court of Appeal had nullified Mr Mutfwangs election on the basis that he was not properly nominated and sponsored by the PDP for the March 2023 election.

But arguing on the issue, the lawyer said nomination and sponsorship of candidates for elective office is an internal affair of political parties, which cannot be litigated by another political party.

Invalid nomination was not enough ground for sustenance of an election petition. So, the tribunal found rightly that it had no jurisdiction on the issue, but the appellate court had a different view.

We are here because the court below departed from the Supreme Court precedents, Mr Agabi said.

The head of the Supreme Courts panel, Mr Okoro, and another member of the panel, Emmanuel Agim, asked Mr Agabi to expatiate on the allegation by Mr Yilwatda that PDPs non-compliance with an earlier order of the Plateau State High Court regarding the election of executives of the party, invalidated Mr Mutfwangs nomination and sponsorship by the PDP.

In his response, Mr Agabai clarified that There was compliance with the order of court relating to the conduct of congresses of the party (PDP).

According to him, congresses (primary elections) for the nomination and sponsorship of candidates for elective offices were conducted by the national organ of the PDP, and not the Plateau State PDP executives.

There was overwhelming evidence of compliance with the High Court order on fresh congresses. There was full compliance. The evidence is abundant.

It will he recalled that the judgement of the High Court of Plateau State had ordered the PDP to conduct fresh congresses for the election of the party executives.

But in his arguments on Tuesday, Mr Agabi told the Supreme Court that the High Court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on inter-party leadership disputes.

By various decisions of the Supreme Court, the APC has no right to challenge the congress of another political party, Mr Agabi argued, pointing out that his client was properly fielded by the PDP for the polls.

On his part, Mr Yilwatdas lawyer, Joseph Olatoke, a law professor and SAN, prayed the court to dismiss Mr Mutfwangs appeal, and declare his client the validly elected governor of Plateau State.

Mr Olatoke disagreed with the governors argument that the APC and its candidate, Mr Yilwatda, did not respond to all the issues in the appeal.

Asked by Mr Agim to comment on the validity of the Plateau State High Court judgment, Mr Olatoke said the decision subsists whether the case was wrongly or rightly decided, with the implication being Mr Mutfwangs non-qualification to vie for the governorship election of 18 March 2023.

In the ensuing exchanges between the courts panel and Mr Olatoke, Mr Agim said, There is heavy reliance on the judgement of the High Court. We have held in several decisions that the court has no jurisdiction to look into the election of party executives but only on primary election of candidates for elective offices.

But Mr Olatoke would not budge, prompting another member of the panel, Helen Ogunwumiju to ask, but do we continue to perpetuate the illegality of the High Court by assuming jurisdiction over a case it does not have the right to hear?

In addition, Mr Agim asked if Mr Olatoke was aware of PDPs Constitution that empowers its national executives to organise primary elections.

Meanwhile, Mr Mutfwang, and Chris Hassan, PDP Plateau State chairman, and other state officials were at the Supreme Court to witness Tuesdays sitting.

Background

The governors election was upheld by the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos, the state capital. However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the victory.

Challenging the outcome of the appellate court decision, Mr Mutfwangs lawyer, Mr Agabi, said the judgement was unfair his client.

Mr Agabi presented eight grounds, urging the Supreme Court to restore Mr Mutfwangs victory.

He argued that the Governor was not given fair hearing by the Court of Appeal.

He also said he was not given a fair hearing by the appellate court

Mr Agabi faulted the Court of Appeal decision for failing to pronounce on all the issues before it.

READ ALSO:APC governorship candidate rejects election result in Plateau

In his brief of argument, the lawyer said, Eight issues were distilled and placed before the court below for determination. Unfortunately, only one issue (of jurisdiction) was determined by the court below leaving untouched seven issues.

The Court of Appeal relying on the High Court order, sacked several lawmakers from Plateau State who were products of the PDP executives in the state.

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A truck on Monday crushed to death two final-year students of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the state.

The deceased, Abasifreke Okon and Irene Edwin, both close friends, were National Diploma students of laboratory science technology.

They were ferried back from school on a motorcycle when the truck rammed into them along the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway.

The incident which occurred 24 hours before their final diploma examination prompted the management of the institution to postpone the examination.

The spokesperson of the polytechnic, Gloria Udoudom, who confirmed the accident to PREMIUM TIMES, described the incident as tragic.

Yes, I can confirm, referring to the accident. They were on a bike (motorcycle)  the two friends and this Pepsi truck ran into them, killing the bike man too, Mrs Udoudom said.

READ ALSO: Akwa Ibom govt screens 271 students for UK education exchange programme

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko Macdon, when contacted said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

Several students of the polytechnic have reportedly been killed at various times by vehicles plying the ever-busy Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway.

Some of the polytechnic students live in Ikot Ekpene city, some kilometres away from Ikot Osura, and commute to school daily, using commercial motorcycles, otherwise known as okada, which is risky because of speeding vehicles on the highway, especially trucks travelling between Akwa Ibom and Abia State.

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The police in Anambra State said they rescued two kidnap victims and arrested no fewer than 30 suspected criminals from 1 December 2023 to date.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Aderemi Adeoye, made this known at a press briefing in Awka on Monday, where he spoke on the yuletide operations conducted by the police in the state.

Mr Adeoye said 12 suspects were arrested for kidnapping, nine for alleged armed robbery, six for cultism, and three over alleged insurgency.

He said 11 vehicles, 12 firearms and 40 ammunition were recovered from the suspects within the period.

The commissioner of police, however, said two police operatives from Enugu command were killed by a gang of assailants in Aguata Local Government area of Anambra.

Mr Adeoye said that police operatives traced the culprits to their camp in Ogboji forest where two of the criminals were gunned down.

He said the police also apprehended one Emmanuel Orjiakor from Oba, a notorious armed robber and kidnapper, who sustained gunshot injuries in an encounter with operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Group.

Also, he added that Obinna Ekwunife, 27, was arrested on 1 December, in connection with the kidnap of Emmanuel Tobechukwu, who transferred N9 million to a POS operator as ransom.

READ ALSO: Victim buried alive by suspected kidnappers after collecting ransom

On 2 December, police operatives arrested one Olobo Ibrahim, 47, a receiver of a robbed Lexus SUV along Kwata Junction, Awka.

On 5 December, police operatives attached to Rapid Response and Anti-Kidnap Squad, in collaboration with men of the Obosi vigilante group, arrested one Samson Ubon, 31 and Efobi Ekene, 29, both of Obosi.

Upon interrogation, they confessed to be involved in the kidnapping of one Obioma Godswill from Delta.

They further stated that they normally lure their victims using Facebook accounts with pictures of beautiful ladies to their hideout where they keep them and collect ransom before they are released.

The suspects are assisting operatives to arrest other gang members, he said.

(NAN)

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Simeon Mathew, 21, faces a second jail term following his arrest by Amotekun Corps for stealing and drug peddling four days after his release from prison over similar offences.

While being paraded among 29 suspects on Monday at the headquarters of Amotekun ij Akure, the state capital, the Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, said Mr Matthew just got out of prison having completed a jail time on 1 January for similar crimes.

The ex-convict, Simon Matthew, claimed to be a drug dealer and had been convicted for drug and robbery activities and that was exactly what he did again, Mr Adeleye said.

In the last one week, we were able to arrest 29 suspects that were involved in different forms of security breaches, which range from kidnapping, armed robbery, house breaking, shop lifting to stealing of motorcycles, among others.

You will recall that we have made it clear that there was not going to be any incident of bank robbery, or other robbery operations in Ondo state throughout the last ember months.

I want to thank the men and officers of the Ondo state Security Network Agency, codenamed, Amotekun Corps, the Police, Civil Defence, DSS and other security agents that joined hands in ensuring that the safety of lives and properties in Ondo state was not compromised, he added.

Mr Adeleye disclosed that some persons involved in illegal possession of firearms, which had been on the watch list in the last five months, were also apprehended with different locally made guns and pistols.

He said the suspected criminals would be profiled and prosecuted.

We were able to disband four robbery gangs, though about four of them are still at large. We also have about four people who violated the anti-open grazing law among them, the Corps Commander said.

Mr Adeleye also reacted to reports that bandits overwhelmed his operatives in a recent encounter in the state, stating that the report was untrue.

READ ALSO: Alleged Jammeh enforcer Sonko goes on trial for crimes against humanity

In the four local government areas of Akoko, we have been on 24-hour, seven-day patrol in the last 60 days and there had been no major case of security breach that we did not rise up to, he said.

He said Ondo State is still regarded as one of the most peaceful states in the country.

The Corps has been instrumental in the dousing of tension between farmers and herdsmen through the implementation of the anti-open grazing law in the state.

However, pockets of kidnapping had occured in some parts of the state with impressive response from the Corps.

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The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has denied any involvement in the controversial N438 million contract scandal involving the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

A leaked memo being circulated online showed that a company linked to Mr Tunji-Ojo, New Planet Project Limited, received a substantial sum labeled as consultancy fees from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Addressing the issues in an interview on Channels TV, Mr Tunji-Ojo refuted the allegations and dismissed his involvement in the companys operations.

He also presented a document he claimed was a certified copy from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), adding that he resigned from the company five years ago.

I am not a signatory to the company, he said.

And actually, I was shocked because the company in question was a company where I was a director. About five years ago, I had resigned from my directorship.

The minister admitted that he co-founded the company with his wife 15 years ago but resigned as a director in 2019 upon winning a seat in the House of Representatives.

However, he remained a shareholder in the company.

Of course, to the best of my knowledge, public service rules do not prohibit public officers from being shareholders. What public service rules say is that you cannot be a director of which I had resigned about five years ago, he said.

Earlier in the week, Mrs Edu was suspended by President Bola Tinubu for alleged diversion of over N585 million to a private account.

Some Nigerians on social media have also called for the interior ministers resignation, citing issues of conflict of interest and abuse of public office.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the scandal including the approval of payment of hundreds of millions of naira into private accounts of civil servants.

Mrs Edu came under criticism from Nigerians for ordering the transfer of N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant, who is the accountant in charge of grants for vulnerable Nigerians.

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The Nsukka Legislative Council in Enugu State on Tuesday held a public hearing on two bills  prohibition of open defecation and improper disposal of biomedical waste in Nsukka Local Government Area.

The public hearing in Nsukka at Adada Hall was attended by councillors, traditional rulers, town union presidents, civil society organisations, traders, landlords, market and religious leaders among others.

Speaking, Jude Omeje, leader of the council, said that the aim of the public hearing on the two bills was to get the inputs of Nsukka residents and reflect it before the bills are passed into law.

Mr Omeje expressed appreciation for the good attendance by residents and pledged that councilors would reflect suggestions and contributions before the bills become laws.

The leader, who sponsored the bill on Prohibition of Open Defecation, with Cordella Odugu, the chief whip of the council, said that the objective of the bill was to stop open defecation in any part of the local government area to promote public health and hygiene.

He disclosed that the bill, seeking to prohibit improper disposal of biomedical waste, was sponsored by Chidi Okoro, the councillor representing Edem-Ani ward, chairperson of the Committee on Environment.

According to Mr Omeje, the bill on Prohibition of open defecation, when passed into law, would make it an offence for any person found guilty and would be liable to pay N10,000 fine or one-week imprisonment or both.

He said the law would make it mandatory for landlords, shop plazas, markets, public institution owners among others to have toilet facilities and wash hand basins in their buildings.

When this bill is passed and assented to by the chairperson of the council area, security agencies are empowered to arrest offenders and hand them to police within 24 hours for prosecution.

Any institution e.g. school, health centres, either private or public, without toilet and wash hand basin is liable to N50,000 fine or two months imprisonment or both.

Any faeces sighted in any community in Nsukka Local Government Area, leaders of such community will be held responsible and liable to pay fine of N10,000.00 or one week imprisonment or both, he said.

Commendation

In a remark, Walter Ozioko, the chairperson, the Nsukka council area, represented by the Vice-chairperson, Sylvester Asogwa, commended the councillors for the public hearing on the two bills.

He said that when the bill on open defecation becomes law, it would go a long way to promote hygiene as well as good health of residents as open defecation is a serious challenge to good health.

With this bill, Nsukka councillors are keying into Governor Peter Mbahs agenda of making water available through digging boreholes in strategic locations and reticulating water to residents, he said.

The chairperson noted that the bill on improper disposal of biomedical waste when passed into law, would help to curtail the mess on indiscriminate disposal of biomedical waste within the council area, which in most cases become an eyesore to residents.

Itll be difficult to implement

Speaking, the traditional ruler of Idu-Opi Community, Ben Attama, commended the councillors for introducing the bill, but noted that it would be difficult to implement given the fact that many communities have no access to public water.

Currently in my community, we find it difficult to get water to cook, not to talk of getting water to flush toilets.

We buy four-litre of jerry can water at the rate of N100 and not everybody is capable of buying it.

Government should first of all make water available to every community before passing the law, otherwise the implementation will be very difficult, he said.

Also speaking, Lewis Ugwu, the coordinator of all president-generals of town unions in Nsukka, said the implementation of open defecation law would only be possible if the Enugu State Government would provide necessary things required, especially public water.

The bill is a good one and can be implemented only if the state government will provide the necessary things, especially water and adequate sensitisation of residents.

Mr Ugwu, however, expressed optimism that the present administration of Governor Mbah had started very well and would put the enabling environment before implementing the laws.

(NAN)

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The abductors of 70-year-old Pa Adeife Adelaja, an elder with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ijebu Igbo, the headquarters of Ijebu North Local Government in Ogun State, have demanded a N50 million ransom for his release.

Mr Adelaja, who is also a piggery farmer, was reportedly kidnapped from his Ijebu-Igbo residence on the night of 31 December, 2023, as he prepared to attend the crossover service.

According to a family source, the suspected kidnappers have contacted the family, demanding a N50 million ransom, which members say is huge.

Negotiations are ongoing, and there are talks of reducing the ransom to N10 million. But I am not certain if any payment has been made, the source added.

READ ALSO: How we use photos of beautiful women on Facebook to lure victims Kidnappers

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu, assured that the police command is actively working to secure Pa Adelajas release and reunite him with his family.

The police have been working to get the man released. We are on it, though the kidnappers have been trying to mislead us about their location. We are on their trail, and very soon, we shall achieve success, Mr Alamutu said.

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The Labour Party (LP) has described Doyin Okupe, a former director general of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council, as a political opportunist, whose exit from the party is not surprising.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Tuesday, berated Mr Okupe for claiming that LP was just a special purpose vehicle to actualise the presidential ambition of Mr Obi.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the resignation of Mr Okupe from the party. He cited ideological differences for his decision to dump the party.

Speaking on the ideological differences, Mr Ifoh described Mr Okupe as a political harlot. He added that the LP remains a leftist party with an unwavering ideological stance.

Ordinarily, we wouldnt have responded but because of media attraction, it has been generating since yesterday. Needless to say after the general election, a few members of the party had left while many others have also joined the party. It is within the rights of any Nigerian to associate with any political party of their choice.

In the letter said to have been addressed to our National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, which is yet to be received, Okupe cited ideological conflict as the reason he left PDP, he also addressed Labour Party pejoratively as a Special Purpose Vehicle.

This response wouldnt have been necessary if Okupe had left quietly or perhaps claimed personal reasons for his actions but by way of him demeaning a party believed to have won majority of votes by Nigerians but was denied victory by the Nigerian system was clearly a mischief carried too far.

Okupe is aware that the Labour Party is ideologically rooted in the left of the centre and he admitted that he has been a rightist and a Liberal Democrat all his entire life, one wonders what he was looking for in a party that is diametrically opposed to his ideological leaning. What kind of political harlotry was he exhibiting by finding no qualms in jumping from one party to another with such ease, he said.

Mr Ifoh maintained that the departed member made very little contribution to the success of the LP during the presidential election.

We must recall that Okupe was forced to abdicate office halfway into the campaign because of the baggage he came with from the other party where he served.

The courts whipped him into early political menopause, so he really didnt contribute much into the Labour Partys success in the 2023 electoral voyage, however, we are glad he acknowledged that we offered him shelter, he said.

In December 2022, Mr Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson, resigned as the campaign DG following his conviction in a money laundering case.

In a sitting of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, sentenced Mr Okupe to two years imprisonment after he was found guilty of 26 out of a 59-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He, was, however, given the option to pay a N500,000 fine on each of the counts  totalling N13 million.

He subsequently announced his resignation as the campaign DG.

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The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has inaugurated an inter-ministerial investigative committee to look into the proliferation of unapproved institutions and fake degree certificates in and outside of Nigeria.

The 11-man committee has members drawn from the education ministry and its agencies; Mnistries of Foreign Affairs, Youth, Justice, and Office of the National Security Adviser.

The Minister, who inaugurated the panel on Tuesday in Abuja, said its mandate includes reviewing the roles of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as its officials in facilitating the recognition and procurement of these fake certificates.

The government said the development is part of the efforts to clamp down on illegal universities and fake degree-awarding institutions.

Last week, the Nigerian government suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degrees from neighbouring Benin and Togo. The governments action followed an investigative report by the Daily Nigerian Newspapers exposed the corruption in the award of degree certificates in Benin Republic and evaluation of the same by the Nigerian government.

Mandate

Meanwhile, the minister asked the committee to examine all private universities established in the last 15 years to determine whether they have the prescribed facilities, appropriate management structure, adequate funding of programmes and requisite staff.

The investigative panel is to establish if unapproved foreign institutions or degree mills exist in Nigeria or not and in whatever form with their identities and locations if any, he said.

Mr Mamman also tasked the panel on reviewing the existing policies and procedures related to accreditation and certification in Nigeria with the aim of identifying weaknesses contributing to the problem.

He also asked the panel to make appropriate recommendations that will strengthen the system of recognition, accreditations, and quality assurance of degrees in Nigeria.

Committee

Members of the inter-ministerial committee include the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Maiyaki; and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Jibrila Amin, a professor of Veterinary Theriogenology.

Others are Lazarus Kpasaba from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Abel Olanrewaju, and Omeh Nwokpoku from the Office of the National Security Adviser; Amina Lugga from the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, and Doom Iyortyom from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The education ministry also listed four individuals to serve as the secretariat of the committee. They are; Abubakar Kimba, Director of ICT; Rakiya Ilyasu, Director in charge of universities; Emmanuel Okposin, Deputy Director in the office of the permanent secretary; and John Kwaghe, a technical assistant to the Minister of Education.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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One of the most concerning subjects in Nigeria today is the renewed call for the liberalisation of access to the ownership of guns, in the face of the worsening state of insecurity in the country. This is not the. first time such a call would be made. With insecurity ravaging Nigeria in the last two decades in the form of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, sectarian violence, ethnic strife and religious conflicts resulting in an orgy of killings, and destruction of property, the displacement of persons, and a persistently apparent inability of the Nigerian state to serve its true purpose which is to ensure the security and welfare of the people, the despair, angst and bitterness among the people has led not a few to demand that the best option for Nigerians is to allow every citizen to own a gun and defend themselves. The thinking is that the best way to address terror is to counter it with terror in similar or equal proportion.

As recently as 2018, for example, a member of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) while contributing to a debate on insecurity in the country, told his colleagues matter of factly that  people cannot be slaughtered in their houses helplessly. Maybe what we need to do is to liberalise gun control. Let everybody own a gun so that when you are coming to my house, you will know that I have my own gun while you are coming with yours. Marafas home state of Zamfara is one of the killing fields in the North-West of Nigeria. Six years later, the situation has only worsened. By 2021, the Nigeria Security Tracker created by the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) had counted up to 2,700 deaths in less than 10 years due to insecurity in Nigeria  and even that was a modest estimate because for the most part many acts of violence are unreported or under-reported. Senator Marafa is not alone. He spoke the mind of many others. Nigeria is a country truly where many people are slaughtered helplessly. By 2021, Darius Ishaku, then Governor of Taraba state (2015-2023), and Bashir Magashi, Minister of Defence as he then was (2019  2023), had also suggested that the people should be courageous to carry arms in self-defence.

In 2022, Zamfara state even went a step further when it announced that the governor, Bello Matawalle, had directed the state police commissioner to issue gun licences in each of the 19 emirates in the state to those wishing to defend themselves. Government is ready to facilitate people, especially our farmers to secure basic weapons for defending themselves, the state commissioner of information reportedly said. State Commissioners of Police do not ordinarily take instructions from state Governors but at least that Governor had to be seen to be saying something. Similarly, in Katsina state, then Governor Aminu Masari (2015  2023), frustrated with the spate of killings in his state, once told the people of the North West state to buy guns and defend themselves. He reportedly added that it is Islamically allowed for one to defend himself against attack. One must rise to defend himself, his family and assets. If you die while trying to defend yourself, youd be considered a martyr. It is surprising how a bandit would own a gun while a good man trying to defend himself and his family doesnt have one. Masari had the support of a group called Katsina State Innovative Thinkers Initiative. He was opposed by the Katsina State Chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups. Other state Governors who at one point or the other called for the right to bear arms include the late Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN (with regard to Amotekun), and former Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle. In May 2023, Honourable Alhassan Ado-Doguwa (Doguwa/Tundun Wada Federal Constituency) made a similar call. Thus, the conversation about the need to liberalise the ownership of guns in Nigeria has been recurrent, and has even become strident as each successive administration fails to improve the peoples conditions. But would the open ownership of guns by Nigerians solve any problem? I dont think so.

With the mindless killings in three local governments in Plateau state, and in Taraba and Zamfara between Christmas Eve and the end of the year 2023, that question has reared its head again. Over 200 persons were killed, more than 300 injured, about 10,000 were rendered homeless, in a carnage that went on for more than two days despite over 30 distress calls to the security agencies! More persons are now calling for arms in every possible hand that can pull a trigger, urging the people to resort to self-help and these include Senator Ned Nwoko who has called for the introduction of a bill that allows civilians to own and carry firearms, Mike Ejiofor, a security expert, who says a culture of resistance in the face of mindless attacks should be encouraged, and a group of Kaduna youths who have asked President Tinubu to allow them to carry arms to defend themselves and their communities. The National President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu has also recently expressed the view that Nigerians should be allowed to carry at least some arms to defend themselves and to restrain them from doing so would amount to a conspiracy against the people. However, the Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja objects to all these calls, saying it is a call for anarchy.

What the Army Chief failed to note is that what the people are actually reacting to is the failure of the institutions that he represents, the Nigerian security establishment and the utter failure of the Nigerian state. The state in Nigeria has failed the people so badly that lives have become cheap and worthless, our common humanity has been eroded. In virtually every part of the country, people do not feel safe, farmers in the Middle Belt, the North West and the North Central cannot go to their farms. It is risky to travel by road or trains as the routes have been taken over by bandits and kidnappers. Worse still, the same security agencies that are maintained at tax-payers expense to protect the people are for the most part agents of violence inflicting pain on the people, as has been seen in sundry cases of police brutality, abuse of uniform, accidental killings, and the professional omissions of the men in uniform. Having lost faith in the capacity of the state to protect them, if not in the state itself, many Nigerians are compelled to resort to self-help. It has been argued that in fact certain forms of violence such as terrorism, ethnic conflict and sectarian violence are actually acts of rebellion against Nigeria itself  its organisation and dis-organisation, beyond the felt criminal implications. This is why the long-term solution must begin with making the Nigerian state functional for the citizens benefit. Putting a gun in every hand may not be the solution. In a country where there is so much ingrained bitterness, and religious/ethnic divisions, as well as frustrations about the common patrimony and matters of justice, fairness and equity, the liberalisation of gun use would be an invitation indeed to chaos and nihilism.

Ownership of guns in Nigeria today is controlled by the Firearms Control Act (2004), the principal provisions of which state that (1) no person shall have in his possession or under his control, any firearm or ammunition except such persons is licensed by the President or the Inspector General of Police (2) no such license should be granted to persons under the age of 17, persons who are of unsound mind, persons with eyesight problems, and persons that have anger control issues, and only the Inspector General of Police can grant a license to make and repair arms; (3) personal firearms including shotguns and automatic/semi-automatic guns are prohibited; (4) anyone who violates the law is liable to a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. Those who ask for the right to own guns are quick to draw attention to Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution and how the government seems to have failed the people; Section 33(1) which protects the citizens right to life, and Section 33 (2)(a) which gives a private citizen the right to use reasonable force to defend himself/herself as well as property from unlawful violence. The pro-gun lobby go a step further to point to the limiting effects of the aforementioned provisions of the Firearms Control Act. Except this Act is amended, and I do not see why it should be amended, Nigerians including those who want guns are duty bound to obey it.

Whereas Constitutional provisions constitute the basic law, part of the insecurity challenge in Nigeria is the failure to implement and enforce the Firearms Act. There are firearms and ammunition of different brands and capacity in millions of unlicensed hands. The Nigerian government is not sure of the number of guns already in circulation in Nigeria. Our borders are porous, and there are all kinds of local gun manufacturers in hidden places manufacturing and repairing arms without any license. In many parts of the country, live ammunition is sold in underground markets and Nigerian security agencies have no quality intelligence as to how that ecosystem works. The law says persons with unsound mind or poor eyesight should not hold weapons. For the benefit of whoever cares to listen, Nigeria is a theatre of mass psychosis. How else can we explain the phenomenon of trigger-happy security agents, who threaten as they wish to waste peoples lives with the assurance that nothing will happen? In a country where there is cultism even in primary schools, it would be mere wishful thinking to assume that persons younger than 17 do not already have access to guns. The menace of drug abuse has turned Nigeria into a bomb waiting to explode. Hunger angers the people. Mass unemployment has thrown many into depression with maniacal tendencies. Are these the people we want to give the freedom to bear arms and ammunition in the name of self-defence? In a country that in fact believes in witchcraft, the resultant anarchy could eventually lead to civil insurrection. We must not adopt a measure that can consume the nation.

The view has been expressed that Nigeria should be like the United States where the right to bear firearms is constitutionally guaranteed under the Second Amendment. Let such persons be reminded that one of the major threats, in the same United States, is the right to bear arms  a threat to lives, hopes, the economy, politics, a harvest of deaths and violence that has become an American epidemic. Gun-related deaths in the US have risen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, with an average of about 100 deaths being reported daily on average. Mass shootings are common, in 2022 alone about 46 school shootings were reported. In Richmond, Virginia, in the last three years, almost 30 students have died in gun-related violence.

Even the National Rifle Association (NRA), the umbrella body for gun-lobbyists and self-styled defenders of the Second Amendment, has been exposed as a group of hypocrites. Their long-term CEO/Vice President, Wayne LaPierre has just announced his resignation with effect from 31 January, under very controversial circumstances bordering on corruption. It is a mortal sin to engorge at the expense of other peoples lives. It is specious to argue that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. Nigerians are good copycats, but we must be careful what we copy from other societies in the throes of their own peculiar kind of mass psychosis. Nigeria must not borrow other peoples madness as a solution to its internal problems.

The thing to do is to re-tool and refurbish our security agencies. The Nigeria Police is too weak as it is to enforce any laws in any meaningful and sustainable manner. The Police are primarily responsible for the protection of lives and property. They seem to have submitted that responsibility to the military even under a civilian dispensation. It is scandalous that they are often absent during moments of major security breaches. Many of the affected communities prefer to direct distress calls to the military, pretending not to know that Nigeria has a Police Force. The National Council of State should meet more often to encourage inter-agency collaboration, complementarity and the sharing of intelligence. It is argued that everyone should carry arms and ammunition because cattle herders do so for both personal security and economic reasons  the cattle herder may need to protect himself, but only as long as his firearm is licensed. Cattle rearing is still an issue because of climate change and desertification in the North, but this is a security problem that can be stopped through an effective cattle ranching system.

In Kwara State at a time, the Shonga Farms, led by white Zimbabwe farmers managed cattle ranches that fed people and serviced hotels and dairy farms, before that, some states in parts of the country had ranches  the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state for example. In 2024, Nigerians should not be fighting over animal grazing. Ethiopia has millions of cattle: how to feed the stock is not an issue. Cattle rearing does not have to be ethnically determined. Nothing stops state governments in parts of Nigeria from engaging in livestock farming to reduce the North-South seasonal migrations. The Joint Task Force in the North East also bears arms: but are they licensed to do so as part of a formal response to the crisis in that area? That is the question. And let those who ask for guns for all note that the Firearms Act actually favours only the rich. A firearm does not come cheap. The poor cannot afford to build an artillery. The rich are busy doing so, and the more arms and ammunition that they buy and give to their political thugs and other agents, the more they endanger this country. When the rule of law and political will begin to prevail and good men control the system, Nigeria will begin to turn the corner with its security challenges.

Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos.

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the Federal Government, on its part, needs no reminder about the level of havoc insecurity has already wreaked on citizens and their property. No part of the country appears to be safe anymore. Nigeria entirely, and not Plateau alone, is bleeding. But the haemorrhage will persist if no concrete actions are taken. That is just the gospel truth.

It is known as the Home of Peace and Tourism. Some, however, call it Home for All. This is because people of diverse nationalities and religions are resident in the state, which is blessed with various tourism sites and a spectacular scenery.

Strategically located at the heart of the nation, it serves as a gateway to other parts of the country for the people of the Northeast region. With one of the most favourable weather conditions in the country, the state is blessed with a lot of tourist attractions and mineral resources that have remained untapped, even as a vast variety of crops and fruits are grown on its fertile soil.

The first time I visited the state, and particularly its capital city, was in October 2022. That was also the last time I was in the beautiful city. What took me there was a week-long media fellowship on Corruption, Gender Sensitive Oversight and the Shrinking Civic Space in Nigerias Defence Sector.

Organised by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Transparency International (TI), and with support from The Netherlands, the fellowship was coordinated by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) at the Modibbo Adama University, in Yola, Adamawa State.

The journey was quite memorable, and its memories still linger. A co-passenger, with whom I traveled, regaled me about the towns clement weather and its hospitable natives. I recall she even told me that people who engage in commercial farming of some food crops like Irish potatoes in the state are making a fortune from this.

There are several people I know who are into the business of buying foodstuff here at affordable prices. They will then transport them to other parts of the country to sell at reasonable amounts, and they are making it, said the passenger, a young mother who was journeying with her two little children.

But Plateau, in the North-Central part of the country, is now a human slaughter slab. On the eve of the recent Christmas festivities, about 145 persons met their untimely deaths after bandits attacked 23 villages in the state.

The assailants reportedly killed 113 persons in 20 villages in Bokkos Local Government Area and 32 in three villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area. The attacks were also said to have left hundreds of people injured and property destroyed. Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of the state described the attacks as barbaric, brutal and uncalled for.

The governor, who expressed deep concern over the incident, urged communities across the state to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security forces for immediate action. Mutfwang assured that proactive measures would be taken to curb attacks on innocent citizens, going forward.

An earlier dark chapter in the security crisis in Plateau happened about 12 years ago. That was when Senator Gyang Dantong and the then Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr Gyang Fulani, were killed while attending the mass burial of about 50 victims of an earlier attack on villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local governments.

Prior to this latest massacre, Plateau communities that have escaped the horrors of the marauding gunmen could be counted on ones finger tip. Gunmen attacks across the North-Central state have surged in the last six months.

Between January and June 2023, a total of 201 people were reported killed in 27 attacks in seven local government areas of the state, including Riyom, Bokkos, Jos South, Jos East, Barkin Ladi, Bassa and Mangu, according to a tally by Daily Trust.

Attacks on communities in the state have been ongoing since an ethno-religious crisis broke out in Jos, in 2001. Since then, violence has spread to communities in the state, and there have been clashes between farmers and herdsmen, with devastating consequences.

Over 7,000 lives were lost to violence in Plateau between 2001 and 2015, according to the states Peace Building Agency. Again, estimates by Nigeria Security Tracker revealed that in 2018 alone, a total of 2,037 conflict-related deaths were recorded in the North-Central region, including Plateau State.

An earlier dark chapter in the security crisis in Plateau happened about 12 years ago. That was when Senator Gyang Dantong and the then Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr Gyang Fulani, were killed while attending the mass burial of about 50 victims of an earlier attack on villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local governments.

The gunmen reportedly stormed the venue and opened fire on those present, causing more deaths. The then member representing Barkin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Simon Mwadkon was lucky, as he escaped with injuries. He was thereafter resuscitated at the Barkin-Ladi General Hospital, where he was rushed to, after he fainted.

Dantong, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator then, represented Plateau North Senatorial District in the Seventh Senate. He was, until his death, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health. As it has become its tradition, the Federal Government, in the wake of the recent bloodbath in Plateau, condemned the ugly incident, vowing to give the victims justice.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at a meeting with members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in his Lagos residence during the recent Christmas holiday, issued a stern directive to the security agencies to halt the carnage. He urged them to go after the perpetrators.

On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, in a TV programme on New Year day, confirmed that the Nigerian military had arrested some persons behind the Christmas Eve massacre in Plateau. He said the military was also working with state governments to reclaim all communities presently captured by terrorists across the country.

In this age of technological advances, globalisation and mobility, social media traction and regionalism, circulating information about any activity, place, or thing is not supposed to be hard, unlike decades back. Information is circulated within the shortest time possible with little or no secrecy.

The reassurance of the Defence Chief notwithstanding, the military, together with other security agencies, must up their game. Dealing with bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements will remain a tall order insofar as their intelligence gathering remains archaic, inefficient and without any sophistication.

On Tuesday, 2 January, I came across an article by a Nigerian citizen presumably working in the University of Iowa, United States, and by the name Kefas Lamak. The thought provoking opinion essay was titled, When will we get back to the Plateau of the past?

I found it instructive, to say the least. An excerpt of Lamaks piece, which I think our security agencies should ponder upon, reads: One of the prime concerns Plateau people at home and in the diaspora share about the Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Christmas Eve attacks relates to the response of the security agencies in these two local governments and the state.

In this age of technological advances, globalisation and mobility, social media traction and regionalism, circulating information about any activity, place, or thing is not supposed to be hard, unlike decades back. Information is circulated within the shortest time possible with little or no secrecy.

The exchange of information through social media is as liquid as water and can be as fast as the same. Therefore, since Nigerian security agencies belong to these modern trends, they should not claim ignorance about attacks like this.

On the same concern, President Tinubu, I am calling upon you to act, step up, and ensure all the interventions are taken in Barkin Ladi and Bokkos, respectively. Relief materials and verbal condemnation of these attacks are never enough.

Verbal condemnation by the government via press releases has resulted in more communities being attacked. We want you to act and bring the perpetrators of those malevolent, malicious acts of criminality and their sponsors to book.

Mr. President, sir, you must act now. Allow no one to spoil your tenure as the president of Nigeria. Two things your administration must continue to prioritize for the common person are security and a better economy. If the country is secure, our economy will undoubtedly improve.

In support of Lamaks plea, the Federal Government, on its part, needs no reminder about the level of havoc insecurity has already wreaked on citizens and their property. No part of the country appears to be safe anymore. Nigeria entirely, and not Plateau alone, is bleeding. But the haemorrhage will persist if no concrete actions are taken. That is just the gospel truth.

Abdulsalam Mahmud writes from Abuja and can be reached through babasalam1989@gmail.com.

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While stakeholders look forward to the 27 February launch, it is obvious that the CBN under the stewardship of Mr Cardoso will not toe the traditional path. He would go digital as quickly as possible because he knows the gains therein. But Mr Cardoso would not go digital and ignore the need to protect our financial system from internet scam, money laundering and terrorism financing.

The fact that change is the only constant thing in life is a time-tested fact, which has passed through generation and no one has been able to dispute it.

Almost all individuals, nations and organisations have come to the realisation that nothing is static; and that nothing is cast in stone. No law, principle, tradition or convention is meant to last forever, as they may be tampered with when there is need to alter them, so that humans can live and interact better. After all, laws are made for the convenience of humans and for the orderliness and growth of society. This is why even in very serious countries, constitutions are amended periodically to reflect a change in the dynamics of how society is governed.

Since it was ratified in 1789, the oldest national body of laws in the world, the Constitution of the United States of America, has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, took place in 1791 and the most recent one happened in 1992.

Every other country, local and international organisation or entity on earth has gone through similar evolutions or transitions in its laws, policies, principles or even mandates. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is definitely not an exception.

Established by the CBN Act of 1958, the apex monetary authority commenced operations on the 1st of July 1959. The major regulatory objectives of the bank, as stated in the CBN Act, are to: maintain the external reserves of the country, promote monetary stability and a sound financial environment, and act as a banker of last resort and financial adviser to the Federal Government.

As the apex promoter of monetary stability and a sound financial environment, the CBN has, over the years, warned Nigerians against dabbling into investments that are likely to make their monies disappear without trace. Nigerians are no doubt a resilient and an extremely optimistic people. Despite the huge amount of money lost many years ago to a series of commercial bank collapses  a problem that the apex bank has now found a permanent solution to  Nigerians still trooped out enmasse years later to invest in all manners of fraudulent schemes like MMM to gain quick profits. Despite the repeated warnings of the CBN, Nigerians kept on building non-existent wealth on quicksand until it eventually crashed.

Over the years, the policy of the CBN on any kind of investment without a credible source or history and no proper regulatory framework is to warn Nigerians not to touch it with the longest pole. And that has been the issue with the cryptocurrency (which is gradually becoming a credible source of investment which Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora are cashing out from legitimately) or any other digital currency for that matter.

The apex bank, however, began to gradually embrace change when in 2021 it introduced the eNaira and launched it with pomp and pageantry. The eNaira is another digital currency, a store of value, which is equivalent to the physical cash. It was introduced as part of the need to promote a cashless system, even though internet banking, ATM machines and USSD codes were not doing badly. The CBN however made it abundantly clear that the eNaira is its product and it cant be said to be unregulated or compared to cryptocurrencies.

Despite the acceptance gained by cryptocurrencies worldwide, the CBN has over the years refused to put an official stamp on it in Nigeria due to its unregulated nature, vulnerability to abuse and the likelihood of causing major financial losses to individuals and families. The CBN also didnt allow Nigerian banks to deal in cryptocurrencies or open accounts for their dealers.

The CBN issued a circular in February 2021, imposing restrictions on banks and other financial institutions from managing accounts belonging to cryptocurrency service providers.

This action, according to the apex bank, was taken in light of the risks and vulnerabilities associated with money laundering and terrorism financing (ML/TF) prevalent in the operations of such providers, compounded by the lack of regulatory frameworks and consumer protection measures.

A Necessary Change

Since change is permanent and the apex bank is now convinced of the value cryptocurrencies can add to the countrys economy if adequately regulated, the CBN under Mr Olayemi Cardoso, a fortnight ago, released guidelines that will allow virtual assets service providers (VASPs), which include cryptocurrencies and crypto assets organisations, to now open accounts with Nigerian banks.

The regulation titled, GUIDELINES ON OPERATIONS OF BANK ACCOUNTS FOR VIRTUAL ASSETS SERVICE PROVIDERS (VASPs) were issued to all banks and other financial institutions via a circular dated Friday, 22 December, 2023. The guidelines stipulate conditions for opening an account by virtual assets providers.

The CBN, however, emphasised that banks and other financial institutions are still prohibited from holding, trading, and/or transacting in virtual currencies.

According to the CBN circular, a virtual asset means a digital representation of value that can be transferred, digitally traded, and can be used for payment or investment purposes. It shall not include digital representations of fiat currencies, securities and other financial assets that are already covered elsewhere in the FATE recommendations.

This suggests cryptocurrencies such as the Bitcoin, which are not digital representations of fiat currencies or traditional financial assets, fall under a different category.

The new guidelines signal a move towards regulating cryptocurrency service providers. This means that these businesses will need to follow specific rules set by the Nigerian authorities, which could include measures to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing By recognising VASPs as part of the financial system, the government is providing more legitimacy to cryptocurrency businesses.

They are not covered by the traditional financial regulations that apply to fiat currencies and securities.

The apex bank said the issuance of the guidelines was prompted by the current global trends pointing to the need to regulate the activities of VASPs.

The Guidelines

Under the guidelines, the CBN said the banks and OFIs are permitted to undertake the following activities in their operations of accounts for VASPs:

 Opening of designated accounts;

 Provide designated settlement accounts and settlement services;

 Act as channels for FX flows and trade; and

 Any other activity that may be permitted by the CBN from time to time.

From the commencement of these Regulations, Fl shall not open or permit the operation of any account by any person or entity to conduct the business of virtual/digital assets unless that account is designated for that purpose and opened in line with the requirement of these Guidelines, the apex bank stated.

As part of the conditions to open an account for a VASP, the Guidelines stipulate that a designated account can only be opened with the approval of senior management of the financial institution and necessary documents on certification and registration.

The implication of the most recent Guidelines is that it takes precedence over the circular of February 2021.

The new guidelines signal a move towards regulating cryptocurrency service providers. This means that these businesses will need to follow specific rules set by the Nigerian authorities, which could include measures to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.

By recognising VASPs as part of the financial system, the government is providing more legitimacy to cryptocurrency businesses.

This formal recognition could pave the way for more structured and legally acknowledged operations.

The broader context of the regulation indicates that while there is a regulatory framework being developed for cryptocurrencies, which includes bitcoin and other similar digital assets, it aims to establish clear rules for their operations to prevent misuse for money laundering and financing terrorism.

This does not necessarily mean that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are disallowed; rather, it means they are subject to regulation to ensure they are used in a compliant and legally acceptable manner.

The circular suggests that cryptocurrency service providers are to be regulated, which means that while they can operate, they must follow strict rules and guidelines set by the Nigerian authorities.

Banks and financial institutions are still prohibited from holding, trading, or transacting in cryptocurrencies directly, but the guidelines provide a way for these institutions to engage with cryptocurrency service providers under certain regulatory conditions.

The CBNs guidelines take a cue from the 2019 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an independent inter-governmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against threats such as money laundering and terrorist financing,

At the end of its Plenary Week in Orlando, Florida on 22 June, 2019, the FATF announced that it had adopted and issued an Interpretive Note to Recommendation 15 on New Technologies, which clarifies the amendments to the international standards relating to crypto assets and describes how countries must comply with relevant recommendations.

The cNGN, which will be launched on 27 February is powered by the Africa Stablecoin Consortium (ASC), a consortium of Nigerian financial institutions, fintechs, and blockchain experts Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies specifically designed to maintain a constant value. They are often pegged or tied to another currency, commodity or financial instrument.

The body advised countries to assess and mitigate the risks associated with virtual asset activities and service providers and implement sanctions and other enforcement measures when service providers fail to comply with their AML/CFT obligations.

They are also required to license or register service providers and subject them to supervision or monitoring by competent national authorities, and will not be permitted to rely on a self-regulatory body for supervision or monitoring.

Naira Stablecoin: Another Revolution

The CBN also recently approved the launch of the Nigerian naira (cNGN) stablecoin.

The cNGN, which will be launched on 27 February is powered by the Africa Stablecoin Consortium (ASC), a consortium of Nigerian financial institutions, fintechs, and blockchain experts.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies specifically designed to maintain a constant value. They are often pegged or tied to another currency, commodity or financial instrument.

The ASC said the cNGN stablecoin has met the regulatory standards and requirements as established by the CBN, the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

The ASC said it is committed to enhancing secure and compliant financial interactions, revolutionising the way people transact and engage with their money securely and seamlessly.

This ushers in a new era of financial fluidity, bridging the Nigerian Naira with the global market through blockchain technology, the statement read.

Backed 1:1 by Naira reserves held in designated commercial banks, the cNGN Stablecoin transforms the Naira into a dynamic tool for worldwide remittances, commerce, trade, and investment.

More than just a currency, cNGN shortens settlement times, enabling payments that traverse the globe swiftly, mirroring the speed of a text message and at a fraction of the cost.

This breakthrough paves the way for instantaneous financial transactions, seamlessly connecting Nigerias vibrant economy with international markets and offering unprecedented efficiency in both domestic and global financial interactions, the statement added.

According to the ASC, people can pay for anything, anywhere, and at any time. With a seamless tap, users can shop the world and pay in naira without the traditional challenges of currency conversion and hefty international transaction fees.

The consortium also said supporting your loved ones back home becomes as simple as a quick tap on your phone with the new innovation.

No more standing in lines. With cNGN, funds land directly in their wallets within seconds, ready to fuel their dreams and brighten their days. No more distance, no more delays, just the magic of compliant virtual assets bridging the gap between hearts, the ASC added.

While stakeholders look forward to the 27 February launch, it is obvious that the CBN under the stewardship of Mr Cardoso will not toe the traditional path. He would go digital as quickly as possible because he knows the gains therein. But Mr Cardoso would not go digital and ignore the need to protect our financial system from internet scam, money laundering and terrorism financing.

Abdulrahman Abdulraheem is the author of eNaira Revolution: A Peep into Nigerias Cashless Future.

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The Non-academic Staff Union (NASU) of the Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, has declared an indefinite strike to press home their demands for improved funding of the institution.

The chairperson of the union in the university, Mefiok Umanah, disclosed the groups decision in a statement he sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

The industrial action is to start on Thursday, Mr Umanah said.

According to the statement, the decision was taken at the meeting of affiliate groups of the union, including the Joint Action Committee, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University and the National Association of Academic Technologies on Tuesday at the Obio Akpa campus of the university.

Congress resolved that the industrial action shall be total and comprehensive, the statement said.

This newspaper last month reported that the union had given Akwa Ibom State Government 14 days ultimatum to meet their demands or face industrial action.

Contending issues

Mr Umanah had told PREMIUM TIMES that they have written at least three letters stating their grievances to the State Governor, Umo Eno, but that they have not gotten any response.

The issues, according to Mr Umanah, are poor funding of the institution, non-payment of salary arrears, leave grants and 13th month salary to workers in the university.

Others include lack of hostels and non-constitution of the Governing Council for the university, implementation of hazard allowance at approved rate and release of capital allocation for the institution.

According to Mr Umanah, workers in the institution are currently receiving N2,000 as hazard allowance against the agreed rate of N15,000 for junior staff and N30,000 for senior staff.

Mr Umanah said the university only powers its generator for two hours a day, precisely from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. One is left to ask what sort of research is done in the institution, he said.

The State Commissioner for Education, Idongesit Etiebet, did not respond to a request for comment on the strike when contacted.

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In a surprising turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a political setback in Shrikaranpur, Rajasthan, as its candidate, Sureshpal Singh Titi, lost to Congress contender Gajendra Kunner. The defeat, seen as a significant blow to the ruling party, comes shortly after Titi was appointed as a minister in the Bhajan Lal Sharma government.

Gajendra Kunner, the son of late Congress MLA Gurmeet Singh Kunner, secured victory with a margin of 11,283 votes. This unexpected outcome has shifted the political landscape in the northern regions of Rajasthan, where BJP traditionally maintained a stronghold. The Shrikaranpur constituency, located near the Punjab border, witnessed a keenly contested battle in the recent assembly elections.

Titi, who was appointed as a minister just ten days before the election, resigned from his ministerial post after facing defeat. This unique situation marked a historic moment where a minister resigned before even assuming office. Despite being given key responsibilities in the Agriculture, Irrigation, and Command Area Development Ministry, Titi could not sway the voters in his favor.

The BJP's defeat in Shrikaranpur, where it won 115 seats in the assembly elections just a month ago, has raised concerns within the party, signaling potential challenges in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Congress' victory in this constituency has rejuvenated its political presence in the weak political areas of northern Rajasthan.

The election in Shrikaranpur took an unexpected turn when Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Kunner, the father of Gajendra Kunner, passed away due to illness before the polling date. The Congress, playing the sympathy card, nominated Gajendra Kunner, who secured the seat, further strengthening Congress' position in the state assembly.

BJP's attempt to turn the tide by appointing Titi as a minister and projecting him as a prominent face failed to resonate with the voters. The Congress capitalized on the emotional connect established with the Kunner family, ultimately leading to a remarkable victory.

Political analysts attribute BJP's loss to the prevailing anti-incumbency sentiment, coupled with dissatisfaction among voters. The defeat in Shrikaranpur has underscored the need for the BJP to reassess its strategy and address internal dissent ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections.

As the BJP grapples with this setback, the political landscape in Rajasthan becomes increasingly unpredictable. The defeat in Shrikaranpur serves as a wake-up call for the party, necessitating a reevaluation of its approach in the upcoming electoral battles.

Source :
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Udaipur - A review meeting of the "Developed India Resolve" campaign was conducted on Monday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sudhanshu Pant via video conference. During the meeting, the progress of the campaign, focusing on the review of camps held in various regions and departments, was discussed, ensuring necessary directives were given.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that the "Developed India Resolve" campaign is a priority program for the government. Regional commissioners and collectors should personally visit the field. He instructed officials to scrutinize every activity of the camps, address practical issues promptly, and connect more eligible individuals to the schemes in line with the government's objectives. He also praised districts that have demonstrated excellence in the campaign, suggesting that they be honored at the state level.

In a subsequent meeting held by the district collector after the VC, Collector Arvind Poswal appreciated all officials for the progress of Udaipur district under the "Developed India Resolve" campaign. He encouraged them to maintain the momentum, work with full dedication, and ensure that the benefits of schemes reach the maximum number of eligible individuals. The collector also discussed upcoming recruitment exams, directing officials to rigorously prepare for and monitor the examination process.

The meeting included the presence of Regional Commissioner Rajendra Bhatt, District Nodal Officer Kirti Rathore, Municipal Commissioner Vasudev Malavat, and other officials from various departments.

Source :
A2 ice cream scoops up growth fueled by health-conscious consumers seeking lactose-friendly options & indulging in innovative flavors. Online access & eco-friendly solutions sweeten the future. Explore market insights & stakeholder opportunities in our full report.

NEWARK, Del., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights (FMI) thorough analysis of the global market for A2 ice cream shows that it is set to reach a valuation of US$ 180.0 million in 2024. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2%, attaining a valuation of US$ 360.0 million by 2034.

Request Exclusive Sample Report: A2 Ice Cream Industry Strategic Insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18788

Demand for A2 Ice Cream Market

Factors, including rising demand for healthier ice cream, are set to influence the A2 ice cream market. As more individuals become conscious of lactose intolerance, a common condition where they have difficulty digesting lactose, they seek alternatives. Consequently, A2 ice cream is considered a suitable option for individuals with lactose intolerance, thereby driving demand.

Consumers are seeking unique and indulgent flavor experiences, and A2 ice cream manufacturers are responding by offering a wide range of innovative flavors and combinations. This includes exotic fruit flavors, gourmet ingredients, and collaborations with renowned chefs & brands.

Advancements in distribution and delivery play a vital role in shaping the A2 ice cream market, with online ordering and delivery services becoming integral. Consumers can now access a variety of A2 ice cream products more conveniently. Sustainability is another key focus as companies strive to adopt eco-friendly packaging solutions to reduce their environmental impact.

The A2 ice cream market is expected to rise through the forecast period due to increasing consumer demand for healthier and easier-to-digest dairy alternatives. The market is further driven by factors such as rising health consciousness, growing lactose intolerance, and product advancements in the industry.

"The market is growing as a result of increasing consumer demand for organic goods and rising awareness of animal welfare. The dairy market's continuous research & development efforts are expected to propel the A2 ice cream market's growth trajectory and present profitable prospects for industry participants in the forecast period," says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience.

Key Takeaways from the Report

The global A2 ice cream market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 360.0 million in 2034.

in 2034. The global market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period.

over the forecast period. The United States is projected to attain a market valuation of US$ 138.6 million by 2034.

is projected to attain a market valuation of by 2034. The chocolate flavor segment is estimated to hold a market share of 38.0% in 2024.

in 2024. Japan is estimated to rise at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period.

A2 Ice Cream Industry Report Coverage

Attribute Details Estimated Value (2024) US$ 180.0 million Projected Value (2034) US$ 360.0 million Anticipated Growth Rate (2024 to 2034) 7.2 % Forecast Period 2024 to 2034 Historical Data Available for 2019 to 2023 Market Analysis US$ million for Value, MT for Volume Key Countries Covered  United States  Canada  Brazil  Mexico  Germany  United Kingdom  France  Italy  Spain  Nordic  Russia  Poland  China  India  Thailand  Indonesia  Australia and New Zealand  Japan  GCC countries  North Africa  South Africa  and others. Key Segments Covered  By Flavor: o Vanilla o Fruit Flavor (Strawberry, Mango, Orange) o Chocolate o Maple o Latte  By Packaging: o Cups o Cones o Tubs o Others  By Distribution Channel: o Hypermarket/Supermarket o Convenience Stores o Departmental Stores o Wholesale Stores o Specialty Health and Wellness stores o Independent Retailers o Specialty Stores o Pharmacies and Drugstores o Online Retailers  By Region: o North America o Latin America o Europe o East Asia o South Asia o Middle East and Africa Report Coverage Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, Drivers Restraints Opportunity Trends Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives

Competitive Landscape

The a2 Milk Company, Braum's Inc., Alec's Ice Cream, GoDesi Milk, Re: THINK, and Miller's Bio Farm are the leading players operating in the market. Companies are improving the quality of their products to access a wider market by pursuing acquisitions and mergers. This is because pooling resources, experience, and clientele can open doors to fresh talent, manufacturing sites, distribution channels, and technology. Key players are introducing new products in the market to remain competitive and adapt to the shifting needs of their clientele.

Leading Manufacturer of A2 Ice Cream:

The a2 Milk Company

Braum's Inc.

Alec's Ice Cream

GoDesi Milk

Re:THINK

Miller's Bio Farm

UNITED FARMERS CREAMERY

APPLEBY FARMS ICE CREAM

FARMS ICE CREAM MOO-ville Creamery

THAYUMANAVAR A2 DAIRY FARMS PVT LTD

Amos Miller Organic Farm

Highland Farms

PEI ORGANIC FOODS LLP

Purchase this report now to get key companies with their Revenue Forecast, Volume Forecast, Company Ranking, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Trends, and Pricing Analysis.

For instance,

In 2023, Alec's Ice Cream extended its distribution reach to more retailers, including Sprouts Farmers Markets and Natural Grocers, giving the company a place in the freezer aisle at more than 1,000 retailers.

Alec's Ice Cream extended its distribution reach to more retailers, including Sprouts Farmers Markets and Natural Grocers, giving the company a place in the freezer aisle at more than 1,000 retailers. In 2020, Re: THINK Ice Cream launched lactose-free ice cream with A2 dairy and collagen, catering to consumers who are averse to dairy but still want the traditional dairy ice cream experience.

Get More Valuable Insights

Future Market Insights (FMI) brings a comprehensive research report on forecasted revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2019 to 2034. The global A2 ice cream market is segmented in detail to cover every aspect of the market and present a complete market intelligence approach to the reader.

The study provides compelling insights into the A2 ice cream market segment based on flavor (vanilla, fruit flavor [strawberry, mango, orange], chocolate, maple, latte), packaging (cups, cones, tubs, and others), distribution channel (hypermarket/supermarket, convenience stores, departmental stores, wholesale stores, specialty health and wellness stores, independent retailers, specialty stores, pharmacies and drugstores and online retailers), and region

About the Food and Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) food & beverage team offers comprehensive market intelligence services, with a vast array of reports and data points analyzed across 50+ countries over a decade. The team provides consulting services and end-to-end research, offering expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations to clients worldwide. Contact them to explore how they can assist with your unique market intelligence needs.

About the Author:

Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives.

She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table.

Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results.

Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India.

Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor.

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Food and Beverages Domain:

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis helps businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.

Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

Contact Us

Nandini Singh Sawlani

Future Market Insights Inc.

Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,

Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

T: +1-845-579-5705

For Sales Enquiries: [email protected]

Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Future Market Insights
SHANGHAI, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 9, 2024 (Beijing Time), Abbisko Therapeutics (HKEX code: 02256) announced that its investigational innovative CSF-1R inhibitor pimicotinibABSK021 has been granted orphan drug designationODD by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of inoperable tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT).

Following the successful ODD granted by the EMA, the product will benefit from incentives, including protocol assistance, fee reductions, procedural advantages for market authorization, and market exclusivity and so on. In addition to the above-mentioned benefits within the European Union, member states may also offer specific stimuli for orphan drugs.

Previously, in June 2023, pimicotinib was granted the Priority MedicinesPRIME designation by the EMA, which aims to expedite the review process for promising medicines in areas of unmet medical needs.

In early December 2023, Abbisko entered into an agreement with Merck that granted it an exclusive license to commercialize pimicotinib for all indications in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Merck also obtained an exclusive option for global commercial rights of pimicotinib, subject to the terms and conditions as agreed between the parties. Pursuant to the terms of the license agreement, Abbisko will receive a one-time, non-refundable down payment of US$ 70 million. In the event that Merck exercises the global commercialization option, Merck will pay Abbisko an additional option exercising fee. The aggregate amounts of upfront payment, option exercising payment, and payment for development and commercialization milestones will total US$ 605.5 million. Abbisko will also receive double-digit percentage (%) royalties on annual net sales.

Pimicotinib is a novel, orally available, highly selective, and potent small molecule CSF-1R inhibitor, independently developed by Abbisko Therapeutics. It has been granted the Break Through DesignationBTD and PRIME designation by China NMPA, U.S. FDA, and EMA for the treatment of TGCT patients who are not amenable to surgery. The study is the first global Phase III clinical trial of TGCT conducted simultaneously in China, the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Upon 1-year follow-up in a Phase 1b trial for TGCT, pimicotinib demonstrated an ORR of 87.5% (28/32, including 3 CR) in the 50 mg QD cohortwhich was presented at the 2023 CTOS. Pimicotinib has completed a Phase I dose-escalation trial in the U.S. In December this year, it was granted Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of unresectable TGCT .

In addition to TGCT, Abbisko is actively exploring the potential of pimicotinib in treating other indications including many types of solid tumors in clinic, and it has obtained approval from China NMPA to conduct Phase II clinical studies in chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and advanced pancreatic cancer. Up until today, no highly selective CSF-1R inhibitors have been approved in China.

About Abbisko Therapeutics

Founded in April 2016, Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Abbisko Cayman Limited (Stock Code on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 2256. HK), is an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company founded in Shanghai, dedicated to discovering and developing innovative medicines to meet unmet medical needs in China and globally. The Company was established by a group of seasoned drug hunters with rich R&D and managerial expertise from top multinational pharmaceutical companies. Since its founding, Abbisko Therapeutics has built an extensive pipeline of 16 innovative small molecule programs focused on precision oncology and immuno-oncology, including eight clinical stage assets.

Please visit www.abbisko.com for more information.

SOURCE Abbisko
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelecom , a leading provider of next-generation fiber solutions announced they will deliver state-of-the-art 10Gbps connectivity to Berea College, empowering students, and staff with a secure and reliable network across the entire campus.

The alliance between Accelecom and Berea College aims to significantly enhance the digital infrastructure available to students and staff, ensuring they have access to high-speed internet from any location on the campus. Accelecom's cutting-edge technology provides a seamless, robust, and secure network, allowing users to engage in research, access online resources, and collaborate without limitations.

Brad Kilbey, CEO of Accelecom, expressed his enthusiasm saying, "We are thrilled to work with Berea College in providing a network solution that aligns with the institution's commitment to academic excellence. The 10Gbps connectivity we've implemented will facilitate a dynamic and efficient environment for learning and innovation."

Phillip Logsdon, CIO of Berea College, also shared his thoughts, "The relationship with Accelecom marks a significant step in our mission to offer our students and staff the best possible resources. This high-speed connectivity enables a modern, accessible, and secure network that will undoubtedly elevate the academic capabilities of our institution."

This strategic collaboration between Accelecom and Berea College underscores a mutual commitment to advance technological capabilities in educational settings, further empowering the academic community and fostering an environment conducive to learning, research, and collaboration.

About Berea College

Berea College, located in Berea, Kentucky is a distinguished educational institution known for its commitment to providing a high-quality education to students with limited financial resources. The college focuses on delivering excellence in academics, service, and learning opportunities.

About Accelecom

Accelecom is a leading provider of next-generation fiber solutions across the Southeastern United States, delivering high-speed network, internet, and voice solutions to Wholesale, Public Sector, and business customers across the Region. With its extensive fiber network and commitment to bridging the digital divide, Accelecom enables organizations to accelerate innovation, leverage emerging technologies & enhance digital transformation. For more information, visit the Accelecom website and follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn , Instagram, and X.

SOURCE Accelecom
AdCellerant makes quality digital marketing accessible to every business.

DENVER, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As the new year unfolds, AdCellerant, a leading force in digital marketing innovation, announced an upcoming webinar on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 12 p.m. MST, 2024: The Year of Working Smarter, Not Harder , set to revolutionize digital marketing strategies for success and growth in 2024.

Challenging the status quo

This webinar aims to inspire attendees to adopt a new mindset: doing more with more. Post this

In an era where doing more with less has been the norm, AdCellerant is challenging the status quo. This webinar aims to inspire attendees to adopt a new mindset: doing more with more. This means more support, access to solutions, technology, and time are the pillars of this transformative approach.

"We're thrilled to kick off the new year with a powerful discussion on leveraging digital marketing and advertising resources to propel success," said Elizabeth Bernberg, Sr. Director of Business Development. "This webinar will equip participants with actionable insights and laser-focused strategies that will carry them through the year."

What the webinar will cover

This webinar is essential for businesses looking to thrive in the digital landscape. From harnessing cutting-edge technologies to optimizing resources and strategies for sustainable growth, attendees can expect an immersive session tailored to set the tone for a successful year ahead. Key topics to be discussed include:

Strategies for leveraging increased support and access

Maximizing the potential of technological solutions

Optimizing time and resources for enhanced productivity

Cultivating a laser-focused approach for sustained success

Interested individuals are encouraged to secure their spot early; space is limited!

About AdCellerant

AdCellerant provides businesses access to high-quality digital marketing technology and solutions through partnerships with media companies and agencies. Focused on generating results and growth for businesses of all sizes, AdCellerant offers best-in-class technology and software, award-winning customer service, expert education, and exceptional operational support to ensure customer campaign performance.

Leveraging proprietary technology Ui.Marketing, AdCellerant effectively connects businesses with their ideal customer at the right time. With an easy-to-use and agile digital advertising tool, users can manage the entire buyer's journey from quick and accurate comprehensive proposal creation campaign launch to campaign performance. All within a single platform.

For more information or to book a demo, visit www.adcellerant.com.

Contact information: Meghan Brito | Senior Vice President, Marketing | [email protected]

SOURCE AdCellerant LLC
FORNEBU, Norway, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker Horizons ASA (OSE: AKH) announces the appointment of Kristoffer Dahlberg as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with effect from 1 February 2024. Dahlberg will replace Nanna Tollefsen, who is stepping down due to family health matters. Tollefsen will continue as an executive in the Company.

Dahlberg is currently the CFO of Aker Horizons Asset Development and has extensive experience throughout the Aker group, including as CFO of Aker Clean Hydrogen and VP Business Controlling at Aker BP. Prior to joining the Aker group, Dahlberg worked in management consulting and equity research. He holds an MSc in Finance from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).

For further information, please contact:

Marianne Stigset, Communications, Tel: +47 41 18 84 82, [email protected]

Stian Andreassen, Investor Relations, +47 41 64 31 07, [email protected]

About Aker Horizons

Aker Horizons develops green energy and green industry to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. The company is active in renewable energy, carbon capture and hydrogen and develops industrial-scale decarbonization projects. As part of the Aker group, Aker Horizons applies industrial, technological and capital markets expertise with a planet-positive purpose to drive decarbonization globally. Aker Horizons is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and headquartered in Fornebu, Norway. Across its portfolio, the company is present on five continents. www.akerhorizons.com
Sets Sights on Aggressive Expansion into the North American Market

HONG KONG, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlinks Group Limited ("Atlinks" or 'the Company"), along with its subsidiaries ('the Group"; stock code: 8043.HK), is pleased to announce that the Group has entered into the Sale and Purchase Agreements to acquire 100% issued share capital of 5Gen Care Limited and 5GenCare.com Limited ("5Gen Care"), and 100% issued share capital of Chillax Care Limited and Chillax Technology Limited ("Chillax") on 2 January 2024.

Mr. Tong Chi Hoi, CEO of Atlinks, said, "We are excited that the acquisitions align with the Group's strategic goal of innovative technology development. This transformative move enables us to evolve into an integrated software and smart video streaming devices development company focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Video Things (IoVT). By leveraging on research and development capabilities in key areas such as AI, IoVT, end-to-end solutions and software development of 5Gen Care, we can extend our products lines from the development and sale of telecommunication products and senior products to include video streaming on smart baby monitors for mobile devices in North American markets. These will become our long term new growth drivers."

The acquired company, 5Gen Care and 5GenCare.com Limited, were incorporated in Hong Kong during 2020 to 2022. They are software development companies offering fully integrated, stable and secure end-to-end solutions for IoVT. Their services enable electronic devices to go online and build mobile applications for remote control and management. The end-to-end solutions includes firmware, cloud connectivity software, and application software development services and it sells UDID (Unique Device Identification) to each of electronic device and provides corresponding services. 5Gen Care currently serves numerous customers, including multinational brand, with its solutions installed in hundreds of thousands of devices worldwide. It has recently initiated a user subscription model for paid features, which has shown initial success.

Chillax and its group companies, were founded in Hong Kong during 2021 to 2022, are principally engaged in selling baby monitor to mobile devices under the brand, "Chillax" in North America.

Upon completion of the acquisitions, 5Gen Care and Chillax, along with their respective group companies, will become indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company.

The Group believes the acquisitions will be transformative, and will set the stage for enhanced market presence, diversified products and services and accelerated innovation. The Group expects the strategic integrations will not only solidify its position in existing markets, but also open up new avenues for growth and customer engagement.

At a commercial level, the Group is set to grow through the acquisition of 5Gen Care and Chillax, both bringing valuable assets. 5Gen Care has developed reliable and secure IoVT software and has established a skilled research team in Hong Kong and Vietnam. Its software is widely used across many countries, and its new paid subscription service is already performing well. Chillax's baby monitors aligns perfectly with the Group's existing product roadmap and its robust online sales will help the Group's expansion into online business. Simultaneously, the Group will use its retail strength to boost Chillax's sales. With Chillax operating primarily in the USA and the Group mostly in Europe, this move represents a smart step toward growing the business in new markets.

From operation perspective, by leveraging Atlinks' production and logistics capabilities, the Group expects to achieve greater cost efficiency and operational effectiveness. This strategic integration is anticipated to reduce costs and enhance the overall efficiency for Chillax products, ultimately benefiting the bottom line.

For technology aspects, the merger of the R&D teams from both companies will accelerate innovation and adaptability. This synergistic collaboration aims at both developing cost-effective solutions and flexibility that meet the needs of both the baby and senior care markets. The combined expertise and resources are expected to lead to faster innovation cycles, better product offerings, and an enhanced ability to adapt to market changes.

Mr. Tong added, "Looking forward, the Group expects to utilise the Group's R&D capability and to apply AI and IoVT to other fields to further enrich our product lines, particularly in smart devices beyond telecommunications, senior and baby monitor markets. Our mission is to develop innovative and smart video streaming products characterized by advanced features, durability, reliability, safety and value-for-money. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for the public through widespread access and use."

About Atlinks Group Limited

The Group is principally engaged in designing, developing and selling home and office telecommunication products to retailers, telecommunication operators and distributors customers all around the world (except North America) under three brands, namely Alcatel, Swissvoice and Amplicomms. Atlinks was listed on the GEM Board of the HKEx on 19 January 2018 (stock code: 8043.HK).

SOURCE Atlinks Group Limited
JetBlue Vacations running a Bahamas vacation sweepstakes

in tandem with over 200 poster placements in the US' busiest rail hub

NASSAU, Bahamas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a record-breaking year in tourism, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) on 2 Jan. rolled out an expected month-long brand domination at New York Penn Station. The activation will see the placement of some 200 eye- catching giant size Bahamas posters at strategic locations throughout the busiest rail hub in the United States. The advertising campaign aims to heighten visibility of The Islands of The Bahamas brand during peak travel season and drive increased visitor traffic to the destination from the U.S. Northeast, the country's number one source market. The brand domination will run 2 - 29 Jan.

BMOTIA has partnered with JetBlue Vacations to run a sweepstake in tandem with The Bahamas activation at New York Penn Station. The sweepstakes will feature a 3-night air & and hotel package giveaway with roundtrip tickets for two. The Bahamas giveaway will be featured on some of the poster board placements throughout the station to make the activation more interactive. Additional marketing via various channels (email, social media, etc.) will be rolled out to promote the trip giveaway with JetBlue Vacations and bring about more awareness for the station domination.

Commenting on the Ministry's high visibility advertising campaign in the heart of New York City during the month of January, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, said: "Our tourism business is in robust growth mode. Having welcomed in 2023 an unprecedented 8 million plus visitors, our aim for 2024 is to continue the upward trajectory in visitor arrivals."

"Our dynamic New York Sales Team started the New Year with a bang, unveiling branding domination at America's busiest passenger transportation facility," said Deputy Prime Minister Cooper.

"The widespread placement of Bahamas posters at Penn Station in the dead of winter will keep our destination top of mind as the millions of commuters transit through the New York station during the month of January."

Latia Duncombe, Director General, BMOTIA, said, "In 2023, we witnessed a surge in demand for a Bahamas vacation experience. Our diverse offerings of 16 unique islands, coupled with the charm and warm hospitality of our people, continue to attract travellers from around the world to our destination."

"We are on a mission to intensify our messaging about the allure of our destination, to reach as many consumers as possible," said Director General Duncombe. "Our destination's first brand domination of Penn Station took place in January of 2023 and we are returning to Penn Station this January with a bigger, more vibrant activation that will capture the imagination of millions of commuters."

Penn Station, located just outside mid-Town Manhattan, is the United States' busiest railway hub, with over 600,000 commuters per day. The station serves commuters from New York City, Long Island and New Jersey, an area that comprises the hub of the U.S. Northeast. The Northeast is the highest producing area for visitor arrivals to The Bahamas, annually delivering over 360,000 visitors to the destination.

About The Bahamas:

The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

Media Contact:

Anita Johnson-Patty

Director, Global Communications

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
BURLEY, Idaho, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Improving soil health and growing strong plants through bio-nutrition is gaining broad acceptance, and new breakthroughs in scientific research indicate a bright future for more progressive growers. Redox Bio-Nutrients is a longstanding leader in the bio-nutrition field.

"The right way to go about plant nutrition and soil health is to deal with input and outcome," said Darin Moon, CEO of Redox Bio-Nutrients. "Today's scientific understandings will help growers radically increase nutrient efficiency and lower carbon emissions at the same time."

Biostimulant benefits include improved crop size and firmness, plus nitrogen efficiency while maintaining strong yield. Post this Redox Bio-Nutrients CEO Darin Moon provides comments during a meeting at company headquarters in Burley, Idaho, regarding new technology to help agriculture.

While hundreds of bio-nutrition companies have recently started, Redox celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The company provides carbon-based, highly efficient nutrition with biostimulant properties to agriculture and turf producers across the U.S. and internationally.

The growing body of scientific research, coupled with success stories from growers of a wide variety of crops, indicate this area is ripe for expansion among U.S. farmers. Quantifiable benefits from biostimulants include improved size and firmness for multiple crops, as well as dramatic nitrogen efficiency gains while maintaining strong crop yield.

Moon said the understanding of bio-nutrients at a cellular level makes him even more optimistic for successful and sustainable farming, resulting in bountiful, nutritious food for consumers. The key remaining step is a paradigm shift in agriculture, with more growers choosing efficient, effective bio-active inputs instead of high-volume more traditional fertilizer sources.

"It is not OK to know better and keep doing the same thing," Moon said. "It is OK to take a risk and to make a change when there's science behind it. We need to do the right thing, not the easy thing."

Redox Bio-Nutrients exists to create passion and excitement in growing healthier plants. We help growers succeed in four primary areas, soil health, root development, abiotic stress defense and nutrient efficiency. Find out more at redoxgrows.com.

SOURCE Redox Bio-Nutrients
Program Honors Companies Whose Total Rewards Reflect The Priorities of Today's Tech Professionals.

CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Built In, a leading technology recruitment platform, announces the winners of its sixth annual Best Places to Work awards program. The program recognizes companies that provide the most attractive total rewards packages for their employees, encompassing salaries, perks and benefits as well as culture programs.

Best Places to Work is a go-to resource for technology professionals who want to discover companies with benefits they value and cultures they believe in. For the winning companies, Best Places to Work provides broad exposure to otherwise hard-to-hire, hard-to-find tech professionals.

Built In's esteemed Best Places to Work program honors companies whose total rewards meet the needs of today's workforce. Post this

The Best Places to Work program honors companies of all sizes, from fast growing startups to the largest enterprise companies. It celebrates companies with employees both remote and in-office across the U.S. as well as those in the largest tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. The program also recognizes companies across numerous categories: 100 Best Places to Work, 50 Best Startup Places to Work, 100 Best Midsize Places to Work and 100 Best Large Places to Work.

"I'd like to extend our sincerest congratulations to the 2024 Best Places to Work winners," says Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO, Built In. "At Built In, we're dedicated to connecting our community of tech professionals with the companies offering the roles and the best rewards to help them grow their careers. Our proprietary data on salaries, perks and benefits of more than 55,000 companies provides tech professionals with the information they need to choose the company that's right for them. The Best Places to Work lists represent a unique opportunity for organizations to highlight their rewards excellence and connect with our community of hard to hire tech professionals."

An algorithm determines winners based on the offerings that employers showcase through their Built In Company Profiles. Each year, the weight of the perks and benefits change to reflect the rewards that are most important to tech professionals.

To learn more about the Best Places to Work, you can find all winning lists here.

ABOUT BUILT IN

Built In is creating the largest platform for technology professionals globally. Monthly, millions of the industry's most in-demand professionals visit the site from across the world. They rely on our platform to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers and find opportunities at companies whose values they share. Built In also serves 2,000 customers, innovative companies ranging from startups to those in the Fortune 500. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them hire otherwise hard-to-reach tech professionals. www.builtin.com

PRESS INQUIRIES

Haley Russo, Built In

[email protected]

SOURCE Built In
Credit Union Encourages College-Bound Students in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino & Orange Counties to Apply For $1,000 scholarships

GLENDALE, Calif., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- California Credit Union is encouraging college-bound students across Southern California to apply for its 2024 Student Scholarship Program. Through the program, the credit union provides $20,000 in scholarships annually to recognize local students who are motivated in their academic studies and active in their schools and communities.

"We encourage local students to get a head start on their education and apply for one of our annual scholarships," said California Credit Union President & CEO Steve O'Connell. "We know the cost of higher education can be a challenge for many families, and we are proud to help these students on their path to realize their educational goals. We look forward to continuing our long-standing tradition of student scholarships to support our next generation of leaders."

California Credit Union scholarships are available to college-bound high school seniors and community college students transferring to a four-year university who reside in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to be eligible to participate. Selection criteria include academic performance, school or community involvement, a letter of recommendation, and an essay submission.

Interested students can find more information and apply online at www.ccu.com/student-scholarship/. Online applications will be accepted through Friday, March 8, 2024. Recipients will be announced on Monday, April 8, 2024.

The California Credit Union Annual Student Scholarship program was created in 2005 to recognize outstanding students within local communities. Since the creation of the program, the credit union has awarded more than $395,000 in scholarships.

About California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 with assets over $4.5 billion, nearly 200,000 members and 24 retail branches. The credit union serves community members and businesses in the California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura as well as school employees throughout the state. The credit union operates in San Diego and Riverside Counties as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. The credit union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. California Credit Union is certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a Low Income Designation, offering inclusive products and services to build financial stability in our underserved communities, including a checking account certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards. Visit ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @CaliforniaCreditUnion.

SOURCE California Credit Union
NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market is expected to grow by USD 5.98 billion from 2023 to 2028. In addition, the momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 8.83% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. The market has been segmented by distribution channels (hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and online pharmacies), therapy (hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW)). North America is estimated to contribute 47% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Moreover, this region's market growth is driven by high-quality healthcare infrastructure.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Treatment Market 2024-2028

This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read a Free PDF Sample Report

Company Profile:

Active Biotech AB, Allarity Therapeutics Inc., Amgen Inc., Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., Bayer AG, BeiGene Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Everest Pharmaceuticals Ltd., F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Johnson and Johnson, Medias Klinikum GmbH and Co. KG, Merck KGaA, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Robotic Prostate Centre Cambridge, Sanofi SA, The Focal Therapy Clinic, and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

Allarity Therapeutics Inc. - The company offers Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer CRPC treatments such as LiPlaCis and Irofulven, in Phase II trials.

To gain access to more company profiles available with Technavio, buy the report!

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Treatment Market: Segmentation Analysis

The hospital pharmacies segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. A specific category of pharmacies operating within the premises of a healthcare facility is included in this hospital pharmacy segment.

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a Free PDF Sample Report

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Treatment Market: Market Dynamics

Key Driver

The increasing Early detection of prostate cancer is a key factor driving market growth. This growth has intensified the use of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), Chemotherapy (including Docetaxel and cabazitaxel), and novel medications like Abiraterone Acetate, Enzalutamide, Radium-223 Dichloride. Additionally, the emergence of immunotherapy, PARP Inhibitors such as Olaparib, and advancements in targeted therapies focusing on Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) are further catalyzing innovative treatment approaches for CRPC.

Leading Trend

The evolution of CRPC treatment options stands as a significant trend driving the growth of the Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Treatment Market. This evolution includes Clinical Trials, addressing Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer and Metastatic CRPC (mCRPC), with a focus on Novel Therapeutics developed by Biopharmaceutical Companies. FDA Approvals of these treatments, alongside an emphasis on Personalized Medicine to combat Treatment Resistance Mechanisms, are shaping the landscape. Additionally, attention to Health Economics and Reimbursement aligns with improving Patient's Quality of Life.

Significant Challenge

The prevalence of health complications linked to CRPC drugs emerges as a significant challenge impeding the Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) Treatment Market growth. Challenges persist regarding Biomarkers in CRPC and Genetic Testing, impacting the efficacy of treatments like Radiopharmaceuticals and Bone-targeted Therapy. Market Trends and Forecasts, influenced by Healthcare Policies and Regulations, affect the Drug Development Pipeline and Oncology Research and Development, complicating Global Market Analysis within the CRPC treatment landscape.

Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market. Download a sample to gain access to this information.

Related Reports

The fallopian tube cancer treatment market is estimated to generate a value of USD 998.75 million in 2018, anticipated to reach USD 2.14 billion by 2028.

The head and neck cancer treatment market size is estimated to grow by USD 5,077.38 million at a CAGR of 11.27% between 2022 and 2027.

What are the key data covered in this castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market between 2023 and 2028.

Precise estimation of the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market across North America, Europe, Asia, and ROW

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about companies

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treatment market companies.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

Market Segmentation by Therapy

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com

SOURCE Technavio
VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chartwell Law is pleased to announce the elevation of eleven attorneys to partner. The new partners practice in ten of the firm's offices and represent a variety of practice areas.

Following the firm's recent rebrand and growth throughout 2023, these elevations continue to emphasize Chartwell's keen focus on serving its clients through strategic expansion across the country along with a strong commitment to nurturing talent within its ranks.

"Congratulations to our new partners," said Tom Strohmetz, a Founding Partner and Chartwell's Chief Communications Officer. "Their dedication to both our clients and our firm reflects Chartwell prioritiesvaluing both our people and the outstanding legal services they provide."

Meet Chartwell's newest partners:

Lori L. Bethea (Tallahassee, FL) represents national insurers, large, self-insured employers, and local, regional, and national employers through all stages of workers' compensation litigation. She received her J.D. from Florida University College of Law and her B.S. from Florida State University.

Lindsay B. Cohen (Deerfield Beach, FL) defends general liability cases involving premises liability, personal injury, motor vehicle liability. She received her J.D. from Emory University School of Law and her B.S. from University of Florida.

Isis D. Davidson (New York, NY) defends workers' compensation claims on behalf of insurance carriers and large self-insured businesses. She received her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, her MBA from Fordham University, and her B.A. from Georgetown University.

Alexander M. Goerss (Miami, FL) represents national and international insurance companies in first-party property insurance defense matters and handles commercial litigation, real estate, trusts and estates, and tax litigation matters. He received his LL.M and J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.A. from New York University.

Angel M. Gomez (New York, NY) focuses his practice primarily on workers' compensation defense matters, representing insurance carriers, self-insureds, and businesses located in New York. He received his J.D. from Western New England University School of Law and his B.S. from University of Bridgeport.

Everett L. Hixon III (Chattanooga, TN) represents individuals, businesses, and insurance carriers in a variety of matters including commercial litigation, employment law, construction defect, general liability, insurance coverage analysis, and creditors' rights. He received his J.D. from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Tennessee.

Derek E. Lewis (Jacksonville, FL) focuses his practice on commercial litigation, consumer financial services litigation, mortgage servicing and lender litigation, professional liability, and property damages claims. He received his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law and his B.S. from Florida State University.

Graham Newsome (Atlanta, GA) practices labor and employment law, defending corporations and insurers in administrative charges and lawsuits. He received his J.D. from University of Georgia School of Law and his B.A. from University of Georgia.

Justin D. Siegwald (Miami, FL) is an insurance defense attorney focusing on first-party property claims and representing insurance carriers, third-party associations, and large self-insured businesses throughout Florida. He received his J.D. from Florida International University College of Law and his B.A. from University of Miami.

Caitlin M. Sullivan (Valley Forge, PA) focuses her practice on workers' compensation defense for insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators. She received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and her B.A. from Loyola University Maryland.

G. Weathers Virden Jr. (Ridgeland, MS) focuses his practice on transportation law and related matters, including accidents involving commercial motor vehicles, passenger vehicles, and other personal injury matters. He received his J.D. from University of Mississippi School of Law and his B.A. from Mississippi State University.

About Chartwell Law

Chartwell Law is a nationally ranked law firm with over 230 attorneys across nearly 30 offices coast-to-coast. We advise and defend multinational corporations, regional organizations, and independent businesses in matters ranging from workers' compensation and employment law to transportation, insurance coverage and more. Fostering a collaborative approach to legal services, we maintain a national presence while providing a boutique experience to our clients. https://www.chartwelllaw.com

Contact: Eric Kovac

Marketing Manager

D: 610.638.6434

[email protected]

SOURCE Chartwell Law
PORTLAND, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coastal Plains Community MHMR Center (d/b/a Coastal Plains Community Center and Coastal Plains Integrated Health) ("Coastal Plains" or "we"), a provider of mental health, developmental disabilities, substance use, and primary care services, confirmed today that it experienced a data incident in November 2023 and will issue notices to affected individuals and relevant state and federal agencies about the Incident.

On November 13, 2023, Coastal Plains discovered suspicious activity on our systems with indicators consistent with a ransomware attack (the "Incident"). Upon discovering the Incident, we immediately implemented measures to improve the security of our systems, including changing access controls to our network and implementing endpoint detection and response monitoring. We have been working diligently to continue our investigation, add further technical safeguards to our existing protections, and bring systems back online as quickly and securely as possible. We continue to work with leading privacy and security professionals to aid in our investigation and response, and we are reporting this Incident to relevant government agencies.

At this time, and due to the nature of the Incident, the investigation is still ongoing into what data pertaining to individuals was affected ("Information"). Currently, the investigation has found evidence that unauthorized actors accessed Coastal Plains systems for a brief amount of time in November 2023. While there is currently no indication that the unauthorized actor has misused any personal information for identity theft or fraud in connection with this Incident, we are providing this notice to all individuals who may be potentially affected by this situation.

While the investigation is ongoing, there is a possibility that the following types of Information may have been impacted: name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number, driver's license number or other government-issued identification number, passport number, financial account information, payment card number, username and credentials, clinical or treatment information, medical provider name, disability codes, medical procedure information, health insurance information, and/or prescription information. Note that this describes general categories of Information identified as present within the affected systems during the Incident and includes categories that are not relevant to each individual whose Information may have been present. Specific individuals and the extent of the Information involved is not yet known. Because this investigation is ongoing, this notice will be updated as more information becomes available.

As the investigation continues, we encourage individuals who may be potentially impacted to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud. We encourage a cautious review of account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity. Additional monitoring can be conducted by checking free credit reports for suspicious activity and errors. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one (1) free credit report annually from each of the three (3) major credit reporting bureaus. Additional information and resources are outlined below.

Equifax Experian TransUnion https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/ https://www.transunion.com/credit-help 1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-833-395-6938 Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Moreover, information regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, security freezes, and the steps an individual can take to protect personal information may be obtained by contacting the consumer reporting agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, or the appropriate state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Individuals can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by calling 1-877-438-4338. Individuals should file a police report if they are a victim of identity theft or fraud. To file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, an individual will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim.

If you have questions for Coastal Plains, you can contact our Privacy Officer, Amy Stratton at 361-777-3991 or by email at [email protected].

SOURCE Coastal Plains Community MHMR Center
NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The contract research organization (CRO) market size is expected to grow by USD 63.35 billion from 2023 to 2028. In addition, the momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 12.61% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. The market is segmented by Application (Clinical research, Early phase development, Laboratory, and Regulatory consulting), End-user (Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, Medical device companies, and Academic institutes), and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)). North America is estimated to contribute 40% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. With its modern healthcare infrastructure, the region is a favored destination for pharmaceutical companies to outsource late-stage research and development of medicinal products as it has an increasing number of patients. Moreover, the region's Biopharmaceutical Industry continues to thrive and is targeted at innovative medicines, generics, biologics, and emerging areas such as precision medicine and regenerative therapy. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read a FREE PDF Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market 2024-2028

Market dynamics

Key Driver - The rise in M&A activities among companies drives the Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market. This trend profoundly influences domains such as Clinical Trials, Drug Development, and Data Management. It extends to Preclinical Research, Pharmacovigilance, and Biopharmaceuticals, fostering Globalization and Intellectual Property exchange. Moreover, it emphasizes Technology Transfer, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, and strategic partnerships, fueling market growth through collaborative mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships within the pharmaceutical and research sectors.

Leading Trend - The primary trend in the Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market revolves around managing capacity utilization and constraints. This trend impacts various segments such as Innovative Therapies and Ethical Considerations, steering efforts toward Regulatory Compliance and refining Outsourcing Strategies. It prioritizes Pharmacovigilance, Medical Writing, and strategies for Market Expansion. Additionally, it influences sectors like Biosimilars, Health Economics, and the conduct of Toxicology Studies, highlighting the need to optimize capacity for sustained market development.

Challenge - The Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market faces a challenge due to a scarcity of skilled professionals, impacting various domains like Therapeutic Expertise and hindering efficient Patient Recruitment. This shortage affects Regulatory Affairs and impedes services such as Custom Synthesis and Clinical Data Analysis. Additionally, it strains Bioanalytical Services, hampers expansion into Emerging Markets, and affects Operational Excellence and proficient Project Management, impeding the market's growth trajectory.

Company Profile:

BioAgile Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd, Charles River Laboratories International Inc., Clinical Trial Service B.V., CTI Clinical Trial and Consulting Inc., Ergomed Plc, Eurofins Scientific SE, Geneticist Inc., Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting Co. Ltd., ICON plc, IQVIA Holdings Inc., Konecranes, Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, Linical Co. Ltd., Medpace Holdings Inc., Novotech Health Holdings, Parexel International Corp., Pharmaron Beijing Co. Ltd., Syneos Health Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., WuXi AppTec Co. Ltd.

Charles River Laboratories International Inc.: The company offers preclinical CRO services to provide a full range of in vivo and in vitro testing evaluations and regulatory support for the safety assessment of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and animal health products as well as chemicals, agrochemicals, and biocides.

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Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market: Segmentation Analysis

The clinical research segment will be significant during the forecast period. Research institutions are central to performing tests on clinical samples to monitor patient health in connection with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various neurological disorders. Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a PDF Sample Report

"Besides analyzing the current market scenario, our report examines historic data from 2018 to 2022"- Technavio

Related Reports:

The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) outsourcing market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.76% between 2022 and 2027.

The contract cleaning services market size is expected to grow by USD 164.45 billion from 2022 to 2027 at an accelerating CAGR of 6.92%.

What are the key data covered in this contract research organization (CRO) market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the contract research organization (CRO) market between 2023 and 2028.

Precise estimation of the contract research organization (CRO) market size and its contribution to the market in focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the contract research organization (CRO) market across North America, Europe, Asia, and ROW

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of contract research organization (CRO) market vendors.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Application

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market Segmentation by Geography

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, & Trends

Company Landscape

Company Analysis

Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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SOURCE Technavio
WHY:

Vasilopita is a traditional Greek New Year's Day cake that has a coin hidden inside. The cake is moist and aromatic and infused with orange and vanilla. It is tradition for each family to have its own Vasilopita, which means St. Basil's bread, and a piece is cut for each family member. If the coin is in your piece, it is believed that you will have good luck for the rest of the year.
DALLAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Crossplane Capital ("Crossplane"), a leading lower middle-market private equity firm, announced today three promotions and one new hire after a strong 2023 that included nine acquisitions and one exit. Since raising the firm's initial institutional capital in 2019, Crossplane has closed 9 platforms and 31 add-on acquisitions. The three promotions were Patrick Lynch and David Harris to Vice President and Will Huntsman to Associate while Teddy Koudelka joins the firm as an Associate.

Since joining Crossplane in August 2020, Patrick has been an integral member of the investment team, having been involved with closing two platform acquisitions and twenty-three add-on acquisitions across Empower Rental Group ("ERG") and Viking Fence. Patrick joined Crossplane after two years as an Analyst with Citizens M&A in Atlanta.

"Over the last three years, Patrick has worked side-by-side with me on all ERG acquisitions," said Partner Greg Balliro. "Not only is Patrick a unique talent with exceptional investment acumen, but he also has an innate ability to connect with sellers and their advisors to usher transactions to a closing."

David Harris joined Crossplane in January 2020 as Crossplane's second Associate hire. Over the last four years, he has been involved with closing three platform acquisitions, four add-on acquisitions and one exit, while also playing a dual role as a member of the Crossplane Operations Team where he manages value creation initiatives and drives accountability across the portfolio.

"David is Crossplane's two sport athlete as a member of both our Investment and Operations teams," said Managing Partner Brian Hegi. "Not only is David a seasoned investment professional, but his background as a member of Alvarez & Marsal's Performance Improvement practice has also made him a valuable member of the Crossplane Operations Team."

In July 2023, Will Huntsman was promoted to Associate after joining Crossplane in April 2022 as an Analyst following three years with Peterson Partners in Salt Lake City, and in August, Teddy Koudelka joined the firm as an Associate after two years as an Analyst with Jefferies in Charlotte.

About Crossplane Capital

Launched in 2018, Crossplane Capital is a Dallas-based private equity firm that makes control investments in niche manufacturing, value-added distribution, and industrial business services companies. The firm seeks to partner with lower-middle market companies to enhance financial performance and generate strategic value creation. For more information, please visit www.crossplanecapital.com.

SOURCE Crossplane Capital
Leading inference solution provides key capabilities to meet FAA certification requirements while improving performance and reducing costs

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Recogni Inc. today announced that its inference solution for autonomous mobility, Scorpio , has been chosen by Daedalean , a developer of certifiable AI-enabled avionics systems, as the visual perception processing engine for a new flight control unit. The unit meets the needs of complex visual awareness systems and, more importantly, Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) requirements.

Autonomous aviation is advancing rapidly and requires strict safety and accuracy regulations. But before fully autonomous aircraft are ubiquitous, aerial mobility will advance by assisting, reducing qualification needs, and eliminating workload on piloted and remote-controlled aircraft. To do this, flight control units must be capable of high-resolution detection, identification, and path planning without the need for liquid cooling. In addition, FAA certification requires systems that are quantifiably traceable on every action taken by the control unit. Daedalean's situational awareness suite requires a computing unit that is high-performance but low in weight and size, and therefore cannot be reliant on exhaustive and expensive cooling systems. Recogni's high-performance inference solution, Scorpio, is scalable enough to meet this need while also minimizing power consumption and cost.

"To exceed the performance of the human pilot in perception, decision making, and path planning, tomorrow's autonomous aircraft require cutting-edge, efficient AI perception processing, which is new to aviation," said Luuk van Dijk, CEO of Daedalean. "Scorpio is a solution that addresses the key problems we were looking to solve - such as eliminating costly and heavy cooling systems, as well as sustaining operation traceability for certification purposes. Scorpio answers to these challenges and has the potential to tackle future issues as well. Working with Recogni will enable us to offer to the industry a product substantially improved by the number of parameters, bringing a safety benefit to the cockpit of General Aviation from day one."

As autonomous mobility becomes more prevalent across multiple industries  automotive, aviation, marine, rail, trucking, and more  the need for fast, accurate visual data perception will continue to increase. Traditionally, this requires greater power consumption of autonomous systems. However, Recogni's ability to process multiple streams of ultra-high resolution and high frame rate cameras with minimal power consumption, in conjunction with its software development kit, allows Scorpio to be easily integrated into any autonomous platform.

"Daedalean choosing Scorpio for their flight control unit validates our technology and the benefit that Recogni brings to the autonomous mobility market as a whole, along with automotive," said Marc Bolitho, CEO of Recogni. "Our technology provides performance, efficiency, and cost benefits for customers. As autonomy continues to advance, more and higher resolution sensors will be needed, necessitating more computation. The market is seeking a solution that can scale with the industry, and our agreement with Daedalean validates our ability to be that solution."

About Recogni

Recogni provides exceptional vision-based perception processing to Autonomous Driving platforms addressing high compute, low latency, and low power consumption. The company was founded in 2017 with offices in San Jose California and Munich Germany. Lead investors are GreatPoint Ventures, Celesta Capital, Mayfield, DNS Capital, as well as notable automotive OEM and tier 1s including BMW iVentures, Toyota Ventures, Bosch, Continental, Forvia and FluxUnit-OSRAM Ventures. For more information, please visit www.recogni.com .

About Daedalean

Daedalean is building machine-learning-based avionics systems for the civil aircraft of today and the advanced air mobility of tomorrow. Founded in 2016, the company has offices in Switzerland, the EU, and the US. The team of 150+ people, including 15 PhDs and 19 pilots, possesses expertise in machine learning, aviation-grade software and computing hardware engineering, flight testing, safety assessment, and certification. The company has established partnerships with aviation regulators and published joint reports with EASA and the FAA, paving the way for the certification of machine-learning systems for safety-critical aviation applications. For more information, please visit www.daedalean.ai .

SOURCE Recogni Inc.
Banks was Most Recently the President and CEO of Tyson Foods and has been a Board Member of Indigo since July 2022

Company Closes Financing Round at Nearly $270 Million

Indigo Also Appoints Nader Bekhouche and Noubar Afeyan to Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flagship Pioneering, the bioplatform innovation company, and Indigo Ag, an innovative leader and trusted partner in sustainable agriculture, today announced that Dean Banks will join Flagship Pioneering as CEO-Partner and CEO of Indigo Ag, effective February 1, 2024. Banks will also continue as an Indigo board member, a role he has held since July 2022. Indigo also announced the appointments of Nader Bekhouche (Investment Corporation of Dubai) and Noubar Afeyan (Flagship Pioneering) to its Board of Directors. As a follow up to the company's initial financing announcement in September 2023, Indigo also announced the final close of its financing round at an expanded raise of nearly $270 million.

Banks is the former President and CEO of Tyson Foods and a former member of the leadership team at X (an Alphabet company, formerly known as Google [X]), in addition to holding numerous leadership and entrepreneurial roles across the food, agriculture, technology and life sciences industries. He succeeds Ron Hovsepian, who has served as the company's Chief Executive Officer since September 2020. During his tenure, Hovsepian was responsible for successfully producing the world's first crop of registry-issued ag carbon credits at scale, expanding the company's industry-leading biological seed treatments, and the ongoing development and deployment of second-generation digital merchandising solutions.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ron for his leadership in taking Indigo to a new level of performance and growth and laying the foundation for its forward path in becoming the undisputed leader in the transformation to regenerative agriculture," said Robert Berendes, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board, Indigo Ag and Executive Partner, Flagship Pioneering. "We are delighted Ron will continue to contribute to Indigo's success as a board member and an advisor to the CEO."

Berendes continued, "Dean has been a strategic and deeply engaged board member for Indigo, drawing on his extensive experience as an entrepreneur, technologist, innovator, and business executive. He is an energizing leader and visionary, and I am confident he will steward the company into this next critical phase of growth and profitability, and ultimately realize the full potential of the Indigo platform for companies, farmers, and the planet."

"Dean brings entrepreneurial and operational experience and excellence to Indigo and an extensive track record in building value for life sciences, tech, and food companies, and he joins at an exciting time, given the recent close of the company's latest financing round," said Noubar Afeyan, Founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering and Co-Founder of Indigo Ag. "His unique background makes him well-positioned to realize Indigo's bold ambitions and also to contribute to Flagship's growing sustainability portfolio."

"I'm thrilled to take on the role of CEO of Indigo Ag. Over the last year on the board, I have witnessed the tremendous investment we've made to build scientifically validated digital sustainability tools and biological products that farmers, agribusiness, our CPG partners, and our planet urgently need," said Dean Banks, Incoming CEO of Indigo Ag and CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering. "Indigo's solutions are delivering on their promise to help make our farmers more successful today, driving higher yields and new revenue streams while helping them nurture their soil for better tomorrows. The company is uniquely positioned as a trusted, independent partner impacting millions of acres today across the agricultural value chain. I look forward to working with the team to take the company to the next level as we scale its growth and impact."

About Dean Banks

Banks most recently served as President and CEO of Tyson Foods where he was responsible for charting the long-term vision and transformation plan for the company including integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainable supply chain solutions and development of alternative proteins throughout its operations. During his four-year tenure with the company, he also served on the Board and executive leadership team.

Banks joined Tyson from the high-tech incubator at Alphabet, the company formerly known as Google [X], where he served on the leadership team and led moonshot projects across multiple industries including sustainable food (as co-founder of Tidal) and robotics (as co-founder of Intrinsic).

Banks was previously managing partner of SEED Ventures, a group investing in and developing early-stage healthcare technologies. He also has served as a consultant to Cleveland Clinic Innovations, SVP of Business Development and Strategic Marketing at OrthoHelix, cofounder and CEO of Connective Orthopedics, and Vice President at Highland Capital Partners. He currently serves on the Boards of Vergent Bioscience (where he was a co-founder and founding CEO), on the Advisory Board of Shiru, and is a Sr. Advisor at Advent International.

Banks served as a former platoon sergeant and squad leader in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Company Closes Financing Round

Indigo recently closed a financing round at nearly $270 million. As announced in September 2023, Indigo's funding round included existing investors, led by Flagship Pioneering, and new investors, including the State of Michigan Retirement System, one of the largest pension funds in the U.S. and Lingotto Investment Management, a $4.5 billion independent and entrepreneurial investment management company owned by Exor N.V., one of Europe's largest diversified holding companies.

"This latest funding round is a testament to the power of Indigo's platform and positions the company for growth across all aspects of the business, from biologicals to digital to carbon," said Berendes.

Indigo Adds to Board of Directors

As members of the board, Nader Bekhouche and Noubar Afeyan bring decades of experience to the company's leadership team and will help Indigo Ag take the next step to deliver meaningful and impactful solutions that turn sustainable practices into value for its farmer, agribusiness, and corporate customers.

Berendes noted, "I'm thrilled to add these two uniquely skilled leaders to our board. Their addition will further strengthen our board and its ability to quickly and decisively make important decisions that will benefit our farming community, our corporate customers, and the planet."

Nader Bekhouche is currently heading the Growth Equity investment team at Investment Corporation of Dubai, the principal investment arm of the Government of Dubai, which he joined in 2015. Bekhouche has held many positions in the technology, agriculture and food industries. For the past, four years, he has also served on the board of directors of Inari Agriculture, a company also founded by Flagship Pioneering, which uses its proprietary AI-powered predictive design and multiplex gene editing toolbox to create high performing plant varieties to sustainably improve agriculture.

"Indigo Ag has ingeniously created solutions to not only maximize the profitability of farming businesses but also to unlock the decarbonization potential of farmland. What Indigo Ag has achieved is a remarkable synthesis that sets it apart  a category of one." said Bekhouche. "It's an intricate combination that others will find incredibly challenging to replicate. I am truly excited to join the Indigo Ag Board at this pivotal juncture. I am looking forward to providing strategic insights and support as Indigo Ag increasingly focuses on profitable growth. The Company's prowess in creating a unique business model positions it as a force with the potential to shape the future of sustainable agriculture."

Afeyan is founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, and a co-founder of Indigo Ag. During his career as inventor, entrepreneur, and CEO, Afeyan has cofounded and helped build over 70 life science and technology companies, including Moderna, and has written numerous scientific publications and is the inventor of over 100 patents.

Bekhouche and Afeyan will join Berendes, Banks and Hovsepian on the Board of Directors, along with Stephane Bancel, Andreas Fibig, John Gehring, Geoffrey von Maltzahn, and Deborah Winshel.

About Indigo Ag

Indigo Ag is the sustainable agriculture partner that helps farmers and agribusinesses optimize today's yields and profitability, while nourishing the soil for better tomorrows and helping corporations reach their sustainability goals.

By harnessing science and technology, Indigo Ag's sustainability programs unlock access to high value revenue streams while promoting practices that help land keep its value for future generations. Indigo is currently the only company offering corporations high quality agricultural carbon credits and scope 3 emissions reductions at scale. Our innovative biologicals boost plant growth to help maximize yields, even in tough conditions. And their state-of-the-art digital software facilitates greater efficiency, accuracy and profitability for crop transactions.

Founded in 2013, Indigo Ag is focused on creating more profitable farmers and more sustainable companies. Operating across 14 countries, the company is delivering on its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet.

About Flagship Pioneering

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. To date, Flagship has deployed over $3.4 billion in capital toward the founding and growth of its pioneering companies alongside more than $26 billion of follow-on investments from other institutions. The current Flagship ecosystem comprises over 40 companies, including Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Generate:Biomedicines, Inari, Indigo Agriculture, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Omega Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OMGA), Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), Seres Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MCRB) and Tessera Therapeutics.

Media Contacts:

Indigo Ag: Caroline Ahn: [email protected]; 773-733-2539

Flagship Pioneering: [email protected]

SOURCE Indigo Ag
Vancouver, BC, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals" or the "Company"; (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce the Q4-2023 execution of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) ("Ucore") to explore collaborative opportunities as both companies move towards their respective commercialization efforts for a North American rare earth element ("REE") supply chain. As one of the first projects under this MOU, Defense Metals will ship a mixed rare earth carbonate sample from its Wicheeda REE project to Ucore's Kingston, Ontario, RapidSX Commercialization and Demonstration Facility ("CDF").

SGS Canada Inc. in Lakefield, Ontario, will ship the sample to Ucore's CDF on behalf of Defense Metals. This sample was generated during 2023 hydrometallurgical piloting test work performed on concentrate produced by earlier flotation pilot plant testing of a 26-tonne bulk sample from Defense Metals' wholly-owned Wicheeda REE project in British Columbia.

Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, commented:

"We expect to ship a mixed rare earth carbonate sample in the next few weeks to Ucore's demonstration plant for testing. The Wicheeda project is being developed as a viable source of REE from North America and as more processing and separation facilities become operational in the future, the demand for REE feedstock will be increasingly important. This MOU with Ucore is a further step in that direction to be part of the Western world's REE supply chain."

Pat Ryan, P.Eng., Chairman and CEO of Ucore, stated:

"The opportunity to align closer with Defense Metals is strategically important. The MOU lays out the framework wherein Defense Metals' technically strong and readily accessible North American REE resource can be further processed and refined using Ucore's Canadian-founded technology, RapidSX. Receiving the sample mixed rare earth carbonate at our Kingston CDF will start the process of determining what may be possible between the companies as we collectively look to fuel the 21st-century energy transition."

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Project has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (B.C.), Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, and a consultant to the Company, who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project

Defense Metals' 100% owned, 8,301-hectare (~20,534-acre) Wicheeda REE Project is located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia; population 77,000. Wicheeda is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is near infrastructure, including hydro power transmission lines and gas pipelines. The nearby Canadian National Railway and major highways allow easy access to the port facilities at Prince Rupert, the closest major North American port to Asia.

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 Deposit located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "DEFN", in the United States, trading symbol "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: [email protected]

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 "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to advancing the Wicheeda REE Project, the expected shipment of the sample to Ucore and the expected timeline, the potential collaboration with Ucore, 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, accuracy of assay results, performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, interpretation of geological, engineering and metallurgical data, 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, engineering and metallurgical results, risks related to the inherent uncertainty of exploration, metallurgy 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, 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 forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law.

All information in this news release concerning Ucore has been provided for inclusion herein by Ucore. Although the Company has no knowledge that would indicate that any information contained herein concerning Ucore is untrue or incomplete, the Company assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any such information.

SOURCE Defense Metals Corp.
Amid continued focus on the energy transition, Thomas' appointment is expected to drive

growth in Deloitte's industry practice

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte announced today the appointment of Teresa Thomas as vice chair, Deloitte LLP, and national sector leader for energy and chemicals, effective immediately. Thomas also serves as an advisory partner and leader in Deloitte & Touche LLP's Risk & Financial Advisory energy and chemicals practice. Thomas succeeds Amy Chronis, partner, Deloitte LLP, who will continue to serve within the energy and chemicals practice until her retirement in June 2024.

Based in Houston, Thomas will lead the overall strategic direction of Deloitte's energy and chemicals practice and drive transformational programs to continue growth in the sector. Deloitte's energy and chemicals practice serves companies in the energy, chemicals and specialty materials, mining and metals industries with its audit and assurance, consulting, tax, and risk and financial advisory services.

New Deloitte energy and chemicals national sector leader announced, effective immediately. Post this

"Teresa has played an integral role as strategic advisor to many of our valued energy and chemicals clients as they navigate significant transition, and her leadership, enthusiasm and vision will help shape the future of our practice," said Stanley Porter , vice chair, Deloitte LLP and U.S. energy, resources and industrials leader. "We are grateful to Amy for her remarkable and dedicated leadership over the past three years and appreciative of the growth she helped drive for our people and practice. I am confident that Teresa brings the right vision, experience and relationships to further lead and grow the energy and chemicals sector as it experiences critical transformation and convergence."

Throughout her career, Thomas has served in a variety of leadership roles and has more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Thomas has assisted companies with assessing the impact of changes resulting from shifting market dynamics and regulations, new accounting standards, and capital market transactions. As a leader serving multiple large clients, she continues to develop deep C-suite and board relationships, advising on what future success is expected to look like  in both their business and the industry at large.

"I am fortunate to have worked in the energy and chemicals industry for most of my career. And I'm honored to continue working with companies that are playing a pivotal role in powering progress and purpose," said Thomas. "Our industry is at the epicenter of the energy transition that can fuel tremendous potential for society, and I'm excited to be leading during this important and transformational time."

Thomas was named as one of Hart Energy's 25 most influential women in energy in 2023. She is the vice chair and board member of The Rose, a leading nonprofit women's breast health organization in Southeast Texas. She is a certified public accountant licensed in Texas and Michigan and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of CPAs. She holds a BBA from Northwood University in Michigan and an MBA from Michigan State University.

More information about Deloitte's energy and chemicals practice is available online.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's approximately 457,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

SOURCE Deloitte
Leader in evidence-based guidelines, claims, and healthcare analytics joins innovator in healthcare quality and price transparency

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DDI, an innovator in healthcare analytics focused on physician quality and price transparency, announces Phil LeFevre, former VP of MCG Health and Managing Director at ODG has joined DDI as Vice President of Business Development.

Phil LeFevre, Vice President Business Development

LeFevre spent the last seven years successfully managing the merging of ODG into MCG Health following the acquisition by Hearst, and over 23 years with ODG in roles that included leadership in sales, account management, marketing, government/regulatory, and product development. LeFevre joined ODG in 2000 as an Account Representative following graduation from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor's degree in economics.

Phil quickly grew in his responsibilities at ODG, spearheading ODG adoptions at the State level for evidence-based, medical necessity in workers' compensation, while building ODG analytics and automation applications like the RTW Calculator, Reserve Calculator, TAO (Treatment Analyzer on Outcomes) and Risk Assessment Scoring. Under Phil's leadership at MCG, ODG developed three unique product tracks, workers' comp, disability, and auto injury.

Joining DDI reunites LeFevre with the ODG founders, Phil Denniston (CEO at DDI) and Patricia Whelan (CFO/COO) who passed the leadership role to LeFevre on acquisition by Hearst.

As VP of Business Development for DDI, Phil is responsible for sales, partner strategy, and account management, growing the footprint of DDI's suite of solutions, including Provider Ranking System (PRS) and Healthcare Pricing Guide (HPG). PRS and HPG deliver transparency in physician quality and medical pricing for providers, payers, and member applications using objective, data-driven methodology leveraging claims data and newly available Transparency in Coverage (TiC) files. Due to size and complexity, the wave of payer data from TiC legislation requires significant, unique experience like DDI's to make its way into useful tools at scale.

"With the successful integration of ODG into MCG, I am thrilled to begin a new chapter, reuniting with the team at DDI," said Phil LeFevre. "While my title is business development, most unique about my approach is that, like at ODG, I marry that work to the product side. Our best ideas often come from sales meetings with customers where we can identify challenges and the problems that need solving. We then take those sticking points back to the product team in order to fit our solutions to the customer, rather than trying to sell the prospect on anything different."

About DDI

Launched in 2020, DDI is an innovator in healthcare analytics, a Software-as-a-Service provider lifting the curtain over the US healthcare system. We deliver transparency in physician quality and medical pricing for providers, payers, and member applications using objective, data-driven solutions known as PRS (Provider Ranking System) and HPG (Healthcare Pricing Guide). We help payers, hospital systems, networks, TPAs and plan sponsors identify the best doctors and market pricing by procedure at the national, state, or local level, and by payer or NPI/TIN code.

More information can be found at www.DennistonData.com .

Media Contact:

Patricia Whelan

Denniston Data Inc.

[email protected]

760-846-4930

SOURCE Denniston Data Inc.
New W-2 Employee-Affiliation 'Partnership Model' provides Advisors the Ability to Monetize their Practice and Take Direct Equity in the Diversify Advisor Network

SANDY, Utah, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of the recent announcement of DFPG Investments' launch of the Diversify Advisor Network, the advisor-founded and advisor-led wealth management firm announces the launch of Diversify Wealth Management as part of its long-term growth strategy to offer advisors expanded affiliation options.

Diversify Wealth Management will serve as an employee-affiliation RIA, also known as the Partner Platform, for advisors looking to monetize their practices and take equity alongside the founders. Diversify Wealth Management's first acquisitions include three Utah-based wealth management firms: Caliber Wealth Management, FirstPurpose Wealth and Diversify, Inc., which collectively oversee approximately $2.1 billion in assets.

With the launch of Diversify Wealth Management, Diversify Advisor Network now oversees more than $7 billion in assets across the following platforms:

DFPG Investments  A full-service independent broker-dealer providing broker-dealer-based solutions for advisors in the Diversify Advisor Network.

 A full-service independent broker-dealer providing broker-dealer-based solutions for advisors in the Diversify Advisor Network. Diversify Advisory Services  An independent RIA platform that provides institutional quality services and resources to independent investment advisors.

 An independent RIA platform that provides institutional quality services and resources to independent investment advisors. Diversify Wealth Management  A W-2 employee-affiliation-model RIA for advisors looking to monetize their practice and take a direct equity partnership in the broader Diversify Advisor Network.

"With the launch of Diversify Wealth Management and the acquisition of these three great practices, we've wasted no time executing our strategy of developing a multi-platform affiliation model  and there are more coming," said Ryan Smith, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Diversify Advisor Network. "We are focused on giving advisors choice and flexibility, in a boutique environment with institutional-quality resources. We strive to be the forever home for highly successful advisors, whether they want to retain their independence or monetize their practices through a more aligned channel."

Successful Acquisitions

Caliber Wealth Management, founded in 2013 by David Gardner and Todd Nuttall, is an RIA built by and for entrepreneurs and business leaders. They currently oversee $443 million in assets and over the past decade have helped drive innovations in 401(k) management for growth companies. Nuttall will serve on the Board of the Diversify Advisor Network.

FirstPurpose Wealth, founded in 2007 and led by Tim Whipple and Ken Bown, is an RIA that currently oversees $928 million in assets. The FirstPurpose partnership will expand the firm's expertise in advanced tax strategies. FirstPurpose has an in-house team of tax professionals through FirstPurpose Tax, LLC. Whipple will serve on the Board of the Diversify Advisor Network.

Diversify, Inc. was founded in 2004 by DFPG founders Ryan Smith and Dan Luke. Their team of advisors currently oversees $750 million in assets and provides comprehensive wealth management strategies, including a robust insurance and risk management division. Luke will serve on the Board of the Diversify Advisor Network.

Stuart Matheson, Chief Strategy Officer of the Diversify Advisor Network, added, "We are excited to welcome the talented teams from Caliber, FirstPurpose and Diversify. These acquisitions were very strategic. They each bring a unique expertise that will allow us to provide expanded services in a single framework. While Diversify Wealth Management advisors are technically W-2 employees, they aren't assets to us in some roll-up strategy. They are partners with significant equity stakes who are truly aligned and carefully selected. They want to capitalize on the value creation and improved client experience that the Diversify Advisor Network will provide."

About Diversify Advisor Network

Diversify Advisor Network is a privately held, full-service wealth management firm founded by seasoned advisors and industry leaders. The firm has developed institutional-grade resources, complemented by the personal attention and support that defines a true partnership. Investment advisory services are offered through Diversify Advisory Services, LLC and Diversify Wealth Management, LLC, both SEC-registered investment advisors. Securities are offered through DFPG Investments, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. For more information, visit joindiversify.com.

Media Contact

Brandon Blackwell

Haven Tower

[email protected]

424 317 4868

SOURCE Diversify Advisor Network
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DreamSpring, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Small Business Administration (SBA) lender, and Woodforest National Bank (Woodforest), a national bank with over 760 branches across 17 states, are working together to provide access to $1.5 million in debt capital to low- and moderate-income (LMI) small business entrepreneurs. The influx of lending capital from Woodforest to DreamSpring is a milestone in their shared commitment to spur community development and job creation through expanding peer networks and increasing access to capital.

DreamSpring and Woodforest National Bank are working together to provide access to $1.5 million in debt capital to low- and moderate-income small business entrepreneurs.

"Our collaboration with Woodforest widens the path for entrepreneurs to access much-needed capital and business resources," said Anne Haines, President and CEO of DreamSpring. "With Woodforest at our side, DreamSpring continues to expand our capacity to help small business owners realize their dreams and build stronger, more resilient communities through entrepreneurship."

Daniel Galindo, Senior Vice President & Director of the CRA Program & Strategic Initiatives at Woodforest National Bank added, "Working with a strong CDFI like DreamSpring combines both organizations' financial strengths to provide access to LMI small business owners who struggle to get the funds they need to run and grow their business which is a key focus for our team."

Both financial institutions share a commitment to empowering communities through entrepreneurship. The term loan agreement will allow DreamSpring to provide microloans to small business owners and LMI entrepreneurs as they start or grow their businesses across 10 shared states in DreamSpring and Woodforest's national footprints: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.

The agreement between DreamSpring and Woodforest also strengthens the teams' vision to expand peer networks across their shared footprint to provide more resources for small business owners.

For instance, in South Dallas, both organizations have embraced the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's (OCC) acclaimed Dallas REACh initiative, aimed at increasing LMI access to capital. Woodforest facilitated DreamSpring's connection to the monthly Dallas REACh roundtable, bringing together banks, CDFIs, and community stakeholders and leaders. This collaboration has resulted in a greater network of support in South Dallas, enriching the local small business ecosystem.

One South Dallas-based small business owner who has felt the life-changing impact of capital is Taylor Symone. Her small day spa business offers beauty and hair treatments, therapeutic post-operative care, massages, and facials. When she was first getting started, Taylor remembers calling about 15 financial institutions and feeling frustrated every time by the paperwork needed for a small loan, as well as rigid requirements for only helping businesses with at least two years of operational history. DreamSpring was different. Taylor has since repaid three DreamSpring loans to fuel her business growth and create even more opportunities for her family.

"I'm really big on generational wealth," says Taylor. "I like to teach my kids about being their own boss, being the star of their own show, and learning and understanding that you can create your own passageway  you just have to want to."

For 30 years, DreamSpring has developed small business training and a range of loan products to meet the needs of entrepreneurs like Taylor. Today, DreamSpring offers credit-building small business loans, lines of credit, SBA 7(a) loans, and commercial real estate loans in 27 states to level the playing field by bridging credit and knowledge gaps that hinder economic mobility.

About DreamSpring

DreamSpring is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender dedicated to accelerating the economic inclusion and strength of underserved communities. Founded in 1994, the organization provides rapid access to capital and customized wrap-around support to the most vulnerable small business owners in 27 states, focusing on communities including people of color, women, low- to moderate-income earners, people with disabilities, and start-ups. To date, DreamSpring has issued more than 48,796 loans totaling over $538 million to small businesses that support an estimated 65,138 jobs. Learn more at DreamSpring.org.

About Woodforest National Bank

Celebrating over 40 years of community banking service, Woodforest National Bank has successfully stood among the strongest community banks in the nation, proudly offering outstanding customer service since 1980. Woodforest currently operates over 760 branches in 17 states across the United States and is an Outstanding CRA rated institution. For more information about Woodforest National Bank, please visit www.woodforest.com. Member FDIC. An equal opportunity employer.

SOURCE Woodforest National Bank
Solution helps doctor group practices simplify the benefits enrollment and administration process.

SALT LAKE CITY and BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Employee Navigator, one of the nation's leading benefits and HR solutions for brokers, and MGIS, a national insurance manager offering specialized insurance programs for doctors, have announced a new partnership to bring leading-edge HR and benefits technology integrations to doctor group practices. The new partnership builds on MGIS's relationship with Reliance Matrix, a leading benefits and absence provider, and its unique Employee Navigator integration.

Employee Navigator company logo

"We believe the partnership with Employee Navigator will transform the employer and employee benefits experience," said Jeff Brunken, President of MGIS. "Through our relationship with Employee Navigator, our mutual clients will benefit from the technology-enabled efficiencies and ease of business that are so important in today's insurance marketplace. These integrations will help to drive participant engagement and client retention for our benefit brokers."

Through the Employee Navigator relationship, MGIS clients will benefit from a dedicated support team that will help brokers build out a full-service enrollment experience and provide additional case management support, at no additional cost. As always, MGIS account managers also provide white-glove, specialized account management and billing support, all critical features for brokers and administrators.

"MGIS has a long history of offering the highest quality insurance program for doctors. We're confident that our customers will receive an enhanced benefits experience through MGIS and Employee Navigator," said George Reese, CEO of Employee Navigator. "This partnership provides seamless, integrated benefits administration and will lead to a positive enrollment experience for brokers, employers and participants."

In 2023 MGIS announced its exclusive partnership with Reliance Matrix, a national leader in benefits solutions and absence management. Together, MGIS and Reliance Matrix serve doctors in all practice settings and medical specialties. An Employee Navigator carrier partner since 2022, Reliance Matrix more than doubled the number of benefit plans and employer clients enrolled and managed on the Employee Navigator platform in 2023, through more than 150 unique broker partners.

"Employee Navigator has played a big part in our overall success in the small and midsize employer market, thanks in part to our unique streamlined billing solution available on the platform," said Paula Hanson, AVP Benefit Technology Solutions for Reliance Matrix. "Our proprietary process raised the bar on service and convenience and continues to win fans among brokers and clients."

Marketed through independent brokers and agents, benefit solutions include Disability Guard for Doctors, a unique long-term disability product blending the highly valued policy provisions of an individual product with the guaranteed issue and simplified administration of a group long-term disability plan, as well as short-term disability, group life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment plans.

MGIS also supports a High Limits Disability Insurance program, offering an increased level of protection for high earners, providing more robust and holistic protection for doctors above and beyond any group long-term disability and individual disability coverage. For those groups offering the high limits program, this specialized product will also be available on Employee Navigator as part of an integrated, holistic enrollment experience.

For more information, visit www.MGIS.com or contact your benefits consultant.

About MGIS

MGIS is a leading national insurance program manager experienced in building and managing specialized insurance programs for doctors. MGIS partners with highly rated insurers and focuses on disability and life insurance for practices of all sizes, types, and medical specialties. Insurance policies managed by MGIS are backed by the underwriting companies of Reliance Matrix and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, and are marketed exclusively through select brokers and insurance advisers. MGIS services are provided by MGIS affiliated companies: The MGIS Companies, Inc., Medical Group Insurance Services, Inc., and MGIS Underwriting Managers, Inc. (DBA as MGIS Professional Insurance Solutions in CA and MGIS Underwriting Agency in NY).

About Employee Navigator

Employee Navigator is a rapidly growing benefits and HR software company integrated with over 400+ of the nation's leading insurance carriers, payroll companies, and TPA's. Its platform delivers brokers and employers a truly connected digital experience, streamlining the management of everything from online enrollment and onboarding to ACA reporting, time off tracking, and more. The company currently works with more than 5,000 brokers, providing benefits administration and HR products to over 175,000 companies and 14+ million employees and dependents. For more information, visit www.employeenavigator.com.

About Reliance Matrix

Reliance Matrix delivers employee benefit, absence management and workforce productivity solutions through the financial stability of a top-rated (A++ by AM Best) insurance carrier, the proven innovation of an absence TPA, and the daily commitment of thousands of team members across America.* Born in 1907, Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Home Office Schaumburg, IL) is a leading provider of employee benefits, absence management and retirement savings solutions. Matrix Absence Management, Inc. (Home Office Phoenix, AZ) traces its roots to Silicon Valley at the dawn of the tech boom.

Reliance Matrix is a member of the Tokio Marine Group. Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., the ultimate holding company of the Tokio Marine Group, is incorporated in Japan and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Tokio Marine Group operates in the property and casualty insurance, reinsurance and life insurance sectors globally. The Group's main operating subsidiary, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire (TMNF), was founded in 1879 and is the oldest and leading property and casualty insurer in Japan.

*Insurance products and services are underwritten by Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company in all states except New York. In New York, insurance products and services are underwritten by First Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company (Home Office New York, NY.)

About Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's is the world's leading insurance and reinsurance marketplace. Through the collective intelligence and risk-sharing expertise of the market's underwriters and brokers, Lloyd's helps to create a braver world. The Lloyd's market provides the leadership and insight to anticipate and understand risk, and the knowledge to develop relevant, new and innovative forms of insurance for customers globally. It offers the efficiencies of shared resources and services in a marketplace that covers and shares risks from more than 200 territories, in any industry, at any scale. And it promises a trusted, enduring partnership built on the confidence that Lloyd's protects what matters most: helping people, businesses and communities to recover in times of need. Lloyd's began with a few courageous entrepreneurs in a coffee shop. Three centuries later, the Lloyd's market continues that proud tradition, sharing risk in order to protect, build resilience and inspire courage everywhere.

SOURCE MGIS
According to a recently published report by Roots Analysis, the growing demand for advanced technology to restore fundamental body movements in patients suffering from accidental injuries drives the global exoskeleton market.

LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Exoskeleton Market Overview

The global exoskeleton market is estimated to be worth USD 1.67 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach USD 20.3 billion by 2035. It is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1% during the forecast period (2023-2035).

A medical exoskeleton is a form of wearable electromechanical equipment specifically designed to improve mobility in patients suffering from neurological disorders. Within the past few decades, there has been a rapid increase in patients suffering from neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis. According to the report of the World Health Organization, nearly 1.8 million individuals worldwide have multiple sclerosis and over 12.2 million patients have experienced strokes. Unfortunately, neurological disorders still have no cure, but exoskeletons emerge as a potent solution that allows patients with spinal cord injuries and other muscle impairments to walk and move freely. With advances in technology, the medical exoskeleton is designed with sensors, controllers and motors that enable recovery of body movement. The exoskeleton devices are also essential in assisting caregivers to perform routine tasks such as lifting patients and standing for a long time. Owing to the significance of exoskeletons in mobility improvement, several market players are showing active interest in developing advanced exoskeletons, anticipating growth in the global exoskeleton market during the forecast period.

Download Free PDF Brochure:

https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/exoskeleton-market/request-sample.html

Exoskeleton Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 USD 1.67 billion Estimated value by 2035 USD 20.3 billion Growth rate (CAGR) of 23.1% Forecast Period 2023-2035 Segments Covered Type, Distribution, Mode of Operation, Form of Exoskeleton, End Users Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Drivers, Restraints and Trends

Market Drivers

Several market drivers are driving the exoskeleton market during the forecast period. Some of the promising drivers include increasing demand for rehabilitation devices to restore movement in individuals with muscle impairments. The ongoing technological advancements to introduce software technologies, sensors, control systems, and others further drive the market to develop high-tech exoskeleton devices.

Market Restraints

Though the global exoskeleton market is witnessing steady growth, several market restraints restrict it. One such market restraint is regulatory challenges associated with securing approval for medical applications of exoskeletons. The high cost of developing advanced software technology-based medical exoskeletons further restrain the market.

Growth Factors

Despite the market restraints, growth factors propelling the exoskeleton market include increased research on robotic exoskeletons to help patients with mobility impairment. Several industry and non-industry stakeholders are increasing initiatives such as reimbursement and financing for the widespread adoption of rehabilitation devices. Additionally, the rising government initiatives and collaboration between global exoskeleton market players drive the market during the forecast period.

Recent Developments in Global Exoskeleton Market

It is interesting to note here that several global exoskeleton market players have undergone collaborations and definitive agreements to strengthen their product portfolios. Examples of such agreements include:

In August 2023 , ReWalk Robotics announced definitive agreements for the acquisition of AlterG to expand their current neurorehabilitation product portfolio at a considerable amount of USD 19 million .

, ReWalk Robotics announced definitive agreements for the acquisition of AlterG to expand their current neurorehabilitation product portfolio at a considerable amount of . In December 2022 , Ekso Bionics acquired the Human Motion and Control Business Unit from Parker Hannifin Corporation with an aim of expanding the product for home use.

, Ekso Bionics acquired the Human Motion and Control Business Unit from Parker Hannifin Corporation with an aim of expanding the product for home use. In August 2022 , CYBERDYNE announced the addition of Saitama Robocare Center in Japan for the visitors who are suffering from reduced physical function and disabilities. These types of expansions are estimated to enhance the business operations.

Request sample Pages at: https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/exoskeleton-market/request-sample.html

Exoskeleton Market Segments

Based on the body part covered, the global exoskeleton market is segmented into upper body, lower body, and full body.

Based on the body part covered, the lower body will dominate the global exoskeleton market, capturing 54% of the market share by 2035.

Lower body segments will drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 25% during 2023-2035.

Based on the mode of operation, the exoskeleton market is segmented into powered exoskeleton, passive exoskeleton, and hybrid exoskeleton.

Powered exoskeleton will dominate the market, capturing 53% of the market share by 2035.

Passive exoskeleton segment is likely to drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 25.3% during 2023-2035.

Based on the form of the skeleton, the exoskeleton market is segmented into rigid and soft.

Rigid form of the skeleton segment will dominate the market, capturing 70% of the market share by 2035.

Soft form of skeleton is likely to drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 23.8% during 2023-2035.

Based on mobility, the exoskeleton market is segmented into fixed / supported and mobile.

Based on mobility, mobile exoskeleton will dominate the market, capturing a significant 65% of the market share by 2035.

Mobile exoskeleton has shown significant potential to drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 22.3% during 2023-2035.

Based on end-users, the global exoskeleton market is segmented into patients, healthcare providers, industry workers, military personnel, and others.

Based on the end-users, patients will dominate the global exoskeleton market, capturing 46% of the market share by 2035.

Military personnel segments are likely to drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 25.2% during 2023-2035.

Based on key geographical regions, the exoskeleton market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World

North America will lead the global exoskeleton market, capturing 38.2% of the market share by 2035.

will lead the global exoskeleton market, capturing 38.2% of the market share by 2035. In Asia-Pacific , the global exoskeleton segment market is likely to drive the market in the future, and it is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR of 26.4% during 2023-2035.

Key Companies Profiled

The market report also includes detailed profiles of key players (listed below) that provide exoskeleton solutions.

Bionic Yantra

CYBERDYNE

Ekso Bionics

ExoAtlet

Fourier Intelligence

Gloreha

Guangzhou Yikang Medical Equipment

Hexar Humancare

Hocoma

MediTouch

Milebot Robotics

Myomo

Neofect

NextStep Robotics

Panasonic

ReWalk Robotics

Rex Bionics

Roam Robotics

Trexo Robotics

Tyromotion

U&O Technologies

Browse Complete Report @ https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/exoskeleton-market.html

Key Benefits of Buying this Report

The report offers market leaders and newcomers valuable insights into revenue estimations for both the overall market and its sub-segments.

Stakeholders can utilize the report to enhance their understanding of the competitive landscape, allowing for improved business positioning and more effective go-to-market strategies.

The report provides stakeholders with a pulse on the spectrometry market, furnishing them with essential information on significant market drivers, barriers, opportunities, and challenges.

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Biosensors Market - The biosensors market for drug discovery and development is estimated to be worth $5.0 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.0% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2035.

About Roots Analysis

Roots Analysis is a global leader in the pharma/biotech market research. Having worked with over 750 clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, academia, venture capitalists, and strategic investors for more than a decade, we offer a highly analytical / data-driven perspective to a network of over 450,000 senior industry stakeholders looking for credible market insights. All reports provided by us are structured in a way that enables the reader to develop a thorough perspective on the given subject. Apart from writing reports on identified areas, we provide bespoke research/consulting services dedicated to serving our clients in the best possible way.

Contact Us

Gaurav Chaudhary

Roots Analysis

+1 (415) 800 3415

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.rootsanalysis.com/

Blog: https://www.rootsanalysis.com/blog/

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SOURCE Roots Analysis
SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairview Partners, a boutique bridge lender and real estate debt firm, is pleased to announce the successful closing of a $20 million loan to InCommercial, facilitated by Salt Lake City-based Gneiting Capital. This significant transaction is a noteworthy moment in Fairview's ongoing commitment to providing tailored financial solutions to its clients, with a term sheet to closing timeline of less than two weeks.

With Fairview's financing, InCommercial, a prominent Chicago-based NNN investment firm, was able to acquire a travel center and gas station portfolio with a tight timeline at year end. Assets included the Fairview, Kansas Travel America Travel Center and a portfolio of three regional Texas gas stations. Fairview's expertise and ability to provide certainty of execution, combined with the support and proficiency of Gneiting Capital as Broker, resulted in a successful December 29 close.

Despite the complexities of the transaction, which included stringent deadlines during the holiday season, Fairview Partners rose to the occasion and delivered the necessary funding, aligning with InCommercial's investment needs. This financing is a testament to Fairview Partners' unwavering commitment to its clients, and its ability to execute with precision.

"Our ability to navigate complex asset classes and provide a high level of execution certainty has always been our hallmark," said Ian McCarthy, Managing Director at Fairview Partners. "We are proud to have played a vital role for InCommercial."

Gneiting Capital played a pivotal, time-sensitive role in rapidly aligning Fairview Partners with InCommercial and facilitating a smooth and efficient closing process.

Having just completed fundraising for its most recent closed-end vehicle, Fairview Investment Fund VII, LP on December 31, 2023, Fairview remains highly active in both acquiring and originating loans and committed to financing a diverse range of assets nationwide with a focus on distressed and special situation real estate debt.

For more information about Fairview Partners Investment Management, please visit www.fpinvest.com .

About Fairview Partners Investment Management

Fairview Partners Investment Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment advisor with offices in Seattle.

SOURCE Fairview Partners Investment Management, LLC
 How easy is it to work globally from South Caucasus?  How big is Georgia's potential in hi tech? Focus on IT is t he Caucas...
Renowned Chefs & Culinary Experts Host Sessions during Two-Day 'Boost Camp' Platform to Educate Culinary Entrepreneurs on Successful Business Operations & Strategies

HOUSTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to James Beard Foundation's 2023 Industry Report, 53% of culinary business owners experienced lowered profits this year and challenges around rising food and labor costs have severely impacted profit margins, menu and content pricing since 2022. In its third year of service, Feed the Soul Foundation , a national nonprofit that continues to provide financial relief and business development solutions for culinary businesses, will host its first-ever Global Culinary Conference.

Keynote Speakers: Chef Karla Hoyos, Marcus Davis, Chef Dayanny Delacruz and Chef Emmauel Chavez

Presented by Diageo, the two-day, in-person business development conference will be held in Houston, Texas on Monday, January 22 and Tuesday, January 23, 2024, from 8:00AM  5:30PM CT at The Texas Tower. Stella Artois and Tito's Handmade Vodka serve as partner sponsors.

Culinary business owners from California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Washington, and New York  spanning across all experiences including bakeries, food trucks, breakfast cafes, juiceries, vegan eateries and more  are ticketholders anticipating the platform's educational offerings. Renowned chefs and thriving culinary experts including Houston restauranteur Marcus Davis, Chef Karla Hoyos, Chef Emmauel Chavez, and Chef Dayanny Delacruz will deliver an enhanced learning experience with keynote speeches and panel discussions designed to educate entrepreneurs on the art of launching and operating a prosperous culinary enterprise.

"Our goal is to create an educational experience that allows culinary business owners to step away from their business and dedicate two days to learn about resources within business development," says Falayn Ferrell, Chairwoman of Feed the Soul Foundation. "Our Restaurant Business Development Program's cohorts have witnessed several triumphs due to their engagement with small business experts and participating in peer-to-peer learning sessions with culinary professionals. We will broaden the scope of our conference to support numerous culinary businesses and the anticipated shifts faced within the industry."

Each session will impart exclusive insights into the culinary business world with a diverse range of topics tailored to the specific needs of attendees including but not limited to:

Marcus Davis , owner of The Breakfast Klub will provide a keynote address referencing the success of his hospitality group (The Breakfast Klub, Kulture, Reggae Hut)

, owner of The Breakfast Klub will provide a keynote address referencing the success of his hospitality group (The Breakfast Klub, Kulture, Reggae Hut) Chef Karla Hoyos , Best Chef of Miami 2022 and owner of Tacotomia, Chef Dayanny Delacruz, Vice President of Culinary at Levy Restaurants, Chef Emmanuel Chavez , owner of Tatemo and Food and Wine magazine's "Best New Chefs" for 2023 will speak about the growth of their culinary careers

, Best Chef of 2022 and owner of Tacotomia, Chef Dayanny Delacruz, Vice President of Culinary at Levy Restaurants, Chef , owner of Tatemo and magazine's "Best New Chefs" for 2023 will speak about the growth of their culinary careers Levy Restaurants and Live Nation will speak about how culinary businesses can win contract bids as vendors or suppliers

Diageo, Stella Artois, and Tito's Handmade Vodka will host happy hours

Attendees can expect in-depth keynotes focused on growing their technical skills, learning key functions of small businesses applications, understanding commercial real estate, supervising personnel, developing profitable business operations, designing bottom-line boosting marketing strategies and the future of food service businesses.

The Global Culinary Conference's 2024 full agenda is available HERE . Programming will feature panels and master classes with the following speakers:

Will Norwood , Program Manager, Supplier Diversity & Inclusion of Live Nation

, Program Manager, Supplier Diversity & Inclusion of Live Nation Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose , President, National Association of Real Estate Brokers

, President, National Association of Real Estate Brokers Michelle Ngome , President, African American Marketing Association

, President, African American Marketing Association Phillip Yates , Founder, Black Entrepreneurship Week & Latin Entrepreneurship Week

, Founder, Black Entrepreneurship Week & Latin Entrepreneurship Week Yvonne Guidry , Founder of SpoiledLatina

Interactive breakout sessions, happy hour networking events and complimentary breakfast and lunch from notable Houston restaurants including Frenchy's, Space City Birria Tacos and More, Henderson & Kane, Mo' Better Brews, Cascabel, and The Breakfast Klub will complete the experience.

The Global Culinary Conference will become an annual event that unites culinary professions from around the world to share ideas, build networks and discuss the latest business growth trends to ensure the continued success of culinary businesses.

CONFERENCE DATES

Monday, January 22, 2024

8:00 AM  6:00 PM

Industry Happy Hour: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

8:00 AM  6:00 PM

Industry Happy Hour: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

GENERAL ADMISSION

Two (2) Day Pass | $99.00

Single Day Pass | $60.00

LOCATION

TEXAS TOWER

845 Texas Ave.

Houston, TX 77002

Since its inception in 2020, Feed The Soul Foundation has strived to create programs that provide sustainability and growth to small culinary businesses. By the first half of 2023, the foundation celebrated the following milestones:

Invested $1,078,000 in financial and business development support to 59 marginalized culinary business across the country

to 59 marginalized culinary business across the country Emergency Relief Fund aided US-based culinary businesses with $46,000 in emergency funds to assist with unforeseen damages and natural disasters

to assist with unforeseen damages and natural disasters Awarded $76,000 in scholarships to high school culinary programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions to support culinary, hospitality and business students

to high school culinary programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions to support culinary, hospitality and business students Developed internship program and distributed $59,000 in student stipends in addition to providing workforce training to 15 minority college students studying small business marketing, marketing research and public relations

For more information about Feed the Soul Foundation's Global Culinary Conference and to register, please visit Global Culinary Conference | Feed the Soul Foundation.

About Feed the Soul Foundation

Feed the Soul Foundation was established in 2020 to aid marginalized entrepreneurs in the culinary industry with business development resources and support to foster sustainable business growth. The Restaurant Business Development Fund supports marginalized business owners with business development scholarships and emergency funding.

SOURCE Feed the Soul Foundation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fenwick Food Group, a division of Fenwick Brands Inc.  one of the leading consumer packaged goods investment firms in the Southeast  has acquired Wickles Pickles, an iconic and beloved Alabama brand.

Fenwick Food Group is an operating platform for food businesses and includes Alabama-based Moore's Marinades & Sauces and newly acquired Wickles Pickles.

Wickles was founded by brothers Will and Trey Sims, and Andy Anderson back in 1998. With a unique flavor profile and robust product offering, Wickles has captured significant market share and consumer loyalty within the billion-dollar pickle category.

The opportunity was timely, with the Wickles brand hitting an inflection point where investment and additional resourcing was needed for scale. As growth minded investors already operating in mainstream retail outlets with Moore's Marinades and Sauces, Fenwick's decision to purchase the Wickles Pickles brand makes the partnership synergistic.

Fenwick's track record as owner-operators of the Moore's Marinades & Sauces brand was appealing to the Wickles team. "Fenwick is the perfect partner to accelerate the brand's growth trajectory while preserving its identity and operating roots. We're excited to see Wickles get the resources and investment it deserves to scale," says co-founder Will Sims.

"We were aligned on the long-term vision and strategy for the brand, which cemented the partnership. Will, Trey and Andy have built an incredible brand with impressive momentum," says Melissa Baker, President and CEO of Fenwick Food Group. "Two Alabama-based consumer brands coming together is special in the broader consumer packaged goods industry and made the investment more relational than transactional."

Baker partnered with Benny M. LaRussa, Jr. in 2013, and the pair has been investing and operating in the consumer packaged goods sector ever since. Fenwick Food Group's investment strategy is built to operate a platform of food brands that have profiles similar to Wickles and Moore's. "Our long-term strategy is to curate a food platform with a handful of brands that could benefit from a shared team, investment and operational synergies," says Baker. "Scale is becoming increasingly more difficult and expensive, and we want to help similar brands with strong consumer demand stay around."

The Wickles deal closed on Nov. 29, and the business will be headquartered out of Birmingham alongside Moore's. Financial details of the transaction are not being released.

ABOUT WICKLES PICKLES

In 1998, a 90-year-old secret family pickle recipe once reserved for family and friends was unleashed to the public as Wickles. Today, Wickles Pickles is known as the South's best pickles. It's custom blend of spices and fresh ingredients produce sweet, tangy and spicy pickles, relishes, and spreads  a wickedly delicious experience unlike anything else. An iconic fixture at any gathering, tailgate, or meal; no other pickle has this much personality, earning Wickles a fanbase across the U.S. Learn more about our delicious products and grab some for yourself at https://wicklespickles.com/.

ABOUT MOORE'S MARINADES AND SAUCES

Moore's Marinades & Sauces began over 35 years ago at a family-owned steakhouse in the small Alabama town of Jasper, and quickly became a staple throughout the South for its delightful, hickory taste. Since then, Moore's has expanded its product line to include a number of mouthwatering favorites like the award-winning Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce. The full line of marinades and sauces can be found in retailers throughout the nation. For more information, visit www.mooresmarinade.com.

SOURCE Fenwick Food Group
Public Will Vote to Determine Winner via Chicago Auto Show's Facebook Page

CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Three teens have been selected by the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) as finalists in the tenth annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest, in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show. Teens from Illinois and surrounding states submitted ideas for a 30-second PSA to help get the word out to empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously.

The three finalists are Riley Wilds, 17, a student at the Career Academy in Ft. Wayne, IN; Carlyale Kiel, 18, who also attends the Career Academy in Ft. Wayne; and Texas Maki, 16, a student at Pewaukee High School in Pewaukee, WI.

Each finalist will work with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements. The finished spots will then be posted on the Chicago Auto Show's Facebook page, where the public can vote for their favorite through Feb. 8. Winners will be announced at the Chicago Auto Show's media day on Feb. 9. The winner will receive $2,000 and will be featured with his or her PSA on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up will be awarded $1,000 and the second runner-up will receive $500.

"We're excited to see the Drive Safe Chicago finalists' ideas turned into compelling messages that we hope will empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously," said Michelle Anderson, director of operations at National Road Safety Foundation.

The National Road Safety Foundation has been leading an ongoing nationwide campaign to encourage passengers to speak up. A website, at www.nationalpassengersafety.org, has background information and suggestions for how passengers can interact with a dangerous driver. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show 26 percent of traffic fatalities nationwide are passengers.

For more information on the Drive Safe Chicago contest, visit: www.nrsf.org/contests/drive-safe-chicago. For information about the Chicago Auto Show, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 60 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org.

About the Chicago Auto Show

First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America. The show is produced by the Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2024 public show is Feb. 10-19 at McCormick Place. For information, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Founded in 1904 and located in Oakbrook Terrace, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, please visit www.CATA.info.

Contact: David Reich

The National Road Safety Foundation

(914) 325-9997

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MIT Sloan Management Review reveals the insights of more than 500 senior data and technology executives in "Five Key Trends in AI and Data Science for 2024," a part of its AI in Action series.

Artificial intelligence and data science became front-page news in 2023 thanks to generative AI, state coauthors Thomas H. Davenport, the President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College and a fellow of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, and Randy Bean, an industry thought leader who currently serves as innovation fellow, data strategy, for global consultancy Wavestone.

Orgs need to continually adjust data science skills and processes to get the full value from data, analytics, and AI. Post this

To find out what might keep it on the front page in 2024, Davenport and Bean, during the past several months, conducted three surveys involving more than 500 executives closest to companies' data science and AI strategies to bring to light what organizations are thinking and doing.

"Data science is increasingly critical to every organization. But it's not a static discipline, and organizations need to continually adjust data science skills and processes to get the full value from data, analytics, and AI," said Davenport.

"Expect 2024 to be a year of transformation and change driven by adoption of AI and a reshaping of the data, analytics, and AI leadership role within leading companies," added Bean. "With 33% of midsize to large organizations having appointed or in search of a chief AI officer, and with 83.2% of leading companies having a chief data and analytics officer in place today, it is inevitable that we will witness consolidation of roles, restructuring of responsibilities, elimination of some positions, and some critical rethinking of data and AI leadership expectations during the course of 2024."

"Five Key Trends in AI and Data Science for 2024" culls the surveys to identify developing issues that should be on every leader's radar screen this year:

Generative AI sparkles but needs to deliver value. Survey responses suggest that although excitement is high, the value of generative AI has not been delivered. Large percentages of respondents believe the technology has the potential to be transformational; 80% in one survey said they believe it will transform their organizations, and 64% in another survey said it is the most transformational technology in a generation. A large majority of survey takers are also increasing investment in the technology.

Data science is shifting from artisanal to industrial. Companies are investing in platforms, processes and methodologies, feature stores, machine learning operations (MLOps) systems, and other tools to increase productivity and deployment rates. Automation is helping to increase productivity and enable broader data science participation.

Two versions of data products will dominate. Eighty percent of data and technology leaders in one survey said that their organizations were using or considering the use of data products and product management. But they mean two different things by "data products." Just under half (48%) of respondents said that they include analytics and AI capabilities in the concept of data products. Some 30% view analytics and AI as separate from data products and presumably reserve that term for reusable data assets alone. What matters is that an organization is consistent in how it defines and discusses data products.

Data scientists will become less sexy. The proliferation of roles such as data engineers that can address pieces of the data science problem  along with the rise of citizen data science, where savvy businesspeople create models or algorithms themselves  is causing the star power of data scientists to recede.

Data, analytics, and AI leaders are becoming less independent. In 2023, increasing numbers of organizations cut back on the proliferation of technology and data "chiefs," including chief data and analytics officers (and sometimes chief AI officers). The functions performed by data and analytics executives haven't gone away; rather, they're increasingly being subsumed within a broader set of technology, data, and digital transformation functions managed by a "supertech leader" who usually reports to the CEO. In 2024, expect to see more of these overarching tech leaders who have all the capabilities to create value from the data and technology professionals reporting to them.

The MIT Sloan Management Review article "Five Key Trends in AI and Data Science for 2024" publishes at 8 a.m. ET on Jan. 9, 2024. This column is part of the series AI in Action.

About the Authors

Thomas H. Davenport is the President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College, a fellow of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, and senior adviser to the Deloitte Chief Data and Analytics Officer Program. He is coauthor of All-In On AI: How Smart Companies Win Big With Artificial Intelligence (HBR Press, 2023) and Working With AI: Real Stories of Human-Machine Collaboration (MIT Press, 2022). Randy Bean is an industry thought leader, author, founder, and CEO and currently serves as innovation fellow, data strategy, for global consultancy Wavestone. He is the author of Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Lessons in Data-Driven Leadership in an Age of Disruption, Big Data, and AI (Wiley, 2021).

About MIT Sloan Management Review

MIT Sloan Management Review is an independent, research-based magazine and digital platform for business leaders published at the MIT Sloan School of Management. MIT SMR explores how leadership and management are transforming in a disruptive world. We help thoughtful leaders capture the exciting opportunities  and face down the challenges  created as technological, societal, and environmental forces reshape how organizations operate, compete, and create value.

Connect with MIT Sloan Management Review on:

Tess Woods

[email protected]

617-942-0336

SOURCE MIT Sloan Management Review
Geotab Sustainability Alliance of over 28 partners provides solutions and data insights to help fleets address sustainability challenges

TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Geotab Inc. ("Geotab"), a global leader in connected transportation solutions, today announced the Geotab Sustainability Alliance, a group of solution and service providers dedicated to creating cutting-edge solutions that help fleets operate efficiently and reduce their carbon footprint. With 28 Alliance Partners and growing, the Geotab Sustainability Alliance has the broad expertise and experience to support fleets with a wide variety of needs, including increasing sustainability, reducing risk and meeting regulatory requirements.

Geotab Announces Sustainability Alliance to Support Companies with Electrification and Decarbonization (CNW Group/Geotab Inc.)

Decarbonizing transportation is a complex challenge that requires cooperation across industries. The transport sector is responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. according to the EPA, and 23% globally according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Geotab Sustainability Alliance is helping scale EV adoption and sustainable transformation by empowering companies with innovative solutions and data insights to make informed decisions, measure progress and take action, in order to achieve their goals.

"Data insights are critical to measuring and managing environmental impact and moving the needle on sustainability. The Geotab Sustainability Alliance is accelerating change and helping organizations not only meet their targets, but improve their bottom line," said Neil Cawse, Founder and CEO.

Alliance partners span a broad range of sustainability providers

Geotab Sustainability Alliance partners include:

Electric Vehicle OEMs: Offering Geotab embedded, cloud-to-cloud or factory-installed Geotab GO9 connected vehicle solutions on new EVs to simplify EV fleet management.

Charge Management and EV Charging Station Providers: Optimizing charging to ensure EVs are ready when needed, while supporting cost and carbon reduction.

Fuel Management Providers: Tracking and reducing fuel consumption for improved carbon footprint.

Route Optimization Partners: Helping fleets determine more efficient ways to deploy EVs and reduce miles traveled, costs and emissions.

EV Fleet and Sustainability Consultants: Supporting strategic planning by enhancing EV and sustainability professional services and software solutions with data insights.

Emerging Solutions: Geotab is collaborating with companies developing innovative solutions in ESG software, battery health and charging-as-a-service providers.

Geotab Sustainability Alliance partner solutions seamlessly integrate with vehicle telematics to accelerate the efficiency gains and decarbonization efforts of fleets. Integrated partner solutions from the Geotab Marketplace streamline EV management for fleet operators by providing a single pane of glass dashboard to extract meaningful data insights. Geotab's leadership in EV data support across multiple OEMs and over 300 EV makes and models further enhances these integrated solutions.

Working together for a cleaner future

"As more companies invest in fleet sustainability to reduce costs and emissions, there is a growing need for quality data to help optimize fuel efficiency, routing and EV charging. The Geotab Sustainability Alliance is at the forefront of decarbonization and EVs, and has the combined solutions and expertise to help fleets address their challenges and adapt in a rapidly evolving industry. We are excited to build an ecosystem of partners that are helping usher in a new era of clean mobility" said Eric Mallia, Vice President, Sustainability Solutions at Geotab.

The list of alliance members, which is growing, includes: 7Gen, Ampcontrol, Atom Power, AYRO, BetterFleet, bp pulse, ChargePoint, Deloitte, Descartes, EO Charging, EV Connect, Evolectric, Flipturn, InCharge Energy, Lion Electric, Make My Day, Motiv Power Systems, MoveEV, Route4Me, Sawatch Labs, SEA Electric, Siemens AG, Synop, tenstreet, Tropos Technologies, Unique Electric Solutions, Volteum and WideSense.

To learn more, visit geotab.com/sustainability-alliance/ .

About Geotab

Geotab is a global leader in connected transportation solutions. We provide telematics  vehicle and asset tracking  solutions to over 50,000 customers in 160 countries. For more than 20 years, we have invested in ground-breaking data research and innovation to enable partners and customers, including Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, to transform their fleets and operations. With over 4 million subscriptions and processing more than 75 billion data points a day, we help customers make better decisions, increase productivity, have safer fleets, and achieve their sustainability goals. Geotab's open platform and Marketplace, offers hundreds of third-party solution options. Backed by a team of industry leading data scientists and AI experts, Geotab is unlocking the power of data to understand real-time and predictive analytics  solving for today's challenges and tomorrow's world. To learn more, visit www.geotab.com , follow @GEOTAB on Twitter and LinkedIn or visit the Geotab Blog.

SOURCE Geotab Inc.
Givex Brasil achieves remarkable milestone and gets ready for 2024 with new project launches

and innovation.

SAO PAULO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Givex Corp. ("Givex") (TSX: GIVX) (OTCQX: GIVXF) is proud to announce its Brasil office's incredible year of growth, surpassing an impressive 14 billion reais in transaction value. This substantial growth underscores Givex's continuous commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions to its expanding portfolio of clients.

Some of the key highlights of 2023 include:



Leading jewelry brand Vivara launched its e-gift solution in the GivexHub, a central tech platform that allows Givex clients to sell their digital and physical gift cards in more than 180,000 points of sale, connecting the product to more than 120 million users of the biggest digital wallets in Brazil .





. Givex Brasil launched the Fast Shop retail chain's national digital cashback program, which benefits thousands of clients from the store's chain with specific SKU cashback promotions. Through Givex's technology, Fast Shop customers can now access their e-commerce and see in real time the cashback promotions that are offered per product online or visit one of the more than 80 stores across Brazil to see how to guarantee cashback when shopping.





to see how to guarantee cashback when shopping. Givex Brasil signed tech company Station by WeWork Brasil to develop its gift card program and distribute e-gift cards in the GivexHub.





Givex Brasil pioneered a unique cashback program with one of the financial institutions of the country, introducing an innovative approach to customer rewards and engagement.





Givex Brasil secured a major partnership with one of the country's largest hospitality chains, adding more than 500 locations to its extensive network.





Givex Brasil signed with one of the global leaders in the food industry to launch their gift card solution in over 200 locations, their e-commerce and in the GivexHub.





iFood Card, the Gift Card from iFood, achieved an outstanding milestone, surpassing 1.5 billion reais in gift card sales through the GivexHub, showcasing the platform's effectiveness in driving sales for its partners.

"2023 has been an incredible year for Givex Brasil, with the signing of major clients with household names, hitting the landmark 14 billion reais in transaction value and the continued growth of the Givex Hub and most importantly, another year of keeping our client base satisfied with our services and technology," said Maria Costa, Managing Director of Givex Latin America. "We look forward to an exciting NRF 2024, to the new project launches we are working on and to expand our technology across the country with an innovative single promotion platform, aside from our smart gift cards and loyalty engines."

Givex Brasil also showcased its commitment to industry leadership at the WebSummit in Lisbon, Portugal, in November 2023, reinforcing its global influence and commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation with our clients and partners.

Looking ahead to January 2024, Givex Brasil's team is gearing up for the third official National Retail Federation's NRF 2024: Retail's Big Show in New York City. The team will take part in a panel, "The Future of Customer Engagement Technology," featuring industry experts Costa along with:

Marina Canto , product director of Vivara, who shares, "I am excited about the invitation to participate in such an important topic for retail. Building and maintaining a good customer relationship increases loyalty, promotes trust and results in business growth."

, product director of Vivara, who shares, "I am excited about the invitation to participate in such an important topic for retail. Building and maintaining a good customer relationship increases loyalty, promotes trust and results in business growth." Frederico Nicolay , senior manager at iFood: "I am very happy to participate in this panel at NRF 24 and be able to talk about AI, Loyalty and Payment Methods, three topics that are transforming the future of retail and the customer experience."

, senior manager at iFood: "I am very happy to participate in this panel at NRF 24 and be able to talk about AI, Loyalty and Payment Methods, three topics that are transforming the future of retail and the customer experience." Daniel Zanco , board member at OmniBiz Consulting: "I think it's very important that we discuss the future of customer engagement, at a time when retail has been under so much pressure due to changes in consumer behavior and the extremely high cost of acquiring new customers."

Additionally, Givex Brasil is set to launch its new website in early 2024, introducing exciting tools to enhance its platform further.

About Givex (TSX: GIVX) (OTCQX: GIVXF)

The world is changing. Givex is ready. Since 1999, Givex has provided technology solutions that unleash the full potential of engagement, creating and cultivating powerful connections that unite brands and customers. With a global footprint of 128,000+ active locations across more than 100 countries, Givex unleashes strategic insights, empowering brands through reliable technology and exceptional support. Givex's integrated end-to-end management solution provides Gift Cards, GivexPOS, Loyalty Programs and more, creating growth opportunities for businesses of all sizes and industries. Learn more about how to streamline workflows, tackle complex challenges and transform data into actionable insights at www.givex.com.

SOURCE Givex Corporation
DUBLIN, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Clinical Trial Supplies Market by Services (Manufacturing, Packaging, Logistics), Phases, Type (Small Molecules, Biologics), Therapeutic Areas (Oncology, CVD, Infectious, Immunology), End User (Pharma, Biotech, CROs), & Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global clinical trial supplies market is projected to reach USD 6.3 billion by 2028 from USD 3.9 billion in 2023, at a CAGR of 9.9%

The report will help market leaders/new entrants by providing them with the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall clinical trial supplies market and its subsegments. It will also help stakeholders better understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to better position their business and make suitable go-to-market strategies.

Factors such as the increasing number of clinical trials, growing product pipeline, and increasing decentralization of clinical trials are likely to have a positive impact on market growth.

The logistics and distribution segment held the dominant share in 2022

Based on services, the global clinical trial supplies market is segmented into pathogen component, adjuvant emulsions, particulate adjuvants, saponin-based adjuvants and other adjuvants. The adjuvant emulsions segment held a dominant share in the market in 2022. Extensive use of adjuvant emulsions in COVID-19 & other infectious diseases and the rising prevalence of contagious diseases are likely to have positive impact on the growth of the market.

Phase II segment accounted for the largest share of the phase segment in 2022

Based on phase, the clinical trial supplies market is segmented into phase I, phase II, phase III, phase IV, BA/BE studies. In 2022, the phase II segment accounted for the largest share of the clinical trial supplies market. The segment held the dominant share in the market owing to various factors such as increasing the number of registration in clinical trials and the rising R&D investment by pharmaceutical and biotechnologies company for new cancer drug development.

Asia-Pacific region is likely to grow at a faster pace

Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of the region is majorly driven by the increasing number of registered clinical trials.

The increasing decentralization of clinical trials from China, India, and Japan due to presence of prominent players are engaged in providing services for clinical trial, supports market growth in the Asia-Pacific.

Premium Insights

Rising Prevalence of Infectious Diseases to Drive Market Growth

Small-Molecule Drugs Accounted for Largest Share of North American Clinical Trial Supplies Market in 2022

Logistics & Distribution Services to Continue to Dominate Market in 2028

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies Accounted for Largest Market Share in 2022

Asia-Pacific Countries to Register Highest Growth Rates from 2023 to 2028

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Increasing R&D Investments by Biopharma Companies

Growing Number of Clinical Trials

Growing Decentralization of Clinical Trials

Rising Prevalence of Orphan and Rare Diseases

Increasing Outsourcing Activities in Emerging Asian Economies

Restraints

High Cost of Drug Development

Opportunities

Growth Opportunities in Emerging Markets

Increased Investments in Development of Biologics and Biosimilars

Rising Demand for Specialized Testing Services

Challenges

High Cost of Clinical Trials

Company Profiles

Key Market Players

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Catalent, Inc.

Eurofins Scientific

Piramal Pharma Solutions

PRA Health Sciences (A Subsidiary of Icon PLC)

Marken (A Subsidiary of UPS)

Parexel International (MA) Corporation

Biocair

Almac Group

Sharp Services, LLC

PCI Pharma Services

Nuvisan

Lonza Group

Other Players

OCT Group LLC

Corex Logistics Limited

Acnos Pharma GmbH

Clinical Services International

KLIFO

Clinigen Limited

Ancillare L.P.

N-SIDE

ADAllen Pharma

Durbin

Recipharm AB

IPS Pharma

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/m9kq4x

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.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

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For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Educational Furniture Market: Analysis By Material, By Product, By Application, By Distribution Channel, By Region Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global educational furniture market was valued at US$4.85 billion in 2022. The market value is expected to reach US$6.19 billion by 2028. The educational furniture market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.36% over the years 2023-2028.

The global educational furniture market is poised for significant expansion, projected to soar at an accelerating pace. This growth trajectory is underpinned by several key drivers. One such factor is the continual surge in enrollment rates across schools and universities worldwide. Additionally, the rising disposable income among consumers contributes to increased spending on quality educational furniture. Government initiatives aimed at enhancing educational infrastructure also play a pivotal role in propelling this market forward.

Furthermore, the proliferation of schools and educational institutions fuels the demand for specialized furniture. Beyond these factors, evolving classroom dynamics and a heightened focus on creating conducive learning environments further amplify the market's potential. Collectively, these catalysts drive the anticipated growth, reflecting a robust trajectory for the global educational furniture market.

Market Segmentation Analysis:

By Material: The report identifies four segments on the basis of material, namely; wood, plastic, metal, and others. In 2022, the wood sector held a prominent position in the market, while the metal segment is anticipated to experience the most rapid growth in the projected timeframe.

By Product: The report identifies four segments on the basis of product, namely; Seating Furniture, Storage Units, Lab Furniture and Others. The seating furniture segment held the major share of the global educational furniture market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period.



By Application: On the basis of application, the report identifies three segment, namely; Classroom, Library & Labs, and Others. The classroom held the highest share in the market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecasted period.



By Distribution Channel: The report identifies two segments namely based on distribution channel, Offline and Online. Offline segment held the highest share in the market. Offline channel operates through physical stores, showrooms, dealerships, and direct sales representatives.



By Region: In 2022, North America led the market, propelled by escalating enrollment rates, a surge in demand for high-quality educational furniture, and the rise of blended learning approaches. Market players strategically positioned themselves to capitalize on these trends, strengthening their market presence and fostering further growth.



Meanwhile, the educational furniture market in the Asia Pacific region, encompassing key regions like China, Japan, India, and South Korea, is dynamic and rapidly evolving. Its growth is driven by rapid urbanization, population expansion, and the consequent need for more educational institutions and furniture.



Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:



The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the landscape of the educational furniture market. As educational institutions transitioned to remote or hybrid learning models, there was a temporary slowdown in the demand for traditional classroom furniture.

However, the pandemic also accelerated the need for adaptable, technology-integrated furniture suitable for flexible learning environments. Schools and universities began investing in furniture conducive to remote learning setups, such as ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks, and technology-compatible solutions like charging stations and video conferencing furniture.



Moreover, the heightened awareness of health and safety led to a surge in demand for easy-to-clean, antimicrobial furniture to maintain hygienic environments within educational settings. Supply chain disruptions and material shortages impacted production and delivery, causing delays and affecting market dynamics. Overall, the pandemic prompted a shift in furniture requirements towards more versatile, tech-savvy, and hygienic options, emphasizing adaptability to changing learning environments, both in traditional classrooms and remote setups.



Competitive Landscape:



The global educational furniture market is fragmented, with increasing number of large and medium sized players accounting for the majority of market revenue, and presence of a substantial number of regional market players with limited business offerings and customer base.

However, in developed economies, such as the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, and Japan, a selected number of market manufacturers dominate the global market with their strong brand recognition and competitive positioning.

Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers

Rising Enrollment Rates In Schools And Universities

Increase In Disposable Income

Government Initiatives

Upsurge In Number Of Schools

Challenges

High Upfront Costs

Fluctuations In Prices Of Wood

Market Trends

Smart Education Furniture

Growing Popularity Of Ergonomic Furniture

Increasing Focus On Sustainability

Active Learning Environments

Customized Furniture

Evolution Of Educational Practices

The key players of the global educational furniture market are:

Steelcase Inc.

MillerKnoll, Inc.

Vitra International AG

Falcon

VS America, Inc.

KI

OfficeLine

British Thornton

Virco Mfg. Corporation

Fleetwood Group, Inc.(Fleetwood Furniture)

Hertz Furniture

Metalliform Holdings Limited

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wk78r0

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.

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716





SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Flood Insurance Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028F" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global Flood Insurance Market has valued at USD 13.4 Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to project robust growth in the forecast period with a CAGR of 16.13% through 2028.

The global flood insurance market is experiencing significant changes and growth in response to the escalating risks associated with flooding events. As climate change continues to bring about extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels, the frequency and severity of floods are on the rise, making flood insurance an increasingly critical component of risk management.



Insurance providers are adapting to these evolving challenges by offering innovative flood insurance policies. These policies often incorporate advanced data analytics and modeling techniques to assess flood risk more accurately. Insurers are also collaborating with government agencies and using publicly available flood maps to better understand and mitigate the potential for flood-related losses.



The demand for flood insurance is increasing as homeowners, businesses, and governments recognize the financial devastation that can result from flood damage. Government initiatives in some regions are promoting the purchase of flood insurance to enhance resilience in the face of climate change.



Furthermore, technology plays a vital role in streamlining the flood insurance market. Insurtech companies are developing user-friendly digital platforms that simplify the purchasing process and provide real-time access to flood risk data.



In conclusion, the global flood insurance market is expanding in response to the growing threat of flooding events driven by climate change. Insurance providers are adopting advanced tools and technologies to offer better coverage and risk assessment, and increased awareness of the need for flood insurance is contributing to market growth.

Market Dynamics

Climate Change and Increasing Flood Risks:

Climate change leads to more frequent and severe weather events, including floods.

Growing awareness of the need for flood insurance as insurance providers face increased claims.

Urgency and relevance of flood insurance underscored by climate change.

Government Initiatives and Regulations:

Governments worldwide recognize flood insurance's importance in disaster preparedness.

Regulations in high-risk flood areas mandate homeowners to purchase flood insurance.

Partnerships between governments and insurers offer subsidized or affordable options.

Technological Advancements and Data Analytics:

Advanced data analytics, geospatial analysis, and modeling improve flood risk assessment.

High-resolution flood maps and real-time weather data enable accurate underwriting and pricing.

Insurtech companies develop user-friendly digital platforms for policy management.

Increasing Awareness and Education:

Growing awareness of flood risks drives demand for flood insurance.

Educational initiatives by insurance providers, government agencies, and non-profits inform the public.

Standard homeowners' insurance often does not cover flood damages.

Market Competition and Innovation:

Flood insurance market becomes more competitive, driving innovation in policy offerings.

Customized flood insurance products cater to specific needs of homeowners, renters, and businesses.

Experimentation with parametric insurance offers predetermined payouts based on specific triggers.

Key Market Challenges:

Risk assessment and pricing accuracy in flood insurance is challenging due to complex factors.

Affordability and accessibility of flood insurance can be prohibitive, particularly in high-risk areas.

Coverage gaps and policy clarity issues lead to disputes and financial hardships.

Balancing government involvement and fiscal responsibility is complex.

Key Market Trends:

Climate change adaptation and resilience drive demand for flood insurance.

Parametric insurance and innovative products gain traction in flood insurance.

Technology, data analytics, and insurtech enhance the flood insurance market.

Public-private partnerships and government involvement are on the rise.

Data sharing and transparency initiatives are increasing.

Global expansion and emerging markets recognize flood risk.

Segmental Insights:

Coverage Type Insights:

Building property coverage is growing due to increased awareness of flood risks.

Property owners seek comprehensive coverage beyond standard homeowners' insurance.

Specialized building property coverage includes structure, foundation, systems, and appliances.

Public awareness campaigns and regulations promote building property coverage.

Application Insights:

The commercial sector is recognized as a growing segment in flood insurance.

Businesses seek comprehensive coverage for properties, inventory, equipment, and business interruption.

Insurers offer specialized commercial flood insurance tailored to industry needs.

Government initiatives mandate or encourage businesses in flood-prone areas to invest in flood insurance.

Regional Insights:

North America is a growing segment in the flood insurance market.

is a growing segment in the flood insurance market. Vulnerability to various flood-related risks drives demand for flood insurance.

Inadequacy of standard homeowners' insurance policies increases awareness.

Government initiatives like the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) promote flood insurance.

Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Flood Insurance Market.

USAA

AXA

Allstate Insurance Company

Neptune Flood

Assurant, Inc.

GEICO

Tokio Marine Highland Insurance Services, Inc.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company

Berkshire Hathaway

Chubb

Report Scope:



Flood Insurance Market, By Coverage Type:

Building Property Coverage

Personal Contents Coverage

Flood Insurance Market, By Application:

Residential

Commercial

Flood Insurance Market, By Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Europe

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Germany

Spain

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

Australia

South Korea

Indonesia

Middle East & Africa

& South Africa

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Turkey

South America

Argentina

Colombia

Brazil

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j62ubr

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market by Type (Armored, Unarmored), Propulsion System (Jet Engine, Electric Propulsion), Mode of Operation, Application, and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World )- Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The maritime patrol aircraft market is valued at USD 6.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 11.9 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2023 to 2028

This market study covers the maritime patrol aircraft market across various segments and subsegments. It aims to estimate this market's size and growth potential across different parts based on type, propulsion systems, application, mode of operation, and region. This study also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key players in the market, their company profiles, key observations related to their product and business offerings, recent developments, and key market strategies they adopted.

Over the last few decades, the maritime patrol aircraft industry has continued to evolve with expanding use cases, better cost efficiencies, and a more significant impact of new technological developments in the aircraft. The maritime patrol aircraft market is experiencing growth driven by escalating maritime security concerns.

These specialized aircraft are pivotal for monitoring and safeguarding coastal regions and international waters. As global trade via the oceans expands and maritime disputes rise, nations are investing in these aircraft to ensure sea safety and security. Technological advancements further boost their demand by enhancing surveillance and communication capabilities.

Major companies profiled in the report include Boeing (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy), Airbus (Netherlands), and Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), among others.

Based on application, the combat support segment is estimated to have the second-largest market share in 2023

The combat support segment in the maritime patrol aircraft market is being driven by evolving global security dynamics. As nations strive to safeguard their maritime interests and secure vital sea routes, investments in combat support aircraft are increasing. These aircraft not only bolster naval capabilities in conflict scenarios but also serve as essential assets for ensuring maritime stability and protecting national interests. This underscores the growing significance of the combat support segment in the maritime patrol aircraft market.

Based on type, the unarmored segment is estimated to have the second-largest market share in 2023

The unarmored segment within the maritime patrol aircraft market is being driven by cost-efficiency and versatility. These aircraft, without heavy armor, are more economical to operate due to their lighter weight and improved fuel efficiency. They are equipped with essential surveillance and reconnaissance systems, making them suitable for monitoring maritime activities and supporting various missions like search and rescue. As nations seek cost-effective solutions to cover extensive ocean areas and address evolving maritime security challenges, the demand for unarmored maritime patrol aircraft is increasing.

Based on regions, the North American region is estimated to have the second-largest market share in 2023

The North America region's prominence in the maritime patrol aircraft market stems from a range of factors. Firstly, the region faces substantial security challenges in its extensive coastlines and maritime borders, necessitating investments in advanced patrol aircraft to ensure maritime safety and security.

Additionally, North America's strong aerospace industry contributes to the development and innovation of maritime patrol aircraft technologies. Collaborations and partnerships with neighboring nations and international organizations further bolster regional maritime security efforts. North America's commitment to upholding maritime dominance and safeguarding crucial trade routes drives the demand for maritime patrol aircraft, establishing the region as a key player in the global maritime patrol aircraft market.

Company Profiles

Airbus

Avic Harbin Aircraft Industry Group Co. Ltd.

Boeing

Dassault Aviation

Embraer

General Automics Aeronautical Systems

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Hal)

Israel Aerospace Indsutries (Iai)

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Leonardo S.P.A.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Saab Ab

Shinmaywa Industries Ltd.

Textron Inc.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Opportunities Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market

4.2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Application

4.3 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Mode of Operation

4.4 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Region

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.4 Challenges

5.3 Roadmap for Maritime Patrol Aircraft

5.4 Value Chain Analysis

5.5 Market Ecosystem

5.6 Trends/Disruption Impacting Customer's Business

5.7 Pricing Analysis

5.7.1 Average Selling Price Trend of Key Players, by Aircraft Type

5.7.2 Average Selling Price Trend, by Region

5.8 Technology Analysis

5.9 Case Study Analysis

5.10 Tariff and Regulatory Landscape

5.10.1 Regulatory Bodies, Government Agencies and Other Organizations

5.11 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.12 Key Stakeholders & Buying Criteria

5.12.1 Key Stakeholders in Buying Process

5.12.2 Buying Criteria

5.13 Trade Analysis

5.14 Volume Data

5.15 Key Conferences & Events in 2023-24

6 Industry Trends

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Supply Chain Analysis

6.3 Emerging Industry Trends

6.4 Innovation & Patent Registration

6.5 Impact of Mega Trend

7 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Type

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Armored

7.3 Unarmored

8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Propulsion System

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Jet Engine

8.2.1 Turbofan

8.2.2 Turboprop

8.2.3 Turboshaft

8.3 Electric Propulsion

9 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Mode of Operation

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Manned

9.3 Unmanned

10 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Application

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Surveillance and Reconnaissance

10.3 Combat Support

10.4 Search and Rescue

10.5 Coastal Patrolling

11 Maritime Patrol Aircraft Market, by Region

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Regional Recession Impact Analysis

12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Company Overview

12.3 Market Ranking Analysis of Key Players, 2022

12.4 Market Share Analysis, 2022

12.5 Revenue Analysis of Top 5 Market Players, 2022

12.6 Company Footprint

12.7 Company Evaluation Matrix

12.9 Competitive Scenario & Trends

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4qshas

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.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



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SOURCE Research and Markets
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

Why do we love The Crown so much? There are several reasons as to why Peter Morgans production has become the series of the decade. To start, the mastery with which historical figures who we have witnessed forever locked into protocol and pomp acquire life, flesh, hearts and guts. Then too, a staging that has erected this solemnity at the same height of the humanity of its protagonists. To this, we must add the discreet and, at times, stark capacity to take us into their palaces alcoves, and its ambition to portray a historical period  the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st  that runs disturbingly parallel to our present times. Aside from that, the skill and capacity with which, via superb audiovisual fiction, we have been delighted to swallow the most spectacular propaganda operation ever carried out in the contemporary era in regards to a secular institution.

But a great series would be nothing without actors in a state of grace. On one hand, a nice fistful of established performers have set the bar of excellence, and, on the other, theres been fresh faces who play their roles as candidates for the league of future stars. Thats also why we have loved The Crown: because its cast and pairings have marked an era, with absolutely outstanding results.

Choosing three performers for the same role is a risky decision. Add in the fact that the character is an icon, and the stakes are even higher. That goes for those who do the casting  in this case, Morgan and his team  as well as those who accept the challenge. In the case of the Queen, the opportunity has fallen to Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton. The first had the newcomers audacity, and put her inexperienced face at the service of a character whose first steps were complex and delicate due to her need to learn to demand respect. Foy endowed Elizabeth II with an innocence that she had to counterbalance with character. She played the role as she came to understand the place she had to occupy, the weight of a still-imperial crown on the head of a girl who, in principle, had not been born to inherit the throne.

Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.

As the show began, its plot was that of imposed destiny and the need to adapt to it with as little baggage as possible. One of an improvised succession that had to work without negatively impacted the apex of a nation. As counterpoint, in Claire Foys seasons, Matt Smith, in his role as Philip of Edinburgh, and Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret, shone. The latter actress has recently eaten up scenes alongside no less than Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scotts Napoleon, playing the role of Josephine.

The three-way conflicts between these characters during the early seasons were among the series highlights. But so too were Foys one-on-ones with John Lithgow as Churchill. Their mentor-mentee moments, the delicacy with which they both confronted wisdom and inexperience with the tact necessary for each to occupy their assigned position, highlighted the shows brilliant subtlety and enduring ability.

Natural dexterity

Then it was time for Olivia Colman. The actress is one of todays great women of British acting, and it fell to her to play the fully matured Elizabeth II. She tackled this with the natural dexterity of the truly gifted when faced with great roles. With a mixture of forcefulness and risk. Audacity and solidity. Self-confidence and a sense of humor. In addition, she had rivals with whom to fight face to face that complimented her ever-welcome ability to overcome. Colmans memorable co-stars included Helena Bonham Carter as Margaret and Gillian Anderson, in the steely and dismissive skin of Margaret Thatcher, although that performance  somewhat histrionic  did not surpass that of Meryl Streeps. This list would not be complete without another discovery of which the series can boast: the young Josh OConnor in the role of her son Charles.

Imelda Staunton plays Queen Elizabeth II in the final phase of her life. HBO

To Imelda Stauton fell the twilight Elizabeth. Cooler, more ceremonial than her first chapters, in the last season she approached the series farewell with a solidity typical of her predecessors. The actress brings a warm, emotional serenity to the sign-off. She integrated her legacys gloom with the light given off by nostalgia, shadowed by a future that she and her husband  the also-glorious Jonathan Pryce  had a record of not seeing clearly.

Time of the monsters

Like Foy and Coleman, Staunton has given us a lesson in knowing how to convey, through presence and gesture, thoughts that could not be articulated by mouth, although she has been exceptional in the delivery of speeches. Her work in the last two seasons, aside from Jonathan Pryce and Lesley Manville as the last phase of Margaret, has been accompanied by two real monsters. That would be Dominic West, as Charles of England, and yet another discovery who has real star projection: Elizabeth Debicki, as Diana of Wales.

This actress has left us shaking via her physical and psychological synchronization with the ill-fated princess. Her gaze, as cloudy and desperate as her unprotected status, her elegant and frivolous fragility, have disarmed us. West, as we already knew, is a master of versatility and here, he has proved it once again. Over the course of his career, he has been able to transport us as few others can, to the Baltimore underworld when we first came across him on The Wire, and down to hell for love, as he was obliged to transit in The Affair. Of course, he didnt have it easy presenting himself as a trustworthy heir after I want to be your tampon.

Dominic West, in another moment from The Crown. Netflix

His task has been that of portraying a complicated man, for which it was necessary a true actor, like himself, capable of humanizing a fraught character, and giving the public a chance  through fiction, as is the key to the series power  to see him as a worthy heir to the throne. Wests work will be fundamental in the acceptance of a king who is still in the trial period in terms of his public reception. It wouldnt hurt for the monarch to thank West for his work next Christmas with a nice bottle of whiskey.

Throughout history, every series  and there are very few  that has earned its status as a work of art has done so with great characters who have been brought to life in many cases by heretofore undiscovered actors, or ones who we simply had not previously noticed. Simply, an opportunity had arrived that they knew what to do with. The success of The Sopranos goes hand in hand with that of James Gandolfini; Mad Men with Jon Hamms; The Wire and Game of Thrones with that of an entire cast, guaranteeing a few careers 

In this sense, The Crown has especially stood out, and more than fulfilled its role. Not only has it served as yet another milestone for established performers, it has also provided us with a long list of new talents who have shone, and kept pace with the masters who accompanied them in this cornerstone production. Now, faced with the emptiness caused by a lack of new seasons, there is only one solution: re-watch every one of its sixty episodes. They are even better the second time around.

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DUBLIN, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global MVNO Market by Operational Model (Reseller, Service Operator, Full MVNO), Subscriber (Consumer, Enterprise), Service Type (Postpaid, Prepaid), Business Model (Discount, Ethnic, Business, Youth/Media) and Region - Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The report forecasts that the MVNO market size is projected to grow from USD 84.6 billion in 2023 to USD 116.8 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 6.7%

The report would help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall MVNO market and the subsegments. This report would help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies.

Many countries in the have a robust mobile-first culture, with a high penetration of smartphones and mobile devices. This mobile-centric environment creates opportunities for MVNOs to leverage existing mobile networks and offer IoT connectivity services to various devices, thus driving the market growth.

The report would help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

By Operational Mode, the service operator segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Service operators have their own infrastructure, which enables them to have complete control over their business and service offerings. The degree of control and flexibility an MVNO has will depend on which operating elements it controls. However, host operators may impose some restrictions on MVNOs in the retail environment.

Service operator is one of the most popular models for new entrants. It enables MVNOs to start with a select set of operating elements and develop their own operations gradually. After their proposition has been proven and they have gained a considerable number of customers, MVNOs take over the operations of their host MNOs. The service operator model suits and helps businesses with brands or service concepts differentiate themselves from existing players.

By Subscriber, the consumer segment is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period

MVNO is a consumer-driven market, with more than 80% of the market covered by consumer-based vendors. The consumer is projected to be the dominant segment during the forecast period due to the availability of MVNOs that provide customer-centric offerings, such as affordable data & voice plans and the latest technologies.

Currently, MVNOs are attracting more customers due to higher brand loyalty than new mobile entrants. These MVNOs provide unique services to their customers to differentiate themselves from traditional operators. The areas of differentiation include tariff flexibility, high-quality customer services, unique distribution models, bundling with fixed services, and access to unique content (music, games, and videos) and services.

Asia Pacific is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The MVNO market in the Asia Pacific region has undergone significant transformation in recent years. Asia Pacific has always been an emerging region for the telecom industry. The region's diversified geographic area and high customer base creates huge opportunities for MVNOs. As per the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), APAC has emerged as the largest marketplace for the telecom industry across the globe.

China and India are the world's largest marketplaces for the telecom industry in terms of network infrastructure capacity and end-user subscribers. In terms of mobile subscriber base, the region holds the greatest number of consumers as compared to other regions and will remain one of the fastest-growing markets by 2024 and beyond.

Premium Insights

Increasing Internet Services and New Data Centers to Drive Market in Asia-Pacific

Service Operator Segment to Hold Largest Market Share in 2023

Enterprise Segment to Witness Higher Growth in 2023

in 2023 Postpaid Segment to Hold Largest Market Share in 2023

Full MVNO and US to Hold Largest Market Shares in 2023

Case Study Analysis

Telit Provided Stable Connection for Water Monitoring to Watersignal Using Cellular Connectivity

Soracom Provided Strong, Consistent Connection, Real-Time Visualization, and Secure Pathway to Aurora Payments Via Soracom Vpg

M2M Services Implemented Lte-M Technology and Modules for Alarm Devices for Telit

Kajeet Filtering Enabled Through Sentinel Helped Manage Data Consumption Across Active Devices

Soracom's Napter Service Helped to Maximize Security by Providing Remote Access to Any Ev Charger on Demand

Market Overview and Industry Trends

Drivers

Provision of Demographic-Related Customer Services

Profit Maximization Opportunity for Both Mnos and Mvnos

Restraints

Mnos Giving Low Priority to Mvno Customers

Opportunities

Adoption of Iot, M2M, and Byod by Mvnos to Attract New Customers

Challenges

Fragmented Nature of Market

Stringent Government Rules and Regulations for Mnos and Mvnos

Technology Roadmap of Market

Short-Term Roadmap (2023-2025)

Mid-Term Roadmap (2026-2028)

Long-Term Roadmap (2029-2030)

Regulatory Landscape

General Data Protection Regulation

Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act

Cloud Security Alliance Security Trust Assurance and Risk

Soc 2

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

Mvno Impact on Adjacent Niche Technologies

Network Function Virtualization (Nfv)

Software-Defined Network (Sdn)

Artificial Intelligence

Edge Computing

Blockchain

Current and Emerging Business Models

Caas Model

Managed Services Model

Revenue Sharing Model

Paas Model

Company Profiles

Key Players

Virgin Media Business (Uk)

Dataxoom

Lebara

Kddi

Asahi Net

Virgin Mobile Usa

Tracfone Wireless

Friendi Mobile

Boost Mobile

Lycamobile

Tesco Mobile

Postemobile

Airvoice Wireless

Asda Mobile

Giffgaff

Kajeet

Voiceworks

Ting

Red Pocket Mobile

Consumer Cellular

Other Key Players

Hologram

1Ot

Soracom

Onomondo

Airlinq

Emnify

1Nce

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9itmzd

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.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
All business operations organized by markets in The Americas and Europe supporting strategic goals

Adrian Downes to step down as Chief Financial Officer; National search commences for next CFO

Succession plan completed for Chief Legal Officer

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE: GBX) today announced a new business operations organizational structure supporting its "Better Together" business strategy, unveiled at its April 2023 Investor Day. The streamlined organization is designed to drive organizational effectiveness, improve efficiency, leverage best practices and improve customer experience to drive greater shareholder value. The company also announced planned changes in the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role and the completion of a succession plan for the leadership of its Legal function.

Lorie Tekorius, CEO and President, said, "Since Greenbrier's formation in the 1980s, we have grown to lead in all markets where we operate. Now is the time to leverage the benefits of scale and standardization. The changes being announced today will bring greater focus and accountability to our operating units while driving efficiency in our enabling functions. To advance to Greenbrier's next growth phase, we must continue collaborating and working Better Together as a unified organization."

Greenbrier's structure now frames its operating activities in two distinct geographies: The Americas and Europe. Brian Comstock, a 26-year Greenbrier veteran with more than four decades of railway industry experience, assumes responsibility for all operations in The Americas, which includes the United States, Mexico, Canada and Brazil. William Glenn, who has spent more than 20 years at Greenbrier in various roles, assumes responsibility for all operations in Europe. Greenbrier's Board of Directors has appointed Comstock as Executive Vice President & President, The Americas and Glenn as Senior Vice President & President, Europe. Both Comstock and Glenn continue to report to Tekorius.

"I am confident changes in our business operations will support progress on our strategic priorities and Greenbrier will continue to excel as we simplify our structure. These changes are intended to support and empower Greenbrier employees across the organization. The new organizational design of our business operations provides the right platform for the next phase of our growth and to deliver value for all Greenbrier stakeholders, especially our employees, customers and shareholders," Tekorius said.

In addition to Greenbrier's new business operations framework, Adrian Downes will step down as CFO on or about March 31, 2024. Downes continues as Greenbrier's Principal Financial Officer until he transitions to serve the company as a senior advisor to the CEO through March 2025. Greenbrier has begun a national search for its next CFO.

"Among his many contributions, Adrian took actions critical to strengthening our balance sheet, helped Greenbrier's expanding global operations platform integrate with accounting and finance, and aided the development of our long-term strategic plan. We appreciate Adrian's dedication and service," Tekorius said.

On January 4, Greenbrier's Board appointed Christian Lucky as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer (CLO/CCO), reporting to Tekorius. Lucky's appointment completed a planned succession from Martin Baker, who served as CLO/CCO since 2008. Baker now serves as Senior Vice President, reporting to Tekorius.

Tekorius concluded, "Over 16 years of service, Martin modernized Greenbrier's legal function. Under his leadership, our legal team helped Greenbrier adapt and respond to the challenges of rapid growth. Christian possesses the right background and experience to lead Greenbrier's newly-formed Legal and Administration team to address our future needs."

About Greenbrier

Greenbrier, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is a leading international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint ventures, Greenbrier designs, builds and markets freight railcars in North America, Europe and Brazil. We are a leading provider of freight railcar wheel services, parts, maintenance and retrofitting services in North America through our maintenance services business unit. Greenbrier owns a lease fleet of approximately 14,100 railcars that originate primarily from Greenbrier's manufacturing operations. Greenbrier offers railcar management, regulatory compliance services and leasing services to railroads and other railcar owners in North America. Learn more about Greenbrier at www.gbrx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," including statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. Greenbrier uses words, and variations of words, such as "advance," "anticipated," "confident," "create," "continue," "drive," "future," "improvement," "increase," "initiative," "position," "progress," "provided," "strategy," "target," "will," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, the following: an economic downturn or economic uncertainty; shortages of skilled labor, increased labor costs, or a failure to maintain good relations with our workforce; price volatility for supplies to our business as well as goods and services in our industry; mismatch of supply and demand, interruptions of supply lines, inefficient or overloaded logistics platforms, among other factors which may cause the markets for the inputs to our business to fail to operate effectively or efficiently, and material disruption of rail traffic or material delay in the movement of our products to customer delivery points. More information on potential factors that could cause our results to differ from our forward-looking statements is included in the Company's filings with the SEC, including in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's most recently filed periodic report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Form 10-Q. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's opinions only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.
Rising demand for personalized flavor experiences in the food & beverage industry is propelling the specialty syrup market to new heights. Consumers' preference for convenience and ready-to-eat options further fuels this expansion, while growing health consciousness drives the adoption of natural and organic sweeteners like maple or honey.

NEWARK, Del., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Specialty Syrup Market is anticipated to continue to expand at a significant rate. It is estimated to be worth US$ 5.0 billion in 2024. It is expected to reach US$ 8.6 billion in 2034. The market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2024 to 2034.



Request Exclusive Sample Report: Specialty Syrups Market Strategic Insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18784

Drivers of Specialty Syrups Industry Growth

The market's expansion can be attributed to the food & beverage industry's growing need for personalized flavors. Consumer preference for convenience and ready-to-eat foods is growing, which is another factor fueling the market's expansion.

The demand for household consumption during the pandemic stayed unchanged as customers were encouraged by the work-from-home lifestyle. They aimed to experiment with different culinary preparations and purchase novel components, including specialty syrup.

During the pandemic, this factor helped propel the market's expansion. During the projection period, demand in the industry is expected to rise as lockdowns ease and people return to hotels & restaurants, bringing the global market back to pre-lockdown levels.

Customers are looking for better substitutes for natural and organic products. They have become more aware of the components in the items they consume. As a result, producers are concentrating on creating specialty syrups with natural sweeteners like maple or honey.

Artificial ingredients are being avoided by renowned players. As customers become more health-conscious, the market for specialized syrups that are sugar-free and low in calories is expanding at a fast pace.

Key Takeaways from the Report-

The global specialty syrup market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 8.6 billion in 2034.

in 2034. The market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period.

over the forecast period. The United States is projected to attain a market valuation of US$ 1.6 billion in 2024.

is projected to attain a market valuation of in 2024. The confectionery application segment is estimated to hold a market share of 32.5% in 2024.

in 2024. The United Kingdom is projected to reach a market valuation of US$ 0.4 billion in 2034.

is projected to reach a market valuation of in 2034. India is estimated to rise at a value CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.

"Specialty syrups are becoming increasingly popular as a result of consumers' increased desire for uncommon and exotic flavors. Specialty syrups are a convenient way to add interesting flavors to beverages and food items, satisfying the rising need from customers for unique flavors," says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience.

Specialty Syrups Market Research Report Coverage

Attribute Details Estimated Value (2024) US$ 5.0 billion Projected Value (2034) US$ 8.6 billion Anticipated Growth Rate (2024 to 2034) 5.5 % Forecast Period 2024 to 2034 Historical Data Available for 2019 to 2023 Market Analysis US$ billion for Value, MT for Volume Key Regions Covered North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Middle East and Africa Key Countries Covered United States

Canada

Brazil

Mexico

Germany

United Kingdom

France

Italy

Spain

Nordic

Russia Poland

China

India

Thailand

Indonesia

Australia and New Zealand

Japan

GCC countries

North Africa

South Africa Key Segments Covered Type, Application, Nature, and Region Report Coverage Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, Drivers Restraints Opportunity Trends Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives



Competitive Landscape

Consolidating through acquisitions and mergers is advantageous for companies by enhancing product quality and broadening market reach. This is achieved by consolidating resources, expertise, and customer bases, which opens doors to advancing technologies, distribution channels, and manufacturing capabilities.

New product development and launch aid companies in remaining competitive and addressing evolving consumer needs. It enables them to attract fresh clientele, retain existing ones, and augment their market presence.

Following are the leading companies in specialty syrups market

Ingredion

Bear Mountain Maple

Tippleman's

Torani

Runamok Maple

Amoretti

Roj Syrups

ADM

Sonoma Syrup Co.

JM Posner

Purchase this report now to get key companies with their Revenue Forecast, Volume Forecast, Company Ranking, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, Trends, and Pricing Analysis.

Recent Developments

In 2023, Torani launched Sweet Heat Syrup, a flavorful addition to their Original Syrups line. The syrup is crafted with natural flavors and pure cane sugar. It is cold-filtered to ensure a smooth taste.

Torani launched Sweet Heat Syrup, a flavorful addition to their Original Syrups line. The syrup is crafted with natural flavors and pure cane sugar. It is cold-filtered to ensure a smooth taste. In 2020, Ingredion launched Stablesweet, a low-sugar glucose syrup derived from corn. This innovative syrup enables manufacturers to produce shelf-stable products while reducing sugar content.

Get More Valuable Insights

Future Market Insights (FMI) has released an objective assessment of the global market, presenting past demand data from 2019 to 2022 and projecting forecast statistics for the 2024 to 2034 period.

The study provides compelling insights into the specialty syrup market segment based on type (chocolate syrup, maple syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, fruit syrup and others), application (bakery, beverages, confectionery, and others [marinades, salads]), nature (natural and artificial) and region.

About the Food and Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) food & beverage team offers comprehensive business intelligence services, with a vast array of reports and data points analyzed across 50+ countries over a decade. The team provides consulting services and end-to-end research, offering expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations to clients worldwide. Contact them to explore how they can assist with your unique business intelligence needs.

About the Author:

Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives.

She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table.

Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results.

Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India.

Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor.

Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Food and Beverages Domain:

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis helps businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.

Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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SOURCE Future Market Insights
Donation will allow for faster microbial identification to help guide patient therapy 

SANTA MARIA, Calif., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Microbiology device manufacturer Hardy Diagnostics, made a generous donation to the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation to support the purchase of advanced identification equipment in the hospital's laboratory. The donation of $289,000 has allowed the lab to purchase highly specialized bacteria and fungi identification equipment not previously available on the Central Coast of California. The equipment will play a vital role in the rapid diagnosis of disease.

Donation allows local lab to purchase highly specialized bacteria and fungi identification equipment. Post this Hardy Diagnostics' President and CEO Jay Hardy along with Andre Hsiung, Chief Scientific Officer at Hardy Diagnostics, unveil new hospital Microbiology Laboratory sign following financial donation to support purchase of highly specialized bacteria and fungi identification equipment #hardydiagnostics @hardydiagnostics Jay Hardy, President and CEO and Andre Hsiung, Chief Scientific Officer of Hardy Diagnostics stand with Hospital CEO Sue Andersen and the staff at the Marian Regional Medical Center Microbiology Laboratory following unveiling of new laboratory signage #hardydiagnostics @hardydiagnostics

"It gives us immense joy knowing that we can partner with Marian and other hospitals in their mission to provide superior health care to those in our community," said Jay Hardy, President and CEO of Hardy Diagnostics. Hardy Diagnostics' products are used all over the world to diagnose and prevent disease. The company, which has been headquartered in the Central Coast of California since 1980, is a 100% employee-owned company that is licensed by the FDA as a medical device manufacturer, and its quality management system is ISO 13485 certified. Hardy donates 1% of its earnings to non-profit organizations and supports a variety of local charities.

Kevin Ferguson, MD, FASCP, Marian's Medical Director of Laboratory and Pathology Services said, "Due to Hardy Diagnostics' generosity, the Marian Laboratory will now be able to purchase highly specialized equipment that will allow health care in our community to dramatically improve by creating faster results and more targeted, effective, and definitive patient treatments."

In December 2023, the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation held a ceremony unveiling a new sign near the entrance of the microbiology laboratory with words "Made Possible by Hardy Diagnostics" adorning the wall. Following the ceremony, Jay Hardy and Andre Hsiung, Hardy's Chief Scientific Officer, spoke to the laboratory personnel about Hardy Diagnostics' humble beginnings and its rich history of helping people live healthier lives since 1980.

ABOUT HARDY DIAGNOSTICS

Hardy Diagnostics is an FDA-licensed manufacturer of medical devices for microbiological testing with an ISO 13485 certified Quality Management System. Hardy Diagnostics manufactures 2,700 products, distributes more than 13,000 products, offers services to more than 10,000 laboratories, exports products to over 80 foreign distributors, and maintains a network of nine distribution centers throughout the United States. Hardy Diagnostics supports the microbiology needs of clinical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and personal care, as well as the food and beverage industries. The company is 100% owned by the employees who work there. Serving laboratory scientists since 1980, Hardy Diagnostics' mission is to "produce and distribute the finest products for the detection of microorganisms and partner with its laboratory customers to diagnose and prevent disease."

Contact: Megan Roesner

[email protected]

(805) 346-2766 ext. 5845

SOURCE Hardy Diagnostics
HRS's RPM solutions enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction, optimize hospital bed utilization, improve quality, reduce costs, and curb readmissions across diverse healthcare settings.

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan researched the remote patient monitoring (RPM) industry and, based on its analysis, recognizes Health Recovery Solutions with the 2023 North American Customer Value Leadership Award. The healthcare technology company provides Enterprise acute and post acute, and ambulatory RPM services to payors, hospitals, and health systems. HRS improves care coordination and reduces total cost of care for the largest insurers nationally such as UHC/Optum and BCBS, improving patient outcomes and driving revenue growth. Actively monitoring more than 450,000 lives across the care continuum and serving over 320 clients in the United States and Canada, the company has established itself as a trusted partner that delivers value to the nation's foremost healthcare providers. HRS' comprehensive offering enables clients to prioritize patient care by managing all administrative and technology related RPM responsibilities.

Health Recovery Solutions Award Logo

HRS's Logistics and Inventory (asset) Management handles hardware-related needs, from procurement to distribution and maintenance. The company assumes responsibility for administrative tasks such as equipment delivery, in-home installation and onboarding via HRS' HomeDirect program, remote-led patient onboarding, returns coordination, and kit servicing, allowing organizations to seamlessly scale their operations, expedite enrollment, and maintain high-quality control. Clinical and non-clinical tele-monitoring services provide telehealth tools to streamline managed care, incorporating CareConnect, CaregiverConnect, WoundConnect, and PatientConnect RPM. HRS Analytics enhances visibility into operational efficiency and patient outcomes showing demonstrated results, and the company provides guidance, long-term support, and dedicated 24x7x365 technical support to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

Manuel Albornoz, best practices research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, observed, "HRS facilitates efficient care models, cost-effective care transitions, and patient engagement solutions for hospitals and health systems while solving staffing challenges and enhancing monitoring efficiency, particularly in post-acute and chronic care settings. It supports ambulatory care by helping healthcare facilities, including those in rural areas, deliver care cost-effectively."

HRS's commitment to excellence and patient-first mentality has yielded for its partners, incredible outcomes including - zero readmissions, reduction in emergency department visits and 30- to 60-day hospitalizations, supporting an impressive 1:150 nurse-to-patient ratio, maintaining an over 80% compliance rate among elderly patients, and fostering a 97.6% stronger patient-provider connection. The company's client collaboration sets it apart, leading to the continued multi-service line adoption of its solutions, the evolution of its training processes, and the expansion of its care delivery models. Healthcare systems nationwide place their trust in the company to oversee their patients' carea testament to the profound confidence it has earned and its leadership position.

"HRS achieves impressive outcomes by proactively addressing patient-provider engagement challenges. With versatile technology, including over 40 electronic health records integrations and over 90 condition playbooks, HRS tailors services to each customer," added Charlie Whelan, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers, focusing on improving the return on the investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes the company's unique focus on augmenting the value that its customers receive, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and customer base expansion.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

About Health Recovery Solutions

HRS is the leading healthcare technology company transforming quality care at home for the betterment of patients. We pair best-in-class clinical expertise, logistics, and analysis with the industry's most advanced remote care technology platform. Our digital tools and proven experience enable clinical decision-making earlier in the patient journey which, ultimately, improves patient and provider satisfaction while reducing costs and administrative burden for clinicians, hospitals, payors, and other healthcare organizations. To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions and request a demo, visit healthrecoverysolutions.com.

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
Alnylam's Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, Trial Equity's Dr. Otis Johnson, and HBA EMEA's Kathrin Schoenborn Earn Top Industry Honors

FAIRFIELD, N.J., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) announces the 2024 Woman of the Year, Honorable Mentor, and STAR. Recognized for their outstanding contributions to healthcare and the advancement of women in the workplace, the honorees will be celebrated at HBA's 34th annual Woman of the Year event on 10 May in New York City and remotely around the globe.

Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, Chief Executive Officer, Alnylam, was selected as the 2024 HBA Woman of the Year. Dr. Otis Johnson, Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity, is the recipient of the HBA Honorable Mentor award. Dr. Kathrin Schoenborn, Industry Advisor, is recognized with HBA's Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR) volunteer honor.

Healthcare Influencers Garner Top Honors from HBA Post this

"The HBA is proud to recognize and showcase this year's award recipients for their notable and remarkable commitment and valuable contributions to women in the healthcare ecosystem," said Mary Stutts, CEO, HBA. "These three outstanding individuals are trailblazers, advocates, and true leaders in their respective careers and are clearly deserving of respect, admiration, and appreciation from all of us at the global HBA and throughout the industry."

The HBA Woman of the Year award honors one executive leader who has made extraordinary contributions to the healthcare ecosystem and has been a stellar advocate for workplace equitable practices.

Woman of the YearDr. Yvonne Greenstreet, Chief Executive Officer, Alnylam

This year's awardee, Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, is being recognized for more than three decades of leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry. Her work in enabling the development and delivery of medicines has transformed the lives of people living with diseases around the world. For nearly eight years at Alnylam as President and COOand now as CEODr. Greenstreet has guided the company's quest to turn the Nobel Prize-winning science of RNA interference (RNAi) into an entirely new class of medicines. She led the transformation of Alnylam from a pioneering R&D organization to a consequential global biotechnology company, and has positioned Alnylam to continue to innovate and grow and help exponentially more patients with rare and more prevalent diseases in the years to come.

Under Dr. Greenstreet's leadership, Alnylam has consistently earned recognition as a socially responsible company and exceptional workplace globally. Alnylam has been named among Fortune's Best Workplaces for Women, included on the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and ranked as a Best Places for Working Parents. Alnylam has also won recognition as a top employer by Science Magazine and the Boston Globe, gained recognition as a best place to work in many regions outside the U.S., and earned inclusion in Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies.

Dr. Greenstreet previously served as SVP and Head of Medicines Development at Pfizer. Prior to her work at Pfizer, she worked for 18 years at GlaxoSmithKline as SVP and Chief of Strategy for R&D.

This year's honoree also serves on the Board of Directors of The American Funds. She is a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee, the Discovery Council of Harvard Medical School, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization Health Section Governing Board.

Honorable MentorDr. Otis Johnson, Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity

The HBA Honorable Mentor award recognizes a male ally who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to advancing, mentoring, and promoting women in the industry, and is supportive of HBA's mission.

This year's Honorable Mentor award goes to Dr. Otis Johnson, Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity, recognizing his role as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry and his transformative impact on advocacy and allyship. His two-decade career is marked by a steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion and advocacy for women in the workplace.

Dr. Johnson's 13-year tenure at Merck & Co. laid the foundation for his notable achievements in science, operations, and informatics, leading to executive roles at Syneos Health, ICON, and Phesi. As Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability Officer at Clario, he significantly elevated the company's Ecovadis status, embedding DE&I and environmental sustainability principles into the corporate culture. Notably, he committed the organization to advancing pay equity, increasing representation of people of color in the organization, and pursuing gender balance in leadership.

Recognized in the 2022 PharmaVoice 100 list of Most Inspiring Industry Leaders and a top DE&I Leader by Mogul, Dr. Johnson uses his advisory roles, such as being a Global Advisory Board member of the HBA, to amplify underrepresented voices. He is a stellar example of the lasting change that advocacy and allyship can bring about in the healthcare industry.

STARKathrin Schoenborn, HBA EMEA

For more than two decades, the HBA has been recognizing a volunteer leader with the Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR). This award honors a tenured volunteer who has made significant contributions impacting the growth, stature, and footprint of our United Force for Change community.

This year, Dr. Kathrin Schoenborn, Chair Emerita, HBA Europe, is being honored for her relentless effort in building the HBA in Europe to be the force that it is today. Over her 14 years of dedication, she co-founded the Frankfurt chapter in 2010 and through her subsequent HBA leadership roles, she showed the way for other women to do the same, eventually handing over 12 healthy and thriving chapters and multiple branches to the current HBA EMEA leadership. Furthermore, she served as an advisor for HBA Asia-Pacific.

Dr. Schoenborn also formalized the now high-value and well-subscribed mentoring program. From the European Leadership Summit to the Annual Gender Pay Report, as well as her work revitalizing a credentialed advisory board and stimulating grassroot interest, she built and strengthened core strategic pillars for the HBA to create impact in Europe.

Having served as Vice President at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, until 2022, Dr. Schoenborn amassed a vast 30 years of experience in global leadership roles. Today, as business angel and executive advisor, she purposefully supports female entrepreneurs with finance, experience, and her network.

For inquiries about a media pass to the 2024 HBA Woman of the Year event on 10 May in New York City, interview opportunities, or information about HBA's signature award programs, please contact [email protected] or visit HBAnet.org/awards.

About the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)

The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is a global organization dedicated to furthering the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare. With representation in countries across the globe, the HBA serves a community of more than 80,000 individuals and over 150 Corporate Partners, representing a global workforce of 3.4 million employees. The HBA provides networking forums to build relationships; knowledge sharing and access to thought leaders to broaden perspective; educational programs to develop leadership skills; and high-profile industry recognition of outstanding women and companies to promote visibility of their achievements.

SOURCE Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)
Launching in 2026, the Honda 0 Series represents a new approach to the development of electrified vehicles. Post this

Honda also debuted a new H mark logo that will be used exclusively for the next-generation EV models.

"The mobility we dream of is not an extension of the trend of 'thick, heavy, but smart' EVs," said Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda. "We will create a completely new value from zero based on thin, light and wise as the foundation for our new Honda 0 EV series to further advance the joy and freedom of mobility to the next level."

Global Debut of Two EV Concept Models

Honda unveiled two electrified concept models at CES 2024: the Saloon and Space-Hub. Both models were developed using a new Honda electrification design and engineering approach that will debut with the introduction of the Honda 0 Series.

"We have gone back to basics and formulated the Honda 0 Series with a design for the new era," said Shinji Aoyama, Global EVP of Honda. "A bold and pure proportion that from the first glance is overwhelmingly different from other EVs to evoke a new perspective for people."

Saloon

The Saloon is the flagship concept model of the Honda 0 Series. Sitting on a dedicated EV platform, the Saloon delivers on the Honda "M/M*1" man maximum/machine minimum packaging concept with its low and wide exterior coupled with a surprisingly spacious interior. Sustainable materials are used throughout the exterior and interior. Inside, the instrument panel features a human-machine interface (HMI) that enables simple and intuitive operations. With excellent visibility and a sporty driving position, the Saloon promises to deliver an unparalleled experience that truly connects the driver with the vehicle.

In addition to the new exterior and interior design, the Saloon also debuts advancements of new steer-by-wire and motion control management systems. Leveraging the company's decades of expertise in robotics, the Saloon features posture control that will assist the driver in a variety of driving situations to realize the "joy of driving" in the EV era.

A production vehicle based on the Saloon concept is expected to come to the North American market in 2026.

Space-Hub

The Space-Hub was developed under the theme of "augmenting people's daily lives." Realizing a spacious cabin and excellent visibility based on the "Thin, Light, and Wise" development approach, the Space-Hub offers a flexible space that immediately accommodates a variety of passengers and becomes a "hub" that connects people to each other and the outside world.

New Honda "H" Mark for Electrified Vehicles

The current Honda "H mark" has a long history, dating back to 1981. In launching the next-generation EVs, Honda designed a new H mark, to express the company's determination to undergo a historic transformation as well as the ability to constantly pursue new challenges and advancements. This new design expression, which symbolizes two outstretched hands, represents Honda's commitment to expand the possibilities of mobility and continue to meet the needs of its customers. The new H mark will be applied on future Honda EV models, including the Honda 0 Series.

Introduction of New Honda 0 Series

In addition to the two concept models, the Saloon and Space-Hub, Honda announced the introduction of a new global EV series called Honda 0 Series. Symbolizing the company's bold new direction and taking a fresh approach to design and engineering ("starting from the beginning"), the first models will come to the North American market starting in 2026.

The Honda 0 Series represents a new approach to the development of electrified vehicles, outlined by three core principles: Thin, Light, and Wise. These principles counter the traditional constraints of battery electric vehicles while building on long standing Honda engineering philosophies like "M/M" man maximum/machine minimum. These principles will be reflected in key areas like the use of a dedicated "thin" EV platform that creates a low floor for aerodynamic performance and software-defined mobility products for a "wiser" and intelligent user experience.

Additionally, the Honda 0 Series will introduce new advancements in design, automated driving, connected technologies, performance, and battery efficiency.

Harmonious Artistic Design

Models in the series will feature a new design philosophy called "The Art of Resonance" which brings together the environment, society, and users in harmony. This includes the use of sustainable materials and evoking emotion through design.

Deployment of ADAS and Automated Driving Features

The Honda 0 Series will feature an ADAS (advanced driver-assistive system) that utilizes the technologies found with Honda SENSING Elite, which was first deployed in 2021 with the Honda Legend in Japan.

Additionally, in the second half of the 2020s, Honda 0 Series models will be equipped with the next generation in AD (automated driving) features, including availability on more affordable EV models to introduce AD systems at a wider scale.

The next generation AD system is being developed based on Honda's "human-centric" safety concept. It will feature advanced AI, sensing, recognition, and driver monitoring technologies to achieve more human-like, natural and high-precision risk predictions, making it possible to offer AD features people can feel safe and confident using. This advanced AD system will expand the application of some hands-off functions for use on both expressways and surface streets.

Connected Technologies

Honda is developing an original operating system for the Honda 0 Series models. Utilizing AI and driver data, the vehicle will learn the user's preferences as well as behaviors and tendencies while driving, allowing the vehicle to make suggestions to enhance the ownership experience. Moreover, the vehicle will provide information about the surrounding areas, and additional route guidance for the "last mile" to the destination, to help users after they arrive and leave their vehicle. The vehicle will continue to offer new value as it better understands user behavior. The more people use their vehicle, the more rewarding the ownership experience becomes, adding to the "fun of being connected".

Enhanced Aerodynamics Performance

Honda will utilize exclusive electrification and performance technologies to offer a sporty driving experience with the Honda 0 Series models. Leveraging years of motorsports experience, including Formula 1 racing, the models will feature advanced aerodynamic technologies that will bring a new level of performance for electrified vehicles.

New Level of Battery Efficiency

Based on decades of experience developing hybrid vehicles and other electrified products, Honda is focused on developing highly efficient electric vehicles. The Honda 0 Series models will feature e-Axles*2 which will allow for excellent power and efficiency along with lightweight packaging. The Honda 0 Series models will feature a high-density battery that will offer ample range while minimizing battery size.

To address concerns about "charging time" and "battery degradation," Honda 0 Series models will offer stress-free charging and battery performance that minimizes degradation over time. For the Honda 0 Series models launching in the late-2020s, fast-charging from 15% to 80% of battery capacity will be shortened to about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, by applying battery system control technology, Honda is targeting to minimize the degradation of battery capacity to less than 10% after 10 years of use.

Additional details on the Honda CES 2024 announcements can be found here.

*1 The "man maximum, machine minimum" concept is a basic approach to Honda car design, an approach to increase the efficiency of the vehicle interior by maximizing space for people and minimizing the space required for mechanical components.

*2 A system that consists of a motor, inverter and gearbox, and converts electric power energy into driving force.

SOURCE Honda
The dogs and puppies are on their way back to HSMO's St. Louis headquarters for emergency veterinary treatment

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This morning, the Humane Society of Missouri's (HSMO) Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT)  one of the nation's largest animal-rescue and disaster-response teams  conducted a rescue of 95 Labrador Retrievers from the facility of an unlicensed breeder in Phelps County, Missouri. The breeder, who had 83 dogs removed by the HSMO in late 2019 and early 2020, is included on the national "Horrible 100" list  a ranking of the worst dog breeders in the country. The rescue was coordinated in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Missouri Attorney General's office.

The Humane Society of Missouris (HSMO) Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) rescues 95 Labrador Retrievers from the property of an unlicensed breeder in Phelps County, Missouri, Jan. 9, 2024. For the past five years the breeder has been included on the national Horrible 100 list  a ranking of the worst dog breeders in the country. The dogs will receive emergency veterinary treatment at HSMOs Macklind headquarters in St. Louis. PHOTO CREDIT: Humane Society of Missouri The Humane Society of Missouris (HSMO) Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) rescues 95 Labrador Retrievers from the property of an unlicensed breeder in Phelps County, Missouri, Jan. 9, 2024. For the past five years the breeder has been included on the national Horrible 100 list  a ranking of the worst dog breeders in the country. The dogs will receive emergency veterinary treatment at HSMOs Macklind headquarters in St. Louis. PHOTO CREDIT: Humane Society of Missouri

The rescue came days after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office sought emergency court relief against Sandra Kozlowski of Sho-Me Labradors for multiple, repeated violations of the Animal Care Facilities Act. According to the suit, Kozlowski has repeatedly refused recent inspections by MDA officials and has been operating without a facility license since Jan. 31, 2022. During the last inspection in August of 2023, state officials found approximately 20 violations, including large dogs kept in small, cramped wire crates without consistent access to water.

"Too many helpless animals in Missouri continue to suffer at the hands of repeat offenders like Sandra Kozlowski," said HSMO President Kathy Warnick. "It's a horrific situation, and these bad breeders who trap helpless animals in a cycle of abuse and neglect need to be shut down permanently. Until then, HSMO will continue to exhaust our limited resources for repeated rescues. Thankfully, these dogs are safe now and will receive the care and rehabilitation they desperately need and deserve."

Kozlowski and Sho-Me Labradors have landed on the national "Horrible 100" list for the last five consecutive years. Missouri leads the nation in the number of bad breeders, with 31 featured on the list. Missouri state laws, such as the 2011 K-9 Cruelty Prevention Act, have helped cut down on the proliferation of puppy mills and bad breeders, but questionable facilities still remain an issue for the state.

The 95 rescued Labrador Retrievers include adult dogs and puppies. Donations to help support the care of these animals can be made on the HSMO website at hsmo.org/rescues . The HSMO also is asking the public for assistance through donations of blankets, newspapers, dog toys, dog beds or anything else that can make these animals' recovery more comfortable. Needed items also are available to purchase directly from Amazon on HSMO's wish list.

The HSMO expects to make the dogs available for adoption after they have been given a clean bill of health by the veterinarians and evaluated by the animal behavior team. As the animals recover  medically and behaviorally  they will be made available for adoption on a case-by-case basis. There is no current timeline for when these dogs will be ready for their forever home, but interested adopters can check the HSMO website at hsmo.org/adopt to see when they become available.

To report an animal that may be in danger or is suffering from neglect or abuse, call the local police and the Humane Society of Missouri's Animal Cruelty Hotline at 314-647-4400.

About the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Task Force

The Humane Society of Missouri's Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) is one of the largest animal rescue/disaster response teams in the United States. For more than 40 years, ACT has worked side by side with state, local and city law enforcement officials to investigate and help prosecute animal abusers.

Annually, Humane Society of Missouri's 15 field-tested, professional animal cruelty investigators and staff:

Travel more than 350,000 miles

Make more than 10,000 responses to reports of abuse/neglect

Aid more than 20,000 animals

Humane Society of Missouri's animal cruelty investigators understand the nuances of animal abuse law and the criminal justice process for documenting and filing evidence and work directly with sheriff's offices, police departments and prosecuting attorneys to help ensure animal cases are handled in an expedient and professional manner. Humane Society of Missouri investigators also provide expert testimony in legal cases and before legislative bodies and provide consultation and training workshops for law enforcement, state agencies and local animal care and control workers.

Together, they work to hold people accountable for the abuse and neglect of animals in the St. Louis Metropolitan region and all of Missouri.

Contact Information for the Public

Report Animal Abuse: 314-647-4400

Donations: 314-951-1542

Humane Society of Missouri website: www.hsmo.org

For more information contact:

Patrick Barry, BYRNE PR 314-540-3865

[email protected]

SOURCE Humane Society of Missouri
Sets Bold Agenda to Expand Innovation and Manufacturing for Quantum Sensing, Communication and Computing Solutions

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infleqtion, the world's leading quantum information company, today announced the addition of six industry luminaries to its Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and leadership team. Infleqtion is at the forefront of commercializing quantum technology building on multiple product introductions and partnerships in 2023, including the selection of the company's neutral atom platform for Japan's Quantum Moonshot program, the launch of Oqtant, the world's first quantum matter service, selection for new optical atomic clocks in the United Kingdom, and the demonstration of advanced quantum RF capability and interoperability. The company is gearing up for an exciting 2024, bringing the power of quantum to life with sensing, communication, and computing solutions for key markets in healthcare, financial services, defense, and communications.

Infleqtion CEO Scott Faris and other company leaders will share details of Infleqtion's 2024 roadmap and growth plans in its first-ever industry webinar on February 8, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time.

To support its growth plans, the company has added several industry leaders to its team, with deep expertise spanning semiconductors, government, manufacturing, and academia. Industry giants bolstering Infleqtion's Board of Directors and Advisory Board include:

Cathy Lego , a seasoned technology and semiconductor industry veteran, joins the board, lending her wealth of strategic insight and financial acumen to guide Infleqtion's growth. Currently serving on the boards of Guidewire Software and Cirrus Logic, Ms. Lego brings extensive governance experience, having recently retired from the boards of IPG Photonics and Lam Research, in addition to her service on the boards of various prominent semiconductor and technology companies. Ms. Lego was previously an angel investor and financial consultant through her company, Lego Ventures, providing support to early-stage technology companies.

, a seasoned technology and semiconductor industry veteran, joins the board, lending her wealth of strategic insight and financial acumen to guide Infleqtion's growth. Currently serving on the boards of Guidewire Software and Cirrus Logic, Ms. Lego brings extensive governance experience, having recently retired from the boards of IPG Photonics and Lam Research, in addition to her service on the boards of various prominent semiconductor and technology companies. Ms. Lego was previously an angel investor and financial consultant through her company, Lego Ventures, providing support to early-stage technology companies. George P. Bush , a distinguished public policymaker, attorney, industry leader, and decorated naval officer, joins the Infleqtion Advisory Board bringing extensive experience in government, defense, and corporate and securities law. Mr. Bush is a former Texas Land Commissioner, military veteran, and current partner at the Michael Best & Friedrich LLP law firm. Mr. Bush is committed to building a stronger technology future in the state of Texas and supporting Infleqtion's efforts to build a thriving quantum manufacturing capability and ecosystem.

, a distinguished public policymaker, attorney, industry leader, and decorated naval officer, joins the Infleqtion Advisory Board bringing extensive experience in government, defense, and corporate and securities law. Mr. Bush is a former Texas Land Commissioner, military veteran, and current partner at the Michael Best & Friedrich LLP law firm. Mr. Bush is committed to building a stronger technology future in the state of and supporting Infleqtion's efforts to build a thriving quantum manufacturing capability and ecosystem. Kristina Johnson , a renowned technologist and leader, joins the board as an observer. Her extensive experience spans academia, industry, and government, where she held pivotal roles as president, chancellor, dean, and professor at top universities including Ohio State University , Johns Hopkins , Duke , and University of Colorado Boulder as well as serving as Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Johnson pioneered advancements in liquid-crystal on silicon micro-displays, polarization optics, and imaging, where her groundbreaking research led to the founding of several successful companies. Dr. Johnson also serves on the Cisco and Dupont Corporation Board of Directors. Her leadership, strategy, and business acumen will help guide Infleqtion through the next phase of growth.

In addition, the following seasoned veterans have joined the leadership team:

Brent Schwarz , a well-recognized leader in the semiconductor and LIDAR markets, Mr. Schwarz joins as Senior Vice President of Business Development focused on driving commercial adoption of Infleqtion's portfolio of leading quantum solutions to enterprise customers globally. Mr. Schwarz joins Infleqtion from Luminar Technologies, the global leader in LIDAR, where he led the adoption of sensors to bring safety-enhancing products to the world.

, a well-recognized leader in the semiconductor and LIDAR markets, Mr. Schwarz joins as Senior Vice President of Business Development focused on driving commercial adoption of Infleqtion's portfolio of leading quantum solutions to enterprise customers globally. Mr. Schwarz joins Infleqtion from Luminar Technologies, the global leader in LIDAR, where he led the adoption of sensors to bring safety-enhancing products to the world. Julie McGee, a seasoned semiconductor industry leader, takes the helm as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing her expertise in building global brands, go-to-market strategy, and strategic communications. Ms. McGee held several executive roles at Intel Corporation where she worked across all the business from PCs, Data Centers, IoT, and Networking. She also recently served as the Chief Marketing & ESG Officer at Semtech Corporation, a leading supplier of semiconductors, IoT devices and cloud services.

Vernon Prince , an experienced manufacturing leader pioneering manufacturing for the LIDAR and optical industry, joins as Global Vice President of Manufacturing to lead the development and scale of Infleqtion's quantum manufacturing strategy, including the qNexus program. Mr. Prince joins Infleqtion from Luminar Technologies where he pioneered automation processes and built global solutions for emerging industries to scale production.

"I'm thrilled to welcome our dynamic new team members to Infleqtion. Their wealth of experience and expertise will be instrumental in propelling our ambitious vision forward," said Scott Faris, Chief Executive Officer, Infleqtion. "With their guidance and talent, we are well positioned to execute our vision and unlock the full potential of quantum technology in precision sensing, secure communications, and quantum computing. We firmly believe that the future lies in quantum innovation, empowering us to address some of humanity's most pressing challenges. As we step into 2024, we anticipate a strong year in both the commercial and defense markets, marking a significant milestone in our journey."

Infleqtion has ambitious 2024 growth plans to exceed 2023 record bookings, deliver groundbreaking technology solutions, and reach new customers and end markets. The company is leading the industry with a focus on bringing quantum technology from the lab to scalable manufacturing in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Register here for the February 8, 2024 webinar to learn about Infleqtion's view of the future of quantum and industry solutions coming to market in 2024.

 2024 ColdQuanta, Inc. dba Infleqtion. All rights reserved.

About Infleqtion

Infleqtion, with offices in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, delivers high-value quantum information precisely where it is needed. By operating at the Edge, our software-configured, quantum-enabled products deliver unmatched levels of precision and power, generating streams of high-value information for commercial organizations, the United States, and allied governments. With 16 years of ColdQuanta's pioneering quantum research as our foundation, our hardware products and AI-powered solutions address critical market needs in positioning, navigating and timing, global communication security and efficiency, resilient energy distribution, and accelerated quantum computing. Learn how Infleqtion is revolutionizing how we communicate, navigate, and discover at www.infleqtion.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Press Contact:

Sarah Schupp

720-509-9215

https://www.infleqtion.com/contact

SOURCE Infleqtion
Innovation-driven Development, Connecting the World

BEIJING, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global aviation sector has witnessed profound shifts in recent years, with China at the forefront of pioneering airport development. Emphasizing safety, sustainability, advanced technology, and passenger-centric design, China's progress reflects a broader trend in global aviation infrastructure evolution. Concurrently, China is proactively engaging in global aviation dialogue, showcasing its distinctive developmental strategies to international airports, airlines, and civil aviation authorities. This effort is not only enhancing the visibility of China's proprietary brands and innovations but also solidifying its position in the global aviation market.

On the flip side, the allure of the Chinese market is drawing substantial foreign investment in airport development. International stakeholders are keen on tapping into this growth potential, looking to forge synergistic partnerships with Chinese entities. This trend is marked by a shared commitment to collaborative problem-solving and knowledge sharing, aiming at mutual advancement in airport technology, operational efficiency, and customer experience enhancement.

As the leading forum in China's airport infrastructure sector, inter airport China has hosted eight successful editions in Beijing, attracting more than 20,000 professionals from a spectrum of sectors including airport management, airline operations, airport design and construction, and civil aviation. Over the past two decades, inter airport China has established itself as a vital platform for exhibiting the thriving evolution of China's airport construction sector while advancing global collaborations within the aviation sector. The year 2023 was a landmark for RX as they broadened the scope of the brand with the launch of the inter airport China | South, contributing to the development of a world-class airport cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The success of the event has generated considerable anticipation for next year's edition.

The inter airport China 2024 provides an excellent platform for engaging in meaningful discussions with global leaders and key players regarding the latest trends and innovative solutions in airport development.

New content: a full-spectrum exhibition attracting over 5,000 industry professionals

The 9th inter airport China, scheduled for 4-6 September 2024 at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing, promises to be a pivotal event in the aviation calendar. Themed "Innovation-driven Development, Connecting the World", the exhibition aims to highlight collaborative and innovative approaches in civil aviation, with a keen focus on the evolution of smart aviation infrastructure. The exhibition will feature an innovation showcase spotlighting the most recent technological advancements in airport operations, and a global corporate exhibit zone where international businesses and corporations will present their aviation-related products and services. Key industry leaders and a broad range of stakeholders from the civil aviation community are expected to attend. The 10,000-square-meter venue is expected to attract 5,000 professionals from airports, airlines, design institutes, construction firms, research institutions, and government agencies, facilitating a platform for the exchange of cutting-edge technology and fostering strategic industry partnerships and development.

New format: the fusion of a conference and exhibition to ignite fresh ideas and showcase latest trends

As an integral part of the exhibition, the inter airport Exchange serves as an interactive thematic platform where key opinion leaders and industry professionals converge to discuss the latest technological advancements, policy insights and future developments within critical segments of the sector.

inter airport Exchange has grown in tandem with the industry, having successfully taken place in Daxing (Beijing), online and Guangzhou. Committed to continuous innovation, the conference has gained prominence and influence, thanks to the active support and participation of airports, aviation companies, government agencies, planning and design institutes, research bodies, industry leaders, consulting firms and media outlets worldwide.

On 4-6 September 2024, the fourth edition of inter airport Exchange 2024 will unfold at the China International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. The forthcoming event will bring together more than 60 industry experts, opinion leaders, and senior executives at leading companies to explore current industry hot topics, share research findings, delve into innovative applications, and chart the industry's future course. Participants will engage in discussions surrounding opportunities, challenges, and the future research agenda for the sector.

Expanding horizons: discover novel approaches to promote your product, stay abreast of the latest trends, and engage with industry peers

Our commitment extends to continually creating new networking opportunities and delivering year-round services to the industry.

inter airport GO:

The project team visited the booths Weihai Guangtai, CIMC Tianda, Siemens, ADB Safegate, Vanderlande, Airsafe, Beijing Daxing Airport, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an Airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Nantong Xingdong Airport, and China Southern Airlines. They engaged in discussions with exhibitors and visitors who expressed their satisfaction with the event.

inter airport Talk:

The event has drawn more than 3,000 executives from major airport groups, airports and civil aviation construction firms nationwide, many of whom have regularly participated since the first online chat. The contentment levels of both the audience and participating companies during each live broadcast have consistently surpassed the 95% mark.

inter airport JOURNEY:

This international study trip revolves around RX's inter airport Global Reach. The team accompanies Chinese corporate executives who take part in international networking sessions and meetings at various airport expos.

The 25th inter airport Europe in Munich, Germany

October 7-9, 2025, Neue Messe Munchen, Munich, Germany

The 23rd Dubai Airport Show

May 14-16, 2024, Dubai World Trade Centre, the UAE

inter airport Southeast Asia

March 25-27, 2025, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore

inter airport China 2024 is coming soon

inter airport China is gearing up for the new year with renewed energy as it prepares to host another industry event. This event serves as a crucial platform for showcasing cutting-edge products and pioneering technologies, all while enhancing brand visibility and expanding market reach. It's poised to assemble industry leaders and seasoned professionals for insightful discussions and valuable networking opportunities. Exhibitor registration is now open, and we extend a warm invitation for you to participate in this airport exhibition and partake in a series of exciting activities throughout the year.

For inquiries:

Penny Pei

E: [email protected]

T: +86 (0)10 5933 9392

About RX China

Boasting more than 40 years of rapid growth, RX has made its name as a well-respected and professional event organizer in Greater China. It owns a fleet of wholly-owned companies and joint ventures that host more than 70 trade fairs across 12 industry sectors in China each year, with an exclusive focus on 7 clusters including Automotive Manufacturing, Electronics Manufacturing, Material Manufacturing, Gifts & Retail, Medical & Healthcare, Printing & Packaging, and Catering & Food. In addition, RX China stages more than 100 online events and offers digital tools throughout the year, promoting business connections, transactions and knowledge sharing.

www.rxglobal.com.cn
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen speaks in a press conference in Mexico City, Mexico. December, 07, 2023.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is announcing that 100,000 businesses have joined a new database that collects beneficial ownership information on firms as part of a new government effort to unmask shell company owners.

Yellen, in remarks prepared for delivery Monday, says the new Treasury database that is collecting beneficial ownership information sends the message that the United States is not a haven for dirty money.

Yellen will visit Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network  known as FinCEN in Vienna, Virginia to discuss the launch of the database with the new year. She will also expand on upcoming real estate rules meant to increase transparency about the people and companies buying up property in the U.S.

The Virginia visit is meant to showcase the Biden administrations intent to increase corporate transparency and prevent the misuse of shell companies.

Around the world, lack of transparency, specifically due to opaque corporate structures, makes it easier to conceal illicit activity, Yellen says in remarks prepared ahead of her visit to FinCEN headquarters. Information on beneficial ownership will support our law enforcement colleagues in making arrests, prosecuting offenders, and seizing ill-gotten assets.

In 2021, the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act was signed into law, giving Treasury the authority to write new rules on beneficial ownership. And as of Jan. 1, most U.S. firms must report identifying information about who directly or indirectly owns or controls them.

The rule requires most American businesses with fewer than 20 employees  roughly 32.6 million companies  to register with the government.

In November 2022, the National Small Business Association sued Treasury over the database and argued that the new reporting rule violates the U.S. Constitution, saying it is unduly burdensome on small firms, violates privacy and free speech protections and infringes on states powers to govern businesses.

A judge is expected to decide on the matter imminently. Along with the business database, Yellen says, Treasury is considering additional steps to address risks associated with commercial real estate.

Real estate is a commonly used vehicle for money laundering. Yellen said in March 2023 that illicit actors laundered at least $2.3 billion through U.S. real estate between 2015 and 2020.

A 2022 Congressional Research Service report suggested that Congress could consider how to balance money-laundering risks in the real estate sector against differing views on oversight.

The benefits of increasing corporate transparency through gathering beneficial ownership information put simply, knowing who owns what  start with protecting our national security, Yellen says. Corporate transparency can bring economic benefits as well: protecting our financial system, reducing due diligence costs, enabling fair business competition, and increasing tax revenue.

FinCENs mission is to safeguard the financial system from criminal abuse, money laundering and other illicit activity, according to its website.

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VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT), the global society of clinicians, researchers, regulators, technologists, and industry partners dedicated to the translation of cell and gene therapy (CGT) into safe and effective therapies to improve patients' lives, today announces the publication in Nature Medicine of an expert consortium commentary addressing a recent statement from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that it is investigating serious risk of T-cell malignancy in patients who received treatment with BCMA- or CD19-directed autologous CAR T cell immunotherapy 'Unanswered questions following reports of secondary malignancies after CAR-T cell therapy'.

ISCT aligns with the FDA in support of the need for thorough investigation and transparency. ISCT and its leaders firmly agree that the benefits of CAR T therapies continue to outweigh potential risks in the vast majority of cases and recommends that centers with cell therapy expertise should continue to make commercial CAR T products available to patients when it appears to be the best option available.

New ISCT publication in Nature Medicine led by Dr. Bruce Levine addresses risk of malignancies following CAR T therapies Post this

Emphasizing that 34,000 patients worldwide have received commercially available CAR T cell immunotherapies, the commentary notes that the observed rate of 20 reported cases of T cell malignancies is notably lower than that reported for more conventional alternative treatments. The true nature and frequency of these malignancies are yet to be confirmed and important patient characteristics such as age, prior, immune status, whether the CAR gene is present in the T cell lymphomas, the landscape of genetic mutations carried by patients in these case, and other clinical features such as the time from CAR T infusion to the development of T cell lymphoma, are unknown and need to be taken into consideration to fully evaluate the greater risk of these therapies.

The commentary led by ISCT in collaboration with leaders from American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), and immunotherapy developers and clinicians, follows the recent statement from the FDA that there are risks of malignancies with all currently approved BCMA -directed and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous CAR T cell immunotherapies. These include tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi), axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus), Idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma), and ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti).

Speaking on the recent FDA statement, Bruce Levine, ISCT Immediate Past President and Lead Author on the publication, stated "The fundamental question from this report is whether or not there is a causal link between CAR T therapy and these rare T cell malignancy cases and in how many patients. Currently, there are too many unknown factors related to the 20 reported cases making it premature to establish the magnitude of what appears to be a very low risk. In alignment with the FDA's stance, we maintain that the benefits of CAR T therapies still outweigh the potential risks in the majority of cases.

Risks from CAR T cell therapy should be contextualized against other standard treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These therapies, which exhibit substantial long-term side effects, including genotoxicity and an increased predisposition to secondary cancers, have significantly higher rates of subsequent malignancies than the rate reported for patients following CAR T cell immunotherapies.

In the interest of patients and patient safety, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to offer patients access to these life-saving therapies while simultaneously conducting thorough investigations."

The FDA hopes to provide the community with additional information by the first part of 2024.

Read the full publication Unanswered questions following reports of secondary malignancies after CAR-T cell therapy.

About the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy

Established in 1992, the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) is a global society of clinicians, regulators, researchers, technologists, and industry partners with a shared vision to translate cell and gene therapy into safe and effective therapies to improve patients' lives worldwide.

ISCT is the global leader focused on pre-clinical and translational aspects of developing cell and gene-based therapeutics, thereby advancing scientific research into innovative treatments for patients. ISCT offers a unique collaborative environment that addresses three key areas of translation: Academia, Regulatory, and Commercialization. Through strong relationships with global regulatory agencies, academic institutions, and industry partners, ISCT drives the advancement of research into a standard of care.

Comprising over 3,000 cell and gene therapy experts across five geographic regions and representation from over 60 countries, ISCT members are part of a global community of peers, thought leaders, and organizations invested in cell and gene therapy translation. For more information about the society, key initiatives, and upcoming meetings, please visit https://isctglobal.org, @ISCTglobal.

SOURCE International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy
New partners bolster firm's leadership team for 2024

HOUSTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Houston-based law firm Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC has promoted civil lawyers Amir Halevy and Jeb Golinkin to partner, strengthening the firm's leadership for 2024.

"Amir and Jeb have each demonstrated a tremendous level of commitment to their clients and practices," said partner Kevin Jordan. "Both of them offer invaluable expertise to our team, and this recognition is well-deserved. It is a great pleasure to honor their contributions and accomplishments in this way."

Mr. Halevy's experience includes a dual background in medicine and law, having served 16 years on the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine before earning his J.D. from the University of Houston. He has identified and developed medical and scientific defenses for products liability litigation involving pharmaceuticals and chemicals. He is also experienced with general commercial litigation matters, including theft of trade secrets, breach of contract and tortious interference.

Trial lawyer Mr. Golinkin handles cases involving breach of contract, trade secrets, arbitration, intellectual property, securities fraud and others. His experience also includes the constitutionality of regulations related to online gambling, unlawful retaliation and complex contractual interpretation. Before joining the firm, Mr. Golinkin clerked for U.S. District Judge James R. Nowlin in the Austin division of the Western District of Texas. He has been selected to The Best Lawyers in America's Ones to Watch list each year since 2021 for his work in commercial litigation.

Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC is a Houston-based civil trial law firm whose lawyers have a proven courtroom track record in high-stakes litigation nationwide. They represent clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in commercial disputes, construction matters, products liability, toxic torts, trade secret and catastrophic personal injury claims. Flexibility in fee structuring is a hallmark of the way the firm does business. To learn more, visit the website at https://www.jlcfirm.com/.

Media Contact:

April Arias

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC
 Lexington Capital Partners X Significantly Surpasses Target 

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexington Partners ("Lexington"), a leading manager of secondary acquisition funds, today announced the completion of fundraising for Lexington Capital Partners X, L.P. ("LCP X") with $22.7 billion of total capital commitments. The fund surpassed its $15 billion fundraising target and significantly exceeded Lexington's prior secondary fund, LCP IX, which closed on $14 billion in 2020.

LCP X's strategy is principally focused on the acquisition of private equity and alternative asset partnership portfolios from large-scale investors as they rebalance their allocations or seek liquidity, while also engaging in smaller opportunities leveraging Lexington's deep industry relationships. In addition, LCP X allows Lexington to work directly with general partners to offer secondary solutions for their investors. LCP X is a 2022 vintage fund that is now more than 40% committed, with a diversified portfolio of more than 50 transactions with a variety of sellers, including public and corporate pensions, banks, and other financial institutions.

Wil Warren, President of Lexington, said, "This milestone fundraise reflects the tremendous opportunity in the global secondary market and Lexington's proven ability to leverage our scale, experience, relationships, and worldwide platform to unlock value for our investors. We are incredibly grateful for the trust and support from existing and new investors around the globe who have provided us with the capital to continue to perform and innovate in the secondary market."

According to Lexington's estimates, 2023 will be the third consecutive year in which secondary industry volume will surpass $100 billion. Lexington, which is a specialist investment manager of Franklin Templeton, expects that the global secondary market will continue to experience significant growth in the years ahead due to the substantial amount of capital committed to private market funds and limited partners increasingly embracing the secondary market as an effective portfolio management tool. In addition, the trend of fund sponsors seeking liquidity solutions for their limited partners through organized transactions is expected to continue to contribute to significant secondary deal flow.

"We believe we're in the early stages of a generational secondary buying opportunity in private markets that will take multiple years to play out," said Pal Ristvedt, Partner of Lexington. "During times of economic uncertainty and slowing portfolio company exits, the secondary market can be an important release valve to provide liquidity to investors. Lexington's cycle-tested investment strategy, tenured team, and counterparty reputation enable us to provide sophisticated and innovative secondary solutions."

LCP X attracted a diverse group of over 400 investors, including public and corporate pensions, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, family offices, and wealth channel distribution partners in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Lexington Partners L.P. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton. References to LCP X herein include Lexington Capital Partners X, L.P. and associated vehicles. Total capital commitments includes certain commitments to associated vehicles that were in legal process as of December 31, 2023.

About Lexington Partners

Lexington Partners is one of the world's largest and most successful managers of secondary private equity and co-investment funds. Lexington helped pioneer the development of the institutional secondary market over 30 years ago and created one of the first independent, discretionary co-investment programs 25 years ago. Lexington has total capital in excess of $75 billion and has acquired over 5,000 interests through more than 1,000 transactions. Lexington's global team is strategically located in major centers for private equity and alternative asset investing across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Lexington is the global secondary private equity and co-investments specialist investment manager of Franklin Templeton. Additional information can be found at www.lexingtonpartners.com.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the Company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives, and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,300 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of November 30, 2023. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Media Contact :

Todd Fogarty

Kekst CNC

+1 (212) 521-4854

[email protected]

SOURCE Lexington Partners
Manhattan Mini Storage, a New York City landmark for nearly five decades, now brings its trusted storage solutions to the heart of Brooklyn and Queens.

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Manhattan Mini Storage, a hallmark of New York City for nearly fifty years, revealed today its strategic expansion into Brooklyn and Queens, breaking new ground beyond Manhattan's island confines. This redevelopment, currently in progress and scheduled for completion in early January, marks a significant milestone in the company's storied history.

You will never find us in Omaha, but you might catch us off a highway in the Bronx Post this Manhattan Mini Storage expands to boroughs

Founded in 1978 as a family-owned business, Manhattan Mini Storage has grown into the city's largest self-storage provider. In December 2021, the company embarked on a new chapter under the stewardship of StorageMart, the world's largest privately-owned self-storage company, continuing a legacy of family leadership spanning four generations.

"We are genuinely excited about our expansion of Manhattan Mini Storage into the boroughs," said Adam Steckler, Chief Operating Officer." You will never find us in Omaha, but you might catch us off a highway in the Bronx. This reflects our dedication to bringing the essence of the Manhattan Mini Storage experience to a vibrant new community, where we will continue to deliver easy, clean and safe storage."

The decision to expand an iconic New York brand into the boroughs underscores the company's commitment to urban living and customer convenience and affordability.

Over the past ten months, the company has introduced innovations such as a 24/7 customer service center and a Fast Pass rental experience to allow storage tenants an expedited and more flexible storage rental experience. The newly branded locations in Brooklyn offer package acceptance, a convenience that many small business owners leverage to store inventory and supplies.

Manhattan Mini Storage customers have long enjoyed moving service coupons to reduce the cost of moving in New York City. This customer perk will travel into the boroughs, helping customers reduce the cost of scheduling moving services across the New York metro area.

In addition, the company will upgrade their gated access entry system to put more choice in the hands of each tenant. Weyen Burnam, Chief Development Officer shared the company's goals, "We will implement new gated access technology that includes an app experience to provide customers more control over their account, allowing them to assign temporary user codes to a family member or guest, see their unit access history, and more."

Manhattan Mini Storage is focused on exceptional service and understanding the needs of urban customers to ensure a seamless experience in storing their belongings. They are equally committed to actively participating in the communities they serve. This commitment is demonstrated through the provision of job opportunities, local charity support, and a focus on eco-friendly practices that align with the community's values and promote sustainability.

About Manhattan Mini Storage:

Manhattan Mini Storage stands as the largest provider of self-storage solutions in NYC. Boasting 20 locations throughout the New York Metropolitan Area, the company offers a diverse range of storage units tailored to meet the needs of residents and local businesses. For further details, visit their website at www.manhattanministorage.com.

Contact:

Sarah Little

573.449.0091

Sarah.Little@storage-mart.com

SOURCE Manhattan Mini Storage
Darren Roos appointed as IFS's Chair of the Board

LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global cloud enterprise software company, today announces that Mark Moffat has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Moffat takes over from Darren Roos who has been appointed as the company's Chair of the Board. Both appointments are effective immediately.

The transition provides great continuity for the business by building on the successful strategy that has seen IFS transform into the leading vendor for Asset & Service Management software. Moffat, Roos and the IFS Executive Team have been working on the transition over the past six months as part of the Board's succession planning process.

Moffat, who was previously IFS's Chief Customer Officer, is a well-known and respected technology leader having held several senior positions at PwC before joining IFS.

Commenting on his appointment, Mark Moffat, CEO of IFS, said: "It is a great honor for me to lead IFS as we embark on this next chapter of growth. The business has immensely strong foundations to build upon and we have been putting all the right ingredients in place to continue to deliver on our strategy: a differentiated proposition, a hugely advanced and capable AI-based product, an engaged customer base, a motivated partner ecosystem, and of course our talented employee base." Moffat continued: "I want to recognize and thank Darren for the impact he has had as my predecessor. I look forward to working with him in his new capacity as IFS's Chair of the Board."

Under Roos' tenure as CEO, IFS has more than tripled its overall revenues and transformed into a true Cloud business, from both a product and revenue perspective with 79% of total revenue now recurring (up from 36% when he joined). Thanks to sustained organic growth and customer satisfaction scores that set the industry benchmark, IFS has become the trusted vendor for industry focused applications that help manage assets, people and customers.

Darren Roos, Chair of the Board at IFS, commented: "I am thrilled to appoint Mark as my successor. He has a proven track record, brings a strong network, and is a great leader that people want to follow. I am proud of all that has been achieved since I joined IFS and want to thank the thousands of women and men throughout the business who have lived our shared values and made our customers successful. I am pleased to be continuing my journey with IFS, albeit in a different capacity. There is so much opportunity in the market and, together with the Board, I will work with Mark and his team to ensure we effectively capture it." Roos concluded: "I take over as Chair of the Board from Jonas Persson, who I want to thank for his great governance and counsel over the years."

Johannes Reichel, partner at EQT (majority owner of IFS), added: "Darren and the leadership team have delivered phenomenal results in turning IFS into one of the fastest growing software businesses operating at scale. Mark has the right background and ambition that will enable IFS to take advantage of the opportunity ahead, and we look forward to him partnering with Darren as our new Chair of the Board." Reichel added: "I also want to thank Jonas Persson who leaves the IFS Board, having been the Chairperson since EQT acquired the business. He will continue to serve as a Senior Advisor to EQT and is the Chairperson at several other EQT-owned software businesses."

IFS is backed by investors EQT, Hg and TA Associates, a group of world-class investors that have been invested as a trio in IFS since 2022 in a transaction valuing IFS at over $10bn. Together they bring decades of software experience, backing IFS for its next wave of growth.

IFS plans to release its financial results for FY2023 on 30th January 2024.

About IFS:

IFS develops and delivers cloud enterprise software for companies around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. Within our single platform, our industry specific products are innately connected to a single data model and use embedded digital innovation so that our customers can be their best when it really matters to their customers - at the Moment of Service. The industry expertise of our people and of our growing ecosystem, together with a commitment to deliver value at every single step, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of over 6,000 employees every day live our values of agility, trustworthiness and collaboration in how we support our 6,500+ customers. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com.

CONTACT:

IFS Press Contacts:

MEA& APJ: Adam Gillbe

Corporate Communications

Email: press@ifs.com

Phone: +44 7775 114 856

USA: Mairi Morgan

Corporate Communications

Email: press@ifs.com

Phone: +1 520 396 2155

The following files are available for download:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CFP Board announced that Matt Boersen, CFP, CFA has ascended to the role of Chair of its Board of Directors. Boersen, 35, is the youngest Board Chair in the history of CFP Board.

In this leadership role, Boersen leads the professional body that certifies nearly 100,000 financial planning professionals across the United States. Boersen was elected by his Board of Director peers in 2022 to serve as 2023 Board Chair-elect. On January 1, 2024, he began serving in his new Board Chair role for CFP Board of Standards and CFP Board Center for Financial Planning.

"Guiding CFP Board is a profound privilege," said Boersen. "In the evolving economy, ensuring public access to ethical, competent financial planning is crucial. We must reach out to younger generations to build a diverse financial planning workforce. I look forward to collaborating with CFP Board's leadership and CFP professionals nationwide to expand this talent pipeline."

Boersen will guide the organization as it advances important workforce initiatives, including providing scholarships and mentors for candidates for CFP certification as well as targeted outreach to undergraduate and college-bound students. During his term as Chair, he will also preside over academic research on the long-term impact of financial planning and planners on clients' lives.

"Matt is an outstanding leader and accomplished CFP professional who is poised to guide us into the next era of the financial planning profession," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "As we reach 100,000 CFP certificants this year, his focus on our strategic priorities, including securing a sustainable workforce, will be instrumental for the profession's future and the financial advice ecosystem."

Boersen is the Managing Partner for Straight Path Wealth Management, an independent RIA just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as Straight Path Tax and Accounting Solutions, a business and tax consulting firm. Boersen began his career in financial planning at a young age, earning his license during his senior year of college. He founded Straight Path Wealth Management in 2011, and in 2014, he started his accounting and tax practice. In 2021, Straight Path moved into its newly purpose-built headquarters in Jenison, Michigan.

Boersen joined CFP Board as a Board Director in 2020 and served as a Chair of the Finance and Investments Committee as well as a member of the CEO Oversight and Compensation Committee. He was recognized by InvestmentNews in 2020 as a member of the top 40 advisors under 40 from across the country.

Boersen also serves on the Board of Directors for Christian Mission Aid, an NGO that provides health care, community development services and ministry training in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.

Boersen earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Grand Valley State University. He earned his CFP certification in 2014 and holds the CFA designation as well. Active in pro bono financial planning through his church, Boersen lives in Jenison, Michigan, with his wife and three children.

ABOUT CFP BOARD

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public's benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification  widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners  so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP certification is held by nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession's body of knowledge.

SOURCE CFP Board
NEW YORK and LONDON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 9fin, a leading provider of data, news and predictive analysis for debt capital markets, has today announced that Max Frumes has joined the company to oversee global coverage of distressed debt and restructuring.

Frumes, who co-authored one of the definitive books on distressed debt  The Caesars Palace Coup  joins from LevFin Insights, where he ran the special situations news team globally. Before that, he was instrumental in setting up the distressed debt editorial operation at Reorg.

Global Head of Distressed and Restructuring at 9fin

Max is based in New York, alongside recent editorial hires Rachel Butt and Max Reyes (both formerly of Bloomberg) and distressed analyst Kartikeya Dar (formerly of Houlihan Lokey). The team will expand in the coming months; for more information on open roles, see here.

As well as expanding 9fin's coverage of US distressed, Frumes will oversee the company's existing European distressed team.

The addition of US distressed news and analysis will expand 9fin's coverage of the global structured credit markets, complementing its news and data in Leveraged Finance, Private Credit, and Structured Credit.

Max Frumes, Global Head of Distressed and Restructuring at 9fin, commented: "I couldn't think of a better platform than 9fin on which to be growing another leading news team in distressed and restructuring. I have been greatly impressed by their dedication to developing the best technology and putting it in the hands of world-class journalists, lawyers and analysts to produce cutting edge content for the fixed income world."

Steven Hunter, Co-Founder and CEO of 9fin, commented: "We're super excited to have Max on board. There are very few journalists out there who can match his expertise and passion for distressed debt, and he's also got a huge amount of experience building teams and products in this space. There's no-one better to take our coverage to the next level."

About 9fin

9fin is the faster, smarter way to find intelligence on leveraged credit. Our AI-powered data and analytics platform centralises everything that's needed to analyse a credit or win a mandate in one place, helping subscribers win business, outperform their peers, and save time.

9fin is trusted by the largest asset managers in the world, leading law firms and advisers in debt capital markets, and nine of the top 10 investment banks.

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TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - McIntosh Perry and Beam Longest & Neff, LLC (BLN) are thrilled to unveil their new identity as Egis, effective January 1st, 2024. This rebrand marks a milestone in their Egis journey, reflecting a strengthened global presence in consulting, engineering, and mobility services.

Egis (CNW Group/McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd.)

McIntosh Perry, an award-winning North American consulting engineering company, has expanded its service offering and geographic footprint in 2021, following their merger with US-based, BLN. With this expansion, Egis will significantly develop its presence in North America and continue supporting its clients to build a more balanced, sustainable, and resilient world.

"The launch of Egis as our new brand identity is a landmark moment. It represents our growth, our commitment to innovation, and our readiness to broaden our service spectrum, while remaining fully committed to serving our local client's projects. As Egis, we are poised to bring unparalleled expertise to our clients, guiding them from conception to operation. This evolution opens a wide range of opportunities for our team, empowering us to reach new heights in service excellence," said Gus Sarrouh, CEO, Egis, North America.

Egis' expertise spans across vital sectors such as roads, highways, buildings, water, energy, rail systems, environment, bridges, and underground structures. The company proudly contributes to seven of Canada's Top 100 Infrastructure Projects, including the transformative GO Rail Expansion program in Ontario and the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel rehabilitation in Montreal. In the United States, their involvement in the California High-Speed Rail is a strong testament to their capabilities and recognized expertise.

"Our combined talent pool and expertise allows us to deliver a broader spectrum of high-quality, technical solutions. We're geared up to enhance our client services significantly and excited about the collaborative prospects ahead," said James Chopty, CEO of the Americas, and Pacific region at Egis.

"Our alliance with McIntosh Perry and BLN represents a strategic move, leveraging their esteemed reputation to enrich our client interactions. This partnership is in line with our progressive stance and our optimism for the future. The North American market presents immense potential, given its advanced development in the construction sector and major investments in the infrastructure space. This opens significant business opportunities for our people, partners, and clients," said Laurent Germain, CEO, Egis.

About Egis

Egis is an international player active in the consulting, construction engineering and mobility service sectors.

We design and operate intelligent infrastructure and buildings capable of responding to the climate emergency and helping to achieve more balanced, sustainable, and resilient territorial development.

With operations in 120 countries, Egis places the expertise of its 18,000 employees at the disposal of its clients and develops cutting-edge innovation accessible to all projects.

Linkedin: Egis | Instagram: @egisgroup | Twitter: @egis | Facebook: @egisgroup

SOURCE McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd.
Results published by the DETECT study group indicate the relevance of assessing biomarker expression in Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) with the minimally invasive liquid biopsy-based CELLSEARCH platform to optimize treatment strategy and outcome in patients at an advanced stage of their disease.

BOLOGNA, Italy and HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Menarini Silicon Biosystems, a pioneer of liquid biopsy technology, announced today the publication, in the Journal of Clinical Chemistry, of the final results of the multicenter DETECT III clinical trial. This, interventional, investigator-initiated, phase III trial evaluated the efficacy of HER2-targeted therapy in metastatic breast cancer patients with HER2 negative tissue biopsy of the primary and/or metastatic site and HER2 positive CTCs detected with the CELLSEARCH system. Patients randomized to the treatment arm with reference HER2-targeted TKI (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) lapatinib, in addition to standard therapy, showed greater overall survival (OS) over patients treated with standard therapy alone. This allowed physicians to consider early initiation of HER2-targeted therapy. Based on the primary tumor and/or metastatic site characteristics and the current standard of care, those patients would not have been eligible for HER2 targeted therapy.

According to Prof. Dr. med. Wolfgang Janni, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ulm, Germany, study director of the DETECT III trial: "the results of this trial suggest the potential of CTCs as noninvasive surrogates for invasive tissue-based biomarkers, as well as an early monitoring tool. CTC phenotyping could contribute to personalized treatment approaches that allow us to improve management of patients with advanced disease and discordant expression of the HER2 receptor".

A total of 2,137 patients with HER2 negative MBC were screened for HER2 positive CTCs using Menarini Silicon Biosystems' CELLSEARCH CTC System and the CELLSEARCH HER2 tumor phenotyping reagent*. 105 patients, with at least one detected HER2 positive CTC in the initial CTC screening phase, were randomized to either lapatinib in combination with standard therapy or to standard therapy alone. Patients in the lapatinib arm had a significantly improved OS with a median survival time of 20.5 months compared to a median survival time of 9.1 months for patients in the standard arm (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.340.86; p = 0.008). While investigators acknowledge some limitations in the study design, the results indicate that CTC-guided treatment allocation may help optimize treatment strategies and should therefore be further investigated. The study also confirmed the prognostic role of CELLSEARCH CTC enumeration. Patients with no evidence of CTCs at the time of first follow-up showed a 3-fold increase in OS compared to patients with CTCs (42.4 months vs 14.1 months median OS; HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.160.68; p = 0.002)

"We are thrilled by the fact that the DETECT III study provides additional data further elucidating the potential value of our minimally invasive CELLSEARCH technology," said Fabio Piazzalunga, President of Menarini Silicon Biosystems. "This study is another example of why we are so committed to pursuing our investments in the CELLSEARCH platform in different cancer settings."

About the DETECT study program

DETECT is the largest study program utilizing Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) count and HER2 phenotype assessment to personalize treatment strategies for HER2 negative MBC. The aim of this protocol was to evaluate the impact of adapting therapeutic interventions based on CTC phenotypes in patients with a discordant HER2 negative primary tumor biopsy and HER2+ over expression of CTCs in the metastatic setting. The study results consistently show the importance of adding HER2 targeted therapy in this patient population to improve long-term clinical outcomes.

About CELLSEARCH

CELLSEARCH is the first and only clinically validated blood test cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for detecting and counting CTCs to aid physicians in managing patients with metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers when used in conjunction with other clinical methods of monitoring. The test is also approved by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for use in monitoring patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer. The CELLSEARCH System is the most extensively studied CTC technology, with research published in more than 650 peer-reviewed publications.

CELLSEARCH Circulating Tumor Cell Kit is not cleared or approved for use to guide specific treatment decisions. For more information on the full intended use and limitations of the CELLSEARCH system, please refer to the Instructions for Use at http://documents.cellsearchctc.com/.

The CELLSEARCH HER2 tumor phenotyping reagent is available as a Research Use Only product in Europe and Asia Pacific.

In the USA only, the CELLSEARCH CTC test with HER2 biomarker is available to clinicians, through Menarini Silicon Biosystems' CLIA registered clinical laboratory as a laboratory developed test.

About Menarini Silicon Biosystems

Menarini Silicon Biosystems offers unique rare cell technologies and solutions that provide clinical researchers with access to unparalleled resolution in the study of cells and their molecular characterization.

Menarini Silicon Biosystems, based in Bologna, Italy, and Huntingdon Valley, Pa., U.S., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, a multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics company headquartered in Florence, Italy, with more than 17,000 employees in 140 countries.

* The CELLSEARCH Tumor Phenotyping Reagent (HER-2/neu) is available for Research Use Only. Not for Use in Diagnostic Procedures.

CONTACT: Linda PAVY  [email protected]

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SOURCE Menarini Silicon Biosystems
MORRISVILLE, N.C., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercalis Inc., an integrated life sciences commercialization company that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire biopharmaceutical value chain, today released its 2023 annual highlights, detailing the organization's impressive performance over the past year.

In September, TrialCard announced it had rebranded to become Mercalis, a transformation several years in the making. Over time, the Mercalis executive leadership team implemented a deliberate strategy to expand its capabilities to support life sciences companies more comprehensively in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Years of robust organic growth and purposeful inorganic expansion, including seven acquisitions over the past five years, further diversified the company beyond patient support into broader life sciences commercialization services. This transformation culminated in the launch of a new brandMercalisto encompass it all.

"Mercalis's success in 2023 was highlighted by a pivotal corporate rebranding," said Scott Dulitz, Mercalis's Chief Executive Officer. "The year represented a significant stride toward our goal of becoming the leading fully integrated commercialization partner in the life sciences industry. Notably, the growth of our Triangle Insights consulting group and the expansion of Policy Reporter's SaaS-based payer intelligence offerings contributed to this success. Alongside our market-leading Patient Support Services, these elements have established a strong foundation for our comprehensive end-to-end commercialization platform. Across all business segments, we welcomed 75 new clients and provided support to over 1.6 million patients, addressing their access and affordability needs."

Some of Mercalis's more newsworthy items from 2023 include:

Throughout its history, Mercalis has publicly supported many of the biopharmaceutical industry's efforts to combat legislation and policies that adversely impact patients. In February, Mercalis joined Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and 28 patient, provider, and consumer organizations by filing an amicus curiae brief in support of a case brought against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, the Diabetes Leadership Council, the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, and three patients. The lawsuit concluded with a favorable decision for the plaintiffs, resulting in federal regulations preventing health plans from implementing copay accumulators for drugs without generic equivalents.

In March, Mercalis launched its scalable ConvergeHEALTH Patient Connect for Life Sciences platform on Salesforce Health Cloud. This adaptable platform provides state-of-the-art technology, enabling the delivery of comprehensive integrated patient service support programs tailored to individual patient needs. Renowned as a market-leading solution, this platform introduces valuable features and benefits, including a healthcare provider web portal, a portal for field reimbursement managers (FRMs), and advanced workflow and integration capabilities, features our life science customers have found highly beneficial.

In 2023, Mercalis's free goods pharmacy experienced record year-over-year growth of 500% and successfully launched or transitioned four Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). To sustain its growth and distinguish it from other non-commercial dispensing pharmacies, Mercalis is now: Standing up a second pharmacy to provide full business continuity Breaking ground on a new and expanded flagship location that will open in 2024 Investing in pharmacy automation technology to provide best-in-class efficiency, speed, and accuracy

During 2023, Triangle Insights Group by Mercalis expanded its client base by 14% and announced several key appointments and promotions within its team. Megan Thomas , Ryan Coe , and Sarah Jims were recognized for their contributions and promoted to Partner. The company also welcomed Rohit Kumar as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager. Lastly, Chris Apolito , a Triangle founding partner, was named Chief Strategy Officer for Mercalis.

, , and were recognized for their contributions and promoted to Partner. The company also welcomed as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager. Lastly, , a Triangle founding partner, was named Chief Strategy Officer for Mercalis. Policy Reporter by Mercalis introduced the Payer Landscape Dashboard (PLD) and Formulary Alerts to enhance its offerings. The PLD offers a streamlined view of coverage information through a dynamic business intelligence platform, utilizing weighting and scoring on key criteria. This innovative tool empowers Market Access leaders with actionable insights, extracting valuable information from the vast array of unstructured data within policy documents. It provides a holistic view of payer coverage for both products and competitors. In addition, the Formulary Alerts deliver comprehensive notifications of payer formulary change activity, customizable by drug, payer, PBM, plan type, and state. These tools complement Policy Reporter's renowned policy tracking and alerting capabilities, further elevating the level of payer intelligence for pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic manufacturers, ultimately driving commercial success.

In November, Mercalis announced an exclusive perpetual license to a portfolio of access and adherence technologies from OptimizeRx . This deal further expanded the Mercalis catalog of eServices transactions including pharmacy eligibility, electronic real-time benefits investigation, electronic prior authorizations, medical eligibility, and financial acceptance screening. The transaction also included a team of talented employees who built and commercialized these access and adherence technologies.

OptimizeRx Mercalis eServices After a rigorous recertification process, Mercalis once again achieved the coveted ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation for its Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISO/IEC 27001 certification is the gold standard in data security management and places Mercalis among the industry's best in data security and privacy. Mercalis has held this certification since 2018.

About Mercalis

Mercalis is an integrated life sciences commercialization partner that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire healthcare value chain. The company partners closely with its clients to deliver an end-to-end spectrum of commercial capabilities that work together seamlessly and flexibly. Backed by proven industry expertise and results-driven technology, Mercalis provides the data and strategic insights, patient support services, and healthcare provider engagement tools to help life sciences companies successfully commercialize new products. Above all, Mercalis helps navigate the complex life sciences marketplace to accelerate value and enhance patient lives. Founded in 2000, Mercalis provides commercialization solutions to more than 500 life sciences customers and has provided access and affordability support to millions of patients. The company is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. For more information about Mercalis, please visit www.mercalis.com.

Contact:

Landy Townsend

VP, Marketing & Communications

Mercalis

[email protected]

SOURCE Mercalis
Head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis emphasised the importance of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, delivering his annual State of the World address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Azernews reports.

Reiterating his vision of the situation in the South Caucasus, the Pope urged the parties to sign a peace treaty. He emphasised the importance of finding a solution to the difficult humanitarian situation facing the inhabitants of the region, encouraging displaced persons to return legally and safely to their homes, and respecting places of worship belonging to different religious communities. The Pope noted that these steps will contribute to creating an atmosphere of trust to achieve the long-awaited peace.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Holy See Ilgar Mukhtarov conveyed to Pope Francis the greetings and congratulations of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and invited him to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Azerbaijan.
Ecuadorian soldiers arrive at the Zonal 8 prison for an inspection in Guayaquil, Ecuador, January 7, 2024.

A convicted leader of one of the most powerful drug gangs in Ecuador has vanished from the prison where he was serving his sentence, and authorities were investigating whether he escaped like he did a decade ago from another facility.

Ecuadorian authorities reported Sunday that Adolfo Macias, alias Fito and leader of Los Choneros gang, wasnt in his cell, and by Monday they hadnt found him or explained what had happened.

The countrys correction system office said Monday that they were planning to provide more information about the case. Police general commander Cesar Zapata told the media Sunday night that Macias had disappeared from his cell, and that they were investigating.

Ecuadors prosecutors office tweeted Sunday that it was investigating the case as a probable prisoners escape.

Macias was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organized crime. He was serving a a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison of the port of Guayaquil, and he was scheduled on Sunday to be transferred to a maximum security facility in the same city.

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs considered by authorities as responsible for a spike in violence over the past years that reached a new level last year with the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.

The politician had said that the criminal group led by Fito threatened him, but so far authorities havent directly accused Macias or his group of being behind Villavicencios murder.

Days after Villavicencios killing, Macias was moved out of La Regional to the maximum security prison in the same large complex of detention facilities in Guayaquil, but he was returned to the same lighter security prison within less than a month without any explanation.

In February 2013, Fito fled from a maximum security facility, but he was recaptured a few weeks later.

Los Choneros and other similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over drug trafficking routes and control of territory, including from within detention facilities, where at least 400 inmates have died since 2021, according to authorities.

Experts and authorities have acknowledged that gang members practically rule from inside the prisons, and Macias is believed to have kept controlling his group from within the detention facility.

President Daniel Noboa, an heir to a fortune built on the banana trade, took over in November saying his governments main objective is to reduce violence.

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Acquisition reinforces Metro Supply Chain's position as a leading North American and international strategic contract logistics service provider, while adding new verticals to its offering

MONTREAL, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Metro Supply Chain Inc. ("Metro Supply Chain"), a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest growing and most reputable organizations, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire SCI Group Inc. ("SCI"), a leading Canadian third-party logistics (3PL) company, from Canada Post Corporation ("Canada Post") and Purolator Holdings Ltd.

This transformational transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

Metro Supply Chain and SCI (CNW Group/Metro Supply Chain)

"We are thrilled about the prospect of acquiring SCI," said Chiko Nanji, Metro Supply Chain Founder and Group Chairman. "There is an excellent strategic fit between SCI and our existing operations and culture, and we are excited about the future as a combined entity. This acquisition will strengthen our position as a true champion in strategic contract logistics services."

The combined entity, with deep Canadian roots and a shared focus on customers, will be ideally positioned to compete in the global supply chain sector.

"The strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI is strong. We look forward to leveraging our complementary strengths and shared emphasis on operational excellence to generate growth for clients in multiple sectors, including technology and healthcare, and expand our ecommerce offering," said Metro Supply Chain President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Fenton. "The addition of SCI to the Metro Supply Chain group will offer opportunities to enhance our expansion efforts south of the border."

Headquartered in Quebec, with significant regional support offices in the Greater Toronto Area and operations across Canada, the United States and United Kingdom, the combined entity will create a diversified supply chain solutions provider.

Metro Supply Chain is highly engaged and committed to its people and the communities in which it operates. It is mindful of its social, economic and environmental impact and seeks ways to work more sustainably and create a positive impact on the planet, customers, teams and communities.

Chris Galindo, President and CEO of SCI, will remain with the combined entity, ensuring the continuity of SCI's commitment to excellence.

"There is a strong strategic alignment between Metro Supply Chain and SCI, from our strong peoplefirst cultures to our focus on innovation, best-in-class systems, and contractual business models and complementary technology, client and vertical mix," explained Galindo.

Metro Supply Chain is grateful to its existing and new financial partners, LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, Investissement Quebec, and the National Bank of Canada, for their support in this transaction and the future growth of the combined entity.

"With this 10th acquisition by Metro Supply Chain since it began working with CDPQ in 2018, the company is actively pursuing its strategic development plan," said Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Quebec at CDPQ. "We are proud to support the company in its efforts to strengthen its position as a Canadian leader, accelerate growth projects and expand activities, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom."

To support its global strategic vision, Metro Supply Chain has concluded an agreement with the Government of Quebec through Investissement Quebec, for an investment by way of a private placement in Metro Supply Chain.

"To ensure the economic and sustainable development of Quebec, it is essential that we be able to rely on Quebec companies and robust supply chains. With this investment in Metro Supply Chain, we are helping a Quebec company to become an international leader in the logistics sector," stated Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region.

"This transaction aligns with Investissement Quebec's mission to create a logistics champion and support its geographic expansion outside Quebec. Metro Supply Chain is setting an example by making a significant investment to improve its productivity by automating its warehouses. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chains, which are an essential link in the Quebec economy," said Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Quebec.

"Metro Supply Chain welcomes Investissement Quebec as one of its new strategic partners and is very pleased to be able to count on the continued support of LDC Logistics Holdings Inc., CDPQ, the National Bank of Canada, as we pursue our global growth ambitions," stated Metro Supply Chain CFO Mathieu Descheneaux. "This strategic investment enables us to acquire highquality companies like SCI to expand the range and depth of supply chain solutions we can offer."

Together, Metro Supply Chain and SCI anticipate a bright future, delivering innovative supply chain solutions that meet the most challenging needs of their customers.

Advisors

TD Securities Inc. is acting as exclusive financial and financing advisor to Metro Supply Chain, while Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and Stikeman Elliott LLP are acting as legal advisors to Metro Supply Chain.

About Metro Supply Chain

Metro Supply Chain is a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest-growing and most reputable organizations. For almost 50 years, it has excelled at tailoring integrated, data-driven solutions, fueled by advanced systems and technology, that fulfill complex and challenging distribution needs. Managing 15 million square feet in more than 100 sites across North America and Europe with a team of 6,000, it is one of Canada's largest privately owned supply chain solutions companies. In 2023, Metro Supply Chain received the prestigious Best Managed Companies award for its strategic expertise, culture of innovation and commitment to its people and local communities.

About SCI

SCI makes North American businesses even better by offering its clients in the omni-channel retail, technology, health, beauty and wellness sectors a suite of end-to-end supply chain solutions. For 30 years, its deep-rooted, best-in-class logistics, supply chain, and transportation management expertise has continued to help mid-market clients coast-to-coast and across the border.

SCI manages more than $1 billion of inventory daily through a nationwide network across Canada. It operates more than 75 locations totalling over 4 million square feet and employs more than 3,000 team members.

SCI prides itself on adding value to clients' business by removing friction points and seamlessly delivering on their business strategy. Through continuous improvement processes, business intelligence tools, data-driven insights, and progressive technology, its integrated team of experts are committed to reducing costs, risks and complexity within the supply chain. By optimizing supply chain operations, SCI's clients gain the competitive advantage they need to scale their business.

SOURCE Metro Supply Chain
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Treliant, an essential consulting partner to the global financial services industry, has named Mike Scarpa as Managing Director, Regulatory Compliance, Mortgage, and Operations Solutions. His appointment reflects Treliant's commitment to tackling the complex challenges faced by financial services companies across the industry spectrum.

Mike has spent 10 years with the advisory practices of two different "Big Four" accounting firms, delivering regulatory compliance and risk management engagements to traditional banks, challenger financial institutions, and fintech firms. He has handled some very difficult and longstanding public enforcement actions for large systemically important banks, foreign banks operating in the U.S., and payment/card network firms. He has also helped various financial institutions implement significant regulatory changes.

"Mike comes to us at a time of elevated pressure on financial services companies of all types," said Karin Lockovitch, Senior Managing Director, Regulatory Compliance, Mortgage, and Operations Solutions. "His track record in helping clients weather extremely challenging enforcement actions and dramatically shifting regulatory requirements is emblematic of the value he brings to our firm's compliance and operations consulting practice."

"In 2024, financial services risk and compliance leaders face daunting and unique challenges - economic, market, operational, and regulatory," Mike said. "It's a time when trusted advice, experience, and support can help clients rise to the challenge, and I'm gratified to be in a position at Treliant to assist them."

About Treliant

Treliant is an essential consulting firm serving banks, mortgage originators and servicers, fintechs, and other companies providing financial services globally. We are led by practitioners from the industry and the regulatory community who bring deep domain knowledge to help our clients drive business change and address the most pressing compliance, regulatory, and operational challenges.

We provide data-driven, technology-enabled consulting, implementation, staffing, and managed services solutions to the regulatory compliance, risk, credit, financial crimes, and capital markets functions of our clients.

Founded in 2005, Treliant is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. To learn more visit www.treliant.com.

SOURCE Treliant
New hires bring 50+ years of combined experience, dedicated quality expertise to team

FALL RIVER, Mass., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Millstone Medical Outsourcing, the industry's leading partner of choice for medical manufacturers' post-manufacturing and aftermarket services, has strengthened the leadership at its Olive Branch, MS facility with the addition of a new General Manager and Director of Quality. The additions bring a combined 50+ years of manufacturing experience and dedicated quality resources to leading Olive Branch.

New Olive Branch General Manager, Bryan Marshall comes to his role with over 25 years of leadership in manufacturing, most recently with Anel Corporation (Mississippi) and Hyosung HICO (Tennessee). In addition to extensive operations leadership experience, Marshall holds a Lean Production Certification and is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Olive Branch Director of Quality Sascha Berg is a seasoned professional with 30+ years' experience in quality assurance for production and quality systems in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, most recently with Tegra Medical.

CEO Karl Neuberger commented on the additions to the Olive Branch leadership team. "As General Manager, Brian brings a high degree of expertise, and we are excited to have him join the company in a facilities leadership role. In addition, we are excited to deepen the strength of our quality team with Sascha, whose role as a dedicated quality leader for Olive Branch is new to Millstone. His background with medical OEMs will help us understand our customers even better and elevates our ability to act as a seamless extension of their teams. Bryan and Sascha will help us to deliver continued growth as a strategic partner of choice for our clients."

Millstone's investments in Olive Branch leadership follow recent strategic milestones, including the announcement that the company's testing services will move to an expanded facility in the Hartford, CT area in Q2 2024. "This year marks our 24th in businessand as we continue to drive significant annual growth, we remain focused on investing in our talent, leadership and facilities to ensure we have the capacity to serve our customers. With the addition of Bryan and Sascha, we have strengthened significantly, both in Olive Branchand company-wide."

About Millstone Medical Outsourcing

Millstone Medical Outsourcing is a leading provider of customized outsourcing solutions to the medical device industry with a client roster of the most prominent global OEMs as well as emerging growth companies. Millstone delivers superior quality service, unparalleled expertise, and guaranteed ROI. The company offers packaging, testing, and logistics to device and product manufacturers worldwide. Millstone is privately held and operates state-of-the-art facilities in Fall River, MA, Olive Branch, MS, West Warwick, RI and Willington, CT (moving to Bloomfield, CT in Q2 2024). The company is FDA registered and ISO certified by BSI, Inc. to ISO 13485: 2016. For more information, please visit www.millstonemedical.com.

SOURCE MILLSTONE MEDICAL OUTSOURCING
LEO satellite constellation company will perform feasibility study to support DoD cloud characterization observation capability

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Muon Space , a LEO satellite constellation company revolutionizing the way Earth is monitored from space, has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract focused on weather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and operational mission planning. Muon Space will perform a feasibility study to determine the benefit of modifying its multispectral Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) instrument to support the Department of Defense's (DoD) cloud characterization observation capability.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 that expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now Muon Space will continue its journey to create and provide innovative EO/IR cloud characterization capabilities.

The USAF and USSF rely on timely, accurate cloud characterization and weather information for global defense and National Security missions; however, the DoD is navigating the challenge of replacing aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites currently in operation past their end of life and at risk of failure. Muon Space is developing an EO/IR constellation solution that offers a commercial path to fill these gaps and ensure mission-critical data delivery.

"The DoD is pivoting to a more resilient distributed weather satellite architecture that counts on a new generation of space companies to develop more innovative integrated sensor and spacecraft constellations," said Greg Smirin, President of Muon Space. "This feasibility study is one of the first steps of many in Muon Space's journey to develop a full cloud characterization observation capability and we are excited to partner with AFWERX to explore the potential applications of our technology solutions."

Muon Space's core offerings of data services and mission-tailored Constellation-as-a-Service has significant commercial traction across commercial, government, and civil sectors including a recently announced contract with climate tech company Hydrosat. Muon Space also earned additional funding as an option to the company's contract with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLMC)'s Weather Systems Branch and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to collect ionospheric data on their MuSat-2 satellite mission. Announced in July , this is an expansion in scope to the original contract awarded to Muon Space in September 2022 to develop a space-based prototype for global weather sensing.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

About Muon Space

Founded in 2021, Muon Space is launching a new generation of smallsats and sensors to monitor Earth's climate and ecosystems with unprecedented fidelity. Muon's vertically integrated simulation, hardware and software stack accelerates customers' time-to-market from concept formulation through launch and to scaled operations. Muon Space's state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. Regular launches began in June 2023 , providing data sets addressing important geophysical and environmental applications through the most scalable smallsat LEO constellation platform for delivering new technologies to space.

For more information on Muon Space, visit: https://www.muonspace.com/

About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

Sole organization leading the planning and execution of U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force science & technology programs. Orchestrates a world-wide government, industry & academia coalition in the discovery, development & delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology. Provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best. Employs 10,800 military, civilian and contractor personnel at 17 research sites executing an annual $4B budget. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com .

About AFWERX

The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com .

SOURCE Muon Space
In models of neuroblastoma, Zika injection dramatically improved survival

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Injecting neuroblastoma tumors with Zika virus shrank or eliminated those tumors in studies with mice, suggesting that the virus could someday serve as an effective cancer therapy, according to a study led by Nemours Children's Health researchers and published today in Cancer Research Communications, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9242251-nemours-childrens-health-researchers-find-zika-effective-childhood-cancer-mice/

Zika virus kills neuroblastoma in mice Senior author, Tamarah Westmoreland, MD, PhD, Pediatric Surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at Nemours Childrens Hospital, Florida

Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer that typically develops in the sympathetic nervous system or the adrenal glands. Only 700 to 800 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, accounting for 6% of childhood cancer diagnoses. However, high-risk neuroblastoma takes a disproportionate toll, causing 15% of childhood cancer deaths.

"More than half of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma do not respond to chemotherapy or radiation, or they respond initially, but develop a recurrence," explained the study's senior author, pediatric surgeon Tamarah Westmoreland, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery at Nemours Children's in Orlando. "These patients are in urgent need of new treatment options."

In recent years, researchers have discovered that Zika virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, can potentially be used to kill cancer cells. Zika virus infections in pregnant women can cause serious birth defects as the virus targets CD24, a developmental protein. Previous research has suggested that certain cancers that express the CD24 protein are also vulnerable to the Zika virus, opening the door for Zika virus to be used as a treatment. In this study, Westmoreland and first author Joseph Mazar, PhD, Research Scientist at Nemours Children's, examined Zika's potential against neuroblastoma.

The researchers studied mice with neuroblastoma tumors that express high levels of CD24. They injected half of the mice with a saline solution, and the other half with Zika virus. Tumor sizes were monitored three times a week thereafter.

The study showed that all mice injected with the Zika virus experienced a nearly total loss of tumor size. The highest dosage tested resulted in complete elimination of the tumor, which was confirmed by an independent Nemours Children's pathologist. In four weeks of follow-up, there was no recurrence of the tumor. Furthermore, the mice did not develop any symptoms of Zika virus infection or any side effects.

To determine whether treatment with Zika virus is likely to help human patients survive longer, the researchers developed mouse models of human neuroblastoma tumors, treating them with either Zika virus or a saline solution. Twenty-eight days after the treatment, all tumors that received the saline solution had grown by as much as 800%. The tumor models that had received Zika had shrunk to approximately 12% of the original mass, which was confirmed to represent scar tissue rather than the tumor cells. After four additional weeks, no further tumor growth was detected, suggesting that patients treated with Zika virus would be more likely to survive.

The researchers cautioned that the use of Zika virus as a cancer therapy will require extensive additional studies encompassing safety and efficacy. They are currently testing Zika virus treatment in mouse adrenal glands growing neuroblastoma, mimicking neuroblastoma's most typical location in humans. Routine use in the United States would require testing in clinical trials and ultimately approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"With further validation, Zika virus could be an extremely effective bridge therapy for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma," said Mazar. "We also see potential for Zika virus to be used to treat children and adults with other cancers that express high levels of CD24."

"Neuroblastoma is often a very challenging diagnosis, especially for the patients who are unlikely to respond well to chemotherapy," said Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, Executive Vice-President, Enterprise Physician-in-Chief and Chief Scientific Officer of Nemours. "Dr. Westmoreland and Dr. Mazar are at the forefront of potentially lifesaving cancer treatment. We are hopeful that this study will pave the way toward improved survival for patients with neuroblastoma."

Zika background

Zika virus was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947, and first identified in humans in 1952. Spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus as the virus targets CD24, a developmental protein. Infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, including a small head size and an underdeveloped brain.

in 1947, and first identified in humans in 1952. Spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus as the virus targets CD24, a developmental protein. Infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, including a small head size and an underdeveloped brain. While Zika virus infection is most common in tropical regions, the United States experienced a rise in cases in 2016 and 2017, primarily in Florida and Texas .

experienced a rise in cases in 2016 and 2017, primarily in and . In most humans, Zika virus infection results in mild cold-like symptoms. Most people infected with the virus never develop symptoms.

This study builds upon a 2018 study by Westmoreland, Mazar, and Kenneth Alexander , MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Nemours Children's Health in Orlando . That research established the precedent that Zika virus could kill neuroblastoma cells.

, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Nemours Children's Health in . That research established the precedent that Zika virus could kill neuroblastoma cells. Zika virus has also been studied as a potential treatment for glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer.

About Nemours Children's Health

Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe and high-quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.

The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.

SOURCE Nemours Childrens Health
Improving business operations from the perspective of clinicians and technologists will be the focal point of next section in education series

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Net Health, a trusted source for specialized software solutions that empower restorative care providers across the continuum of care, today announced the launch of the next segment of its digital musculoskeletal (MSK) thought leadership program in collaboration with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The partnership provides therapists with information needed to navigate the impact of digital tools on their practice; this all-important second phase of the program will address key questions about business operations, payment, profitability, and more. Throughout the first half of 2024, Net Health and the APTA are facilitating a robust conversation with industry leaders about the emergence of digital MSK, how it impacts individual practices, and the future of the profession.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with the APTA to help educate industry stakeholders on this emerging shift in the rehab therapy space that will help change practices for the better," said Tannus Quatre, PT, MBA, SVP & Chief Development Officer, Therapy, for Net Health. "Patient expectations continue to evolve with more digital products and services becoming available, and this transfers into what they want from their healthcare consumer experience. Digital MSK offers a solution for the rehab therapy industry to help providers exceed these new expectations with more personalized care that meets patients' needs."

Digital MSK is a model for rehab therapy-based care delivery that leverages digital technologies and tools such as smartphones, tablets, apps, wearable technologies, and various other software solutions for the betterment of rehab therapy patients with musculoskeletal ailments. One-half of all American adults suffer from musculoskeletal pain or injury, and only 10% to 20% seek physical therapy as their solution despite it being one of the most effective avenues for the treatment and prevention of MSK ailments  leaving significant opportunity for the expansion of care through the use of digital MSK. The goal of Net Health and the APTA's joint program is to provide the opportunity for the industry to build a more robust, inclusive, and accessible bridge between patients and rehab therapy professionals.

"The APTA represents over 100,000 members in the physical therapy profession working to advance physical therapy practice and standards. Those clinicians look to us to advocate, promote, and set standards and guidance on emerging areas of the profession," said Drew Contreras, PT, DPT, Vice President of Clinical Integration and innovation for the APTA. "By working with partners such as Net Health to educate and advocate for the potential of advanced practice models such as digitally enabled musculoskeletal care, the APTA is further contributing to its mission of building more communities to advance the profession of physical therapy to improve the health of society."

As a part of this collaboration with the APTA, Net Health has launched a webinar and eBook series titled, "Harnessing the Potential of Digital MSK Care." To learn more about Net Health, read the eBooks on digital MSK, and register for the webinar series, visit www.Nethealth.com/dmsk.

About Net Health

Net Health's mission is to harness data for human health. We are a trusted source for more than 23,000 healthcare organizations across the continuum of care, and our specialized software solutions enable caregivers and their organizations to improve both patient outcomes and financial performance. Over 20 years of expertise in wound care and rehab therapy informs our electronic health record (EHR) software, patient engagement tools and predictive analytics. Our technology platforms help administrators manage workflow, specialists engage with patients, and executives drive business growth. Net Health is a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, Level Equity and Silversmith Capital Partners. To learn more, visit www.nethealth.com.

SOURCE Net Health Systems, Inc.
HELSINKI, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Helsinki will host the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony in May during which the latest Nordic restaurants that will be granted MICHELIN Stars will be revealed. Top Nordic players in the field will gather in Finland's capital for the event, which is recognised as one of the world's most famous food industry occurrences. Organized for the second time in a row in Finland, the event shines a spotlight on Helsinki's and the rest of the country's high-quality and versatile culinary scene.

The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony will be held on 27 May 2024 at Helsinki's Savoy Theatre and the Helsinki City Hall. The MICHELIN Stars awarded at the Ceremony are the most coveted and respected recognition of excellence in the restaurant industry. The MICHELIN Green Star, indicating role model restaurants committed to a more sustainable gastronomy, and other special awards will also be presented at the reveal.

"We are delighted to set for the very first time our annual Nordic Ceremony in the magnificent City of Helsinki. As the national culinary flagship of Finland, Helsinki will be an ideal location to bring together the creme de la creme of Nordic gastronomy. Together with the City of Helsinki, as well as the support of Business Finland/ Visit Finland, we will organize a Ceremony worthy of the talent of the chefs and the excellence of the restaurants that our inspectors have independently chosen to honor", said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides.

The event is an excellent opportunity for Helsinki to showcase its own food culture and its many different facets. Co-organised by the city together with the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries and Visit Finland, the Ceremony will attract hundreds of restaurant industry professionals and international media representatives to Helsinki.

"We are thrilled the MICHELIN Guide has chosen to organise one of the world's most famous restaurant events in our city this year. It is an esteemed acknowledgement of Helsinki's versatile food culture, which includes everything from high-quality fine dining and food industry innovations to berries and seafood from our local natural environment. We hope that as many residents of the city as possible will also have the opportunity enjoy the event's atmosphere and flavours," states Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen.

Food is naturally an important tourist attraction factor for the whole of Finland, not just its capital

"Food is an essential part of every trip. For years now, its importance has increased while choosing a travel destination, as travellers seek out unforgettable culinary experiences with a distinct local flavour. There are great food tourism destinations in Finland, but the high quality of Finnish food and the one-of-a-kind gastronomic culture we have here are not yet very well known on the world stage. The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony in Helsinki will provide excellent support for our efforts to strengthen Finland's reputation as an attractive food tourism destination," said Kristiina Hietasaari, Senior Director of Visit Finland.

Nordic MICHELIN cooperation is a highlight of Helsinki's special food year



The MICHELIN unveiling ceremony offers Helsinki a unique opportunity to bring various food and drink-related events and experiences together. It is also guaranteed to be a highlight of Helsinki's event-filled summer and a special food-themed year. The city invites operators, entrepreneurs and associations in the restaurant, food and event industry to join in the planning and preparations of joint activities for city residents and tourists to enjoy.

"The unveiling of the new Nordic restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide is a great opportunity for local food industry representatives to showcase their expertise and specialties. Versatility, personality and uniqueness are Helsinki's strengths when it comes to our food culture. We have the courage to combine new and old, eastern, western and northern, and come up with something completely off-the-beaten-path. Food is a key contributor to Helsinki's overall vitality and appeal, and it is one of our main priority areas for the coming year," concludes Marja-Leena Rinkineva, Economic Development Director for the City of Helsinki.

The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries publication highlights exceptional food in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland. The 2023 edition of the Nordic Guide contained a total of 271 restaurants, 81 of which were rated with One, Two or Three MICHELIN Stars. Five of Finland's MICHELIN-Starred restaurants are located in the capital of Helsinki, with one more in the southwest coastal city of Turku and another in the southern city of Porvoo. In addition, MICHELIN Guide awards MICHELIN Green Stars to restaurants that offer first- class environmentally friendly and sustainable dining experiences. Three restaurants in Helsinki currently hold the MICHELIN Green Star.



For more information, please contact:

Nina Vesterinen

Tourism Director, City of Helsinki

+358 40 635 3508

nina.vesterinen@hel.fi

Kristiina Hietasaari

Senior Director, Visit Finland | Business Finland

+358 40 778 8918

kristiina.hietasaari@businessfinland.fi

Sara Jantti

Senior Manager, PR & Communications, Helsinki Partners

+358 40 709 2913

sara.jantti@helsinkipartners.com

The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony is being arranged jointly by the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries, the City of Helsinki and Visit Finland. The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries is a branch of the multinational tyre manufacturing company Michelin. Visit Finland, part of Business Finland, is a national-level industry expert that works to promote tourism to Finland from abroad.

The following files are available for download:

https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/i/cafe-savoy-by-julia-kivela,c3255896 Cafe Savoy by Julia Kivela https://news.cision.com/helsinki-partners/i/cb-helsinki-nordic-countries-2024-c,c3255897 CB-HELSINKI-NORDIC-COUNTRIES-2024 C

SOURCE Helsinki Partners
Credit union encourages college-bound students to apply for $1,000 scholarships

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- North Island Credit Union is encouraging college-bound students in San Diego and Riverside counties to apply for its 2024 Student Scholarship Program. Through the program, the credit union provides $10,000 in scholarships annually to recognize local students who are motivated in their academic studies and active in their schools and communities.

"We encourage local students to get a head start on their education and apply for one of our annual scholarships," said North Island Credit Union President & CEO Steve O'Connell. "We know the cost of higher education can be a challenge for many families, and we are proud to help these students on their path to realize their educational goals. We look forward to continuing our long-standing tradition of student scholarships to support our next generation of leaders."

San Diego & Riverside county college-bound high school seniors and community college students transferring to a four-year university who maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 are eligible to participate. Selection criteria include academic performance, school or community involvement, a letter of recommendation, and an essay submission.

Interested students can find more information and apply online at www.ccu.com/student-scholarship/. Online applications will be accepted through Friday, March 8, 2024. Recipients will be announced on Monday, April 8, 2024.

The credit union's Annual Student Scholarship program was created in 2005 to recognize outstanding students within local communities. Since the creation of the program, the credit union has awarded more than $395,000 in scholarships.

About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union

California Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 with assets over $4.5 billion, nearly 200,000 members and 24 retail branches. The credit union serves community members and businesses in the California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura as well as school employees throughout the state. The credit union operates in San Diego and Riverside Counties as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. The credit union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. California Credit Union is certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a Low Income Designation, offering inclusive products and services to build financial stability in our underserved communities, including a checking account certified as meeting the Bank On National Account Standards. Visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu.

SOURCE North Island Credit Union
Company Receives Funding from Labcorp's Venture Fund to Advance Diagnostic Breakthroughs

SPRINGDALE, Ark., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NOWDiagnostics ( NOWDx ), a developer of over-the-counter (OTC) and point-of-care (POC) diagnostics tests and first-in-class technology and platforms, today announced they have submitted a De Novo Classification Request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the company's First to Know at-home syphilis test. Additionally, the company secured a strategic investment from the Labcorp Venture Fund , marking an important milestone in the company's commercialization strategy.

The development of the First to Know syphilis test comes as healthcare experts agree there is a syphilis emergency in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Once thought to be in decline, syphilis is now resurging at an alarming rate. Left untreated, the consequences can be serious, especially for pregnant women.

NOWDx develops and manufactures "Touch to Test" OTC and point-of-care diagnostic tests that yield results in minutes. Post this

"We are excited about the FDA submission as we work to bring this syphilis test to market. This test will meet the consumer's demand for faster, more affordable, and accessible tests in the privacy of their home," said Rob Weigle, CEO of NOWDx. "We are also pleased to have Labcorp as an investor and strategic partner as we begin to launch the first of many OTC tests."

"In support of Labcorp's mission to improve health and improve lives, the Labcorp Venture Fund invests in early stage, private companies like NOWDx that are making healthcare more convenient, accessible, affordable and personalized," said Megann Vaughn Watters, Vice President, New Ventures & Strategic Alliances for Labcorp.

NOWDx is in the process of completing a $15M Series B round led by DigitalDx Ventures. "With the Labcorp investment, along with our current investors and new family offices, the round has closed over $12M to date. We look forward to discussing our vision with the attendees at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference," added Weigle.

"The reality of 'touch to test' technology is a game-changer in the large, critical areas of infectious disease and women's health," said Michele Colucci, founder and managing partner of DigitalDx Ventures, a Silicon-Valley based diagnostics fund focusing on earlier, less invasive, more accurate, and affordable medical tests enabling access to healthcare for all. "The powerful combination of NOWDx's proprietary technology and the ability to produce their tests at scale in their state-of-the-art production facility in the tech hub of Bentonville positions the company to be a market leader meeting the growing consumer need."

Weigle and his executive team are attending the 42nd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 8-11, 2024 . Please contact ( [email protected] ) for a meeting time.

About NOWDiagnostics (NOWDx)

NOWDiagnostics develops and manufactures "Touch to Test" over-the-counter and point-of-care diagnostic tests that yield results in minutes. NOWDx's patented approach allows for virtually any immunological assay to be accurately performed onsite in one step using a tiny amount of blood or, in some cases, saliva. We envision a world where people have greater access to information concerning their health and well-being and are more comfortable shaping their desired outcomes. NOWDx is committed to changing healthcare by providing accessible, affordable, and accurate consumer testing worldwide. nowdx.com

NOWDx CONTACT:

Todd Grice

[email protected]

717.380.9400

SOURCE NOWDx
New Tabletop Mirror Measures Health Vitals by Analyzing Facial Blood Flow Patterns

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CES -- NuraLogix, a global pioneer in Affective Ai1, is pleased to announce Anura MagicMirror, a first-of-its-kind tabletop smart mirror that analyzes facial blood flow information to accurately calculate a host of vital signs and disease risk assessments. Powered by the company's cloud-based Affective Ai platform DeepAffex, Anura MagicMirror is the first device NuraLogix has manufactured, leveraging its hardware-agnostic software to deliver on the promise of making accurate health data ubiquitous in people's lives.

The highly versatile 21.5" screen device enables industry partners, including retailers, gyms, schools, corporations, construction companies, retirement homes, pharmacies, and doctors' offices, to develop proactive health solutions that can help impact the lives of employees, customers, and patients. A CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree for Digital Health, Anura MagicMirror is being showcased at the NuraLogix booth #8917 in the North Hall throughout the CES show in Las Vegas.

'Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who Is The Healthiest Of Us All?'

Anura  MagicMirror is designed for conducting speedy and accurate physical and mental health assessments anywhere, anytime. When a user sits in front of the mirror, the device automatically detects this movement and begins conducting a 30-second scan. Gathering health data in this method without requiring tedious multiple manual inputs provides ease of use, especially for those with mobility issues, elderly populations, and more.

Anura  MagicMirror leverages the company's patented Transdermal Optical Imaging (TOI) technology, a novel form of Remote Photoplethysmography (rPPG) to automatically detect a person's face, identify key regions of interest, and extract blood flow information. The data is sent to the cloud-based DeepAffex platform, which uses advanced signal processing and machine learning AI algorithms to calculate over 100 health parameters. You can see it in action here.

A Moment to Reflect on Current and Future Health

Anura MagicMirror goes beyond all other contactless health monitoring solutions. Uniquely, it can measure physical health vitals, as well as mental health assessments, and can carry out health risk assessments.

A sample of Anura MagicMirror's measurements include:

Vitals/Physical Indexes Blood Pressure

Cardiac Workload

Pulse Rate

Breathing Rate

Irregular Heart Rate

Heart Rate Variability

BMI

Body Shape Index

Waist-to-Height Ratio

Facial Skin Age Metabolic Health Risk Assessments T2 Diabetes Risk Assessment

Cardiovascular Disease Risk (10 yr)

Heart Attack Risk (10 yr)

Stroke Risk (10 yr)

Hypertension Risk

Hypercholesterolemia

Hypertriglyceridemia

Fatty Liver Disease

Morning Fasting Blood Glucose

Hemoglobin A1C Mental Health Mental Stress

Depression Health Risk

Anxiety Health Risk





NuraLogix's research models have currently appeared in 11 global peer-reviewed research publications, with three additional publications in progress covering topics of hypertension, multi-year cardiovascular risk, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

"We are excited to unveil Anura MagicMirror, our first hardware product that directly leverages the proven DeepAffex Affective AI Platform," said Phil Levy, Chief Technology Officer at NuraLogix. "Our technology uses any video-enabled device to assess general health parameters and with this mirror product, we are able to deliver these benefits to many different industry sectors. Whether it is helping organizations optimize staff well-being and monitoring stress levels, providing health checkups in a community, or easing the clinical intake burden on health professionals during visits, we are paving the way to a world where health vitals are easily monitored to help improve global health outcomes."

Anura MagicMirror is the latest addition to the company's portfolio of health solutions. It follows the launch and commercial deployment in November 2023 of Anura Telehealth, which enables real-time assessment of vital signs during video consultation sessions with physicians.

To learn more about NuraLogix and Anura MagicMirror please visit www.nuralogix.ai or visit the booth in the LVCC, North Hall, Booth 8917, for a demonstration.

About NuraLogix

NuraLogix is a pioneer in the development of Affective Ai and the creator of the world's first contactless blood pressure measurement technology. The company's patented cloud based Affective Ai Platform- DeepAffex can measure over 100 health and wellness parameters using a conventional video camera and its patented Transdermal Optical Imaging (TOI) technique to extract facial blood flow information from the human face. This is demonstrated in the company's groundbreaking Anura app.

Notes:

1  Affective Ai is the intersection between Affective Computing and Artificial Intelligence. It is the ability to recognize, measure, predict and simulate human affects that take the form of physiological and psychological states using AI trained models.

*In the United States, this product is for Investigational Use Only. The performance characteristics of this product have not been established.

NuraLogix Corporation Media Contact

Ian Twinn | Tandem Marketing Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE NuraLogix
My name is Catello Romano. I am 33 years old, and I have been in prison for almost half my life, 14 consecutive years. I have committed horrendous crimes and have been convicted of several Camorra murders. What follows is my criminal history. Thus begins the unprecedented university thesis written by a Neapolitan Mafia hitman to earn his degree in sociology from prison; it received honors. In the paper, Romano confessed to three murders, for which he had never been brought to justice. The Prosecutors Office now has the document and is scrutinizing it to reopen the cases; the prisoner has been transferred to a maximum-security prison in Padua.

It is also my aim to contribute to understanding the criminal phenomenon and, therefore, to its possible prevention. I am convinced that words are important and this autoethnographic text aims to change the world around us, Romano writes in his thesis, to which EL PAIS had access. The prisoner spent six years in the 41-bis penitentiary regime, through which mafiosos are incarcerated in extremely harsh and isolated conditions. He wrote his thesis while being held in the Calabrian prison of Catanzaro; Romanos 170-page study focuses on the sociology of survival and reflects on the allure of crime.

The thesis reads like an autobiographical novel in which dramatic episodes that actually happened alternate with chilling descriptions of the criminal environment, as well as reflections on and examples of family, education, childhood and adolescence, divorce, abandonment, drugs, violence and mafia history.

I have intimately known misery, and the negative influence it can have, since my childhood I have developed a certain willingness to reflect and the ability to not make facile and hasty moralistic judgments about people, [an ability that is] unfortunately not very common, the author writes.

Among other crimes, Catello Romano is serving a sentence for the murder of the Democratic Party of Castellammare di Stabia, a municipality south of Naples, councilman Luigi Tommasino. The councilman was shot dead in February 2009 while he was driving with his son because the Camorra mafia believed he was meddling in too many things that did not concern him.

In his thesis, Romano offers a detailed description of the idiosyncrasies of juvenile delinquency and its heterogeneous possible causes. He argues that crime has a strong allure for young people and adolescents who belong to marginalized and stigmatized sectors. It is their way of trying to emancipate themselves and gain more respect and social recognition. In this context, violence becomes a language and a way of claiming respect and social recognition, Romano observes. He further contends that mafia clans serve to replace the family of origin and become a total institution.

Catello comes from a humble family without ties to organized crime. In fact, as a child, he wanted to become a policeman. His thesis recounts the pain caused by his parents divorce, the gender-based violence he witnessed, his conflictive relationship with his father and how he filled that void by replacing his family of origin with a new family in which he could deeply and totally experience his new criminal identity with role models in the world of crime. With them, I built my new alternative identity as a tough guy, as a mask with which to hide my inability to accept my fragility as a teenager and as a way of surviving in a violent and extreme world, he writes in the thesis.

In the text, Romano details the first two murders he committed. He is aware that justice had never prosecuted him for those crimes and knows the consequences that this confession could have. Through this work, at least to some extent, I am carrying out a work of truth and reparation  I would not dare say justice  toward those who have been directly affected by my misguided actions, he says.

Catello Romano's parents, in July 1981, in a photo from his thesis.

A very difficult process

Catanzaro University professor and sociologist Charlie Barnao, who has been teaching Sociology of Survival at the prison for five years and served as Romanos thesis advisor, explains to this newspaper that the student went through a very difficult process. He has recounted in detail circumstances that will have consequences; he was very determined to expose that in his thesis. He has put his life in order once and for all and organized the episodes of his life to analyze them through a sociological research method, which has also had a kind of therapeutic function, the professor says. He describes Catello Romano as a brilliant student, who has gotten very good grades throughout his course of study.

In the thesis, Romano recounts his criminal career. He recalls the first time he wielded a gun, to protect a mobster on parole from possible reprisals from rival clans. He describes the hole in his soul left by the first two murders, in 2008, the year he came of age: the killings of Carmine DAntuono  a rival with too much power and his interlocutor at the time of the crime  and Federico Donnarumma; the two men were gunned down within seconds of each other. Donnarumma died just because he had been talking to DAntuono; Romano describes him as guilty only of meeting the wrong person at the wrong time. In addition, Catello writes about the two weeks of preparation for the most violent, traumatic and irreparable event of his life.

Romano concedes his recklessness, noting that foolishly, [I had a] mad desire to be somebody, to be seen and to be part of something bigger and more important, proving myself worthy through the cruelty and coldness of suppressing my fellow man. He even recalls how he dressed for the occasion: I liked to dress well, and I appreciated my clothes, which I had acquired through so many sacrifices in past years [by] doing more humble, hard and honest jobs. So, when I committed my first murder and had to throw away everything I was wearing at the time of the shooting as a precaution to avoid the detection of traces of gunpowder, I suffered a lot and complained for a long time, forcing whoever was giving me orders to promise me that at least he would buy me clothes, something he never did, Romano says.

After councilman Tommasinos murder, Catello Romano began a short-lived collaboration with the justice system, which he interrupted shortly thereafter with a spectacular but brief escape. In his thesis, Romano confesses to another crime hitherto unknown to justice: the 2008 murder of Nunzio Mascolo, a member of a rival clan. Although I cannot prove it, I am sure that he did nothing wrong to deserve death, the confessed murderer writes. He explains that in the infamous logic of the Camorra and of the underworld in general, it works like this; it is not even necessary for the victim to have done something. I have learned on the ground that in that world one can die for the envy of someone who, unfortunately for the victim, has some influence to order a death sentence. He also clarifies that his role was to pull the trigger and not to ask questions.

Making amends

In his thesis, Romano quotes Aldo Moro, the prime minister of Italy who was assassinated by Red Brigade terrorists, and writes that when one speaks the truth, one should not regret having said it. He extols the liberating power of the truth, noting that it is always enlightening, and it helps us to be courageous. He adds that I have told the above in the hope that I have done something reparative for those I have wronged and for myself.

Professor Barnao defends the need to guarantee access to study for inmates and laments that this type of learning experience is not common but a mirage in Italian prisons. He believes that inmates, especially those in maximum security prisons, are great experts at surviving in extreme conditions.

Barnao also praises the method of sociological research through autoethnography, which is used to describe and analyze personal experience to understand the cultural, social and political environment. He points out that several prisoners have employed this approach to try to draw lessons from their criminal histories. For example, while serving his life sentence in prison, Sicilian Mafia boss Salvatore Curatolo wrote his thesis on his survival strategies in prison and graduated with a degree in sociology. Similarly, Camorra godfather Sergio Ferraro, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison, wrote his thesis on socialization within the mafia clans.

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TORONTO and CALGARY, AB, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Office Calgary is please to announce its additional expansion in new few weeks with an additional (2) floors located at 555 4 ave SW, Calgary, Alberta added to its office expansion is an additional 80 + Offices and co-working spaces. To date Office Calgary Inc has under its fleet a number of total offices in Calgary to be 216 offices to be rented out to small, medium size businesses in Canada.

Office Calgary current office centre buildings are located:

800 5 ave SW, 22nd Floor, Calgary, Alberta

800 5 ave SW, 21st Floor, Calgary, Alberta

800 5 ave SW, 20th Floor, Calgary, Alberta

800 5 ave SW, 19th Floor, Calgary, Alberta

333 5 ave SW, 8th Floor, Calgary, Alberta

555 4 ave SW, 17th Floor, Calgary, Alberta

555 4 ave SW, 11th Floor, Calgary, Alberta in (Feb/March)

Within these premises are a variety of services and amenities available to tenants such as boardrooms, meeting rooms, private showers, gym access, parking availability, internet, furnished offices, executive conference/boardrooms for team meetings, Soft App Virtual Number for Business, Copying Services, Virtual Office Services, Website Design & Development Teams, Marketing Teams, Professional Google/Mail Business Listing Services, E-commerce Services, Website Hosting & Server Installation, Cyber Security Services, IT Services & Cloud Management Services. Office Calgary Inc is offering an out of the box and turn key solutions for small & medium size companies helping achieve they budget goals for their business. Additional services in coming weeks is a cafe/restaurant premises for tenants to have events/conferences with beverages, snacks and amazing views of Downtown Calgary.

Website: https://www.officecalgary.com

Media Contact:

James Postrasija

President/Co-Founder

Office Calgary Inc.

[email protected]

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/13001671

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Office Calgary Inc
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OrthAlign Inc, a leading innovator in surgical technology, announces over $50MM in Global Revenue in its 2023 fiscal year, achieving record milestones in revenue, patient reach, and market expansion.

The future is brighter, now with Lantern's soft-tissue balancing application. (PRNewsfoto/OrthAlign)

OrthAlign technology has been used in over 325,000 procedures worldwide, with 56,000 in 2023. Last year, the company delivered strong revenue growth across all sites of service, and posted 27% growth in the US market, solidifying itself as a leader in total joint replacement technology. This revenue and procedural growth highlight the surge in demand from healthcare providers seeking surgical solutions that are accurate, efficient, and cost-effective.

OrthAlign expanded its footprint in the Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC) by adding 25% more facilities and achieved over 37% revenue growth in the segment. The increased presence in ASCs demonstrates OrthAlign's adaptability to various clinical settings and the ability to offer solutions that cater to the evolving needs of the total joint market: technology in every room, for every surgeon, for every patient, at any time.

In November, Lantern, OrthAlign's flagship product, was presented the 2023 Industry Innovation Award by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons for the addition of its gap balancing feature. The award recognizes cutting-edge innovation in the field of hip and knee replacement. Lantern Balance delivers an efficient, easy-to-use technology that aids surgeons in soft-tissue balancing during primary and revision knee replacement procedures. In the short time that Lantern and Balance have been on the market, over 15,000 procedures have been performed using it on total knee, partial knee, and revision knee procedures.

"I am thrilled with the results we delivered in 2023. Crossing $50 million in annual revenue is a testament to our products, and more importantly, our people that work so hard to deliver accurate, easy-to-use and efficient solutions to surgeons," said Eric Timko, Chairman and CEO of OrthAlign, Inc. "Technology adoption and the shift to the ASC in orthopedics are happening faster than ever and we firmly believe that it takes a portfolio of technologies to address the needs of the entire market. Robotics certainly has its place, but Lantern is the simplest, universal solution for surgeons transitioning from manual to technology-assisted total joints. Our results speak to that. Technology in every surgery is the future, and we're here to help drive that transition."

OrthAlign remains dedicated to making empowering technologies accessible to all through a robust pipeline of products aimed at streamlining procedures and providing surgeons and their teams the tools they need to deliver exceptional healthcare to their patients.

SOURCE OrthAlign
Debuts Award-Winning UAM Traffic Management Platform 'UrbanLinkX' at Eureka Park

Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Seoul City and CTA President Join in the Innovative Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Eureka Park Inauguration Ceremony

City and CTA President Join in the Innovative Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Eureka Park Inauguration Ceremony First-ever Unveiling of Korea's Only Versatile Drone, Highlighting Precise and Dynamic Performance... Targeting the North American Market

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PABLO AIR, a leading expert in autonomous swarm control for unmanned vehicles, is thrilled to announce its participation in CES 2024, the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition, taking place in Las Vegas from January 8th. The company will showcase groundbreaking technologies and introduce its latest performance drone, 'FireBird 4' (FB04), at the Eureka Park startup exhibition.

PABLO AIR is set to make its debut at CES 2024, unveiling the first look of the performance drone FB04.

Visitors can explore the PABLO AIR booth to witness the future of drones, featuring the versatile high-performance platform, 'FireBird 4' (FB04), and the award-winning Urban Air Mobility (UAM) traffic management platform, 'UrbanLinkX.'

The 'FB04,' making its debut at CES 2024, is a versatile performance drone crafted by PABLO AIR, the sole company in Korea specializing in fireworks drone shows, leveraging its expertise. Developed with entirely domestic technology, it incorporates key components and solutions, enabling precise formation flights and designed for dynamic maneuvers with swift mobility.

PABLO AIR is commencing mass production and entering the sales phase of the FB04 this year. As the first mass-produced product, it provides insight into the design direction of the upcoming drone lineup. Additionally, it is engineered to ensure convenient operation in all weather conditions by enhancing wind resistance and waterproof capabilities. The drone introduces an innovative charging method aimed at improving efficiency and convenience for battery operation and management.

The award-winning 'UrbanLinkX' is a platform designed to efficiently operate and manage Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by reducing operator workload, enhancing economic viability, and mitigating operational risks. PABLO AIR has received high praise for 'UrbanLinkX,' recognizing its potential to address future transportation challenges in smart cities and contribute to improving the quality of life in urban areas.

Kim Young-Joon, CEO of PABLO AIR, expressed, "I am honored to receive the innovation award for UrbanLinkX, a technology that can contribute to humanity in this new era." He added, "Starting from today's inauguration ceremony, we aim to expand our drone device export business in the Americas region, ensuring profitability, with CES 2024 as a turning point."

PABLO AIR plans to expand its presence in international markets, including North America, starting this year. In particular, for business expansion in the Middle East, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Saudi Arabia's accelerator 'NMOHUB' for project procurement and the expansion of its fireworks business. Additionally, to facilitate the smooth development of drone art show projects in the Middle East and surrounding countries, PABLO AIR has secured partnerships by signing MOUs with the Spanish fireworks specialist 'IGUAL' and the local events company 'ALBAHIYA PALACE' in Oman.

SOURCE PABLO AIR
TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Pineapple Financial Inc. ("Pineapple" or the "Company") (NYSE American: PAPL), Canada's tech-focused mortgage brokerage with an integrated network of partner brokerages and agents across the country, is pleased to announce its upcoming participation at the following, upcoming investor conference events for January and February 2024:

Sidoti Micro-Cap Virtual Conference

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 , 8:30 AM

, Thursday, January 18, 2024 5:00 PM

Shubha Dasgupta, CEO, will be presenting on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, from 1:00 PM ET to 1:30 PM ET. Interested parties can register to attend here .

The Microcap Conference

January 30 , 31, February 1, 2024

, 31, Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ .

Shubha Dasgupta, CEO, will be presenting on Wednesday, January 31 from 2:25  2:45 PM ET and Thursday, February 1 from 12:05  12:25 PM ET. Interested parties can register to attend here .

Members of the Pineapple Financial Inc. management team will also be conducting one-on-one meetings throughout the conference.

For more information or to attend these events, please contact your Sidoti & Company, LLC and DealFlow representatives, or contact Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC at [email protected] .

About Sidoti Events, LLC ("Events") and Sidoti & Company, LLC ("Sidoti")

In 2023, Sidoti & Company, LLC, Sidoti & Company, LLC ( www.sidoti.com ) formed a sister company, Sidoti Events, LLC to focus exclusively on its rapidly growing conference business and to more directly serve the needs of presenters and attendees. The relationship allows Events to draw on the nearly 25 years of experience Sidoti has as a premier provider of independent securities research focused specifically on small and microcap companies and the institutions that invest in their securities, with most of its coverage in the $200 million-$5 billion market cap range. Sidoti's coverage universe comprises approximately 160 equities, of which 40 percent participate in the firm's rapidly growing Company Sponsored Research ("CSR") program. Event is a leading provider of corporate access through the eight investor conferences it hosts each year. By its direct ties to Sidoti, Events benefits from Sidoti's small- and microcap-focused nationwide sales force, which has connections with approximately 1,500 institutional relationships in North America. This enables Events to provide multiple forums for meaningful interaction for small and microcap issuers and investors specifically interested in companies in the sector.

About The Microcap Conference

The Microcap Conference will take place on January 30, 31, and February 1, 2024, at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This gathering of microcap investors and deal-makers represents the culmination of two decades of hosting investment conferences as DealFlow Events celebrates 20 years of serving the U.S. financial markets.

The conference will feature 3 days of educational programming and company presentations, all with endless networking opportunities and a backdrop of fun and excitement.

About Pineapple Financial Inc.

Pineapple is an award-winning fintech and leading Canadian mortgage brokerage network, breaking the mold by focusing on both the long-term success of agents and brokerages, as well as the overall experience of homeowners. With approximately 650 brokers within the network, Pineapple creates cutting-edge cloud-based tools and AI-driven systems to enable its brokers to help Canadians realize their ultimate dream of owning a home. Pineapple is active within the community and is proud to sponsor charities across Canada to improve the lives of fellow Canadians.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the Company's proposed Offering. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company's current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs, including the expectation that the Offering will be successfully completed. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to," "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations that arise after the date hereof, except as may be required by law. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company's registration statement and other filings with the SEC. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov.

SOURCE Pineapple Financial Inc.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Porter Capital Group, a prominent leader in alternative financing, is delighted to announce the successful merger with Pay4Freight, LLC, a strategic move aimed at expanding Porter Capital Group's freight division, Porter Freight Funding. This integration brings on board new team members, establishes a significant presence in Texas with a new office, and expands Porter's multi-million-dollar portfolio.

Expressing enthusiasm about the merger, John Land, President of Porter Freight Funding, remarked, "We are thrilled about this announcement and the opportunity to collaborate with new team members across all departments at Pay4Freight. The addition of talent in sales, underwriting, operations, credit, and collections, combined with the exceptional expertise of the Pay4Freight leadership team, positions us well to create a formidable force in transportation funding."

Porter Capital Group has a track record of successful acquisitions dating back to 1996 and continuing in 2010 and 2020. Most recently, in 2023, the company continued its pursuit of growth opportunities with the acquisition of AIMS Business Capital, the factoring division of ENGS/Mitsubishi, and the recent merger with Pay4Freight.

Highlighting the significance of these strategic moves, Marc Porter, Chief Executive Officer, emphasized, "Expansion has been at the heart of our business strategy since our founding in 1991. We seek companies that align with our corporate culture and broaden our knowledge base. Pay4Freight is an ideal fit, sharing our commitment to excellence and transparent financial solutions that help businesses weather tough times and pursue growth opportunities."

The Pay4Freight merger strengthens the competitive position of Porter Freight Funding and significantly increases its market share in the transportation funding industry. Additionally, the executive team has gained expertise and new perspectives with the additions of Robert Beard as Senior Vice President, Jan Bellah as Chief Operating Officer, and Terrie LaMarche as Chief Credit Officer. Reflecting on the journey, Robert Beard, Founder of Pay4Freight, stated, "Established in 2008 amid the credit crunch, our focus has always been on keeping the wheels turning for owner-operators and trucking companies of all sizes by providing them with the funding needed to achieve their dreams. I am thrilled to build on this foundation with the outstanding team at Porter Capital Group."

This merger sets the stage for a dynamic collaboration, combining the strengths of both entities to drive continued success and innovation in the transportation funding sector. Porter Capital Group remains committed to delivering outstanding service and seamless access to working capital with our expanded footprint.

About Porter Capital Group

Porter Capital Corporation was founded in 1991 by brothers Marc and Donald Porter in Birmingham, AL. Porter offers working capital solutions to businesses all over the country in a variety of industries. As a direct lender and factoring company, Porter Capital has provided over $8 billion in funding since its inception. Porter Capital offers Invoice Factoring and Asset Based Credit Lines up to $40 million. Since founding the company, Porter Capital has expanded to include a special transportation division known as Porter Freight Funding. The Porter businesses continue to grow by providing working capital solutions, emphasizing personalized, dedicated customer service without sacrificing speed and efficiency. To know more about Porter Capital Corporation and how it can be a working capital solution provider for businesses, call 1-888-865-7678 or visit its official website, portercap.com.

CONTACT: Michelle Milhoan, [email protected]

SOURCE Porter Capital
Leading Preeclampsia Advocates Partner to Launch New Educational Resources

MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Preeclampsia Foundation (PF) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) unveiled a new "Make Preeclampsia History" patient experience visualization tool.

Preeclampsia Foundation Preeclampsia Foundation

Preeclampsia, a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that is a leading cause of maternal illness and death, was the focus of the 2021 SMFM President's Workshop, which was led by Dr. Judette Louis in partnership with the Preeclampsia Foundation. In addition to talking about the state of preeclampsia research and clinical care practices, the workshop integrated lived patient experiences through a series of four videos featuring the voices of real patients.

From that workshop, three joint SMFM and PF task forces were convened to explore various ways to move preeclampsia research and healthcare practices forward  with the involvement of patients at the center. One of these work groups, led by Jacqueline Parchem, MD, of UTHealth Houston, focused on understanding research priorities.

"We did a ton of brainstorming about how to really transform research and improve the way that preeclampsia is diagnosed, treated, and managed," said Dr. Parchem. "Our team proposed that we launch a social media campaign to curate feedback from the patients, researchers, and clinicians who have a stake in changing preeclampsia outcomes."

In March 2022 for Women's History Month, the work group launched a social media campaign called #MakePreeclampsiaHistory. The campaign asked providers and patients provocative questions about the state of preeclampsia research and care practices to generate discussion.

One of the questions posted via social media during the campaign asked patients: "What do you wish your doctor or OB told you about preeclampsia?" The patient community's answers were powerful  so powerful that Dr. Parchem and the work group knew the output had to be something innovative.

"As a patient advocacy organization, the Foundation's team often reflects that patients are the only ones always in the room where care is experienced," said Preeclampsia Foundation Director of Communications Laney Poye. "The community responses that our teams received to this specific social media question reflected the fears and uncertainties, but also triumphs, that patients felt during their preeclampsia experience."

The work group contracted with artist Ashanti Gardner, a visual practitioner and design thinker, who is known for her ability to capture and sketch complex ideas and narratives through visual storytelling. She created a vision of these patient statements that reflected the complexity of what preeclampsia patients wish they had known. Ashanti also visualized answers from patients about what they experience in terms of signs and symptoms of preeclampsia.

The goal of the workgroup was to create resources that captured the voices of patients in a visual way that could be shared with patients, clinicians, and researchers alike. The public is encouraged to share the graphics on their own social media channels as a tool to educate others about preeclampsia and the patient experience.

For more information, Visit the Preeclampsia Foundation website at www.preeclampsia.org/makepreeclampsiahistory or SMFM's website.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org .

About SMFM

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, who are obstetricians with additional training in high-risk pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 6,000 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to advance optimal and equitable perinatal outcomes for all people who desire and experience pregnancy. For more information, visit SMFM.org.

Please contact:

Laney Poye

[email protected]

+1(321) 421-6957

Kerri Wade

[email protected]

+1 (202) 236-1780

SOURCE Preeclampsia Foundation
Leading Franchise Brands Named to Prestigious Ranking Amid Continued Positive Growth Trajectory Across Propelled Brands' World-Class Roster

CARROLLTON, Texas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Propelled Brands , a best-in-class multi-brand franchisor platform company, announced today that two of its prominent brands, FASTSIGNS and MY SALON Suite , were included in this year's Franchise Dictionary Magazine list of the top 100 Game Changers in the franchising space. This recognition highlights franchises that fill a niche, help the communities they are a part of and provide opportunities for aspiring business owners. The ranking comes amid a strong year of development across the Propelled Brands roster.

"FASTSIGNS and MY SALON Suite continuously raised the bar throughout 2023 with both astonishing growth and continued innovations," said Mark Jameson, chief development officer at Propelled Brands. "This accolade underscores our brands' collective commitment to creating opportunities and fostering success across their networks. As the brands continue to grow, I look forward to seeing how FASTSIGNS and MY SALON Suite will further their impacts in 2024."

FASTSIGNS is the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America. The brand has now reached more than 775 centers in the network, offering a variety of franchising options including co-brands and conversions. With more than 14 new franchise agreements awarded to-date in 2023 alone, FASTSIGNS is sustaining its rapid growth momentum.

MY SALON Suite was created for entrepreneurs interested in diversifying their portfolios, with a semi-absentee model that allows individuals to own a franchise without needing to manage employees or oversee every operation. The brand has experienced rapid growth this year, expanding from 250 locations at the start of 2023 to over 330 locations serving more than 8,500 Members. This impressive development comes amid a new strategy to expand the brand's conversion program through acquisitions of independent salons.

"2023 was a year of explosive growth and success for the franchise model. A brand that earns the Top 100 Game Changers designation has gone the extra mile to improve people's lives and sets itself apart," said Alesia Visconti, CEO of Franchise Dictionary Magazine / FranServe. "We are thrilled to recognize and showcase these 100+ FRAN-TASTIC brands that went above and beyond. Here's to #ChangingLives and congrats to this year's Game Changers!"

Propelled Brands has experienced dramatic growth since its inception in 2021, now with a collective network across its three established brands of more than 1,100 locations worldwide. Each brand is recession-resistant and offers extensive financing options, including discounts for Veterans. FASTSIGNS, NerdsToGo and MY SALON Suite are all seeking qualified franchisees to be owner-operators to help the brands continue their aggressive growth trajectories.

The full list of the top 100 "Game Changers" can be found in the December issue of Franchise Dictionary Magazine.

For more information about Propelled Brands franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.propelledbrands.com/franchising-opportunities/ , or contact Mark Jameson at [email protected] or 214-346-5679.

About Propelled Brands:

Propelled Brands is the multi-brand platform company of FASTSIGNS, SIGNWAVE, NerdsToGo and Suite Management Franchising, LLC, the parent company of MY SALON Suite and Salon Plaza. Propelled Brands advances the strategic path for each brand, offering support, guidance, and a clear vision to fully equip every franchisee, helping them maximize success.

Propelled Brands is looking to partner with other service-oriented franchise concepts that align with its forward-thinking growth objectives. For more information or to learn about opportunities with Propelled Brands, visit propelledbrands.com . To learn about franchise opportunities with FASTSIGNS, NerdsToGo, or MY SALON Suite, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679).

SOURCE Propelled Brands
DUBLIN, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Tags, Readers), By Application (Retail, Industrial), By Frequency (UHF RFID, HF RFID), By System, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global radio frequency identification technology market size is expected to reach USD 47.63 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2023 to 2030. Various benefits provided by RFID technology, including asset tracking, automation, better control over production, enhanced traceability, increased revenues, and higher operational efficiency, are anticipated to drive the market's growth over the forecast period. RFID technology has been in use for the past several years. However, the recent digitization and overall growth in technological adoption from various industries have propelled RFID technology even further. The retail industry is at the forefront and has witnessed its technological reconnaissance with RFID tags.



The retail industry is leveraging RFID technology in supply chain management for inventory management, tracking, and shortening overall processes. The growing adoption of RFID technology from the retail industry significantly contributes to the market's growth. An essential aspect of the market is the varying nature of manufacturing and related costs. The past decade has seen a considerable reduction in production costs with the advent of many new technologies, such as printing and ink-jet. As the vendors benefit from these trends in the market, the high penetration of cost-to-volume benefits is expected to perpetuate to the end-users, thereby contributing to the market's growth. RFID devices are anticipated to witness a surge in demand as technological proliferation has led to extensive use of smart cards, access control, and other wireless communication applications.



In addition, the proliferation of 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) across industries is creating significant demand for wireless communication and smart devices, subsequently creating market demand for RFID devices. To sum up the trends in the market, RFID technology is anticipated to witness significant growth in the coming years in terms of size, cost, and technology, fueling its rapid deployment. Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. The growing e-commerce industry in the region is creating higher demand for reliable supply chain management solutions, which RFID technology can provide. Moreover, favorable government initiatives from countries, such as India and Japan, are driving the infrastructure development of the RFID market in the region, thus contributing to its growth.

Key Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Increasing demand in inventory control applications

Growing automation avenues

Diminishing costs due to advancing technology

Market Restraints

Deployment complexities

Market Opportunities

Favorable government initiatives

Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Report Highlights

The RFID tag segment dominated the market in 2022 and is anticipated to register significant growth over the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the RFID tag's capacity to provide faster and more accurate data, and its applications, including real-time inventory tracking and enhanced supply chain visibility

The passive RFID system segment is anticipated to witness the highest growth over the forecast period due to its cost-effectiveness, easy integration, and small size. Passive RFID systems are used in applications, such as inventory management, supply chain & logistics, asset tracking, and access control

The high-frequency (HF) segment is anticipated to register significant growth over the forecast period. The growing demand for HF RFID technology from the retail and healthcare industries in applications, such as access control, contactless payment, and enhanced security, will drive the segment's growth

The retail segment dominated the market in 2022 and is anticipated to retain its dominance over the forecast period. RFID technology's wide range of applications in the retail industry, including inventory management, asset tracking, in-store customer engagement, and contactless payments, contribute to the retail segment's growth

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope



Chapter 2. Executive Summary

2.1. Market Outlook

2.2. Segmental Outlook

2.3. Competitive Landscape Snapshot



Chapter 3. Market Variables, Trends, and Scope

3.1. Market Lineage Outlook

3.2. Industry Value Chain Analysis

3.3. Market Dynamics

3.4. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

3.5. Industry Analysis Tools



Chapter 4. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market: Component Estimates & Trend Analysis

4.1. Component Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2022 & 2030

4.2. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Estimates & Forecast, By Component

4.2.1. Tags

4.2.2. Antennas

4.2.3. Readers

4.2.4. Middleware



Chapter 5. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market: System Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1. System Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2022 & 2030

5.2. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Estimates & Forecast, By System

5.2.1. Active RFID System

5.2.2. Passive RFID System



Chapter 6. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market: Frequency Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1. Frequency Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2022 & 2030

6.2. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Estimates & Forecast, By Frequency

6.2.1. Low Frequency (LF) RFID

6.2.2. High Frequency (HF) RFID

6.2.3. Ultra-high Frequency (UHF) RFID



Chapter 7. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

7.1. Application Movement Analysis & Market Share, 2022 & 2030

7.2. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market Estimates & Forecast, By Application

7.2.1. Retail

7.2.2. Financial Services

7.2.3. Healthcare

7.2.4. Industrial

7.2.5. Government

7.2.6. Transportation & Logistics

7.2.7. Others



Chapter 8. Radio Frequency Identification Technology Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



Chapter 9. Competitive Landscape

Honeywell International

Zebra Technologies

Avery Dennison

Nedap

IMPINJ

NXP Semiconductors

Unitech Electronics

HID Global Corporation

Invengo Information Technology

Datalogic

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c5bzha

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Following a rigorous security audit process, RentSpree achieves SOC 2, Type II Compliance

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RentSpree , the industry's premier end-to-end rental management software provider, announced it achieved System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II compliance, demonstrating RentSpree's commitment to data security and adherence to industry-leading information security policies and practices.

Acknowledged as the leading data security standard for SaaS providers, SOC 2 Type II compliance involves a rigorous process, ensuring that a company securely manages data, safeguarding both the organization and the privacy of its customers.

Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the SOC 2 Type II audit provides a report on the examination of a company's controls related to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy. RentSpree's audit report was issued with a "clean" audit opinion from national audit firm Sensiba LLP .

"This achievement is huge for us and was a top priority this past year as the integrity of our systems and the policies and practices we have in place to protect sensitive information is integral in today's marketplace," said Michael Lucarelli, CEO and Co-Founder, RentSpree.

RentSpree offers rental software solutions such as tenant screening, online applications, document automation, e-signatures, denial and approval communications, and property landing pages. RentSpree has also added renter services capabilities including rent payment reporting .

"While we've consistently prioritized the security of our platform, having this affirmation from a nationally-recognized third-party auditor adds further validation that we are implementing the necessary measures to safeguard our systems and users," said Jonathan Holland, Chief Technology Officer, RentSpree.

In addition to auditor Sensiba LLP, RentSpree utilized Drata , the leading compliance automation platform, to streamline its compliance efforts and continuously monitor its security controls.

About RentSpree

Los Angeles-based RentSpree is a provider of award-winning rental software that helps seamlessly connect real estate agents, owners, and renters to simplify and automate the entire rental process, from listing to lease. The all-in-one platform is known across all 50 states for its easy and secure interface and suite of rental tools, including tenant screening, rent payments, marketing and renter management. To date, RentSpree has partnered with more than 300 of the most influential MLSs, real estate associations and brokerages to serve over two million users in the U.S. RentSpree has been ranked on Inc. 5000's fastest-growing private companies in 2022 and 2023. Visit RentSpree.com for more information.

SOURCE RentSpree
Alan Morse to move into role as Executive Chairman

JONESBORO, Ark., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ritter Communications, the largest privately held telecommunications service provider serving exclusively the Mid-South, announces the promotion of Heath Simpson to Chief Executive Officer. This promotion, effective January 31, marks the culmination of a strategic succession plan to position the company to continue its aggressive growth trajectory.

Ritter Communications President & COO Heath Simpson (left) will succeed Alan Morse (right) as CEO effective January 31, 2024, following Morses transition to Executive Chairman.

"Heath has established himself as a distinguished leader in our organization. He has the strategic vision, experience, skill set, and focus to sustain our strong momentum and carry our performance to the next level," said Ritter Communications CEO Alan Morse. "I am confident that, under his leadership, Ritter Communications will retain and enhance its position as a regional leader in the fiber broadband and telecom space."

Simpson joined the company in March 2020 as Chief Financial Officer after a rigorous nationwide executive search for a candidate who could initially excel as CFO, with the potential to grow into the CEO role. He brings almost 30 years of extensive financial and operational experience with over 20 years in the telecommunications industry at major national brands such as AT&T and Frontier Communications.

Since joining the company, Heath has been a key contributor to the expansion of the Ritter Communications fiber-to-the-home business unit called RightFiber. In accordance with the succession plan, his scope of responsibilities gradually increased over his four years with the company. He was promoted to President and COO in late 2022, in that role overseeing the finance, information technology, project management, customer experience, field operations, and human resources areas.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to transition into the CEO role, and I am eager to leverage my skills and dedication for the collective success of Ritter Communications," notes Simpson.

Simpson will succeed Alan Morse, who will remain with Ritter Communications as Executive Chairman. In this new role, Morse will serve in an advisory capacity to ensure an effective and seamless leadership transition, retain his seat on the company's Board, and continue to contribute to strategic initiatives.

Morse joined Ritter Communications in 2014 as President and was named CEO in 2019. During his tenure, he authored the company's strategic plan and steered it through a period of rapid expansion. Under his leadership, Ritter Communications has grown from serving 57 rural communities to operating in over 148 communities in four states, representing a direct investment of over $300 million in network expansion. He was a key driver of the company's partnerships with the Arkansas and Tennessee state broadband offices to expand fiber internet service to underserved rural communities, deploying over $70 million in grant funding. Morse conceptualized and led the market introduction of the RightFiber residential suite of products in 2021 and oversaw a comprehensive network enhancement initiative that brought gigabit internet speeds to the company's legacy markets.

"In partnership with Alan, we have not only realized our ambitious goals, but we've also preserved and built upon Ritter's legacy of excellence," said Chad Crank, Managing Director of Grain Management, the company's majority equity partner. "His leadership during this period of accelerated growth has driven Ritter to a new pinnacle, and he will continue to drive us forward in his new role as Executive Chairman. We're also excited to elevate Ritter's trajectory even further with Heath at the helm, and we're confident in his ability to continue advancing this growth."

"On behalf of the Ritter family, I would like to thank Alan for his exemplary leadership," said Erik Kesting, CEO, E. Ritter & Company, "and for building on the family's entrepreneurial spirit and legacy of doing Right by You. We look brightly to the future as Heath leads the company into the next era."

Headquartered in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Ritter Communications is proud to serve homes, schools, and businesses in the Mid-South with advanced communications technology. For over 115 years, their formula for success has been the relentless pursuit of delivering best-in-class technology paired with a world-class customer-focused experience.

Ritter Communications is the largest privately held telecommunications provider serving exclusively the Mid-South, offering world-class broadband fiber, telecom, video, cloud, and data center services. The company has grown rapidly over the years, investing millions recently in technology infrastructure and is now serving 148 communities and more than 51,000 customers in Arkansas, Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee. Headquartered in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Ritter Communications invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best-in-class infrastructure and technology, while coupling it with a world-class customer-focused experience. For more information visit RitterCommunications.com, RitterBusiness.com or RightFiber.com.

Grain Management, LLC is a leading private investment firm that focuses on communications infrastructure and technology companies that connect the world to the information economy. Founded in 2007, the Firm invests exclusively in the global broadband industry, employing a rigorous, data-based process buoyed by deep sector expertise to identify investment opportunities in key areas of communications, including fiber networks, wireless spectrum, cell towers, infrastructure services and managed services. For more information visit www.graingp.com.

SOURCE Ritter Communications
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Monday night with the arduous mission of containing the war in Gaza: both the rising death toll, which now exceeds 23,000 after three months of conflict (1% of the Gazan population), and the hostilities that are spreading throughout the region. Upon landing at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport, he was greeted by the news that nearly 250 Palestinians had been killed in attacks in the previous 24 hours, the highest number in a week. There were also news of Israels intensified bombardment in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah targets, in which at least eight Shiite militiamen have been killed since Saturday, including Wissam al-Tawil, commander of the elite Radwan Force responsible for launching rockets into northern Israel.

Blinken  who has just toured the main capitals of the Middle East, and will visit the West Bank and Egypt before completing his diplomatic tour  arrives in Israel without having received a clear response from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washingtons demands on the future of the Palestinian enclave after the conflict. Since Friday, Israel has been announcing post-war plans in which the Palestinians would only have limited administration over the coastal enclave, which will remain under Israeli military control.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Hamas has been dismantled in the north of the Gaza Strip, which is devastated after weeks of fighting. More than a million civilians, almost all of its inhabitants, were forced to flee. Hours before Blinkens arrival, IDF chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, told The New York Times that the Armed Forces have begun a new phase in the invasion of Gaza, with fewer troops on the ground and fewer airstrikes. Shortly after, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported the death of 247 Palestinians, in the Israeli attacks recorded between noon on Sunday and Monday  the deadliest toll so far this year.

Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists are being demobilized as large-scale military operations in the north come to an end. Last Friday, the Minister of Defense, former general Yoav Gallant, announced the launch of the third and final phase of the war, in which troops will focus on attacking specific objectives in the center and south of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict live in overcrowded conditions.

Stop metastasis

While visiting Jordan on Sunday, Blinken deplored the unimaginable tragedy being suffered by Gazan civilians and warned that the conflict could easily metastasize in Lebanon, the West Bank and the Red Sea. In Israel, internal divisions in the emergency government overseeing the war appear to have prevented the approval of the defense ministers so-called day after plan. Radical ministers, such as the ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir, have proposed encouraging Palestinians in Gaza to leave for other countries and reinstating the Jewish settler settlements that were demolished in 2005. Other centrist ministers, led by former general Benny Gantz, are boycotting Cabinet sessions. Opposition leader, former prime minister Yair Lapid, has invited these ministers to leave the coalition, declaring that this government is not qualified to lead the war and Netanyahu is not qualified to lead the country.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, IDF spokesman Hagari said that if a diplomatic solution is not reached with Hezbollah, in which the militants withdraw from the area closest to Lebanons border with Israel, Israel can copy-paste the strategy it used against Hamas in Gaza to Lebanon. After Hezbollahs missile attack on Saturday, which involved more than 60 rockets and caused serious damage to the Meron air control base in the border area, Israeli responded with waves of bombings.

On the same northern front, Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday praised soldiers from the area, who remain at their posts while their relatives have been evacuated out of the range of rockets fired from Lebanon. Hezbollah made a big mistake with us in 2006 [during the Lebanon war], and it is making one now, Netanyahu warned.

In the Gaza Strip, nearly 90% of the population has been displaced from their homes, while the last hospitals still working in the center and south of the territory are being evacuated as the fighting nears. The World Health Organization reported that 600 patients in the Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah, in the central area of Gaza, have been forced to leave. Around 8,000 injured people are in Rafah waiting to be treated in Egypt. More than a million Gazans are also at risk of famine, the Israeli peace NGO BTselem warned on Friday.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, claimed that it discovered an underground factory to make medium-range rockets in the Bureij refugee camp, south of Gaza City. Fighting would continue during the year 2024, Hagari said, without clarifying how long the conflict will go on for.

The war seems far from having entered a new phase in Gaza, as the number of causalities continues to rise. Thousands of people are wounded and can no longer receive treatment in hospitals. The offensive now looms over Khan Yunis, the largest urban area in the south, and the border city of Rafah, where displaced Gazans have sought shelter. More than 65,000 homes have been destroyed in the war and another 300,000 have suffered significant damage. Half a million Gazans will have nowhere to return when the fighting ends. The lack of food and water, medicine and warm clothing is a serious threat for the rest of the population.

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Rockbot achieves top spots in national and local rankings for performance in company culture and employee satisfaction.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockbot , an omnichannel media platform, announces its recognition in Built In's "2024 Best Places to Work" awards, an annual awards program honoring tech companies that demonstrate outstanding company culture and competitive compensation and benefits.

Rockbot has been honored in six categories at the national and local levels, including:

Rockbot Named on Built Ins 2024 Best Places to Work Lists

"U.S. Best Startups to Work For"

"U.S. Best Places to Work"

"San Francisco Best Startups to Work For"

"San Francisco Best Places to Work"

"Remote Best Startups to Work For"

"Remote Best Places to Work"

"We are thrilled to be recognized across these distinguished lists. It's a testament to our dedication not only to our products and clients, but also to our incredible team," Kathleen Prior Louis, VP of People & Culture at Rockbot, says. "At Rockbot, we believe in creating an environment where innovation thrives and each team member feels valued. We're committed to building a workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent."

The "Best Places to Work" awards program, unique in its methodology, uses an algorithm that evaluates companies based on their compensation packages, total rewards, and culture programs, as presented through Built In's Company Profiles.

Rockbot is a multiproduct media platform that creates enhanced in-location customer experiences with its solutions in music, TV, digital signage, and advertising. The company's commitment to enriching business experiences with advanced media technology is made possible through its vibrant workplace culture, which fosters creativity and collaboration among its team members.

As the need for effective media management in business grows, the Rockbot team continues to develop advanced solutions.

"Our goal is to keep raising the bar, ensuring that Rockbot is not just a great place to work today but becomes even more exceptional every day," Garrett Dodge, CEO and co-founder of Rockbot, says.

About Rockbot:

Rockbot is an omnichannel media platform committed to elevating customer and employee experiences while fostering stronger connections in real-world spaces. Rockbot addresses the challenges faced by businesses in media management with integrated solutions spanning music, TV, digital signage, and advertising. Its mission is to enrich on-premise experiences with media technology, where every interaction is elevated and memorable.

For media inquiries, please contact Madeline Knapp at [email protected] .

SOURCE Rockbot
New 2023 patent data rankings highlight escalating areas of R&D activity: autonomous vehicles, electrical (along with conventional) smoking devices, and laundry mechanisms make the Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologies, according to an annual patent study by IFI CLAIMS

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. patent grants declined 3.4% from 2022, the lowest level since 2019, and Samsung held onto the top spot for the second year in a row according to IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, world leader in tracking patent application and grant data.

IFI CLAIMS Patent Services is a Digital Science company that compiles and tracks data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other patent-issuing agencies around the globe. IFI translates its world-leading data into an annual U.S. Top 50 and IFI Global 250 patent rankings, providing valuable insights into companies' R&D activity.

Patent powerhouse chipmakers rising higher in 2023 and a new all-time high in U.S. patent applications. Post this

Other findings in IFI's latest rankings include patent powerhouse chipmakers rising higher in 2023 and a new all-time high in U.S. patent applications. Qualcomm ascended into second place, while TSMC rose to thirdaccording to the 2023 U.S. Top 50 Rankingahead of IBM, which had previously held the top spot for 29 years running, until last year when it was unseated by Samsung. U.S. patent applications turned up in 2023 to 418,111, a slight rise over 2022, but a new record, nonetheless.

"The backlog for patent applications at the USPTO has been growing over the last couple of years," said Ronald Kratz, CEO of IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. "They now have more than 750,000 unexamined applications, which could explain why grants are down. But applications are at an all-time high, an encouraging sign of innovation in the U.S."

To see the yearly rankings, trends, and insights published today from the world's most trusted patent data provider, visit the IFI website.

An overview of IFI's analysis:

2023 Top 50, a list of the leading 50 recipients of U.S. grants

2023 Global 250, a ranking of the largest active patent holders around the world

analysis of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologies, measured by patent application activity over the past five years

More patents to U.S. companies; fewer to companies in Japan, South Korea, China

The USPTO awarded slightly less than half of the total patent pie to U.S.-based companies, which was up 4.8% from the previous year. American corporations earned 149,522 patents, nearly four times as many as Japan (39,228), in second place. South Korea, China, and Germany finished out the top five, all of them showing decreases in awards over the previous year. Japan (-15.6%), China (-12.5%), and Germany (-15%) dropped dramatically. As a result of China's decline, it fell back down to fourth place from its third-place perch the previous year. Of the top ten countries earning patent grants, only the U.S., Taiwan, and Canada saw increases in 2023 over 2022.

Rank and patent filings

While Samsung retained its number one ranking, U.S. patent awards for the company decreased by 1.3% to 6,165 from 6,248 last year. Qualcomm climbed five rungs into second place with 3,854 patents, an increase of 47% over the previous year. And TSMC comes in third with 3,687 patents, up 22%. IBM's ranking ticked down as its patent numbers declined in 2023 to 3,658 from 4,398 the previous yeara result of the company's continued implementation of a strategy toward "more selective" patenting.

The biggest gainers in rank were VMWare, (+63), Snap (+34), and Capital One (+21). The most dramatic decline was recorded by HP (-25) as patent grants were cut in half compared to 2022. A side note for stock watchers following The Magnificent Seven, the tech companies Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla that were responsible for the lion's share of the S&P 500's breathtaking surge: just four of them made IFI's Top 50 cut.

"Intangible assets are becoming more and more valuable corporate holdings, but the balance sheet doesn't exactly capture that," said Kratz. "That's why it's important to dig into the details of the patent position for highly innovative companies."

Fastest Growing Technologies: autonomous vehicles ride again

The fastest growing technology in 2023 is Autonomous Vehicles, which rose 38.3% over the past five yearsthe second year in a row that this technology has taken the pole position. IFI's ranking is based on patent applicationsa proxy for what is around the bendand Toyota, Honda, and Waymo are the companies paving the way in the autonomous arena. Other technologies that are growing quickly: both electrical smoking devices (CAGR 35.8%) and conventional cigarettes (CAGR 23.2%), quantum computing (CAGR 23.5%), and laundry control systems (CAGR 21.6%).

"Unlike our other rankings, the Top 10 Fastest Growing Technologies is based on a five-year growth rate, not high patent count," said Kratz. "It's more of a window into which technologies are attracting R&D attention right now and which companies stand to benefit in the future from patent protection in those spaces."

For active inventions, Panasonic and Japan remain on top

In 2023, Japanese electronics company Panasonic held first place on IFI's Global 250 list with 94,337 patent families, followed by Samsung and Hitachi. A patent "family" is a term used to represent the group of patents held around the world to protect a single invention. As such, "family" is used to denote a single invention.

The number of Japanese companies holding spots on the list is 36.4%, more than a third. The U.S. and China each occupy roughly 20% of the placements with 52 and 51 companies, respectively. No U.S. company claimed a Top 10 spot in this ranking; the three highest appearances from American companies are IBM, coming in at 16, with 43,033 active patent families, followed by Microsoft (ranked 27), and GE (40).

Patent activity provides valuable insight into companies' R&D activity for researchers, analysts, and investors. Often the true value of a company lies with its intellectual properties, so examining patent assets is a key tool in gauging the intangible assets of publicly traded companies. It speaks to productivity, technological efficiency and IP strategy, and frequently reveals technology trends and the competitive landscape within various industries.

To create your own analysis, visit the IFI CLAIMS Live 1000, a free tool which uses data from the top 1000 companies that received patents across multiple countries and patent jurisdictions. The tool shows live data and offers interactive features that allow users to create and sort their own lists using a variety of filters.

About IFI CLAIMS Patent Services

IFI CLAIMS Patent Services uses a proprietary data architecture to produce the industry's most accurate patent database. The CLAIMS Direct platform allows for the easy integration of applications, other data sets, and analysis software. Headquartered in New Haven, Conn., with a satellite office in Barcelona, Spain, IFI CLAIMS is part of Digital Science, a digital research technology company based in London. For more information, visit www.ificlaims.com and follow IFI on LinkedIn.

About Digital Science

Digital Science is an AI-focused technology company providing innovative solutions to complex challenges faced by researchers, universities, funders, industry and publishers. We work in partnership to advance global research for the benefit of society. Through our brands  Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, ReadCube, Symplectic, IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, Overleaf, Writefull, OntoChem, Scismic and metaphacts  we believe when we solve problems together, we drive progress for all. Visit www.digital-science.com and follow @digitalsci on X or on LinkedIn.

SOURCE IFI CLAIMS Patent Services
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Scottie Resources Corp. ("Scottie" or the "Company") (TSXV: SCOT) is pleased to report new assays on its Scottie Gold Mine Project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle, including new high-grade intercepts on its D Zone target. The D Zone is located 200 metres east of the Blueberry Contact, and 1.7 kilometres northeast of the 100% owned and royalty free, past-producing high-grade Scottie Gold Mine, 35 kilometres north of the town of Stewart, BC, along the Granduc Road.

Highlights:

Figure 1: Overview plan view map of the Scottie Gold Mine Project depicting the positioning of the Blueberry Contact Zone and its sulphide-rich cross-structures relative to the C and D Zones and modelled structures in the reported drilling. (CNW Group/Scottie Resources Corp.) Figure 2: Detailed plan view map of the C and D Zone targets, illustrating the locations of the reported drill results, cross-section (Figures 3), historic and current drill results, and the distribution of the modelled sulphide-rich cross-structures. (CNW Group/Scottie Resources Corp.) Figure 3: Cross-section displaying vein and contact style intercepts highlighted by the recent intercepts in D Zone drill holes. (CNW Group/Scottie Resources Corp.)

Drillhole SR23-286 intersected a high-grade D Zone vein, grading 36.3 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 5.0 metres (m) including 91.5 g/t gold over 1.07 m (Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3) Intercept is located approximately 85 m from existing underground workings Intercept is located 220 m east of the Blueberry Contact Zone

(Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3) Drillhole SR23-289 intersected a high-grade D Zone vein running 20.1 g/t gold over 1.00 m (Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3) Represents >50 metre step-out from the 2022 discovery intercepts of SR22-188 (31.8 g/t gold over 4.00 m ) and SR22-182 (6.82 g/t gold over 6.85 m ) Mineralization remains open at depth

(Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3) Drillhole SR23-304 intersected a newly identified high-grade D Zone vein running 5.90 g/t gold over 3.00 m (Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3) New follow-up target for 2024

(Table 1, Figures 1, 2, 3)

President and CEO, Brad Rourke commented: "These results from D Zone support our exploration concept of a major structurally controlled mineralizing corridor that is transitional from the Blueberry Contact Zone southwest towards the historic Scottie Gold Mine. Future exploration on the Scottie Project will target additional zones between these high-grade systems. The discovery and expansion of the high-grade D Zone is particularly interesting given its location relative to an existing underground tunnel used by the Scottie Gold Mine for access purposes."

Table 1: Selected results from new drill assays (uncut) from the C and D Zones.

Drill Hole

From

(m) To

(m) Width*

(m) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) Zone SR23-286

16.00 17.51 1.51 1.72 0 D Zone SR23-286

23.00 25.00 2.00 1.51 0 D Zone SR23-286

216.00 221.00 5.00 36.3 16 D Zone SR23-286 including 219.93 221.00 1.07 91.5 57 D Zone SR23-287

223.00 226.45 3.45 1.70 7 D Zone SR23-289

224.70 225.70 1.00 20.10 30 D Zone SR23-300

75.00 77.00 2.00 2.58 10 C Zone SR23-303

87.00 88.00 1.00 1.29 3 D Zone SR23-304

195.00 198.00 3.00 5.90 2 D Zone

*True width of the intervals has not yet been established by drilling

Drilling of the D zone during 2023 was designed around expanding the extent of the newly discovered mineralized structure. Another goal of the drilling was to evaluate the relationship between the cross-cutting sulphide-rich structures at the Blueberry Contact Zone and the mineralization present at C and D Zones. While a gold-rich surface anomaly at D Zone has been know for many years, the 2022 drilling of the D Zone was the first time the gold mineralization was successfully intercepted at depth. The interpretation of the 2022 drilling results at D Zone suggested a possible orientation that was consistent with the regular array of veins present along the Blueberry Contact Zone (Figure 1). Drill results of holes 286, 287, and 289 from 2023 also support this concept, and provide clear targets to extend mineralization at depth and along strike (Figures 2, 3).

About the C and D Zones

The C and D Zones are located approximately halfway between the Blueberry Vein and the past-producing Scottie Gold Mine. Historic work on the zones included geological mapping, rock and chip sampling and limited drilling. Mineralization is vein controlled and is comparable to the vein types observed at both the Scottie Gold Mine as well as the Blueberry Vein. Historic drill intercepts on the C Zone generated gold-rich intervals up to 14.2 g/t gold over 5 m. Drilling by Scottie Resources in 2021 extended the strike length of the mineralization further to the west with multiple high-grade intercepts, including 11.1 g/t gold over 1.0 m and 8.65 g/t gold over 1.0 m. Historic drilling on the D Zone failed to produce results comparable to the numerous high-grade surficial samples associated with the zone (up to 53 g/t gold), likely due to poor targeting of the primary mineralized structure which is obscured by steep terrain and heavy vegetation. However, reinterpretation of existing data and exploration drilling by Scottie in 2022 revealed high-grade vein-controlled mineralization at D Zone, returning grades of 31.8 g/t Au over 4.00 m and 6.82 g/t Au over 6.85 m. The surficial expressions of both the C and D Zones overlie an access tunnel which connects the A portal to the Scottie Gold mine, that was put into reduce avalanche risk during the mine's operation (Figure 1). Drilled in 2022, the intersection between the C Zone structure and the Blueberry Contact Zone returned an interval of 9.12 g/t gold over 16.15 m.

Dr. Thomas Mumford, P.Geo., a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical information contained in this news release on behalf of the Company.

Quality Assurance and Control

Results from samples taken during the 2023 field season were analyzed at SGS Minerals in Burnaby, BC. The sampling program was undertaken under the direction of Dr. Thomas Mumford. A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Gold was assayed using a fire assay with atomic absorption spectrometry and gravimetric finish when required (+9 g/t gold). Analysis by four acid digestion with multi-element ICP-AES analysis was conducted on all samples with silver and base metal over-limits being re-analyzed by emission spectrometry.

ABOUT SCOTTIE RESOURCES CORP.

Scottie owns a 100% interest in the Scottie Gold Mine Property which includes the Blueberry Contact Zone and the high-grade, past-producing Scottie Gold Mine. Scottie also owns 100% interest in the Georgia Project which contains the high-grade past-producing Georgia River Mine, as well as the Cambria Project properties and the Sulu and Tide North properties. Altogether Scottie Resources holds approximately 60,000 hectares of mineral claims in the Stewart Mining Camp in the Golden Triangle.

The Company's focus is on expanding the known mineralization around the past-producing mines while advancing near mine high-grade gold targets, with the purpose of delivering a potential resource.

All of the Company's properties are located in the area known as the Golden Triangle of British Columbia which is among the world's most prolific mineralized districts.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release may contain forwardlooking 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 forwardlooking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forwardlooking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date such statements were made. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Scottie Resources Corp.
Siemens to integrate Amazon Bedrock into its Mendix low-code development platform to allow customers to create new and upgrade existing applications with the power of generative AI

Access to Amazon Bedrock's advanced generative AI technologies will help customers accelerate digitalization and tackle skilled labor shortages

Mendix is an industry leader in low-code development with 50M end-users and more than 200,000 applications running on AWS across industrial, finance and other sectors

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are strengthening their partnership and making it easier for businesses of all sizes and industries to build and scale generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Domain experts in fields such as engineering and manufacturing, as well as logistics, insurance or banking will be able to create new and upgrade existing applications with the most advanced generative AI technology. To make this possible, Siemens is integrating Amazon Bedrock - a service that offers a choice of high-performing foundation models from leading AI companies via a single API, along with security, privacy, and responsible AI capabilities - with Mendix, the leading low-code platform that is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio.

Siemens and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are strengthening their partnership to make generative AI easily accessible to application developers across the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem. Siemens and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are strengthening their partnership to make generative AI easily accessible to application developers across the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem.

"By integrating Amazon Bedrock into our low-code platform, we are democratizing generative AI technology and empowering everyone to create the applications customers need to become more competitive, resilient, and sustainable," said Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens. "Making smarter applications without programming expertise accelerates innovation and helps companies to tackle skilled labor shortages."

"Together, AWS and Siemens are empowering companies worldwide to create new capabilities, solutions, and value with generative AI," said Adam Selipsky, AWS CEO. "This partnership builds on our 10-year relationship with Siemens, giving customers across all industries the flexible, customizable, secure environment they need to take advantage of new opportunities with generative AI."

The combination will enable customers to select the generative AI model that best suits their specific use case and quickly and securely incorporate that model into their applications. This will make their development simpler, faster, and more efficient. Previously, when developers wanted to integrate generative AI models, they had to obtain access credentials, and write specialized function code. With the new Mendix-Amazon Bedrock integration, this can now be done with just a few clicks. Teams can create smart, industry-hardened applications without dedicated programming knowledge and users can interact with information easily via a graphical interface and the simplicity of a drag and drop commands.

This innovation allows Mendix customers to apply generative AI to drive productivity within their workforce. For instance, using generative AI, a factory worker can find machine documentation faster, generating relevant visualizations without a need to manually search a database, manuals, and records. A production engineer could also use generative AI to suggest machine adjustments to improve yield, and get suggestions on equipment adjustments, maintenance, or even spare parts to maximize a factory's productivity. Customers do not need to build their own AI infrastructure and will be able to harness the power of their company's data with the highest possible security and privacy, maintaining full control of their data.

Generative AI technology can supercharge applications with features like summarizing and analyzing lengthy technical or legal documents, translating content into different languages, or recognizing images. Financial businesses can integrate automatic fraud detection in their software, while workers in a car factory can improve quality based on AI analysis of millions of data points in the manufacturing line. With access to a choice of foundational models on Amazon Bedrock, users can easily select the best model for their specific task and integrate it with just a few clicks.

The collaboration expands on the long-established partnership between AWS and Siemens to help streamline the use of IT and cloud technology so it can be easily integrated in applications and machine workflows, making it seamless to engage with.

Today, more than 50 million end users worldwide work with more than 200,000 applications built with Mendix's low-code platform, available as part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. Low-code platforms are expected to grow substantially over the next years. The technology enables developers to create applications by drag and drop with reusable components and software building blocks, which means they can build more software faster and with smaller teams.

Amazon Bedrock is a fully managed service that offers easy access to a choice of industry-leading large language models and other foundation models from AI21 Labs, Amazon, Anthropic, Cohere, Meta, and Stability AI, along with a broad set of capabilities that customers need to build generative AI applicationssimplifying development while supporting privacy and security. Users can also apply Guardrails to filter undesired content, adhere to responsible AI policies, or finetune their models using Knowledge Bases for Amazon Bedrock to give contextual information from private data sources and more relevant, accurate, and customized responses. The Mendix-Amazon Bedrock integration complements AWS's other generative AI services, like Amazon CodeWhisperer, a machine learning (ML)powered service that helps improve developer productivity by generating code recommendations based on developers' comments in natural language and their code. Together, the services extend the benefits of generative AI to developers and enterprise users regardless of their programming abilities.

This press release is available at: https://sie.ag/5BuS14

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/siemens_press

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people.

In fiscal 2023, which ended on September 30, 2023, the Siemens Group generated revenue of 77.8 billion and net income of 8.5 billion. As of September 30, 2023, the company employed around 320,000 people worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

SOURCE Siemens


Sale Represents Joint Venture's Fourth Successful Exit

LOS ANGELES and BOSTON, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Staley Point Capital ("Staley Point"), a value-add investor focused on industrial properties in Southern California, and Bain Capital Real Estate ("Bain Capital"), the real estate investing business of Bain Capital, today announced the sale of 18689 Arenth Avenue, a 91,000 square-foot industrial asset in the City of Industry, California, for $38.4 million, or $421 per square foot.

The Staley Point and Bain Capital programmatic joint venture originally acquired the asset in January 2022 for $22.0 million, or $241 per square foot. Arenth is a newly renovated, 24-foot clear asset with eight dock-high positions and a functional concrete truck court. The asset is located in the City of Industry within the San Gabriel Valley, which benefits from its central location at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. The asset also provides direct access to Highway 60, which connects the affluent West Los Angeles consumer markets, two nearby intermodal yards, and distribution centers within the Inland Empire.

"The Arenth sale demonstrates the significant continued demand for high-quality, warehouses in infill locations and is further validation of our approach to the industrial real estate market," said Eric Staley, Managing Partner of Staley Point. "Along with Bain Capital, we remain firmly committed to this value-add strategy and continue to seek out similar assets in supply constrained markets across the West Coast."

The San Gabriel Valley's demand for industrial infill properties is sustained by the historically low vacancy rate of 1.5% and three consecutive months of growing import volumes at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach after the ratification of a new six-year West Coast Ports Labor Agreement. The greater Los Angeles market benefits from the consumption strength of 21 million local residents and the incurable supply-demand imbalance with only 1.0% of new supply under construction and a 1.8% vacancy rate as of 3Q'23 per research from CBRE Group.

"We look forward to building on our successful partnership with Staley Point as we continue to capitalize on attractive investment opportunities in the region that align with the joint venture's thematic infill industrial strategy," said Andrew Terris, a Partner at Bain Capital Real Estate.

Staley Point and Bain Capital have completed four exits from the firms' curated portfolio of high-quality infill industrial properties across Southern California, Seattle, and the Bay Area, with cumulative sales over the last 18 months totaling $177 million in proceeds. Most recently, the joint venture sold two industrial real estate assets, 331 Cliffwood Park Street and 10907 Painter Avenue , for a combined $54.0 million, or $339 per square foot.

Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel to Staley Point Capital and JLL acted as the financial advisor for the transaction.

About Staley Point Capital

Staley Point Capital is a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm. The firm was founded in 2019 by Kevin Staley and focuses on the acquisition of value-add and opportunistic real estate investments primarily in the industrial sector. The current portfolio is diversified across the Southern California, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. To find out more, visit www.staleypoint.com .

About Bain Capital Real Estate

Bain Capital Real Estate was formed in 2018 and pursues investments in often hard-to-access sectors underpinned by enduring secular trends that drive long-term demand growth for real estate assets and services. The Bain Capital Real Estate team has been executing its strategy since 2010 (formerly as a part of Harvard Management Company), having invested and committed over $7.7 billion of equity across multiple sectors. Bain Capital Real Estate focuses on assets where the team applies its deep industry expertise to accelerate impact and drive operational improvements. Bain Capital Real Estate's strategy aligns with the value-added investment approach that Bain Capital pioneered and leverage's the firm's global platform and significant experience across asset classes to further bolster its insights and sourcing capabilities. Bain Capital is one of the world's leading private investment firms with approximately $180 billion of assets under management. For more information, visit https://www.baincapitalrealestate.com.

Contacts

Mickey Mandelbaum, Prosek Partners

(310) 709-8900

[email protected]

Aidan O'Connor, Prosek Partners

(646) 818-9283

[email protected]

SOURCE Staley Point Capital
Firm Has Doubled the Number of Clients it Serves in the Last 12 Months; Now Has More

Than $55b In Assets Under Risk Supervision, Grew Revenue by nearly 100% Over the

Last Year

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- StratiFi  a fast-growing risk management platform that provides wealth management firms and industry professionals a one-stop-shop solution for portfolio risk analysis, client risk profiling and compliance  today announced that 2023 was a record year for growth. It now monitors over 130,000 accounts totaling more than $55 billion in assets under risk supervision after adding over 100 new firms in just the last 12 months.

StratiFi's all-in-one risk platform serves financial advisors, investment managers and compliance officers at RIAs, independent broker-dealers, family offices and other institutions. Over the past year, it has increased the number of assets under risk supervision by nearly 50%, investment accounts on the platform by approximately 75% and revenue by almost 100%.

"Wealth management firms have been looking for a robust alternative to their current solutions and now they've found StratiFi," said Akhil Lodha, Founder and CEO at StratiFi. "Our breakneck growth is a testament to the quality of our platform as well as our steadfast vision. While some financial technology providers de-prioritize risk offerings, we continue to put them front and center, which is what has led us to such a banner year for growth."

Firms recently added to StratFi's roster of clients include:

Cardinal Investment Group ( Arkansas )

) Edward Haro Financial ( California )

) LGG Financial ( Maryland )

) Lynch Financial Group ( Colorado )

) Cypress Private Wealth ( California )

) Novi Wealth Partners ( New Jersey )

) Spectrum Wealth Management ( Indiana )

) Morris Financial Concepts ( South Carolina )

) MC2 Wealth Management ( Illinois )

) Steel Peak Wealth Management ( California )

"In meeting with prospects, it has become increasingly clear that the marketplace is seeing the value StratiFi brings, especially as a revenue-generating tool that comes with a robust risk and compliance software offering," said Sarah Gribben, Director of Sales and Business Development at StratiFi. "In a crowded marketplace, StratiFi stands out as being reliable, sophisticated and measurably effective in client conversations, a stark contrast to what is made available elsewhere."

About StratiFi

StratiFi is a fast-growing, San Francisco-based financial technology platform for the wealth management space that provides a streamlined approach to risk profiling, IPS generation, portfolio building and compliance oversight. It serves financial advisors, investment managers and compliance officers at RIAs, independent broker-dealers, family offices and other institutions. Its platform has been awarded a number of recognitions in recent years, including from T3 / Inside Information Survey, WealthManagement.com and others.

Media Contacts

Michael Dugan / Brandon Blackwell

Haven Tower Group LLC

424.317.4852 or 424.317.4868

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE StratiFi
WALLINGFORD, Conn., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut, announces the publication of a study in the January/February edition of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Titled "Content Validity Testing of a Novel Cognitive Screen, the Gaylord Occupational Therapy Cognitive (GOT-Cog), to Improve Inpatient Occupational Therapy Treatment Planning," the research conducted in the long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) setting outlines the development and content validity testing of a new cognitive screening tool designed to revolutionize inpatient occupational therapy.

Co-authored by Henry Hrdlicka, PhD, and Emily Meise, MS, OTR/L, the study from Gaylord's Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation emphasizes the critical need for a comprehensive cognitive screen to assist with occupational therapy treatment planning in the LTACH and other inpatient settings. Currently, existing cognitive screens fall short of capturing all essential cognitive domains crucial for effective Occupational Therapy treatment planning. The newly developed Gaylord Occupational Therapy Cognitive (GOT-Cog) screen aims to address this gap.

Study shows need for Gaylord Specialty Healthcare's GOT-Cog screening tool to enhance occupational therapy treatment. Post this

The objective of the research was to create and quantify the content validity of GOT-Cog through a Delphi-style expert panel review. The panel, consisting of occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, a physician assistant, and neuropsychologists, meticulously evaluated the relevance, essentiality, and clarity of each item in the 22-item cognitive screen.

The study concluded that GOT-Cog exhibits overall excellent content validity in the LTACH setting and is poised for construct validity testing.

GOT-Cog is positioned as the first standardized cognitive screen tailored for the inpatient therapy setting, LTACH or otherwise, and offers a holistic evaluation of cognitive domains essential for occupational therapy treatment planning. By focusing on areas such as orientation, verbal fluency, visuospatial tasks, and functional problem-solving, GOT-Cog will enable therapists to identify patients with functional cognitive deficits earlier in their recovery process. This will facilitate targeted treatment planning, early referrals to specialists, and the delivery of comprehensive care.

This innovative approach to cognitive screening is anticipated to significantly impact occupational therapy practice by guiding clinicians in identifying key problem areas, developing effective treatment strategies, and enhancing patients' independence with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.

Currently, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare researchers are assessing the construct validity, interrater reliability, intrarater reliability, and responsiveness of GOT-Cog by recruiting inpatients in the LTACH setting. Once construct validity testing is complete, copies of the GOT-Cog screen will be available by request and at www.Gaylord.org.

About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut, that provides inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to maximum recovery.

Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is anchored by Gaylord Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, and includes Gaylord Outpatient Services and Gaylord Physical Therapy for patients who require diagnosis and treatment on an outpatient basis. Gaylord's Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a hub for accelerating world-class rehabilitative research, technology development, and innovation to improve the quality of life and function of people around the world. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehabilitative care driven by clinical experience, innovation, and human compassion.

SOURCE Gaylord Specialty Healthcare
Teamsters Urge N.Y. Lawmakers Support Bill to Keep Roads Safe, Protect Good Jobs

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters today commended New York State Senator Pete Harckham (D-40) for introducing legislation, S.7758, that would require a trained human operator to be physically present in any autonomous vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more on New York roads. If passed, S.7758 would ensure public safety and protect hundreds of thousands of good jobs in New York State.

The bill comes as driverless vehicles have wreaked havoc on public roads across the country over the past year, causing accidents, blocking traffic, and interfering with first responders. A woman in San Francisco was seriously injured by a Cruise robotaxi after the vehicle struck and dragged her for 20 feet.

"The Teamsters applaud Senator Harckham for introducing legislation that will keep New York roads safe," said Louis A. Picani, President of Teamsters Local 456. "Last year, we saw the damage that small robotaxis can cause to the public, from sending pedestrians to the hospital to preventing emergency responders from doing their jobs. To allow AVs weighing 10 times more than robotaxis onto New York roads without a trained human operator behind the wheel would be lethal. The New York legislature needs to put safety first and join Senator Harckham in passing S.7758 into state law. This bill will save lives."

In addition to prioritizing safety, S.7758 will also protect the livelihoods of truckers and other workers supported by the New York trucking industry, which is responsible for 270,000 jobs in the state, including about 58,300 current heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.

"S.7758 isn't just about protecting lives, it's about protecting livelihoods. This bill would ensure that good jobs stay in New York, with the people that keep our state up and running. We're grateful to Senator Harckham for introducing this legislation and putting New Yorkers before Big Tech," said Tom Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Local 282 and Teamsters Joint Council 16. "Safety and good jobs are issues that everyone can get behind, and that's why electeds on both sides of the aisle have stood up in support of commonsense AVs safety measures across the country. The Teamsters urge New York State lawmakers to do the same and pass S.7758."

"The integral role of the trucking industry in our lives means we have to be proactive and vigilant about public safety and job security when it comes to technological innovations like autonomous operating vehicles. My bill requires autonomous vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more traveling on New York roads have a licensed driver behind the wheel," said Sen. Harckham. "This common-sense measure will ensure greater protection for residents and property while providing job security for over 270,000 New Yorkers. I am thankful to Louis Picani and Teamsters everywhere for supporting this legislation."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Total of 25 Maryland companies to receive expert advice and proposal support

COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the selection of 25 Maryland companies to participate in the 2024 Small Business Association (SBA) Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST) SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab cohort. This program, now in its sixth year, supports companies in the cohort, allowing them to work closely with TEDCO experts on preparing polished proposals for up to $275,000 in federal awards through the SBIR/STTR Phase 1 program.

Total of 25 Maryland companies to receive expert advice and proposal support from TEDCO Post this Proposal Lab Participation Leads to Higher Success Rates SBIR logo

"TEDCO is proud to have a variety of programs and opportunities dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial innovation throughout Maryland," said TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall. "Through this program, TEDCO can continue our work supporting Maryland companies when applying for the SBIR/STTR funding opportunities."

What is SBIR/STTR?

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, housed in 12 federal agencies and coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, are the Nation's largest source of non-dilutive government early stage/high-risk funding for startups and small businesses. These competitive programs are designed to encourage small businesses with potential for commercialization to engage with Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D). The awards-based program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential while providing an incentive to profit through commercialization.

Proposal Lab Participation Leads to Higher Success Rates

In collaboration with the Rockville, Md. woman-owned OST Global Solutions, this six-month lab will connect companies with experts from TEDCO's Network Advisor program; these experts will provide the cohort with actionable feedback through two proposal reviews, thereby increasing the company's likelihood of award.

Throughout the proposal lab, TEDCO will bring in experts from selected government SBIR/STTR program offices to provide information and answer questions on everything from timing, to writing style, and to what makes a proposal compelling.

"I am honored and humbled by the overwhelming response to the FY24 Proposal Lab program," said Kimberly Mozingo, director of TEDCO's Federal Programs. "The 45 companies who applied are tackling some of the most pressing global challenges facing humanity today. While we could only select 25 for this cohort, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all applicants for their dedication and commitment to making a positive impact on our world. Our Proposal Lab team eagerly anticipates working with the cohort to craft compelling, compliant, and competitive Phase I SBIR or STTR proposals."

For more information about the SBIR/STTR Proposal lab, please visit https://www.tedcomd.com/funding/tech-transfer/federal-tech-transfer/sbirproposal.

About TEDCO

TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more at sba.gov.

Media Contact

Tammi Thomas

Chief Development & Marketing Officer

TEDCO

[email protected]

SOURCE TEDCO
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TextbookRush.com, a leading online book retailer, is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in its journey. As of January 2, 2024, the company has transitioned to an employee-owned structure, marking a pivotal moment in its history. This transition was initiated and approved by Phil Smyres, the visionary founder, and CEO of TextbookRush.

Rush the Rabbit

Founded in 1994 as a brick-and-mortar bookstore on the Ohio State Campus by Phil Smyres, TextbookRush has evolved into one of the most prestigious online book retailers. Over the years, the company has been devoted to providing students, educators, and book enthusiasts with a wide range of high-quality books, creating a seamless online shopping experience.

Becoming an employee-owned company is a testament to TextbookRush's commitment to its workforce and a reflection of its continued dedication to excellence. This exciting development empowers the employees, fostering a sense of ownership, pride, and shared responsibility in the success of the company.

Phil Smyres, the driving force behind TextbookRush, expressed enthusiasm for this new chapter: "As we embark on this journey of employee ownership, I am confident that this transition will further strengthen our company's foundation. The incredible team at TextbookRush has been integral to our success, and this move is a recognition of their hard work and dedication. I am excited about the positive impact this change will have on our corporate culture and overall performance."

As TextbookRush enters this exciting new phase, the company remains dedicated to its mission of providing an extensive selection of books, competitive prices, and outstanding customer service. The employee ownership model will contribute to the continued success and growth of TextbookRush, ensuring a bright future for the company and its valued customers.

About TextbookRush.com

TextbookRush.com is a premier online retailer that rents, buys, and sells college textbooks. Customers may rent or buy eBooks as well as TV and movie titles and games. Phil Smyres, the founder, started in the college book business in 1994, opening a textbook store at Ohio State University and adding a second 4 years later. In 2001, he began retailing books online. Amazon contracted with his company to operate Amazon's book trade-in program from 2010 to 2019 and Amazon's book rental program from 2012 to 2023.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Alison Blankenship

TextbookRush.com

614-643-2181

[email protected]

https://www.TextbookRush.com

SOURCE TextbookRush.com
There are several parallels between the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, in Brazil, and that of Gustavo Petro, in Colombia. Both are leftists who assumed power following right-wing governments. Both lead countries that have territory in the worlds largest tropical forest, the Amazon. Therefore, it is not surprising that the two presidents led the Amazon Summit in August 2023 in Belem do Para, Brazil, where the eight countries that share this rainforest agreed on 113 measures to protect its ecosystem. But if there is one thing for which both Lula and Petro have stood out, it is that they have managed to significantly reduce deforestation in their countries after many years.

In the middle of last year, Colombias Ministry of Environment announced that in 2022, 123,571 hectares of forest had been erased nationwide, which meant a 29% reduction in deforestation compared to 2021 and also represented the lowest figure reported since 2013. For its part, in Brazil, deforestation in the Amazon fell by 22.3% between August 2022 and July 2023, according to data from Brazils Institute for Space Research (INPE). This reduction came after the policies of Jair Bolsonaros immediately preceding government led to the highest level of deforestation in the region in 15 years.

However, while there are parallels between the two governments, there is also an important difference: the energy transition or, more precisely, the intention to leave fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal behind. While that divergence emerged at the Amazon Summit, where one of the main omissions was an agreement to stop expanding the Amazons oil and gas frontier, as Petro wanted, the difference in discourses became even more evident during the COP28 climate summit, which took place in Dubai at the end of last year.

While during this event it became public that Brazil would enter the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in January as an observer, only a day later Petros government joined a bloc of countries calling for the signing of a treaty on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels. That proposal came from the small Pacific islands, which are some of the nations most threatened by climate change, and Colombia became the largest producer of coal and gas to participate in this initiative.

At the time, Lula appealed for calm. He called a press conference to explain that Brazil was joining OPEC+ as an observer that does not have to meet oil production quotas. He also said that Brazil had joined this organization to help convince the largest producers of the fossil fuel to allocate their profits toward a just transition to renewable energies.

Nevertheless, days after COP28 ended, the Brazilian government auctioned off more than 602 lots for oil and gas exploitation. Moreover, as the UN Production Gap Report notes, Brazils energy plan through 2032 seeks oil and gas increases of 63% and 124%, respectively, between 2022 and 2032. The current administration has also said that it wants to transform Brazil into the fourth-largest oil producer in the world.

Ricardo Baitelo, project manager at Brazils Energy and Environment Institute (IEMA), told EL PAIS that Lula has an old culture and mentality about oil. In his mind, the profits from this production will go to health and education, as part of his second wave. But [doing] this has many negative effects. The environmental expert explained that renewable energies do bring necessary transformations to the country, like green jobs, and Lula knows this, which is why he also talks a lot about green hydrogen.

But Lulas government has also demonstrated that it intends to begin exploring for oil in the Brazilian Amazon through the state-owned Petrobras company. That idea has not been well received by environmentalists, neighbors like Petro and members of parties sympathetic to his government. Brazils membership in OPEC, even as an observer, is one of the ambiguities of Brazilian environmental policy, Juliano Medeiros, the chairman of the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), noted. Faced with the fact that there is currently no oil exploitation in the Brazilian Amazon  although there is a small amount of gas exploration in the state of Amazonas  he says that PSOL has spoken out in Congress against the creation of new oil exploration wells in the region. Now, we are discussing what the best strategy is for this to become a reality, through a bill or by forming a parliamentary front, Medeiros added.

Petro: From discourse to reality

Petro has spoken of leaving fossil fuels behind since his presidential campaign. This discourse, at least, has been repeated in several scenarios: at his presidential inauguration, at the United Nations Assembly and, of course, at COP28. As Giovanni Pabon, the director of the Energy Department at the Transforma think tank, explains, this alone represents progress. It is a discourse that has become a model worldwide because Colombia is a middle-income developing country with a non-diversified economy that has a high energy dependence on fossil fuels, he says. That has made the world take note.

In Pabons view, the challenge is that the government has had a hard time translating that discourse into national policy. The people who will be affected by that transition still see such discourse negatively, he notes. It is necessary to clarify what this transition is about, how much it affects us, how long it will last, and that is very important. In practice, however, there has been progress.

For example, the policy of limiting fossil fuel subsidies is already moving forward in Colombia, despite the measures unpopularity. Although that step was taken with more of an economic purpose, the price of gasoline rose almost 43% during all of 2023. This increase, which was related to a reduction of subsidies for this fuel, not only discourages its use and pushes for greater efficiency, but also prevents waste. That decision is aligned with the countrys climate commitments. Pabon adds that the government is also working on how to phase out the 19 coal-fired power plants that are used to generate electricity in the country.

But there are still enormous challenges in other areas: in 2023, the operation of renewable energies was nearly paused, and there has not been much discussion of actions to electrify Colombia. Today we should have almost three gigas in renewables, but we are barely at 500 megas [the Governments goal is to achieve six gigas by 2028], the expert clarified. Regarding electrification, he observed that there still isnt a policy that goes hand in hand with the energy transition.

Finally, there is a critical issue that Colombia will have to resolve: what will happen with Ecopetrol, the state-owned oil company? The government is addressing this issue, and in the right way, Pabon says, since the idea is to position the company as a pioneer in energy, including renewables. Currently, 90% of the companys profits come from oil, and the governments plan is for 30% of Ecopetrols profits to come from other businesses, such as renewables, by 2040. That, along with a plan to expand tourism and the reindustrialization policy that the Ministry of Commerce still has to strengthen a lot more, would also allow Colombia to make an economic transition, Pabon concludes.

Brazil and Colombia have a lot in common. We are two great multicultural democracies, shaped by the valuable contribution of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. And we also share a commitment to putting the Amazon at the center of our policies, President Lula wrote on X (formerly Twitter) months before the summit was held in Belem. But the truth is that the idea of completely protecting the Amazon will not be a reality as long as one of them is seduced into continuing to exploit oil, especially in that region.

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PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dyrt , the No. 1 app for camping availability, photos, and reviews, has collaborated with the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma for the next edition of its award-winning Camping Report. The all-new Toyota Tacoma will be the presenting sponsor of the 2024 Camping Report, which will now include additional information on campers' vehicle use and preferences.

The Dyrt The All-New 2024 Toyota Tacoma

The Dyrt's 2023 Camping Report is the leading resource on camping industry trends and was cited by media more than 500 times this year by outlets such as Reader's Digest , USA Today and many more. The report was frequently referenced in media coverage of recent camping accessibility legislation in California .

"We've expanded the scope of our camping report every year since The Dyrt first published it in 2021," says The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long. "It has rapidly become the leading authority on camping trends, and we are so pleased to collaborate with the all-new Toyota Tacoma to take the report to the next level in 2024."

The 2024 Tacoma was completely redesigned from the ground up and built for the adventurers who crave exploring, similar to The Dyrt's diverse camping community who rely on the Camping Report for information. Designed specifically for the U.S. market, the new Tacoma has a high-strength boxed, steel-ladder frame, and it adds numerous features that off-road enthusiasts will love throughout camping, overlanding, and other outdoor activities.

"From a family camping trip at the local state park, to an overlanding adventure off the grid, the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma was designed with campers and outdoor enthusiasts in mind," says Ann Dragovits, Media Manager at Toyota Motor North America. "What The Dyrt has done to make camping more accessible is amazing, and we are proud to partner with them in support of the camping community."

The Dyrt's 2024 Camping Report presented by the All-New Toyota Tacoma will draw on multiple surveys covering thousands of campers and U.S. residents as well as camping property owners in all 50 states. It will be published in early 2024. Sign up to be notified here .

"The Dyrt's users may comprise the country's broadest demographic profile of the camping public. So when The Dyrt's users have their temperature taken, it pays for other industry participants to take notice," writes RVtravel.com , describing The Dyrt's annual report on the camping landscape as "the statistically most meaningful picture of what it's like to go camping in America that the industry has produced to date."

About Toyota

Toyota, creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company's 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company's 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

About The Dyrt

The Dyrt is the only comprehensive camping resource with over 12 million user-generated reviews, photos and tips for every RV site, cabin, glamping and tent camping location, including all public, private and free camping areas in the United States. The Dyrt is how campers search, save and book camping of any type anywhere in the U.S. With The Dyrt PRO, campers get reservations at sold-out campgrounds, advanced maps, discounts on camping and more. The Dyrt is the No. 1 camping app and receives more than 30 million visits from campers each year because The Dyrt has it all. www.thedyrt.com.

Media Contact:

Jason Simms

860-526-1555

370980@email4pr.com

SOURCE The Dyrt
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are pleased to announce that the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend , a four-day music festival, now in its 27th year, is returning April 18th-21st to The Orleans Hotel and Casino. VLV is the Longest Running Music Festival in Las Vegas and the Largest Rockabilly Event in the World.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend Apr 18-21st

VLV annually attracts 9,000 international revelers from 20 different countries to Las Vegas for the 4-day festival, and up to 20,000 for the huge Saturday Classic Car show event. The VLV crowd are some of the most eye-catching, stylish, head-turning people you will ever see in one place.

Besides 75 bands & 25 DJs, there's the enormous Classic Car Show, a Burlesque Showcase and Competition, a Vintage Fashion Show, Dance Lessons and Competition, 3 days of Tiki Pool Parties, Vintage Swimsuit Contests, Burlesque Bingo, a Pin-Up Contest, a Tattoo Lounge, Bowling, special Meetups for singles, sober folks, and LGBTQ+ attendees, over 120 Vendors, Record Hops till 7 am, and more.

Some not-to-be-missed attractions this year include Lee Rocker of The Stray Cats at the classic car show, The VLV RnB showcase (a supergroup with a powerhouse of talented acts from multiple countries performing popular crowd-pleasing classic RnB from the 50s), Rockabilly acts from all over the globe like The Spunyboys (France), Toto and the Raw Deals (UK), and Tornado Beat (Netherlands). There's a lot of excitement this year around the young acts in their 20s carrying the torch of Rockabilly for next generations.

The Viva Las Vegas Car Show is one of the largest classic car shows in North America, featuring 8001,000 vintage cars, all pre-1964, as well as famous movie cars, the annual VLV Pin-up Contest, and 5 bands. One day tickets are available for the car show. Children of all ages are welcome and under age 15 get in free with an adult.

VLV is held at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, 4500 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Tickets are available for the event until they sell out. Separate tickets are available for the Car Show. VLV works with several other hotels to provide discounts to accommodate the fans.

SOURCE Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend
Increased Cooling Area and Duct Size Create Ultimate Cooling Experience

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TORRAS, with more than 1,300 patents and 60 international industry awards, unveiled the latest generation of its COOLiFY wearable personal air conditioner products, the COOLiFY Cyber, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The product will launch in March 2024.

COOLiFY for outdoor activities

TORRAS created the neck air conditioner by applying its in-house semiconductor-based technology to a super powerful motor that allows it to cool the user. Using an electrical current run between the semiconductor and a ceramic cooling plate at the neck, the COOLiFY Cyber creates an instant cooling sensation.

With three speed settings and double vent design, the COOLiFY Cyber is a wearable adjustable neck fan with 3D and 360 cooling relief through 36 air outlets. It is charged by a USB Type-C charging cable.

COOLiFY comes in three models. COOLiFY Cyber increases the cooling area and air duct size, enhancing cooling efficiency, and truly achieves the ultimate cooling experience. COOLiFY Air is the lightest wearable air conditioner, and COOLiFY C2S is the most balanced personal air conditioner with noticeable cooling effects while addressing battery life concerns.

The COOLiFY Cyber demonstrates that TORRAS is steering the future of neck air conditioners. TORRAS invented the product category in 2020. Thanks to advances in technology, each new personal air conditioner product can now do more compared with the previous generation.

Behind every model is the TORRAS team standing up to the challenge. Years ago, they enabled phone cases to stand up as a kickstand, which set standards for how kickstand cases should be globally, but the team did not stop there. To meet the changing needs and evolving trends, the team always keeps on looking for things to be improved on their products to serve their users better. With a forward-thinking and advancing spirit, TORRAS has been pushing boundaries and cracking problems others ignored, bringing innovative ideas like all-around airbags and X-SHOCK airbags into implementation. Now the brand provides a variety of products, transforming the way people use their phone cases, fans, and air conditioners.

While bringing exceptional products to its customers, the TORRAS team also attaches great importance to the development of the planet. The company is honored to be part of the WeForest movement and to contribute to eco-friendly initiatives that are crucial in building a greener future. The company plans to grow more than 100,000 trees by 2030 to improve the planet.

About TORRAS

Founded in 2012, TORRAS is an innovative brand with a design philosophy of "Simple but Unique." They now have an R&D laboratory that spans over 2,000 square meters and have obtained more than 1,300 patents thus far, with 60 of its products winning prestigious international design awards. For more information, visit www.torraslife.com.

SOURCE TORRAS
Program of Events and Speakers: www.UkraineHouseDavos.com

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are delighted to announce that Ukraine House Davos is back in 2024 to shine a spotlight on the continuing indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people and ignite conversations about Ukraine's triumphant post-war future.

Ukraine House Davos Opens from Jan 15-18, 2024.

During this week, Ukraine House Davos will be the authoritative platform for those looking to forge global partnerships with Ukraine, offering up expert insight and dialogue on economic opportunity and the current geopolitical situation. Global support and commitment for Ukraine must be galvanized to so that Ukrainians can continue their resolute fight for freedom with defiance and resilience in the face of Russia's prolonged and escalating invasion.

"As we approach two years of Ukraine's heroic defense of its territorial integrity, sovereignty and European future, Ukraine House Davos will serve as a convener for business leaders, policymakers, journalists, and thought leaders committed to Ukrainian victory to share insights and collaborate on opportunities that can help forge a free and democratic Ukraine." said Ulyana Khromyak, Executive Director, Ukraine House Davos." She continued. "The world has witnessed the resolve of the Ukrainian people. They will not back down in their fight for freedom and Ukraine House Davos will not back down in our effort to share Ukraine's story and work to ensure a brighter future for the nation, for Europe, and for the democratic world. We are honored to host authoritative speakers and moderators: high-level Ukrainian officials, top Western government officials, global policy makers, humanitarian activists, international business leaders, and most of all, inspiring Ukrainians who are defending their nation on the frontlines as well as supporting the country's rebuilding and revitalization. We look forward to welcoming you to Ukraine House Davos in 2024." Full list and registration at www.UkraineHouseDavos.com.

Ukrainians' defense of life and freedom is more crucial now than ever, also for Europe, the West and the world. For the second year in a row, Promenade 59 has become a joint space for Ukraine House Davos and "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" Project, which is organized by Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre in cooperation with the Office of the President of Ukraine. "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" is an immersive visual and intellectual experience, and space for discussion and debate. An exhibition portraying Ukrainians as they defend freedom, endure losses, and achieve victories. Amid constant threat, it showcases people defiantly living their lives. Combined with an ongoing discussion program, "691 Days Deciding Your Tomorrow" offers a chance to re-visit what is at stake in Ukraine.

Ukraine House Davos is organized by Western NIS Enterprise Fund, Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Horizon Capital, and led by Executive Director, Ulyana Khromyak.

The Ukraine House Davos Organizing Committee is comprised of: Jaroslawa Johnson, President and CEO, Western NIS Enterprise Fund; Svitlana Grytsenko, Member of the Board, Victor Pinchuk Foundation; and Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner and CEO, Horizon Capital.

Ukraine House Davos is made possible this year thanks to our generous sponsors, most notably our Gold Sponsors the Temerty Foundation and Interpipe, as well as our Panel Sponsor Marsh McLennan, and Networking Sponsor Advantage Ukraine.

We invite you to visit our website to register your attendance and to discover more:

www.UkraineHouseDavos.com

Ukraine House Davos will open its doors on Monday, January 15th at 4 pm CET through 9 pm CET on Thursday, January 18th.

You can also follow the event via social media at:

Twitter: @UKRHouseDavos

Facebook: @ukrainehousedavos

Instagram: @Ukraine.House.Davos

YouTube: ukrainehousedavos

Hashtag: #UkraineHouseDavos

Contact:

Kiran Nagendran

[email protected]

+44 7921 706 711

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2313028/UHD.jpg
- California-based Horwin America launches the sporty and versatile SENMENTI 0 production model (MSRP: $16,800, now available for pre-order and test rides).

- Horwin is also unveiling two concept models: the SENMENTI X concept, a Hyper GT built for luxurious and long-range touring, and the SENMENTI 11 concept, a futuristic city explorer of high-performance, style, and technology. Both models are available for pre-order.

- All SENMENTI models are 80% charged in 30 minutes and compatible with most home charging stations. They can also supply power to other products.

- Media Interviews Available: CES Booth #5240  West Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Horwin America Inc. ("Horwin"), a global mobility company revolutionizing the electric motorcycle industry, is proudly making its U.S. brand debut at CES 2024 with the launch of the SENMENTI series, a dynamic new line of EV motorcycles born of the all-American ideals of freedom on the open road without compromising performance, styling, and sustainability.

Horwin America Inc. SENMENTI 0: An exhilarating EV motorcycle powered by AI for the ultimate urban adventure

Horwin comes to the market with a dream to disrupt, trailblazing with pioneering technologies that propel the mobility industry towards a sustainable future. Horwin aims to engineer the delicate dance between human evolution and technological harmony, nurturing a future where the two coexist. Horwin positions itself as the medium through which the world discovers and explores new frontiers. With the mission to disrupt the status quo, Horwin is pushing and fostering a balance between technology and humanity in a sustainable environment.

All the three models launched and unveiled at CES are now available for pre-order with a fully refundable $100 deposit.

deposit. A limited special offer will be applied to the first 500 pre-booking customers of SENMENTI 0. These pre-booking customers of SENMENTI 0 will receive three years of free charging nationwide, a lifetime OTA push upgrade, and an amplification of the $100 deposit (pay $100 now and get $900 off from the down payment).

deposit (pay now and get off from the down payment). Customers can also apply now for a demo ride of the SENMENTI 0 in Q3 of 2024.

SENMENTI 0

Senmenti 0 is supremely versatile, offering a sporty ride with impressive range. This high-performance electric "Urban-ADV"  urban adventure vehicle  has been updated with a lighter-weight body for agility and more precise handling.

Seamless Technology

Mobile power sourcing  charging capabilities can power a wide variety of electronic devices and appliances.

DC Fast Charge compatible with most home charging stations. DC Fast Charging Time is 0-80% in 30 minutes.

Intelligent local vehicle-to-vehicle networking technology that collects ongoing data from active Horwin bikes to personalize experience for each individual rider based on behaviors and preferences.

AI-Powered ARAS (Advanced Riding Assistance System) Designed to increase personalization as the system collects data to understand the rider, preventing accidents and enhancing rider protection and confidence.



Sustainability

Electric powertrain is eco-friendly, lower maintenance, and high-performance.

The modular design and advanced integrated thermal management, featuring a multi-faceted electrical control and temperature regulation, speak to Horwin's commitment to sustainable and high-performance mobility solutions.

Power and Charge

Battery 16.9 kWh DC Fast Charge 0  80% in 30 minutes.

Range

Range, Combined 186 miles

Performance

0  60 2.8 seconds Top Speed 125 mph Maximum Torque 894 Nm) Horsepower 100 hp/74kW

Chassis

Rear Shocks KYB spring shock dampener Brakes, Caliper Type J. Juan dual piston front, single piston rear

Dimensions

Length 84.4 inches Seat Height 31.2 inches Ground Clearance 5.7 inches Wheelbase 59.1 inches Tires, Front Specification 120-80/16 MC 50P Tires, Rear Specification 160-80/14 MC Weight 507 lbs.

SENMENTI X

The SENMENTI X Hyper GT is the ultimate performance touring motorcycle. With a WLTP-estimated range of at least 250 miles on one full charge, DC power outlet, adaptable riding position, and adjustable equipment, SENMENTI X blends rideability, comfort, and luxurious performance, with a top speed of 125 mph.

SENMENTI 11

The newest addition to the SENMENTI lineup is Horwin's sleek, futuristic concept of a high-performance motorcycle. Sharply styled with sleek panels, oversized wheels, and an aggressive stance, SENMENTI 11 is for thrill-seekers and adventurers.

"We're thrilled to introduce Horwin and tell our story to new audiences. The U.S. is obviously a critical sales market for any EV company. As vehicle manufacturers transition to an all-electric future, Horwin is already ahead of the curve, thanks to years of developing advanced 5G-enabled manufacturing processes enriched with artificial intelligence to pioneer a more sustainable future," said Wendsor Zhou Wei, CEO and founder of Horwin.

"We look forward to showing riders, from performance enthusiasts to first-timers, all the advantages of riding an electric motorcycle. We want people to think of Horwin like your smartphone  you can't leave home without it," said Wei.

About Horwin

Horwin is an international mobility company that has revolutionized the electric motorcycle industry with its advanced technology and artificial intelligence since 2016. Headquartered in Changzhou, China, and with an R&D center in Hangzhou, Horwin operated mainly in Europe over the past 7 years and finished the validation of its MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in countries including Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Austria, and more. The company's innovative product line, the SENMENTI series, which includes models SENMENTI 0, SENMENTI X, and SENMENTI 11, reflects its mission to construct a new mobility experience that combines ease of operation with powerful performance. For more information, visit https://www.horwin.com/#/index.

SOURCE Horwin America Inc.
CHANTILLY, Va., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- VTG , an industry-leading provider of modernization and digital transformation solutions to Defense and Intelligence Community customers, announced today that it has been awarded a five-year $80 million prime contract to provide end-to-end engineering services for the Conventional Prompt Strike program, the Navy's hypersonic strike capability. The U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs awarded the contract to VTG on a sole source basis.

John Hassoun, VTG President & CEO (PRNewsfoto/VTG)

The Defense Department has identified hypersonics as a critical technology vital to strengthening the United States military's technological superiority and maintaining national security. CPS will provide the Navy with a hypersonic conventional weapon capable of precise, long-range strike against time critical and high value targets. The missile, which is comprised of a hypersonic glide body and a two-stage booster, will fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and be launched from both surface ships and submarines. The Navy is the lead designer for the common hypersonic missile that will be fielded by both the Navy and the Army. The Navy's first CPS weapon system will be deployed aboard the Zumwalt-class destroyers followed by the Virginia-class attack submarines.

"For over two years, VTG has worked closely and collaboratively with Navy SSP, the CPS program office, and our industrial base partners to advance hypersonic technologies," said John Hassoun, VTG president and CEO. "We're proud to be a part of the Navy's innovation ecosystem and excited to field this leap-ahead capability to the Fleet."

VTG will provide the CPS Program Office, a division of SSP, with research and development expertise, advanced systems engineering, test planning and test engineering, integrated logistics, and a wide range of programmatic and technical services.

About VTG

VTG delivers modernization and digital transformation solutions that expand America's competitive advantage in the modern battlespace. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, VTG provides full lifecycle engineering for naval, aerospace, network, and digital requirements. Whether at sea, in the air, on land, or in cyberspace, VTG delivers Tomorrow's Transformation Today. For more information, visit us at www.VTGdefense.com.

SOURCE VTG
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SciBase Holding AB ("SciBase") [STO: SCIB], a leading developer of augmented intelligence-based solutions for skin disorders hereby invites investors, analysts, and financial media to SciBase capital markets day on January 25, 2024.

SciBase has evolved from being an innovation company originating from the Karolinska Institute to a global company dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals in their work by facilitating early detection and prevention of skin cancer and other dermatological conditions.

During SciBase's Capital Markets Day, Pia Renaudin, who assumed the role of CEO in October 2023, will provide insights into SciBase's future trajectory, and unveil an updated strategic outlook, and long-term strategic goals. The presentations will underscore the company's focus on the USA and shed light on SciBase's ongoing expansion into promising new markets.

Two external speakers will participate in the event, further supporting the US role in the SciBase strategy going forward.

Darrell S. Rigel, MD, MS, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine

Dr. Rigel, a US-based and world-prominent dermatologist will talk about his experiences regarding the clinical benefits of SciBase products. Dr. Rigel has been a Dermatology leader for 30+ years, served as President of major associations such as AAD (American Academy of Dermatology), and Vice-President of the American Board of Dermatology for 13 years. A trusted advisor on national health policy, he testifies before Congress and the FDA, consulting for government and industry. As Scientific Co-Chair of Clinical Dermatology Conferences, he educates over 4000 colleagues annually. Maintaining practices in Manhattan and Dallas, Dr. Rigel specializes in Melanoma, Skin Cancer, and related issues. Internationally acclaimed, he delivers 1000+ lectures globally, is featured on CNN, Fox, ABC, and NBC, is quoted in major publications, and serves as the Team Dermatologist for the New York Yankees. With an MIT BS, MBA from MIT Sloan, and MD from George Washington University, he completed training at NYU and is a Clinical Professor at Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine.

Kathy Francisco, MBA, CPC, Founder and CEO

Kathy established The Pinnacle Health Group in 1999 as a consulting group specializing in reimbursement for health care technologies, drugs, and biologics. For over 25 years, Pinnacle has been providing effective and appropriate reimbursement support for healthcare providers across the country. The Pinnacle team is comprised of certified coders, reimbursement specialists, and clinicians supporting clients with the development of strategic planning, economic positioning, financial analysis, payer coverage strategy, and tactical reimbursement positioning. In addition, daily support is offered to providers offering HIPAA-compliant prior authorization, appeals, and appropriate payment for procedures and technologies that are key to ongoing medically necessary patient care.

Following the presentations, there will be an interactive session allowing participants to pose questions. The event will be digitally broadcast, starting at CET 14:00 and is expected to last until CET 15:30.

A recording of the event will be made available on the SciBase website.

Date: January 25, 2024

Time: CET 14:00  15:30 CET.

Format: Digital. Additional information regarding participation and a link will be published later. The presentations will be in English.

Welcome

For additional information, please contact:

Pia Renaudin, VD, tel. +46732069802, e-mail: [email protected]

Michael Colerus, CFO, tel. +46703413472, e-mail: [email protected]

Certified Advisor (CA):

Vator Securities

Tel: +46 8 580 065 99

Email: [email protected]

About SciBase

SciBase is a global medical technology company, specializing in early detection and prevention in dermatology. SciBase develops and commercializes Nevisense, a unique point-of-care platform that combines AI (artificial intelligence) and advanced EIS technology to elevate diagnostic accuracy, ensuring proactive skin health management.

Our commitment is to minimize patient suffering, allowing clinicians to improve and save lives through timely detection and intervention and reduce healthcare costs.

Built on more than 20 years of research at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, SciBase is a leader in dermatological advancements.

The company has been on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market exchange since June 2, 2015. Learn more at www.scibase.com. All press-releases and financial reports can be found here : http://investors.scibase.se/en/pressreleases

The following files are available for download:
Fleurot joins the senior leadership team to oversee global research, product formulation, and testing of food and treats to meet pets' needs.

BURLINGTON, Mass., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wellness Pet Company , a leader in pet nutrition for over 25 years, announced today that Olivier Fleurot, Ph.D., has joined the company as its new Senior Vice President of Technical Services. With an impressive background in the consumer packaged goods space, Fleurot joins the Wellness Pet team in a newly created role overseeing global research and development, advanced innovation, nutrition, packaging engineering, quality assurance, food safety, regulatory, and sustainability at the company.

Olivier Fleurot, Ph.D., joins Wellness Pet Company as Senior Vice President of Technical Services, the first person to hold this position at the company.

Fleurot most recently served as the Global Vice President of Research, Development, and Innovation at S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., where he supported the sustainable growth of its business unit through a winning innovation strategy that leveraged suppliers, academic partners, and customers for pace and efficiency. Prior to S.C. Johnson, he worked at Mars Petcare for 10 years, serving as Global Vice President of Science and Technology Applications, supporting global business acceleration, driving differentiated product and packaging innovation, and delivering vibrant consumer-driven technologies across wet, dry, and care and treat formats.

"As we expand our innovative offerings for cats and dogs, we remain focused on delivering natural, premium nutrition for pets with proven health outcomes," said Wellness Pet CEO Reed Howlett. "Olivier's breadth of knowledge is remarkable and will translate to Wellness Pet's mission of keeping pets happy and healthy. We are delighted to welcome him to this newly established role at Wellness Pet."

"From my previous work in the industry alongside my own experience as a pet parent, I'm proud to bring my passion for quality, safety, and product innovation back to the pet space," said Fleurot. "Wellness Pet's commitment to a shared life of wellbeing remains at the forefront of the company's research, formulating, and testing. I am eager to start working with the senior leadership team as we continue to execute on this mission."

Fleurot holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from Clemson University and a bachelor's degree from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Industries Chimiques (ENSIC) in France. He and his wife will be based near Wellness Pet's Burlington, Massachusetts, office with their 9-year-old tricolor King Charles spaniel, Rauber.

About Wellness Pet Company: Wellness Pet Company is on a mission to fulfill a shared life of wellbeing between pets and the next generation of pet parents with a foundation of premium, natural nutrition. We're committed to doing things the right way, never the easy way, crafting natural pet food and treat recipes, as well as daily supplements, that are carefully sourced and thoughtfully prepared. Through our products and our people, we strive to enhance the human experience and promote the mutually beneficial relationship between people and pets. To learn more about Wellness pet food, treats, and supplements, visit www.wellnesspetfood.com and Facebook.com/WellnessPetFood , and find Wellness on Instagram , TikTok , and Twitter : @wellnesspetfood.

SOURCE Wellness Pet Company
Highway ramps blocked by long lines of tractors, motorists stuck in traffic jams on roads across the country, a production stoppage at the Volkswagen plant in Emden... The first day of the week of protests planned by German farmers against government cuts to agricultural subsidies achieved its goal: to become visible in the streets and make it clear that their struggle is not going to stop, despite the concessions that Olaf Scholzs executive has already made to them.

The farmers actions have become a nightmare for the governing coalition of social democrats, greens and liberals, which has seen citizens sympathize with the protesters and take the traffic inconveniences in stride. Thousands of self-employed workers and workers in the agricultural sector will continue to participate in different protests throughout the country this week against a decision to phase out a tax break on agricultural diesel.

The German countryside has rebelled against what it considers an outrage and the prelude to its own bankruptcy. For now, the government has been unable to calm the sector. The protests are further straining a coalition already badly affected by constant infighting as it tries to battle recession, a decline in popularity and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The cuts are part of the budget crisis that Germany is suffering after a controversial decision by the Constitutional Court in November that forced the government to review the accounts for 2023 and subsequent years, as well as the additional funds with which the German tripartite is financing the energy transition. The ruling has forced some belt-tightening in many areas, but especially in subsidies that are harmful to the environment, a major issue for the greens in government. The 2024 budget must be slashed by 17 billion to adjust to the new situation.

German farmers, who are heavily subsidized and enjoy numerous tax exemptions, declared war on the government in December with a large rally that brought central Berlin to a standstill with hundreds of tractors blocking major arteries of the capital. We will not accept it, the president of the agricultural producers association, Joachim Rukwied, warned defiantly. The fear that the German countryside would take up arms against the cuts caused the executive to reverse its initial forecast last week. Instead of canceling the agricultural diesel subsidy at once, it will do so gradually in three phases until 2026, and will give up its plan to eliminate a tax break for agricultural vehicles.

Protest by German farmers near the Brandenburg Gate, this Monday in Berlin. CHRISTIAN MANG (REUTERS)

But with the fire already burning, the concessions  which some analysts view as privileges  have not been enough to appease a sector that has been protesting for years and is feeling overwhelmed by competition from other European and non-EU countries. Rukwied, who has become a regular fixture on the news these days, asked the public for understanding before the mobilizations began. He wants the government to completely withdraw its tax plans, that is, to leave things as they are and continue to return 21.48 cents per liter of diesel as it has until now.

The problem, however, goes further, according to the farmers leader: It is about the future of our families, food security, the future of the country, he emphasized. The banners at the protest in the capital, which brought several dozen tractors to the Brandenburg Gate, carried messages such as You are cutting from the wrong place, Leave agricultural diesel alone and Lets turn off the traffic light (alluding to the nickname for the governing coalition because of their party colors).

A spokesperson for the executive on Monday ruled out reversing the measures again. Everything seems to indicate that Scholz will remain firm, despite finding himself in a difficult situation. His image will be damaged whether he accepts a new correction in favor of the farmers or if the protests continue.

Action against the vice chancellor

The protests are becoming controversial due to suspicions of infiltration by radical right-wing groups that, according to police reports, are joining the farmers demonstrations. A few days ago, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck, of the Greens and a regular target of anger, was confronted by an angry mob while returning by ferry from his Christmas vacation. About 100 protesters prevented him from leaving the ship in Schleswig-Holstein, in the north of the country. According to witnesses, the protesters shouted Come out, you coward! while carrying at least one banner with a gallows painted on it. The Prosecutors Office has opened an investigation.

The fear that the protests will become radicalized is spreading among the political class and the security forces. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that a dangerous line has been crossed: Seeing a minister intimidated by an aggressive crowd on a private trip and having to flee to safety has shocked many in our country. Me too. We should not accept it, he said. Habeck himself warned in a video message this Monday of the danger of infiltration by radical groups. Calls are circulating with coup fantasies, extremist groups are forming and ethnic-nationalist symbols are being openly displayed, he denounced.

Stephan Kramer, head of the intelligence office of Thuringia, a federal state where elections will be held next autumn and where the far-right AfD would win according to polls, shares the concern that the farmers protests are being exploited by right-wing extremists. Any emotional issue is suitable for their strategy and will be used, he told the newspaper Handelsblatt. Right-wing extremists have already tried to infiltrate any form of legitimate civil protest, he explained, referring to demonstrations against Covid pandemic restrictions, among others.

The farmers leader has condemned the events and distanced himself from the radical groups that want to take advantage of their actions to destabilize the government. We dont want them with us, he said. We are an organization that respects democratic norms. Personal attacks, insults, threats, coercion and violence have no place here.
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On Friday, a few hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Istanbul for difficult talks with the Turkish authorities over the two countries conflicting positions on the Gaza war, his office announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on five members of the financial structure of Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by Washington. Three of them, it is believed, are based in Turkey. Israels leaders and their U.S. allies are convinced that, in order to wipe out the Palestinian Islamist militia, they must also target its sources of financing and a structure that includes companies and million-dollar investments in various countries, including a once reliable ally like Turkey, which over the last decade has hosted leaders of a group Istanbul considers a liberation movement.

Terrorist group or resistance movement, Hamas armed struggle costs money: to buy weapons, maintain military infrastructures (drone and rocket factories, tunnels, bunkers and barracks), pay its fighters, and compensate the families of those who die. And Gaza  the groups operational base  is not exactly an economic paradise: the Israeli blockade has left half of the residents of the enclave unemployed and its population with a per capita income of barely $1,150. So where does the economic infrastructure to support Hamas come from?

Until Hamas took control of the government in the Gaza Strip, it was financed mainly by Iran and the abuse of charities, Matthew Levitt, director of the Washington Institutes Counterterrorism Program and a former U.S. Treasury and FBI employee, tells EL PAIS: But in the last 10 to 15 years, its main source of income has been the control of territory in Gaza. Hamas operational and military budget is estimated at about $600 million per year, which is on a par with the military spending of states with similar populations to Gaza, such as Slovenia, Latvia and Armenia, or around $250 per capita (Israels military expenditure per capita is 10 times higher).

The Hamas government in Gaza imposes taxes on the import of goods through border crossings and, when these are not open, through the tunnels via which the enclave is supplied from Egypt. Together with taxes on commercial activities, this amounts to some $490 million annually. At the same time, Gaza receives around $2 billion annually from the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank and from international cooperation, including the United Nations, the European Union and Qatar. The latter delivers $360 million annually  until a few years ago, in briefcases containing cash  to pay the wages of civil servants and as aid to the neediest families, according to an agreement with Benjamin Netanyahus government.

Experts like Levitt believe that not all of the money budgeted for Gaza goes to the population, but that part of it is mixed with Hamas operational expenses, for example, the payment of fighters who are formally employed as civil servants: after the October 7 attack, the Israeli authorities revealed the identities of some militiamen who allegedly worked as policemen and civil servants in the Gazan administration. This source of income is considered to have ended with the virtual destruction and re-occupation of Gaza.

Iran remains a clear and notorious contributor, particularly to Hamas armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The organizations own political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, acknowledged in an interview with Al Jazeera in 2022 that Iran had contributed $70 million to bolster its defense. Expert estimates vary between that figure and $120 million annually. In addition, Hamas continues to receive donations from the Palestinian diaspora and individuals in various parts of the world in crowdfunding campaigns that it advertises through social networks. Funds are sent to Gaza through the hawala method or cryptocurrencies, although the latter has been found to be less secure as it can be tracked through blockchain technology. U.S. and Israeli intelligence have reported that important nodes for these transfers  currency and cryptocurrency exchanges  used by Hamas are located in Turkey.

Hamas business empire

But to avoid this donor dependence  for example, contributions from Tehran were significantly reduced when Hamas aligned itself with the Syrian opposition against the Iranian-allied regime at the beginning of the last decade  Hamas established a finance committee, whose leaders have for more than three decades resided abroad (first in Jordan, then in Saudi Arabia and later in Turkey), and an investment office under the Shura Council. According to U.S. intelligence, Zaher Jabarin has been the head of Hamas financial arm since 2017 and is believed to reside in Turkey; the investment office has been headed variously by Ahmed Odeh, Usama Ali and Hisham Qafisheh, all of whom have resided in or spent time in Turkey. Qafisheh, who has held senior positions in several Hamas-run companies, obtained Turkish nationality in 2021 and changed his name to Hasmet Aslan, according to data from the commercial registry consulted by EL PAIS.

The U.S. Treasury estimates that Hamas assets abroad amount to $500 million and include companies such as the Al Zawaya Group, which maintains subsidiaries in Cyprus, Turkey, Spain (a real estate company in Valencia) and Sudan, and which received juicy contracts in roads, mining, and the agricultural sector until the fall of the Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir. Washington has also sanctioned other construction and real estate development companies that it considers part of the militias financial web in recent months, such as Algerias Sidar, Saudi Arabias Anda and the Emirati Itqan Real Estate JSC, which Hamas tried to sell in 2019 for $150 million.

The United States has a long tradition of sanctioning innocent people without concrete evidence, says Ali Bakir, an expert on Turkey and professor at Qatar University, for whom these accusations are part of a campaign aimed at countering allegations of genocide against Israel. Some circles in Washington are trying to extort money from countries that defend the Palestinians, such as Turkey, he adds.

The company that has stirred up the most dust after being singled out by Washington is Turkeys Trend GYO, a publicly traded firm that recently completed the construction of the new building at the Istanbul Commerce University, an institution linked to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. The company was founded in 2006 by Qafisheh and Saudi national Saleh Mangoush, under the name Anda Gayrimenkul, which later changed to Trend GYO in 2017. As early as May 2022, the U.S. Treasury placed it on its sanctions list by identifying it as one of the key components of Hamas global asset group. Since then, various managers and shareholders have been subject to three other rounds of sanctions.

Its really not hard for Hamas to do these things, Levitt explains. All they need is people who dont go around in Hamas uniform and who are willing to run a company and, when it hands out dividends, divert some or all of them to Hamas. On paper, everything works as it should  in fact it is subject to independent audits and the scrutiny of the Turkish Securities and Exchange Commission. So much so that, according to an investigation by The New York Times, international clients have purchased Trend GYO shares through U.S. and European banks, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an irony of global capitalism.

The Turkish Ministry of Finance said last month that it had reviewed the accounts of Trend GYO and related individuals and concluded that they have not abused the Turkish financial system and that it was in no way linked to the October 7 attacks on Israel. Speaking to EL PAIS, a company source dismissed the U.S. Treasurys allegations as lies: We have no idea why they are attacking us; perhaps because our initial investors were Palestinians, but they have long since left [the company] and left Turkey. The current management doesnt even know them personally.

The past three years have seen a steady turnover of the board and shareholders, with most of the Arab investors leaving, according to the company registry. They were replaced by several officials linked to the AKP, the party of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and, despite the sanctions, the construction companys shares have gained in value.

Amer Alshawa, one of the alleged Hamas financiers for whom the U.S. is offering the $10 million reward and who in 2015 was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on suspicion of aiding the Palestinian organization, served as CEO of Trend GYO between 2007 and 2019. In an interview with The New York Times, he denied having personal dealings with Hamas, but claimed to harbor suspicions that board members collaborated with the group: Do I have proof? No. But sometimes you just have a feeling, he said. I really didnt care. Why should I? I was there to make money.

The dividends that the international investment conglomerate brings to Hamas are estimated at between $10 million and $20 million a year. These investments are not liquid. They are not cash that you can access immediately, Levitt points out. Their importance lies more in the fact that they are a fund to fall back on in times of need. For example, accounting documents obtained by Israeli espionage established that, after the 2014 war, Hamas sold $75 million worth of assets to rebuild part of its infrastructure in Gaza.

Now, after the destruction of Gaza, the seed of the Islamist groups reconstitution could start there as well. These investments generate ongoing revenues, and unless they are identified and frozen, they will continue to do so. But given the countries where they are located, it is unlikely that they will be frozen, says Jessica Davis, a financial intelligence expert and former employee of Canadas secret services: If the group loses control of Gaza, almost all of its assets could be used for military or terrorist activities.

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Dhaka, Jan 9 : Awami League (AL) President and newly-elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has described her party's win in the country's parliamentary election as the "people's victory" and said that Bangladesh has been able to set an example of "holding free, fair and neutral polls".

In the 12th general elections, Hasina's party secured a landslide victory with over two-thirds majority, giving the AL-led 14-party alliance another chance to form the government in Bangladesh for the fourth consecutive term.

"We've set an example that elections can be free, fair and neutral. You (observers and journalists) have come and witnessed how the people cast their votes in our country," she said, while interacting with foreign journalists and election observers at Ganabhaban, the official residence of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, following the parliamentary election.

Hasina added that her victory in the general election is the victory of the people, as voting rights and power of the people to choose a government were applied in a fair manner through this election, since she and her party AL had been struggling to establish those rights.

She said that the people of the country have elected her party by voting for it in this election, where many independent candidates and some contenders from other parties were also elected.

Mentioning that the people have elected her party by voting in large numbers for her party, Hasina said, "We'd taken all sorts of measures to hold the election in a fair manner as you witnessed it."

Pointing to atrocities committed by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), she said the BNP didn't participate in the election as they are afraid of contesting a direct election, adding: "The party that was founded in the hands of military dictators can't act on their own. They don't have public support. So, they are scared of a direct election."

The massive victory has paved the way for Hasina to lead the government as Prime Minister for the fifth time and winning elections for a consecutive fourth term.

The Election Commission (EC) so far announced unofficially the results of 298 parliamentary seats out of the 300 where election was held in a free and fair manner.

Despite the militancy and boycott by the opposition BNP and like-minded parties, the Awami League-nominated candidates and its independent candidates secured victory in most of the constituencies in the national parliamentary election.

According to the official data released by the EC on Monday, the AL won 286 out of 298 seats across the country.

The results show that in almost every district, the AL leaders contested the election--whether with the party symbol 'Boat' or the independent symbol 'Eagle' or 'Truck'. Though there were other 27 political parties that contested this poll, their candidates could not win except 11 candidates from the Jatiya Party and three candidates from the Workers' Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and the Bangladesh Kalyan Party.

In Dhaka district, AL candidates secured 16 out of 20 seats. However, in the other four seats, the AL's independent candidates won. It can be said that the Awami League has a stronghold in Dhaka.

Gopalganj, the birthplace of Father of the Nation -- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- is considered a political fortress of the AL. Ruling AL candidates, including party President Sheikh Hasina, won all three seats in Gopalganj.

In Faridpur, the AL candidates won three out of four seats, while independent candidate A.K. Azad defeated an AL candidate. Azad is also a former AL leader.

In Gazipur, AL candidates won four out of five seats, and another AL leader, who contested as an independent candidate defeated former state Minister Meher Afroz Chumki.

In Tangail, AL candidates secured victory in seven out of eight constituencies, and former AL presidium member and former Minister Abdul Latif Siddique contested as an independent candidate and defeated a party candidate in Tangail-4 constituency.

Khulna and Bagerhat, bordering Gopalganj, are also counted as strongholds for the AL, where family members of Bangabandhu are involved in politics. In these two districts, all the AL candidates secured victory by a huge margin.

Meanwhile, all the AL candidates won in some small districts like Chuandanga, Meherpur, Jhalakathi, Feni, Chapainawabganj and Magura.

In Sylhet and Sunamganj, AL candidates lost in two seats against independent candidates.

In Moulovibazar, AL candidates won all three seats. In Habiganj, the AL won two seats and independents got two. These two independents are also AL leaders.

In Barisal, AL candidates won four out of six, and one independent candidate, who won in Barisal-4 constituency is a former AL MP.

In Chittagong district, AL candidates won 13 seats out of 16.

In Rajshahi district, five AL candidates secured victory in six constituencies, and the other winner, an independent candidate, is also a district-level leader of the AL.

In Bogra, which is considered a BNP stronghold, AL candidates won four out of seven seats. In the other three seats, one independent, one Jatiya Party, and one Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal candidate won.

Among the six constituencies of Rangpur district, AL candidates won in three seats with the 'Boat' symbol, while AL's independent candidates won against party candidates in two other seats.

In Dinajpur, AL candidates secured victory in five out of six seats, and the independent candidate, who defeated the AL candidate in Dinajpur-1 constituency is the President of Birganj Upazila Awami League.

In Lalmonirhat and Pabna, AL candidates won in all the constituencies.

In Natore, AL candidates won two seats out of three. In the Natore-1 seat, the district AL Vice-President contested as an independent candidate and defeated the AL nominee.

In Jamalpur, AL candidates won three seats out of five, and in Jamalpur-4 constituency, the AL-nominated candidate lost to another party leader who contested as an independent candidate.

Similar poll results were witnessed from Mymensingh, Netrokona and Brahmanbaria.

On the other hand, AL candidates secured consecutive victories in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban hill districts.

Voting in Naogaon-2 constituency was postponed due to the death of an independent candidate earlier on Sunday.

EC will announce the result of Mymensingh-3 constituency later on Tuesday as the polling in one centre was postponed.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her for securing a historic fourth consecutive term in Sunday's general elections and reiterated India's commitment to further strengthen the "enduring and people-centric partnership" with its neighbour.

A press statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in a letter sent on Monday said: "Prime Minister Modi said the historic and close ties between India and Bangladesh will continue to deepen in all areas of their irreversible partnership."

Modi also affirmed that as a close friend and trusted development partner of Bangladesh, India will continue to support Bangladesh's aspirations and growth.

The letter also said that PM Modi also conveyed his best wishes to the people of Bangladesh for their continued progress, peace and prosperity.

Indian High Commissioner, Pranay Kumar Verma, called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina and congratulated her on being re-elected as head of the state for a consecutive fourth term.

"The envoys of India and Bangladesh extended greetings on behalf of their respective countries and said their support for the new government would continue," the Bangladesh premier's Deputy Press Secretary Moahammad Noorelahi Mina told the Indian media.

Incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League won 223 seats in the 300-member Parliament in the general elections that were held on Sunday.

The Indian High Commissioner on Monday spoke to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and conveyed the greetings on behalf of India on her re-election and the victory of her party, Awami League, for the fourth consecutive term.

According to a PMO spokesman, Ambassadors of Russia, China, Bhutan, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka, alongside the Indian envoy, called on the newly-elected premier at her Ganobhaban residence and pledged continued support of their countries to Bangladesh.

Hasina thanked the diplomats of various countries and sought their cooperation in her new government's journey towards the development and prosperity of Bangladesh.

A delegation of Aga Khan Diplomatic Representatives also met Hasina, Mina said.

Mina added that more foreign envoys were scheduled to meet Hasina later on Monday as the Awami League won a landslide victory in Sunday's election, boycotted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition, and its allies.

Hasina, 76, also the president of Awami League, won the Gopalganj-3 constituency in a landslide victory, her eighth term as a Member of Parliament.

Hasina, who has been ruling the strategically-located South Asian nation since 2009, secured a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term in the one-sided election, which witnessed the second-lowest turnout since the restoration of democracy in 1991.

With this poll victory, Hasina is poised to become the longest-serving Prime Minister in Bangladesh since its independence.
Abu Dhabi, Jan 9 : President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed here the importance of avoiding the expansion of conflict in the region and finding a clear solution to achieve regional stability.

During their meeting in UAE's capital Abu Dhabi on Monday, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them to serve their shared interests, Xinhua news agency reported.

They also touched on several regional and international issues of mutual concern and the events in the Middle East, especially those in the occupied Palestinian territories and the serious repercussions of the Gaza crisis on peace, stability and security in the region.

The UAE President stressed the need to work on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to protect civilians' lives, ensure the establishment of permanent and safe mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of the Strip without hindrance, and prevent their displacement.
Time running out, bring back everyone now: Hostage forum tells Israel. Image Source: IANS News

Tel Aviv, Jan 9 : An Israeli delegation has reached Cairo for negotiations on a possible deal for the release of hostages currently under Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Israeli government sources told IANS the arrival of the delegation to the Egyptian capital on Monday came amid growing pressure from the Jewish nation's traditional allies -- the US, UK, France and Germany -- to end the ongoing war in the besieged enclave.

Within Israel as well, the demand for the release of the hostages is escalating by the day.

The negotiations between the two warring sides at the behest of Qatar, Egypt and the US, had been suspended after the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri -- deputy head of Hamas's political wing -- in Beirut, a week ago.

Some 240 people, including foreign nationals, were kidnapped after the Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

During the humanitarian pause from November 24-30, 2023, 86 Israeli and 24 foreign national hostages were released.

Before that, two American women and two elderly Israeli women were freed.

While one female soldier was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces( IDF), three hostages were killed in accidental firing by the military.

The IDF and Israel's military Intelligence have confirmed that 23 hostages are already dead and about 136 of them remain in Gaza.

More than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel, including 36 children.

According to the Israeli authorities, the vast majority of fatalities occurred on the day of the Hamas assault.
Lucknow, Jan 9 : Shyamlesh Kumar Tiwari, an assistant professor at Lucknow University's (LU) oriental studies in the Sanskrit department, has been selected to be among 10 priests who will be conducting the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol at the newly constructed temple in Ayodhya from January 16-22.

A letter in this regard was received by Tiwari (41) from the camp office of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Monday.

As per the letter, Tiwari's name was recommended by two renowned scholars from Varanasi, Pt Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, who did calculations of the ceremony date and Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, under whose leadership the priests will perform the seven-day rituals from January 16 till Ram temple's inauguration on January 22.

Both the scholars recommended that Tiwari be part of the ritual of 'Pran Partishtha'.

Shyamlesh Tiwari said: "I feel privileged to be part of Ayodhya Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha and prayers. I will be leaving on January 15 and will be part of a team of 10 priests who will be performing the puja from January 16 till January 22."

He said that apart from 10 priests, 130 other scholars will be part of the prayers. He said on January 16, 'praayashchit' (atonement) will be done in which prayers will be offered to forgive all sins done before we begin with the auspicious work of 'pran pratishtha'.

On January 17, a 'Jal Yatra' will be held in which water from the Saryu will be filled in pots and taken to the temple.

This Saryu water will be later used in prayers at the temple.

Also on the same day, Ram Lalla's idol will be taken on a city tour.

Thereafter on January 18, the process of Pran Pratishtha will begin.

Prayers will be offered at the Yajna Mandap made near Garbh Grah and thereafter 'anna niwas' of the idol will be done in which it will be completely covered with foodgrains, then with fruits and so on.

Tiwari said that on January 19, 'Agni Sthapna' will take place in which a 'yajna fire' will be prepared and the fire will be lit by rubbing two sticks together.

On January 20 the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir will be sanctified with 81 kalash and they will be filled with water that was taken from different rivers while on January 21, Ram Lalla (Lord Ram) will take a bath and the yajna will also be performed on the same day.

"Thereafter, on the last day of January 22, Pran Pratishtha will take place in which the idol will be formally installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple from where it will never be removed," he added.
Lucknow, Jan 9 : Two former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students, carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 each, were arrested by the UP ATS for their alleged links with IS, said officials on Tuesday.

The two were arrested on Monday. "The duo was identified as Amas a.k.a. Faraz Ahmed, 22, resident of Aligarh, and Abdul Samad Malik, 25, resident of Sambhal," said the UP ATS spokesman.

Amas was arrested from Aligarh while Malik was nabbed in Sambhal earlier.

ATS officials said they had received intelligence that some people were carrying out anti-national activities by claiming allegiance to IS. After confirming this information, an FIR under various IPC sections was registered against them on November 3, 2023.

Prior to the duo's arrest, seven other accused were arrested and booked under UAPA Act and sections of the Arms Act.

According to ATS, the two accused, along with their previously arrested associates, were preparing an IS module in Aligarh Muslim University and adding other people to it.

They were allegedly planning to execute a major terrorist activity by hatching an anti-national plan.

"Abdul Samad Malik surrendered before the court. The ATS team activated the intelligence system and arrested Faraz in Aligarh," the official added.

According to police, Faraz had graduated in psychology from AMU in 2022 and took the entrance examination for MBA in 2023 while Abdul Samad Malik was pursuing Master's in social work from AMU.

"The arrested accused will be presented before the court and further legal proceedings will be initiated," said police.
Nagpur : , Jan 9 (IANS) Acclaimed chef Vishnu Manohar is all set to mark the January 22 Prana Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with a special 'Bhog Prasad' offering of a delicious, hand-prepared 'Ram Halwa', at one go in a mammoth cauldron.

Manohar will cook a staggering seven tons (7,000 kgs) of 'Ram Halwa' for Ram Lalla on January 29 in Ayodhya which shall be savoured by around 1.50 lakh devotees and other dignitaries attending the historic event and its subsequent programmes, at the temple and in the pilgrim town.

For the venture, Manohar has ordered a brand new, gigantic steel cauldron (kadhai) weighing around 1300-1400 kgs with a capacity of 12 tonnes -- it can be lifted only by a crane -- in which he will cook the holy savoury.

Manohar, 52, said that the dimensions of the massive freshly-built cauldron are 15 feet diameter x 5 feet depth, made of steel with a central part made of iron so that the halwa will not get scalded during the preparations.

The glittering vessel, costing around Rs 8,00,000, will be shipped from Nagpur to Ayodhya in a trailer truck, will reach the venue after a two-day road journey, and will be cleaned up for its maiden auspicious prasad.

The 'Ram Halwa' shall be prepared with huge quantities of ingredients -- 900 kgs of 'rava', 40 kgs cardamom and nutmeg powder, at least 300 kg dry-fruits, one ton each of cow ghee and sugar, plus 2,500 litres of water.

The preparation shall be stirred by a massive spatula, 10-12 feet long, that will be handled by Manohar along with one or two expert cooks, with the initiative called 'Kar Seva se Paak Seva'.

"The 'Ram Halwa' preparation would take upto three hours We plan to start at dawn, say around 6 a.m Then, we shall offer it for the 'Bhog Prasad' to the idol of Ram Lalla, and later distribute it among the devotees at the temple and outside in the town through volunteers," Manohar told IANS.

On the cost of the 7 tonnes 'Ram Halwa', Manohar said that it will be borne by the Shri Ram Temple Trust, and he would foot the bill of the cauldron as his humble contribution for the auspicious occasion.

All the ingredients for the 'Ram Halwa' shall be sourced from the huge amounts of donations the Ram Temple is receiving, but Manohar is attempting to arrange the one tonne of cow ghee from the famed Tirupati Temple of Andhra Pradesh as a donation, for what he hopes could be a 'divine amalgamation'.

Although there are modern automatic options available to prepare such massive quantities of food, "but this is a special religious occasion, so we shall do all work manually", he said with a smile.

The 'Ram Halwa' love's labour is likely to pay off -- in the form of a world record, but Manohar -- who already holds over a dozen global records -- said it will be in the name of the Ram Temple Trust.

The cauldron would be taken out in a procession in Nagpur, certain religious rituals will be performed with the expected presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Nagpur Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, Nagpur Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar and other dignitaries, before it would be loaded onto a trailer for Ayodhya.

Manohar, a chef of 38 years standing, thinks big and cooks even bigger -- some of his past mega-servings include 10 tonnes of Masale Bhat for the tribal community meeting in Nagpur plus 10 tonnes of Samarsata Misal in Pune, 7 tonnes of millets khichdi in Chandrapur, 6.50 Gajanan Khichdi and 6 tonnes Rambandhu Mahachivda in Nagpur, 5 tonnes of Samarsata mix vegetable bhaji in Nagpur, besides many others.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
New York, Jan 9 : A fourth batch of court documents from a lawsuit connected to the late disgraced American financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were unsealed, a week after thousands of pages of bombshell files were made public which contained the names of noted celebrities including former US President Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew, late theoretical physicist Steven Hawking and jailed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, according to media reports.

Monday's release of 17 unsealed files follows thousands of pages of documents that were already made public on January 10, 11 and 12, with the final ones expected on Tuesday, reports CNN.

The documents are part of a 2015 civil defamation suit brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an American woman who claimed Epstein sexually abused her as a minor and that Ghislaine Maxwell, the late financieras former girlfriend, aided in the abuse.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year jail term for crimes she committed with Epstein.

The unsealing stems from a December 18, 2023 court order from the judge overseeing the lawsuit, a response to mediaas legal efforts to publicly release the documents.

Monday's files include allegations by accuser, Sarah Ransome, who claimed to have seen sex tapes filmed by Epstein, reports the BBC.

According to Ransome, the tapes showed Clinton, Prince Andrew and British billionaire Richard Branson.

But she said that she wanted to retract the allegations.

In 2019, a New Yorker magazine report said that Ransome had admitted fabricating the claim.

No evidence of the tapes she mentioned has ever emerged.

She had also said that Epstein abused her when she was an aspiring model and fashion student, and further alleged that a friend of hers had sex with former US President Donald Trump in the late financier's home in New York.

Ransome claimed alleged she was recruited by Maxwell into his sex-trafficking ring in 2006 when she was 22 years old.

She received a settlement in 2018 after suing Epstein and Maxwell for an undisclosed amount, the BBC reported.

Clinton, Prince Andrew, Trump and Branson have all previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

The other big names that have surfaced in the previous unsealed files include famed magician and illusionist David Copperfield; Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Cameron Diaz, Bruce Willis and Kevin Spacey.

Epstein was indicted in 2019 on federal charges of operating a sex trafficking ring in which he allegedly sexually abused dozens of underage girls.

He pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and died in jail by suicide in 2019 as he awaited federal sex-trafficking charges
Chicago, Jan 9 : Chicago-based United Airlines said that it found loose hardware, including bolts in need of "additional tightening", on a number of their Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet during inspections.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-mandated inspections began on January 5 after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 had to make an emergency landing the same day in Portland, Oregon, with a window and a part of the fuselage missing.

As a result, certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft still remain grounded across the US.

In a statement on Monday, United Airlines confirmed it found the loose bolts on an undisclosed number of its 737 Max 9 aircraft as the company is still conducting the inspections.

"Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday (January 5 ), we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug - for example, bolts that needed additional tightening," it said.

The door plug is a piece of fuselage with a window that can be used as an emergency exit in certain configurations, reports the BBC.

It was this part of the Alaska Airlines plane which fell off mid-flight and left a gaping hole on the side of the plane as it flew at 16,000 feet shortly after taking off from Portland, carrying 177 people.

The refrigerator-sized Boeing 737 Max 9 fuselage door plug eventually landed at a teacher's backyard.

The vast majority of Boeing 737 Max 9s used in the US are operated by United Airlines and Alaska, while Turkish Airlines, Panama's Copa Airlines and Aeromexico have also grounded aircraft of the same model for inspections.

Also on Monday, Alaska Airlines issued a statement saying that technicians who were preparing to conduct their inspections had seen "some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft".

The formal inspection process of Alaska Airlines' fleet hasn't started yet as they wait for final documentation from Boeing and the FAA, CNN quoted the statement as saying.

As of Monday, United Airlines, which has more Max 9s than any other US carrier, has canceled more than 470 flights due to the ongoing inspections.

It expected significant cancellations on Tuesday as well.

The Boeing 737 Max has been described as "the most scrutinised transport aircraft in history" after a series of safety issues.

In late 2018 and early 2019, two of its aircraft were lost in near identical incidents, off the coast of Indonesia and outside the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, reports the BBC.

A total of 346 people were killed in both the crashes which were caused by flawed flight control software, which ultimately forced the planes into catastrophic dives, despite the best efforts of the pilots.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 9 : Widespread protests erupted after the Kerala Police on Tuesday arrested state Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil from his house near Adoor in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district.

He was taken away by a team of police officials attached to the Cantonment Police station, here.

Youth Congress workers across the state started protests at several places.

Mamkootathil's mother expressed surprise over the manner the police arrived at her house early this morning.

"They did not ring the calling bell but entered my house straightway. There were a good number of police personnel. Despite my best efforts to know the reason for the arrest, the police officials said they were taking orders from higher ups and took him with them," said his mother.

"It's a matter of deep concern as my son is the one who does politics in the right manner. He was taken away as if he had committed a heinous crime," added his mother.

According to sources, he has been arrested after being arraigned as an accused following a huge Youth Congress protest rally in the state capital city last month against the high-handedness of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.

During the protest rally, the party activists caused damage to police vehicles. However in that case, the first accused is Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan, while Mamkootathil is only the third accused.

The local party friends of his staged a protest by lying down in front of the police jeep in which he was being taken.

What has raised eyebrows is the manner in which the arrest was made.

"The manner in which the arrest was done smacks the arrogance of the Vijayan government as Mamkootathil has a track record of appearing before the police whenever he has been asked to appear in the past," said a local leader.
Ecuador experienced another day of chaos, violence and uncertainty. Since the early morning of January 8, six prisons in the country have been taken over by inmates who kidnapped prison guards and started fights inside the penitentiary centers. The unrest was captured in videos recorded by the prisoners. The footage showed security guards on the floor, with knives and guns to their heads, forced to repeat the same message: that the government should reverse its decision to transfer prisoners. Faced with the out-of-control situation, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa decided on Monday to decree the first state of emergency of his mandate, which began on November 23.

Fire sirens woke up the inmates of the Inca prison, in the north of the Ecuadorian capital. Prisoners burned mattresses in the yard and one managed to escape, although he was captured hours later. Police later managed to regain control of the center. In Turi prison, in the city of Cuenca, prisoners took to the roofs, some of them wearing hats in the shape of wolves, the symbol of the criminal gang of the same name. The unrest escalated, with the inmates destroying the prisons security cameras. Similar crises were witnessed in four other prisons, where inmates kidnapped almost 100 prison workers.

In the face of the violent escalation, Noboa decreed a state of emergency, which will last 60 days. This same measure was applied on 20 occasions by his predecessor Guillermo Lasso. The state of emergency establishes a curfew between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and designates penitentiary centers as security zones, meaning the military can operate in the surrounding areas and control vehicles passing through the perimeter.

The unrest inside the prisons moved to the streets, particularly in Esmeraldas province, where three attacks with explosives were registered in different cities. One of the attacks was near the police headquarters in Esmeraldas, one of the provinces with the highest rates of violence in the country. According to authorities, there were 8,008 homicides in Ecuador in 2023. Of these, 91% were attributed to criminal violence related to drug trafficking.

Tensions in Ecuador rose on Sunday after Jose Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, Ecuadors most dangerous criminal, escaped from the Guayaquil Regional prison with four other people in his security circle. Authorities at SNAI, the entity in charge of controlling prisons, realized he had fled when they found his cell empty during a police and military operation to seize weapons and prohibited objects. The government has not yet acknowledged that Fito  the leader of the criminal gang Los Choneros  has escaped, saying only that he has not appeared. However, Ecuadors Public Prosecutors Office has filed charges against two prison officials who were allegedly involved in helping the criminal to escape.

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Adelaide, Jan 9 : Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia got her Adelaide International campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the first round.

World No.12 Ostapenko took 1 hour and 58 minutes to prevail, denying 26th-ranked Cirstea her first victory of the 2024 season.

Cirstea won four games in a row to clinch the opening set, where she never faced break point. But Ostapenko rebounded in the second set, earning her first break of the day to lead 2-1, then fending off six break points in the following game to grit out a hold for 3-1. Ostapenko hit back-to-back aces to close out the second set, WTA reports.

In the decider, Ostapenkoas powerful groundstrokes and returns led her to a commanding 5-2 lead. The Latvian was broken serving for the match, then missed out on two match points at 5-3, but she earned a third chance at 5-4 with a stunning forehand winner on the sideline. Ostapenko would not be denied on that occasion, firing her sixth ace to triumph.

Laura Siegemund posted a first-round upset with a 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Liudmila Samsonova. World No.89 Siegemund needed 2 hours and 53 minutes to outlast 14th-ranked Samsonova and grab the 17th Top 20 win of her career.
New York, Jan 9 : At least 320 pro-Palestine protesters protesters were arrested after staging a demonstration in New York city during rush hours and blocking traffic on several bridges for more than two hours.

More than 1,000 protesters -- many of them wearing the keffiyeh (traditional Palestinian scarf) -- halted outgoing traffic from downtown Manhattan at the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Holland Tunnel on Mondau, CNN reported.

The demonstrators held up the Palestinian flag and chanted, "Free Palestine". They also carried banners and signs that read "ceasefire now" and "USA stop arming Israel".

In a statement, the Palestinian Youth Movement, which led Monday's demonstration, said the protesters are calling for "five key demands -- a permanent ceasefire; an end to the US government's arming of the Israeli regime; end to the siege of Gaza,; end to Zionist occupation; and the release of all Palestinian political prisoners".

The protest caused "massive traffic jams" throughout lower Manhattan, including SoHo, Tribeca and Hudson Square, as well as the exit into New Jersey.

The blockades on the bridges also caused "gridlock throughout the Financial District and Lower East Side", the organiser clained.

All lanes on the bridges and tunnels were reopened by 11.15 a.m., CNN quoted the New York City Police Department as saying.

"Our aim today was to clog the arteries of New York City to draw attention to the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza," Jamil Madbak, an organiser with the Palestinian Youth Movement, told CNN.

"The protests are important to maintain pressure, to show that the US government and media are accountable to the people who are demanding an end to this genocide."

The protest was however, denounced by New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Addressing the media after the demonstration, the Mayor said: "The right to protest does not give one the right to block bridges and tunnels, as we saw this morning. The goal is to peacefully protest without doing major disruption to the city.

"We need to do everything that is possible to end anything that is going to take the lives of innocent people. But Hamas must be destroyed. They are a terrorist organisation. Their barbaric act on October 7 should not be ignored."
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Two Delhi Police cops were killed after they rammed into a truck near the Kundli border in Haryana's Sonipat, an official said on Tuesday.

The accident occured on Monday night at around 11.30 p.m. and the victims were both of the Inspector rank.

"The two were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared brought dead," the official said, adding that further details were awaited.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Google-owned YouTube has announced to crack down on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven content that "realistically simulates" deceased minors or victims of deadly or well-documented major violent events describing their death or violence experienced.

The company has updated its harassment and cyberbullying policies to clamp down on such content. The platform said it will begin striking such content starting on January 16.

The policy change is coming as some content creators have been using AI to recreate the likeness of deceased or missing children, where they give these child victims of high-profile cases a childlike "voice" to describe their deaths.

A Washington Post report recently revealed that content creators have used AI to narrate the abduction and death of deceased or missing kids, including the two-year-old British James Bulger.

"If your content violates this policy, we will remove the content and send you an email to let you know. If we can't verify that a link you post is safe, we may remove the link," said YouTube.

"If you get three strikes within 90 days, your channel will be terminated," the company added.

In September last year, Chinese short-video making platform TikTok introduced a feature to allow creators to label their AI-generated content, disclosing if they are posting synthetic or manipulated media that shows realistic scenes.
Washington, Jan 9 : A US Navy officer has been jailed for 27 months and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine for transmitting sensitive military information to an intelligence officer from China in exchange for bribery payments, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao (26) of Monterey Park, California, was sentenced on Monday.

Citing court documents, the Department said in an official statement that he pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of conspiring with the intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe.

He worked at the Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme and held a US security clearance.

Between August 2021 and at least May 2023, Zhao received at least $14,866 in at least 14 separate bribe payments from the intelligence officer, the Department said.

In exchange for the illicit payments, he secretly collected and transmitted to the intelligence officer sensitive, non-public information regarding US Navy operational security, military trainings and exercises, as well as critical infrastructure.

He entered restricted military and naval installations to collect and record this information.

The Department also said that Zhao destroyed evidence and concealed his relationship with the intelligence officer.

"Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military," Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department's National Security Division said in the statement.

"Today, he is being held to account for those crimes. The Justice Department is committed to combatting the Chinese government's efforts to undermine our nation's security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts."
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The 197 points decline in Nifty on January 8 despite marginal buying by both FIIs and DIIs indicates strong build up of short positions in the market, said V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

Long positions are steadily declining and short positions are building up. This short build up is on bearish expectations that the present high valuations are difficult to sustain and some triggers may lead to sharp corrections, he said.

This expectation need not be realised since global cues have again turned positive on a rally in the US market. Domestic cues are looking good. Buy on dips strategy may work again leading to some short covering, he said.

Strong JLR numbers from Tata Motors and the attractive buy back offer from Bajaj Auto will give support to the Nifty Auto Index. The real estate segment is doing well and the margin expansion happening in the industry bodes well for the sector. But the good news is in the price, he said.

BSE Sensex is up 548 points at 71,903 points on Tuesday led by IT stocks. Tata Motors is up 2 per cent. HCL Tech is up 1.5 per cent.
Thimphu, Jan 9 : Voting is currently underway for Bhutan's final round of parliamentary elections, with people queuing up outside polling stations across the Himalayan country on Tuesday.

At one polling station in the quiet town of Damphu, capital of Tsirang District, many vehicles and voters were seen arriving from different parts of the country for the polling day, Xinhua news agency quoted national newspaper Kuensel as saying in a report.

Two political parties, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), are contesting Tuesday's vote across all 47 constituencies in the Himalayan kingdom.

A party has to win at least 24 constituencies to form a government.

A preliminary round in November 2023 narrowed the race down to two parties, with PDP securing 42.53 pe rcent of total votes and BTP 19.58 per cent, results from the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) showed.

Both the previous government's lawmakers and their former opposition were knocked out in the preliminary polls.

The ECB has deployed over 6,000 officials, including security personnel, to 812 polling stations across the country.

Votinng centres opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 5 p.m., the poll body said.

"We are happy to report that we are fully prepared," Bhutan Broadcasting Service quoted ECB's Director of Secretariat Phub Dorji as saying on Monday.

According to the ECB's final electoral roll, there are over 496,000 registered voters, of which nearly 126,000 have registered for postal ballots.

On January 6, the ECB declared a no-campaign period on or 48 hours before the polling day, not even through social media.

Bhutan, a landlocked country with a population of around 800,000, held elections for the first time in 2008 after political reforms established a bicameral Parliament soon after the start of the reign of the present King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Mumbai, Jan 9 : 'Bigg Boss 17' evictee Anurag Dobhal talked about his journey in the controversial reality show and called Samarth Jurel as the the most toxic person in the house who should be "kicked out".

Talking about Ankita-Vicky and Samarth, Anurag said: "Bigg Boss was very biased towards Ankita. Ankita used to sleep until 12 o'clock, and they never played any wake-up calls for her. They only played it for me. All my issues were muted."

"Vicky bhai is very double-faced. He is very game-minded. He should support Ankita as a husband, but he doesn't. Nowadays, he is only seen with Mannara. He has stuck to the mantra of 'I will stay with her, eat with her'."

Anurag added: "Similarly, Samarth is the most toxic person in the house. Everyone can see his toxicity; he just pokes others in the house. He should be kicked out of the house. He is the house joker and is very irritating."
From Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela to Heeramandi, Richa reflects on a decade of collaboration with SLB. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, Jan 9 : Bollywood actress Richa Chadha has expressed her concern about the lack of awareness and representation of Kathak, a classical dance style, in the film industry, especially in comparison to the prominence of Bharat Natyam among actresses from the South.

As a trained Kathak dancer, Richa has been dedicated to the art form since her childhood.

Richa shared: "Classical dance is not just a form of artistic expression; it's a representation of our rich cultural heritage. While actresses from the South often shine in Bharatanatyam, I am sometimes shocked to see the limited recognition that Kathak receives in our film industry. Kathak holds a special place in my heart, and my journey as a dancer has been a parallel pursuit alongside my acting career."

"It's crucial for us to celebrate and preserve these classical dance forms to ensure they continue to enrich our cinematic landscape. I feel as many female actors should learn. Kathak is deeply expressive and even is often used as a medium to use facial expressions to communicate without speaking literal words, something we as actors often learn to do," she added.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 'Heeramandi' brings his majestic signature flair to stories of love and betrayal in the lives of courtesans in pre-independence India.

It also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakhi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari and Sanjeeda Sheikh.
Patna, Jan 9 : A 70-year-old man was found beheaded at his residence in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, a police official said on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Ram Pravesh Pandey, a native of Bahilwara Rupnathpur village under the Saraiya police station limits.

Pandey's family members have claimed that after having dinner on Monday, he went to sleep.

When he did not wake up on Tuesday morning, they went into his room and found his dismembered body.

"We have recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem. We have called for an FSL team to collect evidence. The matter is under the investigation," said Jay Prakash Singh, SHO of Saraiya police station.
Both my parents were Irish immigrants. Dad, Joe, was a labourer and my mum, Bridie, was a hairdresser. I grew up in Archway, north London, and we lived above the hairdressers. Mum was a real grafter, which Ive inherited. She had me at 21 and shortly after was managing a large hairdressers, which she later owned. I wasnt spoilt, but I didnt want for anything, Imelda Staunton wrote in a piece for The Guardian in 2015. Staunton, who turned 68 on January 9 amid praise for her recent incarnation of Elizabeth II in the latest season of the historical drama The Crown, is first and foremost an actress of substance, with a career that has seen her become one of Harry Potters most fearsome villains, Dolores Umbridge, but also collect one of the U.K. industrys most coveted awards, a BAFTA for best actress, for her role in Vera Drake.

Staunton explained in another interview with The Guardian that her mother dreamed of being a hairdresser on a cruise liner, seeing the world, but, being raised Catholic, had to get married when she was expecting her, and to then do what all Irish immigrants did at the time: work hard. Thats why Bridie, Stauntons mother, decided to send her daughter to a private Catholic school, to give her the education she couldnt afford. It was there that the young Staunton discovered acting: It was my elocution and drama teacher at school who told me I had to audition for drama school. She convinced Mum I had to be an actress. My parents came from a generation where if someone in authority told them this was what their daughter was going to do, they accepted it. They werent worried about me going into acting, because they didnt know anything about it, she told the British newspaper. At the age of 18, she was admitted to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she studied: I was introduced to a different world through theater. That was my education. We had no books in the house.

Imelda Staunton and her husband, actor Jim Carter, at the Old Vic theater in London on May 13, 2018. Dave Benett (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Staunton is a discreet actress  both professionally and privately  who has managed to carve out a career thanks to her work ethic, inherited from her mother, as well as the steely values of her childhood: Ive drawn on Mum to play quite a lot of my strong women roles. Her work ethic was her greatest legacy, she said. Her career started in the late 1970s in theater  which she has never left  where she garnered glowing reviews for her performances in plays such as The Beggars Opera or Guys and Dolls. It was during the latter play that she met her husband, actor Jim Carter, another immensely popular face on British and international television thanks to his portrayal of Mr. Carson, the butler in Downton Abbey. Staunton and Carter married in 1983 and are one of the longest-wed couples in the industry. They have a daughter, Bessie Carter, who has followed in her parents footsteps and is currently starring in the popular Netflix series Bridgerton.

Eventually, Staunton began to land roles in British television series and films, becoming a popular performer in the U.K., especially as a solid-gold supporting actress. She earned her international breakthrough, and fame, with two movies in the 2000s. In 2004, she took the leading role in Vera Drake, a Mike Leigh drama in which the actress played a woman of humble origins who performed clandestine abortions in the 1950s. Staunton was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance, although in the end she took home only the BAFTA award. Mum died in 2004 and dad six years later, she wrote in The Guardian. Mum had heart disease and went into hospital for a bypass but never survived the operation. The week after she died, I got the Oscar nomination for Vera Drake. The fact she never knew and never got to experience any of that was utterly devastating.

In 2007, Staunton played Professor Dolores Umbridge in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, reprising her character in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows  Part 1 (2010). Some critics highlighted this performance as one of the most important of her career. It was certainly the most popular. At least, until Netflix cast her as Elizabeth II in The Crown, a role previously played by Claire Foy and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman. It was a challenge, Staunton said of her portrayal of the monarch in the fifth and sixth seasons, the only installments of the series released after the passing of Elizabeth II and whose filming was delayed as a result. Here we are fictionalizing real events that are very close to us, she told Sky News, as she felt that, as the series reached its denouement, the audience had stopped seeing it as a historical drama.

Left to right: Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton and Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Crown.' Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Cordon Press

Despite her enormous success in film and television, Stauntons great love remains the theater. She won her first Olivier Award  the most prestigious in British theater  in 1985 for her performances in A Chorus of Disapproval and The Corn is Green. In 1991, she received the second of her four in total for Into the Woods and went on to star in productions including Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Follies. In my job Im really lucky because I play all these different people and have many lives, the actress said in a 2018 interview with The Scotsman. But its also important to say OK, I need my life now. It doesnt take much to make me happy, just a good walk with the dog, a nice holiday with my husband I do an extraordinary job, therefore I want to do ordinary stuff.

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London, Jan 9 : Hundreds of post office managers across the UKin, wrongly accused of theft and fraud because of a computer hiccup, were thrown a lifeline by the government.

This incident, described as one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history, involved over 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who faced prosecution by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015, reports Xinhua news agency.

Many of them have spent years asserting their innocence, citing issues with a new accounting and stocktaking software program known as Horizon, developed by a Japanese company.

Some of the managers served prison sentences after being convicted of false accounting and theft. Many of them were financially ruined, and some killed themselves.

So far 93 convictions have been overturned by judges, but hundreds more are waiting to be cleared.

In an urgent House of Commons debate on Monday night about the scandal, Business and Trade Minister Kevin Hollinrake told lawmakers: "This scandal was one of greatest miscarriages of justice in the nation's history."

He said options have been devised to dealing with the outstanding convictions against the postmasters and postmistresses.

"All of us on these benches and across the house are united in our desire to see justice done. I hope the government will be able to announce these proposals to the house very shortly."

The issue has been propelled into the public limelight after a television drama focused on the impact of people wrongly accused of crime.

A public inquiry into the scandal is currently underway, and recently London's Metropolitan Police have also opened a new investigation into the Post Office over potential fraud offences.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Indian Navy's Fast Attack Craft, INS Kabra arrived in Colombo, said officials on Tuesday, adding that the visit was a port call meant for bilateral cooperation.

According to the MoD, in a presentation ceremony, essential spares and stores meant for the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force were handed over by the ship.

The visit further strengthens the bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two Navies in keeping with the Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR, the MoD officials added.

Before INS Kabra, Indian Navy's INS Delhi had gone to Colombo. That was a two-day visit to the port city, the ministry of defence said.

The ministry said that during the shipas stay in harbour, several interactions, including cross training of personnel in various topics of mutual interest, were held between the shipas crew and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN).

A clean-up drive at Crow Island beach was also jointly undertaken by the visiting shipas crew and personnel from SLN.

The ship also conducted a familiarisation tour onboard for over 200 NCC cadets and 500 other local visitors, the defence ministry official added.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm welcome to the President of Timor-Leste, Dr Jose Ramos Horta, and his delegation to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. This is the first ever Head of State or Government level visit between the two countries.

The Prime Minister re-affirmed Indiaas commitment to build a vibrant 'Delhi-Dili' connect. Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste. In September 2023, PM Modi had announced the opening of the Indian Mission in the country. He offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare, including traditional medicine and pharma, according to a PMO statement.

PM Modi also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

He congratulated President Horta for ASEANas in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon.

President Horta thanked the Prime Minister for the invitation to participate in the summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT.

The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific.

President Horta expressed strong support for Indiaas permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena.

The Prime Minister appreciated Timor-Lesteas active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergize their position on global issues, the official statement added.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : A blame game has been orchestrated by Iran to target Israel for allegedly playing a part in the terrorist attack in the city of Kerman, last week. Although the Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack, Iranian officials reject it and instead blame Israel for its complicity.

President Ebrahim Raisi joined mourners in the southern city of Kerman on January 5 for the funerals of 89 people killed in the twin blasts, according to the Iranian media.

Suicide bombers struck crowds gathered near the tomb of Revolutionary Guards General Qasem Soleimani to mark the fourth anniversary of his killing in Baghdad in a targeted US drone strike.

The terrorist attack on January 3 killed 89 people, which included many women and children, as well as at least a dozen Afghans, state television said.

Raisi vowed to avenge the killings; saying, the time and place will be determined by our (Iranian) forces. Whereas, Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami said, "we will find you wherever you are".

In a statement published on January 6 on Telegram, the IS claimed two of its members "activated their explosives vests" at the gathering.

A staunch enemy of the IS, Soleimani headed the Guards' foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, overseeing Iranian military operations across the Middle East.

Though some Iranian officials have already hinted at Israel's involvement in the attack, journalists and active media members have also started bringing to the limelight the differences between the IS's latest statement and its previous ones to prove a second party's complicity.

The Tehran Times reported that the extremist group acknowledged responsibility for the assault more than 30 hours following the explosions. This departs from its usual pattern, as the group typically asserts its role in acts of terror immediately after their occurrence.

Also, the IS generally precedes attacks with ominous posts on its social media platforms shortly before they unfold. Surprisingly, no such forewarning preceded the blasts in Kerman, contrasting with the group's established modus operandi.

More over, in the image disseminated by the IS, faces of both the attackers are completely obscured, with their faces fully covered and their eyes deliberately blurred. While previous attacks carried out by the terrorist group featured images of the perpetrators in full clarity.

An Iranian journalist Mona Hojat Ansari analysing the evidence says that the text of the recent statement also exhibited notable disparities from prior declarations made by the extremist group.

Historically, the IS has consistently referred to Iran as the 'land of Persians' or the 'state of Khorasan'. However, the latest communication from the terrorists explicitly uses the country's actual name: Iran. This shift has sparked suspicions regarding the origins of the statement, prompting questions about whether it might have been authored by an external entity and subsequently handed over to the group for dissemination on its social media platforms.

Further the characteristics of the attack also raised suspicions about Israel's potential involvement, Iranian media pointed out.

As per an Iranian lawmaker who inspected the blast site, the explosives employed to trigger the suicide vests were identified as RDX, which has frequently been associated with Israel's past use in carrying out targeted assassinations within Iranian territory.

Despite the claim from IS, Iranian officials have continued to accuse Iran's arch foes Israel and the US of complicity in the attack.

"IS has disappeared nowadays", Salami said, adding that its remaining members, "only act as mercenaries" for US and Israeli interests.

They assert that Israel has been trying to weave a web of provocations to turn the whole region into chaos, leading to an all out war in the Middle East. Further, the US wants to involve Iran first, in this foreseeable confrontation The Iranian media claims that following its significant setback on October 7, 2023 by Hamas, Israel has grown increasingly desperate for direct involvement from Washington in the on going war.

Despite the US's diplomatic support and provision of weaponry used in Gaza, it has, thus far, displayed reluctance to escalate the conflict beyond Gaza. In fact, reports suggest that the US has been pressuring Israel to halt its fruitless campaign by the end of January.

Iranian media claims that recognising its inability to eliminate Hamas and its deteriorating international standing, Israel now views a regional war as necessary to permanently eliminate the so-called Axis of Resistance. From Israel's perspective, the opportunity to draw the US into a war with Iran and its allied groups may not arise again.

This motive has led to a series of orchestrated attacks in recent weeks aimed at provoking Iran and triggering a full-scale regional conflict. The sequence began with the assassination of a top Iranian military advisor in Syria, followed by an attack targeting a Hamas leader in Beirut. While some analysts anticipated a similar assault on Iranian soil, the direct targeting of civilians in a terrorist attack was largely unforeseen.

Meanwhile, tensions remain heated on the Israel-Lebanese border. An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon on Monday killed a top Hezbollah commander, the Iran-backed group said in a statement. Clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army have intensified since the war in started.

While it is still debatable who carried out the attack or on whose instructions, it is clear that any direct American entry in the region may escalate the Gaza conflict, besides bringing chaos to the whole region. So far, the US has rejected any suggestion that it or its ally Israel were behind the bombings, while Israel has not commented on the issue.

However, one should not pay heed to the provocative statements by Israel against its other Arab neighbours and by Iran against Israel, the collective aim should be to get the Palestinian issue resolved at the earliest, as per the aspersions of the Palestinian people and try to limit the war and stop its spread in the region, as any further confrontation or attacks may prove catastrophic for the global peace.

(Asad Mirza is a Delhi-based senior political and international affairs commentator.)
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Tata 1mg, India's trusted digital healthcare platform, has joined forces with Vitonnix UK, a leading name in health and wellness innovation, to bring forth a first-of-its-kind offering in India.

Jointly, they recently introduced a groundbreaking range of Vitamin Sublingual Sprays. This sublingual spray is applied directly under the tongue, thereby enabling the vitamins and supplements to be absorbed directly through the mucosal lining of the mouth which has a very rich blood supply.

The first phase of the launch includes four remarkable products: Vitamin D, Multivitamins, Biotin, and the star of the lineup, Melatonin.

These sublingual sprays are designed to offer a convenient and effective way for individuals to take their daily vitamin and health supplements.

Saurabh Goel, Vice President - Category Management at Tata 1mg, expressed his enthusiasm for this game-changing collaboration.

"At Tata 1mg, our primary focus has always been the well-being of our customers. We understand the importance of innovation in healthcare, and after meticulously evaluating Vitonnix UK's extensive research and development efforts, we are confident that these Vitamin Sublingual Sprays will empower individuals to take charge of their health in a new and convenient way."

Satish Subramani, Managing Partner for Vitonnix UK, added: "We are thrilled to bring our state-of- the-art Vitamin Sublingual Sprays to India in partnership with Tata 1mg. This collaboration reflects our commitment to providing the Indian market with innovative health solutions that are both effective and convenient.

"Our partnership with Tata 1mg, India's trusted digital healthcare brand, speaks volumes about the quality and credibility of our products."
Seoul, Jan 9 : Snow began blanketing parts of South Korea on Tuesday, with up to 3 cmof snow per hour forecast to hit the greater Seoul area during the evening rush hour, the state weather agency said.

A heavy snow advisory was issued across the greater Seoul area as of 9 a.m., with up to 10 cm of snow expected to accumulate in the region, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The advisory is given when the snowfall is expected to reach 5 cm or more within 24 hours.

As of 10 a.m., the Interior Ministry had upgraded its snow alert level to "caution" from "interest".

During the evening rush hour, snow of 1 to 3 cm per hour is expected to pile up across the capital, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) , warning of caution against heavy snowfall at times.

Morning lows were around minus 7 to 0 degrees Celsius, and the daily highs are forecast to range from 1 to 10 degrees.

As the snow cloud belt that developed over the Yellow Sea moves inland, more regions will be under the influence of snow, and it will rain or snow in most parts of the country by the afternoon, the KMA said.

Rain or snow will continue into the night for most of the greater Seoul area and continue falling until Wednesday morning in the southern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi province and the southwestern Jeolla provinces, including Gwangju.
Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS( Bandhan Bank said on Tuesday that the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) has decided to carry out an audit of loan claims filed by the bank under a guarantee scheme.

However, the bank clarified that the regulator has not initiated a broader audit of the bank, but only the CGFMU claim pertaining to the portfolio.

After receiving the first tranche of recovery from the Credit Guarantee Fund of Micro Units (CGFMU), Bandhan Bank had applied for a second tranche of about Rs 1,290 crore, the lender said in an exchange filing.

CGFMU is a government-established trust fund to ensure payment against default for micro loans extended to eligible small borrowers.

NCGTC, also set up by the government, oversees these guarantee schemes.

The NCGTC has further intimated its decision to conduct a detailed audit of the CGFMU portfolio for the fiscal year 2020-21, according to the bankas filing.

Bandhan Bank also said that it is confident of recovering the claim amount.
Quito, Jan 9 : Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has decreed a state of emergency, imposing a curfew for 60 days throughout the country, including in prisons, due to the "serious internal commotion" in several prisons.

The President said the measure is based on the "factual situation" of violence and criminality which is affecting the country, including the prison system, where serious disruptions of the order are occurring, reports Xinhua news agency.

The decree came a day after reports emerged on Sunday of the alleged escape of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias "Fito", the country's main drug trafficker and leader of the organizsd crime group "Los Choneros", from the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayaquil, capital of Guayas province.

Noboa, who assumed power on November 23, 2023, said that he had given clear instructions to military and police commanders to regain control of prisons, which had been "lost in recent years".

"Narcoterrorist groups seek to intimidate us and believe that we will yield to their demands," he said, pledging that "we will not negotiate with terrorists, nor will we rest until we restore peace to all Ecuadorians".

The security crisis in the country is evidence that things must change and that existing laws are not sufficient for Ecuadorians to live in peace, the President added.

Over the last few years, Ecuador has seen a spike in violent crime.

Ecuador, a country of approximately 17.5 million people, recorded nearly 3,568 violent deaths from the beginning of 2023 until July, which was an increase of 75 pe rcent over the same period the year prior.

The South American nation also shattered records for homicides in 2022, cataloguing a total of 4,603 violent deaths.

According to statistics released by the national police, that amounted to nearly 12.6 murders per day.

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was also assassinated just ahead of the August 20, 2023 general election, which led to then President Guillermo Lasso to declare a national state of emergency on August 10 for 60 days.
Acer unveils new AI-led PCs with Intel Core Ultra processors at CES 2024. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 9 : At CES 2024, brands like Lenovo, Dell, MSI, and Acer have announced a new lineup of laptops with innovative features, including Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered capabilities.

Lenovo unveiled the newest lineup of Microsoft Windows 11 aYogaa laptops that come with Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone, a new software for creators, artists, and anybody looking to harness the power of generative AI.

Headlining the new-generation of Lenovo Yoga laptops are the Yoga Pro 9i and the Yoga 9i 2-in-1, which comes bundled with a Lenovo Smart Pen and Sleeve.

The other models the company announced are -- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i, Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i, Lenovo Yoga Pro 7, Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, and Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1.

Dell introduced three new gaming notebooks at CES 2024 -- the redesigned Alienware m16 R2, the ultra-premium x16 R2, and the m18 R2.

According to the company, the aAlienware m16 R2a is a redesigned gaming laptop that prioritises performance, flexibility and portability.

The ultra-premium aAlienware x16 R2a is engineered for premium performance and can devote up to 175W of dedicated graphics power with 12-phase voltage regulation stacked on top of brand-new Intel Core Ultra processor technology.

Packed with up-to-the latest 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor along with up-to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPUs, the juggernaut aAlienware m18 R2a promises superior performance, overclocking capabilities, and significant efficiency improvements to thermal capacity.

Moreover, MSI announced the latest AI-powered laptop lineup, with the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) built-in Intel Core Ultra processor.

The company introduced its newly-designed 18-inch gaming laptop family -- Titan 18 HX, the extreme performance powerhouse Raider 18 HX, and the lightweight 18-inch gaming laptop Stealth 18 AI Studio.

To showcase extreme performance, both the Titan 18 HX and Raider 18 HX are equipped with Intel 14th gen Core i9 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics, while the Stealth 18 AI Studio boasts the latest Intel Core Ultra processors.

Acer has unveiled new AI-powered 'Swift' laptops with new Intel Core Ultra processors.

The Swift family laptops include three models -- Swift Go 16, Swift Go 14, and Swift X 14.

As per the company, new Swift Go models deliver striking OLED clarity in 14 and 16-inch designs paired with Intel Wi-Fi 7, new usability features, and improved AI-powered abilities.

The Acer Swift X 14 is designed with everything creators and students need -- with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPUs, 120+ Nvidia RTX-accelerated apps, and pre-loaded Nvidia Studio Drivers, and includes a Calman-Verified and Acer Light Sensing-enhanced 2.8K OLED display.
Lucknow, Jan 9 : The Uttar Pradesh fire department is all set to use remote-controlled robots in fire-fighting operations.

Avinash Chandra, Director General of Police (DGP), UP Fire and Emergency Services, said, "Fire emergencies such as in chemical factories or places not easily accessible to humans will be dealt with by robots which will be completely remote controlled."

"Even though the system is in place in Delhi and Mumbai fire services, it will be the first in the state. It is available in the market and will soon be added into the UP Fire and Emergency Services fleet," he added.

"To start with, after purchase, it will be given to big cities with a number of industries and chemical factories with greater chances of such fires. Later, we will induct more of them into our fire stations," the DG said.

According to the fire department officials, the robot has a wireless remote attached that allows it to regulate the water spray. These robots can ascend stairs with ease thanks to a belt system akin to that of the army tanks. The front section of the robots houses the sensor and camera.

With its cameras, the robot can monitor many aspects of the fire site. This will make it simple to determine if someone is stuck inside or not. The robot will have a pipe fastened to its back so that it may spray water everywhere and collect water from the tankers stationed outside. This reduces the time needed to put out the fire safely and quickly. It also comes with a ventilation fan which can be used to keep the machine cool.

Lucknow firefighters will also get high-tech equipment such as a multi articulated water tower, capable of move zig-zag like a snake through narrow lanes and rotating at 360 degrees, and rise to a height of 24 metres.

These devices can be controlled remotely, said chief fire officer, Lucknow, Mangesh Kumar, adding that recently a demonstration was held at Chowk station.
They are about the size of a grain of rice, but they are breaking new ground in research into the final frontier, the human brain. Dutch researchers have successfully created mini-brains capable of sustained growth from parts of the tissue of a human fetus. The study showed how these organoids included several cell types and expanded following a structure formed by proteins, also generated internally. This research offers a new way to study the functioning of the brain and, when appropriate, pathologies such as cancer in the organ that contains the human mind.

Traditionally, scientists have used different methods to model the biology of tissues, to study their function and that of the organs they form, as well as the associated pathologies. And they have done so by culturing cell lines, blood cells, liver cells, neurons and so on. Or using laboratory animals as models. For some years now, scientists have also been working with organoids, which are kinds of 3D mini organs with many of the morphological, developmental and even functional characteristics of the organ. This breakthrough is the result of the use of stem cells. Organoids can be formed directly from cells of a particular tissue, but researchers are also using pluripotent (adult) or embryonic stem cells to develop these into the organ to be studied.

Researchers at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology (both in the Netherlands) have now developed a line of organoids not from individual stem cells, but from tissues of a human fetus donated for research after an abortion. In order to grow mini-organs, other approaches broke down the original tissue into individual cells. In this study, published in the scientific journal Cell, the team found that instead of working with portions of fetal brain tissue, they could self-organize by raising structures in three dimensions.

They can multiply in vitro, which means that from a small portion of fetal tissue we can generate multiple organoids Delilah Hendriks, coauthor of the successful study

Dr. Delilah Hendriks, co-author of this investigation, explains in an e-mail what they have accomplished: The fact that these organoids are derived from tissues means that we can study the developing human brain in vitro. The study showed how proteins created by these cerebroids can be arranged to form extracellular matrices, the structures on which the rest of the brain cells multiplied until they became the size of a grain of rice. Additionally, compared to existing models, they can multiply in vitro, which means that from a small portion of fetal tissue we can generate multiple organoids and these in turn can generate more, which is not only advantageous for reproducibility, but also makes it a powerful tool for genetic engineering, especially in the context of brain cancer modeling, adds Hendriks.

Four partial images of different organoids from the brain of a human fetus. The diversity of colors corresponds to the use of different markers showing the complexity of these mini-organoids. Instituto Hubrecht /B Artegiani, D Hendriks, H Clevers

That was the second part of their work. Using the CRISPR gene-editing technique, they introduced defects in TP53, a known cancer-causing gene, into several cells of the organoids. After three months, the TP53-defective cells had totally outnumbered the healthy cells. This enhanced ability to replicate is a typical feature of cancer cells. They then used the same gene-editing technique for the very opposite, to deactivate three genes linked to glioblastoma, the most aggressive of brain tumors. We managed to deactivate all 3 genes at the same time. This means that we were able to introduce complete deletion mutations in TP53, PTEN and NF1 using CRISPR to engineer mutant organoids, concludes Hendriks.

The organoids derived from the fetal tissues kept growing for more than six months, which allowed the scientists to continue to create many similar organoids from a single tissue sample. Meanwhile, mini-tumors with changes in the glioblastoma gene were also able to multiply, while maintaining the same combination of mutations. This could be used to perform repeat experiments with the same organoids, thereby enhancing the reliability and reproducibility of their results in future research.

Brain organoids from fetal tissue are a valuable new tool for studying human brain development. We can now more readily study how the developing brain expands and observe the role of different cell types and their environment, explains Benedetta Artegiani, leader of the Princess Maxima Center group, in a statement. Our new tissue-derived brain model allows us to gain a better understanding of how the developing brain regulates the identity of cells. It could also help in understanding how errors in this process can result in neurodevelopmental diseases such as microcephaly, along with other diseases that can result from impaired development, including childhood brain cancer, adds the researcher.

Professor Jacob Hanna, from the Pluripotent Cells and Ex Utero Embryogenesis Study Laboratory of the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) evaluates the results of this study: It is important because it may offer clues about what occurs in brain development during actual brain formation, rather than relying on embryonic stem cell-derived tissues, he told the SMC news department. Meanwhile, the researcher at the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Lluis Montoliu, calls for caution: Organoids are not the equivalent of the organs they model. This is neither in complexity nor in diversity of cell types. That is why we should remain cautious when interpreting the results that we can derive from the use of organoids in research.

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Ayodhya, Jan 9 : The mood in the transgender community in Uttar Pradesh is upbeat ahead of opening of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

aGaddipatia and the President of the Kinnar Samaj in Ayodhya district, Pinky Mishra, said it was this community that cradled Shri Ram in their arms, played the dholak-majira to celebrate, offered blessings, and accepted the 'neg' (offering).

This anega, declined by many despite King Dasharatha's countless requests, was embraced by the community.

Pinky added: "When Lord Shri Ram returned from exile, the community expressed their heartfelt devotion, sharing with him, 'Lord, we remained away from Ayodhya, patiently awaiting your return, engaging in meditation, worship, and praise'."

Touched by their incredible dedication, Lord Shri Ram bowed his head in acknowledgment and blessed them.

He declared that in any household, whenever an auspicious occasion occurs, the community should extend congratulations and blessings, accepting the 'neg' in return.

This tradition has persisted since that sacred moment. With the joyous return of Ram, there is an overwhelming sense of happiness.

She further emphasised the significant role played by Gorakshpeeth in the struggle for the birthplace.

Whether it was Mahant Digvijaynath or Mahant Avaidyanath, Gorakshanath consistently played a crucial role whenever there was progress in the Janmabhoomi Mukti Movement.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath frequently asserts, "I have only one king a" that is Raja Ram".

His commitment to the development of Raja Ram's city serves as a testament to this belief.

Nargis, another transgender, said that Ayodhya Dham is destined to become a model city in terms of both development and heritage preservation.

This vision was championed by Yogi Adityanath, a devout follower of Shri Ram, who made a resolute commitment towards this cause.

Witnessing the transformation of Ayodhya during this period, Guru Shanti Kinnar's eyes are brimming with emotion.

Guru Shanti remarks that the extent of change they see in Ayodhya is beyond the capability of any political leader.

Guru Shanti Kinnar finds it challenging to articulate her joy in words upon seeing Lord Ram return to his palace and adds that she eagerly awaits an invitation from the Trust.
Tel Aviv, Jan 9 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced the death of four more soldiers in the war against Hamas in Gaza, taking the total number of troopers killed in the ground offensive to 180.

The deceased soldiers have been identified as Sgt. Roi Tal (19) from Kfir Brigadeas 94th Duchifat Battalion; Sgt. First Class (res.) David Schwartz (26) and Sgt. First Class (res.) Yakir Hexter (26) both from the Combat Engineering Corpas 8219th Battalion; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Gavriel Bloom (27), a combat engineer in the 36th Division.

While Yehoshua, Schwartz and Hexter were killed in southern Gaza, Bloom died in central Gaza, the IDF said.

The military further said that in the battle in which Schwartz and Hexter were killed, another soldier from the Combat Engineering Corpas 8219th Battalion was seriously wounded.

An officer and two other reserve combat engineers from the 36th Division were seriously hurt in the fighting that claimed Bloomas life, the IDF added.

Additionally, two officers from the 646th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade were also seriously injured in central Gaza.

As the IDF has intensified its ground offensive which was launched on October 27, 2023, it has almost taken control of northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, fierce battles continue to rage in both central and the southern Gaza Strip.

As a result of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, more than 1,200 people have died in Israel and at least 23,084 Palestinians were killed in Gaza.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : German electronics brand Blaupunkt on Tuesday announced that it partnered with Amazon India as its new e-commerce partner and aims to capture a four per cent market share in the country by FY2024-25.

"With this collaboration, the company envisions FY24-FY25 as a crucial year as they aim to capture a four per cent market share and set themselves as the leading television brand in India," the company said.

The company also mentioned that it aims to double down and deliver through more such strategic partnerships and investments in the upcoming future.

"Our exclusive partnership with Flipkart marked a successful reentry, and now, as we envision FY24-FY25 as pivotal, we aim to elevate our market presence by four per cent. Looking ahead, we are committed to doubling down on strategic partnerships and investments," Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO of SPPL exclusive brand licencee of Blaupunkt TVs in India, said in a statement.

"We are expanding our supply, increasing local production, and ensuring widespread distribution to meet the escalating demand for Blaupunkt's products in India," he added.

With this partnership with the e-commerce giant, the company said it will increase its visibility and ensure a positive and hassle-free shopping experience for its customers everywhere.

The Blaupunkt and Amazon collaboration is expected to provide its consumers seeking luxurious and reasonably priced technologies, with a smoother shopping experience, the company added.
La Paz, Jan 9 : The Bolivian government announced the reinstatement of strict health measures, including mandatory school mask use, in response to rising Covid-19 cases.

The protocol includes the mandatory use of masks among students, the availability of disinfectants like alcohol in schools, and adequate conditions for handwashing, said Health Minister Maria Renee Castro.

Bolivian authorities declared an end to the Covid-19 health emergency in August last year, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, the nation is currently facing a new outbreak, notably the JN.1 variant in the eastern region.

Renee Castro said that during the initial epidemiological week of 2024, infections witnessed an 80 percent surge compared to the final week of 2023.

Since the pandemic erupted in early 2020, Bolivia has reported a total of 1,211,716 Covid cases, with 22,407 deaths.
Dakshina Kannada, : Jan 9 (IANS) Karnataka BJP MLA from Udupi seat, Harish Poonja, has stirred a controversy by stating that if Hindus give birth to just one or two children it won't suffice and the Muslim population will outnumber Hindus in India.

He had made the statement at the Ayyappa Deepotsava Dharmika Sabha held at Peradi in Belthangady taluk on January 7.

"A few people think that the population of Hindus in India is 80 crore and Muslims are just 20 crore. But, you need to think in another direction. It is our belief that Muslims are lesser in numbers and they won't do any harm. But Muslims are giving birth to four children each and we (Hindus) mostly have one or two kids. If 20 crore Muslims give birth to four children each, their population would be 80 crore. Our population will come down to 20 crore," BJP MLA Poonja stated.

"Once, the Muslim population touches 80 crore and the number of Hindus depletes, can you imagine the plight of Hindus in the country? You must sit at home and think about the plight of Hindus if Muslims become a majority in this country," Poonja appealed.
New Delhi: Media persons at the Supreme Court complex on the day of the court's verdict. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed against the 2018 Delhi Prison Rules fixing a cap on the number of visits to an inmate by family members, relatives, friends and legal advisers.

Terming the issue raised as a policy matter, a bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal said that it was not inclined to interfere with the order of the Delhi High Court passed in February last year.

In its order, the High Court had said that capping the total number of visits to two times a week cannot be said to be completely arbitrary.

"In matters of policy, the Courts do not substitute its own conclusion with the one arrived at by the Government merely because another view is possible. Therefore, this Court is not inclined to pass any order issuing writ of mandamus," had said a bench of then Chief Justice S.C. Sharma and Subramonium Prasad.

However, the High Court had asked the PIL petitioners -- Jai A. Dehadrai and Sidharth Arora -- to give a representation to the government of NCT of Delhi providing their suggestions.

The PIL had prayed for amendment of prison Rules to include interview with legal advisers be open from Monday to Friday for an appropriate allotted time with no cap on interviews per week.

The petitioners had contended that limiting the number of visits twice a week is violative of Article 21 of the Constitution of India inasmuch as it limits the right of an undertrial to have adequate resources to legal representation.

Before the high court, the state had argued that looking at the number of inmates in the Delhi Prisons, it was decided to put a cap on the number of visits permitted by the family members, relatives, friends and legal counsel.
Patna, Jan 9 : A day after meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, D. Raja, the CPI national general secretary, held discussions with Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav in Patna on Tuesday.

The trio discussed the seat sharing formula of INDIA bloc for Bihar.

"After the final agreement with our alliance partners, we will give the tickets to the candidates for the Lok Sabha poll 2024. The negotiations of seats are currently underway and it will be resolved soon. We are expecting a respectable number of seats in Bihar," Raja said.

"There are no hurdles in seat distribution in the INDIA bloc. The leaders are sitting together and will sort out the problem. Our actual goal is to defeat BJP," Raja said.

"I have an old relation with Lalu Prasad Yadav and as I am in Patna, it was necessary for me to meet him. I interacted with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav and they also talked about defeating BJP in the upcoming election," Raja said.
(EDITED: EASTERN BORDERS PKG) Bangladesh ruling party accused of fielding dummies and threatening people to turn up on voting day. Image Source: IANS News

Dhaka, Jan 9 : The newly-elected members of Bangladesh's Parliament will take the oath of office on Wednesday, a top government official confirmed on Tuesday.

K.M. Abdus Salam, senior secretary of the Parliament Secretariat, told Xinhua news agency that Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will administer the oath of office to the lawmakers, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at a ceremony in capital Dhaka at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The election results will be published in the form of a gazette on Tuesday, the senior secretary added.

According to the Election Commission, the ruling Awami League (AL) party led by Hasina won 223 out of 298 seats in the polls conducted on Sunday, more than enough for her party to form a straight fourth five-year term government since January 2009 after running the country from 1996-2001.

Sheikh Hasina is officially the longest-serving leader in Bangladesh's history.

The result showed that independent candidates won 61 seats while the Jatiya Party bagged 11 seats and other AL allies got two seats.

Apart from this, another political group the Bangladesh Kalyan Party secured one seat.

Voter turnout was recorded at 41.8 per cent.

The polls were held amid mass violence and arrests of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and supporters.

The BNP boycotted the election after the AL rejected their demands for an independent caretaker government to preside over the elections.

The opposition party jad also called on people to not cast their votes.

According to the Human Rights Watch (HRW), nearly 10,000 activists were arrested after an opposition rally on October 28, 2023 turned violent, resulting in the deaths of at least 16 people and injuring more than 5,500, reports the BBC.

It accused the government of "filling prisons with the ruling Awami League's political opponents".

The Awami League has however, denied these accusations.
Tel Aviv, Jan 9 : Sirens were sounded across parts of northern Israel on Tuesday over possible unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks.

Air raid alarms were sounded in the northern communities of Yiftach, Malkia, Dishon, and Ramot Naftali, near the border with Lebanon, while minutes later, hostile aircraft alerts blared through the city of Safed and Biriya town.

Tuesday's development came just a day after a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli air strike in Majdal, Lebanon.

According to the Iran-backed Hezbollah, Wissam Al-Tamil, who is also known as Jawas, was deputy head of the militant group's elite Rawdan force.

According to Arabian media reports, he was killed while he was traveling in a car along with another Hezbollah leader.

Earlier, in two televised addresses, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasarullah had warned Israel that there would be severe retaliation if there was an attack in Lebanon.

He warned to attack Israel "without restraint" if it expands attacks against Lebanon.

His threat came after the killing of Hamas politburo member and deputy political leader Saleh al Arouri in Beirut last week.

More than 150 Hezbollah militants have been killed in the ongoing skirmishes with the Israeli army since the October 2023 Hamas attack.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since October 8, 2023 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.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform Zendesk on Tuesday announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AI-powered quality management platform Klaus.

The acquisition of Klaus is likely to close in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 upon receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

With Klaus, Zendesk customers will be able to deliver consistent, high-quality service across every channel and across both human and digital agents (bots) -- all while unlocking the power of everyday customer interactions to increase loyalty, the company said.

"The combination of Zendesk AI and Klausa capabilities will help businesses navigate greater complexity and volume and ensure both digital and human agents deliver highly personal and empathetic service," Adrian McDermott, chief technology officer, Zendesk, said in a statement.

According to the company, while most QA software is capable of only scoring one to two per cent of interactions and cannot recognise systemic trends, Klausa AI scores 100 per cent of customer support interactions.

It pinpoints conversations with positive or negative sentiment, and identifies outliers, churn risk, escalations and follow-ups across all conversations a" even those done by outsourced teams.

"QA software plays a critical role in this, ensuring consistency, assessing both human and digital agent performance and providing actionable insights for strategic planning. As part of Zendesk, we will continue to build and deliver these crucial capabilities, but now at an even greater scale," said Martin Koiva, CEO and founder, Klaus.

Moreover, the company said that the acquisition of Klaus will be the latest addition to Zendeskas existing workforce engagement management (WEM) solutions, which includes Tymeshift, a modern workforce management tool built exclusively for Zendesk.

The company acquired Tymeshift in June 2023.
Five Mexican microrobots are currently traveling to the Moon. They are aboard the Peregrine 1 spacecraft, which took off early Monday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and should reach the satellite in about six weeks. Although the takeoff was a success, the spacecraft has since suffered a fuel leak and this has seriously jeopardized the mission, which is the first private initiative to the Moon. It is also the first time that Mexico is taking part in an expedition to the lunar surface. Leading the mission are the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Mexican Space Agency, which have named the project Colmena (hive), in honor of these small robots which work as a team like a hive of bees. Together, the five microrobots weigh no more than 300 grams. Mexicos dreams for space exploration are currently wrapped in a cookie packet as they travel to the Moon.

The next space race has already begun. Countries no longer just want to set foot on the Moon, but also to create bases to take advantage of its materials and settle the first colonies. And from these colonies, prepare to travel to Mars in about 20 years. Its a massive plan. Governments such as the United States and Russia have been investing in space exploration for decades, followed by China  which has landed on the Moon three times in the last 10 years  and India. In this extremely competitive industry, in which the European Union and the Japanese Space Agency have stakes, Mexico is trying to find its niche. Its not easy with so many years of disadvantage. In its bid to break through, the Colmena project was born.

Researcher Gustavo Medina, head of the Space Instrumentation Laboratory at the UNAM Institute of Nuclear Sciences, and head of the mission, believes he has found a niche in small robots. While other countries are building large robots and vehicles, Mexico is specializing in nanotechnology, which allows many robots to be created. Theyre tiny but efficient, like bees, which Medina describes as simple beings that together manage to do great things, because there are many of them, and they know how to cooperate. He continues: Instead of sending a big machine to extract a mineral, which costs a lot and if it breaks everything is lost, I can send 100,000 tiny robots, and if one dies nothing happens. The project can go on. Thats the philosophy.

Thats how the Colmena mission began to take shape in 2015, when Mexico presented the project to the company Astrobotic Technology, the creator of Peregrine 1 and which, sponsored by NASA, is in charge of the trip. The company selected UNAMs idea for the first ever commercial mission to the Moon, along with 19 others from NASA, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. The spacecraft is also carrying a time capsule with messages from 80,000 children around the world and the ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke and three presidents of the United States: George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.

The 'Peregrine I' spacecraft takes off from Cape Canaveral (Florida). CHANDAN KHANNA (AFP)

With sensors and fins: designed to survive

The budget for the Mexican project was 13 million pesos (about $770,000), which came equally from the Mexican Space Agency and the National Council of Science and Technology. Six million pesos were spent on creating the robots, a project which involved 250 UNAM students from the engineering department, as well as the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, art and law. The other seven million pesos were for the launch with Peregrine I.

Colmena is made up of five robots measuring 12 centimeters in diameter and weighing 56 grams each. They have wheels and fin-like contraptions. They are powered by energy they get from their solar panels, which are flexible to withstand the vibration that comes with being launched in a special rocket. They also have sensors, microprocessors and an intelligence system to navigate autonomously, as well as radars to move around and communicate with other robots. Never have such small devices operated in space, Medina says proudly. They are designed to learn what the challenges are to make such a tiny, sophisticated thing and have it travel through space and survive, get to the Moon and survive.

The Moon is a very hostile environment, with drastic changes in temperature, radiation, lunar dust and impacts of interplanetary material. So, the first objective of the robots is to review which design strategies are useful for survival and to identify problems that their creators have not yet imagined, but which certainly exist, says Medina. The second goal is scientific: to understand the behavior and characteristics of the Moons soil; to learn about the layer of smaller grains that float 20 to 30 centimeters above the lunar surface; and to observe how telecommunications work in this area and the properties that have never been measured.

A space catapult

The small size of the microrobots also opens up many questions. Medina explains that for the super-light microrobots, stepping on the surface of the Moon is not the same when the dust is compacted as it is when the dust behaves differently, like a kind of fluid. To address this issue, the scientist says that the robots have paddles to help them navigate, as well as four-centimeter wheels. Traveling over the surface of the Moon is the last phase of the mission. Before they can do that, the robots have to survive the launch and landing. According to Medina, for their protection, they are wrapped up in a kind of cookie package, along with a deployment and telecommunications module called TTDM, which has several functions. It can receive the information that the robots collect on the Moon, while it remains on the spacecraft to connect and transfer the data to Earth. It also works as a catapult.

Medina laughs as he explains: If it worked for the Romans, why not for us? When the spacecraft reaches the Moon, there is nothing to lower the robots. So the TTDM will become the first space catapult and fling the robots about 10 to 15 meters away. It is important that they land far away, as they depend on solar energy, and landing in the shadow of the spacecraft would be a death sentence. They can fall belly up or belly down, thats why they have solar panels on both sides, explains the researcher. Then they have to form a coordinate system so that they know where their companions are: they have to do that autonomously, because we dont know where they are going to fall.

That would have been the plan. However, an incident during the spacecrafts propulsion caused a critical loss of fuel, meaning it will be very difficult for Peregrine 1 to reach the Moon. In its latest statement, Astrobotic Technology said the lander will run out of power within 40 hours due to the fuel leak. Peregrine is solar-powered, but requires fuel to keep the spacecraft in a stable direction pointing toward the sun. At this time, the goal is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power, the company said in an update.

When discussing the project with EL PAIS, Medina had already contemplated the possibility that the five robots would not be able to land on the Moon. If they dont make it, the mission was a success, from the moment they were able to get on the rocket, he says. Its a bit unrealistic to talk about failures when youre doing something so innovative and so far-reaching, what you have are setbacks and the important thing is not to fall, its to get up. We are already building the second mission.

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New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till the next week its earlier order granting interim medical bail to M. Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with the money laundering charges levelled against him in the LIFE Mission case.

A bench presided over by Justice M.M. Sundresh extended the interim relief after it was apprised that Sivasankar recently reported to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) Pondicherry for medical examination.

On December 8, 2023, the apex court had asked the retired bureaucrat to undergo a medical examination at Pondicherryas JIPMER after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) demanded that Sivasankar be examined in any government hospital outside Kerala.

The anti-money laundering agency had opposed the extension of interim bail on medical grounds saying that Sivasankar's application is based on certifications issued by private hospitals.

In August last year, the Supreme Court had ordered release of the applicant on interim bail after his counsel pointed out that Sivasankar has serious health issues and needs expert treatment.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique on Tuesday.

According to the Prime Ministeras Office (PMO), PM Modi and President Nyusi discussed Defence, counter-terrorism and other important issues during the meeting in Gandhinagar, on the sidelines of 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024'.

According to the PMO, Modi expressed his strong commitment to support Mozambiqueas development priorities.

Both leaders held productive discussions on ways to further bilateral ties, including in the areas of Defence, counter-terrorism, energy, health, trade and investment, agriculture, water security, mining, capacity building and maritime cooperation.

The Prime Minister suggested that the two countries could work to enhance air connectivity to give a boost to business, culture and people-to-people relations.

President Nyusi thanked the Prime Minister for the inclusion of African Union (AU) in the G-20. The two leaders also discussed issues related to cooperation in multilateral fora, including the UN, the official added.

Prime Minister fondly appreciated President Nyusias participation in the aVoice of the Global South Summita in January and November 2023, the PMO added.

President Nyusi thanked India for various development projects and capacity-building programmes as also for its support in the area of maritime security. Both leaders agreed to remain in touch and maintain the pace of high-level political contacts between the two countries, the official added.
Bathinda : , Jan 9 (IANS/101Reporters) Makki ka achar is emerging as an alternative fodder to meet the nutritional requirements of cattle in Punjab. Farmers cut the green maize crop to ferment it into this special feed, which is not only good for their animals' health but also easy on their own pockets.

In Punjab, maize is sown mainly in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Patiala, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. In recent years, farmers of Bathinda in Malwa region, Mansa, Barnala, Firozpur, Moga, Muktsar, Sangrur and Fazilka districts have taken it up.

"Silage is made using maize in milk-forming stage. This keeps all the nutritious elements of green fodder intact. Besides securing animal health, silage increases milk yield. Not just that, the milk produced contains more fat. All these factors make silage increasingly popular," Dr Rajdeep Singh, Deputy Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Bathinda, tells 101Reporters.

Farmer Mewa Singh (35) from Burj Mansa village in Bathinda district sowed maize in his four bighas of land the last two years to tide over poor wheat yield. "I sow maize only to make silage. I have been feeding straw and silage to my animals for two years. There is no need to purchase wheat flour, animal feed and grains for them," he attests.

Nirmal Singh (27) from Chhoti Baho tells 101Reporters that he had to spend Rs 350 per day on a milch animal to buy wheat, oil cake, green fodder and straw. All that has changed because he now feeds only oil cake and silage. "Around Rs 10,000 is spent on making silage per acre, which includes employing a machine to sow maize, diesel for tractor, fertiliser, pesticides, labour charges, harvest charges of maize chopper and rent for the machine that grinds maize into fodder. Yet, silage costs us only Rs 2 per kg."

Dr Hasan Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Bathinda, tells 101Reporters that farmers in Malwa belt did not grow maize earlier. "At present, they feed silage to their animals and sell the rest to landless cattle herders. Selling standing maize crops to silage-making entrepreneurs is another source of income." Farmers sell silage for Rs 400 per quintal, while factories sell for Rs 600 per bale. By selling standing crops to entrepreneurs, Rs 45,000 to 50,000 per acre can be obtained.

"Silage has been prepared in Punjab for many years, but farmers started sowing maize in large tracts only in the last two to three years after adverse weather affected wheat crop and fanned shortage of traditional fodder. In 2022, maize was sown in about 8,000 hectares in Bathinda district; it was 10,000 hectares last year. Now farmers in all districts of Malwa region have started sowing it," he details.

"We sow maize when the fields remain empty from mid-April to July after harvesting rabi crop (November to early April)," informs Bhagwant Singh from Dalel Singh Wala in Mansa district. After wheat harvest, fields used to remain empty for two months until paddy was sown. Now, cultivation of maize is carried out at that time.

"Maize crop for silage is ready in about two-and-a-quarter months. We grind the cut green crop using a machine. Then it is crushed by a tractor and buried in a deep pit on the ground. To prevent contact with water and air, we cover it well with a tarpaulin or polythene and seal it. Silage will be ready in about 40 days. If it is protected from air and water, it does not spoil for two years," Bhagwant explains. Silage will develop mould if exposed to air or water.

Bhagwant has 12 big milch animals and some small animals. The silage he produces from the maize grown in 12 bighas of land is enough for his animals for the whole year. In short, silage from one bigha crop can feed an animal for an entire year!

"I mix silage in toodi (straw) and feed them. Now I do not have to give wheat and fodder because silage is a mixture of green fodder and maize grains. Now the consumption of toodi is also down by half. No need to buy wheat flour and oil cake, too. Due to silage, my expenses on animal husbandry have come down by half," Bhagwant adds.

Tara Singh Sappal, a cattle herder from Tiona in Bathinda, has nine buffaloes and four cows. He has been feeding them silage for two years. "When green fodder is not available, silage compensates for it. Animals relish it. They remain healthy also. Even in summer, silage consumption helps me get sufficient quantities of milk on a regular basis. The amount of fat in milk also increases."

Sappal says he has been getting silage at Rs 400 per quintal from a farmer in the village. "I mix it in straw and feed my animals."

Raja Singh from Bhamme Kalan in Mansa district says there is a huge shortage of green fodder in May, June, November and December. Makki ka achar fulfils the deficiency then. Many farmers here grow maize and make silage. So, there is no fodder shortage throughout the year.

"Preparing silage does not cost much. In contrast, green fodder has to be grown in the field and has to be cut and brought daily. Farmers have become free from the daily labour of harvesting fodder from the field and grinding it with machines. As opposed to cutting fodder daily, he prepares and stores the silage for a longer period," says Dr Hasan, throwing light on the other benefits.

On the increasing popularity of silage, Hasan says, "Many silage-based industries are flourishing. They sell their product across Punjab and outside. There are also special machines to make silage."

Those who have brought the machines costing Rs 3 to 4 lakh operate it themselves. Every village has at least two such machines. "I brought a second-hand machine worth Rs 2.5 lakh last year. In my village, three to four people own such machines. We charge Rs 5,000 per acre," says Mukhtyar Singh (30) of Thedi Ghagga village near Malout.

The increasing use of silage in Punjab has attracted investors to set up silage manufacturing units. According to a media report, eight big silage bale-making units and 150 small and medium units are working in the state at present. To set up a small silage unit, Rs 50 to 60 lakh is required. Medium and large units cost Rs one to two crore and Rs 10 crore, respectively. Notwithstanding, investors are continuously pouring in money. Rajpura-based Punjab Silage Private Limited is the largest silage maker in the state. It produces 50,000 tonnes yearly and has a market presence across the country.

Gurpreet Singh Jassar (24) has set up a silage factory in Dugri village of Rupnagar district. "We set up the unit in our two-acre ancestral property two years ago. It cost us about Rs 1.5 crore. We grow maize on our 40-acre plot and buy the rest from others. The factory employs 18 people throughout the year against the 50 to 100 during the silage-making season (mid-May to mid-August)."

Silage is packed in bales at the factory. On average, one bale costing Rs 600 contains one quintal of silage. "Besides catering to the domestic demand, we send silage to Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The first year's production was less, but we produced about 40,000 bales in the second year," he says.

(Amarpal Singh Verma is a Punjab-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Ride-hailing major Uber's losses went up more than 57 per cent in India to Rs 311 crore in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 from Rs 197 crore in FY22.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Ride-hailing major Uberas losses went up more than 57 per cent in India to Rs 311 crore in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 from Rs 197 crore in FY22.

Uber India registered a 54.4 per cent increase in its revenue at Rs 2,600 crore in FY23, reports Entrackr, citing its consolidated financial documents.

Rides on the platform accounted for 25 per cent of the total operating revenue in the country, which increased by 75 per cent to Rs 679 crore in FY23.

The income from business support services, offered to parent company Uber in the US, increased by 52.5 per cent to Rs 1,977 crore during FY23, according to the report.

The companyas structure in India changed in FY23 where Uber India Systems Private Limited (UISPL) merged with UIRDPL (Uber India Research and Development) and XLI (Xchange Leasing India), according to the report.

Uber Indiaas employee benefits expenditure surged 56.4 per cent to Rs 2,079 crore in FY23 from Rs 1,329 crore in FY22 (including Rs 668 crore as ESOP cost).

Indians travelled 64 million kms in Uber EVs in 2023, spending a total of 3.9 million hours and helping build a greener future.

Uber trips during the year covered a record 6.8 billion kms, enough to traverse the entire 6.37-million km road network in India more than a thousand times over, or nearly thrice daily.

The cities with the highest number of Uber trips in 2023 were Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolkata, according to the company.

The ride-hailing company is currently testing its flexible pricing service in several tier 2 and 3 cities in India to expand its user base, allowing commuters to bid a particular fare for their ride.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to the son and daughter of suspended Delhi government official Premoday Khakha in a case of alleged sexual assault of a minor girl.

In its order, a bench of Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Rajesh Bindal noted that Khakha's daughter and son, who are accused of abetting the crime, have joined the investigation.

"After going through the statement, and hearing learned counsel on both sides and after perusing the material on record, we are of the view that these Special Leave Petitions can be disposed of, directing the release of the petitioners on bail in the event of their arrest on furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000/-, subject to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer and further subject to the conditions stipulated under section 438(2), Cr.P.C.," ordered the apex court on Monday.

In October 2023, a bench of Justice Saurabh Banerjee of the Delhi High Court had dismissed the anticipatory bail applications filed by the duo after a trial court had denied them the relief.

The Delhi Police had arrested 51-year-old Khakha, who has been suspended as deputy director in the Women and Child Development department of Delhi government, and his wife, who reportedly gave the minor medicine to terminate her pregnancy. The accused allegedly raped the victim repeatedly between 2020 and 2021.

The High Court had also taken suo motu cognizance of the case and had sought suggestions from various authorities on preparation of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed in cases involving minors.
Tokyo, Jan 9 : An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck central Japan's Niigata prefecture on Tuesday, more than a week after the massive 7.6-magnitude temblor jolted the neighbouring Ishikawa prefecture on January 1 killing 202 people.

The quake occurred at 5.59 p.m. (local time) with the epicenter near Sado Island off Niigata at a depth of 10 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

It measured 5 Lower on the country's seismic scale of 7, Xinhua news agency quoted the JMA as saying

No tsunami warnings were issued and no reports of injuries or damages were immediately available.

The Niigata quake came amid a series of aftershocks which followed the January 1 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

As of Tuesday, the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa has recorded 1,248 tremors rated at least 1 on the country's seven-point seismic intensity scale since the January 1 earthquake, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Shares of Polycab crashed by over 7 per cent on Tuesday amid media reports that the Income Tax Department had allegedly detected undisclosed income to the tune of Rs 200 crore by the company.

Officials of the Income Tax Department had conducted searches at the premises of Polycab's in December and were reported to have found discrepancies in the financial records.

Tax officials claim that the department intends to issue a notice to the company soon, to pay up the the alleged evaded taxes and applicable penalties.

However, Polycabs has denied the claims of tax evasion.

The wire and cables manufacturing company said it has responded to the clarifications and details asked by the income tax department after the search.

The company has asserted that it has not received any communication from the Income Tax Department.

At 1.45 p.m., Polycab shares were trading at Rs 4,964.95 apiece.
San Francisco, Jan 9 : Apple has asked developers to "don't describe" their new apps with terms like AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) in a newly released Xcode update that allows developers to submit visionOS apps to the App Store.

This comes after the tech giant announced to launch its highly-anticipated mixed reality (MR) headset -- Vision Pro, in the US on February 2, reports 9to5Mac.

On a new page on the Apple Developer website, the company details all the recommendations and requirements for launching Apple Vision Pro apps on the App Store.

There are details on how developers should test their apps, prepare screenshots, create icons, and more.

On a new page on the Apple Developer website, Apple outlined all of the recommendations and requirements for launching Apple Vision Pro apps on the App Store.

There are instructions on how developers should test their apps, prepare screenshots, create icons, and so on.

The company also provided details on how developers should name and describe their apps. The tech giant has asked developers not to refer to visionOS apps using terms such as AR, VR, XR, or MR.

Instead, Apple asked developers to their apps as "spatial computing apps".

"Refer to your app as a spatial computing app. Donat describe your app experience as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), or mixed reality (MR)," Apple wrote.

Apple Vision Pro will be available starting at $3,499 with 256GB of storage. Pre-orders for Apple Vision Pro will begin on January 19.

The headset will be available at all US Apple Store locations and the US Apple Store online, the company said.
Toronto, Jan 9 : Police opened an investigation after a two-week-long protest outside a Sikh temple in Canada turned violent over the weekend, leaving two people injured.

Officers were called to the Dashmesh Culture Centre in northeast Calgary on Sunday evening after violence broke out during an ongoing protest over the temple's leadership committee, CTV News reported.

Police told the news channel that between 50 and 100 people were involved in a fight at 7.45 p.m. at the building, located at 135 Gurdwara Sahib Boulevard.

According to Calgary Police Service (CPS), two calls for service were received from the Dashmesh Culture Centre on Sunday, each for different disturbances between the protesters and the building's occupants.

"At approximately 1.15 pm, officers were initially dispatched for reports of a disturbance regarding individuals who were believed to be protesting at the location. Shortly after, a second call came in reporting the protesters had moved inside the building. Officers worked with the involved parties to de-escalate the situation," CPS said in a statement.

It added that no weapons were involved in the fight and there were no arrests.

The protests began on December 24.

Gurpartap Baidwan, one of the protest's organisers, told CTV that they have been agitating to oppose the temple leadership, which was not following the rules of their faith or obeying the governance of the Sikh religion.

"They are required to abide by the Sikh Rehat Maryada that is issued by the Akal Takht, which is kind of like our Vatican," he said.

The protesters are also accusing the leaders of a lack of communication, unwillingness to settle conflicts in the community and general negligence.

Calgary police have not released any details about what sparked the assault or if anyone has been charged.
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Actor Sonu Sood, who has stepped into the role of a director for the upcoming movie 'Fateh', has called it a tribute to the youths who have been a victim of cybercrime on various levels.

Based on real-life incidents, the film aims to entertain while also shedding light on cyber threats in the digital age and how it can be averted with simple security measures.

On Tuesday, Sonu took to social media, and shared behind-the-scenes pictures from the shoot of the movie.

It was captioned as: "Fateh has been special and a personal film to me. It is a tribute to the youth who have been a victim of cyber crime on various levels. Get Ready."

Sonu has dedicated significant efforts to the project, venturing into unique shooting locations and collaborating with the esteemed Hollywood stunt coordinator, Lee Whittaker.

'Fateh' is co-produced by Zee Studios and Sonu's production company, Shakti Sagar Productions.

The film also stars Jacqueline Fernandez.
Abbas Ganbay

Several officials visited the said hospital in connection with the fire at the Republican Perinatal Centre, Azernews reports.

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov, Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, and Health Minister Teymur Musayev visited the Republican Perinatal Centre and inspected the scene of the incident.

Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva took control of the fire at the Republican Perinatal Centre.

Recall that during the fire in the neonatal intensive care unit of the Centre, the bodies of 4 babies undergoing treatment were found.
With the utmost caution and with a lot of perspective. This is how one must read the 17 newly unsealed court documents concerning the network of abuses set up by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in the early and mid-2000s. The files, declassified Monday by Judge Loretta A. Preska, come on top of the nearly 200 documents that were released last week. The fresh batch of documents includes court petitions, e-mail exchanges, photographs and some victim statements, which  always taken with great caution  include explosive accusations with unverified indirect testimonies about some of the people who moved within Epsteins circle.

Some of these files discuss former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as businessman Richard Branson and the ubiquitous Prince Andrew of England, third son of the late Elizabeth II and brother of King Charles III.

Of the 17 documents, the most important are two, for different reasons, but with one person in common: Sarah Ransome, a woman who claims to have been a victim of Epsteins scheme and to have several friends who were also victims. However, she herself retracted her statements years ago. Hence, the special caution with which we must read these documents.

In document number 7  the first of the new round and which is 29 pages long , Ransome gives her testimony and provides documents and photographs about her experience. The photos included show Ghislaine Maxwell (both alone and with French modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel, who committed suicide in prison in Paris while awaiting trial), Epstein riding an ATV, and the alleged victims, all of them very young women. Theyre all in Little Saint James, Epsteins island, allegedly in 2006.

Ransome talks about how there were many girls  very young girls  who rotated at Maxwells request to give massages (the code name for non-consensual sex) to Epstein and his colleagues. Both she and her friends, the whistleblower says, would try to run away and hide around the island (and even swim away from it) so as not to be called upon.

Jeffrey Epstein on Little St James Island in 2006. United States District Court

Ransome explains (and has repeated in many interviews over the last decade) that she entered the network because she was studying in Edinburgh and, unable to pay tuition, took her last savings and went to New York to try to make contacts to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a prestigious fashion school in the city. That is where she met Maxwell and Epstein. They were going to help her get into FIT and pay for her schooling, until she became one of their sex slaves.

According to Ransome, Maxwell and Epstein always recruited girls from very underprivileged families. They gave them accommodation, they gave them food, gave them money for transportation, you know, private planes... They also paid for their studies, so they stayed: So if I didnt have sex with Jeffrey, I would be homeless and starving in New York... and my dream of getting a full time education at one of the top fashion institutes in the world would be diminished. And thats what he held over my head. Ransome claims to be testifying before the judge so that her story will be known and these abuses will end. However, the defendants have always accused Ransome of lying and being motivated by money.

The most delicate and explosive details are included in the penultimate document, the 16th. In it, Ransome accuses Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and businessman Richard Branson of having been part of Epsteins client network and of having sex with minors. However, precisely these statements  obtained from Ransomes e-mails  are brought to light by Epsteins lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, who uses them to cast doubts on the victims testimony.

[Dershowitz] seeks the de-designation of the emails to challenge Ms. Ransomes false and defamatory accusations that, among other things, she had sexual intercourse with [Dershowitz] when she was 23. Ms. Ransomes allegations concerning [Dershowitz] are categorically false. Professor Dershowitz has never met or had contact with Ms. Ransome, was not her lawyer, and certainly never had a sexual encounter with her. Prior to this action, [Dershowitz] had never heard of Ms. Ransome. Her testimony was fabricated from whole cloth. Ms. Ransomes testimony also contains a slew of other incendiary claims concerning the sexual proclivities of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and other prominent individuals, the document reads.

Indeed, the accusations included in the document are incendiary. Sarah Ransome claims that her mail was hacked, that she has talked to Russian media, that she has pictures and, above all, videos: I will make sure that everyone on the God damn planet sees [...] that footage and photos [...] and will release them to Wikileaks [...] I will take down Epstein and his bunch of fuck wit cronies myself! [...] Clinton and Trump must pay for what they did to us, as must the rest of the men that were involved in their seedy inner circle.

Jean Luc Brunel with Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2006. United States District Court

When referring to possible abuses committed by this group of powerful men, the whistleblower does not speak in the first person, but refers to a friend who told her her account, which, therefore, would not be first-hand. My friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion. [...] I eventually managed to persuade her to send me some of the video footage which she kept, implicating all three all men. [...] I have backed up the footage on several USB sticks and have securely sent them to various different locations throughout Europe.

However, in a lengthy piece in The New Yorker in 2019, journalist Connie Bruck claims that Ransome herself confided to her that that footage did not exist: Ransome told me that she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epsteins behavior, and to make him believe that she had evidence that would come out if he harmed me.

Another of Ransomes accusations  which, lets not forget, were later used in the trial against her and portrayed as exaggerations  includes former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump: [Another] friend [...] was one of the many girls that had sexual relations with Donald Trump. [...] She confided in me about her casual friendship with Donald. Mr. Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her pert nipples. Donald Trump liked flicking and sucking her nipples until they were raw. One evening when we were showering together she showed me her nipples. They looked incredibly painful as they were red and swollen and I remember wincing when I looked at them. I also know she had sexual relations with Trump at Jefferys [New York] mansion on regular occasions, as I once met Jen for coffee, just before she was going to meet Trump and Epstein together at his mansion.

According to the court document, these statements were taken from an email from Sarah Ransome, which, according to Dershowitzs lawyers, fatally undermine Ms. Ransomes credibility. For this reason, the deposition transcript standing alone leaves an incomplete and, thus, false impression of Ms. Ransome and her outrageous claims.

For the moment, none of those involved have commented on the matter, beyond spokespeople for Branson, who referred to what the victim already told The New Yorker in 2019: Ransome admitted that he made up the existence of the tapes. We confirm that her claims are unfounded and without any basis whatsoever.

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Bengaluru, Jan 9 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that people should stop going to those temples which don't allow them inside.

Speaking at a book release programme organised by Savita Samaj at Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, aSocial reformer from Kerala Narayana Guru had asked people to stop going to temples where they are not allowed. You build your own temple and start worshipping. You should follow this.

aUntil the end, I will carry forward the politics of self-respect and social justice. All our programmes will be poor-centric. Our programmes have reached houses. I wonat value the criticism by the BJP. The people are with me."

The CM further said, "In the name of religion and caste, hating Muslims, Dalits, Shudras and labour class is utter inhuman and ugly.

"No job is superior or inferior. All work possesses the same and equal dignity. Everyone needs to carry out work with dignity. There is no lower virtue than hatred of human beings. The concept of hell, heaven are nowhere, they are very much here. Mutual respect among humans is the biggest virtue. It is correct that God is present, but it is not correct to argue that God is only present in temples. God is everywhere," he said.
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Pakistani actress Mahira Khan paid a tribute to late Indian star Parveen Babi and talked about how she was left impressed with the veteran diva's Time magazine cover that she went on to watch her films.

The actress took to her Instagram stories, where she shared a string of videos and photos from the shoot. She is seen in a shimmery rani pink saree and had her haircut resembling the late star. She also shared that it was difficut for her since she was still recovering from her multiple fractures in the foot.

Mahira's Instagram story also features an interview clip of the Pakistani star in which she is seen talking about how she got inspired from Parveen Babi.

"So I remember seeing this Time magazine cover and it had the gorgeous Parveen Babi on it. It's because of that cover that I actually watched her films. Some of her songs I just love. She was so beautiful, such a style icon," she said.

In another video, she is seen in a silver kurta outfit, standing in front of a giant screen with Parveen Babi's songs playing on it.

She said: "This was a tough shoot, my first since my foot injury (three fractures in my right foot to be precise). I couldn't move much and I was hating it. The team was sooo loving and caring... love you guys @lovefuryal @museluxe."

In the shared videos, Mahira was also seen crooning some few lines of Parveen Babi's song from the film Namak Halal - Jawani Janeman Haseen Dilruba.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Delhi High Court has renotified to February 13 the hearing of Popular Front of India's (PFI) plea challenging the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal's decision to uphold the five-year ban imposed on the organisation by the Central government.

The bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, issued this order after citing its limited role as per Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution.

During the last hearing, the court had directed the organisation's counsel to clarify the scope of the petition, asserting it cannot function as an appellate authority.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma raised objections, cautioning against using the platform for "ramble-rousing" and plea characterising the ban as an "abuse of process".

The court asked the petitioner's counsel to submit an application for striking off objectionable statements in the pleadings.

PFI contests the UAPA tribunal's affirmation of the Centre's decision to ban the organisation for alleged links with global terrorist organisations and promoting communal hatred. The ban, imposed on September 27, 2022, is for five years.

The PFI has been accused of connections with proscribed organisations like SIMI and JMB.

The Central government, exercising its powers under the UAPA, declared PFI and its affiliated fronts, including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, and others, as "unlawful associations".

This move was met with objections, with the PFI challenging it on grounds of natural justice and decision-making. The organisation's links were established by proscribed organisations like SIMI and JMB, leading to the ban for alleged prejudicial activities against the country's integrity and communal harmony.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Former India fast bowler Praveen Kumar made a huge revelation about the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that joining Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was not his initial inclination and how his hesitancy to be part of the franchise resulted in a shocking reaction from Lalit Modi.

During an interview with Lallantop, Praveen revealed he initially preferred joining Delhi Daredevils, being close to Meerut. However, a signed paper with RCB which turned out to be a contract and when he approached Lalit to communicate his choice, the then-IPL commissioner threatened to end his career.

"I did not want to play for RCB because Bangalore was quite far away from my place, I didn't know English, and the food was not to my liking. Delhi is quite close to Meerut, which would have allowed me to travel to my home once in a while. However, there was a person who made me sign a paper. I did not know it was the contract. I told them I wanted to play for Delhi and not Bangalore. Lalit Modi called me and threatened to end my career," Praveen said in the interview.

In the same interview, addressed the issue of ball-tampering, stating that it is a widespread practice among players. He mentioned that Pakistani bowlers used to engage in it more frequently to enhance their ability to achieve reverse swing.

"Everyone does a little bit; they (Pakistan bowlers) do it a bit more. That's what I've heard. Now, there are cameras everywhere. Earlier, everyone used to do it. And everyone knows as well. They would scratch it from one side. But you need to know how to use that skill, too. If I scratch the ball and give to someone, one will need to have the skills to reverse-swing it. One has to learn that," Praveen said.
India sees robust pre-order rush for Apple iPhones, 14 and 14 Pro most in demand.. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 9 : As India doubles down on local manufacturing, Apple assembled iPhones worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore in India in 2023, according to industry data.

Industry sources told IANS on Tuesday that out of Rs 1 lakh crore, Apple exported iPhones worth approximately Rs 65,000 crore to other countries.

However, according to industry sources, the actual market value of the iPhones manufactured/assembled in India could be much higher, depending on taxes in other countries.

The Economic Times was first to report about Appleas manufacturing data in the country. Appleas manufacturing in India is part of the goals set under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

Riding on the local manufacturing growth, mobile phone exports from the country surpassed $9 billion (more than Rs 75,000 crore) from April to November in the current fiscal year, according to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

Led by Apple, India is set to cross $15 billion (over Rs 1,24,000 crore) in mobile phone exports in the current fiscal year (FY24), posting a growth of 35 per cent over the last fiscal year.

Apple's revenue in India hit nearly Rs 50,000 crore in FY23, with sales increasing 48 per cent to Rs 49,321 crore and net profit rising 76 per cent to Rs 2,229 crore -- fastest growth of net profit for Apple in India in the last five years.

Driven by domestic manufacturing, Apple iPhones were set to garner around 7 per cent market share in the Android-dominated smartphone market in India in 2023.

The country is now the second-biggest manufacturing hub for mobile phones due to heavy investment from original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers and companies dealing in components and parts.

The mobile phone exports are anticipated to account for about 58 per cent of the overall electronics exports in FY24, compared to around 47 per cent in the previous fiscal year.

Apple is aiming to manufacture more than 50 million iPhones in India per year, as it aims to shift some of the production out from China.

The tech giant aims to achieve the target within the next two to three years, with additional tens of millions of units planned after that, according to reports. If Apple achieves this target, India would account for a quarter of global iPhone production.

China will still remain the largest iPhone producer, a Wall Street Journal report mentioned in December.

From Apple to Foxconn, the companies are aiming to leverage domestic capabilities to achieve supply chain diversification and scale up production by manufacturing in the country.
Vijayawada, Jan 9 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) have requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps to sanitise the electoral rolls and conduct fearless, free and fair elections in Andhra Pradesh.

TDP President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and JSP leader and actor Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday met the Election Commission team here and urged it to treat Andhra Pradesh as a special case and take steps to "save democracy."

Claiming that the people of Andhra Pradesh were revolting against the YSRCP Government, Naidu alleged that the ruling party was enrolling bogus voters. The two leaders complained to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar about the malpractices in Special Summary Revision (SSR).

They demanded a thorough investigation into the malpractices in the SSR process and penal action against the people responsible.

Elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly are due to be held along with Lok Sabha polls in the next few months and an ECI team is visiting the state to review the preparations.

Highlighting serious issues related to SSR, the TDP and JSP leaders said District Election Officers (DEOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) were not following the directions of the ECI under pressure of the ruling party.

They said the field machinery at the district level, instead of rectifying the defects in the electoral rolls, had been transferring their representations to junior officers and not monitoring the outcomes.

"The reason for such an apathy and dereliction can be directly linked to the most tyrannical rule of the YSRCP Government which has subjugated the rule of law and governance to an unprecedented historical low," said the representation submitted to the CEC.

The TDP and JSP leaders alleged that draft election rolls were published without processing about 10.32 lakh applications.

They mentioned that there are over 4 lakh cases of non-deletion of death, permanent migrants, DSE (demographically similar entries) and PSE (photo similar entries).

They said that Form-7 applications were filled in bulk and EROs accepted bulk applications while the CEO website is not reflecting the user details.

The CEC was also informed that the staff of village secretariats was being appointed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs). They also referred to unofficial participation of volunteers in house-to-house surveys despite the ECI's directives and their influence over the voters.

The leaders also made it clear that it is not enough to book FIRs and said charge sheets should be filed to take cases to a logical end to punish the guilty.

They also alleged that ever since the YSRCP Government headed by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed office in 2019, all the YSRCP leaders and some government officials have been on a mission mode to decimate the Opposition parties through different strategies, their main target being the TDP and Jana Sena Party leaders.

About 6,000 criminal cases were booked against important TDP functionaries alone in the last 58 months of YSRCP's tyrannical rule, they claimed.

Naidu and Pawan Kalyan urged the ECI to keep volunteers away from their duties during the election period and make them liable for the disciplinary and penal action on par with public servants.

They mentioned that the YSRCP Government had invented an ingenious system of volunteers by paying them from the government exchequer. "They carry out the YSRCP's work in the garb of delivering welfare schemes at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries. The volunteers are loyalists of YSRCP and engaging them for election duties will endanger and vitiate the neutrality and fairness of the electoral process," they said.

They requested that Mahila police working as BLOs should be removed from election duties.

There are 2,552 policewomen in 87 Assembly constituencies under the village sachivalayams who are functioning as BLOs.

They alleged that the policewomen were found to be indulging in voter list manipulations to favour YSRCP.

The ECI was requested not to involve staff associated with the 'Why AP needs Jagan' political campaign in the election process.

Deployment of special police observers to each Assembly constituency under the supervision of a separate cell at the state level headed by political observers, deputing adequate number of central forces well in advance to create a congenial and peaceful environment before elections, transfer of collectors, SPs and EROs who are partisan in their conduct after discreet enquiries are the other demands of the delegation.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah speaks during signing of a peace accord between United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the central and Assam governments. Image Source: IANS News

Guwahati, Jan 9 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Brahmaputra Riverfront beautification project in Guwahati on January 20, said Assam minister for urban development Ashok Singhal.

He told reporters on Tuesday about Shahas upcoming visit and also took stock of the project.

A development project called the Brahmaputra Riverfront beautification is now being built at Pan Bazaar area in the Guwahati city.

The minister Ashok Singhal paid a visit to the project site which is located on the Guwahati Commissioner of Police's former bungalow. He reviewed the progress of the project.

The riverfront project will encompass 1.2 km from the old Kamrup District Commissioner Bungalow to Kacharighat area. There will be a park, places to relax, eat, places to host cultural events, and much more in this area.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Driven by Apple Vision Pro, the Extended Reality (XR) headset shipments are projected to increase by a record 3.9 million units in 2024 to clock growth of nearly 50 per cent (on-year), a report showed on Tuesday.

Apple's Vision Pro, which goes on sale in the US on February 2 (with pre-orders starting on January 19), will generate user interest and industry movement which will benefit incumbents, according to latest Counterpoint Global XR (VR/AR) Forecast.

"We expect Apple to sell about half a million units of Vision Pro, its $3,500 mixed reality (MR) headset, in 2024. This makes up a low single-digit share of the 2024 global XR market," said senior analyst Harmeet Singh Walia.

The first iteration of the Vision Pro headset will primarily attract die-hard Apple fans, developers, early adopters and enterprise users.

"A more optimistic scenario could unfold if Apple successfully boosts the supply of key components for the headset and experiences higher-than-expected interest from the end market," Walia added.

Augmented Reality (AR) is projected to grow by 54 per cent YoY in 2024, bucking the trend of three years of consecutive declines, said the report.

At just about 2 per cent, AR, however, will remain a small contributor to overall XR shipments.

"North America was already the biggest contributor to XR shipments with nearly 70 per cent of the best-selling Meta headsets shipping in the region. This will grow further in 2024 as Apple's Vision Pro is available for sale exclusively in the US for most of its first year," said senior analyst Karn Chauhan.

Samsung's re-entry into the segment, likely with an MR headset in 2024, will also generate traction, but regardless of its launch price, it will contribute less than Apple to global shipment growth due to a late-year launch, the report mentioned.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta on Tuesday expressed strong support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

The PMO said that PM Modi and President Horta met in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. Modi extended a warm welcome to President Horta and his delegation to the 'Vibrant Gujarat Summit' on what is the first ever Head of State or government level visit between the two countries.

PM Modi re-affirmed India's commitment to build a vibrant "Delhi-Dili" connect. In September 2023, he had announced the opening of the Indian Mission in the country. He offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare including traditional medicine and pharma. He also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

He congratulated President Horta for ASEAN's in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon.

President Horta thanked the PM Modi for the invitation to participate in the Summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT, official added.

The PMO said that the two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena. Prime Minister appreciated Timor-Leste's active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergise their position on global issues.

The PMO said that the bilateral relationship between India and Timor-Leste is anchored in shared values of democracy and plurality. India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002.
Patna, Jan 9 : A speeding pick-up van knocked down and killed a mother-son duo in Bihar's Sitamarhi district on Tuesday, police said.

Patna, Jan 9 (IANS) A speeding pick-up van knocked down and killed a mother-son duo in Biharas Sitamarhi district on Tuesday, police said.

Shakuntala Devi and her son Shatrughan Sahni were on the way to bank to withdraw money on a bike when the accident occurred at Shahiyara village under Banthaha block in the district.

The local villagers rescued the victims and took them to the nearby hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival.

Following the accident, the pick-up driver managed to flee from the spot before the villagers assembled at the spot.

This accident had caused massive outrage in the area. Angry villagers blocked the road and demanded immediate action against the errant driver. They also demanded compensation for the victim's kin.
What was U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin thinking when he failed to tell anyone for three days that he was in intensive care amid the wars in Ukraine and Gaza? The controversy over the medical situation of the Pentagon chief, who is recovering in a military hospital from complications from surgery, has not abated as time passes. The Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump is calling for his dismissal, while the White House was categorical on Monday: it maintains its full confidence in the general.

Austin, second only to President Joe Biden in the U.S. military chain of command, entered the intensive care unit at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington on January 1. For three days, no one knew that the secretary of defense was hospitalized, including his deputy, Kathleen Hicks  who had traveled to Puerto Rico and had to take over the duties of her boss there  and the U.S. president himself.

Finally, late last Friday afternoon, just 24 hours after notifying White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan of the situation, the Pentagon issued a succinct statement. The four-star general remained in the hospital on Monday, although the Department of Defense stated that he was recovering well and had taken over his duties from his hospital room. Biden spoke with him on Saturday. But while military spokesman Pat Ryder confirmed that Austin had left the ICU for a room, there is still no timetable for his discharge.

There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who accompanied Biden on Monday on a visit to South Carolina, told reporters from Air Force One. For her part, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, who was traveling on the same flight, emphasized that the president has complete confidence in his Secretary of Defense.

Well take a look at process and procedure here as you might expect  try and learn from this, Kirby said. If the inquiry into what happened determines that changes to the notification protocol are necessary, the White House will implement them. Currently, the presidents office checks where the bearers of each portfolio are every morning, but only in a generic way, according to the spokesman: it knows the city or location where they are, but not the exact coordinates.

I think our main focus right now is on Secretary Austins health and making sure that he gets all the care and the support that he needs to fully recover, the spokesman said. [Austin] has already resumed all his authorities, hes already doing all of the functions he would normally do from the hospital, he added.

Thus far, the Secretary of Defenses medical problem has not been made public; according to those close to him, he is an introverted man who hates to divulge details about his private life.

The Pentagon did confirm that Austin had undergone surgery at the beginning of Christmas vacation and was released a day later. But complications resulting from that surgery necessitated that the secretary of defense be admitted to the hospital again. The White House and the National Security Council were not notified and did not know until Thursday afternoon, Kirby admitted. I think theres an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized  that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation, he concluded.

Austins duties as secretary of defense require that he be available at all times to respond to any potential national security crisis. This is a particularly pressing need at a time when the United States is facing attacks by Iran-allied groups in the Middle East and fears grow over the spread of the conflict between Israel and Hamas elsewhere in the region, and as Russia is stepping up its attacks in Ukraine. In a statement issued Saturday, Austin took full responsibility for the lack of transparency and secrecy surrounding his medical situation.

The White House does not appear to have interpreted the miscommunication as malicious negligence, but rather as an omission resulting from the generals reserved personality. Austin  the first black U.S. Secretary of Defense and a man of great physical presence at 64 tall  is highly regarded in the Biden administration. Throughout his political life, Biden has been known for being very loyal to his team, a tendency that has been accentuated during a presidential term in which he has surrounded himself with people he absolutely trusts and who have known each other for decades.

The president respects the fact that Secretary Austin has taken responsibility for the lack of transparency. He also respects the superb job he has done as secretary of defense, Kirby said Monday.

Criticism and doubts

Although the White House is ready to turn the page, the Republican opposition does not seem ready to give up the controversy, especially with only a week to go before the Iowa caucuses begin the primary process to decide the new candidate for the November presidential election. Some Democratic congressmen have also begun to express doubts about the appropriateness of the Pentagon chiefs behavior.

On Sunday night, Donald Trump, the favorite to win the Republican nomination, said on his social network, Truth Social, that Austin should be removed for his improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty. Trump added that he has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was, or might be, he wrote.

The chairwoman of the House Republican caucus and member of the House Armed Services Committee, Elise Stefanik, also called for the Pentagon chiefs resignation in a message on X, formerly Twitter: This concerning lack of transparency exemplifies a shocking lack of judgment and a significant national security threat. There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him and a Congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction of duty.

In a joint statement, both parties leaders on the House Armed Services Committee, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Adam Smith, wrote that several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretarys current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretarys responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress.

The two lawmakers also noted that transparency is vitally important. Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.

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New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Delhi High Court has upheld the arrest of Bhushan Steel Ltd's former Managing Director Neeraj Singal in connection with a money laundering case related to a bank fraud probe by the Enforcement Directorate.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has upheld the arrest of Bhushan Steel Ltd's former Managing Director Neeraj Singal in connection with a money laundering case related to a bank fraud probe by the Enforcement Directorate.

A bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan dismissed Singal's plea challenging his arrest on June 9, 2023, stating that at that time, oral communication of the grounds of arrest was considered proper compliance with Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The judgement took into account the Supreme Court's ruling in Pankaj Bansal v. Union of India, delivered on October 3, 2023, which mandated providing written grounds for arrest, but with prospective effect from October 3.

The ED alleged Singal caused a loss exceeding Rs 46,000 crore to the public, and the court said that at the time of Singal's arrest, the law, as per the Moin Akhtar Qureshi case, did not require written grounds.

The recent Supreme Court ruling in Ram Kishor Arora v. Union of India clarified that non-furnishing of written grounds until the Pankaj Bansal judgement would not be deemed illegal. The court noted that Singal's arrest predated the Pankaj Bansal ruling and was thus in compliance with the existing legal provisions.

Justice Mahajan stressed the thoroughness of Singal's arrest documentation, including a three-page 'ground of arrest' signed by two independent witnesses, rejecting claims that Singal's signature was merely an acknowledgment of compliance.

The court also dismissed arguments regarding a typographical error in the arrest order and confirmed that the arrest procedures were followed correctly. Singal's contention about delayed submission of arrest details to the Adjudicating Authority was also addressed, considering the office closure over the weekend after his arrest.
London, Jan 9 : The European Commission on Tuesday announced to examine whether Microsoft's $13 billion investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is reviewable under the EU merger regulation.

The EU launched two calls for contributions on competition in virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence (AI) and sent requests for information to several large digital players.

"We are inviting businesses and experts to tell us about any competition issues that they may perceive in these industries, whilst also closely monitoring AI partnerships to ensure they do not unduly distort market dynamics," said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy.

Virtual worlds and generative AI are rapidly developing. It is fundamental that these new markets stay competitive, and that nothing stands in the way of businesses growing and providing the best and most innovative products to consumers, she added.

The Commission will carefully review all input received through the calls for contributions.

Following that review, the Commission may organise a workshop in the second quarter of 2024 to bring together all different perspectives emerging from the contributions and continue this reflection.

"In addition, the European Commission is looking into some of the agreements that have been concluded between large digital market players and generative AI developers and providers. The European Commission is investigating the impact of these partnerships on market dynamics," it said in a statement.

Venture capital investment in AI in the EU is estimated at more than 7.2 billion euros in 2023. The size of the virtual worlds market in Europe is estimated to have reached more than 11 billion euros in 2023.

"Both technologies are expected to grow exponentially in the next years and are likely to have a major impact on how businesses compete," said the commission.

Last month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK asked parties and interested third parties to comment on whether the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, including recent developments, has resulted in a relevant merger situation and, if so, the impact that the merger could have on competition in the UK.

"The invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA's information gathering process and comes in advance of launching any phase 1 investigation, which would only happen once the CMA has received the information it needs from the partnership parties," said Sorcha O'Carroll, Senior Director for Mergers at the CMA.
Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during the inauguration of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show 2024. Image Source: IANS News

Gandhinagar, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, marking the beginning of his two-day visit to the state for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related events.

The Trade Show, recognised as one of the world's most significant, brings together many industries and business sectors under a single roof. Prime Minister Modi will lead a roadshow in Ahmedabad in the evening.

The Trade Show features products from diverse sectors, such as e-mobility, startups, MSMEs, the blue economy, green energy, and smart infrastructure, all showcasing state-of-the-art technology and innovations.

Reflecting the global interest, the Ambassador of Japan to India, Hiroshi Suzuki, expressed excitement over the participation of 70 Japanese companies focusing on semiconductors and green growth industries. Similarly, the Thai envoy to India, Pattarat Hongtong, noted the active involvement of Thailand with an exhibition showcasing the success of Thai investments in India.

Set to continue its legacy, the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, initiated in 2003 under Modi's chief ministership, enters its 10th edition this year, running from January 10 to 12. Celebrating '20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat', the summit's theme, 'Gateway to the Future', focuses on futuristic opportunities and partnerships.

On January 10, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to formally inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The event will then see him engaging with CEOs of leading global corporations, followed by his visit to GIFT City, where he will interact with key players in the Global FinTech Leadership Forum.

This year's summit has garnered international attention as 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations are participating. The Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region is also leveraging this platform to highlight investment prospects in the North-Eastern regions of India.

The summit is expected to witness the signing of various projects and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), propelling industrial and technological advancement in Gujarat. Notably, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will showcase its capabilities, and discussions around Elon Musk's Tesla plant in Gujarat are anticipated, though official confirmations are pending.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : Siddhartha Khemka, Head Retail Research Motilal Oswal Financial Services, on Tuesday said that Nifty opened on a strong note on the back of positive global cues, surpassing 21700 on an intraday basis.

He said that it witnessed profit booking towards the end of the day which wiped off the day's gains with Nifty closing with marginal gains of 32 points at 21545 levels.

He said that the sector-wise, it was a mixed bag with buying seen in Realty, Pharma, Auto, and IT.

"Realty sector rallied by 2 per cent on the back of healthy pre-quarterly updates released by companies in the last few days," he said.

He said that a record registration of 40.32 lakh people (74 per cent YoY; 31 per cent MoM) in SIPs for December reflects confidence among investors in India's macroeconomic fundamentals and positive momentum in the market.

"Bloomberg Index Services to include India's Fully Accessible Route (FAR) bonds in the Bloomberg Emerging Market (EM) from September 2024 boosted the sentiments," he said.

He said that we expect the market to consolidate in a broader range and take cues from the upcoming earning season.

Nagaraj Shetti, Senior Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities said the short-term trend of Nifty remains weak and emergence of selling pressure at the lower highs around 21750-21850 levels indicate weak bias for the short term.

"Any upside bounce from here could encounter hurdle around 21700 levels," he said.
Tel Aviv, Jan 9 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed that their Northern Command headquarter in Safed was hit by explosive-laden drones launched by the Hezbollah group.

However the IDF, in a statement said, that no injuries or casualties were reported in the attack.

The IDF said that a building was hit, causing minor damages to it.

The army said that it launched interceptor missiles at several more UAVs that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

The Israel army statement revealed that several rockets and missiles were also fired from Lebanon at the Malkia and Yiftah areas on the border.

The IDF confirmed that it carried out a series of strikes on Tuesday morning on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanonas Kafr Kila.

It also said that a drone-launching squad was hit before it could carry out an attack.

It is to be recalled that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasarullah had in two televised addresses said that Israel will not go unpunished. This was in reaction to the killing of terror group Hamasa deputy political head, Saleh al-Arouri allegedly by Israel in Beirut on last Tuesday.

However, on Monday after Hezbollah chiefas televised threat, Israel carried out another drone attack killing Hezbollah veteran commander Wissam al-Tiwal while he was travelling in a car with another person.
Bengaluru, Jan 9 : Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that insecurity haunts Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and it is due to this insecurity he is busy in politicking.

"Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has been fighting for Chief Minister's post while others are busy in securing the Deputy Chief Ministers post," Bommai said while talking to reporters after submitting a memorandum to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot seeking his directions for the state government to give suitable compensation to farmers in the wake of severe drought.

He said that everyone has forgotten the state's development and is indulging in politics.

"Seeing the current financial situation, the government may impose fresh conditions to continue the guarantees after the parliamentary polls," Bommai said.

Accusing the state government of indulging in politics at a time when the farmers are in dire need due to the severe drought, Bommai said that any government that fails to give justice to farmers will not last long.

"Any government which will come to the rescue of people during drought or floods is considered as a living government. Doing anything for the people will be deemed as a dead government," he said.

He said that the Congress had requested the Centre to release Rs 18,000 crore as drought relief but the state government has only released Rs 105 crore which was not even one per cent of the relief amount sought by the central government.

He said that the Chief Minister, before the Belagavi session, had promised to give a compensation of Rs 2,000 per hectare but that amount has not been released yet under the garb of linking Aadhar number of farmers.

"The linking of Aadhar had been done during the previous BJP regime in the FRUITS software," he said.

Bommai said no development work has started in the state after the Congress came to power and Rs 3,000 crore reserved for the Kalyana-Karnataka in the budget has also not been spent.

"The benefits of the Gruha Lakshmi have failed to reach women and the Gruha Jyoti and Yuva Nidhi have not benefited the people in any manner. No guarantee scheme had been implemented effectively. Since the government has failed to release the money to farmers, the BJP has sought direction from the Governor," he said.
Mumbai, Jan 9 : Actor Vibhav Roy, who will be seen as the lead in the wedding fantasy thriller show 'Shaitani Rasmein', has expressed his happiness for the Lohri festival, and shared his fond memories of the celebrations.

Sharing memories of the festival, he said: "Lohri is all about happiness for me. In Delhi, we used to celebrate by chilling with family in the winter, sitting around a bonfire and munching on dry fruits."

"One of my favourite Lohri memories is with my nephew. He came from the US, inspired by the Lohri celebrations in the movie 'Veer Zaara'. He got the whole family to celebrate just like they did in the movie, with lots of singing and dancing. It's a cherished memory for me," shared Vibhav.

He further said that he really likes Lohri because it means the end of winter.

"But to be honest, I love winters of Delhi so much that I never want them to end.

"Mumbai doesn't really have a proper winter, so whenever I'm in Delhi during this time, I enjoy it to the fullest. I didn't prepare anything special for Lohri this year but I am trying to make time for the festival amidst my shooting schedule for 'Shaitani Rasmein' and just wanted to stay warm and cozy," Vibhav added.

Promising a rollercoaster of twists, turns, and mesmerising content, the series is poised to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Produced under the banner of Nikhil Sinha's Triangle Film Company, the show will air from January 15 on Star Bharat.
New York, Jan 9 : Neena Singh has become the first Sikh and Indian-American woman to be sworn in as Mayor of Montgomery Township in the US state of New Jersey.

She was administered the oath of office by Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman at the Montgomery Township Reorganisation Meeting on January 4.

Singh, who has lived in Montgomery for 24 years, was unanimously selected to serve as Mayor by her fellow Township Committee members.

"It's an enormous privilege to be sworn in by trailblazer Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman as the first elected Sikh woman Mayor in New Jersey and the first Indian-American woman Mayor," said Mayor Neena Singh.

"What energises and motivates me is the spirit of service. I strongly believe we all have a responsibility to give back, and I am blessed to do so in a town that reflects America's diversity," said Singh, whose priorities for 2024 are public safety and health.

Having previously served as Deputy Mayor and Township Committeewoman, Singh was nominated to the position by outgoing Mayor Devra Keenan and committee-woman Patricia Taylor Todd.

As an executive officer at STAND Central NJ, a grassroots non-profit, she worked not only on engaging and educating voters but also on empowering them to participate in the democratic process.

"Neena Singh embodies commitment to public service. She has made her life's work fighting for social justice, economic opportunity, and human rights for all. I'm confident she'll bring her experience and passion for the township to her term as Mayor," Watson Coleman said in a statement.

In her new role, Singh will preside at meetings of the Township Committee and will have the power to appoint subcommittees with the Committee's consent. In addition, she will also have the power to make proclamations concerning holidays and events of interest in the township, and to exercise the ceremonial power of the township.

Indian-American New Jersey State Senator Vin Gopal sent a congratulatory video, calling Singh a "role model" for South Asian girls across the state, My Central Jersey news outlet reported.

"For every young South Asian girl growing up not just in Montgomery but across New Jersey, they're going to have a true role model to look up to," Gopal said.

Vincent P Barragan, who was named as the Deputy Mayor, said he was "proud and humbled to be able to serve with such a diverse team of individuals."
New Delhi, Jan 9 : A Delhi court on Tuesday granted permission to NewsClick's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty to become an approver in the case lodged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over allegations that the media outlet received money to spread pro-China propaganda.

Chakravarty had filed the application before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur, seeking pardon in the ongoing case.

The judge allowed Chakravarty, who claims to possess material information that he is willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, to turn an approver in the case.

During the last hearing, police sources had indicated that the agency will make a decision regarding supporting his application after thoroughly reviewing the information he provides in his statement.

The court, on December 22, had granted 60 more days to Delhi Police to complete the investigation after it had moved an application before the court seeking an extension of three months.

NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha is in judicial custody till January 20.

The police application sought an extension for the maximum period allowed under the law, which is 180 days from the day of the accused's arrest in cases filed under special acts, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The application stressed on the voluminous nature of documents and evidence in the case, stating that the agency needs to visit various locations outside Delhi, contributing to the expected delay.

The Special Cell had registered an FIR in connection with the case on August 17 under different sections of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code against NewsClick. In August, a New York Times investigation accused NewsClick of being an organisation funded by a network linked with US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, to allegedly promote Chinese propaganda.
Manipur govt yet to give permission to use ground in Imphal for Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Image Source: IANS News

Imphal, Jan 9 : The BJP government in Manipur is yet to give permission to use the Hapta Kangjeibung ground in Imphal East district for the launch of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by former party President Rahul Gandhi on January 14.

A Congress leader on Tuesday said that when the party leaders on Monday met Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi and requested him to provide permission to hold the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra launching meeting at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground, the Chief Secretary assured them that the government will inform them about the permission by Monday evening itself.

"We have applied to the government on January 2 seeking permission for the launching of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal. The party is yet to decide the next course of action if the state government does not allow us to hold the meeting at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground on January 14," he said.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal (Organisation) on Tuesday once again held a preparatory meeting to launch the ambitious Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the trouble torn state.

Manipur state Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh, former three-term Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh (2002-2017), AICC Manipur in-charge Girish Chodankar, Congres Working Committee member Gaikhangam and other leaders attended the meeting and visited Hapta Kangjeibung to assess the ground's suitability.

Venugopal said that from Manipur, the Yatra will go to Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and will reach Mumbai on March 20 by covering 6,500 km in 15 states.

Manipur state Congress President Keisham Meghachandra Singh said that on January 14 several leaders of the party, including chief ministers and MPs from across the country will gather in Manipur for a peaceful rally.

Claiming that the Yatra is not a political programme or any election campaign, Venugopal said it demands justice for the women, youth, farmers and poor and this Yatra will be historic as well.

"Manipur needs justice, that's why the Yatra will be started from this state. We want to ensure the future of Manipur and the state needs healing," Venugopal told the media.

He said that Rahul Gandhi's earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra, which covered 4,500 km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, evoked tremendous success and got unprecedented public response.

The Congress Rajya Sabha member said that no political party and no political leader in India conducted such a historic campaign.

AICC member and Manipur Congress spokesman Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said on the X: "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Manipur will bring justice to the entire people of Manipur. It is, indeed, an honest step to humanity with love and tranquility from our leader Rahul Gandhi."

Manipur is devastated by over eight month long ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo community and over 185 people have been killed and over 1,500 people injured and displaced over 70,000 people of both communities so far.
With illegal immigration to the U.S. at record highs in 2023, and just as House Republicans are preparing to launch a process to impeach him, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on Monday traveled to the border with Mexico and made a passionate appeal to Congress to approve $6 billion with which to reinforce border control and accelerate processing times.

We are doing everything we can, within a broken system, to incentivize noncitizens to use lawful pathways, to impose consequences on those who do not, and to reduce irregular migration, said Mayorkas in a statement at the Eagle Pass border crossing in Texas, across from the Mexican city of Piedras Negras. Illegal immigration is something that the Republican opposition wants to turn into one of the major issues of debate during the campaign for the presidency this year.

In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended nearly two million migrants at the southern border, a figure that is similar to the first two years of President Joe Bidens term. Before that, under Donald Trump (2017-2021), the highest number of arrests occurred in 2019, when they reached 852,000. Polls indicate that immigration is one of the great concerns of Republican voters.

In December, arrests for illegal border crossings reached an average of 8,400 a day. But the trend has slowed down following a visit to Mexico by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Mayorkas and other senior U.S. officials late last month. Mexican President Manuel Andres Lopez Obrador has declared that the financial problems that led the Mexican immigration agency to suspend deportations and other operations against irregular migrants have been resolved, without offering more details. Last week, the flow of illicit crossings into the U.S. fell drastically and daily arrests stood at 2,500. The reduction has prompted the U.S. to reopen a series of border crossings that it had closed due to the enormous number of people trying to get through. One of these is Eagle Pass.

We are grateful for Mexicos renewed enforcement commitments to address the movement of people north, Mayorkas said. At meetings in Mexico, which will continue in Washington throughout January, the two sides agreed to intensify their efforts to stop human smuggling, combat trafficking and dismantle criminal networks, according to the joint statement issued at the time. The Secretary of Homeland Security, for his part, announced a trip in the coming weeks to Central America, where the majority of irregular migrants to the U.S. come from. According to his department, an increase in arrivals from Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela has also been detected.

We will continue to do everything we can, and we will continue to enforce the law, but we need Congress to make the legislative changes and provide the funding that our frontline officers so desperately need, noted Mayorkas during his address in Texas.

The White House has included $6 billion for the border in its request to Congress for additional funding, which also includes more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel in this countrys war against Hamas. The Biden administration plans to use that that money to hire more border agents, asylum officers and immigration judges to unblock a long waiting process.

Republicans in Congress are blocking the request for funds for Ukraine and intend to link that item with the introduction of much tougher measures against entry into the U.S. The G.O.P. claims that the money requested by the Biden administration would be directed not at intensifying border control, but at processing existing cases, and therefore would not deter potential irregular migrants from attempting the journey.

This week, House Republicans are planning to start taking steps to impeach Mayorkas for alleged neglect of duties that endangers the countrys security by letting in so many irregular immigrants. If the initiative succeeds, the Secretary of Homeland Security would be the first non-presidential position of a U.S. government to be subjected to this measure in nearly 150 years.

Republicans want the Senate, under Democratic control, to approve a bill known as HR2 that has already received backing in the Republican-controlled House. This legislation would almost completely end the possibility of requesting asylum at the border.

Among other things, it would prohibit claiming asylum if the person requesting it has crossed a third country to reach the U.S., and would grant the Secretary of Homeland Security broad powers to suspend the entry of immigrants to maintain operational control of the border. The bill also envisions the construction of the wall that Donald Trump proposed and would eliminate various programs that have allowed hundreds of thousands of people from conflict-afflicted countries to legally enter the United States.

Mayorkas and the Biden administration maintain that they have already adopted a tough position against illegal migration. The majority of all Southwest Border migrant encounters throughout this administration have been removed, returned, or expelled  the majority of them, said the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Meanwhile, senators from both parties are negotiating to try to reach an agreement on immigration reform and unblock aid to Ukraine, although so far progress has been slow. Some Democratic legislators, including a group of Hispanic lawmakers, and migrant rights organizations oppose limiting the right to asylum at the border. Legislators must approve budget laws by January 19 and August 2 to avoid a partial government shutdown due to lack of funds.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Shiv Sena-UBT has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court objecting to the meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar over lunch on January 7, ahead of the verdict on the sensitive case of disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde.

The Supreme Court had ordered the Speaker to announce his decision by January 10 on disqualification petitions filed by the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde against each other.

The application filed by Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sunil Prabhu stated that "it is highly improper for the Speaker to meet Eknath Shinde just three days prior to deciding the disqualification petitions".

"The Speaker, as the adjudicating authority under the Tenth Schedule, is required to act in a fair and impartial manner. The conduct of the Speaker must inspire confidence and justify the constitutional trust reposed in its high office. However, the present act of the Honable Speaker raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of the decision-making process," said the application filed before the apex court.

It said that the act of the Speaker in meeting CM Shinde just prior to the deadline for the decision at his residence is in violation of the legal maxim that justice should not only be done but should also be seen to be done.

Following the split in the party in June 2022, both the factions of Shiv Sena filed petitions against each other under the anti-defection law.

Later, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena moved the apex court against delay by the Speaker in deciding the disqualification proceedings filed against Chief Minister Shinde and his camp.

In May 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had directed that the Maharashtra Speaker "must decide disqualification petitions in a reasonable time" against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who were accused of anti-party activities.
Lucknow, Jan 9 : The Yogi Adityanath Government will celebrate the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as a 'national festival' and a holiday has been declared on January 22 in all educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow, Jan 9 (IANS) The Yogi Adityanath Government will celebrate the aPran Pratishthaa ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as a 'national festival' and a holiday has been declared on January 22 in all educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that there will be no sale of liquor in the state on the day of aPran Pratishthaa.

Yogi, who was in Ayodhya on Tuesday to review preparations for the mega event, told officials that there should be no compromise on cleanliness and security and tourist guides should be deployed to introduce the visiting devotees/tourists to the glory of the Navya, Divya and Bhavya Ayodhya.

He held a meeting with the officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust after the darshan and worship of Ram Lalla and Hanuman Garhi.

He directed officials to extend all necessary cooperation to the Teerth Kshetra Trust for the security and other arrangements for the ceremony.

The Chief Minister emphasised the need for enhanced hospitality for dignitaries attending the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya and said their resting place should be selected in advance.

Considering the weather, it is possible that some guests may arrive a day or two earlier. In such a situation, better arrangements should be made for their stay, he said.

Yogi also reviewed the availability of hotels, dharamshalas, and home stay options in Ayodhya and said that there was a need to further increase the number of tent cities.

He directed the installation of multilingual signage throughout the city, covering languages from the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and the six official languages of the United Nations.

He underscored the necessity of maintaining cleanliness on major roads and streets such as Dharma Path, Janmabhoomi Path, Bhakti Path, and Ram Path.

While dustbins have been strategically placed at various locations, Yogi called for enhanced arrangements for waste management.

Currently, with over 3,800 sanitation workers deployed, he recommended increasing the workforce by an additional 1,500 employees to further ensure cleanliness and hygiene.

Yogi said that the upcoming consecration will be celebrated at every temple in the evening on January 22. He has directed that all government buildings be illuminated and arrangements be made for evening fireworks to enhance the festive ambiance.

He ordered that theme-based decoration of Dharma Path, Janmabhoomi Path, Bhakti Path and Ram Path should be done.

Ten-bedded health centres will be set up in all tent cities and ambulances will be deployed there along with various specialist doctors in Ayodhya.

The Chief Minister further instructed officials to set up night shelters in view of the prevailing cold wave conditions in north India.
Panaji, Jan 9 : CEO of a Bengaluru-based AI company -- arrested for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son at a service apartment in the coastal state -- has been remanded to six days police custody, police said.

Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan said that so far the motive of the crime is not known as the case is in the primary stage of investigation.

The accused woman was identified as Suchana Seth (39) from Bengaluru. She was arrested on Monday from Chitradurga district of Karnataka, while she was heading to Bengaluru in a cab.

"After reaching Goa she was produced in the local court, who sent her to six days police custody," Valsan said, while addressing a press conference.

Valsan said that the accused woman is native of West Bengal and has been settled in Bengaluru, while she is married to Keralite. "Her husband is presently in Indonesia. We have informed him about the incident," Valsan said.

"She has told us that they were undergoing divorce proceedings. We have to verify this," Valsan said.

Police said that she had checked into a service apartment in Candolim-north Goa on Sunday morning with her son and left for Bengaluru on Monday early morning after committing crime in the room.

Police said that the incident came to light after house-keeping staff went to clean the apartment on Monday and noticed some bloodstains.

"After getting a complaint from hotel staff, we tried to contact the cab driver, who was hired by the hotel on her request to proceed to Bengaluru. When we asked the woman about her son, she said that he is in Margao (in South Goa) at a friend's house and will stay there for some days. But when we verified the address, it was found to be fake. Then we told the cab driver to take her to the nearest police station. Thus she was nabbed," Police said.

Valsan said that the body of her son was found in luggage, which was checked by police in Karnataka.

Police said that she insisted for a cab, though hotel staff had told her that flight will be cheaper than roadways.

Police said that 'estranged relationship' with her husband is one of the reasons behind the motive of murder.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said that a critical washer was discovered missing during recent checks on a Boeing 737 MAX operated by an Indian carrier.

This comes after Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft after one plane had to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, with a window and a part of the fuselage missing.

The US aerospace giant issued a global advisory late last month, urging MAX operators to conduct thorough inspections for loose hardware. The focus was particularly on nuts securing tie rods responsible for controlling the rudder movement.

"Based on information from an operator of a missing nut and washer in the Aft Rudder Quadrant on Boeing 737MAX airplane, Boeing has recommended for a one-time inspection of all Boeing 737MAX airplanes before January 10 for possible loose hardware," the aviation watchdog's Director General, Vikram Dev Dutt said.

Indian Boeing 737MAX fleet of 40 is operated by Akasa (22), Spicejet (9) and Air India Express (9).

"Inspections on 39 aircraft have been completed with nil findings except on one aircraft wherein a missing washer was found. Rectification action as per recommendations of Boeing has been taken prior to release of this aircraft. Inspection on the remaining one aircraft will be completed prior to release for service," said Dutt.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 9 : Godrej Agrovet, a part of Godrej Group, is ready to set up an integrated oil palm processing unit in Telangana.

The unit is proposed in Khammam district in collaboration with Malaysian company Sime Darby.

A delegation of Godrej Agrovet, which is already running numerous business activities including cooking oils, dairy, agro, veterinary services, agro chemicals, animal fodder and veterinary services, on Tuesday met Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

The delegation led by Managing Director Iram Singh Yadav held discussions with the Chief Minister at the Secretariat.

The Chief Minister suggested to the company delegation to explore huge potential in the fields of real estate, furniture and consumer goods in the state.

Revanth Reddy assured all support to expand further the oil palm and dairy business which have already been taken up by the company in Telangana. He advised the company to promote skill development as part of corporate social responsibility.

State IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari and other officials were also present.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Jan 9 : Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani on Tuesday said that a help desk will soon be established in the assembly which will provide training to all the MLAs about the paperless process and a separate television channel for the proceedings of legislative assembly will also be launched soon.

In a meeting of the information technology officials of the Assembly, Devnani said that digital security is necessary in today's era and directed the officials that the work should be done keeping in mind all the security aspects to protect the Rajasthan assembly from cyber threats.

Devnani said that technical and digital upgradation of technology should be used in Rajasthan Assembly.

Speaker said that a television channel and WhatsApp channel of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly will also be launched soon so that the general public can get immediate information about the activities of the assembly, like Sansad TV.

He said that the latest information technology will be used to connect Rajasthan assembly with the common people.

"The functioning of the assembly will be made paperless," the Speaker said.

He asked the officials to work under the provisions of the IT Act, so that the assembly remains safe from cyber threats.

He said that all the social media applications of the assembly should be immediately upgraded and the information should be kept updated.

The Speaker also passed on the instructions to work with new thinking and updated information technology to make the assembly's YouTube channel more effective.
Hyderabad, Jan 9 : Asian Institute of Nephrology and Urology (AINU), India's largest single specialty hospital network of urology and nephrology care, on Tuesday announced that it has completed 1,000 robotic surgeries.

The robotic surgeries were successfully performed for the treatment of kidney cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and reconstructive urology (surgery to recreate, and repair areas of the urinary tract).

Dr. C. Mallikarjuna, Chief Consultant Urologist and Managing Director, AINU told a press conference that the advantages of robotic surgery over traditional methods are evident in the post-operation experiences of patients.

He said that following a complete prostatectomy, individuals undergoing robotic surgery benefit from a more consistent urination pattern, eliminating the discomfort of bladder control, they also can have a normal penile erection as the delicate nerves can be effectively preserved.

"In the case of kidney cancers Robotic surgery has also displayed exceptional outcomes," he said.

He said that in cases of early-stage kidney cancer, the precision of robotic surgery allows for the targeted removal of tumors while preserving the majority of the kidney.

"This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional methods that may necessitate the removal of the entire kidney," he said.

He said that the robotic surgery allows for greater precision, dexterity, and visualization during surgeries, ultimately leading to improved clinical outcomes and reduced postoperative discomfort for patients, lesser blood loss, and faster recovery.

He said that patients undergoing general surgery often require more extended periods of rest before they can resume their work activities.

"In contrast, those undergoing robotic surgery experience quicker recovery times, enabling them to return to work sooner," he said.

Dr. P.C . Reddy, Senior Urologist and Executive Director, AINU said that the robotic surgeries have become crucial in complicated surgical cases.

"It can be used in most inaccessible areas with ease with almost the same movements of hands, with good precision, and less blood loss," he said.

He said that the artificial intelligence is going to further boost the use of surgical Robots.

"In the future, AI is going to analyse different steps in surgical procedures all over the world and advise the best steps in each procedure," he said.

AINU was recently acquired by Asia Healthcare Holdings. It has seven hospitals across four cities with a leading team of nephrologists and urologists.
New York, Jan 9 : The BA.2.86, a subvariant of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, can infect human cells that line the lower lung and engage in virus-host cell membrane fusion more efficiently -- two features linked to severe disease symptoms, researchers gave found, according to a study.

Their findings come as JN.1, a descendant of the BA.2.86, is currently the leading variant surging the number of infections across several countries. It raises concerns of the immune evasiveness of the virus.

BA.2.86 is the parent of the currently dominating JN.1 and has about 60 more spike protein mutations than the original, or parent, coronavirus, including over 30 more than its close Omicron relatives -- the early BA.2 variant and the recently-dominant XBB.1.5 variant among them.

These mutations led scientists to worry that so many changes would make the variant as tough to contain as the initial Omicron outbreak in 2021-22.

However, the study, published in the journal Cell, showed that BA.2.86 can be neutralised by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared.

"We found that, surprisingly, despite all those 60 mutations combined together, BA.2.86 is not as immune-evasive as the XBB.1.5 variant, which until recently had been dominating the pandemic for months. That's good news," said Shan-Lu Liu, virology professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at The Ohio State University.

"But BA.2.86 appears to have increased infectivity of human lung epithelial cells compared to all Omicron variants, so that's a little worrisome. And, consistent with infectivity, it also has increased fusion activity with human lung epithelial cells.

"That raises a potential concern about whether or not this virus is more pathogenic compared to recent Omicron variants," said Liu, also a professor in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity.

Researchers found BA.2.86 was more efficient at infecting a cell line derived from the human lower airway epithelium in the lung. Infection of these cells is greatly facilitated through a cell surface protein, known as TMPRSS2, to promote membrane fusion, and this protein is a known contributor to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease symptoms in the respiratory tract.

First author Panke Qu, a graduate student in Liu's lab, conducted the cell-culture studies using pseudoviruses -- a non-infectious viral core surrounded by different SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on the surface structured to match known variants.

Liu noted that other labs have recently suggested that JN.1, one of the fastest-growing descendants of BA.2.86, is much more resistant to neutralising antibodies that are effective against BA.2.86. "We know that coronaviruses are prone to viral recombination, which can lead to new variants with huge numbers of mutations that could have increased immune evasion but also disease severity," he said.

"That's why surveillance of the variants is still very important, even though we are in the end of year four of the pandemic."
Washington, Jan 9 : Former US First Lady Michelle Obama admits she's "terrified" about the potential outcome of the 2024 presidential election with ex-President Donald Trump outrunning incumbent Democrat Joe Biden in the polls despite a mountain of legal cases piled up against him, including one to keep him off the ballot.

Obama said Novemberas 2024 presidential contest is among her top fears that keeps her awake at night, as per a podcast interview released Monday.

"Whatas going to happen in this next election? Iam terrified about what could possibly happen, because our leaders matter. Who we select, who speaks for us, who holds that bully pulpit, it affects us in ways sometimes I think people take for granted," she told Jay Shetty in his podcast "On Purpose".

"The fact that people think that the government -- aeh, does it really even do anything?a -- and Iam like 'Oh my God, does the government do everything for us, and we cannot take this democracy for granted'. And I worry sometimes that we do. Those are the things that keep me up," she said.

Michelle Obama's comments come atop President Joe Biden ramping up his reelection campaign, narrowing in on a message that democracy is on the ballot this year. Still, many Democrats have expressed concern that his message isnat resonating, pointing to polls showing him in a close contest with former President Trump, media reports said.

In the interview, the former first lady listed a number of other items that worry her, including: "Are people going to vote, and why arenat people voting?"

"Those are the things that keep me up, because you donat have control over them. And you wonder: aWhere are we in this? Where are our hearts?'" she said.

Later, Obama suggested there was a double standard when it came to Trumpas legal entanglements and what might happen if a similar predicament befell a Black man. "The bars are different for people in life. That Iave learned," she said.

Without naming Trump, she said: "Other people can be indicted a bunch of times and still run for office. Black men canat. You just learn to be good. And in the end, you benefit from that extra resilience."
New York, Jan 9 : Using antiviral tecovirimat (Tpoxx) within 7 days of mpox symptom onset is associated with lower rates of mpox disease progression among people with HIV (PWH), according to a study.

The cohort study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was based on outcomes seen among 112 PWH diagnosed as having mpox from June 1, to October 7, 2022.

A total of 56 people were classified as cases and received tecovirimat within 7 days of mpox symptom onset (early tecovirimat group), and 56 were controls who were either treated later or did not receive tecovirimat at all (late or no tecovirimat group).

In both the case and control groups, 96 per cent of participants were cisgender men, and more than 80 per cent were Black.

The average age was 35 and 36, respectively among cases and controls.

The main outcome was progression of disease after 7 days.

Mpox disease progression occurred in 3 PWH (5.4 per cent) in the early tecovirimat group and in 15 PWH (26.8 per cent) in the late or no tecovirimat group.

"Results of this cohort study support starting tecovirimat in all PWH as soon as an mpox diagnosis is suspected," said Bruce Aldred, from Emory Universityas School of Medicine in Georgia, in the paper.

"Additional research is warranted to confirm these findings," he added.

Although the findings are encouraging, a blanket recommendation to give Tpoxx to all PWH as soon as mpox is suspected may be premature given the limitations of tecovirimat availability, experts argued in an accompanying commentary, CIDRAP reported.

"The study shows the efficacy of Tpoxx, but ignores that most PWH in the US are not eligible for Tpoxx use based on current CDC guidelines, which would not include a PWH with undetectable viral loads," said experts from the universities of Columbia, North Carolina; and Cornell.

The CDC recommendations currently include only PWH who have advanced or poorly controlled infection, as well as immunocompromised patients, children, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

"Besides the practical issue that there is no clear path to obtaining tecovirimat treatment for all patients with HIV, there are reasons to favour limiting its use to those who would potentially benefit the most," Jason Zucker, from Columbia University. "First, there is concern that broad use of tecovirimat could result in resistant virus. Second, mpox does not appear to be a severe disease in healthy persons with HIV."
Panaji, Jan 9 : Sugarcane farmers of Goa on Tuesday withdrew their protest after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured them to restart the operations of the Sugar factory.

Hundreds of sugarcane farmers demanding the reopening of a sugar factory on Monday had intensified the protest by shifting their agitation to the capital city.

The protesters had sought to know why the government was hesitating to come clear over the issue.

Started by the protest at Dharbandora on January 3, near the sugar factory, 45 km away from here, on Monday protesters shifted the protest to Panaji and complained that "nobody from the government side came to them to clear their doubts."

After withdrawing the protest on Tuesday, President of 'Goa Us Utpadan Sanghatana' (Sugarcane Producers association) Rajendra Desai told IANS that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured them to restart the factory.

"Chief Minister has told us that he will start the factory next year. Hence, we will start our process of sugarcane cultivation," Desai said.

Sawant said that an advertisement for 'Request for Quotation' has also been published on Tuesday and the contractor will be taken on board in the next three months.

"Their issue is resolved. They were getting all the compensation, I don't know why they staged a protest," he said after the delegation of farmers met him.

Government has issued an RFQ for redevelopment of the sugar factory with production of ethanol on Public Private Partnership.

In 2020, the state government shut down the operations of the sugar factory and, since then, the local farmers have been selling their produce in the neighbouring states.

'Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana' (Goa's only sugar factory) was set up in 1972.

The sugar factory, however, went into losses in the last one decade, and four years ago, its operations were stopped.
Navi Mumbai, Jan 9 : A Mumbai youth has been arrested for allegedly killing his girlfriend, a private bank branch manager, in a private hotel room after he suspected her of having an affair with another person, police said on Tuesday.

The accused is identified as Shoeb Shaikh, 24, a resident of Marol in Andheri while the victim, Amrit R. Kaur alias Amy, 35, lived in Sion, and was the manager of a private bankas Navi Mumbai branch.

According to Mumbai Police, following a tip-off, a team swooped on Shaikhas home early this morning and apprehended him just as he was preparing to flee to his native place in Uttar Pradesh.

During interrogation, Shaikh finally confessed that he and Amy had checked into a hotel in Navi Mumbai on Monday. There, after a quarrel, he strangled her to death in a fit of rage as he suspected her of having an illicit affair with someone else, and then sneaked away from there.

Following a tip-off of Shaikhas involvement in some shady activities from the Navi Mumbai Police, a Mumbai Police team went to his home, caught him and then informed the Turbhe police in the satellite city.

Based on the revelations by the accused, the Turbhe Police rushed to the hotel where they recovered the womanas body in one of the rooms which was sealed off pending the probe. Shaikh has been charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code including murder and further investigations are underway.
Kolkata, Jan 9 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from the West Bengal government on the recent attacks on the ED and CAPF officials at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.

Three ED officials were seriously injured by the attack by around 1,000 followers of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan.

Sources said that after the attack, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition (LoP) communicated to the Home Minister Amit Shah about the seriousness of the issue.

The MHA also received a report on the attack from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), whose armed personnel accompanying the ED official were also attacked. Similarly, ED has submitted a separate report to its parent ministry -- Ministry of Finance.

Sources said that Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is currently studying the joint report submitted by ED and CAPF about the attack. After studying the joint report the Governor is also expected to send his report to President Draupadi Murmu.

The Governor has already sought a clarification from the state police on whether the mastermind behind the attack and the Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan is still in West Bengal or has escaped to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The Governor has also sought punishment for those officers of state police who will be found negligent towards their duties while the attack on the ED and CAPF personnel took place.
Husband living with another woman years after separation from wife not cruelty: Delhi HC. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Delhi High Court has granted a divorce decree to a man on the grounds of mental cruelty inflicted by his estranged wife, citing the irreparable loss of trust, understanding, and love between them.

A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna stated that the prolonged separation of over 11 years, marked by false allegations, itself constitutes an act of cruelty.

The estranged couple, married in November 2011, faced issues within six months of marriage.

The man claimed that his wife pressured him to visit her parental home, threatening self-harm if he refused. When she left the matrimonial home, she adamantly refused to return, he said.

In response, the woman alleged cruelty and harassment for not bringing enough dowry, stating that she was left at her parental home with no effort from her husband and his family to take her back.

The high court observed that despite the brief duration of the marriage, conciliatory efforts by the husband and legal notices failed to facilitate reconciliation. It noted adjustment issues between the parties and the absence of evidence showing the woman's willingness to return to the matrimonial home.

While a charge sheet under Section 498A (cruelty to a married woman) of the Indian Penal Code was filed, the court found no cogent evidence substantiating the allegations of dowry harassment or an attempt to kill the wife.

The court concluded that the prolonged separation, coupled with false allegations, amounted to mental cruelty, and any insistence on continuing the relationship would only inflict further cruelty. Consequently, the divorce was granted on the grounds of cruelty.
Kolkata, Jan 9 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the BJP over the Ram Temple inauguration, saying that they are creating deliberate hype over the event just to gain electorally in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

"Some people have been questioning me about my stand on the event. I can only say that I have other important things to do. Religion is his or her own but the festival is for all. I believe in festivals since festivals speak of unity.

"Let them (BJP) do whatever they want to do like to create hype over the event. But you surely cannot ignore people from other religions," the Chief Minister said while addressing an administrative review meeting at Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district on Tuesday.

She said that as long as Trinamool Congress is there no attempt to divide people on the basis of religion in West Bengal will be tolerated.

She said that one major reason for BJP to unleash the central agencies against Trinamool Congress is TMC's sustained protests against NRC and CAA.

"Our people are facing torture and harassment for our stand on NRC and CAA. They (BJP) are taking away things without even furnishing the seizure lists," the Chief Minister said.

She also attacked the last Left Front government, especially the front leader CPI-M.

"They CPI-M ruled the state for 34 years. They have killed so many people during that period. They tried to forcefully acquire farmland. There will not compromise with them," the Chief Minister said.
Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis pitted against each for other for 2nd place in Iowa caucus, eye on 2028. Image Source: IANS News

Washington, Jan 9 : With less a week to go for the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire to follow to decide the GOP nomination for the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump is brimming with confidence while rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are betting their odds to at least close the distance with Trump so that they have an outside chance with voters to get past him.

Poll predictions are that even if Trump closed with high leads in Iowa and New Hampshire, voters would do a double take if both Nikki and DeSantis coming very close to Trump and think if the latter are better than Trump who carries a huge legal burden with him into 2024, media reports said.

Ted Cruz from Texas upped New Yorker Trump in Iowa in 2016 though Trump was ahead of him in polls and points.

Thereas less than a week until the GOP Iowa Caucus next Monday night, and Trump is the one to beat, media reports said..

He is dominating polls with a 20-30 point lead and it now looks like a battle for the 2nd place, with DeSantis and Haley are positioning themselves as the best Republican Trump alternative.

Trump didnat win the Iowa caucuses back in 2016. But this time, his campaign in the Red state is very well organised.

Though Haley and DeSantis have begun attacking Trump directly for the chaos he creates with his errant rhetoric without going into the merits of the legal cases against him, they end up ultimately going at each other's throats.

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has crossed every county in the state -- twice -- but is still struggling to overcome the rest of his opponents. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, meanwhile, isnat even putting energy into Iowa, and is instead focusing on New Hampshireas contest later this month (January 23).

While Iowa only makes up 1.6 per cent of delegates at the Republican convention -- and 49 more states will vote -- it commands a lot of media attention because it goes first. A great result (or one that surpasses media & party expectations) can help a contender gain momentum or kill a campaign that doesnat meet expectations, MO News, a podcast and aggregator of news from various sections of the media said. .

Trump is polling over 60 per cent nationally in the contest for the GOP nomination, leading by nearly 40+ points. The lead is historic for a primary without an incumbent President, and no candidate has rallied from such a deficit to win the nomination in the modern primary era, the Washington Post reports.

But, the challenges he faces around his name appearing on Novemberas ballot are more than political. A number of legal questions remain.The US Supreme Court agreed to hear Coloradoas 14th Amendment case on February 8 over Trump's 2024 ballot eligibility, after the state booted him from the ballot.

Trump faces 91 felony counts across four trials, including two separate indictments for alleged election subversion and one for withholding classified documents (Mar a Lago in Florida) after leaving the White House. Claims of his executive immunity as President are also under scrutiny.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 9 : Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday said that Telangana did not get any benefit from Formula E race held last year, saying that the government will proceed legally on the agreement signed without approval as per Secretariat Business Rules.

He alleged that the Formula E race was conducted last year by the previous government to benefit a company and Hyderabad and Telangana were in no way benefited from it.

He told reporters that it was agreed to pay Rs 110 crores to the company and out of this Rs 55 crores were paid. The remaining amount was to be paid in two installments. ABB Formula E has issued notice to the state government for a third installment, he added.

Formula E on January 6 announced cancellation of the second Formula E race (Season 10) scheduled in Hyderabad for February 10.

The announcement was made after a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD) of the Telangana government not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on October 30, 2023.

Formula E Operations (FEO) said it was left with no choice other than to formally give notice to MAUD for breach of contract.

The state government has issued notice to senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar for 'serious violations' with regard to the agreement.

The official has been asked to explain why the huge financial expenditure of Rs 46 crores plus the tax amount of Rs 9 crores was paid from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) resources even before the agreement was signed.

According to the memo issued by Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari the amount was paid without obtaining the concurrence of the HMDA's Board of Directors as well as that of the Finance Department of the State Government.

The officer has been asked to give an explanation in seven working days to why suitable further action should not be initiated for the lapses.

Arvind Kumar was then Special Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development. After the Congress party came to power last month, he was transferred and posted as Special Chief Secretary, Revenue.

The Deputy Chief Minister slammed former minister K. T. Rama Rao for his tweet that the Congress government's decision will damage brand image. He alleged that the previous government bartered the state's resources while the new government is trying to undo the damage.

"The state did not get any income from the race. Should we spend Rs.110 crore for them to come here and see," he asked.

Vikramarka stated that another Rs 20 crores were spent for laying the track. Hyderabad Racing Limited spent Rs 35 crores.

He also mentioned that it was originally a tripartite agreement but AceNext Gen was removed and it was turned into a bipartite agreement.

"For the race, roads were blocked for 7-10 days. The company left after selling the tickets. What has the state got from it," he asked.
Thane : , Jan 9 (IANS) An 18-year-old boy was alleged shot dead by his friends after a brawl at a liquor party near Kalyan town late on Monday, police said on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Rajan Yerkar, 18, who was killed by a country-made pistol in possession of one of his partying friends.

According to police, the shocking incident happened in Mharal village in rural Kalyanas Suryanagar vicinity where the five friends had gathered for a drinking session.

They included the Yarkar and his friends, Samir Chavan, Rohit Bhalekar, Parvez Sheikh and Sunil Waghmare, all reportedly alcoholics, and history-sheeters.

During the party, initially there were some heated arguments which led to verbal abuses and fisticuffs when one of the friends suddenly whipped out a country-made pistol, brandished it before the others and then fired at Yerkar from point blank range, seriously injuring him.

The others attempted to rush him to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead before admission.

After getting a tip-off, the Kalyan Taluka police swung into action and managed to nab Bhalekar and Chavan, while the other two Shaikh and Waghmare are still absconding.

In-charge head of the Kalyan Taluka Police Station, Inspector Jitendra Shinde told IANS that several teams have gone to hunt for the two fugitive accused and they will be nabbed very soon.

Meanwhile, Bhalekar and Chavan were produced before a court which has sent them to police custody till Saturday, and further investigations are on. The accused have been charged under various sections of the IPC, Maharashtra Police Act, and the Arms Act.
Panaji, Jan 9 : A 21-year-old man has been arrested from Mumbai for allegedly kidnapping a minor girl from Goa, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi said that on Sunday, the warden of Girls hostel had lodged a complaint with Mapusa police in this regard.

"She had stated that a girl inmate, aged 14 years, had left for shopping in Mapusa Market in the afternoon, but didnat return. We investigated the matter and sent our team to Navpada-Mumbai. After thorough human and technical intelligence the victim and the accused person were traced at Mumbai and brought to Mapusa," the official said.

"The accused person has been identified as Akshay Manohar Tayde, 21, resident of Bhopal," he added.

Police are further investigating the case.

--IANS

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Chennai, Jan 9 : The Madras High Court on Tuesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to consider the possibility of providing 1 per cent horizontal reservation to transgender people in education as also in employment in all public sectors.

The first bench of the Madras High Court comprising of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy was responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by transgender activist Grace Banu Ganeshan for the reservation of transgender community.

The division bench said that it agreed with the petitioners counsel Jayna Kothari that the reservation policy for the transgender community in the state was complicated.

The court however said that the state has however done several things for the upliftment of the community.

The division bench of the Madras High Court granted time till March 4, 2024 for the Advocate General R. Shanmughasundaram to take information from government officials regarding the same.

This was after the AG said that the reservation for transgender community was a policy decision.

The petitioner said that the transgender persons who declare themselves as women gets reservation provided for women across all caste categories.

Those who however declare as men or as third gender are considered only under their respective castes or under Most Backward Class (MBC) category.

The court also pointed out to the AG about the petitioneras submission that Karnataka state had brought forward a policy of 1% horizontal reservation for transgender persons across all categories and told the AG that Tamil Nadu can also consider it.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 9, 2024 - 23:58 | Japan, All

The death toll from a powerful New Year's Day earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas in central Japan has surpassed 200, with over 100 people still missing, as a large-scale search operation started at a severely hit area, local authorities said Tuesday.

Local police will conduct the operation for several days, deploying around 100 personnel around a gutted market in Wajima, where a major blaze broke out following the magnitude-7.6 quake.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 202 people were confirmed dead with 102 unaccounted for, the prefectural government said. The figure includes six people who died after being evacuated and due to other disaster-related causes.

With over 26,000 people still sheltering in evacuation centers in Ishikawa Prefecture, concerns about the spread of infectious diseases have risen following reports of around a dozen infections with the novel coronavirus at three locations in the town of Shika, they said.

At least 3,100 people, primarily in Wajima and the adjacent city of Suzu, are cut off due to severed roads and heavy snowfall, with the recovery of electricity, water supply, and other services still uncertain, they said.

While more than 250 elementary, junior high, and high schools in the prefecture resumed after winter break on Tuesday, over 90 schools, including those in Wajima and Suzu, could not start classes due to damaged facilities.

Aftershocks also continue to jolt the region, including a magnitude-6.0 quake registering lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7 in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Tuesday that the number of Self-Defense Forces personnel taking part in rescue operations had increased by around 200 to roughly 6,300.

At the Wajima market, around 200 buildings spanning some 48,000 square meters were destroyed in the fire, according to the municipal government and firefighters.

There were many wooden buildings in the over 1,000-year-old morning market that was popular with tourists.

Deaths from the quake, which registered a maximum 7 on the country's seismic intensity scale, were concentrated in Wajima and Suzu in the Noto Peninsula, while the number of people unaccounted for has fluctuated due to conflicting information.

The country's Geospatial Information Authority said Tuesday a reference station in Wajima shifted approximately 2 meters southwestward due to crustal deformation caused by the quake, surpassing the 1.2-meter westward movement observed at a different location in the city and thought to be the maximum when the authority announced it on Jan. 2.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to make a visit to Ishikawa, his first since the quake, possibly on Saturday to assess the situation, a government source said.

On Tuesday, his Cabinet agreed to extend 4.74 billion yen ($33 million) from reserve funds under the fiscal 2023 budget to help finance relief measures such as steps for those affected to withstand the cold weather in the region.

The government also plans to increase reserve funds earmarked in the draft budget for the next fiscal year starting April from the current 500 billion yen to fund disaster recovery efforts, Kishida told a government task force meeting discussing emergency countermeasures.

Related coverage:

Misinformation proving challenge to relief efforts after Japan quake

Over 300 unaccounted for after Japan quake, snow hampers rescue work

Search continues in areas hit by central Japan quake amid rain
Agartala, Jan 9 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday told the Assembly that the state government would write to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) urging them to allow tribal students to write their answers in the 'Kokborok' subject examination in both Bengali and Roman script.

The aKokboroka language, which is the second official language of Tripura after Bengali, is the mother tongue of the majority of the tribals, who constitute one third of Tripuraas little over four million population.

Opposition Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the CPI-M members, raising the issue in the ongoing Assembly session, had been seeking the provision of allowing students to write in both Bengali and Roman script in the upcoming examinations ensuring the academic future of around 5,000 tribal students is not compromised.

On the third day of the Winter Session on Tuesday, TMP's Animesh Debbarma again raised the issue concerning students appearing for the Kokborok subject in CBSE-affiliated schools in Tripura and sought students must have the choice to write their answers either in Bengali or Roman script, similar to examinations conducted by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education.

Approximately 5,000 tribal students from various schools are set to appear for the Kokborok language subject. However, they currently have no option but to write in Bengali, a language that many of them may not be comfortable with.

Supporting Debbarmaas stance, former minister and CPI-M legislature party leader Jitendra Chowdhury pointed out that in the stateas education system, there is already an option to write answers for Kokborok subjects in both Roman and Bengali, from primary-level classes to university levels.

He highlighted that when given the option, 99 per cent of students prefer to write in Roman script and so the government can at least write to the CBSE for providing both options.

The Chief Minister, who also holds the Education portfolio, informed the Assembly that a three-member committee led by former MLA Atul Debbarma, has been assigned to work out the issue.

The government is awaiting the committeeas report before taking further action, he said.

The TMP has also been spearheading agitations across Tripura demanding the introduction of the Roman script for Kokborok.

For over five decades, there has been a debate over the use of the Bengali and Roman scripts for the Kokborok language. While some Kokborok speakers favour Bengali, the majority of the tribal intellectuals and academicians advocate the Roman script. Since 1988, two commissions have been set up on the issue under tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist and academician Pabitra Sarkar.

A TMP leader said that Kokborok is the mother tongue of the tribal people and it belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family and is close to other languages of the northeastern region such as Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : A Iranian man was arrested in Delhi and heroin, valued at over Rs 5 crore, smuggled from Afghanistan recovered from him, a Special Cell official said on Tuesday.

New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) A Iranian man was arrested in Delhi and heroin, valued at over Rs 5 crore, smuggled from Afghanistan recovered from him, a Special Cell official said on Tuesday.

The member of international drug syndicate has been identified as Mohsen Vahedi, 29, a resident of Iran's Torbatejam and the recovered heroin was smuggled in India from Afghanistan via Iran.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Alok Kumar said that on January 1, a police team was on checking the records of foreigners etc. residing in the hotels situated in the area of south district, and on suspicion, thoroughly checked the record of an Iranian guest in hotel Sunroof Residency, Hauz Rani, in Malviya Nagar area.

During the checking, police recovered one kg fine quality of Heroin from him.

"Vahedi disclosed to have been indulging in drug supplying racket in Delhi/NCR," said the DCP.

On his interrogation, it was revealed that he is a member of a big international narcotic drug cartel and procured the heroin from drug lord Habeeb, operating from Afghanistan.

Vahedi also disclosed that quality of heroin, manufactured and smuggled from Afghanistan is much superior and on high demand internationally as well as in India as comparison to the heroin manufactured from opium in legalised cultivated areas in India.

"From the last 5-6 years this new route has become prominent for smuggling of heroin in other parts of the country from Delhi to Tehran," the DCP said.

"Though the heroin brought from Afghanistan is costly, it is of very good quality manufactured from legally grown opium in traditional areas of Bareilly, Badaun, Barabanki in UP, Mandsaur in MP, and Jhalawar, Chhitorgarh, and Bhawani Mandi in Rajasthan," he added.

--IANS

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Patna, Jan 9 : In a horrific crime in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, three persons of a family, including a one-year-old girl, were gunned down by their relatives on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Patna, Jan 9 (IANS) In a horrific crime in Biharas Bhagalpur district, three persons of a family, including a one-year-old girl, were gunned down by their relatives on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The incident occurred at Navtolia village under Gopalpur police station around 4.30 pm.

The deceased are identified as Chandan Kumar, 40, his wife Chandni Devi, 30, and Roshni Kumari.

SP, Naugachia. Sushant Kumar Saroj, said that the accused are Chandnias father and brother and they are on the run after committing the crime.

"We have constituted a team headed by a SDPO rank officer to nab the accused. Raids are currently underway," he said.

"Chandni had a love marriage with Chandan in 2021 and they were living in the same village. As her father Pappu Singh and brother Dhiraj Singh were not happy with the marriage, they always got involved in a quarrel every time they saw her or her husband Chandan Kumar. On Tuesday, around 4.30 pm, Pappu Singh spotted Chandni and Chandan in the village, he ran at them with the iron rod and brutally assaulted them.

"During the attack, Chandan sustained fractures on his hands. By that the time, Chandnias brother Dhiraj arrived with the firearm and shot the couple. He did not even spare the 1-year-old Roshni, who was also shot by him. The trio died on the spot. After committing triple murder, Chandni's father and brother fled from the village," the SP said.
Bhopal, Jan 9 : In a bizarre incident, a judge in a district court in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam received a letter warning of the sender's plan to commit suicide and enclosing a poisonous powder.

The person, who sent the letter through post, said that if justice is not done with him sooner, he will consume the poisonous power (sulphas) to end his life.

Judge Mugdha Kumar of Ratlam district court, during proceedings, received the envelope from a staff member, and when she opened it, she felt uneasy at the smell from the powder it contained.

She questioned the staff member who received the letter and the district judge was also informed. The matter was also reported to the local police and the person who sent that letter was arrested on Tuesday.

As per the police, the person has been identified as Dashrath Sharma, a resident of village Ringaniya in the district.

Additional Superintendent of Police Rakesh said Sharma had lodged a complaint against his family members, including his wife and father, accusing them of beating and harassing him in 2023. The case was pending before the court since December last year, and Sharma sent the letter to demand speedy judgment.

Further investigation in the matter was underway, police said.
Guwahati, Jan 9 : In one of the biggest drug seizures in Assam, the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police recovered narcotic substances valued at Rs 100 crore in Karimganj district, officials said.

Police have arrested four people, including three natives of Mizoram, including a woman, on the charges of drug peddling.

On Tuesday afternoon, an STF team led by DIG Parthasarathi Mahanta began an operation in the Suprakandi area under the Nilam Bazar Police Station in the district based on specific information. During the raid, police found four huge cartoons of international cigarettes, 64,000 Yaba pills, and 5.1 kg of heroin in a vehicle that was traveling from Mizoram.

"This is a cross-border attempt to smuggle drugs and the consignment was coming from Champhai district of Mizoram which shares a border with Myanmar," the DIG said.

The arrested persons were identified as Lalchamliana, Zosangliani, Ramngheaka, and Nur Ahmed.

Ahmed, the driver of the car carrying the consignment, is a resident of the Karimganj district, according to the police.

According to police, they were all arrested in accordance with various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and are being questioned, and their cell phones have been taken for investigative purposes.

"We are trying to find the source, from there the consignment was coming and where they were heading to," Mahanta said.

As per available data, this is the largest heroin seizure in Assam to date, according to Karimganj's Superintendent of Police Partha Pratim Das.

"The market value of these narcotic products have increased and in terms of money, this is the largest seizure of drugs in Assam till date and one of the biggest seizures ever in northeastern states," Das told IANS.

The police said that the drug dealers attempted to circumvent major roadways by using village roads as an alternative route to reach Mizoram and Assam.

"The driver, a Karimganj local, was aware of how to evade police checkpoints and main thoroughfares. However, our intelligence was able to obtain the data, and we apprehended them without delay," an investigating officer stated.

Senior Assam Police officers claim that Mizoram is the source of the majority of these consignments, and during questioning, drug dealers admitted that Myanmar was their source of supply.
New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Delhi High Court is set to hear, on Wednesday, a petition filed by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) against the alleged freezing of its funds by state authorities.

Justice Subramonium Prasad directed the DCPCR's counsel to serve a copy of the plea to the Lt Governor's office and inform them about the scheduled listing.

This petition was transferred from the Supreme Court, where on December 15, the apex court had instructed the DCPCR to present its grievances before the Delhi HC after it raised concerns about the freezing of its funds by state authorities.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the DCPCR, argued in the Supreme Court that the funds of the commission should not be frozen, stressing the impact on the services provided to six million children in the state.

Last year, Lt Governor V.K. Saxena approved an inquiry and special audit into the alleged misuse of government funds by the DCPCR. The commission has refuted the allegations, stating that they are mala fide.
Imphal, Jan 9 : Indian Army's Spear Corps commander, Lt Gen H.S. Sahi commended the performance and contributions of the officers and soldiers of the Red Shield Division during various operations in restive Manipur, army officials said on Tuesday.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Amit Shukla said that Lt Gen Sahi visited the Red Shield Division and carried out a comprehensive review of its operational readiness and its role in Manipur, which was devastated by the ethnic rioting for over eight months.

He acknowledged the pivotal role of the division for ensuring national security and appreciated the unwavering commitment to operational tasks.

During the visit, Lt Gen Sahi inaugurated the newly-constructed Amrit Sarovar, symbolising a new chapter in the Division's contribution towards the national initiative of rejuvenating water bodies.

The visit of the GOC emphasised the Division's dedication to adapting to changing security dynamics. The Corps commander's directives on preparedness and training represent a notable milestone in the Division's commitment and role towards sustaining operational excellence and enhancing the nation's security, officials said.
Imphal, Jan 9 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday said that drug peddling, and ecological and demographic imbalances have largely affecting the state's society and it is time to deliberate on these issues for the survival of all sections of people.

Addressing a function to observe the 190th death anniversary of Maharaj Gambhir Singh at his 'samadhi' at Langthabal (Canchipur), he stressed the need to initiate a war against drugs, campaign against deforestation, and stop illegal entry of immigrants (from Myanmar).

Noting that the war against drugs had to be taken up to save the present and future generations, Biren Singh sought unity among the communities in the present situation as all communities are suffering.

He appealed to all communities to stand unitedly against illegal drug business, and poppy plantations in order to build a strong and united Manipur.

The Chief Minister also said that security forces, including state police commandos, Assam Rifles, and the Border Security Force, are jointly continuing their operations against the militants in Moreh, along the Myanmar border.

Saying that the Central government is solidly standing for Manipur, he said that the NIA under Home Ministry has already announced the present ethnic crisis in the state is a war being waged against the Indian government and without "seriousness, conviction and determination, we cannot save the land".

Highlighting some historical events, the Chief Minister lamented the lack of proper and complete documentation of leaders like Maharaja Gambhir Singh. On the importance of Ningthi Turel near Moreh, he said it is the river where Maharaja Gambhir Singh, Narsingh, and Heerachandra washed their swords after driving away the Burmese from the land.
Hyderabad, Jan 9 : The Telangana government has constituted a five-member committee to look into issues relating to Dharani portal and for restructuring it.

The committee comprises M. Kodanda Reddy, retired IAS officer Raymond Peter, advocate Sunil, B. Madhusudhan, a Special Grade Deputy Collector (Retired) while Chief Commissioner of Land Administration will be member convenor.

Dharani, the integrated land records management system, was one of the main issues in the recently held Assembly elections.

The Congress had alleged that the BRS government designed the portal to take away the lands of farmers and others and had promised to scrap it.

IKn its election manifesto, it had promised "Bhumata" portal in place of the Dharani portal and assured that justice will be done to all farmers who have lost their land rights.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday discussed political issues and development programmes with leaders of Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar, Nalgonda, and Rangareddy districts. He instructed the ministers and MLAs to ensure every needy gets the benefit of the welfare schemes.

Indiramma Committees will be appointed soon and the beneficiaries of the welfare schemes will be identified.

The Chief Minister said honest and sincere officials should be appointed in the constituencies. He made it clear that stern action will be taken against corrupt officials.

Revanth Reddy also advised them not to bring disrepute to the government by taking anti-people decisions. He said the government will allocate a special development fund of Rs 10 crore for each constituency. The in-charge ministers of the old districts are entrusted with the responsibility of utilisation of the funds.

The Assembly constituencies should be developed in coordination with the in-charge ministers and the problems should be solved, he said, adding that the party and the government should coordinate and address the peopleas issues.

He asked the ministers and MLAs to make all efforts to win more number of MP seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Congress target is to win not less than 12 seats out of 17.

--IANS

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Patna, Jan 9 : The CBI, probing the murder of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, on Tuesday submitted the case diary of 168 pages and other related documents, totalling 500 pages, in a special court in Bihar's Arrah.

The CBI has already filed the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet in this case where 8 persons including former MLC Hulas Pandey, who is considered close to LJP-Ram Vilas chief Chirag Paswan, have been named.

During filing of the supplementary charge sheet, the court had asked the CBI about the case diary and other related documents as it had not filed them.

Mukhiya, a native of Belaur village in Bhojpur district, had formed upper caste militia called Ranvir Sena and it was involved in number of massacres in Bhojpur and Jahanabad district between 1995 and 2000 as it took on the Maoist Communist Center (MCC), considered as a militia of lower caste people and scheduled caste people, in the region. Massacres like Laxmanpur Bathe, Senari, Bathani Tola and others happened due to supremacy war between Ranvir Sena and MCC at that time.

The Sena chief was gunned down by unidentified persons at Katita locality under Nawada police station in Arrah city when he stepped out from his house for a morning walk on June 1, 2012. Following his murder, his supporters went on rampage and damaged many properties in a 60 km distance between Arrah and Patna.

Initially, the case was investigated by Bihar Police and but transferred to the CBI on July 13, 2013. After 10 years of investigation, the CBI had filed the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet in December 2023.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 9, 2024 - 10:38 | All, World

U.S. President Joe Biden has no plans to sack Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after he came under fire for failing to disclose his hospitalization for days, but his administration will investigate the "lack of transparency," a White House official said Monday.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Biden wants to keep working with Austin, as the president respects "the amazing job" he has done as Pentagon chief and very much values his advice and leadership.

"The president's number one focus is on (Austin's) health and recovery, and he looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible," Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One. "There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job."

The remarks came as Republican lawmakers and former President Donald Trump, Biden's potential opponent in the November presidential election, called for Austin's removal for not promptly informing the White House and top Pentagon officials of his hospitalization.

Austin, 70, was admitted into intensive care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on New Year's Day, but Biden and his aides were not made aware until three days later.

The Pentagon did not inform the public until Friday, and the reason for his hospitalization has not been divulged.

On concerns about transparency, Austin said in a statement the following day, "I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure."

On Monday, Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder told reporters that Austin remains hospitalized at the medical center but is "recovering well" and his "prognosis is good."

Ryder said Austin initially underwent an elective medical procedure at the facility on Dec. 22, adding he was discharged the following day and continued to work from home through the holidays.

Ryder said Austin began experiencing severe pain on the evening of Jan. 1 and was transported by ambulance to the facility.

He also said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks did not know the reason for the transfer of authority to her until Thursday.

Kirby and Ryder said officials are reviewing whether Austin and the Pentagon handled the matter appropriately.

"We'll take a look at the process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience," Kirby said.

Ryder said a delay in notifying the appropriate people was caused partly by Austin's chief of staff being out sick with the flu.

While it remains unclear when Austin will be released from the medical center at a time of numerous security challenges, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ryder said the secretary is focused on his duties.

Ryder said Austin has monitored the Pentagon's day-to-day operations worldwide since resuming his duties on Friday evening and has given necessary guidance to senior staff.

He added Austin spoke Monday with Hicks and Biden's top national security aide Jake Sullivan in separate phone calls.
With the spread of Covid-19 in the country, people are now focusing on immunity building measures and revisiting Ayurveda for prevention.. Image Source: IANS News

Patna, Jan 10 : RJD MLA and former state Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open an ayurveda treatment institute in Bihar.

Singh, the son of RJD state President Jagadanand Singh, said that a large number of people from the state go to the AIIMS in Delhi for ayurvedic treatment.

"If such a facility is available in Bihar, the people will get the same treatment at home. So, I request the prime minister to open a similar ayurvedic institute in Bihar," he said, citing the history of Bihar and ayurveda.
United Nations, Jan 10 : The representatives of Israel and Palestine have traded charges about the scale of atrocities committed, while the US defended its veto of an amendment proposed by Russia to a Security Council on Gaza.

They were speaking on Tuesday at a meeting of the UN General Assembly called under its resolution that requires permanent members, who use their vetoes in the Council to explain their action.

Meanwhile, a group of rabbis and Jewish seminary students staged protests within the UN calling for a ceasefire, a demand that is in opposition to Israel, whose representative was denouncing it as empowering Hamas.

US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood and Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan highlighted the plight of the Israelis and others held hostage by Hamas and other groups in Gaza.

Erdan accused the UN of being a "tool of war in the arsenal of Hamas" and being "obsessed" only with the people of Gaza and ignoring the Israeli hostages.

Asked about the allegation, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said later at his daily briefing that Guterres is "obsessed" with all the civilians and has also called for freeing the hostages.

Palestine's Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour said that in Gaza his people were "being slaughtered" and children killed, amputated and orphaned.

"How can you reconcile opposing the atrocities and vetoing a call to end the war that is leading to their commission?" he asked.

He said the number of people killed in Gaza -- over 23,000 according to the territory's health services -- would translate to three milliion in proportion to the size of the US population.

He dramatically held up a placard, "Ceasefire Now," which he said was cropping up across the US, including at a speech by President Joe Biden.

Erdan, with a dramatic flourish, produced at the podium a birthday cake for an Israeli baby, Kfir Bibas, who was abducted during the 10/7 attack along with his parents and a sibling while he was only nine months old.

He said that the cake with the infant's image was a symbolic celebration of his first birthday while he is held hostage and that he was drawing attention to the brutality of Hamas's treatment of babies and children.

He accused Hamas of using sexual violence as an instrument of war.

The UN, he said, was ignoring it and was "morally bankrupt" and acting like a "drunken man".

Wood blamed Russia for the US veto, saying that "one permanent member of the Security Council continues to put forward amendments and ideas that are disconnected from the situation on the ground".

He said that it was "deeply troubling" that many countries were ignoring the plight of more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza.

Israel would welcome a return to a pause in hostilities to help the return of hostages but Hamas was reneging on its commitments for it to be possible, Wood added.

Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva said that because of the US blackmail of using its veto, the Council could only pass "toothless" resolutions.

The US, she alleged, was deliberately undermining efforts at the UN regarding the Gaza situation and giving Israel a free rein.

Dujarric said that 40 in a group of rabbis and seminarians staged the peaceful protest in the Council chamber's visitors' gallery, although the body was not in session, and nine others in the top gallery in the Assembly hall.

They were peaceful and their message was for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, "which frankly is what we have been calling," Dujarric said.

Although Russia's amendment last month calling for a "suspension of hostilities" was vetoed, the resolution that instead called for steps "to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities" passed with 13 votes in the 15-member Council while the US and Russia abstained.

That resolution was the sixth to come before the Council since the 10/7 Hamas terror attack and Israel's retaliation.

Two resolutions have passed, two were vetoed by the US, one by Russia and another by both Russia and China.

Fighting was paused for four days in November to facilitate the release of hostages and to allow relief supplies into Gaza.

During that pause that was extended by three days, about 100 hostages were released.

The current crisis began on October 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 240 as hostages.

Israel retaliated on a massive scale with aerial bombing and a ground invasion, which has displaced about 86 per cent of the territory's population of 2.2 million, according to the UN.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
"We're deeply honored to receive our second consecutive CES Innovation Award. AIShield is committed to pioneering AI security solutions. Thanks to our supportive customers and partners, we enable enterprises to use generative AI confidently and securely." - Manojkumar Parmar, Founder, CEO, AIShield Post this

AIShield has been named a CES 2024 Innovation Award Honoree in the "Cybersecurity and Personal Privacy" category for its solution AIShield GuArdIan  robust guardrails for safe and secure Generative AI usage in enterprises. The announcement was made prior to CES 2024, the world's most influential technology event, set for January 9  12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES 2024 has received a record-breaking number of over 3,000 submissions for this year's CES Innovation Awards, a 40% increase over CES 2023. The CES Innovation Awards, produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), recognize outstanding design and engineering in 29 consumer technology product categories. A panel of industry experts, including media members, designers, engineers, and others, carefully reviews submissions based on innovation, engineering, functionality, and design. This is AIShield's second CES Innovation Award in two years. In 2023, AIShield received a CES Innovation Award for its AIShield Platform, an enterprise-ready AI application security product for AI security assessment and live threat monitoring.

Generative AI was the second most frequently named risk in Gartner's second-quarter survey, appearing in the top 10 for the first time. AIShield GuArdIan addresses Generative AI risks by acting as a secure bridge, analyzing input/output, enforcing role-based policies, and safeguarding against legal, policy, and usage violations. It provides vital protection for the human experience with GAI systems, enhancing security and compliance.

"We are thrilled to win the CES Innovation Award for a second time in a row," said Manojkumar Parmar, Founder, CEO & CTO of AIShield. "Securing AI Systems is a high-impact problem in our world. Resting on a strong foundation of technology, product, and business innovations, AIShield is the first-of-its-kind cybersecurity offering providing seamless end-to-end AI security solutions. The AIShield team is grateful for the support and enthusiasm we continue to receive from our customers and strategic partners. It's so important for today's enterprises to feel safe and secure while leveraging generative AI and simultaneously scaling AI capabilities throughout their business. Thanks to AIShield GuArdIan, our customers can trust that the generative AI models remain compliant, and their sensitive information remains secure as they scale their AI capabilities."

The CES 2024 Innovation Honoree - AIShield GuArdIan stands sentinel, fortifying Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), shielding against ethical dilemmas, misinformation, IP theft, and vulnerabilities. Rapid Generative AI advances reshape industries from healthcare to infrastructure, mobility, environment, and beyond. Amid innovation's allure lie unforeseen perilsethical quandaries, IP violations, and data breaches impacting diverse dimensions of human security. AIShield GuArdIan tempers innovation with protection, yielding accurate medical insights, curbing ethical and misinformation hazards, and ensuring secure coding.

AIShield, which Bosch unveiled at CES 2022, was recognized as an Innovation Award Honoree at CES 2023 for its novel AI Security Platform after a year of rapid innovation and developments in its technology, product, and markets. AIShield promotes trust in AI, protects intellectual property and investments, and manages regulatory compliance to enable sustainable business growth. It mirrors CES's vision, enriching lives while nurturing a future where human security thrives alongside AI.

The CES 2024 Innovation Awards honorees, including product descriptions and photos, can be found at CES.tech/innovation-awards.

About AIShield:

AIShield is a leading Gartner-recognized AI security provider powered by Bosch that aims to secure AI systems around the world. AIShield's AI security technology is backed by over 45 patents and has been used by over 40 organizations in the automotive, manufacturing, banking, and healthcare industries since 2022. AIShield offers comprehensive solutions for vulnerability analysis, endpoint protection, and resilience against emerging AI threats, thus securing AI systems across the lifecycle and deployment scenarios for any model, framework, or attacks including Generative AI. The state-of-the-art technology ensures the safety and security of AI-based application workloads across cloud, edge, and on-premises environments, empowering organizations across industries to confidently adopt AI. The vision for the company is to empower organizations across industries to adopt AI with confidence, securing over 1000 AI systems globally by 2025 and beyond.

Media Contact

Mukul Dongre, AIShield, 91 8050163834, [email protected], https://www.boschaishield.com

Twitter, LinkedIn

SOURCE AIShield
"The CTE series PC case represents a significant leap in innovation, having been prominently featured at the last CES. Our latest addition, the CTE E600 MX, is remarkable. Our design team studied feedback from hardcore gamers who strongly preferred a PC case offering extensive installation options." Post this

Diverging from its predecessors, the CTE E600 MX introduces a versatile three-way GPU installation option, allowing customization of component arrangement based on individual preferences.

Three-way GPU Installation to provide various configurations:

 Hanging the graphic card vertically

 Placing it up-right with the graphics card facing forward to the side panel on the rotational PCI slots

 Positioning the GPU in the middle of the chassis by using the included floating GPU bracket and pre-configured 400mm long PCI-e 4.0 riser cable

The CTE E600 MX also includes a dual set of interchangeable front panels made of tempered glass and perforated metal mesh for seamless swapping. The tempered glass front panel provides an open stage for an RGB lighting show inside the chassis and, when combined with the TG side panel, offers a panoramic view of all component arrangements. In contrast, the second panel boasts a perforated metal mesh design, catering to airflow enthusiasts who prioritizing superior ventilation.

The dual-chamber design of the CTE E600 MX allocates ample space behind the motherboard tray for efficient cable management. Equipped with included Velcro straps and cable ties, users can effortlessly secure cables to the numerous anchor points within the right chamber, ensuring a tidy, high-performance gaming PC build. On the opposite chamber, a spacious area allows meticulous placement of key components like CPU, GPU, and PSU, enhancing the overall airflow provided by the CTE design for extra stability. With support for up to twelve 140mm fans and a massive 420mm radiator, the CTE E600 MX delivers exceptional cooling performance. Removable dust filters maintain a clean environment, ensuring components stay cool, clean, and efficient. The CTE E600 MX combines functionality, aesthetics, and practicality  an ideal choice for discerning PC enthusiasts.

The CTE E600 MX, a recent addition to the CTE series, delivers optimal cooling performance for essential components and introduces a novel three-way GPU installation and an interchangeable dual front panel design. Combining the timeless CTE Form Factor with remarkable installation flexibility, the CTE E600 MX effortlessly provides a cool and sleek appearance to any gaming PC build.

Features of the CTE E600 MX Mid Tower Chassis:

The CTE Form Factor

The CTE Form Factor, meticulously designed by Thermaltake, embodies the concept of Centralized Thermal Efficiency. Its primary focus is to deliver top-tier thermal performance to critical components. Achieving this goal involves a clever 90-degree motherboard rotation, optimizing airflow pathways, and ensuring more efficient cooling.

Move Critical Heat Sources Towards Cool Air

The CTE E600 MX has strategically relocated the CPU and graphics card positions. The CPU resides much closer to the front panel, while the graphics card is positioned toward the rear. This deliberate arrangement provides independent cold air induction, effectively dissipating the CPU and graphics card heat.

Three-Way GPU Installation

The CTE E600 MX offers three distinct methods for mounting graphics cards:

Motherboard Rotation: Rotate the motherboard by 90 degrees, allowing the GPU to align upright within the chassis naturally.

The Rotational PCI-e Slots: Utilize the rotational PCI-e slots, ensuring the upright GPU faces the side panel.

Floating GPU Configuration: Employ the enclosed floating GPU bracket along with the pre-configured 400mm long PCI-e 4.0 riser cable. This unique setup allows the graphics card to sit at the center of the chassis, lending gamers battle stations an unconventional and eye-catching appearance.

PCI-e 4.0 Riser Cable 400mm

The enclosed high-quality riser cable adheres to the PCI-e 4.0 Standard, boasting an impressive 16GT/s transfer rate and supporting up to 64 GB/s (bi-directional) data transmission. The pre-configured cable eliminates any potential assembly hiccups, while the dedicated floating GPU bracket further enhances the overall floating GPU configuration.

Dual Interchangeable Front Panels

The CTE E600 MX features two interchangeable front panels: a crystal-clear tempered glass panel and a side panel that delivers an ultra-wide viewing angle for the RGB illustration and Key components inside the chassis. Option 2 is a perforated metal mesh panel.

This panel would be the ultimate choice for optimal airflow. When paired with a fan bracket, the panel accommodates up to three 140mm fans or an additional 420mm radiator at the front for exceptional heat dissipation.

Universally Compatible with Cooling Components

The CTE E600 MX E-ATX Mid-tower Chassis has an enormous fan installation capacity: up to twelve 140mm fans or fourteen 120mm fans can be installed in various spots. The chassis can also support up to 420mm radiators in the front, rear, or motherboard side. The front and bottom fan brackets provide an easy and friendly installation experience.

Optimal Cable Management

The CTE E600 MX offers ample space in the right chamber for effective cable management thanks to the dual chamber design. Numerous anchor points are available in this chamber, complimented by Velcro straps and cable ties from the accessory box to ensure a neat and organized setup!

Perfect Dust Protection

The chassis features fine removable filters at the top, front, bottom, rear, and right side, offering excellent protection against dust, and are easily removable for convenient cleaning.

Handy I/O Ports

Two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and HD Audio ports are placed on the top panel to grant direct access when needed.

Thermaltake at CES 2024

The Thermaltake CTE E600 MX Mid-tower PC Case and more new products will be showcased at the Thermaltake CES 2024 booth, located in The Venetian, Lvl 2, Veronese 2402 (3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109) from January 8th to 11th, between 9 AM and 6 PM.

Media, analysts, influencers, and YouTubers are invited to discover Thermaltake's groundbreaking products at CES 2024. Immerse in the revolutionary Hydrangea Blue Collection and engage with other exciting releases. Thermaltake is committed to providing an immersive and informative experience for all attendees.

Media professionals interested in scheduling a meeting with Thermaltake during CES 2024 are encouraged to reach out to Andrew Ouyang on behalf of Thermaltake USA at [email protected] to secure a slot and experience innovation firsthand.

For further information about Thermaltake at CES2024, please visit:

https://ces.thermaltake.com/2024/

About Thermaltake

Thermaltake Technology was established in 1999 and has been marketed to the world under the Thermaltake brand name ever since. With the mission to "Deliver the perfect user experience,"

Thermaltake has since become the leading brand in Gaming Computer Hardware: from chassis, power supply units, cooling systems, and memory modules to gaming PCs, gaming peripherals, and gaming furniture. Thermaltake is the leader in the PC DIY, Case Mod, and gaming market and is the number one choice for Gamers, Modders & PC DIY Enthusiasts worldwide.

Official website: https://www.thermaltakeusa.com

Follow Thermaltake USA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThermaltakeNA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thermaltake_NA/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thermaltake_NA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThermaltakeNorthAmerica

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thermaltakena

LCGS (Liquid Cooling Gaming Systems): https://lcgs.thermaltakeusa.com

Media Contact

Andrew Ouyang, IDEE Creatives, 8182824968, [email protected], www.ideecreatives.com

SOURCE Thermaltake
"WaterCube 100 is part of a concerted effort to end the water scarcity that affects more than one-third of people worldwide."  Dr. David Stuckenberg, co-founder and COO of Genesis Systems Post this

"Water scarcity, or lack of fresh water access, affects more than 40% of the global population, and by 2050 the world will need to feed an estimated two billion people  requiring even more water," said Genesis Systems co-founder and COO Dr. David Stuckenberg. "WaterCube 100 is part of a concerted effort to end the water scarcity that affects more than one-third of people worldwide. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could live under water-stressed conditions. Our products can provide millions of gallons of water daily and run completely on green energy and renewables: WaterCube 1000 can generate enough water daily for an entire village, while WaterCube 100 provides the same technology to the consumer market. Consumers have had few options to date other than to treat or filter water provided by utilities or even purchase or have it delivered. WaterCube 100 generates all the fresh, clean water a household needs with minimal upkeep and no expensive construction, providing consumers worldwide with a safe, secure and sustainable water source."

WaterCube 100 (WC-100) is designed for home or office, allowing users to produce fresh water easily. From the moment WaterCube 100 powers on, users gain peace of mind knowing they have clean, affordable water their way. The benefits and features include:

Monitors water quality via the WaterCube app, powered by AWS;

Sleek design and Intuitive IoT controls ensure seamless integration into any home, apartment or office;

Eliminates reliance on traditional water sources;

Ensures purity of water supply into homes;

Reduces dependence on external infrastructure; and

Multiple filtration stages that exceed National Science Foundation standards, ensuring the purest standards of water quality.

WATERCUBE WC-100 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

Water Generation: >100 (Gal/Day)

Humidity: >35% Humidity (ideal)

Electricity Supply: 240 Vac Single Phase 30A (U.S.)

Energy Consumption: 12kW Nominal (1 kWh/ gal)

Date Available: Q1 2024

Estimated Shipping: Q2 2024

Genesis Systems invites CES media and attendees to experience WaterCube 100 firsthand and learn more about how it can transform the way households access clean, fresh water. Contact [email protected] to schedule an interview during CES 2024, January 9-12 in Las Vegas.

About Genesis Systems

Genesis Systems LLC is an industrial technology company pioneering, developing, and marketing renewable and sustainable technologies that aid freshwater resource generation and environmental transformation and enhancement. Genesis Systems's Renewal Water from Air (RWA) technology helps users make "water their way" at the place and quantity needed almost everywhere. The company has nearly a decade of engineering, research, and development in partnerships with the best minds in multiple scientific and engineering disciplines across the United States.

Founded in 2017 by Dr. David Stuckenberg and Shannon Stuckenberg to sustainably solve global water scarcity, Genesis Systems is a privately held company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Follow Genesis Systems on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, or learn more at Genesis Systems.

Media Contact

Mindy Hull, Genesis Systems, 1 415 889 9977, [email protected], https://genesissystems.com/

SOURCE Genesis Systems
A constituent voicing concerns during a Quay County Commission meeting last week revived a longstanding issue: What to do about the historic Quay School?

During the public comment portion of Thursday's meeting, Benton Greer said the long-vacant bu...
The Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board last week approved changes in its bylaws that include an alteration to its meeting times.

Future meetings still will be on the first Wednesday of each month, except with a start time of 9 a.m. instead of 10...
Quay Countys manager said a state official assured him it would receive more disaster aid for Mays storm after it uses $750,000 in such funding authorized last year.

Road superintendent Stephen Salas said during the county commissions mee...
KYODO NEWS - Jan 9, 2024 - 08:18 | All, Japan

People struggling in the aftermath of a New Year's Day earthquake in central Japan have been confronted with an additional challenge from social media misinformation, prompting experts to warn people to think twice before sharing unsourced reports.

"I keep my smartphone, keys and money in my pocket when I sleep," said a 45-year-old man staying in an evacuation center in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture. "There's information on social media about suspicious persons" wandering around the disaster area.

The man said he received a photo from an acquaintance of a silver van which he was told was being used in robberies of homes whose residents evacuated after the earthquake. The image showed the car's license plate.

He decided to notify others after being told that the information was already spreading on the internet.

The warnings were quickly disseminated among multiple shelters, but the van was later confirmed to be owned by a telecommunications company and driven by workers who were in the area to repair mobile phone base stations.

"We're working to help those affected by the disaster," the company said. "The spread of misinformation is unfortunate."

While it is unclear who first posted the information, its rapid proliferation was assisted by an individual who asked people on X, formerly known as Twitter, to spread it along with a picture of the vehicle.

This individual later came to understand the information was false and deleted the post and apologized. But the picture had already been reposted over a thousand times.

"I wanted to be helpful to the place where I was born and raised. I regret (my act) very much," said the person who is from the Noto Peninsula, the area worst affected by the magnitude-7.6 quake, while stressing the experience will not dissuade them from continuing to disseminate information about the disaster-hit area.

In a separate case, a woman in her 40s in Ishikawa was a victim of misinformation after her home address was shared on X in a post asking for help for her "son who was trapped" in a collapsed house.

The woman was contacted by both acquaintances and police, but not only had her house only sustained minimal damage, she also does not have a son.

"It is unforgivable to interfere with police work during an emergency," she said, asking for the post to be removed.

The issue of misinformation following the earthquake has also been noted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who implored people to "strictly refrain" from spreading malicious, false information.

In a 2016 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, a man who spread a false rumor that a lion had escaped from a zoo was arrested for allegedly interfering with the operations of the zoo.

"If you take baseless information seriously and spread it, it can confuse," said Jun Sakamoto, a professor who specializes in media literacy at Hosei University. "It does not matter whether you post it with a sense of justice or malice."

Sakamoto said it is difficult to completely eliminate information of questionable veracity. But he also said, "If you feel you lack evidence, then it is important to raise your voice and ask, 'What is the basis for this?'"

Related coverage:

Over 300 unaccounted for after Japan quake, snow hampers rescue work

Search continues in areas hit by central Japan quake amid rain

Woman rescued 5 days after Japan quake, as death toll tops 120
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1974: Undeterred by freezing temperatures and icy streets, U.S. Rep. Manuel Lujan Jr. arrived at the Quay County Courthouse to hold regular congressional hours.

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Hayley Erbert / Instagram

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/09/2024



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

judge Derek Hough has dedicated his Emmy Award win to his wife, Hayley Erbert , who has been recovering from a scary health crisis.Derek, 38, won the award for Outstanding Choreography for Variety Or Reality Programming at the Creative Arts Emmys on Sunday, January 7.Derek won the award for a dance routine to Michael Buble 's "Higher" he had performed alongside Hayley on last year.Derek posted photos from his time at the Emmys on Instagram and captioned the carousel in part, "Exactly one month ago, to the day, my world was shaken. The contrast of that moment with this one couldn't be starker. It's a powerful reminder of how quickly life can change."He continued, "I'm reminded to savor every moment, to cherish every day with the people we love. Being alive is the greatest prize we could ever win. To my wife, [Hayley], this one's for you. The center piece and muse of this dance. This journey, these moments, they are all the more precious because of what we've endured together."Derek reportedly shared a similar sentiment in his acceptance speech at the Emmys."Exactly a month ago, I was in the hospital. This was a different moment," Derek said while accepting his award, according to Us Weekly."A month ago was a life-changing moment that reminded me to really cherish and savor every moment."The former World of Dance judge dedicated his victory to his "beautiful wife," and he added, "I just flew in from Washington, D.C., last night. Your strength and your courage this whole month has been unbelievable. You inspired me every day."Hayley, 29, underwent her second skull surgery on December 20 to replace a large portion of her skull that had been removed during her prior craniectomy.Derek revealed the following day that the cranioplasty had been "successfully completed" and he felt "immense relief, gratitude and overwhelming joy."In his December 31 recap of 2023, Derek wrote on Instagram, "In the face of uncertainty, this year has been a canvas of reflection, painted with the colors of life's challenges and joys. From creative passion projects to the unforgettable celebration of love at our Jack and Jill bash."Derek went on to list some of his accomplishments -- including a national tour, judging , and many choreography awards and recognitions."But Derek said the "pinnacle" of his year's journey was "committing our love to one another in a breathtaking fairytale wedding, followed by an enchanting honeymoon in Italy," referring to Hayley."These experiences are treasures of gratitude, reminding us of life's splendor and its fleeting nature. Each day of our extraordinary journey teaches us to cherish every fleeting moment," he concluded.Hayley, for her part, returned to social media late last year to post a sweet photo with Derek under their Christmas tree."Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! Cherishing the greatest gift of all. The precious gift of life and the love we share," Hayley wrote alongside the photo. "Hold your loved ones close and treasure every moment."Derek first announced that Hayley needed to be hospitalized on December 7, while the couple was at a tour stop in Washington, D.C. for their "Symphony of Dance" show.Hayley became "disoriented" after a performance and was taken to the hospital, where she discovered she had a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy.Derek shared days later that Hayley, whom he married in August , was in "stable condition" post-surgery and had begun "the long road of recovery." Derek later posted an update about his dance partner's condition on December 15."As you all know, the past week has been a challenging journey for us due to a life-threatening event that suddenly came into our lives," the judge captioned an Instagram video of Hayley and himself slowly walking around Washington, D.C. while Hayley was wearing a helmet."It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage to a nightmare in an instant. But today, we are filled with hope and relief as we share with you an update."Derek went on to write how Hayley was "doing well" after her first surgery, although her "recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle."The former DWTS mirrorball trophy champion continued of his wife, "She still has a ways to go with another surgery, hopefully in a few weeks, to insert a skull implant to replace the piece that was removed during the craniectomy.""It will restore the skull to its natural shape and protect the brain from injury," Derek explained.Derek also thanked the couple's fans, family, friends and supporters, and he, once again, expressed his "sincere appreciation" after Hayley's second skull surgery in late December.Hayley went to the hospital only one day after aired its Season 32 finale on ABC, when Marvel star Xochitl Gomez and her professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy were crowned champions.Hayley faced another health scare around this same time last year, when she and Derek got into a snowy and "scary" accident while driving on icy roads together.Hayley and Derek had posted the same video on Instagram in December 2022 that showed Hayley receiving stitches on the side of her face after their car hit a tree and then recovering with a bunch of junk food."On December 12, Derek and I got into a pretty scary car accident in the mountains. Our accident involved a steep hill, icy roads, a tree, and worst of all, the fear that we would slide off the mountain," Hayley captioned the video in part.While Hayley said they were "both okay" and she walked away from the accident just "a little banged up" with "a swollen face and four stitches" above her eyebrow," Derek wrote in his then-fiancee's comments that she didn't "remember anything" after the crash and she was "dazed afterwards."Derek and Hayley got engaged in June 2022 after more than six years of dating."It's only the beginning... the beginning of forever," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post at the time.Hayley and Derek met in 2014 when Hayley joined Derek and Julianne on their "Move Live Tour," according to Us.Hayley and Derek's work relationship took a romantic turn one year later in 2015.But Hayley didn't find fame until she competed on So You Think You Can Dance's tenth season as a contemporary dancer and also performed as a member of the troupe beginning in 2016.
A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Qiu Lijun/Xinhua)

XICHANG, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Weighing about 1.45 tonnes and as large as a full-size SUV, the satellite is shaped like a lotus in full bloom and features 12 petals and two stamens.

"This is the most beautiful satellite I've ever seen," said Yuan Weimin, principal investigator of the EP mission and a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The 12 "petals" are actually 12 modules consisting of wide-field X-ray telescopes (WXT), while the two "stamens" consist of two modules of follow-up X-ray telescopes (FXT).

These telescopes form a space observatory which is aimed at helping scientists capture the first light stemming from supernova explosions, search for and pinpoint X-ray signals accompanying gravitational wave events, and discover dormant black holes and other faint transient and variable celestial objects at the far reaches of the universe.

"Since black holes and gravitational waves are predictions made by Einstein's theory of general relativity, the satellite is named after the great scientist," Yuan said.

Scientists mimicked the special structure of the lobster eye in developing WXT, which can simultaneously achieve wide-field observation and X-ray focused imaging.

The WXT can keep an eye on one-twelfth of the entire sky at one glance, according to Ling Zhixing, a WXT instrument scientist.

FXT, developed by an international team led by Chinese scientists, feature high sensitivity and are not only suitable for rapid follow-up observation, but also able to independently discover explosive and transient sources, said Chen Yong, a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, who is responsible for the development of FXT.

When lobster-eye telescopes receive X-ray signals from a transient source, the onboard computer will process the data in real time and pivot the spacecraft to target the celestial body with FXT. FXT will then conduct high-precision follow-up observation. The two telescopes will complement and cooperate with each other, said Zhang Chen, assistant to the EP mission's principal investigator.

The team also developed CMOS sensors for X-ray observation in space, which is an innovative X-ray astronomical detector, Zhang said. 
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City planners reported that Athens-Clarke County is predicted to gain at least 30,000 new residents by 2045 at the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission work and special called session on Tuesday evening.

Were not a small college town anymore, Bruce Lonnee, ACC Assistant Planning Director, said. We are a mid-sized city.
'Similar to the case of the digital payment system where the government created a public platform and others joined in, we are exploring a similar structure to create a PPP platform where the compute required for AI could be accessed by the small player.'

IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Gerd Altmann/Pixabay.com

The government is in a discussion with industry for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.

Similar to the digital payment system, where the government created a platform and others joined in, the plan is to build a system where the compute required for AI can be accessed by all, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw tells Surajeet Das Gupta and Dhruvaksh Saha/Business Standard in an interview in New Delhi.

For the first time, the recently passed Telecom Bill clarifies spectrum assignment. What was the thinking behind this?

The 2G judgment was a seminal one for our social and political life. Now we have built that principle in the law to make auctioning the preferred method for spectrum allocation.

Certain areas like defence, aviation (public safety), police, forest and maritime have been expressly defined as those where spectrum cannot be auctioned. And there are some other areas where it is technically not possible to auction.

For example, point-to-point back haul between mobile towers uses frequency that can be reused, so it would not be technically or economically possible to design an auction.

The case of satellites is the same the pencil beam can be reused everywhere. The new Act clearly defines what can be auctioned and what cannot, so that there is no legal ambiguity.

You have also made a reference on this issue to the Supreme Court

The judiciary is very well respected. We went to the Supreme Court simultaneously with a miscellaneous application so that all institutions are in harmony.

What are the key issues that the new legislation will address?

The first important issue would be licence reforms.

Earlier, there were more than 100 licences, each with multiple rules; these left room for disputes.

We decided to globally benchmark our regulation, threw out the old regime of licences and exclusive privileges, and instead brought a simple authorisation mechanism that is digital by design and will lead to significant ease of doing business in how stakeholders interact with the department of telecommunications (DoT).

The second is user protection. We have made it very tough to obtain a SIM through fraudulent means by providing for fines and imprisonment.

The use of SIM sand boxes and spoofing of mobile number have also been made illegal. And, biometric know your customer (KYC) has been made mandatory.

Third, we have ensured judicious, time-bound, legally defined, right-of-way provisions.

And fourth, we have built a quick dispute-resolution system which will handle disputes between service providers and the government.

We expect 99 per cent of the disputes to be resolved quickly through the various mechanisms: The online system for consumers will resolve disputes with a clear timeline; for disputes between the government and service providers, we have the voluntary undertaking by service providers; there will be the adjudicating officer for interpretation issues or mathematical mistakes; and then we also have designated appeals committees.

Only one per cent of such cases should go to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), where we expect most of those to be resolved; some 0.01 per cent might perhaps be appealed in courts.

With AI rapidly gaining currency globally, we might need a plan in India to regulate and promote it in areas where we have an edge. How does the government view this?

There are multiple aspects to this. The first is using AI to develop new solutions for our society and economy.

Many players are already working on this, and we are in a discussion with industry to create public-private partnerships.

Similar to the case of the digital payment system where the government created a public platform and others joined in we are exploring a similar structure to create a PPP platform where the compute required for AI could be accessed by the small player.

Companies, academics, researchers and the government should all be able to benefit.

Creating a huge compute infrastructure is expensive, and there is a wide time gap between when one makes the order and when they get these.

The public AI infrastructure we create would help startups too.

The second aspect is that of deepfakes and manipulation of social media. We have had two rounds of discussion with social media companies, and they have come up with what they would do.

We will issue an advisory on the basis of these inputs and industry will cooperate.

We are also discussing an overall regulatory structure. We are in discussions with industry about the guardrails and will come up with proper rules accordingly.

While we understand the potential of the development, we are also cognisant of how it could harm democracy. Things will evolve as we work on them.

The government aims to increase the electronics production value to $300 billion by 2026-2027 from over $100 billion at present. Do you think it is achievable, given that only a few products like mobile devices are doing very well?

Electronics manufacturing has many dimensions; it is not limited to one or two products.

For instance, production of telecom products currently has already reached production of Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore (Rs 180 billion to Rs 190 billion), and exports have hit Rs 8,000 crore (Rs 80 billion).

Defence electronics exports are picking up, power electronics for vehicles, trains and industrials have also picked up in a big way. So, I think the $300 billion target is easily attainable.

Also, large component companies want to set up their bases in India. We have already moved away from the debate on domestic value addition and whether we are only assembling.

Will the near closure of Chinese component manufacturers in the country impact localisation?

That will have no impact. Industry is moving towards sustainable growth and that has multiple elements, such as design, geopolitical risk, market, and demand estimation.

Industry has already started thinking like that. Many manufacturers are becoming global hubs scaling up has already happened in the past 5-6 years.

We can easily clock a 20 per cent CAGR in electronics from here. Industry everywhere starts at some point like we are starting our semiconductor industry. We have to begin somewhere.

China has asked for its companies operating in India to be treated fairly, especially after the arrest of the personnel of these firms. What is the government response?

The Indian government will act according to the law.

How is the semiconductor plan progressing in terms of proposals? How is the Micron project doing?

We should see two more good proposals for semiconductors in four-five months.

The construction of the Micron unit is going on very well, people are being trained, and ecosystem partners like substrate manufacturers, and chemical and gas suppliers have already started scouting for land and setting up facilities.

The government is putting upfront 50 per cent of the cost of the semiconductor plant, and then there is 20 per cent subsidy from states. Is there a need to be cautious here?

We have just started our journey in semiconductors, so we have to take some hard decisions.

China, South Korea, Europe and the US are all putting in large public investments in this space.

This is an industry which will define the forthcoming balance of economic transactions; it will be a matter of geopolitical balance. So, we have to develop this industry at any rate.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
The IPO boom in 2023 added four new promoters to the billionaires' list.

IMAGE: The Richest Indian: Reliance Industries Chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani, seen here virtually addressing the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 in Chennai, January 7, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The ranks of billionaire promoters of India's listed companies swelled in 2023 to a record high of 152, with their combined net worth reaching an unprecedented $858.3 billion by the end of the year.

This represents a 21 per cent increase in the number of billionaire promoters from 2022 (126) and a 16 per cent jump in their combined net worth from the previous year (around $739 billion).

The net worth of these billionaire promoters, as represented by the market value of their family's stake in their companies, rose by 16.2 per cent in 2023.

This outpaced the 15.5 per cent rise in the combined net worth of promoters of all family-owned listed companies during the same period.

The rupee versus dollar rate for this report is 78.87 for 2022, and 82.58 for 2023 -- the monthly average for the respective 12-month periods.

The 2023 list reveals a democratisation of the billionaire's club, with new members entering and the richest promoters' share in the overall net worth declining.

The country's two wealthiest promoters -- Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani -- accounted for 25.5 per cent of the combined net worth of all billionaire promoters in 2023, down from their 34.8 per cent share in 2022.

Ambani of Reliance Industries regained the top spot in India's billionaire league table in 2023 from Adani of the Adani group, who had topped the list for the first time in 2022.

Ambani's net worth rose by 4.7 per cent to $112.4 billion from $107.4 billion a year ago.

Adani slipped to the second spot in 2023, following a sharp decline in the share prices of his group companies after US-based Hindenburg Research raised concerns about the group's debt and its shareholding structure, allegations that the Adani group has strongly denied.

Despite a 28.7 per cent drop in the Adani family's net worth to $106.63 billion, from $149.5 billion in 2022, it remains 3.6 times that of the third-ranked Shiv Nadar family of HCL Technologies.

Nadar surpassed Radhakishan Damani of Avenue Supermarts to become India's third wealthiest business person, with a net worth of $29.3 billion, a 34.9 per cent increase from the end of 2022 ($21.75 billion).

Damani slipped to the fourth spot in the Business Standard billionaire's list with a net worth of $24 billion, a 4.3 per cent decrease from the previous year.

He was followed by Wipro's Azim Premji, now India's fifth richest promoter with a net worth of $21.8 billion, a 9.1 per cent increase from the end of 2022.

Other notable names in the top ten list for 2023 are Malav Dani, Amrita Vakil and Manish Choksi of Asian Paints (a combined net worth of $20.8 billion); Dilip S Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries ($20.7 billion); Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel ($20.2 billion); Sajjan Jindal of JSW Group (($18.9 billion); and Rajiv and Sanjiv Bajaj of the Rahul Bajaj Group ($16.7 billion).

The top ten list remained relatively stable, with one exit -- Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra -- and one entry -- Sajjan Jindal of the JSW Group.

The Jindal family's net worth increased by 55.4 per cent in 2023, thanks to the initial public offering (IPO) and listing of JSW Infrastructure.

The port-related infrastructure company added nearly $4.5 billion to the family's net worth in 2023.

The IPO boom in 2023 added four new promoters to the billionaires' list.

Ramesh Chand Juneja of Mankind Pharma became India's 25th richest businessman with a net worth of $7.4 billion at the end of 2023.

Other IPO-led entrants to the billionaire's club include Pradeep G Rathod of Cello World ($1.6 billion), Tribhuvanprasad Kabra of R R Kabel (($1.3 billion), and Pradeep Kumar Aggarwal of Signature Global ($ 1 billion).

The steepest increase in net worth in this elite club, however, came from the rally in midcap and smallcap stocks with 29 new promoters joining the club in 2023 because of the sharp rise in their company's share price.

The gainers list was led by Amit Dangi of Authum Investment and Infrastructure whose net worth is up 323 per cent in 2023.

He was followed by P R Jindal of Jindal Saw (up 281 per cent), Savita Ramesh of Kaynes Tech (up 263 per cent), Kushal Desai of Apar Industries (up 222 per cent), and T S Kalyanaraman of Kalyan Jewellers (up 168 per cent).

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
Indian imports of Russian crude oil may stabilise or even decline in 2024 from record 2023 levels amid shrinking discounts, lower output, and a rebound in West Asian supplies, according to the ship-tracking data and industry executives.

Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

This may impact the billions of dollars in annual savings that India made last year.

Imports of Russian oil jumped by a record 140 per cent in calendar 2023 to 1.79 million barrels a day (b/d) from 740,400 b/d in 2022, when Russia marched into Ukraine in February, and from just 102,000 b/d in 2021, according to the data from Paris-based market intelligence agency Kpler.

Last year, the surge in Russian imports, which accounted for 39 per cent of Indias crude oil imports from 16 per cent a year earlier, was accompanied by a decline in purchases from Indias traditional suppliers in West Asia.

Shipments from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, the top three Gulf suppliers to India, fell by 17 per cent last year to 1.88 million b/d.

Russian Urals is now an important part of Indias crude oil purchases because refiners are proficient in processing Russian grades, said R Ramachandran, former refinery head, Bharat Petroleum, and now an oil industry consultant.

Discounts on Russian grades have declined by more than half to $4-5 per barrel from $11-13 in early 2023, two Mumbai-based executives in the refining sector said.

It is unlikely that Russian traders will offer record double-digit discounts this year because of higher demand for Russian export benchmark Urals grade, and amid lower production by Moscow, at least until the end of the first quarter of this year, an industry executive said.

A Mumbai-based refining executive responsible for Russian purchases said he did not expect discounts to expand, anticipating imports to average between 1.5 and 1.7 million b/d this year.

The stricter enforcement of sanctions by the US in the past few months, resulting in more than 10 Russian tankers carrying crude oil to China and India being charged with violating rules, has led to an increase in freight rates by as much as 20 per cent.

These factors might cut Indias savings on Russian oil imports, which averaged close to $4.5 billion, based on calculations from the ship-tracking and industry data.

These savings may fall by a third  assuming an average of $5 per barrel (bbl) discount on imports of 1.6 million b/d in 2024, leading to savings of over $3 billion for Indian refiners.

It is still a tidy sum, considering that oil firms are coping with volatility in global crude oil rates and a freeze in pump prices of diesel and petrol since May 2022.

Imports of Russian crude oil in December averaged 1.44 million b/d, a fall of 14 per cent from November and from a record 2.16 million b/d in May, the Kpler data shows.

Russian oil accounted for around 33 per cent of Indias overall crude oil imports in December, six percentage points lower than the 2023 average.

The stricter policing of tankers carrying Russian oil amid reduction in output contributed to falling purchases, industry officials said.

There were issues with payment. Indian Oil imported only 258,000 b/d of Russian oil in December, declining by nearly half in the month.

Bharat Petroleum was the biggest purchaser of Russian crude oil recently at 314,000 b/d, up by 60,000 b/d on the month, followed by Reliance Industries at 285,000 b/d, according to Kpler.

Washington has sent notices to some 30 owners and managers of oil tankers to check on their compliance with the price cap and warned the shipping industry against any violation, US market publication Energy Intelligence reported.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said Russias oil exports in 2024 will be lower than initially planned because of commitments under Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-plus agreements, Energy Intelligence reported. Russia agreed to cut crude oil exports by 500,000 b/d in August and 300,000 b/d in September-December, and agreed to extend the commitment  300,000 b/d for crude oil and 200,000 b/d for oil products  to the end of the first quarter of 2024.
KABUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Three persons were killed and four others injured as a blast targeted a minibus in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Tuesday, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said.

"At around 3:50 p.m. local time today, a blast struck a minibus in Police District 16 of Kabul martyring three people and injuring four others," Zadran confirmed on his social media account.

Police arrested one person on charge of involvement in the terror attack, the officer said, without providing more details.

This was the second attack on minibus since Saturday.

On Saturday, five persons were killed and 15 others injured in an attack, and the Daesh or Islamic State outfit claimed responsibility for the attack. 
'After a long time, we have a governor who is approachable. The RBI's interactions with us are now much better.'

IMAGE: Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das. Photograph: ANI Photo

Come December 2024, you will likely have a new incumbent at Mint Road's helm when Governor Shaktikanta Das completes his two-term tenure.

He had taken charge after two high-profile names -- Raghuram Rajan and Urjit Patel had signed off -- following differences with the government.

Bankers say Das' stint has been a refreshing change. "After a long time, we have a governor who is approachable. I can say that because the RBI's interactions with us are now much better," says a bank's corner office occupant.

A measure which is often mentioned is Das' decision to set up the second Regulation Review Authority (RRA 2.0) in November 2021; its recommendations in June 2022 must surely go down as a major reform.

This came two decades after Y V Reddy as deputy governor set up the first RRA in 1999 (he was appointed governor on September 6, 2003, and served in that position for five years.)

RRA 2.0 incorporated some of the best practices from global central banks regarding consultation ahead of policy formulation, taking feedback from regulated entities (REs) and trade bodies, and structured meetings with chief executive officers and senior compliance officials.

This was in response to REs long-held view that guidelines have to be in step with market realities.

It was an indirect way of putting it across that RBI circulars had not been adequately factoring in commercials.

RRA 2.0 has not got the recognition it deserves as a significant reform.

It's now up to REs to take advantage of the new 'open door policy' of RRA 2.0 of the RBI and foster a better engagement with it and understand the concerns of the regulator rather than merely making submissions from a commercial point of view.

Another sterling moment has been the RBI's handling of the pandemic and the forbearance measures it set in motion.

The deftness helped the economy tide over a critical phase and we are now the fastest growing economy in the world.

And to Das goes the credit of hiking the governance premium in REs.

The RBI's twin interactions in May last year with the boards of state-run and private banks laid bare the shortcomings on this front.

Falling in the same family of thought is the draft omnibus framework for self-regulatory organisations.

Perhaps the best thing which has happened so far has been the mending of relations between Mint Road and North Block.

Das richly deserves being ranked 'A+' in the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2023 in September last year and 'Governor of the Year' by the international publication, Central Banking earlier in March.

Das is a true-blue Sherpa!

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'You can wake up a person who is sleeping, but how do you wake up a person who's pretending to sleep.'

IMAGE: Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, right, with Governor Ramesh Bais, centre, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, left. Photograph: ANI Photo

A day before Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar is to announce his verdict over the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he met the CM, which led Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray President Uddhav Thackeray to ask why such a meeting took place hours before Narwekar's judgement that could have a bearing on the Shinde-led government's future.

In June 2022, 16 MLAs from the united Shiv Sena traveled to Surat and from there to Guwahati leading to the collapse of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray and supported by Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

Petitions and cross petitions were filed by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde seeking disqualification of MLAs from each other's party.

Speaker Narwekar's ruling is expected by 5 pm on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

"What do I state about people who insinuate against Constitutional authorities and who don't have faith in the Constitution?", Speaker Rahul Narwekar asks Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com in an exclusive interview.

Uddhav Thackeray called your meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a day before your decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs belonging to the Shiv Sena as a 'judge meeting a criminal' at a press conference today.

These are absolutely baseless and motivated allegations only to put pressure on my decision-making process.

You have to understand that I'm the speaker of the state legislature and I have other duties to perform along with adjudicating this dispute.

I have issues pertaining to my assembly constituency (Colaba in South Mumbai) as well. I have issues concerning the legislature board. I have issues concerning other developmental and administrative works for which I have to regularly interact with the chief minister.

I was scheduled to meet the chief minister on the 3rd of January for addressing issues pertaining to the Colaba-Cuffe Parade road connector, some work about concrete roads in my constituency and with regards to other developmental work also.

We were also to discuss certain issues about the legislative board with regards to permanent employment of contracted labour.

Unfortunately I fell ill on January 3 and so I was taking bed rest for four days.

Once I recovered, I called on the chief minister to discuss these pending issues.

Now what is the big deal in it?

If I had to meet him (Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) for any ulterior purpose I wouldn't have met him in my official car. I drove; I went in with my complete protocol. I didn't go at midnight; I went in broad daylight for everyone to see.

What is there to make an issue out of it? I don't understand.

But Uddhav Thackeray at the press conference today stated that he can't expect any justice from you tomorrow..

What do I state about people who insinuate against Constitutional authorities and who don't have faith in the Constitution?

You can wake up a person who is sleeping, but how do you wake up a person who's pretending to sleep.

Mr Thackeray has been a former chief minister. He knows the interaction that is required between the speaker and the chief minister.

Just because I'm adjudicating an issue should I give up all my other duties? Is that what he's trying to suggest?

This morning I met an MP from his party (SS-UBT), Anil Desai at the airport. Does that mean that I have some kind of an understanding with him?

Can we expect your order tomorrow about the disqualification of MLAs from either the Shiv Sena or SS-UBT?

Yes, by 5 tomorrow evening the order should be out.

What about the other case related to the NCP?

That will be given by January 31.

There is a charge that you only acted after the Supreme Court's directions...

Now, what do I say to that? If we abide by the orders of the Supreme Court, we are acting under pressure. Every law abiding citizen will abide by the orders of the Supreme Court.

Uddhav Thackeray believes you purposely delayed your order about the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs.

These baseless charges which are motivated to pressurise the decision-making process deserve no replies.
'I learnt today that Bilkis Bano had to change her house after these people were released as some of them lived in her vicinity.'

'This was an injustice to her, she had to do this under duress.'

IMAGE: Bilkis Bano at a press conference.

Professor Roop Rekha Verma, the former vice chancellor of Lucknow University, is 84, but hasn't given up fighting. Known for her lifelong involvement in the cause of communal harmony and women's rights through her NGO Saajhi Duniya, the professor continues to raise her voice even on the streets, against the polarisation that marks her state.

"I feel angry and depressed, though both emotions don't normally go together. My blood boils, but I feel so powerless," the professor, one of the petitioners against the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case, tells Jyoti Punwani.

Congratulations on the judgment.

Thank you. I'm very happy. These days are so bad that getting a judgment that's according to the law becomes something to be happy about.

After a very long time, we've got a clear cut judgment. It does some plain talking without giving any concessions.

I had no idea about the other judge, but I expected this from Justice (B V) Nagarathna. However, you never know. These days the pressures are so bad; one can understand if someone succumbs. One has to at least care for one's life.

Why did you file this petition? Do you know Bilkis Bano?

I've never met Bilkis Bano. But I've been keenly reading about the Gujarat violence right since it took place in 2002.

The cases that went to trial, the reprieve given to culprits, Maya Kodnani being acquitted, the long years of injustice after injustice and the shameless defence of culprits...

When this remission came to light, several people independently were shocked. The shock deepened when we came to know that these men had never been in jail continuously; they'd been getting parole liberally.

We exchanged our thoughts and felt, why not go to court. Of course, even at that time, we were disillusioned by the courts, but still we thought, why not try.

I know Subhashini Ali and then some people contacted Revati Laul, such a bold woman, whom I didn't know before this. The three of us finally became joint petitioners.

Then we came to know that Mahua Moitra had also gone to court, and just today I discovered there was one more petitioner: Meeran Borwankar, former police officer. It's a pity social media had not mentioned her name earlier.

IMAGE: Lawyer Vrinda Grover speaks to the media after the Supreme Court cancelled the early release of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano's gang-rape case and killing her family members during the Gujarat riots in 2002, in New Delhi, January 8, 2023. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

Who was your lawyer?

The first appearance I think was by Kapil Sibal. Then Vrinda Grover, Indira Jaising all argued.

But I think the court basically looked at Bilkis Bano's petition and the arguments made by her lawyer Shubha Gupta, who must be given credit for having fought for her for so long. It takes a lot of courage.

This judgment strikes down a decision taken at the very top.

Yes, that came out in the beginning of the case. There was such a hue and cry by activists, but the Centre kept quiet. It was only after Justice K M Joseph (then on the Bench) and Justice Nagarathna asked for the file, that this came out.

The Centre kept delaying things until it reached a point that Justice Joseph had to say that they are waiting for his retirement. That was a shameful blot on our judicial system that a Supreme Court judge had to say in open court.

IMAGE: Professor Roop Rekha Verma IMAGE: Professor Roop Rekha Verma

Given the status of people involved in this decision that has been struck down so forcefully, don't you feel scared about the repercussions?

In the present atmosphere, any sensible person would expect some sort of calamity. But what can one do?

Do you regret having gone to court?

No, absolutely not.

But I do feel depressed at the situation around. The way voices are being suppressed and criminals being shielded... every third or fourth rapist seems to be linked to the ruling party these days, like the BHU (rape) accused.

I feel angry and depressed, though both emotions don't normally go together. My blood boils, but I feel so powerless. One's personality is being eroded and changed because of these feelings. Not just me, but many people who have always resisted injustice are experiencing this. Nobody wants to put oneself in danger.

What makes it worse is that today, people don't feel inspired to go to court.

When I think of the confidence with which we opposed every unjust act of every government! I used to lead dharnas on the streets. But today's situation is strange; there is nothing we can rely upon.

I would like to make one demand. I learnt today that Bilkis Bano had to change her house after these people were released as some of them lived in her vicinity. This was an injustice to her, she had to do this under duress. It is the prime duty of the Gujarat government to give her security and the confidence to return to her home.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'What did these men mean to the government? What does its support for these men say about this government?'

IMAGE: Men convicted for rape and murder in the Bilkis Bano case in the 2002 post-Godhra riots being welcomed as they come out of the Godhra sub-jail, August 15, 2022. Photograph: PTI Photo from the Rediff Archives

Among the first to challenge the remission of the 11 men convicted of raping Bilkis Bano and killing 14 members of her family, including her 3-year-old daughter, were three women: Subhashini Ali, Roop Rekha Verma and Revati Laul.

Jyoti Punwani spoke to them after the remission was struck down by the Supreme Court on Monday.

Subhashini Ali, vice-president of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), and CPI-M politburo member, has been a familiar face in women's struggles over the last many decades. The former Lok Sabha MP from Kanpur, where she has waged many a fight for workers, was the first petitioner in the joint PIL.

Did you expect this verdict?

We thought it would be difficult for any court with any decency to uphold this remission. But the way Supreme Court judgments have been going these days, we couldn't be sure.

Justice (K M) Joseph and (B V) Nagarathna made very pertinent comments in court during the hearing, and after Justice Joseph retired, Justice Nagarathna kept that up.

Her judgment has brought out all the wrongdoings of the government; made the right to liberty conditional on the accused's acts of omission and commission, and ended by ordering that they be sent back to jail. One couldn't have hoped for anything better.

Why did you file the petition? Do you know Bilkis Bano?

Of course I know her. AIDWA was the first to meet her. I met her in the Godhra refugee camp on the day after she was brought there early in March 2002. She was skinny and heavily pregnant.

I met her again much later in Lucknow, after her rapists were convicted.

We went to court because there was nothing else one could do. This was such a brazen misuse of power.

I remember reading Bilkis Bano's interview after the remission in which she said: 'Is this the end of justice?' After that, one couldn't just be standing around doing nothing.

Who were your lawyers?

Kapil Sibal started it. Then there was Aparna Bhat, Nizam Pasha, Vrinda Grover, Indu (Indira) Jaising, and, of course, Bilkis's lawyer Shubha Gupta.

There was a point when Justice Joseph said the government was waiting for him to retire... (external link)

Did you lose hope then?

We didn't know when it would end. The kind of things the government was doing in court: Saying a warrant hadn't been served on someone; someone else couldn't be found; no translation available... It was shocking that the Supreme Court was asking for documents and the government was saying we don't know if we should give them to you.

Many see this judgment as encouraging for women.

I want to know, how is it encouraging?

On August 15, Independence Day, people convicted after 8 years of battle in various courts are let off and treated like heroes. Then it takes one-and-a-half years to get them to be sent back to jail -- in fact, they haven't yet gone back.

How many women can think of accessing justice in this situation? We had a battery of the best lawyers. Who has access to such lawyers?

Cases of rape and sexual violence are anyway very difficult to fight. But this case shows that if I'm just an ordinary woman who has to fight those connected to the ruling party, then everybody will be against me, the government, the bureaucracy, the police... all of them will be on the side of the perpetrators.

Bilkis Bano's case was the only strong case in the 2002 Gujarat cases to get a conviction. Her clothes were kept carefully; her statement was taken. What happened to her was so horrendous that it's still remembered by everyone.

Then, her husband was very supportive, as was the group that fought for her. And she herself was very brave. So was her lawyer.

But all these factors cannot be there for every single victim.

IMAGE: Subhasini Ali Photograph: Kind courtesy Subhasini Ali/Facebook IMAGE: Subhasini Ali

How did the three of you come together for this petition?

I was in Delhi; I was the first to sign it. The other two were contacted by lawyers. I told the lawyers these were women who were not going to say no (to being co-petitioners).

The judgment in a way indicts the most powerful persons in the country. Are you afraid of the repercussions?

This is the first knock that this government has got from the court in the last many years. Article 370, CAA -- nothing happened. On electoral bonds we are still waiting. So yes, we don't know what the repercussions will be.

But seeing the way this case was fought -- such an army of lawyers used to come for the Government of India and the government of Gujarat, all advocate generals and top notch lawyers of the Supreme Court, bringing all those files... it was all so intimidating.

Seeing all this, the biggest question I want to ask, and I want the people to ask is: Why did the government go out on a limb for these 11 men convicted of rape and mass murder? What did these men mean to the government? What does its support for these men say about this government?

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Aligarh Muslim University cannot be a minority institution given its "national character", the Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court, which began hearing the hugely disputed question of the minority status of AMU.

IMAGE: A view of AMU campus, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: ANI Photo

It said AMU is not and cannot be a university of any particular religion or religious denomination as any university which has been declared an institution of national importance cannot be a minority institution.

In his written submissions filed before the apex court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the university has always been an institution of national importance, even in the pre-independence era. The university was founded in 1875.

"Therefore, as per the submission of the Union of India, the Aligarh Muslim University is an institution of a national character. A survey of the documents surrounding the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University and even the then-existing legislative position enunciates that the AMU was always an institution having a national character," the document said.

While referring to debates in the Constituent Assembly, it said, it is clear that a university which was and is clearly an institution of national importance, has to be a non-minority university.

"It is submitted that owing to the obviously secular ethos and nature of the nation and the Constitution, considering the fact that AMU is an institution of educational 'national character' it cannot be considered to be a minority institution irrespective of the question whether it was established and administered by the minority at the time of inception or not," Mehta said.

The top law officer said AMU is not a university dominantly functioning as a Muslim university as it is not established and administered by the minority.

"Aligarh Muslim University is not and cannot be a University of any particular religion or religious denomination as any University which is declared by the Constitution of India to be of national importance should, by definition, cannot be a minority institution," Mehta said in his written submissions.

On the impact of declaring AMU as a "minority institution", he said a minority educational institution is not required to implement the reservation policy under section 3 of the Central Educational Institution (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 (as amended in 2012).

"Despite being an institution of national importance with other institutes of national importance, Aligarh Muslim University would have a separate admission procedure," the document said.

Mehta said the resultant effect of the said exemption would be "drastic" as AMU is an extremely old and large institute with vast properties and an enormous amount of students studying in various courses.

"It is submitted that a large national institute like Aligarh Muslim University ought to maintain its secular origins and serve the larger interest of the nation first," he said.

Mehta said AMU is ranked ninth among universities and autonomous institutions in India by the Ministry of Education's National Institutional Ranking Framework-2023, and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, an autonomous body of the University Grants Commission, has graded the varsity at 'A+'.

"The case of Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University is sui generis (unique) case since the framers of the Constitution chose to place these two Universities in List I as a part of Entry 63, though the subject of education is otherwise in the State List (at the time of independence). This exhibits the national character of the University and its stand," it said.

Referring to the AMU Act, the solicitor general said, throughout the process of amendments to the law, the understanding of the character of AMU being national and non-minority has been clear.

"Therefore, the mere omission of the word 'establish' from the preamble and addition of 'established by the Muslims of India' in definition of University Section 2(l) of the Aligarh Muslim (University) Act cannot change the historical fact that the Aligarh Muslim University was established by efforts of a large number of people including the State which had no religion and by an Act of the Indian Legislative Council, which did not provide for a predominant minority character to the University," he said.

The issue of AMU's minority status has been caught in a legal maze for the last several decades.



A five-judge constitution bench had in the S Azeez Basha versus Union of India case in 1967 held that since the Aligarh Muslim University was a central university, it cannot be considered a minority institution.

However, the fabled institution established in 1875 got back its minority status when Parliament passed the AMU (Amendment) Act in 1981.

In January 2006, the Allahabad high court struck down the provision of the 1981 law by which the university was accorded the minority status.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre moved in appeal against the Allahabad High Court order. The university also filed a separate petition against it.

The National Democratic Alliance government spearheaded by the BJP told the Supreme Court in 2016 that it will withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA dispensation. It had cited the apex court's 1967 judgement in the S Azeez Basha case to claim that AMU was not a minority institution since it was a central university funded by the government.

A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud commenced hearing the matter on Tuesday. The arguments remained inconclusive and will resume on Wednesday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed as 'mandal president' a local leader who was booked in connection with the killing of a policeman and a youth in this district in 2018, a move which has triggered criticism by the opposition.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Sachin Ahlawat, allegedly involved in the violence in Mahav village of Bulandshahr's Sayana area after rumour of alleged cow slaughter, has been appointed BJP's 'mandal president' of BB Nagar.

Syana SHO Subodh Kumar Singh and a local youth were killed in December 2018 when protesters and police clashed.

Reacting to the appointment, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Yadav said, "The BJP is making criminals office bearers, this will reduce the morale of the police force. Will the court have to pass an order against this injustice?

Has morality in the BJP completely died?"

Hitting back, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told PTI, "Akhilesh Yadav is in frustration. They are suffering in the absence of power, like a fish without water. He should reform the mafia goons of his party."

BJP's Bulandshahr district president Vikas Chauhan told PTI, "Yes, he (Sachin) has been made the mandal president. There is no criminal case against him. There was a movement, this is a political case of that movement. He is not a professional criminal, neither he had any (criminal) history before nor he has any (such) history now."

"He is our worker. Political cases happen, they are registered against everyone. He is not a professional criminal, they are describing him as if he is a professional criminal. He was already the division coordinator in our party and is an old worker," Chauhan said.

He said Yadav should look at himself, and not our organisation and focus on his party.

"We are nationalist people and whatever work we are doing, we are doing it very thoughtfully," he said.

When reminded about a case that was registered against Sachin during the BJP government in 2018, he said, "It is correct. A movement in which there were 2,000 people and a case has been registered against at least 100-150 people. He is not a professional criminal." Efforts to get a response from Ahlawat did not bear a result.

On December 3, 2018, after the mutilated remains of cows were found in Mahav village of Kotwali area, an angry mob surrounded the Chandravathi police post and blocked the

Bulandshahr Garhmukteshwar road.

There was a clash with the protesters when the police were trying to clear the jam, after which the protesters pelted stones at the police and set fire to police and many other vehicles and the police post.

During the violent protest, the then Syana SHO Subodh Kumar Singh and a local youth Sumit were shot dead.

An FIR was lodged under sections including those dealing with instigating the mob, damaging government property and another one against those involved in the cow slaughter.
The chief executive officer of an artificial intelligence start-up allegedly killed her four-year-old son at a service apartment in Goa and stuffed his body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi, the police said on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Suchana Seth, CEO of Mindful AI Lab. Photograph: Courtesy, screengrab from Data & Society Research Institute on YouTube

Soon after the gruesome crime that took place between January 6 and 8, the accused woman, Suchana Seth, also tried to end her life by cutting her wrist with a sharp object, they said, adding that the motive behind the murder was not immediately known.

Seth was arrested from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Monday night and brought to Goa on Tuesday. A court in Mapusa town remanded her in police custody for six days, an official said.

The accused has told the police that she and her husband were estranged and their divorce proceedings were currently underway, he said.

According to Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the chief executive officer (CEO) of start-up Mindful AI Lab and was among the top '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021'.

"She checked into a service apartment at Candolim in North Goa on January 6 along with her son," Calangute police station inspector Paresh Naik said.

After staying there for two days, she informed the apartment staff that she wanted to go to Bengaluru for some work and asked them to arrange for a taxi, he said.

"The staff suggested that she could take a flight to Bengaluru which would be a cheaper option rather than hiring a taxi which is expensive," he said.

The accused insisted that she would travel by taxi only, and accordingly a vehicle was arranged on January 8 in which she left early in the morning. Later, when the apartment staff went to clean the room in which she stayed, they found blood stains on a towel, Naik said.

"The management of the apartment immediately informed the Calangute police, who then reached the spot," he said.

The staff also informed that the woman's four-year-old son was not seen with her when she left the apartment and she was also carrying an unusually heavy bag, he said.

The police then called the accused and enquired with her about the blood stains and her "missing" son.

"The accused told us that the blood stains were due to her monthly periods. She also told us that her son was with her friend in Margao town (in South Goa) and provided the address," the official said.

Naik said he immediately took the help of Fatorda police (near Margao) and got to know the address given by her was fake.

The inspector later spoke over the phone to the taxi driver, who was on way to Bengaluru and had reached Chitradurga district in Karnataka, to take the accused to the nearest police station.

The police in Chitradurga checked the woman's bag in which they found the body of the child, Naik said.

A team of the Calangute police then rushed to Chitradurga and obtained a transit remand of the accused.

A senior police official said the entrepreneur smothered her son to death and then tried to commit suicide by cutting her left wrist with a sharp object.

"The blood stains that were found on a towel in the service apartment were due to the slashing of her wrist," he said.

Soon after the news about Seth being found with the child's body at Chitradurga was confirmed by the Calangute police in Goa, a team of forensic experts conducted an inspection of the service apartment on Monday, he said.

"The team arrived immediately at night (on Monday) and on Tuesday again," he added.

An offence was registered against Seth under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act at the Calangute police station, he said.

"Seth was brought to Goa around 1 pm on Tuesday and presented before a court in Mapusa town, which remanded her in police custody for six days," another police official said.

Although the accused is yet to be interrogated, she told the investigators that she and her husband were estranged and that their divorce proceedings were currently underway.

Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan said, "A team of Goa police, which is investigating the case, visited Chitradurga district in Karnataka and formally placed the accused under arrest."

"What she has told us so far is that she and her husband were estranged and that they are currently undergoing divorce proceedings," he said.

The accused woman hails from West Bengal and has been living in Bengaluru, while her husband is from Kerala. He is currently in Jakarta (Indonesia) and he has been informed about the incident, Valsan said.

A Calangute police team led by Inspector Paresh Naik is currently in Chitradurga and waiting for post-mortem on the child's body.

Meanwhile, the building that houses several service apartments at Candolim where the crime occurred, on Tuesday prohibited outsiders from entering the premises.

The owner of this building 'Sol Banyan Grande' has instructed the security guards not to allow anyone, especially media persons, inside, eyewitnesses said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said his party has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to a meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar before the crucial verdict on disqualification petitions against rival Sena MLAs, including the CM.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi for Rediff.com IMAGE: Uddhav Thackeray.

Narkwekar is scheduled to deliver his ruling at 4 pm on January 10, a deadline set by the Supreme Court, more than 18 months after the Shiv Sena suffered a split, leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Thackeray.

"If the judge (Narwekar) is going to meet the accused, what should we expect from that judge," Thackeray asked, speaking to the media at his residence `Matoshree' in Mumbai.

The affidavit before the SC was filed on Monday, a day after the meeting, he said.

Thackeray's ally and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar, too, said that when someone who is hearing a case meets the person against whom the case is being heard, it "leaves room for doubt".

Hitting back, Narwekar said Thackeray, a former chief minister, should know for what purposes a speaker could meet a chief minister.

"If he still levels such allegations, then his motive is very clear. There is no rule that a speaker, while hearing disqualification pleas, cannot do any other work," Narwekar said, alluding to Thackeray trying to pressurise him ahead of the ruling on disqualification pleas.

The speaker met Shinde at `Varsha', the chief minister's official residence in south Mumbai on Sunday. Thackeray noted the two had met in October last year, too.

Narwekar's ruling will decide whether "democracy exists in the country or not" or whether the two (speaker and chief minister) will "murder" democracy, he said.

"We have filed an affidavit asking whether there is collusion between the judge and the accused," Thackeray said, asking whether there would be further delay by the speaker in giving the ruling.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) president said the speaker never goes to meet the chief minister, asserting it is the former who summons the latter.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab said such meetings must be brought to the Supreme Court's notice as it was a serious issue.

"We hope the apex court takes this matter seriously," Parab added.

Upset over the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s attack, Narwekar said, "As the speaker, I have to discharge work related to the assembly and chief minister is also part of it. As an MLA, I also have to address the issues related to my constituency. There are other issues related to the state and if resolving them requires meeting the head of the government, then I don't think I need anyone's permission."

Narwekar, a lawyer by training, was elected to the state assembly from Colaba in south Mumbai on a BJP ticket. He is a first-time MLA.

The speaker said as many as 34 petitions were filed and documents running into 2.5 lakh pages produced before his office during the hearing.

Narwekar also said efforts were on to deliver verdict on disqualification petitions of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs by January 30. The Sharad Pawar-founded party suffered a split in July 2023 when a section of MLAs, led by now deputy CM Ajit Pawar, joined the Shinde-led government.

In June 2022, Shinde and 39 other Shiv Sena MLAs, out of the total 56 legislators, had rebelled against then-chief minister Thackeray, leading to a split in the 57-year-old party and subsequent fall of the MVA government which also comprised the NCP and the Congress.

Later, cross-petitions were filed by the Shinde and Thackeray factions before the speaker's office seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs under anti-defection laws.

The apex court in May last year had directed the speaker to adjudicate on the pleas expeditiously.

The SC initially set a deadline of December 31, 2023, for the speaker to deliver his verdict and later extended the date to January 10, 2024.
West Bengal minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Tuesday courted controversy with his comments that the recent attack on Enforcement Directorate officers during a raid in North 24 Parganas was a result of explosion of public grievance.

IMAGE: Security personnel at the site where vehicles of the Enforcement Directorate team came under attack during a raid in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, in North 24 Parganas. Photograph: ANI Photo

Chattopadhyay, the state's agriculture minister, also claimed that such attacks will take place in other parts of the country, too, where probe agencies conduct raids.

We have seen the explosion of public grievance at one place in the state Such incidents will happen at other places in India as well in future, he said at a programme.

Three ED officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised, as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on January 5, when the team went to conduct a raid at his house in Sandeshkhali in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system.

Chattopadhyay also claimed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed scams worth several crores of rupees in the present BJP-led regime at the Centre, but the party sends probe agencies to only non-BJP states.

Rubbishing the minister's allegations, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said the TMC government must be immediately uprooted from power to save the people of West Bengal.

Another local BJP leader called for Chattopadhyay's arrest for his remarks against central agencies.

Left Front leader Sujon Chakraborty said that Chattopadhyay was trying to score political points with such statements.
The Union home ministry has sought a report from the West Bengal government on attacks on Enforcement Directorate teams in the state on January 5, sources said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Security personnel inspect a vehicle of the ED team which was attacked during a raid in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, in North 24 Parganas, January 5, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

In a communication, the ministry of home affairs has asked the West Bengal government to send a detailed report on the circumstances leading to the attacks that left ED officials injured.

The home ministry also asked the state government to send details of the action taken following the attacks on the central probe agency teams, the sources said.

Three ED officials were injured and their mobile phones, laptops and wallets 'looted' when they went to Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district to search the premises of Shajahan Sheikh, a leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state, on January 5.

Sheikh is absconding and the ED has issued a look-out circular against him, alerting all land, air and sea ports to stop his exit from the country.

A second agency team was attacked and their vehicle was damaged during the arrest of another TMC leader, Shankar Adhya, in Bongaon of the said district on the same day.

Acting director of the ED Rahul Navin visited West Bengal on Tuesday to take stock of the situation following the attacks on the agency officials.

Navin will review the probe into the alleged public distribution and paddy procurement scam in West Bengal and discuss security concerns of the local ED establishment in the backdrop of the attacks on the agency officials, the sources said.

He might also call on Governor CV Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.

The ED had claimed in a press statement that the magnitude of the "scam" was "enormous" and the proceeds of the crime transferred by a suspect amounted to Rs 9,000-10,000 crore, of which an amount of Rs 2,000 crore was "suspected to be transferred to Dubai either directly or through Bangladesh".

It arrested West Bengal minister and TMC leader Jyotipriya Mallick and his aide Bakibur Rahaman in connection with the case last year while Adhya was held last week.

A money-laundering chargesheet against Mallick, Rahaman and NPG Rice Mill was filed by the agency before a Kolkata court in December last year.
CHICAGO, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chicago-based United Airlines (UA) has found loose door plug bolts on at least five Boeing 737 Max 9 planes as it begins inspecting planes following the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) temporary grounding order.

The loose bolts were found during initial inspections of what is known as the "mid-cabin door plug," located partway down the fuselage of Boeing 737 Max 9, local media reported Monday.

It appears to be a manufacturing quality issue as opposed to a design issue. "The issue could be an assembly error by Boeing, an install error by supplier Spirit AeroSystems, or an issue further down the supply chain," local media quoted Bank of America analyst Ronald Epstein as saying on Monday.

The mid-cabin door plugs on a Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines became dislodged from the aircraft following an abrupt depressurization shortly after departure on Friday. As a result, a piece of the fuselage was expelled at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

The plane, bound for Ontario, California, executed an emergency landing in Portland just 20 minutes after taking off.

The FAA on Saturday temporarily grounded 171 737 Max 9s on an international level with door plugs pending inspections. 
In the aftermath of India's Balakot strikes, several countries offered to send special envoys and China too suggested that it could send its deputy minister to both countries to seek de-escalation but New Delhi declined the offer, says former diplomat Ajay Bisaria.

In his upcoming book, Bisaria, who was serving as Indian high commissioner to Islamabad in that period, also writes that India was willing to send an aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Pakistan to bring back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, but the Pakistani government refused permission.

Varthaman (now Group Captain) downed a Pakistani jet on February 27, 2019, before his MiG 21 Bison jet was hit in a dogfight.

Pakistan had launched the retaliation for the Balakot airstrikes a day before. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army and was released two days later.

"We were willing to send an Indian Air Force aircraft to pick him up but Pakistan refused permission; the optics of an Indian Air Force plane landing in Islamabad after all that had happened over the previous three days, was, of course, not acceptable to Pakistan," Bisaria writes.

In his book, Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan, he also says several countries had offered to send special envoys over to the subcontinent but this was no longer necessary.

"Even China, not to be left behind, had suggested that it could send its deputy minister to both countries to seek de-escalation. India had politely declined the offer," he says.

In the book published by Rupa, Bisaria, who had a distinguished diplomatic career spanning 35 years, delves into various aspects of India-Pakistan relations since Independence.

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26, 2019, in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

Bisaria says that the day after India's air strikes at Balakot, the ambassadors of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France were informed during a briefing by the then Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua about a message she received from the Pakistan Army.

The message said that "nine missiles from India had been pointed towards Pakistan, to be launched any time that day".

"The foreign secretary requested the envoys to report this intelligence to their capitals and ask India not to escalate the situation. The diplomats promptly reported these developments, leading to a flurry of diplomatic activity in Islamabad, P5 capitals, and in New Delhi that night," Bisaria writes.

The permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and France are known as P5 nations.

"One of them recommended to her that Pakistan should convey its concerns directly to India," says Bisaria.

Bisaria also writes that then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to talk to his Indian counterpart.

"At around midnight I got a call in Delhi from Pakistani high commissioner Sohail Mahmood, now in Islamabad, who said that PM Imran Khan was keen to talk to Prime Minister Modi," he says.

"I checked upstairs and responded that our prime minister was not available at this hour but in case Imran Khan had any urgent message to convey he could, of course, convey it to me. I got no call back that night," he recounts.

"The US and UK envoys in Delhi got back overnight to India's foreign secretary to claim that Pakistan was now ready to de-escalate the situation, to act on India's dossier, and to seriously address the issue of terrorism," he says.

Bisaria says "Pakistan's PM would himself make these announcements and the pilot would be returned to India the next day.

He says India's "coercive diplomacy" had been effective, its expectations of Pakistan and of the world had been clear, backed by a credible resolve to escalate the crisis.

"Prime Minister Modi would later say in a campaign speech that, 'Fortunately, Pakistan announced that the pilot would be sent back to India. Else, it would have been qatal ki raat, a night of bloodshed'".

On overall regional geopolitics, Bisaria writes that Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan conveyed to China that it should support Islamabad since the United States decided to back India against China, but Chinese President Xi Jinping "declared that China would not be propping up Pakistan against India".

"I also learnt that Khan had told the Chinese that they should support Pakistan since the US had decided to support India against China. President Xi Jinping apparently responded sharply to Imran Khan for this simplistic geopolitical assessment and declared that China would not be propping up Pakistan against India," he says.

"He had advised Khan that it was the US that could help Pakistan in its India relationship and it would be in Pakistan's interest to make up with the US as well as with Afghanistan," Bisaria writes.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to his country, amid a spate of cancellation of reservations by Indian tourists after a diplomatic row erupted over the derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

IMAGE: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, December 1, 2023. Photograph: Amr Alfiky/Reuters

On the second day of his five-day state visit to China, Muizzu in his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday termed China as the island nation's "closest" ally.

"China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," he said.

He praised the Belt and Road Initiative projects launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014, saying that they "delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history", according to his speech.

He urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives.

"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," according to a readout posted on his official website.

Also, Maldivian media reported that the two countries have signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island.

Muizzu's appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep.

Muizzu's government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory posts on social media.

Also, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments.

According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023.

The highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 209,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 209,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 187,118 arrivals.

In 2022, India remained the top Maldives tourism market, with 240,000 arrivals. Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 177,000 arrivals.

Before COVID, China held the top spot with over 2.80 lakh tourists but is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy.

As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID are now restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.

After concluding his Fujian visit, Muizzu on Tuesday arrived in Beijing where he is expected to hold talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Ke Qiang.

Malidives Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer, who is accompanying Muizzu, said the president will participate in high-level meetings and discussions over the course of the next three days.

"Our focus is on conveying the Government's priorities and exploring avenues for enhanced collaboration with China," he said in a post on X.

Regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, Muizzu told the Forum that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives' economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers.

He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

Maldives and China signed the FTA in December 2014 during the pro-China President Abdulla Yameen administration. However, his successor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration did not implement the agreement, according to Maldives media reports.

He said the FTA is a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

"The FTA's aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA," he said.

China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to $451.29 million of which China's exports constituted $451.29 million against $60,000 of exports from Maldives.

Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum.

The projects included the relocation of the Male Commercial Port to Thilafushi, the Velana International Airport development project, the construction of 15 more airports, and the expansion of SEZ, Maldives web portal edition.mv reported.
Days after Chief Minister MK Stalin met Governor RN Ravi, Raj Bhavan on Tuesday, withdrew notifications in connection with the appointment of vice-chancellors to three state-run varsities.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi with Chief Minister MK Stalin. Photograph: ANI Photo

Ravi's move, the first after the meeting between Stalin and him following a recent suggestion of the Supreme Court to resolve their differences, came with a rider.

Raj Bhavan said it is "confident" that the state government too would withdraw its notifications and reissue them in line with UGC regulations and the judgements of the apex court and high courts.

Though the outcome of the governor's withdrawal of notification is anyone's guess, it is the first sign of the possibility of a thaw in strained ties between Raj Bhavan and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.

The tussle between the state government and Governor Ravi over several issues, including pending bills, policy matters and premature release of prisoners, is well-known.

As the chancellor of state varsities, the governor issued three notifications on September 6, 2023, constituting search committees to identify suitable candidates for appointment as vice-chancellors for Bharathiar University, The Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University and the University of Madras.

Referring to the state government's gazette notifications on the same subject, Raj Bhavan, in an official release in Chennai said these were not in accordance with the University Grants Commission's regulations.

Citing the Madras high court's judgment in V Palaniappa Vs secretary to chancellor, Puducherry Technological University and others (Dec-2023), Raj Bhavan said the verdict mandates that relevant statutory provisions should conform to UGC Regulations 2018.

In view of this "clear enunciation of the law", the governor is confident that in deference to constitutional proprietary and legality, the "Government of Tamil Nadu would withdraw its notifications".

Raj Bhavan said the governor is optimistic that the state government would issue notifications afresh conforming to UGC norms, in line with the judgments of the Supreme Court and the high courts.

The purpose of the new notification proposed by Raj Bhavan, to be issued by the state government, is to constitute search committees for "recommending panels of three persons to the chancellor, for appointment to the post of vice-chancellors".

Also, the governor said he was confident that the state would align the norms governing various government-run varsities to the regulations of the UGC, "as applicable".

Raj Bhavan said the governor "awaits appropriate action from the Government of Tamil Nadu at the earliest in this regard to ensure that the cause of higher education and the future of several hundred thousand students in the state are not adversely affected".
Considering the emotional significance of the pran pratishtha programme of Lord Ram in Ram Mandir, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath terming this special occasion as a 'national festival' has directed the declaration of a holiday in educational institutions across the state on January 22.

IMAGE: Construction works nearing completion at Ram temple, in Ayodhya, January 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Terming this occasion as special, CM Yogi said that liquor shops should be kept closed in the state on January 22.

During his visit to Ayodhya on Tuesday, the chief minister held a meeting with the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Taking information about the Vedic rituals of Pran Pratistha starting after Makar Sankranti, the Chief Minister directed officials to extend all necessary cooperation to the Teerth Kshetra Trust for the security and other arrangements for the ceremony.

The chief minister emphasised the need for enhanced hospitality for dignitaries attending the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

"The resting place of each VVIP should be selected in advance. Considering the weather, some guests may arrive a day or two earlier. In such a situation, better arrangements should be made for their stay," he said.

CM Yogi emphasised that after January 22, devotees of Lord Ram from across the globe will visit Ayodhya.

To facilitate their convenience, he directed the installation of multilingual signage throughout the city, covering languages from the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and the six official languages of the United Nations.

Stressing the paramount importance of cleanliness in hospitality, the Chief Minister sought public cooperation.

He underscored the necessity of maintaining cleanliness on major roads and streets such as Dharma Path, Janmabhoomi Path, Bhakti Path, and Ram Path.

With over 3800 sanitation workers deployed, CM Yogi recommended increasing the workforce by an additional 1500 employees to further ensure cleanliness and hygiene.

"The upcoming historic Pran-Pratishtha program is a source of joy, pride, and self-satisfaction for crores of Sanatan believers. The whole country is imbued with the spirit of Lord Shri Ram. Deepotsav will be celebrated at every temple in the evening on January 22. Every Sanatan believer is encouraged to welcome Ramlala by lighting the Ramjyoti in their homes and establishments," CM Yogi said.

"Today I have personally inspected the arrangements of the tent city. There is a good arrangement here. Emphasise cleanliness and ensure that those staying here have access to hot water. To ensure availability of food grains in the tent city, necessary arrangements should be made by the food and logistics department and Mandi Parishad," he added.

The chief minister stressed the need for expanding night shelters and increasing their numbers in various locations.

He stressed that no individual seeking shelter for the night in Dharmanagari should endure the cold, and directed the Relief Commissioner to ensure necessary arrangements are made to address this concern.

"Develop an enhanced action plan for parking and traffic management specifically for the January 22 event. Ensure ample parking facilities along major roads leading to Ayodhya. Arrange for a sufficient number of electric buses to transport visitors and plan for their organized parking," he asserted.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday said that the present situation in the state could have been avoided had there been no problem of narcotics and illegal immigrants.

IMAGE: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh during an event at the Moirang College, Bishnupur district in Imphal, January 6, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Singh said that he would resign if the government measures against the use of drugs and its campaigns against the influx of unauthorised immigrants to contain the situation in the state were found to be unconstitutional.

The chief minister, who was speaking at a programme held on the 190th death anniversary of Manipuri ruler Maharaja Gambhir Singh, said out of the state's 30 lakh population, 1.5 lakh youths are addicts.

"The war on drugs was declared (by the state government) to save the present and future generations. If there were no drugs, no poppy cultivation and no illegal immigration the present situation would not have occurred.

"Out of a population of just 30 lakhs (in the state), 1.5 lakhs of youth are affected by drugs. The state gets less rainfall due to deforestation for poppy cultivation and water bodies have dried up," he said.

Singh continued, "What exactly was the fault and unconstitutional act of the Manipur government which led to the attacks and burning houses of ordinary people? If there was anything that was unconstitutional in the government act against drugs and campaign against the influx of illegal immigrants I will immediately resign. I have to protect and implement the Constitution, which is my responsibility."

He claimed that none had previously discussed the current situation with the people of the state and issues of the impact of drugs, environmental and ecological imbalances (due to widespread deforestation for poppy cultivation), population and demographic imbalances were long unrealised. "However, today it is crystal clear how much trouble the state is in."

He advised holding of seminars and symposiums to discuss social issues and history of the state.

In Manipur around 15,496 acres are under poppy cultivation, according to official figure.

The state has 398 km of international border with Myanmar, much of which is unfenced and porous. More than 2000 illegal immigrants were identified in 2023.

The state is being rocked by ethnic violence since May 3 last year when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for ST status. More than 180 people have been killed and several hundreds injured in it.

The chief minister later posted on X that Maharaja Gambhir Singh protected Manipur by launching a war against Burmese invaders. "Due to his sacrifices, our generation continues to flourish today with dignity and pride ...

"Let us draw inspiration from his courage & patriotism and work towards further protecting the nation," he wrote.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. High 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low around 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Chinese authorities have accused ex-official Li Zayong of embezzling more than 150 billion yuan ($21 billion) on various "Vanity Projects." We are talking about 23 construction projects, 16 of which are listed as ineffective or idle, Azernews reports.

According to the Report, Bloomberg writes about this concerning a documentary by the local state television company China Central Television.

Li Zaiyong, as head of the city of Lupanshui in Guizhou Province, implemented infrastructure projects at the expense of state funds from 2013 to 2017.

The list of ineffective projects included a ski resort - complete with a cable car, declared the longest in Asia - for the construction of which the city took more than 3 bln yuan. Two other ski resorts have already been established in Lupanshui, where snow falls less than two months a year.

Chinese authorities have repeatedly promised to reduce local government debt as provinces struggle to pay off debts accumulated through "reckless spending" on infrastructure projects.

It should be noted that in China, as part of the fight against corruption, a series of arrests took place, in particular, on January 8, the former assistant to the CEO of the Chinese National Oil and Gas Corporation CNPC Xu Wenzhong was arrested on suspicion of bribery. Before that, the former head of China Everbright was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for corruption.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- "China continues to be the world's second-largest economy and a wealth creation hub, and is a key market for UBS," UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher said on Tuesday.

Kelleher made the remarks at UBS' 24th Greater China Conference, which was held in Shanghai.

The business leader said that the Swiss banking giant remains committed to its onshore growth strategy in China, and that it is in a unique position to provide access to China to international investors.

The bank will also continue to support Chinese companies and investors who want to go global, Kelleher said.

According to the UBS website, UBS' key businesses in China include wealth management, investment bank and asset management enterprises.

On the integration between UBS and Credit Suisse, the chairman said, "We have already achieved important milestones and aim to substantially complete the integration for the group by the end of 2026."

He said that after the acquisition of Credit Suisse, the growth ambitions for UBS are focused on wealth and asset management.

The Swiss federal government in March 2023 announced that Credit Suisse would be taken over by UBS. 
QUITO, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa decreed on Monday a state of emergency, imposing a curfew for 60 days throughout the country, including in prisons, due to the "serious internal commotion" in several prisons.

The president said the measure is based on the "factual situation" of violence and criminality which is affecting the country, including the prison system, where serious disruptions of the order are occurring.

The decree came after reports on Sunday of the alleged escape of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias "Fito," the country's main drug trafficker and leader of the organized crime group "Los Choneros," from the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayaquil, capital of Guayas province.

Noboa, who assumed power on Nov. 23, said that he had given clear instructions to military and police commanders to regain control of prisons, which had been "lost in recent years."

"Narcoterrorist groups seek to intimidate us and believe that we will yield to their demands," he said, pledging that "we will not negotiate with terrorists, nor will we rest until we restore peace to all Ecuadorians."

The security crisis in the country is evidence that things must change and that existing laws are not sufficient for Ecuadorians to live in peace, the president added. 
A video of two scantily-clad women dancing around a man has been shared in Chinese-language posts with a claim that they were sent by Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen to entertain members of the British Conservative Party during their visit to Taiwan.

The claim is false. The video shows a Taiwanese company party around the beginning of the 2023 Chinese New Year. A review of all official British dignitaries to Taiwan over the past two years also did not reveal any person who matched the man in the video.

The video was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Jan. 3.

President Tsai sent a Taiwanese girl to the political reception of the British Conservative Party! The girl tried her best to provide service with a dedicated mind, but she has not been able to get a promotion yet. So she got angry and complained on X. She is also ready to go to Beijing to complain about Tasi, reads the claim.

The one-minute and 14-second clip shows two women dancing around a man at what appears to be a banquet.

The identical video with similar claims has also been shared on Telegram.

A video posted on X purportedly showed scantily clad Taiwanese girls dancing at a reception for members of the British Conservative Party. (Screenshot/X)





But the claim is false.

Couriers New Years party

A reverse image search on Google found the footage first appeared in a post by the X account CEO Briefing on Jan. 9, 2023.

I never thought Chinese girls could be so bold! A shipping companys end of the year dinner party. Therell also be a get together after Chinese New Year, the caption reads.

At around the 40-second point in the video, the traditional Chinese characters for Tongda are visible on a wall, a style predominantly used in Taiwan. Additionally, a careful examination of the clip shows that the people are speaking Mandarin with a Taiwanese accent, suggesting that the event occurred in Taiwan.

Keyword searches found a Taiwanese company called Tongda Express.

An image from Google Map shows the companys brand name printed across the body of one of its vehicles. Both the font and color of the word Tongda on the vehicle appear to match the same characters on the wall in the video.

The Taiwanese media outlet MinTV News also reported on the video, saying that the event took place at a Chinese New Years party.

The Chinese characters Tongda on the wall in the background of the video (left) and on one of Tongda Express company trucks. (Screenshot /X and Google Map)

Tsais meetings with British officials

A review of press releases of President Tsais meetings with U.K. officials over the past two years shows that none of them match the man shown in the video of the dancing girls.

They include meetings with Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands in November 2022, members of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group in March 2023 and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and U.K. Trade Envoy to Taiwan Lord Faulkner of Worcester in September 2023.

Tongda Express has not responded to questions about the video as of press time.

Translated by Shen Ke. 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.
The remarks highlight the broader regional implications of any political change in Taiwan.

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen, center right, chats with Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party during a visit to the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. The senior Japanese politician advocated increasing his country's deterrence ability to ensure peace in the region, and called for that message to be clearly conveyed globally  particularly in China.

UPDATES at 10:06 am ET on Jan. 9, 2023

Chinas claims over Taiwan will definitely become an existential crisis situation for Japan, and Tokyo must fight in the Taiwan Strait in the event of conflict to rescue its citizens, former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso warned on Monday.

The times are changing drastically. Tensions are now rising across the Taiwan Strait, said the 83-year-old vice president of the countrys Liberal Democratic Party, as cited by Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun.

There are 20,400 officially registered Japanese citizens in Taiwan alone ... If something happens in Taiwan and things turn out to be war, we have to rescue the Japanese in Taiwan.

The situation is different from before," said Aso, who was prime minister for a year from September 2008 to September 2009. "We will fight in the Taiwan Strait. We will be using submarines and warships, and so on. We must make the appropriate preparations.

The remarks by Aso highlight the broader regional implications of any potential change in the political landscape in Taiwan, which is gearing up for a pivotal presidential election on Saturday that will shape its future relationship with China and possibly its stance on independence.

China's communist government, which has never ruled the democratic island, views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of military force for occupation. Beijing frequently dispatches warplanes close to the island, crossing into the Taiwan Strait. In reaction, the United States has intensified its military drills with regional allies.

The future president of Taiwan will have a significant impact on either easing or heightening tensions between these major international powers.

Past comments

Asos Monday remarks werent the first instance of Japan signaling that its national security is closely linked to the fate of Taiwan.

For example, the 2021 Japanese defense white paper said for the first time that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is linked to Japanese national security.

In July that year, Aso, then-deputy prime minister, escalated this stance by suggesting that in the scenario of unprovoked military action by China against Taiwan, it would be necessary for both the United States and Japan to intervene in Taiwans defense.

Separately, in December 2021, the late Shinzo Abe, who had already stepped down as prime minister, declared, A Taiwan emergency is a Japanese emergency during an event organized by Taiwan's Institute for National Policy Research.

At that time, this comment caused a stir in Beijing, leading to a strong rebuke from a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson who expressed Beijings strong opposition and disappointment.

Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn.

Adds that Aso was prime minister for a year from 2008 to 2009.
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, Calif., takes part in an exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., Nov. 13, 2019.

A U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced to more than two years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to accepting almost US$15,000 in bribes from a Chinese spy in exchange for sensitive military information.

Wenheng Zhao, 26, accepted at least $14,866 across 14 separate payments from the spy from August 2021 to May 2023, according to a Department of Justice statement. In return, he provided sensitive, non-public information regarding U.S. Navy operational security, military trainings and exercises, and critical infrastructure.

The information, which the Californian transmitted using sophisticated encrypted communication methods, included plans for a large-scale maritime training exercise in the Pacific theatre, operational orders and electrical diagrams and blueprints.

Zhao was sentenced to two years and three months in prison after pleading guilty in October to conspiring with a foreign intelligence officer and receiving a bribe. He was arrested on Aug. 3, and had faced the prospect of up to 20 years in prison for the two charges.

But U.S. officials said he was not getting off lightly.

Mr. Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the U.S. military, said Matthew Olsen, the assistant U.S. attorney general for national security. Today, he is being held to account for those crimes.

Zhaos sentencing follows the arrest of 29-year-old former American soldier Joseph Schmidt in San Francisco late last year for similarly trying to provide Chinese spies with sensitive military information.

Larissa Knapp, the executive assistant director of the FBIs National Security Branch, said that the recent arrests and sentencing of U.S. service members for espionage sent a message to China.

Make no mistake, the PRC is engaged in an aggressive effort to undermine the national security of the U.S. and its partners, Knapp said, using an acronym for the Peoples Republic of China.

Todays sentencing demonstrates, yet again, the inability of Chinas Intelligence Services to prevent the FBI and our vital partners from apprehending and prosecuting the spies China recruits, she said.
Lai Ching-te warns voters that the wrong choice could mean the end of the island's democracy.

Taiwan doesn't need to declare independence, incumbent vice president and presidential hopeful Lai Ching-te told a press conference ahead of Saturday's general election, as the Ministry of Defense issued an air-raid alert over a Chinese rocket launch.

"We do not have any such plan, because Taiwan is already a sovereign and independent country, and there is no need to declare independence," Lai, who is standing alongside running mate Hsiao Bi-khim on the ruling Democratic Progressive Party ticket, said. His comment was a reference to the 1911 Republic of China, the government of which fled to Taiwan after losing the civil war with Mao Zedong's communists in 1949.

As Taiwan counts down the last days of a presidential race, voters must choose between Lai, who has a strong track record of standing up to China, against the more China-friendly opposition candidates  Hou Yu-ih for the Kuomintang and Ko Wen-je for the Taiwan People's Party.

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.

A phone and watch display Taiwans air raid alert on Jan. 9, 2024. The Ministry of National Defense text alert about a Chinese satellite launch caused alarm because the English part of the text referred to the rocket as a 'missile.' (Ng Han Guan/AP)

Lai said, if elected, his plan would be to "maintain the status quo" for the island's 23 million people, who have never been ruled by Beijing, nor been citizens of the People's Republic of China.

His comments came as an air-raid text alert warned Taiwan residents that there had been a "flyover" of the island's airspace by a Chinese satellite launch.

The Ministry of National Defense text alert caused widespread alarm, however, as the English part of the text referred to the satellite as a "missile."

"On 1503 hr today, [China] conducted a satellite launch," the Ministry said in a later statement.

"The trajectory unexpectedly flew over and went exoatmospheric when the vehicle was above Taiwans southern airspace," it said, adding that Taiwanese military and intelligence were closely monitoring the whole process.

"The air raid alert system was activated in the form of text messages to inform the public," it said. "The default English message was not revised and therefore incorrectly stated the launch vehicle as missile. The MND extends an apology for any confusion this may have caused."

It said China had launched a Long March 2C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, sending an Einstein probe satellite into orbit.

Peaceful ideals, but no illusions

Lai told the news conference that there are "no winners in wars," adding that he plans to continue incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen's policy of boosting international support while insisting on "equality and dignity" as a prerequisite for peace talks with Beijing  which treats Taiwan's government as a regional government not eligible for state-to-state dialogue.

"As long as there is equality and dignity, Taiwan's door will always be open and it is willing to communicate and cooperate with China to promote the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Lai said. "We can have peaceful ideals, but we can't have illusions."

Chinas Long March-2C rocket, carrying the Einstein probe satellite, lifts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Jan. 9, 2024. (AFP)

Lai vowed to step up Taiwan's military deterrent to make any potential invasion -- which Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has refused to rule out as a method of "reunification"  as costly as possible, including bringing back compulsory military service and boosting global supply chain resilience.

He warned against falling for China's rhetoric on "peaceful unification" and its "one country, two systems" promise that was broken in Hong Kong.

"The pursuit of peace relies on strength, not on the goodwill of the aggressor," Lai said. "The goodwill of the aggressor is unreliable. Tibet, Xinjiang or Hong Kong have all been good examples of this."

Lai blamed former Kuomintang President Ma Ying-jeou, who he said put national defense on the back burner during his eight years in office, for accepting Beijing's "1992 Consensus" codifying its territorial claim on Taiwan, "wasting our national security capabilities."

Taiwan's Vice President and presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party Lai Ching-te (L) and his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim hold a press conference in Taipei, Jan. 9, 2024. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

"The direction we advocate for this country is different from that of the opposition Kuomintang," he said, calling on Taiwanese to "use their sacred votes" to wield their democratic power to resist Chinese interference in the elections, in a reference to ongoing Chinese Communist Party-backed information wars and charm offensives targeting Taiwanese voters and officials alike.

"If China's intervention is successful, and the candidate China designates and supports gets elected, then Taiwan's democracy will disappear, and [we will] be electing ... a chief executive, just like Hong Kong," he said, in a reference to the rolling back of Hong Kong's promised freedoms and political autonomy in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.

He said Taiwan's door "is always open" for talks with China, provided they are on an equal footing.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Roseanne Gerin.


Liu Jianchao is the most senior Chinese official to visit the US since the Xi-Biden summit in San Francisco.

Liu Jianchao, the director of the international department of the Chinese Communist Partys Central Committee, speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

Beijing has no plans to return to the aggressive Wolf Warrior diplomacy that was seemingly rolled back last year, a senior Chinese official said in a speech in New York on Tuesday, stressing the need for the country to pursue warm and cooperative global ties.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Liu Jianchao, the director of the international department of the Chinese Communist Partys Central Committee, was asked about an apparent shift in tone from President Xi Jinping at a meeting in Beijing last month.

After months of calling for global cooperation in the wake of his November summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in San Francisco, Xi used a meeting of foreign policy officials to appeal for a diplomatic iron army that keeps a posture of readiness and a firm will to defy strong powers.

Despite a recent call by Chinas President Xi Jinping [shown] for a diplomatic iron army, Liu Jianchao says it does not augur a return to Wolf warrior diplomacy. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

But Liu downplayed the meaning of the words, saying it did not augur a return to aggressive type of foreign policy that borrows its name from a popular 2015 Chinese war film, Wolf Warrior, and its 2017 sequel.

I don't really believe that there has always been a kind of Wolf Warrior diplomacy, and there's no talk about coming back to that diplomacy, Liu said, explaining that Xi was instead calling on Chinas diplomatic service to uphold a sense of professional discipline.

The fundamental goal of China's diplomats would be to contribute their efforts in making sure that China's relations with other countries are warm and cooperative, Liu said, with the goal of creating a favorable international environment or China's modernization drive.

New world order

Liu was previously in charge of Chinas Operation Fox Hunt, a program Beijing says is aimed at repatriating corrupt officials who have escaped abroad but that FBI director Christopher Wray has said targets Chinese political dissidents who Xi sees as threats.

But in his current role, the official is charged with engaging foreign leaders. He said he hoped to use his current trip to discuss how to implement the San Francisco vision agreed upon by Biden and Xi.

China has since Xis November trip tried to present a softer global image, stressing the need for cooperation with the United States and other countries amid increasing economic troubles.

But the move away from Wolf Warrior diplomacy started months before, with the movements most recognizable face, onetime Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhou Lijian, demoted in March. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was also closely identified with the aggressive diplomatic style, was likewise suddenly ousted in July.

Officials have since sought to shift any focus away from Chinas plans as it rises in power to instead downplay any suggestions of change.

China does not seek to change the current international order, still less reinvent the wheel by creating a new international order, Liu said. We are one of the builders of the current world order and have benefited from it and will continue to uphold the international system.

Russia and Ukraine

Liu also defended Chinas close relations with Russia since 2022.

We do need each other, [but] we also work together to ensure the international balance of power, Liu said, adding that close ties were necessary to keep peace and stability on the Eurasian continent.

Asked about how Chinas support for Moscow amid its invasion of Ukraine played into that Eurasian peace, as well as Beijings normally loud defenses of territorial sovereignty when it comes to international relations, Liu said there were other concerns at play in Ukraine.

Ukrainian rescuers and local residents clear debris following Russian strikes, in Zmiiv, Kharkiv region, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Liu Jianchao says the Ukraine crisis is more complex than it appears to be. (Sergey Bobok/AFP)

The security concerns of a country  in particular in this context, Russia  must also be very well addressed, the official said. The Ukraine crisis is more complex than it appears to be.

But Liu would not be pushed to comment on the status of Taiwan and its upcoming presidential election this weekend, refusing to answer questions about the self-governing islands post-election future.

At this juncture, Chinas position on the Taiwan issue remains clear, strong and unchanged, he said in response to multiple questions on the topic. Thats what Im going to tell you at this moment.

Edited by Malcolm Foster
North Korean soldiers stand guard on the banks of the Yalu River near Sinuiju, Dec. 16, 2013. Staying in private inns is often too expensive for soldiers, even those traveling on official duty.

After a soldier froze to death in November due to a lack of lodging, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally ordered the construction of inns and restaurants specifically for military use, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

The soldier was traveling for work, delivering secret documents from one part of the country to another. When he arrived in Hamju county in the eastern province of South Hamgyong, he was not able to afford a room, so he stayed out in the open air and froze to death, a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

Currently, there is one military inn in each province, but it is not available to regular soldiers, the resident said. Only high-ranking commanders or the regiment commander and above can use it. Soldiers on remote missions have to spend their own money to secure lodging and meals, so those without money have no choice but to survive by stealing or robbing.

The incident is reminiscent of one in 2016, when four soldiers got lost during winter training and froze to death, even though there were residents nearby that could have helped them. The soldier who died in November was in a populated town.

Though in South Korea one can travel across the country in a matter of hours via high-speed rail, in the North, travel to rural parts of the country can take days due to aging technology and infrastructure and restrictions on movements of people. Some stations only see one train every few days.

A traveler making a transfer to a different line might need to wait a few days for the train to come, so finding food and lodging is important.

Soldiers who have to pay their own way often cannot afford either, and must endure without until they arrive at their destination.

Before and after

Things were different before the Arduous March, what North Koreans call the 1994-1998 famine and economic collapse that resulted after aid from the Soviet Union stopped.

Before the Arduous March, there were separate travel certificates and meal tickets for soldiers, so soldiers could show these at inns or restaurants, he said. However, after the Arduous March, these travel certificates and meal tickets for soldiers have become useless, he said.

The reason the certificates are not honored is because businesses stopped being held aloft by the government as they were before the economic collapse, he said. Now they had to be in business for themselves, and that meant charging prices far higher than the prices the government set.

The resident said that in some towns, people with extra rooms in their homes might rent them out to travelers, but at a steep 10,000 won (US$1) per day, soldiers cannot afford this.

Children stand beside a railway track in the industrial city of Chongjin on North Korea's northeast coast, Nov. 21, 2017. Train travel to rural parts of the country can take days due to aging technology and infrastructure. (Ed Jones/AFP)

Though there is clearly a need for places for soldiers on remote missions to sleep, the order to create more military inns and restaurants may have other reasons, he said.

The intention is to fundamentally block contact between residents and soldiers, said the resident. The goal is to prevent the leak of military secrets by blocking contact between citizens and soldiers and also to prevent crimes such as theft of military supplies.

He explained that North Korean marketplaces routinely sell supplies of food, clothing, gasoline, electrical appliances and auto parts that came from the military.

More than half of the goods sold at the market, including food, clothing, gasoline and diesel oil, electrical appliances, and automobile parts, are military supplies stolen by soldiers, he said.

Order from the top

Another Ryanggang resident explained that the orders to build military inns came from Kim Jong Un himself, and that every city and county across the country should have at least one. The goal would be to construct a military inn in about 200 cities and counties throughout North Korea, he said.

Members of the military are to serve as construction workers and the work is to be directed by the city and county party committees.

The Central Military Commission of the Central Committee instructed the construction of military restaurants and inns to be completed within this year, he said.

He said this would be difficult because it would require coordination between front-line and rear troops, who operate in different areas. The former are more in number, but concentrated in smaller areas, whereas the rear troops are fewer in number but spread out more.

The frontline corps, which is responsible for attacking in case of emergency, has more than 100,000 active-duty military soldiers, he said. But the rear corps, which is organized around civilian forces, has less than 20,000 active-duty military soldiers.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung Oh Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
But the groups do not include key stakeholders from the opposition.

ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar Alounkeo Kittikhoun from Laos, shown at 2021 ASEAN meeting, is scheduled to visit the country this week.

Myanmars military junta has invited representatives from several ethnic armies and heads of political parties to meet with the new ASEAN special envoy during a planned visit this week. However, several key stakeholders will be absent from talks, including members of the opposition.

Alounkeo Kittikhoun, vice minister of foreign affairs for Laos, assumed the office of the regional blocs special envoy to Myanmar after his country took on the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for 2024.

He will attempt to deal with Myanmars ongoing post-coup crisis while working to ensure the junta does not hold ASEAN hostage in its dealings with the bloc.

Ahead of Alounkeos visit, Myanmars military regime invited seven of the countrys 10 ethnic armies that have signed a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, as well as the heads of the 45 registered political parties to attend talks with the envoy.

While no dates have been officially announced, invitees said that the meeting with ethnic armies will take place on Wednesday in the capital Naypyidaw, while the meeting with political parties will occur on Friday in Yangon.

Colonel Saw Kyaw Nyunt, the General Secretary of the Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council, said that his group expects to discuss ways to end the countrys political crisis and facilitate humanitarian assistance amid widespread violence  a process that began during Indonesias chairmanship last year.

We expect to find a potential way to overcome the three-year crisis during the visit of the new envoy, he said, without providing details.

Aiming for an election

Of the 10 ethnic armies that have signed the ceasefire, three were not invited to this weeks meeting. The Karen National Union, the Chin National Front, and the All Burma Students Democratic Front are all signatories, but are currently engaged in fighting with the military.

Tin Swe, the deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, told RFA Burmese that his party will request assistance from Alounkeo to hold an immediate general election in Myanmar.

Elections can only be held if there is an end to the ongoing armed conflict, he said. We hope ASEAN can assist in holding such an election.

The seat reserved for Myanmar's head of delegation remains empty during the opening session of the 17th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2023. (Dita Alangkara/Pool/AFP)

The junta and its supporters want to hold a general election to end a state of emergency that has been in place in Myanmar since the Feb. 1, 2021, coup detat, but observers say such a ballot would be neither free nor fair and would only serve to legitimize the militarys grasp on power.

The regime has ignored calls to allow all stakeholders, including the deposed National League for Democracy, the shadow National Unity Government, and various anti-junta forces, from meeting with visiting ASEAN officials. Critics say there can be no meaningful move towards a resolution of the crisis unless all parties have a seat at the table.

Key stakeholders missing

Kyaw Zaw, the spokesperson of the Presidents Office under the National Unity Government, or NUG  made up of leaders of the former, ousted civilian government and other activists  said his administration welcomes the new ASEAN special envoys efforts to resolve the conflict.

But he called for the envoy to also meet with anti-junta groups such as the NUG, instead of only holding talks with stakeholders selected by the military.

He should also meet with the NUG, which represents the people of Myanmar, the ethnic armed organizations which are benefiting ethnic groups, and other revolutionary forces, he said, adding that he is holding out hope that such a sit-down might still take place.

RFA sent a request for comment on the pending visit to the Lao Embassy in Yangon, but had yet to receive a response by the time of publishing. Similarly, calls to junta Deputy Information Minister Major General Zaw Min Tun went unanswered Tuesday.

Aung Myo, a former military officer and political commentator, told RFA that Alounkeo will request a meeting with jailed National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit, and that the junta would grant such a request under certain conditions.

If the special envoy agrees not to release certain information during his press conference after meeting with Aung San Kuu Kyi, he would be allowed to meet with her, he said.

The former State Councilor and former President Win Myint, who were arrested along with other senior members of the NLD in the aftermath of the coup remain incarcerated on lengthy prison sentences under various charges.

Tumultuous relations

ASEAN adopted a five-point consensus in April 2021 to end violence in Myanmar and bring the country back to the path of democracy, but rotating ASEAN chairs Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia have all failed to effectively address the crisis over the past three years.

The consensus  which was agreed to by the junta  called for an end to violence, the provision of humanitarian assistance, the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy, all-party dialogue, and mediation by the envoy.

Moreover, top junta officials, including junta chief Senior Gen.l Min Aung Hlaing, have been barred from attending ASEAN summits because of the regimes failure to implement the consensus.

In addition to his role as the vice minister for foreign affairs, Alounkeo Kittikhoun has served as ambassador to the U.N. for the Lao government and is a veteran diplomat.

The first ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar after the military coup was Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Erywan Yusof of Brunei during that countrys rotating chair of the bloc in 2021. He tried to visit Myanmar in October 2021, but his trip was canceled because the junta did not agree to some of his terms.

During the 2022 term of the ASEAN rotating chair, Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn of Cambodia served as the special envoy. He made two visits to Myanmar in one year, but his requests for a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi were denied by the junta.

Indonesia chose an approach of silent diplomacy, during its term last year and sent no special envoy to Myanmar. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said on Jan. 8 that his government held a total of 265 meetings with the junta to address the crisis in Myanmar, but made little progress.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
The base is located in a Chinese special economic zone where Beijing has requested heightened security.

An ethnic army attacked a junta naval base in western Myanmar, locals told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday. The base is one of the largest in the country and located in part of an ongoing Chinese investment project.

The attack was initiated by the Arakan Army on Monday morning in Rakhine States Kyaukphyu township, residents said. Danyawaddy Naval Base retaliated during the attack using heavy artillery and small arms, reported one resident, who declined to be named for security reasons.

"Yesterday morning, the Arakan Army fired at the naval base with shock missiles. They fired about six times. I don't know how much damage they inflicted, he said. The naval base also fired back with heavy and small arms. There was no more fighting today, but the junta troops have closed all the roads and tightened security.

Danyawaddy is part of the Kyaukphyu deep sea port complex and in a special economic zone that is currently being developed by China. The project was approved in 2023 by the junta and attempts to recruit locals for work have been met with controversy and distrust.

Fighting in Rakhine in December has already stalled progress on both the port and railroad, locals told RFA.

Emails by RFA to the Chinese Embassy in Yangon for comment on the attack went unanswered Tuesday.

Both the Myanmar junta and resistance groups, like the Three Brotherhood Alliance, have been frequently urged by China to secure the countrys projects inside Myanmar and stabilize the border region. The Arakan Army is one resistance group in the alliance, along with the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

Myanmars regime has not released any information about the attack on the naval base. RFA was unable to reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment regarding junta injuries and damages.

Monday was the Arakan Armys first attack on the junta naval base in Kyaukphyu, according to their statement released Monday. It said the army intends to capture all junta camps in Paletwa, one of the westernmost towns in Myanmars Chin state.

Currently, all junta camps in western Paletwa have been captured, the group claimed.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.






Worlds largest coast guard vessel has been patrolling near the contentious Vanguard Bank in the South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard ship 5901, dubbed The Monster for its size, has been near Vietnams oil exploration blocks at Vanguard Bank in the South China Sea since early December, Radio Free Asia has learned.

The CCG 5901 has conducted an intrusive patrol of Vietnam's oil and gas fields west of Vanguard Bank, said Ray Powell, director of the U.S.-based SeaLight project, who was the first to spot the latest movement of the vessel in Vietnams exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

An EEZ gives a state exclusive access to the natural resources in the waters and in the seabed.

Data obtained by RFA from tracking website MarineTraffic show the CCG 5901 (formerly known as Zhong Guoa Hai Jing 3901) has weaved an on-and-off pattern west of the Vanguard Bank, where Vietnam has some oil exploration projects, since at least Dec. 9, 2023.

MarineTraffic uses AIS (automatic information system) signals that ships are obliged to transmit for safety reasons to track them.

The Chinese ship has mostly been running dark, or not broadcasting AIS, since departing Sanya, Hainan, on Nov. 14, 2023, according to Powell.

This frequent practice violates the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, of which China is a signatory, he added.

Chinese coast guard ship 5901s activities in Vietnams economic zone, Dec. 9, 2023- Jan. 7, 2024. (MarineTraffic)





The last time the CCG 5901 turned on its AIS was on Jan. 7, 2024 at around 8:20 a.m. UTC. The ship was about 50 nautical miles (92.6km) southwest of Vanguard Bank. Several Vietnamese fishery patrol vessels were seen tailing the Chinese ship.

The Chinese ships AIS was also activated on Dec. 9 and Dec. 29, 2023.

The 12,000-ton CCG 5901 is double the size of a U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser and is also bigger than an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.

The coast guard ship, armed with heavy machine guns, also has a helicopter platform and a hangar large enough to accommodate larger rotary wing aircraft.

Shared future

Vanguard Bank, called Bai Tu Chinh in Vietnamese, is an important site of Vietnamese oil and gas development where Vietnam and some foreign partners carry out oil and gas exploration.

It is also a known flashpoint between Vietnam and China  their law enforcement vessels confronted each other in July 2019 in one of the worst maritime standoffs in the South China Sea between them in recent years.

Chinese coast guard vessels maintain a frequent presence near the Vanguard Bank (Wanan Tan in Chinese)  a submerged formation that lies entirely within Vietnams EEZ.

China is among the six parties that hold claims over the South China Sea but Beijings claim is by far the largest, covering almost 90% of the sea.

The [incursion] is not new but it happens right after Vietnam and China agreed to build a Community with a Shared Future during Xi Jinpings visit to Hanoi in December, said Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

The concept of a Community with a Shared Future is China's vision for international relations in the Chinese leader, Xis Jinping era.

That shows that essentially the Vietnam-China bilateral relations have not changed and it remains very difficult for the two countries to share a future should China continue pursuing its current claim over nearly-entire South China Sea, Hiep told RFA.

Another Vietnamese political analyst, Nguyen Khac Giang, said that the Chinese coast guard patrols may be sending a message to not only Vietnam but the broader international community about Chinas sovereignty in the South China Sea.

On the other hand, China wants to maintain its pressure to interrupt Vietnams oil and activities in the area, as well as to push Hanoi to agree to a joint exploration plan with China in the same manner as what it achieved with the Philippines under the Duterte administration, said Giang.

In 2018, Manila and Beijing signed an agreement to explore oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea but the Philippines declared an end to it in June 2022, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took power.

The two countries, however, had agreed to resume discussions on oil and gas development after Marcos visited Beijing in December.

Edited by Mike Firn and Elaine Chan.












Students recite vocabulary during a Mandarin Chinese class at Nagqu No. 2 Senior High School, a public boarding school for students from northern Tibet, in Lhasa, capital of western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 1, 2021.

Going door-to-door, Chinese authorities are stepping up efforts to enforce a ban on Tibetan children from taking private classes and participating in religious activities during the winter break from school, three sources from inside Tibet told Radio Free Asia.

Authorities are conducting random checks in residential areas and commercial establishments, the sources said.

In 2021, authorities in various Tibetan-populated provinces began prohibiting Tibetan children from taking informal Tibetan language classes or workshops during their winter holidays, a move that local Tibetans and parents of affected children said would negatively impact the childrens connection to their native language.

Earlier this month, the Chinese Education Department issued a notice repeating this ban, said the sources who requested anonymity for safety reasons. The notice orders local authorities to intensify their supervision and investigation of supplementary lessons for Tibetan children and to carry out strict disciplinary action against those violating the rule.

Investigations should be carried out in residential areas and commercial establishments at various times of day and night, said the notice to the local authorities.

Students take part in a political education class at a Tibetan school in western China's Qinghai province in an undated photo. (Citizen journalist)

Local authorities in Tibet's capital Lhasa, Labrang Monastery in Gansu province and Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province have taken measures to ensure the strict enforcement of the orders from the Education Department, sources from each of these regions told RFA.

On Nov. 30, 2023, Lhasa city authorities issued a notice announcing the winter break for all three levels of schools from Dec. 30 until Feb. 27-29, 2024. The notice detailed the kind of education parents could give their children during the break, as well as the work that teachers would need to do during the holiday period.

No religious education

The notice, as seen by RFA, said parents should not engage in religious education of school children and must make sure the children are completely free from the influence of religion.

Parents must also ensure Tibetan children voluntarily distance themselves from places of worship and that they do not participate in any religious activities, the notice said.

In addition to random door-to-door investigations, local authorities are also carrying out surveys of the Tibetan children to find out what subjects are being taught to them in their out-of-school courses and where, said the source at Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Chinas Qinghai province.

The notice from the Education Department said Tibetan children can participate in supplementary classes and workshops taught only by government-authorized individuals and organizations and on subjects approved by the authorities, the sources said.

A security guard stands watch at the Shangri-La Key Boarding School during a media-organized tour in Dabpa county, Kardze prefecture, southwestern China's Sichuan province, Sept. 5, 2023. (Andy Wong/AP)

The notice also includes orders emphasizing the continued ban on Tibetan childrens participation in religious activities, they added.

In the past, there was a strong tradition of providing supplementary, private tuitions to Tibetan children in the fields of Tibetan grammar, religion, math, and storytelling during their winter break, said a source in Xiahe county-based Labrang Monastery  home to the largest number of monks outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Now, only a few Chinese government-authorized organizations and individuals who carry out political re-education programs are allowed to give [lessons] to Tibetan students.

The same source also confirmed the stricter enforcement of the ban on the study of the Tibetan language and on Tibetan children participating in religious activities, as China tightens its grip on these practices and ramps up efforts to impose President Xi Jinpings plans for the Sinicization of religion, or adaptation of religions to Chinas socialist society.

With the prohibition of the study of Tibetan language, both in schools and in out-of-school programs, it has now become increasingly evident that young Tibetan children have lost touch with their native language and identity, a very alarming and concerning development, another source told RFA.

Chinese-only classes

In March 2022, Radio Free Asia reported that Chinese authorities were pushing forward with policies to supplant Tibetan language education in schools with all classes taught only in Chinese, a move that critics have said is aimed at weakening Tibetan childrens connection to their national identity and traditional language and culture.

A year earlier, Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Tibet Action Institute released a report saying that hundreds of thousands of Tibetan children between the ages of 4 and 18 were being separated from their families and forced to live in state-run boarding schools, where teachers only speak in Mandarin and conduct all school curriculum in Mandarin, including nursery rhymes and bedtime stories.

A girl raises her hand to answer a question during a Tibetan language class at the Lhasa Experimental Primary School in Lhasa, capital of western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 19, 2009. (Greg Baker/AP)

Rights activists have decried the move to completely assimilate the Tibetan children into the Chinese majority and raised fears over its likely long-term implications on the very survival of the Tibetan identity.

According to a September 2023 RFA Investigative report, returning members of the Tibetan diaspora to Chinese-occupied Tibet confirmed they are already seeing the effects of this move in the way their young relatives  who attend boarding schools where the courses are taught only in Mandarin  interact with each other.

Translated by Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission announced on Monday its approval of state aid schemes from France and Germany, as part of the bloc's efforts to advance the transition towards a net-zero economy.

The French state aid investment, totaling 2.9 billion euros (about 3.18 billion U.S. dollars), is geared towards leveraging tax credits to support companies planning investment in the production of solar panels, batteries, wind turbines and heat pumps, as well as key components and critical materials needed for these products.

Germany's 902-million-euro aid is earmarked for Northvolt, a Swedish battery producer, to construct a plant in the city of Heide, and the facility will focus on the production of batteries for electric vehicles.

Production is set to commence in 2026, with full capacity expected by 2029, as stated by the Commission.

"The aid will enable Northvolt's investment in a gigafactory to produce battery cells for electric vehicles in Europe instead of the United States," said Margrethe Vestager, the Commission's executive vice-president, who is responsible for competition policy. (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollar) 
Male students who enrolled in Taliban-run religious schools say that sexual and physical abuse has led some to end their pursuit of an education in Afghanistan.

The students, all of whom were aged 10 to 17 and spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity out of fears of repercussion, described numerous instances in which they and fellow classmates were pressured to engage in sexual acts with teachers and subjected to corporal punishments.

The reported cases took place in western and southwestern Afghanistan at Taliban-run madrasahs, part of the network of religious schools that the extremist group has expanded significantly as part of its drive to foster religious education more in keeping with its hard-line Islamist views.

One 16-year-old student, a resident of Farah Province, described being propositioned by a teacher at the madrasah he attends.

"One day at school a Taliban member who teaches there made an inappropriate offer, but I did not accept it," the boy told Radio Azadi, using inexplicit language to describe sexual abuse, a culturally taboo topic in Afghanistan. "When the lessons were over, he bothered me again."

The boy said he reported the incidents to a "qari," a person who has memorized the Koran and serves as a religious authority at the school, to no avail.

"I told the qari that the teacher was doing bad things to me, and the qari told him not to do these things, that he was a teacher," the boy said. "The teacher admitted doing it, but it had no effect. He has continued to do bad things and made sexual requests to numerous students at the school."

Another student in southwestern Afghanistan, a 17-year-old in the 10th grade, gave a similar account of his experience during his six months studying at a Taliban-run madrasah.

"A Taliban member who teaches at the school proposed having a relationship with me and said some other things that I did not accept," the boy said.

After being refused, the teacher swore and issued threats, the boy said, adding that his fellow students have faced similar treatment.

"He also harassed several of my classmates, and one of them left the school," the boy said. "He told me I should not go to school anymore because the same teacher is harassing me."

The boy said the experience has left him "damaged" and unsure of whom he can confide in. "I can't tell my family," he said.

The Taliban has come under widespread criticism for the severe restrictions it has placed on the daily lives of the Afghans since seizing power in August 2021. In its pursuit to impose its extreme interpretation of Islam, the Taliban has restored many of the draconian rules it was infamous for during its first stint in power from 1996 to 2001.

The ban on the education of girls past the sixth grade, and the erasure of women's role in society stand out among the measures the Taliban has taken. But other steps -- including prohibitions on music and idolatry through art, and pressure against students and teachers -- have affected all walks of life regardless of sex.

Since the Taliban returned to power, many educators have left the country, while female teachers have been left at home without work due to restrictions on women's freedom of movement and their ability to teach males.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has steadily worked to replace secular state schools and informal madrasahs with a system of religious schooling. The system does allow for girl students, including those of university age, but critics say it falls far short of the standards of modern education for girls and boys alike and often promotes extremism.

According to a report on Afghanistan issued by the United Nations in February, the Taliban has established 6,836 madrasahs for males and 380 for females and was expected to finalize a standardized religious curriculum in time for the new school year beginning this month.

The recruitment of madrasah teachers is also in full swing, according to the report, following a decree by the Talibans spiritual leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada to have 100,000 new madrasah teachers in place.

In December, Human Rights Watch gave a stinging assessment of the state of education in general, saying that in addition to the obstacles to the education of girls and women, the Taliban had "also inflicted deep harm on boys' education" in Afghanistan.

"Many boys were previously taught by women teachers; the Taliban has prohibited women from teaching boys, depriving women teachers of their jobs and often leaving boys with unqualified replacement male teachers or sometimes no teachers at all," HRW said. "Parents and students said that corporal punishment, which has long been a problem at Afghan schools, has become increasingly common. The curriculum in many schools appears to be under revision to remove important school subjects and promote discrimination."

The rights watchdog said the circumstances had "led many boys to leave school altogether" and "left boys struggling with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression."

Shortly after the Taliban regained power, the United Nations highlighted the dire situation for children in Afghanistan, including exposure to sexual violence and increased risk of students dropping out of school.

Difficulties in ensuring the protection of children are exacerbated, according to the UN, by the Taliban's refusal to consider people below the age of 18 to be children, as is the international standard, instead using the onset of puberty as the basis for adulthood.

Younger madrasah students in western and southwestern Afghanistan below or at the age of puberty said they were not spared physical abuse and sexual harassment from teachers.

One young man who spoke to Radio Azadi said he recently learned that his young brother was being subjected to sexual abuse at a madrasah in western Afghanistan.

The young man said his brother was being assigned extracurricular "homework by a teacher, or to put it bluntly, he was being asked for sex, [the teacher] fondled his hands and feet and kissed him."

As a result, the young man said he told his brother not to go to school anymore.

Fear of sexual harassment and sexual and physical abuse were cited as a common factor leading boys in western and southwestern Afghanistan to give up their studies.

"Some teachers harass our students and make immoral requests," said one 14-year-old boy who also described common methods of corporal punishment at his madrasah. "They strike our faces or beat our hands and feet under the pretext of disciplining us for not learning our lessons properly."

The boy said many students were studying hard in fear of being taken to a special room for punishment, and that "some even drop out of school."

Another student, aged 10, said his teacher separated him and other students from their class to beat the soles of their feet.

Afterward, he told Radio Azadi, he stopped going to class because he was afraid. And upon hearing about the incidents, his and his classmates' parents "did not allow us to go to school."

The Taliban authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations of abuse at madrasahs it has established. And efforts to speak to individuals aware of the situations at madrasahs in other areas of Afghanistan were met by refusals to comment due to fear of reprisals.

A women's rights activist who asked that her name not be published told Radio Azadi that families have no avenue to lodge complaints about the abuse their children encounter at Taliban-run madrasahs because they, too, would face threats.

The activist said that not only had she been made aware of sexual harassment against both girls and boys at Taliban-run madrasahs, but the curriculum also serves to "increase the level of extremism in the country."

Reducing the risks of both threats, she said, would require greater oversight by the Taliban authorities and ideally, she said, a reduction in the number of madrasahs.

Najib Amini, a civil society activist in western Afghanistan, said that for now, the onus falls on families to be aware.

"Children are subjected to sexual abuse in madrasahs established under the Taliban regime," Amini said. "Families have an important and essential role in this regard. If they do not want their children to be abused in schools, if they want their children to get a basic education...then they should not send their children to madrasahs under the control of the Taliban."

Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Azadi
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
Residents of Republika Srpska, the ethnic Serb entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, attended a parade and other events marking the regions national day on January 9. The day commemorates the declaration of a separate Bosnian Serb state in 1992, which triggered the country's lengthy war. The country's highest court has said that observations of the holiday on January 9 are unconstitutional, but thousands took part in the events nevertheless.
QARAGHANDY, Kazakhstan -- Baby Afina was born two weeks after her 26-year-old father, Timur Sosnovsky, died in an inferno at a coal mine in central Kazakhstan with 45 others in October.

Afinas mother, Anastasiya Sosnovskaya -- widowed at the age of 22 -- hasnt yet received any of the promised state compensation from her late husbands employer that was to be given to the devastated families of the victims of the tragedy.

Sosnovskaya also complains about the never-ending bureaucratic obstacles and complicated procedures she must complete to prove she is eligible to receive benefits.

Right after the burial of my husband, I am hit with another burden as I was ordered to take a DNA test to establish the paternity of my baby in order to qualify for the life insurance payment, Sosnovskaya told RFE/RL. Everything is being delayed, and now we also have to take part in a court trial.

The October 28 fire at the Kostenko mine in Qaraghandy Province killed 46 people and injured more than 200 others, making it the deadliest mine accident in Kazakhstan since it gained independence in 1991.

As the Central Asian nation mourned the victims, state and mining officials pledged generous compensation to the victims families.

But more than two months later, many families say they havent received any money or other assistance that authorities promised would be swiftly delivered. They also accuse officials of withholding funds from private individuals and companies donated to the victims families.

Among the miners killed in the fire was 32-year-old Damir Kalimulin, who left behind his wife and 7-year-old daughter.

Kalimulin had studied at a distance-learning college in hopes of changing his profession. But that dream was never realized as he perished trying to escape the deadly heat and fumes of the fire.

Damir was killed when he was just 200 meters away from reaching safety, his wife, Yulya Kalimulina, told RFE/RL.

My daughter cries for her dad and this sadness has made her ill. She had to be hospitalized, Kalimulina said while showing drawings her daughter made in memory of her father.

The operator of the mining facility, ArcelorMittal Temirtau, which is the local entity of Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal, said 206 of the 252 people at the Kostenko mine were evacuated after the fire broke out. The assets of the company have since been acquired by a Kazakh company and renamed Qarmet.

Kalimulina has received some of the financial compensation she was promised, enough to buy a modest home. She has also applied for insurance payments for her daughter and other benefits the family is eligible for.

Its painful enough to realize I cant bring my husband back, she said. [But I also] had to travel several times to another city to gather the needed paperwork for the benefits, but officials told me later they had lost the documents and I had to do everything all over again.

The miners widow said many relatives of the victims dont know their rights when their applications are denied by officials.

Backtracking On Promises?

The stepson of one dead miner says he was denied compensation while the rest of the family received it.

Vasily Magada, who suffers from seizures, says he depended on the support of his stepfather, Rinat Kadyrov.

When authorities asked the victims families at a funeral ceremony for the miners what kind of assistance they needed, Magada said he requested some coal to heat his home and financial help to pay off a medical debt.

The governor of Qaraghandy Province told me: Well help you. But when I applied for the assistance it was rejected and authorities didnt respond to my inquiries, Magada said.

Then I wrote to the [Kazakh] presidents office. On December 26, I received a letter from Qaraghandy authorities saying they had already paid out all of the compensation to the family, he added.

Magada wasnt told why he wasnt included on the list of family members eligible for compensation or whether he will ever get the coal and financial aid he was promised.

Relatives of another victim of the mine fire, Vladimir Kataman, says the new owner of the Kostenko mine declined to pay for a modest home for his family despite initially promising to do so. According to an agreement between the company and the victims families, Qarmet has committed to pay for homes that have up to 18 square meters per family member.

We found an apartment to buy within this size limit, but the company refused to pay, saying we had exceeded the price limit, said Katamans son, Aleksandr.

It wasnt some kind of expensive, elite home. It was a very ordinary apartment. Besides, there wasnt an upper limit on the price [in the agreement], he said.

The family wants Qarmet to fulfill its legal obligations and has hired a lawyer.

State And Employer Obligations

RFE/RL contacted officials at Qarmet and authorities in Qaraghandy for comment but received no response. ArcelorMittal Temirtaus assets were bought for some $286 million after Astana decided to end investment cooperation with ArcelorMittal in the wake of the deadly fire.

The Qaraghandy government told RFE/RL that authorities have provided legal support for the victims and assisted them in resolving individual cases for issues such as health care, education, and utilities. But they didnt respond to RFE/RLs questions about the complaints of many family members about the procedural problems and unpaid compensation.

According to the Kazakh Labor Ministry, the states obligations for the victims families include providing social-security benefits based on the deceased persons salary and their number of dependents.

The ministry said the employers responsibilities include paying for the victims funerals, burial, and memorial services, repaying the deceased persons loans, and a one-off payment to each family that is equal to 10 annual salaries of the miner.

Qarmet is also required to pay the medical insurance for the children of the victims until they reach 18, or 23 if they attend university. The company has also been ordered to pay the education costs for the children, for summer camps, and any medical treatment in sanatoriums. Qarmet is also required to provide New Years gifts for the family and coal to heat their homes, if needed.

Qarmets other obligations include providing jobs at the company for the spouses and children of the victims if they want such work. Some of the relatives told RFE/RL that Qarmet has made such employment offers.

Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent Yelena Weber
1 A relative caresses the face of a victim after he succumbed to his injuries following a roadside bombing that targeted a police vehicle near the Afghan border in Bajaur, a tribal district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, on January 8.



The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group claimed responsibility for the blast, which killed at least seven people. Three police officers remain in critical condition.
It started with a phone call.

As Russian forces pummeled Kharkiv in March 2022, a month after the start of the full-scale invasion, Nadin Geisler was contacted by an acquaintance in the eastern Ukrainian city, asking for help in getting a friends mother out of the region, with only her documents and her dog.

At the time, Geisler, a 28-year-old photographer, was living a few hours drive from the Ukrainian border in the western Russian city of Belgorod.

Naturally, I said that I can meet her at the border and she could live with me for as long as possible, she said in an interview at an undisclosed location outside of Russia. RFE/RL agreed not to reveal Geislers current location for security reasons.

The woman wasnt the only one, Geisler recalled. Calls from Ukraine continued all night. The next morning, she and her sister met the woman and another 14 refugees, plus pets, at the entrance to their apartment building. The sisters spread a blanket, pillows, sweaters, and jackets on the floor of their rented apartment as bedding for the refugees and slept on the balcony.

When I crossed the border with Belarus, it seemed to me like I wasnt breathing at all.

It was an impromptu act of compassion that launched a grassroots network of people helping facilitate the flight of people from Ukraine. Giesler estimates some 2,000 Ukrainian people fled to Russia with the help of her network, and the network also helped provide food, toilet paper, and medicine to thousands of others living in Russian-occupied territories inside Ukraine since the invasion.

Most refugees, for whom Russian is a first language, usually opted for Russia as a transit point, rather than as a final destination -- a place where they have friends or family and could earn money to travel on.

Most have since migrated to the European Union or returned to Kyiv-controlled territory inside Ukraine, Geisler said.

[E]ither you get a grip and just do this work like a robot, or you lose your mind, Geisler told RFE/RLs North.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL's Russian Service.

A Network With 'Enormous Resources'

Not long after the start of the invasion in February 2022, Geisler and her sister joined an anti-war protest in Belgorod, dressing in the blue-and-yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag, and handing out flowers to passersby. They were briefly detained.

Giesler said she was released on an administrative misdemeanor charge.

She and her sister then began working to host Ukrainians crossing the border into Russia. She said they hosted around 100 in their apartment, and accommodated at least 1,000 in hostels, apartments, and humanitarian-aid warehouses.

Russian volunteers who help such people said they operate through a close-knit string of contacts, facilitated by social media.

In the first two months after the invasion, volunteers were like flies in a spiders web, Yegor Zakharov, a 48-year-old volunteer coordinator from St. Petersburg, said.

Then the volunteer movement began to broaden and develop horizontal ties, he said. Now its an entire structure, accumulating enormous resources.

Participants coordinate with Europe-based organizations to help get Ukrainians out of Russian-occupied territories and into the European Union or elsewhere abroad.

In one case, volunteers helped a woman with terminal cancer travel from the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine to Norway, Zakharov recalled. She died in a hospice, with her son by her side.

The outlay of 3,000 or 4,000 euros ($3,330 or $4,400) on a dying person may not make economic sense, he said, [b]ut were not doing economics here. Were saving people.

Volunteers, however, can burn out quickly: Every family has stories for a mini-Hague trial on war crimes, Zakharov said.

Some volunteers who burn out opt to help financially instead.

Dont f*** around where youre not wanted, Geisler said she was told.

Geisler said that general donations enabled her to pay 300,000 rubles (about $4,300) per month to accommodate refugees in Belgorod.

Its unclear exactly where the donations come from; volunteer coordinators did not provide details about who donors are.

With these funds, however, she eventually purchased on a classified-ads site an armored vehicle, later confiscated by the Russian military, for humanitarian-aid deliveries to occupied areas. Russian border guards, she said, only requested that she paint the light beige vehicle green to avoid Ukrainian shelling.

She also set up three warehouses in the Belgorod region to store needed goods. The parcels, intended for specific recipients, include nonperishable foods, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and medicine.

Both Geisler and Zakharov conceded that they initially used convoys labeled with the Latin letter Z --- a symbol of Russias invasion -- to deliver aid packages to the occupied regions.

Now, they say, such delivery assistance rarely occurs, if ever.

In the spring of 2022, two of the groups deliveries that had been left at a village council building in Kozacha Lopan, a Kharkiv-region hamlet that was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in September 2022, disappeared. Geisler, using a government-issued pass, decided to deliver the packages herself.

We found out that they were stealing humanitarian aid, she recounted, suggesting local occupation officials were to blame. Some families reported that they received only two packets of macaroni and some tea out of a 50-kilogram bag of food and supplies.

Geisler also gathered information about people wanting to leave Russian-occupied areas; her predominantly female team of volunteers organized evacuations from the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, she said.

Repercussions

Its unclear to what degree authorities have monitored the work the volunteers are doing -- or for that matter whether they quietly allowed it.

Russian authorities have harshly cracked down on any dissent or opposition to the war, jailing people under a vaguely worded crime that criminalizes anyone who discredits the armed forces. People have also been jailed for spreading fake information about the invasion, which includes posting information about the casualty toll.

But Russians whove helped refugees or provided shelter or humanitarian assistance have been allowed to work to a large degree.

The Geisler sisters say theyve encountered problems: the state-run Sberbank, where the volunteer donations have been deposited, eventually deactivated the two sisters bank cards. Giesler did not respond to follow-up questions asking if they were later able to obtain the funds.

During one visit to a Belgorod warehouse where supplies were being stored, an unknown man told Geisler that the deactivation of the bank cards was a hello from the Lubyanka -- a reference to the Moscow headquarters of Russias main domestic intelligence agency.

Dont f*** around where youre not wanted, she said the man remarked.

In one of her last trips to Kozacha Lopan before it was recaptured by Ukraine, another man warned her that they would kill her if she continued, she said.

She said that prompted her to leave instructions with her relatives about what to do and who to contact if I disappeared.

In November, a 61-year-old volunteer from Belgorod was charged with treason and illegal arms trading after he helped an elderly woman cross into Ukraine from Russia, according to multiple news reports.

Flight To Safety

Like other similarly minded volunteers facing potential prosecution or harassment, Geisler and Zakharov now live outside the country.

In May 2023, Geisler said she decided to leave, a decision prompted by the detention at an airport's passport control of a woman who had donated 300 rubles ($3.30) for Ukrainian refugees. She was interrogated about her help for a terrorist and extremist who supports the Ukrainian armed forces, Geisler said.

Neither Zakharov nor Geisler plan to return to Russia, where they see no future under Putin.

Fearing detention, Geisler tried to disguise herself by cutting her hair, and then opted to travel by car to the border with Belarus, switching cars repeatedly over the 11-hour journey.

When I crossed the border with Belarus, it seemed to me like I wasnt breathing at all, she said.

Her volunteer efforts continue from abroad. On a poster board in her apartment, a series of sticky notes list upcoming tasks: Evacuation; Parents + five cats and a sheepdog; Children in occupation. Medicine, cereals, formula, diapers.

Donations have dwindled, said Geisler, who is currently unemployed.

With each day of the war, there are fewer and fewer people wishing to help Ukrainians, she said. Those who do help absolutely go through a political-military meat-grinder, she added, referring to Russias repression of war critics.

For Zakharovs part, he said he fled after threatening anonymous phone calls on September 25, 2022, three days after President Vladimir Putin announced the mobilization of tens of thousands of fighting-age men.

He also said unconfirmed reports already had emerged about Russian security agents pressuring families of volunteers leaving the country in order to identify their coordinator.

Zakharov said he drove with his cat and three suitcases across the border into Finland, a European Union member, where he has requested political asylum.

Basically, I decided not to risk it, he said, speaking from Helsinki via Telegram.

Neither Zakharov nor Geisler plan to return to Russia, where they see no future under Putin.

Giesler said the requests to help Ukrainians alone delayed her departure from Russia.

I had to hang in there somehow to help them, she said. And I hung on as long as I could.

Written by Elizabeth Owen based on reporting by RFE/RL's North Realities reporter Anton Starikov
A street artist known as Philippenzo has left his native Russia after authorities issued arrest warrants over his stance against Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. Filip Kozlov, 39, now lives in Lithuania but continues his activism. He recently sold a work in support of Russia's LGBT community for over $7,000 after the Russian Supreme Court ruled that the nonexistent "international LGBT social movement" was "extremist."
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- With global trade forecast to underperform in 2023 and cross-border capital flow fluctuations drawing widespread concern, China is fostering new drivers to consolidate its status as a leading trader as well as a favored destination for foreign investors.

In the face of global economic fragility, guest speakers at the third episode of the China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk platform hosted by Xinhua News Agency, dwelled upon how China prepares to strengthen its trade with global partners, its efforts to boost the confidence of investors, and the profound implications these factors will have on global trade and investment.

NEW DRIVERS OF FOREIGN TRADE

In a December forecast, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that the outlook for 2024 remains "highly uncertain" and "generally pessimistic," and predicted that global trade in 2023 would fall by around 5 percent compared to the 2022 level.

Ongoing geopolitical tensions, lower demand in developed countries, an uptick in trade-restrictive measures, commodity price volatility and lengthening supply chains were among the factors weighing on trade, UNCTAD warned.

In the face of these challenges, China, the world's second-largest economy and the biggest goods trader, has been striving to tap into new trade potential. China's central economic work conference held in December emphasized fostering new drivers of foreign trade by expanding trade in intermediate goods, trade in services, digital trade and exports of cross-border e-commerce.

Chinese customs data shows that the nation's exports and imports reached 37.96 trillion yuan (about 5.35 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of 2023, staying flat from the same period in 2022, while exports alone hit 21.6 trillion yuan, up 0.3 percent year on year.

"Under such circumstances, China's foreign trade has maintained both stability in terms of scale and growth in exports," according to Zhang Wei, vice president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Zhang highlighted China's exports of three major tech-intensive green products -- solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles -- which have maintained rapid growth, saying that services trade, digital trade, cross-border e-commerce and intermediate goods trade are rising.

"I think the rapid growth of these new trends reflects the fact that China's foreign trade remains very resilient and competitive," Zhang said.

UTILIZATION OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT

China attaches great significance to foreign direct investment (FDI), given its huge contribution to advancing the nation's economic and social development.

Zhu Bing, director of the MOC's department of foreign investment administration, said that China, through the recently held central economic work conference, has sent a positive signal of expanding opening up and attracting foreign investment.

As an outcome of the conference, foreign investment's market access in service industries such as telecommunications and healthcare will be further relaxed. This came after the country announced in October 2023 that it would remove all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector.

"This will stabilize foreign investors' expectations," Zhu said, adding that the assurance and firmness of China in opening up and attracting foreign investment will provide much-needed certainty in the face of the unpredictability in today's world.

Government data shows a 10-percent decline in actual FDI into China in the first 11 months of 2023. Zhu said that despite the drop, FDI in China during the period still managed to top 1 trillion yuan and remained at a high level. "It is normal for the scale of foreign investment to fluctuate. There are various reasons for this, including both economic and non-economic factors," Zhu explained.

He listed factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that might have caused a lag in investment data, bearing in mind the long cycle of investors' investment decisions, geopolitics and the overall shrinkage in the scale of global FDI, which fell to 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022, down by about 12 percent year on year, according to UNCTAD data.

OPTIMIZING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

During their discussions at the Roundtable, Zhu said that stability, fairness, transparency and predictability are important criteria for assessing a country's business environment, and the Chinese government strives to provide investors with all these.

"We very much welcome multinational companies and small and medium-sized enterprises from overseas to invest in China," Zhu said, adding that the cooperation between these enterprises and domestic ones is an important new way for foreign investment to enter the Chinese market.

"Optimizing the business environment should include several areas, including investment liberalization, facilitation, promotion and protection, on which China's Foreign Investment Law has made very clear specifications and requirements," he said.

"We are doing a lot to facilitate investment, and approval procedures are being simplified. In terms of investment promotion, local governments are also increasing their efforts. In the post-pandemic era, cross-border travel has also become easier," he said.

In a recent move to boost international exchanges, the country started to implement a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia on a trial basis, effective from Dec. 1, 2023 to Nov. 30, 2024. The move allows holders of ordinary passports from the six countries to enter China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, for a period of no more than 15 days.

During the discussion, Zhao Yugang, an official with the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone management committee, also shared the good practices of the zone, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. "The Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone has made breakthroughs in investment management, trade facilitation, financial innovation and government-function transformation," Zhao said.

Through these efforts, more than 84,000 companies were registered in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and the actual FDI reached 58.6 billion dollars over the past 10 years, Zhao said.

"In terms of investment management, we have released China's first negative list for foreign investment access and taken the lead in implementing the negative list system. In terms of trade facilitation, we have also established the nation's first single-window platform to facilitate trade activities," Zhao said.

Zhang Wei added that in the past 45 years, opening up has played an important role in China's economic development. "In the future, we also hope to give full play to the leading role of high-level opening up to drive China's economy forward." 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on January 9 discussed further defense cooperation and Ukraines air-defense needs in a phone call with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Zelenskiy and Duda also discussed the issue of financial and political support from the European Union and exchanged views on the expected decisions of NATO at its summit in Washington in July, Zelenskiys press office said.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"I am convinced that the future of Ukraine and Poland lies in unity, mutual support, and mutually beneficial cooperation," Zelenskiy said during his call with Duda, according to the press office.

He also expressed his gratitude for Poland's unwavering support for Ukraine as a constant ally on Kyivs path to joining the EU and NATO.

"Our common border should be a real European border. Border of unity. There should be no borders between our nations," he said.

Theres been no comment on the call from Poland.

Poland and Ukraine have been working to defuse a dispute involving farmers, who began blocking border crossings with Ukraine in November. The farmers agreed to unblock one checkpoint but continue to block others demanding the return of permits for Ukrainian drivers.

Zelenskiy also spoke on January 9 with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and congratulated Belgium on assuming the presidency of the EU Council.

I appreciate that support for Ukraine and international law is among its priorities, Zelenskiy said on X, formerly Twitter. We appreciate the December decision to open Ukraine's EU accession talks, and we anticipate that with Belgium's support, our country will make significant progress toward implementing further formal steps on this path.

He said he also discussed bilateral defense cooperation with De Croo as well as the coordination of European defense assistance and the importance of approving 50 billion euros in EU financial assistance.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Ukrainian Commander in Chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy, and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Serhiy Shaptala visited positions of the Ukrainian military near Kupyansk, the press service of the Defense Ministry said on Telegram.

General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the commander of the Kupyansk sector of the front, briefed them on the situation around Kupyansk, where Ukrainian soldiers have repelled near constant attempts by Russian forces, who the ministry have had no success in the area.

"I had the honor to meet with the commanders of the units that are fighting in this direction now. Reported on the situation, current challenges. Decisions will be made in the near future. The enemy will not like it," Umerov said.

In the Kharkiv region, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Ukrainian television that the Russian Army has resumed its assault on Synkivka, a village near Kupyansk. There had been a lull in the fighting there due to difficult weather conditions and the damage that Ukrainian forces caused to the Russian troops.

According to Synyehubov, the attacks of the Russian Army come in waves, which is predictable, and they can be repulsed without any problems.

On January 4, The Telegraph, a British newspaper, reported that Russian troops could launch a "large-scale offensive" in the Kharkiv region as early as January 15.

The Ukrainian military intelligence directorate has confirmed that they have observed an accumulation of Russian forces and equipment in the region, but they cannot confirm when the assault will start.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

There is no co-ordinated campaign within Sinn Fein to take libel actions against journalists in Ireland, a party TD has said.

Pearse Doherty said any actions taken by party members are individual decisions.

He was speaking after a High Court judge in Belfast threw out a claim brought by party MLA Gerry Kelly against a journalist, ruling it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Mr Kelly was also ordered to pay costs in the case he had brought against Malachi ODoherty, who had stated in two radio interviews that the Sinn Fein representative had shot a prison officer during an escape from the Maze prison in 1983.

A libel action brought by Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly was thrown out by a High Court judge (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Kelly had claimed the broadcast comments from Mr ODoherty had damaged his reputation, but Master of Belfast High Court Evan Bell said books written by the MLA about the prison escape meant his libel action could not succeed.

The judges ruling stated: For that reason the court strikes them out on the basis that they are scandalous, frivolous and vexatious.

Politicians in Ireland have previously criticised Sinn Fein for launching a number of legal actions against journalists and elected representatives.

But speaking to Newstalk, Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein was not the only party which launched legal action.

He said: They are individual actions, there is no decision in terms of Sinn Fein to take individual cases against anybody.

There are many actions that have been taken by Fianna Fail or Fine Gael representatives.this isnt unique at all.

People in the media are also taking cases against other people in news outlets in the media.

It is a fair point that if I am defamed, whether I am a member in public office or not, I have the right to defend my good name; I have taken that avenue in the past and I will take that avenue in the future.

Mr Doherty added: I dont know Gerry Kellys case, I wouldnt expect to know Gerry Kellys case, it is up to each individual whether they are a member of Sinn Fein or not to take a case.

I can tell you for a fact that it is not a co-ordinated campaign.

In the High Court ruling this week, Master Bell said that the libel proceedings brought by Mr Kelly bore the hallmarks of a Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Slapp) case.

He said: On the balance of probabilities, therefore the proceedings do bear the hallmarks of a Slapp and have been initiated not for the genuine purposes of vindicating a reputation injured by defamatory statements, but rather for the purpose of stifling the voices of his troublesome critics.
Many experienced the widespread issues with breed back this fall. Hannah Speer, Northern Ag Research Center Animal Science assistant professor, Havre, MT, will be in Sidney on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. upstairs at the Meadowlark Public House to discuss Feeding Fertility: Understanding the Relationship Between Nutrition and Reproduction.

Speer will be discussing body conditioning scoring (BCS) and how it relates to postpartum interval, pregnancy rates, and important times to think about evaluating BCS throughout the year and when/how to add condition to cows/heifers. She will also discuss nutritional factors that can affect reproduction and feeding strategies to help producers set their herd up for reproductive success.

Dr. Speer is a native of western Kansas and recently graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with her PhD in ruminant nutrition. Her research focus there was on cow/calf nutrition and management within systems limited in perennial forage grazing. She evaluated alternative management strategies for systems where perennial forage grazing was limited or not feasible, and also focused heavily on the vitamin A needs of gestating beef cows fed stored forages for extended periods of time. She began her new role as Animal Science assistant professor at the Northern Ag Research Center, Havre, at the beginning of January, and looks forward to conducting research that is important to the producers of Montana.

Please plan to join us on Jan. 30 upstairs at the Meadowlark.
A staff member shows commemorative coins and banknotes in celebration of the year 2024 at a branch of China Construction Bank (CCB) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2024. A copper alloy coin and a banknote issued by China's central bank in celebration of the year 2024 started to exchange on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

A citizen exchanges commemorative banknotes in celebration of the year 2024 at a branch of China Construction Bank (CCB) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2024. A copper alloy coin and a banknote issued by China's central bank in celebration of the year 2024 started to exchange on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2024 shows commemorative banknotes in celebration of the year 2024 in Beijing, capital of China. A copper alloy coin and a banknote issued by China's central bank in celebration of the year 2024 started to exchange on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

This file photo shows commemorative coins issued by China's central bank to celebrate the year 2024. A copper alloy coin and a banknote issued by China's central bank in celebration of the year 2024 started to exchange on Tuesday. (China Banknote Printing and Minting/Handout via Xinhua)

A citizen shows newly exchanged commemorative coins and banknotes in celebration of the year 2024 at a branch of China Construction Bank (CCB) in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2024. A copper alloy coin and a banknote issued by China's central bank in celebration of the year 2024 started to exchange on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture in collaboration with Richland Economic Development Corp. invites the public to a joint annual meeting of both organizations on Jan. 18 at the Yellowstone Mercantile Co. building. The joint annual meeting will begin with a pre-social featuring the second annual New Business Showcase. The New Business Showcase boasts over 10 new businesses from the past year and features the entrepreneurs behind the business along with demonstrations, samples, and product displays. The New Business Showcase will run from 66:30 p.m. Attendees will be treated to a performance from the Sidney High School Band under the direction of Kilee Sundt.

Richland County saw substantial small business growth in 2023 including the addition of businesses such as Ace Hardware, Wrangler Electric, Pivotal Services, Messer Heating and Cooling, Sunrise Berry Bowls, Sunrise City Coffee Company, Lovegren Tree Service, Jeabs Thai Kitchen, Crooked Creek Farms, Crate Montana, Safety Risk Management Consulting, South of the Border Street Food, The Bargain Garage, and Angela Miller Media & Marketing.

The annual meeting officially kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Addressees from Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture President, Ryan Kopp and Richland Economic Development Corp. President, Jason Brothen will pave the way for the organizations in 2024. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte will be in attendance and will offer his remarks on business development in Montana and the opportunities for Richland County.

Annual Awards including: Excellence in Business, Educator of the Year, Partner in Progress, Police of the Year, and Emerging Leader will be presented to local recipients. The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will honor Lindsey Lawrence for her service as the 2023 Past President and Richland Economic Development Corp. will honor Leif Anderson as their 2023 Past President.

Hors doeuvres, dessert, and a cash bar will be served.

This Joint Annual is presented by Kraken Resources, Stockman Bank, Stockman Wealth Management and Tri-County Implement.
12th Fail Movie Real Story: Vikrant Massey-starrer is based on true events

'12th Fail' is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and the film has been sent to Oscars 2024.

12th Fail Movie Based on True Real Story, Who is the real-life hero?: Vidhu Vinod Chopras '12th Fail', featuring Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar in the lead roles, has turned out to be the highest-rated Indian film of all time on IMDb, with a rating of 9.2 out of 10.

Securing the top position on the list of top 250 Indian movies, as rated by IMDb users, the '12th Fail' movie has surpassed some of the highest-grossing Hollywood films of 2023. These include Greta Gerwigs 'Barbie' (rated 6.9), 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (rated 7.9), Christopher Nolans 'Oppenheimer' (rated 8.4) and 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' (rated 8.6).

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12th Fail Movie Based on True Real Story:

Reportedly, Vikrant Massey-starrer '12th Fail' is based on true events and it is said to be a real story. Bollywood director Rohit Shetty recently shared a photo of himself meeting the 'real hero of 12th Fail' i.e. IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. The filmmaker took to Instagram to share a throwback picture of when the IPS officer 'was serving for Mumbai Police'. The film is based on Manoj Kumar Sharma's life, with Vikrant Massey playing the lead role.

Meet the real hero of 12th Fail, Manoj Kumar Sharma

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Reacting to the post of Rohit Shetty posing with the IPS officer, Vikrant Massey commented on the post, "The two of you (fire and red heart emojis)!!!" In the picture, Rohit Shetty can be seen posing with Manoj Kumar Sharma in what appeared to be the latter's office in Mumbai. In his caption, Rohit Sharma gushed about '12th Fail', calling it 'an inspiring story, especially for students and youngsters'.

Rohit Shetty said in a caption, Meet the real hero of 12th Fail Manoj Kumar Sharma, had the honor of working with him during Covid-19 (pandemic), at that time he was serving for Mumbai police if you have not seen 12th Fail please do watch its an inspiring story, especially for students and youngsters.

Notably, '12th Fail' is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar and the film has been sent to Oscars 2024 as well as an independent nomination.

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Vikrant Massey-starrer 12th Fail revolves around the UPSC aspirants and is based on real-life experiences, showcasing the struggles of millions of students who attempt the UPSC exam. It chronicles the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma. He overcame poverty to become an IPS officer. The film is based on a novel by Anurag Pathak.

Bilkis Bano gangrape case: SC quashes Gujarat govt's decision to allow premature release of convicts
Industrial production from Germany and unemployment from Eurozone are the top economic news due on Tuesday.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is scheduled to release Germany industrial production for November. Output is expected to grow 0.2 percent on month, reversing a 0.4 percent fall in October.

At 2.30 am ET, industrial production data is due from Hungary. Economists forecast output to fall 0.7 percent annually in November after a 3.2 percent drop in October.



At 2.45 am ET, foreign trade and current account figures are due from France. The trade deficit is expected to narrow to EUR 7.9 billion in November from EUR 8.6 billion in October.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's statistical office ISTAT releases unemployment data for November. The jobless rate is seen rising to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in October.



At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is set to issue euro area unemployment data. Economists forecast the rate to remain at 6.5 percent in November.

At 8.00 am ET, Poland's central bank announces its monetary policy decision. The bank is likely to keep the benchmark rate at 5.75 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
Ireland's manufacturing production continued to decline sharply in November, preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office showed on Tuesday.

Manufacturing output plunged a seasonally adjusted 31.3 percent year-on-year in November, following a 33.7 percent decline in October.

On a monthly basis, output in the manufacturing sector rebounded 2.6 percent agaist a drop of 5.1 percent in October.

Industrial production also fell markedly by 29.9 percent in November compared to last year, slower than the 31.6 percent decrease in the prior month.

The modern sector, which includes the chemical, pharmaceutical, and computer and electronics sectors, recorded an annual fall of 33.2 percent in industrial production in the period September to November 2023, while the traditional sector showed an increase of 3.1 percent.

Separate official data showed that the volume of retail sales grew 0.8 percent annually in November versus a 0.2 percent gain a month ago. Sales have been rising since December 2022.

The largest annual volume growth in November was in other retail sales by 16.4 percent, followed by motor trades with a 7.0 percent rise.

On a monthly basis, retail sales recovered 0.2 percent from October, when they dropped by 0.1 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
On Tuesday, the executive arm of the EU, the European Commission, announced the initiation of a competition investigation in the virtual world and generative AI . The purpose of this inquiry is to assess the competition level and the impact of competition law within these domains.

The Commission revealed that it is examining agreements that may have been made between 'large digital market players' and generative AI developers, citing the Microsoft (MSFT) and OpenAI deal as an example. It also mentioned that requests for information have been sent to these major digital market players, with the deadline for their responses set for March 11.

The agency said, "The European Commission is checking whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the EU Merger Regulation".

Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for competition commented that, "Virtual worlds and generative AI are rapidly developing. It is fundamental that these new markets stay competitive, and that nothing stands in the way of businesses growing and providing the best and most innovative products to consumers."

Earlier, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority had also launched a probe into Microsoft's investment in OpenAI. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also looking into the same deal, according to a Bloomberg report.

Last year, Germany's Federal Cartel Office had also looked into this tie-up in which it concluded that the cooperation between Microsoft and OpenAI was not 'currently' subject to merger control but it would be re-examined if Microsoft increased its investments in OpenAI.

The tech giant initially invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019. Last year, it invested $10 billion in the ChatGPT creator, raising its total investment in the latter to around $13 billion.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Oil prices climbed higher on Tuesday, rebounding from previous session's losses, as rising geopolitical risks raised concerns about possible supply and trade disruptions.

West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for February settled higher by $1.47 at $72.24 a barrel.

Brent crude futures ended higher by $1.47 or 1.9% at $77.59 a barrel.

Oil prices fell on Monday, dropping about 4%, after Saudi Arabia cut its selling prices to the lowest level in two years. Reports showing a jump in OPEC supply hurt as well.

Geopolitical tensions, and the closure of Libya's largest oilfield contributed to the jump in oil prices today.

The closure of the Sharara oilfield in Libya, which is one of the biggest in the country, has resulted in a shortfall of 300,000 barrels per day.

Due to security threats from Houthi militants amid the tensions in the Middle East, several major shipping companies are staying away from the Red Sea route.

Traders await weekly inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The API data is due later today, while EIA's report is due Wednesday morning.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Several Rhodes University students and staff, including Professors Tshidi Mohapeloa and 'Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela, attended the EDHE Intervarsity Studentpreneur finals in Johannesburg

By: The Division of Communications & Advancement

In academia, it is not every day that we witness a blend of exceptional leadership, unyielding commitment, and a deep-rooted passion for education. However, Professor Tshidi Mohapeloa, from the Rhodes Business School exemplifies these traits so steadfastly, she earned a prestigious award for her unwavering service as the Deputy Chairperson of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Community of Practice for Teaching and Learning. This accolade was presented to her at the EDHE Intervarsity Studentpreneur finals in Johannesburg late last year.

Prof Mohapeloas journey in academia is marked by a series of noteworthy accomplishments. Her extensive experience in business education and her proactive approach to teaching have been pivotal in shaping the future of many aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders. As the Deputy Chairperson of the EDHE Community of Practice for Teaching and Learning, she has played an instrumental role in fostering an environment where ideas flourish, and educational boundaries are expanded.

The EDHE programme, initiated under the auspices of Universities South Africa (USAf), aims to instil a culture of entrepreneurial thinking among university students across South Africa. Prof Mohapeloas leadership in this programme has been nothing short of transformative. Her efforts have significantly contributed to the development of an entrepreneurial mindset among students, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the dynamic world of business.

One of Prof Mohapeloas most commendable achievements is her ability to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. She has consistently advocated for a hands-on approach to learning, ensuring that students are not only well-versed in academic theory but are also adept at applying these concepts in real-world scenarios. This holistic approach to education is a cornerstone of the EDHEs philosophy and a reflection of Prof Mohapeloas educational ethos.

Her colleagues and students alike admire Prof Mohapeloa for her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence in education. She is known for her collaborative spirit, often working closely with fellow educators and industry experts to create a rich learning environment. This collaborative approach has been instrumental in developing innovative teaching methodologies and curricula that resonate with the evolving needs of the business world.

Moreover, Prof Mohapeloas work extends beyond Rhodes University. She has been an active participant in national and international forums, advocating for higher education reforms and the integration of entrepreneurial thinking into academic curricula. Her voice has been influential in shaping policies and practices that aim to enhance the quality and relevance of higher education in South Africa and beyond.

"I was invited by the EDHE to attend these finals and I must say it was an experience of a lifetime. All the studentpreneurs had amazing businesses to present. Our universities have a lot of talent that needs to be nurtured," commented Prof 'Mabokang Monnapula Mapesela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Student Affairs at Rhodes University, underscoring the positive impact of the programme on the student body.

This award, therefore, is a recognition of Prof Mohapeloas tireless efforts and her significant contributions to the field of education. It is a celebration of her exemplary leadership, her dedication to nurturing future leaders, and her unwavering commitment to the advancement of teaching and learning practices. Prof Mohapeloas work has not only impacted the students and faculty at Rhodes University but has also left an indelible mark on the broader educational landscape.

Prof Tshidi Mohapeloas receipt of this award is a moment of pride and joy for Rhodes University and the entire academic community. It serves as a reminder of the powerful impact educators can have in shaping the minds and futures of young individuals. As she continues to lead, inspire, and innovate, Prof Mohapeloa sets a sterling example for educators around the globe.
COLOMBO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to establish new investment zones in Northern, Eastern, Northwestern, and Southern Provinces, a statement from the government information department said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the 2024 budget has emphasized the need to develop a joint public and private sector mechanism to build an export-oriented economy.

The existing investment zones in Bingiriya in the Northwestern Province and Hambantota in the Southern Province will also be expanded, the statement said.

The department said the Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide the necessary technical assistance.

The proposal to develop those investment zones based on a public-private partnership model was presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as minister of investment promotion, the statement said. 
A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Zhang Jing/Xinhua)

XICHANG, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Weighing about 1.45 tonnes and as large as a full-size SUV, the satellite is shaped like a lotus in full bloom and features 12 petals and two stamens.

"This is the most beautiful satellite I've ever seen," said Yuan Weimin, principal investigator of the EP mission and a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The 12 "petals" are actually 12 modules consisting of wide-field X-ray telescopes (WXT), while the two "stamens" consist of two modules of follow-up X-ray telescopes (FXT).

These telescopes form a space observatory which is aimed at helping scientists capture the first light stemming from supernova explosions, search for and pinpoint X-ray signals accompanying gravitational wave events, and discover dormant black holes and other faint transient and variable celestial objects at the far reaches of the universe.

"Since black holes and gravitational waves are predictions made by Einstein's theory of general relativity, the satellite is named after the great scientist," Yuan said.

Scientists mimicked the special structure of the lobster eye in developing WXT, which can simultaneously achieve wide-field observation and X-ray focused imaging.

The WXT can keep an eye on one-twelfth of the entire sky at one glance, according to Ling Zhixing, a WXT instrument scientist.

FXT, developed by an international team led by Chinese scientists, feature high sensitivity and are not only suitable for rapid follow-up observation, but also able to independently discover explosive and transient sources, said Chen Yong, a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, who is responsible for the development of FXT.

When lobster-eye telescopes receive X-ray signals from a transient source, the onboard computer will process the data in real time and pivot the spacecraft to target the celestial body with FXT. FXT will then conduct high-precision follow-up observation. The two telescopes will complement and cooperate with each other, said Zhang Chen, assistant to the EP mission's principal investigator.

The team also developed CMOS sensors for X-ray observation in space, which is an innovative X-ray astronomical detector, Zhang said. 

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Ling Siqin/Xinhua)

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Qiu Lijun/Xinhua)

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Zhang Jing/Xinhua)
HARARE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government has launched a major garbage clearance program in the capital of Harare, as the country grapples with a prolonged cholera outbreak that has been raging for nearly a year.

As of Jan. 8, the country has confirmed 1,936 cholera cases, 67 deaths, and 292 suspected cholera deaths since the outbreak began on Feb. 12, 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The government-initiated cleanup campaign had already cleared more than 200 metric tons of garbage in Harare's high-density suburbs by Monday, state-run The Herald newspaper reported Tuesday.

Nathan Nkomo, director of the Civil Protection Unit, under the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, said the government had to step in to clear the garbage because of the cholera outbreak. "Uncollected waste is a serious disruption of essential services."

Harare has become the epicenter of the cholera outbreak and now has the highest number of suspected cases (6,039), followed by Manicaland Province with 5,181.

The national recovery rate for cholera patients has remained high and now stands at 96 percent. The current outbreak is not unique to Zimbabwe, as it has also affected 10 other African countries, according to the World Health Organization. 
SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A heavy snow advisory was issued in central South Korea Tuesday, with the government's snow alert upgraded.

The heavy snow watch was given to the metropolitan region, including Seoul, the western port city of Incheon and their surrounding Gyeonggi province, as well as the eastern Gangwon province, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The advisory is issued when the snowfall is expected to reach 5 cm or more in 24 hours.

The ministry raised its snow alert level from "interest" to "caution" in a bid to better tackle possible damages.

Up to 10 cm of snow was expected to pile up in the metropolitan region, while the Gangwon province was forecast to see a snow accumulation of up to 15 cm until Wednesday.

Other areas of the country were predicted to be influenced by the snow cloud later in the day. 
This photo taken on Jan. 9, 2024 shows a certificate of registration for Himalaya Airlines as an operator under an International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit program at a press meet in Kathmandu, Nepal. Himalaya Airlines has been registered as an operator under an IATA safety audit program, the first and only one for airlines in Nepal.

The move means the operational management and control systems of Himalaya Airlines have been recognized and accepted internationally, the Kathmandu-based airline announced on Tuesday at a press meet in the Nepali capital. (Photo by Hari Maharjan/Xinhua)

KATHMANDU, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Himalaya Airlines has been registered as an operator under an International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit program, the first and only one for airlines in Nepal.

The move means the operational management and control systems of Himalaya Airlines have been recognized and accepted internationally, the Kathmandu-based airline announced on Tuesday at a press meet in the Nepali capital.

Himalaya Airlines, a China-Nepal joint venture established in 2014, was certified in late December under the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program, and the registry is valid until early March, 2025.

"This milestone signifies a positive shift in Nepal's aviation industry," Vijay Shrestha, the operator's vice resident, said at the press briefing.

"We're proud to lead by example, setting new benchmarks for safety and operational excellence," Shrestha added.

Nabina Karmacharya, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, lauded Himalaya Airlines for its "exceptional dedication to safety leading to the prestigious IOSA certification."

Established in 2003, the IOSA's process involves an audit of airline policies, procedures and practices, and the audit includes both document reviews and on-site assessments.

Himalaya Airlines currently operates passenger flights to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Bangladesh and China. 
Credit for discovering the first dinosaur bones usually goes to British gentlemen for their finds between the 17th and 19th centuries in England. The English natural history scholar Robert Plot was the first of these to describe a dinosaur bone, in his 1676 book The Natural History of Oxfordshire. Paleontologists from the University of the Witwatersrand and Nelson Mandela University now present evidence that the first dinosaur bones may have been discovered in Africa as early as 500 years before Plots.

Humankind originated in Africa: Homo sapiens has existed for at least 300,000 years.

And the continent has a great diversity of rock outcrops, such as the Kem Kem beds in Morocco, the Fayum depression in Egypt, the Rift Valley in east Africa and the Karoo in southern Africa, containing fossils that have always been accessible to our ancestors.

So it wasnt just likely that African people discovered fossils first. It was inevitable.

More often than not, the first dinosaur fossils supposedly discovered by scientists were actually brought to their attention by local guides.

Examples are the discovery of the gigantic dinosaurs Jobaria by the Tuaregs in Niger and Giraffatitan by the Mwera in Tanzania.

Our paper, published in the Geological Society, London, Special Publications, reviews whats known about African indigenous knowledge of fossils.

We list fossils that appear to have long been known at various African sites, and discuss how they might have been used and interpreted by African communities before the science of paleontology came to be.

Bolahla Rock Shelter in Lesotho

One of the highlights of our paper is the archaeological site of Bolahla, a Later Stone Age rock shelter in Lesotho.

Various dating techniques indicate that the site was occupied by the Khoesan and Basotho people from the 12th to 18th centuries (1100 to 1700 CE).

The shelter itself is surrounded by hills made of consolidated sediments that were deposited under a harsh Sahara-like desert some 180 to 200 million years ago, when the first dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

This part of Lesotho is particularly well known for delivering Massospondylus carinatus, a 4- to 6-m-long, small-headed and long-necked dinosaur.

Fossilized bones of this species are abundant in the area and were already so when the site was occupied by people in the Middle Ages.

In 1990, archaeologists working at Bolahla discovered that a finger bone of Massospondylus had been transported to the cave.

There are no fossil skeletons sticking out the walls of the cave, so the only chance that this phalanx ended up there was that someone in the distant past picked it up and carried it to the cave.

Perhaps this person did so out of simple curiosity, or to turn it into a pendant or toy, or to use it for traditional healing rituals.

After heavy rains, it is not unusual that the people in the area discover the bones of extinct species that have been washed out of their mother-rock.

They usually identify them as belonging to a dragon-like monster that devours people or even whole houses.

In Lesotho, the Basotho call the monster Kholumolumo, while in South Africas bordering Eastern Cape province, the Xhosa refer to it as Amagongqongqo.

The exact date when the phalanx was collected and transported is unfortunately lost to time.

Given the current knowledge, it could have been at any time of occupation of the shelter from the 12th to 18th centuries.

This leaves open the possibility that this dinosaur bone could have been collected up to 500 years prior to Plots find.

Early Knowledge of Extinct Creatures

Most people knew about fossils well before the scientific era, for as far back as collective societal memories can go.

In Algeria, for example, people referred to some dinosaur footprints as belonging to the legendary Roc bird.

In North America, cave paintings depicting dinosaur footprints were painted by the Anasazi people between 1000 and 1200 CE.

Indigenous Australians identified dinosaur footprints as belonging to a legendary Emu-man.

To the south, the notorious conquistador Hernan Cortes was given the fossil femur of a Mastodon by the Aztecs in 1519.

In Asia, Hindu people refer to ammonites (coiled fossil-sea-shells) as Shaligrams and have been worshipping them for more than 2,000 years.

Claiming Credit

The fact that people in Africa have long known about fossils is evident from folklore and the archaeological record, but we still have much to learn about it.

For instance, unlike the people in Europe, the Americas and Asia, indigenous African paleontologists seem to have seldom used fossils for traditional medicine.

We are still unsure whether this is a genuinely unique cultural trait shared by most African cultures or if it is due to our admittedly still incomplete knowledge.

Also, some rather prominent fossil sites, such as the Moroccan Kem Kem beds and South African UNESCO Cradle of Humankind caves, have still not provided robust evidence for indigenous knowledge.

This is unfortunate, as fossil-related traditions could help bridge the gap between local communities and paleontologists, which in turn could contribute preserving important heritage sites.

By exploring indigenous paleontology in Africa, our team is putting together pieces of a forgotten past that gives credit back to local communities.

We hope it will inspire a new generation of local paleoscientists to walk in the footsteps of these first African fossil hunters.

_____

Julien Benoit et al. 2024. Indigenous knowledge of palaeontology in Africa. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 543; doi: 10.1144/SP543-2022-236

Authors: Julien Benoit, a paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Cameron Penn-Clarke, a paleontologist at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Charles Helm, a paleontologist at Nelson Mandela University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.
On January 10, a large-scale strike of railway workers is planned in Germany. German Locomotive Drivers' Union (GDL) called its members to it, Azernews reports.

A strike, if it takes place (and the probability of its cancellation is extremely low), could plunge the country into chaos again. This time, the consequences are likely to be much more noticeable than during previous strikes, as it will last several days. German railways Deutsche Bahn (DB) is already expecting "massive disruptions in intercity, regional and urban traffic," DB said in a press release.

The strike of freight carriers will begin today at 18:00. The start of the strike of passenger transport workers is scheduled for January 10 at 2:00 a.m. It is planned to end the strike only on Friday, January 12, at 18:00.

The GDL trade union is agitating to suspend the work of not only its members in DB. Employees of the city companies Transdev and City Bahn Chemnitz are also involved in the strike. The specific impact on train traffic will become known only after it begins.

The concern has already announced that the planned emergency timetable "provides only a very limited range of intercity, regional, and urban trains."

It is indicated that traffic in the regions will be particularly severely affected. How successfully the situation will be resolved these days depends on the region. In any case, there will also be large-scale restrictions on regional transportation. The government has asked citizens to "refrain from unnecessary travel" during the strike or reschedule it.
HARBIN, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A sculpture was unveiled Tuesday in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Norway.

The sculpture, crafted by the Norwegian sculptor Arne Maeland, measures 0.5 meters in length, 1 meter in width, and 2 meters in height. The sculpture is on display at a sculpture park in Harbin's Hulan District.

According to Signe Brudeset, the Norwegian Ambassador to China, cultural exchange is an important part of the bilateral relationship between Norway and China. It helps build bridges and increase understanding between the two peoples.

The ambassador said a series of economic and cultural exchange activities will take place this year to mark the anniversary. 
A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Zhang Jing/Xinhua)

XICHANG, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Weighing about 1.45 tonnes and as large as a full-size SUV, the satellite is shaped like a lotus in full bloom and features 12 petals and two stamens.

"This is the most beautiful satellite I've ever seen," said Yuan Weimin, principal investigator of the EP mission and a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The 12 "petals" are actually 12 modules consisting of wide-field X-ray telescopes (WXT), while the two "stamens" consist of two modules of follow-up X-ray telescopes (FXT).

These telescopes form a space observatory which is aimed at helping scientists capture the first light stemming from supernova explosions, search for and pinpoint X-ray signals accompanying gravitational wave events, and discover dormant black holes and other faint transient and variable celestial objects at the far reaches of the universe.

"Since black holes and gravitational waves are predictions made by Einstein's theory of general relativity, the satellite is named after the great scientist," Yuan said.

VIOLENT UNIVERSE

The starry sky visible to human eyes is quiet and peaceful, but in reality, there are many fierce celestial activities in the universe, such as explosions triggered by the death of supermassive stars, black holes tearing apart and devouring stars, and collisions between bizarre neutron stars and black holes, Yuan said.

Ancient Chinese astronomers recorded a bright supernova explosion in 1054 A.D., and the remnants of this event, the Crab Nebula and a neutron star, were found nearly 1,000 years later by modern astronomers.

"These explosive celestial bodies are also part of our universe, and usually at the critical stage of celestial evolution. We are still unclear about many of their physical properties and processes. Studying them can help us better answer the most fundamental scientific questions, such as what the universe is made up of, what physical laws govern the extreme universe, and how stars evolve and die," Yuan said.

These extraordinary explosions often emit X-rays, which cannot penetrate the Earth's atmosphere. It wasn't until humans had the ability to send probes into space that the hot and energetic side of the universe was unveiled in the X-ray band.

LOBSTER EYES IN SPACE

Only a limited number of such sudden and unpredictable explosive celestial bodies and events, so-called transient sources, have been found in the deep universe beyond our own galaxy. "It's like fishing in a river. We need a very large net, since we don't know where the fish will come from," said Ling Zhixing, a WXT instrument scientist.

WXT on the satellite are the "large nets" used by scientists to capture their "prey" in the universe. The 12 modules can keep an eye on one-twelfth of the entire sky at one glance, according to Ling.

Scientists mimicked the special structure of the lobster eye in developing WXT, which can simultaneously achieve wide-field observation and X-ray focused imaging.

FXT, developed by an international team led by Chinese scientists, feature high sensitivity and are not only suitable for rapid follow-up observation, but also able to independently discover explosive and transient sources, said Chen Yong, a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics of the CAS, who is responsible for the development of FXT.

When lobster-eye telescopes receive X-ray signals from a transient source, the onboard computer will process the data in real time and pivot the spacecraft to target the celestial body with FXT. FXT will then conduct high-precision follow-up observation. The two telescopes will complement and cooperate with each other, said Zhang Chen, assistant to the EP mission's principal investigator.

The team also developed CMOS sensors for X-ray observation in space, which is an innovative X-ray astronomical detector, Zhang said.

The mission aims to conduct a high-cadence survey and monitoring of high-energy transient sources, search for cloaked black holes and study their formation and evolution. The probe will also be used to search for X-ray signals accompanying gravitational wave events and to pinpoint them. Neutron stars, white dwarfs, supernovae and gamma-ray bursts are also observation targets of this mission.

"I'm looking forward to discovering new phenomena and celestial bodies that have never been seen before," Yuan said.

The European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany are also participating in this mission. 

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Ling Siqin/Xinhua)

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Qiu Lijun/Xinhua)

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying a new astronomical satellite named Einstein Probe (EP) blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 9, 2024. China sent the satellite, which uses a new X-ray detection technology inspired by the lobster eye, into space on Tuesday to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe comparable to the flickering of fireworks, with the aim of unveiling the violent and little-known aspects of the cosmos.

The rocket was launched at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from here. (Photo by Zhang Jing/Xinhua)

Researchers conduct a docking experiment at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, east China, Aug. 28, 2023.

China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of CAS/Handout via Xinhua)

Researchers conduct an experiment for a satellite named Einstein Probe at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, east China, July 20, 2023.

China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of CAS/Handout via Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 11, 2023 shows a scene of an experiment for a satellite named Einstein Probe at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, east China.

China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of CAS/Handout via Xinhua)

Researchers conduct a docking experiment at the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, east China, Aug. 28, 2023.

China on Tuesday sent a new astronomical satellite into space to observe mysterious transient phenomena in the universe which flicker like fireworks, trying to reveal more about this violent and little-known side of the cosmos.

The satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 3:03 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of CAS/Handout via Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- As many as 14 soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded on Tuesday when a military bus came under Islamic State (IS) attack in Syria's Homs Province, a war monitor reported.

The incident happened when the IS militants attacked a military bus transporting soldiers near the T-3 oil station in the sprawling desert region in the remote eastern countryside of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the injured were transported to the Tadmur Hospital in the city of Palmyra for treatment.

A source in the Homs governorate office confirmed the incident to Xinhua, saying the official count is yet to be announced.

The Syrian desert has been witnessing a notable increase in IS attacks since the beginning of 2024 in various areas within the government's control, said the Observatory.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Syrian military officer and a pro-government fighter were killed in the desert of Athraya in the countryside of Raqqa province in northern Syria by an IS attack, according to the Observatory.

On Jan. 5, two Syrian military personnel were killed in an ambush carried out by the IS group in the desert region east of Homs, according to the local Sham FM radio.

The IS group has lost key areas in Syria, but its fighters have opted to reposition and guerrilla warfare in the sprawling desert region. 
MALE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has said he intends to promote economic, trade, tourism, investment and cultural cooperation with China during his state visit to the country starting on Monday.

"China is and will continue to be a key partner in the social and economic development of the Maldives," the Maldivian president told Xinhua in a written interview before leaving for China.

He added that the Maldives-China relationship is based on mutual respect, mutual trust and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, which are key international principles on which the global economic and political order is built and sustained.

With the trip being his first visit to China as the president, Muizzu said he expects a renewed investment in the relationship, a renewed hope in the partnership, and a renewed and reinvigorated collaboration in the joint pursuit of improving the welfare of both peoples.

"Trade between our countries is growing rapidly. We wish to expand and accelerate it further," said the Maldivian president, adding that tourist arrivals from China are on a rapid upward trend following the resumption of outward travel from China.

Muizzu said Belt and Road projects are vital to transforming his country's economic development.

The president noted that the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge has connected separate landmasses and also people, allowing for expanded economic activities. 
Mohamed Muizzu attends the oath-taking ceremony at the Republic Square in Male, Maldives, Nov. 17, 2023. (People's Majlis/Handout via Xinhua)

"China is and will continue to be a key partner in the social and economic development of the Maldives."

MALE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has said he intends to promote economic, trade, tourism, investment and cultural cooperation with China during his state visit to the country starting on Monday.

"China is and will continue to be a key partner in the social and economic development of the Maldives," the Maldivian president told Xinhua in a written interview before leaving for China.

He added that the Maldives-China relationship is based on mutual respect, mutual trust and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, which are key international principles on which the global economic and political order is built and sustained.

With the trip being his first visit to China as the president, Muizzu said he expects a renewed investment in the relationship, a renewed hope in the partnership, and a renewed and reinvigorated collaboration in the joint pursuit of improving the welfare of both peoples.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 1, 2019 shows the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge in Maldives. (Photo by Wang Mingliang/Xinhua)

"Trade between our countries is growing rapidly. We wish to expand and accelerate it further," said the Maldivian president, adding that tourist arrivals from China are on a rapid upward trend following the resumption of outward travel from China.

Muizzu said Belt and Road projects are vital to transforming his country's economic development.

The president noted that the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge has connected separate landmasses and also people, allowing for expanded economic activities.
Recruiter Hays warned on profits on Tuesday as it highlighted a hiring slowdown in December.

In an update for the three months to the end of December, the company said group net fees were down 10%, having fallen 15% in December alone.

As a result, and despite ongoing actions to reduce costs, the recruiter now expects first-half pre-exceptional operating profit of around 60m, which is below consensus expectations of 73m.

Chief executive Dirk Hahn said: "Overall market conditions became increasingly challenging through the quarter, including a clear slowdown in most markets in December, notably in our perm businesses as client and candidate decision-making slowed.

"Temp volumes remained broadly stable sequentially through the quarter, but declined year-on-year as we did not see our normal seasonal step-up in worker volumes."

Hahn said it was too early to say if December's weakness reflects a sustained market slowdown or some placement deferrals. However, the company expects near-term market conditions to remain challenging.

"Consequently, we accelerated our cost reduction and efficiency programmes, while focusing on increased operational performance and rigour. Looking ahead, our strategy is increasingly focused on enhancing our leading positions in the most attractive and skill-short markets globally, including Germany, non-perm and enterprise clients," he said.

At 0920 GMT, the shares were down 12% at 95.05p.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: "Hiring of permanent staff tends to ebb and flow with the economic cycle. The sluggish global growth backdrop combined with tighter monetary policy has dampened business appetite to pile on additional fixed staffing costs. And while temporary workers typically pick up the slack, Hays said it didnt see the normal seasonal step-up in worker volumes dealing a double blow to the recruitment firm.

"Todays slide reverses much of the rebound in the stock seen since the lows in October. Over a 12-month period shares are down by over a fifth."
Sabien Technology said in an update on Tuesday that in its first half, its cloud-enabled gas boiler energy-saving solution, M2G, demonstrated significant improvements in its key performance indicators.

The AIM-traded firm said customers experienced savings that exceeded initial estimates, with clients who installed M2G Cloud Connect collectively saving over 1.41 million kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Notably, recent installations in the oil and gas sector alone contributed to a reduction of 3,667 kilograms since its implementation in December.

In line with the positive performance, the company said it secured orders totaling 0.39m in the six months ended 31 December, compared to 0.21m in the first half of the 2023 financial year.

Sabien said it expected to recognise revenue of 0.37m for the period, compared to 0.24m a year earlier.

While M2G primarily operates in the UK, its expansion into selected US markets in October was yielding positive results, with further growth expected throughout calendar year 2024.

M2G's revenue generation saw substantial acceleration compared to the first half of the 2023 financial year, and its sales pipeline was said to be well-advanced, instilling confidence in the company for substantial growth in the current 2024 period.

Sabien said it was continuing to invest in its core operations and products, with the launch of M2G's Cloud Connect solution in early 2023.

The launch secured orders, and also generated recurring revenue, allowing it to support growth and maintain a positive cash balance.

Additionally, B.grn Group - a special purpose vehicle formed by Sabien and Parris Group - had been advancing its partnership with City Oil Field (COF) of South Korea.

The board said the collaboration aimed to explore the market for plastic-to-fuel products in key geographies.

It said the work was nearing completion, adding that COF was set to launch its first commercial site in the 2024 calendar year.

The reality of the transition to a green economy is that it is not on-off, said executive chairman Richard Parris.

Economies will use mitigation solutions until such time as technology and infrastructure are capable of supporting an entirely non-fossil fuel world.

Sabien sits at the nexus of this reality, providing continuity while accelerating the adoption of new strategies.

Parris said M2G provides customers with the ability to moderate carbon dioxide generation while effecting cost savings.

It is important to recognise that reducing emissions, in the millions of kilograms equivalent, is cost as well as energy efficient.

B.grn will allow the conversion of waste plastics into usable fuel oil, generating economics for all parties in addition to reducing the need for new oil exploration and production.

Sabien's trading in the first half of its current financial year will demonstrate the success of this strategy.

The companys product and service offering was described by Richard Parris as increasingly diverse, allowing it to generate revenue from lower cost operations.

This has improved the market's response and reinforced the path to profitability.

The board of directors looks forward to reporting, in March, the financial outcome of its first half trading.

At 1010 GMT, shares in Sabien Technology Group were down 4.42% at 9.08p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
Student accommodation group Unite has held on to full-year guidance after a solid fourth quarter, with property values holding stable and reservations rising to a record high.

The company said that rental income from the first term of the 2023/24 academic year has been offset by higher operating costs, resulting in adjusted earnings per share expected at the upper end of the 43-44p range.

A record 71% of beds have now been sold for the 2024/25 academic year, up from 70% the same time last year, and the board said it's confident in delivering rental growth of "at least" 5% next year.

"We have seen a strong start to the 2024/25 sales cycle, reflecting the continued appeal of our fixed-priced, all-inclusive offer," said chief executive Joe Lister.

"The letting performance highlights the ongoing strength of demand from students and universities and underpins a positive outlook for rental growth for the 2024/25 academic year."

The company, which is currently building an extra 2,000 beds across four development schemes in London, Bristol, Edinburgh and Nottingham, said it is looking to dispose of 150-200m of regional assets in the first half of 2024, as it refocuses its portfolio on more attractive regions.

The Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) saw a 2.3% increase in like-for-like valuations in the second half, leading to a 3.6% increase over the 2023 financial year, while the London Student Accommodation Joint Venture (LSAV) declined by 1% in the second half, resulting in a flat outcome for the year.
A boy of Miao ethnic group with peculiar local hairstyle plays at Biasha Village in Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Dec. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Cui Xiaoqiang)

GUIYANG, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- In front of the village gate, Gun Shuixin and more than 10 other men stood on both sides of the road, holding up muskets and pulling the triggers aiming toward the sky. With the crisp gunshot, plumes of white smoke emitted from the muzzle.

Curious tourists standing nearby pulled out cell phones and cameras to capture the memorable moment.

Gun, 73, hails from Biasha Village in Congjiang County, located in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

In a country where possessing guns is illegal for civilians, the scene of gunfire in the landlocked remote village has drawn tourists, with villagers reaping benefits from the tourism industry.

In the Miao ethnic language, Biasha means a place with lush trees and grasses. The village is home to more than 2,800 people.

Known as the "last gunner tribe" in China, Biasha villagers have used guns to hunt and protect themselves for centuries.

Gun acquired his muskets at the age of 15 following the coming-of-age ceremony.

"Now, we only use gunpowder, instead of bullets," said Gun, adding that every musket in the village has been registered with the public security department.

China banned the possession of firearms decades ago, but villagers in Biasha are an exception, although they are no longer allowed to hunt.

For over half a century, guns, as the spiritual totem of local villagers, have served as a tool for cultural demonstration to tourists.

Apart from the gunfire performance, tourists can explore the stilted buildings along the hillside, wooden racks for sunning rice and the peculiar hairstyle of the locals, where only the hair in the center of the head is left in a bun, while the remaining part is shaved.

At a public square in the village, some 100 visitors were waiting for the opening of a folklore performance.

Li Kaikai, who works in the city of Shenzhen, decided to visit the village immediately after she viewed a short video about the village online.

"It only took me half an hour to research the details about my travel plan and buy a train ticket to this place," she said.

Folk performances such as the Miao traditional dance and haircut with a sickle, a custom for the village, are staged for visitors, providing an additional source of income to the villagers serving as amateur performers.

Shi Dajiang, a staffer from the tourism management team, said some 200 villagers have joined two performance teams, earning nearly 100 yuan (14.08 U.S. dollars) per day during the performance days.

"We aim to create more interactive and immersive experiences for our visitors, not just to enhance their understanding of our culture but also to allow more villagers to benefit from the tourism industry," Shi said.

The village shook off poverty in 2016, and in 2023, the per capita disposable income reached 11,400 yuan, 68 percent higher than the level in 2019. 

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 14, 2023 shows a view of Biasha Village in Congjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Liu Qinbing)
India's new highways and expressways symbolize a new era in Indian transportation, fostering a renewed enthusiasm for road travel. They are not just concrete and asphalt paths; they are the arteries of progress, connecting cities, fueling economies, and bringing people closer to new destinations and experiences. 23 innovative highways and expressways are due for completion by March 2025. The vision to have India match US road standards by 2024 is a cultural shift towards exploration, bringing the nation together one road trip at a time. This expansion of highways and expressways is not just a boost to infrastructure; it's a catalyst for a burgeoning road trip craze among Indians, offering new experiences on every journey.

Savaari Car Rentals, a pioneer in Indian road trips for 17 years, anticipates a significant evolution in road travel, making journeys more accessible and enticing nationwide. Recognizing the excitement generated by the new expressways, Savaari is committed to ensuring that travelers not only traverse these routes but also deeply immerse in their unique experiences. Prepare yourself for an enriching journey with Savaari as it navigates you through these new pathways that unveil the authentic heartbeat of India.

India's most anticipated expressway projects

India's ambitious infrastructural expansion encompasses a series of groundbreaking highway and expressway projects. This progression will pave the way for exploring new destinations, historical monuments, and more. Let's delve into the details of some of these remarkable projects:

1. DelhiMumbai Expressway:

The DelhiMumbai Expressway is a revolutionary 1350 km route, set to reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to an unprecedented 12.5 hours. This feat of engineering will connect crucial urban and industrial hubs, including Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara, Surat, and Vapi. It's designed as a comprehensive travel corridor, featuring trauma centers every 100 km and 93 rest stops for enhanced safety and comfort. A standout feature is its eco-conscious approach, which includes using instrumental music instead of horns to minimize disturbance to wildlife.

What to expect en route: As travelers zip between Delhi and Mumbai, they have the unique opportunity to explore the majestic forts of Alwar and Kota, each telling tales of Indias rich past. In addition to the forts of Alwar and Kota and the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, travelers can explore the Ranthambore National Park near Sawai Madhopur, a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. The expressway also brings the vibrant city of Vadodara closer, known for its majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace and the culturally rich Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery.

2. Bangalore-Chennai Expressway:

The 260 km Bangalore-Chennai Expressway is a major development in South Indias transport landscape. This four-lane expressway will connect the major cities of Bangalore and Chennai, passing through significant locations like Hoskote, Bangarpet in Karnataka, Palamaner, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, and Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. To experience a smooth journey along this expressway, you can conveniently book a car rental in Bangalore with Savaari.

What to expect en route: Along with Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, Horsley Hills, and the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial, the route makes it easier to visit the Kolar Gold Fields, a mining region with historical significance near Bangalore. In Andhra Pradesh, the expressway offers access to the spiritual town of Tirupati. Closer to Chennai, the Mahabalipuram Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becomes an enticing stop. The scenic Yelagiri Hills and the wildlife-rich Bannerghatta National Park near Bangalore further add to the allure.

3.Dwarka Expressway:

The 29.10 km Dwarka Expressway, marking India's first eight-lane urban expressway, connects Mahipalpur in Delhi to Kherki Daula Toll Plaza in Haryana. Aimed at decongesting NH-8, it is poised to serve about 3 lakh commuters daily. Equipped with an Intelligent Transportation System, it offers real-time traffic updates, diversions, and road conditions, ensuring a seamless travel experience.

What to expect en route: The proximity to the Qutub Minar allows for a blend of architectural exploration. Sultanpur National Park offers a quick escape to nature, making day trips convenient and appealing. This expressway also opens up opportunities to explore the magnificent Lotus Temple and the historic Red Fort in Delhi. For nature lovers, the expressway provides easy access to the lush Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurugram.

3. Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway (Samruddhi Mahamarg):

The Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samruddhi Mahamarg, stretches over 701 km. This vital link will transform the travel landscape in Maharashtra, connecting Mumbai and Nagpur and passing through key cities such as Kalyan, Aurangabad, Nashik, Shirdi, Bhiwandi, and Wardha. Designed for high-speed travel, with a speed limit of 150 km/hr, it will drastically reduce the travel time to about eight hours, down from the current 14-15 hours, facilitating faster, smoother, and more efficient journeys.

What to expect en route: En route, adventurers can marvel at the ancient Ajanta and Ellora Caves, seek blessings at the revered Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi, and indulge in the lush vineyards of Nashik, making every mile a discovery of Maharashtra's historical and spiritual essence. This expressway also brings the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple in Nashik within easy reach, a site of religious and historical significance. The picturesque Lonar Crater Lake, a unique geological wonder near Aurangabad, becomes a compelling detour.

4. Ganga Expressway:

Projected to be the longest in India, the Ganga Expressway is a six-lane highway that will significantly reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj. Spanning across several major cities, including Unnao, Budaun, Sambhal, Chandausi, Tilhar, Bangarmau, Raebareli, Hapur, and Siyana, this expressway will enhance connectivity and create economic opportunities across these regions.

What to expect en route: The expressway opens up a world where the spiritual allure of Prayagraj, the historical depth of Raebareli, and the rich heritage of Budaun are just a drive away. It also offers access to the historic city of Meerut, known for its role in the 1857 uprising, and the ancient city of Varanasi, a spiritual and cultural hub.

India on the move - The new age of eco-friendly highways

The inception of new highways and expressways across India marks a significant turning point in the realm of transportation. This efficiency in movement streamlines commuting and opens new avenues for inter-city business, tourism, and personal travel, effectively drawing regions and communities closer together. In this landscape of evolving road infrastructure, Savaari Car Rentals stands at the forefront of revolutionizing road trips in India. The combination of these state-of-the-art expressways and Savaaris unparalleled service is set to redefine road travel, making it an experience full of discovery, ease, and unforgettable memories. This is the dawn of a new era in Indian road travel, one where every journey is as enjoyable as the destination itself.
Envision Energy has announced its commitment to provide approximately 100 turbines with a capacity of 3.3 MW each for a 300-MW onshore wind initiative in Karnataka. The project is being developed by the investment fund Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) on behalf of Viviid Renewables (Viviid) through a collaborative partnership in the southern state, as disclosed by Envision Energy.

"CIP has signed a turbine supply agreement for the EN 156 3.3 MW turbines with Envision Wind Power Technologies India. Viviid will provide balance-of-plant works and services and hold minority ownership in the project", it said. In the statement, Envision Energy did not disclose any financial information with respect to the project.

Envision is set to deliver a quantity of turbines ranging from 95 to 100 for the project, with an anticipated completion date by the end of 2025. "We look forward to continuing the successful collaboration and realizing these projects which contribute to local growth and job creation while delivering attractive returns for our fund investors", Peter Sjontoft, Associate Partner in CIP, said.

Kane Xu, Global Vice President of Envision Energy and Chairman of Envision Energy India, said, "It has become imperative for us to collaborate and accelerate the green energy transition to avert the climate crisis. This partnership is a testament to our long-term commitment to solving the challenges for a sustainable future. Together, we can develop reliable renewable energy solutions in India".
Sanjay Mehrotra, President and CEO of Micron Technology, recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar to discuss Micron's initiatives aimed at bolstering the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem in India. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the meeting centered around Micron's efforts to enhance semiconductor manufacturing in the country

Speaking after his meeting with PM Modi, CEO of Micron Sanjay Mehrotra said that he had discussed the progress of Micron's project in Sanand with the Prime Minister. "We were pleased to have the opportunity to update Prime Minister Modi on the progress that we are making with our Sanand and project so our meeting was dedicated to that as well as Microns focus on continuing to increase the workforce for semiconductor manufacturing here in India and we also talked about my Micron's engagement with a social with the community here (the Atal Tinkering Lab)" Mehrotra said.

"So these were various topics, very engaging discussion and we really appreciate Prime Minister Modi's support as well as the Chief Minister's support the government support at the state level as well as the central level toward advanced semiconductor manufacturing. I think it's a great opportunity and India's time has come in this regard Micron has taken the pioneering step of starting a manufacturing plant here and we hope the ecosystem can follow successfully in this regard", the Micron CEO further said.

During Prime Minister Modi's State visit to the United States last year, Micron Technology unveiled its investment intentions for India. The semiconductor manufacturer pledged to invest up to USD 825 million in establishing a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with backing from the Indian government. Micron chose the SANAND Industrial Park in Gujarat (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation - GIDC) for its investment, citing the region's robust manufacturing infrastructure, favorable business environment, and well-established talent pool.

India hopes to become a major global hub in semiconductor manufacturing over the next 10 years. The semiconductor industry in India is still in a nascent stage, and the central government has been aggressively looking at collaboration with global and domestic players to make further inroads in this crucial sector. In July last year, Sanjay Mehrotra met PM Modi in Gujarat's Gandhinagar and they discussed the US-based company's plans to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem within India.
Royal Enfield: The company has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government. The agreement is to invest Rs 3,000 crore over the next 8 years to build greenfield and brownfield projects in the state. This investment is part of the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 which will be held in Chennai.

Tata Motors: Subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced 27 percent YoY growth in Q3 sales to 101,043 units. YTD wholesales for FY24 were 291,113 units, up 28 percent year-on-year. Retail sales went up 29 percent to 109,140.

Bajaj Auto: The proposal to buy back shares worth Rs 4000 crore was approved by the board of directors. The company will purchase 40 lakh equity shares at an average cost of Rs 10,000 per share.

Cipla: The company announced a joint venture in the US with Kemwell Biopharma and Manipal Education & Medical Group to develop and commercialize novel cell therapy products for unmet medical needs in the US, Japan, and the EU.

Aurobindo Pharma: The company announced it received the establishment inspection report from the US FDA for its Telangana unit. The report classified the facility as Voluntary Action Indicated..

Oil India: The company signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Assam Power Generation Corporation to work together in the renewable and green energy business. The company will join hands with the public sector company to achieve maximum renewable power generation in the state.

Lemon Tree Hotels: The company has signed a franchise agreement for a new hotel with 75 rooms in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The hotel is expected to open in FY25.

BEML: The Ministry of Defense has awarded the company with a Rs 329.87 crore contract to supply Mechanical Minefield Marking Equipment Mark-II.

Brigade Enterprises: The company signed MoUs worth Rs 3400 crore with the Tamil Nadu government to develop projects in the next 34 years as part of the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 in Chennai. The company signed MoUs with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and ELCOT, Information Technology and Digital Services Department.

IRM Energy: The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government to invest Rs 858 crore in a project within the state over the next five years, as part of the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 in Chennai. This project is expected to create employment opportunities for 2200 individuals in the state.
The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) has proven to be mutually beneficial, promoting significant export growth for both nations within a year of its enactment.

India and Australia mark a year of mutual benefits achieved through the India- Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), demonstrating substantial trade gains and a shared dedication to bolster their economic partnership. While discussions persist for a comprehensive trade deal, the interim ECTA has already earned tangible outcomes for both countries' farmers, manufacturers, and universities.

Elevated Trade and Diversification

Official data reveals that India experienced a 14 percent year-on-year surge in exports to Australia, amounting to $5.87 billion from April to November 2023. significantly, exports under preferential terms yielded a 17.8 percent increase, exhibiting the impact of ECTA. Conversely, Australia observed a 50 percent rise in agricultural exports to India, led by prominent contributors like sheep meat, seafood, and almonds. Industrial exports also saw a considerable 30 percent upswing, driven by sectors encompassing pharmaceuticals, wood and paper products, and cochlear implants.

Emphasis on Agriculture and Manufacturing

The influence of ECTA on agriculture stands particularly noteworthy. Australian farmers have seen a considerable rise in demand for their products, translating to a diversified Indian import portfolio and the opening up of novel marketplaces. This resonates with Indias growing interest in high-quality food products and Autrialias expertise in sustainable agriculture. Similarly, the boost in manufacturing exports from Australia pinpoints the potential for intensive economic integration and knowledge sharing between the two countries.

Building on Early Success

Talks on the third round of tariff cuts are progressing and are expected to enable further trade liberalization for both nations. Australian exports of seafood, cherries, sandalwood, and wine are poised to drive competitiveness in the Indian market, while Indian steel and aluminum producers can expect a reduction in tariffs. This ongoing tariff minimization is expected to further fuel bilateral trade and create opportunities for improved investments in both directions.

Moving Towards a Comprehensive Agreement

While the ECTA has generated positive results, both countries are proactively negotiating for a Comprehensive Economic Agreement (CECA). This ambitious pact focuses on expanding the scope of engagement beyond trade in goods, encompassing services, investment, and intellectual property. Although a specific timeline for concluding the CECA has not been officially announced, the commitment from both sides underlines their shared vision for deeper economic partnerships.

The success of ECTA within a short-term period lays a solid foundation for the future of India-Austrailia economic relations. The rising trade volumes, diversification of exports, and focus on key sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing bode well for a resilient economic partnership. As discussions for the CECA advance, both countries have an opportunity to solidify their roles as significant contributors in the Indo-Pacific region, promoting sustainable growth and mutual prosperity.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Police are investigating a report that four individuals broke into a home and ransacked the place at gunpoint on Tuesday morning in New Dorp.

The incident, classified as a home-invasion robbery, was reported around 4:15 a.m. at a residence in the vicinity of Coddington Avenue and Clawson Street, according to preliminary information supplied to a spokesman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The four individuals allegedly kicked in the front door and one of the individuals approached a woman and held her at gunpoint while at least one of the other individuals ransacked the home, according to the preliminary information.

The intruders fled in a white pick-up truck and an Acura sedan, police said.

No arrests have been made and the investigation continues.

A police car was stationed outside a home in the vicinity of Coddington and Clawson on Tuesday morning.

This is a developing story and additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
CANBERRA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has put its plans to cut ties with the British monarchy by becoming a republic on hold.

Matt Thistlethwaite, the assistant minister for the republic, on Monday said that holding a referendum on becoming a republic was not currently a priority for the governing Labor Party.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in June 2022 committed to holding a referendum - a vote of the Australian people on a proposed change to the country's constitution - on splitting from the monarchy if he wins a second term in power in 2025.

However, Thistlethwaite told state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that there was no timeline for a vote but that he remained passionate about the issue.

"The current method of selecting our head of state is undemocratic. It doesn't represent modern Australian values, and that's something that we want to begin a discussion with Australians in the longer term," he said.

"I'm certainly committed to and still passionate about Australia, hopefully having one day one of our own as our head of state," said the assistant minister for the republic, adding "It's a longer-term priority, but at the moment, the priority of the Albanese government is the cost of living relief for Australians."

He said that at the moment, all the policies "have been directed at assisting Australians to get through that difficult period."

Albanese said after winning power in 2022 that Australia's splitting from the monarchy was inevitable and appointed Thistlethwaite as the first-ever minister dedicated to the issue.

Australia last held a referendum on becoming a republic in 1999 when 54.8 percent of voters rejected a proposal to replace the British monarch as the country's head of state with a president appointed by the parliament. 
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The manufacturers of Sweethearts, Americas iconic candy conversation hearts candy, is taking a shot at todays blurry dating trends with a limited-edition release of Situationships for Valentines Day that poke fun at its own biggest flaw at the same time.

The specially designed boxes contain blurry, misprinted candies that are as hard to read as Gen-Z relationships, a press release from the Spangler Company, manufacturer of the candies, stated. Like todays relationships, the candies are filled entirely with sweet, muddled nothings and literal mixed messages, the announcement read.

Perfect for gifting, Situationship boxes are available to purchase now. The Spangler Company is encouraging singles everywhere to get them while they last and give the gift as blurry as their relationships.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, situationships are romantic entanglements where the participants havent established the nature of their relationship, the press release stated, poking fun at GenZ dating trends.

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, it said.

The word situationship recently ranked in the top four terms considered for the Oxford University Press 2023 Word of the Year,' according to several media reports.

The conversation heart-shaped candies were missing from shelves in 2019 when its original producer  New England Confectionary Co., or Necco  went out of business.

The 100-year-old candy companys Sweethearts brand was purchased by Spangler in September of that year, but the company could not get them produced in time for Valentines Day.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Electric vehicles belonging to the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) were damaged during a fire at a Staten Island sanitation garage.

The incident occurred on Thursday, Dec. 14, at around 11:15 p.m. in the parking lot outside the S102 garage, located at 2500 Richmond Ave. in New Springville, a DSNY spokesman told the Advance/SILive.com.

The fire impacted one charging port, which belongs to and is maintained by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and two Mitsubishi Outlanders owned by DSNY, the spokesman said.

Burn damage, charring

In a photo obtained by the Advance/SILive.com, one of the vehicles can be seen with burn damage to nearly its entire rear end, while almost all the windows are blown out with substantial charring visible on the inside. The charging port appears burnt out and destroyed as well.

Both vehicles were parked and empty, and we are very happy to report that there were no injuries, although the vehicles and charging port were significantly damaged, the spokesman said.

Sixty firefighters and 12 units responded to the fire, which was placed under control by 11:40 p.m. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, an FDNY spokesperson said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to take another crack at legislation that would give New York City control of its speed limit, according to a Tuesday report.

Streetsblog exclusively reported ahead of the governors Tuesday State of the State address that she would push her version of Sammys Law in this years executive budget.

The push marks the second year in a row that Hochul will push the legislation named for a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who was hit and killed near his home in 2013.

After spending 14 years in local government, I think its ridiculous that the City of New York is forced to ask the States permission to reduce speed limits, she told Streetsblog. I pushed hard to pass Sammys Law last year, and Im going to continue the fight in 2024

Last years push to put the citys speed limits into the hands of local officials did not make it through the legislative process, so Hochul is trying again.

A 2021 survey, commissioned by Transportation Alternatives and conducted by Emerson College, found that New York City residents are in favor of the city setting its own speed limits and lowering speed limits on residential streets.

Of the 525 polled, 72% said they believe New York City should be able to set its own speed limits, while 68% said they would either probably or definitely support lowering the speed limit from 25 to 20 miles per hour on residential streets.

However, Staten Island elected officials have historically opposed efforts to reduce speed limits in the citys most car-dependent borough, most recently on Hylan Boulevard.

In July 2021, the Department of Transportation (DOT) lowered the speed limit to 30 miles per hour along the entire length of the boroughs longest roadway. That followed the state legislator granting the city permission to lower its speed limits in 2014.

Previously, the speed limit on Hylan Boulevard fluctuated between 30, 35 and 40 mph, depending on which portion of the road youre traveling on, only reaching 40 miles per hour at its most southern points.

The lowering of the speed limit on Hylan Boulevard was harshly criticized by local elected officials.

Last year, proponents of the legislation giving the city control over its speed limit  including Amy Cohen, the mother of the bills namesake, Sammy Cohen Eckstein  staged a June hunger strike outside Assembly Speaker Carl Heasties office calling for him to support the bill. The bill never came to a vote in the states lower house.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Amid a critical post-holiday blood shortage, New York City elected officials joined New York Blood Center (NYBC) executives recently to celebrate January as Blood Donor Month and encourage New Yorkers to donate blood once per season in 2024.

Mayor Eric Adams issued a Mayoral Citation to honor NYBC for its life-saving work, which was unveiled during the event.

NYBC CEO Dr. Christopher Hillyer was joined by City Council members, FDNY brass, local hospital leaders and top blood donors for a press conference at NYBCs headquarters on Manhattans Upper East Side.

More than 50 years ago, President Richard Nixon signed a proclamation designating January as National Blood Donor Month. The annual observance is meant to honor voluntary blood donors and encourage more people to give blood.

Hospitals and patients rely upon a steady flow of volunteer donors, but the past few years, especially during the many months of the pandemic, have brought about chronic blood shortages nationwide.

To combat this, community leaders are challenging residents to make a donation once per season, or four times per year.

The weeks following the holiday season are always difficult for the blood supply, as school breaks, holiday travel, seasonal illness and cold weather often contribute to fewer donations, according to NYBC executives.

We are grateful to our elected officials, community leaders and hospital partners for teaming up with us to save lives this National Blood Donor Month by encouraging New Yorkers to make a selfless donation once per season in the year 2024, said Hillyer. We hope this initiative inspires our fellow New Yorkers to make an appointment to donate blood, bring a friend and raise awareness about the need for blood donations so that it becomes a lifelong habit for more members of our community.

Northwell Health, which operates Staten Island University Hospital, is the largest health system in New York state, and relies on NYBC to provide blood to in order to care for all patients requiring blood transfusions, including trauma patients, patients undergoing transplants, cancer patients, as well as the babies in the neonatal ICU, said Dr. Vishesh Chhibber, medical director of North Shore University Hospital Transfusion Services for Northwell. We are grateful for all of their work, and in turn ask our fellow New Yorkers to donate blood and join our fight in saving lives.

The generous act of blood donation saves the lives of countless patients every day, said Kenra Ford, vice president of clinical services operations and medical and professional Affairs for NYC Health and Hospitals. Our hospitals can only provide life-saving therapies and treat trauma patients because of volunteer blood donors, she said.

To see a schedule of upcoming Staten Island blood drives and make a blood donation appointment, visit donate.nybc.org.
NEW YORK  Migrant families were moved out of a midtown Manhattan hotel on Tuesday as part of Mayor Eric Adams plan to ease the pressure on New York Citys strained shelter system by imposing a 60-day limit on shelter stays.

The roughly 40 families that left Row NYC, in the heart of the citys Theater District, are the first of scores of families that are expected to leave city shelters in the coming weeks. Some of those leaving on Tuesday immediately reapplied for beds, while others said they had managed to find more permanent accommodations outside of the system.

Adams, a Democrat, imposed the limit in October for homeless migrant families, saying the move was necessary to relieve a shelter system overwhelmed by asylum-seekers crossing the southern U.S. border.

Immigrants run in the rain towards the tents at migrant housing location at Floyd Bennett Field, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in New York. New York City will evacuate the nearly 2000 immigrants housed in tents at the site due to an impending storm. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)AP

Maria Quero, a 26-year-old from Venezuela who is nearly nine months pregnant, was among those standing outside the Row hotel Tuesday morning with her luggage and other personal effects in tow.

She said her plan was to head across town to the Roosevelt Hotel, another midtown accommodation thats been repurposed as an intake center for arriving migrants. There, city officials say, migrant families could reapply for another 60-day stay in the shelter system.

We have no idea what is going to happen there, Quero said in Spanish as her husband, David Dominguez, gathered their belongings for the roughly 20-minute walk. Its very stressful. It gives me a lot of anxiety.

The two, who arrived in the country six months ago and had been at the Row for five months, said they dont have friends or family they can stay with if they cant secure another city bed.

Maria, center, and David Quero, left, of Venezuela, leave the Row Hotel with their belongings, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)AP

Lets hope we have a suitable place. We know people who have been to the tents while they are pregnant, added Dominguez, referring to the temporary shelters the city has erected in Brooklyn to house the newest arrivals. A woman cannot be in a tent when shes pregnant.

The Adams administration has warned for weeks that no one seeking a new placement is guaranteed another bed.

But Adams and other city officials said Monday that they would prioritize families and try to place them near their childrens schools in order to minimize any disruption to their education.

This is not going to be a city where were going to place children and families on the street and have them sleep on the street, Adams said ahead of Tuesdays move-outs. That is not going to happen.

Immigrant advocates have held rallies in recent days saying the new policy could lead to families waiting in long lines in the bitter cold to secure a new shelter placement  the situation single migrant adults have faced since the fall, when they were limited to 30 days in city shelters.

The time limits could also disrupt the schooling of migrant children who might have to change schools if their families are moved elsewhere, advocates say.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander talks to reporters outside the Row Hotel, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)AP

City Comptroller Brad Lander said Tuesday that hes launching an investigation into the Adams administrations implementation of the 60-day policy, including whether it was properly explained to families and its ultimate costs.

What information is actually being provided to people? Are there protocols for the 60-day evictions? he said outside the Row hotel as families checked out.

Some 4,800 eviction notices have been sent to migrant families in shelters.

Mayra Martinez, a 40-year-old mother from Colombia, said her three children have mixed feelings about leaving the Row.

The family had been living at the hotel for more than a year and have saved up enough to rent a three-bedroom apartment in nearby Newark, New Jersey.

An immigrant family show their paperwork to security guards at the Roosevelt Hotel, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)AP

They like it here, but you cant cook in the hotel and they miss home-cooked food, Martinez said in Spanish as she and her husband loaded their belongings into a waiting rideshare. Theyre also a little sad because of their school. Theyll have to change and get used to a new school.

The hotel evictions occurred as city officials also temporarily evacuated nearly 2,000 migrants housed at Floyd Bennett Field, the former airport in Brooklyn, ahead of a potentially damaging storm. Adams administration had erected the temporary shelter at the airfield in response to the waves of new immigrants arriving in the city.

To be clear, this relocation is a proactive measure being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals working and living at the center, Kayla Mamelak, an Adams spokesperson, said in a statement. The relocation will continue until any weather conditions that may arise have stabilized and the facility is once again fit for living.

The residents, many of them families with children, were sent to nearby James Madison High School, also in Brooklyn.
NEW YORK  A group of Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested amid a dispute over a tunnel secretly dug into the side of a historic Brooklyn synagogue, setting off a brawl between police and those who tried to defend the makeshift passageway.

The discovery of the tunnel at the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Crown Heights prompted an emergency structural inspection from the city Tuesday.

The building at 770 Eastern Parkway was once home to the movements leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and draws thousands of visitors each year. Its Gothic Revival facade is immediately recognizable to adherents of the Chabad movement and replicas of the revered building have been constructed all over the world.

New York Police officers arrest a Hasidic Jewish student after he was removed from a breach in the wall of the synagogue that led to a tunnel dug by students, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in New York. A group of Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested amid a dispute over a secret tunnel built beneath a historic Brooklyn synagogue, setting off a brawl between police and those who tried to defend the makeshift passageway. (Bruce Schaff via AP)AP

Motti Seligson, a spokesperson for Chabad, said a group of extremist students had secretly broken through the walls of a vacant building behind the headquarters, creating an underground passage beneath a row of office buildings and lecture halls that eventually connected to the synagogue.

The propertys manager brought in a construction crew Monday to fix the damaged walls, leading to a standoff with those who wanted the passageway to remain.

Those efforts were disrupted by the extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access, Seligson said.

New York Police officers conceal the breach in the wall of the synagogue that led to a tunnel dug by students, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in New York. A group of Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested amid a dispute over a secret tunnel built beneath a historic Brooklyn synagogue, setting off a brawl between police and those who tried to defend the makeshift passageway. (Bruce Schaff via AP)AP

A police department spokesperson said officers were called to the building Monday afternoon to respond to a disorderly group that was trespassing and damaging a wall.

Video shot by witnesses showed police confronting young men standing within a hollowed out space inside a brick wall. After officers removed one of the men from the dusty crevasse, a group of onlookers can be seen shoving officers, tossing wooden desks and scattering prayer books. One officer appeared to deploy an irritating spray at the jeering group.

Police said 10 people were arrested for criminal mischief and criminal trespass and one for obstructing governmental administration.

Hasidic Jewish students observe as law enforcement establishes a perimeter around a breached wall in the synagogue that led to a tunnel dug by students, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in New York. A group of Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested amid a dispute over a secret tunnel built beneath a historic Brooklyn synagogue, setting off a brawl between police and those who tried to defend the makeshift passageway. (Bruce Schaff via AP)AP

It wasnt immediately clear when the tunnel was constructed or what purpose it served.

As inspectors with the citys building safety agency assessed the damage Tuesday, a group of police officers stood behind barricades surrounding the headquarters, blocking a line of young men from entering the building.

New York City Fire Department spokesperson Amanda Farinacci said the agency received an anonymous tip about the location last month. But when a fire prevention team responded, they found all of the exits operable and up to code, Farinacci said.

Hasidic Jewish students sit behind a breach in the wall of a synagogue that led to a tunnel dug by the students, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in New York. A group of Hasidic Jewish worshippers were arrested amid a dispute over a secret tunnel built beneath a historic Brooklyn synagogue, setting off a brawl between police and those who tried to defend the makeshift passageway. (Bruce Schaff via AP)AP

The building is now closed pending a structural safety review, Seligson said.

This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish community worldwide, he said. We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place.

Schneerson led the Chabad-Lubavitch for more than four decades before his death in 1994, reinvigorating a Hasidic religious community that had been devastated by the Holocaust. The headquarters was also the epicenter of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, which began after a 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car in the rabbis motorcade.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Nancy Burns, A Staten Island native who loved to travel and spend time with her family, passed away on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. Being born in Port Richmond in 1935, Nancys life was marked by deep connections with her family and her career. Nancy embarked on her career in 1967 with Frank B. Sterner Insurance Company on Staten Island before commuting via the S.I. Ferry to Manhattan, working for Chase Bank. Concluding her career, she worked as an Office Manager at Solomon Brothers until 1997. Nancy had a friendship with a local vendor and she became well-known for her parties where she would buy a case of Sabrett hot dogs from him to serve to guests on St. Anthonys Day in June. In 2002, Nancy and her husband Bill relocated to Jackson, NJ, where she actively participated in the Westlake community and won the Bacci tournament in 2007. She cherished annual trips to Bermuda with Bill and explored destinations like Italy and London. Nancy enjoyed Atlantic City, Broadway plays, Kindle reading, and, above all, spending time with her family. Nancy, renowned for her lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, and spinach balls, leaves a void that will be felt by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. For the full obituary, click here.

Madeline Marchetti, 94, passed peacefully on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Clove Lakes Healthcare & Rehab Center, where she has resided for the last 1.5 years. Born in May 1929 in Brooklyn, Madeline spent the majority of her life there until her retirement. Following a successful career as a Secretary for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, she relocated to Franklin Square in Long Island and later to Florida, only to return to Staten Island in 2005. She was an accomplished painter with a passion for various art forms, Madeline immersed herself in art shows and classes to hone her skills. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she enjoyed exploring flea markets, reading, crafting poetry, and creating delicious meals for friends and family. In addition to her interests, Madeline dedicated her time to volunteer work at Staten Island Hospital and the Staten Island Museum from 2005 to 2008. Her memory lives on through numerous first and second cousins and their families. Madelines life was marked by creativity, generosity, and community service. She leaves a legacy that will be remembered by those who knew and loved her. For the full obituary, click here.

Rochelle Segal, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2024. She was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Herman Hank Segal and the cherished mother of Jonathan Segal (Jay), Abbie Segal-Andrews (John), and Matthew Segal (Rayna). Rochelle was also a loving grandmother to Leigh (Mariah-Lynn), Madeline, Jacob, Halle, and Macey. The memory of Rochelle will be missed by all. For the full obituary, click here.

Glenis R. Shadrick, known affectionately as the Cowboy of Grand Central passed away peacefully on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Born in February 1942 in Wallins Creek Kentucky, his childhood took him to Greensboro, NC, and San Antonio, TX before joining the U.S. Coast Guard in 1959. Over the years, he served in various locations across the county until ultimately retiring in NY in 1985 as a Chief Warrant Officer. Following his distinguished military career, Glenis transitioned to the MTA, where he worked on the 1 (subway) line, progressing from conductor to Motorman and later becoming a train service supervisor. He got his nickname from his distinctive black Stetson hat and cowboy boots, he became a fixture in the iconic terminal. After retiring in 2003, he devoted his time to his family. Glenis is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Betty Jean Young. His legacy as a dedicated brother, father, and grandfather, will be fondly remembered by those who knew and loved him. For the full obituary, click here.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- During the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, millions of Americans relied on economic impact payments, informally known as stimulus checks, from the federal government to make ends meet at a time when many were forced out of work.

The last payments, which came in the form of $1,400 checks, were issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2021, as directed by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, the government issued more than 476 million payments totaling roughly $814 billion, according to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.

Although the pandemic has waned and is no longer impeding most Americans from working, many are still struggling financially and would welcome a cash infusion from the federal government.

Unfortunately, another round of stimulus checks doesnt appear to be in the cards, according to a recent Newsweek report.

Zack Hellman, the founder of Los Angeles accounting firm Tax Prep Tech, told Newsweek that it appears unlikely that another round of checks would be issued four years after the coronavirus reached the United States.

The focus has shifted to economic recovery, and additional stimulus checks are not a part of current legislative agendas, Hellman told Newsweek.

For any new developments or updates on potential payments, keeping an eye on official government announcements and credible news sources is recommended, Hellman added.

Although Americans are unlikely to receive any direct financial assistance from the federal government in the new year, some states are finding other ways to help put money back in the pockets of their residents through tax credits and rebates.

Child tax credits, which help families offset the costs of raising children, are now available in 14 states, including New York, where the program was recently expanded to cover children under the age of four.

Several other states, such as nearby Pennsylvania, offer eligible residents the chance to recoup funds through property tax rebate programs.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A powerful storm will sweep through the state Tuesday night, bringing substantial rainfall and blustering winds. These elements could potentially come together to formulate a recipe for flooding and power outages across the region.

Light rain began falling across Staten Island early Tuesday afternoon, dampening roadways and making for an overcast day. However, meteorologists warn that this minor precipitation is merely the initial onset of what is expected to be a major storm.

The widespread rainfall was expected to become more moderate around 4 p.m. before ramping up to heavy rainfall later Tuesday around 10 p.m., according to National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist James Tomasini.

New York City as a whole can expect anywhere between 2 and 2.5 inches of rain from this system, with some localized areas to experience more than 3 inches, as reported by the NWS.

We are still on track for a major storm system to bring flooding rainfall, strong to damaging winds, moderate to locally major coastal flooding, and major shoreline impacts starting this evening. #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx



For more, see our latest briefing:https://t.co/zLtWZnfflN pic.twitter.com/YQsl66G3nX  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 9, 2024

As of 4 p.m., the Advance/SILive.coms weather station recorded a trifling 0.04 inches of rainfall. And while wind is swaying overhead wires, the days high wind gust of 34 mph, as recorded by the Advance/SiLive.com weather station at that time, pales in comparison to the 60 mph wind gusts anticipated for later Tuesday evening.

(Wind) ramping up to around midnight, expecting those peak winds around midnight, and then slowly tapering off through Wednesday, Tomasini said.

THE THREAT OF FLOODING

With Tuesdays storm following on the heels of a weekend storm which dumped more than a foot of snow upstate, this threat of rainfall could pose a flash flooding risk in the region.

As this storm proceeds through the Midwest, its powerful circulation will pull in warmer air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean going into Tuesday night, as noted by AccuWeather. As a result, snow can rapidly thaw throughout the Northeast and pose a flooding risk.

A general 1-3 inches of rain alone that falls on the saturated ground from prior storms back through December is enough to lead to rapid flooding in poor drainage areas and along small streams, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

However, despite this, flooding is not restricted to areas with frosty precipitation on the ground. The sheer excessive rainfall on its own still puts New York City in an area determined to be at risk of major flooding, as detailed by AccuWeather.

The NWS issued a flood watch Tuesday morning for most of New York City that will remain in effect from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

Additionally, a coastal flood advisory encompassing much of the city warns of 1 to 2 feet of inundation above ground level expected early Wednesday morning in areas along the shoreline.

Urban flooding and poor drainage flooding is forecast for late Tuesday night by the NWS. This flooding is noted to be exacerbated during the times of high tide Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, a condition that could inhibit storm drainage.

THE THREAT OF HIGH WINDS

While there is a good chance to see flooding, there is a near certainty that we will see high winds.

A National Weather Service graphic shows anticipated maximum wind gusts in New York for Tuesday, Jan. 9 through Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (Courtesy of National Weather Service)(Courtesy of the National Weathe

New York City is currently under a high wind warning from 6 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the NWS.

These winds are expected to produce widespread power outages, and downed trees and wires, as reported by the NWS. If you have any loose items outdoors, make sure to either bring them in or ensure they are secure.

The most notable impact from the strengthening storm in the Northeast will be high winds and flooding rainfall, Pydynowski said.

PREPARATIONS

These approaching conditions have prompted officials to take action and encourage residents to brace for the storm ahead.

Gov. Kathy Hochul urged New Yorkers to prepare for the imminent storm threat, which her office noted could bring substantial flooding.

The risk is significant, parts of the Hudson Valley will have a 70% chance of flash flooding, Hochul said. If that doesnt sound serious, remember last year when we saw the 1,000-year flooding event in Highland Falls? That was a 70% chance of flash flooding. Remember when we saw the flash flooding in September in New York City? That also had a 70% chance of flash flooding. So, thats the risk level were dealing with right now.

Joining Hochul in highlighting the approaching conditions is the New York City Emergency Management Department, which issued a travel advisory on Monday which will remain in effect from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

As the city braces for heavy rain, potential coastal flooding, and significant winds to impact the tri-state region later today, New Yorkers need to take the necessary precautions to remain safe throughout the duration of this weather event and avoid going outside during the peak of the storm, said Mayor Eric Adams. With expected winds gusts of up to 70 mph during the height of this storm, we are taking the proactive measure of relocating families from the Floyd Bennet Field shelter out of an abundance of caution to ensure the well-being of those entrusted to our care. While families are already in the process of temporarily being relocated, the city will ensure that essential services and the highest level of support are provided to all impacted by this decision. We are actively monitoring the situation, and as always, I encourage all New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC to get the latest updates and information.

THE MORNING COMMUTE

Tomasini says that lingering, light rain could hang over New York City for the Wednesday morning commute, however, the worst of the storm will have passed overnight.

It definitely looks like the heavy rain will be east of the city by the morning commute, Tomasini said. But that being said, there could always be lingering effects from any flooding that occurs overnight from the rainfall.

An AccuWeather graphic shows the power outage risk in New York for Tuesday, Jan. 9 through Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (Courtesy of AccuWeather)(Courtesy of the National Weathe

While the NWS forecasts that most of the rainfall will be out of the area by 5 a.m. Wednesday, they also warn that significant flood impacts will likely continue through Thursday morning.

Looking down the road, Tomasini forecasts yet another rain storm to impact the area Friday night into Saturday.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  On the heels of last weekends mix of snow and rain, another substantial storm is headed for New York Tuesday into Wednesday, prompting Gov. Kathy Hochul to take action.

In urging New Yorkers to prepare for the imminent storm threat, Hochul warned of the hazardous conditions expected to batter New York state. According to a release from the governors office, heavy rain is predicted to contribute to snow melt and flooding in areas south of the Capital Region, particularly portions of the Hudson Valley which saw up to 18 inches of snowfall from the last system. Additionally, thanks to the anticipated wind gusts of 50-60 mph, there is a considerable risk of power outages across New York City, Long Island, Western New York, Central New York and the North Country, as detailed in the release.

After the weekend weather brought snow across our state, a new storm threatens to cause substantial flooding and gale force winds  posing a risk of power outages and creating unsafe travel conditions, Hochul said. I have directed state agencies to monitor the storm closely as it unfolds, and they are prepared to work with our local partners as needed. I ask all New Yorkers to please take caution and keep track of weather and travel information in your area.

Hochul delivered stern remarks Monday night in an update on the approaching storm.

In drawing a comparison to emphasize the gravity of the situation, Hochul hearkened back to storms with similar odds of producing flash floods.

The risk is significant, parts of the Hudson Valley will have a 70% chance of flash flooding, Hochul said. If that doesnt sound serious, remember last year when we saw the 1,000-year flooding event in Highland Falls? That was a 70% chance of flash flooding. Remember when we saw the flash flooding in September in New York City? That also had a 70% chance of flash flooding. So, thats the risk level were dealing with right now.

Looking back to the September flooding in NYC, Staten Island saw just under 2 inches of rain over the course of a day, according to the Advance/SILive.com weather station. Meanwhile, Tuesdays storm is forecast to bring more than 2 inches to Staten Island and the surrounding area, with some parts of the city slated to receive nearly 2.5 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

While much of the concern lies further north in Hudson Valley, the combination of heavy rain and high winds has raised concerns over coastal flooding in New York City.

Remember, were expecting up to four inches of rain tomorrow, Hochul said. So, combining that with the multiple inches of melted snow, were talking about a very dangerous combination. Let me be clear, this will be an emergency, it will be serious, and were urging all New Yorkers to exercise extreme caution at this time.

NYC STORM WARNINGS, ALERTS

Joining Hochul in highlighting the approaching conditions is the New York City Emergency Management Department, which issued a travel advisory on Monday which will remain in effect from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

More inclement weather is expected to hit New York City tomorrow night, bringing with it heavy rains, strong winds, and the potential for flooding, said Mayor Eric Adams. Our city government is prepared to respond to whatever comes our way, but residents should also take the necessary precautions to stay safe and protect their belongings. I encourage all New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC to get the latest information and closely monitor the forecast as this storm approaches.

We are still on track for a major storm system to bring flooding rainfall, strong to damaging winds, moderate to locally major coastal flooding, and major shoreline impacts starting this evening. #NYwx #CTwx #NJwx



For more, see our latest briefing:https://t.co/zLtWZnfflN pic.twitter.com/YQsl66G3nX  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 9, 2024

A flood watch has been issued citywide by the NWS from 6 p.m. Tuesday to noon on Wednesday. Light rain is forecast to find city streets Tuesday afternoon with heavy rain developing in the evening and continuing overnight into early Wednesday morning. The heaviest precipitation is expected between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The weather outlook calls for citywide rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches at rates of about 0.5 inch/hour. A rising high tide Tuesday evening in New York Harbor and Jamaica Bay could coincide with heavy rain, resulting in compound flooding along shoreline roadways prone to flooding.

The NWS also issued a high wind warning citywide from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday. Southeast winds are expected to rest in the range of 25-35 mph with gusts peaking around 70 mph. The most powerful winds will come in around 10 p.m. and last until about 3 a.m.

Staten Island and much of the city, including Manhattan, and Brooklyn, are also indicated in areas designated with a coastal flood advisory. The advisory, which is in effect from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday, warns of 1 to 2 feet of inundation above ground level in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline, as reported by the NWS.
TOKYO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- After a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Japan on New Year's Day, concerns over nuclear safety are growing amid renewed anti-nuclear sentiment.

Incidents such as the overflow of cooling water from spent fuel pools and transformer anomalies have been reported at nuclear power plants in the prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, and Niigata along the Sea of Japan.

Although authorities claimed that "there are no abnormalities" at nuclear plants following the earthquake, Japan's nuclear safety is once again in the spotlight.

DISTURBING CHANGES

Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Japan's Shika and the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plants experienced spillovers of cooling water from spent fuel pools, according to local media reports.

At the Shika power plant, the spillovers of cooling water led to an emergency shutdown of cooling pumps. Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the operator of the Shika plant, initially said that there were no changes to water intake in the nuclear power plant, but later acknowledged that there is a three-meter rise in water level as a result of absorbing seawater used for cooling the plant equipment.

Local media reported that a flood barrier on the seaside of the plant showed a slight inclination after the earthquake. There were also "explosion sounds and a burning smell" near the transformer for Unit 2 at the plant, which the power company explained as the automatic fire suppression system in action.

The company earlier said that two external power supply transformers at the Shika plant were damaged. Specifically, one transformer was reported to have leaked approximately 3,500 liters of oil, rendering a portion of the external power supply system inoperable.

During a Friday press conference, the company admitted that the actual oil leakage amounted to as much as 19,800 liters, and the timeline for repairing the external power supply system remains uncertain.

Fearing aftershocks and tsunamis, the government is racing to verify the operation of nuclear power plants along the coast of the Sea of Japan. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier confirmed there were no abnormalities reported at nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan, and no rises in radiation levels were detected at the monitoring posts in the region.

SLOPPY WORK PRACTICES

Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported that after the earthquake, 15 monitoring posts measuring radiation levels around the Shika nuclear plant were unable to function. The inability to quickly obtain data used to determine whether residents need to evacuate has exposed the country's difficulties in dealing with nuclear disasters.

Before building the Shika plant, Hokuriku Electric originally planned to build a nuclear power plant in Takaya, a town adjacent to the epicenter of the latest earthquake, but gave up due to opposition from local residents.

If a nuclear plant had been built in Takaya, the consequences would have been disastrous, said the newspaper.

The Shika plant has been surrounded by controversy. In 1991, a reactor experienced a critical state when three control rods fell off -- an incident that Hokuriku Electric kept concealed until 2007.

Chihiro Kamisawa, a staff researcher at the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, a Tokyo-based anti-nuclear nonprofit organization, said the power supply from the Shika nuclear plant is very fragile, considering the possibility of aftershocks and other situations.

"Hokuriku Electric should admit that the nuclear power plant was built in an inappropriate location and scrap the reactors," Kamisawa said.

FEAR OF ANOTHER CATASTROPHE

While the Fukushima nuclear accident serves as a painful reminder, residents near nuclear power plants have expressed concern over the safety of nuclear energy.

"There was no news after the earthquake. I thought there might be a sudden accident like the Great East Japan Earthquake, and I was very worried," Hiroko Shida, a resident of Nanao City which is 10 km away from the Shika nuclear plant, told media.

"For a country like Japan that is prone to earthquakes, is the national policy of promoting nuclear power correct? I hope the government will revise its nuclear power policy so that everyone will no longer feel uneasy," Shida said.

Many Japanese netizens have also voiced concerns regarding nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan and called for the decommissioning of the plants.

"There is a nuclear power plant still operating in Fukui prefecture near the disaster-stricken area. There is a possibility of a massive aftershock there. Is it safe?" they asked. "Every nuclear power plant is close to the sea, and if it is flooded by a tsunami and loses power, it will follow the fate of the Fukushima plant. " 
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Online retailer The Iconic has pledged to issue full refunds to customers who have been left out of pocket following a rise in hackers using stolen login details to access their accounts.

The company confirmed it had seen a spike in credential stuffing  a method of attack in which hackers use lists of compromised user credentials, such as email and password combinations exposed in separate data breaches, to breach other systems.

The Iconic is offering customers refunds after a rise in hackers accessing customer accounts and making fraudulent orders.

We have recently seen an increase in fraudulent account login attempts on The Iconic, which our security and fraud teams continue to actively manage, in conjunction with our security partners, the retailer said in a statement on Tuesday. The Iconic website itself was not hacked.

We are working with all customers to address these incidents, which are not a result of a data breach at The Iconic.
The Sydney chef-restaurateur brings something new to Singapore, a city that reveres seafood and demands glamour. But dont worry, you can still order a cheeseburger.

Imagine biting into a beautifully executed sweet French pastry, a canele, its crisp, chewy crust contrasting with a yielding inside, and experiencing the mouth-popping salt of caviar at the finish. This dessert best encapsulates the menu direction at Fysh, in Singapores Edition hotel, the latest project from internationally acclaimed Sydney chef Josh Niland.

For the 102-seat Fysh is not like the chefs Paddington flagship Saint Peter, nor any other iteration of his Sydney empire. This seafood steakhouse needs to be understood in the context of Singapore, an island city-state renowned for its high-end restaurants, with prices to match. Singaporean diners revere seafood, most of which is imported from around the world, and have different cultural and service expectations but love something edgy.

Chef Josh Niland at Petermen in St Leonards. Louie Douvis

Dont expect the intimacy of Saint Peter nor the buzz of his St Leonards bistro Petermen at Fysh. Singapore demands glamour, and the elegant, high-ceilinged room delivers, with marble tables, green velvet banquettes, lush plantings, and an imposing green marble bar. At intervals, 400g dry-aged Mooloolaba yellowfin tuna rib-eye and condiments are wheeled out theatrically for selection.

Fysh showcases Nilands sustainable scale-to-tail philosophy  something new for Singapore  but its hotel location necessitates the menus inclusion of a couple of vegetarian dishes, along with a popular quail entree, and chicken and sirloin main courses.
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Eating outRegional guides The Good Food guide to eating and drinking in Torquay It had always been the centre of every Victorian surfers universe. But now Torquay is riding a food and drink wave too. Heres what you need to know. Good Food Guide reviewers Ellen Fraser and January 9, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Torquay, on the lands of the Wadawurrung people, marks the beginning of the Great Ocean Road  one of the countrys most spectacular scenic drives  but thats no reason to hurry through. Surfers flock here for cerulean waves of both the forgiving and widow-making variety (including at world-famous Bells Beach), as evidenced by a sea of surf-gear shops. In recent years, a small yoga and wellness scene has flourished  but so has opposition to increasing development in the area as sea-changers drift in. Whether youre here for the day, the waves, or the long run, heres some of the best eating and drinking to be found in Torquay and surrounds. For coffee All retro signage, brown-and-orange vintage furniture and laid-back surfside service, Mavis Mavis is a little coffee shop that punches well above its weight. The serene team brews New Zealands Allpress Espresso, and batch brew comes in groovy branded mugs. The chopped-egg and bacon toastie alone could keep this place in business: simple, satisfying and topped with flaky sea salt. Shop 1, 9 Gilbert Street, Torquay, instagram.com/mavis_coffeeshop

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Ginger Monkeys shaded deck is popular with locals. Supplied For a wholesome breakfast Theres no shortage of cafes along the Torquay foreshore if a beachside seat is a top morning priority, but youre more likely to find the locals at Ginger Monkey, a low-key brunch spot tucked away in the back streets. Expect a wholesome, mostly vegetarian spread that might include nasi goreng and huevos rancheros, and good espresso by Melbournes Proud Mary. The best seat in the house is on the spacious front deck, under the cascading purple wisteria. 4 Baines Crescent, Torquay, gingermonkeycafe.com The Hideaway is a well-appointed home away from home. Fabio Oliveira

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For (briefly) living the sea-change dream So, towering oceanside resorts arent your bag? The Hideaway, a bohemian beach cabin, might be your speed. Its located a 10-minute walk from Torquay, just 200 metres from the beach, is pet-friendly and sleeps six. Surfboards and bikes cater to adventurists, and theres an outdoor shower and a cubby house for the kids in the yard. Theres even a well-appointed kitchen  a rarity in the Airbnb age  and a wood-fired pizza oven. Address provided on booking, riparide.com/listings/5335 Over summer, crowds flock to one particular fish n chip shop. Supplied For cracking fish and chips

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Ask Google Maps where to get your fish n chip fix and you may be sent elsewhere, but the summer crowds heave heaviest at Bell Street Fish and Chips for good reason. Fresh flathead, flake (gummy shark) and whiting come encased in shattery batter, and the chips are never soggy. Hot paper parcel in tow, head to a lookout nearby and watch the waves roll in as the car windows steam up. Its so busy at times that the phone goes unanswered  just another sign pointing to yes  so its best to just show up. 32A Bell Street, Torquay, bellstfishandchips.com.au For local produce Every Saturday morning for the past 15 years, Torquay Farmers Market has served the local community. Head to the car park by the council offices and start with a gourmet pie or gozleme, then peruse stalls dedicated to cheese, bread, honey, gin, tomatoes, walnuts, olives, salami, wine, tea, spices and more. Free-range meat, a greengrocer and a pet food stall mean a weeks worth of groceries can be secured without stepping foot in a supermarket. 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay, facebook.com/TorquayFarmersMarket

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For small-footprint shopping If the farmers market doesnt suit your schedule, boutique grocer Peachs is open every day except Sunday with similar wares. Rustic wooden barrels overflow with colourful fruit and vegetables, some of it organic and all sourced from nearby growers. Fridges are stacked with ready meals, takeaway salads, fresh pasta, meat and gourmet baked goods. Its pricier than the supermarket, but that extra coin gets you a snapshot of the region, all in one place. 132 Surf Coast Highway, Torquay, peachstorquay.com.au Owner-chef Tobin Kent in Moonahs intimate dining room. Marnie Hawson For a taste of the next generation of culinary talent

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Sail from drinks on the balcony at two-hatted Moonah, overlooking ducks on a billabong framed by moonah trees, to one of a handful of tables in a sparsely decorated room. You may well be served by Tobin Kent, the inspired young chef who grew the Dutch cream potato thats cooked in seawater and topped with snapper floss and pilpil (salt cod and garlic) sauce. He also grew the blood plums for the sorbet thats served with goats curd and garnished with fennel pollen and candied orange. Its one of the best things youll sink a spoon into this year. Book well in advance. 95 Minya Lane, Connewarre, moonahrestaurant.com.au For local wines and craft beer For the strongest representation of the regions wineries, skip the big-chain bottle-os and head to family-run Corks Crew Cellars, which just celebrated its 20th birthday. Staff might steer you towards a gamay by Rowsley Fault, where the vines grow over limestone, or a peppery pinot noir from Heroes in the Otways. See also: the impressive craft beer selection, and a new section dedicated to natural wines from Latta, Konpira Maru et al. 5 Bristol Road, Torquay, corkscrew.net.au

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The Kyn in Torquay is a breezy package of Middle Eastern flavours and seaside dining. Supplied For beachfront dining In a space thats as bright and summery as the giant glowing orb in the sky, The Kyn is a dream for post-dip dining. The buzzy beachside restaurant-slash-bar leans Middle Eastern with dishes such as slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pilaf and labne, while cocktails tend to be on the sweeter side. If you can find anything wrong in the world with a coconut margarita and a plate of school prawns straight from the sea, youve got bigger problems. 41 The Esplanade, Torquay, thekyn.com.au For cheeseboard supplies

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Small-batch cheesemonger Fromage and Legumes rarely opens its Torquay doors to walk-in customers (exceptions are made in the lead-up to Christmas and Easter). Instead, youll text owner Eva Kainz or place an order online for her organic cow and goat cheeses. Everything is made in-house or sourced from regional Victoria, from the super-soft brie to the nutty vintage cheddar. And if you want to go big, theres a dramatic cheese tower that serves 40. 2 Beachcomber Lane, Torquay, fromageandlegumes.com For blending in with the locals Swell Foods has been refuelling Torquay and Jan Jucs early morning surf scene for 25 years. Open from 6am, its celebrated as much for its Double Roll  two eggs, double bacon, cheese and barbecue sauce on a milk bun  as for its easygoing staff, shelves of ceramics and fancy sunscreens, and location just far enough from the beach to walk the sand off your feet. A chocolate and peanut butter protein shake and a giant freckle to-go will provide whats needed to hit the waves again tomorrow. Stuart Avenue, Jan Juc, swellfoodscafe.com.au

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Mortadelis is a pasta bar inside a European deli. Nick Watson For an all-ages pasta feast Thanks to a mid-2023 update, Mortadeli is not only home to Torquays (and perhaps the Surf Coasts) most serious deli for all things delicious and European, its now also an enoteca dripping with retro charm. Slide into a booth with the fam for crunchy on the outside, oozy on the inside toasted mozzarella en carozza, then take your pick of that days pasta. It might be shells coated in a sauce of chopped prawns, cime di rapa, tomato and anchovy, but theres always kid-friendly spaghetti and napoli sauce. Olive oil martinis, negronis on tap and superb local wines add to the fun. Shop 8, 4-6 Gilbert Street, Torquay, mortadeli.com.au For a true farm-to-table experience

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Common Ground Project, a regenerative farm 15 minutes from Torquay, is hosting a series of dinners ($90 a head) by hot Melbourne restaurants over January. The farms owners, Melbourne hospitality outfit Mulberry Group, are bringing three of their venues to the farm to cook with the latest haul from the plots. Summer produce from Common Ground Project will star in a series of dinners over January. Supplied The hatted Hazel (January 12-13) will make the most of summers tomatoes, Dessous (Jan 19-20) will pair farm greens with barramundi and more, and Lilac Wine Bar (Jan 26-27) will deliver its signature snacks alongside radishes and ferments. Those keen to do a farm tour before dinner can add one to their booking. Bookings and info at events.humanitix.com/host/common-ground-project The Good Food guide to the best places to eat and drink in Lorne

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Detectives are hunting for arsonists who torched a convertible luxury car outside a family home in the citys south  the second such targeted attack on the same car within a few days.

Emergency services rushed to Barnards Avenue, in Hurstville in the citys south, finding a white convertible Mercedes engulfed in flames just before midnight on Monday evening.

A white Mercedes has been torched twice in a few days outside a family home in Hurstville. Credit: Nine

The car was parked in the driveway of the family home when it was torched, and the flames damaged the front of the two-storey house before firefighters could extinguish the blaze.

Police set up a crime scene and detectives quickly began to suspect the fire had been deliberately lit.
TUNIS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia will issue a postal stamp on Wednesday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Tunisia, the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported on Tuesday.

The stamp will be available in all post offices across the 24 provinces of the country and on an official website dedicated exclusively to issuing the commemorative stamp.

Since China and Tunisia established diplomatic relations in January 1964, bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been developing and prospering.

The cooperation between the two countries has a long history, especially in the health sector. It dates back to 1973 when Beijing sent the first medical mission team to Tunisia.

Since then, over 1,000 Chinese doctors and specialists have been operating in Tunisia in general surgery, gynecology, obstetrics, radiology, pediatrics, orthopedics, acupuncture, cardiology, and ophthalmology.

In recent years, this strong and fruitful cooperation has been further supported by the exchange of experiences, expertise, and know-how between specialists of the two countries in medical services, health monitoring in some regions of Tunisia, and new medical technological advances.

Cooperation between Tunisia and China also extended to other sectors, including sports, youth, technology, and innovation. 
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 In November, barrister Bruce Connell addressed a meeting of Woollahra Council. The Paddington resident remarked that it was a bit like speaking before the bench of the High Court. But his topic wasnt constitutional law  it was air-conditioners. The problem: strict rules operating in the Paddington heritage conservation area prohibit Connell from installing air-con in the main bedroom of his terrace house. The unit must be installed behind the rear building line and less than 1.8 metres from the ground. Connell said he counted 23 non-compliant airconditioning units near his house, but selective enforcement meant they got away with it while he was done in by a complaint. Can we please bring this into the 21st century? he begged. Heritage controls dont just restrict what can be knocked down or built in a given area: they limit what home owners can do with their own home. Usually, heritage conservation areas require that addendums such as solar panels or air-con units are not visible from the street. Amid the housing crisis, policymakers, activists, home owners and local councillors are all putting the heritage framework under the microscope and asking: do things need to change? As a result of Connells presentation, Woollahra Council will now examine its enforcement regime with a view to making it more equitable, as well as advancements in technology and options for updating heritage controls accordingly. The idea that heritage is just buildings has moved on: NSW Energy, Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe. Credit: Louise Kennerley

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NSW Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe agreed the system could be more flexible to accommodate modern technology without ruining the place. As minister for climate change, energy and the environment, she is keenly aware of the speed at which NSW needs to transition to renewables. I do feel this idea that nothing ever changes because its heritage listed is something weve got to constantly question, she told the Herald in an interview for this series. She was supported in that by one of the states top heritage experts, GML Heritage chief executive Sharon Veale. The commonly held view is heritage stops development, Veale said. That is an erroneous position. Heritage is about the sensitive management of change. The NSW government is currently seeking public and stakeholder input on a new heritage strategy. One of Sharpes tasks will be to guide the strategy insofar as it intersects with the premiers stated top priority: lifting housing supply. Labor stirred heritage advocates with a recent announcement of its transit-oriented development policy to rezone land for higher density within 1200 metres of eight major Metro or heavy rail stations, and within 400 metres of another 31 existing train stations. That policy will apply to heritage conservation areas, although the guidelines say relevant heritage controls will still apply to the extent they are not inconsistent with the new standard.

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Sharpe said there would need to be conversations about what stays and what goes as the state attempts to build 377,000 new homes over the next five years, and continue that pace thereafter. That did not mean knocking down heritage terraces or removing heritage conservation zones, she said, but having a fresh focus on adaptive reuse of older buildings and an expansionist approach to what heritage means. The idea that heritage is just buildings has moved on, she said, citing the recent listing of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade route. Sharpe was confident that through adaptive reuse, the state could build more housing in places people want to live, while complementing the heritage of those suburbs. We need to build the housing, but we also dont want to lose the sense of place, she said. Liberal leader Mark Speakman asked for an interim heritage order to be placed on this shop in Cronulla, in his electorate. Credit: Nikki Short One of Sharpes other responsibilities as heritage minister is to consider requests for interim heritage orders to prevent development while the council seeks a full heritage review through consultants. She was concerned some applications were spurious, citing a recent request by Opposition Leader Mark Speakman to list a shop in Cronulla where a developer wants to build apartments. Theres going to be some pointy discussion about that [issue], she said. For its part, Woollahra Council has more heritage listings in sight. It successfully applied to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to increase rates by 22.23 per cent over two years  13.7 per cent this financial year  to fund a number of priorities, one of which is to spend $1.4 million over 10 years studying potential heritage assets. According to council documents, that will include studies of interwar flat buildings, significant architects, local design and architecture influenced by the arts and crafts period, and locally built examples influenced by the modernist period.

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Loading We think it is essential to protect buildings with these characteristics because they are gradually disappearing due to the high pace of development occurring in the eastern suburbs, the documents said. Arts and Crafts buildings are increasingly rare in Sydney and many interwar flat buildings have no statutory protection. Similarly, significant buildings showing the evolution of modern architecture in the Woollahra LGA are under threat and not adequately recognised by statutory heritage protection. Woollahra mayor Richard Shields was on leave and declined to comment. Inevitably, that process will involve consultants such as the aforementioned GML Heritage. Pro-housing activists such as Sydney YIMBY often decry this approach, arguing heritage consultants have a vested interest in recommending more heritage and a one-eyed view that fails to consider housing affordability. Veale responds with several points. First, she says the cost of housing is a matter for planners, policymakers and politicians  not heritage consultants. Second, she says heritage assessment is an objective process  they dont just recommend everything for listing. Youve got to have the evidence base, it has got to be technically rigorous, she says. Finally, she says the YIMBYs have a vested interest themselves. Everybodys got an interest, [but] were held to professional standards. There are a number of checks and balances along the way. Just because we say something should be listed doesnt mean it is. The YIMBYs get a bloody good go at it. Anybody who wants to make a submission on a planning proposal can. Ultimately, its council that decides whats within their appetite, as does the Department of Planning. Veale believes the campaign against heritage is a cheap shot resulting from a long-term failure to properly plan for land use, population growth and migration. Its divisive, its lacking nuance, and its an easy polemic, she says.

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Victoria Police will use sniffer dogs and boost their presence at a hip-hop festival this week in response to a mass overdose at a recent electronic music event, as the state government shut down renewed calls for pill testing.

Experts and crossbench MPs questioned the effectiveness of increased policing when The Age on Tuesday revealed that fewer than half the people searched by police at music festivals were found to have drugs on them.

The Hardmission Australia festival was held at Flemington Racecourse last Saturday.

Victoria Police will not tolerate any behaviour that compromises the publics safety and will also have an increased presence at a music festival this week in Flemington on 12 January, a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Police want people to have a good time and attendees should watch out for their mates to ensure everyone has a safe festival experience, and for anyone intending to take illicit drugs, we simply say, dont do it.
In contrast, Alcoas two other WA refineries  Pinjarra and Wagerup  produced alumina for about $US250 a tonne last quarter. Loading WA Premier Roger Cook, who is also the local member for Kwinana, said the curtailment was a disappointing outcome. Alcoa needs to do everything it can to support its workforce through this transition, he said. Kwinana is the industrial heart of Perth, and has a bright future with new job-creating industrial

projects emerging on the strip.

Federal resources minister Madeleine King said she was extremely disappointed at the closure of the plant in her electorate. I have been assured by Alcoa that the curtailment of production at the Kwinana refinery will not affect the broader supply chain of alumina, which is essential for our future transition towards net-zero emissions, she said. Reed said Alcoa remained committed to WA and would continue to consider options for the refinery. The refinerys port facilities will still be used to export alumina from Pinjarra and import raw materials such as caustic used in the alumina-making process. A tarnished environmental record Tuesdays announcement comes after 12 months of damaging revelations about the Pittsburgh-based companys operation in WA where it produces more than 70 per cent of its bauxite and alumina.

Its clearing of the jarrah forest has in recent years moved closer to Serpentine Dam, Perths biggest source of drinking water, prompting concern that heavy rainfall could wash sediment from the large areas devoid of vegetation into the dam, making the dams water treatment facilities ineffective. A Water Corporation internal briefing note from 2022, obtained via a freedom of information request, said Alcoas mining was a very significant intergenerational risk to water quality and security of supply in drinking water catchments. Alcoa has produced alumina at Kwinana since 1963. Credit: Alcoa The utility said the worst-case cost of fixing all the dams that could be affected by Alcoas mining was $2.6 billion and would result in the doubling of water bills. Mining operations have not been effectively regulated, the note said.

Alcoa was also caught building a pipeline over a Water Corporation dam near Waroona, in WAs south-west, to carry water contaminated with the toxic forever chemical PFAS despite not having regulatory approval. The state environment regulator found the design and construction of the pipeline was substandard, making a leak a real possibility. Alcoa has cleared 28,000 hectares of jarrah forest in 60 years and has long trumpeted its care of the forest that extends from inland of Perth to Collie 200 kilometres to the south. However, in March this masthead revealed Alcoa has not fully rehabilitated a single hectare to the standards agreed with the state government. The miner has been considering the closure of Kwinana for many years, according to several sources familiar with Alcoas WA operation but not authorised to speak to the media.

Loading The plans precede Alcoas problems in the past two to three years getting approval to clear jarrah forest due to concerns about the water supply that forced the Kwinana refinery to run at 80 per cent capacity for the past year. In December, the state government implemented temporary arrangements to govern Alcoas mining that Premier Roger Cook said strengthened environmental protection while supporting local jobs. WA Forest Alliance camping director Jess Beckerling said piecemeal concessions to protect forests, cockatoos and water were just small scraps off Alcoas table. Beckerling said before the EPA could even start its assessment of Alcoas mining, Cook had told the company,you can keep mining.

The arrangements will remain in place until the WA Environmental Protection Authority completes a review of its current mining that could take several years. Alcoa first publicly raised the prospect of change at Kwinana in October 2023 when new chief executive Bill Oplinger told Wall Street analysts the company was looking at a variety of ways to drive down costs and improve profitability at the 60-year-old plant. But ultimately, as with any marginal asset, and Kwinana is a marginal asset at this point, well consider options on the table, including curtailment and closure, he said. Cook said at the time that local workers deserved better. Alcoas commentary today is disappointing and creates unnecessary uncertainty for their workforce, he said.

Possible pressure release for other industry The announcement is positive for other WA industry on three fronts where they are stretched: labour, industrial land and gas supply. Loading There is a shortage of skilled workers throughout WA and experienced process operators and maintenance workers from the refinery would be in high demand from employers such as Tianqi and Covalent, who are building lithium processing plants in Kwinana. The refinery occupies 1500 hectares of prime waterfront industrial land in Kwinana where the last available large parcel was allocated in 2023 to miners Fortescue and IGO to build a battery materials plant.
The Perth owner of a dog shot dead by police on Tuesday morning claims his beloved pet was inhumanely left to die on his own.

Former Aussie Gold Hunters TV cast member Rob Dales nine-year-old bull mastiff cross great dane named Monty was killed out the front of his Stratton home in Perths north-eastern suburbs after attacking a man and female police officer during an arrest.

WA Police said both people had bite injuries from the dog  with the officer requiring surgery  and that it was shot to prevent further injuries to persons present.

But Dale told 9 News Perth the dog was reacting to protect people at the property after two police officers arrived unannounced to arrest Arron McKinney, 45, in relation to a burglary.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is considering the possibility of setting up a reserve force to respond to natural disasters, but flagged the Australian Defence Force would still have a role to play.

When you have a natural disaster, you have to be flexible enough to use whatever assets are at your disposal, he said in an interview on ABC Brisbane.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $20 million clean-up program to assist South-East Queensland. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

And that is certainly something that the Australian Defence Force has been able to do. Theyve been able to do it over a considerable period of time when that request is asked for.

About 50 Defence personnel were deployed on January 4 to help with the clean-up in South-East Queensland after at least 21 homes were destroyed and another 1200 damaged by extreme storms.
Guayaquil: Masked men broke onto the set of a public television channel in Ecuador waving guns and explosives during a live broadcast on Tuesday (Quito-time), and the president issued a decree declaring that the South American country had entered an internal armed conflict.

The men armed with pistols and what looked like sticks of dynamite entered the set of the TC Television network in the port city of Guayaquil and shouted that they had bombs. Noises similar to gunshots could be heard in the background. No one was killed.

Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room, across from the studio, when the group of masked men entered the building. One of the men pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, Manrique said.

Some of the assailants ran from the studio and tried to hide elsewhere in the building when they realised they were surrounded by police, she said.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prosecutors Office Sint Maarten OM SXM and the National Detectives (Landsrecherche) will be extra vigilant in this period leading up to the 2024 Parliamentary Elections and on the day of the vote on January 11 for indications of bribery and the buying/selling of votes and will investigate these in accordance with the law.

This extra vigilance as well as this notice to public were also executed on the lead-up and on the day of previous elections.

Article 2:44 and 2:45 of St. Maartens Criminal Code outline vote-buying and -selling as felonies. The Prosecutors Office urges all voters to their right to vote in the best interest of St. Maarten. The right to vote is a fundamental democratic privilege and a cornerstone of good governance.

Vote buying/selling opens the door to corruption, a crime that undermines the entire community. Such actions can have lasting and harmful consequences for the countrys growth and development, affecting future generations.

Equally important to the democratic process the general behaviour during the campaigning period and on Election Day itself. OM SXM calls upon the Sint Maarten population to uphold the principles of law and order, as well as to prioritize respect and decency, recognizing their crucial role in maintaining a healthy democracy.

The OM is charged with the criminal enforcement of the rule of law and with other tasks determined by law. This main task can be divided into three sub-tasks: the investigation of criminal offenses, the prosecution of criminal offenses, and supervision of the execution (execution) of criminal sentences.

The National Detectives specialise in investigating criminal activities within the government, with a particular focus on civil servants.
~350 duplicate voting cards distributed; no international observers expected~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Voting Bureau announced at a press conference on Tuesday that everything is in place for the January 11th Parliamentary Elections. Chairlady of the Voting Bureau Nathalie Tackling told reporters that 129 candidates postulated for the 15-member parliamentary seats, these candidates postulated on 8 slates.

Tackling said that this election will be the first election where the curtains will be removed from booths at the polling stations however, she assured that the Voting Bureau along with the Civil Registry has done everything necessary to protect the voter's rights to secrecy.

Tackling also confirmed that St. Maarten will not be having any international election observers this election.

Cathy Snider, head of the Civil Registry announced that voting cards will be available at the Government Administration Building (Civil Registry) on Election Day for pick-up. Snider said some 1235 voting cards were returned from Postal Services of which 28 were collected. However, the Civil Registry also indicated that they had to issue 350 duplicate voting cards to voters, she explained that those persons who requested the duplicates either did not receive their cards or cards were damaged.

Persons who did not get their voting cards by 6 pm on Thursday can still obtain a duplicate at the polling stations. Sniders asked voters to desist from going to the polling stations during the day on Thursday for duplicates but instead, these persons should check with the Civil Registry before.

Chief of Police Carl John who was also present at the press conference assured the public that police officers will be at all polling stations on Thursday, January 11th, 2024, to ensure that voters abide by the law.

The top cop cautioned party supporters that the 5-meter distance from the polling stations would be maintained. John also indicated that the police will be having a busy day on Thursday since the four largest cruise ships are expected in port on that day. He said the police would be busy with its regular duties to provide safety and security for its citizens. Asked if KPSM will receive backup or assistance to cope with the workload on election day, John said 24 officers are expected to arrive on St. Maarten on Wednesday to assist KPSM.



NO LOADSHEDDING EXPECTED ON ELECTION DAY.

Temporary Manager of N.V GEBE Troy Washington assured that NV. GEBE will not be load-shedding on Election Day. Washington said GEBE was faced with load-shedding for two days due to mechanical failures. He said that two engines had to be taken offline for repairs, one of which was completed on Monday while the other is expected to be finalized today Tuesday. He said besides having the two engines up and running, the school will be out on Election Day thus the company will have reserves to keep power on throughout Election Day on Thursday, January 11th.
BEIRUT, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Three Hezbollah members were killed on Tuesday in an Israeli drone missile attack in southern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

The killed members are Hassan Ismail, Mahmoud Nasser, and Issa Nour al-Din, sources close to Hezbollah told Xinhua, adding that the party will notify their families before officially announcing their deaths.

The military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Israeli raids also destroyed five houses in the eastern and central sectors of southern Lebanon.

The sources also confirmed that "the UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) leadership operating in the south of Lebanon has asked all its members to remain in shelters until further notice."

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed increased tension since Oct. 8 after 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.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 211 on the Lebanese side, including 154 Hezbollah members and 35 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. 
UK-headquartered Conexus Resources Group has inaugurated a $100 million state-of-the-art aluminium rod plant in Bahrain which has a capacity of 32,000 metric tonnes per annum.

The company, operating in 15 countries across the world including Switzerland and Singapore, will leverage the groups combined expertise in cutting-edge processing and logistical capabilities in managing global value chains to process liquid aluminium from Bahrains national manufacturer, Alba, into high-quality aluminium rods, serving regional and international clients.

The new company, Konexus Aluminium, affirms Bahrains standing as a leading destination for manufacturing and export hub to international markets.

Healthy pipeline

Currently the second largest non-oil contributor to real GDP standing at 13.9% as of 2023, Bahrains manufacturing sector has maintained a healthy pipeline of national and international companies which includes Alba, the largest single-site smelter outside of China producing more than 2% of the world's aluminium output, offering manufacturing companies investment-ready land for aluminium downstream projects. The sector remains a point of focus as one of the five priority non-oil sectors outlined by the national Economic Recovery Plan.

Dr Khaled Fahad Alalawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, remarked: This inauguration marks yet another milestone achievement that stands as a testament to Bahrains thriving manufacturing sector, where Bahrain continues to provide companies with an ideal gateway to tap into the Middle East market and beyond.

Giant stride

He continued: Over the past 18 months, Conexus Resources have made remarkable progress in establishing their rod plant facility, owing to the collaborative efforts of Team Bahrain as well as Alba. This initiative is a giant stride for the local manufacturing sector and is furthered by a larger strategic plan that will see the development of the kingdoms aluminium downstream park, further placing Bahrain at the forefront of aluminium manufacturing on regional and global levels.

Manufacturing companies operating in Bahrain benefit from a business-friendly environment, a favourable tax regime, with 100% foreign ownership enabled across most sectors, and expert insights backed by a diverse portfolio of aluminium manufacturing companies that effectively complement downstream clustering. Export-focused firms gain streamlined connectivity to international markets with advanced air and sea freight connectivity and direct access to the Saudi Arabia via the King Fahad Causeway.

High-quality aluminium rods

Brijender Pal Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Conexus Resources Group, added: We are pleased to officially go-live with production at our newly constructed and inaugurated state-of-the-art aluminium rod plant in Bahrain. Konexus aims to provide high-quality aluminium rods to global industrial uses, and Bahrain was a clear destination of choice given the availability of experienced and highly skilled local talent, duty-free trade advantage and strategic location that offers direct access to one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

Ali AlMudaifa, Chief of Business Development at Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: Beyond its strategic location and free trade agreements covering 22 countries, Bahrain provides investors the best value manufacturing operational costs in the region with unparalleled export efficiencies owing to a world-class logistics zone, providing fertile ground for companies looking to set up and expand across the region  the Konexus Aluminium plant is a welcome addition to Bahrains thriving aluminium industry, adding-value with their niche experience and capabilities.--TradeArabia News Service
KATHMANDU, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Voting closed in Bhutan's general elections at 5 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Tuesday and counting of ballots was ongoing, with provisional results likely to be announced later in the evening, an official from the Election Commission of Bhutan told Xinhua.

Winners of the first round of voting in November 2023, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), are contesting Tuesday's vote across all 47 constituencies in the Himalayan kingdom. A party has to win at least 24 constituencies to form a government. 
HOUSTON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people were injured in an explosion on Monday at a historic hotel in Fort Worth, U.S. state of Texas, media reports said, citing local authorities. 
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) on the morning of January 8.

He emphasized that after ten years of unremitting anti-graft efforts in the new era, an overwhelming victory has been achieved and fully consolidated. However, the situation remains severe and complex. We must have a clear understanding of the latest developments and trends in the fight against corruption, and of the soil and conditions that give rise to corruption. The Party must continuously combat corruption with tenacity, perseverance and precision, and resolutely win the tough and protracted battle against corruption.

Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CCDI, presided over the meeting.

Xi pointed out that 2023 was the first year of implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress on all fronts. The CPC Central Committee is committed to advancing self-reform. A theoretic study program has been rolled out across the Party to learn and implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a New Era. The CPC Central Committee has kept innovating Party theories to promote cohesion and forge the Party's soul, and made political supervision more concrete, targeted, and regular. It has focused on rectifying pointless formalities and bureaucratism, removing bad apples, strengthening the management and supervision of Party members, promoting full and rigorous Party self-governance, ensuring the full implementation of the decisions and arrangements of the 20th CPC National Congress, and smooth start of the new journey.

Xi emphasized that as the world's largest Marxist ruling party, how can our party successfully break free from the historical cycle of rise and fall and ensure that the Party will never change its nature, convictions or its character? This is a strategic question facing all Party members. Since the Party's 18th National Congress, we have continuously engaged in practical exploration and theoretical reflection during the great practice of exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance. "Let the people supervise the government," was the first answer Comrade Mao Zedong proposed to this question. On that basis, we have provided the second answer - constantly advancing the Party's self-reform. In the practical and theoretical exploration of full and rigorous Party self-governance in the new era over the past decade, we have constantly deepened our understanding of the Party's self-reform, accumulated rich experience, and achieved a series of important theoretical achievements. These have systematically answered the major questions: Why our Party needs self-reform, why it can exercise such self-reform, and how we can advance it.

Xi pointed out that in advancing the Party's self-reform, we need to grasp nine main points, namely: To uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee as its fundamental guarantee, to lead the great social revolution as its fundamental purpose, to follow the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its fundamental guide, to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall as its strategic goal, to solve the problems unique to a large Party as ours as its main direction, to improve the system of full and rigorous Party self-governance as an effective pathway, and to forge a strong organization and build a competent team as the focus of our endeavors, to improve conduct and enforce discipline as a linchpin for fight against corruption, and to combine self-supervision with people's oversight as a strong motivating force. We must persist in emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, keeping up with the times, and upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. We should continuously engage in practical exploration and theoretical innovation, deepen our understanding of the way for the Party's self-reform, make the philosophy and measures of the CPC's self-reform more meticulous, and implement it in every front and every aspect in a concrete and in-depth manner.

Xi emphasized that on the new journey of the fight against corruption, we must continue to make sustained efforts and further progress in eradicating the soil and conditions for corruption. The overall requirement is that coordinated efforts should be made to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity or desire to be corrupt, address both the symptoms and root causes in a systematic way, and continue to extend the depth and width of the fight against corruption. We should adopt the right approach for specific problems, and take targeted and combined measures to fight against corruption, in order to gradually reduce recurring old problems, prevent the spread of new problems, and institutionalize the long-term efforts to preempt and fight against corruption.

Xi pointed out that we must strengthen the CPC's centralized and unified leadership over the fight against corruption. CPC committees at all levels must effectively strengthen their leadership over the entire process of the fight, firmly support the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, and take resolute actions to rectify problems. Disciplinary inspection commissions and supervisory commissions, as specialized agencies, should take responsibilities in a more proactive way, effectively assist the CPC committees in organizing and coordinating the fight against corruption, and integrate the strengths of all institutions in the entire anti-corruption chain. Functional departments must maintain efficient collaboration and consciously translate decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee in this regard into concrete actions.

Xi stressed the need to maintain tough actions against corruption. In the face of a still grim and complex situation, there is no way for us to turn back, drop our guard and show leniency in our fight against corruption, and we must continue our endeavors in this regard. It is important to continue our focus on seven types of misconduct. To be specific, they are as follows: Some officials engage in cronyism and ostracize those outside of their circle; some form self-serving cliques; some anonymously lodge false accusations and fabricate rumors; some seek to buy popular support and rig elections in their favor; some promise official posts and lavish praise on each other for their promotions; some do things their own way and feign compliance with policies while acting counter to them; and some get too big for their boots and make presumptuous comments on the decisions of the CPC Central Committee. It's essential to make it our top priority to crack down on any collusion between officials and business people, combat profit-seeking activities with the help of power, and resolutely prevent interest groups and power groups from infiltrating the political sphere. It is imperative to further combat corruption in the sectors of finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, medicine, and infrastructure construction where power is concentrated, capital is intensive, and resources are abundant, and preempt potential risks. Firm action must be taken to deal with corrupt low-ranking officials, so that the people can have a stronger sense of gain.

Xi called for deepening reform to stop corruption from growing and spreading. The abuse of power is what corruption is all about. It is a must to keep in check the key power involved in formulating policies, making decisions, as well as approval and oversight. It is important to deepen institutional reform in key areas, accelerate the development of governance mechanisms in emerging areas, improve the mechanism for allocating power and regulating its operation, further plug institutional loopholes, regulate discretion, and reduce opportunities for rent-seeking. It is necessary to establish a joint mechanism for early warning about corruption and punishment of corrupt elements, strengthen dynamic monitoring of potential risks of integrity being eroded, and strengthen the speedy handling of new types of corruption and hidden abuse of power.

Xi stressed the need to further improve anti-corruption laws and regulations. It is important to improve basic laws and regulations in order to ensure that officials do not have the audacity, opportunity, or desire to become corrupt, and strengthen the supporting system for supervising leadership teams and top leaders. It is imperative to continuously promote national anti-corruption legislation, revise the Supervision Law to keep it updated, and take the opportunity of studying and implementing the newly-revised regulations on disciplinary punishment to carry out a discipline education campaign throughout the Party. Efforts should be made to strengthen oversight and inspection of the implementation of key regulations and systems to ensure that they are followed and implemented to the letter.

Xi noted that efforts should be intensified to punish bribe givers. Those who always lure officials with bribes to abuse of power and become the scourge of corruption must be investigated and strictly punished. Notice of typical cases must be circulated to ensure a correct understanding of the matter, and serve as a warning to the others. Efforts should be intensified to recover the illegitimate gains of bribe givers.

Xi stressed that unremitting efforts must be made to improve the political environment. Work must be done to not only eliminate vice but also exalt virtue. It is imperative to enforce strict political discipline and rules, conduct intraparty political activities in earnest, break tacit rules and give teeth to regulations. It is essential to resolutely fight against forming cliques as well as seeking political support through connections and establishing abnormal relations between higher-level officials and their subordinates. Political swindlers must be forcefully cracked down on, and steps must be taken to prohibit commodity trading rules from finding its way into the Party. Misconduct concerning selecting and recruiting officials must also be addressed unswervingly, so as to build a clean work relationship among colleagues, and between ranking officials and their subordinates, and develop a clean political atmosphere.

Xi noted that a culture of integrity in the new era must be promoted. In-depth education for enhancing Party consciousness, improving Party conduct and tightening Party discipline must be advanced, and the proud traditions and venerable conduct of the Party must be carried forward. Party members must be encouraged to aim high and pursue high, and regard abuse of power and corruption as a sheer disgrace. Attention must be paid to fostering stronger family ties, values and traditions, and leading officials must be urged to set strict rules for their relatives and children. Public awareness activities to promote the principle of integrity and cases of models in this regard are also required to foster public respect for integrity and bolster resistance to corruption.

Xi stressed that discipline inspection and supervision departments are an important force for advancing the Party's self-reform, and that they shoulder special political responsibilities and honorable missions, thus they must remain absolutely loyal, reliable and clean. Efforts should be made to consolidate and expand what has been achieved in the theoretical study program and further strengthen political loyalty. It is imperative to be of one mind with the Party Central Committee at all times and under all circumstances. It is essential to be more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership, strengthen our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and firmly uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. These should be transformed into concrete actions in following the Party's commands and fulfilling our duties for the Party. It is essential to adhere to our principles, stand up to any wrongdoing, have the courage and ability to carry on our fight, and take responsibility in our efforts to steadfastly improve conduct, enforce discipline, and combat corruption, and thereby further promote the full and rigorous Party self-governance. We should strengthen the building of a team of disciplinary inspection and supervision personnel, regularly eliminate bad apples in the Party, resolutely prevent and address misdeeds taking place by our sides, and strive to be a model of self-reform and a benchmark for rule compliance. Thus we will forge a strong team of disciplinary inspection and supervision personnel which the Party Central Committee has confidence in and the people are satisfied with.

While chairing the meeting, Li Xi pointed out that General Secretary Xi's important speech has summarized the new progress and achievements in exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, profoundly elucidated the important thought on the Party's self-reform, offered sound answers to such crucial questions as why the Party needs to reform itself, why it can reform itself and how such self-reform should be carried out and promoted. The speech has put forward specific requirements for Party's self-reform and made strategic arrangements for sustained efforts in the fight against corruption. The visionary speech is broad in perspective, profound in thought, and rich in content, and it provides us with fundamental guidance for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, for improving conduct and building integrity, and for fighting against corruption on the new journey in the new era. It is necessary to thoroughly study and implement the important gist of General Secretary Xi's speech and his important thought on the Party's self-reform, firmly support the affirmation of Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and the affirmation of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, uphold the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, and further strengthen the full and rigorous Party self-governance, and Party's self-reform, providing strong guarantees for promoting the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through a Chinese path to modernization.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, relevant leaders of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, state councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, relevant leaders of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as well as members of the Central Military Commission attended the meeting.

Members of the CCDI, leading officials of central Party and government departments as well as people's organizations, and leading officials of relevant units in the military also participated in the meeting. The meeting was held via video and telephone, with sub-venues set up in various provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and relevant military units.

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CCDI opened in Beijing on January 8. The Standing Committee of the CCDI presided over the meeting. On the afternoon of January 8, Li Xi, on behalf of the Standing Committee of the CCDI, delivered a work report titled "Thoroughly Studying and Implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Thought on the Party's Self-reform, and Further Promoting the High-Quality Development of Discipline Inspection and Supervision Work on the New Journey." 
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Dutch diplomat and politician Sigrid Kaag began her assignment on Monday as the United Nations' senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, a UN spokeswoman said.

"She will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza," said Florencia Soto Nino, an associate spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Ms. Kaag has also received the mandate to establish a UN mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through states which are not party to the conflict."

After meeting with the secretary-general, Soto Nino said Kaag goes to Washington later in the week for meetings before traveling to the region.

The spokeswoman said Kaag will start her post in Amman in Jordan with a view to moving to Egypt and later to Gaza.

A veteran Dutch politician and diplomat specializing in the Middle East, she will be supported by the UN Office for Project Services.

In announcing Kaag's appointment last month, the United Nations said Kaag brings a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs and diplomacy. Most recently, she served as the Dutch government's first deputy prime minister and first female minister of finance.

From 2015 to 2017, she was the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, and from 2013 to 2015, she was the special coordinator of the Joint Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN mission in Syria. Kaag served as assistant secretary-general with the UN Development Programme from 2010 to 2013.

Among her degrees, Kaag holds a Master of Arts in Middle East studies and a Master of Philosophy in international relations. She speaks Dutch, German, French, English, Spanish and Arabic. 
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani speaks at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati)

TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday strongly condemned Israel's assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, denouncing it as a "despicable terrorist operation."

Nasser Kanaani made the remarks in a statement, reacting to the killing of Wissam Hassan Tawil, a high-level commander from Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, and another Hezbollah member, Adham Cherri, earlier on Monday by an Israeli drone attack targeting their car in the village of Khirbet Selm.

The spokesman warned the international community and the United Nations about the consequences of Israel's "blatant and adventurist bids to widen the scopes of the regional conflict," saying "Israel's war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank are concurrent with its violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria" and its "flagrant resorting to organized terrorism has posed a danger to regional and international peace and security."

He stressed that Israel and its supporters were no doubt responsible for the consequences of such "terrorist and adventurist moves." 

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani speaks at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati)
Vogue House was built in 1958, and has hosted some of the biggest names in fashion. Longtime editor Anna Wintour started her career at the magazine by working at the building, while Kate Moss and Princess Diana are among the big names to have been hosted there.
Though unseasonably busy, the Navy is facing the worst crisis in resources and manning in living memory. Ships are being laid up or taken out of service early for lack of skilled crew. More are leaving than joining  and the same is happening in all three services now. For the Army and Navy the crisis is becoming acute. In the past few days an advert appeared on LinkedIn to recruit a rear admiral, at a handsome salary, to head up the submarine service. Apparently no suitable candidates could be found from those currently serving. The agency Serco advertised for deckhands for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary  which provides vital support tankers, freighters and assault mother ships. The ad was swiftly removed as inappropriate for a supporting arm to His Majestys fighting forces.
Giving up the ghost of a failed union  for that is what Somalia and Somalilands arrangement is  will be the best for both. And this is something the UK Government can help facilitate, because as a permanent member of the security council they can lead the way in normalisation of relationships. The US and France will join. This is not a major task for the UK to do but it is one that will change the world for the better. It is one issue that is not going away, because Somalilands recognition is not a niche issue. Countless Tory and Labour MPs have visited Somaliland and made the case for recognition over the last few years and now that its achieved a milestone agreement with Ethiopia, it will be a more significant issue in Parliament.
If the name of the show is familiar, then yes it refers to that Artful Dodger, ripped from the pages of Dickens and now all grown up. In this show, the top-hatted pickpocket from Oliver Twist is now putting those famous fast fingers to good use. Dodge (played by the perpetually youthful Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is making a living as a surgeon Down Under. Having been left to rot in a prison cell at the end of Oliver Twist by Fagin, he was rescued by a ships doctor and has since gone straight.
Officers said they would like to speak to the man in the image as they believe he may have information that could help their investigation.
He also said he was copying the flying of flags he had seen displayed during visits to Belfast, and that he had flown several flags at the Dudley address to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Northern Ireland in 2021.
Our mandate for strike action lasts until the end of February. We know from both our own experience and the experience of other professionals that our Government only seems to listen when we have a mandate for strike action.
I include in that the many junior doctors who have chosen not to take action, or who have returned to work to ensure minimum levels of cover, whether or not formal patient safety mitigations were granted.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah launched combat drones toward a military base in northern Israel on Tuesday, saying the attack was in response to earlier Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported in a statement that interceptor missiles were launched toward several "hostile aerial targets" that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory and confirmed that an explosive drone fell at the Northern Command military base in Safed.

The army initially stated that there were no injuries or damage, but Israel's state-owned Kan TV news later reported that light damage occurred at the base.

The army said that Hezbollah militants also fired rockets toward the areas of Malkia and Yiftach in northern Israel.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese armed group and party, said in a statement that the drones fired at Safed were part of the retaliation for the killing of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut on Jan. 2 and Hezbollah commander Wissam Hassan Tawil in Lebanon on Monday.

The Israeli army confirmed that it carried out several airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, targeting the squad that launched the drones. According to Kan, at least three Hezbollah fighters were killed in the strikes.

In Gaza, IDF confirmed that at least nine Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday, including six who were killed as an IDF ammunition truck, tasked with exploding a tunnel in Khan Yunis, hit a roadside bomb. 
We acted to prevent what could have been a huge humanitarian crisis and slaughter

Lord Cameron defends his intervention in Libya in 2011
Eighteen OWA (one way attack) UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and the United Kingdoms HMS Diamond (D34). This is the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19. There were no injuries or damage reported.
Speaking on Times Radio, Mr Stride added: "Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is in discussions with senior people within the justice system, judges and so on, to look at what the options are to make sure that we push through that backlog of appeals as quickly as possible."
Ms Constance added that she is aware of the UK-wide compensation scheme which requires an appeal court to overturn a conviction before money can be paid out, and that she has written to UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to see how best we can work together.
Samsung showed a stack of TVs at CES. But one that truly solved an issue many of us will recognise is its glare-free Samsung S95D. You can apparently place it right next to a bright window without ruining the picture. This is particularly notable because the S95D is a QD-OLED TV. The classic advice of the last couple of years is to get a super-bright LCD TV if it will have to compete with lots of ambient light. Maybe thats not so true any more. It uses a "specialised hard-coating layer and surface coating pattern", according to Samsung. The Samsung S95D will be available in sizes up to 77 inches.
Dr Faraday said the red Lancastrian rose is popularly thought to have been the badge of one of the two warring houses during the Wars of the Roses, but was most probably invented by Henry VII after his victory, to mirror the Yorkist emblem of the white rose.
People who want a career in the skies can go along and meet existing Ryanair cabin crew workers and learn about what is involved to see if they want to take it further. But only those of a certain height, can swim a certain distance unaided, and who have "bundles of enthusiasm", need bother turning up, as the airline has a strict list of what it is looking for.
The fact that people think that government - you know, does it really even do anything? And I'm like, oh my god, does government do everything for us, and we cannot take this democracy for granted. And sometimes I worry that we do. Those are the things that keep me up.
Jacqueline Jones, who was in a separate cable car at the time of the crash, told the MailOnline: 'Luckily our son wanted to come earlier today to practise before his ski school started otherwise we would have been on the gondola at that exact time. The lift is completely closed now.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: We believe this logo  a white square with a yellow triangle in it  is the Gas Safety Register logo, which suggests the man may have been in the area for work. Perhaps you recognise him as someone who responded to a call-out at your home that day.
BEIRUT, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday that he is working on a diplomatic solution to end the confrontations with the Israeli army on the southern border.

"We have reiterated that we seek permanent stability and call for a permanent peaceful solution," Mikati said in an interview with local media, voicing Lebanon's readiness to enter negotiations to achieve long-term stability in its southern part.

Mikati said Lebanon is ready to cooperate and abide by the UN Resolution 1701 issued in 2006, which called for an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli army and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, "provided that it receives necessary guarantees that Israeli aggressions will not continue."

Also on Monday, Israeli heavy artillery fire targeted Lebanon's southern villages of Tayr Harfa, Houla, and Yarine. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said its fighters attacked the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Shebaa Farms, the Shtula area in northern Israel, and another Israeli site of Jal-Al-Alam.

Hezbollah announced earlier in the day that a high-level commander and another member of the military group were killed in an Israeli drone attack targeting their car in Lebanon's southern village of Khirbet Selm.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of a Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

The current confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 209 people on the Lebanese side, including 154 Hezbollah members and 35 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. 
Davis, originally from Compton, California, is the only person still alive who was in the car from which shots were fired in the drive-by shooting that also wounded rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.
Speaking about how he is treated on the red carpet when he is with his wife, the Hollywood actor, 62, replied: They always say, George was nice enough to hold the umbrella for his gorgeous wife.
16 COVID-19 Omicron cases reported in Romania, Jan 1-7

As many as 16 cases of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron were confirmed in Romania in the week of January 1-7, of which 6 deemed variants of interest (VOIs), the National Public Health Institute (INSP) informed on Tuesday.

According to the cited source, 207 infections with the BA.2.75 COVID-19 sub-variant have been confirmed so far, as well as 567 cases of the BQ.1 infection, 406 cases of the XBB sub-variant, 484 cases of the XBB.1.5 sub-variant and 166 cases of the XBB.1.5+F456L sub-variant of Omicron.

As many as 9,994 cases have been confirmed with the Omicron variant (variants of concern, VOCs) as of January 7. Of these, 3,073 cases have been detected with the BA.2 sub-variant (31%), 62 cases with the BA.4 sub-variant (0.62%) and 3,481 cases with the BA.5 sub-variant (35%).

According to INSP, 21,158 sequences have been reported until January 7.
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sales and exports of China's new-energy passenger vehicles registered robust expansion in 2023, industry data showed.

About 7.74 million such vehicles were sold last year, surging 36.2 percent year on year, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

In December alone, sales of these vehicles hit 945,000 units, up 47.3 percent year on year and rising 12.1 percent on a monthly basis, the association said.

China also exported around 1.05 million new-energy passenger vehicles in 2023, jumping 72 percent over a year earlier, the data revealed. 
Commercial airlines passenger traffic on Mihail Kogalniceanu Constanta International Airport, up 44 pct in 2023

Mihail Kogalniceanu Constanta International Airport wrapped up 2023 with a total traffic (commercial and non-commercial purposes ) of 115,107 passengers, an increase of 44% compared to the previous year (80,007 - number recorded in 2022), representatives of the institution informed Tuesday.

A total of 8,129 aircraft movements (landings and take-offs) were also recorded and 2,293 tonnes of cargo were transported.

As far as commercial airlines passenger traffic is concerned, there were 93,869 passengers on regular, charter and general aviation flights, a 41% increase compared to last year (66,472 - number of passengers recorded in 2022).

As for the destinations to which passengers can currently travel, direct flights to London and Istanbul are available weekly, with the latter also offering connecting flights (via Istanbul) to various cities around the world.

"For passengers who choose to fly from Constanta Airport, public transport options are available on the route Constanta - Mihail Kogalniceanu and back (program available on www.mk-airport.ro), shuttle bus transport options as well as taxi transport options," the airport's press release also says.
Over 7,000 Ukrainians enter Romania on Monday, 165,300 people cross border

More than 7,000 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on Monday, and in total about 165,300 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with approximately 40,000 means of transport completed the control formalities at the Romanian border points, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs on Tuesday.

"There were 72,210 people on the way to enter Romania, of which 7,179 were Ukrainian citizens. Starting from 10.02.2022 (pre-conflict period) 7,074,112 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania," IGPF mentions.

In the areas of competence, the crossing points and the "green border", the police found 31 illegal acts (18 crimes and 13 misdemeanors) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the amount of contravention fines applied amounts to over 7,300 RON.

Goods were seized for confiscation in the amount of approximately 240,700 RON.

On Monday, nine foreign citizens who did not meet the conditions provided for by law were not allowed to enter the country and 11 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave for various legal reasons.
President Klaus Iohannis had a telephone conversation on Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, the two heads of state having exchanged views and assessments on the security situation in Ukraine and in the region, especially at the Black Sea, the Presidential Administration informed.

"The President of Romania assured President Volodymyr Zelensky of our country's continued strong support for Ukraine," the Presidential Administration said, agerpres reports.

He reiterated Romania's condemnation of Russia's recent intensified brutal attacks on Ukraine, especially on civilian infrastructure.The Presidents of Romania and Ukraine also discussed the development of the bilateral relation and the priorities in this regard for the year 2024, in particular cross-border projects of mutual interest and the common desire to make substantial progress in the process of establishing a Strategic Partnership between the two countries, according to the decisions taken during the recent visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to Bucharest in October 2023, and according to the Joint Declaration signed at that time by the two heads of state.In this context, President Iohannis welcomed the progress made regarding Ukraine's recognition of the non-existence of the so-called "Moldovan language," as agreed by the heads of state in October 2023, and stressed the importance of respecting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and of continuing a constructive, transparent and principled bilateral dialogue between the two countries on all issues of mutual interest.Iohannis and Zelensky also discussed Romania's support for Ukraine's European integration, with the head of state congratulating Ukraine for the historic decision taken in December 2023 at the European Council meeting to open accession negotiations."President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked President Klaus Iohannis in particular for the valuable support and endorsement the Romanian head of state personally and Romania have granted to achieving this goal," the Presidential Administration said.The two presidents also discussed Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic path and priorities at the allied level this year, as well as the continuation of relevant support for Ukraine, including in the context of the preparation of the NATO Summit in Washington.
The Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR) manages 38 interventions under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023 - 2027 (SP CAP 2027), with a financial allocation of 5.87 billion euros, of which the European Union funding exceeds 5 billion euros.

According to an AFIR press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, out of the 38 interventions, financed from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the state budget, 11 interventions are for environmental and climate measures that are delegated to colleagues at APIA and for which AFIR will make payments, as in the 2014-2020 programming period, agerpres reports.

The first sessions for the reception of applications for funding under the CAP 2027 SP were launched in early November this year for interventions DR 27 - Creation/modernisation of agricultural access infrastructure, DR 28 - Creation/modernisation of basic road infrastructure in rural areas, as well as for DR 30 - Support for the installation of young farmers.The funds for young farmers in mountain areas were the first to run out, on 6 December 2023, before the closing date of the session, namely 31 January 2024. A total of 1,879 applications for funding were submitted, with a cumulative value of 131.5 million euros, exceeding the ceiling set for this session of 112.8 million euros.Also this year, AFIR becomes a multi-fund agency, the institution managing to optimise its activity and, through considerable efforts of all staff, to manage in this financial programming period three European funds for financing agriculture and rural environment, namely EAFRD, supported by funds from the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI), managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR); European Union Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (ERRM) through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), managed by the Ministry of European Investment and Projects (MIPE), and for the financing of Investment 7 by the Ministry of Education (MEd); Modernisation Fund through the European Investment Bank (EIB), managed by the Ministry of Energy (MEn).In addition, AFIR is also in charge of the implementation of the national programme for the development and support of the food industry in the period 2023 - 2026, through the Investalim state aid scheme, which has a total budget of 590 million euros.According to the source, the annual allocation for financing projects is about 147.5 million euros. The 2023 session closed on 27 December 2023, reaching a percentage of applications of more than 400% of the total allocation of the session. Thus, since the opening of the session on 27 October 2023, 49 applications have been submitted requesting more than 613 million euros out of a total allocation of 147.5 million euros.
The interim president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfred Simonis, emphasized, during a meeting held on Tuesday with the United States ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, that joining the Visa Waiver Program remains a priority objective for the Parliament in Bucharest.

"Today I received the visit of Her Excellency Ms. Kathleen Kavalec, the United States Ambassador to Romania. In light of the excellent relations between our countries, I reaffirmed my desire to continue supporting the collaboration between Romania and the USA. I am convinced that the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States Unite is and will continue to represent one of the pillars of our foreign policy, along with NATO and EU membership," Simonis wrote on Facebook, agerpres reports.

He added that in the economic field the two countries collaborate "productively", as evidenced by the growing interest of large American companies to invest in Romania in key fields such as energy or the exploitation of natural resources."I emphasized that joining the Visa Waiver Program remains a priority objective for the Romanian Parliament and I thanked the ambassador for her support, considering that efforts along this line must be continued, in order to reach the goal of inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program in 2024 - 2025", Simonis said.
Snow and blizzard disrupt traffic on national roads, but also rail, in the area of Moldavia

Gale-force winds and snow storms closed national roads in the eastern area of Moldavia, more precisely the counties of Iasi, Botosani, Vaslui, Neamt, Bacau, Galati, Braila, the Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges Iasi informs.

Moreover, heavy snowfall and blizzard have generated accidental interruption of rail traffic in Marasesti station and difficulty in movement in the switch area, and three trains were stopped, while several others are facing delays in southeastern area of Galati and northeastern Iasi, according to a CFR Travelers information posted Monday evening on the company's website.

A bus registered in the Republic of Moldova skidded on Monday evening in the area of Valea Grecului, Duda-Epureni commune, due to unfavorable weather conditions. According to authorities, the bus was not carrying passengers, only the two drivers were in it. No casualties or traffic jams were reported as a result of this incident.

The red intervention plan was activated on Monday evening after a minibus with nine people overturned off the road, at the exit from Adjudu Vechi to Homocea, the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) Vrancea informed. In the minibus heading to the Republic of Moldova traveled a family consisting of two adults and seven children aged between one and a half and 14 years, citizens of the Republic of Moldova.

Nine localities in southeastern Braila County are without electricity due to bad weather, Braila being under a Code Orange and Yellow Code warning on Monday for wind intensification, ice, moderate snowfall and blizzard.

A 62-year-old man was transported to hospital after the bus he was driving and carrying six other people went off the road and overturned in the rainwater ditch on the edge of a national road, in the area of Uzunu, southern Giurgiu County.
Save Romanian Union (USR) Chairman Catalin Drula criticises the idea of merging elections, maintaining that the national Liberal Party (PNL) "has rehashed this option" because it "knows what a disaster it has caused" while at rule.

The USR leader stressed that the citizens' right to vote is "sacred," and voters will not forget that taxes and duties have increased or that "the PNL Finance minister borrows 1 billion lei" every working day, potrivit Agerpres.

"Because it knows what a disaster it has caused at rule, the PNL has rehashed the election merger. But democracy is democracy and the citizen's right to vote is sacred! No matter how much the PNL tries to confuse people, they will not forget that the PNL Minister of Finance has increased taxes three times in 12 months. The PNL Finance minister borrows 1 billion lei every working day. The PNL hides the real debt of the country under a veil, Bolos has taken the 5.7% of the GDP deficit out of his head, when we know that the deficit, including debt, which the EU also calculates, is somewhere around 7%, so it's just a scheme to push the debt further. They took the money from the mayors for projects," Catalin Drula wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.He added that in the 2024 elections the Liberals "will be taxed" by Romanians "who work honestly and who have seen what PNL means at rule."
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said on Tuesday that China, the world's top trader in terms of goods, is making steady progress toward its goal of becoming a trader of quality.

Wang, when delivering a special report on the nation's foreign trade development at an economic climate seminar held in Beijing, said that China's foreign trade had withstood downward pressure in 2023 as both its scale and share in global trade had remained generally stable.

Meanwhile, the nation's foreign trade structure became more optimized and its partners more diverse in 2023, which fully demonstrated strong resilience, Wang said.

While noting risks and challenges such as sluggish external demand, the minister pointed out that the fundamentals of China's long-term economic growth had not changed, providing strong support for the development of the nation's foreign trade.

"We have the capability and confidence to make new progress in promoting the high-quality development of trade at a higher level," Wang said.

The minister said that the ministry, in line with the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and work arrangements made by the recently held Central Economic Work Conference, will make efforts to expand high-level opening up, cultivate new drivers of foreign trade, expand intermediate goods trade, service trade, digital trade, and cross-border e-commerce exports, and deepen international economic and trade cooperation. 
BRENTWOOD  U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, on Monday called for an investigation into the closure of Northview Village Nursing Home, the 320-bed facility that shut down without notice last month in St. Louis.

Northviews former workers staged a rally outside the owners offices in Brentwood on Monday morning, calling to be paid for their final days at the facility.

Bush spoke there, and called for probes into the facilitys owners, and into the states systems for overseeing nursing homes. She made the same demands Monday in a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

The state has consistently failed to adequately fund inspections, and the patient advocacy infrastructure that are necessary to keep tragedies like this one from happening in long-term care facilities across the state, Bush said. This is not right.

In July, additional funding for the regional nursing home ombudsman program, VOYCE, was among Gov. Mike Parsons budget line-item vetoes. The program, which sends staff and volunteers into area facilities, said the money would have allowed it to hire 10 more coordinators.

In August, the Missouri Independent reported that one in four Missouri nursing homes hadnt had a standard inspection in two years, due in part to backlogs that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to a significant increase in complaints.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services did not immediately respond to questions.

Bush also called for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to strengthen and finalize minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes.

The Service Employees International Union, which represents Northview workers, said workers have still not received paychecks for their last week of work, or payouts from accrued paid time off at the shuttered, 320-bed facility.

Workers on Monday rallied outside the Brentwood office of Healthcare Accounting Services, which ran the home.

Tosha Thomas, 44, of St. Louis, who worked as a certified medication technician at Northview, said workers have been struggling with the unexpected loss of income.

A lot of us take care of our children and our grandchildren, Thomas said. A lot of us dont have savings. A lot of us dont have side jobs.

Thomas said she worked on a psychiatric floor at Northview on Dec. 15, the evening of the closure. She said she started at 3 p.m., and worked to the end of her shift helping people who were transferring residents to other facilities. Some residents left behind personal belongings, like clothes and televisions.

It really broke my heart, she said. They were like family. They depended on us coming to work.

On Dec. 22, a former employee, Carolyn Hawthorne, filed a class action suit alleging that the facility violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act  or WARN Act  which requires employers to notify workers ahead of major layoffs or closures.

The WARN Act requires 60 days notice ahead of mass layoffs, with some exemptions, like closures and layoffs caused by natural disasters or unforeseeable business circumstances.

The companys owner, Mahklouf Mark Suissa, of Chicago, declined comment on Monday.
CLAYTON  Energizer Holdings will move its headquarters to Clayton in a deal that will halve its real estate footprint.

The battery maker will lease 41,000 square feet at Forysth Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, according to real estate firm CBRE  roughly half the space it has occupied at its longtime headquarters at Interstate 64 and Highway 141 in Town and Country. The Post-Dispatch reported in May that the company was eyeing Clayton for the move.

Energizer will move into the new space, the Apex Oil Building at 8235 Forsyth, at the end of the year, the company said in a statement to the Post-Dispatch.

Sign up for the Brick City newsletter Steph Kukuljan and other business reporters bring you insights into St. Louis-area real estate and development.

Like many organizations, Energizer Holdings has embraced flexible ways of working in recent years, according to the statement. We have also been exploring office space options within the St. Louis area to create the most efficient, engaging and collaborative working environment possible for our colleagues.

Businesses in all industries are rethinking their office needs following the coronavirus pandemic, which popularized remote working. Over the past few years, companies like agribusiness giant Bayer, global footwear retailer Caleres and electrical equipment manufacturer Emerson have all downsized or announced plans to do so. The shift has increased pressure among landlords, who are spending millions to upgrade their buildings and offering more concessions in order to attract and retain tenants.

Bayer kept half of its Creve Coeur campus on Lindbergh Boulevard, selling the other half to a Metro East developer, which has plans for housing and commercial space.

Caleres is selling its Clayton campus, just east of Interstate 170, to the Clayton School District. Caleres is expected to remain at that property for the next year after the deal closes in February. Its unclear where the company would move to then.

Emerson will leave its Ferguson campus for a new Clayton office tower that will bear its name, located a block east of Energizers new headquarters.

Energizers move to Clayton further solidifies the citys status as the premier office market in the St. Louis region.

Rental rates for office space here average a little over $30 a square foot  31% higher than the metro areas average, according to the latest data from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Energizer has spent more than 20 years at its current headquarters at 533 Maryville University Drive.

The company has been on the hunt for a new office for a while, with commercial real estate firms advertising the companys entire space online for several years.

Last month, the company reported a 3% decline in revenue for the latest fiscal year, with $2.9 billion in net sales.

The company employs over 5,000 people across the globe. Energizer did not answer a question about how many people it employs locally.
UPDATED at 10:40 a.m. with comments from fire chief

Three Belleville firefighters suffered minor injuries Tuesday when their firetruck crashed and rolled onto its side on Carlyle Avenue near Highway 161.

Authorities said the firetruck collided with a Toyota 4Runner about 5:50 a.m. near Belleville East High School. The occupant of the car was not injured.

Dispatchers said one firefighter was briefly trapped by the crash.

The firefighters had been on their way to a fire at a fast-food restaurant.

Belleville fire Chief Stephanie Mills said two of the firefighters were treated at a hospital and released, and doctors were still performing tests on the third firefighter more than four hours later.

"We're just glad they're all okay," Mills said.

They were in a pumper truck, which was carrying 1,000 gallons of water. Mills said the truck was severely damaged in the crash. Tow-truck crews were able to get the fire truck upright after 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Illinois State police are handling the crash investigation.
ST. LOUIS  Trauma surgeon and anti-violence activist Dr. LJ Punch asked a room of St. Louis residents to stand if theyve had a loved one die by homicide.

About a dozen people got up, and one woman declared that not one but two people in her life had been killed.

If no one ever got shot again in St. Louis, Punch said to the crowd, we would have enough pain to fuel generations of trauma.

Punchs prompt came about halfway through a two-hour public safety forum on Monday night, a rare occasion where many of the citys top public safety officials were together in one room.

Panelists were St. Louis police Chief Robert Tracy, Aldermanic President Megan Green, Public Safety Director Charles Coyle, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, Punch, and James Clark, the Urban Leagues vice president of public safety and community response. Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard, of the citys West End neighborhood, moderated the discussion.

The room, at the Urban Leagues campus in the Fountain Park neighborhood, was packed, as were two overflow rooms. And several members of the crowd shouted their message: Though the number of reported crimes was down significantly in the past year, many residents still carry the burden of trauma and grief.

Homicides dropped from 200 in 2022 to 158 last year  a decrease of 21%. Still, over the past five years, more than 1,000 people have been killed by violence in the city.

Thats progress. Thats not a celebration, Chief Tracy said during his opening remarks on Monday. Thats way too many homicides.

For about 90 minutes, panelists answered from a list of questions, pre-submitted by the public, that ranged from reckless driving and expired temporary tags to homelessness and domestic violence.

Many of the questions focused on how to prevent violent crimes and hold perpetrators accountable.

The mayor has asked us to reimagine public safety, said Coyle, the public safety director. Before, public safety was when prevention broke down, and we responded. But we did nothing before that.

Both Chief Tracy and Gore, the prosecutor, noted their departments efforts to reestablish a working relationship by meeting frequently and reopening the warrant office, which had been closed since the pandemic.

As Chief Tracy pointed out, we know that a very small percentage of people are committing gun violence and violent crimes, Gore said. If you are not enforcing and holding people accountable when they commit violent crimes, then they will continue to commit violent crimes. I do think our office stepping in and effectively prosecuting violent crime has had a direct impact in saving lives.

Gore, who took over a dysfunctional prosecutors office last spring, has ramped up the number of cases charged by his office and has cut down a massive case backlog that piled up during his predecessor. Gore also touted his offices efforts to revamp and expand diversion programs that give some crime offenders options besides prison time.

As for expired tags and outdated temporary plates, panelists mulled over several possible ways to reduce the number of drivers in violation of the law. Tracy said the department wrote 7,166 citations for cars without proper registration last year. He also said the state will begin to allow car dealerships to collect taxes at the time of sale in 2026, which could help the problem.

Tracy and Green floated ideas about financial assistance for people unable to afford to pay for their tags. Clark, of the Urban League, added that he is working with state representatives to provide a one-time amnesty for people with expired tags or temporary plates.

The tone of the forum took a turn in the final 30 minutes when questions turned to issues in the citys embattled downtown jail, the City Justice Center, as well as how police handle domestic violence cases.

Coyle, while answering a question about how to keep people alive and safe in jail, was interrupted by attendees while he ran through statistics about causes of death at the jail.

One woman shouted that Coyle should fire corrections commissioner Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, as others yelled about the lack of health care and other resources offered to prisoners. One woman argued with Coyle about how many prisoners are housed at the jail.

Punch intervened and said this wasnt the place for a discussion about the jail deaths.

I cant sit and listen to this, he said. These are human beings.

Clark, in closing, referenced a popular shirt that takes pride in St. Louis regional accent.

Theres a real popular T-shirt out there that says St. Louis vs. errbody, he said. But thats not true. Its St. Louis vs. St. Louis. Once we can get out of our own way, once we can get back to genuinely respecting each other, then crime will go down.

The forum can be watched on St. Louis YouTube page.
ST. LOUIS  A Texas-based investment adviser cost clients tens of millions of dollars in what authorities are calling one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the history of the Eastern District of Missouri, according to an indictment unsealed Monday.

Siddharth Jawahar, 36, was indicted last month on four counts of fraud after prosecutors say he spent years overstating profits and lying about how his company, Swiftarc Capital, was investing peoples money.

Jawahar took $35 million from clients but spent only $10 million on investments, prosecutors say.

Among prosecutors accusations are that Jawahar solicited $175,000 from a Missouri resident, roughly $350,000 from a client in New York and about $250,000 from a man from Ohio and promised to invest their money in specific companies.

Instead, Jawahar used the proceeds to repay other investors and to fund his lavish lifestyle. He did not stop soliciting money even after a Texas board ordered him to cease and desist from engaging in fraud in 2022, court documents say.

Jay Greenberg, the special agent in charge of the St. Louis FBI office, said the indictments should serve as a warning.

Some fraudsters come up with sophisticated schemes that are hard to detect, he said in a news release. We still encourage searching the persons name and company on the internet for any red flags and trusting your gut.

Swiftarc Capital was founded in 2013 and invested in an array of stocks and other interests. But its strategy shifted in 2015, and Jawahar began investing a majority of his clients money into Philip Morris Pakistan  a tobacco manufacturing company listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

The company began rapidly losing money, but Jawahar did not tell his investors about the decline. Instead, he told them that shares were trading at a much higher price, according to court documents.

When clients began asking for their money, Jawahar couldnt pay the returns by selling off the shares because he had inflated the price. Instead, he solicited investors for more money, court documents say.

In 2022, the Texas State Securities Board revoked Swiftarc Capitals authority to invest, but he kept asking for money  and one of his investors even gave him $1 million.

Meanwhile, authorities in New York had begun investigating Swiftarc Capital and realized Jawahars reach was even wider.

Our top-notch team followed the money and developed a significant investigation that spread far beyond New York, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. in a news release. Braggs office partnered with federal prosecutors in St. Louis to bring an indictment.

Jawahar was indicted on Dec. 20 with three counts of wire fraud and one count of investment adviser fraud. He was arrested Monday in Miami. Federal prosecutors are seeking to have him held in jail pending trial.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that authorities in New York had begun investigating.
BERKELEY  Four adults and two toddlers who "vanished" from the St. Louis area in August were followers of a self-proclaimed prophet and rapper with a cult following, police announced Tuesday.

In the months before they went missing, Berkeley police said, the group had joined a nationwide spiritual cult run by Rashad Jamal, a convicted sex offender with tens of thousands of followers across social media platforms.

Jamal's cult, which does not have a specific name and is aimed at Black and Latino people, is characterized by polygamy and anti-government conspiracy theories, police said. It encourages followers to go off the grid and create a total disconnection from family and friends.

"It is extremely troubling to the family members of all of the missing people," Berkeley Maj. Steve Runge said on Tuesday. "The level of disconnect these cult members have demonstrated with friends and family members is unfathomable."

Three of the six missing people are St. Louis residents: 25-year-old Mikayla Thompson, her cousin 36-year-old MaKayla Wickerson, and Wickersons 3-year-old daughter Malaiyah Wickerson.

Three other people  Naaman Williams, 30, of Washington, D.C.; and Gerrielle German, 27, of Horn Lake, Mississippi, and her 3-year-old Ashton Mitchell  went missing from St. Louis at the same time.

The group was last seen Aug. 13 at a Quality Inn in Florissant. That was one day before the cult leader faced trial in Georgia on charges of child molestation and first-degree child cruelty.

He was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison and 22 years of probation.

'There was no evidence of any struggle'

All six people who went missing had moved into a small rental house on Graham Lane, near Lambert International Airport, by this past summer.

German left her husband behind in Mississippi and told her family she was seeing demons before her departure. Thompson left a small child with a relative in St. Louis.

DAeron Bobo, Malaiyah Wickersons father, told the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday he'd learned he had a daughter only about two months before she and the rest of the group went missing.

Rasheen Aldridge  a north St. Louis County truck driver, not the St. Louis city alderman  on Tuesday described his sister, MaKayla Wickerson, as his best friend.

Aldridge last saw his sister in March, just after his birthday. He said she never talked about conspiracies and that her joining a cult did not seem like her.

"The one thing we can do is hope and pray that somebody sees her," Aldridge said. "I believe she's doing OK. I just really don't know."

Several neighbors said the group was well known on Graham Lane. Things got weird, they said, after the final woman moved in over the summer.

They were just strange, said Christopher Green.

They would lie  sometimes unclothed  in the uncut grass outside their home, neighbors and police said. They hugged trees, meditated, buried pennies and did martial arts on couch cushions.

Sometimes police would show up and watch the house, neighbors said. The residents would then turn the lights and TV off until the cops left.

Finally, one day, a padlock appeared on the door, and the whole group left.

When Berkeley police began investigating the missing persons case, they said they were not aware that the adults had been in a cult. They searched the home on Aug. 14.

We went in there thinking we were going into a crime scene, Runge, the police major, told the Post-Dispatch. But there was no evidence of any struggle.

Runge said the group had left food in the microwave, dishes in the sink and laundry in the washer. Their valuables were still in the home, including a closet full of expensive womens shoes.

It was like they left to go to the store and were coming right back, he said. There was no reason to believe they were abandoning their home.

Police tracked their debit cards and found they had used them at a 7-Eleven convenience store and a Dollar Tree on Dunn Road near Interstate 270. They eventually checked into the Quality Inn in Florissant, and hotel employees told police they seemed happy and healthy.

After leaving the hotel, Runge said, they never again used the cards police were tracking.

When investigators sifted through their social media accounts, they found the group had been closely following Jamal.

Rashad Jamal's cult

Many of Jamal's followers adopt aliases that pay tribute to certain gods and goddesses, investigators said.

Thompson called herself Antu Anum Ahmat. Williams called himself Anubis Aramean, and Wickerson called herself Intuahma Aquama Auntil.

Runge, the Berkeley police major, said investigators messaged people who commented on their social media posts, and the commenters said they'd gone off the grid. The group was guided by their ancestors, the commenters said, and were preparing for the imminent rapture and ascension.

They have to turn up somewhere. This cannot be the only case of missing people in this country tied to this cult, Runge said. I am thinking there has to be an encampment somewhere where these people have gone.

Jamal was arrested in 2022 and charged with child molestation and first-degree child cruelty. An online campaign by his supporters urging authorities to grant him bail ahead of trial garnered more than 10,000 signatures.

He was convicted in August 2023.

In the years before the legal trouble, he gained much of his notoriety on TikTok, where he shared conspiracy theories with his more than 11,000 followers. He also has more than 90,000 followers on Instagram.

He preached that he and his followers were gods, and he urged them to become sovereign citizens, which the FBI identifies as anti-government extremists who believe they operate outside the bounds of U.S. Law.

He continued to communicate with followers while he was imprisoned, including in a YouTube video that has garnered almost 125,000 views. He addressed the charges in the nearly 15-minute video and called the accusations lies.

Jamal founded The University of Cosmic Intelligence, a website that encourages people to follow him on social media. Most of the website is not accessible without purchasing paid packages  one for about $34 a month, $104 for three months and another for $333.33 a year.

"This online university is geared towards enlightening and illuminating the minds of the carbonated beings a.k.a your so-called black & latino people of earth," the home page reads.

Jamal also sells crystals and jewelry on the website, including one crystal for $333.33.

Hannah Wyman and Steph Kukuljan of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS  Police Chief Robert Tracy said Tuesday he was sorry that one of his officers crashed a department SUV into a south city bar last month, and that the rookie officer is, too.

In his first public comments on the crash since it sparked a wave of criticism from officials and LGBTQ residents in late December, Tracy said that 15 minutes after the accident, the rookie officer admitted fault to his supervisor, saying, 'I messed up, I looked down, and then when I looked up, I redirected my vehicle.

Early news accounts and initial statements from police and bar owners suggested the officer had been distracted by a dog in the road, a poorly parked car, and the SUVs radio before crashing into Bar:PM on South Broadway in the city's Carondelet neighborhood.

Tracy said the officers conduct would be reviewed, and likely lead to some kind of discipline and retraining.

He also expressed regret for high tensions that followed when two other officers and Bar:PMs owners arrived on the scene. Officers ended up arresting co-owner Chad Morris for felony assault of an officer, saying he came to the scene, shouted obscenities and then shoved an officer "hard in the chest with an open hand."

Morris' attorney, Javad Khazaeli, has consistently disputed that account, saying Morris was trying to leave the scene when officers assaulted him. On Tuesday he cast the chief's sentiments as little comfort.

The best way to show that they're sorry is to dismiss these bogus charges against our client when it's clear that the officers were the aggressors, Khazaeli said Tuesday.

Tracy also defended his departments refusal to release body camera footage of the incident to clear things up, saying state open records law forbids it with charges against Morris still pending. He said he also had an internal investigation to consider after the bar owners' attorney indicated they wanted to file a complaint about the officers' conduct.

Tracy added that he was relieved that both officers in the SUV were uninjured, and expressed concern about a growing issue with accidents.

Two other officers on an emergency run were injured in a crash Sunday. Tracy said he has been reviewing training materials and asking other chiefs what theyre doing to reduce collisions.

More officers get hurt in car accidents  and so do other people  than probably any other thing, Tracy said. And I've got to keep my officers alive and keep people safe.

Tracy made the comments at a press conference with Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and other top officials celebrating his first anniversary with the department and encouraging crime statistics in recent years. St. Louis police reported 158 killings in 2023, the the lowest total in 10 years, and overall shootings, felony thefts and auto thefts saw major drops, too.

Were trending in the right direction, Tracy said.
ST. LOUIS  The mother of a man shot and killed inside a north St. Louis gas station says the owners of the business did not do enough to protect her son and other customers from violence at the store, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

The suit claims the gas station, on the northern end of the citys Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood, has been a hub for crime in recent years, including shootings, carjackings and weapons offenses.

And less than two months before 30-year-old Moye Elkins was shot and killed inside the BP, at 3500 Natural Bridge Avenue, the man accused of killing him fired a gun inside the same convenience store, the suit claims.

But the man, 21-year-old Daevone Austin, was allowed back in the store anyway on the evening of Jan. 13, 2021, and hes accused of killing Elkins while inside.

At the time of the occurrence, (the gas stations) agents, servants and employees knew, or should have known ... the assailant had acted in such a way in the past, the lawsuit says.

Several gas stations in the city have been labeled nuisance properties in recent years because of crime issues, including one informally known as the Shoot em up Shell in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. That business was ordered by the city in November 2022 to shut down for a year.

And the owners of the BP should have known that the gas station  and the man accused of killing Moye Elkins  posed a danger to their customers, the suit claims.

Named in the suit, filed by Elkins mother, Felicia Elkins, are multiple companies associated with the gas station, including Rena Inc., AIT LLC, ADELAHMED LLC, and its owner, Tawafeiq Ahmed.

Ahmed declined to comment on Monday.

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of damages over $25,000.

Austin was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Elkins death, and that case is ongoing.
ST. LOUIS  A 16-year-old boy on Monday was shot while walking in the city's Lewis Place neighborhood.

Police said the boy was walking in an alley around 6:30 p.m. in the 4500 block of McMillian Avenue when he heard two shots ring out.

He looked down and saw he had been shot in the arm, police said. He was taken to a hospital.

Investigators have not identified any suspects in the case.
BAKU, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A fire on Tuesday killed four newborns receiving treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit of the Republican Perinatal Center in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

A joint statement by the country's Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Emergency Situations said another three individuals, who suffered from smoke inhalation, have been hospitalized, but in stable conditions.

According to Kamran Aliyev, Azerbaijan's prosecutor general, the fire is believed to have been caused by electrical fault.

An investigation has been launched to find out the facts, the official said. 
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri State Board of Education on Tuesday approved the renewal of two St. Louis charter schools after board members complained about their lack of authority over the schools.

St. Louis Language Immersion School and the Soulard School each received five-year extensions of their charter contracts. Under Missouri law, the ability to open and close a charter school lies with the sponsor. The University of Missouri-St. Louis sponsors both of the schools up for renewal.

I understand we dont have the authority , but we certainly have the ability to speak to UMSL and say, Why in the world do you allow that kind of failure to continue and just simply want to apply for another five years, board member Peter Herschend of Branson said during the monthly meeting which has become a regular forum for criticism of state charter school laws.

Charter schools are publicly funded and independently operated by nonprofit boards. They are tuition-free and open to students living in St. Louis, Kansas City and a few chronically underperforming districts.

St. Louis Language Immersion School opened in 2009 and offers half-day immersion in Chinese, French or Spanish for kindergarten through eighth grade. The schools students routinely outperform St. Louis Public Schools on standardized tests, with 34% testing proficient in English and 26% in math last spring. The SLPS average was 21% proficient in English and 16% in math.

With 398 students this year, the language school has experienced the regions steepest decline in enrollment from a high of 916 students a decade ago. One challenge for the school is an inability to replace departing students in higher grades because of the advanced foreign language curriculum. The school opened an accelerated French program this fall for older students which gave a slight boost to enrollment at the Downtown West campus.

The Soulard School converted from a private to a charter school in fall 2019 for financial reasons. As a private school with sliding scale tuition, Soulard received an average of $4,500 a year per student. The school last year took in $13,327 per student in local, state and federal tax dollars.

Last spring, 52% of the schools students tested proficient in English and 35% in math.

Board member Kerry Casey of Chesterfield said she expected higher results from the school because of the demographics of the student population. Soulard School has 137 students in kindergarten through fifth grades. Two-thirds of the students are white, and 22.5% qualify for free or reduced lunch  a rate lower than suburban districts like Mehlville and Maplewood Richmond Heights.

The Soulard School is another one we should be looking at and learn from and understand why arent they doing better because of the resources they have, the few students that they have, Casey said at the meeting.

The first charter schools opened in Missouri 24 years ago with the hope of a better education for students in the struggling urban districts of St. Louis and Kansas City. More than half of the 37 charter school systems that have since opened in St. Louis were shut down for academic or financial failures.

State board president Charlie Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, was serving in the Missouri Legislature when charter schools were approved.

Shields said Tuesday that legislators had accomplished one of two main goals with charter schools  providing choices. But the other goal of removing government regulations as the secret sauce that drove student success has not proven true, he said.

Student success is way more complicated and has multiple factors that go way beyond just having a lack of regulation and more flexibility, he said. Theres no question that for the most part the sponsors and the charters are well meaning and trying to accomplish great things. Its just not as easy as everybody thought it was going to be.

School choice advocates in the Legislature are again trying to expand charters, including a bill from Rep. Justin Hicks, R-Lake Saint Louis, that would allow the schools to open in St. Charles County.
JEFFERSON CITY  Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who suggested he had the power to remove President Joe Biden from Missouris ballot, spoke Tuesday about being the target of a swatting incident and a contentious CNN interview that went viral.

Ashcroft said he couldnt say whether he thought the false emergency report that prompted a police response to his house Sunday night was connected to his comments on Biden, noting an ongoing investigation.

If it was intended to influence me, I will not back down, he told the Post-Dispatch.

The secretary of states office reported Monday morning that police said there had been an emergency call to report a shooting at Ashcrofts home. The Jefferson City Police Department later confirmed an investigation into the incident.

Ashcrofts comments about Biden, which triggered an online firestorm, followed actions in both Colorado and Maine to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot.

Those two states cited a part of the 14th Amendment barring from office individuals who had vowed to support the U.S. Constitution but who then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or (who had) given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

Ashcroft last week called the Maine and Colorado decisions disgraceful and said if the U.S. Supreme Court didnt overturn the moves, then secretaries of state would ensure the new legal standard for Trump applied equally to Biden.

During a Monday interview, CNN anchor Boris Sanchez asked Ashcroft what his justification would be for removing Biden from the ballot, and if Biden had engaged in some kind of insurrection.

MO Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has threatened to remove Pres. Biden from the state ballot.



He joins me to make his case.



Watch more:https://t.co/LHhvICQalB pic.twitter.com/TBo3GVcHAv  Boris Sanchez (@Boris_Sanchez) January 8, 2024

Ashcroft said allegations had been made that Biden engaged in insurrection, and Sanchez pressed Ashcroft about the nature of the allegations.

Ashcroft said the Texas lieutenant governor and the Florida governor made allegations. Asked what the argument was, Ashcroft replied that all it took to remove Trump from the ballot were allegations.

Ashcroft said Tuesday there had been allegations against Biden and that he wasnt trying to get in to whether theyre correct or not. ... If all you need is allegations then thats gonna be the new standard.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, had suggested Bidens handling of immigration at the southern border could justify Texas removing Biden from the ballot.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican running for president, also cited border issues when he recently said he was exploring whether a credible case could be made for removing Biden from that states ballot.

I heartily hope and encourage the United States Supreme Court to turn back what Colorado and Maine did, Ashcroft said.

You cannot say that someone cant run for president based on the 14th Amendment, at the very least without having the due process necessary that we would require of anyone that was prosecuted of any crime, especially since insurrection is a crime under federal law, Ashcroft said.

Though Trump faces four federal charges in Washington, D.C., there have been no insurrection charges.

That is despite the Select Committee on Jan. 6 saying in its final report that it had referred Donald Trump and others for possible prosecution under 18 U.S.C. 2383, which bars those who engage in insurrection, and those who incite or help them, from holding office.

Portions of the CNN interview, in which Ashcroft appeared to grow increasingly exasperated, were widely shared on social media, drawing criticism from political opponents, including Sen. Bill Eigel, a conservative Republican who is also running for governor.

Even I had to look away, Eigel said.
JEFFERSON CITY  A federal judge rejected an effort by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to dismiss a lawsuit against his office over new, politically charged rules aimed at limiting the impact of environmental, social and governance factors in investment decisions.

In a ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Steven Bough ruled unanimously in favor of a trade group that is suing the Republican gubernatorial candidate and his office on the grounds that the rule imposed by Ashcroft fails to acknowledge that federal law already requires financial advisers to act in the best interest of their clients when providing personalized investment advice.

The 43-page suit alleges filed by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association argued the rules violate the constitutional right to free speech by requiring brokers to stick to a script outlined in the new rule.

Bough agreed, writing that Ashcrofts attorneys failed to convince him that the suit should be tossed out.

The court finds that SIFMA adequately alleges that the rules violate the First Amendment, Bough wrote. The court finds that SIFMA adequately alleges that the rules are unconstitutionally vague.

And Bough said the trade organization can continue its pursuit of the case because it has the legal standing to represent financial advisers who object to Ashcrofts rule.

Ashcroft issued the rules  the first in the nation  after a similar anti-woke investing proposal died in the Legislature last year.

Ashcroft, who is facing Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Sen. Bill Eigel in the August 2024 GOP primary, has used the lawsuit to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign, where culture war issues have played a prominent role.

And, he is using taxpayer funds to pay a campaign donor to represent his office in the lawsuit.

Instead of using the Missouri attorney generals office to fight the challenge to the rules, Ashcroft hired the politically connected Kansas City law firm of Graves Garrett to represent his office.

Among a trio of Graves Garrett lawyers on the case is Edward Greim, who contributed the maximum amount of $2,825 to Ashcrofts gubernatorial campaign in June.

Law firm partner Todd Graves, a former head of the Missouri Republican Party, was named to the University of Missouri board of trustees in 2021 and Greim was mentioned as a possible pick for attorney general when Eric Schmitt vacated the post to become U.S. senator in 2021.

Greim also represented the Office of the Governor in 2018 when former Gov. Eric Greitens was under investigation for possible impeachment.

The case, which was filed in August, is set to continue.
JEFFERSON CITY  Companies that collect waste from meatpacking facilities and spread it as free fertilizer on Missouri farmland should be tightly regulated as a way to avoid potential environmental disasters, rural residents told state lawmakers Monday.

In a hearing of the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, residents and local officials blasted the controversial practice, which has stirred complaints about strong smells and possible leaks into the states waterways.

Valerie Steele, who farms in McDonald County, said children at nearby schools have begged to stay inside at recess because of the smell.

She said a storage lagoon near her house includes pieces of flesh, beaks and feathers.

It is rancid. When I tell you its an odor, thats an understatement, Steele said. We dont have family gatherings outside our homes. We are living next to a cesspool of rotting meat.

Sharon Turner, of Jacksonville, said an unused storage lagoon near her home in Randolph County is less than a mile from her home. She worries the company that helped build it will be allowed to begin using it.

Im most concerned about the contents of the sludge, Turner said. Its a dangerous situation. We are poisoning our land.

The panel heard testimony on two bills introduced by Republican lawmakers who represent areas that have been affected by the waste operations.

Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, wants to close what he sees as a loophole that could allow a company to be exempted from needing a permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources if it is licensed by the states fertilizer board.

Deaton represents residents in Newton and McDonald counties in southwest Missouri who are angry about the smells and possible risks of having meatpacking sludge applied to lands around their homes.

Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, wants more testing and sampling of the material by DNR. He represents residents who have been fighting the storage of the waste in a large lagoon in Randolph County.

Its clear that weve got a real problem going on here, Deaton said. I dont know what this material is.

In Lewis district, Arkansas-based Denali Water Solutions built a 15-million-gallon lagoon in Randolph County to store the waste before it is applied to land.

Residents revolted when they learned of the plan and were successful in stopping use of the basin through a judges order.

This is important to the members of my district, Lewis said. You have no idea whats in that waste. We want to close that loophole.

There is definitely a hole in our system, said Rep. Don Mayhew, R-Crocker.

The hearing came as local residents have sued to halt the operation of companies like Denali.

Denali also has sued unsuccessfully to allow it to continue operating.

Denali contends it is exempt from state fertilizer laws because it doesnt sell its waste products, which it collects in tanker trucks from companies that process beef, pork chicken and turkey.

Denali lobbyist James Harris said the company has spread millions of gallons of material it collects on an estimated 20,000 acres in Missouri. He said the company does not spread hazardous material.

My client is repurposing material from the meatpackers, Harris said. We dont think there is a water contamination problem.

The committee did not take a vote on the measure, which is still under negotiation.

Sen. Jill Carter, R-Granby, also introduced a plan designed to strengthen the permitting process, potentially making it harder for companies to collect the material from meatpackers unless it is tested and deemed safe for spreading.

The legislation is House Bill 1956 and House Bill 2134.
JEFFERSON CITY  A state representative who was removed from the House Democratic Caucus last month now says she is running for Missouri governor.

Rep. Sarah Unsicker, a Shrewsbury Democrat who had been a candidate for attorney general, posted a written speech on her website Monday that said she was on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to make her announcement.

Missouri Democrats ousted Unsicker from their caucus after she was accused of spreading an antisemitic accusation that her Jewish political opponent in the race for attorney general was working for the Israeli government.

That followed initial controversy brought on by a photo Unsicker shared of her with conspiracy theorist Eric Garland and Charles Johnson, described by the Anti-Defamation League as a Holocaust denier. In a post Unsicker shared Monday, Garland is listed as her campaign manager.

If Unsicker files to run in the Democratic primary for governor, she would face House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra, both from Springfield.

Quade led the effort to oust Unsicker from the Democratic Caucus, first removing Unsicker from her committee posts in early December.

The House Democratic Caucus is dedicated to the values of inclusiveness, tolerance and respect. When a member fails to uphold those standards, the caucus has a duty to act, Quade said in December.

Unsicker said in her announcement speech that she had been punished for pointing out cracks in government.

Government cannot endure without standing for all people, she said. Christ commanded us to stand up for the least among us, and that is a sacred duty that comes before party loyalty.

It is the reason we need the structure of government. But in Missouri, we have a government that punishes those who protect the vulnerable. That is an international emergency.

I am running for Governor of Missouri because we must have justice, she said. We must have security in our elections. We must have children who can grow up safe, healthy, and happy.

Unsickers campaign profile with the Missouri Ethics Commission on Monday did not yet reflect her pivot to the governors race.

Elad Gross, her Democratic opponent in the attorney generals race, previously said he was very worried for Unsicker and that it wasnt appropriate for her to continue working as a legislator.

Unsicker, in a video shared on social media Dec. 14, said she had received a criminal complaint that alleged Gross had failed to register as a foreign agent for the state of Israel. Unsicker said she had forwarded the complaint to the Missouri secretary of state.

Garland also accused Gross mother of working for the Israeli government.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcrofts office previously said the Republicans office was made aware of election interference claims by Unsicker, who the office said provided a third-party narrative statement.

But Ashcroft reported that we have not been provided any evidence that even remotely relates to Missouri election interference.
ST. LOUIS  Comptroller Darlene Greens office announced Monday she had promoted two staffers to fill key positions but declined to say whether top deputy Beverly Fitzsimmons remained on staff.

Green tapped Jason Fletcher, a certified public accountant and the offices fiscal operations support manager, as her interim deputy comptroller. Fletcher has worked for the office since 2018 and previously oversaw the internal audit section.

Nancy Fesarillo-Wiegand, a comptrollers office employee since 2015 and also a fiscal operations support manager, is now the offices first assistant comptroller. Green also hired a new public information officer, Tiara Thomas, to fill a position that has been vacant since the summer of 2022. Thomas previously worked in the Nashville, Tennessee, mayors office.

The promotions come as the comptrollers office, which manages all city financial operations, continues to integrate a new accounting system across City Hall operations, a task that has come with hiccups including payment delays for city vendors and payroll issues for city employees. Green has blamed the software, Oracle, and the consultant that implemented it, Accenture, for a horrific system.

But current and former comptroller staff say the office was ill-prepared to guide city departments through the switch.

Fitzsimmons, a key leader in the office who some saw as essential to the financial functioning of the city, had planned to retire at the end of 2023 following a 43-year career in City Hall, where she worked as deputy comptroller since 2015. A second deputy comptroller position, which oversaw public finance and other functions, has been vacant since the summer when Green demoted LaTaunia Kenner, who then retired from the city.

Greens spokesman, Thomas, would not confirm whether Fitzsimmons had retired or moved to a part-time role, as some City Hall employees suggested she might. Thomas referred questions about Fitzsimmons status to the citys Personnel Department.

Green has held the elected office for nearly 30 years and holds one of three votes on the citys powerful Board of Estimate and Apportionment that controls city spending.
ST. LOUIS  City officials moved Tuesday to put the brakes on an out-of-town businessmans plan to fly surveillance drones over a south city neighborhood.

The city's Board of Public Service sent a cease-and-desist letter Tuesday morning to Jomo Johnson, CEO of SMS Novel, telling him that hell need to apply for a city permit to fly over a city park and rights-of-way.

Until the city grants him one, board secretary Michele Knox wrote, he can't fly his drones over city streets.

The warning shot marks the citys first official response to Johnsons plan to put drones in the sky starting Jan. 29 above the Gravois Park neighborhood, which sits west of Jefferson Avenue between Chippewa and Cherokee streets. It also fulfills weeks of requests from neighbors who say they weren't consulted about the plan and fear an Orwellian breach of their personal privacy.

Johnson brushed off the letter Tuesday afternoon.

"SMS Novel will not abide by any notice that contradicts federal and state filming laws as this apparent cease-and-desist letter does, he wrote in a text message.

City spokesman Nick Dunne cited provisions in the city charter giving officials the power to control use of streets, highways and other public places, and an 85-year-old state law making it illegal to fly over land in a way that disturbs the intended use of the owner.

But the Federal Aviation Administration generally controls drone permitting, and its guidelines for local governments warn them against setting up their own licensing scheme.

Johnson also sent a recorded message to neighbors reiterating his plan as an earnest effort to make people think twice before committing crimes in a neighborhood where nine people were killed last year. After a two-week trial period here, residents will be able to hire SMS Novels drone operators to perform patrols and watch their footage live.

Our intention is not to invade anyone's privacy, but rather to enhance the safety and security of the residents, Johnson said in the message.

He said that his companys drones would provide a visible deterrent to crime and allow operators to quickly detect suspicious behavior and call in authorities.

Johnson also pushed back on privacy concerns. He said they wont be looking into homes through the windows. And after calling them a visible deterrent to crime, he predicted that most people wouldnt notice them because theyll be 60 feet in the air.

Johnson said his operators have been in St. Louis for close to two months now. He said he doubted anyone had noticed, and predicted it would be the same way when a two-week beta test commences later this month. It was not clear whether the operators had performed surveillance patrols; Johnson did not respond to a question seeking clarification.

He also pointed out that his drones would be just one of many cameras pointed at public space in the city.

For those that do have real concerns and pushback, I would simply ask why? he said. Why wouldn't we want high-tech solutions to eliminate crime in the area? Why not?

But people at the neighborhood association meeting Tuesday night objected loudly to the plan.

Speakers said they didn't understand why Johnson would want to come to the community, and feared that someone could use a drone to track when they're home.

"Real public safety," said neighborhood activist Jake Lyonfields, "is based on relationships with our neighbors and investments in our community. Not some technology that purports to replicate that."

"We have 20 days to make sure this does not happen."
TEL AVIV, Israel  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighboring countries on plans for postwar Gaza, saying they were willing to help rebuild and govern the territory but only if there is a pathway to a Palestinian state.

The U.S. and Israel are united in the war against Hamas but sharply divided over Gazas future, with Washington and its Arab allies hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process, an idea that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners sharply oppose.

The war in Gaza is still raging, with no end in sight, and fueling a humanitarian catastrophe in the tiny coastal enclave. The fighting has also stoked escalating violence between Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah militants that has raised fears of a wider conflict.

Speaking at a news conference after meeting with top Israeli leaders, Blinken said Israel must stop taking steps that undercut the Palestinians ability to govern themselves effectively.

Israel, he added must be a partner of the Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people and live side by side in peace with Israel. Settler violence, settlement expansion, home demolitions and evictions all make it harder, not easier, for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security.

U.S. officials have called for the Palestinian Authority, which currently administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to take the reins in Gaza. Israeli leaders have rejected that idea but have not put forward a concrete plan beyond saying they will maintain open-ended military control over the territory.

Blinken has said that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey agreed to begin planning for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once the war ends. The leaders of Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are set to meet Wednesday in Jordans southern Red Sea city of Aqaba.

Heavy fighting in Gaza

The United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support for Israels offensive, has pressed it to shift to more precise operations targeting Hamas. But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with hundreds killed in recent days.

Israel has vowed to keep going until it destroys Hamas, which triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and abducted around 250 others, nearly half of whom were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza  where entire neighborhoods have been demolished  but is still battling small groups of militants. The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis and built-up refugee camps in central Gaza.

The fighting will continue throughout 2024, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman.

Since the war began, Israels assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, roughly 1% of the territorys population, and more than 58,000 people have been wounded, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. About two-thirds of the dead are women and children. The death toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

A strike late Monday hit a house in the central town of Deir al-Balah, killing the mother, three daughters and three small grandchildren of Jamal Naeim, a well-known dentist in Gaza. Outside the hospital, Naeim cradled a small bundle of white cloth containing all that remained of one of his adult daughters, Shaimaa, who was also a dentist.

This is what we found of her, just the skin of her head and her hair, he said, breaking into sobs. Naeim is the brother of Bassem Naeim, a political figure in Hamas, but is not a member of the group himself, residents said.

Monday was one of the deadliest days yet for Israeli troops in Gaza, with nine killed, according to the military. Six of them died in an accidental blast when forces were preparing a controlled demolition of a weapons production site in central Gaza, the military said.

It says 185 soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive began in late October.

A humanitarian crisis

Nearly 85% of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes by the fighting, and a quarter of its residents face starvation, with only a trickle of food, water, medicine and other supplies entering through an Israeli siege.

The U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting was severely hampering aid deliveries. Several warehouses, distribution centers, health facilities and shelters have been affected by the militarys evacuation orders, it said.

The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October. Tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

The World Health Organization has been unable to deliver supplies to the north for two weeks. OCHA said the military rejected five planned aid convoys to the north over that period, including deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities.

Blinken said more food, water, medicine and other aid needs to enter and be distributed effectively. He called on Israel to do everything it can to remove any obstacles from crossings to other parts of Gaza.

Fears of wider conflict

The war in Gaza has threatened to trigger a wider conflict, with Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah trading escalating strikes following the killing of Hamas deputy political leader in Beirut last week.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah said its exploding drones targeted the Israeli armys northern command in the town of Safed  deeper into Israel than previous fire by the group. The Israeli military said a drone fell at a base in the north without causing damage, suggesting it had been intercepted. Military officials did not identify the base.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon meanwhile killed at least four Hezbollah members, including one who was killed in the village where a funeral was held for a Hezbollah commander killed the day before.

Israel claimed the man killed ahead of the funeral, Ali Hussein Barji, was in charge of Hezbollahs drones in the south, but a Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the groups regulations, said he was only a fighter.

Jobain reported reported from Rafah, Gaza Strip, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters charged with storming the U.S. Capitol faced the same choice in the three years since the attack: either admit their guilt and accept the consequences or take their chances on a trial in hopes of securing a rare acquittal.

Those who gambled and lost on a trial received significantly longer prison sentences than those who took responsibility for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, an Associated Press review of court records shows.

The AP's analysis of Capitol riot sentencing data reinforces a firmly established tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: Pleading guilty and cooperating with authorities carries a substantial benefit when it comes time for sentencing.

"On one hand, the Constitution guarantees the accused a right to a jury trial. It's a fundamental constitutional right," said Jimmy Gurule, a University of Notre Dame law professor and former federal prosecutor. "But the reality is that if you exercise that right  you're likely to be punished more severely than you would have been had you pled guilty to the offense."

More than 700 defendants have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the Jan. 6 attack, while over 150 others opted for a trial decided by a judge or jury in Washington, D.C. It's no surprise most cases ended in a plea deal  many rioters were captured on video inside the Capitol and later gloated about their actions on social media, making it difficult for their lawyers to mount much of a defense.

The average prison sentence for a Jan. 6 defendant who was convicted of a felony after a contested trial is roughly two years longer than those who pleaded guilty to a felony, according to the AP's review of more than 1,200 cases. The data also show that rioters who pleaded guilty to misdemeanors were far less likely to get jail time than those who contested their misdemeanor charges at a trial.

Lawyers for some Jan. 6 defendants who went to trial complained about what has long been described as a "trial tax" a longer sentence imposed on those who refused to accept plea deals. A defense lawyer made that argument last year after a landmark trial for former leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group convicted of seditious conspiracy.

A judge sentenced four ex-Proud Boys leaders to prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years. Prosecutors recommended prison terms ranging from 27 to 33 years for the plot to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.

After the sentencings, defense attorney Norm Pattis filed plea offers that prosecutors made before the Proud Boys went to trial. Prosecutors' sentencing recommendations after the trial were three or four times higher than what they estimated the defendants would face if they had pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy before the trial.

Prosecutors persuaded the judge to apply a "terrorism enhancement" that significantly increased the range of prison terms recommended under sentencing guidelines. Pattis argued that the government's recommendations amounted to a trial tax that violated the Sixth Amendment.

"In effect, the defendants were punished because they demanded their right to trial," he wrote.

In the federal court system overall, nearly 98% of convictions in the year that ended Sept. 30 were the result of a guilty plea, according to data collected by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Few criminal cases make it to a jury because defendants have a powerful incentive to plead guilty and spare the government from spending time and limited resources on a trial.

Advocates for reform have long complained that plea bargaining is unfairly coercive and can push people who are innocent to take a deal out of fear of a lengthy prison sentence if they take their chances at trial.

As of Jan. 1, at least 157 defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to felony charges for serious crimes related to the Capitol attack. They received an average prison sentence of approximately two years and five months, according to the AP's data.

At least 68 riot defendants have been convicted of a felony after trials with contested facts. They have been sentenced to an average of approximately four years and three months behind bars.

The AP's comparison excludes 10 sentences for seditious conspiracy convictions because nobody who pleaded guilty to the same charge has been sentenced yet. The analysis also excludes convictions from over a dozen "stipulated bench trials," in which the judge decided the cases based on facts that both sides agreed to before the trial started.

The gap is similarly wide for a subset of felony cases in which a Capitol rioter was convicted of assault. The average prison sentence for 83 rioters who pleaded guilty to an assault charge was approximately three years and five months. The average prison sentence for 28 rioters convicted of an assault charge at trial was roughly six years and one month.

The trend also applies to misdemeanor cases against Capitol rioters who didn't engage in violent or destructive behavior. Of 467 riot defendants who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, more than half avoided jail time. Meanwhile, judges handed down terms of imprisonment to 22 of 23 defendants who went to trial and were convicted only of misdemeanors.

After the first trial for a Jan. 6 case, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced a Texas man to more than seven years in prison after a jury convicted him of storming the Capitol with a holstered handgun, helmet and body armor. Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year prison sentence for Guy Reffitt but, before the trial, prosecutors presented him with a possible plea deal that would have recommended less than five years in prison.

Reffitt's attorney, F. Clinton Broden, said in a court filing that the government's 15-year recommendation "makes a mockery of the criminal justice system."

"One of the things when we talk about our democracy and our Constitution is this idea that you have a right to go to trial. You're not sentenced to three times as high of a sentence if you go to trial," Broden said during the hearing, according to a transcript.

Images of chaos: AP photographers capture US Capitol riot
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa  When Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential campaign after a disappointing midterm election for Republicans, his trajectory was something of a mystery. But as Iowas kick-off caucuses near, his standing among the GOP faithful is hardly in doubt.

Voters, campaign operatives and even some of the candidates on the ground here overwhelmingly agree that the Republican former president is the prohibitive favorite heading into the Jan. 15 caucuses  whether they like it or not.

Everybody sees the writing on the wall, said Angela Roemerman, a 56-year-old Republican from Solon, Iowa, as she waited for former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley to arrive for a weekend rally at Field Day Brewing Co. in North Liberty.

Its a little depressing, Roemerman said as her order of tortilla chips arrived, lamenting all the drama surrounding Trump. We dont need another four years. But Trumps going to win.

Just beneath all the perceived certainty about Trumps victory, however, lies serious risks for the front-runner. Trump continues to fuel sky-high expectations, despite questions about the strength of his voter-turnout operation, a closing message clouded by lies about the 2020 election and stormy weather forecasts that could dissuade supporters from showing up.

Few believe such issues will lead to a straight-up loss next week in Iowa, but in the complicated world of presidential politics, a win is not always a win.

Should Trump fail to meet expectations with a resounding victory in Iowa, he would enter next-up New Hampshire and South Carolina much more vulnerable. Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to pour millions of dollars into Iowa advertising as they cross the state, backed by well-funded allies with robust get-out-the-vote operations, in a relentless effort to narrow Trumps margin of victory.

At the same time, Trumps team privately acknowledges that it has cut back on its door-knocking, get-out-the-vote operation heading into the final week. They argue they can ensure his loyalists show up on caucus day more effectively by relying on rallies, phone calls and a peer-to-peer text message program. Thats even as allies of DeSantis and Haley push ahead with traditional get-out-the-vote plans at voters doorways.

Still, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has endorsed Haley and spent the weekend campaigning with her across Iowa, conceded that it will be tough to beat Trump here.

Theres obviously a strong implication Trumps gonna likely win the Iowa caucus, Sununu told The Associated Press, even as he insisted momentum was building for Haley that will show up more clearly in New Hampshires Jan. 23 first-in-the-nation primary. In New Hampshire, she clearly has a chance to do something no one thought was possible, which was to beat Trump in an early state.

Aware of the risks, the former presidents team is scrambling to lower expectations for Iowa.

Who exactly participates in the Iowa caucuses? You are about to hear a lot about the state of Iowa. After all, the Iowa caucuses are only a few days away. But who exactly participates in th

Trumps advisers in recent days have been quick to remind reporters  at least privately  that no Republican presidential candidate has won a contested Iowa caucus by more than 12 points since Bob Dole in 1988.

The Trump campaign sees Doles margin as the floor for Trumps victory, a senior adviser told The Associated Press, requesting anonymity to share internal discussions. The adviser described the mood on the campaign as confident but not comfortable, acknowledging questions about the strength of rival organizations and, as always, the weather, which could affect turnout if there is snow or extreme cold.

Trump has a loyal base of support, but also depends on a significant number of first-time caucus participants who dont necessarily know where to go next Monday or how the complicated caucus process works. The events feature a series of speeches and votes that can span multiple hours, and in many cases, theyre not held at regular polling locations.

A Des Moines Register poll conducted in December found that 63% of likely first-time Republican caucus participants say Trump is their first choice.

One of the first-time participants may be William Caspers, a 37-year-old farmer from Rockwell, Iowa. He said he had never attended a political event of any kind before Trumps Mason City event on Jan. 5. While hes supporting Trump 100% in 2024, he said he was only pretty sure he would caucus for him.

Where is it going to be? Where do I go? Im kind of confused about that, Caspers said. He noted that he was in the bathroom when a caucus explainer video played at the big screen at the front of the event hall. Several hundred other voters were still in line outside during the video.

So, the caucus is this Monday? Caspers asked an AP reporter, who clarified that it was Monday, Jan. 15.

Not far away, Jackie Garlock, of nearby Clear Lake, was wearing a white hat indicating her status as one of Trumps caucus captains. The campaign has promoted its efforts to recruit and train hundreds of such captains, who will represent the campaign within a given precinct.

Garlock said she only briefly attended one virtual training on Zoom, which she described as largely a pep rally. She also said that shes not particularly good or experienced at political organizing.

But shes not worried.

I have a lot of confidence, she said of Trumps chances next week as she scanned the crowded North Iowa Events Center. I just look at the number of people who are here and I think, how can they all be wrong?
Oman's Nama Power and Water Procurement has invited requests for qualification (RfQs) from major developers for setting up a new solar photovoltaic (PV) independent power project (IPP) at Ibri city in the sultanate.

This 500MW facility is the fourth solar PV project being developed by Nama Power and Water Procurement in partnership with the private sector.

The launch of the Ibri III Solar IPP comes as part of Oman's vision to diversify fuel sources and achieve net zero target by 2050 through the use of clean energy for power generation, said the Omani group in its tender notification.

The deadline for submitting the RfQs has been set at February 19, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
HANGZHOU, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Situated on the banks of the Oujiang River amid rolling mountains, Qingtian County has both the typical charm of a southern Chinese town and the ambiance of a European city.

With a population of over 500,000, the county in east China's Zhejiang Province is the hometown of 381,000 overseas Chinese people living across 146 countries and regions around the world, of whom approximately 100,000 are engaged in the global trade industry.

It is hard to miss Qingtian's European-style architecture, which is a result of the county's global reach.

About 300 years ago, people from Qingtian began to travel west, initiating global trade ventures with European partners. Generation by generation, the Qingtian community set down roots in Europe, opening factories, restaurants and supermarkets.

In the past, Qingtian people brought complex stone carvings from China around the world. Today, younger generations are returning to Qingtian with European commodities such as coffee and wine.

Zhou Yong, who is from Qingtian and worked and did businesses in Europe for 28 years, in 2015 learned that his hometown had introduced supportive policies to attract overseas Chinese entrepreneurs and established the Qingtian Imported Commodity City, a trading center for imported goods.

Zhou then returned to Qingtian and opened a wine experience center where people could learn about Italian wine culture and enjoy Italian cuisine.

Statistics show that nearly 150,000 Qingtian natives living overseas have returned home to invest in the county, and more than 500 enterprises in Qingtian have investment from overseas Chinese people.

With the rapid development of Qingtian's foreign goods imports, the returning overseas Chinese community has acted as a bridge, attracting many Italian merchants and brands to expand into the Chinese market.

Italian wine merchant Riccardo Lacobone established a trading company in Qingtian alongside Zhou, his friend and business partner, to enter the Chinese market.

"I have many friends from Qingtian in Italy, so I always wanted to visit their hometown. After paying a visit, I decided to do something with my Chinese friend," Lacobone said.

Currently, Qingtian boasts the largest imported wine distribution center in China. Wines from Europe can be transported to locations in China, via Qingtian, in just 17 days, which helps significantly in promoting Italian wines to Chinese consumers.

Compared to when he first came to China, Lacobone said it is now much more convenient to open a company in the country. The local government has simplified procedures and provided services more efficiently, he noted. These improvements have reinforced his determination to invest in China and collaborate with his Chinese business partners.

"I even hope that my son can take over my business in China after he graduates," he said.

At the Overseas Chinese Imported Commodities Expo last November, Lacobone introduced more than 70 Italian wine merchants to the Qingtian Imported Wine Trade Fair, aiming to familiarize more Italian vintners with Qingtian and to introduce Italian wine brands to Chinese consumers.

Ruben Rabatti from Italy's Cantine Settesoli Group said, "It was my first time to attend the expo in Qingtian. I've witnessed the robust strength of the Chinese wine market here. I was surprised to find many professional exhibitors and buyers, and have exchanged contacts with more than 10 prospective buyers."

Qingtian has been hosting the expo since 2018. It has promoted the county's trade and import industry, and successfully introduced high-quality European products like wine and coffee to the Chinese market.

Data show that during last year's expo, Qingtian signed 540 import brand authorization agreements, contracting nearly 200 overseas wineries and 27 coffee companies to establish businesses in Qingtian. 
A top World Health Organization official in Gaza says hes seeing no letup in the intensity of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The U.N. health agency, citing the latest figures from the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, also says the conflict that erupted Oct. 7 has now killed more than 23,000 people in the enclave.

Sean Casey, WHOs emergency medical teams coordinator based in southern Rafah, decried dire food shortages in the north. He said some health workers are now fleeing out of fear for their own lives  after sticking it out for months to treat patients.

Ive been in Gaza for five weeks. I have not seen a lowering of the intensity of the conflict, Casey told a U.N. briefing in Geneva by video from the southern Gaza city of Rafah. I went to Nasser Medical Complex just a few days ago and saw multiple explosions just in the few minutes that I was driving down the roads.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said from Jerusalem that in addition to the more than 23,000 people killed, nearly 59,000 people had been injured.

He cited multiple trauma cases: spinal trauma, crush injuries, severe burns, amputees  Ive never seen so many amputees in my life, including among children.

This will have such a long-term impact for everything, he said.

The United States has pressed Israel to scale down its offensive in Gaza to more precise operations targeting Hamas. But the pace of death and destruction has remained largely the same, with several hundred Palestinians killed a day, according to health officials in Gaza. Israel has vowed to keep going until it has destroyed Hamas throughout the territory.

Still, after three months of fighting, Hamas continues to put up a fierce fight.

The Israeli military says it has dismantled Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, where large swaths of the cityscape have been demolished. But fighting continues there against what Israel says are pockets of militants. The offensives focus has shifted to the southern city of Khan Younis, where ground troops have been fighting militants for weeks, and a number of urban refugee camps in central Gaza.

The fighting will continue throughout 2024, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Throughout the night and into Tuesday morning, warplanes struck multiple areas in and around Khan Younis. Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire echoed through the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where troops have been pushing in from the north, said one resident, Saeed Moustafa. They were facing heavy resistance from gunmen in the camp, he said.

Like other refugee camps in Gaza, Nuseirat was built to house Palestinians driven out of homes during the 1948 war surrounding Israels creation, and over the decades it has been built up into a densely populated town housing refugees and their descendants.

Families in Nuseirats northern neighborhoods were fleeing to other parts of the camp, Moustafa said by phone, with the sound of sporadic gunfire in the background. Some tried to head south on the Gazas main north-south road but found it blocked by Israeli tanks and turned around, he said. In leaflets, the military had told people evacuating to use another road, along the coast.

The U.N. humanitarian office, known as OCHA, warned that the fighting was severely hampering aid deliveries. Several warehouses, distribution centers, health facilities and shelters have been affected by the military's evacuation orders, it said. Some bakeries in the central city of Deir al-Balah have been forced to shut down. A U.N. warehouse was hit last week, killing a staffer, and five other staffers were detained by the military, with two still held.

The situation is even more dire in northern Gaza, which Israeli forces cut off from the rest of the territory in late October. Tens of thousands of people who remain there face shortages of food and water.

The World Health Organization has been unable to deliver supplies to the north for two weeks. OCHA said the military rejected five attempted aid convoys to the north over that period, including planned deliveries of medical supplies and fuel for water and sanitation facilities.

As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel, exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah continued their spiral since last week's killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

Hezbollah said its drone strike on the base in northern Israel on Tuesday was further retaliation for the killing of Arouri and of a senior Hezbollah commander in an Israeli bombing Monday.

Tuesday morning, an Israeli drone hit a car in southern Lebanon, killing three people inside, security officials in the area and the state news agency said. There was no immediate word on the identities of the three.

Israel has repeatedly warned that time is running out before it launches a campaign to end militants fire across the border.
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As Missouri lawmakers embark on yet another legislative session sure to be defined by right-wing extremism and entrenched partisanship, positive exception has arisen regarding, of all things, public assistance: A bipartisan proposal would finally end a cruel and counterproductive lifetime ban on food stamp eligibility for people with felony drug convictions in their past.

Technically, the state modified that ban a decade ago, but under such onerous restrictions that it effectively still prevents almost anyone with a felony drug record from accessing the federal-state Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.

That banishment amounts to continuing punishment for people who have already paid their debt to society. Those unpersuaded by that factor should consider that it also significantly increases the chances of recidivism.

In 1996, the federal government banned anyone with any kind of felony drug conviction from receiving SNAP benefits, ever. The idea was to prevent federal money from indirectly funding the illicit drug trade.

But for released felons, public assistance is often crucial to successfully rejoining society and avoiding a return to crime and prison. A 2017 Harvard Law study found that access to SNAP and related benefits for ex-inmates reduced recidivism by 10% during the first year out of prison. Numerous other studies confirm the effect.

The short-sighted federal bans saving grace was that it allowed states to opt out. Most did. Today, only South Carolina still fully enforces the lifetime ban on SNAP benefits for drug felons. A majority of states, including Illinois, have nixed the ban completely.

But almost as many states have only modified the ban, putting specific restrictions in place for drug felons seeking benefits.

Under modified Missouri restrictions approved in 2014, SNAP benefits are available to drug felons only if they have had no more than a single felony conviction for drug possession  and then they are required to undergo drug testing and treatment. It is among the nations most stringent set of restrictions, one critics say is effectively a ban.

For families attempting to get back on their feet after a felony conviction, these requirements add to the already-daunting roadblocks on the route to employment and self-sufficiency that is crucial to prevent recidivism.

As the Missouri Independent reports, the proposal to end the ban is being spearheaded by state Sens. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, and Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City.

Coleman is no ones idea of a bleeding-heart liberal  or even a moderate conservative. For example, she has sought to extend Missouris near-total abortion ban to apply to women even when they travel outside the state, a notion that is as unconstitutional as it is Orwellian.

Yet on the food-stamp issue, Coleman argues persuasively that access to food and access to nutrition is not something that should be punitive. Her fellow legislative Republicans should heed this nod to common sense, good governance and plain old compassion, and approve the SNAP reforms.
January 9, 2024: At the end of 2023 Iran added another warship to its Caspian Sea naval forces by introducing the Damavand, a Moudge-class frigate. The original and first Moudge-class ship was the Jamaran which was lost in 2018 during a storm. In July 2021 the Iranians put the fourth Moudge class frigate, the Dena, into service. This ship is described as a Light Frigate. These ships are actually heavily armed and haphazardly equipped corvettes. Iran planned to put seven into service and three more were under construction with uncertain service dates because of the difficulty in finding the needed warship components.

The Jamaran entered service in 2010 after at least six years under construction. The second one, the Damavand, entered service in 2015. This one was built in a Caspian Sea shipyard and took six years to complete. In early 2018 it ran aground while entering port in bad weather. Satellite photos showed it partially submerged. The ship was refloated and towed to a shipyard for repairs, where it was declared complete after 18 months. Despite that the ship never returned to service. This may be due to problems with equipment damaged when the ship was partially sunk. Getting necessary electronic and mechanical components is always a problem when building these ships. For example, the third Moudge, the Sahand, entered service at the end of 2018 after eight years of construction efforts. This one was more heavily armed and equipped for long-distance voyages of up to 150 days if accompanied by a supply ship. To demonstrate this, Sahand traveled to the Atlantic in 2021, accompanied by a tanker/supply ship. This was mostly a publicity stunt.

It is unclear how long the latest Moudge was under construction because Iran carries out a lot of this work in a shed, to protect the new warship from the elements during five or more years of construction effort. Iran now tries to keep quiet about warship construction efforts because of these unpredictable delays.

Iran has had little access to foreign shipbuilders since the 1980s, and by 2000 had developed the capability of building their own small warships. These are crude but they float, and their weapons generally work. Construction takes place in the commercial shipyards that Iran has developed since the 1990s to repair existing commercial ships and build smaller tankers and cargo carriers. This eventually led to warships, which is a common trend for nations seeking to build their own. Before the monarchy was overthrown in 1979, Iran bought modern warships from foreign suppliers, a practice still common among Persian Gulf oil states. Only the UAE has developed some warship construction capability, mainly as part of its effort to prepare the economy for less dependence on oil income.

The locally built Iranian surface ships are small craft, 1,400-ton corvettes and 1,500-ton frigates while the submarines are largely of the miniature variety. Construction of warships is a sideline in the commercial shipyards and only a few warships are being built at a time. Construction is also proceeding slowly so that, apparently, mistakes in the previous ships can be discovered and fixed.

Currently, there are three elderly Kilo-class subs from Russia and three smaller subs. Major surface warships consist of seven corvettes/frigates displacing no more than 1,500 tons each. There are three smaller, under 1,000 ton corvettes. There are about fifty smaller patrol craft, ten of them armed with Iranian versions of Chinese anti-ship missiles. Chief among these is the Nasr 1. There are a few dozen mine warfare, amphibious, and support ships. The three most powerful ships in the fleet are three Russian Kilo class subs. Most of the foreign built ships are serving way past their retirement date. This includes the Kilos and most of the fifty mini-subs, most built in Iran. There are several thousand marines and twenty or so aircraft and helicopters.

The Iranian Navy is led by officers who think along more conventional lines than their government. Western ship commanders generally have good professional relationships with their Iranian counterparts, even when the Iranian Navy is under orders to give Western ships a hard time. If an Iranian captain reports by radio that he has his orders it means he will follow through with whatever bizarre actions he has been ordered to carry out but be apologetic about it to his foreign peers.

The Iranian Navy has fewer options than the Revolutionary Guard, simply because the navy has fewer and larger and easier to spot and attack ships. Since 2005 the navy has generally been stationed on the Indian Ocean and the Caspian Sea, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC navy has been given responsibility for the Persian Gulf and protecting all those Iranian oil facilities along the coast. The Revolutionary Guard is a not a real threat to Arab oil fields and tankers because the Arabs and their Western allies have control of the air and can destroy Iranian oil fields and tankers that way. What the IRGC hopes to do at sea is create as formidable a threat as possible, even if this threat, in the form of suicidal speedboats and missile boats backed up by shore-based anti-ship missiles, is short-term. In the long run, any Iranian naval power is doomed if it became a problem to other nations in the Gulf.

In Iran, the IRGC has its own Navy of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. The main job of the IRGC is to protect the religious dictatorship from the Iranian armed forces and a growing number of angry Iranians. As a result, the IRGC Navy has about as many personnel, 23,000, including marines and naval aviation, as the Iranian Navy. The IRGC force has about 40 large missile and torpedo boats, 100-200 tons each and over a thousand smaller craft, many of them just speedboats with dual outboard engines and machine-gun mounts.

The IRGC builds its own small boats and regularly holds highly publicized ceremonies to induct new boats into the IRGC Navy. The IRGC operates most of the 1,500 small boats used by the naval and coast guard forces. Because of this, opponents have had to develop two sets of tactics for dealing with Iranian naval forces. Irans two navies are very different from each other. The traditional navy exists alongside the less well equipped, but more fanatical, forces of the IRGC. Both forces are equipped, trained, and led very differently. The IRGC force is sworn to defend the religious dictatorship while the regular navy strives to defend Iran.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / AI/ML Innovations Inc., ("AI/ML" or the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB: AIMLF)(FWB:42FB) a leading innovator in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions, is excited to announce a live townhall event scheduled for January 11th, 7:00 PM EST. The event, to be broadcasted online, will feature Paul Duffy, the Chief Executive Officer of AI/ML Innovations Inc.

The meeting will be a unique opportunity to connect directly with CEO Paul Duffy and gain insights into the exciting developments planned for the next 90 days.

The town hall will feature a comprehensive presentation by CEO Paul Duffy, outlining the company's business plan for Q1, 2024. Shareholders will have the chance to hear firsthand about upcoming milestones, strategic initiatives, and key objectives that will shape the company's trajectory in the coming months.

In anticipation of the event, Paul Duffy expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "The company is heading into an extremely busy and productive year, and I am excited to bring value to our shareholders and clients. The townhall provides an excellent platform to share our successes, chart the path forward, and engage with our stakeholders on the exciting journey ahead." Investors, clients, and industry enthusiasts are encouraged to join the live broadcast on January 11th to gain valuable insights into AI/ML Innovations Inc.'s achievements and future endeavors.

To register for our live event:

https://events.ftmig.ca/follow-the-money-investor-gr/The-Next-100-Days-with-Paul-Duffy-CEO-of-AI-ML-Innovations

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, contact: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or [email protected].



About AI/ML Innovations Inc. https://aiml-innovations.com/

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (95.2% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 12.44% currently owned by AIML), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NEXT50K invites tech innovators nationwide to compete in Western Kentucky. Offering $50,000 in non-dilutive funding, mentorship, and resources, this unique event aims to transform Paducah into a thriving hub of tech entrepreneurship, welcoming startups in healthcare, fintech, and more. Discover how AI, tech, fintech, healthcare tech, and biotech startups can join this movement of innovation and growth.

PADUCAH, KY / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / Sprocket, a champion of tech innovation, announces the NEXT50K Startup Pitch Competition. This pioneering event invites tech startups nationwide to actualize their visions in Paducah, Kentucky, with $50,000 in non-dilutive funding.





Next50K Startup Competition





Key Details of the NEXT50K Competition

The competition is a springboard for emerging tech leaders, targeting startups outside Western Kentucky. Its goal is to enrich Paducah's economic landscape by integrating national entrepreneurial talent, as winners relocate to McCracken Co. and immerse themselves in the local tech ecosystem.

Monica Bilak, Sprocket's Executive Director, says, "We believe that innovation has no borders, and by welcoming startups from all over the country, we are not only fostering entrepreneurship but also injecting fresh energy into Paducah's entrepreneurial landscape. Our winners will become integral to our local economy while pursuing their dreams."

The NEXT50K offers $50,000 in funding, aiding startups in various development phases. Winners must reside in Paducah, gaining access to statewide networks and potential funding sources. The competition is open to diverse tech sectors, including healthcare and fintech.

Finalists will benefit from Sprocket's Advisory Council, which provides industry insights, mentorship, and connections. Winning also means statewide media exposure, elevating the startups' profiles.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply promptly. A panel of judges will assess submissions based on innovation, market potential, scalability, and team dynamics. The selection process includes semi-finals and finals for a comprehensive evaluation.

Bilak further emphasizes, "Sprocket values the transformative power of tech startups. The NEXT50K Startup Pitch Competition is born from our commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship and driving economic growth in Paducah and Kentucky. By welcoming the nation's brightest startups to our community, we aim to create an environment where groundbreaking ideas flourish and where local and external talents come together to build the future. With this competition, we're not just supporting startups - we're continuing to build the foundations of an increasingly bright and innovative Paducah."

The Advisory Council at Sprocket, composed of varied startup, healthcare, and tech experts, focuses on fostering entrepreneurship and ethical standards in tech enterprises. They aim to enhance entrepreneurial, consumer, and business experiences in Paducah.

About Sprocket:

Sprocket is dedicated to propelling tech innovation and nurturing early-stage startups. The NEXT50K Competition exemplifies this commitment.

For more information about the NEXT50K Startup Pitch Competition and to apply, please visit sprocketpaducah.com/NEXT50K.

###

Contact Information

Kaylan Thompson

Communications & Marketing Manager

[email protected]



SOURCE: Sprocket, Inc.

View the original press release on newswire.com.
HubSpot Ventures joins existing investors including YCombinator and Nexus Venture Partners. doola helps global entrepreneurs easily set up an LLC, C Corp, or DAO LLC in the U.S. (Wyoming, Delaware, and all other states) with support including EIN, U.S. address, U.S. bank account, payment gateway, and ongoing state compliance and IRS tax filings.

doola helps global entrepreneurs start a US business with support including EIN, US address, bank account, and tax filings.

HubSpot Ventures joins existing investors including YCombinator and Nexus Venture Partners.

Business growth is at all-time highs: US monthly business applications are over 400K per month (on track for 5M+ formations in 2023 in the US), and there are 400M small businesses operating internationally.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / doola announced today that they have raised a strategic round of investment from HubSpot Ventures to scale support of the next generation of small businesses globally. The new investment comes less than one year after the company secured $8 million in series A funding. HubSpot joins a group of existing investors that includes Nexus Venture Partners, the Y Combinator Continuity Fund, Hustle Fund, Jacqueline Reses, Dharmesh Shah, Ankur Nagpal, Rohini Pandhi, Sahil Bloom, Arjun Sethi and Prasanna Sankar.





doola + Hubspot Ventures





doola's signature Business-in-a-Box" for LLCs simplifies the process of forming a company, along with long-term post-formation support for entrepreneurs worldwide. Business owners no longer need to piece multiple solutions together, from company formation to obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and opening and managing bank accounts; doola streamlines every step. With the innovation economy flourishing, doola supports business builders of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds in their entrepreneurial endeavors by allowing them to focus on their crafts while the platform seamlessly takes care of unsexy, yet required backend business management functions, like tax compliance and bookkeeping.

"Our investment in doola signifies our strong belief in the potential of the small business community and our commitment to supporting its growth," said Brandon Greer, Head of HubSpot Ventures. "doola's mission and innovative business-in-a-box' solution aligns with our goal to empower entrepreneurs everywhere, and we look forward to working together to help global business builders grow better."

Arjun Mahadevan, Founder and CEO of doola, said, "As doola supports the next generation of founders, solopreneurs, and side hustlers in not just starting but running and growing their businesses, there is an immense amount to learn from HubSpot. The ability to more tightly integrate with HubSpot to help our customers increases the likelihood that they'll succeed. At the end of the day, talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not and partnering with HubSpot allows us to scale faster towards our mission of helping 1B founders turn their dream idea into their dream business."

About doola

doola (YCombinator S20) helps entrepreneurs form U.S. LLCs, C Corps, and DAO LLCs by supporting customers through the incorporation process so they can confidently collect payments, build credibility, stay legal, and make more money. doola provides company formation, an EIN, a U.S. address and bank account, access to U.S. payments, a free tax consultation, U.S. tax support, a phone number, $1,000,000 in startup perks, and more. Today, thousands of companies have launched with doola, and these founders didn't need a U.S. social security number to benefit from doola's products and services. To date, doola has raised $13M in venture capital from YCombinator, Nexus Venture Partners, the YC Continuity Fund and more (HQ: New York City).

Related Links

Website: https://www.doola.com/hubspot-million-dollar-pitch

Twitter: https://twitter.com/doolaHQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@doolahq

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doolahq

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/doolahq/

Contact Information

Arjun Mahadevan

Founder & CEO

[email protected]

SOURCE: doola

View the original press release on newswire.com.
HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / January 9, 2024 / HNR Acquisition Corp (NYSE American:HNRA) (the "Company" or "HNRA") is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and production of oil and gas properties in the Permian Basin. Today, the Company announced the launch of its new upgraded website at the same URL address www.hnra-nyse.com

The website is designed to provide comprehensive, up-to-the-minute information to all HNRA stakeholders and to anyone interested in the Company as it continues to grow and achieve its milestones. Key aspects of the new more robust version include:

Investor relations section has a better layout with more information;

An operations section has been added which provides information on our operations and the Grayburg-Jackson Oil Field;

Expanded information on the Company and the Management Team; and

A new Careers section for use in recruiting and hiring

"By expanding web content and showcasing key information related to the Company, we are tailoring our digital content for current and future investors," said Dante Caravaggio, President and CEO of HNRA. "We want to make sure anyone interested in HNRA has a single, comprehensive source for news and information. We have paid particular attention to our investor relations pages. Our investor presentation is now available on the site as a downloadable PDF."

"We're excited to provide this resource to all of our stakeholders as we intend to report positive earnings and expansion of operations," Caravaggio continued. "As we continue to investigate the acquisition and exploitation of other properties in the Permian Basin, we plan to make sure all relevant news is available on our new site."

"We redesigned our website to make it modern, informative, educational and straightforward," said Mitch Trotter, CFO of HNRA. "Our goal was to bolster our online presence and give current and potential investors a truly useful tool. The site is comprehensive, easy-to-navigate and up-to-date, and we welcome suggestions from stakeholders as to how we can further improve it."

For further information, please visit the website at: https://www.hnra-nyse.com/

About HNR Acquisition Corp

HNRA is an independent upstream energy company focused on maximizing total returns to its shareholders through the development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Our long-term goal is to maximize total shareholder value from a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties built through acquisition and through selective development, production enhancement, and other exploitation efforts on its oil and natural gas properties.

HNRA's Class A common stock trades on the NYSE American Stock Exchange. For more information on HNRA, please visit the Company website: https://www.hnra-nyse.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expected. Words such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "seeks," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "should" and variations and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or future results, based on currently available information and reflect the Company's management's current beliefs. A number of factors could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events and results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts and the risks relating to our business - that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on EDGAR (see www.edgar-online.com) and with the Securities and Exchange Commission (see www.sec.gov). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as expressly required by applicable securities law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Relations

Michael J. Porter, President

PORTER, LEVAY & ROSE, INC.

[email protected]

SOURCE: HNR Acquisition Corp

View the original press release on accesswire.com
As planned, 333 patients have been randomized at end of December 2023 across 11 clinical centers in the United States

This major milestone confirms the announced availability of the first results of the study for the end of the second quarter of 2024

BORDEAUX, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Aelis Farma (ISIN: FR0014007ZB4  Ticker: AELIS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of treatments for brain disorders, today announces to have reached a key milestone by successfully completing the recruitment of 333 patients suffering from cannabis addiction in its Phase 2b clinical study with AEF0117.

AEF0117 is the first of a new class of proprietary drugs developed by Aelis Farma, the Signaling Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-SSi). The ongoing multicenter Phase 2b study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of this "first-in-class" compound in treating cannabis addiction, currently defined as CUD (Cannabis Use Disorder) in the DSM-5, the reference diagnostic manual of mental disorders.

The recruitment and randomization of the 333 study patients were accomplished across 11 clinical centers in the United States, under the coordination of Pr. Frances Levin from Columbia University (New York). The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involves the administration of either placebo or one of the three tested doses of AEF0117 (0.1 mg, 0.3 mg, and 1 mg) once daily for 3 months. The primary objective of the study is to assess whether AEF0117 reduces cannabis consumption by demonstrating an increase in the proportion of subjects consuming cannabis 1 day per week compared to the placebo. The proportion of patients achieving other levels of reduced consumption, along with the potential improvement in their quality of life, will also be examined as secondary endpoint. Initial results are expected in line with the timeline previously announced for the second quarter of 2024.

Pr. Frances Levin, the study's principal investigator and Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, commented: The successful recruitment of 333 patients, according to the predetermined schedule, demonstrates the real demand for treatment experienced by individuals suffering from CUD. We would like to thank the participants as well as the medical teams of the eleven centres of this study, for their trust, effort, and dedication to this important clinical trial. We eagerly await results that could be a critically important and novel therapeutic intervention for the treatment of moderate to severe cannabis use disorder.

To ensure a smooth transition of AEF0117 to the Phase 3 study after a positive Phase 2b, Aelis Farma initiated, in parallel with the Phase 2b, a series of toxicology studies required by the regulatory authorities. Announced last November, the favourable safety profile observed in this context validates the positive observations of the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the initial 115 patients in the Phase 2b study, confirming the good tolerance of AEF0117 in individuals with cannabis addiction. Thanks to the completion of these non-clinical developments ahead of schedule, AEF0117 will be ready to enter the Phase 3 clinical study for cannabis addiction at the end of a positive Phase 2b, subject to regulatory approval of the Phase 3 design.

Pier Vincenzo Piazza, CEO of Aelis Farma, concluded: We are delighted to announce the completion of the recruitment phase of this study, which is the largest ever conducted for the treatment of cannabis addiction. This important milestone, once again, demonstrates Aelis Farma's ability to deliver and meet deadlines. We are determined to continue our roadmap with the goal of offering an effective treatment against cannabis addiction, a condition affecting an increasing number of people worldwide. In this regard, I would like to thank Professor Levin, the investigators, the Aelis team, and naturally, the participants to the study for their trust and dedication to the development of this promising new treatment.

The Phase 2b study is an integral part of the clinical program for AEF0117, which received USD 7.8 million of total funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with USD 4.5 million allocated in late 2021 for the current development phase. Previously, a Phase 2a study, conducted by Pr. Margaret Haney (Columbia University, NY) in volunteers with cannabis addiction, provided initial evidence of the efficacy of AEF0117 with a favourable safety profile.

Based on encouraging Phase 2a results, Aelis Farma entered into an exclusive option and license agreement in 2021 with Indivior PLC, a leading pharmaceutical group in addiction treatment, for the development and commercialization of AEF0117 as a treatment for disorders due to excessive cannabis use. As part of this agreement, Aelis Farma has received already USD 30 million (option payment). If Indivior exercises the license option at the end of the Phase 2b (H2 2024), Aelis Farma will receive a USD 100 million license fee and up to USD 340 million in additional payments contingent on the achievement of development, regulatory and commercial milestones as well as, royalties on net sales of AEF0117 ranging between 12% and 20%. Following the exercise of the option, all development, registration, and commercialization costs of AEF0117 will be borne by Indivior.

***

About AELIS FARMA

Founded in Bordeaux in 2013, Aelis Farma is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a new class of drugs, the Signaling-Specific inhibitors of the CB1 receptor of the endocannabinoid system (CB1-SSi). CB1-SSi have been developed by Aelis Farma based on the discovery of a natural regulatory mechanism of CB1 activity made by the team led by Dr. Pier Vincenzo Piazza, the Companys CEO, when he was the director of the Neurocentre Magendie of the INSERM in Bordeaux. By mimicking this natural mechanism, CB1-SSi appear to selectively inhibit the disease-related activity of the CB1 receptor without disrupting its normal physiological activity. CB1-SSi have consequently the potential to provide new safe treatments for several brain diseases.

Aelis Farma is currently developing two first-in-class clinical-stage drug candidates: AEF0117 for the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD), currently being tested in a phase 2b study in the United States; and AEF0217 for cognitive disorders, including those of Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), currently in a phase 1/2 study in Spain in people with Down syndrome. The Company also has a portfolio of new innovative CB1-SSi for the treatment of other disorders associated with a dysregulation of the activity of the CB1 receptor.

Aelis Farma draws on the talents of more than 20 highly qualified employees.

For more information, visit www.aelisfarma.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

ISIN: FR0014007ZB4

Ticker: AELIS

B Compartment of Euronext Paris

Disclaimer

Forward-looking statements

Some information contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, not historical data. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions about Aelis Farma's current and future strategy and the environment in which Aelis Farma operates. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements, or industry results or other events, to differ materially from those described or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and described in detail in Chapter 3 "Risk Factors" of Aelis Farma's Universal Registration Document approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers on April 26, 2023, under number R.23-018.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Aelis Farma expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or corrections to the forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statement is based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Aelis Farma's control. Actual results could differ materially from those described in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109064721/en/

AELIS FARMA

Pier Vincenzo Piazza

CEO

[email protected]

NewCap

Dusan Oresansky / Aurelie Manavarere

Investor Relations

[email protected]

+33 1 44 71 94 92

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Media Relations

[email protected]

+33 1 44 71 00 15

Source: Aelis Farma
Completing the Foundational Technical Review (FTR) is a milestone in Swiss companys history.

WALLISELLEN, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LzLabs today announced that it has successfully completed the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Foundational Technical Review (FTR), a significant milestone that recognises LzLabs Software Defined Mainframe as an AWS Qualified Software.

This accomplishment underscores LzLabs' commitment to providing secure, efficient, and innovative solutions for customer mainframe application and data integration, modernisation, and migration to the cloud.

The AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR) is a rigorous assessment process that evaluates software solutions against a set of best-practice standards in operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, and cost optimisation.

Achieving this certification demonstrates LzLabs' alignment with AWSs high standards. It is a testament to the reliability and forward-thinking approach of the LzLabs Software Defined Mainframe and our dedication to delivering top-tier legacy modernisation, integration, and migration solutions to our customers, says Roman Gerteis, Vice President of Development at LzLabs.

For example, the combination of LzLabs capabilities and the AWS cloud platform enabled a global automotive manufacturer to gradually move business-critical processes and applications from their legacy mainframe to the cloud-based LzLabs Software Defined Mainframe (SDM). Challenges like capacity limits, long processing times, and a shrinking skill base drove this project. The solution involved modernising application processing while leaving key business processes intact with the LzLabs SDM. The results were significant: higher service levels, faster processing time for customers, reduced operating costs, and future-readiness due to the scalability and elasticity of the modern cloud platform. The achieved cost savings are used to fund further modernisation for greater agility.

The LzLabs SDM is designed to liberate legacy mainframe applications and data, seamlessly integrating them with or migrating them to more agile cloud environments without requiring recompilation of COBOL, PL/I or Assembler applications or transformation of business processes. This enables organisations to innovate faster, reduce operational costs, and eliminate vendor lock-in.

FULL TEXT press release: https://www.lzlabs.com/newsroom/

For more information about LzLabs, please visit lzlabs.com.

About LzLabs

LzLabs provides cutting-edge software, platforms, and services that enable enterprises to transform their legacy mainframe applications and data, liberating them from past monolithic approaches and opening new possibilities for agility, scalability, and cost savings.

With a team of seasoned experts and a proven track record, LzLabs empowers organisations to confidently navigate the complexities of legacy modernisation.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240108097218/en/

LzLabs GmbH

Nick Hampson

[email protected]

Source: LzLabs
RIYADH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud met Monday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the kingdom's oasis city of Al-Ula to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and bilateral relations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the Saudi crown prince stressed the importance of stopping the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and intensifying humanitarian action, the report said.

He also underscored the need to work to create conditions for restoring stability and a peace process to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace, it added.

Blinken is on his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, which has led to escalating tensions across the region.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken held a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, in which the two sides also stressed the importance of avoiding the expansion of the conflict in the region and finding a clear solution toward regional stability.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Blinken said he had discussed the Middle East's future with regional leaders and reached agreements on a few objectives in their meetings.

"We agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability," he said.

The Saudi crown prince and Blinken also exchanged views on bilateral relations, according to the Saudi Press Agency. 
Newly established accreditation recognizes Anthems commitment to health equity, prioritizing the needs of socioeconomically marginalized individuals at the highest risk for adverse health outcomes.

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shields Medicaid health plan in Indiana recently earned the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation Plus, a recognition of Anthems leadership in developing solutions to enhance access to equitable, high-quality healthcare. It further underscores Anthems commitment to eliminating health disparities in underserved communities to improve health outcomes and reduce overall treatment costs.

NCQAs Health Equity Accreditation Plus recognizes our unwavering dedication to eliminating health disparities and helping ensure access to high-quality care for everyone, said Dr. Kimberly Roop, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shields Medicaid President in Indiana. This milestone positions Anthem at the forefront of advancing health equity through our innovative programs that provide access to individualized care to improve the whole health of our members.

NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Plus builds upon the Health Equity Accreditation designation Anthem received last year, when they were recognized among the first Medicaid plans in the nation to create a strategic framework that prioritizes health equity based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The new Health Equity Accreditation Plus goes a step further by acknowledging Anthems data-driven approach to help identify and collect information on individuals social needs. This data enables Anthem to develop personalized services and supports to combat health inequities, leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) to help improve the health outcomes of individuals.

Anthem is advancing its health equity mission through various innovative programs including:

A dedicated team of associates who are experts in health-related social needs including employment, education, housing, food, and transportation that help members navigate barriers to improved health by collaborating with CBOs.

The Social Determinants of Health Case Management program which provides interventions that address the social needs and risks of members tailored to their unique needs and circumstances.

Community health workers who identify and engage key members impacted by physical and behavioral health conditions given their geography, demographics, race, or ethnicity to address their ongoing health needs through a personalized whole health approach.

Racial and ethnic disparities have hindered quality healthcare progression for many Americans, said Margaret E. OKane, NCQA President. Organizations earning the Health Equity Accreditation Plus like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana are leading the way in bridging this gap, and NCQA salutes their commitment.

ABOUT NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQAs Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQAs website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

ABOUT ANTHEM BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELDS MEDICAID HEALTH PLAN IN INDIANA

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield works with the state of Indiana to offer the Hoosier Healthwise (HHW), Hoosier Care Connect (HCC) and Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) health insurance programs for 750,000 Medicaid beneficiaries. HHW is a health care program for children up to age 19 and pregnant women that covers medical care like doctor visits, prescription medicine, mental health care, dental care, hospitalizations, and surgeries. HCC offers individuals who are aged 65 years and older, blind, or disabled and who are also not eligible for Medicare health plans that provide the most appropriate care based upon individualized needs. HIP covers residents age 19 through 64 including low-income families. Anthem has administered benefits and services for HHW since 2007, HCC since 2015 and HIP since 2008. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc. Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109238799/en/

Buddy Castellano

[email protected]

Source: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana
AVD-104 is an engineered glycan (sialic acid) nanoparticle that reduces inflammation by targeting the self-pattern recognition receptors on overly activated retinal neutrophils, macrophages, and microglia, and repolarizing them to their resolution state.

Aviceda is advancing the development of AVD-104, a Novel Glyco-Mimetic Nanoparticle, for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema as an indication expansion in addition to Geographic Atrophy (lead indication); AVD-104 is currently enrolling patients with GA in the SIGLEC Phase 2/3 Trial.

A multi-center, multi-dose, open-label safety and tolerability study will enroll 30 patients to evaluate a low and high dose of AVD-104, with topline results expected in Q2 2024.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviceda Therapeutics, a private clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing next-generation immunomodulators by harnessing the power of glycobiology to alleviate chronic, non-resolving inflammation, announced today that they have enrolled the first patient in the GLYCO Phase 2 U.S. clinical trial evaluating their lead ophthalmic candidate AVD-104 for the management of diabetic macular edema (DME). AVD-104 is an engineered glycan (sialic acid) nanoparticle that reduces inflammation by targeting the self-pattern recognition receptors on overly activated retinal neutrophils, macrophages, and microglia, and repolarizing them to their resolution state.

Ashkan Abbey, M.D., of Texas Retina Associates said, I am honored to dose AVD-104 in the first patient in the GLYCO trial to evaluate its potentially next-generation dual mechanism of action to reduce the chronic inflammation that drives many cases of DME.

Mohamed Genead, M.D., Avicedas Co-founder and CEO said, We are excited to evaluate the ability of AVD-104s unique mechanism of action to provide DME patients with a safe treatment that may improve outcomes in eyes with DME driven by inflammatory and VEGF-mediated mechanisms.

AVD-104 down-regulates neutrophils and has been shown to reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines, explained David Callanan, M.D., Avicedas Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President. There is still a need for improvement in the treatment of DME and we believe it may offer therapeutic advantages in the management of DME, and potentially in diabetic ischemia.

The GLYCO Phase 2 U.S. clinical trial will evaluate the safety and treatment effects of intravitreal AVD-104 in patients with DME. This multi-center, open-label safety and tolerability study will enroll 30 patients to evaluate a low and high dose of AVD-104 with 3-month follow-up. The primary endpoint will be the incidence and severity of ocular and systemic adverse events. Secondary endpoint analyses will include standard evaluations of treatment efficacy, including macular thickness and vision. Further exploratory variables will include the potential effect of AVD-104 on macular ischemia.

Further information regarding the GLYCO trial can be found HERE.

About Aviceda Therapeutics and AVD-104

Aviceda is a private, late-stage clinical biotechnology company located in Cambridge, MA, with a proprietary HALOS nanotechnology platform and a clinical stage ophthalmic candidate, AVD-104, for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema. AVD-104 is a promising intravitreal glycan-coated nanoparticle with a dual mechanism of action that modulates critical inflammatory cellular and complement pathways through 1) direct inhibition of the activity of damaging neutrophils and phagocytic macrophages and repolarization of activated macrophages to their resolution state and 2) inhibition of complement cascade amplification. AVD-104 has completed dosing in the single ascending dose Part I of the companys Phase 2/3 SIGLEC trial, which is evaluating patients with geographic atrophy secondary to AMD. Topline three-month data from Part I is expected in early 2024 along with the initiation of Part II, which is a double-masked, randomized, active comparator trial. Part II of the Phase 2/3 trial will enroll 300 patients across U.S. clinical sites.

Along with AVD-104, Aviceda has a broad pipeline of products in development in ophthalmology and multiple other therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, neurology, and fibrosis.

Learn more about Aviceda Therapeutics.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109176126/en/

Organization Contact:

Aviceda Therapeutics Inc.

[email protected]

Source: Aviceda Therapeutics
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) announced today that it will release operating results for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 on Monday, February 5, 2024, after market close. The Company will host a conference call and live webcast to review the first quarter results beginning at 8:00 am (ET) on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.

The call will be webcast by Notified and may be accessed at Cabots website at https://cabotog.gcs-web.com/. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call and accompanying slide presentation will be archived on the Companys website at https://cabotog.gcs-web.com/.

ABOUT CABOT CORPORATION

Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is a leading provider of reinforcing carbons, specialty carbons, battery materials, engineered elastomer composites, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds, fumed metal oxides and aerogel. For more information on Cabot, please visit the companys website at cabotcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in the press release regarding Cabot's business that are not historical facts are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109408871/en/

Steve Delahunt

Vice President, Treasurer & Investor Relations

(617) 342-6255

Source: Cabot Corporation
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CHEP, a leader in supply chain solutions, announced the appointment of Xavier Garijo as the CEO of Americas effective Jan. 1, 2024, following the announcement that CHEP North Americas president, Laura Nador, left her role on Dec. 31, 2023.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109532519/en/

CHEP, a leader in supply chain solutions, announced the appointment of Xavier Garijo as the CEO of Americas. (Photo: Business Wire)

Paola Floris, President of CHEP Latin America, and Frank Bozzo, Vice President and General Manager of CHEP Canada and Pallecon North America, will continue in their current capacities and report directly into Garijo.

Garijo brings 25 years of experience managing global consumer good supply chains and operations, and multi-industry global logistics businesses. He was most recently a Global Executive Board Member for Contract Logistics at DB Schenker, a leading German logistics provider. He was responsible for the global contract logistics business, which had a workforce of 40,000 people in 60 countries. Prior to that, Garijo worked in the U.S. and Europe, for 20 years, including managing end-to-end supply chains and operations for Revlon as Chief Supply Chain Officer and in roles of increasing responsibility with Reckitt Benckiser and Unilever.

In this newly-created position, Garijo will lead the Americas region combining the previously separate CHEP North America and CHEP Latin America business units. This change reflects the increasing collaboration and interconnectivity between CHEPs North American and Latin American operations and will help further serve CHEPs customers and retail partners across the globe.

I am delighted to be joining Brambles as it progresses its digital transformation to ensure ongoing, profitable growth and strengthen further our customer value proposition, said Garijo. The business has a vital role in supply chains, which, combined with its leading approach in sustainability, provides an exceptional foundation for continued success. I look forward to working with our internal teams, customers and vendors to drive value for all stakeholders.

As the Americas region continues its transformation, the organization is grateful for the strong contributions Laura Nador, CHEP North Americas former president, delivered in driving operational and safety excellence as well as her care for CHEPs people and customers.

Xavier is well positioned to build on Lauras legacy and successes to serve the market needs of today and the future, said Graham Chipchase, CEO at Brambles, CHEPs parent company. As the Americas region moves into this new era, Xaviers extensive experience in global supply chains and commercial management across the fast-moving consumer goods and logistics industries make him a fantastic choice to elevate the business and lead growth.

About CHEP

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth. Its pallets, crates and containers form the invisible backbone of the global supply chain and the worlds biggest brands trust CHEP to help them transport their goods more efficiently, sustainably and safely. CHEP created one of the world's most sustainable logistics businesses through the share and reuse of its platforms under a model known as pooling and primarily serves the fast-moving consumer goods (e.g. dry food, grocery, and health and personal care), fresh produce, beverage, retail and general manufacturing industries. CHEP employs approximately 11,500 people and believes in the power of collective intelligence through diversity, inclusion and teamwork. CHEP owns approximately 353 million pallets, crates and containers through a network of more than 750 service centers. As part of the Brambles Group, CHEP operates in 60 countries with its largest operations in North America and Western Europe.

For more information on CHEP, visit www.chep.com.

For information on the Brambles Group, visit www.brambles.com.

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Rachel Barclay

CHEP North America

+1 770-668-8353

[email protected]

Source: CHEP
Results suggest that more childhood cancer survivors may benefit from a heart-saving medication called carvedilol, even long after their cancer treatment is over

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Physicians at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, in cooperation with the Childrens Oncology Group (COG), have conducted the largest clinical trial to date seeking to reduce the risk of people who have survived childhood cancer from developing heart failure. The findings published in The Lancet Oncology show that the blood vessel relaxing medication carvedilol is safe for childhood cancer survivors to take and may improve important markers of heart injury sustained as a result of chemotherapy exposure.

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Physicians at City of Hope Children's Cancer Center, in cooperation with the Childrens Oncology Group (COG), have conducted the largest clinical trial to date seeking to reduce the risk of people who have survived childhood cancer from developing heart failure. The findings published in The Lancet Oncology show that the blood vessel relaxing medication carvedilol is safe for childhood cancer survivors to take and may improve important markers of heart injury sustained as a result of chemotherapy exposure. (Photo Credit: City of Hope)

One devastating long-term side effect from a class of chemotherapy called anthracycline is increased risk of heart failure where the heart cant pump enough blood to meet the bodys needs. This is a delayed process where the heart undergoes gradual changes over time characterized by the thinning of the heart muscle and enlargement of its chambers. Unfortunately, after the onset of heart function decline, the downward cascade is irreversible, highlighting an urgent need for early prevention strategies.

The growing number of childhood cancer survivors makes the development of early interventions imperative. Just helping children survive cancer isnt enough. We also need to optimize patients health so that they dont have to face life-threatening side effects decades after they are cancer free, said Saro H. Armenian, D.O., M.P.H., Barron Hilton Chair in Pediatrics at City of Hope Childrens Cancer Center and corresponding author of The Lancet Oncology study.

Physicians from City of Hope led the randomized, double-blind Phase 2B clinical trial conducted at 30 COG-member hospitals in the United States and Canada (COG Study ID: ALTE1621). Some 182 enrolled participants took relatively low doses of carvedilol or equivalent placebo for two years. There were no significant differences in side effects between the two study arms, and carvedilol appeared to be well-tolerated.

Although the clinical trial did not achieve its goal of decreasing the thinning of the heart muscle and enlargement of its chambers, there were significant improvements in heart left ventricular end-systolic wall stress, which is an earlier biomarker of worsening heart health.

The greatest benefit was seen in participants who were very long-term survivors, as well as in those who were highly adherent to the study medication. Moreover, of the eight patients who developed clinically significant decline in heart function while on the study, six were randomized to placebo and two were receiving carvedilol, Armenian said. Our research sets the stage for a Phase 3 clinical trial that may demonstrate a significant benefit for certain patients who are at an especially high risk of irreversible heart function decline after completion of cancer therapy.

Douglas S. Hawkins, M.D., COG group chair and a hematology-oncology professor at Seattle Childrens Hospital, added, Conducting this study across 30 institutions and among long-term survivors of childhood cancer illustrates the strengths of the COG network. An intervention study on this scale would not be feasible outside of COG. Future research will need to focus on the optimal timing, duration and population for carvedilol intervention.

This study is an important first step toward developing future studies that will seek to optimize the long-term well-being and health of survivors who are expected to live for decades after their initial cancer diagnosis.

The Lancet Oncology study entitled Effect of carvedilol versus placebo on cardiac function in anthracycline-exposed survivors of childhood cancer: a randomised, controlled, phase2b trial (PREVENT-HF) was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (U10CA180886), the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (UG1CA189955), St. Baldricks Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Altschul Foundation, Rally Foundation and American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities.

Part of this data was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 5, 2023, and International Symposium on Late Complications After Childhood Cancer on June 15, 2023.

City of Hope Childrens Cancer Center has a Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Program that provides specialized follow-up care for patients who were diagnosed with a childhood cancer or who underwent a bone marrow transplantation before they turned 40. In collaboration with City of Hopes Department of Supportive Care Medicine, the program helps each survivor stay as healthy as possible by preventing problems from happening or catching them early, when they are most treatable.

About City of Hope

City of Hope's mission is to deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. City of Hopes growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. City of Hopes affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About The Childrens Oncology Group (COG)

COG (childrensoncologygroup.org) is the worlds largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. Supported by the National Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, COG unites over 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading childrens hospitals, universities, and cancer centers across North America, Australia, and New Zealand in the fight against childhood cancer. Today, more than 90% of the 16,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States are cared for at COG member institutions. Research performed by COG institutions over the past 50 years has transformed childhood cancer from a virtually incurable disease to one with a combined 5-year survival rate of 80%. COGs mission is to improve the cure rate and outcomes for all children with cancer.

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Zen Logsdon

626-409-9367

[email protected]

Source: City of Hope
UAE Consensus Agreement recognizes Paris Agreement Article 5.2 as the way forward on rainforests conservation, with Article 6 as the tool for implementation.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- After two weeks of negotiations, countries agreed to their response to the first Global Stocktake (GST) under the Paris Agreement. In addition to transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, the UAE Consensus affirmed the urgent need to reverse global deforestation by 2030 through the Paris Agreement.

While the final agreement did not go as far as many had wished in terms of phasing out fossil fuels, it was nonetheless historic. The final text, for first time, included the need for all countries to transition away from fossil fuels by 2050 and towards renewables and energy efficiency.

On rainforests, the UAE Consensus Agreement also achieved a milestone in recognizing the need to reverse deforestation by 2030, outlined in paragraph 33:

the importance of conserving, protecting, and restoring nature and ecosystems towards achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal, including through enhanced efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

Although previous pledges have been made to stop deforestation, such as 2020 Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use, this years commitment was a landmark as all 192 countries decided this should be accomplished in accordance with the rules and methodologies agreed under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

the need for enhanced support and investment, including through financial resources, technology transfer and capacity-building, for efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, in accordance with Article 5 of the Paris Agreement

This agreement now full implementation of Article 5.2 on forests under UNFCCC REDD+, using Article 6 carbon markets as the tool to provide climate finance to sovereign nations conserving rainforests at national level.

COP28 also succeeded in sending a clear signal that Article 6: UN carbon markets must uphold the highest level of climate ambition, environmental integrity, transparency, and human rights.

The deadlock in the negotiations left key elements of the market mechanism requiring more work. Two schools of thought debated the respective merits and pitfalls of;

a more structured approach favored by the European Union, CfRN, and others, would require high environmental integrity as well as robust reporting, accounting, and rules, versus

a minimalist framework, favored by the few countries promoting the voluntary carbon markets, that would allow countries to define their own reporting rules with little oversight.

Our countries spoke out loudly in Dubai. The world has learnt its lessons from the effectiveness of compliance standards. For carbon markets to deliver on 1.5 degrees, we must set a high bar for quality, oversight, and transparency, said Kevin Conrad.

Further work on Article 6 will continue at the Bonn Climate Summit in June 2024.

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Claire Underwood

Silverline Communications

[email protected]

Source: Coalition for Rainforest Nations
Coalition represents nearly 10,000 financial institutions in all 50 states, serving 140+ million Americans

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This month, the Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC) is launching new campaign ads across the country in partnership with credit unions and community banks to highlight the united opposition of Main Street institutions against the Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill.

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Credit Unions and Community Banks in All 50 States Oppose The Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill (Graphic: Business Wire)

EPC's campaign will include digital display and video ads educating lawmakers about the negative impact proposed credit card routing mandates would have on smaller financial institutions. The campaign will also call out the failure of the legislations so-called carve-out for community banks and credit unions.

American Bankers Association President and CEO Rob Nichols said, This misguided legislation is a major threat to the thousands of community banks we represent and the customers and communities they serve. Without the revenue they receive for their investment in the payments system, many community banks would be forced to reconsider whether they can even afford to offer credit cards to their customers at all. This is a regressive bill that takes from consumers, community financial institutions and small businesses and gives to the largest and most profitable retailers and grocery chains, all of which benefit tremendously from the safety, efficiency and convenience of todays modern payments system. Congress should reject this bad idea.

Americas Credit Unions President and CEO Jim Nussle said, With 140 million American consumers relying on credit unions to provide safe and affordable products to maintain a healthy financial lifestyle, the big box bailout that Senators Durbin and Marshall are pushing will throw a wrench in services our industry provides in underserved and rural communities. Credit unions use the small percentage of interchange generated by a purchase to improve options for consumers  data security, more fraud protection, and affordable, reliable access to needed credit. They say history repeats itself, and this latest push on Durbin 2.0 will have detrimental effects on Main Street small businesses and consumer wallets that are already feeling the stretch.

Independent Community Bankers of America President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said, ICBA and the nations community banks strongly oppose controversial legislation to create new credit card routing mandates, which would reduce access to credit card services in local communities, weaken cybersecurity protections, and end popular credit card rewards programs solely to benefit large retailers like Amazon and Walmart. This government intervention  which ICBA polling shows consumers oppose  would strip consumers of their right to choose their preferred credit card network while requiring community banks to subsidize the costly changes it would impose on the payments system. We call on every member of Congress to join us in opposing this anti-consumer and anti-community bank legislation.

Kansas Bankers Association President & CEO Doug Wareham said, The credit card routing mandate proposed by Senators Durbin and Marshall is an attack on banks freedom to engage with the financial service partners who bring the greatest value, widest array of benefits and strongest financial security to their credit card customers. This proposal will impose enormous costs on Kansas banks, including community banks, and it will jeopardize the ability of those same banks to offer loyalty and reward cards Kansans benefit from.

Local credit unions and community banks play an essential role in serving small businesses and hardworking families across the country. If the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill were enacted, it would force an overhaul of the payments landscape at a significant systemic cost  a cost ultimately borne by consumers and the local financial institutions that serve them. The legislation solely benefits the largest corporate mega-stores like Walmart and Target and fails to protect vital community-based financial institutions.

In total, this coalition serves more than 140 million Americans and represents nearly 4,700 community bank charters, across nearly 80,000 branches as well as more than 4,800 credit union charters with more than 21,000 headquarters, branches, and other locations in all 50 states.

The full list of banking organizations that have signed letters to Congress opposing the Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Bill is available here.

About The Electronic Payments Coalition (EPC):

We are the credit unions, community banks, payment card networks, and institutions who support the backbone of our economic system: electronic payments.

Click HERE to learn more.

The Electronic Payments Coalition | Email | Website

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Nick Simpson

[email protected]

Source: Electronic Payments Coalition
Partnership empowers sellers to seamlessly navigate post-peak returns and exchanges

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Flowspace, the software platform and distribution network powering independent fulfillment, today announced a nationwide partnership with Two Boxes to enhance reverse logistics capabilities for merchants contending with more than $80B in post-holiday returns and exchanges.

Flowspaces fulfillment management system enables brands selling across ecommerce and retail to leverage their supply chains as a strategic advantage. This partnership with Two Boxes brings end-to-end returns and recommerce capabilities to sellers, enabling them to quickly and efficiently get returned inventory back to stock and on the right side of the balance sheet.

Ecommerce sales soared in 2023, topping $270 billion in spend during the peak holiday season, and $1.4 trillion for the year. With an average return rate of 16.5% per NRF, thats over $231 billion in returned merchandise in 2023 alone  items that are often liquidated for minimal value or discarded in landfills.

Poor return experiences are also a sales deterrent, jeopardizing up to 21% of online sales, Salesforce estimates. Together, Flowspace and Two Boxes enable merchants to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty by ensuring quick, efficient returns and exchanges.

Customer-centric brands recognize that returns are not a problemthey're a crucial aspect of the online shopping journey, and a brands return policies and procedures can make or break a customer's decision to shop with them confidently," said Ben Eachus, co-founder and CEO, Flowspace. That's why, in partnership with Two Boxes, Flowspace is optimizing how merchants handle returns, helping them transform more than $80 billion in returned holiday merchandise into profitable recommerce opportunities.

Two Boxes seamlessly integrates with the Flowspace platform and with merchants existing returns tech stacks, including Happy Returns, Loop Returns, Aftership, and more. Its software captures essential information on inventory and product condition, providing data that empowers brands to eliminate fraud and waste, increase operational efficiency, and make informed business decisions based on data-driven insights.

With Two Boxes and Flowspace, brands unlock data-driven insights that help them to reduce waste and increase operational efficiency across the reverse supply chain, said Kyle Bertin, co-founder and CEO, Two Boxes. Sellers no longer need to dread returns, instead finding a valuable opportunity to improve profitability.

About Flowspace

Flowspace is the software platform and distribution network powering independent fulfillment.

The companys cloud-based OmniFlow software provides brands with the real-time visibility and insights needed to orchestrate and optimize omnichannel fulfillment, from any location to any end customer. The technology is integrated within a flexible, scalable network of +150 fulfillment locations nationwide, powering efficient, reliable fulfillment for hundreds of leading brands.

Flowspace has earned widespread recognition throughout the industry for advancements in technology, fulfillment solutions, and sustainability. The company was named an Inc. Magazine Logistics Power Partner, crowned "Order Fulfillment Solution of the Year'' in the SupplyTech Breakthrough Awards, included in the Freightwaves FreightTech 100, and recognized as an Inbound Logistics Green Technology Partner.

Launched out of the Y Combinator technology accelerator program in 2017, Flowspace was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies in 2020. More information can be found at www.flow.space.

About Two Boxes

Two Boxes is on a mission to make returns an asset instead of a liability. Two Boxes technology enables 3PLs and merchants to improve in-warehouse return operations. Since launching in 2022, the company has partnered with dozens of 3PLs, empowering them to process tens of millions worth of returned inventory for leading brands across the US and Canada.

Two Boxes innovative solutions have not only saved countless labor hours but have also prevented thousands of units of inventory from ending up in landfills. Moreover, the company provides both 3PLs and brands with invaluable data, making returns more efficient, intelligent, and eco-friendly.

Like e-commerce and returns, Two Boxes employees are everywhere, with core teams in California and Colorado. The company has secured $4.5 million in funding and was recently selected as one of The Informations 50 Most Promising Startups of 2023. Learn more at www.twoboxes.com.

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Media Contact:

Allison Champion

[email protected]

Source: Flowspace
Significant advancements in hardware and software propel performance of worlds fastest autonomous racecar unlocking the full potential of high-speed AI drivers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the global innovator in high-speed autonomy, today announced at CES2024 the launch of its Next Gen Autonomous Vehicle Platform, the IAC AV-24. This cutting-edge platform represents a significant leap forward in autonomous hardware and software technology, propelling the performance of the world's fastest autonomous racecars to new heights. The IAC AV-24 platform and related simulation tools will accelerate the development of AI Drivers capable of operating vehicles safely at speeds greater than 190 mph.

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The Indy Autonomous Challenge the launch of its Next Gen Autonomous Vehicle Platform, the IAC AV-24. This cutting-edge platform represents a significant leap forward in autonomous hardware and software technology, propelling the performance of the world's fastest autonomous racecars to new heights. (Photo: Business Wire)

The IAC engineering team has collaborated with leading autonomous hardware and software providers to develop this state-of-the-art robotics system. Global industry partners, including Bridgestone, Cisco, Continental, dSPACE, Luminar, Marelli, New Eagle, NI, VectorNav, and more, have contributed their innovative hardware and software technology and engineering expertise to support the development of the IAC AV-24. This collaboration has resulted in new and enhanced features, including some world-first innovations, which will usher in a new era of high-speed automation:

Worlds First 360-Degree Long Range LiDAR Vision Using 4 Luminar Iris Sensors.

Iris Sensors. Advanced 4D Radar Perception Using Continental ARS540 Sensors.

ARS540 Sensors. High Fidelity Digital Twin Simulation of IAC AV-24 Allowing AI Driver Training and Head-to-Head SIM Racing powered by dSPACE SIMPHERA Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulation and, since 2022, provision of on-vehicle computer technology with the AUTERA AutoBox.

SIMPHERA Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulation and, since 2022, provision of on-vehicle computer technology with the AUTERA AutoBox. IAC Custom Engineered Drive by Wire System Including a First-Of-Its-Kind Independent Actuation for Front and Rear Brakes (Patent Filed).

Custom Engineered Drive by Wire System Including a First-Of-Its-Kind Independent Actuation for Front and Rear Brakes (Patent Filed). Worlds First Automated Race Control with Two-Way Wireless Communication and Realtime Software Interface powered by Marelli Smart Antenna and WinTax Systems.

Smart Antenna and WinTax Systems. Custom Hardware in the Loop (HIL) Test Rig From NI.

Improved GPS/GNSS for Enhanced Localization with Sensors from VectorNav.

Modular Design of IAC AV-24 Integrated Robotics System Allowing for Competent Interchangeability and Integration into Other High Speed Vehicle Platforms (Patent Filed).

After three years and more than 7,000 miles of high-speed racing, the IAC and its industry partners have evolved the robot inside the IAC AV-24 to become smarter and more capable, providing the worlds fastest autonomous racecar with increased functionality that will enable AI Drivers to reach new levels of performance. Moreover, the robot is now vehicle chassis agnostic, capable of operating in multiple vehicle platforms, further expanding its versatility.

More than three years ago the IAC took on the challenge of proving that autonomous vehicles could race head-to-head at high speeds, said Paul Mitchell, president, Indy Autonomous Challenge. After setting every autonomous racing speed record with the AV-21, our University Teams AI Drivers have found the limits of that system. Our next generation robot, the IAC AV-24, will unleash the full potential of AI Drivers to push limits that have not been attempted by man or machine with the goal of developing technology that can save lives and offer new high-speed mobility options.

Beyond the track, the IAC is launching a deeper collaboration with commercial partner dSPACE to develop a high-fidelity Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulation tool that improves AI Driver training and accelerates the transfer of learning from simulation to the real world. The IAC partnership with dSPACE will leverage its industry leading SIMPHERA software to create a true digital twin of the IAC AV-24 and the historic racetracks where IAC competes. Current IAC University Teams will have access to this simulation tool to develop, test, and validate their AI Driver capabilities in head-to-head racing scenarios before they transition them to real world IAC AV-24 racecars. New teams seeking to join IAC will be able to use the simulation tool to determine their AI Driver performance without the cost of accessing a real IAC AV-24 racecar. The Official IAC SIM Racing Platform, powered by dSPACE, will launch in the spring of 2024 with additional functionality added throughout the year.

After experiencing the enthusiasm of the teams using our pioneering hardware technologies in the first year of our IAC partnership, we are now taking the next step by providing simulation software to elevate the teams' AI Drivers to the next level on our virtual racetracks, said Dr. Carsten Hoff, CEO, dSPACE.

Looking ahead, the IAC announced its current schedule for 2024, which includes a return to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 6, 2024. The IAC aims to establish a hub for performance automation in Indiana and is excited to expand its partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and SportsTech HQ to attract the brightest minds from around the world, building an innovation ecosystem for high-speed automation in the state of Indiana.

The IAC returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway signals Indianas continued leadership in performance automation and our commitment to becoming a global destination for bold innovation, said Salena Scardina, executive vice president of external engagement, IEDC. Indiana powers a strong workforce and a collaborative ecosystem of industry partners that make our state the best place for future-focused industries like autonomous driving to thrive.

For 2024 the IAC will again partner with the Milan Monza Motor Show (MIMO) and return to the Monza F1 Circuit in Italy. Building on the success of bringing six autonomous racecars to MIMO in 2023 for a time trial competition, the IAC will return to the legendary Monza F1 Circuit, the oldest racing circuit in Europe, to push the boundaries of head-to-head autonomous racing in 2024.

The IAC has also expanded its partnership with Goodwood, becoming the inaugural partner in a new initiative called FOS Tech at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS). This multiyear collaboration will include IAC participating in Goodwood Festival of Speed held July 11-14, 2024, where select IAC University Teams AI Drivers will attempt a historic autonomous hill climb challenge with the IAC AV-24 racecars. IAC was selected in 2023 to be featured in the Goodwood Future Lab and brought along members from three IAC teams who conducted low speed scans and collected terabytes worth of data to generate a detailed digital map of the Goodwood Hillclimb to train AI Drivers to attempt the historic speed course in 2024.

These three historic venues reflect IAC's goal to win over hearts and minds around the world regarding the promise of high-speed autonomous mobility and its potential to dramatically improve the safety and efficiency of mobility for all. The Indy Autonomous Challenge continues to push the boundaries of autonomous vehicle technology, fostering innovation and collaboration among industry, universities, and governments around the world. With the launch of the Next Gen Autonomous Vehicle Platform IAC AV-24, its digital twin IAC SIM Racing Platform, powered by dSPACE, and the historic global racing events lined up for 2024, the IAC will continue to race into the future and revolutionize high-speed autonomous mobility.

The IAC will have a significant presence throughout CES 2024, highlighted by the Autonomous Challenge @ CES at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway under the lights on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Please find a full listing of all IAC CES activations below:

Tuesday, January 9, 2024  Automotive Session

3-3:40 PM - LVCC, Grand Lobby, CTA Center Stage

Thursday, January 11, 2024 - IEDC Eureka Park Session

9:30-10 AM - Venetian, Eureka Park, Startup Stage

Thursday, January 11, 2024 - Autonomous Challenge @ CES 2024 (Must be a registered CES attendee)

No lights? No problem! The Indy Autonomous Challenge returns to CES 2024 pushing the limits of autonomous mobility Racing After Dark at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

3:30-6 PM - Las Vegas Motor Speedway (r ideshare drop off or parking options are available). 3:30 PM Race event starts. 4:30 PM Race event ends. 4:45 PM Next Generation Racecar Demonstration Laps. 5:30 PM Racing After Dark no track lights, LED-enhanced cars. 6 PM Event ends.



Media RSVP: Media please RSVP here to attend the Autonomous Challenge @ CES.

January 9-12, 2024 - IAC Exhibit at CES 2024

Beyond the thrilling competition on the track, the IAC will partner with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to host a major exhibition in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), West Hall #5901, featuring the return of the Innovation Paddock.

CES show hours - LVCC, West Hall #5901

A full roster of IAC teams competing at CES can be found here. For more information about the Indy Autonomous Challenge and its upcoming events, please visit www.indyautonomouschallenge.com.

Note to editors: To request a CES interviews with IAC stakeholders or IAC booth tours, please reach out to [email protected]. High-resolution images and additional information about the Indy Autonomous Challenge are available on the IAC Media Page.

About the IAC: The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is a non-profit corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) which organizes racing competitions among university affiliated teams representing 18 universities from around the world. Teams program AI drivers to pilot fully autonomous IAC racecars and compete in a series of history-making events at iconic tracks. Based in Indiana, the IAC is working to establish a hub for performance automation in the state and is harnessing the power of innovative competitions to attract the best and the brightest minds from around the globe to further state-of-the-art technology in safety and performance of automated vehicles. The IAC started as a $1 million prize competition with 31 university teams signing up to compete more than three years ago, representing top engineering and technology programs from 15 U.S. states and 11 countries. Follow the IAC @IndyAChallenge on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube.

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[email protected]

Source: Indy Autonomous Challenge
OneRange will use Amazon Web Services (AWS) solutions to unite cutting-edge AI/ML technology with best-in-class data to drive more effective and efficient employee learning outcomes

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OneRange today announced it has been selected to participate in the global AWS Education Accelerator, a 10-week immersive experience for global EdTech startups that want to accelerate their go-to-market activities in the United States for the PK-12, higher education, and workforce education markets.

OneRange is one of 15 EdTech startups selected to participate in the technical, business, and mentorship program, which is designed for startups seeking to use cloud technology to improve data driven education. This opportunity will support OneRanges efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of employee learning outcomes.

Participating startups receive a package of benefits, including up to $100,000 in AWS computing credits. Theyll also receive individualized business and technical mentorship which will cover topics such as funding, scaling, go-to-market support, AWS technical fundamentals, AI/ML adoption, and much more. At the end of the 10 weeks, the cohort will participate in a virtual pitch event in collaboration with OMNIA Partners, an experienced cooperative purchasing organization dedicated to public sector procurement.

OneRange's innovative open marketplace model ensures companies only pay for the content their workforce needs. Collaborating with AWS, OneRange aims to advance its platforms intelligence by automating skills tagging, enhancing the AI-powered content recommendation engine, and creating personalized career pathways for users.

We believe the best way to solve the skills gap in the workforce is through an intelligent, open-ecosystem of learning providers that not only has the ability to categorize global resourcessuch as courses, conferences, books, and morebut also leverages technology to make those resources more relevant to what people need, when they need it, said Houtan Fanisalek, OneRange Co-Founder & CTO. Collaborating with AWS provides us access to cutting edge technology, including the most advanced AI/ML tools, so we can better leverage this data to benefit companies, their employees, and learning content providers alike.

For more information on this AWS Education Accelerator visit https://aws.amazon.com/startups/accelerators/education-accelerator

About ONERANGE

OneRange, a groundbreaking open marketplace for employee upskilling, utilizes best-in-class data & intelligence to match each employee with personalized learning resources. The solution, created by serial entrepreneurs with backgrounds in engineering, advanced machine learning applications, and military intelligence, is designed to drive effective and efficient learning within corporations through a pay-as-you-go model.

OneRange was recently named in the top 150 fastest growing veteran-founder companies by Context Ventures, and is backed by Hivers & Strivers, an early-stage fund investing in veteran-led companies.

For more information, visit onerange.co and for media inquiries please contact Steve Gilman at [email protected]

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Steve Gilman

[email protected]

Source: OneRange
DAMASCUS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- As many as 14 soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded on Tuesday when a military bus came under Islamic State (IS) attack in Syria's Homs Province, a war monitor reported.

The incident happened when the IS militants attacked a military bus transporting soldiers near the T-3 oil station in the sprawling desert region in the remote eastern countryside of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the injured were transported to the Tadmur Hospital in the city of Palmyra for treatment.

The Syrian desert has been witnessing a notable increase in IS attacks since the beginning of 2024 in various areas within the government's control, said the Observatory. 
Accomplished retail executive will bring global experience, operational excellence and consumer brand expertise to drive growth

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Orveon Global (Orveon or the Company), a purpose-driven collective of premium beauty brands, today announced that Neela Montgomery will join the Company as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 18, 2024. Ms. Montgomery will also join the Orveon Board of Directors (the Board).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109229264/en/

Neela Montgomery (Photo: Business Wire)

Neela is a highly accomplished leader in high-growth, vibrant consumer businesses and we are thrilled to welcome her as CEO of Orveon, said Tricia Glynn, Chair of the Board at Orveon and Managing Partner at Advent International. Orveon has established a strong foundation in its two years since launch and Neela is the ideal executive for this next phase of growth. Her special mix of global experience, operational acumen and record of growing consumer brands will position the business for long-term success.

Orveon has built a differentiated business that not only is home to three iconic beauty brands but also is leading change in the beauty and wellness industry, said Ms. Montgomery. I see immense opportunity to continue developing the platforms capabilities while nurturing the success of bareMinerals, BUXOM and Laura Mercier to deliver an authentic, sustainable offering for consumers and retail partners alike. I am excited to lead the talented team at Orveon as we continue to innovate, capture new opportunities and drive growth.

Ms. Montgomery comes to Orveon as a seasoned global CEO who has led, scaled and transformed consumer businesses across the U.S., Europe and Asia, including CVS Health, Crate & Barrel Holdings, Otto Group and Tesco PLC. Most recently she served as a Board Partner at Greycroft, a leading venture capital firm. With nearly two decades of experience, she is a dynamic leader of consumer brands with a record of driving successful digital transformations, global expansion and fostering diverse and inclusive company cultures.

Ms. Montgomery is a member of the Board of Directors of Logitech, Squarespace and Fetch. She also sits on the Board of St Judes Hospital, the worlds leading non-profit pediatric cancer hospital, as well as the Board of Wellsense, the largest Medicaid provider in Massachusetts. She studied English Literature at Oxford University and holds an M.B.A from INSEAD in France and Singapore.

About Orveon

Established in 2021, Orveon is a collective of iconic cosmetics brands, bareMinerals, BUXOM and Laura Mercier, paving the way for the future of the beauty industry. Believing beauty is more than skin deep, Orveon aims to challenge conventional wisdom with humility and deliberate action  all to create positive change. Owning the face of beauty, and striving to face forward together, Orveon is about its employees, as much as the union of these established entities. Together, the company will push beyond being known simply as cultural tastemakers and ascend as advocates of advancement. Embarking on a powerful shift, Orveon is committed to stark honesty, co-creation and making a sustainable cultural impact today and for years to come.

For more information, visit:

Website: www.orveonglobal.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orveonglobal/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orveonglobal/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/orveonglobal

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109229264/en/

Monique McKenzie

Executive Director, Global Public Relations

Orveon Global

m: 404.906.3052

e: [email protected]

Source: Orveon Global
New affordable high-resolution technology for smart infrastructure applications set to disrupt LiDAR market

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Outsight, the leading innovator in 3D Spatial AI Software Solutions, has joined forces with PreAct Technologies, a trailblazer in near-field flash LiDAR technology, to revolutionize the fields of Smart Infrastructure and People Flow Monitoring. This groundbreaking partnership heralds a new era in the industry, where high-resolution LiDAR technology becomes accessible at unprecedentedly affordable prices.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109103718/en/

The output 3D Point-Cloud data from PreAct is processed in real-time thanks to Outsights Software and generates a comprehensive set of Spatial Analytics insights. (Graphic: Business Wire)

PreAct's unique approach has reduced LiDAR system costs by up to tenfold compared to existing solutions, without compromising on resolution. Combined with Outsight's cutting-edge Spatial AI Software Platform, this powerful technology can now be deployed on a large scale across various industries.

The partnership is a game-changer, particularly for applications requiring detailed spatial analysis and monitoring, such as smart city infrastructure, retail, transportation hubs and in any other context requiring efficient people flow management in high-density areas.

Seamless Integration for Groundbreaking Solutions

Outsight's expertise in transforming raw 3D LiDAR data into actionable insights complements PreAct's affordable, high-resolution LiDAR technology. Together, they provide an integrated solution that enables operators of transportation hubs, retailers and industrial sites to tap into a new dimension of Spatial Intelligence. This collaboration ensures the delivery of smarter, safer, and more sustainable environments.

Showcasing Innovation at CES 2024

Outsight and PreAct Technologies are excited to demonstrate the capabilities of this partnership at the upcoming CES 2024. Attendees can experience firsthand the potential of these integrated solutions in the West Hall, at Outsight's booth number 6374 and PreAct Technologies' booth number 6366. The showcase will offer a glimpse into the future of Spatial Intelligence and efficient people flow management through 3D perception hardware and software.

About PreAct Technologies

PreAct Technologies is the market leader in near-field software-definable flash LiDAR technology. Its patent-pending suite of sensor technologies provide high resolution, affordable LiDAR solutions to a wide range of industries including automotive, healthcare, ITS, industrial, consumer electronics, robotics and trucking. The firm is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Ashburn, Virginia, Rochester, NY and Barcelona Spain. For sales inquiries, please contact [email protected]. For more information, visit www.preact-tech.com.

About Outsight

Outsights software solutions track the motion of people and vehicles using 3D LiDAR data.

Operators of transportation hubs like airports and train stations but also sport venues, road infrastructures and industrial sites can now access accurate and anonymous Spatial Intelligence data, in order to improve operations and increase user safety and satisfaction.

Our international team of scientists and engineers drive the development of our solutions from Paris, San Francisco, and Sophia-Antipolis (Nice). To support our global outreach, we also operate commercial offices in the UK, Belgium, Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

We believe that accelerating the adoption of LiDAR technology through robust and scalable software solutions will significantly contribute to making the world smarter, safer and more sustainable.

To learn more: https://www.outsight.ai/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109103718/en/

PreAct Technologies

Angela Simoes

415-302-2934

http://www.preact-tech.com

Outsight

Jean-Francois Kitten

+33 (0)6 11 29 30 28

[email protected]

Source: PreAct Technologies
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Postmedia is pleased to announce Ehsanullah Amiri as the recipient of this years Michelle Lang Fellowship in Journalism. Starting January 15, 2024, Mr. Amiris fellowship will include six months working at the Calgary Herald, and six months with the National Post in Toronto.

Mr. Amiris journalism experience includes contributing coverage on western military operations in Afghanistan for the Wall Street Journal, as well as a stint at the Toronto Star where he wrote on national and international affairs and immigration topics.

The Michelle Lang Fellowship is something we are all deeply proud of, said Lorne Motley, Vice President, Editorial, West, and Regional Editor in Chief, Calgary Herald-Calgary Sun. It honours the important journalistic work Michelle did and continues to empower next generations of journalists to follow in her footsteps. We look forward to Ehsanullah joining us as this years fellow, and to the journalistic expertise and international perspective he will bring to the stories he covers throughout his year with us.

Michelle Lang, an award-winning Calgary Herald journalist, died in December 2009 while on assignment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. She was the first Canadian journalist killed while reporting on the Afghan war.

Mr. Amiri is the tenth recipient of this fellowship, which began in 2010. Michelle Lang fellows engage in daily journalism and also work on a special project. Mr. Amiri will be focusing on an investigative project involving Afghanistan.

Its a great honour to be selected as the recipient of this fellowship, said Mr. Amiri. Coming from the country where Michelle Lang lost her life for reporting the truth, the program will be an excellent opportunity for me to continue reporting on things that matter to Canadians. I am excited to begin this journey alongside the talented National Post and Calgary Herald journalists."

The Michelle Lang Fellowship in Journalism is a national fellowship awarded annually to a Canadian graduate from any discipline for the chance to apply his or her passion for writing and interest in current events. This fellowship includes a salary for the year, plus funding for a special project, as chosen by the fellow, on a topic of social significance inspired by Michelle Langs own portfolio of work. Funding for the fellowship is provided by the Calgary Herald and Postmedia Network, as well as the Michelle Lang Trust.

About Postmedia Network Inc.

Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B), is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit: www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com, and www.postmediaparcelservices.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109177221/en/

For more information:

Phyllise Gelfand

Vice President of Communications

Postmedia Network

(647) 273-9287

[email protected]

Source: Postmedia
PE423211 sets new gold standard for automotive connectivity by offering industrys lowest power consumption, high isolation, and wide broadband frequency support in a compact form factor

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- pSemi Corporation, a Murata company leading in the design and development of semiconductor integration and advanced connectivity, today announced it is expanding its automotive connectivity product portfolio by introducing the PE423211, an automotive-grade ultra-wideband (UWB) RF switch. The new module offers the industrys lowest power consumptionat the lowest insertion and return loss, and the highest isolation widest broadband frequency supportmaking it an ideal solution for the automotive industry.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109043057/en/

Automotive-Grade Broadband 300 MHz to 10.6 GHz SPDT Switch (Graphic: Business Wire)

Manufactured on pSemis UltraCMOS process, a patented silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology, PE423211 is designed for use in high-performance ISM, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and UWB applications up to 10.6 GHz. The PE423211 features fast switching speed, high-power handling, and robust ESD and temperature performance, all in a compact 6-lead 1.6  1.6 mm DFN package.

The PE423211 is AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified making it ideal for use in battery-powered and power-sensitive devices. Its suitability for BLE and UWB applications includes secure car access, telematics, sensing, infotainment, in-cabin monitoring systems (ICMS), and general-purpose switching.

The automotive market continues to be a massive growth driver for pSemi as consumers demand a more robust connected car experience, says Vikas Choudhary, vice president of global sales, marketing, and system engineering, pSemi. The introduction of the PE423211 pushes the boundaries of what is possible with automotive-grade UWB RF switches by combining the industrys lowest power consumption and highest isolation widest broadband frequency support in the smallest form factor available today. We are incredibly proud of this product milestone and look forward to powering the next generation of connected vehicles.

The new RF switch consumes less than 90 nA of current and covers current and future UWB high frequency spectrums up to 10.6 GHz. Offering low insertion loss and high isolation with an operating temperature range of -40 to +105 degrees Celsius, the PE423211 delivers excellent ESD performance at 2000V at HBM and 500V at CDM.

The PE423211 is sampling now, with production devices expected in late 2024. For more information on pSemis advanced connectivity solutions for the automotive industry, please visit www.psemi.com/markets/automotive or stop by the CES 2024 Murata Exhibit located in the West Hall Booth #6300. To request a sample of the PE423211, please contact [email protected].

About pSemi

pSemi (formerly Peregrine Semiconductor) is a leader in the design and development of semiconductor integration, providing world-class capabilities with high-performance RF, analog and mixed signal solutions. With a 30-year legacy of technology advancements, strong IP portfolio and deep expertise in RF integration, our solution portfolio spans power management, connected sensors, antenna tuning, and RF frontends, which enable advanced modules for smartphones, base stations, personal computers, electric vehicles, data centers, IoT devices, healthcare and more. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Murata Electronics North America, Inc., pSemi is headquartered in San Diego, with additional offices spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.psemi.com and connect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/psemi/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109043057/en/

Heath Meyer

[email protected]

Source: pSemi
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With volume production of Prodigy, the worlds first Universal Processor, scheduled for 2024, Tachyum officials expect to build off the momentum it gained through a series of successes last year while capitalizing on the current semiconductor upcycle to revolutionize the data center.

Anticipated company highlights of the coming year include:

Advancements in Product Development  Reference design is expected to soon be revealed once the Tachyum team finishes final debugging and cleaning of the chip.

Increased Business Development  With the final reference chip available, Tachyum will target early adopter markets, including high performance computing and artificial intelligence applications.

Tachyum diligently worked throughout 2023 to ensure that it is positioned at the precipice of success for the coming year. Achievements in hardware and software, advancements in IP component technology and a major purchase order to build a large-scale system were key contributing factors that are expected to benefit the companys upcoming year.

In 2023, Tachyum received a major purchase order from a U.S. company to build a large-scale system based on its 5nm Prodigy Universal Processor chip. With performance of 50 EF of FP64 and 8 ZF of AI training for large language models, the announced system has gained a lot of attention from other interested parties looking to build a similar scale system for their AI applications and workloads.

The company made available its Tachyum Processing Unit (TPU) IP as a licensable core, allowing developers to take full advantage of intelligent, datacenter-trained AI when making IoT and Edge devices.

Details for a new approach to designing HPC/AI supercomputer data centers have been released as part of a series of whitepapers in order to prepare developers for what they can expect when Prodigy is commercially available. Topics included how to use 4-bit Tachyum AI (TAI) and 2-bit effective per weight (TAI2) formats in Large Language Models (LMMs); how Prodigy overcomes hardware inefficiencies that make Generative AI cost prohibitive and energy excessive; and how Prodigy enables quantization using 8-bit floating point (FP8) to enable enormous model sizes.

To put Prodigys capabilities in perspective, a 1.6 trillion parameters Switch Transformer would require 52 NVIDIA H200 80GB GPUs at a cost of $41,789 each and seven Supermicro GPU servers at $25,000 each for a total cost of $2,348,028. In contrast, a single Prodigy socket system with 2TB DDR5 DRAM could fit and run such big models and bring them into the mainstream for generative AI applications for only $23,000  1/100th the cost of the first example.

Software achievements this past year included:

Development completion of the software stack for Prodigy, allowing for alpha testing to begin

Addition of LLVM for AI and Linux Rust support

Running of Xen hypervisor on QEMU software emulator

Running of Kubernetes natively on Prodigy ISA

Hardware achievements completed in 2023 include:

Completion of vector based High-Performance LINPACK (HPL) testing using 1kb vectors on the Prodigy FPGA

Running of FreeBSD OS on Prodigy FPGA

Seamless execution of non-native (x86_64) applications under Linux on FPGA

Integration of Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) and Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) platforms into the Prodigy FPGA prototype system

Porting of other applications to test a wide range of workloads on the FPGA prototype

Additionally, Tachyum Prodigy 2 was selected by the Important Project of Common European Interests (IPCEI) program representing Slovakia to deliver exa-scale HPC and zetta-scale AI for Europe. The company hosted Slovak President Zuzana Caputova at its Bratislava offices to demonstrate the progress of the Prodigy Universal Processor.

As a Universal Processor offering utility for all workloads, Prodigy-powered data center servers can seamlessly and dynamically switch between computational domains (such as AI/ML, HPC, and cloud) on a single architecture. By eliminating the need for expensive dedicated AI hardware and dramatically increasing server utilization, Prodigy reduces CAPEX and OPEX significantly while delivering unprecedented data center performance, power, and economics. Prodigy integrates 192 high-performance custom-designed 64-bit compute cores, to deliver up to 4,5x the performance of the highest-performing x86 processors for cloud workloads, up to 3x that of the highest performing GPU for HPC, and 6x for AI applications.

Tachyum showed its resilience during a challenging 2023 when we experienced the worst semiconductor downturn in years and weathered the challenges faced with failed memory and interface IP blocks from a key vendor, said Dr. Radoslav Danilak, founder and CEO of Tachyum. The successes we were able to achieve while tweaking our product roadmap have brought us to a 2024 full of anticipation as we move towards volume production of Prodigy and the fulfillment of a multibillion-dollar sales pipeline. We look forward to fulfilling our commitment to transforming ordinary data centers into Universal Computing Centers in the near future.

Follow Tachyum

https://twitter.com/tachyum

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tachyum

https://www.facebook.com/Tachyum/

About Tachyum

Tachyum is transforming the economics of AI, HPC, public and private cloud workloads with Prodigy, the worlds first Universal Processor. Prodigy unifies the functionality of a CPU, a GPU, and a TPU in a single processor to deliver industry-leading performance, cost and power efficiency for both specialty and general-purpose computing. As global data center emissions continue to contribute to a changing climate, with projections of their consuming 10 percent of the worlds electricity by 2030, the ultra-low power Prodigy is positioned to help balance the worlds appetite for computing at a lower environmental cost. Tachyum recently received a major purchase order from a US company to build a large-scale system that can deliver more than 50 exaflops performance, which will exponentially exceed the computational capabilities of the fastest inference or generative AI supercomputers available anywhere in the world today. When complete in 2025, the Prodigy-powered system will deliver a 25x multiplier vs. the worlds fastest conventional supercomputer  built just this year  and will achieve AI capabilities 25,000x larger than models for ChatGPT4. Tachyum has offices in the United States and Slovakia. For more information, visit https://www.tachyum.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109994678/en/

Mark Smith

JPR Communications

818-398-1424

[email protected]

Source: Tachyum
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TurningPoint Energy, a leader in community solar development in the United States, today announced that Salar Naini has been appointed as President, and former President Jared Schoch has transitioned to Chairman. Naini will lead the companys day-to-day business operations into the future of the energy transition, while Schoch will move out of the daily operations and into a board-only role. Schoch is the founder of TurningPoint Energy and has served as President since the companys inception 10 years ago. Naini has been with the company since 2016, serving as Executive Vice President of Business Development over the last four years.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109083737/en/

Salar Naini, President of TurningPoint Energy (Photo: TurningPoint Energy)

I want to thank Jared for creating the cultural foundation that is TurningPoint Energy, a template that we have been building from for the last eight years, said Naini. While Jared not being in the day-to-day operations is certainly bittersweet, I couldnt be more excited for what is to come as we strategically expand our business to advance the energy transition. We always strive to be the best-in-class developer in the markets where we develop, and that will continue from the perspective of the policy leaders we engage with, the communities we work in, our landowners, and our partners.

Salar and I have been guiding TurningPoint Energy arm-in-arm together for several years now and I am excited to finish executing our succession plan for him to finally take over and lead this dynamic business into the future, said Schoch. Over the last decade, we have built an incredibly unique solar development company that is completely privately held, one hundred percent independent, and hyper-efficient with an elite, veteran solar industry team that is structured to thrive and outperform. TurningPoint Energy is also a profitable solar development company that takes care of its team members and does business the right way every time, all while developing in harmony with and investing in the communities in which we work.

Prior to joining the company in 2016, Salar Naini was principal at SolCom Energy, and held origination and finance roles at NRG Energy and SOLON Corporation. He is an active industry advocate and currently sits on the board of the Coalition for Community Solar Access. Over his career, he has held various roles in business development and finance and has successfully developed over 2GW in solar projects, with over 350MW of that being community solar. Naini is a Provost Scholar from Arizona State Universitys W.P. Carey School of Business and holds a Masters in Finance from Creighton Universitys Heider School of Business.

About TurningPoint Energy

TurningPoint Energy is a clean energy development, advisory and investment company with solar development projects underway throughout the United States. Its principals have experience developing solar projects for utility and community solar clients totaling more than $3 billion in value over 2GW of operating solar power plants throughout the United States within the last decade. TurningPoint Energy is a lean, privately held firm that adapts to its clients needs and finds ways to invest in its clients and their communitiesat every turning point. For more information, please visit turningpoint-energy.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109083737/en/

Christy Scott

Director of Marketing, TurningPoint Energy

(c) 984-209-0634

[email protected]

Source: TurningPoint Energy
VALLEY STREAM, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This week, Walker SCM proudly announces the expansion of its operations into the Memphis market, marking a significant milestone in the company's continuous growth. This expansion involves a strategic partnership with a heavy industrial Fortune 500 company, reinforcing Walker's commitment to delivering top-notch logistics solutions. As a leader in the logistics industry, Walker SCM brings decades of expertise to this collaboration. This venture is designed to optimize the reverse logistics process, enhance operational efficiency, and contribute to sustainable supply chain practices.

The Memphis-based reverse logistics warehouse will serve as a hub for Walker SCM's innovative approach to logistics, showcasing the company's dedication to reliability and sustainability.

This expansion signifies an enhanced partnership with our customers, a testament to the shared values and commitment to excellence in the logistics industry. The joint effort further solidifies the collaborative power of two industry leaders, each bringing their strengths and operational commitment to ensure a comprehensive approach to reverse logistics.

New Location Address

4650 Quality Drive

Memphis, Tennessee 38118

We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our operations into Memphis and the strategic partnership with a heavy industrial Fortune 500 company," said Claudell Germain, President and COO at Walker SCM. "This collaboration reflects our unwavering dedication to innovation, reliability, and sustainability. Together with our esteemed partner, we aim to redefine industry standards and continue providing exceptional logistics solutions to our valued customers."

Walker SCM looks forward to the positive impact this expansion will have on the Memphis market, as well as the broader logistics industry. The company remains committed to transparency with its employees and the public, fostering stronger relationships with both current and potential customers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109204640/en/

For media inquiries, please contact:

Brittany L. Walker

Vice President of Strategic Planning

T: (516) 568-2080

[email protected] | www.walkerscm.com

Source: Walker SCM
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zebec, a category-defining fintech startup, proudly announces the launch of its advanced web3 payment and real-time payroll services in Japan. This strategic move not only marks Zebec's continued global expansion but also underscores its commitment to fostering collaborative financial innovation worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240108573727/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

Japan, known for pioneering a regulatory framework for digital finance, offers an optimal setting for Zebec's tech, tailored to complement the sophisticated and robust nature of Japan's financial ecosystem, providing significant enhancements to traditional payroll methods and digital payments options.

"Zebecs venture into Japan is logical; it's an opportunity for us to contribute to the countrys already advanced financial infrastructure," says Sam Thapaliya, founder of Zebec. Our continued focus on Asian markets positioned us to be able to quickly deploy comprehensive and flexible financial solutions to Japanese customers.

The suite of Zebec services now available in Japan includes:

Zebec App and Nautilus Chain, ideal for streaming payments and real-time web3 payroll, supporting digital payments in USDC, ERC, and soon a Japan-native stablecoin (JPYZ).

Wagelink and advanced payroll technology, modernizing traditional payroll with the inclusion of stablecoin salary payments and cross-border remittances, in partnership with global fintech firms Circle and Stellar. The Wagelink App, launched in the USA in late 2023, represents an innovation in traditional payroll systems for companies and their employees in the PGP/ Zebec investment portfolio.

Zebec Instant Card, a groundbreaking crypto payment offering, supported globally by Visa and Mastercard, now enables spending in both USD and Japanese Yen.

Zebec's innovative solutions are engineered for unrivaled efficiency, transparency, and security in financial transactions. Set to redefine payroll services and modernize payment into continuous streams, thereby granting businesses and individuals enhanced control and flexibility over their financial lives.

As we expand to Japan, Thapaliya concluded. We eagerly anticipate building enduring partnerships and becoming a part of innovation in the Japanese fintech sector.

Zebec enables real-time and continuous streams of payments and financial transactions for payroll, investments and more. Founded in 2021, with investments by Circle, Coinbase, Solana Ventures, Breyer Capital, DST Global, and Lightspeed Venture Partners among others, Zebec today services hundreds of companies, runs thousands of continuous payment streams and powers next generation payroll services. In effect, across its suite of real-time payroll, micropayments and on-and-off ramps through the Zebec Instant Card, Zebec is a crypto payments superapp, integrating the blockchain into everyday lives.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240108573727/en/

Press contact: [email protected]

Source: Zebec
As previously announced, on December 12, 2023, Intrepid Potash, Inc. (NYSE: IPI) entered into a Third Amendment to the Cooperative Development Agreement (the Amendment) with XTO Holdings, LLC (XTO Holdings) and XTO Delaware Basin, LLC, as successors in interest to BOPCO, L.P. (XTO Delaware Basin, and together with XTO Holdings, XTO). The Amendment has an effective date of January 1, 2024.

As consideration under the Amendment, on January 2, 2024, Intrepid received a payment of $45 million from XTO, which was in addition to an initial payment of $5 million received from XTO on December 12, 2023. The Amendment also provides that Intrepid will receive an additional one-time payment equal to $50 million as an Access Fee, which XTO will pay within 90 days upon the earlier occurrence of (i) the approval of the first new or expanded drilling island within a specific area to be used by XTO, or (ii) within seven years of the anniversary of the effective date. XTO is also required to pay additional amounts to Intrepid as an Access Realization Fee, up to a maximum amount of $100 million, in the event of certain additional drilling activities by XTO. Pursuant to the Amendment, among other things, Intrepid agrees to support and not oppose XTOs development and operation of XTOs oil and gas interests within the Designated Potash Area (DPA).

Bob Jornayvaz, Intrepid's Executive Chairman and CEO commented: This Amendment furthers our goal of cooperation and the efficient co-development of resources within the DPA. The consideration received under the Amendment brings us closer to our goal of creating sustained value for shareholders and will be instrumental in allowing us to pursue opportunities across our asset base.

Petrie Partners acted as the financial advisor to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Amendment.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN -- 1Konto proudly announces significant enhancements to its flagship platform, 1KPrime. The upgraded 1KPrime platform elevates liquidity to USD levels for major fiat currencies and digital assets, including pairing with stablecoins USDC, USDT and top cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH. This development positions 1KPrime at the forefront of financial trading services, providing a sophisticated platform for institutional on-ramps, deep liquidity and efficient global settlements.

Edwin Handschuh, co-founder and CEO of 1Konto, reflects on this milestone, stating: "We're not just expanding our services; we're reshaping the landscape of international settlements. Our enhanced market access empowers clients to venture into new territories like the Euro Zone, Great Britain and beyond with unparalleled ease. This is more than liquidity; it's a doorway to global opportunities and diversified revenue streams."

1KPrime's role extends beyond liquidity provision, positioning itself as a comprehensive partner for entities engaged in multi-currency transactions. The platform facilitates connection with core digital asset use cases, offering a unique blend of services tailored to the specific needs of its clients.

Talha Chaudhry, Head of Trading at 1Konto, emphasized the strategic advantages for U.S. firms: "We're breaking down international barriers, offering companies a gateway to the global stage with competitive pricing and efficient settlement processes. Our focus is on harnessing macroeconomic benefits and capitalizing on worldwide opportunities."

In anticipation of the upcoming bull market, 1KPrime's platform provides strategic advantages for client outreach and 24/7 market engagement through OTC, Web App and API channels.

Key Features and Benefits:

Comprehensive Market Coverage: Access to major global currencies, including EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, MXN, NZD, SEK and ZAR, catering to a diverse global client base.

Access to major global currencies, including EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, JPY, MXN, NZD, SEK and ZAR, catering to a diverse global client base. Integrated Trading Services: A one-stop solution combining liquidity, multi-asset settlement and institutional access.

A one-stop solution combining liquidity, multi-asset settlement and institutional access. Global Expansion Opportunities: Empowers domestic and international firms to penetrate new markets, fostering growth and revenue diversification.

Empowers domestic and international firms to penetrate new markets, fostering growth and revenue diversification. Enhanced Risk Management: Streamlined operations and foreign currency hedging to improve risk management and client service.

Streamlined operations and foreign currency hedging to improve risk management and client service. Corporate Treasury Advantages: Enables corporate treasuries to manage foreign currency conversions more efficiently than traditional banking institutions.

1KPrime remains committed to empowering financial entities to confidently navigate the global markets. These platform enhancements underscore 1KPrime's dedication to innovation and client-focused solutions in the dynamic world of digital and fiat trading.

About 1KPrime: 1KPrime, a key service of 1Konto, is a premier provider of digital and fiat liquidity. It offers seamless global market access focusing on deep liquidity and comprehensive market coverage. Catering to a diverse clientele, including banks, custodians, broker-dealers, OTC desks, funds, family offices, payment service providers, and corporates, 1KPrime optimizes trading operations and market engagement.

About 1Konto1Konto is a leading digital asset liquidity provider that offers advanced trading technology and liquidity solutions to its clients. The company is committed to providing its clients with the best possible service, competitive pricing and a white-glove experience.

For more information on 1Konto's OTC desk and other services, please visit www.1konto.com or email [email protected].

Wire Service ContactInvestorWire (IW)Los Angeles, Californiawww.InvestorWire.com212.418.1217 Office[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8b58e931-8bb3-4558-b9a2-f184cd99e74a

1Konto Unveils Enhanced Liquidity in Major Fiat Currencies Through 1KPrime Expansion 1KPrime interface showcasing the seamless USDT/EUR pair trading with advanced order types and real-time deep market liquidity.

Source: 1Konto
KABUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government's security forces conducted around 3,000 operations against terrorist groups including the rival Daesh or the hardliner Islamic State (IS) outfit in 2023, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs Abdul Matin Qani has said.

"About 3,000 operations were conducted last year by special security forces against terrorist and evil groups," local television channel Tolonews quoted Qani on Tuesday as saying.

Without giving an exact number of the casualties inflicted to the rival groups, the official also contended that the sanctuaries of the rival IS outfit had been destroyed during the anti-terror operations in 2023.

Qani did not identify any other terror and evil groups except the rival IS outfit.

Earlier the caretaker government's chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the administration's security forces had smashed the rival Daesh or the IS group which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks over the past two years.

The rival Daesh or the IS outfit has also claimed responsibility for the bomb blast inside a mini-bus in Afghanistan capital Kabul on Saturday, which left at least five dead and injured 15 others. 
Annapolis, Maryland, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a new year begins, Alchemi Design, a leading marketing firm renowned for its creative and strategic solutions, reflects on a year of significant achievements and milestones. Celebrating 18 years of design service in the marketing industry, Alchemi Design has continued to reinforce its position as a trailblazer in the field. This year, the firm notably shone as a silver sponsor of the prestigious Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit (MTTS), where it played a pivotal role in shaping the event's schedule and award programs, further cementing its reputation as a key player in the tourism and marketing sectors.

A Silver Sponsorship That Made a Golden ImpactAlchemi Design's silver sponsorship at the Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit was not just a title but a testament to its commitment to promoting tourism and local businesses in Maryland. The firm's involvement went beyond financial support, playing an instrumental role in the creation and design of the summit's overview and the prestigious award programs. These contributions were pivotal in the summit's success, offering a platform for industry leaders to connect, learn, and grow.

18 Years of Creative Marketing2024 marks a significant milestone for Alchemi Design as it celebrates 18 years in the business. Since its inception, Alchemi Design has been at the forefront of the marketing industry, offering a blend of traditional and digital marketing solutions tailored to the needs of distinctive clients. The firm's commitment to innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction has been the cornerstone of its longstanding success.

Looking Ahead: Continued Excellence and InnovationAs Alchemi Design looks towards the future, it remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of marketing. With a deep understanding of the evolving landscape and a commitment to leveraging the latest technologies and strategies, Alchemi Design is poised to continue its legacy of excellence.

"We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished this year, especially our involvement in the Maryland Travel and Tourism Summit and looking forward to continuing work with the Maryland Tourism Coalition," said Meagan Connolly, Founder, at Alchemi Design. "As we celebrate our 18th anniversary, we look back at our journey with gratitude and forward to the future with excitement. We remain committed to delivering creative and impactful marketing solutions that drive success for our clients."For more information about Alchemi Design and their services, visit www.alchemidesign.com.

About Alchemi DesignAlchemi Design is a full-service marketing firm known for its innovative and strategic approach to marketing and design. With 18 years of experience, the company specializes in a range of services, including graphic design, digital marketing, branding, and event marketing. Having worked with clients in specific areas such as service industries, tourism, and hospitality, Alchemi prides itself on adapting unique strategies for each client to provide solutions that best resonate with their intended audience.

Meagan Connolly Alchemi Design & Publications 443-321-9895 [email protected]

Source: Alchemi Design & Publications
HALF-YEAR LIQUIDITY CONTRACT STATEMENT

Paris, January 9th, 2024

Under the liquidity contract entered into between ASSYSTEM S.A. (ISIN: FR0000074148 - ASY) and Kepler Chevreux, the following resources appeared on the liquidity account on December 31st, 2023:

- 971 shares

-  1,150,112.78

- Number of executions on buy side on semester: 2,733

- Number of executions on sell side on semester: 2,869

- Traded volume on buy side on semester: 79,149 shares for  3,404,816.97

- Traded volume on sell side on semester: 80,480 shares for  3,486,189.62

As a reminder:

 the following resources appeared on the last half year statement on June 30th, 2023 on the liquidity account:

- 2,302 shares

-  1,055,363.37

- Number of executions on buy side on semester: 2,354

- Number of executions on sell side on semester: 2,762

- Traded volume on buy side on semester: 70,812 shares for  3,094,609.21

- Traded volume on sell side on semester: 78,288 shares for  3,436,300.65

 the following resources appeared on the liquidity account when the activity started:

- 22,970 shares

-  923,444.41

The liquidity agreement complies with AMF Decision n 2021-01 dated on June 22nd, 2021, introducing liquidity agreements on equity securities as permitted market practice.

ABOUT ASSYSTEM

As one of the worlds leading independent nuclear engineering companies, Assystems main mission is to help accelerate energy transition. In the Groups 12 countries of operation, the skills of 7,000 Assystem experts are being put to the service of developing the production and use of carbon-free electricity (nuclear and renewables) as well as green hydrogen.

With over 50 years experience in highly regulated sectors subject to stringent safety and security constraints, the Group provides engineering and digital services and solutions to optimise the cost and performance of its clients complex infrastructure assets throughout their life cycles.

To find out more visit www.assystem.com / Follow Assystem on Twitter: @Assystem

CONTACT

Malene Korvin

CFO

Tel : +33 (0)1 41 25 29 00

Buy side Sell side Number of executions Number of shares Trade volume

in EUR Number of executions Number of shares Trade volume

in EUR Total 2 733 79 149 3 404 816,97 2 869 80 480 3 486 189,62 03/07/2023 - - - 33 683 32 865,96 04/07/2023 - - - 39 1 217 59 608,66 05/07/2023 40 1 100 52 437,00 - - - 06/07/2023 30 1 150 53 475,00 7 221 10 311,86 07/07/2023 1 20 918,00 2 50 2 325,00 10/07/2023 1 30 1 380,00 - - - 11/07/2023 16 450 20 718,00 4 51 2 371,50 12/07/2023 11 450 20 583,00 9 200 9 186,00 13/07/2023 - - - 24 649 30 113,60 14/07/2023 3 100 4 645,00 8 150 6 979,50 17/07/2023 26 878 40 396,78 - - - 18/07/2023 6 79 3 618,99 43 923 42 661,06 19/07/2023 23 706 32 525,42 42 605 27 987,30 20/07/2023 24 594 27 335,88 27 645 29 747,40 21/07/2023 10 201 9 239,97 13 184 8 508,16 24/07/2023 24 625 28 625,00 1 50 2 295,00 25/07/2023 23 718 32 654,64 11 251 11 450,62 26/07/2023 31 713 32 691,05 34 939 43 165,83 27/07/2023 11 200 9 210,00 22 611 28 185,43 28/07/2023 8 350 16 079,00 8 233 10 720,33 31/07/2023 28 794 36 246,10 11 266 12 172,16 01/08/2023 21 512 23 162,88 21 435 19 909,95 02/08/2023 22 579 26 396,61 13 301 13 746,67 03/08/2023 40 703 31 733,42 1 1 45,60 04/08/2023 28 544 24 349,44 10 119 5 333,58 07/08/2023 9 502 22 479,56 30 536 24 034,24 08/08/2023 12 367 16 511,33 32 959 43 308,44 09/08/2023 14 340 15 330,60 8 62 2 803,64 10/08/2023 16 600 26 874,00 27 718 32 281,28 11/08/2023 43 1 220 54 485,20 1 100 4 470,00 14/08/2023 27 466 20 723,02 33 1 060 47 254,80 15/08/2023 16 393 17 512,08 23 455 20 306,65 16/08/2023 30 641 28 441,17 24 594 26 415,18 17/08/2023 4 158 7 163,72 53 1 615 73 724,75 18/08/2023 50 1 012 46 147,20 16 577 26 380,44 21/08/2023 44 1 080 48 924,00 6 239 10 864,94 22/08/2023 30 668 30 300,48 24 785 35 654,70 23/08/2023 39 870 39 550,20 23 700 31 948,00 24/08/2023 39 912 40 921,44 5 74 3 342,58 25/08/2023 23 700 31 283,00 34 821 36 789,01 28/08/2023 22 665 29 639,05 29 956 42 761,88 29/08/2023 26 1 185 52 945,80 32 1 273 57 068,59 30/08/2023 18 801 35 452,26 23 700 31 073,00 31/08/2023 2 34 1 502,80 34 1 798 80 478,48 01/09/2023 29 1 238 55 128,14 12 325 14 556,75 04/09/2023 24 731 32 573,36 10 272 12 169,28 05/09/2023 19 886 39 205,50 22 704 31 229,44 06/09/2023 27 800 34 912,00 - - - 07/09/2023 30 958 41 596,36 44 1 341 58 655,34 08/09/2023 9 372 16 081,56 33 1 634 71 667,24 11/09/2023 24 450 19 912,50 15 407 18 078,94 12/09/2023 19 523 22 917,86 24 650 28 541,50 13/09/2023 44 1 047 45 471,21 7 191 8 337,15 14/09/2023 40 1 524 64 068,96 37 1 411 60 630,67 15/09/2023 51 1 751 74 855,25 2 21 913,50 18/09/2023 51 2 126 87 633,72 3 150 6 210,00 19/09/2023 22 850 35 224,00 34 1 056 43 950,72 20/09/2023 22 765 31 755,15 39 979 40 814,51 21/09/2023 29 779 32 702,42 25 635 26 746,20 22/09/2023 47 963 40 185,99 28 850 35 623,50 25/09/2023 60 1 478 60 686,68 4 101 4 226,85 26/09/2023 39 1 137 45 968,91 9 321 12 994,08 27/09/2023 19 730 29 382,50 7 180 7 284,60 28/09/2023 17 408 16 279,20 16 266 10 663,94 29/09/2023 11 300 11 964,00 30 733 29 407,96 02/10/2023 20 450 17 766,00 8 200 7 980,00 03/10/2023 24 950 36 470,50 7 136 5 294,48 04/10/2023 18 700 26 446,00 22 762 28 971,24 05/10/2023 12 450 17 023,50 11 239 9 175,21 06/10/2023 9 350 13 128,50 17 340 12 848,60 09/10/2023 18 303 11 417,04 17 265 10 014,35 10/10/2023 22 647 24 372,49 15 334 12 615,18 11/10/2023 5 150 5 650,50 11 361 13 631,36 12/10/2023 3 75 2 885,25 49 1 113 42 995,19 13/10/2023 47 1 525 58 438,00 32 1 062 40 908,24 16/10/2023 5 165 6 273,30 37 1 289 49 884,30 17/10/2023 64 2 025 77 213,25 - - - 18/10/2023 30 853 32 277,52 22 800 30 408,00 19/10/2023 5 197 7 407,20 12 144 5 418,72 20/10/2023 17 548 20 560,96 26 734 27 767,22 23/10/2023 28 677 25 522,90 9 350 13 240,50 24/10/2023 11 232 8 732,48 27 602 22 713,46 25/10/2023 24 494 18 520,06 30 490 18 404,40 26/10/2023 26 750 28 117,50 32 776 29 115,52 27/10/2023 - - - 77 2 569 99 343,23 30/10/2023 45 1 951 74 411,14 19 419 16 345,19 31/10/2023 12 350 13 289,50 22 476 18 111,80 01/11/2023 4 100 3 785,00 20 300 11 370,00 02/11/2023 - - - 52 1 505 58 363,90 03/11/2023 12 320 12 553,60 36 815 32 127,30 06/11/2023 23 1 000 39 640,00 46 1 226 49 076,78 07/11/2023 26 900 35 667,00 40 1 240 49 364,40 08/11/2023 14 400 16 040,00 30 778 31 423,42 09/11/2023 19 550 22 093,50 29 791 31 932,67 10/11/2023 39 1 150 46 000,00 35 899 36 022,93 13/11/2023 5 163 6 604,76 36 701 28 502,66 14/11/2023 7 109 4 452,65 38 1 150 47 311,00 15/11/2023 12 250 10 365,00 30 784 32 598,72 16/11/2023 24 771 31 703,52 14 500 20 640,00 17/11/2023 1 25 1 027,50 28 815 33 985,50 20/11/2023 2 34 1 438,20 13 400 16 944,00 21/11/2023 1 1 42,50 18 501 21 492,90 22/11/2023 27 916 38 930,00 14 456 19 507,68 23/11/2023 10 312 13 387,92 19 345 14 848,80 24/11/2023 9 197 8 472,97 18 549 23 760,72 27/11/2023 8 239 10 420,40 18 493 21 573,68 28/11/2023 35 951 40 731,33 7 101 4 328,86 29/11/2023 17 312 13 316,16 7 200 8 590,00 30/11/2023 12 313 13 321,28 6 105 4 504,50 01/12/2023 6 103 4 413,55 10 260 11 154,00 04/12/2023 6 61 2 671,80 48 1 441 63 721,02 05/12/2023 39 1 200 52 800,00 7 200 8 820,00 06/12/2023 2 26 1 148,42 55 1 650 75 025,50 07/12/2023 17 550 24 948,00 16 451 20 565,60 08/12/2023 37 850 38 071,50 2 8 365,60 11/12/2023 31 924 41 543,04 49 1 550 69 982,50 12/12/2023 40 1 110 48 895,50 3 54 2 434,32 13/12/2023 8 190 8 312,50 54 1 637 74 008,77 14/12/2023 15 420 19 588,80 53 1 603 75 164,67 15/12/2023 33 950 44 488,50 28 995 46 715,25 18/12/2023 44 1 110 51 903,60 49 1 402 65 809,88 19/12/2023 15 450 20 907,00 46 1 500 71 040,00 20/12/2023 45 1 440 69 724,80 64 1 887 91 840,29 21/12/2023 43 974 47 277,96 34 898 43 786,48 22/12/2023 20 530 25 864,00 20 699 34 404,78 27/12/2023 17 442 21 954,14 7 203 10 139,85 28/12/2023 26 604 29 855,72 18 671 33 341,99 29/12/2023 13 434 21 417,90 9 223 11 058,57

Attachment
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recently, BL2 technology in Bitcoin officially launched, brings significant improvements to the overall Bitcoin ecosystem, fostering the development at On-Chain Scaling Evolution

In the dynamic realm of blockchain technology, the rise of Web3, the metaverse, and the transformative impact of NFTs in digital finance propel society forward at an astonishing pace. Amidst this, the limitations of blockchain design challenge its ecological expansion.

I. BL2 Technology Resurgence:

While Ethereum's Layer2 tech gained attention, BL2 technology in Bitcoin, a recent breakthrough, takes center stage.

II. BL2's technological tapestry weaves together various components:

At its core, side chain technology is the linchpin of BL2, enabling Bitcoin transactions and settlements on a distinct chain. This essential component is intricately linked to the main chain through a bridging mechanism, ensuring secure and fluid asset transfers, and creating a comprehensive extension layer.

The Lightning Network, another integral part of BL2, operates as a decentralized payment protocol fueled by smart contracts. Its objective is to facilitate quick and cost-effective microtransactions. Through off-chain payment channels, participants can execute numerous small transactions, alleviating the burden on the main chain and consolidating transaction records when channels are closed.

Furthermore, the EVM-compatible decentralized Layer 2, a product of Bitcoin's Taproot upgrade, introduces the Schnorr Signature+ MAST contract. This advancement paves the way for decentralized multi-signatures involving over 1000 addresses. Not only does it enhance security, but it also creates opportunities for authentic decentralized cross-chain functionality, all while preserving network speed and efficiency.

III. Advantages and Challenges of BL2 Technology:

Unleashing a range of advantages, BL2 technology brings significant improvements to the overall Bitcoin ecosystem. Firstly, dynamic scalability is achieved as BL2 alleviates the main chain's burden, contributing to enhanced system scalability. Secondly, cost-efficiency is realized through the reduction of transaction costs and the alleviation of main chain congestion, thanks to the implementation of off-chain transactions. The BL2 architecture also ensures swift transactions by facilitating prompt confirmations, thereby boosting transaction speed. Lastly, the integration of side chains and the Lightning Network promotes ecosystem diversity, fostering the development of various applications within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Tackling Challenges: However, along with its advantages, BL2 confronts certain challenges. Foremost among them is the need to prioritize security. Mitigating security concerns related to side chains and the bridging mechanism is crucial for ensuring comprehensive system security. Additionally, addressing interoperability challenges among on-chain scaling solutions is pivotal to prevent fragmentation and communication hurdles. It is imperative to bridge the gap and establish a unified interoperability standard for seamless functioning.

IV.Evolutionary Trajectory

Future Development of BL2 Technology includes several key components. Firstly, Celestia DA Data Storage Verification marks BL2 as the inaugural BTC Layer2 with this feature, emphasizing functional execution to boost efficiency and stabilize on-chain activity costs. Additionally, BTC Multi-Protocol Asset Aggregation showcases BL2's capability to combine BTC and ecosystem-derived assets, streamlining high-speed, low-cost transactions and diminishing reliance on Layer-1. Moreover, the introduction of BTC Account Abstraction empowers developers to programmatically define transaction validity conditions, providing enhanced user flexibility and optimizing existing BTC wallets. Lastly, the creation of an Extension Community based on $BL2T aims to foster an open community dedicated to decentralized Bitcoin and scaling ideals, with $BL2T acting as a value consensus carrier, encouraging widespread participation in shaping the future of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Conclusion:

In the ever-evolving blockchain landscape, Bitcoin's BL2 technology emerges as a pioneering force, offering a blend of technical prowess, advantages, challenges, and future development directions. This sets the stage for a more scalable, efficient, and diverse Bitcoin ecosystem.

Official Website: https://bl2.live/

Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

Krystie Black BL2 foundation contact-at-bl2.live

Source: BL2
TORONTO, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exco Technologies Limited (TSX  XTC) today announced that it will report its financial results for the first quarter ended December 31, 2023 after the close of business on Wednesday January 31, 2024.



Excos management will hold a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday February 1, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. To access the listen only live audio webcast, please log on to www.excocorp.com, or https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/h4ntxy9c a few minutes before the event. Those interested in participating in the question-and-answer conference call may register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BIe7f88b004fdf421bbb953189681d8f51 to receive the dial-in numbers and unique PIN to access the call. It is recommended that you join 10 minutes prior to the event start (although you may register and dial in at any time during the call).

For those unable to participate on February 1, 2024, an archived version will be available on the Exco website until February 15, 2024.

As a reminder, the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Exco Technologies Limited will be held virtually on Wednesday January 24, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. (Toronto time). Participants can access the virtual Annual Meeting through the following link: https://virtual-meetings.tsxtrust.com/1559.

Exco Technologies Limited is a global supplier of innovative technologies servicing the die-cast, extrusion and automotive industries. Through our 21 strategic locations in 9 countries, we employ approximately 5,000 people and service a diverse and broad customer base.
Ethics hotlines & reporting, real-time compliance alerts, and more to join Mitratechs existing portfolio, unveiling the markets most complete and scalable compliance suite

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mitratech, a global compliance technology leader for legal, risk, and HR teams, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its portfolio through the acquisition of two companies: Syntrio, a leader in compliance training, ethics hotlines, and reporting; and Mineral, a world-class provider of predictive HR and compliance services.

The combination of Syntrio and Mineral, alongside Mitratech's cutting-edge solutions in enterprise legal management, policy management, workflow automation, and more, presents the market's most complete and integrated compliance suite. Acquired technologies and services include a world-class ethics reporting hotline, comprehensive HR and compliance platform, access to personalized HR compliance guidance from certified experts, intelligent eLearning libraries (featuring more than 1,000 training courses on ethics, employment law, etc.), and automated regulatory alerts. This new depth in Mitratechs portfolio allows unique and tailored solutions that cater to organizations of every size and complexity.

Syntrio and Mineral's combined wealth of expertise and excellence in human-centric compliance brings the scalability of our Mitratech portfolio to a new level  an advantage our clients have come to depend on in today's fast-paced risk and regulatory environment," said Mitratech CEO Mike Williams. "Whether you are a company with 100 employees or a Fortune 100 enterprise, your operational resilience and reputation depend on your ability to establish a culture of compliance that reaches every corner of your organization. Through these acquisitions, our customers are equipped with everything they need to identify, communicate, train, and adhere to the compliance requirements of today, plus the analytics and services to iterate on and scale best practices into the future. All in one place, and all with one trusted partner."

In addition to creating a more holistic learning environment for employees through training and development programs, these acquisitions mark Mitratechs most significant step forward in elevating operational performance through business analytics and integrated reporting since its announcement of PlatoBI earlier this year. Equipped with deeper insights into (and across) compliance status, employee training progress, legal exposure, and more, Mitratech clients and partners can now leverage the data available through product use to address their organizations risks faster, control both HR and legal costs, reallocate time to higher-value work, and maintain compliance as they scale.

About Mitratech

Mitratech is a proven global technology partner for corporate legal, risk, compliance, and HR professionals seeking to maximize productivity, control expense, and mitigate risk by deepening organizational alignment, increasing visibility, and spurring collaboration across an enterprise. Mitratech serves over 14,000 organizations worldwide, spanning more than 160 countries.

For more info, visit: www.mitratech.com

About Syntrio

Syntrio is a global leader in governance, risk, compliance and human resource solutions that help more than 6,500 organizations make the workplace a better place. Syntrio solutions include a comprehensive ethics reporting hotline and case management system, and seven modern training libraries in Employment Law and Harassment, Ethics and Compliance, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Safety, Business Skills, Cybersecurity, and Hotline Learning.

About Mineral

Mineral is the HR and compliance leader for growing businesses. Minerals flagship solutions, including the Mineral Platform, Mineral Intelligence and Mineral Experts, combine data, technology, and human expertise to take the guesswork out of HR and compliance, and give clients peace of mind. Partnering with more than 2,500 industry-leading insurance brokers, health insurance companies, PEOs and HCMs, Mineral has built the largest HR community in the U.S. Mineral was formerly known as the combined entity of ThinkHR and Mammoth. For more information, visit trustmineral.com.



Contact

Ashley Estilette

[email protected]

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
London, UK, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a strategic expansion of its services, GlobaleCrypto, already a renowned name in digital asset and cloud mining, announces the enhancement of its cloud mining platform. This upgraded service encompasses an array of bespoke mining packages and investment strategies, reaffirming GlobaleCrypto's position as a trailblazer in the cryptocurrency mining sector.ade packages and investment plans, setting a new standard in the cryptocurrency mining world.

Optimized Cloud Mining SolutionsAt the core of GlobaleCryptos offerings is the integration of cloud computing with cryptocurrency mining. This synergy allows users to efficiently mine Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies without the burden of managing expensive hardware or incurring high electricity costs. This innovative approach is a testament to GlobaleCrypto's commitment to making cryptocurrency mining more accessible and profitable.

Redefining Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency MiningGlobaleCrypto's enhanced platform is not merely a service upgrade but a pivotal advancement in the realm of digital asset mining. It signifies a new era in the way individuals and organizations approach cryptocurrency accumulation, offering a range of solutions from beginner-friendly options to advanced strategies for seasoned miners.

Advanced Technology for Maximum EfficiencyGlobaleCrypto's cloud mining platform is powered by the latest technology in cryptocurrency mining. The company's cutting-edge data centers, strategically located for optimal performance, are equipped with advanced mining rigs and sustainable energy sources, ensuring both high returns and eco-friendly operations.

Commitment to Security and TransparencySecurity and transparency are paramount at GlobaleCrypto. The platform employs robust encryption and security measures to safeguard user data and investments. Its transparent operations model offers real-time insights into mining activities and earnings, building trust and reliability.

Expansive Range of Mining PackagesGlobaleCryptos platform introduces various mining plans, each crafted to suit different levels of experience and investment:

Bitcoin Antminer S19 PRO Hyd: A perfect blend of daily earnings and exceptional efficiency.

Bitcoin Antminer S19 XP: Known for its remarkable energy efficiency and consistent returns.

Bitcoin Avalon-1366: Tailored for beginners, offering a steady daily output.

Bitcoin Whatsminer M50S 130T: Ideal for intermediate miners, with a significant daily earning potential.

Bitcoin Avalon-1366I: Marrying energy efficiency with reliable performance for consistent daily returns.

Bitcoin Antminer S19j XP: A high-yield option for those seeking profitable monthly outcomes.

Custom Plans for Individual Needs: Recognizing the unique requirements of each miner, GlobaleCrypto also provides personalized plans to match individual investment goals and risk appetites.

Sustainable Mining for a Greener FutureGlobaleCryptos dedication to sustainable practices is evident in its use of renewable energy sources to power its mining operations. This approach not only minimizes the environmental impact but also aligns with the evolving demand for responsible and sustainable business practices in the tech industry.

Join the Cloud Mining Revolution with GlobaleCryptoGlobaleCrypto extends an invitation to individuals and institutions globally to join this revolutionary journey in cryptocurrency mining. With its intuitive interface, diverse investment options, and a steadfast commitment to sustainability and security, GlobaleCrypto is more than just a service provider; it's a partner in achieving financial success in the digital age.

About GlobaleCrypto:A leader in the field of digital asset mining and cloud mining services, GlobaleCrypto is synonymous with innovation, efficiency, and trust in the cryptocurrency mining industry. The company is dedicated to simplifying the mining process and offering a variety of investment opportunities, catering to a global clientele.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.

Media Contact Information: Zack Rios Email: business(at)globalecrypto.com Website: https://GlobaleCrypto.com

Source: GlobaleCrypto
L'OREAL GROUPE UNVEILS AIRLIGHT PRO, A BREAKTHROUGH PROFESSIONAL-GRADE HAIR DRYING TOOL THAT CARES FOR THE HAIR AND FOR THE PLANET AT CES 2024

CEO Nicolas Hieronimus Revealed the CES 2024 Innovation Award-Winning Technology at the Opening Keynote, the First-Ever from a Beauty Company

LAS VEGAS, January 9, 2024  Today at CES 2024, the LOreal Groupe unveiled a next-generation hair drying tool designed with professional stylists for both beauty professionals and consumers at home: AirLight Pro. Developed in partnership with Zuvi, a hardware startup company established by drone engineers and leading scientists, AirLight Pro uses a combination of infrared-light technology and wind to care for the hair with visually smoother and hydrated hair*1 while also drying hair faster*2 with optimized heat flow across multiple hair types, and up to 31% less energy consumption*3.

Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of the LOreal Groupe, revealed the CES 2024 Innovation Award-Winning technology and detailed the companys strategic investments in Beauty Tech during his opening morning keynote in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For 115 years, LOreal has been leveraging science to innovate and provide consumers with unforgettable beauty experiences that fulfill their individual beauty aspirations. With AirLight Pro, in partnership with Zuvi, we prove that technology can augment beauty performance, caring for multiple hair needs, and reduce its environmental impact. Thats the future of beauty we are aiming to create.

Introducing AirLight Pro

LOreal, a scientific and industry expert in haircare from the cellular level to the fiber for every hair type (curly, straight, and coily), partnered with hardware startup Zuvi to develop and deliver a next-generation hair drying tool for beauty professionals and then to consumers worldwide that focuses on caring for the hair through breakthrough technology.

Zuvis mission is to leave the world better than we found it by disrupting technologies and innovating for the future, said Mingyu Wang, Founder and CEO of Zuvi. With our expertise in optics, aerodynamics, and consumer electronics design, we have created an exceptional product. Were immensely proud of the work weve done to date and now to have a partner like LOreal, a company with more than 100 years of expertise in haircare and beauty, to take our products to the next level. Together, we are and will continue to create ground-breaking beauty technologies.

Applying their patented LightCare technology to a blow-dryer, Zuvi developed a first-generation product that uses infrared light and high-speed wind to efficiently dry water on the hair surface, which leaves internal moisture in hair strands.

A team of over 100 engineers, designers, hairdressers, and scientists from LOreals Research & Innovation Division and Zuvi collaborated on AirLight Pros cutting-edge industrial design to develop a professional-grade hair drying tool that breaks through barriers of performance. AirLight Pro delivers up to 33% more hydrated hair*4, up to 59% visually smoother hair*5, faster drying times, and an enhanced user experience based on feedback from leading professional stylists. It is also able to deliver up to 31% less energy consumption*6.

Unlike conventional heating hair dryers with only heating coils, AirLight Pro is equipped with a special 17-blade, high-speed motor and patented*7 infrared technology powered by tungstenhalogen bulbs designed for fast hair drying without excessive heat. By efficiently drying water on the hair surface, hair is left with internal moisture in the strand resulting in smooth, shiny hair.

Tested by LOreal on more than 500 people across multiple hair types, AirLight Pro is designed to adapt to the needs of the individual user. The hardware, firmware, and app work seamlessly to make it possible for every user to customize the settings for their individual needs.

For over a decade, LOreal Research and Innovation has been creating a new Beauty Science powered by Technology: Augmented Beauty. Technology that truly answers age-old consumer needs with unparalleled results, said Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology at LOreal. AirLight Pro, with over 150 patents filed, perfectly embodies this breakthrough in beauty by, for the first time, bringing a solution for drying while caring for the hair as well as the planet.

LOreal made a minority investment in Zuvi through its corporate venture fund, BOLD Business Opportunities for LOreal Development.

AirLight Pro will be launched in select markets such as the United States and Europe by its salon professional brand, LOreal Professionnel, in 2024 to both beauty professionals and consumers.

As the historical brand leader and trusted partner of hairstylists since 1909, LOreal Professionnel has always elevated the professional industry with pioneering innovations, said Anne Machet, General Manager for L'Oreal Professionnel. Were thrilled to partner with Zuvi and invent the new generation of hair dryer. Powered with infrared light, AirLight Pro offers superior professional performance for all hair types, with significantly reduced energy consumption. The new perfect companion for all hairstylists!

Note: Statistics included are based on claim studies conducted on AirLight Pro in the European Union.

_____

About LOreal

For over 110 years, LOreal the worlds leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose - to create the beauty that moves the world - defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous, and committed to social and environmental sustainability.

With our broad portfolio of 36 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our LOreal For The Future program, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity, and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With 87,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint, and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, travel retail and branded boutiques) in 2022 the Group generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros. L'Oreal relies on 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world, a dedicated Research and Innovation team of 4,000 scientists and over 5,500 tech and digital professionals, to invent the future of beauty and become the champion of Beauty Tech.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

About LOreal Professionnel

LOreal Professionnel offers professional beauty expertise by drawing on over 110 years of knowledge and support for the hairdressing sector. The worlds historical leading professional brand for hairstylists partners with 1,5million stylists, and through over 300 000 salons. Its complementary broad portfolio is made of complete haircare ranges addressing all hair types, professional coloration & highlights, as well as augmented beauty tech accessories.

Acting under ambitious sustainability commitments following the LOreal for the Future programme, LOreal Professionnel offers through 66 countries around the world the best in terms of science, quality, efficacy, and responsibility. The brand is sold through online & offline channels, (hair salons, retailers and e-commerce).

More information on https://www.lorealprofessionnel.com/int.

About Zuvi

Zuvi's mission is to disrupt and redefine the beauty tech industry through groundbreaking innovation, personalization, and sustainability. Since its inception in 2019, Zuvi has committed itself to positively impacting consumers' daily lives and setting new standards in the beauty tech space. Rooted in engineering and scientific excellence, the team at Zuvi brings experience from industry giants such as Apple and DJI, as well as prestigious academic institutions like Oxford and UC Berkeley.

"This press release does not constitute an offer of sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com.

This press release may contain forecast information. While the Company believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of publication of this press release, they are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which may lead to a discrepancy between the actual figures and those indicated or suggested in these statements.

CONTACTS

LOREAL

Switchboard

+33 (0)1 47 56 70 00 Individual shareholders and market regulators

Pascale GUERIN

+33 (0)1 49 64 18 89

[email protected] Financial analysts and institutional investors

Eva QUIROGA

+33 (0)7 88 14 22 65

[email protected] Media







Brune DIRICQ

+33 (0)6 63 85 29 87

[email protected]







Christine BURKE

+33 (0)6 75 54 38 15

[email protected]

further information, please contact your bank, stockbroker of financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR000012031) and consult your usual newspapers or magazines or the Internet site for shareholders and investors, www.loreal-finance.com , the LOreal Finance app or call the toll-free number from France: 0 800 66 66 66. 0 800 66 66 66

Follow us on LinkedIn @LOreal

Follow us on Instagram @lorealgroupe

www.loreal.com

*1 Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*2 Compared vs. same hair dryer without infrared light

*3 Instrumental test, compared to the leading premium hair dryers

*4 Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*5 Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*6 Instrumental test, compared to the leading premium hair dryers

*7 U.S.A. patent

Attachment
CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lynx Air (Lynx), has announced the addition of Charlottetown to its ever-expanding flight network. With service starting on May 30, 2024, Charlottetown will be the 22nd destination served by Lynx across North America.

Canadas newest ultra-affordable airline will operate flights between Charlottetown Airport (YYG) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) with through service to Calgary International Airport (YYC).

Initially, there will be four flights in and out of Charlottetown per week starting on May 30, 2024, increasing to six flights per week in and out of Charlottetown from June 10. The Charlottetown  Calgary flights will operate as through flights with a short stop in Toronto, offering a seamless journey, with a single boarding pass, bags checked through to the final destination, and no need to deplane in between.

The fares are truly ultra-affordable, starting from $59* one way, including taxes. The airline has also launched a limited-time seat sale, offering up to 35 per cent off base fares, network wide with the promo code PEI. The sale will run until 11:59 PM EDT on January 10, 2024. To book an ultra-affordable fare, please visit FlyLynx.com.

We are pleased to be expanding our services to Charlottetown in response to strong demand from travellers, said Vijay Bathija, Chief Commercial Officer of Lynx. Whether you are travelling to connect with friends and family or to discover the natural beauty of PEIs coastline, world class seafood or Island hospitality, Lynx is proud to make this beautiful province accessible to more Canadians with our ultra-affordable fares. Fares to and from Charlottetown start from as low as $59.00* one way, including taxes."

The Province of Prince Edward Island is pleased to be welcoming Lynx Air, and its guests, to our province, said Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture Cory Deagle. Reliable air access to and from key destinations is important to support trade, tourism and population growth in our province. We will continue to work with the Charlottetown Airport Authority and air partners to give travellers more options.

YYG Charlottetown Airport is pleased to welcome Lynx Air and their ultra-affordable fares to Prince Edward Island, says Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority. Lynx provides another attractive option for those wishing to experience our world class tourism product and Islanders looking for a low fare option to two of our most popular destinations. We welcome Lynx to YYG and look forward to working with them to ensure their entry here is a successful one.

We are thrilled to see the continued growth and success of Lynx Air with the addition of its newest route to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, creating additional options for Albertans looking to explore one of Canadas most beautiful regions, and enhancing YYCs connectivity with destinations across Canada, says Chris Dinsdale, CEO of The Calgary Airport Authority. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Lynx as we continue welcoming travellers to all the sights and experiences that Calgary and its surrounding region have to offer.

Lynxs Charlottetown Schedule

Effective Date Frequency Departure Station Arrival Station 30-May-24 Monday/Thursday Charlottetown Airport (YYG) Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 30-May-24 Monday/Thursday Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Charlottetown Airport (YYG) 10-June-24 Monday/Wednesday/Friday Charlottetown Airport (YYG) Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 10-June-24 Monday/Wednesday/Friday Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Charlottetown Airport (YYG) 10-Jun-24 Monday ** Calgary International Airport (YYC) Charlottetown Airport (YYG) 12-Jun-24 Wednesday/Friday Charlottetown Airport (YYG) ** Calgary International Airport (YYC)

Please note that dates are subject to change. Please visit the website for full schedule details.

* Available for a limited time; fares are accurate at the time of release and include taxes and fees, restrictions apply.**Operating as through flights with a single boarding pass and baggage transferred to the final destination.

Media contact:Paula WorthingtonWorthington PR [email protected]403-585-2429

About Lynx Air

Lynx Air (Lynx), Canada's leading ultra-low-cost airline, is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all, with ultra-affordable fares and a customer-focused flying experience. The airline was recently awarded Youngest Fleet in North America by ch-aviation. Lynx operates a brand-new fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, bringing an elevated customer experience to low-cost travel in Canada. These ultra-efficient and reliable aircraft reduce Lynxs carbon footprint, making Lynx one of Canadas most sustainable airlines. Lynx is a privately owned Canadian airline with the financial backing and industry expertise required to transform the Canadian aviation landscape.

Visit FlyLynx.com or connect with Lynx on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to learn more.

Source: Lynx Air
Dublin, Ireland, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While prop trading gains momentum, the market for prop trading firms is just beginning to evolve and intensify competition. SabioTrade, a standout newcomer, has rapidly amassed a large trading community since its launch in July 2023, thanks to its array of distinctive features.





Prop Trading Phenomenon Sweeps 2024

Proprietary trading, a new trading approach that involves trading using company funds and sharing profits, has taken center stage in the financial industry in 2024. This trend addresses various market demands, catering to:

Experienced traders seeking new platforms to apply their skills and enhance earnings.

Overcoming the earning limitations associated with micro-investing by exploring additional funds.

Mitigating risks while unlocking greater potential for returns.

SabioTrade's Rise Riding the Prop Trading Wave

SabioTrade, having entered the market only in July 2023, has experienced a rapid ascent. At the outset, the company identified the limitations of competitors and crafted an unorthodox approach to organizing trading flow and community management.

Notable Achievements

Market-unique traderoom combined with the dashboard , allowing traders to execute all operations within a unified interface. This stands in contrast to competitors who redirect users to third-party platforms.

, allowing traders to execute all operations within a unified interface. This stands in contrast to competitors who redirect users to third-party platforms. Competitive offers , including affordable assessment plans, providing entry to funded accounts up to $200,000. Traders can retain up to 90% of their profits through a straightforward one-step assessment process.

, including affordable assessment plans, providing entry to funded accounts up to $200,000. Traders can retain up to 90% of their profits through a straightforward one-step assessment process. Crypto payments powered by CryptoPay , opening the prop trading experience for cryptocurrency holders.

, opening the prop trading experience for cryptocurrency holders. Neat communication: The company's products are localized in six languages, and it offers real-time support across four channels, ensuring a seamless experience for users.

The company's products are localized in six languages, and it offers real-time support across four channels, ensuring a seamless experience for users. Traders education: The platform features a free educational section complemented by a Telegram educational channel, accessible to all users.

The platform features a free educational section complemented by a Telegram educational channel, accessible to all users. Vibrant community: SabioTrade has witnessed exponential growth, attracting a loyal and active multi-thousand-member Discord community since its inception.

SabioTrades Announcements For 2024

Looking ahead to the first half of 2024, SabioTrade has planned a few significant developments:

Tweaks To Traderoom and Dashboard: SabioTrade is set to introduce a new and improved trade room and dashboard.

SabioTrade is set to introduce a new and improved trade room and dashboard. Sabio Boot Camp: Sabio is about to launch a custom program designed for trader training. The boot camp will offer educational resources, live sessions, webinars, and Q&A sessions to empower traders with knowledge and strategies.

Sabio is about to launch a custom program designed for trader training. The boot camp will offer educational resources, live sessions, webinars, and Q&A sessions to empower traders with knowledge and strategies. Expansion into Crypto Assets: SabioTrade is expanding its offerings to include the ability to trade crypto assets.

SabioTrade is expanding its offerings to include the ability to trade crypto assets. App Launch: A new application is in the works, promising a convenient mobile trading experience for SabioTrade users.

About SabioTrade:

SabioTrade is a proprietary trading firm, offering funded accounts up to $200,000 with a profit-sharing scheme up to 90/10. It provides a comprehensive trading ecosystem featuring a trading platform merged with an intuitive dashboard, easy assessments with no time limits, and realistic profit targets.

____________________

Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities.
MANILA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines has indefinitely banned the importation of poultry and other poultry products from Belgium and France due to the outbreak of bird flu in the two European countries, the Philippines' Department of Agriculture said Tuesday.

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the ban will immediately stop domesticated and wild birds from Belgium and France from entering the country.

Laurel said the indefinite import bans also prevent traders from bringing Belgian and French poultry products, including poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and poultry semen, into the Philippines starting Jan. 8, 2024.

Belgium and France, which share a border, reported their outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in domestic birds to the World Organization for Animal Health on Dec. 1, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2023, respectively.

"We are doing this to protect the health of our local poultry population as well as poultry workers and consumers since H5N1 is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by infected animals," Laurel said.

Laurel said meat imports already in transit, loaded or accepted before the ban will still be allowed to enter the country if the poultry were slaughtered or produced on or before Nov. 12, 2023, in the case of France, and Nov. 16, 2023, of Belgium.

All imports after the dates mentioned above will not be considered upon arrival in the country, except heat-treated products, he added. 
Washington, D.C., Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is thrilled to announce the new leadership team of co-CEOs Tom Chapman and Matthew Dillon. Reflecting the expanding vision of the trade association and the increasing opportunities and potential in the organic sector, Chapman and Dillon will combine their deep sets of expertise and seasoned perspectives to continue to push organic forward.

Tom and Matthew are truly a dynamic duo with a history of success as well as partnership, and they are poised and eager to accelerate the work of the trade association and to help us reach our strategic objectives, said Tracy Favre, President of OTAs Board of Directors. Moving to co-CEOs broadens OTA's ability to effectively represent our members in the growing and evolving organic sector. The timing is right for this change, and the entire Board of Directors is supportive of this evolution in our leadership."

Chapman and Dillon bring an impressive depth and breadth of leadership to OTA. Collectively they have more than four decades of experience in organic across the industry, including farming, seed sector, supply chain, consumer packaged goods, certification and regulation and government affairs. With the upcoming announcements of the first USDA Organic Marketing Development grant recipients, the trade associations continued work as a lead cooperator for USDAs Transition to Organic Partnership Program, and a Farm Bill worth fighting for, Chapman and Dillons leadership will ensure OTA is well positioned to support the continued growth and improvement of the organic sector.

Chapman joined the trade association in April 2022 as CEO, bringing 20 years of industry experience with expertise in policy, organic certification and organic supply chains. Starting his career at Quality Assurance International, he went on to lead the management of supply chains at Kinders Premium Sauces and Seasonings, Clif Bar & Company and Numi Organic Tea. As OTAs co-CEO, Chapman will lead the associations regulatory and technical affairs work, oversee the development of association programs and products and will be responsible for operations and financial management.

Dillon was raised in an agricultural family and community in Nebraska and has held diverse roles in organic food and farming, working from seed to shelf. He headed Abundant Life Seed, one of the first certified seed companies in the U.S. and founded Organic Seed Alliance. He worked for over ten years at Clif Bar & Company in several roles including Vice President of Impact and Government Affairs. He most recently served as Chief Sustainability Officer for organic poultry producer Farmer Focus. As co-CEO for OTA, Dillon will oversee the organizations public relations, policy agenda, member engagement and fundraising.

It's a privilege to co-lead OTA with Matt Dillion, particularly at this pivotal moment for the organic. Our collective dedication to advancing the organic marketplace and our deep-rooted trade experience position us well to drive the organic sector forward. I look forward to leveraging our expertise to elevate OTA's initiatives, foster growth in the marketplace, and champion the benefits of organic for a healthier, more sustainable future, said Chapman.

Im thrilled to be stepping into this role. Theres an incredible opportunity to improve the integrity, relevance, and value of organic for our farmers, brands, consumers, and planet. OTA can continue to lead and convene its diverse members to expand that potential. I look forward to working with Tom, the rest of the staff, our members, and the broader community of organizations working to improve the future of food and farming, said Dillon.

More people than ever are eating organic food and using organic products, and the U.S. organic sector has never been bigger. Organic sales in the U.S. in 2022 totaled a record $67.6 billion, as consumers are increasingly attracted to organic because of its environmental, nutritional and social benefits. Organic food sales, at almost $62 billion, broke through $60 billion for the first time, hitting another high-level mark for the robust organic sector.

As the leading voice for organic trade in the United States, OTA has worked to strengthen organic businesses and promote organic agriculture for 30 years. The association represents more than 10,000 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members represent the entire organic supply chain, including growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others.

The associations expanding activities reflect the forward momentum and growth of the organic sector: its increasingly strong and effective advocacy for organic on Capitol Hill and in government agencies, the building out of business services offered to members, the creation of new member councils and task forces to better represent emerging organic categories, the inclusion of organic in climate-smart discussions and solutions, and the trade associations growing diversity and entrepreneurship program.

We all know the benefits of organic, but its time to reinvigorate that conversation with consumers, farmers, business leaders, policymakers, and advocates working to improve the food system for people and the planet. I am confident that Tom and Matthew working together at the trade associations helm will enable OTA to best support its members and ensure the continued growth of organic, said Favre.

###

About the Organic Trade AssociationThe Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 10,000 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA's Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA's mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

Attachments

Maggie McNeil Organic Trade Association (202) 403-8514 [email protected]

Source: Organic Trade Association
Commercial, personal lines specialist add to Florida presence, capabilities

BOSTON, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Risk Strategies, a leading national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced it has acquired Hooper, Hayes & Rogan, a Fort Lauderdale-based agency focused on commercial and personal lines clients. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.



Founded in 1998, Hooper, Hayes & Rogan provides insurance coverage to businesses and individuals throughout the state of Florida. Commercial lines is the firms primary focus, with extensive experience placing coverages for public sector and non-profit entities, as well as for contractors, manufacturing companies, and large properties.

Specialty expertise with a client-first mindset drives success even in the most challenging times, said Scott Popilek, Atlantic Region Leader, Risk Strategies. The team at Hooper, Hayes & Rogan brings that same approach which is why Im thrilled to welcome them to the Risk Strategies family.

Hooper, Hayes & Rogan has an extensive client base throughout the state of Florida, as well as in Texas, Tennessee and California. Its highly experienced staff averages more than 17 years in tenure with the firm. A high-touch service approach has engendered exceptional client retention and loyalty with the length of relationship for the firms top 10 clients averaging 16 years.

We saw in Risk Strategies a unique opportunity to bring a vast new array of specialized resources to our clients, bolster our competitiveness, and create new career possibilities for our people, said Tom Rogan, Founder, Hooper, Hayes & Rogan. Im excited for what our future will bring as part of Risk Strategies.

The purchase of Hooper, Hayes & Rogan marks the latest in a series of investments Risk Strategies has made in Florida dating back to the 2016 buy of leading marine insurance specialist Atlas Insurance Brokerage. More than a dozen specialty acquisitions in the state including Kahn Carlin, Advanced Insurance Underwriters, Danna-Gracey, Gehring Group and Parady Financial Group, among others, have positioned Risk Strategies as a leading insurance brokerage and risk advisor in the state today.

To learn more about Risk Strategies, please visit: www.risk-strategies.com.

About Risk Strategies

Risk Strategies is the 9th largest privately held US brokerage firm offering comprehensive risk management advice, insurance and reinsurance placement for property & casualty, employee benefits, private client services, as well as consulting services and financial & wealth solutions. With more than 30 specialty practices, Risk Strategies serves commercial companies, nonprofits, public entities, and individuals, and has access to all major insurance markets. Risk Strategies has over 100 offices including Boston, New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Grand Cayman, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. RiskStrategies.com.

Media Contact

Kelly Youngs

Assistant Account Executive

817-781-2359

[email protected]
TORONTO, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a unique night-time hotspot in Hong Kong, Temple Street has long been known for its great food, shopping, and authentic local culture. It uniquely appeals to visitors, enticing them to experience another facet of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has injected new momentum into this classic traditional hotspot and rolled out a six-month new promotion. On top of food stalls offering local flavours, new thematic photo spots will also brighten up the Street with local features and ignite vitality to attract locals and visitors to explore the Street.

Dr. Pang Yiu-kai, Chairman of HKTB, remarked that Temple Street is an iconic night-time tourism spot of the city, To respond to the call of Night Vibes Hong Kong, the HKTB joins hands with merchants of Temple Street in bringing new experiences to the place. Besides promoting Temple Streets existing experiences and the humanity touch of the community, we will further promote local delicacies in the area and boost the lively night-time ambience of Temple Street with artistic decorations, taking both the local public and visitors on an exploration of the most authentic tastes of Hong Kong. We strongly recommend everyone to visit Temple Street in person for these one-of-a-kind experiences.

Mr. Raymond Chan, Chairman of the Yau Ma Tei Temple Street Association of Hawkers and Shop Operators, said, Temple Street is not only a lively neighbourhood but also a place with diverse experiences where modernity meets traditions. The variety of cuisines and the strong sense of humanity are like a treasure trove for visitors and locals who want to discover the different facets of Hong Kong. In this promotion, we have gathered the shops in Temple Street and the neighbouring areas to bring in a variety of food stalls so that visitors and the local public can get stuffed at the one-stop market before going on an in-depth exploration of Temple Street.

Two Highlights to Infuse Innovations into the Original Tastes of Temple Street

HKTB steps up the promotion of the Temple Street experience. Focusing on Temple Streets unique features, the promotion brings together the elements of food and arts to present a special event and enhance the lively ambience to motivate the public and tourists to revisit the place and attract first-time visitors for a unique evening experience.

Captivating street decorations : HKTB invited local architect Mr. Stanley Siu to design a series of illuminated art installations, road signs and art projections with Hong Kong and Temple Street-themed elements to embellish the area, creating a mesmerizing brilliance to brighten up Temple Street in the evening. A lineup of signs is placed along Jordan Road to guide visitors on their visit to Temple Street, allowing them to uncover the surprises.

: HKTB invited local architect Mr. Stanley Siu to design a series of illuminated art installations, road signs and art projections with Hong Kong and Temple Street-themed elements to embellish the area, creating a mesmerizing brilliance to brighten up Temple Street in the evening. A lineup of signs is placed along Jordan Road to guide visitors on their visit to Temple Street, allowing them to uncover the surprises. A taste of Temple Street : Food stalls offer nostalgic snacks are set up near the Temple Street archway near Jordan, offering visitors refreshments of various local nibbles, exotic tastes, and nostalgic snacks before embarking on a local exploration. Illuminated art installations: Temple Street-themed illuminated art installations are set up at 11 locations. Look out for neon signs featuring the Chinese character symbolizing good fortune, the bat with a coin icon which brings luck and blessings, birds, fish balls, a pear-shaped herbal tea container and the spicy crab, and enjoy the artistic side of the local Temple Street culture. Nostalgic Hong Kong-styled elements, such as the railway gates, are also incorporated into the signs in a modern minimalist design, injecting a refreshing impression of the traditional Temple Street culture. Signature road signs: Artistic elements are added to existing road signs. For instance, cartoon icons of the Temple Street archway, clay pot rice, and spicy crabs are added to the street signs to provide visitors with information in a playful manner, making them an excellent photo option. Art projections: Art projections will brighten up your steps along Temple Street with lanterns, birds and other icons that showcase the unique life on Temple Street. With many visitors, including the Tin Hau Temple as one of their checkpoints, one of the projections features a Chinese character symbolizing bliss to bestow blessings upon visitors.

: Food stalls offer nostalgic snacks are set up near the Temple Street archway near Jordan, offering visitors refreshments of various local nibbles, exotic tastes, and nostalgic snacks before embarking on a local exploration.

Extended hours for Tin Hau Temple Complex, Yau Ma Tei on Saturdays

With the support of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the century-old Tin Hau Temple Complex, Yau Ma Tei, which is a declared monument in Hong Kong, will extend its opening hours every Saturday from 5pm to 10pm to add a cultural touch to the night-time vibes of Temple Street.

The HKTB thanks the Yau Ma Tei Temple Street Association of Hawkers and Shop Operators, merchants and residents in the community, and the government departments and the electricity company involved for their support and cooperation so that the promotion can be rolled out smoothly.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Members of the media can download photos from the following links: https://assetlibrary.hktb.com/assetbank-hktb/action/browseItems?categoryId=1341&categoryTypeId=2&cachedCriteria=1

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jorge Lee [email protected] Tel: (416) 366-2389 ext 206 Carol Lam [email protected] Tel: (416) 366 2389 ext 201

Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board Canada
ATLANTA, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE: TOL), the nations leading builder of luxury homes, is hosting a two-day Community Showcase event across the Companys new home communities in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area. Taking place on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 21, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., home buyers are invited to spend an afternoon exploring exceptional luxury home communities. Toll Brothers experts will guide attendees through spacious and stunning model homes, quick move-in homes, and onsite amenity centers, providing an insider look at the 20+ distinct Toll Brothers communities across Atlanta.

We are looking forward to giving our home buyers behind-the-scenes tours and showing off the beautiful model homes, clubhouses, and amenities at our luxury communities across Atlanta during this very special event, said Eric White, Division President of Toll Brothers in Georgia.

Guests will enjoy light refreshments while walking through professionally decorated and landscaped model homes located in the most sought-after locations in Georgia. Toll Brothers Sales Consultants will be on hand to answer questions and provide home buyers with insights on the latest trends in home design and the personalization options available through the unique Toll Brothers Design Studio experience.

Toll Brothers homes and communities are perfectly situated throughout the entire Atlanta, Georgia area. The Companys communities allow home buyers to be close enough to experience everything Atlanta offers, with a choice to be right in the city's hub, or in exclusive suburbs like Decatur.

For more information about Toll Brothers communities and to RSVP for the event, call 888-686-5542 or visit https://www.tollbrothers.com/rsvp/1742/GA-ATL_2599193-georgia-community-showcase.

About Toll Brothers Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 56 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TOL. The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states.

Toll Brothers was named the #1 Home Builder in Fortune magazines 2023 survey of the Worlds Most Admired Companies, the eighth year it has been so honored. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com.

2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse the products or services of, Toll Brothers.

Contact: Andrea Meck | Toll Brothers, Director, Public Relations & Social Media | (215) 938-8169 | [email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/acb7107c-f0f2-4d18-b364-39b206ba3264

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ac96fb7-5463-427b-9990-b844d210f6ad

Sent by Toll Brothers via Regional Globe Newswire (TOLL-REG)

Holly Farm by Toll Brothers Toll Brothers will host a Community Showcase event in Georgia  home buyers are invited to tour model homes and get an inside look at luxury homes under construction. Northbrooke by Toll Brothers We are looking forward to giving our home buyers behind-the-scenes tours and showing off the beautiful model homes, clubhouses, and amenities at our luxury communities across Atlanta during this very special event, said Eric White, Division President of Toll Brothers in Georgia.

Source: Toll Brothers, Inc.
San Diego, CA, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Truepic, provider of authenticity infrastructure for the internet, announced that the company made Built Ins list of 2024 Best Places to Work awards. Specifically, Truepic earned a place on Best Startups to Work For and Best Places to Work in San Diego, CA. The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, from startups to those in the enterprise, and honors remote-first employers and companies in large tech markets across the U.S.We feel honored to receive the Best Places to Work 2024 award from Built In and are proud to stand among the great companies on this list, said Cheyenne Williams, Senior Manager of People Operations at Truepic. Truepic is committed to creating an exceptional employee experience where our team engages in meaningful work with a huge global impact. This award reinforces our commitment to fostering a workplace that nurtures growth, collaboration, and genuine connection, regardless of our teams locations. We look forward to finding new and impactful ways to continuously improve that experience for our employees.Truepic was previously recognized as one of Built Ins Best Places to Work in 2022. Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work based on an algorithm using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits candidates search for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for DEI, and other people-first cultural offerings. Id like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 Best Places to Work winners, says Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder and CEO of Built In. I am truly inspired by these companies that have risen to the challenge of fostering a positive work environment, maintaining a strong brand, and ensuring employee satisfaction. The future is filled with promise and we are so excited to see what lies ahead.About TruepicTruepic provides authenticity infrastructure for the internet. The companys transparency tools deliver verifiable information about the origin and editing history of digital content. Truepic is dedicated to advancing products and services that establish transparency in digital content, empowering viewers and users to identify authenticity and differentiate human from computer-generated. Recognized as one of TIMEs Best Inventions and Fast Companys World Changing Ideas, consumers, businesses, creators, and publishers trust Truepics technologies to make informed decisions. For more information, visit truepic.com.

About Built InBuilt In is creating the largest candidate generation platform for technology professionals globally. Monthly, millions of the industrys most in-demand professionals visit the site from across the world. They rely on our platform to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers and find opportunities at companies whose values they share. Built In also serves thousands of innovative companies from startups to the Fortune 500. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them reach otherwise hard-to-hire tech professionals. www.builtin.com.

About Built Ins Best Places to WorkBuilt Ins annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. Best Places to Work is distinct because its algorithm selects tech companies that build their offerings specifically around what tech professionals value in a workplace. Winners are announced in early January 2024. https://employers.builtin.com/best-places-to-work/

Attachment

Jules Cassano Truepic [email protected]

Source: Truepic
Washington, DC, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Mint and The Royal Mint today announced the collaborative design created by both mints Chief Engravers for the 2024 Liberty & Britannia Program.

Following a successful joint project in 2021 featuring the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower Voyage coins and medals, the United States Mint and The Royal Mint are working together once again on a different type of project. This one features a unique design collaboration between the Chief Engravers of two of the worlds largest and oldest Mints. The collaborative design features Liberty and Britannia, two historical themes featured on many coins over the years, but never together on one unified design. American Liberty, historically represented by a woman in her many variations, represents that bedrock value that is so important to Americans. She has appeared on U.S. coinage since the early years of the Nation. Britannia, a staple on British coinage since the late 1600s, has long been the national personification of Britain. Often a symbol of maritime power, this allegorical image has come to be a symbol of national pride and unity.

The United States and the United Kingdom have long shared a close relationship, based on common values and ideals. In this project, these two historic Mints have come together in a groundbreaking creative partnership, featuring the talent and skills of each mints Chief Engraver to produce a design unifying Liberty and Britannia on one design. The United States Mint Chief Engraver, Joseph Menna, and The Royal Mint Chief Engraver, Gordon Summers, have created a stunning design, celebrating the harmony of the figures while giving each equal prominence in the design.

The design features allegorical Liberty and Britannia depicted in stoic profile portraits featuring complementary and balancing elements suggestive of the faces on a playing card. Their appearance identifies each figure; Liberty carries a torch and is adorned with stars, while Britannia wields a trident and wears a Corinthian helmet. Inscriptions will be appropriate for each nation.

This has been an extraordinary opportunity for the United States Mint, said United States Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson. This occasion marks the first time that the Chief Engravers of both mints have collaborated on a single design. The combination of their artistic talents has resulted in a truly unique design that will surely be a collecting standout. Our hope is that this project expands the reach of both mints and leads to more opportunities for growth between our institutions.

Nicola Howell, Chief Commercial Officer at The Royal Mint, comments: I am delighted that our two great institutions have collaborated on this project, resulting in such an exquisite design, and making numismatic history by collaborating on a reverse design for the first time. The combined expertise of our Chief Engravers has resulted in something very special for customers across the world. Further to the design, the product available from The Royal Mint will be across both commemorative and bullion, offering customers the option to purchase a stunning collectable as well as offering an investment opportunity. As The Royal Mint grows its prominence in the U.S., this is an ideal opportunity for us to embrace the wants and needs of our international customers as we work with our counterpart across the Atlantic. The United States Mint and The Royal Mint will each utilize this design on products that will be available in 2024. Find more information about products from the United States Mint here and The Royal Mint here.

About the United States MintCongress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nations sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

About The Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back over 1,100 years. Based in the Tower of London for over 500 years, by 1812 The Royal Mint had moved out of the Tower to premises on Londons Tower Hill. In 1967, the building of a new Royal Mint began on its current site in South Wales, U.K., to accommodate the minting of U.K. decimal coinage. Today, The Royal Mint is the worlds largest export mint, supplying coins to the U.K. and overseas countries. The Royal Mint has also diversified into a number of other complementary businesses, building on the values that have been at the heart of the organization throughout its history  authenticity, security, precious metals, craftsmanship, and design.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Visit https://www.usmint.gov/about for information about the United States Mint.

Visit https://www.royalmint.com/discover/ for information about The Royal Mint.

Visit and subscribe to the United States Mints YouTube channel to view videos about the United States Mint.

Visit https://catalog.usmint.gov/email-signup to subscribe to United States Mint electronic product notifications, news releases, public statements, and our monthly educational newsletter, Lessons That Make Cents .

. Contact information for The Royal Mint: 0845 600 5018, [email protected]

# # #

United States Mint  Connecting America through Coins

Attachment

Public Affairs United States Mint (202) 354-7222 [email protected]

Source: United States Mint
Bullet Blockchain Has an Immediate Presence in Two States

RENO, NV - (NewMediaWire) - January 09, 2024 - Bullet Blockchain, Inc. (BULT or the Company), (OTC: BULT), a pioneering software development and SaaS company at the forefront of blockchain and Bitcoin ATM technologies, proudly announces its next significant milestone: the successful purchase of a network of 40 Bitcoin ATMs located in South Florida as the next stage of BULTs planned deployment and branding. This purchase is part of a larger expansion plan and a testament to BULTs continuous efforts to innovate and lead in the rapidly evolving digital currency landscape.

South Florida is an important market and a key component to our overall strategy. We now have a presence in two states, and we are looking to expand rapidly, stated Simon Rubin, Chief Executive Officer of BULT. As previously announced, BULT recently completed a strategic transaction to acquire a portfolio of Bitcoin ATMs and completed the successful deployment of 10 licensed Bitcoin ATMs across the state of Georgia as the first stage of its planned deployment and branding of 30 Bitcoin ATM kiosks. Simon Rubin continued, We continue to believe that 2024 presents a significant opportunity for Bullet Blockchain and our shareholders.

BULT continues to pursue licensing programs for operators and manufacturers, which include a per-transaction licensing fee, revenue share, or partner programs involving BULTs intellectual property. As previously announced, BULT acquired First Bitcoin Capital LLC, which owned an intellectual property portfolio consisting of the rights to two Bitcoin ATM patents, becoming the owner and licensor of these valuable assets. By virtue of its subsidiary, First Bitcoin Capital LLC, BULTs intellectual property includes the ownership and the exclusive rights to US Patent Nos. US9135787B1 Bitcoin kiosk/ATM device and system integrating enrollment protocol and method of using the same (US9135787B1) and US10332205B1 Bitcoin kiosk/ATM device and system and method of using the same (US10332205B1), respectively. The combined patents acquired by BULT are critical for Bitcoin ATM networks to operate. As previously announced, BULT has retained counsel to target unlicensed Bitcoin ATM operators and manufacturers. The Company will continue to pursue unlicensed Bitcoin ATM operators and manufacturers violating BULTs intellectual property portfolio.

To receive email alerts and to stay informed on Bullet Blockchain in your inbox, click here.

About Bullet Blockchain

Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Bullet Blockchain, Inc.  common stock is publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol (BULT)  is a diversified software development and SaaS company, specializing in blockchain technologies and Web 3.0, and though its wholly owned subsidiary, First Bitcoin Capital LLC, the owner and licensor of two Bitcoin ATM patents. BULT is committed to driving the innovations needed to shape the future of digital and blockchain-related platforms through digital technology and decentralized blockchain solutions. Management is dedicated to rapid growth and increasing the shareholders value.

Shareholders, potential investors, and others should note that we announce material events and material financial information to our shareholders and the public using our website and the social media addresses listed below, as well as in our OTC Markets disclosures, press releases, public conference calls, and webcasts. We also use social media to communicate with our email subscribers and the public about BULT, services, and other related information. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage shareholders, the media, and others interested in BULT to review the information we post on BULTs social media channels listed below. This list may be updated from time to time.

Follow us at:

 Find BULT news at http://www.BulletBlockchain.com

 Follow BULT news on X (f/k/a Twitter) @BULT_stock

 Follow BULT on Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/BULT/

 Follow BULT on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BulletBlockchainInc/

 Follow BULT on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bullet-blockchain-inc

 Find investor and general information at https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/BULT/profile

 For investor and general information, please email [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors, including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release, and these views could change at some point in the future. However, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking.

Contact us: [email protected]


San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - As households around the U.S. start preparing their 2023 tax returns, millions of people will struggle to find a suitable tax preparer or certified public accountant (CPA). To help, TaxGlobal is poised to help solve this perennial problem using artificial intelligence (AI).





TaxGlobal Platform



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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TaxGlobal is a comprehensive hub for all tax-related needs. For businesses or individuals trying to find support at a time when the number of CPAs and Tax preparers is on the decline, or for CPAs searching for new client connections, the service proves invaluable not just during tax season, but year-round.

Founder Sanjay Popat conceived TaxGlobal after experiencing firsthand difficulties obtaining timely information from his then-CPA. Aligning with notable and experienced CFOs like Brian Gilmartin and other veterans from the business and technology world to create an impressive advisory board, Popat pinpointed a massive need in the market.





Brian Gilmartin



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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"The Silver Tsunami has led to a mass exodus of qualified CPAs," he says. "The complexity of tax returns has increased, but the number of professionals completing them has diminished. Breaking it down even further, CPAs often specialize in different requirements, making it much harder for filers to get the help they need. That's why I came up with this concept."

The problem is only growing: The pool of CPAs in the U.S. and other countries is aging out and shrinking in size, with younger professionals finding the industry too time-consuming and stressful, according to recent media reports backing up the claim of an industry-wide staffing crisis.



To help further assist business owners who need help with their taxes, TaxGlobal is offering a networking community where questions about taxes are asked and answered. Users can visit the community portal to ask, reply, and react to questions. Through TaxGlobals chat module, individuals, businesses, and CPAs can effortlessly connect; through users personal homepages, they can easily share information and service offerings.

"People need to consider their CPAs as financial partners," Popat reminds us. "CPAs are strategists who can offer investment strategies, set up life insurance policies, and more in a tax-efficient way. Having a single platform to communicate with them - or, for CPAs, to communicate with clients in a timely and organized manner - is significant."









Sanjay Popat, TaxGlobal Founder



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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TaxGlobal has its own version of a GenAI model, known as TABY (short for TaxBuddy). This powerful generative AI tool provides cited answers to complex tax questions raised by users, scouring IRS regulations, laws, official news, and other federal and state-certified sources. Taby's responses are quick and accurate, and through the querying process, TaxGlobal gains new information on the type of CPAs it recommends to a specific user, hence always recommending the right help for users' needs.

The company offers an impressive range of additional tools, including 104+ targeted blog posts, a newsletter with up-to-date tax tips, the latest tax updates, and news, and a set of free tax calculators, that can help individuals and business owners come up with estimates quickly.

Popat adds, "There is currently no centralized site encompassing all the tools needed to solve user's tax requirements globally. Not even one in the U.S. That's the problem, and TaxGlobal is that comprehensive solution."

"Other companies provide different components of what TaxGlobal offers, but no one can match our full suite of services," he continues. "Our vision is to be the only destination for tax needs globally, through an experience that is flawless, streamlined, and simple to use."

In a time when timely and effective tax assistance is more crucial than ever, TaxGlobal simplifies tax management with innovation and expertise.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Tax Global

"It's easy to get overwhelmed with taxes and other financial planning or to feel alone and unique in your struggles. This is where community and targeted professional support become vital," says Popat. "Not every CPA is equal. Our services cut through the confusion and ensure that everyone can secure the support they need, no matter their situation."

Media Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.taxglobal.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193533
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) (OTC Pink: CRUCF) ("Colibri" or the "Company") along with its joint venture partner Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSXV: SSE) ("Silver Spruce") is pleased to report that an application to drill up to 1,000 metres on the Diamante Gold & Silver Project in eastern Sonora has been made to the SEMARNAT (Mexico Environment authority). The drill program is planned to test newly prioritized target areas and follow up on positive drill results from the 2022 drill campaign. The Companies have been advised that the permission to drill should be granted within the next three weeks. It is anticipated that the drilling program will begin soon after receipt of the permit.

Ian McGavney, President & CEO of Colibri commented: "Our work on the Diamante property during the past few months provides an excellent foundation for our drill plan. We are very pleased to be kick-starting 2024 with this drill program and we are looking forward to a very active and successful year at our various projects in Sonora, including our flagship EP Gold Project".





Figure 1 - Samples Map and Target Areas on Diamante I

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Figure 2 - Samples Map and Target Areas on Diamante II



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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About the Diamante Property

The Diamante property hosts numerous historical artisanal and small-scale mining sites (Figures 1 and 2) and combined with mineralization on the Mezquite and Jackie properties exhibit the geological characteristics of epithermal low to intermediate sulfidation Ag-Au (Pb-Zn), high sulfidation Au-Cu, and potential transition zones within and peripheral to porphyry style Au-Cu mineralization.

Sporadic surface exploration since 2011 has resulted in several surface showings comprised of epithermal precious and base metal mineralization (Au-Ag+/-Cu, Pb, Zn). Colibri and Silver Spruce commenced exploration on the Diamante property during 2021 and during 2022, Colibri (operator) and Silver Spruce completed the first-ever drill program on the Diamante property at the El Pillado and La Prieta targets located on Diamante I. Results from the 2022 drilling include 2.48 grams per tonne ("g/t") Au and 56.7 g/t Ag over an intersection length of 9.0 metres ("m") from La Prieta and 0.26 g/t Au and 184.5 g/t Ag over an intersection length of 6.0 m from El Pillado (Figure 1). Drilling at both targets intersected highly anomalous base metals in highlighted drill assay intervals. Through the fall of 2022, Colibri and Silver Spruce completed a program of geological mapping, rock sampling and stream sediment sampling on the Diamante property resulting in the discovery of two new surface showings (Figure 2). The prioritization of targets and drill plan for the Diamante property is based on this work combined with comprehensive compilation and interpretation of historical exploration information.

The Diamante property is located within a belt of Epithermal Au-Ag mineralization hosted by the Sierra Madre Occidental Volcanic Complex (Figure 3). Major gold mining operations in the area include Alamos Golds' Los Mulatos Mine as wells as Agnico Eagles' El India and Pinos Altos Mines. Diamante is located approximately 12km km northeast of Minera Alamos' Santana Au development project (Figure 4) which is nearing commercial production.

The Diamante property consists of the Diamante I and Diamante II concessions covering a total area of 1,057 hectares located adjacent to the Company's Mezquite and Jackie properties (Figure 4) which cover 180 and 1,113 hectares respectively providing the company with a total of 2,351 hectares of exploration ground. The Property is located approximately 170 km southeast of Sonora state capital Hermosillo and approximately 10 km northwest of the town of Tepoca. The property is accessed directly from Sonora state Highway 16.





Figure 3 - Regional Map of Sierra Madre Mines/Deposits

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Figure 4 - Colibri Sierra Madre Projects

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QUALIFIED PERSON

Jamie Lavigne, P. Geo and a Director for Colibri is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company holds six high potential precious metal projects, all of which have planned exploration programs for calendar 2023.

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com.

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.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For information contact: Ian McGavney, President, and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193667
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - HerdWhistle Technologies Inc., a leading provider of precision livestock monitoring solutions, announced today that it has signed a distribution agreement with Lucero Sales & Trading, a reputable agricultural equipment dealer in Saskatchewan. Under the agreement, Lucero Sales & Trading will sell HerdWhistle's suite of products, including UHF RFID ear tags, scanners, and the BigEye" to cattle producers in the province.

"We are excited to partner with Lucero Sales & Trading, a trusted and experienced distributor in the Saskatchewan market," said Braden Bjornson, CXO of HerdWhistle Technologies Inc. "We believe that our innovative products will help cattle producers improve their herd performance, health, and profitability, while reducing their environmental impact and labour costs."

Lucero Sales & Trading is a family-owned business that will be serving the agricultural community in Saskatchewan. The company offers a wide range of products and services, from implements to feed and veterinary supplies. Lucero Sales & Trading is committed to providing quality products and excellent customer service to its clients.

"We are proud to be the first distributor of HerdWhistle's products in Saskatchewan," said Justin Hawkins, owner of Lucero Sales & Trading. "We are impressed by the features and benefits of HerdWhistle's solutions, especially the BigEye"."

The HerdWhistle BigEye" is the ultimate 'all in one' precision tool for the livestock industry which offers a comprehensive solution for real-time phenotypic evaluation. Equipped with multispectral camera technology and uniquely in-built Ultra High Frequency tag readers. Its 3D camera and thermal camera capabilities provide accurate identification, efficient monitoring, and crucial insights into animal health. We look forward to introducing these products to our customers and helping them optimize their operations."

HerdWhistle Technologies Inc., based in Calgary, Alberta, is a precision livestock monitoring company working with cattle feedlots and cow-calf operations to improve operations and protect beef quality. The company's products use ultra high frequency RFID technologies to monitor and manage individual cattle, providing data-driven insights and recommendations to producers. HerdWhistle's products are designed to be easy to install, use, and maintain, and are compatible with existing infrastructure and equipment. For more information, please visit https://www.herdwhistle.com.

Investor Inquiries: HerdWhistle Technologies Inc. [email protected] (587) 943-4404.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193724
This photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows cargo trucks passing through an immigration inspection checkpoint at Dongxing port in Dongxing, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Boosted by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN has continued to deepen over the past two years, contributing to the regional economic development. (Xinhua/Zhu Lili)

NANNING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- During the 2024 New Year holiday, a bustling scene unfolded at Youyi Pass, also known as Friendship Pass, situated in the border city of Pingxiang in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, as trucks from both China and Vietnam formed queues for customs clearance.

Shipments of agricultural products like durians and mangosteens from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries were streaming into China through the border port. In the opposite direction, trucks laden with electronic components, machinery and equipment were en route to ASEAN countries.

Boosted by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN has continued to deepen over the past two years, contributing to the regional economic development.

As the world's largest free trade agreement, the RCEP includes 10 ASEAN members, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The 15 states' total population, gross domestic product and trade all account for about 30 percent of the world total.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner in the first 11 months of 2023, with the total trade between the two sides reaching 5.8 trillion yuan (about 816.9 billion U.S. dollars), up 0.1 percent year on year.

In July 2022, fresh Vietnamese durian was officially allowed to enter the Chinese market, following which the Youyi Pass, the largest fruit import and export port between China and ASEAN, witnessed a massive influx of the tropical fruit.

According to Wang Zhengbo, president of a Guangxi-based supply chain management company, business opportunities for collaboration between China and ASEAN have continued to grow in recent years, boosting the demand, quantity and variety of goods in cross-border trade as well as marking a continuous increase in the freight volume.

The company has carried out strategic cooperation with orchards and packaging plants in Vietnam, and has signed cooperation agreements involving nearly 3,000 hectares of durian orchards to meet the demand in China.

After the RCEP agreement took effect, eight new fruit varieties from ASEAN countries have been approved to enter China, including bananas from Myanmar, longans from Cambodia and durians from Vietnam.

In the first three quarters of 2023, the Youyi Pass has seen a continuous increase in the import of agricultural products, with a value of 19.66 billion yuan, up 413.8 percent year on year.

Leveraging its advantages in location, transportation policies and resources, Guangxi has integrated the construction of the China-ASEAN industrial cooperation zone based on the existing development zones, free trade zones and industrial parks in seven cities, including the regional capital Nanning and the city of Chongzuo.

Relying on the raw materials from Southeast Asia, a processing industrial park is under construction in Pingxiang, the border city under the administration of Chongzuo.

According to Wang Shujuan, chairperson of Guangxi Zhongguo Industrial Co., Ltd., which invested in the industrial park, the first phase of the project, with a total investment of about 150 million yuan, commenced operations in November 2023, mainly producing lime jam. The annual output value is expected to surpass 300 million yuan once the project is fully operational.

With the industrial chains of China and ASEAN becoming increasingly complementary, enterprises in regions like Guangxi are ushering in huge market opportunities.

In recent years, construction machinery made by Guangxi Mesda Group Co., Ltd. have entered the markets of Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and other ASEAN countries, and have been well received by local customers.

"Many ASEAN countries are undergoing rapid industrialization and have a great demand for China's advanced technology, products and capital. As China-ASEAN regional economic integration progresses, we are fully confident that Chinese enterprises can gain a foothold in the ASEAN market," said Huang Kanghua, chairman of the company.

With the advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative and the thorough implementation of RCEP, the industrial chain between China and ASEAN will be further integrated, and exchanges and cooperation between the two sides will take a new step forward, said Zhai Kun, a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University. 

Custom staff members check imported durians at the Youyi Pass, also known as Friendship Pass, in Pingxiang, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on April 21, 2023. Boosted by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022, industrial cooperation between China and ASEAN has continued to deepen over the past two years, contributing to the regional economic development. (Xinhua/Nie Xinyu)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Hertz Lithium Inc. (CSE: HZ) (OTCQB: HZLIF) (FSE: QE2) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a license agreement (the "License Agreement") with the Penn State Research Foundation (the "PSRF").

Pursuant to the License Agreement, the PSRF has granted the Company a royalty-bearing exclusive license (the "Patent Rights License") to the PSRF's novel patent-pending process for extraction of lithium from hard rock sources (the "Technology")[1]. Further, pursuant to the License Agreement the PSRF has granted the Company a royalty-bearing license to certain know-how (the "Know-How") necessary to derive the benefits of the Patent Rights (the "Know-How License" and together with the Patent Rights License, the "Licenses"). The Company maintains the right to sublicense the Licenses under the License Agreement to third parties.

The Technology comprises a patent-pending process for the extraction of lithium from hard rock lithium sources. Lithium is one of the critical elements with widespread applications in next-generation technologies, including energy storage, electric mobility and cordless devices.[2] Due to its unique applications, lithium cannot be substituted in most applications; therefore, a steady increase of 8-11% in annual demand is anticipated.[3] Meeting a rising demand for lithium requires prospecting and processing all viable resources. Two primary sources of lithium are hard rock ores (e.g., spodumene mineral) and brine, with clay sources considered secondary. Spodumene mineral is the major source of high-purity lithium; however, current technologies do not allow leaching of lithium from alpha-spodumene, and therefore most of the methods of lithium extraction from spodumene are focused on modifying the crystal structure of concentrated spodumene mineral into beta-spodumene using conventional heating (roasting) at 950-1100 degrees Celsius. However, such high-temperature roasting processes are very energy intensive and have been the bottleneck of the economic extraction of lithium from ores. Thus, there is a need for more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly methods for a high-yield extraction of lithium. The Technology is designed to satisfy these needs[4]-[5].

The Technology begins with taking spodumene concentrate, introducing sodium hydroxide, and then proceeding with conventional or microwave roasting which transforms the alpha-spodumene into a soluble phase. Next, the water leaching is currently used to recover up to 95% of the water-soluble lithium.

"Lithium has become a commodity of our generation and many new lithium deposits are being defined and put into production to meet the demand for lithium minerals to power electric vehicles, cell phones and many modern instruments. The need for updated, efficient and environmentally friendly lithium extraction technologies is urgent and at Hertz Lithium, we are excited to have executed the license agreement with Penn State University (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences)," states Kal Malhi, CEO & Director of Hertz Lithium. Mr. Malhi continues, "Owning the worldwide exclusive rights to develop and commercialize this patent-pending extraction process is a major differentiator for us in the lithium mining and exploration industry. We are in discussions with commercial lithium extraction experts and potential partners to join our team and begin the next phase of development towards a pilot plant stage demonstration of this technology. We will be laser-focused on developing industry partnerships to advance this technology in 2024 and will be providing ongoing regular updates on our progress in the weeks and months ahead."

About Hertz Lithium Inc.

The Company is a British Columbia-based mineral exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include the Lucky Mica Project, which is located along the Arizona Pegmatite Belt in the Maricopa County of Arizona, USA and the Patriota Lithium Project, located along the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province, in Brazil and the district scale AC/DC Lithium Project and Snake Lithium Project, both located in James Bay, Quebec.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: [email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this new 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 materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. 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. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, 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] Rezaee, M., Vaziri Hassas, B., Akbari, H., Agrawal, D., and Slawecki, T. (2021). Process for Extraction of Lithium. International Patent Application Number: WO2021155224A1.

[2] Meshram, P., Pandey, B. D., & Mankhand, T R. (2014) "Extraction of lithium from primary and secondary sources by pre-treatment, leaching and separation: A comprehensive review. Hydrometallurgy," 150, 192-208.; Martin, G., Rentsch, L., Hoeck, M, & Bertau, M (2017). "Lithium market research-global supply, future demand and price development." Energy Storage Materials, 6, 171-179.

[3] Baylis, R, 2013, January. "Evaluating and forecasting the lithium market from a value perspective." In Roskill presentation, 5 the Lithium Supply and Markets Conference, Las Vegas (pp. 29-31); ENTR, E (2014). "Report on Critical Raw Materials for the EU Ares" (2015), 1819503.

[4] Shihua, H., Daulet, S., Pan, J., Vaziri Hassas, B., Akbari, H., Mensah-Biney, R. Rezaee, M.*, (2022). Direct Extraction of lithium from -spodumene by salt roasting-leaching process. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.

[5] Rezaee, M., Shihua, H., Daulet, S., Vaziri Hassas, B., Slawecki, T. M., Agrawal, D., Akbari, H., Mensah-Biney, R. (2022). Microwave-assisted calcination of spodumene for efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly extraction of lithium. Powder Technology, 397, 116992.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193668
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Hybrid Power Solutions Inc. (CSE: HPSS) (OTC: HPSIF) (FSE: E092) ("Hybrid" or the "Company"), a Canadian manufacturer of fuel-free, industrial portable power solutions, has filed for a provisional patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its ground-breaking battery heating technology.



The application, titled 'A System and Method for Internal Battery Heating Through High Frequency and High Amperage Short Circuit Current', aims to revolutionize the process of battery heating by implementing high-frequency, high-amperage short circuits to internally heat batteries. Unlike conventional external heating methods, this system reduces heating time while consuming less power.

"This provisional patent represents a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions," stated Francois Byrne, CEO of Hybrid Power Solutions. "Our innovative approach to internal battery heating addresses crucial challenges in battery performance and longevity, offering more efficient heating while potentially safeguarding against cell degradation over time."

The newly developed system delivers more uniform heating across batteries, a crucial factor in ensuring consistent performance and durability. By mitigating the impact of temperature variations within the battery, this technology has the potential to extend the lifespan of battery cells, contributing to enhanced reliability and longevity.

The application, with a number assigned as 63/509,289, demonstrates Hybrid Power Solutions' dedication to pioneering advancements that align with their mission of sustainable energy innovation and environmental responsibility.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Francois Renaud-Byrne

CEO and Director

[email protected]

1 (866) 549-2743

www.investhps.com

About Hybrid Power Solutions Inc:

Hybrid Power Solutions Inc. is a Canadian clean energy company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "HPSS". Hybrid specializes in producing industrial grade clean technology products such as portable power packs and stationary storage.

Cautionary Statement:

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, such as statements regarding the Option, including whether the parties will enter into the Definitive Agreement, and if so, on what terms, the payments and expenditures required to exercise the Option and the timing thereof, and statements contained within the Corporate Video and Corporate Presentation. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's expectations and are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, nor that the Definitive Agreement will be entered into or that the Option will be acquired or exercised as contemplated, or at all. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193604
PropyKeys introduces a home addresses market onchain

Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Today, PropyKeys, a new gamified application, part of Propy ecosystem, introduces a home addresses market onchain. It is a decentralized application (dApp) game, powered by the PRO token and launched on Base, a layer-2 network operating on top of Ethereum and part of the Coinbase ecosystem. Participants can mint their own or someone else's home addresses onchain and stake or sell later.

Image 1

Real estate has long been restricted by barriers to entry such as exorbitant title fees and inefficiencies that blockchain can simplify. Propy and its ecosystem companies aim to make homeownership seizure-resistant, more affordable and user friendly. The $280 trillion market has remained entrenched in a "no trading zone," but PropyKeys seeks to rewrite this narrative by being a fun entry point to the Propy ecosystem and title onchain. Now, anyone can start their onchain journey by minting home addresses via PropyKeys,and then verifying ownership via Propy, and even creating instant property sales or micro mortgages--all within the onchain Propy ecosystem.

"Imagine a world where every property's rightful ownership is seamlessly encapsulated in an immutable onchain title", said Andrew Zapo, lead contributor to PropyKeys. "Picture a future where individuals can effortlessly engage in peer-to-peer property transactions or leverage their property holdings for micro mortgages. This future, underpinned by blockchain's trustless architecture, redefines property rights autonomy and, in turn, societal norms."

Unlocking Property Ownership

Image 2

At its core, PropyKeys addresses critical pain points:

Democratized Minting and Trading

PropyKeys allows crypto natives to mint addresses, stake them, and seamlessly facilitate trades with property owners. Address NFTs could be minted for a PRO token fee. Home address holders and real owners of properties of the acquired addresses have the following advantages for the 3 tiers of NFTs. Inherent in the tokenomics strategy is the collection of $PRO as a fee for minting onchain addresses and property titles. This fee structure, while sustaining ecosystem development, simultaneously incentivizes community participation. 100% of the collected fees from addresses are redirected to incentivize and reward the network of address owners, ensuring active engagement and network growth. Additionally, mechanisms such as staking and governance participation offer avenues for token holders to contribute and influence the ecosystem while earning rewards in $PRO tokens.

Additionally, in the future, the community will be incentivized to provide loans for collateralized RWA NFTs via a secure protocol, developed by the Propy ecosystem of partners.

Onchain Titles & RWA NFTs

Property owners can elevate their addresses to onchain titles, enabling them to stake these titles or convert them into Real World Asset (RWA) NFTs. These NFTs facilitate easy sales or micro mortgages, opening new avenues for property transactions.

Image 3

Trust & Security

Leveraging user trust, PropyKeys champions an onchain, open-source, and community-governed title registry. By replacing paper deeds with algorithm-based systems, the platform guarantees a trustworthy and secure environment for all users.

Get your real-world address minted today

Visit PropyKeys.com today to mint your real-world address onchain. Join the movement empowering accessible property transactions and ownership like never before.

PropyKeys's innovation embodies philosophical tenets--trust and transparency. The transition from conventional property registries to blockchain-based onchain titles instills trust in algorithms rather than centralized intermediaries. This philosophical shift reverberates beyond the real estate sphere, transcending into a broader societal paradigm that has started its rapid revolution with programmable decentralized money.

About Propy:

Propy is a pioneering platform leveraging blockchain technology to facilitate seamless transactions of real world assets (RWA), specifically focused on revolutionizing global real estate markets. As an industry leader, Propy specializes in providing secure and efficient solutions, ensuring an enhanced experience for buying and selling properties worldwide.



X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/PropyInc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/propyinc

Website: https://propy.com/

Media contact: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193137
Quasar Markets aims to redefine the world of finance by changing the way investors and financial professionals access and use artificial intelligence.

Tampa, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - January 8, 2024) - Quasar Markets, a cutting-edge fintech company powered by AI-driven financial market research, is set to launch on February 2. The company aims to redefine the world of finance by changing the way investors and financial professionals access and use artificial intelligence (AI). Founded by CEO and Wall Street veteran trader Steven E. Orr, Quasar Markets is poised to become a game-changer in the financial technology industry with its pioneering and integrated AI capability propelled by an unprecedented "data lake" of over 15,000 data sources.





Quasar Markets Launches Feb. 2 with a Pioneering FinTech Platform That Redefines the AI User Experience

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Quasar Markets' goal is to be the "One Platform, Unlimited Possibilities" destination for financial information. Fintech companies can also implement Quasar Markets as a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for their users.

Currently, Quasar Markets is in the final stages of fundraising and will showcase the platform at peripheral events of the 54th World Economic Forum on Jan. 15-19 in Davos, Switzerland.

"Being a Wall Street trader for 33 years, Quasar Markets was born out of my idea for a superior flow of information from thousands of sources to aid investors," said Orr, the Wall Street visionary behind the new company. "We want to create a personalized one-stop shop for financial information."

Quasar Markets has been fine-tuned over years of thought and planning by Orr and the need for an agnostic financial technology ecosystem. "I wanted to create a truly world-class, high-quality fintech company," Orr said, "making the trader more efficient with quality, highly refined data from multiple sources. Traders are now looking at too many screens, and they are confined by their legacy applications. Our financial and lifestyle platform encourages trader choices and puts the power of AI in their hands to support decision-making," he adds. "Platforms today are either B2B or B2C, but Quasar Markets is built for B2X, everybody!"

"AI is already revolutionary...We're revolutionizing AI to make it more useful, taking machine learning to the next level of fintech," said Quasar Markets Chairman Rakesh Gupta, Chairman and CEO of New York-based KiwiTech, a leading AI services company. "We are uniquely positioned to help customers with the practical implementation of AI so they can transform data into business insights, make informed decisions, and overcome real-world challenges."

Quasar Markets provides stock quotes and research, news, sports, weather, and the ability to add video and instant messaging. Users can sign up for a free, basic membership or subscribe for just $14.99 per month for a premium, ad-free experience.

Key features of the Quasar Markets AI-powered platform include:

Data Integration: Quasar Markets aggregates data from over 15,000 sources, including renowned institutions such as EDGAR, FRED, the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, and the IMF. This extensive data pool forms the foundation of the platform's AI capabilities.

Customizable Watchlists: Users can create personalized watchlists for different stocks, enabling them to monitor their investments more effectively.

Comprehensive Technical Information: The platform provides access to technical information and charts from diverse sources, allowing users to make informed decisions.

"Web3, powered by Blockchain technology, is changing the world as we know it," Orr said. "As it makes inroads into our lives, organizations must embark on a Web3 journey to enable new business models while promoting transparency, efficiency, and security. Traditional software development methods often prove inadequate in a world that's moving at the speed of digital. Businesses need to become more flexible and agile to meet digital disruption head-on."

About Quasar Markets

Quasar Markets offers innovative solutions for researching financial markets, providing unparalleled insights and personalized client experiences. With a next-gen AI & Web3 platform and strategic partnerships with industry leaders, Quasar Markets is reimagining the future of finance. For more information, visit: https://quasarmarkets.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Steven E. Orr

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Quasar Markets

Address: Wesley Chapel, Florida 33543, US

Phone: +1 (202) 841-9009

Website: https://quasarmarkets.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193641
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - Ringfence, the first generative AI platform to ensure creators are paid for the use of their original work within AI-generated content (AIGC), has announced the successful closing of its $1.5 million seed round. The round was led by Rarestone Capital and Morningstar Ventures with participation from Spark Digital Capital, Curiosity Capital, Noir Ventures and other leading funds and angel investors.

Ringfence to Support and Incentivize Creators in the Era of AI-Generated Content

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Ringfence is the first platform dedicated to ensuring Web3 and Generative AI work in the favor of creators. Currently, courts are struggling with how to apply intellectual property laws to generative AI. Ringfence provides the infrastructure for creators to store and protect various media including photos, images, videos, documents, and music. Creators who want to monetize their content can verify ownership and authorize AI to use their files to create new AIGC. Additionally, Ringfence allows creators to mint their AIGC on any EVM-compatible chain using LayerZero's OFT standard, allowing fungible tokens to be transferred across multiple blockchains without asset wrapping, middlechains, or liquidity pools.

Ringfence Founder Whitney Gibbs says, "As Web3 and AI integration advances, it is estimated to evolve into a trillion-dollar market opportunity that remains relatively nascent in terms of attribution and digital provenance. We believe creators should decide how and when AI uses their work, and they should always be fairly compensated when it does. Our team is compelled to solve this with a tangible, scalable, and convenient solution that will ultimately be symbiotic in the growth of AIGC."

Rarestone Capital Founder Charles Read says, "We are excited to tackle one of the toughest challenges in the market and support the future of Web3 creators and AI."

Ringfence empowers creators with access to features such as unlimited cloud storage, content ownership verification to establish digital provenance, and perpetual compensation anytime AI uses their content for model training. Additionally, creators can access Ringfence's powerful AI engines to create a variety of content mediums and use Ringfence to tokenize their art without ever leaving the platform.

Ringfence plans to release its beta in Q1 2024. Creators can register for the waitlist at ringfence.ai.

About Ringfence:

Ringfence is the first generative AI platform to ensure creators are paid every time their original artwork is used to create AI-generated content (AIGC). The platform enables creators to store photos, images, videos, documents and music, protecting all of their content from unwanted use by AI. If a Ringfence Creator decides they would like to monetize their content, they can easily verify ownership and authorize AI to use their files to create new AIGC. Ringfence also allows creators to mint their AIGC content on any chain, through the LayerZero protocol.

Website: https://ringfence.ai/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RingfenceAI

Media Contact: Whit Gibbs, [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193660
THE WOODLANDS, Texas , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Arena Energy, LLC ("Arena"), a leading independent oil and gas exploration company focused on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf, has been named one of the best places to work by the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal for the third consecutive year. Awarded annually, winners are selected based on an anonymous employee survey process gauging employee satisfaction, engagement, culture, benefits, and leadership.

Arena was once again ranked in the top 10 in the Small Company category out of 143 nominated companies in the Houston Chronicle's 2023 Top Workplaces competition. In the Houston Business Journal Best Places to Work 2023 competition, Arena ranked in the top 20 in the Large Company category out of 240 companies.

Bernice Norris , Arena Energy's Vice President of Human Resources, said "We are honored to be a Top Workplace with the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal for the past 3 years. This reinforces that we have built an amazing culture and a work environment that has and will continue to attract talented employees."

About Arena Energy

Arena Energy, LLC was founded in 1999 on the belief that mature producing areas of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf still held vast potential  and that with the right technology, talented oil and gas finders could unlock these drilling opportunities. Today, that vision has been realized many times over. Since its founding, Arena has grown into one the largest private offshore oil and natural gas companies, having invested more than $4.5 billion of capital in the Gulf of Mexico , paid $1.5 billion in royalties to the federal government, and decommissioned over three hundred wells and forty-five platforms and other structures. Arena takes pride in safely and responsibly producing the energy that powers the United States and the world.

Contact Information:

Kevin Bruce

Vice President - Government Affairs

[email protected]

281-210-0536

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SOURCE Arena Energy, LLC
Sets Sights on Aggressive Expansion into the North American Market

HONG KONG , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlinks Group Limited ("Atlinks" or 'the Company"), along with its subsidiaries ('the Group"; stock code: 8043.HK), is pleased to announce that the Group has entered into the Sale and Purchase Agreements to acquire 100% issued share capital of 5Gen Care Limited and 5GenCare.com Limited ("5Gen Care"), and 100% issued share capital of Chillax Care Limited and Chillax Technology Limited ("Chillax") on 2 January 2024 .

Mr. Tong Chi Hoi , CEO of Atlinks, said, "We are excited that the acquisitions align with the Group's strategic goal of innovative technology development. This transformative move enables us to evolve into an integrated software and smart video streaming devices development company focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Video Things (IoVT). By leveraging on research and development capabilities in key areas such as AI, IoVT, end-to-end solutions and software development of 5Gen Care, we can extend our products lines from the development and sale of telecommunication products and senior products to include video streaming on smart baby monitors for mobile devices in North American markets. These will become our long term new growth drivers."

The acquired company, 5Gen Care and 5GenCare.com Limited, were incorporated in Hong Kong during 2020 to 2022. They are software development companies offering fully integrated, stable and secure end-to-end solutions for IoVT. Their services enable electronic devices to go online and build mobile applications for remote control and management. The end-to-end solutions includes firmware, cloud connectivity software, and application software development services and it sells UDID (Unique Device Identification) to each of electronic device and provides corresponding services. 5Gen Care currently serves numerous customers, including multinational brand, with its solutions installed in hundreds of thousands of devices worldwide. It has recently initiated a user subscription model for paid features, which has shown initial success.

Chillax and its group companies, were founded in Hong Kong during 2021 to 2022, are principally engaged in selling baby monitor to mobile devices under the brand, "Chillax" in North America .

Upon completion of the acquisitions, 5Gen Care and Chillax, along with their respective group companies, will become indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company.

The Group believes the acquisitions will be transformative, and will set the stage for enhanced market presence, diversified products and services and accelerated innovation. The Group expects the strategic integrations will not only solidify its position in existing markets, but also open up new avenues for growth and customer engagement.

At a commercial level, the Group is set to grow through the acquisition of 5Gen Care and Chillax, both bringing valuable assets. 5Gen Care has developed reliable and secure IoVT software and has established a skilled research team in Hong Kong and Vietnam . Its software is widely used across many countries, and its new paid subscription service is already performing well. Chillax's baby monitors aligns perfectly with the Group's existing product roadmap and its robust online sales will help the Group's expansion into online business. Simultaneously, the Group will use its retail strength to boost Chillax's sales. With Chillax operating primarily in the USA and the Group mostly in Europe , this move represents a smart step toward growing the business in new markets.

From operation perspective, by leveraging Atlinks' production and logistics capabilities, the Group expects to achieve greater cost efficiency and operational effectiveness. This strategic integration is anticipated to reduce costs and enhance the overall efficiency for Chillax products, ultimately benefiting the bottom line.

For technology aspects, the merger of the R&D teams from both companies will accelerate innovation and adaptability. This synergistic collaboration aims at both developing cost-effective solutions and flexibility that meet the needs of both the baby and senior care markets. The combined expertise and resources are expected to lead to faster innovation cycles, better product offerings, and an enhanced ability to adapt to market changes.

Mr. Tong added, "Looking forward, the Group expects to utilise the Group's R&D capability and to apply AI and IoVT to other fields to further enrich our product lines, particularly in smart devices beyond telecommunications, senior and baby monitor markets. Our mission is to develop innovative and smart video streaming products characterized by advanced features, durability, reliability, safety and value-for-money. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for the public through widespread access and use."

About Atlinks Group Limited

The Group is principally engaged in designing, developing and selling home and office telecommunication products to retailers, telecommunication operators and distributors customers all around the world (except North America ) under three brands, namely Alcatel, Swissvoice and Amplicomms. Atlinks was listed on the GEM Board of the HKEx on 19 January 2018 (stock code: 8043.HK).

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atlinks-acquires-5gen-care-and-chillax-in-revolutionary-shift-toward-advanced-ai-and-iovt-technology-development-302030008.html

SOURCE Atlinks Group Limited
JetBlue Vacations running a Bahamas vacation sweepstakes

in tandem with over 200 poster placements in the US' busiest rail hub

NASSAU, Bahamas , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a record-breaking year in tourism, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) on 2 Jan. rolled out an expected month-long brand domination at New York Penn Station . The activation will see the placement of some 200 eye- catching giant size Bahamas posters at strategic locations throughout the busiest rail hub in the United States . The advertising campaign aims to heighten visibility of The Islands of The Bahamas brand during peak travel season and drive increased visitor traffic to the destination from the U.S. Northeast, the country's number one source market. The brand domination will run 2 - 29 Jan.

BMOTIA has partnered with JetBlue Vacations to run a sweepstake in tandem with The Bahamas activation at New York Penn Station . The sweepstakes will feature a 3-night air & and hotel package giveaway with roundtrip tickets for two. The Bahamas giveaway will be featured on some of the poster board placements throughout the station to make the activation more interactive. Additional marketing via various channels (email, social media, etc.) will be rolled out to promote the trip giveaway with JetBlue Vacations and bring about more awareness for the station domination.

Commenting on the Ministry's high visibility advertising campaign in the heart of New York City during the month of January, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper , Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, said: "Our tourism business is in robust growth mode. Having welcomed in 2023 an unprecedented 8 million plus visitors, our aim for 2024 is to continue the upward trajectory in visitor arrivals."

"Our dynamic New York Sales Team started the New Year with a bang, unveiling branding domination at America's busiest passenger transportation facility," said Deputy Prime Minister Cooper.

"The widespread placement of Bahamas posters at Penn Station in the dead of winter will keep our destination top of mind as the millions of commuters transit through the New York station during the month of January."

Latia Duncombe , Director General, BMOTIA, said, "In 2023, we witnessed a surge in demand for a Bahamas vacation experience. Our diverse offerings of 16 unique islands, coupled with the charm and warm hospitality of our people, continue to attract travellers from around the world to our destination."

"We are on a mission to intensify our messaging about the allure of our destination, to reach as many consumers as possible," said Director General Duncombe . "Our destination's first brand domination of Penn Station took place in January of 2023 and we are returning to Penn Station this January with a bigger, more vibrant activation that will capture the imagination of millions of commuters."

Penn Station , located just outside mid-Town Manhattan, is the United States' busiest railway hub, with over 600,000 commuters per day. The station serves commuters from New York City , Long Island and New Jersey , an area that comprises the hub of the U.S. Northeast. The Northeast is the highest producing area for visitor arrivals to The Bahamas , annually delivering over 360,000 visitors to the destination.

About The Bahamas :

The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida , it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

Media Contact:

Anita Johnson-Patty

Director, Global Communications

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

[email protected]

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SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
MERIDIAN, Miss. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Memphis -based Baptist Memorial Health Care and Anderson Regional Health System of Meridian, Mississippi , have finalized a merger, which was initiated with a shared mission agreement signed on Oct. 18, 2023 .

Baptist Memorial is considered one of the largest health care systems in the South, with 22 hospitals, a regional cancer center, more than 100 clinics, numerous specialty facilities and services and a health care university that includes a college of osteopathic medicine. Anderson Regional, founded by Dr. William Jefferson Anderson in 1928, includes two hospitals, a cancer center and multiple clinics.

"I am excited to welcome Anderson Regional to the Baptist family," said Jason Little , president and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care. "With similar missions and close geographic proximity, we serve a comparable patient population who face many of the same issues. By joining forces, we can combine our resources and expertise to help enrich the health of the community and ensure ongoing access to high-quality and advanced medical services throughout East Central Mississippi and West Central Alabama."

Baptist Memorial will now consist of 24 hospitals, with 12 hospitals in Mississippi , making it the largest health care system in the state. Baptist merged with Mississippi Baptist Health System in 2017 after signing a shared mission agreement. With regional hospitals in Arkansas , Mississippi and Tennessee , Baptist Memorial has experience navigating the challenges of providing health care services to urban and rural communities.

Baptist Memorial and Anderson Regional finalize merger

"Our staff at Anderson Regional is excited to officially join Baptist Memorial Health Care," said John G. Anderson , president and CEO of Anderson Regional Health System and grandson of Anderson Regional's founder. "This is a new era for Anderson, and an opportunity to continue my grandfather's legacy for health care in Meridian . He started Anderson just 12 months before the Great Depression, and through creativity, ingenuity and determination made the hospital a success. His focus was on the future, and merging with Baptist Memorial allows us to stay laser-focused on the future of providing quality health care for this region."

Baptist Memorial leaders officially welcomed Anderson Regional on Jan. 1 and held a staff celebration on Jan. 9 . The merger will include a renaming of Anderson Regional hospitals to Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center and Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center-South. Other changes will include updating Anderson Regional's electronic health record system to the Epic electronic health record system, the most widely used and comprehensive EHR in the country.

Anderson Regional Health System is the most comprehensive health system in the East Central Mississippi /West Central Alabama area and the established leader in offering premier medical services. With two hospitals, a regional cancer center, and a network of clinics, Anderson's health care professionals are committed to the mission of providing a heritage of healing and improving life for the people they serve. For more information, visit www.andersonregional.org.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country's largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 24 affiliate hospitals in Mississippi , West Tennessee and East Arkansas with a reach into Kentucky , Missouri and Central Alabama; a freestanding emergency department; more than 5,400 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 900 providers; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 21,000 people, and in fiscal year 2022 contributed more than $455 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Baptist Memorial Health Care
CLEARWATER, Fla. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BayCare, the leading health care system in West Central Florida, today announced that it has named Breanda Goralski as its new vice president, applications, effective immediately. Goralski joined BayCare in 2003, and has served as director of financial, administrative & revenue cycle applications since 2018. She will report to Chief Information Officer William Walders .

In her new role, Goralski will develop and maintain software applications, and work with key leaders and departments to provide clinical, financial and administrative operations support. She will also identify solutions for evolving patient care, business intelligence and research.

"Breanda's remarkable 21-year journey at BayCare has been marked with unwavering dedication, outstanding performance, a profound sense of responsibility and a steadfast commitment to our core values," said William Walders , BayCare's chief information officer. "I am excited to see her step into this executive role."

As BayCare's director of financial, administrative & revenue cycle applications, Goralski managed a $26 million IT operational budget, and maintained over 170 revenue cycle, financial and administrative applications. She also led the multi-million-dollar implementation of industry-leading registration and scheduling systems for the health system. From 20162018, Goralski served as manager of financial/administrative applications, where she led a team of 15 analysts and supervisors to implement, maintain and support 70 applications across multiple service lines including finance, supply chain and team resources. Goralski also held several analyst roles in BayCare, including senior systems analyst (20082016), systems analyst (20062008) and team resources systems analyst (20032006).

"It's been an honor and a privilege to be part of the BayCare family for the last two decades," said Goralski. "I look forward to serving the organization in this new capacity and continuing to support BayCare's mission through technology advancement, innovation and a commitment to quality."

Goralski holds a Bachelor of Science in management information systems (MIS) from the University of South Florida in Tampa .

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit BayCare.org.

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SOURCE BAYCARE HEALTH SYSTEM
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2023 in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday said the year 2023 has been a year of exploration and harvest for China's diplomacy, summarizing six highlights.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2023.

He said firstly, China's head-of-state diplomacy has been immensely successful, achieving new milestones in major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Secondly, solid progress has been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind, lending new impetus to efforts to build a brighter future for humanity.

Thirdly, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was successfully held, taking Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of high-quality development.

Fourthly, the BRICS mechanism achieved a historic expansion, adding new strength to unity and cooperation in the developing world.

Fifthly, a successful China-Central Asia Summit was held, creating a new platform for good-neighbourliness and friendly cooperation in the region.

Sixthly, China facilitated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, setting a new example of political settlement of hotspot issues.

The highlights demonstrate distinct Chinese characteristics, style, and ethos, and speak to China's enhanced international influence, stronger capacity to steer new endeavors, and greater moral appeal in the new era, Wang added. 
CHICAGO , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the sale of United Skin Specialists (USS), a provider of management services to dermatology practices, to Schweiger Dermatology Group (SDG). BGL's Healthcare & Life Sciences investment banking team acted as the exclusive financial advisor to United Skin Specialists, a portfolio company of Tonka Bay Equity Partners (Tonka Bay). The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction builds upon BGL's market-leading position in advising physician practices and related ancillary services.

The transaction furthers BGL's commitment to dermatology  and more broadly, the provider services sector.

The transaction furthers BGL's commitment to dermatology  and more broadly, the provider services sector  and represents its eleventh completed transaction involving dermatology and cosmetic services providers.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota , USS provides practice management services to a variety of well-established dermatology offices in the Midwest. Since its founding in 2015, USS has grown through making acquisitions, launching de novo locations, and offering additional services.

SDG is the largest group dermatology practice on the East Coast , with over 100 offices and more than 300 healthcare providers. SDG provides medical, cosmetic, and surgical dermatology services with more than 1.5 million patient visits annually.

BGL's Healthcare Provider Services Group is one of the most experienced and respected financial advisory teams in the U.S. for physician practice, dermatology, and aesthetic services M&A, with a long track record of expertise in successfully advising physicians, alternate site providers, and private equity investors through strategic transactions.

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, business valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago , Cleveland , Los Angeles , and New York , and real estate offices in Chicago , Cleveland , and San Antonio . The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 35 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, LLC, an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.

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SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company
CarData Inc. continues to experience exponential growth and is expanding its service area with the acquisition of Ohio -based Dealer Visual, a well-known automotive photography firm.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CarData Inc., a leading automotive advertising solutions provider, has announced it will acquire Cincinnati, Ohio -based Dealer Visual. The acquisition allows CarData Inc. to further expand its reach and service offerings throughout the Midwest while bringing audience-aligned solutions and seasoned expert team members to the table.

"We're happy to welcome Dealer Visual into the CarData family," explained Wayne Balroop , General Operations Manager for CarData Inc. "The team's experience and expertise will allow us to continue offering outstanding solutions to auto dealerships' pressing challenges in terms of reaching and engaging their audience in new, meaningful ways."

Since its founding in Florida in 2015, CarData Inc. has built a reputation for delivering cutting-edge photography and videography services designed to help auto dealers stand out to their customers. The company offers a broad range of solutions, including high-definition vehicle photography, vehicle videos, custom window labels and buying guides, and their signature Spin360. Spin360 is a video-based service that delivers in-depth car videos that explore the most important features and details of a particular model to excite and engage potential buyers.

CarData Inc.'s services go beyond mere merchandising. Each solution is designed to maximize visual and emotional impact on potential buyers. Creating that connection helps ensure maximum success and traction, encouraging potential buyers to reach out for more information, to schedule test drives, or to visit dealership showrooms in person.

Dealer Visual's team has deep experience with similar offerings. The company provides virtual vehicle and showroom transformations, live video, professional automotive photography, and custom classified listing creations. As part of the CarData Inc. family, Dealer Visual will continue to deliver crucial solutions to help automotive dealers reach their target audience, engage them with high-definition, custom photos and videos, and drive traffic to both physical and virtual showrooms. Those same capabilities made Dealer Visual a perfect match for CarData's growing family.

"The goal of our new relationship with Dealer Visual is simple: to provide dealerships throughout the Midwest with outstanding service and the solutions necessary to create meaningful, measurable success," Mr. Balroop explained.

To learn more about CarData Inc. and the company's capabilities, visit https://www.cardata.us .

About CarData Inc.: CarData Inc. is a leading automotive photography, videography, and marketing company dedicated to revolutionizing the automotive landscape through cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions to real-world challenges. From professional digital photographs to full-motion vehicle videos and video syndication, 360-degree walkarounds, CarData's mission is to deliver superior results and meaningful Partnerships.

Contact: Wayne R. Balroop

Name: CarData Inc.

Phone: 443-413-5400

Web Address: https://www.cardata.us

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE CarData
Selected as one of Built In's Best Places to Work in Tech

OAK BROOK, Ill. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chamberlain Group (CG), the trusted leader in intelligent access solutions, is starting the new year off with an exciting award win, establishing the company as a leading tech employer in Chicago , and nationally. Built In, career and news destination for tech professionals, announced today that CG has earned a spot on three of their 2024 Best Places to Work Awards lists  U.S. Best Large Places to Work, Chicago Best Places to Work, and the Chicago Best Large Places to Work.

"We're delighted to be honored as a Best Place to Work among other leaders in the tech community," said Jeff Meredith , CEO, Chamberlain Group. "Receiving this recognition for our culture, compensation and benefits is especially rewarding. This is because of the people on our ONETEAM who made this possible and the unique nature of the mission making access simple for our customers by building a connected, smart access ecosystem, on top of our leading hardware business. We're proud to say 10 million+ myQ app users count on us to secure, monitor and access their garages, homes, communities and businesses every day."

Out of 8,000+ eligible companies, Built In determines the winners of Best Places to Work based on an algorithm, using company data about compensation and benefits. To reflect the benefits candidates are searching for more frequently on Built In, the program also weighs criteria like remote and flexible work opportunities, programs for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and other people-first cultural offerings.

"I'd like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 Best Places to Work winners," says Maria Christopoulos Katris , Founder & CEO, Built In. "I am truly inspired by these companies that have risen to the challenge of fostering a positive work environment, maintaining a strong brand, and ensuring employee satisfaction. The future is filled with promise, and we are so excited to see what lies ahead."

The annual awards program includes companies of all sizes, from startups to those in the enterprise, and honors both remote-first employers as well as companies in large tech markets across the U.S. With headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill. , outside of Chicago , and offices around the globe, Chamberlain Group is continuing its growth trajectory and looking to add more talented programmers, software developers, engineers, designers, and other technology experts to its ONETEAM.

ABOUT CHAMBERLAIN GROUP

Chamberlain Group, a Blackstone company, is a global leader in smart access solutions across residential and commercial properties. Our prominent brands LiftMaster, Chamberlain, Merlin and Grifco are found in millions of residential and commercial access applications across the globe. Our innovative products and partnerships, powered by our myQ smart technology, provide customers with smart access solutions to move safely through garages, homes, communities, businesses and storage facilities. Chamberlain Group pioneered vehicle-to-home connectivity through patented technology aboard hundreds of millions of vehicles. Chamberlain Group includes Controlled Products Systems Group, a leading wholesale distributor of perimeter access control equipment in the U.S. , and Systems, LLC, one of North America's leading dock leveler manufacturers. Follow Chamberlain Group on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

ABOUT BUILT IN'S BEST PLACES TO WORK

Built In's annual Best Places to Work program honors companies with the best total rewards packages across the U.S. and in the following tech hubs: Atlanta , Austin , Boston , Chicago , Colorado , Dallas , Houston , Los Angeles , Miami , New York , San Diego , San Francisco , Seattle and Washington DC . Best Places to Work is distinct because its algorithm selects tech companies that build their offerings specifically around what tech professionals value in a workplace. Winners are announced in early January 2024 .

ABOUT BUILT IN

Built In is creating the largest candidate generation platform for technology professionals globally. Monthly, millions of the industry's most in-demand professionals visit the site from across the world. They rely on our platform to stay ahead of tech trends and news, learn skills to accelerate their careers and find opportunities at companies whose values they share. Built In also serves thousands of innovative companies from startups to the Fortune 500. By putting their stories in front of our uniquely engaged audience, we help them reach otherwise hard-to-hire tech professionals. www.builtin.com.

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SOURCE Chamberlain Group
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chartwell Law is pleased to announce the elevation of eleven attorneys to partner. The new partners practice in ten of the firm's offices and represent a variety of practice areas.

Following the firm's recent rebrand and growth throughout 2023, these elevations continue to emphasize Chartwell's keen focus on serving its clients through strategic expansion across the country along with a strong commitment to nurturing talent within its ranks.

"Congratulations to our new partners," said Tom Strohmetz , a Founding Partner and Chartwell's Chief Communications Officer. "Their dedication to both our clients and our firm reflects Chartwell prioritiesvaluing both our people and the outstanding legal services they provide."

Meet Chartwell's newest partners:

Lori L. Bethea ( Tallahassee, FL ) represents national insurers, large, self-insured employers, and local, regional, and national employers through all stages of workers' compensation litigation. She received her J.D. from Florida University College of Law and her B.S. from Florida State University.

Lindsay B. Cohen ( Deerfield Beach, FL ) defends general liability cases involving premises liability, personal injury, motor vehicle liability. She received her J.D. from Emory University School of Law and her B.S. from University of Florida.

Isis D. Davidson ( New York, NY ) defends workers' compensation claims on behalf of insurance carriers and large self-insured businesses. She received her J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, her MBA from Fordham University, and her B.A. from Georgetown University.

Alexander M. Goerss ( Miami, FL ) represents national and international insurance companies in first-party property insurance defense matters and handles commercial litigation, real estate, trusts and estates, and tax litigation matters. He received his LL.M and J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.A. from New York University.

Angel M. Gomez ( New York, NY ) focuses his practice primarily on workers' compensation defense matters, representing insurance carriers, self-insureds, and businesses located in New York . He received his J.D. from Western New England University School of Law and his B.S. from University of Bridgeport.

Everett L. Hixon III ( Chattanooga, TN ) represents individuals, businesses, and insurance carriers in a variety of matters including commercial litigation, employment law, construction defect, general liability, insurance coverage analysis, and creditors' rights. He received his J.D. from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Tennessee.

Derek E. Lewis ( Jacksonville, FL ) focuses his practice on commercial litigation, consumer financial services litigation, mortgage servicing and lender litigation, professional liability, and property damages claims. He received his J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law and his B.S. from Florida State University.

Graham Newsome ( Atlanta, GA ) practices labor and employment law, defending corporations and insurers in administrative charges and lawsuits. He received his J.D. from University of Georgia School of Law and his B.A. from University of Georgia.

Justin D. Siegwald ( Miami, FL ) is an insurance defense attorney focusing on first-party property claims and representing insurance carriers, third-party associations, and large self-insured businesses throughout Florida . He received his J.D. from Florida International University College of Law and his B.A. from University of Miami.

Caitlin M. Sullivan ( Valley Forge, PA ) focuses her practice on workers' compensation defense for insurance carriers, self-insured entities, and third-party administrators. She received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and her B.A. from Loyola University Maryland.

G. Weathers Virden Jr . ( Ridgeland, MS ) focuses his practice on transportation law and related matters, including accidents involving commercial motor vehicles, passenger vehicles, and other personal injury matters. He received his J.D. from University of Mississippi School of Law and his B.A. from Mississippi State University.

About Chartwell Law

Chartwell Law is a nationally ranked law firm with over 230 attorneys across nearly 30 offices coast-to-coast. We advise and defend multinational corporations, regional organizations, and independent businesses in matters ranging from workers' compensation and employment law to transportation, insurance coverage and more. Fostering a collaborative approach to legal services, we maintain a national presence while providing a boutique experience to our clients. https://www.chartwelllaw.com

Contact: Eric Kovac

Marketing Manager

D: 610.638.6434

[email protected]

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fenwick Food Group, a division of Fenwick Brands Inc.  one of the leading consumer packaged goods investment firms in the Southeast  has acquired Wickles Pickles, an iconic and beloved Alabama brand.

Fenwick Food Group is an operating platform for food businesses and includes Alabama -based Moore's Marinades & Sauces and newly acquired Wickles Pickles.

Wickles was founded by brothers Will and Trey Sims , and Andy Anderson back in 1998. With a unique flavor profile and robust product offering, Wickles has captured significant market share and consumer loyalty within the billion-dollar pickle category.

The opportunity was timely, with the Wickles brand hitting an inflection point where investment and additional resourcing was needed for scale. As growth minded investors already operating in mainstream retail outlets with Moore's Marinades and Sauces, Fenwick's decision to purchase the Wickles Pickles brand makes the partnership synergistic.

Fenwick's track record as owner-operators of the Moore's Marinades & Sauces brand was appealing to the Wickles team. "Fenwick is the perfect partner to accelerate the brand's growth trajectory while preserving its identity and operating roots. We're excited to see Wickles get the resources and investment it deserves to scale," says co-founder Will Sims.

"We were aligned on the long-term vision and strategy for the brand, which cemented the partnership. Will, Trey and Andy have built an incredible brand with impressive momentum," says Melissa Baker , President and CEO of Fenwick Food Group. "Two Alabama-based consumer brands coming together is special in the broader consumer packaged goods industry and made the investment more relational than transactional."

Baker partnered with Benny M. LaRussa , Jr. in 2013, and the pair has been investing and operating in the consumer packaged goods sector ever since. Fenwick Food Group's investment strategy is built to operate a platform of food brands that have profiles similar to Wickles and Moore's. "Our long-term strategy is to curate a food platform with a handful of brands that could benefit from a shared team, investment and operational synergies," says Baker. "Scale is becoming increasingly more difficult and expensive, and we want to help similar brands with strong consumer demand stay around."

The Wickles deal closed on Nov. 29 , and the business will be headquartered out of Birmingham alongside Moore's. Financial details of the transaction are not being released.

ABOUT WICKLES PICKLES

In 1998, a 90-year-old secret family pickle recipe once reserved for family and friends was unleashed to the public as Wickles. Today, Wickles Pickles is known as the South's best pickles. It's custom blend of spices and fresh ingredients produce sweet, tangy and spicy pickles, relishes, and spreads  a wickedly delicious experience unlike anything else. An iconic fixture at any gathering, tailgate, or meal; no other pickle has this much personality, earning Wickles a fanbase across the U.S. Learn more about our delicious products and grab some for yourself at https://wicklespickles.com/.

ABOUT MOORE'S MARINADES AND SAUCES

Moore's Marinades & Sauces began over 35 years ago at a family-owned steakhouse in the small Alabama town of Jasper , and quickly became a staple throughout the South for its delightful, hickory taste. Since then, Moore's has expanded its product line to include a number of mouthwatering favorites like the award-winning Moore's Buffalo Wing Sauce. The full line of marinades and sauces can be found in retailers throughout the nation. For more information, visit www.mooresmarinade.com.

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SOURCE Fenwick Food Group
Public Will Vote to Determine Winner via Chicago Auto Show's Facebook Page

CHICAGO , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Three teens have been selected by the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) as finalists in the tenth annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest, in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show. Teens from Illinois and surrounding states submitted ideas for a 30-second PSA to help get the word out to empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously.

The three finalists are Riley Wilds , 17, a student at the Career Academy in Ft. Wayne, IN ; Carlyale Kiel, 18, who also attends the Career Academy in Ft. Wayne; and Texas Maki, 16, a student at Pewaukee High School in Pewaukee, WI.

Each finalist will work with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements. The finished spots will then be posted on the Chicago Auto Show's Facebook page, where the public can vote for their favorite through Feb. 8 . Winners will be announced at the Chicago Auto Show's media day on Feb. 9 . The winner will receive $2,000 and will be featured with his or her PSA on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up will be awarded $1,000 and the second runner-up will receive $500 .

"We're excited to see the Drive Safe Chicago finalists' ideas turned into compelling messages that we hope will empower passengers to speak up when in a vehicle being driven dangerously," said Michelle Anderson , director of operations at National Road Safety Foundation.

The National Road Safety Foundation has been leading an ongoing nationwide campaign to encourage passengers to speak up. A website, at www.nationalpassengersafety.org, has background information and suggestions for how passengers can interact with a dangerous driver. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show 26 percent of traffic fatalities nationwide are passengers.

For more information on the Drive Safe Chicago contest, visit: www.nrsf.org/contests/drive-safe-chicago. For information about the Chicago Auto Show, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 60 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org.

About the Chicago Auto Show

First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America . The show is produced by the Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2024 public show is Feb. 10-19 at McCormick Place . For information, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow.com.

About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Founded in 1904 and located in Oakbrook Terrace , the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, please visit www.CATA.info.

Contact: David Reich

The National Road Safety Foundation

(914) 325-9997

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation
GFMEDC, along with eight local vendors, launch massive marketing campaign to attract healthcare and manufacturing workers to N.D.

FARGO, N.D. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In late 2022, the North Dakota Department of Commerce awarded nearly half a million dollars to the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corp. (GFMEDC) to launch a large-scale campaign aimed at attracting much-needed healthcare and manufacturing workers to the state  specifically to Cass , Ransom , Richland , Sargent , Steele , and Trail counties.

The worker shortage is a shared concern across the state. North Dakota has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, yet Job Service North Dakota estimated up to 40,000 job vacancies remained unfilled as of this past August. And while the whole region is facing the same challenge, individual employers typically struggle on their own to recruit.

That's where the GFMEDC stepped in, bringing its all-for-one mentality to overcome this (locally) universal problem. The organization has been serving the region's economic development needs for more than 75 years. Its primary goal is to attract, retain, and expand business and job opportunities within the metro area.

With funding secured, the GFMEDC assembled a consortium of eight local marketing, media, and advertising agencies to work together toward the common good, with each company bringing its own unique expertise to the effort. Starting with focus groups and market research in February 2023 , work continues through the rest of the year developing the "Regional Talent Attraction Campaign" to attract out-of-state workers specifically for the healthcare and manufacturing industries.

" North Dakota is a great place to live, work, or start a business," said Joe Raso , President/CEO of the GFMEDC. "Unfortunately, we're known more for our weather than our business-friendly environment, strong infrastructure, higher education opportunities, or culture of hard work and collaboration. To achieve our goal of attracting such skilled workers to the state, we're going to work on changing perceptions and knee-jerk reactions."

The campaign  launched in June, running through December  uses a range of data to strategically target eligible workers from out of state with digital ads and ongoing follow-up messaging. Communication continues until a person either applies for a job or meets with a liaison or local champion who will assist them with their needs in hopes of having them relocate to the region.

To learn more about the GFMEDC's workforce initiative, visit:

https://gfmedc.com/about-us/investors-talent-attraction/

CONTACT:

Lisa Gulland-Nelson

(701) 364-1920

lgnelson@fmedc.com

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SOURCE Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corp. (GFMEDC)
CLEVELAND , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Futuri Media, a leading innovator in AI-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence solutions for broadcasters, proudly announces the appointment of Mary Rogers as Senior Vice President of Sales.

With over two decades of experience in sales and marketing, Mary brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic planning, client account management, and revenue generation. Her passion for Futuri's products is rooted in her six-year experience as a client across different companies and markets. "One of the reasons why I'm so excited to join Futuri is because I've witnessed first-hand the vital role Futuri products, like TopLine and TopicPulse, play in client research, creating category expertise, and building credibility with buyers," said Rogers.

Mary's journey in media sales began on the other side of the table, as a marketing director at a pioneering medical practice. After successfully branding her client using both traditional media and various digital platforms, she was recruited by Cox Media Group to deliver the same successes to Cox clients. Her transition to a sales leader at Cox Media Group marks the beginning of an illustrious career. Mary has led teams to many successes in four markets, most recently in Dallas with Audacy.

Living in San Antonio with her family, Mary is excited to join Futuri's mission to revolutionize broadcast radio, TV, and digital publishing. "Futuri's known for always innovating, keeping a close eye on the current and future needs of broadcasters and digital publishers," says Rogers. "Last year's launches of SpotOn (AI-generated spec spots) and POST Automatic Publishing (instantly turning broadcasts into podcasts) only further exemplify their commitment to the industry." Mary's expertise in digital multi-platform strategies and streaming options positions her perfectly to lead Futuri's sales initiatives.

"Mary understands the nuanced needs of today's media landscape," said Daniel Anstandig , CEO of Futuri. "Our suite of AI solutions are designed to tailor to the specific needs of every station and media company. Futuri clients will greatly benefit from Mary's creative and strategic thinking for gaining market share and company-wide efficiencies."

For more information about Futuri Media, please visit https://futurimedia.com.

About Futuri Media

Futuri Media is a global leader in technology for broadcasters and digital publishers with innovative AI-powered solutions that drive audience and revenue growth. Founded in 2009, Cleveland -based Futuri's AI-driven audience engagement and sales technology is used by hundreds of stations owned by iHeartMEDIA, Cumulus, Audacy, Rogers, Alpha, and thousands worldwide.

For more information

Shari Alexander | [email protected] | (877) 221-7979

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SOURCE Futuri
Alnylam's Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet , Trial Equity's Dr. Otis Johnson , and HBA EMEA's Kathrin Schoenborn Earn Top Industry Honors

FAIRFIELD, N.J. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) announces the 2024 Woman of the Year, Honorable Mentor , and STAR. Recognized for their outstanding contributions to healthcare and the advancement of women in the workplace, the honorees will be celebrated at HBA's 34th annual Woman of the Year event on 10 May in New York City and remotely around the globe.

Healthcare Influencers Garner Top Honors from HBA

Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet, Chief Executive Officer, Alnylam, was selected as the 2024 HBA Woman of the Year. Dr. Otis Johnson , Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity, is the recipient of the HBA Honorable Mentor award. Dr. Kathrin Schoenborn , Industry Advisor, is recognized with HBA's Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR) volunteer honor.

"The HBA is proud to recognize and showcase this year's award recipients for their notable and remarkable commitment and valuable contributions to women in the healthcare ecosystem," said Mary Stutts , CEO, HBA. "These three outstanding individuals are trailblazers, advocates, and true leaders in their respective careers and are clearly deserving of respect, admiration, and appreciation from all of us at the global HBA and throughout the industry."

The HBA Woman of the Year award honors one executive leader who has made extraordinary contributions to the healthcare ecosystem and has been a stellar advocate for workplace equitable practices.

Woman of the YearDr. Yvonne Greenstreet , Chief Executive Officer, Alnylam

This year's awardee, Dr. Yvonne Greenstreet , is being recognized for more than three decades of leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry. Her work in enabling the development and delivery of medicines has transformed the lives of people living with diseases around the world. For nearly eight years at Alnylam as President and COOand now as CEODr. Greenstreet has guided the company's quest to turn the Nobel Prize-winning science of RNA interference (RNAi) into an entirely new class of medicines. She led the transformation of Alnylam from a pioneering R&D organization to a consequential global biotechnology company, and has positioned Alnylam to continue to innovate and grow and help exponentially more patients with rare and more prevalent diseases in the years to come.

Under Dr. Greenstreet's leadership, Alnylam has consistently earned recognition as a socially responsible company and exceptional workplace globally. Alnylam has been named among Fortune's Best Workplaces for Women, included on the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and ranked as a Best Places for Working Parents. Alnylam has also won recognition as a top employer by Science Magazine and the Boston Globe, gained recognition as a best place to work in many regions outside the U.S. , and earned inclusion in Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies.

Dr. Greenstreet previously served as SVP and Head of Medicines Development at Pfizer. Prior to her work at Pfizer, she worked for 18 years at GlaxoSmithKline as SVP and Chief of Strategy for R&D.

This year's honoree also serves on the Board of Directors of The American Funds. She is a member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee, the Discovery Council of Harvard Medical School, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization Health Section Governing Board.

Honorable MentorDr. Otis Johnson , Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity

The HBA Honorable Mentor award recognizes a male ally who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to advancing, mentoring, and promoting women in the industry, and is supportive of HBA's mission.

This year's Honorable Mentor award goes to Dr. Otis Johnson , Co-founder & Principal Consultant, Trial Equity, recognizing his role as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry and his transformative impact on advocacy and allyship. His two-decade career is marked by a steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion and advocacy for women in the workplace.

Dr. Johnson's 13-year tenure at Merck & Co. laid the foundation for his notable achievements in science, operations, and informatics, leading to executive roles at Syneos Health, ICON, and Phesi. As Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability Officer at Clario, he significantly elevated the company's Ecovadis status, embedding DE&I and environmental sustainability principles into the corporate culture. Notably, he committed the organization to advancing pay equity, increasing representation of people of color in the organization, and pursuing gender balance in leadership.

Recognized in the 2022 PharmaVoice 100 list of Most Inspiring Industry Leaders and a top DE&I Leader by Mogul, Dr. Johnson uses his advisory roles, such as being a Global Advisory Board member of the HBA, to amplify underrepresented voices. He is a stellar example of the lasting change that advocacy and allyship can bring about in the healthcare industry.

STARKathrin Schoenborn, HBA EMEA

For more than two decades, the HBA has been recognizing a volunteer leader with the Strategic Transformation Achievement Recognition (STAR). This award honors a tenured volunteer who has made significant contributions impacting the growth, stature, and footprint of our United Force for Change community.

This year, Dr. Kathrin Schoenborn , Chair Emerita, HBA Europe, is being honored for her relentless effort in building the HBA in Europe to be the force that it is today. Over her 14 years of dedication, she co-founded the Frankfurt chapter in 2010 and through her subsequent HBA leadership roles, she showed the way for other women to do the same, eventually handing over 12 healthy and thriving chapters and multiple branches to the current HBA EMEA leadership. Furthermore, she served as an advisor for HBA Asia-Pacific.

Dr. Schoenborn also formalized the now high-value and well-subscribed mentoring program. From the European Leadership Summit to the Annual Gender Pay Report, as well as her work revitalizing a credentialed advisory board and stimulating grassroot interest, she built and strengthened core strategic pillars for the HBA to create impact in Europe .

Having served as Vice President at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany , until 2022, Dr. Schoenborn amassed a vast 30 years of experience in global leadership roles. Today, as business angel and executive advisor, she purposefully supports female entrepreneurs with finance, experience, and her network.

For inquiries about a media pass to the 2024 HBA Woman of the Year event on 10 May in New York City , interview opportunities, or information about HBA's signature award programs, please contact [email protected] or visit HBAnet.org/awards.

About the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)

The Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) is a global organization dedicated to furthering the advancement and impact of women in the business of healthcare. With representation in countries across the globe, the HBA serves a community of more than 80,000 individuals and over 150 Corporate Partners, representing a global workforce of 3.4 million employees. The HBA provides networking forums to build relationships; knowledge sharing and access to thought leaders to broaden perspective; educational programs to develop leadership skills; and high-profile industry recognition of outstanding women and companies to promote visibility of their achievements.

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SOURCE Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA)
HOUSTON , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a transformative move reflecting its evolution over 27 years, IntegraNet Physician Resource, Inc. proudly announces its new identity as IntegraNet Health. This name change signifies a strategic shift from a full-service Independent Practice Association (IPA) to a leading Population Health and Managed Services Organization (MSO).

Continued Growth and Strategic Partnerships: Over the years, IntegraNet Health has cultivated long-term partnerships with nationally recognized Health Plans, including Humana, Aetna, Cigna, Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup), Oscar Health, and SCAN Health. The company's 2023 annual revenue has surpassed $135 million , a testament to its commitment to excellence and the rapidly growing demand for its innovative services.

Commitment to Patient-Centric Healthcare: While the Mission of IntegraNet Health remains steadfast, the Vision has undergone a rapid evolution to embrace direct and incentivized patient engagement. The company is aggressively addressing social, nutritional, and fitness determinants of health that profoundly impact patients' quality of life and health status. IntegraNet Health aims to be recognized as the foremost and most cost-effective healthcare resource for its patient population.

Larry Wedekind , Chief Executive Officer at IntegraNet Health, expressed, "This transition marks a significant milestone in our journey. We remain committed to process improvement and clinical outcome enhancement, but now with an intensified focus on patient engagement and the broader determinants of health."

With its transformation into IntegraNet Health, the organization not only embraces a new name but heralds a profound commitment to patient-centric excellence, embodying a vision where healthcare transcends boundaries to nurture the holistic well-being of every individual.

"Our rebranding is more than a name change," Wedekind added. "It's a declaration of our dedication to empowering patients and creating a healthier community."

About IntegraNet Health: IntegraNet Health, formerly IntegraNet Physician Resource, Inc., is a leading Population Health and Managed Services Organization with a rich history of 27 years.

Partnering with nationally recognized Health Plans, IntegraNet Health has achieved an annual revenue surpassing $135 million in 2023.

The company is committed to patient-centric healthcare, emphasizing direct patient engagement and addressing the social, nutritional, and fitness determinants of health.

For further information, please visit: www.Integranethealth.com

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SOURCE IntegraNet Health
PARIS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday appointed Gabriel Attal as prime minister following the resignation of former head of government Elisabeth Borne, according to media reports.

From 2020 to 2022, Attal served as the spokesperson of the government of former Prime Minister Jean Castex, then he became Minister Delegate for the Budget of former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's government in 2022.

Having served as Minister of National Education and Youth since July 2023, Gabriel Attal becomes, at the age of 34, the youngest prime minister in France's Fifth Republic. 
Susan G. Komen  Commends Bill Introductions; Urges Quick Passage

RICHMOND, Va. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Susan G. Komen , the world's leading breast cancer organization, commends Delegate Shelly Simonds (D- Newport News ) for working with Komen to eliminate financial barriers to earlier breast cancer detection by ensuring that everyone has equitable access to diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging.

In Virginia , 7,810 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and 1,150 died of the disease. The exorbitant out-of-pocket costs associated with essential breast imaging procedures ranging from hundreds-to-thousands of dollars, often force individuals into the difficult decision of skipping these tests or making significant financial sacrifices.

"Nobody should have to forego a test that helps to rule out breast cancer or confirm the need for a biopsy because of the cost, yet thousands of people in Virginia are doing it every year," said Molly Guthrie , Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. "This bill will provide pivotal access to diagnostic and supplemental imaging so that individuals can get the care they need without having to endure undue financial burden. It is an important step toward equitable access to care, potentially saving lives by facilitating early detection and treatment."

HB 230, introduced by Delegate Simonds, eliminates the patient out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging including MRIs, ultrasounds and diagnostic mammograms. While no-cost mammograms are currently available to women, when a mammogram reveals an abnormality, diagnostic and supplemental imaging is necessary to give medical providers a closer look at the abnormality and determine if a biopsy is needed. The high out-of-pockets costs for the follow-up imaging deters many individuals in Virginia from getting it, and as a result, breast cancer can be diagnosed at a later stage.

"We all know that the earlier cancer is detected, the better the outcome  not to mention the huge cost-savings of an early diagnosis versus a later one. Too often, women delay getting a follow up exam, and by the time they can afford to pay for care, their prognosis is much worse," said Delegate Simonds. "It is heartbreaking when women sacrifice their own health to afford putting food on the table and paying bills. This legislation will remove those barriers to care and will save lives. We need to put Virginia on the map with the other proactive states who've passed this, collectively standing strong to prioritize women's health."

An estimated 12% of individuals are called back for additional imaging after an abnormal screening mammogram and require diagnostic imaging. This diagnostic or supplemental imaging is often crucial for individuals previously diagnosed with breast cancer or those considered high-risk. The cost creates inequities in care and imposes additional financial barriers for these patients.

Despite significant advancements in breast cancer screening and diagnostics over the past 30 years, disparities persist across demographics. Evidence shows that Black and Hispanic breast cancer patients tend to be diagnosed at a later stage, potentially due to delays in follow-up imaging after abnormal findings on an annual mammogram.

A Komen-commissioned study found out-of-pockets costs for patients to range from $234 for a diagnostic mammogram to more than $1,000 for a breast MRI. Additionally, a recent study published in Radiology found that 1 in 5 patients said they would not go in for recommended follow-up imaging if they had to pay a deductible.

About Susan G. Komen 

Susan G. Komen  is the world's leading nonprofit breast cancer organization, working to save lives and end breast cancer forever. Komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting this disease across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the U.S. and in countries worldwide. We advocate for patients, drive research breakthroughs, improve access to high-quality care, offer direct patient support and empower people with trustworthy information. Founded by Nancy G. Brinker , who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen , that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy's life, Komen remains committed to supporting those affected by breast cancer today, while tirelessly searching for tomorrow's cures. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on social at www.komen.org/contact-us/follow-us/.

CONTACT: Amanda DeBard

Susan G. Komen

(972) 701-2131

[email protected]

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9-Bedroom Gulf-Front Property To Be Developed Into Luxury Townhome Development

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- When an institutional lender dropped out of a $15 million loan closing at the last minute, a Florida real estate investor looked to Kennedy Funding, a direct private lender known around the globe for its ability to provide fast, short-term bridge loans for land purchases, working capital, and development.

The Englewood, New Jersey -based lender announced that it has closed a $7.5 million land loan to 4228 Dana Beach, LLC for the purchase of a nine bedroom gulf-front home on Florida's panhandle in Santa Rosa Beach .

Kevin Wolfer , CEO/President of Kennedy Funding, expressed his enthusiasm for the project and the company's role in bringing it to fruition. "This transaction demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting outstanding real estate projects, and delivering fast funding when others can't," said Wolfer. "A prime waterfront location pre-approved for multifamily development with a time-of the-essence closing requirement  that's the perfect loan scenario for us," he added.

"It was a complicated loan, and we agreed to accept two subordinate mortgages," he said.

This recent loan highlights Kennedy Funding's broad lending capabilities, with the ability to close loans from $1 million to $50 million , often in a matter of days. The firm's extensive experience and flexible lending options make it a preferred choice for real estate investors, brokers and developers seeking reliable and rapid funding solutions.

Kennedy Funding is one of only a few nationwide lenders that specialize in land. With credit tightening, and with banks and other conventional lenders reluctant to lend on any real estate, real estate investors and developers are left with few options to get their money in a timely fashion.

"We fill that void," says Wolfer. "If the value is there, we will make it work  and we will do what it takes to get to the closing table."

As a direct lender with decades of experience, Kennedy Funding excels in not just overcoming the common hurdles of domestic and international bureaucracy, but also the ability to offer a fast turnaround for funding  from the initial commitment to closing the loan.

"Our goal is to work alongside our clients, guiding them through the intricacies of providing funds swiftly," Wolfer added, "regardless of whether one needs the capital for acquisition, workouts, refinance, or cash-outs.

"We are not just a direct lender  we are partners," Wolfer added. "Our team is dedicated to understanding the unique needs and aspirations of our clients and providing the financial backbone they need to succeed. We look forward to seeing the Santa Rosa Beach community thrive with the addition of these luxurious townhome condominiums."

For more information about Kennedy Funding's services or to start a loan application, visit: www.KennedyFunding.com.

About Kennedy Funding

Kennedy Funding is a global direct private lender specializing in bridge loans for commercial property and land acquisition, development, workouts, bankruptcies, and foreclosures. Kennedy Funding has closed more than $4 billion in loans to date. Its creative financing expertise provides funding up to 75% loan-to-value, from $1 million ( $3 million international) to more than $50 million , in as little as five days. The company has closed loans throughout the United States , the Caribbean , Europe , Canada , and Central and South America .

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SOURCE Kennedy Funding
WATERTOWN, Mass. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Liai son International , an educational technology company that supports higher education enrollment, marketing, admissions, and student success on more than 1,200 campuses, announced the expansion of its Transfer Planner platform to support all community college students in the state of California . Developed as part of a joint initiative with the California State University system, this targeted solution increases access and student success among community college students seeking to advance their education.

More than 40% of the CSU's undergraduate students transfer from the state's large community college network. The Transfer Planner not only simplifies and centralizes the process, but also allows students to track progress throughout their academic journeys. The initiative began in 2021 in response to the CSU's ongoing commitment to closing equity gaps.

Liaison's enhanced feature set allows students to:

Enter college courses and monitor their progress toward transfer, including transfer units earned and transfer GPA.

Track courses and standardized tests that meet general education requirements.

Follow transfer programs and share their information with CSU campuses.

The enhancements also enable the CSU to forecast and monitor transfer students' progress, as well as connect with community college students for counseling purposes.

"The California State University's commitment to a better transfer experience sets a benchmark for state systems," George Haddad, founder and CEO of Liaison, said. "Liaison is extremely proud of our collaboration with the CSU system to accelerate and streamline the transfer process. It reflects our continued commitment to supporting state systems and community colleges and democratizing education for brighter futures, one student at a time."

Assistant vice chancellor for strategic enrollment management at the CSU, Dr. April Grommo, said, "The CSU is excited to launch the next phase of the CSU Transfer Planner designed to support all California community college students on the pathway to achieving a CSU bachelor's degree. This critical work has been made possible by our continued partnership with the Liaison team."

Leveraging the expanded feature set of Liaison's Transfer Planner platform, the CSU is empowering community college students to navigate their academic paths with greater ease, seize opportunities for academic growth, and pursue their dreams of higher education.

About Liaison

Through a powerful combination of technology and services, Liaison assists higher ed institutions and students in making informed enrollment decisions. Our vision of fostering a more educated world fuels our passion for expanding access, simplifying experiences, and empowering decision makers. With over 30 years of experience, we've served over 1,200 campuses and supported 40,000 programs globally, empowering individuals, partnering with institutions, and strengthening communities in the pursuit of knowledge and success.

Media Contact:

Madeline Knapp

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Liaison International
CEO Nicolas Hieronimus Revealed the CES 2024 Innovation Award-Winning Technology at the Opening Keynote, the First-Ever from a Beauty Company

LAS VEGAS , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at CES 2024, the L'Oreal Groupe unveiled a next-generation hair drying tool designed with professional stylists for both beauty professionals and consumers at home: AirLight Pro. Developed in partnership with Zuvi, a hardware startup company established by drone engineers and leading scientists, AirLight Pro uses a combination of infrared-light technology and wind to care for the hair with visually smoother and hydrated hair*1 while also drying hair faster*2 with optimized heat flow across multiple hair types, and up to 31% less energy consumption*3.

Nicolas Hieronimus , CEO of the L'Oreal Groupe, revealed the CES 2024 Innovation Award-Winning technology and detailed the company's strategic investments in Beauty Tech during his opening morning keynote in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada .

"For 115 years, L'Oreal has been leveraging science to innovate and provide consumers with unforgettable beauty experiences that fulfill their individual beauty aspirations. With AirLight Pro, in partnership with Zuvi, we prove that technology can augment beauty performance, caring for multiple hair needs, and reduce its environmental impact. That's the future of beauty we are aiming to create."

Introducing AirLight Pro

L'Oreal, a scientific and industry expert in haircare from the cellular level to the fiber for every hair type (curly, straight, and coily), partnered with hardware startup Zuvi to develop and deliver a next-generation hair drying tool for beauty professionals and then to consumers worldwide that focuses on caring for the hair through breakthrough technology.

"Zuvi's mission is to leave the world better than we found it by disrupting technologies and innovating for the future," said Mingyu Wang, Founder and CEO of Zuvi. "With our expertise in optics, aerodynamics, and consumer electronics design, we have created an exceptional product. We're immensely proud of the work we've done to date and now to have a partner like L'Oreal, a company with more than 100 years of expertise in haircare and beauty, to take our products to the next level. Together, we are and will continue to create ground-breaking beauty technologies."

Applying their patented LightCare technology to a blow-dryer, Zuvi developed a first-generation product that uses infrared light and high-speed wind to efficiently dry water on the hair surface, which leaves internal moisture in hair strands.

A team of over 100 engineers, designers, hairdressers, and scientists from L'Oreal's Research & Innovation Division and Zuvi collaborated on AirLight Pro's cutting-edge industrial design to develop a professional-grade hair drying tool that breaks through barriers of performance. AirLight Pro delivers up to 33% more hydrated hair*4, up to 59% visually smoother hair*5, faster drying times, and an enhanced user experience based on feedback from leading professional stylists. It is also able to deliver up to 31% less energy consumption*6.

Unlike conventional heating hair dryers with only heating coils, AirLight Pro is equipped with a special 17-blade, high-speed motor and patented*7 infrared technology powered by tungstenhalogen bulbs designed for fast hair drying without excessive heat. By efficiently drying water on the hair surface, hair is left with internal moisture in the strand resulting in smooth, shiny hair.

Tested by L'Oreal on more than 500 people across multiple hair types, AirLight Pro is designed to adapt to the needs of the individual user. The hardware, firmware, and app work seamlessly to make it possible for every user to customize the settings for their individual needs.

"For over a decade, L'Oreal Research and Innovation has been creating a new Beauty Science powered by Technology: Augmented Beauty. Technology that truly answers age-old consumer needs with unparalleled results," said Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology at L'Oreal. "AirLight Pro, with over 150 patents filed, perfectly embodies this breakthrough in beauty by, for the first time, bringing a solution for drying while caring for the hair as well as the planet."

L'Oreal made a minority investment in Zuvi through its corporate venture fund, BOLD Business Opportunities for L'Oreal Development.

AirLight Pro will be launched in select markets such as the United States and Europe by its salon professional brand, L'Oreal Professionnel, in 2024 to both beauty professionals and consumers.

"As the historical brand leader and trusted partner of hairstylists since 1909, L'Oreal Professionnel has always elevated the professional industry with pioneering innovations," said Anne Machet , General Manager for L'Oreal Professionnel. "We're thrilled to partner with Zuvi and invent the new generation of hair dryer. Powered with infrared light, AirLight Pro offers superior professional performance for all hair types, with significantly reduced energy consumption. The new perfect companion for all hairstylists!"

Note: Statistics included are based on claim studies conducted on AirLight Pro in the European Union.

About L'Oreal

For over 110 years, L'Oreal the world's leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose - to create the beauty that moves the world - defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous, and committed to social and environmental sustainability.

With our broad portfolio of 36 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L'Oreal For The Future program, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity, and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With 87,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint, and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, travel retail and branded boutiques) in 2022 the Group generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros . L'Oreal relies on 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world, a dedicated Research and Innovation team of 4,000 scientists and over 5,500 tech and digital professionals, to invent the future of beauty and become the champion of Beauty Tech.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

About L'Oreal Professionnel

L'Oreal Professionnel offers professional beauty expertise by drawing on over 110 years of knowledge and support for the hairdressing sector. The world's historical leading professional brand for hairstylists partners with 1,5million stylists, and through over 300 000 salons. Its complementary broad portfolio is made of complete haircare ranges addressing all hair types, professional coloration & highlights, as well as augmented beauty tech accessories.

Acting under ambitious sustainability commitments following the L'Oreal for the Future programme, L'Oreal Professionnel offers through 66 countries around the world the best in terms of science, quality, efficacy, and responsibility. The brand is sold through online & offline channels, (hair salons, retailers and e-commerce).

More information on https://www.lorealprofessionnel.com/int.

About Zuvi

Zuvi's mission is to disrupt and redefine the beauty tech industry through groundbreaking innovation, personalization, and sustainability. Since its inception in 2019, Zuvi has committed itself to positively impacting consumers' daily lives and setting new standards in the beauty tech space. Rooted in engineering and scientific excellence, the team at Zuvi brings experience from industry giants such as Apple and DJI, as well as prestigious academic institutions like Oxford and UC Berkeley.

For further information, please contact your bank, stockbroker of financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR000012031) and consult your usual newspapers or magazines or the Internet site for shareholders and investors, www.loreal-finance.com , the L'Oreal Finance app or call the toll-free number from France : 0 800 66 66 66. 0 800 66 66 66

Follow us on LinkedIn @L'Oreal

Follow us on Instagram @lorealgroupe

www.loreal.com

*1Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*2Compared vs. same hair dryer without infrared light

*3Instrumental test, compared to the leading premium hair dryers

*4Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*5Instrumental test, compared to hair naturally dried

*6Instrumental test, compared to the leading premium hair dryers

*7 U.S.A. patent

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SOURCE LOreal Groupe
SAN FRANCISCO , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mapbox, a global leader in location technology, announces its collaboration with Hyundai Autoever, an automotive software innovation leader that is part of the Hyundai Motor Group. Together, Mapbox and Hyundai Autoever are set to redefine the driving experience by developing an AI-powered digital ecosystem centered around Mapbox MapGPT, a location-intelligent AI voice assistant capable of natural and actionable conversations within vehicles and mobile applications. The parties have demonstrated the viability of the solution in a proof of concept and are now taking joint steps to commercialize the solution.

The innovative collaboration between Hyundai Autoever and Mapbox will propel the role of AI navigation within Hyundai Autoever's vision of digitally enhanced vehicles. With its proactive location intelligence constantly updated with Mapbox location data, MapGPT provides drivers with intelligent recommendations for a smoother and safer travel experience to enhance their journey. This includes dynamic routing around traffic congestion and timely weather warnings, ensuring a smoother and safer travel experience.

Integration of MapGPT into both vehicles and a companion smartphone application will create a seamless digital experience for drivers to effortlessly access and manage their vehicle's systems, whether they are inside the car or on the go using any connected device.

MapGPT enables drivers to use voice commands to control in-vehicle systems, including climate control, windows, and music. Third-party integrations with popular external apps such as OpenTable and TripAdvisor will further enrich the overall driving experience. The partnership adds Korean language support to MapGPT and local search for Korea provided by Hyundai Autoever.

The collaboration between Mapbox and Hyundai Autoever will also incorporate specialized support for electric vehicles (EV) with Mapbox for EV and integrate Mapbox 3D Navigation for a visually immersive and intuitive navigation map.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Mapbox in shaping the future of in-vehicle experiences," said Dongkwon Suh, Head of Navigation Business Division at Hyundai Autoever. "Our collaboration exemplifies a commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with location-based technology, enhancing convenience, safety, and enjoyment for drivers with the revolutionary MapGPT AI-powered digital ecosystem."

"With MapGPT at the forefront of AI navigation, we're not just transforming the way drivers navigate; we're revolutionizing the entire driving experience," stated Peter Sirota , CEO at Mapbox. "The collaboration with Hyundai Autoever marks a significant leap forward that prioritizes hyper-local navigation experiences and integrates natural voice that controls all aspects of the vehicle."

About Hyundai Autoever

As a mobility software solution provider, Hyundai Autoever drives customer growth by leading digital transformation in and around the vehicle. Hyundai Autoever develops products such as vehicle software platforms, navigation software, and precision maps in the in-vehicle area to advance the SDV era, and also provides quality verification services to enhance the completeness of vehicle software. Hyundai Autoever provides various solutions and IT services that customers need, including Enterprise IT, which builds, manages, and operates corporate IT systems for successful DX, as well as IT services using cloud capabilities and smart factory solutions for manufacturing innovation.

About Mapbox

Mapbox is the leading maps and location platform powering a new generation of location-aware applications. Mapbox is the only platform that equips organizations with the full set of tools to power the navigation for people, packages, and vehicles everywhere. More than 4 million registered developers and 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies have chosen Mapbox because of the platform's flexibility, security and privacy compliance. Organizations use Mapbox applications, data, SDKs and APIs to create customized and immersive experiences that delight their customers.

For more information, visit www.mapbox.com .

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SOURCE Mapbox
MORRISVILLE, N.C. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercalis Inc., an integrated life sciences commercialization company that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire biopharmaceutical value chain, today released its 2023 annual highlights, detailing the organization's impressive performance over the past year.

In September, TrialCard announced it had rebranded to become Mercalis, a transformation several years in the making. Over time, the Mercalis executive leadership team implemented a deliberate strategy to expand its capabilities to support life sciences companies more comprehensively in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Years of robust organic growth and purposeful inorganic expansion, including seven acquisitions over the past five years, further diversified the company beyond patient support into broader life sciences commercialization services. This transformation culminated in the launch of a new brandMercalisto encompass it all.

"Mercalis's success in 2023 was highlighted by a pivotal corporate rebranding," said Scott Dulitz , Mercalis's Chief Executive Officer. "The year represented a significant stride toward our goal of becoming the leading fully integrated commercialization partner in the life sciences industry. Notably, the growth of our Triangle Insights consulting group and the expansion of Policy Reporter's SaaS-based payer intelligence offerings contributed to this success. Alongside our market-leading Patient Support Services, these elements have established a strong foundation for our comprehensive end-to-end commercialization platform. Across all business segments, we welcomed 75 new clients and provided support to over 1.6 million patients, addressing their access and affordability needs."

Some of Mercalis's more newsworthy items from 2023 include:

Throughout its history, Mercalis has publicly supported many of the biopharmaceutical industry's efforts to combat legislation and policies that adversely impact patients. In February, Mercalis joined Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and 28 patient, provider, and consumer organizations by filing an amicus curiae brief in support of a case brought against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, the Diabetes Leadership Council , the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition , and three patients. The lawsuit concluded with a favorable decision for the plaintiffs, resulting in federal regulations preventing health plans from implementing copay accumulators for drugs without generic equivalents.

(PhRMA) and 28 patient, provider, and consumer organizations by filing an amicus curiae brief in support of a case brought against the by the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, the , the , and three patients. The lawsuit concluded with a favorable decision for the plaintiffs, resulting in federal regulations preventing health plans from implementing copay accumulators for drugs without generic equivalents. In March, Mercalis launched its scalable ConvergeHEALTH Patient Connect for Life Sciences platform on Salesforce Health Cloud. This adaptable platform provides state-of-the-art technology, enabling the delivery of comprehensive integrated patient service support programs tailored to individual patient needs. Renowned as a market-leading solution, this platform introduces valuable features and benefits, including a healthcare provider web portal, a portal for field reimbursement managers (FRMs), and advanced workflow and integration capabilities, features our life science customers have found highly beneficial.

In 2023, Mercalis's free goods pharmacy experienced record year-over-year growth of 500% and successfully launched or transitioned four Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). To sustain its growth and distinguish it from other non-commercial dispensing pharmacies, Mercalis is now: Standing up a second pharmacy to provide full business continuity Breaking ground on a new and expanded flagship location that will open in 2024 Investing in pharmacy automation technology to provide best-in-class efficiency, speed, and accuracy

During 2023, Triangle Insights Group by Mercalis expanded its client base by 14% and announced several key appointments and promotions within its team. Megan Thomas , Ryan Coe , and Sarah Jims were recognized for their contributions and promoted to Partner. The company also welcomed Rohit Kumar as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager. Lastly, Chris Apolito , a Triangle founding partner, was named Chief Strategy Officer for Mercalis.

by Mercalis expanded its client base by 14% and announced several key appointments and promotions within its team. , , and were recognized for their contributions and promoted to Partner. The company also welcomed as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager. Lastly, , a Triangle founding partner, was named Chief Strategy Officer for Mercalis. Policy Reporter by Mercalis introduced the Payer Landscape Dashboard (PLD) and Formulary Alerts to enhance its offerings. The PLD offers a streamlined view of coverage information through a dynamic business intelligence platform, utilizing weighting and scoring on key criteria. This innovative tool empowers Market Access leaders with actionable insights, extracting valuable information from the vast array of unstructured data within policy documents. It provides a holistic view of payer coverage for both products and competitors. In addition, the Formulary Alerts deliver comprehensive notifications of payer formulary change activity, customizable by drug, payer, PBM, plan type, and state. These tools complement Policy Reporter's renowned policy tracking and alerting capabilities, further elevating the level of payer intelligence for pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic manufacturers, ultimately driving commercial success.

by Mercalis introduced the Payer Landscape Dashboard (PLD) and Formulary Alerts to enhance its offerings. The PLD offers a streamlined view of coverage information through a dynamic business intelligence platform, utilizing weighting and scoring on key criteria. This innovative tool empowers Market Access leaders with actionable insights, extracting valuable information from the vast array of unstructured data within policy documents. It provides a holistic view of payer coverage for both products and competitors. In addition, the Formulary Alerts deliver comprehensive notifications of payer formulary change activity, customizable by drug, payer, PBM, plan type, and state. These tools complement renowned policy tracking and alerting capabilities, further elevating the level of payer intelligence for pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic manufacturers, ultimately driving commercial success. In November, Mercalis announced an exclusive perpetual license to a portfolio of access and adherence technologies from OptimizeRx . This deal further expanded the Mercalis catalog of eServices transactions including pharmacy eligibility, electronic real-time benefits investigation, electronic prior authorizations, medical eligibility, and financial acceptance screening. The transaction also included a team of talented employees who built and commercialized these access and adherence technologies.

OptimizeRx Mercalis eServices After a rigorous recertification process, Mercalis once again achieved the coveted ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation for its Information Security Management System (ISMS). ISO/IEC 27001 certification is the gold standard in data security management and places Mercalis among the industry's best in data security and privacy. Mercalis has held this certification since 2018.

About Mercalis

Mercalis is an integrated life sciences commercialization partner that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire healthcare value chain. The company partners closely with its clients to deliver an end-to-end spectrum of commercial capabilities that work together seamlessly and flexibly. Backed by proven industry expertise and results-driven technology, Mercalis provides the data and strategic insights, patient support services, and healthcare provider engagement tools to help life sciences companies successfully commercialize new products. Above all, Mercalis helps navigate the complex life sciences marketplace to accelerate value and enhance patient lives. Founded in 2000, Mercalis provides commercialization solutions to more than 500 life sciences customers and has provided access and affordability support to millions of patients. The company is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina . For more information about Mercalis, please visit www.mercalis.com.

Contact:

Landy Townsend

VP, Marketing & Communications

Mercalis

[email protected]

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SOURCE Mercalis
Over 77 countries set to join including G20 countries US, UK , China , and Japan

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ministerial Roundtable, a pivotal precursor to the third edition of the Future Minerals Forum, is poised to take the spotlight on 9 January 2024 . Led by its Chair, H.E. Bandar Ibrahim AlKhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , the Ministerial Roundtable will serve as a pivotal gathering for global mining and metals stakeholders to engage in vital discussions and foster collaboration on responsible mineral development to meet the needs of the clean energy transition.

First initiated in January 2022 , the Ministerial Roundtable was conceived to launch initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation and coordination in the mineral sector. These initiatives encompass critical areas such as establishing principles for a regional critical minerals framework, developing centers of excellence, defining responsible supply expectations, and creating green metals hubs.

All countries participating in the meeting have one goal - to work to secure the future of mineral supply chains for the global transition to clean energy, and achieve regional economic development in the mining and metals sector. The super region extending from Africa to Western and Central Asia has promising mining potential and capabilities and is capable of meeting the expected gap in future demand.

Taking place in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh , this esteemed platform will unite ministers and high-level government representatives from over 77 countries, which include G20 countries such as Australia , Brazil , Canada , China , the European Union, France , Germany , India , Indonesia , Turkey , Japan , the US, and the United Kingdom . Significant mining countries such as Chile , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Egypt , Ghana Guinea Republic, Kazakhstan , Mexico , Morocco , Pakistan , Russia , South Africa , Zambia and Zimbabwe , are also set to join, underscoring the significance of this event for the mineral sector, particularly in the Super Region spanning Africa , Western and Central Asia .

Besides government attendees, the event will also convene representatives from 13 international organizations, 15 non-governmental organizations, and 7 business associations, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), among others.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2314209/Future_Minerals_Forum_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE Future Minerals Forum
New Funding Enables the Community Health Worker Institute at Montefiore to Optimize the Skillsets of CHWs & Create Clearer Career Pathways for Local Experts

BRONX, N.Y. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- There is growing recognition that community health workers (CHWs), local experts who fill gaps between medical care and social services, represent an enormous opportunity to address challenges in healthcare access and improve overall health outcomes. Despite their importance, inconsistencies in education and training prevent CHWs from reaching their full potential. The Community Health Worker Institute (CHWI) at Montefiore has received a $2 million grant from the New York State Department of Health to create a robust program that can serve as a new model for prospective and current CHW instruction and support.

The CHWI at Montefiore launched in 2021, and to date, CHWs completed certificate training through Hostos Community College. As CHWs were deployed throughout Montefiore's primary care, OBGYN and specialty locations, the leaders of the Institute saw an opportunity for enhanced education and training standards that would open pathways for CHW's upward career mobility and improve their consistency and effectiveness.

Enabling CHWs to Grow and Prosper

Nationwide, CHWs have various job descriptions and training across healthcare settings. Most basic CHW training programs include approximately 81 hours of educational activities and 80 hours of on-the-job training. Courtesy of this new grant, Montefiore's bolstered CHW program will include 160 hours of education and approximately 2,000 hours of supervised engagement with patients. An additional 16 CHWs will also be trained from this funding.

"Our CHWs are remarkable, and we owe it to them to have more standardized education and training that will not only add value to how we deliver healthcare but also ensure CHWs have the tools to be successful, feel pride in their work and to advance in their careers," said Kevin Fiori , M.D., M.P.H., M.S., director of CHWI and Social Determinants of Health, as well as associate professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Family & Social Medicine at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "We are grateful for this new funding which will help ensure we are enhancing experiences for our CHWs, but also will provide a roadmap for how to share and replicate CHW best practices elsewhere."

Through the new funding, CHWs will be compensated as they participate in an enhanced intensive four-week training spanning data management to social service workshops that lay the foundation for how to navigate systems and help families with their most pressing needs like housing security and quality, food security, transportation, access to healthcare, child/adult care and legal services. They will also have a full year of supervised practice experience. Once enough job hours are completed and coursework is passed, trainees will have the opportunity to earn full NYS Department of Labor recognized apprenticeship certification.

The newly robust training, which will also be available for current Montefiore CHWs, gives a leg up for those looking to pursue future health careers, such as certified nurse assistants.

The Value of an Academic Medical Center

The CHWI at Montefiore is informed by the health system's screening of social determinants of health (SDOH)conditions that people are born into, work and live in that impact health outcomes (e.g. housing, transportation, education). To date, more than 215,000 patients have been screened for SDOH and 15-20% were identified as having at least one social need.

By having an academic medical center, which combines education, research and clinical care in the Bronx , one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse counties, Montefiore is uniquely positioned to create a training program that can serve as a model for how to educate and train this new workforce, particularly in vulnerable communities.

"Our CHWs are the Bronx ," said Scott Wetzler , PhD, vice president, Behavioral Health Management, Montefiore, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "They are creative and hardworking, and some have also had to overcome challenges like inadequate housing and food insecurity. Having that firsthand experience on the frontlines, backed by this new education and training program, brings an amazing opportunity for us to learn from the experiences of our colleagues. In turn, we're proud to offer a more extensive educational experience that allows this emerging workforce to prosper."

About Montefiore Health System

Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems. It is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx , Westchester , and the Hudson Valley . It comprises ten hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and over two hundred outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information, please visit www.montefiore.org . Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn , or view us on Facebook and YouTube .

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SOURCE Montefiore Health System
Digital transformation and new tech tools can provide scalable solutions to systemic challenges straining global healthcare system, new research finds

New World Economic Forum Digital Healthcare Transformation Initiative, launched in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group will accelerate public-private collaboration on digital health, data, and artificial intelligence

New report by the World Economic Forum and BCG highlights how five critical enablers could revolutionize healthcare and counter the interconnected challenges it is facing globally

DAVOS -KLOSTERS, Switzerland , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new World Economic Forum initiative, unveiled today, will unlock the transformative potential of digital tools and new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare, and the critical importance of concerted public-private collaboration in driving their global adoption.

The new initiative, launched in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), will harness the untapped power of digital solutions to help address the host of pressing interconnected challenges straining the global healthcare system. The joint effort will foster international collaboration on promising new digital tools such as AI to reshape patient care and improve system inefficiencies worldwide.

"Digital transformation has the potential to overcome the serious challenges patients and populations are facing worldwide," said Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare, and Member of the Executive Committee at World Economic Forum. "Greater public-private collaboration is urgently needed to address these complex challenges. We are committed to providing an adaptable, cooperative platform to connect the dots and accelerate and scale up the innovative efforts of key change-making organizations in healthcare globally."

Transforming Healthcare: Navigating Digital Health with a Value-Driven Approach, a joint report by the World Economic Forum and BCG, also launched today, underscores this urgent need for concerted collaboration on the scaling up of digital solutions to the triad of interconnected challenges straining health systems today: insufficient financial and human resources, the increasing burden of chronic diseases, and inequitable outcomes and access to care.

"This joint initiative marks a significant step towards harnessing the power of digital solutions and AI to elevate health outcomes, enhance efficiency, and bridge the gaps in access and care that exist in far too many countries," said Torben Danger , global leader of BCG's Health Care practice and a coauthor of the report. "Now is the moment for governments, health care system leads, and the private sector to intensify their efforts and establish the right conditions that not only allow digital, data, and AI solutions, but that enable them to thrive and transform global health care in an ethical and secure way."

The Transforming Healthcare: Navigating Digital Health with a Value-Driven Approach report's strategic framework outlines five overarching digital enablers that could expedite the sustainable transformation of healthcare systems and help ensure maximum impact for patients worldwide:

Data : Unlock the value of data which enables digital applications to create impact.

: Unlock the value of data which enables digital applications to create impact. Tech and analytics : Build a strong tech and analytics foundation that can extract value from data.

: Build a strong tech and analytics foundation that can extract value from data. Funding and incentives : Align incentives among stakeholders and ensure funding so digital can be scaled up for maximum impact.

: Align incentives among stakeholders and ensure funding so digital can be scaled up for maximum impact. Hybrid healthcare delivery : Strengthen digital capabilities and user design to facilitate implementation.

: Strengthen digital capabilities and user design to facilitate implementation. Regulations and policies: Develop fit-for-purpose digital regulations and policies.

Download the publication here:

https://www.weforum.org/publications/b82d18ac-f47b-4999-9712-b61f7ea681d5/

Media Contacts:

World Economic Forum: [email protected]

BCG: [email protected]

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

About the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 convenes the world's foremost leaders under the theme "Rebuilding Trust." For further information, click here.

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

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SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Company welcomes more than 160 new customers to the largest care access platform

BOSTON , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyruus Health concluded a momentous 2023, solidifying its role as the leading care access platform. The year saw healthcare providers, plans and care navigators adopt the company's solutions to improve the digital patient experience, expand access and engagement, and ensure transparency. Kyruus Health now serves more than 90 million health plan members from 100 health plan brands and 425,000 providers across more than 1,000 hospitals and 500 medical groups.

Kyruus Health now serves more than 90 million health plan members from 100 health plan brands and 425,000 providers.

Expanding the network

Despite industry headwinds, Kyruus Health continued to grow and innovate, adding 20 leading health systems to its network. The company's customers now represent nearly 40 percent of the hospitals and health systems who have achieved level 10 status in CHIME's 2023 "Digital Health Most Wired" program. Additionally, according to a KLAS Research survey of healthcare executives, Kyruus Health was named among the top patient engagement vendors in the industry.

Exiting 2023, Kyruus Health also now serves 42 percent of the country's largest health plans with solutions that allow health plan members to search for care based upon cost, clinical expertise, demographic preferences, real-time availability, and enable compliance with the Transparency in Coverage mandate. Dozens of care navigation and digital health companies also leverage the care access platform to help ensure their members are routed to the right in-network providers.

Improving the consumer experience

As highlighted in the 2023 Care Access Benchmark Report , consumers are looking for expanded digital capabilities, with 77 percent being extremely or very interested in completing intake forms prior to an appointment. This evolving consumer expectation aligns with the growing adoption of Kyruus Health solutions for medical groups and increases in patient engagement, which saw a notable 90 percent pre-visit completion rate.

Partnering to expand access for Veterans

Kyruus Health proudly announced a collaboration with WellHive, in partnership with V3 Gate, to support the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), America's largest integrated healthcare system to improve care for all Veterans. VHA serves an estimated 9 million enrolled Veterans by providing first-class care management resulting in approximately 81 million VHA and 32 million Community Care outpatient appointments each year.

By combining Kyruus Health's patient access solutions and extensive network of providers and care delivery organizations with WellHive's innovative care navigation technology, this strategic partnership will accelerate access to care for the millions of Veterans that rely on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for their healthcare needs. Through centralized appointment management across all VHA sites, the VA is poised to modernize and streamline their external provider scheduling processes. This initiative will ensure that VA employees can deliver healthcare services to the nation's Veterans efficiently and effectively.

Uniting under one brand

Following Kyruus' acquisition of the HealthSparq and Epion Health businesses over the past few years, all three brands now have come together as Kyruus Health. Combining these three companies into one brand, underscores the company's commitment to seamlessly connecting individuals with the right care.

"Finding the right care remains a daunting exercise for far too many people today," noted Kyruus Health Co-Founder and CEO, Graham Gardner , M.D. "At the same time, organizations struggle to match these patients to the right providers and treatments they offer. By integrating data and scheduling workflows from thousands of organizations into a common care access platform, we are able to connect providers, payers, and digital health companies in a way that helps each of them optimize how they serve patients. We are incredibly honored to already partner with so many in the industry and are excited to be a catalyst for better healthcare that is more accessible, transparent, and of the highest quality."

Visit the newly refreshed website at KyruusHealth.com to explore how Kyruus Health is pioneering a new era.

About Kyruus Health

Kyruus Health is the leading care access platform on a mission to connect people to the right care. The company connects 425,000 providers across more than 1,000 hospitals and 500 medical groups, and more than 90 million health plan members across 100 health plan brands, so every stakeholder can access and harness the most accurate, comprehensive, and contextually relevant information.By enabling informed decisions and confident action, the care access platform supports healthier outcomes, reduces friction in healthcare, and grants more time back in everyone's day. To learn more, visit KyruusHealth.com or follow us on LinkedIn .

Media Contacts

Jeff Rusack

Media Relations Manager, KNB Communications

[email protected]

Ashley Dauwer

Corporate Marketing and PR Manager, Kyruus Health

[email protected]

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SOURCE Kyruus Health
LONDON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of post office managers across Britain, wrongly accused of theft and fraud because of a computer hiccup, were thrown a lifeline by the government on Monday.

This incident, described as one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history, involved over 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who faced prosecution by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015. Many of them have spent years asserting their innocence, citing issues with a new accounting and stocktaking software program known as Horizon, developed by a Japanese company.

Some of the managers served prison sentences after being convicted of false accounting and theft. Many of them were financially ruined, and some killed themselves.

So far 93 convictions have been overturned by judges, but hundreds more are waiting to be cleared.

In an urgent House of Commons debate on Monday night about the scandal, Business and Trade Minister Kevin Hollinrake told lawmakers: "This scandal was one of greatest miscarriages of justice in the nation's history."

He said options have been devised to dealing with the outstanding convictions against the postmasters and postmistresses.

"All of us on these benches and across the house are united in our desire to see justice done. I hope the government will be able to announce these proposals to the house very shortly."

The issue has been propelled into the public limelight after a television drama focused on the impact of people wrongly accused of crime.

A public inquiry into the scandal is currently underway, and recently London's Metropolitan Police have also opened a new investigation into the Post Office over potential fraud offences. 
Acquisition enhances the leading ESG firm's supply chain offering with expanded supplier mapping, scoring and traceability capabilities to further empower customers in creating sustainable supply chains

CHICAGO and SANTA CRUZ, Calif. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sphera, a leading global provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services, announces that it has acquired SupplyShift, a supply chain sustainability software company that empowers businesses to build transparent, responsible and resilient supply chains.

Acquisition provides unparalleled Scope 3 and ESG tracking and reporting capabilities.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Santa Cruz, California , SupplyShift has built a supply chain network of over 100,000 suppliers, where buyers and suppliers engage and share information quickly in order to manage risk and facilitate supplier regulatory compliance. The solution provides supply chain transparency and supplier mapping at any tier as well as data analytics, supplier scoring and traceability. SupplyShift has customers and business partners around the world, and the company's portal is used by a variety of customers across industries, from global retailers to Fortune 500 brands.

"SupplyShift has seen tremendous growth with its software solution that allows for direct communication with suppliers and customers and enables the seamless collection of their Scope 3 emissions data, which helps suppliers improve their supply chain ESG performance," said Paul Marushka , Sphera's CEO and president. "As more regulations are passed that demand transparency, the SupplyShift solution will become indispensable in meeting global regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations. Bringing SupplyShift's portal into the Sphera family will expand our current offerings and enable us to provide unparalleled Scope 3 and ESG tracking and reporting capabilities. We are pleased to welcome SupplyShift's customers, colleagues and solution to Sphera and look forward to helping our combined customer base accurately track and report their Scope 3 emissions and be compliant."

Alex Gershenson , SupplyShift's CEO and founder, said, "SupplyShift was founded on the idea of leveraging software to drive sustainability initiatives, and for 11 years we have been empowering companies to understand their supply chain ESG risk and performance. We are excited to join the Sphera family and take data availability to a new level through the combination of Sphera's industry-leading ESG data and SupplyShift's Scope 3 data collection abilities. Through SpheraCloud, Sphera's SaaS platform, and its LCA solutions, we can help even more customers track their Scope 3 emissions and manage their supply chain sustainability."

Eli Nagler , Senior Managing Director, and Kelly Wannop , Managing Director, at Blackstone, added, "We are excited to welcome SupplyShift to Sphera and continue investing in this company's innovative solutions. This planned acquisition supports our commitment to Sphera's accelerated growth and will bolster the company's supply chain capabilities for its customers moving forward."

Reed Smith LLP and Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisors to Sphera and Blackstone, while Evercore and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. served as the financial advisors. For SupplyShift, VLP Law Group served as the legal advisor and Houlihan Lokey served as the financial advisor.

About Sphera

Sphera is the leading provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and risk management software, data and consulting services focusing on Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S), Operational Risk Management (ORM), Product Stewardship and Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM). For more than 30 years, we have served over 7,000 customers and a million-plus users in 80 countries to help companies keep their people safe, their products sustainable and their operations productive. Learn more about Sphera at www.sphera.com. Follow Sphera on LinkedIn.

About SupplyShift

SupplyShift is a leading provider of supply chain sustainability and responsible sourcing solutions, enabling companies to measure, monitor and improve their environmental, social and economic impact across the supply chain. Through its cloud-based platform, SupplyShift offers a suite of tools and services designed to help businesses identify risks, uncover opportunities and drive positive change in their supply chains. For more information, visit www.supplyshift.net.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Evan Neville

[email protected]

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SOURCE Sphera
Total of 25 Maryland companies to receive expert advice and proposal support

COLUMBIA, Md. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the selection of 25 Maryland companies to participate in the 2024 Small Business Association (SBA) Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST) SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab cohort. This program, now in its sixth year, supports companies in the cohort, allowing them to work closely with TEDCO experts on preparing polished proposals for up to $275,000 in federal awards through the SBIR/STTR Phase 1 program.

Total of 25 Maryland companies to receive expert advice and proposal support from TEDCO

"TEDCO is proud to have a variety of programs and opportunities dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial innovation throughout Maryland ," said TEDCO CEO Troy LeMaile-Stovall . "Through this program, TEDCO can continue our work supporting Maryland companies when applying for the SBIR/STTR funding opportunities."

What is SBIR/STTR?

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, housed in 12 federal agencies and coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, are the Nation's largest source of non-dilutive government early stage/high-risk funding for startups and small businesses. These competitive programs are designed to encourage small businesses with potential for commercialization to engage with Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D). The awards-based program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential while providing an incentive to profit through commercialization.

Proposal Lab Participation Leads to Higher Success Rates

In collaboration with the Rockville, Md. woman-owned OST Global Solutions, this six-month lab will connect companies with experts from TEDCO's Network Advisor program; these experts will provide the cohort with actionable feedback through two proposal reviews, thereby increasing the company's likelihood of award.

Throughout the proposal lab, TEDCO will bring in experts from selected government SBIR/STTR program offices to provide information and answer questions on everything from timing, to writing style, and to what makes a proposal compelling.

"I am honored and humbled by the overwhelming response to the FY24 Proposal Lab program," said Kimberly Mozingo , director of TEDCO's Federal Programs. "The 45 companies who applied are tackling some of the most pressing global challenges facing humanity today. While we could only select 25 for this cohort, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to all applicants for their dedication and commitment to making a positive impact on our world. Our Proposal Lab team eagerly anticipates working with the cohort to craft compelling, compliant, and competitive Phase I SBIR or STTR proposals."

For more information about the SBIR/STTR Proposal lab, please visit https://www.tedcomd.com/funding/tech-transfer/federal-tech-transfer/sbirproposal.

About TEDCO

TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland . Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more at sba.gov.

Media Contact

Tammi Thomas

Chief Development & Marketing Officer

TEDCO

[email protected]

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Creating better workplaces, communities and lives while honoring a rich heritage

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vollrath Company, a globally renowned leader in the foodservice and custom products industries, announces a comprehensive brand refresh as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024. This visual update includes a fresh new logo, revamped mission, vision, purpose and an inspiring tagline that represents Vollrath's continued dedication to quality, sustainability and community.

Erik Lampe , CEO and president of The Vollrath Company, expressed the significance of this event: "Our 150th anniversary represents a unique milestone in our rich history. We've evolved and grown over the years, and our brand refresh reflects our commitment to the future while honoring our past and our heritage."

The Vollrath Company's brand has evolved in tandem with its business growth and geographic expansion. From its beginnings in 1874 as the Sheboygan Cast Steel Co. to becoming The Vollrath Company in 1908 and continuing to grow and expand until today, the company has consistently adapted and innovated to meet the changing needs of its customers.

Over the years, Vollrath's logo and brand identity have continued to reflect its dedication to quality and sustainability. At the heart of The Vollrath Company's brand is the commitment to empowering its stakeholders to create better workplaces, communities, and lives. This purpose is reflected in the brand's new tagline: Creating Better.

With a vision to improve lives worldwide, Vollrath looks forward to the next chapter of its history and embracing sustainable growth across its business sectors, including corporate, domestic and international foodservice, and manufacturing services.

For more information on the new brand design and the 150th anniversary celebration, please visit the Vollrath website.

About The Vollrath Company

Founded in 1874 and based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin , The Vollrath Company is a privately held, family-owned and, today, a six- and seventh-generation woman-owned company. It has nine factories spread across the United States , Europe and China that manufacture products to exacting quality standards globally, backed by outstanding customer service. The company focuses on quality design, engineering and manufacturing across its business divisions for foodservice and custom and specialty products. For more information, visit vollrathcompany.com.

Press Contact:

Mirjam Lippuner

920-395-8998

https://vollrathcompany.com/

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SOURCE The Vollrath Company
Healthcare Real Estate Insights magazine's national awards program honors 2 healthcare projects that PMB developed in 2023.

SAN DIEGO , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two PMB-developed healthcare projects have been named as Finalists in Healthcare Real Estate Insights (HREI) magazine's annual, national awards program. PMB, a leading national healthcare real estate developer and owner, which is headquartered in San Diego , developed the facilities in Orange, Calif. ; and West Covina, Calif.

2 PMB Projects Named HREI Insights Award Finalists

"We are very pleased that HREI magazine has once again recognized the excellence of PMB's healthcare real estate projects," says Mark D. Toothacre , President of PMB. "Our two winning projects are meeting important needs in their respective communities."

The Providence St Joseph Helen Caloggero Women's & Family Center was named a finalist in the Best New Medical Office Buildings and Other Outpatient Facilities (100,000 square feet or more). Located in Orange, Calif. , the 137,000, four-story project will house a mother and baby assessment center, maternal diabetes and wellness, maternal fetal testing, pelvic health and rehabilitation, perinatal education, OB/GYN clinical offices, comprehensive imaging, conference / education rooms, medical oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, surgery center, urology, urgent care, blood draw and a Blue Bowl Superfoods outlet. Visitors and tenants also will have access to a convenient underground parking garage. The architect for the project is the Orange County, Calif. , office of Boulder Associates, and the general contractor is Snyder Langston, which is based in Irvine, Calif. PMB's management company, PMB Real Estate Services (PMB RES), will serve as property manager, and PMB and Madison Marquette will manage leasing. Lenders are Capital One and Siemens, and Harrison Street is the Capital Partner.

The Medical Arts Building II was named a finalist in the Best New Medical Office Buildings and Other Outpatient Facilities (50,000 to 99,999 square feet). The 60,000 square-foot project will house a comprehensive cancer center with two medical linear accelerators, an ambulatory surgery center with four operating rooms, 22 infusion bays, imaging including CT scan and high-dose radiation services, and clinic space. The project also will include a parking structure with 398 stalls. In addition to PMB and Emanate Health, the project team includes architect CannonDesign, which is headquartered in New York City ; and Irvine, Calif. -based general contractor Snyder Langston.

PMB has had 13 Finalists, seven of which went on to be named Winners in the previous eight years of the awards program.

The HREI Insights Awards are the only national awards dedicated to recognizing excellence in the areas of HRE development and executive leadership. The awards are presented by HREI, the first and only national magazine entirely devoted to covering HRE development, financing and investment.

About PMB

PMB is a purpose-driven healthcare real estate developer with a mission to improve healthcare delivery, effect change, and positively impact communities. Our company is 100 percent focused on healthcare real estate across the continuum of care including behavioral health, life sciences, ambulatory care centers, medical office buildings, inpatient hospitals, post-acute hospitals, senior living facilities, and parking structures. PMB has developed over 130 facilities to date representing approximately 6 million square feet. The firm owns and manages 70 medical facilities comprising over 5.2 million square feet. For more information, please visit our website at www.pmbllc.com.

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USB named exclusive U.S. importer and sales & marketing partner for Germany's best-selling wheat beer

STAMFORD, Conn. , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- US Beverage, LLC, (USB) one of America's leading beverage companies, announced today that it has signed an agreement with ERDINGER, the best-selling brand of wheat beer in Germany . Under the terms of the agreement, which went into effect January 1, 2024 , USB will be the exclusive U.S. importer, as well as provide sales and marketing support, for the ERDINGER portfolio.

Celebrating nearly 30 years of operations, USB focuses on building its portfolio of recognized craft, import, cider and FMB/RTD brands through a national network of distributors.

Headquartered in Erding, Germany , privately-owned ERDINGER has perfected Bavarian brewing methods for more than 130 years at the largest family-owned wheat beer brewery in the world. The result is a portfolio of outstanding quality. ERDINGER Weissbrau products are all natural, never pasteurized and fermented twice, a unique and complex brewing process  similar to the champagne method  that produces unparalleled freshness and taste.

Per the agreement, USB will provide sales, brand building and logistics support to ERDINGER brands throughout their current footprint while helping them expand to new markets.

"Wheat beers are gaining momentum in the U.S. as consumers seek distinct flavors and characteristics, and the ERDINGER portfolio is an exceptional example of how delicious this category can be," said Kris Sjolander , Vice President, Brand Development, U.S. Beverage. "Retailers and beer lovers alike are excited by the ERDINGER name, and we are thrilled to help them grow in the U.S. "

"The U.S. market is an important one for ERDINGER and when we looked for a new sales and marketing partner, the U.S. Beverage team was the clear choice," said Michael Austermayer, Senior Regional Sales Director, ERDINGER Weissbrau. "Their experience and systematic approach will be vital to our expansion and as another family-owned business, they share our values."

The ERDINGER portfolio is available in most major markets and includes:

ERDINGER Weissbier - The taste of Bavaria and #1 selling Weissbier in Germany. A classic wheat beer featuring gently spicy wheat and yeast aromas blended with mildly bitter hops. A premium beer whose full-bodied yet elegant character leaves a lasting impression of ultimate Bavarian enjoyment. ABV: 5.3%

ERDINGER Non-Alcoholic  An innovative and flavorful option for beer lovers who want less alcohol but more beer flavor. Made from all natural ingredients.

ERDINGER Kristall - Crystal-clear with an inviting frothy head. This refreshing and lively wheat beer features fruity-fresh aromas. It gets its shining, crystal-clear appearance from intensive filtration. ABV: 5.3%

ERDINGER Dunkel - A specialty beer for connoisseurs. Carefully selected dark malts with delicate roasting aromas give this elegant wheat beer its full-bodied flavor and strong character. A lustrous, deep dark-brown appearance in the glass with hints of caramel, nuts and fresh bread. First created as a birthday present for the owner, who liked it so much he put it on the market. ABV: 5.3%

ERDINGER Pikantus - The Bavarian aperitif surprise. Fans of strong beer delight in a complex symphony of aromas. A dark color and smooth creamy head offers a well-rounded and malty taste with a hint of nutmeg and fine nougat. A sparkling nature harmonizes perfectly with a slightly sweet character, and a soft and delicate finish. ABV: 7.3%

ERDINGER Oktoberfest  An unrivaled option for Oktoberfest moments. A full-bodied wheat beer with a higher malt content. Thanks to a particularly long maturing time ERDINGER Oktoberfest features a beautiful amber color. ABV: 5.7%

ERDINGER Brauhaus Helles  Quality without compromise is the tradition in Erding so it's no surprise that the same ERDINGER brewmaster quality is also given top priority for the authentic new Bavarian Helles Lager. The highest quality ingredients make it easy drinking with an incredibly smooth finish. 5.1% ABV

About ERDINGER Weissbrau

ERDINGER is the largest family-owned wheat beer brewery. For more than 130 years, ERDINGER Weissbrau has stood for carefully nurtured Bavarian wheat beer culture and perfect enjoyment. Remaining true to its Bavarian roots, every bottle is still filled at the brewery in Erding according to the strictest quality standards, before being sent on its journey to more than ninety different nations. Strictly brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law, only the finest wheat and barley malt, together with selected hops and crystal-clear water from privately-owned deep wells and the secret ERDINGER yeast, are just part of the genuine wheat beer flavor. The ERDINGER brewery is headquartered in Erding, Germany . Visit at https://www.erdinger-brauhaus.de/en/#helles

About United States Beverage

United States Beverage LLC (USB) is a leading independent beverage company in the United States , specializing in imported and U.S. craft beer, ciders, and specialty beverages. US Beverage provides sales, marketing and distribution services for a diverse portfolio which includes UINTA Brewing Co., acquired by USB in 2022, as well as a global portfolio of premium brands such as Moosehead Lager, Malibu Splash sparkling malt beverages, 1911 Cider, Captain Lawrence , Innis & Gunn, the Damm portfolio of brands: Estrella Damm Lager , INEDIT, DAURA and DAURA IPA, Czechvar, Dewey Crush , Superior Cerveza, Birra Moretti, Dragon Stout , Alfa Beer , Sagres, Krusovice, Zagorka, and Zajecarsko. USB is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut . Visit www.unitedstatesbeverage.com

Media Contact:

Laura Peet

PeetCom Inc.

(917) 860-6285

[email protected]

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SAN FRANCISCO , Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodruff Sawyer , one of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the US, announced today the release of the 2024 Cyber Looking Ahead Guide. Covering the decline in pricing, cyber warfare, new SEC regulations, the emergence of personal liability for CISOs and AI's impact on cyber risk, the Guide is a must-read for any company purchasing cyber liability insurance in 2024.

Download the Guide Attend the Webinar

In last year's Guide, we celebrated a normalizing insurance market, however, the cyber insurance market continues to evolve, and the industry continues to face new and serious risks. External factors affecting the market include wars, federal and state regulations, and the risk of artificial intelligence. The insurance market has responded with an unclear war exclusion and coverage restrictions for systemic risk and privacy violations, while companies struggle with timely disclosures to avoid SEC enforcement and actions. In addition, companies are dealing with alarming levels of ransomware.

Underwriters in our annual survey think cyber risk will increase in 2024  more than half think this will be the case, a higher percentage than last year. Underwriters are also concerned about ransomware attacks (94%), supply-chain attacks (75%) and privacy violations (69%). Most think premiums will increase slightly.

Dan Burke , Senior Vice President, and National Cyber Practice Leader notes, "As the market shifts, companies must understand their changing risks and adjust accordingly. One way to stay on top of changes: Woodruff Sawyer's annual Cyber Looking Ahead Guide, where we aim to give you clarity on the trends that affect your insurance coverage and rates. We understand the cyber risk challenges businesses face today. With our extensive expertise and experience in cyber liability, we leverage data to empower our clients to make informed decisions about their cyber risk management strategy and insurance programs."

For deeper insights, advice, and our predictions for the cyber liability landscape in 2024, please join our Cyber Insurance Trends: Looking Ahead to 2024 webinar on January 23, 2024 , at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST .

About Woodruff Sawyer

As one of the largest independent insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, Woodruff Sawyer protects the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. We provide expert counsel and fierce advocacy to protect clients against their most critical risks in property and casualty, management liability, cyber liability, employee benefits, and personal wealth management. An active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network, we provide expertise and customized solutions where clients need it, with headquarters in San Francisco , offices throughout the US, and global reach on six continents. For more information, call 844.972.6326, or visit woodruffsawyer.com.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

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France's newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal applauds as outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne leaves at the end of the handover ceremony at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, on January 9, 2024. Emmanuel Dunand/Pool via REUTERS

By Michel Rose

PARIS (Reuters) - By naming young political prodigy Gabriel Attal as prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron is showing what he hopes is a winning hand to beat the far right, which is leading in opinion polls ahead of June's European parliamentary elections.

Like elsewhere in Europe, France's far right has benefited from a cost-of-living crisis, untamed immigration and resentment towards a political class that Macron has failed to bring closer to common folk despite promising to shake up politics in 2017.

But Marine Le Pen also got a head start in the race by placing her own rising star, 28-year old Jordan Bardella, at the helm of her European campaign team, as her Rassemblement National (RN) is running up to 10 points ahead of Macron's centrist Renaissance in opinion polls.

Macron's strategists have become increasingly worried about Bardella's popularity in recent weeks.

A video of the young MEP receiving rock star treatment at a food market by a crowd of adoring fans requesting selfies at the end of November got alarm bells ringing in Macron's camp, a source with knowledge of the president's thinking told Reuters.

"The president said we urgently needed someone to take on Bardella," the source said.

Attal, 34, France's youngest-ever prime minister, is of the same calibre - he is a smooth communicator, a skilled debater in parliament and on radio shows, and has shown an ability to seize political opportunities and win over the conservatives voters Macron is after.

"It was the best card the president had up his sleeve," IFOP pollster Jerome Fourquet said on BFM TV. "He wants to counter Bardella's rise, especially in view of the major political event later this year, the European elections."

As education minister, his first move was to ban the Muslim abaya dress in schools, drawing rave reviews in the increasingly influent right-wing media empire built by Vincent Bollore, the French Rupert Murdoch.

FRENCH INFLUENCE IN EUROPE

Doing well in European elections is crucial if Macron wants to remain as influential in Brussels as he has been over the past six years.

In the last elections in 2019, his party came within a whisker of RN, giving the two camps the same number of seats and Macron's fledgling party enough troops to weigh on the choice of the EU's top jobs.

Should RN do massively better than Macron's party, it would not only be symbolically painful, it would also reduce Macron's influence on EU policies, since his Renew grouping is also bound to lose many Spanish and Dutch lawmakers.

France's influence in Europe has grown under Macron, with Britain's departure and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's retirement leaving way for more statist French ideas to influence EU policymaking.

But this election comes against a backdrop of populist gains from Slovakia to the Netherlands, testing the ability of Macron's European family to maintain an influential role inside parliament.

Some think Macron should be more focused on problems at home.

"Emmanuel Macron is very busy on the international stage, but he must come back to the domestic arena and take care of people's problems like education and housing, which are real ticking bombs," Patrick Vignal, an MP in Macron's party, said.

RESTORING AUTHORITY

It remains to be seen whether Attal can do as well as prime minister as he did in previous roles.

Beyond his long-stated goal of bringing France back to full employment, Macron said in his New Year address he wanted a "Civic Re-Armament" - a restoration of authority to counter what he sees as a collapse in civility and a fragmentation of society.

"With his main reforms passed, Macron will push for policies that will be more societal and atmospheric and probably less divisive," Mujtaba Rahman, an analyst at Eurasia, said in a note. "They will try to respond to popular anxieties about French democracy, crime and anti-social behaviour."

The anxieties follow riots in city suburbs which shocked France last summer and a series of grim murders and Islamist attacks. It is not clear what Attal could do to start reversing what is a long-term development with complex causes.

Managing ministers years his senior will also require authority and strong will. The role of prime minister also has the reputation of a poisoned chalice - usually the fall guy whenever the president is getting unpopular.

That was Bardella's ominous message to Attal on Tuesday.

"By naming Gabriel Attal, Emmanuel Macron wants to get on his popularity bandwagon and soften the pain of this never-ending fin de regne," he said on the social media messaging platform X.

"He rather risks dragging the short-lived education minister down in his fall."

(Writing by Michel Rose; additional reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; editing by Nick Macfie)
FILE PHOTO: A container ship crosses an oil platform at the Gulf of Suez towards the Red Sea before entering the Suez Canal, outside of Cairo, Egypt September 1, 2020. Picture taken September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

By Georgina McCartney and Arathy Somasekhar

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oil and fuel tanker traffic in the Red Sea was stable in December, even though many container ships have rerouted due to attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi militants, a Reuters analysis of vessel tracking data showed.

The attacks have driven up shipping costs sharply along with insurance premiums, but have had less impact than feared on oil flows, with shippers continuing to use the key East-West passage. The Houthis, who have said they are targeting Israel-bound vessels, have largely attacked non-petroleum goods shipments.

The added costs have not made a big difference to most shippers so far because the Red Sea remains much more affordable than sending cargo around Africa. But the situation bears watching with some oil companies like BP and Equinor diverting cargoes to the longer route. Also, increased shipping costs are likely to boost exports of U.S. crude to some European buyers, experts said.

"We haven't really seen the interruption to tanker traffic that everyone was expecting," said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a shipping analyst at Lloyd's List.

A daily average of 76 tankers carrying oil and fuel were in the south Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in December, the area close to Yemen that has seen attacks. That was only two fewer than November's average and just three below the average for the first 11 months of 2023, according to data from ship tracking service MariTrace.

Rival tracking service Kpler tracked 236 ships on average daily across all of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in December, slightly above the 230 daily average in November.

The additional cost of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope off Africa rather than via the Red Sea would make voyages to deliver oil less profitable, she said.

"So, you're going to try and go through", she said.

Since the beginning of December, chartering rates have roughly doubled according to data from ship analytics firm Marhelm. It cost as much as $85,000 a day to ship oil on Suezmax tankers, which can carry as much as 1 million barrels. Aframax vessels, which can move 750,000 barrels, cost $75,000 a day.

Tanker traffic in the south Red Sea region briefly dipped between Dec. 18 and Dec. 22 when the Houthi group intensified attacks on vessels, averaging 66 tankers, but movements resumed after, according to MariTrace.

Container ship traffic in the area has fallen more sharply, down 28% in December from November, with steep declines in the second half of the month as attacks mounted, according to MariTrace.

"STILL TAKING THE RISK"

Several oil majors, refiners and trading houses have continued to use the Red Sea route, according to an analysis of LSEG data.

"Shippers and their customers really want to avoid a schedule disruption. So they are still taking the risk," said Calvin Froedge, founder of Marhelm.

He noted that many oil tankers transiting the Red Sea were carrying Russian crude to India, which the Houthis have no interest in attacking.

The Chevron-chartered Delta Poseidon traversed the Suez Canal and Red Sea at the end of December en route to Singapore, according to LSEG's ship tracker. The Sanmar Sarod, chartered by Indian refiner Reliance, also crossed the Red Sea in late December to deliver gasoline components to the United States, data showed.

Chevron "will continue to actively assess the safety of routes in the Red Sea and throughout the Middle East and make decisions based on the latest developments," a spokesperson said.

Reliance did not respond to a request for a comment.

Other tankers, chartered by trading house Gunvor's unit Clearlake, Indian refiner Bharat Petroleum and Saudi Arabia's Aramco Trading Company, have all navigated the route in recent weeks. The companies either declined to comment or did not reply to requests for comments.

Using the Red Sea can some 3,700 nautical miles off a trip from Singapore to Gibraltar.

SHIFTING FLOWS

Some companies such as BP and Equinor have paused all transits through the Red Sea and rerouted their vessels in the region.

Since the second half of December, at least 32 tankers have diverted or transited via the Cape of Good Hope, instead of using the Suez Canal, according to ship tracking service Vortexa.

The tankers that are diverting are mostly those chartered by companies who announced a pause on Red Sea movement, or those operated by US and Israel-linked entities, Vortexa added.

Fuel oil traders and bunkering sources in Asia said they were still monitoring Red Sea developments, though the East of Suez remains amply supplied for now so the current diversions are unlikely to boost prices.

East-to-west disruptions have mainly impacted European imports of diesel and jet fuel so far, Kpler data suggest. Meanwhile West to East diversions have impacted some European fuel oil and gasoline shipments to the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and East Africa, Kpler data shows.

Tensions there have also prompted more oil buyers to look to the U.S and likely played a role in the record 2.3 million barrels per day of crude exports to Europe in December, Matt smith, an analyst at ship tracking firm Kpler said.

"Ongoing uncertainty in the Red Sea is likely spurring on some modicum of European buying (of U.S. crude)," Smith said.

(Reporting by Georgina McCartney and Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; additional reporting by Robert Harvey in London; Editing by David Gregorio)
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's conservative Finance Minister Magnus Brunner has been stripped of his driving licence for a month after being caught speeding at the wheel of his ministerial car, his ministry said on Tuesday.

Brunner, 51, was driving the BMW more than 50km (30 miles) per hour over the speed limit of 80 km/h near the western town of Dornbirn in his home province of Vorarlberg when police stopped him on Saturday morning, the Finance Ministry said, confirming a report by local newspaper Vorarlberger Nachrichten.

"On his way to a private appointment, Finance Minister Magnus Brunner failed to notice a temporary speed limit," the ministry said in a statement, declining to say exactly what speed he was driving at.

"The finance minister regrets this incident and apologises for it," it added.

Although Austrian ministers have drivers to take them to official appointments they are allowed to drive their ministerial cars themselves for private use, the ministry said. Saturday was a public holiday in Austria.

A one-month licence suspension is the penalty for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h in Austria, except within towns, where it applies to breaches of more than 40 km/h.

It was not Brunner's first traffic-related mishap. A year ago he wound up in hospital with a head injury after an accident on an electric scooter in Vienna which he said was caused by him not paying enough attention as he made a turn.

(Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and Francois Murphy, editing by Ed Osmond)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the United States believes South Africa's genocide charge against Israel is "meritless," but the daily toll of war on civilians in Gaza is far too high.

Blinken made the comment at a press conference after talks in Tel Aviv with Israeli leaders.

Blinken said Palestinians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow and cited an agreement on a plan for the United Nations to carry out an assessment mission in Gaza.

Blinken said the United States rejected any proposals advocating a resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza and stressed that the Palestinian authority has responsibility to reform itself.

Blinken, who visited several other countries in the Middle East this week, also said that many countries in the Middle East are ready to invest in the future of Gaza, but only with a clear pathway to a Palestinian state.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis, Doina Chiacu and David Brunnstrom; editing by Deepa Babington)
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians said on Tuesday they are extremely concerned about the tens of thousands of refugees and returnees fleeing the Sudan conflict into South Sudan.

"More than 50,000 people have crossed over from Sudan in the past three weeks, with thousands of others reportedly waiting at the border to enter South Sudan," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The office said that since the war in Sudan began in April 2023, nearly 500,000 people have fled to South Sudan.

OCHA is urgently calling for additional funding to meet overwhelming humanitarian needs at transit sites and to arrange onward transportation for new arrivals to ease overcrowding in the transit facilities. Essential supplies and services are minimal, and there is a growing risk of disease outbreaks.

"Our humanitarian partners in South Sudan are also responding to a yellow fever outbreak in the southern state of West Equatoria," the office said, adding that three counties there have reported 17 suspected cases and one confirmed case, with six deaths, among children between the ages of 2 and 5.

The returnees referred to are South Sudanese who fled earlier conflict in South Sudan into Sudan and are now returning from the Sudan conflict. 
FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX-10 performs a flying display at the 54th International Paris Airshow at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

By Valerie Insinna

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Boeing met jetliner delivery goals and recorded a 70% boost to net orders in 2023, reflecting strong air travel and aircraft demand, while European rival Airbus remained the largest planemaker for the fifth year running.

Boeing released its year-end figures on Tuesday as it contends with the fallout from an accident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, which lost a fuselage panel in mid-air last week.

The U.S. planemaker delivered 528 aircraft in 2023 and booked 1,314 net new orders after allowing for cancellations, up from 480 deliveries and 774 net new orders in 2022 and its third-best year.

It delivered 396 narrowbody 737 jets last year, meeting its revised goal of at least 375 single-aisle planes but falling short of the initial target of 400 to 450 jets.

The target was downgraded in October after a manufacturing flaw by fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems forced the it to inspect planes, slowing deliveries.

Boeing delivered 73 787 Dreamliners in 2023, meeting its goal of 70 to 80 aircraft.

Boeing's orders and deliveries will be eclipsed by its European rival Airbus, which broke industry records for gross and net orders and beat its delivery target of 720 airplanes in 2023 with 735 deliveries, sources have said.

Based on January-November Airbus figures alone, the European planemaker came out on top for a fifth year.

Based on Boeing full-year data and the 735 Airbus deliveries cited by industry sources, Boeing's market share against its rival held steady at 42%, compared with 50% before an earlier crisis caused by a wider grounding of all MAX jets in 2019.

Boeing won 1,456 gross orders for 2023, or 1,576 net orders after accounting adjustments.

In December, the company booked 371 gross orders, including highest-ever monthly sales of the 737 MAX at 301 planes. Spanish carrier Air Europa canceled a booking for two Dreamliners.

The company delivered 44 737 MAXs and one older-model 737NG last month. It also handed over seven 767s, four 777 freighters and 11 787s.

Its order backlog increased from 5,324 to 5,626.

Airbus is set to announce orders and deliveries on Thursday.

Boeing executives are expected to lay out new goals for 2024 alongside fourth-quarter results on Jan. 31.

(Reporting by Valerie Insinna and Tim Hepher; Editing by Jamie Freed)
By Fedja Grulovic

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia (Reuters) - Bosnian Serbs celebrated their autonomous region's statehood day on Tuesday with a parade of special forces and armoured vehicles in defiance of a top court ban and warnings from Western overseers of Bosnia's troubled peace.

Jan. 9 marks the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared independence as then-federal Yugoslavia broke up, triggering a 3-1/2-year war in which 100,000 people were killed and two million made homeless, most of them Bosnian Muslims.

Since Jan. 9 coincides with a Serbian Orthodox Christian holiday, Bosnia's Constitutional Court has twice declared it illegal, ruling it discriminated against the region's Catholic Croat and Muslim Bosniak communities.

But the Serb Republic, which along with the Bosniak-Croat Federation comprises largely decentralised post-war Bosnia under the 1995 Dayton peace accords, was undeterred and has continued to mark the nationalist-minded holiday.

In freezing cold, about 3,400 police officers, wartime veterans and civilians marched along the streets of the regions de facto capital Banja Luka, many bussed in from other towns.

"These people have the right to mark their Republic Day in this way, and we shall continue to do that," Serb Republic (RS) President Milorad Dodik said, addressing the parade. "Anyone trying to ban it will not succeed."

The annual RS nationalist rite underlines deep ethnic and political divisions in the Balkan country, whose post-war progress has been held hostage by a lack of reconciliation and Dodiks repeated secessionist threats.

International organisations, including the mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the office of the International High Representative and the U.S. and British embassies have all warned that staging the statehood day constitutes a criminal offence against the high courts ruling.

International peace envoy Christian Schmidt, who enforces Dayton's terms and is not recognised as legitimate by the RS, has urged Bosnian state prosecutors and police to act against public officials taking part in the celebrations.

But Dodik, a pro-Russian separatist, told the crowd that nobody could forbid the Serbs from marking their statehood day.

"What we need is freedom, not colonisers or tutors," Dodik said. "This is the republic that is looking to its people, looking into (neighbouring) Serbia, looking into Russia."

Dodik previously announced that many foreign state leaders would attend the celebration, including pro-Russian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but none appeared.

"This day means a lot to me because we are celebrating the Day of Republika Srpska in peace, happiness and joy," Marko Cvjetkovic said, watching the parade. "We are not hurting anyone and dont want anyone to hurt us and take from us what is ours."

(Reporting by Fedja Grulovic and Daria Sito-Sucic; editing by Mark Heinrich)
FILE PHOTO: A sign reading "No more murders of women leaders" is seen during a vigil to demand respect for the lives of demonstrators during the protests against the social and economic policy of the government of Colombian President Ivan Duque, in Bogota

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Some 181 community activists were murdered in Colombia in 2023, the human rights ombudsman's office said on Tuesday, calling the situation a tragedy.

The number of murdered activists, known as social leaders, and human rights defenders in Colombia was lower in 2023 than the prior year, the ombudsman said, adding that killings in 2022 were a record 215.

"It's an unacceptable situation that last year, on average, a social leader or human rights defender was murdered every two days in Colombia," ombudsman Carlos Camargo said in a statement.

The killings occurred in spite of President Gustavo Petro's "total peace" policy, which the government hopes will end Colombia's six decades of internal armed conflict that has left at least 450,000 dead.

"Every life lost is a tragedy for their families, for the communities and for the defense of fundamental rights in the country," Camargo said.

Violence against social leaders is a major challenge for Colombian governments, prompting frequent criticism from the international community and advocacy groups, which demand actions to stop the killings.

Colombia's most violence-ridden provinces last year included Cauca, Antioquia and Narino, the ombudsman's office said, adding all three are affected by the presence of illegal armed groups, illicit gold mining and crops of coca, the chief ingredient in cocaine.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Chris Reese)
FILE PHOTO: Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi flanked by first lady Denise Nyakeru salute supporters during a campaign rally at the Afia stadium in Goma, North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo December 10, 2023

By Ange Kasongo

KINSHASA (Reuters) -Democratic Republic of Congo's Constitutional Court on Tuesday rejected two legal challenges to the provisional results of a contested presidential election last month and declared President Felix Tshisekedi the final winner.

The verdict paves the way for Tshisekedi to serve another five years as head of Africa's second-largest country and the world's top producer of cobalt and other prized industrial commodities.

The Constitutional Court validated the incumbent's victory despite independent observers' reports of widespread irregularities during and after the December vote that have led the main opposition candidates to call for a re-run and allege fraud.

Logistical mishaps, a last-minute extension of voting and a murky tabulation process have stoked ongoing disputes that threaten to further destabilise the poverty-stricken but mineral-rich nation.

Only one opposition presidential contender out of 18, Theodore Ngoyi, took the matter to court after provisional results gave Tshisekedi more than 73% of the vote. One citizen also filed an appeal.

Tshisekedi's main opponents, including runner-up candidate Moise Katumbi, have refused to challenge the vote count in court, citing a lack of trust in state institutions.

"Our position remains the same: we did not witness credible elections," opposition candidate Martin Fayulu said after the verdict.

"We reject the results announced without basis by the Constitutional Court," he said, adding that Tshisekedi had no legitimacy.

Katumbi spokesman Herve Diakiese accused the court of covering up cheating and fraud with a "legal varnish".

The Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that irregularities could not have impacted election results because there was such a big gap between Tshisekedi and Katumbi, who won around 18% of votes.

"Even when taking reported irregularities and their influence on the ballot into account, the order of arrival is not disrupted," the court's president, Dieudonne Kamuleta, said.

He said Ngoyi, who won around 0.02% of votes, did not have evidence to back his claim that the counting process had undermined the ballot's fairness.

Ngoyi said he was sorry electoral laws did not tackle this "shameful situation".

The opposition had previously called for the election to be annulled, citing "massive fraud", and urged the international community not to recognize the provisional results.

The government and the electoral commission have said the election was free and fair despite the irregularities and rejected demands for a full re-run.

The coordinator of Congo's Symocel observer mission, Luc Lutala, said he did not know on what basis the court verified the results.

Congo's former coloniser Belgium congratulated Tshisekedi for his victory and encouraged the electoral commission to pursue investigations into the election's irregularities.

(Reporting by Ange Kasongo and Sonia Rolley;Writing by Sofia Christensen;Editing by Chris Reese, Bill Berkrot and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast on Tuesday launched a prototype of its new pickup truck, and said it plans to launch its mini-sized VF 3 model globally.

VinFast said the electric pickup truck being showcased at the CES 2024 trade show in Las Vegas, VF Wild, is in the mid-size pickup category. It did not disclose a timeframe for its roll-out or its expected driving range.

The company also said on Tuesday its four-seater mini-eSUV VF 3, which has a target driving range of more than 125 miles per full charge, will be up for sale globally, having initially been aimed solely at the Vietnamese market.

It did not give a timeframe for delivery, but said it would start to take reservations this year. First deliveries of the vehicle in Vietnam are due in the third quarter.

VinFast, which was founded in 2017 and began delivering cars in California last March, had sold around 21,200 units as of the third quarter last year, more than half of them to its affiliate. Its management expects it to break even by 2025.

Shares in the group, which went public last year after a merger with a blank cheque company, were trading at $6.79 apiece as of Monday, 33% below its listing price and 85% below the closing price on its IPO day.

(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Jan Harvey)
FILE PHOTO: Members of the EU Parliament vote during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Starsbourg, France June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union could become ungovernable if the far-right performs as well in the European Parliament election in June as in November's Dutch vote and as opinion polls predict, the head of the liberal Renew group said on Tuesday.

Far-right parties, including Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France and Matteo Salvini's League in Italy, are expected to prosper in the June election with pledges to toughen the bloc's approach to immigration and soften climate policies.

"With the rise of populists almost everywhere in Europe of the extreme right, we risk having an ungovernable Europe," Stephane Sejourne, leader of the centrist Renew Europe group, said on Tuesday.

Renew, the centre-right European People's Party and the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group formed a coalition five years ago to agree broad policy outlines and divide up top EU jobs.

The three have 420 of the 705 seats in parliament.

However, anti-immigration populist Geert Wilders' win in the Dutch election has sent a warning to mainstream politicians. In France, President Emmanuel Macron's party, which makes up a quarter of Renew, trails far-right leader Marine Le Pen's by 8-10 percentage points.

"The risk is that it could prove very difficult to form a majority," Sejourne told a group of journalists.

The French lawmaker ruled out any alliance with the far-right or with the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists group. It includes Poland's Law and Justice party that battled Brussels for eight years. He also expressed scepticism towards the Greens group.

Sejourne said mainstream parties should point to an EU agreement reached on hosting migrants and focus attention on other topics, such as the green and digital transitions and defence.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Ros Russell)
By Olekshandr Kozhukhar

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's new draft legislation on military mobilisation will not conscript women or introduce a lottery, a lawmaker said late on Monday, a day before the parliament's security committee was due to vote on what to do with the bill.

"I can definitely say that there will be no lottery for conscription, no mobilisation of women," Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence Yehor Chernev told Ukraine's public broadcaster.

"There will be no unconstitutional positions."

Tens of thousands of men volunteered to fight for Ukraine in the first months after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, but enthusiasm has waned 22 months later, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to consider a new draft law.

But proposed changes to rules on army mobilisation that would enable Kyiv to call up more people and tighten sanctions against draft evasion have faced public criticism. The parliament's human rights commissioner said some of the proposals were unconstitutional.

The European Business Association said on Monday in a statement on its website that after reviewing the earlier proposed draft law it had concerns about several proposed provisions, including risks of corruption.

The Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence has been reviewing the proposed changes to the bill since Thursday. On Tuesday, it will either approve the proposed changes or send the bill back to the government for revisions.

"We have worked on the draft law on a clause-by-clause basis," Roman Kostenko, secretary of the National Security Committee, told Ukraine's Radio NV. He added the discussions involved hours of questioning top defence ministry and military officials.

If approved by the committee, the legislation will be debated and can change over two or three readings in parliament, whose approval is required. It then requires the signature of Zelenskiy to become law.

(Additonal reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and Ron Popeski in Winnipeg; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Jamie Freed)
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he addresses the audience next to French Education and Youth Minister Gabriel Attal at the 'lycee professionnel de l'Argensol' or Argensol vocational school in Orange, Southeastern France on September 1, 2023.

By Elizabeth Pineau and Yiming Woo

PARIS (Reuters) -Gabriel Attal promised to be bold and act fast to help the middle class weather the rising cost of living, after President Emmanuel Macron, seeking to breathe new life into his second term, on Tuesday made him France's youngest ever prime minister.

The appointment of Attal, 34, a popular and media-savvy rising star of French politics, signals a desire by Macron to move beyond divisive reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in European Parliament elections in June.

"Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the project of revitalisation and regeneration that I announced," Macron wrote on social media after appointing Attal, a close ally and former minister and government spokesman.

Widespread public discontent over surging living costs and last year's contested pension reform have seriously hit Macron's ratings, and his chances in the EU ballot, where his party trails badly behind Marine Le Pen's far-right.

"I'm well aware of the context in which I take on this job," Attal said.

"Too many French doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future. I think in particular of the middle class ... who get up every morning to go to work ... and sometimes can't make ends meet," he said, promising to work to "control our destiny and free up France's potential".

Shorn of a working majority in parliament, Macron has battled to push through his second-term reform agenda, and is now set to focus on more consensual objectives such as aiming to reach full employment.

Attal has polled as one of France's most popular politicians in recent months. A Macron loyalist, he became a household name as government spokesman during the COVID pandemic and earned a reputation as a smooth communicator.

Macron, 46, and Attal have a combined age just below that of Joe Biden, who is running for a second term in this year's U.S. presidential election.

"The youngest president in (France's) history is appointing the youngest prime minister in (France's) history. I want to see it as a symbol of audacity," said Attal, who is also the country's first openly gay prime minister.

MORE DYNAMIC, OR MORE OF THE SAME?

Attal replaces Elisabeth Borne, 62, only the second woman to hold the prime minister role in France. A dutiful and hard-working technocrat, her year and a half in office was marked by months of protests over the pension overhaul and riots over the police shooting of a teenager of north African descent.

Macron and Attal may take several days to name a new government. An Elysee aide said the usual Wednesday cabinet meeting was unlikely this week.

In recent weeks Macron, who has struggled to deal with a more turbulent parliament since being reelected in 2022, had signalled that it was time for change.

Some voters seemed to welcome that.

"I think it's very good to have a young person .. because it's a different concept, it's more dynamic," said 81-year-old retiree Remi Blondel.

However others were sceptical, with opponents - and some voters - saying not much would change, as Macron takes on the bulk of decision-making himself.

"What can the French hope for from this fourth Prime Minister and this fifth government in seven years? Nothing," said Le Pen.

Attal is "young" and "fits nicely into the frame. But beyond that what does the reshuffle change for us? Personally, not much," Parisian Sophie Varillon said.

MP Patrick Vignal, who belongs to Macron's Renaissance party, praised Attal, who he said was "a bit like the Macron of 2017", referring to the point at which the President first took office as the youngest leader in modern French history, at the time a popular figure among voters.

Attal "is clear, he has authority", Vignal said.

The reshuffle is likely to intensify the race in Macron's camp to succeed him in the next presidential election in 2027, with former prime minister Edouard Philippe, Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire all seen as potential candidates - alongside Attal.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Elizabeth Pineau, Michel Rose, Ingrid Melander, Piotr Lipinski, Yiming Woo, Dominique Vidalon; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Lough and Jan Harvey)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Spanish pharmaceuticals company Grifols is pictured on their headquarters' building in Sant Cugat del Valles, near Barcelona, Spain, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo

By Inti Landauro and Joan Faus

MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) -Shares in Grifols fell by 30% on Tuesday, wiping nearly $3 billion off its market value, after hedge fund Gotham City Research questioned its accounting, prompting the Spanish drugmaker to "categorically" deny any wrongdoing.

Gotham questioned Grifols' reported debt and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), and leverage ratio of 6.7 times. It said the leverage ratio is close to 10 to 13 times EBITDA.

Grifols, which makes medicines with human plasma, said in a filing to Spain's CNMV stock market supervisor that the Gotham report was "false information" and "speculation". The company had disclosed information about all the transactions raised "with the highest level of integrity and transparency", it said.

After holding a crisis committee meeting on Tuesday morning, Grifols called an emergency board meeting in the afternoon, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

The company is set to release a new statement to the stock market regulator on Wednesday with business details that were referenced in Gotham's report and plans to hold a call with investors to address any doubts, the source said.

CNMV head Rodrigo Buenaventura said it made "no sense to question the integrity of the audited accounts" of Grifols or to ignore the "very serious accusations" made by Gotham.

"What we at the CNMV have to do is gather additional information to clarify the situation and see which aspects of the information need to be reviewed or analysed," he told reporters.

"Our house is clean, we are very sure about that. We will explain it again point by point," board member Tomas Daga, who sits on Grifols' audit committee and has advised it as a lawyer on several acquisitions, told Reuters.

He described the fund's report as an act of "despair" after Grifols last month sold a 20% stake in Chinese unit Shanghai RAAS for $1.8 billion to cut its debt, while Gotham had bet on no deal.

Daga said it was in Gotham's interest for the company's share price to fall since it and its partners hold short positions of more than 0.5% in Grifols, meaning the fund stands to profit in the event the stock declines.

Active short-sellers like Gotham, which bet on share price falls, can wipe huge sums off the market value of their targets.

Shares in Grifols, which dropped 42% at the market open, were down about 26% in late afternoon trading in Madrid and in early trading on Nasdaq.

KPMG, which audited Grifols' 2022 accounts, declined to comment.

Banco Sabadell analysts said that although the allegations will weigh on Grifols' share price, particularly from an environmental, social and governance (ESG) perspective, they would not be changing their valuation of the company until it was certain that mistakes had been made.

SHORT SELLER

Gotham was founded by Daniel Yu and focuses on "due diligence-based investing". On its website, it said it has long or short positions in the companies it reports on.

The fund has targeted online advertising company Criteo and Apple-supplier AAC Technologies and more recently French smart labels maker SES Imagotag.

Another target, Let's Gowex, later filed for bankruptcy.

Last year, another short-seller Hindenburg Research triggered a $150 billion selloff in Adani Group shares, even though the Indian company denied any wrongdoing. Last week, India's Supreme Court said the group does not need to face more investigations beyond current scrutiny by its market regulator.

Grifols shares have swung widely over the past few years as the company, whose market value peaked at 20.75 billion euros in February 2020, was hit hard by the pandemic when plasma collection was restricted.

The company has sought to reassure investors with cost-cuts and a leadership change, lifting its shares by 43% in 2023.

Grifols' October 2028 bond fell sharply after Gotham's report and was down 7.8 cents on the day at 82.98 cents on the Marketaxess platform.

The company faces two large debt maturities in the first half of 2025 totalling about 1.85 billion euros, according to Moody's credit rating agency.

Daga said Gotham's allegations "should not affect at all" Grifols' financing needs, and saw no need to refinance until late 2026, with the 2025 maturities covered by the Chinese sale.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Joan Faus, additional reporting by Emma Pinedo, Jesus Aguado, Amanda Cooper and Matteo Allievi; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Alexander Smith and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
FILE PHOTO: Russian hacking underground newsletter is seen in this illustration taken, December 19, 2022 REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

By James Pearson and Tom Balmforth

LONDON (Reuters) - Hackers linked to Ukraines main spy agency have breached computer systems at a Moscow-based internet provider in retaliation for a Russian cyber attack against Ukrainian telecom giant Kyivstar, a source with direct knowledge of the operation told Reuters on Tuesday.

The hacking group, dubbed "Blackjack", has previously been linked to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The hackers deleted 20 terrabytes of data at M9 Telecom, a small Russian internet and TV provider, leaving some Moscow residents without internet, the source said.

The digital intrusion was a warm-up for a larger cyber attack which would be "serious revenge for Kyivstar", the source said, citing the hackers. The source did not say when the hack took place.

M9 Telecom did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The company's website was still online on Tuesday, despite claims by the hacking group that it had been destroyed.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the extent to which the hack was successful. Reached by phone, M9 Telecom's CEO Andrey Pavolvsky declined to comment.

Kyivstar, Ukraines largest mobile network operator, was knocked offline by Russian spies last month in what appeared to be the largest cyber attack since Moscow launched its war on the country in February 2022.

Russian hackers were inside Kyivstar's systems for months before the attack, Ukraine's cyber spy chief, Illia Vitiuk, told Reuters last week. The hack caused "disastrous" destruction at the company, he said.

Separately, Ukraines military intelligence agency, the GUR, said late on Monday that it had received a large cache of classified Russian military data from the Special Technology Centre (STC), a sanctioned Russian company which produces the Orlan drone and a range of intelligence equipment for Moscow. (This story has been refiled to change the picture)

(Reporting by James Pearson and Tom Balmforth; Additonal reporting by Gleb Stolyarov in Tbilisi, editing by Ed Osmond)
OPSWAT, a global leader in critical infrastructure protection (CIP) cybersecurity solutions, has registered substantial topline revenue growth in the Middle East throughout 2023, thus posting a remarkable 100% year-on-year increase - 70% of which is attributed to new business.

Reiterating its commitment to helping critical infrastructure organisations in the region, OPSWAT said it will help shore up perimeter defences against a threat landscape that shows an increasing interest in OT/ICS.

OPSWAT had opened its Dubai offices in October last year to address the increasing demand across the region for zero-trust cybersecurity solutions capable of safeguarding critical infrastructure

The group's commitment to the region comes on the back of significant growth in 2023.

Its leaders attribute OPSWATs success to its unique technology, which includes Multiscanning and Deep Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR)  an approach that dismantles otherwise useful files to remove harmful content before reassembling them with their functionality intact.

The companys workforce has tripled in size from 2022, highlighting its commitment to local expertise and service excellence. Its strategic focus on the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar has expanded its market presence, said the company in a statement.

Its regional customers range from manufacturing and energy to defense and oil and gas. The company also counts many government agencies among its clients.

More than 50 GCC ministries selected OPSWAT in 2023 and it now collaborates with 80% of ministries in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, it stated.

It works with almost all the regions oil and gas companies. In finance, OPSWAT has provided solutions to 43 regional banks, including eight central banks, since March 2022, and is in the POC stage with approximately 50 other FSI entities, said the statement.

"The expansion of IoT use cases has led to a rapid union between digital IT and industrial operational technology [OT], which represents a ballooning attack surface and a surge in the number of challenges faced by OT-reliant organizations," remarked Sertan Selcuk, VP, METAP and CIS at OPSWAT.

"Talent gaps and the need to securely transfer files and devices into, across, and out of secure environments are just two such issues. OPSWAT has answered the call for help from critical infrastructure organizations with an end-to-end cybersecurity platform built expressly to unite enterprise IT and industrial OT under a single risk-management framework," he added.
CAIRO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday reiterated his country's rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

In a televised press conference that was also attended by visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in the Egyptian capital Cairo, Shoukry said they had discussed the situation in Gaza, Israel's ongoing military campaign in the coastal enclave and its devastating humanitarian repercussions.

The two officials also discussed the delivery of relief aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, means to maintain the unity of Gaza and the West Bank, and efforts to restore "political perspectives" related to the two-state solution, according to Shoukry.

In addition, the two sides talked about achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, regional developments and the security of Red Sea navigation.

Baerbock added that while both countries should cooperate to bring about peace, there are not enough humanitarian supplies to meet the needs of the about two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Therefore, coordinated action is needed to avoid obstructing the flow of relief to those in need.

Israel has been fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, after the Palestinian faction launched a surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. The Israeli army has so far killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in its military operations in the enclave, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said Monday. 
FILE PHOTO: Signs for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., cover the facade of the New York Stock Exchange November 2, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) -Hewlett Packard Enterprise is in talks to buy Juniper Networks in a deal valuing the network gear maker at about $13 billion, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

A deal between the two companies could be announced as early as this week, the source said.

Shares of Hewlett Packard fell 7.7%, while Juniper jumped 21% in extended trading.

The deal would help bolster the nearly 100-year-old technology company's artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, according to a WSJ report earlier in the day.

Hewlett Packard declined to comment on the WSJ report, while Juniper Networks did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Last year, server maker HPE said it was rolling out a cloud computing service designed to power AI systems similar to ChatGPT.

Juniper's high-performance network and service offerings include routing, switching, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), network security, AI-enabled enterprise networking operations (AIOps), and software-defined networking (SDN) technologies.

(Reporting by Shivani Tanna and Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru, Anirban Sen in New York; Editing by Maju Samuel, Rashmi Aich and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen hosts a meeting with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the Department of the Treasury in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

By Andrea Shalal and David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged U.S. support for Egypt's economy and reforms after meeting with the North African nation's authorities on Tuesday in Washington amid talks over expanding Egypt's $3 billion International Monetary Fund loan program.

The Egyptian officials, including the country's finance minister and central bank governor, also were due to meet with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva during their visit to Washington on Tuesday, an IMF spokesperson said, without providing further details.

The high-level meetings come as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits the Middle East and works to prevent the Israel-Gaza war from expanding into a wider regional conflict.

Georgieva told Reuters in November that the IMF was "seriously considering" augmenting Egypt's $3 billion loan program as the country struggles with the economic impact from Israel's invasion of Gaza.

Already facing high foreign debt levels, Egypt has been hit hard by the war in the neighboring Gaza Strip, which threatens to disrupt tourism bookings and natural gas imports, as well as recent attacks on Red Sea ships.

A statement from Treasury said that Yellen discussed challenges to Egypt from the Gaza war during her meeting with Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, and Central Bank of Egypt Governor Hassan Abdalla.

"Secretary Yellen underscored strong United States support for Egypt and its economic reform program. She underscored the goal of bolstering Egypts economy and supporting inclusive, sustainable growth," the Treasury said.

Egypt's $3 billion loan program agreed with the IMF in December 2022 faltered after the North African country failed to let its currency float freely or make progress on the sale of state assets.

The IMF, in which the U.S. is the largest shareholder, delayed disbursements of about $700 million expected in 2023, but in December said it was in talks to expand the $3 billion program given economic risk from the Israel-Gaza war.

A spokesperson for Egypt's embassy in Washington could not be reached for comment.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Overview of the European headquarters of the United Nations are seen on the first day of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland September 11, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/ File Photo

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) -South Africa and Morocco are at loggerheads over the presidency of the United Nations' top human rights body ahead of a vote on Wednesday, with the former saying Rabat has committed violations in Western Sahara and has no credibility to lead the body.

For only the second time in the U.N. Human Rights Council's 17-year history, it has been left without a president at the start of the year and it will select one in a secret ballot.

It is a rare public dispute in the African group whose turn it is to lead the 47-member council. It normally strives to take decisions as a bloc.

Diplomats say the result is too close to call for the annual presidency - a prestigious but mostly symbolic post that can help turbo-charge the political careers of ambassadors.

Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara, where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence. It has denied allegations of rights abuses against its opponents there.

As part of a broader strategy, Morocco has been courting countries, including African neighbours, to build up support for its policies for the former Spanish territory.

But it has not won over South Africa which helped to organise an event to promote self-determination for the Sahrawi people in Geneva last year.

South Africa's ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi told Reuters that its record of overcoming apartheid and its reputation as a bridge-builder made it a strong candidate.

In contrast, he said Morocco was the "antithesis of what the council stands for".

"For a country with all these challenges to aspire to be the face of Human Rights Council and, God forbid if they get elected, this will shatter whatever shred of legitimacy this council ever had."

Morocco's candidate ambassador Omar Zniber said Rabat had received African Union backing months ago as the sole candidate and that it was a law-abiding country that had made significant progress on human rights. He dismissed criticism of its Western Sahara policies as "lies and propaganda".

The council meets several times a year in Geneva. It is the only intergovernmental global body to protect human rights worldwide and can increase scrutiny of countries' human rights records and authorise probes.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Additional reporting by Angus McDowall; Editing by Alison Williams and Richard Chang)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati told a senior United Nations official on Tuesday that his country was ready for talks on long-term stability on its southern border with Israel.

Mikati's office said in a statement he met U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix in Beirut to reiterate "Lebanon's readiness to enter negotiations to achieve a long-term process of stability in southern Lebanon" along the border with Israel.

"We seek permanent stability and call for a lasting peaceful solution - but in return we receive warnings through international envoys about a war on Lebanon," Mikati said.

"The position I repeat to these delegates is: Do you support the idea of destruction? Is what is happening in Gaza acceptable?"

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has been trading fire with the Israeli military across Lebanon's southern border since Hamas militants attacked Israel from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on Oct. 7.

The border violence has forced tens of thousands of people to flee on both sides and raised fears the conflict could spiral.

Israel has said it is giving a chance for diplomacy to prevent Hezbollah firing on people living in its north and to push Hezbollah back from the border, warning that the Israeli army will otherwise take action to achieve these aims.

Hezbollah has said it does not seek full-scale war but would not hold back if Israel starts one.

Mikati's statement did not specify the type of negotiations to which Lebanon would be open, including whether they would be direct or mediated.

Last year, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein floated the possibility of talks on drawing the land border between Israel and Lebanon, after having mediated a 2022 deal setting the maritime borders between the two countries.

The current demarcation line between the two countries is known as the Blue Line, a frontier mapped by the United Nations that marks the line to which Israeli forces withdrew when they left south Lebanon in 2000.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador apologized on Tuesday for misgendering a transgender representative of his political party, after his comments sparked criticism from rights groups.

Lopez Obrador over the weekend met with Salma Luevano, one of the first trans people to become a federal lawmaker, but a day later referred to her as a "man dressed as a woman" when questioned why he greeted Luevano at a public event with a kiss on the cheek.

"I want to... offer an apology to a colleague who identifies as a woman," the president said in a daily press conference following a backlash to his comments on social media.

Various members of the LGBT+ community in the country expressed solidarity with Luevano, who belongs to Lopez Obrador's Morena party, and demanded a public apology from the president.

"Today, President Lopez Obrador offered an apology for misgendering me," the lawmaker later wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"This statement is very important, because it makes visible a fight that has taken us decades. I am a woman... and that is not up for discussion," Luevano added.

(Reporting by Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Isabel Woodford, Drazen Jorgic and Bill Berkrot)
By Isaac Anyaogu

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria on Tuesday destroyed 2.5 tonnes of seized elephant tusks valued at over 9.9 billion naira ($11.2 million) in a push to protect its dwindling elephant population from rampant wildlife traffickers.

Over the past three decades, Nigeria's elephant population

has declined drastically from an estimated 1,500 to less than 400 due to poaching for ivory, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict, according to conservationists.

Minister of State for Environment Iziaq Salako said the government crushed the tusks and will use the powder to build a symbolic national park monument as a reminder of the importance of elephants in the ecosystem.

The pulverization of the tusk in the capital Abuja follows a similar event in October where officials destroyed four tonnes of seized pangolin scales valued at $1.4 million.

Thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks despite a 1989 ban on the trade of ivory by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Despite being a signatory to CITES, Nigeria is considered a hub for gangs sending illegal African wildlife parts including tusks and pangolin scales to Asia, according to law enforcement and wildlife experts.

But the large West African nation has stepped up counter-smuggling efforts in recent years, partnering with British, U.S. and German officials as well as international organizations to make its biggest seizure of illegal wildlife parts in August 2021.

Last month, officials began an investigation after a video posted on social media showed a soldier shooting two elephants that strayed into farmlands, sparking outrage among citizens.

In 2022, Nigeria customs officials seized 1,613 tonnes of pangolin scales and arrested 14 people.

(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo and Mark Heinrich)
MOSCOW (Reuters) -A woman was killed in Ukrainian shelling of Russia's Kursk region and drones struck a fuel facility in the neighbouring region of Oryol, the two regions' governors said on Tuesday, amid an escalation of cross-border attacks.

In a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app, Kursk region governor Roman Starovoit said a woman had been killed by shelling in the village of Gornal, near the border with Ukraine.

At least five drones were shot down over the Kursk region on Tuesday, Starovoit and Russia's defence ministry said.

The governor of Oryol region, Andrei Klychkov, said two drones had hit a fuel facility, injuring three and causing a fire that was later extinguished. He said three drones had been shot shown.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Klychkov called the events "an enemy attack".

Later the governor of the nearby Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, and the defence ministry reported the destruction of another drone, without providing any details.

Russian border regions have repeatedly come under fire from Ukraine in recent months. On Dec. 30, at least 20 people were killed in a missile strike on the city of Belgorod, 40 km (25 miles) from Ukraine, Russian media said.

Russia has also recently fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities, including some far behind the frontline, Ukrainian officials have said.

In the latest strike this week, Russia fired 51 missiles of various types, killing at least four people and hitting civilian infrastructure, they said.

(Writing by Felix Light and Maxim RodionovEditing by Gareth Jones)
FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a welcome ceremony before an annual security meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS

By Steve Holland, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden did not learn that his defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, had prostate cancer until Tuesday, the White House said, minutes after it was disclosed to the public along with an infection that was also kept under wraps.

Austin, who is 70, has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center -- a fact that the Pentagon had kept from the public, the White House and Congress for much of last week, triggering a major political backlash.

Austin's own deputy, Kathleen Hicks, was also kept in the dark for days, even after she was told during a vacation in Puerto Rico to assume some of his duties on Jan. 2.

"He (Biden) was not informed until last (Thursday) that Secretary Austin was in the hospital. He was not informed until this morning that the root cause of that hospitalization was prostate cancer," White House spokesperson John Kirby said.

"Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, and the president was informed immediately after."

Austin and Biden spoke on Saturday and it was unclear why Biden did not learn until Tuesday about Austin's prostate cancer.

Republicans seized on the incident as evidence of dereliction of duty by Austin, a retired four-star general who led forces in Iraq and is America's first Black defense secretary. The Republican who leads the House Armed Services Committee launched a formal inquiry.

"With wars in Ukraine and Israel, the idea that the White House and even your own Deputy did not understand the nature of your condition is patently unacceptable," Representative Mike Rogers wrote in a letter to Austin on Tuesday.

Austin was taken by ambulance on Jan. 1 to Walter Reed after suffering complications from his Dec. 22 prostate cancer treatment, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain. After he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, Austin was moved on Jan. 2 to an intensive care unit.

"Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines. This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach," the hospital said.

Austin's prostate cancer treatment on Dec. 22 required Austin go under general anesthesia, but he has retained consciousness during his latest visit, according to a statement from Walter Reed.

Walter Reed gave an upbeat outlook for Austin but cautioned that his recovery could take time.

"His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process," it said in a statement released by the Pentagon.

Austin, who is 70, sits just below Biden at the top of the U.S. military's chain of command, and his duties require him to be available at a moment's notice to respond to any national security crisis.

That includes always being ready to enter secure communications with other officials in the event of an incoming nuclear attack, something that would be difficult from an ICU bed.

The Walter Reed statement was signed by Dr. John Maddox, Trauma Medical Director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center Director at Walter Reed.

Biden's administration has struggled to quiet the political furor that has erupted following revelations that the president, who is running for re-election, did not know of his defense secretary's Jan. 1 hospitalization until Jan. 4.

The Pentagon initially said Austin's December treatment was for an elective medical procedure. It was not clear how prostate cancer treatment would be considered elective.

Some prominent Republicans, including Donald Trump, called for Austin to be removed from his job.

But the Pentagon said the retired four-star general had no plans to resign and the White House said Biden was not seeking to remove him. Austin remains at Walter Reed.

"The secretary continues to remain focused on recovering but more importantly, on carrying out his duties as secretary of defense and defending the nation," Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder told a news briefing.

The way the Defense Department handled Austin's hospitalization stands in contrast to how the State Department dealt with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell's prostate surgery on Dec. 15, 2003.

The State Department spokesperson at that time issued a statement in the morning making public that Powell, a retired four-star general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in surgery at Walter Reed and would remain there for several days.

It also disclosed Powell would be on a reduced schedule while he recovered from the operation. The department's spokesperson at the time, Richard Boucher, then offered details on Powell's surgery in his daily briefing.

Ryder said the Pentagon would do better as the White House acknowledged damage to its credibility.

"I think the Pentagon has been very, very honest with themselves about the, the challenge to credibility by what by what has transpired here and by what and by how hard it was for them to be fully transparent with the American people," Kirby said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Steve Holland and Jasper Ward; Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Daniel Wallis)
A man visits the United Nations Headquarters as delegates of the Security Council delayed for one extra day the vote on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip via land, sea and air routes and set up U.N. monitoring o

By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - About three dozen rabbis and rabbinical students from U.S. organizations on Tuesday protested at the United Nations, urging a ceasefire in Gaza and asking U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to allow such resolutions to pass instead of vetoing them in the Security Council.

The protests were organized by U.S. Jewish groups including Jewish Voice for Peace, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, and Rabbis for Ceasefire. Social media posts by the groups said 36 rabbis were at the demonstration inside the U.N. Security Council Chamber.

The Huffington Post reported that the rabbis gained access to the building as part of a guided tour.

The U.N. has demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza amid the huge death toll from the war. Washington has vetoed resolutions for such calls in the Security Council, saying it would let Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which governs Gaza, regroup and rebuild.

More than three-quarters of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly backed a move to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire last month.

Tuesday's protesters at the United Nations carried banners that read "Biden: the world says ceasefire" and "Biden: Stop vetoing peace."

Ceasefire protests have been seen recently in many parts of the U.S., ranging from near airports and bridges in New York City and Los Angeles to vigils outside the White House and marches in Washington near the U.S. Capitol.

On Monday, demonstrators demanding a ceasefire in Gaza interrupted a speech by Biden in a church in South Carolina. The president said he had urged Israel to reduce its attacks and "significantly get out of Gaza."

Jewish groups in the U.S. have been divided over Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt has labeled groups demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, as "hate groups" that do not represent the Jewish community.

Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, about 1% of the 2.3 million population there, according to Gaza's health ministry. Israeli bombardments have flattened much of the densely populated enclave, leaving Gazans homeless, with food shortages threatening famine.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is seen on a screen via video link from a penal colony in the Vladimir Region during a hearing at the Basmanny district court in Moscow, Russia April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/ File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's most prominent jailed opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, heaped ironic praise on Tuesday on the polar conditions at the prison north of the Arctic Circle where he was moved to shortly before Christmas.

Navalny, 47, was tracked down to the IK-3 penal colony in Kharp in the Yamal-Nenets region, about 1,900 km (1200 miles) northeast of Moscow, his supporters said on December 25.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Navalny said he had been put in a punishment cell for his attitude as soon as he left quarantine at the so-called "Polar Wolf" prison colony.

"It has not been colder than -32C yet," Navalny said in the post which was laden with sarcasm. "Nothing quite invigorates you like a walk in Yamal at 6:30 in the morning."

"Even at this temperature, you can walk for more than half an hour only if you manage to grow a new nose, new ears and new fingers."

He posted a picture of his walking yard - concrete walled, topped with metal bars, 11 steps long and three steps wide.

Navalny mentioned a scene in the 2015 film, The Revenant, in which Leonardo DiCaprio shelters in the carcass of a horse.

"I don't think that would have worked here. A dead horse would freeze in 15 minutes," Navalny said. "We need an elephant here, a hot elephant, a fried one."

The Polar Wolf colony, is considered to be one of the toughest prisons in Russia. Most prisoners there have been convicted of grave crimes.

Winters are harsh - and temperatures are due to drop to around minus 28 Celsius (minus 18.4 Fahrenheit) there over the next week.

About 60 km (40 miles) north of the Arctic Circle, the prison was founded in the 1960s as part of what was once the GULAG system of forced Soviet labour camps, according to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 9, 2024. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza.

Blinken's visit marks his fourth trip to Israel since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year. The international community is increasingly concerned about Israeli attacks in Gaza, as the death toll in the Palestinian enclave has surpassed 23,000 and approximately 2 million people were displaced amid a severe humanitarian crisis.

In his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken stressed "the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza," according to a statement released by his office.

He also reaffirmed his country's support for Israel's right to prevent the attacks of October 7 from being repeated.

Blinken and Netanyahu discussed "ongoing efforts" to release all remaining hostages and the U.S. demand for increasing "the level of humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in Gaza," the office said.

"The Secretary reiterated the need to ensure lasting, sustainable peace for Israel and the region, including by the realization of a Palestinian state," the statement read.

The Israel war cabinet declined Blinken's request to permit civilians to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, saying it would allow it only after Hamas had released all of the hostages. However, the war cabinet approved Blinken's request to allow a United Nations delegation to visit the northern Gaza Strip.

Blinken also met Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Israeli war cabinet in Tel Aviv.

Gallant told Blinken that operations in the area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip are expected to "intensify and continue until Hamas leadership is detected, and Israeli hostages return home safely."

Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday after visiting Turkiye, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. On Wednesday, he will travel to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before he departs for Cairo. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 9, 2024. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza. (Kobi Gideon/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L, C) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R, C) in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 9, 2024. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza. (Elad Malka/MoD/Handout via Xinhua)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L, C) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R, C) in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 9, 2024. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed in Tel Aviv on Tuesday with Israeli officials the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and urged the Israeli side to protect civilians in Gaza. (Elad Malka/MoD/Handout via Xinhua)
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's High Court has ended its investigation into Equatorial Guinean minister Carmelo Ovono Obiang over the alleged kidnapping and torture of two opposition leaders with Spanish citizenship, it said on Tuesday.

Obiang, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, and two other senior Guinean officials were accused of kidnapping four members of the Movement for the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea Third Republic (MLGE3R), a Spain-based opposition group, while they were on a trip to South Sudan in 2019.

In a complaint filed with Spain's High Court in 2020, the MLGE3R alleged that the four - two of whom were Spanish citizens - were sent to Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, on a government plane and tortured, court documents showed.

One of them, Spanish citizen Julio Obama, died last year in prison in the central African nation. The complaint alleged that the group was also monitored on Spanish soil.

A spokesman for the Equatorial Guinea government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The government has previously rejected the allegations as false.

High Court judge Santiago Pedraz, who was investigating the allegations before deciding whether to proceed to trial, said he was ending the case because Equatorial Guinea's Supreme Court of Justice was conducting its own investigation into the matter, court documents showed.

Pedraz said he could not be the judge of "whether those proceedings might suffer from a lack of impartiality".

He also found that there was no evidence the MLGE3R members - all of whom lived in Spain - were previously under surveillance in Spain or coerced into travelling to South Sudan, as the complaint stated, or of any other criminal activity.

The older Obiang has ruled Spain's oil-rich former colony for 44 years and is the world's longest-serving president. He has won all his six terms with more than 90% of the vote. International observers have questioned the legitimacy of those elections.

His other son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, is vice president.

Rights groups accuse the president of muzzling dissent and cracking down on rivals. Protests are mostly forbidden, media are heavily controlled, and political opponents are often arrested and tortured, they say. The government has denied the accusations.

Amnesty International told Reuters that the family of Julio Obama had still not been able to retrieve his body and noted that it was greatly concerned that the other three members of the group were still being held incommunicado.

Amnesty International added that it had "no information on the development of an investigation into the matter by the Equatorial Guinean authorities" and called for a "prompt, transparent and independent investigation".

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Inti Landauro, Aislinn Laing, Alison Williams and Paul Simao)
Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's vice president and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential candidate gestures at an election campaign event in Taipei City, Taiwan January 3, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang

By Ben Blanchard and Liz Lee

TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) -China on Tuesday threatened new trade measures against Taiwan, which accused Beijing of "economic coercion" ahead of pivotal weekend elections on the island and also voiced anger at a surprise Chinese satellite launch over its air space.

Saturday's presidential and parliamentary polls are taking place against a backdrop of a ramped-up war of words between Taiwan and China, which views the island as its own territory despite the strong objections of the Taiwanese government.

Taiwan's government has accused China of an unprecedented campaign of election interference, using everything from military activity to trade sanctions to sway the vote towards candidates Beijing may prefer.

China has cast the election as a choice between war and peace, and says interference allegations are "dirty tricks" from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to try and win support.

The DPP's presidential candidate Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday he would maintain the status quo and pursue peace through strength if elected, remaining open to engagement with Beijing under the preconditions of equality and dignity.

Beijing has denounced him as a separatist and warned that any attempt to push for Taiwan's formal independence means conflict.

Despite this, Lai pledged to try to engage with China.

"Peace is priceless and war has no winners," Lai told reporters at a news conference. "Peace without sovereignty is just like Hong Kong. It is fake peace."

Beijing is unswayed by Lai's outreach attempts.

On Tuesday evening, China's commerce ministry said it was looking into further steps to suspend tariff concessions on products including agriculture and fishery, machinery, auto parts and textiles from Taiwan, following up on such a move made against some petrochemical products last month.

"Taiwan authorities have not taken effective measures to lift trade restrictions on China. Instead, they have engaged in political manoeuvring in an attempt to plant blame and evade responsibility," the commerce ministry said in a statement.

Taiwan's Office of Trade Negotiations responded by calling on China to "immediately stop using economic coercion to try to interfere in Taiwan's election".

FALSE ALARMS AND CHINESE BALLOONS

Adding to the tense atmosphere, a separate news conference on Tuesday in Taipei with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was interrupted by the shrill sound of a government mobile phone alert warning of a possible Chinese air raid.

The defence ministry then had to apologise after the English version of the alert referred to a "missile" but in Chinese a "satellite". The alert came around the same time Chinese state media confirmed the launch of a science satellite.

Still, Wu described the launch as part of a pattern of harassment towards Taiwan, just like recent cases of Chinese balloons spotted over the island.

"With these kinds of threats against Taiwan I think we should be clear-eyed, we should not be provoked."

Taiwan's opposition jumped on the snafu, blaming the government for misleading the public.

Taiwan has complained since last month about Chinese balloons flying over the sensitive Taiwan Strait, some of which have crossed the island, in what its defence ministry has called an effort at psychological warfare, though not directly saying the balloons were for spying purposes.

The defence ministry said at its own separate briefing on Tuesday that it had not recovered any remains of the balloons and were not at the moment considering shooting them down.

"We won't attack and destroy due to the harassment of the balloons," said Wang Chia-chun from the ministry's joint combat planning department.

Top Chinese leaders have generally avoided public comments on the election, though Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a New Year's address that China's "reunification" with Taiwan is inevitable.

Lai told reporters the election will serve as a "testament to our commitment to democracy" while noting that China's alleged interference in this election has been the "most serious" yet.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Liz Lee; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Michael Perry and Christina Fincher and Mark Heinrich)
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event, in Clinton, Iowa, U.S., January 6, 2024. REUTERS/Cheney Orr/ File Photo

By Andrew Goudsward, John Kruzel and Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday questioned Donald Trump's claims that he is immune from criminal charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election, and the former president threatened to prosecute Joe Biden if he returns to the White House.

Trump looked on as his legal team sought to convince a panel of three judges that former presidents should not be prosecuted for actions they took in office. Trump is due to go to trial in March on federal charges of election subversion.

The judges reacted skeptically to that argument.

"You're saying a president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could tell SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival?" Judge Florence Pan asked Trump lawyer D. John Sauer.

Sauer said that a former president could be charged for such conduct only if first impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted in the Senate.

After the hearing, Trump said he was the victim of political persecution and warned of "bedlam in this country" if the case is allowed to go forward.

"It's the opening of Pandora's box," he said at a hotel that he used to own near the courthouse. He did not respond when asked whether he would tell his supporters not to resort to violence.

Trump made a more pointed threat prior to the hearing, saying he might prosecute Biden, a Democrat, if he defeats him in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

"If I don't get immunity then crooked Joe Biden doesn't get immunity," Trump said in a video posted to social media. "Joe would be ripe for indictment."

U.S. prosecutors argue that Trump was acting as a candidate, not a president, when he pressured officials to overturn the election results and encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 to pressure Congress not to certify Biden's victory.

Trump, who lost to Biden in the 2020 election, has opened up a commanding lead over his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination since the first criminal charge against him was announced last March.

The Republican state-by-state presidential nominating contest is due to kick off next Monday in Iowa and Trump is expected to easily win that contest.

LOOMING CRIMINAL TRIAL

The U.S. Justice Department has long held that presidents cannot be prosecuted while in office for doing their official duties. Trump, the first former U.S. president to be criminally prosecuted, faces 91 criminal counts in four separate cases.

Sauer, Trump's lawyer, told the judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that allowing prosecution to go forward would lead to a cycle of retribution after each election.

He said presidents must first be impeached and removed from office by Congress before they can be prosecuted. Trump was impeached twice but the Senate failed to convict him.

Some Republican senators declined to convict him after he was impeached for trying to overturn the 2020 election, on the grounds that he could be held accountable in court instead.

'NOT ABOVE THE LAW'

The case against Trump reflects the unprecedented nature of his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and granting him immunity for those actions would give future presidents license to commit crimes, Justice Department lawyer James Pearce told the panel.

"The president has a unique constitutional role, but he is not above the law," he said.

Both the legal outcome and timing of the appeals courts ruling will play a pivotal role in determining whether Trump faces trial ahead of the November election.

Smith has accused Trump of a multi-pronged conspiracy to hinder the counting and certification of his 2020 defeat, culminating in the Jan. 6 attack. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges including defrauding the government and obstructing Congress.

The case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces this year as he campaigns to win back the White House.

Trump's immunity claim has already been rejected by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case. The appeals court could take several weeks to rule.

Any ruling from the appeals court is almost certain to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which last month denied a request from Smith to immediately decide the issue.

Activity in the case has been halted in the meantime, which could delay the trial's scheduled March 4 start.

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward, John Kruzel and Andy Sullivan; additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Scott Malone, Howard Goller and Alistair Bell)
FILE PHOTO: People carry placards with pictures of deputy head of Hamas, Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed by what Lebanese and Palestinian security sources say was a drone strike by Israel, as mourners gather during his funeral in Beirut, Lebanon January 4

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. experts in international law on Tuesday condemned the killing of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and other fighters in drone strikes on Lebanon, saying this amounted to the crimes of extrajudicial killings and murder.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it assassinated Arouri but his demise came a month after Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet vowed to hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkey and Qatar even if took years, following Hamas's cross-border rampage from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7.

"Killings in foreign territory are arbitrary when they are not authorised under international law," the two U.N. Special Rapporteurs, Ben Saul and Morris Tidball-Binz, said in a statement issued in Geneva.

"Israel was not exercising self-defence because it presented no evidence that the victims were committing an armed attack on Israel from Lebanese territory."

Arouri was killed last week by a drone in Beirut's southern suburbs, the stronghold of Hamas' Iranian-backed Lebanese ally Hezbollah, in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

The U.N. Special Rapporteurs also said there was "no legal basis for geographically unlimited attacks against members of an armed group wherever they are".

Hezbollah has been firing guided rockets and other weapons across Lebanon's southern border at Israeli positions since Israel went to war with Hamas in Gaza three months ago, and Israel has launched air and artillery strikes in Lebanon.

Israeli forces also killed Wissam Tawil, a top Hezbollah commander, in a strike in south Lebanon on Monday, sources familiar with the heavily armed Shi'ite militant group's operations said.

Hezbollah retaliated on Tuesday, hitting Israeli army headquarters in Safed, northern Israel, with drones.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's foreign minister David Cameron said on Tuesday he was worried that Israel might have breached international law in Gaza, and that the advice he had received so far was that Israel was compliant but there were questions to answer.

Asked during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers if Israel could be vulnerable to a challenge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over whether their actions were proportionate, Cameron said the stance was "close to that."

Britain has backed Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas attacks but also called on its military to show restraint and act within international law in its offensive in Gaza that has laid waste to much of the Palestinian enclave.

Cameron did not directly answer lawmakers about whether he had received legal advice that Israel might have broken international law, but said some incidents had raised questions over whether there had been breaches.

"Am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed, or whatever? Yes, of course," Cameron said as he took questions from parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Cameron said that there was always a "question mark" over whether a given incident broke international law, which lawyers would examine and then advise him over.

"The advice has been so far, that they (Israel) have the commitment, the capability and the compliance (with international law), but on lots of occasions that is under question."

Amid growing international concern over the huge Palestinian death toll from the Israeli assault, as well as a deepening humanitarian crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Israeli leaders to do more to avoid further harm to non-combatants and to protect civilian infrastructure.

(Reporting by Muvija M; writing by Alistair Smout and Farouq Suleiman; editing by Sachin Ravikumar and Mark Heinrich)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) delivers remarks, after he and his wife Nadine Menendez were indicted on bribery offenses in connection with their corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, in Union City, New Jersey, U.S., Sep

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Bob Menendez took to the Senate floor on Tuesday to declare his innocence on charges that he used his influence to help a businessman seek an investment from the Qatari government and conspired to act as an unregistered agent for Egypt.

"I have never violated the public trust. I have been a patriot for and of my country," the Democratic senator, a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said in an emotional speech.

"By filing three indictments... it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press, it poisons the jury pool and it seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion," he said.

Prosecutors filed an indictment in Manhattan federal court on Jan. 2, accusing Menendez and his wife Nadine of receiving gold and tickets to a Formula One race, in exchange for helping businessman Fred Daibes negotiate a multimillion-dollar investment for a real estate project in New Jersey.

According to the indictment, Menendez, who has represented New Jersey in the Senate since 2006, had in June 2021 introduced Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family who ran an investment company.

Menendez pleaded not guilty in October to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of the Egyptian government, and accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from New Jersey businessmen to impede law enforcement probes they faced.

The senator faces conspiracy charges, including conspiring to commit bribery, honest services fraud, extortion and acting as a foreign agent.

He has denied wrongdoing and resisted calls to resign, but had to step down as chairman of the foreign relations panel after the charges were brought in September.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
A member of the U.S. Secret Service stands at the site of a vehicle crash on a perimeter gate of the White House, while U.S. President Joe Biden was away on a trip, in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Leah Millis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A vehicle crashed into an exterior gate of the White House complex in Washington shortly before 6 p.m. ET (0000 GMT) on Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said.

U.S. Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said a driver was taken into custody as "the cause and manner" of the incident is being investigated.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.

A Delaware man was charged last month with drunk driving after he accidentally crashed his vehicle into U.S. President Joe Biden's motorcade.

The U.S. Secret Service said "there was no protective interest associated with this event."

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Sandra Maler)
CAIRO (Reuters) -Yemen's Houthi group Ansarullah targeted a vessel in the Red Sea, a Yemeni military source told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization received a report of an incident in the Red Sea approximately 50 nautical miles west of Yemen's Hodeidah.

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's war in Gaza. Various shipping lines have suspended operations, instead taking the longer journey around Africa.

The Houthis have vowed to continue attacks until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if the militia group itself was targeted.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Franklin Paul)
North Carolina National Guard Sgt. Rhett Michael Barlow has been charged with a single count of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, according to authorities. Barlow is accused of attempting to arrange the death of the man who killed his mother seven years ago in a traffic crash. (Wake Forest, N.C., Police Department)

A North Carolina National Guard soldier is accused of attempting to arrange the death of the man who killed his mother seven years ago in a traffic wreck, law enforcement officials said.

Army Sgt. Rhett Michael Barlow is accused of soliciting a Wake Forest, N.C., man in November to kill Donald Caulder Jr., who in March 2016 was driving a dump truck that crashed into the minivan driven by the soldiers mother, Michelle Barlow, and killed her, according to court documents. Barlow was arrested Saturday at Fort Liberty, N.C., where he was training in his part-time National Guard role, according to Wake Forest police and the Army Criminal Investigation Division. CID agents arrested Barlow on the Army post and transferred him into Wake Forest police custody, officials said.

A judge Monday ordered Barlow, 22, of Raleigh, N.C., to remain held in Wake Forest jail and undergo a mental health evaluation.

The soldier faces a single count of solicitation to commit first-degree murder, a felony that carries a possible life prison sentence. Barlow is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 29, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Barlow took steps that showed he was serious about the murder plot in the weeks after he attempted to hire the would-be killer. They claimed he sought a transfer within the North Carolina National Guard that would put him closer to Caulder, and he purchased an AR-15 rifle and at least one other firearm for use in the killing.

But the scheme was not to be. The man Barlow approached about committing the crime, Benjamin Miceli, instead informed police about Barlows plans, said Bill Crabtree, a spokesman for the Wake Forest police. Miceli does not face any charges in the incident.

Barlow is assigned to the North Carolina Guards 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade based out of Charlotte, N.C., according to the states Guard. He had been a member of the Guard since 2019.

North Carolina Guard officials declined to comment Tuesday about the incident. A spokesman said North Carolina Guard leaders continue to monitor the situation and work with local authorities during the investigative process.

Barlow was 15 years old when the dump truck that Caulder was driving rear-ended Michelle Barlows minivan and smashed it into the back of a tractor trailer stopped at a traffic light on a busy road just south of Wake Forest, according to a March 24, 2016, news report in The News and Observer in Raleigh.

Court records show Caulder, 29 at the time of the crash, was eventually charged with a misdemeanor count of death by vehicle. He was convicted in January 2017 and received a sentence of 12 months of probation and a suspended jail sentence.

The News and Observer at the time reported a State Highway Patrol investigation found the dump truck that Caulder was driving was loaded with unsecured logs and pulling a trailer with a 9,800-pound Bobcat loader. The probe found the trailers brakes had not been attached properly to the truck and malfunctioned at the time of the crash. Investigators also believed Caulder was likely distracted at the time of the wreck, according to the newspaper report.

Michelle Barlow, 42, was an English teacher at Wake Forest High School at the time of her death. In news reports, she was described as well-liked by her students.

A statement issued by the school described her as a wonderful person, and her students told Raleighs CBS 17 television station that they were heartbroken and in shock and disbelief to learn of her death.

Her son graduated from Wake Forest High School in 2019.
Fire burns aboard the cargo ship Grande Costa dAvorio where two Newark firefighters were killed battling the fire early this morning. The tugboat Atlantic Enterprise (left) and New York City fireboats pour water on the blaze on July 6, 2023, in Newark, N.J. (Andrew Mills, nj.com/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Six months after a fatal shipboard fire at Port Newark claimed the lives of two firefighters, federal investigators are set to begin a series of public hearings to determine what happened aboard the Grande Costa dAvorio on the night of July 5.

The hearings by the U.S. Coast Guard in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, which will start on Wednesday, will question Capt. Alessandro Moretti, the master of the ship, and other representatives of the Grimaldi Group, the shipping company that operated the vessel. Moretti has not spoken publicly since the fire.

Coast Guard officials said they will also examine the handling procedures involving the loading of 1,200 second-hand cars which fueled the fire, look at the initial response actions by the ships crew, and the ill-fated efforts by the Newark Fire Department to get it under control.

The investigation has been extensive and multi-faceted, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Christian Barger, the lead investigator who called the ongoing fact-finding inquiry a complex effort that will leave no stone unturned.

Thirteen witness are scheduled testify, including members of the ships crew, marine terminal workers, members of the Newark Fire Department and various experts in what Barger said will be an effort to determine the causes and to make recommendations to prevent future such incidents. The hearings, which will be held at the Union Township City Council Chambers in Union County, will be livestreamed at: https://livestream.com/uscginvestigations.

Barger could not offer a timetable as to when the Coast Guard investigation might be completed.

Killed on board the Italian-flagged freighter in July were Newark firefighters Augusto Augie Acabou, 45, and Wayne Bear Brooks Jr., 49, who were found trapped on a lower deck between lashed down vehicles after they apparently became lost and disoriented in the heavy smoke conditions within the vessel.

According to federal court filings in connection with the incident, the blaze began after a 16-year-old Jeep Wrangler that was being used to push inoperable Toyota Venza erupted in flames. The fire quickly spread to the hundreds of junked vehicles packed closely together on board.

A series of stories by NJ Advance Media after the fire that showed that Newarks fire department  which was responsible for responding to fires at the port  had not conducted marine firefighting training in nearly a decade. Other reports obtained through public records requests also revealed that firefighters did not know of the need for an international shipboard adapter to connect their hoses to the ships internal standpipe system to pump the volumes of water needed to battle the blaze, allowing it to spread out of control. The citys fireboat was also out of action that night, unable to start and then no one sought the assistance of the Fire Department of New York and its fleet of fireboats until hours had gone by, reports show.

Before the night was over, battalion chiefs made a decision that ended in tragedy, leading men below deck, despite the knowledge that the ships crew had all been accounted for and that lives were at risk.

In an initial report issued in November, the Coast Guard confirmed that the Newark Fire Department had been unprepared for the fight.

Preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation, led by the Coast Guard working with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, indicated that the local fire department responding to the incident had little to no maritime firefighting training, experience, or familiarization with cargo ships of any type, it said in a two-page safety alert.

The Coast Guard noted that such incidents require more firefighting resources and different technical skills than many land-based firefighting agencies traditionally possess.

With over 1,200 vehicles on board, the fire quickly spread out of control to the point where most firefighting efforts became ineffective, the safety alert recounted. Unfortunately, this is only one of several vessel fires occurring within the last five years where the lack of familiarity with commercial vessels and inexperience with shipboard firefighting techniques unduly endangered the safety of responding personnel.

At least five car-carrying RO-RO vessels have been swept by fire since 2015, according to NTSB reports.

State and local officials have proposed the creation of a special joint task force to consider legislative and other changes in response to the deadly fire. At the same time, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said the city is considering a marine firefighting training facility that would be located at the port. He also announced the creation of a specialized team that would be given advanced training for responding to shipboard fires at the port.

In addition, a state lawmaker introduced legislation requiring mandatory marine firefighting training for all New Jersey firefighters.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com.

2024 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit nj.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A damaged building is seen in the Shtula area in northern Israel, Jan. 9, 2024. The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated Tuesday on the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israel claiming the killing of the Lebanese militant group's two senior commanders. Hezbollah launched combat drones toward a military base in northern Israel on Tuesday, saying the attack was in response to earlier Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. (David Coheng/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated Tuesday on the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israel claiming the killing of the Lebanese militant group's two senior commanders.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari admitted that Israel was behind the assassination of Ali Hussein Barji, a Hezbollah commander, in Lebanon earlier Tuesday, a day after it killed the senior commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces, Wissam Hassan Tawil.

At a press briefing, Hagari said Barji, who was killed in an airstrike, had been identified as the southern Lebanon commander of Hezbollah's Aerial Unit, also the Hezbollah figure that led "dozens" of drone attacks against Israel, including an attack on an Israeli army base on Tuesday.

The IDF on Tuesday carried out several strikes on southern Lebanon, killing three Hezbollah members who, according to Hagari, were attempting to launch drones at Israel. Meanwhile, in northern Israel, air raid sirens wailed throughout the day and into the night as rockets and combat drones were launched by Hezbollah. No casualties were reported on the Israeli side.

The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 211 people on the Lebanese side, including 154 Hezbollah members and 35 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said it was "expanding" its assaults in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, where at least 40 Palestinian militants were killed over the past day.

"Soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade combat team are fighting in the heart of Khan Younis, eliminating terrorists in close-quarter battles and with sniper fire," the army said. The troops "are locating numerous weapons, including arms, grenades, and ammunition," it added.

Despite international calls for the protection of civilians in Gaza, including by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was on a visit to the Middle East, Israel said it would intensify strikes in southern Gaza.

In his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken stressed "the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza," according to a statement released by his office.

In a separate meeting, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Blinken that operations in the area of Khan Younis are expected to "intensify and continue until Hamas leadership is detected, and Israeli hostages return home safely."

Blinken's visit, his fourth trip to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year, comes amid increasing international concerns about the Gaza situation. The death toll in the Palestinian enclave has risen to 23,210, and approximately two million people were displaced amid a severe humanitarian crisis, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed on Tuesday that at least nine Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza operation on Monday, bringing the total number of casualties among troops to 519, with 2,465 more injured. 

A damaged building is seen in the Shtula area in northern Israel, Jan. 9, 2024. The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated Tuesday on the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israel claiming the killing of the Lebanese militant group's two senior commanders. Hezbollah launched combat drones toward a military base in northern Israel on Tuesday, saying the attack was in response to earlier Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. (David Coheng/JINI via Xinhua)

A damaged building is seen in the Shtula area in northern Israel, Jan. 9, 2024. The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated Tuesday on the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israel claiming the killing of the Lebanese militant group's two senior commanders. Hezbollah launched combat drones toward a military base in northern Israel on Tuesday, saying the attack was in response to earlier Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. (David Coheng/JINI via Xinhua)

A damaged building is seen in the Shtula area in northern Israel, Jan. 9, 2024. The exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah escalated Tuesday on the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israel claiming the killing of the Lebanese militant group's two senior commanders. Hezbollah launched combat drones toward a military base in northern Israel on Tuesday, saying the attack was in response to earlier Israeli assassinations in Lebanon, according to Israeli and Lebanese sources. (David Coheng/JINI via Xinhua)
Planet Labs captured photos of Chinas new mock targets on Jan. 1, 2023. This one appears to match the profile of the USS Gerald R. Ford, which entered service late last year. (Image  Planet Labs PBC)

China has built another mock vessel that resembles the U.S. Navys newest aircraft carrier and will likely use it for target practice for its growing missile arsenal, according to a defense expert.

Satellite imaging company Planet Labs captured photos of the mock target on Jan. 1. It appears to match the profile of the USS Gerald R. Ford, which entered service late last year.

Planet Labs provided satellite images of the mock carrier spotted near Ruoqiang County in Xinjiang, a northwestern province of deserts and mountain ranges.

The mock carriers presence indicates the type of assets that China is training against, but building such a target is not uncommon, and its not exclusive to China, said Matthew P. Funaiole, senior fellow for the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

Planet Labs captured photos of China's new mock targets on Jan. 1, 2023. Two carrier-shaped targets lie within a larger carrier outline in the desert. (Image  Planet Labs PBC)

In terms of signaling, building a stationary replica in the middle of the desert isnt going to send that strong of a message to the U.S., he said by email Tuesday. Its more likely to play well at home, where the Chinese propaganda machine can use the replica (and exercises against it) to bolster national pride and reaffirm its commitment to national defense.

Planet Labs photos show other targets in the same area: Two carrier-shaped targets lie within a larger carrier outline in the desert; another target appears to be a mock-up of a guided-missile destroyer.

Configuring two carrier mock-ups over another may not indicate anything significant, according to Funaiole. It may only suggest what types of targets China is training against, he said.

More broadly, this type of training speaks to Chinas efforts to increase its military effectiveness and readiness, he added.

In 2022 Maxar Technologies, another a satellite imaging company, released photos of mock targets shaped like U.S. military assets in Xinjiang province. Maxar photographed targets built at a range complex to resemble a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.

Planet Labs captured photos of China's new mock targets on Jan. 1, 2023. This one appears to be a mock-up of a guided-missile destroyer. (Image  Planet Labs PBC)

Additional images of mock targets, including a second, smaller carrier target and mock F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, were reported at the time by U.S. Naval Institute and South China Morning Post.

Chinese missile test sites found at the edge of the Gobi Desert in 2017 also appeared to mimic U.S. military installations in Japan, according to a report at the time by online news site War on the Rocks.

Google Earth images of the test sites released in the report appeared to resemble U.S. installations in Japan, such as Yokosuka Naval Base, or potential targets such as airfields, air-defense batteries, fuel depots and other structures found at Kadena and Misawa air bases.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Romario Clennon died Dec. 30, 2023. He was assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson, homeported at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. (Samantha Oblander/U.S. Navy)

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  A Navy sailor assigned to a warship in Japan died less than a week after he critically injured himself on Dec. 24, the U.S. 7th Fleet announced Tuesday.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Romario Clennon, an operations specialist aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson, ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Dec. 30, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Megan Greene said by email Tuesday.

Our deepest condolences go out to OS3 Clennons family, friends and colleagues who are impacted by this tragic loss, she wrote.

No additional information was available as of Tuesday, and the incident is under investigation, Greene said.

Clennon, of Atlanta, was aboard the Ralph Johnson when the incident occurred, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Kristina Wiedemann said by email on Dec. 28.

He was not identified by 7th Fleet in its first report of the incident.

He enlisted in the Navy on Sept. 9, 2021, and trained at the Recruit Training Command and Surface Warfare Engineering School until November of that year, according to a biography provided by 7th Fleet. He reported to the Ralph Johnson on Jan. 4, 2022.

During his career, Clennon was awarded the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Anyone contemplating suicide or who knows someone who is should seek assistance immediately by contacting the Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988, or the Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, according to The Wellness Center & Health Promotion at the base.

The base emergency number is 911; the emergency number in Japan is 119. Further information is available here.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Wenheng Zhao during a field training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., in 2019. Zhao, who had since risen in rank to petty officer 2nd class, was sentenced to more than two years in prison and kicked out of the Navy for passing sensitive information about the U.S. military to China. (Michael Lopez/U.S. Navy)

A sailor who passed sensitive information about the U.S. military to China was sentenced this week to over two years in prison and kicked out of the Navy, according to federal prosecutors in California.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Wenheng Zhao, 26, of Monterey Park, Calif., received a prison term of 27 months on Monday from U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles.

He had pleaded guilty in October to taking nearly $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer for information about Navy operational security, critical infrastructure and military exercises.

The information Zhao sold included plans for a major exercise in the Pacific, a dozen photographs of computer screens showing operational orders of military training exercises, and several photographs of diagrams and blueprints for a radar system at a U.S. base in Okinawa, Japan, according to court documents.

A China-born naturalized U.S. citizen who uses the first name Thomas, Zhao was stationed at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme and worked as an electrician, installing and repairing electrical equipment at various military installations, according to the Justice Department and court documents.

He had a security clearance and entered restricted military installations to collect and record sensitive, nonpublic information, which he sold to the Chinese official, the DOJ said.

Zhao initially faced a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. As part of a plea deal, he waived his right to appeal any sentence shorter than five years and three months.

Mr. Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the U.S. military, Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments national security division, said in a statement Monday, when the sentence was announced.

Between August 2021 and May 2023, Zhao received at least 14 payments totaling $14,866 for the information, which he transmitted with sophisticated encrypted communication methods, the DOJ said.

He also destroyed evidence and hid his relationship with the Chinese intelligence officer, according to the statement.

Larissa Knapp, the executive assistant director of the FBIs national security branch, said the case is further proof that China is waging an aggressive effort to undermine the security of the U.S. and its allies, a charge Beijing has rejected in the past.

The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly shown it will freely break any law or norm to achieve a perceived intelligence advantage, Knapp said in the statement. Todays sentencing demonstrates yet again the inability of Chinas intelligence services to prevent the FBI and our vital partners from apprehending and prosecuting the spies China recruits.
(Laura Rauch/Stars and Stripes)

Zabul Province, Afghanistan, Sept. 23, 2011: Pathfinders with Company F, 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 159th Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division link up with their vehicles after being dropped in by Chinook helicopters for a mission.

On May 26, 2011, eight Americans and two Afghans were killed in a series of improvised explosive device attacks in the Shorabak district near the Pakistani border. Six of those killed were from Team 3, in a Pathfinder unit in the 101st Airborne Divisions 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. In the days that followed, soldiers grappled with their losses as they looked for solace among themselves.

Stars and Stripes reporter and photographer Laura Rauchs reported on how the soldiers grappled with their losses in a two-part series. Read part one here and part two here.
The American Countess paddlewheeler is the newest vessel in the American Queen line, with a capacity of 245. It occasionally hosts bourbon-themed cruises. (American Queen Voyages/TNS)

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  I have just returned from an eight-day bender. Now, before you get the wrong idea, let me hasten to add it was a classy eight-day bender in the form of a bourbon-themed cruise aboard the American Countess riverboat.

I was a passenger on the sleek paddlewheeler, the newest vessel in the American Queen line, with a capacity of 245. Departing from Louisville and destined for St. Louis, we cruised both the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, both of which boasted plenty of attractions, historical and otherwise.

As remarkable as those places are, my primary reason for being there was for the bourbon, and it was the same for some of the other bourbon-loving guests who would be cruising with me.

Louisville-based bourbon historian Michael Veach, a Bourbon Hall of Famer, was on board, as were two old friends from my New Orleans days.

Dickie Brennan, owner of Dickie Brennans Bourbon House Restaurant and friend to Kentuckys distilling industry, was aboard. So was Regina Charboneau, American Queens culinary ambassador, who I first met during her days as chef at Monmouth Plantation in Natchez, Miss.

The Boulevardier (bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth) was one of the daily bourbon cocktails offered on the American Countess during a recent American Queen Voyages bourbon-themed cruise. (American Queen Voyages/TNS)

Bourbon with a twist of history

But it was bourbon that was the star of this cruise. From the Muths bourbon ball on my pillow the first night to the final Boulevardier (bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth) cocktail in St. Louis, this was destined to be a week of indulging in Kentuckys favorite elixir.

If you simply wanted to sip, the American Countesss resourceful bartenders came up with a bourbon drink of the day for passengers to enjoy in the Grand Lounge.

If it was Wednesday, it was Brandenburg and a Peach Smash (bourbon, peach, brown sugar simple syrup, ginger beer and mint); if it was Thursday, it was Owensboro and the Due South (bourbon, pecan bitters, orange bitters, Southern Amaro); if it was Friday, it was Henderson and Bourbon Coffee Punch (bourbon, milk, heavy cream, coffee liqueur, dark rum, espresso, vanilla and sugar) ... well, you get the picture.

However, if you wanted to learn something about the bourbon you were tasting and the bourbon country you were seeing, Veach was there to help.

During the cruise, Veach gave three lectures on the history of bourbon, and some of what he told us was eye-opening. Did you know Dr. James Crow apparently got his medical education not in an Edinburgh university (he didnt have enough money for tuition), but in an Edinburgh pub (where he apparently did have enough money to buy medical students drinks in exchange for their daily lecture notes).

American Queen Voyages culinary ambassador Regina Charboneau shows passenger Lydia Gregory how to make the perfect biscuit during a Biscuits and Bourbon cooking demo. (American Queen Voyages/TNS)

Louisville-based bourbon historian Michael Veach speaks during one of his onboard bourbon lectures. (American Queen Voyages/TNS)

Onboard whiskey tastings, cooking demos

Emulating Dr. Crow, Veach offered those attending tastings of favorites such as Wild Turkey 101, Angels Envy, Old Forester and George Dickel No. 12 in exchange for their attention.

On another day, Brennan and Chef Charboneau invited passengers to the boats theater for a Biscuits and Bourbon cooking demo.

The bourbon came courtesy of Brennan, who mixed a bourbon cocktail that is a bestseller at his New Orleans restaurant.

Charboneau, once affectionately dubbed the Biscuit Queen of Natchez, demonstrated how to make the perfect biscuit. Her expertise will hopefully be of help to me in any future biscuit-making endeavors to keep mine from looking like little blobs of misshapen Play-Doh.

She also signed copies of her book, Mississippi Currents: A Culinary Journey Down Americas Greatest River, which is a collection of river recipes.

In her role as culinary ambassador for the American Queen line, Charboneau plans to introduce some of those dishes  such as Louisville- and Ohio River-inspired Shrimp and Red Eye Gravy and Hot Brown Canapes  to the riverboat menus.

In between the lectures and demos, there was time for lighthearted fun in the form of bourbon trivia and Is It the Bourbon Talking?  a twist on the classic game Fact or Fiction.

A stop at Hometown Roots Cafe in Henderson for a food and bourbon pairing was an optional excursion for cruise passengers. (American Queen Voyages/TNS)

Bourbon excursions to distilleries, restaurants

There were several opportunities for bourbon tasting on the shore excursions as well. In Owensboro, I opted for a tasting at Green River Distilling Co., which has a history dating back to 1885, making it one of the 10 oldest distilleries in the state.

I have to say that I was not familiar with Green River prior to this visit, but the distillery, now owned by Bardstown Bourbon Company, calls itself the Western Gateway to the Bourbon Trail.

A post-distillery stop was to Old Hickory Barbecue. Owensboro claims the title Barbecue Capital of Kentucky, and while Moonlite gets most of the press, the brisket and creamy banana pudding at Old Hickory make it worth a stop.

In Henderson, I had what turned out to be my favorite bourbon experience. At Hometown Roots Restaurant, which describes its cuisine as Southern comfort food, a group of us enjoyed samples of this Southern comfort food, each dish paired with another kind of Southern comfort.

We started with a deviled egg duo accompanied by a Peerless rye; followed that with pimento cheese fritters with red pepper-bacon marmalade, whose spiciness was accentuated by a Woodford Reserve bourbon; and ended with roasted Brussels sprouts with country ham and jalapeno cornbread paired with a wheated bourbon from Green River.

During the tasting, I learned that Peerless, now distilled in Louisville, actually got its start in Henderson in 1889, and that the first distillery in the Western Kentucky city since Peerless left will open in August 2024.

Popularity of bourbon driving the cruises

If this sounds like a lot of bourbon for one boat, its because the demand is there. Demand from cruisers such as the gentleman from North Carolinas Outer Banks who has a fully stocked bourbon bar in his laundry room, and the lady whose statement T-shirt read Some women are made of sugar and spice; others are made of bourbon and ice. Both said they specifically chose this cruise for its bourbon theme.

That statement was not lost on Cindy DAoust, the former president of the American Queen line, who was also present during part of the cruise. She says the line is always on the lookout for ways to engage new cruisers and pique the interest of veteran cruisers.

As our reputation is set on our unique destinations and outstanding cuisine, bourbon was a seamless fit and a natural highlight for this region, DAoust says.

Kentuckys many distilleries offer no shortage of ways we may be able to expand this specialty offering as we look to re-create the voyage in coming years, she adds. If you go

American Queen line has already scheduled two bourbon-themed cruises for 2024: Memphis to Pittsburgh (June 8) and Louisville to St. Louis (July 13.)

If you are looking to see America on her rivers rather than her roadways, and to drink her only native spirit to boot, its best to book your passage early.

For more information on American Queen voyages, go to aqvoyages.com.
A sign pointing the way to an occupation-era barbershop was recently uncovered during renovations to Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall in Yokohama, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOHAMA, Japan  Restoration of a city landmark here last year uncovered images of the post-World War II occupation by U.S. forces, reminders now preserved for the stories they tell.

The word barbershop, for example, along with an illustration of a man in a suit, turned up during a survey of a plastered wall at Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall.

The walls were damaged, so workers were carefully removing the plaster when traces of the paint appeared, Shota Kutsukake, an official in the Yokohama city building maintenance division, recently told Stars and Stripes.

Workers found what seems to be a sign pointing the way to a barbershop, which is written in red on a blue background and framed in white. It was discovered in the memorial halls basement, just below the main entrance, Kutsukake said.

When workers broadened the area where they removed the paint, the sign appeared, he said.

The illustration of a mans upper body wearing a green suit was uncovered on another wall in the same room as the barbershop sign, Kutsukake said.

An illustration of a mans upper body wearing a green suit was recently uncovered during renovations to Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall in Yokohama, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) A faded occupation-era "fire alarm" sign was recently uncovered during renovations to Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall in Yokohama, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

In an adjacent room, workers discovered the words fire alarm written in red but painted over in blue.

City officials believe the discoveries date to between 1945 and 1958, when American occupation forces used the building in the city south of Tokyo.

Yokohama residents donated money to build the hall in 1917 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Yokohama ports opening, according to the citys official website.

The building stood out by its Western design using red bricks and lines of white granite. Its clock tower is known as Jacks Tower.

It was mostly destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, except for the clock tower and part of the wall. It was repaired in 1927.

The U.S. military seized the building after the end of World War II, although few records are left about what went on there.

Occupation-era signs and wall illustrations were recently uncovered during renovations to Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall in Yokohama, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

The Americans returned the building to Japanese control in 1958. It has served the citys Naka ward as a public hall, where rooms are rented out for concerts, lectures and meetings. The building was designated as a national important cultural property in 1989.

A blueprint of the building under U.S. military use showed part of it was used as a movie theater, according to Kutsukake.

The city hopes the discovery will lead to more information about its use by occupation forces.

Wow. Just wow, were the only words that came to mind, said Hisayuki Kinoshita, a Japan Cultural Heritage Consultancy researcher, who led the survey of the walls during the renovation.

The building has been renovated several times since 1958, but this is the first time any reminder of the U.S. occupation has surfaced, Kinoshita said.

The city will preserve the writings and the illustration. They have been framed and covered with clear plastic to preserve them.

The hall is scheduled to reopen in April.

The basement is off-limits to the public and the city has no immediate plans to display the discoveries, Kutsukake said.
GENEVA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a humanitarian and health catastrophe in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday as humanitarian space and access to medical services continue to shrink.

Speaking at a United Nations weekly briefing via video link from Gaza, Sean Casey, WHO emergency medical teams coordinator, highlighted the "dramatically bad" situation in the entire Gaza Strip. The health system is collapsing rapidly, and there has been no letup in the intensity of conflict over the past weeks, he said.

"Hospitals are closing, patients are lacking access to health facilities, health workers are being forced to flee for their safety," Casey said.

The bloody fighting has intensified in central and southern areas, straining over-burdened hospitals that remain open.

EXODUS OF MEDICAL STAFF

The three most important hospitals in those areas, European Gaza Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Aqsa, were the lifeline for south Gaza which was currently sheltering over two million people, said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The Al-Aqsa hospital lost 70 percent of its staff, who fled with families for safety reasons, as did Nasser Medical Complex, one of the last trauma centers in service. The evacuation of medical staff has made hospitals non-functional.

Thousands of patients left Al-Aqsa for other hospitals which were already bursting at the seams. They were only moving from one bad situation to another, as there were no safe places in Gaza, Casey said.

Compared with 3,500 hospital beds prior to the conflict, Gaza has only around 1,400 now, but the situation required at least 5,000, said Peeperkorn.

SHRINKING ACCESS TO CARE

The conflict has displaced 1.9 million people, a staggering 85 percent of Gaza's population, and left civilians in the besieged Palestinian territory at risk of famine and disease, said the United Nations.

The WHO, together with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, tried to assess the levels of infectious diseases, saying more than 81,000 cases of diarrhea have been recorded, up from 2,000 in normal times.

The resolution adopted by the WHO Executive Board last month called for immediate, sustained and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief in Gaza, but humanitarian access has become even more limited. Every day, aid deliveries in Gaza were being denied, said Peeperkorn.

WHO has been denied access to the north for two weeks and was forced to cancel six planned missions. The team was ready to deliver aid but had not been able to receive the necessary permissions.

"Every day we line up our convoys, we wait for clearance and don't get it," Casey said. "And then we come back and we do it again the next day."

Speaking of children who had limbs amputated, Casey said the amputations were happening due to delayed access to care and the lack of resources at hospitals.

There was also a lack of surgeons and operating space. With the limited resources, Peeperkorn said the medical staff constantly had to make tough choices, including doing amputations that should have been unnecessary to save as many lives as possible. 
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on May 25, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. (Win McNamee/TNS)

WASHINGTON  White House and Pentagon officials said Monday that they expect Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will remain in his job after he failed to immediately notify President Joe Biden and other top federal officials that he was taken to the hospital with a severe illness and stayed there for several days.

The secretary has no plans to resign. He continues to stay focused on conducting his duties, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman. We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures to include White House and congressional notifications.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who spent 16 months at the Pentagon as Austins first press secretary, said Monday that Bidens No. 1 focus is Austins recovery.

The president respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency, Kirby said.

The remarks followed intense criticism from lawmakers and news outlets over Austins delay in providing information about his medical procedure and hospital stay. Ryder said Austin, 70, was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Jan. 1 after experiencing severe pain related to an elective medical procedure that he underwent on Dec. 22. However, no one at the Defense Department notified the White House, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Congress or the public for several days. On Jan. 2, Austin transferred some of his more pressing responsibilities to Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico last week.

Due to the secretarys condition and on the basis of medical advice, certain authorities of the secretary of defense were transferred, Ryder told reporters Monday at the Pentagon. The secretary and deputy secretarys staff, as well as the [Joint Chiefs of Staff], were notified that the transfer had occurred through regular email notification procedures.

It was another two days before Hicks and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan were told Austin was ill and in the hospital. Once Hicks learned of the situation, she began working on plans to notify government officials and lawmakers and was prepared to return to Washington on Friday. But she was advised to stay in Puerto Rico because Austin was close to resuming all his duties by then, Ryder said.

The Pentagon press secretary also identified other factors that he said contributed to the delay in communication, such as Austins chief of staff being sick with the flu and the lack of information about the secretarys condition.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin provides testimony in May 2023 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (Chad J. McNeeley/Defense Department)

I recognize that I should have tried to learn more and to press for an earlier public acknowledgment, Ryder said. We are currently reviewing how we can improve these notification procedures to include White House and congressional notifications.

Biden has not yet spoken publicly about the issue, but White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday that the president has complete confidence in Austin. Kirby also acknowledged there had been a failure in communications.

Theres an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized, that that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation, he said. We will take a look at the process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience.

Austin seemed to acknowledge in a statement Saturday that he made a misstep by keeping his hospitalization private.

I understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better, he said. But this is important to say: This was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.

Ryder said Austin resumed all his duties while in the hospital on Friday, but he didnt say when he might be discharged. He also hasnt detailed the nature of the complications that Austin experienced Jan. 1 or what the initial medical procedure was.

Keeping Austins condition secret for several days has prompted scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill because Austin was treated in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed before he was moved to a different, private facility.

When one of the countrys two national command authorities is unable to perform their duties, military families, members of Congress and the American public deserve to know the full extent of the circumstances, said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Members [of Congress] must be briefed on a full accounting of the facts immediately.

We are concerned with how the disclosure of the secretarys condition was handled, Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a joint statement. Rogers is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Smith is the panels top-ranking Democrat.

Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the secretarys current health status is, how and when the delegation of the secretarys responsibilities was made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the president and Congress, they wrote. Transparency is vitally important. Secretary Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible.

Austin has not directly engaged often with news reporters since assuming the post of defense secretary in January 2021, and he hasnt been made available to Pentagon reporters for months.

The public has a right to know when U.S. Cabinet members are hospitalized, under anesthesia or when duties are delegated as the result of any medical procedure, the Pentagon Press Association board of directors said in a statement, calling the lack of transparency an outrage. That has been the practice even up to the presidents level. As the nations top defense leader, Secretary Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation.

Federal law requires all federal executive agencies to report any vacancies of an office to Congress and its routine for all Cabinet-level secretaries to make an announcement any time they are hospitalized or transfer any duties to a subordinate. In mid-2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland made such an announcement a full week before he underwent a medical procedure.

At a time when there are growing threats to U.S. military service members in the Middle East and the U.S. is playing key national security roles in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is particularly critical for the American public to be informed about the health status and decision-making ability of its top defense leader, the Pentagon Press Association said.
Bill Christen, who lives in the D.C. area, stands in front of the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday as former president Donald Trump attempts to quash his prosecution over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. (Robb Hill/for The Washington Post)

A panel of three federal appellate judges expressed skepticism about Donald Trumps claim to sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution and concerns about its implications, suggesting it would allow a future president to have a political rival assassinated by the military without repercussions.

Trump argues that he cannot be tried for trying to overturn the 2020 election results because he was acquitted by the Senate of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. James Pearce, a Justice Department attorney, called that an extraordinarily frightening proposition. The three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit tasked with reviewing Trumps claims, which were rejected by his trial judge last month, appeared to agree during the hour-long hearing.

A president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could order Seal Team Six to assassinate a political rival? Judge Florence Y. Pan asked. Would such a president be subject to criminal prosecution if hes not impeached?

D. John Sauer, representing Trump, insisted that for any crime connected to a presidents official duties, the political process of impeachment and conviction by the Senate would have to occur before prosecution. He predicted that if the president was involved in murdering someone, he would be speedily impeached.

The hearing  which invoked references dating back to George Washingtons tenure  showed how the historic prosecution of Trump has raised difficult questions largely avoided for more than two centuries about the limits of presidential power and the consequences of presidential crimes.

Trump was not required to attend the hearing but chose to be there. Speaking after the hearing at the former Trump hotel near the courthouse, he warned of bedlam in the country if he lost the case, saying it would be the opening of Pandoras box. He left without taking questions from reporters.

Trumps comments echoed those made by his attorney in court, who told the judges that if the prosecution went forward, it would open a Pandoras box from which this nation may never recover and create an endless cycle of prosecution of former presidents. He suggested that President Biden could be indicted by a Texas jury and a Texas judge . . . for mismanaging the border. Trump has made clear that if reelected, he plans to use the Justice Department to go after his enemies.

Judge Karen L. Henderson, the lone Republican appointee on the panel, expressed some concern about that prospect. How do we write an opinion that will stop the floodgates? she asked Pearce.

The prosecutor responded that for 50 years, since the Nixon era, special and independent counsels have investigated presidents and never recommended criminal charges. I think it reflects the fundamentally unprecedented nature of the criminal charges here, Pearce said. Never before have there been allegations that a sitting president has, with private individuals and using the levers of power, sought to fundamentally subvert the democratic republic and the electoral system.

Henderson, historically protective of presidential power, otherwise joined her colleagues in skepticism of Trumps arguments. Its paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal laws, she said. She also said that case law over the past two centuries indicates that whether a man in the street, or a president  you can be held criminally liable.

Trump is arguing that the judges should use the same reasoning that led the Supreme Court to give Nixon immunity from civil lawsuits for official acts in 1982. In that case, the justices said fear of lawsuits could distract a President from his public duties and was an intrusion on the authority and functions of the executive.

But as Judge J. Michelle Childs pointed out, Nixon was pardoned by his successor, indicating an assumption that [he] could be prosecuted criminally after leaving office.

Sauer said that case was different because Nixons alleged crimes involved purely private conduct  an assertion Pearce rebutted forcefully, noting that the Republican was accused of using the CIA to interfere in an FBI investigation. But Sauer later suggested that anything a president does while in office is likely to be an official duty, saying the fact that the indictment against Trump focuses solely on acts before he left office is a telling indication that were dealing with official acts.

A different panel of the D.C. Circuit ruled last month that in the context of a lawsuit brought by police officers and lawmakers injured on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump does not have absolute immunity because campaigning to stay in office is not an official act. Trump has said he plans to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court as well.

Sauer countered that Trumps meetings with members of Congress and the Justice Department about overturning the election, along with his tweets falsely claiming election fraud, all count as protected official conduct, not evidence of a crime as alleged.

Both Henderson and Pan noted that Trump was now making the exact opposite argument as the one he made at his impeachment trial, when his lawyers told senators that the criminal justice system was the appropriate venue for accountability. Pan quoted Trumps lawyer in that case saying, We have an investigative process in this country to which no former officeholder is immune.

Sauer said he wasnt bound by any concessions made by Trumps previous lawyers. But Pan posited that he had made a fatal concession here as well  by acknowledging that a former president could be charged with a crime after impeachment, Trump was forfeiting all his arguments about the danger of such prosecutions. Your separation of powers argument falls away, your policy arguments fall away, she said.

Smiths office asked the court to issue a final order within five days of its opinion, potentially putting Trumps trial back on a fast track. If judges do so after ruling against Trump, the Supreme Court could, if it wishes, take up his legal challenge while letting the trial go forward.

When the court rules might be as important as how they rule. Trump is seeking to delay his trial, set for March, until after the presidential election in which he is the leading Republican candidate. Sauer asked at the hearing for any ruling against Trump to be put on hold for appeals to the full D.C. Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Special counsel Jack Smith had asked the Supreme Court to take up the immunity question without waiting for the D.C. Circuit to rule first; that request was denied.

He could lose before the Supreme Court nine to nothing and I think it would be a victory because it would push back the trial, said Saikrishna Prakash, a professor at the University of Virginias law school who studies presidential authority. The Justice Department has taken the position in the past that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.

Trump also claimed that he cannot be prosecuted by Smith because he was already tried and acquitted by Congress in his 2021 impeachment.

The judges also pressed both sides on a brief from the nonprofit American Oversight arguing that Trump does not have the right to appeal before trial because he is making a novel claim. That position is based on a line in a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision that was not about immunity, in which then-Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that a person must wait until after a trial to appeal unless there is an explicit statutory or constitutional guarantee that trial will not occur.

Both the Justice Department and Trump disagreed; Pearce called it a small point of common ground that a former president had a right not to be tried until courts had determined whether or not he is immune from prosecution. Even if it would help the government to have the appeal thrown out on jurisdictional grounds, Pearce said, doing justice means getting the law right.

Steve Vladeck, a national security law expert at the University of Texas, said the court was likely to agree with that position. The one sentence version of the argument sounds super compelling, he said. But the more you pull apart the argument, the more you look at the precedent, the more you talk about the implications of the argument, the less I think it makes sense.

A ruling by the D.C. Circuit will impact only one of the four prosecutions Trump faces. But Trump is making similar arguments in state court in Georgia, where he is charged in a conspiracy that covers much of the same conduct. The other two cases do not involve Trumps conduct as president. In New York, state prosecutors accuse him of falsifying business records before he took office. In Florida, Smiths office has charged him with mishandling classified documents after leaving office.

Walt Nauta, Trumps longtime personal aide and his co-defendant in the Florida case, sat with the former president in court Tuesday.

Tom Jackman, Oliva Diaz, Issac Arnsdorf and Ann E. Marimow contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones worked as a nurse anesthetist in San Diego for nearly two decades before resigning in 1999. She went years without speaking to relatives, and exactly what happened to her has been a mystery since December, when her body was discovered in a freezer at a home where she once lived.

Detectives believe Haxby-Jones  who would have been 81 this year  may have been missing or dead for up to nine years. Police say she was never reported as missing.

As the San Diego Police Department awaits a determination on her death from the medical examiner, detectives are working to piece together her life.

A lot of this investigation is trying to learn what we can about her, said Lt. Jud Campbell. Theres a lot of gaps were still trying to fill in.

On Dec. 22, officers arrived at a home on Zion Avenue to investigate a report of a death. Family members visiting from out of town had found a body inside a chest freezer.

Those visitors are related to a current resident of the home, not to Haxby-Jones, according to Campbell.

On Thursday, police said the body had been identified as Haxby-Jones. Detectives believe that at some point she lived at the address on Zion Avenue.

Her cause of death has not been determined and remains under investigation by the medical examiners office, police said. While there was no obvious traumatic injury to the body, police are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

Its unclear when the medical examiner will have answers about Haxby-Jones death, police said.

When you dont have that obvious traumatic injury, its just a much slower determination, Campbell said. They have to come to a determination they can support scientifically.

There have been no arrests, according to Campbell. He said no welfare check had been called in on Haxby-Jones.

He declined to answer questions regarding the current resident of the home.

We just want to get information that will help us figure out what happened here, Campbell said. Even while the medical examiner is doing their thing.

Haxby-Jones worked at the Zion Medical Center from 1980 until 1999, according to a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones and want to express our sincerest condolences to her family, friends and loved ones, a spokesperson said in a statement. Mary Margaret will be remembered as a dedicated health care professional and will be greatly missed by all of us at Kaiser Permanente that had the privilege to work alongside her.

A relative of Haxby-Jones by marriage, who asked not to be identified due to the ongoing investigation, said she doesnt believe the woman had any blood relatives and noted that the family is estranged.

Although the relative hadnt seen Haxby-Jones since 1995, she described her as someone who smiled often and loved to get her nails and hair done. Haxby-Jones and her husband also rescued exotic birds, she recalled.

Its all under investigation, and its kind of saddening about how everything is happening, the relative said. Were trying to not make a comment at this time, because we werent there, we dont know, we cant answer these questions.

She added that Haxby-Jones is a military veteran. Google Street View images of the home where records show Haxby-Jones lived show a car with a sticker reading U.S. Army Retired.

Im hoping that she can get the burial she deserves, the relative said.

2024 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Oct. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

During Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's stay in the hospital, certain authorities were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, but both Hicks and the White House weren't informed of Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and underwent a minimally invasive procedure, Walter Reed National Military Center officials said in a statement on Tuesday.

The latest announcement came one day after the White House and the Pentagon both said that they would investigate why President Joe Biden and other high-ranking officials were not informed immediately about the defense secretary's hospitalization and left in the dark for several days.

The cancer was discovered after a routine prostate screening, Walter Reed officials said. On Dec. 22, Austin underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer. He was under "general anesthesia" during it.

His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent, according to the statement.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Austin was admitted again to the medical center with complications from the Dec. 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain. Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection. On Jan. 2, he was transferred to an intensive care unit for close monitoring and a higher level of care.

"He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process," the statement said.

During Austin's stay in the hospital, certain authorities were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, but both Hicks and the White House weren't informed of Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4.

"I think there's an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized ... that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation," John Kirby, the National Security Council (NSC)'s coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters Monday.

The Pentagon also announced in a memo Monday night that it would review the way transfer of authority is handled, with a specific focus on the events and decisions related to Austin's hospitalization. This is to ensure appropriate and timely notification to the president, the White House, the U.S. Congress, and the public in the future.

Austin's secretive hospitalization occurred amid heightened tension in the Middle East and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Some Republicans in the Congress, as well as former President Donald Trump, have urged Austin to resign, criticizing his failure to disclose his hospitalization and voicing transparency concerns. 
GROVE CITY, Pa. (Tribune News Service)  A World War II pilot and longtime Grove City resident celebrated his 100th birthday last week at Grove Manor Nursing Home.

Robert Bob Robson was born in Grove City in 1924 and has lived here all his life. His birthday was spent with his family, friends and former neighbors from before he moved into the assisted living center.

Robsons time in the military began in 1943 in the Cadet Aviation Corps. He served until 1946. During his time he had many responsibilities including training and transporting paratroopers and hauling the medical evacuation.

He would tell me with perfect clarity about all the aircraft. Very specific stuff from so long ago. It wasnt just his aircraft, he knew something about all of them, Robsons former neighbor Keith Flowers said during Tuesdays party. He would tell me stories too. He flew over Yugoslavia while Tito was in power.

Outside of the military, Robson had an apprenticeship that he began in 1942 and finished in 1947. He worked in the locomotive industry.

While he was in the military he also met the love of his life, Doris.

Its my favorite story of his, former neighbor Allison Flowers said. It started when he first went to an international country. He sent out letters to a variety of people just hoping to get someone to talk to.

When Robson sent those letters, he did not get any responses initially. He thought no one responded. Three months later the delivery came. Turns out the letters were backloaded. Doris had sent 14 letters to Robson to try and talk to him. He knew from then on she was the one for him.

Doris was in the Navy at the same time. They were married on Dec. 22, 1945. She passed away in 2010.

They had two sons, Robert Robson Jr. and William Robson. Bob currently has plenty of grandkids.

His party was filled with friends talking, cake and ice cream. Robson was in good health telling stories of his past. At the end, the day had tired him out.

Im about ready to go lie down now, Robson said. But its great to have everyone come together for this.

tkohler@alliednews.com

(c)2024 The Herald (Sharon, Pa.)

Visit www.sharonherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Juliana Mercer, who served in the Marine Corps for 15 years, is shown in Helmand, Afghanistan, in 2010. She works now with a nonprofit advocating for MDMA-assisted therapy. (Juliana Mercer )

WASHINGTON  The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a request for applications for clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapies using magic mushrooms and ecstasy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

The plans represent the first time since the 1960s that the VA plans to test the safety and effectiveness of specific hallucinogenic drugs in the mental health treatment of veterans, the VA said.

With the suicide rate for veterans nearly double that of the general population, veterans groups and policymakers are calling on the VA to investigate alternative treatments for addressing PTSD, a mental health condition that veterans who have been in combat or were injured often experience and increases their suicide risk.

Psychedelic-assisted treatment, which has shown positive outcomes in privately funded clinical studies, is seen as a viable solution.

Veterans and VA researchers have told us about the potential promise of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions for some time, Shereef Elnahal, the VA undersecretary for health, said Friday in a formal statement when the VA disclosed plans for the study.

While the VA has used non-VA funds for limited, small studies at VA facilities for psychedelic-assisted therapies, the new effort involves VA funding a large-scale trial on the effectiveness and safety of the compounds as mental-health treatment.

This is tremendous progress for the VA, made possible by working closely with Secretary [Denis] McDonough and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs commitment to finding better solutions for our veterans, said Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, who was a Navy SEAL.

The VAs plans also have support from the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans and other veterans groups, which have been advocating for the veteran-specific studies.

Veterans will receive treatments in medically supervised settings, in addition to mental-health counseling, to address symptoms of PTSD and depression related to their military service.

The VA said funding for the research reflects its commitment to exploring unconventional therapies to alleviate symptoms in veterans that counseling and traditional medicine have failed to adequately treat.

Veterans increasingly are seeking psychedelic-assisted therapies to address persistent negative thoughts, flashbacks, depression and mood swings resulting from life-threatening experiences and injuries from their military service.

Juliana Mercer, a retired Marine Corps sergeant who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, welcomed the VAs announcement as a historic event for those, like me, who have experienced these compounds life-saving potential.

Mercer, who served in the Marine Corps from 2001-2016, directs veteran advocacy and public policy at Healing Breakthrough, a California nonprofit that supports MDMA-assisted treatment for veterans.

The VAs decision, Mercer said, is the culmination of tireless efforts of veteran advocates, bipartisan legislators, VA clinicians and researchers, and philanthropists who are determined to end the veteran suicide epidemic.

Psilocybin and MDMA are classified as Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, which means they are illegal under federal law and have been determined to have no current acceptable medical use. VA officials said they will undertake the research with regulatory approvals from the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration,

The Defense Department also plans a separate study of psychedelic-assisted therapy and cannabis medical treatment for service members with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.

The military research and clinical trials will receive $10 million in funding, under provisions of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that Congress approved.

For the VA research, scientists will collaborate with universities to examine the potential mental health benefits of psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, and MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy.

The VAs decision to advance research on psychedelic-assisted therapies follows a September meeting with federal clinicians, scientists and policymakers that focused on the body of research on psychedelic-assisted therapies for PTSD and depression.

This meetings working groups provided advice to VA leadership, including the recommendation for VA to begin funding its own studies into these compounds, the VA said.

Recent research includes work by Johns Hopkins University showing positive outcomes among study participants, the VA said. However, most of the current research has involved few or no veterans as participants.

Veterans themselves play an integral role in the VA research program, according to information on the VA Office of Research and Development website. Thousands of VA patients volunteer each year to participate in VA research studies, both to address their own health challenges and to help their fellow veterans, now and in the future.

The VA does not publicly disclose details of funding for various grant initiatives, which are shared with VA investigators only, according to the VA.

Requests for applications are formal solicitation notices announcing the availability of grant funding by government agencies to qualifying recipients. RFAs often are the first step in initiating research, projects and programs.

There will be three funding cycles resulting from this RFA, the VA said Monday. The first funding decision is expected after the conclusion of the peer-review process planned for August 2024.

A 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine noted after several decades when research into psychedelics was effectively halted by federal legislation, the past several years has shown the re-emergence of thoughtful investigations studying the utility of compounds.

Improvement in patient symptoms seem unlike the improvements seen in the currently available care paradigms, the study concluded.
Joy Conlon (38) was sentenced after she admitted the theft, as well as other offences including the shoplifting of clothes and baby food

A serial thief who went into the teachers office at a Dublin college and stole a laptop computer has been jailed for eight months.

Mother-of-one Joy Conlon (38) was sentenced after she admitted the theft, as well as other offences including the shoplifting of clothes and baby food from city-centre stores. Conlon, of Meath Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court.

Garda Sergeant Derek Spain told Judge Treasa Kelly the accused went to Liberties College, Bull Alley Street, last September 5 and stole a laptop, purse, driving licence and Revolut card from the teachers room.

The property had a combined value of 1,300.

Separately, she took a laptop and iPhone worth 1,000 from a car parked at Oliver Bond Street on July 12 last year.

Conlon stole 100 from the till at Urban Plant Life, Cork Street, on November 1.

She took a purse belonging to a resident at Staycity Aparthotel, Francis Street, on November 25. This contained a quantity of currency including $200 (182).

In other thefts, Conlon shoplifted clothing worth around 140 from Marks & Spencer, Grafton Street, and baby food worth 51 from Lidl on Thomas Street.

She had 69 previous convictions, 29 of which were for theft offences, the court heard.

Conlon, a single mother, had been addicted to crack cocaine for a number of years and was on methadone, defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght said.

She apologises to the people whose goods she has taken, Mr Lysaght said. They were small thefts but she accepted they add up. Conlon was throwing herself at the mercy of the court, he added
Robert Sweeney appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal

A former solicitor has appeared in court charged with stealing more than 100,000 from clients' bank accounts.

Robert Sweeney appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal where he was charged with three different counts of stealing money.

The 47-year-old, with an address at Rosemount Terrace in Letterkenny, did not speak during the hearing.

He was charged with stealing the money from AIB bank accounts at Eyre Square in Galway in both 2012 and 2013.

Sweeney, a married man with grown-up children, stopped practising as a solicitor in 2014 after he undertook not to seek a practising certificate.

Garda Marvin Lee gave details of arresting and charging Sweeney at Letterkenny Courthouse and told how the accused made no reply.

Sweeney is charged that on November 11th, 2012 at AIB, Eyre Square in Galway, he did steal property to wit 25,000, money being credited to an account in the name of Robert Sweeney, the property of Yvonne Murphy.

He is also charged that on October 11th, 2013 at AIB Eyre Square in Galway, he did steal property to wit 43,000, money being credited to an account in the name of Robert Sweeney, the property of Manjit Gill.

The accused was also charged that on December 3rd, 2013, at AIB, Eyre Square in Galway, he did steal property to wit 35,000, money being credited to an account in the name of Robert Sweeney, the property of Ciaran Byrne.

All charges are contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.

The accused man's solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said the Director of Public Prosecutions had given directions in the case and directed that the case should be tried by indictment before a judge and jury at the circuit court.

Mr Gallagher asked for legal aid for his client saying he was not working a present adding he was between jobs.

He added Sweeney was a married man and some of his children were attending university.

Mr Gallagher said that the charges were of a technical nature and that "there is a copious amount of paperwork which has already been started."

Judge Eiteain Cunningham agreed to the request for legal aid.

She also adjourned the case until March 25th to allow for the service of a book of evidence.
Well done, keep up the abuse.

Ian Bailey has released a video on social media where he thanks his number one troll for giving him his best ever financial year.

The TikTok video shows the Cork resident sitting in a car whilst a dog barks in the background.

Welcome friends, fans and followers, what a lovely day here," Mr Bailey begins.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has supported me so much during 2023.

The former journalist highlights his main income streams, before pointing out someone who has been interacting with him on X.

And it was my most successful year in terms of income from poetry, t-shirts, shout out services, research.

"Largely due to one individual who has been haranguing me and trolling me on Twitter, an idiot called...well some people call him a*sehole and I would just like to thank him so much.

Ian Bailey TikTok

You have really boosted my confidence and accounts. Well done, keep up the abuse.

It works in the opposite way to the way that you think it would, Mr Bailey says.

Followers of the self confessed murder suspect in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier case were quick to add comments including:

Killer hat, and Delighted to hear you have had a good news story. May 23 be full of them too, were two comments.

Yes Ian I hope you have another killer of a year, wrote another. This guy was made to be a scapegoat, wrote one.

France would love for you to pay them a visit, wrote another.

The person who is playing the role of troll in the online disagreement posted their own tweets in response:

Bantry's best known tramp Bailey is in full cry baby mode on fb. Someone call UC Hospital, Ian is either back on the drink or his medications need adjusting - just look at this...he thinks that is coherent and funny. Oh dear.

Sinead O'Connor and Ian Bailey

"Alexa show me that I have residence inside Ian Bailey's head? the user added.

The person running the account states Send Ian Bailey to France. May he never return to Ireland or the UK, and has an image of Mrs Toscan du Plantier as their profile picture.

Over the festive period, Bailey wrote:

Happy Christmas to all my Friends, Fans and Followers...It is 27 years since a terrible crime which I was falsely accused of...27 years on I continue the David v Goliath battle to clear my name...Solas Na Nollagh....Beanachtu Na Feile.

Ian Bailey TikTok

The 39-year-old French woman was killed outside her holiday home near Toormore, Goleen, County Cork, Ireland, on the night of 23 December 1996.

Mr Bailey was arrested twice by the gardai, yet no charges were laid as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) found there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Bailey lost a libel case against six newspapers in 2003. He also lost a wrongful arrest case against the gardai, Minister for Justice, and Attorney General in 2015.

In 2019, Bailey was convicted of murder by the Cour d'Assises in Paris, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was tried in absentia in France after winning a legal battle against extradition.

In 2020, Ireland's High Court ruled that Bailey could not be extradited. The British man has always maintained his innocence in relation to the death of Mrs Du Plantier.
Conrad Simmons (61) of Commons Road pleaded guilty to two counts of witness intimidation at Liverpool Crown Court last month

A Belfast man has been jailed in Liverpool for for intimidating a witness in a child sex offences case.

Conrad Simmons (61) of Commons Road pleaded guilty to two counts of witness intimidation at Liverpool Crown Court last month.

He was jailed for three years on Monday, January 8 for intimidating a witness involved in a court case where a paedophile was convicted for child sex offences in Wirral.

Simmons was convicted of attempting to intimidate a witness connected to the case of jailed paedophile David Joseph McMullan, of Demesne View in Downpatrick, Co Down.

McMullan (33) was sentenced to 19 years in prison with an additional five years on licence in November 2022 after pleading guilty on the first day of a scheduled trial to four counts of rape of a child under 16 at Liverpool Crown Court.

Last month the court heard that Simmons had made a number of unsolicited phone calls to the family of the victim during McMullans court case in July and August 2022.

just before McMullans trial was about to commence, he had also visited the family home in Wirral in September 2022.

The family reported it to police who traced the mobile number to Simmons as he had visited McMullan in prison on previous occasions.

This week, Simmons was sentenced to three years in jail and a lifetime restraining order not to contact the victim and her family.

In a statement read out in court, the mother of the victim said the case had an immeasurable impact on the whole family.

We were prepared for the original case to be concluded in 2022, she said. As a mum, my priority was to make sure my children and I felt safe in the knowledge that David McMullan was sentenced for his vile crimes against my daughter, and we had the time and help to recover and heal from the terrible ordeal.

The two defendants have ensured this has not been possible and know our address and went to such lengths to try and intimidate us which weighs heavy on my mind. I am constantly in fear.

The mother added: I have suffered immensely and struggled coping with each individual issues of my children have faced because of this crime. I have had lived in fear of the defendants committing further offences.

It has been hard, and attending the various appointments for my children as a result of what has happened has put a lot of strain on me. I am always anxious that the defendants are following us to commit further offences against us.

They committed their offences believing themselves to be above the law, contacting me on my mobile and visiting our home to intimidate us.

Detective Constable Jennifer Davies from Merseyside Police, who led the investigation, said the ordeal had been very traumatic for the victim and her family.

They have been extremely brave throughout the judicial process, and especially having to go through this twice which has taken a huge toll on their lives, Detective Constable Davies said.

Judge Driver praised the family for their dignity shown throughout the court proceedings. He said Simmons actions of witness intimidation was sophisticated and planned over a period of many months. His actions made the family feel threatened and caused insurmountable distress.

This has been a long and complex investigation with the assistance of Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI), which highlights the importance of police forces work together across borders to bring criminals to justice.

I would like to praise the victim and her family for their commitment and courage to seek justice, and I hope this brings closure for them to move on in their lives.

Vikki McKenna, from Catch22, said: Our Merseyside team has been supporting the victim and her family ever since she was brave enough to report the abuse she had suffered to police that the now-convicted David Joseph McMullan groomed and raped her over a period of time.

Our caseworker continues to support the victim and her family as and when needed, including throughout the investigation and the recent court case of Conrad Simmons who has today been sentenced for witness intimidation. While no sentence can reverse the trauma and emotional turmoil that has been caused by the actions of these two men, we are pleased that once again justice has been served.

Merseyside Police, as part of their recent Force Review, now have a centralised Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Team who are dedicated to and focused on tackling these types of crimes, safeguarding victims and protecting communities.
Father-of-three Christie was shot eight times at close range as he lay asleep in bed

Three Co. Antrim men were today ordered to stand trial accused of the brutal execution of Liam Christie.

Standing side by side in the dock of Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, the three accused confirmed they were aware of the charges against them and also that they had received legal papers in the case.

The three men, 45-year-old Jonathan Patterson, Paul Armstrong (44) and 59-year-old Henry Charles Hayles are all jointly charged with the murder of Mr Christie on 20 October 2022.

While Antrim men Patterson, from Whinburn Close and Armstrong, from Hawkswood Terrace, are accused of having two firearms, namely two 9mm handguns, with intent to endanger life on the same date Hayles, from Kansas Avenue in Belfast, is accused of having those guns with the same intent between 18-22 October 2022.

Father-of-three Mr Christie, 43, was shot eight times at close range as he lay asleep in bed in his home in the Craighill area of Antrim in a murder described as a brutal execution.

The court has previously heard that Mr Christie was shot with two different guns, twice to the head, twice in the chest, once in the face and one under his jaw at close range where the firearm had been pushed against his jaw.

Examinations at the Whinburn Close home of Patterson have allegedly uncovered forensic evidence and particles on the sofa, the utility room, towels and fleece throws which suggested, according to DS Adair, the property was used before, during and after the clean up after the murder of Liam Christie.

According to the police case Patterson and Armstrong, were captured on CCTV walking from Pattersons home, heading towards the victims house at around 02.30 when a local resident heard loud bangs, like fireworks.

The ambulance service had contacted police around 9am after the victim was found lying in a pool of his own blood and when police arrived, they noted a number of shell casings in the floor.

Scene of Liam Christie murder

An officer said that according to local residents, the front door of the property was routinely left unlocked and police noted there was no sign of forced entry, adding that enquiries had uncovered CCTV of the area which police believe show the two alleged killers on their way to Mr Christies home with Patterson carrying a glistening, cylindrical item cops say is a gun but which the defence contend is a bottle of gin.

As Hayles had been on police bail before being charged on foot of an indictable summons, the court has not yet heard what the prosecution claim is his involvement

In court today, a prosecuting lawyer submitted the legal papers and statements founded as Prima facie case against each of the defendants which was conceded by their barristers.

The court clerk told the alleged killers that although not obliged to, they had the right to comment on the charges and to call evidence on their own behalves but all three declined to exercise those rights.

Returning the case to Belfast Crown Court with the arraignment scheduled to be heard on 23 February and extending legal aid to allow senior barristers to be instructed, District Judge Nigel Broderick freed the trio on continuing bail with the same package of bail conditions.
NEW DELHI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- India's civil aviation watchdog said on Tuesday that a tiny part, a washer, was found missing during a safety inspection of one Indian Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

A total of 40 Boeing 737 Max planes operated by Indian airlines were subjected to safety checks, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

Safety checks on 39 planes were completed with nil findings, and a missing washer was found on one aircraft, the DGCA said.

Reports said an action for rectifying was in process.

The development came after an international operator last month discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.

Boeing had recommended all the airlines inspect their B737 Max fleet. 
Both are due to appear before a sitting of Dun Laoghaire District Court this morning Tuesday, January 9 at 10.30am

Two men are due before the court this morning after they were arrested in connection with a number of robberies across South Dublin,

The two, one aged in their late teens and the other in his early 20s, were charged by gardai in connection with ongoing investigations into robbery incidents in the South Dublin area between November 2023 and January 2024.

Both are due to appear before a sitting of Dun Laoghaire District Court this morning Tuesday, January 9 at 10.30am.

Investigations ongoing.
Kevin Walsh (34) was previously convicted killing a man in 2005

Detectives are investigating if a convicted killer who was stabbed took a taxi home after the attack before he collapsed and later died.

The victim, named locally as Kevin Walsh (34), died in hospital on Sunday night following an assault in Dublin over the weekend.

Walsh was a serial offender, known to gardai, and was previously convicted of manslaughter when he was a teenager.

Detectives at Lucan garda station have launched an investigation into his death.

They are investigating if he was attacked at a property in the Tallaght area overnight on Saturday into Sunday.

That night, Walsh got a taxi from the Allenton area of Tallaght, where he was originally from, before travelling to the Shackleton estate in Lucan, Co Dublin, where he was residing.

Emergency services were alerted to an apartment in the Shackleton estate at around 3am on Sunday.

An ambulance rushed Walsh to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, where he was pronounced dead at around 6.30pm on Sunday.

Investigators were awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination yesterday, but believe he suffered fatal stab wounds.

Detectives sealed off two locations in Tallaght last night as part of the investigation and were carrying out examinations at the scenes.

Gardai have had little co-operation up to this point, which is making it difficult to determine what exactly happened, a source said.

In 2006, Walsh was convicted of the manslaughter of James Burke (20) at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in September 2005. The trial heard that Walsh, who was aged 16 at the time, attacked the victim because he was English. Mr Burkes body remained in a field near the shopping centre for two days before being discovered.

Walsh was charged with murder but later found guilty of manslaughter.

The killer, who had 34 previous convictions at the time, including for burglary and theft, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment with the final five years suspended.

After his release, he remained involved in crime. In 2013, he was jailed for the violent hijacking of a taxi.

No arrests have yet been made in relation to his fatal assault and inquiries are ongoing.

The services of the Office of the State Pathologist have been requested by investigating gardai and a post-mortem is expected to take place today, a garda spokesperson said yesterday.

An incident room has been established at Lucan garda station and this investigation is being led by a senior investigating officer.

Gardai have appealed for information in relation to the incident.

An Garda Siochana can confirm the injured male travelled via taxi from the Allenton area in Tallaght, Dublin 24, to an address in the Shackleton residential area of Lucan, Co Dublin, in the early hours of Sunday morning, January 7, 2024, they said.

Any road users who were travelling in the vicinity of Allenton, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and Shackleton, Lucan, Co Dublin, at this time and who may have camera footage is asked to make this available.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Lucan garda station.
Maciej Nowak was discovered unresponsive after gardai were called to the property around 4am on Wednesday, December 27

The house outside the village of Kilross, Co Tipperary, where the body of a man was discovered. Photo: Frank McGrath

Gardai investigating the death of Polish construction worker at a property in Ballycrana, Kilross following a party on St Stephens Day have made two further arrests.

Maciej Nowak was discovered unresponsive after gardai were called to the property around 4am on Wednesday, December 27.

A combined St Stephen's Day celebration and birthday party was being held at the rented property at the time.

Despite desperate efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene before he could be transferred to hospital.

A full post mortem examination was later performed at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) while gardai conducted a detailed forensic examination of the scene.

Gardai also conducted door-to-door inquiries to determine if anyone heard or saw anything suspicious.

A 27-year-old man was later arrested and charged with assault causing harm.

Tomasz Rozpeda of no fixed address, appeared before a special sitting of Nenagh District Court on Saturday, December 30.

Rozpeda, who is originally from Poland, is charged with assault causing harm to Maciej Nowak (32) at Ballycrana, Kilross, Co Tipperary.

The charge is brought contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

It is alleged that the assault occurred sometime between St Stephen's evening (December 26) and the early hours of December 27.

He was remanded in custody to appear again before Nenagh District Court on January 3.

Two men in their 30s have now also been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently being held at a Garda station in Tipperary.

A spokesman for An Garda Siochana said: Gardai investigating the fatal assault of a male at a residence in Ballycrana, Kilross, Co Tipperary on Wednesday, 27th December 2023, have made two further arrests.

Two males aged in their 30s were arrested this evening, Monday 8th January 2024, as part of this investigation in the Dublin area.

Both are currently detained under section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939 at a Garda Station in County Tipperary.

Investigators have appealed to anyone who attended the party on St. Stephens Day or has any information regarding the incident to contact Tipperary Garda Station.

Any person with any information that can assist gardai with this investigation is asked to contact Tipperary Town Garda Station on 062 80670, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station, said the spokesman.
Two men have been hospitalised after a suspected stabbing incident on Hardwicke Street in Dublin city centre this evening.

Gardai are investigating the incident which occurred just before 8pm on the street.

Two men were later taken to the Mater Hospital to be treated for apparent stab wounds.

Their injuries are understood to be serious but not life-threatening.

No arrests have been made at this time and investigations are ongoing, a garda spokesperson said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Gardai at Mountjoy Garda Station on 01 666 8600.

More to follow..
Some of the headstones were damaged while others were actually pulled out of the ground.

Eight headstones have been damaged or destroyed after vandals went on the rampage at a Co Donegal graveyard.

The disgraceful act happened at the graveyard of St Eunan's Cathedral in the village of Raphoe.

Some of the headstones were damaged while others were actually pulled out of the ground.

The damage at the Church of Ireland graveyard happened between Tuesday, December 19 and Wednesday, January 3.

Gardai are appealing for any locals who may have witnessed the vandals coming or going to the graveyard to get in touch with them.

Local Garda Sergeant Eunan Walsh condemned the attack and appealed for information.

He said We appeal to anybody who may have any relevant information in relation to the above incidents to make contact with gardai in Letterkenny on 074-9167100, Garda Sergeant Walsh said.

We appreciate that the timeframe is quite long for the first number of incidents, but we are hopeful that someone may recall seeing activity around the graveyard on January 3rd between 12.10pm and 2pm.

"If anybody travelled in the area on that date between those times with a dash cam we ask them to make the footage available to us please.

The Garda Confidential line may also be reached on 1800 666 111.
We can reveal Natalie Currie married Robert Milliken AFTER he got out of jail for a shocking mob attack which left a Catholic teenager permanently brain-damaged.

Robert Milliken, was the first husband to Natalie Currie

Natalie Currie was married to Robert Milliken for five years

The mum who agreed to marry killer David Monster Thompson previously tied the knot to a sectarian thug who was jailed for his role in a horrific hatchet attack.

We can reveal Natalie Currie married Robert Milliken AFTER he got out of jail for a shocking mob attack which left a Catholic teenager permanently brain-damaged.

Recently Milliken was also further shamed at court after he was convicted of shocking dog cruelty offences.

Natalie Currie was married to Robert Milliken for five years

As revealed in this paper, last week Natalie said Yes to a public proposal of marriage to killer David Thompson, who is still a life sentence prisoner.

He is serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of Ryan Neill, who he kicked and punched to death in 2001, but Thompson was recently moved to open prison Burren House in preparation for his permanent release.

Natalie told this paper he was a gentleman now, that she was lucky to have him.

But its not the first violent thug she has agreed to tie the knot with as it has emerged Natalie got hitched to Robert Milliken not long after he was released from juvenile prison for his part in a gruesome sectarian attack.

Robert Milliken, was the first husband to Natalie Currie

Milliken was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a young offenders centre plus a further 18 months on probation for the attack.

He was part of a notorious loyalist gang of teenagers which called itself the Lower Stiles Hatchet Team.

Milliken and a gang of others chased a group of mainly Catholic schoolkids in what a judge described at Belfast Crown Court described as a sort of war party who carried out a deliberate premeditated attack with a sectarian motive.

Robert Miliken, who was 15 when the attack took place, admitted causing an affray. The gang had weapons, including a hatchet, although they knew the others were unarmed, the judge said. One boy was hit on the head with an axe, leaving him paralysed in one hand and has had to re-learn how to speak and has permanent brain damage.

Since our story last Sunday, Natalie has removed her Facebook page and taken down the video of Thompsons marriage proposal from her TikTok page where she uses the name Natalie Milliken.

But a video of the seemingly romantic gesture, taken by an unsuspecting onlooker, remains on the social media platform and has been viewed more than 100,000 times. Thompson got down on one knee outside Victoria Square shopping centre just a few days before Christmas in a staged proposal.

Not only has Thompson a sickening murder to his name but the killer was also jailed last year for throwing hot coffee over his last wife  who he met while serving a minimum 15-year sentence for beating a man to death.

Thug David Thompson proposing to Natalie

The Sunday World understands the public display of affection has not gone down well with prison chiefs and those in charge of the Parole Commission.

There are strict rules for life sentence prisoners who are in Burren House, said a source.

Proposing in front of dozens of people and then posting it on the internet is rubbing the noses of his victim into the ground.

Sources in Antrim say they couldnt believe it when they saw Natalie had agreed to marry Thompson.

Natalie got a lot of stick when she married Robert Milliken because of what he had done to that schoolboy, said a source.

So it was a massive shock to see shes marrying another convicted thug like Thompson.

Thompson and Natalie in a celebration kiss

In 2019, Milliken was handed a four-month suspended sentence after a judge blasted the suffering endured by dogs in his care.

Last week, Natalie told the Sunday World about her new fiance: Ive known him for years...

"Hes done his time and hes a changed boy and hes found the right woman now.

Honestly, he treats me really well. He looks after me. Hes a gentleman and Im lucky to have him.
It is estimated that the seized drugs were likely destined for the Netherlands where their value would be estimated at some $526m

The drugs were found in a truck

Some of the drugs laid out after the seizure

The President of Bolivia has hailed the record bust of cocaine valued at $224 million locally as an historic result.

The massive haul of drugs that were hidden in wooden flooring materials found in a truck were displayed to the media in Oruro yesterday.

Bolivian President Luis Arce described the roughly 8.7 metric ton bust as the largest ever recorded in the South American country.

In a post on social media he declared: Our work, committed to the homeland, is achieving historic results in the fight against drug trafficking, Arce wrote on X.

We inform the Bolivian people and the international community that we seized 8.7 tons of cocaine destined for the Netherlands (Europe), which were camouflaged in wooden tiles, transported in a truck, he said.

The drugs were found in a truck

Likewise, four people who were part of this criminal organization were arrested, nine raids were carried out and four properties were seized. The investigations continue, he added.

It is estimated that the seized drugs were likely destined for the Netherlands where their value would be estimated at some $526 million.

The operation also included the arrest of four suspected drug traffickers, stemming from nine raids, Reuters reported citing government officials.

Bolivia is the worlds third largest producer of coca and cocaine after Colombia and Peru, according to the United Nations.

Bolivia allows the cultivation and marketing of coca leaves for chewing, use in tea and for religious rituals.

Authorities cap cultivation at 22,200 hectares (55,000 acres) to provide for the licit market, but some is siphoned off for illicit cocaine production.
Fix it now, get on with it.

The roof of Dublins much loved Iveagh Markets has collapsed as remedial works stalled over the winter period.

Exclusive new images revealed by the Sunday World today show the beautiful heritage building has fallen into a state of complete disrepair, and is now exposed to the elements.

Fix it, get on with it, fix the Iveagh Markets, campaigners pleaded on Tuesday.

Friends of the Iveagh Markets released a statement this afternoon decrying the ongoing situation.

"It is so awful to see that no remedial works have yet to begin. There is significant new damage and the water ingress continues unabated.

Debris from roof

"We accept that repairs must be carried out to the highest standards but the Markets simply cannot be allowed to deteriorate any more than they already have.

"The Markets have been neglected long enough.

In new photos, debris is seen strewn across the ground with the sky clearly visible overhead.

"The fragile state of the Markets demands immediate urgency in making the building water tight. The proposed timeline needs to be hastened significantly to prevent the Markets from irreparable disrepair.

Iveagh Markets open to elements

"The Iveagh Markets represent so much of our culture and heritage and they need to be protected for future generations. Fix the Markets now, please get on with it, the groups statement concluded.

Senator Mary Seery Kearney spoke recently about the opportunity the building represents to Dublin.

The Iveagh Markets is on the way to the Storehouse and would be the perfect location for the restoration of an artisan food market that tourists and locals can shop and enjoy street food under the cover of the shelter of the market, similar to markets in cities like Barcelona, or the English Market in Cork.

Back in September, it was announced that 9 million in funding for essential conservation and repair works had been allocated. The building is in a state of dereliction since its closure in the 1990s.

Dublin City Council said the funding was designated for "essential conservation works" at the historic site located on the junction of Francis Street and John Dillon Street.

Overgrown Iveagh Markets

The stabilisation work was to include repairs to the roofs, valleys, internal gutters, parapet and large roof-lights of the Wet Market and Dry Market.

It was also stated to include repairs and reinstatement of the rainwater disposal system, management of vegetation growth to the site and its structures as well as protection and securing of the windows and door.

An initial work programme of clearance, propping and making safe was to be initially undertaken.

The main stabilisation works will begin in 2024, a council spokesperson stated at the time.

However, fears over the roof caving in now appear to have been realised.

Dublin City Council have been contacted for comment.
All occupants of the building were safely evacuated

Gardai at the scene of the fire in Buncrana, Co Donegal. Photo: NW Newspix

Gardai are investigating the cause of a blaze in Co Donegal, part of which is used to house asylum-seekers.

The blaze happened overnight at the rear of a licensed premises on the main street in Buncrana.

The fire broke out at around 1am and emergency services rushed to the scene.

All occupants of the building were safely evacuated and the fire is not understood to be malicious.

However, a number had to be taken to Letterkenny University Hospital where they were treated for possible smoke inhalation.

Gardai are at the scene of the fire and a technical examination is currently taking place.

They say the results of their investigation will determine the course of any other investigations.

Preliminary indications are that the fire started and was confined within one room within the building, a garda spokesperson said.

The fire comes after a spate of arson attacks on premises earmarked to house asylum-seekers and refugees, with a vacant pub due to be turned into a homeless hub for families burnt down in Ringsend, Dublin last week.
Enquiries are ongoing

Gardai are investigating following the discovery of a body in Dublin city centre this morning.

The body of a man was found across from the post office on St Andrews Street.

It is believed that the body may have been that of a homeless person, and further enquiries are ongoing.

A Garda spokeswoman said: Gardai in Pearse Street were alerted to the body of a male discovered in the early hours of this morning Tuesday 9th January, 2024 on St. Andrew's Street, Dublin 2.

The scene has been preserved and investigations are ongoing, a spokeswoman added.

More to follow...
DAMASCUS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A military bus carrying Syrian soldiers was hit by an explosive device in the desert near the ancient city of Palmyra in Homs Province on Tuesday, killing nine people and wounding 13 others, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry specified that the fatalities included eight soldiers and one civilian, attributing the attack to "terrorists."

In an earlier report, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bus was targeted by Islamic State (IS) militants. It said that 14 soldiers were killed and 19 others wounded in the attack near the T-3 oil station in the sprawling desert region in the remote countryside of Homs Province, adding that the injured were taken to the Tadmur Hospital in Palmyra.

The Syrian desert has seen a surge of IS attacks since the start of 2024 in areas under government control, the observatory said. Earlier on Tuesday, it reported that an IS ambush killed a Syrian military officer and a pro-government fighter in the desert of Athraya in the northern province of Raqqa.

On Jan. 5, two Syrian military personnel were killed in another IS ambush in the desert east of Homs, according to the local radio channel Sham FM.

The IS group has lost most of its territory in Syria, but its fighters have continued to launch attacks in the country's vast desert region. 
Daniel Gallagher is currently in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Centre where he is under constant 24-hour care by a team of doctors

A fundraising appeal for a Co Donegal man who is in a critical condition in a Florida hospital after a serious road traffic accident while on holidays with his family has surpassed its initial goal.

A total of 63,400 has been raised of a 50,000 target for Daniel Gallagher of Meenakillew, Ardara after he was critically injured in the Orlando crash.

He is currently in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Centre where he is under constant 24-hour care by a team of doctors.

Daniel was involved in the accident on December 29 in Orlando, Florida, while on holiday with family.

The GoFundMe page entitled Friends of Daniel Gallagher was set up, to support Daniel and the Gallagher family to cover medical and travel expenses as there will need to be a family member available at all times in Orlando with power of attorney to make important decisions on his behalf if and when the need arises.

Hopefully Daniel can make a full recovery and can return home to Ireland as soon as doctors deem him well enough to travel, the pages reads. If anyone is not comfortable making a donation on GoFundMe and wants to contact the committee they can do so privately through the contact button on this page. We thank you all sincerely for your support and prayers.

A bank account is also being set up by the committee and the IBAN will be available this week for those who want to contribute directly to it instead of the GoFundMe page.

Donegal Live has reported that the local community gathered at the Church of the Holy Family, Ardara on Sunday for a mass to pray for Daniels recovery.

The appeal page is here
Speed Shear they say, yes Shearing Sheep quickly and this is how it all begun at the Te Puna Rugby club in January 1999.

Now 25 years later, it is still running in January, a few years missed and a number of venue changes, the 22nd Te Puna Speed Shear is on this Saturday at The Point Ale House in Whakamarama, bringing a little bit of country to town.

Some of New Zealands top shearers come to compete for prize money, it is a date that they have marked on their calendars each year, says a spokesperson for the event.

Shearing a lamb in 16 seconds can you believe it, this event is not for beginners.

Shearers that come and compete travel far and wide to test their skills in shearing a lamb really quickly.

Te Puna Speed Shear is run by a small group of people that have been organizing and running it for many years, it is an event that is run not for profit and the money that is raised at the event is donated.

This year the money is being shared, it will be going to Assistance Dogs New Zealand and the local Rescue Helicopter.

A raft of sponsors and volunteers donate their time and effort to make this event happen.

This would not happen without the support of the community and all the great volunteers.

Te Puna Speed Shear is from 5.30pm and prize giving follows after all the shearing has finished.

It is gold coin entry, spot prizes, and also a chiller to be sold on the night.

There will be a range of food available and chilled drinks so come along and see some of NZs top shearers compete.

Check out Te Puna Speed Shear on Facebook.
Living by the coast means that we should always be prepared for a tsunami.

The best ways to be prepared for a tsunami are to know your local tsunami evacuation map and nearest tsunami safe location, and have an emergency grab bag prepared and ready to go should you need to evacuate, says Tauranga Emergency Management team leader Dan Pearce.

Are you relying on sirens to warn you of a tsunami?

Pearce says Tauranga does not use sirens, like many other regions and districts throughout the country.

Likely, there will not be time to issue a warning for a local tsunami, he says.

This means that it is vital that people can recognise the natural warning signs.

A long or strong earthquake is the natural warning for a tsunami, says Pearce.

If you feel an earthquake that is longer than a minute or strong enough that its hard to stand up, evacuate as soon as the shaking stops.

Pearce says people should not wait for an official warning as there would not be enough time.

A tsunami wave could reach our coastline within 40 minutes. If an earthquake occurs further away we may not feel it.

If there is a tsunami threat to New Zealand, the national warning will be issued and Emergency Management Bay of Plenty can provide alerts and information on areas, if any, that need to be evacuated.

This can be done through emergency mobile alerts, radio, TV broadcasts, social media, and local council websites.

Tsunami-safe locations are identified on councils tsunami evacuation maps.

These can be found on signage at coastal areas, at Tauranga City Council service centres, and online at www.tauranga.govt.nz/tsunami.

For those thinking about getting in the car and hitting the highway in this situation, think again.

Its not recommended to drive to tsunami-safe locations as this can very quickly cause traffic gridlock in an evacuation situation.

Its best to walk, cycle or run to tsunami-safe locations as modelling shows these can be reached within a safe timeframe before a maximum credible tsunami arrives.

Pearce warns people to avoid heading towards the coast to watch the tsunami.

Head to higher ground or your nearest safe location.

Tauranga tsunami evacuation maps were updated in late 2023 to show a single, blue evacuation area and tsunami-safe locations.

Tsunami evacuation zone: Mount Maunganui Mauao. Photo supplied www.tauranga.govt.nz/tsunami.

In the event of a tsunami, residents should head to the identified safe locations or out of the blue area shown on the map.

The blue area is the tsunami evacuation zone and is shown on the map of Mount Maunganui below.

All tsunami-safe locations have been identified on several factors, including height above sea level, and nearby dune systems or waterways which can quickly reduce the impact of a tsunami as it moves inland.

Sand dunes work as an excellent first line of defence against tsunamis.

Water will lose a lot of power as it encounters the dunes, even as it overtops them or travels around them.

Our tsunami evacuation maps are based on a maximum credible event, which is a magnitude 9 earthquake along the Kermadec Trench, which is a one-in-2500-year event, says Pearce.

A tsunami is one of the hazards that we plan for.

Further information on how to prepare your household for an emergency is available at Tauranga City Councils website as well as www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz.
A Coastguard NZ road show is visiting boating and outdoors shops all over New Zealand this summer, helping Kiwis to exchange old lifejackets for discounted, brand-new water safety gear.

The official drowning figures over the Christmas-New Year period - which ran from 4pm December 22 to 6am January 3 - currently stands at seven, after a body was found on Ninety Mile Beach.

The 10-year average for the same time period is eight deaths; 2022-23 saw nine fatalities.

Last week, fisherman Will Fransen miraculously survived almost 24 hours adrift after he fell out of his boat.

Amid the high season for water-related accidents, the Coastguard Old4New life jackets scheme will be visiting boating hotspots until Waitangi weekend.

People can take along old lifejackets to receive discounts on new, fit-for-purpose Hutchwilco ones at van locations in the North and South Islands.

Coastguard head of operations Rod McCaw told Morning Report's Charlotte Cook that it's important that everyone, including children, have life jackets that were fit for purpose, fitted well and are safe before every use.

The Old4New campaign has been running for a number of years, he says, but time round they have "doubled down", on the number of locations for the roadshow since early December.

"We will continue to drive the messaging that wearing a life jacket is a good idea - it's going to buy you some time, it's going to help keep you safe, and it's never ruined a day on the water."

People might have old lifejackets sitting around home that are no longer fit for purpose, or are stopping you from wearing a life jacket when out on the water because they aren't the right type for that activity.

"Bring it on down to one of the van locations, and get a really good discount on a brand new Hutchwilco life jacket, whether it's an inflatable one, whether it's one for the kids, whether it's a [Stand Up Paddleboard] one, go and see the team and we can sort you out."

If people are not able to make a roadshow event, they can still go to a Boating and Outdoors shop for discounted jackets - and they don't even need to bring in an old jacket.

"We want to make sure you've got the right jacket that's going to do the business for you. It doesn't matter how old, grotty your life jackets are."

The team is still seeing natural fibre jackets and "museum pieces" from the 1950s and 1960s - "really quite dangerous stuff, frankly", he says.

So what sre the signs that a life jacket needs to be replaced?

"Like any material, if it's been exposed to a lot of sun, a lot of UV then you're going to start to see quite significant fade, and that means it's more likely to tear and the fabric's going to degrade.

"Have a look at ... where the straps join the jacket, and the buckles... Ultimately if you can put ... a fitted, foam jacket on, and you see that there's no rips, tears, frays, and it's nice and snug, then you're good to go."

For inflatable jackets, Gerrard says it's important to check the tag and see when the CO2 canisters needs to be replaced, which can vary between every 12 and 24 months.

-RNZ.
New Zealand consumers could soon pay the price for shipping networks being disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea.

In recent weeks there have been several attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on container ships travelling through the busy cargo route.

Nearly 15 per cent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, which leads to the Suez Canal, linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean.

New Zealand and 11 other countries have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to attacks on container ships in the Red Sea.

Massey University supply chain lecturer Carel Bezuidenhout says the conflict means that passing through the Red Sea is pushing up insurance costs for shipping companies.

"Most of them are actually avoiding that and taking the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope down at the bottom end of Africa. That adds substantial distance and delays to the supply chains, so in time we may start seeing a slower and non-responsive supply chain."

Bezuidenhout says all industries could be impacted if the conflict continues, but some sectors - like the kiwifruit industry - might be hit particularly hard.

"When we start harvesting kiwifruit and we want to get those fruit to Europe as fast as possible, then it is going to become problematic for us to add another two weeks to get around the Cape of Good Hope."

He says uncertainty around when the attacks will end, makes the situation worse.

"We don't know when it will be safe enough or when our insurance will allow us to actually get back into the Red Sea and actually start making commercial sense to run through that space."

Maritime Union national secretary Craig Harrison says shipping companies might charge more to cover the increased cost of moving goods.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the shipping companies want to up their freight rates."

Harrison told RNZ port companies will be keeping an eye on events in the region.

"I think the ports will be concerned if they see a drop in trade and if costs go up but I think at the moment they'll be analysing what's going to happen."

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young says the attacks on ships could have flow-on effects.

"With the longer voyage that they have to take to miss the conflict that's happening there's some likely increases in costs that could be passed on to business owners and consumers."

Young says they will talk to businesses about dealing with any disruptions to the supply chain.

She says they have seen conflict have an impact on shipping in the past - such as at the start of the Ukraine war.

"A number of ships were having to divert their cargo into a different pathway due to the conflict that was happening in various areas and that did put pressure on timing of goods coming to New Zealand and the cost of goods getting here."

A Zespri spokesperson says, via a statement: "Our kiwifruit is shipped to Europe using the Panama Canal and isn't routed through the Red Sea. Each season we work closely with our longstanding shipping partners to deliver our fruit using a mix of charter and container vessels.

"We will continue to monitor the global shipping environment closely including the potential impact on other routes as we prepare for our first fruit to depart for Europe in mid-March."

-Nick James/RNZ.
Javier Almellones El Valdes Tuesday, 9 January 2024, 09:38 Compartir Copiar enlace

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The village of El Valdes is only four kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea and is set on a hilltop in the Axarquia area to the east of Malaga province  so far not dissimilar to many other villages in the area. However, this tiny village, which belongs administratively to neighbouring Moclinejo, is an art-lovers paradise, with clear nods to one of Spains best-loved artists.

For almost two decades the traditional white houses of El Valdes have been splashed with vibrant colours in a style that does not copy, but rather pays homage to, the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.

It all began in the mid-1990s when resident Antonio Montanez decided to build his own house in this unmistakable style. Casa Museo de la Axarquia is home to an impressive ethnographic collection, but the exterior is an authentic tribute to Gaudis art. Montanez even opens up his museum house to the public on special occasions.

A lost profession

Nods to the artist behind Barcelonas Park Guell extend through the streets of El Valdes. For example in the children's playground, which is next to Nuestra Senora de Lourdes primary school, there is a little train and other small constructions covered with the colourful tiled mosaics for which Gaudi is famous.

Next to the playground there is also a monument dedicated to the areas stonemasons, a profession that was once very important in this part of Malaga province but has now disappeared. Alongside the monument there is also a mosaic tree and the names of the last stonemasons in the area have been remembered in writing next to its branches.

Monument dedicated to the area's stonemasons J. A.

From the upper part of the village where Casa Museo de la Axarquia is situated, a walk down the hill leads to a colourful fountain in Plaza Axarquia where the names of the neighbouring hamlets of Los Palmas, El Villar, Los Patrones and Rio Granadilla have been written.

Visitors are advised to leave their cars in the upper part of the village, not only to avoid getting stuck in its narrow streets, but also to enjoy a leisurely stroll to find other colourful tributes to the artist from Reus, Catalonia. El Valdes is just a 15-minute drive from Rincon de la Victoria and has become a popular place for second homeowners and even people moving there permanently in recent years.

The fountain on Plaza de la Axarquia J. A.

El Valdes is also on the Axarquias Ruta de la Pasa (raisin route) and not only vineyards, but also the olive and almond trees surround the village, which give the visitor an idea of the importance of these products to the areas economy. A five-kilometre walk, bike ride or car drive will take the visitor to the bigger village of Moclinejo via the Ruta de Sandoval (Sandoval route), offering stunning views over this rugged part of the Axarquia.
Junta to keep open Ojen's Eco Reserva wildlife park with different management The regional authority has said that "at no point will the animals be removed from the park and neither will hunting resume"

Maria Albarral Tuesday, 9 January 2024, 13:54 Compartir Copiar enlace

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The Eco Reserva wildlife park in Ojen will not be shut down but run by a different company, the regional Junta de Andalucia has confirmed to SUR this week.

The park, closed to the public since 2022, has been in the middle of a conflict between the regional environment department and the concession-holder Andalucia Ecotour S. L. which has fulled speculation about the future of the animals living there.

"The Eco Reserva will stay open with full guarantees through another company," said Junta sources.

"At no point are we going to remove the animals and by no means will we allow hunting activity, which was stopped 33 years ago, to resume. The aim of the regional administration is precisely to guarantee the safety and welfare of the wildlife as well as the health and safety of visitors," said the sources.

The regional authority said that the service would be put out to tender and "there are already firms interested" in taking over the park. It stressed that "both the care and the feeding of the animals is currently in the hands of Junta de Andalucia employees".

The closure of the Eco Reserva

The Ojen Eco Reserva is located on public mountain terrain and the concession for its use was awarded in May 2016, with a number of conditions imposed by the regional authority that had to be complied with.

In August 2020, after carrying out several inspections, the Junta detected up to 15 cases in which the concession-holder "repeatedly failed to comply with the regulations that zoological parks in Andalucia are subjected to".

According to the environment department, there was a safety risk, due to the lack of enclosures to separate the wild animals, which include deer, wild sheep and mountain goats, from staff and visitors. Furthermore, much of the infrastructure was built and designed by the management itself and the Junta could not approve it.

The welfare of the animals was also at risk due to the lack of health controls. There were also irregularities related to the management of dangerous waste, works without permission and a lack of electricity and water supply, among others, according to the Junta.

After several requests to correct the faults, in February 2022 disciplinary proceedings were initiated and the park was closed to the public.

Court case

The case reached a Malaga administrative court and the concession was revoked in February 2023. In November last year the representative of the firm was ordered to leave the site, where, according to Junta sources, he was "squatting" in one of the Eco Reserva's huts without electricity or water.

The manager of Andalucia Ecotour S.L, Antonio Calvo, told SUR some months ago that a number of organisations had helped with the upkeep of the animals during the time the park has been closed to the public with no income. The biggest help comes from El Corte Ingles which delivers a pallet of fresh fruit and vegetables every day from its supermarket. "The Junta considers the plastic and cardboard packaging this food comes in to be dangerous waste," he said. Calvo disposes of this waste in ordinary refuse containers, whereas the Junta states that it cannot be left there and must be processed properly.

The Junta denies Calvo's version and stated that "the animals are being fed and cared for by the regional authority".
Juan Cano Malaga Tuesday, 9 January 2024 | Updated 10/01/2024 18:59h. Compartir Copiar enlace

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The Local Police in Malaga have opened an investigation to clarify whether illegal road racing was behind an accident which happened on the night of Three Kings involving three vehicles and in which a 13 year old minor was injured.

The officers who were alerted in the early hours of the morning of 5 to 6 January first intervened in the Avenida de las Malaguenas, in the Cortijo de Torres fairground area, a regular meeting point for people racing and skidding vehicles around.

The Local Police's 092 control room became aware that around 60 vehicles had gathered at the site, so they sent several patrols to break up the gathering. The police intervention was carried out without incident and the cars left the area.

Related news Crime Illegal road races in Malaga: these are the videos that the police are tracking Juan Cano

However, it was not long before they received another call, this time on the Azucarera-Intelhorce road, where there had been a serious rear-end accident involving three vehicles, two of them with significant damage to their bodywork.

When they arrived, the police patrols found that there was a large gathering of both cars and young people on the pavement recording the scene, similar in context to the meeting they had just broken up in Cortijo de Torres.

The minor was reportedly a bystander with his father and not involved in the traffic accident. According to sources, he was taken by 061 ambulance to the Hospital Materno in the city.

Based on the state of the vehicles and eyewitness accounts, it appears that two cars were stopped at traffic lights and a third car - a black BMW - crashed at high speed into the back of one of them, although the violence of the impact caused them to hit the car next to them as well.

The investigation into the accident is now focusing on calculating the speed at which the BMW was travelling and whether it was taking part in a race or rally. To discover this, videos circulating on social media networks and messaging services are being examined, as well as images from security cameras in the area.
J. A. Guerrero Galicia Tuesday, 9 January 2024, 10:55 Compartir Copiar enlace

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The specialised environmental unit of Spain's state Prosecutor's Office will investigate the washing up of huge quantities of plastic pellets on at least thirty Galician beaches, in the north of the country and which have also reached the Asturian coast. The public ministry opened a file to monitor the situation on 4 January and has since announced that it has opened an investigation to determine whether there may be any criminal responsibility.

The pellets, microplastics that are used to make other plastic products, such as bags, bottles and containers, were being transported by a merchant ship that lost part of its cargo on 8 December in Portuguese waters. Five days later, the region's 112 emergency number received the first calls alerting of the arrival of the plastics spill to the Galician coast.

The investigation by the Prosecutor's Office comes at the height of angry arguments between central and regional governments, which accuse each other of "inaction" and trying to "warm up" the atmosphere ahead of the Galician elections on 18 February.

Meanwhile, fishermen's associations and environmental organisations have raised their voices. Some, like the Galician Arcos Iris, have demanded that the national government mobilise the Military Emergency Unit (UME) to help clean up an "ecological disaster" that they compare to the environmental catastrophe caused by the sinking of the structurally defficient MV Prestige crude oil tanker on 13 November 2002.

"Show signs of toxicity and are not biodegradable

Now, after that quagmire of crude oil was cleared, hundreds of volunteers have mobilised again to help clean the Galician sandbanks of millions of these tiny balls barely five millimetres in diameter (like lentils). Armed with infinite patience and sieves, kitchen strainers, bags, buckets..., hundreds of volunteers and workers from the regional Xunta are busy sifting the sand by hand to separate them, trying to prevent them from being buried on the beaches.

The preliminary report from the Prosecutor's Office stated that these plastic balls "show signs of toxicity, are not biodegradable and cannot be eliminated." The Ministry of the Environment and national government have offered to intervene and collaborate in the cleaning tasks, something that the regional administration "does not see necessary" at the moment.

The pellets began to reach the Galician coasts in mid-December and since then the tide has not stopped. They were transported by the merchant ship Toconao, flying the Liberian flag, which on 8 December lost six containers in the Atlantic when it was travelling through Portuguese waters, from Algeciras in the south of Spain to the port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

Volunteers collect pellets on the beaches of the Noia estuary. EP

According to the Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, one of those 28-tonne containers (the others were loaded with tyres and metal parts, which have sunk in the ocean) was loaded with the plastic pellets packed in raffia bags. Some were washed up intact on the Galician coast on 13 December, but others broke up, scattering the microplastic material all over the coast, from Vigo and the Rias Baixas to Ferrol  according to the Prosecutor's Office, it also reached France.

Shellfish zone

Puente was critical that the regional Xunta did not activate the emergency collection plan until 5 January when, he said, they had information about what happened weeks before. "Since the 13th (December) there have been calls to 112 by people and institutions that have sighted the materials on the coast. Is Mr. Rueda not informed of these events? Doesn't anyone on his team know what's happening?" wrote the minister on social media network X.

Previously, the Galician president, Alfonso Rueda, had stated that the first official communication from the central government came on 3 January . In any case, Puente said he is waiting for the Xunta to "exercise its jurisdiction" and activate emergency Level 2 for accidental marine pollution, in order to be able to provide "effective support" in the collection and cleaning of the beaches.

The spill, meanwhile, has set off alarms in the shellfish areas of the Muros and Noia estuaries, in the province of La Coruna. It has also angered environmental organisations, which have denounced "the pollution" of the biodiversity of the coastline and the seabed.

Several environmental organisations and town halls have echoed the "passivity" of the two administrations in the face of what they consider "an unprecedented environmental disaster", which will have an impact on marine life and the ecosystems of the Galician coast. They warn of the risk that its effects "could be noticeable in the medium and long term, compromising the traceability of fishing and aquaculture due to its passage into the food chain." It is important to remember that fish (and birds) can ingest these pellets by mistaking them for food and thus ending up in the human body.
DHAKA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League (AL) party, which clinched a landslide victory in general elections, will form its new cabinet on Jan. 11, a senior Cabinet Division official told Xinhua Tuesday.

He said Hasina will take oath as the country's prime minister for the fourth consecutive term on Thursday.

"President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the prime minister and her cabinet colleagues at a ceremony at 7:00 p.m. (local time) on Jan. 11," said the official who asked not to be named.

The official said the ceremony will be held in the historic Durbar Hall of the Bangabhaban, the presidential palace of Bangladesh, in the capital Dhaka.

K.M. Abdus Salam, senior secretary of Bangladesh Parliament Secretariat, said earlier in the day that newly elected members of Bangladesh's parliament will take the oath of office on Wednesday.

He said that Bangladesh's Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will administer the oath of office to the lawmakers at a ceremony on Wednesday.

According to gazette notification published by the Election Commission on Tuesday afternoon, the AL party led by Hasina won 222 out of 298 seats. The AL-led alliance bagged a landslide win with 225 seats. 
Javier Martinez Valencia Tuesday, 9 January 2024, 18:05 Compartir Copiar enlace

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A 24-year-old man allegedly threw his partner from the Las Flores bridge in the Valencia region of Spain and then pretended that the victim had suffered a scooter accident.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning on New Year's Day on the Paseo de la Ciudadela and was investigated by Local Police, initially after the victim herself led police and ambulance services to believe that she had accidentally fallen into the old riverbed.

After receiving a tip-off that a young woman was calling for help, two patrols from the National Police and another from the Valencia Local Police urgently rushed to the victim's aid. The first officers on the scene saw two electric scooters and a helmet lying in the bike lane, and also heard some moaning coming from the old riverbed.

The police officers helped the young woman up to the Paseo de la Ciudadela to receive medical attention, and interviewed her and the young man who was helping her. Both gave the same version, a scooter accident, although with different explanations about how the fall happened.

First they said that she had hit a bollard in the cycle lane, then he had helped her up, and after leaning against the wall of the old riverbed, the two of them had accidentally fallen. The young man also stated that he had been drinking alcohol and that he had lost his attention when he was riding the scooter. In a second, similar version, the young woman claimed that she fell first and then her boyfriend jumped into the old riverbed to help her.

While the young man collected the two scooters and the helmet, the police officers spoke to the victim again, who insisted on her version of the accident before getting into an ambulance from the Emergency Medical Aid Service (SAMU). The officers identified the girl's boyfriend and told him to be contactable in case they needed to speak to him again.

Shortly afterwards the police patrols left the scene, the ambulance took the young woman to La Fe and the suspect got into a taxi with the two scooters and went home. It was half past six in the morning. At the time, nothing could have indicated what was about to happen.

After gaining the victim's trust, the SAMU doctor managed to get the girl to tell the truth in tears: "He threw me off the bridge, it was not an accident". The Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU) immediately reported the confession to the regional police, who located and arrested the alleged assailant at La Fe.

Tried to visit his partner

When he was arrested at the hospital, the young man was trying to visit his partner, but the paramedics prevented him from doing so, knowing that the individual had pushed his girlfriend off the bridge, according to the victim's last account. The arrested young man, with the initials J. S. M. G., was ordered before the courts as the alleged perpetrator of a crime of gender violence.

According to police sources, the attack reported by the 25-year-old woman was one of the first cases of 2024 received by the Office of Complaints and Attention to Women (ODAM) at the Valencia police headquarters, as the incident took place at around six o'clock in the morning on New Year's Day.
Bhutan recently commenced its concluding phase of national parliamentary elections, marking the formation of the fourth government since the inception of democracy 15 years ago in this Himalayan nation. Economic growth stands out as a pivotal issue in the election discourse.

Renowned for its unique Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, Bhutan measures economic progress by considering elements such as leisure and mental well-being, which conventional GDP measurements often overlook.

Situated between China and India, Bhutan, a predominantly Buddhist country, embraced democracy in 2008 following the first unrestricted vote, occurring two years after former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck relinquished the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who had received education at Oxford.

The Election Commission of Bhutan announced the commencement of voting at 8 am (0200 GMT), which would continue until 4 pm, with results anticipated by Wednesday.

With a population of fewer than 800,000, roughly comparable in size to Switzerland, Bhutan maintains significant economic and trade ties with India, its primary donor and economic partner. Although lacking formal diplomatic relations with China, Bhutan is engaged in discussions with Beijing to address border disputes, a matter keenly observed by India given its own border disagreements with China. Interestingly, the border issue has not been a central point of discussion during the election campaigns.

Approximately half a million eligible voters will select 47 members of parliament, known as the National Assembly, from a pool of 94 candidates representing two political parties  Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The latter secured victory in the primary round held in November.

Karma, a 49-year-old voter hailing from Punakha near Thimphu, emphasized the pressing need for economic growth among the Bhutanese populace. "Many people are unemployed, and even those who are employed receive inadequate wages to sustain their families' growth," Karma remarked.

Both political parties have presented similar election manifestos, pledging to revitalize the $3 billion economy. Bhutan heavily relies on aid and tourism, which, despite the country's picturesque landscapes and the lifting of pandemic restrictions in September 2022, have yet to witness a full recovery.

Both the BTP and PDP have committed to fostering investment opportunities and bolstering foreign exchange reserves, currently standing at $464.66 million as per the central bank's data in October, a notable decline from $759.16 million a year prior.

Indian Envoy Congratulates Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Election Victory

One Nation, One Election: Public Invited to Contribute Ideas for Electoral Reforms
Gov. Kathy Hochul wants Syracuse to serve as the flagship of four new workforce development centers that the state would help establish across Upstate New York to serve Micron Technology and other high-tech manufacturers.

Hochul unveiled the plan at her 2024 State of the State address today, saying the centers would help meet the rising demand for skilled workers in advanced manufacturing, especially in the semiconductor industry.

The state would establish the One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP) that would offer credentials and training, with a focus on providing opportunities for the underserved or disadvantaged.

The centers would be built at sites to be determined along the Thruway corridor connecting Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, Hochul said.

The flagship for the workforce development network would be coordinated in Syracuse by CenterState CEO, an economic development organization based in the city. The other locations would be determined on a competitive basis.

Hochul said the training network is essential to meet the demand of employers like Micron. The company has said its planned $100 billion investment in a complex of computer chip plants in the town of Clay would create 9,000 direct jobs and 40,000 spinoff jobs in other industries.

Dominic Robinson, senior vice president of inclusive growth at CenterState, said the organization would open a new location in Syracuse to serve as a hub that connects workers with existing training programs and employers.

The hub will have a particular focus on recruiting those who dont traditionally go into fields like advanced manufacturing or tech hobs. About 80% of workers in those industries today are men with only a small percentage who are people of color, Robinson said.

We are not going to meet that workforce demand with a business-as-usual approach, Robinson told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

We have to make a bold move that really makes the opportunity feel real and creates access for people who otherwise might not see themselves in this industry, Robinson said.

Hochul did not specify how much money she will request in the state budget to fund the initiative, or whether it would be paid for by state taxpayers.

A spokesman said the governor will provide more details about the funding in her budget proposal next week.

The new training centers would be modeled after the Northland Workforce Training Center in the Buffalo area that serves as a community anchor in an impoverished neighborhood.

Robinson, of CenterState, said his organization will look for an easily accessible location within Syracuse to house the new workforce development program, while providing some similar services in rural areas of Central New York.

CenterState would likely team up with Onondaga Community College, BOCES, the SUNY Education Opportunity Center in Syracuse and Le Moyne College to provide training services, Robinson said.

He said the goal is to create a seamless front door for both workers and employers.

Hochuls proposal is part of a series of sweeping policy initiatives she wants to accomplish in this years legislative session and budget.

The governors initiatives include stopping hospitals from suing poor people over medical debt, overhauling literacy education in New York schools, a requirement for employers to offer paid medical leave during pregnancy, and an initiative to combat retail theft.

The governor also proposed spending $50 million to fight child poverty in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo as a part of a pilot program.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Fort Edward, N.Y.  The trial for the man accused of killing a woman after shooting at a car that took a wrong turn into his driveway in Upstate New York has begun.

Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of Kevin Monahan in Washington County Court. Monahan has been charged with fatally shooting Kaylin Gillis last spring after her boyfriend mistakenly turned into the 65-year-old mans driveway.

The trial is expected to take two to three weeks, Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan told USA Today.

During the trial, a judge has ruled prosecutors cant use words like victim, assailant and perpetrator and attendees cannot wear clothes or carry signs showing support for Gillis, Spectrum News 1 reported.

The deadly shooting happened on April 15 in Hebron, a rural town close to the Vermont border and about 50 miles north of Albany.

Gillis and a group of friends got lost while searching for another friends house and accidentally turned into Monahans driveway, Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy previously said. The group  driving in a small caravan made up of two cars and a motorcycle  were pulling out of the driveway when the homeowner opened fire, the sheriff said.

Monahan fired two shots at the group, the sheriff said. One shot hit and fatally wounded Gillis.

Gillis boyfriend told NBC he sped away, frantically trying to find a place with cellphone service so they could call 911. When first responders found the group, Gillis had died. She was 20 years old.

No one from Gillis group of friends exited their vehicles when they accidentally turned into Monahans driveway, Sheriff Murphy said. But a neighbor told the Associated Press that Monahan bitterly despised when people mistakenly drove onto his property.

Monahan has been charged with second-degree murder and other charges. If found guilty, he could face serving 25 years to life in prison.
(Its a debate every Central New Yorker has had at some point: Whos got the best pizza? This year, well do our best to find out. Im on a quest to find the best pizza shops in the Syracuse area. Throughout 2024, Ill visit 50-plus pizzerias. At each, Ill sample their most popular pizza, or whatever they recommend. As I go, Ill score each one, and tell readers a little bit about the shop itself.)

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Father and son Gary and Scott Barnett are shooting to get in the New York State Big Buck Club with a pair of terrific bucks each man harvested in early gun season.

Back on Nov. 20, dad Gary, from Wellesley Island, bagged his eight-pointer with a bow in Jefferson County. Fifteen minutes later in Scriba, his son, Scott, from Mexico, finally got the ten-pointer hed been chasing for four years.

The bucks registered green scores of 125 and 144 respectively and have not yet been officially scored.

To qualify for listing in the NYS Big Buck Club, bucks taken with a bow require a minimum score (typical) of 120; for gun bucks, the minimum (typical) is 140.

Well done, Barnetts! Let us know if you get in the book.

Send us your big game pics!

Send your deer or bear photos to sfeatherstone@syracuse.com. The hunter must in the photo. Also provide your hometown and names of anybody else in the photo, along with location of harvest, method and distance of shot (bow, firearm, etc.), any measurements (weight/points/spread), and any interesting details about the hunt. Happy hunting!



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Upstate NY hunter finally bags Big Poppa, a trophy buck he tracked for two years - newyorkupstate.com

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Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.
By Chris Sommerfeldt, Cayla Bamberger and Josephine Stratman | New York Daily News

With migrant families facing eviction from the temporary homes where theyve lived since arriving in New York, Mayor Eric Adams promised Monday that they wont end up sleeping on the streets.

This is not going to be a city where were going to place children and families on the street and have them sleep on the street, the mayor said during his weekly press briefing at City Hall. Thats not going to happen.

But the evictions come amid a flurry of criticism from elected officials and advocates concerned about the citys ability to find families shelter, disruptions to education and how the new model of shelters as a revolving door will continue to destabilize families trying to start a new life in New York.

At a rally in Foley Square on Monday calling for Adams to reverse his policy, city Comptroller Brad Lander bashed the 60-day policy, calling it one of the cruelest things the city has done in generations.

We have the resources that we need to make sure every kid can stay in their public school for the remainder of this year so they can grow and thrive, Lander said, questioning the budgetary need for turning out migrant families.

As of the end of last week, 4,800 families with children had been served 60-day notices mandating they leave the citys care or reapply for shelter, according to the Adams administration. The eviction dates are staggered.

Forty families at the Row, a hotel-turned-emergency shelter in Midtown Manhattan, will see the first evictions as they collect their belongings and move on Tuesday morning, while children are supposed to be in school. Joshua Goldfein, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Societys Homeless Rights Project, estimated the city could see 100 families pushed out each day within the next few weeks.

Advocates, other elected officials and migrants themselves are worried that Adams promise could be broken in the days and weeks to come, following the experience of single adult migrants who have been forced to leave their temporary homes.

Despite the citys legally mandated right to shelter, migrants have often had to resort to sleeping outside or on trains since the first shelter stay limits went into place for adults. Others have found some respite at a far-off waiting room in the Bronx and other locations, where people have resorted to sleeping on the floor or metal chairs in crowded rooms until receiving a new shelter assignment.

Under a separate city policy, single adult migrants can only stay in the same shelter bed for 30 consecutive days before they need to reapply for placement. Outside an East Village reticketing site, dozens of single adults have in recent weeks hung layers of plastic over metal barricades on the sidewalk as insulation against frigid nighttime temperatures while waiting for days for a shelter bed after being booted from their previous placements due to the 30-day restriction.

And over the summer, people slept outside the Roosevelt Hotel  where migrant families will go to reapply for shelter starting Tuesday  while waiting for a bed to become available.

The Adams administrations policy is intended to free up space in the shelter system and prod migrants to move on from the citys care.

People thought it was wrong that we did 30-day notice; turned out that it was the right thing to do, Adams said, pointing to data showing that more than three-fourths of migrants who have received those notices did not reapply to stay in city shelters.

Mondays protest was the second over the past few weeks in a last-ditch effort to stop the administration from moving forward with the evictions.

Lets be perfectly clear: the 60-day rule is one thing and one thing only  harassment, said Christine Quinn, who heads the shelter and supportive housing nonprofit Win. This rule is being put in place because the administration has failed to develop or implement a holistic plan to house and support the asylum seekers. There is no leadership coming out of City Hall.

In their efforts to reduce the number of folks who need housing, they think ripping children out of their beds will make these families leave and go back to their countries of origin. That will not happen. What will happen is that children and their families will sleep on the floor of offices, they will sleep on the street, said Quinn.

Families turned out of their shelters have been directed to go to the Roosevelt Hotel. Once there, families with children will be placed on a line thats separate from the one that newly arrived single adult migrants.

Dr. Ted Long, a top official at the citys public hospital system who oversees the Roosevelt Hotel migrant intake center, said that caseworkers have held four meetings with each of the families leading up to Tuesday to figure out what they may need and whether theyll have to reapply for shelter.

Returning families with kids will be prioritized over adults, and Department of Education officials will be on-site Tuesday, he said.

If your child is in elementary school, youre the highest priority for us to immediately and quickly give you another placement in Manhattan, preferably close to where your childs in school, Long said.

If your child is in school during the day again we will work with you to pick up your child, and DOE is on-site to make any coordination in terms of new bus routes, or even MetroCards for you and your children to make sure that school is uninterrupted.

But migrant families pushing up against evictions cast doubt last week on the administrations rosy assessment, saying theyve struggled to meet with case workers or may need to take their children out of schools while shuffled around.

If I have to go to another shelter, shell have to miss classes, Esleither Jose Angulo Manzano, 32, said of his daughter, whos in first grade. We have to do paperwork  Thats a full day.

He knew little about the process of reapplying for shelter and said hed received scant details from the city: Nothing at all, really.

______

2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com.
Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to fight child poverty in Syracuse  among the worst in the nation  as part of a $50 million pilot program aimed at tackling the problem in New Yorks three largest Upstate cities.

Hochul would target the poorest pockets of Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, focusing on neighborhoods in each city where about three out of four children live in poverty.

The governor plans to unveil her anti-poverty plan at 1 p.m. today as part of her 2024 State of the State address at the state Capitol in Albany.

Hochul will propose including the $50 million in her executive budget for the 2025 fiscal year, a spokesman told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.

Under the plan, the governor would work with the cities to come up with innovative ideas and determine how the money should be spent.

Hochul wants to target nine ZIP codes in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo that have the highest childhood poverty rates in the state.

For decades, Upstate New York has been left out and forgotten, Hochul said in a statement. As the first governor from Upstate in nearly a century, Im committed to change that. Our new $50 million anti-poverty initiative will target the communities who need it most and lift up neighborhoods in every corner of the state.

If the initiative is successful, Hochul would look to use some of the ideas to fight child poverty statewide, her spokesman said.

The governor chose to focus on Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo because each ranks among the 10 cities in the United States with the highest rates of child poverty.

In Syracuse, Hochul wants to tackle extreme childhood poverty in two ZIP codes, 13202 spanning downtown Syracuse and part of the South Side and 13204 on the citys West Side.

The childhood poverty rate in Syracuses 13202 ZIP code is 70%, the third-highest in the state, and the 13204 ZIP code has a childhood poverty rate of 63%, ranking fourth in New York, according to Census Bureau estimates.

Hochuls administration would work with leaders in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo to come up with locally driven efforts to address the needs of these children and families, a spokesman said.

There would be no restrictions on how the $50 million is divided among the three cities. The governor has not yet decided whether money from state taxpayers or federal aid would be used for the initiative.

Under the initiative, four ZIP codes would be targeted in Rochester (14608, 14611, 14605 and 14621) and three in Buffalo (14201, 14212 and 14209).

The 14608 ZIP code in Rochester and 14201 ZIP code in Buffalo share the highest child poverty rate in the state, with 73% of all children in those neighborhoods living in poverty, according to the governors office.

Syracuse has consistently ranked among the cities with the highest child poverty rates in the United States over the course of decades, including the highest in the nation (48.4%) in 2022.

In the latest U.S. Census estimates published in December, Syracuse had the second-highest child poverty rate (45.8%) among larger cities, with more than 13,700 children under 18 living below the poverty line, according to data covering a five-year period from 2018 to 2022.

The Census Bureau considers a family of four with two children to be living in poverty if it has annual household income of $29,678 or less.

The latest census numbers show pockets of extreme childhood poverty extend across Upstate New York from Syracuse to Rochester and Buffalo.

Rochester ranked No. 5 nationally with a childhood poverty rate of 41.7% and Buffalo ranked No. 7 at 39.8%, according to the Census Bureau.

All three cities have struggled with childhood poverty well above the New York state average (18.1%) and U.S. average of 16.7%.

Syracuse also has the third-highest poverty rate (39.1%) among the states 680 school districts, according to Census Bureau data.

The Syracuse School Districts poverty rate was eclipsed only by Rochester at 40.1% and the Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District in Orange County at 53.8%.

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Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver her 2024 State of the State address at 1 p.m. today at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

You can watch Hochuls speech live on the governors website as she outlines her priorities for the new year. Anyone can also sign up to virtually attend the address inside the state Assembly chamber.

Hochul, the first woman to be elected governor of New York, will be making her third State of the State address since she filled the unexpired term of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021. She was elected to a full term in 2022.

Over the past week, Hochul has outlined some of her key priorities for the year ahead, including a consumer protection and affordability agenda and a proposal to help school children improve reading proficiency.

The governor also wants to tackle child poverty, setting aside $50 million to come up with innovative programs in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. All three Upstate cities rank among the 10 cities with the highest poverty rates in the nation.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
By Rocco Parascandola | New York Daily News

Two more suspects have been charged in the stabbing death of a Venezuelan man waiting in the food line at the Randalls Island migrant shelter, police said Tuesday.

Ferneys Horta, 33, is charged with murder and and Anthony Havas, 27, is charged with gang assault. They were nabbed Monday, two days after Dafren Alexis Canizales Ceballo was slain, police said.

A day before their arrest, Moises Coronado, 27, was charged with murder and ordered held without bail.

The fatal confrontation started in the dining area about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Assistant District Attorney Aryan Ahmadian said during Coronados arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Sunday night.

The victim and Coronado got into an argument after Coronado said something to the victims girlfriend, Ahmadian said.

Coronados friends surrounded Canizales Ceballo, who punched Coronado in the face, Ahmadian said.

Thats when Coronado and at least others pulled out knives and started chasing him, trapping him against a closed door, at which point Coronado stabbed the victim, Ahmadian added. The victim died at Harlem Hospital.

I feel very bad knowing that my brother is dead, the victims brother Eduin Daniel Nobrega told the Daily News in Spanish. The siblings arrived in Texas together last month. The victims brother is currently in Denver.

My brother was a good, responsible father, a good son and a good brother, Daniel Nobrega said. One day we decided to leave our country of Venezuela for a better future, help our children and family. He was not a man of trouble. He really liked to work to earn an honest living.

Coronado had a pocket knife in his pocket when he was arrested. He admitted to chasing Canizales Ceballo but denied stabbing him, the prosecutor said.

Horta and Havas were awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused more than 33,600 asylum seekers to New York City.

_____

2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com.
Whether it's knowing about an underutilized data source or using an alternative investment strategy, every investor needs a few special tools in their toolkit because it's part of developing an edge in the market.

However, don't assume that you need complicated processes or obscure knowledge to become better at investing than you are right now. In fact, there are three straightforward tricks that'll deliver quite a bit of value right away, so let's review each one.

1. Invest in pairs or groups of competitors

Have a hunch that a certain product segment, industry, or trend is going to be big in the future? Many investors would act on such a hunch by buying the stock of a leading player in the relevant space.

For instance, if you wanted exposure to growth in the market for obesity therapies, it'd be a no-brainer to invest in Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), the company that makes the wildly successful medicines for type 2 diabetes and obesity called Ozempic and Wegovy. Alternatively, you could invest in Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound, two medicines that compete directly with Ozempic and Wegovy for market share.

But picking either Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly entails a risk. What if you pick the wrong one, and it's the other business that sees more growth? Worse yet, there's also the possibility of the one you pick simply losing the competitive fight.

Thankfully, there's an easy way to guard against these risks: Just buy shares of both companies even though they're competitors.

Making multiple bets in the same space by buying competing companies can be favorable for a couple of other reasons. First, it gives you more shots on the goal in terms of finding at least one winning investment. Especially in rapidly growing markets, like the market for obesity medicines, there's often enough demand for more than one player to succeed.

Second, diversifying your investments can provide protection from company-specific downside. For instance, if either Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk gets sued over intellectual property infringement, the other will likely be unaffected regardless of the outcome.

Story continues

So don't hesitate to buy competing businesses, as it often isn't contradictory in any way.

2. Study the management team and board of directors

Public companies are obligated to apprise investors of who is on their management team, as well as provide the identities of prominent board members, directors, and major shareholders. Most report this information willingly and in full on their investor webpages. Even a quick glance at the backgrounds of these personnel can provide a ton of information that's very informative about the perspective that management is bringing to tackle key issues.

What's more, by figuring out who was on the management team in which periods, it's possible to attribute company successes and failures to the appropriate people. Yet few investors make full use of the information.

Let's use AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) as an example, starting with the information available about its CEO, Richard Gonzalez. In about 20 seconds of reading, you can learn that his prior role was the chief operating officer (COO) of Abbott Laboratories, which AbbVie spun off from in 2013 -- with him at the helm. Robert Michael, its current COO, is another former Abbott executive that joined AbbVie's senior ranks due to the spinoff.

One takeaway is that Gonzalez and Michael have already successfully worked together as company leaders for many years now, which is a strength that most other major pharmaceutical businesses cannot replicate. Another takeaway is that those two individuals are almost certainly the architects of the success of AbbVie's spinoff from Abbott Laboratories. Look at this chart:

SPY Total Return Level Chart

Considering that such spinoffs typically occur to enable faster-growing divisions of a conglomerate to operate with fewer organizational constraints, it's hard to find a better illustration of what an effective management team is capable of doing. The only way investors can put this information together into a coherent picture is to do the research, so it's highly recommended to dig in.

3. Asking questions of the right people

Investors should be comfortable asking questions, even if they are posed only to themselves as part of their due diligence process. Similarly, most investors are familiar with the idea of the investor relations department of public companies. Yet, precious few people put two and two together and ask questions to a company's investor relations staff to develop their thesis further.

There are email addresses and phone numbers listed on the investor websites of most publicly traded businesses. If there's a gap in your knowledge about a potential investment that isn't common information in the industry and it isn't addressed by the provided investor materials, you have nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time by reaching out with a question.

As a retail investor, there's no guarantee you'll get a response, and many times you won't -- especially if it's a trivial question. Similarly, don't expect to uncover anything about trade secrets or any other kind of material non-public information. But, frequently enough, a helpful investor relations professional will enlighten you, or at least point you in the right direction to do more research yourself if you go through the effort of asking.

One last guideline: You'll likely have more luck getting an answer to your questions in cases where there aren't too many other investors showing interest about a company. That's for the best, as it means the very act of getting a response can sometimes be a (small) sign that you've discovered an investment before the crowd.

Should you invest $1,000 in Novo Nordisk right now?

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3 Simple Tricks That Every Investor Should Use (but Most Don't) was originally published by The Motley Fool
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A powerful storm causing blizzards in the central U.S. will reach Upstate New York today, threatening to cause widespread power outages and flooding in what forecasters are calling a multi-hazard event.

A very robust storm system over the Midwestern states will track by to our west tonight, said the National Weather Service in Buffalo, where widespread power outages are possible. In the process, this system will likely generate damaging winds of 60 to 70 mph across parts of the region.

Western New York and the North Country will get the strongest winds, although gusts could approach 60 mph in Central New York. The strongest winds are expected at higher elevations.

The weather service has issued high wind warnings for most of Upstate New York. Flood watches are in effect for the eastern Southern Tier, Catskills and Hudson Valley, where heavy rain is expected today on top of melting snow.

Many schools have announced early dismissals and cancellation of after-school activities

Wind gusts could reach 60 mph today in Central New York and even 70 mph in the North Country and Western New York. Winds will be from the southeast, which increases the chances of damage to trees accustomed to winds from the southwest.National Weather Service

The storm will arrive this morning and early afternoon, initially delivering a coating of wet snow. Because the center of the storm will cross to the west, Upstate New York will be on the warm side, so temperatures will rise throughout the day and that snow will be quickly replaced by rain. Any snow that fell early in the storm will likely melt quickly, the weather service said.

The winds crank up this afternoon, reaching their peak tonight. In Buffalo, the highest gusts are likely about 8 p.m. In Syracuse, the strongest winds will arrive about an hour later.

Thruway-speed winds can knock down limbs and power lines at any time, but there are two factors that could make this storm particularly damaging.

First, the ground is saturated from recent rain and snow, and tree roots cant hold on as well in wet soil.

Second, the winds will be coming from the southeast, which could put additional stress on trees.

Trees have become accustomed to strong southwest winds and grow to accommodate that, the weather service said. A 90-degree shift to the southeast is likely to exacerbate the potential for downed/damaged trees.

Oswego Mayor Robert A. Corradino warned city residents that winds could hit the area between 10 a.m. today and 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. He asked people to stay off the roads if possible.

Rain, sometimes heavy, is expected in Upstate New York today as a powerful storm rolls in from the southwest. Melting snow would create additional runoff that could lead to flooding.National Weather Service

Theres a chance for flooding all the way from Madison County to the Hudson Valley. The greatest odds are in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, which could get 2 to 3 inches of rain today on top of the foot or more of snow that fell over the weekend.

As temperatures rise into the 40s and 50s by Wednesday morning, and the strong winds push that warm air deeper into the snowpack, that snow could melt rapidly and increase the amount of runoff into creeks and rivers.
The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime.
AJEX Logistics Services, a leading Middle East-based specialist in express distribution and shipping solutions, has announced its participation in the National Retail Federation 2024 (NRF 2024): Retail's Big Show, the world's largest retail expo, taking place from January 14-16, 2024, in New York City.

AJEX is the first Saudi Arabian company to exhibit at this prestigious event that will bring together over 6,200 brands from across the globe.

Having launched its US operations earlier this year in September 2023, AJEX said its presence at NRF 2024 not only signifies a significant milestone for the company but also demonstrates its unwavering commitment to Vision 2030.

By participating in the event, AJEX strives to promote global trade to and from Saudi Arabia, a nation recently ranked as the third most competitive G20 economy by the International Institute for Management Development (IIMD).

John Martin, General Manager for AJEX, US, said: Underscoring our commitment to global trade, expansion, and promoting Vision 2030 on an international stage, we are proud to share that we will be exhibiting at NRF 2024. We especially look forward to connecting with retailers, industry leaders, and partners to share our innovative solutions which are supporting the launch of global brands into the Middle Easts largest economy.

With a youthful population where 63% are under 30, a projected retail growth of 4.6% CAGR from 2022 to 2027, and a thriving economy rooted in political stability, AJEX stands as a pivotal conduit for brands seeking entry into one of the world's fastest-growing markets, bridging the gap into Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East region.

AJEX also announced its upcoming presence at Shoptalk, taking place from March 17-20 in Las Vegas.

The event annually gathers thousands of retail changemakers to shape the future of retail. Ajex said that these strategic participations are integral components of its global growth strategy, offering a unique opportunity to connect with retailers committed to advancing their retail logistics and expanding their global footprint.

By participating in these prestigious events, AJEX is seamlessly aligned with our mission to foster economic diversification, enhance logistics solutions, and facilitate universal connectivity to Saudi Arabia, said Nourhan Beyrouti, Chief Revenue Officer for US Commercial Operations, AJEX.

With a commitment to customer service excellence, unparalleled shipping timelines, and a comprehensive network spanning the Middle East and beyond, AJEX is ideally positioned to be the gateway for global brands looking to enter one of the world's most promising markets.

AJEXs vision is to provide seamless domestic and international end-to-end integrated logistics services connecting B2B and B2C customers by land, sea and air throughout the Middle East and its global network.

AJEX will be featured in the following NRF categories: Fulfillment & Replenishment Services, Storage and Distribution, Supply Chain and Delivery and Returns.  TradeArabia News Service
The Goodtime Hotel

Staying in a top-of-the-line hotel often means access to premium amenities and services, but it usually comes with a hefty price tag  especially at some of the most popular luxury hotels in the country. Fortunately, there are affordable alternatives to these top hotels that will provide you with a five-star experience at a fraction of the price.

Im a Luxury Travel Agent: 10 Destinations My Wealthy Clients Are Booking for 2024

Learn: How To Get $340 a Year in Cash Back  for Things You Already Buy

If you dont want to splurge for a stay at The Plaza Hotel or the Fontainebleau, consider these alternatives, as identified by HotelTonight.

Life House Palm Springs

Instead of the Beverly Hills Hotel, Try Life House, Palm Springs

Located about an hour away from the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel is the Life House, Palm Springs, which offers the same old Hollywood charm for a much lower price. Amenities include Le Labo bath products in every room and an on-site restaurant and cocktail lounge.

Discover: 9 Frugal Habits Dave Ramsey Swears By

Read: Why Are Flights So Expensive Right Now? 7 Factors Impacting Prices

Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief.

Le Meridien Central Park

Instead of The Plaza Hotel, Try Le Meridien Central Park

When you think of New York City luxury hotels, theres no doubt that The Plaza is the first that comes to mind. But located just a few blocks away is the Le Meridien Central Park, which also offers luxurious perks without as high of a price tag. The location offers easy access to Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, MoMA and Columbus Circle, and the on-site rooftop bar boasts unmissable views. In-room amenities include high-speed Wi-Fi, LCD TVs, marble bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and Malin + Goetz bath products.

More: 9 American Travel Brands to Stay Away From

The Goodtime Hotel

Instead of the Fontainebleau, Try The Goodtime Hotel

Miamis Fontainebleau hotel is a perennial hotspot, but its also incredibly pricey. Instead, consider a stay at The Goodtime Hotel. The on-site swim club hosts top DJs for pool parties every Friday through Sunday, but if youre into a more chill experience, there are also meditation classes, a library lounge and a fully-equipped gym complete with Peloton bikes.

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LondonHouse Chicago

Instead of The Drake, Try LondonHouse Chicago

The Drake Hotel has been a popular Chicago hotel since it opened in 1920. You can find the same classical appeal  for less money  at the LondonHouse Chicago. Amenities include a tri-level rooftop bar, a convenient downtown location and luxurious rooms and suites. Rooms feature unbeatable views of the Chicago River, Lake Michigan or the Magnificent Mile.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Affordable Alternatives to the Most Popular Luxury Hotels
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Re: Naresh Goyal says "Lost every hope, allow me to die in jail" Allow me to have a slightly different take here as a lawyer and one who has some knowledge of Enforcement Directorate and PMLA ACT under which Goyal has been arrested for money laundering.



First and foremost, there is absolutely zero way so far for us to know whether there was an actual fraud or not. Airlines shutting down in India has been very common and the fact that they have sustained huge losses is also well known. That is because in India, heavily taxed as businesses are, Airlines are possibly the worst business to operate.



However, a thing to note here is - under usual circumstances, once the Investigation is over, accused person is entitled to bail, except in most heinous crimes such as rape or murder.



However, Economic Offences are treated on a different pedestal by this Government, and bail has to be granted on merits.



Now comes the interesting act called PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), 2002. The powers of arrest under this Act vest exclusively with Enforcement Directorate.



There is a very salient thing about this Act. First, in this Act, there is no legal presumption that every accused is Innocent till proven guilty. In fact, it is the opposite. In this Act, all Enforcement Directorate has to do is to make an allegation, or say that they have *reasons to believe* that so and so person has committed an offence under this Act.



Now, the burden of proof under this Act reverses. Onus lies on the Accused to prove his innocence.



Further, the judge is not allowed to grant bail in this case till:

1. He is prima facie of the opinion that Accused has not committed the Offence.

2. The Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity to oppose bail.



Now if you look at the wording of the Act, it is a misnomer, because no Judge in this country will ever grant a bail to a person by forming an opinion that he is prima facie not guilty, especially without a trial. Because grant of bail would mean that judge is prima facie of the opinion that accused is not guilty.



The above two conditions form part of S.45 of PMLA, 2002 and were initially declared as Unconstitutional by Honble Supreme Court in May 2018, specifically by Justice Rohington Nariman.



However, the Central Government subsequently revived these section and subsequently the Three Judge Bench in July 2022 declared this Section as Constitutional. The validity of this is being challenged in Supreme Court and will take a few years.



As of now, it is impossible to get bail if a person is arrested under PMLA. So there are long periods under incarceration without even a trial, which goes against all known principles of legal jurisprudence.



The Supreme Court has said that a person may be released on bail is he has served half his sentence under the act. The Sentence under the Act is 7 years, so person can get out on bail at 3.5 Years.



Without going into politics, this section is draconian, and is worse than CBI enquiry of erstwhile. Only one person who has been granted bail by the judge under this act on merits is Sanjay Raut, while the rest of the persons like Nawab Malik and others are out on Medical Bail, since regular bail is impossible.



Such draconian rules of bail, and turning principle of innocent until proven guilty on its head is usually present in more heinous Acts such as UAPA and NDPS. But in an economic offence, it is unheard of.



The issue here is it is impossible to know whether Goyal is innocent or not. But keeping a person behind bars, incarcerated without trial is inhumane as it can get. Unfortunately he is not the only one, 50% of people in our prison are under trials. May be more. His case has been highlighted because he is influential.



Now for those saying that he would not have been arrested without solid proof, let me lay out one statistic for you. Convictions under PMLA after Trial are an abysmal 7%. So it means that for every 100 persons ED arrests or charges, 93% are declared to be acquitted by the Courts. So, yes, that can be disputed, ED often makes an arrest and lays out preliminary allegations but if often unable to prove it.
Bottom line: GeForce Now has emerged as a reasonably attractive option for those who either lack a gaming PC or wish to experience Nvidia's top GPU offerings without a significant financial commitment. The addition of G-Sync to the service enhances its value, allowing gamers to utilize high refresh rate monitors they already own.

The Consumer Electronics Show is in full swing, and in addition to new Super GPUs, Nvidia has announced new features for the GeForce Now cloud gaming service. The company is integrating G-Sync technology into the service and introducing a "day pass" feature for some members. Additionally, a range of new Activision-Blizzard titles are coming to GeForce Now.

G-Sync is launching on the cloud platform, promising smoother gameplay and reduced latency, crucial as GeForce Now's Ultimate tier supports up to 240 FPS. This keeps GeForce Now a viable choice for those unable to afford or build their gaming PC.

Also read: Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate vs. New Graphics Card  Which Is Better?

Speaking of G-Sync, Nvidia's vaunted technology is getting an upgrade itself with the introduction of G-Sync Pulsar. Nvidia says it's invented a new technology called "variable frequency strobing" , claiming it delivers a "stutter-free experience and buttery smooth motion." Pulsar eliminates the compromise between smooth refresh rate and reduced motion blur, offering gamers both benefits.

Variable frequency strobing, as explained by Nvidia, "dynamically adjusts strobing patterns to match varying render rates." It alters how quickly each pixel shifts to different colors, syncing with the variable refresh rate (VRR) that adjusts the monitor's refresh rate to the GPU output, thus preventing smearing effects.

"Complementing this, the technology also intelligently controls the pulse's brightness and duration  key to maintaining visual comfort and eliminating flicker. Flickering, often a byproduct of strobing methods used to diminish motion blur, can disrupt the gaming experience and cause viewer discomfort. By adaptively tuning backlight pulses in response to the constantly changing game render rate, G-Sync Pulsar creates a consistent and comfortable viewing experience, effectively accommodating the display's dynamic nature."

Nvidia is showcasing some Counter-Strike 2 gameplay (watch below) captured with a high-speed camera at 1,000 frames per second, displayed on a 360Hz Asus ROG Swift monitor with Pulsar activated. The Pulsar-enabled gameplay appears noticeably smoother, even at this high frame rate.

With G-Sync coming to GeForce Now, there should be relative performance parity between cloud subscribers and those who own physical gaming PCs (in theory). Additionally, Android users will be able to stream GeForce Now at 1440p and take advantage of both a high refresh rate screen and higher resolution. Also, Japanese gamers will finally be able to subscribe to GeForce Now thanks to a partnership with internet service provider KDDI.

Despite the performance upgrades, Nvidia recognizes that not everyone is willing to pay $20 just for a trial of the highest tier. To address this, Nvidia is introducing "day passes," allowing Priority and Ultimate memberships for a day. Starting next month, day passes will be available at $3.99 for Priority and $7.99 for the Ultimate tier.

Finally, more games are arriving on the GeForce Now service. Notably, Diablo IV and Overwatch 2, along with Exoprimal, Honkai: Star Rail, and Pax Dei, are joining the platform. While some may be skeptical about playing competitive shooters like Overwatch 2 on a cloud streaming service, the G-Sync update should hopefully mitigate at least some of the latency issues.
A hot potato: Despite the recent reports that generative AI will create as many jobs as it kills off, or it will augment most positions rather than replace them, there are still plenty of incidents where the technology is putting humans out of work. The latest of these involves language-learning software maker Duolingo, which has laid off 10% of its contractors as a result of AI.

A Duolingo spokesperson said about 10% of its contractors were "offboarded." As reported by Bloomberg, they explained, "We just no longer need as many people to do the type of work some of these contractors were doing. Part of that could be attributed to AI."

Chief Executive Officer Luis von Ahn praised the benefits of generative AI in a letter to shareholders late last year, noting that it allowed the company to produce new content, such as scripts for shows that help teach languages, much faster.

Duolingo also uses AI-generated voices in its app, as well as AI features for customers. The company's $30 per month Duolingo Max plan that launched in 2023 comes with access to a pair of GPT-4-powered features: one for explaining why the answer to a question is right or wrong; the other that lets users practice their language skills in multiple scenarios, with no two conversations being exactly the same.

The spokesperson said that the cuts aren't a case of AI being a "straight replacement" for the workers and that no full-time employees have been affected by the reductions. They added that many Duolingo staff and contractors use AI as part of their jobs.

Duolingo is obviously trying to play down AI's role in the job cuts, but it isn't the first company to remove human workers in favor of the technology. A Chinese firm said it would replace all its external copywriters and graphic designers with generative AI models last year. IBM said it intended to stop hiring for jobs that could be performed by generative artificial intelligence (but not programmers, apparently). And a CEO in India replaced 90% of his support staff with a chatbot.

A study in March found that generative AIs could impact 300 million jobs worldwide, and it is expected to replace over 2 million jobs in the US by 2030. Some executives are so worried about its impact that they are turning to drink and drugs.
Unity is currently amid another round of layoffs, with an expected impact on approximately 25 percent of its workforce, translating to around 1,800 employees.

(Photo : Unity)

Marc Whitten, CEO of Unity Create, apologized publicly and described the new pricing terms in response to the backlash.

Impacting 25% Employees

Known for its widely used game engine Unity, the company disclosed this downsizing in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

The decision to implement these cuts is part of a broader strategy involving a restructuring process aimed at refocusing on its core business, positioning Unity for sustained profitability, and fostering long-term growth.

The Verge reported that this latest workforce reduction follows several similar instances over the past year, including the most recent in November, affecting 265 employees.

The extent of the current reduction remains uncertain, and it is unclear whether the 1,800 job cuts are in addition to those announced last year. Unity has been contacted for further clarification on this matter.

Kelly Ekins, Unity's Director of PR, announced a significant workforce reduction as part of the company's broader reset plan detailed in the Shareholder Letter on November 9, 2023. The decision was a challenging but necessary step.

Affecting roughly 25% of Unity's entire workforce spanning all teams, Ekins expressed gratitude for their dedication and contributions, emphasizing the gravity of the decision and the thoughtful consideration that went into it.

Also Read: EA Fires Over 200 'Apex Legends' QA Testers via Zoom Call

It's important to note that last year's layoffs coincided with adjustments to Unity's pricing model, causing dissatisfaction among developers. Responding to the backlash, Unity revisited and revised certain aspects of the new policy.

Interestingly, these changes occurred around the same time as the resignation of the former CEO John Riccitiello.

One of the casualties of the recent wave of layoffs within the gaming industry is Unity, a platform widely employed in popular games such as Fall Guys and Pokemon Go.

Workforce Reductions in the Gaming Sector

This downturn, however, is not unique to Unity, as other major players in the gaming sector have also implemented workforce reductions. The cumulative impact of these job cuts has affected over 9,000 individuals in the gaming industry throughout 2023.

Epic Games experienced a substantial downsizing in September, laying off 830 employees. Tim Sweeney, the CEO, acknowledged financial difficulties and expressed initial optimism about avoiding layoffs during a transitional period.

Over the past two years, Embracer Group gained attention for its extensive acquisitions in gaming studios, media companies, and The Lord of the Rings IP rights. However, a sudden shift occurred this year as the company initiated a massive restructuring

The aftermath saw Embracer closing three studios, exploring sales of others, canceling numerous projects, and laying off over 900 employees.

These instances offer just a glimpse into broader industry trends. Hasbro executed layoffs affecting 1,000 employees, notably impacting the team behind Baldur's Gate 3 with Larian Studios.

Remarkably, amidst these significant workforce challenges, one of the industry's major events failed to acknowledge the stark reality of these developments, leaving the lasting consequences yet to be fully understood.

Related Article: Hasbro Announces Significant Workforce Reduction, Strategic Shift to Drive Brand Development

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The world's first cooking robot has made a significant impact by serving over 100,000 meals in Japan and earning the CES 2024 Innovation Award in robotics. This aims to reduce labor costs in the hospitality sector.

(Photo : CES)

I-Robo, the world's first innovative cooking robot, addresses labor shortages in restaurants and aids busy dual-income homes. With features like automatic seasoning, cooking automation, and a self-cleaning frypan, it connects to the cloud for a vast digital recipe library.

Serving Over 100,000 Meals in Japan

Recognized as the world's first cooking robot, the groundbreaking I-Robo has left an indelible mark on the culinary landscape by serving over 100,000 meals in Japan. Its achievement is underscored by the prestigious CES 2024 Innovation Award in the robotics category.

CES announced the introduction of I-Robo, heralded as the world's first innovative cooking robot designed to tackle labor shortages in restaurants and assist busy dual-income households, aiming to elevate dining experiences, effectively meeting the evolving demands of contemporary culinary expectations.

Initially trialed in various East Asian restaurants, with a notable presence in prominent Chinese restaurant groups in Japan, the I-Robo has successfully realized its primary objective of significantly reducing labor costs within the hospitality sector.

Tokyo-based TechMagic meticulously tested the I-Robo in October of the preceding year. The outcomes were nothing short of impressive, showcasing a notable nine-point reduction in the labor cost ratio and an equivalent nine-point improvement in the profit ratio.

This success story not only positions the I-Robo as a technological marvel but also highlights its practical application in addressing the ongoing challenges associated with kitchen staff shortages.

The I-Robo stands as a testament to the transformative power of robotics in redefining efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the culinary realm.

Redefining Efficiency, Cost Effectiveness

I-Robo's touch panel is designed for user-friendly navigation, allowing users to explore and replicate recipes crafted by professional chefs worldwide. It focuses on delivering fresh and health-conscious meals, with its smart algorithms generating unique and customizable recipes.

The device goes beyond a conventional interface by executing user instructions, ranging from seasoning to stirring, heating, and even cleaning the cooking utensil, all initiated through the intuitive display panel. It further boasts an innovative automatic liquid seasoning supply function.

Interesting Engineering reported that the company emphasizes I-Robo's automated cooking prowess, highlighting its adaptability in adjusting heating parameters, pan rotation speed, and rotation direction based on the selected menu.

Users only need to tap their chosen menu on the touch panel, and I-Robo seamlessly takes care of the entire cooking process. TechMagic envisions a future where technology plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable food infrastructure society.

Also Read: LG to Unveil New Robotic Smart Home AI Assistant With 2 Wheels at CES 2024

Yuji Shiraki, the founder of TechMagic, explained their specialization in developing cooking robots capable of handling various tasks such as boiling, stir-frying, and frying. He proudly shared the operational success of these robots in Japan, having prepared over 100,000 meals in the past six months.

Shiraki expressed the company's commitment to state-of-the-art technology, emphasizing their unique Japanese attention to detail. With plans to introduce I-Robo to the US market, TechMagic aims to address various challenges within the global food industry through innovative solutions.

Related Article: CaliExpress: World's First Fully Autonomous AI-Powered Restaurant Is Set to Open in Southern California

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ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its major supporter Microsoft find themselves entangled in a web of lawsuits, raising questions about the use of copyrighted content in training their large language models (LLMs).

As we previously reported, the lawsuits led by renowned writers allege unauthorized usage of copyrighted works, setting the stage for a legal showdown that could reshape the landscape of AI development.

OpenAI: 'Impossible' to Train AI Without Copyrighted Material

The Guardian reports that OpenAI, responding to inquiries from the House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee, made a startling admission: training cutting-edge AI models like ChatGPT is "impossible" without tapping into copyrighted materials (via Engadget).

The company argued that contemporary copyright laws encompass a vast array of human expression, including blog posts, photographs, forum discussions, code snippets, and governmental documents.

Limiting training data to antiquated public domain works, OpenAI contends, would yield AI systems inadequate for the needs of today's citizens.

Read Also: Apple Is Looking to Reinvent Xcode with AI Code Completion & AppleCare's AI-Supported Troubleshooting

AI Training Lawsuits Against OpenAI

While OpenAI maintains its compliance with copyright laws, recent lawsuits present a different narrative. The New York Times (NYT) has taken legal action against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging the "unlawful use" of its content accounting for the "billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages."

The NYT claims that ChatGPT provided users with "near-verbatim excerpts" from paywalled articles, leading to accusations of intentional manipulation of prompts by OpenAI.

OpenAI counters that the lawsuit is without merit and reveals ongoing negotiations with the NYT for a "high-value partnership."

The legal battles extend beyond the NYT, with notable authors like John Grisham, Jodi Picoult, and George RR Martin joining forces against OpenAI in a September lawsuit, accusing the company of "systematic theft on a mass scale."

Getty Images and music publishers, including Universal Music, have also filed lawsuits alleging copyright breaches related to the training of AI models.

What's Next?

In a recent blog post, OpenAI emphasizes its support for journalism, partnerships with news organizations, and belief in the legality of its training practices under the fair use doctrine.

The company acknowledges the need for continued efforts to support and empower content creators, revealing measures such as allowing publishers to block web crawlers and developing mechanisms for rightsholders to opt out of training.

The House of Lords submission sheds light on OpenAI's perspective, asserting that copyright law does not forbid training.

Additionally, OpenAI expresses commitment to independent analysis of its security measures and endorses "red-teaming" to ensure the safety of its AI systems.

The company is among those collaborating with governments to conduct safety testing on powerful models, showcasing a commitment to responsible AI development.

With the ongoing legal proceedings, the AI industry's and content creators' future hangs in the balance.

The lawsuits highlight the importance of finding harmony between technological progress and protecting intellectual property. They also bring up concerns about the future of AI models and the ethical responsibilities of developers when it comes to copyright laws.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Renowned Authors Sue OpenAI and Microsoft, Alleging Massive Copyright Theft for AI Training

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JetBlue Vacations running a Bahamas vacation sweepstakes

in tandem with over 200 poster placements in the US' busiest rail hub

NASSAU, Bahamas, Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of a record-breaking year in tourism, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) on 2 Jan. rolled out an expected month-long brand domination at New York Penn Station. The activation will see the placement of some 200 eye- catching giant size Bahamas posters at strategic locations throughout the busiest rail hub in the United States. The advertising campaign aims to heighten visibility of The Islands of The Bahamas brand during peak travel season and drive increased visitor traffic to the destination from the U.S. Northeast, the country's number one source market. The brand domination will run 2 - 29 Jan.

(PRNewsfoto/Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & A)

BMOTIA has partnered with JetBlue Vacations to run a sweepstake in tandem with The Bahamas activation at New York Penn Station. The sweepstakes will feature a 3-night air & and hotel package giveaway with roundtrip tickets for two. The Bahamas giveaway will be featured on some of the poster board placements throughout the station to make the activation more interactive. Additional marketing via various channels (email, social media, etc.) will be rolled out to promote the trip giveaway with JetBlue Vacations and bring about more awareness for the station domination.

Commenting on the Ministry's high visibility advertising campaign in the heart of New York City during the month of January, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper, Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, said: "Our tourism business is in robust growth mode. Having welcomed in 2023 an unprecedented 8 million plus visitors, our aim for 2024 is to continue the upward trajectory in visitor arrivals."

"Our dynamic New York Sales Team started the New Year with a bang, unveiling branding domination at America's busiest passenger transportation facility," said Deputy Prime Minister Cooper.

Story continues

"The widespread placement of Bahamas posters at Penn Station in the dead of winter will keep our destination top of mind as the millions of commuters transit through the New York station during the month of January."

Latia Duncombe, Director General, BMOTIA, said, "In 2023, we witnessed a surge in demand for a Bahamas vacation experience. Our diverse offerings of 16 unique islands, coupled with the charm and warm hospitality of our people, continue to attract travellers from around the world to our destination."

"We are on a mission to intensify our messaging about the allure of our destination, to reach as many consumers as possible," said Director General Duncombe. "Our destination's first brand domination of Penn Station took place in January of 2023 and we are returning to Penn Station this January with a bigger, more vibrant activation that will capture the imagination of millions of commuters."

Penn Station, located just outside mid-Town Manhattan, is the United States' busiest railway hub, with over 600,000 commuters per day. The station serves commuters from New York City, Long Island and New Jersey, an area that comprises the hub of the U.S. Northeast. The Northeast is the highest producing area for visitor arrivals to The Bahamas, annually delivering over 360,000 visitors to the destination.

About The Bahamas:

The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

Media Contact:

Anita Johnson-Patty

Director, Global Communications

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

ajohnson@bahamas.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bahamas-ministry-of-tourism-rolls-out-branding-domination-at-new-york-penn-station-302030436.html

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
The European Union has launched a high-stakes investigation into agreements struck between tech giants and generative AI developers, with a sharp focus on the alliance between Microsoft and OpenAI.

This inquiry, spearheaded by the European Commission, aims to scrutinize the competitive landscape with rising industries like virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence (via CNBC).

EU to Look Into Multibillion OpenAI-Microsoft Partnership

The investigation seems to focus on the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, which involved a significant investment from Microsoft.

The Commission assesses whether this investment aligns with the EU Merger Regulation, signaling potential challenges for Microsoft's strategic collaboration with OpenAI.

Microsoft's involvement with OpenAI dates back to 2019 when the tech giant injected $1 billion in cash, and it made headlines again in the past year with an additional reported investment of $10 billion, bringing the total to a staggering $13 billion.

This investment allowed for the incorporation of advanced AI technologies into various Microsoft products, such as Office, Bing, and Windows.

Nevertheless, the onset of this powerful partnership has raised worries about the possibility of Microsoft having too much influence and control over OpenAI's operations.

This EU investigation comes after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted similar inquiries, and there were reports of the US Federal Trade Commission's involvement.

Both organizations have shown a strong interest in analyzing the impact of this significant partnership on market dynamics. In response, Microsoft emphasized its non-equity ownership in OpenAI, asserting that it only holds a share of profit distributions.

Read Also: OpenAI, Microsoft AI Lawsuits: ChatGPT Maker Admits Training 'Impossible' Without Copyrighted Content

EU to Probe Emerging Disruptive Industries

At the heart of the matter lies the European Commission's initiative to ensure that these burgeoning markets remain competitive and open for innovation.

The Commission has issued calls for contributions from stakeholders, inviting insights and feedback on the level of competition in virtual worlds and generative AI. This open invitation extends to suggestions on how competition law can be wielded to preserve competitiveness in these nascent yet disruptive domains.

EU officials have clarified that their investigation is not solely fixated on the Microsoft-OpenAI pact. It encompasses a wider net, encompassing agreements inked between major digital players and AI developers, aiming to unravel the impact of these partnerships on market dynamics.

OpenAI's ChatGPT

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and the recently rumored GPT-4 with human-level performance, experienced internal turmoil earlier this year, including the departure and subsequent return of CEO Sam Altman.

The EU's investigation, however, is not limited to the said companies; it is part of a larger effort to navigate the challenges posed by disruptive technologies such as generative AI and virtual worlds.

The Commission notes that these innovative landscapes, characterized by persistent, immersive environments (virtual worlds) and AI systems capable of creating synthetic content (generative AI), are expected to grow exponentially and significantly impact competitive business landscapes.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Sam Altman to Miss CES 2024, But AI Will Take Center Stage

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TCL makes a bold entrance into the tech arena with the introduction of an array of devices, including the TCL 50 SE, 50 5G, 50 XE NXTPAPER 5G, 50 XL NXTPAPER 5G, 50 XL 5G, XE 5G, and 50 LE.

The spotlight, however, shines on five models, set to hit the United States market - the two NXTPAPER releases, XL 5G, XE 5G, and LE.

Glimpse into TCL 50 Series in CES 2024

While intricate details like pricing and availability remain a mystery, early insights provide a sneak peek into the standout features of select models.

According to 9to5Google, the TCL 50 XL 5G steals the show with its 6.8-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, 8GB RAM, and a robust 5,010 mAh battery.

On the flip side, the TCL 50 XE 5G boasts a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz display, 8GB RAM, a 5,010 mAh battery, and an impressive 50MP camera.

Joining the league, the TCL 50 LE makes its mark as a "powerful addition" with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, a 6.6-inch HD+ 90Hz display, a 13MP camera, and a 4,000 mAh battery.

Related Article: Will.i.am New Startup Sound Drive Makes Its Debut at CES 2024

Beyond Smartphones: TCL's Dual Play with NXTPAPER Tablets

TCL's expansion transcends smartphones with the introduction of two NXTPAPER tablets - the 14 Pro (anticipated to boast a 14-inch display) and the Tab 10 NXTPAPER 5G, confirmed with a 10-inch display.

This is a good sign that TCL is expanding its products. It only means that the company is set to dominate the tech scene by delivering a diverse array of cutting-edge devices, catering to the dynamic needs of modern consumers, per Gizchina.

Best TCL TVs in 2024

The Chinese tech firm might not be as big as Apple or any other consumer electronics companies, but still you can find interesting options for smart home use.

If you have a budget for a good smart TV, you can add TCL to the list of your current choices. It'a serious bang in your buck once you get hold of its smart TVs.

According to PC Guide, there are a lot of good TCL TVs you can pick this 2024. Check them below for more information.

TCL 65-Inch Q7 QLED (65Q70G)

TCL 65-Inch QM8 QLED TV (65M850G)

TCL 65-Inch Q6 QLED TV (65Q60F)

TCL 32-Inch S3 LED TV (32S350G)

Meanwhile, a bizarre sighting on CES 2024 has surprised some viewers who love a smart bidet. The recent tech show exhibited that Kohler's high-tech bidet integrates Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant for easy command.

The PureWash E930 is unlike any other bidets you have used before. It boasts an intelligent toilet seat feature that allows you to flush your poop effortlessly-even without touching any buttons. All you have to do is to use the voice control feature.

For more CES 2024 coverage, here's the link you can click so you can stay updated to the latest news about the annual CES tech show.

Read Also: CES 2024: Razer Unveils the World's First HD Haptics Gaming Chair Cushion and New Blade Laptop Lineup

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Korean automobile manufacturer Kia focused on passenger and cargo electric vehicles (EVs) in its press conference event at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

The company announced to the public how they could help businesses and households looking to go electric with its range of EVs - including vans, trucks, ride-hailing, and last-mile delivery vehicles - all of which are set to be built on a new highly modular platform called Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV).

Kia's aim to launch such a system was to allow its customers to customize Kia EVs to their specific needs, including swapping out a vehicle's cabin, which the company calls "life modules").

However, the company did not provide details on how its modular system would work.

Introducing the PV5, Other PBV Units

In anticipation of such a range of vehicles, Kia also announced that they would build a dedicated plant exclusively for EVs in South Korea, which they hoped would produce 150,000 vehicles annually.

One of them is its base vehicle, the highly modular Kia PV5 - a three-row EV with futuristic styling slated to hit the road by 2025 at a price tag of around $35,000.

Other vehicles introduced at the CES 2024 were the PV5's enlarged version, the PV7, and the smaller, Smart Car-sized PV1.

The PV7 would be due to hit the roads by 2027, while an autonomous robotaxi version of the PV5 - developed jointly with Motional - could be released by 2028, according to TechCrunch and Engadget.

Read Also: CES 2024: TCL 50 Smartphone Series With Dual Speakers, NXTPaper Tech Officially Unveiled

Kia's Other Projects, Partnerships

At the onset of the event, Kia President and CEO Song Ho-Sung announced that its EV9 vehicle had been named the 2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year and was shortlisted as the 2024 European Car of the Year.

Song also announced the company's sustainability initiatives, such as its contribution to becoming carbon-neutral by 2045 and its project of cleaning the oceans of water pollutants.

Kia vice president of PBV business Pierre-Martin Bos also announced its global partnership with ride-hailing services such as Uber, Coupang, CJ Logistics, Kakao Mobility, and Dubai Taxi Corporation.

Related Article: CES 2024: This Mila HomeKit-Compatible Solutions Can Improve Air Quality at Home

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In the wake of the festive season, Electrical Safety First, a leading charity, raises concerns about the safety of Christmas tech gifts purchased on online marketplaces by over half of the UK public.

The charity issues a fresh warning, emphasizing the potential dangers these gifts may pose to households.

Identifying Unsafe Plugs: A Critical Alert

Nothing is more exciting than receiving a Christmas present from someone we trust, love, or share stories with. Be it in the form of food, a souvenir, a toy, or even a simple garment, we tend to be curious about what's inside the wrapped box. However, not all gifts are surprising to open.

It's all fun and games until you use a dangerous tool you can't imagine to be a fire risk. If you happen to receive a cloverleaf plug from your friend, there's a warning you need to see right now.

Giuseppe Capanna, Product Safety Engineer at Electrical Safety First, urges caution, particularly for gadgets equipped with clover leaf-shaped plugs.

Capanna advises immediate cessation of use if the received Christmas gadget features such a plug, as these plugs fail to meet legal size requirements.

Related Article: Jeep Wrangler 4xe Battery Fire Recall: Advises Owners to Stop Charging until Fixed

Risks Associated with Clover Leaf Plugs

According to UK-based news outlet The Sun, the concern extends to the inherent risks associated with clover leaf plugs.

Often smaller than traditional UK plugs, these plugs commonly lack a fuse, increasing the risk of fire. Additionally, the placement of plug pins near the edges of the mold heightens the potential for electric shock when inserting or removing them from a main socket.

"Your plug is the most obvious tell-tale sign as to whether your product is compliant and safe. A gift you received or a bargain you might have bagged should be fused so that the device can be cut out in the event of a fault," Capanna said.

Common Products Affected

Electrical Safety First highlights that various widely used electrical products, including hair dryers, e-bike and e-scooter chargers, hair straighteners, and heaters, have been identified with these non-compliant plugs.

The charity stresses that a safe plug should maintain a distance of 9.5mm between the plug pins and the edge of the plug.

Taking Action for Safety

To mitigate these risks, Capanna recommends an immediate halt to the use of devices featuring the identified clover-shaped plugs, advocating for their return. Moreover, the charity shares the importance of sourcing tech gifts from reputable high-street retailers as a proactive measure to ensure product safety.

Electrical Safety First's timely warning serves as a vital reminder to prioritize safety when embracing new tech gadgets received during the festive season. Taking proactive steps and staying informed can safeguard households from potential electrical hazards.

Likewise, never buy male-to-male extension cords. When plugged in, they can result in electrocution and carbon monoxide poisoning, CSPC said back in 2022.

Read Also: Bizarre EV Charging Practices Pose Danger to Mosman Residents, Sydney Council Warns

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Meta has announced major improvements to safeguard the online experiences of teenagers on Facebook and Instagram in response to ongoing concerns and controversies surrounding the impact of its platforms on young users (via CNBC).

The social media giant is taking proactive steps to address self-harm, eating disorders, and other sensitive topics.

Content Control Filters for Teenagers

Meta is planning to make stricter content control settings for teenagers the default setting on both Facebook and Instagram.

By removing sensitive and age-inappropriate content from their feeds, Stories, and even search results, the company hopes to curate age-appropriate experiences for teens.

This move, detailed in a recent blog post, is part of Meta's larger commitment to making the internet a safer place for young users.

Teens will now have the most restrictive content control settings enabled by default on Facebook and Instagram, limiting their exposure to potentially harmful content.

Meta will also include notifications and prompts to encourage teens to update their privacy settings, adding an extra layer of security.

Read Also: Facebook's New Data-Gathering Technique Is Here, but You Can Opt Out-Here's How

Restriction on Sensitive Content

The most recent Meta update broadens existing restrictions on topics like self-harm, eating disorders, and mental health issues. The company has been taking steps to limit the recommendation of such content on the Reels and Explore pages.

Thanks to recent changes, these topics will now be excluded from teens' feeds and Stories, even if the content is posted by accounts they follow.

When searching for sensitive topics, the decision reflects Meta's commitment to not only limit the visibility of potentially harmful content but also to direct users to relevant resources for assistance.

The move follows Meta's legal battles, including a 2022 lawsuit in which the company was accused of recommending anorexia and self-harm content to a teenage Instagram user.

Resolving Previous Disputes

Meta's announcement comes amid ongoing scrutiny and criticism of its platforms' impact on young users. Following the release of the "Facebook Papers" in 2021, which revealed internal research highlighting the harmful effects of Instagram on teen girls, the company faced backlash.

In a November congressional hearing, a former engineering director and consultant emphasized the importance of Meta doing more to ensure the safety of children on its platforms.

In response to the criticism, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in 2021, "I've spent a lot of time reflecting on the kinds of experiences I want my kids and others to have online, and it's very important to me that everything we build is safe and good for kids."

Opinions of Experts

Adolescent development, psychology, and mental health experts backed Meta's decision to update its teen content policies.

Dr. Rachel Rodgers, Associate Professor at Northeastern University, stated that these changes are critical in creating spaces for teens to connect and be creative in age-appropriate ways on social media platforms.

ParentZone.org CEO Vicki Shotbolt emphasized that Meta's new policies give parents more peace of mind, especially when combined with the company's parental supervision tools.

According to the company, it has created over 30 tools and resources to assist teens and parents, and it consults with experts on a regular basis to improve platform safety.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: YouTube TV Remains as Google's Fastest-Growing App with 6.5 Million Subscribers

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Overview of Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s Recent Transaction

On December 1, 2023, Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio), a renowned investment management firm, made a significant adjustment to its investment portfolio by reducing its stake in Codexis Inc (NASDAQ:CDXS). The firm sold 630,474 shares at a trade price of $2.47. Following this transaction, Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s remaining holding in Codexis Inc totals 3,419,093 shares, which represents a 4.90% ownership in the company and a 0.01% position in Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio.

Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio), with over a century of experience in investment management, operates with a client-first philosophy, often closing products to new business to maintain the quality of service and strategy integrity. The firm manages assets for some of the world's largest professional investors, including pension funds and financial institutions across various continents. Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s investment approach is rooted in fundamental analysis and proprietary research, aiming to identify companies with the potential for sustainable, above-average growth over a minimum of five years.

Baillie Gifford Trims Position in Codexis Inc

Introduction to Codexis Inc

Codexis Inc, based in the USA, specializes in enzyme optimization services and the development of biocatalyst products. Since its IPO on April 22, 2010, the company has focused on two main business segments: Performance Enzymes and Novel Biotherapeutics. Codexis Inc has established a significant presence in the APAC region, which contributes the majority of its revenue. The company's innovative platforms, such as Codeevolver and various enzyme classes, have positioned it as a key player in the biotechnology industry.

Impact of Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s Trade on Its Portfolio

The recent reduction in Codexis Inc shares by Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio), although minor in terms of portfolio impact, reflects a strategic decision by the firm. With a trade impact of 0, the transaction is not expected to significantly alter the composition of Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s investment portfolio, which includes top holdings in sectors such as Consumer Cyclical and Technology.

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Codexis Inc's Financial Health and Market Performance

Codexis Inc currently holds a market capitalization of $197.621 million, with a stock price of $2.83, reflecting a 14.57% gain since the trade date. However, the company's PE Percentage stands at 0.00, indicating it is not profitable at the moment. The GF Value suggests a possible value trap, urging investors to think twice with a stock price to GF Value ratio of 0.35. Year-to-date, the stock has seen a decline of 9.29%, and since its IPO, the price has dropped by 78.23%.

Evaluation of Codexis Inc's Stock Metrics

Codexis Inc's GF Score is 72 out of 100, indicating potential for average performance. The company's Financial Strength is ranked at 6/10, with a Profitability Rank of 3/10 and a Growth Rank of 7/10. However, the GF Value Rank and Momentum Rank are lower at 4/10 and 5/10, respectively. The company's Piotroski F-Score is 3, and the Altman Z-Score is a concerning -3.35, indicating financial distress.

Baillie Gifford Trims Position in Codexis Inc

Biotechnology Industry Context

The biotechnology industry is known for its high volatility and potential for significant returns. Codexis Inc, as a part of this industry, faces both opportunities and challenges. The company's innovative approach to enzyme optimization and biocatalyst development positions it to capitalize on the growing demand for such technologies. However, the financial metrics suggest caution is warranted when evaluating the company's stock.

In summary, Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s recent reduction in Codexis Inc shares is a tactical decision that aligns with the firm's long-term investment philosophy. While the trade does not significantly impact Baillie Gifford (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio, it does reflect the firm's ongoing assessment of Codexis Inc's financial health and market performance. Investors should consider the broader industry context and Codexis Inc's financial metrics when evaluating the potential of this biotechnology stock.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2024) - C3 Metals Inc. (TSXV: CCCM) (OTCQB: CUAUF) ("C3 Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on 2023 exploration results and strategy for 2024 at the Company's 100% owned copper-gold projects in Jamaica. Exploration work has confirmed 16 porphyry and over 40 epithermal copper-gold prospects along a 30km strike extent (Figure 1).

Drill holes completed during 2023 highlight significant porphyry potential that remains open at depth and along strike.





Figure 1: Project location map showing C3 Metals' tenement map and the 16 copper-gold porphyry and 40 epithermal prospects confirmed along a 30km strike extent.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2661/193622_f0312d15c49eda3d_0001full.jpg

2023 HIGHLIGHTS

Over 9,300 meters drilled through end of 2023.

At the Bellas Gate Project, drilling intersected significant porphyry and epithermal style copper-gold mineralization, including: Broadest zone of porphyry copper-gold mineralization ever drilled at Bellas Gate. Provost prospect drillhole PVT0900-002 intersected 390.7m at 0.37% copper and 0.19 g/t gold (0.50% CuEq 1 ) from 64.1m, including 279.5m at 0.43% copper and 0.24 g/t gold (0.60% CuEq 1 ) . See press release dated September 25, 2023. Higher grade bornite copper-gold mineralization confirmed at Provost Drillhole PVT0825-001 intersected 280.7m at 0.37% copper and 0.21 g/t gold (0.51% CuEq 1 ) from 227.0m, including 61.7m at 0.50% copper and 0.39 g/t gold (0.77% CuEq 1 ) . See press release dated November 27, 2023. Bonanza grade epithermal copper-silver mineralization intersected at Provost Drillhole PVT0900-003 intersected 112m at 0.35% copper and 0.13 g/t gold (0.44% CuEq 1 ) from 305.8m and terminated in an epithermal vein in the last 1.1m of the hole grading 1.27% copper and 4,090 g/t silver. See press release dated October 11, 2023. Intersection of near surface, high grade copper-gold mineralization at Camel Hill Drillhole CMH8350-001 assayed 207.8m at 0.43% copper and 0.20 g/t gold (0.57% CuEq 1 ) from 22.0m, including 135.0m at 0.52% copper and 0.27 g/t gold (0.71% CuEq 1 ) . See press release dated October 4, 2023. Drilling confirms a "porphyry cluster" coincident with a 4km long alteration zone that remains open along strike and to depth. Mapping and sampling confirm an epithermal vein field over 5.0km by 2.5km that includes historically mined areas during the 1800s.

Drilling performance of C3 Metals recently acquired man-portable rig has exceeded expectations, drilling to approximately 600m depth or 50% over name-plate capability.

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Dan Symons, President and CEO, stated, "We've achieved tremendous exploration success in Jamaica during 2023. An extensive remapping campaign was critical to improving our understanding of the geology, the creation of a 3D geologic model, and overall potential of this underexplored district. We have up to 20,000m of drilling planned for 2024. Our immediate focus is a 4km trend of copper-gold mineralization at the Bellas Gate project that is open in multiple directions and to depth. We also intend to advance multiple additional targets across our 30km strike extent to drill status through field work and collection of additional geophysical data. With a well-funded treasury following the closing of an oversubscribed and upsized private placement on November 15, 2023, we are well positioned to expand upon our 2023 exploration success in 2024."

The 2023 exploration program focused on a comprehensive remapping campaign over the Bellas Gate and Arthurs Seat mineral concessions in order to advance our understanding of the geology, refine the Company's geologic interpretation and develop a first pass 3D regional geology model for use in planning future drill targets. All geologic data has been incorporated into a regional geology model, which is significantly enhancing targeting copper-gold-silver mineralization. The 2023 drilling campaign confirmed a cluster of high level, uneroded porphyry systems and associated fully preserved epithermal base and precious metal veins (low, intermediate, and high sulphidation). Drillhole assays confirm significant potential for a meaningful copper-gold porphyry discovery in this highly prospective, yet significantly underexplored porphyry-epithermal belt.

2024 EXPLORATION PLANS

The 2024 Jamaica drill program will largely focus on the Bellas Gate Project where two district scale porphyry copper-gold and epithermal copper-gold-silver vein corridors extend over 10km of strike extent. C3 Metals plans to systematically evaluate these two mineralized corridors and anticipates drilling up to 20,000m on high priority targets in 2024.

A cluster of copper-gold mineralized porphyries has been identified associated with a 4km zone of strong porphyry alteration mapped at surface. Drilling will progressively step out along strike to determine the potential for continuous copper-gold mineralization in this highly prospective zone.

Work is also planned to further develop other priority copper-gold prospects, which include (Figure 2):

COFFEE - Magnetic anomaly and coincident 2.5km by 2.5km copper-in-soil anomaly;

PLEASANT HILL - Magnetic & IP anomalies and coincident 700m by 600m copper-in-soil anomaly;

COCOA RIDGE - Magnetic anomaly and coincident 900m by 500m copper-in-soil anomaly;

STAMFORD HILL - CHARING CROSS EPITHERMAL FIELD - Spanish and British historical adits and shafts exploited multiple high-grade copper-gold-silver epithermal veins up to 10m wide;

ARTHURS SEAT- an untested porphyry target. Discrete magnetic anomaly over a high tenor 1200m by 800m copper in soil anomaly.

Additionally, Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysics survey work is planned at Bellas Gate and Arthurs Seat in 2024. Completing an IP survey will be a major step to aid in the systematic evaluation of numerous porphyry and epithermal prospects.





Figure 2: Map of Bellas Gate showing copper-in-soil geochemistry and two major structural corridors. C3 Metals will focus on drilling these structure corridors and extending the strike extent of the known mineralized zone through additional soil geochemistry and an IP survey during the first half of 2024.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2661/193622_f0312d15c49eda3d_002full.jpg

Dan Symons, continued: "To date, we have confirmed there is a high probability for drilling success in areas where we have coincident strong copper and selenium-in-soil geochemistry together with a magnetic high geophysical anomaly and a chargeability high in IP geophysics. When all four of these exploration criteria are present, our drilling success to date has been very high. During the first half of 2024, we will continue to drill along the known existing mineralized structural corridors at Bellas Gate. We also plan to further develop additional porphyry and epithermal targets through additional soil geochemistry and an IP survey in areas where we lack this important data. We believe we are at the beginning stages of a new, meaningful, district-scale copper-gold discovery in Jamaica and look forward to providing regular results from our exploration program throughout 2024."





Figure 3: Map showing the 4km strike of copper-gold mineralization where the Company has soil geochemistry, both magnetic and IP geophysical data and will be the primary focus of drilling (black dashed area). The planned 2024 program will collect soil geochemistry and IP geophysical data to the north and IP geophysical data to the south (blue dashed area with yellow IP lines).



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2661/193622_f0312d15c49eda3d_003full.jpg

After a short break for the drill crews during the holiday season, drilling has resumed with two drill rigs. Both rigs are currently drilling at Provost to test the strike and depth extent of this high-priority porphyry target. With a well-funded treasury following the closing of an oversubscribed and upsized private placement on November 15, 2023, two drill rigs turning and up to 20,000m of drilling planned for 2024, C3 Metals expects to provide regular news flow from its exploration program in Jamaica.

For additional information, contact:

Dan Symons

President and CEO

+1 416 716 6466

dsymons@c3metals.com

ABOUT C3 METALS INC.

C3 Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on creating substantive value for its shareholders through the discovery and development of large copper and gold deposits. The Company is actively exploring in Jamaica where it has identified 16 porphyry and 40 epithermal prospects over a 30km strike extent across its 20,700 hectare exploration licences package. Mining is currently the second largest industry in Jamaica, and historical mining dates back to the colonial eras of the 1500s (Spanish) and 1800s (British). The Company also holds approximately 24,000 hectares located in the prolific high-grade Andahuaylas-Yauri Porphyry-Skarn belt of Southern Peru. Mineralization at Jasperoide is hosted in a similar geological setting to the nearby major mining operations at Las Bambas (MMG), Constancia (Hudbay) and Antapaccay (Glencore). At Jasperoide, the Company has identified over 15 skarn prospects and an outcropping porphyry system over two parallel 28km belts. The Company has published a maiden resource estimate on the first of these skarn targets, which contained Measured & Indicated Resources of 52Mt at 0.5% copper and 0.2 g/t gold.

Related Link: www.c3metals.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.

QP Statement

Stephen Hughes, P.Geo. is Vice President Exploration and a Director for C3 Metals and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Hughes has reviewed the technical information in this news release and approves the written disclosure contained herein.

Technical Program

C3 Metals adheres to a strict QA/QC protocol for handling, sampling, sample transportation and analyses. Chain-of-custody protocols are designed to ensure security of samples until their delivery at the laboratory.

Samples were cut at C3 Metals' operations base in Bellas Gate, St Catherine, Jamaica by Company personnel. Diamond drill core was sampled in maximum 3-metre intervals, stopping at geological boundaries, and using a rock saw. Core diameter is a mix of HQ3 and NQ3 depending on the depth of the drill hole. Samples were bagged, tagged and packaged for shipment by DHL air freight service to the ALS preparation laboratory in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where entire samples were crushed to 70% passing 10 mesh (2mm), and a 250g split was pulverized to 85% passing 200 mesh (75m).

The prepared samples were sent to the ALS assay laboratories in Vancouver, Canada for copper, gold and silver assays, and multi-element ICP. ALS is an accredited laboratory which is independent of the Company. Gold assays were by fire assay fusion with AAS finish on a 30g sample and the overlimit gold assay was completed by fire assay and gravimetric finish on 30g sample. Copper and silver were assayed by ICP-AES following a 4-acid digestion on the ME-ICP61 package for a suite of 33 elements and the over limit copper by 4-Acid digestion and assayed by ICP-AES on each sample with copper greater than 10000ppm (1%). Copper and gold standards as well as blanks and duplicates (coarse crush split) were randomly inserted into the sampling sequence for quality control. On average, 9% of the submitted samples are quality control samples. No data quality problems were indicated by the QA/QC program.

1 Copper equivalent (CuEq) calculation is for reporting purposes only and was determined based on CuEq (%) = Cu (%) + ((0.7079  Au g/t) under metal price assumptions of Copper - US$3.00/lb, Gold - US$1,800/oz. As the Bellas Gate project is an early-stage exploration project and there is insufficient metallurgical data to allow for estimation of recoveries, porphyry copper-gold recoveries are estimated based on multiple comparable porphyry-style copper-gold deposits (Alumbrera, Batu Hijau, Fish Lake, Mt Milligan, El Pachon, Agua Rica, Cerro Cassle and Skouries) which averaged 90% recovery for copper and 73% for gold.

Caution 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 Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the exploration operations of the Company and the timing which could be affected by the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of the Company's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate.

While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. 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 risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, and regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is 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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/193622
(Bloomberg) -- A Chinese state-backed institution has devised a way to identify users who send messages via Apple Inc.s popular AirDrop feature, Beijings government claims, as part of broader efforts to root out undesirable content.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Beijing institute developed the technique to crack an iPhones encrypted device log to identify the numbers and emails of senders who share AirDrop content, the citys judicial bureau said in an online post. Police have identified multiple suspects via that method, the agency said, without disclosing if anyone was arrested.

It improves the efficiency and accuracy of case-solving and prevents the spread of inappropriate remarks as well as potential bad influences, the bureau said.

The declaration again drew attention to an iPhone feature that activists around the world have employed to spread their message. Requiring just a nearby bluetooth connection, it was widely used by protesters to share pro-democracy slogans during 2019 protests in Hong Kong. An Apple representative didnt respond to requests for comment.

Hailed by the article as a technological breakthrough, the method could supplement measures intended to eradicate information China deems unhealthy. It also adds more uncertainty to Apples operations in a country where it already grapples with severe constraints on content, including on Apple TV and Books.

AirDrop allows the quick exchange of files like images, documents or videos between Apple devices. The company has limited the feature on Chinese iPhones since 2022, after the service was used by protesters to spread images to fellow device owners.

The American electronics leader also faces mounting sales pressure, after a growing number of state-backed agencies banned the use of foreign devices at work.

Story continues

Read More: Chinas iPhone Ban Accelerates Across Agencies, State Firms

(Updates with a line on how AirDrop works. A previous version of the story corrected the spelling of Beijing.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for clearvise is 4.17 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of 2.12 suggests clearvise is potentially 49% undervalued

The analyst price target for ABO is 100% less than our estimate of fair value

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of clearvise AG (ETR:ABO) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

Check out our latest analysis for clearvise

The Calculation

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.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) -189.3m -220.8m -130.7m 32.5m 35.0m 36.7m 38.1m 39.1m 39.9m 40.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 4.96% Est @ 3.61% Est @ 2.66% Est @ 2.00% Est @ 1.54% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 4.6% -181 -202 -114 27.1 27.9 28.0 27.7 27.2 26.5 25.7

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = -307m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 4.6%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 40m (1 + 0.5%)  (4.6% 0.5%) = 976m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 976m ( 1 + 4.6%)10= 621m

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 314m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 2.1, the company appears quite good value at a 49% discount to where the stock price trades currently. 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.

XTRA:ABO Discounted Cash Flow January 9th 2024

Important 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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own 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 clearvise 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 4.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.834. 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 clearvise

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Weakness

No major weaknesses identified for ABO.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 4 years.

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. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For clearvise, there are three relevant aspects you should further examine:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 2 warning signs for clearvise (1 is significant!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does ABO's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. 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 XTRA 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.
The Port of New Orleans' fireboat, the Gen. Roy S. Kelley, shoots out red, white and blue water on the Mississippi River during Go 4th on the River in New Orleans, Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune)
Israels mosaic of Jewish ethnic groups is key to understanding the country

The diversity of Israels Jewish population has been a source of tensions, but also strength, over the decades.
Dressing up Johns slightly, you even find the governments own advice to migrants: English is a unifying element of Australian society, whose proficiency contributes to better educational and employment outcomes and social participation levels. Still, things would have easier for Johns if he had been speaking in Old Testament Israel, rather than 2023 Sydney. There, in the Western worlds most famous story of linguistic policing, the Gileadites were holding the Jordan pass against the defeated Ephraimites. When strangers approached to seek passage, the Gileadites could not merely ask them who they were, as anyone would claim to be kin in order to be allowed through. Instead, they asked them to pronounce a word: shibboleth. Because the strangers could only answer sibboleth, they revealed themselves as enemies, and were slaughtered. NSW today, we would all like to think, is far less wrathful and far more tolerant than the ancient Middle East, leaving no room for Gary Johns. But the simultaneously forceful and vague response to his remarks invites the question: are we, for all our ideals of tolerance and inclusivity, still enforcing shibboleths of our own? In its original sense, a shibboleth is a distinguishing feature of speech, an accent that marks those who belong from those who dont. By this measure, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief. The Australian accent is not a prerequisite for entry and, in Sydney, it is merely one kind of English competing with many others. Put plainly, we are far removed from the brutality of the Gileadites.

Loading From where I sit, the Australian accent is much more a point of unity than difference. Voices are different in the CBD than in the outer suburbs, but there is no simple shorthand from pronunciation to class. Translating this to the political sphere, accents are not destiny. Australian heritage bases itself in great part on being distinct from the British at the heart of Empire; we are a world removed from the UK today, where the linguistically diverse isles are mostly represented by a class of politicians who either grew up receiving their elite pronunciations, or else Eliza Doolittled themselves into sounding as if they did. In post-war Australia, the Australian accent stopped being an embarrassed attempt at the Queens English, the ABC stopped sounding like the BBC, and, pace Robert Menzies, our politicians stopped conceiving of themselves as stranded Englishmen. From where I sit, accents shift from suburb to suburb, with different voices in Chatswood and Penrith, and everyone sounding local. It is this state of affairs that means the election of speakers as different as Mehreen Faruqi, Kristina Keneally or Dai Le, barely merits attention. In other words, if you say shibboleth, I could answer sibboleth, and there would be no sign either of us were outsiders. But a shibboleth need not just be an accent. In the original version, the shibboleth would seem to be a necessary test, one deployed in lieu of any other. If you could tell that someone was not kin to you by their clothes, their features, their skin, then why bother testing their language? But this is only an assumption.

Perhaps, you could imagine, it was already apparent these people were different, but it would be too crude to judge them at first glance. Instead, the appearance of impartiality could be maintained by means of a simple test: pronounce a word, and you are one of us. This rationale would have struck a chord with those who worked to bring about the project of Australian federation. While they had little doubt about the supremacy of the white man, they made concessions to the Empire they were leaving in order to establish a federated, monoracial democracy. Our immigration system would not explicitly exclude on the basis of race; it would test the suitability of Australians by making them write out in dictation ... a passage of fifty words in length in any European language. If the test had been simply limited to reading and speaking English, it would be along the lines of citizenship tests today. But by intentionally broadening the requirements to any language in Europe, while restricting language testing to the pedantic requirements of a schoolmaster, the newly formed Australian government had the power to ultimately, arbitrarily decide who would enter its country. A 1927 directive from the Home and Territories Department explained that it was meant to be an absolute bar to entry into Australia, and, as such, should be given in a language with which the immigrant is not sufficiently acquainted. True to their word, no immigrant unwanted by the Australian government passed between 1909 and the end of White Australia, a half-century later.

After the SS Clan Ranald was wrecked off the coast of South Australia, the customs officer happily reported that 18 of the coloured crew failed the dictation test, despite their good English. As for the European-born quartermaster, his English was fluent, meaning the officer would make him retake the test in a language with which he was unacquainted. Newspapers joked about Romanian and Sanskrit being pulled out for difficult cases. When a noted Eastern European communist was invited to speak in Australia, the government was wary of the subversive polyglot, ultimately contriving to test him in Scottish Gaelic. There was even an Indian-born British woman, Mabel Freer, who was given a dictation test in Italian to thwart her marrying her Australian lover; in the end, though, she was saved by popular opinion. The Australian public could not stomach a British subject being treated in this way. Here, a guard stands at the gate demanding shibboleth. Whatever the anxious outsider responds, it fails the test, and they are cast out of white Australia, back to where they came from. But not every question wants an answer. Adjusting the tone, it becomes a statement: not shibboleth? but shibboleth! The assertion of language becomes an assertion of identity, so that our shared speech is inextricable from the fact that we are of the same blood, of the same creed, and that we are not you. Therefore, we do not understand your speech, you are barbarians, and we have no compunction about slaughtering you. This proprietary sense of language is deeply intertwined with historical shibboleths. One of the first recorded instances of the biblical term in English is an account of the Peasants Revolt, describing how the Dutch were tested on how they said, bread and cheese, and then slaughtered.

It is not hard to trace a similar fervour in modern partisans: Sinn Fein is a statement of Irish nationalism more than it is a meaningful phrase in Gaelic; in Ukraine today, palianytsia is both a local variety of bread and a pronunciation test for potential Russian saboteurs. From our colonial beginnings, there was a disdain for the languages of Aboriginal people and a desire to impress upon them the English language, with the promise of both civilisation and the salvation it entailed. But our model of ourselves as wandering Englishmen, both culturally and linguistically, has been displaced; weve become far less assertive about how we speak. Australian English can barely claim two centuries of history. Living here, we are somewhere which is neither a birthplace of English language, nor a country rich and popular enough to make the whole world follow its language. We do not deny that English is essential to how we live, but we do not differentiate ourselves on the basis of it. To live in Sydney means to run into people like doctors and teachers whose first language is not English, but who speak with a knowledge and fluency beyond me. All this goes to highlight the fundamental fiction of an accent: language is indifferent to blood or skin colour. Rather than a birthright, it is more like a sport, or an instrument: anyone can learn it and follow the rules, but it would be absurd to claim a complete mastery. It is only accents that allow us the illusion that knowledge of a language can be more than limited or partial, that one really is a native speaker. Living in Sydney means constantly hearing reminders that an accent is, in fact, only an accent.

This humility also allows our public language to borrow from Indigenous languages: words like Gadigal and Garma increasingly form how we speak about place and ceremony and politics. These still pale in comparison with the number of phrases borrowed wholesale from Latin and French, but they are a noticeable shift. Moreover, this exchange is the opposite of a shibboleth, sharing common ground rather than closing a gate, inviting in rather than pushing out. In Hebrew, shibboleth can refer to either stalk of corn or great flood. The matter of resolving such wildly disparate readings becomes easier when you realise it is irrelevant what the word means, and cut the knot. The use of shibboleth is as a word that we all know, that we all have been saying for a long time, worn by repetition to become only sound. It is this sense that dictates the modern sense of shibboleth as a slur: the worn phrases and articles of faith that indicate followers of an obsolete orthodoxy. Our public language borrows from Indigenous languages: words like Gadigal and Garma increasingly form how we speak about place and ceremony and politics. Credit: Louise Kennerley For Australia, theres been a continued emphasis on the youthfulness and irreverence in what we like to call our national spirit. This is not only because it has only been a short while since Europeans arrived here, but also because there has been a wilful rejection of the entrenched hierarchies and stifling traditions of our Anglo origins. It has been a constant that we are made up of recently arrived and their descendants, a through-line of continuous transformation; our self-image has varied too much to form a mould; we have not repeated ourselves enough to have shibboleths.
Sigh of relief

A blow for sanity. We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that the state government has signalled acceptance of the decision of Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to reject approval for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal at Hastings (Victorias energy transition in strife as essential offshore wind hub refused, 8/1.) Indeed it is bewildering that the state, which owns the port, even considered the proposal on the internationally recognised Western Port Ramsar Wetland.

Brian Marshall, Ashburton Fresh concerns

It was sad to read that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has rejected the Victorian governments plan for a wind farm hub at the Port of Hastings on environmental grounds. Its great she is concerned about local bird, marine and plant life but where was this concern when she approved four new coal mines, one of which threatens to make the rare Delma legless lizard extinct. The evidence is well and truly in that coal threatens life on planet earth and we are on the edge of extinction but that doesnt bother our environment minister.

Rohan Wightman, McKenzie Hill Go west

The Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has rightly kiboshed the expansion of the Port of Hastings to cater for the construction of offshore wind farm components for the proposed wind farm off Golden Beach. Western Port is shallow and the wetland environment is fragile. Local sentiment seems largely opposed to the expansion.

An alternative would be to manufacture the components at Portland. It has an excellent deep water port, an aluminium refinery and a manufacturing base with a skilled workforce. Keppel Prince has been building wind farm towers for years at Portland. The sea distance to Golden Beach is longer but an offshore wind farm will be built in the shallower waters off Portland as there are already approvals.

Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully New opportunities

If El Nino means a hotter summer, why are we getting all this rain? (State drenched, but more rain is on the way, 9/1) The answer is simple  as global atmospheric temperatures rise, the ocean temperatures rise also. That means more evaporation. The increased evaporation rises, forms clouds and eventually falls as rain somewhere. More rain is bad news for flood-prone communities like Rochester but could be great news for currently arid areas of Australia, southern North America, Africa and the Middle East. What forward thinking governments need to do is build water infrastructure to capture the higher rainfall and to redirect the water to where it can be of benefit, not harm.

Daniel Cole, St Albans Water course

The Flemington Racecourse was a natural flood zone for the Maribyrnong River before the wall was built. The government should bite the bullet and force the racecourse to hollow out the huge centre section and use it as a flood mitigation dam. Any water collected could be used to water the course, particularly in summer. It could be made into a beautiful wetland area, a win-win.

Paul Chivers, Box Hill North

Sandbaggers

Yet again we are filling sandbags after the rivers rise. No doubt most will be single use and the same will happen next time. Why is the state government not able to arrange to have reusable sandbags filled in the non-flooding times, store them at logical places and have them ready for use when a flood is forecast?

Michael Pitcher, Richmond Big and powerless

Who would have Anthony Blinkens job? The worlds most powerful diplomat and I believe a good man. Cosying up to the bit players, shunned by some and ignored by the one person responsible for conducting the Gaza war while the death toll rises.

The US is falling between two posts, in danger of losing its standing as the free worlds policeman and arbiter as it is powerless to control its client state Israel. Yet it is still protecting it in the UN and fulfilling its military wish lists.

Roger Holdway, Sorrento Intractable conflict

Ray Bassett describes eloquently the process that began in Ireland in 1993 to eventually bring a resolution to that apparently intractable conflict (Irish lesson gives hope to Gaza, 8/1). In the same year, 1993, the Oslo peace accords brought hope for the start of a similar process in Israel/Palestine. Sadly, since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, Israel has actively undermined that nascent peace process. Since 2007, it has cultivated Hamas as a counterbalance to the Palestinian Authority, to apparently ensure a two-state solution could never be achieved. Only when Israel is forced to the negotiating table by the United States and its allies (including Australia) will a peace process again begin.

Richard Barnes, Canterbury Searching for peace

Your correspondents words if Usman Khawaja is after peace, human rights, freedom and equality hes better off living on Mars, because he surely wont find them here (Letters, 9/1) bring to mind Robert Brownings alternative view: a mans reach should exceed his grasp, Or whats a heaven for? For despite the often horrendous enormity of the odds stacked against all that is good, true and right, our world needs those who have the vision, the perseverance, the guts and the defiance to strive and fight for such ends. Otherwise we are accepting hell on earth.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East Below the grade

Millie Muroi is spot on when, recounting her experiences at both private and public schools (Public schools fail the toast test, 9/1) she concludes that theres inequality within and beyond the schooling system, which we need to address if we want kids to reach their potential. A decade on from Gonski, which aimed to deliver that greater equality more than 98 per cent of public schools are still funded below the Schooling Resources Standard it recommended, while 98 per cent of private schools are funded above it (Top state schools defy the funding gap, 18/12).

Such disparity is not tolerated in any comparable country. Until politicians have the will and the courage to change that system, our wonderful public schools that educate the majority of our children and accept students of all backgrounds, will be at a disadvantage.

Anne Sgro, Coburg North

Paying at the pump

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our loving oil companies. Not only did pump prices rise 30+ cents/litre just before Christmas (part of the normal price cycle, their words not mine), but the difference between 91 and 95-rated fuel increased 2c/l to 17c/l . Great timing, hidden behind the simultaneous enormous price hike. This difference between 91 and 95-rating fuel started at 10c/l and has steadily risen since then.

Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont Lacking adaptability

I read of the road toll climbing higher each year. On Monday, during the torrential rain storm, I was driving from Sorrento to Melbourne on the Peninsula Link and M1 freeways. Although the white lines on the road were barely visible in the downpour, the speed limit signs still read 100.

Surely, with road surveillance cameras in place and, presumably, operators monitoring the traffic, why would they not lower the limit to 80? Many drivers were not adjusting their driving to the conditions and many did not even have their headlights on. Wouldnt it make sense to adjust the speed limits to the weather and road conditions for the safety of all?

Wendy Daniels, Hawthorn History masterclass

I ignore reports about rugby in either of its forms unless they come in the form of a sports history masterclass from the appositely named Roy Masters (Halloway the coach who leaves Bennett behind, 9/1). Masters article on the great rugby league coach Arthur Halloway is a reminder that many of our sporting greats preceded the era of television and even the memory of the oldest of us. Among his examples of other forgotten greats, Masters might have reminded us of the great leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett, who took 216 wickets in 37 Tests. Mathematically he would have exceeded Shane Warnes 708 wickets in 145 Tests. Rod Laver wisely said that one can only be as great as the conditions your era permit.

John Carmichael, Hawthorn Desperate measure

As a senior executive at the Melbourne & Metropolitan Board of Works in the 1980s I witnessed a desperate Cain government forcing the MMBW to borrow at high interest rates to pay the government dividends, as a way of hiding a part of the states high debt. I am dismayed to see the Allan government resorting to the same playbook by pressuring the state water authorities to borrow to prop up the state budget (Water firms tap into debt to help out state budget, 8/1). This is a dreadful legacy for our children and grandchildren.

Jeff Floyd, Mount Waverley Vaccine gap

I am immunocompromised and my husband is over 75, yet neither of us are allowed to be vaccinated against the new COVID variant that is sweeping Victoria (Victoria hit by double COVID wave, 9/1) despite the fact that a new vaccine against the JN.1 subvariant was introduced in December last year because the old one does not effectively protect against the new variant. This is because it is less than six months since our last vaccination with the old vaccine.

Why are we actively prevented from protecting ourselves against the rapid surge of the JN.1 subvariant? It make no sense.

Julia Thornton, Surrey Hills

AND ANOTHER THING Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding Trumps return

It looks very much like it will soon be time to turn off the news for four years, and dust off my West Wing DVD boxed set, ready for my hibernation during the next Trump administration.

Matthew Hamilton, Kew How can it be that 80 million-plus Americans are obsessed with one of the biggest crooks their society has ever produced? Ah yes, of course, he was a TV star.

John Walsh, Watsonia Somebody should tell Donald Trump that if you have to clap yourself it must have been a poor performance.

Alan West, Research

Those complaining about President Bidens obvious mental difficulties, please consider his successes both in national and international policy. Hes been great, despite his shortcomings.

George Fernandez, Eltham North Transport

How ironic that the new West Gate Tunnel and North East Link projects, both initiated by Dan Andrews, will eventually require an East-West road link to be built, the same road that Andrews spent $1.1 billion of taxpayers money to tear up the contracts for.

Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully Its a waste of money for businesses to put advertising on vehicles that promote their caring culture when the driving habits only advertise entitlement and selfishness.

Gerry Lonergan, Reservoir Furthermore

Hoping that 2024 is more of the Big Built as opposed to the Big Build. Weve certainly been patient.

Jerome Otton, South Melbourne Re Tanya Pliberseks decision to protect the Ramsar wetlands in Western Port: you cant stomp on the environment in order to save the environment.

Joe Nieuwenhuizen, Somers
Police believe a 12-year-old girl charged with murder while in state care placed a knife in her alleged victims hand and told neighbours the woman had killed herself, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, a Childrens Court heard new details about the crime that shocked Melbourne last year, after the girl, who cannot be named due to her age, was arrested on November 16 following the discovery of a 37-year-old womans body in Footscray in the early hours of that morning.

Police allege a 12-year-old girl murdered a woman in Footscray and placed a knife in her hand. Credit: Louie Douvis

The court heard that the girl was found wearing a dress inside out and back to front, and carrying two phones  her own and her alleged victims  when apprehended by police. She was also carrying a wallet that contained the ID of the deceased woman.

Analyses of the phones discovered selfie-like images taken by the accused outside the small apartment after police attended and, before that, images taken on November 16 at 12.52am in which the woman had physical wounds and appeared to be dead, police said.
A liquor store chain has taken an unrelenting battle with two serial thieves into its own hands, slapping them with a ban outside a Perth court after they walked free for the second time in 72 hours.

A representative from Endeavour Group, which owns chains BWS and Dan Murphys, served Nicholas Terrance Mark Rodd and Janelle Gail Martin with storewide bans as they left Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Janelle Gail Martin and Nicholas Terrance Mark Rodd leaving Northbridge Magistrates Court on Saturday. Credit: Jesinta Burton.

The pair were slapped with fines for stealing two bottles of alcohol from a liquor store in Victoria Park on Monday, an incident which took place just hours after Rodd was fined and released for similar offending.

Rodd and Martin made headlines over the weekend when a magistrate expressed frustration at being left little choice but to release them on bail over an alleged crime spree through Midland, Rivervale and Morley late last year.
London: A 26-year-old man who tried to sell what he claimed was a walking stick used by the late Queen Elizabeth II has been sentenced for defrauding eBay buyers.

Dru Marshall, from Hampshire in southern England, claimed he was a senior footman at Windsor Castle and that the proceeds from the sale of the antler walking stick would go to cancer research.

Queen Elizabeth II. Credit: AP

The auction had reached 540 ($1026) before he cancelled the listing after learning police had launched an investigation, prosecutors said.

He was found guilty of fraud by false representation at Southampton Magistrates Court and sentenced on Monday to a 12-month community order.
Hyundai's all-new 2024 Santa Fe and 2025 IONIQ 5 N to make national debuts in Montreal

Hyundai's First N Brand Electric Performance Vehicle, IONIQ 5 N 1 , offers exclusive performance features: N Battery Preconditioning; N Race; N Pedal; N Brake Regen; N Drift Optimizer; N Torque Distribution; N Launch Control; N Grin Boost; N Active Sound +; N e-shift, and Track State of Charge

, offers exclusive performance features: N Battery Preconditioning; N Race; N Pedal; N Brake Regen; N Drift Optimizer; N Torque Distribution; N Launch Control; N Grin Boost; N Active Sound +; N e-shift, and Track State of Charge Santa Fe's longer wheelbase incorporates standard third-row seating and spacious interior, and comes standard with a hybrid powertrain

Hyundai booth offers a brand-new booth display based on the acclaimed "Parametric Pixel" design identity for Hyundai EVs, and will feature Boston Dynamics' quadruped, Spot.

BROSSARD, QC, Jan. 8, 2024 /CNW/ - Hyundai Canada is proud to announce that two new Hyundai vehicles will be making their national debut at the 2024 edition of the Montreal International Auto Show. The all-new 2025 IONIQ 5 N and 2024 Santa Fe will be presented to members of the media during press day on Thursday, January 18th. The public will be able to discover these new vehicles during the whole length of the show, which will be held from January 19-28 of 2024 at Montreal's Palais des Congres.

"Quebec is an extremely important market for Hyundai in Canada, particularly in terms of electrification. What better place and occasion to present two electrified Canadian debuts at the Montreal Auto Show, one being 100 per cent electric and the other coming standard with a hybrid powertrain," says Don Romano, president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada. "Santa Fe and IONIQ 5 N represent some of the best technology and performance capability from Hyundai yet, while appealing to vastly different customers. We're excited for showgoers take in both vehicles at the Hyundai booth, as well as other all-new models such as the Kona, Kona Electric and the facelifted Elantra and Sonata."

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

Continuing the IONIQ 5 electric vehicle's successful momentum, Hyundai is pushing the performance boundaries even further with the introduction of the IONIQ 5 N, a 641 horsepower electric SUV capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds on a race track.

This powerful EV benefits from several technical improvements. Its electric motors spin up to 21,000 RPM, providing 641 horsepower (478 kW) with N Grin Boost engaged. This is a result of the two-stage inverter with increased energy efficiency for stronger power output from a new 84 kWh battery. Several exclusive features aid in track performance. N Grin Boost maximizes acceleration with extra power for a 10-second interval. N Launch Control automatically activates N Grin Boost during launch and provides three different traction levels for the fastest possible launch, allowing drivers to accelerate their vehicle like a professional race car. Track SOC (state-of-charge) automatically calculates battery consumption every lap.

Developed using the award-winning E-GMP platform, the IONIQ 5 N is the first electric vehicle developed by Hyundai's N performance division. It succeeds the Veloster N, Kona N and Elantra N which also contributed to the development of the N division in the Canadian market.

To learn more about the IONIQ 5 N, click here.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The new generation Hyundai Santa Fe stands out for its robust and adventurous design as well as for the large opening of its tailgate, allowing increased versatility. Thanks to a longer wheelbase compared to the previous generation, a three-row seating configuration is fitted as standard.

Santa Fe's all-new interior complements the exterior themes by emphasizing horizontal and vertical design elements matching the exterior design language. An H-shaped design motif is further applied to the upper instrument panel and air vents, enhancing a sense of openness and cohesive design balance.

Santa Fe offers convenience features such as an available dual wireless charging system for smartphones. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard. A powerful USB-C terminal with a maximum charging rate of 27 watts and a third-row USB port is also available. In addition, a UV-C sterilization compartment is available for the top of the Santa Fe's glove compartment, providing ultraviolet light-based sterilization of frequently used items, such as cell phones, wallets, glasses, and similarly sized items. A Bose12-speaker premium sound system is also available.

2024 Santa Fe is available with two powerful and efficient powertrain options. The standard powertrain is a 1.6-litre direct-injected, turbocharged hybrid (Gamma III engine family) linked with a six-speed automatic transmission provides an estimated combined engine and motor output of 232 horsepower and maximum torque of 271 lb.-ft. Also available is a 2.5-litre direct-injected, turbocharged engine (Theta III engine family) mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with an estimated output of 277 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm and torque of 311 lb.-ft. @ 1,700  4,000 rpm.

In Canada, Santa Fe is available in 7 exterior colours, including Phantom Black; Serenity White Pearl; Earthy Brass Matte; Hampton Gray; Terracotta Orange; Atlantis Blue and Rockwood Green Pearl.

To learn more about the 2024 Santa Fe, click here.

A colourful booth with a unique guest

Hyundai's booth at the 2024 Montreal Auto Show will feature for the first time in Canada, an enormous wall with an active display that showcases the signature "Parametric Pixel" of Hyundai's acclaimed EV lineup. The display is based on the Trichromatic (RGB) Colour Theory and revolves around a choreographed performance in which each dancer symbolizes an individual pixel, characterized by an LED cube atop their head.

Bringing advanced technology up close to showgoers, the Hyundai booth in Montreal will also feature a four-legged friend of the company, Boston Dynamic's quadruped, Spot.

As one of the most advanced robotic technologies in the world, Spot was created to make people's lives safer and easier. Thanks to its agility, strength, balance, smart cameras, and all-terrain feet, Spot can navigate diverse landscapes and environments. Since its acquisition of Boston Dynamics in 2021, Hyundai Motor Group has sharpened its focus on advancing robotics to enhance lives through a range of mobility solutions.

1 Specifications, equipment, and options are subject to change without notice. Some items may be unavailable when vehicle is built.

About Hyundai Auto Canada

Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, was the first subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company outside of Korea. Hyundai offers Canadian consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Today, with over 250 dealerships across Canada, Hyundai is the official automotive partner of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) in Canada. Hyundai has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Best Workplaces in Canada for the last five years by the Great Place to Work Institute. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com.
Under the theme 'Ease every way,' Hyundai highlights its commitment to lead human-centric life innovations with hydrogen energy as well as software and AI

Introduces HTWO's hydrogen value chain solution that spans production, storage, transportation and utilization

Introduces 'Software-defined Everything' (SDx) strategy by redefining vehicles, fleets and transportation systems with software and AI

Hyundai shows its hydrogen value chain, waste-to-energy method, SDV technologies and future mobility exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 912

, /CNW/ -- Hyundai Motor Company today presented its vision for a hydrogen-powered, software-driven transformation beyond mobility applications at CES 2024. Under the theme 'Ease every way,' the company held its Media Day at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas to highlight its future blueprint for a hydrogen energy ecosystem and a vision for software and artificial intelligence (AI).

Hyundai Motor Reveals Vision for Hydrogen Energy and Software Solutions Beyond Mobility at CES 2024

In line with Hyundai Motor's brand vision, 'Progress for Humanity,' the 'Ease every way' theme reflects the company's aim to create a comfortable and peaceful living environment by providing three core universal values of freedom, safety, and fairness for the global community.

An innovative solution for hydrogen production, storage, transportation and utilization

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has already announced a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, substantiated by a clear RE100 roadmap to use 100 percent renewable energy in its overseas factories by 2045 and in every Group entity by 2050. Hydrogen energy will play a prominent role in achieving those objectives.

SDx: Building a user-centered mobility ecosystem by defining vehicles, fleets and transportation systems with software and AI

Hyundai is undergoing a software-driven transformation led by the entire Group. As a provider of smart mobility solutions, Hyundai recognizes the importance of software and AI in creating a user-centric mobility ecosystem. At CES, the company announced its 'Software-defined Everything' (SDx) strategy, which aims to transform all moving devices, fleets and ecosystems into valuable assets through advanced software and AI.

Hydrogen value chain and software technologies on display at CES 2024

Hyundai is showcasing its waste-to-hydrogen production and hydrogen value chain as well as SDV technologies and future mobility concepts at CES 2024. Attendees can visit the company's exhibition booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, West Hall, from January 912.
All-New Toyota Prius/Prius Prime Wins 2024 North American Car of the Year Award

PONTIAC, Mich.

Jan. 8, 2024

/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Since the unveiling and subsequent launch, the all-new Toyota Prius/Prius Prime has earned high praise and accolades throughout the auto industry. The vehicle responsible for starting the hybrid revolution nearly 25 years ago earned one of the most coveted awards in the automotive sector  the 2024 North American Car of the Year.

All-New Toyota Prius/Prius Prime Wins 2024 North American Car of the Year Award

The 2024 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) award winners were announced at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, during a Jan. 4 press conference co-hosted by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) and Automotive Press Association (APA). The NACTOY awards are voted on by a large, independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

Leading up to the event, the Toyota Prius/Prius Prime was a finalist in the Car of the Year category, along with the Honda Accord and Hyundai Ioniq 6. Scott Neiheisel, general manager of the Cincinnati sales region, and Roseanne Larsen, assistant general manager in Cincinnati, were on hand to receive the iconic NACTOY trophy, on behalf of Toyota.

At Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) headquarters, in Plano, news of the prestigious award spread quickly, as it marked the second time Prius had earned North American Car of the Year honors. Back in 2004, the second-generation Prius was named NACTOY Car of the Year.

"We are thrilled the NACTOY jurors agree that the all-new Prius and Prius Prime are exceptional vehicles. The unique combination of sexy styling and industry leading efficiency put Prius in a league all its own." Said Mike Tripp, group vice president, Toyota Marketing. "After nearly 25 years, Prius continues to leave its mark on the world and offers customers a great option to reduce their carbon emissions."

Throughout the judging process, the Prius/Prius Prime earned the admiration of many of the journalist-jurors. Frequent compliments revolved around appearance and fuel economy.

"The Toyota Prius and Prius Prime are not just handsomely styled hatchbacks, they represent the future of the automobile by blending traditional internal combustion with electric drivetrains," said veteran journalist Matt DeLorenzo. "Of particular note is the plug-in version which offers more than 40 miles of pure electric range, allowing most owners to skip regular gas station visits."

The NACTOY Car of the Year Award represents one of the 17 industry awards earned by Prius/Prius Prime the past few months.

About North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year

The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience and value. The organization gives out three awards. They are: "North American Car of the Year," "North American Truck of the Year," and the "North American Utility Vehicle of the Year." The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of by a single publication, website, radio or television station.

About Toyota

Toyota has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
By Polina Devitt and Siyi Liu

LONDON/BEIJING (Reuters) - A surge in hedging activity by the lithium industry and traders after the recent price slump has benefited CME Group which saw volumes on its lithium contract soar last year.

Growing demand for lithium from the electric vehicle (EV)sector means increasing exposure to price volatility of the material used in the batteries that power these vehicles.

The CME's lithium hydroxide contract is cash-settled, therefore easy to use as hedgers do not need to worry about taking delivery of unsuitable grades.

Volumes for CME lithium, launched in 2021, climbed to 20,307 metric tons in 2023 from 468 tons in 2022. Open interest, the number of outstanding contracts held by the market, soared 34 times to 14,522 tons in 2023.

Banks including Goldman Sachs and Macquarie are active users of CME lithium due to clients wanting to hedge price risk, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Goldman Sachs and Macquarie declined to comment.

"Small shifts in lithium supply and demand balance can have a significant impact on prices, creating risks that need to be managed," said Jin Hennig, CME global head of metals.

Lithium prices have come under pressure over the past year due to electric vehicles sales lagging expectations as global economic growth slowed.

Prices for lithium in the world's top consumer and producer China are down 85% from records in November 2022 when supplies started to ramp up and demand slowed.

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI) expects large lithium surpluses from 2024 to 2027 before a deficit of nearly 400,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent appears in 2030.

"Lithium hedging strategies are becoming increasingly important to traders and automaker procurement teams, given the (price) volatility ... over the last few years," said Daisy Jennings-Gray at BMI.

Helping the CME's contract gain traction is the Guangzhou Futures Exchange's (GFEX) physically-settled lithium carbonate futures launched in July, which boosted arbitrage trading.

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Arbitrage trading refers to traders buying and selling similar contracts to benefit from price differences.

GFEX's contract is for Chinese firms only, but overseas firms can trade it via local brokers or through a China-registered entities.

"We see enormous potential for liquidity growth in exchange-traded lithium contracts underpinned by consumer desire to hedge price risks and producer demand to finance supply growth," Citi said in a November note.

(Reporting by Polina Devitt and Siyi Liu; writing by Pratima Desai; Editing by Louise Heavens)
Crosta & Mollica's James Orr (Handout)

As jobs go, James Orrs takes the biscuit. Or 52 slightly different varieties of biscuit, at his last tasting. Orr is the entrepreneur behind Crosta & Mollica, the Italian food brand he has spent the past 13 years building into a 42 million-a-year empire.

He flies to Italy every three or four weeks, scouring their best bakeries and kitchens to find the best sweet biscuits and savoury snacks to add to his range.

Its definitely a job that involves eating a lot of Italian food, Orr, who is 50, laughs. He reckons hes tried thousands of breadsticks over the years - and his taste buds are clearly spot on: the entrepreneur's annual grissini sales would stretch around the world when placed end-to-end.

Crosta & Mollicas black and white stripy packaging has become a staple in foodie Londoners kitchens.

The company itself is light: we dont own any production sites, but work with a large number of different Italian producers, from small,family-owned bakeries in Puglia who make our grissini, to technology-packed industrial kitchens which retain the traditional ways of producing at scale.

It all started when Orr, who lives in Clapham and Guernsey, studied agriculture at university then secured a first job at a firm importing Italian peaches and nectarines for Sainsburys. They sent me around Italy and thats when I started to meet the farmers. I was travelling from region toregion, and learnt first-hand how much love Italians put into crafting their food. I believed the UK deserved a better quality of at-home Italian food - our supermarket shelves at the time had disparate brands, quality, and prices - no range on a shelf that was tied together. And I could see the way to do it.

So after, as Orr puts it, moonlighting for a while he quit his job in 2009, and spent 12 months finding suppliers and creating a brand: I had no money so I roped in a friend and together we came up with a basic black andwhite branding. He speculatively contacted a Waitrose buyer, who very generously guided me through the development of my distant Italian dream into a commercial proposition.

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When Crosta & Mollica - it translates as crust and crumb in Italian - launched in 2010, the first products were Pane Pugliese and Torinesibreadsticks. I spent a long, long time cultivating a great relationship with suppliers. Thats what made the difference.

Dealing with Italian suppliers also meant navigating Italys unspoken rules: I learnt - the hard way - that in a certain hotel in Naples, ifyou park you Fiat 500 outside the reception desk, it will be stolen. This happened to me twice before I realised it wasnt just unlucky! It was a nightmare because you cant simply tell the Hertz desk - I had to go to the local police station, fill in forms, and missed my flights home.

Whilst many start-ups today are hungry for big funding pots from the start, Orr was far more cautious. It was important to me that we wereprofitable from day one. Initially in 2009 I put in 50,000, from my savings and an Amex card. Then I remortgaged my home around two years later to continue to grow the business. Sticking to steady, organic growth meant Crosta &Mollica has not - until this month - raised funds: we have a strong balance sheet and the business is cash generative.

Turnover hit 5 million by 2016 - then came the Brexit vote. The EU referendum was a defining moment for us - the pound devalued overnight,causing our margins to disappear. It left us with no choice but to ask our suppliers to cut prices, and increase our prices to customers."

Orr worked hard to reassure European colleagues, and managed to grow the business to 22 million revenues by 2020  when, of course, came the pandemic.

The early reports of Covid 19 in Europe began in Italy - our UK warehouses started to become uncomfortable with lorries arriving from Italy and were refusing drivers permission to get out of their cabs, Orr recalls. Demand soared, though: we benefited from increased consumer demand seeking restaurant-qualityfood in the comfort of the home.

Crosta & Mollica is now sold across Waitrose, Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op, Ocado and elsewhere; sales grew 35% last year, withnew frozen desserts, gelato, pasta and sauces, plus ready meals. International expansion to France, Holland, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg now provides 12% of revenues.

This month it sealed investment from private equity backer Perwyn, which involved food industry veteran David Milner joining as chair."Im still enjoying the business as much as the day that I started it, says Orr, but we are significantly larger than I ever dreamed we would be.

Founded: 2009

Turnover: 42 million

HQ: ClaphamStaff: 25
Consumers in Montana and Wyoming will soon be able to support local girl entrepreneurs by ordering from the iconic cookie lineup, earning funds that fuel amazing experiences in outdoors, STEM, and beyond.

Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming (GSMW) will kick off their 2024 Girl Scout Cookie season in Montana and Wyoming on February 2, 2024, the annual event in which Girl Scouts unbox their futures as young female entrepreneurs through the worlds largest entrepreneurial program for girls.

During this highly-anticipated time of the year, girls flex their entrepreneurial muscles and acquire important life skills like goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to power Girl Scouts amazing experiences year-round.

This years theme, Unbox the Future, aims to remove social barriers that often keep girls boxed in. When bold, goal-getting Girl Scouts sell a package of cookies, theyre doing much more than whats seen at face value. Girl Scouts are entrepreneurial powerhouses creating a more equitable future for themselves and the world. Every box of cookies sold provides invaluable experiences for Girl Scouts such as service projects, troop travel, and summer camp.

This season, beginning February 2, cookie lovers can enjoy the full assortment of Girl Scout Cookies, including fan favorites such as Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, and Peanut Butter Patties. They can also enjoy Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Trefoils, Adventurefuls, Lemonades, Toast-Yay!, and gluten and allergen free Caramel Chocolate Chip.

Girl Scout Cookies in Montana and Wyoming will not see a price increase this year and will sell for $5 per package with the exception of the gluten and allergen free Caramel Chocolate Chip, which will sell for $6 per package.

How to Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Year

 Girl Scouts will take pre-orders February 2  February 18, with delivery in late March.

 Beginning February 16, customers who do not already know a Girl Scout will also be able to purchase cookies to be shipped directly to their homes by entering their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder. This link can also be used to find a local booth, purchase cookies and/or to donate cookies for local community causes.

 Cookies can be purchased at local Cookie Booths March 22  April 14.

 You can also text COOKIES to 59618 to stay informed about how to purchase Girl Scout Cookies and other exciting Girl Scout news. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions and the SMS Privacy Policy.

For 112 years, Girl Scouts and their enthusiastic supporters have helped ensure the success of the iconic annual cookie programand theyve had fun, developed valuable life skills, and made their communities a better place every step of the way. Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April, but local timing varies; visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to sign up to be notified as soon as your local troops begins selling in your area.
A Dubai-based tech venture company leader has warned Middle East startups against relying too heavily on artificial intelligence (AI), and in the process damage their prospects for sustainable growth.

Companies risk losing sight of other key business factors such as market research, customer feedback, and operational efficiency due to excessive reliance on technology, said Rashit Makhat, co-founder of Dubai tech venture company, Scalo Technologies.

Instead, he believes, they should focus on adopting wider ranging strategies, and also give their businesses a human touch.

AI has huge potential for greater efficiency, innovation, and disruptive impact, but the danger for startups is that an obsession with new tech can lead them astray, cautions Makhat.

Founders must think critically, adapt to new situations, analyse and solve problems effectively, work their way through complex situations, make tough decisions, and build strategies to achieve goals.

We rarely hear talk of human intelligence in todays tech-led business world. But the combination of problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are vitally important to startup development.

Research by PWC shows that AIs contribution to the Middle East economy is expected to grow annually between 20-34% to reach $320 billion by 2030.

Everyone is looking for the next revolutionary solution, says Makhat, who co-founded Scalo Technologies following 15 years of top-level experience in telecommunications, mining, information technology, and asset management in banking and real estate.

But successful startups understand that technology is just one piece of the puzzle, and know they must maintain a balance in the way they go about developing their business.

Who can guarantee which of todays brilliant ideas will become a long-term success? Relying solely on cutting-edge AI technology can be risky. Unproven algorithms or poorly understood models may damage reputation and business viability.

Makhat adds: By tailoring services to the unique needs of the region, and by prioritizing customer experience and localization, Middle East startups can navigate the tech landscape more effectively, making sure their growth is stable and sustainable.  TradeArabia News Service
Deutsche Telekom AG (ETR:DTE) will increase its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 15th of April to 0.77. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 3.4%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Prior to this announcement, Deutsche Telekom's dividend was comfortably covered by both cash flow and earnings. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

The next year is set to see EPS grow by 88.0%. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 35% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

XTRA:DTE Historic Dividend January 9th 2024

Deutsche Telekom Has A Solid Track Record

The company has an extended history of paying stable dividends. The dividend has gone from an annual total of 0.50 in 2014 to the most recent total annual payment of 0.77. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 4.4% over that duration. Although we can't deny that the dividend has been remarkably stable in the past, the growth has been pretty muted.

We Could See Deutsche Telekom's Dividend Growing

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. Deutsche Telekom has impressed us by growing EPS at 7.8% per year over the past five years. Since earnings per share is growing at an acceptable rate, and the payout policy is balanced, we think the company is positioning itself well to grow earnings and dividends in the future.

Deutsche Telekom Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

In summary, it is always positive to see the dividend being increased, and we are particularly pleased with its overall sustainability. Distributions are quite easily covered by earnings, which are also being converted to cash flows. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Deutsche Telekom that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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.
Tesla Inc. and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk, currently the richest man in the world, had an unconventional journey to the pinnacle of entrepreneurial success. As a teenager, he often followed his younger sister Tosca to clubs and parties seeking social interaction. This anecdote, as detailed in Walter Isaacson's biography "Elon Musk," portrays a stark contrast to his later life. Although he is a household name now, he hated being alone growing up.

Living in Toronto with his family, Musk's teenage years were spent mostly reading or working on the computer, while Tosca, described as a "saucy teenager" eager to socialize, would often venture out. Despite her objections, Musk insisted on accompanying her, albeit keeping his distance at her request. According to the biography, he had to stay 10 feet away at all times. He would carry a book to read at the clubs or parties they attended. This early inclination toward solitude and study was a precursor to Musk's innovative ventures in college.

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After relocating from South Africa to Canada for education at Queen's University in Ontario, he later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania on a scholarship in 1992. There, along with his roommate Adeo Ressi, Musk rented a large, off-campus frat house, which they transformed into a nightclub. This was a strategic decision to pay their rent, exemplifying Musk's early entrepreneurial skills. They charged a $5 entry fee for their nightclub, which featured blacklights, luminescent spray paint and metal junk sculptures, effectively turning their house into an unlicensed speakeasy.

Despite the raucous atmosphere of the parties, Musk was not one to indulge in the revelries. He was not a big drinker, and as he mentioned in Ashlee Vance's book "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future," he mostly stayed sober during these events, remarking, "Somebody had to stay sober during these parties."

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Trending: What decision made this 20-year-old a millionaire in 1 year?

His business-focused approach was further exemplified by instances where Musk would be found alone in his room playing video games, even as a party he organized was in full swing downstairs.

Musk's resilience and determination were also evident in his teenage years in South Africa, which were marked by challenging experiences of bullying some with instances leading to hospitalization. He described the environment as violent, akin to "Lord of the Flies," with bullying gangs targeting victims, including himself. His stand against bullying, where he defended another student, made him a target as well.

His transition from a young man desperate for social interaction to a leader in innovative ventures is a compelling story of personal growth and determination. Despite challenges, he managed to persevere. Musks establishment of Tesla, a trailblazer in electric vehicles, exemplifies this tenacity. His story offers inspiration not only to budding entrepreneurs but to anyone with a vision, urging them to persist. Investing in startups and innovative ideas not only offers the potential for major financial gains but also helps foster a future you believe in.

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This article Elon Musk Used To Tag Along With His Little Sister To Parties As A Teenager, But She Insisted He 'Stay 10 Feet Away' At All Times originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
No adverse findings on inspection of 30 Boeing 737 Max 8





NEW DELHI,

THE Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that checks and inspection of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft by Indian operators have been satisfactorily performed on the fleet, with no adverse findings. The development comes after Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft after one such plane had to make an emergency landing last week in Portland, Oregon, with a window and a part of the fuselage missing. On January 5, Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was involved in an incident of an in-flight departure of a mid-cabin door plug which resulted in rapid decompression of the airplane.

On January 6, the DGCA directed Indian air operators to carry out an immediate one-time inspection of the emergency exits on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently operating as part of their fleet. As a precautionary measure, DGCA on January 6 directed all Indian operators with Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to check the operation and proper closing of all over wing emergency exits by January 7, said Director General of the aviation watchdog, Vikram Dev Dutt. These checks have been satisfactorily performed on the operational fleet of Boeing B737-8 Max aircraft by Air India Express (four), SpiceJet (eight) and Akasa (20). Akasa Air fleet includes one B737-8200 aircraft which has a mid-cabin door on which the operational check has also been completed satisfactorily, he added.

A SpiceJet spokesman said: We have conducted a comprehensive examination of our Boeing 737 MAX fleet, as per the directives of the DGCA. No adverse findings were identified during this inspection. Our flight operations remained unaffected and continued to operate as usual. It is important to note that SpiceJet does not operate the B737-9 variant of the MAX. Akasa Air said that following the Alaska Airlines incident and the subsequent guideline issued by the DGCA, it has completed a thorough inspection of its entire fleet of in-service Boeing 737 Max aircraft. We can confirm that there are no adverse findings. We can also confirm that there was no disruption to our operations during this time. Akasa Air does not have any Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft in its fleet, the aircraft on which the incident occurred, said an airline spokesperson. Akasa Air fleet includes one B737-8200 aircraft.
DHAKA,

BANGLADESH Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured a record fourth straight term as her Awami League party won an overwhelming majority in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main Opposition BNP and its allies. Hasinas party won 223 seats in the 300-seat Parliament. Election was held for 299 seats. The election to one seat will be held later due to the death of a candidate, according to media reports. The main Opposition in Parliament, the Jatiya Party, got 11 seats, Bangladesh Kallyan party won in one constituency while independent candidates came out victorious in 62 seats. Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Workers Party of Bangladesh won one seat each. Hasina, 76. Also the President of Awami League, won the Gopalganj-3 constituency in a landslide victory, her eighth term as a Member of Parliament.

Hasina, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, secured a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term in the one-sided election, which witnessed the second-lowest turnout since the restoration of democracy in 1991. The turnout in the controversial February 1996 polls was 26.5 per cent, the lowest in Bangladeshs history. The turnout in Sundays election was 27.15 per cent at 3:00 pm, but after voting closed at 4:00 pm, the Election Commission estimated the final tally could stand at around 40 per cent, a 13 per cent jump in an hour.

India is a great friend, says Hasina: PRIME Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said India is a great friend of Bangladesh and the two neighbours have resolved many problems bilaterally, a day after she won an overwhelming majority in the general elections and secured a record fourth straight term.
BEYOND ROW





THERE is much more than what meets the eye in the row triggered by the derogatory remarks made by the deputy ministers of the current Maldives Government against Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. Though the Maldives Government has suspended these ministers, one should not forget that the action came after widespread criticism of the Maldivian leaders and calls for boycott on social media. The present Government in Maldives is led by Mr. Mohammed Muizzu and the dispensation under him is said to be pro-China. Since taking over as President of the archipelagic country, Mr. Muizzu made his first foreign visits to Turkey and China. This was clear enough an indication of departing from the convention of goodwill visits to immediate neighbour and long-time friend India. Considering that Turkey has been a sought-after destination for those backing separatism in Kashmir, and Turkeys stand on Kashmir issue, Mr. Muizzus visit there dropped enough hints of the change in the Maldivian approach towards India. His cosying up with China is no secret. China has been investing heavily in Maldives for quite some time and wielding influence on the latters political, cultural, academic, social, and diplomatic thinking.

China has been doing this to counter the Indian traditional and cultural goodwill in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). So, after pushing Sri Lanka into deep financial morass, China turned to Maldives. Either not realising or being blind to it, some Maldivian political leaders started toeing the China line. Chinas backing brought these leaders to power in Maldives. Since taking over the reigns of the island nation, Mr. Muizzu-led dispensation has started needling India. Despite India being a long-time friend in need, Maldivian leaders started according priority to self-interest over the larger Maldivian interest. After waiting patiently for quite some time for Maldives to mend its ways, it appears that India has decided to consolidate herself in the IOR. Probably, it is out of this geopolitical compulsion created by Maldives uncalled for China appeasement policy, that India decided to consolidate her presence in the scenic Lakshadweep. Mr. Modi, who has been sincerely following the neighbours first policy, did not do anything to affect Maldives adversely. He simply visited the Indian territory of Lakshadweep and showcased its captivating beauty to the world. The response has been fantastic. Many have started considering Lakshadweep as alternative to Maldives for beach tourism. This boost will automatically help India geopolitically too.

For, with increase in the flow of tourists come a lot of other things including improvement in transport, communications, security apparatus, infrastructure development, people-to-people connect. Those visiting Lakshadweep from other countries, will indeed be pleased and proud to mention of their visit to Indian destination. One can say, the derogatory remarks by three political leaders have backfired on Maldives as a whole. Though the Maldives Government has suspended them, Maldives will have to do more to restore trust in bilateral ties, to its own advantage. It must exercise caution while dealing with a financially crumbling Communist China. Also, it will have to ensure that its public figures maintain decency and decorum and do not turn into ordinary social media activists. Maldives must realise that India has been its unwavering and time-tested friend. As for India, she will continue with goodwill with neighbours. At the same time, she will continue focus on Lakshadweep as part of a new rightful push in the IOR.
BIS observes Foundation Day





Business Reporter

BUREAU of Indian Standards (BIS), Nagpur Branch celebrated 77th Foundation Day of BIS on Saturday at Hotel Centre Point Nagpur. BIS (formerly ISI), a statutory body under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is responsible for standardisation, marking and quality certification in India. Hemant Ade, Head, Nagpur branch, BIS unfolded the history of standardisation in India. He elaborated the operations of BIS and the benefit that the organisation brings to the consumers. Sandesh Gokanwar, Deputy Director, BIS gave a presentation on latest standards of BIS. Piyush Wasekar, Joint Director was also present. On this occasion, 77 licensee manufacturers were felicitated with memento for their consistent product quality standards.

M/s Megataj, Nagpur and Sanskar Wahini Gram Vikas Shikshan Sanstha, a Amravati-based NGO were felicitated for their contribution in consumer awareness. While proposing vote of thanks, Piyush Wasekar, Joint Director, BIS appealed manufacturers to achieve new heights of product quality standards. BIS in association with seven licensee manufacturers presented sports kits for school students to seven schools. BIS has been forming Standards Club at different schools to generate awareness in kids about product quality. Students who exceled in different activities were felicitated with certificates and cash prizes.
Borderless Haze





By Helena Varkkey

GOVERNMENTS, civil society and the international community need to work fast to combat the threat of smoke haze in Southeast Asia. Fire haze returned to southeast Asia in 2023 after several years of respite due to COVID-19 slowdowns. But as an El Nino settles in, the clock is ticking as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) works to develop a new action plan after an independent review found that the vision of the original roadmap, of a Haze-Free ASEAN by 2020, has not been fully achieved. The clock is ticking as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) works to develop a new Haze-Free Roadmap after an independent review found that the vision of the original roadmap, of a Haze-Free ASEAN by 2020, has not been fully achieved. Haze severely disrupts regional economies by reducing productivity and tourism while increasing emergency medical spending. The 2015 haze was estimated to have cost USD 16 billion in Indonesia alone, while a less severe episode in 2019 cost an estimated USD 5 billion. The biomass particles making up the haze are extremely dangerous to human health. As small as 2.5 microns, the particles can easily enter the lungs and bloodstream. This can cause short- and long-term respiratory, dermatological and ophthalmological problems, especially in young children and adults. The 2015 haze episode caused 40,000 to 100,000 additional deaths in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, according to studies.

And recent research suggests people regularly exposed to significant levels of air pollution can be more susceptible to diseases such as COVID-19. With Southeast Asians having already spent decades intermittently breathing in smoke haze, the return of this form of air pollution is of great concern. Most haze-producing fires occur in disturbed peat swamps in Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo), on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and to a lesser extent in Malaysia. Peat swamps are naturally waterlogged, but when they are drained for agriculture the carbon-rich soil dries out quickly and becomes extremely fire-prone. Fires occur intentionally (to prepare the land for planting) and accidentally (from lightning or cigarette butts). Peat fires can burn for long periods underground, and they release especially potent smoke that can travel across vast distances and national boundaries. They are also close to impossible to suppress without heavy rainfall. In especially bad episodes, haze can reach almost all Southeast Asian nations. The haze is transboundary not only in its effects but also in its causes. Alongside local commercial palm-oil and pulpwood plantations operating on peat, foreign plantations have been linked to fires. Malaysian interests own 18 per cent to 30 per cent of Indonesian palm-oil plantations, and Singaporean firms also feature prominently.

Even though large-scale intentional burning to clear land has decreased over the years thanks to increased scrutiny, commercial drainage and water-management operations often disrupt peat hydrology in and around plantations. This can increase the risk of large-scale fires in surrounding communities. Laws and regulations prohibit large-scale plantations in sensitive, fire-prone peatlands, but they are rarely enforced. Patronclient networks are commonplace in the business culture of Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations. In these symbiotic relationships the person with the higher socioeconomic position (patron) exercises their influence and resources to provide for the person of lower status (client) in exchange for support, assistance and services. In the case of plantations, Government patrons' often shield their business clients' from scrutiny and punishment. This results in a culture of impunity: only a handful of companies have been prosecuted for causing fires. National pride comes into play too, and patronage can function even across borders: the home governments of foreign plantations have defended their companies against accusations of causing haze. Complaints and requests from affected countries to Indonesia to control its fires often dissolve into finger-pointing as each country blames the others plantations for causing the fires. Haze has also sparked diplomatic rows.

Indonesia has infamously labelled complaining neighbours as being ungrateful for the fresh air that Indonesia provides them outside the haze season, and Indonesia has openly chided Singapore for putting into place an extraterritorial law that would hold liable any entity that causes haze in Singapore. The complex transboundary nature of the problem means haze cannot be addressed by any individual country. Even the solutions offered by ASEAN have been underwhelming. It is notable that one of the only legally binding agreements under ASEAN is the 2002 Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, but its operationalisation has been hampered by delayed ratification by Indonesia, lack of clarity over the functions of the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre and uncoordinated assistance efforts. Still, hope for clean air in Southeast Asia remains. The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, the world's most recognisable multi-stakeholder certification scheme for palm-oil production, includes principles and criteria related to peatlands and fires. And work continues on the new Haze-Free Roadmap. Civil-society movements such as the Clean Air Network in Thailand, PM Haze in Singapore and CERAH in Malaysia have worked to keep haze on the public (and, therefore, Government) agenda even outside the haze season. As El Nino continues to bring drier weather to the region into the next year, action at local, national and international levels could stop the progress of recent years from going up in smoke.(360info)
Conduct School Connect drive State Government to universities





Staff Reporter

With an aim to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), Maharashtra Government has asked universities to conduct School Connect drive. Government feels this step shall have positive impact regarding implementation of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. All non-agricultural universities in the State are expected to conduct this drive. Government has noticed that the per centage of students not being able to take higher education after Class 12 is high. Government has observed that Class 12 students are the most affected by the changes in curriculum and many students are dropping out after junior college due to many obstacles. This has resulted in creation of vacancy in the colleges running higher education courses. Government feels the School Connect drive can bring these students into mainstream. The universities can think upon introducing on-line courses for these students. The drive is to be conducted between January 15 and January 31, 2024. Universities have to constitute committee at their level headed by Pro Vice Chancellor. The committee will have all the Deans, members of Inter Quality Assurance Cell, Principals of important senior colleges affiliated to university, Headmasters of junior colleges attached to schools, students representatives, as its members.

Government had run the school connect campaign for Class 10 students in the past. During the campaign, polytechnic colleges were at the forefront. The campaign focused on the diploma engineering courses. It led to rise in GER in diploma courses. Government has taken a leaf out of its own book to conduct the same drive for Class 12 students. As part of the NEP Connect campaign, universities will familiarise the students and their parents with the hands-on, multi-disciplinary and flexible courses envisaged under the new policy. They will also be made aware of online and distance learning opportunities as well as various scholarship schemes. This drive will not only guide students and parents on various initiatives and changes in the education system under NEP in detail, but also make them aware of every component about NEP. Government noticed impact of upcoming curriculum changes on Class 12 students enrolling in degree colleges next year. It also highlighted the concern of students discontinuing education after junior college. Government is mulling over running similar campaign for final year graduation students, giving them information on post-graduation opportunities. Under this drive or even after it, universities are supposed to hold activities like generating database of Class XII students, conducting workshops for students and parents.
Congress holds political affairs committee meeting for upcoming Lok Sabha polls





BHOPAL,

Madhya Pradesh Congress on Monday held a meeting of the State Election Committee and Political Affairs Committee in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections at the State Congress office in Bhopal. State Congress chief Jitu Patwari, AICC incharge of the State Jitendra Singh, former CM Kamal Nath, Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh and other leaders were present in the meeting. During this discussions were held in detail about the strategies for the upcoming 2024 general elections. After leaving the meeting, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath told reporters, During the meeting, a complete planning was done about upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Everyone expressed their views and everyone had their contributions. There is no disappointment anywhere in the party, everyone is in great enthusiasm and it is also necessary.

We talked about many topics in which it was discussed what will be the procedure for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, talking about Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) issues, the Congress leader added that they also discussed about EVMs in the meeting but whatever the final decision about it will be taken in Delhi. Notably, after facing an unexpected defeat in the recently concluded state assembly polls, the Congress party changed its party president in the state. Since then, the Congress has been holding meetings continuously in view preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Madhya Pradesh went to poll for 230 assembly seats in a single phase on November 17 last year and the counting of votes was done on December 3. Out of 230 assembly seats in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 163 seats, while the Congress party won only 66 seats and Bharatiya Adivasi Party won one seat.
Logo of the Spanish pharmaceuticals company Grifols is pictured on their facilities in Parets del Valles

By Nell Mackenzie

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in Grifols fell as much as over 40% on Tuesday, wiping $3.83 billion off its market value, after hedge fund Gotham City Research questioned its accounting, prompting the Spanish drugmaker to "categorically" deny any wrongdoing.

Below are some of the main points from the report and company comments - translated from Spanish - from a response it had sent to the Spanish financial regulator and shared with Reuters.

OVERSTATED EARNINGS

Gotham City Research said that Grifols received almost all of its earnings from so-called "non-controlling interests."

These satellite companies a few of which the shortseller focused on in its report, include blood donation firm Haema AG, plasma donation company BPC Plasma and testing firm Grifols Diagnostics Solutions, account for 96.8% of the company's profits, the report says.

However, Scranton Enterprises, a family office set up by members of the Grifols founding family, also reports earnings from the same subsidiaries, according to the report, which said Grifols sold Haema AG and BPC Plasma to Scranton Enterprises in 2018.

Both Scranton Enterprises and Grifols cannot claim those earnings at the same time, the report said.

Grifols said in its statement to the regulator that under a management contract it continued to manage the plasma centers of Biotest and Haema and bought all the plasma obtained by these companies. It did not address Gotham's claim of double-reporting of profits in its statement to the regulator or in its response to a Reuters request for comment about that claim.

OWNERSHIP OF HAEMA AG AND BPC PLASMA

Grifols reports the earnings of Haema AG and BPC Plasma on its accounts because it has an option to buy back the two companies' shares, Gotham City says. But the shortseller argues that counting earnings from companies that it doesn't own is "highly suspect."

In its statement to the regulator, Grifols said that accounting rules meant it did have control of these companies through voting rights attached to the options.

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UNDERSTATED DEBT

While Grifols included satellite companies' earnings in its accounts, the firms' debts are not included in Grifols accounts, and would add to its debt burden if they were, says Gotham City.

A $95 million loan to Scranton Enterprises in 2018, is not disclosed in Grifols filings and only appears in Scranton filings, the report says.

Nothing material is hidden here, Grifols said in its statement. Scranton Plasma, which bought Biotest and Haema, asked for financing from "credit institutions" and a lender required Grifols to provide a "vendor's financing" loan to Scranton Plasma for the transaction, the company said. Grifols is not affected in any way by the loan, did not participate in its negotiation, does not have the power to finance it and is not its guarantor, said the statement.

Grifols was involved in a share stake sale of one of its U.S. diagnostics subsidiaries with Shanghai RAAS (SRAAS) but has not removed its total earnings from accounts, says the Gotham City report.

Grifols says under the sale terms and agreement it could still recognize these earnings on its accounts.

The Gotham City report also said that Scranton Enterprises, the Grifols' family entity, was highly leveraged and if it were to fail, that would be material to Grifols because of the debt owed between the companies.

Grifols said in its statement that transactions between the two entities have been recorded on the books of the company and in its public accounts, presented to the Spanish regulator and the company has filed forms with the SEC in the United States, so there is no new information that can be considered hidden, Grifols said in its statement.

SHORTSELLER PROFITS

General Industrial Partners, a joint venture between hedge funds Gotham City Research and Portsea Asset Management took a short position of 0.57% in Grifols on Jan. 8, a regulatory filing with the Spanish regulator CNMV shows.

The hedge funds would have made around 20 million euros in profit when Grifols shares tumbled by up to 40% after Gotham City's report was published.

Grifols said in its statement it did not understand the report's " interpretation" unless its only objective was to lower the company's share price and profit from it.

Grifols said in its statement to the regulator it planned to issue another response regarding aspects of the business mentioned in the Gotham City report.

($1 = 0.9142 euros)

(Reporting by Nell Mackenzie; Edited by Amanda Cooper and Tomasz Janowski)
Diplomatic Row: India summons Maldivian envoy





NEW DELHI :

THE Maldivian envoy to India was on Monday summoned to the External Affairs Ministry and was conveyed strong concern over remarks in social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a number of Ministers of the Maldives, sources said. The Government of the Maldives on Sunday suspended three Deputy Ministers for derogatory social media posts against Modi.

The three Deputy Ministers used disparaging comments against Modi for his post on X following his visit to Lakshadweep, inferring that it was an attempt to project the Union Territory as an alternative tourist destination to the Maldives. According to Maldivian media reports, Deputy Ministers in the Youth Ministry, Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoom Majid, have been suspended over their posts. In New Delhi, official sources on Sunday said the Indian high commission in Male strongly raised the matter with the Maldivian Foreign Ministry. Amid the row, Indian high commissioner to Male Munu Muhawar held a pre-arranged meeting with a senior Maldivian diplomat on Monday. High Commissioner Munu Mahawar had a pre-arranged meeting with H.E. Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at MoFA, Maldives, on Monday to discuss bilateral issues, the Indian high commission in the Maldives said on X. The remarks by the Ministers have drawn flak in India, with many celebrities urging people on X to explore domestic tourist destinations instead of going to the Maldives.

There were also posts on social media claiming that some Indians are cancelling their scheduled trip to the Maldives in view of the row. The Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the Government is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and that the personal views do not represent its position. The Government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the Government of Maldives, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

JOIN Remarks against PM Modi do not represent views of Maldives: Male tells Indian envoy MALE, Jan 8 (PTI) THE Maldivian Government on Monday informed Indias High Commissioner Munu Muhawar that the derogatory remarks made by three now-suspended Deputy Ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not represent its views. The Indian High Commissioner had a pre-arranged meeting Dr Ali Naseer Mohamed, the Ambassador-at-Large at the Foreign Ministry.
Special general body meeting of Dharampeth Mahila Society held





Business Reporter

The Dharampeth Mahila Multi-State Co-op Societys special general body meetingconcluded recently at the head quarters of the society located at Sitaram Bhawan, opposite Hanuman Mandir, Shivaji Nagar, Ram Nagar Square, Nagpur. The agenda was tabling the amendments made in 2023 to by-laws of Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002 before due submission to Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, New Delhi.

Nilima Bawane, President of the society and Sarika Pendse, Vice-President addressed the meeting. Following the agenda, the by-laws were tabled. The president elaborated on the details to attendees those included members, office bearers, Board of Directors and account holders. The tabled proposal was passed with consensus and the same will be duly submitted to the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, New Delhi. Dipali Ghonge compared the meeting and Neelam Bowade proposed a vote of thanks.
Tourism circuit master plan Ajit Pawar seeks district-wise blueprint for Nagpur Divn





Staff Reporter

Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance and Planning Minister, has asked the officers to prepare district-wise tourism circuit master plan for Nagpur Division. Accordingly, he has assured, State will make available requisite funds for tourism development. Pawar issued the directions and gave the assurance while virtually addressing a meeting called to take stock of the draft district annual plans for six districts in Nagpur Division, for the year 2024-25. The meeting was held on Monday. State Government has set the ceiling of Rs 1,423 crore for district plans in Nagpur Division. For the six districts in Nagpur Division, the collective size of proposed annual plans is Rs 1,506 crore. This includes Rs 83 crore special provision for urban areas. Besides, there is additional demand of Rs 4,598 crore, it was stated.

Under the district annual plans for the year 2023-24, the districts in Nagpur Division got Rs 1,558 crore. Of this, an amount of only Rs 614 crore could be utilised till January 5, 2024. Raising concerns over only 39.41 per cent utilisation of allocated funds till the said date, Ajit Pawar asked the officials concerned to expedite utilisation of the funds. The authorities of the respective districts submitted their additional demands for the year 2024-25 for consideration of State-level Planning Committee. During the meeting, Ajit Pawar said that tourists in big numbers visited the tiger projects in Nagpur Division. Hence, it is essencial to create necessary infrastructure including transport and communication facilities. He asked the Divisional Commissioner of Nagpur to prepare a comprehensive tourism circuit development plan. Apart from tourism, private sector investment should come to the industries in Nagpur Division.
Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra becomes journey of country: Modi





Delhi Bureau & Agencies

NEW DELHI,

ASSERTING that the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has not only become the journey of a Government but of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said when the poor, farmers, women and youth are empowered, the nation will become powerful. Addressing the Yatra in various parts of the country via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said that under earlier Governments, the scope of discussions on agricultural policy was only limited to production and sale, neglecting the various issues faced by farmers daily. Our Government has made all-out efforts to ease every difficulty of the farmers, Modi said. In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi also talked about the transfer of at least Rs 30,000 to every farmer through PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, promotion of cooperation in agriculture with organisations like PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Society) and Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO), increase in storage facilities and the boost to food processing industry.

The Prime Minister said that Toor or Arhar dal farmers can now sell their produce directly to the Government online, ensuring purchase at MSP and better prices in the market. The scope of this scheme will be extended to other pulses also, he added. Our effort is that the money we send abroad to buy pulses should be available to the farmers of the country, he said. He reiterated that the main goal of the Yatra is to ensure that no deserving beneficiary of the Government schemes is left out. Referring to the buzz about the Modi ki guarantee, the Prime Minister dwelled on the rationale of covering beneficiaries in a mission mode and also underlined the link between the resolution of Viksit Bharat (developed Bharat) and the saturation of schemes coverage.

Earlier, Modi also interacted with beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra via video conferencing as they hailed the Government initiatives. Thousands of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra beneficiaries from across the country along with Union Ministers, MPs, MLAs and local-level representatives joined the event. Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi noted that the Yatra completed 50 days recently and has connected with about 11 crore people. Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra has become not only the journey of the Government but also the journey of the country, he said.
Astrobotic Technology, the company behind the lunar lander attempting the first US return to the moon, officially conceded it would not reach its ultimate goal.

Late Monday, the Pittsburgh-based firm released a statement, saying an ongoing propellant leak was causing the Peregrine landers Altitude Control System thrusters to operate well beyond their expected life cycles.

The company added the lander would only be capable of operating 40 more hours at most.

At this time, the goal is to get the Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses its ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power, the company said.

The historic attempt to return to the lunar surface appeared to be off to a successful start on Monday after it lifted off at 2:18 a.m. ET aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket developed by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Boeing (BA).

The launch at Cape Canaveral, Fla., marked the inaugural voyage for the Vulcan Centaur and a win for United Launch Alliance, which aims to rival Elon Musk's SpaceX in bringing payloads to space.

The brand new rocket, United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur, lifts off from Space Launch Complex 41d in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 8, 2024, for its maiden voyage, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, which was intended to make a moon landing. (GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images) (GREGG NEWTON via Getty Images)

But Astrobotics lunar lander hit a major snag hours later after it suffered a problem with its propulsion system.

In a statement, the company said the system failure was causing a critical loss of propellant that prevented the spacecraft from pointing towards the sun, a function critical to generating solar energy to power the lunar lander.

On Monday afternoon, Astrobotic shared the first image captured by the Peregrine in space, saying the spacecrafts battery had been fully charged. The company added it would use the Peregrines existing power to perform as many payload and spacecraft operations as possible.

The company worked to assess its options while attempting to stabilize the issue throughout the day, but it ultimately concluded that the leak was too significant.

(1/4) Weve received the first image from Peregrine in space! The camera utilized is mounted atop a payload deck and shows Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) in the foreground. pic.twitter.com/dUuu0Idz8K  Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 8, 2024

The incident marks a major setback for the USs attempt to return to the moon, more than 50 years after the Apollo mission. Astrobotic was vying to become the first commercial space company to land an aircraft on the surface of the moon, with a potential moon landing slated for Feb. 23.

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It took a while for technology to advance to the point where we could affordably, routinely, regularly get to the surface of the moon, CEO John Thornton said in an interview with Yahoo Finance ahead of the launch. The stars have aligned for the moon, if you will.

Thornton and his team placed their first bet on the Peregrine lunar lander, a small-class spacecraft developed inside its 47,000-square-foot facility, though Astrobotic touted it had ambitions beyond a lunar landing, including building out infrastructure in anticipation of astronauts and space tourists eventually spending longer periods there.

To crack the nut of the moon, we need the infrastructure and resources to begin to start to work, Thornton said. The more we can remove our tether of reliance on earths resources and we travel into space, the more we become true space explorers and ultimately space settlers.

A successful landing by the Peregrine would have marked a major milestone in the private space race that has spawned a $470 billion industry globally.

While early Apollo missions were driven by government agencies like NASA, the rapid growth in private space companies has led to a surge in new missions stemming from private-public partnerships, focused on scientific research and space exploration. Musks SpaceX alone has operated eight manned space flights to the International Space Station in partnership with NASA.

Yet, commercial success on the moon has remained elusive. An attempt by Japans ispace to land the first commercial lander on the lunar surface fell short in 2023 when its Hakuto-R lunar lander miscalculated the altitude and crashed.

Astrobotic said it secured multiple contracts with NASA valued at roughly $450 million in the lead-up to the launch. For the Peregrine mission alone, NASA paid Astrobotic $108 million to send research instruments to the moon as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, NASA said it was working with Astrobotic to better understand the propulsion issue. The space agency reaffirmed its support for Astrobotic, acknowledging the challenges that space missions present.

We are working with @Astrobotic to identify the root cause of the propulsion issue and evaluate how it affects NASAs five science investigations aboard the spacecraft.



Space is hard. We support our vendors and look forward to learning all we can. https://t.co/0J9gbuuUCh  NASA (@NASA) January 8, 2024

But Thornton hinted at potential ramifications of a failed mission earlier this year, telling CNN that failure to land on the moon would have some impact on the companys ability to secure additional missions in the future.

It certainly wouldnt be the end of the business, but it would certainly be challenging, he said.

Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Griffin Global Asset Management

DUBLIN, Ireland, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Griffin Global Asset Management (Griffin) is pleased to announce the delivery of two new Airbus A350-900 aircraft on long term lease to Air France. These aircraft delivered in December 2023 and bring the number of Griffin Airbus A350 aircraft on lease to Air France to four. All four aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines.



These two year-end deliveries reflect the strong level of trust and cooperation that we enjoy with Air France, building on our decades-long relationship. We are excited to continue supporting the airline group as it renews its long-haul fleet with fuel efficient and technologically advanced aircraft. We look forward to working closely with the Air France team again in the future, said Marc Baer, President of Griffin.

About Griffin Global Asset Management

Griffin is a commercial aircraft leasing and alternative asset management business with offices in Dublin, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and Los Angeles, CA. Griffins team of aviation professionals works closely with airlines, OEMs, and financiers to deliver customized fleet solutions and innovative financing products to airlines globally.

For more information visit www.griffingam.ie or www.griffingam.com

Press Inquiries

James Moriarty

jmoriarty@griffingam.ie

Lauren Groom

lgroom@griffingam.com




Photo by Pat Arnow @patarnow She writes: The December light makes spectacular shadows from fire escapes. This is Ideal Hosiery on Grand Street, a crumbling relic of the Lower East Side.

In the news this past week:

Millions of dollars in city and state funding will help realize the vision of a self-filtering pool in the East River. [The New York Times]

Theres only one licensed cannabis shop on the Lower East Side, and dozens of illegal sellers. The situation illustrates just how badly New York has handled the rollout of marijuana legalization a year after the State Legislature acted to bring, order and justice to the market. [The City]

Kushner Cos. sells six East Village buildings for more than $50 million. [Crains]

Police finally remove some barriers along Park Row in Chinatown, but the job isnt done yet. [Streetsblog]

The Clemente announces that a multi-million dollar restoration of the historic former school building housing the LES arts center will begin in March. [website]

January agendas for Community Board 3. [CB3]

The Tenement Museum opens an exhibition focused on the household of two Black New Yorkers. [Hyperallergic]

Luke Fracher has brought a sense of adventure to the resell scene on the Lower East Side, letting shoppers into his zany minds eye one archival piece at a time. [Office Magazine]
Its a good time to look back at a man called the sausage king whose meaty enterprise extended throughout the Rochester area.

Ludwig Gsellmeier was the founder of Gsellmeier Sausage shops and onetime proprietor of several local restaurants. His company produced about 45 varieties of German-style sausages and had six shops at its peak, including on North Clinton Avenue and at Midtown Plaza and Long Ridge (Greece) and Eastview (Victor) malls.

From its Bay Street plant, the family-run Gsellmeiers cranked out 15,000 pounds of sausage weekly. The business was heavily involved with local Oktoberfest celebrations and Gsellmeiers was known as Rochesters official Oktoberfest sausage maker.

The restaurants that Gsellmeier owned at various times include the Hof Brau Haus on Lyell Avenue, the German House on Gregory Street and, briefly, Eddies Chop House on Main Street. The list also includes several Bratwurst Haus restaurants that Gsellmeier opened.

My motto is work hard, eat hard, and drink hard, Gsellmeier said in a 1972 Upstate Magazine article.

Ludwig Gsellmeier, the "sausage king" of Rochester, was planning to open Gsellmeier's Bratwurst Haus when this photo was taken in 1976.

He learned his craft in his native Germany and became a master sausage maker after a years-long apprenticeship.

I make my sausage like my father, and like my grandfather before him, Gsellmeier said in a 1980 Democrat and Chronicle story. My family has had sausage shops in Germany for about 200 years.

Gsellmeier left Germany in 1955, settled in Rochester with $6 in his pocket and later brought his wife, Roswitha, and son, Reinhard, to the U.S. Ludwig opened his first shop on North Clinton Avenue the following year.

As his family grew to include a daughter and another son, the business also grew. Gsellmeier bought the Hof Brau Haus around 1963 and ran the place for about seven years. He purchased the old German Club in 1968 and turned the barroom-restaurant in the basement into a Bavarian-style restaurant that he named the German House.

The atmosphere of the restaurants was painstakingly bona fide. The German House featured waitresses dressed in German attire, lederhosen-clad dancers, and walls covered by murals depicting the Bavarian Alps and the German countryside  and, of course, plenty of German food. The German-born bartender had worked there since the 1920s.

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Ludwig Gsellmeier, shown in 1980, made his sausages along with a son and an employee.

His restaurant doesnt just look like a German Rathskeller  it is one, says Gsellmeier, Mandi Harris wrote in that Upstate story. All it needs for total authenticity is a Bavarian street address. Gsellmeier sold the German House around 1972.

The heart of the empire, though, was the sausage business. Gsellmeier resisted sometimes lucrative offers to franchise the business and opened more and more shops over the years. The one in Midtown was advertised as Next to the Clock (the landmark Clock of Nations).

Gsellmeier started early and worked long hours every day and proudly declared that he used only quality meats and seasonings and all-natural casings. There were no artificial colors, synthetic dyes or fillers in Gsellmeier sausages. The vast product line included frankfurters, bratwurst, knackwurst, liverwurst and a house specialty called weisswurst, a pale Bavarian sausage made with veal and a little pork and flavored with chives and parsley.

The sausage-making was done by Ludwig Gsellmeier, his younger son, John, and employee Richard Paul.

Jackie Redrupp described the operation in the 1980 Democrat and Chronicle story: By the time most of us are just starting work, hundreds of pounds of several different kinds of sausage have been prepared by the three men and are either hanging on racks to dry, hanging in the smokehouse, simmering in huge vats, or maturing in a giant walk-in cooler.

Roswitha Gsellmeier oversaw the books and Reinhard handled the sales end. The Gsellmeiers daughter, Heidi, worked for the Al Sigl Center and was not involved with the business.

The Bratwurst Haus restaurants began opening in the 1970s. Wants ads seeking employees appealed for German-speaking preferred.

By 1982, Ludwig Gsellmeier took a stab at another kind of restaurant when he bought the legendary Eddies Chop House, which had closed the previous year. Gsellmeier kept the Eddies name and introduced some of his German cuisine to go along with longtime favorites served at Eddies.

That venture only lasted a year or so. When Gsellmeier closed Eddies in 1983, he told a reporter, Im mainly in the sausage business, and the restaurant was just too much for me.

Ludwig Gsellmeier closed his sausage business and his restaurants in late 1987 and retired.

Soon enough, the sausage business and the Bratwurst Haus restaurants ended, also. Ludwig Gsellmeier retired in 1987 and sold off his many businesses. He and Roswitha divided their time between homes in Florida and the Conesus Lake area.

Ludwig Gsellmeier, Rochesters sausage king, died of cancer in 1993 at age 64.

As his son, Reinhard, said in a 1993 Democrat and Chronicle obituary, He never weighed anything when he made sausage. It was more an art than a science. Its not everyone who could become a master sausage maker.

Its not everyone who could make food that fed Rochester-area residents for so many years, either.

Alan Morrell is a Rochester-area freelance writer. This story was originally published in July 2018 as part of the Whatever Happened To series.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Ludwig Gsellmeier was the Sausage King of Rochester NY
At a stock price of around $25 a share, Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) is the lowest-weighted component of the price-weighted Dow Jones Industrial Average. But years of dividend raises paired with an underperforming stock price helped propel Walgreens' dividend yield to nearly 10% in late November, when the stock was selling off with no end in sight.

At the time, Walgreens was the highest-yielding stock in the Dow and briefly surpassed Altria Group as the highest-yielding stock in the entire S&P 500. That all changed on Jan. 4, when Walgreens announced a 48% dividend cut, reducing the quarterly payout from $0.48 a share to $0.25.

In an instant, Walgreens lost its crown as the highest-yielding Dow stock. Today, its forward yield is around just 4%, which is still far higher than the average yield in the S&P 500 or Dow but a far cry from the status it used to enjoy.

Let's reflect on how Walgreens got here, why it cut its dividend, and what investors can learn from this to make wise decisions.

Image source: Getty Images.

An abysmal performance

Over the last 20 years, Walgreens stock is down 30%, even after the recent rally over a month or so. When factoring in dividends, it is only up 12.4% compared to a 528.7% total return in the S&P 500.

The following chart is disappointing. Years of dividend raises were wiped away, paired with the backdrop of a poor-performing stock price.

WBA Chart

The wrong way to become a Dividend King

Red flags were leading up to this moment. In the early 2000s and even the early 2010s, Walgreens made sizable dividend raises yearly. But over the last five years or so, management was making minimal raises -- just $0.01 or $0.02 per share per quarter (or even less).

Companies sometimes make minimal raises to continue their streak of consecutive dividend increases (I'm looking at you, 3M). Walgreens had raised its dividend for 47 consecutive years.

Just three more years would have given it the coveted Dividend King status, putting it on an elite list of companies that have paid and raised their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years. But labels can be deceiving.

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Other Dividend Kings, like Procter & Gamble or Illinois Tool Works, use higher earnings to fund dividend raises and are not just raising them to appease investors. And because earnings are growing, the market views both businesses as more valuable, which is why both stocks have done well over the long term.

Walgreens tried to achieve the Dividend King distinction by raising its payout despite a languishing business and an underperforming stock price.

Valuable lessons

Walgreens' recent dividend cut reminds investors of a few key lessons. First, a dividend is only as strong as the underlying business. And the ability to sustainably raise dividends over time depends on operational performance, not making the minimal raise to try to achieve a certain distinction.

Another lesson is that a high yield doesn't tell the full story. In the case of Walgreens, investors holding the stock for the last 20 years would have underperformed the risk-free rate even when factoring in dividends and missed out on an incredible growth period in the broader market.

Many Dividend Kings have a yield of 3% or less. But that's partly because the stock prices of top Dividend Kings go up as much or more than the growth rate of the dividend.

For example, Illinois Tool Works' stock is up over 86% in the last five years compared to a 40% increase in the dividend, while P&G is up 48.5% and its dividend is up 26.1%. Because both stock prices are up by more than the dividend has increased, the yield is lower today than it was five years ago.

In this vein, viewing the yield in a vacuum is a big mistake because it can overly reward underperforming stocks and punish well-performing stocks. By comparison, Walgreens stock is down by more than 65% in the last five years. And after the recent cut, its dividend is down 43.2%.

So ultimately, Walgreens' brief stint with the highest yield in the Dow and the S&P 500 meant very little, as investors would have been better off in cash over the last five years than collecting a dividend from a falling knife like Walgreens.

Avoid the allure of a high yield

No matter your risk tolerance or investment time horizon, it's important not to pass on an excellent company and instead go for a not-as-good company just because it has a higher yield.

Focusing on the business itself -- how it is doing, where it is going, and if future dividend raises are feasible -- is a better use of your time than trying to juice your portfolio with a bit of extra passive income.

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(Bloomberg) -- Juniper Networks Inc. jumped the most in nearly two decades on news that the company is in advanced talks to be sold to Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Most Read from Bloomberg

HPE may acquire Juniper for about $13 billion, a person familiar with the discussions said, asking not to be named disclosing private information. An announcement could come as soon as Tuesday, the person said, pending no last-minute snags.

Juniper shares jumped 23% to $37.27 Tuesday morning in New York, the highest since Jan. 16 2004, giving the company a market value of $11.7 billion. HPE shares dropped as much as 9%, the most intraday in more than seven months, reflecting investors view that any potential tie-up would be better for Juniper than HPE, especially at this price.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported on the deal talks. Representatives from HPE declined to comment. Juniper declined to comment on Monday evening and didnt reply to a new request for comment on Tuesday.

HPE, a nearly century-old technology company that was spun out of the iconic Hewlett-Packard in 2015, has recreated itself as a cloud-services provider and is now focused on expanding its more lucrative businesses such as high-powered computing. But it has struggled to grow at more than about 2% over the past few years and in November the company gave a revenue forecast that fell short of analysts estimates after reporting a steep decline in server sales.

Spring, Texas-based HPEs stock lagged behind most tech companies in 2023, increasing 6.4% while the S&P Information Technology Index jumped 56%. Investors have been concerned about the strength of corporate purchasing of office technology, particularly servers and storage. Chief Executive Officer Antonio Neri has said that customer demand for these products has stabilized and is improving and will be helped by the interest in artificial intelligence.

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Analysts at Morgan Stanley said buying Juniper wouldnt do much for HPE because it doesnt appear to have much use for a service provider / cloud routing business.

Other analysts had concerns about overlapping product lines leading to customer confusion or duplicative efforts by sales teams.

With HPE set to receive $3.5 billion for divesting its stake in H3C, many on Wall Street expected it to make an acquisition or increase share buybacks. Still, several analysts said they were surprised at the size of the offer. At a reported price of about $13 billion, the acquisition would be a significant percentage of HPEs $21 billion market capitalization.

HPEs shareholders have generally hoped that HPE would look to return its excess cash in the form of buybacks or special dividends, wrote Bernstein Analyst Toni Sacconaghi. An acquisition of Juniper would shatter those aspirations, potentially placing HPE in a net debt position and facing a significant integration (and inward focus) for the next 1 - 2 years.

Juniper, like its larger rival Cisco Systems Inc., makes routers and switches that direct the flow of information between computers and across the internet. Its customers include major cloud providers Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.s Google, as well as telecommunications companies such as AT&T Inc.

Juniper also makes corporate wireless networking gear and  like much of the tech industry  has been touting new artificial intelligence services. The company, which reports fourth-quarter earnings on Jan. 30, is expected to generate $5.61 billion in revenue in 2023, about a 6% gain over a year earlier.

An acquisition would deepen HPEs data-center and telecom-networking presence, and add a security business, helping to diversify away from the more mature server and storage segments, said Woo Jin Ho, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

--With assistance from Ian King.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Will Urban joins the board of LuckyTruck. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Despite challenges, the trucking industry has seen improvements in operational efficiencies and enhanced driver safety through technology adoption. However, insurance costs are rising as a result of nuclear verdicts and increased repair expenses.

Yet, logistics professionals and technology experts believe that by leveraging telematics and operational data, insurance costs can be lowered and can become more competitive.

This is the thesis behind trucking insurance startup LuckyTruck, a commercial trucking retail insurance agent that uses historical truck data and automation in its platform to provide one place for carriers to purchase and manage their insurance functions.

Will Urban takes a board position at insurance provider LuckyTruck. (Photo: Matternet)

The company announced it has appointed Will Urban to its board of directors to help manage top and bottom-line growth at LuckyTruck.

LuckyTruck has the right go-to-market strategy in place already. They have been focused on product and service execution, which has poised them for growth, Urban told FreightWaves. They have a great sales leader, and their CEO, Julie Zimmer, knows how to sell and is a very compelling person to listen to in this space. I am certainly going to leverage my network to get folks I think would benefit from the LuckyTruck service offering.

Before joining the companys board, Urban spent 30 years contributing to the logistics industry at several legacy companies, including 25 years at Expeditors. He most recently led growth strategies at technology-enabled freight forwarder Flexport as the companys chief revenue officer.

Urban currently advises several FreightTech companies Matternet and BorderBuddy and holds venture partner roles at r7 and Companyon Ventures.

Working with literally hundreds of trucking companies or large importers that have their dedicated fleets over the years, I understand the challenges they face. Not just for insurance, but the overall landscape in terms of managing their businesses. Running a successful trucking company and/or fleet is extremely challenging, Urban said of the current industry obstacles.

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With all these challenges in mind, Urban believes the right technology solution can make the insurance landscape less disheartening for carriers.

I think its all about driving down the cost to serve in all aspects of the supply chain, insurance being one of them.  Obtaining pricing and understanding insurance is difficult and daunting. LuckyTruck can help its customers do that by using tech to streamline and democratize the process and give the smaller guys a competitive advantage, said Urban.

According to its website, LuckyTruck is currently serving more than 700 customers on its platform.

In April 2022, the company raised $2.5 million of seed funding in a deal led by Candid Insurance Investors with participation from SiriusPoint, Markd, Draper University and Blue Trail Partners. It has raised a total of $6.5 million since being founded in 2019.

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The post Logistics veteran joins board of insurtech LuckyTruck appeared first on FreightWaves.
Key Insights

Occidental Petroleum's estimated fair value is US$70.13 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of US$58.27 suggests Occidental Petroleum is potentially trading close to its fair value

The US$68.10 analyst price target for OXY is 2.9% less than our estimate of fair value

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Occidental Petroleum

Step By Step Through The Calculation

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. To start off with, we need to estimate 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:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$5.22b US$5.56b US$4.46b US$4.70b US$4.70b US$4.58b US$4.52b US$4.51b US$4.54b US$4.58b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x6 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -2.69% Est @ -1.21% Est @ -0.18% Est @ 0.54% Est @ 1.04% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.8% US$4.8k US$4.7k US$3.5k US$3.4k US$3.1k US$2.8k US$2.5k US$2.3k US$2.1k US$2.0k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$31b

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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. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.2%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$4.6b (1 + 2.2%)  (8.8% 2.2%) = US$71b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$71b ( 1 + 8.8%)10= US$31b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$62b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$58.3, the company appears about fair value at a 17% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important 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. 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 Occidental Petroleum 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 8.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.319. 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 Occidental Petroleum

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Oil and Gas market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 4 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market.

Next Steps:

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. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Occidental Petroleum, we've compiled three fundamental items you should assess:

Risks: For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Occidental Petroleum that you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does OXY's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American 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.
The British deputy high commissioner, East and northeast at Kolkata, Dr Andrew Fleming visited the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA) and held a meeting with CEO Dr Akanksha Bhaskar. It was a pleasure to meet the CEO of ADDA and her team, he said. ADDA has shared in its presentation that 7 million people live in this area of many established industrial business parks, an exciting emerging ecosystem in healthcare and high growth in real estate projects. Much to follow up, added Dr Fleming.

The British deputy high commissioner has travelled to Durgapur to inaugurate a new Pandrol Rahee factory. This joint venture with British investment will create 150 new high-quality jobs in Bengal with scope for further expansions supplying components for high speed rail and Metro in India, he added.

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In a bid to encourage selfemployment among students post-graduation, Rampurhat College in Birbhum district recently organised a seminar under the theme Aquarium Fish Keeping, Management, and Entrepreneurship. The event, held by the department of zoology, aimed to open up new avenues for students in the flourishing industry of ornamental fish culture. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been actively promoting self-employment initiatives for college graduates, fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship beyond traditional career paths.

The seminar highlighted the vast opportunities and strong market demand in the field of ornamental fish culture, captivating the attention of both students and faculty members. Kallol Mukhopadhyay, the district fishery officer of Birbhum, shared valuable insights into the scientific breeding, feeding, and management of various types of colourful fishes. The presentation featured popular species such as swordtail, goldfish, gourami, guppy, killi, platy, molly, and many more, using engaging Power Point visuals.

Abul Hasnat, fishery extension officer of Rampurhat-I block, elucidated on different subsidised government schemes aimed at promoting ornamental fish culture. Notably, the Integrated Ornamental Fish Breeding & Rearing Unit and Ornamental Brood Bank were highlighted, with detailed information about eligibility criteria, unit costs, and government assistance percentages.

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The government provides financial support, with a 40 per cent subsidy for General candidates and 60 per cent for SC/ST/women of the project cost. The central government contributes 60 per cent, and the state government contributes 40 per cent, with the remainder being the beneficiarys contribution or institutional finance. Funds are released in instalments, based on the project cost, with a back-end assistance mechanism.

Various income-generating activities related to ornamental fish culture, such as fish feed mixing units, ornamental plant cultivation, and manufacturing equipment, were also emphasized as profitable ventures. Dr Prabal Kr Sinha, the principal of Rampurhat College, addressed the students, encouraging them to explore this new economic activity and tap into the untapped market for self-employment.

Dr Rajrosree Roy, head of the zoology department, underscored the importance of coloured fish culture as an alternative livelihood, playing a vital role in sustainable income generation and ensuring food security and empowerment, particularly for women. She emphasized the need for basic knowledge and skillbuilding training for those entering the field.
The citys Metro route could have an additional route soon. The city Metro railway is eying to start commercial services between Noapara to Dum Dum Cantonment station of Noapara- Bimanbandar stretch by March. Considering the plan, the general manager of Kolkata Metro Railway P Uday Kumar Reddy, inspected the stretch between Noapara to Dum Dum Cantonment of Yellow Line today. He also held a highlevel meeting with the senior metro officials at Noapara today.

According to the city Metro office, there are a few encroachments on Jessore Road at present which have been hindering the progress of construction work beyond Dum Dum Cantonment enroute to Bimanbandar. Metro authorities are said to have discussed the matter with the state government to remove these encroachments on Jessore Road and the latter has assured to clear these encroachments on Jessore Road by end of January, according to Kolkata Metro Railway. After the inspection, the general manager also inaugurated a Crew Lobby at TSS Traction Sub Station Building at Noapara Station yesterday

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At CES 2024, brands like Lenovo, Dell, MSI, and Acer have announced a new lineup of laptops with innovative features, including Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered capabilities.

Lenovo unveiled the newest lineup of Microsoft Windows 11 Yoga laptops that come with Lenovo Yoga Creator Zone, a new software for creators, artists, and anybody looking to harness the power of generative AI.

Headlining the new-generation of Lenovo Yoga laptops are the Yoga Pro 9i and the Yoga 9i 2-in-1, which comes bundled with a Lenovo Smart Pen and Sleeve.

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The other models the company announced are  Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i, Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i, Lenovo Yoga Pro 7, Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, and Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1.

Dell introduced three new gaming notebooks at CES 2024  the redesigned Alienware m16 R2, the ultra-premium x16 R2, and the m18 R2.

According to the company, the Alienware m16 R2 is a redesigned gaming laptop that prioritises performance, flexibility and portability.

The ultra-premium Alienware x16 R2 is engineered for premium performance and can devote up to 175W of dedicated graphics power with 12-phase voltage regulation stacked on top of brand-new Intel Core Ultra processor technology.

Packed with up-to-the latest 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor along with up-to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPUs, the juggernaut Alienware m18 R2 promises superior performance, overclocking capabilities, and significant efficiency improvements to thermal capacity.

Moreover, MSI announced the latest AI-powered laptop lineup, with the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) built-in Intel Core Ultra processor.

The company introduced its newly-designed 18-inch gaming laptop family  Titan 18 HX, the extreme performance powerhouse Raider 18 HX, and the lightweight 18-inch gaming laptop Stealth 18 AI Studio.

To showcase extreme performance, both the Titan 18 HX and Raider 18 HX are equipped with Intel 14th gen Core i9 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics, while the Stealth 18 AI Studio boasts the latest Intel Core Ultra processors.

Acer has unveiled new AI-powered Swift laptops with new Intel Core Ultra processors.

The Swift family laptops include three models  Swift Go 16, Swift Go 14, and Swift X 14.

As per the company, new Swift Go models deliver striking OLED clarity in 14 and 16-inch designs paired with Intel Wi-Fi 7, new usability features, and improved AI-powered abilities.

The Acer Swift X 14 is designed with everything creators and students need  with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPUs, 120+ Nvidia RTX-accelerated apps, and pre-loaded Nvidia Studio Drivers, and includes a Calman-Verified and Acer Light Sensing-enhanced 2.8K OLED display.
In a tragic incident, two Delhi Police Inspectors lost their lives as their car rammed into a truck in Sonipats Kundli area in Haryana.

According to the local police, the fatal accident took place at around 11.30 pm on Monday night when the car in which the two cops were travelling was coming down from the flyover collided with a truck which was ahead of them on the highway.

The deceased cops have been identified as Inspector Dinesh Beniwal and Inspector Ranbir Singh. It is said the two were bright young officers of the Delhi Police, while Beniwal was part of special staff in the North- West district and Ranbir was with the Adarsh Nagar Police station.

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According to the local police, low visibility due to fog witnessed after around 8.30 pm could be the reason why the driver was not able to clearly see the vehicle up ahead.

The accident happened near Piau Manihari area, barely 2 km from the Delhi-Haryanas Singhu border.

The two victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where both of them succumbed to their injuries.

A video of on social media showed the car badly damaged.

The Delhi Police have paid heartfelt tributes to the deceased Inspectors and have expressed solidarity with their bereaved families saying the force stands.

The police on its official handle on the X uploaded an obituary message, paying tribute to its force personnel.

Meanwhile, talking of Dinesh Beniwal, after completing his graduation in 2008, he passed the Delhi Police Sub Inspector exam and joined Delhi Police as Sub Inspector in 2009, as since a very young age he was determined to be a good police officer.

Ranbir Singh completed his graduation and joined Delhi Police in 2008 as Sub Inspector, and served in the traffic department, security unit and the North  West district.

He also got three commendation cards for his extraordinary work in policing.

Both the officers were brave and hardworking.
In a heartfelt tribute to the late Indian star Parveen Babi, Pakistani actor Mahira Khan recently took to Instagram to share a glimpse of her latest photo shoot. Decked up in a resplendent rani pink saree and sporting a last-minute haircut reminiscent of the legendary style icon, Mahira poured her heart into honoring the timeless beauty of Parveen Babi.

The inspiration behind Mahiras homage dates back to a pivotal moment in her life when she stumbled upon a captivating Time magazine cover featuring the enchanting Parveen Babi. Intrigued by the sheer allure and charisma exuded by Babi, Mahira delved into the Indian stars filmography, developing a profound admiration for her on-screen presence. The admiration didnt stop at mere appreciation; it transformed into a genuine connection with Parveen Babis artistry.

In a video shared on her Instagram Stories, Mahira Khan gracefully moves in the pink saree, embodying the spirit of Parveen Babi. She reminisces about the impact of that iconic Time magazine cover, expressing her love for Babis songs and acknowledging her as a true style icon. To enhance the tribute, Mahira even treats her audience to a snippet of Parveens popular song Jawani Janeman Haseen Dilruba from the film Namak Halal.

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Despite the glamour and poise exhibited in the photo shoot, Mahira Khan candidly opens up about the challenges she faced during the session. The actor, still on the path to recovery from multiple fractures in her right foot, shared snippets of the behind-the-scenes struggle. In one video, she stands elegantly in a silver kurta, facing a massive screen projecting Parveen Babis iconic songs. This poignant moment captures Mahira immersing herself in the aura of her muse, despite the physical limitations imposed by her recent foot injury.

Expressing gratitude towards her supportive team, Mahira acknowledges the difficulties of the shoot, highlighting it as her first endeavor since the foot injury. The teams love and care played a pivotal role in making the tribute a reality, showcasing the resilience and dedication of Mahira Khan to pay homage to a timeless Bollywood icon in her own unique and challenging circumstances.
FollowTheFlow / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Home decor and furnishings arent cheap. While your space should be a reflection of you, constantly chasing the latest design trends probably isnt your best use of resources.

Ive seen many home trends come and go, said Houna Bech, an interior designer and founder of With Houna. While trends can make remodeling and redecorating exciting, some have little lasting value and end up being a waste of money.

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If youre like most people, you probably dont want to invest the time and money to constantly update the same rooms.

By avoiding fleeting trends and embracing classic, versatile designs, your homes functionality and beauty will stand the test of time, she said. Youll avoid wasting money on looks that date quickly while creating comfortable, stylish living youll enjoy for years to come.

So which home trends should you skip? These top the list.

Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief.

Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Soft carpet beneath your toes can feel very warm and cozy. Therefore, you might not be surprised that Bech said wall-to-wall carpeting is very popular right now  but it isnt necessarily practical or universally appealing.

The carpet needs frequent vacuuming and cleaning to stay looking fresh, she said. If you have pets or kids who track in dirt, the carpet will show wear and tear quickly.

She said area rugs are a better investment, as they can be moved around your home and replaced as needed.

Im a Financial Advisor: 10 Most Awesome Things You Can Do for Your Finances in 2024

Dark and Moody Interiors

Dark, moody interiors in all black are widely featured on Instagram right now, Bech said. While all black looks dramatic, these spaces feel heavy and gloomy to live in day-to-day.

Not only that, she noted that these dark spaces show every speck of dust.

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Instead, consider incorporating black accents through art, pillows or upholstery to add depth without a full remodel, she said.

This will allow you to create the darker vibe you want, without going overboard  both from an aesthetic and cost perspective.

All-White Decor

On the other end of the color spectrum, Bech said the all-white decor trend also isnt practical for busy families, as it requires constant upkeep.

Stains and scuffs really stand out in light colors, she said. At the same time, white provides a clean canvas  it layers in other neutrals like greys, taupes or woods that hide dirt better, but maintain a soft aesthetic.

She said upholstered furniture and area rugs in medium tones are easier to maintain. Therefore, focusing on this color pallet can offer the best of both worlds, as you can still decorate your home in lighter hues, but without the need for frequent cleanings.

Non-Functional Home Accents and Furnishings

It can be tempting to invest in home decor and furnishings that look interesting, even if they provide no actual function. However, Bech advised against this.

Decorative accents and furnishings should enhance your everyday living spaces, not sit unused, she said. Prioritize multi-functional pieces like a sofa thats comfortable enough for lounging as well as entertaining guests.

For long-lasting style, she said form should follow function.

Wallpaper

You might want to think again if youve been eyeing different types of wallpaper for your next remodel.

As we move into 2024, wallpaper continues to become a thing of the past, said Rudolph Diesel, a London-based interior designer. While wallpapering your home may have been a popular trend in the 1970s, the process is now widely considered to be a waste of both time and money.

He said this is due to the ever-changing wallpaper styles of the moment, as well as the price tag associated with installation and eventual teardown.

Specific patterns and motifs can quickly become outdated, leaving you with the costly task of stripping the walls and starting fresh on a semi-regular basis, if you want to keep up with the times, he said.

Ultimately, opting for more neutral colors might be the best choice in the long run.

Home fashion runs in cycles so its best to stay away from colors and designs you might regret within a couple of years or perhaps even a few months, he said.

If youre set on a bolder look, he suggested an alternative approach.

Painting your walls is a much more straightforward and cost-effective prospect, he said. This method of interior decoration is long-lasting and far less likely to damage your walls, resulting in fewer expenses over the medium-to-long term.

Your home should be a reflection of you. If you like to follow the latest decor trends, try incorporating small elements into your space  i.e., a coat of paint in the hue of the moment or a few small decor pieces from a discount retailer like HomeGoods or T.J. Maxx.

This can satisfy your craving for keeping up with design trends, without requiring a major time or monetary commitment.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im an Interior Designer: These 5 Home Trends Are a Waste of Money
In a tragic turn of events, three ardent fans of KGF star Yash lost their lives on January 8 while attempting to put up a banner in honor of the actors birthday. The incident prompted an emotional response from the actor himself, who visited the grieving families and addressed the media to share his sentiments.

Expressing his sorrow over the mishap, Yash emphasized that such tragic incidents make him apprehensive about celebrating his own birthday. In a plea to his fans, he urged them not to express their love through perilous actions like hanging banners, engaging in bike chases, or taking dangerous selfies. The actor stressed that he values heartfelt wishes from fans, regardless of their location, as the ultimate gesture of fandom.

During the media interaction, Yash revealed that he refrained from grand birthday celebrations this year due to the escalating COVID-19 cases. Concerned about the well-being of his fans and the public at large, he opted for a simple celebration with his family. The actor underscored the importance of everyone working diligently to achieve happiness and success, making their families proud.

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Yash, known for his humility, expressed discomfort in using his fans love to showcase his popularity. Despite potential disappointment from fans, he pledged to minimize such displays. Furthermore, the actor announced his intention to provide financial assistance to the bereaved families, although he didnt delve into specific details.

Having been engrossed in the shooting of his upcoming film, KGF star Yash promptly flew down to Karnataka upon hearing the distressing news. In an act of compassion, he visited the families of the deceased fans, offering condolences and solace during their time of grief. Additionally, the actor extended his support to three other fans who sustained severe injuries in the same unfortunate incident.

In the wake of this heartbreaking incident, Yashs message resonates as a plea for responsible expressions of fandom and a reminder of the importance of prioritizing safety over extravagant gestures, especially in these challenging times.
The 86th train under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Scheme of the Delhi government left for Rameswaram with 780 elderly pilgrims from Safdarjung Railway Station here on Monday.

Before the journey, a Bhajan Sandhya was organized by the government at Thyagaraj Stadium for all pilgrims. Revenue Minister Atishi met with the pilgrims and handed them journey tickets and travel kits.

On the occasion, Atishi mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, through the pilgrimage scheme, has facilitated trips for over 81,000 elderly individuals on 85 trains so far, and this initiative will continue in the future as well.

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While addressing the elderly people at the devotional evening, she said, In Delhi, your son Arvind Kejriwal thought that as soon as a person enters old age, a desire awakens in his heart that after a lifetime of hard work, they want to undertake a pilgrimage. However, many individuals either lack the time or the means to arrange a pilgrimage for themselves.

She stated that she is happy to see that more than 80 per cent of the elderly individuals going on pilgrimage trips in the past several occasions are women.

This is a wonderful development because, in our society, women often dedicate their entire lives to serving their families, placing their familys needs above their own. It brings us great joy that the mothers who have devoted their entire lives to their families are being sent on pilgrimage journeys at this stage of life, Atishi said.

She mentioned that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has, so far, sent over 81,000 elderly individuals on pilgrimage journeys through 85 trains from Delhi.

The Mukhyamantri Teerthyatra Yojna facilitates journeys for senior citizens to Rameshwaram, Dwarkadhish, Somnath, Nageshwar, Jagannath Puri, Baba Mahakal in Ujjain, Shirdi Sai Baba, Tirupati Balaji, Ayodhya, Mata Vaishno Devi, Pushkar, Fatehpur Sikri, Golden Temple in Amritsar, Kartarpur Sahib, Mathura-Vrindavan, and Haridwar.

To participate in these pilgrimages, pilgrims apply through an online portal. The Delhi government arranges convenient train services, and transportation from home to the station, and back. They also provide accommodation, meals, and kits containing essentials for each pilgrims comfort and convenience during the journey.
The Congress National Alliance Committee (NAC) on Tuesday held meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over seat sharing in Maharashtra for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The meeting was convened by the panels convenor Mukul Wasnik at his residence here as a part of the ongoing series of meetings with the parties from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc on seat sharing for the General Elections.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said they discussed seat sharing in Maharashtra.

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We are together, will stay together and contest elections together. We have no differences about seat sharing, he said.

Earlier, the NAC held meetings with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) from Bihar.

Meanwhile, the panel held a meeting with the Samajwadi Party (SP) over the seat sharing.

The meeting was held in a good atmosphere. On January 12, again the meeting will be held, said SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav after the meeting.

Notably, several parties of the INDIA have already stressed the need to finalise on seat sharing at the earliest. The Opposition bloc is an umbrella of Opposition parties formed to take on the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
Amid the diplomatic row with Maldives, NCP chief and INDIA alliance leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi wont be accepted.

He is the prime minister of our country and if anyone from any other country holding any position makes such comments on our PM, we wont accept it. We must respect the post he told reporters.

The NCP chiefs rare show of support to Modi came during a press briefing on INDIA alliance partners meeting to decide a seat sharing arrangement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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Three Maldivian ministers made disparaging and unsavoury remarks against Modi over his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Following their unprovoked hateful remarks, a massive diplomatic row erupted with New Delhi summoning Maldivian envoy to lodge strong protest on Monday.

Though there was no official word on the Maldivian envoys meeting with Indian officials, it is understood that he was firmly told that New Delhi was not satisfied with mere suspension of the three ministers and that the onus of repairing bilateral ties rested solely with Male.

Hours later, Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar met with Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at the Maldives Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male.

Modi had visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep on January 2 for the inauguration and foundation laying ceremony of several development projects. Subsequently, he had shared some pictures of his visit, including an exhilarating experience of him trying his hand at snorkeling and sitting on a chair near a beach under pristine blue skies and ocean.

For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list, he wrote along with pictures in a message to promote local tourism.

Reacting to the images, Mariyam Shiuna had made disparaging remarks in a social media post which she deleted later. Other Maldivian lawmakers  Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid  also made similar remarks against PM Modi, with one of them accusing India of targeting Maldives tourism.

Maldivian Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said these remarks against foreign leaders were unacceptable and do not reflect the official position of the Maldives government.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday was told that the antecedent historical data recognising the Muslim character of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) cannot be taken away merely because it has been brought under the statutory regime regulating its administration, curriculum, syllabus and other aspects of its functioning.

A seven-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Surya Kant, Justice JB Pardiwala, Justice Dipankar Datta, Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was told that in todays regulated society, where everything is regulated including administration to ensure that staff both teaching and non-teaching get their due, curriculum, syllabus and other things, does not take away the minority character of the AMU.

In deciding the character of a university, the antecedent circumstance and the events are important  Recognition and affiliation cannot stand in the way of the minority institution  and the whole question of administration and aid from the government does not lead to minority institutions surrendering their rights, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan told the constitution bench.

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Opening the arguments for one of the petitioners, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan questioned the Central government for change in its stance from the one taken by all the earlier governments holding that even though AMU was a central university but it retained its Muslim character. However, the Central government, now, is no longer adhering to the earlier position.

Asking the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to respond to this when he will advance his argument in the days to come, Rajeev Dhavan wondered: How can there be a change of stance with the regime change. Whether the stance of the government can be changed with the change of the regime. I will like the solicitor General to address this issue.

Dhavan said: The provisions of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 read with the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004 clearly show that establishment or incorporation of an institution under a statutory regime will not deprive minority institution recognition.

The top court is hearing a batch of petitions including by the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Alumni Association and others, seeking the restoration of the minority character of the AMU.

The top court in 1967 had in the Azeez Bhasha case held that the AMU was a central university and, minority status under Article 29 and Article 30 cannot be conferred on it.

At the outset of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the reference to the seven-judge constitution bench was confined within the ambit of Article 30 of the constitution, however, the written submissions of the senior advocates appearing for the petitioners have enlarged the scope of the hearing. At this, senior advocate Dhavan said that hearing of the matter will have to include 1968 five-judge constitution bench judgment and other aspects. Dhavan said that October 20, 1967 judgment was internally contradictory and that aspect had to be considered.

In a way the seven-judge constitution bench would be relooking the 1967 judgment by a five-judge constitution bench. The hearing will continue on Wednesday  January 10, 2024.
Amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and the Maldives, the tourism industry in the island has strongly condemned derogatory remarks made by its now suspended ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Terming India as one of the closest neighbours and allies of the Maldives, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) noted that India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout the history of the island country.

India is one of our closest neighbours and allies. India has always been a first responder to various crises throughout our history and we are immensely grateful to the close relationship that the government as well as the people of India have maintained with us, it said in a statement.

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It stressed that India has been a consistent and significant contributor to the tourism industry of the Maldives. It stated that India has greatly assisted Maldives recovery efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic after the borders were reopened.

India has continued to remain as one of the top markets for the Maldives. It is our sincere wish that the close relationship between our two nations endures for generations to come and as such, we refrain from actions or speech that may have any negative impact on our good relationship, the statement added.

A massive row erupted between India and the Maldives after three Maldivian ministers made derogatory comments about PM Modis social media posts on X after his visit to Lakshadweep.

In a post which was subsequently deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi, followed by unsavoury comments by two other ministers.

The Maldives government distanced itself from the remarks and suspended the three ministers. The Maldivian envoy on Monday was called to the foreign office in New Delhi to convey Indias strong concern over the remarks made by the neighbouring countrys ministers. Indian High Commissioner to Maldives Munu Mahawar on Monday also held a pre-arranged meeting with Mr Ali Naseer Mohamed, Ambassador at Large, at the Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Male.

Several Indian celebrities have, meanwhile, come out in support of promoting Indian beach destinations and other tourist spots.
Celebrated music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan passed away at a Kolkata hospital on Wednesday. He was 55. Khan was suffering from prostate cancer and was on a ventilator support. He breathed his last at around 3:45 pm.

Mourning the 55-year-old Padma Bhushan awardees death, President Droupadi Murmu said that he left behind a rich legacy in the field of classical music.

Saddened to know about the passing of the eminent Hindustani classical music vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan. A Padma Bhushan awardee, Ustad Rashid Khan showcased immense versatility by exploring fusion and performing jugalbandis. He leaves behind a rich legacy in the field of classical music. I extend my deep condolences to his loved ones and admirers, she wrote on X.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said that shee was deeply saddened by Khans tragic demise and expressed her condolences to his wife and son.

Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Ustad Rashid Khan, one of the greatest exponents of Indian classical music of our times. A hugely respected vocalist with unparalleled genius in creating music, he made us proud by settling here and making Bengal his home. He and Soma, his wife, and son Armaan, and the whole family, were close to us and allowed us to be on their side in the maestros last journey in life, she wrote on X.

The Bengal CM continued, Ustad Rashid Khan got our highest civilian award Banga Bibhushan and our Sangeet Mahasamman too. He was attached to several of our State cultural bodies in advisory capacity. My profound condolences to Soma, Armaan Khan, and Ustads whole family as well as to the countless students and admirers that he leaves behind in the whole world.

Banerjee further added that Ustad Rashid Khan was truly a world famous classical Indian vocal artist.
Former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria has revealed that after the 2019 Balakot Air Strike, then Pakistani Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to return the captured Indian IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, fearing hard action by India.

On February 26, 2019, the Indian Air Force had launched a tactical air strike in PoKs Balakot to target terrorist camps.

Next day, Wing Commander Varthamans MiG-21 Bison shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet during an aerial dog-fight over the LoC. Later, his own MiG-21 Bison was also hit after which he ejected the aircraft and landed in PoK.

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He was held captive by the Pakistani Army for around 60 hours before being handed over to India. then Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and then Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa came to brief the MPs and said there is a serious danger of the crisis escalating and India taking hard action and therefore, we should return the pilot, Bisaria, who has written a book about his experiences in Pakistan, told news agency ANI. In the book, titled Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan, Bisaria has also claimed that Pakistans intelligence agency ISI had tipped off India about an Al-Qaeda plot to carry out an attack in Kashmir in June 2019.

Speaking about PM Modis Qatal ki raat reference, the former High Commissioner to Pakistan said that the neighbouring country got Intel about Indias missile attack and Imran Khan wanted to speak to PM Modi but the latter didnt take his call.

PM Modi did mention this in his speech. He did refer to this episode but Imran Khan also referred to this episode in his own speech in Parliament, that he had made an attempt to talk to the Indian PM. There was a conversation in Pakistans Parliament also, which has been reported by a Pakistan MP, he added.

The then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly told the countrys Parliament that he tried to speak to PM Modi hours before the Balakot air strike in 2019.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been underscoring the importance of every citizens contribution to the development of India as a super power.

Speaking at a Vikshit Bharat Sankalp Yatra event in Chennai, he said every state has to develop and be a part of Indias journey to becoming a developed country by 2047.

Paying rich tributes to great Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, Mr Goyal said the Prime Minister is following his footsteps and work for the poor and downtrodden whose lives had not seen any improvement even after 75 years of the countrys independence.

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Transforming lives of the poor, farmers, youth and women is the cornerstone of welfare policies of the Central government in the last 10 years, the Minister said. The government is working on several initiatives to get the people of the country closer to each other.

The Minister said the Kashi Tamil Sangamam and the Saurastra Tamil Sangam were some of the steps taken by the government to help people from different states to understand each others rich culture and heritage.

He said the Vikshit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has got an overwhelming response in Tamil Nadu. Mr Goyal appealed to the people to register themselves in the camps organised as part of the Yatra to get the benefits of the schemes implemented by the Centre.

Listing out the schemes implemented in Tamil Nadu, Mr Goyal said 3.5 crore people stand to be benefited by the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, 1.5 crore people have been brought under the banking system through the Jan Dhan Yojana, over one crore families have got water connections under Har Ghar Jal, 51 lakh people have been enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, while 40 lakh people have been benefited by the Ujjwala scheme.

He said the 17 schemes including the PM Aawas Yojana, Mudra scheme, PM Gram Sadak Yojana, Jan Aushadi kendras are available to the citizens with the Guarantee given by the Prime Minister.

Those deserving to be part of the central governments welfare measures, will get these benefits at their doorstep, he said.
The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to the two children of suspended Delhi government official Premoday Khakha, who was arrested for repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl in his care at his residence between November 2020 and January 2021.

A bench of Justice CT Ravikumar and Justice Rajesh Bindal granted anticipatory bail to Khakhas daughter Prateeksha and son Harsh Prateek noting that they have joined the investigation. The officials son and daughter were accused of abetting the crime.

After going through the statement, hearing the counsel from both sides, and after perusing the material on record, we are of the view that these Special Leave Petitions can be disposed of, directing the release of the petitioners on bail in the event of their arrest on furnishing a bond of Rs 25,000 subject to the satisfaction of the Investigating Officer and further subject to the conditions stipulated under section 438(2), CrPC. The Special Leave Petitions stand disposed of, the bench said in its order passed on January 8, 2024.

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Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra and advocate Shubhashis Soren appeared for Khakhas children.

Earlier, the trial court had dismissed Prateeksha and Harsh Prateeks plea for anticipatory bail in September 2023. On October 11, 2023 the Delhi High Court declined their anticipatory bail plea. Thereafter, they moved the Supreme Court.

Premoday Khakha, the suspended officer belonging to the Delhi Women and Child Development (DWCD) Department, was arrested in August last year for raping the minor girl in his care multiple times at his residence in Burari between November 2020 and January 2021.

When she became pregnant on 21 January, 2021, she informed Khakhas wife Seema Rani about it who allegedly gave her abortion pills. Both Khakha and his wife are currently in judicial custody.

It was alleged that the minor victim is the daughter of a person known to the accused. Police had arrested the couple after recording the statement of the victim.

Police had registered a case under sections relating to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act besides other sections under the India Penal Code.
Question: We bought a new home in metro Phoenix four years ago. At the close of escrow, we received a two-year written warranty from our homebuilder. After a rainy night, some roof materials were blown away, exposing rot underneath. When we contacted our homebuilders sales agent about fixing our roof, she said that any roof repairs now are not covered by our two-year written warranty. Is our homebuilder required to make these roof repairs?

Answer: Most homebuilders give only a one- or two-year written warranty for construction defects, just like a one- or two-year written warranty for automobile tires or an automobile battery. Unlike warranties for automobile tires and batteries, an Arizona homebuilder also has an eight-year implied warranty of proper construction. See A.R.S.  12-552. In other words, if your roof problems could be due to a construction defect, your homebuilder has an obligation to inspect your roof and, if there is a construction defect, to fix your roof.

Note: Under English common law since the 1600s, the builder of a cottage or a castle was required in perpetuity to repair any defects in the construction of the cottage or castle. The Arizona Court of Appeals followed English common law and required a homebuilder to repair defective stucco on a home 12 years after construction. The Arizona Legislature then limited a homebuilders implied warranty to repair construction defects to eight years. See A.R.S.  12-552.

Contact real estate attorney Christopher A. Combs at azrep@combslawgroup.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How long is a homebuilder responsible for fixing construction defects?
The Shiv Sena-UBT has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court objecting to the meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar over lunch on January 7, ahead of the verdict on the sensitive case of disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde.

The Supreme Court had ordered the Speaker to announce his decision by January 10 on disqualification petitions filed by the two rival factions of the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde against each other.

The application filed by Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sunil Prabhu stated that it is highly improper for the Speaker to meet Eknath Shinde just three days prior to deciding the disqualification petitions.

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The Speaker, as the adjudicating authority under the Tenth Schedule, is required to act in a fair and impartial manner. The conduct of the Speaker must inspire confidence and justify the constitutional trust reposed in its high office. However, the present act of the Honble Speaker raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of the decision-making process, said the application filed before the apex court.

It said that the act of the Speaker in meeting CM Shinde just prior to the deadline for the decision at his residence is in violation of the legal maxim that justice should not only be done but should also be seen to be done.

Following the split in the party in June 2022, both the factions of Shiv Sena filed petitions against each other under the anti-defection law.

Later, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena moved the apex court against delay by the Speaker in deciding the disqualification proceedings filed against Chief Minister Shinde and his camp.

In May 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had directed that the Maharashtra Speaker must decide disqualification petitions in a reasonable time against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who were accused of anti-party activities.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos Horta extended his countrys strong support for Indias permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

The top leader of the Southeast Asian nation is in India to attend the tenth Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar.

PM Modi extended a warm welcome to President Horta and his delegation to the summit on what is the first ever Head of State or Government level visit between the two countries. The PM reaffirmed Indias commitment to build a vibrant Delhi-Dili connect. Dili is the capital of Timor-Lests. In September 2023, the Indian leader had announced the opening of the Indian Mission in the country. He offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare including traditional medicine and pharma. He also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

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Mr Modi congratulated President Horta for ASEANs in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its eleventh member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon. President Horta thanked the PM for the invitation to participate in the summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT

The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The two leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena. PM Modi appreciated Timor-Lestes active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergise their position on global issues.
Xi Jinping in his annual New Years Day address stated, China will surely be reunified, and all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be bound by a common sense of purpose. Earlier, in his summit with President Joe Biden, Xi bluntly stated that Taiwan will reunify with China, though the timing has not been decided. For China, Taiwanese independence is unacceptable. China is aware that the West desires an independent, democratic Taiwan. While US presidents have mentioned supporting Taiwan, none has directly committed to military intervention in case of Chinese aggression. Simultaneously, the US continues to provide arms to Taiwan.

While Taiwan has not been given the status of a recognized state, requisite honour is accorded to its President while transiting through the US. Visits by US political leaders to Taipei have resulted in tensions with Beijing. For China, any interaction with or visit to Taiwan is a red line. As Taiwanese elections, due on 13 January, draw close, Chinese forays into the Taiwan Straits are on the rise. There are reports of Chinese ships and aircraft threatening the Island nation with an invasion, in case the pro-independence party comes to power. In end December, the Chinese military spokesperson, Colonel Wu Qian, in a briefing mentioned that China will, take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity (implying regaining Taiwan). Within Taiwan, the ruling Democratic Progressive Partys (DPP) candidate, Lai Ching-te, holds the lead, though small, in most internal surveys. The DPP advocates independence, though Lai has stated that he will maintain the status quo. Lai is considered as a hardline splittist, hence immensely disliked by Beijing.

On the contrary, the Opposition Nationalist Partys representative, Hou You-Yi, is appealing to voters that a conflict could emerge in case the DPP comes to power. It would draw in the US, as also lead to massive disruptions in the global supply chain. Hou has affirmed his opposition to Taiwans independence and corroborates Beijings views of Taiwan being a part of China. Under present President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan has enhanced capabilities of its armed forces and is banking on US intervention in case of a Chinese assault. She is not contesting after having run the country for eight years. Japan, which has elevated its ties with Taiwan, is possibly likely to intervene, alongside the US, only in case of an unprovoked attack by China. None may intervene in case Taiwan declares independence, prompting a Chinese attack, as they have regularly accepted adhering to the status quo.

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There are media reports that China is going to great lengths to influence Taiwanese elections to thwart the victory of the ruling DPP. China believes that the best approach to influence voters is through military coercion, though it continues to employ economic threats, information warfare and cyberattacks. Its disinformation campaign employing social media is fairly sophisticated. Facebook and X (formerly twitter) have deleted thousands of accounts linked to Beijing, spreading fake news on DPP candidates.

To push its agenda, China also exploits non-government organisations including religious groups, influencers, business leaders and pop stars. It attempted to pressurize Mayday, a Taiwanese rock band, which is popular in both Taiwan and China, to issue pro-China comments. To push its message, Chinese authorities also launched investigations into the bands supposed lip synching during a performance on the mainland. Many non-resident Taiwanese have received threatening messages on social media from Chinese handles, warning of war in case the DPP is re-elected. In March last year, Taiwans exPresident Ma Ying-jeou, visited Beijing accompanied by university students, hoping to gain Chinese support for his Nationalist Party candidate, which he did. The visit was played up by Beijing, projecting a positive image of reunification with China. Currently, the Chinese navy regularly broadcasts on Taiwanese frequencies.

It says, The Peoples Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China, and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, implying military intimidation. For most Taiwanese, such threats have been common since their first presidential election in 1996. Chinese intimidation failed in 2020 when Tsai Ing-wen emerged with a landslide victory. In 2020, apart from military forays into Taiwanese air and sea space as currently, China arrested many Taiwanese nationals on the mainland. Beijing avoids projecting that uniting with China would be beneficial to Taiwan, aware that such a campaign is likely to fail. However, within Taiwan, elections are being fought on local issues including low wages and high cost of living. Enhanced threats from China thus far appear secondary.

China has been known to interfere in elections of nations. While the US has accused it of interference, Canada has ordered a public enquiry into Beijings interventions. In India, China is known to favour certain political parties. With growing global ambitions, China will seek to create an environment favourable to it, at least in nations where it matters. However, outright attempts to influence, including excessive military threats, have not been witnessed in recent times. For China, this is a big gamble.

If despite the intimidation, the DPP comes to power, then it would signal that the national mindset of Taiwanese is anti-China and pro-independence. It would also send a message that the nation does not fear Chinese military power and believes it is capable of defending itself. This would compel China to enhance its forays into the Taiwan Straits, making the region a potential conflict zone. It would lead to China adopting a harder stance against western military and diplomatic support to Taiwan. The election of Lai would also mark a diplomatic defeat for China, which would be hard for Xi Jinping to swallow.

It would encourage other nations, where China has and will attempt to interfere, to ignore Beijings subtle messaging. In case the Opposition candidate, Hou You-Yi, emerges victorious, China would heave a sigh of relief. It would then shift its attention towards other conflict zones, whether it be India or the Philippines. This would also signal that Xi Jinpings hardline stance is the right approach and would open doors for China to directly interfere in other nations, to bring pro-China governments to power. The true picture would only emerge on 13 January. Till then it is wait and watch.

(The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army.)
The Gaza truce has been a short lived one. The Israel Hamas war has resumed in full fury. Meanwhile, America has vetoed the Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The US ambassador said that a permanent ceasefire without dismantling Hamas would sow the seeds of a future conflict.

Britain abstained but 13 other members voted in favour of an immediate halt. The US sided with the view of Israel that without eradicating Hamas, lasting peace is not possible. Israel had international sympathy when it launched the campaign to annihilate Hamas, whose fighters stormed across the border on 7 October and killed 1200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and seized 240 hostages. In retaliation, Israel relentlessly bombed Gaza causing death of more than 20,000 Palestinians and injuries to more than 50,000.

Many thousands more are feared lost in rubble or beyond the reach of ambulances. There is an international outcry at this fury of Israel and brutal punishment of the civilians for the terrorist attacks by Hamas. But Israel remains undaunted and determined to carry on the war despite international pressures. Israels PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will carry on the war until Hamas is annihilated and Israels decisions will be based on operational considerations. No doubt, dismantling of Hamas is going to be a tough and long drawn out affair and Israels defence minister Yoav Gallant has repeatedly said that Israel will not be swayed by international criticisms and will carry on the war till its goals are reached. Israels obduracy is seriously perturbing America.

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In fairly blunt criticism, President Biden has criticised the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by Israel and its lack of interest in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Americas National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan visited Gaza to discuss with Israeli leaders a time table for ending the fighting. He also emphasised the need to make airstrikes by Israel more accurate and not indiscriminate, causing heavy loss of human lives.

It has been estimated that up to 45 per cent of the 29,000 airto-ground munitions dropped by Israel in Gaza since October 7 have been unguided dumb bombs. Heavy fighting is going on in North Gaza where Hamas fighters are putting up tough resistance. Now Israels Defence Minister says that fighting may drag on for months and no end is in sight. The Israeli army is also sustaining losses in heavy fighting in Northern Gaza. Israeli officers say that several hundred Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.

On 12 December, the Israeli army suffered one of its highest single day casualties when 10 of its soldiers lost their lives. Soldiers deaths are a very emotional and sensitive topic in Israel, a small country with compulsory military service. Israeli army leaders estimate that relentless bombing of Gaza and mounting civilian deaths and sufferings will demoralise Hamas and turn the Palestinians away from them.

But that has not happened. Support for Hamas among the bitter and estranged Palestinians has gone up. An opinion poll shows that both in Gaza and in the West Bank, a majority of the Palestinians are supportive of Hamas and disapprove of the Western-backed Dr Mahmud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. This shows that the American and Israeli plan of eradication of Hamas as well as creation of a Palestinian state will face heavy weather. There is mounting international criticism of Israel. South Africa has initiated proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice saying that its operations in Gaza amount to genocide, a move that has been welcomed by the Palestinians. Israel has rejected South Africas move as a blood libel.

But America is standing by Israel and the Biden administration has approved an emergency weapons sale to Israel bypassing the Congress. There has been an escalation of hostilities in the occupied West Bank as well. Israeli officials have threatened full scale war on Hezbollah if attacks on Israels North continue. Israels openly discussed and well-defined plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and detach it from the Palestinian homeland and to displace the Palestinians in the West Bank will have disastrous repercussions and sow the seeds of a future conflict. As Israel ramps up its operations there is tension with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border and there is the risk of war spilling over. There has been a proposal by Egypt and also by Qatar to resolve the conflict. But neither is moving forward.

The proposals call for release of hostages and a political resolution of the conflict. However, Israel still wants to press ahead with its military goal of crushing Hamas. Indeed, many believe that Gaza cannot be stabilised till Mr Netanyahu reigns as the prime minister. The far-right coalition he heads refuses to do anything to rebuild or expand the Palestinian Authoritys role. A credible two-state solution will lead Saudi Arabia as well as other moderate Arab states to normalise relations with Israel and help the cause of peace and security of the region. Of course, it will also bring peace to Israe

(The writer is Senior Fellow Institute of Social Sciences, a former Director General of the National Human Rights Commission and former Director, National Police Academy)
Roiled by turmoil and bloodshed, the state of Manipur saw some of its darkest moments in 2023. The ethnic violence that erupted in the month of May plunged the state into a bitter conflict that, eight months down the line, shows no sign of coming to an end. With close to 200 lives lost, hundreds of homes burned down and thousands of people displaced, the cost has been heavy; the conflict has also left the state fractured on ethnic lines, communities traumatised, families shattered, and the economy in tatters. As the year ended, thousands of the displaced continued to languish in scattered relief camps, facing an uncertain future.

For many in Manipur, the year had begun on a hopeful note. Covid was on the wane, insurgency was dormant, there was hope of economic activity picking up. The capital Imphal, in a coup of sorts for this remote state, hosted the finale of the Femina Miss India 2023 contest. Chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh was firmly entrenched and about to complete the first year of his second term.

But everything changed in the month of May, as the states ethnic fault lines cracked open and long-simmering tensions came to the boil.

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The immediate trigger was an order of the Manipur High Court that asked the state government to consider the demand by sections of the Meitei community for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list and to make a recommendation accordingly to the Central government. But the seeds of the conflict were already there, stemming from long-running tussles over issues relating to land and other resources, discord over political representation, the incompatible aspirations of various ethnic communities, and actions by the state government over the previous few months that had created anger and a sense of insecurity amongst some communities.

The Biren Singh government had begun a crackdown on illegal poppy cultivation in the hill districts from the beginning of the year, razing poppy crops and arresting cultivators and village chieftains, which caused resentment amongst the Kuki and Zomi communities who were the most affected and who contended they were being unfairly targeted. Linked to this were steps taken by the government to conduct a survey of reserved forests and evict encroaching villages, which had already provoked violent protests, particularly in the Kuki-Zomi-dominated Churachandpur district. The Manipur government had at the time accused Kuki-Zomi militant groups of instigating the protests.

On the other side of the coin, with a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar after the 2021 coup sending refugees streaming into Indias border states, many civil society groups were raising the demand for identification of illegal immigrants and the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state. It was feared that these refugees, many of whom have ethnic ties to the Kuki-Zomi communities in Manipur, were being absorbed in these communities and settled in the hill areas, thus effecting drastic and unacceptable demographic changes.

The Manipur High Courts order, on a petition filed by the Meitei (Meetei) Tribe Union, was issued on 27 March, and made public in the middle of April. It immediately provoked protests from tribal bodies, who feared that the more numerous Meiteis would hog the opportunities and benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes.

On 3 May, a Peace Solidarity Rally was organised by the All Tribal Student Union, Manipur in the districts of Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Tengnoupal, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Chandel and Ukhrul against the High Court directive. The rally was peaceful in most places, except in Churachandpur, where clashes broke out and protesters, backed by armed militants, attacked Meitei houses and properties in the district and on the border with Bishnupur district, burning homes and sending their residents fleeing. Meitei homes and businesses were similarly attacked that night in the border town of Moreh, in Tamenglong district.

Spurred by rumours and visuals of the violence that flooded social media, retaliation by Meiteis began in the valley areas late on 3 May night and into the next day. Kuki-Zomi properties and individuals in the capital Imphal and other areas, were attacked. BJP MLA Vunzjagin Valte was among those caught up in the violence; he was critically injured and his driver killed after they were set upon in the streets of Imphal. Mobs looted thousands of sophisticated weapons from state police armouries.

The scale of the violence, and the speed with which it spread, not to mention the looting of weapons, were clear indictments of the failure of the states law and order establishment and the spinelessness of its political leadership, which stood paralysed at a time when a firm hand might have stopped the mayhem in its tracks. Caught napping, it took the authorities, who imposed an internet ban, round-the-clock curfew, and airlifted thousands of Army and Central paramilitary personnel into the state, until 6 May to bring the violence under control, by which time the official death toll was 54, later to be revised to 73.

Thousands from both communities, meanwhile, fled to safer places, some taking shelter at security forces camps, others fleeing to neighbouring Mizoram and other states. The total number of people displaced, who were eventually accommodated in various relief camps, stands now at around 60,000, including over 22,000 children. Some 12,000 people from Manipur are also said to be taking shelter in Mizoram.

On 12 May, ten MLAs belonging to the Kuki-Zomi communities, including seven belonging to the ruling BJP, issued a Press statement urging the Union government to carve out a separate administration under the Indian Constitution and let people from their community live peacefully as neighbours with the state of Manipur. They levelled the charge that the violence was supported by [the] existing government of Manipur.

The demand, while broadly backed by Kuki-Zomi civil society, could not have been better calculated to put the Meitei communitys back up, feeding as it did into suspicions that the long-term aim of sections of the Kuki-Zomi communities was to carve out a homeland from Manipurs territory, with their numbers augmented by an influx of fellow tribespeople from Myanmar, and funded by drug money. The conflict, for Meitei civil society, became about Manipurs integrity, a far more emotive issue than the demand for Scheduled Tribe status, which had never had more than lukewarm support from the community. Stances hardened as the general public came to be mobilised in a conflict that was portrayed, by both sides, as an existential crisis.

Union home minister Amit Shah reached the strife-hit state on 29 May, and stayed for four days, during which he held discussions with state government authorities as well as civil society organisations of the warring communities. He asked for 15 days of peace to bring normalcy and find solutions. Mr Shah also made several promises, including the constitution of a judicial commission headed by a retired Chief Justice of a High Court to probe the origins of the conflict, various relief and rehabilitation measures, as well as investigation by the CBI into some specific cases of violence. He also stated that there is no question of disturbing the unity, integrity and territorial boundary of Manipur.

But Mr Shahs visit made little difference to the situation, coinciding, in fact, with a fresh spurt in violence and arson in the mixed-population area of Serou-Sugnu, in Kakching district, where a truce brokered by Kuki and Meitei MLAs broke down after holding for around 20 days.

In the weeks and months that followed, many parts of the state, particularly the areas forming the borders between the valley and the hills, came to resemble a war zone, complete with fortified bunkers and trenches, and armed civilians facing off across so-called buffer zones. The involvement of heavily-armed militant groups, some of which had signed Suspension of Operations agreement with the state and Central governments, became increasingly open. Farming became a hazardous activity, with gunmen firing at valley villages and farmers from the hill ridges. There were intense gunbattles, ambushes and raids and counter-raids; occasional atrocities took place that created further bitterness.

The conflict was also fought out with appalling ferocity in social media spaces, as relations between the two communities hit rock bottom.

In the charged atmosphere, voices for peace found no space. A peace committee set up by the Central government with the state Governor at its head never took off, as civil society bodies on both sides refused to participate.

Distrust of the security forces, particularly of the Manipur police and the Assam Rifles, accused by the two warring communities of being partisan, further complicated efforts to bring the situation under control.

The states economy also took a beating, with agriculture and business activity both badly impacted. The violence and continuing disturbances caused the frequent closure of shops, businesses, schools and other institutions. Disrupted transport and communication networks caused shortages of many commodities and prices shot up. And in a state suddenly awash with deadly weapons, extortion and violent crimes spiked amidst a climate of general lawlessness worse than anything the state had seen even during the days when insurgency was at its height.

There was considerable speculation early on that chief minister N Biren Singh, widely seen as having badly mishandled the situation, might be replaced, but he managed to hang on. At one point in June, as public anger over the continuing deaths from the conflict mounted, he allowed himself to be persuaded by his supporters not to resign from his post amidst high drama on the streets of Imphal.

In July, just ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, a video of two women being paraded naked and molested by a mob in Kangpokpi district during the initial days of the violence surfaced, sparking nationwide outrage. It also caused Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the Manipur violence. My heart is filled with pain and anger over the incident in Manipur. The whole nation has been dishonoured, Mr Modi said, promising that those responsible would not be spared.

The Manipur issue also rocked Parliament, with the Opposition parties demanding an elaborate debate and discussion on the issue. In the end, the Congress moved a no-confidence motion against the government. It was defeated, but the Opposition party said it was necessary to force the Prime Minister to make a statement on the issue. It was another matter that the PM, in his 100-minute speech, touched on Manipur for barely 10 minutes, during which he vowed to bring peace to the state at the earliest.

The Supreme Court, too, intervened. After the video of the women being paraded emerged, along with reports of other incidents of sexual violence, a Bench of the court led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud observed that it was deeply disturbed. The court pulled up the state government for sitting for months on the police complaints lodged in connection with the incident, and warned that it will take necessary steps if the government does not. The CJI was later to remark that there had been a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery and of law and order in Manipur. The Supreme Court later set up a team of retired women High Court judges  Justices Geeta Mittal, Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon  to consider diverse matters, including measures for relief, rehabilitation, rebuilding homes and places of worship in the state.

An attempt to bury the bodies of some of the victims of the violence on the border between Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts triggered fresh tension in early August. The burial was postponed after the Union Home ministry intervened.

A farcical session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly took place on 29 August, lasting all of 48 minutes, including a 30-minute adjournment in between, at which the 10 Kuki-Zomi MLAs were no-shows and where a resolution calling for peace through dialogue and Constitutional means was declared as passed by the House.

Towards the end of September, student-led protests erupted in Imphal after photographs emerged that indicated that two Meitei students, a boy and a girl, missing since early July, had been killed. Security forces came in for heavy criticism for using excessive force against protesters, including the use of pellet guns, that left dozens seriously injured.

In the middle of December, at the prodding of the Supreme Court, the bodies of 64 victims of the May riots lying in different hospital morgues for the previous seven months were finally handed over to their kin.

Incidents of violence continued into the new year, and the question has to be asked how long Manipurs agony must continue. Getting a peace process started is by no means impossible, but it is going to need enormous political will on the part of all stakeholders. Overcoming the mutual distrust and suspicion between communities will be a mammoth task, maybe even one that would take generations, but a start has to be made by getting people to talk to each other; disarming combatants and ending the killings is key here, and the onus for that lies squarely on the state and Central administrations. There will also have to some kind of political and legal accountability for what happened and punishment for specific crimes if reconciliation and healing are to happen. Most important of all, both sides must come to the realisation that there will be no winners in this conflict.
Tshering Tobgay is set to become the new Prime Minister of Bhutan after his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the largest number of seats in the countrys parliamentary elections and is poised to form the new government, according to local media reports.

According to the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, PDP swept 30 out of the 47 National Assembly seats and Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats.

This was Bhutans fourth general election since transitioning from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government 15 years back.

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The Election Commission of Bhutan is expected to make its final declaration on Wednesday.

This time, the elections in Bhutan, a country which uses Gross National Happiness index in place of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), on economic growth and opportunity.

PM Modi congratulates Tshering Tobgay

Following PDPs victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt congratulations to the party chief Tshering Tobgay for their triumph in the parliamentary elections in Bhutan.

The Prime Minister said in a post on X, Heartiest congratulations to my friend @tsheringtobgay and the Peoples Democratic Party for winning the parliamentary elections in Bhutan. Look forward to working together again to further strengthen our unique ties of friendship and cooperation.
Transparency Market Research

Market response to fluctuating oil prices and supply chain disruptions.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Jan. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global modular refinery market is estimated to flourish at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2023 to 2031. Transparency Market Research projects that the overall sales revenue for modular refinery is estimated to reach US$ 5.4 billion by the end of 2031.

A critical factor lies in the realm of geopolitical shifts and regional policies. Changes in geopolitical dynamics, trade agreements, and governmental policies significantly influence the market. Emerging political alliances or disruptions can dictate the development and deployment of modular refineries, influencing their growth trajectory.

The market is experiencing a surge in the adoption of digital technologies. The integration of AI-driven analytics, IoT devices, and automation solutions is optimizing operational efficiencies, streamlining maintenance processes, and enhancing safety protocols within modular refineries. This digital transformation revolutionizes the industry, offering predictive maintenance capabilities and real-time data insights that boost overall performance and reduce downtime.

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The modular refinery market is witnessing increased collaboration and partnerships among industry players. Strategic alliances between technology providers, engineering firms, and energy companies are fostering innovation and creating comprehensive solutions that cater to the diverse needs of the market. These collaborations drive novel approaches, ensuring modular refineries evolve to meet future energy demands sustainably and efficiently, marking an exciting phase in the industry's evolution.

Modular Refinery Market: Competitive Landscape

The modular refinery market presents a dynamic landscape characterized by robust competition and evolving industry trends. Established players like Honeywell UOP, Chemex Global, and Fluor Corporation maintain dominance with their technologically advanced solutions and extensive operational expertise.

Story continues

Emerging contenders such as Velocys and Zeton are disrupting the market with innovative modular designs and cost-effective solutions. Factors like increasing demand for localized refining, stringent environmental regulations, and the pursuit of energy independence stimulate competitive innovation.

Partnerships, strategic collaborations, and R&D investments are pivotal, reshaping the competitive terrain as companies strive to meet the growing global demand for modular refineries efficiently and sustainably. Some prominent manufacturers are as follows:

 Peiyang Chemical Equipment Co. Ltd.

 Almoner Petroleum & Gas Limited

 Amerisource Energy

 Brahms Group SA

 Chemex Global

 Honeywell International Inc.

 Pyramid E & C

 Waltersmith Refining & Petrochemicals Company

 KP Engineering, Inc.

 VFuels LLC

 McDermott International Ltd.

Key Findings of the Market Report

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) segment stands at the forefront, driving the modular refinery market with its pivotal role in refining processes.

Capacity segment 'Below 10,000 BPD' stands as a leading segment in the modular refinery market due to its adaptability and accessibility.

Private operators lead the modular refinery market, demonstrating innovation, flexibility, and adaptability to changing market demands and technologies.

Modular Refinery Market Growth Drivers & Trends

Increasing demand for localized refining solutions due to stringent environmental regulations.

Rising focus on cost-effective and scalable modular refinery units.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization driving energy needs in emerging markets.

Technological advancements enhancing efficiency and operational flexibility.

Growing investments in research & development for sustainable and innovative modular refinery solutions.

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Global Modular Refinery Market: Regional Profile

North America, led by the United States, stands as a prominent market due to its extensive oil refining capacities and the rising focus on smaller-scale modular refineries. Stringent environmental norms and the demand for localized refining favor the adoption of modular units in this region.

Europe shows a growing inclination towards modular refineries to address the need for flexible refining solutions. Regulatory emphasis on cleaner fuels and efforts to decentralize refining capacities amplify the market scope.

Asia Pacific emerges as a significant player driven by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and increasing energy demands. Countries like China and India, with soaring energy needs, are embracing modular refineries for their scalability and cost-efficiency, fostering market growth.

Product Portfolio

Amerisource Energy pioneers innovative renewable energy solutions worldwide. Offering cutting-edge solar, wind, and hydro technologies, it ensures sustainable power generation. With a commitment to eco-friendly practices, Amerisource Energy continues to revolutionize the energy sector, providing reliable and efficient renewable energy solutions for a brighter future.

Brahms Group SA stands as a global leader in luxury hospitality, curating exquisite experiences across its premier hotels and resorts. Infused with opulence and personalized service, their properties redefine elegance. With a dedication to unparalleled guest satisfaction, Brahms Group SA elevates hospitality standards, creating unforgettable stays.

Chemex Global is a renowned provider of high-quality chemicals and solutions, catering to diverse industries. Their extensive range encompasses superior chemicals for manufacturing, cleaning, and specialized applications. Committed to innovation and safety, Chemex Global delivers excellence, ensuring clients receive top-tier products for their specific operational needs.

Modular Refinery Market: Key Segments

By Component

Crude Distillation Unit (CDU)

Diesel Hydro Treating (DHT)

Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)

Naphtha Hydro Treating (NHT)

Reforming Unit

Sulfur Treating Unit

Others (Splitter, Stabilizer, Desalter Flare, Sand Isomerization Unit)

By Capacity (BPD)

Below 10,000

10,000-20,000

20,000-30,000

30,000-40,000

Above 40,000

By Operator

Private

National Oil Company

By Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America

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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

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What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma encompasses a collection of clearly defined statistical methodologies, tools, and techniques employed for the analysis and enhancement of business processes, aiming to assess their divergence from the norm. In essence, Six Sigma tools enable the identification of variations within existing business processes. A business process that operates at Six Sigma has a failure rate of 0.00034%, which means that operating at Six Sigma virtually produces no error. This has greatly increased the demand for Six Sigma green belt certification for both job seekers and employers.

Using Six Sigma tools and techniques not only helps identify shortcomings but also helps eliminate them by boosting quality and efficiency and reducing variation defects and errors. Such minimal error and enhanced efficiency are achieved by using a structured approach called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) that identifies and eliminates causes of variation to improve processes.

Six Sigma methodologies were first developed in the 1980s and have since found widespread application in numerous sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and service industries, among others. These methodologies are widely used in project management in a project lifecycle to minimize defects and improve business processes. Six Sigma methodologies provide efficient techniques, which help reduce operational costs, increase business profits, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Overview of Six Sigma Tools and Techniques

The Six Sigma methodologies employ a combination of statistical and data analysis tools to attain the intended results. Utilizing the DMAIC approach (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control), these tools are applied to various business processes. Six Sigma incorporates statistical tools, like process mapping and design, along with established qualitative and quantitative techniques to realize the desired outcomes.

Statistical Tools in Six Sigma

The main statistical tools used in Six Sigma analysis include:

 Control Chart

 Scatter Plot

 Check Sheet

 Histogram

 Pareto Chart

 Flow Chart

 Cause and Effect Analysis

Process Mapping and Flowcharting

Flowcharting is an instrument of Six Sigma that employs a visual representation to delineate the necessary information and materials for enhancing processes. Each flowchart comprises three fundamental components: a process roadmap, data, and a timeline. This tool allows project managers to visualize critical details, such as delays and error rates, enabling them to streamline the process flow. In essence, this tool uses the Six Sigma principle to facilitate the elimination of waste and inefficiencies within the business process, fostering leaner and more efficient operations.

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in Six Sigma

Quality function deployment (QFD) in Six Sigma is a process for planning products and services. QFD serves as a tool to convert customer requirements (Voice of the Customer, VOC) into quantifiable design objectives and guide their implementation across various stages of production. QFD methodologies provide a defined set of matrices utilized to facilitate this progression. Thus, the QFD tools help to effectively define customer requirements and convert them into detailed engineering specifications and plans to produce the product that fulfills those requirements.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Failure modes and effects analysis is a Six Sigma tool with the principles of proactiveness. According to this tool, incorporating the Six Sigma principle, potential error points in a business process can proactively be found, and corrective measures can be implemented before the failure of a project. Failure modes are how a project or process can fail, while effects are the ways in which these failures can lead to waste, defects, or lowered customer satisfaction. Failure modes and effects analysis have been designed to identify, prioritize, and limit these failure modes.

There are two categories for FMEA:

1. Design FMEA: Design FMEA explores the possibilities of product malfunctioning, reduced product life, and safety as well as regulatory concerns derived from various factors, like shape and size of the product, materials used, interaction with other components, etc.

2. Process FMEA: Process FMEA discovers failures that affect product quality, leading to reduced reliability of the process and customer satisfaction, along with safety or environmental hazards derived from different factors like materials used, machines utilized, measurement systems impact on acceptance, methods followed while processing, and human and environmental factors on process performance.

It is one of the cost-efficient Six Sigma tools that allows corrective measures to be taken before the processes are implemented. FMEA is one of the tools used to discover failure at its earliest possible point in the product or process design. Discovering the potential of failure in a process development using FMEA has the following benefits:

 Many choices for mitigating risks

 Higher capabilities of validation and verification of changes

 Improved designs for manufacturing and assembly

 Lower cost solutions

Control Charts and Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a Six Sigma tool utilized for constructing control charts, enabling project managers to monitor the efficacy of process enhancements. By employing control charts, project managers gain a visual representation of a business process's advancement about benchmark values.

Essentially, these control charts chart the trajectory of processes over time, facilitating the pinpointing of specific locations and magnitudes of variations. This information aids project managers in applying appropriate corrective actions, particularly for particular cause variations. Furthermore, it is crucial to determine the root causes of these variations and implement corrective measures accordingly.

Root Cause Analysis Techniques

In the simplest terms, root cause analysis helps to discover the root causes of problems in order to look for appropriate solutions. This involves using definite principles, techniques, and methodologies. The different root cause analysis methods include the following:

 5 Whys: This approach involves understanding the question "why" to uncover the fundamental source of a problem. This method aids in developing a comprehensive understanding and pinpointing the issue's origin.

 Failure mode and effects analysis: It is also one of the effective root cause analysis techniques used to determine failure within a particular system.

 Fault tree analysis: This process uses Boolean logic to determine the cause of an undesirable situation. It involves creating a diagram that looks like a tree.

 Fishbone diagram: Similar to fault tree analysis, it is also a useful tool in conducting root cause analysis.

 Pareto charts: They are graphical representations of trivial and significant aspects of a process. This helps to understand the aspects of a problem so that the team members can direct their efforts accordingly.

 Scatter plot diagram: It is also a chart used to represent numeric values using dots with respect to a certain vertical and horizontal axis. This can also help to understand faulty areas by analyzing the chart obtained with an ideal one.

Design of Experiments (DOE) in Six Sigma

Design of experiments (DOE) is a Six Sigma tool that helps project managers and project teams determine the effects that the inputs into a business process have on the final product. DOE helps to understand critical relations between variables in a process that are often hidden under all of the data and identifies the most important inputs that need to be modified in order to ensure optimal process performance.

The DOE process has its own set of terms that define how the technique works. These include:

 Factors: These are independent variables which you will have control over. In the DOE process, the factors are modified in order to determine the point of optimal performance.

 Level: This is a measurement of how much a factor has been modified. Levels can be numeric or discrete.

 Run: A run or an experimental run constitutes an experiment performed at two or three levels for every factor in order to find the optimal point of performance.

 Response: This is the outcome of a run.

 Replication: This is the process of running various related experiments to understand the outcome. Replication helps obtain even more data, which helps to evaluate the results of the experimental runs in a better manner.

Lean Principles and Six Sigma Integration

Lean Six Sigma incorporates both lean and Six Sigma methodologies, harnessing their combined power for effective project management. The application of lean principles centers on minimizing or eliminating waste while enhancing efficiency. This involves identifying and eliminating non-value-added activities in project development, streamlining processes, reducing defects, and optimizing resources to achieve greater value with reduced effort.

On the other hand, Six Sigma employs a statistical approach to enhance business processes by minimizing variation and defects through data-driven decision-making. The methodology follows the DMAIC cycle, which encompasses defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling processes. By adhering to this cycle, Lean Six Sigma aims to enhance product outcomes, ensuring consistency and predictability in results.

By combining these two methodologies, Lean Six Sigma offers a comprehensive approach towards process improvement that can be applied to any industry. An improvement roadmap using a Lean Six Sigma integrated approach needs to consider the differences and apply them with enhanced effectiveness. Here are a few points to remember:

 Projects incorporating lean methodologies can be completed in very less time than six sigma. Six Sigma projects, on the other hand, may need more than two or three months. Thus, a Lean Six Sigma approach should put more importance on lean methodology at the beginning of the development process of a project and deployment to increase process momentum.

 Lean principles emphasize broad principles added to practical suggestions for achieving improvements. To emphasize this, lean principles suggest a technique to analyze and reduce changeover time that doesn't require sophisticated analysis and tools. However, lean methodologies may sometimes be insufficient for solving more complicated problems requiring advanced analysis. This is where Six Sigma requires introduction during the first phase of deployment so as to ensure that the plan of improvement incorporates a generic approach centered around problem solving.

 An integrated improvement program needs to have a vision of the future state and a pipeline of specific projects that will help to bridge the gap between the current and future states of the projects. Lean principles introduced value stream mapping or process mapping as the central tool to identify such gaps by developing a list of projects that can be tackled using Lean or Six Sigma methodology.

 Six Sigma processes and tools can be used for any industry and business process, but lean methodologies have a more specific approach, which allows the content to be adjusted according to the needs of the industry. Thus, processes using lean methodologies are adjusted to meet the specific requirements of the industry.

For improvement in the process of a project, an integrated Lean Six Sigma approach can be taken. This approach may have the following work process:

 Begin by imparting Lean principles initially to build momentum, and subsequently introduce Six Sigma to address more complex challenges.

 Employ process mapping or flowcharting to construct a project pipeline, identifying projects suitable for tools of either Lean or Six Sigma .

Software Tools for Six Sigma Implementation

Six Sigma methodologies follow project management and business intelligence tools for implementing the process of DMAIC, measuring results, and maintaining any changes to the process of production. Here are some of the top business intelligence and project management tools under Six Sigma.

Project Management Tools:-

Tools in project management (PM) can be used to facilitate every step within the workflow of the DMAIC process. Based on the approach followed, the PM tools can be utilized to outline every step of the DMAIC cycle as singular steps or a collection of steps within each process. Here are some of the software tools for Six Sigma implementation under project management:

 Trello: Trello is a solution for organizations implementing the project management process for manufacturing processes free of cost. Trello utilizes Kanban and is available free of cost, so while it won't have as many features for advanced project management processes, its simple designs make it an excellent Six Sigma tool for new users. Users can also access Trello using a mobile application, which in turn allows users to collaborate and work from remote locations anywhere. This can be a great option for anyone who wishes to keep the systems updated even when they are not in their offices.

 Kanbery: Kanbery is yet another online Kanban-based solution that works on the Lean methodologies. They have a number of pricing options available according to the needs of the individual organization. This is a great option for an organization that helps them determine how every part of the DMAIC workflow would be by allowing customization in the system. Apart from workflow processes, it also comprises reporting tools that provide an idea of how the various areas of DMAIC develop.

Business Intelligence Tools:-

Business intelligence tools are crucial for accurate measurements through aggregate and appropriate analysis of data, and accessing data in an easily comprehensible manner is important for analyzing operational efficiency further ahead in the processes. Solutions in business intelligence are essential for the successful implementation of processes involving Six Sigma for two main reasons:

1. Most business intelligence solutions involve tools for data visualization, which provide important insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of operations based on the analysis of data.

2. Some of the systems include solutions involving warehouses, which are important for organizations that do not have an effective system to record and store data.

Here are examples of software tools using business intelligence solutions for companies that don't have a data storage system.

 Tableau: It is an effective and highly trusted data visualization application available for use. It has a simple design and functions that make it quite easy to use for almost every kind of user, ranging from business owners to IT professionals. Tableau has Pareto charts to measure errors and histograms to provide a measure of deviation. These two tools are important Six Sigma tools for data visualization.

 SAS: SAS is one of the most well-known business solutions that offers numerous solutions that can be applied together or individually. Data and performance management software are among the most effective Six Sigma solutions provided by SAS. By using both these systems, manufacturers can obtain data analysis and insights into every phase of the lifecycle of DMAIC.

Case Studies: Successful Applications of Six Sigma Tools

Having heard of so many inner working processes of Six Sigma, it is crucial to know how it is implemented in different industries that could lead to the elimination of waste and minimization of defects within an organization. Here are some famous examples of how Six Sigma has helped some of the well-known brands:

Starbucks

What started as a single coffee shop in Seattle is now a well-known coffee shop brand with over 30,000 stores across 80 countries. Starbucks took just 40 years to achieve this feat, going from a calm coffeehouse in one city in the US to more of a fast-food-style operation with drive-through options available in many locations. For this, the Starbucks outlets and their customers have adopted two practices: speed and accuracy. People want their coffee freshly made within minutes.

Coffee shops are known to have a certain personalized human touch in their operations, but Starbucks sought to find a way to offer the speed of fast food chains without sacrificing the human element in delivery. After Six Sigma integration, the company management came up with two ways in which their customers order coffee and how their in-store experience plays out.

The first change could be implemented by training Starbucks baristas to take a more proactive role in both taking orders and managing the cash register, significantly speeding up the wait time. Additionally, Starbucks introduced a mobile app allowing customers to pre-order and pay for their drinks and accompaniments before arriving at an outlet, enabling them to take the order as a takeaway. This reduction in rush and hustle has significantly improved speed for customers and allowed baristas to serve in-store customers more efficiently.

Keeping the human element in mind, Starbucks management encouraged baristas to engage with the customers and make transactions personal. Additionally, Starbucks also offered different rewards for customers using the app regularly.

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motors is one of the most widely known automobile and commercial vehicle makers in the world, with their earliest operations dating back to the 1900s. However, Ford Motors implemented Six Sigma in the 2000s, making it one of the first automakers to put it into practice. Ford Motors wanted to implement Six Sigma based on improving four factors: cost, quality, customer satisfaction rates, and environmental impact. It aimed to achieve these individual factors in the following manner:

 Cost reduction: Ford aimed to reduce the use of resources that were not necessary for the production process.

 Quality improvement: Although Ford held a quality level of 99%, it still delivered around 20,000 defective products. By adopting Six Sigma principles, Ford aimed at a 99.9996% level of quality, which allowed them to have minimal defects, leading to around seven defects out of a million products.

 Customer satisfaction: Low customer satisfaction stems from product quality. By implementing Six Sigma methodologies, Ford has tackled low customer satisfaction ratings by streamlining processes and improving production issues.

 Lowering environmental impacts: Ford aimed to lower the environmental impact of its productions through the Six Sigma methodologies. Six Sigma, by design, is a green philosophy. Through Six Sigma implementation, Ford committed to a green work culture by reducing costs associated with the consumption of vital resources and reducing the consumption of unnecessary resources.

Through these techniques, Ford has been able to minimize more than $2.2 billion in waste to date since the time it was implemented. Additionally, Ford has successfully increased customer satisfaction ratings by five points. However, the success of Six Sigma implementation in Ford was not without hurdles in the way. Ford experienced a lack of employee commitment from different levels of its company. High-level management, along with other important personnel in the company, were not always willing to go through weeks of training. Along with a lack of commitment, Ford also faced issues with time and money during the training of employees.

Additionally, Ford was not fully equipped to manage the amount of data needed to implement a Six Sigma initiative. Due to this, they were forced to implement new measurement systems to collect enough data for a proper picture of the current value stream. However, working through these constraints, eventually, everyone was on board with the training in the Six Sigma principles. This led to significant benefits for Ford.

Conclusion

Six Sigma methodologies, when utilized well for reducing defects through a disciplined, data-driven approach, have been shown to lead to huge savings and increased efficiency. By closely adhering to the DMAIC cycle of defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling, one can systematically implement operational changes and test them for results. An organization that wants to implement Six Sigma in its manufacturing operations should recognize the immense oversight and discipline required. Having and implementing the proper Six Sigma tools can help your organization significantly follow the DMAIC process and obtain the required outcome.

If you wish to upscale your business processes and utilize Six Sigma principles, taking courses individually can help contribute to organizational success by learning how to use, implement, perform, understand, and apply Lean Six Sigma. KnowledgeHut offers Six Sigma green belt certification for managers and upper-level management personnel. Although there are no prerequisites for attending the Six Sigma Green Belt certification course, managers can benefit from this certification course to be able to lead improvement projects or serve as valuable team members of a process improvement team.

FAQs

1. Why use Six Sigma tools?

Six Sigma tools help improve the capability of the business processes by reducing defects, improving profits, and enhancing employee morale as well as the quality of products or services.

2. How do I choose the right tools for a specific Six Sigma project?

Whenever you need to decide which Six Sigma tools are right for your projects, consider the following:

 Learn about the tools and what they're used for in Six Sigma projects.

 Pick a tool that suits the unique environment of your project.

 Train your employees at all levels in the methodologies of Lean Six Sigma.

 Be aware of supporting resources like software, graphs, charts, and more, which can be required later in Six Sigma activities.

3. What are the different levels of Six Sigma certification?

The different levels of the Six Sigma certification conform to specific training requirements, education criteria, job standards, and quality. These include:

 White Belt

 Yellow Belt

 Green Level

 Black Level

 Master Black Belt
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are working with Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, based in Norman, on a study of sediment barriers to control storm water runoff at Flint Hills, one of Ideal's neighborhoods, south of W Tecumseh Road and west of 12 Ave NW.

Storm water draining from the new Flint Hills neighborhood in Norman, and any pollution in it, runs to the Little River, then flows to the Canadian River, the Arkansas River, the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico.

The developer of the new neighborhood is trying to stop it, to study it, in hopes of reducing runoff from the construction site, which can carry sediment and pollutants that can potentially harm streams, lakes and wetlands along the way from Flint Hills, which is east off of N Flood Avenue, south of W Tecumseh Road.

Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, based in Norman, is working with researchers from the Oklahoma Water Survey at the University of Oklahoma in the study, which is looking at the effectiveness of sediment control barriers. The study was funded by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Why Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods is studying erosion control methods in a new neighborhood in Norman, Oklahoma

Research site at Flint Hills, a subdivision by Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, south of W Tecumseh Road and west of 12 Ave NW. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are working with Ideal, based in Norman, on a study of sediment barriers to control storm water runoff.

Storm water is nothing to sniff at.

"As storm water flows through a construction site, it can pick up sediment, debris and chemicals, and transport them to a storm sewer system, and eventually end up in our local streams," Ideal's Tiffany Aguilar said, pointing to regulations of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

The DEQ details the damage that displaced sediment can cause:

"Sediment in water bodies from construction sites can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching aquatic plants, clog fish gills, smother aquatic habitat and spawning areas, and high volumes of runoff can cause stream bank erosion and impede navigation," the DEQ says.

Controlling erosion and sediment "can significantly reduce the amount of sedimentation and other pollutants transported by storm water runoff from construction sites," according to the agency.

RELATED: Lower mortgage rates should breathe life into OKC's dispirited home sales, but not yet

Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods says it wants to "help purify Oklahoma water"

Research site at Flint Hills, a subdivision by Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, south of W Tecumseh Road and west of 12 Ave NW. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are working with Ideal, based in Norman, on a study of sediment barriers to control storm water runoff.

Ideal Homes already followed a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3) through DEQ to protect water, but wanted to stop more sediment from being displaced, said Zack Roach, vice president of development.

Story continues

"Our goal is to improve water runoff from our communities and help purify Oklahoma water by filtering beyond what is required, he said.

Nathan Wright, a graduate research assistant in OU's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science who is involved with the research, said the study is a side-by-side test of three sediment control devices: a compost filter sock, a silt fence and a Triangle Silt Dike.

These sediment control devices minimize sediment transportation from construction sites that can cause poor water quality," Wright said. "Results obtained from this research will provide engineers, developers, and municipalities with critical information to help them choose which sediment control device to use to prevent sediment and nutrient movement off of their construction site."

HOUSING STABILITY? Rules are set for new Oklahoma Housing Stability Program

Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods has a good reputation in energy conservation and environmental protection

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are working with Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, based in Norman, on a study of sediment barriers to control storm water runoff at Flint Hills, one of Ideal's neighborhoods, south of W Tecumseh Road and west of 12 Ave NW.

It's not Ideal Homes & Neighborhood's first study of erosion control methods. Previously, the home builder and developer studied the effectiveness of using compost to slow erosion at its nearby Green Leaf Trails addition, south of Tecumseh Road and east of 12th Ave. NW.

Ideal Homes has a reputation for emphasizing energy conservation and environmental protection.

The company built the first Green Home through the National Association of Builders, the first LEED-certified home (for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) in the U.S., and the first affordable zero-energy home in the U.S.

It also was the first Energy Star builder for affordable homes in the U.S., and has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 5-Star energy builder.

The EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the American Lung Association have all asked Ideal to test efficient building technologies, and with its neighborhoods, the company has worked with the Nature Conservancy, the Oklahoma Compost Conference, and others.

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Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are working with Ideal Homes & Neighborhoods, based in Norman, on a study of sediment barriers to control storm water runoff at Flint Hills, one of Ideal's neighborhoods, south of W Tecumseh Road and west of 12 Ave NW. The model home at 1400 Flint Hills St.

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 12 months of subscriber-only access for $1 a month.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU scientists study runoff control in Ideal Homes neighborhood
This week, streaming platforms are set to bring exciting content to viewers. Here's a quick look at all that's arriving on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus Hotstar, and other platforms this week.

Echo: Disney Plus Hotstar /Hulu

Release date: January 10

Marvel Studios presents a miniseries centered around Maya Lopez, a ruthless woman who confronts her past and reconnects with her Native American family and legacy. Alaqua Cox stars as Maya Lopez, with Vincent D'Onofrio, Charlie Cox, and K. Devery Jacobs among the cast. The five-episode series is created by Marion Dayre.

Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One: Amazon Prime Video

Release date: January 11

This critically acclaimed, action-packed movie, originally released in theatres on July 12, 2023, follows Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and his team as they track down a futuristic, artificial intelligence-based enemy. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the film features an ensemble cast including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson.

Killer Soup: Netflix

Release date: January 11

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, Netflix's Killer Soup explores the life of Swathi and her lover. Swathi, a home cook with plans to open a restaurant, takes an unexpected turn in her life when she and her lover make a daring move. The series stars Manoj Bajpayee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nassar, and Lal.

Killers of the Flower Moon: Apple TV

Release date: January 12

Martin Scorsese's revisionist movie delves into the true story of the murders of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma when oil is discovered on their land. The FBI takes up the case to unravel the mystery in this 1920s-set film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone.

Lift: Netflix

Release date: January 12

Directed by F. Gary Gray, Netflix's Lift follows an international heist where a professional thief and his team attempt to steal $500 million in gold from a plane flying at 40,000 feet. Starring Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Ursula Corbero.

Role Play: Amazon Prime Video

Release date: January 12

An American action thriller starring Kaley Cuoco and David Oyelowo, Role Play revolves around Emma and Dave, who decide to spice up their wedding anniversary. Things take a surprising turn when a stranger recognises Emma as an international assassin, revealing a secret life Dave was unaware of. The movie is directed by Thomas Vincent.
Amrita Hospital in Kochi has inaugurated two groundbreaking specialised clinics, the first-ever Dedicated Sarcoidosis Clinic and the new ILD (Interstitial Lung Disease) Clinic aimed to treat severe lung conditions. This momentous introduction signifies a transformative leap in healthcare services in South India, aiming to address the growing challenges associated with respiratory conditions.

These state-of-the-art clinics have been meticulously designed to cater to suspected or established intestinal diseases, pulmonology issues, and sarcoidosis. It brings together a dedicated team of multidisciplinary experts, including pulmonologists, rheumatologists, pathologists, and radiologists, to provide holistic care and support to individuals diagnosed with sarcoidosis or ILD.

During the inauguration ceremony at BUILD Summit-24, organised in collaboration with the Indian Chest Society, Professor Athol Wells, an expert in Respiratory Medicine from Imperial College, London, officially inaugurated the specialised clinics.

Emphasising the significance of these clinics, Wells remarked, "The launch of both these clinics broadens the scope of diagnosis and treatment, prioritising a patient-centric approach to enhance the overall quality of life. These clinics offer a valuable opportunity to address the pressing healthcare needs associated with sarcoidosis and ILDs, marking a significant leap forward in healthcare services in Kerala and adjacent states.

He also added that raising awareness among general practitioners and paramedical professionals is crucial to considering the possibility of interstitial lung disease early in the diagnostic process.

The general public may not prioritize these disorders, it is within the medical community's hands to enhance awareness and expedite diagnosis for improved patient outcomes, Wells added.

What are sarcoidosis and ILD

Sarcoidosis and ILD are distinct respiratory conditions. Sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory disorder primarily affecting the lungs and lymph nodes are caused by unknown factors and often involves corticosteroid treatment. While, ILD encompasses a group of lung disorders characterised by interstitial tissue inflammation and scarring, with causes ranging from environmental factors to autoimmune diseases.

Symptoms include shortness of breath and cough, with treatment depending on the specific ILD type, involving medications, oxygen therapy, or lung transplantation. Both conditions necessitate thorough medical assessment for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.

Dr. Asmita Mehta, Professor and Head of the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Kochi emphasised the integral role of the launch in reshaping healthcare delivery dynamics in Kerala and India.

"The inauguration of two groundbreaking clinics focusing respiratory conditions marks a significant milestone in healthcare. With ILD prevalence on the rise, managing these intricate respiratory conditions has become increasingly demanding in India. These clinics are a testament to our commitment to providing specialised care, addressing a pressing need in the healthcare landscape, and enhancing patient outcomes," she said.

Over 70 members including those from around the globe participated in the BUILD summit that unfolded over two days.
The day after the 2019 surgical strike which saw Indian warplanes pound a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, the then Pakistan foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua informed the ambassadors of the US, UK, and France a message she had received from the Pakistan Army.

The message read that "nine missiles from India had been pointed towards Pakistan, to be launched any time that day". This stunning revelation is from the upcoming book of former diplomat Ajay Bisaria, who served as Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad during the 2019 Balkot attack



"The foreign secretary requested the envoys to report this intelligence to their capitals and ask India not to escalate the situation. The diplomats promptly reported these developments, leading to a flurry of diplomatic activity in Islamabad, P5 capitals, and in New Delhi that night," Bisaria writes in his book 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan'.



The permanent members of the UN Security Council, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and France are known as P5 nations.



"One of them recommended to her that Pakistan should convey its concerns directly to India," says Bisaria.



He writes that then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to talk to his Indian counterpart. "At around midnight I got a call in Delhi from Pakistani High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood, now in Islamabad, who said that PM Imran Khan was keen to talk to Prime Minister Modi," he says.



"I checked upstairs and responded that our prime minister was not available at this hour but in case Imran Khan had any urgent message to convey he could, of course, convey it to me. I got no call back that night," he recounts.



"The US and UK envoys in Delhi got back overnight to India's foreign secretary to claim that Pakistan was now ready to de-escalate the situation, to act on India's dossier, and to seriously address the issue of terrorism," he says.



Bisaria says "Pakistan's PM would himself make these announcements and the pilot would be returned to India the next day."



Bisaria was referring to Pakistan's detainment of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, whose MiG 21 Bison jet was hit in a dogfight.



He says India's "coercive diplomacy" had been effective, and its expectations of Pakistan and the world had been clear, backed by a credible resolve to escalate the crisis. "Prime Minister Modi would later say in a campaign speech that, 'Fortunately, Pakistan announced that the pilot would be sent back to India. Else, it would have been "qatal ki raat, a night of bloodshed".



He added that several countries, including China, suggested that it could send its representatives to both countries to seek de-escalation but New Delhi declined the offer.



He writes that India was willing to send an aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Pakistan to bring back Varthaman, but the Pakistani government refused permission. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army and was released two days later.



Pakistan had launched the retaliation for the Balakot airstrikes a day before. "We were willing to send an Indian Air Force aircraft to pick him up but Pakistan refused permission; the optics of an Indian Air Force plane landing in Islamabad after all that had happened over the previous three days, was, of course, not acceptable to Pakistan," Bisaria writes.

In the book published by Rupa, Bisaria, who had a distinguished diplomatic career spanning 35 years, writes that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan conveyed to China that it should support Islamabad since the United States decided to back India against China, but Chinese President Xi Jinping "declared that China would not be propping up Pakistan against India".



"President Xi Jinping, apparently, responded sharply to Imran Khan for this simplistic geopolitical assessment and declared that China would not be propping up Pakistan against India," he says. "He had advised Khan that it was the US that could help Pakistan in its India relationship and it would be in Pakistan's interest to make up with the US as well as with Afghanistan," Bisaria writes.



Collapse of Agra summit

Bisaria says the Agra Summit collapsed not because of LK Advani's hardline approach but due to Pakistan's then President Pervez Musharraf's "overreach" in publicly airing his hawkish views on Kashmir.



Musharraf's lack of intent in containing terrorism and insistence on a formulation linking forward movement in overall ties to progress on Kashmir led to the collapse of the Summit in 2001. Bisaria served as a key aide of Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he was the prime minister.



Bisaria says that on the second day of the Summit, Musharraf met with editors of major newspapers and TV networks for a breakfast conversation during which he "let loose" his hawkish position on Kashmir and equated terrorists with freedom fighters. Bisaria says this public telecast sounded to observers like a mid-summit report on the talks, where Pakistan's hard views were being inflicted on India, while New Delhi's positions were unclear.



The former diplomat says he and Brajesh Mishra, Vajpayee's principal secretary and National Security Advisor from 1998 to 2004, watched Musharraf's televised remarks with "dismay" in the makeshift PMO in Agra. "Mishra turned to me and said that the PM needed to be informed of this development since he was sitting in conversation with Musharraf oblivious to everything happening outside the meeting room."



"Mishra scribbled a few lines. I had them quickly typed up, adding a couple of sentences of my own. The note basically said that a press conference by Musharraf was being telecast, where he had repeated his hardline positions, harping on the Kashmir issue and had talked of terrorists as freedom fighters," Bisaria writes.



It fell upon Bisaria to walk into the room where the two leaders and the two notetakers were sitting. "My arrival interrupted the conversation as both leaders looked up.



"Musharraf had been talking and Vajpayee was listening, apparently with great interest. I handed over the paper to the boss and said that there had been some important developments. After I left the room, Vajpayee looked at the paper and then read out from it to Musharraf, saying edgily that his behaviour was not helping the talks."



Bisaria says he was "playfully" accused by some colleagues of torpedoing the Agra initiative.



The former diplomat further says the narrative that emerged from the meetings in view of Pakistani leaks was that while Vajpayee and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh were for an understanding and "OK" with Pakistan's "convoluted draft" of the Agra joint statement (linking progress in bilateral ties to forward movement on the Kashmir issue), Advani, the hawk, had vetoed it since he did not want any progress with Islamabad.



"Advani was quite aware of the slant in the media reporting, making him the villain of the piece." Later Pakistani writings tend to highlight the almost agreed upon draft. The reality was different," Bisaria writes.

(With PTI inputs)
Having faced a comprehensive rout in the recently concluded assembly polls, the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (Jogi)  founded by former chief minister late Ajit Jogi, might be looking at a merger with the ruling BJP in the state.

Amit Jogi, the president of the JCCJ and son of the founder, met union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday. On Tuesday, he shared a photograph of the meeting on social media platform X with a simple caption of it being a courtesy meet.

Though Jogi has not come out with any other statement, the meeting has given rise to speculations that the politically floundering party might be looking to merge with the BJP that has again returned to power in Chhattisgarh  with a record win.

Though the JCCJ contested the assembly polls of November 2023 after showing an initial reluctance, the performance of the party was dismal as it could garner mere 1.23 per cent of votes, lower than the NOTA (none of the above option) votes share of 1.26 pc.

Amit Jogi who had himself contested against ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel in Patan, got only 4,822 votes while his mother and former MLA of Kota seat in Bilaspur managed only 8,884 votes in the same seat.

JCCJ was formed in 2016 after the Jogi father-son duo was expelled from the Congress for anti-party activities. In the 2018 polls, though it created some pre-poll ripples mainly on the accord of political strength of founder Ajit Jogi, the new party could manage to win five seats with 7.6 pc vote share while alliance partner Bahujan Samaj Party won two seats.

However, with the death of Jogi in May 2020, the party started floundering under Amit Jogi who hardly has any part of the charisma of his late father. Of the four remaining MLAs, senior leader Devwrat Singh (MLA of Khairagarh) passed away in November 2021. Ruling Congress won both the Marwahi seat held by late Ajit Jogi and Khairagarh seat in the bypolls emphatically.

JCCJ could not contest polls in Marwahi seat reserved for scheduled tribes (ST) after the nomination papers of both Amit Jogi and his wife Richa Jogi were rejected on the ground that a high power committee had found their tribal caste certificate questionable. Just days before elections, Amit Jogi has announced support to the BJP.

The downslide for the party continued as another senior leader Dharamjit Singh (the then MLA of Lormi), who had been raising questions on handling of party affairs, was expelled by the party in September 2022 for anti-party activities. Baloda Bazar MLA Pramod Sharma too was expelled in 2023 for having supported Singh after his expulsion. With this, Renu Jogi was the sole MLA left with the party ahead of the 2023 polls.

Dharamjit Singh joined BJP and won the Takhatpur assembly seat in 2023 polls. Sharma joined Congress but did not contest polls.

At one time after Ajit Jogis death, there had been efforts by the party leaders, especially Renu Jogi to merge the JCCJ with the Congress, but despite Sonia Gandhis willingness to do so (as Renu Jogi is said to be close to the Congress matriarch), the state leadership scuttled the merger move by putting in a clause that all but Amit Jogi could return to Congress fold  a rider that was obviously unacceptable to Amit Jogi and thus the party.

However, now with complete rout in the assembly polls, the party workers and leaders are reportedly pressuring Jogi to find a better political alternative and at least 80 per cent workers are said to be in favour of merger with BJP to be in the side of the power. The official move by Jogi in this regard remains to be seen.
Suchana Seth had a troubled married life and the motive behind Seth murdering her four-year-old son is yet to be ascertained, Goa police said after preliminary interrogations with the CEO of AI-based startup based in Bengaluru.



Goa (North) Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said, What she has told us till now is that she and her husband were estranged and that they are currently undergoing divorce proceedings." Valsan said Seth hails from West Bengal and her estranged husband Venkat Raman is from Kerala. The SP said Raman is currently in Indonesia and he has been asked to reach India at the earliest.

The SP said Calangute police have registered a case under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act.

The Goa police nabbed 39-year-old Suchana Seth with the support of Karnataka police in Chitradurga, Karnataka, while she was trying to flee with the body of her son. According to police, Seth, who checked into a Goa hotel along with her son on January 6 got noticed by hotel staff after she checked out alone and blood stains were spotted in the hotel room.

ANI quoting Valsan reported, She asked the hotel staff to arrange a taxi for Bengaluru. After the checkout, when the hotel staff went to clean the room, they found red-coloured stains which they assumed to be blood. The staff immediately informed the police. The police reached the hotel and tried to contact the woman through the driver. The police inquired about the woman's son to which she said that the child had been staying at a friend's place. However, the police found the address provided by the woman to be fake.

The SP added that the driver was asked to take the car to the nearest police station and on checking the luggage, the police found the body of the boy.

-with PTI inputs.
A court in Goa on Tuesday remanded the chief executive officer (CEO) of a startup company, accused of killing her four-year-old son in Goa and travelling to neighbouring Karnataka by stuffing his body in a bag, to six days of police custody.

The Goa police arrested the accused, Suchana Seth, 39, from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Monday night. She was brought to Goa on Tuesday afternoon, following which she was presented before a court in Mapusa town. "The court remanded the accused to six days of police custody," a police official said.

According to police, the woman had checked into a rented service apartment at Candolim in North Goa with her son on January 6 and after staying there for two days, she went to Bengaluru in a taxi on Monday. The staff of the apartment later informed the police and told them that her son was not seen with her when she left the place. The police in Chitradurga (Karnataka) later checked the woman's bag in which they found the body of the child, the police said. An offence was registered against Seth at the Calangute police station in Goa under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act, they said.

According to Seth's LinkedIn page, she is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of start-up Mindful AI Lab and was among the top '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021'.
The Goa police on Monday arrested the Chief Executive Officer of a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup for murdering her four-year-old son. Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder. The body of the child was recovered from a bag carried by the accused Suchana Seth.



The Goa police nabbed 39-year-old Suchana Seth with the support of Karnataka police in Chitradurga, Karnataka, while she was trying to flee with the body of her son. According to police, Seth, who checked into a Goa hotel along with her son on January 6 got noticed by hotel staff after she checked out alone and blood stains were noticed in the hotel room.

According to police, Seth checked into a hotel in North Goa's Candolim on January 6 along with her four-year-old son. She checked out from the hotel on Monday and asked the hotel to arrange her a taxi to Bengaluru. Though the hotel staff advised flights were a better option, Seth insisted on travelling by road.

However, hotel staff who noticed she leaving the hotel alone got alarmed when they noticed blood stains in her room. They immediately informed Goa police and police on inspecting the scene, contacted Seth through the taxi driver and enquired whereabouts of her son. Seth allegedly told police that her son was with a friend and on enquiry, police found that the address provided by her was fake.

Police contacted the driver again and this time spoke in Konkani. Police asked the driver to divert to the nearest police station. The taxi driver immediately drove to a police station in Chitradurga. Police arrested Seth and recovered her sons body from her baggage.

Goa Police has taken Seth back to the state for further investigation.
The Tamil Nadu Congress has issued a show cause notice to senior party leader Karti Chidambaram over his alleged remarks on the popularity of Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi is more popular than Rahul Gandhi, Karti, son of Congress veteran and former Union minister P. Chidambaram, said during an interview with Thanthi TV.

Karti, in the same interview, also expressed his trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)a stand contrary to what the party has been taking on the issue over the years.

The partys state unite in its notice has asked the MP to respond in 10 days.

Media reports, however, quoted sources close to the Sivaganga MP as saying that only the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has the authority to issue notice to a member of parliament.

The party insiders told NDTV that the showcause notice might be an attempt to thwart Karti Chidambaram's potential elevation as the Tamil Nadu Congress president.

Kartis remarks praising Modi came a week after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the issuing of visas to some Chinese nationals in 2011.
Suchana Seth, the CEO and founder of a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence start-up, had made a suicide attempt after killing her four-year-old son in a North Goa apartment, police said on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur was arrested on Monday while travelling to Bengaluru in a taxi with the body of her son stuffed in a bag. She was brought back to Goa where a local court sent her to six-day police custody.

Initial investigations suggest that Suchana, the CEO of Mindful AI Lab, smothered her son to death in a room in the service apartment in Candolim, where they checked in on January 6.

The motive behind the gruesome crime is still unclear, but the accused reportedly told police that she and her husband were estranged and that their divorce proceedings were currently underway.

The murder came to light when the apartment's house keeping staff found blood stains on the towel in the room where the woman and her son had stayed in the previous night and alerted the Calangute police.

She had asked the hotel staff to arrange a taxi for Bengaluru. After the checkout, when the hotel staff went to clean the room, they found red-coloured stains which they assumed to be blood. The staff immediately informed the police," Goa (North) Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said.

Police spoke to the driver of the taxi in which Suchana was travelling to Bengaluru and directed him to take the woman to the nearest police station.

"The blood stains that were found on a towel in the service apartment were due to the slashing of her wrist," a police officer was quoted as saying by PTI.

Suchana has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), and also under the Goa Children's Act.

"The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained. We have got six days police custody of the accused and we will thoroughly interrogate her," said a police official.

Suchana hails from West Bengal and has been living in Bengaluru, while her husband, who is from Kerala. is currently in Jakarta (Indonesia).

She holds a Master's degree in Physics specialising in Plasma Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Calcutta.

According to reports, Suchana was among the top '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021'.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai was heckled by a group of protesters as he tried to enter the famed Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in Dharmapuri district and garland an idol of Mary.

Annamalai visited the church in B Pallipatti village after resuming his En Mann En Makkal (my land, my people) yatra in the district.

The protesters, expressing solidarity with the Christians killed in the ethnic violence in Manipur, stopped him from garlanding the idol, leading to a heated altercation between the two sides.

Christians like us were killed in Manipur, you cannot lay your garland here. They killed our people, they destroyed our churches. This is holy ground, a protester could be heard saying in a video footage of the incident.

Why did you kill our Christian people?, the protesters asked the BJP leader.

As the arguments got escalated, Annamalai lost his cool and asked the protesters not to talk to him like DMK men.

Everyone has the right to come here. What right do you have to stop me? Is the church in your name? If I bring 10,000 people here for a dharna, what will you do?, he asked, according to The News Minute report.

The BJP leader proceeded with garlanding the idol of Mary after police intervened and dispersed the protesters.

The incident assumes significance since Annamalai has been projecting himself as a friend of the minorities and had even arranged meetings with some of them.
Understanding Oracle Corp's Dividend Dynamics

Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) recently announced a dividend of $0.4 per share, payable on 2024-01-25, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-01-10. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's delve into Oracle Corp's dividend performance and evaluate its sustainability.

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Oracle provides database technology and enterprise resource planning, or ERP, software to enterprises around the world. Founded in 1977, Oracle pioneered the first commercial SQL-based relational database management system. Today, Oracle has 430,000 customers in 175 countries, supported by its base of 136,000 employees.

Oracle Corp's Dividend Analysis

A Glimpse at Oracle Corp's Dividend History

Oracle Corp has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2009, with dividends distributed on a quarterly basis. The company has not only provided shareholders with regular income but has also increased its dividend annually since 2009. This achievement has earned Oracle Corp the status of a dividend achiever, a prestigious recognition for companies that have consistently raised their dividends for at least 15 consecutive years.

Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for Oracle Corp, illustrating the historical trends in its dividend payments.

Breaking Down Oracle Corp's Dividend Yield and Growth

As of today, Oracle Corp's trailing dividend yield stands at 1.47%, with a 12-month forward dividend yield of 1.55%. This forward-looking metric indicates an anticipated increase in dividend payments over the next year. Over the past three years, the company's annual dividend growth rate was 12.30%, which further increased to 13.30% over a five-year period. Looking at a decade-long span, Oracle Corp's annual dividends per share growth rate impressively stands at 14.40%.

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Considering Oracle Corp's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost for Oracle Corp stock is approximately 2.74% as of today.

Oracle Corp's Dividend Analysis

The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability

The sustainability of Oracle Corp's dividends can be gauged by examining the company's payout ratio, which currently stands at 0.42. This ratio, which measures the proportion of earnings allocated to dividends, suggests that Oracle Corp retains a significant portion of its earnings, potentially funding future growth and buffering against downturns. Additionally, the company's profitability rank, at a high 9 out of 10, underscores its strong earnings capabilities relative to its peers. Oracle Corp's consistent track record of positive net income over the past decade further reinforces its robust profitability.

Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook

Oracle Corp's growth rank of 9 out of 10 speaks volumes about its promising growth trajectory compared to competitors. The company's revenue per share and 3-year revenue growth rate, averaging a 15.00% annual increase, outperforms approximately 64.76% of global competitors, indicating a solid revenue model. Oracle Corp's 3-year EPS growth rate, at an average of 2.90% per year, surpasses roughly 40.33% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 24.10% outperforms approximately 73.14% of its global peers.

Next Steps

Oracle Corp's dividend payments, coupled with a strong dividend growth rate, reasonable payout ratio, high profitability, and solid growth metrics, present a compelling case for investors seeking steady income with growth potential. As Oracle Corp continues to navigate the evolving tech landscape, its commitment to shareholder returns remains evident. Investors considering Oracle Corp for their portfolios should weigh these factors in their decision-making process, and they can find additional high-dividend yield opportunities using the GuruFocus High Dividend Yield Screener.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


The SC verdict quashing the Gujarat governments order granting remission to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case has been hailed by the Opposition parties, which urged the BJP to apologise to Bano. The opposition also accused the BJP government of aiding the premature release of the convicts.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi minced no words in attacking the Home Ministry and the Gujarat government, stating that the verdict shows BJP can deny justice to a woman only to win elections. "'Save the daughter' became 'Save the culprit'! The decision of the Supreme Court in the Bilkis Bano case is the restoration of justice. It exposes the misdeeds of the Home Ministry of the Modi Government and the Gujarat Government," Kharge posted in Hindi on X.



Rahul Gandhi said the verdict has shown once again who the "protector of criminals" is. In a post in Hindi on 'X', Gandhi said, "The tendency to 'murder justice' for electoral gains is dangerous for a democratic system.



"Today, the Supreme Court's decision once again showed the country who gives 'patronage to criminals'." Bilkis Bano's tireless struggle symbolises the victory of justice against the arrogant BJP government," the former Congress chief added.



Other INDIA bloc members, TMC, CPI-M, IUML, National Conference and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) also took on BJP, alleging that it misused its powers to give remission to 11 men, convicted of raping Bilkis Bano and murdering seven members of her family during the 2002 riots, for political gains.



While the TMC said the verdict was a slap on the BJP's face, party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the court verdict as "strong and bold".



"I am grateful to the Supreme Court for this strong and bold judgment. It proves that the rapists were moving freely and enjoying power," she said at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.



The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also called the verdict a "hard slap" on the face of the state government and the "nailing down the Gujarat government's illegal action". "Governments are constitutional entities and if they act in violation of the jurisdiction and considerations of law, it will play havoc with our very existence as a democracy," the party said.



Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party said, "Today, Bilkis Bano finally got justice. The remission decision exposes BJP's stand to talk about Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, blowing the trumpet of bringing Women's Reservation Bill on one hand and shielding the people who unleash atrocities on women on the other hand."



AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday demanded that the BJP-ruled Central and the Gujarat state governments immediately apologise to Bilkis Bano for their support to the rapists and killers. "The BJP," he said, "stands exposed after having endorsed the release of the convicts."
In a landmark decision, South Korea's parliament passed a bill putting a ban to consuming and trading of dog meat on Tuesday. Amid growing support for animal-welfare, the move is set to end the controversial centuries-old practice.

Dog meat consumption was a common practice among Koreans, which is seen as a way to improve stamina.

The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. It will become law after being endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

According to activists, hundreds of thousands of dogs are killed and traded for meat every year. Most dogs are electrocuted or hanged when slaughtered for meat.

Under President Yeol, who owns six dogs and eight cats, the support for ban strengthened.

Dozens of animal rights activists gathered at the National Assembly to celebrate the bill's passage. They carried large photos of dogs, chanted slogans and held placards reading Dog meat-free Korea is coming.

Dogs are also eaten in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, North Korea and in some African countries too. However, South Korea's dog meat industry has drawn more attention because of the country's reputation as a cultural and economic powerhouse, reported The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the farmers were extremely upset by the bill's passage.

Former leader of a farmers association Son Won Hak said that the dog farmers will file a petition with the Constitutional Court of Korea and hold demonstrations against the move.

However, there is no reliable official data on the exact size of South Korea's dog meat industry.

The legislation doesn't clearly specify how dog farmers and others in the industry will be supported. Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said Tuesday the government will try to formulate reasonable assistance programs for them.
After Elisabeth Borne's resignation, President Emmanuel Macron appoints Gabriel Attal as France's prime minister. He is set to become France's youngest-ever prime minister.

Macron's office announced the appointment in a statement. Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government spokesman and education minister. He is France's first openly gay prime minister. With Attal's appointment Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term.

Following political turmoil over immigration law, Borne resigned from the post. The new immigration law strengthens the government's ability to deport foreigners.

Macron, who was France's youngest-ever president when he came to power in 2017 -- is to work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to continue in their posts.

"Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the project of revitalisation and regeneration that I announced," Macron wrote on social media after appointing Attal.

Attal's appointment comes at a time when the country is battling rising living costs, and pension reform issues among many others.

"I'm well aware of the context in which I take on this job," Attal said. "Too many French doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future. I think in particular of the middle class... who get up every morning to go to work... and sometimes can't make ends meet," he said.

Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, joined Macron's newly created political movement in 2016 and was government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022. Later, he was named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister. He is also said to be the most popular minister in Borne's government.

Soon after becoming the education minister, he had announced a ban on long robes in classrooms in September, saying it affected the secularism in the schools.

He also launched initiatives to reduce school bullying. Recently, Attal had openly shared the harassments including homophobic incidents he faced back in school.
Amid the ongoing Maldives-India tensions, Maldives Parliamentary Minority leader Ali Azim called for the removal of President Mohamed Muizzu. Azim's remarks come after some ministers made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Azim urged a vote of no confidence motion against Muizzu.

We, d Democrats, r dedicated to upholding d stability of the nation's foreign policy n preventing d isolation of any neighboring country. R u willing to take all necessary steps to remove prez @MMuizzu from power? Is @MDPSecretariat

We, d Democrats, r dedicated to upholding d stability of the nation's foreign policy n preventing d isolation of any neighboring country.

R u willing to take all necessary steps to remove prez @MMuizzu from power? Is @MDPSecretariat prepared to initiate a vote of no confidence?    (@aliaazim) January 8, 2024

prepared to initiate a vote of no confidence? Azim posted on X.

India has strongly raised the matter with Male over the derogatory remarks against PM Modi by some ministers with the Maldives government. Taking action against the ministers, Maldives government had suspended three ministers over their insulting comments.

All government officials responsible for the comments have been suspended from their post effective immediately, said Ibrahim Khaleel, spokesperson for the president of Maldives.

A massive row was triggered after derogatory remarks surfaced the social media.

PM Modi visited Lakshadweep on Jaunuary 2 and encouraged the Indians to visit the island nation and boost tourism. While sharing the pictures during his visit, PM noted that "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list."
Amid the ongoing India-Maldives tensions, President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to send more tourists to his country. The Maldives tourism industry suffered a setback after derogatory remarks were made by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muizzu is presently in China on his five-day visit.

"China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," said Muizzu during his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province.

Muizzu also praised China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project launched by President Xi Jinping. He termed China as its "closest" ally.

"China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," according to a readout posted on his official website.

The two countries signed a USD 50 million project to develop an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island, reported Maldivian media.

Considered as a pro-China leader, Muizzu told the Forum that his administration's focus in on diversifying the country's economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen its tourism industry, reported PTI.

Muizzu also sought investments from Chinese companies for 11 projects at the Maldives Investment Forum.

A massive row had erupted deepening the India-Maldives tensions after some ministers made derogatory remarks against Modi following his visit to Lakshadweep.

Modi urged Indians to visit Lakshadweep and boost its tourism. He also shared pictures of the island nation during his stay.

Though Maldives took action against the three ministers, by suspending them, their tourism industry suffered a huge setback. The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the derogatory comments.

According to data, highest number of tourists ( 2,09,198) to visit Maldives were from India. While Russia and China held the second and the third place respectively.
Amid the diplomatic row with Maldives, the island nation's former Defence Minister has hit out at the current administration, calling India its '911 call'. Mariya Ahmed Didi, the nation's first-ever female Minister of Defence, said the derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonstrate the "short-sightedness" of the Maldives government.

Didi said India has been a reliable ally, assisting in various sectors, including defence, and criticised any attempt to undermine the longstanding relationship. "It is the short-sightedness on the part of the present administration. We are a small country who are friends with all, but we cannot deny that we share borders with India. We share similar security concerns. India has always helped us. They have been helping us even in the defence sector with capacity building, providing us with equipment, and trying to make us more self-sufficient," Mariya Ahmed Didi said.



She also added that both countries were like-minded in their quest for democracy and respect for human rights.



Besides Didi, Maldives MP Mikael Naseem also called on the Parliament to summon the foreign minister for the inaction and lack of urgency shown by the Maldives government in the incident. "Have formally requested the Parliament to summon the Foreign Minister for questioning following the inaction and lack of urgency shown by GoM regarding derogatory remarks against PM Modi by its senior officials. The request was also sent to summon said officials to the parliamentary committee, the MP of Galolhu Dhekunu posted on X.



This comes as a row broke out over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. The PM shared several pictures, including an exhilarating experience of him trying his hand at snorkelling, which triggered a massive controversy.



Meanwhile, the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) condemned the derogatory comments made by some Deputy Ministers on social media platforms, directed towards the Prime Minister and the people of India.


Ranchi, Jan 9 (PTI) The Jharkhand cabinet on Tuesday approved proposals to pave the way for construction of a Taj brand hotel in Ranchi and expansion of Bodo airport in the states Giridih district, an official said.

Six acres of land will be given on lease to Indian Hotels Company Limited for the hotel in Ranchis Dhurwa area, Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel said.



The cabinet also approved the proposal of acquiring 25 acres of land for expansion of the Bodo airport in Girdih. For the purpose, an amount of Rs 60.75 crore has also been approved, Dadel said.



Currently, the length of the runway is 299.6 ft, which will be extended to 6,000 ft so that flight services for medium category planes and the regional connectivity scheme can be started, she said.



As many as 34 agendas including increasing meal allowance for NCC cadets during camps were cleared during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

The meal allowance is now Rs 95 and Rs 100 for two categories of cadets. It would be raised to Rs 150 for both categories.



The proposal for construction of 2,500 Anganwadi centres by 2025-26 at Rs 277.3 crore also got the cabinet nod.



It also approved the proposal of creating posts for 72 teachers and 47 non-teaching staff in Pandit Raghunath Murmu Janjatiya Vishwa Vidyalaya in Jamshedpur.
Mumbai, Jan 9 (PTI) Full service carrier Vistara on Tuesday said it will launch non-stop flights to Paris from the city from March 28.

Flight services on the new route will be operated five times per week with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, Vistara said in a statement.

The Gurugram-headquartered airline, which completed nine years of its operations, currently flies to Paris from Delhi five times a week.

Vistara already operates its flight services to London and Frankfurt from Mumbai as part of its long-haul international air services network.

The addition of air services to Paris will further enhance connectivity between India and Europe, Vistara added.

"We are delighted to announce direct connectivity between Mumbai and Paris, our sixth route to Europe. The addition of this much-awaited connection is in line with our strategy to position Mumbai as a vital hub for international travel," Vistara Chief Executive Officer Vinod Kannan said.
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Ahead of the opening of the grand temple at Ayodhya, Genesys International's high-precision three-dimensional map of roads and immovable structures has been chosen as the official map of the city to provide pilgrims and visitors with accurate information.

Along with other applications, the map will go a long way in making Ayodhya a smart and sustainable city for pilgrims, citizens, and authorities, the company said in a statement.

The Ayodhya Development Authority has chosen Genesys' new India map platform as the official map for Ayodhya city, it said.

"The Genesys Ayodhya map not only will provide optimal routes and locations but also includes special features catering to electric vehicles, aligning with Ayodhya's commitment to environmental sustainability," it said.

"The project will carry exceptional features, including an advanced 3D mapping system asking with navigation and a unique change detection feature. This feature empowers authorities to track and monitor changes swiftly, facilitating rapid deployment of resources and infrastructure where needed," it said.

Genesys Chairman and Managing Director Sajid Malik said, "Adoption of the Genesys New India Map stack for one of the most historic developments in our country wherein the area is expected to witness large footfalls and also infrastructure development is a great testimonial to the power of the map platform Genesys has developed."

Genesys International is one of the leading homegrown players in mapping technology solutions. Their New India map platform integrates cutting-edge 2D navigation and a 3D digital twin of the entire city, offering an unparalleled and immersive experience for users.

Genesys International's advanced 3D mapping features and its security applications for disaster management and emergency response are poised to play a vital role in transforming Ayodhya's navigational landscape, further solidifying the company's position as a key player in the emerging geospatial market in India.

"The Ayodhya Development Authority is gearing up to launch the Ayodhya Development Authority app on all platforms, inviting citizens to explore the city in its full glory through the Genesys mapping interface. As Ayodhya evolves into a smart city, Genesys International remains at the forefront, providing innovative solutions for a connected and sustainable future," the statement said.

Genesys is a premier advanced mapping company that is building the new India map stack.
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) More than 2,800 leaders from around the world, including over 60 heads of states and governments, will meet in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos next week for the five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In an online pre-meeting press conference, WEF President Borge Brende said the meeting will take place in a very complicated and the most challenging geopolitical and geo-economic scenario.

The annual meeting, which will be held under the theme of 'Rebuilding Trust' from January 15-19, will also be attended by nearly 100 political and business leaders from India.

The Indian delegation would include three union ministers -- Smriti Irani, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Hardeep Singh Puri -- as well as three chief ministers -- Maharashtra's Eknath Shinde, Telangana's Revanth Reddy and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah.

Describing India as a key country with over 8 per cent GDP growth, Brende said several ministers from the country will attend the meeting despite being in the middle of an election season.

Besides, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana will be also there, alongside several CEOs, including Gautam Adani, Sanjiv Bajaj, Kumar Mangalam Birla, N Chandrasekaran, Nadir Godrej, Sajjan Jindal, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Nandan Nilekani, Rishad Premji and Sumant Sinha.

The meeting will be attended by over 40 finance ministers and 16 central bank governors, as well as by 30 trade ministers from across the world along with the World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Among global leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will take part.

Key foreign ministers from the Middle-East will be also there.

Before the start of the WEF meet, a meeting of global security advisors will also be held in Davos and many of them will also attend the official programme.

The WEF said the meeting will drive dialogue, cooperation and partnerships on global imperatives, including economic growth, climate and nature action, energy security, technology governance and human development.

"We face a fractured world and growing societal divides, leading to pervasive uncertainty and pessimism. We have to rebuild trust in our future by moving beyond crisis management, looking at the root causes of the present problems, and building together a more promising future," WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said.

The meeting will also be attended by South Korean President Han Duck-soo, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Swiss President Viola Amherd, Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Iraq President Mohammed Shyaa Al Sudani, Netherlands PM Mark Rutte, Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Vietnam PM Pham Minh Chinh.

Heads of international organisations taking part include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank President Ajay S Banga, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

An estimated 1,600 business leaders, including 800-plus of the world's top CEOs and chairpersons, will also participate, while there will also be more than 150 global innovators, tech pioneers and unicorns, as also over 35 cultural leaders.
I know I am not the first, but allow me to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

We spent a quiet evening at home this year. My daughter, Olivia, spent New Years with my brother in West Virginia. She called around 10 p.m. because everyone there had already gone to bed, and she was bored. I didnt have the heart to tell her we were also headed to bed early. I cant remember the last time I stayed up late enough to see the ball drop. Jessica, on the other hand, got to stay up after midnight talking to her, while I got to call it a night.

I want to take this weeks article to pitch our Professional Marketer School that will take place beginning Feb. 1 at the Buckeye Ag Museum. My inspiration for the program came almost 15 years ago when I worked in Fayette County. I had a producer lament to me about the amount of time he spent trying to find ways to save money within his operation.

Although he was joking, he followed up his statement by saying, I cant tell you how much time I spend trying to save 5% on my expenses. If I put that much time into my marketing, who knows how much more I could make.

More: Winter mean new livestock and getting them off to a good start

It is easy to see where he was coming from. Think about the number of meetings we attend to help us deal with production risks. We will sit with the seed salesman and learn about their new seed treatments or traits that can gain another 5 to 10 bushels. We will work with our cooperative to outline a spray program to tackle those nuisance weeds, or make a huge investment to improve drainage on our lands.

While you cant sell a crop you cant grow, how much time do you devote to improving your marketing skills to get the top dollar for your product.

I was just reading an article from the University of Illinois-Farmdoc program that indicated that the corn futures market saw its largest yearly price drop in a decade during 2023. The 31% contract price decline of corn overshadowed the 21% decrease in wheat and 15% decrease in soybeans. Most of the pressures that caused this decline will still be present in 2024, and it will be important to continue to focus on input saving, but it also highlights the need to sharpen up your marketing skills.

Story continues

Five sessions markets, budgeting, ag policies

The 2024 Professional Marketer Program is a 5-session marketing school that will be held one day each week during the month of February. We are very excited about the speaker lineup.

The first day, Feb. 1, is Leveling Day. I will be providing a benchmark discussion of the basic working of the futures and options markets for hedging and how to develop a marketing plan.

Foundation Day is Feb. 7. We have Barry Ward, David Marrison and Eric Richer from Ohio State University to discuss budgeting, family living expenses and crop insurance. Evan Hahn from Farm Credit will also speak about working with your lender.

John Yost

The third day is Policy Day. On Feb. 14 we have Ian Sheldon and Seungki Lee from Ohio State University discussing international ag policy and providing a grains outlook for 2024. Nationally renowned livestock marketing specialist Nevil Speers will covering livestock policy and outlook. Chris Wolf from Cornell will be providing our dairy market outlook for 2024. We will also have Aaron Wilson, OSU Climate and Weather Specialist, to talk about climate trends.

The rubber will meet the road Feb. 22. This will be Strategies Day. We have Alan Brugler to provide an in depth talk on technical market analysis. Kenny Burdine from the University of Kentucky will be providing marketing strategies for beef cattle, and Lindsay Rettig from Kalmbach feeds will cover grain marketing strategies. Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Dairy Specialist, will cover milk marketing to finish up the day.

The final day of the program, Feb. 29, is our wrap up session. There will be topics on mental health and how to be a better boss. Robert Moore, OSU Extension Legal Expert, will discuss whole farm insurance considerations. The program will conclude with an update of the status of the Farm Bill with Jack Irvin from Ohio Farm Bureau. At the end of each session, we will take time to work on developing a marketing plan for your operations.

The cost of the program is $150 and covers course materials, lunch and break refreshments each day. You can register at http://go.osu.edu/2024professionalmarketer or by calling the Wayne County Extension Office at 330-264-8722.

Additionally, We have scheduled our annual Private Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicators Recertification programs for 2024, and are taking reservations. The first program will be held in conjunction with the Ag Pro Expo at Harvest Ridge Fairgrounds in Millersburg on Jan. 25. Our first Wayne County session will be at Drake Park, in West Salem on Feb. 9. You should have received a listing of all programs from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and you can find our list on our website (wayne.osu.edu).

The cost of each program is $35 for pesticide recertification and $15 for fertilizer payable the day of the program. As a reminder, this charge is separate from the $30 you are required to pay the Department of Agriculture. You should mail that to the ODA with your renewal application.

As always, If you have questions about our programs please feel free to contact me at the OSU Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722, or email me at yost.77@osu.edu.

John Yost is an Extension Educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Professional Marketer Program for farm community set in Wayne County
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here have proposed a solution to ensure fair compensation for food delivery agents and minimise the platform costs, officials said on Tuesday.

The solution called "Work4Food", developed by an IIT-Delhi team, was recently presented at the prestigious International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence.

According to the officials, the gig economy model has been a driving force in the food-delivery industry, making it difficult for the delivery agents to secure their rightful earnings. Additionally, food-delivery platforms have faced challenges in increasing the delivery fees beyond a certain point, creating a complex dilemma for all the stakeholders involved.

"We have developed an order-assignment algorithm (that determines which delivery agent gets which order) to ensure that each delivery person earns more than the minimum wage. To achieve this without increasing the cost for the platforms or the consumers, we recommend utilising the delivery workers more efficiently and reducing the habit of over-provisioning," said Abhijjnan Chakraborty, a professor at the computer science and engineering department of IIT-Delhi.

"Since the platforms gather a lot of data, by looking at historical patterns, they can predict the supply-demand dynamics in a particular location at a particular time and accordingly, onboard delivery workers if there is a need," he added.

Chakraborty explained that Work4Food's minimum income guarantee, coupled with the flexibility it offers to the platforms in onboarding delivery agents based on the demand-supply dynamics, minimises unnecessary travel -- a common practice among the delivery agents to strategically position themselves for the next order.

"This can have a long-term effect on reducing the air pollution caused by vehicular emissions, at least until the entire delivery fleet transitions to battery-operated vehicles. While online food-delivery companies often cite the gig nature of the work and operational constraints as barriers to implementing local minimum-wage guarantees, the novel solution promises to address the issues," he said.

Besides Chakraborty, the other members of the team that has developed the solution are -- Sayan Ranu and Amitabha Bagchi, professors at the same department, and PhD scholar Anjali.

"We believe that our proposed solution has the potential to revolutionise the way food-delivery platforms operate in India, creating a win-win situation for all the parties involved -- delivery workers, platforms and customers -- representing a significant step toward achieving fairness and equity within the food-delivery industry", Bagchi said.
Male, Jan 9 (PTI) Extending a "sincere apology" for the hurt caused by the derogatory remarks by some of its deputy ministers against the Indian Prime Minister and Indians, a top travel and tour operator body of the Maldives on Tuesday sought rapprochement of relations with India to avert a potential adverse impact on tourism that is the lifeblood of the archipelago nation.

Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO)s appeal came in a letter to the CEO of an online travel platform in India after it announced the suspension of all flight bookings to the island nation on its website in solidarity with India.

Starting late Saturday, there was a full-blown backlash directed at the Maldives following the derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media by three deputy ministers at the Maldives Youth Ministry after he posted photos and video on X after he visited the pristine Lakshadweep Islands on Indias west coast earlier that day.

Tourism stands as the lifeblood of the Maldives, contributing over two-thirds of our GDP and providing livelihoods to approximately 44,000 Maldivians who work directly in the tourism sector. The potential adverse impact on tourism holds the power to unleash severe repercussions on our economy, affecting the lives and well-being of many, MATATO said in a letter to the CEO of EaseMyTrip, the online travel booking platform.

In a series of posts on social media platform X on Monday, EaseMyTrip CEO Nishant Pitti said the Water & beaches of Lakshadweep are as good as Maldives/Seychelles. We at @EaseMyTrip will come up with crazy special offers to promote this pristine destination that our PM @narendramodi has recently visited!

The EaseMyTrip CEO also asked the travellers to Say no to Maldives bookings and explore the wonders of Ayodhya and Lakshadweep.

Referring to the derogatory remarks for which three deputy ministers were suspended by the Maldives government, the MATATO letter, signed by its president Abdulla Ghiyas and vice president Mohamed Shaz Waleed and addressed to Pitti, said recent events have cast a somber shadow on the relationship between India and Maldives and extended its sincere apologies for the hurt caused by these remarks.

We want you to know that the bonds connecting our nations transcend politics. We consider our Indian counterparts not just as business associates but as cherished brothers and sisters, it said.

According to the Maldives Tourism Ministry statistics, over 17 lakh tourists visited the island nation in 2023, out of which more than 2,09,198 visitors were Indians followed by Russians (2,09,146) and China (1,87,118).

The number of Indian visitors was more than 2.4 lakh in 2022 while over 2.11 lakh Indians flew to the Maldives in 2021. The Maldives was also one of the few countries open for international tourists during the pandemic and nearly 63,000 Indians visited that country during that period.

We firmly believe that collaborative efforts and open communication are essential in preserving friendly relations, facilitating trade, and encouraging cultural exchanges between our nations to remain strong and unhindered, the letter added.

The letter came as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China, during his visit there, to intensify efforts to send more tourists to his country after the diplomatic row.

Stating that MATATO recognises the strategic alliances we hold with our Indian counterparts, the letter further said, it understands that these relationships extend beyond the professional realm and serve as a testament to the enduring friendship and partnership between our two nations.

Reiterating that the Indian market remains an indispensable force in the success of the Maldivian tourism sector, providing vital support to guest houses and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that depend on the influx of Indian visitors, MATATO said it humbly seeks assistance and support in fostering positive relations and dispelling any misunderstandings that may have arisen.

It also urged Pitti to reopen EaseMyTrip flights to Maldives.
Kolkata, Jan 9 (PTI) Ustad Rashid Khan left an enduring legacy with his soul-stirring notes, his melodious voice echoing through time and leaving an indelible imprint on the rich heritage of Hindustani music.

Rashid Khan, aged 55, passed away in a city hospital on Tuesday after valiantly battling cancer for over four years. He is survived by his son, two daughters, and wife.

Possibly the last living legend of Rampur Sahaswan gayaki (style of singing), Rashid Khan was recognised as the 31st generation of Sangeet Samrat Mian Tansen, as detailed on his official website.

Known for his mastery in the 'Vilambit Khayal' gayaki, he captivated millions of Hindustani vocal classical music enthusiasts for more than three decades.

Born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Khan's initial training was under his maternal grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. In April 1980, he relocated to Kolkata at the age of 10 when Nissar Hussain Khan moved there with his grandfather.

Rashid Khan's debut concert took place when he was just 11, and by 1994, he had gained recognition as a musician.

Deeply influenced by Hindustani classical music from an early age, Rashid Khan commenced his music lessons under the guidance of his grandparent, Inayat Hussain Khan.

In the realm of musical traditions, the Rampur-Sahaswan gayaki shares a close kinship with the Gwalior gharana. This particular style is defined by its medium-slow tempos, richly resonant voice, and intricate rhythmic play.

Rashid Khan weaves together a narrative deeply influenced by maestros such as Ustad Amir Khan and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Proficient in the art of the tarana, much like his guru Nissar Hussain, he infused his renditions with a distinctive personal touch.

While demonstrating a shared mastery of instrumental stroke-based styles, reminiscent of Nissar Hussain's renown, Ustad Rashid Khan gravitated towards the khayal style, presenting it in a manner uniquely his own.

While excelling in Hindustani vocals, Rashid Khan also showcased his proficiency in playback music, contributing to blockbusters such as "My Name is Khan," "Jab We Met," "Isaaq," "Manto," "Mausam," "Bapi Bari Ja," "Kadambari," and "Mitin Masi."

Rashid Khan was recognised for his innovative approach, blending Hindustani vocals with genres like Sufi and collaborating with Western instrumentalist icon Louis Banks. He engaged in 'jugalbandis' with sitar artist Shahid Parvez.

Khan's Rabindra Sangeet (songs of Rabindranath Tagore) album, 'Baithaki Rabi,' released in the mid-2000s, showcased his versatility.

Commenting on the album at the time of its launch, Khan stated, "I believe a musician cannot complete his circle or journey without having sung 'Rabindra Sangeet.'

"I am ready for criticism, but this is my way of imbibing Gurudev's song, internalizing the meanings and 'bhab' and interpreting in my way without deviating from the swaralipi."

A familiar face at classical concert conferences like Dover Lane, Behala Classical Festival, and ITC SRA Sangeet Sammelan, Rashid Khan remained active during the Covid-19 outbreak. He hosted classical music sessions at home with his son, also a skilled classical music artist, which were streamed online.

Apart from Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards, Rashid Khan was conferred with the West Bengal government's state honour, Bangabhusan in 2012.
Beijing, Jan 9 (PTI) China on Tuesday congratulated the ruling Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League party in Bangladesh for winning the general elections, saying it wants to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership with Dhaka and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

China congratulates Bangladesh for holding general elections as scheduled and we congratulate Awami League on winning the elections, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

As a friend and neighbour, China supports Bangladesh in advancing the post-election political agenda in accordance with the law, she said.

We are ready to work with the new Bangladesh government based on mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in each others internal affairs to carry out the traditional friendship and deepen BRI cooperation and strive for new progress of our strategic partnership of cooperation, she said.

During President Xi Jinping's visit to Dhaka in 2016, China was committed to providing USD 40 billion for various investment projects under which Bangladesh will receive USD 26 billion for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects and USD 14 billion for joint venture projects.

BRI is an ambitious programme for raising China-funded infrastructure across multiple countries aimed at boosting Chinas economic and diplomatic clout.

The rapid expansion of Chinese investments in Bangladesh was regarded as the second highest by Beijing after the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Observers say Prime Minister Hasina who has been in power since 2009 maintained close ties with India and China and made effective use of investments from both countries to develop road and industrial infrastructure in the country.
Colombo, Jan 9 (AP) Debt-ridden Sri Lanka's navy is preparing to join a US-led operation to protect merchant vessels sailing in the Red Sea against attacks by Houthi rebels, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman said on Tuesday.

The attacks by Houthi rebels have targeted commercial shipping vessels transiting through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links markets in Asia and Europe following the October 7 attack by Hamas and Israel's subsequent war against the militant group in Gaza.

The US and its allies launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect ship traffic, and warships from the US, France, and the UK are patrolling the area.

No date has been set for sending the Sri Lankan ships and the area they will patrol has not been finalised, said navy spokesman Capt. Gayan Wickramasuriya.

The decision to send the ships drew criticism from opposition lawmakers in the island nation. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa blamed the government for spending LKR 250 million (USD 777,000) to send ships to fight Houthi rebels in the Red Sea when Sri Lankans are experiencing severe economic hardships at home.

State Minister of Defense Pramitha Tennakoon defended the move, saying the government wants to fulfill its global responsibilities and noting that Sri Lanka is against any form of terrorism.

He added that Sri Lanka would incur no additional costs by joining the operations, as the country's ships are already patrolling its vast maritime area in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lanka is struggling to get through the worst economic crisis in its history. The country declared bankruptcy in April 2022 with more than USD 83 billion in debt  more than half of it to foreign creditors. Its economy was plunged into crisis, with severe shortages of food, fuel and other necessities.

Strident public protests led to the ouster of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The IMF agreed in March last year to a USD 2.9-billion bailout package.

Sri Lanka hopes to restructure USD 17 billion of its tens of billions of outstanding debt.

Over the past year, severe shortages of essentials like food, fuel and medicine have largely abated, and authorities have restored power supplies. But public dissatisfaction has grown over the government's efforts to increase revenues by raising electricity bills and imposing heavy new income taxes on professionals and businesses.

Last week, the government increased the rate of the valued added tax and extended it to cover many essential items, including cooking gas, fuel, medicine and others. (AP) PY

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Lahore, Jan 9 (PTI) After securing swift relief from Pakistani courts in different corruption cases since his return from exile, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday got another one as the national anti-graft body closed a major corruption investigation against him and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

The development comes ahead of the February 8 general elections in Pakistan where Sharif, chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party is being considered as a front-runner for a record fourth as the prime minister.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) announced closing a mega corruption probe against 74-year-old Nawaz Sharif and his other family members in the Sharif Trust case.

The NABs executive board today approved the closure of a corruption probe against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif and other family members in the Sharif Trust case, an NAB spokesperson said.

The investigation against the Sharif family into the Sharif Trust case was launched in 2000 over allegations of receiving millions of rupees in funds in the Sharif Trust through illegal means. Nawaz and his family members were also accused of misappropriation of funds and making property by using the name of the Trust.

Since his October 2023 return from the UK, where he spent four years in self-exile, Nawaz Sharif has been acquitted in Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases, in which he was convicted for 10 and seven years respectively.

Earlier on Monday, Nawaz became eligible to contest next month's general elections after the Supreme Court struck down a lifetime ban on lawmakers under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution for not being honest and righteous.

Nawaz was handed down a lifetime ban by the apex court in the Panama Papers case.

He is contesting on two national assembly seats -- one in Lahore and the other in Mansahra.

The PML-N has hailed the decision of the Supreme Court over lifetime disqualification as a step towards restoration of constitutional sanity.

History has vindicated three-time premier Nawaz Sharif and restored his honour. The provision of lifetime disqualification was an instrument created for one reason and one agenda to exclude Nawaz from politics forever, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.

The architects of this sinister provision in the law should be held accountable for adulterating the Constitution which was the highest level of offence in the Islamic republic, she added.
Kyiv, Jan 9 (AP) Russia's recent escalation of missile and drone attacks is stretching Ukraine's air defence resources, a Ukrainian air force official said on Tuesday, leaving the country vulnerable in the 22-month war unless it can secure further weapons supplies.

Intense Russian air attacks force us to use a corresponding amount of air defence means, air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat told national television. That's why we need more of them, as Russia keeps increasing its (air) attack capabilities.

As soldiers on both sides fight from largely static positions along the roughly 1,500-kilometre front line, recent Russian attacks have used large numbers of various types of missiles in an apparent effort to saturate air defence systems and find gaps in Ukraine's defences.

The massive barrages  more than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in Kyiv  are also using up Ukraine's weapons stockpiles.

Ukraine uses weapons from the Soviet era and more modern ones provided by its Western allies.

Authorities want to build up the country's own weapons manufacturing capabilities, and analysts say those plants are among Russia's recent targets.

At the moment, we are completely dependent on the supply of guided air defence missiles, for both Soviet and Western systems, Ihnat said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on January 7 that we lack a very concrete and understandable thing, that is air defence systems, to protect civilian areas and troop positions.

We lack (air defence systems) both on the battlefield and in our cities, he told a Swedish defence conference.

Speaking at a meeting with the Russian military brass, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu declared that Kyiv's efforts to bolster its firepower won't change the situation on the line of contact and will only drag out the military conflict.

We retain the strategic initiative along the entire line of contact, Shoigu said. We will consistently continue to achieve the objectives of the special military operation  the Kremlin's language for the war in Ukraine.

It was not possible to verify either side's battlefield claims.

In what officials called the biggest aerial barrage of the war, Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones on December 29, killing 62 civilians across the country. On January 1, Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones across Ukraine.

Russia has expanded its own production of missiles and drones, analysts say, and has begun using short-range missiles provided by North Korea.

Ukrainian officials have pleaded with the West for more weapons, especially air defence and artillery shells.

However, a plan by the administration of US President Joe Biden to send to Kyiv billions of dollars in further aid is stuck in Congress, and Europe's pledge in March to provide 1 million artillery shells within 12 months has come up short, with only about 300,000 delivered so far.

US-made surface-to-air Patriot missiles give Ukraine an effective shield against Russian airstrikes, but the cost is up to USD 4 million per missile and the launchers cost about USD 10 million each, analysts say.

Such costly support is essential for Ukraine, a US think tank said.

The continued and increased Western provision of air defence systems and missiles to Ukraine is crucial as Russian forces continue to experiment with new ways to penetrate Ukrainian air defences, the Institute for the Study of War said. (AP)





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London, Jan 9 (PTI) A former British Post Office boss at the centre of a controversy of wrongful convictions of hundreds of post office branch managers, including many British Indians, on Tuesday said that she would hand back her royal honour.

Paula Vennells, 65, was CEO of the government-owned Post Office Ltd between 2012-19 at the peak of an IT scandal involving a faulty accounting software named Horizon.

Her role came under renewed scrutiny after a hard-hitting real-life television drama series aired recently and a petition crossed a million signatures demanding a revocation of her Commander of the British Empire (CBE) honour for "services to the Post Office and to charity", conferred in the 2019 New Years Honours List.

"I continue to support and focus on cooperating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months," Vennells said in a statement on Tuesday.

"I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence. I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect, she said.

The former CEO reiterated that she was truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.

Meanwhile, UK Justice Secretary Alex Chalk met with senior judges to discuss possible solutions to the scandal and updated the House of Commons.

"We are urgently working on the detail of how to clear the names of the postmasters as quickly as possible and further details will be announced in due course," he said.

His meetings are focused on speeding up the process for some of the over 700 sub-postmasters who are still waiting for their convictions to be overturned.

Back in April 2021, the case of Seema Biswas, now 47, came to light when she had her conviction quashed alongside Vijay Parekh  two British Indian sub-postmasters among a group of 39 who won a Court of Appeal case. Misra took over her post office in Surrey in 2005 and was pregnant when she was wrongly handed a 15-month sentence over 12 years ago after being accused of stealing GBP 75,000 from her branch.

"I would definitely have killed myself if I hadn't been pregnant," said Misra, a mother of two who had hailed the Court of Appeal verdict as a huge moment.

Over the weekend British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government was committed to speeding up the process of exoneration and compensation for the victims.

"Obviously it's something that happened in the '90s but actually seeing it and hearing about it again just shows what an appalling miscarriage of justice it is for everyone affected and it's important that those people now get the justice they deserve, and that's what the compensation schemes are about, said Sunak.

The ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which aired in the UK this month, has acted as catalyst for this simmering issue, with the Metropolitan Police also confirming that it is investigating the Post Office over potential fraud offences.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
Taipei, Jan 9 (AP) Taiwan's Defence Ministry mistranslated an alert into English on Tuesday, saying China had launched a missile instead of a satellite and urging caution days before the island's elections.

Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday that China has described as a choice between war and peace.

The bilingual alert sent to residents' mobile phones cautioned in English that there was a missile flyover. The Defence Ministry later issued a statement apologising to the public for the faulty English translation and clarifying that China had launched a rocket carrying a satellite -- not a missile.

The ministry said the Chinese rocket flew over southern Taiwan at high altitude.

Chinese state media said the country launched a satellite called Einstein with a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province in southwestern China. Broadcaster CCTV said the satellite entered orbit and the launch was a success.

The alerts went off in the middle of an international news conference by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. He clarified it was a satellite launch, told journalists not to worry, and proceeded with the news conference.

We need to stay responsible; we need to stay moderate in order to prevent (a) conflict from happening between Taiwan and China, he said.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who was in the southern city of Kaohsiung, urged the public not to worry, according to local media.

Beijing views Taiwan, which is about 160 kilometres off China's east coast, as a renegade province that must come under its control.

Beijing has intensified its military harassment of the island inhabited by 23 million people in recent months, sending military vessels and aircraft near it almost daily. Beijing has also been flying balloons -- which are feared to be used for surveillance -- near the island despite Taiwan's complaints.

China has repeatedly expressed its disdain for the front-runner in Taiwan's presidential election, current Vice President William Lai of the Democratic Progressive Party. Beijing has called Lai a destroyer of peace  and a separatist, and favours the more China-friendly Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, whose presidential candidate is Hou Yu-ih.

A third candidate from the smaller Taiwan People's Party, Ko Wen-je, is also running in Saturday's election. (AP)



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Thimphu, Jan 9 (AP) The People's Democratic Party won the most seats in Bhutan's parliamentary elections on Tuesday and will form the new government as residents hope politicians make good on promises to fix the economic crisis in the Himalayan nation.

Latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, a national broadcaster, showed the PDP had won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats to return to power, and the Bhutan Tendrel Party had secured 17.

It was the country's fourth general elections since its transformation from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government in 2008.

The Election Commission of Bhutan will make its final declaration on Wednesday.

Candidates on Tuesday's ballot represented only the PDP of former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and the BTP led by former civil servant Pema Chewang. A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the ruling center-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa party.

Bhutan is located between China and India, with both neighbours vying for influence in the landlocked nation of around 800,000 people.

The severe economic crisis played a major role in campaigning. According to the World Bank, Bhutan's economy grew at a rate of 1.7 per cent over the past five years.

With unemployment a chronic problem, an exodus of young people in search of higher education and jobs abroad is undermining the country's economic potential.

In a bid to overcome the economic challenges, Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck announced in December plans for a megacity in Gelephu, a town on the border with the northeastern Indian state of Assam, that will have zero-carbon industries with foreign investment.

King Wangchuk said the city-building would be mindful of Bhutanese culture and tradition and will blend with the Himalayan ecosystem. He met with top Indian business leaders who are expected to invest in the project.

Construction will take place in a specially administered zone in Bhutan that has investment-friendly laws. (AP)





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Beirut, Jan 9 (AP) The elite Hezbollah commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike Monday in southern Lebanon fought for the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles.

Wissam al-Tawil, a 48-year-old commander in Hezbollah's secretive Radwan Force deployed along the border with Israel, was killed when the strike hit his SUV in his hometown of Khirbet Silem. The strike was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border, beyond the villages and towns that have witnessed the two sides exchange fire over the past three months.

Israeli officials have been demanding for weeks that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area to allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by the fighting to return to their homes. During a visit to Israel last month, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said a negotiated outcome would be the best way to reassure residents of northern Israel.

Al-Tawil, who joined Hezbollah in 1989, was the highest-ranking official in the group to be killed since the exchange of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border began following the deadly October 7 attack into southern Israel by Hamas, a Hezbollah ally.

After the Israel-Hamas war started three months ago, al-Tawil commanded some special operations" against Israeli posts along the border, according to a Hezbollah statement.

A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that al-Tawil had a role in sparking the summer 2006 war with Israel and fought in Syria's civil war, where he was in charge of coordinating between the Lebanese group and the Syrian army in the battles against the Islamic State group.

On July 12, 2006, al-Tawil was a member of a special Hezbollah unit that crossed into Israel, captured two Israeli soldiers and killed others, triggering a monthlong fight with Israel that killed 1,200 people in Lebanon and 160 in Israel, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Years later, when Hezbollah joined the war in Syria in 2013, fighting alongside Syrian government forces, al-Tawil was a close aide to Hezbollah's chief commander there, Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in 2016, the official said.

Al-Tawil, whose two brothers were killed fighting with Hezbollah, participated in dozens of attacks against Israeli forces and their Lebanese allies during Israel's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon until it withdrew in 2000. Hezbollah said in its statement that the father of four suffered a serious neck injury during an attack on an Israeli military post in southern Lebanon in 1999.

During his long years with the group, al-Tawil was close to Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah's military chief from the group's founding in 1982 until he was killed in a bombing in the Syrian capital in 2008.

Al-Tawil also had close links with Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in 2020. (AP) SKY

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London, Jan 9 (AP) Microsoft's multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI could trigger a European Union merger investigation, the bloc's executive branch said on Tuesday.

The European Commission said it's checking whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under regulations covering mergers and acquisitions that would harm competition in the 27-nation EU.

The review could lead to a formal investigation into whether the deal should be unconditionally cleared, allowed with concessions from the companies or blocked. Britain's antitrust watchdog opened a similar review last month.

Antitrust enforcers in the US also have signalled concerns about competition in the AI industry. The Federal Trade Commission in November approved new measures enabling it to more easily investigate AI products and services, noting that AI can raise competition issues in a variety of ways, including if one or just a few companies control the essential inputs or technologies that underpin AI.

OpenAI has received several rounds of funding from Microsoft, including an initial USD 1 billion in 2019 and a multibillion-dollar investment last year.

OpenAI's generative AI chatbot ChatGPT has captured world attention with its advanced capabilities, catapulting the San Francisco-based startup to the top ranks of AI companies. Generative AI systems like ChatGPT can spit out new text, images, videos or audio recordings based on prompts from users.

The European Commission, the bloc's top antitrust enforcer, is asking businesses and experts for input on any competition issues that they see in generative AI and has asked several large digital players  which it didn't identify  for information.

The commission is also closely monitoring AI partnerships to ensure they do not unduly distort market dynamics, the EU's antitrust enforcer, Margrethe Vestager, said in a press release.

Vestager is due to meet with OpenAI executives on a trip this week to the US, as well as Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. (AP) GRS

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Kathmandu, Jan 9 (PTI) Nepal and India have reached an understanding to take forward the procedural activities of the 6,480-megawatt Pancheshwar Multipurpose power plant within a month, Foreign Minister N P Saud said on Tuesday.

The Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) is a hydropower project to be developed on the Mahakali River.

A ministerial-level discussion was held about the project during the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Saud said, adding that it was decided to expedite the project's activities within a month.

Speaking at an event, the minister said that the prime ministers of both countries also discussed the project during the India visit of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' last year.

"There will be improvement in Nepal's economy while selling the power produced from this project to India," he said, adding that the project will create employment opportunities.

Noting that an agreement was signed to sell 10,000 MW of electricity to India over 10 years, Saud said that agriculture, tourism and power production could uplift the landlocked country's economy.

The development of the PMP is covered under the integrated Mahakali Treaty signed between Nepal and India in 1996 during the tenure of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, under which equal sizes of underground powerhouses of 3,240 MV will be constructed on each side of the Mahakali river in India and Nepal.

Apart from generating electricity, the project will provide irrigation to 130,000 hectares of land in Nepal and 240,000 hectares in India in addition to other incidental benefits, including flood protection.
Washington, Jan 9 (AP) With Donald Trump present for the first time in months, federal appeals court judges in Washington expressed deep scepticism on Tuesday that the former president was immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The panel of three judges also also questioned whether they had jurisdiction to consider the appeal at this point in the case, raising the prospect that Trump's effort could be dismissed.

During lengthy arguments, the judges repeatedly pressed Trump's lawyer to defend claims that Trump was shielded from criminal charges for acts that he says fell within his official duties as president. That argument was rejected last month by a lower-court judge overseeing the case against Trump, and the appeals judges suggested through their questions that they, too, were dubious that the Founding Fathers envisioned absolute immunity for presidents after they leave office.

I think it's paradoxical to say that his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal law," said Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush.

The outcome carries enormous ramifications both for the landmark criminal case against Trump and for the broader, and legally untested, question of whether an ex-president can be prosecuted for acts committed in the White House.

It will also likely set the stage for further appeals before the US Supreme Court, which last month declined a request to weigh but could still get involved later.

A swift decision is crucial for special counsel Jack Smith and his team, who are eager to get the case  now paused pending the appeal  to trial before the November election. But Trump's lawyers, in addition to seeking to get the case dismissed, are hoping to benefit from a protracted appeals process that could delay the trial well past its scheduled March 4 start date, including until potentially after the election.

Underscoring the importance to both sides, Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential primary front-runner, attended Tuesday's arguments even though the Iowa caucuses are just one week away and despite the fact that there's no requirement that defendants appear in person for such proceedings.

It was his first court appearance in Washington, one of four cities where he faces criminal prosecutions and potential trials, since his arraignment in August.

He's already signalling that he could use the appearance to portray himself as the victim of a politicized justice system. Though there's no evidence that President Joe Biden has had any influence on the case, Trump's argument could resonate with Republican voters in Iowa as they prepare to launch the presidential nomination process.

On his way to court on Tuesday, he said in a fundraising email that he was going to fight for my rights as Crooked Joe and his Special Counsel of war crimes prosecutors are attempting to strip them from me,.

Former presidents enjoy broad immunity from lawsuits for actions taken as part of their official White House duties. But because no former president before Trump has ever been indicted, courts have never before addressed whether that protection extends to criminal prosecution.

Trump's lawyers insist that it does, arguing that courts have no authority to scrutinise a president's official acts and decisions and that the prosecution of their client represents a dramatic departure from more than two centuries of American history that would open the door to future politically motivated cases. They filed a similar motion on Monday in another criminal case against Trump in Georgia.

To authorise the prosecution of a president for official acts would open a Pandora's box from which this nation may never recover, said D. John Sauer, a lawyer for Trump, asserting that, under the government's theory, presidents could be prosecuted for giving Congress false information to enter war or for authorizing drone strikes targeting US citizens abroad.

He later added: If a president has to look over his shoulder or her shoulder every time he or she has to make a controversial decision and wonder if after I leave office, am I going to jail for this when my political opponents take power?' that inevitably dampens the ability of the president.

But the judges were repeatedly sceptical about those arguments. Another judge, Florence Pan, an appointee of Biden, noted to Sauer that his team concedes that former presidents can be prosecuted for official acts if they are impeached and convicted by the Senate.

She suggested that hurts his absolute immunity claims, telling Sauer that once you concede that presidents can be prosecuted under some circumstances, your separation of powers argument falls away."

The judges jumped right into questioning Trump's lawyer over whether the court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal at this time. Sauer said presidential immunity is clearly a claim that is meant to be reviewed before trial. Smith's team also said that it wants the court to decide the case now.

Smith's team has said presidents are not entitled to absolute immunity and that, in any event, the acts Trump is alleged in the indictment to have taken  including scheming to enlist fake electors in battleground states won by Biden and pressing his vice president, Mike Pence, to reject the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021  fall far outside a president's official job duties.

The president has a unique constitutional role but he is not above the law. Separation of powers principles, constitutional text, history, precedent and immunity doctrines all point to the conclusion that a former president enjoys no immunity from prosecution, prosecutor James Pearce said.

At a minimum, this case, in which the defendant is alleged to have conspired to overturn the results of a presidential election, is not the place to recognize some novel form of immunity, he added.

It's not clear how quickly the panel from the US Circuit Court of Appeals from the D.C. Circuit will rule, though it has signalled that it intends to work fast.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, rejected the immunity arguments, ruling on December 1 that the office of the presidency does not confer a get-out-of-jail-free pass.' Trump's lawyers appealed that decision, but Smith's team, determined to keep the case on schedule, sought to leapfrog the appeals court by asking the Supreme Court to fast-track the immunity question and rule in the government's favour. The justices declined, without explanation, to get involved.

The appeal is vital to a broader Trump strategy of trying to postpone the election subversion case until after the November election, when a victory could empower him to order the Justice Department to abandon the prosecution or even to seek a pardon for himself. He faces three other criminal cases, in both state and federal court, though the Washington case is scheduled for trial first. (AP)

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Dahod (Guj), Jan 9 (PTI) No information has been received yet about the surrender of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case after the Supreme Court quashed the Gujarat government's decision to grant them remission, but a police force remains deployed in the area where they live to maintain peace, an senior official said on Tuesday.

The convicts, however, are "not incommunicado" and some of them are visiting relatives, said Dahod Superintendent of Police Balram Meena.

"Police have not received any information (regarding their surrender), and we have not received the copy of the (Supreme Court) judgment. The convicts are natives of Singvad taluka where police were deployed since Monday morning, before the judgement was pronounced, to maintain law and order and ensure that communal conflict does not break out," he said.

"The convicts are not incommunicado, and some of them are visiting their relatives. We have no information and have not received any order copy, but police remain deployed in the entire Randhikpur police station area," Meena said.

Bilkis Bano, then 21 years old and five months pregnant, was raped while fleeing after communal riots broke out in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter and six other family members were killed.

The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the remission granted to them while slamming the Gujarat government for abusing its discretion.



It ordered all the convicts, who were released prematurely on Independence Day in 2022, back to jail within two weeks.
New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) Two Delhi Police officers died after their car collided with a truck near the Kundali border in Haryana's Sonipat district, officials said on Tuesday.

The accident occurred around 11.30 pm on Monday, they said.

The victims have been identified as Inspector Dinesh Beniwal of the Northwest district's Special Staff and ATO Inspector Ranveer, posted at Adarsh Nagar police station. They were returning to their Sonipat homes in a personal car, the police said.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, a senior Haryana Police officer said.

Initial investigations suggest that the pair's car collided with the parked truck, which they could not see due to fog, he added.
Shimla, Jan 9 (PTI) Four people died when the car in which they were travelling plunged into a deep gorge after the driver lost control of the vehicle here on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The incident took place near Nandpur village. The deceased have been identified as Manish (42) and his wife Anjana (38), Jagat Ram (70) and his wife Bimla (60), all residents of Jubbal tehsil, they said.

All occupants of the vehicle died on the spot, said Superintendent of Police (SP), Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi.

A police team from Sawra police station is at the spot and trying to retrieve the bodies, which will be taken to Civil Hospital, Jubbal for post-mortem examination, he said.
Etawah (UP), Jan 9 (PTI) A couple was killed with a shovel here early Tuesday, police said.

The bodies of Asha Ram Rajput (55) and his wife Baby (50) were found inside their house in Naglaputh Udhanpura village in the Ikdil area of Etawah district, they said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Verma said a blood-stained shovel was found in the verandah of the house.

Prima facie, it appears that the assailants used the shovel to hack the couple to death, he said.

According to the officer, Baby was Rajput's second wife with whom he lived in Delhi. He had come to the village around 15 days back to sell a plot of land that he owned.

Following the incident, Rajput's first wife, son and daughter-in-law, who lived in the village, have gone missing and a search has been launched to trace them, police said.
Chandigarh, Jan 9 (PTI) BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday demanded immediate dismissal of Punjab minister Aman Arora from the cabinet after a Sangrur court recently convicted him along with some others in a family dispute case.

Chugh alleged the way Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been "protecting" Arora even after he has been convicted by a court is not only showing disrespect to the court "but also demonstrates how blatantly the AAP government has been defying the constitutional bodies".

He expressed surprise that the cabinet minister has not resigned on his own on moral grounds.

Arora holds the new and renewable energy, printing and stationery, employment generation and training and governance reforms portfolios in the Mann cabinet.

"What kind of example Bhagwant Mann is setting for the state by shielding a convicted cabinet colleague," the BJP leader said in a statement issued here.

Chugh expressed serious concern at the failure of Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to respond to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit's query on the matter and said the chief minister must stop defying his calls.

The BJP leader also strongly condemned the AAP government for allegedly paralyzing governance in Punjab with "unconstitutional precedents".

The governor, who had received a representation in connection with the matter recently, had sought a full report from the chief minister on the entire issue.

Purohit in his letter to the chief minister last week cited the Supreme Court judgement, according to which a lawmaker stands divested of membership if convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for a term not less than two years by a trial court.

"This is a serious matter involving non-compliance of the directions given by the Supreme Court of India and can I have a detailed report on the entire issue," the governor wrote to Mann.

"Please find enclosed representation received regarding the conviction of Aman Arora, the cabinet minister, in a criminal case," he added.

Arora and eight others were sentenced to two-year imprisonment by a court in Sangrur district on December 21 last year in a 15-year-old case in which his relative had accused him of attacking him in his house.

The court of Gurbhinder Singh Johal, Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate, Sunam, had last month convicted Arora and eight others in a 2008 case filed on the complaint of the minister's brother-in-law Rajinder Deepa.

The nine were booked in the matter under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 452 (house-trespass) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt).

The court sentenced them to two-year imprisonment under section 452 and one-year imprisonment under section 323 of the IPC. Both sentences will run concurrently.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club has enhanced its programme with the newly unveiled Privilege Club Collection platform, available to all its members.

This innovative platform will offer members access to unique events and experiences.

The platform is set to transform the way members spend their Avios by offering them thrilling opportunities to bid from a selection of curated packages, said a statement.

Privilege Club Collection platform will allow members to bid on exclusive experiences, including access to VIP tickets at The O2 arena for concerts featuring legendary artists such as Depeche Mode, John Mayer, Liam Gallagher and The Jonas Brothers, as well as VIP tickets to FC Internazionale Milano games, VIP and pitch side tickets to Paris Saint-Germain matches, signed jerseys and more.

A Qatar Airways Privilege Club spokesperson said: Our vision for Privilege Club is to build a loyalty proposition which offers value and inspires our members. In the last year, Privilege Club has seen the adoption of Avios, and the establishment of global partnerships with leading banks and hotels. The latest evolution of our member-centric approach is the Privilege Club Collection, which not only boosts Avios spending opportunities, but also offers exceptional once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Members can also amplify their balance with the option to buy Avios, which is conveniently available on the platform. Avios can be further collected when flying with Qatar Airways, oneworld and other partner airlines, shopping and dining at Qatar Duty Free or booking holiday packages with Qatar Airways Holidays. They can additionally earn Avios when using their co-branded payment cards or when linking payment cards to their Privilege Club account to spend when shopping in-store and online with our partners in Qatar. Qatar Airways Privilege Club has a wide range of partners across the banking and financial sectors, hotels, car rentals, and retail and lifestyle segments. - TradeArabia News Service
Jaipur, Jan 9 (PTI) The Rajasthan assembly will start its own television channel to broadcast proceedings of the House and inform people about its activities, according to a statement.

In a meeting on Tuesday, Speaker Vasudev Devnani also said that the functioning of the assembly will be made "paperless", according to it.

Devnani said like Sansad TV, a TV channel and a WhatsApp channel of the Rajasthan assembly will also be started so people can get immediate information about the activities of the assembly, it said.

Sansad Television is the parliamentary channel of India. It was created in 2021 by merging Lok Sabha Television and Rajya Sabha Television, according to its website.

On making the assembly "paperless", Devnani discussed the matter with information technology officials of the assembly.

Latest information technology will be used to connect the Rajasthan assembly with the people. The functioning of the assembly will be made paperless, he said.

The speaker asked the officials to work under the provisions of the Information Technology Act so that the assembly remains safe from cyber threats.

Devnani said a help desk will soon be set up in the assembly premises to train members on the paperless approach as digital security is necessary in current times, according to the statement.

Today's time is to provide information to people as quickly as possible, he said.

Devnani said all the social media applications of the assembly should be immediately upgraded and have updated information.

Instructions were also given to to make the assembly's YouTube channel more effective, the statement said.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Missiles, rockets and drones struck targets around the Middle East and a senior Hezbollah figure was killed by an Israeli airstrike as the United States, Israel and others clashed with Iran-allied terrorist groups  with attacks hitting in vital Red Sea shipping lanes, along Israeli-Lebanon borders emptied by fleeing residents and around the regions crowded capitals and U.S. military installations.

Together, Israel and its U.S. allies were facing two realities they knew all too well going into the war in Gaza: The Gaza-based Hamas terrorist group is far from alone as it battles for its survival. And by launching an all-out campaign to eliminate Hamas as a fighting force, Israeli and American leaders also are confronting simultaneous attacks from a strengthening defensive alliance of other armed terror groups linked with Hamas and Iran.

This week, the risk of being drawn into a wider, more chaotic and deadlier conflict with an array of regional enemies loomed large. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior Biden administration envoys were traveling to Middle East capitals on Friday to calm tensions and deter further attacks.

Heres a breakdown of the armed groups facing the United States and Israel in the Middle East, a look at what unites some of them, and whats different about each.

THE SITUATION

The United States is scrambling to quell attacks by a range of armed groups that are allied to Iran and to each other. They are:

 Hamas in Gaza;

 powerful Hezbollah, the dominant force in Lebanon;

 smaller militias in Iraq and Syria;

 Houthis in the poor Arabian peninsula country of Yemen, who are sometimes seen as more of the loose cannons of the alliance.

All the groups have escalated attacks on U.S., Israeli or global targets within their reach since Israel launched its war in Gaza on Oct. 7, after Hamass deadly cross-border raids. The aim of Iran and of the armed groups at large is to aid Hamas with attacks that distract the focus of Israel and the United States, and that make the military, economic and political costs of continuing the war against Hamas too great for Israel and the United States.

The groups dont necessarily want further additional escalation themselves, given their odds in any all-out confrontation with two of the worlds strongest militaries, experts say. But under the leadership of the late Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by the U.S. in 2020, the far-flung array of Iranian-allied militias knitted themselves into a more cohesive network.

They also grew into a common understanding, said Randa Slim, a regional analyst with the Washington-based Middle East Institute: When the survival of any one was threatened, all would rally.

THE PLAYERS:

HAMAS

WHAT: Based in Gaza. Founded in 1987 at a time of widespread protests by Palestinians against Israel. Has early ties to one of the Sunni worlds most prominent groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in the 1920s. Has vowed to annihilate Israel and has carried out suicide bombings and other deadly attacks on civilians and Israeli soldiers.

BACKGROUND: Hamas seized control of Gaza by force in 2007, the year after it won parliamentary elections there with 44% of the vote. Israel has kept Gaza under a blockade ever since, restricting movement of people and goods in and out of the territory. Hamas receives backing from Arab and Muslim countries, including Qatar and Turkey. Although a Sunni Muslim group, Hamas leaders have moved closer to Shiite Muslim Iran and its allies over the years. Hamass Oct. 7 attacks in Israel were seen by many as Hamass bid to reclaim relevance on the world stage. Israels far-right government had sidelined any attempt at a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian political agreement, and world attention faded away.

HEZBOLLAH

WHAT: Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, where it is based. One of the strongest members of the Iran-allied alliance, militarily and organizationally. A Shiite Muslim group. Took part in repeated attacks against the United States through the mid-1990s, including the deadly 1983 bombing of a U.S. Marines barrack in Beirut, Lebanons capital. Has participated in Lebanons government since 1992. Its military wing is stronger than the countrys armed forces.

BACKGROUND: A 2006 war with Israel provoked by Hezbollahs kidnapping of Israeli soldiers devastated southern Lebanon and Beirut. Many ordinary Lebanese are deeply fearful of a new war with Israel in the wake of the Gaza fighting. Wary of a repeat of the war itself, Hezbollah has lobbed rockets and missiles across its southern border into Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, losing fighters daily in return fire, but held back from further dramatic escalation. That may have changed with a presumed Israeli strike this week that killed a Hamas leader sheltering in Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that his group had to retaliate, or else all of Lebanon would be vulnerable to Israeli attack.

HOUTHIS

WHAT: Based in Yemen, overseeing one of the worlds most vital shipping routes for oil and other trade. Have launched rockets, missiles and drones at commercial vessels during the Gaza war. Forced some major shippers to change route and threatens a potentially major toll on the worlds economy. Formally known as Ansar Allah. Had its start as one of several armed groups vying internally for power in fractured, impoverished Yemen. While Shiite Muslim, its of a different branch than Iran. Groups motto calls for destruction of Israel and the United States, though it has been largely focused on affairs in Yemen.

BACKGROUND: At odds with Yemens government, Houthis seized control of Yemens capital in 2014 and soon controlled much of the north. After Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates opened attack in 2015 in an unsuccessful attempt to rout the Houthis, the Houthis moved increasingly close to Iran as a source of materiel support.

Saudi and U.S. attempts to formally end the Saudi-led war in Yemen have failed to bring Yemens war to a close, but had succeeded in stopping what were sporadic missile and drone strikes by the Houthis against their richer Gulf neighbors. The Houthis, who have limited popular support in Yemen outside of their immediate base, are seen as more independent of Iran in their actions than some of the other groups in the alliance. The strikes on shipping since Israel launched its campaign in Gaza are some of the Houthis first outward-facing attacks, other than at its Gulf enemies.

IRAN-ALLIED MILITIAS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ

WHAT: Array of smaller Iranian-backed militant groups that have battled with U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria for years. Mount sporadic attacks against bases in the region where U.S. troops are deployed to fight Islamic State group insurgents.

BACKGROUND: There has been a dramatic spike in attacks by Irans proxies in those two countries since the open of the war between Israel and Hamas. Iraq says it is working with the U.S. to contain the militias there. On Thursday, the U.S. unleashed an airstrike against the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad, killing a high-ranking militia commander. It was an attempt to discourage more attacks.

THE ISLAMIC STATE, AL-QAIDA AND OTHER ARMED SUNNI MUSLIM GROUPS

WHAT: Israels deadly military campaign in Gaza, and the United States support for it, are sparking calls to action by violent extremist groups that have long battled the West and other enemies.

BACKGROUND: On Thursday, a spokesman for the Islamic State called on Muslims around the world to carry out killings in what he said would be vengeance for the people of Gaza. Oh lions of Islam, hunt your prey  the Jews, Christians, and their allies  in the streets and alleyways of America, Europe, and the world, Abu Hudhayfa al-Ansar said in a speech transcribed by the SITE intelligence group. Break into their homes, kill them, and torment them in every way you can.

(AP)
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is announcing that 100,000 businesses have joined a new database that collects beneficial ownership information on firms as part of a new government effort to unmask shell company owners.

Yellen, in remarks prepared for delivery Monday, says the new Treasury database that is collecting beneficial ownership information sends the message that the United States is not a haven for dirty money.

Yellen will visit Treasurys Financial Crimes Enforcement Network  known as FinCEN in Vienna, Virginia to discuss the launch of the database with the new year. She will also expand on upcoming real estate rules meant to increase transparency about the people and companies buying up property in the U.S.

The Virginia visit is meant to showcase the Biden administrations intent to increase corporate transparency and prevent the misuse of shell companies.

Around the world, lack of transparency, specifically due to opaque corporate structures, makes it easier to conceal illicit activity, Yellen says in remarks prepared ahead of her visit to FinCEN headquarters. Information on beneficial ownership will support our law enforcement colleagues in making arrests, prosecuting offenders, and seizing ill-gotten assets.

In 2021, the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act was signed into law, giving Treasury the authority to write new rules on beneficial ownership. And as of Jan. 1, most U.S. firms must report identifying information about who directly or indirectly owns or controls them.

The rule requires most American businesses with fewer than 20 employees  roughly 32.6 million companies  to register with the government.

In November 2022, the National Small Business Association sued Treasury over the database and argued that the new reporting rule violates the U.S. Constitution, saying it is unduly burdensome on small firms, violates privacy and free speech protections and infringes on states powers to govern businesses.

A judge is expected to decide on the matter imminently.

Along with the business database, Yellen says, Treasury is considering additional steps to address risks associated with commercial real estate.

Real estate is a commonly used vehicle for money laundering. Yellen said in March 2023 that illicit actors laundered at least $2.3 billion through U.S. real estate between 2015 and 2020.

A 2022 Congressional Research Service report suggested that Congress could consider how to balance money-laundering risks in the real estate sector against differing views on oversight.

The benefits of increasing corporate transparency through gathering beneficial ownership information put simply, knowing who owns what  start with protecting our national security, Yellen says. Corporate transparency can bring economic benefits as well: protecting our financial system, reducing due diligence costs, enabling fair business competition, and increasing tax revenue.

FinCENs mission is to safeguard the financial system from criminal abuse, money laundering and other illicit activity, according to its website.

(AP)
Two U.S. fighter jets flew over Bosnia on Monday in a demonstration of support for the Balkan countrys integrity in the face of increasingly secessionist policies of the Bosnian Serb pro-Russia leader Milorad Dodik.

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons flew as part of joint air-to-ground training involving American and Bosnian forces. The flyovers took part in the regions of the eastern town of Tuzla and northern Brcko, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo.

This bilateral training is an example of advanced military-to-military cooperation that contributes to peace and security in the Western Balkans as well as demonstrates the United States commitment to ensuring the territorial integrity of BiH (Bosnia-Herzegovina) in the face of anti-Dayton and secessionist activity, the statement said.

The United States has underscored that the BiH (Bosnia-Herzegovina) Constitution provides no right of secession, and it will act if anyone tries to change this basic element of the Dayton peace agreements that ended the 1992-95 war in the country, the statement added.

The ethnic conflict in the 1990s erupted because Bosnias Serbs wanted to create their own state and join neighboring Serbia. More than 100,000 people were killed before the war ended in a U.S.-brokered peace accord that created Serb and Bosniak-Croat entities held together by joint institutions.

Dodik, who is the president of the Serb entity called Republika Srpska, has defied U.S. and British sanctions over his policies. Backed by Russia, he has repeatedly threatened to split the Serb-run half from the rest of Bosnia.

Dodiks government on Monday started marking a controversial national holiday that Bosnias top court has declared unlawful. On Jan. 9, 1992, Bosnian Serbs proclaimed the creation of an independent state in Bosnia, which led to the bloodshed.

Bosnian media reported that the thunderous sound of jets flying over could be heard in the northwestern town of Banja Luka  the main town in the Serb entity  during a ceremonial gathering there. In a speech, Dodik reiterated that the the aim of the Serb people is a Serb state in these areas, regional N1 TV reported.

Dodik has dismissed the U.S. jets flyover, ironically saying it would contribute to Tuesdays celebrations, which routinely include a parade of armed police and their equipment.

The U.S. Embassy had said that the mission was to be supported by a KC-135 Stratotanker providing aerial refuelling for the F-16s.

The aircraft returned to base immediately following mission completion. The ability to rapidly deploy, reach a target and return home demonstrates the United States ability to project power anywhere at a moments notice and operate alongside Allies and partners.

Western countries fear that Russia could try to stir trouble in the Balkans to avert attention from the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was launched by Moscow nearly two years ago. The U.S. Embassy statement said that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a key U.S. partner with a shared goal in regional stability.

Bosnia is seeking entry into the European Union, but the effort has been stalled because of slow reform and inner divisions.

(AP)
The White House said Monday the administration will review what rules or procedures werent followed when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not disclose his hospitalization for days to President Joe Biden and top officials at the Pentagon and the National Security Council. The Pentagon maintained its silence on why Austin was hospitalized and said he has no plans to resign.

Well do whats akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this, John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, said when asked whether Biden wanted a review of what happened.

Austin, 70, was hospitalized on Jan. 1, which the Pentagon did not disclose to the public until Friday. Biden and Jake Sullivan, the presidents national security adviser, were not aware of Austins condition until Thursday.

The Pentagon still has not said what procedure Austin had on Dec. 22 that eventually put him in such pain that he was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Years Day and put into intensive care.

He was conscious, but in quite a bit of pain, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters on Monday.

He said Austin, who has resumed his duties, is now out of intensive care and has been moved to a private room. He remains in recovery and his prognosis is good, but it is not known when he will be released from the hospital. Ryder said Austin has no plans to resign.

Austin spent the evening of Jan. 1 undergoing tests and evaluation. The next day, due to the secretarys condition and on the basis of medical advice, some authorities were transferred to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, through a standard email notification that often does not provide the reason for transfer, Ryder said.

Ryder said he, Austins chief of staff and senior military adviser were notified of the defense secretarys hospitalization on Jan. 2. Hicks, who was in Puerto Rico, was not told the reason for the transfer of authorities until Jan. 4.

The Pentagon has said the chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, did not inform the White House because she had the flu.

Kirby, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as Biden traveled to South Carolina, said there is an expectation among members of Bidens Cabinet that if one becomes hospitalized, that will be notified up the chain of command.

Still, White House officials on Monday emphasized that Austin continues to retain Bidens confidence. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden appreciated Austins statement on Saturday, in which he took responsibility about the lack of transparency on his hospitalization.

There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue the leadership that hes been demonstrating, Kirby said.

(AP)
Firefighters in Lakewood were battling a three-alarm blaze at a lumber yard on Ocean Avenue on Monday afternoon.

According to initial reports, at least two people have been injured in the massive fire, which broke out around 4:20 pm, and multiple people are believed to possibly be trapped inside a structure on the property.

Hatzolah of Central Jersey had two ambulances at the scene, but were not treating any patients as of the time of this writing. Chaveirim of Central Jersey is conducting traffic control at the scene.

Mutual aid from additional townships and municipalities has been called in, as the fire remains out-of-control.

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CNNs Jake Tapper strongly criticized Benjamin Netanyahus finance minister for what he termed outrageous and racist comments directed at all Gazans. Tappers commentary on this matter was pointed:

In our world lead, as the United States government, the Biden administration, say they are trying to reduce the violence in Gaza, that mission was likely made all the more difficult by the latest, outrageous, and frankly racist, comments from the far-right extremist Israeli finance minister and a member of the Netanyahu government, Bezalel Smotrich.

Tapper then showcased translated video footage of Smotrich, who said:

The Jewish settlement should be established in the territory of the Gaza Strip so that there will be Jewish presence there for a long time, so that terrorism does not grow there. If not, there are two million Nazis in Gaza who want to destroy us when they get up every morning, and we will wake up in 10 or 15 years to a new October 7th.

Tapper went on to question the use of the term Nazis to describe the entire population of Gaza, including innocent civilians, highlighting the controversial nature of such rhetoric. He also mentioned that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has referred to Hamas as the new Nazis in the past, drawing parallels to the horrors of the Holocaust.

Netanyahu was quoted as saying, This is the savagery of that we only remember from the Nazi crimes in the Holocaust, shortly after a Hamas terror attack, further emphasizing his view of Hamas as a grave threat.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Federal investigators say a door panel slid up before flying off an Alaska Airlines jetliner last week, and they are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off.

The comments Monday from the National Transportation Safety Board came shortly after Alaska and United Airlines reported separately that they found loose parts in the panels  or door plugs  of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug  for example, bolts that needed additional tightening, Chicago-based United said.

Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s, Initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft.

The findings of investigators and the airlines are ratcheting up pressure on Boeing to address concerns that have grown since the terrifying fuselage blowout Friday night. A plug covering a spot left for an emergency door tore off the plane as it flew 16,000 feet (4,800 meters) above Oregon.

Boeing has called an online meeting for all employees Tuesday to discuss safety.

The company, which has had problems with various planes over the years, pledged to help address any and all findings that airlines make during their inspections of Max 9 jets. Boeing has delivered more than 200 to customers around the world, but 171 of them were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday until the door plugs can be inspected and, if necessary, fixed.

The door plugs are inserted where emergency exit doors would be located on Max 9s with more than about 200 seats. Alaska and United have fewer seats in their Max 9s, so they replace heavy doors with the plugs.

The panels can be opened for maintenance work. The bolts prevent the mechanism from moving upward on rollers when the plane is in flight.

During Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on Friday night, roller guides at the top of one of the plugs broke  for reasons the investigators dont fully understand yet  allowing the entire panel to swing upward and lose contact with 12 stop pads that keep the panel attached to the door frame on the plane, NTSB officials said at a news briefing in Portland.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the safety board was investigating whether four bolts that help prevent the panel from sliding up on rollers were missing when the plane took off from Portland or whether they blew off during the violent, explosive decompression event.

The interior of the plane suffered extensive damage, but pilots were able to return to Portland and land safely. Officials say there were no serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.

The lost door panel was found Sunday near Portland in the back yard of a school teachers home. NTSB officials said it will be sent to the agencys lab in Washington, D.C., for detailed study that might help pinpoint why the plug broke loose.

Alaska and United have canceled hundreds of flights since the weekend because of their grounded planes. Alaska has 65 Max 9s, and United has 79. The airlines waited until Monday before Boeing and the FAA completed instructions for how to inspect their planes.

The jet involved in Fridays blowout is brand-new, having been put in service in November. After a cabin-pressurization system warning light came on during three flights, the airline stopped flying it over the Pacific to Hawaii. Some aviation experts questioned why Alaska continued using the plane on overland routes until it figured out what was causing the pressurization warnings.

Homendy said Monday, however, that NTSB has seen no evidence to link the warnings with the blowout of the door plug.

The Max is the newest version of Boeings 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane that debuted in the late 1960s and has been updated many times. The 737 has long been a workhorse for airlines on U.S. domestic routes.

Shares of Boeing fell 8% and Spirit AeroSystems, which installs the door plugs on Max jets, dropped 11% on Monday.

(AP)
From what we can see, insiders were net buyers in Sonoco Products Company's (NYSE:SON ) during the past 12 months. That is, insiders acquired the stock in greater numbers than they sold it.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for Sonoco Products

Sonoco Products Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Lead Independent Director Robert Hill made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$560k worth of shares at a price of US$56.00 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$58.04. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. Happily, the Sonoco Products insider decided to buy shares at close to current prices. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Robert Hill.

You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Sonoco Products is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Sonoco Products Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 0.8% of Sonoco Products shares, worth about US$44m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Sonoco Products Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Sonoco Products and their transactions don't cause us concern. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Sonoco Products you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took aim Monday night at the Democrat shed like to face in the November election, calling it offensive that President Joe Biden gave a political speech at the South Carolina church where nine Black parishioners were slain in a 2015 racist attack.

For Biden to show up there and give a political speech, its offensive in itself, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor said during a town hall on Fox News in Des Moines, Iowa. I dont need someone who palled around with segregationists in the 70s and has said racist comments all the way through his career lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery, or anything related to the Civil War.

Biden was in Haleys home state Monday, delivering jabs at some of his possible GOP general election opponents without naming them. He took the pulpit at Mother Emanuel, a historic AME church in Charleston where nine Black parishioners were slain in June 2015 by a white gunman as they prayed during a Wednesday night Bible study.

As governor at the time of the shooting, Haley gained national attention for her response, which included signing legislation into law removing the Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse grounds. During her previous campaigns, Haley had advocated against removing the flag, portraying an opponents call to do so as a political stunt.

But Haley has been on the defensive for not explicitly naming slavery as the root cause of the Civil War when the question was posed at a campaign event. Her campaign responded Monday with a list of comments attributed to Biden that it said showed hes racially insensitive.

During his speech Monday, Biden called it a lie that the war was about states rights.

So let me be clear, for those who dont seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War, Biden said. Theres no negotiation about that.

Haleys campaign followed Bidens speech by sending reporters a timeline called Bidens Racial Comments and Actions, such as a 1974 reference to himself as being a token Black in the Senate; saying in 1981 that George Wallace, the segregationist former Alabama governor, was right about some things; and, in 2007, saying then-Sen. Barack Obama was the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.

Bidens reelection campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Haleys town hall came a week ahead of Iowas kickoff caucuses, the first official votes of the 2024 nominating cycle.

For Haley, the stakes are high. Amid an escalating battle for second place to GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, she and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have increasingly traded barbs as they aim to draw lines of distinction between themselves and secure the mantle as the top alternative to Trump.

On Monday, Trumps super PAC released a video with an old clip of the then-South Carolina governor urging an audience not to reference people who entered the U.S. illegally as criminals. Those comments came a month after Trumps 2015 campaign launch speech, in which he said immigrants from Mexico were bringing drugs and crime with them.

DeSantis campaign also released its closing argument ad for Iowa caucusgoers, taking Haley to task for her recent comments to New Hampshire voters that they would have the opportunity to correct the decision made by Iowa caucusgoers  a comment that could signal that she not only doesnt expect to win Iowa, but that she doesnt expect to place second, ahead of DeSantis.

Haley on Monday repeatedly accused DeSantis of lying because hes losing and said Trumps allies were intentionally misconstruing things she had said.

(AP)
Thousands of migrants will be evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn to ride out a potential rainstorm on Tuesday night, officials said.

Approximately 2.000 migrants will be moved from Floyd Bennett Field in Flatbush to James Madison High School at around 4:30 p.m., according to the Office of Emergency Management. Roughly 40 Department of Education buses will used in the evacuation, according to the OEM.

The asylum seekers will spend the night in the schools gymnasium before returning to Floyd Bennett Field on Wednesday morning, officials said. The field began housing about 2,000 migrants last year.

Officials said the move comes over concerns of high winds and flooding that are expected to hit the area.

The health and safety of migrants in our care is always a top priority, which is why we are currently overseeing the relocation of 1,900 guests from the humanitarian emergency response and relief center at Floyd Bennett Field due to an updated forecast with increased wind speeds estimated to be at over 70 MPH tonight, a City Hall spokesperson said in a statement.

A strong storm system will move through the area later today, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds to portions of the tri-state area.

LETTER FROM NYC COUNCILWOMAN INNA VERNIKOV

Dear Constituents,

I have been informed that due to the incoming storm affecting New York City, around 2,000 migrants from Floyd Bennett field will be transported to James Madison High School this evening and will be occupying its gymnasiums and auditorium overnight.

This is both unacceptable and was entirely foreseeable, as Floyd Bennett Field is vulnerable to all forms of inclement weather conditions and is not a sustainable housing facility. This emergency move was accurately predicted by critics of the Floyd Bennett field as a location to be used as a migrant shelter.

Our public schools are meant to be places of learning and growth for our children, and were never intended to be shelters or facilities for emergency housing.

There are approximately 4,000 students who attend Madison High School. Their parents are rightfully concerned. Our constituents who live in the vicinity are concerned for their safety and well-being. This will agitate local residents, disrupt the entire school environment, and place a tremendous burden on our families, students, school administrators and staff.

As an elected official representing this community, I demand a full stop to using our public schools as a shelter ever again. I urge my colleagues in government to join me in this effort.

We will continue to monitor this situation, and hold those responsible for this move accountable.

In addition to myself, your councilmember, here is a list of elected officials representing this area who I am urging to join me in this effort:

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (718) 2871142

State Senator Simcha Felder (718) 253-2015

Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (718) 648- 4700

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
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The IDF reported intense combat in the southern Gaza region of Khan Younis, marked by ir strikes by the Israeli Air Force targeting approximately 30 Hamas targets in the area, including underground facilities, weapon storage sites, and other infrastructure associated with the group.

The IDF said the air strikes were instrumental in supporting ground troops actively engaged in combat in the vicinity. One notable operation involved the IDFs elite Maglan commando unit, which identified and launched a drone strike against a group of over 10 Hamas operatives at a rocket launching site in Khan Younis.

In another incident, the 55th Reserve Paratroops Brigade engaged a Hamas operative who was reportedly conducting reconnaissance on IDF forces. The terrorist was swiftly targeted and eliminated by an attack helicopter. Additionally, the Paratroopers Brigade directed an airstrike against a building housing a Hamas operative, with subsequent ground action resulting in the elimination of another terrorist in the same building.

The IDF also reported activities beyond Khan Younis. The Kfir Brigade, engaged in operations to secure movement routes, discovered a vehicle used by Hamas operatives containing weapons. Meanwhile, reservists from the 179th Armored Brigade, operating in central Gaza, uncovered a tunnel shaft containing significant sums of money and weapons.

In the Maghazi region of central Gaza, Golani Brigade troops directed an airstrike on a Hamas weapons depot, which was used to store long-range rockets. These series of operations indicate the IDFs ongoing efforts to target Hamas infrastructure and combat operatives in various regions of Gaza.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Jerusalem police have detained two individuals in connection with the theft of mezuzahs from residences in the Bayit Vegan and Kiryat Menachem neighborhoods. The arrests followed the sale of the stolen religious items.

Both suspects, in their 50s, were observed traveling from the southern part of Jerusalem towards the city center. They entered a Judaica art store where they proceeded to sell the mezuzah parchments. Upon completion of the sale, police officers apprehended the suspects and transported them to a local police station. The seized mezuzah parchments were also taken into police custody.

The suspects were scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a hearing to extend their detention.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
An IDF source reportedly leaked a video to Channel 12 showing a group of stripped and bound Palestinian detainees in northern Gaza blaming Hamas for their plight.

For 17 years, weve lived under tyranny, one detainee says in the video, referencing Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza. He further explains the rationale behind their decision to stay in their homes during the military campaign: When you arrived, we remained in our homes because we live in peace and love peace. If we were guilty of something, we would have left our homes and fled, but we live in our homes in peace.

The man goes on to express a desperate situation faced by his community: I swear to G-d, we waited for you to free us from this tyranny. He describes a harrowing scenario of starvation and deprivation: our children are hungry, our wives are begging on the street for food. Our wives have started eating scraps. Our children have died in front of our eyes due to hunger. Theres no water. Im sick and I cannot get any medical care.

As the detainee outlines the dire circumstances, he attributes the cause to the current governance: You know what the situation is like in Gaza. Everything has turned upside down on us. When a soldier asks, Whose fault is that? the response is unanimous among the detained Palestinians: Because of Hamas! Because of Hamas!

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
**Border Police Officers Engage in Lethal Clash with Palestinian Gunmen During West Bank Arrest Raid**

Border Police officers fatally shot three Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank town of Iktaba, Monday evening.

A joint statement from the police, IDF, and Shin Bet reveals that undercover Border Police officers had entered Iktaba with the objective of apprehending a Palestinian individual suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.

During the operation, an intense exchange of gunfire erupted between the Palestinian gunmen and the troops.

Additionally, the wanted suspect sustained injuries while attempting to escape and was subsequently apprehended by the police. Officers recovered an assault rifle and handgun from the suspect, who has been handed over to the Shin Bet for further interrogation.

As the troops were departing from Iktaba, further gun battles ensued, leading to the shooting of two more Palestinians by undercover Border Police officers, according to the statement.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Channel 12 has aired 30 minutes of previously unreleased footage obtained from GoPro cameras worn by Hamas operatives. The footage provides a chilling glimpse into the early hours of the October 7th onslaught by the terror group.

In these harrowing images, it becomes evident that, within mere minutes, Hamas terrorists successfully breached the Gaza borders fences, barriers, and walls, infiltrating Israel via cars and motorcycles.

Shockingly, their actions went unopposed by Israeli security forces as they carried out a mass murder mission on the other side of the border.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The elite Hezbollah commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike Monday in southern Lebanon fought for the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles.

Wissam al-Tawil, a 48-year-old commander in Hezbollahs secretive Radwan Force deployed along the border with Israel, was killed when the strike hit his SUV in his hometown of Khirbet Silem. The strike was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border, beyond the villages and towns that have witnessed the two sides exchange fire over the past three months.

Israeli officials have been demanding for weeks that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area to allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by the fighting to return to their homes. During a visit to Israel last month, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said a negotiated outcome would be the best way to reassure residents of northern Israel.

Al-Tawil, who joined Hezbollah in 1989, was the highest-ranking official in the group to be killed since the exchange of fire along the Lebanon-Israel border began following the deadly Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel by Hamas, a Hezbollah ally.

After the Israel-Hamas war started three months ago, al-Tawil commanded some special operations against Israeli posts along the border, according to a Hezbollah statement.

A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that al-Tawil had a role in sparking the summer 2006 war with Israel and fought in Syrias civil war, where he was in charge of coordinating between the Lebanese group and the Syrian army in the battles against the Islamic State group.

On July 12, 2006, al-Tawil was a member of a special Hezbollah unit that crossed into Israel, captured two Israeli soldiers and killed others, triggering a monthlong fight with Israel that killed 1,200 people in Lebanon and 160 in Israel, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Years later, when Hezbollah joined the war in Syria in 2013, fighting alongside Syrian government forces, al-Tawil was a close aide to Hezbollahs chief commander there, Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in 2016, the official said.

Al-Tawil, whose two brothers were killed fighting with Hezbollah, participated in dozens of attacks against Israeli forces and their Lebanese allies during Israels 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon until it withdrew in 2000. Hezbollah said in its statement that the father of four suffered a serious neck injury during an attack on an Israeli military post in southern Lebanon in 1999.

During his long years with the group, al-Tawil was close to Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollahs military chief from the groups founding in 1982 until he was killed in a bombing in the Syrian capital in 2008.

Al-Tawil also had close links with Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Irans Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in 2020.

(AP)
The IDF has announced an expansion of ground operations in Khan Younis, intensifying the fight against Hamas within the southern Gaza city. Over the past day, the 98th Division advanced deeper into Khan Younis, conducting targeted strikes that resulted in the elimination of approximately 40 Hamas operatives. Additionally, significant caches of weapons and substantial tunnel shafts were discovered during these operations.

In central Gazas Maghazi, the Golani Brigade, in conjunction with the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection unit, conducted an airstrike against a Hamas cell detected in the area.

The IDFs Navy also played an active role, carrying out strikes targeting Hamas positions, warehouses, and vessels along the coastal areas.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
FILE PHOTO: The New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City

By Nick Carey

LONDON (Reuters) - Stellantis said on Tuesday using Amazon's computing power and BlackBerry technology it has developed a "virtual cockpit" to create and test new versions of car controls and systems in a day instead of months.

Stellantis said that it can now create "realistic virtual versions of car controls and systems, making them behave just like they would in a real car, but without needing to change the main software that runs them" taking months of development time "down to 24 hours in some cases".

The world's third-largest automaker by sales and Amazon announced a partnership in 2022 for Stellantis to use Amazon Web Services to develop software-based products for its cars and provide regular over-the-air updates.

"With our virtual cockpit, we're revolutionizing not just

our approach, but also that of our suppliers and partners in the industry," Stellantis chief software officer Yves Bonnefont said in a statement. "We're able to get closer to our customer's needs through this technology with faster development cycles."

Legacy automakers are under pressure to speed up vehicle development cycles from new Chinese electric vehicle makers who are able to churn out new models in a fraction of the time.

Chinese EV makers have also led the way in producing in-vehicle infotainment and software, turning their cars into smartphones on wheels.

Using BlackBerry-developed tools, Stellantis said the virtual platform "offers little to no difference between

running" systems "in the cloud versus on real hardware."

Formerly focused on hardware and devices, Canadian technology company BlackBerry now focuses on enterprise software and cybersecurity.

Stellantis said it can also speed up customer feedback on a particular brand and vehicle, and "make changes in real time to optimize the experience for the driver."

(Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Ros Russell)
Lebanese media outlets reported that Ali Hussein Barji, the commander of the Hezbollah aerial unit in southern Lebanon, was eliminated on Tuesday morning in an airstrike attributed to Israel.

A drone struck a car in the town where the funeral of Hezbollah commander Wissam al-Tawil was scheduled to take place only a few minutes later. Al-Tawil was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday.

Barji was responsible for the drone attack on the IDF base in Tzfas on Tuesday morning as well as numerous drone attacks in northern Israel in recent months.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Boeing shares tumbled yesterday as the crisis engulfing the plane maker deepened after a huge chunk of a 737 Max aircraft was ripped out mid-flight.

The companys safety record has been thrust back into the spotlight after a piece of the plane tore off during an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday  leaving terrified passengers starring at a gaping hole in the cabin at 16,000 ft.

None of the 171 passengers were seriously injured in the accident, which happened within the first ten minutes of the brand-new planes take-off from Portland, Oregon, in the US.

But the incident has reignited fears over the safety of the Boeing 737 Max jet.

Aviation regulators ordered the grounding of 171 Max planes over the weekend while inspections are carried out.

Terror flight: A huge chunk of a 737 Max aircraft was ripped off during an Alaska Airlines flight - leaving passengers starring at a gaping hole in the cabin at 16,000ft

It is another setback for chief executive Dave Calhoun just a few days into a year that he has indicated is crucial to his plan to stabilise the plane maker after years of upheaval.

Boeings share price fell more than 8 per cent yesterday as Wall Street trading resumed for the first time since the accident.

Shares in supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the fuselage that tore on Friday, dropped around 15 per cent.

By contrast, Boeings arch rival Airbus rose more than 2 per cent on hopes the incident will help it steal further market share from the American giant.

The Max jet has been plagued by issues and accidents including crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed nearly 350 people.

Michael Hewson, chief analyst at City Trading firm CMC Markets, said: This most recent incident raises a host of new questions about Boeings quality control as well as manufacturing processes, at a time when confidence in the 737-MAX is already wafer thin.

All of Boeings 737 Max planes globally were grounded for 20 months from March 2019.

They were mothballed after a crash in Indonesia, which killed 189, and an accident five months later in Ethiopia, in which 157 died. Investigators found that flawed flight control software caused the deadly accidents.

Former Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg and commercial aeroplanes boss Kevin McAllister were both sacked amid the scandal.

Pressure: Boeing chief exec Dave Calhoun has indicated is crucial to his plan to stabilise the firm after years of upheaval

Russ Mould, investment director at investment platform AJ Bell, said: There is no room for error when building planes, and cutting corners in the production stage could have catastrophic consequences.

But supply issues and production delays have continued since the crashes.

In January 2020, Boeing stopped manufacturing the 737 Max jets  its biggest assembly-line pause in more than 20 years  before resuming limited production in May that year.

Boeing was forced to halt 737 Max deliveries due to electrical problems in 2021 and due to noncompliant fittings last year. Shares have slumped more than 40 per cent since the 737 Max was first grounded in March 2019.

Grieving: 2018 737 Max Indonesia crash

Airbus has seen the value of its stock climb around 25 per cent in the same period.

Airbus is expected to announce this week that it delivered 735 planes last year, beating Boeing to be crowned the worlds largest plane maker for the fifth year in a row.

Boeing has been under pressure to narrow the gap with France-based Airbus.

The US group had been betting on the success of its newest model, the 737 Max 10, which is still waiting for approval.

Debt laden Boeing has been reluctant to invest in an all-new plane until engine technology matures in the next decade.

Delays to the approval of the Max 10 following last weeks accident could put its strategy under renewed pressure, analysts said.

The New York-listed company had also been hoping to resume 737 Max deliveries to China soon, but the Alaska Airlines incident could delay the process.

There are naturally questions being asked about the quality checks and whether Boeing is trying to do too much too fast, Mould said.

Boeing management will be under considerable pressure from the regulators and customers to explain whats going on, which means considerable headwinds ahead of the business.

Its no wonder investors have raced to sell the shares as risks to the investment case have just shot up.
Germany has dropped its opposition to the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia, which could unlock a lucrative deal for BAE Systems.

The defence giant signed a memorandum of understanding to sell the kingdom 48 of the aircraft  a cornerstone of UK defence exports which supports thousands of jobs  back in 2018 for a reported 5billion.

But the sale of the jets has been held up for years due to objections from Germany  one of four countries behind the Eurofighter Typhoon programme alongside the UK, Italy and Spain.

Berlin has vetoed the deal amid concerns about Saudi Arabias conduct of its war against Houthi rebels in Yemen as well as the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

However, foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said during a trip to Israel: We do not see the German government opposing British considerations for more Eurofighters for Saudi Arabia.

Take-off: BAE Systems looks set to benefit now that the Germans have dropped their veto on a deal to sell 48 Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia

She pointed to the fact that the Saudis were helping to contain the Middle East conflict by shooting down Houthi missiles aimed at Israel.

And yesterday, a spokesman for chancellor Olaf Scholz said the German leader chancellor shares this assessment.

Downing Street welcomed the move last night.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: The Eurofighter programme supports tens of thousands of jobs across all four nations and strengthens our collective security.

The PM is reported to have been pushing Scholz to unblock the sale. The spokesman said he wouldnt get into private discussions between leaders.

The move could open up fissures in Germanys coalition government, with opposition among members of Baerbocks own Green party.

But it comes at a time when Houthi attacks on the global shipping route through the Red Sea are causing growing problems for the global economy.

Major operators are diverting freighters via the southern tip of Africa to avoid the attacks, lengthening delivery times for oil and goods to consumers and businesses in Europe.

The Typhoon deal could provide a boost to BAE, which has been seeing demand grow thanks to the war in Ukraine as well as rising tensions in the Middle East and Taiwan.

Analyst George Zhao at asset manager Bernstein said: The Eurofighter deal would be a positive if this actually goes through.

These things are never certain until the final approval though, so lets see how this progresses.

A BAE spokeman said: We continue to address current and potential new requirements as part of long standing agreements between the Government and Saudi Arabia.

Britain has sold billions of pounds worth of Typhoons to the likes of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Germany. Saudi Arabia already has 72 of the aircraft.

BAE says it employs 5,000 workers directly on the programme at its sites in Lancashire and that it supports more than 20,000 jobs across the UK economy as a whole.

BAE shares rose by 30 per cent last year and has nearly doubled since Vladimir Putins tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022. They fell 0.7 per cent yesterday.
Erik Pendzich / Shutterstock.com

When it comes to splurging and saving, money expert Suze Orman has some unconventional views. For example, she doesnt bat an eye at splurging on private travel.

I seriously splurge on private air, she recently told The Wall Street Journal. Unless we go to Europe or something because thats ridiculous.

Experts: Make These 7 Money Resolutions If You Want To Become Rich on an Average Salary

Find: 5 Ways To Earn at Least 5% APY on Your Money (Without Using the Stock Market)

As for what she saves on, Orman said there is one thing she never spends money on.

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Suze Ormans Frugal Habit

Orman said there is one frugal habit that she is adamant about  and its a surprising one.

I refuse to eat out, she told The Wall Street Journal. I think that eating out on any level is one of the biggest wastes of money out there.

For Orman, eating out is a want versus a need, so skipping meals out fits into her overall philosophy on saving and spending money.

You have to live below your means but within your needs, she said. When 9 Steps to Financial Freedom really hit, I bought a $250,000 apartment in New York City. I could afford a $1 or $2 million penthouse at that time. The question is, when do you buy what you can afford versus what you need when you can afford more than what you need? [My wife] KT and I ask ourselves the question, Is this a want or a need?'

Orman said that taking the time to pause and ask yourself whether something is a want or need before making a purchase can be a game changer.

Do that every time for the next three months, she said. Just try it.

Why Orman Isnt a Fan of Budgets

While Orman advocates for mindful spending, she told The Wall Street Journal that she doesnt like budgets.

I hate budgets, she said. If you restrict, you limit, you cut back, you dont buy this, you dont buy that, and then all of a sudden you explode and you go out and you buy everything at once.

Story continues

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Suze Orman Shares the No. 1 Way She Lives Frugally
China remains an important market for multinational corporations (MNCs) this year as executives eye opportunities from a rebound in consumption, even if their prospects have been bedevilled by challenges ranging from geopolitical risks to competition with local rivals.

China made up about 15 per cent of global revenue for 200 of the biggest MNCs from Japan, Europe and the US in 2022, according to Bain & Co's data. Contribution by the world's second-largest economy was even bigger for Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and the Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido, which earned between 22 and 37 per cent of their revenue from China.

"It is important to take a longer term view on China instead of focusing on short-term volatilities," said Bain's Shanghai partner Bruno Lannes. "China's economy will continue to grow and represent an increasing share of global revenues for MNCs doing business here."

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

China's economy is expected to grow 5.4 per cent in 2023, the International Monetary Fund said, a faster rate than the 3 per cent in 2022 when the country was hobbled by restrictions and partial lockdowns in pursuit of the government's zero-Covid policy. The momentum may slow to 4.5 per cent in 2024, according to market forecasts compiled by Bloomberg, as piecemeal stimulus measures failed to overcome pessimism among corporate executives and consumers about the prospects of growth.

Diners at the Fushansuo Market in Shinan District of Qingdao in Shandong province on August 7, 2023. Photo: Xinhua. alt=Diners at the Fushansuo Market in Shinan District of Qingdao in Shandong province on August 7, 2023. Photo: Xinhua.>

Still, China remains the biggest market for food and beverages, automotives, textiles and apparels, chemicals and chemical products, iron and steel, as well as consumer electronics, according to Bain.

Story continues

The idea that China remains attractive for foreign companies despite macro volatilities was echoed by Alfredo Montufar-Helu, head of the China Centre for Economics and Business at The Conference Board, a global non-profit think tank.

"More business leaders are talking about the need to defend their China operations, and this is not only because of the significance of China as an end market for their products and services, but also because of its importance as a key node of their global supply chains thanks to its highly cost-efficient industrial ecosystem," he said.

Supply chain diversification is a top priority for foreign companies seeking to strengthen their foothold in China, he said. Many MNCs are "localising as much as possible" in China, while developing new manufacturing hubs elsewhere to meet global demands.

"All this to say that most foreign MNCs in China are committed to this market and are making a real effort to strengthen the resilience of their operations against economic and geopolitical volatility," he said.

MNCs in the automotive and electric vehicle (EV) industries have been diversifying their supply chains away from China as a hedge against sanctions and geopolitical uncertainties that could disrupt manufacturing, said Yang Jing, the director of China corporate research at Fitch Ratings.

These so-called "China+1" or "China+N" strategies - whereby companies look into developing economies beyond China for sourcing, manufacturing, and investments - could create risks for Chinese suppliers. Meanwhile, they could present opportunities for domestic players with technology leadership and cost advantages.

"Once foreign MNCs strengthen their cooperation with local suppliers along the EV supply chain, they could consider including these key partners to their ex-China supplier list," she said.

A worker produces lanterns at a factory in Yantai, in eastern China's Shandong province on January 8, 2024. Photo: AFP alt=A worker produces lanterns at a factory in Yantai, in eastern China's Shandong province on January 8, 2024. Photo: AFP>

"In 2024, we may see various forms of cooperation between Chinese and foreign carmakers and suppliers, including but not limited to production outsourcing, technology licensing, joint ventures and alliances in ecosystem services," Yang said. "Mergers and acquisitions are more likely between deep-pocketed market leaders and tech-savvy EV supply chain start-ups."

Yang expects foreign auto and EV makers to face greater competition from domestic players in the year ahead, given the latter's capacity to launch new products at competitive price points, as well as faster adoption of autonomous driving systems. However, for MNCs seeking to maintain their shares in the China market, opportunities still exist in the form of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions.

"The bottom line is, China still matters a great deal to MNCs, and companies equipped with adequate preparation, renewed knowledge, objective risk assessment, and sound competitive strategies can seize the rich opportunities the China market has to offer," Bain's Lannes said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The stock market has gotten off to a shaky start in 2024 as investors seem to be focused on booking profits following last year's tremendous surge. Wall Street is probably awaiting concrete signs from the Federal Reserve about when interest rates could start falling, which may be the reason why investors have kept a check on their bullishness in the new year so far.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector index is down almost 5% in 2024 already. The negative start has also weighed on Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), a stock that set the market on fire last year as it more than tripled thanks to its artificial intelligence (AI) chops. Savvy investors may be wondering if any potential pullback could pose a buying opportunity, but it is worth noting that shares of Nvidia are still up 230% in the past year despite a shaky start to 2024.

So, should investors wait for Nvidia stock to decline further before initiating a long position? Or should they buy it right away, considering that its AI-powered growth could help the stock regain its mojo? Let's find out.

Decoding Nvidia's valuation

Nvidia stock may seem expensive at first, given that it trades at 26 times sales and 63 times trailing earnings. But a more appealing picture emerges when we put the valuation in the context of the company's growth.

Nvidia's fiscal 2023, which ended in January 2023, was a tepid one as the company finished the year with a flat top line at $27 billion. Its adjusted earnings fell 25% year over year during the quarter to $3.34 per share. By comparison, Nvidia is expected to finish the current fiscal year with $59 billion in revenue. It has generated $39 billion of top-line sales in the first nine months of fiscal 2024 and has guided for $20 billion in fiscal fourth-quarter revenue.

That would be a 118% year-over-year increase in Nvidia's top line. At the same time, analysts are expecting the company's earnings to jump to a whopping $12.30 per share in fiscal 2024, a 268% increase over the previous year. Given the impressive growth that Nvidia is anticipated to clock, its forward-looking multiples are significantly cheaper than the trailing ones.

Story continues

NVDA PS Ratio (Forward 1y) Chart

It is also worth noting that the company's price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG ratio), which is a forward-looking metric that considers a company's potential growth, is now at mouthwatering levels.

NVDA PEG Ratio Chart

The PEG ratio is calculated by dividing a company's price-to-earnings ratio by its expected growth. A reading of 1 means that a stock is fairly valued, while a reading below that suggests that the stock is undervalued. Nvidia's PEG ratio, as evident in the chart above, indicates that the stock is deeply undervalued, considering the growth it is anticipated to deliver.

That's why growth investors are getting a solid deal on Nvidia stock right now, and they may not want to miss this opportunity, considering how fast the market for AI-focused graphics processing units (GPUs) is anticipated to grow in 2024 and beyond.

The terrific growth is here to stay for a long time

UBS analysts are expecting the AI market to generate a whopping $420 billion in annual revenue in 2027, up significantly from the prior forecast of $300 billion. That translates into a massive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 72% until 2027. UBS expects the market for GPUs and AI chips to clock an outstanding annual growth rate of 60% during the forecast period, growing from $16 billion in 2022 to a whopping $165 billion in 2027.

This is a big reason to buy Nvidia stock straightaway, considering its massive share of the AI chip market, which reportedly stands at more than 80%. Not surprisingly, Nvidia seems to be in a solid position to maintain its solid growth momentum. As time goes by, analysts keep boosting their financial targets for Nvidia:

NVDA Revenue Estimates for Next Fiscal Year Chart

Meanwhile, another Wall Street analyst believes that AI could supercharge Nvidia's business in an unprecedented manner. Analyst Vijay Rakesh of Japanese investment bank Mizuho predicts that Nvidia's AI-related top line could jump to a whopping $300 billion in 2027. While that seems like a steep target, it won't be surprising to see Nvidia getting close to that mark.

Investors should note that the company's three-year revenue CAGR from fiscal 2023 (when it reported annual revenue of $27 billion) to fiscal 2026 (when it is expected to report $109 billion in revenue) stands at an impressive 59%. A growth rate of even 30% in fiscal years 2027 and 2028 (which will coincide with 11 months of calendar year 2027) would send Nvidia's revenue to $184 billion in fiscal 2028 (using fiscal 2026 revenue of $109 billion as the base).

Nvidia has a five-year average sales multiple of 20. Assuming it trades at a discounted 15 times earnings after five years and hits $184 billion in revenue, the company's market cap could jump to $2.76 trillion. That would be a 128% gain from current levels, which is why Nvidia remains a solid bet for investors looking to buy an AI stock right now.

Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?

Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:

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Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is It Too Late to Buy Nvidia Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool
There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So should About You Holding (FRA:YOU) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

View our latest analysis for About You Holding

When Might About You Holding Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. When About You Holding last reported its balance sheet in August 2023, it had zero debt and cash worth 164m. Importantly, its cash burn was 140m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from August 2023 it had roughly 14 months of cash runway. Importantly, analysts think that About You Holding will reach cashflow breakeven in around 23 months. That means unless the company reduces its cash burn quickly, it may well look to raise more cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

DB:YOU Debt to Equity History January 9th 2024

How Well Is About You Holding Growing?

It was fairly positive to see that About You Holding reduced its cash burn by 45% during the last year. Revenue also improved during the period, increasing by 3.7%. Considering the factors above, the company doesnt fare badly when it comes to assessing how it is changing over time. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

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Can About You Holding Raise More Cash Easily?

While About You Holding seems to be in a fairly good position, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

About You Holding has a market capitalisation of 695m and burnt through 140m last year, which is 20% of the company's market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution.

How Risky Is About You Holding's Cash Burn Situation?

Even though its cash burn relative to its market cap makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought About You Holding's cash burn reduction was relatively promising. One real positive is that analysts are forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about About You Holding's situation. An in-depth examination of risks revealed 2 warning signs for About You Holding that readers should think about before committing capital to this stock.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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.
apple share price

Tim Cook did not hold back. This is obviously a disaster, he told finance executives in a 2018 email, ordering his lieutenants to improve underwhelming sales of Apples latest iPhones.

Apples business in China was sliding, leading to the companys first profit warning in 16 years. One executive described the performance as an extreme problem, while another said employees needed to respond as if it was a five alarm fire, according to emails recently released as part of a lawsuit against Apple.

The company later reported two consecutive quarters of revenue decline, a rare dip for a business famous for reliably getting more cash out of its customers each year.

At the time, blame for the poor sales was laid at the foot of Huawei, the Chinese phone giant seen as a domestic rival to the iPhone maker.

I do think upgraders consider choices [like Huawei] to be more value for money, especially if they dont see major reasons and new innovation in the iPhone, wrote Apples head of marketing for China.

Ultimately, Huawei did not kill Apples business in China. US sanctions effectively crippled Huaweis ability to make high-end handsets, handing an advantage to the iPhone maker in the process.

Despite fraying relations between Beijing and Washington, Apple went on to post record sales in the Middle Kingdom.

But Cook may have simply delayed the reckoning. Wall Street has recently sounded a new alarm on Apples business in China, sending the companys shares sliding.

It is just one of a number of significant issues facing the worlds biggest company.

In November, the company revealed revenues had fallen year-on-year for four consecutive quarters, the longest slump for more than two decades. Some analysts believe Apple could deliver a fifth quarter of decline when it reports Christmas sales in the coming weeks.

This would mark its longest losing streak since 1998, the year after Steve Jobs returned to save the company from near-bankruptcy.

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Nobody is suggesting that Apple or Cook are in similar trouble. The company became the first business to hit a $3 trillion (2.4 trillion) valuation last year and shares hit a new all-time high just last month.

The company has captured more than two thirds of the high-end segment of the smartphone market  the only part that is reliably profitable  and made profits of $97bn in its last financial year: roughly $11m in an hour.

Cook has also defied repeated predictions of peak Apple to continue to swell the companys coffers, even as each annual iPhone release becomes harder to distinguish from the previous years.

But investors are increasingly jittery. Since its peak in December, Apples share price has declined by 8.5pc  a drop worth $260bn in market value terms.

The company is now facing a series of challenges that together, represent perhaps the most complex in Cooks tenure.

On Monday, analysts at Jefferies said iPhone sales in China were likely to fall by double digits this year. Supply chain sources suggest shipments are currently falling at a rate of 30pc, analysts at the investment bank said.

It follows gloomy downgrades from both Barclays and Piper Sandler last week.

A darkening economic picture in China is partly to blame but Apple is once again being challenged by a resurgent Huawei, which has overcome US sanctions with a homegrown smartphone processor. The high specifications of its new Mate 60 phone have led to huge demand within its home market.

Some government officials have also been told to stop using iPhones and other foreign made devices, according to local reports.

Huawei is slowly eating into Apples sales at the top of the market in China as it rebuilds its smartphone business, according to analysts at Counterpoint Research.

The Chinese companys market share of phones priced above $600 rose from 3pc to 5pc last year, while Apples fell from 75pc to 71pc  a significant shift in what is a largely calcified market.

Ben Wood, a longtime Apple watcher at analyst firm CCS Insight, says smartphones are approaching washing machine territory, meaning they are generally only replaced when they are broken.

Part of Apples pain is sales are slowing because people are keeping their devices for longer, he says.

This is a concern because the iPhone still accounts for most of Apples revenue. Yet it is not smartphone sales in China that are Cooks only headache.

In the run-up to Christmas, the company was forced to suspend most sales of its Apple Watch in the US after a legal victory from a medical device company accusing it of patent infringement.

Apple has frozen the order as it appeals the ruling, but the reprieve may only last until this Friday, when US customs authorities are set to rule on whether a proposed update addresses the complaint.

The Apple Watch, which remains the most significant device launched in Cooks more than 12 years in charge, has become a significant source of revenue if not the revolutionary product the iPhone was.

There are other potential legal issues. Last week, The New York Times reported that the US Justice Department was on the cusp of filing a major anti-monopoly case against Apple, which is likely to target the tactics the company uses to safeguard the market position of the iPhone.

While the company is likely to challenge any case, the encounter will be bruising at the very least and likely very time consuming.

A more immediate regulatory crackdown will be felt in Europe. Later this year, new competition laws mean iPhone users will be able to bypass Apples highly-profitable app store when installing apps.

With problems mounting, Apple is trying to focus instead on a new product that it hopes will revitalise its business.

On Monday, Apple announced that its augmented reality headset, the ski goggle-esque Vision Pro, will go on sale on February 2. Cook has talked up its credentials, calling it a new type of computer.

Apple's chief executive Tim Cook with the Vision Pro virtual reality headset - Josh Edelson/AFP

Yet the launch will be a significant test of Apples selling power and its innovation credentials. At $3,499, both production and sales of the devices are likely to be limited. Other companies have also failed to make high-tech headsets stick.

Meanwhile, as Apple debuts its metaverse tech, the world is shifting its attention to a shinier innovation: artificial intelligence. On this topic, Apple has had less to say. The company rarely raves about AI itself, preferring to talk about how machine learning is improving existing technology like Autocorrect or the iPhone camera.

This has led to perceptions that the company is losing ground, an idea not helped by the constant frustrations of users with the iPhones AI assistant Siri.

Apple reportedly plans to overhaul Siri with a new system closer to ChatGPT later this year, and is in talks with news publishers about licensing their content for the launch. Still, it faces questions about whether its pro-privacy credentials will deter it from collecting the vast amounts of data typically used to train AI systems.

Apple has had long sales slumps in the past, yet it has always been saved by breakthrough new products: 1998s iMac and 2001s iPod.

As the clouds draw in once more, Apples new ideas have a lot to live up to.

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Lotto players in Co Dublin have been urged to check their old tickets as a 1 million winner is yet to come forward.

A player in North County Dublin that scooped 1,000,500 from the Saturday December 23 draw as the Lotto Plus Raffle winner is yet to come forward.

The winning Quick Pick ticket was purchased at the Applegreen Roundtower Service Station in Lusk and the winning Raffle number was: 9652.

The Dublin player won the life-changing amount in a special event which saw a 1 million boost to the Lotto Plus Raffle prize fund for the 23rd December draw.

The Lotto Plus Raffle typically sees between 60 and 120 winners of 500 in every draw but the Christmas Eve draw saw one Dublin player enjoy an even higher windfall due to a special Raffle event.

The Lusk winner is advised to sign the back of their ticket and to keep it safe. They should make contact with the National Lottery prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie and arrangements will be made for them to collect their 1,000,500 prize at Lotto HQ.

A National Lottery spokesperson said: A Lotto player in North County Dublin currently has a ticket from the 23rd December draw worth over 1 million which they are yet to make contact about. We are advising all of our players who purchased a ticket in the Lusk area for that particular draw to carefully check their old tickets as soon as possible. That particular draw was held the night before Christmas Eve so the winner could have been out Christmas shopping or visiting relatives and it could ring a bell. The winning ticket was a Quick Pick which was purchased the Applegreen Roundtower service station in Lusk. Hopefully this will ring a bell with one of our players and get their January off to a flying start!
To support Continentals sustainability goals, ContiTech is moving toward the transformation of its production facilities into sustainable factories with the successful installation of a new photovoltaic (PV) system at its facility in Timisoara, Romania, that produces hoses, belts and tires.

The PV system (below) is expected to produce approximately 930MWh annually of emission-free electricity. Continental has set itself specific targets when it comes to operational environmental management, and is targeting that by 2030 its energy consumption can be produced by 20%. Further targets include: increasing the recovery quota to 95%, decreasing waste generation by 2 %, annually; and decreasing its water withdrawal by 4 % in high-risk water regions and by 2 % in moderate-risk water regions.

Additional to Timisoara, locations in Subotica, Serbia; Szeged, Hungary; Wagrowiec, Poland; Weissbach, Germany; Changzhou China; Kalyani, India; and Chihuahua, Mexico, have already approved their own PV projects and will install their respective systems in the coming months.

ContiTech expects these installations to reach an annual electricity generation of 5,900MWh, which represents the electricity consumption of 2,950 households in Germany.

Pilot plants in Canada, Germany and China to reach CO2 neutrality by 2030

ContiTech has also defined three locations, Changzhou, China, Granby, Canada, and Dannenberg, Germany, as pilot sites for green operations. Claus-Peter Spille, senior VP of operations at ContiTech, said, Each of our production facilities faces their own specific challenges in reaching green operations by 2040 at the latest. With the pilot projects, we provide our locations a comprehensive guidance on how to implement systematic operational environmental management at their site.

Current plant success is based on concrete measures and activities, which Continental hopes will provide guidance to the other plants within ContiTech, on how to implement similar measures to operate carbon neutral in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040, latest.

Philip Nelles, as a member of Continentals executive Board for ContiTech, said, Our recent steps toward greener operations prove that reducing the impact of climate change, together with our partners along the value chain, is a task to which we are strongly committed.
The closed Yellow Corp. truck terminal near South Howell and East Rawson avenues in Oak Creek has been sold.

An Oak Creek truck terminal that shut down after its owner filed for bankruptcy has been sold to another trucking company.

Yellow Corp.'s former 57-acre terminal, 700 E. Rawson Ave., was sold for $19.3 million to an affiliate of Pittsburgh-based Pitt Ohio Express LLC.

That's according to a newly filed deed listed in state Department of Revenue online records.

A Pitt Ohio representative didn't immediately respond to questions about when the terminal might be reopening and how many people it would employ.

Yellow Corp. closed the terminal last year, eliminating 85 jobs, according to a notice filed in July with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

The company's nationwide shutdown, causing the loss of 22,000 jobs, also affected operations in several other Wisconsin communities, including Neenah, Tomah, Portage, Mosinee, Madison and Eau Claire.

Those other Wisconsin facilities totaled 176 jobs lost, according to state notices.

Pitt Ohio, with over $900 million in annual revenue and more than 3,500 employees, serves the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Northeast regions, according to the company's website.

Yellow Corp., based in Overland Park, Kansas, operated under such brands as YRC Freight, USF Holland, New Penn Motor Express and USF Reddaway.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Yellow Corp.'s former Milwaukee area truck terminal sold to Pitt Ohio
If you got cut a big fat bonus check last year, the extra cash was no doubt a welcome addition to your regular paycheck. But if you read the fine print, youll notice the taxes seem like a bigger chunk than those held back from your regular wages. So what gives, and why does the IRS take a larger bite out of your bonus?

To answer that question, it helps to know that bonuses are taxed differently regardless of your tax bracket. Heres what you need to know about how bonuses get taxed, the bonus tax rate, and how federal withholding works for supplemental income like bonus pay.

Read more: Here are 7 free tax filing options

Are bonuses part of taxable income?

When its tax time, a bonus is part of your taxable income, and youre expected to report it as such for the purpose of federal income taxes. Thats because bonus money is considered a supplement to your regular pay.

The IRS tells employers that wages subject to federal employment taxes generally include all pay you give to an employee for services performed. The pay may be in cash or in other forms. It includes salaries, vacation allowances, bonuses, commissions, and taxable fringe benefits.

There are some exceptions to whether a bonus gets added to your tax bill. Company parties and employee discounts or other fringe benefits are generally exempt, as is the occasional meal or gift of nominal non-cash value.

What are supplemental wages?

According to the IRS, supplemental wages dont have to be cash to be taxable income. The following types of compensation are considered a cash equivalent, are part of your regular income, and are subject to tax withholding.

Signing bonuses or incentives

Severance pay

Accumulated sick leave

Some commissions

Overtime pay

Back pay and retroactive pay increases

Non-deductible moving expenses

The IRS also specifies to employers that any fringe benefit you provide is taxable and must be included in the recipient's pay unless the law specifically excludes it. Some of the benefits the IRS excludes from income tax liability include employee achievement awards up to a certain amount, a health savings account up to the contribution limit, employer-provided cell phones, and other types of benefits like tuition or adoption assistance.

How much are bonuses taxed?

If you noticed that your bonus seems to be taxed at a different withholding rate, youre not wrong. There are two different methods for how much tax the payroll department deducts, but in general federal income tax rates on bonuses work out to be around 22%.

Heres how the two different methods work for bonus payments and why your employer might prefer one method over the other.

Method 1: The percentage method

Many employers prefer the percentage method because its withholding rate is straightforward. This flat rate method requires your employer to withhold 22% of your bonus, plus an additional 7.65% for Medicare tax and Social Security taxes.

These bonus tax rates apply regardless of your tax bracket up to the first $1 million. If you receive more than $1 million in bonuses, 37% will be withheld on any amount above that. Unless youre a highly paid CEO or part of the executive team, most people in a lower tax bracket arent paying a 22% marginal tax rate. So come tax time, youll likely get a tax refund on the excess withholding.

Heres an example of how it works:

Lets say you get a $3,000 bonus. Your employer uses the flat rate percentage method and deducts 22% off the top, resulting in $660 of federal tax withholding. But because youre married filing jointly with less than $89,450 in adjusted gross income, your tax rate is actually 12%. With a flat rate method, the IRS would owe you about $300 on your bonus withholdings come tax time.

Method 2: The aggregate method

Bonuses taxed using the aggregate method can be a bit trickier. Your employer lumps your bonus into one paycheck for a payroll period, then pays tax according to your normal withholding rate, in addition to Social Security and Medicare taxes.

If youre in a higher tax bracket, this results in less of your bonus in your pocket up front, while those in lower brackets will walk away with more in their paycheck. See the example below to get a better sense of how the way your employer pays taxes on your bonus can change your tax burden.

Returning to the example above, you get a $3,000 bonus and file a joint return on income of less than $89,450. If your employer used the aggregate method, your bonus would already be taxed at 12%, resulting in a withholding of $360. While you wouldnt get a tax refund, youd pocket more of your bonus up front.

4 steps to lowering the tax liability of a bonus

Gearing up to get a big bonus this year? You dont have to be a tax professional to use the following tips on scoring some tax savings.

Step 1: Adjust your withholdings

If the anticipated bonus is large enough to bump you into a higher tax bracket, increase your withholding amount on your W-4 now.

Not sure if youre withholding at the right tax rate? Here are the current IRS tax brackets and marginal tax rates for each filing status.

Step 2: Reduce your taxable income

Any financial adviser worth their fee will tell you that to lower your tax liability from a large bonus, you should lower your taxable income.

This would include strategies like making charitable donations, claiming applicable tax credits, and maximizing your deductions to account for student loan interest and mortgage interest, business expenses, educational and healthcare expenses, and more.

Step 3: Contribute to a tax-advantaged account

Tax-advantaged accounts are ways Uncle Sam lets you save tax-free (or tax-deferred) for certain big-ticket expenses such as retirement, healthcare, and college.

You can offset the tax burden of your bonus by squirreling it away in an eligible 401(k), IRA, HSA (Health Savings Account), flex spending or other tax-advantaged account as long as you dont exceed the allowable contribution limit by the end of the year.

Step 4: Defer your bonus

If you think youll be making a lot less money next year, dont hesitate to ask your boss to defer your bonus or split it between this year and next year. Consider this option only if you can wait for the cash or if you expect your personal finance situation to change.

And consider that there is some risk that the chunk of change allotted to you might not be around next year (or you might not be around to receive it). So pursue deferring or splitting a bonus only if youre confident about your employment status.

Read more: Expecting money back? Here are 5 smart ways to use your tax refund

Frequently asked questions about bonuses and taxes

1. Is my employer required to withhold taxes from my bonus?

Yes. While the amount of taxes can vary, your employer must use the percentage or aggregate model to calculate the federal tax withholding from your bonus. They are required to do so for any supplemental income or cash equivalents that qualify as taxable income.

If you have questions about whether the bonus you received is taxable income, you can consult the IRS guidelines on taxable and non-taxable income here.

2. Are there differences in how bonuses are taxed at the state level?

Its not just the IRS that counts your bonus as supplemental wages. Several states also apply an added percentage on bonuses for state income taxes. This is usually assessed as a flat rate.

The rate is between 5%-7% depending on where you live and your adjusted gross income, so consult your state tax guidelines for more details about what youll owe.
As the University of Mary Washington evolved from its origin as a teachers college to current-day prominence as primarily a liberal arts university, an increasingly popular field of study was foreign affairs. Several factors contributed to this development, including proximity to the nations capital, a strong study-abroad program, and a number of charismatic faculty who instilled a sense of idealism for public service.

Of all the graduates who pursued such a career, few exceeded Jean Donovan, class of 1975, in terms of commitment. None paid a higher price for that dedication.

There was little in Jeans background that portended her eventual martyrdom. Born into a prosperous and conservative Catholic family in Connecticut, she was, by her parents description, the original yuppie. It was her enthusiasm for horseback riding that drew her to Mary Washington. Majoring in economics and political science, she spent her junior year studying in Ireland, where she was influenced by an Irish priest who had been a missionary.

The ebullient Donovan, described by one acquaintance as a young woman with a broad smile and a little girls laugh, sometimes exhibited a free spirit that probably would have not met strict standards of sainthood. According to her mentor, political science professor Lewis Fickett, Rumor had it that Jean could make a mean martini, while another professor commented that, although she was a devout Catholic, she could also be a real hell-raiser.

Following graduation from Mary Washington, she landed a lucrative position as an accountant and management consultant with a big eight accounting firm in Cleveland.

Finding that job unfulfilling, she was drawn increasingly toward missionary work, undoubtedly influenced by her Irish experience. Ultimately, she focused on El Salvador, where she settled so that she could minister to the homeless and hungry children of that country.

It was a dangerous time in that part of the world, roiled by ongoing violence between communist and non-communist factions. Although Jean recognized the threat, according to Professor Fickett, She had within her the seed of social consciousness that [prompted her] to turn away from her great material success to a life of helping hungry children far away. And so, when friends and family warned her against the Salvadoran mission, she urged them not to worry, assuring them, They dont shoot blonde, blue-eyed North Americans.

Her optimism turned out to be tragically ill-founded when, on Dec. 2, 1980, she, along with three American nuns, were kidnapped, raped and murdered by five Salvadoran national guardsmen. Peasants buried the victims in a shallow mass grave in a remote area.

The atrocity became a national issue, as charges emerged that the U.S. government was complicit in the affair, an accusation vehemently denied by American officials including Secretary of State Alexander Haig. When the accused guardsmen were finally brought to trial more than three years later, their summary conviction was interpreted by some as merely a sham show of justice by a dictatorial regime in order to quiet American critics and thus preserve the flow of foreign aid into El Salvador.

In the years following her murder, Donovans life was commemorated in a number of ways. One was a dramatization titled Choices of the Heart; another was a documentary called Roses in December, whose title was taken from an entry in her diary in which she described the beauty of El Salvador, asking, Where else would you find roses blooming in December?

Her life was featured in a childrens book titled Can the Saints Come Out and Play? designed for use in elementary and parochial school classrooms. The lesson based on Donovans life read, in part, Before Jean went to El Salvador, she had a good job and went to parties with friends. But she wanted something more. She wanted to help people. . . . [She] did not worry about herself. Jean only worried about the children. She wanted them to be safe and happy. She gave them candy and hugs. She played her guitar for them and sang them funny and beautiful songs. The people . . . called [her] St. Jean the Playful.

Donovans legacy was also memorialized at her alma mater. The Catholic Student Association created an award in her memory to be given annually to the graduating senior who best exhibits the charity, faith and conviction of this young woman. The organization also named its campus center the Jean Donovan House. In 2005, on the 25th anniversary of her death, the college held a commemorative service that included dedication of a plaque near James Farmer Hall honoring her legacy. Calling the event a very important day in the life of this university, Mary Washington President William Anderson said the event marked one of our very finest coming home.

There were occasions along her journey toward martyrdom when Jean Donovan expressed quite human reservations about her mission of faith and commitment. Several times I decided to leave El Salvador, she once admitted, [and] I almost could [have], except for the childrenthe poor, bruised victims of this insanity. Who would care for them?
Tonight we celebrate the work of Vic Marie for an embattled online content creator forced to adapt to the new media landscape. And all of that inspires our peek into pop culture, community news and top headlines.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Taking Flight Conversation

Taking Flight: KC's aviation director talks challenges, opportunities of new KCI 2024 will be the first full year for the new terminal at the Kansas City International Airport. After a successful holiday season, industry leaders are looking to make the most of the project's success. We speak with Kansas City's aviation director to hear her plans for future growth.

Road Danger Tonight

Police: One person dead after hit-and-run in Kansas City One person is dead after a hit-and-run crash near 9th and Prospect Sunday night in East Kansas City.

Kansas Winter Warning

Kansas governor issues state of disaster emergency for winter storm Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation Monday evening due to winter weather that is currently moving across the state.

Show-Me Tax Push Back

Missouri House committee recommends St. Louis, Kansas City end earnings taxes (The Center Square) - A House special committee recommends lessening and eliminating the earnings tax in Missouri's largest cities and also supporting a lawsuit against St. Louis. In 2021, a la...

TAKE THEM INSIDE!!!

How to keep your pets safe as winter weather hits Kansas City Fur isn't always enough to protect pets from suffering in extreme winter conditions

Tech Mag Shares Free Speech Workaround

How to unblock Brazzers for free Brazzers has blocked access to users in North Carolina and Montana. Here's how to unblock Brazzers for free.

Campaigning On Tragedy

Biden will visit church where Black people were killed to lay out election stakes and perils of hate President Joe Biden wants Americans to know what he believes is at stake in this year's presidential election.

MAGA Argues For Privilege

Trump wants Georgia election subversion case dismissed, arguing he has presidential immunity | CNN Politics Former President Donald Trump is seeking to have the sweeping criminal conspiracy case against him in Georgia thrown out by arguing he is protected from prosecution under presidential immunity.

Sick Leave Crisis Cont'd

White House responds to GOP calls for Sec Austin's resignation after mystery ailment, hospitalization The White House said there are no plans to replace Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin amid calls he be fired or resign after the White House was kept in dark of his ICU treatment.

Vlad's Attack More Effective

Ukraine says it failed to shoot down 33 Russian missiles in deadly attack Ukraine's Air Force said Monday it was only able to shoot down 18 of the 51 Russian missiles fired overnight at targets across Ukraine.

Holy Land Targets Enemies

Suspected Israeli strike in Lebanon kills senior Hezbollah commander Hezbollah confirmed the death of Wissam Tawil, marking a further escalation of tensions with Israel.

Urban

Life Stays Losing

Escape the city: Living closer to nature benefits older adults mentally and physically Americans have been leaving big cities in droves in recent years, and now a new study is giving older adults another reason to move.

Artsy Extract . . .

Jenny Hahn inspires readers to find their artistic journey with Creative Flow: Tap and Express Your Juicy Essence Jenny Hahn. // Courtesy photo While the holiday season may be over, the opportunity for gift-giving to your loved ones isn't. Local artist and author Jenny Hahn has recently completed her book Creative Flow: Tap and Express Your Juicy Essence, a semi-interactive body of work that motivates readers along their own personal artistic journey.

It All Adds Up . . .

Thundersnow overnight could increase snow totals in Kansas City by Tuesday morning Along with heavy snow, thundersnow is possible overnight into early Tuesday morning in the metro area.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
The parade of storms continues in Virginia, as the next soaker moves in early on Tuesday. Once this storm moves away early Wednesday morning, two more follow in the pipeline. The next one comes Friday, and it looks like another soaking rain. The one that follows it early next week still has more questions than answers.

Rain moves into Richmond around dawn on Tuesday, and initially it will not be heavy. After some breaks in the rain late in the morning and early in the afternoon, it will pick back up toward evening, with a final surge of heavy rain for a couple of hours.

An additional 1.50 to 2.50 inches of rain is expected before all rain ends by midnight, and after the rain of the last few weeks, there is a substantial risk of flooding of streams and creeks starting early on Tuesday evening throughout metro Richmond. Roads that typically do not drain well will likely have standing water Tuesday evening, so be especially careful if driving.

On Wednesday, water from its tributaries will flow into the James River, so expect a rapid rise on the river on Wednesday, with the potential for minor flooding by Wednesday night or Thursday.

Wind speeds will increase on Tuesday afternoon, with the strongest winds coming with the most intense rain in the evening. Speeds will regularly be 15-25 mph during the late afternoon and early evening with some occasional gusts near 45 mph. In addition to some thunder and lightning during that window of time, there is a small, but legitimate chance that some of the stronger individual cells within that heavy rain could rotate enough to form a tornado. That risk is far greater southward into the Carolinas, but even if that risk is relatively low in Virginia, it should be respected.

Widespread power outages are not anticipated, but if your power does go out, it would likely happen Tuesday evening or before daybreak on Wednesday. The consistent winds and soft soils from the recent rains suggest there will be at least some power outages before the storm fully moves away on Wednesday.

During most of Tuesday, the wind will be from the southeast, effectively pushing water westward from the Chesapeake Bay. As a result, 1-2 feet of flooding along the Tidal James and York Rivers is expected at high tide on Tuesday evening.

Although widespread damaging winds are not expected in Richmond, winds will be substantially stronger near the coasts  both the Chesapeake and the Atlantic. During Tuesday evening, wind speeds will be consistently 35-45 mph on the open water, with gusts approaching 60 mph.

Interests near the water should secure their watercraft by midday Tuesday.

The next storm, arriving Friday or Friday night, does not look as wet as the previous two. Nonetheless, an additional 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain is the working idea right now. The storm also looks like it will be out of Virginia by daybreak Saturday, leaving Saturday dry and windy with an afternoon in the 40s.

Next weeks storm bears a much closer look in the following days. Starting this weekend, the air over Virginia will be consistently colder than the past few weeks. Of course it is too early to promise accumulating snow for next weeks storm, but it is a reminder that there is still plenty of winter ahead of us.
Are you planning a trip to Salzburg, Austria? Do not forget to include Krimml Waterfalls on your itinerary. These falls are one of Europe's highest, with a 380-meter drop that is impressive. The experience at Krimml Waterfalls goes beyond just viewing a waterfall. It offers a chance to witness nature's power and beauty firsthand.

The journey to the falls is an adventure, taking you through some of Austria's most scenic views. At the falls, you will be greeted by the roar of water and breathtaking scenery.

Krimml Waterfalls is a spot for sightseeing and where you can relax, enjoy nature, and take amazing photographs. It is perfect for anyone who loves nature, and photography, or just wants to experience something unforgettable.

So, if you are in Salzburg, make time to visit these incredible falls. Here's what makes this place so special and why it should be on your travel list.

Krimml Waterfalls: A Natural Wonder

Krimml Waterfalls, located in the heart of Austria's Salzburg region, is a breathtaking natural wonder that deserves a top spot on your travel itinerary. These falls are not only the highest in Austria but also rank among the tallest waterfalls in Europe. Standing at an impressive height of approximately 380 meters (1,247 feet), they present a spectacular sight that is both awe-inspiring and humbling.

Related Article: What to Expect When You Visit the Vienna Christmas Market

According to Places of Juma, an astonishing 176 cubic meters of water cascade annually from the falls, a volume sufficient to fill the entire Zellersee. The most spectacular view of this natural wonder occurs in July and August. These months are the ideal time to visit, as the ice from the Krimmler Arche's catchment area melts extensively, resulting in massive amounts of water flowing into the valley.

Engage in Enthralling Activities

One of the most popular activities at Krimml Waterfalls is hiking. The well-marked trails leading to the falls cater to beginners and experienced hikers. As you trek along these paths, you are treated to stunning views of the waterfalls and the surrounding landscapes. The hike can be a peaceful retreat into nature, allowing you to unwind and appreciate the area's beauty.

For photography lovers, Krimml Waterfalls provides a canvas of endless possibilities. The interplay of light, water, and greenery creates a photogenic landscape that begs to be captured. Whether you are a professional photographer or simply love to snap photos with your phone, the falls provide a perfect background for memorable shots.

Health Benefits of the Falls

Krimml Waterfalls are known for their unique healing effects, particularly for those with allergies and respiratory issues like asthma. Austria.info explains that this is due to the tiny, breathable aerosol particles around the falls. These particles are 200 times smaller than those in an asthma inhaler, allowing them to reach deep into the respiratory system.

The microscopic droplets in the air near the falls have a negative charge, which helps them remain airborne longer. In contrast, positively charged particles are bigger and fall to the ground faster. Breathing in these negatively charged particles boosts the immune system, reduces or even removes allergy and asthma symptoms, and purifies the respiratory tract.

Read Also: Discover 2024's Exciting Travel Trends to Transform Your Next Adventure
Malaysia's big company, Capital A, announced a big change for its airline business on Monday. They plan to combine their low-cost airline, AirAsia, with another airline, AirAsia X. This move aims to simplify things and improve their operations.

AirAsia to Merge with AirAsia X, Plans for Expansion

The change will bring together AirAsia operations in Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, with AirAsia X. Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Capital A, shared this news with reporters. According to The Manila Times, he explained that the new, larger airline would manage all kinds of flights - short, medium, and long trips. This step allows Capital A to focus more on its other businesses that are not about flying.

Fernandes said this merger would help double their passengers. They expect to go from around 80 to 90 million passengers annually to 200 million. Currently, AirAsia has 166 smaller planes (A320 and A321), and AirAsia X operates 17 bigger ones (A330s).

The big news also includes plans for the merged airline to start flying to new places. In 2025, they want to add flights to India, Africa, Kazakhstan, and North and South America. Fernandes, who has led the company for 22 years, also announced his retirement plans. He will step down from his role at Capital A in 2028.

Related Article: AirAsia Malaysia Expands with New Direct Flights to Perth, Almaty

An expert from Singapore, Shukor Yusof of Endau Analytics, told AFP that this merger is a normal step. However, he also thinks it might show some challenges in the airline business in this region.

AirAsia started in 2001 and changed the airline business in Southeast Asia by offering low-cost flights. AirAsia X began in 2007, focusing on longer flights, including to Europe. But they had to stop flights to London and Paris in 2012 due to high costs. Since then, they have focused on places like Australia, Japan, and China.

AirAsia Plans Growth in the Philippines, Eyes US Flights

AirAsia announced big plans for growth, focusing on the Philippines. The airline sees a lot of potential for tourism in the country. They also aim to start flights to the United States next year.

GMA News reported that Fernandes mentioned that the Philippines and Indonesia are key areas for growth because of their large populations and tourism possibilities. Besides airlines, Capital A is involved in various other sectors like logistics, maintenance, and digital services. AAX, on the other hand, focuses on longer flights in the Asia-Pacific region.

The merger of the aviation businesses into AAX should be complete in about five months. Fernandes says this will allow AirAsia to offer more exciting flight routes in countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Additionally, AirAsia announced two new leadership roles to help guide the company. Datuk Captain Chester Voo will lead airline operations, and Farouk Kamal will oversee corporate functions. This move aims to strengthen AirAsia's position in the market and focus on digital innovation and growth.

Read Also: American Airlines Leads in Holiday Travel with Record Low Cancellations, Improved Punctuality
For many travelers, particularly bookworms, bookstores are part of their itineraries when they travel. However, bookworm or not, there is a bookstore that is a must-visit when in Porto, Portugal.

Why? We're not just talking about how it's rumored to have inspired J.K. Rowling to write "Harry Potter." We're talking about how it is often regarded as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the whole of Europe, even in the whole wide world.

The bookstore is none other than Livraria Lello & Irmao, otherwise known as Lello Bookshop.

Livraria Lello History

Believe it or not, Livraria Lello has been around since 1906! Specifically, the building where it stands today was inaugurated on January 13, 1906. Designed by Francisco Xavier Esteves, it is located at Number 144 at Rua das Carmelitas.

The building of a bookstore is an example of neo-Gothic architecture that can be found in Portugal. Its most iconic feature is its staircase, which was actually originall brown in color. However, in 1993, an error during restoration work resulted in a crimson-colored staircase.

Another notable feature of the building is the stained glass ceiling, which was done by the Dutch master Samuel Van Krieken. It is made up of a total of 55 panels.

Related Article: Lisbon For Art Lovers: Here Are Five Museums You Must Not Miss

How to Get to the Bookstore

Livraria Lello is accessible either by foot, by metro, by bus, or by car. It is also relatively convenient to get to the bookstore straight from the airport.

For the complete instructions on how to get to Livraria Lello, click here.

Visitors should take note that the bookstore is open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, it is closed on certain days, which are as follows:

January 1

Easter Sunday

May 1

June 24

December 25

If you are looking to visit the bookstore during its off-peak hours, it is during lunch time and in the late afternoon.

Areas to Take Note Of

There is much to see and marvel at when visiting Livraria Lello. However, there are certain areas that may be of interest especially for bookworms.

One of the areas is known as Gemma, which is where you can find the bookstore's rare books, first edition copies, and other valuable works. Visitors must note that access to Gemma is is done by appointment and is subject to approval by Livraria Lello.

Another notable area of the bookstore is known as the Jose Saramago Room. One of the most prolific Portuguese writers, Jose Saramago is likewise known around the world. First editions of his works can be found in this area, as well as works translated into different languages.

Read Also: Unlocking the Doors to Europe: A Guide to Portugal's Golden Visa Program
lyf Bugis Singapore to be unveiled mid-2024 catering to growing demand for experience-led social living



(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - January 9th, 2024 - The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a lodging business unit wholly owned by CapitaLand Investment (CLI) and CapitaLand Wellness Fund(C-WELL), have jointly acquired a freehold lodging property in Singapore. Ascott and C-WELL each holds a 50% stake in the lodging property.

This is C-WELLs first acquisition since announcing its first close in end-October 2023. C-WELL is CLIs inaugural wellness and healthcare-related real estate fund anchored in Southeast Asia. The value-add fund will focus initially on Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. With a target fund size of S$1 billion on an upsized option, C-WELL will invest in single or mixed-used assets that span the healthcare, medical, wellness and preventive care spectrum.

Located in Singapores downtown core district within walking distance to both Bugis and Bencoolen MRT train stations, the 308-unit property will be upgraded and rebranded under Ascotts award-winning lyf (pronounced life) brand as demand for experience-led social living grows. The property will remain operational throughout the renovation period and be unveiled as lyf Bugis Singapore in mid-2024.

Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer for Ascott and CLI Lodging, said: As a vertically-integrated global lodging business with a strong foothold in Asia, Ascott is able to leverage our full suite of real estate investment and management capabilities to grow our portfolio and expand our fee income streams. The acquisition is aligned with Ascotts asset-light growth strategy, as we invest alongside our funds while growing a pipeline of quality assets that can be subsequently injected into our other funds. Tapping on our strong deal-sourcing abilities, we have added a strategically located freehold asset to our portfolio in our home ground of Singapore. With the rebranding of the property under the lyf brand coupled with Ascotts award-winning operational expertise, lyf Bugis Singapore is well-positioned to capture travel demand while uplifting the value of the asset.

Ms Patricia Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Southeast Asia Investment, CLI, said: C-WELL focuses on investments with a healthcare and wellness-related angle and we are actively seeking quality opportunities that contribute to our scale, synergy, and sustainable growth in Southeast Asia. The Bugis-Bras Basah precinct, with its diverse mix of retail, workspaces, residential and medical facilities, has the potential to be transformed into a thriving hub for wellness and corporate healthcare, attracting both local and international visitors. Together with the other CLI-managed properties in the precinct, we now have the unique opportunity to develop an integrated wellness-hospitality ecosystem that meets the growing demand for wellness and healthcare-related tourism. We look forward to working with Ascott to create a lodging property that caters to the needs of next-generation travellers who place a growing emphasis on the importance of wellness.

lyf Bugis Singapore will focus on health and active wellness, offering a wide range of amenities including shared spaces and dining options that provide opportunities for social interaction, and fitness facilities that enable guests to stay healthy while on the go. In-house wellness activities curated by the propertys Ambassador of Buzz will not only encourage meaningful engagement amongst guests, but also seek to drive mindfulness for individuals. A comprehensive suite of telehealth, telecounselling and travel security advisory services will be available to guests at lyf Bugis Singapore as part of Ascott CARES commitment to improve the overall wellness of its guests. Partnerships with healthcare and wellness operators are also being planned to offer guests easy access to medical services.

lyf Bugis Singapore is set to be a green-certified property. The property will include sustainability features such as a room occupancy detection system and an upgraded cooling system. The property is expected to obtain the Green Mark GoldPLUS certification from Singapores Building & Construction Authority.

Ascotts award-winning lyf brand

The acquisition of lyf Bugis Singapore will expand the brands presence in Singapore to a total of four properties, including award-winning developments lyf-one Singapore, lyf Funan Singapore and lyf Farrer Park Singapore. It will also grow Ascotts portfolio in Singapore to over 4,700 units across 25 properties. lyf is currently present in 21 cities across the world, with over 5,500 units, both operating and in the pipeline. In 2023, Ascott signed almost twice as many management contracts for the lyf brand compared to 2022. Ascott aims to grow its lyf portfolio to 150 properties with over 30,000 units by 2030.

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Local animal rights activist Rachel Rae Tuff and her mother, Theresa Macrander, will not go to trial next week after all criminal charges against the duo were dismissed, officials with the Dodge County Attorneys Office announced on Monday.

In a press release sent by Deputy County Attorney Justin Bignell, officials said that the current charges were dismissed but that the case may not be over.

The cases involving Ms. Tuff and Ms. Macrander were dismissed without prejudice due to the unavailability of necessary out-of-state witnesses, Bignell stated in the release. The Dodge County Attorneys Office remains committed to prosecuting these cases to the fullest extent of the law and will re-file these cases once circumstances allow.

Tuff and Macrander were scheduled for a jury trial in Dodge County Court starting on Jan. 12. Both women have repeatedly proclaimed their innocence and also had pleaded not guilty to all charges filed against them.

Tuff did not respond to several emails seeking comment on the situation.

Both turned themselves in to the Dodge County Sheriffs Office in late July 2023 after warrants for their arrest were issued by a county judge on allegations that stem from a more than three-month long investigation by the Fremont Police Department.

Officials were reportedly contacted by a dog rescue company in California that had been working with Tuff on several dog rescues and adoption efforts. According to police, Tuff had her animal rescue operators license revoked by the state and was prohibited from engaging in animal rescue operations.

In the lengthy police report filed with the court, former Fremont Police officer Kelli Brown wrote that on April 24, 2023, she received a complaint from California-based Giselles Legacy dog rescue that alleged the organization had been working with Tuff to assist in the rehoming, adoption, care of and housing of dogs they had in their possession.

Officials with the company alleged they had provided Tuff with several dogs to adopt out and that she did not follow their procedures to have the animals adopted out, and that she had also kept one of the dogs for herself.

Tuff and Macrander own two local businesses  Fremont Pets Alive as well as a sibling business, Grants Wishes Rescue  and have been active in animal welfare issues for years.

In December, Tuff arranged to return the dog that was the primary focus of the case Booney  to its original owner, who flew to Omaha and then met with Tuff in Fremont to retake possession of the animal.

In relation to the investigation, Tuff was charged with two alleged crimes: suspicion of theft of services, zero to $500, a Class II misdemeanor; and suspicion of violation of the Commercial Dog and Cat Operator Inspection Act, a Class I misdemeanor. She had pleaded not guilty to both allegations in a court filing made by her attorney.

Macrander was also charged, facing only one accusation: suspicion of violation of the Commercial Dog and Cat Operator Inspection Act, a Class I misdemeanor. Macrander also pleaded not guilty.

They were originally scheduled to go to trial on Dec. 8; however, that was delayed due to inaction by both parties in relation to court filings.

Tuff has vehemently denied all allegations against her and her mother since they were arrested in July.

Aside from their animal welfare activism, Tuff and Macrander are both well-known and outspoken critics of area elected officials and frequently attend meetings of the Fremont City Council to voice concerns about city issues.

Because the charges were dismissed without prejudice, they can be refiled at a later time.
As we embark on the first few days of the new year, many of us are beginning to embrace things that bring us joy and for a lot of people  tha
The Poor Man Tyre Shop in Valencia and a nearby apartment building were destroyed by fire 
White House officials met on Monday with leaders from venture capital firms and the technology and defense industries in an effort to reinforce interest in supporting Ukraine's access to cutting-edge U.S. equipment.

Thats according to Reuters, referring to administration officials, Ukrinform reports.

"The conversation focused on a number of systems, including, unmanned aerial systems, how to counter incoming unmanned aerial systems, and then also addressing the demining challenge," one of the officials said.

Jake Sullivan, head of the White House National Security Council, convened the meeting to push for helping Ukraine overcome the key technological challenges that Ukraines forces have identified as inhibiting their progress and momentum on the battlefield.

Key members of the National Security Council met with industry executives from Fortem Aerospace, defense technology companies like Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR.N), and Anduril Industries Inc, as well as drone maker Skydio among others invited to the White House.

The officials stressed that any effort to support Ukraine would be curbed without the supplemental aid package President Joe Biden has urged lawmakers to pass.

As Ukrinform reported last week, the U.S. Department of State reaffirmed Americas unwavering strategy of supporting Ukraine, which will remain in place for as long as it takes for the country to stand firmly on its feet.
Sweden is providing about $5 million to NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) Trust Fund for Ukraine, which will be used for military aid to Ukraine.

The Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine said this in a post on the X social media platform, Ukrinform reports.

"The Swedish government will provide 50 million SEK to the NATO assistance fund for Ukraine. This assistance will be used for procurement of military equipment, medicines, fuel, demining and personnel training," the embassy said.

Earlier reports said that Ukraine and Sweden were discussing joint work in the field of innovation and the possible transfer of Gripen fighter aircraft to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Japan earlier decided to provide $37 million to the NATO trust fund to buy drone detection systems for Ukraine.
Since 2022, Estonia has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth almost EUR 0.5 billion and will allocate 0.25% of its gross domestic product for this purpose in the next four years.

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas stated this at a press conference, Ukrinform reports, referring to ERR.

Estonia's contribution to Ukraine's victory will be 0.25% of GDP over the next four years. If each country contributes 0.25%, this is what Ukraine needs to win this war," Kallas said, calling on other countries to follow the example.

The head of the Estonian government added that since 2022, Estonia has already provided Ukraine with military assistance worth almost EUR 500 million. "This is also necessary to ensure our security," she emphasized.

According to her, in the coming years, Estonia will also allocate EUR 14 million a year for the restoration of Ukraine and related solutions.

Kallas noted that many people are used to war, and in democratic countries, public opinion influences slower decision-making. However, according to the Estonian prime minister, it is necessary to conduct consistent explanatory work in different countries on why it is important to support Ukraine.

As reported by Ukrinform, in mid-December, Estonia provided Ukraine with another military aid package worth EUR 80 million, which included Javelin anti-tank missiles.
British intelligence believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces achieved success during strikes on Crimea on January 4.

The British Defense Ministry said this in an intelligence update published on X, Ukrinform reports.

According to the update, on January 4, Ukraine attacked Russian targets at the Saky airfield and Sevastopol.

"These attacks highly likely degraded the awareness and coverage of Russian air defenses over the Crimea region," the update said.

In response, Russia launched a number of missile attacks across Ukraine on January 8, targeting several cities, including Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia.

This once again demonstrates the ineffectiveness of Russian air defenses in protecting key locations, despite their enhanced preparedness, the ministry said.

"The scale of the Russian response is likely indicative of the level of success achieved by the Ukrainian armed forces' actions of 4 January 2024," the ministry added.

On January 4, explosions rang out in Sevastopol and Yevpatoria. Russian Telegram channels reported a massive Ukrainian attack on Crimea.
Hungary has signaled that it may lift its veto over EU aid package worth EUR 50 billion to Ukraine, provided that the funding is reviewed annually.

Thats according to Politico, Ukrinform reports.

Budapest indicated that it might lift its veto provided that the European Council unanimously approves the funding on a yearly basis, according to three EU diplomats.

This would give Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban the power to block EU funding to Ukraine every year  or gain concessions from Brussels for withholding his veto, the publication says.

It is noted that several EU diplomats remain skeptical, pointing out that a year-on-year solution would fail to offer predictability to Ukraine.

MFF (the EUs seven-year budget) is a multiannual framework, we can not do it on a year-to-year basis, said an EU diplomat.

The EUs funding to Ukraine will be discussed at a meeting of EU ambassadors slated for Wednesday.

As reported by Ukrinform, the European Union is preparing a reserve facility to provide Ukraine with up to EUR 20 billion in assistance, which would allow to bypass Hungary's veto.

Photo: hungarytoday.hu
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Published January 9, 2024

CAPTION: ULM sophomore and Reginald F. Lewis Scholar Myles Goldman poses with his research poster at the annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of Louisiana Lafayette on November 4, 2023.

MONROE, LA  Myles Goldman, ULM sophomore, Reginald F. Lewis Scholar, and TRIO Scholar, presented "A Marketing Analysis for Chennault Aviation and Military Museum" at the Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of Louisiana Lafayette (ULL) on November 4, 2023. ULL organizes the Undergraduate Research Conference annually in November. Undergraduates from universities and colleges around Louisiana met to share their knowledge and research through oral presentations, lightning talks, and poster presentations.

The University of Louisiana System Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program and ULM TRIO Student Support Services sponsored the project. Mr. Goldman received guidance from Mr. Tommie Nelson, ULM TRIO Retention Specialist, Dr. Claire Norris, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Special Initiatives at University of Louisiana System, Dr. Jun Yu, ULM Associate Professor of Marketing, and Dr. Joyce Zhou, ULM Professor of Marketing and Business.

It was a great experience working with TRIO and Reginald F. Lewis Scholar Myles Goldman, said Dr. Joyce Zhou. When we brainstormed his project ideas, we tried to leverage his history major background with my area of business marketing. Myles has acquired new knowledge on conducting research and enhanced his critical thinking skills. I am very proud of his accomplishments and expect to see great things from him.

Mr. Goldmans research entailed collecting data and analyzing the marketing activities of the museum to help determine future improvements to further attract Gen Z and Millennial visitors.

Engaging in research activities such as these enhances the student's academic experience by combining classroom theory with practical, real-world concerns. Students who engage in research tend to have higher critical thinking and problem-solving skills, said Dr. Claire Norris. Also, research plays a significant role in accreditations as well as the competitiveness of the university, which ultimately enables it to attract top talent in terms of both students and faculty.

The Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program of the University of Louisiana System improves the college experience for black male students in the system. The Reginald F. Lewis Scholars Program provides a three-year curated educational experience focused on three key areasacademics, social advancement, and community service. The program seeks to recruit black males and provide educational programs, mentoring opportunities, and co-curricular experiences to improve outcomes.
A proposal put forth Friday by an Omaha lawmaker would put Nebraska's Legislature in charge of the state's prison system, which, for now, is under the purview of the executive branch.

If made law, Sen. Justin Wayne's bill (LB994) would put senators in charge of the "general management, control and government" of the Department of Correctional Services, giving the Legislature hiring power over the department's director.

The power to make such a change is already prescribed to lawmakers in Nebraska's Constitution, which grants the Legislature the power to manage "all state charitable, mental, reformatory and penal institutions."

"We actually have control over corrections  it's all vested in us," Wayne said Friday, which marked the third day of the 2024 legislative session. "So maybe we should take it back. Maybe we should create an independent board, like Arkansas.

"We're going to be exploring those options this year and hopefully we can make sure we have the proper oversight that's needed in Corrections."

For Wayne, who chairs the body's Judiciary Committee, the change is overdue.

He pointed to the 2015 revelation that the department, using a flawed formula to calculate sentences, had carved at least 750 years off the collective sentences of more than 200 inmates in state custody.

The bill, too, was spurred in part by the department's decision in August to eliminate prison facility and document access to the Office of the Inspectors General, the Legislature's watchdog responsible for investigating the state's prison and child welfare systems.

That move came after Attorney General Mike Hilgers' office published a nonbinding opinion suggesting the oversight offices are unconstitutional.

"At the end of the day, we've been having problems with Corrections. It's been an ongoing issue since we improperly calculated good time," he said, referring to the 2015 sentencing scandal. "So maybe we should let somebody else run it."

The Omaha senator said he's considering designating the bill as his personal priority this session, which would increase the likelihood it will be debated on the floor, in an effort to see it made law.

Wayne on Friday also put forth a proposal (LB996) that would put the Department of Correctional Services in charge of all of Nebraska's county jails  a move that, coupled with his effort to put the department under the Legislature's control, would give lawmakers oversight of every jail and prison inmate in the state.

And he introduced a bill (LB995) that would give defendants in certain criminal court cases 10 days upon a guilty verdict to request a deferred judgment, which allows defendants to make a case to their judge to impose a sentence of probation prior to the entry of a judgment of conviction.

Photos: Nebraska Legislature gavels in for first day of 2024 session
Two people were taken to hospitals in critical condition Sunday after their vehicle collided with a train in northeast Nebraska.

The collision occurred at 10:40 a.m. near 837th Road and 554th Avenue just south of Norfolk, according to a statement from the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

Stephanie Brugman, 29, of Norfolk, was flown to a Sioux City hospital. Jeremiah Wagner, 43, of Norfolk, was taken to a Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

Investigators determined that Wagner and Brugman were eastbound on 837th Road in a 2002 GMC Denali when the vehicle collided with the side of a northbound train. Neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. The vehicle is considered a total loss.
Ellen Schrecker, renowned historian of American higher education and McCarthyism, has once again delved into the past with her latest book, "The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s" (University of Chicago Press, 2021).

In this compelling work, Schrecker explores the tumultuous events of the 1960s, ranging from anti-Vietnam War protests to struggles against racial inequality, and their profound impact on college campuses. What makes this exploration particularly timely is its reflection on the demonization of higher education by the political right-a phenomenon that echoes in contemporary debates.

Beginning the Journey in 2010

Schrecker's journey into the heart of 1960s academia began in 2010, a period long before the recent upheavals in campus politics and the threats to free speech that have dominated headlines.

Driven by a quest for her "next big project" and inspired by her late husband's illness, Schrecker undertook extensive research, conducting countless oral histories and immersing herself in letters, memoirs, and other primary documents. The result is a meticulously crafted narrative that transcends the simplistic portrayal of the 1960s university as a hotbed of unrestrained rebellion.

Approaching the topic as an observer rather than a participant in the 1960s movements, Schrecker, a faculty wife and Ph.D. student at the time, presents a nuanced perspective. Her work challenges popular stereotypes by revealing the complex interplay of forces within colleges and universities.

Robin D.G. Kelley, a historian at UCLA, notes that "The Lost Promise" debunks the simplistic image of the era, showcasing deep struggles over critical issues such as war, corporate power, democracy, race, and sex.

READ ALSO: Rethinking The Role Of Degrees In The Contemporary Job Market: Are Soft Skills More Important?

The Nuances of Faculty Engagement

One of Schrecker's central achievements is highlighting the diversity of thought and action within academic circles during the 1960s. Despite the common perception of academia as overwhelmingly left-leaning, her narrative unveils the multifaceted nature of faculty engagement with the pressing issues of the time. Professors from various political leanings found themselves under attack, illustrating the intense battles over the very purpose of the university.

In the eyes of Schrecker and Kelley, the themes explored in "The Lost Promise" continue to reverberate in contemporary discussions about higher education. The fundamental questions about what can be taught, academic freedom, free speech, access, and the rising cost of education, which were central in the 1960s, remain contested today. Schrecker's meticulous examination of this pivotal era provides essential context for understanding the ongoing challenges faced by modern universities.

Echoes of the Past in Contemporary Debates

As an active member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), an organization fervently dedicated to safeguarding faculty tenure and academic freedom, Schrecker underscores the enduring value of academic freedom in teaching and research. She presents compelling evidence of its consistent attack from various quarters, recounting stories of professors who faced job loss or threats for speaking out on issues ranging from war to racism and the corporatization of higher education.

For Schrecker, academic freedom stands as the lifeblood of the university, essential for the intellectual work that drives higher education and inspires the next generation of thinkers and innovators. Her narrative underscores the vital role of rigorous debate and intellectual disagreement at the core of university life. Through her exploration of the 1960s, she warns against attempts, whether from the left or the right, to stifle such debates, emphasizing their detrimental impact on both universities and the nation at large.

"The Lost Promise" not only serves as a historical exploration but also prompts a critical reflection on the challenges facing contemporary higher education. Schrecker's insights are a call to action, urging academia to protect its foundational principles and navigate the delicate balance between intellectual diversity and the pursuit of knowledge. In a world where the promises of the past are still echoing in our present, Schrecker's work becomes a guide for understanding the complexities of the educational landscape and the ongoing struggles to fulfill its promise.

RELATED ARTICLE: Rethinking Education And Employment In Post-Pandemic US: What Employers Need From Students
As student debt in the United States continues to soar, reaching a staggering $1.6 trillion (second only to mortgage debt), the affordability of higher education is under increasing scrutiny.

A recent survey of high school seniors registered on the Niche.com college search and review site reveals a growing price sensitivity among prospective students and their parents. The survey, completed by 24,000 seniors, highlights the impact of a college's published price on the likelihood of students applying or inquiring about that institution.

According to the survey, 89% of current high school seniors express concern about a school's published price affecting their application decision, a significant increase from 76% among last year's seniors. The growing price sensitivity is particularly pronounced, with 59% of those who consider themselves price-sensitive stating they would not consider a school that costs more than $40,000 per year in total. This raises concerns for private colleges, which, on average, charged $41,540 in tuition alone for the 2023-24 academic year, according to the College Board.

While the listed tuition price is rarely what students pay, as colleges typically offer financial aid packages to reduce the actual cost, the survey underscores the importance of the initial sticker price in shaping student perceptions. Private colleges often utilize a combination of high sticker prices and significant financial aid to make education more accessible. However, the opaque pricing structure can be a deterrent for prospective students, especially those without access to robust college advising.

The Opaque Pricing Structure and the Sticker Price Dilemma

Private colleges commonly deflect attention from the sticker price and emphasize net price calculators, allowing applicants to estimate actual out-of-pocket costs. However, the sticker price, readily available through a quick internet search, remains a significant factor in shaping initial perceptions. The challenge lies in the lack of awareness about how private colleges structure their pricing and offer financial aid.

Bob Massa, principal and co-founder of Enrollment Intelligence Now, a college consulting firm, emphasizes the significance of the list price, particularly for students in under-resourced high schools where college advising may be limited. The survey indicates that 48% of respondents prefer to obtain information from school or college counselors, emphasizing the need for clear communication about the average net price.

Massa suggests a proactive approach by colleges, advocating for the promotion of net price through marketing campaigns directed at prospective students. Addressing the fear associated with the list price, Massa recommends a campaign emphasizing, "You can afford X University," based on the net price paid by different student groups.

READ ALSO: A Comprehensive Guide To Private Student Loans

Tuition Resets: An Alternative Approach

In response to the growing price sensitivity, some private colleges have taken bold steps by implementing tuition resets. These resets involve a public reduction of the sticker price, accompanied by a corresponding adjustment in financial aid packages. Bridgewater College in Virginia, for instance, cut its tuition by 62%, from $40,300 to $15,000, aiming to attract students who may have deemed the institution too expensive.

David W. Bushman, president of Bridgewater College, articulates the original intent behind tuition discounting: making higher education accessible to low-income students. However, over time, this practice has contributed to escalating tuition prices, potentially discouraging the very students the system was designed to help. Tuition resets, while a viable strategy for some institutions, may not be suitable for all. The decision often hinges on the composition of the student body, particularly the number of full-paying students who receive no institutional financial aid support.

Looking Ahead: The Need for Transparent Communication and Affordability

As the landscape of college affordability evolves, there is a pressing need for transparent communication about net prices and financial aid structures. The survey results underscore the importance of addressing the initial sticker price concerns among prospective students. By embracing proactive strategies, colleges can bridge the gap between perception and reality, ensuring that students make informed decisions based on their actual out-of-pocket costs.

While tuition resets offer an alternative approach for some institutions, their suitability depends on factors such as the enrollment profile and financial aid distribution. Ultimately, the affordability of higher education remains a critical consideration for students and their families, necessitating a multifaceted approach to address the complexities of pricing structures, financial aid, and the evolving expectations of prospective students in an increasingly price-sensitive era.

RELATED ARTICLE: How Does Financial Aid Work In US Colleges? Here's A Comprehensive Guide For International Students
Experts address pathogen threats in wildlife trade

Bangkok (Thailand), 11 December 2023  The risks posed by zoonotic diseases  those that can be transmitted from animals to humans  and commercial wildlife trade were at the centre of discussions among experts from the international scientific community gathered in Bangkok today. Together, they identified and developed risk reduction strategies to mitigate the emergence and transmission of these diseases in the region. The meeting was held under the Safety across Asia For the global Environment (SAFE) project, with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).



The risk for the spillover of zoonotic pathogens from wild animals and their products is real and can initiate new pandemics and epidemics. To protect public health, the mitigation of the risks associated with the human and wildlife interface must be addressed through multisectoral and multiagency coordination, at national and international levels, said Simone Morales, Scientist at the World Health Organizations Department of Nutrition and Food Safety.



The event showcased some initial findings from the Risk Assessment Framework developed as part of the SAFE project, which was implemented during extensive field visits to Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Through open discussions and expert input, participants prioritized risks and their potential mitigating measures, forming the basis for a shared understanding of the challenges posed by wildlife-related pandemics. Emphasis was placed on addressing illegal wildlife trade  a likely contributor to compounding pathogen transmission.

Discussions also revolved around the critical nexus of science, law, and policy that informs the legal and policy review component of the SAFE project. Following an overview of the legal review conducted in the four benefiting countries, participants explored the importance of an effective interface between these domains to address gaps and weaknesses in current laws, laying the groundwork for more informed and strategic policy recommendations.



Scott Roberton, Executive Director for Counter Wildlife Trafficking at the Wildlife Conservation Society, welcomed a very frank discussion about the significant risks of zoonotic pathogen spillover and transmission associated with the current commercial wildlife trade sector and what is needed to break from the status quo before its too late and the next pandemic is upon us.



The insights shared during the event will guide future dialogues to be held in 2024 within the ASEAN region, fostering intra- and inter-regional cooperation and collaboration, particularly through continued engagement of the scientific and policy communities.



More information:



The SAFE project is implemented by the UNODC Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment, in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and benefits from the financial support of the European Union.



Click here to learn more about UNODC's Regional Programme for Southeast Asia.



Click here to learn more about UNODCs Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment.



Click here to learn more about the SAFE project.



For further information on our work, you can contact Jenna Dawson-Faber, Asia Pacific Coordinator, at unodc-wlfc@un.org
In a historic move, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi launched a groundbreaking program, providing 26 thousand electric bikes and electric rickshaws on favorable terms without interest - a first in Pakistan's history

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) In a historic move, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi launched a groundbreaking program, providing 26 thousand electric bikes and electric rickshaws on favorable terms without interest - a first in Pakistan's history.

Mohsin Naqvi extended a special invitation to Mr. Zhao Shiren, Consul General of China, and Ms. Kirstin K. Hawkins, Consul General of America, personally expressing gratitude for their attendance.

During the event, the chief minister took keen interest in the exhibition of electric bikes and rickshaws, commending their quality. He even rode in an electric rickshaw and experienced firsthand the showcased electric vehicles.

Describing the interest-free initiative as the "first drop of rain", Mohsin Naqvi emphasized the importance of transitioning towards electric vehicles to provide a clean environment for the new generation and extend lives by a decade.

He applauded the Bank of Punjab for its support in facilitating the interest-free distribution of electric motorbikes and rickshaws.

The chief minister inspected the displayed electric motorbikes, rickshaws, and vehicles, inquiring about their cost and durability.

Provincial Transport Minister Ibrahim Hasan Murad lauded Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi's unwavering commitment to public service, citing the exceptional dedication of the Chief Minister and his cabinet, who refrain from receiving benefits or salaries. Mohsin Naqvi personally covers the expenses of his office.

Consul General of China Mr. Zhao Shiren and Consul General of America Kirstin K. Hawkins congratulated Mohsin Naqvi for initiating the environmentally friendly program of providing electric bikes and electric rickshaws.
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The development takes place just a day after the PTI founders release order was issued by a special court set up under the Special Secrets Act.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Jan 9th, 2024) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan has been arrested in GHQ attack case. The R A Bazaar Police Station has requested physical remand from the court.

The proceedings have started with a video link in jail, and all 12 cases with the relevant records including the attack on GHQ.

The development took place a day after a Special Court under the Official Secrets Act had issued an order for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan. Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain had issued the order, observing that the bail for PTI's founder had been approved. Since Imran Khan is not nominated in any other case, he should be released. Bail has been approved in the cipher case, but due to arrests in the Toshakhana case and the 190 million case, PTI's founder will remain in jail.

Imran Khan, against whom cases of attacks on GHQ, burning pictures, and inciting people have been filed, is now nominated as a central accused in all cases of May 9.

Imran Khan was also nominated as accused in the GHQ attack case.

The PTI founder faced multiple sections including the ATC charges in the cases related to the attacks on defense and sensitive installations.

After the new charges, the Chairman PTI was also nominated as a suspect.

The decision to nominate the Chairman PTI as a suspect was made after consultations with the legal experts. The GHQ attack case was registered with RA Bazaar Police Station, while the case of the attack on sensitive offices was registered at Newtown Police Station.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday warned that with a renewed determination and defence capability, Pakistan would befittingly respond if India resorted to any 2019-like aggression, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday warned that with a renewed determination and defence capability, Pakistan would befittingly respond if India resorted to any 2019-like aggression, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"Pakistan will exactly do the same as it did in 2019. We will hit their planes. We will respond in the same coin... Neither our bullets nor determination are old. Our bullets are new and our determination is quite renewed and fresh," the prime minister said in the podcast with a digital media channel.

He said that no one should be delusional about Pakistan's response as it had an entire defence mechanism in place to protect its people.

He viewed that till the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the potential for conflict would continue to exist and anything could trigger any sort of exchange.

Coming to the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said the threat of terrorism existed especially in the southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and certain areas of Balochistan, posing significant vulnerabilities to candidates and their campaigns. However, the situation had not reached a level to question the legitimacy of the entire electoral process.

He reiterated the government's resolve to respond to any threat, regardless of whether there were elections in the country or not.

Asked about the Senate resolution passed recently calling for the postponement of the elections, the prime minister said, "I do not see any legal implications as the Senate resolution is not mandatory."

He said the government had opposed the resolution in the House, though, as per requirement, it would submit a report on the matter.

To a question, he said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was the right forum to decide on delaying the polls in certain constituencies considering the security situation.

Regarding grievances and concerns of some candidates and political parties, Prime Minister Kakar said the relevant forums of ECP and judiciary were there to address the situation.

"Our role is not to act as a judiciary or ROs (returning officers), obstructing or constructing opportunities for someone.

If someone feels there is unfairness, the appropriate forums are available," he remarked.

Discussing the situation in Balochistan, he mentioned the role of militant groups such as BLA, BRA, and BLF which were considered terrorists even outside Pakistan. He opposed some segments of the society attributing their actions to underdevelopment and lack of state investment.

Asked about the precondition for dialogue, the prime minister referred to the abandonment of violence by militant groups and reiterated that being a nation of 240 million, Pakistan could not surrender to a few thousand individuals.

Discussing the terrorist activities of TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and the Afghan government's response to Pakistan's reaction following the recent terrorist attack in D I Khan, he said communication with them was going on and some behavioral changes had been observed on the other side.

He reiterated that having sacrificed around 90,000 lives, Pakistan's resolve to fight terrorism was unwavering without seeking any foreign support.

To a question about the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, PM Kakar said the decision was widely supported by the majority of Pakistanis as non-documented aliens had no right to stay.

He said the factors such as terrorism, organized crime, non-contribution to the economy, and the impact on economic health prompted action from the government.

Highlighting the government's achievements on the economic front, he mentioned the reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue, achieving remarkable tax receivable targets and reducing government expenditure.

He said under the Special Investment Facilitation Council, Pakistan was attracting foreign investments from multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

He said the SIFC was focused on removing the bureaucratic hurdles for foreign investment, which also encouraged domestic investors to benefit from the opportunity and invest in key areas of agriculture, IT (information technology), mining, human resource training, energy and road infrastructure.
Thimphu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan began voting Tuesday in general elections with parties vowing to tackle serious economic challenges, calling into question its longstanding policy of prioritising "Gross National Happiness" overgrowth.

Both parties contesting the vote are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy of a government that measures its success by the "happiness and well-being of the people".

Some voters are expected to have trekked for days to cast their ballots in the landlocked mountain nation of about 800,000 people, similar in area to Switzerland.

Foremost in the minds of many are the struggles facing the kingdom's younger generation, with chronic youth unemployment and a brain drain.

"Taking part in elections is about securing a better future for us," said 22-year-old student Ugyen Tshering, after voting in the freezing morning mountain air in the capital Thimphu, with Buddhist prayer flags fluttering in the background.

"Job opportunities in Bhutan are scarce and the new government should focus on solving this, so young people don't leave abroad for greener pastures," he added.
Azerbaijan authorities arrested a Frenchman on espionage charges in December, the Azerbaijani ambassador to France told AFP on Tuesday, amid rising tensions and tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) Azerbaijan authorities arrested a Frenchman on espionage charges in December, the Azerbaijani ambassador to France told AFP on Tuesday, amid rising tensions and tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats.

Baku has accused France of supporting Azerbaijan's arch-enemy Armenia, both diplomatically and militarily, and of seeking to fuel tensions in the South Caucasus.

"Suspected of having committed acts of espionage, Martin Ryan, a French national, was arrested on December 4, 2023," said Azerbaijan's ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva.

She said judicial authorities had ordered that he be detained for four months. The French embassy in Baku was notified, she added.

Ryan's father Richard said the family had spoken to him."We spoke to him four times, each time for two minutes," he told AFP. "He says he's being treated well and is getting on well with his lawyer."

According to his father, Ryan believes his detention is linked to the tensions between the two countries.

"Once he told me: 'They wanted to use me as a pawn'," Richard Ryan said.

On Tuesday, the Frenchman's court-appointed lawyer, Nizami Aliyev, told AFP that Ryan could face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted.

He said he could not share any information and stressed it was "risky to talk about the case."

Aliyev also claimed that Ryan had been in contact with French people who he later learned were "agents" of French intelligence.

"Martin is not an agent, he is a citizen," the lawyer said.

The French embassy in Azerbaijan and the French foreign ministry did not immediately comment.

Diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku escalated at the end of December, when Azerbaijan ordered two French diplomats to leave the country.

France declared two Azerbaijani diplomats "persona non grata" as a reciprocal measure.

In November, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accused France of inciting conflict in the Caucasus by arming Armenia.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have in the last three decades fought three wars over the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was seized by Armenian forces when the Soviet Union fell apart.

In the latest war, Azerbaijan took total control of Karabakh in a surprise offensive last year.

The move sparked some international condemnation, including from France, but also hope of a settlement to end years of conflict between Baku and Yerevan.

Paris has also linked Azerbaijani figures to a disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing France's reputation as host of the 2024 Olympic Games, according to a report seen by AFP in November. France is home to a large Armenian diaspora.
For his first service of 2024, Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac read a biblical passage in which God chooses the weakest "to shame the powerful", a key theme to him as the Gaza war rages on

Bethlehem, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) For his first service of 2024, Palestinian pastor Munther Isaac read a biblical passage in which God chooses the weakest "to shame the powerful", a key theme to him as the Gaza war rages on.

Since the start of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7, Isaac has tirelessly preached for a ceasefire in Gaza and reproached Western churches for their "silence".

Isaac, 45, said the passage, from Saint Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, is more relevant than ever given the current situation in the Palestinian territory.

"I believe God is using the children of Gaza to challenge the hypocrisy of the Western world, the racism, the prejudice of the Western world towards Palestinians and towards the children of Gaza," he told AFP.

Isaac is a pastor at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the city revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to the US State Department's 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom.

Isaac said he felt that, as an English speaker and a Christian, he had to speak up against the "genocide happening in front of everybody's eyes" in Gaza.

"Many in the world will not listen to the actual stories of the people of Gaza but they will listen to me because I'm a pastor, because they resonate with a Christian clergy speaking," he said.

A video of Isaac labelling Israel's actions in Gaza "genocide" during a sermon in December has been shared tens of thousands of times on social media. During the sermon, he also slammed Christian leaders for not speaking out, telling his congregation that "silence is complicity".

"And we still don't see strong calls from church leaders calling for a ceasefire," he told AFP, calling on Christian leaders to visit the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967.

Since the war began, Israel has responded with relentless bombardments and a ground invasion in Gaza that have killed at least 23,210 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Israel and its powerful ally, the United States, have vehemently rejected accusations of genocide.

Instead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently said his army was waging a war of "unparalleled morality". But Isaac said Israel was being treated with "impunity" and "can break not just the international law, they can commit war crimes, and no one's going to hold them accountable".

"We're angry that the world does not see us, does not look at Palestinians as equals," he said.

Isaac draws on sacred texts in his weekly sermons to cast light on the horrors of the war, now in its fourth month. At Christmas, he set up a nativity scene with images of baby Jesus, wrapped in a Palestinian scarf called a keffiyeh, lying in the rubble of what was meant to represent a bombed-out house. Images of the scene quickly spread on social media.

"We thought of making this nativity scene because we see Jesus's image in every child pulled from under the rubble, especially when they are dehumanised in the eyes of the world," the pastor said.

Isaac said the image resonating with so many people showed that "many in the world actually feel our pain and many are not pleased with the actions of their governments".

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Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2024) A historic private mission to land on the Moon faced near-certain failure Monday after the spacecraft suffered a "critical loss" of fuel, dealing a major blow to America's hopes of placing its first robot on the lunar surface in five decades.

Fixed to the top of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket, which was making its first flight, Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander blasted off overnight from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, then successfully separated from its launch vehicle.

A few hours later, Astrobotic began reporting technical troubles, starting with an inability to orient Peregrine's top-mounted solar panel towards the Sun and keep its onboard battery topped up, due to a malfunction in its propulsion system.

Though engineers "improvised" a way to tilt the spacecraft in the right direction and keep its power going, the company posted on X that the same failure appeared to be the causing "critical loss of propellant."

On Monday night, Astrobotic said it had approximately 40 hours of fuel remaining before Peregrine entered an "uncontrollable tumble.

"

"At this time, the goal is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its Sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power," the company said, leaving observers wondering whether they may attempt a crash landing, even if controlled descent was out of the question.

Earlier, they released an image taken from a mounted camera that showed extensive damage to an outer layer of the spacecraft, saying it was evidence of the propulsion system anomaly without explaining further.

Peregrine was supposed to reach the Moon, then orbit for several weeks before landing in a mid-latitude region called Sinus Viscositatis on February 23.

A soft landing on Earth's nearest celestial neighbor has thus far only been accomplished by a handful of national space agencies: the Soviet Union was first, in 1966, followed by the United States, which is still the only country to put people on the Moon.

China has successfully landed three times since 2013, while India was the most recent to achieve the feat last year.
An El Paso County judge on Monday bound over all charges to trial of the man accused of causing the death of Pueblo parole officer Christine Guerin Sandoval last year.

Justin Kula, 42, is accused of killing Sandoval with his car after he attempted to flee from her and two other parole officers who were attempting to make contact with Kula on Sept. 28, 2023.

Prosecutor Dave Young called three witnesses on Monday morning, all three of whom spent much of the hearing reviewing the facts of the case previously made available via the arrest affidavit.

The three witnesses  all Colorado Springs police detectives  spoke about the parole officers' search for Kula on Sept. 28. Earlier in the day his ex-wife had called law enforcement to request they look for him because she was worried about his health.

Kula's ex-wife expressed concern to detectives that he wouldn't receive medical assistance due to his active warrant and because he stopped appearing at meetings with his parole officer, according to several law enforcement officials who testified.

The detectives described that Sandoval and the other parole officers made contact with Kula at a downtown convenience store later that day, and that when the three parole officers approached Kula's vehicle he immediately put the car in reverse to flee the scene, killing Sandoval who got stuck underneath the vehicle.

Lead detective on the case Ashton Gardner stated during his testimony that several videos of the incident were available to law enforcement that show Kula recklessly driving into numerous cars in the parking lot as he attempted to flee.

New evidence put forward at the preliminary hearing shows that Kula allegedly had a similar interaction with law enforcement in Fountain a few years prior to the fatal 2023 incident.

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According to Gardner, Kula was involved in an incident in Fountain in 2020 where during a traffic stop a Fountain police officer discovered Kula had an active warrant out for his arrest. Gardner stated that Kula attempted to flee the scene by assaulting the officer. After being tased twice, Kula eventually was able to drive away from the police officer, who was still in close proximity to Kula's car at the time, and flee the scene.

According to previous reporting from The Gazette, Kula additionally had numerous criminal convictions in Texas prior to relocating to Colorado.

Kula's defense attorneys during cross-examination of the detectives attempted to establish that Kula was unaware the parole officers who had approached his car were members of law enforcement, and that Kula thought he was about to be robbed.

Gardner acknowledged during cross-examination that none of the parole officers who approached Kula identified themselves as law enforcement when approaching the car, and acknowledged that Kula admitted to him after his arrest that he had used meth and heroin right before being approached by the parole officers.

Young argued in response that the question of Kula's knowledge of the parole officers' identities was irrelevant to the preliminary hearing, and that despite that there was still evidence Kula was aware that Sandoval was a parole officer when she approached his car.

After brief argument from both attorneys, Judge David Shakes ruled that all eight counts against Kula would be bound over for trial. The charges stem from allegedly causing Sandoval's death, including leaving the scene of an accident causing death, reckless manslaughter, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and several habitual criminal sentence enhancements.

Kula is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 23 for an arraignment hearing, he currently remains in custody at the El Paso County jail on a $250,000 bond.
A suspect arrested after a multi-agency manhunt on Sunday was released on a personal recognizance bond Monday morning on charges relating to the incident in Canon City.

Jordan Zeigler, 19, was arrested Jan. 7 by Canon City police after a search for him and Davonte Evans, 21. The two were pursued in connection with an alleged homicide, according to a press release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Early Sunday morning multiple local agencies pursued Evans and Zeigler in a chase on westbound Highway 50 into Canon City that exceeded 100 miles an hour, according to a press release from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The vehicle then turned into a field behind a house in the 2800 block of Central Avenue.

According to the CBI, Evans was reported deceased. No other details have been provided about the manner of death, though the CBI says there is "no evidence to suggest" officers fired on Evans.

Zeigler was later taken into custody after a search of the area that included air support. He was arrested on suspicion of theft and possession of a concealed weapon.

The CBI has assumed the investigation of the incident at the request of the CCPD, the release said. Zeigler's first court date is on Jan. 23 in Fremont County.
The loud "boom" was startling enough, and the roaring wind that immediately filled the airline cabin left Kelly Bartlett unnerved. Still, it wasn't until a shaken teenager, shirtless and scratched, slid into the seat next to her that she realized just how close disaster had come.

A section of the Boeing 737 Max 9's fuselage just three rows away had blown out  at 4.8 kilometers (3 miles ) high  creating a vacuum that twisted the metal of the seats nearby, and snatched cellphones, headsets and even the shirt off the teenager's back.

"We knew something was wrong," Bartlett told The Associated Press on Monday. "We didn't know what. We didn't know how serious. We didn't know if it meant we were going to crash."

The first six minutes of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland to Southern California's Ontario International Airport on Friday had been routine, the Boeing 737 Max 9 about halfway to its cruising altitude and traveling at more than 640 kph (400 mph).

Flight attendants had just told the 171 passengers that they could resume using electronic devices  in airplane mode, of course  when it happened.

Then suddenly a 61-centimeter-by-122-centimeter (2-foot-by-4-foot) piece of fuselage covering an unoperational emergency exit behind the left wing blew out. Only seven seats on the flight were unoccupied, and as fate would have it, these included the two seats closest to the blown-out hole.

The oxygen masks dropped immediately, and Bartlett saw a flight attendant walking down the aisle toward the affected row, leaning forward as if facing a stiff wind. Then flight attendants began moving passengers from the area where the blowout occurred and helped them move away.

Among them was the teenage boy moved next to Bartlett.

"His shirt got sucked off of his body when the panel blew out because of the pressure, and it was his seatbelt that kept him in his seat and saved his life. And there he was next to me," she said, adding that his mother was reseated elsewhere.

"We had our masks on, and the plane was really loud so we couldn't talk. But I had a ... notes app on my phone that I was typing on. So I typed to him and I asked him if he was hurt," Bartlett said. "I just couldn't believe he was sitting there and what he must have gone through, what he must have been feeling at the time."

She said the boy typed back that he was OK, but a bit scratched, adding "that was unbelievable" and "thank you for your kindness."

The exit door plug landed in the southwest Portland backyard of high school physics teacher Bob Sauer. Sauer said his heart "did start beating a little faster" when he saw it in the beam of his flashlight Sunday night as he searched for any debris.

"It was very obviously part of a plane," he told a group of reporters outside his home on Monday. "I thought, 'Oh my goodness, people have been looking for this all weekend and it looks like it's in my backyard.'"

Sauer said he and the seven National Transportation Safety Board agents who came to his home to pick up the door plug were amazed it was intact. It appeared that tree branches had broken its fall.

A headrest landed on the patio of Sauer's neighbor, Diane Flaherty. Flaherty didn't realize what the charcoal-colored cushion was until a friend emailed her to say federal agents were looking for airplane parts in her neighborhood. An NTSB agent came by to pick it up.

"What are the chances that a headrest cushion falls out of the sky into your backyard?" she said.

The pilots and flight attendants have not made public statements and their names have not been released, but in interviews with National Transportation Safety Board investigators they described how their training kicked in. The pilots focused on getting the plane quickly back to Portland and the flight attendants on keeping the passengers safe and as calm as possible.

"The actions of the flight crew were really incredible," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a Sunday night news conference. She described the scene inside the cabin during those first seconds as "chaos, very loud between the air and everything going on around them and it was very violent."

Bartlett echoed praise for the crew, saying the entire time she felt like the plane was under control even though the roaring wind was so loud she couldn't hear the captain's announcements.

"The flight attendants really responded well to the situation. They got everyone safe and then they got themselves safe," she said. "And then there was nothing to do but wait, right? We were just on our way down and it was just a normal descent. It felt normal."

Inside the cockpit, the pilot and co-pilot donned their oxygen masks and opened their microphone, but "communication was a serious issue" between them and the flight attendants because of the noise, Homendy said. The pilots retrieved an emergency handbook kept secure next to the captain's seat.

The co-pilot contacted air traffic controllers, declaring an emergency and saying the plane needed to immediately descend to 3,048 meters, (10,000 feet) the altitude where there is enough oxygen for everyone onboard to breathe.

"We need to turn back to Portland," she said in a calm voice that she maintained throughout the landing.

In the cabin, the flight attendants' immediate focus was on the five unaccompanied minors in their care and the three infants being carried on their parents' laps.

"Were they safe? Were they secure? Did they have their seat belts on or their lap belts on? And did they have their masks on? And they did," Homendy said.

Some passengers began sending messages on social media to loved ones. One young woman said on TikTok that she was certain the plane would nosedive at any second and she wondered how her death would affect her mother, worrying that she would never recover from the sorrow.

But she and others said the cabin remained surprisingly calm. One passenger, Evan Granger, who was sitting in front of the blowout, told NBC News that his "focus in that moment was just breathe into the oxygen mask and trust that the flight crew will do everything they can to keep us safe."

"There were so many things that had to go right in order for all of us to survive," Granger said.

Video taken by those on board showed flight attendants moving down the aisle checking on passengers. Through the hole, city lights could be seen flickering past.

Evan Smith, an attorney traveling on the plane, told reporters the descent and landing were loud but smooth. When the plane touched down at Portland International about 20 minutes after it departed, the passengers broke into applause. Firefighters came down the aisle to check for injuries, but no one was seriously hurt.

Homendy said that if the blowout had happened a few minutes later, after the plane reached cruising altitude, the accident might have become a tragedy.

Bartlett's mind also keeps returning to the what-ifs.

"I'm glad that it is not any worse than it was  that's all. I keep coming back to it," she said. "Like, how lucky Jack got. That was his name, the kid who sat next to me. His name was Jack, and how lucky he was that he had a seatbelt on."

On Sunday, a passenger's cellphone that had been sucked out of the plane was found. It was still operational, having survived its plunge from the sky.

It was open to the owner's baggage claim receipt.
In recent years, China has applied highly targeted economic pressure on Taiwan. Taiwanese officials say the moves are meant to sway the politics of the self-ruled island, which is claimed by Beijing. Ahead of Taiwans general election, VOAs Bill Gallo spoke with fruit farmers, whose livelihoods depend on trade with China. VOA footage by Gallo and Stephen Boitano.
Hezbollahs call for revenge after Israels killing of a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon is raising fears of an all-out war in the country. Lebanese Christians are especially alarmed at the prospect of getting caught in the middle of a conflict in which they otherwise would have no stake. From Beirut for VOA, Nicole Di Ilio reports.
Australia is considering setting up a disaster relief force to help the military cope with regular natural disasters.

The plan was suggested Tuesday by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as communities in the country's southeast were evacuated due to flooding.

Residents in low-lying parts of the Australian state of Victoria north of Melbourne were told it was too late to leave as floodwaters rose following record-breaking rainfall.

Other residents were advised to move to higher ground after rivers burst their banks.

Landslide warnings also were issued.

In Yea, 115 km northeast of Melbourne, emergency services officials said the flooding was "probably a one in 200-year event.

Some homes affected by flooding in 2022 were inundated again.

Victoria was the latest state to be battered by the wild summer weather.

More wet weather hit the northern state of Queensland as authorities there warned of intense rainfall and possible flash flooding.

The increasing incidence of natural disasters in Australia raised concerns among politicians, environmental activists and scientists about the impacts of global warming.

Tuesday, Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the government was considering creating a relief force to help the military respond to natural disasters.

Victoria is also having flooding impact tragically as well, with several towns in central Victoria affected as well," he said, "Tragically in this beautiful country of ours, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more intense. We were told that that would be an impact of climate change and unfortunately, we are seeing that play out in practice.

In recent weeks, northeastern Australia was hit by record-breaking rainfall from an ex-tropical cyclone, while other parts of the country have been battling bushfires.

While the rain stopped in Victoria, rivers were expected to rise for several days.

Near Brisbane, severe thunderstorms Tuesday caused flash flooding.

The floods come after Australia endured some of its worst bushfires over the "Black Summer" of 2019-20, followed by a series of devastating floods on the countrys east coast in 2022.

Australias government has legislated a target to cut carbon emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
President Joe Biden made a heartfelt appeal to Black voters on Monday, speaking passionately at a storied South Carolina church scarred by racially motivated tragedy and seeking support as members of the states large Black community head to the nations first Democratic primary next month.

Before a packed congregation at Charlestons Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Biden spoke of a poison thats for too long haunted this nation, echoing words from former President Donald Trump, who has made waves on the campaign trail by accusing immigrants of poisoning the blood of the nation.

What is that poison? Biden continued. White supremacy. ... Throughout our history, its ripped this nation apart. This has no place in America. Not today, tomorrow or ever.

With those words, Biden became the first sitting American president to speak from the pulpit of one of the nations oldest and most respected Black spiritual institutions. The stately church, founded more than two centuries ago, was the scene of a gruesome mass shooting in 2015 in which nine people, including the churchs pastor, were killed by a white supremacist.

President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at the Reverend Clementa Pinckneys funeral in 2015, which was held in TD Arena at the College of Charleston.

The tragedy prompted South Carolinas governor at the time, Nikki Haley  who is now running for the Republican presidential nomination  to remove the Confederate flag that flew over the state Capitol.

Biden also capitalized on the venue by indirectly mentioning Haleys reluctance in a recent public forum to acknowledge that disagreements over slavery caused the Civil War.

Let me be clear for those who don't seem to know: Slavery was the cause of the Civil War, he said, to applause. There is no negotiation about that.

Racism an election issue

Groups that work to mobilize overlooked voters say racism is a top issue that emerges time and again in polls and focus groups.

Cynthia Wallace co-founded the New Rural Project after her unsuccessful congressional run in 2020 showed that 60,000 registered voters of color in her North Carolina district didnt turn up at the polls.

When we look at the top issues that concern folks, and we look at it by demographics, African American infrequent voters  these are part of those 60,000 folks who didn't show up, who we are actually specifically targeted to speak to  one of their top issues, whether it's from the polling or the focus groups, is racism, she told VOA.

But, she added, We continue to hear most of the rural folks that we speak to focus on the kitchen-table issues.

South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn hit some of those points in introducing Biden, listing what he saw as Bidens achievements and contrasting him with Trump.

Clyburn outlined Bidens attempts at student loan forgiveness, his appointment of an unprecedented number of Black female judges, his support of abortion rights, his work to reduce health care costs and his efforts to help veterans.

We know Joe, he said. But most importantly, Joe knows us well.

I rest my case, Biden quipped after Clyburns speech, as attendees chanted Four more years! in support of Bidens reelection.

But Clyburns rousing words contrasted with his weekend comments on CNN, where he said he was very concerned about the Biden campaigns ability to break through that MAGA wall  a reference to Trumps Make America Great Again motto  and communicate his message to voters.

Polls show that Biden faces challenges with Black voters, who propelled him to victory over Trump in 2020. A poll conducted late last year by the GenForward Survey project found that 17% of Black voters said they would vote for Trump, and 20% would vote for someone else. Sixty-three percent said they would vote for Biden.

'Cease-fire now' or 'four more years'?

Some of the disagreements appeared in real-time on Monday, when a heckler, referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, led a chant of cease-fire now  which was then drowned out by louder chants of four more years.

Biden acknowledged the hecklers, saying, I understand their passion.

He added, Ive been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza. Ive been using all that I can to do that.

Democratic strategist Douglas Wilson, speaking to VOA from North Carolina, said the Black community is divided on perceptions of the war in Gaza, with younger voters viewing Palestinians as being people of color and look at the end of the Israelis as occupiers or as colonizers.

That's a course that's up for debate, he added. I don't agree with that personally. But there is a segment of the community that feels that way.

Misinformation and the economy

Wallace, of the New Rural Project, noted the role of misinformation in skewing attitudes. She said that only one Black voter she spoke to raised the issue of Gaza and falsely claimed that Biden supports Hamas, the militant group that launched the stunning attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

Biden has repeatedly called Hamas terrorists, described their acts as evil and has given material and moral support to Israel. Hamas is a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

I think in this information-heavy world, I think it's hard for information to cut through, Wallace said. Youve got to make sure that people actually know what things you've done and what things you plan to do more of and what things you're fighting for.

Wilson added that more details on Black economic empowerment could also shift voter support.

I would have liked to hear him give a brief outline of what his economic agenda will be in a second term for Black America, he said. And I think that if he can begin to articulate that, then it will give Black voters a reason to come out and vote for him in high numbers.

South Carolina voters participate in the Democratic presidential primary on Feb. 3, in which Representative Dean Phillips and author and self-professed spiritual adviser Marianne Williamson are also on the ballot.
As U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn prepares to leave office after 17 years, his contributions to the five Pikes Peak-region military installations can be measured in the billions.

The preservation of Space Command in Colorado Springs tops the list of his accomplishments, with its $1 billion in annual economic impact.

But Lamborn fought for many other lasting investments as well, including the dedication of Pikes Peak National Cemetery, new buildings at Fort Carson and Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, nearly $50 million to refurbish Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station and $500 million for space and missile defense missions in the area, among many other investments. The military construction projects Lamborn has worked on total $3 billion, according to a statement on his website.

Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and CEO of the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corp., lauded his work in a statement Friday.

"His bipartisan work with Colorado Senate partners, with El Paso County and City of Colorado Springs leaders as well as on the House Armed Services Committee have had an inestimable positive impact on national security, military readiness, local military missions, and the people who work tirelessly to preserve our freedom, she said.

Lamborn started work on the cemetery on his second day in Congress back in 2007 and it's been an important achievement for his district, home to one of the largest populations of veterans in the country, said Bob McLaughlin, the executive director of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center. The cemetery was established after a nearly 20-year push by local veterans who objected to a Department of Veterans Affairs policy that forced local veterans to seek their final refuge at Fort Logan in Denver.

Lamborn also has been an attentive listener, attending 10 roundtables that McLaughlin has organized to hear directly from veterans at the center, McLaughlin said.

"He has been very open and his team has been open about communicating, getting the facts," McLaughlin said.

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Lamborn also has worked on new facilities that improve the lives of active service members, such as a dorm consolidation project at the U.S. Air Force Academy and a state-of-the-art physical fitness facility on Fort Carson.

Other investments have been more mission-focused, such as the Special Operations Forces tactical equipment maintenance facility on Fort Carson and digitization upgrades on a long-range radar site for U.S. Northern Command, a news release said.

His longevity in Congress and position as chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee helped build his influence, although he was outnumbered greatly in the recent fight over whether Space Command would go to Alabama or stay in Colorado Springs.

At a Space Command celebration in America the Beautiful Park, Lamborn noted that Alabama had seven members on the four committees with the most pull around a permanent basing decision. Lamborn is the sole Colorado voice on any of the committees.

"His leadership will be missed for our district," former City Councilman and El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams said.

He said Lamborn had a history of working with Democrats on important issues, such as the cemetery, and whoever follows him will need a similar ability to build relationships on behalf of the district.

"Whoever is going to be involved needs to be able to work with people from all sides of the party and outside the party," he said.

McLaughlin would like see to a replacement who is equally committed to representing the large veteran community in town and working on their issues, such as holding the VA accountable.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv Tuesday to ensure his countrys military avoids inflicting further harm on civilians in Gaza in its ongoing war against Hamas militants.

The Secretary reaffirmed our support for Israels right to prevent the terrorist attacks of October 7 from being repeated and stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza, State Department spokesman Mathew Miller said in a statement Tuesday after Blinken met with Netanyahu and Israels war cabinet.

Earlier, speaking alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Blinken said he would have the opportunity to meet with the families of the some of the hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza, and to relay to Israeli leaders some of what he heard from other leaders in the region during stops in Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Herzog thanked the United States for standing steadfast with Israel and said the war against Hamas is one that affects international values and the values of the free world.

Herzog also rejected a lawsuit filed at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, calling the accusation atrocious and preposterous.

Hearings in the case are due to begin Thursday, and Herzog said Israel will present proudly our case of using self-defense under our most inherent right under international humanitarian law.

Gaza health officials say close to 23,000 Palestinians, a large percentage of them women and children, have been killed in Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has criticized Hamas for locating its operations in civilian areas, including the use of tunnels under cities. Herzog said Tuesday that Israel is doing our utmost under extremely complicated circumstances to ensure there are no civilian casualties.

Blinken said Monday that leaders in the Middle East are determined to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading and that there is broad recognition on the need to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians.

The West Bank and Gaza should be united under Palestinian-led governance, Blinken told reporters in Saudi Arabia.

The future of the region needs to be one of integration, not division and not conflict, Blinken said, adding for that to happen, we need to see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

In a statement following talks with Blinken, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman underscored the importance of halting military operations in the Gaza Strip and the need to create conditions for restoring peace and stability.

When asked about the U.S.-led talks to normalize the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Blinken said there is a clear interest in Saudi Arabia, as well as in the region, in pursuing that goal but it will require that the conflict end in Gaza, and it will also clearly require that there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia has paused diplomatic talks to normalize ties with Israel amid the military conflict between Hamas militants and Israeli forces.

After an Israeli airstrike killed a key Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon on Monday  the latest sign of a possibly widening conflict in the Middle East  Blinken told reporters it is clearly not in the interest of Israel, Lebanon, or Hezbollah to see an escalation outside Gaza and the Israelis have been very clear with the U.S. that they want to find a diplomatic way forward.

Hezbollah has identified the commander as Wissam al-Tawil. Last week, senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in Beirut. 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.

The United States has urged Israel to shift to smaller scale military operations in Gaza but has continued to support Israel in refusing Arab demands for a cease-fire to halt the fighting in the three-month war. Israel has vowed to continue the war until it believes the threat of future Hamas attacks has been eradicated and the militant group no longer controls Gaza, a narrow strip of territory along the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel began its military campaign to wipe out Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on October 7. Israel said about 1,200 people were killed and about 240 captives taken in the terror attack.

Some material for this report was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.
Taiwan's defense ministry said it detected three more balloons from mainland China flying over the Taiwan Strait on Monday, the latest in a spate of such balloons the ministry has spotted over the past month.

The ministry said that since December it had detected nearly 20 Chinese high-altitude balloons crossing the central line of the Taiwan Strait, many of which flew over Taiwan, and that three in the past week had even passed over important military bases.

The ministry Saturday accused Beijing of threatening civil aviation safety and waging psychological warfare with the balloons ahead of the islands presidential election on Saturday.

Asked Monday whether the balloons posed a threat to international civil aviation, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said to Reuters, "I'm not aware of the specifics you mentioned, and it's not related to China's foreign affairs."

Bid to tilt election?

Some experts believe China's balloons are part of Beijings attempts to influence the election.

Michael Mazza, a senior director at the Virginia-based nonprofit research group Project 2049 Institute, said the high-altitude balloons added to Chinas military aircraft and warships around Taiwan.

"My hypothesis is that China is attempting to influence the elections, he told VOA by email.

Sending three balloons directly over Taiwan is a warning. China is saying that it is willing to blatantly violate Taiwan's borders, Mazza added. In doing so, it has crossed a threshold; further escalation could involve more threatening displays in Taiwan's skies. The message to Taiwan's people is this: Things can get even worse, but you can vote to make them better."

William Lai of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party is the front-runner in the race, which includes Hou Yu-ih of the more Beijing-friendly Nationalist Party  also known as the Kuomintang or KMT, which is Taiwans main opposition party  and third-party candidate Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan Peoples Party.

Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA at an event on January 5 that over the course of a year, China has been using new types of activity, including heightened use of drones, to encircle the island.

"They're using various different tactics to threaten Taiwan and to put pressure on [ruling President Tsai Ing-wen's] administration, he told VOA. And so, I think we'll see that continue to varying extents. And I think, you know, potentially, if Lai wins the presidency, there's a considerable chance that Beijing ramps up that activity going forward."

Chinas balloons grabbed international headlines in February when the U.S. shot one down after it entered U.S. airspace and flew across the country. Beijing denies it uses balloons for spying and says they are just weather balloons that have strayed from their flight paths.

Raymond Kuo, director of the RAND Corporation's Taiwan Policy Initiative, said that the balloon overflights are in line with China's gray zone coercion strategy towards Taiwan.

The balloons travel at very high altitudes, making them difficult to shoot down, he wrote in an email. They are also relatively good intelligence-gathering platforms, able to move slowly over an area and possibly capture detailed information."

Challenge to sovereignty

To Beijing, said Kuo, the balloons prove that China can violate Taiwanese airspace at will and challenge its sovereignty, which demoralizes the Taiwanese population in the upcoming elections.

Kuo said he was doubtful, however, that China's tactic would be effective, as Taipei could use these incidents to push for closer security relations with the U.S. and other Asian partners.

"Chinese balloons have also crossed those countries' airspace, and a multinational response could bolster Taiwan's international profile and demonstrate to Beijing the costs of these incursions," he said.

Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said Taiwan has exercised caution so far, but could decide to shoot the balloons down.

What the Taiwanese government is doing now is to be responsible for its territory as what international law mandates, he said. Additionally, it demonstrates to Taiwanese citizens that the government can detect this type of threat and identify the level of risks that the balloons pose to Taiwan.

Su also said Taipeis restraint was a display of measured threat detection.

Taiwan is demonstrating the art of determining the proper level of response to threats, he said. This doesnt mean Taiwan has no bottom line. When the balloons start to pose a threat to Taiwan, authorities need to adopt resolute measures to shoot down the balloons.

Chinas one-party state has claimed self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory since Chinas civil war ended in 1949 with the defeated nationalists fleeing to the island.

The United States has since 1979 upheld a One China policy that officially severed diplomatic ties with Taipei and recognized the government in Beijing  but also a Taiwan Relations Act that backs Taiwans right to self-rule.

In a news briefing on January 4, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterated Washingtons support for the democracy and democratic institutions of Taiwan and urged anyone outside Taiwan not to interfere in Taiwan's ability to have a free and fair, democratic election.

Adrianna Zhang and William Yang contributed to this report.
China says it successfully launched a science satellite into orbit Tuesday, an event that triggered an island-wide alert in Taiwan.

Chinese state-run news outlets said an astronomical satellite dubbed the Einstein Probe was launched from a spaceport in southwestern Sichuan province.

Taiwans defense ministry issued an alert in English Tuesday afternoon describing the launch as a missile flyover. The alert was issued as Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was holding a news briefing with several foreign journalists.

Tuesdays satellite launch comes just four days before voters on the self-ruled islands go to the polls to choose a new president and members of parliament.

Taiwans defense ministry has accused China of flying dozens of high-altitude balloons over its airspace since December, threatening civil aviation and waging psychological warfare ahead of Saturdays election.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, and has vowed to annex the island by any means, including military invasion.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.
A recent cyber kidnapping incident involving a Chinese exchange student in Utah appears to be part of an international pattern in which unknown perpetrators, often masquerading as Chinese police or government officials, target Chinese students around the world and extort their families for upwards of tens of thousands of dollars.

In late December, 17-year-old Chinese student Kai Zhuang was reported missing near Salt Lake City, only to be found days later alone and freezing in a tent in the mountains. Authorities have said the case was part of an apparent cyber kidnapping scheme to scam his family in China out of $80,000.

Cyber kidnapping is when perpetrators pretend to have abducted someone to coerce their family into paying a ransom.

At the heart of it are the heartstrings of the victim, who is told to go run and hide, and the heartstrings of the people who think their loved one is actually in the possession of kidnappers, said Theresa Payton, CEO of cybersecurity company Fortalice Solutions.

Virtual kidnapping is, at its very root, manipulative. It is coercive. It is emotionally draining and complex, said Payton, who is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On January 3, just days after Kai Zhuang was found, the FBI issued a warning about criminals impersonating Chinese police officers to defraud Chinese people based in the United States, especially Chinese students.

Around the world

VOA has learned that the cyber scams arent targeting only Chinese students studying in the United States.

Over the past year, Chinese students studying abroad in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan have also been targeted by cyber kidnapping scams and other cybercrime schemes, VOA found.

In these countries, the perpetrators also often pretended to be Chinese police officers or government officials. Cybersecurity experts said this tactic indicates criminals are leveraging Chinas authoritarian system, in which deference to and fear of the police are the norm, to their advantage.

Chinese people are naturally afraid of the police, said Han Jiang Du Diao Seng, a pharmacist based in the United States who runs accounts on YouTube and Weibo that are popular among Chinese exchange students.

Han Jiang Du Diao Seng has helped four Chinese students caught up in cyber kidnapping scams, he said. In his experience, he said, scammers posing as government officials tend to approach Chinese students and first ask if they recently received money from their family in China.

If the student says yes, he said, the scammer either claims the money was transferred illegally or that their family is being targeted by criminals, before requiring the student to halt contact with their family during an investigation  all of which is a ploy to then extort money from the family.

Left their homes

In the incidents Han Jiang Du Diao Seng worked on, he said, the criminals coerced all the students to leave where they lived and go stay at a hotel, which helped convince their parents that they were actually kidnapped.

He said that these criminals may be taking advantage of the fact that Chinese parents may be less likely to report the incidents to American police  in part due to language barriers but also due to general distrust among Chinese people of the American police. Chinese state media regularly depict American police as violent and irresponsible.

You have a fear of government involvement and law enforcement involvement because the relationship to the government is different, cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg said, referring to people from authoritarian countries such as China.

There is no clear data on the number of cyber kidnapping cases in the United States or around the world, cybersecurity experts told VOA, but incidents seem to be rising. Technological advancements, particularly with artificial intelligence, risk making the schemes even easier to perpetrate, they said.

There are different tiers of sophistication in these cybercrime syndicates, according to Payton. At the lower end, perpetrators may use an auto dialer to target random people in hopes of getting a few hundred dollars, she said.

More sophisticated schemes

At the upper end, perpetrators use artificial intelligence algorithms to identify targets and deepfake technology to create photos and audio intended to make victims believe their loved one has actually been kidnapped, Payton said.

You do not actually have to be technically minded to get into this type of crime. You just have to be a twisted, evil individual, she said.

AI advancements mean perpetrators dont even need to speak the same language as their victims, according to Steinberg, who is based in New York City.

AI is only going to get better, and that means that the attacks will only be more and more realistic, he told VOA.

Some cybercriminals are just after a quick buck, Steinberg said. But you have some that are after the big dollars and will spend the time to do the research, he said.

That may help explain why Chinese exchange students apparently are being specifically targeted.

Payton said that given the complex relationship between the Chinese government and its citizens, as well as other factors such as culture, history and economics, it is conceivable that global criminal syndicates engaging in such activities as virtual kidnapping may perceive young Chinese adults studying abroad as more susceptible to fall prey to this crime, Payton said.

In Canada in February 2023, regional police said Chinese students had been swindled out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by scammers claiming to be Chinese government officials.

Similar incidents have played out in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. It is not clear whether the perpetrators of any of these crimes are linked in any way. The investigation into the recent Utah incident is ongoing, and it is not clear whether the perpetrators imitated Chinese officials.

Chinas embassy in Washington did not respond to that question when VOA reached out for comment.

Warnings from embassies and police

The embassy did urge Chinese citizens in the U.S., especially those studying in the country, to boost safety awareness, take necessary precautions, and stay vigilant against "virtual kidnapping" and other forms of telecom and online fraud.

In the span of two months in Japan last summer, at least six Chinese students were targeted in cyber kidnapping schemes, local police said. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo issued a warning about the scams in August, urging Chinese citizens in the country to be wary and vigilant.

Local British police issued a warning about cyber scams targeting Chinese students in September, and the Australian government released a similar warning a month later.

These criminal syndicates demonstrate a profound understanding of human behavior, potentially leveraging fear tactics to manipulate individuals into compliance and their families into making payments. They are targeting all demographics, but the trend appears to indicate they favor targeting Chinese exchange students studying abroad, Payton said.

To avoid falling victim to these kinds of schemes, cybersecurity experts recommended families set up a password to verify one anothers identity over the phone during these kinds of scenarios.

The cyber kidnapping scam very much can happen to anybody, and thats what people need to be aware of, Steinberg said.
Ukraine's new draft legislation on military mobilization will not conscript women or introduce a lottery, a lawmaker said late Monday, a day before the parliament's security committee was due to vote on what to do with the bill.

"I can definitely say that there will be no lottery for conscription, no mobilization of women," Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence Yehor Chernev told Ukraine's public broadcaster.

"There will be no unconstitutional positions."

Tens of thousands of men volunteered to fight for Ukraine in the first months after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, but enthusiasm has waned 22 months later, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a new draft law.

But proposed changes to rules on army mobilization that would enable Kyiv to call up more people and tighten sanctions against draft evasion have faced public criticism. The parliament's human rights commissioner said some of the proposals were unconstitutional.

The European Business Association said Monday in a statement on its website that after reviewing the earlier proposed draft law it had concerns about several proposed provisions, including risks of corruption.

The Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence has been reviewing the proposed changes to the bill since Thursday. On Tuesday, it will either approve the proposed changes or send the bill back to the government for revisions.

"We have worked on the draft law on a clause-by-clause basis," Roman Kostenko, secretary of the National Security Committee, told Ukraine's Radio NV. He added the discussions involved hours of questioning top defense ministry and military officials.

If approved by the committee, the legislation will be debated and can change over two or three readings in parliament, whose approval is required. It then requires the signature of Zelenskyy to become law.
Russia launched a large-scale missile assault on several Ukrainian regions at the start of peak morning hours on Monday, with all of the country under air raid alerts. Anna Chernikova in Kyiv provides an update. Unlike last winter, when the Kremlin's forces targeted Ukraine's power grid, Russia is now aiming at Kyiv's defense industry. Karolina Hird, Russia Team Deputy Lead with the Institute for the Study of War provides insights into what increasing Russian attacks mean and the implications for Ukraines efforts to defend itself going forward without U.S. military aid. Ukraines counteroffensive has not achieved the success it had hoped for, as some analysts say Kyiv is losing global confidence it can win the war. Steven Pifer, former US Ambassador to Ukraine and current non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute provides analysis. A Ukrainian-born doctor in New York City has stepped up to help his medical peers in the country he once called home.
A crippling fuel leak forced a U.S. company on Tuesday to give up on landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Astrobotic Technology's lander began losing fuel soon after Monday's launch. The spacecraft also encountered problems keeping its solar panel pointed towards the sun and generating solar power.

"Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon," Astrobotic said in a statement.

Astrobotic had been targeting a lunar landing on Feb. 23, following a roundabout, fuel-efficient flight to the moon. It could have been the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years, and the first by a private company. A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month.

Only four countries have pulled off a successful moon landing.

The company said the new goal was to keep the lander operating as long as possible in space, in order to learn as much as possible for its next mission a year or so from now. Flight controllers managed to keep the spacecraft pointed toward the sun and its battery fully charged, with another 40 hours of operations anticipated.

The Pittsburgh-based company did not elaborate on why the Peregrine lander's propellant system failed just hours into the flight.

NASA paid Astrobotic $108 million to fly its experiments to the moon on this mission, part of the agency's commercial lunar program.
2024 will pose a major test of democratic rule as an estimated 4 billion people in more than 50 nations  almost half the worlds population  are set to vote in national elections, with the outcomes likely to shape global politics for years or decades to come.

Bangladesh began 2024 with the first major election of the year as Sheikh Hasina won a fourth consecutive term as prime minister Sunday. Opposition parties boycotted the vote over complaints that it was neither free nor fair.

A crucial presidential election is due to take place on the self-governing island of Taiwan on January 13. Chinas threat to retake the island by force looms over the vote, with political parties divided on how to approach Beijing.

We are not only choosing Taiwans future leaders to decide on the countrys future but also deciding on the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, William Lai, the presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, told supporters at a campaign rally earlier this month. Lai is ahead in the polls.

In February, Indonesia is set to choose a new president to rule the nation of 277 million people, making it one of the worlds biggest votes held on a single day.

Pakistan will hold parliamentary elections in February; opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains jailed on charges of leaking state secrets, which he denies.

Russians will vote in presidential elections in March  although observers predict incumbent Vladimir Putin is all but certain to win as he is able to control the electoral process and state media.

Putin is not going to have any genuine opponents, said Ian Bond of the Center for European Reform. He has control of all the administrative machinery required to make sure that a crushing vote in favor of him is delivered and we get another six years of Putin up to at least 2030.

Largest democracy

India  the worlds biggest democracy  will hold parliamentary elections in April and May, with the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead in the polls.

Veteran Indian political journalist Pushp Saraf believes the opposition will struggle to make headway.

It all depends how united they are," Saraf said. "Otherwise, if they stay disunited, as they appear to be many times, they have little chance of succeeding against BJP, which is organizationally very strong, and with Narendra Modi, who is riding high on the popularity wave, at least in the Hindi heartland.

These are very significant elections because there are clearly two opinions in the country at the moment. One is that BJP is polarizing society along the communal lines. And on the other hand, there is the opinion that BJP is focusing more on national security, Saraf told The Associated Press.

On June 2, Mexico is due to hold its presidential election, which could herald a new milestone for the country, because of the possibility that, for the first time, a woman will govern Mexico, according to Mexican pollster Patricio Morelos. Mexico's ruling party has selected Claudia Sheinbaum, a former mayor of Mexico City, as its candidate.

The European Union, representing more than half-a-billion people, is set to hold parliamentary elections in June. Polls suggest a resurgence in support for right-wing populist parties in many countries, including France, Germany and Italy.

There is a real possibility, I think, that the far right will do well in European elections. Not to the point of running the European Parliament, but conceivably to the point where anyone who wants to run the European Parliament has to take account of what theyre saying and doing, Anand Menon, professor of international politics at Kings College London, told VOA.

Britain is scheduled to hold elections before the end of the year, with polls suggesting opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is on course to end a tumultuous 14 years of Conservative rule, with five different prime ministers.

We had the Brexit wars that dominated everything, then we had COVID-19, now weve got the cost-of-living crisis. Weve had government instability the instability itself has become a political issue, Menon said.

On November 5, the United States is due to hold a highly anticipated presidential election as Americans decide whether to give Democrat Joe Biden a second term as U.S. president or choose a Republican alternative, with Donald Trump seemingly his most likely opponent  although the challenger faces numerous legal hurdles in the run up to the vote.

Worldwide effects

The impact of many of these elections in 2024 will likely be felt around the world, said analyst Menon.

Yes, all politics is local  but there are global trends. Immigration is going to figure a lot in many elections around the world. It will figure in the U.S. election, it will figure in the European elections, it will figure in the U.K. election, Memon said.

Insecurity will be a major factor. One of the things were living with in the West now is an increased sense of insecurity, both economic  but also in security terms, given the war thats going on in Ukraine and given the doubts about what the Taiwanese election later this month might mean for Taiwan-Chinese relations.

So, there are common factors, but those are refracted through the prism of the local and domestic in each country, so they play out in different ways, Menon said.
World Health Organization officials warn a humanitarian and health catastrophe is unfolding in the Gaza Strip as the humanitarian space for providing life-saving treatment and aid is shrinking.

At the same time that we are seeing this humanitarian catastrophe unfold before our eyes, we are seeing the health system collapse, said Sean Casey, WHO Emergency Medical Teams Coordinator.

Hospitals are closing, patients are lacking access to health facilities, health workers are being forced to flee for their safety, he said, adding that people could be treated and lives could be saved, if they had access to care.

Casey, who has been in Gaza for the past five weeks, described seeing a dramatic interruption in health services and a dramatic loss of access to health care workers.

There are hundreds and thousands of patients awaiting surgery and it continues to be a shrinking of humanitarian space, and a shrinking of health services across the Gaza Strip, he said.

Speaking to journalists from Rafah Tuesday about a recent visit to Al-Aqsa Hospital, he described conditions there as shocking, with only a skeleton crew available to care for large numbers of sick and war-wounded.

When I visited and walked through the emergency department, I saw once again as I have seen in hospitals across Gaza over the last five weeks, patients being cared for on the floor.

When I was there on Sunday, it was mostly children with gunshot wounds, with shrapnel injuries. Children who were playing in the street when the building next to them exploded. They were waiting, in some cases an hour or more just to be seen, with serious injuries bleeding on the floor and with just a handful of doctors and nurses there to care for them.

Gazas Hamas-run Ministry of Health says at least 23,084 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, 70% of whom are women and children, since Hamas terrorists brutally invaded Israel October 7, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting some 240 hostages. During the same period, 58,926 Palestinians reportedly have been injured.

We are talking about 3.5% of the population very much directly affected, said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.

Speaking from Jerusalem, he said, I want to say something also about the injured. We talk about multiple trauma cases, patients with multiple traumas, spinal trauma, terrible injuries, severe burns, amputees.

I have never seen so many amputees in my life, including among children, which, if you think about it, not only the patients themselves, but the families and community means that this will have a long-term impact for everything.

Peeperkorn also described the difficulty of getting humanitarian supplies into Gaza, and the inability of getting humanitarian aid and workers within Gaza to reach people in need.

As long as there is no cease-fire, humanitarian corridors are required within Gaza to make sure that aid gets through, he said. Hostilities and evacuation orders in neighborhoods of the middle area and Khan Younis, Gaza are affecting access to hospitals for patients and ambulances and making it incredibly complex for WHO to reach those hospitals to provide supplies and fuel.

The European Gaza Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Aqsa Hosptial, he said, are near evacuation zones.

These three hospitals are a lifeline in the south, where about two million people are present, said Peeperkorn. What we see is that the constricted flow of supplies and access, and the evacuation of medical staff from many hospitals due to fears for safety, is a recipe for disaster and makes more hospitals non-functional, as witnessed in the north.

The WHO, which has documented 590 attacks on health care facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory since October 7, has been forced to cancel six planned missions to northern parts of the Gaza Strip since December 26.

The organization has also reported that 304 attacks in the Gaza Strip have resulted in 606 fatalities and 774 injuries. The attacks have affected 94 health care facilities, including damage to 26 of 36 hospitals in Gaza.

According to UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, some 1.9 million people, or nearly 85% of the total population of Gaza, is internally displaced.

Many have been displaced multiple times, said the WHOs Sean Casey. Here in Rafah where I am, people are sleeping under tarpaulins, under makeshift tents, under incredibly crowded conditions.

These people lack access to primary health care. There is no secondary or tertiary hospital close by that is accessible, he added. So, people are moving from one bad situation to another. There is no hospital in Gaza where you can go and expect to get care with certainty.

Casey also said hospitals are bursting at the seams with patients suffering from hunger, numerous infectious and chronic diseases as well as horrific war injuries, many requiring surgery, including amputations.

Casey said that when patients do manage to reach a hospital there are so few medical professionals available that their initial focus is damage control, which is keeping people alive.
Dozens of schools across Colorado received bomb threats Tuesday morning, which prompted many of them to evacuate, the Kiowa County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

Synagogues in the Denver and Boulder also received threats, according to reports from Denver Gazette news partner KUSA.

Spokesperson Vikki Migoya with the FBI Denver field office on Tuesday confirmed the FBI's involvement with the string of threats.

"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 law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention," Migoya said.

Emailed bomb threats were sent to schools in Kiowa and El Paso counties, with the Kiowa County Sheriff's Office saying the threats were identical to others sent to more than 40 schools across the state.

The Kiowa County Sheriff's Office said it received the bomb threat, targeting the three schools in the Eads RE-1 school district, at about 9:20 a.m. Tuesday. Eads is about 130 miles southeast of Colorado Springs.

"Emergency personnel arrived on scene quickly, the schools were evacuated and a perimeter was established," the Sheriff's Office reported on its social media. "Upon investigation, it was determined this same threat was given to 40+ schools throughout the state. The schools were cleared by law enforcement and the threat was deemed to be fictitious."

The Kiowa County Sheriff's Office post said there was no active threat to the students, and that the threats' source was under investigation.

At 10:24 a.m., Ellicott School District 22 in eastern El Paso County also received a bomb threat. The emails were sent to administrators and teachers in the building, according to a notification message on the district's website.

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"The district began evacuating at 10:30 a.m. At this time, everyone is safe, and we are working on reuniting students with families. Please check your phone and / or emails for more information on the location for reuniting with your student," the district message said.

The Ellicott district office confirmed to The Gazette that all students were dismissed for the day and being reunited with families.

Gazette news partner KOAA confirmed that in addition to the Eads and Ellicott school districts, La Veta Public Schools in Huerfano County and the East Otero School District in La Junta received the same threat.

Also, Estes Park police and the Estes Park School District issued a joint statement saying that a threat was received by email that indicated the presence of explosive devices within the school campus, according to KUSA.

Police secured the schools and said they did not believe there was any ongoing threat in the area.

Temple Emanuel, a synagogue in Denver, said their Early Learning Center and entire building were evacuated after "an explosives threat" that was received over email, KUSA reported. The threat, according to Temple Emanuel, was received by synagogues all over the Denver and Boulder areas.

Har HaShem, in Boulder, said in a Facebook post that it received a threat Tuesday morning. Har HaShem staff called police and the campus was cleared with the assistance of the Boulder County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit.

The mass threat of violence against Colorado schools comes less than a year after a wave of threatening phone calls were made to more than a dozen schools across the state. On Feb. 22, 2023, someone threatening a school shooting would call local authorities and say they were entering a local school with a pipe bomb and a rifle.
The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah said Tuesday it launched a drone attack targeting an Israeli military base in retaliation for the killings of a senior Hezbollah commander and the deputy leader of the Hamas militant group.

Hamas said the drone was aimed at attacking the Israeli base in Safed, an area located about 10 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.

The Israeli military said it launched interceptors to counter several aircraft that crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory and that a projectile fell at a base in northern Israel. The military said there were no casualties and no damage.

Security officials reported an Israeli drone strike Tuesday hit a car in southern Lebanon, killing three people.

The attack came a day after an Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed a commander that Hezbollah identified as Wissam al-Tawil, who a security official said had a leading role in Hezbollahs operations in the area.

Israel said its military hit Hezbollah targets on Monday, but it did not comment on Tawils death.

Tawil is the most senior Hezbollah militant killed since Hamas' shock Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel triggered all-out war in Gaza and sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel continued its air and ground campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip Tuesday, including airstrikes in central Gaza and in the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza.

The Israeli military said it killed around 40 Palestinian militants in Khan Younis.

Residents in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza said Israeli forces conducted shelling and engaged in gun battles with militants.

The United Nations has warned of the dire effects of the conflict on civilians in Gaza, with most people living there having fled their homes and humanitarian workers and health facilities facing difficulty in providing aid.

The intensifying offensive in Gazas Middle Area and Khan Younis is causing rapidly rising casualties and having devastating consequences for tens of thousands of civilians, many of whom had already fled for safety from Gaza city and the north to the Middle Area, the U.N. humanitarian agency said Monday.

The agency also said Israeli authorities denied multiple attempts by humanitarian partners to deliver urgent medical supplies to northern Gaza, leaving five hospitals there without life-saving medical supplies and equipment.

Israeli officials have said the fighting will continue for many more months as the army seeks to erase Hamas control of the Gaza Strip, end the threat the militant group poses to Israel and free what are believed to be 129 hostages still held by Hamas.

Hamas killed about 1,200 people in its October attack on Israel and captured 240 hostages. The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry says Israels counteroffensive has killed more than 23,200 Palestinians, with vast swaths of Gaza left in rubble and 85% of its population of 2.3 million displaced.

Some material for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The year 2023 was the hottest on record, with the increase in Earth's surface temperature nearly crossing the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, EU climate monitors said Tuesday.

Climate change intensified heatwaves, droughts and wildfires across the planet and pushed the global thermometer 1.48 C above the preindustrial benchmark, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported.

"It is also the first year with all days over one degree warmer than the preindustrial period," said Samantha Burgess, deputy head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

"Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years," she said.

Nearly half the year exceeded the 1.5C limit, beyond which climate impacts are more likely to become self-reinforcing and catastrophic, according to scientists.

But even if Earth's average surface temperature breaches 1.5C in 2024, as some scientists predict, it does not mean the world has failed to meet the Paris Agreement target of capping global warming under that threshold.

That would occur only after several successive years above the 1.5C benchmark, and even then, the 2015 treaty allows for the possibility of reducing Earth's temperature after a period of "overshoot."

2023 saw massive fires in Canada, extreme droughts in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, unprecedented summer heatwaves in Europe, the United States and China, along with record winter warmth in Australia and South America.

"Such events will continue to get worse until we transition away from fossil fuels and reach net-zero emissions," said University of Reading climate change professor Ed Hawkins, who did not contribute to the report.

"We will continue to suffer the consequences of our inactions today for generations," he said.

The Copernicus findings come one month after a climate agreement was reached at COP28 in Dubai calling for the gradual transition away from fossil fuels, the main cause of climate warming.

"We desperately need to rapidly cut fossil fuel use and reach net-zero to preserve the livable climate that we all depend on," said John Marsham, atmospheric science professor at the University of Leeds.

The year saw another ominous record: two days in November 2023 exceeded the preindustrial benchmark by more than two degrees Celsius.

Copernicus predicted that the 12-month period ending in January or February 2024 would "exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial level."

Reliable weather records date to 1850, but older proxy data for climate change  from tree rings, ice cores and sediment  show that 2023 temperatures "exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years," Burgess said.

Records were broken on every continent. In Europe, 2023 was the second-warmest year on record, after 2020.

2023 saw the beginning of a naturally occurring El Nino weather phenomenon, which warms waters in the southern Pacific and stokes hotter weather beyond.

The phenomenon is expected to reach its peak in 2024 and is linked to the eight consecutive months of record heat from June to December.

Ocean temperatures globally were also "persistently and unusually high," with many seasonal records broken since April.

These unprecedented ocean temperatures caused marine heatwaves devastating to aquatic life and increased storm intensity.

Oceans absorb more than 90% of excess heat caused by human activity and play a major role in regulating Earth's climate.

Rising temperatures have also accelerated the melting of ice shelves  frozen ridges that help prevent massive glaciers in Greenland and West Antarctica from slipping into the ocean and raising sea levels.

Antarctic sea ice hit record-low levels in 2023.

"The extremes we have observed over the last few months provide a dramatic testimony of how far we now are from the climate in which our civilization developed," said Carlo Buontempo, Copernicus director.

In 2023, carbon dioxide and methane concentrations reached record levels of 419 parts per million and 1,902 parts per billion, respectively.

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after CO2 and is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
Doctors were carrying out an autopsy on Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin when they detected small signs that the journalist was hanging on to life.

The founder of El Periodico, an independent newspaper in Guatemala, had been kidnapped, drugged, and left for dead.

Quickly, medics revived Zamora to fight again for the free press he holds so dear.

The incident in 2008 was perhaps the worst ordeal for the journalist's family members, who for decades have lived with the consequences of Zamora's crusade for press freedom, in a country marked by repression.

In an interview with VOA, Zamora's son Ramon detailed the many ways that assailants targeted his father: car bombings, repeated kidnapping attempts, and legal cases, including the one the journalist is currently fighting while being held in a Guatemalan prison.

"This has had a cost on our family without a doubt. There has been a lot of stress and uncertainty," Ramon Zamora told VOA, adding there is no doubt that everyone in his family has suffered a form of post-traumatic stress.

The anthropologist has lived in exile in Miami since April because he, too, fears arrest. It is not the first time the 34-year-old has moved away from his home country over security fears.

"We have spent years without family and now my father is in prison facing new charges. It all adds up," he said.

That seems an understatement when Ramon Zamora relates the chilling history of attacks against his 67-year-old father.

Ruben Zamora, whom the Spanish newspaper El Mundo has described as an "icon of the free press in Central America," is among many journalists in the tiny Central American state of 17 million who risk their lives.

Last year, five journalists were murdered, says Dagmar Thiel, U.S. director of the non-governmental press freedom organization Fundamedios.

Bernardo Arevalo, the country's newly elected president who is due to take office Sunday, has vowed to fight corruption and halt the exodus of journalists, judges, lawyers and prosecutors.

Thiel said Guatemalan journalists faced a difficult climate after a 2007 Special Commission Against Impunity was created to investigate corruption and genocide.

"They prosecuted almost 1,500 people and convicted 400 of them. [These people] fought back. There was this pacto de los corruptos, (pact of the corrupt) of organized crime, corporate interests and politicians. Of course, journalists were the first to be attacked for telling the truth," she told VOA.

For Zamora, the latest attacks are legal rather than physical. A court has convicted the journalist of money laundering and sentenced him to six years in prison in a trial denounced by press freedom groups. The prosecution had originally sought 40 years over a string of charges including money laundering, influence peddling and racketeering. All accusations that Zamora denies.

In October, a Guatemalan appeals court overturned that sentence, but Zamora, who has been in pre-trial custody since July 2022, faces new charges of obstructing the actions of the government and falsifying documents. He is due to stand trial in February.

And after nearly three decades of publishing, his paper shut down in May.

Under Zamora, El Periodico had built a strong reputation for its journalism. But it was targeted from its conception.

In 1996, while Zamora and other members of the founding team were discussing plans at a restaurant, a grenade was thrown at his car outside.

"He was not injured but shaken up by what happened," said his son, Ramon.

Seven years later, in 2003, authorities carried out a raid on Zamora's house. The family left the country, but Zamora stayed.

It was a decision that nearly cost him his life.

In August 2008, he was kidnapped and drugged, and his naked body was dumped about 80 kilometers from the capital, Guatemala City.

"A woman called the police to tell them she had found this body. Doctors thought he had died of hypothermia," Ramon Zamora recalled.

"They took his body to the morgue. They carried out an autopsy and to do that they needed to take out liquids from his body."

It saved the journalist's life.

"The doctors noted signs that he was feeling pain and that meant he must still be alive," Ramon Zamora said.

Four men were later jailed for the kidnapping. But the masterminds behind the kidnapping have never been traced, Ramon Zamora told VOA.

The younger Zamora, who lectures at the Valle de Guatemala University, said there also had been an attempt to kidnap him in 2013.

"We respect my father for his decision to stay and to continue fighting. But it has had a cost. The real issue is living with security guards all the time and to know the days and hours in which it is safe to move and the places you can go," the son told VOA.

Ramon Zamora added that despite being imprisoned, his father remains in good spirits.

"We can send him 100 quetzales ($13) each week so he can speak on the telephone. Some members of the family can visit. But he has lost about 40 pounds [since] the start of his imprisonment," he said. "His eyesight suffered at first because of the poor light. He keeps writing a blog."

In a blog post dated December 30, Zamora detailed his life in a military hospital, where he is kept in an isolation cell with only one hour for exercise per day. That space to exercise measures just three meters by three meters.

He details how he is woken at 3 a.m. to travel to the hospital with other prisoners. They are accompanied by six guards, and he is handcuffed throughout.

Despite everything the family has been through, Ramon Zamora said it has been worth it.

"The only option is an independent press, which is critical and strong," he said. "After all the attacks on the press, the best response is more journalism. We can only get this if we have readers who support free journalism to create just societies."
Despite assurances from a group of international observers that Bangladesh's January 7 election was "free, fair and peaceful," officials from several countries have expressed doubts over the credibility of the results.

Bangladesh held its 12th parliamentary elections Sunday, with incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League winning a fourth consecutive term. But many political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, the main opposition, boycotted the election.

The months before the vote were marred by protests that sometimes resulted in violence. A crackdown on opposition activists saw tens of thousands jailed.

A group of international observers invited by Bangladesh's Election Commission that included former U.S. Congressman Jim Bates visited several polling centers in Dhaka as voters cast their ballots. At a press conference after polls closed, they issued glowing assessments of the vote.

"I'd like to say its a free and fair election already," Bates said before results were announced.

But a U.S. State Department spokesperson told VOA in an email that "The United States Government did not field an observation team for the 2024 Bangladesh Parliamentary elections. The individuals in question were acting as private citizens. ... Their comments do not represent the views of the U.S. government."

Instead, the United States, United Kingdom, and the United Nations released statements expressing concerns about the democratic process in general and the human rights situation.

"The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated, Mathew Miller, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The United States condemns violence that took place during elections and in the months leading up to it.

"Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process," the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in the statement. "These standards were not consistently met during the election period."

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk noted, In the months leading up to the vote, thousands of opposition supporters have been detained arbitrarily or subjected to intimidation. Such tactics are not conducive to a truly genuine process."

Turk also urged the Bangladeshi government to create conditions for truly inclusive democracy.

While the Western democratic states and international organizations were largely critical of the election, some countries, including China, Russia and India, were quick to congratulate Hasina.

The Chinese envoy in Bangladesh was the first to congratulate Hasina. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called to applaud her victory and expressed hope for continued close ties with its neighbor.

Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for the fourth consecutive term in the parliamentary elections.  We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh, the Indian prime minister posted on X.

Boycott results in low turnout

The opposition coalition demanded the resignation of the government ahead of the election and the appointment of an interim, nonpartisan government. When the Hasina government refused, the BNP announced a non-cooperation movement against the government, urging the people not to cooperate with the government or participate in the election.

Official figures provided by the Election Commission show voter turnout at 41.8%. However, the credibility of this figure has been questioned by a wide range of international media, observers, human rights organizations, and even by a section of those who contested in the election.

One reason for suspicion is an unusual jump in the turnout numbers. The Election Commission secretary estimated turnout at 27.15% an hour before polls closed. But the final figure provided by the commission was 41.8%. Opponents say the claim that more than one-third more votes were cast in the final hour of voting put the official figure in serious doubt.

In 2018 elections, the voter turnout stood at more than 80%.

One-party rule

Among the 298 officially announced results, 280 seats are secured by the ruling Awami League and so-called independent candidates who are Awami League members. As a result, 94% of the parliament seats will be filled by lawmakers who are members of the ruling party.

Of the 27 parties who fielded candidates in the election, 23 failed to secure a single seat.

G.M. Qader, chairman of the Jatiya Party, which managed to win 11 seats, told a local TV station the elections were held under government control.

Whoever the government wanted to win, won," Qader said. "I believe this election will not gain credibility.

Professor Ali Riaz, a political analyst at Illinois State University, said in a recent podcast on Global News that Bangladesh is heading toward one-party rule with Awami League holding power and the other parties constituting the opposition in the parliament with the support of the ruling party.

Prime Minister Hasina on two recent occasions referred to the BNP as a terrorist organization, leading to speculation among political analysts and activists that the new government may ban the BNP from politics.
Russian officials reported Ukrainian aerial attacks on two regions Tuesday, as the Kremlin said it would act to counter an increase in Ukrainian shelling on the Russian border city of Belgorod.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the Belgorod region, reported three people were injured by debris Tuesday after Russian air defenses downed Ukrainian weapons that were approaching the city.

Gladkov said houses and cars were damaged in several villages.

The attacks came a day after Russian air defenses downed 10 air targets approaching Belgorod.

The area has come under Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks, including a missile and drone attack late last month that killed 25 civilians, including five children.

In the Oryol region of western Russia, regional governor Andrei Klychkov said on Telegram that two Ukrainian drones hit a fuel facility Tuesday in Oryol city, causing a fire that was later contained. Oryol is about 220 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

White House meeting on Ukraine aid

Separately, White House officials met Monday with leaders from the technology and defense industry sectors to discuss how to give Ukraine cutting-edge U.S. equipment such as unmanned aerial systems or demining gear and support its bid to defend itself from Russia, according to National Security Council aides.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, convened the five-hour meeting between industry experts and government officials on new technological capabilities that would allow Ukraine to detect and counter Russian unmanned aerial systems and demine large areas in Ukraine as President Joe Bidens more than $100 billion supplemental aid package, which includes support for Ukraine, languishes in Congress.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged European Union countries on Monday to offer more military and financial assistance to Ukraine. He criticized EU member states for not delivering sufficient weapons to Kyiv and called on them to do more.

Although Germany lagged in its support to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, it is now one of the top providers of weapons and financial aid. Late last year, the country agreed to double its military aid for Ukraine in 2024 to $8.8 billion.

"As significant as the German contribution is, it will not be enough to ensure Ukraines security in the long run," Scholz said at a news conference in Berlin.

Western officials and analysts had warned that Russia was stockpiling its cruise missiles to target mainly Ukraines defense industry this winter, as opposed to the countrys infrastructure last winter. But so far, Russian strikes have frequently hit civilian areas.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
South Koreas spy agency confirmed Monday that Palestinian militant group Hamas has been using North Korean-made weapons in its conflict with Israel, amid a report of new photos showing weapons etched with Korean characters retrieved in the conflict.

The National intelligence Service (NIS) made the confirmation in response to VOAs Korean Service report published Friday showing new photos of North Korean F-7 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) with Korean letters inscribed on them used by Hamas, South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported Monday.

The NIS said its assessment is the same as the VOA report and that it is collecting and accumulating information about how much and when North Koreas weapons were transferred to Hamas.

The NIS continued, But it is currently difficult to provide such evidence due to the need to protect information sources and in consideration of diplomatic ties.

The pictures were obtained by VOAs Korean Service through a diplomatic source on Thursday. The Korean letters were etched on the ignition device responsible for triggering the rockets explosive payload on North Koreas F-7s.

Multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from exporting weapons.



The Israel Defense Forces said they have been retrieving North Korean weapons in Gaza and Israel since the surprise attack that Hamas launched against Israel on October 7.

Lieutenant Colonel Idan Sharon-Kettler, deputy commander of the IDFs enemy equipment collection unit, told VOAs Korean Service on December 28 in Tzrifin, Israel, that tens of thousands of North Korean weapons were recovered.

He said the recovered weapons showed that Hamas took North Korean rocket engines from its F-7s and assembled them to make anti-tank RPGs, which give the weapons capabilities to penetrate heavy armor and cause greater damage.

The NIS said in a parliamentary intelligence committee meeting in November that it obtained information of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordering his officials to draw up plans to support Palestine, Yonhap said in the same report about the NISs confirmation of Hamas using North Korean weapons published Monday.

North Korea has denied that its weapons were used by Hamas.

North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song said at a U.N. meeting in October on the Israel-Hamas crisis that some Western countries are resorting to a smear campaign against DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] to forcibly link the Middle East crisis to us.

He continued, Some mass media belonging to the U.S. administration are spreading groundless and false rumors that North Koreas weapon seems to be used for attack on Israel.

North Korea said through its state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in December that the U.S. is responsible for supporting Israel and having reduced Gaza Strip to a veritable hell.

The NIS confirmation of North Korean weapons used by Hamas came as the White House said Russia launched North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine.

North Korea has been supplying Russia with ballistic missiles that Moscow used to attack Ukraine on December 30 and January 2, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, said January 4.

This is a significant and concerning escalation in the DPRKs support for Russia, Kirby said. We anticipate that Russia will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraines civilian infrastructure and to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians, he continued.



In October, the White House released satellite photos of over 1,000 containers full of weapons that it claimed North Korea shipped to Russia.

The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting Wednesday to discuss North Koreas missiles in the attack on Ukraine.
A bill outlawing the selling of dog meat for consumption easily passed Tuesday in South Koreas legislature.

The measure was approved in the National Assembly by an overwhelming vote of 208-to-0 with two abstentions.

Anyone convicted of violating the ban, which officially takes effect in 2027, faces up to three years in prison or fines of more than $22,000.

Tuesdays passage of the bill was the culmination of a decades-long effort by animal rights activists to end the centuries-long culinary practice. Support for imposing the ban had grown among politicians across ideological lines, including conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, staunch pet lovers who have adopted several dogs and cats.

The legislation is bitterly opposed by dog meat breeders and sellers, despite the fact it contains financial support for industry workers and owners to transition out of the business, which has declined in recent decades.

South Koreas agricultural ministry says there are more than 1,100 dog farms in the country that provide meat to around 1,600 restaurants.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
For 61-year-old atemoya farmer Tsou Yun-shing in Taiwans Taitung County, the last two years have been a tough time for his business.

Since China banned the import of atemoyas from Taiwan in September 2021, his revenues have been slashed in half and he has had to look for alternative markets.

Before the ban, around 80 to 90% of my atemoyas were sold to China. But since they banned the import of Taiwanese atemoyas, I have to start selling my atemoyas through different sales channels in Taiwan, hoping to at least even the costs, he told VOA during an interview at his sprawling orchards in Taitung county in eastern Taiwan.

In addition to redirecting his atemoyas to the domestic market, Tsou also reduced the number of atemoyas he grows and started growing other fruits that are more popular in Taiwan, such as guava.

China markets

Tsou is not alone. His experience reflect a dilemma many Taiwanese fruit farmers have faced over the past two years, as China banned imports of several Taiwanese fruits that rely heavily on the Chinese market, including pineapples, wax apples and atemoyas.

While the Taiwanese government has been able to help some farmers, with fruits such as pineapples, find alternate markets like Japan to neutralize the potential losses they face, the heavy reliance of atemoya farmers on the Chinese market makes finding a solution more difficult.

Since there is uncertainty about whether China would let Taiwanese atemoyas enter the Chinese market or not, some farmers have shifted to growing other fruits, such as custard apples, avocados, passion fruits and guavas, to reduce their reliance on the Chinese market, Lai Xi-yao, chairman of Chi-Gen Vegetable and Fruit Co-operative, told VOA in an interview in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung.

In his view, Chinas intention to allow large amounts of specific Taiwanese agricultural products into the Chinese market is an attempt to win over the hearts and minds of Taiwanese farmers and acquire Taiwans expertise in growing certain species of fruits or fisheries.

When [Beijing] wants Taiwanese farmers to export their products to China, they will agree to whatever requests the farmers have but once they acquire the know-how about how to grow certain species of fruits, they will start blocking the imports from Taiwan, Lai said.

He said the agricultural trade with China is not normal because Chinese authorities can use any excuse to ban imports of Taiwanese agricultural products.

Its obvious that these bans all have political elements behind them, he told VOA.

In a statement announcing the end of the import ban on Taiwanese groupers released last month, the Chinese Communist Partys Taiwan Affairs Office, which handles cross-strait relations, said as long as both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the 1992 Consensus, a compromise agreement that Taiwans opposition Kuomintang interprets as the two sides agreeing there's one China, with each free to define what that is, and oppose Taiwan independence, the two sides are one family and "family matters can be discussed and resolved, referring to import bans on several Taiwanese agricultural products.

Apart from leveraging certain Taiwanese agricultural products reliance on the Chinese market to impose pressure on the Taiwanese government, China has unleashed a series of coercive economic measures to influence Taiwans presidential and legislative elections on January 13. During an interview with Taiwanese media Liberty Times on January 5, Taiwanese Premier Chen Chien-jen said Chinas decision to suspend tariff reduction on 12 Taiwanese petrochemical products is of political rather than economic nature.

Recent import actions

In recent weeks, China has partially lifted import bans on groupers, a fish that used to rely heavily on export to the Chinese market, and atemoyas from Taiwan, while suspending tariff reductions on 12 Taiwanese petrochemical products. In a statement released last month, the Communist Partys Taiwan Affairs office accused Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party or DPP of violating articles in the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between Taipei and Beijing and install obstacles to viciously disrupt cross-strait economic exchange and cooperation.

Taiwanese authorities have criticized Beijing for politicizing trade issues ahead of the election and promised to work with affected industries to minimize the impact. On Tuesday evening, Chinas commerce ministry signaled that its considering to further suspend tariff concessions on several products from Taiwan, including agriculture, fishery, machinery, auto parts and textiles, according to a statement posted on its website. In response, Taiwans Office of Trade Negotiations urged Beijing to immediately stop using economic coercion to try to interfere in Taiwans election.

To adapt to the challenges posed by China, Taiwanese authorities try to help farmers reduce their reliance on the Chinese market and redirect their products to alternative markets like Japan and South Korea.

According to data from Taiwans Ministry of Agriculture, China accounted for 12.9% of Taiwan's fruit exports in 2022, down from 22.9% in 2018. Apart from looking for alternative markets, Tsou in Taitung said the government also provided different types of subsidies to help cherimoya farmers like him survive the two-year ban.

Taiwanese authorities provided different kinds of subsidies and helped promote cherimoyas to large grocery chains in Taiwan, he told VOA. While farmers were able to survive the last two years without exporting their fruits, they couldnt make any profit.

Despite the subsidies and efforts to help redirect agricultural products to alternative markets, some analysts say the Taiwanese authorities response to the challenges may not have been timely enough.

After Beijing banned imports of Taiwanese pineapples, I urged authorities to consider preparing responses for a potential Chinese ban on atemoyas, Chiao Chun, an expert on cross-strait agricultural trade and author of the book Fruit Politics, told VOA in an interview in Kaohsiung.

However, Taiwanese authorities response to Chinas atemoya ban was still too slow, which leaves atemoya farmers in a tough situation even today, Chiao added.

Domestic policies

Chinas targeted sanctions on Taiwanese agricultural products that rely heavily on the Chinese market have also affected domestic politics in Taiwan.

Some farmers in Taitung told VOA that they will vote for the China-friendly opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) in the upcoming election because they believe this is the only way to guarantee China will end import bans on all atemoyas from Taiwan.

But Tsou holds a different view from most of his peers.

If there is regime change after the election on Saturday, the outcome will make a difference to the situation that most atemoya farmers face, he told VOA. Farmers can start exporting to China if the KMT wins the election on Saturday.

However, he also thinks Taiwanese farmers shouldnt rely on anyone for their livelihood, since reliance will make them more vulnerable to coercive economic measures like import bans on certain products.

As long as farmers take good care of the quality and establish different sales channels, they dont necessarily need to rely on export to sustain their businesses, Tsou said. I think democracy is still more important.
Lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump and the Justice Department sparred sharply Tuesday in a Washington courtroom over whether he is immune from prosecution on charges that he illegally tried to upend his 2020 reelection loss even as he tries to reclaim the White House in the 2024 election in November.

The three U.S. appellate court judges hearing the case issued no immediate ruling. But as Trump watched in the courtroom, they appeared skeptical of claims by his lawyer, John Sauer, that Trump could not be prosecuted criminally unless he first was impeached for wrongdoing by the House of Representatives and then convicted by the Senate.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Trump warned that there would be bedlam in the country if he is prosecuted.

A president has to have immunity. And the other thing is, I did nothing wrong, he said. Eventually we win.

Just before Trumps presidential term ended three years ago, the House impeached him for inciting the riot of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol as Congress met on January 6, 2021, to certify that Trump had lost reelection to Democrat Joe Biden.

But after Trump left office, the Senate acquitted him, although numerous senators said they only voted against conviction because Trumps term had already ended.

Sauer argued that if the prosecution of Trump is allowed to go forward, future presidents would face an array of allegations for their actions while in office brought by political opponents, and would have to look over their shoulders all the time to think whether they might face criminal prosecution.

But Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, a Republican appointee to the appellate bench, joined two Democratic colleagues hearing the Trump case in questioning Sauers legal arguments. At one point, Henderson called it paradoxical to say that [Trumps] constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed allows him to violate criminal laws.

Trump has claimed he was carrying out presidential duties, not acting as a candidate trying to stay in office for another four years, as he contended fraudulent election rules and vote-counting irregularities made it an unfair election. Dozens of courts ruled against Trumps election-fraud claims in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election, and no credible election irregularities have been uncovered in the intervening three years.

Justice Department lawyer James Pearce, on the team of special counsel Jack Smith that is prosecuting Trump, told the appellate court panel, The president is not above the law. A former president enjoys no immunity.

Pearce accused Trump of using the levers of power to undermine the 2020 election results.

Tuesdays hearing starkly showed the duality of the 77-year-old Trumps current political life: This past weekend, he was rallying supporters in the farm state of Iowa and days later sitting in a stately federal courtroom, blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

Trump holds a commanding lead for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, even as he faces an unprecedented 91 charges across four criminal indictments. If convicted of any of the charges, he could face years in prison.

While Trump would be required to appear daily at any criminal trials that are scheduled this year, he voluntarily elected to attend the appellate court hearing, an apparent attempt to highlight his allegation that Biden and Smith are engaged in a political vendetta to keep him from reclaiming the White House in January 2025.

Smith has charged Trump with illegally scheming to overturn the vote in various ways, including unsuccessfully imploring his vice president, Mike Pence, to refuse to uphold the Biden victory as in the Electoral College vote count.

In addition, Trump held White House discussions calling for the names of fake Trump-supporting electors to replace those legitimately supporting Biden, who narrowly won several key political battleground states in the 2020 election.

In the United States, presidents are not elected by the national popular vote, which Biden won by 7 million votes in 2020. Rather, U.S. presidents and their vice-presidential running mates are elected through balloting in 50 state-by-state elections, with the most populous states holding the most electoral votes in the Electoral College.

Special counsel Smith is arguing that no one is above the law and immune from prosecution  not even a former president like Trump, the first-ever U.S. leader charged with criminal offenses. U.S. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the election fraud case, agreed with the prosecutor, ruling that Trump is not entitled to a get-out-of-jail-free pass.

Trump appealed her no-immunity ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Smiths bid to fast-track consideration of the issue  the legally untested question of whether a former president can be prosecuted for acts committed in the White House  and sent it back to the appellate court in Washington.

Henderson, named to the bench by former Republican President George H.W. Bush, and judges Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, both Biden appointees, are hearing the case.

Trumps election fraud case in Washington is set to start March 4. Whether an appellate court ruling, and the almost certain appeal to the Supreme Court by the losing side, can be heard and decided quickly enough to allow the trial to start in less than two months is uncertain at best. Trump is trying to delay trials in all his cases until after the November election, and could, if reelected, order his attorney general to drop the two federal indictments against him.

In a legal brief, Smiths lawyers argued, "Immunity from criminal prosecution would be particularly dangerous where, as here, the former President is alleged to have engaged in criminal conduct aimed at overturning the results of a Presidential election to remain in office beyond the allotted term."

"A President who unlawfully seeks to retain power through criminal means unchecked by potential criminal prosecution could jeopardize both the Presidency itself and the very foundations of our democratic system of governance," they added.

Trump has denied all wrongdoing in the four criminal cases.

Former presidents enjoy broad immunity from lawsuits for actions taken as part of their official White House duties. But courts have never addressed whether that protection extends to criminal prosecution, as no former president before Trump has ever been indicted.

With the nearly certain appeal from the losing side in the eventual appellate court ruling, the Supreme Court will play a key role in the 2024 election.

The high court has already decided to hear Trumps appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision to keep him off the Republican primary election ballot in that state, ruling that his direct involvement in an insurrection on January 6, 2021  when he directed supporters to go to the Capitol and fight like hell to block certification of the Electoral College vote count  makes him ineligible.

The Supreme Court has also agreed to review the case of a police officer charged with obstructing an official proceeding of Congress  the certification of Bidens Electoral College victory  that also could affect Trump. The policeman contends that prosecutors wrongly used a corporate fraud statute usually reserved for people who tamper with documents and evidence.

Prosecutors have already charged more than 300 other Capitol rioters, forming the basis of two charges against Trump in the Washington election fraud case.

The court will hear the policemans case in its current term and could announce its ruling sometime in June, well after the scheduled March 4 start of the Washington election fraud case.

Also at issue in the cases against Trump: his claim that he cant be prosecuted for any role in the January 6 rioting because the House of Representatives impeached him for his actions before his presidential term ended, although the Senate later acquitted him in early 2021 after he had left office.

Trump broadly contends that he cant be prosecuted criminally now in connection with the January 6 mayhem because the Senate has already cleared him in a political proceeding.

The Supreme Court includes three justices appointed by Trump, but in earlier 2020 election-related cases, it has ruled against the former president.

Smith, the Justice Department prosecutor, has also accused Trump of mishandling classified U.S. national security documents by hoarding them at his Mar-a-Lago oceanside estate in the southern state of Florida after he left the White House.

A state prosecutor in the southern state of Georgia has accused him of 2020 election fraud in that state, and a New York prosecutor has accused him of falsifying business records at his familys real estate conglomerate to hide hush money payments to an adult film star ahead of his successful 2016 run for the presidency.
Leaders of the House and Senate announced a broad agreement on spending levels for 2024 this week, but much work remains to be done if lawmakers plan to avoid shutting down large portions of the federal government between now and early February.

A major focus of that work will entail finding a way to satisfy a small hard-right element of the Republican-led House, which has demanded significant cuts in federal spending that are not reflected in the $1.66 trillion budget agreement struck by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over the weekend.

It will not be enough simply to agree to an overall budget number for the federal government. Lawmakers must also pass legislation authorizing individual federal departments and agencies to spend the money, creating more opportunities for disagreement and delay.

Tight deadline

The shutdown deadlines are staggered, with part of the federal government, including the departments of Transportation, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs, set to run out of funds on January 19. The remainder of the government will hit its funding limit February 2.

Even in the event of a government shutdown, services related to national defense, internal security and other essential operations would continue. However, the government employees required to remain on the job would not be paid until a spending deal was finalized.

Some experts questioned whether Congress has left itself enough time to complete the process without resorting to what's known as a continuing resolution, which would allow spending to continue at current levels until spending bills were finalized.

It's one thing to have an overall number, William A. Galston, a senior fellow in the Brookings Institutions Governance Studies program, told VOA. It's another thing to divide that overall number among the 12 budget subcommittees. And it's yet another thing to make all of the more specific line-by-line decisions in each of the 12 spending categories.

He added: I don't know a lot of budget experts who think that that is going to be achieved between now and January 19.

Deal announced

Johnson and Schumer announced their top-line agreement Sunday, including $886 billion in military spending and $773 billion in non-military spending. It gave both sides the ability to claim the deal as a win.

Johnson highlighted the fact that he had negotiated an additional $16 billion in spending cuts in the deal and told the members of his party that the agreement represents the most favorable budget agreement Republicans have achieved in over a decade.

Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a joint statement, celebrated the fact that they had secured a deal that avoided large cuts in domestic non-military spending that some in the Republican Party had been calling for. They said that the deal would protect key domestic priorities like veterans' benefits, health care and nutrition assistance from the draconian cuts sought by right-wing extremists.

Long-running dispute

The roots of the funding crisis go back to last year, when former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated an agreement with the administration of President Joe Biden to raise the countrys debt limit and avoid a potentially catastrophic federal default. The deal increased spending on the military and kept non-military spending roughly flat. It was meant to extend through 2024, avoiding another debt limit showdown during a presidential election year.

McCarthy met significant resistance from members of the Republican conference who had been demanding major spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit. He was able to get the agreement to pass in the House only because Democrats joined some Republicans in supporting it.

McCarthys willingness to make a deal with Democrats led members of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus to demand a vote that led to his ouster as speaker in October. After weeks of confusion, during which several senior figures in the party were denied the post, Johnson was elected speaker in late October.

Freedom Caucus unhappy

The deal announced over the weekend is very similar to the agreement that led to McCarthys being voted out of the speakership last year, and it immediately triggered complaints from the GOP right wing about the plan's failure to slash federal spending and its lack of specifics about other conservative policy priorities.

The Freedom Caucus blasted the arrangement, saying, This is total failure.

In a radio interview with conservative political commentator Glenn Beck, Representative Chip Roy said, Republicans are going to try to sell you and the American people that somehow this is a win. Dont believe that. This is what the American people are tired of.

There was also evidence that dissatisfaction with the deal has extended beyond the Freedom Caucus. On the social media platform X, former Freedom Caucus member Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote, I am a NO to the Johnson Schumer budget deal. This $1.6 Trillion dollar budget agreement does nothing to secure the border, stop the invasion, or stop the weaponized government targeting Bidens political enemies and innocent Americans.

Challenging margins

Johnson was already in a difficult position when it comes to controlling his party.

The House has 433 active members, with 220 in the Republican majority, meaning Johnson can lose only three members on any given measure to win party-line votes. With Representative Steve Scalise expected to be absent for several weeks due to cancer treatments and Representative Bill Johnson expected to resign by the end of the month, that margin will shrink to just two votes.

Andrew Lautz, a senior analyst with the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank, told VOA that a key factor in the passage of the spending deal would be how deep the dissatisfaction with it runs in the Republican Party.

Lautz said it now seems almost certain that Johnson will need to rely on Democratic votes to pass a spending bill based on his deal with Schumer, a situation that could become politically toxic if he loses a large percentage of his own party.

The key to success for Speaker Johnson and House Republicans here is whether the opposition within the Freedom Caucus  extends to more members of the rank and file, he said.

Beyond just the Freedom Caucus, there are plenty of conservative members of the House who want to cut spending, Lautz said. If they are upset with this agreement, then Speaker Johnson and House Republicans will have a much more difficult time passing this."
On January 4, hours after the United States and 13 other countries called on Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels to immediately halt attacks on civilian vessels in the Red Sea, the Houthis launched and detonated a drone boat packed with explosives.

Houthi rebels have been striking and hijacking commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea to show their solidarity with Hamas and opposition to Israel since this past November.

The attacks have forced shippers to reroute merchant vessels, driving up shipping costs and significantly extending travel times and distances.

As part of their propaganda tactics, the Houthis have been spreading false claims that they only attack ships connected with or transiting to Israel.

Social media users, apparently sympathetic to the Houthis cause, have been hyping the threat posed by the Yemeni group.

This includes repeatedly sharing recycled images of ship attacks from the past and falsely linking them to current events in the Red Sea.

One such spreader of fake content on X is a blue-checked user, ma000111 (Manooch Kargar). This anonymous account regularly posts anti-Israel disinformation. Its banner displays a painting of the Iranian flag, its bio says EX IRGC  short for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps  and its profile picture shows a caricature of a man standing behind a tribune draped with an Israeli flag about to be hit by a hand sleaved in an Iranian flag.

On January 3, ma000111 posted a picture of a damaged ship at sea, billowing black smoke. The post read:

Yemeni missiles bombed an israeli ally. British ship in the Red Sea, causing three explosions,

That is false.

The photograph, credited to Agence France-Presse, was taken on October 6, 2002.

It shows the French supertanker Limburg off the coast of the southeastern Yemeni port of al-Mukalla, after a dinghy packed with explosives detonated next to it. The attack killed one crew member and injured 12.

The global jihadi organization al-Qaida claimed responsibility for that attack. The Houthi rebels are a Shiite Islamist political and military organization. Al-Qaida, which adheres to radical Sunni Islam, considers Shiite Islam heretical and aims at eliminating its disciples.

On December 30, several prominent spreaders of anti-Israel disinformation, including Maram Susli, or Syrian Girl, a blue-checked X user with more than 200,000 followers, shared another image of a burning ship she falsely attributed to a Houthi attack on an Israeli-linked ship.

Citing the Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese Al Mayadeen news channel as her source, Susli wrote:

New Houthi attack on israeli linked ship, in the red sea. When are these people going to learn, the Pool is closed! Israel, America can't save you.

Sulaiman Ahmed, another blue-checked X user and self-described investigative journalist who has shared other fakes about the Israeli-Hamas war, also shared that image with the caption:

BREAKING: NEW YEMENI HOUTHI ATTACK ON ISRAELI LINKED SHIP IN THE RED SEA

That image shows one of two tankers that were attacked in the Sea of Oman, off the coast of Iran, in June 2019.

The United States accused Iran of carrying out those attacks. Tehran denied the allegation.

Susli and Ahmeds posts were subsequently tagged with Reader Context, noting the images are neither current nor show a Houthi attack.

As Polygraph.info previously showed, X, formerly Twitter, has repeatedly come under scrutiny for allegedly giving a platform to serial spreaders of fake and misleading content. As in the above cases, they routinely pass off old and/or otherwise unrelated footage as Israel-Hamas war footage.

Many of the false claims documented by Polygraph.info since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, originated on X.

Dozens of prominent X subscribers who regularly spread disinformation about the Israel-Hamas war have seen their user bases grow exponentially. Apparently, few of them face consequences for broadcasting misleading media to their large follower networks, an investigation released by ProPublica in December 2023 found.

An earlier investigation by NewsGuard, an information analysis company, found that blue-checked, verified X users had accounted for 74 percent of the platforms most viral false or unsubstantiated claims during the first week of the Israel-Hamas war.

On December 18, the European Commission announced it was opening formal infringement proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act, or DSA, citing its concerns over the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel, among others.
US News & World Report takes a look at the dreaded college waitlist and what it means for international students.

In addition to the anxiety and waiting of the waitlist, international students carry an additional burden: visa complications. Read the full story here. (December 2023)




The White House and Pentagon said Monday they are reviewing the circumstances surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins hospitalization last week and the lack of notification to White House officials that Austin had transferred authority to his deputy.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the review would examine what rules or procedures were not followed so they can "try to learn from this experience."

A Pentagon memo released late Monday said the Defense Department would carry out a 30-day review including the timeline of events and notifications since Austins hospitalization, the process for determining when the secretary is unable to perform his duties and recommendations for improving the process of notifying senior leaders.

This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred, and that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public, Austins Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen said in the memo.

For now, any transfer of authority will trigger notifications to a wider array of officials, including the Pentagon's general counsel, the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commanders, service secretaries, the service chiefs of staff, the White House Situation Room, and the senior staff of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Austin, just below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the U.S. military, developed complications from what has been described as an elective medical procedure he had on Dec. 22 and was hospitalized on Jan. 1.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said that at no time was national security in jeopardy" because of Austins hospitalization, although his duties were transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks during some of his hospitalization.

The spokesperson said Austin has no plans to resign.

"He continues to stay focused on conducting his duties as the secretary," Ryder said and is receiving operational and intelligence reports.

The spokesperson said Austin is no longer in the intensive care unit but is still at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center "in a more private area of the hospital. Ryder said the defense chief continues to experience discomfort, but his prognosis is good."

The Pentagon declined to disclose any details of Austins elective medical procedure.

For days, the 70-year-old Austin never told Biden or had the Pentagon announce his hospitalization, which would be commonplace for figures at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Austin said Saturday that he took "full responsibility" for the secrecy over his hospitalization.

But top Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, the leading 2024 Republican presidential candidate to face Biden in the November presidential election, called for Austins dismissal.

Austin should be fired for his "improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty," Trump said.

"He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was, or might be," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Republican Representative Elise Stefanik also called for Austins dismissal, saying in a statement, "There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him and a congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction of duty."

Officials disclosed Sunday that Austins hospitalization was kept far more secret than previously known, including from Hicks, his Pentagon deputy. Austin's duties require him to be available at a moment's notice to respond to any military or national security crisis.

Kirby said he had no information on the nature of Austins medical issue, but that Biden and Austin had talked in recent days.

"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.


White House officials met Monday with leaders from the technology and defense industry sectors to discuss how to give Ukraine cutting-edge U.S. equipment such as unmanned aerial systems or demining gear and support its bid to defend itself from Russia, according to U.S. National Security Council aides.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, convened the five-hour meeting between industry experts and government officials on new technological capabilities that would allow Ukraine to detect and counter Russian unmanned aerial systems and demine large areas in Ukraine as President Joe Bidens more than $100 billion supplemental aid package, which includes support for Ukraine, languishes in Congress.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged European Union countries on Monday to offer more military and financial assistance to Ukraine. He criticized EU member states for not delivering sufficient weapons to Kyiv and called on them to do more.

Although Germany lagged in its support to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, it is now one of the top providers of weapons and financial aid. Late last year, the country agreed to double its military aid for Ukraine in 2024 to $8.8 billion.

"As significant as the German contribution is, it will not be enough to ensure Ukraines security in the long run," Scholz said at a news conference in Berlin.

Russian air defense units downed 10 shells approaching the city of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border Monday. Three residents were injured in the shelling, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Belgorod has come under Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks. A missile and drone attack late last month killed 25 civilians, including five children.

Earlier, Russia resumed its winter bombardment strategy, pummeling several areas across Ukraine on Monday with its largest hypersonic and cruise missiles and killing at least four people while injuring 30 others.

Russias Defense Ministry said its forces had used precision sea-launched and air-launched long-range missiles, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, to strike what it called facilities of Ukraines military-industrial complex.

Western officials and analysts had warned that Russia was stockpiling its cruise missiles to target mainly Ukraines defense industry this winter, as opposed to the countrys infrastructure last winter. But so far, Russian strikes have frequently hit civilian areas.

Missiles, drones shot down

Ukraines air force said the countrys air defenses had shot down 18 cruise missiles and eight Shahed drones launched by Russia.

The Ukrainian air force said the targets of the missiles included critical infrastructure facilities, as well as civilian and military industrial sites. It also noted that not all missiles that were not intercepted reached their targets.

Oleksiy Kuleba, deputy head of Ukraines presidency, said Russian missiles had struck a shopping center and high-rise buildings in Kryvyi Rih, the south-central city that is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kuleba said one person was killed.

In the western region of Khmelnytskyi, officials said, a Russian missile strike killed at least two people.

Oleg Synegubov, the regional governor of the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, said one person was killed in the city of Zmiiv.

Zelenskyy expressed confidence Sunday that Russia could be defeated and warned that the war in Ukraine had shown that Europe should develop a joint weapons production with Ukraine and build a sufficient weapons arsenal for its defense.

Two years of this war have proven that Europe needs its own sufficient arsenal for the defense of freedom. Its own capabilities to ensure defense. Its own potential that will allow all of Europe, or any part of it, to stand and preserve itself under any global situation, he said.

Zelenskyy made the comments via a video link at a Stockholm defense conference, while Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom expressed his countrys commitment to support Kyiv.

Japan also pledged its support to Kyiv on Sunday when Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made an unannounced visit, becoming the first official foreign visitor in the Ukrainian capital in 2024.

Kamikawa, who was forced into a bomb shelter by an air alert in Kyiv, condemned Russias missile and drone attacks on civilians, adding that her country would provide an additional $37 million to a NATO trust fund to help purchase drone-detection systems.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Zambia has become the latest country to enact an Access to Information law, as President Hakainde Hichilema signed the bill last month, more than 20 years since it was first introduced in parliament. While some have welcomed the move, rights activists say the measure still falls short of international standards.

Under the new law, every citizen can request unclassified information from the government on any issue of public interest.

Grant Tungay, the spokesperson for the Zambian Civil Society Organizations Coalition on Access to Information, or ATI, said the new law is not perfect, but it is a good start.

This law will enable us to start to build a culture of openness and transparency and its going to take years for us to do this, but lets start now their good aspects and there are concerning aspects; but ultimately we have to start somewhere, and we can start to sensitize people to start to expect an openness and transparency from government officials, he said.

The new law aims to provide a right to access information as guaranteed in the U.N. Convention against Corruption and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

It also outlines the procedures to request information and places Zambias Human Rights Commission as an oversight institution on such requests.

According to the United Nations, access to information promotes the participation of citizens in governance, enhances public confidence in government and increases the legitimacy of public institutions.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa, or MISA, is an umbrella organization representing MISA national chapters in the Southern African Development Community.

MISA Zambias national chairperson, Lorraine Mwanza, said while she welcomes the new law, it may provide little help to journalists, opposition parties and civil society, as it does not address some critical issues.

The act should provide clear timelines stating how long one should wait when they request for information or when they appeal against decline to an information request from a public body, she said.

For opposition National Democratic Party leader Saboi Imboela, the new law does not meet regional and international standards on human rights such as the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection.

The Access to Information law is not something that a good number of us are happy about because if you look at it critically, it has actually been downscaled from the constitution and now very diluted, she said.

At a recent press conference, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said the enactment of the Access to Information law is a historic achievement.

Cornelius Mweetwa is the chief government spokesperson and minister of information and media. He said the new law is in line with the administrations campaign promise to promote human rights and democracy.

The president has assented to the Access to Information bill, which is now law, which has widened further the democratic space in Zambia, the precincts within which citizens freely participate in engaging the government," said Mweetwa.

Zambia now joins Angola, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, which have enacted access to information laws.
The answer is more complicated than a love story starring Bradley Cooper. Sort of. Photo: Jason McDonald/Netflix

On January 23, 2024, Maestro was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

I always knew that I wanted to direct something, Bradley Cooper explains in a featurette for A Star Is Born. And I always wanted to tell a love story because it just feels like something that everybody can relate to. Since then, Cooper has directed a second something, and it is, functionally, the same kind of movie. A Star Is Born is a love story about a tormented artist (country-rock star Jackson Maine, played by Cooper) and his wife (Ally, played by Lady Gaga). Maestro is a love story about a slightly less tormented artist (American conductor Leonard Bernstein, played by Cooper) and his wife (Felicia Montealegre Cohn, played by Carey Mulligan). Two movies is hardly a prolific body of work, but its enough to change some trailer text. Whereas A Star Is Born was touted as a movie by director Bradley Cooper before it was released, Maestro  now on Netflix  is a Bradley Cooper film.

What is a Bradley Cooper film, beyond a love story starring Bradley Cooper? A Star Is Born and Maestro share more than the obvious narrative similarities. Both are devoid of rote cinematic rhythm. They are not actually musicals; no one bursts into song. But there is plenty of singing in A Star Is Born, and Maestro does have a bit of dance, and all musical interludes are strategically deployed to heighten that which already feels big  immense flirting, significant love-making, a lot of fighting. It takes some time to adjust to all that enormity, as well as the pat-pat pattern of dialogue. Coopers characters banter quickly, haphazardly even, stumbling over what they mean as though they are running out of time to make their point. On top of it all, the director blocks like hes filming a screwball comedy in the 1930s, making full use of the 1:33 aspect ratio in the first half of Maestro. When Lenny and Felicia meet at a party, they sneak off to a side room for a rapid-fire expository dump, their profiles hovering at the borders of the frame until drunk friends suddenly appear in the center.

The MVP across both of Coopers films is cinematographer Matthew (or Matty, as Cooper refers to him) Libatique. In A Star Is Born and Maestro there are no functional villains  these are not stories of good guys and bad guys  but if there is any sense of malignant force, it is that of the gaze. To be a celebrity, as Coopers characters are, is to be watched at all times. Libatique shoots both films with a forceful intimacy, peeking through doors or windows. We are not watching so much as we are barging in. But while there is some menace to this lens on fame, there is also beauty, evidenced by Libatiques abundant use of sunlight and stage light. Fame affords Bernstein his sunny Connecticut property; it affords Jackson Maine a bright private plane. These shiny possessions are not only decadent but truly enviable.

How much of this style is Coopers intention? In order to grasp Coopers own prowess as a director, its useful to consider his influences. Though his latest, Maestro, is executive-produced by both Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, neither of these directors appears to make much of an impact on his work; Cooper is not as doggedly political as Scorsese or as ruefully nostalgic as Spielberg. His more significant mentors seem to be his two most frequent mid-2010s collaborators: David O. Russell and Clint Eastwood.

Russells manic romantic-comedy capers have fallen out of fashion (as has the director after allegations of sexual assault), but the unpredictability of his plotting lives on in Coopers work. When Russell was good, his movies were beguiling because you never knew if someone onscreen was going to kick someone else onscreen in the head. Coopers scripts, even if youd never know from watching his trailers, are abruptly silly too. Maestros best moment (outside of its six-minute-long Mahler sequence) is a visual gag in which, after a heated Thanksgiving Day argument, a giant Snoopy balloon drifts past the window of the Bernsteins apartment. The anger between the couple simmers, unspoken, as the iconic cartoon breezes by. Outside the window, this Snoopy sort of represents where he is in his life, Cooper explained to the New York Times. Its hard to know if hes kidding.

Eastwood, on the other hand, works in a more indulgent American-masculine style. In his films, men are weighed down by honor and expectation. Cooper says hes exploring love stories, but hes also making and remaking The Bridges of Madison County, a movie in which its director-star looks hot and the ending is tear-soaked and operatic. Coopers Jackson Maine is a traditional musician, meaning he plays with guitars, not synthesizers, and his songs reflect his own sorrows. But Coopers turn as Leonard Bernstein has a more direct line to the American masculine responsibility borne by the titular American Sniper Chris Kyle. They are both distracted husbands, overwhelmed by a sense of duty, and Cooper gives them an earnestness and a reflexive belief in themselves.

As moved as Cooper says he is by the concept of love stories, both of Coopers romances are tragically undone. Maine struggles with addiction and depression; Bernstein struggles with latent homosexual desire and depression. Their women try and fail nobly to keep them afloat, but they cannot contend with fate. In A Star Is Born, Maines suffering dominates the screen with a blustery obnoxiousness. Gaga holds her own against Coopers misery, even if shes forced to work in reaction and service to him. In Maestro, Cooper passes the baton to Mulligan for the second half of the film, when she is given the charge of brutally dying of cancer. Under the guise of selflessness or unyielding respect for whatever stage of feminism were in, he has also bestowed Mulligan with first billing in Maestro. The film commends Felicia for her stalwart bravery in continuing to love her husband through high and low, gay and kind of straight, but she is ultimately not the maestro of Maestro. Coopers heroines, well-meaning and independent and brilliantly performed, always collapse into gestures; this, too, makes a Bradley Cooper film A Bradley Cooper Film.

Its easy to label a director a genius  if you view filmmakers like surgeons, their work being either astounding or horrible with little room in between. But film is a ridiculous medium: whimsical, epic, strange. Directors can be surgeons, or they can be romantics. Cooper is undoubtedly the latter, even if the romance hes observing is more often between his lead character and himself. And with only two films, hes established his micro-genre as Oscars worthy: A Star Is Born was nominated in 2019, and while Maestro is still waiting on 2024s Academy nominee announcements, the movie managed to nab a Golden Globe nod.

In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Cooper was asked if hed rather have three Oscars (two for himself and one for Mulligan) for Maestro or see the Eagles win the Super Bowl. Like Hollywood greats before him (Chris Rock, Jack Nicholson, Jack White looking pissed off at the Cubs game), he is known for his undying sports-franchise loyalty, and so Cooper doesnt miss a beat. In the same rom-com patter of Lubitsch, he replies, Eagles Super Bowl victory. Is he lying? Stern thinks so. But consider this: Globes viewers joked about Coopers dead-eyed grin as he lost awards to Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy, ignoring the more brutal reality that the Eagles lost that night too. Maybe the real message in Coopers films truly is simpler  that any love can pull away the artifice of fame.
Photo: Trae Patton/CBS

Killers of the Flower Moon is deep into awards season, but Martin Scorsese is already thinking about his next move. He tells the Los Angeles Times that Pope Francis inspired him to write his next film about Jesus Christ after visiting him at the Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination conference in Italy. I have responded to the popes appeal to artists in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus, he explained about his newest project based on Shusaku Endos book A Life of Jesus. Scorsese confirmed he co-wrote the completed script with Kent Jones and will focus on Jesuss core teachings. Itll be about 80 minutes long and set in the present day, as he hopes to make it more accessible and separate the film from organized religion. Scorsese is planning to film sometime this year, so 33-year-old actors, you better get your monologues ready.
Romes fake street painters and bracelet scammers unmasked in viral videos.

Lithuanian magician Rokas Bernatonis has exposed a scam involving prints of Rome landmarks being sold as original watercolours to tourists visiting the Italian capital.

Bernatonis says he became "very suspicious" when he noticed the similarity of the images, featuring landmarks such as the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, being sold on streets across Rome.

The sellers all appear to be making the final touches to their latest artwork, often using a cheap set of watercolours or a children's paint set.

In a YouTube video titled "Exposing the biggest scam in Italy!" - viewed by 21 million people - Bernatonis challenges a print-seller near the Colosseum.

"They all do the same thing" - Bernatonis says in his video - " they put out their art on the street, set up a watercolour painting kit, hold a brush in their hand and then they all draw on paintings that are already finished."

Asked if the art is a print or an original work, the seller insists that it is "all hand-drawn".

However, to prove that the art for sale is printed rather than authentic, Bernatonis pours water on the print which remains virtually unchanged.

The irritated seller suggests that Bernatonis asks too many questions, saying: "If you don't like you don't take" before saying: "My friend, please going".

In the video, Bernatonis underlines his point by showing how a real watercolour is destroyed after being rubbed with water.

The magician also highlights another scam that has long targeted tourists, particularly around the Colosseum and along Via dei Fori Imperiali.

The scam involves unauthorised street sellers approaching tourists in a friendly manner, offering them a bracelet or small souvenir for free.

However as the tourists say goodbye, with the bracelets on their wrists, they suddenly face demands for money.

"Never give anything to these scammers" - Bernatonis says in his video - "they become quite aggressive if you don't give them what they ask for".

While these scams catch tourists unawares in Rome every day, they are well known to Romans, with one commenting on social media: You needed a magician to point this out?
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.
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 We put the natural world under a microscope and answer some curly questions about meteors, rogue waves and more. See all 14 stories . Sand aint just sand, says Peter Redmond. St Kilda beach, near the pier? Trash. Theres about 100 millimetres you can use, but the rest is just really grainy, gluggy, crappy. Bondi? Beautiful sand to work with because its had a billion people walking over it constantly. Manly is the same. And the raw material in Western Australia? Totally different  what you would call a sharp sand. By which he means if you study a sprinkle of grains under the microscope, they look like miniature crystals, not rounded-off kitty-litter pellets but all edges, corners and facets. Which, in the world of professional sand sculptors, is apparently good, since they kind of lock together like LEGO. What competition-winning sand sculptors  who are the Formula 1 drivers of sandcastle building  like Redmond mostly use for their creations is not plain old beach sand at all. Instead, they order up something similar but much more consistent, which enables them to craft elaborate structures that would otherwise prove elusive. Yet their techniques and know-how can still help us rank amateurs as we while away an afternoon on our seaside holiday. How can we all build a more satisfying sandcastle? Why would we want to? And what happens when the tide washes in? A modernist-inspired sandcastle by the American sculptor Calvin Seibert. Credit: Calvin Seibert What can sandcastles teach us about human nature? The transience of sandcastles  painstakingly built only for the tide, or an errant dog or a toddler, to sweep them away  has long been a go-to metaphor for the futility of existence. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote of a primordial united force, or god-like creature who, like a child, sets down stones here, there, and the next place, and who builds up piles of sand only to knock them down again. In this way, observes Iranian philosopher Hamidreza Mahboobi Arani, Nietzsche suggests the entire universe, including ourselves, is nothing more than a momentary configuration of shapes in the sand.

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In one Buddhist childrens story, The Secret of the Sand Castles, a group of children are playing at the beach when they start arguing about whose sandcastle is best and  yes  end up trampling the lot. A magical wise man arrives to teach them that the sandcastles did not matter nearly as much as creating a harmonious world with each other. Influential US psychoanalyst Stephen Mitchell, who died in 2000, once used sandcastles as an analogy for a relationship, which he called a sandcastle for two  requiring constant maintenance, an awareness of lifes fragility and an understanding that this other person, like a sandcastle, ultimately lies outside ones control. He wrote: We create an illusion of ownership. But conscious or not; acknowledged or not; we know that we can never completely control the one we love. Another of Calvin Seiberts creations, which he says are inspired by obscure influences including late Soviet architecture, futurist set designers and Eritrean petrol stations. Drawing a longer bow in his book, Darwins Sandcastle, author Gordon Wilson argues his case against evolutionary theory, suggesting: Its about time this philosophy is seen for what it is: a sandcastle on the beach, in the face of the rising tide. Musicians, too, are drawn to the analogy. Stevie Wonder went there in 1964, warning listeners that romances generally lasted about as long as, well, Remember what happens to castles of sand  the sea will wash them away. Beyonce echoed the theme even more gloomily in 2016, recalling how we built sandcastles that washed away  I made you cry when I walked away. Metaphors aside, many people who make sandcastles and related sand art (which can take a multitude of forms) seem to enjoy their structures impermanence: the opportunity to build and enjoy then destroy and start anew, no two constructions exactly alike. Seibert photographs his work in the late afternoon, when longer shadows make for a more dramatic effect.

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Enough of the metaphysical, what about the physical? Scientists and engineers have taken as much interest in the humble sandcastle as philosophers, not only in the usually futile search for the perfect construction technique but to understand how the behaviour of sand grains can have wider applications. Sand, of course, is one of our most essential resources. Without sand, we couldnt have contemporary civilisation, writes Vince Beiser in The World in a Grain, noting its ubiquity in everyday life as the raw material for, among other things, concrete, glass, the silicon chips inside our phones and computers, and even the glue that makes your sticky notes stick. A castle etched onto the surface of an individual grain of sand by artists Marcelo Coelho and Vik Muniz. Credit: Marcelo Coelho and Vik Muniz Sand, for the record, is defined as (deep breath here) a naturally occurring granular material composed of fine weathered mineral particles. Its typically sand if the particles are between, according to one common definition (they vary), 0.0625 millimetres and two millimetres in size. Larger particles than that are gravel; smaller ones are clays or silt. The most common form of sand is mostly silica, in the form of quartz; other sands can comprise bits of coral, volcanic detritus, natural glass and the ground-down shells of long-dead sea creatures, known as calcium carbonate. In the Caribbean and the Hawaiian islands, meantime, most of the white sand beaches (there are volcanic ones, too) have been created by parrotfish eating reef coral and excreting it as sand. As previously suggested, the shape of each particle can vary dramatically (at least as seen under a powerful microscope) depending on the base material and how long it has been exposed to the elements. Desert sand is windblown and rounded; marine sand, particularly river or glacial sand, less wind-weathered, is typically sharper and can contain fine silt, which helps to lock together the grains and is prized by aficionados. This will not trouble you: use whatever sand is at hand. What is more critical at this stage is water.

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Peter Redmond in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston in 2009. Credit: Luis Ascui In its native state, says Dr Francois Guillard, a particles and grains expert at the University of Sydney, sand is unusual in that it can be both super-firm  like the stuff we walk on at the beach  or itself behave as a fluid, such as when it flows through an hourglass. Where it gets really interesting, though, is when you start to add a little water to the mix and the sand particles, water and air start to stick together. Whats happening, microscopically, is that the liquids capillary effect  a combination of surface tension and adhesion  is bridging the gaps between your grains of sand, loosely bonding them. The rules of capillary condensation were first laid down by British mathematician and engineer William Thomson, better known today as Lord Kelvin, in 1871. They were updated in 2020 by a team of researchers at the University of Manchester, led by Nobel Prize winner Andre Geim, who found: Such important properties as friction, adhesion, stiction, lubrication and corrosion are strongly affected, if not governed, by capillary condensation. This phenomenon is important in many technological processes used by microelectronics, pharmaceutical, food and other industries  and even sandcastles could not be built by children if not for capillary condensation. Italics are our own. The worlds tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, actually has Australian sand in its concrete. Add too much liquid, though, and these capillary bonds start to fail, and you just have water everywhere, says Guillard. This is useful to know, and not just for sandcastles. How particles in general behave affects many industries, from pharmaceuticals to construction. If I have a bulldozer that is pushing a pile of sand, Guillard says, what kind of force is that going to require to move the material? He points out that the worlds tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (at nearly 830 metres), actually has Australian sand in its concrete  the local stuff, made of grains rounded for millennia by the wind, was ruled out. Obviously, theres a lot of sand in the desert nearby, but its not really suitable. Marlies Bielderman and Anael Beauregard carve the Sphinx of Giza into the sand at a sculpting festival in northern Germany. Credit: AP

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Whichever way you build your castle, then  and there are a few methods (more on that soon)  its critical to get the ratio of sand and water fairly right, both before you start and as you proceed. That said, how much water you use is seemingly still contested. Some experts prefer the just enough theory, which takes into account the type of sand in a particular location and  another wildcard  the amount of salt in the water, which may have its own mildly adhesive properties. In the lab, physicist Daniel Bonn found he was able to build the highest towers with just one part of water to 99 parts of sand. Bonn was also part of a team, incidentally, that performed experiments to demonstrate how the ancient Egyptians might have made it easier to move around pieces of pyramid  by adding a little water to sand underfoot to make it more solid. This might answer the riddle of a wall painting found in the tomb of Djehutihotep, which shows a worker pouring water onto the sand in front of a sled carrying an enormous statue. (For years, Egyptologists assumed it was some kind of purification ritual: it actually may have had a practical purpose.) In 2008, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Gottingen in Germany, used X-ray microtomography (which creates 3D models of microscopic objects) to show that the precise amount of water between grains didnt matter as much as everybody thought. From less than 1 per cent water to more than 10 per cent, they found, the sand-water-air mass remained just as stiff. These properties are not only significant for the construction of sandcastles, said Professor Stephan Herminghaus. Wet granulates are relevant in very many fields, and now we have a better understanding of their mechanical properties. The man in the red circle wets sand to help move a giant statue while building the tomb of Djehutihotep in 1900BC. Credit: Getty Images A specialist in prehistoric footprints, Matthew Bennett, professor of environmental and geographical sciences at Bournemouth University in England, suggests one bucket of water to eight buckets of dry sand is probably most effective in real life  its typically the sand-water mix you find at the high tide line, which looks damp. Bennett knows this because in 2004 he was commissioned by a travel company to find Britains best spot for building sandcastles, unexpectedly propelling him to media stardom and making him known henceforth as Professor Sandcastle. That is the lesson in the sandcastle saga: most folks have played in the sand, it is something folks can connect to. Professor Matthew Bennett Given the demands of his day job  he has published widely in the fields of glaciology, sedimentology and geomorphology  Bennett initially found the burst of attention slightly galling, writing on his blog: If the public want fluff, let them have it, better something than nothing, right? Nearly 20 years later, he tells us that he appreciates the episodes upside. Sandcastles is not a bad vehicle to talk to the public about science. What works is the emotional connection, not how sophisticated the research is or where it is published. That is the lesson in the sandcastle saga: most folks have played in the sand, it is something folks can connect to.

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Towns across Mayo have reported a strong Christmas trade.

Credit and debit card data for the first two weeks of December published by Bank of Ireland revealed that spending levels rose nationwide by 8% overall compared to the same period in 2022 and local businesses benefited from shoppers choosing to shop local.

Ballina Chamber of Commerce CEO Mags Downey-Martin said local businesses enjoyed strong Christmas sales.

Two local businesses told me that their sales are up about 20% on Christmas 2022 and it was a very profitable holiday season for them this year, she said. All of our bars and restaurants had a good Christmas as well. We had a long run into Christmas Day from Sunday until the following Monday and our hospitality businesses were busy, most restaurants had been booked out well in advance.

She said there is a greater emphasis on shopping locally among Ballina consumers.

There is definitely a stronger ethos about shopping locally. We have been running Shop Local vouchers since 2016. Voucher sales catapulted during Covid and we thought they would come down now but instead, we posted record sales this year, surpassing a quarter of a million euro in sales. People are happy to stay local and source local products wherever possible.

Anne Conlon, President of the Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, said local retailers experienced a similar bonanza.

We had a very strong lead-up to Christmas, which then continued over the Christmas period.

During Covid, a lot of people tried to support local and realised there was great value locally, that what they were looking for was already there.

Ms Downey-Martin acknowledged that 2024 is going to be tough for local businesses, particularly with increases to the minimum wage. She said that the Chambers network would be calling for further business support where needed.

Ms Conlon said Castlebar Chamber will be in constant dialogue with its members to ensure they remain resilient into 2024.

January and February are always quiet months but we have a lot of established businesses who have come through a lot and that will play to our strengths.

We have a coffee morning on January 19 to bring members together with the head of the Castlebar MD David Mellett to talk about developing our town, to get a feel for whatever weaknesses we might have, as well as our strengths, she said.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Two Irish-Palestinian sisters are walking hundreds of kilometres in an effort to raise tens of thousands of euro for their relatives in Gaza.

Sara Abu Selmia and her sister Emma are walking more than 300 kilometres across January to raise money for approximately 100 relatives who have been displaced during the conflict in Gaza since October.

Sara Abu Selmia explained where the idea to fundraise for their relatives in Gaza came from: The biggest thing is probably this feeling of helplessness almost, sitting and watching whats going and how can we make a difference or doing something to help.

Im 26 and my sister is 22 and she gets to go to college and study every day, and have dreams and aspirations and I have a career that I get to progress in but we have cousins are own age in Gaza and it was kind of almost that guilt of how different our lives are versus theirs.

So it was looking at what the next six, 12 months will be of their lives and thinking how could we do something to get them back on their feet.

Sara and Emma Abu Selmia. Photo: Sara Abu Selmia/PA.

She said that they wanted to do a fundraiser that could help contextualise what Palestinians have gone through during the mass displacement of people from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Sara said that her relatives had to move from an area where they were all living close by over fears that three generations could have been killed in a single strike.

Theyve only ever known living all together and now theyre all being separated from each other.

It is a small thing, but it is another element for them to be dealing with.

She said that as time has progressed, more and more homes have been destroyed and some of her relatives are now living in tents.

Over the month of January, the sisters are running and walking 320km to represent the 40km that each of their eight aunts and uncles travel by foot with their families when they were displaced from their home in northern Gaza to Rafa in the south.

We thought the story of the journey our aunts and uncles have taken and that 320km is a big undertaking for us spread out over a month, and it is something they had to do overnight.

Sara Abu Selmia said the money raised will go directly to their family, many of whom work in hospitals in Gaza.

Sara and Emma with their parents Mohammed and Martina. Photo: Sara Abu Selmia/AP.

The money raised will be distributed to those in greatest need to try and rebuild their lives after the war.

She said she is able to stay in touch with some of their relatives through social media, but internet cuts has made it difficult to get through.

Every day when we wake up its checking for proof of life, which even to say out loud is insane.

But, yeah, just touching base and making sure theyre OK, keeping track of where everyone is.

She said she hoped the money raised can alleviate one small stress from their day, which may be to buy food, get access to clean water, or other necessities.

Its a drop in the ocean.

Its never going to be enough, but if the generosity of the Irish people can help with that, theres such a sense of community over there that they will look to their left and right and make sure that they can eat that day.

Asked how the first week of walks has went, Sara Abu Selmia said: The walks have been going good, cold, but weve been wrapping up.

It is so lovely.

When we started, me and Emma would do it, but now people have reached out and asked if they can do 10km with us and I think we basically have people booked in for every day of the week.

It has warmed our hearts for sure, the generosity and kindness from people.

:: As of Tuesday morning, the sisters have raised more than 30,000 through their GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/sara-and-emmas-walk-for-gaza
EXETER TWP., Pa.  The Exeter Township Board of Supervisors elected a new supervisor to a two-year term Monday night.

George Bell is a familiar face to Exeter residents, having recently served as the chair and vice chair of the board. Bell was defeated for reelection in November by the new chair, John (Jack) Piho.

The vote for Bell was 3-2, with Supervisors Michelle Kircher and Clarence Hamm in favor and Piho and Supervisor David Hughes  who frequently clashed with Bell  opposed. The tie vote, per law, was broken by vacancy chair Dianna Reeser, who resigned as an Exeter Township supervisor in April 2022.

Eight candidates submitted applications to the board for consideration, including Bell and the most recent chair, David Vollmer. The applicants were all given 12-minute interviews and answered the same questions prepared by the supervisors, who were then allowed to ask their own questions.

In addition to Bell, candidate Robert Homan was nominated by Hughes. However, by the rules, Bell was elected before a vote was taken on Homan.

In his interview, Bell said there were a few aspects to why he wanted to be a supervisor.

"One, I consider it basically a civic duty," he started. "I also know that it's important to look out for the health and welfare of our fellow constituents and residents."

Bell said he personally does not have any political ambitions. Asked about his background, Bell noted that he is a graduate of Penn State University and a resident of the area for 25 years.

On a professional level, he pointed out that he has experience serving as a supervisor and that he and his wife "do a lot of work supporting charities."

"I worked for two major employers in the financial services industry," Bell continued, "and I led teams there, and hired folks to fill those teams." He also pointed to his work on the Perkiomen Avenue Streetscape project as an example of his problem-solving skills.

Bell told the supervisors that his top priority would be filling the township manager position. "An excellent township manager might come from outside the current stable of excellent employees we have in Exeter," he commented.

Another priority, according to Bell, would be to work on a comprehensive plan with the neighboring townships.

His third priority would be some type of new building for the firefighters. "The facilities are aging, and this is an important thing to consider moving forward," he said. "I don't know if it's a firehouse in a vacuum, or if this is part of a grander plan for facilities."

In reply to a question from Hamm, Bell said he believes the 2024 budget was the best that could be achieved under difficult circumstances and that it should not be reopened. He said that supervisors have the power of the purse string, and they can choose to withhold money as they see fit.

Following Hamm, Bell and Hughes battled over Robert's Rules of Order, the qualities of leaders, the Perkiomen Streetscape project, and Hughes' questioning of whether Bell told any township employees to spend money with the supervisor's authorization. Later, Hughes said he would be an emphatic "no" vote against Bell's election.

New police officers

Two new police officers were sworn in by District Judge Sandra Fegley.

Alexander Garcia is a Philadelphia native and a December graduate of the Montgomery County Police Academy who gives the Exeter police force additional Spanish language capabilities.

David Cloen is a native of Boyertown. He was home-schooled and graduated from the Reading Police Academy in December.

Other business

The supervisors approved a motion to move forward on the "Green Light Go" grant. This is a $120,000 state grant, with a 20% or $30,000 match from the township to upgrade the traffic signals at four locations along Perkiomen Avenue.

An ordinance was adopted by a 3-1 vote to select Trident Insurance Agency, Devon, as the township's property and liability agent.

Also, supervisors approved the purchase of Pineland Park playground equipment estimated at $71,209, including installation and safety surfacing.
Applications for a vacancy on Northampton County Council must be due in by Friday at 4:30 p.m.



The nine-person council, which serves as the county's legislative body, has a vacancy due to the resignation of Tara Zrinski to take over as County Controller.



Zrinski is a Democrat, but the county's Home Rule Charter does not require her replacement to be of the same party. The current Council has five Democrats and three Republicans.



The Council passes ordinances and approves spending. The administrative side of the government is run by the elected County Executive, Lamont G. McClure, also a Democrat.



The jobs is part-time and pays $12,000 per year. The duties include attending a lot of meetings and reviewing budgets.



The only requirement is that an applicant have lived in Northampton County for one year before applying.



"Each elected official shall have resided in the County continuously during the year preceding the commencement of his term of office," is all it says. When the charter uses "his" or "him," it also encompasses women, according to a note in the 89-page document. The Home Rule Charter is the county's Constitution.



"As of now everyone of every party, independent, Democrat, Republican, any person is allowed to apply and all applications will be accepted," Council President Lori Vargo Heffner said Jan. 4.



Applicants should send 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 via fax to 610-559-3106.



Applications must be in by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12.



For more information, call the County Council office at 610-829-6596.
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  At its bimonthly meeting Monday night, the Bethlehem Area Board of School Directors discussed strategies to address the district's third-party debt collection issues.

According to a presentation at the meeting, Bethlehem Area School District has an outstanding accounts receivable balance of $768,539.

Of this total, $504,539 is from the district's general fund account, which includes outstanding tuition payments for employees earning advanced degrees ($147,000), technology ($25,000) and other debts ($332,529). The remaining $264,000 is from its dining services account, which primarily deals with school lunch debts.

Much of Monday's discussion focused on the extent to which the district should prioritize recovering losses in each area. Board members generally agreed that going after outstanding tuition payments and the largest "abuses" of reduced lunch payments should be key focuses.

According to board member M. Rayah Levy, the financial effect of employees receiving tuition payments and then leaving the district for other education jobs and not repaying their tuition debt could be mitigated by making the employees sign stronger, binding contracts. Such contracts would keep these employees in the district for up to four to six years after they earn their advanced degrees or until their debt is paid, Levy said.

Board members said that the lunch debt issue would be more complicated to solve, as many families simply lack the money to keep up with their children's food costs.

"It's difficult with the school lunch situation and trying to get money from parents," Levy said. "There's a reason why, perhaps, that they're lagging behind, and they're unable to pay."

In collecting lunch debts, board Vice President Shannon Patrick said the district should first target parents who are "abusing the system"  those who have the means to pay their children's food bills but are not paying. Some families owe up to a year's worth in lunch debts, Patrick said.

Member Winston Alozie echoed Patrick's sentiment, calling attempts to enforce lunch debt payments "a wash" without more proactive contracts and negotiations. The district should focus on lunch and tuition debt payments because it would be easier to recover losses in those categories than $25,000 in technology for devices that are no longer usable, Alozie said.

More information about the district's third-party debt collection measures will be available in the coming months as administrators work to draft collection policies.

The Bethlehem Area school board will next meet on Monday, Jan. 22. This meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the East Hills Middle School auditorium, according to district documents.
Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on News/Talk 710 KNUS. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the Allentown area Friday.

According to a White House statement, Biden will tout his economic agenda.

"The President will discuss how communities across America are coming back thanks to Bidenomics and his Investing in America agenda, which have ushered in a small business boom, created good-paying jobs with rising wages, strengthened local economies, and lowered costs for hardworking families," the White House said in its statement.

The time and location of the visit haven't been released yet.

It'll be the president's second stop in Pennsylvania in a week. He was in Montgomery County last Friday.

Biden's last trip to the Lehigh Valley was in 2021, when he visited Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie Township.
TRENTON, N.J.  Four New Jersey state senators have been chosen for leadership positions within the legislative body, state Senate President Nick Scutari announced Tuesday.

According to a press release from the New Jersey Senate Democrats, Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Hunterdon/Mercer) will become the new Senate President Pro Tempore.

Turner was elected by the full Senate on Tuesday, the press release said.

Sens. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen/Passaic), Nellie Pou (D-Bergen) and Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) will continue to serve in their current respective roles of Deputy Majority Leady, Senate Majority Caucus Chair and Senate Majority Whip through the 2024-25 legislative session, the press release said.
TOWAMENCIN TWP., Pa. - From impassioned campaign speeches, up close jockeying for support, to voting for past, current and possible future candidates by state delegates.

It's the North Penn High School simulated political convention.

"We're gonna lead this country someday. And I think it's important that we get these people politically minded," said event co-organizer senior MJ Careq.

This Montgomery County student-run independent party convention comes with all the political trimmings of bunting, banners and convention correspondents.

This North Penn Convention dates to 1976. They cram 4 days of a typical political convention into about 7 hours.

"Helping them understand how political parties are actually organized and how they work and what they do," said social studies teacher Brian Haley.

For senior Farhana Meme, who was a mock surrogate for the convention, Pennsylvania Governor and as-of-now fictional Presidential candidate Josh Shapiro serves as inspiration to vote this November.

"Idea of delegates and being able to speak your opinion and what you believe in really makes you feel like you have a voice in it all," she said.

As fellow Senior Jayla Prince, who served as a surrogate for Nikki Haley, discovered, sometimes the best way to understand the other side is to go there.

"Personally, I wouldn't represent Nikki Haley. But I think the idea of like, going out of your comfort zone and talking about new people, new ideas, different political opinions," she said.

A political theme we could all learn from.
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa.  The Perkiomen Valley Board of School Directors voted Monday night to approve a unique addition to one of its schools: a facility dog for the district's Middle School West.

Before the approval, Director of Special Education Kimberly Boyd requested the canine addition.

The request outlined costs to be at most $10,000 for the initial spend. Acquiring the dog from Dog Sense LLC will cost $7,550, and the associated costs of animal ownership, such as veterinary care and food, are projected at roughly $2,000. Annually, the facility dog will cost the district $2,000.

Supported by the district's wellness committee, Boyd said the measure will lead to multiple benefits.

Boyd explained that other districts that have brought facility dogs onto their teams consider them the "flight team," which is immediately deployed to offer therapy to those who have experienced a trauma or tragedy.

Those districts said having a facility dog had a "significant impact on healing for staff and students" when such unfortunate events occurred.

Boyd said that canines offer therapy during tough times but can also help children with social and emotional development and gross motor skills, as well as improve school culture and climate.

The board unanimously supported the measure.

"Congratulations, Middle School West team," said board member Don Fountain. "I think this is an amazing, solid idea in every way  not just for students but for staff."

Property tax/rent rebate program

The board also voted to adopt a measure that would lessen tax burdens for specific groups. The tax resolution allows for a property tax and rent rebate program to qualifying senior citizens, widows, widowers and disabled persons with fixed and limited incomes.

The measure is effective for the 2024-25 fiscal year. According to board documents, the program applies to both homeowners and renters.

Principles of government

In other news, the board voted to commit to the principles of government from the Pennsylvania School Board Association to "lead responsibly, act ethically, plan thoughtfully, evaluate continuously, communicate clearly, advocate earnestly and govern effectively."

Board President Laura White suggested the board make the principles of governance and leadership the goals and focus of the board.

"We cannot effectively work towards specific board goals above and beyond the principles of governance and leadership if each of us as board members is not upholding the listed principles of governance," said White.

"(The principles) provide a pretty good blueprint to operate as a board," said board member Todd McKinney. Board member Wayde Weston added that the board should attach goals associated with the principals to track progress.

Policy committee meetings

White also announced a new format for the board's policy committee meetings. According to White, public attendees can give their direct input in a conversational format  a departure from a standard timed feedback period where discussion is not allowed.

Detention facility

Secure detention facility planned for Perkiomen Valley School District The secure detention facility would house court-placed individuals aged 14 to 21.

The district also announced Monday that a new secure detention facility is proposed for a May 2024 opening in the district. The facility would house court-placed individuals aged 14 to 21 who would not integrate or participate in the district's activities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education informed the district of this addition in mid-December, said Superintendent Barbara Russell, who called it "a very different and new venture for the district."
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa.  Perkiomen Valley School District announced Monday that a new secure detention facility is proposed for a May 2024 opening in the district.

The facility would be constructed on the property of State Correctional Institution (SCI) Phoenix in Collegeville. SCI Phoenix is a 3,830-bed facility situated on the property of SCI Graterford, according to the state Department of Corrections website.

The secure detention facility would house court-placed individuals aged 14 to 21, who would not integrate or participate in the district's activities.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education informed the district of this addition in mid-December, said Superintendent Barbara Russell, who called it "a very different and new venture for the district."

"It's really new information that we don't know a lot about yet," Russell said.

During Monday night's school board meeting, board member Jason Saylor commented that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Service "has not provided adequate information on this operational start date."

"Their expectations are great, but that's a very short timeline," Saylor said.

Russell did say that there would be no initial hit to the district's budget.

She said she would keep the public and the board updated as they were informed of the next steps.

School board approves facility dog to provide therapy, support Canines offer therapy and can help with social and emotional development and gross motor skills, Perkiomen Valley's special education director said.

In other news, the board voted to approve a unique addition to one of its schools: a facility dog for the district's Middle School West.

The board also voted to adopt a measure that would lessen tax burdens for specific groups. The tax resolution allows for a property tax and rent rebate program to qualifying senior citizens, widows, widowers and disabled persons with fixed and limited incomes.
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP)  Masked men broke onto the set of a public television channel in Ecuador waving guns and explosives during a live broadcast Tuesday, and the president issued a decree declaring that the violence-plagued country had entered an internal armed conflict.

The men armed with pistols and what looked like sticks of dynamite entered the set of the TC Television network in the port city of Guayaquil during a news program that was airing live in thousands of homes across the nation and shouted that they had bombs. Noises similar to gunshots could be heard.

No one was killed in the attack, and authorities later said that all the masked intruders had been arrested, 13 in all, and would be charged with terrorism.

Authorities have not said who was behind the television station occupation, or a series of other attacks that have shaken the South American country recently, but they follow the apparent escapes from prison of two leaders of Ecuadors most powerful drug gangs.

Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room at TC Television, across from the studio, when the masked men burst into the building. One of them pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, Manrique said.

The incident was aired live, although the station's signal was cut off after about 15 minutes. Manrique said some of the assailants ran from the studio and tried to hide when they realized they were surrounded by police.

I am still in shock Manrique told The Associated Press in a phone interview. Everything has collapsed .... All I know is that its time to leave this country and go very far away.

Ecuador has been rocked by a series of attacks, including the abductions of several police officers, in the wake of a notorious gang leaders apparent weekend escape from prison. President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a national state of emergency, a measure that lets authorities suspend peoples rights and mobilize the military in places like prisons.

Shortly after the gunmen stormed the TV station, Noboa issued another decree designating 20 drug trafficking gangs operating in the country as terrorist groups and authorizing Ecuador's military to neutralize" them within the bounds of international humanitarian law. It also said the country had entered an internal armed conflict.

Ecuadors attorney generals office said the 13 people arrested will be charged with terrorism. It tweeted that it will present the charges in coming hours. Ecuadorian law establishes a penalty of up to 13 years in prison for anyone convicted of terrorism.

The government has not said how many attacks have taken place since authorities announced that Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, was discovered missing from his cell in a low security prison Sunday. He was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum security facility that day.

On Tuesday, Ecuadorean officials announced that another gang leader, Fabricio Colon Pico of the Los Lobos group, had escaped from a prison in the town of Riobamba. Colon Pico was captured on Friday as part of a kidnapping investigation and has also been accused of trying to murder one of the nations lead prosecutors.

Other attacks have included an explosion near the house of the president of the National Justice Court and the Monday night kidnappings of four police officers. Police said one officer was abducted in the capital, Quito, and three in Quevedo city.

Will Freeman, a political analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that while gangs in Ecuador have previously assassinated a presidential candidate and set off car bombs in front of government buildings, Tuesday's events marked a new peak in violence in the country.

This is a turning point, Freeman said. Depending on how the government responds it will set the precedent for these kinds of incidents to continue, or it will use this as a catalyst and make some very necessary structural reforms so that the state can start to win its war against crime.

Located on South America's Pacific coast between Peru and Colombia, the world's largest cocaine producers, Ecuador has become a key transit point for the drug in recent years. Much of the violence suffered by the country comes as drug gangs fight each other and the government for control of ports and smuggling routes.

Freeman said that Ecuador's government will have to find ways to control prisons, from where gang leaders continue to lead their operations and might have to consider extraditing some of the top criminal leaders to the United States. The nation of 20 million people might also have to make judicial reforms to give judges greater safety and enable them to anonymously rule over cases involving the drug gangs.

If these guys can storm a TV station or kill a presidential candidate you as a judge will not go up against them unless you really have strong assurances of your safety, Freeman said.

Los Choneros is one of the Ecuadorian gangs that authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence, much of tied to drug trafficking, that reached a new level last year with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The gang has links with Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, according to authorities.

The whereabouts of Macias are unknown. Prosecutors opened an investigation and charged two guards in connection with his alleged escape, but neither the police, the corrections system, nor the federal government confirmed whether the prisoner fled the facility or might be hiding in it.

In February 2013, he escaped from a maximum security facility but was recaptured weeks later.

Noboa said in a message on Instagram that he wouldnt stop until he brings back peace to all Ecuadorians, and that his government had decided to confront crime. The wave of attacks began a few hours after Noboas announcement.

States of emergency were widely used by Noboas predecessor, Guillermo Lasso, as a way to confront the wave of violence that has affected the country.

Macias, who was convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organized crime, was serving a 36-year sentence in La Regional prison in the port of Guayaquil.

Los Choneros and other similar groups linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels are fighting over drug trafficking routes and control of territory, including from within detention facilities, where more than 450 inmates have died since 2021, according to authorities.

Solano reported from Quito, Ecuador. Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed.
Today

Partly sunny, breezy, and noticeably colder; gusty winds add a chill. A sprinkle or flurry possible, mainly north and west.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, windy, and cold. Brisk winds add a chill. There could be an early flurry, especially north and west.

Tomorrow

Partly sunny but brisk and chilly with wind chills near or below freezing for much of the day. A sprinkle or flurry possible, mainly north and west.
Africans discovered fossils first

A new study shows Africans discovered dinosaur fossils long before the term palaeontology existed.

Credit for discovering the first dinosaur bones usually goes to British gentlemen for their finds between the 17th and 19th centuries in England. Robert Plot, an English natural history scholar, was the first of these to describe a dinosaur bone, in his 1676 book The Natural History of Oxfordshire. Over the next two centuries dinosaur palaeontology would be dominated by numerous British natural scientists.

But our study shows that the history of palaeontology can be traced back much further into the past. We present evidence that the first dinosaur bone may have been discovered in Africa as early as 500 years before Plots.

Were a team of scientists who study fossils in South Africa. Peering through the published and unpublished archaeological, historical and palaeontological literature, we discovered that there has been interest in fossils in Africa for as long as there have been people on the continent.

This is not a surprise. Humankind originated in Africa: Homo sapiens has existed for at least 300,000 years. And the continent has a great diversity of rock outcrops, such as the Kem Kem beds in Morocco, the Fayum depression in Egypt, the Rift Valley in east Africa and the Karoo in southern Africa, containing fossils that have always been accessible to our ancestors.

So it wasnt just likely that African people discovered fossils first. It was inevitable.

More often than not, the first dinosaur fossils supposedly discovered by scientists were actually brought to their attention by local guides. Examples are the discovery of the gigantic dinosaurs Jobaria by the Tuaregs in Niger and Giraffatitan by the Mwera in Tanzania.

Our paper reviews whats known about African indigenous knowledge of fossils. We list fossils that appear to have long been known at various African sites, and discuss how they might have been used and interpreted by African communities before the science of palaeontology came to be.

Bolahla rock shelter in Lesotho

One of the highlights of our paper is the archaeological site of Bolahla, a Later Stone Age rock shelter in Lesotho. Various dating techniques indicate that the site was occupied by the Khoesan and Basotho people from the 12th to 18th centuries (1100 to 1700 AD). The shelter itself is surrounded by hills made of consolidated sediments that were deposited under a harsh Sahara-like desert some 180 million to 200 million years ago, when the first dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

This part of Lesotho is particularly well known for delivering the species Massospondylus carinatus, a 4 to 6 metre, long-necked and small-headed dinosaur. Fossilised bones of Massospondylus are abundant in the area and were already so when the site was occupied by people in the Middle Ages.

In 1990, archaeologists working at Bolahla discovered that a finger bone of Massospondylus, a fossil phalanx, had been transported to the cave. There are no fossil skeletons sticking out the walls of the cave, so the only chance that this phalanx ended up there was that someone in the distant past picked it up and carried it to the cave. Perhaps this person did so out of simple curiosity, or to turn it into a pendant or toy, or to use it for traditional healing rituals.

After heavy rains, it is not unusual that the people in the area discover the bones of extinct species that have been washed out of their mother-rock. They usually identify them as belonging to a dragon-like monster that devours people or even whole houses. In Lesotho, the Basotho call the monster Kholumolumo, while in South Africas bordering Eastern Cape province, the Xhosa refer to it as Amagongqongqo.

The exact date when the phalanx was collected and transported is unfortunately lost to time. Given the current knowledge, it could have been at any time of occupation of the shelter from the 12th to 18th centuries. This leaves open the possibility that this dinosaur bone could have been collected up to 500 years prior to Robert Plots find.

Early knowledge of extinct creatures

Most people knew about fossils well before the scientific era, for as far back as collective societal memories can go. In Algeria, for example, people referred to some dinosaur footprints as belonging to the legendary Roc bird. In North America, cave paintings depicting dinosaur footprints were painted by the Anasazi people between AD 1000 and 1200. Indigenous Australians identified dinosaur footprints as belonging to a legendary Emu-man. To the south, the notorious conquistador Hernan Cortes was given the fossil femur of a Mastodon by the Aztecs in 1519. In Asia, Hindu people refer to ammonites (coiled fossil-sea-shells) as Shaligrams and have been worshipping them for more than 2,000 years.

Claiming credit

The fact that people in Africa have long known about fossils is evident from folklore and the archaeological record, but we still have much to learn about it. For instance, unlike the people in Europe, the Americas and Asia, indigenous African palaeontologists seem to have seldom used fossils for traditional medicine. We are still unsure whether this is a genuinely unique cultural trait shared by most African cultures or if it is due to our admittedly still incomplete knowledge.

Also, some rather prominent fossil sites, such as the Moroccan Kem Kem beds and South African Unesco Cradle of Humankind caves, have still not provided robust evidence for indigenous knowledge. This is unfortunate, as fossil-related traditions could help bridge the gap between local communities and palaeontologists, which in turn could contribute preserving important heritage sites.

By exploring indigenous palaeontology in Africa, our team is putting together pieces of a forgotten past that gives credit back to local communities. We hope it will inspire a new generation of local palaeoscientists to walk in the footsteps of these first African fossil hunters.

Julien Benoit, Senior Researcher in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand; Cameron Penn-Clarke, Senior Researcher, University of the Witwatersrand, and Charles Helm, Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Tom Cronin and Bob Loevy are news columnists who write about Colorado and national politics.
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.
Several highways around southeastern Colorado are closed and near-zero temperatures are expected tonight amid the winter storm Monday.

Sub-zero temperatures are expected to hit multiple counties tonight into Tuesday morning with some areas reaching as low as -11 degrees and wind chills hitting -30 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Colorado Springs residents can expect lows of 8 degrees, and residents in eastern El Paso County could see temperatures as low as 4 degrees. Woodland Park is expected to drop to lows of 0 degrees tonight.

Several southwestern Colorado cities are expected to fall below 0 degrees including Alamosa (-11), Antonio (-9), San Luis (-2) and Creed (-6).

Here are the closed roads, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation:

I-25 Mile Point 0 to Mile Point 11, Raton Pass

I-70 Mile Point 437 to Mile Point 449, Burlington to Kansas border

US 36 Mile Point 210 to Mile Point 224, Idalia to Kansas border

US 40 EB Mile Point 386 to Mile Point 487, Limon to Kansas border

US 160 Mile Point 345 to Mile Point 497, Trinidad to Kansas border

US 287 Mile Point 0 to Mile Point 75, Oklahoma border to Lamar

US 287 SB Mile Point 133 to Mile Point 75, Kit Carson to Lamar

US 385 Mile Point 187 to Mile Point 95, Burlington to Granada

CO 96 Mile Point 166 to Mile Point 207, Eads to Kansas Border

CO 109 Mile Point 0 to Mile Point 52, US 160 to La Junta

Click here for the latest alerts from CDOT.

Monday morning weather report

Heavy snow and high winds were expected in the northern part of the county, with snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches. The highest amounts were expected along and south of the Palmer Divide, according to the weather service. Wind gusts were anticipated to be as high as 65 mph.

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The storm warning caused multiple area schools and military bases to announce two-hour delays. A few school districts, including District 49 and Lewis-Palmer District 38, are closed Monday. The Air Force Academy is also closed Monday.

Click here for the latest school closures and delays.

Residents were told to plan on slippery roads and significantly reduced visibility due to widespread blowing snow, the Weather Service said. Colorado Springs Police Department was on accident alert status from 6:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. due to the storm.

Colorado Springs was put under a high wind warning beginning at 5 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday.

The wind warning is in place for southern El Paso, Pueblo, Crowley and Otero counties, according to the Weather Service. Winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts of 60 to 70 mph are expected in these areas.

"Light snow showers are expected with some minor accumulations of a trace up to an inch or 2, but the bigger story for us will be the strong winds. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gust upwards of 70 are forecasted for the area," KOAA meteorologists said.

The damaging winds could blow down trees as well as power lines, and widespread power outages are a possibility in the counties.

Teller County and the Rampart Range were scheduled to remain under a winter weather advisory until 2 p.m. Monday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 7 inches were forecast, the Weather Service said.

Residents can expect wind gusts as high as 50 mph and slippery road conditions.

Southeastern Colorado, including Kiowa, Bent and Prowers counties, are under a blizzard warning that started at 5 a.m. Monday and is forecast through 5 a.m. Tuesday. Snow accumulations of 2 to 7 inches are expected, the Weather Service said.

Travel in these counties could be very difficult to impossible. Significantly reduced visibility is possible due to blowing snow.

.

Colorado Springs weather forecast, according to the NWS:

Monday: There will be a 40% chance of snow, mainly before noon, with areas of blowing snow before 8 a.m. Cloudy skies that will gradually become mostly sunny, with a high near 26 degrees.

Tuesday: Sunny skies, with a high near 38 degrees.

Wednesday: There will be a 20% chance of snow showers after 11 a.m. Mostly sunny skies, with a high around 35 degrees.

Thursday: A 30% chance of snow showers after 11 a.m. Partly sunny skies and a high around 31 degrees.
Corvallis City Council members received this weekend by mail two versions of postcards dripping in antisemitic and anti-transgender messaging.

The Corvallis Police Department was informed and is looking into it, according to Councilor Tracey Yee. She said in an email that Corvallis police would be in contact with each of the recipients and are also consulting with the FBI.

Politics 'A Place to Sleep' podcast: Catch all the episodes here Our podcast, A Place to Sleep, explores how Oregon cities are responding to a new law that is meant to provide homeless individuals a place to rest.

An antisemitic caricature of a Jewish man with exaggerated, stereotypical features is on the front of one of two postcards received at the councilors' home addresses, along with a website promoting the distribution of antisemitic fliers.

The website was built by the Goyim Defense League, which is categorized as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. Goyim is the Yiddish word for gentiles.

On the back of the first postcard is a Holocaust denial message and disinformation about the founding of the Anti-Defamation League, along with the address of another website promoting neo-Nazi propaganda and activism.

Angry white goyim will never be silenced, it says on the back.

These postcards were mailed to educate public servants without malicious intent, the postcards say on the front.

Yee was repulsed and indignant.

This racist, antisemitic material is disgusting to say the least, Yee said. But to indicate that the purpose is to educate public servants without malicious intent is absurd.

The second postcard is almost exclusively text.

Councilor Jan Napack confirmed receiving one of the postcards but declined to comment, saying via email that City Manager Mark Shepard asked councilors to refer any questions back to him or Patrick Rollens, the citys public information officer.

Rollens said the mayor and most, if not all, of the council received postcards. He confirmed the incident was referred to police for investigation to see if it constitutes a criminal offense of some sort.

He added that hes not aware of any instances in recent years of councilors being similarly targeted.

Yee said to her knowledge, councilors Charlyn Ellis, Laurie Chaplen, Hyatt Lytle, Paul Shaffer, Jan Napack, Gabe Shepherd and Tony Cadena received postcards. Its unconfirmed whether Councilors Briae Lewis also received them.

I find these disturbing, Mayor Charles Maughan said via email. Hate has no place in Corvallis.

Shepherd confirmed receiving a postcard as well, saying in an email he is disgusted and appalled at the antisemitic and white supremacist rhetoric and imagery. He noted the lack of a return address, calling that out as cowardly.

I agree with other councilors that hate and hate speech is not welcome in our city, Shepherd said.

Chaplen received both postcards.

I believe in free speech. However, I disagree with the sentiments of both cards due to its nature and bias, Chaplen said by email. People need to come together and engage in polite conversations to understand each other and find commonalities instead of being divisive.

On the front of the second postcard was the same disinformation about the Anti-Defamation League as the first postcard and an anti-transgender rant on the back  apparently an attempt to finish a public comment that was cut short during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

The speaker was one of three trying to share antisemitic messages via teleconferencing. The third speaker was shut down for alluding to the antisemitic replacement theory  that Jews are behind a plot to diminish the influence of white people  while promoting the website that appears on the postcards sent to city councilors.

The unwelcome public comments from remote speakers came after the conflict between Israel and Hamas took center stage with guest speakers at City Hall.

The City Council has heard ongoing comments from supporters of Israel and Palestine since a Dec. 4 meeting during which both factions filled City Hall to speak to a proposed resolution supporting Palestine as Israel wages war on the terror group Hamas in Gaza.

In the lobby, boos and applause followed each commenter, and, on a few occasions, interactions devolved into heated exchanges among attendees, involving some cussing. Some raised concerns about the language of the resolution and misinformation, as well as the questionable impact of a city-level resolution on global events.

Editor's note: This article was updated with comments from Councilor Gabe Shepherd.

Related stories:
On January 4, a New Years message to members was delivered by Martin Walsh, Communication Workers Union (CWU) Deputy General Secretary (Postal), which went down like a lead balloon among Royal Mail workers.

Walsh explained that the union hierarchy would be starting 2024 holed up in further talks with senior management. He made vague promises to reconnect the CWU in the workplace and rebuild the union.

Communication Workers Union Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Martin Walsh, (left) and CWU General Secretary Dave Ward speaking at a CWU Live event [Photo: screenshot of video: CWU/Facebook]

We are going to start next Monday meeting the new management team in Royal Mail, trying to move the issues forward which count for you and which obviously moves the company and union forward.

This corporatist message of shared interests between the company and workers and deepened union-management collaboration drew angry comments from Royal Mail workers on the CWU Facebook page.

Postal workers made clear that the issues which count for them had been trampled underfoot by the CWU bureaucracy in foisting a sell-out agreement on them last July to bring an end to their year long fight. They drew attention to some of the new benchmarks of exploitation set by the pro-company Business, Recovery Transformation and Growth Agreement (BRTGA): a two-tier workforce with inferior terms for new starters, punishing workloads and the ending of any work-life balance as the mail service is transformed into a 24/7 parcel delivery network.

The comments included:

Reconnect my backside. The CWU are irrelevant as far as delivery staff are concerned the feeling of being stabbed in the back and the rug pulled from under out feet wont disappear because youre deciding to have a meeting.

Recruitment is a laugh, how do you want reps to approach new starters, with a view to getting them to join the union that sold out new starters terms and conditions?

RM is not a service anymore its a money grab 4 shareholders and board members. We are not Evri or Yodel but that is what they are doing to us.

What have we got to look forward to - later start times, later finish times more duties ripped out of the offices.

A member of Fleet maintenance, a section of Royal Mail workers which voted down Appendix 4 of the BRTGA over increased outsourcing and inferior terms for new entrants, explained how they had been totally hung out to dry, a full half-year later: Bit confused here, fleet never signed up for nothing and are still in dispute, we carried out all our instructions with industrial actions, and was led to believe we wouldnt be left behind, we was.

The video from Walsh followed a one-line New Year message from the CWU three days earlier which read: Happy New Year to all our brilliant members. This received a more concise rebuttal, with popular approval, Members are good, leaders are a sellout.

New face, same CWU

Walsh has no standing among Royal Mail workers. He was elected CWU Deputy General Secretary (Postal) on November 30 with just 10 percent of the 107,000 eligible votes, over his fellow bureaucrat from the Postal Executive Carl Madden, who received just 3 percent.

The lack of a mandate is immaterial to Walsh. He stated in his acceptance video, Im talking on behalf of the members, before heaping praise on CWU General Secretary Dave Ward for doing a magnificent job. Only a fortnight later, on the LBC radio show, Ward was inundated by phone-ins from postal workers taking him to task for his betrayal of their fight.

Walshs A Manifesto for Change was a defence of the BRTGA. He absurdly claimed the only problem was we served the agreement too cold onto the membership. This is a whitewash of the sabotage operation mounted to get the sellout over the line, including the Postal Executives veto of the renewed strike mandate in mid-February, double postponement of the ballot to forestall a No vote over the deal and browbeating of postal workers to accept the sacrifice of jobs, terms and conditions.

Threats of administration have been repeated by Walsh, making clear that a further destruction of jobson top of the 10,000 redundancies last year and downward spiral of terms and conditionsis coming to make workers pay for the continued plundering of profits by shareholders at Royal Mail and parent company International Distribution Services (IDS).

In line with the CWUs commitment to Royal Mail executives to shelve what remains of any public service provided by the privatised utilitythe six-day a week letter delivery Universal Service Obligation (USO)Walsh declared, The current Six Day USO is now past its sell by date. He added, I believe if we agree a Monday to Friday USO, with a seven-day parcels and tracked model, we can start to build a sustainable and a better future for members.

A week after his election on December 8, in a CWU Live interview, Walsh reported that he and Ward attended a meeting with management over their view for the USO (i.e., dismantling it) and had invited them to present their slideshow at a Postal Executive on December 19. He cited commercial confidence in refusing to provide any further information to members.

As Wards trusted sidekick, Walsh then appeared in another CWU Live video on December 11 to announce Grant McPherson and Zareena Brown, Royal Mails Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Peoples Officer, were to leave the company in early 2024.

In addition to the earlier resignation of former chief executive Simon Thompson, this was portrayed as some kind of victory, when every postal worker knows they will be moving on with the satisfaction of mission accomplished and thousands in golden handshakesan expected 700,000 in Thompsons case.

The Walsh/Ward double act also welcomed the two latest departures as an opportunity to work more closely with the chief executive of IDS, Martin Seidenberg, who the pro-Conservative Telegraph described as a parcels man through and through appointed to oversee the death of letters. Walsh described it as Very welcome news. I hope it will signal a new start in industrial relations, that the CEO and his new team really want to work with the CWU.

In trying to sell the idea of real change at the top, Ward spoke about McPherson imposing revisions and an appalling quality of service. The COO in fact thanked the CWU at a Town Hall meeting last June for delivering the biggest revisions ever in the history of this business. This cost-cutting exercise of removing duties and increasing workers delivery spans has further collapsed the USO.

Over the past year, CWU HQ has blocked all local strike action around the UK voted for under Rule 13 to fight revisions. Walsh and Ward shed crocodile tears over the retention crisis but reports of 1,000 postal workers quitting the job per month has been fuelled by the suppression of mandated action against increased workloads.

The Falconer Review stitch-up

The further integration of the union apparatus as an extension of the company takes place on the back of the treacherous official stitch-up of victimised union reps and CWU members through the Falconer Review, while the CWU conceals its rotten outcome from postal workers.

Only 200 or so cases of unfair dismissal and suspension were referred to the so-called independent review from 400 reported during the year-long dispute. Ward and Furey claimed on November 10 they had secured the right of over 100 sacked CWU members to return to work and boasted 93.1% of the original decisions have been overturned. This was based upon the fraction of cases in which a direct ruling applied, with a Collective Agreement covering the vast majority.

From December 18 the CWU has hyped the return of sacked reps and members to the workplace through high-profile announcements and videos on its Facebook page. This has literally involved a handful of cases.

The gaslighting campaign by CWU headquarters was exposed by the contents of a letter to CWU branches from Ward and Walsh dated December 20. This made the admission that only 35 had returned, claiming this a huge positive and dismissing as the remainder around 80 who have left accepting a financial settlement.

This debacle is entirely the making of CWU officials and the sell-out terms drawn up with Royal Mail. Those unfairly dismissed had the proverbial gun placed to the head and were told accept an admission of guilt based on a reduced disciplinary sanctiontreated as time expiredand waive the right to an employment tribunal (ET). The same approach has been applied to the 67 cases short of dismissal: an acceptance of guilt by the victimised and waiver of rights to an ET, with 10 individuals also facing redeployment.

Royal Mail has been fully exonerated, with not a single manager held to account for the largest frame-up in an industrial dispute since the 1984-5 miners strike.

The World Socialist Web Site and Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee (PWRFC) have waged a consistent campaign to expose the Falconer Review as an official state frame-up organised via the arbitration service ACAS.

Ending the dispute with the victimised left behind was central to imposing the surrender terms of the BRTGA on the entire workforce. Among the most militant CWU reps and workers were exiled from the workplace and postal workers denied their elected representation. This state conspiracy was developed through the direct collaboration of the Labour Party with the right-wing Blairite grandee Lord Falconer placed in charge.

The PWRFC will continue to provide a platform for victimised reps and workers to uncover this conspiracy as part of the fight to oust the pro-company stooges sitting at the top table of the CWU. The opposition and unified action must be built from below, by Royal Mail workers not prepared to accept the so-called sustainable model of the CWU leadershipripping out the USO and carrying on a race to the bottom as a parcel courier service to compete with Amazon and other rivals.

We will develop the fightback, uniting new entrants with established posties against the two-tier workforce, the slashing of jobs at Mail Centres as work is transferred to the Super Hubs, and unbearable workloads. We will expose the unsafe working conditions at the automated centres and every element of the CWUs sweatshop charter in which the profits of the shareholders take precedent over workers rights and livelihoods.

Attend the next online meeting of the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee on January 28 at 7 p.m.. Register here

Do you have information about conditions at your workplace? Share your views by submitting the form below. Submissions will be published anonymously.
For the past months, in the absence of any opposition by the trade unions, demonstrations and protests have been taking place across Britain aimed at preventing the exports of weaponry and weapon parts to Israel which are being used in its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

On January 3, a group of around 60 activists from the Cymru Peace Coalition held a protest at a BAE Systems production factory in Wales. BAE Systems is one of the main production sites for ammunition, especially 155 mm, which is being extensively used by Israel, and in Ukraine by its armed forces against Russia.

Protesters in Leeds, including Drusilla Long (right) on a demonstration demanding an end to Israel's genocide against Gaza

The protesters held up banners reading, Stop Arming Genocide and UK Weapons Kill. A spokesperson for the Peace Coalition stated that Britain was an active collaborator in the war crimes being committed against Palestinians, via its lucrative arms trade with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Prior to intervening in Wales, the same group carried out a similar protest at the Elbit Systems factory in Bristol. Elbit Systems is one of the three largest defence companies in Israel and plays a central role in the genocide against the Palestinians with weapons systems such as Iron Sting.

On January 6, protesters gathered in Bristol under the slogan Stop Arming Israel. One of the central demands of the demonstration was the dropping of all charges against the Elbit Seven who were arrested by police and charged with causing criminal damage at the Elbit UK Technical Headquarters in Bristol on Nakba Day (May 15) in 2022. On Monday, the trial of the seven, set to last for four weeks, began at Bristol Crown Court.

For the past month, activists from Bradford Friends of Palestine have also been holding protest rallies at the premises of the Teledyne Technologies factory arms plant in Shipley, West Yorkshire. Teledyne is a US-based multinational arms company which designs and produces surveillance and targeting equipment which it sells to Israel and many other countries.

Protesters on the demonstration outside the Teledyne factory on December 19, 2023

WSWS carried out the following interview with one of the protesters, Drusilla Long. Drusilla is a retired social worker living in Leeds who has been very active in the campaign in the region to highlight the crimes being committed by the Israeli government.

WSWS: You are among a group of activists who have picketed the Teledyne factory in Shipley on a number of occasions. Can you explain why you are taking this action?

DL: I took action joining pickets on December 19, 2023, and January 4 this year, against the Teledyne arms plant in Shipley, along with other forms of protest, after the current genocidal attack on Gaza by the Israeli state began in October. The pickets were organised by Bradford Friends of Palestine. Israel depends heavily on UK and US arms sales, with 500 million coming from the UK. Without these weapons it could not be carrying out the current genocide.

WSWS: What is Teledyne and what is its connection to Israel?

DL: Teledyne is a US multinational arms company with a plant in Shipley, West Yorkshire, which designs and produces surveillance and targeting equipment, which it sells to Israel among other countries. This equipment is used by the Israeli state to kill civilians in Gaza currently in their thousands and has been used with deadly force against the Palestinian population in the past.

A banner on the Teledyne demonstration on December 19, 2023, reading "Gaza is Bleeding... Their Blood is on Your Hands"

WSWS: At the demonstration on December 19 speakers heavily criticised the Labour Party leadership which has rejected the call for a ceasefire in Gaza and also rejects all of the evidence that Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. What is your response?

DL: No-one can vote for Labour. They refuse to accept the evidence before their eyes that a genocide is being committed by Israel in Gaza. Labour refuse to condemn Israel. The Labour Party is therefore complicit in this genocide. When asked do you support stopping water to besieged citizens in Gaza, [Labour leader Sir Keir] Starmer replied he did support people having no waterin other words he agreed that hundreds of thousands of people should die of thirst.

WSWS: It is notable that the call for an embargo on weapons to Israel has not been taken up by the trade unions in Britain.

DL: The union leadership is entirely absent from the current protests. Ordinary union members are out on the streets, writing to MPs, boycotting Israeli products, stopping arms factories functioning etc, etc, while the right-wing union leadership has nothing to say, when instead they should be calling for action in support of Palestine.

WSWS: Could you explain how you developed your understanding for the plight of the Palestinians?

DL: The UK has played a leading role in causing the disasters suffered by the Palestinians from the time of the founding of the state of Israel. The Nakba, the forceable expulsion of three quarters of a million Palestinian people by Israelis from their homes, took place in 1948, and all my life Palestinians have been struggling for their rights, the right to their land and to return to their homes, whilst Israel and settlers snatch more and more land away by force. The horrific incidents in history dawn on you gradually. I educated myself about these events, studied the history and joined the International Solidarity Movement.

I went to Palestine first for a short time in 2012 to take part under Palestinian leadership in actions in the West Bank. These actions included protesting against the Occupation Wall and being shot at by the Israeli army with rubber bulletsin fact rubber encased in steel which can kill you. They fired tear gas and emptied filthy water on us. Palestinians are fired at with live rounds and are being killed as we see today daily on our screens. It was impossible to gain entry at that time to Gaza.

Children on the protest outside Teledyne, December 19, 2023

I returned in 2014 to take part in a joint social work conference with Palestinian social workers. The conference had to take place in two venues, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, because some Palestinians living in Bethlehem were forbidden by the Israelis to travel to Jerusalem.

WSWS: What is your view on the current aims of the Israeli government and IDF in Gaza?

DL: The actions of the Israeli government are genocidal: the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular national, ethnic, racial, or religious groupthe Palestinianswith the aim of destroying that group. Israel has stated this intention, whilst calling Palestinians animals.

WSWS: How do you respond to accusations that any criticism of the actions of the Israeli government amounts to antisemitism?

DL: Any criticism of the actions of the Israeli state and the genocide being perpetrated by them is certainly not antisemitic since it would be against any Jewish or any semitic persons welfare and wellbeing not to criticize genocide and fight against it; as in World War II.
Germany is fuelling the war in Ukraine and Israels genocide in the Gaza Strip with record levels of arms exports. Last year, the German government approved arms exports worth 12.2 billionan increase of 40 percent compared to the previous year. These arms exports are integral to the great power agenda of German imperialism and part of a massive Europe-wide armaments campaign.

German Leopard 2 main battle tanks on their way to Ukraine. [Photo: Bundeswehr]

A statement from the German Economics Ministry reveals that, in addition to arms deliveries to the Ukrainian military, Norway was supplied with armaments totalling 1.2 billion in the period from 1 January to 12 December 2023, followed by Hungary (1.03 billion), Great Britain (654.9 million), the US (545.4 million) and Poland (327.9 million). Arms shipments were also exported respectively to Israel and South Korea.

The record total exceeds the export volume of 8.36 billion approved by the coalition government in 2022, which itself was the second-highest annual total in the history of post war Germany.

Ukraine

German arms deliveries to Ukraine almost doubled in 2023 and, at 4.44 billion, accounted for the majority of exports in the second year of the war. On December 16, the Ministry of Defence added 7,390 155 mm shells (self-propelled howitzers), six mine clearance systems, a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system with rockets, 14 drone defence systems and 47,040 rounds of 40 mm ammunition to its already long list of arms deliveries.

In addition, ammunition is being delivered at a European level. European Union governments have committed to delivering 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by the end of March 2024, consisting primarily of heavy artillery ammunition. According to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, EU states have already delivered more than 300,000 rounds from their stocks to Ukraine. EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton declared in November that the EUs annual ammunition production capacity would exceed one million in the spring and 1.3 or 1.4 million by the end of the year and called on the arms industry to prioritise customers from Europe and Ukraine.

On December 17, the German arms giant Rheinmetall complied with this request and concluded an agreement with Ukraine for the supply of artillery shells, explosive devices and propellants worth 1.2 billion. On its website the defence company describes itself as an essential, strategic partner of Ukraine in the supply of 155mm artillery ammunition and as the sole source of supply for the Ukrainian armed forces with large quantities of new medium and large-calibre ammunition for German Marder and Leopard tanks.

Several tens of thousands of rounds have already been delivered, with tens of thousands more to follow in 2024, the companys website continues. The German government has also commissioned Rheinmetall to deliver several tens of thousands of rounds in 2025.

The framework agreement was preceded by the establishment of the Rheinmetall Ukrainian Defence Industry LLCa joint venture with the Ukrainian state-owned defence company Ukroboronpromin October 2023, which is due to start producing German battle tanks on Ukrainian soil this year. In addition, Rheinmetall will supply the Ukrainian military with 25 Leopard 1A5 battle tanks, five armoured recovery vehicles and two training tanks, as well as 14 Leopard 2A4 battle tanks this year on behalf of the Dutch and Danish governments.

In an interview with Wirtschaftswoche, CEO Armin Papperger confirmed that Rheinmetall is already Ukraines largest defence industry partner. After orders worth around 900 million in 2022, the volume had risen to two and a half billion euros in 2023. According to Papperger, certainly more is expected for the new year. In Hungary, which received defence equipment worth 1.02 billion last year, series production of the Lynx tank is already taking place against the background of the war in Ukraine.

Norway

According to the German military, it maintains a strategic partnership with Norway and has been producing submarines with improved camouflage capabilities since September 2023 in order to effectively combat enemy surface and underwater vehicles. Although not an EU member state, Norway is now one of the largest troop providers for the EUs EUMAM Ukraine mission, which aims to train around 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of 2024.

The Bundeswehr also emphasises the very intensive cooperation between the German and Norwegian armed forces as part of the European Battlegroup in Lithuania and the German-led Brigade Lithuania, which is to be established this year. During a recent visit to Norway, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) praised the two countries joint submarine construction, troop exercises such as Noble Jump and the procurement of Leopard 2 main battle tanks.

At the beginning of 2023, Economics Minister Robert Habeck travelled to Norway to expand the strategic partnership to include the areas of climate, renewable energies and green industry. In the future, cooperation in the area of raw materials and associated important strategic links will be intensified in particular, the German Economics Ministry stated in a press release. This includes microelectronics, as well as measures to further improve the safety of the gas pipelines between Norway and Germany.

Israel

Since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, Germany has increased its military exports to Israel tenfold. In 2023, exports amounted to 323.2 million, consisting in particular of components for tactically relevant spheres such as air defence and communications. One hundred and eighty-five of the 218 individual export deals last year were granted following October 7.

German militarism is thus not only directly supporting the Netanyahu governments genocide in the Gaza Strip, it is also directly profiting from it. When the war began, Rheinmetalls share price rose by around 15 percent within just five days  the companys steepest rise of the entire year. Together with its Israeli partners, Rheinmetall is currently developing a 155-millimetre wheeled howitzer, as well as combat drones that can be deployed in advance and can wait a long time for an attack.

The demonstration of the fully automatic artillery system from Rheinmetall and its Israeli partner company Elbit Systems took place in March at the Shivta firing range in southern Israel in front of high-ranking guests from the British, German, Dutch and Hungarian armed forces. German and Israeli managers declared they were proud to present the advanced 155-millimetre artillery system to the world. Elbit Systems is one of the three largest defence companies in Israel and plays a central role in the genocide against the Palestinians with weapons systems such as the Iron Sting, a precision-guided mortar munition.

In addition to the export and joint development of weapons, Germany also imports key weapons systems from Israel that have been developed in the course of the latters military operations. On November 23, for example, the Bundeswehr Procurement Office and the Israeli Ministry of Defence signed a multi-billion-euro procurement contract for Arrow 3, which is intended to counter long-range nuclear missiles.

A state secretary from the Defence Ministry had already announced on October 18 that the ministry was planning to procure an additional five PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) Elbit multiple launch rocket systems. A corresponding 25 million proposal is to be submitted to the Bundestag in the first quarter of 2024 so that the first systems can be delivered as early as 2024.

According to the military magazine Soldat & Technik, the Bundestags approval would be slow, but more expedient, because the Bundeswehr would thus secure political support for the introduction of the system and German units could be equipped with PULS systems across the board in the future.

South Korea

Alongside Israel, South Korea is the only country among the 10 largest purchasers of German weapons that is not a member of NATO, with an import volume of 256.4 million. According to the Stockholm-based research institute SIPRI, South Korea was by far the largest purchaser of German weapons in the period from 2011 to 2022. In December, Berlin and Seoul signed new agreements to improve their intelligence and defence industry cooperation.

According to a Deutsche Welle report, the aim of the initiatives signed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to strengthen the respective defence capacities in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. A recent strategy paper by the government-affiliated German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) states: For a long time, bilateral relations were characterised by an exchange on traditional cooperation topics, such as the experiences of division and reunification and, above all, economic ties. Recently, they have also expanded to include security policy and strategic issues.

The massive extent of German arms exports to almost all of the worlds key war and conflict regions underline the aggressiveness with which German imperialism is once again acting to assert its economic and geostrategic interests globally. The government in Berlin has committed to further escalating its war course in the new year. Military aid for Ukraine alone is to be more than doubled in 2024. In addition, the military budget for 2024, totalling over 85 billion, will be the biggest since the end of the Second World War.
Another 44 deaths with COVID-19 were added to New Zealands toll over the last week, amid a surge of infections over the summer holiday period. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 more than doubled in three months, from 141 on October 5 to a high point of 401 on December 21, and fell to 355 on January 7. The December peak was the highest number of hospitalisations recorded since January 2023.

Despite the dangerous rise, fuelled by the abandonment of public health measures and highly infectious new COVID variants, the Ministry of Health paused its regular weekly reporting of deaths and other data for three weeks between December 18 and January 8.

New Zealand Health Minister Shane Reti [Photo: Facebook/Shane Reti ]

The 44 deaths reported yesterday have still not been officially confirmed as from COVID-19. Radio NZ reported, falsely, There were no deaths this week as a result of the virus. In fact, the Ministry of Health website states that nine of these deaths were not COVID-related, and for the remaining 35 the cause is not yet determined.

During November and December, around 20 to 30 people died each week of COVID-19. The countrys total deaths with COVID stands at 5,513, almost all of which happened after the then-Labour Party government ended its elimination strategy in late 2021, allowing the coronavirus to spread everywhere.

The Ministry of Health asserts that 1,596 of these deaths were not caused by COVID, and that 272 had an unknown cause. Its official death toll is thus reported as 3,645. Even this smaller figure, which likely understates the real toll, makes COVID New Zealands most deadly infectious disease, killing about 1,800 people a yearmore than twice as many as those killed by influenza.

Moreover, COVID-19 has resulted in tens of thousands of hospitalisations and perhaps hundreds of thousands of people with long-term debilitating illnesses, or Long COVID. This can include severe and potentially life-threatening heart, brain and respiratory problems.

The current surge is fuelled by the highly infectious and immune-resistant JN.1 variant, which has become dominant internationally. On December 23, the US had already reached the second-highest level of viral transmission of the entire pandemic, according to wastewater data.

Experts voiced concern about the situation in New Zealand in comments published by the Science Media Centre (SMC) on December 18. University of Canterbury scientist Professor Michael Plank said the latest wastewater data showed 10-15 percent of infections in NZ were due to JN.1. He warned that we are yet to feel its full impact and predicted a rise in cases in the new year.

Professor Nikki Turner, director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at the University of Auckland, stated: There is an enormous amount of COVID around at the moment. With Christmas and New Year approaching, everyone is mixing more and going on holiday around the country, so we need to focus on who is at high risk of severe disease and how we can protect them this summer. She warned people to stay away from others if symptomatic, and to wear masks in crowded areas.

Dr Anna Brooks, a Long COVID researcher at Auckland University, said: The risk of developing Long COVID should be front and center as we continue to face waves of infection as variants evolve. Alarmingly, the risks are instead more often downplayed, despite the substantial and growing body of evidence that each infection, regardless of vaccine or infection history, carries a risk of on-going health harms, including but not limited to Long COVID.

Epidemiologist Michael Baker told the SMC: This wave is larger than the fourth wave early in 2023 suggesting that the pandemic threat is continuing to evolve in unpredictable ways. He said this should be a wake-up call for the NZ Government about the importance of a vigorous national strategy and program to protect us from Covid-19 and other serious respiratory infections. This program should include an updated Covid-19 vaccine, support for self-isolation, and a communication plan to maintain awareness about how to stay safe.

The government and political establishment are ignoring these warnings. All mask mandates were scrapped by the previous Labour government, including in hospitals and aged care facilities. Labour ended self-isolation requirements last August, marking the end of all COVID related public health measures.

The impact of these decisions on public hospitals, drastically understaffed and overcrowded even before the pandemic, has been disastrous. On December 21, the New Zealand Herald reported that the emergency department at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland was overwhelmed, with occupancy at 90 to 100 percent. There were many drivers, but part of the rise in presentations was a relatively high rate of respiratory cases, the report said.

Taupo Hospital experienced a doubling of demand during the Christmas period and a regional Health NZ spokesperson told the Herald on January 2 that this was partly due to COVID-19.

The ruling elites criminal policy of mass infection and death is deepening under the National Party-led coalition government formed in November. The government will stop providing free rapid antigen tests (RATs) and facemasks at the end of February, which will further accelerate the spread of COVID, particularly among the most vulnerable people in society.

As part of sweeping austerity measures targeting public services, the government is also considering cutting funding for free COVID-19 vaccines and antiviral treatments. Health Minister Shane Reti told the New Zealand Herald, The funding for both is due to come to an end at June 30, 2024, and remains under consideration.

According to the Ministry of Health, only 55.8 percent of people aged over 50 have received a second booster, which is essential to minimise the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Public information campaigns encouraging vaccination have all but disappeared, politicians avoid mentioning the virus and, along with most of the media, behave as though the pandemic is over.

The repudiation of the most basic principles of public health by every government in the world is a damning indictment of capitalism. The corporate and financial elite deems any measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 an intolerable drain on its ability to extract profits from the working class. As a result of the let it rip agenda imposed in every country, more than 27 million people have died, according to the Economists estimated toll.

The trade unions also stand exposed. In New Zealand, as elsewhere, they provided a vital service to the capitalist elite by enforcing the reopening of unsafe schools and workplaces, facilitating the spread of COVID and thousands of avoidable deaths.

Only the International Committee of the Fourth Internationalsupported by the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealandcontinues to fight for a global elimination strategy to put an end to the pandemic. This strategy must be adopted by the working class, in opposition to the corporatist trade unions and the political establishment. To fight for an end to incessant waves of infection, debilitating disease and death, workers will have to take matters into their own hands, through the building of rank-and-file workplace committees. We call on workers to contact us to discuss the way forward in this life-and-death political struggle.
We are publishing here the tribute to Helen Halyard written by Kate Randall, a member of the World Socialist Web Site editorial board and a member of the Trotskyist movement in the US for more than 50 years. 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.

The great revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg sent a letter from prison to an old comrade, which included the following:

To be a human being means to joyfully toss your entire life on the giant scales of fate if it must be so, and at the same time to rejoice in the brightness of every day and the beauty of every cloud.  the world is so beautiful, with all its horrors, and would be even more beautiful if there were no weaklings or cowards in it.

Helen Halyard, Sheila Brehm and Kate Randall in Michigan, 2015.

Comrade Helen Halyard would have concurred with these words about the beauty and horrors of the world. And as anyone who ever crossed paths with Helen would testify, she was not one of those weaklings or cowards, but was the strongest and bravest of individuals who would take to task such scoundrels referred to in the quote.

I joined the Workers League not long after Helen did, in 1972, as a college student. Some of my earliest recollections of Helen are related to the partys struggle against the role of revisionism in the anti-Vietnam War movement. This intervention came less than a decade after the Socialist Workers Partys reunification with the Pabloites, which rejected the principles of the Open Letter of 1953.

I remember walking over with Helen and other comrades to the venue where the Student Mobilization Committee (SMC), which the SWP was pivotal in organizing, was holding an event. The Workers League fought indefatigably against the protest politics of the SMC, which were limited to ending the draft and bringing the troops home. Our comrades fought for a revolutionary opposition to the war, for the unity of the international working class against imperialist war and the capitalist system. To a college student unschooled in Marxist politics, this perspective came as a revelation.

The Workers League was imbued, as we are today, with a fight against Pabloite revisionism, and any perspective that substituted a petty-bourgeois or nationalist perspective that rejected the revolutionary role of the working class and the necessity of building the Trotskyist movement to lead it to power. Workers League branches in the early 70s, which included many new, relatively inexperienced members, studied works by Trotsky and writings of the International Committee to steel ourselves in these crucial political questions. These were never considered abstract theoretical questions, but issues of life and death. It was in this spirit that the SEP dedicated our 2023 Summer School to the struggle against Pabloite revisionism.

In the turbulent period in the Workers League leading up to the removal of Tim Wohlforth as national secretary, Helen was one of those comrades in the leadership that I and other members looked to for clarity on the political issues involved and an internationalist perspective. The same can be said of the split with the Workers Revolutionary Party.

Helen was a powerful speaker and communicator. Whether she was delivering prepared remarks to a public meeting, speaking impromptu to a gathering of workers, or discussing one-on-one with a worker at a factory gate or a student, she was able to bring out the universal in the particular in a way that could be grasped and appreciated while in no way watering it down. Helen was a force of nature, and that power was based not on God-given powers of oratory, but on a grounding in Marxist principles and a determination to fight. I can confidently say that no one who encountered her could easily forget her.

As others have noted, Helen was a precious presence in the lives of the party kids, including my own. I honestly dont know how she found the time with all her political and personal responsibilities to attend birthdays, weddings, graduations, performances, or to just sit and talk. On a very personal note, I was able to turn to her for political advice in the face of discouragement, or a shoulder to cry on when one of lifes roadblocks, detours or tragedies inevitably struck. She could be frank and didnt hesitate to take me up sharply, as is said, when warranted, or provide insight. Her humanity was woven equally through both the personal and political. The personal and political shock I feel with her passing will take time to come to grips with and appreciate, and I know this will take quite some time.

Although the last few years were very difficult for her, she made a point to attend the meeting in Detroit with Gary Tyler, whose struggle for freedom she fought for over decades. She attended online meetings and classes. She marched in a demonstration to oppose the Israeli genocide in Gaza. She identified with the working class and all those oppressed by the capitalist system. She was able to witness the current international upsurge of working class struggles, and the worldwide outrage over the complicity of the imperialist powers in the war on the Palestinians.

Comrades have used many adjectives to describe Helen. Id like to suggest just a few moretenacious, hilarious, understanding. She was the best friend and comrade a person could hope to have. But she was our comrade. The party will carry forward her memory, but it is the struggle of all us, as conscious revolutionaries, that will decide.

In closing, I want to quote from a letter Luxemburg sent to a comrade on her arrival in Berlin. She wrote: I want to affect people like a clap of thunder, to inflame their minds not by speechifying but with the breadth of my vision, the strength of my conviction, and the power of my expression.

Helen did that and more, and the Socialist Equality Parties and the International Committee of the Fourth International will never forget her contribution to the fight for the World Socialist Revolution, nor will I.

Thank you, comrades.
Work at USPS? Tell us what peak season was like at your location. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

In Philadelphia, a United States Postal Service carrier sorts mail to be delivered. [AP Photo/Matt Rourke]

The US Postal Services Sorting and Distribution Center (S&DC) in Richmond, Virginia became the source of frustration over the holidays as mail and packages seemed to vanish. The problem has been so severe that it has drawn public comments from local and federal officials and lawmakers.

We werent getting bills, we werent getting birthday cards, we werent getting regular mail, junk mail, nothing. And it was not showing up a day or two later, a resident of Richmond, Virginia told local news station 12 On Your Side in late November.

Went from Ohio to Richmond in a day and a half and has been stuck in richmond for 8 days (today is the 6th of Dec) I need this package b4 christmas...it was 77$, a Reddit user complained.

YOU MAY HAVE HOLIDAY PACKAGES JUST SITTING IN RICHMOND, VA DISTRIBUTION CENTER....It's NOT a new problem, a Facebook post stated.

Responding to the increasing numbers of complaints from residents, Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Colette McEachin called for a town hall to be held in late November or early December at the beginning of the peak season for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Despite signals from management at the Richmond S&DC that they would attend the meeting finally scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 5, they backed out at the last minute, forcing its cancellation.

The disastrous situation in Richmond is the product of Delivering for America (DFA), Postmaster General Louis Dejoys ten-year restructuring plan to consolidate operations and close thousands of local post offices. The plan, which will reform the USPS network along an Amazon-style hub and spoke model, is aimed at cutting costs to prepare for the post offices eventual privatization. The plan will cost tens of thousands of postal workers their jobs, and negatively impact the convenience and timeliness of mail delivery by releasing details on what amounts to a need-to-know basis.

A case in point is the Richmond S&DC. On October 28, one month before the start of the peak season on Thanksgiving, the postal service launched its Optimized Collections initiative in Richmond. The initiative represents a significant shift in the way mail is transported between processing centers and post offices, and was undoubtedly a major contributor to late and missing mail that increased over the holidays.

Prior to the shift to Optimized Collections, trucks left processing centers early in the morning to transport the days mail to post offices for delivery. The trucks then returned to processing centers later in the day with outgoing mail picked up from local post offices, which were then sorted and prepared for transport by the next morning at the processing center. This system ensured that outgoing mail began its journey to its destination on the same day it was posted.

Under the new system, delivery units previously handled in post offices located within a 30-minute driving distance from an S&DC are now being handled directly at the larger facility. Letter carriers now transport outbound mail directly to the S&DC at the end of their shifts.

Post offices that are located beyond a 30-minute driving distance are shifting to a milk-run model of mail transportation. Much like a milkman once delivered milk to customers and picked up empty bottles in the same trip, trucks delivering mail to post offices in the morning will now pick up outbound mail from the previous day to be transported to the S&DC. In other words, outbound mail from the post offices is now delayed by a day under the new system.

Of the 500 post offices in the Richmond area, 330 of them fall under the Optimized Collections initiative. These post offices mainly reside in small and rural communities, which make up 42 percent of the regions customers, all of whom have been subject to mail delays since late October.

The Post Office has stated that, though Optimized Collections could lead to mail not being picked up on the calendar day it is received at the Post Office, all mail will still meet the delivery standard.

But as noted on the blog Save the Post Office, the shift to Optimized Collections discriminates against rural customers. Title 39 of The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations states, In providing servicesthe Postal Service shall not, except as specifically authorized in this title, make any undue or unreasonable discrimination among users of the mails, nor shall it grant any undue or unreasonable preferences to any such user.

A source who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site said mail processing was also slowed considerably when package sorting equipment was upgraded at the Richmond S&DC last year.

Ushered in with great fanfare by Postmaster General DeJoy himself, a High Output Package Sorter (HOPS) went online at the Richmond S&DC in August. It is one of 13 high-speed automated package sorting systems which were deployed in processing centers in the US over the last year. HOPS machines can handle up to 8,500 packages weighing up to 25 pounds in an hour.

Mail handlers at the facility were not given proper training on the automated system, according to the source. The machine spits out a lot of rejects, and the computer software breaks down a lot, they told the WSWS. These glitches have caused a slowdown of package processing as workers wait for someone to get the machine back on line.

Additionally, flat mailessentially any mail such as bills, checks, and birthday cards that is not bundled mail or a packageis literally falling through the cracks at the Richmond S&DC. The source told the WSWS that bundled mail, such as catalogs and advertisements that large companies send out, is prioritized over flat mail, even though the machine that processes bundled mail can handle both.

Furthermore, flat mail is being processed on package sorting machines which allow envelopes to fall through the conveyor belt onto the floor beneath the machine. [The news] keeps talking about how people are not getting their mail, and people need their medicine and, you know, checks and all that kind of stuff. And I see that stuff down under there, right? If no one takes the initiative to do anything or, say, take it to another area, it was there for two days, the source said.

At the height of the holiday peak season, the source reported finding flat mail in hampers buried under packages destined for the package sorting machines. I reached under there and said, Golly, what is it? And it was something dated from last week and it could be somebody's electric bill or something like that.

When the hampers get dumped onto the package sorting machines, flat mail gets stuck under the packages or falls to the floor and does not get processed on time if, at all. The source stated that this was not a one off mistake. I hope it's not intentional, but you know from the things that happened, all that seems like something intentional about it.

The source said that the hampers are coming directly from post offices and pass three checkpoints before heading to the appropriate area to be processed. It could be new people working in those areas that don't know any better and no one told them. And there could be just a management flaw where they're not teaching those people what to do, where it goes.

USPS hired 5,480 seasonal employees to support mail processing during its peak season this year. New hires, combined with new processing machinery and a new system to transport mail to and from processing centers, likely combined to create the debacle in Richmond last year and is a further indictment of DFA.

Postal workers in all sections of the postal service are coming into struggle against the deleterious policies of DeJoy which are robbing them of their professions, their wages, and their health. This year, both the contracts of both the NRLCA and APWU will expire, and members of the NALC have been working without a contract since last May. Now is the time for rank-and-file postal workers to take matters into their own hands.

The founding statement of the Postal Workers Rank and File Committee stated:

The only way forward is to organize ourselves, put forward our own program of demands, and place rank-and-file workers in every position critical to our job security, safety, wages, bargaining and so on. We must prepare action from below to assert the will of 635,000 career and non-career USPS workers to make sure our needs and interests take absolute priority, and not the slash-and-burn policies of corporate-controlled politicians.
Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh holds the hand of his son Hamza, who also worked for Al Jazeera and who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Dahdouh lost his wife, two other children and a grandson earlier in the war and was nearly killed himself. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) murdered two Al Jazeera reporters, Hamza al-Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuraya, in a targeted airstrike on their vehicle while they were returning from a reporting assignment.

Hamza was the eldest son of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael al-Dahdouh, whose wife, two other children and infant grandson were murdered in an October IDF airstrike on their home. In December, another targeted drone strike injured Wael and killed his camera operator near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

The systematic and deliberate massacre of al-Dahdouhs family and the repeated efforts to kill him are part of a deliberate Israeli policy of murdering journalists. As of Sunday, the number of journalists killed by Israel over the past three months stood at 109, a figure that grew to 111 by Monday with the murder of two more journalists: Abdullah Breis and Mohammad Abu Dayer.

Israels aim is to prevent the world from learning of the crimes it is inflicting every single day upon the Palestinian people by systematically murdering and intimidating the press. Journalists operating in Gaza have extensively documented Israels campaign of genocide, which has killed over 30,000 people in just three months, has displaced 90 percent of Gazas population, and has destroyed 70 percent of its civilian infrastructure.

Israel operates as a criminal regime, functioning outside of international law as a sort of Murder Incorporated. Its bloody crimes are made possible by the arms, funding and political backing provided by the United States and other imperialist powers.

The killing of journalists is accompanied by the deliberate murder of critics of the genocide, including prominently Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian writer, poet, professor and activist, who was killed in a targeted bombing by the Israeli military on December 7, following weeks of death threats.

Such is the brazenness of Israels policy of murdering journalists that, after the killing of al-Dahdouh and Thuraya, the IDF released a statement referring to them as suspects and saying that their car was targeted because photojournalist Hazem Rajab was a terrorist operative.

On the day of Hamzas murder, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked whether the Biden administration condemns Israels policy of deliberately targeting journalists.

Blinken refused to condemn the policy, and instead asserted he was sorry for the killing. Blinken declared, I am deeply, deeply sorry for the almost unimaginable loss suffered by your colleague Wael al-Dahdouh. I am a parent myself. I cant begin to imagine the horror that hes experienced, not once, but twice. This is an unimaginable tragedy.

No, the murder of Hamza and the other members of Wael al-Dahdouhs family is not only an immense personal tragedy, it is the outcome of a cold-blooded criminal slaughter for which Blinken and the Biden administration bear full responsibility. The Biden administration has publicly asserted that there are no red lines for the crimes that Israel will be allowed to commit. In fact, the United States, which has extensively coordinated airstrike targets with Israel, is likely to have directly collaborated with Israel in selecting which journalists would be murdered.

On October 25, Axios reported that Blinken asked the prime minister of Qatar to turn down the volume on Al Jazeeras coverage because it is full of anti-Israel incitement.

Israel responded to these comments by systematically murdering Al Jazeera correspondents and their families in Gaza. Just three days after Axios reported Blinkens statement, on October 28, Israel carried out the strike on al-Dahdouhs home that killed his wife, two children and infant grandson.

The question immediately arises: Where does Washingtons collaboration in Israels murder of journalists lead? If the United States declares that there are no red lines for Israels crimes, will the US allow the Israeli regime to kill its political opponents and critical journalists on its own territory? And if the US endorses these actions by Israel, what is to prevent the US government and military from targeting their own political opponents?

Throughout the past 50 years, actions by the state of Israel have set a precedent for US policy. The most significant example is the doctrine of targeted killings, or state-organized assassinations.

In November 2000, Israel became the first state in the world to openly acknowledge a policy of targeted killing. Within two years, the policy was adopted by the United States, which conducted its first known drone strike outside a war zone in Yemen in 2002. Within 10 years, the United States had used the doctrine of targeted killing to kill one of its own citizens.

In other words, what Israel is doing today, its imperialist backers will do in the near future.

The governments of the United States and Western Europe have already carried out sweeping attacks on democratic rights, banning anti-genocide protests and launching campaigns to purge opponents of the genocide from college campuses. In October, the US Senate passed a resolution accusing participants in mass demonstrations against the Gaza genocide of expressing solidarity with terrorists.

By this logic, could not participants in the anti-genocide protests be subjected to the same treatment as journalists in Gaza?

The Gaza genocide marks a new stage in the criminality of the United States and other world imperialist governments, which are embracing genocide and mass murder as state policy. These crimes will then set a further precedent for even more sweeping attacks on the social and democratic rights of the working class.

A particularly despicable role is being played in this process by the corporate media, which has, with few exceptions, blacked out both the genocidal crimes being committed in the US-Israeli war on the people of Gaza and the unprecedented protests around the globe against them. In their bid to normalize these crimes, the major news corporations have likewise covered up the slaughter of journalists, including in a number of cases correspondents who have provided them with reporting, photographs and video.

The endorsement of Israels genocide and mass murder by the worlds imperialist governments must serve as a warning. The line between democratic and fascist capitalist governments is being obliterated. Every crime, from genocide to mass murder and political repression, is being materially supported and legitimized by the criminal oligarchies that hold power.

For this reason, the struggle against Israels genocide in Gaza must take the form of a political struggle by the working class against the governments that are enabling it, and which will seek to use the genocide to set a precedent for even greater crimes against working people all over the world.
The international airline and travel industries are reeling after the Friday morning in-flight blowout of a door plug on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 airliner bound for Ontario, California, from Portland, Oregon, shortly after takeoff.

This photo shows a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. [AP Photo/National Transportation Safety Board]

Twenty minutes into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, as the plane reached an altitude of 16,000 feet, an unused cabin door separated from the aircraft and the fuselage immediately depressurized. Oxygen masks dropped and, as one terrified passenger told the New York Times, The first thing I thought was, Im going to die.

The flight crew reacted quickly, dropping the aircraft to 10,000 feet and then returning the damaged plane to Portland International Airport for an emergency landing. No one on board was seriously injured. As airline experts have pointed out, if the plane had made it to higher altitudes, the door plug failure would have resulted in a much different outcome.

A gaping hole where the paneled-over door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out Jan. 5, shortly after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, forcing the plane to return to Portland International Airport. [AP Photo/National Transportation Safety Board]

On Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered US airline companies to stop flying some Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes until they are inspected. In a press statement, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the agency is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight. He did not explain why the Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) was required for just 171 airplanes worldwide.

On Monday, United Airlines reported that it found loose bolts and other installation issues on some of its 737 MAX 9 jets after they were inspected. A statement by the Chicago-based airline said, Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plugfor example, bolts that needed additional tightening.

By Monday, the FAA approved guidelines for inspecting the door plugs on the MAX 9 jets and repairing them. In another statement, the federal agency made the perfunctory claim that its priority is always keeping Americans safe, and promised enhanced inspections and corrective action requirements to be completed by airline companies.

On Monday morning, Alaska Airlines deferred to a Boeing multi-operator message (MOM) that provided inspection details for the 7379 MAX aircraft, which have been approved by the FAA. The airline stated further, As we await further information from the FAA and work through these important steps, our technicians have prepared each aircraft to be immediately ready for the required inspection when instructions are finalized.

For its part, Boeing issued a three-sentence statement on the catastrophic midair failure of its plane that said, Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers. The $150 billion multinational airplane manufacturing company also defaulted to the US government agency, saying, We agree with and fully support the FAAs decision to require immediate inspections of 7379 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.

There is no question that Boeing and the airline operators are guilty of putting profits before passenger safety. A visit to the Boeing website page about the 737 MAX shows that the promotion of this line of jetliners is focused on enhanced efficiency, excellent economics and 14 percent lower airframe maintenance costs of the model.

The record of Boeing and the airline corporations with the 737 MAX has been one of ongoing lack of safety and deadly consequences for flight crews and the traveling public. There were two crashes, the first in October 2018, in which a 737 MAX 8 operated by Indonesias Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea and killed 189, and a second in March 2019, in which an Ethiopian Airlines flight nosedived after take-off and killed 157 passengers.

During the investigations following these deadly crasheswhich established that the cause was a malfunctioning of the planes Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) which forced the planes into an unrecoverable nosediveit was established that Boeing ignored employee warnings about the potential for failures of the system.

In the present blowout of the door plug, it has now been reported that the Boeing aircraft was restricted from being used for longer flights to Hawaii after a warning light indicating a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights.

According to a report by ABC News, Alaska Airlines decided not to let the aircraft make long flights over water so that it could return very quickly to an airport if the warning light reappeared. This statement was made on Sunday by Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.
A handful of anti-genocide protesters interrupted President Joe Biden while he was delivering his second major campaign speech at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the site of a white supremacist mass murder in June 2015.

President Joe Biden sits with Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., before delivering remarks at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. [AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough]

Nine people were murdered in the African American church by then-21-year-old Dylann Roof, a neo-Nazi. After he admitted his guilt, Roof was sentenced to death in January 2017 and is currently on death row. In addition to reading Breitbart News and posting on the Daily Stormer, Roof was radicalized by the Council of Conservative Citizens, a racist organization with connections to the Republican Party, including current presidential candidate and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.



Besides the protesters, Biden spoke before a privileged and conservative crowd which dutifully clapped at the pre-selected applause lines in between chants of four more years. In his remarks, Biden sought to resuscitate his floundering re-election campaign, which is hemorrhaging support among wide layers of young people outraged over his administrations support for the genocide in Gaza. In is speech, Biden pointed to nebulous statistics.

We have the lowest black unemployment rate recorded in a long, long time, Biden said. More blacks (sic) Americans with health insurance than ever, bringing peace of mind and dignity to their lives. Biden neglected to mention the recent doubling of child poverty, the record-setting homelessness and the great unwinding of Medicaid which has plunged millions of people of all races into poverty.



Biden repeated, virtually verbatim, his hollow comments from this past Friday in Pennsylvania about the dangers to democracy represented by Republican Donald Trump. However, approximately 18 minutes into the speech, protesters interrupted Biden with calls for a ceasefire.



If you really cared about the lives lost here, a young protester shouted, referring to the 2015 mass shooting, you should honor their lives and call for a ceasefire in Palestine!



A few protesters on the floor of the church and in the balcony also chanted Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! After about 20 seconds, the peaceful protesters were escorted out by security. Microphones from television crews picked up one protester telling Biden, 20,000 Palestinians. Their blood is on your hands.

A few hundred people had gathered inside the church to hear Biden speak. Anticipating that there would be protests against Genocide Joe, as he is known to millions around the world for his unstinting support for Israels ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza, the church pastor had asked attendees not to interrupt Bidens speech. Police and security officers escorted the protesters out of the church without incident.



Following the ceasefire protest, Democratic Party operatives in the media immediately denounced the protesters for having the audacity to call for peace on earth inside of a church. Seeking to stoke racial divisions, Edward-Isaac Dovere, senior reporter at CNN, falsely reported that both protesters who interrupted at the historic Black church were white. Hours later, Dovere admitted, there was a third protester who is a black woman



MSNBC anchor Symone Sanders-Townsend, an African American, claimed that the church was hallowed ground and the shock of people from protesters calling for a ceasefire while Biden was speaking from the pulpit cannot be overstated.



I too couldnt believe it, the former press secretary for Senator Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign and former senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, tweeted.



Thousands of angry social media users denounced the Sanders-Townsend tweet.



Denmark Vesey, one of the founders of the church, plotted a slave revolt and was killed as result of this, @Marxicology, noted, adding that hosting Biden who gave billions of dollars to the police and country perpetrating genocide is the real obscenity.



Little Black children being blown up in church galvanized folks during the Civil Rights Movement, @ArielliIvy_ replied. [A]nd yall want to cry about people protesting the bombing of children in the churches of Palestine. Are you not ashamed?



After the protesters were led out of the building, Biden claimed that he understood their passion and falsely declared that he has been quietly working with the Israeli government to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza (sic) and using all that I can to do that.



In reality, Biden has done nothing to reduce the violence and suffering in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. His administration has circumvented Congress to deliver millions of dollars in tank shells to genocidal Zionists who are gleefully posting their daily war crimes on social media.



As Israeli politicians continue to call for a second Nakba, Biden has spread Israeli lies about alleged atrocities committed by Hamas fighters who allegedly beheaded babies, while downplaying the Palestinian death toll.

At the United Nations, US ambassadors have blocked resolutions from member states calling for a ceasefire. In press conferences and interviews, his officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, reassert that there are no red lines for the Israel Defense Forces, even as they regularly assassinate Palestinian journalists, doctors, healthcare workers and poets with US-supplied weapons.

Before he spoke, Biden was introduced by long-time Democratic Rep. James Clyburn (South Carolina). Clyburn, as Biden acknowledges, is perhaps the politician most responsible for getting him into the White House. After Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared to win the 2020 primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, the third-ranking House Democrat provided Biden a much-needed endorsement before the tightly controlled South Carolina primary, propelling Biden to his first primary win and eventually the presidency.



Prior to Bidens speech Monday, Clyburn made headlines in the bourgeois press over the weekend for expressing concerns over Bidens campaign and its inability to convince voters about the administrations supposed achievements.

Speaking on CNN, Clyburn made clear he had no problem with Bidens policies, only that he might lose to Trump. I have no problem with the Biden administration and what it has done, Clyburn told CNNs Jake Tapper. We have not been able to break through the MAGA wall.



Mondays protest at Mother Emanuel AME in Charleston was one of several protests organized by Jewish-American and other antiwar groups, such as IfNotNow. Such protests against genocide in Gaza have been spreading since last October.



Protesters have also engaged in civil disobedience, such as forming human chains to block traffic at major intersections.



The latter tactic was employed in New York City and Dallas on Monday. In New York, hundreds of protesters blocked traffic at several major bridges and a tunnel leading to traffic congestion and mass arrests. The New York Police Department reported that 325 were arrested, with the majority facing misdemeanor charges.





Similarly in Dallas, over a dozen protesters were arrested outside the Love Field Airport ahead of Bidens arrival, according to the Palestinian Youth Movement.
Oregon State University fisheries professor Scott Heppell will discuss the popular science book An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong as part of the librarys Random Review series, at noon Wednesday, Jan. 10.

The program will take place in the main meeting room of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.

Politics 'A Place to Sleep' podcast: Catch all the episodes here Our podcast, A Place to Sleep, explores how Oregon cities are responding to a new law that is meant to provide homeless individuals a place to rest.

An Immense World is a deep dive into the way other members of the animal kingdom perceive the world around them. Through his vivid writing and tireless curiosity, Yong encourages his human readers to attempt to perceive reality through the senses of other animals  from tiny insects to the largest of mammals, according to a news release from the library.

Yong, a staff writer for The Atlantic from 2015 to 2023, is also the author of I Contain Multitudes, which was the topic of a Random Review in 2017. Yongs reporting also has appeared in numerous other publications. He received a Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting and several other awards for his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heppell is a professor of fisheries in Oregon State Universitys Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences. He grew up in Tigard, in a family that enjoyed camping, fishing and exploring the coast. He holds masters and doctoral degrees from North Carolina State University, and a bachelors in biology from the University of Washington.

He teaches classes in fishery biology, salmon biology and management, and fish physiology, and an undergraduate course for non-majors called Food from the Sea, which explores the many aspects of how seafood ends up on our plates.

Heppell is vice chair of the Habitat Committee for the Pacific Fishery Management Fishery Council, chair of the Science and Data Committee for the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership, and immediate past president of the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

Random Review is a deep exploration of a selected book by a reviewer with expertise on the topic or theme of that book. Sometimes reviewers cover a classic, series, genre or author, but usually they cover a specific title. Whether or not you have read the selection, you will enjoy Random Review.

Find out more and view the full schedule at https://cbcpubliclibrary.net/random-review/. For more information, call the library at 541-766-6793.
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature

Latin America

Jamaica West Indies University Strike

On Friday January 5, 900 educators and administrators employed by the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica went on strike. At issue are wages. The workers are demanding a 25 percent raise in salaries, beginning on February 29. Government authorities have so far ignored the demand.

The strike includes the stoppage, until January 22, of lessons, the delivery of academic material, meetings with tutors and remediation to students.

Our main paymaster, the government of Jamaica, is our target. Unfortunately, protest action is the only way to get their attention, declared the union that represents the Mona Campus workers.

West Indies University has campuses in Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica (Mona)

Protests continue in Argentina against President Mileis administration

Chanting Until he falls and banging empty pots and pans, workers in the Hurlingham working class district of Metropolitan Buenos Aires carried out a mass rally on January 5 against the policy measures of Argentinas new president Milei.

The workers defied the governments new policy requiring permission for protests of more than three people and banning the blocking of streets and sidewalks. In addition to the empty pots and pans, as more people joined the rally, demonstrators also carried drums and horns.

As the night set in, university students, retirees, teachers, health workers and unemployed (some of whom had participated in the historic mass rallies of 2001) gave testimonials about the conditions that they face. There was wide agreement that these protests would continue.

The Hurlingham protest was one of a series of pots and pan protests across Metropolitan Buenos Aires and in the center of that city. There were also protests in La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province, and in the northern provinces of Misiones and Santiago del Estero.

Brazilian gig workers protest

Casual workers employed by Petrobras in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro) transport terminal carried out a protest slowdown and blocked the port on January 3 for two hours to protest contractors that delay wages and benefits and even try to halve the amount of agreed-upon food vouchers.

This was the latest of several protests by permanent and temporary workers at the transportation and shipping terminal.

United States

Las Vegas culinary union in contract talks ahead of Super Bowl

Culinary Workers Union Local 226 is continuing talks with 21 resort casinos in Las Vegas as the date of the 2024 Super Bowl approaches. Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the talks focus on wages and benefits but also address daily room cleanings, protections against job-replacing technology, and reductions in workloads.

The union has yet to sign a deal with 21 Las Vegas casino resorts the operate in the city. Pay for the hospitality workers can be as low as $12 an hour for tipped employees.

Members of the Culinary Workers Union rally along the Las Vegas Strip, Wednesday, October 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. [AP Photo/John Locher]

Local 226 has not set a strike deadline, but only stated that one is coming soon for 8,000 workers on the strip. US Vice President Kamala Harris and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su held a rally with Local 226 officials, claiming the Biden administration is backing the casino workers. The involvement of the Biden administration is a clear sign that the union is planning to block a struggle, which could potentially disrupt the Super Bowl, and impose a sellout agreement that keeps workers locked in poverty pay.

The Culinary union called off a planned strike and signed a deal with MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas last November that has been widely denounced by the rank-and-file as a sellout.

Workers strike City World Ford in New York City

Workers at City World Ford are on strike in the Bronx, New York after voting last summer to join the United Auto Workers. The UAW says management has refused to bargain over a first contract with the auto dealership workers, who include technicians and mechanics

Canada

Job action begins on Vancouver Transit

Despite entering into a legal strike position this past weekend, Canadian Union of Public Employees officials organizing 180 bus transit supervisors, engineers and maintenance workers in British Columbias Lower Mainland initiated an overtime ban instead of an all-out strike. Last month workers had voted by 100 percent for strike action.

The workers are employed by the Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC). The company is a subsidiary of Translink, the transit authority for Metro Vancouver. Workers have been without a new contract since October 2022. Union officials claim that due to the overtime ban some buses will be late on their routes.

Workers are demanding that should the dispute not be settled promptly a full-on strike must be organized. Their contract demands involve a significant wage increase and the ending of onerous workloads that can result in workers labouring for 70 hours per week or more, due to extremely low staffing levels.
Anthony Tony Hollis Taylors final wish was to be sent to the moon.

Thats what he told his wife of 40 years, Jan Taylor, before he died on Aug. 7, 2019.

So when the Peregrine lunar lander took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, Jan. 8, the ashes of the retired scientist from Sedona were aboard. So were the ashes of about 65 other people including writer Arthur C. Clarke and "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, according to celestis.com, a company that arranges memorial space flights.

Now Taylor's dreams might be at a standstill.

On Monday, Astrobotic, the maker of the Peregrine lunar lander, said the spacecraft was experiencing an anomaly that has prevented it from pointing its solar panels stably at the sun. Without control of the solar panels, the Peregrine wont be able to charge its batteries and maintain a power supply.

United Launch Alliance's new rocket, Vulcan Centaur, lifts off Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for its maiden voyage. On board is Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander. The mission, called Cert-1, will also carry on board the cremated remains of several people associated with the original "Star Trek" series, including creator Gene Roddenberry.

The battery problem was resolved on Monday, but as of Tuesday a fuel leak is causing the thrusters of the lander's altitude control system to operate beyond their expected life cycle. Engineers are working on the issue but currently, the thrusters can only operate for 40 more hours at most.

The 1.3-ton lander was launched into space on a Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It would be the first commercial American mission in 50 years to land on the moon.

Who is Tony Taylor, whose ashes are aboard the Peregrine lander?

Tony Taylors connection to space and the universe is deeply rooted.

Born on Aug. 16, 1942, in North Carolina, he went to the U.S. Air Force Academy intending to become a pilot and, after that, an astronaut. After the Air Force Academy, he went to the University of Arizona to get his masters degree in physics.

He always had his head in the stars, always wanted to go into space, Jan Taylor said.

Tony Taylor flew Phantom F-4Cs in Vietnam and when he returned, he was a pilot instructor. He spent 11 years in the Air Force.

Taylor began his career at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California, then moved to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where he worked on the Deep Space Network, an international array of radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions.

That was around the time he met Jan through a dating service before the internet, she said. They got married after seven months together.

Soon, Tony Taylor was on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's navigation team for the Voyager 2 space probe, which NASA launched on Aug. 20, 1977. He eventually became chief navigator for that and was the chief navigator for the Cassini-Huygens space research mission.

An artist's rendering of Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander on the moon's surface.

Other missions he took part in include the Galileo mission to study Jupiter and its moons and the Mars Polar Lander.

Taylor then moved to KinetX, based in Tempe, where he and his former boss from JPL started the interplanetary spacecraft navigation division. According to Jan Taylor, he was the chief navigator for MESSENGER, which went to Mercury, and New Horizon, which went to Pluto.

Tony Taylor was also a writer and wrote three novels. His third one, The Darkest Side of Saturn, won the Arizona Book of the Year Award for 2015.

Jan and Tony Taylor lived in Sedona for eight years while he was battling cancer and she still resides there. He is also survived by daughters Chelsea and Louisa and grandsons Jeffrey and Harris.

Wolf moon? When is the first full moon of 2024? How to see January's wolf moon in Arizona

How Tony Taylor's ashes went into space

In 2019, Tony Taylor was fast-tracked for getting an asteroid named after him. Asteroid Anthony Taylor was official in two weeks and he got to hear about it before his death, Jan Taylor said.

She is feeling anxious about the technical difficulties the Peregrine is facing and doesnt know what will happen if the flight to the moon doesn't go as planned.

Tony Taylors ashes were sent on the Peregrine through Celestis: Memorial Spaceflights. Jan Taylor said she had not heard of the company, but one of Tony's former coworkers at JPL had a connection to the CEO of Celestis, Charles M. Chafer, and put them in touch. According to the company's website, prices to send cremains to the moon start at $12,995.

Now shes just keeping her fingers crossed that the man with an asteroid named after him gets to go to the moon like he wished for.

More: Navajo Nation objects to NASA allowing human remains to be sent to moon

Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peregrine moon lander is carrying people's ashes into space
New York-based The Film Sales Company has pounced on the worldwide rights to Colombian documentary feature Igualada by Juan Mejia Botero ahead of its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition sidebar.

Mejia Botero, whose most recent feature documentary Death by a Thousand Cuts won the Audience Award at DOC NYC, chronicles politician Francia Marquezs groundbreaking journey from her start as a rural grassroot activist to her history-making campaign to become not only the first black but also the first female president of her native Colombia.

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Given exclusive access, Mejia Botero follows Marquez as she dares to challenge the status quo by launching a presidential campaign in Colombia, a nation beset by profound racial and socio-economic disparities, per the synopsis.

Reclaiming the derogatory term igualada (used to belittle individuals asserting rights deemed beyond their position in society), Marquez propels a movement into the upper spheres of influence, challenging the notion of conforming to prescribed roles. Spanning 15 years, the documentary unveils the delicate process that can drive societal change.

Igualada was produced by Juan E. Yepes, Daniela Alatorre and Sonia Serna, and was executive produced by Marco Williams, Paola Mendoza and Felipe Estefan. The co-production between Colombia, the U.S. and Mexico was directed by Mejia Botero, lensed by [Karen] Gomez (Under Silence and Earth) and edited by Andrea Chignoli (No, The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future).

Yepes and Alatorre closed the pact with Andrew Herwitz, president of The Film Sales Company.

This film will resonate across the world. The filmmakers have captured a movement, which would be unbelievable were it not trueThink Knock Down the House meets Mandela, said Herwitz.

We are so excited to be partnering with The Film Sales Company. It is a huge step in our quest to bring this important Latin American story to the world, said Yepez.

Founded in 2002, The Film Sales Companys varied and extensive catalog of some 200 titles includes Radical (Sundance 2023 Festival Favorite awardee); Roberta Flack docu Roberta; Sundance Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film prizewinner Son of Monarchs and SWSW winner Bad Axe.

The 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan. 21 to 28 in Park City, Utah.

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The post Jodie Foster on How Night Countrys Mystical Setting Served the True Detective Model appeared first on Consequence.

Writer/director Issa Lopez laughs when Consequence asks why setting True Detective: North Country during the darkest months of Alaskas winter excited her. Well, if you set out to make an noir, its just like, why havent we done this? The moment that the night starts and doesnt go away, its an invitation to the things that hide in the shadows to come out and play.

Its an answer that speaks to the pervading eeriness of the newest True Detective installment, as Night Country begins on December 17th  the last sunset of the year for those who live 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle, as ominous text informs us. And that sets the stage for an eerie murder mystery unlike any other, as detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) investigate some unexpected deaths that speak to a much bigger secret within the community. All during an endless night, shot in Iceland over the long winter months of 2022 and 2023.

Theres something very beautiful and kind of mystical and eerie about this idea of a place where we dont see the sun for three months, where its dark all the time and cold, Jodie Foster says during a roundtable interview with press. And I think that it really served the True Detective model of, you know, lets locate the place first, and then the weirdness of that place, in some ways, will inform the psychological space of that character.

Continues Foster, Thats really the power of the first True Detective  its in the bayou in Louisiana. Its hot, steamy, and theres something eerie and kind of grimy about that. Well, weve kind of done the opposite by bringing in a different lens, a feminine lens, on this place at the end of the earth, that is so isolated and so misunderstood. That in some ways is older than anything on Earth.

An acclaimed filmmaker whose past projects include 2017s Tigers Are Not Afraid, Lopez says shed already been developing the idea that would become Night Country before getting the call from HBO asking what would I do with True Detective. And I dont think that happened by chance. I think that there was a reason that I was thinking already in these terms, because when I heard that, I chuckled, because it was just perfect.

Lopez says that as soon as she decided to set the story in the northern reaches of Alaska, Native and Indigenous representation would be important, because thats 70 percent of the areas ethnic make-up. You cannot in good conscience set up a story in this universe if you dont understand that 70% of what youre saying has to deal with this and has to be about it. Its not about background. Its not about decoration. If you are going to set up a story here, you have to embrace it, to understand it, and respect it.

Along those lines, she established that one of her two detectives would be Indigenous, so it was not people that come from a different culture, or white people figuring out the situation. It had to come from the people in the region. In addition, Native writers like Princess Daazhraii Johnson went through the scripts and collaborated on making sure the material accurately represented their culture, while still creating good drama. After they read the pilot, they said to me, emotionally moved, Where was Navarro? We have been waiting for her all over our lives,' Lopez says. Which felt like such a powerful thing. It moved me to tears.

Central to the story is the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women, which Kali Reis hopes will bring more awareness of the epidemic thats been plaguing our people from the dawn of time. Something like a big production like this, you have eyes on it that wouldnt normally talk about it and do research. The more attention we put on things like this, the more we make it a big deal, it becomes a big deal. Because It is. And you know, that can motivate or change conversations. It just needs to be talked about more. I wish we didnt have to talk about it as something thats still currently happening.

Filming the series in Iceland meant that the production team brought many Inuit and Native actors in from Alaska, as well as Canada and Greenland. And with everything else the production team brought to set, though, from props to wardrobe to food, all of that together made it so that when the Alaskans got to set, they felt at home. They recognized it as their own. And that let me rest, that I had done it right.

Adds Reis, Unfortunately we couldnt shoot there, but we brought Alaska where we shot. Actually, it felt like we were there the entire time.

That much unending darkness is one Lopez identifies as such a foreign concept for the people that dont live beyond the Arctic Circle. This includes her, as a native Mexican: It was the most alluring, strange phenomenon. And getting into it was so fascinating, because the interesting thing is both Alaskans and Icelanders, when we would talk about it, they would say, I dont think youre understanding the dark, when it comes, because its not scary. Its a space where you go inside and you become creative. Its cozy.'

And Lopez says she did actually experience that while making the show. We became like this family that would get together in coziness to drink our hot tea and make the show that we loved. It was really a beautiful, creative experience.

True Detective: Night Country (Max) Jodie Foster Kali Reis Review

True Detective: Night Country (Max)

Though, she continues, When the dark season started to approach, the Icelanders started to say, Hey, just be careful. Are you sure youre going to be fine? We play music and we have lamps that keep you happy. And I was like, Its not as easy as you said. So I think that part of it is you talk yourself into keeping a little sunshine in your heart through it.

When it came to capturing this bleakness on camera, Lopez sings the praises of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister, who according to her made this show possible. Hes a true artist. I talked to a lot of DPs for this one, because its a challenge, you know, working on the ice, and working on the ice in the dark is a very unique talent. Florian, before this, had done many, many things in his career, but one of the things he made is The Terror [Season 1], which also happens in the North Pole, in the Arctic, and thats how the conversation started.

Continues Lopez, We both had this vision that instead of fighting the dark, letting the dark come in. So we have these rich, profound blacks and dark areas in the shots, even the ones that happen inside, because the whole ethos of the show is you can only see part of the reality. There is more that youre not seeing. He was integral to the identity of the show.

Foster, after decades in the business, is used to the idea of night shoots: You usually get a system down for that  you wear eye shades and earplugs. However, she continues, I dont think anyone could be ready for that cold. It doesnt matter how many pairs of boots you have on and warmers and all of that. It really influences how you speak, how you act, your irritability. And I think we really used that on screen. I think it was important actually, to really feel that real depth of the cold in that place and it really comes out. Its very different than it wouldve been had we been shooting on a soundstage somewhere comfy.

Adds Reis, Yeah, nobody can prepare you for that cold. But I think being a night shoot, it added to the depth and the darkness of the actual story we were telling. Its a character within itself. And it makes you really, really feel the cold, the night, the vast unending abyss of darkness.

True Detective: Night Country premieres Sunday, January 14th on HBO.

Jodie Foster on How Night Countrys Mystical Setting Served the True Detective Model

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The actress welcomed son Luai over the summer

Arturo Holmes/Getty Lindsay Lohan on Jan. 8

Lindsay Lohan is thriving in her cool mom era.

The OG Cady Heron appeared at the Mean Girls premiere in New York City on Monday, where the 37-year-old was asked if she identifies as a "cool mom" after welcoming son Luai over the summer.

"I hope so," Lohan tells PEOPLE exclusively with a laugh.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Lindsay Lohan's Brother Says He's 'Beyond Grateful' as He Shares Sweet Photo with Baby Nephew Luai

In June, Lohan gave some insight into what her plans for her baby are in a rare interview.

I guess you would say it happened organically, Lohan told Allure of how she ended up in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai gives me that space to have my own vision of what I need to do next.

Lohan says even though its a bustling city, her life is more peaceful there because she doesnt have to deal with the same public attention and pressure she did in America. In Dubai, she can provide a more steady schedule and peace for her son.

Sometimes I call it The Truman Show, because its the same thing every day," she said. "But I love it. I really love structure, because I didn't think I had that when I was young.

Arturo Holmes/Getty Lindsay Lohan on Jan. 8

Last year, Dina Lohan opened up to PEOPLE about being thrilled to watch her daughter settle into her new role as a mom.

"To watch my oldest daughter with her beautiful son is a memory engraved in my heart forever," Dina told PEOPLE. "Lindsay took to her best role ever so naturally...she was always meant to be a mother."

"God has truly blessed us all with lil Luai," Dina adds of Lindsay's baby boy. "As I held Luai, tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks. Badar [Shammas] took to the role of daddy like a pro as well. They are a perfect team."

The new Mean Girls film opens in theaters on Jan. 12.

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Read the original article on People.
More than 20 Native American-led humanities projects are among the latest awardees of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) $33.8 million fund.

Awarded projects include an Inupiaq Public History Project, an intergenerational knowledge-sharing effort in Taos, New Mexico, and the construction of the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island. Funding for Native American projects totals approximately $4.5 million.

This funding will help preserve and expand access to community histories, strengthen the ability of small museums and archives to serve the public and provide resources and educational opportunities for students to engage with history, literature, languages, and cultures, NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo) said in a statement.

NEH is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States. The endowment only awards grants to top-rated proposals examined by panels of independent, external reviewers.

Here is the full list of funded Native American projects:

Corinna Cook

The Early Years of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission: An Inupiaq Public History Project



Research and writing led to a book on the early years of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (19771983) from the perspective of its first executive director, Marie Adams Carroll. ($60,000/ Fellowships)

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Indigenizing the Humanities: Troth Yeddha Indigenous Studies Center

Construction design and site preparation for an Indigenous Studies Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ($500,000/ Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants)

Regents of the University of California, Berkeley

Hitch Stories

The creation of a StoryMap to document the history of the hitch fish and its cultural significance to the tribal peoples of the Clear Lake region of California. ($150,000/ Cultural and Community Resilience)

Association of Moving Image Archivists

Expanding the Circle of Care for Audiovisual Collections in Tribal Archives

A continuing education program in the preservation of audiovisual collections for approximately 150 tribal cultural stewards that would include five regional workshops, the development of inventories and preservation plans for site partners, and the creation of a new module on managing digital AV collections. ($349,610/ Preservation and Access Education and Training)

Dana Murillo, University of California, San DiegoThe Chichimeca Arc: War, Peace, and Resettlement in Americas First Borderlands, 15461616



Research and writing leading to a book about war and peace between the Indigenous Chichimeca and the Spanish in northern Mexico between 1546 and 1616. ($60,000/ Fellowships)

Stacy Kamehiro, University of California, Santa Cruz

Objects of the Nation: Hawaii at the Worlds Fairs, 18551899

Research and writing leading to a book exploring how worlds fairs exhibited by Indigenous Hawaiians and settler-colonists reflected and shaped conceptions of Hawaiian nationhood and Indigenous sovereignty. ($60,000/ Fellowships)

Craig Perez, University of Hawaii Systems

Pacific Islander Ecopoetry: Indigenous Knowledge, Environmental Justice, and Climate Change



Research and writing leading to a book on the Indigenous environmental poetry traditions of the Pacific Ocean region. ($60,000/ Fellowships)

Kansas State University

Kansas Land Treaties Project



A three-year project to revise curriculum and create digital humanities resources that support undergraduate and K-12 teaching about local Indigenous history and culture. ($149,843/ Humanities Initiatives at Colleges and Universities)

Wichita State University

Stories of Language, Communication, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kansas Latinx Communities



The recording of 10 oral history interviews detailing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Spanish-speaking and Indigenous language-speaking communities in Kansas. The project would transcribe and translate the oral histories and make them available online in addition to hosting team and community workshops, producing teaching materials, and creating presentations and publications to share findings. ($150,000/ Cultural and Community Resilience)

Castine Scientific Society

Building Capacity for Community Engagement Through Facilitated Dialogue Training



Facilitated dialogue training for staff and volunteers of local museums and development of a public program module exploring regional Indigenous history. ($19,354/ Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations)

University of Maine System

Connecting Communities with Collections: Indigenous Stewardship of Wabanaki Basketry to Create a Lexicon for Cataloging



A project to create a digital lexicon of Wabanaki basketry to be used as a model for other institutions and collections of Wabanaki material culture. ($99,947/ Research and Development)

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Deepening the Understanding of Anishinaabe History, Culture, and Language through the Expansion of the Native American Studies



A three-year curriculum development project, expanding an existing associate degree program to a baccalaureate degree program in Native American studies. ($120,000/ Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities)

Montana State University

A Peoples Oral History of Coal

The collection and curation of 25 oral histories from Apsaalooke elders and tribal members who hold knowledge about the development and governance of a coal economy on the Crow Indian Reservation. ($150,000/ Cultural and Community Resilience)

Keres Childrens Learning Center

Match: $500,000 [Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants]

Building KCLCs Future: Investing in the Next Generation of Keres Speakers



Construction of a new learning center to support Keres language fluency and cultural heritage on the Pueblo de Cochiti in New Mexico. ($500,000/ Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants)

Pueblo of Isleta

Sustaining Shiehwif Tuei Craft Traditions Across Generations

Facilitating a series of intergenerational, community-led workshops on Pueblo of Isleta cultural heritage craftwork that is under threat of loss from the impact of COVID-19. The project would create a mixed and multimedia archival collection, language recordings, craft curricula, and instruction manuals. ($149,998/ Cultural and Community Resilience)

School for Advanced Research

Expanding Humanities Programming Capacity at SAR

Relocation and storage of collections during construction as well as purchase of archival equipment and furnishings to benefit the Indian Arts Research Center at the School of Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico. ($900,000/ Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants)

True Kids 1

An Intergenerational Knowledge-Sharing Oral History Project in Taos

Training students, ages 14 to 20, to conduct and record 45 video oral history interviews with elders in Taos, New Mexico. ($149,084/ Cultural and Community Resilience)

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee

Kituwah: A Place, A People, A Way of Being

The creation of a new interpretive plan for the John Hair Cultural Center in Oklahoma that would preserve and interpret the histories of the People of Ki Tu Wah. ($424,995/ Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations)

Shelton-McMurphey, Johnson Associates

Shelton McMurphey Johnson House Skinner Butte Interpretive Project

New interpretive signage and a web-based audio tour for a historic site to tell the story of Native American displacement, early European settlers, the rise of recreation culture, and KKK protest. ($25,000/ Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations)

Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum

Tomaquag Museums New Home Capital Challenge Project

Construction of a new museum building for the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum in Exeter, Rhode Island, to expand space for Indigenous educational programming, archive collections, and research materials. ($444,282/ Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants)

Gonzaga University

Finding Our Way: Digital Deep Mapping to Foster a Sense of Place for Underrepresented Communities

Prototyping of a website connected to interpretive signage examining the history and culture of the people who have lived along the Children of the Sun Trail in Spokane, Washington. ($99,997/ Digital Projects for the Public: Prototyping Grants)

County of Johnson

Native American Wisdom Council and Curated Exhibits

Reinterpretation of the museums Native American gallery through collaboration and consultation with tribal representatives. ($10,000/ Public Impact Projects at Smaller Organizations)

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
OpenAI is firing back at The New York Times after the company was sued for copyright infringement over the use of the publishers articles to train its artificial intelligence chatbot.

In a blog post, the Sam Altman-led firm said that the Times is not telling the full story and claimed it intentionally manipulated prompts to make it appears as if ChatGPT generates near word-for-word excerpts of articles.

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Even when using such prompts, our models dont typically behave the way The New York Times insinuates, which suggests they either instructed the model to regurgitate or cherry-picked their examples from many attempts, the post states.

OpenAI maintained that such verbatim regurgitation is a rare bug. There are guardrails in place to limit inadvertent memorization, added the company, which stressed that users are barred under its terms of use from prompting models to produce answers that may violate intellectual property rights.

The blog was issued in response to the Times suing last month over novel copyright issues raised by generative AI in a suit that could have far-reaching implications on the news publishing industry. The publisher presented extensive evidence of products from OpenAI and Microsoft displaying near word-for-word excerpts of articles when prompted, which allegedly go far beyond the snippets of texts typically shown with ordinary search results. One example: Bing Chat copied all but two of the first 396 words of its 2023 article The Secrets Hamas knew about Israels Military. An exhibit shows 100 other situations in which OpenAIs GPT was trained on and memorized articles from The Times.

In the post, OpenAI argued that training AI models using the publishers articles and other publicly available internet materials is fair use, which allows for the use of copyrighted works to make a secondary creation as long as its transformative.

That being said, legal right is less important to us than being good citizens, the company adds. We have led the AI industry in providing a simple opt-out process for publishers (which The New York Times adopted in August 2023) to prevent our tools from accessing their sites.

The Times reached out to OpenAI in April to explore a deal thatd resolve concerns around the use of its articles as training material, according to the complaint. The media organization, after the highly publicized releases of ChatGPT and BingChat, put the company and Microsoft on notice that their tech infringed on copyrighted works. The terms of a resolution involved a licensing agreement and the institution of guardrails around generative artificial intelligence tools.

OpenAI said that negotiations focused on a partnership around real-time display with attribution in ChatGPT. The talks faltered, however, as the company maintained that the publishers content didnt meaningfully contribute to the training of our existing models and also wouldnt be sufficiently impactful for future training.

In response to allegations that ChatGPT generates near verbatim excerpts of entire articles, OpenAI countered that the answers the Times induced appear to be from years-old articles that have proliferated on multiple third-party websites. It explained, It seems they intentionally manipulated prompts, often including lengthy excerpts of articles, in order to get our model to regurgitate.

As content from major newspapers and magazine companies are being ingested by AI companies, theyre increasingly facing a choice of whether to accept licensing deals and fuel potential competitors that may possible replace them or fight with a lawsuit. Axel Springer, the owner of Politico and Business Insider and German newspaper Bild, took the money, while the Times became the first major media company to sue.

A finding of infringement could result in massive damages since the statutory maximum for each willful violation runs $150,000. It could also result in a court order requiring OpenAI to terminate its AI model if it was trained on copyrighted material.

Ian Crosby, a lawyer for the Times, said in a statement that the blog concedes that OpenAI used The Timess work, along with the work of many others, to build ChatGPT. He added that the company seek to free-ride on The Timess massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment. Thats not fair use by any measure.

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Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 is a crime drama television series created by Sascha Penn and serves as a prequel to Power by Courtney A. Kemp. Set in South Jamaica in 1991, this television series continues the journey of Kanan Stark, a cocaine distributor with growing connections and networks. It promises more action and drama with higher stakes and emotions.

Heres how you can watch and stream Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 via streaming services such as STARZ.

Is Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 available to watch via streaming?

Yes, Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 is available to watch via streaming on STARZ. Viewers can also watch the previous seasons of this television series on the same streaming site through a subscription.

Season 3 premiered on December 1, 2023, and follows a weekly release schedule. Just like its previous seasons, season 3 also consists of ten episodes with the last episode scheduled to air on February 9, 2024. Sascha Penn, Chris Selak, Kevin Fox, Santa Sierra, and Tash Grey are executive producers of season 3.

The cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan includes Mekai Curtis as Kanan Stark, Patina Miller as Raquel Thomas, London Brown as Marvin Thomas, Malcolm Mays as Louis Lou-Lou Thomas, Joey Bada$$ as Unique, Shanley Caswell as Shannon Burke, Hailey Kilgore as LaVerne Jukebox Ganner, Toby Sandeman as Symphony Bosket, Lovie Simone as Davina Harrison, Omar Epps as Malcolm Howard, and more.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 Watch streaming via STARZ

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 is available to watch on STARZ.

You can watch via Starz by following these steps:

Go to Starz.coms sign-up page. Select either the six-month plan or the monthly plan The standard rate for the six-month plan is $46, excluding any special offers

The standard for the monthly plan is $9.99 per month, excluding any special offers

Starz is also available as a Prime Video Channel, meaning that subscribers to the Amazon Prime Video service can also receive discounted access to Starz. The discounts offered vary throughout the year. You can sign up here.

Power Book III: Raising Kanans synopsis is as follows:

Set in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1991, Raising Kanan is a prequel to the original Power franchise. This family drama revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark, a cocaine distributor with an emerging network of dealers across NYC.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

Kino Lorber is putting four 1940s horror movies from Republic Pictures into a Republic Pictures Horror Collection Blu-ray. Republic Pictures

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Young Miko teams up with Bizarrap for one of the producers popular music sessions on Wednesday (Jan. 10).

The Puerto Rican wordsmith kicks off the session with a contemplative verse, delving into the introspective realms of her ascent. Against a dynamic electronic backdrop crafted by the Argentine maestro, the atmosphere intensifies, captivating listeners from the outset. Miko exudes an air of effortless cool as she narrates a brief yet extraordinary journey  steering a Bentley, jet skiing in Mallorca, and soaring first class to Spain. Amidst the braggadocio, she humbly acknowledges and expresses gratitude to those who have been by her side since day one.

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Shes rocking a long-sleeved shirt emblazoned with the slogan Safe sex forever, with an old school tattoo-styled design and a black beanie to boot. Meanwhile, Biza maintains his enigmatic aura, donning dark sunglasses and a baseball cap, sitting behind decks in his usual hit-making spot.

The rapper and producer first announced their collaboration on Instagram on Monday (Jan. 8). Its the first time the pair has joined forces for a track. Young Miko joins an impressive roster of artists  including Shakira, Peso Pluma, Quevedo and Milo J  whove jumped on one of Bizarraps zealously streamed music sessions. His collab with Shakira broke numerous records, including earning a staggering 14 Guinness World Records with her Music Session, Vol. 53, and a No. 3 spot on Billboards 100 Best Songs of 2023. It also soared on multiple Billboard charts, including Latin Pop Airplay, where it spent 12 weeks at No. 1, and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200.

The new song will follow Young Mikos reggaeton banger Senorita also starring Wisin, and the club hit Colmillo, on which she paired up with superstars Tainy and J Balvin as well as genre pioneers Jowell & Randy.

Young Miko is set to perform in Mexico, making stops in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City starting March 15. Last year, the wordsmith, who was formerly a tattoo artist, landed on Billboard Latin and Espanols 50 Best Spanish-language Rappers of All Time; she was also Billboards Latin Rookie of the Year. During Billboard Latin Music Week 2023, Miko joined an all-star roster of Latin female artists  including GALE, Maria Becerra, Nathy Peluso, Nicki Nicole and Kany Garcia  for a panel dubbed Boys Club No More. Classy 101, her 2023 collaboration with Feid, landed at 99 on the Hot 100.

Watch the video for YOUNG MIKO || BZRP Music Sessions #58 above.

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Is your New Years resolution to travel more?

If yes, consider starting early  airfares for domestic trips are affordable right now.

New data from Hopper, the travel website that tracks airfares, showed January 2024 will have the best deals this year on plane tickets for trips within the U.S.

Domestic round-trip airfares are expected to average $253 in January, 6% below the same month in 2023 and 11% below December 2023, according to Hopper.

Data compiled by Hoppers economists revealed the destinations with the cheapest January airfares from Phoenix. Heres where you can find the best deals.

Start planning: When should I book a holiday flight? Best times to buy plane tickets in 2024

Is January the cheapest month to fly?

It's one of the cheapest.

January and February traditionally offer the lowest prices on domestic airfares. Flyers can expect to pay an average round-trip fare of $253 in January and $276 in February, according to Hoppers lead economist Hayley Berg.

Airfare gets more expensive as spring break approaches, she said.

Where is the cheapest place to fly right now?

Hoppers data showed the lowest round-trip flights from Phoenix were $60 for trips to Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Diego, California.

Where you can fly from Phoenix for $100 or less round trip in January 2024

Hopper said these destinations are cheap from Phoenix in January:

Salt Lake City ($60)

San Diego ($60)

Orange County, California ($61)

Las Vegas ($68)

San Francisco ($70)

Denver ($70)

Seattle ($73)

Portland, Oregon ($80)

Dallas ($83)

Houston ($85)

Chicago ($91)

Ontario, California ($98)

Kansas City, Missouri ($99)

Sky Harbor Airport parking: Complete guide to terminal, economy and off-site lots

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fly for $100 or less RT from Phoenix to these cities in January
Located in North Africa, Libya is a desert country with a history dating back over a thousand years ago. The majority of Libya is in the Sahara desert, creating a unique style of architecture, culture, and living that is unlike other African countries. Over the years, the country has been wrecked by political havoc and violence. However, some traveling adventurers in Africa have been able to explore some of Libyas cultural wonders.

With such an expansive past, Libya is home to some of the oldest cities in the world. In recent years, theres been a rise in graffiti artists with spray painted murals down the street from ancient mosques. Despite its muddied history, Libya has many rich cultural experiences that showcases its Saharan beauty and importance in history.

Visit The Leptis Magna Ruins

Photo credit: Ahmed Almakhzanji

One of the most well-preserved ancient ruins in Africa, Leptis Magna is a historic city to visit when in Libya. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was formerly a great Roman city. Emperor Septimus Severus was born there and it was one of the countrys most beautiful cities. The city has since fallen to ruin. However, remnants of its greatness are still visible. Theres a large basilica, a giant theater, and marble columns all overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Explore Ghadames City

Old Town Ghadames City is a true sight. The citys white walled buildings almost look like sand castles creating one the oldest of the oldest Saharan towns. Historians call the city the pearl of the desert and the Libyan city is an early example of an urban desert settlement. Ancient Islamic architecture styles can be found throughout Old Town Ghadames. Travelers will find the city about 6 hours from Tripoli.

Check Out The Local Fish Market

Photo credit: Richard Bell

The fish market in Tripoli is a great place for travelers to experience authentic Libyan culture. Theres a variety of vendors selling every type of fish and seafood imaginable.The prices are extremely low and everything is fresh. Some travelers said the smell was a bit overwhelming initially. But the low costs, bargain culture, and fresh daily catch made the experience exciting and fun.

Visit The Murals Of Revolution In Tripoli

During Gadaffis rule, graffiti and street art were illegal. However, during the Libyan Civil War, more street artists rose up and took to the streets to express frustration with the political regime. Travelers can find multiple murals throughout the streets of Tripoli depicting change and revolution. Another example of Hip Hop culture on international shores, the graffiti art in Libya showcases both countrys creativity and cultural history.

Witness The Beauty Of Mosques In Libya

Photo credit: R. Yasin Asil

With Libya being a historically Muslim country, travelers will find many beautiful mosques throughout its desert landscape. While not all of them allow visitors to enter, just seeing the exterior of most of them is enough for those seeking cultural experiences. While in Tripoli, consider visiting both the Al-Majidya and Gurgi Mosques. For an example of an ancient, Libyan mosque, visit the Atiq Mosque in Ajdabiya.
Long-awaited resorts inching closer to their debuts and expanded lodging options in growing areas are among the most anticipated hotel openings in metro Phoenix in 2024.

The new arrivals include the first non-gaming hotel for a famous casino resort brand, the Arizona debut of a midrange brand from the company behind Holiday Inn, a luxury sanctuary with a meditation garden and  need we say more  VAI Resort.

These new arrivals come on the heels of 2023s biggest Arizona hotel openings, which included:

Hotels and resorts are integral to Arizona's tourism economy. From January to October 2023, lodging generated nearly $4.7 billion in gross sales and about $245 million in tourism taxes, both figures increasing 7.8% from the same 10-month period in 2022, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism.

Here are the hotels scheduled to open in Arizona in 2024 and beyond, as well as some notable hotel renovations coming this year.

Wine tour stop: This legendary Phoenix hotel was named a prime destination for wine lovers

Metro Phoenix hotel openings in 2024

January: Home2 Suites by Hilton Phoenix Downtown

Hiltons extended stay brand is continuing its expansion into metro Phoenix with a downtown location just a short walk from Chase Field and Footprint Center. The hotel will feature 1-king bed or 2-queen bed guest rooms, as well as king suites. Each room includes a full kitchen, ideal for preparing meals in. Guests who want to cook in their rooms can find their ingredients a short walk away, too: its also close to the downtown location of Frys Food Stores.

Details: 125 E. Jackson St., Phoenix. 602-603-1111, hilton.com.

March: Caesars Republic Scottsdale

Years in the making, the first nongaming hotel for Caesars Entertainment  best known for its Las Vegas resort Caesars Palace  is scheduled to open just outside Scottsdale Fashion Square. The 11-floor hotel will feature 265 guest rooms, 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a rooftop bar and lounge overlooking Camelback Mountain and two restaurants from celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis, her first in Arizona. Scheduled to open March 6, Caesars Republic has reservations open for stays as of April 1.

Details: 4747 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 480-903-4747, caesars.com/caesars-republic-scottsdale.

April: Home2 Suites by Hilton Phoenix Happy Valley

Home2 Suites second Phoenix-area hotel scheduled to open in 2024 will be in Deer Valley near the Shops at Norterra and just off Interstate 17, providing a new extended stay option for north Phoenix travelers. Like the downtown hotel, Home2 Suites Happy Valley location will have in-room kitchens. The hotel is scheduled to open on April 15 and just started accepting reservations.

Details: 2107 W. Whispering Wind Drive, Phoenix. 623-444-6188, hilton.com.

Fall 2024: The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie

This luxury hotel near Scottsdale bills itself as "an exclusive sanctuary" incorporating calming features like 20 acres of landscapes including secret gardens, a secluded meditation garden and a two-story spa with 11 treatment rooms. There also are opportunities for fun, whether it's a dip in the hotel's 400-foot swimming pool or sipping cocktails at the lobby bar. The 215-room hotel will overlook dramatic views of Camelback Mountain. The hotel's opening, previously scheduled for 2023, has been postponed to fall 2024.

Details: 7000 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley. 602-922-2900, ritzcarlton.com.

Late 2024: VAI Resort

Described by its president Grant Fisher as a "mega entertainment resort" designed to compete with Las Vegas, VAI Resort aims to upend the landscape of metro Phoenix tourism.

When it opens across the street from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, VAI will have 1,100 rooms and suites, the most of any hotel in Arizona. (The hotel that currently has the most rooms in Arizona, the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, counts 1,003 rooms.)

The 60-acre resort will boast Mediterranean-style white-sand beaches and an 8,000-capacity amphitheater with a 360-degree concert stage designed to host A-list music and comedy acts. It will be adjacent to the upcoming Mattel Adventure Park, which will include a Barbie Beach House and Hot Wheels-themed roller coasters.

Details: 9505 Cardinals Way, Glendale. vairesort.com.

Metro Phoenix hotel renovations in 2024

The Phoenician

The iconic Phoenix luxury resort is in the middle of a multimillion-dollar renovation that will enhance the look and feel of its meeting and event space. The second phase of the project, scheduled for completion in the summer, will refresh the interior of The Phoenician Grand Ballroom and the Estrella Ballroom, as well as upper-level breakout rooms and hallways.

The event and meeting spaces at the Phoenician resort will be refurbished in 2024.

The first phase, completed in November 2023, introduced a new color scheme to the ballrooms, breakout rooms and hallways inspired by contemporary and Indigenous design, as well as an upgraded audio-visual system.

Details: 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. 480-941-8200, thephoenician.com.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch

This 493-room resort is on its way to rebranding as Arizona's first Grand Hyatt, representing the Hyatt chain's highest standard of luxury. To get there, the resort is undergoing a $110 million renovation that will refresh all the guest rooms and suites, the pool complex, dining and meeting space on the 27-acre property overlooking the McDowell Mountains. After the work's scheduled completion in the fall, the hotel will change its name to the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa.

Details: 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale. 480-444-1234, hyatt.com.

'If the walls could talk': This historic hotel transformed metro Phoenix into a travel powerhouse

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Most anticipated hotel openings in Phoenix in 2024: VAI, Ritz-Carlton
Sara Sidner attends 17th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at The American Museum of Natural History on Dec. 10, 2023, in New York City.

On Monday, Jan. 8, CNN's Sara Sidner announced a serious health update live on-air.

The senior national correspondent, 51who is also the anchor for CNN News Central in the morningsrevealed she has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

During the morning edition of CNN News Central, Sidner explained she is in her second month of chemotherapy treatments and will need a double mastectomy and radiation.

"Stage 3 is not a death sentence anymore for the vast majority of women," she said, also sharing a shocking statistic: Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than their white counterparts.

Additionally, the journalist encouraged women to be diligent about getting their yearly breast examsespecially considering one in eight women will be diagnosed within their lifetime.

"I have never been sick a day in my life. I don't smoke. I rarely drink," Sidner shared. "Breast cancer does not run in my family. And yet, here I am with stage 3 breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud."

In October, Sidner learned her mammogram results came back abnormal right before she traveled to Israel to report on its war with Hamas, People reported. Three weeks later, she returned to New York City, where she had a biopsy that confirmed a cancerous lump.

"Seeing the kind of suffering going on where I was and seeing people still live through the worst thing that has ever happened to them with grace and kindness, I was blown away by their resilience," Sidner told People of witnessing the Israel-Hamas war. "In some weird way, it helped me with my own perspective on what I am going to be facing."

She added: "Mentally, it has been 90% good for me because it's just opened my eyes to how beautiful this life that we have is. I love my life now more than I can remember since probably 7 or 8. I really, truly feel grateful just to be here."

Next: The #1 Early Breast Cancer Sign Most People Miss
Actions have consequences, and one snowmobile driver almost found that out in the most horrific way.

For some reason, chasing a grizzly bear through the snow on a motorized sled seemed like a good idea. That was until the bear decided it had had enough of being pursued and decided to rear up and lunge for the vehicle.

The dashcam video, posted by Overtime (@overtime) on TikTok, was able to capture the chase, and the slow-motion replay at the end proves just how close the driver was to being struck by the huge grizzly.

It got WAYYYYY too close, read the caption on the TikTok video of the encounter, with the uploader seemingly unaware of the complete lack of respect for the animal demonstrated in the footage, with hashtags #amazing, #stunt, and #fail missing the point entirely.

As many commenters observed, it wasnt the bear who got too close. It was the humans who decided to threaten the bear.

IT got [too] close!?? said one exasperated TikToker. This rider got [too] close!! This land belongs to them. We invade their home.

Its the top comment on the post, suggesting that most viewers share similar feelings after watching.

Why were you chasing a bear? another user questioned. In Canada, thats very illegal and irresponsible.

This driver was lucky they got out of the way, but there was absolutely no reason to put themselves or the bear in such a position.

In fact, it appears there is a second snowmobile in the video approaching the bear from another angle, so its quite understandable why the animal would have wanted to defend itself.

Its grim viewing, and it could have been grimmer.

This isnt the first example of someone getting way too close to a bear in its natural habitat. A tourist who approached a group of bears, including cubs, at Yellowstone National Park in 2021 received a four-day jail sentence, a year on probation, and fines of up to $2,040 for their reckless actions.

They, and the snowmobile driver, were lucky the consequences werent more severe.

While they put their own lives in danger, the bears were also put at risk. While its not clear where the snowmobile footage was taken, and it seems to be fairly remote, bears have been euthanized for showing threatening behavior toward humans.

The lack of respect for wildlife shown in both cases is lamentable, making it all the more frustrating that these particular people got to witness the magnificent creatures firsthand when many others arent so lucky.

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Plan a year of impact-conscious adventures with this calendar of where to go when, why, and how for those seeking to travel better in 2024.

January

Admire Corsica with mountain hikes and medieval history

Tom Barber, founder of Original Travel, champions under tourism during winter with a train-and-ferry trip to the iconic French island, off the coast of Italy. Corsica is best known as a summer destination, but its mountains in winter are at their most beautiful and youll be modelling sustainable tourism by heading there off-season. The Mediterranean island is a sight to behold in winter, when the skies are clear and the mountains are sprinkled in snow, the coast is wild and peaceful and the cities are free of the peak-season crowds. An eight-day holiday is a great amount of time to explore between two charming coastal cities, Ajaccio and Bastia, with a stay in the mountainous Castagniccia region in between.

Trips are bespoke, but a week is from 2,935 per person (based on two sharing), including six nights B&B accommodation, return travel by train and ferry, and car hire. originaltravel.co.uk

Snowy Corsica (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

February

Ski sustainably in French Alps

Phoebe Smith, host of the Wander Woman: A Travel Podcast, champions choosing a French ski resort such as Serre Chevalier because it can be accessed by train as well as for its environmental initiatives. Skiers love nature  after all, it provides the stage for their favourite winter pastime. And, since we know from 2023 just how precarious snow cover is because of climate change, instead of taking a flight, we have the option of far less emitting train, bus and ferry links. Serre Chevalier is a four-centre, 81-run resort  reached easily by sleeper train from Paris to Briancon  which has invested heavily in hydroelectricity, wind turbines and solar panels, which sit on every ski-lift hut. It generates 30 per cent of its energy from its own renewables and has offered a blueprint free for other resorts to follow suit.

London to Paris Eurostar, return from 79 and SNCF Paris to Briancon, from 29 for a shared couchette; private options available. Buses run from the station to main ski areas. Gite Le Rebanchon from about 60 a night; Ski passes from about 60 a day. serre-chevalier.com

Girona (ES Published Images)

March

A flight-free city break to Girona

Chris Wright, managing director of Sunvil Group, gives Girona the green light for nature, history and gastronomy. Spain is on an impressive sustainability journey with an ever-growing list of adopters, educators, and visionaries. Girona is a delight to visit any time of year, but in March, you will discover this Catalonian city without the crowds and in the early bloom of spring. Travel by train from London via Madrid in nine hours, then allow yourself to get lost in Gironas maze of medieval alleys. Marvel at the 11th-century cathedral, tour the storied Arab Baths, walk atop the city wall, hire a bike and explore the medieval lanes and surrounding greenways.

Seven-night trip from 1,293 per person (based on two sharing), bed and breakfast, including optional excursions to Figueres and Barcelona. sunvil.co.uk

(Alamy Stock Photo)

April

Recharge with an electric road trip through Estonia

Melissa Tilling, CEO of Charitable Travel, recommends an EV itinerary through this green-minded Baltic land. A low-carbon circuit free of range anxiety lets you pause in small locally owned hotels and guesthouses in the capital of Tallinn and the European City of Culture 2024 Tartu, cruising along the Onion Route, through national parks. Spring is the perfect time to make a positive impact with your tourism spend for the hospitality and tourism communities in less well-known destinations.

10-night tour from 1,235 per person (based on two sharing), includes car hire, bed and breakfast in locally-owned hotels and guesthouses, cultural and wine-tasting experiences; excludes transport to the Baltics by air or rail. sustainablejourneys.co.uk

Porthcurno towards Logans Rock in Cornwall (Getty Images)

May

Connect with Cornwall as a blind or partially-sighted explorer

Amar Latif, founder of Traveleyes, lures travellers to the Cornish coastline with cultural outings and a visit to the Eden Project. Sustainable travel extends to include accessible holidays too. Traveleyes takes groups of blind and sighted travellers together on excursions with a focus on awakening all the senses. Youll stay within walking distance of four of St Ivess beautiful beaches, and embark on boat trips along the Cornish coastline to islands where wildlife thrives. The tour is hosted by local guides and within the group each day a sighted traveller is paired with a different blind traveller.

May 25 to June 2: from 1,199, includes eight nights accommodation, meals, excursions, local guides, and excludes drinks and transport to and from Cornwall. traveleyes-international.com

Upstate New York (Bill Jacobson)

June

Appreciate art and organic farming in upstate New York

Aditi Mohapatra, VP of Global Social Impact & Sustainability at Expedia Group, signposts us to Americas East Coast at the balmy start of summer. Hudson Valley stretches up into the Catskills Mountains, and its the perfect place this time of year when the days are longest and the regions bounty of outdoor activities will let you experience natural beauty at its best. Theres also great art to see in the area with both Dia Beacon Museum in Beacon and Storm King Art Center.

There are lots of eco-friendly Vrbos on vrbo.com, such as Brookmill Cabin. If looking for a hotel, consider using Expedias eco-certified filter and when searching an EV with the electric vehicle search. Virgin Atlantic offers return flights from 357; virginatlantic.com

Galkadawala Forest Lodge (Galkadawala Forest Lodge)

July

Salute female empowerment in Sri Lankas monsoon

Shivya Nath, travel blogger and consultant, recommends off-season in Sri Lanka for lush landscapes, restored biodiversity and sun-filled beaches. Beat the crowds in the middle of Sri Lankas yala, the southwest monsoon, and soak in the lush landscapes and quiet beauty of the countrys popular Cultural Triangle. Choose Galkadawala Forest Lodge as your base  a female-led passion project built with recycled materials that has restored degraded land into a thriving, biodiverse habitat. Venture out to the ancient Unesco World Heritage recognised Sigiriya Rock, and Buddhist monasteries deep in the tropical forest.

Rooms at Galkadawala Forest Lodge from about 70, bed and breakfast. galkadawala.com; flights with Sri Lankan airlines from 550

Transylvania (Transylvania)

August

Cycle slowly through tranquil Transylvania

Oli Broom, founder of The Slow Cyclist, advocates walking and biking through rural, undeveloped Romania, grazing on farm-to-fork goodness while its peak season elsewhere across the continent. Escape to the little-visited but utterly charming Saxon villages of rural Transylvania and travel by e-bike through a region that is leading the way in slow, sustainable travel. What is more, Wizz Air, Europes lowest-emitting airline, offers the best way to get there  unless you take the train via Vienna or Budapest.

August 1116, includes five nights accommodation, meals, snacks and drinks, two English-speaking guides, e-bicycle and helmet hire. A 1 per cent donation to local causes; 2,895 per person, up to 12 guests; theslowcyclist.com. Wizz Air from Luton to Cluj Napoca from 12.99. wizzair.com

Corfu (Nikos Mamalos)

September

Sail, swim and support conservation in Corfu

Jade Brudenell, of the Conservation Collective, proposes citizen science, eco-conscious sailing and a fundraising swim across the 3km channel from Albania to Greece. Hike the pristine Erimitis wetland and play citizen scientist as you record rare butterflies with Corfu Butterfly Conservation. Swimmers should sign up for the Albania Overboard annual fundraiser, supporting the Ionian Environment Foundation (ionianenvironment.org) and charities such as Save Erimitis.

In Corfu Town, book a The Storage House at Dr Kavvadia, from about 155 a night, drkavvadia.com; Kontokali Bay from about 230, per room per night; kontokalibay.gr. For a villa near where the swim ends, speak to villacollective.com. Register for Albania Overboard Swim on September 14 for 100 at albaniaoverboard.com. Low-cost airlines fly direct to Corfu from London, April to November, from 110.

October

Toast Canadas vineyard harvest season

Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, grew up in Okanagan and recommends leaf-peeping in British Columbia. Toast harvest-time in vineyard-rich Okanagan Valley during autumn when the foliage in the southern interior of Canadas British Columbia is brightly coloured. This wine-producing Thompson Okanagan Sustainable Tourism Observatory region was also the first to be recognised as sustainable by the UNWTO.

Canadian Affair offers a 13-night fly-drive trip with accommodation, car hire, international flights, experiences such as private wine tours, ferry to Vancouver Island, from 2,967 per person (based on two sharing); canadianaffair.com

Pacuare Lodge in Costa Rica (Pacuare Lodge)

November

Support local communities and biodiversity in Costa Rica

Heather Magnussen, responsible travel and sustainability manager at Audley Travel, recommends an eco-lodge and time with the Cabecar people in the Talamanca Mountains. Pacuare Lodge blends in sensitively with its pristine rainforest environment and supports the local community and wildlife. As part of its efforts to conserve the rich biodiversity in Pacuare, the Lodge actively supports the study of the endangered jaguar in collaboration with Costa Rican authorities.

10-day trip with two nights at Pacuare Lodge from 4,360 per person (based on two sharing), including flights, transfers, accommodation and excursions. audleytravel.com

Somalisa Expeditions, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe (DOOK PHOTO)

December

Fund rewilding with a safari in Zimbabwes green season

Jonny Bierman, travel writer and photographer, celebrates this unheralded season in southern Africa for conservation-funding safaris. Skip dry seasons peak period in favour of a pre-Christmas December escape when there is incredible wildlife viewing which supports conservation projects. Somalisa Camp in Hwange National Park is an African Bush Camp-owned oasis which features a poolside watering hole frequented by elephants and the exceptional service lets you feel like you are part of the family. Lake Kariba is a hilltop safari lodge in Bumi Hills combining floating safari and land-based adventures which supports the Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit. New to Victoria Falls is Wallow Lodge, just across on the Zambia riverside but easy to reach, invites you to see exceptional rewilding and rehabilitation."

All-inclusive safari staying three nights at Somalisa Expeditions and three at Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, including flights from Victoria Falls to Hwange, Manga Airstrip and Bumi Hills Airstrip back to Victoria Falls, from about 3,700 per person (based on two sharing). africanbushcamps.com

Pack this: your planet-friendly kit list

The check-in case: July

(July)

Aussie-brand Julys 80L Checked case comes in 12 Instagrammable colourways and features the brands clever SilentMove 360-degree spinner wheels, perfect for handling the cobbled streets of Europe. Each one comes with a hidden odour-proof laundry bag, a recycled polycarbonate shell and a lifetime warranty. Any damaged returns are recycled and reused. You can personalise the case with your name or fun word-art for an additional 45.

275, july.com

The long-haul hero: Db

(Db)

Award-winning Scandi brand Db's sleek, lightweight Ramverk case is perfect for those two-week long-hauls when you can't bring yourself to leave any of your favourite outfits at home. It comes with a telescopic handle, ultra-silent Japanese Hinomoto wheels and an impressive 70L capacity, plus a lifetime warranty.

449, uk.dbjourney.com

The packing cubes: July

July's packing cubes come with a five-year warranty and are made from premium soft-touch nylon made to last a lifetime (they're 100% washable and stain-proof to help them last). Each pack of four comes in four different sizes to cater for everything for your socks to your shirts. Theres a transparent mesh fabric top so you can find what youre looking for nice and quickly.

70, july.com

The toiletry bag: Away

(Away)

Away doesnt just do planet-friendly, high-performance suitcases and weekender bags but planet-friendly, high-performance accessories, too. Its hanging toiletry bag is a particular bestseller, featuring a spill-proof interior, a hook for hanging on a door or wall and a clear pouch for liquids. All items are shipped in 100% recyclable packaging.

48, awaytravel.com

The headphones: Sony

Sonys industry-leading WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones have been specifically designed with sustainability in mind. Theres no plastic in the packaging and the headphones themselves use recycled plastic materials. Users say theyre a game-changer in blocking our airplane noise, boasting 35 hours of battery life so theyllsurvive even the longest of long-hauls.

279, sony.co.uk

The hand-luggage hero: Monos

(Monos)

Monos is the first luggage brand to join the Climate Neutral certification as a standard for companies achieving net-zero carbon emissions, and its slick Metro Weekender bag is made of the highest-quality vegan leather. The TikTok-famous hand luggage hero features a built-in trolley sleeve that slips over your suitcase handle and doubles up as an extra pocket, and boasts as much capacity as the brands carry-on suitcases so theres plenty of room for shoes, a laptop and multiple outfits.

295, monos.uk

The waterproof: H&M

H&M might seem an unlikely place for a high-spec rain jacket but its new Move collection features a three-layer shell jacket made from luxury, recycled, functional fabric that'll keep you dry in those tropical downpours. The polyester is made from recycled bottles or end-of-life textile waste.

139.99, hm.com

The backpack: Finisterre

(Finisterre)

Finisterre has long been an industry-leader for sustainable adventure gear and its Nautilus roll-top backpack is made from recycled nylon, with 23L of capacity for a full weekend adventure. Its been waterproof treated just in case and comes with an external pocket for your bottle.

145, finisterre.com

The bottle: One Green Bottle

Certified B-corp brand One Green Bottles products are 100% recyclable and come in a cardboard bottle box so theres no plastic packaging. The company reclaims 25 single-use plastic bottles from the ocean for every bottle sold and one per cent of sales are contributed towards carbon removal.

26, onegreenbottle.com

By Katie Strick
James Beard award-winning chef Michael Symon wants you to consider going to cities in Italy besides Rome or Naples. Although both of those cities come with their own fascinating culinary and cultural heritages, with larger cities come larger crowds, and probably more than a few subpar meals. This is where smaller, overlooked cities shine, sparkling with hidden gems, fewer tourists, and often better access to authentic culinary experiences.

Symon has the street cred to make such bold claims. The chef grew up in a Mediterranean and Eastern European family, at home he ate Italian-American classics like lasagna, which was served every Wednesday night for dinner. At his restaurant Angeline at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, they serve up a meaty Sunday sauce, burrata with sweet hot peppers, and his mother's lasagna recipe -- with 30 layers of pasta, ricotta, and meat sauce, and never with a no-boil noodle. When Symon travels to Italy, he makes sure to stop at smaller cities, like Marsala, in the Sicily and Puglia regions.

Read more: 11 Of The Best Cooking Tips From Bobby Flay

Puglia And Sicily Are Symon's Favorite Food Regions

Burratta, tomatoes, orecchiette - UliAb/Shutterstock

Chef Michael Symon visits Puglia, or Apulia, for the food. The region is located on the high heel of Italy's stiletto, bordered by the Adriatic Sea. It's a less famous but just as beautiful part of the country with its own deep, gastronomic traditions and a coastline to rival Amalfi. Here you can find lampascioni, wild onions that grow in the region, preserved in olive oil and vinegar, as well as a fava bean spread served with chicory and olive oil. Puglia is also famous for its cheeses, like burrata, mozzarella, and caciocavallo, as well as its unique pasta shapes. The most famous of these is orecchiette -- you can wander through the streets of Bari or Salento and find grannies making it by hand.

Symon pays homage to his Sicilian roots by visiting Marsala, which sits at the western tip of the island. It's often overshadowed by larger cities on the island like Palermo and Syracuse. Marsala is perhaps most famous for its fortified wine, which is used to make the Italian-American classic chicken Marsala. Locally, however, the city and surrounding region are known for its pasta dishes featuring anchovies and sardines, fresh from the sea. Marsala is also famous for its fish couscous.

These Underrated Destinations Have One Thing In Common

Pasta con le sardi - davide bonaldo/Shutterstock

Chef Michael Symon's favorite underrated food destinations in Italy, Puglia and Sicily, are both found in the south. Southern Italian cuisines are influenced by many factors including the area's proximity to the sea, and settlers and conquerors of the past leaving their marks. Historically, eggs were considered too expensive and hard to come by, so unlike their richer Northern brethren, Pugliese made fresh pasta dough from a simple mix of semolina flour and water, a tradition still widely carried out today.

Sicilian cuisine has been influenced by Arab, Greek, and Spanish cultures, among others. The result is a cuisine that is a fascinating mix of ingredients. Pasta dishes are studded with pine nuts and raisins, balanced by salty anchovies, and pastries like cannoli and sfogliatelle are flecked with dried oranges and raisins in whipped cream or custards.

The two regions and their respective cuisines are often outshone by those further north, like Tuscany or Naples, but they're worthy of further exploration. Alas, Symon's ringing endorsement is much deserved.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
We're used to seeing Sullivan's relatable (and hilarious) parenting reels, but now she's talking about the emotional side of being a mom.

Courtesy of Kayla Sullivan

We're used to TV news Reporter Kayla Sullivan making us laugh with her hilarious and super relatable "mom reports" on TikTok and Instagram. She chooses typical parts of parenting and in her best TV voice, gives us the "breaking news" on the situation using an everyday object, like a toy, as her microphone.

But this holiday season, Sullivan did something a bit out of character. It was one o'clock in the morning and Sullivan posted an Instagram story, where she got very real.

"It has been nearly five years, and I still find myself randomly crying and mourning over the fact that I don't have the same last name as my son and I never will," Sullivan says in the video.

Sullivan was writing Christmas cards to her son's teachers and says she felt embarrassed, finding herself having to write 'Allan's Mom' in parenthesis because of their different last names. She tells Parents it wasn't a "well thought out planned decision to post," but what she found was the support she needed.

"I told myself Id probably delete the story in the morning and regret getting this vulnerable on social media," Sullivan says. "Instead, I woke up to so many people with kind things to say or stories that genuinely offered great advice."

When her son Allan was born, Sullivan was not married to his father. But she gave Allan his father's last name, something she says she doesn't regret. Sullivan says it meant a lot to his side of the family.

"At this moment, my son is the last male in his dads family to carry on that last name. I think that is really special regardless of whether I am with his father romantically," she explains.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve, and Sullivan's last name predicament got a bit more complicated but in the most wonderful way. She got engaged. Now she is faced with a new set of circumstances where her son's last name would not only be different from hersbut also his step-father, step-brother, and any potential future siblings.

In her new blended family, Sullivan says she considered not taking her future husband's last name. She even thought about keeping her maiden name because that way she wouldn't have the same last name as any of her children. But in the end, she decided she wanted to take her husband's name.

"To say Im not still worried my son will feel left out would be a lie. He might! And if he does despite all of our efforts, I think that will be the time to have a conversation about changing his name. But theres also a possibility that he will like being different," Sullivan says.

Instead, Sullivan says she's focusing on not focusing on a last nameno signs in the home with the last name, no monograms, and no last names on Christmas cards. She says her son feeling loved and included is her number one priority.

"I think simple steps like these are powerful and will help my son feel like the last name difference doesnt really matter," Sullivan says. "One of my favorite comments said, 'Its not the name that binds us, its the love.'



How Can Parents Cope With Feelings of Sadness or Guilt?

The comments to Sullivan's initial video were so overwhelming and positive. "Some people asked if I could share the responses because they too wanted coping mechanisms," she says. "Instead I decided to make a Reel calling for people to make public comments hoping it would reach those who needed it. Im so pleased it did."

That second video created yet another space for people to share strategies, offer support and identify with Sullivan's struggle.

In this online community that Sullivan created, people talked about how having different last names in other cultures is normal and chosen. Others commented they chose not to take their partner's name just because they liked theirs. "Seems like last names are becoming less about male lineage and less emphasized," Sullivan adds.

One thing that made Sullivan feel better was when teachers talked about what it's like for kids with different last names in school.

"I especially liked when teachers commented about how common different last names are in families," she says. "They reassured me that teachers dont care if the parents last name doesnt match the childs. They talked about how modern technology in schools allows them to know the parents last names without confusion."

Sullivan has 1.2 million followers on TikTok and another 610,000 on Instagram, not to mention all of her viewers on WISH-TV in Indianapolis. She says she likes having this platform to help others.

"I think the lesson Ive learned from sharing this feeling is that there is so much good that can come from being honest and not trying to pretend like everything is perfect," Sullivan says. "Its okay to be embarrassed and to admit that you are struggling with something even though people will tell you not to or say you shouldnt be."







"I think the lesson Ive learned from sharing this feeling is that there is so much good that can come from being honest and not trying to pretend like everything is perfect."

Kayla Sullivan







Experts we spoke with say these types of feelings are perfectly normal in situations like these.

"We all feel them at some point," says Ashley Kipness, PsyD, a psychologist and partner and associate clinical director at Applied Psychological Services of New Jersey. "However, people cope with them in a variety of ways. It is important to acknowledge the feelings and try to understand why so that you can move forward and not continuously feel these emotions where they impact other places of your life."

Tia Kim, PhD, a developmental psychologist and the vice president of education, research, and impact with Committee for Children also offers some advice on how to handle feelings of embarrassment, shame, or guilt.



"One way to address this feeling is to reframe the incident or action (i.e. family having different last names) in a more positive way," says Dr. Kim. "We cant change something that has already happened, but we can change how we talk to ourselves about it."

How Should Parents Talk To Their Kids About Having Different Names?

Sullivan hasn't talked to her son about their differing last nameshe's only 4.

"When the time comes, Ill be sure to reassure him that he is equally loved and is just as much part of this family no matter what his last name is," she tells Parents. "If it seems to really bother him, I plan to let him know that when he is older, he will have the choice to keep or change his name but I want to give him all of the information and reassurance first. "

Dr. Kipness says a child won't know any different if it hasn't been brought up to them.

"Children tend to take things at face value," says Dr. Kipness. "If they grow up in a home where their last name is different from a parents last name, that is all they know. Children dont use last names until later in elementary school. Kids will ask 'Are you childs [name] mom?' instead of 'Are you Mrs. __?'"

Every family has to do what's best for them, but Dr. Kim says she believes kids should know why there may be different last names in their family. She, too, didn't change her last name when she got married and says explaining the decision made it easier for her kids to talk about it with others.



"There doesnt need to be any stigma attached to a parent having a different last name," Dr. Kim says. "As with anything, communication is important, and equipping children with the right information earlier on helps prevent any uncomfortable situations that may arise."

Dr. Kipness says once your child starts school, it may be a good time to have these potentially difficult discussions with your child.

"It might be helpful in early elementary school to discuss the variations in names in a matter-of-fact way so that if a peer innocently asks why names are different, the child has a response ready," adds Dr. Kipness.



In talking to your children, Dr. Kim says it's important to model social-emotional learning skills by helping your child name and acknowledge any feelings they may have about the difference in last name. "Demonstrate your self-awareness of your feelings and theirs, showing them how you regulate strong emotions appropriately, and creating a space to effectively communicate," she explains.

One thing both Dr. Kipness and Dr. Kim definitely agree on is making children feel like they belong is keyno matter their last name.

"Feeling connected to others is a basic human needpeople want to feel seen, valued, and cared for by others to feel like they belong. Parents and caregivers play an important role in fostering belonging," explains Dr. Kim.

"Feelings of belongingness come from shared experiences and support," adds Dr. Kipness. "Connection in families is imperative regardless of commonality in names."

Sullivan is determined to make that happen.

"Love is the only thing that makes a family," Sullivan says. "As long as my son feels loved, heard, and included, I think he will have no problem with this issue."

Sullivan says this whole experience has inspired her to talk about more of the feelings that have come up since she realized she wouldn't have the 'traditional family' she thought she'd have growing up.

"Theres so much beauty in the unplanned or unexpected. I think my life is the perfect example of that," she says.

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Rice pudding by any other name might be known as risengrd, which is a staple of Greenlandic (and Danish) Christmas celebrations; arroz con leche, a cinnamon-flavored Mexican dessert (here's one Mashed recipe developer's take on it), or kheer, a South Asian rice pudding that tastes of cardamom and coconut milk and may be studded with raisins and pistachios. In Greece, however, rice pudding goes by the name of rizogalo and in its most basic form is not too dissimilar from the standard American version of this universal dessert.

Rizogalo may not be quite as well known as other Greek dishes such as souvlaki, moussaka, or baklava, but it is still the kind of thing you might find on a menu at the homier sort of Greek restaurant. Rice puddings all over the world, after all, are pretty much the epitome of comfort food: easy to make and even easier to eat.

Read more: US Foods You Surprisingly Can't Find In Canada

History Of Rizogalo

rice pudding with striped towel - alexfa92/Shutterstock

As rice pudding is pretty global, it's kind of hard to pinpoint exactly when it arrived in Greece and who brought the recipe. For all we know, it could have been just about any Greek cook who found themselves with leftover rice and thought, hmm, what would happen if I mix in some cream and sugar? Still, people love origin stories that are a bit more elaborate than anonymous person + leftovers, so rizogalo does have a few competing backstories.

The oldest of these stories dates back to some unspecified date between 1453 and 1821. Oddly specific dates, yes, but this is the period when Greece was occupied by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. If these colonial rulers were the ones to introduce the dish, this would explain any similarities between rizogalo and its Turkish counterpart, sutlac. (Well, that and the fact that most rice puddings tend to be fairly similar.) Yet another claim, however, is that rizogalo dates to later in the 19th century when French cooking became popular in Greece, as the French, you guessed it, have a rice pudding of their own called riz au lait. There's even a third story relating how refugees from Anatolia (which is now part of Turkey) brought the idea of a rice-based pudding to Greece when they showed up in the early 1920s. As far as possible influencers go, looks like the Turks are ahead of the French by a score of 2 to 1.

How Is Rizogalo Made?

rice pudding with uncooled rice - cookingforshooting/Shutterstock

Rizogalo starts off with cooked rice, so yes, it can be, and probably often is, made with leftovers (although one would hope they've been safely stored since leftover rice can be dangerous if it isn't properly cooled and reheated). Cooks who start from scratch, however, may favor using arborio rice or a similar starchy, short-grained variety.

Once the rice is cooked, milk or cream and sugar are added and then it cooks some more. Other common additions to the rice pudding include cornstarch to thicken it up and cinnamon, vanilla extract, or citrus zest (lemon, orange, or both) to flavor it. Some cooks also like to add eggs for extra richness, but others prefer their rizogalo to remain egg-free. Rizogalo is typically pretty plain, but if you want to jazz it up you can make it with canned coconut milk for a kind of tropical flavor or make it Middle Eastern-ish with rosewater and chopped pistachios. If you throw in some raisins, you'll even have a standard American-style rice pudding.

How To Eat Rizogalo

rizogalo with coffee cup - Helen Voitenko/Shutterstock

Rizogalo, like the "pease porridge" of nursery rhyme fame, can be eaten hot or cold, although we wouldn't recommend it in the pot nine days old. If the pudding is eaten while warm, it will tend to be thinner, but it will thicken up a bit as it cools down. As for the presentation, it can either be poured into individual serving dishes once it's done cooking or go into one big bowl or storage container and be spooned out as needed. (The latter method, of course, is considerably less formal.)

The traditional Greek diner-style topping for rizogalo is nothing more than a sprinkling of ground cinnamon. For a bit of added flavor, however, a spoonful of jam or fruit compote might not come amiss, while honey would make the rice pudding taste extra sweet. You could also top the rizogalo with whipped cream, even if this is more typical of American rice pudding than Greek.

Where To Try Rizogalo

rice pudding with cinnamon stick - Troy's Greek

Rice pudding is such a simple dish that it's the kind of thing you might be more likely to make from scratch than buy premade, and rizogalo is no exception. It is possible to purchase rizogalo mix imported from Greece on Amazon, however, and you might be able to find premade pudding at a Greek grocer. Interestingly enough, when we were looking for online retailers selling rizogalo, we uncovered a tasty selection of window coverings offered by Select Blinds. Not only can you buy shades in rizogalo white, but they're also offered in saganaki cream, souvlaki tan, and baklava beige.

If you prefer your rizogalo in pudding form but don't feel like cooking it yourself, the best place to find it is a Greek restaurant, and luckily there's no shortage of these - over 7500 in the U.S. as of December 2023, with at least one in every state of the union. While not every Greek eatery will have rizogalo on the menu, among those that do are Troy's Greek in San Diego; Symeon's in Yorkville, New York; Kouzena in Racine, Wisconsin; Athena Restaurant in Chicago; Albana's Tavern in Culpeper, Virginia; and Athens Family Restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. The last two restaurants even have rizogalo-specific reviews - at Albanas, the dessert is said to be "creamy," "delicious," and "not too sweet," while the rice pudding at Athens Family Restaurant has been acclaimed as "tasty and filling."

Read the original article on Mashed.
While capital investments are routine for major brands, independent business owners usually need to mull them over more.

That was the case for Who Shirt Company founder Libby Haan before she decided to buy an elastic fabric cut molding machine from New Pads Industry. The prospect of adding something to the menu of New York manufacturing as opposed to subtracting from it was her motivation, Haan said.

More from WWD

The $23,000 investment in the machinery, which included costs tied to freight and customs, is sizable for an independent business owner, she said. So much so that she is making the machinery available to other companies  allowing them to rent time for its use  through MCM, the Industry City factory where it is housed in Brooklyn. Interested parties can contact her or MCM to inquire about availability, according to Haan, who said that it wont be cost prohibitive in order to encourage use by other companies.

As a New York resident, Haan is eager to increase production here. Given how many consumers will pay $9 for a loaf of locally made bread from the farmers market, Haan aims to create a similar sensibility through the provenance of where Who Shirt is made. The most important thing for me was creating a supply chain that can be made in America, but specifically in New York, she said.

The decision to invest in the equipment indirectly stemmed from James Dyson via David Sendras podcast Founders. Haan said one of her takeaways was Dysons emphasis on the importance of controlling as much of the supply chain as possible. That resonated with Haan, who had the factory that she was working with in Colombia shut down temporarily three times during the pandemic.

Through Nesli Danisman of the Angora Group, a strategic product management consultancy for socially conscious brands, Haan was connected with the Taiwan-based New Pads Industry and decided to buy the machine outright. Such manufacturing capabilities can be found in Sri Lanka, China and Colombia, but it is more scarce in the U.S., according to Haan. The founder will introduce the first Who Shirt style using the technology this spring  a jewel-neck T-shirt called Toni that will be offered in the color cloud. She is filing a patent for that product and plans to do the same for all of the other styles that will use the machinery, she said.

The new machinery can be used to create an internal bra that requires no underwire or straps and is substantially more supportive that the bandeau that is offered in Who Shirt items.

Confident that others would will be interested in using the machine, Haan said she was inspired partially by the financial sacrifices that Dyson had made in the early years of his business. If were interested in continuing American manufacturing, we have to have the manufacturing capabilities of other countries, she said.

Best of WWD
2023 was the best year ever for American tourism to Turkiye, and with the cancellation of the visa requirement, 2024 is expected to be even bigger.

tawatchaiprakobkit/Getty Images

American tourists traveling to Turkey will no longer need a visa, making it easier to visit.

The new visa rules, which apply to both American and Canadian travelers, went into effect at the beginning of the month, tourism officials shared with Travel + Leisure. Previously, travelers needed to apply for an e-visa in advance of visiting to the tune of $51.50.

Americans vacationing in Turkiye no longer require a visa to visit what has become one of Americas favorite overseas travel destinations, Go Turkiye wrote in a statement shared with T+L. 2023 was the best year ever for American tourism to Turkiye, and with the cancellation of the visa requirement, 2024 is expected to be even bigger.

Travelers who visit will still need a valid passport that doesnt expire within six months of their entry into the country and with enough space for entry and exit stamps, according to the U.S. Department of State. Visa-free entry applies to ordinary passport holders who stay for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.

Last year, Istanbul welcomed more than 16 million foreign visitors in the first 11 months, according to Turkeys Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In the month of November alone, travelers from the United States made up the fourth most visitors to the city.

Of course, while Istanbul is one of the coolest and most popular places to visit in Turkey thanks to its history, impressive architecture, and dizzying array of markets, theres also plenty to do outside the city from the ancient ruins of Turkeys Lakes Region to the glittering coast of Bodrum.

While Turkey dropped visa requirements for U.S. travelers, Brazil is adding them. Starting April 10, travelers from the U.S. will be required to obtain an electronic visa to enter the South American country, the Brazilian Tourist Board shared with T+L. The e-visa will cost $80.90 per person and will be valid for 10 years.

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Indias regulatory watchdog launched an antitrust investigation into DHL, UPS and FedEx, according to Reuters, which said the agency is looking into alleged price collusion on discounts and tariffs.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recently started reviewing thousands of emails as part of its investigation into the fees these logistics companies charged for courier and storage services at airports, according to government documents viewed by Reuters.

More from Sourcing Journal

Investigators want until March to study all the evidence before preparing an internal report, Reuters said.

FedEx denies the allegations in the complaint.

The FedEx, UPS and DHL spokespersons said the companies are cooperating fully with Indian authorities, but wouldnt comment further on the ongoing investigation.

The inquiry began in October of 2022 after the Federation of Indian Publishers complained that DHL, FedEx, UPS and Dubais Aramex, along with some domestic players, were collectively conspiring on fees and controlling customer discounts.

The companies appear to be sharing commercially sensitive information amongst themselvesfor taking joint or collective decision to arrive at tariffs, the CCI said in an early assessment that ignited the broader investigation.

FedEx, UPS and DHL could be fined up to three times their annual profit in each year these fee was fixed, or 10 percent of annual revenue for each year of violation, whichever is greater.

The logistics giants have been forced to pay fines to international bodies in the past. In 2015, Frances competition regulator levied $739 million in fines across 20 companies, including FedEx and DHL, for secretly colluding on price increases for parcel deliveries from 2004-2010.

According to research firm Mordor Intelligence, courier, express and parcel delivery services are expected to grow 17 percent annually in India to $18.3 billion by 2029.

FedEx, UPS and DHL have made substantial investments in India recently, with the latter investing $500 million to expand its warehousing, workforce and sustainability initiatives there in September 2022. In August, UPS opened its first Indian technology center in Chennai at a cost of up to $20 million; its set to create 1,000 jobs by 2025. On Monday, UPS said it would accelerate the hiring to bring in the employees by 2024 and triple the facilitys current footprint to nearly 190,000 square feet.

Last month, FedEx invested $100 million to support digital innovation and transformation at its Hyderabad technology hub.

FedEx may lose half of USPS business

For FedEx, a potential antitrust lawsuit is just one of its problems. The company already cut its 2024 revenue forecast and is reorganizing the FedEx Express air unit to better adapt to consumer demand and cut costs.

FedEx reportedly expects its Express unit will lose as much half of the business it does with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) when their contract expires in September. FedEx Express facilitates airport-to-airport transportation of USPS Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail in the U.S.

If I were to bet, I think we lose 50 percent of our daytime flying, said Pat DiMento, FedExs vice president of flight operations and training, according to a recording reviewed by supply chain publication FreightWaves.

According to DiMento, who made the comments in an internal conversation November, this would mean FedEx would have as many as 300 more pilots than it needs by Octoberputting their jobs at risk. FreightWaves previously reported that FedEx Express expects to reduce pilots guaranteed minimum number of flight hours by 13 percent, and push 400 senior crew members to early retirement as quickly as possible to address overstaffing.

FedEx Express, the largest of the companys units by revenue, felt the pressures of soft demand in 2023, with second quarter sales dipping 6 percent to $10.3 billion, and operating income down 49 percent to $178 million. Global freight by weight declined 18 percent year over year to 21.2 million pounds, driven by lower USPS volume as the agency shifts volume from air to ground.

The package delivery giant is still negotiating a renewal of its air cargo network contract with USPS, but the company said in a December earnings call that it would take a significant change in contractual terms to renew the deal. Their arrangement is set to expire Sept. 29, 2024.

We appreciate the relationship we have enjoyed with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the past 22 years, a company spokesperson said. Like any other customer relationship, we are focused on ensuring it continues to make good business sense for both parties as we each realign our networks for the future.

The Postal Service has cut the volume of first-class mail and packages moved through air carriers by 90 percent in the past 2.5 years, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told the USPS board of governors last August. USPS air transportation expenses fell $600 million, or 16.3 percent, primarily due to lower package volumes and the shift to ground transportation.
Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile said Sunday that U.S. Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Trump dont owe him one thing and should not treat him differently when they hear arguments in his appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court decision removing the former president from the states primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced late Friday it would hear Trumps appeal of the Colorado decision, which affirmed a lower court ruling that Trump engaged in insurrection and ruled that under the 14th Amendments insurrection clause, Trump could not hold public office again.

Trump appointed three of the nine current justices to the bench and resisted pressure to pull the nomination of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who faced sexual assault allegations during the confirmation process and whose appointment to the court was almost derailed.

Brett Kavanaugh and the Republican justices do not owe Donald Trump one thing, Brazile said in a panel discussion on ABC Newss This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

This notion that somehow or another hes going to be treated unfairly, no. He should be subjected to the same laws, the same consequences, the same accountability as every other American. No one is above the law, Brazile said.

Braziles remarks come as pundits have speculated on how the justices will decide what is likely to be one of the most important cases this year.

Concern about whether the justices would feel obliged to side with Trump increased when Trumps attorney appeared on Fox Newss Hannity one day before the high court agreed to hear the case.

I think it should be a slam dunk in the Supreme Court. I have faith in them, Trump attorney Alina Habba told host Sean Hannity on Thursday. You know, people like Kavanaugh, who the president fought for, who the President went through how to get into place, hell step up.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) sharply criticized these remarks, comparing them to mobsters language.

This is the way that New York mobsters think about judges, Raskin told MSNBC on Friday. Yeah, we own that one. We own that one. Get in that court. That guys in our pocket. And for fascists and authoritarian parties and movements, the law is really not what you know, but its who you know. And its always better for them to know the judge than to know the law.

But to know the law here is to understand that Donald Trump is disqualified, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Mayor Adams administration began relocating nearly 2,000 migrants Tuesday from shelters at Floyd Bennett Field to a southern Brooklyn high school due to extreme weather forecasts, leaving many waiting in the rain for school buses to carry them.

The migrants were set to stay overnight at James Madison High School in Midwood, according to Adams, with students there expected to attend classes remotely on Wednesday.

The mayor told reporters Tuesday that the move was being made out of an overabundance of caution due to forecasted high-speed winds.

We want to make sure people are safe, he said.

Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said in a written statement that 1,900 guests would be moved as a precaution against wind speeds expected to reach over 70 miles per hour.

This relocation is a proactive measure being taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals working and living at the center, she stated.

About two dozen yellow school buses began lining up outside the shelters at Floyd Bennett late Tuesday afternoon. Alexander Junior Soto Caballero, a 29-year-old who came to the U.S. from Venezuela and was staying at one of the shelters there, said the move has made him, his wife and their 8-year-old daughter feel afraid and adrift.

We are afraid for the girl. She is scared, asking us where we are going. We dont have clothes, food. I dont have a job. We are waiting for the buses to arrive to get out of here, he explained. Were worried about the storm. Its a truly horrible situation.

When the shelters at Floyd Bennett were being set up months ago, critics pointed to the prospect of extreme weather as being a problem at the southern Brooklyn location that borders Jamaica Bay. At the time, the Adams administration conceded that while the plan might not be perfect, it was being enacted due to the citys severely limited shelter options for migrants.

Dozens of busses arrived at James Madison High School on Tuesday evening with parents carrying small children and everything they own on their backs as they walked through a downpour to get inside. Locals came to watch.

This is ridiculous, said Bob Brunotte. Theyre shuffling them around putting them in Floyd Bennett Field, a known flood plane, then wake them up at 4 a.m. pull them out of the school and put them back in the tents.

This is a shame, added Brunotte, 47. They deserve better.

The Adams administration noted that Tuesdays relocation was a temporary measure, but critics across the political spectrum were quick to pounce.

City Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Democrat, said the relocation highlighted the mismanagement and waste of money that is all-too-present in City Halls approach to shelter and services for asylum seekers.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Queens Republican, described the move as a foregone conclusion and one that she warned would ultimately come to pass months ago.

These are the concerns that we shared with the administration from Day One, she said. I hate to say, I told you so, but I told you so.

Advocates whove been eyeing the migrant issue closely for well over a year also inveighed against the mayor.

This last-minute evacuation further proves that Floyd Bennett Field  a facility mired in a flood zone, miles from schools and other services  has never and will never serve as an appropriate and safe place to shelter families with children, the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless said in a joint statement.

This is crazy, they shouldnt be here, said Eliot Betish, who lives near James Madison High School. Look at these little kids, this is no place for them.

Theyre being promised a better life but theyre going to be put back in the tents and then theyre going to end up in the street, added Betish, 57. This is the mayors fault. He doesnt know what hes doing.

The temporary evacuation at Floyd Bennett Field came the same day migrant families faced eviction from shelter as part of the citys rule mandating families with children reapply for shelter after 60-day stays. As of the end of last week, 4,800 families with kids had been served with notices giving them the option of leaving the citys care or reapplying for shelter.

As a result of the relocation, students at Madison wont be attending classes in-person and instead will be taught remotely, according to a Department of Education memo obtained by the Daily News. According to an Education Department source, migrant families are scheduled to leave the building before classes start Wednesday morning, but the schools principal Jodie Cohen requested that the school operate remotely anyway.

Parents started getting notification of the switch to remote learning around 4 p.m., according to one parent of a Madison student.

While Adams himself told The News that the migrants would be relocated to Madison, his team did not make that clear in its initial statement, becoming another point of contention for advocacy groups.

The city has provided scant details on its plan for these families, including where exactly they will be moved and for how long and, most importantly, if those temporary locations comply with the shelter requirements for families with children as prescribed by the court and by law, Legal Aid and the Coalition added. Needless to say, today will be very traumatic and disruptive for these families. We fear, especially with more inclement weather expected this winter, that this is only a foreshadow of more problems to come, and we again urge the City to cease placing families with children at this facility.

A city official pushed back, saying families were informed of where theyd be relocated before the move and that they are far less likely to be traumatized at Madison High School  as opposed to Floyd Bennett Field where the winds are likely to pose a danger to themselves and their families.

Mamelak noted that the migrants would continue to be provided with essential services and support.

The relocation will continue until any weather conditions that may arise have stabilized and the facility is once again fit for living, she said. We are actively monitoring the situation and will issue updates as necessary.
For the latest news on the Israel-Hamas conflict, please see our live updates file here.

Several key Middle East countries have come around to the notion of helping plan for a postwar Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday amid a whirlwind trip of the region partly aimed at keeping the Israel-Hamas war from expanding.

Editor's Note: For the latest news on the Israel-Hamas conflict, please see our live updates file here.

Blinken also said he has found widespread interest in normalizing relations with Israel among Arab nations he has visited during this fourth journey to the region since October, provided some conditions are met.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey indicated they would consider participating in and contributing to devising the future reconstruction and governance for Gaza, Blinken told reporters. Previously they had held out for a cease-fire before they would commit.

The countries' leaders agreed to work together and to coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability in the region as a whole, Blinken said.

Through mediation from the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia had been negotiating a normalizing of relations before the brutal Hamas assault of Oct. 7 that left 1,200 dead in Israeli border communities. Talks were paused shortly afterward as Israel launched a potent military response that has resulted in more than 23,000 Palestinians deaths and rampant destruction, drawing harsh criticism from Arab nations.

However, Blinken said just before departing from Saudi Arabia to Israel on Monday night that normalization came up at every one of his stops and is far from dead.

"Theres a clear interest here in pursuing that; theres a clear interest in the region in pursuing that,'' Blinken said. "But it will require that the conflict end in Gaza, and it will also clearly require that there be a practical pathway to a Palestinian state. This is what I heard from everyone we talked to about it. But this interest is there, its real and it could be transformative.''

An undated handout photo released by the Hezbollah military media press office on Telegram on Jan. 8, 2024, shows Hezbollah Military Commander Wissam Hassan Al-Tawil at an undisclosed location.

Conflict hits the 3-month mark: Airstrike kills 2 Palestinian journalists

Developments:

 Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants as they exchanged fire during an arrest Monday in the West Bank, where violence has spiked since the war started.

 Israeli airstrikes in Syria aimed at stopping weapons supplies to Iran's proxies have become more frequent and deadlier than in previous years since the war with Hamas began, Reuters reported.

 Israels defense minister says his country is "fighting an axis, not a single enemy." Yoav Gallant told The Wall Street Journal he believes Iran is using Hamas and Hezbollah to build military strength around Israel "in order to use it.

Hezbollah commander killed In Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets attacked Hezbollah infrastructure targets in Lebanon on Monday as Israel threatened to expand a brutal war with Hamas that already has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians and left the Gaza Strip in ruins.

The clash came as Hezbollah said one of its top commanders was killed in Lebanon, apparently by an Israeli attack. Wissam Hassan Al-Tawil, who led a unit Israel says has been working to infiltrate its northern border, was killed in a strike on his SUV in southern Lebanon.

The military said its foray into Lebanon followed an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanese territory toward Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli city of 22,000 people 10 miles from the Lebanon border and about 115 miles north of Tel Aviv. The attacks came a day after Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi, the Israeli military chief of staff, said Israels current efforts to curtail missile attacks from Lebanon would be successful or we will get to another war.

Sheikh Ali Damoush, deputy chairman of Hezbollahs executive council, said there will be no talks on halting the cross-border clashes until Israel stops its aggression against Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Before departing from Saudi Arabia to Israel on Monday night, Blinken told reporters it's not in the best interests of Israel, Hezbollah or Lebanon for the war to escalate. "The Israelis have been very clear with us that they want to find a diplomatic way forward,'' he said.

Did Israel kill a Hezbollah commander to send a message to the US?

Al Jazeera political analyst Marwan Bishara says Israels possible motives for killing al-Tawil include sending a message to the Biden administration that if the U.S. doesn't "do something about Lebanon and Iran," then Israel will do whatever it takes to provide security.

But Bishara said other possible motives include "putting Hezbollah on notice" that Israel won't allow continued attacks from across its northern border, retaliation for Hezbollah's recent attack on an Israeli air control base, and/or drawing attention away from Gaza, a front where Bishara suggests the fighting "is not going well."

Israel offensive to shift gears as it focuses on central, south Gaza

Israel said it has largely neutralized Hamas' military capabilities in northern Gaza, though some fighting and bombing continue there and is now focusing on the territory's central region and the southern city of Khan Younis.

The Israeli military is expected to take a more surgical approach to operations in the south, responding to repeated calls from the U.S. to limit civilian casualties. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military's chief spokesman, said the process of dismantling Hamas in the enclave would last through the year.

We will do it in a different method, in a thorough way,'' Hagari said, "based on the lessons we learned from the fighting until now.

Israel has already withdrawn thousands of troops from Gaza, and the Biden administration has continued to press for the Israel Defense Forces to reduce the intensity of its offensive. More than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war started, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, about two-thirds of them women and children.

When President Joe Biden was interrupted by protesters demanding a cease-fire in Gaza as he delivered a campaign speech Monday in Charleston, South Carolina, he said he understood their passion and added: I've been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out in Gaza.

NYC police arrest 325 antiwar protesters

New York City police said they arrested more than 325 people after hundreds of antiwar demonstrators blocked major bridges and a tunnel leading into Manhattan during rush hour Monday morning.

Some of the activists sat in roadways and locked themselves together using zip ties and cement-filled tires, as they joined the growing number of protesters in the U.S. and elsewhere demanding a cease-fire in the Hamas-Israel conflict, which has resulted in nearly 25,000 deaths.

New York Mayor Eric Adams disapproved of the demonstrators' tactics, saying, The right to protest does not give one the right to block bridges and tunnels.

Pope Francis calls for cease-fire, two-state solution

Pope Francis again condemned Hamas attack on Israel and urged the international community to pursue a two-state solution to end the crisis. The pope, in his annual State of the World address to the diplomatic corps in the Vatican, said the attack led to the horror unfolding in Gaza, which has "caused an exceptionally grave humanitarian crisis and inconceivable suffering" for Palestinians. Civilian victims should not be viewed as collateral damage," but as adults and children with names who lose their lives.

"I renew my appeal for a cease-fire on every front, including Lebanon, and the immediate liberation of all the hostages held in Gaza'" the pope said. "I ask that the Palestinian people receive humanitarian aid, and that hospitals, schools and places of worship receive all necessary protection."

Israel committed to hunting down every massacre participant

Last week, in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, Israel promised a repeat of the covert Wrath of God assassination campaign launched after the deadly Palestinian terrorist attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The Mossad is committed to settling accounts with the murderers behind Oct. 7, said David Barnea, the chief of Israels Mossad intelligence agency. There are some differences between the current campaign and the earlier one, however, including the number of perpetrators. The total was eight in 1972; it is more than 1,000 this time. But some similarities may also exist.

"Once you are hunting down those people and they are mostly busy with trying to save their skin, they are less available to deal with planning, executing and coordinating terror attacks," former Israeli intelligence official Avi Melamed said. Read more here.

 Josh Meyer

Israel to extend detention of suspected militants

Israel announced pending legislation to allow the government to continue holding about 150 suspected Hamas militants captured Oct. 7 during the assault on Israel, the Times of Israel reported. The detentions are set to expire Feb. 7, but the new bill would allow the suspects to be held another 90 days. More than 1,000 militants crashed across the border, and most fled back to Gaza before Israel could mobilize its defense forces.

The legislation says indictments are taking longer than usual because of the unique nature of the investigative and interrogation process.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel Hamas war: Mideast neighbors may plan postwar Gaza
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft struggled to maintain his countenance during a recent CNN interview when asked to elaborate on his recent threat to remove President Joe Biden from his states primary ballot if Donald Trump continues to be ousted in other states.

The former president, who has thus far been disqualified from the 2024 GOP primary ballot in Colorado and Maine for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the insurrection that followed, is reportedly concerned that the Supreme Court may rule against him in both cases.

On Friday, not long after the Supreme Court stated that it would look into the Colorado ruling, Ashcroft took to X/Twitter. What has happened in Colorado & Maine is disgraceful & undermines our republic, he tweeted. While I expect the Supreme Court to overturn this, if not, Secretaries of State will step in & ensure the new legal standard for @realDonaldTrump applies equally to @JoeBiden!

Ashcroft later told NBC that his post was meant to remind people of how severe this is and that chaos will follow if the Supreme Court does not reverse Colorados decision. He also stated that Biden has let an invasion unstopped into our country from the border, seemingly conflating Bidens immigration policies with the severity of Jan 6.

CNN anchor Boris Sanchez pressed the Missouri official to qualify his words during a sit-down, first observing that the secretary of state lacks authority to assess qualifications of a candidate, to determine whether to place a candidates name on a primary ballot.

Ashcroft replied that Sanchez was not an attorney, stating that he would only pursue his plan if Colorados ruling was upheld, before Sanchez again cited Missouri constitutional law.

And I continue to try to answer your questions, and you continue to try to tell me stuff that just isnt true, Ashcroft said.

Im wondering, though, what would then be your justification for removing Joe Biden from the ballot in Missouri? Sanchez asked. Has he engaged in your mind in some kind of insurrection?

Ashcroft replied by noting that there have been allegations that hes engaged in insurrection, which Sanchez swiftly followed by asking for examples.

A seemingly floundering Ashcroft claimed Sanchez was scared of the truth, which the CNN host Sanchez rejected.

Oh, Im not terrified of the truth at all. It seems like you might be. Lets hear what you have to say, Sanchez retorted. What did Joe Biden do in your mind that equates to insurrection? What allegations are you talking about?

Ashcroft ultimately used vague references to claims made by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who have both previously suggested that Biden could face ballot removal in their states over his handling of immigration.

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They made allegations and all it took for the president, for former President Trump to be taken off the ballot in Colorado and in Maine were allegations, Ashcroft alleged. We should not be a country that removes people from the ballot based on allegations. I think you can agree with that.

After Sanchez attempted to delineate the galling differences between actions taken at the southern border and a full-fledged insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Ashcroft accused him of supporting his guy, Biden.

"My guy, Joe Biden is not my guy, Sanchez hit back. You dont know who my guy is. The point is, sir, the point is that its not clear whether the 14th Amendment is self-executing or not. In other words, it doesnt matter to a court at that point whether there was a conviction of Donald Trump for insurrection or not. That is a debate for the Supreme Court to have.
Victims of rape and incest would be eligible to access abortion in Kentucky under a new Democrat-backed bill filed Tuesday.

Senate Minority Whip David Yates, D-Louisville, is sponsoring Hadleys Law, named after Hadley Duvall of Owensboro, a college senior who was raped and impregnated by her stepfather as a child.

Those survivors  those women, even little girls, who were put through that, that choice was removed from them, who were violated  should not be continued to be validated by the state, Yates said. The commonwealth of Kentucky should not remove that choice. It should not continue to victimize those survivors.

Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, is sponsoring Hadleys Law, named after incest survivor Hadley Duvall, which would add exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormalities to Kentuckys existing abortion ban.

As Kentucky law stands now, abortion is illegal except in circumstances where its needed to save the life of a pregnant woman. The ban does not include exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities that are incompatible with life.

In addition to the exceptions for victims, Yates bill would allow abortions when there is a lethal fetal anomaly or the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside the womb.

As the Herald-Leader previously reported, Kentuckys existing abortion laws have forced pregnant women who need medically-recommended terminations  like those carrying a fetus with anencephaly, where the fetal brain and skull do not fully develop  to seek care outside of the commonwealth.

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Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat a month into his second term, attended Yates announcement Tuesday, saying he will sign it immediately when it reaches my desk.

Its unclear if the GOP-dominated legislature will pass Yates bill  or any other provision adding exceptions.

A similar bill filed in 2023 by Rep. Jason Nemes, the majority whip, did not receive so much as a committee assignment, let alone a vote.

Speaking on KET Monday evening, Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, and Speaker of the House David Osborne, R-Prospect, said their caucuses continue to discuss exceptions.

Stivers said Yates bill would receive a committee assignment.

There is a lot of discussion, Stivers said on Kentucky Tonight. I do not know what the outcome will be.

Osborne said the House Republicans have had considerable debate over exceptions and it comes up frequently.

Weve yet to reach consensus on what were capable of doing as a caucus moving forward, but were going to continue to have those conversations, Osborne said. I agree with Robert. Im not sure where were going to end up on it ultimately.

Yates said his bill was written in a way to give it the greatest possible chance of passage.

This is so narrowly tailored, that most of those conversations Ive had, I usually get a head nod, and say, I understand, I agree, Yates said of talking to his Republican colleagues. If they would take that, Yes, I understand, I agree, and vote that way, this thing will pass.

A screenshot from the Beshear campaigns latest television ad featuring a woman who was raped at the age of twelve.

Duvall, who also joined Yates announcement, told her story in a reelection ad for Beshear that gained national attention for how Democrats could effectively message on abortion.

I was raped by my stepfather after years of sexual abuse, Hadley said directly to the camera in the 30-second ad. I was 12.

Anyone who believes there should be no exceptions for rape and incest could never understand what its like to stand in my shoes, she continued. This is to you, Daniel Cameron: To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather, who raped her, is unthinkable.

Im speaking out because women and girls need to have options. Daniel Cameron would give us none.

Beshear went on to win re-election over then-Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a staunch defender of Kentuckys existing abortion ban, by five percentage points.

Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, is sponsoring Hadleys Law, named after incest survivor Hadley Duvall, which would add exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormalities to Kentuckys existing abortion ban.

Hadley said the ad she did allowed Kentuckians to put a face to the trauma that many women and girls go through, even if it hadnt happened in their own families.

Its hard to believe that those things do happen behind closed doors, she said.

Its hard to really paint the picture in your head that this is a reality for many people. ... I think that putting my face with it, putting a human to it, is better than just saying, Well, what if? Because Im not a what if. It happened.

Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky State Director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, does not think an exceptions bill will pass this session.

Wieder also said exceptions, as policy, dont work.

Exceptions are not effective policy, especially in ban states, because there are all these laws and restrictions that criminalize providers. They put a lot of liability on hospitals, and they chill care, Wieder said. Providers are afraid. And more importantly, the lawyers of the hospitals and administrators are afraid, too.

Wieder said 73 of Kentuckys 120 counties dont have practicing OBGYNs, and Kentuckys ban makes it difficult to attract providers to residency programs or staying in state after completing residency.

There are too many pieces of the past decade of barriers that have been put in place, and that is why these bills have been so tactical at stopping care in the state, she said.

An exemption that is very narrow and precise is not going to be hitting all of the cuts and the blocks that have been put into place, and while I want nothing more than to see some access returned to Kentucky, I feel that this is a bill in name only.

Editors Note: There is no known family connection between the author of this story and Hadley Duvall.
Several new laws increasing restrictions around guns go into effect in 2024 and a report released Friday sheds light on how each state stacks up.

Everytown for Gun Safety analyzed the strength and impact of 50 policies related to gun control as well as gun death rates and ranked all 50 states in its annual report.

The gun violence prevention advocacy group determined California has the strongest gun laws in the country, followed by New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and Hawaii. Mississippi, Idaho, Montana and Georgia were among the states with the weakest gun laws. Arkansas, which is ranked last, Florida, Nebraska and North Carolina were among the states that dropped in the rankings after passing legislation that loosened restrictions on guns.

According to the report, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York have the lowest gun death rates in the country, while Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama and Montana have the highest.

"When we look at the rates of gun violence in these states, what we see is a strong correlation between states with gun laws and lower rates of gun violence and the opposite for the states with the weak law," said Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety.

The report comes after new gun control measures went into effect Jan. 1 in states including California, Illinois, Colorado, Washington and Minnesota. New laws in other states like Michigan and Oregon go into effect later this year.

Here's a look at some of the state gun laws in effect or coming in 2024:

Supporters of gun control and firearm safety measures hold a protest rally outside the Supreme Court in 2019.

California

A new law in California prohibiting people from carrying firearms in more than two dozen public spaces temporarily went into effect Jan. 1 amid an ongoing legal challenge against it.

The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, was temporarily blocked by a federal judge last month who said it violates the Second Amendment and defies the Supreme Court. A federal appeals court put a temporary hold on the previous ruling, allowing the law to go into effect Jan. 1, but the law was blocked once again Saturday.

Colorado

Colorado moved from 12th to 11th on Everytown's list. At the beginning of the year, Colorado joined 11 other states in restricting "ghost guns," firearms that are assembled from kits or 3D-printed. The weapons, also known as "privately made firearms" don't require background checks and don't have serial numbers, which can make it more difficult for law enforcement to track the weapons.

Two gun rights groups filed a federal lawsuit against Democratic Gov. Jared Polis challenging the new law the day it went into effect, The Denver Post reported.

Illinois

In Illinois, which rose from seventh to third on Everytown's list, a new law banning certain high-powered semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines went into effect Jan. 1. The assault weapons ban passed in January 2023, six months after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park left seven dead and dozens wounded.

The U.S. Supreme Court in December declined to block the law.

Michigan

In Michigan, a series of gun safety bills signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after a mass shooting at Michigan State University will go into effect in 2024. The bills include an expansion of background checks, requirements to store guns away from children and a new red flag law. Whitmer also signed legislation in November to temporarily ban people convicted of domestic violence from possessing and purchasing firearms and ammunition. The state moved from 24th to 20th on Everytown's list.

Minnesota

Minnesota moved up from 17th to 14th in Everytown's ranking after becoming the 20th state to implement a "red flag" law, which allows courts to temporarily take guns from those determined to be an imminent threat to themselves or others.

Oregon

A ban on ghost guns will take effect in Oregon in September, according to Everytown. The state dropped slightly to 10th in the organization's ranking as its neighbor Washington moved up to ninth.

Washington

People purchasing a firearm in Washington must now complete a background check, wait 10 business days and take a safety training program within five years of the purchase.

West Virginia

In West Virginia, ranked 27th by Everytown, a law allowing people with concealed carry permits to bring firearms to public college and university campuses will go into effect in July, according to the group.

More gun laws could come in 2024

A record-breaking 137 gun safety policies were passed in state legislatures in 2023, according to Everytown. Suplina called the recent legislation on assault weapons "historic" and said he expects to see similar bills this year in Virginia, New Mexico and Maine, where 18 people were killed in a mass shooting on Oct. 25.

"What we're seeing now year over year is success in beating back bad laws and passing good laws," he said. "So I am quite optimistic that in 2024 we will continue the momentum from last year and continue to pass laws that save lives."

Gun violence decreased, fatal mass shootings increased in 2023

The number of total gun deaths and injuries dropped in 2023 to 36,335 injured and 42,946 dead, including suicides, homicides and unintentional shootings, according to the most recent data from the Gun Violence Archive.

But in 2023, there were 39 mass shootings in which four or more people were killed, not including the perpetrator, which surpasses the previous year's record of 36, according to the USA TODAY/Northeastern University/Associated Press Mass Killings Database.

Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive, said the recent decline in total deaths and injuries is "fairly significant," but it's unclear what is causing some forms of gun violence to increase.

"This is a mixed bag year," he said. "I think we're starting to drift back toward pre-COVID numbers."

Do gun control laws save lives?

According to a projection from Everytown, if every state had the gun death rates seen in the eight states with the strongest gun safety laws, nearly 300,000 lives could be saved over the next decade.

Sean Holihan, state legislative director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence called 2023 a "historic" year for the gun safety movement and agreed that while the success of implementation can vary state-by-state, these laws have "proven that they can be effective."

"There's a noticeable difference in the gun death rate in states that pass these types of laws versus states that haven't," said Holihan.

However, Billy McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, told USA TODAY restrictions on guns penalize lawful gunowners and fail to deter criminals and called Everytown's list "propaganda."

"A cursory glance at Everytown's 'methodology' reveals a bias: The highest ratings go to states with the most restrictive gun laws. This isn't science; it's an assault on the rights of law-abiding citizens, masquerading as research," McLaughlin said.

Bryant said ultimately, more data is needed to determine what drove the country's recent decrease in gun violence.

"It's just too early to say," he said.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen, Grace Hauck, John Fritze, USA TODAY; Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press; Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 gun laws: From California to Michigan, where things changed
While Texas and Florida recently outlawed diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public colleges and universities, Kentucky may be tacking more toward the route blazed by Tennessee.

What could happen? Not necessarily dismantling those offices, but prohibiting curriculum, training and educational initiatives that endorse divisive concepts.

Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, filed Senate Bill 6 last week that seeks to limit diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices and initiatives at public colleges and universities by way of non-credit classes, seminars, workshops, trainings and orientations.

The bill would prohibit instruction in Kentuckys public colleges and universities that promotes such divisive concepts as race or sex scapegoating, a belief that some individuals are inherently privileged and any teaching that suggests all Americans are not created equal.

Concepts considered divisive that would be prohibited under Wilsons proposal include:

That an individual, by virtue of the individuals race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky or the United States of America is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist.

An individual, by virtue of the individuals race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.

A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress another race or sex.

Promotes or advocates the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

Though this is the first bill that seeks to restrict DEI initiatives on college campuses, it might not be the last filed this session. Lawmakers are able to file bills through the end of February.

Though dozens of bills to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion measures have been proposed across the country, only four states have passed those bills into law: Florida, Texas, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to the Chronicle for Higher Educations DEI legislation tracker.





Underpinning the passage of these laws is a movement among the GOP to put, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put it, workforce education above indoctrination, couching DEI programs as compulsory methods to push a liberal agenda.

Texas became the second state after Florida to ban such DEI initiatives last year with the passage of Senate Bill 17.

The Lone Star states law, which became enforceable Jan. 1, says universities cannot create diversity offices, hire staff to conduct DEI work, or require DEI training as a condition of admission or hiring.

Rather, those practices must be color-blind and sex-neutral.

The new law also requires university boards to adopt policies to discipline staff who violate these rules and establishes that university leaders cant spend state money until theyve showed theyre in compliance.

Floridas sweeping Senate Bill 266, which took effect July 1, bars state universities from spending tax dollars on programs that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion practices and policies, or promote social or political activism.

It also called for a review of all courses and programs for lessons that include theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities.

DeSantis, a Republican presidential hopeful, also signed a companion law prohibiting political loyalty tests in admission and hiring practices.

While Texas and Floridas laws apply more to training and program dispensed by DEI offices, Kentuckys proposal, appears to target training and curriculum.

Wilsons bill does not threaten to defund DEI offices or reassign staff, for example. But it does bar any mandatory training that advocates for any divisive concept, and it bars the use of taxpayer funds, beyond the payment of a salary, that allow faculty to incorporate such messages into classroom curricula.

Kentuckys bill pulls language from Tennessees law, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee after passage through the states GOP-led legislature, was initially passed in 2022 and further modified in 2023 after college and university input.

While it requires universities to provide annual data to the state proving compliance, Kentuckys bill does not require any reporting requirements to prove compliance.

Kentuckys proposal, like Tennessees law, also makes clear that nothing in this bill will be interpreted to infringe on the rights of freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment or speech that facilitates the free and respectful exchange of ideas.

Its a distinction that may muddy what would actually be barred under the law and whats considered protected by the Constitution.

In many ways, enforcement behind Tennessees law  and Kentuckys, if this version of the bill becomes law  is squishier than in other states, because its requirements are less concrete, or they seek to right a reality that might not exist.

For example, not much changed at the University of Tennessee following the passage and revision of the Volunteer States law, according to guidance from the university system.

Other than creating a reporting system to submit annual data to the state showing compliance, other requirements in the law, such as the prohibition on any university funds contingent to an individual or group that endorses one of the outlined divisive concepts, didnt necessarily set a new standard.

The institution is not aware of organizations that require endorsement of a divisive concept as defined in state law, University of Tennessees provost wrote in the campus-wide guidance.

Kentuckys colleges respond

Since the bill was only proposed a week ago  it potentially could receive a hearing by the Senate Education Committee  most of Kentuckys public colleges and universities are waiting to see how it progresses before drawing public conclusions.

Some have already signaled compliance with the bill, which appears to seek to ban what are often referred to as diversity statements from students or staff. That is when an individual is asked to write a letter or sign a statement affirming their belief and work toward a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

Spokespeople for Morehead State University, the University of Louisville, Northern Kentucky University and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System told the Herald-Leader their institutions do not require the signing of such a statement from students or staff.

We do not require that any employee or student sign any DEI document upon hiring or admission, said Corey Best, NKUs Public Relations director.

We are an institution committed committed to fostering an inclusive environment where a wide variety of thoughts and opinions are encouraged and supported, Best said. We will approach any legislative changes with our mission in mind, ensuring our students, faculty and staff know we value all viewpoints and perspectives.

Each of the states higher education institutions said they were monitoring the progress of the bill as they assessed its potential impact.

Pedestrians walk along Rose Street on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023.

Western Kentucky University spokesperson Jace Lux said, WKU remains unwavering in its commitment to provide a welcoming and safe environment where all individuals know they belong.

University of Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton, conveyed a similar message of inclusivity.

We are a campus steadfastly committed to ensuring that we are a place of belonging for everyone, as well as a community dedicated to the fundamental academic value and principle of open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas, he said.

Those ideas are not only compatible, but essential to who we are and what we do as Kentuckys university.

When asked whether the provisions of SB 6 align with the atmosphere KCTCS strives to curate for students and staff, President Ryan Quarles, former Kentucky agricultural commissioner, said education, more than anything else, should be the great equalizer, not a divider.

At KCTCS, Everyone belongs, Quarles said in a statement, whether they are a first-generation student, a veteran, a single working parent, formerly incarcerated, or an English-as-a-second language student. Regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Particularly at KCTCS, we know that a diverse student body leads to a diverse Kentucky workforce, Quarles added.

We will remain committed to training and educating the workforce of tomorrow because that is what the commonwealth deserves.
Clirim Kukaj was convicted of being involved in the production of cannabis in June 2020 - CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY

A migrant jailed for cannabis farming has been allowed to remain in Britain after he successfully claimed he could not be deported because he can longer speak his native language.

Clirim Kukaj, 30, an ethnic Albanian who was born and brought up in Serbia, successfully appealed his deportation on the grounds that returning him to his native country would breach his human rights as he no longer spoke Serbian and could only converse in Albanian.

Lawyers for Kukaj claimed this would mean he could not integrate back into Serbian society if he was deported by the Home Office. He left Serbia at the age of 13 and entered Britain illegally before being granted indefinite leave to remain seven years later.

Immigration tribunal judge Fiona Lindsley allowed Kukajs appeal on human rights grounds, despite claims from the Home Office that he is living with his brother, a Serbian, that he had survived in Serbia until he was 13 and that Albanian is an official minority language in Serbia.

The disclosure will revive calls for a rethink of human rights laws.

This demonstrates why we need urgent reform of the asylum system and human rights laws to allow the rapid and effective deportation of dangerous criminals, said a senior Tory MP.

Kukaj entered Britain clandestinely on April 10 2007 after spending the first 13 years of his life in Serbia. His claim for asylum was refused, but he was granted discretionary leave to remain until June 5 2010. He was still in the UK in April 2014 when he was granted indefinite leave to remain.

Kukaj was arrested after a police raid in Hardwick, Cambridgeshire, discovered 580 cannabis plants worth nearly 500,000 - CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY

Six years later, he was convicted of being involved in the production of cannabis in June 2020 after a police raid found 580 cannabis plants worth nearly 500,000 at a property in Hardwick in Cambridgeshire. Kukaj claimed he had not planted them, but said he was paid cash to cultivate them.

It was part of large-scale, organised drug-dealing, according to police.

Det Con Josh Coe said: Organised crime groups can generate large sums of money with little regard for those who are forced to produce the cannabis as well as the landlords who are left with severely damaged premises.

Within three months of Kukaj being jailed for 18 months, Priti Patel, then home secretary, warned him he would be deported. But within a month, his lawyers counter-claimed that removing him from the UK would be a breach of his human rights. A first-tier tribunal backed his appeal, which the Home Office counter-appealed.

In an upper tribunal hearing, the Home Office argued that the lower court had overlooked considering how [Kukaj] had survived in Serbia until he was 13 years old and failed to provide adequate reasons why it found he no longer speaks Serbian when he lives with his brother, who is also Serbian.

Appeal entirely rational

According to court documents, the Home Office also argued that Albanian is a language spoken in Serbia and it is argued that this is a factor that would assist his integration.

His lawyers disputed the claims that Albanian was recognised as an official language used in provincial administration in Serbia. They said he had dropped out of school in Serbia at the age of eight because of bullying.

The upper court found it was sufficiently reasoned and entirely rational that he should have been judged an Albanian speaker. We uphold the decision of the first-tier tribunal allowing the appeal on human rights grounds, Judge Lindsley concluded.

It follows The Telegraphs disclosure last week of the decision to allow Albanian crime boss Gjelosh Kolicaj to remain in Britain despite being jailed for smuggling 8 million of his gangs profits out of the UK in suitcases brought onto planes

Immigration judges granted his appeal against the removal of his citizenship and deportation on the grounds that the Home Office failed to take sufficient account of his human rights and other claims in their decision.

A Home Office spokesperson said on Monday: Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

It is longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases.

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 sweeping new analysis of taxes across the country reveals that in four out of every five states,the top 1% are paying a lower tax rate than their middle-class and low-income neighbors.

Instead of taxing wealthy residents an equal share, the vast majority of states are filling their budget gaps with taxes that disproportionately burden lower-income families, according to a report by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, titled Who Pays?

When we look at how states are taxing their residents, its clear theyre falling very far short of what most people consider to be a fair tax code, said Carl Davis, ITEPs research director.

In the top 10 states with the most regressive systems  Florida, Washington, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Illinois, Arkansas and Louisiana  the middle 60% of families pay an average of twice as much of their income in taxes as the top 1%, and the poorest 20% of residents pay an average of three times as much as the very wealthiest.

Thirty-four states tax low-income households at a higher rate than every other group.

The core problem is not that complicated, Davis said. The problem is that state and local governments are raising most of their tax revenue from regressive taxes on what people buy, or the homes that they own or rent, and those expenses swallow up a larger share of income for low- and middle-income people.

The report is the most comprehensive picture available of the overall share of income that families pay in state and local taxes across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It examined not only income taxes but also taxes on goods, services, sales, fuel, property  even obscure levies such as South Dakotas snowmobile excise tax  along with savings through rebates, exemptions and deductions.

Being regressive is not accidental. Its policy changes over time.Sadaf Knight, CEO of the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute

States are growing more dependent on these regressive taxes because most have weakened or eliminated their personal income taxes.

In 44 states, the tax code actually worsens income inequality because the top 1% are left with a much larger share of their income after taxes than everyone else.

Being regressive is not accidental. Its policy changes over time, said Sadaf Knight, CEO of the nonpartisan Florida Policy Institute.

Florida has the most regressive tax structures in the country because the legislature has repeatedly gutted corporate income taxes and hiked sales taxes to compensate, she said.

In 2022, a court in Arizona killed a voter-approved tax on the states top 1% of income earners that would have raised almost $1 billion annually to fund education. If the tax had remained on the books, Arizona would have joined the middle of the pack. Instead, it ranks 13th in overall inequality.

Other states permit taxpayers to deduct their federal income and capital gains taxes. Because the federal income tax is progressive and wealthy taxpayers are more likely to owe taxes on capital gains from their investments, these tax breaks disproportionately benefit the ultra-rich  and pervert a progressive income tax into a regressive one.

Though no state has a genuinely progressive tax structure, some are more equitable. The least regressive are Minnesota, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oregon and the District of Columbia.

In those nine states and D.C., the top 1% paid a similar or slightly higher marginal tax rate than middle-income or low-income families. They also have either a graduated income tax, limits on deductions for wealthy taxpayers, a state inheritance or estate tax or a mix of those. All 10 offer special tax refunds for low- and middle income families.

Massachusetts leapt in the equality rankings after voters approved the Fair Share Amendment in 2022 and imposed a 4% tax on income over $1 million. The state has projected that it will raise $1.5 billion by June 2024.

It is just really gratifying to see the results, said Phineas Baxandall, the interim president at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. The tax money being generated from the millionaires tax is the reason why free school meals havent gone away  the reason why were not having to do cutbacks on early education.

Related...
Stow residents, groups and businesses are encouraged to make Valentine's Day cards for troops serving overseas through the fifth annual Operation Valentine's Day.

Jeremy McIntire, Stow City Councilman, Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, is launching the fifth annual "Operation Valentines Day" to collect Valentines for troops deployed overseas.

Receiving greetings from people back home is very important for our service members, McIntire said. Troops can often find themselves going days or even weeks without hearing from a loved one. There is no better feeling than coming back from a mission and finding that you received mail.

Valentines are being collected at Stow City Hall from now until Jan. 26.

The response from the community has been amazing over the last 4 years, said Claire McIntire, Jeremy's wife. Its wonderful to see people come together to support our troops, we have already had people contact us to send valentines to be included.

In the last 4 years, Operation Valentines Day has received over 40,000 valentines, not only from Northeast Ohio, but from all across the United States.

Those wishing to participate are asked to follow these guidelines when creating valentines:

Send a handwritten letter, note or handmade card. Soldiers enjoy receiving handmade, individually created Valentines. Envelopes are not required.

Keep cards to a size of 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches or less for ease in shipping and distribution.

Cards cannot include glitter, food or candy

Write a message to them and say, Thank You, tell them about yourself and wish them a Happy Valentine Day.

Include the school, church or organization name, address and/or email contact on each card so recipients can write back. Cards from children/students must include a first name only. If you do not receive a reply from a service member, do not be discouraged. Remember that the troops are busy

Photos of the sender, sender's family, church, or classroom participants can add a personal touch to cards.

Keep messages positive. All cards will be screened.

Do not put individual Valentines in sealed envelopes.

Bundle cards and send in a single large envelope or box containing all the Valentines to:

Schools, churches, businesses and retirement homes in Stow should contact Jeremy McIntire at 330-352-0487 or jeremy@jeremymcintire.com; or Claire McIntire at 330-618-7586 or claireamcintire@gmail.com. They will pick up the Valentines.

Residents who wish to make and send Valentine cards can drop them off at Stow City Hall through Jan. 26. There will be a drop box located at City Hall, 3760 Darrow Road om Stow. Cards can be dropped off Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

An additional collection box will be at 1904 Baker Lane, Stow 44224.

For details, visit www.operationvalentinesday.com online.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stow residents, groups encouraged to make Valentines for troops
In October, voters in Slovakia were surprised to hear a recording on Facebook of an interview between a journalist and Michal Simecka, one of the leading political party officials involved in an election less than two days away.

Wired.com reports that on the recording, which seemed to clearly feature the voices of the people involved, Simecka discussed ways he intended to rig the election.

Simecka and the journalist said the interview never happened. It was faked audio made possible by artificial intelligence.

But the denials may not have been enough, especially on the eve of the election.

Simecka represented a pro-NATO party, which ended up losing narrowly to a party that campaigned on ending support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

As Americans gear up for what promises to be a nasty 2024 presidential election, experts are warning that Slovakia may be a sign of things to come here.

Artificial intelligence and free elections dont mix, and the threats dont always have to come from foreign adversaries.

Reuters reported last June that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential campaign apparently created fake photos showing former President Donald Trump hugging former chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and, in a separate photo, kissing him on the nose. The images were interspersed with actual video and audio of Trump explaining why he didnt fire Fauci, who was a lightning rod for conservative ire during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related

DeSantis supporters countered that Trumps camp had also posted fake pictures of DeSantis, although Reuters noted these seem to have been confined to obvious fakes, such as one of DeSantis riding a rhinoceros.

But the Slovakian fake audio came during a 48-hour preelection blackout period for media and politicians, making it difficult to debunk.

Writing for the Brennan Center for Justice, Daniel I. Weiner and Lawrence Norden note that several states and members of Congress are working on laws to deter and punish this sort of manipulation. But they warn it wont be easy in a nation where First Amendment rights protect free expression.

Truth can be manipulated legitimately, such as the creation of satire or other forms of commentary or art, they write. U.S. law specifies that even outright deception with no redeeming artistic or other licit purpose, while typically entitled to less constitutional protection, cannot be prohibited simply for its own sake.

They argue that effective laws must target paid campaign ads and other widely distributed communications, and should exempt parody, news reports and other types of protected speech. New laws could require transparency  labeling materials as fake  or could outright ban certain types of faked media.

But would they be enough, and would they be effective?

Writing for Foreign Affairs last week, Jen Easterly, Scott Schwab and Cait Conley said the American election system, spread among thousands of individual counties, is resilient because of its dedicated local and state officials.

Indeed, election officials frequently highlight that the only constant in election administration is to expect the unexpected, they wrote. Natural-born crisis managers, they are practiced in the art of adapting to any situation and finding creative solutions.

In recent years, they have implemented effective security measures. They also cooperate and share information with each other and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

And yet, these election workers have been under intense pressure following the false allegations of widespread election fraud in 2020, and many of them have quit.

Also, laws may have difficulty reaching people who create and send false videos and recordings from foreign lands. And social media platforms may have trouble certifying posts as false and misleading in a timely manner.

Easterly, Schwab and Conley said the private sector, the media and voters all must play a part in countering this threat.

Election security should not be a matter of politics or partisanship but rather preserving the integrity of the countrys most sacred democratic process, they write.

All true, and none terribly comforting. In a year when foreign enemies are at least as motivated to influence elections as the candidates themselves, public awareness and skepticism will be needed as never before. But this coincides with a time when people seem less informed than at any time in recent memory.

Maybe a major U.S. candidate talking about rigging elections would be too easy to identify as a fake, but I wouldnt bet on it.
Winter weather has dumped 4 inches of snow so far on Mason City, as measured at Mason City Municipal Airport weather station Tuesday morning.

Virtually all North Iowa schools, including schools in Mason City, Clear Lake, Charles City and Forest City, cancelled classes Tuesday, and Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank suspended operations temporarily along with many other local businesses and organizations.

Cerro Gordo County Engineer Brandon Billings said crews were working hard to clear snow along county roadways.

Winds right now are creating drifts in sheltered areas where you encounter windbreaks. You could have miles of clear road then see three-foot drifts. Crews are mainly working those sheltered areas to prevent dangerous drifting, Billings said.

Staff planned to work to clear roads until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. Crews will return to snow removal Wednesday morning. Be prepared for drifting and blowing snow overnight as winds are forecast to increase over the evening hours.

The Mason City Street Department was also working hard and had the streets in fairly good condition Tuesday morning.

Crews are out clearing snow with 20 pieces of equipment. Road conditions are looking good in city limits, Supervisor Joe Bohls said.

Crews were using snow plows, snow throwers and pickups with blades on streets and sidewalks, parks, and "all the weird spots you never think of" that need snow removal, according to Bohls.

The snow coating North Iowa was part of a larger "highly impactful" winter weather system that has the potential to bring 8 to 12 inches of snow to a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado and western Kansas, through eastern Nebraska, large parts of Iowa, northern Missouri and northwestern Illinois, up toward the upper peninsula of Michigan, according to Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

Some portions of the state in Polk, Story and Sioux counties received upwards of 8 inches of snow Monday night.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines issued a winter storm warning, which expires at 6 p.m. Tuesday, for the counties of Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren- Marion, Mahaska, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Appanoose, and Davis. Plan on slick snow covered road conditions. "Patchy blowing snow will reduce visibility, perhaps significantly at times."

In Mitchell, Floyd, Chickasaw and Fayette counties, the NWS in LaCrosse issued a winter storm warning that remains in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the NWS, "Those counties can expect heavy snow, with additional snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches and winds gusting as high as 40 mph. Ongoing heavy snow will result in hazardous travel conditions through tonight. Overall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches and 40 mph wind gusts will rapidly reduce visibilities in blowing and drifting snow. Fallen tree limbs may also result in power outages.

The NWS forecast also calls for continued hazardous conditions through the week, as significantly colder temperatures will move into the region late in the week and into the weekend, including possible single digit highs and wind chills into the 20s below zero.
For many high school students, its college application season, which means weighing your options and determining which school is the right fit.

If youre in the middle of this process, maybe youre a parent or a student, weve rounded up the in-state versus out-of-state tuition rates for Kentuckys state universities and community college system.

Weve also tackled a common question parents and prospective college students have: Who qualifies for in-state tuition and how?

The short answer is that it depends. There isnt a single deciding factor in how institutions make that call, and Kentucky requires them to look at the information and evidence you provide as a whole. Heres what to know.

How long do you have to live in Kentucky to get in-state tuition?

As explained by Travis Powell, the vice president and general counsel of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, state regulation on the topic lays out the criteria for institutions determining residency for tuition purposes.

As outlined in the regulation, no one factor is determinative of residency and it is a weighing of all facts and circumstances, Powell told the Herald-Leader via email.

Other factors can include employment, property ownership and taxes they paid in the year prior to application for admission.

That said, there are a few references in the regulation that use 12 months/1 year as the sort of standard for living in Kentucky as a non-student (higher education student, not high school) before you can be considered a resident for purposes of tuition, Powell wrote in the email.

Powell offered an example, If you moved to Kentucky and bought a house and then six months later you enrolled in graduate school at [the University of Kentucky], you would likely be considered a non-resident. Wait another six months, you likely would gain resident status assuming the other factors in the regulation are met.

Resident versus nonresident tuition at Kentucky colleges and universities

What follows is a quick look at the in-state and out-of-state tuition rates at Kentuckys eight public four-year universities and within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

One thing to keep in mind, the following rates may or may not include financial aid or tuition scholarships institutions offer to out-of-state students. Be sure to check with each college or university for more information about what incentives they may offer.

The rates below also do not include student fees, which can be a significant contributor to the overall cost of attendance.

Heres a look at 2023-24 tuition rates for undergraduate students in Kentucky:

Eastern Kentucky University:

Resident: $4,915 per semester

Nonresident: $5,450 per semester

Kentucky State University:

Resident: $4,044 per semester

Nonresident: $6,067 per semester

Morehead State University:

Resident: $4,759 per semester

Nonresident: $7,193 per semester

Murray State University:

Resident: $4,854 per semester

Nonresident: $7,371 per semester

*Murray State offers a lower rate to students residing in border states or neighboring states. Check with the institution for details.

Northern Kentucky University:

Resident tuition: $5,256 per semester

Nonresident: $10,548 per semester

*Northern Kentucky offers a reciprocity rate to students residing in Ohio and Indiana. Check with the institution for details.

University of Kentucky:

Resident: $6,606 per semester

Nonresident: $16,703 per semester

University of Louisville:

Resident: $6,316 per semester

Nonresident: $14,489 per semester

Western Kentucky University:

Resident tuition: $5,718 per semester

Nonresident tuition: $13,500 per semester

Kentucky Community and Technical College System:

Resident: $186 per credit hour

Nonresident: $250 per credit hour

Do you have a question about education 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.
Saudi Arabia has almost 1,000 miles of Red Sea shoreline with several major ports and has fought a nearly decade-long bloody war with the Houthis in neighboring Yemen. Despite that, Riyadh is among the vast majority of Arab nations who have passed on taking part in Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) . The U.S.-led operation was created last month to provide greater security for ships transiting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Retired Saudi Rear Adm. Hatem Albesher told The War Zone there were several reasons why Bahrain is the lone Arab nation to join OPG. His thoughts further confirms our initial analysis about the Red Sea turmoil, and who would take part in dealing with it and why.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) fires a Standard Missile (SM) 2 to defeat a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea, Oct. 19, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau)

Chief among the reasons for Arab reticence is the ongoing Israel-Hamas war , said Albesher, now chairman of the Saudi Maritime Center for Consultation & Services, created to promote the growth and sustainable development of Saudi Arabia's maritime industry.

Currently, apart from Bahrain, Arab nations are not directly involved in the operation, he said. This is because they may have reservations about joining a coalition that aims to support Israel and counter economic repercussions [against it.]

Thats not the only reason though. As we have reported in the past , Saudi Arabia has been trying to end a long and costly conflict with the Houthis. A UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities and though the truce expired in October last year, though fighting largely remains on hold. Saudi Arabia is also working to mend fences with regional rival Iran , which is the Houthi's benefactor.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are not currently interested in the coalition project, despite the importance of the Red Sea's ports for Saudi imports because both countries prioritize de-escalation with the Houthis to focus on their own strategic interests, Albesher said.

The Saudis have not joined an international effort to protect Red Sea shipping despite the economic impact on its ports, a retired Saudi rear admiral said. (Google Earth image)

This approach, however, is paradoxical given the costs the Houthis are imposing by shutting down Red Sea commerce.

Collaborative efforts are crucial to safeguard navigation freedom, protect sea lines of communication, and ensure maritime trade route safety in the Red Sea/[Bab al-Mandab] region, said Albesher. However, the self-distancing policy of the Saudi-led Coalition and countries in the Red Sea region towards Houthi attacks may encourage Iran's influence over the maritime lane between the Strait of Bab Al-Mandab and the Suez Canal.

Iran, he said, has the potential to provide intelligence and threaten to close maritime straits. The aggression and violent military actions by Israel in Gaza have given Iran's proxy, the Houthis, a reason for the Arab Nation to believe that Operation Prosperity Guardian may not be necessary."

However, "the continued attacks on ships show that the active participation of Arab nations is crucial for ensuring the security and stability of the Red Sea/[Bab al-Mandab] region.

That includes Egypt, said Albesher. As we have previously reported, Egypt, which owns the Suez Canal, also has a major interest in the success of OPG, with nearly $10B a yea r in revenue earned from canal operations.

The Suez Canal is a crucial maritime trade route connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and any disruption or tension in the region could pose a threat to Egypt's economy, he said. Therefore, Egypt has a vested interest in ensuring stability and security in the Red Sea/[Bab al-Mandab] region to protect the smooth operation of the Suez Canal.

The Saudi reluctance to join OPG comes even as it recently took a leadership role in another joint maritime effort. In August, the Royal Saudi Navy took command of Task Force 152, tasked with providing maritime security in the Arabian Gulf.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, center; observes Royal Bahrain Naval Force Capt. Mohamed Almeer, left; and Royal Saudi Navy Capt. Assem Alamri, new commander of Combined Task Force 152; salute during a change of command ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, Aug. 27, 2023. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Naomi Johnson)

Earlier Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al Ula to discuss, among other things, the role Riyadh can play in deterring Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The lack of participation by Arab nations is not a death blow for OPG, Albesher said.

The success of Operation Prosperity Guardian depends on various factors, such as the coordination and cooperation among participating nations, the effectiveness of military strategies, and the ability to address the root causes of instability in the region, he said. While Saudi Arabia's involvement can bring valuable resources and capabilities to the operation, the absence of any specific country, including Saudi Arabia, does not necessarily mean that the operation will fail.

So far, while more than 20 nations have joined OPG, only five - the U.S., U.K., France, Greece and Denmark - have or will contribute warships . The U.S. Navy officer in charge of OPG, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), said last week that he has a "sufficient number of assets to execute the tasking I've been given." That includes aviation assets as well as ships.

For the Saudis and other Arab nations, there are many reasons to let the U.S. and NATO allies bear the brunt of protecting the Red Sea. They don't have to commit their own resources. They don't have to appear to be working to benefit the Israelis in any way. They don't have to anger Iran or risk rekindling the long, bloody conflict in Yemen. The U.S. and a handful of other countries are already doing it for them.

Still, the growing Royal Saudi Navy , in particular, as well as assets from other Arab militaries would prove a very beneficial to OPG's goal of protecting Red Sea shipping. The fact that they are not present is a glaring indication of the shifting geopolitical realities in the Middle East.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
New satellite images show Russia has painted fake fighter jets at one of its air bases.

It's not the first time Moscow has done this, and analysts say it's an attempt to confuse Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine have used decoys and deceptive tactics throughout the war.

Newly captured satellite images of a Russian military base show Moscow's troops have painted several fake fighter jets on the ground in an apparent bid to fool Ukraine.

Decoy tactics such as this are not a new characteristic of the Ukraine war, but they highlight an important aspect of it: deception.

Russia has painted fake aircraft at different bases in the past, and other incidents of deception have popped up throughout the conflict. Analysts say that by painting the fake aircraft, Moscow is probably trying to confuse Kyiv's weapons systems and possibly create false perceptions about what's happening at its bases.

This most recent example of deceit can be observed at Russia's Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base, along the Sea of Azov in the southwestern corner of the country.

In a December 28 satellite image captured by Planet Labs PBC and obtained by Business Insider, a handful of fixed-wing aircraft can be seen parked in a row in one section of the base. Within the row are silhouettes of two fighter jets that are a ghostly shade of white, unlike the blue and gray of other aircraft. There's a third silhouette that appears to have the same paint design as the base's real aircraft, but like the other two decoys, there's no shadow.

These figures are nowhere to be seen in an August 17 image of the same base, in which a handful of aircraft of different types can be seen parked in a row  none of them painted white, indicating the figures were added somewhere in that four-month stretch.

The Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base in August. Image  Planet Labs PBC

Primorsko-Akhtarsk base on Dec. 28, 2023. Image  Planet Labs PBC

Primorsko-Akhtarsk is not the only location where this unusual activity has been observed in recent months.

On June 26, a satellite image of the nearby Yeysk air base showed three fighter-jet silhouettes placed next to each other, all a bright white color. Next to them is the white outline of a fighter jet that isn't filled in; the greyish pavement is visible in the middle of the design.

A few weeks later, the painted fighter aircraft were removed and replaced with actual aircraft, replaced with decoys, or painted to better resemble Russian jets and serve as more functional decoys, a July 16 image of the base suggests.

The Yeysk air base in June. Image  Planet Labs PBC

The Yeysk air base in July. Image  Planet Labs PBC

There are a few different reasons Russia may want to paint fake aircraft at its bases, even if it's temporary. One rationale is that it may be attempting to confuse Ukrainian weapons targeting aircraft in attacks on Moscow's bases.

"It is likely that the goal is to provide false targets that might decoy Ukrainian one-way attack drones fitted with simple cameras for image recognition of aircraft shapes away from hitting actual aircraft," Justin Bronk, a leading airpower expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, told BI.

By painting fake fighter jets, Russia may also be attempting to obscure how many aircraft are at a base, when they're on-site, or what their patterns of activity are. Brady Africk, an open-source-intelligence analyst at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, said Moscow wanted to make it difficult for Ukraine to tell which bases are busy and which are not.

It's a relatively harmless and inexpensive tactic, with a lot to potentially gain. Africk told BI there might only be a small chance the fake aircraft are beneficial or effective, but tricking Ukraine into wasting a munition or disclosing a launch site could prove to be "incredibly valuable" for Russia.

He first shared the photos of Primorsko-Akhtarsk on social media and also monitored the similar situation that unfolded at Yeysk.

A Russian Su-25 ground-attack jet firing rockets on a mission in Ukraine in July 2022. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

"I think it's generally a response to Ukraine's increasing capabilities in terms of being able to strike Russian airfields," he said. "This is a relatively low-cost way to attempt to deter, or make it more difficult, to attack Russian aircraft."

Ukraine and other anti-Moscow factions have attacked a handful of bases in recent months. These include a cruise-missile strike on a base in the occupied Crimean peninsula and drone assaults on bases deep inside Russia's sovereign territory.

Perhaps the most devastating of these incidents came in October, when Kyiv debuted its limited arsenal of US-provided MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, in attacks on two Russian air bases in occupied territory. Moscow was said to have lost more than a dozen military helicopters and other equipment.

Decoy tactics have been common throughout the war. On the Russian side, these reported approaches have included the painting of Tu-95 strategic bombers on the tarmac at one of its bases and the deployment of inflatable T-72 tanks. Ukraine, on the other hand, is reported to have constructed fake jets, made rocket launchers out of wood, and cut up oil barrels to build decoy radar reflectors. In short, deception has played an important role.

A screenshot from a video appearing to show a Russian Lancet drone attacking a decoy of a Ukrainian Su-25 jet. @Osinttechnical/X

Africk said there were a range of decoys, and they varied in the effort and materials that were put into them. It remains to be seen whether the latest apparent decoys at the Primorsko-Akhtarsk base are able to lead Ukraine to waste its munitions, such as cruise missiles or long-range drones.

"It is always a trade-off of how much time you want to put into a decoy to make it look like the target that you're trying to make it represent versus how that's worth the time of the soldiers or the individuals who would be constructing it," he said.

He added that "this is fairly in line with what we've seen throughout the war and throughout past conflicts."

Deception as a warfighting strategy dates back to conflicts long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Militaries have used decoy techniques such as fake airfields and misleading aircraft  sometimes just repurposed planes that were heavily damaged in combat  in major armed conflicts such as World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as a 2020 paper by the RAND Corporation think tank highlighted. In those cases, the purpose was to redirect attacks away from operational aircraft and mislead the enemy.

An inflatable decoy of a military vehicle used to confuse enemy attacks being displayed during a media presentation in Decin, Czech Republic, in March. REUTERS/Eva Korinkova

For vulnerable airfields, decoys serve as a kind of nonlethal defensive mechanism that might be all that's standing in the way of a potentially major blow to a military's air force.

"The best place to kill an enemy's air force is on the ground," Mark Gunzinger, the director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said in an August 2022 US Air Force document.

The retired US Air Force colonel said this was especially the case "if that air force is postured in bases that are few in number and lack passive defenses  such as shelters and decoys  and active defenses such as kinetic and nonkinetic interceptors, electronic warfare, and directed-energy weapons that can help counter these air and missile threats."

Read the original article on Business Insider
HMS Diamond and US jets shoot down biggest wave of drone and missile attacks in Red Sea on container ships

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond and US warships and fighter jets shot down a barrage of drones and missiles fired at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, military chiefs said on Wednesday.

The attacks are believed to have been launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen.

HMS DIAMOND, along with US warships, has repelled the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date.



Destroying multiple attack drones with her guns and sea viper missiles. pic.twitter.com/kFjFKj6TM6  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) January 10, 2024

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted: "HMS DIAMOND, along with US warships, has repelled the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date. "Destroying multiple attack drones with her guns and sea viper missiles."

One report suggested HMS Diamond shot down seven drones.

America, the UK and other allies have warned the rebels that they will act to stop the strikes on container ships, with attacks on their bases in Yemen believed to have been considered.

The West is seeking to avoid the Israel-Hamas war escalating into a broader Middle East conflict.

But the latest wave of attacks on container ships in the Red Sea may be a deliberate attempt by Iran to inflame the situation.

US Central Command said early on Wednesday morning:  On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs (drones), anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, towards international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting.

Eighteen OWA (one way attack) UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and the United Kingdoms HMS Diamond (D34). This is the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19. There were no injuries or damage reported.

The briefing added: On Jan. 3, 14 countries, including the U.S, issued a joint statement stating, The Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the regions critical waterways.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron told MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea which had come in the wake of the Gaza conflict were "unacceptable" in one of the "most important sea lanes".

He said: "No-one wants to see escalation of conflict in the Middle East, but it is unacceptable to have the freedom of navigation affected in this way."

He said it was "important" to discuss the various factors behind the escalation in the key shipping route, but said it was "hard to know exactly why".

"They need to be told ... this is not a sort of free option, that consequences follow."

Meanwhile, a second Royal Navy warship is steaming towards the Red Sea to ensure Britains presence in the region.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon: HMS Richmond is on its way to the Red Sea to ensure the UK maintains a formidable presence in the face of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis.

With the US, well continue to lead the global response to the crisis & do what is necessary to protect lives and the global economy.

HMS Richmond is on its way to the Red Sea to ensure the UK maintains a formidable presence in the face of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis.



With the US, well continue to lead the global response to the crisis & do what is necessary to protect lives and the global economy. pic.twitter.com/56N5PZTXyL  Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) January 9, 2024

HMS Diamond is already in the Red Sea taking part in the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), protecting trade ships as they journey through the region and towards the Suez Canal and Europe.

HMS Richmond is being deployed to the Gulf region but will not join OPG.

But the type-23 frigate may do so if other military vessels have to go in for maintenance or if the task force was boosted in size.

HMS Lancaster, a squadron of three mine hunting vessels (HMS Bangor, HMS Chiddingfold, and HMS Middleton) and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship (RFA Cardigan Bay) are also currently deployed in the region as part of the more permanent Operation Kipion.

HMS Richmond set sail from Plymouth on Friday to support the UKs presence in the Gulf.

The ship is due to stand in for HMS Diamond when the destroyer, which has already intervened against attacks on vessels, needs to break off patrols to take on board supplies or undergo maintenance.

But the deployment is currently not seen as an escalation of the UKs involvement in OPG.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankas navy is preparing to join the American-led operation.

The attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels have targeted commercial shipping vessels transiting through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links markets in Asia and Europe following the October 7 attack by Hamas and Israels subsequent war against the terror group in Gaza.

Warships from the US, UK and France are already patrolling the area.

No date has been set for sending the Sri Lankan ships, and the area they will patrol has not been finalised, said navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya.

The decision to send the ships drew criticism from opposition politicians in the island nation.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa blamed the government for spending 610,069 to send ships to the Red Sea when Sri Lankans are experiencing severe economic hardships at home.

Defence minister Pramitha Tennakoon defended the move, saying the government wants to fulfil its global responsibilities and noting that Sri Lanka is against any form of terrorism.

He added that Sri Lanka would incur no additional costs by joining the operations, as the countrys ships are already patrolling its vast maritime area in the Indian Ocean.

Oil and fuel tanker traffic in the Red Sea was stable in December, even though many container ships have rerouted due to attacks by Iran-aligned Houthi militants, a Reuters analysis of vessel tracking data showed.

The attacks have driven up shipping costs sharply along with insurance premiums, but have had less impact than feared on oil flows, with shippers continuing to use the key East-West passage.

The Houthis, who have claimed they are targeting Israel-bound vessels, have largely attacked non-petroleum goods shipments.

The added costs have not made a big difference to most shippers so far because the Red Sea remains much more affordable than sending cargo around Africa.

Some oil companies like BP and Equinor are diverting cargoes to the longer route.

Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a shipping analyst at Lloyds List, said: We havent really seen the interruption to tanker traffic that everyone was expecting.

A daily average of 76 tankers carrying oil and fuel were in the south Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in December, the area close to Yemen that has seen attacks.

That was only two fewer than Novembers average, and just three below the average for the first 11 months of 2023, according to data from ship tracking service MariTrace.

Rival tracking service Kpler tracked 236 ships on average daily across all of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in December, slightly above the 230 daily average in November.
State Sen. Anthony Kern of District 27 stands and turns his back as Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives her State of the State speech to start the 2024 legislative session in Phoenix on Jan. 8, 2024.

And the award for best standout (or should I say, stand up) performance during Mondays opening of the Arizona Legislature goes to 

Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale.

Kerns the guy who stood and turned his back on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs as she delivered her State of the State Address.

Turns out the state of the state  at least Kerns corner of it  is  rude.

Generally, our esteemed leaders at least try to get through the first day of the legislative session with a veneer of courtesy and decorum. Soon enough, that thin covering will be ripped away as they get down to the law-making business of throwing elbows and not-so-occasional roundhouse punches.

But on the first day, the men and women of the Arizona Legislature like to give at least an appearance that this is a dignified process in which honorable people of good will engage in thoughtful and reasoned debate as they steer the state forward.

Kern is more schoolboy than statesman

Then theres Kern, who seems more schoolboy than statesman.

During a recent interview, Kern offered some keen insight into how he came to land in the Legislature, noting someone suggested a decade ago that he run after a failed bid for Glendale City Council.

Im like, well, youve got to be smart to run for the Legislature, and then I realized that I guess you dont have to be too smart, so I decided to throw my hat in the ring, he told conservative talk show host Seth Leibsohn.

Kern served in the Arizona House for three terms until voters dumped him for a Democrat in 2020. This, after he quietly tried to change a state law to get his name removed from a list of dishonest law enforcement officers.

Turns out Kern was fired from the El Mirage Police Department in 2014 for lying to his boss and his name was added to a Brady List of officers whose credibility is in question.

It seems Kern, who was a civilian code enforcement officer, failed to repay the city for a tablet computer he lost, then lied to his supervisor about it.

He lost, then got a Trump endorsement

A few months after his firing, he was elected to the Legislature. Voters never knew hed been fired for dishonesty, as Kern reached a settlement in which El Mirage agreed to cover up the circumstances of his departure.

It all came a-tumbling out in 2019 when he tried to wiggle his way off the list by pushing to change a state law.

He lost his reelection bid in 2020, knocked off by Democratic Rep. Judy Schwiebert, but he promptly pronounced himself duly elected to cast one of Arizonas electoral votes for Donald Trump.

He signed on as one of Arizonas famed fake electors and was even spotted on the steps of the nations Capitol as the scheme played out on Jan. 6, 2021, there to support Arizonas and Americas duly elected President Donald Trump.

Hobbs proves: She's ready to flip the Arizona Legislature

Payback came in 2022 when Trump endorsed Kern for the state Senate and all was apparently forgiven by voters.

Now he chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, a shining star in the Make America Great Again constellation.

Kern has turned his back for 2 years

This is the second year that Kern has risen on the Legislatures opening day to show Hobbs his back.

Last year, he and Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, gave Hobbs the cold shoulder while other members of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus stomped out, unwilling even to listen to what she had to say.

This year, it was only Kern who channeled his big baby, dramatically turning his back as Hobbs urged the Legislature to repeal the 1864 law criminalizing abortion and pass a bill protecting the right to obtain contraception, and to put some controls on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.

Kerns theatrics werent needed. Republicans have made it crystal clear that they aren't interested in either one. Hobbs plan to try to require more accountability in the states runaway school voucher program is dead on arrival at the Legislature.

He wants voters to send him to Congress

Yet there was Kern, proudly pitching a fit in what he apparently views as a show of patriotism  and just in case you missed it, he posted it to social media.

Today, I stood and refused to recognize extremist Democrat Katie Hobbs tyrannical agenda against the people of AZ, he wrote. The time to take a stand is now. We must be willing to stand up to tyranny, even if it means youre standing alone. I will never back down. @AZFreedomCaucus

And just in case you missed that, his campaign sent out a press release about it on Tuesday morning.

Kern is hoping the fine voters of the northwest Valley will send him to Congress.

Come to think of it, he should fit right in.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sen. Anthony Kern snubs Gov. Hobbs, embraces his inner big baby
Floods are also still expected to affect some regions as water levels rise. It comes as many are communities are still struggling after severe downpours that occurred during Storm Henk (PA)

Snow fell in parts of the UK on Monday as the country prepares for a week-long cold snap with temperatures expected to plunge as low as -9C.

Flurries of snow and sleet were seen in London and wider South East as the Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice across southern England and South Wales.

Temperatures are expected to be around zero in places throughout the UK for much of the week but could get to -4C in some parts of England and Wales, and as low as -9C in rural Scotland, the Met Office said.

Met Office chief forecaster Paul Gunderson said: High pressure is dominating our weather, sitting up to the North East. That will bring a real chill across the South but also bring in some snow showers across southern areas of England and south Wales.

Cold weather can raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, and is particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with underlying health conditions (PA)

Settling snow will be mainly confined to high ground at first, and most parts will see very little, but small accumulations are possible from late afternoon and through the first half of the night.

An amber cold health alert (CHA) for the North West of England, the Midlands, the South West of England and the South East of England is also in place through to noon on Friday.

The amber alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office, means cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time.

Temperatures are expected to be around zero in places throughout the UK for much of the week but could get to -4C in some parts of England and Wales (AFP via Getty)

There is also a yellow cold health alert in place for the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East of England and London.

Cold weather can raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, and is particularly dangerous for the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.

Floods are still expected to affect some regions as water levels rise. It comes as many are communities are still struggling after severe downpours that occurred during Storm Henk.

Experts say its important to check in on those who are vulnerable to the cold (PA)

The Environment Agency said that more than 1,800 properties have already flooded, and more could be affected over the next week.

There are currently 148 flood warnings in place, where flooding is expected, and 159 flood alerts for southern parts of England, up through the Midlands and into Yorkshire.

The impact of high water levels is likely to continue, particularly around the rivers Trent, Severn and Thames, the agency said.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the governments record on flood defences is not good enough (PA)

It added that buildings will flood and there will be travel disruption during that time period, and local groundwater flooding is also possible in the South of England, Yorkshire and the Humber.

Rishi Sunak sought to defend the governments record on flood protection as he spoke to the media in front of the fast-moving River Thames on Sunday.

He said: We have over 1,000 Environment Agency personnel on the ground in local communities helping, over 200 pumps have been deployed.

There are currently 148 flood warnings in place, where flooding is expected, and 159 flood alerts for southern parts of England, up through the Midlands and into Yorkshire (PA)

Weve invested 5.2bn in flood defences over the period in question  thats a record sum, far more than weve done (previously); in the future thats contributed to protecting over 300,000 homes.

And, of course, there have been many people affected by whats happened over the past week, but also over 49,000 have been protected from flooding.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the governments record on flood defences is not good enough as he toured streets being cleared up after last weeks deluge.

The impact of high water levels is likely to continue, particularly around the rivers Trent, Severn and Thames (PA)

During a visit to Loughborough, Leicestershire, the opposition leader said he would set up a flood resilience task force to make sure preventative measures were in place before the winter flooding season.

Asked if Labour would provide more money for flood prevention, Sir Keir said: Of course it does need money but the taskforce is not just about money.

Its about getting the basics done. Getting those drains cleared. Getting the local authorities together. Having a plan.

Met Office forecast

Today:

Any early morning fog clearing by midday. Variable cloud with sunny spells for many with the odd wintry shower across the southeast of England. Cold for most, but notably in the south in a fresh northeasterly breeze.

Tonight:

Wintry showers continue across southern parts, clearing westwards. Mostly dry elsewhere, but a widespread hard frost under any clear skies. Remaining cold with freezing fog patches for parts of Scotland.

Tuesday:

Risk of some wintry showers for the southwest in the morning, with the odd shower for northeast England. Elsewhere dry with sunny spells, feeling cold especially in brisk winds.

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Remaining mostly dry and clear, especially in the south. Light rain and drizzle for northern parts, can turn wintry over high ground. Staying cold throughout with temperatures below average.

Additional reporting by PA
PIERRE  The South Dakota Supreme Court heard lawyers from the Governor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the Legislature make a case as to why the five justices should issue an opinion more clearly defining what a direct and indirect conflict of interest are within the state's Constitution.

The arguments, which lasted more than an hour Monday morning, came a day before lawmakers gathered for the start of the 99th Legislative session. Two seats, one in the House and one in the Senate, both representing the Rapid City area, remain vacant after resignations earlier in the summer and the fall.

Gov. Kristi Noem has said she will not appoint people to fill the vacant seats until the Supreme Court issues its opinion.

More: New briefs details South Dakota officials' questions about conflict of interest clause

Attorneys took questions from the five justices related to whether establishing a new standard in court law would be enough to accurately define what is a direct or indirect conflict of interest when a lawmaker votes on bills for funding state government and its operations. While the Attorney General's Office argued there was already a court standard through a legal opinion from then Attorney General Bill Janklow, the Governor's attorney said the nine questions her office posed to the justices would act as guiding posts in the justices' eventual opinion.

However, the attorney for the Legislature pointed out most states don't have its Supreme Court issue opinions on conflict of interest; instead it's a policy decision state legislatures take up.

"The bottom line is most states do that through their statutes, and respectfully, I think that's what ought to be occurring in South Dakota," said Ron Parsons, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, who's representing the Legislature.

The arguments followed up on legal briefs sent in December to the Supreme Court, outlining the need for a better definition of "indirect" within Article III, Section 12 of the state's Constitution. The passage in need of clarifying states:

"Any member of the Legislature during the term for which he shall have been elected, or within one year thereafter, be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with the state or any county thereof, authorized by any law passed during the term for which he shall have been elected.

How did we get here?

Former Sen. Jessica Castleberry, R-Rapid City, resigned in August, following an investigation by the Attorney General's Office about whether her daycare businesses had illegally received federal COVID-19 stimulus funds, despite a Supreme Court opinion barring lawmakers from taking said funds.

More: Rapid City senator resigns after she violated constitution for accepting COVID-19 funds

While Castleberry has continued to repay the funds \she received, according to South Dakota Searchlight, the incident encouraged Noem to call on the Supreme Court to issue further guidance about what an "indirect benefit" means.

Attorney General: There's already a legal test

Attorney General Marty Jackley argued there's already legal precedence for determining what a legislator conflict of interest is and the state and the courts had been using the legal test since Janklow had been in the Attorney's General Office.

That test relies on whether either a direct or indirect interest would have the ability to impact the thinking of the lawmaker, and therefore, their vote.

Marty Jackley

And while Jackley agreed the nine questions posed by the Governor's Office were good guiding posts, the test could apply to five of those questions while the others must rely on an analysis of the facts on a case-by-case basis.

Katie Hruska, the attorney for the Governor's Office, told the justices the questions submitted by the Governor were only examples of the most common questions they get asked from people considering running for office who are worried about preemptively violating the conflict of interest clause.

When questioned by Justice Mark Salter about the process the Supreme Court is taking by issuing an advisory opinion, Jackley said it was the right process and that a number of cases "begged" for the test.

"It would aid the auditor, it would be the Attorney General enforcement and law enforcement and aid current legislators and future legislators to know that that is in fact the standard by the highest court," he said.

But with or without a guiding opinion from the state Supreme Court, Jackley's Office would continue to use the test created by Janklow.

Legislature: Conflict of interest is a policy decision

Parsons hinged his argument on the idea that South Dakota's founders, when writing the state's Constitution, said what they said and meant what they meant. That the idea of a indirect or direct benefit within a contract is determined by the source of funding and how the lawmakers voted on it.

In his arguments, lawmakers don't violate the conflict of interest clause when voting on the general appropriations bill that gives blanket spending authority to state agencies that can then enter into contracts with businesses that lawmakers may be involved in. However, that changes if lawmakers vote on a special appropriation for specific contract.

More: National law firms argue Sioux Falls' Title IX case will have broad impacts beyond city

Salter questioned Parsons about whether two cases involving lawmaker conflict of interest were in contraction to a third case, based on how the Legislature interpreted the text of the general appropriations bill.

"Your honor, I think Asphalt Surfacing and Pitts are in direct contradiction to Norbeck 2," Parsons said.

However, the court's 2020 advisory opinion on lawmakers receiving COVID-19 stimulus funds  what set off the arguments three years later  was an outlier situation that proved the conflict of interest clause could be violated with a special appropriation.

"There you have what is essentially a line item amendment. The one page law that distributes these funds, married to this joint resolution that gives the very specific purposes that every legislator knows that these funds are being used for," Parsons said.

What happens now?

The justices will issue an opinion within the coming days or weeks regarding the conflict of interest clause. It's unknown whether that opinion will be issued as early as Tuesday, when the legislative session is scheduled to begin, or whether lawmakers and the Governor will be left waiting for guidance.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Lawmaker conflict of interest in front of South Dakota Supreme Court
The Federal Aviation Administrations temporary grounding and required inspection over the weekend of at least 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft is impacting travelers here in South Florida.

That came after Friday when Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, was forced to make an emergency landing after a section of the cabin was sucked out while in flight.

On Monday, at least six arrivals and seven departures on United Airlines were canceled at Miami International Airport, according to Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Copa saw one arrival canceled.

The destinations affected for the United flights were Newark, Chicago, and Houston, and for Copa, Panama City.

On Sunday, United saw four arrivals and departures canceled at MIA, Aeromexico had two arrivals and departures canceled, and Copa had two arrivals and departures.

While these numbers are a tiny share of MIAs overall daily traffic, the slowdown comes as United has added flights across South Florida airports this winter. And other global airlines have too, increasingly seeing it as an important international travel hub.

The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 is just the latest in the saga of the companys troubles.

The Boeing Max 8 was grounded in 2019 following two crashes, in 2018 and 2019, that killed a total of over 300 people.

The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 planes before they can return to flight, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. The required inspections will take around four to eight hours per aircraft, the FAA wrote.

A bit north, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has also been impacted.

On Monday as of noon eastern time, United had five flights canceled, according to Arlene Satchell, public information officer for the Broward County Aviation Department. Those included arrivals from San Francisco International and Washington Dulles Airport and two departures to Washington Dulles and one to Chicago OHare International Airport.

Alaska Airlines had four flight cancellations including two arrivals and departures each from Seattle and San Diego International Airport.

On Sunday, 26 arrivals and departures were canceled by United and Alaska. With United, Washington Dulles, Denver, Newark, and Phoenix were the destinations impacted. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines had flights canceled serving Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Phoenix.

United said in a statement that overall, it expected 200 cancellations on Monday.

A spokesman said that, we are working with customers to reaccommodate them on other flights and in some cases have been able to avoid cancellations by switching to other aircraft types.

MIAs largest carrier, American Airlines, was not affected at all it said. The company accounts for about 70% of traffic.

Delta Airlines, which has been growing at Miami Airport for the past year and has a partnership with LATAM, has not see an impact either.

Spokespersons from both companies confirmed that neither airline flies the Boeing 737 Max 9.

Still, travelers are urged to call or check with their individual airlines well in advance.

MIA has multiple ways online to check flights, including a list of airlines, their door number, departure concourse, check-in counter location and baggage claim area. The airport also has a mobile app.

With FLL, you can check this site for flights.

It is unclear how long United, Alaska, and others will be impacted. Uniteds spokesperson said it has currently parked all 79 of its 737 Max 9 airplanes. And that it has begun steps such as removing the inner panel to access the emergency door plug, and begun preliminary inspections while awaiting final instructions.

On Monday, the FAA said it had approved a method to inspect grounded Boeing 737-9 airplanes. That could eventually get them flying again.
WASHINGTON  Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley frantically sought to regain her footing during a televised townhall with Iowa voters on Monday evening in which she accused her political rivals of distorting her positions.

With one week left to persuade the state's Republicans to caucus on her behalf, Haley came out swinging during the event, which was put on by Fox News, over controversial comments she made about the cause of the Civil War during a campaign event late last month.

Haley did not initially cite slavery as a driver of the fighting. She has repeatedly sought to amend the remarks, but they have continued to overshadow her bid for the GOP nomination in the final stretch before the Iowa caucuses.

They drew a cloaked rebuke from President Joe Biden on Monday as he campaigned in her home state at a historic, Black church that was the site of a racially-motivated mass shooting while Haley was governor. "Slavery was the cause of the Civil War," Biden said.

Haley hit back later that day, invoking past comments Biden has made and saying, "I don't need someone who palled around with segregationists in the '70s, and has said racist comments all the way through his career, lecturing me or anyone in South Carolina about what it means to have racism, slavery or anything related to the Civil War."

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the fourth Republican Presidential Primary Debate presented by NewsNation at the Frank Moody Music Building University of Alabama on Dec. 6, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Biden's missing Pentagon chief

Haley sought to turn the tables on Biden for the Pentagon's failure to immediately disclose Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization to the White House and the public last week.

"Biden should be fired," Haley said at the townhall. "This is unbelievable."

The incident showed that Biden isn't speaking to his Pentagon chief every day, she added. Piling on, the former United Nations ambassador suggested that Biden, 81, doesn't know what is going on in his own government.

Haley accuses her opponents of lying

Haley spent the first half of the hour-long town hall urgently trying to set the record straight about her presidential platform.

Her toughest critique of the night of GOP frontrunner and former President Donald Trump came when she was defending herself against an attack ad funded by a pro-Trump Super PAC that portrays her as soft on illegal immigration.

"Just because President Trump says something doesn't make it true," Haley charged. "I appreciate all the attention President Trump is giving me. It is quite sweet and thoughtful of him. But hes lying about it."

Haley also called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis "desperate" for trying to link her to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He's also "lying," she said. Although comments the former Democratic nominee for president made about women seeking elected office motivated her to enter politics, Haley stressed that she does not share Clinton's views on policy issues.

"So, they can twist and turn this all they want, but its because they see what we see. Were surging in the polls," Haley argued. "Not just in Iowa, not just in New Hampshire, not just in South Carolina. "

Abortion rights

Haley was again asked to clarify her position on abortion rights, an issue that could help her win over more women.

She restated her belief that Congress can come to a consensus on some aspects of abortion regulations, legislation mandating an abortion ban could not pass the U.S. Senate without an overhaul of the rules.

If elected, Haley pledged to support "whatever" federal legislation earns the support of 60 or more senators.

"The fellas just don't know how to talk about it," she said at one point during the discussion of her competitors.

Republicans still undecided

Despite the nearness of the Iowa caucus, which serves as the official starting gun for the Republican race, several voters at the town hall event professed to be undecided about who they plan to support.

Trump is far and away the leader in Iowa's contest. He led by more than 30 points in December.

Haley clung tight on Monday to the fact that many potential GOP voters say they are still making up their minds.

"Wait until caucus day, because that's the only day that's truly going to show where Americans are," she insisted.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Under attack over slavery, Nikki Haley comes out swinging in Iowa
DES MOINES  Iowas majority Republicans promised faster tax cuts and a continuation of their conservative agenda as they gaveled in for the first day of the 2024 legislative session on Monday.

Republican and Democratic leaders made opening speeches laying out their priorities for the session, with many expressing their grief and calling for action after a deadly school shooting in Perry last week that left 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff dead and seven others injured. The shooter also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate promised to accelerate income tax cuts they passed in 2022 and expand business opportunities in the state.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican from Grimes, compared Iowas policies and fiscal standing to those in neighboring, Democrat-run states Minnesota and Illinois. And he highlighted Iowas fiscal health, noting the $2.1 billion state general fund budget surplus  which is projected to grow to $3.1 billion in the next fiscal year  plus another $3.7 billion in the states Taxpayer Relief Fund.

Whitver reiterated the call to accelerate the recent income tax cuts and pledged to reduce the number of state boards and commissions  a process already underway after it was included in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds state government reorganization plan and studied by a legislative committee.

The goal is to make government more efficient and help Iowans get to work faster, Whitver said. In one sentence, here's the plan: cut taxes, control spending, reform government, and let Iowans be great. Let's get to work.

Iowa Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, described the principles that will guide Senate Democrats work during the 2024 session.

For every item that comes across our desk this session, were going to ask three questions: Does it create more opportunity for Iowans? Does it ensure freedom for Iowans? Does it provide more accountability for Iowans, Jochum said. If the answer is yes, Senate Democrats are ready to work with Republican colleagues to get it done. If the answer is no, were going to fight like heck against it and let the people of Iowa know why.

Beyond tax cuts, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford said lawmakers would look at improving public safety, making government more transparent and efficient and reviewing standards of both lower and higher education in the state.

House Democratic leader Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights appealed to Republicans to work with Democrats on policy to address the needs of Iowans rather than pass bills approved and drafted solely by Republicans.

The lawmaking process is generally dominated by Republicans, who hold a large majority in both chambers of the Legislature. Democrats are generally not involved in drafting and making changes to bills even when they are passed in a bipartisan fashion.

How about this year, the fact that Democrats introduce a bill doesnt mean its a bad idea automatically, out of the gate, Konfrst said said. What matters most is that we build policies that Iowans will recognize and have better lives because of. Were here to serve Iowans.

Lawmakers urge action after Perry shooting

Lawmakers took a moment of silence and expressed their grief over the shooting at Perry High School last week. Grassley highlighted it as part of Republicans commitment to improving public safety, while Democrats said the shooting shows the need for stronger gun control measures.

Iowa school students in the Des Moines Metro walked out on Monday and held a protest at the Capitol to demand stronger gun laws.

People choose Iowa because our state is viewed as safe, so when we see these senseless acts of violence in our own home state, in our own schools, it shakes us to the core, House Speaker Pat Grassley said. In Iowa, every parent should be able to send their kids to school and trust that they should return home safely.

Grassley did not say new gun restrictions would be on the list of policy responses to the shooting. Instead, he said Republicans would invest in school security, prioritize school resource officers, bolster childrens mental health and teach resilience over victimhood.

He connected the push for safety in schools to Republicans efforts to prohibit books with sexual content from school libraries.

Democrats also called for action in response to the shooting, including stricter gun control measures.

There is no pain like the pain of losing a child, Jochum said. In our grief, though, you must also ask tough questions and acknowledge hard truths. How do we tame violence in our country, violence that touched East High School here in Des Moines less than two years ago? And now Perry?

The truth is we must address gun safety. We must find a solution to gun violence, Jochum said. No child should go to school fearing for their lives, but today millions do. Gun safety should not be a partisan issue. Protecting kids should not be a partisan issue. It's time for us senators to come together and to find real solutions.

Whitver praised law enforcement officials and emergency responders who acted during the shooting. He appeared to indicate Senate Republicans will not be considering gun safety legislation.

While we cant legislate away evil and get rid of all the bad things in this world, we will keep our thoughts and prayers with those in Perry as we move forward and put in place policies to make our state better and stronger, Whitver said. It is impossible to find words to appropriately convey the sorrow and the sympathy we have to the victims of the shooting. But the people of Perry should know that we share in their grief and support them at this time.

Speaking at a Republican breakfast reception before the session began, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said lawmakers would work with the community as it continues to heal from the tragedy.

We continue every day to keep the families of the victims in the Perry community in our prayers, Reynolds said. We'll continue to work with the community to make sure that they have the whole government behind them as we work through this heartbreaking time in our state's history.

Student activists with the March for Our Lives group rallied in the Capitol rotunda and then marched to deliver a letter to Reynolds office, demanding the state pass gun safety measures. Their proposals include allowing law enforcement to temporarily take guns from individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, preventing gun ownership of an individual convicted of certain crimes like stalking, and requiring the reporting to law enforcement of any lost or stolen firearm.

Our hearts are heavy today and our prayers are with everyone in Perry. Still, nothing has been done, Trey Jackson, the legislative director of March of Our Lives Iowa, said as he read the letter to Reynolds during the Capitol rally. Iowans have had enough of prayers. We need action. You, Gov. Reynolds, have the power to create meaningful change. You have the power to save more lives from being senselessly stolen in this state.

House Republicans consider more library book restrictions

Grassley doubled down on House Republicans efforts to remove books with sexual content from public schools and said Republicans may pass additional legislation to clarify or expand on the existing law.

In December, a federal judge temporarily blocked much of a law passed last year, Senate File 496, that banned books that depicted or described any of a list of sex acts from public schools and prohibited teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation before seventh grade, among a host of other regulations.

Grassley said he was shocked that we actually have people willing to fight this hard to keep pornographic material in our schools.

The language of the law has led school districts to remove works of classic literature like Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" and George Orwell's "1984."

Opponents of the law, including civil rights groups and legislative Democrats, say it is overly broad, impedes on the First Amendment rights of students and teachers and discriminates against LGBTQ students.

It should have been an easy policy for schools to implement, but instead some chose to politicize this issue, and if we need to pass additional legislation this session, we will, Grassley said.

Reynolds praises conservative leadership

At the Republican breakfast reception, speaker after speaker touted delivering a conservative agenda that includes lowering taxes, providing taxpayer funding for families to pay for private school expenses, and strengthening parental involvement and steering away from progressive social issues in school curriculum related to instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.

I could not be more proud of the accomplishments that we've achieved since we were able to achieve the trifecta, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said at the event. You know collectively, you truly are making a difference for Iowans and the policies and, most importantly, the results have captured America's attention  from tax cuts to cutting government and red tape to growing the economy.

We saw nearly $4 billion of capital investment in our state last year in 2023. From educational freedom to universal school choice to protecting life, this Republican team has delivered time and time again on the promises that we made to Iowans.

Reynolds urged lawmakers to continue to challenge the status quo and continue to empower Iowans and really continue to maintain, I think, the bold and decisive leadership that Iowans have truly come to expect from our Republican leaders.

We're excited about this next legislative session, she said. We got a great story to tell. We got a lot to be proud of, and we do have more work to do.


Hong Kong protester waves a Liberate Hong Kong flag in 2019.

China hacked into Apples Airdrop system on Monday allowing the government to identify the name, phone number, and email of the senders device, according to a post from a state-backed institution. Airdrop is a popular tool for pro-democracy activists in China to send anti-government messages during protests, but that capability now seems to be lost, as first reported by Bloomberg.

After inspection, it was found that the fields related to the senders device name, email address, and mobile phone number were recorded in the form of hash values, said the Beijing Institute in a translated blog post.

Read more

In 2022, Apple made a change to appease Chinas government, limiting the window of time users can receive Airdrops from non-contacts to just 10 minutes. Previously, there was no time limit in China. But that wasnt enough. China drafted legislation in June that would force Apple to include peoples real names when sending Airdrops, according to 9to5Mac. However, it seems China has foregone that legislation and found a way to reveal the names of protesting Airdroppers another way.

This is the latest sign of Apple butting heads with Chinas Xi Jinping. Just a few months ago, China banned government officials from using iPhones at work. In the last year, the iPhone has lost its spot as the number one smartphone in the country. Apple typically responds promptly to breaches of its users security, but the dicey relationship with China could complicate the matter.

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Santiago Ochoa's reporting for the Yakima Herald-Republic is possible with support from Report for America and community members through the Yakima Valley Community Fund. For information on republishing, email news@yakimaherald.com.
Vincent Guliano Donini appears via Zoom at a preliminary appearance hearing in Yakima County Superior Court Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Donini is accused of shooting a Macy's store employee during a shoplifting incident.
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Former Univision anchor Jaime Mendez prepares for a new independent broadcast from his home in Lynnwood on Jan. 4. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
Claudine Gay's testimony before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on Dec. 5 didn't do much to advance her career.
Chris Watts will seek a third term on the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors, he announced Monday night.

If reelected in November it will be his final term, Watts said in a press release.

First elected in 2016, Watts said his biggest accomplishment has been focusing on the countys deteriorating infrastructure.

If the infrastructure isnt there, you have nothing to build on in the future, Watts said.

During his tenure the board has collaborated with all county communities on projects such as new roads and sidewalks in Dougherty and new bridges and road/drainage improvements in Thornton.

A big focus has been the North Iowa Events Center improvements, with remodeling, drainage work and a new building planned in the spring, made possible in part by American Rescue Plan funds.

Watts touted improvements at the Cerro Gordo County Secondary Roads Department including equipment updates and a new maintenance/office facility located next to the Law Enforcement Facility. A new structure also was built in Ventura to better service the northwest corner of the county, along with a new building in Thornton and current construction to replace the dilapidated building on North Illinois Avenue in Mason City. Supervisors currently are working with the Conservation Board to centralize operations near Lime Creek and expect to break ground on that project in the spring.

Watts noted supervisors used proceeds from sales of county properties to assist in funding new projects, placing properties back on the tax rolls. The board also utilized American Rescue Plan funding to finance much of the cost, lowering the taxpayers' share of the county budget six out of the last seven years.

Watts said during his time on the board the county has reduced debt by modifying county employee health and retirement benefits, digitizing county records for better citizen access, purchasing secure election equipment, restructuring the loan on the Cerro Gordo Law Enforcement center with a local lender and partnering with Central Iowa Community Services to expand mental health services while decreasing the county's role.

The board completed the South Shore Drive trail and construction on the continuation of the Prairie Land Trail system into Wright County, while tying into the existing Mason City trail system.

Watts and fellow Supervisors Tim Latham and Casey Callanan refused pay raises over the last seven years.

I knew what this job paid when I ran for office, and I never took it for political gain or to line my own pockets. I ran on a promise to improve our county. I feel like we have done that and would ask the voters to allow me a final term to finish what we have started for the future of Cerro Gordo County," Watts said in his release.

Watts is employed with Reinhart Foodservice/Performance Foods, where he has worked for 34 years.
Danville helped raise Kacey Cunningham. Now she wants to give back by returning a feeling of community to her hometown.

To do that, she provides food for homeless people, distributes feminine hygiene products for young girls in the area and holds fashion shows once a year for children to boost their self-confidence.

The 36-year-old Danville resident does it all through her nonprofit, KaZelle & Company, Inc., and her catering business, J. Kathleens Catering.

It was really to bring back the village, Cunninghman said during an interview last month. I really felt like we had lost that.

Like city leaders and others in Danville, Cunningham has noticed an increase in homelessness  which, of course, has affected children.

During a food giveaway for the unhoused that she and City Councilman Bryant Hood led at Culture Restaurant on Dec. 20, she saw pregnant mothers coming in with additional children in tow.

What she experienced has prompted her to decide to increase the number of such events at the restaurant from now on. She plans to hold them once every quarter, instead of just once a year, under her nonprofits Each One Feed One program.

A mother herself, Cunningham is passionate about helping make the world a better place for children.

We had two moms who were pregnant, both had two children, she said of the event at Culture. One mom was pregnant and had a baby in a stroller and had two additional children. Anything involving children magnifies or intensifies my passion with wanting to help. It made me want to do more.

Both of her endeavors are named after her daughter, Jazelle Kathleen, with KaZelle & Company, Inc. combining Kaceys and her daughters names.

In a separate effort under her catering business, Cunningham donates food left over from parties and events to the House of Hope homeless shelter downtown.

I intentionally cook surplus food and take that to the homeless shelter, she said, adding that she has made three such donations to House of Hope in the past few weeks.

But her charitable activities to help homeless people are just part of what Cunningham does.

She has other initiatives under her nonprofit, including a Period.Pooh program in which feminine hygiene products are distributed at locations throughout Danville and Pittsylvania County, including Cardinal Village, Thee Arc Family Life Center, Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, PEACE Community Center, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area, and middle schools and secondary schools in Pittsylvania County.

KaZelle & Company, Inc. also has an after-school program that provides homework assistance and social-enrichment activities for children, Cunningham said.

Last year, Cunninghams nonprofit held a pen-pal initiative in which children were matched with business leaders in the city. That project entailed students malling letters asking owners about their businesses.

This year, were going to be doing a magazine, Cunningham said. Theyll be interviewing business leaders. Well form a magazine and publish that.

As for the fashion shows for children, that initiative was started in 2022 and is held every November. It is part of Danville Fashion Week under the House of Fashion Inc., an endeavor led by Kaceys twin sister, Kelly.

Whereas Kelly handles the adult part, Kaceys group takes care of the childrens portion of the show. The event improves boys and girls confidence and teaches them poise.

Thats defininitely a self-esteem booster, Cunningham said. Were teaching them to walk with their backs straight.
On 8 January 2024, Prime Minister Luc Frieden made a first working visit to the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz.

 SIP / Julien Warnand (from l. to r.) Luc Frieden, Prime Minister; Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany  SIP / Julien Warnand (from. l. to r.) Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany ; Luc Frieden, Prime Minister  SIP / Julien Warnand (from l. to r.) Luc Frieden, Prime Minister; Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany  SIP / Julien Warnand (fr. l. to r.) Luc Frieden, Prime Minister; Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany  SIP / Julien Warnand (from l. to r.) Luc Frieden, Prime Minister; Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

The visit started with a face-to-face meeting with the Federal Chancellor, followed by a working session to discuss European and international issues.

The Prime Minister's visit to his counterpart in Berlin underlined the excellent bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Germany. He reiterated the new government's unequivocal commitment to continuing its close cooperation with Germany, particularly on cross-border and bilateral issues, but also on European issues.



The heads of government discussed potential avenues for bilateral collaboration in the economic sphere. Closer cooperation in the field of renewable energies was also raised.



The working meeting also provided an opportunity to address topical European and international issues, in particular the Russian aggression against Ukraine. While stressing the importance of solidarity with Ukraine, it was agreed that fair burden-sharing at both EU and NATO level is essential for both governments.



The meeting provided an opportunity for both countries to coordinate their efforts ahead of the European Council meeting on 1 February 2024, when discussions in Brussels will focus on the revision of the multi-annual financial framework.

Press release by the Ministry of State
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PSD si PNL cheama doctorul pentru Bucuresti

Poate ca bucurestenii nu s-au saturat, asa o fi, dar iata ca politicienilor le-a ajuns cu boschetareala si golania care au stapanit Capitala. Tot felul de garantati s-au aciuat prin Bucuresti si in urma lor n-a ramas decat pustiu, de zici ca au trecut hunii pe aici! Coalitia de guvernare risca mult cu mutarea [citeste mai departe]
Despre ratingul tarii

Seful Trezoreriei din Ministerul Finantelor, Stefan Nanu, sustine ca o imbunatatire a pozitiei bugetare pentru urmatorii 2-3 ani ar putea conduce la o revizuire in sus a ratingului tarii. El afirma ca unul dintre principalele motive care tin ratingul Romaniei la un nivel scazut este lipsa consolidarii fiscale, adica lipsa de progrese in acest sens. Exista [citeste mai departe]
Hungarys foreign minister has said the government will carry on representing Hungarian interests in 2024 "and wont give in to blackmail.

Peter Szijjarto said on Facebook that 2024 would be a crucial year, and we know the pressure will be enormous. Szijjarto called 2024 the Super Bowl of politics.



Never before have 78 countries held elections in the span of one year, directly impacting nearly 4 billion people worldwide, he added.



Hungarian citizens will vote in the European parliamentary elections, and hundreds of millions will go to vote in the US, Russia, India, Mexico and the UK, he said.



From our point of view, the US and EU elections are particularly important, as they raise the hope of replacing war, weapon deliveries and senseless human sacrifice with brokering peace, he said.



Hungary will fight to open Brusselss eyes to give the EU an opportunity to correct its errors in leadership, he said, adding that the international liberal mainstream has always exerted enormous pressure on us, but we have always prevailed



Fidesz MEP: EU Pursues 'Baseless Slander' Against Hungary



The European Union is pursuing baseless slander against Hungary in the new year, a Fidesz MEP said on Facebook.



Responding to Finnish MEP Petri Sarvamaas call on the EP to launch another rule-of-law procedure against Hungary and to suspend the countrys voting rights, Balazs Hidveghi said the EP had no right to initiate such a procedure.



Meanwhile, by disbursing 10 billion euros, the European Commission admitted in December that the rule of law was operational in Hungary, Hidveghi said, adding that a campaign of baseless slander was ongoing against Hungary.



This will not change as long as EU institutions are packed with people like Sarvamaa. Thats why we must take political control this June, he said, referring to the EP elections.



Govt Official: EP Elections to Be 'Eye-Opener for Brussels'



The European parliamentary elections this year will need to open up the eyes of Brussels where currently its the blind leading the blind, Balazs Orban, the prime ministers political director, told MTI.



The Brussels elite has long turned a blind eye to the real, everyday problems of European people, he said.



They failed to see the influx of illegal migrant masses, the need to protect children against liberal indoctrination and the gender ideology, the ramifications of the sanctions against Russia, the forced green transition leading to increased utility prices, as well as Europes dwindling competitiveness, he added.



Regarding migration, the official said the number of illegal entries along the communitys external borders reached 355,300 in 2023, up 17% from the previous year and the highest figure since 2015.



The number of entry attempts along Hungarys southern border neared 171,000, he said.



The political director added that 217,070 illegal migrants had been ordered to leave the bloc in the first half of last year, but only one fifth of them were actually expelled, all the rest remaining in Europe as illegal immigrants.



Illegal migration must be stopped at the border, and problems must be resolved where they occur rather than imported to Europe, Orban said.



Rather than adopting a functional Hungarian model, Brussels forced upon the community a migration pact which does not contribute to resolving the problem but constitutes the problem itself  aimed at creating migrant ghettoes and introducing mandatory quotas, the director said.
Theodor Herzl Square in front of the Dohany Street Synagogue has been renamed October 7 Square for two weeks in memory of the victims of the attack by Hamas terrorists.

The commemoration on Sunday and the renaming of the square were jointly organised by the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz), the Budapest Jewish Religious Community (BZSH) and the Budapest municipal administration.

Israeli ambassador to Hungary Yacov Hadas-Handelsman expressed in a speech gratitude for the symbolic renaming of the square and for Hungarian solidarity.



He said the squares renaming was symbolic as Herzl, who dreamt up the formation of the state of Israel, was born here, and the perpetrators of the October 7 terrorist attack had wanted to destroy his dream.



Mazsihisz president Andor Grosz said October 7 was for Israel what September 11 meant for the United States, adding that both attacks were committed by fanatical Islamists.



Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karacsony said there was no place in Budapest for demonstrations that legitimised or relativised violence, and this is something that the government and the opposition agreed on.



We share the pain of the Israeli people, he said. National Chief Rabbi Robert Frolich highlighted the suffering of the remaining hostages.



Photo courtesy Mazsihisz
Maison Ferrand stands as one of the world's premier boutique producers of fine spirits, pioneering the historical spirits movement.

Founded in 1989 by Alexandre Gabriel, the company is committed to preserving age-old craft production methods that capture the true spirit essence. It maintains a dedication to revisiting the classics while forging new paths in innovation.





A Legacy of Excellence: Four Centuries of Ferrand Cognac Mastery

The story of Ferrand Cognac, a 100% Grande Champagne Cognac, begins with roots in a region rich in history, stretching back over four centuries. This remarkable Cognac, perfected over ten generations, is rich and full-bodied, never failing to impress, and stands as a testament to an extraordinary legacy of Cognac-making excellence.





Revolutionizing Gin

In 1996, Alexandre Gabriel introduced Citadelle Gin, the Gin de France, leading the charge in the French gin movement. Stringent regulations set by Cognac's Appellation dOrigine Controlee (AOC) once required Alexandre to cease using his cognac stills for seven months annually.



However, after five years of negotiations, he gained AOC authorization to distill gin during this dormant period, breathing new life into traditional copper pot stills. Citadelle Gin, ideal for a crisp G&T or classic gin cocktail, is a testament to Alexandre's never-ending experimentation, as seen in his latest creation infused with rhubarb and raspberries.





The Art of Double Ageing: Unveiling Alexandre's Plantation Rum Journey

In 1999, Alexandre introduced Plantation Rum, reflecting his passion for traditional rum-making techniques. This included a signature double ageing process, lending these spirits a distinct character. Initially aged in Bourbon casks in the tropics, Plantation Rum is then transported to Chateau de Bonbonnet in France. Here, a second maturation in Ferrand French oak casks imbues the rum with delicate tannic notes.

Daiquiri

A simple yet classic rum-based cocktail.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

6 cl Plantation 3 Stars

3 cl fresh lime juice

2 cl sugar or simple syrup

Preparation: Fill a shaker with ice. Add the ingredients, shake well, and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Dark n Stormy A refreshing organic cocktail featuring Koskenkorva Vodka Organic.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

5 cl Plantation Original Dark

Ginger beer

Lime wedges

Preparation: Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the ginger beer, add the rum on top, and garnish with lime wedges.



Blending Tradition and Innovation Across Continents

In March 2017, Maison Ferrand expanded its horizons by acquiring the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados and a significant share in the renowned Clarendon, Long Pond, and Inswood distilleries. This expansion enabled Alexandre Gabriel to realize his vision of crafting exceptional rums, blending modern techniques with time-honored methods.





Since 1989, Alexandre and his enthusiastic team have been dedicated to crafting superb spirits that embody a fusion of passion, terroir, and the passage of time. With over 12 different terroirs and countless blending and cask ageing variations, Plantation offers a boundless journey for spirit enthusiasts. Whether it's a bar classic cocktail, a premium blend for sipping, a single vintage, or a single cask rum, Plantation has something for every palate.





Each rum is distinctive and unique, inviting us to explore a world of flavors. Your new favorite awaits discovery  let's embark on this journey together.



Maison Ferrand products can be purchased in the webshop of WhiskyNet.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the social media by the storm as he shared the stunning beauty of Lakshadweep. The PM's visit to tiniest Union Territoy of India has yet again brought attention on the immense tourism potential of the Indian archipelago.

Meanwhile, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is all set to bring two Taj-branded resorts on the islands of Suheli and Kadmat in Lakshadweep. IHCL had in January last year announced the signing of two Taj-branded resorts on the islands of Suheli and Kadmat in Lakshadweep. The company has said, "The Greenfield projects are slated to open in 2026, and will be developed by IHCL."

Rooms, Suites And Other Details Of 2 Taj-Branded Resorts On Suheli And Kadmat Islands In Lakshadweep

Suheli is a ring-shaped island with a coral reef rim that encircles a lagoon and is rich in marine life. IHCL has said that the Taj at Suheli will have 110 rooms including 60 villas on the beach and 50 water villas.

A coral island with a large lagoon, Kadmat Island, also known as Cardamom Island, is a marine protected area with seagrass beds, which are a nestling ground for marine turtles. Featuring 110 rooms, the Taj hotel at Kadmat will comprise of 75 beach villas and 35 water villas, IHCL has added.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, had said, This signing is in line with IHCLs pioneering spirit, which has put several destinations such as Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and Andamans on the global tourist map. The sustainability-focused development will aim to create minimal footprint while preserving the fragile eco-system in yet another unexplored location. We see significant potential in Lakshadweep, with its pristine beaches and coral reefs set amongst the Arabian Sea. The two world class Taj resorts will attract international as well as national travellers.

Incorporated by Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, IHCL has a portfolio of 252 hotels including 67 under development globally across 4 continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations.
New Delhi: Indra Nooyi, born on October 28, 1955, in Chennai, India, is a trailblazing business executive and a symbol of female leadership in the corporate world. She embarked on a remarkable journey that saw her rise from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential figures in the global business arena.

Early Life and Education:

Nooyi's journey began with a solid foundation in education. She earned a bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from Madras Christian College, followed by a Post Graduate Program in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. This academic prowess laid the groundwork for her future success.

Corporate Ascendancy at PepsiCo:

Nooyi's pivotal moment arrived in 1994 when she joined PepsiCo. Starting as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development, she quickly ascended the corporate ladder. Her strategic acumen played a pivotal role in transforming PepsiCo's business model, focusing on healthier product offerings and sustainability.

Leadership as CEO:

In 2006, Indra Nooyi made history by becoming the CEO of PepsiCo, becoming the first woman and person of color to hold the position. Under her leadership, PepsiCo experienced unprecedented growth. She emphasized diversification, expanding the company's product portfolio to include healthier snacks and beverages, anticipating consumer trends and preferences.

Innovative Thinking and Global Expansion:

Nooyi's tenure was marked by innovative thinking and a commitment to global expansion. She championed the Performance with Purpose initiative, aligning business goals with societal needs. Her emphasis on sustainability and responsible corporate citizenship earned PepsiCo accolades and set a benchmark for corporate social responsibility.

Challenges and Resilience:

Nooyi navigated through challenges, including economic downturns and shifts in consumer preferences. Her resilience was evident as she steered PepsiCo through turbulent times, maintaining its position as a global leader in the food and beverage industry.

Legacy and Beyond:

Stepping down as CEO in 2018, Nooyi left an enduring legacy. Her journey stands as an inspiration for aspiring leaders, especially women, breaking barriers and reshaping the narrative of corporate leadership. Beyond her corporate contributions, Nooyi continues to be an advocate for diversity, gender equality, and education.

Indra Nooyi's success story is a testament to her exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to innovation and social responsibility. From her early days in India to the pinnacle of corporate leadership at PepsiCo, Nooyi's journey is a source of inspiration for aspiring leaders worldwide, transcending boundaries and redefining success.
Only when someone is determined about doing something and puts tremendous effort towards their goal can they succeed. The success of Vijay Sankeshwar, also referred to as the "trucking king of India," is proof positive that perseverance and hard work are always worthwhile. Vijay's strong work ethic, independent thinking, and unwavering determination have brought him this far that from a single truck he purchased with a loan, he is now the proud owner of about 5700 vehicles.



Vijay Sankeshwar owns the largest logistics company in India, VRL Group. The millionaire businessman also owns India's largest fleet of commercial vehicles. He has launched the leading newspaper in Kannada, Vijaya Vani. In addition, he has been awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India for his contribution to trade and commerce.



Early life of Vijay Sankeshwar

Vijay Sankeshwar was born in Karnataka. He holds a degree in commerce. Vijay's father owned a printing press and encouraged him to follow in his footsteps, but he had no interest in the family business. Vijay desired to launch his own company in the transportation industry.



Journey from one truck to the owner of India's biggest fleet of commercial vehicles

Vijay Sankeshwar defied his parents' wishes and entered the transportation industry. It was futile to expect financial assistance from the family because Vijay started the logistics company against their wishes. For Vijay, the transportation business was really challenging at the moment. In 1976, he launched a transportation company with a truck bought with borrowed money of Rs 2 lakhs. Vijay first experienced significant losses in business. However, he didn't waver in his resolve to be successful in this industry. He had to work day and night in order to turn his dream of becoming a prosperous businessman into reality.

For Vijay, the transition from one truck to over five thousand trucks was never easy. Despite having numerous financial obstacles, he never gave up. Every time Vijay overcame an obstacle, he emerged stronger than before to move on to his next endeavor. Vijay started the logistic business with the name Vijayanand Travels which later got changed to VRL Logistics. The business kicked off and from just one truck Vijay now became the owner of about 5700 vehicles.

In 2012, Vijay launched Vijaya Vani, which rose to prominence as Kannada's leading newspaper. The Kannada-language biographical film Vijayanand, which is based on his life, was released in 2022.

If Vijay Sankeshwar's life so far is any evidence, his journey is far from over.
New Delhi: After the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held their first formal meeting on Monday to discuss seat-sharing arrangements under the INDIA bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, AAP leaders said that a final decision on seat-sharing will be taken soon, whereas the BJP alleged that there's confusion in the alliance.

The meeting comes amid rumours of discontent between the state units of the Congress and the AAP in Delhi and Punjab. AAP leader Atishi and other party leaders were present at the meeting held at Congress leader and convener of the Congress National Alliance Committee, Mukul Wasnik's residence in the national capital to discuss the seat-sharing formula.

After the meeting, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj told ANI that they are positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. "We are absolutely positive that seats in the INDIA bloc will be finalised soon. Even when a party decides its ticket, there are many contenders for every seat. Even in a party, there is a problem in candidate selection as to whom to give tickets and whom not to. In such a situation, when there are two or three parties, there will definitely be problems. But this can be solved. Soon, all the parties will be seen coming together on a common platform," the Delhi Minister told ANI.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a dig at the meeting of AAP and Congress on seat sharing and said that there is some confusion in the INDIA bloc, adding that soon both parties will say, 'Ek tha INDI gathbandhan'.

"There is some kind of confusion in the INDIA bloc. Today they are talking about seat sharing. There is confusion because they hold hands during the photo but they are not connected by heart. Bhagwant Mann once said 'Ek thi Congress', to which Pawan Khera said 'Ek tha joker'. Very soon, both of them will say, 'Ek tha INDI gathbandhan'," the BJP leader told ANI.

Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, Poonawalla said that the alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why they haven't finalised their agenda and logo till now.

"The INDI alliance is filled with contradictions, which is why, till now, they haven't finalised their agenda. They even have not decided on their logo. AAP has been formed by finishing Congress from Punjab and Delhi. Will it be possible for the AAP to give the tickets to those whom they have finished?" the BJP leader added. As the countdown to the upcoming Lok Sabha polls has begun, the INDIA bloc has begun its seat-sharing talks in earnest.

The allocation of seats becomes pivotal for Congress, especially after recent electoral setbacks. Meanwhile, India's political landscape is undergoing a significant transition as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw near. The INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) consortium is gearing up to challenge the established National Democratic Alliance.

The bloc is struggling to resolve key challenges, including finalising seat-sharing arrangements and, most importantly, deciding on a PM face, while the BJP has started executing strategies it laid out in 2023 to secure victory in general elections.
New Delhi: The Ram Temple in Ayodhya is in the final stages of preparation for the Prana Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla, which will take place on January 22. The temple administration has also started the work of installing golden doors at the entrance of the temple. The pictures of the golden doors have surfaced on social media. In the pictures, one can see that gate number 11 has been fitted with a golden layer. According to information, 13 more such doors will be installed.

How Will Lord Ram's Idol Look Like

The temple administration is busy giving the final touches to the Ram Temple. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust shared a video on its social media account on Monday. The video was shot at night and showed the temple construction works. The Trust wrote on social media X, "The holy sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shri Ram Lalla is ready to welcome millions of Ram devotees from across the world with its full grandeur."

The Trust's general secretary Champat Rai revealed the form of the idol that will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple. He said that the idol will be of dark complexion, as described in the Ramcharitmanas and the Valmiki Ramayana. The Trust has decided to install one of the two dark stones made from the leaves of Karnataka in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple, and the other two will be installed at different places.

The Trust's general secretary described the idol in detail, saying, "This idol has divinity, that is, the incarnation of God, the incarnation of Vishnu. It is a son of a king as well as a royal prince and a confluence of divinity." Describing the idol in detail, Champat Rai said, "If we look from the toe to the eyebrow, this idol is four feet, three inches tall, about 51 inches high. It has a little head, crown, and halo."

Champat Rai said that the worship procedure will start from January 16, and the idol will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum on the 18th. The idol's body is about one and a half tons and is made entirely of stone, of dark colour.

Ayodhya Excited For Prana Pratishtha Ceremony

The preparations for the Prana Pratishtha ceremony, which will take place on January 22 in Ramnagari Ayodhya, are in full swing and the people of Ayodhya are excited to welcome their beloved. The Prana Pratishtha of the Ram Temple will be attended by big personalities from the fields of asceticism, politics, sports, Bollywood, and business.
New Delhi: Following a chlorine gas leak in the Jhanjra area, Dehradun, residents were evacuated on Tuesday due to reports of breathlessness. A senior police official confirmed the safe relocation of residents, with no reported casualties.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun, Ajay Singh, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other security forces rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the incident, reported ANI.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: On receiving information about people facing difficulty in breathing due to leakage in the chlorine cylinder kept in the empty plot in the Jhanjra area of Prem Nagar police station in Dehradun, Police, NDRF, SDRF and Fire team reached the spot and are pic.twitter.com/Xq7n71Ot3n  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 9, 2024

"On receiving information about people facing difficulty in breathing due to leakage in the chlorine cylinder kept in the empty plot in the Jhanjra area of Prem Nagar police station in Dehradun, Police, NDRF, SDRF and fire team reached the spot and are taking action for safe disposal," Singh said.

(More Details Awaited)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met for the fourth time in less than seven months on Tuesday and expressed their satisfaction with the progress of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two leaders witnessed the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between India and the UAE, covering areas such as renewable energy, healthcare, food parks and logistics.

One of the MoUs was between the Gujarat government and DP World, a Dubai-based global port operator and logistics company, which aims to develop a multi-modal logistics park and a free trade zone in the state.

The other three MoUs were between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the UAEs Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention, and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the UAEs Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.

These MoUs reflect the shared vision and commitment of the two leaders to enhance cooperation in various sectors and create new opportunities for mutual benefit, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a post on social media platform X.

Modi, Al Nahyan Participate In Roadshow

Modi welcomed Al Nahyan, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, at the Ahmedabad airport and accompanied him to a roadshow in the city, where they were greeted by enthusiastic crowds. Welcome to India my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed. Its an honour to have you visit us, Modi tweeted.

Reaffirming the strong bonds of friendship! In a special gesture, PM @narendramodi warmly received HH @MohamedBinZayed, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi as he arrived at the Ahmedabad airport. HH @MohamedBinZayed is the Chief Guest of the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit, Jaiswal wrote on X.

Al Nahyan, who is the chief guest at the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, praised Modi for his leadership and vision and thanked him for the hospitality.

I am delighted to be in India, a country that is very close to my heart. I thank PM @narendramodi for his invitation and his warm reception. We look forward to strengthening our bilateral relations and exploring new avenues of cooperation for the benefit of our peoples, Al Nahyan tweeted.

Al Nahyan To Attend Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit

Modi and Al Nahyan are expected to attend the inaugural session of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which will be held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.

The summit, which was initiated by Modi in 2003 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, is a platform for business networking, knowledge sharing and forging strategic partnerships for inclusive growth and sustainable development, a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office said.

The summit will also feature the participation of other dignitaries, such as President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis, and Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

Earlier on Tuesday, Modi held bilateral meetings with Ramos-Horta and Nyusi and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields. He also met with CEOs of top global corporations and invited them to invest in India.

Modi also inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, which showcases the products and services of over 1,500 exhibitors from India and abroad.
New Delhi: The demand to change the name of Ghaziabad is quite old, but now it has been seriously discussed in the municipal board meeting. Yes, for the first time, such a matter was included in the agenda of the meeting. Several alternative names were also suggested on the table. Such as- Gajanagar and Harandi Nagar. A BJP councillor proposed to change the name of this district of NCR. It was included in the agenda and now it is believed that this proposal can be taken forward.

Mayor Sunita Dayal said that once the board agrees on the proposal, it will be sent to the state government. After that, it will go to the central government for final approval. Hindu organizations have been demanding to change the name of Ghaziabad for a long time.

Founded As Ghaziuddin Nagar In 1740

When the name of Allahabad was changed to Prayagraj, the demand for change also gained momentum for this district of NCR. Many organizations of the city, including MLA Sunil Sharma, have been demanding to change the name of Ghaziabad for a long time. This city was founded in 1740 in the name of Ghaziuddin under the Mughal rule. The name was Ghaziuddin Nagar.

The official website of Ghaziabad district states that this place was founded in 1740 by Wazir Ghazi-ud-din. Then it was called Ghaziuddin Nagar. However, after the railway line opened, the name of this place was shortened to Ghaziabad.

What If Not Ghaziabad?

Hindu organizations, while introducing the Mughal invaders, talk about changing the name of the city. Now the proposal can be passed in the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation and a name inspired by the Mahabharata era or Hindon, i.e. Harandi river, can be named. It is reported that the new name of Ghaziabad can be Gajanagar, Harandi Nagar, Gajaprastha or Doodheshwar Nagar.

Before November 14, 1976, Ghaziabad used to be a tehsil of Meerut district. Then Chief Minister N. D. Tiwari declared Ghaziabad as a district on the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus birthday on November 14, 1976.

Ghaziabads border is adjacent to Delhi. That is why it is also called Gateway Of UP as the main entrance of Uttar Pradesh.
New Delhi: Maldives faced severe backlash after one of its ministers made derogatory comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his pictures from Lakshadweep. Social media campaigns in support of the Prime Minister gained momentum, resulting in the cancellation of thousands of flight tickets and hotel bookings by Indians in the island country. Faced with strong criticism for the unruly behavior of its ministers and recognizing the potential threat to its tourism industry, Maldives attempted damage control by suspending the ministers for their derogatory comments. In an effort to mend India-Maldives relations, the Male government has now proposed the visit of its President, Mohammed Muizzu, to India at the end of this month.

President Muizzu is currently on a week-long visit to China, exploring various facets of collaboration. He toured the Xiamen Free Trade Zone in Fujian Province and engaged with senior officials from China Communications Construction Company Limited. Meetings with key Chinese political figures, including Zhou Zuyi and Zhao Long, were also on the agenda. Furthermore, President Muizzu is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later in his visit.

However, Muizzu's presidency began with an anti-India stance, as he vowed to send back the Indian Army in his election speeches and let the hydrographic agreement with India lapse. This, coupled with derogatory comments about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Maldivian ministers, strained bilateral relations. In response, the Maldivian government took swift action by suspending the ministers involved and distancing itself from the controversial comments.

Historically, India and Maldives enjoyed positive bilateral relations before the Muizzu government assumed power. India had been a steadfast supporter, offering assistance during critical moments such as the 1988 coup attempt and the 2004 tsunami. India's rapid response to Male's water crisis in December 2014 and ongoing support during the Covid-19 pandemic underscored the strong ties. Additionally, India plays a vital role in training the Maldives National Defense Force, contributing to the overall security cooperation between the two nations.
With the India vs Maldives row going international, reactions are also pouring from the political parties in the country. While the Congress party has again slammed the goverment for the row, Sharad Pawar has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Pawar said that it is not acceptable if any foreign dignatory makes derogatory comments on the Prime Minister.

"He (Narendra Modi) is the Prime Minister of our country and if anyone from any other country holding any position makes such comments on our PM, we won't accept it," said Pawar. The veteran politician said that we need to respect the Prime Minister's post and object to any derogatory comments from outside.

On the other hand, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the row escalated because PM Modi takes everything personally. Congress president Kharge advocated for having good relations with neighbours. "After Narendra Modi came to power, he is taking everything personally. At the international level, we should keep a good relationship with our neighbours...We should act according to time...We cannot change our neighbours..." Kharge said.

The diplomatic row with the Maldives started following derogatory remarks against PM Modi by three Maldivian deputy ministers after his visit to the Lakshadweep Islands to promote tourism there. All it took was a series of posts on X this weekend from PM Modi, promoting tourism in the Lakshadweep islands. In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Mariyam Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi.

PM Modi's visit to Lakshadweep set off a social media war between Maldivian politicians, government officials and Indian social media users. After the derogatory comments by Male ministers, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Maldivian Ambassador to India and conveyed India's stand.
A day after saying that Beijing has never asked the Maldives to go against India and seeking trilateral cooperation among China, India and Maldives, China today accused India of 'hegemonic mentality' and 'lack of confidence' among some of its leaders. Two separate opinion pieces in the state-run Global Times led anti-India rhetoric once again. In an opinion piece titled 'Sri Lankas reported denial of Chinese research vessel only proves Indias domineering diplomacy toward neighbours', the Global Times said that New Delhi's latest message indicates that the 'Indian Ocean belongs to India alone'.

China's remarks came in response to Sri Lanka's denial to allow Chinese survey vessels within its Exclusive Economic Zone in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka took the decision after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's request urging President Ranil Wickremesinghe to respect Indian strategic and security concerns during a meeting on July 21. The decision may have foiled China's plan to use the maritime survey vessel for future operations of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean and it's normal for Beijing to get irked seeing India's growing credibility. China's frustration can be understood easily from the text of the said opinion piece in the Global Times which reads, "The only answer seems to be India's regional hegemonic mentality. India views the Indian Ocean as its inland sea, sphere of influence, and backyard. Out of this mind-set, India disregards the interests and normal cooperation of other countries, and interferes in the decisions of other sovereign countries whenever possible, all to prove one thing - South Asia is India's turf, and China, which India views as an imaginary enemy, should stay away. It is now the 21st century, yet India's mindset remains stuck in the Cold War era."

Quoting a Chinese research fellow, the opinion also alleged that the US move to promote the Indo-Pacific Strategy and India's participation in the Quad has made New Delhi's 'hegemonic mentality' increasingly stronger.

The research fellow went on to say that India's long-standing hegemonic mentality in South Asia is sometimes referred to as India's 'Monroe Doctrine'  an idea of having an exclusive sphere of influence in and around the Indian subcontinent. He claimed that South Asian countries and India's neighbours are not happy with New Delhi's 'arrogance and domineering diplomacy'.

In another opinion piece titled 'China-Maldives relations expected to reach new heights', the Global Times said that interpreting Muizzu's China visit as being pro-China reflects the lack of confidence among certain Indian politicians. It said that the bilateral relations between China and the Maldives are expected to reach new heights with President Mohamed Muizzu's state visit to Fujian Province. The article also invoked Muizzu's support for the Belt and Road Initiative that India has opposed citing its passage through the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. "China encourages and welcomes more countries, including India, to engage in collaboration with the Maldives," said the Global Times.

Citing Chinese analysts, the Global Times wrote that India's strained relations with certain countries in South Asia can be attributed to 'its perception of being the regional boss'. "Instead of shifting blame to China, India should take a moment to reflect on its policies toward its neighbours and abandon the zero-sum mentality," it said.

The Chinese analyst said that India is a significant country to the Maldives and New Delhi's current nervousness about President Muizzu's visit to China unveils its lack of confidence. The analyst said that as a major country in the region, 'India should be more magnanimous'.

According to experts, while China tried to get away by accusing India, it conveniently tried to ignore or forget that be it Sri Lanka or Maldives, India has been the first responder in times of crisis. It was India, not China, that first backed Sri Lanka during the recent financial crisis and debt restructuring. In a recent interview, former Maldives Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi said that India has been the '911' for Male. This shows that India has always tried to help its neighbours overcome any challenges and emerge stronger and stable. This has been the stand of the Modi government under the 'Neighbourhood First' policy.

However, China, a country that has been at odds with its neighbours be it India, Bhutan or Taiwan, fails to digest the friendly cooperation between New Delhi and its key neighbours. China is blinded by its hate and encroachment policy against India that was visible during PLA-led conflicts at Doklam, Pangong Tso, Kugrang Valley, Galwan Valley, the Depsang Bulge area, Gurung Hill and Reqin La. Recently, new satellite images indicated the staggering pace at which China continues to illegally encroach into Bhutan's northeast region along a river valley in Beyul Khenpajong by constructing townships. China's conflict with Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and also related to the South China Sea is not hidden from anyone. Experts believe that it's high time that Beijing understands that neighbours are meant to support each other and not encroach upon other's land, a policy closely pursued by China against its all neighbours.
UNCG expects to release recommendations from its deans on Jan. 16 about which, if any, academic programs, the university should discontinue. The university expects to post those recommendations, which do not represent any final decisions, on its website that day.

Its a key milestone in an academic review that the university started in 2022. University Chancellor Frank Gilliam has said he hopes it results in a strengthened university, but the process has drawn criticism from some university employees and students.

The review includes the universitys full academic portfolio, including undergraduate majors, minors, and concentrations as well as graduate programs.

In an Oct. 18 message to students, university Chancellor Frank Gilliam stated that, even if the university discontinues programs, Current students in all academic programs will be able to finish their studies at UNCG in their chosen major.

Gilliam said in an interview Monday thats it is still his expectation that would be true for all students, despite the fact that the universitys academic review timeline includes potential negotiations with other universities or colleges for students to finish their degrees there.

We do not anticipate having to do that at all, Gilliam said, adding that he believes it is better to prepare for the possibility, in case it becomes necessary. Phase-out of identified programs is expected to be a years-long process, a UNCG spokeswoman said.

The university has a series of forums and meetings planned between Jan. 17 and Jan. 26, for faculty, students, others on campus and alumni to speak about the recommendations.

After considering the deans recommendations to her, the universitys provost Debbie Storrs, will present her own recommendations to Gilliam on Feb. 1. Gilliam is expected to make decisions that day on which recommendations to accept and move forward with, according to the timeline posted on UNCGs website.

Starting that day, according to the timeline, the university expects to no longer accept any students to programs slated to be cut and to remove applications for those programs.

Its unclear yet how many programs will be discontinued.

Gilliam said student enrollment, measured in credit hours, is a key metric the university is comparing between programs. At the same time, he said, there are some programs, which he declined to name, that are so core to the universitys mission that it makes sense to keep them, even with lower numbers. Part of his role in the process, he said, is in making those calls.

Gilliam said his understanding is that UNCG previously underwent an academic review in or around 2011 but never implemented any of the recommendations. Hes not sure why.

Currently, he said, UNCG is the only one of the University of North Carolina schools implementing such a review, though he said he expects a couple more soon.

AT UNCG, deans lead various individual schools within the university, such as the Bryan School of Business and Economics, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Graduate School. Gilliam said the deans have been asked to review the programs within their schools and make recommendations, but theres no mandate that each dean recommend one or more for elimination  its up to them what if anything, they recommend for closure from their schools.

Gilliam has said he sees the academic review process as an opportunity for the university to strengthen its strongest programs, focusing on what it does best. He said thats because eliminating weaker programs frees up money that can be reallocated to the other programs. Targeted cuts, he said, can help prevent across-the-board cuts.

This is a sharpening of our focus in response to some rather powerful headwinds that higher education is facing, he said.

The situation, he said, is sort of a mirror image of what was going on as the baby boomers reached college age. In that case, he said, there were more demographically students available to recruit, and increasing percentages of them wanted to go to college.

But what schools are now facing, he said, is declining numbers of young adults and a declining percentage of those young people choosing college.

If you have fewer students, you have less money, he said.

Other widespread changes for the industry, he said, include a dynamic and unpredictable labor market, with employers increasingly looking for skills, for example communication and writing, that arent necessarily attached to a specific program or major. Plus, he said, theres the declining trust in institutions of any kind in the United States, with colleges and universities as one example.

When therere more and more students available, it makes sense to keep adding more varied programs to attract them, he said. But he said it doesnt make sense any more.

This fall, Gilliam defended the review in messages posted to the university website and in an op-ed in the News & Record. Those came after the academic review process drew some negative reactions, including a protest by students, faculty and staff outside the school administration building.

Leaders of the schools American Association of University Professors group have questioned Gilliams assertion that cutting programs as a result of the review will lead to a stronger university.

Indeed, the evidence from other institutions that have imposed drastic cuts in the current climate is that they lead directly to enrollment loss and reputational decline that cause more instability, the group said, in posting on their website.

The group said that it had delivered a petition to the university leadership in December calling for an end to the review. The review had 3,912 signees, including 1,639 current undergraduates, 203 current graduate students, 957 alumni and 188 faculty.

In an Op-Ed piece published in the News & Record, UNCG professor and AAUP chapter president Mark Elliott and UNCG professor and AAUP member Lisa Levenstein also argued the merits of keeping academic offerings broad at UNCG.

History abounds with examples of areas of study that had been written off becoming vitally important (consider the upsurge in interest in Middle Eastern and Arabic languages and culture after 9/11), they wrote. While we cant predict the future job market, we know that a well-rounded education that introduces students to ideas and subjects they might never have even considered before coming to UNCG will equip them with the skills and habits of mind they need to succeed.
In a shocking development, a 39-year-old woman CEO of a Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence start-up has been arrested under grave suspicions of murdering her own four-year-old son. The disturbing incident unfolded in the serene locale of Candolim in north Goa. The accused, Suchana Seth, identified as the head of the Mindful AI Lab, allegedly committed the heinous act within a hotel room. The chilling discovery came to light when authorities in Karnataka's Chitradurga intercepted Seth as she attempted to flee with her son's lifeless body concealed in a bag. Seth's chilling and tragic escapade began innocuously enough as she checked into the Sol Banyan Grande in the picturesque Candolim of North Goa, accompanied by her son on a Saturday. However, what followed was a sequence of ominous events that would unravel into a horrifying tale.

On Monday, the atmosphere turned eerily suspicious as Seth, unaccompanied by her son, vacated the hotel room. She purportedly approached the hotel staff, insistently requesting a taxi ride to Bengaluru, ignoring advice to opt for a flight. The stark absence of her young son did not go unnoticed by the vigilant staff, who swiftly became alarmed by the situation.

Adding to the disconcerting sequence of events, traces of blood discovered by the diligent housekeeping staff in Seth's room deepened the sense of foreboding. Promptly alerting the local Goa police about their distressing findings, the staff set off a chain of actions that would eventually lead to a grim revelation.

The Goa police, taking swift action upon receiving the distressing report, called the taxi driver and asked him to put Seth on call. In a bid to ascertain the whereabouts of her son, the authorities probed Seth, who attempted to mislead them by fabricating a story about her son being with a friend at an address, which later proved to be false.

The Goa police, in a strategic move, engaged the taxi driver in a discreet conversation in Konkani, a language unfamiliar to Seth. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the authorities covertly instructed the driver to divert the route towards the nearest police station located in Chitradurga, approximately 200 kilometers away from Bengaluru.

Subsequently, the unfolding tragedy took a drastic turn as Seth was apprehended by the vigilant Chitradurga police upon arrival. Inside the bag she carried lay the lifeless body of her young son, casting a pall of horror and dismay over the entire sequence of events.

In a parallel development, Venkat Raman, Seth's husband and an AI developer by profession, was notified by the authorities and swiftly made his way to Chitradurga, undoubtedly reeling from the nightmarish ordeal that had befallen his family.

Who Is Suchana Seth?

As per her LinkedIn profile, Suchana possesses extensive expertise in AI ethics and data science, boasting a rich background of over 12 years. Her professional journey includes mentoring data science teams and spearheading the expansion of machine learning solutions within startup environments. Notably, she holds the position of founder at The Mindful AI Lab, an esteemed technical consultancy firm. Suchana's impressive accolades include being recognized on the esteemed 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics List in 2021. Furthermore, she has had affiliations with the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, serving as a fellow from 2017 to 2018 and later as an affiliate from 2018 to 2019, as outlined in her profile.

The motive behind this harrowing crime remains shrouded in mystery, leaving law enforcement grappling for answers. However, initial police inquiries hint at a possible strained relationship between the accused and her husband as a potential trigger for this unthinkable act.
New Delhi: Only a select few, among millions of candidates, manage to succeed in India's highly challenging UPSC exams after rigorous preparation. Numerous aspirants structure their study plans and formulate strategies, drawing inspiration from the achievements of top performers in previous years.

The journey of 29-year-old Ayushi Dabas provides valuable lessons for every UPSC applicant. Despite facing vision impairment, Ayushi persevered in preparing for one of the nation's toughest tests. In her fifth attempt, she achieved a remarkable All India Rank of 48 in the UPSC 2021, showcasing five years of dedicated effort.

While Ayushi's mother remains at home, her father works in Punjab for a private company. Ayushi attributes her success to her mother, Asha Rani, a senior nursing officer who voluntarily retired in 2020. Asha Rani, at 54, expressed unwavering confidence in her daughter's ability to succeed. Ayushi, filled with excitement, mentioned that while she was confident about passing the test, achieving a rank below 50 brought unexpected joy.

Ayushi completed her education in a private school in her hometown of Rani Khera and obtained her degree from Delhi University's Shyama Prasad Mukherji College. Subsequently, she pursued a master's in history at IGNOU. While her mother stayed at home and her father worked in Punjab, Ayushi's determination led to her success.

Despite being blind, Ayushi has been a teacher for the past decade, initially starting as a contract primary school teacher at an MCD institution. In 2019, after passing the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) test, she became a history teacher at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, number 2, Mubarakpur Dabas, teaching history to students in classes 11 and 12.

Working hard to educate her students despite her visual impairment, Ayushi acknowledged that teaching is not just a profession but her passion. She aspires to contribute to the field of providing educational opportunities for females and people with disabilities. Ayushi equipped herself with a screen reading program that converts text to audio, making it easier for her to study on her laptop and phone. Her goal is to work towards learning, considering it a crucial tool for empowering individuals.
New Delhi: The Northern region of India is grappling with extremely cold weather, with states in the southern part experiencing continuous rainfall. Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi faced a severe cold wave accompanied by dense fog; nevertheless, the IMD forecast a relief from the intense cold.

Monday was the coldest day of the month in Delhi with a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius (Delhi Weather Update). As winter's icy grip tightens, additional challenges are on the horizon. The Met Department warns of impending troubles as it predicts a cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or drizzle on Tuesday.

Visibility recorded (at 0530 hours IST of today) (in meters): Uttar Pradesh: Bareilly, Varanasi (Babatpur) & Gorakhpur-25 each; Jhansi, Lucknow & Varanasi-50 each, Sultanpur-500; Rajasthan: Jaisalmer-50, Churu & Kota -200 each, Jaipur-500; Bihar: Purnia-50, Gaya-200;  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) January 9, 2024

As per IMD's weather bulletin, rainfall with thunderstorm/hailstorm is likely over East Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh during Jan 8 - Jan 9. the Met Department has also predicted severe cold day conditions in isolated pockets over Rajasthan on January 8.

#WATCH | Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu: Due to heavy rainfall, the premises of Vaitheeswaran temple inundated (08/01) pic.twitter.com/b3s3rTuKNe  ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2024

Continuous rainfall havoc persists in Tamil Nadu, with the IMD forecasting additional downpours in the next 24 hours. According to IMD, light to moderate rainfall at some places is very likely over Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep during the next 4-5 days. Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal during January 9 and 10 stated IMD.
If there's one domestic destination that every Indian travel enthusiast is enquiring about these days, it's Lakshadweep. India's smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands but only a few are open to tourists; 10 are inhabited. They serve as a maritime boundary between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Laccadive Sea to the east. PM Narendra Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep sparked interest among Indians about these islands like never before and a row with the Maldives has only added to the buzz. While these beautiful, pristine islands are picturesque, it's important to realise that even if you are a domestic tourist and an Indian national, you can't simply pack your bags and visit these islands. Permits are needed to visit the islands and here's how you can go about it.

Visit Lakshadweep: Who Needs Permit

It's essential to note that not just foreigners, but Indians also need a permit to enter Lakshadweep. According to the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (Restriction on Entry and Residence) Rules, 1967, every person, who is not a native of these islands, shall have to obtain a permit in the Prescribed Form from the Competent authority, for entering into and residing in these islands. Only the Government Officials and Armed Forces members working or visiting these islands and their family members are exempted from this. Foreign Tourists need to have a valid passport and visa to visit India.

Steps To Apply For Permit

There are two ways in which you can apply for permits for Lakshadweep - online and offline. Applying online is easier and faster.

To apply online, go to: https://epermit.utl.gov.in/. Create an account and enter details as you fill out the form. Choose the island where you want to stay and travel dates, upload any required documents and pay the fees. Around 2 weeks before their trip, tourists are expected to receive their permit.

To apply offline, you can either download the application form from the Lakshadweep Administration website or get it from the District Collectors office in Kavaratti. Fill out the form, attach the required documents and submit them to the Collectors office. As this can take time, plan your travel accordingly.

Lakshadweep Permit Fees

According to reports, the application fee to obtain the permit is Rs 50 for each applicant and the heritage fee is Rs 100 for children aged between 12 and 18 and Rs 200 for those above the age of 18.

When PM Modi Visited Lakshadweep

PM's Lakshadweep travel attracted a lot of attention. Modi, who also did snorkelling there, took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a series of posts. Check out one below:

For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list.



During my stay, I also tried snorkelling - what an exhilarating experience it was! pic.twitter.com/rikUTGlFN7  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 4, 2024

So what are you waiting for? Apply the for the permit and plan a dream vacay.
New Delhi: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday appealed to China to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to his country, amid a spate of cancellation of reservations by Indian tourists after a diplomatic row erupted over the derogatory remarks by his ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Muizzu, who is on a five-day state visit to China, termed China as the island nation's "closest" ally and praised its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects.

Muizzu said that China "delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history". He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries.

"China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," Muizzu said in his address to the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on Tuesday. He urged China to bolster the flow of its tourists to the Maldives, which is heavily dependent on tourism for its economy.

"China was our number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said, according to a readout posted on his official website.

Muizzu Turns To China Amid Diplomatic Row With India

Muizzus appeal for more Chinese tourists came amid a diplomatic row following the derogatory remarks by some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi after he posted a video of him on a pristine beach during his recent visit to Lakshadweep. Muizzus government suspended three deputy ministers for their derogatory posts on social media, while the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) strongly condemned the comments.

According to data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023, followed by Russia and China. However, the recent controversy has led to a backlash from Indian tourists, who have cancelled or postponed their bookings to the Maldives.

Meanwhile, China, which held the top spot before COVID, is currently struggling to revive its domestic and foreign tourism due to a nearly four-year lockdown policy and the continued slowdown of its economy. As a result, Chinese tourists who travelled abroad for holidays in millions before COVID are now restricting themselves given the economic slowdown.

Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, told the Forum that his administration is focused on diversifying Maldives economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers.

He also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the FTA signed with China, which aims to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing Maldives' export of fish products to China. Maldives and China signed the FTA in December 2014 during the pro-China President Abdulla Yameen administration.

However, his successor, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solihs administration did not implement the agreement, according to Maldives media reports. China-Maldives bilateral trade in 2022 totalled to USD 451.29 million of which Chinas exports constituted USD 451.29 million against USD 60,000 of exports from Maldives.
North Carolina will have its first Buc-ees.

And it only took an eight-hour city council meeting to pull it off.

If I was Mr. Buc-ee, I might have See you later a long time ago, Mebane Mayor Ed Hooks said at one point in the meeting. I have never seen a project go through the vetting and hours that this one has gone through.

In a 5-0 vote on Monday night, Mebanes city council officially approved the rezoning request for a 32-acre property on Trollingwood Hawfields Road, which is next to Interstate 40/85, where the states first iteration of the Texas travel-plaza chain will be built.

This location will host the only Buc-ees in the state, so far.

The store will be 75,000 square feet with 120 fueling positions and about 650 parking stalls.

In order to best support to increased traffic projected around the store however, the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) must widen surrounding roadways.

That includes Trollingwood Hawfields Road, and the bridge that goes over the interstate  all of those efforts will be funded by NCDOT.

In her presentation to the city council, Amanda Hodierne, a lawyer representing Buc-ees request, said that Mebane had been requesting funding from NCDOT for years to make those same road improvements.

We talk about economic development a lot, we almost forget why it is so important, Hodierne said. Economic development improves the standard of living for all. And it creates a high-revenue tax base that is critical to investing in the community.

Hodierne also said that the development would bring around 225 full-time jobs to the area.

Its Buc-ees second attempt to open in North Carolina. In 2020, the company attempted to build a store in northern Orange County, only for residents to strongly oppose construction of the gas-station in fears of negative environmental effects on the Eno River watershed.

In Monday nights meeting, a member of the engineering firm contracted to evaluate the site plans said that city staff agreed with the firm that the Mebane site is not on a watershed area.

Opposition

In December, Mebanes planning board voted 6-3 to recommend the city council against the rezoning request. More than 30 residents attended to voice their concerns.

On Monday night, hundreds showed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. Their concerns ranged from potential environmental damage to increased amounts of traffic in the local community.

Danielle Lynn Hunter, a postdoctoral scholar at NC State University who works for the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, raised several issues about the environmental impacts of the Buc-ees store.

Hunter referenced dangerous benzene molecules typically released from gas stations and said children who live in proximity to gas stations are 7.7 times more likely to have leukemia.

There are two elementary schools within the 3.3 mile driving radius of this site, and this community is already exposed to two other high-volume fill stations, Hunter said.

Kasey Kinsella, a Mebane resident who said she lives three miles from the site, urged councilmembers to deny the development and said that making a decision from a traffic analysis study that was limited to a period around construction is deeply irresponsible.

Kat Andrews, another Mebane resident who said she lives near the proposed Buc-ees, opposed the development because of a potential increase in noise.

The recreational ball-field thats right there next to the (site), Andrews said. The noise is going to be so great that when the umpire calls strike the kids arent going to hear it.

Next steps

The councils approval of Buc-ees zoning request and special-use permit means that the companys proposal will begin a technical review process that would take several months, according to Mebanes development director Ashley Ownbey.

The N.C. Department of Transportations review process will also take a substantial period of time, Ownbey said. Site work on the Buc-ees store would only begin after approval from both the city and NCDOT.

Plans for the Buc-ees included in the council meeting agenda packet speculate that the store could be open by 2025.
The Ravalli County Museum is preparing for a new exhibit exploring Glacier National Park, and a fundraiser that features the work of local artists Ernst Peterson and Robert Neaves.

Looking back at Glacier: Vintage Views 1910-1940 will be in the courtroom gallery from Jan. 11 to March 9. The art exhibit is from the Lee Silliman Print Collection of Missoula.

Museum Director Michelle Nowling said the collection has beautiful works.

Mr. Silliman has put together 58 images that are original prints from 1910-1940 that were published in souvenir albums, brochures, newspapers and postcards, Nowling said. All of them were promoting Glacier National Park. There are some illustrations, some that are the covers of travel magazines, others are photographs and lithographs. They are all beautiful.

Silliman will launch the exhibit with an illustrated historical lecture at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11.

Hell have slides of the images and tell what they are and where they came from, Nowling said. Hell tell us what we learn from these historical images. He is a great presenter. He did this for us when we had the bison exhibit two years ago and hes just fascinating. Im excited that he is going to come and do a presentation.

The exhibit includes the image of Glacier Park on the May 1912 cover of Travel Magazine, several postcards and stereo views together in framed units, beautiful photos and artwork in the style of the era and details about the artists and photographers when that information is known.

Its very much a Come see Glacier and they were calling the tall peaks the Swiss Alps of America, Nowling said. Some images are from the Great Northern Railway but we dont know who the artist or photographer is, it might have been a booklet you got from the railroad.

The Looking back at Glacier 48 frames and 51 images are on new display boards at the museum.

Most of the panels and all of the new lighting system were bought through a grant from the Rapp Family Foundation, Nowling said. We didnt have lights for our panels and we have doubled our light grey display boards. Everything hangs so nicely.

Nowling said the wonderful Looking back at Glacier exhibit will only be in Hamilton for two months, as it is then scheduled to go to a museum in Bozeman. She recommends hurrying to see it before it is gone.

Museum fundraiser

The Ravalli County Museum is hosting a fundraiser featuring the works of Ernst Peterson and Robert Neaves from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18.

We have our Ernst Peterson collection of photographs book ('The Bitterroot Valley: Seasons of Beauty') and have pulled eight images from that which will be available for limited edition prints, Nowling said. You can buy the book or order your prints in various sizes and youll get a certificate that says we will not sell that image again for 50 years. So, it gives you a unique image that is really gorgeous. Were only selling the prints through the end of January.

All images were taken in the Bitterroot Valley. Nowling suggests the book makes a great coffee table display, or can be sent to a friend to show Montana.

We have ordered several frames to display them and people can buy them with the frame, or they can buy it on core board, or just the image, whatever works for them, Nowling said. We can mount it for people.

The museum will also offer a selection of prints and artists proofs by artist Robert Neaves for sale.

Neaves was a local, independent artist who passed away in 2018. After Neaves passed, the Ravalli County Museum was gifted many of his prints.

All the images in his collection are numbered and most are signed.

For the fundraising night, the museum will have four composites including portraits of Marcus Daly, Jeanette Rankin and Mike Mansfield and several wildlife prints for sale.

They come unframed but you can frame them to match your house, Nowling said.

There is no entry fee to the open-house style event with light refreshments and live music by three musicians of the Bitterroot String Ensemble, David and Julie Bethman and Tatiana Horton.

There will be a wish-list wall listing specific items needed by the museum with amounts ranging from $10 to $100.

If people want to donate printer paper or kids craft supplies that will be on the wish wall, Nowling said. We hope it will be a fun night for people to come out and give to the museum. We want to be able to offer our events for free but it does require some support from our community.

Nowling praised the community for their generosity.

This is the most giving community Ive lived in, and Ive worked in museums in six states, she said. Im always amazed at the people here. Im excited that well have a great turnout. Im optimistic that the weather will be kind to us.

Enjoy the new Looking back at Glacier exhibit Jan. 11 to March 9 and the Peterson and Neaves fundraiser on Jan. 18 at Ravalli County Museum, 205 Bedford St. in Hamilton.
The winners of the governor's youth hunters story contest were awarded their prizes and given certificates Monday at the Capitol in Helena.

The contest allowed young hunters to tell their stories about their first or prized hunts they have experienced in recent memory.

There were 10 winners of the contest ranging from all ages under 18 and some as young as 10 years old.

Not all of the hunters gathered just bucks and doe, but even pheasants with the help of their hunting dog.

Maizy Miller won a raffle sponsored by Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply and was given a new hunting shotgun.

Another raffle was sponsored by Montana Outfitters and Guides Association where William Sheehan was awarded a free hunting trip with the organization.

Aidan Walker, 10, of Miles City; Sierra Dockter, 16, of Conrad; Inslee Moran, 10, of Arlee; Maizy Miller, 16, of Missoula; Mollie Ruth, 17, of Big Timber; Caroline Dudden, 13, of Great Falls; Samuel Prescott, 17, of Florence; Weston Hobley, 15, of Capitol; William Sheehan, 13, of Big Sky and Wyatt Smith, 10, of Billings were the winners of the governor's contest.

They were given gift packages.
A local judge erred in developing a parenting plan that wasnt in a 5-year-old childs best interest by abruptly removing him from the care of his mother and giving full custody to his father, according to an order filed by the Montana Supreme Court last week.

Missoula lawyers filed a petition on behalf of Shanna ManyWounds, the childs mother, to the Supreme Court this fall, alleging Lake County District Court Judge Kim Christopher committed a gross injustice by giving the childs father full custody at a September parenting plan mediation, thereby removing the 5-year-old from his community in Elmo. On Jan. 2, five of Montanas Supreme Court justices issued an order taking Christopher off the case and transferring custody of the 5-year-old back to ManyWounds, who, prior to Jan. 2, had not seen her child in over three months.

The Supreme Court was very thorough in their review of the case, Spencer MacDonald of the MacDonald Law Office said in a phone call. Hes represented ManyWounds throughout the legal process.

On Sept. 11, Christopher presided over a custody hearing between ManyWounds and Jonathan Whyte, the childs father, who resides in Medford, Oregon. The hearing was to mediate and establish a written parenting plan, but it ended in Christopher giving Whyte full custody and immediately sending the child to Oregon. As a basis for her decision, Christopher contended ManyWounds was a helicopter mom and Whyte didnt have adequate rights to his son.

In a phone call on Tuesday, Christopher declined to comment on specifics of the case and said she respected the state Supreme Courts authority and decision on the matter. She mentioned she feels guilt because from her time as a defense counsel and prosecutor, Christopher said she knows how often not all of the information in a case gets shared in whole with the court.

Christopher has been on the bench in Lake County District Court since 2001, she said.

Following the September hearing, MacDonald and Lance Jasper of Reep, Bell & Jasper, two Missoula-based law firms, filed the petition on behalf of ManyWounds requesting the Montana Supreme Court take over the case.

In granting the petitions request, the high court wrote Christopher failed to come up with a parenting plan to serve the best interests of the 5-year-old, and instead drafted one that sought to punish ManyWounds for the judges perception that ManyWounds unfairly kept the child from Whyte. Christophers proposed plan gave Whyte custody of the child for the next five years.

Judge Christophers comments throughout the hearing illustrate that her ruling was colored by her personal feelings and perceptions of ManyWounds and Whyte, the 20-page order reads.

In their order, the justices clarified they dont believe Whyte is an unfit parent. The order also called out possible damage caused by the district courts ruling in what was a largely amicable coparenting relationship that ManyWounds and Whyte had forged.

In Christophers response to ManyWounds' petition, the judge admitted she was emotional, but maintained her decision. The high court noted the case engendered distress in Christopher, but that neither parent did anything to warrant an emotional response.

In this case, as in all cases, Judge Christopher had a duty either to resolve the dispute at issue in a fair and impartial manner or to recuse herself if she found herself unable to do so, the justices wrote.

The high court also noted in its order no dispute existed between ManyWounds and Whyte prior to the Sept. 11 hearing, as Whyte was allowed to have contact with the child in Montana, at Whytes discretion. The hearing was to resolve small disputes in the plans details.

At the time of the Supreme Courts order on Jan. 2, the child has been barred from any contact with his mother for over three and a half months, the justices wrote.

During the hearing in question, Christopher also claimed trauma, and even abuse, builds childrens stress muscles and makes them stronger, after ManyWounds raised concerns about what the immediate custody switch might do to her son, according to the petition and transcript.

The Montana Supreme Court took issue with that in their order, writing Christopher made a mistake to deliberately subject (the child) to potential trauma in a misguided attempt to develop stress muscles.

MacDonald said he appreciated the attention to detail in the courts order, and how it addressed all of the concerns raised in the initial petition.

They didnt try to soft pedal what I see as an abuse of power and of the legal system, MacDonald said of the justices' decision.

The high courts order boots the case back to Lake County District Court, and reassigns jurisdiction to Lake County District Judge Molly Owen. ManyWounds and Whyte will share their previous parenting plan while they wait on a hearing in front of Owen to craft a new one.

As soon as the Jan. 2 order was issued, ManyWounds flew to Medford, Oregon, to pick up her son, MacDonald said. The child and ManyWounds are now back together, living in Elmo.
WHITEHALL  A multi-vehicle crash Sunday on Interstate 90 near Whitehall left a 26-year-old Salt Lake City woman, Katie C. Montgomery dead and four people injured.

The accident occurred just before noon near mile marker 260 on Cardwell Hill when a semi-truck lost control and slid into a guardrail. The semis trailer then rested across both lanes, leaving other cars and semis unable to stop in time.

According to Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Justin Hanson, the roads were icy and were definitely a factor.

Both lanes were blocked for several hours, said Trooper Hanson.

In a new release, the Jefferson County Sheriffs office reported that multiple agencies responded to the crash from Butte-Silver Bow, Broadwater, Madison, and Gallatin counties.

According to the sheriffs department, air ambulances were requested but because of weather conditions, none were able to fly to the accident scene.

Sgt. Jay Nelson, public information officer for the MHP, said 12 vehicles were involved in the crash and the injured were transported to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital and St. James Healthcare.

By 7:15 p.m. Sunday, a single lane of westbound traffic was opened. The MHP continues to investigate the crash.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS  The threat of the first winter storm of the year was enough to bring people into the grocery stores.

Herbert Stubbs, from Decatur, has been shopping for himself since his wife passed away five years ago. "But I still did the shopping," he said.

His shopping trip on Monday was spent preparing for the first round of bad weather expected on Tuesday. His cart was filled with noodles, milk, ice cream and water. "I'm a bachelor," he said. "I don't like to cook. And it's hard to cook for one person."

By mid afternoon, a visual check of a couple grocery locations showed some locations with near-empty bread shelves and mixed selections of meat.

According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, the start of hazardous weather will have begun early Tuesday morning.

"The accumulating snow will occur before sunrise Tuesday, before changing over to rain," the weather service stated on the website.

The Macon County Emergency Management Agency hosted a Winter Storm System webinar Monday morning with information on the storm's trajectory and outcome. The meeting also provided information on how to stay safe in the hazardous conditions, including dress warmly, stay hydrated, move only small amounts of snow when shoveling, and take frequent breaks.

Along with the possibility of several inches of snow, winds could gust up to 40 mph beginning Tuesday night and last into Wednesday morning, potentially leading to blowing and drifting snow.

The conditions may return again by the weekend.

Days before the winter weather was expected to turn from mild 40-degree, yet cloudy, days to windy conditions with heavy precipitation, several grocery store employees were preparing for more customers by stocking up on needed items.

Moweaquas Dollar General employees Shelly Waterman and Angela Hatley had already found themselves busy shortly after the news of bad weather was announced on local news outlets. Theyve been getting canned goods, milk and bread, Waterman said. The usual.

The employees noticed that most of the customers preparing are older and may have experienced power outages that lasted days.

And they dont want to have to get back out if it does get bad, Hatley said.

The grocery stores have to be prepared as well.

Save A Lot manager Adriene Henry was in the process of ordering items for the weekend delivery at the East William Street store when she learned about the possibility of a storm. Now I know I need to order up on the water, milk, eggs and meat, she said. And of course the beers.

Henry has worked in the retail industry for 15 years. She said she has experienced other storms and the customers who worry about them. Im a little surprised when we have a lot of them grabbing the milk and the meat, considering a lot of the time we have power outages, which means its going to spoil, she said. Id think they would go more towards the canned goods.

According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, last years winter, from December 2022 to February 2023, ranked fifth as the least snowiest season, with only 3.8 inches of snow, since the weather service began recording statistics in 1881. By the end of April, the area had added another three inches to the totals, but still raised the area to a ranking of third for the least snowiest season.

Customers of Homerun Meat and Groceries on South Jasper Street in Decatur often travel to the neighborhood store on foot, according to the owner Ribby Qattoum.

Whenever we have storms, a lot of our customers walk here, he said. So we try to clean up the parking lot as much as we can to make it easier for them and safe, so they dont slip and fall.

This weeks predicted storm isnt the first snowfall since Homerun joined the neighborhood two years ago. Qattoum said he often sells a larger quantity of grocery essentials with the threat of bad weather. But also salt, he said. They use it for their houses, or snow melt.

Along with the grocery staples, customers can also get meals at the neighborhood store. We sell pizzas and hot food, Qattoum said. And desserts and all that.

Photos: Storm damage in Decatur
An Illinois appellate court upheld a record $3 million jury award after finding sufficient evidence that two Chicago police officers cared more about going home for the day than protecting a domestic violence victim who was killed by her alleged abuser a short time later.

In a strongly worded opinion released late last week, 1st District appellate justices ruled the CPD officers did not use all reasonable means to prevent ... abuse, neglect or exploitation when responding to a domestic violence call at Vanessa Taylors West Side apartment on June 28, 2015.

Records show that when police arrived at the home, they saw Taylors boyfriend, James Thomas, holding a Samurai sword and appearing to make Molotov cocktails. Officers took the man, who had been hearing voices and trying to start grease fires in the apartment, to a hospital, where they strapped him to a bed and then left him there.

Thomas was treated with an antipsychotic drug and released early the next morning, according to court documents. He returned to Taylors apartment and on June 30  about 25 hours after the initial 911 call for help  and allegedly strangled the 49-year-old mother of five with a cable cord.

We find that the officers failure to fulfill their duties under the (states Domestic Violence) Act was a substantial factor in bringing about Vanessas death, the opinion states.

A Cook County jury took less than two hours in 2022 to find the city liable for Taylors death and awarded her estate $3 million, which is believed to be a record civil judgment under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. The appellate court upheld their decision, finding the cops who responded to her home showed utter indifference to or conscious disregard for her safety.

In a 39-page ruling, Justice Sanjay Tailor listed several steps the officers should have taken under Illinois law to help ensure Taylors well-being, including informing her about orders of protection, referring her to a social service agency and taking her to a nearby domestic shelter. He also faulted the officers for not ensuring the medical staff understood the dangerous behavior Thomas exhibited, which could have factored into the doctors decision to civilly commit him.

Records indicate Taylor had a black eye, but officers treated the situation as a mental health call and did not arrest Thomas. The court listed several charges Thomas could have faced in connection with the incident, particularly after he allegedly cut the gas line in Taylors building and tussled with officers who eventually used a Taser to get him under control.

(The) officers were not necessarily required to arrest Thomas, nor were they permitted to simply walk away shortly after taking Thomas to the hospital, Tailor wrote.

In perhaps the most damning passage, the justices found sufficient evidence for a jury to conclude at least two responding officers were more focused on ending their shifts than helping Taylor. One officer testified her shift ended while she was at the hospital, while another said he was at the end of his shift and about to start his weekend.

The undisputed facts about what actions the officers took and did not take, coupled with the evidence adduced at trial ... provided sufficient evidence for the jury to infer that the officers were more interested in going home than in complying with their obligations under the (states Domestic Violence) Act to take reasonable measures to protect Vanessa, the opinion states.

Civil rights attorney Richard Dvorak, who represented Taylors family in the lawsuit, told the Tribune that the appellate ruling sends an unequivocal message about police officers obligations to domestic violence victims. Whenever a law enforcement has reason to believe that a person has been abused, neglected, or exploited by a family or household member, the law requires them to: make an arrest if appropriate, discuss orders of protection, refer the victim to a social service agency and offer to take the victim to a shelter, among other things.

Im really hoping that not only the city of Chicago, but every jurisdiction in Illinois, starts training their officers that these are not mere suggestions in the statute. Theyre mandatory and theres a reason for that, Dvorak said. And if you dont comply, death could very well occur.

The city of Chicago has not decided whether it will appeal the decision, according to a Law Department spokesperson. She also declined to comment on whether the Police Department would institute any changes in light of the appellate opinion.

The Department of Law is reviewing the courts decision and is assessing next steps, spokesperson Kristen Cabanban said in statement.

Thomas was found mentally fit to stand trial for Taylors murder in 2022. He remains in Cook County Jail awaiting trial.

Taylors case drew intense interest from domestic violence advocacy groups, more than a dozen of which submitted legal briefs in support of the original Cook County jury verdict. The ruling marked the second time in less than a week that the 1st District Appellate Court outlined police officers obligations when responding to domestic violence calls and reiterated the steps that must be taken to safeguard a victims well-being.

In an opinion released Dec. 29, justices ruled that a mans family could sue the village of Maywood after police responded to a 2017 domestic violence call in which Lee Anthony Davis son had gone on an aggressive and violent rampage. The son, Gale Jackson, was taken to the hospital and discharged later that night.

He returned to his fathers home and tried to strangle his brother, according to court records. When Davis tried to intervene, Jackson allegedly pushed him down the stairs and caused a fatal injury.

Jackson currently is in Cook County Jail, awaiting trial for his fathers murder.

Cook County Circuit Judge Cheryl Ingram had dismissed the Davis familys lawsuit, saying that officers had taken Jackson to a hospital equipped to handle someone who may be dangerous and that showed the officers acted in good faith in rendering emergency assistance.

The appellate court disagreed and reinstated the case, stating the law required the officers to explain how to obtain an order of protection, offer to take the family to a safe place and summarize other assistance that was available. The family also was not asked if they wanted to press charges against Jackson, which could have stopped him from returning immediately home after being released from the hospital.

Arresting Gale, instead of merely leaving him in the hands of hospital personnel without knowing the outcome of his medical evaluation, would have prevented the predictably tragic events that occurred when Gale was able to return to the residence under his own devices, without sufficient time for his anger to have cooled, the opinion states. Furthermore, arresting someone and obtaining medical care for them are not mutually exclusive choices.

Dvorak  who also represented Davis family in a successful appeal  says the back-to-back appellate decisions make clear that officers cannot hand off their responsibilities when it comes to domestic violence calls.

In both cases, they dropped the men off at the hospital so it wasnt their problem anymore, and they hoped for the best, Dvorak said. But in these kind of volatile domestic violence situations, hoping for the best is not acceptable.
SPRINGFIELD  The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a downstate Illinois lawmaker's request for a review of a 2023 state Supreme Court decision upholding the state's assault weapons ban.

Caulkins told Lee Enterprises that the decision was "disappointing" though not surprising. The court typically receives about 6,000 petitions per term and about 60 to 70 are usually granted, meaning the chances of success were slim.

"They're busy," Caulkins said. "Our case didn't set a legal precedent and was probably not something that they felt that they had time to devote to, I guess."

Caulkins had argued that the Illinois Supreme Court's 4-3 ruling upholding the ban denied plaintiffs their due process right to a fair hearing due to the participation of two justices with perceived conflicts.

Justices Mary Kay O'Brien and Elizabeth Rochford, both Democrats elected to the state's high court in 2022, received $500,000 from Pritzker's campaign and $500,000 from Pritzker's personal trust during the campaign.

The pair also received endorsements from gun control lobbying groups Gun Violence Prevention PAC and Giffords PAC.

Lawmakers passed and Pritzker signed the legislation banning semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines in January. It took effect immediately, making Illinois the ninth state in the country with a ban on the books.

"I still don't feel like we got a fair hearing at the Illinois Supreme Court," Caulkins said. "Just because the Supreme Court did not take our case for review doesn't change the facts that the two Illinois Supreme Court justices accepted millions of dollars in donations from gun control advocates."

Rochford wrote the majority opinion upholding the ban while O'Brien dissented, actually siding with Caulkins in the case.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett last month denied Caulkins' request for an injunction while the cert petition was considered. A day later, the full court declined a similar request to block the law as federal lawsuits continue.

In November, a three-member judicial panel on Chicago-based U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the state's ban in a 2-1 decision. Gun rights advocates are likely to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court.

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BRISTOL, Tenn.  Bristol, Tennessee City Schools will provide free breakfast and lunch to all its students at no cost and with no application needed.

Beginning this semester, the Bristol, Tennessee School system will be participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal service made possible through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) aimed at making sure that all kids in low-income areas have access to healthy meals.

Jennifer Burleson, the Bristol, Tennessee City schools director of nutrition, highlighted that by providing students with free breakfast and lunch, they will not only be easing the financial burden on families but also create an environment where they can concentrate on being the best students they can be.

Its the first time weve been able to operate this program outside of the COVID pandemic, Burleson said. We know that hungry children cant learn and we really just want our families and our students to participate and really take advantage of the benefit, so our students are ready for classroom learning.

School districts that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Burleson explained that 50 to 75% of students enrolled in the Bristol, Tenn. School system are in need of the program due to food insecurity.

Its just a great benefit that we can offer families, Burleson said.

Burleson highlighted that, on average, families with kids in the Bristol, Tennessee School system will save up to $105 per month per child.

So its a huge benefit to our families. It eases the burden of packing lunches. It also levels the playing field financially between students who may have been paid versus those who were free, Burleson said. Theres no need for that information with this program. So everyone comes through our cafeteria and receives a meal at no charge.

Students may still purchase food items outside the reimbursable meals, such as a la carte items. For these additional purchases, parents may continue to upload money to their childs account through the school system MySchoolBucks portal.
Over its 215-year history, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City has earned a reputation as the flagship of the Black church in America.

Based in Harlem, it became a famous megachurch with the political rise of the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., perhaps the most influential of the many men who have led the congregation. Powell, pastor from 1937 to 1972, served in Congress for 26 years.

Among the countless believers making Abyssinian their spiritual home was Eboni Marshall Turman, who came to believe she could become the first woman to be the churchs senior pastor. She rose through the ranks and in 2007 became the youngest pastor ordained in Abyssinians history.

After longtime senior pastor Calvin O. Butts III died in 2022, Marshall Turman  by then a professor at Yale Divinity School  was among dozens of people who applied to fill the vacancy.

She was full of optimism that she would be chosen. Instead, she wasnt even a finalist, and is so convinced that sexism was the key factor that she has now filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Abyssinian and its search committee of gender discrimination.

Along with the church, the lawsuit  filed Dec. 29  specifically names the search committee chair, Valerie S. Grant, accusing her of behaving inappropriately by asking Marshall Turman questions and pressing issues not broached with her male counterparts.

Gender discrimination motivated the decision not to hire (Marshall Turman), a fact discussed openly during meetings of the Committee, including by Grant and another Committee member, who said that Abyssinian would only hire a woman as its Senior Pastor over my dead body, the complaint states.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages from the defendants for lost wages, lost benefits, other economic damages, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and mental distress," as well as an injunction forbidding any hiring-related gender discrimination.

The Harlem church and Grant, who also is a board member of Morehouse College in Atlanta, disputed the lawsuits discrimination accusations.

While she and others were considered for the role because of their impressive backgrounds, she ultimately fell short of some key requirements for the role, where other finalist candidates prevailed and moved forward in the process, said Abyssinian spokesperson LaToya Evans. In her statement, she said the church is prepared to defend itself against the allegations.

Grant, who described the search process as rigorous, said Marshall Turman was one of 11 people who advanced from a 47-applicant field. While some committee members may have felt she was the strongest candidate, she did not receive enough votes to advance to the next round, Grant said.

Due to varied beliefs on whether women can have authority over men, the Black church broadly has been a minefield for women aspiring to pastoral leadership. Beyond that, the question of who gets to preach from the pulpit has caused deep rifts in denominations and congregations all across Christian America.

Marshall Turman, who did not respond to requests from The Associated Press for comment, researches gender politics in Black churches and related issues. It also is the focus of her forthcoming book.

I further interrogate theological erasure and violence against Black women in Black churches, she said about Black Womens Burden: Male Power, Gender Violence, and the Scandal of African American Social Christianity in a September post on Facebook.

Currently, life is tracking my theory.

The remaining Abyssinian finalists are men. The lawsuit gives reasons Marshall Turman believed she stood a real chance of filling Abyssinians top job, including being told by committee members that she was the obvious pick and being held in high esteem by Calvin Butts, her ministry mentor.

Grant said the process was designed to be fair to everyone.

I have an issue with people characterizing this process as discriminatory and designed to deny opportunities to women," she said. Its simply not the case.

The process was the same for every candidate, she said, adding that her job was to tell the committee to set their biases aside. Some wanted an older person, or a younger one; some wanted the candidate to be married and others wanted them to have existing connections to Abyssinian, she said.

She took issue with the lawsuits accusations against her own interviewing of Marshall Turman. Grant explained that every candidate was asked a series of common questions, and additional ones tailored to each person were asked as well. Grant said Marshall Turman was asked certain questions that other candidates did not get because she was the only woman candidate.

When Butts died in October 2022, after a bout with cancer, Marshall Turman felt that God had called her to the moment.

She wrote an application to Abyssinians senior pastorate that reflected her credentials, including a Master of Divinity and doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and experience on the Abyssinian staff as a minister for Christian education.

Butts called her the best assistant he had ever had, and the smartest, too, according to the lawsuit.

Marshall Turman was among those invited to apply.

But after not making it to the final round, she alleged in a Facebook post on Sept. 23, 2023, that the hiring process was tainted by secrecy and gender bias. She contended that Abyssinian deacons had worked alongside an energized group of Morehouse supporters and committee leadership to systematically eliminate all female applicants from the pool of candidates.

I write only to underscore that gender bias has no place in Gods house, Marshall Turman continued in her post. Moreover, gender bias is illegal in the City of New York in 2023 no matter the prior legacy of the organization involved.

Women's pay gap hasn't changed. Here's whyand how to fix it Women's pay gap hasn't changed. Here's whyand how to fix it Key Findings States with the largest gender wage gaps How partisan lean correlates with gender wage gaps States with the smallest gender wage gaps Where are wages growing fastest for women? Methodology
A Conover man will be behind bars for up to 15 years, following his conviction and sentencing in Catawba County Superior Court on Monday.

Samuel Wade Lawrence, 39, will serve an active prison term of 11 to 15 years for multiple criminal offenses and admission of his status as a habitual felon, according to a news release from District Attorney Scott Reillys office.

Judge Louis A. Trosch handed down the sentence after Lawrence entered a guilty plea for breaking/entering, breaking/entering with intent to terrorize and injury to real property, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, the release said.

Lawrences sentence length was enhanced by his habitual felon status that included prior felony convictions for habitual larceny in Catawba County (February 2019), breaking/entering in Lincoln County (October 2009) and larceny from the person in Lincoln County (May 2004), the release said.

Lawrence and a co-defendant were captured on security camera footage breaking into a private residence in Hickory on Dec. 31, 2022, and into Jan. 1, 2023. Items were taken from the residence along with the homeowners vehicle that was used to commit a larceny at a business and to sell several items stolen from the home at a pawn shop, the release stated.

A search at Lawrences home on Jan. 6, 2023, yielded goods taken from the business when the larceny was committed along with other items taken from the home.

The breaking/entering to terrorize and injury to real property occurred on April 3, 2023, when the defendant kicked in the door of a room at a local hotel, gained entry and struck a female victim he had a relationship with at the time. He made her leave the hotel with him, the release said.

Security footage at the hotel showed Lawrence kick in the door, charge and yell at the defendant before striking her multiple times. Law enforcement officers found him leading the victim back to her home later, the release said.

On Oct. 15, 2022, officers initiated a traffic stop for a revoked registration on a vehicle that was driven by the defendant. He told officers he did not have a license, and a check of the vehicles registration showed that it had been entered as stolen, the release said.

The cases were investigated by the Catawba County Sheriffs Office and Hickory Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Howard Wellons handled prosecution for the state.
A woman is asking for answers after she said her boyfriend was shot and killed at home by bail bondsmen Sunday.

Gary David Ritch, 57, was shot around 4:10 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7, at a home on Pax Hill Road near Piney Road, according to a release from the Burke County Sheriffs Office. Ritch was transported to a hospital where he later died from his injuries, the release said.

The sheriffs office said there were bail bonding agents on scene at the time of the shooting.

Ritchs girlfriend, Polly Moretz, said it was the bail bonding agents who shot Ritch.

Moretz was home when she said bail bond agents knocked on the front door. They walked around to the back door, where Moretz said they asked Ritch why he wouldnt come to the door. She said Ritch told them he wouldnt answer the door because it wasnt his house.

When the bail bond agents came back to the front door, Moretz said another person in the house heard the bail bond agents yell for Ritch, who was in a back bedroom in the mobile home.

Moretz said the front door of the home was kicked in and the bail bond agents entered the house and headed toward the back bedroom. She said moments later, shots were fired. She said she didnt hear anything else that was said once the bail bond agents made it into the house.

Moretz said the only gun in the house was a BB gun  a Wildcat Whisper air rifle that she said fired one .177 caliber pellet at a time. She said she wasnt sure if Ritch had reached for the gun when he was shot.

Sitting in her living room, just down the hall from where her boyfriend was shot and killed Sunday, Moretz was in tears on Monday morning.

It was wrong, Moretz said. For the amount of money and the charge, it was wrong.

The bond

Ritch was out of jail on a $5,000 bond for a driving while impaired case, along with a slew of other traffic charges related to the DWI, according to court records.

He skipped a Nov. 17 court hearing, leading a judge to forfeit the bond and issue an order for his arrest, according to officials with the Burke County Clerk of Courts office.

When Ritchs bond was forfeited, the clock would have started for either law enforcement or the bail bondsmen to find him.

An official with the Burke County Clerk of Courts office explained that when a bond is forfeited, bondsmen have 180 days for the person to be brought into custody so they wont be responsible for the full bond amount.

If the person is not found within that timeframe, a judgment is entered for the amount of the bond. If the judgment is executed, the bonding company is on the line for the bail money plus 8% interest per day, the clerks office said. The bond company cannot post any other bonds in the state until that money is paid.

It had been about 51 days since Ritch failed to appear in court.

He had previously been convicted of 13 counts of driving while impaired, along with driving while license revoked, misdemeanor damage to property, larceny and reckless driving, according to records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Bonding practices

Bail bonding agents are allowed to force entry into homes in specific situations, said Rick Hasson, a retired sheriffs deputy who has worked as a bondsman since he retired more than five years ago.

Hasson said if a bond has been forfeited, like Ritchs, a bondsman can enter the residence provided to them by the offender on their paperwork.

Im surprised this has not happened before, Hasson said. You hear about it happening in other places. Im surprised it hadnt happened before now, here, because there is so many bondsmen now and theyre getting new ones every day of the week.

He said the North Carolina Department of Insurance, which regulates bail bonding in the state, does a good job but training is limited. He said bondsmen go through a weekend of training, then take a series of tests. If they pass the tests, they must work under another bondsman for a year before they can work on their own. After that, bail bonds agents complete about three hours of training a year.

Hasson said in general, he felt the industry needs more training.

Investigation continues

No charges had been issued in the case by Monday afternoon, but the shooting remains under investigation.

The sheriffs office said it is working in conjunction with NCDOI to complete the investigation.

Burke County EMS, Chesterfield Fire Rescue, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the North Carolina Wildlife Commission all responded to the scene.
Coretta Scott King is often remembered as a devoted wife and mother, yet she was also a committed activist in her own right. She was deeply involved with social justice causes before she met and married Martin Luther King Jr., and long after his death.

Scott King served with civil rights groups throughout her time as a student at Antioch College and the New England Conservatory of Music. Shortly after she and King married in 1953, the couple returned to the South, where they lent their support to local and regional organizations such as the NAACP and the Montgomery Improvement Association.

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They also supported the Womens Political Council, an organization founded by female African American professors at Alabama State University that facilitated voter education and registration, and also protested discrimination on city buses. These local leadership efforts paved the way for widespread support of Rosa Parks resistance to segregation on public busing.

Following her husbands assassination in 1968, Scott King devoted her life to institutionalizing his philosophy and practice of nonviolence. She established the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, led a march of sanitation workers in Memphis and joined efforts to organize the Poor Peoples Campaign. A longtime advocate of workers rights, she also supported a 1969 hospital workers strike in South Carolina, delivering stirring speeches against the treatment of African American staff.

Scott Kings commitment to nonviolence went beyond civil rights at home. During the 1960s, she became involved in peace and anti-war efforts such as the Womens Strike for Peace and opposed the escalating war in Vietnam. By the 1980s, she had joined protests against South African apartheid, and before her death in 2006, she spoke out in favor of LGBT rights  capping a lifetime of activism against injustice and inequalities.
From conferences that allow you to meet other dairy farmers to listening to podcasts while youre working in the barn, professional development doesnt have to be a huge time commitment. To help you make it a priority in 2024, read on to hear from three dairy producers who share simple ideas for professional development.



Learn from and network with other farmers

Hearing one of the keynote speakers at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit talk about his mentality for [working with family] was intriguing and challenging, said Kerry Zeiset, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer. He shared how change is possible, and once we are all pulling together on things rather than apart, so much more can be accomplished. That was a really good challenge because we are doing a farm transition. You have to be willing to work together.

Sitting beside other farmers at the Summit helped me realize were all in this together. Nobody has it all figured out. It was encouraging, Zeiset added.

Hosted by the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania and Center for Dairy Excellence, the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit will be held February 7 and 8, 2024, in Lancaster, Pa. The event brings together dairy producers and allied industry representatives from around the state and country who want to unlock their potential and boost their performance. Visit www.padairysummit.org to learn more and register today.

Become a better communicator through dairy-specific courses

Led by Katie Dotterer of AgvoKate, the online winter course titled Spanish for Agriculture includes dairy and agriculture-specific vocabulary. The Center for Dairy Excellence is offering $100 discounts for dairy producers from any state who sign up for the course being held from January 16 to March 7, 2024. Producers must sign up by January 11 to receive the discount.

I loved getting back into the Spanish language. For any dairy that works with Spanish-speaking personnel and are sweating the communication gap, this course will help alleviate the stress of communication. Learning the proper terms of all things dairy around the farm has been a great benefit to communicating with our Spanish-speaking employees, said Pamela Barnes of Maple Knoll Farm in Pennsylvania.

Pick one new idea to take back to your farm

If you can visit another farm, go to a seminar, or listen to a podcast and pick up just one thing you can learn and take back to your farm, its well worth it, said Neil Hertzler, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer.

With more than 13,600 downloads to date, the Center for Dairy Excellences Cow-Side Conversations podcast shares real-time farmer insight, tricks of the trade, and inspiring stories from dairies across Pennsylvania. Ive been able to get one really interesting thing I can take home with me from each podcast episode, Hertzler described.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2023

January 4, 2024
According to Merriam-Webster, the original definition of wainscot referred to "a fine grade of oak imported for woodwork," and it was a term used as early as the 14th century. By the late 1500s, it had become a verb meaning "to line with boards or paneling."

Etymologically, the word stems from the Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wagenschot, meaning something like "wagon partition," so titled possibly because the same wood had been used in the construction of wagons.

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Today, the term "wainscot"  and the more common "wainscoting"  refers to a type of paneling used on the interior of a space that covers the lower portion of the wall. While it has the protective function of adding a layer over the wall material and paint, the main purpose of the raised panels is to decorate a space.

Despite periods of heightened popularity, like the Arts & Crafts movement, wainscoting has never gone out of style, so it offers an accessible and time-tested option for adding more flair to a room.

"[Wainscoting is used] to break the wall space visually," says Bill Musso, president of Atlanta-based Musso Design Group. "It doesn't really have a function these days; it's more visual. Over the years, it's become more of a decorative thing."

What Is the Purpose of Wainscoting?

Nevertheless, Musso explains that you can use wainscot to keep walls safe from damage and blemishes in heavy-traffic areas like entryways, stairways and hallways  just the types of places people are likely to bump or run their hands over the walls.

Think of children with sticky fingers, and you will understand the purpose of shielding your paint or wallpaper with this protective layer.

Wainscoting vs. Chair Rail Molding

Chair rail molding and wainscoting are not the same thing, but they complement each other. In a dining room, for example, a wainscot cap, which is molding, may top the wall panels.

This cap molding can protect the walls from being banged up by chairs. Hence, the cap is typically referred to as a chair rail, although a chair rail can also float on the wall solo. You can add baseboard molding to the wainscoting panel to complete the look.
A Dutchman was responsible for infecting equipment at Iran's Natanz nuclear plant in 2008 with the Stuxnet virus, leading to years of delay in the country's nuclear program, a Dutch publication, Volkskrant, claims.

Erik van Sabben, who was 36 at the time, is claimed to have carried out the task after having been recruited in 2005 by the AIVD, a Dutch intelligence outfit.

A few years ago, Volksrant claimed Van Sabben had been recruited by AIVD and also another Dutch intelligence outfit, MIVD.

Stuxnet was discovered by researcher Sergey Ulasen in 2010; he joined Russian security firm Kaspersky a year later. At that time, the virus was believed to have been infiltrated into the Natanz plant through an USB drive as the lab was not connected to any external network.

But Volksrant claimed the equipment used to infect the plant was a water pump that Van Sabben himself had installed there. The engineer is said to have left Iran soon after he carried out this task and died two weeks later in a motorcycle accident in Dubai.

His death is claimed to have been natural, and not due to any foul play. He was apparently chosen for the task because of his technical background and also his links with Iran: he was already doing business in the country and was married to an Iranian woman.

The Volksrant report said the Dutch government was unaware of the operation, with an anonymous source at AIVD claiming this was due to potential political fallout, adding that it was usual practice to "sweep the prime minister's doorstep clean".

Another new claim by Volksrant was that Stuxnet, which is believed to have been developed jointly by the NSA and Israel's Unit 8200, cost more than US$1 billion to create.

Reacting to the story, Costin Raiu, long-time head of Kaspersky's Global Research & Analysis Team who left the company last year, said: "Some interesting points from the article: Stuxnet cost more than US$1 billion to build (!).

"If true, it was brought into Natanz in a 'water pump', that later spread it to the network.

"The guy who did this died in 2009, so very important detail, the Stuxnet variant he brought in 2007 would be a really early one, like Stuxnet 0.5.

"IMHO, the really impactful variants were the later ones, that were seeded through five different organisations in Iran, in 2009 and 2010."

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at security firm WithSecure, said he did not buy the claim of the US$1 billion price tag. "Millions, certainly, dozens of millions, sure. A billion? I dont think so," he said.
COMPANY NEWS: Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced that National Chi Nan University (NCNU) has implemented Junipers AI-driven wireless solutions. With Junipers Access Points driven by Mist AI , NCNU is able to provide a seamless wireless network experience for its students and staff while delivering on its vision of becoming an AI-integrated university.

With enrollment averaging around 6500 students each year and over 700 faculty members, NCNU is one of Taiwan's 13 academic research centers supporting the Ministry of Education in key research studies. Beyond its contribution to the nations research programs, NCNUs goal is to build a digitally-led campus to further enable hybrid learning experiences for its students undergoing the Executive Master of Business Administration program (EMBA).

For its EMBA students, changes in post-pandemic learning styles have increased their expectations for seamless access to online classes and digital resources. Lectures need to be carried out disruption-free, regardless of time and location, especially in a blended learning environment where students require the flexibility of virtual and in-person interactions. NCNU needed a smarter and more robust high-speed wireless network to adapt to the students' growing digital expectations.

This entailed a comprehensive reassessment of its previous network infrastructure and the transformation of its wireless network into one that could facilitate high-speed wireless

connections throughout its campuses. Having selected and implemented the Juniper AP43 Wireless Access Points in conjunction with Juniper Mist Cloud, NCNU has now significantly optimized the performance of its network across its EMBA classes for an improved learning experience.

For instance, the AI-powered Juniper Mist Wi-Fi Assurance and Juniper Marvis Virtual Network Assistant cloud services allow NCNU to proactively monitor the network and

quickly resolve issues, reducing the need for human intervention and freeing up the universitys IT teams time to focus on more strategic tasks. With disruptions lessened,

applications are also more responsive, with the network able to automatically adapt to unexpected surges in usage.

As a result, zero Wi-Fi trouble tickets have been logged1 since Junipers AI-driven solutions were implemented. NCNUs enhanced user experience has significantly improved the

overall quality of learning for all its students while simultaneously aligning with the universitys vision of establishing an AI-powered campus to continuously improve a digital-

led environment for its students and staff.

Dr. Hsiao Guisen, CTO, National Chi Nan University: To cater to the evolving needs of our students across multiple campuses, particularly our EMBA students, National Chi Nan University required a wireless networking solution that is reliable, cost-effective, and one that we could manage remotely for ease of IT operations. Junipers AI-driven solutions have allowed us to do just that through undisrupted connectivity and ease of automation. Not only are we able to enhance the overall educational experience for our EMBA students, but we are also now one step closer to fulfilling our vision of becoming an AI-integrated campus.

Eric Lin, Country Manager, Juniper Networks Taiwan: Through our long-term partnership with National Chi Nan University, we are pleased to have been selected to transform their campus Wi-Fi experience with our AI-driven solutions to meet the universitys growing needs. This is in addition to the provision of our routing and switching solutions that have been operational in their network for the past decade. Through our Juniper Mist solutions, NCNU can better scale its networking requirements in accordance with its needs, all while working towards creating a transformative educational environment for its students.

Additional Resources:

Case study: Mist AI Enhances National Chi Nan University Campus Experience

 Product & Solution Pages:

o Juniper Networks Wireless Access Points & Edge

o Juniper Networks Mist AI and Cloud

 Follow Juniper Networks online: X (Twitter), Facebook | | LinkedIn

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks is dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security, and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the worlds

greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability, and equality. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper

on X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook. Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

1 From the time of solution implementation in mid of 2023 to the date of publishing this data in January 2024, NCNU had received no network related trouble tick
GUEST OPINION: In today's digital landscape, ensuring business continuity, data privacy, and employee and public safety, particularly in essential operations, mainly entails fighting against different cyber threats. Enterprise security practices differ between companies due to the nature and amount of risk posed by the threats they face.

Enterprise security systems include the people and policies corporations use to protect their network infrastructure, including assets such as devices and endpoints. Enterprise security solutions address the legal structures that apply to an organization's data since they are focused on preserving a company's security posture within the constraints of the law.

A Comprehensive Look at Evolving Cyber Threats

Understanding the threats in the ever-changing cyber landscape is critical in an era of rapid technological innovation. The proliferation of IoT devices creates new attack vectors, potentially increasing the effect of breaches. Furthermore, the dark web remains a trading place for cybercriminals, facilitating the sale of stolen data and hacking tools. As AI becomes increasingly common, the threat of AI-driven cyberattacks grows. Understanding these new dynamics is critical for businesses looking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, adapt to the changing nature of the digital threat landscape, and implement robust enterprise security solutions.

Threat intelligence is information gathered, evaluated, and interpreted to determine potential threats to an organization's security. Data from multiple sources, including security analysts, threat feeds, open-source data, dark web monitoring, and internal security logs, gives actionable insights and a proactive strategy for identifying, mitigating, and preventing potential cyber-attacks.

Threat intelligence is classified into three categories:

Strategic intelligence: It focuses on understanding emerging trends, changing attack techniques, and the capabilities and intentions of threat actors. It assists organizations in developing long-term security strategies and making informed resource allocation decisions.

It focuses on understanding emerging trends, changing attack techniques, and the capabilities and intentions of threat actors. It assists organizations in developing long-term security strategies and making informed resource allocation decisions. Operational intelligence: It provides real-time or near-real-time information regarding ongoing threats, vulnerabilities, and security incidents. It helps organizations respond quickly to active threats by identifying and blocking malicious activities or patching vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

It provides real-time or near-real-time information regarding ongoing threats, vulnerabilities, and security incidents. It helps organizations respond quickly to active threats by identifying and blocking malicious activities or patching vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Tactical intelligence: It comprises detailed information about particular threats, malware samples, and vulnerabilities. By updating security controls, creating signatures for intrusion detection systems, or building specific protective measures, security teams can improve their protective abilities with the support of tactical intelligence.

Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges: What Risks Do Enterprises Face?

Businesses are exposed to various threats that could impact their reputation, data integrity, and operations.

Data Risks: Sensitive data is vulnerable to cyberattacks, which puts businesses at significant risk. Financial losses, decreased customer trust, and legal consequences can arise from unauthorized access, data breaches, or critical data loss.

Sensitive data is vulnerable to cyberattacks, which puts businesses at significant risk. Financial losses, decreased customer trust, and legal consequences can arise from unauthorized access, data breaches, or critical data loss. Reputation Risks: A bad reputation is a significant fallout of cybersecurity events. Following a data breach, brand loyalty, customer trust, and public perception may suffer long-term damage. The speed at which negative information spreads through social media increases its impact on a company's reputation. After an incident, reestablishing trust becomes extremely difficult and frequently requires extensive brand rehabilitation and communication expenditures.

A bad reputation is a significant fallout of cybersecurity events. Following a data breach, brand loyalty, customer trust, and public perception may suffer long-term damage. The speed at which negative information spreads through social media increases its impact on a company's reputation. After an incident, reestablishing trust becomes extremely difficult and frequently requires extensive brand rehabilitation and communication expenditures. Operational Risks: One of the most significant risks businesses face is interrupting regular business activities. Cyberattacks may result in lost time, reduced productivity, and disruptions to the supply chain. The operational consequences impact customer service and internal operations, resulting in financial losses and a decline in market competitiveness.

Establishing comprehensive enterprise security solutions, encouraging a culture of cybersecurity awareness, and staying up-to-date on emerging threats are critical steps in protecting data, reputation, and business sustainability. As the threat landscape develops, a proactive approach to risk management becomes crucial to modern organizations' long-term success.

Why do Businesses Require Comprehensive Security Solutions over Traditional Security Measures?

Traditional security methods are increasingly insufficient, necessitating comprehensive security solutions. Conventional security measures, like firewalls and antivirus software, served as first-line defences against cyber threats. They frequently work in silos, resulting in a fragmented defence that struggles to keep up with the complexity of modern cyber threats.

Integrating various security layers, such as identity management, encryption, and advanced threat detection, provides a more robust defence against constantly changing threats. The advantages of comprehensive security are found in its ability to offer a flexible and unified shield that tackles the complex nature of cyber threats. The proactive strategy of a security approach becomes more crucial as cyber threats become more sophisticated. Protecting sensitive data, maintaining reputation, and ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of business processes are necessary.

Selecting the right enterprise security software solutions for your needs is crucial. HCL enterprise security solutions can assist you in making informed decisions to protect software, manage endpoints, and maintain organizational security in the highly interconnected Digital+ environment. Its solutions will assist you in detecting, mitigating, and remediating risks and securing the business.

Implement Enterprise Security Solutions with HCLSoftware

It involves choosing software that meets the organization's specific requirements, such as centralized management, threat detection capabilities, and scalability. The enterprise-level solutions from HCLSoftware provide comprehensive protection for your software, whether developed in-house or purchased externally.

HCL BigFix: It is an endpoint device management platform that uses intelligent automation and continuous compliance to help IT operations teams handle around 100 operating system versions. It leads to reduced operating expenses, improved endpoint security, and enhanced management processes.

HCL AppScan: Throughout the software development lifecycle, developers, DevOps teams, and security experts can identify application security risks with a comprehensive suite of technologies. Use best-in-class testing tools, centralized visibility and oversight, and flexible deployment options (cloud-native, on-premises, and on-cloud) to protect the business and its customers.

If you're ready to take the necessary steps to secure company data and maintain consumer trust, contact us today to discover how to safeguard the data from emerging threats.
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For eight years, the U.S. State Department has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information on the whereabouts of Saleh Arouri, a Hamas terrorist whose hands were dripping red.

This week, Israel found him.

Arouri was killed on Tuesday with two other Hamas military leaders in an explosion outside of Beirut in Lebanon. Israeli officials wouldn't comment on the development, but The New York Times reported that U.S. and other sources "ascribed the attack" to the Jewish state.

"No one is safe if they had any hand in planning, raising money for or carrying out" the Oct. 7 attacks, an unnamed U.S. official told the Times. "This is just the beginning, and it'll go on for years."

It's important to note that Arouri had a bloody resume. The State Department said that he had been "linked to several terrorist attacks, hijackings and kidnappings." One such crime was the 2014 abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, including one who was also an American citizen.

Arouri was involved in coordinating cooperation between Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah.

"Arouri worked with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' chief in Gaza, in recent years to link the group's military wing more closely to Iran, which, regional security officials say, most likely helped the group develop some of the capabilities it used in the Oct. 7 attack," The Times reports.

In other words, he was knee deep in carrying out a barbaric military operation against Israeli civilians that left more than 1,200 innocents dead and led to the kidnapping of more than 200 men, women and children whom Hamas would use as bargaining chips. He helped plan a gruesome assault that singled out women for sexual violence, mutilation and torture and was "systemic and unprecedented in its cruelty," as one Israeli witness described it.

Israeli forces went on high alert after the death of Arouri in anticipation that Hezbollah might retaliate. Critics of Israel maintain that the attack will escalate the violence, but Hezbollah has been shelling northern Israel with missiles from Lebanon since the Oct. 7 massacre. Who is escalating what? These are the same critics who turn a blind eye to Hamas hiding military targets among civilian populations.

It's just as likely that Israel's targeted operation sends a message of steely resolve to those who wish to destroy the Jewish state. Israel has made clear that it won't be cowed into a cease-fire that allows its enemies to rearm and recuperate in order to terrorize innocents once again. Arouri ran but he couldn't hide. They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
Another high ranking for North Carolina in another business climate report  this time from Forbes magazine.

Forbes said the report is geared toward entrepreneurs considering where to launch their businesses.

The ranking encapsulates a variety of factors, such as population demographics, tax considerations, the rate of small business growth and the availability of funding.

The key entrepreneurial metrics for North Carolina were: $125 for a small-business formation fee; a 77% survival rate; $22.019 average funding cost per small business; 0.96% cost of living index; and 65% of the population being of working age.

The data also reviews metrics that include income tax, gross domestic product per capita and the cost of living index.

North Carolina offers a blend of supportive business elements, Forbes said in its review of what the state has to offer entrepreneurs.

The Forbes report comes two months after North Carolina ranked seventh for business startups during 2022 by consulting firm Venture Smarter. And in July, CNBC listed North Carolina as its top state for business for the second consecutive year. Its only the second time a state has repeated at No. 1.

A prevailing economic theory has been that the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a surge of business startups in North Carolina as employees opted to work for themselves or pursue an entrepreneurial dream.

N.C. State economics professor Michael Walden said that because of North Carolinas strong economic growth and nationally recognized business climate, the state is a natural for people who want to start new businesses.

Meanwhile, Wallethub, a national economic research group, determined Winston-Salem to be the best large city for business costs and 13th overall for new businesses.

In other rankings, North Carolina rose slightly  going from 10th to ninth  in the annual Tax Foundation report comparing state corporate tax costs across the country.

The study, which was released Oct. 26, ranks states in five primary tax categories: corporate; individual income; property; sales; and unemployment insurance. The state ranked fifth for corporate, sixth for unemployment insurance, 12th for property, 15th for individual income and 20th for sales.

Also, in May, North Carolina was ranked as the nations top state for economic and business development projects, claiming the 2023 Prosperity Cup from Site Selection magazine for the third consecutive year.

The award is shared by the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. and N.C. Commerce Department.

In January 2023, N.C. received another No. 1 economic designation from a media outlet, this time the 2022 State of the Year from Business Facilities magazine.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined Monday for the second time to hear a R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. appeal of a law banning flavored tobacco products in California.

The Supreme Court declined without comment Reynolds appeal of a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that affects California as a whole.

The statewide ban went into effect in December 2022.

Mondays decision comes about 11 months after the Supreme Court declined on Feb. 27 to address a lower-court ruling that allowed only Los Angeles County to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products. That ban went into effect in June 2022.

Reynolds declined comment on the decision Monday.

The decision to decline carries significant financial weight for not only Reynolds, but all tobacco manufacturers with flavored products, given California represents about 8% of U.S. tobacco volume. The prohibition is projected to cost California at least $100 million in annual state tobacco-tax revenue, according to the states independent Legislative Analysts Office.

Tadeu Marroco, British American Tobacco Plcs president and chief executive, said in July that the long-term impact of the flavor ban continues to evolve in California.

Due to our menthol skew, 45% of our portfolio had to be delisted at the end of last year in California, Marroco said. Menthol products are reportedly still being sold illicitly due to lack of enforcement. We have also seen elevated flavor volume in surrounding states, despite the industrys best effort to avoid this.

In both appeals, Reynolds claimed state and local laws banning the sale of flavored tobacco products are preempted by the federal Tobacco Control Act of 2009, and that the Ninth Circuit made textual errors in its ruling. The act gives the FDA authority to regulate certain tobacco products.

Reynolds also argued the Ninth Circuits ruling conflicts with this courts precedents and the reasoning of other circuits.

Reynolds said the Supreme Court should take up the complaint because the question presented is exceptionally important, in part to clarify the legality of the L.A. County ban.

Fundamentally, the different practical implications of banning sales in a single county vs. banning sales in the nations most populous state are plain, according to the Reynolds appeal.

Reynolds petition claims California acted pre-emptively in assuming a Food and Drug Administration ban on menthol tobacco products was forthcoming.

The FDA first disclosed its regulatory plans in June 2022 with the goal at that time of having the menthol prohibition in place by May 2023.

In October, the FDA sent its recommended regulatory rules to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review, with analysts and public-health advocates expecting a December or early January announcement.

On Dec. 6, the Biden administration delayed  at least until March  its decision.

There is no merit to Californias suggestion that FDAs proposal to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes lessens the need for review, according to Reynolds petition.

Bonta said in his response to Reynolds initial petition request that states still have authority to ban tobacco products even with Congress passing the Tobacco Control Act.

Bonta argued that when Reynolds appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in the L.A. County matter addressing that subject  whether the Tobacco Control Act expressly preempts state and local laws that prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products  the court denied the petition.

In December 2022, the Supreme Court turned away an appeal by several Reynolds American Inc. businesses to prevent California from enforcing a voter-approved statewide ban of most menthol and other flavored tobacco products.

That ban went into effect Dec. 21, covering such Reynolds affiliates American Snuff Co. LLC, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co.

Reynolds Tobacco responded to the menthol cigarette ban by adding the words crisp and fresh on packages of non-menthol cigarettes.

That is part of Reynolds California, Weve Got You Covered campaign, which is being pitched to smokers through fliers and at retail outlets.

Reynolds already sells a non-menthol version of Newport that has miniscule sales compared with the menthol version.

When asked if those products continued to be marketed that way in California, Reynolds said in a statement Monday that it "continuously evaluates its portfolio of products and marketing activities, and those evolve in line with market dynamics and adult consumer preferences."
Carrying signs that read Free Palestine and Let Gaza Live, a group of about 40 people gathered on the steps of City Hall on Monday to support an Israeli cease-fire and push the Winston-Salem City Council to do the same in the form of a resolution.

Several municipalities across the country have passed such symbolic resolutions as the death toll from the conflict continues to soar, passing the 23,000 mark, Gazas health ministry said on Monday. The three-month war was sparked after the militant group Hamas crossed into Israel and killed nearly 1,200 people and took 240 hostages on Oct. 7.

The Greensboro City Council last week passed a resolution that calls for peace and support and urges national leaders to end the war. The resolution also condemns anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, but stops short of calling for a cease-fire.

On Monday, a small group stood in the evening chill while Tony Ndege led them through such chants as Biden Biden, Youre a Liar. We demand a ceasefire.

President Joe Biden has not called for a cease-fire, a position that has drawn the outrage of some.

Ndege urged some of those gathered to speak at the city councils meeting on Monday and Jan. 22. No public comments were scheduled for Mondays meeting.

The group wants a resolution that calls for an unconditional and lasting cease-fire, a safe route from north to south Gaza for humanitarian aid and for the United States to stop all military aid to Israel.

This has been a decade of genocide, illegal wars and illegal atrocities even prior to Oct. 7, Ndege said.

Chris Zarzar came to the protest for personal reasons. His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Palestine in 1948 after they were stripped of their land rights.

This is an issue that has been close to my heart for many years, and its pretty hard emotionally to see whats happening, he said.

Zarzar said he would like to see Biden push for a cease-fire to allow for humanitarian aid to get through and to declare that Israel is committing war cries.

PHOTOS: Palestine supporters rally on steps of City Hall

To see this is encouraging, he said of the small clutch of protestors.
Heavy rain and strong winds caused power outages and flooding in the Triad and throughout North Carolina.

One person was killed and two others were seriously injured Tuesday when a tree fell on a mobile home in Catawba County, the Hickory Daily Record reported. The National Weather Service is trying to determine whether a tornado touched down in the area.

The weather service issued tornado watch for Forsyth, Davidson and other counties in central North Carolina. The watch was in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The weather service had earlier issued a flood watch and wind advisory for the region.

Forecasters predicted 1 inches to 3 inches of rain Tuesday across the region.

The storm knocked out power to 102,508 Duke Energy customers in North Carolina, including more than 6,000 outages in Forsyth County, 2,690 outages in Guilford County, 1,759 outages in Stokes County and 479 outages in Davie County, the company said.

The conditions prompted the Forsyth and Guilford county schools to close Tuesday.

Davidson County school officials dismissed classes early.

Winston-Salem police responded to some, but not many weather-related traffic crashes, said Lt. C.J. Diamont, a police spokesman. No deaths or serious injuries were reported.

We have not had a huge number of incidents, Diamont said.

Troopers with the N.C. Highway Patrol responded to fallen tree limbs in the roads and highways in central North Carolina, said Senior Trooper Ned Moutrie, a spokesman for the patrol. Troopers worked with local fire departments to remove the tree limbs, he said.

Flooding caused by excessive rainfall was still possible in Forsyth, Guilford and Davidson counties as well as throughout the states central section, the weather service said. Toppled trees and tree limbs fell on roads and homes in the Triad, including Kernersville, and other areas.

A strong storm system moved from the Ohio Valley with its cold front over North Carolina and Virginia, said Phil Hysell, a warning coordination meteorologist in Blacksburg, Va.

Wind speeds increased to 20 to 25 mph, with gusts between 35 and 50 mph expected throughout Tuesday, the weather service said.

The weather service reported that freezing rain caused vehicle crashes in Watauga and Ashe counties.

Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Tuesday across North Carolina.

Coopers declaration waives truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions so that vehicles carrying supplies such as food, medicine or fuel or transporting livestock and crops can get their jobs done quickly, the governors office said.

The weather service also has issued a high wind warning and a wind advisory for Ashe, Alleghany and Watauga counties.

Wind speeds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 reached elevations above 4,000 feet. In addition, wind speeds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph were expected in the region.

Cooper and state emergency management officials urged residents to be safe and cautious during heavy rainfall and winds, and to expect flooding and power outages.

This storm system has the potential to bring high winds and other dangerous storm conditions to North Carolina, and people should be aware and take precautions, Cooper said. Be sure your emergency kits are up to date and pay attention to the weather in your area, especially any weather alerts such as flash flood warnings.

State emergency management officials worked with local authorities and utility companies to respond to the storms effects, said Will Ray, the director of the N.C. Emergency Management.

PHOTOS: Rain soaks Forsyth County
Update: The couple has returned home safely.

Winston-Salem police are asking for the public's help in finding a missing couple.

Saul Palacio, 88, and his wife, Lucia Palacio, 93, were last seen leaving their home to go to Davie Medical Center in Bermuda Run, Winston-Salem police said.

They never arrived at the hospital, police said.

The couple are in a red 2019 Volkswagen Atlas, police said.

Saul Palacio suffers from a cognitive disorder, and a Silver Alert has been activated for him, police said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the Palacios can call Winston-Salem police at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 or its Spanish line at 336-728-3904.
A U.S. government agency has proposed fining an Omaha beef plant nearly $275,000 after an investigation determined the plant violated numerous federal safety standards that resulted in an employee getting severely injured.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administrations investigation into Nebraska Beef began after a June incident when an employee caught their fingertip in a forklift attachment. The employee ultimately lost their hand in a medical amputation three weeks later, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The employee had been helping a forklift operator move materials when the incident occurred, according to the release.

As OSHA investigated the incident, it found that Nebraska Beef failed to develop and employ lockout/tagout procedures for hydraulic dock plates and enclosures, the release said. In addition, OSHA determined that Nebraska Beef lacked safety procedures for material handling and exposed workers to live electrical parts.

Other deficiencies against Nebraska Beef highlighted by OSHA consist of:

* Failure to isolate energy during service and maintenance of dock levelers.

* Unsafe working surfaces.

* Fall hazards on platforms and ladders.

* No readily available eye wash and drenching facility.

* Electrical hazards.

* Lack of kits to handle chemical spills.

* Improperly trained forklift operators.

* Unsafe battery maintenance.

OSHA cited Nebraska Beef for two willful violations and 11 serious violations. OSHA proposed fining Nebraska Beef $274,569.

An employee of Nebraska Beef Ltd. suffered a permanent injury because the company knowingly ignored safety measures that are meant to prevent this very type of incident, OSHA Area Director Matthew Thurlby said in the release. The company must reassess its safety training and procedures immediately to keep other employees from suffering needless injuries.

Nebraska Beef has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Correction An earlier version of this story inaccurately said Gov. Jim Pillen had a deadline for when a tax bill could introduced this legislative session. There is no deadline for when bills brought on behalf of the governor can be introduced.

Gov. Jim Pillen pledged Monday to reduce Nebraskans' collective property taxes by $2 billion this year while offering few details about how he might do so.

The first-term Republican called for a "hard cap" on local government spending and suggested the state will broaden its sales tax base to achieve a 40% property tax reduction in a single year.

"What I simply want to say to Nebraskans is: I'm committed," Pillen said. "I'm all in. This problem has to be solved. And we're not gonna stop until we get to 40%."

But specifics were sparse Monday afternoon at the Capitol, where Pillen called a news conference to exalt the need for "transformative" property tax reform while offering generalities in lieu of a proposal.

Pillen last week had floated raising the state sales tax from 5.5 cents to 7.5 cents and boosting cigarette taxes by $2 a pack  but that proposal, which would give Nebraska the highest state sales tax in the country, was met skeptically by lawmakers, including some in Pillen's own Republican Party.

And Americans for Prosperity-Nebraska, a conservative nonprofit group run in Nebraska by Pillen's former communications director, has called for "true tax reform, not a tax shift" in response to the governor's floated proposal and remarks.

Pillen on Monday did not directly respond to questions over whether he had ditched his plan to hike the state's sales and cigarette taxes. Nor did he offer specifics over how he might broaden Nebraska's tax base.

Instead, he insisted he would work with the Legislature to cut property taxes by $2 billion this year after Nebraskans paid more than $5 billion in property taxes in 2023.

"I think the answer is simply that, in collaboration and partnership with the 49 members of the unicameral, that the first step is that we agree that we have a major property tax problem  and then we have to fix it," he said.

"We have to get (property taxes) to $3 billion and have a 40% reduction," he said. "So whatever the plan is to get there, I'm 100% behind. But we have to able to get there so that we have transformative property tax change in the state of Nebraska."

The governor acknowledged that the solution to what he cast as Nebraska's "property tax problem" is not "exactly spelled out," but Pillen said his focus is on forming a coalition of at least 33 lawmakers  a filibuster-proof majority  to support whatever that solution might be.

"We have a lot of work to do across the chamber before we get to the exact specifics," he said.

Still, Pillen said he wasn't worried about the ticking clock on this year's 60-day legislative session.

Senators have until Jan. 17 to introduce new bills  but there's no deadline for when bills brought on behalf of the governor can be introduced.

"All I can do, all I have control of  No. 1, I believe," Pillen said. "And No. 2, I'm gonna have a positive attitude in every interaction. Our team's gonna work very, very, very, very hard with all the extraordinary members across the unicameral to come together and handle (this). We have plenty of time."

Pillen has billed property tax reform as his top legislative priority this year and has been working on the issue since at least July, when he established a working group made up of his staff, lawmakers and state industry leaders to examine property valuations.

That group has not come to a consensus on any tax reform proposals and is set to meet again Thursday, said Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar, who is among five lawmakers in the group.

Monday's news conference came after Pillen's floated sales and cigarette tax increases drew largely negative reviews from lawmakers in both ideological camps in the state's formally nonpartisan Legislature.

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, who called Pillen's previous proposal a "reverse Robin Hood scheme," maintained Monday that any policy that shifted the state's revenue by making Nebraska among the nation's leaders in state sales taxes "is a nonstarter."

"That would fall disproportionately and most acutely on low-income Nebraskans, working Nebraskans and seniors," she said. "It is a solution that, has been tried, to certain degrees, in the past in Nebraska, that has been tried in other states and has been uniformly rejected here because it's poor public policy."

Photos: Nebraska Legislature gavels in for first day of 2024 session
Faculty who teach or conduct research at Nebraskas public colleges and universities would lose tenure status under a proposal introduced at the Legislature on Monday.

In addition to eliminating the system meant to protect academic freedom at centers of higher education, the bill (LB1068) from Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City would require college and university boards to adopt policies outlining employment agreements and grounds for termination.

The University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska State College System and the six community colleges in Nebraska would be affected by the bill, which also requires boards to establish annual performance evaluations, standards for review and discipline, as well as procedures for dismissal for faculty.

A very long time ago, it was a necessary thing to protect the free-thinking of academia, Lippincott said. Now, it seems like the professors have more of a freedom to express their opinions than do the students and the students are expected to regurgitate what the professors ideas are.

The second-year senator said tenure, in addition to allowing some faculty to work few hours and dictate work to those without tenure, also protected faculty who hold beliefs that oftentimes (run) counter to the parents of the student, the culture in general and society.

Lippincotts proposal, which has 11 cosponsors, follows a handful of similar bills that worked their way through statehouses in Republican-controlled states like Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota and Texas last year.

The former airline pilot said his bill took parts from legislation introduced in several different states.

Each of those bills ultimately failed or fell short of actually eliminating tenure for faculty at public colleges and universities, but in at least one state, more stringent annual performance reviews were enacted because of the legislation.

On Monday  Day 4 of the 60-day legislative session  officials from the states public college and university systems said the bill would do irreparable harm to those institutions, as well as the state at large, if passed into law.

The Nebraska State College System, which operates four-year campuses in Peru, Wayne and Chadron, said it has found tenure invaluable in recruiting and retaining high-caliber faculty in rural settings.

Faculty members making a long-term commitment to colleges and universities play a crucial role in enhancing the quality and continuity of students education while fostering stability and growth in local communities, said Judi Yorges, director of strategic initiatives and communications.

Tenure was also widely utilized as a tool to retain top-tier faculty, which both safeguard institutional knowledge and maintain higher standards of education for state college students, Yorges added.

Julia Schleck, an associate professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who has conducted extensive research on issues of academic freedom and published a book on tenure in 2022, said the tenure system also protects excellence.

Sen. Lippincotts bill, if passed, will seriously damage the quality of the education Nebraska students receive, said Schleck, who is also the chair of the Association of American Universitys committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure at UNL.

It will diminish the quality of research at the university and undermine the economic development it brings to the state, she added.

Faculty leaders across the NU system, which in addition to the flagship campus in Lincoln includes a metropolitan and academic health center in Omaha, as well as a regional campus in Kearney, also said they were watching the bill.

In an email to all faculty on Monday, the faculty senate presidents said they had been alerted that there could be similar conversations in Nebraska regarding the possibility of eliminating tenure like those that had occurred elsewhere in the country last year.

As your faculty senate presidents, we are sending this note jointly to all of NU faculty to signal our standing together in recognition of the vital importance of tenure to the academic mission of our university, the email states.

The faculty senate presidents also said they are working with the presidents office, their respective chancellors and system and campus government relations liaisons to review the bill and its potential impacts.

The NU system had a more muted response, however. In a statement, spokeswoman Melissa Lee said the university was reviewing the proposed legislation.

Our plans for the University of Nebraska to grow and compete will require us to hold all our faculty and staff to high levels of performance and accountability, Lee said.

A 1977 ruling by the Nebraska Supreme Court may help insulate the University of Nebraska from implementing LB1064 should it be advanced from committee, pass three rounds of debate, and be signed into law by Gov. Jim Pillen this year.

The decades-old Board of Regents v. Exon granted the universitys governing board the power and responsibility to manage and operate the University as free from political influence and control as possible.

NUs lobbyists have in recent years frequently invoked the ruling during testimony on other bills that would dictate policy to the university, including a 2018 proposal that would have required the system to enact free speech policies and report disruptions to free speech to the Legislature.

But Lippincott, who serves on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said the Legislature controls some $600 million of the NU systems annual budget and could use that authority to bring the public university system in line.

Since we are invested in the university with money, we should have a say, he said.

Eliminating tenure would bring back some degree of accountability within the system by empowering administrators to fire faculty who are not pulling their weight or operating outside the boundaries of legitimacy, Lippincott added.

The NU system has already taken those unusual steps on two occasions in as many years, however, as the Board of Regents has voted to end the employment of two tenured faculty members following lengthy reviews.

There were 37 bills introduced on Monday, including:

CLERGY IN SCHOOLS: Lippincott also introduced a bill (LB1065) allowing school districts to hire chaplains to perform the duties of school counselor without a certificate from the Nebraska Department of Education.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: The Central City lawmaker also brought a proposal (LB1066) allowing public school boards to create a policy for students to take religious classes off school district property during the school day. No public resources could be used to support the religious instruction.

TAMPONS: Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad introduced a bill (LB1050) that would require state middle and high schools  with the help of state aid  to offer dispensers supplied with free menstrual products, including both pads and tampons, in each school bathroom.

SCHOOL BUILDING: A proposal (LB1063) from Sen. Steve Halloran of Hastings would require school boards across the state to receive voter approval before spending more than $250,000 on school renovation or construction projects.

FREE PRESS: Lincoln Sen. George Dungan's bill (LB1071) seeks to change Nebraska law to codify First Amendment protections for student journalists at state colleges, universities and public high schools  regardless of whether the student's media outlet is funded by their school  while providing protections for journalism instructors.

INFANT SCREENINGS: A bill introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair (LB1060) would make clear that parents or guardians can opt their newborns out of screenings for close to a dozen of inherited, pre-birth or childhood-onset diseases.

RETAINING RETIREES: Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont put forward a bill (LB1053) that would allow the state to pay retirement-eligible teachers a $2,500 annual grant for up to five years if they continue to work full time after becoming eligible for full retirement benefits.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Another proposal from Walz (LB1052) would allow K-12 teachers to apply for up to $300 in reimbursement for school supplies they pay for out of pocket.

Photos and videos: Winter storm brings heavy snow, winds to Lincoln
A state lawmaker has asked Nebraska's Secretary of State to remove a referendum from the November 2024 ballot that, as it stands now, would give voters a chance to repeal the state's controversial law providing tax incentives for donors to scholarship funds for private and faith-based schools.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn sent a letter to Nebraska's secretary of state Monday saying the referendum to appeal the so-called Opportunity Scholarships Act "raises constitutional concerns."

"Nebraska's constitution explicitly places the power of taxation in the hands of the Legislature," Linehan said in the letter, in which she said that allowing voters to repeal the law would undermine the body's "ability to set revenue policy."

The Elkhorn senator attached to her letter a 13-page legal argument crafted by attorneys at a Lincoln law firm who argued that allowing the referendum to appear on the ballot would run afoul of the state's constitution.

In a news release, Secretary of State Bob Evnen's office said he is "reviewing" Linehan's letter and has asked petition organizers "to submit their position on the request."

Jenni Benson, the president of Nebraska's State Education Association, the teachers union that led last fall's petition drive to put the issue to voters, said in a statement Tuesday that state residents "made it very clear they want to vote on whether to divert tax dollars to private schools."

A coalition of repeal advocates known as "Support Our Schools Nebraska," led by the state's largest teachers union, submitted 117,145 petition signatures to Evnen's office in August. The group needed 61,308 signatures  including 5% of voters in 38 of Nebraskas 93 counties  to put the act (LB753) before voters.

"Sen. Linehan has made it clear that she and her billionaire buddies are afraid to let Nebraskans vote on whether to repeal LB753," Benson said. "They failed miserably in their attempt to derail the petition drive. They will attempt everything they can to try to deny Nebraska voters the right to vote on this issue."

Linehan, in an interview at the Capitol, said the referendum's apparent violation of the state constitution "should have been caught before" now.

"I'm not a lawyer so I didn't catch it before," she said. "But it's both in the constitution and it's a state statute."

She said she doesn't know if Evnen will find her argument compelling, but suggested the issue "will end up at the Supreme Court, where they all end up"  though she said she isn't yet sure if she will file a lawsuit seeking to remove the referendum from November's ballot.

Linehan's letter comes three months after Evnen's office announced that the law  which allows individuals and entities to reduce their tax liability by making donations to scholarship funds that help students attend private schools across the state  would be in the hands of voters this fall.

The total amount of tax credits available in each of the first two years will be $25 million, according to the provisions of the bill, with the cap set to increase to $100 million after  or about one-tenth the amount of money appropriated by the state for public school education annually.

Opponents of the law, which include teachers unions, school board leaders, education policy organizations, advocates of individuals with disabilities and others say the policy harms students, families and schools by diverting would-be public school funding to private and parochial schools that dont have to accept every student.

Polling conducted on behalf of OpenSky Policy Institute, a Lincoln-based fiscal policy think tank that poured more than $100,000 into the petition effort, indicates a majority of Nebraska voters oppose the law.

But it won the support of a majority of state lawmakers and of Gov. Jim Pillen, who had championed the law and who, in August, promised "the fight will not be over" even if the initiative seeking to overturn the law made it onto the ballot.

Linehan said Tuesday that she penned her letter to Evnen on her own volition and had not done so at Pillen's urging.

Her letter drew immediate backlash from some of her colleagues Tuesday, who cast Linehan's attempt to have the referendum taken off the ballot as a bid to undermine the potential will of the state's voters.

"Silencing the voice of the people because the people disagree with you is an assault on our democracy," Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha said in a social media post.

Cavanaugh's criticism was echoed by fellow Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, who, in her own post, questioned why the state wouldn't "let the people have a say in if they want their tax dollars going to private religious schools that discriminate against students, parents and staff?"

"Why be afraid of that?" Hunt tweeted. "Let's see what the people want!"

That argument seemed uncompelling to Linehan, who said that to let state residents weigh in on taxation would require a change in the constitution.

"The constitution is the most important document that we have as a state," Linehan said. "It very clearly states in the constitution that revenue bills are up to the Legislature. And it goes on to say that existing (revenue) law can only be overturned or undone by the Legislature.

"That's what it says in the constitution."

Evnen's office said he would make a decision on the matter "without delay" but offered no timeline.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2024
When the Legislature begins a mid-biennium debate over its rules on Wednesday, the proposals will include a handful of technical changes and modernizations to improve the overall workings of the states legislative body.

The Rules Committee on Tuesday advanced 10 proposals to the floor, but adjourned before it could advance a change to the filibuster or begin a discussion about possibly overhauling the selection of committee chairs or limiting press access to closed meetings.

The committee, led by Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard and including Speaker John Arch in a non-voting role, will meet again in an executive session Wednesday morning to consider some of the more controversial changes to the Legislatures rules offered this year.

Tuesdays discussion followed a public hearing on Monday in which 34 proposed changes were introduced and in which residents offered feedback.

Beginning Wednesday afternoon, Day 6 of the 60-day session, and potentially continuing through Day 12, senators will consider each proposed rule change individually. Amending the rules will require the support of 30 of 49 state senators in the Legislature.

Among the changes to be debated on Wednesday include a change from Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne that requires the Legislature to separate a vote to suspend its rules from any subsequent motion for which the rules are suspended.

The Legislature will also consider moving to an all-digital format for its fiscal notes, which inform senators what the potential costs of a piece of legislation are, under a proposal from Arch, who said the change would codify the practice of recent years.

Arch also brought proposed rules changes that would treat bills containing a transfer to or from the cash reserve fund the same as an appropriations bill, and another that would schedule when legislation changing judges salaries would come up on the floor.

The committee advanced a change that would raise the threshold for a bill to be pulled off the consent calendar, a list of noncontroversial bills considered together through a single vote, from three senators to five senators.

Senators will also deliberate a proposed change requiring senators to include a statement of intent for their bills three calendar days before that bill has a public hearing. Currently, those statements are posted 24 hours ahead of the committee hearing.

The committee also advanced a change to the floor debate procedure requiring an introducing senators bill and any amendment from the committee to be brought up before any other motions or amendments could be introduced.

That rule would end a practice that last year allowed some senators to enter motions that delayed  or in some cases, denied  a committee amendment to a bill from being considered.

Shortly before adjourning on Tuesday, the committee also began discussion of a rule change limiting how and when priority motions  which are often deployed during a legislative filibuster  can be used on each stage of debate.

Last year, during the middle of the 90-day session, the Legislature amended its rules to only allow for each of the available priority motions to be used once per day on the individual bills that came up on the floor.

A change offered this year would further limit the introduction of those motions to one per each round of debate, with some caveats that allow the introducing senator to bring a priority motion in certain situations.

The committee also discussed raising the number of senators required for a call of the question before the meeting ended with no vote taken.

Still on the list of rules that could be considered for committee action include proposals from Erdman ending the process of electing committee chairs through secret ballots  a long-standing process in the officially nonpartisan Legislature.

Erdman has also proposed prohibiting members of the media from being present in executive sessions, when committees often discuss changes to bills before advancing them to the floor.

The Bayard senator also wants to eliminate requirements that leaders of the Redistricting Committee be from different political parties.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2024
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.

Vote

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Guided tree ID walk Friday

Join forester Bruce Henry from 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the Goose Island Interpretive Trail on a guided tree identification walk.

Winter is the best time of year for observing tree structures and offers a unique glimpse into the inner workings of the refuges forested areas, according to a refuge news release. Henry will focus on tree identification using bark characteristics during winter conditions. All ages and experience levels are welcome.

Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather. The terrain will be an unpaved trail traversing about 1 mile. The trail is at the first left off of County Highway GI as you enter Goose Island. Call the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge at 608-779-2398 with any questions.

The refuge is the most visited refuge in the U.S., extending 261 miles from Wabasha, Minnesota, to Rock Island, Illinois, protecting and preserving habitat for migratory birds, fish and a variety of other wildlife.
La Crosse resident Dina Zavala, an immigrant woman from Honduras, brings unique perspectives to social capital discussions. As the vice president for inclusion, equity and community at Carleton College, and formerly the interim vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Zavalas expertise is rooted in her personal and professional experiences.

A Honduran immigrant, Zavala moved to an unfamiliar area in the United States, where she had no family, no established social network, and didnt know the language. Starting from scratch in a new country has given her firsthand understanding of the necessity and challenges of building social capital in a community setting.

Zavala has focused on fostering community, inclusion and equity in her leadership roles. She emphasizes the importance of social capital as the community glue, acknowledging its a privileged resource that isnt accessible to everyone. Her work has been dedicated to ensuring that social capital is more inclusive and serves as a tool for advancing social justice.

How do you define

social capital?Social capital, as I see it, is the exchange and flow of information, knowledge, cultural norms and support within a community. Its an invisible yet vital force enabling communities and individuals to flourish.

At its core, social capital involves a reciprocal relationship of giving and taking thats essential for a communitys growth. In diverse communities like the Latino community, social capital can be complex. Often, it remains confined within specific racial or cultural groups, making it challenging to build bridges across different communities.

This lack of common ground necessitates intermediaries who can translate and connect these groups, facilitating access to resources. As someone who often plays this role, I recognize that historically privileged groups typically have more resources. So, creating social capital involves not just connecting people within a group but also extending these connections to historically marginalized communities, enabling them to access wider resources and opportunities.

What does social capital look like in communities?Social capital in communities manifests in improved education and health, evidenced by higher GPAs and reduced food deserts. It fosters spaces for social interaction, enhancing community bonds. Government responsiveness often correlates with a communitys social capital, reflecting its overall vitality.

For immigrant communities like the Latine population, social capital creates unique support systems. An example is the informal banking system among those without access to formal banks, facilitating interest-free loans within the community. Similarly, initiatives like taxi amigo predate services like Uber, offering transportation solutions for those without drivers licenses.

During the pandemic, communities rich in social capital efficiently organized food delivery for vulnerable groups, showcasing adaptability and resourcefulness. This highlights that social capital extends beyond financial aspects, encompassing volunteerism and cultural solidarity, which are crucial for thriving, inclusive community life.

How does community involvement benefit those who arent actively engaged in it?

Engagement in community social capital is crucial, even for those not actively involved. Drawing from my experience with the La Crosse Community Foundations grants committee, I recall discussions on trail improvements. These trails, used by many, including myself, were enhanced by people I had never met, illustrating how community efforts benefit everyone, regardless of their knowledge or direct involvement.

Social capital ensures access and opportunities for all, transcending socio-economic backgrounds. It becomes especially vital during emergencies or crises, like the pandemic, offering a support network for those lacking traditional family structures. This sense of belonging and support is not limited to emergencies; it extends to providing spaces for difficult conversations and grief.

Such spaces could be churches, clubs, or other places one socializes. They facilitate dialogue on challenging topics, fostering understanding and coexistence despite differing views. Social capital improves physical amenities, like trails, while nurturing a supportive, communicative environment essential for a cohesive community.
Radon is an odorless, colorless, invisible gas that can enter homes and buildings through the foundation.

One in 10 Wisconsin homes has elevated levels of radon. According to a La Crosse County news release, radon causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year among nonsmokers and 962 of these are in Wisconsin.

The only way to know if there is a radon problem is by testing. Testing a home for radon can be done with an easy-to-use test kit and homes with high levels of radon can be fixed with the help of a licensed mitigator.

More than 100 contractors in Wisconsin are certified to install mitigation systems if elevated radon levels are found. A list of certified contractors is available at www.lowradon.org or by contacting the county health department

Normally, a short-term radon test kit can be purchased at the Health Department or any county library branch for $10. A long-term confirmation test can also be purchased if high levels are found. During Radon Action Month, the Health Department is offering a discount of $2 on all test kits, making the prices $8 for a short-term test and $20 for a long-term test.

La Crosse County Health Department is a radon information center covering La Crosse and Monroe counties. This work is supported by the state Department of Health Services. For more information, call Lindsay Neitzel at 608-790-4904 or visit www.lowradon.org.
In the early 1990s, long-haul trucker Keith Hunter Jesperson killed at least eight women in his travels across the United States. To gain notoriety, he sent anonymous confession letters to journalists and investigators, many of them signed with smiley faces.

Since Jespersons arrest in 1995, investigators in at least six states have worked to unravel the identities of his victims.

On Monday, authorities in Riverside County, California, unveiled a sketch of what they described as the final unidentified victim in his killing spree, which also spanned Nebraska, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Florida.

Jesperson, 68, confessed to killing the women and is serving four life sentences at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Because some of his victims were drifters or sex workers who were not in regular contact with their families, investigators have had difficulty identifying them.

The body of the California woman, whom Jesperson referred to as Claudia, was found on Aug. 30, 1992, along Highway 95 near Blythe. But Claudia may not be her real name, and her identity  and that of her family  remain unknown, Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said this week.

The goal, he said, is to identify her and provide closure to her family.

We hope to give this victim back her identity, Hestrin said in a video statement. We are hopeful someone hearing any of these details may remember anything that could help us reunite this woman with the family.

The killer described meeting the woman at a truck stop

An Oregon journalist dubbed Jesperson the Happy Face Killer for his rambling letters that included gory confessions and smiley face signatures.

Some of his victims remained unidentified for decades, but in recent years advances in forensic genetic genealogy have helped investigators learn their names by using their DNA to connect them to living relatives.

In April 2022, authorities used genetic genealogy to finally identify Patricia Skiple, 45, whose body was found in 1993 near Gilroy, California.

And in October, Florida authorities identified a woman he killed in 1994 and left by the side of a highway as 34-year-old Suzanne Kjellenberg.

In a renewed effort to find out Claudias identity, investigators interviewed Jesperson at the penitentiary late last year. He told them he met the woman in August 1992 after she approached him for a ride at a brake-check area in Victorville, California. She wanted to go to Los Angeles, but he told her he was headed to Arizona, he said.

She decided to hitch a ride with him, and the two later stopped to eat at a rest stop in Indio, Jesperson told investigators. He said the pair argued about money after the meal, which led to his decision to kill her.

After he killed her, Jesperson told investigators he taped her to the bed of his truck to keep her from bouncing onto the floor  because the road was rough and everything on the bed ends up on the floor sooner or later anyway. He said he then drove to Blythe and waited until it was dark to dispose of her body in the brush before heading to his destination in Phoenix to deliver a load.

Her body was found off a highway about seven miles north of Blythe, a small desert city near the Arizona border.

After his arrest in another murder case, Jesperson wrote letters to a newspaper in Portland, Oregon, and to Riverside County Sheriffs Office deputies, confessing to killing seven other women.

I would like to tell my story! the letter began. I always have wanted to be noticed  so I started something I dont know how to stop, it continued, followed by description of the attacks.

Investigators used DNA technology to create a sketch of the victim

Investigators said advances in DNA technology, combined with Claudias remains and the killers description, helped them draft a sketch of the woman.

Jesperson described her as being 20 to 30 years of age with blonde hair and a tattoo of two small dots on her right thumb. She had ties to Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and appeared familiar with Los Angeles and surrounding areas, he told investigators.

She was wearing a gray T-shirt with a photo of a motorcycle on it when her body was found.

Genealogists later determined that her biological father lived in southeast Texas but is no longer alive.

Thanks to advances in DNA technology, we are now the closest we have even been to learning who this woman was, and reuniting her with her family, Hestrin said in a statement.

Jesperson pleaded guilty to the Riverside County murder on January 8, 2010. Now, almost exactly 14 days later, investigators hope the public will help them put a name to the womans face.

Theyre urging anyone who may recognize her to contact their Cold Case Hotline at (951) 955-5567 or email them at coldcaseunit@rivcoda.org.

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A look at some of the most notorious serial killers in the US since 1970 1970-2005: Samuel Little February-May 1971: Juan Corona 1972-1978: John Wayne Gacy 1974-1991: Dennis Rader 1975-1998: Robert L. Yates Jr. 1976-1977: David Berkowitz 1976-1986: Joseph James DeAngelo 1977-1978: Angelo Buono Jr. and Kenneth A. Bianchi 1977-1978: Ted Bundy 1978-1992: Jeffrey Dahmer 1978-1995: Theodore Kaczynski 1979-1981: Wayne B. Williams 1983: Henry Lee Lucas 1984-1985: Richard Ramirez 1984-1985: Charles Ng and Leonard Lake 1985-2007: Lonnie David Franklin Jr. 1989-1990: Aileen Wuornos 1989-1993: Joel Rifkin 1990-1993: Heriberto Seda 1997-1999: Angel Maturino Resendiz 2002: Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad 2005-2006: Mark Goudeau 2007-2009: Anthony Sowell 2014: Darren Deon Vann
The city of Racines use of a mobile voting truck to serve as a movable early voting site in 2022 was illegal, a Racine County Circuit Court judge ruled Monday.

The vehicle was first used in 2022 as a remote polling place and voter registration station. The truck, and questions about its use, soon became the target of GOP scrutiny  with some Republicans claiming it was being used to boost Democratic votes  during the Aug. 9 primary that year, when there were several hotly contested races on the ballot, including GOP primaries for governor, attorney general and secretary of state.

Shortly after that contest, the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission challenging the citys Mobile Election Unit.

The commission dismissed the complaint in November, prompting the lawsuit.

On Monday, Racine County Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz ruled Wisconsins election statutes refer to physical structures for absentee voting and none allow for the use of a mobile alternative absentee voting vehicles.

Nowhere can this Court find or has been provided any authority allowing the use of a van or vehicle as an alternate absentee voting vehicle, Gasiorkiewicz wrote, adding that interpreting statutes to allow such vehicles is a bridge too far.

The Racine Common Council approved funding for one truck to serve as a mobile early voting site in June 2020. The city used it for the first time in the states spring primary in February 2022.

The vehicle was purchased using grants from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit that provided funding to communities across the country to help election officials update technology and increase voter participation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The center received a $350 million donation in 2020 from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, which prompted some Republicans to complain the money unfairly helped increase turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine.

While the grants were provided to any community that requested them, including many in areas that solidly voted for then-President Donald Trump, Wisconsins five largest cities received two to four times more money, per capita. Court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in grants CTCL distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties.

Wisconsin voters should know that their elections are secure, and that election administration does not favor one political party over another, Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty deputy counsel Lucas Vebber said in a statement Tuesday. This decision does just that.

While the city, Democratic National Committee and the Milwaukee-based voting advocacy group Black Leaders Organizing for Communities had argued that no statute expressly bars the use of mobile voting sites, Gasiorkiewicz said the absence of an express prohibition, however, does not mean mobile absentee ballot sites comport to procedures specified in the election laws.

Nothing in the statutory language detailing the procedures by which absentee ballots may be cast mentions mobile van absentee ballot sites or anything like them, he added.  Such an interpretation was and is contrary to the law.

Gasiorkiewicz noted in his ruling that he is not expressing an opinion regarding the efficacy of the use of mobile vans to further the popular use of in-person absentee voting.

This ruling stands for the proposition that such determinations are for the legislature to direct and cannot be a novel creation of executive branch officials.

Its unclear if Gasiorkiewiczs ruling will be appealed. The state Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin said in an email the citys legal team is reviewing the ruling.
On 8 January Argentinas economy minister,and cabinet chiefmet a visiting team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the Casa Rosada presidential palace to discuss the countrys debt restructuring accord and the release of fresh funds as sizeable repayments fall due.

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Passengers are describing what happened when part of a passenger jet came off at the start of a flight from Portland, Oregon last Friday.

The incident resulted in no serious injuries, and the plane returned to Portland Airport soon after the dangerous incident. But had a few details been different, the flight could have ended in disaster.

Kelly Bartlett was one of the passengers on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland. She told The Associated Press (AP) that, at first, passengers did not know what was happening. We didnt know if it meant we were going to crash, she said.

The incident happened six minutes into the flight from Portland to Southern Californias Ontario International Airport. The jet, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, was traveling at about 640 kilometers an hour. It had reached an altitude of 4.8 kilometers. That detail is important. The plane was still far below its cruising altitude.

Flight attendants had just told the 171 passengers that they could again use their electronic devices. Then, a piece of the airplane body 61 centimeters by 122 centimeters behind the left wing blew out.

The piece called a door plug, was meant to be a cover over an emergency exit that was not used on that MAX 9 version of the airplane. The cover permits extra seats to be put where an emergency exit would be. Air safety rules require airliners to have enough exits to permit all passengers and crew to get out of the aircraft in 90 seconds.

The AP noted, as fate would have it, nobody was sitting in the two seats next to the blown-out hole.

Emergency oxygen masks dropped immediately. At the same time, wind rushed into the cabin making it difficult for the flight attendants to walk or hear. But they moved toward the hole and began moving passengers away from the dangerous area. The sound made communication difficult.

The force from the loss of pressure in the cabin was strong enough to tear the shirt off the body of a teenager sitting nearby.

His seatbelt kept him in his seat and saved his life, Bartlett said. Flight attendants moved the young person next to Bartlett. She asked him if he was hurt. He said he was OK and thanked her for her kindness.

The pilots and the flight attendants have not made public statements and their names have not been released. However, they spoke to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators. They said they followed their training. The pilots goal was to get the plane back to Portland quickly. The flight attendants worked to keep the passengers safe and calm.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the actions of the flight crew were incredible. Bartlett also praised the crew. She said she felt like the situation was under control.

The pilots used an emergency handbook next to the captains seat. The co-pilot contacted air traffic controllers declaring an emergency and the need to descend to 3,000 meters. The lower altitude would give passengers more oxygen to breathe.

Homendy said the attention of the flight attendants immediately turned to five children who were traveling without adult supervision and two babies being carried by their parents.

Evan Granger was sitting close to the hole in the plane. He told NBC News, There were so many things that had to go right in order for all of us to survive.

Homendy said that if the blowout had happened just a few minutes later when the plane would have reached its cruising height, the incident might have been a tragedy.

NTSB agents recovered the door plug that blew out, finding it completely intact. Many other things that flew out of the airplane were also recovered including a cellphone that was still working.

Now the agency will investigate why the cover over the unused exit hole came off.

The incident happened days after a Japan Airlines Airbus 350 struck a coast guard plane on a runway at Tokyos Haneda Airport and caught fire on January 3.

In that incident, four on the coast guard plane died. But 379 passengers and the crew of the airliner safely got out of the passenger plane before it burned up. However, reports say getting everyone out of the plane took about 18 minutes.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Terry Spencer and Claire Rush reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted this report for VOA Learning English with other sources from AP and Reuters.

______________________________________________

Words in This Story

altitude n. the height of something above sea level

exit n. a doorway out of a building or vehicle

as fate would have it idiom meant to express that something happened that is beyond human explanation

oxygen mask (industry) an emergency device on large airplanes that deploys if air pressure inside gets too low

cabin n. (in aviation) the inside of an airplane

seatbelt n. a thin piece of material that is meant to protect against injury in a crash

intact adj. whole and in one piece, not broken or damaged

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A man in Italy might regain the use of his hand after having a new kind of medical operation.

Doctors in northern Italy said the surgery used a nerve from the mans partly amputated leg to repair a damaged nerve in his hand. His hand became paralyzed after a severe driving accident.

Surgeons at Turin City Hospital took part of the man's sciatic nerve from his leg. That is the nerve which helps control movement in the foot. The doctors transferred part of the mans sciatic nerve to his brachial plexus. That is a network of nerves connecting the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, and hand.

"Its the first time that someone [has transferred] a component of the sciatic nerve to the brachial plexus," said Paolo Titolo. He was one of the surgeons who performed the operation. He recently spoke with Reuters news agency.

The patient is Marcello Gaviglio, a 55-year-old healthcare worker. He had half of his left leg amputated after he was hit by a motorbike five months ago. The accident happened while he was travelling to work on his small, motorized bike called a moped.

He suffered serious injuries to his brachial plexus as well as his leg. The damage to his upper body left him unable to use both of his hands.

Because the part of the sciatic nerve that controlled his left foot was no longer needed, it could be transferred to the shoulder area. On December 21, doctors carried out the operation. They hope it will give him the ability to use his left hand.

Gaviglio will need about five months of special care after the operation. For now, he is still unable to move the hand at all.

Nerve transfer surgery is not new. But normally it does not involve moving a nerve that controls the foot to an area that controls the hand. For that reason, doctors involved in the operation are calling it pioneering.

"We think this is pioneering surgery because if it works it means that the brain plasticity can control  other parts of the body that we didn't expect, Titolo said. He added that the surgery opens new fields in nerve studies.

The aim is to restore "some grasp function" to the hand. That means the ability to hold objects. Titolo explained that this can help the other hand to do things.

The operation was the result of four years of research. It was published in the medical journal Injury.

Gaviglio, the patient, said he had given little thought to the pioneering part of the operation. He said he just felt that there was a chance for a good result. He said he thought about depending on a team of very good doctors and being able to move his hand again a little bit.

Im Anna Matteo.

Alex Fraser reported this story from Turin, Italy. Anna Matteo adapted this story for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Italian Man Might Regain Use of Hand After Nerve Operation Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________

Words in This Story

surgery n. a medical operation

amputate v. to remove a limb, such as an arm or leg, from the body to save a patient

paralyzed adj. being unable to move

transfer v. to move from one place to another

component n. a part of a larger device or system

pioneering adj. doing something or using new ideas for the first time; to be among the earliest people doing some activity

plasticity n. the quality of being able to be changed into a different form

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Officials have recovered a part of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max passenger jet that blew off during a flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California on Friday.

The plane was minutes into the flight and was able to return to the Portland airport. All 171 people and six crew members were unharmed in the incident.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered that all 737 MAX aircraft be grounded on Saturday. The emergency order affected all 737 MAX 9 planes around the world.

Reports say the part that failed was called a panel or door plug. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said a schoolteacher found the part in a Portland neighborhood on Sunday.

The investigation into the incident is likely to last months.

What part failed?

The 737 MAX 9 aircraft has several different designs. One can seat more than 200 passengers. This version needs to have two extra exits to meet safety rules which require all passengers to be able to escape the aircraft in 90 seconds in case of an emergency.

However, the Alaska Airlines plane has fewer than 180 seats. This version of the 737 MAX 9 is not required to have the extra exits. As a result, the plane has a panel, or permanent door plug, over the area on the planes body that would normally have a door. Some other versions of Boeing 737s also have door plugs.

The Associated Press reports that a company called Spirit AeroSystems installed door plugs on 737 MAX 9s, including the Alaska Airlines plane.

What are airlines doing?

Alaska Airlines has grounded all 65 of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft. They are to be inspected and to undergo maintenance. Some of the planes were still in service on Saturday, but they were grounded after the FAA ordered all operators of MAX 9s to carry out inspections.

Alaska Airlines said it canceled 170 flights on Sunday. By early Monday, 20 percent of the carriers flights were canceled, the AP reported.

United Airlines is the worlds biggest operator of MAX 9 planes. It grounded all 79 of its planes. The two airlines are the only U.S. passenger airlines that operate the planes.

The AP says six other airlines also operate the Boeing aircraft. There are 215 of the planes in service around the world.

Air travel safety

U.S. officials have noted that air travel remains very safe. There has not been a deadly crash of a U.S. airliner since 2009. However, the FAA held a big safety meeting last year after a series of incidents.

The Alaska Airlines incident again brought attention to the 737 MAX aircraft. Aviation officials grounded MAX 8 aircraft around the world for nearly two years after crashes in 2018 and 2019. The 737 MAX 8 is a little smaller than the MAX 9.

Anthony Brickhouse is a professor of aviation safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He said it is too soon to know if the incident is the result of a problem with the MAX 9. He said government officials and airlines will confirm that the planes are safe before returning them to service.

When passengers board a flight, they should feel confident that the aircraft they are flying on is safe, Brickhouse said.

After the accident, Boeing released a statement saying it regretted the effects this event has had on our customers and their passengers.

It said it supported the FAAs decision and was assisting investigators.

Im Mario Ritter Jr.

Mario Ritter adapted this story for VOA Learning English from Associated Press and Reuters sources.

________________________________________

Words in This Story

component n. a part of a system or a machine

install v. to put something in a machine in place so that it can be used correctly

maintenance n. to keep something such as a machine in good working condition

regret v. to wish something did not happen; to feel sorry that something was done

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An American company successfully launched a mission Monday to explore the moon. The launch of a robotic lander marked the first time a private space vehicle has been sent to the lunar surface.

However, the company reported a serious fuel leak about seven hours after the launch. The 1.9-meter-tall lander, called Peregrine, launched at 07:18 UTC from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The spacecraft was built by Astrobotic Technology, a company based in the eastern U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was carried into space on a Vulcan Centaur rocket. The rocket was built by American space launch company, United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Earlier, Astrobotic chief executive John Thornton said if all goes as planned, Peregrine will attempt to land on the moon February 23.

However, Astrobotic said in a statement it is currently assessing possible changes to the mission to see what might be possible. If the fuel issue is serious, it threatens the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the moon, the company said.

Astrobotic said in a press release Peregrine is loaded with 20 research experiments involving seven different countries. It is equipped to collect data on radiation and materials found on the moons surface.

The lander also carried a small robotic explorer and other materials. These included a physical bitcoin, a piece of rock from Mount Everest and the ash remains of famous space lovers Gene Roddenberry and Arthur C. Clarke. Roddenberry was creator of the popular science fiction television show Star Trek and Clarke was a science fiction writer.

The Navajo Nation recently sought to have the launch delayed because of the inclusion of the remains. The head of the Native American group called the sending of remains a desecration because Native Americans consider the moon a sacred space.

In a message on X, formerly Twitter, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said, The suggestion of transforming (the mission) into a resting place for human remains is deeply disturbing and unacceptable to our people and many other tribal nations.

Astrobotics Thornton answered the criticism by saying the Navajos Nations objections came too late to reach an agreement on the issue. But he promised to try to find a good path forward with the Navajo Nation for future missions.

So far, only four nations have successfully landed spacecraft on the moon: the United States, China, the Soviet Union and India. The last time the United States landed on the moon was in 1972 with its Apollo 17 mission.

NASA is currently moving ahead with its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon.

Astrobotic is trying to be the first private business to successfully land on the moon in an effort to support the Artemis Program. But The Associated Press reports another space companys lander might beat Peregrine to the lunar surface.

This is because that lander, called Nova-C, is set to take a more direct path to the moon. It plans to launch next month on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Nova-C was built by Texas-based space company Intuitive Machines. The company also plans to send the lander to the moon for another mission later this year.

Private companies from Japan and Israel tried in the past to land spacecraft on the moon, but those attempts failed.

Japans space agency will attempt another moon landing in mid-January. The agency, JAXA, launched the SLIM spacecraft on its way to the moon in September. SLIMs goal is to test the possibility that spacecraft can land on very specific targets.

Another Astrobotic lander, called Griffin, is set to launch to the moons south pole in late 2024. It will be carrying an exploring robot, or rover, called VIPER. VIPER is designed to search for water sources on the moon.

All the private space missions were developed through NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The program aims to turn over the countrys major missions to private companies in an effort to operate at reduced costs.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press and NASA reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

____________________________________

Words in This Story

mission  n. to do something considered very difficult or impossible

joint venture n. a new business activity involving two or more businesses that aim to combine their resources

desecrate  v. to damage or show a lack of respect toward something holy or highly respected

sacred  adj. relating to religion or considered to be holy

transform v. to change something from one form to another

disturbing  adj. making you feel worried or upset
A man died Monday morning in a wreck on U.S. Highway 30 in Dawson County, the sheriff's office said in a press release.

As a winter storm set in, multiple slide-offs and wrecks forced Interstate 80 to close near Lexington. About five semis were involved in a pileup between Lexington and Darr.

About 9:26 a.m., a Mercury sedan traveling west on Highway 30 lost control and collided with an eastbound Chevrolet pickup, the sheriff's office said. Miguel Zamudio-Ceballos, the sedan driver, was pronounced dead on scene. The driver of the truck was transported to Lexington Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The National Weather Service upgraded portions of south-central Nebraska into a blizzard warning Monday, including Dawson, Gosper, Furnas, Red Willow and Hitchcock counties along with several other south-central Nebraska counties. Those blizzard warnings extended south through western Kansas and eastern Colorado into Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

Hayes, Lincoln, Logan, Custer, Thomas and Blaine counties remained in a winter storm warning ahead of an expected snowstorm that was expected to dump from 2 to 8 inches across west-central and eastern Nebraska.

Temperatures are also expected to dip to dangerous levels throughout the week as the region sees its first arctic blast of the 2023-24 winter season.

Along with the snow and frigid temperatures, the Lee Bird National Weather Service office was predicting strong winds throughout the two-day storm with the storm warning expiring at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Highways remained clear in most of Lincoln County, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation's 511 Nebraska service. The road was described as partly covered from Brady to Gothenburg on U.S. Highway 30.

Six inches of snow were reported in Chester in Thayer County and McCool Junction in York County just after 2 p.m. Monday. A trained spotter in Superior in Nuckolls County reported 5 inches at 1:30 p.m.

Polk County had a report of 5 inches of snow at 11 a.m. Monday.

As much as a foot of snow was being forecast for parts of eastern and southeastern Iowa.

The NWS' Goodland, Kansas, office was forecasting winds as high as 80 mph to go with 1 to 8 inches of snow.
The Maldives president yesterday [Macau time] suspended three of his deputy ministers for posting derogatory comments against India, its closest neighbor and the source of much of the tourism that drives the islands economy.

President Mohamed Muizzu suspended until further notice Malsha Shareef, Mariyam Shiuna and Abdulla Mahzoon Maajid for their posts on X, formerly Twitter.

The three were responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis posts on his official X account promoting the pristine beaches of Indias Lakshadweep archipelago for Indian travelers. Lakshadweep is off the southwestern coast of the Indian mainland and is similar to the Maldives.

Last year, Indians made up the largest number of tourists visiting the Maldives, which is famous for its luxury island resorts and white sandy beaches. India is also a strategic ally, with military personnel and helicopters stationed on the islands, but relations have deteriorated since Muizzu, who is considered to be pro-Chinese, was elected in November.

Many Indian celebrities visit the Maldives on vacations and honeymoons, and some of them took to social media condemning the comments.

The government of Maldives is aware of derogatory remarks on social media platforms against foreign leaders and high-ranking individuals. These opinions are personal and do not represent the views of the government of Maldives, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

An unknown number of Indian military personnel are stationed in the Maldives. During the election, Muizzu campaigned on a platform to remove them, saying they could be a threat to his countrys sovereignty.

Known activities of the Indian military include operating two helicopters donated by India and assisting in the rescue of people stranded or faced with calamities at sea.

Over the past decade, India and China have been vying for influence in the Maldives, which lies on a main east-west shipping route. The Maldives has became part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative that envisages building ports, railways and roads to expand trade and Chinas influence across Asia, Africa and Europe.

Muizzu departed for China yesterday on his first bilateral visit since being elected to office. MDT/AP
China says it has detained an individual accused of collecting state secrets on behalf of Britains foreign intelligence agency MI6.

The Ministry of State Security posted on social media yesterday that Britain had been cooperating since 2015 with the person, who it said was a citizen of a third nation and had the surname Huang.

The ministry said Huang had received training in intelligence gathering, provided with equipment and had collected numerous state secrets on repeated visits to China. No further information on the intelligence gathered was given, nor did the ministry say when he or she had been detained or where they were being held.

The definition of state secrets is not clearly defined under Chinas opaque political and legal system, and many consulting and advisory firms have been investigated for obtaining data that would ordinarily be in the public record, particularly if they were shared with foreign entities.

The British government has yet to comment on the allegations, but they follow a deterioration of relations between the sides sparked in part by British opposition to Chinese investments in the country, especially in the power and communications industries where the ruling Communist Party exercises strong influence.

London has also been highly critical of Chinas curtailment of political rights in Hong Kong, formerly ruled by Britain, where violent anti-government protests in 2019 were met with the authorities imposition of a sweeping national security law and electoral changes. Those have largely eliminated any political opposition to Beijings decrees and silenced freedom of speech in what had been one of Asias most dynamic societies and a major financial center. MDT/AP
A 32-year-old construction worker was injured at the site of the new Coloane prison at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday. The Correctional Services Bureau expects the new prison to start operations this year. A metal bar hit the worker in the back and he was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was conscious during transportation, and the incident has been reported to the Labour Affairs Bureau.

Related
A top executive of China Evergrandes electric vehicle company has been detained by police in the latest sign of trouble for the worlds most heavily indebted property developer.

China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle announced the detention of Liu Yongzhuo, its vice chairman and an executive director, in a notice yesterday to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its shares plunged nearly 11% after they resumed trading later in the day.

That followed news over the weekend that Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, a major shadow bank in China that has lent billions in yuan (dollars) to property developers, filed for bankruptcy liquidation after it was unable to pay its debts.

A crackdown on excessive borrowing that began several years ago has left dozens of Chinese developers out of business or struggling for survival. The industry-wide meltdown has snagged a vital cog in Chinas economic engine, reverberating through financial markets.

Share prices sank yesterday in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with the benchmark Hang Seng index down 2.2%. Evergrande Groups shares lost 1.4%.

Evergrande has been in crisis since it defaulted on its debt obligations two years ago. It is in the midst of a restructuring that includes selling off assets to avoid defaulting on $340 billion in debt. Evergrande confirmed in late September that its chairman Hui Ka Yan had been subjected to mandatory measures in accordance with the law due to suspicion of illegal crimes. His status is unclear.

Evergrande New Energy Vehicle saw its shares tumble nearly 20% last week after it said a deal to sell shares to Dubai-based NWTN Motors had lapsed. The brief announcement of Lius detention on suspicion of illegal crimes made no mention of that or other details.

The company has delayed its plans for beginning manufacturing after running into difficulties in attracting enough funding.

The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate Court said late Friday that it had approved Zhongzhi Enterprise Groups application for bankruptcy liquidation.

It said the company was facing a severe shortage of working capital and is unable to recover most of its accounts receivable.

Zhongzhi, one of Chinas largest private asset management companies, said in November that its debts of up to 460 billion yuan ($64 billion) were more than twice its assets of 200 billion yuan. Soon afterward, Beijing police said they were investigating suspected crimes of a Chinese wealth company owned by Zhongzhi.

According to the Chinese financial magazine Caixin, it manages nearly 1 trillion yuan ($130 billion) in assets, but the companys finances have suffered as the once thriving property market has languished.

Shadow banks play an important role in Chinese finance, operating outside traditional banking regulations. Zhongzhi expanded rapidly after it was founded by the late tycoon Xie Zhikun in 1995, and operates in insurance, leasing, trust, and other financial industries. MDT/AP
Several lawmakers have continued to call on the government to consider the timing and current economic conditions, and suspend the increase of parking rates for six out of seven public parking lots announced to be adjusting their prices.

The call was led by lawmakers Ella Lei and Zheng Anting via two spoken inquiries at the Legislative Assembly (AL) and later backed by many other lawmakers who joined the cause during the debate that followed.

In an AL session dedicated to Q&A with government officials on several topics, the Secretary for Transports and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosario, replied to the inquiries.

He noted that for the time being, only the parking lot of the Qingmao Border Post has adjusted prices, while the government is still considering the best time to enforce the price adjustment for the other six parking lots.

Lawmaker Lei said in her inquiry that raising the parking fees had no foundation and no supporting data, and, in most cases, would leave the residents without alternatives, which would contribute to their financial burden.

The same lawmaker also expressed concern that the price adjustment for the public lots would prompt the private lots to increase prices also, creating a snowball effect.

Lei noted the Transport Bureau (DSAT) justified the plan by claiming a need to increase the turnover at these lots, but the lawmaker said that in some of the targeted lots, the number of vacant overnight spots is very high, contributing to a low usage rate.

Lei called on the government for a better, clearer and more science-based mechanism for the price increase so that the population could more easily accept the changes.

She said the government had not followed the law requiring a hearing of the publics voice before implementing measures that directly affected their daily lives.

Zheng noted parking lots charge only hourly fees, which he considers unfair, and called on the government to enforce a payment system for a fraction of 15 minutes instead of an hour.

Like Lei, Zheng also noted that in most of the lots, the price rise would only represent an extra burden for the residents and would not have a significant effect on the usage of other parks, contrary to the DSATs plan, as these lots are in areas of the city with few to no alternatives.

On the government side, Rosario said a public consultation on the matter would be unnecessary as no one would like the price to increase.

This statement infuriated some lawmakers who disagreed with the idea.

The Secretary explained later that what he meant to say was that the government had heard comments from the Transport Consultative Committee which represents several civil society associations.

Although DSATs original explanation for the price update did not include this justification, the Secretary later said the parking concessionaires have been doing a lot of work to keep the parking lots well maintained and updated and that the fee increase will also contribute towards these expenses.

Several lawmakers joined the debate, with the majority agreeing that the apparent reason for the update is related to the income of the parking concessionaires whereas the government did not want to admit to this fact and insisted on other reasons for updating the fees.

On the topic, DSAT director, Kelvin Lam used the example of the parking lot of Qingmao Port to say that the increase, introduced over a month ago, had already contributed positively to removing the lines of waiting cars at the entrance of this park.

He said cars had been diverted to the Ilha Verde lot instead, helping to balance the usage.

Lawmakers also commented on this example which showed that in this a case there are alternatives, which is not always the case in the central district or the old neighborhoods.

Lawmaker Nick Lei said that either way, the main issue is that there is not a clear criterion to define which parks raise the prices. If there is, the government had refused to disclose it making it difficult for the common citizen to understand the decisions.

He also proposed the government lower fees on less-used parking lots to encourage citizens to use them.

Ip Sio Kai backed Zhengs idea to charge the time to fractions, saying that with the current use of electronic payment methods, this should be easy to implement.

Ron Lam backed Nick Leis idea, stating that if the government wants to adjust according to the usage when raising the price of the most used lots, the government should also lower the price of the less-used venues to achieve a balance.

Lam also noted that the public and the lawmakers are unhappy due to the absence of apparent logic for this measure and the puzzling speech of the government when addressing the problem.

The lawmaker said, [it] seems that the government is acting against the policies of the central government that asks local government to promote policies capable of increasing the happiness of the population.

Lawmaker Jose Pereira Coutinho summarized the discussion by noting the government wants to benefit some private entities [the parking companies] while going against the interest of all citizens.

He noted many members of the Transport Consultative Committee have also spoken against the measure.

Pereira Coutinho also called on the government to remove its vehicles from public car parks and into government buildings to free some space for paying users.

He said that contrary to some of his fellow lawmakers he is not calling for a suspension of this measure but for a cancellation of it.

Questioned on the lack of utilization of some parking lots, namely the new Taipa outdoor parking, the Secretary only said that the government is giving options to people, it is up to them to accept them or not. If they dont want to use it, we cannot force them.

In a warning tone, Rosario said the idea of cutting off more street parking spots to enlarge the roads and sidewalks is a policy that will continue, saying also that he is unconcerned about the low rate of usage of the motorcycle parking lots as one day [soon] the motorcycles will be interested in using the parks too.

Questioned on plans to build more car parks, Rosario said there are about 120,000 cars in Macau and that the region has, among private and public car spaces, more than this number of car parks, removing the need for more to be provided.

Responding to the many opinions about the increasing costs of owning a car, the Secretary said citizens must be aware of the costs of owning a car. Its not just buying the car, its the parking, the gasoline, the maintenance and repair, all those, hinting that those with less money should refrain from such an acquisition.

We are not affecting the whole population. Those that ride buses are not being penalized, the Secretary concluded in the heated and long-lasting debate.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won an overwhelming majority in Bangladeshs parliamentary election after a campaign fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, giving her and her Awami League a fourth consecutive term.

While the Election Commission has been slow to announce the results of Sundays election [yesterday, Macau time], TV stations with journalists across the country reported the Awami League won 224 seats out of 299. Independent candidates took 62, while the Jatiya Party, the third largest in the country, took 11 seats and Kallyan Party got 1. The results for the rest of the constituencies were still coming in.

The election was held in 299 out of 300 parliamentary seats. In one seat, the election was postponed as required by law after an independent candidate died.

A final official declaration from the Election Commission is expected today [Macau time].

At least 18 arson attacks preceded the vote but the election day passed in relative calm. Turnout was around 40%, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said after the polls closed.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by former premier Khaleda Zia refused to accept the election outcome, saying Bangladeshi voters have rejected the governments one-sided election.

Security incidents, including four deaths in an arson attack on a passenger train on Friday, intensified tensions ahead of the election that was shunned by Zias party and its allied groups. They accuse Hasina of turning Bangladesh into a one-party state and muzzling dissent and civil society.

Authorities blamed much of the violence on the BNP, accusing it of seeking to sabotage the election. On Saturday, detectives arrested seven men belonging to the BNP and its youth wing for their alleged involvement in the train attack. The party denied any role in the incident.

On Sunday, a supporter of an Awami League candidate was stabbed to death in Munshiganj district near the capital, Dhaka, officials said. Police did not comment immediately.

A victory for the 76-year-old Hasina, the countrys longest-serving leader and one of its most consequential, would come with a deeply contentious political landscape.

The vote, like previous elections, has been defined by the bitter rivalry between Hasinas Awami League and the BNP, led by Zia, who is ailing and under house arrest on corruption charges, which her supporters claim are politically motivated.

The two women ran the country alternately for many years, cementing a feud that has since polarized Bangladeshs politics and fueled violence around elections. This years vote raised questions over its credibility when there are no major challengers to take on the incumbent.

Badshah Mia, a rickshaw puller in Dhaka, said he wouldnt vote given the limited choices, adding that the atmosphere didnt exude that of a fair election.

Sakibul Hasan Chowdhury, a businessman, felt the same. There is no opposition and no candidate of my choice. So how would I benefit from voting?

A small business owner, Habibur Rahman, said he was voting for the ruling party candidate in his constituency but added that there didnt seem to be much of a turnout.

Critics and rights groups say the vote follows a troubling pattern, where the past two elections held under Hasina were sullied by allegations of vote-rigging  which authorities have denied  and another boycott by opposition parties.

The government has rejected a monthslong demand by the BNP to have a neutral caretaker government administer Sundays vote. MDT/AP
Former junket mogul Alvin Chaus betting volume of domestic online gambling players reached more than RMB300 billion throughout China.

The Chinese media outlet, CCTV, yesterday disclosed the details of the cross-border gambling criminal syndicate case of former boss of the former casino intermediary, Suncity.

Data seized by authorities show that online gambling from 2015 to 2019, involving the betting volume of domestic gamblers, was more than RMB300 billion; the amount of gambled money won in the country was more than RMB8.7 billion.

After trial in January last year, it was found that there was a large scale of criminal gambling group links to Suncity which had been operating since 2007.

The defunct junket contracted gambling halls in casinos in Macau and other places and began to open multiple online gambling platforms in the Philippines and other places in 2015 for gambling activities.

To make huge profits, commissions and dividends were used as bait to induce others to serve as agents.

Through these agents, Suncity organized and recruited Chinese citizens within the country to go to Suncity casinos to participate in gambling or cross-border online gambling.

Its scale requirements for domestic gambling agents were that if each agent bought shares in Suncity, the investment amount was HKD5 million, and the monthly transcoding volume, that is, the required target was HKD50 million.

It successfully recruited 283 Chinese shareholder agents, according to CCTV.

Also, it was reported that the group set up companies in China provide agents and gamblers with assets in exchange for gambling credit, chips and other services, and to recover gambling debts.

To avoid supervision and crackdowns, it also used illegal channels such as underground banks to receive and settle gambling funds.

In addition, the criminal group also set up or provided technical support or services such as gambler management, vehicle transportation, publicity and promotion through companies in China, helping to conceal the entire criminal network.

This cross-border gambling criminal group also violated national regulations, fabricated transaction agreements and made multiple cross-border cash payments totaling more than RMB1.16 billion, making illegal profits of more than RMB17 million.

Dubbed the junket king, Chau was convicted in January 2023 of around 290 criminal offenses, involving non-legal gambling and organized crime.

He was found guilty and convicted to spend up to 18 years in prison and ordered to pay over HKD8.6 billion in compensation to five gaming concessionaires and the Macau government.

However, the court increased the compensation sum Chau and the other suspects are required to pay to the Macau government for illegal gaming crimes and money laundering, which has come to almost HKD25 billion.

Chau has made headlines as his arrest comes after the Chinese governments crackdown on money being moved out of the mainland.
In the last week alone, Israel has killed a senior Hamas militant in an airstrike in Beirut, Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets into Israel, the U.S. has killed a militia commander in Baghdad and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have traded fire with the American Navy.

Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the already catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across the region. And in the decades-old standoff pitting the U.S. and Israel against Iran and allied militant groups, there are fears that any one party could trigger a wider war if only to avoid appearing weak.

The divisions within each camp add another layer of volatility: Hamas might have hoped its Oct. 7 attack would drag its allies into a wider war with Israel. Israelis increasingly talk about the need to change the equation in Lebanon, even as the U.S. aims to contain the conflict.

As the intertwined chess games grow ever more complicated, the potential for miscalculation rises.

Hamas says the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war in Gaza was an act of purely Palestinian resistance to Israels decades-long domination of the Palestinians. There is no evidence that Iran, Hezbollah or other allied groups played a direct role or even knew about it beforehand.

But when Israel responded by launching one of the 21st centurys most devastating military campaigns in Gaza, a besieged enclave home to 2.3 million Palestinians, the so-called Axis of Resistance  Iran and the militant groups it supports across the region  faced pressure to respond.

The Palestinian cause has deep resonance across the region, and leaving Hamas alone to face Israels fury would have risked unraveling a military alliance that Iran has been building up since the 1979 Islamic Revolution put it on a collision course with the West.

They dont want war, but at the same they dont want to let the Israelis keep striking without retaliation, said Qassim Qassir, a Lebanese expert on Hezbollah.

If it tolerates Israeli attacks, like the strike in Beirut that killed Hamas deputy political leader, it risks appearing to be a weak or unreliable ally. But if it triggers a full war, Israel has threatened to wreak massive destruction on Lebanon, which is already mired in a severe economic crisis. Even Hezbollahs supporters may see that as too heavy a price to pay for a Palestinian ally.

Hezbollah has carried out strikes along the border nearly every day since the war in Gaza broke out, with the apparent aim of tying down some Israeli troops. Israel has returned fire, but each side appears to be carefully calibrating its actions to limit the intensity.

A Hezbollah barrage of at least 40 rockets fired at an Israeli military base on Saturday sent a message without starting a war. Would 80 have been a step too far? What if someone had been killed? How many casualties would warrant a full-blown offensive? The grim math provides no clear answers.

And in the end, it might not be a single strike that does it.

The regional tensions are likely to remain high as long as Israel keeps up its offensive in Gaza, which it says is aimed at crushing Hamas. Many wonder if thats even possible, given the groups deep roots in Palestinian society, and Israels own leaders say it will take many more months.

[Abridged]
A plea deal would give five years of probation to a man involved in a crash with a drunk driver that left a Madison police officer seriously injured and her wife dead in 2020.

Marshall resident Christopher Blume, 37, pleaded guilty Monday to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle after reaching a deal with Dane County prosecutors this month for his role in the death of Julie Nelson, the wife of Madison officer Jodi Nelson.

Blume also pleaded guilty to a felony count of reckless driving causing great bodily harm.

The homicide conviction carries up to 10 years of combined prison and extended supervision and the reckless driving conviction carries up to 3 years.

On the afternoon of Nov. 23, 2020, Blume was speeding on East Main Street in Sun Prairie when he collided with a vehicle driven by a man who had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08%, according to a letter filed in court by defense attorney Charles Giesen. The crash sent Blumes Honda Civic airborne before it hit the Nelsons, who were walking along a bike path on East Main Street.

Julie Nelson died at the scene and Jodi Nelson was hospitalized for more than two weeks with injuries that included broken bones, a concussion with a brain bleed, a severed ankle tendon and nerve damage to her face.

A criminal complaint against Blume filed in February 2022 said his vehicle struck the car of the intoxicated driver.

Giesens letter cites Wisconsin State Patrol and Sun Prairie police findings that the intoxicated motorist pulled out in front of Blume and struck his vehicle.

The State Patrol also estimated, conservatively, that Blume was driving between 42 and 51 mph in a 25 mph zone at the time of the crash, according to the criminal complaint.

The intoxicated motorist, a 35-year-old Sun Prairie man, has not faced any criminal charges for the crash. He told police he was drunk in the aftermath of the crash and a blood draw later confirmed it. At the time of the incident, he was on a signature bond for a disorderly conduct charge involving domestic abuse, according to court records.

Sun Prairie police recommended charges against the man but prosecutors declined to charge him, Giesen said.

According to Giesens letter, the court has previously reviewed reports detailing Blumes mental health diagnoses and personal history and it states Blume continues to receive drug treatments for his mental health conditions.

Dane County Circuit Judge Julie Genovese will sentence Blume on March 11, but she is not bound by the terms of the plea agreement in deciding a sentence for Blume.

Today in history: Jan. 8 1815: Battle of New Orleans 1935: Elvis Presley 1964: Lyndon Johnson 1994: Tonya Harding 2008: Hillary Clinton 2008: John McCain 2011: Gabrielle Giffords 2012: Gabrielle Giffords 2012: Mitt Romney 2016: "El Chapo" 2017: Israel 2017: The Golden Globes 2020: Iran 2021: Nancy Pelosi
Assyrian Nun Dies After Falling Down Stairs At Monastery

An 80-year-old nun died after falling down the stairs at the Mor Gabriel Monastery in the southeastern Turkish province of Mardin, the private DHA news agency reported.

Hazme Can reportedly lost her balance and fell down the stairs in the late hours of Monday, hitting her head on the ground after the fall. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

Can's body was taken to the Mardin Teaching and Research Hospital for an autopsy.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

Mor Gabriel is the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world.

Once a sizeable ethnic minority during the Ottoman era, the Assyrians suffered a mass slaughter in 1915 that some refer to as a genocide. Subsequently, they faced pogroms in the early days of the Republic of Turkey, after which some fled to neighboring Syria.

Despite being a predominantly Christian minority, the Assyrians were not granted minority status under the Treaty of Lausanne, a provision from which other non-Muslim groups benefit, namely Armenians, Jews and Greeks.

Their number in Turkey is currently estimated at 25,000. Most of them live in Istanbul, having fled their hometowns in the southeast of the country due to the Kurdish conflict.
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The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Malaysian Embassy in the Philippines are exploring special collaborations aimed at opening up key sectors in the country.

Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Dato Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino said in a courtesy call to ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez his country was keen on creating future collaborations with ARTA.

Your [ARTAs] presence is actually so important to give confidence to businesses. Its very important [in] any day that you can refer to some jurisdiction. So its good that you have that, so we can go to you, he said.

The ambassador also commended ARTAs role in the opening up of important industries, particularly the energy sector.

Castelino said the embassy was planning to forge a memorandum of understanding (MOUs) with agencies in Malaysia like the Malaysian Productivity Corp. and the Pasukan Petugas Khas Pemudahcara Perniagaan (PEMUDAH) or the Special Task Force to Facilitate Business.

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ARTA and the Malaysian Embassy plan to include the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in its priorities by crafting measures to provide lasting solutions to the security issues in the region, potentially resulting in more established businesses and employment to the people.

ARTA has an existing engagement with Bangsamoro Board of Investments and scheduled courtesy visit with the BARMM chief minister in the first quarter of 2024.

Castelino said he was looking forward to a briefing on the economy and ease of doing business (EODB) on Jan. 24, 2024 with Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (SAPIEA) Secretary Frederick Go.
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The image of the Black Nazarene has returned to the Quiapo Church after a procession lasting nearly 15 hours.

Church authorities said over 6.5 million people attended the procession, which started at around 5 a.m. from Quirino Grandstand, although police estimates had it a more modest 2.5 million.

The crowd at the Quiapo Church was also estimated at 1,398,500 as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The Philippine National Police earlier said this years Traslacion was generally peaceful and better coordinated than in previous years.

Devotees in maroon and yellow shirts shouting Viva Nazareno waved their towels in the air relentlessly as the statue of the Black Nazarene passed near them.

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The Manila Police District estimated the crowd at more than 2.5 million people, breaking last years record of 2 million. It also reported 38 injuries, though none were serious.

There were chaotic scenes as the feverish march got underway before dawn following an open-air mass for the Black Nazarene at Luneta Park.

Meanwhile, Quiapo Church officials said they are hoping the Vatican would declare Jan. 9 of every year a national feast in honor of the feast of the Black Nazarene in the Philippines.

We pray that the next time we are gathered here, Jan. 9 will be declared by the Church as a national feast in honor of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo Church rector Fr. Jun Sescon said.

Last year, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines approved their proposal during the 126th Plenary Assembly.

Many Filipinos believe the icon has miraculous healing powers and that touching it, or the ropes attached to its float, can heal previously incurable ailments and bring good fortune to them and their loved ones.

I believe that the Nazarene will give what we are all praying for  we just have to wait, but he will give everything, Renelinda de Leon, 64, said at the start of the procession.

He gave me good health. I dont have an illness, Im always healthy.

As a light rain fell over the massive crowd, some barefoot devotees risked injury to reach the float by clambering over others and clinging to the clothes of guards protecting the icon, causing some to fall.

Other guards on the float pushed unruly devotees to the ground to keep them away from the icon enclosed in a glass case and allow the parade to continue on its journey of 6.2 kilometers.

More than 15,000 security and medical personnel were deployed along the route of the procession.

At one point, organizers estimated just over a million people were marching slowly towards the destination of Quiapo Church.

It is the first time the traditional parade featuring the life-sized statue has been held since 2020, after COVID-19 forced officials to drastically downsize the event.

The original wooden statue was brought to the Philippines in the early 1600s when the nation was a Spanish colony.

Many Filipinos believe it got its dark color after surviving a fire aboard a ship en route from Mexico.

Marites Rote credited the Black Nazarene with healing her childrens skin rashes nearly 40 years ago and, more recently, ensuring the family could pay her husbands medical bills. With AFP
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Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first-ever Nubia Concept Store held in 3/F Cyberzone of SM North Edsa Annex, Quezon City.

ZTE Devices Philippines marked a significant milestone last month, December 16, 2023, with the much-anticipated grand inauguration of its additional kiosks and the first-ever nubia Concept Store in 3/F Cyberzone of SM North Edsa, Quezon City.

The event was attended by esteemed personalities including Mr. Gavin Lian, General Manager of ZTE Philippines (Terminals), Mr. Paul Mike Olivar, Assistant General Manager for Sales Operations at Cellboy and Ms. Mary Rose Llevado from Cirebon Trading. Notably, the event also welcomed Mr. Giovanni Arandilla, Property Manager of SM North Edsa, and featured a special appearance by influencer and cosplayer Prince De Guzman, captivating attendees with a stunning portrayal of Buggy from One Piece.

Were thrilled to open our very first nubia Concept Store! Its been an exciting year  weve opened 8 kiosk stores, and this concept store is a big step forward, said Mr. Gavin Lian, General Manager of ZTE Philippines (Terminals), during his opening speech.

He also added that the goal is to bring new technologies closer to people all over the Philippines, whether youre a gamer, a mobile photography lover, or the person seeking budget-friendly but quality gadgets. ZTE is eager to open more branches nationwide, reaching out to every corner and making top-notch tech accessible to all.

The grand launch was buzzing with engaging activities and amazing prize giveaways, echoing the dynamic spirit of ZTEs innovative offerings. Guests were given an exclusive tour of the newly opened nubia Concept Store, a haven for tech enthusiasts exhibiting an array of cutting-edge devices. Among the items on display were the nubia Z50s Pro, RedMagic 8S Pro, V50 Design, V50 Vita, nubia Neo, and an outstanding lineup catering to a wide range of user preferences.

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Furthermore, ZTE Kiosks are now conveniently available at multiple locations of SM Malls all over the Philippines, including SM Grand Central, SM Trece Martires, SM Dasma, SM San Pedro, SM Clark, SM Southmall, SM Lipa, and SM North Edsa, allowing a broader audience to access to ZTEs exceptional range of products and services.

The event highlighted ZTE Devices Philippines commitment to enhancing accessibility as well as the companys innovation, customer engagement, and building of long-lasting relationships within the tech community.

For more information on ZTE Devices Philippines and its latest offerings, visit on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok: @ztedevicesph.
Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least six days before an event. Items are only guaranteed to publish once prior to the event. To guarantee placement in the paper on a particular day, organizations can purchase an ad by calling 315-720-9694. Email all items to news@mcdowellnews.com.

TODAY, JAN. 9

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards announced his mobile office, the Carolina Cruiser, will be at the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, 1170 W. Tate St., Marion, today from 1-2:30 p.m. His staff will be parked outside with the Carolina Cruiser ready to meet with constituents and assist with casework.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 10

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot at Lowes, 480 U.S. 70 West, Marion.

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class called Art for Well-Being with Lynn Underwood as the instructor. The class will be held Wednesday, Jan. 10, from 3-4:30 p.m. Cost is $20 for A3L members, $30 for nonmembers, plus a $10 supply fee. Art, as a creative process, presents opportunities for promoting personal growth as well as recognizing our hopes and dreams. This class will be offered the second Wednesday of each month. Different art projects each time, including collage, painting and more. To register, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

THURSDAY, JAN. 11

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Nebo Crossing, 263 Barnes Road, Marion.

The counselors and staff of Black Mountain Counseling Center will be at the Old Fort branch library on Thursday, Jan. 11, from 1-3 p.m. with Gogos treats and information about the various affordable mental health counseling services available to McDowell County residents. The library branch is at 65 E. Mitchell St. in Old Fort. The Black Mountain Counseling Center offers affordable counseling services to McDowell and Buncombe residents.

SATURDAY, JAN. 13

The 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, starting at 9 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Marions Blanton Family Center at 99 N. Main St. in Marion. The guest speaker will be Marion native Robert Logan. The theme of the event is Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems. The prayer breakfast is sponsored by Mount Zion AME Zion Church. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. For those 12 and younger, tickets are $6. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 828-317-9729 or 828-442-3923.

NAACP McDowell County will meet on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. at Addies Chapel United Methodist Church.

MONDAY, JAN. 15

Addies Chapel United Women in Faith will host its annual MLK Jr. Program on Monday, Jan. 15, at 11 a.m. The Rev. Mary Scott of Mt. Zion AME Zion Church will be the guest speaker. Refreshments will follow the service. The church is at 201 Ridley St.

On Monday, Jan. 15, all seven convenience centers and the Transfer Station will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day. On Tuesday, Jan. 16, all seven convenience centers will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Transfer Station will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer an open glass studio with Catherine Bruggeman as the instructor. The class will be taught Monday, Jan. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be priced by project or by the hour. You must preregister. Class size is limited. If you have wanted to learn the basics of stained glass and walk away with a beautiful sun catcher, this is the class for you. If you have a project in mind that you want to learn to cut and complete, lets do it. There are many precut patterns ready to assemble and learn the basics. If interested in this class, text Bruggeman at 910-915-9104 for a current list of kits to select from or send your wish list. For more information, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

TUESDAY, JAN. 16

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at McDowell Technical Community College, William Harold Smith Building, Room 113, at 54 College Drive, Marion.

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a basic cutting class called mosaic mirror with Catherine Bruggeman as the instructor. The class will be taught Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $45 for A3L members, $55 for nonmembers, plus a $20 supply fee. The class is limited to four students. In this class, students will learn the basics of cutting by an introduction to tools, techniques and tricks to ensure a successful project. This is a fun class, and nothing needs to fit perfectly so its good practice. Students will choose their own glass and findings  and leave with a completed mirror to hang. For more information, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class called mixed media magic with Lynn Underwood as the instructor. The class will be taught Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for A3L members, $35 for nonmembers, plus a $10 supply fee. The class is limited to four students. Ever wished that you could create art, but think that you cant? You can. Are you looking for new techniques to add to your already present arts arsenal? Then come join in as we play and have fun with the endless possibilities that mixed media offers  paints, collage, pastels, tissue paper and more. Each month will provide a different project. This workshop will be offered the third Wednesdays of each month. Different every time. For more information, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

THURSDAY, JAN. 18

The Arrowhead Artists and Artisans League in Old Fort will offer a class about making a mosaic memory bowl (or lampshade) with Catherine Bruggeman as the instructor. The class will be taught Thursday, Jan. 18, from noon to 5 p.m. The cost is $30 for A3L members, $40 for nonmembers, plus an $18 supply fee. The class is limited to eight students. Students will select from glass, glass, tiles, findings and bring any special memory items with them, such as shells, jewelry, etc. to design their own memory bowl. Designs are built over a bowl form and can be used for display as a bowl or flipped upside down and used as a small lamp shade. Every memory bowl is different and personal. Students will clean, foil, flux and solder pieces over a form to complete this project. For more information, visit Arrowhead Gallery, 78C Catawba Ave., Old Fort, or call 828-668-1100.

SATURDAY, JAN. 20

The indoor yard sale to support First Baptist Church of Marions mission trip to Belize will be held Saturday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be held in the Blanton Family Center. All proceeds will go toward supplies for Belize medical and construction projects to be used in February.

The next plant-based potluck will be Saturday, Jan. 20, from 6-8 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Marions Fellowship Hall (Blanton Family Center). There will be a special guest speaker, Chastity Poteat Rice. She is the founder/CEO of her organization c2Life and c2Life Foundation which provides plant-based meals to people in need. These meals are also available for purchase with one meal donated for every meal purchased and can be found at Food Matters in Morganton. Bring a plant-based dish (no meats/egg/dairy) and a hearty appetite. Not sure what to bring? Just bring fruit. Paper products provided. Please bring a copy of your recipe to share with others. Interested folks can take a photo with their phones. Unsweetened tea and water will be provided.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 1:30-6:30 p.m. at the Marion Community Building, 191 N. Main St., Marion.

THURSDAY, JAN. 25

The McDowell Agriculture Advisory Board will hold a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in the N.C. Cooperative Extensions conference room at 60 E. Court St., Marion, on the second floor of the McDowell County Services Building. The purpose of the board is to review and approve applications for qualified farmland and voluntary agricultural districts and make recommendations concerning the establishment and modification of agricultural districts, to hold public hearings, and to perform other related tasks as assigned. The board is required to meet at least once a year, and will schedule additional meetings as needed to perform its duties. For more information, contact Matt Burneisen at 828-652-8104 or Matt_Burneisen@ncsu.edu.

SATURDAY, FEB. 3

Register now for the upcoming free four-day beginning beekeeping course. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on three Saturdays in February (Feb. 3, 10 and 17) and a field day to be determined. Do you have an interest in learning more about beekeeping, and how you and your family can do it? If so, this is the school for you and the best part is that it is free! The annual Bee School fills to capacity every year, so be sure and sign up early. There will be guest speakers covering important topics of interest each day, there will also be honey tasting, a honey extraction demo, door prizes and more. To attend, you must register online. Registration is open and is a first-come, first-serve basis. The course will be taught at the Harold Smith Building at McDowell Technical Community College, 54 College Drive, Marion. An optional textbook can be obtained prior to the course. Information will be sent after registration. For more information, go to www.mcdowellbeekeepers.org.

THURSDAY, FEB. 8

The McDowell County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council publishes Requests for Proposals (RFP) for fiscal year 2024-25. There will be a mandatory meeting for all new program applicants on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m. at the McDowell Public Services Building Boardroom. To request a detailed RFP, contact Linda Burleson at 828-606-9476. Application forms are available at https://cp.ncdjjdp.org/CP/.
Angolan companies Salinas de Calombolo and Alexabres House will benefit from financing totaling 71.8 million euros through a credit line from Deutsche Bank for projects to be developed in Benguela, promoters and the government announced on Monday 08 January.

With the intermediation of the Angolan Development Bank (BDA), the Salinas de Calombolo project has received funding of 24.8 million euros to set up the first caustic soda, calcium hypochlorite, and hydrochloric acid factory in Angola in Benguela province.

According to the executive director of the Aderito Areias group, promoter of the Salinas de Calombolo project, this factory will produce essential products for soap production and for preparing drinking water, among others.

The country imports around 650 million dollars (601.5 million euros) worth of these products every year, so we are extremely pleased because, if all goes well, the factory will be producing within a year, he said.

Salinas Calombolo occupies approximately 5,000 square meters and will generate 32 direct and permanent jobs, as well as having an impact on specialized training and creating opportunities in the national job market.

The second contract signed was with the Alexandres House project, also to be implemented in Benguela, with funding of just over 47 million euros for the supply and assembly of a warehouse for receiving, freezing, and processing fish in the municipality of Baia Farta.

Speaking to the press, the Secretary of State for the Economy congratulated the project promoters on the completion of the contracts, which are part of the Deutsche Bank credit line, signed in 2019, and which faced some constraints in getting the financing contracts in place.
The President of Sao Tome and Principe on Monday January 8 appointed five new ministers to the government, which has now been reshuffled to include 13 ministries, according to a decree.

The presidential decree signed on Monday by Carlos Vila Nova appoints as new members of the executive Lucio Daniel Lima Magalhaes, to the Ministry of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Parliamentary Affairs and with the Coordination of Sustainable Development, ngela da Costa, to the Ministry of Health, and who accumulates the portfolio of Womens Rights, Disney Leite Ramos, to the Ministry of Economy, Nilda Borges da Mata, to the Ministry of Environment, and Jose do Nascimento de Rio, to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Natural Resources.

Former ministers Ilza Amado Vaz and Gareth Guadalupe were reappointed to the Ministry of Justice, Public Administration, and Human Rights, and Gareth Guadalupe was transferred from the Ministry of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Communities, which he had held cumulatively since July last year.

Also reappointed were Jorge Amado, in the Ministry of Defense and Internal Administration; Abel Bom Jesus, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries; Ginesio da Mata, who lost the economy portfolio, leaving only the Ministry of Planning and Finance; Celsio Vera Cruz Junqueira, who stayed with the Ministry of Labor and Solidarity, losing the health area; as well as the ministers of Education, Culture, and Sciences, Isabel Viegas D`Abreu, and Youth and Sports, Euridice Medeiros.

With this reshuffle, the former Minister for Womens Rights, Maria Milagre, was the only one to be removed from the executive, joining the former Ministers for Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Adelino Cardoso, who resigned from his post last week, and Alberto Pereira, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Communities, who resigned in July last year, both involved in controversies.

According to executive sources, the new members of the government should be sworn in this week.
The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) will visit Cape Verde for three days, starting on Wednesday January 10, the government announced Monday January 8, at a time when the country is in the process of eradicating malaria.

Tedros Ghebreyesus visit to Cape Verde represents a great distinction, said Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva.

The ongoing work towards certification as a malaria-free country has a very big impact and has been a long-standing construction, he told journalists.

In terms of external image, this is very good, both for tourism and as a challenge that Cape Verde has overcome in the health system, said the government leader, hours after the Minister of Health announced the visitwithout details.

The WHO director-generals visit could also serve to motivate the country even more, he added.

Motivation so that we can take the necessary leaps forward, so that our health system is ever stronger and more resilient, said Ulisses Correia e Silva, pointing to the fight against malaria as a good example.

Cape Verde has had no indigenous cases of malaria (or malaria, as the disease is also known) for more than five years.

Malaria, a curable disease, is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito and is one of the main causes of death worldwide.
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The American Red Cross has declared a national blood shortage emergency as donations plummet to the lowest levels seen in 20 years.

"One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products," Pampee Young, M.D., chief medical officer of the Red Cross, said in a news release from the organization. "A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our countryand its availability can be the difference between life and death; however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate."

An upsurge in donors of blood and platelets is needed immediately.

There is an added incentive right now: Donors have a chance to win tickets to this year's Super Bowl, courtesy of the NFL. Volunteers can sign up to donate now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) to find their local donation center.

Americans' blood donations have charted a steady decline over the past two decades, dropping by about 40 percent during that time, according to the Red Cross. That leads to crises like the 7,000-unit shortfall in donations that occurred between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Winter is typically a tough time for donations, with bad weather or illnesses like colds, flu, or COVID keeping people away from donation centers. Add to that the shift by many Americans to remote work, which makes donation less convenient for many, the Red Cross said. Finally, new blood donation protocols, such as raising minimum hemoglobin requirements, have meant fewer people (especially teens) are eligible to donate.

More information: More Information

Copyright  2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Dutch scientists have discovered five biological variants of Alzheimer's disease, which may require different treatments. As a result, previously tested drugs may incorrectly appear to be ineffective or only minimally effective. This is the conclusion of researcher Betty Tijms and colleagues from Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC and Maastricht University. Their study is published in Nature Aging.

In those with Alzheimer's disease, the amyloid and tau proteins clump in the brain. In addition to these clumps, other biological processes such as inflammation and nerve cell growth are also involved. Using new techniques, the researchers have been able to measure these other processes in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyloid and tau clumps.

Betty Tijms and Pieter Jelle Visser examined 1,058 proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid of 419 people with Alzheimer's disease. They found that there are five biological variants within this group. The first variant is characterized by increased amyloid production. In a second type, the blood-brain barrier is disrupted, and there is reduced amyloid production and less nerve cell growth.

Furthermore, the variants differ in the degree of protein synthesis, the functioning of the immune system, and the functioning of the organ that produces cerebrospinal fluid. Patients with different Alzheimer's variants also showed differences in other aspects of the disease. For example, the researchers found a faster course of the disease in certain subgroups.

The findings are of great importance for drug research. They could mean that a certain drug might only work in one variant of Alzheimer's disease. For example, medication that inhibits amyloid production may work in the variant with increased amyloid production, but may be harmful in the variant with decreased amyloid production. It is also possible that patients with one variant would have a higher risk of side effects, while that risk would be much lower with other variants.

The next step for the research team is to show that the Alzheimer's variants do indeed react differently to medicines, in order to treat all patients with appropriate medicines in the future.

More information: Cerebrospinal fluid proteomics in Alzheimer's disease patients reveals five molecular subtypes with distinct genetic risk profiles, Nature Aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00550-7 , www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00550-7 Journal information: Nature Aging

Provided by Amsterdam University Medical Center
Syriac Military Council celebrates 11th anniversary

For eleven years now, the Christian population in Northern and Eastern Syria has been defended by the Syriac Military Council (MFS), which was founded on 8 January 2013. Two and a half years later, on 30 August 2015, the HSNB also launched the autonomous women's defense forces in Bethnahrin - Aramaic for the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris. Both associations belong to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and have defended Christian-populated villages in the Khabur Valley against the Islamic State. Today, especially around Til Temir, they are resisting Turkey and its Islamist militias.

On its eleventh anniversary, the MFS underlined in a statement that it will continue to fight against terror and violence as part of legitimate self-defense and to protect the Aramaic, Assyrian and Chaldean communities in the Khabur Valley.

The Council pointed out that the primary goal of the MFS from the beginning has been to close the wounds that the Syrian war has opened deep into the souls of society. "Healing the wounds and rebuilding what has been destroyed, also includes fighting for peace and freedom, social justice and gender equality. Peace and freedom are fundamental rights that every human being is entitled to. Our commitment is to the ideal of making this possible for all people in our regions. We are fighters on the path that leads to peace, freedom and justice."

The MFS paid a high price to protect Syria and its people, said the statement, adding: "We made many sacrifices to move from darkness into light. Despite the most difficult conditions, we have never hesitated to fulfill our task of defending the Rojava project, which means freedom, justice and democracy for the peoples of Northern and Eastern Syria, against all aggressors and their intentions of destruction. We fought against ISIS, which is a threat to the entire world. And we have defended ourselves against the Turkish state, which is waging a war against us with the aim of expelling the population, annexing our territories, and carrying out increasingly bloodthirsty attacks that are leading to new waves of refugees."

MFS called for a political solution for Syria

The statement added: "The MFS underlines that a political solution is necessary to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria and protect what we have achieved together with the other councils under the umbrella of the Syrian Democratic Forces. We reiterate that we will keep our promise to the Syriac peoples and continue to fight for their security until peace and freedom prevail in our regions."
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First and corresponding author Anita Arias, M.D., St. Jude Department of Pediatric Medicine and senior author Asya Agulnik, M.D., MPH, St. Jude Global Critical Care director. Credit: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have collaborated with a global group of acute pediatric critical illness experts to reach a consensus definition of the condition. Research on how to improve care in low- and middle-income countries has been stymied because conventional pediatric critical illness definitions are not applicable in these settings.

The new, more universal definition, reached by consensus among researchers and clinicians from 40 countries, will enable scientists to study pediatric critical illness more universally, which should lead to improvements in patient outcomes globally. The full definition is published in The Lancet Global Health.

"We now have a common language for acute pediatric critical illness," said first and corresponding author Anita Arias, M.D., St. Jude Department of Pediatric Medicine. "That shared understanding will improve data collection globally and increase patient sample size, which will lead to more and better clinical studies of evidence-based interventions."

The new full definition is: "An infant, child or adolescent with an illness, injury or post-operative state that increases the risk for or results in acute physiological instability (abnormal physiological parameters or vital organ dysfunction or failure) or a clinical support requirement (such as frequent or continuous monitoring, or time-sensitive intervention) to prevent further deterioration or death. The patient can meet this definition by having physiological instability, support requirements or both."

St. Jude researchers, led by Arias and senior author Asya Agulnik, M.D., MPH, St. Jude Global Critical Care director, coordinated an international group of acute pediatric critical illness researchers and clinicians to assemble the definition. In total, 109 experts from 40 countries contributed. The participants used a method called modified Delphi, which anonymized those involved so they could freely vote and express their opinions on draft statements. The final definition was a consensus among these experts, with particular attention to being more inclusive of hospitals of differing resource levels.

A more inclusive patient-centered definition

Historically, acute pediatric critical illness has had many definitions. Studies from higher-income countries tend to use definitions that include technical or resource-based terminology, such as admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). While that criterion has proven clinically useful, it does not translate to resource-limited health care settings in other countries, which may not have an ICU in their hospitals.

"With our new framework, we're trying to be more inclusive," Arias said. "As many hospitals around the world don't even have an ICU, older definitions were excluding a huge population of patients from research."

"While the global burden of childhood mortality is mostly in low-and middle-income countries, to date, the study of acute pediatric critical illness has largely been centered on hospitals in high-resource settings," Agulnik said. "This definition, which allows for classification of patients as critically ill regardless of critical care resources, would address this research disparity by facilitating research in hospitals of all resource settings."

The focus on ICUs reveals a larger problem: previous definitions excluded patients experiencing acute critical illness but lacking access to critical care resources. To increase inclusivity, the international group recognized the need to define the condition based on the patient's status rather than on resources, such as specific department admission or intervention use.

"One example of why we needed a new definition is the studies of respiratory failure," Arias explained. "Traditionally, these studies include patients who are on mechanical ventilation, but the fact that a hospital might not have mechanical ventilation doesn't mean that the patient doesn't have acute respiratory illness or failure."

The new definition focuses on the patient to address that need without regard to local resources. It looks at two different stateswhat is happening with the patient's bodily systems, and the need for clinical support, such as needing a ventilator, but not the actual materials used to address the patient's needs.

The framework also provides eight attributes and 28 statements to clarify and explain its application. The entirety of that framework is termed the DEFinition for acute pediatric CRITical illness (DEFCRIT).

Improving care globally

Slow improvement in critical care can be attributed to the historical lack of a standardized and inclusive definition of acute pediatric critical illness, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Given the difficulty in adapting methods to these settings, even measuring the total burden of critical illness has evaded researchers. DEFCRIT will help lead to a better understanding of the burden of disease and begin to compare populations and interventions in a more standardized and inclusive way.

"We have started bridging a gap for researchers and clinicians to understand the global burden of critical illness," Arias said. "This could eventually lead to better care delivery by gaining the ability to determine how effective intervention can be in different populations, environments and stages of illness."

Multiple global groups of pediatric disease researchers have already accepted DEFCRIT. The Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network on Behalf of the PALISI Global Health Subgroup is a co-author of the paper. In addition, the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS) and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) have both endorsed the framework.

"There was an iniquity in research that we, as a global group, wanted to address," Arias said. "With a universal DEFCRIT, we've stopped impeding research progress. We're now going to be able to start pushing the field toward improving the care for patients globally through better research."

More information: Anita V Arias et al, A research definition and framework for acute paediatric critical illness across resource-variable settings: a modified Delphi consensus, The Lancet Global Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00537-5 Journal information: The Lancet Global Health
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

It's unlikely any region of the world will escape the effects of climate change. These include increasing temperatures, more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as bushfires and floods, rising sea levels, and more.

But some areas, like the Pacific Islands, are likely to experience disproportionate effects from advancing climate change. Pacific island nations are uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise, coastal erosion and cyclones of escalating intensity.

Increasing temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns present additional risks to populations largely reliant on traditional fishing and farming practices for both food sources and trade.

The consequences of climate change also pose significant risks to the mental health and well-being of the people living in these countries, as we observed in a recent study with rural Fijians.

Shifts in the environment

We interviewed more than 70 Indigenous and other traditional Fijians living in rural villages in coastal, coastal hinterland and river delta regions of the country.

Interviewees from each village described environmental changes they had observed, ranging from shifts in seasons and rainfall, to warmer temperatures, to sea level rise resulting in more frequent flooding of the villages, particularly during "king tides". As one participant said,

"Now it is like we are having the hot season throughout. Now we are experiencing the abnormal changes in the weather like never before."

Another commented:

"Sea level is not where it used to be since it is moving into the village, especially when it is high tides. We are really worried and concerned."

A strong theme of loss of traditional culture ran through our interviews, with many participants describing the ways these environmental changes were contributing to the loss of traditional ways of life and their broader cultural practices.

One participant talked about yatule, a fish customarily found in seas of the Nadroga-Navosa province, traditionally fished using only nets:

"No longer is it [yatule] seen [here]. Fishing for the yatule here [] is done traditionally [] the traditional method is slowly fading."

These observed losses were having an effect on mental well-being. In particular, participants routinely expressed concerns and grief about what would be left for future generations.

"Due to the climate change we are very concerned about our future generation. At least now we can still eat fish, we don't know what tomorrow will bring."

The idea of relocation fueled further distress

All interviewees were aware of a potential need in the future to migrate (indeed, a couple of the villages we visited are already in the process of relocating to higher grounds). But this prospect was met with both reluctance and substantial anticipated loss. As one participant said,

"[The villagers] will not follow suit since they have strong ties with this place. "

Another said,

"This is our only land where we have lived in all our lives."

Given the strong connections Pacific island peoples traditionally have to their ancestral lands, there is no question any forced relocation would have significant negative effects on their mental health and well-being.

Eco-grief

Our interviews highlight the substantial distress associated with the rapidly changing environment of Fiji.

In many ways, these themes mirror those observed in the Indigenous Inuit peoples of the Circumpolar North, found in Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland. In these locations, rapidly declining sea ice is having a major impact on traditional cultural practices (such as fishing and travel), also resulting in grief, worry and mental ill-health.

Across the globe, it's clear people and cultures with strong place-based attachments are especially vulnerable to the mental health effects of climate change, sometimes called "eco-grief".

More research is urgently needed to better understand mental ill-health in Pacific peoples related to the effects of climate change, and to develop culturally informed supports. There's also a need to strengthen mental health systems in Pacific island nations.

Finally, concerted climate change mitigation efforts are crucial to protect these unique Pacific cultures, which will aid in protecting their mental health and well-being.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Graphical abstract. Credit: JCI Insight (2023). DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172665

Researchers have found a gene that links deafness to cell death in the inner ear in humanscreating new opportunities for averting hearing loss.

A person's hearing can be damaged by loud noise, aging and even certain medications, with little recourse beyond a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

But now, UCSF scientists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding what is happening in the inner ear during hearing loss, laying the groundwork for preventing deafness.

The research, published in the JCI Insight, links animal studies on hearing loss with a rare type of inherited deafness in humans. In both cases, mutations to the TMTC4 gene trigger a molecular domino effect known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), leading to the death of hair cells in the inner ear.

Intriguingly, hearing loss from loud noise exposure or drugs such as cisplatin, a common form of chemotherapy, also stems from activation of the UPR in hair cells, suggesting that the UPR may underlay several different forms of deafness.

There are several drugs that block the UPRand stop hearing lossin laboratory animals. The new findings make a stronger case for testing these drugs in people who are at risk of losing their hearing, according to the researchers.

"Millions of American adults lose their hearing due to noise exposure or aging each year, but it's been a mystery what was going wrong," said Dylan Chan, MD, Ph.D., co-senior author on the paper and director of the Children's Communication Center (CCC) in the UCSF Department of Otolaryngology. "We now have solid evidence that TMTC4 is a human deafness gene and that the UPR is a genuine target for preventing deafness."

How hair cells in the ear self-destruct

In 2014, Elliott Sherr, MD, Ph.D., director of the UCSF Brain Development Research Program and co-senior author of the paper, noticed that several of his young patients with brain malformations all had mutations to TMTC4. However, laboratory studies of this gene soon presented a conundrum.

"We expected mice with TMTC4 mutations to have severe brain defects early on, like those pediatric patients, yet to our surprise, they seemed normal at first," Sherr said. "But as those animals grew, we saw that they didn't startle in response to loud noise. They had gone deaf after they had matured."

Sherr partnered with Chan, an expert on the inner ear, to look into what was happening to the mice, which looked like an accelerated version of age-related hearing loss in humans. They showed that mutations to TMTC4 primed hair cells in the ear to self-destruct, and loud noise did the same thing. In both cases, hair cells were flooded with excess calcium, throwing off the balance of other cellular signals, including the UPR.

But they found there was a way to stop this. ISRIB, a drug developed at UCSF to block the UPR's self-destruct mechanism in traumatic brain injury, prevented animals who were exposed to noise from going deaf.

The first adult human deafness gene

In 2020, scientists from South Korea, led by Bong Jik Kim, MD, Ph.D., connected Chan and Sherr's 2018 findings with genetic mutations they found in two siblings who were losing their hearing in their mid-20s. The mutations were in TMTC4 and matched what Chan and Sherr had seen in animals, although they were distinct from those in Sherr's pediatric neurology patients.

"It's rare to so quickly connect mouse studies with humans," Sherr said. "Thanks to our Korean collaborators, we could more easily prove the relevance of our work for the many people who go deaf over time."

Kim, an otolaryngologist at the Chungnam National University College of Medicine (Korea), facilitated the shipping of cells from those patients to UCSF. Sherr and Chan tested those cells for UPR activity and found that this flavor of TMTC4 mutation turned on the destructive UPR pathway in a human context.

When Chan and Sherr mutated TMTC4 only in hair cells in mice, the mice went deaf. When they mutated TMTC4 in cells from individuals in the Korean family who hadn't gone deaf and in laboratory human cell lines, the UPR drove the cells to self-destruct. TMTC4 was more than a deafness gene in miceit was a deafness gene in humans, too.

Translating a discovery to prevent deafness

Understanding TMTC4 mutations gives researchers a new way of studying progressive deafness since it is critical for maintaining the health of the adult inner ear. The mutations mimic damage from noise, aging, or drugs like cisplatin.

The researchers envision a future where people who must take cisplatin or who have to be exposed to loud noises for their jobs take a drug that dampens the UPR and keeps hair cells from withering away, preserving their hearing.

The science also suggests that the UPR could be targeted in other contexts where nerve cells become overwhelmed and die, including diseases long thought to be incurable, like Alzheimer's or Lou Gehrig's disease.

"If there's any way that we can get in the way of the hair cells dying, that's how we're going to be able to prevent hearing loss," Chan said.

More information: Jiang Li et al, TMTC4 is a hair cellspecific human deafness gene, JCI Insight (2023). DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172665 Journal information: JCI Insight
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline on Tuesday agreed to buy Aiolos Bio for up to $1.4 billion, with focus on an asthma medication still at the testing stage.

The acquisition hands GSK access to AIO-001, a long-acting antibody which is ready to enter Phase II clinical development for the treatment of adults with asthma.

GSK said in a statement that the drug has the "potential to... reach a broader portion of asthma patients".

AIO-001 was exclusively licensed to Aiolos outside of China by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, which initially developed the asthma treatment.

The purchase of Aiolos Bio, based in London and San Francisco, furthers GSK's push into its core drugmaking business after the spinoff of consumer health care unit Haleon in 2022.

"We have a proud heritage and deep development expertise in respiratory medicines," GSK's chief scientific officer Tony Wood said in the statement.

"Adding AIO-001, a potentially best-in-class medicine... could expand the reach of our current respiratory biologics portfolio."

 2024 AFP
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Measuring arsenic in liver and adipose tissue of humanized and wild-type mice. (A) Arsenical quantification in isolated liver of mice (WT male, n=5; WT female, n=4; humanized male, n=6; humanized female, n=5). (B) Arsenical quantification in isolated adipose of mice (WT male, n=4; WT female, n=5; humanized male, n=5; humanized female, n=6). Mann-Whitney statistical test (unpaired and two-tailed) was performed to determine significance (ns = not significant p-value >0.05; *p-value <0.05; **p-value <0.005). Error bars indicate meanstandard deviation. Data reported in Table S1. Note: DMAs, dimethylarsenite; iAs, inorganic arsenic; MMAs, monomethylarsenite; WT, wild type. Credit: Environmental Health Perspectives (2023). DOI: 10.1289/EHP12785

Chronic exposure to arsenic, often through contaminated groundwater, has been associated with type 2 diabetes in humans, and there are new clues that males may be more susceptible to the disease when exposed.

A new studyusing lab mice genetically modified with a human gene to shed light on the potential linkrevealed that while the male mice exposed to arsenic in drinking water developed diabetes, the female mice did not.

These results would not have been possible without using a mouse model engineered to express a human enzyme for metabolizing arsenic, since normal mice process arsenic much more efficiently than humans and require very high levels of exposure before they become diabetic.

In the paper, the researchers also identified a transcription factor called Klf11, which might be the master regulator of the difference in how the livers of males and females respond to arsenic.

"Our paper lays the foundation for future investigations into the mechanism of how arsenic exposure leads to diabetes, why there are striking male-female differences and potential therapeutic strategies," said Praveen Sethupathy '03, professor of physiological genomics and chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, and the study's senior author.

"It highlights how important it is to use an appropriate genetic model [in this case, humanized mice], because none of these results were seen in the wild-type mice," said Jenna Todero, a doctoral student in Sethupathy's lab.

Todero is the first author of "Molecular and Metabolic Analysis of Arsenic-exposed Humanized Arsenic +3 Methyl Transferase (AS3MT) Mice," which published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Arsenic is the top priority substance for study, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Human exposure to arsenic, which is common in the environment, often comes through contaminated groundwater. According to the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency, the safe exposure limit is ten parts per billion.

Endemic levels of arsenic above safe limits in both Bangladesh and Mexico led to studies that showed an association between higher levels of arsenic exposure and type 2 diabetes. Though these studies had very small sample sizes, they offered clues for further research.

The current study was performed on regular lab miceknown as wild-type miceas a control and humanized mice that were engineered to express a human form of an enzyme, AS3MT, which is found across species and is important for metabolizing arsenic in the body. The efficiency of this enzyme differs across species, but mice are far faster than humans at metabolizing arsenic.

All the mice were exposed for a month to doses of arsenic in drinking water that were nonlethal but sufficient to promote type 2 diabetes potentially. The researchers then examined liver and white adipose tissues that are implicated in diabetes. In the humanized male mice alone, they found increased gene expression related to insulin resistance. Also, in the humanized male mice's liver and white adipose tissues, they identified a biomarker called miR-34a, which is highly associated with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

"This would suggest miR-34a is potentially a way to screen individuals who live in areas with endemic arsenic levels," Todero said. "If you have elevated miRNA-34a, you might be at risk for type 2 diabetes onset or other metabolic dysfunction."

The researchers also identified the transcription factor (which regulates genes) Klf11 in the liver. "This was really exciting because we showed that genes that are highly important for things like regulating glucose or lipid metabolism seem to be targets for Klf11," Todero said.

They found that Klf11 was significantly turned down in the humanized males but not in the wild-type mice or the females. The study's authors speculate that Klf11 might be a master regulator for genes associated with energy usage. It was suppressed in humanized male mice, likely causing dysregulation and hallmarks of diabetes, such as insulin resistance and elevated fasting blood glucose.

In the female humanized mice, the researchers found evidence of elevated expression of genes that support insulin sensitivity.

"We saw the opposite effect in females, where genes that promoted insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake had increased expression," Todero said. Previous work by another group suggested that the female sex hormone estradiol may play a role in the sexual divergence in the association between arsenic and type 2 diabetes.

More information: Jenna Todero et al, Molecular and Metabolic Analysis of Arsenic-Exposed Humanized AS3MT Mice, Environmental Health Perspectives (2023). DOI: 10.1289/EHP12785 Journal information: Environmental Health Perspectives
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For heavily transfused patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) who are not responding to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), the competitive telomerase inhibitor imetelstat leads to durable red blood cell (RBC) transfusion independence, according to a study published online Dec. 1 in The Lancet.

Uwe Platzbecker, M.D., from University Hospital Leipzig in Germany, and colleagues compared the RBC transfusion independence rate with imetelstat versus placebo in patients with RBC transfusion-dependent LR-MDS in a double-blind trial conducted at 118 sites. Overall, 178 patients (aged 18 years and older) with ESA-relapsed, ESA-refractory, or ESA-ineligible LR-MDS were enrolled and randomly assigned to imetelstat or placebo (118 and 60, respectively), administered every four weeks as a two-hour intravenous infusion.

Patients were followed for a median of 19.5 and 17.5 months in the imetelstat and placebo groups, respectively. The researchers found that 40 and 15 percent of patients had an RBC transfusion independence of at least eight weeks in the imetelstat and placebo groups, respectively. Of the patients receiving imetelstat and placebo, 91 and 47 percent, respectively, had grade 3 to 4 treatment-emergent adverse events, with the most common events being neutropenia and thrombocytopenia for those taking imetelstat. There were no reports of treatment-related deaths.

"Taken together, IMerge phase 3 results validate the observations from the phase 2 part and show that imetelstat provides clinically significant benefit to a heavily transfusion-dependent LR-MDS patient population," the authors write.

Janssen Research & Development and Geron Corporation funded the trial before and after April 18, 2019, respectively. Geron manufactures imetelstat.

More information: Uwe Platzbecker et al, Imetelstat in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who have relapsed or are refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (IMerge): a multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, The Lancet (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01724-5 Mrinal M Patnaik, Telomerase inhibition in haematological neoplasmsare we ready for primetime?, The Lancet (2023). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02187-6 Journal information: The Lancet

Copyright  2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

We hear a lot about work-related burnout these days, especially as many workers continue to deal with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe it's the blurring of lines between home and work life. Or maybe it's the stress of returning to the workplace after working from home. Or the lingering symptoms of long COVID causing both physical and mental health challenges.

Quentin Durand-Moreau, an assistant professor of occupational medicine at the University of Alberta, has done extensive research on work-related burnout, as well as mental health problems like depression and PTSD. Here's what he has to say about the often hidden workplace hazard, what's behind it and who bears the responsibility for preventing it.

What is burnout?

According to Durand-Moreau, it's a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress, characterized by three dimensions: feelings of depleted energy or exhaustion; increased mental distance from your job, such as feelings of negativity or cynicism; and feelings of reduced personal accomplishment at work.

"Burnout is not a medical diagnosis. I really think it's just a word patients can use to indicate to their physician, their psychologist, their therapist, their health-care provider, that they feel unwell with their mental health because of their work," he says.

"From that starting point, the clinician needs to make a diagnosisand in most cases, the diagnosis is going to be depression."

In fact, Durand-Moreau says research indicates that burnout and depression overlap. "In other words, most cases of burnout meet the diagnostic criteria for depression."

What causes burnout?

Durand-Moreau says excessive work hours are the number one killer when it comes to occupational health.

He cites research conducted by the World Health Organization and International Labor Organization indicating that working more than 55 hours a week increases the risk of dying from heart attack by 17% and from stroke by 35%. Long work hours can also cause people to increase their alcohol consumption, which comes with its own list of harmful effects on health.

Other factors in burnout include employees not having enough support and not being listened to by employers.

"There's nothing worse than getting surveyed every two weeks with no improvements in the situation. They feel like nothing is changing and their voice doesn't count."

Burnout is not normal, and it can be serious

Burnout doesn't just come with the territory, in Durand-Moreau's view: "There is no job where it is a normal requirement to have it affect a worker's mental health."

He points out that the mental health effects of burnout can be serious. If a heavy workload is causing a worker to get home late and miss family obligations day after day, week after week, it can lead to family problems and even divorce. He adds that it's important for health-care providers to assess patients who are experiencing burnout for suicidal ideas.

It's not up to workers to fix the problem

Durand-Moreau stresses that in a good organization, preventing burnout is not on the workers' shoulders, but on the organization's. A good organization takes care of its workers.

"The first thing is to make sure the organization is mindful of the fact that psychosocial risks are things that need to be addressed. And it's not about saying to employees that you have to exercise, you have to do mindfulness training, you have to do this or that. I'm going to be crystal clear: This is unethical, because in occupational health ethics, it's the work that needs to be adjusted to the worker, not the opposite."

COVID is making the problem worse

The COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing consequencesespecially long COVIDhave made the burnout problem worse, says Durand-Moreau, who is part of an American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine working group developing recommendations to help physicians and workers cope with long COVID and determine what can be done to help them get back in the workforce.

"Patients with long COVID present with a number of symptomsusually brain fog, trouble concentrating on their tasks, fatigue, chronic pain, muscular pain and shortness of breath. All of those things prevent them from working on a computer for hours doing the same things. We see those patients in our clinics."

The jury is still out on working from home

On a related front, Durand-Moreau notes that different studies on working from home have shown conflicting results so far.

"Some say working from home is very bad, and some say it is very good. Age appears to be a big factor. Older workers seem to not do so well working from home compared with younger ones. Different levels of comfort with technology may be part of that. Someone in a supervisory role may also have more difficulty working from home."

The blurring of home and work life can also be stressfulespecially when living spaces are doing double duty as makeshift offices, he says.

"People in Edmonton are more likely to have an extra room to put the office, as opposed to someone in Vancouver on the same salary. They have one bedroom and they have no space to make it separate. It might be much more crowded, much more difficult. This is also a dimension to have in mind."

Regulations are key to curbing burnout

According to Durand-Moreau, when it comes to the kinds of working conditions that cause burnout, improvement will only come through regulations.

"It's not going to come from the ground up. And it's not going to come from the businesses, because they are business-orientedthey are here to make money. So when your business is in a little bit of trouble, you're going to cut the fat. And in this situation, the fat is whatever doesn't directly help the business.

Durand-Moreau says he's encouraged by increasing attention to psychosocial risk prevention in workplaces globally, such as through the ILO's international Violence and Harassment Convention, which will come into force in Canada later this month.

"The only way to keep the health of workers maintained and looked at down the road is through mandatory regulation."
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Change in convenience store reliance, fast food reliance, and the COVID-19 incidence rate throughout the United States from January 2019 to May 2022. Credit: Health Data Science (2023). DOI: 10.34133/hds.0101

A study published in Health Data Science, reveals critical insights into socioeconomic disparities in unhealthy food reliance using novel mobile phone data analysis. This study, led by researchers Charles Alba and Ruopeng An from Washington University in St. Louis, marks a significant departure from traditional survey-centric approaches, offering a more dynamic nationwide perspective.

Alba, a doctoral student, notes, "Our analysis, utilizing mobile phone data, provides a unique lens to understand existing disparities in unhealthy food consumption, particularly among racial minorities and low-income households."

The study's innovative methodology differs from conventional surveys, capturing real-time data across a vast geographical scope. An, Associate Professor at Washington University, emphasizes the study's contribution to a broader understanding of COVID-19's impact on these disparities. "Our work extends beyond static information, offering a comprehensive understanding of how the pandemic has intensified unhealthy food reliance, especially among socio-economically vulnerable communities," says An.

In analyzing over 800,000 establishments across 3,141 U.S. counties, the researchers uncovered that COVID-19 has exacerbated convenience store reliance, particularly in Hispanic-majority counties and areas with older populations. This trend highlights increasing disparities in both convenience stores and fast-food dependence.

The study's unique contribution lies in its threefold approach: leveraging mobile phone data to address built environment inequities, bridging the gap in understanding COVID-19's impact on socioeconomic disparities, and providing a national-level analysis, a significant extension from the typical local or state-level focus in existing literature.

Alba says, "Our findings underscore the need for resilient and equitable food environments in the post-pandemic era. We aim to inform policy stakeholders about these critical disparities and foster more equitable food access for all."

More information: Charles Alba et al, Using Mobile Phone Data to Assess Socio-Economic Disparities in Unhealthy Food Reliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Health Data Science (2023). DOI: 10.34133/hds.0101

Provided by Health Data Science
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The spike protein of the heavily mutated Pirola variant harbors two mutations, S50L and K356T, which increase infectious entry into lung cells. Credit: Markus Hoffmann/DPZ

Despite the end of the pandemic, COVID-19 continues to pose a serious health threat. Most individuals have established robust immune protection and do not develop severe disease but the infection can still lead to marked and sometimes long-lasting disease symptoms.

In the late summer of 2023 a new SARS-CoV-2 variant emerged, BA.2.86 (pirola), which, based on genetics, differs markedly from all previously circulating variants. A team of researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ, Gottingen), jointly with partners at Charite (Berlin), Hannover Medical School, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (Braunschweig) and Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg has now investigated the biological properties of the new variant.

The researchers discovered that the pirola variant, in contrast the all previously circulating omicron variants, enters lung cells with high efficiency and uses the cellular enzyme TMPRss2 for entry, thereby exhibiting surprising parallels to variants alpha, beta, gamma and delta that circulated during the first years of the pandemic. The improved entry into lung cells might indicate that the virus is more aggressive but production of new, infectious viral particles in infected cells was reduced, which may limit spread and pathogenic potential.

The researchers report in the journal Cell that the pirola variant is resistant against all therapeutic antibodies and efficiently evades antibody responses in vaccinated individuals with and without breakthrough infection. However, the virus was appreciably inhibited by antibodies elicited by the new, XBB.1.5-adpated mRNA vaccine.

In summary, the results show that four years after the start of the pandemic the virus is still capable of profound changes and can reacquire properties that may promote the development of severe disease.

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the constant emergence of new viral variants. These variants have acquired mutations in the spike protein, which allow evasion of neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated and convalescent individuals. The emergence of viral variants started with the alpha variant followed by the beta, gamma and delta variants.

At the end of the year 2021 the omicron variant became globally dominant, which, based on genome sequence, differed markedly from previously circulating variants. However, the virus had to pay a price for this massive change. Thus, the omicron variant evades neutralizing antibodies and is transmitted with high efficiency but has lost the ability to efficiently use a host cell enzyme, the protease TMPRSS2, for lung cell entry. As a consequence, the omicron variant induces pneumonia less frequently.

Pirola: A quantum leap in SARS-CoV-2 evolution

Descendants of the omicron variant dominated globally until the end of the year 2023. New variants frequently differed only by few mutations from their predecessors and there was evidence that viruses circulating in 2023 had only limited options to evade antibody pressure in the human population. Therefore, the discovery of a new SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant, pirola (BA.2.86), which, based on genome sequence, strongly differed from other circulating viruses drew a lot of attention.

The pirola variant, analogous to the omicron variant, likely arose in immunocompromised patients and presents a quantum leap in SARS-CoV-2 evolution. The spike protein of the pirola variant harbors more than 30 mutations relative to its precursor variant, BA.2, and it is largely unknown how these mutations affect the biological properties of the virus.

A team of researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) led by Markus Hoffmann and Stefan Pohlmann addressed this question jointly with the research groups of Christian Drosten (Charite, Berlin), Georg Behrens (Hannover Medical School), Luka Cicin-Sain (Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig) and Hans-Martin Jack (Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen Nuremberg).

Pirola can infect lung cells more efficiently

The researchers discovered that the pirola variant, in contrast to all previously circulating omicron subvariants, enters lung cells with high efficiency and in a TMPRSS2-dependent manner. Further, they could demonstrate that mutations S50L and K356T in the spike protein of the pirola variant are important for the highly efficient lung cell entry.

"It is noteworthy that two years after the global dominance of the omicron variant, which fails to robustly enter lung cells, now a quite different virus is spreading and that this virus is able to again enter lung cells with high efficiency. If the augmented lung cell entry translates into more severe disease upon infection with the pirola variant remains to be investigated in animal models," says Pohlmann, head of the Infection Biology Unity of the German Primate Center.

Pirola replicates less well than its predecessors

SARS-CoV-2 infected cells produce new virus particles many of which, but not all, are able to infect new cells. The researchers provided evidence that cells infected by the pirola variant are less well able than cells infected with previous variants to produce intact viral particles. "The relatively inefficient production of infectious particles by cells infected with the pirola variant was surprising," says Hoffmann, the lead contact of the study.

"It will be interesting to analyze which mechanism is responsible. Maybe the infected cells produce defective interfering particles, which regulate spread of the pirola variant and contribute to antibody evasion."

Therapeutic antibodies are ineffective against pirola

Recombinantly produced neutralizing antibodies were successfully used for COVID-19 prophylaxis and therapy. However, due to the emergence of viral variants with mutations in the antibody binding sites most of those antibodies are not active against currently circulating variants. The present study shows that the pirola variant is no exceptionnone of the tested antibodies was able to neutralize the virus.

"These results show that the development of new, broad spectrum antibodies is an important task," says Hoffmann.

New, adapted vaccine protects against pirola

The pirola variant was also able to evade antibodies induced by vaccination or infection but with less efficiency than the contemporaneously circulating Eris variant (EG.5.1). However, antibodies induced by vaccination with the new XBB.1.5-adapted vaccine were able to appreciably inhibit both the pirola and the Eris variant.

"These results suggest that the XBB.1.5-adpated vaccine might induce a robust, although likely short-lived, protection against infection with the pirola variant," says Hoffmann.

"In this context it is interesting that subvariants of pirola are currently globally on the rise that harbor an additional mutation in the spike protein, which may increase antibody evasion. The virus is in the process of optimizing itself and the consequences of this optimization should be studied," adds Lu Zhang, first author of the study.

More information: Lu Zhang et al, SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 enters lung cells and evades neutralizing antibodies with high efficiency, Cell (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.025 Journal information: Cell

Provided by Leibniz-Institut fur Primatenforschung
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Water beads in a vase. Credit: Rhododendrites/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Water beads are tiny, colorful, expanding gel balls often sold as crafts, toys or sensory tools for children with developmental disabilities. However, if ingested, they can cause vomiting, intestinal blockages and may be fatal if left undetected.

Both the federal government and the state of New Jersey have introduced bills to ban their sale.

Between 2016 and 2022, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates 7,800 emergency room visits were associated with water beads, which can also be found in decorations, such as floral arrangements. Diane Calello, medical director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, has seen calls about water beads increase sharply.

Calello addresses what parents need to know.

What are water beads?

These small round beads may be sold in craft kits, as home decor and for use in flower arrangements, and even as sensory toys for children with developmental disabilities. They are brightly colored and very enticing. But they contain a super-absorbent material which allows them to grow up to 100 times their original size. They start as small as tiny pebbles but can grow large enough to block a young child's intestine or airway.

Can you tell us more about the dangers associated with water beads?

Because they are small toys, initially they present a choking hazard. After being swallowed, however, they can block any component of the GI tract, including the stomach and intestine. This can cause vomiting, dehydration, intestinal blockage, infection and even death. Emergent surgery may be needed to remove the beads from the intestine.

What are signs that a child has ingested water beads?

Unless the ingestion is witnessed, the first signs will likely be gagging, vomiting or refusal to eat or drink. This may progress to worsened vomiting, abdominal swelling, pain, fever and a change in behavior.

While some of these may be seen on X-ray, they may not because they are clear and don't contain any metal. If the parent is unsure, the care team may choose to observe the child in the hospital for the development of symptoms or signs of obstruction.

How is a child treated?

If there is obviously a water bead in the intestine, attempts will be made to remove it via either endoscopy or surgery.

The label says 'nontoxic.' But are they?

The beads contain a superabsorbent polymer, which does not have any inherent toxicity, but its chemical nature allows the bead to expand to dangerous proportions.

Beyond ingestion, what other risks do they pose?

Anytime these expanding beads get into a closed space, tissue destruction may result. There are reports about children putting the beads in their ears and the expansion causing damage to the ear and hearing loss requiring surgical repair. Another potential scenario could involve a child putting a bead in their nose. Although I'm not aware of this being reported, I would imagine that could cause significant damage to the nasal cartilage and the face.

How can parents keep children safe?

First, if you have young children in your house, don't buy these products. Be alert to your surroundings outside the house and if you see the beadsfor example, in a floral arrangementto keep your child away from them. It's also a good idea to discuss the availability of this and other poisoning hazards with daycare providers, babysitters and other caregivers your child may visit.
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Dust samples are collected on filters for analysis with UQ's Mineral Liberation Analyser. Credit: University of Queensland

A new dust testing methodology developed by University of Queensland researchers offers workers better protection from diseases such as black lung and silicosis. The research is published in the journal Minerals.

Leader of the Dust and Respiratory Health Program at the Sustainable Minerals Institute Nikky LaBranche said the escalating prevalence of dust lung diseases, especially among young Australians, made the scientific community realize a new approach was needed.

"Exposure monitoring for dust and silica is currently based on the weight of particles but this overlooks many details that we are beginning to understand have significant health effects," LaBranche said.

"The methodology we have developed takes an in-depth look at particle characteristics such as size, shape, and mineral makeup, along with their potential to group together.

"These things weren't possible previously because of cost and technology but we have used a Mineral Liberation Analyzer which is a specialized type of scanning electron microscope. It can measure the size and shape of individual particles and create a mineral map across them.

"This is important because the lighter and smaller particles are more easily breathed in to pose a health hazard, something which is overlooked in conventional weight testing.

"We could also see that the mineralogy of dust at sizes small enough to enter the lungs is generally of different concentrations than the dust source because some minerals break into the size of concern more easily."

Since 2019, Queensland Health has recorded at least 885 cases of Queensland workers being diagnosed with a dust-related lung diseases, mostly in the mining and quarrying, construction, and manufacturing industries.

LaBranche said within each industry workers could be exposed to dust particles of a variety of mineralogies and sizes.

"Some mines have already contacted UQ to undertake this testing to better understand the dust risks on their sites," she said. "UQ is now offering it as a service to industries that would benefit from this type of information."

Co-author Professor David Cliff from SMI said the new methodology would also contribute to research into the connection between the characteristics of particulates and the development of respirable dust diseases.

"By understanding the mineralogy and shape of respirable dust particles, it will be possible to simulate their impact on the lungs so we can more accurately identify the risk factors for workers and tailor effective controls," he said.

More information: Nikky LaBranche et al, Method for the Analysis of Respirable Airborne Particulates on Filter Using the Mineral Liberation Analyser, Minerals (2023). DOI: 10.3390/min13121526
Medical facilities around Missoula are reporting an uptick in flu cases as a surge of influenza and other respiratory illnesses is being reported across the entire country.

Local health workers are seeing more people than usual this time of year hospitalized for influenza illness, Missoula Public Health Department Infectious Disease Specialist Pam Whitney said.

This was an early onset of flu for us, Whitney said on Monday. February is typically when health workers see a spike in flu cases, she explained, as opposed to early January.

At Partnership Health Center, from the week of Dec. 17 to Dec. 23, the facility saw 48 confirmed cases and two hospitalizations, according to Whitney. From Dec. 24 to Dec. 30, PHC had 36 confirmed cases, but hospitalizations spiked to eight people. In the first week of 2024, PHC recorded 35 cases and seven hospitalizations.

For me, those are huge numbers, Whitney said.

People hospitalized had comorbidities, were older in age and/or didnt receive a flu vaccine, she added.

At Providence St. Patrick Hospital, 25 patients positive for influenza were admitted for supportive care in December 2023, about half of the number St. Pats recorded for December 2022. In the first week of January 2024, the hospital reported seeing an increase in admissions, with roughly five to 10 flu patients per day, according to Tammy Powers, senior manager in infection prevention.

COVID-19 admissions were similar, with about five to 10 patients a day, according to Powers. A few people are also coming in with RSV, a respiratory virus that affects the lungs and breathing abilities. JoAnn Hoven, communications manager for St. Pats, said its typical for respiratory virus infection admissions to increase after the holidays.

Whitney and St. Pats officials recommended Missoulians get vaccinated as a preventive measure against the viruses. Masking, hand washing and general hygiene (covering coughs) and staying home while sick are also ways to mitigate the spread of viruses.

That vaccine really does keep you out of the hospital, Whitney said.

The Missoula Public Health Department is still running immunization clinics every week, Monday through Friday. Walk-ins for COVID-19, flu and other shots are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays are for appointments only. Local pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens, are also offering vaccine appointments (which can be booked online).

Respiratory illness cases are up nationwide, NPR reported last week, with the flu and RSV being big drivers of those numbers.

The amount of respiratory illness (fever plus cough or sore throat) causing people to seek health care is elevated or increasing across most areas of the country, the Centers for Disease Control website stated. This week, 39 jurisdictions experienced high or very high activity.

Montana was in the "high" category for respiratory illness levels, according to CDC data.

Emergency room visits are up for flu and COVID-19 cases as well, for all ages except school-aged kids, the CDC reported.
A 59-year-old woman is missing out of Sanders County, officials shared on Facebook on Tuesday.

Stephanie Turner was last seen on Dec. 23, according to a neighbor, the Sanders County Sheriffs Office reported in a Facebook post. Turner is a Paradise resident. She has family throughout Montana, and also in Kansas.

She was reported missing on Dec. 25 by a family member, the sheriffs office stated.

Turner is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing roughly 140 pounds, according to an entry for her case in the Montana Missing Persons Database. Shes white, with brown hair and brown eyes.

The sheriff's Facebook post says Turner has experienced mental health issues in the past. Shes known to usually wear a black, puffy winter coat thats knee-length.

Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders said in a phone call that law enforcement doesnt have information leading us to believe Turner is out of state at this point, but its hard to know what direction she might have gone. He said her family asked the sheriff's office to post about her on social media.

Anyone with information on Turners whereabouts is asked to contact local law enforcement or the Sanders County Sheriffs Office at 406-827-3584, ext. 3.
Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com.

TODAY

Burke County Democratic Party is sponsoring an evening with Justice Michael Morgan. It will be held at Mountain View Recreation Center, 111 Alphabet Lane, Morganton on Tuesday, Jan. 9. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. Program begins at 6 p.m.

Nurturing Souls group

Carolina Caring will offer a free grief support group called Nurturing Souls on Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Waterbean Coffee, 1995 Startown Road, in Hickory. Anyone in the community who has had a recent loss or whose grief is still fresh is encouraged to grab an afternoon cup of coffee or hot tea and join an informal time of sharing and connecting with others who have also experienced a recent loss of someone close to them. The group will continue to meet on the second Tuesday of every month. No registration is required but if youd like more information, visit CarolinaCaring.org/support, email wspurling@carolinacaring.org or call 828-466-0466, ext. 3201.

FRIDAY

The Burke County Chamber of Commerce will hold the Coffee and Conversations with Drexel Mayor Dennis Anthony on Friday, Jan. 12, from 7:30-9 a.m. at the R.O. Huffman Recreation Center, 700 S. Main St. Drexel. Cost is $15 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members. Cost includes breakfast. Come learn more information about happenings in Drexel and network with local leaders. For more information or to register, visit burkecountychamber.org.

SATURDAY

NAACP annual banquet

The Burke County NAACP will hold its 32nd annual banquet on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Morganton Community House. The guest speaker will be Dr. Elma Joyce Hairston, president of the High Point NAACP. This years theme will be: Living the Dream, It Starts With Us  Speaking Courage, Hope and Unity. The MLK Scholarship winners also will be announced. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 828-433-7404. The event is part of the Martin Luther King weekend-long birthday celebration.

SUNDAY

Countywide worship service

The Burke County NAACP will host a county-wide worship service on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Shiloh AME Church, 1323 N. Powerhouse Road, where Dr. Wayne Johnson Sr. is the host pastor. The guest speaker will be Morganton native, the Rev. Dr. Phanta Lansden, pastor of Saint James Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. Music will be performed by the NAACP Choir, led by Music Minister Willette McIntosh.

MONDAY, JAN. 15

MLK Walk to Remember

The Burke County NAACP will host an MLK Day of Service Walk to Remember at 11:30 a.m. beginning at MLK Park. Anyone who cant walk the distance is welcome to ride along.

Vietnam Veterans meeting

Vietnam Veterans of America, Robert Douglas Avery Chapter 1116 will be meeting on Monday, Jan. 15, at Timberwoods Family Restaurant with a social hour beginning at 5 p.m. and meal at 6 p.m. Meals for first time guest will be paid for. A business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. All Vietnam veterans, members and non-members, are invited to attend this meeting. Membership information will be provided for all non-members interested in joining our chapter. For those who filled out a membership form, dont forget to bring a copy of your DD 214. Any questions that you have may be directed to Chapter Secretary Tom Johnson at 828-413-0143.

Democratic Party meeting

The Burke County Democratic Party will hold a building meeting at 2 p.m. at its headquarters, 301 S. Sterling St.

THURSDAY, JAN. 25

The Burke County Chamber of Commerce will hold a reception for newly elected candidates on Jan. 25 from 4-6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 100 Silver Creek Road, Morganton. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Monday, Jan. 22, to burkecountychamber.org.

DAV meeting

The local Chapter #43 of the Disabled American Veterans will have their monthly meeting at the DAV chapter building at 2779 DAV Ave., on Thursday, Jan. 25 starting at 5 p.m. for social hour. Dinner will be at 6 p.m. with the meeting following at 7 p.m. The meeting will conclude at 8 p.m. For more information, call Dave Tubergen at 828-437-0177.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27

Docent training

The Exploring Joara Foundation invites people interested in telling the story of the Berry archaeological site and Living History Village at Catawba Meadows Park to the first session in a docent training, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wall Center for Archaeological Research at 220 New St. in Morganton. Additional sessions will take place Feb. 10 and 24 and will involve working with school groups at the Living History Village and the Berry site. Those sessions also will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information or to register, visit https://exploringjoara.org/ejf-docent-volunteers/.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Cruise Unifour Christian Ministries will be embarking on a cruise to Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. Members of the public are invited to join. Call Annette Guffey at 828-493-1723 or 828-396-1906 for more information.
Grace Episcopal Church Foundation recently awarded a $2,000 grant to the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation.

The money will be used to purchase 40 Pack n Plays, a collapsible playpen thats easy to fold down and pack up into a storage bag and suitable for use as a crib. Blue Ridge Family Center and Special Care Nursery will be able to offer postpartum mothers a safe sleep environment for their infants if they dont have a crib, bassinet or Pack n Play. We educate and promote safe sleep practices for every baby, specifically focusing on the reduction of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

We have expert care and give personal attention in womens and childrens services with a 16-bed labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum unit, said Andrea Wagner, MSN, RNC-MNN, maternity navigator at Blue Ridge. We are proud to provide the same excellent care to all expectant mothers regardless of their history, current struggles, race, ethnicity or economic status.

The Infant Safe Sleep Initiative grew from UNC Health Blue Ridges Eat, Sleep, Console program, a family-centered approach to treating babies born addicted to opioids. This model uses the best care options for the baby by giving the family ways to help their babies, such as skin-to-skin touching, breastfeeding or holding and singing to them.

The Eat, Sleep, Console program continues to expand to cover any patient needs. This year, we added more focus on mental health, safe sleep practices and the accessibility and education of naloxone, a medicine that swiftly reverses an opioid overdose, for all patients.

The Family Centers goal is for each patient to receive a personalized discharge education session and a safety kit at discharge. The safety kit can include postpartum educational materials, mental health contacts, community overdose education and Narcan accessibility, updated safe sleep education and materials such as an infant sleep sack provided by the Morganton Rotary Club.

One practical way parents are encouraged to promote safe sleep is by establishing a safe sleeping space for an infant other than the parents bed or on the couch and use it for every sleep, Wagner said. For families that do not have the resources to define a safe sleeping space for their infant, the Family Center will now be able to provide a Pack n Play to families in need.

All postpartum mothers and their families receive one-on-one discharge teaching by their nurse or the Maternity Navigator. The safe sleep kit is used as a teaching tool to promote infant safe sleep practices, ultimately focusing on the reduction of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). If the Maternity Navigator or nurse identifies a need for aiding the family with a safe sleep space, a Pack n Play will be provided to the family at discharge.

All postpartum mothers are given my number to text or call for questions after discharge or can receive a follow-up phone call within seven days of discharge, Wagner said. We assess the patients physical and mental status and see if she has any needs, questions or concerns.

The care doesnt stop at discharge. If needs are there, the Family Center will connect patients to community resources and ensure they have the help they need at home.

I want to thank Grace Episcopal Church Foundation for providing the funding for the Pack n Plays, Wagner said. This was a huge need for some of our families, and I know our mothers will be appreciative, too.

Grace Episcopal Church Foundation was established by the Vestry of Grace Episcopal Church and is governed by a Trust Agreement dated Oct., 10, 1969. The foundation is to receive, hold, manage and distribute funds contributed for religious purposes including educational, scientific, missionary and other charitable purposes that the trustees deem worthy.
ANACONDA  "Gatsby" described a mission to visit towns with the coolest names while southbound on the rugged Continental Divide Trail.

Temporarily lodged in Anaconda in July, Gatsby wrote, Looking at you, Wisdom, MT, & Truth or Consequences, NM.

The hiker shared these musings during a sojourn at the Anaconda Trail Societys Hiker Hut in Washoe Park. Gatsby and other through hikers who stopped in Anaconda this summer for rest and resupply scribbled invariably positive reviews of both the Hiker Hut and Anaconda.

Most signed their entries with a trail name.

Shin splints suck, wrote "Loofah." But having an awesome resource such as the Anaconda Hiker Hut has been the perfect place to recover to get back on trail. I feel Ive become a temporary caretaker of sorts to the hut. Ive enjoyed the town, meeting all the other hikers and the bikes!

Several Hiker Hut visitors praised the access to loaner bicycles, which provide easy travel to grocery stores, the post office, Smelter City Brewing, Anaconda Outdoor and other destinations.

A 2022 survey of Continental Divide Trail hikers found that Anaconda was the favorite resupply stop along the trails 3,100 miles. Reaching the city once famous for copper smelting and now building a rep for outdoors recreation requires detouring off the main trail for both southbound and northbound trekkers.

It also requires a few miles of road hiking along highways lacking shoulders.

The Hiker Hut offers access to bicycles, Wi-Fi, lockers, a small refrigerator, a microwave and more  all free. Dunne Communications in Anaconda donates the Wi-Fi.

Robin McKernan, president of the Anaconda Trail Society, said Dunnes donation is emblematic of the Anaconda communitys commitment to hikers.

Through hikers who sang Anacondas praises during the summer of 2023 included trekkers from Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and Canada.

In addition, Pintlers Portal Hostel in Anaconda hosted visitors from New Zealand, Japan, Iraq, France and Switzerland.

Pintlers Portal held two free dinners for hikers in 2023, and invitations werent limited to hostel guests. One meal targeted southbound (SoBo) hikers and the other focused on NoBo trekkers headed toward Glacier National Park and the Canadian border.

Our SoBo hiker night was well attended, most likely because the heavy snows in northern New Mexico and Colorado caused many NoBos to flip to SoBo, said Steve Hill, co-owner with Marsha Hill of Pintlers Portal Hostel, which opened in August 2021.

The hostel offer services for hikers that dont require an overnight stay. They include a coin-operated laundry, accepting mail and resupply boxes, a day rate for showers and hanging out, loaner clothes to wear during laundering and more.

Hill said conversations with through hikers can enthrall.

They are fascinating, Steve Hill said. The hiker demographic ranges from young kids discovering the world to highly successful professionals.

He said many of the hikers who pass through are completing the Triple Crown of through hikes, having previously finished the Appalachian Trail, roughly 2,190 miles long, and the Pacific Crest Trail, about 2,650 miles.

Hill said he thinks many hikers leave the Continental Divide Trail for last because of its greater length and rugged and remote terrain.

One thing weve learned  the hikers have a lot of calories to replenish, and they come in hungry, for the duration of their stay, he said.

One hiker from Germany wrote, succinctly, Nothing more to wish for.

Another trekker, trail name "P.I. of Delta Force," wrote, Best town on trail by far! People are amazing and the support was everywhere!

Other trail trekkers included: "Ketchup Daddy and Sloppy Joe," "Braveheart," "Salty Dog," "Jive Turkey," "Trash Panda" and "Beer Money."

Through hikers in Montana often stop in Lincoln, Helena, Butte and/or Anaconda for rest and resupply. Each town, recognized for its typically hospitable treatment of hikers, is designated as a Gateway Community for the trail by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition.

The trail travels through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The 2022 survey found that hikers experienced Colorado as hosting the most rugged sections of trail.

SoBo hikers who stop in Anaconda often rave about the scenic beauty of Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. NoBo hikers said they appreciated the wild Anaconda Range.

Virtual town hall The Continental Divide Trail Coalition will hold a virtual town hall on Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m. MST. The free presentation will highlight recent projects and trail improvements. To register, go to https://bit.ly/3RJSzwE

The Anaconda-related accolades continued through August and into September.

I wasnt planning on hiking into Anaconda initially but Im glad I did, wrote "Fairweather," from Newfoundland. Wonderful trail town. Lots of love to all of you!

"Key Lime" wrote, Thank you for hosting hikers and giving us stinky people a place to rest. Ill never forget the hiker hut in Anaconda.

Haystack wrote, Staying in Anaconda is a dream for a hiker. Thank you very, very much.

McKernan said entries in the Hiker Hut logbook confirm what she and others know about the community.

Anaconda is the best, she said. That book just reinforces that there are some really good people here.
The law makes it illegal to kill, possess, transport, sell, purchase, import or export bald and golden eagles, their body parts, nests or eggs. The law was expanded in 1962 to cover golden eagles in addition to bald eagles. A first violation is punishable by one year in federal prison, one year of probation and a $5,000 fine. The prison term and fine are doubled for subsequent convictions on the same charge.

The events leading to the indictment were alleged to have occurred from about the start of 2015 through about March 2021. Branson allegedly told buyers he was "out (here) committing felonies," according to the indictment. Together, the pair are alleged to have sold whole bald and golden eagles, bald and golden eagle wings, and golden eagle tails.

In June 2023, a Hardin man was sentenced in federal court in South Dakota to three years in federal prison, one year of probation and $70,000 in restitution for killing 14 juvenile golden eagles and selling their parts. That man, Harvey Hugs, was previously convicted in 2012 of aiding and abetting eagle trafficking.
A Montana judge has struck down a new cumulative fee on marijuana dispensaries after a group of businesses sued the state over the new law last year.

Helena Judge Mike Menahan issued the order on Jan. 5 following a lawsuit filed by Granite Peak Holdings, TSB Montana and MaraMint, all marijuana dispensaries operating in Montana.

In early 2023, state lawmakers passed House Bill 903, which created a cumulative fee schedule on each dispensary location, even if they operated under the same license. Fees also increased cumulatively for each location, so a first location would have a $5,000 fee, the second would have a $10,000 fee, a third would have a $15,000 fee and so on. The previous fee was $5,000 for each location operated by a licensee.

Back in November, the state agreed to a 60-day pause on the new fee schedule. Menahans order strikes it down permanently.

Under the now-void law, a dispensary like Granite Peak would have paid a $280,000 dispensary renewal fee instead of $50,000 for its 10 locations, in addition to $245,000 for four newly opened locations.

Menahan's order also dictates that any fees paid under the now-void cumulative assessment will be returned to the businesses that paid them.

In his order, Menahan wrote that the previous fee generated sufficient fees to cover the costs to the Department (of Revenue) for implementing and enforcing the (Montana Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act).
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Monday announced "millions" for "ground organizing staff" in Sen. Jon Tester's effort to hang onto his seat.

This money is part of an eight-figure investment into two of the most closely watched Senate campaigns in the country: Tester's reelection bid and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown's campaign. Both senators are Democrats in states former Republican President Donald Trump won handily in 2020.

The funding of these efforts has already started and will "continue throughout the year," said DSCC spokesperson Amanda Sherman Baity.

The money will be funneled through the state Democratic Party, not sent directly to the Tester campaign. The funds will be primarily spent on field organizing, increasing volunteer capacity, data and analytics, voter access and "building meaningful outreach to communities of color and specific constituencies," according to a press release.

Sherman Baity and Hannah Rehm, Montana Democratic Party senior communications advisor, declined to provide exact dollar amounts.

The 2024 Montana Senate race is one of the most closely watched in the nation, as Republicans have their sights set on taking back control of the U.S. Senate, and the GOP has deemed Tester's seat as one of the most likely to flip to red. As the Democrats see it, if they can hang onto the Senate seats up for reelection in Montana and Ohio, they're likely to maintain their slim majority.

The DSCCs investments in sustained, effective grassroots organizing will lay the groundwork for our campaigns to win tough races, DSCC Chair Sen. Gary Peters said in a press release. This election will determine the future of our country, and we look forward to joining with voters, volunteers and community leaders to defend Democrats Senate majority that is fighting for the priorities that matter most to hard working Americans.

Tester is currently facing first-time candidate and Gallatin County businessman Tim Sheehy in the general election. Sheehy has garnered support from important figures including Gov. Greg Gianforte, Sen. Steve Daines and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).

There's also a chance that Rep. Matt Rosendale jumps into the GOP primary, a prospect that the Eastern Montana representative has teased multiple times over the last couple months.

We know national Democrats are going to pour millions of dollars into the race this cycle," Montana GOP Chairman Don "K" Kaltschmidt said in a statement. "As Republicans, we are going to do everything we can to highlight how out of step Jon Tester is with Montanans.

That said, there are other seats being hotly contested by Democrats in 2024, including Monica Tranel's second campaign for the western congressional district. She lost to Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke by just over 3 percentage points in 2022.

Montana Democrats are hitting the ground running to send Jon Tester back to the U.S. Senate and elect Democrats up and down the ballot in 2024. With this investment, the Montana Democratic Party will have the resources needed to reach Montanans and win elections everywhere  in rural Montana, Indian Country, and across our cities and towns," Rehm said in response to a question about how other races will break through the Senate race noise.
On Friday, Joshua Peters, 38, of Davenport, was sentenced in Muscatine County District Court to a total of 29 years in prison on three charges, including homicide by vehicle.

Peters' sentence consists of 25 years for homicide by vehicle, a Class B felony, as well as two years for operating a vehicle without the owners consent and two years for driving while barred. The sentences will be served consecutively.

According to court documents, Peters is also ordered to pay victim restitution of $150,000 to Ona Talbot. He is being delivered to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale to begin the sentence. The charges are all in connection with an incident in which William Talbot, 71, of Davenport was killed.

Peters was found guilty of the charges after a three-day bench trial in September. He was found not guilty of a charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

According to police reports and trial information, on April 21, 2022, Peters stole a Chevy Equinox with Talbot inside from Fairport State Recreation Area at 3284 Highway 22 in Muscatine and drove the vehicle into the Mississippi River. A medical examiners report showed Talbot had drowned.

According to a criminal complaint and arrest affidavit, deputies were called just after midnight on Friday to the Fairport State Recreation Area at 3284 Highway 22 in Muscatine for a report of a missing person and a stolen vehicle. Ona Talbot testified that she and her husband had brought their daughter and Peters to the campsite and were helping them set up their tent when Peters jumped in the vehicle and drove off. William Talbot was in the vehicle at the time.

Deputies determined Peters ingested meth the previous evening. An alleged altercation occurred between Peters and several unidentified individuals, court records state, although no one in the trial testified to anyone else being there. The records reported Peters got into the vehicle and frantically drove away at a high rate of speed.

The police reports said that after Peters left the campground, driving in an aggressive manner, he drove to the Clarks Ferry Recreation Area where he drove the vehicle into the river. The report said Peters was able to escape but Talbot wasnt. A security video of the area was shown during the trial and the vehicle can be seen running at a high rate of speed into the water. While it doesnt show anyone getting out, the sounds of someone screaming for help can be heard.

The vehicle was located and recovered by Muscatine County Search and Rescue with Talbot's body inside. Peters was later apprehended while trying to get a ride into Davenport.

In the trial information, Muscatine County Attorney James Barry named Peters a habitual offender, citing two previous felony convictions in Scott County.

One city's surprising tactic to reduce gun violence: Solving more nonfatal shootings One city's surprising tactic to reduce gun violence: Solving more nonfatal shootings Other cities have woken up to Denver's example
Members of Iowa's political parties will be meeting on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, for this year's Iowa caucuses.

Both the Republican Party of Iowa and the Democratic Party of Iowa will be meeting that day to discuss party business and, in the case of the Republican Party, decide on their presidential preferences.

For the Republican caucuses, those in the Bloomington/Fruitland 2, Fruitland 1, Goshen, Lake, any of the 10 Muscatine precincts, Orono, Pike, Seventy Six/Cedar, Sweetland, West Liberty 1, West Liberty 2 or Wapsie precincts will gather at Muscatine High School, located at 2705 Cedar Street. Doors are set to open at 4:30 p.m. for same day registrations.

Those in the Fulton/Montpelier, Moscow, Wilton TWP or Wilton City precincts will gather at Wilton High School, located at 1002 Cypress Street. Doors will open at 5 p.m. All Muscatine County Republican precincts will begin their caucus programs at 7 p.m.

The Muscatine County Democrats, meanwhile, will be gathering all its precincts at the Muscatine Community School District building, located at 2900 Mulberry Avenue, at 7 p.m. to receive party updates, select delegates for the upcoming county convention, and elect precinct committee members for the countys Central Committee. A canned/non-perishable food drive also being held that evening.

This year Democrats will cast their presidential preferences entirely by mail through an absentee caucus system instead of in-person at the caucuses.

According to Iowa Democratic Party officials, this was done in order to help improve participation and allow for better access for those who may be homebound, working or are unable to find childcare. The results of this mail-in caucus will be announced on Tuesday, March 5.

Democrats can go to https://iowademocrats.org/2024-caucus-2 to fill out an online request for presidential preference form. A Spanish version of the form is also available on the website. Democrats can also choose to download and print a physical form, rather than filling it out online.

Printed request forms must be mailed to the Iowa Democratic Party at 5661 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa 50321, or emailed to preferencecardrequest@iowademocrats.org. Preference forms will begin being mailed out to participants on Jan. 12, with the last day to request one being Feb. 19. Preference forms must then be put back in the mail and postmarked by March 5.

The Libertarian Party of Muscatine County will also be caucusing on January 15, with all precincts being asked to gather at Musser Public Library in Muscatine at 6:30 p.m.

Photos: Scenes from the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globe Award
On Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu issued an instruction to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and various universities to reevaluate their admission thresholds.

This directive was given following the announcement of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam results.

Machogus goal is to adjust course entry points to better match the current grading system, facilitating a smoother transition for students into higher education institutions.

Machogu emphasized the importance of this adjustment. I am directing the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and universities to align their cluster points and entry requirements to avoid disadvantaging the candidates, he declared.

Additionally, Machogu called upon the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to finalize their processes promptly and transfer the results to KUCCPS for the commencement of student placements in various academic institutions.

A significant aspect of Machogus announcement was the push for a vigorous career guidance campaign aimed at the 2023 KCSE candidates.

This initiative is intended to aid students in making well-informed decisions about their future careers, with a particular emphasis on encouraging enrollment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

Machogu also took the opportunity to commend the various parties involved in the 2023 national examinations for their professionalism and integrity. He acknowledged that despite some challenges, additional measures were implemented to maintain the credibility of the results.

In a groundbreaking move, the new grading system introduced in 2023 will focus on five primary subjects that align with a students chosen area of specialization.

Under the new grading system, more students will be able to pursue the career of their choice at the university, diploma, and TVET training, certificates and artisan levels that were previously impossible due to a restrictive system, Machogu explained.

This system will particularly concentrate on assessing students literacy and numeracy skills, following recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).

Echoing Machogus sentiments, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang highlighted the limitations of the previous grading system in September.

He lamented that under the old system, students were often hindered from pursuing specialized fields like medicine due to the influence of a single subject on their overall grade.

Kipsangs critique pointed out the disadvantage this posed for students with specific career aspirations.
On Monday, a group of parents from Tinet Primary School in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County, expressed their dissatisfaction by locking the gates of the school, demanding the removal of the principal due to unsatisfactory performance in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.

The parents took action by securing the doors of both the staffroom and the headteachers office.

They voiced their displeasure with the schools recent KCPE results, firmly stating that they would not permit their children to return to the institution until the headteacher was dismissed.

The KCPE scores revealed that over 32 students from the school obtained marks ranging from 100 to 190, while an additional 20 scored below 250.

Monday was the first school day since the release of the KCPE examination results, which presented the first opportunity for the parents to demonstrate at the school.

The parents also expressed frustration over the lack of response from the County education offices, despite their efforts to communicate their concerns.

The situation in the community was becoming more tense, and there were calls for intervention from relevant authorities.

Despite attempts to reach Sub-County Director of Education David Kipsaat and Headteacher Judy Sang, all calls went unanswered, one parent was quoted as saying.

Further allegations were raised against the schools head, accusing them of illegally selling the schools resources such as maize, cows, and milk.

The KCPE results, announced by Education CS Machogu on November 23, were also under scrutiny after several candidates reported discrepancies, receiving strange scores in subjects they did not sit for.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu however assured Kenyans that the problem was not in the grading, but rather in the SMS transmission, adding that every student eventually got their attained marks upon collecting slips from their respective schools.
As part of President Ruto globetrotting, he has promised to connect Kenyans to skilled jobs abroad, as millions of educated young people grapple with the unemployment crisis in the country. The government has so far announced deals with several countries, which will allow Kenyans to work either physically in those countries, or remotely back here in Kenya.

One of the most publicized deals has been with Saudi Arabia.

Already, hundreds of thousands of Kenyans work in the Middle Eastern country, mostly in casual and unskilled roles. The latest arrangement will see Kenya export thousands of skilled labour to the Kingdom, starting with 2500 nurses.

On Tuesday, Statehouse Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced that the positions are now open for qualifying Kenyans to apply.

Heres how to find out if you qualify.

Eligibility criteria for Kenyan nurses in Saudi Arabia

1. Be a Kenyan citizen

2. Gender: Female

3. Bachelor of Science Degree, or Diploma/Certificate in Nursing

4. Be a registered and licensed member of the Nursing Council of Kenya, and in good standing.

5. Be in possession of a valid Police Clearance Certificate.

6. Work experience:

a) Nurse with Degree qualification:- Minimum of 2 years nursing continuous work.

b) Nurse with Diploma qualification:- No experience (Fresh graduates required)

c) Nurse with Certificate qualification:- Minimum One year continuous work experience

7. Language: English proficiency in writing and speaking

8. Medically fit

9. Hold a valid Kenyan passport

10. Age: 22  35 years

11. Prometric Test: Must have a valid Prometric results; if not, the same can be taken either in Kenya or KSA (Prometric test cost to be deducted from the employees salary in 3 installments)

12. Data Flow Verification: Dataflow verification report for the education certificate and Nursing Council License or latest employment certificate is mandatory.

Salaries for Kenyan Nurses Working in Saudi Arabia

a) Period of Contract  Two years renewable.

b) Salary:

Minimum of 3,500 SAR/month for Degree Holder (Ksh 147,000) Minimum of 3,000 SAR/month for Diploma Holder (Ksh 126,000) Minimum of 2,200 SAR/month for Certificate Holder (Ksh 92,000)

(NB: There is no personal income tax in Saudi Arabia)

c) Work hours  8 hours/day

d) Air ticket  Round trip air ticket

e) Overtime  In accordance with the Saudi Arabia Labour Laws

How to Apply for Saudi Arabia Nursing Jobs for Kenyans

If youre an interested candidate, you can register and apply for consideration through the National Emplyment Authority (NEA) website.

Visit either of these links: https://www.neaims.go.ke/AdvertListingG2G.aspx or https://www.neaims.go.ke/Login.aspx

Heres the statement that was released by State House.
John Matara, the main suspect in the murder of Scarlet Wahu Mwangi on Saturday, had, on December 29, 2023, confined another woman in a room, subjected her to assault, and coerced her into raising Sh50,000 before releasing her.

The victim reported to the Makadara sub-county headquarters claiming that she fell victim to the suspect on Friday, December 29, 2023, days after meeting on a dating site.

After engaging in affectionate conversations for several days, they agreed to book a rental unit for a romantic night, with the lady reportedly requesting a payment of Sh15,000.

He seemed so nice and even took me on an Airbnb, she told media outlets.

We met and he had already booked a room where one could only gain entry using a card. I liked the place thinking that it was secure and nothing ill could happen bearing in mind that he was a stranger to me, she added.

Similar to the situation with Ms. Wahu, Matara, 34, insisted that they undergo an HIV/AIDS test before proceeding to enjoy the night together.

However, the woman reported that in the middle of the night, Matara, who was initially smiling, suddenly changed and instructed her to get out of bed. He then demanded that she strip naked.

Tied Her Legs and Hands

The victim, who requested anonymity, recounted that he proceeded to tie her legs and hands with a rope, assaulting her while demanding that she raise Sh50,000 and hand it over to him, threatening to end her life if she didnt comply.

In the middle of the night, he started strangling me and even asked for my MPESA statements. He was trying to strangle me so much, she told Citizen TV on Sunday.

He started beating me as he demanded that I make calls to friends and relatives to raise the money. He even demanded to take a look at my Mpesa transactions and took the mobile numbers of anyone who had sent me a large amount of money, she said as quoted by Nation.

Matara then proceeded to pour cold water on the floor and instructed her to lie on it while she continued to raise the money.

He has long fingernails and he even used it to pinch me on the neck and to date it is very difficult for me to swallow food, the victim recounted.

Message to the listing Owner

After ensuring he had collected enough money from the victim, Mr. Matara then released her. However, on the same night, he sent a message to the owner of the rental explaining that he disagreed with his girlfriend.

In the message, Matara described having a disturbing night, forcing him to lock her inside the house before leaving.

Things happened, I left the house in panic. I locked my girlfriend inside. She is not in good condition and it is quite disturbing. The key is with the watchman who is seated outside the gate, he seems to be elderly and a Maasai. I could not see the caretaker. I have left and I am far now, part of the message read.

It was a heated disagreement and I did some bad things. She is in the bedroom. The earlier you get there the better. The later you get there the worse. You will not hear from me for some hours. I need to recuperate. I am so sorry about it, please say no word for now. You have no idea how much we have fought all night but no property has been destroyed. Thank you for everything, the message continued.

When the owner of the house tried to inquire why he left the woman behind, Mr. Matara did not respond. He was apprehended moments later by DCI sleuths who tracked him to the hospital.

Following the arrest after Starlet Wahus murder, the victim identified Matara as her assailant and reported the matter at the Industrial Area Police Station.

It is the same guy. The number posted by DCI is the same used to transfer money to him which is John Ongoa Matara, she said.

By Monday, January 8, two more victims had come forward, recounting similar experiences of assault with Matara.

In a statement to Nairobi Wire, an Airbnb spokesman stated, We are deeply saddened to learn of this shocking event, but it is important to make clear that this is not connected to Airbnb in any way. The property in question did not have a reservation booked on Airbnb for the dates reported, and we do not have an account registered to the name of the accused. Our thoughts are with the victims loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time.

Airbnb further clarified that their name is often used as a catch-all term to describe an entire industry, and this particular property is listed on other platforms.

The police will continue to detain the suspect at the Industrial Area Police Station for the next 18 days as investigations into his activities progress.

This article was updated with the Airbnb statement
While I generally dont start the year with a resolution, I do have some commitments that I try to follow through on. This year its developing a growth strategy for my website. So Im tweaking the easy stuff:

Using online SEO and offline SEO.

Making sure my site loads efficiently.

Reviewing keywords for each page (because these change).

Checking for broken links.

Creating inner links among pages that encourage users to drill down through the site.

Linking to industry experts to show that Im keeping up with trends and sharing information.

What is organic growth? Building backlinks

Essentially, link building is about getting other websites to link to your page to drive traffic to your website.

Other sites linking to your site help build your Google "authority." Google understands that people link to your site because it has good content.

But heres the catch: Google knows good content from crappy content. It ranks a link from the New York Times with higher Google authority than one from your local weekly newspaper or from your nephews new fly-fishing site  a topic that has no relation to your industry niche.

The solution: write guest posts

The best way to get other sites to link to yours? Look for places to write guest posts. It starts with identifying your audience. Make a list of publications and websites that your audience visits or posts blogs and ask for guest-posting opportunities. Thats cold emailing.

Suggest a topic in your industry niche

How to approach your cold emailing? Read some of the articles or blog posts that the targeted people have written so youre familiar with voice, tone and industry niche.

An example: A good target audience for me is professional women who are older, maybe retired or thinking about retirement. They may have been laid off and starting their own business or consultancy. These women will need a website, social media and a range of other marketing efforts to find their new clients.

Be relevant. If you cant think of a topic, do some Googling to see what other people are writing about. See whats trending. Send an email telling that person how much you enjoyed an article, then propose guest-writing an article on your suggested topic.

If you dont hear back, follow up and try again. Start a spreadsheet, keep a list and try again a few months later. Whats the worst that could happen, after all?

Build relationships with web content managers

Look for websites in your niche that accept guest posts and try to build a relationship with the content marketing manager. This is an extremely valuable asset.

Look through the blogs on their website and youll get a feel for the kinds of articles they like and start pitching. Do read editorial guidelines that can be stringent. Its a competitive market and many sites charge a fee to post your articles.

Write good content that is focused on your audience and your industry niche and build backlinks; this is the formula for increasing web traffic.

Photos: Napa Valley Faces and Places, December 30, 2023
Gary Meyer is the publisher and editor at EatDrinkFilms.com, an online magazine celebrating the best in food, libations and cinema.

Meyer explained how he originally got into the film industry.

Though I started out wanting to be a filmmaker while growing up in Napa and got a degree in film production, I found my true calling was showing the movies of those who had the vision and perseverance to actually get the work done, he wrote.

Meyer then co-founded Landmark Theatres, specializing in showing foreign and independent films. He also produced and distributed several feature-length collections of short films (with an emphasis on animation) at Landmark featuring artists including Agnes Varda, Akira Kurosawa, Francois Truffaut, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Andy Warhol.

After 22 years, the company was sold and Meyer created business, marketing and programming plans for a variety of projects including the U.C. Theatre in Berkeley, Sundance Cinemas, Empress Theatre in Vallejo, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music; he helped save the 1926 Balboa Theatre in San Francisco; he created and curated several film festivals; and became part of the team running the Telluride Film Festival.

In 2019 Meyer became involved with The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher and was asked to be a producer for the film in 2020.

Its an exciting full circle, as I originally set out to become a filmmaker, he said.

Festival Napa Valley will screen The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher, at CIA at Copia on Sunday, Jan. 20.

1. What was your childhood ambition?

After a brief interest in being an astronaut, I discovered a love of movies when I was 7. I started making and showing them. The hayloft of the family barn in Carneros became the Above-The-Ground Theater in 1964 showing hundreds of movies, producing film workshops, live theater, music, seminars, publishing literary and film zines.

2. What was your first job?

Pulling outdated address-o-graph plates for the family business, Meyers Jewelers, Vallejo when 10-years-old and continued on weekends and holidays into my teens with expanded responsibilities. As a teen, I organized themed birthday parties and performed magic; shelved books at Napa Public Library where I was part of a team acquiring a film collection; and wrote a weekly column for The Napa Record.

3. What is the biggest challenge the film industry has faced?

Coming back after COVID. Much of the audience for sophisticated movies is older and they are not comfortable returning to cinemas, especially with so much available on their home screens.

4. Who do you most admire in the business world?

My main mentor, the late Mel Novikoff, had superb taste and was a great showman.

Dominica Rice-Cisneros and Tanya Holland are creative chefs/restaurateurs whose entrepreneurial skills and understanding how to make the experience of eating more than just tasting great food but bringing people together around the dining table. Both are featured in The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher."

5. Whats one thing Napa could do to help local business?

Create more of a sense of place and community downtown for everyone.

6. If you could change one thing about your business/industry, what would it be?

More thinking "outside of the box" like Alamo Draft House Cinemas and several independent theater owners like Cathy Buck at the Cameo in St. Helena and Roger Rhoten and Toni Ginesi at the Sebastiani in Sonoma. They make going to their theaters fun and memorable.

7. Whats your favorite gift to give?

Customized items that make the recipient laugh. I have also given quite a few copies of Farley Mowat's book, Never Cry Wolf which was made into a great movie by Napa Valley resident Carroll Ballard.

8. Whats your favorite charity or nonprofit?

The Hidden Genius Project, hiddengeniusproject.org.

9. Whats something people might be surprised to know about you?

I am frustrated that I don't have time to read like I used to. I used to be reading several books at a time plus magazines and newspapers. Now I am lucky if I can finish the New York Times (print edition) each day. I do listen to podcasts when walking or driving (secret: often at 1.5 or 2 times speed). I long ago learned that if a movie isnt working for me I can leave after 30 minutes  especially at film festivals where there usually is something else to see.

10. What is one thing you hope to accomplish in your lifetime that you havent yet?

Getting rid of a life's collection of stuff. I have given away my film collection and am in the midst of many books, catalogs and ephemera to appropriate archives. The posters are next. Of course not everything goes, but my wife Cathy reminds me, "The kids don't want to deal with all of this."

"The Art of Eating: The Life of M.F.K. Fisher" Saturday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. Ecolab Theater CIA at Copia, Napa festivalnapavalley.org, 707-346-5052

The year in pop culture 2023
California's recent approval of the controversial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta tunnel water project is causing at least some ripples in Napa County, even though the tunnel would be some 40 miles away.

That's because the cities of Napa, American Canyon and Calistoga receive drinking water from the Delta. The source is Barker Slough along Highway 113 in rural Solano County, with the North Bay Aqueduct providing the connection through Jameson Canyon.

None of that would be changed by the Delta tunnel, should it ever be built in coming decades amid a variety of challenges. The 45-mile-long tunnel is to carry water for shipment to Southern and Central California.

Still, the tunnel would change the Delta water regime. Some of the Sacramento River water that presently runs through the Delta would instead be shipped under the Delta. The question is how that might affect Barker Slough.

The city of Napa has a stake in the answer. The city receives about 40% to 60% of its water from the Delta in any given year, with the rest coming from local reservoirs.

One concern is that environmental mitigation for the tunnel would include tidal habitat restoration in northeast Solano County. The fear is more tidal habitat might attract more longfin and Delta smelt to the Barker Slough pumping area, requiring more North Bay Aqueduct pumping restrictions.

The longfin smelt is listed as threatened and the Delta smelt as endangered under the state Endangered Species Act. Water pumps can suck up the fish and kill them.

Joy Eldredge, the city of Napa's deputy utilities director, said there have been North Bay Aqueduct pumping reductions in the January-to-March time frame because of smelt.

To date, it really hasnt affected our operations, Eldredge said. But its one of those things were still very cautious of and still very concerned about.

Another concern is whether the Delta tunnel project would affect water quality at Barker Slough. Less fresh water running from the mountains through the Delta could allow more salt water to intrude from the ocean, some tunnel critics say.

Napa and Solano officials have wondered, for example, whether the tunnel project could lead to an increase in bromide levels at Barker Slough. Bromide is associated with salinity.

Bromide can react with chemicals used during drinking-water treatment to form brominated trihalomethanes, which have been linked in studies to tumors and health problems. Fixing this problem results in higher water treatment costs.

The state points to computer models that show a Delta tunnel wouldnt cause additional water quality problems at Barker Slough. The Solano County Water Agency has expressed doubts that the model is accurate for the slough area.

For some 15 years, Solano and Napa counties have lobbied for what they see as the solution. They would like to create an alternate North Bay Aqueduct pumping location to Barker Slough, one in the Sacramento River north of the Delta.

Solano County Water Agency General Manager Chris Lee said the project could cost $650 million to $700 million or more.

The agency is doing studies to show that moving the North Bay Aqueduct would have multiple benefits, such as being good for fish habitat. Lee said that could help attract federal and state dollars. Local funds would also likely be needed.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a 738,000-acre world of sloughs, wetlands, levees, farms and small towns. Its the hub for state and federal water systems that supply water to 25 million people, more than five-eighths of all Californians.

Delta tunnel proponents say a tunnel would help the state take advantage of intense winter flows. It would protect a major state water supply if an earthquake devastated the Deltas fragile levee system and allowed seawater intrusion.

This proposed project is essential to updating our water system for millions of Californians, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news release. This new approach, redesigned following community and environmental input, is how we can build a California of the future.

Napa and Solano counties have only a small straw in the Delta with the State Water Projects Barker Slough pumps. But those pumps serve more than 400,000 people across the two counties.
FRESNO  A man accused of a jailhouse attack on the convicted killer of California college student Kristin Smart pleaded not guilty Monday to attempted murder.

Jason Budrow, 43, entered his plea in Fresno County Superior Court to four felony charges, including using a prison-made deadly weapon and assault by an inmate serving a life sentence, reported KSBY-TV, the NBC affiliate in San Luis Obispo.

Prosecutors say Budrow slashed Paul Flores in the neck last Aug. 23 in the yard at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga in the Central Valley.

Flores was hospitalized but returned to the prison two days later. Authorities haven't mentioned a possible motive for the attack.

Flores was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the murder of Smart, a 19-year-old who disappeared from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo over Memorial Day weekend in 1996. (Smart had graduated from high school in Stockton, but spent her junior year at Vintage High School in Napa.)

Prosecutors maintained that Flores killed Smart during an attempted rape in his dorm room at the university, where both were first-year students. He was the last person seen with Smart as he walked her home from an off-campus party.

Smart's body was never found, and she was legally presumed dead in 2002.

Budrow is serving two life terms without a chance of parole for strangling a girlfriend in 2010 in Riverside County, and for the 2021 strangling of his new cellmate at Mule Creek State Prison, serial killer Roger Reece Kibbe, who was known as the I-5 Strangler in the 1970s and 1980s.

Kibbe raped and killed at least seven women  several of them in the Sacramento and Stockton areas along Interstate 5  and cut his victims clothing into odd patterns.

If convicted on the new charges, Budrow could receive an additional sentence of 27 years to life in prison.

Photos: Napa Valley Faces and Places, January 6, 2024
Traffic on the four major highways used to enter San Francisco and the Bay Area has yet to fully return to pre-pandemic levels, though it might already feel like 2019 for North Bay commuters.

Five-year data, provided by Caltrans to the San Francisco Chronicle, shows ongoing disparities in how traffic has re-emerged on the Bay Area highways many drivers use to commute to work, from places such as Sacramento and the Central Valley.

The data captures the annual "average daily traffic" coming in and out of the Bay Area at specific locations on four major highways: Highway 101 in Novato, between Highway 37 and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge; Interstate 80 in Fairfield, near Suisun Valley Road and southeast of Napa; Interstate 580 in Livermore, near Greenville Road; and Highway 101 in San Jose, near Bailey Avenue.

Highway 101 in Marin County saw the steepest drop in traffic at the height of the pandemic, in 2020, when it experienced a drop of more than 25% in average daily traffic volumes. But the North Bay highway also experienced the quickest recovery, according to Caltrans' data.

Traffic in both directions of Highway 101 in Novato essentially returned to 2019 levels  when more than 70,000 cars drove on the highway in each direction  in 2022. Traffic volumes on this corridor saw little change last year and were one percentage point less than pre-pandemic figures.

Post-pandemic traffic volumes also appear to have settled in 2022 on Highway 101 entering San Jose. Average daily traffic on this Bay Area entry point remained stagnant in 2023 from the year prior, with 74,600 vehicles (3,500 fewer than in 2019) heading northbound to the Bay Area's largest city. Southbound Highway 101 was the worst freeway bottleneck in the Bay Area before the pandemic, but saw about 4,600 fewer cars traverse it in 2023.

Altamont Pass commuters, these days, are likely to encounter severe congestion during peak morning and afternoon commute hours, though not to the extent of 2019 gridlock. An average of 81,600 cars drove on westbound I-580 entering Livermore each day in 2023, down 3% from 2019's volume of 84,000 vehicles.

Eastbound I-580 traffic headed to Stockton and the Central Valley has seen the steepest overall post-pandemic drop, of 11%, out of the highways included in Caltrans' data. About 10,000 fewer cars, on average, passed through eastbound I-580 last year, compared to 2019 when average daily traffic volumes numbered about 90,000 vehicles.

Traffic on I-80, the region's busiest highway that connects the Bay Area to Sacramento, continued to grow in 2023, at least in the eastbound direction (data for westbound traffic was unavailable).

Last year, an average of about 99,000 vehicles drove on eastbound I-80 in Fairfield each day, down 3% from 2019 volumes but up 7% from 2022.

The Caltrans data doesn't detail average traffic volumes by day of the week, nor does it answer whether there have been any changes in the most congested periods during the day.

Telework and hybrid work are likely factors into these changes in highway traffic, as it has for transit ridership and bridge traffic, though the extent is unclear.

Photos: Soscol Junction a Napa congestion reliever in the making Soscol junction project 4 Soscol junction project 2 Soscol junction project 3 Soscol junction project 1 Soscol junction project 5 Soscol junction project 6 Soscol junction project 7 Soscol junction project 16 Soscol junction project 13 Soscol junction project 14 Soscol junction project 15 Soscol junction project 8 Soscol junction project 9 Soscol junction project 10 Soscol junction project 11 Soscol junction project 12
Azerbaijan and USA discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani issues

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Czech Rep. parliament speaker sends EU flag to Armenia colleague as token of support

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Secretary General Stoltenberg's visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia is historic NATO says

Aliyev renames Revival Square in occupied Stepanakert

Armenia opposition MP: PM told Tavush Province residents that 4 villages must be handed over to Azerbaijan immediately

Aliyev warmly congratulated Putin

Videos of Armenia PM Pashinyan's meetings in Tavush Province to be publicized later, spokesperson says (PHOTOS)

Young man throws stone at Armenia government building window

Armenia premier meets with Kirants village residents of Tavush Province (PHOTOS)

RFE/RL: Putin loses in Armenias Yerevan, wins in Gyumri in Russia presidential election

High-tech minister on removing Russia TV channels from multiplex: Armenia's dignity is at core of decisions

Kazakhstan FM considers it necessary to increase trade with Armenia

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7,825 Karabakh residents who left Armenia since September 2023 have not returned, new data say

Armenia to submit application for EU membership?

Archaeologists discover where legendary British warship that disappeared in 17th century sank

Large number of Russians came from Georgia to Armenia to vote in presidential election, envoy says

Stoltenberg: NATO hopes to have stable peace between Azerbaijan, Armenia

Belgorod attacked by two rockets during the day: there are dead and injured

Media: Elon Musk's company is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites for US intelligence

Shooting in Pennsylvania: at least three dead, gunman took hostages

MEPs appeal to EU leadership to protect cultural heritage of Artsakh Armenians

New talks between Israel and Hamas are scheduled in Qatar on Sunday

India's national elections will be held from 19 April to 1 June

Aliyev: Azerbaijan and Georgia have always supported each other's sovereignty

Iran calls for formation of international coalition against Israel

Biden told Aliyev of US commitment to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Stoltenberg will meet in Yerevan with the President and Prime-minister of Armenia

Turkish Foreign Ministry issues anti-Russian statement on Crimea issue

Zakharova: There is a historical answer to Armenia's doubts about sincerity of Russia's intentions

Zakharova: Moscow discusses with Armenia dragging Yerevan into anti-Russian course

Zakharova: Armenia's withdrawal from CSTO should be based on real needs of the country, not on "flirting" with West

Amazon and Microsoft suspend their cloud products in Russia

Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia

Armenia deputy FM: There has been considerable regress regarding visa facilitation with EU

Deputy FM: As landlocked country, Armenia recognizes vital importance of inclusive connectivity, open borders

FM: Armenia made every effort to prevent de-Armenianization in Karabakh

FM to reporters: You will be the first to know when Armenia intends to apply for EU membership

Ararat Mirzoyan: All Armenia authorities have negotiated on territorial concessions to Azerbaijan

FM: Deepening of Armenia's relations with the West, EU not directed against Russia

Mirzoyan: Unprecedented number of senior French officials visited Armenia in 2023

Ararat Mirzoyan: Armenia, Azerbaijan are close to mutual understanding on recognition of 1991 borders

Armenia made very active efforts to have minimal mutually acceptable wording with CSTO partners, FM assures

FM: Georgia ready to contribute to process of establishing peace in South Caucasus

Armenia FM: Events have occurred that have made it impossible to do certain things

Armenia FM: Ultimate goal not materialized yet in relations with Turkey

FM: There are international players interested in Armenia ceasing to exist

Mirzoyan: No agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan to withdraw international lawsuits against each other

Armenia FM reiterates PM's arguments on handover of 4 villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan

FM: Armenia still doesnt understand how CSTO partners present their area of responsibility in South Caucasus

Mirzoyan: EU monitoring mission in Armenia has become factor of stability on Azerbaijan border

Dennis Francis: UN hopes for signing of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty

FM: 23 Armenians still kept in custody in Azerbaijan

Armenia FM: Still not many tangible results on fundamental issues, we are still negotiating with Azerbaijan

European Commission official underscores provision of assistance to people affected by Karabakh conflict

Peter Stano: Armenia can apply for EU membership

MFA: Genocide prevention agenda is among Armenias priorities

Russia holding presidential elections

US intelligence warns of potentially devastating new pandemic

Newspaper: Birth rate in Armenia 19% lower than last year

Stoltenberg: NATO sought to maintain stronger relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan

Georgian Prime Minister to visit Armenia

Premier receives IMF Armenia mission chief

Anne-Laurence Petel-led delegation to arrive in Armenia

FM: Armenia looks into prospects of further deepening partnership with EU

New technologies at the core of rural infrastructure development

Russia is world leader in nuclear technology, Putin says

Vardges Sureniants Salome painting returns to National Gallery of Armenia exhibition

Dollar drops, euro rises in Armenia

Sunak: There is historic opportunity to put an end to Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict

Armenia authorities, who paid $6M for Snoop Dogg concert, still dont know when this postponed event will be held

Deputy economy minister: Matter of opening India-Iran-Armenia trade corridor being discussed

Armenia official: Trade with India amounted to $380M in 2023

ICC NCA head: India considers Armenia an important bridge to enter larger markets

Anne-Laurence Petel welcomes resolution on EU-Armenia relations

India ambassador: We are happy that our relations with Armenia are developing in defense sector also

Indians are now 2nd largest community in Armenia after Russians, envoy says

India-Armenia business forum kicks off in Yerevan

Armenia parliament speaker on European Parliament resolution: We thank European partners for this important step

PM: European Parliament resolution is another opportunity to discuss vision of Armenia's future

Azerbaijans next target in Karabakh is Artsakh State University

Russia deputy FM in Turkey, discusses process of normalizing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

14-karat gold LEGO piece sells for over $18,000

Newspaper: Armenia to leave CSTO on Putin's reelection day?

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European Parliament resolution demands Azerbaijan troops withdrawal from Armenia territory

European Parliament adopts resolution proposing to consider possibility of Armenia's candidacy for EU membership

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Seven Visions, The Dvin wins in 6 categories at the prestigious World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony 2024

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Putin: Russia may create a "sanitary zone" in Ukraine

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Czech Rep. parliament speaker sends EU flag to Armenia colleague as token of support

Premier on Tavush Province meeting: I also showed here Armenia outline that I showed at press conference

Secretary General Stoltenberg's visit to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia is historic NATO says

Russian doctors removed a child's gills

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Aliyev renames Revival Square in occupied Stepanakert

Armenia opposition MP: PM told Tavush Province residents that 4 villages must be handed over to Azerbaijan immediately

Aliyev warmly congratulated Putin

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RFE/RL: Putin loses in Armenias Yerevan, wins in Gyumri in Russia presidential election

High-tech minister on removing Russia TV channels from multiplex: Armenia's dignity is at core of decisions

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Kazakhstan FM considers it necessary to increase trade with Armenia

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Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs sign 2024/25 action plan

Armenia PM is in Tavush Province, meeting with residents of Voskepar, Baghanis, neighboring villages

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Archaeologists find inscription of King Antiochus I of Armenian Yervanduni Dynasty, in Turkey

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7,825 Karabakh residents who left Armenia since September 2023 have not returned, new data say

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La Liga: Barca beat Atletico

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Serie A: Inter, with Mkhitaryan, play draw with Napoli

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Aliyev: Azerbaijan and Georgia have always supported each other's sovereignty

Iran calls for formation of international coalition against Israel

Biden told Aliyev of US commitment to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Khachanov and Agassi meet in Glendale (photo)

Stoltenberg will meet in Yerevan with the President and Prime-minister of Armenia

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Turkish Foreign Ministry issues anti-Russian statement on Crimea issue

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Zakharova: Armenia's withdrawal from CSTO should be based on real needs of the country, not on "flirting" with West

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Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia

Armenia deputy FM: There has been considerable regress regarding visa facilitation with EU

Deputy FM: As landlocked country, Armenia recognizes vital importance of inclusive connectivity, open borders

FM: Armenia made every effort to prevent de-Armenianization in Karabakh

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We have no expectations from the CSTO any longer. The secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, said this in an interview with the Public Television of Armenia.

"In September 2022, when a large-scale attack [by Azerbaijan] took place on the Republic of Armenia, Armenia turned to the CSTO expecting help to protect its sovereign territory, [but] we did not receive any proper response from the CSTO, and over time we realized that we cannot have any expectations from the CSTO in this regard," Grigoryan said, noting that it remains today's benchmark.

He added that this position by Armenia will be maintained until the CSTO makes a statement, evaluates, protects Armenia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and understands what they are doing.

Also, the secretary of the Security Council of Armenia said that no technico-military assistance was offered to Armenia from the CSTO, and when the latters monitors were asked whether they were coming to protect the border of Armenia, no clear answer was given.

"The CSTO has never recognized the borders of Armenia, the CSTO does not recognize its zone of responsibility, and this is a very serious problem for Armenia," added Armen Grigoryan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia to participate in the discussion of the activity report 2023 of the ministry, the latter informs.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan and the deputy ministers presented the works carried out, the plans and priorities for the current and next year.

A detailed reference was made to the measures, achievements, and the steps taken to overcome the challenges during 2023 caused by geopolitical and regional developments.

Reference was made to the steps taken by the Republic of Armenia in the conditions of the blocking of the Lachin Corridor since the beginning of the year, the ethnic cleansing policy of Azerbaijan against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and the military attack in September. Addressing the rights and needs of more than 100,000 Armenian population forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and cooperation with international partners in that direction were touched upon.

Reference was made to efforts and processes aimed at ensuring stability and peace in the South Caucasus.

The steps taken to strengthen cooperation with partner states at the bilateral level and the recorded results were presented to the Prime Minister. It was emphasized that the efforts of the Foreign Ministry were aimed at closer cooperation with a wide geography, both with neighboring countries and those countries with which friendly ties have already been formed, as well as with those countries with which the development of cooperation has a tangible potential, both in economic and other areas. In this context, the visits and contacts that gave new charge and content to the development of partnership at bilateral and multilateral platforms with the respective countries were mentioned. It was emphasized that the relations in various directions have been raised or are moving to a qualitatively new level, including strategic dialogue, and in that sense, the year was full of measures and activities unprecedented in their format. It was recorded that 34 high-ranking visits were made to the Republic of Armenia during the year, and 68 visits were made by Armenian high-ranking officials, 40 of which were by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Prime Minister was also presented with works and results in the field of cooperation in the areas of international peace and security, development cooperation, protection of human rights, expansion of multilateral cultural interaction, as well as promotion of Armenias candidacies in various structures.

Among other initiatives, the works carried out in the direction of popularization of the "Crossroads of Peace" project developed by the Armenian government, including through about 2500 publications in the international press, were also presented.

The international events planned for 2024 and the financial costs planned in this direction were also presented.

Issues related to the opening of new diplomatic and consular institutions both in the Republic of Armenia and abroad were raised.

Extensive, targeted works carried out in the direction of improving the working conditions, including the building conditions, of the central apparatus of the MFA and the bodies of the diplomatic service abroad were also presented. It was emphasized that the digitization of consular services continued within the framework of the digital agenda, as a result of which the possibility of online payments, queuing and providing relevant documents was introduced.

The importance of strengthening the capabilities of the diplomatic service was emphasized, programs for replenishing the Foreign Ministry with diplomatic personnel, as well as for the training of foreign diplomats at the Diplomatic School of the Republic of Armenia were also presented. The completed and ongoing reforms in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system and possible steps to increase the attractiveness of the diplomatic service were touched upon. In this context, Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that the diplomatic service has a special nature and emphasized the importance of the process of enriching the services potential in the medium and long term.

After the presentation of the report, an exchange of ideas took place. The future plans and tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in several directions were outlined.

Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the continuous development of the diplomatic service in line with current global trends. "The highest goal of Armenia's foreign policy is to ensure and guarantee Armenia's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity," said the Prime Minister. Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized the need to maximize the use of the economic component of foreign policy and gave instructions to those in-charge.
Russian media have reported details about the murder of Armenian man Karen Hayriyan, 44, in Noginsk city.

The media published footage showing the argument that took place at the parking lot of the Noginsk shopping mall on Monday night, as a result of which Hayriyan had died. The gunman had fired five shots at him.

According to media, the aforementioned argument had started in the cafe next to the parking lot. The murder victim was there with his sister, and the gunmanwith his father. Before the murder, the sister of the murdered man allegedly had an argument with a customer in the cafe. Her brother protected his sister, and the manhis son. As a result, the son of this cafe customer opened fire and mortally wounded the woman's brother.

Subsequently, the criminals fled the scene in a Porsche Cayenne. They are wanted.

The wounded Armenian man had managed to get to the hospital on his own, but the doctors could not save his life.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has launched a murder investigation.

According to , the condition of Hayriyan's sister, who was supposedly also in the car at the time of the attack, is not known.

It is known, however, that the attackers had tried to enter the aforesaid hospital in order to finish off what had happened at the parking lot.

According to some reports, the attackers are also Armenians.
The leader of a crime gang, which is suspected of murdering the country's presidential candidate, has disappeared from an Ecuadorian prison.

A state of emergency has been declared in the country for two months.

Jose Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, had been in prison for 12 years and led the powerful crime gang Los Choneros (People from the City of Chone) from prison.

His prison cell is in the part of the prison in Guayaquil that, in theory, should have been especially carefully guarded.

The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, has declared a state of emergency for 60 days, which envisions, in particular, a temporary ban on public gatherings and a curfew.

According to President Noboa, this state of emergency will enable the military and the police to directly oversee the country's prisons.
A $1 million state Seed Community Development Anchor Institution Fund grant will support Mount St. Marys University and the Daughters of Charity in turning an underutilized wing of the Daughters St. Joseph House in Emmitsburg, Maryland, into the universitys new School of Health Professions. The $8.2 million facility renovation project, which will house a physician assistant program and a pediatric behavior health center, will open in October 2024.

To support the local community and beyond, these new programs will contribute to addressing the dire local and national healthcare provider shortage. Working in partnership with the Daughters of Charity, the Mounts School of Health Professions will enhance existing community revitalization efforts by graduating highly qualified healthcare professionals while also providing much-needed pediatric behavioral health services in Northern Frederick County, said Christine McCauslin, Ph.D., dean of the School of Health Professions. We are grateful to the state of Maryland for providing Seed grant funding to support this endeavor that will bring new life to our community and contribute to addressing a critical healthcare provider shortage.

The School of Health Professions will serve as a leading-edge medical education facility that graduates the next generation of healthcare leaders. Key initiatives will include:

Care for America, a program in partnership with the Daughters of Charity that is dedicated to promoting healthcare equity;

The Center for Clinician Well-Being that helps students build the mindsets and skills to maintain their well-being and prevent burnout throughout their healthcare careers; and

A pediatric behavioral health center that will provide a therapeutic environment for children dealing with behavioral issues as well as training for parents, teachers and other professionals.

Once completed, the new school is projected to draw 700-plus new visitors to Emmitsburg annually as well as provide new employment opportunities. The School of Health Professions is a focus of the universitys $50 million Our Moment, Our Mission, Our Mount campaign and has secured gifts from alumni, foundation partners, friends of the university and corporate partners.

The Seed Fund is administered by the Maryland Housing and Community Development Department, which offers funding for revitalization and redevelopment projects through seven programs. The Seed Fund provides funding for higher education institutions and hospitals in disinvested areas of the state. To qualify, institutions must provide matching funds through a private source. In fiscal year 2024, the Department is providing $63.7 million in funding for 219 projects across the state, including $10 million for Seed.
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The postmortem has revealed the child was smothered to death either with a cloth or a pillow, as per officials.





The accused woman, Suchana Seth, allegedly killed her son in the apartment at Candolim in Goa and stuffed the body in a bag before taking it to neighbouring Karnataka in a taxi, police said.





She was arrested from Chitradurga in Karnataka on Monday night and brought to Goa on Tuesday. A senior police officer told PTI that during the inspection of the service apartment room where the woman stayed, they found two empty bottles (one big and another small) of a cough syrup.





"The post-mortem conducted on the body has indicated the possibility that the child might have been smothered to death and there were no signs of struggle," he said.





"We are examining the possibility if the woman gave a heavy dose of cough syrup to the child before putting him to death," the official said. Enquiries with the service apartment staff revealed the woman had asked them to buy a small bottle of a cough syrup claiming she was having cough, he said, adding the bigger bottle might have been carried by her.





"It looks like a pre-planned murder," the official said. According to police sources, the accused has denied her involvement in the crime during the interrogation and claimed the child was already dead when she got up from sleep.





"We don't buy her theory. Further investigation will reveal the motive behind killing the child. As of now, we know that she and her husband were estranged because of which she might have done this," a senior police official said.





Seth checked in the service apartment on January 6 and stayed there till January 8 before leaving for Bengaluru in a taxi. Following her arrest, a court in Mapusa town of Goa on Tuesday remanded her in police custody for six days. The child's father, Venkat Raman, who was in Jakarta (Indonesia), reached Hiriyur in Chitradurga on Tuesday night and took possession of his son's body after postmortem.





Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the investigation is continuing into the case in which a four-year-old boy in Goa was murdered allegedly by his mother who was subsequently arrested from Karnataka's Chitradurga. "As soon as the police found something suspicious, that woman was immediately arrested. An investigation is going on, and police will reach the very end of the case," Sawant told ANI

The Goa police have found two empty bottles of a cough syrup in a room where the CEO of a start-up allegedly killed her four-year-old son, indicating she might have given a heavy dose of the medicine to him and that it was pre-planned murder, an official said on Wednesday.
Netherlands-based companies are likely to sign potential investment agreements to the tune of 3.6 billion Euros at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which will officially kick off on Wednesday. These possible investment agreements are expected in port, renewable energy, manufacturing, and nutrient products, Amlan Bora, Chief Representative for India cum Trade and Investment Commissioner, Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO), told reporters. NBSO is participating in the Vibrant Gujarat summit for the fourth time, and this time the delegation will be led by Netherlands Ambassador to India Marisa Gerards. Among other key sectors they would look upon are food processing, logistics and maritime, renewable sectors. Bora said the delegation will meet the Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday for a trade networking reception. "On the 10th, we have a NBSO seminar. The first time we are here as an organising partner with Vibrant Gujarat summit," Bora said. "We will have multiple interfaces through other participation in other sectoral seminars, our speakers are participating in a renewable energy seminar, the green hydrogen seminar," he added. During the press conference, Netherlands Business Support Office representative Bora also announced it is looking to open more offices in India. Currently, it has two offices - Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. A Dutch pavilion is being set up at the Vibrant Gujarat venue, with 11 companies participating in it. In another important announcement for the aviation space, Bora said talks are on flight simulators in India worth 250 million in with the Karnataka government. "That's very relevant because the Indian aviation sector is going to grow. There will be huge shortage of pilots in the coming days. And there will be huge demand for training manpower to be able to meet the demands of the aviation industry."Meanwhile, coming to the much-awaited Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a large trade show on Tuesday. Industrialists from India and abroad will participate. A release from the Gujarat government said more than 1,000 exhibitors from 20 countries across the world will participate in the trade show. Bookings for the entire area dedicated to the show have been completed. The release added that about 100 countries are participating as visiting trade shows, while 33 countries are participating as partners. The trade show will have 13 halls based on various themes, including 'Make in Gujarat', and 'Self-reliant India'. The trade show will be open to business visitors on January 10-11 and to the public on January 12-13. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was initiated by Narendra Modi in 2003, then chief minister, to put Gujarat on the world map of trade and industry. The tenth edition of the Summit will be held from January 10 to 12, 2024. For the smooth conduct of the event, several committees have been formed to look after various aspects of the summit. (ANI)
The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 has attracted international attention, and among the guests is Reuben Gauci, the High Commissioner of Malta in Delhi. Gauci expressed his pleasure at attending the summit, highlighting its significance in showcasing not just the vibrancy of Gujarat but also the dynamic spirit of India as a whole. Gauci said, "It is a great pleasure for me to attend Vibrant Gujarat...It shows the vibrancy of not just Gujarat but also the vibrancy of India. I'm looking forward to meeting PM Modi and showing him that my country is keen on increasing bilateral relations with India." As one of the prominent diplomatic figures attending the summit, High Commissioner Gauci expressed anticipation about the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He sees this as a chance to convey Malta's keen interest in fostering stronger bilateral relations with India across various sectors. The statements reflect Malta's eagerness to explore avenues for collaboration and partnership with India in diverse areas, spanning trade, culture, and diplomatic ties. Malta, with its strategic location in the Mediterranean, holds potential for mutually beneficial engagements with India. On January 10, Prime Minister will inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. Thereafter, he will hold a meeting with CEOs of top global corporations. The Prime Minister will then travel to GIFT City where, at around 5:15 PM, he will interact with prominent business leaders in the Global FinTech Leadership Forum. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister.The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from 10 to 12 January 2024 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Its theme is 'Gateway to the Future'. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit provides a platform for diplomatic dialogues and discussions that could pave the way for enhanced cooperation between Malta and India. As the summit progresses, the interactions between High Commissioner Gauci and Indian dignitaries, including Prime Minister Modi, are anticipated to contribute to the strengthening of diplomatic ties and the exploration of collaborative opportunities between Malta and India. The diplomatic representation at Vibrant Gujarat underscores the event's significance in fostering global partnerships and alliances. (ANI)
PRNewswire Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 9: The Indian Institute of Management Indore and TimesPro have launched the Master of Management Studies, a Post Graduate Degree in Management that will equip learners with new-age skills, comprehensive knowledge, and a strong ethical foundation to master the art of management and leadership in the digital era. The two-year Master of Management Studies is a transformative journey that develops learners' cross-functional capabilities and is strategically crafted to instill a robust combination of leadership roles, gain financial acumen, hone their marketing skills, and enhance their strategic abilities. The programme places a strong emphasis on leadership and is contextually designed to inculcate ethical values and principles, fostering a sense of responsibility and integrity in business decision making. Learners will be guided to become not just effective leaders but ethical stewards who contribute to sustainable and responsible business practices. Speaking at the announcement, Prof. Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM Indore, said, "The launch of the Master of Management Studies programme at IIM Indore with TimesPro is a significant step in our commitment to nurturing future leaders. This programme is not just about acquiring knowledge but about developing well-rounded professionals who can lead with integrity, navigate uncertainties, and contribute towards the growth of the organisation. The emphasis on ethical leadership, critical skill development, and a comprehensive curriculum positions our learners to excel in a rapidly changing business landscape." Anish Srikrishna, CEO, TimesPro, said, "The Master of Management Studies programme from IIM Indore is a seminal new entrant to the post-graduate management degree space for our executive aspirants. The programme construct and offering is a clear reflection of our continuing commitment to making excellence accessible in executive education. I sincerely believe that our collaboration with IIM Indore will play a significant role in preparing professionals for success in our dynamic, disruption-led business environment. Learners will gain the requisite skills and knowledge to navigate the modern challenges of the global ecosystem and make a significant impact on their careers and organisations." The programme will be conducted via TimesPro's state-of-the-art Interactive Learning (IL) platform and delivered in Direct-to-Device (D2D) mode. Learners will gain insights from IIM Indore's renowned faculty and industry experts, ensuring they are well-equipped to make informed strategic decisions with a global perspective. They also get to experience the prestigious institution for 12 days, as part of their immersion programme during the first and sixth semesters. This immersive approach ensures that learners are not only equipped with theoretical knowledge but also gain the practical acumen required to make informed strategic decisions in a global context. The Master of Management Studies provides learners to specialise in modules such as Economics, Communications, Finance & Accounting, Information Systems, OB & HR, OM & QT, Strategy, Humanities & Social Sciences. The programme seamlessly integrates a cutting-edge curriculum with real-world case studies, simulations, interactive learning experiences, etc. About IIM Indore: IIM Indore is among the 100 global business schools (and the second IIM in the country) to receive the prestigious Triple Crown in the form of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. IIM Indore has been consistently ranked in the top by various National and International ranking agencies, including NIRF, QS and the FT-100 rankings. The institute offers a diverse set of executive education opportunities, spanning several long-term and short-term courses. With a robust offering of 200+ executive programmes, including specialized courses tailored for the UAE, GCC, and the Middle East, IIM Indore empowers professionals with globally relevant skills and expertise. About TimesPro: TimesPro, established in 2013, is a leading Higher EdTech platform dedicated to empowering the career growth of aspiring learners by equipping them with skills to rise in a competitive world. TimesPro's H.EdTech programmes are created to meet the rapidly changing industry requirements and have been blended with technology to make them accessible & affordable. TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-Commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level. TimesPro also collaborates with India's leading organisations across varied sectors to provide upskilling and reskilling solutions to boost employability and create a robust workforce. TimesPro is a Higher EdTech initiative by The Times Group. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2314173/IIM_Indore_TimesPro.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The discussion centred around a comprehensive project, and President Suzuki expressed pleasure with the response received from the Prime Minister.

"I reported the whole project. He had a very good response. I am happy", stated President Toshihiro Suzuki, indicating a positive outcome of the discussions.

The contentment expressed by the Suzuki Motors President suggests a favorable reception of the project details presented to Prime Minister Modi during their meeting.

President Suzuki also emphasized his positive relationship with Gujarat, expressing a desire to further invest in the region.

His statement underscores the company's confidence in Gujarat as an investment destination and highlights the potential for expanded collaborations between Suzuki Motors and the state.

"I have a good relationship with Gujarat. I would like to invest more," President Suzuki affirmed, indicating a keen interest in strengthening the ties between Suzuki Motors and the vibrant state of Gujarat.

The meeting between President Toshihiro Suzuki and Prime Minister Narendra Modi signifies the importance of constructive dialogues between global corporate leaders and government officials.

It provides an opportunity to discuss investment plans, explore avenues for collaboration, and strengthen the overall business environment.

As Gujarat continues to attract investments and foster economic growth, collaborations with global automotive giants like Suzuki Motors contribute to the state's position as a key player in the automotive sector.

The positive sentiments expressed by President Suzuki reflect a promising outlook for future partnerships and investments in Gujarat's dynamic business landscape.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of PM Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from 10 to 12 January 2024 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Its theme is 'Gateway to the Future'.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit provides a platform for diplomatic dialogues and discussions that could pave the way for enhanced cooperation between various countries and India. (ANI)
The Ambassador highlighted the multifaceted agenda, including international issues and collaborative efforts to address global challenges.

"We will discuss mostly trade; we will discuss international issues, how we can improve our planet's situation, energy, mobility, science, education, and innovation," stated Ambassador Zigova, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the talks planned during her visit.

Trade, being a central element of the discussions, signifies the shared interest of the Czech Republic and Gujarat in enhancing economic cooperation.

However, the ambassador's mention of international issues underscores the commitment to addressing broader challenges that impact the global community.

Issues such as sustainability, energy, and mobility are expected to feature prominently in the discussions, reflecting the shared responsibility of nations in working towards a more sustainable and interconnected world.

Collaboration in science, education, and innovation is also likely to be a focal point, emphasizing the importance of knowledge exchange and technological advancements.

Ambassador Zigova's visit to Gandhinagar demonstrates the commitment to fostering a comprehensive and collaborative relationship between the Czech Republic and Gujarat.

As nations increasingly recognize the interconnected nature of global challenges, such discussions contribute to the collective efforts aimed at finding innovative solutions and building a more resilient and sustainable future.

The agenda reflects the shared values and aspirations of both entities, providing a platform for fruitful and impactful dialogue. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of PM Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from 10 to 12 January 2024 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Its theme is 'Gateway to the Future'.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit provides a platform for diplomatic dialogues and discussions that could pave the way for enhanced cooperation between various countries and India. (ANI)
The Vibrant Gujarat Summit, a hallmark event fostering economic collaboration and development, welcomed German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann, who expressed his enthusiasm for being in the dynamic state of Gujarat. Ackermann acknowledged Gujarat's status as a powerhouse within India and emphasised the exciting moment that the Vibrant Gujarat Summit represents. "I am extremely excited to be here in Gujarat. It is a very interesting moment; it's the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Gujarat is the powerhouse of India; it's an extremely dynamic state. I will see German business today. There is a lot of German business in Gujarat and that shows how German-Gujarat relations are, stated Ambassador Ackermann, underscoring the significance of the strong ties between Germany and Gujarat. Germany has been a significant player in Gujarat's economic landscape, with numerous German businesses operating in the state. The Ambassador's participation in the summit signals a commitment to furthering collaboration and exploring opportunities for mutual growth. When asked about the trade relations between India and Germany, Ambassador Ackermann expressed satisfaction with the current state of affairs. "We have very good trade relations right now. Our trade balance is rising every year and we will be, most probably, by the end of this year, at a trade balance of 35 Billion Euros. This is by far the biggest trade balance of any EU partner in India. Therefore, we are very proud and we are looking forward to seeing this trade balance rise," he said. The bilateral trade growth between India and Germany reflects the robust economic cooperation between the two nations. The German Ambassador's positive outlook and pride in the increasing trade balance highlight the mutual benefits derived from the strong economic ties. As Gujarat continues to attract global attention at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, collaborations with countries like Germany contribute to the state's growth trajectory and reinforce its position as a key economic player in India. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a meeting with the Group Chairman and CEO of Emirati multinational logistics company DP World, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, where they discussed plans to further bolster investment in India. In a post on X, PMO said the discussions revolved especially around creating sustainable, green, and energy-efficient ports, and world-class sustainable logistic infrastructure. After the meeting with the prime minister, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said his Group has invested almost two-and-a-half billion dollars and is going to invest more in the next three years. "We have a long history in India we are more committed," Sulayem said. "As a market and as a trade partner India is respected around the world. We are also discussing specific areas and lands around the world in Africa mainly for Indian entrepreneurs to manufacture." "Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, Central Africa, East Africa and this is something we're going to do now encouraging Indian companies to manufacture in the designated area, and these are the main issues we discussed today." DP World is in India for for close to two decades now. "Our operation and knowledge of the market gives us the courage and the confidence and the policies of prime minister," the CEO said. Speaking on CEPA agreement and how it benefitted the two countries, he said, "India anyway enjoys an amazing relation. After the signing of the CEPA agreement, a lot of products are today going even more to India and more from our country to India." It would be important to see what fresh investment plans DP World commits here at the Vibrant Gujarat summit. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was initiated by Narendra Modi in 2003, then chief minister, to put Gujarat on the world map of trade and industry. The tenth edition of the Summit will be held from January 10 to 12, 2024. For the smooth conduct of the event, several committees have been formed to look after various aspects of the summit. (ANI)
Amid the vibrant atmosphere of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Mike Hankey, the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, expressed his excitement about the significant American presence at the event. A sizable American delegation, comprising representatives from both the government and the private sector, participated in the summit, showcasing the robust U.S. engagement with Gujarat. "We are so excited to be here in Vibrant Gujarat. A big American delegation, both from the Government as well as the private sector, is out here...We see the very best US companies out here. Take a look at the US-India trade relationships- over 191 Billion USD, more than doubling in the last decade and it is only going to keep getting bigger. During Vibrant Gujarat, we are looking at the education partnership opportunities", said Consul General Hankey, emphasizing the substantial growth in trade between the two nations. The U.S.-India trade relationship has witnessed remarkable expansion, with bilateral trade exceeding 191 billion USD. This significant increase over the last decade underscores the deepening economic ties and mutual benefits derived from the collaboration. Consul General Hankey also highlighted the focus on education partnership opportunities during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The Consul General emphasised the diversity of American participation, ranging from companies to universities and enterprises of varying sizes. "We have got American companies, universities, small and large enterprises--they are all really interested in being here. I think that reflects the great opportunity that is here and the alignment in values and outlook that both the US and India have", he said. The strong American presence at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit signifies the growing collaboration and shared interests between the two nations. As Gujarat continues to attract global attention and investments, partnerships with the United States contribute to the state's economic growth and reinforce its position as a key player in India's economic landscape. (ANI)
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a meeting with the CEO of Netherlands-headquartered port operating company APM Terminals, Keith Svendsen, during the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar. During the meeting, the Chief Minister said his state with a 1,600 km long coastline, ranks first in the maritime industry and is becoming a leader in contributing to the 'blue economy' of the world. During the meeting, CEO Keith Svendsen discussed the expansion and upgrade of the company's operations at Pipavav Port, as per a state government press release. APM Terminals had its first establishment in Gujarat by registering Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited, India's first Private port, in 1998. Chief Secretary Rajkumar, and Principal Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister K Kailashnathan attended the meeting with senior officials. Meanwhile, Netherlands-based companies are likely to sign potential investment agreements to the tune of 3.6 billion Euros at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which will officially kick off on Wednesday. These possible investment agreements are expected in port, renewable energy, manufacturing, and nutrient products, Amlan Bora, Chief Representative for India cum Trade and Investment Commissioner, Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO), told reporters yesterday. NBSO is participating in the Vibrant Gujarat summit for the fourth time, and this time the delegation will be led by Netherlands Ambassador to India Marisa Gerards. During the press conference, Netherlands Business Support Office representative Bora also announced it is looking to open more offices in India. Currently, it has two offices - Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. A Dutch pavilion is being set up at the Vibrant Gujarat venue, with 11 companies participating in it. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was initiated by Narendra Modi in 2003, then chief minister, to put Gujarat on the world map of trade and industry. The tenth edition of the Summit will be held from January 10 to 12, 2024. For the smooth conduct of the event, several committees have been formed to look after various aspects of the summit. (ANI)
President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta said on Tuesday that he was proud to see India's progress and what the country has achieved in the 21st century. "Amazing, I am very proud as a third world person (by) what India has achieved, catapulting and jumping into the 21st century technology, in every area," Timor-Leste President told ANI in Ahmedabad. Regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Timor Leste leader termed the former as the most popular leader. "He is rated the most popular leader, the most credible in the world when you compare with other major powers. Modi is most trusted around the world," he added. The President of Timor-Leste is in India from January 8-10, 2024 to attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Earlier today, PM Modi met President Horta in Gandhinagar. Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to President Horta and his delegation to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit on what is the first-ever Head of State or Government level visit between the two countries. Prime Minister re-affirmed India's commitment to build a vibrant "Delhi-Dili" connect. In September 2023, he had announced the opening of the Indian Mission in the country. He offered assistance to Timor-Leste in capacity building, human resource development, IT, fintech, energy and healthcare including traditional medicine and pharma. He also invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). He congratulated President Horta for ASEAN's in-principle decision to admit Timor-Leste as its 11th member and expressed hope for its attainment of full membership soon. President Horta thanked the Prime Minister for the invitation to participate in the Summit. He sought support from India in meeting its development priorities, particularly in the areas of healthcare and capacity building in IT. The two leaders also discussed regional issues and developments in the Indo-Pacific. President Horta expressed strong support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council. The leaders committed to continue their excellent cooperation in the multilateral arena. Prime Minister appreciated Timor-Leste's active participation in the two editions of the Voice of Global South Summit. They agreed that countries of the Global South should synergize their position on global issues. The bilateral relationship between India and Timor-Leste is anchored in shared values of democracy and plurality. India was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with Timor-Leste in 2002. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, the producer of the film Manish Malhotra shared a string of pictures from the first day shoot of the film.

He captioned the post, "The Begining of our emotional and love journey .. #UlJaloolIshq Shooting begins today .."

https://www.instagram.com/p/C13tYKXoEyY/

In the post, Malhotra shared a picture of the film's clapboard from the film's mahurat.

In the other two posts, he shared pictures of a monitor from the sets of the film.

Helmed by Vibhu Puri, the film also stars veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi in the lead roles.

Soon after Manish Malhotra shared the pictures, his friends and fans swamped down the comment section and dropped red heart emoticons and wished him luck.

"All the best," a fan commented.

Another fan wrote, "Congratulations and all the very best."

Excited to work in the film, Sharib, recently in a statement, said, "I couldn't have asked for a better beginning than this for 2024. Finally, I'm getting to work with Naseeruddin Shah sir. It's like a dream come true for me.I'm really glad to be part of such a beautiful ensemble and an amazing team. Can't wait to start shooting for 'Ul Jalool Ishq'."

Vishal Bhardwaj has composed the music for the film while Gulzar has penned the lyrics. (ANI)
Bobby, on Tuesday, took to Instagram to express gratitude for showering love on his character. He wrote, "Falling short of words to describe this feeling. Grateful to each and every one of you for showering #TeamAnimal & Abrar with unconditional love."

https://www.instagram.com/p/C14EN7ENI05/

He shared a BTS video from the movie. In the video, he also said that 'Jamal Kundu' is his favourite song from the movie.

He also revealed that if the character has the superpower it would be that he wants to give peace to the world.

At last, he shared that if one dialogue is given to Abrar that would be 'Tu aur tu, ishar aa."

Talking about Bobby's recent release 'Animal,' on December 1, it 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)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that individuals in society are remembered for their contribution to the socio-cultural-academic landscape of the society. Interacting with the students on career counselling at Sertalin Auditorium Hall at Taralangsho in Karbi Anglong district, the Assam Chief Minister said that the students' contribution will be their identity and they will be remembered by posterity for their socio-cultural and academic role towards society. Chief Minister Sarma, citing the example of President of the country Droupadi Murmu, said that she hailed from an interior place in Odisha and assumed the highest constitutional post in the country by virtue of her resolute dedication, determination and love for the people. The Assam Chief Minister also informed the students that the President is coming to Diphu on January 17, and they will get the opportunity to see and meet her. Assam CM also said that millions of people come to this world. However, only a few can leave their imprints on the minds of the people. Personalities like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi are remembered with love and respect even today because of their impactful contributions. Stating that God sends some people with special purposes, he asked the students to reflect on why people are born in this world. Assam CM also asked them to listen to their inner soul and try to realise their worth. The Chief Minister also said that the students who involve themselves in fulfilling the aspirations of their parents are always at the receiving end of their parents' blessings. He said that without the blessings of their parents, nobody can become great in life. Taking decisions after due discussion with the parents is an art. He also said that technology is an indispensable part of one's life. Without technology, nobody can go forward. As per one's priorities, one should adopt and use technology and master it. He said that the students should be empowered to learn and use AI, Machine learning, etc. He also advised the students to learn about the application of new and modern technologies. Stating that Karbi Anglong is a beautiful district, he asked the students to be conscious and committed to protecting and preserving its natural resources. The Chief Minister also advised the students of Karbi Anglong district that, besides their mother tongue, they should also learn Assamese, Hindi and English. He also informed them about Sanskritik Maharan and Khel Mahasangram. Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Nomal Momin, MP Haren Sing Bey, Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, Jogen Mohan, CEM KAAC Tuliram Ronghang, and MLA Bidya Sing Englang were present on the occasion. (ANI)
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Monday that Article 370 was implemented due to concerns that people from Punjab might migrate to Jammu and Kashmir after partition and settle there. "We didn't bring Article 370. This was introduced and implemented by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947. It was only out of fear that the people of Punjab would come here after partition and settle down and the poor people of our state would sell their land at lesser rates," he said while addressing a press conference in Jammu. Abdullah said that Maharaja Hari Singh introduced Article 370 to protect the locals of Jammu and Kashmir. "Maharaja Hari Singh introduced Article 370 to save the poor people of Jammu and Kashmir after the partition. He reserved the jobs only for the locals of J-K and Ladakh. This was Article 370," he said. The Supreme Court earlier in December 2023 upheld the Union Government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant delivered the verdict on petitions challenging the government's move to abrogate Article 370. The apex court said that it has held that Article 370 was a temporary provision. "The proclamation of Maharaja stated that the Constitution of India will supersede. With this, the para of Instrument of Accession ceases to exist... Article 370 was an interim arrangement due to war conditions in the State. Textual reading also indicates that Article 370 is a temporary provision," the Court said. It said that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a State can't be subject to a legal challenge and it will lead to the administration of the State to a standstill. The central government, in August 2019, announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two union territories. The Supreme Court, in its verdict, said that assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir should be held by September next year. (ANI)
While presiding over a meeting of the Health Department here on Monday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the use of modern technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be ensured to strengthen health services in the state. "The Chief Minister said that the state government was working on a large scale to ensure the use of AI in various fields. He said that State Government was contemplating to create AI Ministry in the State to give boost to this sector. He said that Himachal Pradesh would be the first State in the country to take such kind of ambitious initiative," as per a press release from the Chief Minister's office. Sukhu said that "the state government was going to establish a National Cancer Center in Hamirpur. For this, all the processes are being completed in a phased manner. This center will have departments of Hospital (Diagnostics, Surgery, Radiotherapy and Medical Oncology), Palliative Care, Center for Preventive Oncology and Center for Molecular Oncology. " He said that "use of high-end technology would be ensured in this center and a world-class diagnostic lab will be established to facilitate the patients. He said that the best health facilities would be provided to the patients by using many new technologies including molecular oncology. The state government would also strengthen the existing cancer care units in the State." "Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthy, Oncologist Dr Dinesh Pendharkar, Dr GK Rath, Dr CM Tripathi, Chief Minister's OSD Gopal Sharma, Health Secretary M Sudha Devi, Chief Minister's Principal Private Secretary Vivek Bhatia, Mission Director NHM Priyanka Verma, Director Health Services Gopal Berry and other senior officers were present in the meeting," as per the release. (ANI)
In recent days in the places where older folks gather to remember and talk about what they remember, conversations were peppered with the name Shecky Greene.

Only those of a certain vintage know that name, fewer still can recall seeing him on television and even fewer can share memories of what he said and did on the stages of such bygone places as Mister Kellys on Rush Street, Mill Run Playhouse in Niles or various Las Vegas outposts.

These trips back in time were prompted by the recent death of Greene on Dec. 31, 2023. The local newspaper obituaries contained some of the particulars of his career, a few highs and lows, but they mostly failed to focus on the significance of the man. He was of a time that is gone for good.

Greene was one of the last of a generation of standup comics who, as Gerald Nachman writes in his entertainingly enlightening 2003 book Seriously Funny: The Rebel Comedians of the 1950s and 1960s, had to get your attention in any way possible  To grab your ear, they needed to make a racket, verbal and visual. Nightclubbers went out to laugh, and few were fussy about who they laughed at.

Its a tough life, comedy, even now, described by Nachman as the worlds most hazardous occupation.

Its tougher than other art forms because theres no shield to hide behind  no book, no canvas, no camera, no orchestra, no script, no co-stars, no choreographer. Its just you and your wisecracks; if the act fails, you have failed  The comedian is the whole show, the flesh-and-blood work of art.

\\Shecky Greene attends The Friars Club Salute To Freddie Roman And Stewie Stone at The Pierre Hotel on April 21, 2014 in New York City.

Greene was, in his time, as big a nightclub star as there was. It was he who opened for Elvis in Vegas, who opened the new Mill Run Theater in 1970, and was making as much as $150,000 a week in the 1960s Las Vegas.

He had his troubles  once driving his car into the fountain in front of Caesars Palace in Vegas  and drank too much. In later life, he would find that he had some mental ills and with medication was able to settle down. He had some modest success in TV and film and was happily married for nearly four decades to Marie Musso. He played Vegas a bit and Vegas is where he died.

But his roots were firmly here, since 1926 when he was born Fred Sheldon Greenfield and raised on the North Side (Sullivan High School) and throughout his life remained close to many here.

I have great memories of Shecky, said Marc Schulman, who is the son of the late Eli Schulman, once a noted restaurateur and the founder of Elis Cheesecake Company, of which Marc has long been president. He and my father were very close, real friends, not just those of the celebrity kind. Id known him since I was born and can remember the many nights he would share a table with my dad.

Both were World War II veterans and they shared a deep Jewish heritage. They also shared a passion for the ponies. As Greene put it in an interview, as a young man he had a silent partner to support  I discovered how to bet the horses. (The late Chicago business owner and philanthropist Joseph Kellman named one of his race horses for the entertainer.)

Greene and Eli became pals even before 1962, when Schulman opened Elis Stage Delicatessen on Oak Street, in the Rush Street nightlife area. It immediately became a hangout for many stars who would drop in for late-night dinners after performing at Mister Kellys and other nearby clubs.

Among them were such other people as Woody Allen, Bobby Short and Barbra Streisand, who would drop by for late-night suppers and lively conversation.

It was through Eli that I met Greene, who was also a regular visitor to Schulmans later restaurant, Elis the Place for Steak, located on Chicago Avenue where Lurie Hospital now stands. He was a wildly entertaining conversationalist and storyteller. Often the name Sinatra came up, since he was a pal of Elis. Greene had been Sinatras opening act in Las Vegas and elsewhere, until their strong personalities clashed and they had a falling out.

Indeed, one of Greenes most memorable routines involved how Sinatra saved my life. It focused on his being beaten in a hotel lobby by five men until Sinatra said, OK, boys, thatll be enough.

Comedian Shecky Greene during an interview with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, Oct. 21, 1975.

Greene insisted the story was true and also had some interesting things to say about a watch Sinatra had given Schulman, who proudly wore it. But sitting with the comic and even seeing his act, it is difficult to capture him in print. His style was almost improvisational, energetic and filled with such treats as impressions, manic physical routines, stories and singing. He seemed so eager to please. As he once put it to a newspaper interviewer, Ive never had an act. I make it up as I go along.

You can get short samples of that on the internet, that oasis of immortality where after life goes, laughs still echo.

He was one of a kind, Marc Schulman said. He was here when my dad died (in 1988). He was very upset and as a gesture of his deep affection for my dad, he asked if he could give me one of his own shirts for Eli to be buried in. And thats what we did.

That wonderfully tender gesture meant a lot to Marc and his family, and he kept in touch with Greene by phone over the ensuing decades and by sending him the occasional cheesecake. He now says, I think they and their friendship represented a sort of sentimentality that seems to have vanished, gone for good.

rkogan@chicagotribune.com
A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched an old-age pension scheme for senior citizens in his Diamond Harbour constituency, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wrote a letter to the Principal Director General of Income Tax, urging an investigation into the source of the funds. Alleging money laundering activities by the Diamond Harbour MP, Adhikari said, "I apprehend that the amount of money which has been arranged for donation, may have links with the numerous financial scams of West Bengal. There is a high chance that most of the donors are dubious and the source of funds made available for the Private Pension Scheme has been somehow laundered," reads the letter. "Couple of months earlier the said Member of Parliament announced at a public event in his Lok Sabha Constituency that applicants of the Old Age Pension Scheme who are the Voters of the Diamond Harbour Constituency need not worry about receiving the Pension Amount as in case the West Bengal Government fails to provide the Pension Amount, he would personally arrange the money and pay all of them in private capacity," read the letter. "Thereafter, the said MP of Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Constituency made arrangements for the registration process of the applicants living within the constituency in order to receive the pension amount. Yesterday, on January 7, 2024 he launched the 'Shroddhargyo' (respect to seniors) initiative in his constituency. While he was distributing the cheques to the selected beneficiaries, he elaborated on how more than 85,000 people had registered their names and after Data Sanitization and physical verification, his volunteers found 76,120 (Seventy Six Thousand One Hundred and Twenty) to be eligible for receiving the Pension amount of Rs. 10001- (One Thousand) per month," mentioned the letter further. "All of the 76,120 people would receive the amount in their bank accounts within 10th January. 2024, through Direct Bank Transfer process such as RTGS, NEFT and cheques. So, if we do the calculations, the funds which would be transferred to 76,120 beneficiaries per month amounts to 76.120 X Rs. 1000/- = Rs. 7,61,20.000/- (Rupees Seven Crores Sixty one Lakhs Twenty Thousand Only)," it added further. The MP declared that this amount would be provided as long as the Government of West Bengal does not start to provide them Old Age Pension. If the Government of West Bengal never enrols them as beneficiaries of the Old Age Pension Scheme, he promised to keep paying them this amount of Rs. 1000/- per month as long as they live. So the amount of Rs. 7,61.20.000/- (Rupees Seven Crores Sixty one Lakhs Twenty Thousand Only) would be paid every month for an indefinite period of time. The amount may go up if eligible beneficiaries are added to the list, read the letter further. Requesting the Income Tax department to investigate the source of the funds, Adhikari said in his letter, "I kindly request you to look into this matter and get to the bottom of this, as this whole exercise might unearth a novel and unique financial scam and a new mode of money laundering, which could be traced back to the coal smuggling, teacher recruitment scam, and ration distribution scam." I am annexing the video clips along with this letter to substantiate the aforementioned information. For your information, the said Member of Parliament has been under investigation of Central Agencies such as CBI & ED for his alleged involvement in Coal Scam and Teacher Recruitment Scam. The said MP is the nephew of the Chief Minister of West Bengal; Mamata Banerjee and wields considerable influence over the Administration of West Bengal, as mentioned in the letter. The State of West Bengal has been grappled by the biggest of Financial Scams ever reported in independent India. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate stated in court that the volume of the Ration Distribution Scam Is around Rs. 10,000 Crore and that Rs. 2,700 Crores has been siphoned off to Dubai. The said MP has a Dubai connection, which has been extensively reported by the media. It is a fact that as per the direction of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, he has to inform the Enforcement Directorate beforehand. every time he intends to visit abroad. Reputed Media houses have reported that he has visited Dubai approximately 25-30 times in the last few years. This Private Pension Scheme is a blatant attempt to wrongfully influence the electorate of the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Constituency, in an election year. The MP may have misused his influence on the Police and Administration in order to overcome the huge logistical obstacle of rerouting crores of Rupees and depositing it as a charitable donation. Therefore, I kindly request you to look into this matter and get to the bottom of this as this whole exercise might unearth a novel & unique financial scam and a new mode of money laundering which could be traced back to the Coal smuggling, Teacher Recruitment Scam and Ration Distribution Scam.(ANI)
The meeting, held in Bhopal's Khushabhu Thakre hall, involved administrative officials and public representatives, addressing various issues related to law and order in Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yadav met Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in his assembly chamber.

Since assuming the Chief Minister's role in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav has conducted numerous meetings addressing various concerns of the state.

"Yesterday, in Ujjain, Yadav chaired a meeting with the officials regarding purificiation of the Shipra river. In the meeting, the administrative officers of Dewas, Indore and Ujjain were instructed to make effective plans to stop dirty water from getting into the Shipra river. "Industrial waste getting into the river in Dewas should be stopped. Water should be stopped by building small stop dams between Indore and Ujjain," Yadav said in a post on X.

Earlier, this month, MP CM Mohan Yadav chaired a review meeting of the Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion in Bhopal and gave necessary instructions.

During the meeting, CM Yadav said that the department should try to attract companies to set up industries according to local convenience for the industrial development in areas like Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand in the state.

"Make industries self-reliant and profitable. Make coordination with various departments for its work. The department should make plans to establish industries in new areas by establishing new railway tracks and through waterways with future point of view," Yadav said. (ANI)
Reacting to the Supreme Court's verdict in the Bilkis Bano case, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday demanded an apology from the BJP-led governments in Gujarat and the Centre whikle also cautioned rapists that their affliation to particular political ideology will not protect them. Owaisi urged the BJP government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to speak up and apologize to Bilkis Bano. The Supreme Court on Monday struck down the Gujarat government's order granting remission to 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi was speaking to ANI when he said, "This incident happened when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and the environment was so communally poisonous that this whole trial for Bilkis Bano to get justice was shifted to Maharashtra." "Today, the Supreme Court said that the state of Gujarat acted in complicit with the convicts. Also please see that it was the two BJP MLAs who endorsed the release of these rapists and one of the BJP MLA called the rapist as 'Sanskari'," he added. Welcoming the top court judgement Owaisi said, "Now, today the Honourable Supreme Court had held that the government of Gujarat deliberately helped this rapist get free and it did not have the power to do so. I welcome this judgment and I hope it acts as a precedent against all the rapists in the future. The rapists should understand that just because they affirm a political ideology that is anaemic to the Constitution of India, they will not be set free." "Another important point is that the Union Home Ministry approved the remission and the premature release of these convicts through a letter dated 11 July 2022. It is very clear that when Narendra Modi talks about Nari Shakti, it's just a hollow claim. It has no relevance on the ground because it is they (BJP) who are now standing with the rapists of Bilkis Bano," he said further. Owaisi also alleged BJP government of helping Bilkis Bano rapists in their release from jail and seek their (BJP) apology from Bano. (ANI)
Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya, the Uttarakhand government has issued instructions to all the district magistrates saying that cultural festivals will be celebrated in Uttarakhand for nine consecutive days, from the Uttarayan festival on January 14 to the Shri Ram Murti Pran Pratishtha programme in Ayodhya on January 22. The Uttarakhand government released an order on Monday. "By forming committees at the district/development block level, Kalash Yatra and tableaux should be organised at religious places with the participation of the public, in which the participation of Mahila Mangal Dal, Yuvak Mangal Dal and self-help groups should be ensured. Special cleanliness campaign should be conducted in all the monasteries, temples and bathing ghats situated on the river banks of the state. All urban bodies, district panchayats, development blocks, and gram panchayats including social organizations, self-help groups, Mahila Mangal Dals, Yuvak Mangal Dals and public participation should be ensured by schools/colleges." read the order. "Deepotsav and Aarti should be organized with public participation at major temples, temples and ghats of the state and Ramcharitmanas recitation, bhajan-kirtan programs should be organized at temples, temples and religious places," the order said. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony will be held over a span of seven days starting on January 16. On January 16, the host appointed by the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, will conduct the atonement ceremony. The 'Dashvidh' bath, Vishnu worship, and offering to cows will be held on the banks of the Saryu River. Following that, on January 17, a procession carrying the idol of Lord Ram in his child-like form (Ram Lalla) will reach Ayodhya. Devotees carrying Saryu water in Mangal Kalash will be reaching the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. On January 18, formal rituals will kick off with the Ganesh Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin Varan, and Vastu puja. On January 19, the holy fire will be lit, followed by the establishment of 'Navagraha' and a 'havan' (holy ritual surrounding the fire). The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be washed with Saryu water on January 20, after which the Vaastu Shanti and 'Annadhivas' rituals will take place. On January 21, the Ram Lalla idol will be bathed in 125 urns and will finally be laid to rest. On the final day, January 22, after the morning puja, the deity of Ram Lala will be consecrated in 'Mrigashira Nakshatra' in the afternoon. (ANI)
Following the Pulwama terror attacks in 2019, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, fearing an Indian missile attack, desperately attempted to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone to avert a full-blown military crisis, according to a new book by Ajay Bisaria the former High Commissioner to Pakistan. In his latest book, 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship between India and Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria former India High Commissioner in Pakistan, claims that Pakistan had credible information on nine missiles India had prepared to launch into Pakistani territory. "India was asked to desist, since this was an unprecedented act of aggression and an action tantamount to open war. While Pakistan's media reported the demarche on ceasefire violations by India, the story of the potential missile launch was held back that night but released in a background briefing by ISPR on March 4, with some embellishments. Several media reports appeared in March, detailing the conversations around the missiles between India and Pakistan and through global interlocutors," Bisaria wrote in his book. Anticipating an Indian missile attack, fear-stricken Imran Khan pulled out all the stops and requested a midnight call with PM Modi to bring the situation under control. The call was arranged by the then-Pakistani High Commissioner, Sohail Mehmood, who contacted his counterpart in Delhi. "At around midnight, I got a call in Delhi from Pakistani high commissioner Sohail Mahmood, now in Islamabad, who said that PM Imran Khan was keen to talk to Prime Minister Modi. I checked upstairs and responded that our Prime Minister was not available at this hour but in case Imran Khan had any urgent message to convey, he could, of course, convey it to me. I got no call back that night," Basaria mentions in his book. The events unfolded a day after the Balakote airstrikes conducted by the Indian Air Force on terror hideouts in Pakistan on February 26, 2019. The strikes were in retaliation for a terrorist attack on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on February 14, 2019. The US and UK envoys in Delhi got back overnight to India's foreign secretary to claim that Pakistan was now ready to de-escalate the situation, to act on India's dossier, and to seriously address the issue of terrorism, says the Book. Bisaria continues, the next day, we got the breaking news that Khan had said that Pakistan would repatriate Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the IAF pilot who had been captured after his plane went down in Pakistani territory, as a "peace gesture". Bisaria termed the release of the Indian Pilot a result of India's "coercive diplomacy" "India's coercive diplomacy had been effective, India's expectations of Pakistan and of the world had been clear, backed by a credible resolve to escalate the crisis," says the book. Prime Minister Modi would later say in a campaign speech 'Fortunately, Pakistan announced that the pilot would be sent back to India. Else, it would have been 'Qatal ki Raat', a night of bloodshed, the former Diplomat writes in his book. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday filed a prosecution complaint (charge sheet) in the Land for a job scam money laundering case. The charge sheet consists of a total of 4751 pages. ED has named Bihar's former CM Rabri Devi, her daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav, Hridyanand Chaudhary and Amit Katyal. Two firms, AB Export and AK Infosystems, have also been accused. Special CBI judge Vishal Gogne directed ED to file an e-copy of the charge sheet and documents today itself. The matter has been listed for consideration on cognizance January 16, 2024. ED's Special Public Prosecutors Manish Jain and advocate Ishan Baisla apprised the court that the Yadav family members are beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime. Katyal has been arrested and is in custody. The other accused persons have been charged without arrest. His firm was charge-sheeted in the CBI case as well. On November 23, 2023, the Rouse Avenue Court sent businessman Amit Katyal, promoter of AK Infosystems, to judicial custody. He was arrested by the ED in an alleged land-for-jobs scam case. Katyal is said to be a close aide of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Delhi High Court had refused to quash Enforcement Directorate (ED) proceedings against Amit Katyal, who is accused of engaging in transactions with the family members of former railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. Earlier the lawyers for Katyal had submitted that original FIR registered on May 18, 2022 by CBI and the period of transaction is 2004-09. ED registered ECIR on August 16, 22 in relation to this. CBI has concluded the investigation and I am cited as a protected witness. My arrest is illegal and is contrary to Section 19, Lawyer argued for Katyal. According to the ED's in March month, based on the specific intelligence inputs, searches were conducted at 24 locations at various places in Delhi NCR, Patna, Mumbai and Ranchi in the Railways Land for Job Scam, which resulted in the recovery of unaccounted cash of Rs 1 Crore, foreign currency including USD 1900, 540 grammes of gold bullion and more than 1.5 kg of gold jewellery (worth approximately Rs 1.25 crore), as well as several other incriminating documents, including various property documents, sale deeds, etc held in the names of family members and benamidaars, indicating illegal accretion of huge land bank and electronic devices. Searches resulted in detection of proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 600 crore at this point of time, which is in the form of immovable properties of Rs 350 crore and transactions of Rs 250 crore routed through various benamidaars, ED stated. According to the ED PMLA investigation conducted so far, several pieces of land at prominent locations in Patna and other areas were illegally acquired by the family of the then Rail Mantri, Lalu Prasad Yadav in lieu of jobs provided in railways. The current market value of these land parcels is more than Rs 200 crore. In this regard, several benamidars, shell entities and beneficial owners for these lands have been identified. Further, investigation under PMLA revealed that the property situated at New Friends Colony, Delhi (independent 4-storey bungalow registered in the name of M/s A B Exports Private Limited, a company owned and controlled by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and his family) was shown to have been acquired at a value of mere Rs 4 lakhs, the present market value of which is approximately Rs 150 crore. It is suspected that a huge amount of cash from crime has been infused in purchasing this property and a few Mumbai-based entities dealing in the gems and jewellery sector were used to channel the ill-gotten proceeds of crime in this regard. The property has been, on paper, declared the offices of M/s A B Exports Private Limited and M/s AK Infosystems Pvt. Ltd.; it is being exclusively used as residential premises by Tejasvi Prasad Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav. During the searches, Tejasvi Prasad Yadav was found to be staying at this house and was found to be using this house as his residential property. ED investigation has found that four parcels of land acquired by the family of Lalu Yadav for just Rs 7.5 lakhs from poor Group-D applicants were sold to Syed Abu Dojana, an ex-RJD MLA by Mrs. Rabri Devi with huge gains of Rs 3.5 crore in a collusive deal. The ED investigation further revealed that a major portion of the amount thus received was transferred to the account of Sh. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.Investigations revealed that, in a similar fashion, lands were taken from several poor parents and candidates in lieu of Group D jobs in the Railways. It has been revealed during the investigation that in many railway zones, more than 50% of recruited candidates were from Lalu Yadav families' constituencies, according to ED. (ANI)
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP-led government on Tuesday and said that the BJP government is against minorities. "This government is against minorities. Our God is PDA--Pichhade, Dalit and Alpasankhayak (Backwards, Dalit and Minority)," said Akhilesh Yadav at Lucknow. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav had been continuously saying that the BJP-led NDA would be defeated in next year's general elections by the "PDA", which he defined as "Pichde Dalit Alpasankhyak.". "Removing the BJP from Uttar Pradesh means withdrawing of BJP from the country. Defeat 80, remove the BJP, and socialist people are working on this slogan. Only PDA will compete with NDA," SP chief said. Meanwhile, amid a tussle over various decisions in the INDIA bloc, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has said that his party stands with the alliance with full responsibility and that the people of the country want to remove the BJP. "As far as the alliance is concerned, the Samajwadi Party stands with full responsibility in the alliance. We will know very soon that who should fight from where. One thing is clear that not only the people of Uttar Pradesh but the entire country wants to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party. You cannot fulfill the dream of a developed India by giving the slogan of 'developed India' and taking vehicles to every village and cutting off the share of the states' budget," he said. Hitting out the BJP's mission of doubling farmer income by 2022, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party is promoting the idea that India will become developed. The BJP said that farmer's income would double but it did not happen. SP has promised that the unemployed people of the country will get respectable employment." Expressing faith in the judiciary over the Bilkis Bano judgement, the SP Chief said, "We do not trust the BJP but we trust the court. We trust that all the people whom the government has falsely accused will get justice." The Supreme Court on Monday struck down the Gujarat government's order granting remission to 11 convicts who had gang raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan quashed the Gujarat government's remission order by which convicts were released pre-maturely. It asked all 11 convicts to surrender before jail authorities within two weeks. The bench held that the Gujarat government was not competent to pass the remission orders but the Maharashtra government. It said the appropriate government to decide the remission was the state within whose territorial limits the accused are sentenced, not where the crime is committed or the accused are imprisoned. (ANI)
The women's body also demanded a fair probe into the matter.

This came days after a video of the incident went viral on social media. A police officer was filmed thrashing a woman in his uniform, triggering an outrage among the public.

Taking to social media platform, X, NCW said that it is a violation of section 166 and section 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"NCW strongly condemns the brutal act of police official caught assaulting a woman in Surdand police station, Sitamarhi district. This violates section 166 and section 323 of the IPC. We demand immediate action and a fair investigation into this unacceptable behaviour," NCW said in the post.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
The Odisha government has urged the Centre to permanently ban the manufacturing, sale and distribution of Paraquat herbicide within Odisha, citing farmers' health and environmental concerns. In a letter to the Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Arabinda Kumar Padhee, principal secretary, agriculture and farmers' empowerment department, Government of Odisha, highlighted the potential risks of the herbicide. Speaking to ANI, he said, "We received a lot of complaints in the state about suicides due to poisoning. After getting the data from the field, we realised that one such chemical was used in the non-selective pesticide paraquat. Initially, paraquat was banned in Odisha for 90 days and now we have written to the government of India to permanently ban this chemical in Odisha." The Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology Bhubaneswar had recently reported that Paraquat and it's formulations come under highly toxic chemicals that could have potential harmful impact on human health. According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Paraquat causes direct damage when it comes into contact with the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. After paraquat enters the body, it is distributed to all areas of the body. Paraquat causes toxic chemical reactions to occur throughout many parts of the body, primarily the lungs, liver, and kidneys. In addition, the Odisha government has also decided that the sale of pesticides will be done through prescription only. A relevant official from the agriculture department, scientists, agriculture universities or research institutions will be able to prescribe the pesticides. "We wish to ensure safe and integrated usage of pesticides and we don't want to have an overload of pesticides in the environment or in the ecosystem. Odisha is one of the first few states to introduce this prescription mode of pesticide sale in the country. We want to ensure that there is no harmful impact on the lives of the farmers as well as the ecology and the environment," he said. (ANI)
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a start-up company in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son at a hotel in Goa, police said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Suchana Seth. Police said that the accused woman was caught in Karnataka's Chitradurga district while trying to flee in a cab with her son's body stuffed in a bag. "A woman asked the hotel staff to arrange a taxi for Bengaluru. After the checkout, when the hotel staff went to clean the room, they found red-colored stains which they assumed to be blood. The staff immediately informed the police," said Nidhin Valsan, Superintendent of Police, North Goa. Police further stated upon its inquiry, the woman told officials that she had left her son at a friend's place in Goa. "The police reached the hotel and tried to contact the woman through the driver. The police inquired about the woman's son to which she said that the child had been staying at a friend's place. However, the police found the address provided by the woman to be fake," the police official said. "Accordingly, the driver was asked to take the car to the police station, and on checking the luggage, the police found the body of the boy," the Superintendent of Police added. According to police, an FIR has been registered in the matter and Goa court has remanded the accused to six-day police custody. Also, the body of the minor has been shifted to a hospital for postmortem. "The body of the 4-year-old boy found has been shifted to a hospital in Aimangala. After the postmortem of the body, it will be handed over to Goa Police," said Kumar Naik, Health inspector at Hiriyur government hospital in Karnataka's Chitradurga district. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Unionized teachers and others at the Second City Training Center said Tuesday they have authorized a strike and will set up a picket line proximate to the comedy companys theaters if their employer refuses to bargain further, with the strike and pickets beginning Jan. 16. They said they will ask audiences not to cross the picket lines.

The dispute involves members of the Association of International Comedy Educators (AICE), part of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. The instructors, musical directors and corporate facilitators have been negotiating a contract with representatives of Second Citys current owner, ZMC, a New York City-based private equity investment firm, for some two years.

Weve been at this long enough, the union said Tuesday.

A Second City spokesperson has said that the company has placed its best and final offer on the table. It includes 31% more pay for our teachers and 21% more for our entire union membership over the agreements three-year term, the December statement said. Its time to move forward.

Second Citys actors and stage managers are separately represented by the Actors Equity union. Second City is in the final stages of opening a new theater complex in Brooklyn, New York.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray group has filed an application in the Supreme Court, objecting to a meeting between Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ahead of the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case. "It is highly improper for the Speaker to meet Eknath Shinde just three days before deciding the disqualification petitions filed against Shinde," the application filed by Sunil Prabhu of Thackeray camp stated. It has raised objections to Speaker Narwekar meeting Shinde at his residence on January 7. The verdict by the Speaker is scheduled to be announced on January 10. On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court extended till January 10 the time for the Speaker to pronounce verdict on disqualification petitions against MLAs including Shinde. In its application, the Thackeray faction stated that the Speaker, as the adjudicating authority under the Tenth Schedule, is "required to act fairly and impartially". It said the conduct of the Speaker must inspire confidence and justify the constitutional trust reposed in its high office. "However, the present act of the Speaker raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of the decision-making process," the application stated. "The act of the Speaker is in violation of the legal maxim and this application has been filed in view of the alarming news that the Speaker met Shinde at his official residence on January 7, three days prior to the deadline when the decision in disqualification petitions against Shinde is to be pronounced on January 10," stated the application. The application said the meeting should be brought to notice to bring it on record and pass the order. The application was filed in the petition pending before the apex court seeking expeditious disposal of disqualification petitions against the Shinde faction. Earlier, the top court had rejected the proposal of the Maharashtra Speaker that he could conclude proceedings on cross-disqualification petitions filed by Shiv Sena factions by February 29, 2024. The CJI had pointed out that the Constitution bench judgment in the Shiv Sena case was delivered in May this year and the incidents took place in July 2022. The apex court had expressed disapproval over the delay by the Speaker in deciding the disqualification petitions and said it had been asking the Speaker to decide on the matter for months. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena seeking direction to the Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The plea was filed by MLA Sunil Prabhu of Uddhav Thackeray's group of Shiv Sena. The top court had noted that a total of 34 petitions filed by both groups of Shiv Sena against each other seeking the disqualification of 56 MLAs are pending before the Speaker. The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner. The disqualification petitions against the rebel MLAs were filed by Sunil Prabhu, the Shiv Sena party Whip appointed by Uddhav Thackeray, on 23 June 2022, after the MLAs revolted against Thackeray. The notices of disqualification were issued by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal in the absence of the Speaker. On May 11, a five-judge Constitution bench had held that it could not disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly. In August 2022, the top court's three-judge bench referred to a five-judge Constitution bench for the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena about the Maharashtra political crisis. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30. After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister. (ANI)
Union Ministers are involved in the task of holding workshops. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held a media workshop in Bengaluru and Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani will hold it in Patna on Wednesday, sources said.

Workshops have been held in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Karnataka and will be held in other states.

National and state spokespersons and Lok Sabha media conveners are taking part in the media workshop.

Party sources said that the workshops will help the BJP create awareness about welfare schemes of the party-led NDA government and help party's state leaders and spokespersons to sharpen their attack on governments in states where non-BJP governments are in office.

"The idea is to maximise the party's appeal among voters," a leader said.

Lok Sabha elections are expected to be held in April-May this year. All parties have geared up their preparations for the polls. The BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been in power at the Centre for the past 10 years and the party is seeking a record third successive term in office.

The opposition INDIA bloc is also holding seat sharing talks to pose a combined challenge to BJP. (ANI)
As per the information received from the officials, the ANC Bandra Unit in a special operation on January 8, during searching of drug traffickers in Mumbai's affected area, apprehended one Nigerian national accused of conscious possession of 125 gram of Cocaine near Andheri East area.

The apprehended accused is a 31-year-old male. He revealed during the interrogation that he was selling Cocaine in Mumbai city and suburban areas.

Further in-depth investigation to trace out other crucial members is underway, said officials.

As per the information from the ANC unit, in a special day-night operation to curb drug trafficking from the society, ANC-Mumbai has put behind bars, various interstate drug trafficking syndicates which has resulted in the dismantling of multiple networks in Mumbai.

In 2023 and 2024, ANC-Mumbai has successfully seized a huge quantity of contraband costing more than Rupees 56 Crore, and 231 key drug peddlers have been arrested to this effect, out of which 17 are Nigerian nationals and 2 Tanzanian foreign nationals. (ANI)
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government over attacks on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in the state on January 5, sources said on Tuesday. The ED team was attacked in West Bengal's Sandeskh Khali after it had raided certain locations in North 24 Parganas district in connection with a ration distribution scam case. The attack on the ED team occurred when it reached near Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan's residence. He was subsequently arrested in connection with the assault. Over 200 locals, all believed to be the TMC leader's supporters, encircled the ED officials as well as the armed paramilitary forces accompanying the team when they tried to raid his residence in connection with the ration scam probe. The loyalists circled the officials and demonstrated before assaulting them and forcing them to leave the area. They attacked the officers when they tried to break the lock of the gate, which the TMC leader did not open despite multiple calls made by the ED officials. One of the officials sustained a head injury and had to be taken to the hospital. The ED officers conducted raids at 15 places in the state during the day, including Sheikh Shahjahan's residence. Sheikh Shahjahan is believed to be a close aide of Jyotipriyo Mallick, who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore ration distribution scam. In respect of three premises of Sahajahan Sheikh Convenor of TMC Sandesh Khali, North 24 Parganas, the ED has said that as soon as the search team arrived at two premises, in respect of one premises i.e residence of Sahajahan Sheikh, the door was locked from inside and he refused to open the door. "As officers with the assistance of CRPF Personnel were trying to get the door opened even by trying to contact the concerned person. His mobile location at that time indicated that he was inside this house," ED said. "Thereafter, the ED team was taken by surprise that within half an hour, the crowd of around 800-1000 persons marching towards them with weapons in their hands such as lathis, stones, bricks etc. and gheraoed the ED officials and CRPF personnel," the ED has said in a statement. Suddenly, the agency said that the crowd started attacking the ED officials and CRPF personnel and started pelting stones and bricks at them and attacked the officers as well as CRPF personnel (27 in number in two premises) with stones, lathis and hands (using physical force) and also raising and shouting slogans against the ED officers and the Central Government. "The ED officials while discharging their duties were badly attacked by crowds (suspected to be instigated by Sahajahan Sheikh and his associates). Three officers suffered grievous injuries as the mob marched towards the ED officials intending to cause death. They are being treated at the hospital. Other officers had to escape from the place of the incident without searching to save their lives as the mob became very violent and even chased the officials to deter the officials from performing their official duty," the statement added. The mob also snatched the personal and official belongings of the ED officials such as their mobile phones, laptops, cash and wallets, said the ED, adding, "A requisite complaint has been made to jurisdictional Police for registration of FIR and necessary action against culprits." (ANI)
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone Anand Jain conducted a comprehensive inspection of two prominent police stations, Vijaypur and Ramgarh, in the Samba district on Tuesday. The purpose of the inspection was to assess and review various aspects of the Police stations, including the functioning of the Woman Help Desk, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), reporting systems, accommodation for jawans, and an overall analysis of crime statistics. ADGP Jammu Zone Anand Jain was accompanied by DIG JKS Range Shakti Pathak, and SSP Samba, Benam Tosh. During the inspection, Anand Jain meticulously examined the operations of the Woman Help Desk at both police stations, commended the efforts of the police personnel manning these desks and emphasised the importance of maintaining a sensitive and responsive approach towards addressing the concerns of women in distress. Furthermore, the inspection included a thorough evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). He highlighted the significance of leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency of crime tracking and data management. Any identified areas for improvement will be addressed promptly to ensure the seamless integration and utilisation of modern technology in policing. As accommodation for jawans, the backbone of law enforcement, was also a focal point of the inspection, ADGP assessed the living conditions and facilities provided to police personnel, acknowledging the importance of a conducive and secure environment for the well-being of those dedicated to ensuring public safety. Crime statistics were thoroughly reviewed, and the inspection underscored the commitment of the police force to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service. He expressed appreciation for the dedication and hard work exhibited by the police personnel at both stations and encouraged continuous efforts to enhance community safety. Moreover, Anand Jain inspected the SDPO Office Vijaypur to assess the overall functioning, efficiency, and adherence to protocols at the SDPO Office. He directed for speedy redressal of the public grievances and complaints and prompt Police action in case of any untoward incident or any kind of emergency. He asked the officers regarding the deployment and operations in their areas of responsibility. (ANI)
A total of 36 kg turtle calipee was recovered from the apprehended accused of whom one is a woman smuggler identified as Rajendri while the accused man has been identified as Jagdish.

As per the received information, the two accused have been involved in this crime previously as well.

"A tipoff was received according to which smugglers were carrying turtle calipee in three bags from Etawah railway station to Howrah via Jodhpur-Howrah train. They have been apprehended and are being interrogated," said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Atulkant Shukla.

The DFO termed the crime as a very wrongful act and said that strict action will be taken against the apprehended accused. (ANI)
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed attended a programme in the Fujian Province of China on Monday. Moreover, a welcoming banquet was organised to honour the Maldivian President and the First Lady. Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, Zhou Zuyi, and Governor of Fujian Province, Zhao Long, along with other provincial leaders and senior officials from well-known Chinese companies, extended courtesy calls to the President. Additionally, several cabinet ministers, including the honourable Minister of Defense Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon were also part of the President' delegation. "Today's program for President H.E. @MMuizzu and First Lady Madam Sajidha's State Visit to the People's Republic of China took place in Fujian Province. Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, H.E. Mr. Zhou Zuyi, Governor of Fujian Province, H.E. Mr. Zhao Long, along with other provincial leaders and senior officials from renowned Chinese companies, paid courtesy calls on the President. Additionally, a welcoming banquet was organized to honor the President and the First Lady. Several cabinet ministers, including the honourable Minister of Defense, @mgmaumoon, are part of the President's delegation," Maldivian Ministry of Defence posted on X. https://x.com/MoDmv/status/1744392990419038594?s=20 Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed on Monday arrived in China on a five-day State visit. Chinese officials greeted them upon their arrival at the airport in Fujian. Muizzu and his wife are on a state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the first bilateral visit since assuming office on December 17 last year. In a post shared on X, Maldives President's Office stated, "H.E. President Dr @MMuizzu and H.E. First Lady Sajidha Mohamed have arrived in Xiamen, in China's Fujian province, today on a state visit to China. This visit is at the invitation of the President of China, H.E. Xi Jinping." During Muizzu's visit, the Maldives and China will hold official talks and sign key agreements to enhance trade, professional development, and socio-economic cooperation. Muizzu will also attend the Invest Maldives Forum in Fuzhou and meet senior Chinese business leaders. In a statement the Maldives President's Office stated, "The visit aims to pave the way for technological and other collaborations between the two countries." A high-level delegation is accompanying the Maldives President and the First Lady. The Maldives President's Office stated, "Additionally, the President will meet with senior Chinese government officials, attend the Invest Maldives Forum, and have meetings with senior Chinese business leaders to explore avenues of mutual collaboration in investments and trade between the Maldives and China." (ANI)
Emphasizing the need for accountability and swift action in response to the disrespectful comments made by senior officials against Indian PM Modi, Mickail Naseem, Member of Parliament from Maldives has called on the Parliament to summon the foreign minister for the inaction and lack of urgency shown by the Maldives government. The Parliamentarian has also formally requested the parliamentary committee to summon the implicated officials for questioning. "Have formally requested the Parliament to summon the Foreign Minister for questioning following the inaction & lack of urgency shown by GoM regarding derogatory remarks against PM Modi by its senior officials. Request also sent to summon said officials to parliamentary committee," the MP of Galolhu Dhekunu posted on X. https://x.com/MickailNaseem/status/1744358013194949108?s=20 A massive uproar erupted after a Maldivian deputy minister, along with other cabinet members and government officials, made disparaging and unsavoury references to PM Modi's recent visit to Lakshadweep. On January 2, PM Modi visited the Union Territory of Lakshadweep and shared several pictures, including an 'exhilarating experience' of him trying his hand at snorkelling. In a series of posts on X, PM Modi shared pictures of the white beaches, the pristine blue skies and the ocean and tagged them with a message that read, "For those who wish to embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list." In a post that has now been deleted, the Maldivian Deputy Minister of Youth Empowerment, Shiuna, made a mocking and disrespectful reference to PM Modi over his visit to the Indian island cluster. Her post even featured images of PM Modi from his visit to Lakshadweep. On Sunday, former Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih condemned the use of 'hateful language' against India by government officials on social media, saying New Delhi has always been a good friend to the island nation. Taking to his official handle on social media platform X, Solih posted, "I condemn the use of hateful language against India by Maldivian government officials on social media." (ANI)
Underscoring the challenges in China-India relations, both nations expressed hoped to effectively manage differences and sensitive issues during the 28th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs. Both nations reiterated the need to properly manage and resolve specific issues, rather than allowing them to define India-China's bilateral relations. "We hope to properly manage and handle differences and sensitive issues. Many of the problems in China-India relations are left over from history and will take time to resolve," a report on the China-India review published by the Chinese embassy in India stated. The 28th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs was held on November 30 last year. It was co-chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Hong Liang and the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Gourangalal Das. The statement further emphasised that both countries need to develop the overall situation of friendly cooperation. "We need to consolidate and develop the overall situation of friendly cooperation between our two countries and properly manage and resolve specific issues in this process, rather than allowing specific issues to define our bilateral relations, so as to promote a more mature and stable relationship between our two countries," the statement added. Moreover, the two sides fully affirmed the positive progress made in negotiations on the China-India border situation and had comprehensive, in-depth and constructive discussions on the current China-India border-related issues. Both countries have gone beyond their bilateral scope and acquired global and strategic significance. Moreover, the two sides "maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels to move the border situation from emergency response to normalised management and control." Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS Summit and had a conversation during the BRICS Summit. Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the 18th G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi in September. "The two sides maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels to move the border situation from emergency response to normalised management and control," the statement said. Highlighting that India and China are eternal neighbours who need to accurately understand each other's strategic intentions, both nations hoped to "firmly stick to the correct direction of China-India relations." Moreover, India and China need to support and contribute to each other's success instead of undermining and doubting each other. "We need to jointly oppose zero-sum games and keep our region away from geopolitical calculations. China and India have the ability and wisdom to find a way for friendly coexistence between neighbouring major countries and jointly create the 'Asian Century,'" it said. According to the statement, India and China hope to accelerate the resumption of practical cooperation and deepen it. Further emphasising China's second centenary goal and India's "Amrit Kaal" development goal, it said that these are the biggest strategic objectives for the two countries, respectively. "China-India economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win in nature and an important booster for Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat," the statement highlighted. "We need to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for each other's enterprises promote bilateral trade facilitation, maintain contacts and exchanges in youth, culture, education, tourism and other fields, work for an early resumption of passenger flights, and continue to enhance mutual understanding and people-to-people bonds," it added. Moreover, the two sides fully affirmed the positive progress made in negotiations on the China-India border situation and had comprehensive, in-depth and constructive discussions on the current China-India border-related issues. (ANI)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today honoured the six winners of the inaugural edition of the 'Great Arab Minds' Awards during a ceremony held at the Museum of the Future in Dubai. Congratulating the winners, he said that the brightest Arab minds have earned the respect of the world through their contributions in terms of advancing knowledge, research, creativity, and innovation, all of which, along with their numerous inventions, have greatly enriched human life. He added that distinguished Arab scientists and scholars stand as a source of pride for Arab societies while being role models for future generations and invaluable assets for the region by making a positive difference in the lives of people everywhere. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also announced the launch of a permanent research centre within the Museum of the Future to support the scientific journey undertaken by great Arab minds. He highlighted the critical role of knowledge as the path leading to modernity and civilisation itself, with scholars and scientists acting as the driving force and the government providing the support critical to the success of their efforts by earmarking necessary resources. "We eagerly anticipate the future every time we witness the generation's passion for knowledge and scientists," he said. The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister for Financial and Economic Affairs; Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Inc; Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of the Dubai Council. Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Committee leading Great Arab Minds, also attended the ceremony, in addition to senior officials, experts and thought leaders from across the Arab world. The winners who were feted at the glittering awards ceremony at the Museum of the Future include Saudi cardiac surgeon Dr Hani Najm (Medicine); Lebanese engineer and academic Prof Fadel Adib (Engineering and Technology); Egyptian-American economist Dr Mohamed El-Erian (Economics); Lebanese scientist and academic Prof Niveen Khashab (Natural Sciences); Lebanese architect and academic Prof Lina Ghotmeh (Architecture and Design); and Algerian writer and academic Prof Waciny Laredj (Literature and Arts). Al Gergawi said the Arab Great Minds Awards have come to represent the Arab version of the Nobel Prize thanks to the unwavering support of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and the intense effort to identify the brightest Arab minds across diverse spheres, highlighting their achievements and contributions on the global stage.The initiative's mission is to showcase exceptional talents among Arab scientists, thinkers, and innovators across key fields with the ultimate aim of recognising, supporting and acknowledging them, amplifying their impact and inspiring future generations. The initiative also features the 'Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Great Arab Minds', which will be awarded to six winners in distinct categories each year. The Great Arab Minds initiative aims to ensure due recognition for Arab thought leaders, geniuses, scholars, and scientists, transforming their ideas into real-life breakthroughs and transformational solutions. It also endeavours to empower the collective wisdom of Arab scientists and thinkers and foster a network of exceptional Arab talents in various fields to work as one team to drive the Arab world's intellectual renaissance. (ANI/WAM)
LAS VEGAS  A Nevada judge set bail Tuesday at $750,000 for a former Los Angeles-area gang leader charged with orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur in 1996, saying he can serve house arrest with electronic monitoring ahead of trial on a murder charge.

Court-appointed attorneys for Duane Keffe D Davis told The Associated Press after the judges decision that they believe Davis can post that amount. They had asked for bail of not more than $100,000 and noted for the judge that the demands of preparing a defense based on two decades of evidence may require a postponement of the current June trial date.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters that he expects Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny will hold a source hearing to determine whether money posted for bail is legally obtained. The judge did not set a new trial date but called for a status check Feb. 20.

Prosecutors Binu Palal and Marc DiGiacomo argued Tuesday that Davis has never left gang life, that his 15 years of admissions about his role in Shakurs killing show he is guilty of murder, and that a jailhouse phone call in October suggested he poses a threat to witnesses.

There is one constant, Palal told the judge. Mr. Davis has consistently admitted to being architect of the murder.

DiGiacomo called Davis a very, very high danger to the community.

The judge, in her ruling, acknowledged that Davis made a living talking about his past life as a leader of the South Side Crips, a street gang in his hometown of Compton, California, and also the killing of Mr. Shakur in graphic detail.

Arroyo and co-counsel Charles Cano argued that police and prosecutors could have arrested Davis 15 years ago but didnt, and that the prosecutors were wrong with their interpretation of the jail telephone call and a list of names provided to Davis family. The defense lawyers said it is Davis and his family who are at risk.

Arroyo and Cano said their 60-year-old client is in poor health after battling cancer, which is in remission, and said he would not flee to avoid trial.

They also downplayed evidence against Davis as the product of tales told by witnesses with gang backgrounds that make them not credible, and noted the prosecution lacks evidence, including the gun and the car involved in the September 1996 drive-by shooting that killed Shakur.

Arroyo focused Tuesday on what he called the obvious question dating to 2008 and 2009  when Davis talked with police in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He went on to write a 2019 tell-all memoir and began giving interviews on social media in which he described his role as gang leader and shot-caller in Shakurs death.

If his guilt is so overwhelming, whats been happening for 15 years? Arroyo asked in court Tuesday. Why did we wait 15 years to make the arrest?

Davis was arrested Sept. 29 outside his home in suburban Henderson, which Las Vegas police had searched in mid-July. He pleaded not guilty in November to first-degree murder and has been jailed without bail at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, where detainees phone calls are routinely recorded. If convicted at trial, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Arroyo argued Tuesday that his clients accounts in the YouTube world accentuated violence to attract viewers and make money.

Conflict sells, Arroyo said. They get on these interviews, they puff out their chest. Theyre trying to get clicks.

Prosecutors say Davis own words are strong evidence that he is responsible for the crime, even if he didnt pull the trigger. DiGiacomo said other people who have described Davis role in other media interviews, and to police, corroborate his accounts.

Davis is the only person still alive who was in the car from which shots were fired, mortally wounding Shakur and wounding rap mogul Marion Suge Knight. Knight is serving 28 years in a California prison for an unrelated fatal shooting in the Los Angeles area in 2015.

Davis attorneys noted that Knight is an eyewitness to the Shakur shooting but did not testify before the grand jury that indicted their client.

Davis maintains he was given immunity from prosecution in 2008 by an FBI and Los Angeles police task force investigating the killings of Shakur in Las Vegas and rival rapper Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, six months later in Los Angeles.

DiGiacomo and Palal say any immunity agreement was limited. Last week, they submitted to the court an audio recording of a December 2008 task force interview during which they said Davis was told that what he said in the room would not be used against him, but that if he talked to other people he could be in legal jeopardy.

Davis attorneys responded with a reference to the publication 12 years ago of a book written by former Los Angeles police Detective Greg Kading, who attended those interviews.

Duane is not worried, the attorneys said, because his alleged involvement in the death of Shakur has been out in the public since  2011.
Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi arrived in Gujarat on Tuesday to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel received Nyusi at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. In a post shared on X, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "A warm welcome to President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit. CM @Bhupendrapbjp of Gujarat received President Nyusi at the airport." Later in the day, Filipe Nyusi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for a two-day visit to inaugurate the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 at Gujarat's Mahatma Mandir. The theme of the summit, held from January 10 to 12, is 'Gateway to the Future' to celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". Several world leaders, including UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Upon arrival in Gujarat, PM Modi in a post shared on X stated, "Landed in Ahmedabad a short while ago. Over the next two days, will be taking part in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and related programmes. It is a matter of immense joy that various world leaders will be joining us during this summit. The coming of my brother, Mohamed Bin Zayed, is very special. I have a very close association with the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and I am glad to see how this platform has contributed to Gujarat's growth and created opportunities for several people." The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from January 10-12 in Gandhinagar. There are 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's Summit. Further, the Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region will utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions. The Summit will host various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability. In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies will display products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show. (ANI)
Recalling the 2001 Agra Summit, former diplomat Ajay Bisaria said that the then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's overreach in terms of publicly broadcasting hawkish positions on Kashmir--and his insistence on a formulation linking progress on all issues with progress on Kashmir--had led to the unravelling of the summit. On the second day of the historic summit between India and Pakistan in July 2001, Musharraf had met with editors of major newspapers and TV networks for a breakfast conversation, in which he let loose his hawkish position on Kashmir and equated terrorists with freedom fighters, Bisaria recounted in 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan'. The former Indian envoy to Pakistan said that he was then tasked with informing then Prime Minister Atal Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was in in conversation with Musharraf oblivious to everything happening outside the meeting room. Bisaria said he informed Vajpayee about Musharraf's interview with newspapers and the footage of it being played on television. Speaking with ANI, Bisaria recalled that after he left the room, Vajpayee had said in Hindi, "General Sahab ye aapne kya kiya.' The former diplomat noted that the summit went downhill after that moment. Bisaria also said the then Home Minister L K Advani was "quite aware of the slant in the media reporting, making him the villain of the piece." "The simplistic narrative emerging from the meetings, fuelled by Pakistani leaks, was that while Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh were for an understanding and OK with Pakistan's convoluted draft of the Agra joint statement (linking progress in bilateral ties to forward movement on the Kashmir issue), Advani the hawk had vetoed it since he did not want any progress with Pakistan." Recalling the meeting and the events that took place before the meeting, Bisaria said, "So, if you remember the morning, that particular morning, it was an interview, a breakfast meeting that Musharraf did with about 35 editors and senior editors of newspapers and NDTV released that footage and it was playing out on television while the Prime Minister was sitting and talking to Musharraf and wasn't aware of this. So Brajesh Mishra Principal Secretary to the PM, then he asked me to go in and inform the Prime Minister, so he jotted down some things and I had them typed up, I wrote a few things describing and basically saying that it's playing out on television." "Musharraf has said such things about Kashmir, such things about terrorism and I went in and walked into the room. The two leaders stopped their conversation, looked at me and I told the Prime Minister there is something important. He looked at the paper and I walked out. After that, he looked at the paper and said 'General Sahab ye aapne kya kiya' and he said words to the effect that this had spoiled the atmospherics and because of that from that point onwards the summit went downhill," he added. Stressing that the Agra Summit was not a complete failure, Bisaria said that the two leaders were able to get a better understanding of each other during their meeting in Agra. The diplomat also spoke about Vajpayee's visit to Islamabad in 2004 when he signed a peace document that guaranteed that Pakistan would not use terror against India. Explaining the bright side of the summit between Vajpayee and Musharraf, Bisaria said, "I make that argument that it was part of Vajpayee's journey to Islamabad in 2004 when he signed an actual peace document, a document which guaranteed that Pakistan would not use terror against India. But to get to that space he needed to understand the mind of the dictator." "So it was a process that Agra helped in Vajpayee understanding Musharraf better and it possibly helped Musharraf understand India better. That he had a simplistic view that he would go and get a deal on Kashmir and come back that it wasn't so simple. So I think Agra was a great tutorial for both the leaders to understand each other better," Bisaria said. He said that Musharraf's overreach on Kashmir prevented an outcome of a good document after the Agra Summit. He emphasised that Musharraf wanted to link everything with Kashmir and not allow too much of a reference to terrorism in the drafts. He noted that the summit failed as the positions of India and Pakistan were different. Asked about his different view regarding the Agra summit which some termed a failure, Bisaria stated, "I think the narrative part of it was promoted by Pakistan and by Musharraf himself in his book which said there were certain hawks in India and he named also Mr Advani who were preventing an outcome of a good document that was coming out of Agra. But the facts are different. The fact is that what was responsible was Musharraf overreach on Kashmir. He wanted to link every development in the document with movement on Kashmir." "He wanted to link progress on everything with Kashmir. He wanted didn't allow too much of a reference to terrorism in the drafts that were being discussed and therefore the summit failed because there was too much of a gap between Pakistan's position and India's position. So Mr Advani and the entire CCS, the Cabinet Committee on Security members were present in Agra and all of them had a fairly consensual view on this, that this is not something we should allow. We should not let him get away with it, so that was the reason for the failure and not personalities." Asked about the title of his book, Bisaria termed it a "playful title" and added that anger has been an important motive in the ties between India and Pakistan over the last 75 years. He said that there is a lot of anger over partition, war and India's anger over Pakistan's perfidy. "There has been anger over terrorism, so there is a lot of anger, real justified, unjustified, .... in the relationship and in terms of policy, there has been a lot of conversation around management that the argument is that you cannot resolve this issue peacefully and permanently but you can manage it in different ways and through diplomacy and through other means," he said. "So, I think the whole idea was to juxtapose these two ideas and call it anger management. So it shouldn't be taken too literally by asking whose anger and whose anger is more whose anger is less," Bisaria said. (ANI)
Recalling the 2001 Agra Summit, Ambassador Ajay Bisaria said that the then Pakistan President Prevez Musharraf's overreach in terms of publicly broadcasting hawkish positions on Kashmir--and his insistence on a formulation linking progress on all issues with progress on Kashmir--had led to the unravelling of the summit. On the second day of the historic summit between India and Pakistan in July 2001, Musharraf had met with editors of major newspapers and TV networks for a breakfast conversation, in which he let loose his hawkish position on Kashmir and equated terrorists with freedom fighters, Bisaria recounted in 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan'. The former Indian envoy to Pakistan said that he was then tasked with informing then Prime Minister Atal Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was in in conversation with Musharraf oblivious to everything happening outside the meeting room. Bisaria said he informed Vajpayee about Musharraf's interview with newspapers and the footage of it being played on television. Speaking with ANI, Bisaria recalled that after he left the room, Vajpayee had said in Hindi, "General Sahab ye aapne kya kiya.' The former diplomat noted that the summit went downhill after that moment. Bisaria also said the then Home Minister L K Advani was "quite aware of the slant in the media reporting, making him the villain of the piece." "The simplistic narrative emerging from the meetings, fuelled by Pakistani leaks, was that while Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh were for an understanding and OK with Pakistan's convoluted draft of the Agra joint statement (linking progress in bilateral ties to forward movement on the Kashmir issue), Advani the hawk had vetoed it since he did not want any progress with Pakistan." Recalling the meeting and the events that took place before the meeting, Bisaria said, "So, if you remember the morning, that particular morning, it was an interview, a breakfast meeting that Musharraf did with about 35 editors and senior editors of newspapers and NDTV released that footage and it was playing out on television while the Prime Minister was sitting and talking to Musharraf and wasn't aware of this. So Brajesh Mishra Principal Secretary to the PM, then he asked me to go in and inform the Prime Minister, so he jotted down some things and I had them typed up, I wrote a few things describing and basically saying that it's playing out on television." "Musharraf has said such things about Kashmir, such things about terrorism and I went in and walked into the room. The two leaders stopped their conversation, looked at me and I told the Prime Minister there is something important. He looked at the paper and I walked out. After that, he looked at the paper and said 'General Sahab ye aapne kya kiya' and he said words to the effect that this had spoiled the atmospherics and because of that from that point onwards the summit went downhill," he added. Stressing that the Agra Summit was not a complete failure, Bisaria said that the two leaders were able to get a better understanding of each other during their meeting in Agra. The diplomat also spoke about Vajpayee's visit to Islamabad in 2004 when he signed a peace document that guaranteed that Pakistan would not use terror against India. Explaining the bright side of the summit between Vajpayee and Musharraf, Bisaria said, "I make that argument that it was part of Vajpayee's journey to Islamabad in 2004 when he signed an actual peace document, a document which guaranteed that Pakistan would not use terror against India. But to get to that space he needed to understand the mind of the dictator." "So it was a process that Agra helped in Vajpayee understanding Musharraf better and it possibly helped Musharraf understand India better. That he had a simplistic view that he would go and get a deal on Kashmir and come back that it wasn't so simple. So I think Agra was a great tutorial for both the leaders to understand each other better," Bisaria said. He said that Musharraf's overreach on Kashmir prevented an outcome of a good document after the Agra Summit. He emphasised that Musharraf wanted to link everything with Kashmir and not allow too much of a reference to terrorism in the drafts. He noted that the summit failed as the positions of India and Pakistan were different. Asked about his different view regarding the Agra summit which some termed a failure, Bisaria stated, "I think the narrative part of it was promoted by Pakistan and by Musharraf himself in his book which said there were certain hawks in India and he named also Mr Advani who were preventing an outcome of a good document that was coming out of Agra. But the facts are different. The fact is that what was responsible was Musharraf overreach on Kashmir. He wanted to link every development in the document with movement on Kashmir." "He wanted to link progress on everything with Kashmir. He wanted didn't allow too much of a reference to terrorism in the drafts that were being discussed and therefore the summit failed because there was too much of a gap between Pakistan's position and India's position. So Mr Advani and the entire CCS, the Cabinet Committee on Security members were present in Agra and all of them had a fairly consensual view on this, that this is not something we should allow. We should not let him get away with it, so that was the reason for the failure and not personalities." Asked about the title of his book, Bisaria termed it a "playful title" and added that anger has been an important motive in the ties between India and Pakistan over the last 75 years. He said that there is a lot of anger over partition, war and India's anger over Pakistan's perfidy. "There has been anger over terrorism, so there is a lot of anger, real justified, unjustified, .... in the relationship and in terms of policy, there has been a lot of conversation around management that the argument is that you cannot resolve this issue peacefully and permanently but you can manage it in different ways and through diplomacy and through other means," he said. "So, I think the whole idea was to juxtapose these two ideas and call it anger management. So it shouldn't be taken too literally by asking whose anger and whose anger is more whose anger is less," Bisaria said. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a "fruitful meeting" with President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. The encounter, marked by warm exchanges and a shared commitment to collaboration, underscored the deepening bond between "Delhi and Dili!" Office of the Prime Minister of India took to X to share insights into the discussions, stating, "Deepening the bond between Delhi and Dili! PM @narendramodi and President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste had a fruitful meeting in Gandhinagar. Bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including development partnerships in energy, IT, FinTech, health and capacity building, was discussed." The focal points of the meeting spanned a wide array of sectors. Development partnerships took centre stage, with both leaders expressing a mutual interest in fostering growth and progress in key areas. Notably, discussions revolved around energy, IT, FinTech, health, and capacity building, showcasing a commitment to shared advancements in these domains. PM Modi noted that his meeting with Jose Ramos-Horta in Mahatma Mandir was even more special considering Mahatma Gandhi's influence on Horta's life and work. Taking to X, PM Modi stated, "Had an excellent meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste. The fact that our meeting is taking place in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, makes this meeting even more special considering Gandhi Ji's influence on President Horta's life and work. We discussed ways to further bilateral and cultural ties between our nations." During the meeting, PM Modi congratulated Jose Ramos-Horta for Timor-Leste's upcoming membership of ASEAN, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. He invited Timor-Leste to join the International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. In a post shared on X, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "Furthering the Delhi-Dili connect! PM @narendramodi held a productive meeting with President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste in Gandhinagar. Discussions covered bilateral cooperation in various fields including development partnership in health, traditional medicine, energy, IT, fintech, capacity building among others." "PM congratulated President Horta for Timor-Leste's upcoming membership of ASEAN. PM invited Timor-Leste to join International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure," he added. External Affairs S Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were also present during the meeting. Timor-Leste President had arrived in Gujarat on Monday to attend the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel welcomed him at the airport. Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that it is the first Head of State level visit between India and Timor-Leste. Notably, India was one of the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Timor-Leste. In a post shared on X, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "President @JoseRamosHorta1 of Timor-Leste welcomed by CM @Bhupendrapbjp of Gujarat as he arrives in Ahmedabad for the 10th @VibrantGujarat Summit. This is the first Head of State level visit between the two countries, marking a significant milestone in bilateral partnership." India and Timor-Leste established diplomatic relations in January 2003 and at the ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta on September 7, 2023, Prime Minister announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili the capital of Timor-Leste. The decision is a reflection of the importance India attaches to ASEAN, and its relations with Timor Leste. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. This 10th Edition of the Summit will celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". There are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations for this year's Summit. (ANI)
Attal will also be the first openly gay man to serve as the country's second-most powerful politician.

Gabriel has served as France's Minister of Education and National Youth since July, 2023. During his tenure, he enacted a controversial ban on the wearing of the Abaya in French public schools and has worked on raising awareness of bullying in schools.

Following the announcement, Macron said in a post on X, "I know I can count on your energy and your commitment."

Before leading the Education Ministry, Attal served as the government spokesman and then as minister of public works and public accounts.

He replaces Elisabeth Borne, who resigned from her post on Monday after a tumultuous 20-month tenure marked by an unpopular decision to raise the retirement age and urban riots over the summer after police shot and killed a teenage boy of Algerian descent, as per CNN.

Her departure was unsurprising, as it came ahead of a long-anticipated cabinet reshuffle. (ANI)
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, during his ongoing five-day state visit to China, urged China to "intensify" efforts to send more tourists to the Maldives. The appeal comes in the wake of a diplomatic spat leading to the cancellation of reservations by Indian tourists for Maldives as derogatory remarks were made by Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the Maldives Business Forum in Fujian Province on the second day of his visit, President Muizzu described China as the island nation's "closest" ally, emphasising the longstanding partnership between the two nations. "China remains one of our closest allies and development partners," he remarked, underlining the significance of the bilateral relationship. President Muizzu lauded the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014, noting that they "delivered the most significant infrastructure projects witnessed in Maldivian history," according to a handout of his speech. "China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position, as per his speech. However, the president also expressed concerns over the recent decline in Chinese tourism to the Maldives, urging China to enhance efforts to regain its status as the Maldives' primary tourist market. "China was our (Maldives') number one market pre-Covid, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said. Maldivian media reported that during President Muizzu's visit, the two countries signed a USD 50 million project aimed at developing an integrated tourism zone in the Indian Ocean island. The appeal for more Chinese tourists follows a diplomatic row initiated by derogatory remarks from some Maldivian ministers against Prime Minister Modi, prompting the suspension of three deputy ministers and condemnation from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI). The data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier, stated that India has remained the largest tourist market for the country in 2023. Media reports cited data released by the Maldives Tourism Ministry earlier stating highest number of visitors to the Maldives were from India, with 2,09,198 arrivals, followed by Russia in second place with 2,09,146 arrivals, and China in third place with 1,87,118 arrivals. Even in 2022, India remained the top Maldives tourism market, with as many as 2,40,000 arrivals. Russia followed closely in second place with 198,000 tourists, and Britain ranked third with over 1,77,000 arrivals. "While we do all this, we will continue to strengthen and drive the economic industry and boost visitor numbers. The Government has plans to diversify the tourism product and offer new experiences. Initiatives include a top-tier school of hospitality and exploring sports, medical and cultural tourism. China was our number one market pre-COVID, and it is my request that we intensify efforts for China to regain this position," he said in his speech. Regarded as a pro-China politician in the Maldives, Muizzu told the Investors Forum that his government is focused on diversifying Maldives' economic base and ensuring economic security while continuing to strengthen and drive the tourism industry and boost visitor numbers. The Maldives President also said that his administration is committed to the quick implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with China, describing it as a symbol of the close commercial ties between the two countries. "The Free Trade Agreement signed between our countries stands as a symbol of the close commercial ties between China and Maldives. I am told that it is the first comprehensive FTA between China and a South Asian country. The FTA's aim to boost bilateral trade and investments, especially increasing our export of fish products to China is a key priority for us through the FTA. My government is committed to ensure quick implementation of the agreement," he said in his address. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his heartfelt congratulations to People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the party chief Tshering Tobgay for their triumph in the parliamentary elections in Bhutan. The Prime Minister said in a post on X, "Heartiest congratulations to my friend @tsheringtobgay and the People's Democratic Party for winning the parliamentary elections in Bhutan. Look forward to working together again to further strengthen our unique ties of friendship and cooperation." Bhutan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) won the largest number of seats in the parliamentary elections and is poised to form the new government, Al Jazeera reported citing local media reports. According to the latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, PDP won 30 out of the 47 National Assembly seats and Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats. This was Bhutan's fourth general election since transitioning from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government 15 years back. The Election Commission of Bhutan is expected to make its final declaration on Wednesday.The election campaigns focused on economic growth and opportunity, despite the country's use of a "Gross National Happiness" index in place of gross domestic product (GDP), Al Jazeera reported. The report said that both parties in the election are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy of a government that measures its success by the "happiness and wellbeing of the people". Tshering Tobgay, who leads People's Democratic Party (PDP), is expected to become prime minister for the second time. He was the leader of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 2008, soon after the start of the reign of the present king. He has sounded the alarm about Bhutan's "unprecedented economic challenges and mass exodus", Al Jazeera reported, adding that PDP manifesto cited government statistics showing that one in every eight people were "struggling to meet their basic needs for food" and other necessities. Approximately half a million voters selected the members of parliament from a pool of 94 candidates presented by the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and the PDP. A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the governing centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa party, the report said. Nestled between China and India, the majority-Buddhist nation ushered in democracy with its first free vote in 2008, two years after former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated in favour of his Oxford-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. (ANI)
Bhutan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) won the largest number of seats in the parliamentary elections and is poised to form the new government, Al Jazeera reported citing local media reports. According to the latest figures from the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, PDP won 30 out of the 47 National Assembly seats and Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats. This was Bhutan's fourth general election since transitioning from a traditional monarchy to a parliamentary form of government 15 years back. The Election Commission of Bhutan is expected to make its final declaration on Wednesday. The election campaigns focused on economic growth and opportunity, despite the country's use of a "Gross National Happiness" index in place of gross domestic product (GDP), Al Jazeera reported. The report said that both parties in the election are committed to a constitutionally enshrined philosophy of a government that measures its success by the "happiness and wellbeing of the people". Tshering Tobgay, who leads People's Democratic Party (PDP), is expected to become prime minister for the second time. He was the leader of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 2008, soon after the start of the reign of the present king. He has sounded the alarm about Bhutan's "unprecedented economic challenges and mass exodus", Al Jazeera reported, adding that PDP manifesto cited government statistics showing that one in every eight people were "struggling to meet their basic needs for food" and other necessities. Approximately half a million voters selected the members of parliament from a pool of 94 candidates presented by the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) and the PDP. A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the governing centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa party, the report said. Nestled between China and India, the majority-Buddhist nation ushered in democracy with its first free vote in 2008, two years after former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated in favour of his Oxford-educated son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. (ANI)
In a testament to the global appeal of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, Jose Ramos-Horta, the President of Timor-Leste, expressed his admiration for the event, stating, "I am very marvelled by everything that I see." The summit, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, has drawn leaders from various nations, fostering discussions on economic collaboration and development. President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique also shared insights on the discussions held during the summit, highlighting the multifaceted nature of the talks. "We discussed a lot of things together, not only agriculture but power. We have a lot of Indian companies in Mozambique," he stated. President Nyusi emphasised the potential for collaboration in sectors beyond agriculture, including power, fishing, and tourism, showcasing the depth of engagement between India and Mozambique. The South Korean ambassador, Chang Jae-bok, commended Gujarat's vibrancy and expressed anticipation for the summit. "Gujarat is a very vibrant state. So, this Vibrant Gujarat Summit is a much-awaited event," he remarked. "Two years ago, it was scheduled to hold but unfortunately, it was cancelled because of the COVID pandemic. But this year, with the full strength of the participation from many foreign countries, will be a great success this time... There will be good cooperation between India and Korea in the sector of future technologies, like green hydrogen and some biotech industries. So we are looking forward to the events," The South Korean ambassador added. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of Modi when he was the state chief minister. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from 10 to 12 January 2024 in Gandhinagar. Its theme is 'Gateway to the Future'. This Tenth Edition of the Summit will celebrate "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success". There are 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations for this year's Summit. The Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region will also utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the North-Eastern regions. The Summit will have various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability. In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, companies have displayed products made from world class state of the art technology. E-mobility, Start-ups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy & Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show. (ANI)
Indian warship, INS Kabra, an indigenous fast attack craft, docked at the Colombo port on Monday, in a move aimed at fostering bilateral ties between the two countries. The warship was accorded a warm welcome by the Sri Lankan Navy as it arrived in the island nation, the Indian Navy said in an official press release. During the port call, the Commanding Officer, INS Kabra called on the Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral TSK Perera. The Navy informed through a statement, "In a presentation ceremony, essential spares and stores meant for the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force were handed over by the ship. The visit further strengthens the bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two Navies in keeping with the Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR." Taking to its official X handle, the Indian Navy posted, "#INSKabra, the indigenous Fast Attack Craft, arrived #Colombo, #08Jan 24 The ship was accorded warm welcome by @srilanka_navy Handed over essential spares for #SriLankaNavy & @airforcelk The visit further strengthens #maritimecooperation b/n both the navies India and Sri Lanka @IndiainSL." Last year, in October, India participated in the 23rd Council of Ministers (COM) meeting and the 25th Committee of Senior Officials of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India assumed the role of the Vice Chair of IORA for the year 2023-25 in this meeting, followed by the Chairmanship in 2025-27. "Prior to this meeting, the IORA Senior Officials reviewed the entire range of IORA's ongoing and future work and activities for 2022-27," the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement earlier. The COM adopted the Colombo Communique and the 'IORA Vision 2030 and Beyond', among other IORA-related documents. Earlier, Jaishankar said India's commitment to the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is deeply rooted in the principles of peaceful coexistence, shared prosperity and regional collaboration. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is an inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 Member States and 11 Dialogue Partners. (ANI)
A River North man on parole for armed robbery faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery in connection with an attack on a CTA train last week that left a 61-year-old woman comatose, authorities said.

Prosecutors on Sunday accused Mijawon Johnson, 36, of jumping on the woman and beating her with closed fists to the point that she was comatose and had multiple broken ribs. Johnson was on parole at the time he allegedly attacked the woman, prosecutors said.

The woman is now on a ventilator and in intensive care, according to a petition to deny Johnson pretrial release.

Johnson faces one charge of attempted murder with a strong probability of death, two charges of aggravated battery and a misdemeanor charge of violating an order of protection, records show.

The person who holds the order of protection against Johnson was not the person he is accused of battering on the CTA car. The alleged violation took place Dec. 31, 2023, according to an arrest report. Johnson had been on parole since August 2023 after serving part of a six-year sentence for armed robbery, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

CTA workers first found the woman seriously injured on a train car at the Roosevelt station around 1:30 a.m. Jan. 4, police said.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge William Fahy ordered Johnson detained Sunday, per court records.

Johnson is next set to appear in court Jan. 12.

ckubzansky@chicagotribune.com
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, on Tuesday arrived in Ahmedabad to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. The three-day summit, from January 10 to 12, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Czech premier was received at the airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be held from January 10 to 12. The theme for this year's event is 'Gateway to the Future'. The summit will celebrate '20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success'. Earlier, on Tuesday, Finland's envoy to India, Kimmo Lahdevirta, confirmed his country's participation in the summit saying that they "want to continue to support and participate" in the event. "Finland is a traditional country partner already for Vibrant Gujarat. We've been here for many years already, and we see this as one of the key events here in India which we want to continue to support and participate in. I think the key priorities that we have in our work in India, like carbon neutrality, circular economy, energy transition, and education are also some of the key priorities here in Gujarat...This time we have five Finnish companies leading companies in their own fields...We have a good selection of companies who are already very active here in India. And of course, we hope that they can still further their business," the Finnish envoy said. After inaugurating the summit on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi will hold a meeting with the CEOs of top global corporations. He will then travel to GIFT City where he will interact with prominent business leaders in the Global FinTech Leadership Forum. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started in 2003 when he was the state's chief minister. The event, this year, will feature 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations. The Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region will also utilise the Vibrant Gujarat platform to showcase investment opportunities in the Northeast. The summit will feature various events including seminars and conferences on globally relevant topics such as Industry 4.0, Technology and Innovation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen, Electric Mobility and Renewable Energy and Transition towards Sustainability. In the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show, which kicked off in the state capital on Tuesday, a range of products equipped with world-class, state-of-the-art technology are being showcased. E-mobility, startups, MSMEs, Blue Economy, Green Energy and Smart Infrastructure are some of the focus sectors of the Trade Show. (ANI)
AUSTIN (KXAN)  A machete attack reported Tuesday morning near Auditorium Shores was a random and unprovoked attack on a teenager, law enforcement sources told KXAN.

A person is in custody and the teenager is in the hospital after the attack, the Austin Police Department said.

Paramedics rushed one person to the hospital Tuesday morning after a reported stabbing near Auditorium Shores. (KXAN Photo/Sarah Al-Shaikh)

Paramedics rushed one person to the hospital Tuesday morning after a reported stabbing near Auditorium Shores. (KXAN Photo/Sarah Al-Shaikh)

Paramedics rushed one person to the hospital Tuesday morning after a reported stabbing near Auditorium Shores. (KXAN Photo/Sarah Al-Shaikh)

Paramedics rushed one person to the hospital Tuesday morning after a reported stabbing near Auditorium Shores. (KXAN Photo/Sarah Al-Shaikh)

Paramedics rushed one person, later identified as the teenager by law enforcement sources, to the hospital with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.

APD and ATCEMS told KXAN that medics responded at about 10 a.m. to the 100 block of South First Street, which is near the trail on the south side of Lady Bird Lake.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

There was a lot of blood

Justin Graber was pulling up to the area after the attack happened. Graber saw the persons injuries.

There was a lot of blood, Graber said. Lacerations to the forearm, behind the ear, lower body to an extent.

Graber said after attacking the first victim, the suspect approached another person.

It was unreal. Nathan Kurten

Nathan Kurten said that was him.

I yelled, Im calling 911. You know, Give it up,' Kurten said. Then at that point, he stopped but he started chasing me.

Kurten said eventually the attacker stopped following him and went back on the trail path.

I was still on the phone with the police, you know, trying to direct them to where he might be, Kurten said.

Once police arrived, Kurten said they arrested the suspect and asked Kurten to identify him.

I want to make sure they caught him because I didnt want him out on the streets, Kurten said.

Kurten said people he spoke with in the area said the suspect threw the machete into the river.

He said police mentioned theyd send a dive team to look for the weapon.

This developing story will be updated, as KXAN works to learn more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Metrea Aerospace became the first to use a private-owned tanker to refuel U.S. aircraft tactical jets when one of its KC-135s topped-up a pair of A-10 Warthog ground attack jets last year.

A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft are among the growing number of U.S. military aircraft types that have now refueled from privately owned tankers. A KC-135 from private aerospace firm Metrea refueling Warthogs during an exercise last year also marked the first time a contractor-operated tanker had ever linked up with U.S. Air Force tactical jets.

The Air Force, specifically, has been increasingly making use of private aerial refueling services in the past year, which will help it reduce the burdens on its own tanker fleets.

A US Air Force A-10 Warthog ground attack jet receives fuel from a KC-135 tanker belonging to private contractor Metrea on October 6, 2023. Metrea

The Metrea KC-135 refueled a pair of A-10s during an exercise in October 2023, the company told The War Zone in a statement. This came ahead of a privately-owned KDC-10 tanker belonging to Omega Air Refueling linking up with F-16 Viper fighters as part of a different exercise in November 2023, which the Air Force officially announced later that month. The service said the latter event was the first time any of its fighters had received fuel from a contractor-operated tanker. The Air Force sometimes refers to A-10s as "fighters" (they are currently assigned to "fighter" squadrons), but the Warthog is an attack aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqkgReFqodI\u0026feature=youtu.be

"On October 6, 2023, in support of a Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, Metrea Strategic Mobility successfully refueled two A-10 receivers," according to Metrea. "A crew flying one of Metrea Strategic Mobilitys KC-135R tankers delivered a total of 12,100 pounds of fuel, helping extend the participation of the A-10 receivers in exercise."

Metrea

The Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, or WTI, is a seven-week-long program for U.S. Marine Corps aviators at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma in Arizona. Some have described WTI as the " TOPGUN of the Marines" and every class finishes their time at Yuma with a major capstone exercise that often includes personnel and assets from other services . WTI exercises give participating Marines the opportunity to demonstrate the combat aviation tactics, techniques, and procedures they have mastered. Individuals who complete the courses go back to their home units to further disseminate what they have learned. You can read more about the WTI course in this past War Zone feature .

Metrea's KC-135 topping up the A-10s was the company's third aerial refueling milestone last year. In April, it became the first private firm to transfer fuel to any type of aircraft in mid-air using a boom-equipped tanker when one of its KC-135s linked up with a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane during training. Two months later, a Metrea KC-135 became the first contractor-operated tanker to refuel any type of U.S. Air Force aircraft when it transferred fuel to an RC-135V/W Rivet Joint surveillance plane and an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft as part of an exercise.

A Navy P-8A Poseidon refuels with a Metrea KC-135 in April 2023. Metrea

A Metrea KC-135 refuels an Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft in June 2023. Metrea

Metrea's fleet of boom-equipped KC-135s is a significant factor in all of this. Metrea is currently one of only two private contractors to fly tankers with booms, the other being Omega Air Refueling. This is the Air Force's preferred aerial refueling method .

The four KC-135s Metrea flies came second-hand from the Republic of Singapore Air Force back in 2020. They now wear at least two different multi-tone camouflage schemes that are reminiscent of one the Air Force used on tankers in the 1980s and 1990s that was nicknamed the "shamu" due to its visual similarities to the shading on orca whales.

The Navy and Marine Corps, as well as many U.S. allies and partners abroad, primarily use the probe-and-drogue refueling method instead (the Navy's P-8A fleet is a notable exception). Omega has been refueling Navy and Marine Corps tactical jets, as well as a host of other types, including advanced drones during one set of tests, via probe-and-drogue during training and other non-combat activities for years now. Metrea's KC-135s also have probe-and-drogue refueling capability via underwing pods.

"To date, Metrea Strategic Mobility [MSM] has flown over 2,000 hours, refueled 2,800 aircraft and offloaded more than 16 million pounds of fuel while maintaining a 92% mission success rate," Metrea's statement to The War Zone said. "The combined Metrea aviation units have flown over 130,000 accident-free flying hours, across multiple aircraft types, missions, and geographies in support of US, UK, and other allied and partner government national security objectives. MSMs aircraft are equipped with two wing-mounted Multi-Point Refueling System (MPRS) pods which facilitate refueling with probe equipped Navy, Marine Corps and partner nation aircraft."

The video below shows a U.S. Air Force KC-135R refueling Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighters using wing-mounted Multi-Point Refueling System pods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlKY5kLsih8

The expanding number of Air Force aircraft types, including tactical jets, now making use of private aerial refueling service has broader significance. For years, the service has been exploring options for reducing the strain on its already greatly in-demand tanker fleets. Those aerial refuelers would only be more heavily tasked during any future major conflict, such as one against China in the Pacific.

Using privately owned tankers to support training and other non-combat activities, such as test and evaluation events and the peacetime movement of aircraft from one location to another, provides valuable additional capacity. This, in turn, frees up Air Force tankers for combat or other higher-priority missions, or just helps them be more readily available for those taskings should they arise. Reducing the amount of flying the service's tankers do on a day-to-day basis is a boon for preserving airframe life, too.

The Air Force is also in the midst of a major transformation of its tanker fleets. The service's current inventory includes KC-135, KC-10A Extender, and KC-46A Pegasus types. However, the last of the KC-10s are expected to be retired by the end of this year, and the type has officially flown its last combat mission already .

The Air Force's three current tankers, left to right, a KC-135, a KC-46, and a KC-10. USAF

The Air Force has already divested a number of KC-135s in recent years. The service plans to eventually supplant that type completely with a combination of new-production, but traditionally-configured tankers and examples of clean-sheet advanced and possibly stealthy design. There are growing signs that the Air Force wants to simply acquire more KC-46As to meet its requirements for additional traditional tankers rather than hold an open competition as had been planned in the past. The more advanced design is being developed under the Next Generation Air-refueling System (NGAS) program and the Air Force hopes to have the first of those aircraft in service by 2040, if not sooner .

The KC-46A has suffered a litany of technical and other issues over the years. Major deficiencies with the design remain, especially the hybrid 2D/3D Remote Vision System (RVS) its boom operators in the main cabin use to connect with receiving aircraft, and have limited its true operational utility. On the KC-135 and KC-10, the boom operator is in a physical position at the rear of the aircraft and manually directs the boom. Problems with the Pegasus' boom itself have prevented these tankers from refueling A-10s at all . You can read more about these issues in detail here .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThbmESQTZrU\u0026t=6s

All of this puts additional pressure on the Air Force's current tanker fleets and further underscores the value of using contractor-operated types to help meet non-combat demands.

Altogether, it seems likely we will only continue to hear about Metrea's KC-135s, as well as Omega's boom-equipped KDC-10, refueling more and more types of Air Force aircraft, and doing so on a more regular basis, in the future.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers.

Coming up on Home and Away, Justin is in grave danger once again as Vita Nova member Jordan strikes.

Elsewhere, Tane and Felicity's marriage is on the rocks when he discovers she has been lying to him about wanting a baby, and it's the day of judgement for Irene.

Here's a full collection of 12 massive moments.

1. Cash clashes with Rose

Endemol Shine - Channel 5

Justin and Leah are slowly recovering from their traumatic ordeal at the hands of Vita Nova.

Despite being still on suspension, Cash swings by the hospital to see the couple, where he notices there's no police guard stationed at Justin's door.

Troubled by this, he reports back to Rose, but she shuts down his concerns and orders Cash to let her to do her job.

2. Danger is lurking for Justin

Channel 5

As the police investigation continues, Rose tries to interview Justin to find out what he remembers. He's groggy and unable to recall specific details, so she decides to try again later.

Lurking nearby, shady orderly Jordan  a secret member of Vita Nova  makes a furtive phone call, asking if he should act now.

Mercifully, a new officer arrives to protect Justin, forcing Jordan to bide his time.

3. Jordan attacks Justin

Channel 5

Alarm bells start ringing for Leah when Bree reveals there's no employee at the hospital by the name of Jordan.

Leah and Rose rush to Justin's room, where they find him lying wounded on the floor, having been attacked by Jordan.

Working together, Leah and Rose catch Jordan, who's placed under arrest for attempted murder and assaulting a police officer.

With Jordan apprehended, Vita Nova are defeated and the nightmare is over.

4. Remi feels rejected by Bree

Channel 5

Remi fears he's losing Bree when she decides not to move back in with him.

She reveals her reasons, explaining she only relocated to help Lyrik, and wants any future choice to co-habit to be about them.

Reassured, Remi arrives at band practise to the news that the deal with Forrest is done, meaning Lyrik are free to play their own songs.

5. Marilyn tries to trick Alf

Endemol Shine - Channel 5

The plans for Alf's surprise long service presentation are thrown into turmoil when the Bay stalwart announces that he's returning to Merimbula.

Marilyn tries to get him to stay by claiming she needs Alf to help mediate the situation between her and Roo.

Unfortunately it's not enough to persuade Alf to stick around, so Roo hatches an alternative plan and swipes her dad's car keys.

6. Alf wises up to what's going on

Channel 5

Realising his keys have gone AWOL, Alf heads to the surf club, where he's met by John  who's in on the ruse.

It doesn't take Alf long to work out what's going on, and after retrieving his keys from Roo, he heads towards his car.

Mali makes a last-ditch attempt to stall Alf  will he be forced to reveal the truth and ruin his big surprise?

7. Alf's loved ones celebrate his career

Endemol Shine - Channel 5

Finally it's the moment for Alf's Distinguished Service Award Ceremony and the surf club is packed full of guests.

Not normally one lost for words, Alf is blown away as he enters the room to a rapturous applause.

A ceremony full of wonderful memories follows, as John delivers a heart-warming speech and Alf is honoured with a plaque and tailored jacket, sporting the club emblem.

8. Lyrik hit a bump in the road

Jeremy Greive - Channel 5

Remi's enthusiasm at getting Lyrik back together is dampened by the lack of traction their social videos are receiving.

He suggests using Forrest's industry contacts to help widen their reach, but Kirby is against the idea.

It goes to a band vote, and it's four in favour of Kirby.

Peace is restored and Lyrik renew their determination to work as hard as possible to win their fans back.

9. Irene kicks Harper and Dana out

Channel 5

Reality bites for Irene when she receives a call from her lawyer to say her court hearing has been scheduled for the following day.

Terrified Irene admits to Harper and Dana there's every chance she will end up in prison.

Harper wants to be there in court to support Irene, but Dana is strongly against the idea.

Irene recognises it would do more harm than good, and in a bold move, she tells the sisters they need to find someplace else to live.

10. Mac issues Felicity with an ultimatum

Channel 5

As tension mounts between Mackenzie and Felicity, suspicious Tane realises they're hiding something from him.

Neither one is prepared to admit what's going on, but in private Mackenzie demands Felicity tells Tane she's still using birth control and doesn't want a baby.

Later, Tane confronts Mac wanting to know why Flick is being so cagey and she tells him to go and speak to his wife.

11. Tane walks out on Felicity

Channel 5

Returning home, Tane asks Felicity to open the contents of her bag and is horrified when she pulls out a packet of contraceptive pills.

Devastated by her betrayal, Tane packs his bags and violently lashes out at Cash when he tries to stop him from leaving.

Feeling ashamed by what she has done, Felicity begs Cash for help, but is shocked to realise her brother isn't on her side.

Meanwhile, a heartbroken Tane kicks everyone out of the gym as he vows he's never returning home.

12. Harper and Dana stand by Irene

Channel 5

Anxious Irene continues to push Harper and Dana away, insisting it's for the best that she cuts ties with them.

The next day, Irene makes her way to court alone, but is stopped by the siblings  who declare they're coming to support her no matter what.

Overcome with relief, Irene relents and is grateful to have them in her corner. But will she be ending the day behind bars?

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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A 17-year-old girl died after she suffered severe burns when Texas police say a man threw gasoline on a backyard fire.

Madison Lewis was a senior at Jacksboro High School, located about 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

To know Maddy was to love her. I cannot remember a time when I was having a bad day and Maddy didnt cheer me up, one person wrote on Facebook.

But her life changed on Dec. 16.

Lewis was in the backyard of a home in Jacksboro around 12:15 a.m., a Jan. 9 news release from the Jacksboro Police Department said.

Lewis was there with others and a small fire was burning inside a metal barrel. A 23-year-old man, Sebastian Lindsey, wanted to make the fire bigger, police said, so he picked up a can of gasoline and threw it on the fire.

The gasoline and fire traveled across the barrel, catching Madisons hair and clothes on fire, police said.

Others at the home were scared to call 911 because there was alcohol involved, so they drove Lewis to the hospital, police said.

She was then air-lifted to another hospital and treated for burns that covered most of her body, according to police.

Lewis was placed into a medically-induced coma and had undergone multiple surgeries, her mother, Ericca Hammond, told KDFW.

Theres nothing in the world more that I want and need than for my baby girl to be okay and to live a life. Shes 17 years old, Hammond told the news outlet.

On Jan. 7, Lewis succumbed to her injuries, police said.

Lindsey has been charged with manslaughter and, as of Jan. 9, is being held with no bond, police said. McClatchy News could not find an attorney listed for Lindsey.

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(FOX40.COM)  Seventeen people were arrested in an operation that focused on catching predators of children for the purpose of sexual activity, according to the Turlock Police Department.

On Jan. 5-6, the Turlock Police Department said it set up an online chat operation to catch predators who were attempting to meet up with children for sex.

Welfare check leads to discovery of two suspicious deaths near Modesto

This operation was complex in nature and involved the coordinated effort of multiple agencies and various police department units, Turlock PD said.

With the support of the Sacramento Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office Special Victims Unit (SVU), State Parole, and Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office Special Victims Unit (SVU), police said they arrested 17 people on several felony sex-related charges.

Police arrest man after finding skimming device on ATM in Stanislaus County

Twelve of the arrestees were local, and the remaining five were out-of-county residents, according to Turlock PD. All arrestees were booked into the Stanislaus County Jail with the majority being held on a $500,000 bail.

This operation was the culmination of months of planning by the Turlock Police Department and cooperating agencies, said Turlock PD Chief Jason Hedden. I am proud of Detective Gina Giovacchini and our team for their efforts to intercept those looking to harm children in our community.

Giovacchini, who police said orchestrated and led the operation, added, Thank you to our partnering agencies who took part in this operation. Without their collaborative efforts, this operation wouldnt have been nearly as successful as it was. Their assistance helped keep our youth safe.

She continued, Keeping our children safe from predators will continue to be my number one priority.

The Turlock Police Department advised anyone with information to call Giovacchini at (209) 668-6539, the tip line at (209) 668-5550 extension 6780, or email at tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
SEMMES, Ala. (WKRG)  Two people broke into Allentown Elementary School during a storm that brought heavy wind and rainfall, according to the Semmes Police Department.

The Candy Stores closure means one less strip club in Mobile  but questions remain

They broke windows and entered the school, located at 10330 Howells Ferry Road, between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to the SPD.

INCIDENT LOCATION:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

A laptop allegedly was stolen during the incident, according to police.

The SPD posted about the break-in on their Facebook page and included a photo from surveillance video, but News 5 cant confirm the suspects were over age 18, so we wont include it here.

Tree down on Old Shell Road in Mobile

Anyone with information on this incident can contact the Semmes Police Department at 251-459-6062.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Two Orange County civil rights attorneys claimed there was racial injustice in a local 2021 lawsuit.

The father and daughter attorneys are in court this week, facing up to disbarment and suspension of their license to practice law because of those comments.

The Florida Bar filed complaints in the State Supreme Court against Jerry and Brooke Girley.

The Girleys were commenting in response to a judges decision in a 2021 case. A Kenyan doctor, whom Jerry Girley represented, claimed he was terminated from a local hospital in part because of his race. The jury awarded the doctor $2.75 million.

Orange County Judge Kevin Weiss overruled the verdict, saying there was not enough evidence race played a role in the doctors termination.

Read: Organizations say new ordinance changes are Anti-homeless

Days later, Jerry Girley commented on the judges decision on a church-based groups YouTube channel.

Litigating civil rights for Black people and for brown people in a majority white culture is like climbing up a hundred-foot cliff with a hundred-pound boulder on your back. But in that environment, we have gotten juries to agree with us that discrimination has occurred. But consistently, we had have had judges cut the money, find ways to ensure that our clients at the end of the day did not get paid. And thats what happened Friday, Girley said in the YouTube video.

Girleys daughter, Brooke, posted to social media, saying, Even when we win, it only takes one white judge to reverse our victory. This is an injustice and cannot stand and I dont believe he had the authority to make this ruling and we need to hold him accountable.

Read: Trial date set for mother of 10-year-old accused of shooting, killing Orlando woman

The Florida Bar complaint says Jerry Girleys statements suggested that the court system does not provide equal justice to all. The Bar claims Girley violated his oath and the standards of professional conduct by attacking the judicial process and making what the Bar calls false statements about the judge and his actions.

Jerry Girley says all his statements were true and says he did not violate his oath or Florida Bar rules. He says he was simply voicing his opinion. Girley told Channel 9 he had the right to speak out.

Im deeply concerned, troubled, I feel that my first amendment rights are being impinged upon, Girley said.

Girleys attorney, David Winker, says the Bars complaint could risk silencing attorneys from their opinions. Winker argued theres no legal line on where attorneys can criticize the system.

If he feels like theres an injustice, what are his choices? As you heard the testimony [Monday], we believe that the Florida Supreme Court precedent, US Supreme Court precedent makes clear that attorneys do not leave their constitutional rights at the courthouse steps when they took an oath of office, Winker said.

Read: Hell no! Congressman Frost opposed to immigration negotiations

Were expecting to hear a ruling in Jerry Girleys case Tuesday.

The Florida Bars case against Brooke Girley is set for Wednesday.

The judge will make a recommendation to the Florida Supreme Court about if the Girleys did or did not violate oath and Florida Bar standards.

From there, the Florida Supreme Court will determine possible discipline up to the disbarment.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Met Office scientists believe this record could be short-lived, as forecasts suggest 2024 could be even hotter (Getty Images)

2023 was the hottest year on record so far, scientists have confirmed as they issued the stark warning that climate records are "tumbling like dominoes".

The average temperature last year was 14.98C, which beats the previous hottest year set in 2016 by 0.17C, according to the EUs climate change service Copernicus.

However, Met Office scientists believe this record could be short-lived, as forecasts suggest 2024 could be even hotter and may rise more than 1.5C above the period between 1850-1900.

This average is used as a proxy for the pre-industrial climate as it is as far back as meteorological records go.

Last year came close to breaching this symbolic boundary  1.48C above  while smashing a series of climate records in the process.

The global community committed in the Paris Agreement to try and limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels as it gives the best chance of stabilising the climate and reducing the damage to people and wildlife.

Global temperature: difference from 1850-1900 average (PA Wire)

This measurement is taken as a decadal average so one year going beyond this does not mean the treaty has failed.

July 2023 was likely the hottest month in the last 120,000 years  almost as long as modern humans have existed  while Antarctic sea ice has been at a historic low.

Last year, devastating wildfires broke out around the world, with one in Hawaii ripping through the island of Maui, leaving thousands homeless and killing nearly 100 people.

Leis and flowers adorn crosses at a memorial for victims of the August wildfire above the Lahaina Bypass highway (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

In July, some 29 wildfires raged across seven US states including Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas,

Smoke from hundreds of wildfires in western and central Canada blew across the US, causing disruption all summer. The inferno, which started in June, ravaged some 19,000 square metres of the country and forced thousands to evacuate as firefighters from around the world came to assist the exhausted Candian crews.

Burned vehicles and other debris are scattered about a property destroyed by the Bush Creek East wildfire, in Scotch Creek, British Columbia, Canada, ((Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP))

Over in Europe, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Italy and Switzerland witnessed devastating fires in the record-breaking summer heat. Thousands were evacuated from seaside communities in Athens as the Spanish island of La Palma was engulfed by blazes.

Australia Wildfire ((Australian Broadcasting Corp/Channel 7/Channel 9 via AP))

In Greece, fires devastated the mainland as fires consumed the city of Alexandroupolis and 18 people were killed by a fire in the Northeast of the country.

Each month from June through to December was hotter than any other corresponding month in a previous year, while every continent except Australia and many ocean areas saw record-breaking annual air temperatures for the year.

El Nino, a cyclical natural phenomenon in the tropical eastern Pacific which brings heat to the surface, added an extra warming effect to the atmosphere and oceans to that from greenhouse gas emissions, which continue to rise.

Scientists are urging the global community to radically cut these emissions and prevent further warming as each fraction of a degree further destabilises the Earths climate.

EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Hilary, right, off Mexico's Pacific coast. Scientists figure a natural El Nino, human-caused climate change, a stubborn heat dome over the nations midsection and other factors cooked up Hilarys record-breaking slosh into California and Nevada ((NOAA via AP))

Although changes of 1.5C in our day-to-day experience of air temperature is negligible, on a global average it has a very different meaning and the smallest changes can have large ramifications.

Some climate analysts have likened it to changes in body temperature whereby a difference of 1C can separate a healthy person from one with a fever.

Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said: 2023 was an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes.

Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1C warmer than the pre-industrial period.

Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years.

Emissions from wildfires also increased by 30% last year mainly because of the huge blazes across Canada.

The burn scar, captured on 31 July 2023, from a fire which impacted communities in both Canada and the United States (Copernicus Sentinel-2 image)

There were marine heatwaves across much of the North Atlantic, including off the British and Irish coastlines, as well as in the Caribbean and the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose to a new height of 419 parts per million while methane reached a concentration of 1902 parts per billion.

Dr Nick Dunstone, a Met Office climate scientist, said: The extraordinary global heat through 2023 made it possible to signal it would be the hottest year on record well before the year had finished. This level of warming is in line with climate projections.

We expect the strong El Nino in the Pacific to impact the global temperature through 2024. For this reason we are forecasting 2024 to be another record breaking year, with the possibility of temporarily exceeding 1.5C for the first time.
Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has created a major public health crisis in the United States. One of the most pressing questions our leaders face is: How can government at the federal and state level deter the flow of illicit fentanyl? By developing a multipronged supply chain strategy that controls the demand and stamps out the supply.

For now, China has agreed to curb the flow of fentanyl to the U.S., as well as the chemical precursors for producing fentanyl that it sends to Mexico. Moving forward, the U.S. must seek global support to develop a comprehensive plan to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Overdoses from fentanyl, a drug that is 50 times more powerful than heroin, were a leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45 in 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The issue of fentanyl addiction and overdose has the potential to escalate into a global crisis. While other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries such as Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom have seen an uptick in opioid consumption, it has not reached the same levels as that in the U.S. and Canada.

In efforts to combat the crisis, lawmakers in the U.S. have passed several policies and regulations. For instance, some states have imposed harsher sentencing, and other states have considered imposing the death sentence for distribution.

In California, people who are convicted of dealing more than 1 kilogram of fentanyl face a longer prison term by three years under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The higher the drug weight, the more severe the penalties become  for example, an extra 25 years of prison time can be imposed for trafficking more than 80 kilograms. However, it seems that more drastic measures, such as a life term in prison, may be more effective in eliminating such crimes, as demonstrated by China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Sandra Bagwell, 54, holds a photo of her late son, Ryan Bagwell, during a Lost Voices of Fentanyl rally on the National Mall in Washington on Sept. 17, 2022.

Virginia has classified fentanyl as a weapon of terrorism in a move to increase prison sentences for dealers. In July, the attorneys general of 18 states pressed President Joe Biden to declare fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, given that in a single month, U.S. customs seized enough of the drug to kill every American.

Besides laws and punishments for selling and distributing illicit fentanyl, the U.S. government is developing key strategies to control the demand by preventing and treating fentanyl addiction.

* Education: Educating people about the dangers of fentanyl can discourage them from trying it out as an experiment. Local governments can spearhead public awareness and prevention programs, which could include billboards, podcasts, webinars, hotlines and more.

* Detox programs: Local governments should collaborate with health professionals to develop detox programs. These programs aim to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, prevent complications and prepare individuals for further treatment. Additionally, local communities should establish support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and SMART Recovery to provide mutual support and maintain motivation during recovery.

* Naloxone accessibility: State governments are increasing the accessibility of naloxone, a federal government-approved medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. Last January, Newsom released a state budget that included $3.5 million to purchase naloxone for every middle and high school in California.

* Supervised consumption sites: New York City opened the first authorized supervised consumption site in the U.S. in 2021. At these designated sites, individuals can use pre-obtained drugs under the safety and support of trained personnel, thereby preventing overdose deaths.

Will Martin prepares an injection of fentanyl inside the overdose prevention center at OnPoint NYC in the Harlem neighborhood of New York on Jan. 23, 2023.

Controlling fentanyl demand through prevention and treatment is a defensive strategy, and the U.S. should take a proactive strategy to stamp out the supply of the drug.

To reduce preventable overdose deaths in the U.S., it is crucial to understand the flow of fentanyl. Its illegal trade involves numerous illicit supply chain activities. They start with the production of fentanyl precursors in factories in countries such as China and India, followed by the clandestine shipment of these precursors to Mexico, which are often concealed with regular cargo.

The production of fentanyl using these precursors then occurs in secret labs operated by cartels such as the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. The final drug  frequently mixed into counterfeit pills  is smuggled into the U.S. Ultimately, these fentanyl-laced pills are sold on the street.

Unless China and Mexico are prepared to crack down on these factories and impose severe penalties, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has limited resources and capabilities for preventing fentanyl from entering the U.S.

CBP has been using artificial intelligence models to identify suspicious cars or cargo at the U.S.-Mexico border. However, CBP must expand its efforts beyond the border because fentanyl production and its precursor chemicals are likely to spread beyond China and Mexico. For example, while Mexico and China are the main source for fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances, India emerged as a source for finished fentanyl powder and fentanyl precursors following Chinas implementation of restrictions on the production and sale of fentanyl in 2019.

The illicit fentanyl supply chain can be compared to a virus  a microscopic organism that can mutate and infect many hosts. Just as doctors need vaccines and treatments to combat a virus, the United States cannot stop this drug epidemic without international cooperation as well as harsher punishment.

Christopher Tang is a distinguished professor at the University of California at Los Angeles Anderson School of Management. Thomas Choi is a Regents professor of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
New Hampshire lawmakers will spend the next several months vetting and voting on more than 1,000 bills, many of which could impact the states course on climate change, the environment, and energy policy.

The Granite State has cemented itself as an outlier in New England in terms of climate action and planning. It remains the only state in the region without a statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lags behind in terms of renewable energy production. Over the last few years, lawmakers have found themselves at a standstill, generally unable to move forward with any substantial policy.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire experienced historically high energy prices during the last two years, spurring a laser focus from some lawmakers on bringing down costs for ratepayers and exploring more creative ways for utilities to procure energy.

House Bill 1423 would direct the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state. Pictured is the Shelburne Valley Forest, which stretches from the shoreline of the Androscoggin River to the ridgeline of the Mahoosuc Range.

Heres a summary of a handful of energy- and environment-related bills the House and Senate will take up during the new legislative session.

Electric vehicles

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is currently in the throes of planning for more than $17 million it will receive over the next five years from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. And last year, the Department of Environmental Services held listening sessions about the states growing EV infrastructure, with a focus on residents and businesses in disadvantaged communities.

Despite the federal support, state lawmakers have not found harmony on electric vehicle legislation, and last year, House Republicans voted down an effort to evaluate the future of electric vehicles in the state.

Introduced this year, House Bill 1510, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, a Concord Democrat, would establish a commission to identify barriers to electric vehicle sales and use in the state, as well as solutions to address them.

House Bill 1472, also sponsored by McWilliams, would dedicate $3 million from energy efficiency funds to develop a pilot cash on the hood program for point-of-sale electric vehicle rebates to buyers.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Hampstead Republican Sen. Regina Birdsell has introduced Senate Bill 430, which would create a commission to study the impacts of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and e-mobility devices on first responder response, the environment, building and fire codes, and life and safety property protection.

Old growth forests

With increasing concerns around continued climate change impacts, scientists are pointing to the importance of the states old growth forests, which are highly effective at capturing and storing carbon.

House Bill 1423, sponsored by Rep. Tony Caplan, a Henniker Democrat, would direct the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state. A fiscal note attached to the bill says more than 1.5 million acres of forestland are under public management in New Hampshire, assuming under public management means all federal, state, and locally owned land.

Landfills

After the last legislative session concluded without any meaningful action on landfills, despite numerous attempts, lawmakers have returned this year with several related bills.

Sponsored by Rep. Linda Massimilla, a Democrat from Littleton, House Bill 1132 would require those siting new solid waste landfills to identify brownfields within the state that could serve as their location  as part of the public benefit requirement analysis. Brownfields are defined as former polluted industrial or commercial sites.

Rep. Peter Bixby, a Dover Democrat, is sponsoring House Bill 1145, which would prohibit the private ownership of any new solid waste landfill.

House Bill 1620, sponsored by Rep. David Rochefort, a Littleton Republican, would suspend the approval of new landfill permits by the Department of Environmental Services until 2031.

Contamination

Lawmakers this session have filed several bills aimed at holding polluters accountable and ensuring those impacted have the ability to be compensated. Many of the bills come in response to the closure of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics in Merrimack. The state has attributed widespread PFAS pollution in five communities to Saint-Gobain.

House Bill 1415, sponsored by Merrimack Democrat Rep. Nancy Murphy, seeks to address PFAS facility liability by holding them to federal regulations for closure, removal from service, or decommissioning.

House Bill 1089, sponsored by Rep. Suzanne Vail, a Nashua Democrat, would remove the statute of limitations for civil actions for damages resulting from PFAS exposure.

Not specific to PFAS, House Bill 1613 would establish a specific trust fund for money from soil and water contamination court settlements, and House Bill 1477 would direct the Department of Environmental Services to develop an environmental surety bond program for businesses that pose a significant risk to the states natural resources.

Nuclear energy

As New Hampshire debates a clean energy future, a handful of Republican lawmakers appear to be throwing their weight behind nuclear energy as a viable non-carbon emitting source. Seabrook Station is one of only two nuclear plants currently operating in New England.

House Bill 1465, sponsored by New Boston Republican Keith Ammon, would require the Department of Energy to coordinate continuing studies by various state agencies on the uses and development of nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors.

Rep. Michael Vose, an Epping Republican, specifically names nuclear energy in House Bill 1644, which would require the DOE to initiate a proceeding and investigation of the benefits and considerations regarding support for clean or non-carbon emitting power generation.

Meanwhile, Democrat-sponsored House Bill 1612 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to create a network of real-time monitoring stations to gauge the movement, dispersal, and re-concentration of radioactive materials, and make the data available to the general public.

Utility performance incentive

Democrat-supported Senate Bill 320 would require the Public Utilities Commission to develop a performance incentive mechanism for the approval of electric and gas utility rates.

Sponsored by Sen. David Watters, of Dover, the bill would explore an alternative rate-setting mechanism of performance-based regulation, to incentivize utilities to improve their operational efficiency, customer service, and overall performance, while also aligning their incentives with the broader goals of society.

Coyote hunting

Among many animal-related bills filed this legislative session, two seek to change the way coyotes in the state are hunted.

Currently in New Hampshire, coyotes can be hunted year round, including at night from Jan. 1 to March 31, and there is no limit on the number that can be shot or trapped. House Bill 1100 would prohibit the hunting of coyotes during certain months to coincide with coyote pup rearing, and Senate Bill 346 would prohibit the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.

This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 2024 means renewed energy, environment debates for NH lawmakers
Seven children, all 10 years old and younger, were living in a destitute Broward home, police say. Their mother, who had previously been investigated over the childrens welfare, was arrested Monday.

Anela Jeanlouis, 37, faces a slew of felony charges after an anonymous tipster called police concerning small children running outside a home on the 7600 block of Coral Boulevard in Miramar. Jeanlouis has an infant, two toddlers, a 4 year old and three school-aged kids.

The caller said one of the children, who were outside in diapers, was covered in feces and another had blood running from their hand, according to a report.

When police arrived to the home, they spoke with 21-year-old Maykala Jeanlouis, the childrens older sister. Maykala said she was in her room sleeping and said she didnt know that her mother wasnt at the house.

The home, according to police, was filthy and barely had any furniture inside. It reeked of feces and urine to the point that a detective had to step outside, the report says.

Maykala told investigators that the home was in a deplorable condition because her mother has a lot of kids and they mess it up. She also claimed the refrigerator was mostly empty because her siblings ate all of the food.

Police transported the children, ages 1, 2 and 3, to Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital in Hollywood. Among their injuries were:

 A scratch under the left eye as well as red marks on the stomach and back of the 1 year old;

 Deep cuts on the hands and feet as well as scars all over the body of the 2 year old, who also had a skin infection and scabs on the neck and head;

 Marks and scars on the body of the 3 year old.

At the hospital, Jeanlouis said she left the house to get food because her kids were starving, the report says. When detectives tried to speak with her, Jeanlouis began to scream, exclaimed that her daughter was trying to set her up.

According to the report, Jeanlouis tussled with officers who were trying to handcuff her and even asked one of her children to come help mommy.

All of the kids, according to investigators, had scars and wounds on their bodies. The 6 and 10 year olds were released to Maykala by their school even though staff were ordered not to do so.

The seven kids, however, are now in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families. The report also said Jeanlouis had 20 DCF cases  including two ongoing investigations.

Jeanlouis remains in the Broward main jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
A 7-year-old child was found unharmed in a Laredo home with three people who fatally overdosed, Texas police say.

Police confirmed to McClatchy News that Child Protective Services is on the case, but could not confirm if the child was in its custody. KGNS reported the child was unharmed and taken by family.

Those dead were identified by police as Elizabeth Briones, 43, Margarita Hernandez, 52, and Jose Carmen Beltran, 44.

Police said on-site testing revealed cocaine and fentanyl were present on the premises. Drug paraphernalia was also found, according to police.

Individuals were found by a family member the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 8, Jose Espinoza of the Laredo Police Department told KGNS. The first officer arrived on scene to find the three adults showing no signs of life, police say.

Overdose deaths in Laredo have increased in the past 4 years. There were 56 overdose deaths in 2023, with four overdose deaths in 2024 as of Jan. 9.

The case remains under investigation by the Laredo Police Department, CPS and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Additional testing and autopsies are being done, police say.

Laredo is located about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio.

Woman robs and fatally poisons 4 men she lured into meeting for sex, Ohio officials say

Florida doctor accepted $160K in bribes to prescribe unnecessary fentanyl, feds say

Man gave laced pills to 15-year-old, then mocked him online as he was dying, feds say

If you or a loved one shows signs of substance use disorder, you can seek help by calling the national hotline at 1-800-662-4357 or find treatment using SAMHSA's online locator.
A Boeing 737 Max 9 had to make an emergency landing on Friday after a door plug blew out midair.

The investigation is still ongoing but experts say it may have been due to a manufacturing issue.

Boeing has been scrutinized in the past for the safety of its Max 8 aircraft.

Passengers flying from Portland aboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 on Friday experienced a terrifying ordeal  minutes after takeoff, a large, rectangular chunk of the fuselage blew out while the plane was thousands of feet in the air, prompting pilots to turn around.

The incident adds to scrutiny Boeing has experienced over the past few years  most notably between 2018 and 2019  when two Max 8 crashes resulted in the deaths of hundreds and billions in losses for the company after over 50 countries around the world temporarily grounded the planes.

While no one died during Friday's incident, passengers have shared horrifying details of items flying out of the plane, a mother clinging to her child, and flyers crying out in a panic. Several people were treated for injuries, according to Alaska Airlines.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board announced they were investigating the incident. Alaska Airlines announced it would be putting its fleet of Max 9 planes through inspections, and the FAA later ordered that 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, operated by Alaska and United, also be inspected. On Monday, United and Alaska announced that it discovered loose hardware on their Max 9 aircraft.

Boeing declined to further comment on Friday's incident to Business Insider but shared previous statements it released affirming it supports the investigation led by the NTSB and the FAA inspection mandate.

What is the problem with the Max planes?

To be clear, the Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9  a newer model in the Max series  are not the same plane. There are five models of Max planes, touted by the company as the fastest- and best-selling of all its jet families, including the Max 7, the Max 8200, and the Max 10. The various models mainly differ in range, size, and passenger seat capacity.

Furthermore, the 737 Max 9 has not been involved in any high-profile incidents or loss of life to passengers.

However, two high-profile Max 8 crashes  one involving Indonesian carrier Lion Air and another involving Ethiopian Airlines  killed a total of 346 people in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Search workers carry a tire at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Investigators later pinned the incident on the plane's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. The MCAS, developed by Boeing, was meant to help stabilize the aircraft should it start pointing upwards due to the massive weight and more forward position of its engines. The MCAS would come in if it predicted the plane would stall and point its nose downward to provide balance.

As investigators later learned, it didn't happen that way. Business Insider previously reported the MCAS system used data from a single sensor that provided inaccurate data about the plane's angle. Boeing also did not build in a backup sensor that could correct this data. When the nose began diving too far down, pilots would try to bring it back up again, only for the MCAS to activate once again.

At the time, there were procedures that pilots could follow to override the MCAS system, but many pilots had said they were unaware of said procedures. That's because Boeing decided against telling companies about the system, touting the Max as similar to their previous 737 models to sell it as a cost-effective replacement that wouldn't require extensive changes for airlines, the Justice Department said at the time.

Boeing eventually promised to fix the flawed flight control system , but all eyes were already on the company. Reports emerged that employees were pressured to approve safety features in a rush, that pilots didn't even know they were flying with an automatic system in place until the Lion Air crash, and that Boeing misled the FAA about the MCAS.

In 2019, Boeing also testified in a series of explosive Congressional hearings involving Boeing whistleblowers and victims' family members. At the time, Boeing told Congress that the MCAS system was involved in the crashes.

The company was eventually criminally charged with a conspiracy to defraud the FAA and paid $2.5 billion to settle , the Justice Department announced.

Do these previous accidents relate to the Max 9 incident?

What happened with the Max 8 systems and the Max 9 incident don't appear related. The Max 9 incident seems to be a failure related to a plug fitted in the airplane's aft emergency door, which is available for removal should the need for a higher seat capacity arise.

However, there is still much to be determined about the incident.

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Monday that after the door plug was found, officials discovered that the guide tracks on the door plug were "fractured." This indicated to officials that during Friday's flight, the door plug moved upward and disengaged from the stop fittings holding the plug in place. By design, there are bolts installed to stop this from occurring, officials said.

The NTSB has not located said bolts so far and is looking into whether the bolts were never there in the first place or if something happened that resulted in the bolts failing.

The agency also said, on Sunday, that a warning light indicating potential pressurization issues in the 737 Max 9 involved had gone off three times before Friday. Most recently, it had lit up once on Thursday.

The reports resulted in the aircraft being removed from flying in extended-range operations, or ETOPS.

ETOPS was created to let twin-engine planes fly long distances over water. It determines how far an aircraft can fly from the nearest diversion airport while running on one engine.

It is still unclear if the previous incidents involving the light are connected to Friday's incident. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, said during a Monday press conference that, at this time, there appeared to be no indication that the light incidents were "correlated in any way to the expulsion of the door plug and the rapid decompression."

Homendy previously told reporters that said Alaska Airlines described the incidents as "benign" to the NTSB. Maintenance staff reported the problem and reset the systems, Homendy said. However, the NTSB will review the reports as a part of its investigation.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane sits at a gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Getty Images

Alaska Airlines also ordered an additional maintenance check on the light, but this was not completed by Friday's flight, Homendy said.

In a statement to the publication The Air Current , Alaska Airlines said that the plane was removed from ETOPS "out of an abundance of caution" following the noted pressurization concerns.

Alaska Airlines said it could not further comment to Business Insider, citing the NTSB investigation.

United Airlines also announced Monday that it had discovered loose bolts in one of its 737 Max 9 planes during inspections. In a previous statement to Business Insider, United said that the loose bolts appeared to "relate to installation issues in the door plug."

Alaska soon followed with similar reports that its technicians discovered "loose hardware" during inspections.

"As operators conduct the required inspections, we are staying in close contact with them and will help address any and all findings," Boeing told Business Insider in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers."

Boeing also called an all-hands company meeting scheduled for Tuesday for its employees. CEO David Calhoun said he would reinforce Boeing's commitment to "safety, quality, integrity and transparency."

Experts say the evidence so far raises the question of whether Boeing is doing enough to ensure the safety of its aircraft.

Justin Green, an aviation accident attorney at Kreindler & Kreindler, told Business Insider that it was miraculous no one had died. Fortunately, he said, the incident occurred during the plane's ascent  while passengers were buckled up and the plane's altitude was far lower than it could have been  but the failure of such a new plane was unusual.

The aircraft in question was only about two months old.

Green said some evidence may point to a manufacturing issue and raised concerns about previous whistleblower reports over "production pressures and shortcomings in the manufacture of Max airplanes."

"I think that right now, given the information that these whistleblowers had and what's come out so far, I would just be concerned that the airplane has a manufacturing problem, and it might not be restricted to this plugged door on the Max-9's."

Experts who spoke to FlightGlobal also shared concerns about an assembly flaw not being caught during inspections.

"It would appear that Boeing needs to seriously increase the number of inspections of the installation of various pieces on their airplanes," Former National Transportation Safety Board member John Goglia told the publication.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, in Portland, Oregon. NTSB via Reuters

Additionally, there have been complaints made by investors of Boeing's subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, per a lawsuit filed in New York federal court. The Lever broke the news of the complaint's existence.

The complaint alleges that Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures for Boeing, "suffered from widespread and sustained quality failures." Plaintiffs say they obtained an ethics complaint from a Spirit AeroSystems quality inspector who said that there were an "excessive amount of defects" in Spirit's products.



The complaint also claims that Boeing put Spirit AeroSystems on probation between 2018 and 2021 because of quality failures.



Boeing declined to comment on the lawsuit when reached by Business Insider. Spirit AeroSystems did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this matter.

So far, the NTSB said its investigation will generally focus on the Alaska Airlines incident rather than 737 Max 9 jets. Green, who served as a cochair on the plaintiff's committee prosecuting the case arising from the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, said that he hopes investigators will look more holistically at the issue.

"If the problem before you is a manufacturing problem, I think you have to consider that there might be other manufacturing problems that have not yet caused an incident," Green said. "I'm hoping the FAA is thinking that way."

What about Boeing's other Max planes?

The renewed scrutiny of Boeing also comes at a time when the aircraft manufacturer is attempting to quickly certify the latest versions of the 737 Max for commercial flights.

Last month, Boeing asked the FAA for an exemption for its 737 Max 7 until May of 2026 to begin certifying the plane. Boeing wants to address the safety standards related to the plane's engine inlets and anti-ice system at a later point. In the meantime, pilots would be advised to use the system in a limited capacity.

Boeing previously told federal officials that it would be implementing a fix after concerns arose that its anti-ice system could overheat the engine's housing, causing pieces to break off and strike the plane  and potentially cause an incident similar to the 2018 Southwest Airlines incident , which killed one woman.

A Boeing 737 Max 10 Taylor Rains/Insider

In addition to the Max 7, Business Insider reported that the 737 Max 10 , previously expected to complete its certification process in 2022, had to push back on its timeline for commercial release after regulators identified safety concerns in its flight deck, landing gear, and angle of attack sensors.

Congress, however, later granted the company a waiver that allowed it to move forward with its certification process with little changes to its cockpit.

In late November last year, the FAA finally gave Boeing the green light to begin certification testing of the Max 10.



Update: Tuesday, January 9, 2024: This story was updated to include new info from a Monday evening press conference held by the NTSB, as well as details from a lawsuit filed against Spirit AeroSystems, a manufacturer contracted by Boeing.

Read the original article on Business Insider
When discussing the educator workforce shortages in Illinois, it is evident that the challenges our education system faces are complex. Reporter Shanzeh Ahmads recent article in the Tribune highlights the persistent, critical shortage of educators in special education and bilingual classes and sheds light on the disparate impact these shortages have on particular student populations. We must address this issue with urgency.

As our communities continue to recover from the economic, health and social impacts of a pandemic that profoundly and disproportionately affected communities of color, our students continue to struggle. And while all students were affected, it is clear that COVID-19 exacerbated long-standing educational disparities. Accordingly, the need for effective, prepared educators in every classroom and principals office has never been greater.

In its recently released report The State of Our Educator Pipeline 2023, Advance Illinois explores the teacher and principal pipeline in Illinois to understand where it is working well, where it can be strengthened and how the pandemic affected everything from educator recruitment and attendance to retention and vacancies.

First, some good news. The mass exodus of teachers from the profession that many predicted has not come to pass. Instead, our state has significantly increased its educator workforce since 2018, adding more than 5,800 teaching positions, a much greater rate than other states. That said, Illinois posts a 2.6% teacher vacancy rate. Worse, this overall average hides disparities by region  urban and rural areas are more likely to face vacancies; by position type  vacancy rates in special education and bilingual stand at 5% and 3.9%, respectively; and most tragically, by student population  with Black and Latino students and students from low-income households dramatically more likely to be in districts with vacancy rates more than twice the state average.

These staffing disparities are unacceptable under any circumstance. When we consider the disparate impact that COVID-19 has had on exactly the student populations most likely to be in schools affected by shortages, it is a crisis. When the Illinois State Board of Education released its annual Illinois Report Card this fall, it celebrated the fact that students are making progress in recovering from the academic impacts of disrupted learning. While students are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels of proficiency in English or math, they are beginning to rebound. As importantly, four-year high school graduation rates and freshman-on-track rates remained steady or grew and actually exceed pre-pandemic levels.

Despite this progress, math and English scores for Black and Latino students and students from low-income households, in grades 3 to 8, continued to lag behind their white and more affluent peers. While four-year high school graduation rates remained steady last year at an 87.6% average, disparities persist: Black students graduating at an 80.1% rate and Latino students at 85.5%. SAT scores also remain low, with notable differences between racial groups.

These disparities are less surprising when we consider that students of color and students from low-income households are more likely to be enrolled in districts with steeper teacher vacancies and that are more deeply under-resourced.

So what do we do? We have a few tools at our disposal. The first and most powerful solution we have is investment in the evidence-based funding formula. Since its passage, this formula has directed nearly $2 billion in new state dollars to the districts furthest from the adequate level of funding needed to ensure their students have access to a quality education. This has increased districts capacity to invest in everything from badly needed staffing  new teachers, counselors, reading specialists and more  to enrichment and support programs. These funds have been a lifeline for underfunded districts over the past six years and likely help explain why Illinois weathered the pandemic better academically than many other states. Put simply, investment in evidence-based funding is one of the most effective ways we have to get districts the resources they need to respond to the ongoing challenges they face in the wake of COVID-19 and as federal funds disappear.

The second tool we have is the targeted and sensible initiatives the state put in place over the past five years to grow and diversify the teacher pipeline. These include grant programs that cover tuition costs for educators pursuing bilingual education credentials, invest in the retention of special education teachers, recruit and train new administrators generally and of color, expand scholarships for candidates of color and provide mentoring and induction for new teachers and administrators. ISBE is commendably directing smart solutions to areas of greatest need. These initiatives and others play a critical role in how well all Illinois students recover and excel, but with the expiration of federal relief funds, the states continued investment is in jeopardy. It is imperative we not let that happen.

We applaud the steps ISBE and districts are taking to accelerate student recovery and do so equitably, but this work will falter without significant investment by our governor and the legislature. Targeted and meaningful investments from our state, for our students, for our teachers and for our schools are urgently needed to respond to the realities that are before us now and the ones we know lay ahead.

Robin Steans is president of Advance Illinois, an independent, bipartisan policy and advocacy organization.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Callers who dialed 911 after Maines deadliest mass shooting described hiding behind trees, scrambling to find their glasses, searching for loved ones and fearing for their lives as shots rang out first at a bowling alley, then minutes later at a bar.

Transcripts of the 911 calls from the Oct. 25 shooting released Monday show the chaotic aftermath of the shooting that left 18 people dead, with dispatchers providing encouragement to callers worried about the shooters whereabouts. The calls capture tense moments, including one caller who described hiding under a pool table next to someone who was injured and bleeding.

The calls also include dispatchers telling survivors to wait for police to announce their arrival.

Just keep those around you as quiet as possible. If you hear the police announce themselves, make yourselves known, but otherwise I want you to stay down and stay quiet, OK? one dispatcher said in the transcripts, released in response to a Freedom of Access Act request by The Associated Press and other news organizations.

One of the 911 calls came from someone whose child was hit in the arm. Shooter. Theres a shooter, the caller said. I have a kid. Hes bleeding. Another caller reported grabbing a 4-year-old and running. Another simply implored, Please hurry. Another person appeared to be counseling someone who was injured while on the phone, saying: Pray, pray. Youre OK. Youre OK. Trying to look for something clean. My coat is the only thing.

According to the transcripts, there were 50 911 calls in little more than 50 minutes to two dispatch centers operated by Lewiston-Auburn and Androscoggin County. One additional call was made later to the Cumberland County dispatch with a caller identifying the gunman after the photo was released.

The documents show people began identifying the shooter soon after the photo was released to the public. But there was also much confusion  one caller explained to a dispatcher that they did not know if someone trying to get into the building was the shooter or police, and survivors inside were terrified.

Find out because theyre trying to get in and were scared, the caller said.

Another person said theyd made it to the river behind Schemengees, the bar where the shooting continued, but they didnt know where the shooter was.

Im blind, the person said.

The operator said to get out of the area immediately. I  I cant. Im blind, the person repeated. I lost my glasses. Theres some other people here. I dont know if theyre bystanders or the shooter.

Another person who fled the bar described hiding behind trees.

Im at Schemengees in Lewiston. Theres a shooting. Theres a live shooting, one caller said. The operator asks if the person is safe. Im safe. Im behind the trees, but we dont know where the shooter is. We need help, the person said.

About two hours after the bowling alley shooting, one caller said they saw a picture of the suspect online and correctly identified him as Robert Card of Bowdoin. The caller described Cards deteriorating mental health state as known to the community, saying he had recently kicked his family out of his house and theyre basically estranged and hes just not been well.

The callers name is redacted, but their statements support previously released police and military statements about Cards mental health state and potential danger to the community. The caller went on to state that Card was known to have firearms in his house, and that the sheriffs department had previously been contacted about his behavior and mental health.

Weve just been really concerned about his mental health lately, the person said.

Ben Gideon, an attorney who represents some of the families of the shooting victims, said in an email to the AP that the call was more evidence that Card displayed concerning mental health behaviors in the lead-up to the shooting that werent acted upon.

Gideon said if Card had been evaluated, a mental health provider would have recognized the serious nature of Cards psychosis and taken steps to get him treatment and separate him from his guns.

In one call, a dispatcher tried to calm down a caller who was scared about the shooters whereabouts.

Just do not make any sudden movements. If you know theres police, put your hands in the air so they know youre not armed, the dispatcher said.

The caller then said, never wouldve thought this would happen here in Lewiston, Maine, before hanging up.

All told, 18 people were killed and 13 wounded when the Army reservist opened fire, leaving behind carnage and prompting a lockdown for tens of thousands of residents during the biggest manhunt in state history. It ended with the discovery of the gunmans body two days later in nearby Lisbon. An autopsy concluded he died by suicide.

An independent commission appointed by Gov. Janet Mills is investigating all aspects of the shootings, which sparked consternation over why warning signs about Cards deteriorating mental health were ignored.

Concern about Cards behavior accelerated when he was hospitalized for two weeks while with his Army Reserve unit for training at West Point, New York. After his release, his access to military weapons was restricted, and he was no longer allowed to be deployed with his unit.

His fellow reservists remained worried about him upon his return to Maine. One of them wrote to a superior in September in a text: I believe hes going to snap and do a mass shooting.

The FBI said Cards hospitalization didnt cause him to be placed on a list of prohibited people who are not allowed to have guns. And laws in New York and Maine aimed at removing guns from people who pose a danger were not invoked.

More than a month before the mass shootings, deputies visited Cards home in Bowdoin twice, but he didnt come to the door. A deputy who decided not to push the interaction expressed safety concerns. The sheriff backed him up, saying he didnt have legal authority to knock down the door.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
The 94-year-old Hilton Head Island woman who made headlines with her legal battle to keep her familys ancestral land has died.

Josephine Wright died surrounded by family, loved ones, and prayers on January 7, according to an update her family posted on their Go Fund Me page.

It is with heavy hearts that the Wright Family announces the passing of our beloved matriarch, Mrs. Josephine Wright, who peacefully transitioned on January 7, 2024, surrounded by family, loved ones, and prayers. Her legacy as a pillar of strength, wisdom, and commitment to justice will forever remain etched in our hearts, Wrights granddaughter, Charise Graves, wrote on the fundraiser page.

The family has used the page to communicate with the public for nearly a year since Wrights legal battle with a property developer gained widespread attention.

Josephine Wright's back porch is the center of a lawsuit that claims it is encroaching on a developer's project in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. - Stephen B. Morton/AP

Georgia-based real estate developer, Bailey Point Investment, LLC, had wanted to construct a residential development next to the 1.8-acre parcel of land that had been in Wrights husbands family since the Civil War.

Bailey Point sued Wright in February 2023 claiming her satellite dish, shed, and screened-in porch were encroaching on the developers land and delaying the construction of new homes.

Wright remained committed to protecting her property, filing multiple counterclaims, accusing the developer of harassing her and trashing her property.

I want to be left alone, Wright told CNN in July. I want to live on my property like I have always in peace and quiet.

Media mogul Tyler Perry, who had been a fierce champion of Wright in her fight against developers, said he was heartbroken to learn of her death in a tribute on Instagram.

Ms. Josephine Wright, even though we spoke by phone, I was so looking forward to meeting you in person next month to hand you the keys to your new house, but God had other plans, Perry said.

Wrights family revealed late last year on their Go Fund Me page that Perry was helping after a tree fell and severely damaged her home.

Your 4 children, 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren will still be able to gather at YOUR house on YOUR land and tell the world what kind of fighter that you were. You have run your race and fought an incredible fight! Journey well my dear lady. You have inspired me, Perry wrote.

Wrights funeral will be held on January 13 at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Hilton Head Island.

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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Utah Global Diplomacy launched the International Leadership Academy to help strengthen Utahs efforts in foreign relations.

Global Utah Diplomacy is an organization that works to build global connections between Utahns and other nations. They do this by facilitating various international exchange programs and by hosting a variety of education programs across the world, according to its website.

Layton Airbnb guest threatens family in adjoining unit, wields gun

Global Utah Diplomacys new academy aims to provide education, resources, and connections to careers internationally through these complimentary programs.

The programs provide practical skills, leadership experience, and a network for navigating international relations, according to a press release. The programs include Citizen Diplomacy Certification, international relations professional development, global mentorship opportunities, and international relations job connections.

The academy prepares Utahns for opportunities to engage in citizen diplomacy, as well as opportunities to navigate a career in international relations through immersive activities and world fairs education through training from those in the community, the release states.

Utah Global Diplomacy president and CEO Felecia Maxfield-Barrett said the program has the opportunity to educate and empower Utah citizen diplomats who will help build international relations through diplomacy.

Additionally, Maxfield-Barrett said the program will prepare Utahns to build positive global connections through opportunities like study abroad programs, trade delegations, Utahs growing global businesses, and the prospective return of the Winter Olympic Games to Utah in 2034.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Few industries are covered in such obsessive detail as aviation. Whether its the news-breaking X account @JonNYC, Dan Eleffs DansDeals or Gary Leffs smart, well-informed blog View From the Wing, every schedule change, union dispute or customer service issue is unearthed, dissected and debated. Traditional media rarely keep up.

So it went with the latest controversy surrounding United Airlines, which calls itself Chicagos Hometown Airline and has thousands of employees in Willis Tower and Arlington Heights. United, its clear, is playing footsie with Denver, a city where it has both extensive current operations and a long history, given that Continental Airlines was headquartered there between 1937 and 1963. (Continental merged with United in 2010, a deal that followed the separate merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines and was similarly bad for airline competition.)

We read Leffs report Thursday, noting the careful choice of adjective uttered in public by United Chief Financial Officer Gerald Laderman when he told an aviation conference there were no imminent (our italics) plans to move Uniteds headquarters from Chicago to the Mile High City, a less than enthusiastic endorsement of a long-term Chicago future. By contrast, Crains Chicago Business initially reported that statement as shooting down any such move. Fair enough, but we tend to share Leffs take that Uniteds Chicago HQ is at risk, notwithstanding that long-term lease in Willis Tower.

This wasnt all about Ladermans adjective, of course. Last summer, we read at the time, United spent $33 million to acquire 113 acres near Denver International Airport, strikingly convenient to both city and airport and along a rail line. When you develop land, you have to file a zoning request, inconveniently public as they tend to be. Other airline obsessives dug into the text of Uniteds request and found this statement: United is actively investigating programmatic needs to support corporate campus activity accommodating 5,000 employees in future phases of the project.

Five thousand employees! United does not even have that many in Willis Tower. That that sure sounds like an HQ, not merely a place to put flight simulators as United has suggested.

Corporate campuses are popular among airlines such as American, which has one by the Dallas Fort Worth airport. Of course, campuses can be vertical, too, as in Wills Tower, but those future phases of the Denver property development look like an ominous tell.

Now Im thinking it is a lock they are moving no matter what, wrote the blogger Enilria, noting that the flashy Denver locale did not scream back-office operations. The location is prime. They could still pull a Boeing and leave the sign on the door in Chicago, but all those jobs are moving Id say. (Boeing, you may recall, kinda took the sign on the door too).

It took a few days for local news outlets to catch up to the United issue. So far, United has stuck with its denial, or non-denial, depending on your point of view.

Weve already said that in our view the city is deluding itself when it thinks it can simply hold the airlines feet to the flame over the massively costly Global Gateway program at OHare Airport. They know how to play hardball and can simply move their flights, and/or their headquarters, elsewhere. Negotiations with a view to cut capacity not yet needed and reducing overall costs are called for. Maintaining a United HQ here must be part of that.

Were not confident that Brandon Johnson can make the citys case effectively, but wed like to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker do so on behalf of Illinois. After all, United also has a major impact on the suburbs.

Travelers check in with United Airlines in Terminal 1 at OHare International Airport, Sept. 27, 2022.

That said, United also has an ethical obligation to let its hometown know its long-term plans for those 113 acres and 5,000 employees, a head count it presumably does not plan to add out of thin air. The cat is out of the bag, it seems. And, if this is all nonsense, whats the deal, United? Let many of your best customers know.

Wed additionally note that the comments sections on some of these sites make depressing reading. Anonymous United employees can be read saying the bloom is off the rose of a downtown Willis Tower workplace, given the public safety issues in the Loop. And many commenters note the frosty relationship between business interests and the Johnson administration, making Denver more attractive.

This is one of the most egregious blind spots of our openly anti-capitalist administration: They have to compete for jobs and economic development with the likes of Denver, where such political sensibilities are not in control. And Seattle and Austin and, well, everywhere. Thats the simple reality they have not yet grasped.

We think our justly beloved Loop remains a great place to work, far better than Colorado farmland, but perception always threatens to become reality.

Pritzker and his people have to get on top of all of this before Chicago potentially loses one of its most important headquarters in a few years time.

Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Semafor Signals

Insights from Meduza, The Moscow Times, and Bloomberg

NEWS

A host of Russian celebrities who paid more than $10,000 to attend an almost naked party at a Moscow nightclub are facing a growing backlash, with concert dates canceled and advertising contracts torn up, after the event triggered a storm of outrage from conservative Russians.

One of the partygoers, a rapper named Vacio, attended the raunchy event wearing nothing but a sock and has since been fined for spreading LGBT propaganda, jailed, and handed draft papers to join the army on Monday. The partys organizer, meanwhile, is being sued for a billion rubles ($11 million).

The harsh crackdown on Russias elite, many of whom have strongly supported Moscows war in Ukraine, is one of the starkest examples yet of the conservative direction President Vladimir Putin is moving the country in.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Elite party crosses new red line in Putins Russia

Sources: Politico, Bloomberg, The Guardian

Backlash to the almost naked party reveals a new red line for Russias rich and famous, Politico reported. According to Bloomberg, Putin expressed displeasure at the lavish party occurring during wartime, and his deputies encouraged what Russians have dubbed the biggest canceling since the start of the war. For Putin, the country is at war and these people are having fun, Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told Bloomberg.

Putin doubles down on traditional values ahead of presidential elections

Sources: Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs, Express Gazeta

Putin is seeking to brand himself as the protector of Russia against a West bent on destroying the traditional family, religious faith, and national pride, sources close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg. While the renewed focus on Christian values may help Putin shore up domestic support as Russias presidential elections approach, the effort is also aimed at winning sympathy from right-wing parties abroad, independent Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar wrote in Foreign Affairs. The focus represents a dramatic shift for Putin, a divorcee who reportedly once left his autograph on the wall of a strip club shortly after being appointed prime minister in 1999.

Russia is intensifying its crackdown on LBTGQ+ people

Sources: Meduza, The Moscow Times

Maria Butina, a Russian Parliament member who was once convicted in the U.S. for being a Russian agent, called on law enforcement to investigate the almost naked party for evidence of LGBT propaganda. In late November the Russian Supreme Court outlawed what it called the international LGBT movement, instituting a ban that will come into effect on Wednesday. The ruling has already had a chilling effect, with at least one gay club and one LGBTQ+ rights organization announcing their closures. Activists have warned that the regulation is so vague that it will criminalize all forms of LGBTQ advocacy, The Moscow Times reported.
In the early 2000s, Los Angeles County school teacher Bruce Shank drove to just about every lake in California searching for a paradise to build his retirement home.

He thought he had found it at Hidden Lake Estates, a small community on the Madera County side of Millerton Lake. There, he bought a lot for $149,000 in 2004 and started planning for his retirement home. But paradise turned into a nightmare a few years later, when he discovered the areas drinking water was poisoned.

In 2009, the county placed a building moratorium on the neighborhood, saying the communitys treatment plant was failing to provide enough good-quality water. Shank who had spent another $30,000 on architects and engineering wasnt allowed to build the home.

Stuck in limbo for more than a decade waiting for a government solution, a frustrated Shank started getting calls in 2022 from real estate investors offering me pennies for the lot, he told The Bee. He eventually just let it go, he said, and sold for just under $5,000  a loss of $180,000, he said.

Roughly speaking, about 50 households with 150 people live in Hidden Lake. For more than 15 years, the communitys drinking water has been poisoned because the treatment plant dating to 1986 cant adequately deal with the excessive amount of organic material in the lake water and ends up producing water with high levels of chemicals known to cause cancer. The chemicals are created during the treatment process when chlorine reacts with the organic material in water drawn from Millerton Lake.

The problem in Hidden Lake has been getting worse the past few years as more organic matter ends up in the lake from the aftermath of certain events, including the increasing number of forest fires in the area.

It could cost up to $12 million to fix the water system, according to one estimate. And because the enclave is so isolated, its not close enough to another water system to merge and share costs.

Hidden Lakes ailing system is just one of an estimated 29 in Madera County and 380 across California left in disrepair, according to a database from the State Water Resources Control Board, because often the fixes are too expensive for communities like Hidden Lake to shoulder.

In 2021, the state estimated it would cost $4.6 billion to fix all of the states failing water systems and domestic wells, another water source for many rural communities. The price tag is now looking more like $10.6 billion, according to a draft of next years updated estimate.

Some systems like in Hidden Lake need complete overhauls, others high-end maintenance. Theres no one common problem, other than a general the lack of money to fix the troubling water issues.

We have 380 failing water systems, or 380 solutions, said Andrew Altevogt, assistant deputy director for the state water boards Division of Drinking Water.

In Hidden Lakes case, the malfunctioning plant produces excessive levels of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, two classes of chemicals known to cause cancer. Research has linked them to bladder cancer, kidney and liver damage, nervous system damage and birth defects. The Fresno Bee has not found cancer cases in our research linked specifically to water consumption in Hidden Lake.

Many residents, however, live in fear that their health could be impacted down the road. Experts interviewed by The Bee also cautioned against pregnant women drinking the water over any period of time.

We dont want our families, our children, our grandchildren or ourselves poisoned, said Alicia Paris, who moved to Hidden Lake with her husband, Dave Paris, in 2016.

The malfunctioning plant still operates because its better than nothing and federal law requires public water systems to treat lake water if its going to be used by households. Residents tend to use the water for everyday purposes, such as showering or washing clothes. And some residents have personal filtration systems and choose to drink the water after theyve treated it on their own. Other residents avoid drinking it and buy bottled water.

To replace the failing treatment plant, the county is seeking upwards of $5 million in state dollars. The county began applying for state money in 2007, but building a new plant will rely almost entirely on state money, so it could take a while.

Things are not going to be expeditious, said Jared Carter, the countys deputy Public Works director.

Hidden Lakes old 110,000-gallon water storage tank is still standing on a lot adjacent to Hidden Lake Boulevard, the main road leading into the community. The tank suffered 5-foot split on its side in 2022, causing 50,000 gallons of water to gush out onto the road. The water system is now using two smaller temporary tanks, but neighbors are still waiting for the installation of permanent ones.

Theres plenty of evidence to be concerned

Hidden Lake residents receive quarterly notices from the county about their water supply failing to meet state standards. Sometimes, the notices have told them to boil your water. Other times, the notices inform them of the high levels of chemical contamination.

Drinking one glass of Hidden Lake water is not a cause for concern, said Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst for the Environmental Working Group based in Washington D.C. But ingesting even very low concentrations over time can affect a persons health, said Evans, who has conducted research on the cancer risk associated with drinking water disinfection byproducts.. Theres plenty of evidence to be concerned.

Evans said health risks are associated even with levels lower than the legal limit. She also said that government regulations determining maximum levels have not kept up with current research.

Just because its not affecting adults as strongly right now, my biggest concern is for pregnant women who are drinking the water, Evans said.

The Hidden Lake Estates District was created in 1963, but its infrastructure was inherited from the old developers who put it in place, said Philip Toler, the countys Public Works director. The system pumps raw water from the bottom of Millerton Lake through thousands of feet of pipes into the surface water treatment plant. Thats where the contaminants are formed.

The problem has been getting worse, Toler said, pointing out that the level of organic materials has been higher in Millerton Lake in recent years because of catastrophic events in nature that eventually lead to excessive runoff into the lake and greater amounts of organic material that further overwhelm the water sanitation process.

The catastrophic events include the infamous Creek Fire, one of Californias largest ever, which burned almost 380,000 acres in the mountains of eastern Madera and Fresno counties between September and December 2020. The leftovers of that fire, and other fires since, wash down into the lake as runoff. Last years severe winter weather also dumped high levels of organic matter into the lake.

Millerton Lake has become ground zero, Toler said.

The treatment of surface water involves the removal of particulates and organics before disinfection with chlorine, but old treatment plants cant remove enough of the organics, said Tricia Wathen, Central California section chief for the state water boards Division of Drinking Water.

The July notice that Hidden Lake residents received reported that their drinking water contained levels of the two groups of chemicals at issue well above safe rates, nearly twice the maximum amount allowed by law.

The road to Hidden Lake Estates traverses the rural cattle ranch land of southwest of Madera County before turning uphill toward the neighborhood of about 150 people. Because of its seclusion and distance from other communities, consolidating Hidden Lake with another water district is not a feasible fix for the neighborhoods contaminated drinking water.

Wheres the money?

The replacement treatment plant that Hidden Lake needs is only partially designed. To David Brewer, 71, who moved to Hidden Lake with his girlfriend, Janet Martin, 80, in 2022, that 60% never seems to change.

The county needs more state money to complete the design of the treatment plant and start construction. Hidden Lakes application is one of 291 total applications seeking more than $1 billion in state help.

When it comes to Hidden Lakes treatment plant, theres no funding thats secured as of yet, said Joe Karkoski, deputy director of the state water boards Division of Financial Assistance.

One of the reasons for this is that the countys application for funds is not yet complete. Karkoski said his office is continuing to work with the county on the scope and budget for the project.

Brewer and Martin, like several others interviewed by the Bee, say the county is not doing enough to finish the job.

Other residents, such as Debra Schmitt, who has lived in Hidden Lake with her husband, Carl Schmitt, since 1996, hope the neighborhood can forge a more collaborative relationship with the county in order to get the job done.

Weve been working on this now for over 14 years, and the progress goes slower because people in Madera County change jobs, and you pretty much have to start all over again, said Schmitt, referring to turnover in engineers at Madera Countys Public Works Department. What we want to do is have the community become a consistent knowledge of all the different activities going on and help and collaborate with the government so they dont have to start over again every time.

The countys application with the state seeks $5 million for the treatment plant, according to a state funding plan, but Karkoski could not say whether that is the amount the Hidden Lake project would receive when its time comes. Low interest loans are also in the conversations between the state and county.

Wathen, the Central California section chief for the states Division of Drinking Water, said consolidation with a nearby system is the first possible solution she looks for when a water system fails. Typically, thats feasible if the two systems are no more than about three miles apart.

Millerton Lake is out there alone, Toler said. Theres no one to consolidate with.

The challenge facing Hidden Lake is characteristic of small water districts in counties like Madera.

Its really hard because theyre all kind of scattered throughout the county, Karkoski said. Theres not a lot of economy of scale when you have 50, 100, 200 connections, especially if you have to do some sort of treatment in order to deliver safe drinking water. Its just going to be very costly.
Sandbox AQ, the AI and quantum firm spun out of Google parent company Alphabet in 2022, has acquired Good Chemistry, a Vancouver-based quantum and computational chemistry startup, for an undisclosed sum.

Good Chemistry, founded by Arman Zaribafiyan in 2021 as a spin-off of quantum computing company 1QBit and backed by investors including Green Sands Equity and Accenture Ventures, offers cloud-based tools to accelerate material design. Good Chemistry's platform lets chemistry developers build chemical simulation apps and workflows using algorithms in quantum chemistry and machine learning as well as quantum computing.

In a press release, Sandbox AQ VP Nadia Carlsten said that the acquisition will expand Sandbox's global presence in addition to adding "proven technologies," including simulation technologies, and major customers (such as Dow Chemical) to its portfolio. New investors are a part of the deal, too -- all of Good Chemistry's backers have joined Sandbox AQ's investor base, Carlsten added.

"Good Chemistrys software and existing partnerships will enable us to rapidly accelerate how we bring the benefits of advanced simulation and AI tools to more customers," Carlsten said. "Combining our capabilities will give Sandbox AQ an advanced and scalable computing platform for highly accurate chemical simulation on a scale that makes impactful use cases such as new drug and material synthesis possible."

Sandbox AQ sees simulation as increasingly central to its work, which spans drug discovery and material design across the agricultural, defense, energy, medical and manufacturing sectors. With Good Chemistry, the company gains 25 computational and quantum chemists, AI and software engineers and quantum computing scientists skilled in leveraging simulation tech; tellingly, Zaribafiyan is joining Sandbox as head of product for simulation platforms while Good Chemistry's staff is assuming roles in Sandbox's existing simulation teams.

"The rapid advances in AI, quantum, cloud and high-performance computing have unlocked endless opportunities for companies like Good Chemistry and Sandbox AQ to reinvent the way we think about chemistry, discover ways to make products safer, stronger and more sustainable, and reshape the fabric of our world," Zaribafiyan said in a canned statement. "[Tapping] the broader Sandbox AQ reach and domain expertise will supercharge the capabilities of our platform."

As part of the acquisition, Sandbox AQ says that it'll integrate Good Chemistrys software, Qemist Cloud and Tangelo, into its enterprise software portfolio. Qemist lets users take advantage of quantum chemistry through simulation, while Tangelo allows them to conduct chemistry experiments across quantum cloud providers and hardware devices.

Good Chemistry is Sandbox's second acquisition. In 2022, it bought Cryptosense, an enterprise-focused software-as-a-service cybersecurity and encryption startup.
(BCN)  Hundreds of people, most wearing keffiyeh scarves to symbolize Palestinian nationalism and some displaying Israeli flags, attended the rules committee meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Monday. For hours, they spoke passionately on the resolution calling for a sustained ceasefire in Gaza and about Supervisor Matt Dorseys proposed amendments, which he presented Monday.

The resolution will be considered Tuesday by the full board of supervisors.

Dorseys amendments, which included statements by President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern over Israels indiscriminate bombing, were met by jeers from the crowd.

Some of our colleagues agreed with me that we needed to mirror President Bidens call for Hamas to lay down arms in this conflict, Dorsey said. And some colleagues shared my view that the city and county of San Francisco should express its support and solidarity with the Biden administration, G7 nations, European Union and others for a two-state solution as the best hope for a just and durable peace.

Unidentified body found in ocean along NorCal coast

Dorseys new language describes Hamas as a U.S. Department of State designated foreign terrorist organization, that launched from Gaza into Israel the deadliest, most horrific attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust of World War II.

Dorsey also proposed including graphic language sourced from reporting in the New York Times, stating that the Hamas attack showed a pattern of rape, mutilation and extreme brutality against women, part of a broader pattern of gender-based violence.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, by Jan. 3 at least 22,313 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. About 70 % of those killed are reported to be women and children. Another 57,296 Palestinians have been reportedly injured.

The resolution, first proposed Dec. 5 by supervisors Dean Preston and Hillary Ronan, was also updated with new statistics. Dorsey sourced a New York Times report, which says that as of Jan. 5, almost all of Gazas 2.3 million residents have been driven from their homes by Israels nearly three months of airstrikes and evacuation orders.

Prestons original resolution addresses all parties as victims and steers clear of U.S. political agenda. It urges the Biden administration and Congress to call for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and the release of all hostages; and declares that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors condemns antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and all xenophobic rhetoric and attacks.

Prior to the meeting a group of Bay Area healthcare workers in medical scrubs demonstrated on the steps of city halls rotunda. They placed a line of red cloth down the steps to represent the blood spilled in Gaza, and they protested Israeli bombing of hospitals and obstruction of humanitarian aid.

Inside the meeting chamber, members of the public urged the committee to vote in favor of the resolution as originally presented and reject Dorseys proposed amendments. One family medical physician from San Francisco General Hospital held up a petition signed by 400 healthcare providers calling for an immediate cease fire and unrestricted medical aid.

I asked supervisor Dorsey; do you want to lay out the atrocities of October 7? How many pages would it take to lay out the details of the atrocities that have happened in the 90 days since? she said. The rage you are hearing in this room, is the rage of a hundred years of being called a terrorist while being a victim of terrorism. Our tax dollars fund Israel, they do not fund Hamas!

As of 2:30 p.m. the meeting was still underway.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

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Many zealously guard their privacy when it comes to health and medical procedures.

Thats appropriate for those of us who arent presidents, governors, big-city mayors  or defense secretaries.

When people in critical positions like that fall seriously ill or are hospitalized, theyre not entitled to the same level of privacy as the rest of us. Thats the nature of their jobs. When theyre incapacitated or compromised for health reasons, whether mental or physical, they need to let the public know and also to cede authority to a trusted subordinate while theyre out of action. Theres no shame implied; health issues should come first for all of us, however important our jobs.

Stark case in point, nonetheless: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed not only to inform the public when he was hospitalized with what remains an undisclosed health issue; he also kept President Joe Biden and the rest of the White House in the dark for several days. Likewise, his second-in-command, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathy Hicks, was unaware of the seriousness of Austins situation until days later even though she was nominally in charge of the Pentagon  while she was on a scheduled vacation in Puerto Rico.

All of this occurred as foreign conflicts rage, and the U.S. itself is directly engaged in limited hostilities in the Middle East.

Austin is fiercely protective of his privacy, we learned over the weekend, which apparently explains his transparency failures. After his absence was reported, he took tepid responsibility, saying in a statement Saturday he could have done a better job ensuring the public was better informed.

At the same time, he doubled down on keeping his specific ailments private; he remained in a military hospital on Sunday, nearly a week after being admitted. He said nothing about his failure to keep the nations commander in chief in the loop.

So, predictably, the controversy continues to swirl, a headache the Biden administration doesnt need as global conflicts continue to require skilled management. A more fulsome mea culpa surely would have helped to reassure both the public and fellow administration officials that Austin understands the seriousness of his error here.

Previous defense secretaries, the Wall Street Journal noted, have been transparent about such things. In 2008, Secretary Robert Gates notified the public hed broken his arm; in 2006, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disclosed he was having rotator cuff surgery and would be out of commission for a discrete period of time. We have heard no good reason for Austin to break with those precedents.

If Austin or other high-level public officials  again, were talking about those whose jobs put them on crisis notice at all times  are so sensitive about their health matters that they cant meet this basic level of disclosure, then they shouldnt seek and serve in that level of responsibility.

We expect to be informed when a president, governor or big-city mayor is incapacitated temporarily or hospitalized.

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Americans are nearly unanimously in favor of legally requiring health care entities like hospitals, insurance providers and doctors to disclose their prices in an easily accessible place, according to a new survey.

New polling conducted by Marist for the nonprofit Patient Rights Advocate (PRA) found that 94 percent of adults agreed that hospitals, insurance companies and doctors should be legally required to disclose all of their prices, including discounted prices, cash prices, and insurance negotiated rates across hospitals and across plans in an easily accessible place online.

This result were statistically the same across political parties, age groups, level of education attained, income level and region in the U.S.

When asked if whether hospitals should be required to post all actual prices in advance of planned care, not just estimates, 93 percent of participants said they agreed with the statement.

Since 2021, hospitals in the U.S. have been required to post the prices of all their services, drugs and item provided to patients in a comprehensive machine-readable file or through a display of shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format.

Hospitals have been slow to comply with the rule, with a little more than a third of hospitals abiding by the rule, according to the most recent analysis conducted by the PRA in July. While most hospitals posted their prices online, the documents were found to be incomplete or unreadable.

Hidden prices and non-binding estimates give industry profiteers power over patients, workers, and employer and union purchasers. When theyre not required to share prices in advance they can charge whatever they want  and thats exactly what the industry is doing, the PRA said in a statement.

The PRA has launched a free online dashboard, called the Hospital Price Files Finder Tool, that compiles the available price transparency lists by state.

In the same survey by Marist, 91 percent of participants said they would shop around for the best quality of health care at the lowest possible price if they were able to see the prices of care. If they knew the actual cost of care, 88 percent said they would be more likely to seek routine and elective health care.

The survey was conducted Dec. 13-14 with 1,130 adults participating. The results of the survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
French actor and director Samuel Theis, who stars in the Golden Globe-winning movie Anatomy Of A Fall, has denied accusations that he raped a crew member who worked on his upcoming film.

The incident allegedly occurred in July at a crew party for Je Le Jure, which is Mr Theiss third stint as a director. He was subsequently removed from the set and reportedly finished the film remotely, according to a report.

According to French outlet Liberation, the crew member said he was too inebriated to consent to the encounter with Mr Theis  which he disputes  and has now lodged a complaint with police.

But the actors attorney, Marie Dose, said that she was unaware of such a complaint, nor any ongoing investigation into Mr Theis.

The only investigation on this case was ordered by the production and carried out by an independent organization, Ms Dose told Variety, adding that the internal probe had concluded, and a 300-page report was delivered in September.

Mr Theis stars in award-winning film Anatomy Of A Fall (AP)

The conclusion is that there were no elements qualifying what happened of a sexual assault, she said.

The alleged assault took place halfway through the shoot for Je Le Jure, following a party with the cast and crew on 1 July, according to Liberation. The crew member spent the night in the apartment where the party was held due to his state of inebriation, and claims he was raped by Mr Theis in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Theis has argued that it was consensual, according to Liberation.

Caroline Bonmarchand, a producer on the film, told Variety that filming had resumed while the independent investigation was launched.

Mr Theis continued to direct the movie remotely, communicating via a monitor, allowing the production to be completed. The film wrapped later that month.

Justin Triet at the 2024 Golden Globe awards (AP)

It comes after Anatomy Of A Fall  written by Justine Triet  won two awards at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, including best foreign language film and best screenplay.

Anatomy of a Fall centres around a celebrated writer (Sandra Huller) who comes under suspicion in the mysterious death of her husband, played by Mr Theis.

At the ceremony, Ms Triet thanked the majority of her cast by name but notably omitted Mr Theis.
A letter written by a Roman emperor helped lead a team of archaeologists to an ancient temple that "adds significant insights into the social changes" from pagan beliefs to Christianity in the Roman Empire, experts announced recently.

The lead archaeologist on the expedition, Douglas Boin, Ph.D., announced the "monumental discovery" at the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, according to a news release from St. Louis University, where Boin is a professor of history.

Boin said he and his team discovered "three walls of a monumental structure" that appears to have been a Roman temple from the Constantine era, which ranged from A.D. 280 to 337. During Emperor Constantine's rule of the empire, he made the persecution of Christians illegal and bankrolled church-building projects, among other efforts, helping usher in the spread of the religion throughout the empire, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The temple was found in Spello, a medieval hilltop city about two and a half hours away from Rome and near the town of Assisi. A fourth-century letter from Constantine helped lead Boin and his team to the area, he said. The letter, found in the 18th century, allowed the people of the town to celebrate a religious festival rather than travel to another event, as long as they built a temple to what Constantine considered his "divine ancestors."

An aerial photograph of the newly-discovered Imperial Cult ruins by Douglas Boin, Ph.D., and his team. / Credit: Douglas Boin, Ph.D.

Boin said that the discovery of the pagan temple shows that there were "continuities between the classical pagan world and early Christian Roman world that often get blurred out or written out of the sweeping historical narratives."

"Things didn't change overnight. Before our find, we never had a sense that there were actual physical, religious sites associated with this late 'imperial cult practice,'" Boin continued. "But because of the inscription and its reference to a temple, Spello offered a very tantalizing potential for a major discovery of an Imperial cult underneath a Christian ruler."

"Imperial cult" refers to the belief that emperors and their families should be worshipped as divine, according to the Harvard Divinity School. The practice began with the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., and Boin said that the 4th-century temple shows the "largest evidence ever" of the practice in the late Roman Empire.

"There's evidence from other places throughout the Roman world that Christian rulers supported imperial cult practices," Boin said. "We've known that pagans worshiped at their temples in the fourth century, but those findings have all been small and inconsequential. And we've known that Christians supported the imperial cult, and we've known that without any sense of where it would have happened."

Boin said that the temple would feature prominently in further research into the practice of imperial cult. He said that he and his team will return to the area next summer for further excavations and research in the temple.

"This changes everything about how we perceive the pace of social change and our impression of the impact of social and cultural change," Boin said. "This building, in a very radical way on its own, shows us the staying power of the pagan traditions that had been on the ground for centuries prior to the rise of Christianity, and it shows us how the Roman emperors continued to negotiate their own values, their own hopes and dreams for the future of the emperor and the Empire without knocking down or burying the past."

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Its time for lutefisk, meatballs, boiled potatoes, rice pudding and other Swedish fare.

Christ Lutheran Church in Marine on St. Croix is hosting its traditional all-you-can-eat Swedish dinner from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 18.

Also on the menu: white sauce, coleslaw, pickled beets, cranberries, brown beans, lefse, Swedish rye bread and traditional Scandinavian cookies.

The dinner is $25 each; children 16 and under eat free.

All proceeds directly support local, national and international mission projects.

For more information, go to clcmarine.org/events.

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A view the Red Square with the Historical Museum, right, and the Kremlin Towers in background in Moscow, Russia, on April 29, 2023. A Moscow court has arrested a U.S. citizen on drug charges, a move that comes amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions over Ukraine. Credit - AP PhotoAlexander Zemlianichenko

A U.S. citizen has been arrested on drug charges in Russia, officials said on Tuesday, amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

A statement from the Ostankino District Court of Moscow said it ruled to keep Robert Woodland Romanov, who also holds Russian citizenship, in custody for at least two months as he awaits his trial. He has been accused of the "illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, production, processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, according to the district court's statement. He faces up to 20 years in prison or an unlimited fine if found guilty.

Woodland is the latest U.S. citizen to have been detained in Russia. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg. He has since remained behind bars on espionage charges, which both he and the newspaper strongly deny. The State Department has declared Gershkovich as wrongfully detained.

An ex-U.S. marine, Paul Whelan, has also been jailed since 2018 on espionage-related charges that both he and the U.S. government deny. Whelan has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.

According to Woodlands Facebook profile, he teaches English and lives in Dologopruddy, a suburb in northern Moscow. In a Facebook post in September 2022, he voiced his opposition to the war in Ukraine but stated he would serve in the Russian military if he was drafted.

To my friends & family, For those who are worried about my safety out here in Russia with the current situtation and the draft to military service. I'm currently okay. I have not recivied my letter yet. I am not in support of this war, but if my letter to arms comes, I will not turn away. I know this sounds like a stupid choice, but remember.... America had done the same back during the Vietnam War.... he wrote.

The U.S. embassy has not yet released a statement on Woodlands arrest.

Some experts have said that that Moscow could be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizensincluding WNBA star Brittney Grinerhave in recent years been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Former President Trump speaks during a rally over the weekend in Clinton, Iowa, as the state's pivotal caucuses approach. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia appeared inclined during a hearing Tuesday to reject former President Trump's claim that he is immune from prosecution on criminal charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Trump's attorneys have argued that presidents have immunity from being prosecuted for actions taken while in office, unless they are impeached and convicted. Trump was impeached twice by the House  the second time over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection  but was not convicted by the Senate in either case.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who is prosecuting Trump in connection with the former president's actions after the 2020 election, has argued that a former president does not have absolute immunity and that criminal charges can be brought once a president leaves office, particularly if the actions don't relate to his official duties.

Trump was indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct the official certification of Joe Bidens election victory and seeking to defraud Americans of their rightful votes. He is charged with four federal felonies and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The indictment accuses Trump of scheming to enlist fake electors in battleground states won by Biden and of pressing then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the counting of electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021  acts that Smith has argued fall far outside a presidents official duties. Trump has maintained that as president, he was responsible for ensuring an accurate election took place.

The three-member panel, which includes Judge Karen Henderson, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, and Judges J. Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, both Biden appointees, noted that impeachment is typically reserved for high crimes and misdemeanors. Three presidents have been impeached  Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump  but none were convicted by the Senate.

The judges pointed out that during Trump's second impeachment trial, his lawyers argued there was no need to convict him because he would be subject to criminal prosecution since he was no longer in office. The judges said that may have swayed senators not to convict him.

Trump attorney John Sauer disagreed with that characterization of the argument to the Senate.

Pan questioned Sauer about whether a president could be criminally charged after leaving office in connection with several hypothetical examples of what could be considered "official acts," including selling a pardon.

Could a president order Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? the judge asked.

Read more: Is Trump immune from the law? His case will separate a president's 'official acts' from crimes

Sauer answered that, in such a situation, the president would have to be speedily impeached and convicted.

When Pan responded, I asked you a yes or no question, Sauer replied that his argument was no, a president could not be criminally prosecuted unless first impeached.

Assistant special counsel James Pearce responded that the idea of a president ordering the assassination of a rival, resigning before being impeached and being immune from prosecution would make for "an extraordinarily frightening future."

What kind of world are we living in," Pearce asked, if a former president cannot be criminally prosecuted after he "orders his SEAL team to assassinate a political rival?

When Judge Childs pressed Sauer on whether Trump's alleged criminal conduct constituted a "private" or "official" act, the lawyer argued strenuously that Trump was doing official business.

Judge Henderson appeared to ask Pearce whether there was a way to deny immunity in this case without creating a risk of responsive prosecutions of former presidents.

"How do we write an opinion so that we stop the floodgates? Your predecessors ... recognized that [presidential] criminal liability would be inevitably political."

The assistant special counsel emphasized that since President Nixon's resignation in 1974 over the Watergate scandal, it has been understood that former presidents can be prosecuted for their actions while in office. He said the fact that there hadn't been a flood of criminal charges against ex-presidents since then shows how serious the allegations against Trump are.

Pearce added that no president had claimed immunity from prosecution after leaving office, and said the court shouldn't recognize immunity in the case of a president accused of crimes in an effort to stay in office after losing an election.

The panel also questioned Trump's lawyers and the special counsel's office about questions raised in amicus briefs submitted by outside groups, asking whether it was the right moment to decide immunity questions and whether the special counsel was properly appointed. Neither side had raised those arguments themselves, and both said they didn't support them.

The court pushed Pearce about why he wasn't urging the panel to accept the argument that it isn't the right time to decide immunity, something that would mean a win for the special counsel.

"We are doing justice, and that means getting the law right," Pearce responded.

The result of the hearing could have broad ramifications. Trump is the first former president to be charged with a crime, and there is no clear precedent on whether an ex-president may be prosecuted for actions taken while in office.

Smith is counting on a swift decision in order to proceed with the trial before the November election. Trump's trial in this case, scheduled to begin March 4, has been paused pending the outcome of the appeal after Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that Trump did not have immunity. Its not clear when the panel will rule, though it has signaled that it intends to work quickly.

A decision unfavorable to Trump would likely be appealed to the Supreme Court, though there is no guarantee the justices would take up the appeal. Last month, the Supreme Court rejected Smith's attempt to skip the appeal and send the question straight to the highest court.

Although Trump was not required to attend, he was present for oral arguments Tuesday  a possible sign his campaign had calculated that his appearance in court would be beneficial in the final days of campaigning before the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. Trump falsely told supporters in a fundraising email that he was being "forced" off the campaign trail to appear in court.

It is rare for a defendant to attend an oral argument at this level, and no cameras are allowed in the courthouse.

I feel that as a president, you have to have immunity, very simple, Trump told reporters after the hearing. You cant have a president without immunity ... as a president, you have to be able to do your job.

Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Heavily armed gangsters have stormed the studio of a major television station in Ecuador during a live broadcast, prompting the countrys president to declare a state of internal armed conflict amid a series of seemingly coordinated attacks across the South American country.

Police special forces later arrested all the masked gunmen who invaded the headquarters of the TC Television network in Ecuadors largest city, Guayaquil, at about 2pm local time on Tuesday.

Toting pistols, shotguns, machine guns, grenades and sticks of dynamite, a number of men overran the studio during the El Noticiero news programme. With the cameras broadcasting live, the men could be seen on camera while some employees lay down on the floor and someone was heard yelling Dont shoot! before the signal was eventually cut.

The newspaper El Universo said panicked reporters and camera operators flooded messaging groups with pleas for help as the outlaws rampaged through the building. They want to kill the lot of us. Help us, one message read.

Alina Manrique, the head of news for TC Television, said she was in the control room, across from the studio, when the group of masked men entered the building. One of the men pointed a gun at her head and told her to get on the floor, she told the Associated Press.

I am still in shock, Manrique said in a phone interview. Everything has collapsed  All I know is that its time to leave this country, and go very far away.

Police commander Cesar Zapata later told the TV channel Teleamazonas that officers seized the guns and explosives the gunmen had with them and that 13 people were arrested, saying This is an act that should be considered as a terrorist act.

The shocking scenes on live television came as criminal groups launched a wave of terror across Ecuador, amid fresh outbreaks of violence in the countrys prisons.

There were unconfirmed reports of armed men entering a university in Guayaquil and looting in downtown Quito, as well as social media videos apparently showing the lynching of prison guards held hostage by inmates.

On Tuesday night, Peru declared an emergency along its northern border with Ecuador. Prime minister Alberto Otarola made the announcement, noting that the emergency declaration would deploy an unspecified number of army troops to support police forces and that the countrys defence and interior ministers would also travel to the border.

Shortly after the assault on the TV station, Ecuadors president Daniel Noboa issued a decree designating 20 drug trafficking gangs as terrorist groups and authorizing Ecuadors military to neutralize the crime factions within the bounds of international humanitarian law.

The move came only a day after Noboa declared a state of emergency following the escape from prison of the countrys most dangerous gang leader.

As thousands of soldiers and police searched for Adolfo Macias, alias Fito  the convicted leader of the powerful drug gang Los Choneros  chaos erupted inside and outside jails in an apparent show of force by organised crime gangs.

Related: Ecuador declares emergency as drug-gang kingpin vanishes from prison

Noboa, who was elected in October on the promise to crack down on violent crime, declared a two-month state of emergency late on Monday, vowing to take back control of the countrys prisons, which have repeatedly been the scenes of brutal violence between warring drug gangs that has killed more than 420 inmates since 2021.

In response, these supposed narcoterrorist groups try to threaten us and believe that we will give in to their demands, Noboa said in a message posted on social media.

But within hours, a fresh string of attacks began. Three police officers were kidnapped in the southern city of Machala and criminals took a fourth officer in the capital, Quito.

Dozens more prison guards were being held in jails across the country, adding to a number seized on Monday, though Ecuadors prison authority has not given further details.

The missing gang boss Macias, 44, vanished from prison on Sunday during a prison transfer to a maximum security facility in Guayaquil, the port city at the centre of Ecuadors brutal descent into violence which has seen homicide rates shoot up by five times in as many years.

The kingpin, who had been serving a 34-year sentence since 2011, had been convicted of drug trafficking, murder and organised crime, but remained a powerful figure even behind bars.

Another dangerous gang leader, Fabricio Colon, escaped Riobamba prison during disturbances on Monday night, the prison service confirmed. Ecuadors prosecutors office has linked Colon, a leader of the Los Lobos gang, to the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and death threats against the attorney general, Diana Salazar.

Noboa has said he will not negotiate with terrorists and his government has blamed the recent prison violence on its plan to build a new high-security prison and transfer jailed gang leaders.

The president also plans to hold a referendum proposing strengthened crime-fighting measures such as seizing assets from suspected criminals and lengthening prison sentences.

With Reuters and Associated Press
Soldiers patrol outside the government palace during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuador, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The country has seen a series of attacks after the government imposed a state of emergency in the wake of the apparent escape of a powerful gang leader from prison. | Dolores Ochoa, Associated Press

A group of armed men stormed onto the set of a major television station in Ecuador during a live broadcast and threatened staff in the studio, according to The Associated Press.

Around 20 hooded and heavily armed men were seen on the news channels live feed while noises that sounded similar to gunshots were heard in the background.

The stations Tuesday broadcast was interrupted by the attack for at least 15 minutes before the signal was cut, The Guardian reported. Before the signal got cut, employees were seen being forced to lie on the floor and one yelled, Dont shoot.

Specialized police units arrived at the scene and arrested several individuals connected to the crime, per Ecuador national polices social media accounts.

BREAKING: Armed men break into a live TV studio in Ecuador and threaten people as the country is rocked by a series of attacks. https://t.co/K76aakGber  The Associated Press (@AP) January 9, 2024

Tuesdays incident comes after Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency. The declaration followed the alleged escape from prison of the leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, Adolfo Macias, according to Reuters, which reported that he had been serving a 34-year sentence.

As policeman across Ecuador hunt down Macias, crime directed at Noboa is escalating, reports The Guardian.

Noboa was elected to office in October with a vow to clamp down on the accelerating waves of violent crime across the country.

Tomorrow we start to work for this new Ecuador, we start working to rebuild a country seriously battered by violence, by corruption and by hate, Noboa said at the time of his election, per The Guardian. From tomorrow, hope will start working. From tomorrow Daniel Noboa starts work as your new president.
Armenia has expressed optimism about a peace treaty proposal from Azerbaijan, Armenian media outlet News.am reported on Jan. 8, citing Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan.

Both nations have agreed to convene a meeting of their respective delimitation commissions, responsible for establish border lines. Armenia is currently awaiting Azerbaijan's response, Grigoryan said.

Despite advancements in peace treaty negotiations, challenges persist where agreements made verbally have yet to find consensus in the written text of the peace agreement, the secretary noted.

Read also: Azerbaijan to claim Nagorno-Karabakh after Armenia withdraws all troops in ceasefire agreement

"We anticipate the swift finalization of the peace treaty, Grigoryan said.

The proposals on the negotiating table from Armenia offer crucial security guarantees for our nation."

Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense announced on Sept. 19 the start of "counter-terrorism measures" in Nagorno-Karabakh, known in Armenia as Artsakh, to "restore constitutional order."

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry referred to the events in Karabakh as "local counter-terrorism measures" in response to a "series of large-scale military provocations and acts of terrorism" by Armenian forces.

Read also: Azerbaijan considers acquisition of Lukoil's Bulgarian Refinery

Armenia labeled Baku's actions as full-scale aggression and accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing. Protests erupted in Yerevan, calling on the government to intervene in the Karabakh situation. Azerbaijans military operation ended only following the evacuation of nearly all ethnic Armenias from the region  approximately 100,000 people.

On Sept. 20, the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh on agreed to a ceasefire.

Azerbaijan had "completed all tasks of the anti-terrorist operation" within a day and "restored sovereignty," stated Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that he is was ready to recognize Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The heads of the foreign ministries of both countries reported that a peace agreement between the two countries could be possible by the end of 2023.

In mid-July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said that Moscow and Yerevan had not fulfilled their obligations under the tripartite agreement signed after the 2020 conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Aliyev and Pashinyan on Nov. 27. He welcomed the intentions to conclude a "strong and worthy" peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The Republic of Artsakh ceased to exist on Jan. 1, 2024.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso said he didnt think migrants from the southern border are any concern for residents of the suburban community.

The topic came up Monday at the village board meeting as an item of general discussion. No one from the community spoke on the issue and board members seemed to agree with the mayor. On Sunday, the Chicago Tribune reported a busload of migrants arrived by bus to Glen Ellyn. They arrived Friday, early in the morning, at the Metra station with the plan to take the train to the city, but they missed the train as it was leaving and were left stranded for hours, hungry in freezing temperatures clad in T-shirts and sandals.

The busload was the latest in a wave of immigrants dropped in suburban Cook County after the City of Chicago began issuing steep fines to bus companies for dropping off unscheduled migrants. Several suburban communities followed suit, after those companies began unloading the people at suburban Metra stations.

Migrants from Venezuela relax outside of the Hampton Inn & Suites in suburban Burr Ridge on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.

However, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso noted that Burr Ridge has no Metra station and, so far, has not had any recent issue with migrants, though the village did wind up with some in 2022 which it housed briefly in a hotel. Still, Grasso said with all the publicity, he wanted to have a discussion on the topic.

I asked (Village Administrator) Evan (Walter) to put this on the agenda tonight because its been in the news a lot. I havent gotten too many questions about it.

So far, neither residents nor police have seen anything like what happened in Glen Ellyn, let alone the potential political fallout from a sudden influx of needy visitors.

Nevertheless, Grasso said hes in touch with nearly 300 mayors around the Chicagoland, all of whom are eyeing the issue of migrant movement and temporary care and housing, and lately Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has gotten in touch to coordinate response information.

For that matter, Grasso said even mayors who have had busloads of migrants  some of whom have come from countries as faraway as Venezuela  havent had any real problems aside from those immediate concerns of shelter, food and clothing.

I havent gotten anything negative about it, Grasso said. This morning I confirmed with all the villages around Chicago that even though the migrants were being dropped off at train stations  and we dont have a train station  I asked of all the mayors present has anyone had any problem with any of the migrants in the last few months and it was zero problems, nobody has had any problems.

Grasso said the influx of migrants in Chicago and the suburbs is originating at the Southern border and not the fault of local leadership.

Indeed, one trustee said local response has historically been robust and supportive. Trustee Guy Franzese said when the migrants arrived in Burr Ridge in August 2022, the administration acted quickly to tend to their needs and praised that response. He said he thinks mayors will manage this time, too.

Nobody anticipated a year ago that the city of Chicago wouldnt want buses of migrants dropped off in the city, Franzese said, praising the mayors willingness to look ahead at the issue.

Being proactive is the best thing and its about the safety of the migrants and the safety of our residents, Franzese said. Anything we can do to be proactive, we need to do, to do our part.

Grasso thanked Johnson for trying to coordinate a response and he urged sympathy for the new arrivals, most of whom are seeking asylum.

They want to be here because they want a better life, I truly believe that, Grasso said. And were all the product of similar people facing similar situations years ago.

Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
In the next big war, the Army will continue to fight on the ground, but theyll also be relying on space-based technology such as satellite surveillance, high-altitude balloons and long-range reconnaissance aircraft to protect their soldiers and disrupt the enemys attacks.

Top Army leaders released their vision of that effort on Monday. They want commanders to plan for how theyll use such assets in future operations and called for greater investment in space capabilities and formations, describing them as an urgent need for the service.

The document, titled Army Space Vision Supporting Multidomain Operations, was signed by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer and lays out how the service aims to focus on space assets for operational needs such as navigation, timing and long-range communications.

Commanders at all echelons have access to, rely on, and can be observed by the space-based assets of allies and competitors alike, reads the vision statement.

In an accompanying press release, George noted that integrating joint and Army space capabilities into operations must become second nature to commanders at every echelon.

Thats going to include expeditionary, scalable and mobile Army space formations alongside ground combat formations. That could mean units such as the Space Support Teams drawn from the 1st Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, forward deployed with traditional ground units.

The 1st Space Brigade currently supports Army operations worldwide, with a quarter of the unit deployed at any time across 17 locations in 11 countries, including Northern Command, European Command, Central Command and Indo-Pacific Command, according to the units website.

To accomplish that, George noted in the release that the Armys Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence will work with the other Army centers of excellence and combat training centers to incorporate space-focused training, planning and assets.

That will involve putting space into common training scenarios. For ground units that may look like a trainer taking out satellite communications, or adversaries targeting their unit using space-based equipment.

Commanders must understand that space capabilities start and end on the ground and be fully aware of their importance in planning and operations, according to the vision statement.

In essence, commanders must know how they can use data from the Army or joint satellites, high-altitude balloons and fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft such as the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, which can be used to detect enemy threats or conceal and protect ground forces from home stations to assembly areas to objectives.

U.S. Army Soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment are pictured during Dragoon Ready 2023. They are using integrated tactical network capabilities, which include radios. (Sgt. Rebecca Call/U.S. Army)

Under the vision statement, Army leaders want their commanders to understand and use both the service and joint space capabilities, such as commercial satellites, to accomplish the mission while also finding ways to defend against any space-based attack from an adversary.

Army space professionals will lead the effort to increase understanding and integration of friendly joint and coalition space capabilities into Army operations while also interdicting the adversarys use of space-based and enabled capabilities, according to the statement.

That means soldiers need to be organized and have the right resources, gear and expertise to use the advantages space can provide their unit while simultaneously using what they have to counter how their enemy is using space against them.

Specifically, the vision document calls on Army commanders to use joint, coalition and commercial space capabilities for needs such as positioning, navigation, and timing; beyond line-of-sight communications; force tracking; environmental monitoring; space domain awareness; geospatial information and deep sensing.

In recent years, the deep sensing portion of the Armys new technology focus has included at least three new types of equipment.

The Army has invested in Terrestrial Layer Systems, or TLS, which give soldiers both cyber and electronic warfare tools, the HADES intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet outfitted with advanced sensors and the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, or TITAN, which pulls together all of the data a units sensors collects and distributes it across the formation, keeping everyone on the same page, data-wise.

All of these aim to give even a tactical unit such as a brigade its own ways to see deeper into the battlefield beyond a few kilometers, on its own, in case higher level commands such as divisions are too busy or if that brigade is cut off from its higher support. Thats a scenario Army planners project will become more common should U.S. forces face a peer adversary with its own advanced capabilities such as electronic warfare and communication jamming.

And that deep sensing is more than just seeing whats going on beyond the horizon, its also crucial for striking the enemy.

If were going to do long-range precision fires, you need to do long-range-precision targeting, former Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told C4ISRNET in 2023. In order to do that, you have to have deep sensing.

At the same time, commanders must also counter the growing space-based assets of adversaries such as the Russian and Chinese military. Theyll need to incorporate counter-satellite communications, counter-surveillance and reconnaissance using fires at every unit level.

In terms of gear, the Army will need to use the next generation of tactical terminals to access multi-orbit satellite communications services and space-enabled tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms for deep sensing needs, according to the vision statement. That includes the previously mentioned TLS, TITAN, HADES and satellite communications as well as data processing equipment to pull information in from multiple sensors and process it for a clearer picture of the battlefield.

Soldiers, all assigned to B Company, 1-502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), set up AN/PRC-155 (Manpack) radios at Fort Bliss, Texas, on July 13, 2017, during NIE 17.2, an annual exercise that provides a test-bed for emerging concepts and capabilities in an operationally realistic and rigorous environment. (Spc. Jordan Buck/Army)

When a commander, especially at the brigade level or below, can fuse data from their unit and their allies sensors they can then have accurate targeting information which allows them or another to strike using precision fires, or maneuver to a better position to protect their own troops. And if they can do it at their level, theyre not relying on overtasked or distant commands for the support they need immediately.

The Army conducted a demonstration in 2020 showing it could take imagery from commercial satellites in orbit to Earth, process the data with artificial intelligence, detect threats and deliver targeting data to weapons systems in 20 seconds, Army Times sister publication C4ISRNET reported.

But the Army also has a program using its own cube satellites, three of which were in orbit as of mid-2021 under the Gunsmoke-J program, C4ISRNET reported.

Merging these space capabilities with other assets such as stratospheric, high-altitude balloons and long-endurance, semi-autonomous fixed-wing aircraft can provide redundant and complementary capabilities for the U.S. and its allies in contested environments with limited bandwidth.

By using both mobile ground and aerial platforms, units can also conduct space interdiction fires, such as jamming satellites or interfering with an adversarys use of a space capability, which would disrupt their command and control, navigation, targeting and intelligence collection.

Forward-deployed multidomain task forces, using Army space interdiction forces alongside cyber operations and electronic warfare personnel will find ways to disable, disrupt or degrade the links that connect missile and radar systems, which currently keep U.S. forces at bay. Once those systems are offline, Army and joint units can strike.

However, the forward-deployed part is critical. Having forward-stationed Army space organizations means that those units will conduct continuous operational preparation to help set conditions to defeat enemy layered defenses, such as the Chinese militarys network of naval bases, air bases, ground radar and missile systems that detect and engage targets hundreds of miles from their shores, which will open contested theaters in crisis and conflict.

The vision statement does not include exact timelines, though the Armys acquisition of systems such as the TLS, TITAN, HADES and the Gunsmoke-J and related satellite programs are new, some of which began in 2018. The service created and deployed the key units that will likely coordinate space-based assets, the three multidomain task forces, an effort that also began 2018. A fourth task force is expected to form in the coming years.
The two men are purported to have killed 3,600 birds (Getty Images)

An arrest warrant was issued for a Montana man who failed to show up to an initial court hearing for allegedly killing thousands of birds, including bald and golden eagles.

A second man also charged made his court appearance and has pleaded not guilty.

Simon Paul, 42, did not turn up to his scheduled arraignment on Monday in Missoula, but the other defendant Travis John Branson, 48, was present and was released as the case continues.

The two men, working with other people, allegedly killed around 3,600 birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana between 2015 and 2021, the grand jury indictment said, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Paul and Mr Branson are accused of hunting down the birds and selling eagle feathers, tails, wings and other parts on the black market for significant sums of cash, the indictment stated.

In one instance, it is believed that during one of their hunts, they used a dead deer to lure an eagle, which was then shot.

The two men were indicted on 7 December and have been charged with a combined 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count each of conspiracy and violating wildlife trafficking laws.

Mr Paul was described in the indictment as a shooter and shipper for Mr Branson, according to WRTV.

A message uncovered from Mr Branson to buyers explained he was on a killing spree for eagle tail feathers, the outlet said.

The men could spend five years behind bars for every conspiracy and wildlife trafficking violation.

Trafficking eagles carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and two years for every subsequent offence.

The trafficking of birds was banned under the 1900 Lacey Act to stop people from illegally trading wildlife, fish or plants.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits anyone without a permit from killing and wounding eagles, as well as from taking any part of their nests or eggs.

Bald eagles, the US national symbol, were endangered for a while due to habitat destruction, illegal shooting and contamination of their food source with a pesticide called DDT, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Yet the pesticide was banned by the federal government, and the population bounced back.

While golden eagles did not see the same rapid decline as bald eagles did, the FWS is still concerned about their population, which seems to be potentially declining in the country.
Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181s showing in the rankings of elementary school districts in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report is very impressive, to say the least.

The districts seven elementary schools accounted for half of the top 14 ranked schools in the state.

District 181 Superintendent Hector Garcia said he was elated to hear news about the ranking.

I also recognize the monumental achievement of having all of our schools at an elite level of academic performance and know that this is only possible because of the inspiring work of our staff, administrators, and school board members, as well as the supportive efforts of our parents and the community, he said. This sort of successful partnership in a school district is often hard to find, so we remain energized by the collective commitment of our D181 community and look forward to continuing our improvement efforts.

The ranking of the top 15 schools:

Skinner North Elementary School, Chicago;

Brook Forest School, Oak Brook;

Oak School, Hinsdale;

Joseph Sears, Kenilworth;

The Lane School, Hinsdale;

Prospect School, Clarendon Hills;

Thurgood Marshall Elementary, Rockford;

Walker School, Clarendon Hills;

Madison School, Hinsdale;

Greeley Elementary School, Winnetka;

Meadows Glens School, Naperville;

Meadowbrook School, Northbrook;

Monroe School, Hinsdale;

Elm School, Burr Ridge

Aviston Elementary School, Aviston

U.S. News reported that it analyzed 103,099 pre-K, elementary and middle schools across the country For each state, schools were assessed on their shares of students who were proficient or above proficient in their mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments.

Half of the formula assessed the scores themselves and the other half incorporated the test results in the context of socioeconomic demographics, U.S. News reported. The top-ranked schools are all high-achieving and have succeeded at educating all their students.

Garcia also didnt make anything of the difference in rankings of the districts seven elementary schools.

All of our elementary schools are among the highest-rated schools in Illinois  top .5%  as listed by U.S. News & World Report, he said. We are very proud that the variance in performance between all seven schools is minimal, and no other school district had more than one school rated among the highest-performing schools in the top 15.

The K-8 rankings are based entirely on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. News reported, adding the it does not survey elementary or secondary schools for any of its rankings.

District 181s two middle schools, Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills, ranked 17th and 20th, respectively, in state rankings. While maybe not as impressive on the surface as how the districts elementary schools fared, Garcia said its still noteworthy.

According to this years report, our two middle schools are among the top 1% of middle schools in Illinois and have an even higher rating when selective schools are not included, he said.
A bill seeking to outlaw instruction in Kentuckys public K-12 schools that advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging was filed Monday by a Republican lawmaker.

Senate Bill 93 from Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, would prohibit public school districts, public schools and charter schools from promoting, supporting or maintaining any programs, trainings or activities that advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, or promote or engage in political or social activism.

The bills classification of whats considered political or social activism includes any activity intended to achieve a desired result related to social issues, and social issues, means topics that polarize or divide society among political, ideological, moral or religious beliefs.

Concepts that are considered endorsing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging include teachings that promote the position that a groups or an individuals action in inherently, unconsciously, or implicitly biased on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation, according to the bills language.

Other concepts barred under the bill include any program, policy or activity that advantages or disadvantages an individual group on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation to equalize or increase outcomes, participation, or representation as compared to other individual groups.

Meredith did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

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A handful of states with Republican majorities have passed DEI bills in recent years, but nearly all are aimed at higher education settings, not K-12 schools.

Merediths is the second bill in as many weeks filed by Kentucky Republicans that seek to limit diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, curriculum and policy in public higher education settings across the commonwealth. Senate Bill 6, filed last week by Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, proposes outlawing campus initiatives, policy and curriculum that promotes divisive concepts.

Such concepts outlawed under Wilsons bill include race or sex scapegoating, a belief that some individuals are inherently privileged, or any teachings that suggests all Americans are not created equal, or endorses a violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

Merediths bill, like Wilsons, also appears to seek to ban what are often referred to as diversity statements from students or staff, which is when an individual is asked to write a letter or sign a statement affirming their belief and work toward a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

Merediths bill would also eliminate statutory language requiring that school counselors and school-based mental health service providers take a trauma-informed approach when serving students, and that local school boards develop a plan for implementing a trauma-informed approach in schools.

It would also nix the requirement that school counselors create trauma-informed teams, which serve to identify and assist students whose learning, behavior and relationships have been impacted by trauma.

In current state statute, a trauma-informed approach includes any practice a school takes to foster a safe, stable and understanding learning environment for all students and staff, and ensuring that all students are known well by at least one adult in the school setting.

Course curriculum for school resource officers would also no longer include trauma-informed training, or diversity awareness and bias training, under Merediths bill.

In response to Mondays filing, American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky Executive Director Amber Duke criticized the party in power for prioritizing culture wars over among the myriad other challenges facing Kentuckians.

The provisions in SB 6 and SB 93 are not new. Weve seen them filed in other states as part of an anti-Black, anti-brown, anti-LGBTQ backlash to efforts to ensure all students have educational opportunities, Duke said.

While SB 6 focuses its sights on our college campuses, newly filed SB 93 seeks to remove any training or efforts focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging from our primary schools, (and) also seeks to remove any language related to a trauma-informed approach in Kentucky K-12 schools, she said.

One wonders why lawmakers would strip public school teachers and school counselors of their ability to teach with a trauma-informed approach and promote diversity and inclusion in the classroom, Duke added.

Once again, the only divisive concepts in the commonwealth are those being promoted by the Kentucky General Assembly.

Josh Shoulta, spokesperson for KSBA (the Kentucky School Boards Association), said If the intended objective of SB 93 is, in part, to prohibit potential discrimination, it should be noted that existing local, state and federal policies to which schools must adhere already clearly prohibit discrimination or preferential treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability and religion.

As with any legislation that is so broadly prohibitive, KSBA will monitor the bills movement closely to determine just how much of an impact it will have on a districts local decision-making abilities, Shoulta said.

Jennifer Ginn, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Education, said officials were reviewing the bill but we have no comment at this time.

Fayette County Public Schools did not immediately comment on the bill Monday night.

This story will be updated.
Barry Keoghan has said that becoming a father for the first time while in the middle of shooting Saltburn was the best time of his life.

Keoghan, 31, who stars as the middle-class interloper Oliver Quick in the Emerald Fennell film Saltburn, welcomed his baby son in the summer of 2022 while the cast was filming at Drayton House in Northamptonshire.

In an interview with GQ, Keoghan, who will next be seen in Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air, revealed he was allowed a day off when his son was born.

They gave me a day off, he laughed. Good on them! Day off, and straight on to night shoots and night feedings  boom!

Keoghans then-girlfriend, Alyson Sandro, gave birth to their son named Brando in August.

It was probably the best time of my life, to be quite fair. Havin a baby boy, and leadin a movie. It was the best time of my life, I must say  yeah, the Banshees of Inisherin and Killing of a Sacred Deer actor said.

Shes done a great job and shes an incredible mother, Keoghan said of Sandro, whom he reportedly split from last year.

Seven days free trial for Apple TV+ and this is the disclaimer  new subscribers only. 8.99/month after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Keoghan said that becoming a father has not changed him, but it does affect the choices he now makes, such as how long hes willing to be away on location.

I feel a responsibility. I feel an enormous amount of pressure, which is good, he said.

And I cant get the little boy off my mind. Its beautiful. Yknow, its crazy, but when he looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world. Thats the effect he has on me. He smiles at you and youre like, Wow. Youre smiling at me like that? I dont deserve that, but anyways, thanks.

Sharing the inspiration behind the name Brando, Keoghan said he loves the late Godfather actor Marlon Brando, and thought it was a quite cool first name.

Alyson Sandro and Barry Keoghan at the Oscars in 2023 (Getty Images)

To have Brando in your name  feckin hell, man! Hes got a lot to live up to, that kid, Keoghan said.

But hell live up to it. He has to have that leather jacket and that rock-star attitude, you know what I mean? Hell have a motorbike when hes 12, I think.

Hell have a toothpick [in his mouth] walking around seventh grade, Keoghan joked. Hell probably have a toothpick when I get home!

Aww, God, Keoghan said, imagining what Brando will say to him when he grows up: Dad, youre a s*** actor. You cant do accents.

While Saltburn has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers, Keoghan earnt a Golden Globe nomination for his role, and it seems many are in agreement that the actor has given yet another impressive, if eyebrow-raising, performance.

Barry Keoghan in Saltburn (Amazon Studios)

In Saltburn, Keoghans character Oliver poses as a scholarship student from a working-class background to win the friendship of Jacob Elordis wealthy aristocrat, Felix Catton. Quick joins Catton at his family home, called Saltburn  a large British countryside mansion estate with acres of land  for the summer holidays.

In The Independents four-star review of the film, chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey writes: Barry Keoghan, one of our greatest working weird guys, stars as the canniest of cuckoos in the nest, someone embedded in a family of blue bloods so used to casually manipulating others that theyre utterly defenceless when the tables are turned on them.

At the end of the film, viewers watch Keoghan dancing around the Saltburn mansion in his birthday suit to Sophie Ellis-Bextors Murder on the Dancefloor, moving through the grand country house, between its sprawling staircases and grand hallways.

That moment has been turned into a viral TikTok trend, with many viewers recreating that scene. Meanwhile, Ellis-Bextors 2001 hit has re-entered the charts as a result of the films popularity. Saltburn is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Meanwhile, Masters of the Air, the latest war series from producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, will be released on 26 January, Keoghan stars among an ensemble including Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle and Ncuti Gatwa.
BASTROP, Texas (KXAN)  A teacher with the Bastrop Independent School District resigned after he was arrested in North Texas and charged with online solicitation of a minor, according to the district.

James Austin Byrd, 42, who taught at Cedar Creek High School, was arrested on Dec. 27, according to a North Richland Hills Police Department spokesperson.

In a social media post later on Monday, North Richland Hills PD said Byrd was arrested after he contacted someone who he thought was a 15-year-old girl via Whisper, which is a chat platform. The investigation led to Byrd contacting the teen and agreeing to meet with her in North Richland Hills, according to police.

According to a school letter sent out to parents on Monday, Byrd was a history teacher at the high school. Bastrop ISD learned of Byrds arrest on Dec. 28 and accepted his resignation on Jan. 4.

James Austin Byrd, 42 | North Richland Hills Police Department

Although the criminal investigation does not involve BISD or any of our students and rests with officials in Tarrant County, Bastrop ISD will cooperate fully with law enforcement as needed, the letter said.

The Texas Education Agency told KXAN Byrd is under investigation. Due to the ongoing investigation, the agency said it could not comment further.

Read the full letter from the CCHS principal sent to parents on Monday below:

Dear parents, You are receiving this email today to make you aware of a change in teacher assignment for your childs history class. Beginning today, your childs history class will be taught by a substitute teacher who is certified and experienced in teaching history courses. This placement will continue for the remainder of the school year. On Thursday when we returned from the winter break, your childs former history teacher, James Byrd, was placed on administrative leave after the district learned of Mr. Byrds arrest in Tarrant County on December 28. Per protocol, in addition to placing the teacher on leave, BISD reported him to the State Board for Educator Certification. The District accepted his resignation on January 4, and he is no longer employed by BISD. Although the criminal investigation does not involve BISD or any of our students and rests with officials in Tarrant County, Bastrop ISD will cooperate fully with law enforcement as needed. Please be assured that high-quality teaching and learning in your childs history class will continue uninterrupted for the rest of this semester. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to reach out. Sincerely,

Kasie Stagman

CCHS Principal Kasie Stagman, CCHS principal

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
An Opa-locka police officer whos been in and out of trouble for decisions hes made while in uniform for over a decade, was suspended without pay over a year ago when the state charged him with battery for using his electronic Taser on a fellow cop.

But Tuesday, just before trial was to begin, state prosecutors dropped the charge against Capt. Sergio Perez, whose attorney produced documents showing the alleged victim initially told emergency room doctors that the Taser incident was an accident  contradicting what he told law enforcement.

Perez, 38, said he will seek reinstatement later this week.

We subpoenaed the records and the state fought it, said Perezs attorney Rick Diaz. He said [to doctors] in two instances he was accidentally Tasered.

Diaz said Perez will seek to have Michael Steel de-certified as a law enforcement officer for his lies and he plans on filing lawsuits against Steel for malicious prosecution and Opa-locka for negligent hiring practices. Perez said he hasnt worked during the suspension.

Steel has a track record of malice against co-workers and always aspires to attain power by any means, including filing a false police report, Perez said. They [the state] spent so much time and money on this case and so did we  and it was all a lie.

Steel couldnt be reached for comment Tuesday. State Attorney Spokesman Ed Griffith said his office was recently given a statement that completely changed the complexion of our case.

In that it would no longer be able to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt, due to an inconsistent statement made to a medical provider by the main witness, Griffith said.

The state dropped the case after Diaz received records from urgent care at Baptist Health South Florida that were subpoenaed about a year ago. The records showed, according to Diaz, that less than two hours after the Sept. 2, 2021, Taser incident, Steel showed up and twice told doctors  and later police  that he was struck by a Taser after it was accidentally discharged.

That contradicts a statement Steel made to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to Perezs arrest report. According to the arrest form, Steel told Perez six or seven times, Dont do it, before he was struck from behind. In a sworn statement to FDLE, Steel said he cringed and told investigators Perez said, Come on, Steel, this is for you. Its yours after you take the hit. He said when he sent photos of his bruises by text to his wife, she asked him if he had been shot.

FDLE investigators also determined that Perez  despite his claim  was not a certified trainer for the Taser product.

Anonymous Opa-locka email caused stir

The initial sordid incident was loaded with all the palace intrigue Opa-locka has become known for over the years.

It began with an anonymous encrypted email that was sent to elected leaders, state police, even the state attorneys office. The email claimed the city manager at the time was running the police department and had threatened retaliation against anyone who publicized the allegations. It said Steel and Perez got into a verbal argument and that when Steel walked away, Perez fired the Taser at him, striking him in the backside near his buttocks.

Perez called the story hooey. He said he was in charge of demonstrating the new electronic Taser 7 to staff and that the incident happened when he went into Steels office. At one point, according to Perez, Steel jokingly aimed his Taser at Perez, who pointed and accidentally discharged the velcro tip of the new model Taser, which struck Steel.

Steel was at the hospital within two hours, but the incident wasnt disclosed until a week later, with Steel blaming Perez. Eventually, Perez was demoted, charged in January 2022 and suspended. Steel, meanwhile, was promoted to captain, then acting chief. But by the end of October 2022, he was fired from Opa-locka without explanation.

Perez, who is married and has two children, is no stranger to headlines.

He was fired from Opa-locka in 2015, two years after an investigation determined he chased a vehicle the wrong way down Interstate 95, before the car he was chasing slammed into an SUV, killing four tourists. He would later be reinstated when an arbiter ruled the citys probe into the car accident was flawed.

In November 2022, Perez was charged with a single count of misdemeanor battery after cellphone footage caught him and another Opa-locka officer dragging a mentally ill teen down some steps while his hands and feet were bound. The FDLE said Perez intentionally struck Jafet Castro-Reyes, who was 20 at the time, several times in the head, despite the protests of another officer on the scene. The case is pending.

Last year, Castro-Reyes filed a civil lawsuit in federal court accusing Opa-locka police of entering his home illegally, using excessive force and false imprisonment. The nine-count complaint, which was filed against the city, Perez and another officer, accuses Opa-locka of negligence in training officers to deal with the mentally ill. The case is pending.
Russian authorities have deported and detained thousands of Ukrainian civilians and have held them without charges, trials, or access to legal counsel, the BBC's Russia Service reported on Jan. 8.

Unlike prisoners of war (POWs), there is no mechanism for the release of these detained civilians. Without formal investigations, court proceedings, or release dates, it is impossible to track people in the Russian penal system.

The BBC gathered accounts from people living under Russian occupation who were arrested for failing to support what Russia calls its "special military operation"  the state's official euphemism for the war against Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry responded to inquiries by saying that civilian detainees are "held in accordance with the requirements of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War."

The Geneva Convention's protections for war prisoners apply mainly to military, not civilian captives. The Convention prohibits taking hostages, but does not otherwise discuss the possibility of civilian prisoners.

Current international norms stipulate that detainees must be charged with violating a law and receive a fair trial.

Read also: Russia imprisons two poets for anti-war poetry reading

Polina Murygina, a lawyer who founded the Every Human Being project, an organization which searches for civilians in Russian prisons, said that Ukrainian detainees held in Russia or the occupied territories are seldom charged with a specific administrative or criminal offense.

"Since we are talking about detention, it means that either in the criminal code or in the administrative code there should be an article that 'countering the SVO' (special military operation) is an administrative offense or a criminal offense," she said.

"Then it would give proceduralization to the status of these people, and we as human rights defenders could send a lawyer. But to this I get the answer: 'No, we are not accusing or suspecting them of anything, they are just detained for opposing the SVO.'"

The lack of official designations for these detainees means that people disappear into the system, and it becomes impossible for their relatives to find them, let alone provide them with a lawyer.

Lawyer Maria Eismont said that people held without charges have virtually no access to defense counsel.

"Neither I nor other colleagues have been able to find such people and meet with them, despite the fact that relatives asked to go and there was information about where they were, and every detainee has the right to a lawyer," Eismont said.

The BBC's Russia Service reported that none of the lawyers interviewd throughout the investigation could give an example of a defense lawyer successfully being able to meet with a captured Ukrainain.

"In helping such captives, we faced a legal paradox: it's better if they think of you as a criminal," Murygina said.

Some former detainees reported brutal treatment at the hands of Russian authorities, including torture.

Politico reported in December that Russia deliberately uses Ukrainian POWs to foment unrest in Ukraine and encourage protests against Kyiv. In early January, 230 Ukrainian POWs returned home from captivity in the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia's full-scale war.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Harveys first City Council meeting following residents being boarded up inside their apartments included impassioned public comments, two aldermen escorted out by police and a request for forgiveness by Mayor Christopher Clark.

The action came after viral videos surfaced on social media over the weekend, drawing attention to at least one senior citizen who was boarded up inside his apartment at 14437 S. Halsted St., after city officials told the property managers the building was uninhabitable.

There has got to be some kind of procedure put in place, especially when we are talking about seniors and people that are handicapped, when you are getting ready to shut down a facility, said Mauzkie Ervin, a former Harvey Public Library trustee. There was no sign posted out there saying that this place is being condemned, that everybody was going to have to move.

Harveys elected leaders also expressed frustration.

I am shocked and embarrassed on the incident that happened on 144th and Halsted, said 4th Ward Ald. Tracy Key. Even though I didnt make the call, I didnt make the decisions, even though I wasnt aware, I am still an alderman and that makes me just as responsible too. So I deeply apologize.

One city leader read out the law in an attempt to see if legal action could be taken against the company that boarded up individuals while another alderman blamed the issue on the citys inability to recoup money businesses owe the town in fines, fees and back taxes.

Residents who were still on the grounds Monday said only five units are still occupied. Most residents declined to speak and others were out of their homes when employees of Ultimate Touch Remodeling Co. came to board up the homes.

Rudolph Williams, left, and his nephew James Williams at the boarded-up apartments at 14437 S. Halsted St. in Harvey, on Jan. 8, 2024. Rudolph Williams was inside his apartment when they boarded it up.

But one resident, 73-year-old Rudolph Williams, said he was completely boarded in and the handle on his front screen door was removed while he was resting in his bedroom.

I hadnt even known they was boarding up the window and the doors, Williams said, reenacting pulling open his door to speak to his nephew, James Williams, who had arrived to check on him.

Rudolphs other nephew, Danny Bennett, arrived shortly thereafter and said he offered people boarding up doors on nearby units $30 and a case of beer to take down the planks in front of his uncles home.

The videos posted by Rudolphs family exploded on social media, garnering tens of millions of views across multiple platforms. While many expressed outrage over what they saw in the videos comment sections, Rudolph said he was able to stay even keel through it all.

I was calm about it because I am a veteran. I have been through some stuff, Rudolph Williams said.

The biggest fireworks at Mondays City Council meeting erupted when Clark defended his record, saying while he was frustrated by what happened, the town was $164 million in debt before he came into office. He also said city officials didnt board up the apartments, saying the property managers, Jay Patel and Henry Cho, and the board-up company, Ultimate Touch Remodeling, , are to blame.

Patel and Cho could not be reached Tuesday for comment. Clarence Goodlow with Ultimate Touch said Monday that reports of any residents being boarded up their homes was all lies.

Clark singled out Key and 2nd Ward Ald. Colby Chapman, saying when there are needed changes to city ordinances they are the most frequent no votes.

When I bring the ordinance before you  Tracy Key, Colby Chapman  I wish you would read it. And then after you read it, I wish you would support it, Clark said.

As he spoke, about 60 people in the room, including Key and Chapman, began to stand up, demanding to know why the mayor directly called out two of his colleagues.

Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark speaks with resident Mary Brooks, 66, in her unit at the apartments that were boarded up at 14437 S. Halsted St. on Jan. 8, 2024.

The shouting continued to get louder over the next three minutes. Chapman criticized Clark for making a mockery out of her role by calling her out in front of the television cameras. Clark called her out of order as she continued to speak and banged his gavel.

I do not appreciate being singled out, the two people standing up for this city! Key yelled at Clark.

The room responded with applause and shouts of support. A police officer slowly walked over to Chapman and helped her pack up her things.

This is absolutely out of decorum, Chapman yelled.

Keep walking, Clark replied as the police officer escorted her out of the building. Key walked out on his own accord.

No other votes were held and Clark settled into a 30-minute speech about his faith and asked for forgiveness.

After the meeting, Clark again asked for forgiveness and reiterated the need to review city ordinances to ensure no one in the future is boarded up inside their home.

For the roughly five residents who still live in units at the 144 Halsted apartment complex, city spokesperson Archie Tolar said they will be able to stay put for the short term. But Clark is working with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkles office to try to find a longer term solution, given the city has deemed the building uninhabitable.

I know that the mayor is working with the county as we speak to get them  moved to better living arrangements, Tolar said.

Preckwinkles office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com
A company approved last year to open Elgins first recreational cannabis dispensary only to have its plan end in a lease dispute has returned with a new proposal to set up shop at the Clock Tower Plaza strip mall.

High Haven LLC, a minority- and woman-owned enterprise, presented its new plans to  and won the recommendation of  the Elgin Planning and Zoning Commission Monday, nine months after receiving Elgin City Council approval to open in a storefront on Randall Road.

When the owners werent able to come to terms to finalize the lease agreement  they had to find a new location, Senior Planner Damir Latinovic said at the commission meeting.

High Haven has a signed a lease for a 2,627-square-foot space at National Street and South Grove Avenue in the strip mall anchored by a Butera Market grocery store and owned by Paul and Carol Butera.

Clock Tower Plaza, site of the former Elgin National Watch Co., also includes a Dunkin, Subway, Family Dollar, Rent-A-Center and several other businesses.

Were excited to be able to find another location to propose to the city of Elgin, said Mahjabeen Sulemanjee Bortocek, High Haven founder and CEO. Its our intention to make sure we can quickly get this dispensary up and operational.

Commission Chairman Jay Cox note that the petition submitted for the business is identical to the one previously approved other than for the location.

The lease is contingent on the city granting a rezoning request authorizing a special use for a cannabis dispensary, Latinovic said.

Extensive interior renovations will be made, and the space will include a reception area, office, security vault and delivery area at the rear of the building, he said.

High Haven plans to hire 10 employees and will have two security guards present at all times the dispensary is open. Elgin police signed off on the security plan, Latinovic said.

Sulemanjee Bortocek said under state regulations, security must be provided by a third-party vendor, which is bonded and meets state requirements. The site will have an extensive surveillance camera system producing images that will be reviewed by the company and the Illinois State Police on a regular basis, she said.

The Clock Tower Plaza space has plenty of parking, which had been a concern for the Randall Road location, she said.

When High Haven first approached the Planning and Zoning Commission last spring, neighboring business owners objected to the idea because they feared there was insufficient parking and didnt like the dispensarys proximity to businesses catering to families.

This time around, no objections were made.

High Haven, based in Glenview, has five social equity cannabis licenses from the state, including two for stores the Chicago metro area. It also has dispensaries in Darien and Michigan.

Commission member Steven Migala recused himself from the presentation and the vote. The rezoning and special use request now heads to the Elgin council for final approval.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday issued a final rule that will force companies to treat some workers as employees rather than less expensive independent contractors, in a move that has riled business groups and will likely prompt legal challenges.

The rule is widely expected to increase labor costs for businesses in industries that rely on contract labor or freelancers, such as trucking, manufacturing, healthcare and app-based "gig" services.

Most federal and state labor laws, such as those requiring a minimum wage and overtime pay, apply only to a company's employees. Studies suggest that employees can cost companies up to 30% more than independent contractors.

The rule will require that workers be considered employees rather than contractors when they are "economically dependent" on a company.

It replaces a Trump administration regulation favored by business groups that said workers who own their own businesses or are free to work for competing companies can be treated as contractors.

The new rule adopts a standard that courts have used for years to determine the proper classification of workers. That standard looks at several factors including the degree of control companies exercise over workers and whether the work performed is an integral part of a company's business.

The Labor Department said it does not expect the rule to lead many companies, let alone entire industries, to reclassify workers. But it will enable more effective enforcement against businesses that purposely misclassify workers to save money, the agency said in the rule.

It does not go as far as wage laws in California and other states that place even greater limitations on independent contracting.

Business groups and Republican lawmakers strongly criticized the rule on Tuesday, saying it will cause millions of workers to lose opportunities to earn money and would create confusion that will spur costly litigation.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, said in a statement that he would introduce a resolution to repeal the rule. Cassidy said the rule would bolster labor unions' efforts to increase their membership, as independent contractors and freelancers cannot join unions.

The rule is set to take effect on March 11.

Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su during a call with reporters on Monday said the misclassification of workers as contractors rather than employees particularly harms low-income workers who would benefit the most from legal protections such as a minimum wage and unemployment insurance.

A century of labor protections for working people is premised on the employer-employee relationship, Su said.

Worker advocates and some Democratic officials praised the rule, saying it was necessary to ensure basic protections for workers.

"Worker misclassification also undermines law-abiding businesses that are forced to compete with dishonest employers who use misclassification to unfairly cut down on labor costs," U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia, said in a statement.

But according to some business groups, the rule tips the scales too far in favor of finding that workers are employees rather than contractors, which will deprive millions of workers of flexibility and opportunity.

Making matters worse, the rule is completely unnecessary, as the Department continues to report success in cracking down on bad actors that are misclassifying workers," Marc Freedman, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement. He added that the Chamber, the largest U.S. business group, is considering challenging the rule in court.

POTENTIAL IMPACT ON 'GIG' WORKERS

The Labor Department has said the rule was designed to crack down on industries, including construction and healthcare, where misclassification of workers is common. But its potential impact on app-based delivery and ride-hailing services, whose business models depend on contract "gig" labor, has garnered the most attention.

Chamber of Progress, a trade group that represents tech companies, said the rule could impact gig workers depending on how the Labor Department enforces it. Reclassifying independent contractors as companies' employees would negatively impact an estimated 3.4 million gig workers, resulting in $31 billion in lost income, the group said.

Companies including Uber Technologies and Lyft have expressed concerns about the rule but also have said they do not expect it to lead to their drivers being classified as employees.

Uber, Lyft and DoorDash in separate statements said they did not expect the rule to change the way they do business.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New YorkEditing by Alexia Garamfalvi, Chizu Nomiyama and Matthew Lewis)
The Biden administration will largely undo a Trump-era rule that boosted the rights of medical workers to refuse to perform abortions or other services that conflicted with their religious or moral beliefs.

The final rule released Tuesday partially rescinds the Trump administrations 2019 policy that would have stripped federal funding from health facilities that required workers to provide any service they objected to, such as abortions, contraception, gender-affirming care and sterilization.

The health care conscience protection statutes represent Congresss attempt to strike a balance between maintaining access to health care and honoring religious beliefs and moral convictions, the Department of Health and Human Services said in the rule.

Some doctors, nurses, and hospitals, for example, object for religious or moral reasons to providing or referring for abortions or assisted suicide, among other procedures. Respecting such objections honors liberty and human dignity, the department said.

But at the same time, Health and Human Services said patients also have rights and health needs, sometimes urgent ones. The Department will continue to respect the balance Congress struck, work to ensure individuals understand their conscience rights, and enforce the law.

The move comes as many Republican-led states have enacted abortion bans in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. An increasing number of states have also put limits or bans on gender-affirming care for minors.

There are federal laws in place that allow health care providers to refuse care in certain circumstances based on their religious beliefs. The Trump administrations rule would have dramatically expanded how those laws were interpreted and implemented.

Critics said they would have emboldened health care professionals to discriminate against women, minorities and underserved communities, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.

Protecting conscience rights and ensuring access to health care are critically important, no matter who you are, where you live, who you love, or your faith and conscience. Our office has statutory mandates to protect people across the country and takes this responsibility very seriously, said Melanie Fontes Rainer, director of the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

We are proud of todays rule, which advances conscience protections, access to health care, and puts our health care system on notice that we will enforce the law. As a law enforcement agency, we are committed to this work, Fontes Rainer added.

The Trump administrations 2019 rule was blocked by three federal courts and never took effect after several states, cities and advocacy groups  including New York, California, San Francisco, the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood  sued.

The rule would have allowed doctors, nurses, medical students, pharmacists and other health workers to refuse to provide any procedure to which they objected, including abortions, contraception, gender-affirming care, and HIV and STD services.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, applauded the final policy in a statement.

Its critical that everyone has all the relevant information they need to make informed decisions about their health and families and access to the health care services they need. Todays action from the Biden-Harris administration is an important step in that direction, McGill Johnson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A version of this story originally appeared on Politico Pro on Jan. 8.

The Biden administration is launching a review that could tap the brakes on the booming U.S. natural gas export industry  a move that threatens to pit the president's climate ambitions against his foreign policy agenda.

The outcome of the review could have big implications for the fossil fuel industry, U.S. clout as an energy superpower and the credibility of President Joe Biden's climate pledges  and his reelection hopes in November.

The review being led by the Department of Energy will examine whether regulators should take climate change into account when deciding whether a proposed gas export project meets the national interest, according to two people familiar with the action who were granted anonymity to discuss deliberations that have not yet been publicly acknowledged.

U.S. gas exports have jumped four-fold during the past decade as production has surged, turning the United States into the world's largest natural gas exporter and helping Europe replace Russian shipments after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. But Biden also faces growing pressure from environmental groups to live up to his pledge to transition away from fossil fuels  something the U.S. also promised to do at last month's climate summit in Dubai.

The possibility of slowing or halting that export growth came as good news to environmental groups even as national security hawks warned against disrupting a trade they say serves Americas geopolitical interests. It comes as the Energy Department is weighing whether to issue a permit for a massive gas export plant in Louisiana known as CP2, which green activists have derided as a "carbon bomb."

Roishetta Ozane, the founder of environmental group Vessel Project of Louisiana, welcomed the news that the Biden administration may be rethinking how it determines whether a proposed project is in the public interest. Ozane is among a group of green activists planning to protest next month at the Energy Department headquarters to pressure the administration to change how it evaluates export proposals.

"We're really hoping that DOE will pause any new permits for industry, because we know that the Biden administration really needs a climate win and in order for them to win the 2024 election, said Ozane, whose hometown of Sulphur, La., is within an hour's drive of three LNG plants. If these politicians want to be elected or re-elected in this upcoming presidential election, they're going to have to make some bold choices and some bold moves.

The Department of Energy, which is responsible for issuing the export permits, will reassess whether it is properly accounting for the climate impacts from proposed projects, as well as the national security and the domestic economic consequences, a senior administration official told POLITICO.

People familiar with the review process said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm; Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk; Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary for DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management; White House clean energy adviser John Podesta; and National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi, among others, were involved in the discussions.

The Energy Department will have to determine what it evaluates as part of making this determination on whether to approve a permit to export liquefied national gas, said the administration official, who requested anonymity to speak about the review. The reevaluation comes as more information on LNG's methane emissions, economic impacts and national security implications have become apparent over the past decade and regulators come to grips with gaps in how they weighed the risks associated with the export projects, the official said.

An Energy Department spokesperson did not respond to multiple email queries. Since 2012, the Energy Department has commissioned three studies on the impact of gas exports. Each of those studies focused on the economics of the trade, however, with little to no mention of its climate impact.

But the new review has the potential to rattle administration officials worried about national security implications. Slamming the door on new export capacity could reduce the United States' ability to help Ukraine beat back the ongoing Russian invasion, another person familiar with the administration's review said.

The person, who requested anonymity to discuss the still-unreleased plan, said the State Department was raising concerns that anything that could reduce U.S. natural gas exports could limit U.S. diplomacy.

Any restrictions in new export capacity would be a huge foreign policy liability for the White House, the person added. Anything that smells like an LNG cap may not make it past Biden, given the war in Ukraine.

A State Department spokesperson did not offer comment. But national security experts were quick to point out that without gas exports the White House may have not been able to keep European nations united in support of Ukraine after deliveries of Russian gas to the region shriveled in 2022.

It is now pretty much conventional wisdom that the U.S. LNG industry played a big role helping Europe shift away from Russian gas after the invasion of Ukraine and that helped maintain European solidarity, and in Northeast Asia it's a big part of energy security planning, said Joseph Majkut, director of the energy security and climate change program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

The decades-old Natural Gas Act requires the Energy Department to consider whether a project is in the public interest before granting approval for an application to export natural gas to a country that does not have a free trade agreement with the United States. That export permit is considered a must-have for would-be exporters, who need to raise billions of dollars to build the pipelines and compressors to bring gas to the coast and chill it to minus-259 degrees Fahrenheit to turn it into liquid for transport on ships.

But critics have said DOE has been merely rubber-stamping its approvals. Since it began approving the first export permits in 2012, the department has never rejected any applicant over the public interest requirement even as the U.S. gas export industry grew at breakneck speed, accounting for about 20 percent of U.S. gas production by late 2023. There are currently seven export plants operating in the country with another eight approved but still under construction, according to a government count.

Charlie Riedl, head of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas trade association, said anything that slowed down the approval of new projects could scare away potential customers in allied countries such as Japan and South Korea. He also noted that the DOE's previous reviews had consistently found gas exports benefited the public.

Every time they do a study on this, the results are the same: Natural gas exports are in the public interest, Riedl said. If they decided to study it again, Id expect the results would be the same.

LNG industry executives have championed the fuel as a way to help foreign countries reduce the amount of coal they burn to produce power. Theres enough gas under the ground in Pennsylvania, Texas and other states to support both foreign and domestic markets, they argue.

Democrats have been asking the Biden administration for months to consider how shipping massive amounts of natural gas overseas affects greenhouse gas emissions. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) asked Granholm in a letter last year to review how DOE weighs whether a project is in the public interest.

Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said it was a mistake to ignore the pollution produced by the LNG sector.

From a scientific perspective, when you make decisions you should be weighing the risk and rewards and costs and benefits, and to ignore this cost seems really short sighted, she said.

But Republicans were quick to cite the importance of the LNG shipments in national security. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican whose state is a major natural gas producer, said the administrations timing of a review was concerning.

The fact [is] you have a war in Ukraine, where natural gas to Europe has been used as a weapon, Cramer said in an interview. The Biden administration is always sensitive to what the environmental left is thinking and doing. They ought to tell them to stand down for now.

The green movement has sought to make Venture Global's CP2 project a litmus test of Bidens green credibility. The new plant would ship up to 24 million metric tons of gas overseas from a 546-acre site in Louisiana's Cameron Parish.

The export terminal is also awaiting a verdict from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, whose permission is needed to build interstate pipelines and LNG facilities after it assesses their environmental impact and determines whether the project is needed by the market. The project has faced several delays at the energy regulator for failing to provide enough data to complete its environmental review.

American LNG is the best weapon in our arsenal to quickly displace global coal use and combat climate change, Venture Global spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said.

Catherine Morehouse and Josh Siegel contributed to this report.
One of President Joe Bidens nominees for a U.S. district court seat has withdrawn her nomination, saying it was a personal choice to step back.

Colleen Holland, who Biden nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, told HuffPost on Tuesday that shes bowing out.

I have asked the President not to resubmit my nomination to the Senate, Holland said in a statement. This was a personal decision made after careful consideration.

The news was first reported earlier Tuesday by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Later Tuesday, HuffPost learned that Charnelle Bjelkengren, another one of Bidens judicial nominees, has asked that her nomination be withdrawn.

Bjelkengren, who was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, had been facing intense criticism from Republicans after flubbing some basic questions about the Constitution in her confirmation hearing.

Judge Bjelkengren asked not to be re-nominated, and Senator Murray will be working closely with the Biden Administration on the nomination process to quickly confirm a qualified judge for the Eastern District of Washington, said Amir Avin, a spokesperson for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who had recommended Bjelkengren to the White House for the court seat.

Hollands decision to withdraw her nomination is a bit more unexpected. Biden nominated her in August, after she was recommended to the White House by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Ms. Holland is an accomplished lawyer, with profound integrity and legal intellect, the ability to command a courtroom, and a passion for the preservation of the rule of law that would bring dignity and honor to her post, Schumer said at the time.

However, Holland was never scheduled for a Senate confirmation hearing, and Republicans there would have almost certainly criticized her relative youth and lack of judicial experience. Holland, 39, is a career law clerk, currently serving as senior counsel to the chief judge on the federal court to which she was nominated. She was previously a litigation associate at several law firms based in Rochester, New York.

Neither of those details is disqualifying for being a federal judge, but they would be easy targets for GOP senators eager to sink a Democrat-backed judicial nominee. The Senate judiciary committee, in particular, has become a platform for Republicans to attack Bidens nominees with performative outrage  and then selectively clip video segments from the hearings to share on social media to make it look like they are principled, tough-guy lawmakers.

Schumer said in a Tuesday statement to HuffPost that he will work with the White House to quickly nominate someone new to this court seat.

We respect Ms. Hollands decision and thank her for her continued public service to the Western District as an accomplished lawyer, of profound integrity and legal intellect, Schumer said. We will move expeditiously with the administration to nominate a person for this important judicial position.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden has now watched four of his judicial nominees withdraw from consideration. The other two were Michael Delaney and Jabari Wamble, both in May 2023.

Biden just watched two more of his judicial nominees withdraw from consideration.

Biden just watched two more of his judicial nominees withdraw from consideration.

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor and judicial nominations expert, said it was unfortunate that Holland withdrew her nomination.

She seemed like a well-qualified, experienced nominee who had worked closely with [Western District of New York] Chief Judge Elizabeth Wolford for a number of years and had much experience before that at well-respected law firms, said Tobias, citing Hollands work with Nixon Peabody LLP in particular.

However, the hyper-partisan nature of the confirmation process can make excellent candidates reluctant to be involved, he said.

Tobias gave the example of Senate Republicans, in late December, returning 19 of Bidens strong judicial nominees to the White House without any explanation.

The GOPs move, an entirely partisan effort to delay action on any of Bidens court picks, meant that the White House had to renominate those people all over again at the start of 2024 and now has to quickly usher them through the Senate process again.

Five of those 19 nominees werent even renominated, Holland being one of them and Bjelkengren being another. The other three are in limbo. The White House could renominate them later, or not.

Now that its a presidential election year, the clock is ticking on Senate Democrats for confirming Bidens judges at all. Senators will be increasingly pivoting to their reelection campaigns or helping Biden with his, meaning less time in the Senate and less time to confirm judges before the country votes to elect the next president.

Schumer and fellow New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand are going to have to move expeditiously to put forward new candidates to replace Holland if they want any chance at filling this court seat, Tobias said.

Related...
By Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden does not plan to fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after his failure to disclose his hospitalization last week, officials said on Monday, as the Pentagon revealed a second hospital stay that was kept from the White House.

Biden's administration attempted to quiet a political furor that has erupted following revelations over the past several days that Biden did not know his defense secretary was in the hospital for several days, although Austin's role means that he is supposed to be available at a moment's notice in the case of a national security emergency.

Some prominent Republicans, including Donald Trump, called for Austin to be removed from his job.

But the Pentagon said the retired four-star general had no plans to resign and the White House said Biden was not seeking to remove him. Austin remains at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center near Washington D.C., where he was taken by ambulance on New Year's Day and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for reasons that are unclear.

The Pentagon said that Austin was carrying on with business, even as he remains hospitalized. He had calls on Monday with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, General Erik Kurilla, who heads U.S. troops in the Middle East, and other senior national security leaders.

"There is no plan for anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job," John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, told reporters on Air Force One on Monday.

Former President Trump, who is Biden's likely Republican challenger in the 2024 election, said Austin should be fired for his "improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty."

"He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was, or might be," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Austin, who is 70, sits just below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the U.S. military, and his duties require him being available to respond to any national security crisis.

That includes always being ready to enter secure communications with other officials in the event of an incoming nuclear attack, something that would be difficult to do from an ICU bed.

Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, disclosed that Austin had also been admitted to Walter Reed on Dec. 22 for an overnight stay for a still-undisclosed elective medical procedure that required him to transfer certain authority to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks. Ryder said the White House also was not informed of that hospitalization.

"There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him," Elise Stefanik, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell was asked about Austin's nondisclosure and told reporters: "It was certainly a shock to everyone." He ignored repeated questions about whether Austin should resign.

'LACK OF DISCLOSURE MUST NOT HAPPEN AGAIN'

The Pentagon said that Austin spoke with Democratic Senator Jack Reed, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, over the weekend.

In a statement on Monday, Reed said he was concerned "that vital chain-of-command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care."

"This lack of disclosure must never happen again. I am tracking the situation closely and the Department of Defense is well aware of my interest in any and all relevant information," Reed added.

Officials disclosed on Sunday that Austin's deputy Hicks was among the long list of people who were kept in the dark for days about his most recent hospitalization.

Hicks assumed some of Austin's operational duties on Jan. 2, while she was on vacation in Puerto Rico. But Hicks was only told why Austin was unavailable on Jan. 4, the Pentagon said.

That is the same day that Biden and other senior White House officials learned Austin had been hospitalized since Jan. 1.

The list of outstanding questions about Austin's hospitalization is long, and includes what Austin is being treated for at Walter Reed, whether he was ever unconscious and whether he broke any laws about notifications to the White House or Congress.

The Pentagon said Austin was doing well and had resumed full duties, but could not say whether he may be under heavy pain medication or whether he was taking medication at all. It has not shared his formal medical prognosis or said definitively whether these two hospitalizations are the only ones that were withheld from public disclosure.

Ryder said he did not know what elective medical procedure Austin had sought in December or details about his specific medication condition. Kirby also said he did not have that information, but that Biden and Austin had talked in recent days.

"It is not something that we can speak to," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about Austin's illness, adding that the president had spoken to him on Saturday.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Phil Stewart, Patricia Zengerle, Andrea Shalal, Idrees Ali and David Morgan; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Heather Timmons and Phil Stewart; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Rosalba O'Brien)
Colleen Holland, a career law clerk, has asked the White House to withdraw her nomination to be a federal trial judge in the Western District of New York.

In a statement Tuesday, Holland cited personal reasons for requesting the White House not re-nominate her.

I have asked the President not to resubmit my nomination to the Senate. This was a personal decision made after careful consideration, Holland wrote in a statement.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that he respected the decision and thanked her for her service.

We respect Ms. Hollands decision and thank her for her continued public service to the Western District as an accomplished lawyer, of profound integrity and legal intellect. We will move expeditiously with the administration to nominate a person for this important judicial position, the statement read.

At the time of the announcement, Holland was 39 years old, which is younger than most nominees to the federal bench. A hearing for Hollands nomination had not been scheduled yet.

Holland has served as special counsel to the chief judge of the Western District of New York since 2021. Before that, she was a career law clerk for the same judge since 2018. She also worked as an associate at several law firms.

Biden nominated Holland and three others in August, reportedly upon Schumers recommendation, saying they were all extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden did not find out about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins prostate cancer diagnosis until Tuesday morning, days after an undisclosed hospitalization was made public that Biden was also unaware of.



The White House briefed reporters on the matter just after a Pentagon briefing that revealed Austins cancer diagnosis earlier in the day.

The president didnt know about the diagnosis until this morning, national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Austin acknowledged that he failed to notify Biden for multiple days that he was hospitalized following complications from what officials are still calling an elective medical procedure that was later revealed to be related to prostate cancer.

Kirby added that nobody at the White House knew that secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning and that Biden was informed by chief of staff Jeff Zients immediately after we were informed.

The secretary underwent surgery in an initial Dec. 22 hospital visit and released the next morning, the Pentagon revealed Tuesday. The cancer was detected during a routinely recommended health screening Austin had in early December.

Austin returned to the hospital following complications on Jan. 1, but Biden was unaware of his hospitalization until Jan. 4. The Pentagon informed the public that Austin was at Walter Reed Medical Center on Jan. 5. Austins duties were delegated to his duties for the first few days he was in the hospital.

Tuesday, however, marked the first time that Austins prostate cancer diagnosis was revealed to the public  and to the president in what some are calling an extraordinary breach of protocol.

His first reaction was  we all want to with him the very best, Kirby said about Bidens response to Austins diagnosis. Sadly, this is a disease that affects many millions of American men.

Were all gonna learn a whole heck of a lot of lessons from this past week, Kirby said, adding later that it was not good to have had Austins hospitalization and diagnosis kept from the president.

The White House has said Biden isnt considering firing Austin despite mounting criticism, including from some Republicans who have called for Austin to step down. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday reiterated that the White House appreciates that Austin has taken responsibility for the lack of transparency about the hospitalization.

The White House has said Biden spoke with Austin on Saturday and the president wished him well. Kirby on Monday said that though Biden has spoken with Austin, he didnt know how much the president knew of his condition and Tuesdays news reveals that Austin did not tell Biden of his cancer diagnosis during that call.

I dont know the details of that conversation, and I dont know the level of the Presidents personal knowledge of his medical situation, Kirby told reporters.

The White House announced on Tuesday it is launching a review of protocols for how Cabinet officials delegate authority.

Zients in a memo to Cabinet secretaries said agencies would be required to notify the Office of Cabinet Affairs and the White House chief of staff in the event they need to delegate their duties when traveling to areas with limited communication, during a hospitalization, or when undergoing a medical procedure requiring anesthesia.

Updated 4:06 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Glenview police are asking for the publics help after a 82-year-old man injured in a Dec. 23 car crash in the north suburb died in hospital on Monday.

On Jan. 8, the driver of the vehicle, Jagan Mohan, 82, of Glenview, was pronounced deceased at Lutheran General Hospital, where he had remained since the accident, police said in a release. They said the cause of the accident is still under investigation by Glenview police with assistance from the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force Major Crash Assistance Team.

The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force Major Crash Assistance Team, is the major crash assistance team, called out to major crash investigations, police said Monday.

On Dec. 23, at about 1:40 a.m. Glenview police responded to East Lake Avenue and Evergreen Court, for a report of a single vehicle traffic accident, according to the release. It said the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2023 Cadillac sedan driven by Mohan was traveling west bound on East Lake Avenue when it crossed over the east bound lanes, left the roadway and struck a tree.

Mohan, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was transported to Lutheran General Hospital by the Glenview Fire Department where he was admitted in stable but critical condition, the release said. It asked anyone with information regarding the fatal incident to contact the Glenview Police Tip Line at 847-901-6055.
With Joe Biden as the incumbent candidate, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson dont have much support behind them.

With Joe Biden as the incumbent candidate, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson dont have much support behind them.

Its only Tuesday, and two of President Joe Bidens challengers are already having the worst campaign week ever.

Democratic presidential hopefuls Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Marianne Williamson took part in a primary debate Monday night in a downtown Manchester ballroom in New Hampshire. But some in the crowd didnt appear old enough to vote, with Politico reporting that it featured seventh graders.

Joe Biden should have been right here with us, Phillips said during the debate. He is taking the Granite State for granted, he is taking this election for granted, and he is taking every single one of you and this entire country for granted.

The no-shows continued Tuesday when zero people showed up for a campaign event hosted by Phillips in New Hampshire.

Phillips arrived at the DoubleTree hotel for an event called Coffee Conversations, according to NBC News, where he was supposed to talk and drink coffee with voters. With no voters there, Phillips instead poured coffee for staffers.

Sometimes if you build it, they dont come, Dean Phillips told reporters outside of the Manchester DoubleTree hotel this morning, after no voters showed up to his Government Repair Truck Coffee Conversations event in 22 degree weather. pic.twitter.com/x0lpVcRSnb  jake rosen (@JakeMRosen) January 9, 2024

With Biden as the incumbent candidate, Phillips and Williamson dont have much support or buzz behind them. Williamson ran in 2020 and gained national attention for her remarks during debates, including the time she said her priority as president would be to call the prime minister of New Zealand.

My first call is to the prime minister of New Zealand, who said that her goal is to make New Zealand the place where its the best place in the world for a child to grow up, Williamson said during a 2019 debate. I would tell her, Girlfriend, you are so on!

Related...
State lawmakers convened Monday for the first day of the 2024 legislative session with an opening ceremony followed by the passage of three bills.

Legislators will have a short 60-day window to pass a supplemental budget and any policy bills and address (or not) six initiatives that could have a major impact on certain laws they have passed in recent years.

The House session opened with a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, before a prayer was read by Rabbi Seth Goldstein from Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia.

Squaxin Island Tribal members also sang a traditional song and offered a blessing during the opening ceremony in the House. Kris Klabsch Peters, Council Chairman for the Squaxin Island Tribe, spoke to House members.

Newest House member Rep. Greg Nance, D-Bainbridge Island, was then welcomed with a standing ovation by other House members. Nance was appointed to his seat in the 23rd Legislative District in 2023 after former Rep. Drew Hanson was appointed to the Senate to fill an empty seat.

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, then delivered a speech to House members, with recognition of the global context of this moment. She noted the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia leading to attacks on Jewish, Muslim and Islamic communities.

We will continue to fight antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, anti-Asian hate, anti-Blackness and the other social ills that put the safety and prosperity of Washingtonians at risk, Jinkins said.

The House Speaker added that she was optimistic and determined about the next 60 days.

Jinkins referenced victories from the 2023 legislative session such as several bipartisan housing bills that passed with broad support from both chambers, but noted that more needs to be done to address the need for more affordable housing.

She also noted the need for more affordable childcare in the state.

Our economy may be strong, but therere also too many families out there who are struggling to find childcare, and even if they do find it, they cant afford it, Jinkins said. The childcare crisis is bad for both workers and employers in Washington because even though our economy is creating good-paying jobs, without access to childcare, too many qualified workers cant fill those jobs. Thats bad news for the workforce shortages that were already grappling with.

Housing and childcare are integral to keeping Washingtons economy strong, she said.

Jinkins said lawmakers will continue to tackle behavioral health issues, including expanding access to services. She said she is particularly excited about a new behavioral health teaching hospital through the University of Washington, set to open in June, because it will increase available beds and be a boon to the behavioral health workforce.

Additionally, the Speaker said opioid and fentanyl education will be addressed this session, as will expanding access to treatment and recovery support for addiction.

Tribal communities have been the most severely impacted by fentanyl, she said, but noted that Tribes are leading the way with model programs that remove barriers to treatment, and wed be wise to listen to their voices and learn from their approach.

Although Jinkins was optimistic about the upcoming session, House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, was critical of the Democrats approach.

Despite everything Washington has going for it, Im afraid that we are confronting a catalog of crises here in Washington state. In too many ways the state seems to be going in the wrong direction, Stokesbary said.

He added that the state has the fourth highest rate of homelessness, a high cost of living and at one point over the summer had the highest gas prices in the country. He also noted the high sales tax rate as well as the high rate of deaths from fentanyl.

We must fix these crises. We must fix Washington, said Stokesbary.

He then highlighted some pieces of legislation he believes would make a difference, such as House Bill 1363, which would reinstate vehicular pursuit laws. The bill has broad bipartisan support.

Stokesbary also highlighted legislation that would enhance the penalties for fentanyl distribution to reduce the flow of drugs into communities, as well as legislation that would allow Washington State Patrol to fight sophisticated drug rings.

Its not just drugs and public safety that are our concern, but so is the affordability in Washington, he said.

High taxes, he said, have driven up the cost of living. He also noted that housing and transportation cost significantly more in Washington than other states. Additionally, the states Climate Commitment Act has increased gas prices, he said.

Stokesbary echoed the Speakers concerns about the need for more affordable childcare in the state, and described some of the issues public education is facing, such as lagging test scores in certain subjects.

Over the next 60 days I hope that we have the honesty to admit when were wrong, and the humility to be willing to try new approaches, Stokesbary said. Meanwhile we must avoid hubris and think that good intentions are a sufficient condition for good policies.

House passes three bills during first day

Lawmakers also brought back three bills from the 2023 legislative session during the opening floor session and passed them before adjourning for the day.

Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, introduced House Bill 1012, which addresses responses to extreme weather events. She said that the legislation helps local jurisdictions help the most vulnerable in their communities.

The bill directs the Military Department to develop and implement an Extreme Weather Response Grant Program for the purpose of assisting political subdivisions and federally recognized tribes with the costs of responding to community needs during periods of extremely hot or cold weather, or in situations of severe poor air quality from wildfire smoke.

Republican Rep. Mike Volz from Spokane spoke against the bill, saying it lacked specificity and didnt give enough parameters.

The bill passed by a vote of 68-30.

A bill to eliminate child marriage in Washington state then passed the House unanimously.

Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsored House Bill 1455, which prohibits courts or anyone else acting on behalf of a minor from consenting to marriage for those under the age of 18, she said. Ten other states including Connecticut, New York, and Michigan have all outlawed the practice.

This is important because young people who are married before they are legal adults do not have access to the full range of legal services, counseling, therapy, financial support they might need if they were in a coercive and abusive relationship, Stonier said.

Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, also spoke in support of the bill.

We believe there are some elements of life that a child is not capable of entering into, or deciding about, on his or her own, Walsh said.

He said the bill acknowledges that minor children cannot consent to all of lifes choices.

Lawmakers passed one other bill before adjourning.

Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, sponsored House Bill 1245 that allows lot splitting for single residential lots while prohibiting cities from regulating certain aspects of split lots.

Barkis said thats important because we have the need for additional available lots to increase the supply of housing.

Combined with a bill to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and a bill to increase middle housing, both passed last year, Barkis described the lot-splitting bill as the sweet spot.

Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, said that although much work was done last year for housing, theres still more to do. He said that Barkis bill will help housing on the supply side, which is one of the three legs of the stool to support building housing stock as well as find avenues for affordable housing.

The bill passed the House 94-4.

All three bills will now head to the Senate for consideration.

On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee will deliver the State of the State at 11:45 a.m.

The Legislature will adjourn March 7.
MADISON - Under a new bill, local governments would dedicate a point person to seek out and share information about refugee resettlement plans in their communities, in order to ensure elected officials and residents are informed and able to weigh in.

The bill was authored and led by representatives based in the Chippewa Valley, including Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, where an unelected official recently made an offer for a resettlement agency to open an office, said Rep. Karen Hurd, R-Falls Creek.

Her hope is to get local entities of government, such as county boards, city councils and school boards, involved in the resettlement process earlier, so they're able to weigh in about the resources available to refugees.

The bill would also require a panel of designees from the county in which the settlement is proposed to issue a report, hold a public forum and then take a vote on whether the local government should pass a resolution regarding its position on the refugee placement.

More: A year after evacuating, Afghans in Wisconsin must ask to stay in the U.S. permanently. Here's how corporate attorneys are helping

"You had to include the elected officials, and they weren't included and that's what really caused the whole situation to blow up," Hurd said.

In Eau Claire, World Relief, a humanitarian organization, announced in the fall its plan to open an office and resettle up to 75 people, according to reporting from WEAU 13. But residents concerned about what that could mean for their communities tried to halt the plan. Local elected officials were not informed about the agency coming to town, and therefore were unable to answer questions during the backlash.

Hurd said the legislation's goal is to stop that from happening again.

"We're not against people. We love people. You know how we are in Wisconsin. We love everybody. I'd give the shirt off my back for anybody, we're all like that. But we just have to let the local government officials know, that's all we're talking about," Hurd said.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) in a Jan. 4 letter to the Bureau of Refugee Programs supported similar measures.

Tiffany said many communities have felt in the past that refugee resettlement plans "are simply a foregone conclusion," with no space for people to weigh in. He raised concerns about prior criminal histories of refugees, strain on local school systems, housing and health services.

The most recent refugees Wisconsin has received were from Afghanistan in 2021, following on the heels of the U.S. pulling its forces out of the country, and allowing the Taliban to once again take control.

Thousands of people with ties to the U.S. were brought over from Afghanistan, along with activists, and educators, among others. First, they were held at Fort McCoy in central Wisconsin, while paperwork was put together and communities and resources could be found for housing.

Though many of the refugees who passed through Fort McCoy or many of the other military bases around the country were not settled in Wisconsin, a number of people were placed in communities such as Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau.

"In the wake of the community's experience with Afghan evacuees, some Wisconsinites have also raised questions about the ability of new arrivals to adapt to basic American social norms and values, and about how state and local officials plan to address this very real challenge," Tiffany wrote.

Mary Flynn, a refugee resettlement program manager for Lutheran Social Services in the Milwaukee area, said there's a strict process that goes into resettling people in the United States. People are given background checks and have to apply for a rigorous asylum program. By the time they're settled in a new community, they're ready to start their new lives.

Typically, the settling agency makes contact with local health departments, and schools to ensure they're prepared for the new arrivals. But government officials aren't always notified, she said.

More: They fought for education in Afghanistan. Now in Milwaukee, these 9 young women hope to achieve the dreams they nearly lost

"I think that there is a general knowledge that refugees are being resettled in the area, and we don't specifically reach out to the elected officials of an area," Flynn said. "A refugee resettlement agency is required to have what's called a quarterly consultation. And we invite the local officials of any given resettlement area to those quarterly consultations and they have an opportunity to hear about what's going on and how we try to work together to make it a smooth process."

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bill seeks to involve local officials in refugee resettlements
A Kentucky lawmaker wants voters to choose who sits on the state's board of education  a stark departure from the current process where the governor appoints most of its members.

Senate Bill 8 was introduced by Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, this week.

Each governor since KERA was implemented over three decades ago has leveraged, and some might say abused, their gubernatorial power with the Kentucky Board of Education," Wilson said in a news release. Its time we returned the power to the residents of the commonwealth.

KDE spokesman Joe Ragusa said the board had no comment on the bill at this time.

According to Wilson, board members wield great authority in Kentucky, controlling almost half of the state budget, and an election system would "create a board that truly has the educational best interest of Kentucky kids in mind.

The Kentucky Board of Education is the governing body of Kentucky's public school system, developing policies and regulations for 171 districts across the commonwealth.

The board also selects the Kentucky Education commissioner  a position that came under GOP scrutiny last year when then-Commissioner Jason Glass defended optional guidance that encouraged teachers to not misgender their students.

Resolutions pushing the Kentucky Board of Education to fire him were filed in both the House and the Senate last year. Glass resigned last July.

The Kentucky Board of Education has 15 members, 11 of whom are appointed by the governor and vote. The other members, the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet and a high school student and active elementary or secondary school teacher, serve as non-voting members.

The bill would only change how voting members of the board are selected.

Here's how the proposed elections would work

Currently, the governor appoints 11 board members  seven members who represent the Supreme Court districts and four who represent the state at large.

Under this bill, two members would be elected from each of the seven Supreme Court districts across Kentucky - creating a 14-voting member body.

'Hadley's Law': Bill calls for rape, incest exceptions to Kentucky abortion ban

These board member would have a four-year term, as is already the case under the current process.

Requirements to be a board member would remain the same  such as being at least 30 years old and a Kentucky resident for at least three years  only with the added caveat that they could not have served on a local school board for at least four years.

If passed, the bill would take effect 2026.

Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Kentuckys Gov. Andy Beshear delivers the annual State of the Commonwealth address in the Kentucky Capitol of Frankfort. Jan. 3, 2024

The Senate on the first day of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly in Frankfort. Jan. 2, 2024

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Education Board members would elected under Senate Bill 8
Improvements to protect homes from flood damage would be eligible for up to $10,000 in state matching grants if bills filed last week are enacted during the upcoming session of the Florida Legislature.

The bills would expand the number of home improvement projects that currently qualify for matching grants under the My Safe Florida Home program.

The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Jonathan Martin, a Lee County Republican, would extend grant eligibility to costs of elevating homes and installing backflow valves, flood vents, and utility flood barriers.

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A similar House bill filed by Rep. Lindsay Cross, a Pinellas County Democrat, is calling for grants to be used for flood barriers, improvements to site drainage, utility protections and flood openings.

The two sponsors, both from Southwest Florida, are seeking to reduce impacts from future storms after witnessing widespread flooding damage during Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and Hurricane Idalia last August, an aide to Cross said Monday.

Hurricane Ian caused a 10- to 15-foot storm surge in Fort Myers Beach, destroying more than 5,000 homes in Lee County and damaging nearly 30,000 more.

Hurricane Idalias storm surge caused flood damage to 1,500 homes in Pinellas County as it traveled through the Gulf of Mexico to Floridas Big Bend area, the aide said.

Many of those homeowners had no flood insurance and received no money to make repairs. Typical property insurance policies in Florida do not cover damage from rising waters.

While not as vulnerable to storm surge as the southwest coast, homes in Southeast Florida can also be damaged by flooding as proven on April 12, when more than 25 inches of rain fell on Fort Lauderdale in 12 hours.

Scientists project more frequent flooding to properties on and near Floridas coastline as climate change raises water levels over coming decades.

Flood mitigation grants would be available to owners of single-family homes and townhomes that are subject to inundation during a 1-in-100-year flood event, based on floodplain studies or computations by federal, state or local authorities.

Eligible homes must undergo inspections to identify needed improvements. They must have a current flood insurance policy, be in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System, and be eligible for a discounted flood insurance rate.

The Senate version of the bill would also limit eligibility to homes permitted for construction before Jan. 1, 1982. The House version has no such requirement.

Both bills call for increasing the amount of money earmarked for the program for the 2024-25 budget year from the $107 million requested by Gov. DeSantis to $205 million. Of that, $5 million would cover administrative costs.

The My Safe Florida Home program opened to applicants in November 2022. Since then, more than 40,000 homeowners applied for the matching grants, which offers up to $10,000 for such projects like impact windows and doors, reinforced garage doors and new roofs with roof-deck attachments, roof-to-wall connections, and secondary water barriers.

So far, the Legislature has approved $401 million to fund the program, which provides homeowners $2 for every $1 they spend on improvements.

But the program stopped accepting applications in September while it waits to see if more money is approved during the upcoming session. As of Dec. 14, 23,023 grants have been allocated, according to a spokesman for the Department of Financial Services, which runs the program. Homeowners have a year after their grants are approved to get their projects completed and inspected.

The flood mitigation bills arent the only proposals to expand the My Safe Florida Home program. Another bill, filed in December, would make condominiums eligible for program grants as well.

For the flood mitigation bills, floodplain experts were consulted to develop the list of qualifying improvements, Cross aide said.

If the bills move through legislative committees, the list of eligible projects in the Senate bill will likely be fine-tuned to match the list in the House bill, the aide said.

For example, the Senate bills proposed eligibility for elevating homes will likely be dropped because such a project would far exceed $15,000.

That would leave:

Flood barriers  Structures erected temporarily against openings to prevent water intrusion. They could be made of steel or even inflatable tubes.

Improvements to site drainage  Anything that helps water exit property, such as swales or pipes.

Utility protections  Typically these would be three-inch to six-inch concrete walls built to prevent water from inundating outdoor air conditioning and heating units.

Flood openings  Holes are created to help water flow through flood-prone parts of a home, including a garage, or space under elevated homes.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
Temperatures plummeted on what may be the coldest morning of the season, bringing freeze warnings and frost advisories to the Southland Tuesday.

KTLAs Carlos Herrera was in Santa Clarita, where the thermometer behind him read 32 degrees at 5:33 a.m.

Temperatures could dip even further before the morning hours come to an end in the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, as well as the Inland Empire.

Riverside, youre getting a cold blast, KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said.

Check your forecast on KTLAs weather page

Some areas are 15 to 20 degrees cooler than they were over the weekend.

Parts of the Antelope Valley could fall into the upper teens on Tuesday morning.

Monday night's low temperatures are seen in a map provided by the National Weather Service.

As of 6:20 a.m., the temperature had fallen to 25 degrees near Apollo Community Regional Park in Lancaster. Other temperatures included 33 degrees in Chino, Ontario 36, Irvine 35, Seal Beach 44, Van Nuys 37, Simi Valley 32, and Los Angeles/USC 46.

The below-average temperatures are the result of a cold storm that moved through the region over the weekend, bringing snow to our local mountains.

The cold air is pulling down from the north, Henry said, also predicting that it would stick around the rest of the week.

Freeze warnings and frost advisories are in place for most areas of the Southland through at least 9 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The cold temperatures will put pets and crops at risk. Residents were urged to adjust their schedule to avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day, which is typically the early morning hours.

El Nino not living up to billing in California so far

The Homeless Services Authority has activated its winter shelter program, providing hundreds of beds across Los Angeles County. More information can be found here.

There is also a chance of light rain overnight Wednesday into Thursday. The majority of the impact will be mountain snow, according to Henry.

The Southwest California forecast is seen in an image provided by the National Weather Service.

Travelers were urged to bring winter emergency supplies in case of road closures or delays.

There is a chance the Grapevine/Tejon Pass areas could see about an inch of snow, potentially resulting in road closures.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The first significant snowfall of the winter season and for 2024 provided enough packing snow to roll snowballs into snow people at Frosty Fest on Saturday at Viking Park in Gurnee.

Snow flurries were consistent with temperatures ranging at 32 degrees when the Saturday midday Gurnee Park District event began.

Amenities included hot cocoa, smores-making, craft tables and horse-drawn sleigh rides.

Youre looking at a timed indoor fluorescent snowball fight with plush toy snowballs. Center, standing in front of the mirror and in orange yellow citrus coat is Patricia Calhoun of Gurnee. Calhoun just witnessed, my grandson having a blast doing an indoor snowball fight. I think its adorable. Calhouns grandson is named Michael, 8, also from Gurnee. Taken at Frosty Fest in Gurnee on Jan. 6, 2024 at Viking Park.

Katrina Block of Mundelein took a sleigh ride with children Annabelle, 7, and Lilyann, 9. The line for carriage rides moved quickly with several carriages available.

We love horses and we love snow, so were glad, Block said.

Also offered were bumper car rides, a timed indoor snowball fight using plush snowballs in black light, interactive ice sculptures and photo opportunities with Frosty, plus Anna and Elsa, characters from the renowned Frozen movie.

It was Elsa from Frozen, who ordered the picture perfect snowy weather, said Mary Lester of McHenry, who identified herself as the director of fun. She also serves as the Park Districts supervisor of community programming and events.

Susie Kuruvilla, the Park Districts executive editor, agreed with Lester about Elsas magic.

We will give the credit to Elsa, yes, said Kuruvilla, who also acknowledged staff and volunteers for their outstanding teamwork and contributions.

We didnt have snow until today, and I think its just kind of like the icing on the cake in a way, she said. I see smiling faces everywhere. The children are happy, parents are happy. The community loves it. Its a good way to end the holidays and start the New Year.

Frosty Fest has been a community tradition in various forms for more than a decade, with this year accommodating 650 people, Lester said, with 13 Warren Township High School District 121 students volunteering.

From left, Gurnee Mayor Thomas B. Hood unwraps chocolate to help make a smores treat for an excited Gian Go, 3, of Beach Park at Frosty Fest in Gurnee on Jan. 6, 2024 at Viking Park.

Sue McDougle, the Park Districts manager of recreation and facility services, said, I think its a wonderful opportunity for families to come and enjoy our beautiful park and the outdoors in winter, with lots of fun activities.

Frosty Fest was to many Lake County families a grand finale to winter break, with school starting for 2024 after the snowy weekend.

Gurnee Mayor Thomas B. Hood, who attended with spouse Pam, said Frosty Fest was like, the last hurrah of winter break.

The residents just love it, he said.

Riding the bumper cars are Mundelein siblings, from left, Annabelle Block, 7, and Lilyann Block, 9, at Frosty Fest in Gurnee on Jan. 6, 2024 at Viking Park.

The village of Gurnee partners with the Park District on Frosty Fest. Community sponsors staffed tables and offered giveaways. The Warren-Newport Public Library brought its Bookmobile.

Mark and Theresa Go of Beach Park, their children Allen, 9, Mark, 12, and Gian, 3, reside in a Beach Park neighborhood served by Gurnee schools.

This is very nice, Theresa Go said.

Looking at the sleigh ride horse pair, are, from left, Katrina Block of Mundelein and children Annabelle, 7, and Lilyann, 9, at Frosty Fest in Gurnee on Jan. 6, 2024 at Viking Park.

Community feedback to Frosty Fest included Patricia Calhoun of Gurnee who had just witnessed, my grandson having a blast doing an indoor snowball fight. I think its adorable.

I was trying to figure out, how are they having an indoor snowball fight? Thats a great idea, very creative, said Calhoun, whose grandson Michael, 8, is also from Gurnee.

Nathan Bush-Druml, 11, of McHenry, had never done an indoor snowball fight until Saturday.

Indoor, its a lot more, like, packed because everyones closer together, unlike outdoor where its a lot farther apart and its a lot easier, he said.

But the indoor snowball fight was worth doing for those of all ages, Nathan said, being especially user-friendly for younger children.
Senator Bob Menendez has accused the federal government of a smear campaign to persecute him in the public eye over the corruption charges he is facing in court.

Mr Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, is accused of participating in bribery schemes and using his political influence to aid the Egyptian and Qatari governments.

The senator was initially indicted alongside his wife in September for allegedly participating in a scheme connected to the Egyptian government, but has since faced two superseding indictments in October and earlier this month relating to a scheme involving Qatar. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday, Mr Menendez questioned his two most recent charges, arguing that all of the information in the superseding indictments was available to the Justice Department since the beginning of the process.

Why did the government not proceed with all of these accusations from the beginning? he asked. The answer is clear to me. By filing three indictments  it allows the government to keep the sensational story in the press. It poisons the jury pool and it seeks to convict me in the court of public opinion.

The United States attorneys office is engaged not in a prosecution but a persecution, Mr Menendez added. They seek a victory, not justice.

Senator Bob Menendez has accused the federal government of a smear campaign to persecute him (AP)

He also claimed that sensationalized allegations have created rising calls for his resignation despite my innocence, and before a single piece of evidence has even been introduced in a court of law.

Mr Menendez, who had corruption charges against him dropped after a 2017 mistrial, was accused last autumn of being an unregistered foreign agent of Egypt and accepting gifts  including gold bars  while serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A superseding indictment filed last week, which broadens the timeline of the bribery scheme, alleges Mr Menendez accepted gifts from Fred Daibes, a co-defendant and New Jersey businessman, in exchange for his assistance in securing millions of dollars from an investment fund with ties to the Qatar government.

Mr Menendez allegedly accepted luxury watches, a gold bar and cash, in exchange for introducing Mr Daibes to a member of the Qatari royal family, who was also a principal of the Qatari Investment Company, as well as publicly making positive statements about Qatar.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Mr Menendez accepted the gifts knowing that Mr Daibes expected him to induce the Qatari Investment Company to invest with Dabies which included taking action favorable to the Government of Qatar.

The superseding indictment also alleges a Qatari official provided a relative of Mr Menendezs wife, Nadine Menendez, tickets to the 2023 Formula One Grand Prix  at the request of the New Jersey senator.

Mr Menendez and his wife have also been accused of attempting to cover up the bribery scheme, as well as trying to repay more than $20k worth of bribe money under the guise of loans. The couple allegedly used the money to pay for a Mercedes-Benz and home mortgage payments.

So far, Mr Menendez and the four co-defendants have pled not guilty to the charges.

In his Senate speech, he reiterated his innocence, saying: There is no evidence of the giving or receiving of cash and gold bars.

In fact, there has been and will be at trial a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues, a truth that proves I am entirely innocent of the charges.

Growing emotional, he added: After 50 years of public service, this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee. But I have never violated the public trust. I have been a patriot for and of my country.

Nadine Menendez with her husband in 2022 (AP)

Since the allegations arose, at least four Democrats, including Rep Andy Kim and New Jersy First Lady Tammy Murphy, have announced campaigns to unseat Mr Menendez, whose seat is up for re-election this year, while the majority of Democrats have supported calls for the Senator to resign.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters last week that Mr Menendezs behavior as reported in these indictments is way below the standard of a senator, and its deeply disappointing and disturbing to me.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has supported expelling Mr Menendez from Congress, introducing legislation late last year that would kick the New Jersy senator off his committees and deny him access to classified information.

On Tuesday, Mr Menendez said he was alarmed by such attempts to unseat him.

I am, however, alarmed that the greatest and most ardent defenders of the Constitution in this body are among the most vociferous in calling for my resignation, he said. They would deny me due process and undermine the fundamental principle of our law that in America you are innocent until proven otherwise by a jury of your peers.

Members of the Senate are not above the law, he added. They are not beneath it, either.
Gary Police and investigators from the Lake County Prosecutors Homicide Task Force are investigating the Sunday evening death of a 20-year-old Gary man

Gary Police spokesman Cmdr. Sam Roberts said in an email that Gary officers were initially responding around 6:41 p.m. Jan. 7 in the 2700 block of W. 19th Avenue when they were told the drive may have been shot. They arrived and found an overturned silver Dodge Avenger on the lawn of the Boys & Girls Club, its driver deceased, Roberts said.

Officers then located shell casings a few blocks away, Roberts said.

Anyone with information is asked to call (219) 755-3855.

Earlier in the weekend, a thief learned a hard lesson when another thief stole his bounty.

At around 2:38 p.m. Saturday, officers were sent to the 600 block of Jackson Street for a reported robbery and spoke to a 35-year-old Gary man who told them he was shoplifting from the Family Dollar Store, 500 W. 5th Ave., Roberts said. He told police a store employee confronted him, but he ended up getting away.

Moments later, an acquaintance of the man drove up to him and demanded at gun point the items so he could return then to the store, Roberts said. The man gave the second man the items, at which point the second man stole his coat and cellphone before fleeing in a tan Chevy Impala, Roberts said.

In a separate incident, a woman was robbed Friday night at a GoLo gas station, located at 3479 Georgia St.

Officers were sent to the station around 6 p.m. to speak 29-year-old woman from Rockville, Illinois, who told police she was robbed of her cell phone

The woman told officers that she was at the station in a car with a man she knew, when he grabbed her and began choking her. She reported feeling dizzy and told police that she was pulled out of the vehicle and the man took her phone.

The robbery cases are being investigated by Det. David Umbarger at (219) 881-1210.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation positively identified the body of a woman found Friday afternoon in a drainage ditch in the 3000 block of Harding Highway East in Marion County.

Through fingerprint analysis, the victim has been identified as 40-year-old Darcy Hooper of South Fulton, Tennessee.

Hoopers decomposed body was found lying partially submerged in a drainage ditch. The remains were partially decomposed and could not be immediately identified, according to a news release from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

The victims body was sent to the Lucas County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and assistance with identification.

Providing mutual assistance were Ohio BCI, First Consolidated Fire Department, the Marion County Coroners Office and the Marion County Prosecutors Office, according to the release.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with any information pertaining to the matter may contact Capt. Ken Rittenour of the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 740-382-8244.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Authorities identify body found in Marion County as Tennessee woman
REEDLEY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A fourth body was located Tuesday morning at the home next door to where three bodies were originally found on Saturday, according to the Reedley Police Department.

The body was discovered after Reedley Police served a search warrant along with the Clovis Police SWAT team at the home around 3:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

A giving person: Family mourns loved one in Reedley triple homicide

Reedley Police Chief Joe Garza said the body is that of a white male adult, possibly in his 40s. Garza could not confirm if it was the body of the missing at-risk adult 43-year-old Matthew Bonds. He says the search for Matthew continues at this moment.

Two other search warrants were served Tuesday morning as well, in connection with the triple homicide investigation: one in Selma and one in Parlier. Chief Joe Garza says the search warrant in Selma located evidence and vehicles linked to the ongoing investigation; the search warrant in Parlier also located new evidence and found a vehicle connected with the investigation.

Three people who were found inside the home in Reedley were also detained, police say: a female adult, a male adult and a male juvenile.

The investigation follows the discovery on Saturday on the 1100 block of South Church Avenue in Reedley. Two of the victims were identified by police were 81-year-old Billy Bonds and 44-year-old Guadalupe Bonds. Both were living at the home at the time of the incident. The third victim found at the home has not yet been officially identified. A cause of death for the three victims has not been released.

The third victim found at the home has not yet been officially identified. A cause of death for the three victims has not been released.

Officers initially found two of the bodies in the backyard after a family member called, claiming they saw signs of a burglary. The third body was found a short time later.

Chief Joe Garza has asked residents of Reedley to stay vigilant.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com.
The Boise police officer who shot a 25-year-old man in 2022 was justified and responded commendably, according to a report from the citys newest Office of Police Accountability director.

Jonathan Manee, of Boise, pulled a handgun on Boise Police Cpl. Cody Evans after he tried to persuade Manee, who was stalling traffic on busy Fairview Avenue, to move to the sidewalk, the report said. Evans shot Manee once and fired a second shot that missed. Manee survived the shooting.

In this instance, the officer responded commendably to an event that evolved rapidly, said Nicole McKay, Office of Police Accountability director, in the report released Monday.

The report, released almost two years after the Feb. 22, 2022, incident, said Evans responded to a 911 call about a man on Fairview Avenue between North Liberty and North Hartman streets. On the scene, Evans tried to encourage Manee to get to the sidewalk, but as he tried to guide him out of the street, the report said, Manee became agitated and punched Evans.

Manee then pulled out a loaded .22-caliber Ruger SR22 pistol while he was a few feet from Evans, the report said. Evans immediately drew his gun and fired two shots. One of them hit Manee in the upper torso, and he fell. The second struck a vehicle going through the intersection, the report said. No one in the car was injured.

Jonathan Manee, 25, was shot by a Boise police officer in 2022, after he pulled a loaded gun on the officer. The citys Office of Police Accountability found that the officer did everything correctly in the incident.

Officers gave Manee medical aid until medical personnel arrived on scene, the report said. Manee survived his injuries, and he was later sentenced to 25 years in prison with the possibility of parole in 15, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Cpl. Evans handled the call in a professional manner, McKay said in the report. Cpl. Evans was respectful and calm as he offered solutions for Mr. Manee to move out of traffic and address the stalled vehicle. Mr. Manee refused reasonable requests to resolve a threat to his and the publics safety and became agitated.

Evans tried to deescalate the situation by talking to Manee, the report said.

Despite these efforts, Mr. Manee became aggressive and moved forward towards Cpl. Evans as he attempted to back away, McKay said.

A Critical Incident Task Force, by the Ada County Sheriffs Office, and a Boise Police Department internal-affairs report found Evans was justified in the shooting. The accountability office agreed.

Given the imminent nature of the threat of being shot, less-than-lethal force options, such as a taser or pepper spray, were not appropriate or reasonable for the officer to use in this situation, McKay said in the report.

In an interview with the Statesman in October 2023, Police Chief Ron Winegar said the incident was a textbook example of how an officer should respond in a situation like that.

Evans was on paid administrative leave immediately after the shooting. Haley Williams, spokesperson for Boise police, said he has since returned to work.

The investigation took two years because of a backlog in the office after the Boise City Council fired former director Jesus Jara in December 2022 and because the office needed to wait for the conclusion of the Critical Incident Task Force and internal-affairs reports, said Maria Weeg, spokesperson for the city.

The report released Monday was McKays first investigative report as director since she was appointed in August. She was the former chief of staff and chief deputy under former Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden.

Reporter Alex Brizee contributed.

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In Jacumba Hot Springs, California, it's relatively easy to cross the border.

A hole in a barrier fence near the U.S.-Mexico border has made the remote town east of San Diego a popular destination for migrants coming into the U.S. illegally.

Mexican National Guard rushed to the wall when a CBS News crew approached.

"I've never seen that before," said Sam Schultz, a longtime resident of the area.



Mexico's National Guard has been on high alert since American officials last week pressured their Mexican counterparts to help tamp down illegal crossings. So far, it's made an impact.

Daily apprehensions across the southern border have fallen by over 50% since hitting a record high in December, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

But migrants could still be seen gathering in the Jacumba Hot Springs area by the dozens.

"USA safe to people," a man who traveled from Turkey told CBS News. "Just living good life. I just want that."

Many of the migrants passing through the area first come to Mexico via Tijuana International Airport. From there, people then journey by bus to open areas of the border. Often led by smugglers, they then cross illegally on foot.

With suitcases and passports in hand, they wait to be apprehended by U.S. authorities on the other side.



This method of entry is often easier and quicker than obtaining an immigration visa, and it gives people time in the U.S. while they wait for their immigration court cases to be decided  which often takes years.

But Schultz, who helps provide food and other goods to migrants in the area, says the recently empty tents won't stay that way for long.



"There's a pent-up dam of demand to come across," he said. The dam is going to break. All we can do, you know, is just be ready for the next deluge to come, because it's gonna come."

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Boston Police are seeking the publics help in identifying a person of interest in connection with a weekend armed robbery that occurred in Roxbury.

The armed robbery by knife occurred at approximately 1:59 p.m. Sunday in the area of 450 Melnea Cass Boulevard, police said.

Police described the suspect as a Black male who was wearing a red winter hat with fur on the front, a red plaid scarf, black jacket, black pants, and black shoes.

The suspect crossed the parking lot and went down Williams Street and made a right onto Washington Street, police said.

Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police detectives at 617-343-4275.

Community members wishing to assist investigators anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Boston Police said investigators will guard and protect the identities of tipsters who come forward with any information.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
The bottled water industry has pushed back against recent findings from Columbia University that its product contains hundreds of thousands of potentially dangerous nanoplastics  plastic particles small enough to get into human cells.

In a statement to The Hill, an industry trade association urged people to keep calm (and keep drinking bottled water) while scientists develop a more thorough understanding of these plastics and their impact on the human body.

Media reports about these particles in drinking water do nothing more than unnecessarily scare consumers, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) said.

The IBWA was responding to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that found there are nearly 250,000 nanoplastic particles in an average bottle of water.

The researchers determined this by using lasers to identify plastic particles smaller than those that had been detectible before. These findings extended scientists ability to identify plastic fragments to the previously uncharted nano-scale  made of fragments measurable in billionths of a meter, or the approximate size of a virus.

The IBWA pointed to the fact these methods were novel  and the field of nanoplastics toxicology is in its infancy  to caution consumers against paying too much attention to the findings.

There currently is both a lack of standardized methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of nano- and microplastic particles, it wrote.

The IBWA pointed to findings by the World Health Organization (WHO) that found evidence was too sparse to draw firm conclusions on the health impacts of nanoplastics in the environment  and identified the nano-scale as a particularly urgent priority.

In the IBWAs account, these WHO findings meant less cause for concern. The health organization found that due to that scarcity of research, no adverse health effects could be drawn from the eating or drinking foods and beverages contaminated with micro and nanoplastics, the trade association said.

It also pointed to studies that had failed to find a clear threshold for what constituted safe microplastics or nanoplastics exposure, and an op-ed by a German government chemist that urged scientists and ideally journalists [to] have a critical look on applied methods before trusting in the results of studies.

It was, however, this same lack of information pointed to by these sources about the level of nanoplastics humans are consuming and whether they are harmful that the PNAS study itself sought to help solve.

A truism of science also holds that absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence.

As such, the WHO reports caveat about limited data concludes with a host of warnings about potential harms from nano- and microplastics (NMP) pollution.

The WHO raised concerns about both the direct effects of such pollution on the human body, and the possibility that toxic microorganisms can form biofilms on plastic particles, and ride them into the body to cause wider inflammation and infection.

The possibility of enrichment of antimicrobial-resistance genes in MP-associated biofilms and the role of NMP as vectors for pathogens and chemicals should be studied further, the WHO wrote.

In calling for more research, the WHO was emphatic it considered plastic pollution to be a serious problem that is made worse, not better, by the lack of evidence  and one that the global public increasingly wants to see fixed.

Although the limited data provide little evidence that NMP have adverse effects in humans, there is increasing public awareness and an overwhelming consensus among all stakeholders that plastics do not belong in the environment, the WHO wrote.

On one key point, however, the IBWA, the WHO, the Columbia team and other scientific sources were in agreement: that bottled water was far from the only source of plastics pollution entering human bodies.

Barbara Ossmann, the German government scientist, cautioned in her editorial that micro- and nanoplastics were being found in water not because they are necessarily more prevalent there, but because their level in water is comparatively easy to study.

The PNAS study, for instance, identified the nanoplastics that had been gathered by pouring bottled water through an extremely fine filter and using its laser imaging tools on the millions of fragments the researchers trapped  something that is far more difficult to do with a hamburger or a pound of human tissue.

The IBWA argued the bottled water industry is at an unfair disadvantage when it comes to this study.

Precisely because the bottled water industrys product is so easy to check for nanoplastics, the trade association argues consumers may be getting the incorrect perception that potentially toxic compounds are more prevalent there than elsewhere.

Bottled water is just one of thousands of food and beverage products packaged in plastic containers, the IBWA wrote.

Moreover, and perhaps even more important, nano- and microplastic particles are found in all aspects of our environment  soil, air, and water.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Breeze Airways will begin flying nonstop between the Triangle and San Diego this spring, becoming the only airline to serve whats considered one of RDUs top unserved destinations.

Breeze, which offers flights to a dozen places from RDU including Los Angeles, will also begin flying nonstop to Westchester County Airport in suburban New York City. Westchester becomes the fifth New York-area airport served by nonstop service from RDU, after LaGuardia, Kennedy, Newark and Islip on Long Island.

The San Diego flight begins April 30 and will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Westchester flights begin May 3 and operate Mondays and Fridays.

Neither flight is considered seasonal, meaning they wont end on Labor Day, said spokesman Gareth Edmondson-Jones. Breeze builds its schedule around leisure travelers, so its possible the airline will suspend the service during low-demand months such as September or January, Edmondson-Jones wrote in an email.

RDU President Michael Landguth described San Diego as the top unserved nonstop destination from the Triangle when Frontier Airlines began flying the route twice a week in 2018. Frontier suspended the service a little more than a year later, saying it would consider resuming the flights in 2020. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, upending the airline business, and no airline has flown between RDU and San Diego since.

San Diego becomes the fourth nonstop destination on the West Coast, after Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. RDU considered the city an important destination for business travelers before the pandemic. But in announcing the new flight Tuesday, Breeze president Tom Doxey described southern California as one of the countrys most popular summer destinations with great food, beautiful beaches and popular family attractions.

Breeze is a 3-year-old low-cost airline that has built its business on flying routes other carriers dont. It made its debut at RDU last winter with flights to three destinations and has quickly expanded. On Feb. 2, Breeze becomes the first airline to fly between RDU and Akron-Canton in at least 20 years.
Update: The storm brought tornadoes to the Florida Panhandle and caused major damage there, but Brevard was spared any damage Tuesday night.

Forecasters warn of downed tree limbs, power outages and extremely dangerous boating conditions in lakes, rivers and near-shore waters as this year's nastiest storm so far hits the Space Coast.

Here's the upshot of what to expect in the next few days, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Could Brevard see tornadoes?

Yes. An isolated tornado or two (possibly strong, with winds up to 70 mph), cloud to ground lightening and small hail. Most winds will be 25 to 50 mph. A gale warning is in effect until 4 a.m. Wednesday, from Flagler Beach to Jupiter Inlet.

A lone beach walker heads south from 2nd Light Beach at Patrick Space Force Base Tuesday morning, leaving footprints in the sand that were erased by the wind moments later. Rough seas and balmy weather preceded storms expected across the state, with high-hazard flags warning beachgoers at lifeguard stations along the coast.

When will it start?

The storms could begin impacting Brevard after 5 p.m. Tuesday, although a wind advisory will be in effect for Brevard from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, weather officials reported.

Severe storm threatens Space Coast with intense winds, rains

How high will the seas be?

For the most part, 5 to 7 feet today in coastal Brevard, Volusia, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, including strong rip currents.

What will those counties experience beachside?

Localized beach erosion and dangerous swimming conditions. Swimmers should remain out of the water due to large breaking waves and dangerous surfs.

There is high rip-current risk through Wednesday morning and a high surf advisory from 7 p.m. Tuesday to7 a.m. Wednesday.

What else can we expect from those winds and seas?

Hazardous seas that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.

Until 7 p.m. Tuesday, gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, including tree limbs getting blown down and a resulting power outages.

How much rain should Brevard expect?

One to 2 inches.

What about waterspouts?

They are possible across inland lakes, the intracoastal waters and the local Atlantic waters as the storm moves through, so marine interests should remain vigilant.

What can you do?

Prepare for travel delays around the afternoon commute. Secure loose objects in your yard, and consider alternative evening plans. Be mindful of storms after dark.

What can we expect in the days ahead?

Poor to hazardous boating conditions will gradually improve on Wednesday. But another system is expected to lead to worsening boating conditions for the upcoming weekend.

Another frontal system arriving Friday will bring "increasing chances for scattered to numerous lightning storms across east central Florida," the weather service said. "Current guidance indicates the front will stall across the peninsula, leading to isolated to scattered thunderstorms chances through Saturday."

Where'd this all come from?

A sprawling line of storms this week that included reports of tornadoes in the Panhandle near Panama City along with one that crossed Interstate 10, according to the National Weather Service on Tuesday.

The system is part of a cold front moving from the Gulf of Mexico and a low pressure system.

Is state government doing anything?

Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida National Guard late Tuesday and said the state was closely monitoring the storm line.

Jim Waymer is an environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on X (Twitter): @JWayEnviro

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard braces for risk from tornadoes, hail and rough seas
Just three days after the third anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, a Hammond man who plead guilty to his role in the days events has been released from prison.

Kash Lee Kelly, 34, of Hammond, posted a couple photos of himself on Facebook and shared a short video message about his return to the region.

I just want to let everybody know this is the official real Facebook. Im out. Im free. Ill be seeing you all very soon. Love you all. God bless. Unite dont fight, Kelly said in a 16 second video posted to his new Facebook account.

FILE  In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump scale the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Another post had more than 130 comments less than an hour after it went online with commenters welcoming him home and wishing him and his family well.

I just want to say thank you to all of you who supported me through my journey. I love and appreciate all of you and cant wait to tell you all about the crazy ride its been. I love you all. #unitedontfight, Kelly wrote.

Kelly was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. In exchange for pleading guilty on Nov. 10, 2022 to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building, the other charges were dropped. Kelly was sentenced to 60 days of incarceration and $500 in restitution.

FILE  Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Kelly is one of more than 890 individuals convicted of actions related to the Jan. 6 insurrection. More than 1,200 Americans have been criminally charged for their alleged actions during the riot, according to the Justice Department.

On Jan. 9, 2021, the FBI received two anonymous tips that Kelly breached the U.S. Capitol Building, including multiple photos he posted of himself on Facebook scaling the walls of the building and posing with a monument inside the United States Capitol Building, according to court documents.

The day we let the Traitors who constantly push the divide in OUR country know that we are done playing their games. All ppl of all colors came together today and I couldnt be more proud to be an AMERICAN, said a caption with the screenshot of Kelly inside the Capitol with the statue.

Kellys case was complicated by the fact he was in prison on federal charges in an unrelated drug case as his charges stemming from Jan. 6 made its way through the court system. Kelly was serving a four-year sentence on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana during his time as a member of the Latin Kings. He was also required to serve three years of supervised release in the matter. He was first indicted in the matter in February 2015.

At the time of his sentencing on the drug charges, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nozick said it was disheartening and disappointing that Kelly broke into the Capitol. His participation in the Capitol riots sentencing more difficult after his cooperation in the drug case, U.S. District Judge Philip Simon said at the time.

Simon at the time said it was breathtaking that Kelly would think its a good idea to travel to Washington about a month before his sentencing hearing.

Kelly at the time said it was wrong of him to take the photo in the capitol, but it was not wrong for him to be there.

An account seeking to raise $5,000 to help Kelly get back on his feet was launched so he can get some income to get back to work and share the truth while being an independent journalist and social media influencer, had raised $350 of its goal.

During an May 2022 interview with the Post-Tribune from a Washington, D.C., jail, Kelly said, Today, I still dont believe that the election was fair. I still feel the same way, just not as extreme, I guess. If there was some kind of conspiracy and there was something going on, I dont think Joe Biden had anything to do with it.

The U.S. Marshals Services Northern Indiana office did not return a request for comment.

Daily Southtown reporter Alexandra Kukulka contributed.

cnapoleon@chicagotribune.com
Police have a long way to go to make necessary changes, Gavin Stephens told The Guardian.

The head of Britains police chiefs council called policing institutionally racist, and he admits police reform progress has been slow.

Gavin Stephens, who chairs the National Police Chiefs Council, told The Guardian some leaders in Britain have been slow to make changes and says Black Brits shouldnt suffer disproportionate use of force from constables.

But his remarks come after a report last year that called police institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. Some of Britains most significant forces refused to accept the reports conclusion, though others agreed.

Gavin Stephens (left), who heads the National Police Chiefs Council, called policing in Britain institutionally racist. Above he and then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson visit Surrey Police headquarters in 2021. (Photo: Yui Mok  Pool/Getty Images)

Stephens was asked to clarify whether his view personally was that police are institutionally racist, The Guardian reported, and he replied Yes. He said he agrees with the reports conclusion.

The problems that we need to solve across policing are at the institutional level, he noted, and they need institutional changes.

Black people havent been involved in shaping police policies and procedures, and as a consequence of that, we get disproportionate outcomes in places where there shouldnt be disproportionate outcomes, Stephens said. The most helpful discussion for policing to have in the future is how we redesign the policies, the practices, the implementation, of policing to remove that discrimination.

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George Floyds 2020 murder in America and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests prompted the council to prepare a race action plan that showed the depth of racial issues in policing. The Guardian reported the plans first version, released in 2022, said that Black people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people and five times more likely to be subjected to the use of force  10% of our recorded searches, 27% of use-of-force incidents and 35% of Taser incidents involved someone from a Black ethnic group. The latest estimates suggest that only 3.5% of the population is Black.

Stephens, in the interview, pointed to some progress, though he said its been slow.

Id be the first to accept that we havent made progress at the rate that we would want to, he told The Guardian. To get acceptance of the scale of that challenge took longer than wed anticipated.

Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter.

The post Britains police chiefs head calls forces institutionally racist appeared first on TheGrio.
A British surgeon who led an emergency medical team in central Gaza says the situation at Al-Aqsa hospital has been beyond any doubt the worst thing hes seen in his career, as Jordans monarch warned Israels bombardment was creating an entire generation of orphans.

Theres been multiple traumatic amputations of children  horrific burns, the likes of which Ive never seen before, Dr. Nick Maynard told CNNs Isa Soares on Monday after his team found themselves with no choice but to withdraw from the hospital, following increased Israeli military activity.

He said that often there is no pain relief to give to these patients at all, underscoring the dire humanitarian situation and lack of medical supplies in the Palestinian enclave following more than three months of Israeli bombardment.

I think its fair to say Ive never seen anything like this. And I never expect that in my life I would see such an appalling situation, said Maynard, who was speaking from the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday after leaving Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly said it is not targeting civilians. The IDF has also said that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields for its attacks on Israel, and that attacking those targets are essential as it works to eliminate Hamas from the enclave.

Israel has also said some hospitals are being used as command centers but has provided limited evidence to support that claim.

The IDFs operations are contentious, with humanitarian organizations warning that a growing number of medical facilities across Gaza are rendered unable to provide basic services.

Ive been going to Gaza for nearly 15 years now, I have many friends who work in hospitals there. There are many examples of hospitals being attacked. In the last two days since I left Al-Aqsa hospital, there have been attacks on the hospital, Maynard told CNN.

The British surgeon had been in Gaza for two weeks, an experience he described as frightening, saying his team pulled out as the conflict came closer.

An injured Palestinian child taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza for treatment on December 23, 2023. - Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images/File

There was an attack on the intensive care unit, he said. We were due to leave it about that time anyways but the following morning, the whole area was taken out of the de-confliction (zone), and we were told by the Israeli Defense Forces that we would not be able to go.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli military for comment but is yet to hear back.

The doctor said his organization, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), and Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), were both operating at the hospital but both sets of foreign doctors had to leave.

MAP and the emergency medical team of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) announced their withdrawal from the Al-Aqsa Hospital on Sunday citing increasing Israeli military activity in the area.

As Maynard and his team left Gaza for their safety, he fears that there are not enough staff to run the hospital in any form at all now.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned Sunday that Al-Aqsa hospital was the most important hospital remaining in central Gaza. He demanded that medical staff and their families be protected, adding the facility must remain functional.

An entire generation of orphans

Israels bombardment of Gaza began after Hamas launched its brutal October 7 assault in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians were killed and more than 200 people taken hostage.

Since then, about one out of every 100 people in Gaza has been killed, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, which generates its data from hospitals in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

At least 23,084 Palestinians have been killed and 58,926 others injured in Gaza since October 7, the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Monday. The Ministry of Health in Ramallah said that more than 5,300 of the dead are women and more than 9,000 were children.

CNN is not able to independently verify numbers released by the two ministries.

A separate statistic released by the international organization Save the Children said more than 10 children on average have lost one or both of their legs every day in Gaza since October.

A wounded teen carried into Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli attacks on Deir al-Balah in Gaza on January 4, 2024. - Ali Jadallah/Anadolu/Getty Images

Israels military campaign has sparked an international outcry with a growing number of nations backing calls for a ceasefire.

The United States has been pressuring Israeli officials in the last several weeks to do more to protect civilians and implement more strategic strikes but has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire.

As deaths continue to climb, the conflict in Gaza has created an entire generation of orphans, King Abdullah II of Jordan said in a speech on Monday.

More children have died in Gaza than in all other conflicts around the world this past year, Abdullah said according to the speech which was carried on state media. Of those who have survived, many have lost one or both parents  an entire generation of orphans.

Abdullahs made his remarks during a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwandas capital, according to Jordans Petra news agency.

How can indiscriminate aggression and shelling bring peace? How can they guarantee security, when they build on hatred? Abdullah asked.

Without a just peace, on the basis of the two-state solution, the world will continue to pay a heavy price for failing to resolve this conflict, and we will never know true peace and stability in the Middle East, he warned.

The speech in Rwanda came after Abdullah of Jordan met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Sunday, where the two agreed to continue close coordination for sustained humanitarian assistance in Gaza, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Sunday.

Abdullah also warned Blinken of the catastrophic consequences of the continuing war in Gaza, according to a palace statement released after their meeting.

CNNs Ivana Kottasova, Kareem Khadder and Richard Allen Greene contributed reporting.

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MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN)  On June 12, 2023, Jessica Francis received a call that would forever change her life when she learned her sister had died from an accidental overdose.

It was hard for me to believe it. You dont want to believe that your sister is dead. At the time I was like, She didnt overdose. She had a stroke, or something happened. It wasnt an overdose, Francis said. My sister didnt do fentanyl, so thats not at all what I thought it was.

Brittany Workman had been dead for a few hours when she was found that morning. However, Francis said she later learned that there had been multiple people with her sister before she died, and none of them called 911 to seek help.

Tennessee lawmaker proposes death penalty for rape of a child

I spend most of my days trying to figure out what can I do to bring her justice, Francis said. The people that were there, nobodys been arrested, nobodys been questioned, theres just nothing happening, so Im trying every day to make sure that her death is not in vain.

Brittany Workman (Courtesy: Jessica Francis)

Francis spent months waiting to see if anything could be done after contacting everyone from her local district attorney to her state representative. Then, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, Francis got another call that she said brought tears to her eyes.

Her sisters story has since materialized into a piece of legislation known as Brittanys Law that will be up for debate during the 113th General Assembly. Brittanys Law would make it a Class B misdemeanor to not seek medical assistance for someone experiencing an overdose, meaning anyone who doesnt seek aid could face up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $500.

The old Good Samaritan laws that we have in place that protect people who render help to people in a car accident or something like that, its basically the same kind of principle, said Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka). If you are aware of somebody whos going through an overdose situation and theyre lying there incapacitated, call 911 and get help for the person.

Click here for complete coverage of Tennessees Opioid Crisis.

Tennessee law already provides people who seek medical assistance during an overdose immunity from prosecution in most situations, but Cepicky, who introduced the bill, said he believes it needs to be taken a step further to address a substance abuse problem that is rampant in Tennessee right now.

Brittany Workman (Courtesy: Jessica Francis)

According to the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Health, a total of 3,814 Tennesseans died of drug overdoses in 2021  a 26% increase from 2020. A large portion of those deaths were linked to opioids like fentanyl, which can be lethal even at very small doses.

With Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, becoming more widely available, Francis said she feels there should be no reason for someone to not try to help someone who appears to be experiencing an overdose  something Cepicky reiterated when he recalled hearing Workmans story.

The other people in the room didnt offer any help. They basically sat there and continued on with their lives and watched her die, he said. There were multiple people in the room that couldve done it. If they would have just called 911, her sister would still be here.

In addition to possible jail time or a fine, part of the proposed punishment for not seeking help would be mandated participation in a substance abuse treatment program, should the sentencing court decide that is necessary.

Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom

Cepicky said he sees that aspect of the bill as a way to help resolve some of the issues with substance abuse in the state as some of the people who would be impacted by this legislation may be struggling with substance abuse themselves.

So, trying to urge people that Hey if you do make a mistake, there is another way to turn your life around, thats why we put that part in there, to be able to get them help, he said.

The bill also makes an exception for people who did not seek medical assistance because they believed someone else had already called 911 or sought help. While the bill still has to make its way through the Tennessee General Assembly, Francis said she believes it could save lives.

After her sisters death, Francis connected with several other families who had lost loved ones to accidental overdoses and said she realized that its very common for people to not seek help in situations similar to what her sister experienced.

Brittany Workman and her sister, Jessica Francis (Courtesy: Jessica Francis)

When theres not a law against it, why are they going to? Theyre not going to have any repercussions from it, she said. So thats what prompted me to say, Hey, lets try to change some things. I want my sisters death to be not in vain. I want it to help save other peoples lives.

New laws that took effect in Tennessee on Jan. 1, 2024

Despite her struggles with addiction, Francis said her sister had a heart of gold. She shared a close bond with Workman, helping her raise her four children and enjoying her funny, loving personality. If she loved you, she loved you till the very end, Francis said.

Its that human side of addiction that Francis said she hopes other people recognize when hearing her sisters story. Being in addiction or using drugs doesnt make you a bad person. It just means that youre in a rough time in your life and thats the only option that you know, she said.

Even though its too late for her sister, Francis said she hopes Brittanys Law can impact other families in similar situations and prompt more people to seek help when seconds matter. She plans to testify in support of the bill as it makes its way through the legislative process.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

If we can save one life, its worth running the bill, Cepicky said. And hopefully word will get out, and the animosity that people may have in that type of situation from rendering help to people may be overcome by this bill, and therefore people will look more on their fellow man or woman to save their lives, and we can keep some like Brittany around.

Hundreds of bills will be up for debate during the General Assembly. Tennessee lawmakers shared their thoughts on some of the major issues up for discussion at this years legislative session.

You can also find daily coverage from the session here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Broward Sheriffs Office detectives are looking for help in solving the death of a woman whose body was found on Floridas Turnpike on Christmas eve.

Shakira Mozies body was found around 7 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the highway just south of the Sunrise Boulevard exit, the sheriffs office said Monday.

According to her obituary, Mozie was a teacher at Discovery Elementary School in Sunrise.

She will be sorely missed by her family, friends, students, and a host of others who knew her and loved her dearly, the obituary states.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Davie Fire Rescue were first on the scene, and paramedics declared the 34-year-old Hollywood woman dead soon after they arrived.

Sheriffs office detectives say her injuries are consistent with falling out of a moving vehicle.

Detectives have questioned Mozies boyfriend, whom they did not name, and said he was the only other occupant of the car she was in that night, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

Mozies uncle, Reginald Smith, posted on Facebook that his niece is survived by her daughter, her father, loads of siblings, and her grandmother.

The BSO is asking anyone with information about the circumstances of Mozies death to call Detective Louis Bonhomme at 954-321-4377, or call Broward CrimeStoppers at 954-493-8477, or submit a tip online at BrowardCrimeStoppers.org.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
EVANSVILLE  Nothing, and everything, is known in the burgeoning speculation about a possible successor to retiring 8th District Congressman Larry Bucshon.

Bucshon had said he intended to run for re-election again this year, so no other Republicans and just one Democrat had made plans to seek his Southern and West Central Indiana seat in Congress. Bucshon will serve out the year in the U.S. House of Representatives, but for election purposes his seat is open for the first time in 14 years.

In the vacuum, political observers spit out so many names after Bucshon's retirement announcement Monday that it was barely possible to keep track of them all. The names of some potential candidates, most of them Republicans, came up immediately: State Rep. Matt Hostettler, son of former 8th District Rep. John Hostettler; State Sen. Mark Messmer of Jasper; and State Sen. Greg Goode of Terre Haute, who was the GOP's congressional nominee in 2008.

More: Indiana's 2024 session is here. How to find and follow your lawmakers this year.

Those are just some of the "obvious" candidates, the ones who might logically be positioned to move up. They're not the only ones.

Any number of ambitious politicians or wannabe politicians who see a member of Congress staring back at them in the mirror couldn't be counted out in the hours after Bucshon's retirement announcement. Any of the several Republicans who tried and failed to defeat Bucshon in GOP primary elections could run. Someone with credibility and the potential to raise money, but who doesn't currently hold any elected office, could run.

Even Democrats could run in the suddenly open 8th District, one of the most Republican congressional districts in the nation. With no incumbent in the race, it's a lot lighter lift.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing and the text messages haven't quit coming since this news came out," said former state Rep. Dave Crooks, chairman of the 8th District Democratic organization.

Crooks, the Democratic challenger to Bucshon in 2012, admitted he's even considering running again himself.

"I am reconsidering it," said Crooks, a Clay County resident. "I'd ruled it out before Christmas because I just didn't think it was a great year to run in the 8th  but with an opening, honestly, I have to reconsider. It's an open seat. Open seats don't happen that often."

Dave Crooks

It would be a stern challenge for any Democrat.

The 8th is about as "red" as congressional districts come, according to The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index. The index measures how voters in the nation's 435 House districts cast their ballots in presidential races compared to the country as a whole.

A "PVI score" of R+3, for example, meant that in recent presidential elections, that district voted three percentage points more Republican than the national average.

The 8th District's PVI score? R+19.

More: Need an idea of how tough things are for local Dems? Check the 8th District race

Bucshon's looming retirement creates a third open-seat race in Indiana's nine U.S. House districts, with Congresswoman Victoria Spartz also opting not to run for re-election and Rep. Jim Banks seeking the Indiana GOP U.S. Senate nomination.

Ed Feigenbaum, editor of Indianapolis-based Indiana Legislative Insight, pointed to the appearance of a wild frenzy of candidates to succeed Spartz in her Indianapolis-area district after her retirement announcement last year.

For all the speculation, it didn't happen, Feigenbaum said.

"I published a list with little summaries of about two-dozen potential candidates, and all of them were big, serious names that would ordinarily be interested in running," the veteran political analyst said. "And here we are, and we're looking at the (candidate) filing starting this week, and it feels like every one of those candidates, save one, has said that they're not going to run."

Feigenbaum sounded one note of caution about the several state legislators whose names have been thrown around: Indianas 2024 legislative session has only just begun. Layering those responsibilities onto a brand new campaign for Congress in a 21-county district? Now, that would be a heavy lift.

"You've got to be in Indianapolis essentially four-and-a-half days a week or whatever, tending to legislative matters," Feigenbaum said. "You're going to have to be organizing a congressional campaign and raising money for a congressional campaign  and that's a tall order."

Truth be known, most ambitious politicians in Indiana's 8th District were pointing to 2026, Feigenbaum said. They thought Bucshon would serve one more term. He had said as much.

In the end, all the talk of a wide-open, crowded race to succeed Bucshon may be just that: talk. Mounting a campaign for Congress is for the hearty few, Feigenbaum said.

"This is probably going to winnow itself out from a very large list of potential hopefuls very quickly," he said.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Who will run for Indiana's 8th District seat in Congress?
The launch of new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms has hit some snags, leading to trouble and frustration for students and colleges.

The FAFSA applications were released at the end of December  already a delay from the normal October  due to the changes made by the Department of Education.

The department was tasked with creating a FAFSA form that was quicker to complete and easier for students and families to understand since the old one could take families hours to finish and made it difficult for them to understand if they filled it out correctly and received all the aid they could get.

When the department said at the beginning of December the new forms would have a soft launch, experts knew issues were bound to arise.

When we saw that they were going to do this soft launch, that was an indicator to us that internally the Department of Education thought that there might be some issues when [the FAFSA forms] did roll out, said Karen McCarthy, vice president for public policy and federal relations at National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Limited access to applications

At first, only a few people could access the forms.

The department cautioned against everyone running to fill out the applications right away as its website could not handle it and some individuals had to be stuck in a waiting room to not overwhelm the site.

Last Thursday, the department said about half a million people had been able to successfully submit their forms.

The first weekend that it was open was very challenging, and there was such a limited time that the FAFSA was actually open. The Department of Education has been gradually increasing the hours per day that it is open and available. I think that they will shortly be getting to the point where it will just stay open and available like it does in in normal time, McCarthy said.

While she believes the issues with accessibility will fade in the next few days, other problems seem to be waiting in the wings.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Education for further comment.

Issues with the forms

The next stop for the new applications will be working through the bugs with the forms themselves now that more students and families will be able to access them.

There are some reporting issues that the department is trying to resolve that affect certain subpopulations of FAFSA completers so some folks are seeing some issues, some of which are more minor, some of which are bigger, McCarthy said.

On Thursday, the department released an open issues list of some of the problems students are flagging with the form.

Some of the problems on the list include students not able to submit a form after accidentally selecting eligible noncitizen, issues with parents listing their countries of birth and parents with no Social Security number being unable to start or contribute to the forms.

However, the promise of a faster and easier form seems to ring true for many who are applying.

We are definitely seeing that it is far less burdensome than the previous FAFSA cycles, said Nicole Boelk, director of Financial Aid & Scholarships at Oakland University.

Her school has hosted financial aid nights and have been helping students in the financial aid office complete the forms and found students get through the FAFSA in as fast as 10 minutes.

Time crunch for financial aid offers, student decisions

The final issue with the applications comes with the time crunch for schools to present financial aid offers and students to make decisions on which schools to go to due to the late release of the forms.

And it is unclear how the troubles at the beginning of the soft launch could affect the timeline even more.

Schools are not getting any processed FASFAs from the department yet and considering how bumpy the rollout was of the actual FAFSA  we are  Its a reasonable question for us to ask if the department does still plan to get those processed FAFSAs out to schools later this month, or if there will be a further delay on that, McCarthy said.

Once a person submits a FAFSA form, it will take a few weeks for the selected schools to receive the information. The school then needs to process that information and send a financial aid offer to the student.

Boelk said her school is trying to get together a net price calculator for students to look at so they can have some idea of what a financial aid package for them would look like beforehand, but the time from the students would get the final offers to when students need to make a decision on whether to go to a school will be tight.

Our biggest concern right now is the compressed period of time in which students will have financial aid offers available to them to make decisions on where theyre going to attend, Boelk said.

Some schools still have to set up the software systems for the new forms, with some places not even receiving the software yet, according to Boelk.

The best advice Boelk has for students is to stay informed and contact financial aid offices when they need help.

My word of advice would be to, of course, complete the FAFSA, look at the different schools net price calculators that could be used as a tool to get an estimate of what you could expect and then to really just talk with the financial aid offices on expectations for when they might be notified, what the next steps are, what a typical financial aid package for a family situation might be, Boelk said.

If theres uncertainty just have those conversations with the financial aid offices at those schools, she added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tree identification walk At AWLIs winter fest

The Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative (AWLI) will host the 23rd annual Winter Wonderland festival Saturday at Eggers Grove Forest Preserve, 11251-11249 S. Ave. E, Chicago. The event will feature a tree identification walk at 1:30 p.m. Marianne Kozlowski, co-steward of Eggers Grove, will lead the walk. The entrance to Eggers Grove is at East 112th Street and South Avenue E, Chicago. After entering the forest preserve, drive to the stop sign at the T-intersection and turn left. Drive past the brick caretakers building into the east lot, and park.

Participants should wear sturdy shoes and outerwear fit for the weather. Online registration is required at www.wolflakeinitiative.org. Registration deadline is Thursday. More information is with Michael Boos at 219-933-7149 or 312-220-0120.

PNW to celebrate MLK Day with community conversations, service

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) invites the public to join its annual celebration of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. PNW will host community conversations and a keynote speaker on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as facilitate volunteer community service opportunities on Friday and Monday. A free Unity Breakfast will be held on Thursday at PNWs James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and food will be served starting at 8:30 a.m. To register and view sponsorship information, visit pnw.edu/mlk-celebration. Author Kevin Powell, a 2024 Grammy-nominated poet, will serve as keynote speaker for PNWs MLK Day recognition. He will deliver his keynote, Been to the Mountaintop: Dr. King and the Present and Future of Our World, at 2 p.m. Wednesday inside Alumni Hall in the Student Union and Library Building on PNWs Hammond campus, 2233 173rd St., Hammond. Powell also will provide his keynote at 9 a.m. on Thursday inside the Great Hall at the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex on PNWs Westville branch campus, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville. Breakout community discussions will be facilitated following Powells keynote at both campuses. For a complete schedule of PNW MLK Day recognition events, registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit pnw.edu/mlk-celebration.

League of Women Voters to host monthly meeting

The League of Women Voters of Porter County will hold their monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 201 N. Washington, Valparaiso. Parking and access to the building are at the back of the church on Lafayette Street. The meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss plans, volunteer for activities and learn more about the Leagues mission. The public is invited to attend. The League of Women Voters is a non partisan organization founded to promote and advance voting rights. More information is with Beckie Guffin at 219-508-0387.

Warm up to winter at Chellberg Farm

Try out snowshoeing and wander through a winter wonderland from 1 to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in January at Chellberg Farm, 709-747 N. Mineral Springs Road, Porter. Stop by the farmhouse to warm up and learn about the areas history. A limited number of snowshoes will be available for check out at the farmhouse. Snowshoeing is dependent on the amount of snow on the ground with a minimum of three inches of snow required. Regardless of snow, the farmhouse will be open for hikers to stop by and enjoy. Call 219-395-1882 for snow conditions. This program is sponsored by Friends of Indiana Dunes. For more information on how to join the Friends and support the park, visit dunefriends.org. For more information on this and other programs at Indiana Dunes National Park, call 219-395-1882, visit https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm, download the official National Park Service app, or view our https://www.facebook.com/IndianaDunesNPS/.

Valpo to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Valparaiso University invites the campus community and members of the public to attend their annual event to honor the memory of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday on campus, 1700 Chapel Drive, Valparaiso. The theme of this years celebration is Realizing the Dream Through Healing and Resilience. Speakers at the event include Morgan M. Medlock, M.D., M.Div., MPH, director of community outreach and engagement for Howard University Hospitals psychiatry department. Events will include: Convocation, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Chapel of the Resurrection; Focus Sessions, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Harre Union Ballrooms; and Children Programming, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Harre Union. Registration for all events is at 9:30 a.m. at the Harre Union. For more information, visit valpo.edu/mlk.
Channel 11 is pressing officials for answers after a pet dog was fatally electrocuted while on a walk with its owner Sunday.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m., emergency crews were called to the pedestrian sidewalk on the Murray Avenue Bridge in Squirrel Hill.

There, it was determined that a dog had been electrocuted after coming into contact with a metal plate secured within the sidewalk, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.

Julia Schandelmeier, who owns a nearby business, Post-Operative and Therapeutic Massage, arrived shortly after the event and made the 911 call.

My colleague, who witnessed the event, pulled me over and showed me what had happened, Schandelmeier said. It was awful. She told us that the dog ultimately died.

A Public Safety spokesperson told us that Pittsburgh Fire determined that the metal access cover appeared to be energized and they called Duquesne Light.

Channel 11 has contacted numerous involved parties, and none can explain how part of a public sidewalk became electrified.

A spokesperson for Duquesne Light sent us a statement that reads, in part, Once we were made aware of the situation, we quickly supported the City of Pittsburgh and their electrical contractors in responding to this matter. At this time, we are not aware of any Duquesne Light-owned facilities that are directly involved in the incident.

The Duquesne Light spokesperson stated that the company is working with the relevant parties to understand the cause.

We also reached out to a company called Sargent Electric, which told us that they were brought in only to repair the circuit after the incident, but otherwise could not add further information. The company told Channel 11 that The City of Pittsburgh is responsible for this bridge.

Channel 11 reached out to the city for answers.

A spokesperson for Mayor Gaineys Office told us that the equipment supplying power to the streetlights is not energized and that there is no further risk to the public.

The statement, however, does not explain how the city pinpointed the problem and is assured it wont happen again.

Once we were made aware of the incident in Squirrel Hill involving a beloved pet and their owner, we conducted an investigation on our equipment with support from Duquesne Light to solve the issue and are working to identify the cause, the statement from the Mayors Office reads.

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Several businesses including The French Quarter restaurant, right, are across the street from Romare Bearden Park in uptown Charlotte.

Charlotte leaders on Monday took a step toward reinstating criminal penalties back to some city ordinances for behaviors such as public intoxication, masturbation and panhandling.

The Charlotte City Councils Housing, Safety and Community Committee voted 3-2 to recommend the changes go before the full council for additional deliberation. Council members Renee Johnson and Tiawana Brown voted against, citing concerns about the impact on the citys homeless population and people with mental health issues.

The council has considered the changes since August, when multiple uptown residents and business owners called on members to take action amid what they said was an uptick in nuisance crimes.

If the full council approves the changes, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police could issue criminal citations or arrest people who violate ordinances on:

Beer and wine consumption, possession of open containers and disposal of containers

Unauthorized people in parking lots

Trespassing in a motor vehicle

Loitering for the purpose of engaging in drug-related activity

Masturbation in public

Urination and defecation on certain property prohibited

Behavior in public parks

Soliciting from street or median strip, which could include panhandling

A state law decriminalized those city ordinances in 2021, which meant officers only options when facing people violating the ordinances were to ask for compliance, give a verbal warning or issue a written civil citation. The law allows municipalities to reinstate criminal penalties for some local laws if they vote to do so. The City Council did so previously on seven other local laws in 2022.

We dont look to go from zero to arrest for no reason or without a conversation  CMPD Deputy Chief David Robinson told the committee Monday. The arrest piece gives us another leverage item.

In a statement after the vote, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said reinstating the ordinances would promote public safety and enhance quality of life in Charlotte.

Besides a full City Council discussion and vote, theres more work to do before ordinances are officially reinstated, Robinson said. Thats especially true for ordinances for people in parking lots, loitering and panhandling.

Support for people experiencing homelessness

The city will also provide support for people who are experiencing homelessness or mental illness, assistant city manager Shawn Heath said. That includes working with Mecklenburg County and nonprofits on support services and looking into improving access to public bathrooms.

The recommendations here are not intended to, are not designed to, quote unquote criminalize homelessness, Heath said.

The city has held public listening sessions with Center City Partners to hear directly from uptown residents and designed their recommendations with that feedback in mind, Heath added.

Brown, who was previously incarcerated and now runs a nonprofit that helps women involved with the criminal justice system, said she would have liked to see more people who could be directly affected by the changes at the table.

You have to include everybody, the District 3 Democrat said.

She said she was voting no on the motion to send the ordinances to the full council because she felt the city and law enforcements time and energy would be better spent on addressing the root causes of the issues in question and helping those in vulnerable situations.

I would like to see more harm reduction, I would like to be proactive, she said.
FILE - A sign for The New York Times hangs above the entrance to its building, May 6, 2021 in New York. A barrage of high-profile lawsuits in a New York federal court, including one by the New York Times, will test the future of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence products. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

A barrage of high-profile lawsuits in a New York federal court will test the future of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence products that wouldn't be so eloquent had they not ingested huge troves of copyrighted human works.

But are AI chatbots  in this case, widely commercialized products made by OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft  breaking copyright and fair competition laws? Professional writers and media outlets will face a difficult fight to win that argument in court.

I would like to be optimistic on behalf of the authors, but Im not. I just think they have an uphill battle here, said copyright attorney Ashima Aggarwal, who used to work for academic publishing giant John Wiley & Sons.

One lawsuit comes from The New York Times. Another from a group of well-known novelists such as John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin. A third from bestselling nonfiction writers, including an author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography on which the hit movie Oppenheimer was based.

THE LAWSUITS

Each of the lawsuits makes different allegations, but they all center on the San Francisco-based company OpenAI building this product on the back of other peoples intellectual property, said attorney Justin Nelson, who is representing the nonfiction writers and whose law firm is also representing The Times.

What OpenAI is saying is that they have a free ride to take anybody elses intellectual property really since the dawn of time, as long as its been on the internet, Nelson said.

The Times sued in December, arguing that ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot are competing with the same outlets they are trained on and diverting web traffic away from the newspaper and other copyright holders who depend on advertising revenue generated from their sites to keep producing their journalism. It also provided evidence of the chatbots spitting out Times articles word-for-word. At other times the chatbots falsely attributed misinformation to the paper in a way it said damaged its reputation.

One senior federal judge is so far presiding over all three cases, as well as a fourth from two more nonfiction authors who filed another lawsuit last week. U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein has been at the Manhattan-based court since 1995 when he was nominated by then-President Bill Clinton.

THE RESPONSE

OpenAI and Microsoft haven't yet filed formal counter-arguments on the New York cases, but OpenAI made a public statement this week describing The Times lawsuit as without merit and saying that the chatbot's ability to regurgitate some articles verbatim was a rare bug.

Training AI models using publicly available internet materials is fair use, as supported by long-standing and widely accepted precedents, said a Monday blog post from the company. It went on to suggest that The Times either instructed the model to regurgitate or cherry-picked their examples from many attempts.

OpenAI cited licensing agreements made last year with The Associated Press, the German media company Axel Springer and other organizations as offering a glimpse into how the company is trying to support a healthy news ecosystem. OpenAI is paying an undisclosed fee to license APs archive of news stories. The New York Times was engaged in similar talks before deciding to sue.

OpenAI said earlier this year that access to AP's high-quality, factual text archive would improve the capabilities of its AI systems. But its blog post this week downplayed the importance of news content for AI training, arguing that large language models learn from an enormous aggregate of human knowledge and that any single data source  including The New York Times  is not significant for the models intended learning.

WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

Much of the AI industry's argument rests on the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law that allows for limited uses of copyrighted materials such as for teaching, research or transforming the copyrighted work into something different.

In response, the legal team representing The Times wrote Tuesday that what OpenAI and Microsoft are doing is not fair use by any measure because they're taking from the newspaper's investment in its journalism to build substitutive products without permission or payment.

So far, courts have largely sided with tech companies in interpreting how copyright laws should treat AI systems. In a defeat for visual artists, a federal judge in San Francisco last year dismissed much of the first big lawsuit against AI image-generators, though artists have since amended their complaint. Another California judge shot down part of comedian Sarah Silvermans arguments against Facebook parent Meta but her case was amended in December and joined with another one that includes writers Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michael Chabon.

The most recent lawsuits have brought more detailed evidence of alleged harms, but Aggarwal said when it comes to using copyrighted content to train AI systems that deliver a "small portion of that to users, the courts just dont seem inclined to find that to be copyright infringement.

Tech companies cite as precedent Googles success in beating back legal challenges to its online book library. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 let stand lower court rulings that rejected authors claim that Googles digitizing of millions of books and showing snippets of them to the public amounted to copyright infringement.

But judges interpret fair use arguments on a case-by-case basis and it is actually very fact-dependent, depending on economic impact and other factors, said Cathy Wolfe, an executive at the Dutch firm Wolters Kluwer who also sits on the board of the Copyright Clearance Center, which helps negotiate print and digital media licenses in the U.S.

"Just because something is free on the internet, on a website, doesn't mean you can copy it and email it, let alone use it to conduct commercial business," Wolfe said. "Whos going to win, I dont know, but Im certainly a proponent for protecting copyright for all of us. It drives innovation."

BEYOND THE COURTS

Some media outlets and other content creators are looking beyond the courts and calling for lawmakers or the U.S. Copyright Office to strengthen copyright protections for the AI era. A panel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony Wednesday from media executives and advocates in a hearing dedicated to AI's effect on journalism.

Roger Lynch, chief executive of the Conde Nast magazine chain, planned to tell senators that generative AI companies are using our stolen intellectual property to build tools of replacement.

We believe that a legislative fix can be simple  clarifying that the use of copyrighted content in conjunction with commercial Gen AI is not fair use and requires a license, says a copy of Lynch's prepared remarks.

___

This story was first published on January 9, 2024. It was updated on January 10, 2024 to make clear that a lawsuit brought by artists against AI image-generators and another lawsuit against Meta brought by authors, including Sarah Silverman, have been amended after judges dismissed parts of each case.